Below are the 6 most recent journal entries recorded in rbowlcaltech's LiveJournal:

Friday, August 18th, 2006
12:05 pm	Adios, Aqua? In 2000, the guerrilla pop art group Heavy Trash erected several gag signs around town (above) promoting a fake "Metro Aqua Line" from downtown to the ocean. When the MTA approved its Mid-City/Exposition Light Rail Transit Project, it actually took a cue from the Heavy Trash group and dubbed it the "Aqua line." Here's where it gets unnecessarily complicated: City Councilman Bernard Parks has decided he doesn't like the "Aqua line" name, the L.A. Times reports today. He also doesn't like the MTA's other suggestion, the Purple Line. Why? "Those are colors that don't resonate," Parks explained. Huh? Parks proposes that the new extension be called the "Expo Line" -- even though every other line on the MTA's rapid transit system are named after colors (Red, Green, Blue and Gold). His other option? The "Rose Line." Seriously. He doesn't think "Aqua" or "Purple" resonates, but "Rose" does. Writes the paper: Rose represents Exposition Park's rose garden, the city councilman said. It was his second choice. Parks and others decided his first recommendation — gray — was too similar to the San Gabriel Valley's new Silver Streak, a rapid 40-mile bus line from Claremont to downtown Los Angeles... The Friends 4 Expo Steering Committee and the Mar Vista Community Council Board of Directors endorsed the color aqua. Darrell Clarke, co-chairman of Friends 4 Expo, offered several reasons for rejecting Parks' color choice, including that it had not been vetted by the public. The color rose also "is most identified with Pasadena — the Rose Bowl and Rose Parade — on the other side of town," Clarke, who lives in Santa Monica, wrote in an e-mail to members of his group. The Aqua/Purple/Expo/Rose/Whatever Line is slated to run from downtown to Culver City, with a second phase eventually proposed to run from Culver City to Santa Monica (and the ocean -- hence the "Aqua" tag). (Comment on this)
Friday, August 11th, 2006
11:26 am	Howard Jones Would Understand Me, Frank Lauterbur Would Think I've ... You know it. I know it. Iowa is going to have an outstanding football team in the upcoming season. So outstanding, in fact, that I'm predicting the Hawkeyes will win every one of their regular-season games. That's right, I think coach Kirk Ferentz [center photo] and his players will have a 12-0 record and seize the outright Big Ten Conference title at 8-0 when they win at Minnesota in their final regular-season game Nov. 18. Obviously, that could -- remember, I'm saying "could" -- send the Hawkeyes into the national championship game Jan. 8, 2007 in the Arizona Cardinals' new stadium at Glendale, Ariz., but I'll get to all of that after Iowa takes care of business against Ohio State, Michigan and the rest of its conference schedule. Meanwhile, I want to enjoy the thoughts of that unbeaten regular season for the next 4 1/2 months. Oh, I know I'm not supposed to be predicting an unbeaten season for Iowa. I know I'm expected to go the conservative route and say that the Hawkeyes will probably lose to Ohio State at Kinnick Stadium and at Michigan on their way to another January bowl game in Florida. The hell with that kind of thinking. The hell with conservatism. Ferentz, at an unheard-of $2.84 million, is the highest-paid coach in the Big Ten, and I figure he's worth every penny of the salary. He's among the best five or six collegiate coaches in America, and I'm not so sure about a couple of the guys who maybe rank above him. Like Texas' Mack Brown and Oklahoma's Bob Stoops. Unbeaten seasons don't happen often in Iowa City, you know. I mean, the Hawkeyes haven't had one since the 1920s -- when they enjoyed two of them under coach Howard Jones [upper left]. Frank Lauterbur -- wherever he is -- probably thinks I've gone off the deep end by saying that Iowa won't lose a game in 2006. The last time Lauterbur coached in Iowa City, he thought you were supposed to lose all the time. I covered most of Frank's games in that horrible 0-11 season in 1973. Lauterbur felt so bad for me that he held an umbrella over my head on the Tuesday