College Football: Top 10, Week 2

1. Alabama (2-0) Held serve at home against a young Penn State team; a bold offense could potentially do some damage against its secondary. Dareus' return should provide the QB pressure it's been missing.
2. Ohio State (2-0) Held off a not-tough-outside-the-state-borders Miami team; they seem to be on a collision course to reclaim the Buckeyes' good name nationally.
3. Oregon (2-0) Needed a lightning storm to wake them up on Rocky Top, but wake up they did.
4. Boise State (1-0) It's not their fault the rain in Blacksburg leveled the playing field and extended the Hokies' hangover from the Monday night loss; they play the teams on their schedule just like everyone else. Like the JMU wins shows, almost any team can win on any day; you just have to win the ones you play.
5. Florida (2-0) Like Alabama, this team will get progressively better the longer they're around; we'll see which team gels the most by that looming Oct. 2 match-up.
6. Oklahoma (2-0) It figures that the poor showing against Utah State would bring about a thrashing against (supposedly) tougher competition; a statement was made to the rest of the conference.
7. Texas (2-0) 34 points in two straight games is nice; putting up numbers like that in Lubbock will be even better. Should be a great test for both the Longhorns and the Red Raiders; let's see what Tuberville's done with the defense.
8. South Carolina (2-0) Big win against Georgia -- enough to get mentioned in this Top 10. They're setting themselves up for a run in the SEC East. After Furman this Saturday, they go to Auburn and then welcome the Tide to their place; we'll know a lot more by then.
9. TCU (2-0) Baylor comes calling this weekend, a chance to impress against a Big 12 opponent.
10. Michigan (2-0) Denard Robinson catapults the Wolverines to this type of consideration. The season's early, but this guy is making quite a splash. 

Honorable mention:
James Madison University (2-0) After a surprising win at Virginia Tech, my wife and I took a friend around Harrisonburg for a tour of the city and to show him the campus of JMU, where we both work. As we approached campus, we saw students pouring out of their houses, yelling and shouting; as we drove through campus, we saw something even more exciting and funny: students were making their way to JMU's football stadium to rush their field. We heard this morning that about 2,000 students made their way into the stadium to celebrate the historic win. I'm all for rushing a field after a big win -- usually, it tends to be the field on which the game was played. Well done, JMU, well done.

What I'm Watching For

Alabama kicks off its season on Saturday. I'm excited and nervous...and here's why:

