Men of Honor

The world of college football is a wonderful, awful, strange, fantastic place. A place of heroes, villains, Mythical National Champions, and Mack Browns in distress. But the chivalry and honor of the game seems to be disappearing before our very eyes.

In the past week, we have learned about five Ohio State players who sold stuff for money. On the surface, that sounds like the weekend highlight for a mid-American suburban family (who doesn't love a good yard sale!) But most yard sales don't include personal awards and championship rings to the highest bidder. Some people LIVE for football season- for the hope that their team can win the conference, and even maybe make it to the National Championship. We live vicariously through these athletic giants who make anything seem possible. To watch these heroes cast off their spoils, and by extension, our spoils like a Chuck-E-Cheese prize is heartbreaking. If these games mean nothing more than a paycheck, than college football is truly no better or more compelling than the NFL. Which makes the new revelation that the Sugar Bowl CEO lobbied for the OSU players to be able to play in the game even more disturbing.

With regards to some believing the players should be held out of the game, he had the following to say:

"I appreciate and fully understand the Midwestern values and ethics behind that," he said. "But I'm probably thinking of this from a selfish perspective."

Selfish indeed. A mixed message is being sent here. They are telling the players it is not ok for them to profit from the game, but the powers-that-be are allowed to profit at any cost. Yet another glaring reason to take issue with the BCS system. According to a Columbus Dispatch article, part of the reasoning behind the push from the Sugar Bowl is due to recent lackluster game results. I would argue that comes from the ridiculous automatic qualifying rules and conference tie-ins. The system should be altered, rather than circumstances altered to fit the current system.

But this post is not meant to be a total Debbie Downer wah wah. There is still one shining Gandalf in the landscape of collegiate football- one Joe Paterno. I know have espoused my great love of JoePa before, but I must say, recently I learned even more the extent of his valor. For instance, did you know Penn State is the only school he has EVER coached for on an assistant or HC level? He's been coaching there so long, his AD is a guy he coached as a walk-on! All his kids even went to Penn State. He is the picture of loyalty and longevity, even passing up NFL coaching opportunities and the chance to coach at Michigan. And even at the age of 84, he's still game to keep coaching, saying as recently as the Outback Bowl press conference that he's not even thinking about retirement.

And I'll leave you with a Joe Paterno quote that should be the true mantra of college football:

Success without honor is an unseasoned dish; it will satisfy your hunger, but it won't taste good."

Tweenage Wasteland

My, my it has been a while since I have delved into the cheap, yet oh-so-salacious world of tween gossip. All of our favorite gals, guys, and androgynous mouseketeers are growing up before our very eyes. And I've gotta say, 2010 has offered up some serious growing pains for these kiddos.

JoBros

These boys have challenged the notion that men get better with age. Who know you could go from multi-million dollar commodity to strictly tabloid (and occasional Teen Beat) fodder so quickly? The JB moniker has been usurped by one shaggy-haired dreamboat (do I even need to say his name?). All I'm saying is, 11 year old girls seem to be staying away from Jonas L.A. and other Jonas products in droves due to a massive outbreak of Bieber Fever.

Miley

Drinking in Spain, macking on inappropriate men, dressing like a biker skank, photo scandals, bong-hitting.... in the words of my sister, "Where did we go wrong in raising this child?" In a world that dissects her every move under a microscope, she's providing a massive petri dish worth of inappropriateness for people to criticize her on. She needs to find some better friends who aren't going to be stupid enough to record videos of her tripping on pseudo-legal drugs. On a positive note, she has now educated many in the world who had never so much as heard of salvia. Say what you will, the girl still has influence, even when she's under the influence.

Demi

I really have to humble myself with this one. Months ago I was praising the grace and maturity of Ms. Lovato. I should have taken the biting snarkiness of that infamous "Ask Taylor" incident that maybe she wasn't the picture of tween elegance that I had elevated her to in my own analysis. So I'm saying it: I was WRONG. She warp-speeded past Miley in the inappropriateness department by cold-decking one of her own posse. Do not pass rehab. Do not collect $200,000. Whether her breakup with JoeJo was a cause or an effect of such erratic behavior is unclear, but either scenario is pretty equally disturbing. Hopefully she can get control, because she has talent to spare. She shouldn't turn into a Whitney Houston before she even hits her prime.

