Lane Kiffin headed to the SEC

ESPN.com is reporting that former USC offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin has accepted a deal in principle to become the new head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers. The 33 year old Kiffin left Southern California in 2007 to coach the Oakland Raiders. He was terminated on September 30, 2008, after less than two years in a Raiders organization that made him the youngest coach in their history. Lane is the son of Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin.

Phillip Fulmer coached the Tennessee Volunteers for 16 seasons, winning one National Championship. In the midst of poor team performances in the ’08 campaign, and one of the worst seasons in Tennessee’s history, he was forced to resign, and will step down at the end of the season. Kiffin’s knowledge of recruiting hotbeds, having worked as recruiting coordinator at USC, may have proved the difference in his selection over other candidates.

Rearview: Is Tennessee the biggest disappointment?

Looking back at the preseason polls, I was nearly tempted to call Clemson the biggest disappointment of the 2008 season. But even with the misfires and miscues of the Tigers, the Tennessee Volunteers are by far more deserving of the tag. Sure, Clemson had a top 10 preseason ranking and loads of expectations. But when you look at the Volunteers, the preseason No. 18, their 2-4 start doesn’t even tell the entire story. The Vols have yet to defeat an opponent from the SEC (0-3), or anyone from a BCS conference (0-1). Of their two victories, only the 35-3 clobbering of UAB was impressive. Not so impressive was the 13-9 nail biter over Northern Illinois. Next week, Tennessee will host Mississippi State. And though I never thought I’d be saying this, it may be a battle to prove the worst program in the SEC.

What about Phillip Fulmer? Is it difficult to terminate a coach with a BCS championship under his belt? The last I checked, Larry Coker was still unemployed. The loss to UCLA in the opening week was telling, and merely a premonition of things to come. It wasn’t the awful Bruins shockingly beating a very good team. There wasn’t a good team on either side of that Rose Bowl field.

COACHING 1, 2, 3

The coaches are often criticized for the casting of their ballots. They can’t possibly watch all the games to even begin to place programs in an order of power. What’s worse than seeing Steve Spurrier vote Duke No. 1 at the start of each season? Maybe it’s watching the coaches’ numbers 1, 2, and 3 all fall on the same football Saturday. Oklahoma, Missouri, and LSU all failed to hold their positions. I guess if you’re Alabama, it was a great week for a bye.

SCRATCHING MY DOME

How crazy was the ending in Chapel Hill? I’m not talking about the reception, fumble, recovery, and the endless review with no time on the clock that marked the games end. I’m talking about the Notre Dame call on that final play. You need a touchdown, you have no time outs remaining, and you have 11 seconds on the clock. Why do you throw a pass 10 yards short of the end zone in the middle of the field? Isn’t it a sidelines or end zone pass that allows you to live for another play?

DIGITS

-The USC offense committed 4 turnovers on 4 consecutive possessions. QB Mark Sanchez alone committed 2 turnovers in back-to-back possessions deep in his own end, and Arizona State was still denied points by having 2 consecutive field goal attempts blocked by the Trojans.

-Chase Daniel hurt his Heisman campaign, by throwing 3 interceptions in the 2nd half of the loss to Oklahoma State.

-Florida’s 51 points marked just the 5th time in LSU’s history that they’ve surrendered 50 or more points in SEC play.

-The Buckeyes defeated the Boilermakers 16-3 without scoring a single offensive touchdown. The total offense for Ohio State was 222 yards. They totaled 211 yards on 6 punts.

-The 80 combined points scored by Texas and Oklahoma is a record amount for the 103 years of the rivalry.

-Michigan State is now 6-1, and Javon Ringer is 12 yards shy of 1000 on the season. In the lone loss to Cal on the opening weekend, Ringer recorded his lowest rush production (81 yards).

-In 4 quarters between the hedges, the Tennessee Volunteers rushed for just 1 yard.


THE GALLOPING FINISH
Michigan- sometimes you have to sink before you can swim.
West Virginia- even in victory, still struggling.
Virginia- huh?
Rutgers- A bowl of Rice. No Rice. No Bowl.
Northwestern & Vanderbilt- Reality check
Auburn-Guess who Franklin was rooting for?
Arizona- back on the burner for Mike Stoops.
BYU- creeping. Shh.
Florida- explosive
Oklahoma- lost their best defender for the season. Uh oh!
Texas- Hooked’em
Week 7- Outstanding!

