Pittsburgh and Utah started the season off strong. Pittsburgh and Utah went back and forth the entire game and gave every fan the excitement that they had been missing the past nine months. With ten minutes to go in the game, Utah looked to pull away with a 61-yard touchdown that put them up 24-10.
Wanstead managed to rally the Pittsburgh troops and the Panthers answered with a 44-yard touchdown pass to get back in the game. Late in the game Pittsburgh marched down into field goal range to set up a game-tying field goal. Utah went nuts with the iceage and forced Hutchins to kick the field goal THREE TIMES. After missing the second attempt, Hutchins nerves were cool and he drilled the field goal, sending the game into overtime.
Sidenote: It is absolutely ridiculous that a team can call time out twice and force a kicker to kick three times. Just stupid.
Utah made overtime a quick affair by intercepting Pittsburgh on the very first play. Utah then pounded away with their run game until they were close enough to get a easy field goal. Utah’s Joe Phillips converted this easy field goal and gave Utah the big win, and the very first upset of the year.
Congrats to Utah on the first upset of the college football season.
College Football Predictions
Here is who I will predict will play in the BCS bowl game and the eventual National Champion.
Sugar Bowl – Alabama vs. Texas
Orange Bowl – Connecticut vs. Virgina Tech
Rose Bowl – Iowa vs. Stanford
Fiesta Bowl – TCU vs. Nebraska
BCS Championship
Ohio State vs. Boise State
Boise State National Champion
Fantasy Busts
After giving you some sleepers candidates last week, here are some players I think you should avoid.
QB- Donovan McNabb Washington
I have not been sold on McNabb’s worth in the fantasy world. McNabb is going from a lineup with a great O-line and a lot of great weapons to a team with a lot of question marks. You then mix in the fact that all of Washington running backs and wide receivers are aging/past their prime, equals a down year for McNabb. The best case scenario for McNabb is he preforms as a mid-pack quarterback. Not really worth it for what round you would have to grab him.
RB- Kevin Smith Detroit
This one is pretty simple. If the guy is fighting to just make the roster, it’s highly doubtful he will have an impact come fantasy football season. In preseason football Smith has not looked like the same running back from last year as he recovers from a torn ACL. Thus putting his coaching staff in the position that it maybe better to cut ties with the running back. You also can add in Jahvid Best looking like the real deal in preseason. All this equals a mistake to grab Kevin Smith.
WR- Braylon Edwards New York Jets
Edwards’ fantasy star power took a hit this off-season with the addition of Santonio Holmes. Holmes should push Edwards back to the third wide receiver spot dropping his overall production. Edwards also still has the propensity to drop way too many passes. You finally have the fact that the Jets’ offense is a run-oriented team and it equals Edwards being a terrible choice this season.
TE- Greg Olsen Chicago
Greg Olsen has bean a sleeper candidate for a couple of years, yet never really fulfilled on his promise. Olsen’s fantasy impact took another hit this season with the addition of Mike Martz. Martz offenses use the tight end more as blocking specialist, rarely sending them out to make catches. This, and the addition of Brandon Manumaleuna, should cut down on Olsen’s time and production on the field. Either way, it looks like Olsen will once again not live up to his pre-draft hype.
Kickers- John Kasay Carolina
Any kicker can turn into a bust or waste of a pick if you take him to early. If I had to choose one to stay away from it would be John Kasay. Kasay has been a solid fantasy starter for a while now. But with a new quarterback in Matt Moore leading the offense, his point total should drop off. Thus, making him a not so great option.
Kickers are stupid anyways in fantasy. Wait until your last pick and tell whoever is running the draft to give you the kicker with the hottest wife.
Defense- New York Giants
The Giants’ defense has been ranked by many fantasy services in the top ten defense once again. Yet the production of a couple key players should make you go in another direction. Osi Umenyiora and Justin Tuck have not been able to produce like they once did in their Super Bowl winning season. Add in a couple aging players who are getting old and fragile, equals a defense on it’s last legs. You also add in that they have to play four games against high scoring offenses in Philadelphia and Dallas. Don’t pick them.
Expect a rough season for the Giants D.
Games to Watch this Weekend
Kentucky vs. U of L
If you need coverage of this one, you need to go elsewhere. StraitPinkie.com knows nothing of this game and doesn’t really care about it.
