I just want to say "thank you" to Utah State, BYU, and Boise State for going toe to toe with solid SEC teams in SEC country and coming out with pride and dignity intact, not to mention two victories. Boise State stampeded Georgia, 35-21. It wasn't that close. Utah State beat up Auburn for 57 minutes before falling 42-38 to the defending national champion Tigers. BYU had difficulty putting together drives all afternoon, but the defensive front seven surprised Ole Miss with great smashmouth football, keeping the Cougars close until they could put together one adequate drive to defeat the Rebels, 14-13.
On the field, it was clear to the casual observer that all three teams belonged on the same field as their SEC hosts. Maybe they weren't playing Alabama, LSU, or Florida, but they weren't playing Kentucky or Vanderbilt, either. The intermountain schools were playing solid middle-of-the-pack programs in the alleged and advertised most powerful football conference in America. They made good. One should remember that Utah State is led by one of Utah's former assistant coaches, Gary Andersen, a man who was with the Utes when they pounded mighty Alabama into submission at the 2008 Sugar Bowl. One should remember that Boise State is led by a genius, Chris Peterson, who worked his way up through the football landscape, from UC Davis to Idaho.
One burning question remains. Will ESPN ever reduce or eliminate its Mideast/Eastern bias and BCS bias? Because of its new television deal with newly-independent BYU, the four-letter network went easiest on BYU. Broadcasters and analysts actually gave the Cougars credit for a hard-fought if unglamorous victory. Other western schools didn't fare so well.
The Aggies of Utah State, still a non-BCS WAC member, were given no props. Analysts could only talk from the Auburn perspective. The verdict? Auburn played poorly and will need to put it together next week against South Carolina. Really? Sure, Auburn only had 6 returning starters from last championship season, but as a perennial power in the SEC, the Tigers don't rebuild, they reload. Utah State was starting a freshman quarterback. Figure that. For 57 minutes, the Aggies outplayed and outcoached the Tigers. Poor special teams execution doomed them in the end, but the team from Logan deserves credit for their effort. From Bristol, Connecticut, very little was forthcoming. Still, it's humorous to see and hear the consistency and predictability of the network's biases.
The network's attitude towards Boise State was more lamentable. Fortunately, the game broadcasters had to admit, as a cacophony of boos rattled the Georgia Dome, that Kellen Moore's the real deal at quarterback and that Boise State's line outmuscled Georgia's line on both sides of the ball. By game's end, the announcers were impressed enough to confess that the Broncos deserved a top five ranking. Their initial bias was tempered by observations of the playing field.
However, one must take issue with such ESPN and BCS homer analysts as Mark May, Lou Holtz, and Jessie Palmer for their post-game analysis. While giving Boise State some credit for the convincing win, they griped more about Georgia's lack of execution. The story was mostly about Georgia, its fans, and the SEC race. They barely acknowledged Boise State's miraculous and quick growth into an NCAA football superpower (they had been pounded by Georgia just six years before in Athens), for the Broncos still belonged to a non-BCS conference.
Worse, the ESPN analysts kept dismissing the Broncos' 2011 schedule as easy except for TCU. They implied the weakness of schedule was Boise State's fault. They're already planning for an undefeated BSU scenario and providing reasons from the get-go why the Broncos don't belong in the title game. Who else has heard this song before?
The alleged weakness of schedule is not Boise State's fault. First, they would not decline an invitation into a BCS conference. However, the Pac-12 and the Big 12 haven't come knocking yet. Second, they can't get many high-profile teams to play them in nonconference games, and when they do, it's always on the road, or road and home and road packages. Schools aren't just afraid of the blue turf, they're afraid of the team. All coaches and athletic directors of big programs saw what Boise State did to Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl. They also saw what Boise State did to TCU in the Fiesta Bowl a few years later. The gutless reaction? No thanks. Hence, most big-time programs schedule one or two cupcakes before the conference schedule begins, and Boise State is left on the outside looking in and getting blamed for not scheduling up!
One need look no further in the past than last year for a wicked example of Boise State's schedule-making dilemma. Some time back, Boise State and Utah had agreed to a home and away package beginning in 2011. This was before conference realignment began last spring. As a member of the non-BCS Mountain West, Utah had wanted Boise State on the schedule as a heavyweight opponent in order to boost its strength of schedule rating. Boise State was happy for the same reason. Then, the Pac-10 embraced Utah as a new conference member. Suddenly, the Utes wanted to let off the gas. Suddenly, the Utes were looking for nonconference cupcake opponents. They had a problem, though. State lawmakers and alumni virtually demanded that the Utes retain BYU on its annual schedule.
The next target was Pittsburgh or Boise State. Pittsburgh belongs to the Big East, a BCS conference. Boise State is still non-BCS, though improved with its switch from the WAC to the Mountain West. Pittsburgh is also easier to beat than Boise State. Now that Utah is part of the upper caste, it doesn't want to offend a caste-mate. Plus, there's more to gain from beating a BCS team on the road than beating a non-BCS team at home. Also, there's more to lose from falling to a Mountain West foe than a Big East foe. The Utes' loss in the MAACO Las Vegas Bowl last December, 26-3, served as a reminder of how tough Boise State actually is.
Utah cancelled the Boise State series. We know why. Unfortunately, the Broncos were left swinging in the wind. Having Utah on the schedule in 2011 would have helped Kellen Moore's senior campaign, both for the Heisman and the title game. Instead, he and the team get to be subjected to insults for the weak schedule it refuses to upgrade. The whole thing is so pathetic and sad that it is, in fact, funny.
Friday, September 9, 2011
Thursday, September 8, 2011
NCAA Volleyball: Week Two Highlights (8/29/11-9/4/11)
Week Two Selected Match Highlights:
Hawaii played in two of the best contests of the week, outlasting Long Beach State 25-17, 21-25, 23-25, 25-19, 15-11 and falling to UCLA, 25-20, 28-26, 20-25, and 25-17 before 7300 fans in Honolulu. Before a supportive home crowd of 6750, the Rams of Colorado State had a thrilling come-from-behind upset victory over the Cornhuskers of Nebraska, 12-25, 11-25, 25-16, 25-20, and 15-9.
The biggest upset of the week occurred in Ft. Myers, Florida, last Friday, when the Central Florida Knights humbled the elite Trojans of USC, 25-16, 25-20, and 25-22. How lopsided was it? The Knights hit .351 to the Trojans' .135. They led in kills, 53-31, assists, 48-27, and digs, 50-35. That is why the game is played. The UCF coach was stunned and gracious in victory, just grateful for the opportunity to play USC and calling them a program to aspire to become.
Week Two Selected Individual Highlights:
In Colorado State's victory over Nebraska, Megan Plourde had 9 kills and 8 blocks, Katelyn Steffan had 13 kills and 4 blocks, and Tori Brummett had 8 kills and 4 blocks while hitting at a .571 clip.
In UCF's victory over USC, Latvian native Evijia Vilde compiled 15 kills while hitting .429 and freshman Kayla Keller had 12 kills and 13 digs.
Chloe Ferrari had 40 kills and 9 blocks in three matches in leading her San Diego Torreros into the Top 15.
One reason Minnesota easily triumphed twice over Texas in consecutive matches was Tori Dixon's torrid serving (8 aces total) and Katherine Harms' play at the net (17 kills in Friday night's contest alone).
Oregon's Alaina Bergsma kept the Ducks on a winning track through D.C., coming up with 35 kills and a hitting percentage near .450 in two matches.
