Sporting Fools
Sporting Fools
Sporting Fools
Sporting Fools
Wednesday, August 31, 2005
Dodd Gives Us a Quarter...We Give Him ChangeThere are now 12 schools playing college football at various levels in the state of Florida.
This is news because the two latest additions to Division I-A -- Florida International and Florida Atlantic -- each join the Sun Belt this year. Both programs were basically started from scratch by two Miami-area
legends -- Don Strock (Dolphins quarterback) at FIU and Howard Schnellenberger (Miami coach) at FAU.
Schnellie's Owls actually tied his old school and Florida State for
having the best record in the state last year (9-3).
At the other end of the scale, Central Florida (0-11) was the only
winless program in I-A.The home of college football? Texas, California and Pennsylvania will disagree, especially after the 12 schools combined to finish 64-65. Going into the season, Florida is the state's best program but mostly based on the arrival of new coach Urban Meyer. The Gators are coming off a 7-5
record that was bad enough to get Ron Zook fired during the season.
Florida is the state's best program based on Meyer? Well considering his one BCS bowl to Coker's four and Bowden's seven and his....zero BCS conference titles to Bowdens 12 and Cokers four and his...well zero BCS championships to Bowden's two and Coker's one.
I can see Dodd's point. Let Meyer win his first SEC game before he's annointed as the next coming of Lombardi please and give Miami the credit that's due. They are the best program in the state and have won their last ten games against FSU and Florida.
Now he goes to his upsets and he's talking about the Big XII. Being a Mizzou grad and a Kansas City native, you'd think he'd have a clue about the Big XII, but he's a little lost there too.
Oklahoma over Texas on Oct. 8: No matter what the 'Horns do at Ohio State, they are likely to be favored in the Red River Shootout. Doesn't atter. Oklahoma knows it can win. Texas hopes it can break a five-game losing streak.
Really. No matter what Texas does at OSU they will be favored? And this is based on what logic? Texas' past success against Oklahoma? I'd say if they lose substanially to Ohio State in two weeks, the bettors won't be rushing to make the Horns favorites over a team that has owned them.
Between that and a frightening obsession with Meyer and the spread option, I'd say Matt Hayes disease has taken over another one.