in Iowa City when, in the rain, I took notes detailing his firing. Frank was a good guy. I felt sorry for him, too. I feel sorry for any guy who goes 0-11. Back to Howard Jones for a minute. Jones' 1921 Iowa team went 7-0 --beating such juggernauts as Knox, Notre Dame, Illinois, Purdue, Minnesota, Indiana and Northwesern. It was interesting that all 11 of Jones' starters that season were native Iowans. His 1922 squad also went 7-0 with victories over Knox, Yale, Illinois, Purdue, Minnesota, Ohio State and Northwestern. In all, Jones' teams won 20 consecutive games from Nov. 6, 1920 through Oct. 13, 1923. I guess the 5-3 record in 1923 was such a shock that Jones figured the good times were over. He abruptly left the coaching job for a couple of reasons: 1. His wife didn't like Iowa City. Can you imagine that? 2. He wanted a new contract which would allow him to live in Iowa City only during the football season. Can you imagine that? I guess Jones' bosses couldn't imagine it. Whatever, Jones quit after the 1923 season and took a coaching job at Trinity College, which now is Duke University. He stayed there one year, then headed for Southern California, where he stayed 16 seasons. All his teams did at USC was win four national championships and five Rose Bowl games. I guess his wife liked Los Angeles. Eddie Anderson's 1939 Iowa Ironmen, led by Heisman Trophy winner Nile Kinnick [upper right, carrying the Heisman], had only a 6-1-1 record -- with the loss to Michigan and the tie at Northwestern. Forest Evashevski's high-powered 1958 Iowa team, which I say has been the best in school history, went 8-1-1 [losing to Ohio State and tying Air Force]. Evashevski's 1956 Big Ten champions went 9-1, with the loss to Michigan. Hayden Fry's best record in his 20 seasons as Iowa's coach was 10-1-1 in 1991, with the disappointing loss to Michigan, 43-24, and the hard-to-believe 13-13 tie with Brigham Young in the Holiday Bowl. All right, here's how it's going to go in the upcoming 12-0 regular season. Iowa plays Montana in the Sept. 2 opener in refurbished -- to the tune of nearly $90 million -- Kinnick Stadium. No problem. The Hawkeyes win, 52-6. Iowa quarterback Drew Tate [lower left] passes for six touchdowns. Fans in the student section -- some of whom drank all of the apricot brandy they sneaked into the stadium -- want Tate to dropkick an extra point, ala Nile Kinnick [in 1939] and Doug Flutie [last season], to impress the NFL scouts. Ferentz, who knows all about the NFL, turns down the request. Then Iowa plays at Syracuse on Sept. 9. The Hawkeyes are a bit flat emotionally, but win, 35-7, as defensive end Kenny Iwebema has seven sacks. On Sept 16 -- which happens to be my birthday -- Iowa State plays at Iowa. Hey, Herky, if you think this is going to be a cakewalk, guess again. It will be one of the three best chances [Ohio State and Michigan are the other two] for an opponent to beat Iowa during the regular season. Cyclone coach Dan McCarney has been wearing his Iowa game-face since last March, and Iowa will need a 43-yard Kyle Schlicher field goal with 38 seconds remaining to win, 26-24. On Sept. 23, Iowa uses just one-fourth of its offense to win its Big Ten opener at Illinois, 42-10. Some Hawkeye fans are surprised Illinois is still fielding a team. So are a few Fighting Illini fans. Even Chief Illiniwek is a no-show. His sister's wedding is that afternoon, and he's one of the ushers. On Sept. 30, Ohio State plays at Kinnick Stadium in a 7 p.m. game. The place is juiced in more ways than one for a rare night game in Iowa City. Iowa's players remember how they got embarrassed at Ohio State last year, 31-6, and Tate recalls how frustrated he became and began throwing his helmet to the ground in Ohio Stadium. However, as the Musco lights shine brightly this night in Iowa City, Tate throws three touchdown passes in his final game against the Buckeyes and Iowa wins, 31-22. As he leaves the sideline to shake hands with Ferentz at midfield, Ohio State coach Jim Tressel rips off his gray vest and throws it into the stands to an Iowa fan sitting in a wheelchair. Tressel is a good guy -- even when he loses. Iowa jolts Purdue, 30-14, in