Stanford's Karissa Cook was named Pac-12 defensive player of the week for coming up with a combined 98 assists, 40 digs, and 5 blocks in Cardinal victories over Duke and Notre Dame.
Penn State freshman phenom Micha Hancock had 89 assists and 10 aces while soph Katie Slay had 9 blocks in three victorious matches in Pittsburgh last weekend.
Senior Michelle Bartsch of Illinois had 64 kills and 59 digs in three matches while being named State Farm Illini Classic MVP. Meanwhile, teammates Erin Johnson and Liz McMahon, with 11 and 10 blocks respectively, provided the necessary defense at the net.
Hawaii's Kanani Danielson led the Rainbows with 18 kills against Long Beach State and 17 kills against UCLA. Speaking of Bruins, UCLA's leader and tourney MVP, Rachael Kidder, had 50 kills, 24 digs, and 15 blocks in three matches.
Week Three Selected Match Previews:
This weekend, all college volleyball eyes will be focused on the Nike Big Four Volleyball Classic in Palo Alto, where Top 10 host Stanford will play Top 10 Penn State and then the winner or loser of the Top 10 Florida vs. perennial Top 20 power Texas, depending on how the Cardinal fare against the Nittany Lions on Friday. Oregon's upset of Penn State and Minnesota's throttling of Texas in two consecutive matches shouldn't tarnish the significance of the tourney. After all, you won't see this much athletic volleyball talent in one venue until at least the regionals in December. With two wins, Penn State will be top five again. With two wins, Texas and Florida will make amends for last weekend's missteps. With two wins, Stanford could make a strong case for number one next week.
The best non-tourney match of the week has to be the Bruins of UCLA taking on the Trojans of USC Friday in North Central L.A. Both teams are loaded, so expect the conference opener to go five sets.
Hawaii played in two of the best contests of the week, outlasting Long Beach State 25-17, 21-25, 23-25, 25-19, 15-11 and falling to UCLA, 25-20, 28-26, 20-25, and 25-17 before 7300 fans in Honolulu. Before a supportive home crowd of 6750, the Rams of Colorado State had a thrilling come-from-behind upset victory over the Cornhuskers of Nebraska, 12-25, 11-25, 25-16, 25-20, and 15-9.
The biggest upset of the week occurred in Ft. Myers, Florida, last Friday, when the Central Florida Knights humbled the elite Trojans of USC, 25-16, 25-20, and 25-22. How lopsided was it? The Knights hit .351 to the Trojans' .135. They led in kills, 53-31, assists, 48-27, and digs, 50-35. That is why the game is played. The UCF coach was stunned and gracious in victory, just grateful for the opportunity to play USC and calling them a program to aspire to become.
Week Two Selected Individual Highlights:
In Colorado State's victory over Nebraska, Megan Plourde had 9 kills and 8 blocks, Katelyn Steffan had 13 kills and 4 blocks, and Tori Brummett had 8 kills and 4 blocks while hitting at a .571 clip.
In UCF's victory over USC, Latvian native Evijia Vilde compiled 15 kills while hitting .429 and freshman Kayla Keller had 12 kills and 13 digs.
Chloe Ferrari had 40 kills and 9 blocks in three matches in leading her San Diego Torreros into the Top 15.
One reason Minnesota easily triumphed twice over Texas in consecutive matches was Tori Dixon's torrid serving (8 aces total) and Katherine Harms' play at the net (17 kills in Friday night's contest alone).
Oregon's Alaina Bergsma kept the Ducks on a winning track through D.C., coming up with 35 kills and a hitting percentage near .450 in two matches.
Stanford's Karissa Cook was named Pac-12 defensive player of the week for coming up with a combined 98 assists, 40 digs, and 5 blocks in Cardinal victories over Duke and Notre Dame.
Penn State freshman phenom Micha Hancock had 89 assists and 10 aces while soph Katie Slay had 9 blocks in three victorious matches in Pittsburgh last weekend.
Senior Michelle Bartsch of Illinois had 64 kills and 59 digs in three matches while being named State Farm Illini Classic MVP. Meanwhile, teammates Erin Johnson and Liz McMahon, with 11 and 10 blocks respectively, provided the necessary defense at the net.
Hawaii's Kanani Danielson led the Rainbows with 18 kills against Long Beach State and 17 kills against UCLA. Speaking of Bruins, UCLA's leader and tourney MVP, Rachael Kidder, had 50 kills, 24 digs, and 15 blocks in three matches.
Week Three Selected Match Previews:
This weekend, all college volleyball eyes will be focused on the Nike Big Four Volleyball Classic in Palo Alto, where Top 10 host Stanford will play Top 10 Penn State and then the winner or loser of the Top 10 Florida vs. perennial Top 20 power Texas, depending on how the Cardinal fare against the Nittany Lions on Friday. Oregon's upset of Penn State and Minnesota's throttling of Texas in two consecutive matches shouldn't tarnish the significance of the tourney. After all, you won't see this much athletic volleyball talent in one venue until at least the regionals in December. With two wins, Penn State will be top five again. With two wins, Texas and Florida will make amends for last weekend's missteps. With two wins, Stanford could make a strong case for number one next week.
The best non-tourney match of the week has to be the Bruins of UCLA taking on the Trojans of USC Friday in North Central L.A. Both teams are loaded, so expect the conference opener to go five sets.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
The Big 12: Are Coroners Hovering to Perform Autopsies on the Conference Acting Prematurely?
At this hour, the Big 12's future as a viable BCS conference appears to be on life support. Every triple-digit-IQ investigative reporter believes this to be so, except the good folks at ESPN who might just have a conflict of interest in reporting on the issue (huge investments in Big 12 and Longhorn Network deals). It's easy to laugh at and pile on the University of Texas for its unabashed arrogance and greed. It's just as easy to laugh at and pile on beleaguered Big 12 Commissioner Dan Beebe as he frantically works behind the scenes to undo much of the damage he did in the summer of 2010 to placate Texas at the expense of conference semi-parity.
Who can be a fan of a commissioner who genuflects in front of one of his school's athletic directors? Don't you wince when you see Big 10 Commissioner Jim Delaney refer to Ohio State A.D. Gene Smith in such fawning terms that he makes Bravo Channel gusher-host James Lipton of the Inside the Actors Studio interviews look like Andrew Dice Clay or Don Rickles? Where's the Maalox?
However, Commish Beebe goes below and beyond what Delaney does: he doesn't just consult with Texas A.D. DeLoss Dodds, he defers to him. Beebe knows who has the largest knife in buttering his bread. So does Dodds. Actually, it's rather sad to see Beebe assume such a servile position. Does the man have no dignity?
Even with such shameless posturing and antics, there comes a time to quit throwing darts at the conference ogre, its near-30-years-at-the-helm athletic director, and the always-scrambling Big 12 commissioner. There comes a time to believe that brighter and more conscientious minds will prevail. There even comes a time to believe in the future of the Big 12, with or without Texas. The UT Board of Regents has to realize the Longhorns have overstepped their bounds with the Longhorn Network. The board has to realize the school must bite the bullet and share its revenues in a more equitable fashion with conference partners (whatever conference that may be) or take the leap into independence.
There are reasons why the Big 12 should be preserved. First, it has a great legacy as the hybrid offspring of the vaunted Big 8 and Southwest Conference. More importantly, it's one of two BCS power conferences whose members reside west of the Mississippi. As you know, this blog focuses on and supports all sports of the West. While that usually means schools and teams of the Hawaiian, Alaskan, Pacific, and Mountain time zones, an exception is made for the Big 12.
