Orange Bowl Preview

FEDEX ORANGE BOWL – Jan. 3rd, 8:00 EST

Virginia Tech vs. Kansas –

10-2, and champions of the ACC: just like I predicted to start the year. One thing I never would have predicted would be that the Hokies would get the Kansas Jayhawks, third place team in the Big 12, as a reward for their conference championship. Surely the ACC champs ought to beat the Big 12’s third best, right? Let’s check it out:

Kansas (11-1, 7-1 Big 12)

Offense: The Jayhawks roared out of the gates in September on the strength of an offense that scored so quickly, and so often, that it immediately forced opponents to alter their game plans just to keep up. KU dropped an average of 53.5 ppg on its first four opponents and then, after a 30-point ‘off-week’ against K-State, dropped another 58 on Baylor. When KU met Mizzou in Kansas City on Thanksgiving weekend, QBs Todd Reesing and Chase Daniel were at a crossroads. The two had put up similar numbers, with similar records and similar accompanying shock around their success. Whichever QB had the better game was going to be a Heisman finalist, and Daniel dominated the game, earning his ticket to New York. But Reesing’s year was equally spectacular. The junior went 256-409 this year, with an unbelievable 32:6 TD:INT ratio. Three of the picks came against K-State, and other than that, the numbers are even gaudier, 29:3. Will Reesing be an NFL QB? Heck no, but he’s been in a zone this year, reaching rare air with his accuracy and decision making. Reesing and KU haven’t been tested like they will be against VA Tech, and rattling Reesing is the best way to ruin KU’s offense. In the ‘Hawks’ two closest calls of the year, a tight win at K-State and the Mizzou loss, Reesing threw 5 of his 6 picks.

The rushing game was good for 197 ypg, 27^th nationally, and Brandon McAnderson and Jake Sharp are both solid backs, top ten in the Big 12. McAnderson, the senior, topped the century mark 5 times, with a mighty three game stretch of 434 yards and 8 TDs against A&M, Nebraska and Oklahoma State. Sharp, the sophomore, was the counter punch, going for 788 yards and 7 scores on the year; but Sharp was absent against Kansas, a fact that has been lost on the post-game commentary of that contest.

Junior WR Dexton Fields had a breakout year, with 56 catches for 733 yards and 6 scores. Unlike Reesing, Fields was at his best in the Jayhawks’ closest battles, catching a combined 14 balls for 194 yards against K-State and Mizzou. Marcus Henry is the home run threat in the passing game, turning 52 catches in to 994 yards and 9 scores. Henry is a big-time, grand slam kind of guy, and he benefits from Fields’ success over the middle. Fields will try to draw the safeties in, and Henry will find the deep seams.

KU’s offensive line was actually fairly mediocre this year, considering how good the offense was. The line was 47^th in the nation in sacks surrendered. I haven’t heard yet officially if Anthony Collins, the 310-lb. left tackle will play against the Hokies, but he’s probably the best offensive lineman. Collins dinged a leg against Iowa State, and he’s chiefly responsible for protecting Reesing’s backside. If Collins is out, the likelihood that Tech can create effective pressure on Reesing, and force the game-changing turnovers, goes way, way up. Center Ryan Cantrell will make the line calls in the no-huddle attack, and RT Cesar Rodriguez is KU’s only senior starting lineman.

Defense

Of all the reasons KU went 11-1 this year, a +1.58 turnover margin, tops in the entire nation, was the biggest. The Jayhawks were amazing at creating possession-changing plays and preventing them on the offensive end of the football. The defense deserves tons of credit for that, obviously, and the superstar of the KU defense is Aqib Talib. You’ve heard the name before, but remember it – I haven’t seen a lot of defensive players on Talib’s level when it comes to anticipation and vision. Talib only had 4 picks this year, and only one since October 6^th. He’s such a deadly pass picker, though, that he really won’t get much action, and Tech would be wise to throw away from him whenever possible. Talib also had 61 tackles and 8 receptions this year. He’s a great college football player, as good as KU has anywhere on the field.

The Jayhawks’ three leading tacklers are a trio of junior LBs that all finished in the top 14 in the Big 12 in dragging down opponents. Joe Mortensen, James Holt and Mike Rivera all nabbed 7+ tackles per outing, and comprise a linebacking corps that isn’t going to miss a lot of tackles, and is going to have the freedom to chase opposing backs all over the shop. Each of the backers is capable of taking over a game on the defensive end. In three of KU’s closest contests, against Mizzou, Colorado and Kansas State, Mortensen had 11+ tackles in each. And against the Buffaloes, in what has to be one of the toughest outings of any defensive player this year, Holt logged 12 solo tackles in a 19-14 slugfest. Running right at these guys probably isn’t the best strategy for the Hokies. I like a steady diet of counter and misdirection plays that capitalize on KU’s desire to pursue ball carriers with a vengeance.

KU’s weakness on defense is its front four, which finished 80^th nationally in sacks despite the fact that teams were passing against the Jayhawks constantly because of the huge leads they ran up. However, the defense was 4^th nationally in scoring allowed, and 14^th in yards, so even this d-line isn’t weak. Just vulnerable. Sophomore stud DL Maxwell Onyegbule was the sack leader, but only got one in Big 12 play. The real star of the line is James McClinton, a second-team All-American who made 11 TFL and 38 total tackles this year, and made himself a fixture in opposing backfields all day, every day. Stop McClinton, beat KU. It’s pretty simple. Caleb Blakesley and Russell Brorsen are decent parts of the machine, but McClinton will draw the double teams, and rightfully so.

Special Teams

Kicker Scott Webb probably never dreamed that when he came to KU, he’d score 114 points in a season, good for 2^nd in the Big 12. But that’s what he did in 2007, a tribute to KU’s dynamite offense and his accurate kicking leg. An interesting thing about Webb is that he doesn’t really scatter his misses; he’s either on or off. In two games this year, A&M and Mizzou, Webb went 2 for 7 on FGs. Over the other ten, he went 15 for 17. I’m not going to call the kid a head case, by any means, but Tech should know early if he has it or not. Kansas is awful in the punting game, absolutely awful. Kyle Tucker averaged less than 40 yards a boot this year, and the coverage was bad, too. 111^th in the country in net punting is an awful way to try to win football games. The seams will start to show against the Hokies, when KU has to punt a little more than it likes.

Prediction

The Jayhawks aren’t the dog a lot of folks on the eastern seaboard think they are. This is a team that was much more in it against Mizzou than a lot of people realized that didn’t watch the contest, and any time a team scores 43 or more points in 8 of 12 games, I’m going to give their offense some credit.

However, I like Tech’s 8^th ranked sack unit and 2^nd ranked scoring D to be able to do some things KU hasn’t seen, better than the Jayhawks expect. Pressure leads to Reesing errors, and as we’ve established, Reesing errors lead to KU struggles. Conversely, the one thing KU doesn’t do very well, rush the passer, is something teams have to do to beat Tech. Reesing, Fields and Talib will each make a couple plays that leave Hokie fans shaking their heads, but VA Tech will get a big special teams play and take control of the game in the third quarter, bringing the Orange Bowl trophy for a year’s residence in Blacksburg. Virginia Tech 27, Kansas 17.

Konica Minolta Gator Bowl Preview

KONICA MINOLTA GATOR BOWL – Jan. 1^st, 1:00 EST

Virginia vs. Texas Tech –

In the ACC’s only New Year’s Day contest, the Hokie-vanquished Cavaliers draw explosive Texas Tech as a reward for their surprising 9-3 campaign. As has been well-documented in my column space this year, I’m from the camp that thinks this UVA was at least as much lucky as good, benefiting from 5 wins of 2 points or less. But they obviously had some mojo working for them, taking only two losses since the opening beating at Wyoming. Texas Tech is a tough team to get a bead on, one capable of greatness (beating Oklahoma, 34-27) and utter mediocrity (losses to Colorado and Oklahoma State).

I’m excited about this game. There’s almost no way this game will not be exciting. On one hand, we’ve got UVA, who played to the wire time after time in 2007, and on the other, there’s Texas Tech, one of the nation’s most perpetually thrilling teams, a squad that will always keep both teams in the game. One of the great mysteries of the past season is why Graham Harrell never got the media love that Hawaii’s Colt Brennan did. Harrell led the nation in total offense, and the Red Raider passing attack was tops nationally as well. The QBs were almost identically matched in TDs and efficiency; obviously, Harrell’s competition was much tougher. One thing Harrell had that Brennan didn’t was Michael Crabtree – the freshman sensation topped the nation in receiving TDs and yards per game, and became the first freshman ever to win the Biletnikoff Award, for the nation’s top receiver. Crabtree is an unbelievable talent, and to say UVA will have its hands full with him is the understatement of the year.