• Replacing college football's best defense
• Other than Mark Barron, the secondary is brand new. Though the talent level is through the roof, I'm curious how these guys will play together, how they'll cover for each other, and to what extent they'll be able to stay on the same page from play to play. Javier Arenas created so much havoc with his blitzes, but the coverage provided by his teammates in the secondary and linebackers allowed those plays to be effective. There will be some blown coverages and missed assignments -- how will the secondary recover? Will they come together? Will they jaw at each other?
• The defensive line is stacked with talent. It's scary that even if Marcel Dareus is ruled ineligible for a game or a few games, he might not be as missed from his unit as, say, Barron would be from his. Even though the starting line is being replaced, this year's starters are very experienced too, having played a lot last year. Dareus is a force to be reckoned with; don't sleep on the others, though.
• I hated so much that Hightower got hurt last year. I hope that the Arkansas lineman who blocked him on that play last year is constantly pummeled by the d-line, among others. I think his passion and enthusiasm from not playing out the season will be something to keep the unit and defense hungry. Tackling is something I'll keep an eye on with this group, too; make Ro proud.
• Replacing special teams
• Having a threat like Javy for returns was gold. I still think Terry Grant was on the field for some kick-off returns because his number (29) looked similar to Javy's (28) and there was hope that when they split, the kicker wouldn't know how to kick away from Javy. With this recent injury to Mark Ingram, Trent Richardson is in line for quite a number of touches, as running back and as the main kick-off returner. Julio Jones is slated to return punts, which I think could be fantastic: he's big, strong, and tough to bring down. He doesn't accelerate and cut like Javy did, but he may not need to. I'm also looking for someone else to emerge as a returner -- maybe Dre Kirkpatrick, Eddie Lacy, or Demetrius Goode.
• Punting and field goals were such strengths last year. Right now, they're the biggest question marks for me on the team. High pressure and limited opportunities can lead to disaster with one or two mistakes. The kick-off coverage that was spotty at times last year never really bit the team like it was feared it would; the same can't be said for these positions. However, if our offense can do its work, it might not be too problematic.
• Taking the offense to the next level
• The offensive line will need to be up for another smash-mouth season, which I think they will be. The questions surround the group going in to last season were quickly and effectively answered and silenced by their dominating play. Sliding in are some big bodies and I don't think they'll disappoint.
• In my dream world, Julio Jones will win this year's Heisman. With the running game that this team has, with more time to get in rhythm with his quarterback, and being at peak health (not to mention stronger than ever), I don't know how Julio doesn't have a huge year. There are plenty of other receivers that will have to be respected, but even with all the attention Julio will get, I think he's going to be huge. In his first year, he quickly became John Parker Wilson's favorite target; he worked exclusively with JP while Maze developed a comfortability with McElroy on the second team. Now that there's been a whole season and off-season for G-Mac and Julio to develop that rapport, watch out. Julio's going to make everyone talking about A.J. Green as the best receiver in the nation take notice.
• McElroy is primed for a great season as well. He's confident, poised, and knows that this is his team. He does a great job of involving all his receivers and has great touch on the long ball. And, Alabama's got a great QB waiting in the wings; I can't wait to see A.J. McCarron get some mop up time.
• Finally, there's the running back stable. Ingram's injury isn't being reported as serious by the staff, so I expect he's going to be fine for the season. Richardson's going to be tough to stop and may end up with more yards that Ingram, depending on how many games Mark sits out. I expect them to both be over 1,200 yards for the season.
•  Injuries and luck
• Though Hightower was a tough loss last year, his absence wasn't debilitating. Even with Ingram sitting out this first game, there's not a sense of fear or worry, nor should there be. But if an injury here and there becomes commonplace, the magic won't keep. 
• There's no reason Tennessee should have been as close as they were last year, but they were. A combination of slump, timing, and circumstance put them in position for a huge upset...until Cody happened. Twice. Will those same fortunate events fall the Tide's way this year? 
• How will the extra 11,000 fans affect the games? Sure, the noise will be even greater most of the time, not only because of increased number, but with the enclosing of the whole stadium. On the other hand, the silence could be even louder. How will the fans react if Florida jumps out to a quick lead? What if one of the Mississippi schools is still hanging around in the 4th? It will be important to set the tone for the season with San Jose St. and, especially, Penn State. 

All in all, it should be a thrilling ride. I feared last year that the 2009 team might be better than the 2008 team, but their record might not reflect it; happily, I was wrong. I don't know that this year's team has that same possibility...at least right now. But the games are there for the taking; the talent is there to be displayed and utilized.

Here we go again.

World Cup 2010

There are many sporting events that I can claim as favorites: March Madness, the NBA playoffs (especially when the Spurs are still in them), college football Saturdays, and some of the Olympic events. However, none of those really compare to what I consider the greatest sporting event and my favorite of favorites: the World Cup. The finals are played every four years, but the process of qualifying starts at least two years before (and the finals refers to the final 32 teams, not a singular game). It's the culmination of hopes, dreams, survival, and luck. It's dramatic, gripping, disappointing, and heart-breaking. It's an incredible ride.

One of my earliest memories is from the 1986 World Cup. I don't remember the game, I don't remember the score, and I don't remember the round. I simply remember Brasil getting eliminated, going back to my room in our house in Brasil, climbing into a hammock, and crying. It was a crushing loss, but that's part of the game and part of the tournament. The tournaments infrequency adds more pressure, hope, and suspense.

This year represents an incredible opportunity for the US team. There will probably be more Americans watching the Cup than ever have, especially their opening game against England. Not only that, ABC and ESPN will be showing practically all the games, giving the US audience a chance to watch some great soccer; beyond this summer, ESPN will carry English Premier League (EPL) games beginning in the fall, affording the chance for Americans to continue watching some of the world's best soccer. With a strong showing from the US team, soccer could take a great step in this country towards further developing the US game and its players.