3. Boise State vs. 10. Virgina Tech
A top ten match-up that will probably eliminate the team that loses from playing in the National Championship. Do you need any other reason to watch this game?
Cardinals vs. Reds
Last Chance for St. Louis to get back into the NL Central race. If the Cardinals lose any game in this series they virtually have no shot of wining the NL Central or even making the playoffs. The Cardinals do have their three best starters going in Carpenter, Wainwright, and Garcia, so they should have no excuse. Either way, if they are going to make a move it has to start this series.
The first night of college football went off without any major surprises last night, whetting our appetite for a full slate of games on Saturday. As we go through the initial weekend, we have to remember that it’s week one, and no one is probably as good as they seem, and no one is probably as bad as they seem.
Case in point: Oregon gets rocked last year by Boise State on the opening Thursday night of the year, while also losing Mike Tyson LaGarette Blount for the season. Some thought the Ducks were already food for the slaughter, but the club responded with a Pac-10 title.
Here are a few casual observations from the several games that I watched. I’m not one to toot my own horn, but I must admit that my channel surfing skills are in midseason form.
Nice win for the Utes. What about the camo? (cbsnews.com)
Utah: Rowdy Fans, Weird Camo
It seemed the opening night crowd that threw off its opponent the most was in Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Salt Lake City. Pitt had several pre-snap penalties, which seemed to be created by the boisterous Utes fans. True, the Panthers were starting a new QB, but who would have thought a mormon dominated crowd could create so many problems?
And what about Utes’ coach Kyle Wittingham using the tiemout-at-the-last second trick twice on Pitt’s kicker at the end of regulation. It worked once, but the second time he outsmarted himself. I wonder if college or the NFL will make a rule to stop this in the future? While the OT victory over Pitt was impressive, the weird blue/aqua camouflage Under Armour some of the Utes players were sporting is questionable at best.
South Carolina: The Real Deal?
SC rolls over Southern Miss in the annual ‘South Carolina on ESPN to open the year’ bit. One week and a few playmaking freshmen later, it looks like Spurrier may have put together a solid team. While Cock fans (not a homosexual slur) shouldn’t get too excited about a victory over a middle of the road C-USA team from last year, Southern Miss typically plays the tougher teams on its schedule fairly well. We’ll see how the ol’ ball coach and QB Stephen Garcia respond once they get into the meat of their schedule.
Best Game of the Night: In Birmingham?
While most people probably skipped over the Florida Atlantic-UAB game on the schedule, we missed out on a good old fashioned barnburner. Despite UAB’s 345 rushing yards, Howard Schnellenberger’s FAU team came back from 16 down to win 32-31. The Owls blocked a potential game-winning 28-yard field goal as time expired, leading Schnellenberger to spout out some celebratory grunts.
Here on the Pinkie, we are all about University of Kentucky and University of Louisville athletics. So, would it not make sense for us to have a sweet ole’ tailgate party to celebrate the Cats and the Cards game tomorrow?
We will be set up in the Premier Trucking parking lot, which is right across the street from the Green Lot at Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium. Enjoy tunes from one of the most unstoppable DJ’s in the area, in D.J. Bruce of Brewster and Schuster, along with prizes, such as StraitPinkie.com t-shirts and koozies. If you pretend like you know about the site, we might even give you a beer. If you pretend like you enjoy the site, we’ll laugh in your face and ask you depart immediately, because we know better than that.
Anyways, check us out tomorrow in the Premier Trucking lot across from the Green Lot. We’ll probably get there around nine in the morn and be there all afternoon. Ask us nicely and we might even give you a StraitPinkie.com koozie.
Parking is only $20 in the lot if you need a spot. The money does not go to us as we don’t own the lot. We’re just parking our lil’ tailgate partay there.
Also, stop by Tailgaters if you get a chance and drink some Falls City Beer and check out the Falls City Beer girls. They’ll be there pretty much all day.
Falls City Beer is a Louisville tradition. StraitPinkie.com is trying to become one.
After weeks of previewing everything from quarterbacks to defensive lines to special teams, the day of reckoning is upon us.