Tech’s dink-and-dunk, quick strike passing attack should be able to neutralize the formidable UVA pass rush, which is led by future top-10 pick Chris Long. Long was 3^rd in the nation in sacks this year, but he won’t have near the time he’s used to against the Raiders. Cavalier defenders Clint Sintim and Jeffrey Fitzgerald are also in the top 12 in ACC sackmeisters, but this key component of the UVA defensive approach just won’t be in play against Tech. The Raiders will throw quickly, and pick on mismatches in the UVA secondary. Unfortunately, the Cavs weren’t a great outfit in the back four – middle of the ACC pack defending the pass, despite habitually clamping down in the red zone.

UVA just isn’t cut out to hang with Texas Tech in this game. This is a team just a few points away from being .500, facing an offense that will render completely useless its best defensive asset. A big win for the Big 12 on Jan One. Texas Tech 38, UVA 20.

Big 12 Power Rankings: Week Six

Wow. The Big 12 got turned upside down Saturday with Oklahoma and Texas losing; maybe the North is back up and ready to challenge the South for Big 12 titles once again. How do the teams stack up right now?

I’m going to just apologize in advance. This is hard. These teams are really hard to rank. Is Colorado better than Oklahoma? No, probably not. How bad is Texas? Is Kansas State really an elite team in the conference? Can Nebraska really be playing 9^th best in the conference right now? What the hell do we know about Kansas? So, in advance…I’m sorry…but here’s how I see it:

1. Missouri – The Tigers have a win in an SEC house, a win at Illinois (that one looks a little better now, doesn’t it?) and two throw away wins against a MAC and FCS team. With two weeks to prepare for Nebraska, Mizzou really can not afford to blow this chance. The Tigers have a recent history of knocking on greatness’ door only to have it open in front of them, but tripping on the doorstep on their way in. To steal a line from Pete Taylor, Nebraska isn’t the Nebraska of old, but we’ll find out Saturday if this is the Missouri of new.
2. Oklahoma – I’m still confident in saying this is the scariest team in the conference, but considering the way Cody Hawkins threw against the Sooner secondary, I think Chase Daniel could have similar success. How did this team only muster 230 offensive yards against Colorado, after looking like world beaters against Miami and Tulsa? Your guess is as good as mine.
3. Kansas State – Based on what we’ve seen on the field, how is this team not ranked? How aren’t they? They’re 24^th in the AP poll, but 6^th place in the “Other column” in the coaches’ poll. Yep. With one loss at Auburn (who just won at Florida, by the way), and a win at Texas, this squad is behind Rutgers (wins over Buffalo, Navy and Norfolk State), Nebraska (humiliated by USC, held off mighty Ball State by one), TEXAS (beaten absolutely nobody) and, ready for this, Miami, who beat Duke by 10, Texas A&M, and was humiliated by Oklahoma. What in the world is wrong with these voters?
4. Kansas – Fascinating matchup in the Little Apple this week, where KU hasn’t won in a long time, but is sitting on a bye week’s worth of Wildcat prep. All of a sudden, whoever wins the Sunflower Showdown is the challenger to Missouri in the North. Who will get more carries in Manhattan, Brandon McAnderson or Jake Sharp? That mystery may help Mangino’s Jayhawks win on Saturday.
5. Texas – Honestly, I’m not sure this rating still isn’t a bit too high. There’s too much talent on this team right now for me to drop them lower, but this team looked lost and apathetic against the Wildcats. Now they face an angry Sooner squad, and I love the spin that these losses give this year’s Red River Rivalry. Colt McCoy might face a tougher leadership challenge right now than Vince Young ever did. Is he up to the challenge?
6. Oklahoma State – The Cowboys didn’t show us much against Sam Houston State, winning 39-3 in a walk, but they’ll show us something over the next two weeks in road trips to College Station and Lincoln. I think the Cowboys are head and shoulders better than the Aggies; can they beat an inferior opponent solidly to gain momentum for the Nebraska trip?
7. Texas Tech – Yeah, Graham Harrell has thrown for 24 scores and it’s the first of October. Most QBs across the country won’t throw for that many by Christmas, but this team will be on the losing end of a lot of 49-45 games until the D improves. 24 points against the anemic attack at Rice ain’t good; we’ll see how the secondary fares against an ISU passing attack that has struggled.
8. Colorado – The Hawkins family brought back in to the Big 12 discussion with the shocking win over Oklahoma. The Sooners really struggled on offense as the Buff defense played out of their minds, forcing three turnovers and keeping the OU offense on the sideline for minutes. The margin of victory was close, but the win wasn’t fluky, considering how the game played out. Colorado had 7 more first downs and 151 more yards. Can this team find the postseason endzone with a bowl bid?
9. Nebraska – I definitely don’t think the ‘Huskers will finish the year with the 9^th best squad, but they’re having an awfully hard time kicking it in to gear, with a squeaker over Ball State, and a win over Iowa State that was in doubt until Bo Ruud took an INT back 90 yards for a score, giving the Huskers a 28-10 lead. Coach Bill Callahan has a chance to win some believers this week in Columbia, where it’s the equivalent of Nebraska taking their North title belt in to the ring with them. If Missouri wins, the Huskers can leave it behind. Sam Keller has been pretty darn good, and I wouldn’t be shocked if he lit up the Tiger secondary.
10. Texas A & M – Who knows when exactly the final nail in Coach Fran’s coaching coffin was drilled, but I’m pretty sure the party’s over in College Station after the recent revelation of a secret group of boosters paying $1,200 a year to receive privileged information on injuries and other team matters. If the Aggie D can turn this Saturday’s contest against the Cowboys in to a smash mouth battle, TAMU might have a chance. If they’re not able to be physical, the goose’ll be cooked.
11. Iowa State – If this season were one of those football video games where you could turn off fumbles and interceptions so the computer couldn’t get the ball back whenever it felt like it, this Cyclone team might contend for the Big 12 North title. But crucial mistakes and mental breakdowns have devastated the Cyclones all year, including this week in Lincoln, where three picks and a fumble ruined a 10-0 lead and a fairly impressive performance on the field. From here, its Texas Tech, Texas, Oklahoma and Missouri in rapid succession.
12. Baylor – Let’s be honest here. I just didn’t have the heart to rank my beloved Cyclones last for the third straight week.

Big 12 Power Rankings: Week Five

A couple of one-point barn burners, some routs by the top dogs, and a bit of table setting for next week’s rivalries games. Another week in Big 12 country. How do the teams stack up? Check it:

(Remember, this is how good I think teams are right now, not how good they’ll be at season’s end or how favorable their schedule is.)

1. Oklahoma – Still a big fat duh after four weeks of play. The Sooners have absolutely obliterated everything in their path, and currently sit in the top seven nationally in scoring, rush yards, rush D, total D, kick returns, sacks, TFL and sacks allowed. Even against weak competition, those are staggering numbers. The last few OU teams that have looked close to this good have had at least one gag throughout the year, so I’m not penciling them in to the BCS Title Game just yet. However, who is going to stop them? With Missouri, TAMU and Oklahoma State coming to Norman, Texas looks like the only squad with a remote chance of beating the Boomers. Could Allen Patrick be the Big 12’s best back? Could Sam Bradford go to New York as a Heisman finalist? Yikes, this team is scary.

2. Texas – The slaughter-style win over Rice didn’t say a lot, but the ‘Horns did everything they needed to, bouncing back from a squeaker at UCF the previous week. Texas hasn’t looked particularly dominant in any phase of the game, and I’m not convinced they’ll survive the post-OU schedule undefeated. But for now, no one else looks better, and the emergence of Quan Cosby as a major receiving threat has to be encouraging. Against the caliber of competition UT has faced, there’s no excuse for them to be just 8^th in the Big 12 against the pass.

3. Missouri – The Tiger offense kept humming with a 38-14 win over Illinois State, and two of Mizzou’s early opponents played great Saturday, making me believe a bit more that this Tiger squad might be for real. Chase Daniel has been one of the nation’s top QBs (116-176 for 1311 yards and 13 scores), and the balanced offense (200 rush ypg, 344 pass ypg) is just killing people. The Tigers now have two weeks to prepare for Nebraska’s visit on October 6^th, which might be the program’s biggest game in a decade. For real: if Mizzou wins to go to 5-0, they’ll be favored every game the rest of the season except against the Sooners, and could coast to the Big 12 North title. Can the 102^nd ranked pass defense get better? We’ll know in two weeks.

4. Kansas – I’m just as shocked as you are. Who of the below teams would take over the Jayhawks on a neutral field right now? The biggest question mark hanging over KU right now is how differently they’ve played at home and on the road in the Mangino era. They’ve had a particularly hard time with Kansas State; the Jayhawks haven’t won in the Little Apple since 1989. Todd Reesing continues to amaze at QB, at 13^th nationally in efficiency and 14^th in total offense. The defense hasn’t challenged a real offense yet, and won’t face a good unit until November 3^rd when the Huskers come to town. The lines have been the weakest part of each side of the ball: KU is 10^th in the Big-12 in sacks allowed and 7^th in sacks recorded.

5. Oklahoma State – I’m not sure the Pokes would win again tomorrow, but OSU showed a lot of grit in a big win over Texas Tech, and got a rival’s defensive coordinator fired, to boot. OSU is only 2-2, but Kendall Hunter has been a major bright spot with 98 yards rushing per contest. The defense was predictably shredded against Graham Harrell and Tech, but to only have 6 sacks so far is unacceptable.