We already know about East and Mideast bias in the mainstream sports media. Undefeated Boise State and Utah teams have a hard time getting into BCS title games not only because they are from non-BCS conferences, but because they are from the West. Do we really want a college football world where the only superconference west of the Mississippi (disregarding the few Midwest schools in the Big Ten that fit the description) is the Pac-12? If the Big 12 does collapse, elevate the Mountain West to superconference status. Dream on.
At this time, all Big 12 schools are in the Central Time Zone. If the Big 12 survives, that could change. BYU, Boise State, Colorado State, Air Force, San Diego State, and New Mexico are candidates for conference expansion and replacement of departing members. Of course, other candidates, like Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, and Louisville, are farther east.
If there are going to be four or five superconferences in the near future, it stands to reason that the Pac-12, the Big 10, and the SEC will be three of them. The ACC, after its grab of Big East powers Miami, Boston College, and Virginia Tech, is gloating like a stuffed pig over the Big 12's in-fighting and potential breakup. The only way the ACC was going to become a BCS superconference is if there were going to be five such leviathans. Now, belonging to college football's pantheon in its next "evolutionary" stage appears to be a given for the regal basketball conference, whether there be four or five superconferences in number.
With the recent developments in the Big 12, the Big East has suddenly become a player, ready to joust for expansion candidates with other conferences. Thus, Kansas and Kansas State are rumored to be joining them. At least one more Texas school (SMU, Baylor, or Houston) is expected to become a TCU travel-mate for the Big East basketball schedule. Will these changes occur? Everything is up in the air. If Oklahoma and Oklahoma State bolt to the Pac-12 as expected and Texas goes independent, the Big 12 could still survive, but it would be difficult.
Baylor announced it is considering the filing of a lawsuit to prevent Texas A&M from moving to the SEC. Why? Everybody says it's due to loss of revenue from the Big 12 television deal if they wind up in a lower profile conference like the Mountain West. The loss is estimated at $15 million per year. However, the damages are actually greater than that long-term, for Baylor would be banished to a non-BCS twilight zone conference for several years, perhaps forever. Baylor has apparently convinced its conference partners, particularly the equally endangered Iowa State, that legal action is the way to prevent or delay A&M's departure.
Fortunately for Kansas State, the Kansas Legislature wishes to keep Kansas and K-State in the same conference, much like Oklahoma and Oklahoma State going as a package deal to wherever. Missouri is being wooed more by the Big East and SEC than by the Big 10 at this time. Texas Tech is highly desirable on its own and as a travel partner for Texas.
All of this bodes ill for Iowa State and Baylor. Hence, Baylor spearheads the charge to threaten litigation. It needs the Big 12 to survive in order to remain in the upper echelon of football schools. Still, who feels sorry for Baylor? After all, its inclusion in the Big 12 was highly political and questionable in the first place. Baylor alum and then-governor Ann Richards had a lot to do with the school receiving the bid. Sadly, equally if not more deserving schools like SMU, TCU, and Houston were left in the dust.
One rumor indicates the ACC or Big East are the only conferences that would accept UT and its Longhorn Network. The Pac-12 believes in total revenue sharing, as do the Big 10 and SEC. Texas may not go independent or elsewhere; it may remain the cornerstone of the Big 12. If so, it remains unlikely that Oklahoma and Oklahoma State will be saved. Missouri is a goner, too. That would leave the Kansas schools (likely since they will stick together and DeLoss Dodds is a K-State alum), Iowa State, Baylor, Texas Tech (willing to accept travel-partner status with UT), and Texas. That's a nice core to build on.
A healthy Big 12 with a more egalitarian revenue sharing program adopted by Texas could be a force in picking off Big East and Mountain West high-profile schools, as well as BYU. Don't laugh, but it would even have a chance at landing the big trophy fish, Notre Dame.
What else is working in the Big 12's favor? Most school presidents are tired of conference expansion and like things the way they are after the signing of huge recent long-term media deals. Colorado's president even went so far as to say he hopes Texas does not join the Pac-12, for Colorado would be relegated to a new Eastern Division, which would include four other Big 12 teams. His biggest complaint concerning Texas is not its Longhorn Network; instead, it's the $150 million annual athletic department budget. Thank to oil revenue and a huge, wealthy alumni base, UT has a gargantuan endowment. I wonder if he knows USC's operating budget. There are athletic heavyweights in the Pac-12, too.
Even as this is written, conference and school scenarios and strategies are being discussed, rejected, or enacted. Anything is possible. Nobody knows how it will end. Nobody can precisely tell the winners from the losers, except for one thing. Where litigation is involved, the lawyers always win.
Who can be a fan of a commissioner who genuflects in front of one of his school's athletic directors? Don't you wince when you see Big 10 Commissioner Jim Delaney refer to Ohio State A.D. Gene Smith in such fawning terms that he makes Bravo Channel gusher-host James Lipton of the Inside the Actors Studio interviews look like Andrew Dice Clay or Don Rickles? Where's the Maalox?
However, Commish Beebe goes below and beyond what Delaney does: he doesn't just consult with Texas A.D. DeLoss Dodds, he defers to him. Beebe knows who has the largest knife in buttering his bread. So does Dodds. Actually, it's rather sad to see Beebe assume such a servile position. Does the man have no dignity?
Even with such shameless posturing and antics, there comes a time to quit throwing darts at the conference ogre, its near-30-years-at-the-helm athletic director, and the always-scrambling Big 12 commissioner. There comes a time to believe that brighter and more conscientious minds will prevail. There even comes a time to believe in the future of the Big 12, with or without Texas. The UT Board of Regents has to realize the Longhorns have overstepped their bounds with the Longhorn Network. The board has to realize the school must bite the bullet and share its revenues in a more equitable fashion with conference partners (whatever conference that may be) or take the leap into independence.
There are reasons why the Big 12 should be preserved. First, it has a great legacy as the hybrid offspring of the vaunted Big 8 and Southwest Conference. More importantly, it's one of two BCS power conferences whose members reside west of the Mississippi. As you know, this blog focuses on and supports all sports of the West. While that usually means schools and teams of the Hawaiian, Alaskan, Pacific, and Mountain time zones, an exception is made for the Big 12.
We already know about East and Mideast bias in the mainstream sports media. Undefeated Boise State and Utah teams have a hard time getting into BCS title games not only because they are from non-BCS conferences, but because they are from the West. Do we really want a college football world where the only superconference west of the Mississippi (disregarding the few Midwest schools in the Big Ten that fit the description) is the Pac-12? If the Big 12 does collapse, elevate the Mountain West to superconference status. Dream on.
At this time, all Big 12 schools are in the Central Time Zone. If the Big 12 survives, that could change. BYU, Boise State, Colorado State, Air Force, San Diego State, and New Mexico are candidates for conference expansion and replacement of departing members. Of course, other candidates, like Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, and Louisville, are farther east.
If there are going to be four or five superconferences in the near future, it stands to reason that the Pac-12, the Big 10, and the SEC will be three of them. The ACC, after its grab of Big East powers Miami, Boston College, and Virginia Tech, is gloating like a stuffed pig over the Big 12's in-fighting and potential breakup. The only way the ACC was going to become a BCS superconference is if there were going to be five such leviathans. Now, belonging to college football's pantheon in its next "evolutionary" stage appears to be a given for the regal basketball conference, whether there be four or five superconferences in number.
