By George Ayoub
MORE DIRT, LESS TRUTH - Chase Daniel’s accusation of dirty play on the part of the Huskers got some play in the media. The more reasonable questions are about Daniel’s ability to come clean with some spittle on his chin. I’m wondering about Daniel’s reaction to hard play when he really gets lit up — and he will. His take on the quality of sportsmanship is from seven yards behind the line of scrimmage. That a little like an American League pitcher throwing chin music knowing he’ll never have to come to bat.
The bigger issue here (I’ve left the he said, he said Daniel’s drama) is Michael Crabtree and Graham Harrall. Surely the Fighting Pelinis have had these two Saturdays circled on their calendars. The Big 12 has five of the best eight quarterbacks in America and at least half of the top dozen. The conference is a hell of a place to break in a new defense but that is exactly what Nebraska is doing. It’s what we wanted.
FOUR FOR THE FALL - The Red Sox, Rays, Dodgers, and Phils are this year’s finalists for MLB’s champion. I had the Angels and Cubs in the Series, but no cash on the thought. As a Yankee fan in good standing, I refused to watch the Bosox win Monday night. After the Angel’s Erick Aybar failed to get the squeeze down in the top of the ninth, I went to bed. Aybar had nine bunts for sacrifices and nine for base hits during the year. While the squeeze was dramatic, Scioscia crosses up Boston if Aybar drags one for a base hit or tries to bring home the runner with a hit. I guess that’s all hindsight because if he gets the squeeze down, the manager is a genius. From my living room, there was no dispute on the call, but after listening to ESPN’s Dave Campbell on the “Mike and Mike Show,” he raises a point. If the play had been at the plate and Varitek had lost the ball after Willits had crashed into him, Willits would have been safe. Campbell said at worst third base umpire and crew chief Tim Wilke blew the call; at best the umpires should have talked it over as a group.
By George Ayoub
PATIENCE FRIENDS, PATIENCE - Ouch! Saturday night’s beatdown at the hands and feet of Missouri still hurts. Not that I thought were going to win. I thought we would play better and scheme better, if I may be so bold to use that verb.
Let’s start with the patience — ours: Please don’t start the drumbeat on Bo. He’s playing with another guy’s recruits. Not that he or the staff or the players get a pass, but we have decided Bo is the man to lead back to college football’s high rent neighborhood. It’s clear we have a considerable trip before us. He has our kids playing with more passion and energy, two specific demands I heard from Husker fans the last four years. There is work to be done, however:
From Saturday we can start with the discipline (or lack thereof). All those penalties have to be addressed. It wasn’t 35 points worth of no-nos, but you can’t make mistakes and be competitive against most teams, let alone Mizzou. Five yards can be a drive killer anywhere on the field. Procedure at home should not happen.
I was disappointed, we played into Missouri’s trash talking scheme, jawing with the Tigers (Maclin has a mouth) who may end up being the national champion. Here’s the thing: They played like new money, not quite used to their good fortune and incredible dominance on the field. Let’s hope they can add some class to their spread offense and solid defense. The fake field goal in Columbia was one thing, the antics are another. They could be representing the Big 12 in the big game. As for Chase Daniels’ accusation that we spit on him, Bo needs to find out what happened, do whatever it takes to put it to a stop … if it happened … and move on. Of course, calling the opponent a high school team or doing the “listening” pose nonsense with the crowd will put a target on your back. Daniels knows that. Here’s hoping the Huskers can play with class, regardless what the final score is.
Husker item last: It was apparent and then confirmed by Pelini that we were way out of position on several of the Mizzou’s game breakers. He took the hit for it although I’m sure the scheme and play were both involved. Defending the spread is tough. no question. It requires a great plan and then equally great execution. Anything less, and somebody like Texas Tech will hang a 50 on you, despite your exceptional athletes.
Real Husker item last: Grand Island’s Todd Peterson had a terrific game, emerging as a go-to guy for Joe Ganz. Props, Todd.
WHICH WAY DO WE GO COACH? - I went 8-2 for the weekend, losing my upset special when Wisconsin’s defense went goofy near the goal line. OSU scored on an option against the Badgers who essentially defended the play without linebackers. They were in the middle of the formation trying to figure who and what goes where when the Buckeyes snapped the ball and waltzed into the end zone from 8 yards out.
The wins and losses put me at 34-16 for the season. I’m about even vs. my narrative spreads.