6. Texas Tech – For the stat geek, the Red Raider offense is the gift that keeps on giving. How do you throw for 646 yards and lose? How do you have the top ranked pass offense and only the 105^th ranked rush offense? One thing that does impress me is the Tech line: they’ve only given up 4 sacks in the face of 227 pass attempts. I know it’s a short drop scheme, but that’s still awfully impressive. Can we talk for a second about this ridiculous stat: There are five receivers in the nation averaging 130 yards a game; with Michael Crabtree and Danny Amendola, Tech has two of them. Odds are this team will be 6-1 heading to Columbia on October 20^th; that’ll be the pass D’s chance to show they’re getting better.

7. Nebraska – Husker fans ripped me for ranking this team 5^th last week, and I’m not above a good “I told you so.” First things first: Ball State is the class of the MAC, and much better than the national media has given them credit for. But I’ll say what I said last week one more time: Where are the Blackshirts? 75^th in total D? 74^th in scoring D? 99^th in rush D? 111^th in sacks? Those numbers are mind boggling. NU has a great opportunity this week against Iowa State; a chance to get healthy against a team ripe for a letdown after a crushing one point loss. Crazy as it sounds, the next two weeks might be two of the biggest in the Callahan era; namely, in determining how long it lasts.

8. Texas A & M – Aggie Nation ripped for ranking this team 7^th last week, and I’m not above a good “I told you so.” The Aggies bowl hopes took a big blow in the Orange Bowl last Thursday, as TAMU got brutalized, trailing 31-0 at the end of three quarters. The rushing game rolled up big numbers against some weaker squads, but disappeared against the ‘Canes, with leading rusher Stephen McGee collecting just 39 yards on 16 carries. The pass D has to get better if TAMU wants to compete with Tech and OSU; they’re 11^th in the Big 12 in sacks, 11^th in pass efficiency D and 9^th in passing yardage D.

9. Kansas State – I’ll be honest; I still don’t feel like I know a lot about this Wildcat team yet. Forgive me; the Auburn game doesn’t look as impressive in the rearview mirror as it did at the time, and the SJ State and Missouri State beatings didn’t tell me much, other than these ‘Cats aren’t going to totally stink up the litter box. WR Jordy Nelson is one of my favorite Big 12 players (30 catches, 381 yards) and junior Deon Murphy has been dynamic on punt returns. Any strategy to get the ball in Murphy’s hands more would be great.

10. Colorado – The Buffs might find themselves in more toss-up games for the rest of the year than any other Big 12 squad. For the most part, CU plays the tough teams on its schedule at home, and the weak ones on the road, leaving the a wide window for how they might finish the season. For now, I think they have to be pleased with a 42-0 clobbering of Miami. LB Jordan Dizon is making a big push to be considered one of the conference’s elite defensive players; a year after recording 121 tackles, he’s got 55 in just 4 games, including 4 TFL and 2 sacks.

11. Baylor – The Bears got a big win that people will scoff at Saturday, but don’t listen. Buffalo was geared up and ready to beat their first BCS opponent ever, and Baylor never let the game get close. 6 wins is still a possibility, but the running game better generate more than 3.5 yards a pop if the Bears are going to become bowl eligible. The Baylor D is doing a nice job of harassing opposing QBs, logging 3 sacks a game; that kind of pressure might give them a chance to get a big win over passing attacks at CU, KU or Texas Tech.

Iowa State – No team is better at snatching defeat from the jaws of victory than the Cyclones, and they did it again this week, giving Toledo their first win thanks to what Gene Chizik called an “absolute special teams meltdown.” Bret Meyer is starting to find his stroke for the Cyclones, but mistakes are killing this team right now. Against UNI, it was four turnovers. At Toledo, two TDs surrendered on special forces. The ‘Clones now enter a brutal five game stretch that includes trips to Nebraska, Texas Tech and Missouri mixed in with home dates against Texas and Oklahoma. This team could get a lot better by November, and you

Big 12 Power Rankings - Week Four

Here’s my rundown of the Big 12, as it stands right now. Remember, these are my ratings for how good I think the teams are right now, not how well they’ll finish, or what their final record will be. Enjoy…

1. Oklahoma – Duh. The Sooners are leading the nation in scoring offense, 3^rd in total offense, and top 15 in both passing and rushing offense. Oh yeah, and they’re 5^th in rush D, 2^nd in total D, 6^th in scoring D and 1^st in tackles for loss. This is shaping up like a fearsome, scary unit, and the emergence of QB Sam Bradford has made the offense just as petrifying as the vaunted D. I’m not ready to pencil them in to the national title game just yet, but OU looks downright deadly in late September.

2. Texas – I’m not in love with this choice, but no one else has done quite enough to unseat the Longhorns from their obvious spot. Texas looked awfully shaky at UCF, but the Golden Knights do have some talent and were christening a new stadium. Throw in the fact that UCF had just won at NC State, and the struggle doesn’t seem so bad. But what’s up with Colt McCoy and chucking picks? After a sparkling 29-7 TD-INT ratio last year, he’s already tossed 5 INTs. Both sides of the ball are mired in the 30s and 40s nationally in the major statistical categories, and the defense had better rachet up the big play potential before the Big 12 comes a callin’.

3. Missouri – You could certainly make a great argument for putting the Tigers #2, as they’ve already beaten two quality opponents on the road, but given their propensity for gagging, I need a little more convincing. Chase Daniel has to be a darkhorse Heisman candidate after ripping up Illinois, Mississippi and W. Michigan for no less than 27 completions, 328 yards and 2 TDs in any of the first three games. Jeremy Maclin looks great at WR, and the freshman could be the big playmaker that pushes the Tigers over the edge. Now its time for the defense to step up. Mizzou hasn’t faced a juggernaut offense yet, but is surrendering 27 points a game.

4. Texas Tech – The beat goes on in Lubbock: Its late September, the Red Raiders have toasted three non-conference patsies, and the Tech QB is posting ungodly passing numbers. This shouldn’t shock you anymore, but I’ll lay it out anyway: Graham Harrell’s average game after three outings is: 40-53, 439 yards, 4.8 TDs. Yep, huge. If this squad is ever going to make the leap to Big 12 power, it needs to use an improved D-line to create sacks and turnovers. So far, they’re 12^th nationally in taking down QBs. Can they still bring the heat in conference season?

5. Nebraska – What happened to the Blackshirts? Nebraska’s fans love to do the crossbones, but this unit hasn’t shone this year. Granted, the win at Wake Forest was big; any time you go in to a defending champ of a BCS league and win in their house, you’ve done a good thing. But, 236 rushing yards? 9 of 20 third down conversions? Sam Keller has been efficient, for the most part, but only time will tell how much the USC drubbing rained on this squad’s parade.

6. Kansas – Holy crap the Jayhawks have looked amazing. The two headed monster backfield of Jake Sharp and Brandon McAnderson has been good, the offensive line has been very good, and Todd Reesing has been sensational, throwing for 296 yards a game, with 10 TDs and zero INT. I don’t put a lot of stock in the MAC wins; Central Michigan came to Lawrence in its first game under Butch Jones, and the Toledo Rockets are in freefall. We’ll find out more about the defense when KU heads to Manhattan to tangle with Josh Freeman in two weeks. For now, this is an Alamo Bowl type team.

7. Texas A & M – I know the Aggies are ranked 16^th in the coaches poll, but remind me how exactly they’ve been so impressive this year? TAMU needed 3 OT to beat Fresno State at home, and has rolled two patsies. The media is gaga over Stephen McGee right now, but he disappeared against Fresno. How do you throw for 79 yards in a 3 OT game and win? The answer is Jovorski Lane, a red zone monster and short yardage specialist who must produce for the Aggies to be successful. Teams that are strong up the middle and can stuff the run are going to do well against A & M.

8. Kansas State – The ‘Cats are still a mystery to me. The battle at Auburn, which they lost 23-13, looked a lot more impressive before Auburn lost the next two weeks to South Florida and Mississippi State. As it stands, KSU’s opponents have a 1-6 record against D-1 opponents, leaving us relatively in the dark on this team’s skill level. K-State has two weeks to prepare for the trip to Austin; could they really catch the ‘Horns off guard twice in a row?

9. Oklahoma State – Easily the disappointment of the year for those of us desperately hoping someone would emerge from the South other than the boring old OU-UT winner. The 41-23 tagging at Troy wasn’t as bad as a lot of people think, but the terrible defense is. 85^th in the nation in sacks, 93^rd in pass defense and 74^th in scoring defense, and those numbers are inexcusable against the schedule OSU has seen so far.