Cats vs. Cards. Blue vs. Red. Joker vs. Strong. Hartline vs. Froman?
That is right. On Saturday at 3:30 p.m., the University of Kentucky and the University of Louisville will take to the gridiron of the remodeled Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium and kick off the 2010 season.
This is more than a rivalry game. Sure, it’s important for fans to have bragging rights. But, it is imperative for both of these teams to get off to a good start.
UK enters Saturday with a three-game winning streak over the Cardinals. If they avoid turnovers, don’t allow the big play on defense and keep everyone healthy, they should walk out of the Pizza Oven with the Governor’s Cup trophy for the fourth consecutive season.
When it was announced that Mike Hartline would be the starting quarterback on opening day, there were a lot of disappointed Big Blue fans. But, Hartline doesn’t have to throw the ball 80 yards down the field for Kentucky to beat Louisville. He needs to do what he does, and that is manage the football game. Allow the running game to get going and then take advantage and hit open receivers. That is it.
The Cardinal defense is young, small and inexperienced. Kentucky has to take advantage of this. Although, UK lost four veteran starters on their o-line, this is still a talented unit and they are led by junior Stuart Hines. While their pass protection may be a bit of a work in progress, their run blocking should be superb from the get-go. The Wildcats must capitalize on the physical mismatch up front and exploit the Cardinals’ lack of size.
The strength of this Wildcat offense are their skill guys in Derrick Locke, Randall Cobb, and Chris Matthews. Just like up front, the Cardinal secondary is young and this is a group that really struggled last year. Look for Kentucky to establish their running game early in an attempt to wear down the Cards. If Locke and company are able to have success on the ground, it will do two things. It will force Louisville to bring an extra guy in the box to stop the run and the long drives will wear down a Cardinal defense that lacks depth. Then, expect Hartline to look for Cobb and Matthews in hopes of a big play.
Hartline has to play mistake free. Like I mentioned earlier, they don’t need him to throw the ball the length of the football field. They need him to put the ball in the playmakers’ hands and let them do the work. When Kentucky is in third-and-long situations, he can’t throw the ball over the middle in traffic. Turnovers allow teams that are less talented to stay in games. You don’t want that. Especially in a rivarly game. Especially in a rivalry game at their place.
You will see Joker go with the “WildCobb” and some other fancy plays in an attempt to keep Louisville off-balance. But, I wouldn’t expect to see Cobb line up under center as much as you did last year. I think you will see a much more balanced and traditional attack from UK this season and it will start on Saturday.
On the other side of the ball, look for the UofL o-line to have the advantage over a young UK d-line. The Cardinal offensive line is probably their most experienced unit and besides Dequin Evans, UK does not possess anyone up front with a ton of experience. Look for the Cardinals to try to take advantage of this and establish both Victor Anderson and Bilal Power in the ground game. They, however, will attempt to slow the game down with their running game in an effort to keep the Wildcat offense off the field. Oh, how things have changed.
I know this goes without saying, but the running game for both teams is going to be huge. I’m not sure how relevant this stat is, but for the last ten years the team with the most rushing yards has brought home the Governor’s Cup.
The Wildcat defense will also have to find a way to defend the spread offense, which has been something they have struggled with in the past. In the past couple of seasons the UK defense, aka Whomp Squad, would perform effectively against conventional offenses. But, so-called gimmick offenses, like the spread, or even something as simple as a running quarterback have always haunted them.
While the defense this season is young, they are a lot quicker. UK radio analyst Jeff Piecoro said yesterday on the Tom Leach Show that the first thing that you notice about this Kentucky defense is how much faster they are. They aren’t big and they don’t have a ton of experience, but their speed should make them better at defending the spread.
The key on Saturday could be OLB Danny Trevathan, who epitomizes UK’s quickness in the middle of the field. He is finally healthy and is ready for a breakout season. By year’s end he could prove to be one of the quickest and most effective linebackers in the SEC.
I mentioned that one of the keys to a Wildcat victory is preventing the big play. Kentucky’s secondary definitely has the advantage over Louisville’s receiving core. With safeties Winston Guy and Mychal Bailey, along with corners Randall Burden and Martavius Neloms, Kentucky should be able to out-physical the Cards and prevent them from going over the top.
