Most Ohio State fans say their players show class and don't talk crap before the game...all last season, they chafed in their diapers after former Michigan running back Mike Hart said that he came back for his senior year to beat Ohio State...now what do they think of Ray Small after his comments about USC...
"It's a class thing. Here at Ohio State, they teach you to be a better man. There, it's just all about football."
I guess Small has never seen the police laundry list of criminal activities that Jim Tressel's "better men" have done over the years...maybe he will want to ask Maurice Clarett the next time he is close to the Ohio State pen in Toledo...
Mark Snyder of the Detroit Free Press writes how Charlie Weiss stated "to hell with Michigan" back in April - now Michigan is waiting for him... "In April, the Notre Dame football coach said, "I've always been one never to make excuses and blow hot air." He then said of the Wolverines: "Then we'll listen to Michigan have all their excuses as they come running in, saying how they have a new coaching staff and there's changes." ...
Here is Fat Charlie's "To Hell With Michigan" comment...
Enjoy this 2:20 clip of the 1979 Michigan-Notre Dame game when the Irish's Bob Crable climbed on top of two players to block the potential game winning field goal...Notre Dame won 12-10 in Ann Arbor...
Jim Tressel does not like when an opposing coach comes into the state of Ohio and takes an Ohio boy...he stresses to the Ohio players that it is their "duty" to play for their state...
However, Gentleman Jim must also have another line for out-of-state players because he sure knows how to rob other states of their top talent...last year he swiped Terrelle Pryor from Pennsylvania...this year, he went into Florida and took the nation's top high school running back in Jaamal Berry from Miami Palmetto High...
Hall of Fame safety Ronnie Lott (right) is a graduate of USC...he claims he is a Trojan...but this past summer, knowing that his Trojans would be playing Ohio State in a matter of two months, Lott, and other former San Francisco 49ers met with the Buckeye football team to create a spark...
In order to gain the slightest of advantages, Jim Tressel (left) arranged the meeting through his connections with the DeBartolo-York family from his days in Youngstown, Ohio...along with Lott, Joe Montana, Jerry Rice, and Roger Craig all spoke to the Ohio State football team...the former Niners talked to the team about how they lost in the NFC Championship Game four times during their career and how to deal with adversity...
So I ask, who is Ronnie Lott pulling for this Saturday, his alma mater or his newly adopted team?...
As reported on rivals.com, Michigan has lost the commitment of high school All-American defensive lineman William Campbell...
Back in the spring, Campbell gave a verbal commitment to the Wolverines...he has since changed his mind and is planning on visiting other schools with Miami (Fla) and LSU as possible landing spots...
Campbell is a five defensive tackle from Detroit Cass...Campbell is listed at 6'5", 315-pounds...
We are 90 minutes away from the start of the first Sunday of NFL games....here are some teams to keep an eye on this year....
- Buffalo - if Trent Edwards matures in his second year, the Bills are going to be dangerous...to many people are talking about the Jets and Brett Favre within the AFC East...but the real NFL nerds know the Bills can be the surprise team...
- Miami - I ain't sayin the Dolphins are making the playoffs...but this team will play harder than they did last year...the Dolphins will be a good team to take as a dog...
- Oakland - I have a feeling the Oakland Raiders are going to shock people...I'm calling it - Raiders will go 8-8...they have a bevy of back in McFadden, Fargas, and Bush...they should be able to establish a running game which will help take pressure off of JaMarcus Russell...
- New Orleans - the Saints got off to a terrible start last year (0-4)...but they played strong at the end...I love Drew Brees...and they made changes to strengthen their defense...
- Arizona - this is finally going to be the year that the Cardinals make the playoffs...
10 quick thoughts on Saturday's College Football...
- Michigan won 16-6 over Miami (Ohio), but their offense is still struggling...
- The O on the middle of the field at Ohio Stadium stands for Over-rated!!!...
- Some poor calls by officials: 1) how can they call an excessive celebration on Washington quarterback Jake Locker?' 2) how can they miss the block in the back on Ohio State's Ray Small's punt return for a touchdown; 3) why was there a "mulligan" in the Michigan-Miami game?...
- Probably the best game of the day was the Wake Forest-Ole Miss battle...
- Houston Nutt is already making a difference at Ole Miss...
- San Diego State lost to a I-AA team last week...and only lost to Notre Dame 21-13????....the pressure is mounting on Charlie Weis...
- Oklahoma's Sam Bradford threw for 5 touchdowns in a win over a very good Cincinnati team...
- East Carolina just may be this year's Cinderella team...
- Penn State will beat Ohio State this year...
- Got a chance to listen to legendary Georgia play-by-play announcer Larry Munson on XM Radio...it was great!...
Below is the ESPN College Football Gameday Recap with Chris Fowler, Lee Corso, and Homer Boy Kirk...