This improvement, I think, will come from the exposure to the world's best players and teams. Some might try to claim that the World Cup is the best soccer; a lot of others believe it's the most dramatic, but not necessarily the best played. The best soccer, arguably, is played in the EPL, La Liga (Spain), the Bundesliga (Germany), and/or Serie A (Italy); these leagues, and others, also place their top teams in what's called the Champions League, further showcasing the top teams in the world. Since these games have been largely absent from American TV, it makes sense that the US game hasn't been and isn't as sound, creative, or strong as the rest of the world's. Americans watch the world's best basketball (NBA), football (NFL), and baseball (MLB), and typically produce some of the world's top players in those sports. Merely watching doesn't produce that talent, but it certainly enhances it and plants seeds to that top development. That same hope, I think, exists for soccer and it gives me great excitement for the future of US soccer.

For this summer, though, the drama and excitement are right around the corner. The  opening game is Friday between South Africa and Mexico. The US and England play Saturday afternoon; the other two US games will be against Slovenia (June 18) and Algeria (June 23). If they place first or second in their group, they'll move on to the round of 16, when the Cup becomes single elimination. And the drama gets taken to a new level.

So join in. Find out more at http://soccernet.espn.go.com/world-cup and tune in to ABC on Saturday at 1:30 Eastern for the pregame coverage. Kick-off is at 2:30 (EST). And get ready for a wild ride.

Suns lead Spurs 2-0

I blame Steve Kerr. He's the GM of the Suns and also a former San Antonio Spur. When his Shaq experiment turned sour with an overtime three from Tim Duncan, deflating a talented Suns team in the first game of the first round of the 2008 playoffs, the rebuilding project of sorts held the potential to force him out of a job. He took over a terrific team and proceeded to almost change them fundamentally, first with Shaq and then by getting rid of the brains behind it all, Mike D'Antoni. They missed the playoffs in 2009 and got rid of Kerr's hand-picked coach. Coming into 2009-2010 in a Western Conference budding with young, hungry, and developing teams, it seemed their time was setting.

But the sunset everyone was expecting turned out to be a bright sunrise, showing its full colors and brilliance in the first two games of the Conference Semifinals against a seemingly fading Spurs squad. The strange aspect of this is that Phoenix is beating San Antonio the way the Spurs used to take care of the Suns: strong, penetrating point guard play (Nash); a selfless big man playing excellent pick-and-roll offense and defense (Stoudamire, who appears to finally be a good teammate); a lock-defender who chips in points as needed (Grant Hill); a three-point sharpshooter hitting his stride (Richardson); a bench that knows its role and produces (Dudley, Frye). This Suns team seems to have taken the blueprint from the '03, '05, and '07 Spurs championship teams -- and that's why I blame Kerr, who played on two of those teams.

Yet, it may not be Kerr's fault at all. I don't know who's responsible for getting Stoudamire to play selflessly. Whoever that is deserves the credit. For the heartbreaking series from '05, '07, and '08, the Spurs "let" the Suns' big man go wild, which in effect slowed down the fun-and-gun Suns, streaming their offense through Amar'e instead of Nash. The Spurs knew he was looking to get his; as they kept him focused on that, their offense slowed, his teammates weren't involved, and the Spurs won.

But Stoudamire also didn't have the help he does now. Frye, Dudley, and Richardson hang out around the perimeter in the same way Horry, Kerr, and Bowen did for the Spurs. Their team defense has improved as well, with Stoudamire having to learned to play sometime along the way. The spark of energy that had been provided for the Spurs off the bench has been better played by Dudley, Dragic, and Barbosa this series. The loose balls that DeJuan Blair seemed to always get during this season aren't being corralled by him; the Suns seem to get everyone of them.

The worst cut of all is that the Suns look more like a team than the Spurs. Whether it was Stoudamire or Marion on those other Suns' teams, there seemed to be enough discontent or uncertainty with each other that the chemistry the Spurs had revealed itself as trust on the court. This time around, that's what the Suns have in larger doses than the Spurs.

At least that's the case in Phoenix. Here's hoping the Alamo City allows an immediate reversal in this great rivalry.