With the recent developments in the Big 12, the Big East has suddenly become a player, ready to joust for expansion candidates with other conferences. Thus, Kansas and Kansas State are rumored to be joining them. At least one more Texas school (SMU, Baylor, or Houston) is expected to become a TCU travel-mate for the Big East basketball schedule. Will these changes occur? Everything is up in the air. If Oklahoma and Oklahoma State bolt to the Pac-12 as expected and Texas goes independent, the Big 12 could still survive, but it would be difficult.
Baylor announced it is considering the filing of a lawsuit to prevent Texas A&M from moving to the SEC. Why? Everybody says it's due to loss of revenue from the Big 12 television deal if they wind up in a lower profile conference like the Mountain West. The loss is estimated at $15 million per year. However, the damages are actually greater than that long-term, for Baylor would be banished to a non-BCS twilight zone conference for several years, perhaps forever. Baylor has apparently convinced its conference partners, particularly the equally endangered Iowa State, that legal action is the way to prevent or delay A&M's departure.
Fortunately for Kansas State, the Kansas Legislature wishes to keep Kansas and K-State in the same conference, much like Oklahoma and Oklahoma State going as a package deal to wherever. Missouri is being wooed more by the Big East and SEC than by the Big 10 at this time. Texas Tech is highly desirable on its own and as a travel partner for Texas.
All of this bodes ill for Iowa State and Baylor. Hence, Baylor spearheads the charge to threaten litigation. It needs the Big 12 to survive in order to remain in the upper echelon of football schools. Still, who feels sorry for Baylor? After all, its inclusion in the Big 12 was highly political and questionable in the first place. Baylor alum and then-governor Ann Richards had a lot to do with the school receiving the bid. Sadly, equally if not more deserving schools like SMU, TCU, and Houston were left in the dust.
One rumor indicates the ACC or Big East are the only conferences that would accept UT and its Longhorn Network. The Pac-12 believes in total revenue sharing, as do the Big 10 and SEC. Texas may not go independent or elsewhere; it may remain the cornerstone of the Big 12. If so, it remains unlikely that Oklahoma and Oklahoma State will be saved. Missouri is a goner, too. That would leave the Kansas schools (likely since they will stick together and DeLoss Dodds is a K-State alum), Iowa State, Baylor, Texas Tech (willing to accept travel-partner status with UT), and Texas. That's a nice core to build on.
A healthy Big 12 with a more egalitarian revenue sharing program adopted by Texas could be a force in picking off Big East and Mountain West high-profile schools, as well as BYU. Don't laugh, but it would even have a chance at landing the big trophy fish, Notre Dame.
What else is working in the Big 12's favor? Most school presidents are tired of conference expansion and like things the way they are after the signing of huge recent long-term media deals. Colorado's president even went so far as to say he hopes Texas does not join the Pac-12, for Colorado would be relegated to a new Eastern Division, which would include four other Big 12 teams. His biggest complaint concerning Texas is not its Longhorn Network; instead, it's the $150 million annual athletic department budget. Thank to oil revenue and a huge, wealthy alumni base, UT has a gargantuan endowment. I wonder if he knows USC's operating budget. There are athletic heavyweights in the Pac-12, too.
Even as this is written, conference and school scenarios and strategies are being discussed, rejected, or enacted. Anything is possible. Nobody knows how it will end. Nobody can precisely tell the winners from the losers, except for one thing. Where litigation is involved, the lawyers always win.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Sandflea's Week Two 2011 NCAA Volleyball Top 40
Sandflea's 2011 NCAA Volleyball Top 40: Week Two
(through games of 9/4/11)
Editor's Note: In this ranking system, schools are rewarded for scheduling tough nonconference foes, not weak cream puffs.
Rank School Record Ranked Opponents Played to Date Previous Ranking
1) UCLA 6-0 (3) 14
2) Illinois 6-0 (2) 12
3) Washington 6-0 (1) 1
4) Hawaii 5-1 (4) 2
5) Florida 6-0 (1) 18
6) Stanford 4-0 (2) 19
7) Iowa State 6-0 (1) 4
8) Miami (FL) 6-0 (1) 6
9) Oregon 5-1 (2) 8
10) Penn State 4-1 (1) 9
11) Colorado St. 5-1 (2) 13
12) Minnesota 3-1 (3) 11
13) San Diego 6-0 (1) 20
14) N. Iowa 7-0 (1) 27
15) California 6-0 16
16) San Diego St. 5-0 (1) 24
17) Northwestern 5-0 15
18) LSU 6-1 (1) 21
19) UCF 5-1 (3) NR
20) Nebraska 3-1 (1) 17
21) Oklahoma 6-1 (1) 25
22) Purdue 6-0 29
23) Missouri 8-1 30
24) TCU 6-0 33
25) Michigan St. 6-0 34
26) Michigan 6-0 39
27) Texas A&M 7-0 40
28) UTEP 7-0 NR
29) Arizona 5-1 (1) 35
30) Louisville 5-1 NR
31) USC 4-2 (2) 10
32) Florida St. 5-2 (3) 5
33) Texas 2-2 (3) 7
34) Cincinnati 5-3 (4) NR
35) N. Illinois 6-2 (3) NR
36) Kentucky 5-2 (2) 23
37) Duke 4-2 (2) 3
38) Dayton 4-2 (2) 31
39) Houston 4-2 (3) NR
40) Long Beach 3-3 (4) 22
Others to Watch: Notre Dame (3-2), Tennessee (4-2), Ohio State (4-3), Georgia Tech (4-2), Clemson (4-3), Pepperdine (3-2), North Carolina (4-1), Loyola Marymount (4-2), Saint Mary's (3-3), BYU (5-2), Western Kentucky (5-1), St. Louis (4-0), Utah (4-2)
(through games of 9/4/11)
Editor's Note: In this ranking system, schools are rewarded for scheduling tough nonconference foes, not weak cream puffs.
Rank School Record Ranked Opponents Played to Date Previous Ranking
1) UCLA 6-0 (3) 14
2) Illinois 6-0 (2) 12
3) Washington 6-0 (1) 1
4) Hawaii 5-1 (4) 2
5) Florida 6-0 (1) 18
6) Stanford 4-0 (2) 19
7) Iowa State 6-0 (1) 4
8) Miami (FL) 6-0 (1) 6
9) Oregon 5-1 (2) 8
10) Penn State 4-1 (1) 9
11) Colorado St. 5-1 (2) 13
12) Minnesota 3-1 (3) 11
13) San Diego 6-0 (1) 20
14) N. Iowa 7-0 (1) 27
15) California 6-0 16
16) San Diego St. 5-0 (1) 24
17) Northwestern 5-0 15
18) LSU 6-1 (1) 21
19) UCF 5-1 (3) NR
20) Nebraska 3-1 (1) 17
21) Oklahoma 6-1 (1) 25
22) Purdue 6-0 29
23) Missouri 8-1 30
24) TCU 6-0 33
25) Michigan St. 6-0 34
26) Michigan 6-0 39
27) Texas A&M 7-0 40
28) UTEP 7-0 NR
29) Arizona 5-1 (1) 35
30) Louisville 5-1 NR
31) USC 4-2 (2) 10
32) Florida St. 5-2 (3) 5
33) Texas 2-2 (3) 7
34) Cincinnati 5-3 (4) NR
35) N. Illinois 6-2 (3) NR
36) Kentucky 5-2 (2) 23
37) Duke 4-2 (2) 3
38) Dayton 4-2 (2) 31
39) Houston 4-2 (3) NR
40) Long Beach 3-3 (4) 22
Others to Watch: Notre Dame (3-2), Tennessee (4-2), Ohio State (4-3), Georgia Tech (4-2), Clemson (4-3), Pepperdine (3-2), North Carolina (4-1), Loyola Marymount (4-2), Saint Mary's (3-3), BYU (5-2), Western Kentucky (5-1), St. Louis (4-0), Utah (4-2)
Monday, September 5, 2011
NCAA Football and the Twelfth Man: A New Factor for Teams Potentially Vulnerable to Further Conference Realignment
The first weekend of college football revealed a new trend, a trend that greatly aids teams with unstable futures and ambitious goals. As is the custom for opening weekend, most Division One Football Bowl Subdivision powerhouses from automatic qualifying conferences held scrimmages with so-called lesser teams of the Division One Football Championship Subdivision. The one upset was Oregon State succumbing to Sacramento State (formally known as CSU, Sacramento), 29-28.
