Monday, October 27, 2008

PSU's probable fate: fair or foul?

With a statement win against Ohio State this weekend, the Penn State Nittany Lions improved their record to 9-0 and remain undefeated in the Big Ten. The showdown in Columbus was likely the only place where the Lions would mis-step.

With the loss, they closed the gap in the BCS standings behind undefeated Texas and undefeated Alabama. So what separates PSU from these two teams? The Big Ten.

In a matter of speaking, the Nittany Lions are competing in a conference that is more down than ever. Perennial conference title contenders Michigan is having one of the worst years in its program's history and teams such as Iowa and Purdue, who occasionally put up a fight are nowhere to be seen. Penn State has a showdown with Michigan State to finish the season, which could very well determine which team represents the Big Ten in the Rose Bowl.

If PSU wins out, they could still be left out of the national championship picture. At No. 3 in the country, they could be stuck outside the picture and watching Alabama and Texas, who come from much more difficult conference, play for the top spot.

Texas heads to Texas Tech this weekend to take on the No. 6 Red Raiders. It is probably the last chance to shake up the top three spots. You can bet the Nittany Lions will be watching.

Monday, October 20, 2008

Bigger and better coverage

Consider this. In the last 30 years, we have seen sports coverage evolve so greatly that we we went from essentially nothing to now having multiple "all sports, all the time" networks — with the strongest example being ESPN.

In that time and with that increasing demand for more, there has been a tremendous increase in the coverage of college sports as well. Following ESPN's path, the network created an additional channel within its own family with ESPNU — an area of the network that is dedicated solely to college sports. Since then, we have seen the evolution of college sports coverage and now channels such as the Big Ten Network or the Big East Network are spanning the country.

Just a few short years ago, we never would have expected to see channels solely dedicated to small-revenue teams at small-market schools on a 24-7 basis. In truth, those channels are about much more than just being able to catch a few more football games on Saturdays. It gives fans the opportunity to go behind-the-scenes with programs they may not now or watch a game they never would have seen otherwise. They're fantastic for the little guy.
Sometimes we get caught up in the "more, more, more" aspect of our society. But in this case, it's a good thing and I hope it continues.

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

A Day in the Life


For those sports journalists who think we know everything about the games we watch, write about and critique (and believe me, it's a high percentage), Tom Izzo gave us our shot. 

Last week, the Michigan State men's basketball coach gave members of the MSU media a chance to go through one of the widely-popular coach's practices. I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity after covering the team last season in its run to the Sweet 16. 

The day began with a short film session in the team's theater in the locker room once we were fully decked out in MSU garb.

It didn't matter who it was — young, old, man, woman — Izzo and his staff took the practice seriously and certainly didn't coddle any of us journalists. We went through all the drills the team endures on a daily basis, from ballhandling to shooting and even participated in a full-court scrimmage.

After the scrimmage, coach Izzo brought everyone together for a group photo and then we all wolfed down a huge meal, entirely erasing any calories we'd burned that afternoon.

All in all, it was an experience that I'll certainly never forget and kudos to coach Izzo and his staff for keeping  up with the transparency that he's always exhibited — we need more coaches like him in this world.




Wednesday, October 8, 2008

No-braska?


What has happened to Nebraska football?  

Once a perennial college football powerhouse, the Cornhuskers program has made its way toward the bottom of a relatively weak (by its own standards) Big 12 conference. 

After achieving legendary status, the Huskers brought in former Oakland Raiders head coach Bill Callahan to lead the team. The Huskers, typically known for running the option system to perfection, all of a sudden began running the West Coast offense, which appeared to be doomed.

Callahan recorded the program's first losing season (5-6 in his first year) in 40 years, including a 70-10 thumping by Texas Tech in Lubbock. After putting together a 5-7 campaign, Callahan was quickly fired and the administration made the right decision by bringing in former defensive coordinator for Nebraska and fellow powerhouse LSU, Bo Pelini.

Pelini, however, doesn't seem to have a handle on things. Granted, it's tough on any first-year coach to come in and restore a team to greatness, but Nebraska was handed its worst home loss (52-17 massacre by Missouri) this weekend and things only get tougher for the Huskers in the following weeks.

To make matters even worse, Missouri QB Chase Daniel called the Cornhuskers "one of the dirtiest teams (he's) ever played" and claimed a Husker spit on him during warm-ups for the contest.

Pelini said he's reviewed the tape of the game and hasn't seen anything particularly dirty, but he has a lot more on his plate than some trash-talking or dirty hits. If he doesn't right this ship, he's going to be the next in a long line of potentially great college football names who have been taken down with one of the nation's best programs.