Opening Day

I've watched Sex and the City: The Movie twice, which is at least three times more than I thought I'd ever watch it. But I've done so because I love my wife. And the goodwill from it gets all used up on days like today:

Opening Day...along with my endless tidbits of information about all things baseball that she might not know and needs to in order to fully enjoy the moment and the coming season.

What it prompted was this prayer from her as the Braves were wrapping up their opening day win:

Dear God,


Please let me have sons that are not just interested in baseball. Please let them be interested in other sports and good in other sports. 


Amen.

I'll pray that same prayer too, but not with the same sentiment. Though I'm not sure that baseball will be able to continue in the national spotlight in the coming years (due to a myriad of factors), I do hope it's around for them to play and to follow. I was lucky to grow up with a baseball team that discovered winning just as I was discovering newspaper box scores. A new right fielder came up at the same time my attention span grew to be able to follow a sport over the course of several months. Dave Justice and the Atlanta Braves were my first love in sports.

It was magical to be a part of their rise from worst to first, and then watch as they never dropped out of first for 14 seasons. Playoffs were a given, though the championships were not. The '95 season was the culmination of all the almosts and not-enoughs from the previous finishes. As sweet as Game 6 was, with my favorite pitcher (Glavine) getting the win in a 1-0 game in which my favorite player (Justice) hit the homerun, the '96 series was just as bitter and bothers me to this day. Playing in New York against the Yankees for the first two games, the Braves went up 2-0 and headed to Atlanta with strong possibilities of sweeping and getting back-to-back championships. Jim Leyritz, among others including the Braves' closer, had other plans and destiny jumped to the Yankees for the rest of the '90s.

The disappointment I still feel from that '96 series is part of why I love following baseball. There's also joy, nostalgia, ballparks, conversations, box scores, radio broadcasts, and many other things to go with that disappointment, but I enjoy baseball and the memories it's given me through the years. And that's what I hope it can give our kids someday...years from now.

For today, Justice and Glavine are long gone from the lineup. Bobby Cox is starting his final year of coaching, 29 total years, 25 of those with the Braves. But Jason Heyward may be a better version of Justice and Tommy Hanson may be a combination of Smoltz and Glavine. There's hope in the spring air. Hopefully, the balls that were flying out of the park today will keep jumping off the Braves'  bats all the way through November.

16-5 is a great start to the season. Let's go Braves!

Team-Focus Wins Heisman for Ingram

I don't think Mark Ingram is the best football player in the country. I don't even think he's the best football player on his own team. (That distinction, in my mind, goes to linebacker Rolando McClain; that's another post). But I do believe that he is a deserving winner of the Heisman trophy, which recognizes the country's most outstanding college football player.

It was the closest vote in Heisman history, narrower than the 1985 vote that gave the award to another running back from the state of Alabama. (Which, by the way, how did Bo Jackson not win unanimously?) Toby Gerhart finished 28 points behind Ingram, who garnered 227 first-place votes to Gerhart's 222. Gerhart had an incredible season for Stanford, and probably suffered from a lack of exposure to the majority of the country. His stats, on the surface, were better than Ingram's:

Gerhart: 1736 rushing yards, 26 TDs; 10 receptions, 149 yards receiving, 0 TDs
Ingram: 1542 rushing yards, 15 TD; 30 receptions, 322 yards receiving, 3 TDs

However, upon closer inspection, Ingram's stats stand out a bit more:

Gerhart: 311 carries, 5.6 yds/carry, 63% of Stanford's rushing attempts
Ingram: 249 carries, 6.2 yds/carry, 45% of Alabama's rushing attempts

Stanford ran the ball 497 times this season; Alabama did so 550 times, which includes one more game than Stanford. Even with one more game played, Ingram had fewer carries than Gerhart and a lower percentage of the load to carry. This can be viewed in many ways: Ingram was kept fresher because of other running backs; Gerhart's stats are more impressive because he was the focal point of his team's rushing attack (thus, meaning teams focused their game plans on him and he still piled up yards); Alabama could have plugged another back in there and he would have done just as good as Ingram.