101 AND COUNTING - The symmetry of 100 year of Cub futility was not enough. The Dodgers dispatched the Cubbies in three straight, breaking Northside hearts one more time. And it wasn’t even that close. LA was better in every aspect of the game. Cubs bat were ominously silent. Their gloves were concrete and clay. Their pitching was barely serviceable. The shock was palpable as Chicago fans saw a World Series flag flying above Wrigley and know-it-alls like me picking them to at least get to the Fall Classic.
Meanwhile the Phils are in after beating the Brewers 3-1 with a bevy of long flies Sunday. The Rays try to clinch on the Southside and the Angels are hanging tough in Bean Town. If LA/Anaheim can get it back to Southern California, the pressure would be evenly distributed: The favorite, 100-win Angels avoiding a knockout and the once 2-0 Bosox avoiding the collapse. Win or lose Josh Beckett’s performance (four runs in five innings, two dingers, his shortest post season outing in 10 appearances) Red Sox fans pause as should Tori Hunter’s for Angels fans. Hunter let a bloop drop for a three-run single, the first ever in post season play and made a base running miscue in the ninth.
By George Ayoub
SAY IT AIN’T SO, HARRY — Down 2-0 and heading to Los Angeles, the post season dreams of baseball’s long suffering Chicago Cubs are teetering on the edge. And this implosion is no Bartman. Other than pitching (LA = 20 hits, four HRs, 17 runs), hitting (Cubs =5 runs in two games), and fielding (like runs, five for Chicago in two games), the Cubbies are doing fine.
Wise baseball men predicted as much, even as Cub Nation prepared to end the 100-year drought and bring a championship to the Northside. The Dodgers bevy of big right handers matches up well against Chicago’s right-heavy hitting lineup. They talked about that and Manny Ramirez’s post-season experience, plus the fact that he was hitting nearly .400 since being traded from the Bosox earlier this summer.
Meanwhile, the Phils beat Sabathia, who looked like back-to-back starts on three days caught up to him. They gives the Fightins a 2-0 lead heading back to Milwaukee. I smell a sweep, maybe, two. That would halve my picks (Cubs/Phils), but it is what it is. What do I know anyway.
In the AL Boston played like defending champs and the Angels ran the bases like a church league team, specifically Vladdie, who tried to go to third after a bloop behind the bag at first. Ran the Halos out of a catch up chance. I still like LA/Anaheim, but nothing says must win like being down 1-0 against Dice K and games 3 and 4 in Boston. The Sox have beaten the Angels 10 straight in the post season. Yeow!
Tampa Bay won its first playoff game ever with Even Longoria going deep twice. This guy is a stud and as I have said before, I’m rooting for the Rays. They are the best story in baseball, they drafted Grand Island’s own Kash Kalkowski, and the worst-to-first deal is better than a movie. True they play inside before a rare sellout, but this is a team that plays hard.
By George Ayoub
If it’s Thursday, I have some picks. As I wrote earlier this week, it seems you can watch college football every night of the week. It’s great time of year to man up on your remote skills what with great football and the MLB playoffs dominating television.
Missouri at Nebraska - The Huskers will have to control the ball and get a pass rush to have a chance. I don’t see either happening. The Tigers bring some attitude to the Tom, something Nebraska should deal with by making it a physical game, something Missouri has yet to have. I like the Tigers by 17, but would love Nebraska to be as fierce as they can be.
Kansas at Iowa State - The Jayhawks will win, but ISU is improving. Mangino’s boys will have to play the entire game to get the W.
Stanford at Notre Dame - The Fighting Harbaughs from Palo Alto renew their intersectional throw down with the Irish, who are not as bad as we think but not as good as 4-1 indicates. I think Notre Dame wins at home, but Stanford is hitting people in the mouth more than they used to. The Irish by a touch.
Texas Tech at Kansas State - Some see this as a trap game for the Red Raiders. I’ll swim upstream and predict Harrell lights up KSU and the purple crowd for about 50. The Wildcats will manage about 30. Nuff said.
Texas at Colorado - Colt McCoy is having a great year as the burnt orange fly below the radar, which has their rival, Oklahoma, at #1. The Buffs are improved but not that much. I like the Longhorns by 10 in a close one early.
Ohio State at Wisconsin - Everybody loves Terrelle Pryor, OSU’s manchild freshman quarterback. He’s a stud, but he has never been anywhere like Camp Randall. The Badgers and their fans will get to him between bouts of brilliance. Meanwhile, Wisconsin keeps the Bucks defense on the field long enough to wear them down and beat them late. Wisconsin by 3.
