Going out this weekend?  Have fun.  Here’s what the rest of us will be watching on television …

Friday night:

• If you can slip out of work in time and make it to the local pub, you can catch No. 15 Ohio State taking on No. 12 Cal in the 2K Sports Coaches vs. Cancer Classic, which is set to tip-off at 5 p.m. and will air on ESPN2.
• Even if you missed the OSU/Cal match-up, you’ll be able to see No. 4 UNC vs. No. 24 Syracuse which directly follows OSU/Cal on ESPN2 at 7 p.m.
• Don’t get all caught up in UNC/Cuse to forget that there is still some other quality programming on; you really need to utilize the “go back” function on your remote control … Seinfeld comes on Fox 19 (CVille) at 7 followed by an episode of The Office, then Tosh.0 comes on Comedy Central at 8 and 8:30.
• If you’re still awake after the UNC/’Cuse game and missed it this past Tuesday, FX is re-airing this week’s Sons Of Anarchy episode.

Saturday:

• On a national scale, this weekend is lousy for college football match-ups with only one game featuring two ranked teams.  However, there are plenty of good college football games starting at noon to keep you glued to the couch well before UVa’s game vs. Clemson at 3:30.  Ohio State/Michigan, though significantly less exciting than previous years, is always a fun game to watch.  UNC/BC and Duke/Miami are also set to kickoff at noon for those following the ACC race.
• If you feel the noon football games really aren’t doing it for you, don’t forget the UVa men’s basketball team hosts Oral Roberts at 2pm in the JPJ, and that might be worth leaving the couch for … at least for an hour or two.
• UVa/Clemson kicks off at 3:30 on ABC, wahoowa!
• The Cal/Stanford game (the only one with two ranked teams) starts at 7:30 and can be found on the Versus channel.  If that game is a downer, flip over to Kansas @ No. 3 Texas, which starts at 8 p.m. and airs on ABC.

Sunday:

• Football, FOOTBALL, FUTBOL!! Sunday’s line-up is loaded with football … and even a little “foot-ball”.
• The Redskins travel to Dallas to take on the Cowboys at 1 p.m.  Colts @ Ravens and Falcons @ Giants also start at 1.
• If it’s European football you prefer, you should head over to Klöckner Stadium at 1 p.m. and watch the UVa men’s soccer team host Bucknell in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
• After you get home from the soccer game, pop on CBS for the start of the Jets/Patriots game which kicks off at 4:15.
• The Eagles travel to Chicago for the Sunday night game, set to kickoff at 8:20 p.m.
• If you’re feeling a little “football’d out” on Sunday night, don’t forget that a new episode of Family Guy comes on Fox at 9 p.m.

If you’ve followed my viewing guide, you will have spent about 70 hours in front of the TV, taken in a UVa men’s basketball and men’s soccer game, and hopefully ingested about 20,000 calories worth of Doritos, Pizza Hut, beer, fried chicken and nachos in the process … nicely done.

With such a varied reaction to the Hoos performance against the USF Bulls on Monday night I decided to treat it to a true game analysis and after watching the game three times and logging every play there were some interesting trends that are worth looking at for this team going forward.

I will start by saying that with the line-up available a lot of things had to go right for UVa to win this game with USF’s inside game along with All-Big East guard Dominique Jones. Here are some notes drawn from my game report:

First Half:

- How about Mike Scott outleaping 6-11 USF Center Jarrid Famous for the jumpball, shows how athletic Scott is.

- UVa came out throwing both double teams on the perimeter as well as the corner, this successfully pushed the Bulls away from the basket and gave them some real trouble getting the ball to their post players on the block.

-Speaking of getting the ball to post players on the block, Sylven Landesberg can’t get enough credit for the job he did helping down low in this game – several times he denied and successfully defended both Famous and 6-10 Gus Gilchrist, a remarkable feat for a guy who really struggled at times last year on the defensive end.

- Mike Scott improved greatly on the defensive end from the Longwood game. In this game he correctly defended some very talented bigs, and trusted his help – both were problems against Longwood.

- UVa ran a good deal of a pretty standard motion offense in this game and both Farrakhan and Landesberg had success driving into the lane in the first half.

- With 16:56 left in the first-half Zeglinski was called for a block (that I thought should’ve been a charge) but on the play his footwork was a great demonstration of what these players are going through. When the USF player caught the ball on the wing Zeglinski starts to turn his feet to send him baseline but mid-move adjusts his feet to the correct stance to funnel the player to the middle. These guys are still working on their footwork but this game was much better than the last.

