Some observations, after Thanksgiving holiday.....

[Po Monkey Lounger]

1. The Egg Bowl turned out just like I thought it would --- a War between two improved teams ---if each could start the season over right now, they would win at least 6 games and go bowling. UM won with good defense (especially the second half) and special teams. Good, hard fought game. I am looking forward to 2007 for both UM and MSU. The future looks much brighter.

2. With so many college coaching jobs open, why is David Cutcliffe, the jilted former UM head coach, unfairly fired after "only one losing season", an offensive genius according to every tv announcer/commentator this year, not being considered for any of them?

3. 10 win season, followed by major drop off, and the head coach is fired?What an outrage!!! Or, so said most of the media when UM fired Cutcliffe. But, what of Alabama? Under Shula, Alabama recovered from probation, won 10 games and went to the Cotton Bowl last season (just like UM did the year before Cut was fired), and then dropped to 6 wins and a bowl game (not even to 4 wins as UM did). Yet Shula was just fired by Bama, as this was not good enough for the Tide faithful ----they believe they can do better. Will there be the same media outrage with Shula's firing, as it was with Cut's? Will Archie Manning publicly announce his outrage at Bama's firing of Shula? Doubtful ---the hypocrisy of many tv football "experts" and pundits knows no bounds.

4. Alabama's next coach? IMO, I think it will be the head coach at Wake Forest ---Grobe, or Petrino of Louisville ---each are very good coaches. The Tide would not have fired Shula without a deal for the replacement already worked out. Grobe's Deacons are playing for the ACC title this Saturday. IF it is Grobe, then the deal will not be announced until after that championship game. If it is Petrino, then it would have to be announced before Lousville's BCS bowl game for the sake of recruiting. It will not be Spurrier --he publicly said so today. And, it will not be Saban ---as he is only in his second year as head coach of the Dolphins, who have turned their season around and are close to playoff contention as a wild card team. Plus, Saban has an ownership interest in the Dolphins.

5. And for all of us who thought UM's defeat at the hands of "lowly" Wake Forest was a disgrace (including me), it just shows what we know about football outside of the SEC. I believe I was one person who naively thought, before the season began, that UM's schedule was favorable for a bowl season. I waaaaaayyyyy underestimated Wake, Missouri, Kentucky and Arkansas. I am certain that I am not alone in this boat.

6. I really enjoyed watching the Arkansas-LSU game Friday. What a game!! LSU finally capitalized on its talent and beat a really good football team ---- LSU had previously lost to two of the better teams in the SEC (Auburn and Florida). The Arkansas win was likely their best win of the season. I really enjoy watching all the trick plays that Arkansas runs. I have to admit --I did not think that Malzahn would do so well as OC his first season. So, I will have a good helping of crow on that prediction, with a lot of mustard. Oddly enough, I think that Nutt's conservatism, combined with Malzahn's creativity is a good combination. Arkansas did not run Malzohn's offense this season, but instead adapted what Arkansas was previously running to some of Malzahn's creative schemes. With some great athletes to run this offense ---- DMac, Jones, Monk ---- and a solid OL --- the results were immediate. The Hogs are fun to watch. As for LSU, they are much better with Keiland Williams in the lineup. I wish the Rebs could have landed Keiland --- he would look really good in red and blue.

7. Eli is struggling with the Giants this season. I don't think his supporting cast is very good, and it is clearly affecting his confidence. Also, I don't think the head coach is a good match for Eli. The head coach never seems to smile or show any emotion, other than negativity. And consequently, Eli does NOT look like he is having fun playing football. In fact, none of the Giants look like they are having fun. They look like they are pressing too hard, afraid to lose. Barber is apparently retiring at the end of the season. I know they are professionals, and get paid very, very well for what they do ----but, it is still a game. And emotion and intensity is a part of the game. The Giants display neither. And the NY media is unmerciful. Bad combo. IF Eli can survive this adversity, he can survive anything.