Oregon at USC - The Trojans still have their national championships hopes alive, but they are out of chances. They will dispatch the Ducks but look for the boys in the wild unis to play well enough to expose those chinks in USC’s defensive armor. Trojans by 10.
Florida State at Miami - I like the Canes by a touchdown at home in a game that used to decide the national championship in October. Remember wide right? No self-respecting Husker fan can root for either of these teams, but I like the new attitude Randy Shannon has brought to the young Canes. We’ll see if they can keep themselves from going “old Cane school” after they win a few.
UNK at CSU-Pueblo - The Lopers travel to the base of the Rockies where they will even their record at 3-3 against the Thunderwolves in an RMAC game.
Dordt at Hastings - Look for the Broncos to score early and win easy against the visiting Defenders from Sioux Center, Iowa.
By George Ayoub
SILVER, BLACK, PROBLEMS, SOLUTIONS - Al Davis can do what he wants with the Oakland Raiders. He owns the team. And that’s exactly what he does, including presiding over the dismal run the former NFL kings have had for years. Sure Bill Callahan took them to the Super Bowl in 2004, but that teams was in disarray and the first Silver and Black squad to get to the big game in 20 years.
Now Davis has fired Lane Kiffin, refusing to pay him and calling him a liar. From what I’ve read, there is a lot of that going around. I know absolutely no mildly interested Raider fans, They are among the most loyal and rabid on the planet. And they must be wondering what I am. Maybe it’s time Davis look at himself as the problem rather than somebody else. He controls the money, the draft picks, and the coaching carousel that has become the Raiders head job.
Otherwise, a commitment to excellence and just winning, baby may continue to be the property of almost every other team.
SAY HELLO TO ST. PETE - The Chisox got great pitching from John Danks and a big fly from Jim Thome to beat the Twins 1-0 Tuesday and catch the next flight to Tampa. I made my picks yesterday (I’m rooting for the Rays), but if you read this space even occasionally, you’ll know the smart money is going elsewhere.
The last week of the season had a bunch of dramatic games and one flat tie (Twins/Chicago). That’s why I wondered why WGN was the only station with baseball Sunday afternoon. I know the NFL has become America’s game and since it scored “Monday Night Football,” ESPN’s flagship sort. But it seemed odd with a couple races still in the balance that we were treated to poker and regional football all afternoon.
Now they have to show us fall baseball. If need be, they can always interrupt the play with breaking news such as another field goal from a game between two 1-4 teams.
GAME DAY, EVERY DAY - Seems like NCAA football is on every night this week. Boise St. gets after it against La Tech tonight, Wednesday. They will have to go some to top Tuesday’s thriller. Middle Tennessee threw a 32-yard touchdown pass with no time left on the clock to beat Florida Atlantic. With the Hail Mary answered, Middle Tennessee should put in its papers to become a Catholic university.
By George Ayoub
BITTER SPREADS - A rash of upsets and me without the calamine. I went 5-5 last weekend, not quite sucking, but you can see it from there. The Huskers ran out of time and hit out of bounds. The Trojans were still reading their press clippings while the Beavers were hauling it into the end zone three times. The Gators simply are not that good, and Georgia was the best team on paper, radio, and television, but once ‘Bama got them on a football field … well you saw the beat down.
My halfsies week put my season total at 26-14 or a paltry 65 percent. I would grade my narrative spreads somewhere in the B- range, thinking for example, that BYU would beat UCLA by a field goal (it was 59 points), USC by 21 over Virginia (it was 45), but was better with LSU/Auburn (said 3, was 5) and Florida/Miami (said 2-4 touchdowns, was 26-3).
********
TIGERS HOLD - By the by, Missouri is currently favored by a 10 and 1/2 points over Nebraska in a game that has a good chance to end after midnight with a post 8 p.m. kickoff and probably about a thousand passes to be thrown. A touch and field goal plus may be generous.
*********
NO GRASS, NO SCORE - Whining minutiae moment of the week: A JV football game played at Kearney High School’s new field turf was done so this week without a scoreboard. The image was indelible: Thousands of bucks for a sparkling new field, but they couldn’t bring themselves to turn on the scoreboard or even have a portable clock if the board was on the fritz.
******
COURSE WORK - Congrats to Northwest High School’s Jami Evans and Jory Pflasterer for Top 10 finishes in the Class B division at UNK’s Cross Country Invite Monday. GISH’s Sigornie Pfefferle claimed 15th among the big schools.