Other powers held what they thought would be tougher scrimmages with Division One Bowl Subdivision teams from non-automatic qualifying conferences (Mid American, WAC, Sun Belt, Conference USA, and Mountain West). Somebody forgot to tell Utah State they were a cupcake accepting a fat paycheck for traveling across the country to play to a packed SEC house at Auburn. The Aggies, who had dominated both trenches, blew a 10-point lead with three minutes left, primarily due to poor onside kick coverage, falling 42-38 to the defending national champion Tigers.
A few schools scheduled tough on opening weekend, lured by network dollars, a desperate need for overall strength of schedule, or, in what's becoming a precious rare mineral in today's world of collegiate athletics, integrity. Props go out to Notre Dame, Georgia, California, USC, Minnesota, Baylor, UCLA, Colorado, Syracuse, Boston College, Northwestern, and Wake Forest for doing the right thing. For scheduling very tough schools from non-BCS conferences or non-BCS independents, Baylor dug deep and came out with a 50-48 upset of TCU, while Georgia was over-run by a sleek yet powerful Boise State, 35-21, and Ole Miss was overtaken by BYU in the fourth quarter, 14-13.
For scheduling tough schools from BCS conferences, Notre Dame fell to South Florida, 23-20, while Boston College came up short against Northwestern, 24-17.
What is the new trend, the common thread of the winning teams mentioned? They all had a twelfth man on their side; they all had the extra incentive of trying to make a great impression on the power brokers of college football in order to avoid receiving short shrift during the forthcoming conference realignment, phase two.
We know Texas A&M, fittingly the father of the twelfth man concept, is the school beginning this second phase of conference realignment. Its president has declared the university's intent to leave the Big 12. Furthermore, we know the BCS network deals are up in three years. We also know the future of NCAA major college football lies in four or five superconferences of 16 teams each. Nobody wants to be left out, but some schools will be. Deserving schools not yet in the upper tier of college football want in. Utah is their role model. Inconsistent schools or weak programs from smaller markets that are already in want to stay in. Perhaps they belong to an unstable BCS conference that may dissolve soon, such as the Big 12 or Big East. Perhaps they belong to a stable but ambitious BCS conference that seeks to expand and possibly replace them with the more attractive athletic programs and markets of available bigger-brand universities. Rice, Houston, and SMU are examples of this they want to avoid.
The Big East, while a basketball power conference, may lose its automatic BCS bid status in football. After the ACC raid that robbed it of many high-profile teams and years of floundering in the football polls, the Big East desperately accepted TCU, a travel logistics nightmare for non-football sports, into the fold for 2012. It may not be enough. If the Big East loses BCS status, look for teams like Syracuse, Rutgers, Louisville, Pittsburgh, and West Virginia to easily find homes in expanding BCS superconferences. Teams like Cincinnati, UConn, and South Florida will be scrambling. They must prove themselves worthy of continued BCS status now, as the showcase continues for only two more seasons (allowing for the granting of a year's notice a school needs to provide a conference to avoid harsh sanctions). Coaches and players got the message: Cincinnati vaporized Austin Peay, 72-10, UConn waxed Fordham, 35-3, and South Florida upset host Notre Dame in the oft-delayed Lightning Bowl, 23-20. Beware the twelfth man!
Another conference not guaranteed superconference status in the future is the Big 12. Unlike the Big East, it won't lose its BCS status due to dodgy play. Instead, its future is unstable due to the arrogance and greed of the University of Texas, which is driving away its high-profile conference mates. Texas A&M is already bowing out next summer. Oklahoma and Oklahoma State will be deciding within the next three weeks what offer they will accept and from what conference (right now, the rumor mill gives the Pac-12 the nod). We know how Missouri feels about the Big 12, as it has already sought an invite from the Big 10 and appears to be dancing with the SEC at this time.
Hopefully, the Big 12 has a contingency plan to quickly replace fleeing members with other high-profile schools. Word on the street says that is the case. Hopefully, the new members have the humility to live in the shadow of conference darling UT and the Longhorn Network.
Did Texas set up its own network (with the help of ESPN) as a precursor to football independence? It sure looks that way. How could they have reasonably expected other Big 12 powers to accept the ludicrous, lopsided terms it was dishing out last summer in order to increase its power, wealth, and competitive advantage? Answer: they couldn't.
Unfortunately, this leaves lower-profile Big 12 schools such as Baylor, Texas Tech, Kansas State, and Iowa State in a quandary, particularly vulnerable during the next realignment phase. However, it also gives those schools the twelfth man, the extra drive to win. You could see it over the weekend. Baylor upset #14 TCU, 50-48, in a national showcase game, while Texas Tech smashed Texas State, 50-10. Iowa State had trouble disposing of a stubborn Northern Iowa, 20-19, and KSU held on to narrowly defeat Eastern Kentucky, 10-7. Those two schools really need to turn on the jets to avoid the realignment apocalypse.
Boise State always plays motivated with a chip on its shoulder. Nothing has changed with its "promotion" to the Mountain West Conference. Why? No sooner had it joined than Utah left for the Pac-12 and BYU left for football independence. Adding insult to injury, TCU then agreed to bolt in 2012 to the Big East, and the Mountain West invited in former Boise State WAC-mates Nevada, Fresno State, and Hawaii for 2012. Will the Mountain West dissolve? Not likely. Will the Mountain West obtain BCS status anytime soon? Not likely. Therefore, the Broncos only hope is to keep impressing NCAA power brokers in showcase games. They did just that in Atlanta Saturday night, humbling Georgia, 35-21. It's nice to have the second best quarterback in college football in 2011, Kellen Moore, but Moore's a senior. What's more important to the Broncos' future? Brilliant coach Chris Peterson has rejected offers from BCS schools before and appears content to ride out his future in Boise. The Broncos have to hope the Big 12 remains a viable BCS conference bent on expanding to 16 teams. If that is the case, Boise State has a chance to upgrade again.
What about the strange case of Washington State? Who didn't love the Cougars when future NFL washout Ryan Leaf was leading them to victory? Alas, the glory years are long gone in Pullman. Worse, the Cougars inhabit a small media market and lack academic gravitas. WSU should be very motivated on the field this year, and not just to save the endangered coach's job. Larry Scott is a very ambitious conference commissioner. Hopefully, his plans for further expansion don't include replacing a low-profile school like Washington State. If they do, the Cougars must do what they can to dissuade the commish. On Saturday, WSU dismantled Idaho State, 64-21. So far, so good. The Cougars are playing with the twelfth man.