10. Iowa State – We knew ISU wasn’t as bad as it looked against UNI, they just couldn’t be. The Cyclones played like most fans would have expected them to before the season on Saturday against Iowa. Wayne Bolt’s defense answered the bell time and again, and the offense, while unspectacular, controlled the ball, moved the chains and gave Bret Culbertson a chance to be a hero. Still, with offensive talent like they’ve got (Bret Meyer, Todd Blythe) and a line that seems capable of pass protection (only 2 sacks in 3 games), why can’t they score more than 15 points in a game?

11. Colorado – The Buffs are a narrow miss away from being 0-3, and while the competition has been stiff, the offense has been brutal. There are no options on the ground, with Demetrius Sumler leading the way with just 44 yards per game. CU isn’t scoring either, getting just 17 a game while surrendering almost 26. It seems like coach’s son Cody Hawkins has a pretty long leash in Boulder, but he hasn’t thrown down field too much – the Buffs are averaging just 5 yards per pass attempt. If he can air it out, he may gave the backs more room to operate.

12. Baylor – Blake Szymanski is going to get tons of press over the next couple years with the numbers her puts up as the QB in some kind of knock off from the Mike Leach system down the road in Lubbock. Blake has put up 1039 yards already in just three games, but the 5 INT show he’s not quite ready to be an upper level QB. The 34-27 win over Texas State was closer than it looked; Texas State dominated time of possession, held Baylr to 28 rushing yards, led in first downs by 5, and almost outgained the Bears. I’m putting you on alert right now: I wouldn’t be surprised at all if Buffalo knocked off Baylor this week in west New York.

What's Your Forecast for the Big 12 Tourney?

(This article originally appeared on www.big12-fans.com.)

Brian #1

I was thinking of boycotting this column until the Big XII tournament returns to Kansas City, and Kelly’s, and Westport, but alas…a deadline is a deadline. I just wrote an ACC Tournament preview in 35 minutes for the Virginia Tech Rivals site, I guess I can churn this one out as well.

Iowa State vs. Oklahoma, first round.
Oklahoma seems a lot scarier than they are, probably because I still get confused as to why the best player on their whole team is actually the coach. I like Jeff Capel, but he may be in over his head in the Big XII. The same can’t be said about Greg McDermott, and I like the Cyclones to pull this one out by 6. Wesley Johnson with his umpteenth double-double.

Iowa State vs. Kansas, second round.
Ssshhhhh. Take a nap, Jayhawks. Don’t worry. We set your alarm for NCAA tourney time. Just…lean back…head on the pillow….Sssshhh….Rock-a-chalk Jayhawk, in OKC…Cyclones catch Kansas napping, and squeak the stunner.

Iowa State vs. Kansas State, semifinals
Dang it. There’s no way in H-E-L-L this Cyclone team has a Big XII title run in them, but I certainly can’t pick ISU to drop three in one year to Huggy Bear Thuggins from the Little Apple? Gawd, what to do? OK. I’ll be reasonable. Hopefully Jiri sings the Jayhawks an authentic Czech lullaby, because that’s the only way we’re getting to this game. I say Michael Taylor finally stops shooting when we’re down by 15 with a minute left. 17-16 on the year, and an outside shot at an NIT bid. Yeah, that’ll do.

Brian #2

When it comes to predicting the Big 12 tournament, not much of my analysis really involves Iowa State. In fact, I see the Cyclones falling in the first round to Oklahoma, 62-54. The first time around, we were able to beat Oklahoma because Jiri Hubalek went unchecked for a 10 minute period while we built a huge lead. In the rematch, Longar Longar will have none of that, and Cyclone fans will probably have an array of wild shots and turnovers from Mike Taylor to keep them off balance and interested in defeat. I am predicting at least one Rahshon “Radioactive” Clark dunk over Longar Longar, but little else on the offensive end for the Clones.

First Round:
Iowa State 54, Oklahoma 62
Texas Tech 68, Colorado 52
Oklahoma State 67, Nebraska 69
Missouri 57, Baylor 55

Second Round:
Kansas 84, Oklahoma 71
Texas Tech 72, Kansas State 66
Texas A&M 70, Nebraska 65
Missouri 63, Texas 61

Semifinals:
Texas Tech 72, Kansas 69
Texas A&M 58, Missouri 54

Finals:
Texas Tech 65, Texas A&M 60

A title for Bobby Knight just a week after his team beat Iowa State by only 2? Call it a hunch, because there certainly is not much else behind it, but they have risen to the occasion in big games all season, and it is no fun to pick Kansas or A&M. Watch for Tech to play their way off of the bubble and into a 6 seed with a great tournament performance.

Brad

Although Brian #2 is my brother, he tends to see ISU’s fate a little bit differently than I do. The Cyclones have been playing better basketball of late, and Oklahoma simply isn’t the team people think they are. Yes, Rahshon Clark had Longar Longar’s number on a posterizing dunk in high school, and that will continue. Yes, Jeff Capel can’t coach his way out of a cardboard box compared to Greg McDermott. Yes, ISU is ready to make Oklahoma City Cyclone country for a weekend. Here is the way I see the Big 12 tourney playing out:

First Round:
Iowa State 61, Oklahoma 51
Texas Tech 72, Colorado 60
Oklahoma State 70, Nebraska 60
Missouri 68, Baylor 55

Second Round:
Iowa State 55, Kansas 54
Kansas State 73, Texas Tech 64
Oklahoma State 81, Texas A&M 78
Texas 67, Missouri 60

Semifinals:
Iowa State 64, Kansas State 59
Texas 76, Oklahoma State 73


Finals:
Texas 82, Iowa State 67

It won’t be easy for ISU to make it this far, but I truly believe that it won’t have much trouble with the Sooners in the first round. As long as it closes the deal on KU in the second round, Cyclone fans will be online in large numbers trying to purchase first round NCAA tournament tickets. The law of Averages says it’s tough to beat a team twice in the same season. Well, hopefully that applies to three times, too. Kansas State downright embarrassed ISU in Manhattan just a couple weeks ago, but if Mike Taylor pulls a Minnesota (we’ve all been hoping for that since the Minnesota game), we can do it.

The semis will include a rematch of the Texas-OSU classic in Stillwater this year, and it will live up to its expectations. In the finals, Jessan Gray re-injures his nose, and Michael Taylor has one of those games where he misses every shot (you know, every other game?). Kevin Durant will be seen stomping on anything closely resembling a Cyclone logo after the game, and all the ISU fans that travel down for Sunday will be crushed. Revenge stinks—thanks, Tasheed.


Brian #1 is a freelance writer living in Chicago, and a regular contributor to Rivals.com and his website, briankgolden.blogspot.com. Brian #2 is a sophomore at Iowa State University majoring in finance and Spanish. Brad is a junior at Notre Dame, majoring in Economics and Philosophy.

Which Big 12 Rival do you most enjoy beating?

(This article originally appeared on www.big12-fans.com.)

Brian #1

Being asked which Big 12 opponent is the most fun to beat is kind of like being asked which of the five straight victories over Iowa was the most fun; the mere question brings back a flood of happy memories, and there are just too many choices.

My colleague Brad has separated schools in to their football and basketball programs, picking Kansas in basketball and Nebraska in football. This is fair, but I’m looking for a global answer here, so I’ve got to rule out schools where I don’t have any ill-feelings toward one of their two programs. This knocks off:

Kansas football: what did the Maneating Mangino ever do to anybody?
Oklahoma State football: kind of like watching Bobby Reid and Adarius Bowman, not gonna lie
Baylor basketball: Scott Drew is related to Bryce and Homer Drew of Valpo fame. That’s enough for me.
Texas football: They’re a lot better than everyone else, and Vince Young is probably the coolest dude I’ll never meet.
Texas Tech basketball: The general always has good teams, and has never thrown a chair at Hilton.
Texas A&M football: 12th man = cool.

So that’s half the league gone, and we’re left with: Nebraska, Colorado, Kansas State, Missouri, Oklahoma.

I’m going to throw out Oklahoma and Kansas State, because we just don’t have enough experience beating them in football in my lifetime for them to be seriously considered, and I’m going to throw out Colorado, because they’re typically so bad in basketball, and ISU pounded them at Hilton so many years in a row, that beating them has lost a lot of meaning.

Which leaves Missouri and Nebraska.

The 36-14 slaughter of Nebraska was one of my favorite Cyclone wins ever, as it represented such a watershed moment of the program truly “arriving” has a competitor in the Big 12. Marvin’s Miracle and the 35-27 conquest in 2004 are also high on the list. When it comes to basketball, the Devaney Center is pretty much a big warehouse with a couple rims, so its never been too special to get ‘er done in Lincoln, but who can forget the unreal victory there, when Tinsley inbounded to Martin Rancik with .9 on the clock, helping ISU win their second straight Big 12 Title?

