No worries Don. This is not a typical Penn State team. What gets lost in the game's final play is the fact that PSU's performance throughout the game was that of a team trying to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. They succeeded. IU is not suddenly a super team. They just took advantage of PSU's many mistakes, penalties, and two missed field goals.
Any part of the ball that crosses the front edge of the plane of the goal line is a touch down (or in this case a two-point after). I say that is what happened. It was bang-bang but the nose of the ball crossed the plane of the goal line just before the backend of the ball crossed out of bounds and touched down out of bounds. I thought it was a good call. By the way, the pylon had nothing to do with this one, the nose of the ball crossed the plane of the goal line before hitting the pylon.
I'm sure everyone will be relieved to hear that the Longhorns stayed on the field after the game for the Eyes of Texas. Some sang, some just stood and a few kneeled. Afterwards several players commented that it would be this way going forward. Now if they can just get the band to agree to play it!
As predicted, Ohio State has jumped both Notre Dame and Georgia and is ranked #3 in both polls. I don't have a problem with that, they look like an elite team. Both Georgia and Notre Dame don't have the QB play to match the Buckeyes.
Eye test will be the critical part of the equation. Teams aren't likely to play the same number of games either
Just read on ESPN that Graham Mertz Badger QB has tested positive over the weekend. To be retested tomorrow with more information to follow. If he still tests positive he will face a 21 day quarantine.
That is really too bad, he had such a great game Friday night. I think that means he will miss the Michigan game. No Jack Conan, no Mertz, I wonder who they will go with at QB, if he is out for 21 days?
ESPN had an article on the coaching carousel. Hugh Freeze and Steve Sarkesian were the top 2 Power 5 names on the list, but they both come with significant baggage. Freeze with questionable behavior and Sark with alcoholism. Luke Fickell is the top Group of 5 candidate. They also mentioned that Ryan Day is a possible NFL HC candidate. Didn't say that was Day's desire though, unlike Matt Rhule it was always assumed that he wanted to coach in the NFL.
I know it is a private matter, but I have read nothing about Sarkesian's personal life in Tuscaloosa. Not a word. I guess no news is good news but I would assume that means he has successfully been treating his alcoholism. I would think he will become another of Saban's professional rehabilitations.
I would agree kp, since that rather public meltdown that lead to his firing at USC, he seemed to have taken his rehab seriously and likely isn't much of a risk from that standpoint. The article mentioned that the issue might be that he didn't do very well as a HC at 2 very good programs to be a HC. Washington and USC. Hugh Freeze on the other hand has a different issue, he's sort of the Jimmy Swaggert of coaches...talks the big Christian game while living a different life personally. That might be a bit of an issue, but then maybe he can convince people he's a changed man. Hopefully he is. How is Major Applewhite doing at Alabama? He's a guy who has personality issues, just not very likeable from what I hear. I wonder if he'll get another chance as an OCoord, or even an assistant coach somewhere. People at UofH were glad to see him go, arrogant ahole.
Well, I just looked it up and sure enough, he is an "analyst" with Alabama. I have heard absolutely nothing about him. Butch Davis is still with us. He just got to smoke another cigar.
Can't believe any major program would want to take a chance on Freeze... that dude is dripping with "CHEATER". If he does get another job, I'd bet all the programs around will be setting their watchdogs all over his recruiting to turn them in when they step out of line (which they will).
Lane Kiffin is fined 25K for his criticism of the officials after the Auburn game. I haven't seen the replay but it seems as if most think the ball did touch the Auburn player and should have been recovered by Ole Miss. Another example of Auburn seemingly getting the call from SEC refs. The SEC admitted that it warranted a full look by replay and yesterday Kiffin complained that the film shows that it absolutely did touch the Auburn player. The SEC acknowledged that further review of the play was warranted. "Because the play was not appropriately stopped for further review, the necessary slow-motion view of the play was not viewed by the replay official to determine if the ruling on the field should have been reversed," the statement said. After the game, Kiffin told reporters, "Someone said postgame it looked like his finger definitely moved, but whatever." On Monday, Kiffin said, "Everybody in the country could see it hit him." "I asked the side judge, 'Why aren't they replaying it? Do I need to challenge it?' He said, 'They've already looked at it. There's nothing there,'" Kiffin said. "I'm not allowed to say anything about the conversation, but I really wish that our fans and players could hear what I was told."