Northwestern's role in the Big 10 is not similar to nor as endangered as Washington State's in the Pac-12. For one thing, the school is located in a suburb of Chicago, the nation's third largest media market. For another, Northwestern remains an academic heavyweight in a league of heavyweights. Gary Barnett made Wildcat football relevant again, and the team has remained tough subsequent to his departure.
Nevertheless, spanking Boston College on the road, 24-17, should remind everyone, including the Big 10 commissioner and other Big 10 presidents, that Northwestern is no Rice.
One may ask if the Hornets of Sacramento State were playing with the same twelfth man when they outplayed and upset Oregon State in Corvallis, 29-28. No doubt. The Hornets are obviously not looking for a BCS superconference to join in the next two years. They are, however, looking at upgrading. The Hornets become far more appealing to non-BCS bowl subdivision conferences like the WAC when they pull off upsets over high-profile BCS programs. Advantage, Sac State.
Finally, there is the matter of BYU. Steeped in rich football tradition (just ask Steve Young or Jim McMahon), the Cougars of Provo prematurely gained independence a la Notre Dame, in what many viewed as a jilted lover's response after Utah got the coveted Pac-12 invite and boogied to greener pastures. The folks at BYU are no dummies: they groomed solid relationships with both ESPN and Texas. Texas and the Big 12 are synonymous. To get an invite to the Big 12 ball, one must look attractive to the Longhorns. BYU already has its own network, so it wouldn't mind Texas having theirs.
It sure looks like BYU's move to independence was a way station for a more permanent move to a BCS conference--the Big 12 (if it doesn't collapse). Time will tell. Regardless, the Cougars could not have asked for a more storybook beginning to their new post-Mountain West chapter. In the featured Saturday afternoon game on ESPN, BYU came up with a dramatic come-from-behind 14-13 victory over Ole Miss in Oxford, Mississippi. A bust of the late great local author William Faulkner couldn't help the Rebels, but the twelfth man did assist the Cougars. It should be an interesting season.
Other powers held what they thought would be tougher scrimmages with Division One Bowl Subdivision teams from non-automatic qualifying conferences (Mid American, WAC, Sun Belt, Conference USA, and Mountain West). Somebody forgot to tell Utah State they were a cupcake accepting a fat paycheck for traveling across the country to play to a packed SEC house at Auburn. The Aggies, who had dominated both trenches, blew a 10-point lead with three minutes left, primarily due to poor onside kick coverage, falling 42-38 to the defending national champion Tigers.
A few schools scheduled tough on opening weekend, lured by network dollars, a desperate need for overall strength of schedule, or, in what's becoming a precious rare mineral in today's world of collegiate athletics, integrity. Props go out to Notre Dame, Georgia, California, USC, Minnesota, Baylor, UCLA, Colorado, Syracuse, Boston College, Northwestern, and Wake Forest for doing the right thing. For scheduling very tough schools from non-BCS conferences or non-BCS independents, Baylor dug deep and came out with a 50-48 upset of TCU, while Georgia was over-run by a sleek yet powerful Boise State, 35-21, and Ole Miss was overtaken by BYU in the fourth quarter, 14-13.
For scheduling tough schools from BCS conferences, Notre Dame fell to South Florida, 23-20, while Boston College came up short against Northwestern, 24-17.
What is the new trend, the common thread of the winning teams mentioned? They all had a twelfth man on their side; they all had the extra incentive of trying to make a great impression on the power brokers of college football in order to avoid receiving short shrift during the forthcoming conference realignment, phase two.
We know Texas A&M, fittingly the father of the twelfth man concept, is the school beginning this second phase of conference realignment. Its president has declared the university's intent to leave the Big 12. Furthermore, we know the BCS network deals are up in three years. We also know the future of NCAA major college football lies in four or five superconferences of 16 teams each. Nobody wants to be left out, but some schools will be. Deserving schools not yet in the upper tier of college football want in. Utah is their role model. Inconsistent schools or weak programs from smaller markets that are already in want to stay in. Perhaps they belong to an unstable BCS conference that may dissolve soon, such as the Big 12 or Big East. Perhaps they belong to a stable but ambitious BCS conference that seeks to expand and possibly replace them with the more attractive athletic programs and markets of available bigger-brand universities. Rice, Houston, and SMU are examples of this they want to avoid.
The Big East, while a basketball power conference, may lose its automatic BCS bid status in football. After the ACC raid that robbed it of many high-profile teams and years of floundering in the football polls, the Big East desperately accepted TCU, a travel logistics nightmare for non-football sports, into the fold for 2012. It may not be enough. If the Big East loses BCS status, look for teams like Syracuse, Rutgers, Louisville, Pittsburgh, and West Virginia to easily find homes in expanding BCS superconferences. Teams like Cincinnati, UConn, and South Florida will be scrambling. They must prove themselves worthy of continued BCS status now, as the showcase continues for only two more seasons (allowing for the granting of a year's notice a school needs to provide a conference to avoid harsh sanctions). Coaches and players got the message: Cincinnati vaporized Austin Peay, 72-10, UConn waxed Fordham, 35-3, and South Florida upset host Notre Dame in the oft-delayed Lightning Bowl, 23-20. Beware the twelfth man!
Another conference not guaranteed superconference status in the future is the Big 12. Unlike the Big East, it won't lose its BCS status due to dodgy play. Instead, its future is unstable due to the arrogance and greed of the University of Texas, which is driving away its high-profile conference mates. Texas A&M is already bowing out next summer. Oklahoma and Oklahoma State will be deciding within the next three weeks what offer they will accept and from what conference (right now, the rumor mill gives the Pac-12 the nod). We know how Missouri feels about the Big 12, as it has already sought an invite from the Big 10 and appears to be dancing with the SEC at this time.
Hopefully, the Big 12 has a contingency plan to quickly replace fleeing members with other high-profile schools. Word on the street says that is the case. Hopefully, the new members have the humility to live in the shadow of conference darling UT and the Longhorn Network.
Did Texas set up its own network (with the help of ESPN) as a precursor to football independence? It sure looks that way. How could they have reasonably expected other Big 12 powers to accept the ludicrous, lopsided terms it was dishing out last summer in order to increase its power, wealth, and competitive advantage? Answer: they couldn't.
Unfortunately, this leaves lower-profile Big 12 schools such as Baylor, Texas Tech, Kansas State, and Iowa State in a quandary, particularly vulnerable during the next realignment phase. However, it also gives those schools the twelfth man, the extra drive to win. You could see it over the weekend. Baylor upset #14 TCU, 50-48, in a national showcase game, while Texas Tech smashed Texas State, 50-10. Iowa State had trouble disposing of a stubborn Northern Iowa, 20-19, and KSU held on to narrowly defeat Eastern Kentucky, 10-7. Those two schools really need to turn on the jets to avoid the realignment apocalypse.