(more…)

With his team sitting at 3-7 overall, dead last in the ACC Coastal Division and the media scrutiny mounting by the day, I think it’s fair to assume that the next two games for Virginia’s football team will be the last under head coach Al Groh.  And while I could list off several other reasons why Groh does not need another season as UVa’s coach, I think it would be counterproductive at this point … he’s gone.  Period.

So where does that leave us?  In search of a coach who can lead us in the right direction and get us back to a level of respectability on the national level while maintaining the academic prestige of The University and graduating student athletes. (sounds familiar doesn’t it?)

With that in mind, I thought about all the possible candidates that would or could come to UVa and came up with a pretty interesting question that I’ve decided to pose to the rest of you…

What would you, as a UVa fan, rather see out of our next football coach: a “flashy” candidate who could take us to the BCS once or twice then bolt for greener pastures after 5-6 years of success OR would you rather see more of a “system” guy who would take more time but would eventually get us to 7 wins a year with the occasional 9-10 win outbursts?

On one hand, you could bring in a guy like a Tommy Tuberville or Brian Kelly (neither of whom I believe will get the job, but for argument’s sake…) who can generate enough “name power” to bring in some big recruits and get us back on the map before leaving us for a better job.  But on the other hand, you could bring in a guy like Mike London or Ken Niumatalolo who will probably have a losing season or two to start off before ultimately finding success with the players that fit in their system and end up staying with us until they retire (ala George Welsh).

I’m pretty sure I have a good idea of which type coach I would prefer, but I’d like to let the situation play out a little bit longer before I show my hand.  Besides, I think most fans would be happy with either one so long as they brought some “W’s” to the table … right?

Here are some things to key in on as you take in tonight’s game in Tampa-

1. Transition – USF has the guards to get out and run on Virginia, and the Packline needs to get back and settle to be effective (much like many zone looks). It’ll be an interesting choice for USF Coach Stan Heath, he may decide to push tempo, or he may opt to break tendency and slow the ball down because of…

2. Post Defense – The biggest weakness in the Longwood game came from both the Bigs and the Guards in defending the post. The Bigs struggled with angles, footwork and concept – while the guards seemed lost in their help assignments. USF has the size to really make Virginia pay down low if they are out of sync. Watch to see if Heath has his guards throw their post entries in time with the backside post, guarded by Mike Scott,  cutting high (probably Gus Gilchrist). This will force the Virginia guard that is matched up with Jarrid Famous to be temporarily isolated on the block with a 6′10 Center. Making it more difficult is that helping off of Gilchrist in the high post is dangerous as he is versatile enough to really make you pay even away from the basket – much like Alabi at FSU, Gilchrist will even pull the trigger from behind the arc if his defender sags too far. The Pack-line defense requires a good amount of guard help and when that pass heads to the block we should see the backside guard come to cut off the middle of the court while the post defender stops the baseline- forcing USF to swing it back out…

(more…)

Defense – On  D, the Packline style made its debut. On almost every possession UVa set up with Packline depth and responsibilities – there were some positives such as transition defense and the play and positioning of a few of the guards (Landesberg and Farrakhan in particular) and there were some negatives in the execution of help and baseline responsibilities. Bennett used many of these mistakes as teachable moments during the game – both during timeouts and when players subbed in and out.  Having these players able to see these mistakes on film with a teacher like Bennett should prove invaluable moving forward.

Offense – While the D unveiled an early version of Tony Bennett’s Packline, the offense rarely showed the Blocker/Mover, only giving it a few sets in each half. While the idea of a new coach coming out in his first game and attacking a smaller in-state foe with a spread offense might give some Cav fans nightmares, it worked very well for Bennett on Friday night. The team was encouraged to push the ball, look for openings in the secondary break, and then go into a 41 set (4 players on the perimeter with one post player setting up ball side). UVa’s speed advantage regularly used this look to get to the lane and either finish, or take advantage of Longwood helping and dish to the post or kick the ball out for an open 3-pointer. There were a few 32 sets, some pick and roll and some motion sets as well, but Coach Bennett kept the strategy simple and his players responded by executing fairly well and playing with confidence.

Blocker/Mover – In the first half while Mustapha Farrakahn was at the point, the Cavs ran two series out of the Blocker/Mover. In the second half, the short period in which Jeff Jones came alive occurred during a few Blocker/Mover sets – other than those 4-5 plays it was absent from the Longwood game.