You also have to remember that the Louisville coaching staff installed a new offense and this is the first time that the Cards have been forced to execute in a game situation. Expect U of L to make mistakes and when they do, Kentucky has to make them pay.
Kentucky wins this game unless they make mistakes and allow the Cards to hang around. I don’t expect the ‘Cats to run away with it, because they don’t have that quick-hit offense. But, they will establish the run, Locke and Cobb will make big plays and Hartline will control the game.
The ‘Cats get four strait. This time by 14 – Kentucky 31, Louisville 17
By: Biscuit |
September 3rd, 2010 |
Category: Cards
Louisville Cardinals vs. Kentucky Wildcats Saturday September 4th, 2010 Louisville, KY Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium T.V.: ABC Radio: WHAS 840 am and WKRD 790 am
It’s finally that time of year again. It’s the first weekend in September which means college football is back. This Saturday, the frenzy hits the Derby City with the Battle of the Bluegrass between the Louisville Cardinals and Kentucky Wildcats.
Louisville is coming off another disappointing season, going 4-8 in 2009 and missing a bowl game for the third straight yet. The Kragthorpe era is officially over and there is a new sheriff in town. His name is Charlie Strong and he is here for one main reason. To return Louisville to the BCS contender status they earned back in 2007. Strong comes from the University of Florida where he filled the role of defensive coordinator. In his time as a Gator, he won two national championships and was the leader of one of the best defenses in the country. Strong brings that winning mentality to Louisville and is ready to get down to business. Strong is a shot in the arm to the Louisville program and is exactly the type of coach that the Cardinals need. He is all business and will not accept losing no matter what. This is the type of attitude that the program lacked under Kragthorpe.
The strength of this 2010 Cardinal team will be the offense. Louisville returns nine starters from last year’s team including play makers such as receiver Doug Beaumont, running back Victor Anderson, and quarterback Adam Froman. Last season, Froman was Louisville’s leading passer with 1,354 passing yards, six touchdowns, and five picks. Froman is a bigger sized quarterback with good arm strength. Last year he proved to be the best quarterback on this team with his decision making and ability to throw strikes to receivers. His main down fall is he isn’t very mobile, so if he runs into trouble in the pocket, he will go down. Hopefully he will learn the ability to move outside the pocket and escape the pass rush in order to turn negative plays into positive ones.
Beaumont returns for his senior season and should be the main target for Froman. Beaumont was second on the team last year in receptions with 38 for 465 yards. He is a speedster with break away ability. He has yet to find the end zone in his first three seasons and his small size could be an issue when going up against bigger, stronger defensive backs. He is most dangerous when he uses his speed to pick up yards after catch. You will probably see him catch balls over the middle or on short out-routes and try to make plays with his legs. He is not a deep threat but has reliable hands which make him an effective target.
Victor Anderson returns after seeing action in just 8 games last year due to a shoulder injury. When healthy, there is no doubt he is the best rusher on this team. Despite four games last year, he was still the teams leading rusher with 473 yards and five touchdowns. In last year’s battle at Kentucky, he rushed for 110 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries. Anderson is a hard runner that is exceptional at finding holes. He hits the holes hard and has enough speed to run away from defenses. The only question coming into this 2010 season is if Anderson is healthy enough to last all 12 games. If he is, he is due for a monster year.
The strength of this Louisville offense is by far the running backs. Bilal Powell and Blayne Donnell are experienced backs that are hard, punishing rushers that can get the tough yards. Also, with an experienced offensive line made of mostly seniors, the running game should be a major asset to this team.
If Louisville is to beat their rivals from Lexington, it will have to be the offense that carries them. The question marks coming into the 2010 season about Kentucky are mainly on the defensive side of the ball. The Kentucky defensive line is led by All-SEC second teamer Dequin Evans, but the linebackers are young and inexperienced. This is where the Cards should look to take advantage. The secondary of Kentucky is fast and physical and outrunning them down field is out of the question. Louisville needs to concentrate on short routes, especially of the middle and try to exploit the linebackers of Kentucky. Let the speed of Beaumont and the size of Josh Chichester take over and help move the ball down the field in chunks. If Louisville can consistently gain positive yardage and not get caught in second/third and longs, they will be effective. Keep the Kentucky defense on their heels and hit them with a balanced attack of the run and pass. The Cats won’t know what to expect next.