8. I really hope that either USC or Florida leapfrogs over Michigan in the BCS standings, so that we are spared a re-match of OSU and Michigan for the national title game. Arkansas getting beat by LSU did not help Florida's chances. USC's win over ND was convincing enough.

[Woodduckdawg]

Good post. Pretty much agree with all but the last one. USC is just too good right now and the media loves those CA boys.

Special teams captured the Egg Bowl, but that has pretty much hurt the dawgs all year. Good game by the two MS teams, could have gone either way.

[mshunter77]

Shula was not fired because of his 6-6 record as much as the lack of improvement in the offense (mainly in the red zone) and his unwillingness to shake up his staff(a lot like cutcliffe). I know saban is not a possibility and really didn't think the ol'ball coach was either. I don't think petrino will come either. I wish shula would have done what was asked of him to relinquish play calling duties and shake up the staff. I really am not sure about grobe and he seems to be the most likely next HC at bama. But a man can dream about Spurrier roaming the sidelines with Brother Bill Oliver as his DC.

[Deltamud77]

Good post Po Monk...I agree with everything except that LSUs defeat of UT in Knoxville was impressive as well. UT had a lot of momentum going into that game. UT left the game demoralized and really beat up.

With respect to USC, they will play for the title. Being an LSU fan, in light of the 2003 split championship and all that went with it, I hate USC. However, I am beginning to respect them more and more by the week.

I made a reference last week that I feel is really applicable right now with SC. They are potentially on the verge doing something that has never been done in college football and will ultimately only be compared to John Wooden's UCLA basketball run and maybe the Boston Celtics run with Auerbach (sp?). If Pete Carroll stays around, I would not be surprised at all to see USC win five or six of the next 10 national title games, maybe more. If it were played today, I will take USC over Ohio State. I guess I am finding out the immortal words of Jake Lambert are true, "you don't have to like me, but you better respect me."

[bigwater]

good post..

i agree with everything said.. especailly#3.. cause after all.. when comparing bama's football program to um's football program..

well.. as i take a big ol sip of kool-aid..

yes its just like comparing oranges to oranges..

[webbmaster]

There's a big difference between Ole Miss football and Alabama football....certainly that doesnt have to be explained...

[Deltamud77]

Oh, I actually have heard Cutcliffe's name mentioned for a least a couple of jobs. The UNC job before Mack Brown took over was one. I heard him mentioned for Iowa State too. Of course Gene Chizik took over there. I also heard him mentioned for Michigan State. Again, it has been filled. He will be a head coach again...maybe a mistake...it will happen.

He is not going to be mentioned at Bama, because they are Bama. One, they would not take an Ole Miss reject. Two, they are currently after Bellechick, Parcells, Saban, Andy Reed, Pete Carroll et al.

You can usually gauge how good your coach is if people from other schools are after him. I don't see people beating down the doors for O, Croom, or Miles. Heck, the LSU assistants are in greater demand than these three.

I think Bama jumped the gun with this firing. The chickens are going to come home to roost.

The interesting thing to me about Bama is that they have the tradition, support and facilities to be back on top. However, it seems at every turn, they make bad decisions or have bad luck. You have NCAA violations, Stripper-gate, Fran leaving for A&M. I think this hire is maybe the most important in Bama history as they are at a crossroads. They could go the way of Army and have a once proud tradition trampled under foot or they could go the way of USC and shoot up from the ashes.

If I am Bama, I go after a youngish NFL guy like Mariuchi who has had success on that level and has name recognition. Maybe they should go after Dennis Green since he will be fired from Arizona. Heck, he won at Stanford.

[Po Monkey Lounger]

Bigwater, I understand your sarcasm and the mentality behind it. BUT, to ever have a chance to achieve something better, it is time for MSU and Ole Miss to set higher goals than just a winning season and a rinky dink bowl game. We must change our way of thinking and expectations. And while I know that sounds a tad unrealistic to some, especially with each team just finishing off a losing season (MSU's 6th in a row, and UM's 3rd in a row), the fact is if you don't expect much, you won't get much.