Given that Coach Bennett was faced with the obstacle of introducing a new defensive style and concept, finding his rotation, and facing the pressure and expectations that come from a debut game – Bennett’s strategy fit the circumstances perfectly. It is important to remember that this was Tony Bennett’s first game ever as a head coach in which he didn’t recruit the players he was coaching.  Coach Bennett is right that this team has a lot to improve upon, but there is a lot to be positive about heading out of the first game of his tenure as well.

With the UVa Men’s Basketball season getting under way tomorrow night in the John Paul Jones Arena, I figured this would be the best time to get to know our first opponent of the 2009-10 season, the Longwood Lancers.  After coming off a season in which the Lancers recorded their highest win total since joining NCAA D1 competition (17), this is certainly not a game the Hoos can just show up and win.  And while I believe Coach Bennett will have his team prepared for Friday’s game, it was only a year ago that the mighty Liberty Flames came to the JPJ and walked away victorious.  So pardon me for not taking this one for granted …

Led by seventh year head coach Mike Gillian and assistants Bill Reinson, Doug Thibault and Tim Fudd, Longwood registered a +8 win total from the 07/08 season to the 08/09, marking the 18th best turnaround in NCAA D1 basketball. The Lancers return four starters from that squad in Dana Smith, Kevin Swecker, Billy Robinson, and Duran Neil.

Smith, a 6-5 combo guard, is the leading returning scorer from a year ago, averaging career-bests of 30.0 minutes, 14.8 points, and 6.4 rebounds.

Swecker, a senior guard and team captain, started 30 of 31 games last year, averaging 30.6 minutes and 10.9 points per game.  Swecker also ranked 24th nationally in Division I steals during the 08-09 campaign.

Robinson and Neil, both juniors, combined for 51 starts between the two of them last season.  Neil, who will be playing primarily point guard this year, ranked 35th nationally in assist to turnover ration (2.24) last season while chipping in 7.9 ppg.  Robinson, a 6-7 200 pound forward, provides some length and athleticism for the Lancers’ front court.

Longwood also returns three top lettermen from last year’s squad in EJ Dawson, Antwan Carter, and Martiz Washington.  Though it is unclear who will be the fifth starter of this trio, all three should see quality minutes on Friday night.

*stats courtesy of Longwoodlancers.com

Err, uhh, hmmm … is it basketball season yet?  You know that it’s a sad state of affairs when there is literally not one positive thing to take away from a 60-minute football game.  Sadly, UVa was involved in one of those games on Saturday afternoon in Miami, getting beat 52-17 by the revenge-seeking Canes.  And the score wouldn’t be so bad if it weren’t for the fact that the Hoos (once again) failed to show any improvement in any facet of the game.  Now don’t get me wrong, I bleed orange and blue and consider myself one of the most passionate fans in the fan base, but even I found myself sighing at the TV on Saturday afternoon saying, “I don’t even care anymore.”

SO, with all that in mind, here are a few things I can safely surmise following the weekend:

• Even though we still lost, it sure was fun watching UVa play a little bit of “Beamerball” on Saturday with two blocked punts and a long INT return.  Now I finally understand why Hokie fans are so amped to watch their team play every week.
• If you’re in favor of a college football playoff system, then start praying for Texas to lose.  Now that TCU is ranked #4 in the BCS rankings, the only thing standing in the way of a TCU/SEC Champion BCS Championship Game is the Longhorns.
• As long as he can stay healthy, Matt Schaub is a Pro Bowl quarterback this year.
• Does anyone want to take control of the NFC East?  It’s the NFL’s version of the ACC this year with the top teams trading spots week after week.
• It’s taken some time since he was hired, but I’m finally getting warm to the idea that Tony Bennett is the right guy to lead our basketball program in the direction we all want it to go.
• The winner of tonight’s Monday Night Football game between the Steelers and Broncos will represent the AFC in the Super Bowl.
• Are the Saints really that good?  After giving up boat loads of yards to the Panthers on Sunday and the Dolphins a few weeks ago, I’m beginning to question whether that defense is good enough to complement Drew Brees and Co.
• The fact that Andre Agassi used “meth” during his tennis playing days is disappointing, but I really don’t see why everyone is so up in arms about it.  I think the fact that his ATP ranking dropped 100-some spots and he lost countless money in earnings and endorsements is punishment enough.
• Tom Brady and Randy Moss appear to have returned to their 2007 form … which is depressing news for the other 31 teams in the NFL.