Jean Jacques-Taylor of the Dallas Morning News has an interesting story about the Dallas Cowboys new team chaplain... "Trust, you see, is the most important part of the relationship between a chaplain and the players he serves. Somebody always wants something – a car, a loan, an autograph, a jersey and appearance – from a player because of the money he makes and the way we idolize him. So players learn not to trust folks." ...
Tod Archer writes how Zach Thomas has to prove himself once again... "Thomas has been symptom-free since May after having deviated septum surgery, which alleviated pressure between his eyes. But Thomas knows people will wonder if the next hit will be his last." ...
Republican vice-president candidate Sarah Palin has been a big hit, especially in her home state of Alaska...they are selling shirts that say "My Mama Beat Your Obama" - which is creative...they are also hocking Sarah Palin thongs...
Miami @ Florida Manny Navarro of the Miami Herald writes how about a former Hurricane recruit who headed north to Gainesville after the murder of Bryan Pata... "Born in Hollywood, Wright grew up worshipping one of the greatest safeties in the history of college football, Sean Taylor. By all accounts, Wright was supposed to be the extenuation of Taylor's legacy." ...
Texas @ UTEP Alan Trubow of the Austin Statesman writes how UTEP head coach Mike Price has been disappointed with his performance the last two years... "The 45-13 loss to Toledo that followed came in the last bowl the Miners have taken part in, which is why Price, in his fifth season in El Paso, has mixed emotions when he talks about the job he's done." ...
Bret Bloomquist of the El Paso Times writes about the Miners chance of a lifetime to play Texas at home... "While they are, to a man, excited about the opportunity and will talk about that when asked, they know their focus has to be more narrow than that every afternoon at practice" ...
Michigan Wolverines Saturday was not a total loss in Ann Arbor...after the game, the Wolverines received a verbal commitment from four-star quarterback Tate Forcier...
Notre Dame Fighting Irish Eric Hansen of the South Bend Tribune writes about Notre Dame wide receiver Golden Tate who wants to create a "Redeem Team" on the football field... "But if the Irish are going to shock the college football world in 2008 — in a good way — it won’t happen without the transformations of players like Tate, the fastest and simultaneously the most puzzling offensive player in ND’s statistical apocalypse in 2007." ...
Miami Hurricanes Jeff Shain of the Miami Herald writes about The U's big game against in-state rival Florida and how it was the biggest rivalry in the state... "The teams haven't met since the 2004 Peach Bowl, the fourth clash in a five-year span. Before that, there was a 14-year hiatus after the Gators dropped UM to fulfill an expanded Southeastern Conference schedule." ...
Oklahoma Sooners John Shinn of the Norman Transcript writes how the Sooners will have a tougher battle on Saturday when Cincinnati comes calling... "Make no mistake, Saturday’s victory was about as easy as it can get for OU. It will be a whole lot tougher from here on out." ...
Michael Rosenberg of the Detroit Free Press writes that Michigan fans got a hard dose of reality on Saturday... "Rich Rodriguez is 0-1 at Michigan, and let's be clear on this: One game, no matter how ugly, does not define a coach or even a season. Rodriguez has been successful in the past and could win a ton of games at U-M." ...
• The announced crowd of 108,421 is the 209th consecutive game welcoming more than 100,000 fans at Michigan Stadium.
• Seniors Sean Griffin, Tim Jamison, Mike Massey and Morgan Trent served as game captains in the season opener.
• Former All-Americans Bob Chappuis (1942, 1946-47), Ron Kramer (1954-56) and Reggie McKenzie (1969-71) represented the Wolverines as honorary alumni game captains against Utah.
• After previously taking only four career snaps, sophomore quarterback Nick Sheridan started at the helm of the Wolverine offense and completed a team-high 11-of-19 passes for 98 yards and one touchdown.
• Seven Wolverines made their first starts today, including senior linebacker Austin Panter, junior offensive lineman David Moosman, sophomores linebacker Marrell Evans and quarterback Nick Sheridan, and freshman running back Sam McGuffie, offensive lineman David Molk, wide receiver Martavious Odoms and wide receiver Darryl Stonum.
• Fifth-year senior K.C. Lopata's career-long 50-yard field goal was U-M's first conversion of at least 50 yards since November 3, 2001.
• Fifteen U-M players made their collegiate debuts today: center David Molk, receiver Martavious Odoms, receiver Darryl Stonum, quarterback Steve Threet, running backs Sam McGuffie and Michael Shaw, defensive tackle Max Martin, defensive end Ryan Van Bergen, safety Mike Williams, cornerback Boubacar Cissoko, and Kevin Leach, J.B.Fitzgerald, Brandon Herron, Mike Therman and Jordan Reilly on special teams.
