Ripped off from the Gridiron Board (Phog.net)
Just when you think you can no longer stomach the Gridiron Board (thread link), they go and put together a project like this. Awesome stuff. NCAA 08 hits stores July 17, 2007.
According to SI.com's Cory McCartney, the highlight video on West Virgina running back recruit Noel Devine is supposed to blow you away. It kind of gave me the impression that kids in Florida don't tackle well or run to the ball. Looks like 18 guys are out for a jog on a lot of those plays. I guess for KU fans, it's hard to impress after the legendary Jake Sharp video.
As a refresher, Ryan Glazer gave a verbal commitment to KU back on June 3. Phog.net has him rated as a four-star defensive tackle while Rivals has not yet rated him. The 6-3, 285 lb. defensive tackle out of El Cajon, California was recruited by Bill Young according to Rivals and is probably expected to compete for a starting spot in 2008. Standout DT James McClinton will be a senior this season and the staff will probably want to bring in a number of tackles to create competition for the position.
Here's a quick look at a few plays from three-star tight end recruit Tanner Hawkinson out of McPherson, Kansas. As a refresher, Hawkinson is 6-6/230/4.8 and gave KU a verbal on June 16.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1577303708111122045&q=Tanner+Hawkinson&total=1&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=0
Alright, so I'm sure you've caught the ESPN article by Mark Schlabach ranking KU's 2007 football schedule as the easiest in the nation. He even adds this fantastic quote:
"The Jayhawks' nonconference schedule includes more cream puffs than your favorite bakery"
If you liked that then you'll really enjoy this quality production by Adam Krueger at 6sports.
Impressive stuff -- except there is no way in hell that I am buying Central Michigan as a "cream puff." If memory serves me correctly, it seems that we, along with a few of our close friends/enemies, have struggled with some of the MAC teams. So, this year we start off the season fresh with the MAC champion and sophomore QB Dan LeFevour who went 247 for 388 and 3031 yards as a true freshman. He also added 26 TD passes, so I'm pretty sure the kid won't be intimidated coming into Memorial Stadium. Go back and check Central Michigan's schedule from 2006 and you might notice that the only team that really knocked them out was Michigan.
Anyway, the media viewpoint doesn't matter. They need something to talk about. However, the team has a job to do, and it doesn't even need to be a possibility that people at KU think that Central Michigan is a pushover. If anyone has a question with that, check out the Sagarin Ratings -- KU #64, CMU #56. Or maybe you like CBS Sportsline -- KU #62, CMU #31.
Let's just go ahead and over-emphasize the point -- this matchup with Central Michigan is critical for success this season. We want to go to Manhattan 4-0, but CMU is going to be a major test right out of the gate. If you want to see a great football game, I'd get out to Lawrence on Labor Day Weekend because this one matters.
What About the Rest of the Schedule
Sure, overall the schedule isn't awesome for 2007. Still, the premise that KU is afraid to play anyone is flat out false. Do we have "cream puffs" on the schedule every year -- yes. However, we usually challenge ourselves with a BCS level opponent in the non-con schedule. This year is the exception and it happens to occur during our weak* south rotation. Next year we'll have South Florida, Nebraska and Oklahoma on the road. Throw in a couple of home dates with Texas and Texas Tech as well. In 2009, those will be road games.
Did KU fans criticize Bill Snyder and K-State for weak schedules? Absolutely. However, the main criticism came when Bill wouldn't face BCS teams during that window when the Cats were actually challenging for national titles. Plus, a lot of that criticism came from KSU fans as well. If KU was ranked in the top 25 in the preseason polls, it'd be a slightly different story. When I look at the Schlabach article, I ask myself why is Texas on that list? Still, let's continue to bash KU in the local media -- it sells and hey, those guys gotta make a living too.
*KU was 0-3 against the "weak" rotation of Baylor, Oklahoma State and Texas A&M in 2006.