Root for the Buckeyes this weekend

It's no secret that USC needs a lot of help if they're going to make an appearance in the BCS title game. They can certainly help themselves by not losing anymore games, and putting on a show with each victory. But winning alone won't get them in. They need help from some programs that a Trojan fan wouldn't normally root for. The Beavers caused more damage by losing again, this time to Utah. So, if you support the empire, these are your allies on Saturday.

The Top 8 in the coaches' poll- This is pretty obvious. In this game of musical chairs, and the Trojans needing another seat, it's easiest to obtain if someone above them gets booted. It's improbable that Oklahoma would lose to Baylor, as it is Kentucky beating Bama. But Colorado presents a possibility, playing host to the Horns. The Buffs scored an upset against OU last season, and they're much improved in '08. LSU has a bye, so they can't lose, and BYU has already won. Texas Tech plays Kansas State, let's hope the Wildcats have a defense.

Ohio State- Root for the Buckeyes to beat Wisconsin. In 2006, USC throttled the Arkansas Razorbacks in the opening weeks of the season. Arkansas went on a run, and even though the Trojans dropped a game to Oregon State, voters couldn't find it in them to rank the Trojans lower than an Arkansas team they had beaten 50-14. So as the weeks wound down, Arkansas was among the nation's top 10, but despite the loss to Oregon State, the Trojans always remained ahead of the Hogs in the rankings. Make sense? USC needs Ohio State to keep winning and making a push towards the top of the polls.

Maryland and Cal- Although the Terps are playing Virginia this weekend, and the Hoos were an early opponent, Virginia winning this game wouldn't do USC any good, because they just won't win enough ballgames to matter. The better option is to root for Maryland. If Maryland continues to win, Cal's loss to the Terps is on a lesser scale. USC still has Cal on the Horizon and needs their schedule strength. With that said, also root for the Golden Bears over the Sun Devils. If Arizona State wins that game, they may push themselves closer to the rankings, but it does no good, since they play USC next week. If a team is at the bottom of the rankings when they play USC, a loss to USC will surely knock them out. It's better for Cal to win and gain momentum in the polls, before the Trojans meet them in November.

Notre Dame- Voters love The Irish. Notre Dame plays Stanford, but you don't want to root for this Pac 10 team, because the Domers are likely to wrack up more season victories than the Cardinal. A 4-1 Notre Dame team has a great possibility of snagging the bottom of the coaches' poll.

UCLA and Tennessee- This is another obvious choice. You need Tennessee to start notching some wins, while also needing UCLA to start rolling. If the Vols can gather some key victories, the Bruins' victory in the opener will appear more credible. Tennessee is playing a cream puff this week, but they desperately need some positives in the win column, and I'll take whatever they can get.

From The Horse’s Mouth: Week 4 Spotlight games

I actually like what the fourth week has in store, because not only does it bring some key conference games involving both the SEC east and west, it also combines some out of conference match ups between some big name programs. We have a Florida State team that has climbed back into the rankings and will receive their first true test of the season, and an entire group of mid majors continuing their quest to invade the BCS.

(3) Georgia at Arizona State

The Horse’s must see rating: 10

Quickie: For the first time since Eisenhower was president, The Georgia Bulldogs will play a regular season game in the western time zone. The last trip came in 1960, where they fell 10-3 to USC in the Los Angeles Coliseum. They face a Sun Devils team fresh off an upset loss to UNLV that pushed them out of the AP top 25, and leaves them hanging by a thread in the coaches’ poll.

SUN DEVILS (2-1)
Last Week: L-UNLV

Anyone reading me over the course of 2007 knows I had the Sun Devils consistently on “fraud alert”. 2007 featured 8 games at home, bottom of the barrel out of conference opponents, and a loss to each power opponent they played.

QB Rudy Carpenter is a pro prospect, and near the top of the 2009 class at his position. But seldom do we get a good look at his abilities, because his line buckles and fails often. Carpenter was sacked 58 times last season, and has already eaten turf 5 times through the first 3 games of 2008.

BULLDOGS (3-0)
Last week: W-South Carolina

Georgia faced a challenge against a stiff South Carolina defense on Saturday. The Gamecocks limited the Dogs to 289 yards of offense, and allowed running sensation Knowshon Moreno just 79 yards on 20 carries.