The problem that I see in this matchup for Louisville comes on the defensive side of things. Louisville is replacing their two main defensive linemen in L.T. Walker and L.D. Scott. The defensive line was terrible at getting pressure on opposing quarterbacks last year and with the inexperience at the position in 2010, this could be an issue once again. Kentucky has an experienced quarterback in Mike Hartline, who has beaten Louisville twice, and when given time to scan the field he will find receivers. Louisville must find a way to pressure Hartline into mistakes and maybe force a turnover or two from him.
Besides Hartline, Kentucky has weapons at both receiver and running back. Their star receiver is Randall Cobb who let’s face it, is just a beast. This kid has the size, speed, hands, and pretty much everything else you need to be a big play maker. He will also be used at quarterback in the “Wildcat” formation and when given space can make big plays happen. He is a treat to run the ball, catch the ball, and can even throw it with some consistency. There is no telling when and how Joker will use Cobb which creates a problem for the Louisville defense. You have to limit his touches as much as you can.
With the inexperience and youth along the defensive front, the Louisville linebackers must step up in the holes and stop the Kentucky running game. Star running back Derrick Locke returns and is a duel threat as he can play receiver as well. The Cards linebackers need to eye him in the back field and not let him get loose. The linebacking corp of the Cards is probably their only bright spot. They return starters Brandon Heath and Antwone Canady but must replace leader Jon Dempsy. I look for Dexter Heyman to see a lot of action as a starting linebacker and believe that he can fill the void left by Dempsy. Heyman is a big physical player who saw action in both is Freshman and Sophomore seasons. The linebackers must be fast from sideline to sideline to keep up with Locke and must protect the middle of the field from the likes of Randall Cobb.
The Louisville secondary will be another weakness for the defensive group. The Cardinals return only one starter in the secondary, CB Johnny Patrick. Everybody else that will see action has seen little playing time on the D-1 level and will be tested early in the Kentucky game.
This matchup comes down to the offenses. It’s a matter of who does a better job of exploiting the other team’s defense and who can take care of the football. Turnovers are a big equalizer and may make up for the weaknesses on defense. I think this game will be an average scoring game with the Cards coming out on top in a close one 27-24.
Tomorrow. Today, peep some smokin’ hot fans and cheerleaders of both squads. Also don’t forget to vote in the Straitpinkie.com 2010 Yump of the Year contest. And remember that we have a former UofL cheerleader (Rachel) and a former University of Kentucky Dance Ensemble member (Katie) in that cast. Louisville Cardinal and Kentucky Wildcat Yumps, Uh YUMP!!
Over the last couple of weeks we have examined both UK and U of L at every position. In case you didn’t get a chance to read our previews, below are links to each of them.
It’s just us pretending like we actually know something about football. You will quickly realize that aside from Aaron, who runs bleedbluekentucky.com, we don’t.
Without a doubt the greatest college football game of the last ten years was the 2007 Fiesta Bowl. The hype and build up gave no indication that this would turn into such a great game. In fact, most of the build up was about the fact that Boise State did not belong in the game at all. Many pundits deemed it a game not worth watching, as Oklahoma would wipe the floor with them. It was setup as a classic David versus Goliath sports match up, with David once again not having any shot.
To get to the Fiesta Bowl, Oklahoma had to go through a gauntlet of a season. Oklahoma had entered the season on a sour note as returning starting quarterback Rhett Bomar and lineman J.D. Quinn were ruled ineligible by the NCAA. Without these two players Oklahoma fell out of the top ten rankings and the team stumbled out of the gate. Oklahoma barely avoided an upset to Washington, winning 24-17. Oklahoma’s supposedly vaunted defense gave up 300 yards to a weak offense in Washington.
Oklahoma managed to get by in a couple of games before their luck finally ran out against Oregon. Oklahoma had managed to hold onto a 33-27 lead with 1:12 to go. Oregon went for an onside kick and managed to recover it. The problem was the ball did not travel the necessary ten yards. Even after a review and it being painfully obvious, the referees still gave Oregon the ball. Oregon used this lucky break to go down and score a touchdown, which proved to be the difference.