Iowa City and wins at Indiana, 35-13, in its next two games. A half-dozen Hawkeyes say they didn't sweat in either game. Then Iowa takes its 7-0 record into the Oct. 21 game at Michigan. The Wolverines are favored by 3 points, but don't forget that Lloyd Carr is still coaching them. Iowa's defense rises to heights the estimated "announced" crowd of 523,000 that TV announcer Brent Musburger says is in Michigan Stadium never thought was possible for this titanic struggle. The Hawkeyes win, 28-3. Iowa steps out of the conference to wallop Northern Illinois, 56-0, on Oct. 28 at Kinnick. The highlight of the day comes when Ron Maly, Jim Zabel and 18 other charter members of Iowa's press box Wall of Fame are honored on the field. Well, at least most of the living members are on the field. The game is such a rout that Zabel asks if he can suit up so he can catch one of Hawkeye reserve quarterback Jake Christiansen's passes in the final minutes. Thank goodness Ferentz and Christiansen both refuse the offer. They heard that Zabel made the same request when Bob Commings was coaching Iowa in 1975. He was turned down then, too. The Hawkeyes beat Northwestern, 33-18, Nov. 4 in Kinnick Stadium, then wrap up a 7-0 home record Nov. 11 by making it a piss-poor homecoming for Bret Bielema, the former Iowa player who is in his first season as Wisconsin's coach. The Hawkeyes win, 34-14. Afterward, Badger fans chant,'"Where's Our 'D'!" On Nov. 18, the Hawkeyes do something they always do -- beat Minnesota. Bernie Bierman and Bronko Nagurski could be on the Metrodome turf in Minneapolis on this final day of the regular season and the Gophers couldn't win. Iowa's players carry Ferentz off the field, and he has some cactus between his teeth [read Glendale, read Arizona, read national championship game]. Iowa wins, 50-30. If Bierman was still living, he'd wish he wasn't. Twelve-and-0 feels pretty damn good if you ask me. (Comment on this)
Thursday, August 3rd, 2006
6:21 pm	Steve Smith: the forgotten link in the chain of great QBs Maybe it is because his last name is Smith or maybe it is because he hails from a place called Grand Blanc. Whatever the reason, Steve Smith (starting QB from 1981-1983) is often completely overlooked in discussions about great Michigan quaterbacks of the modern era despite the fact that he had a rather stellar career. U of M was 26-10 during his three years as a starter and he led the Wolverines to a Rose Bowl (Big 10 Champion), a Sugar Bowl, and a Bluebonnet Bowl. Smith was Bo's last great "running-offense" oriented QB. By 1985, when Jim Harbaugh was the starting QB, Bo's offense had been re-tooled to a more modern NFL-style passing offense as opposed to his old option-style offense that he ran with Rick Leach as his starter. In fact, with the new offense, Harbaugh led the nation in passing efficiency in 1985. However, Smith operated under a much different system. Although he was a decent passer, he was also employed as a primary ball carrier as is evidenced by the fact that that he is #24 on Michigan's career rushing yardage leaders. Although Smith is not widely hailed as one of Michigan's elite QB's his statistics compare favorably with those of the greatest U of M QB (and my favorite player) of all-time Rick Leach. As you will certainly recall, Leach was a 4-year starter from 1975-1978. Leach led Michigan to three consecutive Big Ten Championships and, consequently, to three consecutive Rose Bowl Game appearances as well as an Orange Bowl game appearance. U of M was an astounding 38-8-2 during Leach's four years as a starter. Here are the passing statistics for the two: Leach: 250/537 46.6% 4,284 yds. 48 tds. 35 int. Smith 324/648 50.0% 4,860 yds. 42 tds. 32 int. The passing statistics are fairly close. Smith stacks up well. Now for the rushing statistics: Leach: 487 att. 2,176 yds. 4.5 yds./att. 34 tds. Smith: 329 att. 1,736 yds. 5.3 yds./att. 31 tds. Again, Smith's statistics hold up well in a comparison against those of Rick "The Peach" Leach. The bottom line is that Smith deserves to be mentioned among the elite U of M quarterbacks of the modern era. Most conversations about U of M being "Quarterback U" start with Jim Harbaugh and proceed with the litany of NFL bound QBs including Elvis Grbac, Todd Collins, Scott Dreisbach, Brian Griese, Tom Brady, Drew Henson and John Navarre. Then some old school traditionalists throw in Rick Leach's name for his stand-out accomplishments and John Wangler for delivering Bo his first Rose Bowl win. Steve Smith earned the right to have his name mentioned in that conversation as well. Go Blue! (Comment on this)