The Bulldogs’ pass defense currently ranks 11th of the 12 SEC programs (263.3 ypg), and will face a Sun Devils passing offense ranked 1st in the Pac 10 (324.7). Pressuring the quarterback is of the utmost importance, as Dennis Erickson will likely go back to airing it out after losing in an upset to the Rebels, with the Devils altering the game plan and showing a big increase in rushing attempts and decrease in pass attempts. Expect them to go back to their strength, and Georgia to flex theirs. Georgia’s 42 sacks led the SEC last year, and can play a major role against a program that still struggles to protect their quarterback.

Xtra Points: I’ve seen some funny things happen in the Arizona desert. The last SEC program to visit Tempe was LSU in 2005. It took a tremendous comeback and late fourth quarter score for the 5th ranked Tigers to edge the 15th ranked Sun Devils in a game that ended 35-31, and saw an LSU defense surrender 560 yards of offense to the Devils. The tone should be set early. And if ASU opens by being overpowered by the Georgia defensive front, Carpenter is in for a very long day.

All Time Series: No prior meetings.

(4) Florida at Tennessee

The Horse’s must see rating: 10

Quickie: As rumor had it, it didn’t matter where you coached before or the success you had, because no coach could just walk into the SEC and take over. Well, Urban Meyer, Nick Saban, and Les Miles all have. It took Saban just 4 years to not only win the SEC, but also a national championship. It took Les Miles just 3, and as little as 2 for Urban Meyer. Meyer now looks to make it 4 straight victories over Tennessee’s Phillip Fulmer.

GATORS (2-0)
Last Week: BYE

The book on the 2008 Gators was an explosive offense with a suspect defense. The offense was supposed to offer more firepower, with an addition of a running game. I’m still waiting to see that ground game, because they haven’t showed much of it. Emannuel Moody is obviously buried deep in Meyer’s doghouse, but is expected to have more carries against the Vols than he has all season. That season total for Moody is “2”. Percy Harvin was limited in his first game back, either by the Miami defense or the rust of sitting out for weeks. I expect a more productive game from Harvin against the Vols, as he’s slowly worked back into the rhythm.

VOLUNTEERS (1-1)
Last Week- W- UAB

The Vols are still searching for an identity. Are they the preseason power as reflected in the polls, or the team dominated in the trenches by UCLA in week one? The victory over UAB still leaves these men behind the mask, and they should reveal their true faces on Saturday. Neyland Stadium offers a small advantage, as the Gators are 2-3 in their last 5 games away from the swamp (losses to Michigan, LSU, Georgia). Even in their road victories, the Gators aren’t nearly as impressive as they are on their home field.

Xtra Points: Arian Foster and the Vols ground game could be the key if Fulmer is to end the streak. In 3 losses to Florida, Tennessee has no runs of more than 6 yards. A 1-2 start would be awful in Knoxville, and though I don’t like to call a game in the fourth week a “must win”, for Tennessee, this is one.

All Time Series: Tennessee leads 19-18
Streak: Florida won 3

(6) LSU at (10) Auburn- The two teams played a thriller last year that ended with Matt Flynn finding a receiver in the end zone with time running out. I’m not sure this one will be as classic, with that new spread offense at Auburn looking about the same as the one in Michigan.

Notre Dame at Michigan State- The Irish can match their win total of a year ago. The Spartans can continue their ownership of the Boys from South Bend.

Miami at Texas A&M- As a ranked team, the Aggies were dominated by the Canes in 2007. Toss out the numbers next to the names, and expect more of the same.

(18) Wake Forest at (24) Florida State- Are the Noles back? They will answer that on Saturday.

(21) WVU at Colorado- In the thin mountain air, have no fear of Colorado coach Dan Hawkins. Fear his son, Cody, the Buff’s quarterback, instead.

(20) Utah at Air Force- What? Are you still sleeping on the Falcons?

Portland State at Washington State- Why is this game listed? It’s because I believe Washington State is bad enough to lose to this team.


Boise State at (17) Oregon- This game has upset written all over it. Oregon is limited to using their 3rd and 4th team quarterbacks. That’s about the same as UCLA, and things aren’t working well for the Bruins.

Football Factories: The 33rd Team of the NFL

I recently viewed the NFL Network’s “top 10 list”, and the subject was “NFL football factories”. And though I had no doubt that the Trojans would top the list, some of the choices or positions in the order were debatable. The list is based on the all time production of programs, when it comes to generating NFL talent. Here’s the list, along with their resumes and my own commentary on each. At first glance, you may see something noticeably missing. This list from the NFL Network doesn’t include a single Big 12 program.