Oklahoma would again run into trouble during the Red River rivalry game. Texas completely dominated the 2nd half with 21 unanswered points. A Colt McCoy led offense dialed it up just right in their win against Oklahoma. This proved to be a turning point in the season, as Oklahoma made some key moves that put them back on their winning ways.
Adrian Peterson was one of the catalysts leading the way for the offense by providing both a bruising and fast running game. Peterson put up another great college season, rushing for 1012 yards and 12 touchdowns. On the other side of the ball the defense made a couple key changes adding talented freshmen to replace underachieving upper upperclassmen. From that point on Oklahoma defense only allowed more then 20 points twice.
With this formula Oklahoma was able to win the rest of its games and win the Big 12 championship. This earned them a berth in the Fiesta Bowl. Oklahoma looked like a team on the rise and one that would be able to thoroughly handle a mid-level Boise State team. Boise State on the other hand had been a dominant force the entire season. Boise State was able to rely on a strong cast of returning starters, most by any NCAA team. Those returning starters allowed Boise State to start and end the season strong.
Boise State’s main strength was their offense. Coach Chris Peterson’s aggressive and creative style of play gave Boise State a clear advantage. Opposing defenses would have to prepare for almost everything from trick plays to going for it on 4th down. Boise State also got the added luxury of being led by stud running back Ian Johnson who led the nation in points scored and highly efficient, dual threat quarterback, Jared Zabransky. Putting all this together allowed Boise State to be one of the best offenses in NCAA football.
Boise State’s aggressive style also translated to the other side of the ball. Boise State’s aggressive defense allowed only two close games all year, and helped the Broncos beat teams by an average of 24 points.
All this put together allowed Boise State to slowly rise from unranked to a BCS eligible bowl team. Boise State’s key victory in propelling itself was beating Hawaii, the previous WAC champion. After this game Boise State slowly started making its way up the rankings, jumping 1-3 spots up every week. Boise State was able to finally make it into the 8th spot in the BCS and thus barely eligible for a BCS bowl game. Although not known by the public, Boise State had the tools and had earned their way to play Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl.
This game started out fast with Boise State shockingly getting on the board first. Boise State’s ability to break a big play happened only 6 minutes in. On a play action pass, Jared Zabransky was able to complete a 49 yard touchdown pass to Drissan James, putting the Broncos up 7-0.
Boise State’s defense stepped up next by forcing and recovering a fumble on Oklahoma’s nine yard line. With a short field to work with, Chris Peterson went to his rock – Ian Johnson. Johnson needed only two carries to get to the end zone and lead Boise State to a stunning 14-0 lead.
Down 14-0, Oklahoma finally responded with a long drive for a score. With Adrian Peterson being able to extend the drive with key runs on third down. Paul Thompson was able to finish with an 8-yard TD pass to Reggie Smith for a touchdown. Cutting the Boise State lead in half.
The second quarter was more of a defensive battle, with neither team being able to get the offense going. Oklahoma finally managed to grab a field goal, which was setup by a 30 yard run by Allen Patrick.
Boise State finally managed to get back on track on offense right before the end of the first half. Zabransky was once again able to complete a long pass to James. This put Boise State up 21-10 and with a lead that almost no one thought possible.
Boise State started the 2nd half much like the way they ended the first. They were able to intercept and return a Paul Thompson pass for a touchdown. This put Boise State up 3 touchdowns and in control. Oklahoma looked in total disarray. If, Oklahoma were to have a shot of wining this ball game, they would have to answer quickly.
Oklahoma got back on track the very next drive, sort of. After Thompson managed to complete a couple long passes, the drive stalled. Oklahoma punted the ball away, but managed to recover a fumble after Aionna Key misjudged the punt. Peterson was able to take advantage with a 8 yard touchdown run. After stopping Boise State, Oklahoma was also able to get a 28 yard field goal putting the game at 28-20. Thus keeping them in striking distances.
For a long stretch in the 4th quarter, neither team was able to grab control as both teams defenses forced short drives. The game finally came down to Oklahoma’s last possession with 2:40 to go. Quarterback Paul Thompson took over, going a perfect 6 for 6, for 59 yards including the game tying touchdown and two point conversion pass. This tied the ball game with a little over a minute to go.