My antipathy toward Missouri goes back to my early childhood. For some reason, in the early-mid 80s, ISU and Missouri got in to several brawls on the gridiron, and it seemed like every time the Cyclones and Tigers were playing, punches ended up being thrown. The teams in general have been bad together, good together, mediocre together, and almost every contest in the series seems to go down to the wire. There’s ISU’s 20-14 goal line stand in Columbia, Mizzou ruining our Big 12 North title, 17-14 in Ames, and of course this year’s epic Dan McCarney send off, 20-16, in Ames. On the basketball side, Brian #2 will chronicle one of the weirdest, longest games in Cyclone history (rest peacefully, Zach Fortune), and two of the most reviled coaches in the Big XII, Gary Pinkel and Quin Snyder. When one of those guys isn’t doing crack with his player’s girlfriend, the other is demanding apologies from officials and pretending like his team won a football game it fairly lost. I’m going with the Tigers here, and cheers to our next victory over that OTHER black and gold enemy.

Brian #2

My first reaction to the question of which Big 12 rival I most enjoy defeating was probably the same as almost any other Iowa State fan’s; Nebraska in football and Kansas in basketball. If I can only pick one between the two sports, though, it has to be Missouri.

It seems like there are a thousand reasons to hate Missouri. Gary Pinkel, them keeping us out of the Big 12 title game, their colors, Gary Pinkel, Quin Snyder in his day, and just the face that they come out in the shotgun on the goal line. In basketball, Missouri just pisses me off because they seem to have one of their average players go off against us every year. Marshall Brown, Thomas Gardner (before he blew up), and others just start bombing in threes with no abandon when the Cardinal and Gold are on the other side of things.

Missouri is also fun to beat because we have so many dramatic games against them. There is the goal line stand with the knockdown by Atif Austin, the 4 OT loss where Leonard Perry almost had to go in to play point guard, and this year’s basketball game at Missouri, where a last second Wesley Johnson tip-in won the game. The two teams seem to play close, fairly matched games more times than not, and those games are always more fun.

Don’t get me wrong, I certainly hate Nebraska and Kansas. Missouri, however, is a game that I always love winning because it is generally close to a measuring bar for our season, and they run in the middle of the Big 12 in football and basketball most seasons, meaning that a win over Missouri usually means that we will be going to a bowl game, or have a decent chance at the basketball postseason. So my reasons to love beating Missouri are not as emotional as my reasons for loving to beat some others teams, but Missouri is my favorite Big 12 Rivals to beat. It is not quite my Super Bowl, but it is always a pretty big game.

Brad

The question of which Big 12 rival I enjoy beating the most is a difficult one, and is dependent on the sport we are talking about. When it comes to basketball, nobody is more fun to beat than Kansas. During the fall on the gridiron, watching the Huskers to the west cry themselves to sleep is a victory in itself.

I had the privilege (misfortune) of living in Omaha, Nebraska during the 2004-2005 year. Don’t get me wrong—Omaha is a nice city with a lot to offer and, overall, the people are exceptionally friendly. But the utter arrogance and stupidity that permeates its college sports fan base is unavoidable.

First of all, the people aren’t loyal to a school—they are loyal to a winner. To be sure, 99% of the population cheers for Nebraska in football. When it comes to the second biggest Division I sport, basketball, they are all over the map. Creighton, North Carolina, Duke, and yes—KANSAS. So, it’s about the worst combination of teams that any single population could cheer for.

Of course, Nebraska football has a rich tradition that is to be admired. Lincoln, Nebraska claims to be the third most populated city in the country on a Husker game day. However exaggerated that is, there is no denying the passion of Big Red faithful. That doesn’t stop me from hating them—doesn’t even do anything for that cause, really. Nebraska has always been a winner, and a big one against ISU. During the 90s it had no trouble pouring it on until Jim Walden and Dan McCarney called for mercy—and then the Fuskers would score some more.

This all changed in 2002 when, due to the running ability of Seneca Wallace and a stout defensive effort, ISU outscored Nebraska 36-14. This prompted one of my all-time favorite Pete Taylor quotes: “This may not be the Nebraska of old, but it’s certainly the Cyclones of new.” That pretty much sums up the triumphant feeling we all had that day.

As for basketball, it boils down to the same arrogance of the KU faithful but, of course, arrogance is usually backed up. Kansas basketball has a tradition that is unquestionably in the top five nationally, with names like Fog Allen, James Naismith and Roy Williams. ISU has had considerable success against the Jayhawks and it feels oh so good. Early in the decade, Larry Eustachy guided ISU to five straight victories against KU, which would have seemed impossible. Roy Williams even remarked, “You know when you go up against Larry, you aren’t going to out-coach him”

Kansas basketball fans and Nebraska football fans are from the same breed. That breed is one we ISU fans would love to pummel into extinction, wishing them an infinite streak of losses.


Brian #1 is a freelance writer living in Chicago, and a regular contributor to Rivals.com and his website, briankgolden.blogspot.com. Brian #2 is a sophomore at Iowa State University majoring in finance and Spanish. Brad is a junior at Notre Dame, majoring in Economics and Philosophy.

How is ISU's Football Recruiting Class?

(This article originally appeared on www.big12-fans.com.)

Brian #1

This season, my first covering recruiting nationally for Rivals.com, helped me understand recruiting from an entirely new perspective. There are plenty of stories, and 100 MB worth of digitally-archived interviews, but the short version of my conclusion is: everything is definitely not what it seems.

In a former life, I was a vehement opponent of pursuing a recruit after he had verballed somewhere else. But I learned this year – you just never know what the specifics of a story are. Take Logwone Mitz, a Washington State recruit who was told by the coaches there that if he didn’t commit on his official visit, his offer would be pulled. Having no other offers, and desperately wanting a college scholarship, Mitz committed. If a school coming in the derby late laid off this kid because he had “verballed” to Bill Doba, both Mitz and the school would be at a disservice. Take Trey Baysinger, who had verballed at least one place before committing to ISU, whose dad is apparently a bit of a tyrant who scheduled all the official visits for his son without much input from Trey. Should other schools be “hands off” this kid because family pressure forced his hand? Take every kid recruited by every staff that got their jobs in December, replacing a fired staff. Should they not be able to have a fresh start on kids, like they would have if they had had their job for the entire recruiting period?

Chizik has caught some heat from the local press (while somehow, Ferentz has received tongue-in-cheek praise) for this practice. Jamicah Bass, Kelechi Osemele, Cameron Bell, Allen Bell and Chris Weir are probably the athletes I’m most excited about in this class. Each one was coveted at other big-time schools, and each one bought Chizik’s sales pitch that he’d be better off playing in Ames.

I buy the pitch too, as everyone in the class seems jazzed to wear the cardinal and gold. To come out of what many anticipated would be a lost class with 25 quality athletes, and to beat SEC and Pac-10 schools for late recruits is a big sign of the kind of first impression Gene Chizik can make.

Brian #2

As is always the case, we won’t really be able to evaluate this recruiting class until a couple years down the line. This year, however, almost half of the class will be either entering their senior year or graduated by then. Signing 12 JUCOs is certainly something that no coach ever wants to do, but the roster returning for next fall required it. The four Spring Semester offensive linemen, especially, address a need that has been lingering for the past few years. Quite simply, the Cyclones haven’t been able to block anyone since Ennis Haywood was still wearing the Cardinal and Gold. I am all for allocating your resources to signing 8 offensive linemen. I have seen too many talented teams fall apart for no reason other their poor offensive line to not be happy with that number.

The other JUCOs look good, as well. Allen Bell and Michael Bibbs could be starters as soon as this fall, and I’d be shocked if we didn’t see at least one of the defensive linemen getting significant snaps. The high school haul seems like it includes a lot of projects, but what else did you expect? Gene Chizik and his staff essentially had two months to throw together a class, and they got athletes who appear to be able to grow into Big 12 players. They also kept both big gets that they inherited, Philip Bates and Jamaica Bass, despite stiff competition for their services.

I really entered this recruiting period with little in the way of expectations, so giving the Cyclone Staff a B+ might just be a product of my generosity and low expectations. If that is the case, then Happy Valentine’s Day to Coach Chizik. I just can’t wait until the pads (and the blood vessels in Chizik’s head) start popping at Spring Practice.

Brad

When Gene Chizik took over as the ISU head football coach in December, there were rumblings that this could be the worst recruiting class in recent memory for the Cyclones. Well, Dan McCarney and staff did their part to make that a reality, but Chizik would have none of it. With only six commitments and a couple wavering at the time, he had his work cut out for him.

The first and most important thing that Lt. Col. Chizik did was target some assistant coaches. The two coordinators appear to have great experience and, if Chizik is half-correct when he says that Robert McFarland is the best offensive line coach in the country, then he is still ten times better than Barney Fife…err Cotton. Mike Pelton appears to have coaches several NFL defensive linemen and is doing his part to ensure ISU doesn’t get embarrassed on the DL recruiting circuit anymore. Sorry Nelly—it’s the truth.

Getting Jamicah Bass to recommit to ISU after switching to Oregon State was a huge coup, as he is the highest rated Cyclone commit according to Rivals.com. That was the first event that made me believe big things could be in store. McFarland kept Phillip Bates as solid as ever, along with getting about 20 OL commits. No, seriously though, eight! Our biggest weakness by far going into the off-season and I can only hope that the old adage “strength in numbers” plays out. Not to mention that four of those OL recruits are already on campus participating in workouts. That’s huge.