Monday, July 31st, 2006
10:19 pm	The Casting Call, Part II This is the long delayed, second half of my Casting Call: The actors that would play your favorite SEC Coaches in a made for TV movie. Check out The SEC West Coaches here. SEC EAST Thomas Wilson (Back To The Future's Biff Tannan) as Urban Meyer (Florida) Both are hardasses that we thought could do no wrong. Their tightly cropped hair never wavering as they ruthlessly yell, point and bark orders. Quickly, these men worked to claim the prize. The SEC East/Marty's Mom was thought to be in jeopardy! Then, somehow, we realized...these guys bark is much worse than their bite. Once we figured them out, sadly, they were relegated to boo-hoo for themselves while all covered in feces (literal and metaphorical). Urban's Secret Weapon After this first installment, we don't need a time machine to know that they will be back to try and rain on our parade again some time in the near future. These men are stubborn and won't give up without a fight! But, will they end up all covered in crap again? If these are any indication, Urban should age like a fine wine. Steve Carell (of The 40 Year Old Virgin) as Mark Richt (Georgia) Other than a few early brain farts, these guys are extremely likeable. The kind of guy that any Mom would wants their daughter to bring home. They're both just your average, wholesome, Leave It To Beaver-esque, white guys. They aren't fat, they don't have big ears, and they don't have an alcoholic past. They're not banging the secretary, they would never be caught dead in at The Cheetah, and they're not known to fly off the handle. They don't ruffle any feathers and, for the most part, they treat people with respect. Ok, they're a little too likeable. In a nut shell, they're damn boring. This Is Deep South Football for Pete's sake! Give me something to work with here! I even went as far as to ask Tennessee and Florida fans (Georgia's Most Hated Rivals, mind you) for some scathing gossip or angle to "hate on" Richt. If anybody has the goods on Marky Mark it's his SEC East Rivals, right? Nope. Nadda. Everybody loves the guy. He's damn near untouchable. One Florida fan offered, "He has twin sisters if that helps any..." While a fun fact, it's not exactly what I was looking for. Then, a UT fan even made allusions to Richt's Divinity. "According to the Davinci Code he had a wife and children on the side" So much for the whole Virgin thing. Harvey Keitel as Rich Brooks (Kentucky) Rich Brooks used to do some quality work, just like our friend Harvey. Unfortunately, as of late, they've both found that it's kinda difficult to craft a masterpiece working with pure human waste. Brooks spent damn near two decades of his life slaving away to make The University of Oregon respectable (as respectable as a non-USC Pac-10 team can be), and he even led the Ducks to The Rose Bowl. Yeah,it's all been down hill from there. A couple of years with The St Louis Rams, a couple years with The Falcons, Yadda Yadda, Blah, Blah, he's out of the game for a few years. Ah, Retirement... Then... The University of Kentucky comes calling... HANG UP, COACH! Hang Up! Why Coach Brooks ever put down the crossword and picked up that call, we may never know. Talk about your lose-lose situations. You know it's bad when the guy you're replacing left for The Baylor Bears! Geez, even Bear Bryant couldn't take the heat in Lexington. What the hell? Brooks thinks he's f'n Better Than The Bear? What?!? whoa...Sorry about that. I've been living in "The Heart of Dixie" a little too long I guess... Anyway, both men seem to live in a constant state of intestinal discomfort which is prominently displayed in their facial expressions. It appears that either the sun is perpetually in