On the very first Boise State play, Okahoma’s Marcus Walter came up with the defensive play of the night. Walter’s managed to pick off Zabransky and then run it back for the Sooners’ first lead of the night. It looked like the Cinderella story for Boise State was not going to get a happy ending. But, as it was before Boise State made a couple plays and produced one of the most exciting 4th quarter drives in college football history.
With less then a minute to go and 78 yards to drive, Zabransky got Boise State going again with a 36 yard pass to Derek Schouman. But Boise stalled on the next 3 plays. Oklahoma managed to force a sack and 2 straight incomplete passes pinning Boise State to a 4th and 18 with only seconds to go. Even though things were dire, Boise State had a trick up their sleeves. Like they had practiced the week before, Zabransky completed a 15 yard pass to Drissan James, who in one quick step lateraled the ball to Jerrard Rabb with a whole lot of wide open space in front him. Rabb ran it in, tying the ball game and sending it into overtime.
At the very start of overtime, Oklahoma’s offense took control. Well, actually Adrian Peterson took control. On the very first play, Peterson busted a 25 yard run for a touchdown giving Oklahoma the lead once again. They seemed to be gaining more and more momentum as the game passed. You wondered how long Boise State could stay with them.
Boise State’s offense struggled, as Zabransky was just able to dink and dunk his way with short passes. Ian Johnson also managed a couple great run plays to get Boise State on the door step to score. A key moment in the drive came down to a 3rd and 1. Oklahoma’s defense came up big, finally stopping Ian Johnson and forcing a 4th and 2. Yet once again, as Boise State had done before they managed to pull another trick out of their bag.
On 4th and 2 Zabransky handed the ball off to Vinny Perretta who tucked the ball making it look like he was going to run the ball for the first down. Instead, Perretta pulled up and found tight end Derek Schouman for a touchdown right over the outstretched arms of an Oklahoma defender.
With Boise State getting the touchdown, Chris Peterson made another aggressive decision choosing to go for the two point conversion. The logic being they could not keep standing toe to toe with OU any longer. It was time to go for the knockout.
Peterson pulled out the last trick in his bag, with 4 wide receivers to right of formation. Zabransky took the snap and immediately faked a throw in that direction. In completing his motion, he secretly handed the ball off to Ian Johnson, who ran into the end zone untouched with the help of a couple blocks, giving Boise State one of the greatest upset ever. After scoring the two point conversion, Johnsons went strait over to his girlfriend, a BSU cheerleader and proposed. Thus giving the game the absolute perfect Hollywood ending.
In my book, this game managed to have everything. You had two sides with exciting offensive and defensive plays. An underdog team who manages to get out to a big lead, lose it and still somehow pull out a victory. The game also had a litany of great trick plays that caught everyone off guard. Finally, add in an overtime game that ends on a statue of liberty two point conversion and the player who scores the game winning conversion manages to also get the girl. All of that together adds up to the number one game of the last ten years and one that can stand up to the debate of best ever.
By: Carl H |
September 2nd, 2010 |
Category: Sports
You hear a lot of people complaining about the absurd amounts of money athletes are pocketing these days. In their defense, Brian Cardinal has made over $36 million over the last 10 years, and $6,750,000 last year to play 267 minutes and score 48 points. BRIAN CARDINAL!!!!
So with the absurd amounts of money today’s athletes are raking in, who has earned the most over their prestigous career?
Tiger Woods? Nope.
Michael Jordan? Nope.
Alex Rodriguez? Nope.
Peyton Manning? Nuh-uh. Tom Brady? Not even close. Phil Mickelson? Nah.
Then who? Try Gaius Appuleius Diocles, an Ancient Roman Charioteer, who amassed “the staggering sum” of 35,863,120 sesterces (ancient Roman coins) in prize money. That’s the equivalent of approximately $15 billion.
Diocles began his career in 122 A.D., at the age of 18, and won 1,462 of his 4,257 races and finished second 861 times in his illustrious career. He made nine horses “centenari” (100-time winners) and one horse, Pompeianus, a 200-time winner. Diocles retired at the age of “42 years, 7 months, and 23 days.”