Atrocious, appaling, detestable, vomit inducing, unforgiveable … it’s fair to say any of those statements accurately describes UVa’s second consecutive loss to Duke on Saturday afternoon in Scott Stadium.  Perhaps it was the 424-196 advantage the Blue Devils had on us in total yardage that caused the loss.  Or maybe it was the 34% completion percentage our two quarterbacks had on 38 passing attempts; it could have been the fact that only 41,300 fans showed up to cheer the Hoos on.  It’s hard to pinpoint the exact area that ultimately cost UVa the victory on Saturday.  What’s not hard to pinpoint, however, is that there is an obvious problem with the current state of Virginia’s football program.

BUT, thankfully for us all, the weekend lasts 72 hours and UVa football only took up a lousy 3 1/2 of them.  Here’s what I can safely surmise from the other 68 1/2:

• After seeing him in person, Thaddeus Lewis is the best quarterback in the ACC.  You could argue Josh Nesbitt or Jacory Harris mean more to their teams, but Lewis is the best pure quarterback in the league.
• When I was sitting atop my section on Saturday, I scanned over the empty Scott Stadium crowd and it dawned on me just how far we have fallen in the past few years.
• As I’m sure you’ve seen already, Brandon Spikes definitely went for the ever classless eye gouging move at the bottom of the pile in the Gators’ win over Georgia on Saturday.
• While I have been pleasantly entertained by the World Series thus far, I would still much rather see a Sunday night NFL game on TV in its place.
• Is it just me or have there been no real “epic” college football match-ups so far this season?  I feel like every week they hype up a big game (see USC/Oregon and Texas/Ok. State this weekend) and every week the games are a snooze-fest.
• As much as I try to hate on him for retiring and “un-retiring”, I’ve got to hand it to Brett Favre.  The guy can flat out ball.  Even in his 40’s.
• Even though the Baltimore/Denver game was pretty one-sided it gave me a chance to watch Ed Reed in action, which is always a treat.  He and Troy Polamalu are by far the best safties in football today.
• After receiving one vote in this weeks AP Top 25 Poll, is there any reason why we shouldn’t hire Richmond’s Mike London to be our next coach? If my math is correct, that’s one more vote than our current coach has gotten us in the same poll this season.
• If any of you “C-villians” haven’t checked it out yet, the new Irish pub on the corner, Trinity, is a pretty cool spot.  It’s got tons of space and a bazillion flat-screens and it also seemed to attract UVa’s top talent on Friday and Saturday night.

Hey guys, so with Duke on deck on the football schedule and basketball season right around the corner, I wanted to get a little interest generated in hoops, so I decided to do a quick run-down of the ACC teams:

Boston College (22-12, 9-7 NCAA 1st Round)

Key Players: Joe Trapani, Rakim Sanders, Reggie Jackson

The Skinny: Fresh off an NCAA tournament appearance, the Eagles will have to replace all-world guard Tyrese Rice.  However, they return all four starters besides Rice and Joe Trapani and Rakim Sanders both look to handle the scoring load with Reggie Jackson handling the ball.

3 BIG GAMES: 12/2 @Michigan, 2/6 Duke, 2/20 UNC

Clemson (23-9, 9-7 NCAA 1st Round)

Key Players: Trevor Booker, Demontez Stitt, Milton Jennings (Fr.)

The Skinny: Oliver Purnell has led his Tigers to the past two NCAA tournaments, but replacing three key starters from those teams, K.C. Rivers, Terrence Oglesby, and Raymond Sykes, will not be an easy task.  Trevor Booker returns as an ACC POY candidate and Demontez Stitt provides some experience in the Clemson backcourt.  Look for freshman Milton Jennings to give some good minutes.

3 BIG GAMES: 12/2 Illinois, 1/3 @Duke, 3/2 Georgia Tech

Duke (30-7, 11-5 NCAA Sweet 16)

Key Players: Kyle Singler, John Scheyer, Nolan Smith

The Skinny: Even with the loss of Gerald Henderson, this Blue Devils squad appears loaded for a tourney run.  Singler, Scheyer and Smith are now all upperclassmen who should be able to mentor the three McDonald’s AA’s from the incoming recruiting class.  Look for freshman Ryan Kelly to be the “go to” guy for the Blue Devils in the paint.