their eyes, or this afternoon's chimmichangas are getting unruly. Possibly both... I guess what I'm trying to say is that taking the top job in Kentucky Football is kinda like eating spicy Mexican food on a hot, sunny day. The results are uncomfortable, stanky, and extremely unprofessional. Robert Patrick (T-1000) as Steve Spurrier (South Carolina) When I was a young lad, I was forbade to watch R-rated movies. My ultra conservative Mother made this very clear, and though I didn't understand the reasons, I obeyed. Unless I was a out of the house. Then all was fair game. It was one such night, at my Catholic Cousin's home in Tullahoma, TN, when I first witnessed T2 in all it's cinematic glory. I then realized what my Mother was trying to shelter me from: Unadulterated evil, violence and harsh language were as natural as breathing! As great as it seemed, I knew it was wrong, and I realized just how ruthless and freaky movies can be. I mean, that T-1000 was just a walking nightmare! A heartless killing machine that will do anything to win... Then It hit me... how could I have been so blind? My Mom should have been more worried about me watching Steve Spurrier's brand of Florida Football than these silly R rated movies! Starting early in the 90s, fear had a new face, and a visor. A foe that, despite his slight physical appearance, routinely brought tough guys/Defensive Coordinators to their knees. Spurrier came out of nowhere to quickly become a thing of legend. He regularly concurred the SEC East, and made the rest of us look like fight scene extras from a Jackie Chan movie. Once you think you had him pegged, he would just morph, shift gears and run one through your gut. Gruesome, I know. Before you even knew what hit you...Wham! It's over. It was a real ugly scene for a while. Then, when we finally think we've seen the last of this SOB (NFL/frozen with chilled nitrogen), he reunited and went straight back to whooping ass! For that poor player's sake, I hope that's chilled nitrogen Michael Moore (Fahrenheit 9-11) as Philip Fulmer (Tennessee) One Man is the most hated figure in Southeastern Conference Football. The other man is the most hated political figure in The Deep South. However, neither man has seen their respective equipment since The Kennedy Assassination. That's right, they are huge, chunky fatasses! It doesn't get much more spot on than this, folks. No detailed explanation needed. This one is a deal breaker. If we can't get Michael Moore on board, this film is off! Close your eyes and imagine tons-of-fun, Michael Moore walking the sidelines in a big orange moomoo windbreaker and a block "T" hat yelling at players... Perfection! He's just big boned Steve Martin as Bobby Johnson (Vanderbilt) Much like Rich Brooks/Harvey Keitel, these two haven't had much to work with lately, but to their credit, they keep trying. Like a threat of military action from The French Government, nobody really takes these guys seriously. Vandy doesn't even have an athletic department, and Martin hasn't made a palatable movie since "The Father of the Bride." In true hopeless, Steve Martin fashion, in 2005 Johnson and Vandy were poised to make it to their first bowl game since The Civil War... but they f'ed it up by losing to Middle Tennessee State University. Boooo! Yes, MTSU. B.J. beats Tennessee in Knoxville and loses to Middle Tennessee at home. What a jerk! Click here for the SEC West Coaches (Comment on this)
Saturday, July 29th, 2006
5:10 pm	Well Allow Me To Retort! Who Belongs in the Midwestern Conference Miami of Ohio or Northwestern University I laid down the guantlet last week and Kyle roared down it. Like Gabe Watson on his way to the buffet, Kyle took and devoured my arguments that Miami has no business in any incarnation of the Big Ten. Kyle's most recent retort lays out several great reasons why Miami is more deserving of a spot in his new Midwestern Conference than Northwestern. I said, Northwestern Doesn't Belong in the Midwestern Conference! At first glance, Kyle straight up Cobra-Kai'd my ass. Sweeping my leg with this little factoid: Miami has owned Northwestern over their last three meetings. 