A recent history of losing more than winning has bred a cancerous thought process that I call the "poor little ol" syndrome ---the small minded thinking and pretext for excuses that we just can't expect to do any better because _____________ (fill in the blank with your favorite, worn out excuse given for losing). Past coaches/adm. at both MSU and UM have had this mindset and have used those excuses for failure in the past. And worse, the fan bases at each school, for the most part, have accepted it.

Well, not me. I'm not taking this schit anymore. WE CAN do better, and as a member of the UM fan base, I refuse to accept the "poor little ol" mentality and excuses for losing. And the numbers who agree with me are growing and now in the majority. There is no good reason why both MSU and Ole Miss cannot field winning, competitive football teams, every year. And with the right head coaches, who will work harder than our competition, recruit their arses off, hire the best coaching staffs that can be assembled, who believe we can win, will not accept less, and will make no excuses, WE CAN WIN. IF we accept the lazy coaches, who will not recruit like they should, like to play golf more than working on improving the football program, who fail to make needed adjustments to their coaching staff showing more loyalty to those coaches than to the program, who spend more time with the GOB's drinking at parties and on the golf course instead of out finding good football players, developing and modifying offensive and defensive schemes, then we will continue to lose regularly, with maybe a chance for a decent season every once in a while --- a blind hog finds an acorn every now and then. I have had it with these latter types of coaches and the predictable results.

IMO, I think Croom and Orgeron, for the most part, are the types of head coaches I first described above, and have the Dogs and Rebs headed in the right direction, with success just over the horizon --- most likely beginning in 2007. Each coach is still learning how to be a head coach. And each (Croom maybe begrudgingly) appear willing to make necessary changes to staff, schemes, etc. in order to win.

So, yes, I think Ole Miss and Alabama, and MSU and Alabama should be no different in expectations, at least from my standpoint as a UM fan. The fact that the media treats them different, I understand why and cannot change that perception. Only winning on the field will change that perception. But, this still does not mean that the media's different treatment of the Cut and Shula situations is any less hypocritical. If anything, a program of the supposed stature of Alabama (in the media's eyes) should set the example for all to follow.

[Deltamud77]

Bama is like the once 18 year girl with a smoking body and beautiful face who is now a cute-faced fat girl 38 year old divorcee with three kids. Maybe some hard work at the gym and a diet could help out a lot, but she will never be what she was....

Sorry Bama folk...

[Po Monkey Lounger]

@ Deltamud

[rjohnson]

Bama is like the once 18 year girl with a smoking body and beautiful face who is now a cute-faced fat girl 38 year old divorcee with three kids. Maybe some hard work at the gym and a diet could help out a lot, but she will never be what she was....

Sorry Bama folk...

Couldn't be described any better

[bigwater]

po monk..

i believe...

i believe the day is coming when the red and blue of um and the maroon and white of msu will be able to hold their heads high and acknowledge that vandy really is the worst program in the sec..

i believe that the day is coming when the egg bowl will determine the winner of the sec west and the next particpant in the sec championship game..

i beleive that our programs will be judged not by past but by the present.

i believe that the day is approcahing when the rest of the sec will look to scott field in envy..

ahhh lawdry.. I've seen the promise land and i can say for certain that it doesn't go anywhere near sherveport la...

I BELIEVE

[NUTMEG]

Deltamud - Great post. One day the Bama faithful will realize this. The faithful think they can have any coach in the nation but in reality Bama is not even in the top ten jobs at this point. I have said all along that the coaches know how hard it is to recruit and win 10 games every year in the SEC.

[Po Monkey Lounger]

" I've seen the promise land and i can say for certain that it doesn't go anywhere near sherveport la... "

Ain't that the truth!!!

[webbmaster]

Between NUTLESS and dumpo, I can't figure out who holds the most football knowledge.

What does your fearless crystal ball say about the Miami position?