It’s a really interesting read and even delves into Diocles’ career and the similarities to today’s sponsorship deals with the Ancient Roman teams of: the Reds, Greens, Blues and Whites. (Diocles had short stints with the Whites and Greens before settling in for a long career with the Reds.)
The original publication was in Lapham’s Quarterly and can be read HERE.
I highly recommend any sports fan reading both of these articles. They basically document how even 1,800 years ago, sports were dominating forces in entertainment, and the same issues in society existed even back then (playwrights were mad because the sporting events drew more people to watch, reserve seating was recommended as a good place to pick up aristocratic women, and it was advised to let your hand linger as you fluffed her seat cushion…. etcetera)
We’re under way. Vote for your favorite Local Yump! and help her through to the next round; one step closer to $200 and the worldwide fame that will come with being the 2010 Straitpinkie.com Yump of the Year!
Check out the first round competitor’s full interviews and galleries below by clicking their name, then make a decision for once in your life and just vote! You can vote once an hour so keep comin’ back.
First Round Voting comes to a close on Monday at 8 p.m. We will start the first two quarterfinals next Tuesday.
Christine just moved to the Derby City from the land of cheese, also known as Wisconsin. She’s a Badger fan, but if forced to pick between the Cats and Cards, she’d take the Cards. She doesn’t really like bread. She absolutely loves Road Runner cartoons. She doesn’t have tattoos. If she could have a super power it would be invisibility. Drinks anything she can get her hands on. Loves eating at Denny’s at four in the a.m.
Rachel is a former U of L cheerleader, so of course she’s a Cards fan. Her all-time favorite player is the turned rapper L-Dubb, aka Luke Whitehead. She loves Scooby Doo and the Mystery Machine. She has three tattoos. Wishes she could fly. Her fridge only consists of vodka, beer and condiments. Wishes she lived in the 1970′s. And loves White Castles at night.
Amber is a Cards fan and went old school on us by naming Chris Redman as her favorite player. Loves duh duh duh duh Inspector Gadget. Would like to go back in time to 1955 when James Dean died. Makes her very own blueberry jam and claims strait deliciousness. Loves Ace Ventura. Is not a fan of people that think she’s stupid because she looks innocent.
Kharina is big time Cards fan. Can squad up and do 90 girl push-ups, but can only do 10 regular ones. Isn’t tatted up, “would you put a bumper sticker on a Bentley?”. Likes the funny dudes. Is not a big beer drinker, but likes her some mixed drinks. At four in the a.m. she hitting up the White Castle. Watches Bad Girls Club on the Oxygen channel.
Olivia is a student at the University of Louisville and bleeds red. Pinkie favorite T-Will is her favorite player. She’s an aspiring musician and played at the recent HullabaLOU Festival. She likes a guy with a good smile. She’s never seen Dumb and Dumber. Growing up she watched Barney every morning. If she’s looking for some late night grub, she tends to hit up either Waffle House or Denny’s. Brussel sprouts are one of her favorite foods, at least when mom cooks them.
She’s not a big football or basketball girl, but would pick the ‘Cats over the Cards. One time John Wall liked a facebook page she created, so he’s her favorite. She likes NASCAR so much that it’s a little bit unhealthy. She loves all of the old Nickelodeon cartoons. Wants a tattoo that says “love life”, but doesn’t think it will look good when she’s 40. If she could have a super power it would be invisibility or super speed. Goes to a place called Pats to eat some late night grub because it’s the only place open in Manchester.
Reanna is a big time Cats fan and her favorite player is John Wall. You better floss and brush well, because the first thing she notices in a guy is his teeth. She can do an impressive 50 push-ups. Was a big G.I. Joe fan growing up. She’s a strait beer drinker and doesn’t have a problem with dancing on the bar. She’s hitting up Taco Bell with the chihuahua at four in the morning and develops some taco neck syndrome. Her favorite animals are snakes.
Megan went to both UK and U of L, but graduated from Louisville so she pulls for them. Rugrats was her favorite cartoon growing up. She has two very tiny tattoos. She wishes she had the ability to know what people are thinking. She’s already seen the past so if given the choice she would prefer to travel 15 years into the future. IHOP is her spot at four in the morn’. She loves reduced fat Cheez-Its so much that she considers them a food group. You’ve got your meats, veggies and cheez-its.