1995 - Miami (Ohio) 30, Northwestern 28; 1999 - Miami (Ohio) 28, Northwestern 3; 2003 - Miami (Ohio) 44, Northwestern 14. Kyle, at left, lectures Mr. Miagi on the virtues of Red Hawks Football. You'd think this crippling dojo move would weaken if not destroy my position, but I don't think Miami's head to head record against Northwestern is quite as fatal as it seems. First, lets look at the head to head games in question: 1995, 1999, 2003. 1) The 1995 loss to Miami was analogous to the Chicago Bears 1994 loss to the Miami Dolphins. A hiccup. Taking the rest of the Wildcats schedule that year (10-2) including wins over Michigan, Notre Dame, Wisconsin, Penn State, and Iowa. This sent the Cats to the Rose Bowl for the first time since 1949 where they fell to USC 41-32. Keep in mind that the 1995 USC team that beat Northwestern in the Rose Bowl had Keyshawn Johnson, who at the time was one of the most dominant forces in college football, and USC went 9-2-1 that year. 2) The 1999 Red Hawks team went 12-1 with 8 wins coming from MAC play. It was also Randy Walker's first year as head coach of Northwestern after taking over from Garry Barnett. Northwestern finished the year a dismal 3-8 (1-7). They did however go 2-1 in non-conference play. 3) The 2003 loss, well, this is from the Red Hawks press release after the game: "Ben Roethlisberger threw for 353 yards and Martin Nance caught pair of touchdown passes as Miami of Ohio beat Northwestern 44-14 on Saturday." A very good quarterback (Super Bowl winning quarterback) torched a questionable defense which gave up more than 20 point 6 times. No defense to this one. Miami beat the pants off NU. Northwestern has had its troubles with Miami recently. But a loss to a Super Bowl winning quarterback like Roethlisberger is nothing to hang you head about. While Miami has gotten the better of the Wildcats over the last three meetings, the Redhawks cannot boast any success over the rest of the Big Ten. Their last win over a Big Ten Team other than Northwestern was in 1977, over Indiana! The fact that Miami can only beat a single Big Ten team over the course of 30 years hardly qualifies them as belonging in a Big Ten like conference. Further, even though Northwestern has had its strugles with Miami (historically, 5 losses dating back to 1955), it has had success in conference against teams that have handled the Rehawks. (Just because I can, I'll mention that Miami's record book also lists a Tangerine Bowl victory over Georgia in 1974.) Going back to 2000 Northwestern has beaten Ohio State (2004), Michigan (2000), Purdue (2005, 2004), Wisconsin (2005, 2003, 2000), Minnesota (2001, 2000), Michigan State (2005, 2001, 2000), Indiana (2004, 2003, 2002, 2000), Iowa (2005), Penn State (2004, 2003), and Illinois(2005, 2004, 2003, 2000). With the exceptions of Indiana and Purdue, Miami cannot boast a victory against any of these teams prior to 1947. Since 2000, Miami's lone Big Ten victory is against Northwestern. During that time it has lost to Iowa (3 times), Michigan (2 times), and Ohio State (2 times). Had Miami possessed a few more victories over Big Ten teams, the way Iowa State does, I might have been persuaded. However, they do not. Therefore, I must protest. Kyle also points out that Northwestern has had a less than stellar non-conference record (including bowl games) throughout its history. For a basis of comparison between the Cat's and their presumptive usurpers, I give you both school's out of conference records, wins and loses, since 1998 (ed note: Because Miami's athletic site only goes back to 1998, I only sited wins and losses from 1998 forward): Northwestern Out of Conference Schedules 1995 - 2-2 1996 - 2-2 1997 - 2-2 1998 - 3-1 (Wins over UNLV, Rice and Hawaii, loss to Duke) 1999 - 2-1 (Wins over TCU and Duke, Loss to Miami) 2000 - 2-2 (Wins over Northern Illinois and Duke, Losses to TCU and Nebraska [Bowl]) 2001 - 2-1 (Wins over UNLV and Duke, Loss to Bowling Green) 2002 - 2-2 (Wins over Duke and Navy, Losses to Air Force and TCU) 2003 - 2-3 (Wins over Kansas and Duke, Losses to Air Force, Miami, and Bowling Green [Bowl]) 2004 - 1-3 (Win over Kansas, Loss to TCU, Arizona State, and Hawaii) 2005 - 2-2 (Wins over