Gene Chizik has impressed me with his words but, we all know, actions speak louder than words. His time-crunched recruiting effort of both players and coaches was remarkable. I’m not sure how much sleep he got during the last two months, but it probably wasn’t much. This Cyclone fan is on cloud nine with the saving of this potentially horrid class, especially the juco emphasis. I can only imagine what Chizik and staff will be able to accomplish with a year, or years, to build relationships.


Brian #1 is a freelance writer living in Chicago, and a regular contributor to Rivals.com and his website, briankgolden.blogspot.com. Brian #2 is a sophomore at Iowa State University majoring in finance and Spanish. Brad is a junior at Notre Dame, majoring in Economics and Philosophy.

How did ISU men's basketball do on their Big XII mid-season report card?

(This article originally appeared on www.big12-fans.com.)

Brian #1

Three weeks ago, Two Brians and a Brad asked what the % chance was that ISU would make the NCAAs this season, with answers coming in between 10% - 51%. A recent five game losing streak has plunged that probability to dependent completely on leaving Oklahoma City with the Big XII Tournament Title, an outcome that isn’t going to happen.

In our family’s preseason prediction pool, yours truly set the over/under on the amount of Cyclone wins this season at 15, knowing that the two suckers who share this column with me would drink some cardinal & gold Kool-Aid and take the over, even though I expected more in the ballpark of 11-13 wins. As it stands, ISU is 12-10 and 3-5 in the Big XII, with 8 conference tilts and at least one bonus game in OKC remaining.

Left with just four scholarship players after a boatload of defections from the Wayne Morgan regime, McDermott has transformed this team’s identity in just a season. The Cyclones, despite not always succeeding at doing so, clearly place a priority on valuing the basketball, treating each and every possession with reverence, and pounding the ball inside on as many possessions as possible. The problem is, without any solid Big XII ball handlers, and lacking the size to consistently gain leverage in the paint, this team isn’t that great at accomplishing its priorities. Last year’s team, even when giving away possessions like food stamps at a Hawkeye alumni gathering, was still pretty good at the other things, like scoring in transition, and wearing sporty head bands.

Wesley Johnson, at 12.7 ppg and 9.0 rpg, is clearly the story of this year’s team, but I’m a bit skeptical of his ability to turn into an all Big XII caliber player. He’s currently 6’7 and 190 lbs. Are people 6’7 even allowed to be that skinny. Putting on weight in basketball isn’t as easy as it is in football, and if Wesley doesn’t add a good 25-30 pounds, he doesn’t have a prayer of being a true banger in the Big XII. His outside shot is pretty good, however, and I think if continues to develop, he can make a big impact in the cardinal and gold.

I have no doubt whatsoever in McDermott’s ability to turn the Cyclones in to a long term winner, but this year isn’t the smashing success we were all projecting two weeks ago. The next two weeks of games will be absolutely crucial: Missouri, at Texas, Oklahoma and at Kansas State. If ISU wins 2 of 4, it’s an NIT team and might have a chance to win a first round game in OKC. 1 of 4, and they’ll be sitting at 13-13 with 4 to play. A goose egg over the next two weeks will kill any thoughts of post season play, and almost ensure a losing record.

Grade: B

Brian #2

I see the question “How do Greg McDermott’s Cyclones break down on the midseason report card” breaking down into two categories- recruiting and coaching. Basically, I feel like McDermott should be graded first against the team I expected when he took the job, and second against the potential of the players now in place.

After McDermott accepted the job and people were done defecting, I was strongly considering trying out for the team in hopes of being the starting point guard. We had Ross Marsden, Jiri Hubalek, Rahshon Clark, and Jessan Gray coming back. None of those guys are remotely close to being able to handle the ball well enough to play guard, and the consensus entering the year was that only one of them was really a Division One player (Clark). This was after the Spring signing period, so basically even all the leftovers were already pledged to a school.

So what did McDermott do? He went out and signed a JUCO guard who could dominate the ball (Mike Taylor), and two serviceable guards in the short term (JUCO Corey McIntosh and freshman Dodie Dunson). And then there is Wesley Johnson. The story of the rock under which McDermott’s staff found the coltish 6’7” freshman has been told too many times, but guys like that don’t usually slip through the cracks. He has every chance to become an All Big Twelve performer as soon as next season. So McDermott’s grade on compiling talent in such a short, talent squeezed window has to be an A. He got three players better than any that I thought were still available.

Coaching, though, has not been as good. He is far from struggling, but I was expecting him to excel in this area, and I’ve seen more individual player development than actual cohesive growth of the team. Certainly, Hubalek is much improved from when this year started, and others have gotten better, as well. But the team hasn’t grown by the leaps and bounds I expected. We are better right now than I expected three months ago, but not as good as I expected one month ago, if that makes any sense. However, Hubalek has improved enough to merit a B in the coaching category for McDermott.

So an A and a B. In my book, that averages to a B+ when you take into account Mike Taylor’s on court antics. I cheer for him, but I know that he would be public enemy number one if he was wearing the opposing team’s jersey because of his propensity to showboat. I’m happy with McDermott, but I almost want to give an incomplete, because these are far from his players. Taylor is a necessary piece right now, but he would have no place in a regular McDermott offense, so that may be slowing down the team’s growth. He will probably be necessary next year, as well, so I think the 2008-2009 season will be the first one where we can really evaluate McDermott as we will know him for the rest of his time.

Grade: Incomplete

Brad

I’ll admit it—to say I got my hopes up too high too early for this ISU men’s basketball team would be the understatement of the year. Everyone in my family, and every sensible Cyclone fan, was telling me otherwise. But I didn’t listen. My optimism overtook any common sense like it does every season, whether it be football or basketball. Maybe it’s because I long for the days when I would eat Cyclone sherbet over bowl victories, or hang out with Curtis and Will at Aunt Maude’s. I want winning to be synonymous with Cyclone basketball again.

Of course, this optimistic guy does not see the program going to hell in a hand basket; in fact, I think “NC-two-A” tourneys are right around the corner. I miss you Larry. The fact is, this team has some decent players, and it has some terrible players. And then there’s Chris Caesar. The problem is: he actually plays—significantly against Baylor. He is, surprisingly, quite athletic. I’ve seen him almost pull off 360 dunks in warm-ups. So, he could be good in an amateur And-One League with no one guarding him, but that won’t get us anywhere in the Big 12.

Greg McDermott has stuck to his guns and played the style he likes to play, even if it doesn’t suit the current roster like it did his gritty UNI teams. He likes to slow the game down, play tough defense, and grind out wins. Our defense has improved immensely under his guidance, but our offense allows us to grind out more losses than wins. I’m still disappointed with the loss at Colorado and, until seeing the recent K-State success, was mildly upset over the home loss to the wild kitties. But we never play well in Boulder, and KSU still has better talent and more experience than the Cyclones.

McDermott and staff are moving things in the right direction. Recruiting looks strong for next year and we even have quite the head start on the upcoming years. He’s making our man-to-man defense fun to watch, even though we are usually outmanned. When we fill some of our holes and the guys get more experience in the system, the offense will come around. Right now, I’d give McDermott and Co. a B+.


Brian #1 is a freelance writer living in Chicago, and a regular contributor to Rivals.com and his website, briankgolden.blogspot.com. Brian #2 is a sophomore at Iowa State University majoring in finance and Spanish. Brad is a junior at Notre Dame, majoring in Economics and Philosophy.

What Cyclone Would You Most Like to See in the Super Bowl?

(This article originally appeared on www.big12-fans.com.)

Brian #1

When I start thinking about Cyclones I’d like to see get a shot on sports’ biggest stage, the list gets long fast. Jordan Carstens is rushing Sage Rosenfels out of the pocket, Seneca Wallace is lined up in the slot on a trick play, Reggie Hayward and James Reed are stuffing the run, Ellis Hobbs is returning Tony Yelk’s booming kickoffs, Troy Davis is watching from a TV somewhere in Canada, and Pete Taylor is doing play-by-play from the big pressbox in the sky. But if I could pick one former Cyclone to shine on Super Sunday, its really not that hard. I’m going with the one common link between all these great Cyclones: Dan McCarney.

Now that Bill Cowher is out of the league, there’s a huge vacancy just waiting to be filled for a coach that leads with a scowl and an angry chin. Cowher never went Clapping Monkey like Mac, but just imagine Mac at Media Day for the Super Bowl. Even with the limited coverage at Iowa State, the amount of hot air Mac spewed at reporters was probably the chief cause of Global Warming. Picture him at media day:

Reporter: What are your chances on Sunday, Coach McCarney?