1. Southern California Trojans

With 11 NFL Hall of fame inductees, and 59 Trojans making 201 Pro Bowl appearances, USC is placed above all others in terms of NFL production. If we’re ranking programs based on their talent levels, there’s no greater measure than reaching the NFL’s highest plateaus. Trojan players have made 97 Superbowl appearances, with WR Steve Smith being the most recent to wear a championship ring. In 41 Superbowls, a Trojan has appeared in all but 3, which supports the old adage that if you want to be an NFL champion, you increase the odds with a Trojan on your roster. If Smith’s Giants would have failed in their upset bid, another Trojan, Junior Seau of the Patriots, would have earned his first Superbowl ring.

Aside from spitting out players, this factory also produces coaches. Current NFL coaches from USC include Lane Kiffin (Raiders), Jack Del Rio (Jaguars), Norv Turner (Chargers), Jeff Fisher (Titans), Rod Marinelli (Lions), and Mike Holmgren (Seahawks). Former NFL coaches are Joe Gibbs, Steve Mariucci, John Robinson, John McKay, Wayne Fontes, and of course, Pete Carroll.

2. Miami Hurricanes

If this list was limited to modern football factories, the U would occupy the top spot. Even sitting in the second position is questionable, with their span of excellence only extending 25 years. But without a doubt, the Canes have more impact on today’s NFL playing fields than any other college program.

Miami has produced Jeremy Shockey, Kellen Winslow Jr., Michael Irvin, Clinton Portis, Willis McGahee, Frank Gore, Jonathan Vilma, Warren Sapp, Ray Lewis, Devin Hester, Sean Taylor, Jim Kelly, Bernie Kosar, Vinnie Testeverde, Andre Johnson, and Antrelle Rolle, just to name a few. They produced 19 first round picks in a 4 year span, which stands as a record. In the past 20 years, no school has sent more players to the NFL than the Miami Hurricanes (136).

3. Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Here come the Irish, but they should have already arrived. Realistically, if you’re not going to punish the Canes for arriving late, how can you punish the Irish for building their factory early? The Irish have 10 members of the Pro Football Hall of fame, compared to Miami’s 4. Notre Dame had 461 players drafted. Miami had 293. Giving a fair assessment, based on “all time factories”, Miami isn’t even in the same ballpark as Notre Dame.

Notre Dame’s production includes Joe Montana, Joe Theisman, Tim Brown, Rocket Ismail, Jerome Bettis, Julius Jones, Bob Golic, Dave Casper, Chris Zorich, Ryan Grant, Justin Tuck, and Reynaldo Wynn. Montana and Theisman combine for 5 Superbowl victories by Irish quarterbacks.

4. Ohio State Buckeyes

If you want to erase the Big 10 and Ohio State “lack of speed” myths, then all it takes is some name dropping. Tedd Ginn Jr., Cris Carter, Joey Galloway, Santonio Holmes, Anthony Gonzalez, and Terry Glenn are all Buckeyes. THE Ohio State has produced 53 NFL pro bowl players. 7 Heisman Trophies have been won by 6 players. Other notable NFL names include Eddie George, Mike Vrabel, A.J. Hawke, Orlando Pace, Chris Spielman, Shawn Springs, Paul Warfield, and Jim Marshall. What’s obviously missing from the list of Buckeyes is a great quarterback. In terms of quarterback production, OSU is nowhere near a factory, but manages to fill all other positions in the sport.

5. Michigan Wolverines

Here’s something we’ve become familiar with over the years, “The wolverines trail the Buckeyes”. The NFL Network’s number four and five teams are actually interchangeable, and you probably wouldn’t get an argument from anyone outside of the states of Michigan and Ohio.

The Wolverines have produced 7 Hall of Famers, and 36 Pro Bowlers. Braylon Edwards, Ty Law, Brian Griese, Dan Dierdoff, Desmond Howard, Anthony Carter, Todd Collins, Steve Hutchinson, Marlin Jackson, Cato June, Amani Toomer, Chris Perry, Jon Runyan, LaMarr Woodley, Charles Woodson, and Mr. Tom Brady are all U of M alum.

6. Alabama Crimson Tide

Montana and Theisman may have given Notre Dame 5 superbowl rings, but the Alabama Crimson tide boasts 3 quarterbacks, Bart Starr, Ken Stabler, and Joe Namath, that have led their NFL teams to championship victory. With 6 Hall of Fame inductess, the Network rated the Tide as the top football factory in the SEC.