Ohio and Northern Illinois, Losses to Arizona State and UCLA) Miami of Ohio Out of Coneference Schedules 1998: 2-0 (Wins over UNC and Navy) 1999: 1-2 (Win over Northwestern, Loss to West Virginia and Cincinnati) 2000: 1-2 (Win over Vanderbilt, Losses to Ohio State and Cincinnati) 2001: 1-2 (Win over Cincinnati, Losses to Michigan and Iowa) 2002: 2-2 (Win over UNC and Cincinnati, Losses to LSU and Iowa) 2003: 4-1 (Wins over Northwestern, Colorado State, Cincinnati, Louisville [Bowl], Loss to Iowa) 2004: 1-3 (Win over Indiana St., Losses to Michigan, Cincinnati and Iowa State [Bowl]) 2005: 2-1 (Wins over Temple and Cincinnati, Loss to Ohio State) Reviewing these records reveals an ugly sight. Neither of these teams are good against unfamiliar foes. The raw numbers are Northwestern: 31 games (16-15); Miami 27 games (14-13). Miami's record since 1998: Four 1-2 seasons, one 2-2 season, one 2-1 season, one 4-1 season. Northwestern's out of conference record since 1998: One 1-3 season, one 2-3 season, three 2-2 seasons, and two 2-1 seasons. Miami has four losing out of conference seasons since 1998, and Northwestern has two. They both have two winning out of conference seasons during that time frame, but Northwestern has maintained a .500 twice more than Miami. Finally, Northwestern only has one 1 win out of conference season, Miami has four. Take what you wish from this, but I maintain it gives Northwestern an edge. I will also maintain that the 2003 season is a bit of an outlier based on the presence of Ben Roethlisberger. Big Ben was a special college athlete that helped his team to beat several good squads, including Louisville in a bowl game. Prior to his arrival, Miami was good, not great. Since his departure, Miami has been good not great. Miami's 2004 out of conference record helps to emphasize this point, as Miami dropped 3 out of conference games. You can point to the Red Hawks 2-1 record in 2005, but take Temple out of the schedule, and out of D1 football (please), and their schedule reads 1-1. (And yes, in that case you should also yank the Rice win from Northwestern's catalogue then too.) Kyle does of course have a trump card. Duke. How in God's name did Northwestern lose to Duke? Well they did. But in that same vein, Michigan lost to Syracuse in 1998 and Georgia has lost to Southern Mississippi in 1996. The logic of winning 9 out of 10, well, that 10th game shows up every now and then. Still. Duke. Even so, neither Northwestern nor Miami's out of conference victories are not particularly impressive. However, Northwestern has been more consistent out of conference than Miami. Edge, Northwestern. On top of that, I still maintain you should not get equal credit for playing inferior opponents. A good record in the MAC (Miami 5-3 in 2005) is not worth a mediocre record in the ACC, SEC, or Big Ten. The talent and depth is simply not the same. Both Buffalo and Kent State went 1-10 this past year in MAC play. Miami plays in the same MAC division as both of those schools. So that's two freebie wins a year. A good record in a watered down conference doesn't warrant promotion. Yes Miami has been playing good football of late. But in looking at their out of conference schedule I am less convinced than before this debate began that they belong. Miami's out of conference play is just as abysmal as Northwestern's. Following their patsy non-confs they get to beat up on their horrible in divisional rivals to pad their schedule. Miami's division in the MAC consists of Kent State (1-10 in 2005), Buffalo (1-10), Ohio (4-7), Bowling Green (6-5), and Akron (7-6). These are not powerhouses. Had Miami consistently gone 2-1, 3-0, or even 2-2 against quality opponents it is fairly pausible that their in conference success would not be a mirage. However, over the last eight years, four times they have a losing non-conference record. Yes their over all won loss record looks nice on paper, but looking at their schedule explains why. Northwestern has two wins over bowl teams last year (Wisconsin and Iowa). Northwestern plays in one of the toughest conferences in the country. In looking at the schedules and performances, I have to give the edge