Mac: I tell ya, its not gonna be easy Sunday, Jimmy, no way. This is the fourth straight playoff team we faced, we had one of the hardest schedules in the entire NFC North this season, we’re going up against a team on a three game winning streak, you don’t win that many football games by accident, they’re doing it with toughness, with heart, they’re playing smart, they make big plays, they get turnovers, they don’t turn the ball over, they have a good plan, they’re big, they’re strong, they’re experienced, they have amazing fans, they perform well under pressure, they’re great on both sides of the ball, they have unbelievable special teams, we’re going to have be better than we’ve ever even considered thinking about being before just to be in this game at halftime. And oh yeah, their punt coverage in the second half when leading is tops in the AFC East, so we’ve got to be ready for that. Did I mention what an honor it is to coach against Romeo Crennel, who is one of the all-time legends in this sport?

(Polar ice caps melt.)

Seriously, I love Coach Mac, and I always will, and I’ll always pull for him wherever he goes. I want him in the Super Bowl. I want to hear what Joe Buck says as Mac grimaces after we get stuffed on 4th and short. I want to see him cheering and clapping after our defense gets a stop while trailing 42-7. I want to see him manage the clock in the 4th quarter with the added complication of the two minute warning. I want to see him lead the team in “kumbaya” when they’re trailing 24-7 at halftime.

Truly, no Cyclone, past, present or future, deserves a chance to have his hard work appreciated and praised for all the world to see as much as Dan McCarney.

Brian #2

There are certainly a number of Cyclones who were fan favorites throughout their careers who I would love to see play in a Super Bowl. There may be no one who deserves a chance in the spotlight more, though, than Tony Yelk. The state of Iowa’s football version of Jess Settles, Yelk experienced some serious ups and downs throughout his 8 year Cyclone career. Or at least some serious downs.

When Yelk was a freshman I remember feeling like he had the world at his feet. Sure, he was inaccurate, but he had the leg to knock down field goals from 55+ yards, and his punts were absolute bombs! Who cares if he took 6 steps before he punted? Gramted, I was a little angry too when Yelk went 0-4 on FG in a 24-21 loss to Texas A&M, or “missed” that field goal that would have won the Independence Bowl against Alabama. But its cool. We get chances to beat two of the most storied programs in the country in the same year all the time. Don’t sweat it, Tony.

Lots of kickers are injury plagued, and that’s why I was understanding of Tony when he spent his second senior year out with a pulled muscle when many fans were throwing him under the bus. It’s not like we lost 4 really close games where an inch could have made a huge difference, and the two guys who tried to replace him combined for 56.4 yards a kickoff, putting their average blast at the 9-yard line, before the average 18.6 yard return put teams at the 28-yard line. Wait, all that actually did happen.

Sure, maybe I am a little bitter about the Tony Yelk era. But I am ready to see him succeed so that both of us can exercise our demons. I just want to see Tony catch on with a team that can afford to use one of its roster spots on a guy who can be a very good kickoff man and emergency quarterback (Tony was an all-state QB in high school). Maybe I just want to see Tony in a Super Bowl because I could makes jokes about it with my family for month, whether about his hair, his brittle body, or his career at ISU. Regardless, Tony is my man.

Brad

When people need some hard work done in Bagley, Iowa, they don’t have to look very far. 6 feet 5 inches, 300 pounds of lean muscle. Jordan Carstens is a man among boys but, more than that, he embodied what it meant to be a classy Iowa State Cyclone football player under Dan McCarney.

He walked on at ISU in 1999, weighing only 215 pounds. Getty probably had him on more protein shakes than Herschel Walker. What seemed like overnight, the boy from Bagley had turned into the beast from Bagley. Improbably he became a starter and, eventually, a star. In 2002 and 2003 he earned all conference recognition while playing through several obviously painful injuries.

One only has to look to the Oklahoma game his junior year. The Cyclones came into Norman the #9 team in the country, and came away wondering what hit them. But on that day, even Sooner fans would agree, Jordan Carstens was packing a punch. Limping around the field Carstens piled up 13 tackles and was the only ISU player who looked like he belonged on the field that day.

I wish that Carstens could rid the injury plague that has continued to hinder his NFL career with the Panthers. Although it never seemed to stop him from having career games in college, the stakes are higher and the he’s not competing with Klayton Shoals anymore. Carstens will always be one of my favorite Cyclones and I think he deserves a Super Bowl. I will always miss the beast from Bagley, ole #92 in cardinal and gold.


Brian #1 is a freelance writer living in Chicago, and a regular contributor to Rivals.com and his website, briankgolden.blogspot.com. Brian #2 is a sophomore at Iowa State University majoring in finance and Spanish. Brad is a junior at Notre Dame, majoring in Economics and Philosophy.

Will Pollard's Plan Work?

(This article originally appeared on www.big12-fans.com.)

Last week, Iowa State AD Jamie Pollard revealed on KXNO’s Marty and Miller radio show the details of a new ticket policy for Cyclone football games. In an effort to drive up season ticket purchases, Pollard announced that no single game tickets would be available for this fall’s contest against the Iowa Hawkeyes. Additionally, season ticket prices have gone up from $36/game to $50/game for the 2007 season. The move has raised conflicting opinions in Iowa, with Hawkeye fans and radio personalities threatening thousands of empty seats and playing the “how dare you ruin the spirit of the rivalry” card.

What do two Brians and a Brad think? Read on!

Brian #1

Jamie Pollard is a big picture guy, and that’s what I love about him.

I don’t have the spreadsheets or the attendance projections he does, and even if I did, we’ve got to admit we’re underqualified to make judgments sometimes, and let the man do his work. But I don’t think this question is really about the immediate bottom line as much a long term public relations vision of how Iowa State will be perceived.

Iowa State is treated by both the local and national media, and of course its rival to the east, as the “little brother.” Even when ISU was beating Iowa five straight times on the gridiron, and winning back-to-back Big XII basketball titles (men’s AND women’s), the media continued to perpetuate the myth that Iowa State was somehow a second-class version of the University of Iowa. The Hawkeyes (who have a strong and respectable athletic program, no doubt) play in the media market-rich Big Ten, while the Cyclones compete in the prairie and oil-field heavy Big XII.

I believe Jamie Pollard looks at this treatment as a public relations disaster, both locally and nationally. Iowa State needs a leader prepared to call a spade a spade and make bold moves that will get people respecting what Iowa State is and what Iowa State can be: a competitive, bold player on the national stage. PR is a state of mind, and it is impossible to measure the effect an adjustment of public image will have in the commentators discuss ISU, the way recruits feel on their visit, and the pride and confidence with which Iowa State’s own employees, coaches and players will do their jobs on a daily basis.

I’m on board.

Brian #2

The idea of sitting inside Jack Trice Stadium for a game against Iowa and not having the Jack full and rocking is a depressing one to this Cyclone fan. I look forward to the Iowa game or the Nebraska game every year because I know that it will be the best environment of the year inside the stadium. Yes, I do hate those opponents more than every other team we play, but it is game day itself that makes me love those games so much, not rubbing it in the other 364 days of the year (even though I enjoy that part too).

So, my gut reaction to this is fear of losing part of what makes that day so special. There are certainly other ways to generate more revenue using the Iowa game as the carrot dangled in front of the casual fan. Why not just up that ticket price even more, into the $90 to $100 range? Or the ticket could come at its usual $65 as part of a season ticket package but cost more if it is sold as a single game ticket. I feel pretty confident that we could sell the Iowa game out with a ticket costing up to $100.

The reason I support what Jamie Pollard is doing, though, is because he is trying to make every game one that has an atmosphere like the Iowa one, not just profit off of our guaranteed draw through one high priced game. I also feel like he will find some way to have 55,000 butts in the seats and on the hillsides next September 15 when Iowa comes to visit, so we won’t lose that electric atmosphere in the short term. The biggest reason that I am supporting Pollard in this, though, is that he has given me no reason not to in his time at Iowa State. He seems to understand the need for revenue and the best ways to generate it at a major university, so I will just follow the company line until he shows me otherwise.

Brad

In his first year as Iowa State’s Athletic Director, Jamie Pollard has caused quite a fuss among Hawkeye fans to the east. Who cares? This, for Cyclone fans, should always be considered a good sign. This fuss is no question a certain fear from Iowa fans, who realize that Iowa State is no longer going to be settling as the second rate team in this state. Pollard has the cajones that Cyclone administrators have lacked over the years, and has the vision needed to take ISU to the next level.

He’s made tough decisions in firing the head coaches of the two biggest programs, but his replacements might be the bigger story. You don’t have to listen to Fran Fraschilla and Ron Franklin to know that Iowa State and Greg McDermott were like love at first sight. And Gene Chizik replacing Dan McCarney seemed a long shot just weeks ago, but Pollard pulled it off. Both searches ended and even the most ardent Iowa State fans were surprised, as well as major media outlets fooled. How does Mr. Pollard do it?

The latest stir he caused is over Iowa State’s football ticket policy. He decided not to release any Iowa/ISU single game tickets for this year’s contest. It’s mid-January and Pollard strategically (of course, it’s Pollard) has the Iowa media focusing on ISU’s season ticket policy. The reasoning behind this plan is not hard to understand—as Pollard said, it’s a “business decision.” If ISU sells an additional 5,000 tickets at the $350 level, that yields $1.75 million. If it sells the additional 20,000 Iowa tickets at the $65 level (the price from last year), it yields $1.3 million. We have more money for the program and still have the remaining tickets for the other games to sell. This is about motivating Cyclone fans to buy tickets, expanding the fan base, and of course, dollars and cents. Yes, there may be empty seats for the Iowa game in Ames, but there will be more money in the AD coffers. Given his first year track record, why not trust Mr. Pollard? I do.