Boise State always plays motivated with a chip on its shoulder. Nothing has changed with its "promotion" to the Mountain West Conference. Why? No sooner had it joined than Utah left for the Pac-12 and BYU left for football independence. Adding insult to injury, TCU then agreed to bolt in 2012 to the Big East, and the Mountain West invited in former Boise State WAC-mates Nevada, Fresno State, and Hawaii for 2012. Will the Mountain West dissolve? Not likely. Will the Mountain West obtain BCS status anytime soon? Not likely. Therefore, the Broncos only hope is to keep impressing NCAA power brokers in showcase games. They did just that in Atlanta Saturday night, humbling Georgia, 35-21. It's nice to have the second best quarterback in college football in 2011, Kellen Moore, but Moore's a senior. What's more important to the Broncos' future? Brilliant coach Chris Peterson has rejected offers from BCS schools before and appears content to ride out his future in Boise. The Broncos have to hope the Big 12 remains a viable BCS conference bent on expanding to 16 teams. If that is the case, Boise State has a chance to upgrade again.
What about the strange case of Washington State? Who didn't love the Cougars when future NFL washout Ryan Leaf was leading them to victory? Alas, the glory years are long gone in Pullman. Worse, the Cougars inhabit a small media market and lack academic gravitas. WSU should be very motivated on the field this year, and not just to save the endangered coach's job. Larry Scott is a very ambitious conference commissioner. Hopefully, his plans for further expansion don't include replacing a low-profile school like Washington State. If they do, the Cougars must do what they can to dissuade the commish. On Saturday, WSU dismantled Idaho State, 64-21. So far, so good. The Cougars are playing with the twelfth man.
Northwestern's role in the Big 10 is not similar to nor as endangered as Washington State's in the Pac-12. For one thing, the school is located in a suburb of Chicago, the nation's third largest media market. For another, Northwestern remains an academic heavyweight in a league of heavyweights. Gary Barnett made Wildcat football relevant again, and the team has remained tough subsequent to his departure.
Nevertheless, spanking Boston College on the road, 24-17, should remind everyone, including the Big 10 commissioner and other Big 10 presidents, that Northwestern is no Rice.
One may ask if the Hornets of Sacramento State were playing with the same twelfth man when they outplayed and upset Oregon State in Corvallis, 29-28. No doubt. The Hornets are obviously not looking for a BCS superconference to join in the next two years. They are, however, looking at upgrading. The Hornets become far more appealing to non-BCS bowl subdivision conferences like the WAC when they pull off upsets over high-profile BCS programs. Advantage, Sac State.
Finally, there is the matter of BYU. Steeped in rich football tradition (just ask Steve Young or Jim McMahon), the Cougars of Provo prematurely gained independence a la Notre Dame, in what many viewed as a jilted lover's response after Utah got the coveted Pac-12 invite and boogied to greener pastures. The folks at BYU are no dummies: they groomed solid relationships with both ESPN and Texas. Texas and the Big 12 are synonymous. To get an invite to the Big 12 ball, one must look attractive to the Longhorns. BYU already has its own network, so it wouldn't mind Texas having theirs.
It sure looks like BYU's move to independence was a way station for a more permanent move to a BCS conference--the Big 12 (if it doesn't collapse). Time will tell. Regardless, the Cougars could not have asked for a more storybook beginning to their new post-Mountain West chapter. In the featured Saturday afternoon game on ESPN, BYU came up with a dramatic come-from-behind 14-13 victory over Ole Miss in Oxford, Mississippi. A bust of the late great local author William Faulkner couldn't help the Rebels, but the twelfth man did assist the Cougars. It should be an interesting season.
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Sandflea's Week One 2011 NCAA Football Top 40
Sandflea's Week One 2011 NCAA Football Top 40 (including games through 9/4/11)
Editor's Note: In this ranking system, schools are rewarded for scheduling tough nonconference adversaries, not weak cupcakes.
Rank School Record Ranked Opponents Played to Date
1. LSU (1-0) 1
2. Boise State (1-0) 1
3. Oklahoma (1-0) 1
4. Baylor (1-0) 1
5. South Florida (1-0) 1
6. Stanford (1-0)
7. Texas A&M (1-0)
8. South Carolina (1-0)
9. Wisconsin (1-0)
10. Mississippi State (1-0)
11. Auburn (1-0)
12. USC (1-0)
13. West Virginia (1-0)
14. Texas (1-0)
15. Southern Mississippi (1-0)
16. BYU (1-0)
17. Houston (1-0)
18. Hawaii (1-0)
19. N. Illinois (1-0)
20. Northwestern (1-0)
21. California (1-0)
22. Syracuse (1-0)
23. Colorado State (1-0)
24. Oregon (0-1) 1
25. TCU (0-1)
26. Notre Dame (0-1)
27. Georgia (0-1) 1
28. Utah State (0-1) 1
29. Alabama (1-0)
30. Florida State (1-0)
31. Oklahoma State (1-0)
32. Nebraska (1-0)
33. Virginia Tech (1-0)
34. Arkansas (1-0)
35. Michigan State (1-0)
36. Ohio State (1-0)
37. Missouri (1-0)
38. Florida (1-0)
39. Cincinnati (1-0)
40. Penn State (1-0)
Others to Watch: Arizona State(1-0), Miami(FL) (0-0), Utah (1-0), Iowa (1-0), North Carolina State (1-0), Air Force (1-0), Pittsburgh (1-0), Michigan (1-0), Tennessee (1-0), Central Florida (1-0), Tulsa (0-1), Maryland (0-0), Arizona (1-0), Nevada (0-0), San Diego State (1-0), Texas Tech (1-0), North Carolina (1-0), Louisville (1-0), Wyoming (1-0), UCLA (0-1), Boston College (0-1), Minnesota (0-1)
Editor's Note: In this ranking system, schools are rewarded for scheduling tough nonconference adversaries, not weak cupcakes.
Rank School Record Ranked Opponents Played to Date
1. LSU (1-0) 1
2. Boise State (1-0) 1
3. Oklahoma (1-0) 1
4. Baylor (1-0) 1
5. South Florida (1-0) 1
6. Stanford (1-0)
7. Texas A&M (1-0)
8. South Carolina (1-0)
9. Wisconsin (1-0)
10. Mississippi State (1-0)
11. Auburn (1-0)
12. USC (1-0)
13. West Virginia (1-0)
14. Texas (1-0)
15. Southern Mississippi (1-0)
16. BYU (1-0)
17. Houston (1-0)
18. Hawaii (1-0)
19. N. Illinois (1-0)
20. Northwestern (1-0)
21. California (1-0)
22. Syracuse (1-0)
23. Colorado State (1-0)
24. Oregon (0-1) 1
25. TCU (0-1)
26. Notre Dame (0-1)
27. Georgia (0-1) 1
28. Utah State (0-1) 1
29. Alabama (1-0)
30. Florida State (1-0)
31. Oklahoma State (1-0)
32. Nebraska (1-0)
33. Virginia Tech (1-0)
34. Arkansas (1-0)
35. Michigan State (1-0)
36. Ohio State (1-0)
37. Missouri (1-0)
38. Florida (1-0)
39. Cincinnati (1-0)
40. Penn State (1-0)
Others to Watch: Arizona State(1-0), Miami(FL) (0-0), Utah (1-0), Iowa (1-0), North Carolina State (1-0), Air Force (1-0), Pittsburgh (1-0), Michigan (1-0), Tennessee (1-0), Central Florida (1-0), Tulsa (0-1), Maryland (0-0), Arizona (1-0), Nevada (0-0), San Diego State (1-0), Texas Tech (1-0), North Carolina (1-0), Louisville (1-0), Wyoming (1-0), UCLA (0-1), Boston College (0-1), Minnesota (0-1)
Friday, September 2, 2011
NCAA Volleyball: Week One Highlights (through 8/28/11)
Week One Selected Match Highlights:
The USC Trojans showed impressive depth and power by beating the Minnesota Golden Gophers in five sets and extending defending NCAA champion and host Penn State to five sets before losing last Saturday night. In the same tournament, Oregon upset the Nittany Lions, 3-1.