I would be remiss if I didn't also mention the break-up of tweenage alum Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens. I guess the relationship couldn't survive an existence that didn't include every conversation conveyed in song and dance. I wonder if she sang him "I Gotta Go My Own Way" in her real-life kiss-off. I feel it would have been fitting, and fantastic.

So anyways, hopefully these kids will make some New Years resolutions to get back to a level where their biggest problems are pitchy live performances or age-inappropriate outfits. I don't think that's setting the bar too high. Only 2011 will tell.

The Agony and the Ecstasy

The Ecstasy

Ahh, what better place to hold the funeral service for the Big 12 as we know it than what my dad affectionately refers to as the Death Star. Old school rivalry. Set in a futuristic behemoth. 78,000 variations of red everywhere. The scene set for a fantastically interesting night of football.

And fantastic, it was. There is a term thrown around pretty liberally in Sooner lore- "Sooner Magic."

Some see it in the awe of certain plays, or in the defeat of a worthy opponent. I myself see it a little more intangibly. I have only witnessed it twice in person. The first time was the 2008 Texas Tech game. Anyone who was there can attest to the atmosphere and the "Jump Around" that will never be duplicated.

The other was in this OU- Nebraska final Big 12 game. The Sooners dug themselves out of a 17-o hole, a feat which a little stat-bearing bird told me has not been done by any other Sooner squad since 1981! The defense, save for a couple of long runs, played lights OUT. Travis Lewis and Austin Box had some of the defining plays of the day in terms of turnovers and momentum shift. . And you can't win a game on a few field goal kicks if your defense isn't doing something seriously right to protect such a flimsy margin of success. Megaprops.

We just seemed to make plays when we needed to make plays, and get the stops exactly as they had to happen. We overcame what for us seemed like a nearly-impossible deficit. We never gave up and we played with swagger and determination to claim our 7th Big 12 Championship. Sooner Magic.

So naturally, after such an exciting, thrilling, nerve-wracking, magical game, we were all feeling on top of the world. Back to the BCS we go!

The Agony

Back to the BCS we go... and our reward? A shot at the 8-4 Big East Champion UConn. Daunting.

This was supposed to be our chance to make a statement against Stanford. Instead, we are in what many have dubbed a no-win situation. If we win, it's because we were supposed to. We are, after all, the heavy favorite. If we lose, than it's just an embarrassment. A la Boise. A la West Virginia. I don't think it's no-win, because it is a great chance for us to right the ship in terms of BCS play. If we want to make a run for the NC next year, and I think we will, we have to set the tone NOW. I want a massacre in this game. We better throw down like we've never thrown down before. We are making some lemon-flavored Gatorade out of these freaking lemons, dangit!

But lemons, indeed. This lackluster bowl pairing marks a dramatic paradigm shift for me. I have always been leery of advocating the move to a playoff system for college football. I like the excitement and controversy of the BCS system. But something has GOT to change. Look at the bowl line-ups for this year- out of 35 games, there are maybe 8 that are even remotely compelling. I am sick of these watered-down bowls and automatic berths for conferences whose "champion" has a worse record than five Big 12 teams. It's ridiculous. We want to see meaningful games, not a whole ton of crappy games.

Coaching Obituaries

Urban Meyer, I do not trust that you are, in fact retiring. I hope you will rest in peaceful sabbatical from coaching with your family as you say you will, but I'm not even holding my breath through the end of today on that one.

Kevin Wilson, good luck to you in the beyond. And by beyond, I mean Indiana. You have done some great things for Sooner Nation. I hope we are able to replace you aptly. We could certainly do worse.

Randy Shannon, you were gone before your time. I really think Miami should have given you more of a chance. Results do not come instantly, and Miami is certainly better after you stepped up than before it.

All gripes aside, I am looking forward to bowl season and seeing how it all shakes out, especially the national championship game. I'm pulling for Oregon- I just can't cheer for Cam Newton, and they have fabulous uniforms and a charming (read:cartoonishly absurd) mascot. Go Ducks! GOOOOOO SOONERS!

College Football is Bedlam

Well, the college football season is wrapping up *tear* and for some teams, the end has come more quickly than others (lol@Texas). So what can we glean from the past 12 weeks of action and craziness?