3 BIG GAMES: 1/9 @Clemson, 2/10 @UNC, 3/6 UNC

Florida State (25-10, 10-6 NCAA 1st Round)

Key Players: Solomon Alabi, Ufe Echefu, Michael Snaer (Fr.)

The Skinny: FSU returns almost the entire starting lineup from a year ago.  The problem is the “almost” piece missing is one of the school’s best basketball players ever in Toney Douglas.  Besides Douglas, no Seminole averaged in double figures last year and only two players averaged eight points or better.  Solomon Alabi and Ufe Echefu return to form an experienced front court and superstar freshman Michael Snaer will look to replace some of Douglas’ point production, but the ‘Noles will ultimately need another player to step up if they want to get back to The Dance this year.

Georgia Tech (13-19, 2-14)

Key Players: Iman Shumpert, Gani Lawal, Derrick Favors (Fr.)

The Skinny: The only team to lose more conference games than UVa last year was the Yellow Jackets.  However, few teams enter the 09/10 season with as much confidence as the Ramblin’ Wreck.  Freshamn sensation Iman Shumpert returns along with talented forward Gani Lawal.  D’Andre Bell also returns for the Jackets after spending a year on medical reserve and should provide quality depth to a starting five littered with talent.  Paul Hewitt once again brought in a stellar recruiting class, landing 5-star all-everything Derrick Favors as well as top-100 player Mfon Udofia and Glen Rice Jr.

3 BIG GAMES: 1/9 @Duke, 1/16 @UNC, 3/2 @Clemson

Maryland (21-14, 7-9 NCAA 2nd Round)

Key Players: Grievous Vasquez, Adrian Bowie, Eric Hayes

The Skinny: The Terps return three starters including All-ACC guard Grievous Vasquez.  Adrian Bowie, who came on strong in the ACC and NCAA tournaments last year also returns as well as Eric Hayes, Sean Mosley and Landon Milbourne for the Terps.  This is a key season for Gary Williams and staff.  They have a player in Vasquez who can lead them back to the depths of the NCAA tourney, but is there enough talent surrounding Vasquez to take them there?

3 BIG GAMES: 1/16 @Boston College, 2/7 UNC, 3/3 Duke

Miami (19-13, 7-9 NIT)

Key Players: Dwayne Collins, James Dews, Durand Scott (Fr.)

The Skinny: Frank Haith’s squad looks to find out what life is like without the indispensable Jack McClinton suiting up every night.  McClinton averaged one fourth of his teams total points a year ago, so finding someone to replace him will be easier said than done.  The ‘Canes will also be breaking in two other starters to go along with McClinton’s replacement, as Brian Asbury and Lance Hurdle are also gone.  Even with all the losses from last years team, the ‘Canes were able to sign a top-20 recruiting class including guard Durand Scott and still have some talent left over in forward Dwayne Collins and senior guard James Dews.

3 BIG GAMES: 12/2 Minnesota, 1/26 @Maryland, 2/17 Duke

North Carolina (34-4, 13-3 NCAA National Champs)

Key Players: Deon Thompson, Marcus Ginyard, Ed Davis

The Skinny: Gone from the Heels’ squad are the two winningest seniors in program history in Tyler Hansbrough and Danny Green.  Also gone are guards Ty Lawson and Wayne Ellington.  The four combined for 66.2 ppg a season ago, and even though Roy Williams once again stuffed his cupboard full of talent, it will be hard to replace what the ’09 team lost.  Returning for the Tar Heels are seniors Deon Thompson, who started all 38 games last year, and Marcus Ginyard returns after a medical redshirt season.  Talented big man Ed Davis also returns and looks to be the primary scorer in the paint.  Freshmen John Henson, Dexter Strickland and twins David and Travis Wear could all make an impact this season for North Carolina.

3 BIG GAMES: 12/2 Mich. St., 12/19 vs. Texas, 3/6 @Duke

N.C. State (16-13, 6-10)

Key Players: Javier Gonzalez, Tracy Smith, DeShawn Painter (Fr.)

The Skinny: The Wolfpack lose three starters from a mediocre ‘09 team.  In Sydney Lowe’s time at N.C. State, he has proven to be a good recruiter and the ‘09 class was no different as he landed two four stars in DeShawn Painter and Richard Howell.  Javier Gonzalez returns and should get most of the minutes at point guard while Tracy Smith provides an experienced post player for the ‘Pack.