If you have never watched a cross country meet, I recommend it. Take a bright, cool fall afternoon, festoon a lush green golf course with hundreds of brightly colored singlets. Throw in the natural enthusiasm of kids and the beauty of a foot race and you have cross country. While it is as competitive as the any other sport, a refreshing calm permeates the sport. Better yet, call a high school and volunteer to work a a meet.
********
HEAVENLY SERIES - The MLB post-season will start as soon as the regular season, which ended Sunday, ends. The Chisox and Twins will play tonight, Tuesday, to earn the right to advance to the ALDS against the best story in baseball this year, the Tampa Bay Rays.
I like the Angels over Boston and Tampa over the tonight’s winner.
Angels over Tampa because of post-season experience. I’ll be rooting for the Rays.
In the NL, I’m leaning to the Cubs over LA and the Phils over Milwaukee without Sheets.
I like the Cubs over Philadelphia because Wrigley will be huge for Chicago in October.
I’ll take the Angels in the Series, breaking Cubs fans’ hearts everywhere. Yes, Chicago will be a better story and if Tampa or the Phils are out, that where I’ll be placing my rah-rahs. But the LA Angels of Anaheim may have a funny name, but my sense is they have the best chance at winning the World Series.
By George Ayoub
Let’s get to the picks a day early this week. Only four Big 12 teams on the roster the week before conference play breaks out in earnest.
Nebraska vs. Virginia Tech - I like the Huskers because a) They are at home b) I’m guessing Bo left some schemes on both side of the ball on his clipboard during the 3-0 run against some early season spread pastry and c) I like our defense against the run. Let’s call it 7 and see where the chips fall. Oh, and the real bonus this week: no PPV.
USC vs. Oregon State - The Trojans look solid. I know all about the 2006 debacle in Corvallis, but that was a different USC and more importantly a different OSU. I like Carroll’s boys by 18.
TCU vs. Oklahoma - TCU has won at Norman so intimidation will not be the issue. Sam Bradford will. Tremendous poise, which he will need against a good Horned frog defense. Sooners win by 14.
Alabama vs. Georgia - Do I have to choose? I have little empathy for either, their coaches on my bottom 5 list. The Bulldogs are home which is a plus although the ‘Bama pass rush my give Stafford problems. Georgia by a field goal.
Arkansas vs. Texas - Horns win easy as Colt McCoy tries to move his name up the Heisman list. Maybe three touchdowns?
Illinois vs. Penn State - JoPa has it working in Happy Valley. The Illini are improved but PSU has too many offensive weapons. Look for the Lions to get up early and hang on. I like the home team by 12.
Colorado vs. Florida State - I think the Buffs are a pretty good team. I like them here by a point, but FSU has fast, tough defense and needs a home win. Maybe a half point.
Purdue vs. Notre Dame - The Boilermakers win Joe Tillers last trip to South Bend. The Irish can score and play defense in spurts. I like Purdue’s balance here and the sentiment to give Tiller a big win. Boilermakers by 3.
Northwestern vs. Iowa - The Wildcats are getting it done and win here in my upset special. Close game because the Hawks are good and at home. Got this one from the Ouija board.
UNK vs. Chadron - Look for the Eagles to win at home in a game that will showcase some very good Nebraska players not wearing red.
By George Ayoub
Before I take Hank Steinbrenner to task for his continued foolishness, I have to tell you that my buddy, Brooks Wells, was at Yankee Stadium Sunday night for the last baseball game in the place.
Wells and I share a life-long love for the Pinstripers, who will miss the post season for the first time in 13 years. Brooksie, a GIHS grad, was the bullpen catcher for the Huskers and remains a close friend of Joba Chamberlain, his guide and host over the weekend in New York. Wells’ mother said he was on camera on ESPN as he and Joba arrived at he Stadium. I missed it, but I’m anticipating hearing some good stories from the Wells’ once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Meanwhile, Hank was whining about the leagues and the structure, pointing out that Joe Torre’s Dodgers would never make it in the AL East. Even Steinbrenner’s insistence that his comments were not a knock on the former Yankee skipper and noted absentee from Sunday festivities, nobody is (nor should) buy it. I learned to tolerate The Boss as he built the Yankees into winners, but Hank simply is out to lunch on this. George had a hair trigger when it came to managers and laundered his the team’s dirtiest flannels in the press. He earned a begrudging respect from some. Not all.