May I just reiterate that college football is the very best sport there is? Love it or hate it in its present form, you can't deny that it is totally awesome in terms of the volume and quality of debate it spurs. From 3-way-ties, to non-AQs, and conference changes in between, there is always something to talk (read: argue passionately) about. But we'll get to some of those topics in a sec.

First of all, could anyone have predicted how this season would turn out? I would say, yes and no. We've got a non-AQ at present sitting on the outside looking in. Not much of a surprise there. OU is going to another Big 12 Championship- again, pretty much a given. BUT what about Texas? I want to go shake the hand of anyone who predicted before the season that Texas would end up below .500 and left out of the 70-team bowl field. And then I want to go with them to Vegas. I am seriously shocked at the whole thing. Pleased, but shocked.

Which brings me to another point: While I have absolutely loved seeing our hated rival struggle so profoundly, I hope this is a one-season anomaly. With the shrinking (and, by extension, weakening) conference that looms ahead next year and beyond, we need a Texas team that we can compete with, or I guess I should say, can compete with us. After all, what is Batman without Joker? We proved yet again this year that we have a little brother "rival" that we can take care of business against year in and year out- we need an in-conference foil to our greatness to enhance the perception of said greatness. And I really worry for the perception of the strength of our conference with the removal of the CCG as other power conferences are adding CCGs. As you will recall, I carried a very pro-Big 12 retainment position as conference realignment talk was at a fever pitch, but now I will be very curious to see how the Big 12-2 will fare amongst strengthening conferences.

Speaking of conferences... TCU to the Big East. Dang, did not see that one coming! I think they will do fine there, but boy did they do a number on Boise State. Boise finally makes moves towards a conference with some perceived competition (Utah, TCU, BYU), and they all bolt! As much disdain as I have for Boise 'Statue of Liberty' State, I do feel bad for that situation, and for their kicker. There were a lot of underdog, fairytale, everyman hopes hanging on that leg. Fortunately though, we don't have to hear anymore about Boise needing to "get their chance." Sorry, but when you play nobody teams every week, you don't deserve the chance just based on the theory that you could beat anyone if given the opportunity. Well, you don't really play anyone, so you are s.o.l.

But enough talk about losers, let's hash it out over some winners (sort of). Cam Newton. Wow. I feel like he has become almost an enigmatic figure of college football. He rose out of obscurity, has a shady past which has flowed over into a shady present, and he just tears up the football field every week. With all of this controversy surrounding him, though, it's interesting to wonder how people feel about him. It seems almost certain that he will win the Heisman at this moment in time. People (me) were annoyed with the deification of Timothy Tebow in Heisman ceremonies past, how will the public feel about a Heisman winner who is embroiled in so much scandal? Just curious. It will also be interesting to see the long-term ramifications of the ongoing investigation, and what else is found out, if anything at all. I have a feeling this will not have a pretty ending all tied up in a gift box on Cecil Newton's doorstep. We shall see.

I gotta say, props to Texas A&M for finishing off a fine season (and for finishing off Texas). If they had started out with Tannehill from week one....woah.

Let me take a minute now to talk about one fantastic team.... the Oklahoma Sooners! Ok, that was my token rah-rah bias statement for the posting today. But seriously, I am very proud at how these men have begun to play; they have finally hit their stride. All the ghosts of games past came to a head in the frenetic and aptly-named Bedlam game on Saturday. Instead of caving in the 4th quarter, Landry made perfect throws. The receivers caught passes and turned the jets on. Jimmy Stevens made every single kick! It was very satisfying to the elements that are normally our downfall become our game-savers. But I feel that this newfound confidence, if harnessed properly, can take us to another Big 12 Championship, and hopefully a bowl win. Good stuff. Also, let me throw a number at you regarding the Bedlam series: 82-16-7. I'd hardly call it a rivalry, people. It's so funny to listen to OSU fans whine about how we don't deserve to go to the Big 12 game- they have such an OU complex. We beat you, fair and square. You had a nice season, but we're still better than yOU.

This is going to be another exciting weekend of football. I am ready to enjoy it, as they are slowly slipping away from us. I guess it's good that we get a large off season to recover from all the madness. Soak it in, y'all. Boomer Sooner!