3 BIG GAMES: 12/23 @Arizona, 1/16 Clemson, 1/26 UNC

Virginia (10-17, 4-12)

Key Players: Sylven Landesberg, Mike Scott, Jeff Jones

The Skinny: The Hoos are coming off one of their worst years in their basketball program’s history.  New coach Tony Bennett has his work cut out for him in the ‘09/’10 season, but Dave Leitao didn’t leave the cupboard completely bare.  The Cavs return ACC Rookie of the Year Sylven Landesberg as well as talented big man Mike Scott, who will look for more of a feature role in Bennett’s offense.  Bennett was able to bring in the two Leitao commitments in Tristan Spurlock and Jontell Evans, both of whom could provide quality depth for UVa this season.

3 BIG GAMES: 11/24 vs. Stanford, 2/10 @Maryland, 2/28 Duke

Virginia Tech (17-13, 7-9 NIT)

Key Players: Jeff Allen, Malcolm Delaney, J.T. Thompson

The Skinny: The Hokies’ emotional leader from a year ago, A.D. Vassallo, graduated, but Jeff Allen and Malcolm Delaney return for a solid one-two punch for Tech.  However, Virginia Tech will need someone to step up and provide a third scoring option for the Hokies to have a successful season and make it to the NCAA tournament.  Look for junior forward J.T. Thompson to fill that role.

3 BIG GAMES: 12/1 @Iowa, 1/28 @UVA, 2/4 UNC

Wake Forest (24-7, 11-5 NCAA 1st Round)

Key Players: Al-Farouq Aminu, Chas McFarland, L.D. Williams

The Skinny: Dino Gaudio’s hopes of a second straight top-five league finish took a serious hit when underclassmen James Johnson and Jeff Teague left school early for the pros.  On the flip side, the Deacs still return an All-ACC caliber player in Aminu and Gaudio’s recruiting continues to improve as he signed top-50 player Ari Stewart who looks to contribute this year.  Chas Macfarland returns up front for Wake and guard L.D. Williams is also back to provide senior leadership in the backcourt.

3 BIG GAMES: 12/5 @Gonzaga, 1/17 @Duke, 2/27 UNC

Man, that was a tough one to swallow.  It wasn’t exactly a surprise that the Hoos stumbled their way to a 34-9 defeat to No. 11 Georgia Tech, it was the way they did it that made it so troubling.  The Jackets were able to drive the proverbial railroad stake down our defense’s throat to the tune of 362 yards rushing and our offense was about as inept as it has been the entire year.  And all this happened in the midst of a Nor’easter settled directly above Scott Stadium.  At noon.

So, while I feel like I could sit here for hours listing off reasons why UVa laid such a big egg on the field Saturday afternoon, Kris covered most of them in his post-game article.  Besides, aren’t you just dying to know what I can safely surmise following this rain-soaked weekend?

• I can’t believe I’m actually saying this, but the Jameel Sewell QB dive in the second quarter on 3rd and 5 was a good play call.  For the first time in their 70 attempts at it, the line blocked well and Sewell ran with purpose for a 25-yard gain and a first down in GT territory.
• Georgia Tech’s Anthony Allen is a horse.  His 21-yard run in the second quarter where he bounced off about seven UVa defenders and took it to the 4-yard line was very impressive.
• Even for casual baseball fans like myself, the Yankees/Phillies World Series should be a fun one to watch.
• The New Orleans Saints are legit.  I know they looked bad in the first half of their game vs. the Dolphins, but I believe the true mark of a great team is their ability to respond in tough situations.
• This past Sunday featured a number of snoozers on the NFL docket.  Out of the 12 games played, six were absolute blowouts and only two games had final scores within a touchdown difference.
• There is no excuse for Tennessee not blocking enough to allow their kicker to attempt the game-winning field goal in Tuscaloosa on Saturday.
• I guess I would say it’s Colt McCoy at this point, but I don’t really feel like there is any true front-runner for the Heisman Trophy yet.
• It pains me to say this, especially in lieu of a 189-yard performance against my Bears, but Cedric Benson is finally showing he was deserving of a top-five draft pick.
• The whole Sam Bradford situation has me feeling sympathetic for the junior Sooner.  I know he’s still going to make millions in the pros, but you’ve gotta appreciate the kids who want to come back to school, and to have one like Bradford get hurt is only going to deter kids from doing it in the future.
• Just as I suspected when I first saw the trailers, there is no where near enough content in Maurice Sendak’s 10-page picture book “Where The Wild Things Are” to make a motion picture. Visually, the movie was stunning, but other than that, you should wait til it’s out on DVD.