Hank’s outbursts remind we Yankee fans of the bad old days when, after four rings with home-grown talent, they torpedoed the farm system to win games immediately. We are reaping those results. And wincing.
*******
More on the Huskers Thursday, but it will be good to see Tyler Wortman get more time on the field Saturday. V Tech runs the ball and Wortman’s linebacking chores are primarily against the rush. GICC honored Wortman, a Crusader graduate, last Friday night at half-time of its game with Centura. I thought we were going to have to send oxygen up to PA announcer Tom Osterbuhr as he read a list Wortman’s activities and accomplishments. It was clear to me that Tyler Wortman represents everything that is right about college sports. So I say run, Hokies, run. Give the good kid with the whip smart mind, great attitude, and mad skills a chance to shine.
By George Ayoub
Just how much option football Husker fans will see in the future I imagine will depend on the quality of pass defenses Nebraska will face. The Big 12 has become the conference of high powered offenses with Chase Daniel, Sam Bradford, Todd Reesing, and Colt McCoy steering ships populated by the likes of Jeremy Maclin and Ryan Broyles.
I’d throw Joe Ganz into that mix because as we will see, he can run the option and Pelini is talking about running it. That will warm the tailgate charcoals of Husker fans’ hearts, but don’t worry: We are not returning to third and eight option to the short side of the field. Well, maybe if Gill and Rozier are in the backfield and we’re playing South Dakota State.
Still, the option remains intriguing. The Dolphins cashed that check Sunday against New England when it used an option set to throttle the Pats in Foxboro. But too much triple O and Ganz will be looking at 8 agile, mobile, and hostile defenders in the box.
Practice the option. Mix and match. Stir regularly until you find he end zone. Repeat.
********
Speaking of the Patriots, seems like former offensive genius Charlie Weis, late of South Bend, was accused Saturday of some press box hanky panky.
Officials in East Lansing had to remove a Notre Dame laptop computer from the coaches box during Michigan State’s 23-7 beating of the Irish. Weis insisted that an intern inadvertently took the laptop to the coaches box, a violation of NCAA rules.
Spartan fans were quick to connect the dots from Weis to England, where the ND coach was Bill Belichick’s offensive coordinator for five years. Last year the NFL fined the Pats and Belichick for video taping opponents sideline signals.
By George Ayoub
I went 7-3 over the weekend, East Carolina blowing it, Georgia blowing up my upset special, and Miami blowing A&M out of the water. My best picks were LSU and Wake on the road.
After looking at Sunday’s AP Top 10, it occurs to me that the numbers work against the two best conferences. The SEC and the Big 12 each have four teams among the nation’s best 10. The problem is they will play each other, beating each other up and reducing considerably the chances of what looks like an undefeated USC team facing somebody from those two conferences similarly situated. For my money Oklahoma and Florida have the best shot at table running. If that happens and USC wins out, then we have three big dogs with no losses. I can hear the howling now.
Virginia Tech is gaining a purposeful stride just in time to come to Lincoln. The Huskers better have it strapped on because Beamer’s boys play hard and with some attitude. The great thing about Saturday is that it will give us a clearer picture of what will happen when Missouri shows up the following Saturday. These are two weeks that will go a long way in defining Nebraska’s season.
********
Sunday’s night’s love fest at Yankee Stadium energized two groups: Yankee lovers like myself and Yankee haters, who are legion. The stadium closed its gates for the last time (unless Boston loses very game this week and the Pinstripers win them all). That’s 85 years in all, including baseball, the football Giants, popes, and rock concerts.
But you can’t extricate the Yankees from Yankee Stadium and no team in baseball, maybe sports, is as polarizing as the boys from the Bronx. I cut my baseball teeth with the Yankees, Mickey Mantle my hero, but Moose Skowron, Yogi, Whitey, Ellie Howard and all the guys in Pinstripes had my fancy. Even as I branched out to worship Mays and Clemente, I was never far from those early years when I channeled the Mick in backyard, my own baseball cathedral, where all by myself, playing every position on both teams and doing the play by play like Dizzy Dean and Buddy Blattner, World Series were won in most dramatic fashion.
*******
District play begins in high school football this week. State qualifiers are determined by head-to-head district play the next five weeks and then a few wild card teams will make it based on power points. Each class differs a little in the math it uses to get to 16 state-qualifying teams.
For more on all this, get a Ph.D. at MIT or check the NSAA Web site at www.nsaahome.org.