Both Aqib Talib and Anthony Collins made The Sporting News Top 40 Big 12 Players List posted on Tuesday. It makes for interesting debate and there's plenty of it in this thread on the Gridiron Board. My notes:
--Adarius Bowman should be #1, but hey, KU fans will always be scarred by AB
--I agree with the posters, James McClinton could be on this list
--Marcus Watts seems overrated to me as well
--Ian Campbell is a tough one. He had a great year, but he did get dominated in the KSU game I watched the closest against the 39th ranked player on the list. His stats back up the #7 ranking, but I still got my eye on him this year as to whether or not he is the real deal. (Too bad the Campbell/Collins rivalry won't be re-newed this year as Collins switched to left tackle.)
A recent viewing of the classic American film Fever Pitch provided a fresh reminder of the greatest downside of the select-a-seat/points system. As a season-ticket holder since roughly 1997, I have to say being a season-ticket holder in the current system feels a lot like not being a season-ticket holder. Pre-points you laid down the cash for the season package and headed out for six games at Memorial. If you liked your seats, you renewed. If not, you made a donation and tried a different area. It wasn't really that hard to find a good seat, then you just renewed. You'd get to know the folks around you and same crew would be there year after year. In the new world, you get bad seats -- no big deal, you'll be switching out. You get good seats -- too bad, enjoy them while you got em'.
Now I'm certainly not on the July Woodling/Mayer doom and destruction for KU campaign. The upside is huge revenue and I understand the dollar war that we are engaged in. Ultimately I want a team that will win. Wins are driven by cash, pure and simple and I'll play in the new system. Still, as the season gets closer, I think about the first game and locating our new seats 40 rows higher after multiplying our WEF donation by 11. By the seventh home game we'll be comfortable with the location and a new system for getting in and out. Then, I'll start thinking about the next season and where we'll be next as line blurs between being a season-ticket holder and a single-game ticket holder.
Or maybe it's Lew Perkins? Who knows, but I couldn't have been more surprised to return from a little out of town trip to find this venom-filled article in the Lawrence-Journal World. The only question is will this be a full-on LJW attack or just a one-man campaign. Be careful guys. KUsports.com is a great site, don't diminish that by trying to set the agenda. Here's a little sample of the good stuff:
"If the latest tactic doesn’t work, then they’ll probably say they need to remove the running track from the stadium as well. But that’s Kansas football. They’re always looking for the answer."
Also, Chuck loses a lot of credibility by failing to recognize "Blue Wings Rising" as the worst marketing campaign since Barbarian Queen II.
Yippee!!
http://mbd.scout.com/mb.aspx?S=172&F=2485&T=667843&P=1#S=172&F=2485&T=667843
I want a re-match.
When Ron Warner spent three hours back in the fall of 1997 torturing Corby "Mouthpiece" Jones, the guy won a permanent place in the hearts of many KU fans. In fact, the entire 14.5 sack performance of that 1997 campaign actually inspired the Monte Cozzens Award that this site has recorded ever since. Perhaps his NFL career didn't go as well as planned, but all that matters is that he's still playing. Plus, it looks like the Independence, Kansas native is well-received in Canada. Here's a couple of links to get you on track with Ron in the CFL:
Another story on the Big 10 Network from Si.com's Stewart Mandel. It's starting to look like there will be no middle ground on this endeavor -- a fantastic disaster or the end of the world as we know it.
"While Delany didn't come out and say it directly, one could definitely infer that if, come Aug. 1, negotiations are still at an impasse, the conference and its members -- perhaps even the coaches themselves -- will begin urging fans to switch to DirecTV so they don't miss a second of the action."
The game appears to be on track for a near-capacity crowd as the KC Star is reporting that 44,000 tickets have already been sold. Tickets go on sale to the public on August 1, but the current breakdown looks like this:
"about 16,000 tickets have been purchased through the Chiefs’ season-ticket base, with 22,000 more from KU, where the game is included in the season-ticket package. Missouri has sold about 6,000 tickets through an initial Tiger Scholarship Fund offering"
With what looks like a 30,000 to 14,000 early advantage, KU might be able to have a majority base at the Arrowhead event. KU season ticket holders just received a mailer for away game ticket purchases as well as additional Arrowhead seats. That should provide another boost. As word spreads about the demand and possibility for a sellout, casual fans will probably start to get motivated right at the August 1 date. With the early lead, KU fans should be scheming to reach the 50,000 number and claim Arrowhead for the 2007 edition of the Border War.
For reasons why this is all bad, check out the gridiron board thread.
DJ Goodwin