However, I think this points to an even greater year by Ingram. If he had as many carries as Gerhart, by Ingram's yard per attempt, he'd have gained over 1900 yards rushing. Though Ingram was the starter, he wasn't as featured as Gerhart was. Stanford's second- and third-leading rushers carried the ball 61 and 55 times each, respectively, for 354 and 298 yards. (Their quarterback was their second-leading rusher). For Alabama, the second- and third-leading rushers were both running backs, carrying 126 and 46 times each, respectively, for 642 and 290 yards. 

This would seem to imply that Alabama's offensive line and running backs were stronger, giving Ingram an advantage. However, looking at each team's yards per attempt, Stanford has the edge. They averaged 5.4 yards per carry as a team; Alabama averaged 5.1 yards per carry. This means that Ingram averaged more than a yard better than his team, while Gerhart was 0.2 yards above his team's rushing yards per carry.

This isn't to take away from Gerhart's season, ability, or talent. The man is a great running back and had a fabulous season. But for those thinking that Ingram rode the coattails of #1 ranked team as his sole claim to the Heisman race (and victory), think again. Mark Ingram is a fantastic football player and was a steadying and consistent force for the Crimson Tide as they navigated the defenses of the SEC. And yet he simply played his role, not only running the ball,  but blocking and receiving as well. He cheered for and encouraged the running backs behind him, particularly Trent Richardson, someone who may have even more raw talent than Ingram.

In games that were decided by half or the third quarter, Ingram didn't get a chance to pad his stats. In the games that he started slowly (Virginia Tech) or didn't have it (Arkansas and Auburn), his coach went to the other running backs in order for the team to succeed. Ingram didn't complain; he didn't lash out. He responded.

In an outstanding way.

And though it's brought individual attention to him and his ability, it should not be overlooked that his team is what's most important to him. It's the people in his life, from family and friends to coaches, trainers, and teachers at the university, that he mentioned in his speech that allowed this to happen. The Crimson Tide fans are doubtlessly excited to finally have a Heisman winner. They should be just as excited that's it's someone like Mark Ingram. A selfless team player, playing his role and doing his best to bring to Alabama what it wants most: another national championship.

Top 10, Week 14

1. Alabama (13-0) Unbelievably impressive win over Florida, like Saban had been stewing and preparing for the game since last year's championship game. They played their best game of the season so far. The hype is going to be in their favor heading to Pasadena; hopefully they've got one more dominating performance in them.
   
2. Texas (13-0) The Longhorns didn't finish the season with anything close to flair, but they did win. Their defense held down a not-so-potent Nebraska offense; it's their own offense that left the question marks. But they pulled it out, which is a mark of a winner. Another good sign for the Horns: a 7-0-1 all-time record against Alabama.
   
3. TCU (12-0) Great season, great team, unfortunate ending in the Big 12 Championship Game for them. What a match-up it would be to see them go against Texas. We'll have to settle for them against Boise State in the Fiesta, if the Fiesta knows what's good for them.
   
4. Cincinnati (12-0) Wild, wild finish in Pittsburgh today. Pike showed resilience in coming back from a rough start. Another great season for the Bearcats; they'll be hungry for some gator meat in the Sugar Bowl.
   
5. Boise State (13-0) Any chance of a letdown in their last game was quickly wiped out. Yet another team with a fantastic season; they too should go BCS bowling.
   
6. Florida (12-1) Tough, tough loss to the Tide. They got hit in the face from the get-go and couldn't recover. Giving up a 69-yard reception immediately after making it a 12-10 game in the second quarter broke their spirit; the touchdown run on the next play practically sealed the outcome.
   
7. Oregon (10-2) Pac-10 champions pull it out at home in the Civil War. They get a better-than-earlier-in-the-season Ohio State team in the Rose Bowl.
   
8. Georgia Tech (11-2) They jump back into the Top 10 with their ACC Championship Game win, which is one reason their ahead of the Big Ten champ. They sit behind the Ducks because the ACC wasn't as strong as the Pac-10.
   
9. BYU (10-2) Florida State? At home? Still mind-boggling. But at least it wasn't to a middle-of-the-pack Pac-10 team with a freshman quarterback.
10. Ohio State (10-2) Get a championship game. Beat a decent out-of-conference opponent. Get ready for a fast, tough game against the Ducks.