7. Penn State Nittany Lions

Penn State is the third Big 10 program to make this list, giving the conference the most representatives of all conferences. Credit Joe Paterno for his ability to consistently recruit NFL caliber talent throughout the years. The count is 5 Hall of Famers and 34 pro bowl players for the Nittany Lions.

8. Syracuse Orange

Syracuse? The Orange never struck me as a football factory, despite their production of Jim Brown and Ernie Davis. Marvin Harrison, Daryl Johnston, Donovan McNabb, Art Monk, Larry Csonka, David Tyree, Keith Bullock, Dwight Freeney and John Mackey are also Syracuse products. And in case you’re reading this and scratching your head, consider that the Orange’s 6 Hall of Fame members are more than Texas, OU, and Florida State combined.

9. The Mid-American Conference

This is by far their worst choice, because it’s totally unfair. You can’t pit an entire conference against individual programs. Where would the MAC rank, if matched against other conferences?

The conference produced Randy Moss, Chad Pennington, Ben Roethlisberger, Byron Lefwich, Antonio Gates, Jason Taylor, Jack Lambert, Chester Taylor, and Josh Cribbs. But if you compare rosters to those of other conferences, the MAC would severely slump in numbers. Bad choice.

10. Tennessee Volunteers.

With 37 Pro Bowl players and 2 Hall of Famers, the Vols secured the final spot on the list. Peyton Manning and Reggie White may be the biggest Tennessee headliners, but other names of note are Jason Witten, Bill Bates, Albert Haynesworth, Travis Henry, Carl Pickens, Jamal Lewis, Eric Parker, Peerless Price, Jack “hacksaw” Reynolds, Heath Shuler, Donte’ Stallworth, Al Wilson, and Gibril Wilson.

A Knoxville First, and Another in Newark

The Memphis Tigers didn’t have to travel as far as the New England Patriots to feel the pain of imperfection, because it came sooner than later. Not that it numbs the pain to finally lose before you reach the postseason, and to do it on your home floor. But In this case, the throbbing could be more severe, because you not only gave an instate rival bragging rights and the honor of ending your perfect season, but you also allowed them to replace you at the top.

For the first time in history, Tennessee Men’s basketball is the No. 1 team in the nation. And the volunteers didn’t just creep to the top spot, they actually did it in style. The top poll position had several occupants over the course of the year, but how many of those mountain climbers achieved the position by defeating the No. 1 team in the nation? To get to that unfamiliar place, the Vols didn’t quietly wait for the Tigers to lose to someone else, they put in the work themselves.

A conference cast in a dim light by voters now has a team on top. Surprised? I’m not. The SEC’s Florida Gators have finished atop the college basketball world for the past two seasons, but we all know how the media suffers with short term memory.

And the state of Tennessee isn’t done with the dramatics, because just one day after receiving the No. 1 crown, the Vols get another instate rivalry road game, against a Vanderbilt squad that has won 6 straight, and have yet to lose in their own house this season.

AP Top 25
1. Tennessee (69) 25-2
2. Memphis 26-1
3. North Carolina (2) 26-2
4. UCLA (1) 24-3
5. Texas 23-4
6. Kansas 24-3
7. Duke 23-3
8. Stanford 22-4
9. Xavier 24-4
10. Wisconsin 23-4
11. Georgetown 22-4
12. Indiana 23-4
13. Louisville 22-6
14. Butler 25-3
15. Connecticut 21-6
16. Purdue 21-6
17. Notre Dame 21-5
18. Vanderbilt 23-4
19. Michigan State 22-5
20. Drake 24-3
21. Marquette 20-6
22. Washington State 21-6
23. Kent State 23-5
24. Gonzaga 21-6
25. Saint Mary's 23-4



A RECORD SETTING PERFORMANCE

In the Northeast, another team was achieving a first that was far less glamourous. On Saturday, the New Jersey Institute of technology set a new NCAA record, by finishing their season with a record of 0-29. Their overall losing streak now stands at 33, and with a loss in next year’s season opener, they can tie the NCAA mark of 34. Hell, they’ve come this far, it would be a shame to actually see them win that game and deprive America of another record setting performance.

The Highlanders reached this mark of futility by accounting for more season turnovers than field goals. But with all said, I can't help but think, if NJIT played in the Big East next year, and posted the exact same record, they would still make the Big East Conference tournament. The Big E will invite all members to participate in next year's postseason.