Brian #1 is a freelance writer living in Chicago, and a regular contributor to Rivals.com and his website, briankgolden.blogspot.com. Brian #2 is a sophomore at Iowa State University majoring in finance and Spanish. Brad is a junior at Notre Dame, majoring in Economics and Philosophy.

What are the Chances that ISU Makes the NCAA Tournament?

(This article originally appeared on www.big12-fans.com.)

Hey Big 12 fans. We’re happy to bring you the first weekly installment of the newest column on www.big12-fans.com: “Two Brians and a Brad,” a weekly look in to most important question in the sports galaxy of the Iowa State Cyclones.

The two Brians and Brad in question are all native Iowans and relatives who spend most family holidays, when the rest are eating turkey, watching old Cyclone highlight tapes or trying to win Ryan Koch the Heisman in NCAA 2007.

The goal of this column is to bring you inside Cyclone Nation, to the question of the week that we’d be wasting our time talking on the telephone about if we weren’t writing about it. Thanks for joining us.

This Week’s Question:

What are the chances that Iowa State makes the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament?

Brian #1

Most Iowa State basketball fans supported Jamie Pollard’s replacement of deposed coach Wayne Morgan with Greg McDermott last spring. That defeaning thump you heard just after the Cyclones’ oh-so-close OT loss to Kansas Saturday was the rest of Cyclone Country jumping on the bandwagon.

History, of course, will be the judge of McDermott’s success at Iowa State, but with everything we have to go with now, there seems little doubt that the Cyclones will be returning to the NCAA Tournament soon. But will it be this year?

McDermott’s Clones have three impressive showings in three Big XII games; a 66-65 road win at Missouri, a 71-62 defeat of Nebraska, and the aforementioned 68-64 OT loss to the Jayhawks. Iowa State has produced two consecutive conference Rookies of the Week, freshman Wesley Johnson has 9 double-doubles, newcomer Dodie Dunson is emerging as a capable backcourt option with a sweet stroke under pressure, and Jiri Hubalek has turned around a season that looked like it might end with a one way ticket to Prague, playing inspired defense and averaging 12ppg and 10rpg in conference play.

The schedule ahead isn’t terrible. The Big 12 is a strong conference this year but, as has been the trend in recent years, almost all the quality basketball is being played south of the Ozarks. Iowa State only has to play each of the South teams once, and gets a chance to do battle with its North opponents for 10 of the 16 conference games.

I don’t think Iowa State will be competitive at TAMU, Texas and Oklahoma State. Other than that, its becoming clear that a G-Mac coached team that follows the game plan is going to have a chance to win in the last five minutes almost everytime it takes the floor. However, it would be silly to think that a team this young, and without the ballhandlers that thrive in February and March, didn’t also have a chance to lose every game.

Nine wins will get the Cyclones to the bubble, sitting at 18-12 (9-7). If they could get to 9 conference wins, it would probably take 2 wins at the Big 12 Tourney to crack the field of 64, depending on how things shook out over the stretch drive. If the Clones can manage 4-3 against the North from here on out, holding serve against the weaker south teams at home (Oklahoma, Texas Tech, Baylor) would bump ISU to 9-7 in the Big XII.

There weren’t a lot of fans this side of criminally delusional that had Iowa State as a good preseason bet for the NCAAs. Most of us hoped to improve, gain experience, and sneak in to the NIT. So where the Cyclones sit now is a great place to be, from a fan’s perspective. Assuming there’s not a total collapse, we’re pretty much playing on house money. One thing to remember, however, is that if Wesley Johnson doesn’t get a great rebound put back in Columbia, this team is 1-2 and this year’s outlook might seem very different.

I don’t think ISU is an NCAA team this year, but I can’t rule it out completely. The game I’ve got circled on my calendar is February 17 at Kansas State. Coming off two tough South games and just at that point in the season where young players hit the proverbial wall, this will be a contest that could push the Cyclones toward success or failure for the rest of the campaign.

Chance of making NCAA: 18%

Brian #2

I have to be honest. I thought that there was almost no chance that “What are the chances Iowa State makes the men's NCAA basketball tournament?” would still be a legitimate question on January 17 as recently as a month ago. I fully expected the Cyclones to be 0-3 at this point in the conference season. Instead we are sitting at 2-1 with the only loss being in overtime to Kansas.

At 11-6, we need to win 8 more games to put ourselves on the good side of the NCAA tournament bubble. Of our remaining 13 regular season games, I see 4 games that can most likely be chalked up as losses. Roadies at Kansas, Texas, Oklahoma State, and Texas A&M aren’t games that I feel this team is ready to win (although I thought the same thing about the Missouri game.) Both Colorado games, on the other hand, should be victories. That means that in the other 7 games and the conference tournament, all of which I consider tossups at this point, we need to manage to find 6 victories. That seems improbable to me for a couple of reasons.

Greg McDermott only has 8 players that can play extended minutes. Star guard Michael Taylor is averaging over 36 minutes over the past 7 games, and forward Wesley Johnson is averaging nearly 35 minutes over that span. Both of these guys are in their first year of Division One basketball, and I just can’t see them (or the other Cyclones playing major minutes) maintaining their high level of play over the duration of the entire Big 12 conference season at this pace. This team reminds of the 2001 team that eventually lost to Hampton in the NCAA tournament. That team was obviously on a different level performance wise, but Larry Eustachy got everything he could out of that team and they ended up running out of gas at just the wrong time. I see this year’s Cyclone squad hitting the wall with 3 or 4 games still left on their schedule and falling short of the resume necessary for a tournament bid.

Now, I could be wrong. This team could be extremely well conditioned and just hitting their stride, like it would appear if you were to just look at the last three games. Keep in mind, however, that McDermott’s UNI team started 19-3 before losing 6 of their last 10 games entering the NCAA tournament, and then bowed out in the first round. McDermott’s ability to push his team past their breaking point is the only reason we have any chance at all to be a part of March Madness, but it is also the reason that I believe that chances of making the NCAA are still very slim.

Chance of making NCAA: 10%

Brad

When Greg McDermott inherited the Iowa State men’s basketball program in the spring of 2006, his challenge was comparable to the one the U.S. faced during The Great Depression. With only four returning players from last year’s team, along with some “leftovers” he was able to land late, some thought ISU would have trouble competing in the Ames YMCA league. Just like FDR knew then, McDermott knows now that it’s going to take more than a few small tweaks in policy to get out of the mess his predecessors left. ISU needs to win a war.

After three battles thus far, ISU is an unexpected 2-1. Saturday’s game against Kansas gave Cyclone fans reason to cry…and hope. The remaining 13 battles in this war are not going to be easy, but the team that lost to Drake, UNI, and Iowa just a few weeks ago is, thankfully, missing in action. McDermott has Iowa State playing at a high level with more cohesiveness than we saw when Curtis Stinson was in Ames frequenting Taco Time. The Johnson newcomers are performing better than anyone could have reasonably expected. Cory Johnson, although green, gave every ounce of his 6-7 body defending 7-1 monster Greg Oden in Columbus. Wesley Johnson is looking like ISU’s best player and if he keeps averaging nearly a double/double, he’ll be one of the most decorated Cyclones in history. Jean Prioleau deserves a Bronze Star for landing him in the late period.

Ten days ago, McDermott was close to granting Jiri Hubalek an honorable discharge back to the Czech Republic. Now he has the 6-11 big man under control and playing the best post defense of his career. Michael Taylor probably makes fans more nervous than opposing teams, and his play probably wouldn’t be tolerated by these coaches under normal circumstances. But no one can argue that the Cyclones need a take-charge type of player, and his 16 misses against the Jayhawks can be reconciled by moments where he goes off to the point where you look at his eyes and can only see white. The guy truly does get possessed.

I expect ISU to win the next two against Colorado and KState to start the conference season an impressive 4-1. The home tossups against Baylor, Oklahoma, Texas Tech and Missouri will go a long way towards determining the Cyclones’ tourney hopes. If they can continue the gritty play they have showed in the first three battles, more of these tossups than not will go Iowa State’s way. Although if one of Iowa State’s must-have players becomes unavailable for whatever reason, the momentum could change fast. Memo to those two players: Wesley—stay healthy. Mike Taylor—keep doing your homework.

To be sure, ISU does not have the Barney Fife of yesteryear prosecuting this war. In Greg McDermott, it has its own Chesty Puller.

Chances of Making NCAA: 51%


Brian #1 is a freelance writer living in Chicago, and a regular contributor to Rivals.com and his website, briankgolden.blogspot.com. Brian #2 is a sophomore at Iowa State University majoring in finance and Spanish. Brad is a junior at Notre Dame, majoring in Economics and Philosophy.