to Northwestern over Miami. The question I have, for the basis of comparison, is where do we draw the line in the sand to compare the schools? Neither Northwestern nor Miami is what you would call a powerhouse program. Both seem to have enjoyed more recent success than past success. Northwestern was a bowl game loser this past year. Miami didn't go to one last year. What is our date line for comparison? The last 10 years, 20 years, or 30? If we're saying 10 years, Northwestern by virtue of 3 Big Ten titles, has to be the winner. MAC success aside, every player invovled will tell you its harder to play at the Big Ten level. Tomorrow I prove my point on how Northwestern would rule Conference U.S.A. with an Iron Fist! (Comment on this)
Thursday, July 27th, 2006
11:14 am	Live blogging the ESPY Awards-- (Note: I am an awards show and sports junkie. So I just had to!) Wow, I didn't know Lance Armstrong was a comedian. But it seems he has a gay crush on Jake Gyllenhaal. He sure is paying him lots of attention. Ms. Jackson is still Nasty and looking fabulous. Congrats to Vince Young for winning that award. Keifer sure is short standing next to Venus Williams. Maybe she is wearing 6 inch heels! Congrats to Saun Alexander for winning (even though he is an ex-Bama player and us Auburn fans hate them so much). There are lots of Hollywood Hunks in the audience, so I guess everyone now knows my true motive for watching, huh? Matthew McConaughey is there looking fine. He and Lance are good friends and I heard he was hanging out in Lance's dressing room making margaritas. I would so love to "hang out" with him. Damn, the flying tomato, Sean White got cheated out of his award. Matthew came out for a Katrina tribute looking fine in his jeans and open collared shirt. He made me cry with the story of the New Orleans high school basketball team that won the state tournament. I'm a wimp for a feel good story. Dammit! Another Bama player won another damn award. Tyrone Prothro with his g;ynastic touchdown catch. Can you tell how much I despise Bama? Yeah, it was a pretty good catch so I will give him that. Rumor has it that Auburn's Coach Tub is in the audience but I haven't seen him yet. Sean White had an erection standing next to Carmen Electra giving out the award for best female athlete. He was beside himself. Hell, if I were straight I would have been the same way. She is on my top 5 female list. Yeah, I do have one! Boy are they promoting that silly new Will Farrell movie, Talladega Nights: The legend of Ricky Bobby. They filmed that at Talladega Speedway which was only 15 miles from where I grew up. Ashley Judd looked like a desperate housewife in that ugly blue dress. She usually looks fabulous. But I did hear that she is recovering from depression so maybe she didn't feel like dressing up tonight. I am so bad. Now I feel bad! Ashley is giving a presentation about women's rights under the Taliban. Okay, I cried again when the two Afghani girls accepted the Arthur Ashe award. Seems they play soccer and they have to play behind an army base fence for their own safety. Yay, Mariah is going to give the Best Male Athlete award. She looks great in that hot pink dress. Congrats Lance for winning for the 4th time. Danica Patrick looked like a girly girl in that hot dress. Best game was the Rose Bowl. Yay for College Football. Matt Leinart looked hot tonight! Jake G is giving away one of the last awards for Best Moment. I would have to nominate his kiss with Heath, but that's not a sport. OR IS IT? He is still smokin' HOT! And he sounded so soft spoken and sensitive. I want him to be my new boyfriend now. Sigh! And guess what, I am crying again because the autistic kid won for shooting those baskets to win his junior high basketball game. Yeah, that was Best Moment. Why am I so sensitive tonight. Must be my period!! What a finish! Greg Kinnear and Mark Wahlberg giving away the award for best team. The Pittsburgh Steelers and they were reunited with Big Ben who just recovered from his motorcycle accident. That was a show, kids! And that is why I watch every year. It's better entertainment than most all other awards shows........ (Comment on this)