Washington had super-freshmen Summer Ross and Krista Vansant on full display in an impressive drubbing of talented host team Long Beach State, 3-1. Illinois deserves credit for losing only one set in three matches in Provo, Utah, including a 3-0 triumph over host BYU.
Minnesota proved it will be tough even without transfer-to-UCLA Tabitha Love by losing a close match in five sets to USC and beating Oregon on Saturday, the team that upset Penn State the previous night. Hawaii was superior and polished in its first of three home tournaments, losing only one set in three matches, including a 3-0 pasting of usually-tough and always well-coached Arizona.
In a warm-up to its West Coast trip this weekend, wherein they will meet Stanford and Pacific, Duke outlasted the Badger of Wisconsin in five sets. Florida State's beating of Kentucky in three straight sets and Georgia Tech's humbling of Louisville, 3-2, proves that the Gators of Florida are not the only team in the deep Southeast that will be a difficult challenge for foes this season.
Which highly-regarded teams were the relative busts of the first week, although there is plenty of time to turn things around before conference play begins? Tulsa is 1-2 after losing to both Kentucky and Florida State. Indiana is 1-2 after losing to both the up-and-coming Virginia Tech and the modestly talented Cleveland State. Cincinnati is 1-3 after respectable losses to Northern Iowa and Iowa State, and a 3-0 upset loss to Northern Illinois. Finally, talent-rich Wisconsin is 1-2 after losing a great match to Duke, 3-2, and a disappointing match to Furman, 3-1. Expect at least the Badgers to be ranked again soon.
Week One Selected Individual Highlights:
Without great digs and passes, a volleyball team is nothing. Quickness, coordination, team chemistry, and experience count at least as much as size in the sport. Oregon's sophomore setter Lauren Plum had 47 assists and 11 digs, one big reason the Ducks got by towering Penn State. Nebraska will be difficult to defeat again, chiefly because UCLA-transfer and setter Lauren Cook had 51 assists and Lara Dykstra had 28 digs. Illinois' libero Rachel Feldman had 31 digs against UCSB alone. Senior Lauren Van Orden of UCLA had 25 assists and 10 digs in one match. Junior setter Karissa Cook of Stanford had 32 assists and 9 digs in one match and was named tourney MVP. Meanwhile across the bay, junior setter Elly Barrett of Cal had 31 assists in one match.
The most outstanding performance of the week in passing goes to Hawaii's Mita Ulato for totaling 40, 48, and 32 assists in consecutive matches. Impressive. Having a home crowd of over 5,000 each match doesn't hurt, either.
Khat Bell of Texas had 16 kills and 17 digs in one match. Pepperdine's Lilla Frederick had 10 kills and 16 digs in one match, 10 kills and 12 digs in another. Pure kill queens include Minnesota's Tori Dixon, with 22 and a hitting percentage of .410 in one match, and Oregon's Alaina Bergsma with 23 kills in one match.
Best server of the week had to be UCLA's Bojano Todorovic, with 12 aces in three matches! Nobody blocked better than Rachael Adams of Texas, who had seven in one match.
Week Two Selected Match Previews:
The best tournament this week has to be in Honolulu, where host Hawaii will tangle with powerhouses UCLA, Long Beach State, and Ohio State. Look for at least one of these teams to shoot up the rankings. Another strong field will be found in Palo Alto, where Stanford hosts Duke, Notre Dame, and Saint Mary's.
The best non-tournament matches involve Colorado State hosting Nebraska Friday night and Minnesota hosting Texas twice, both on Friday and Saturday.
The USC Trojans showed impressive depth and power by beating the Minnesota Golden Gophers in five sets and extending defending NCAA champion and host Penn State to five sets before losing last Saturday night. In the same tournament, Oregon upset the Nittany Lions, 3-1.
Washington had super-freshmen Summer Ross and Krista Vansant on full display in an impressive drubbing of talented host team Long Beach State, 3-1. Illinois deserves credit for losing only one set in three matches in Provo, Utah, including a 3-0 triumph over host BYU.
Minnesota proved it will be tough even without transfer-to-UCLA Tabitha Love by losing a close match in five sets to USC and beating Oregon on Saturday, the team that upset Penn State the previous night. Hawaii was superior and polished in its first of three home tournaments, losing only one set in three matches, including a 3-0 pasting of usually-tough and always well-coached Arizona.
In a warm-up to its West Coast trip this weekend, wherein they will meet Stanford and Pacific, Duke outlasted the Badger of Wisconsin in five sets. Florida State's beating of Kentucky in three straight sets and Georgia Tech's humbling of Louisville, 3-2, proves that the Gators of Florida are not the only team in the deep Southeast that will be a difficult challenge for foes this season.
Which highly-regarded teams were the relative busts of the first week, although there is plenty of time to turn things around before conference play begins? Tulsa is 1-2 after losing to both Kentucky and Florida State. Indiana is 1-2 after losing to both the up-and-coming Virginia Tech and the modestly talented Cleveland State. Cincinnati is 1-3 after respectable losses to Northern Iowa and Iowa State, and a 3-0 upset loss to Northern Illinois. Finally, talent-rich Wisconsin is 1-2 after losing a great match to Duke, 3-2, and a disappointing match to Furman, 3-1. Expect at least the Badgers to be ranked again soon.
Week One Selected Individual Highlights:
Without great digs and passes, a volleyball team is nothing. Quickness, coordination, team chemistry, and experience count at least as much as size in the sport. Oregon's sophomore setter Lauren Plum had 47 assists and 11 digs, one big reason the Ducks got by towering Penn State. Nebraska will be difficult to defeat again, chiefly because UCLA-transfer and setter Lauren Cook had 51 assists and Lara Dykstra had 28 digs. Illinois' libero Rachel Feldman had 31 digs against UCSB alone. Senior Lauren Van Orden of UCLA had 25 assists and 10 digs in one match. Junior setter Karissa Cook of Stanford had 32 assists and 9 digs in one match and was named tourney MVP. Meanwhile across the bay, junior setter Elly Barrett of Cal had 31 assists in one match.
The most outstanding performance of the week in passing goes to Hawaii's Mita Ulato for totaling 40, 48, and 32 assists in consecutive matches. Impressive. Having a home crowd of over 5,000 each match doesn't hurt, either.
Khat Bell of Texas had 16 kills and 17 digs in one match. Pepperdine's Lilla Frederick had 10 kills and 16 digs in one match, 10 kills and 12 digs in another. Pure kill queens include Minnesota's Tori Dixon, with 22 and a hitting percentage of .410 in one match, and Oregon's Alaina Bergsma with 23 kills in one match.
Best server of the week had to be UCLA's Bojano Todorovic, with 12 aces in three matches! Nobody blocked better than Rachael Adams of Texas, who had seven in one match.
Week Two Selected Match Previews:
The best tournament this week has to be in Honolulu, where host Hawaii will tangle with powerhouses UCLA, Long Beach State, and Ohio State. Look for at least one of these teams to shoot up the rankings. Another strong field will be found in Palo Alto, where Stanford hosts Duke, Notre Dame, and Saint Mary's.
The best non-tournament matches involve Colorado State hosting Nebraska Friday night and Minnesota hosting Texas twice, both on Friday and Saturday.
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