college football

Top 10 College Fight Songs

/ Dennis Griffith / 1 Comment

With college football getting into full swing today i thought I would help set the tone. This video is a list of the Top 10 College Football Fight Songs.  It is not my list, but it is fun anyway.  Still I thinmk they got a few.

The top 3 should be:

  1. Tennessee – Rocky Top (#4 in the video)
  2. Notre Dame – Notre Dame Victory March (#1 in video)
  3. Michigan – Hail to the Victors (Not the fight song in the video)

And Honorable Mention goes to:

Feel free to offer your top fight song or list in the comment section.

Heisman 2010

/ Dennis Griffith / Leave a comment

Tonight’s the night the night when, once again, the Downtown Athletic Club in Manhattan bestows the Heisman Trophy on the top collegiate football player in the nation. While each year there is a qualifying refrain, it warrants repeating: This trophy is given to the top offensive skill player. Linemen and most defensive players get no serious consideration.

That qualifier out of the way, I will say in my opinion that makes no difference this year in who should be the winner. Perhaps there are linemen and defensive players who deserved an invite to the banquet in New York, but there is one player who clearly dominated on the field this season.

My votes – if I had any – would fall in the following order for 2o10:

  1. Cam Newton – QB – Auburn
  2. Colin Kaepernick – QB- Nevada
  3. LaMichael James – RB – Oregon

Why Newton?  No one controlled a game like him this season.  He was an unstoppable force.

Continue reading →

Grid Watch 2010

/ Dennis Griffith / 1 Comment

 

These are the college football players I will be keeping a close eye on this coming season. Most of these guys, including my oldest son, played for high school teams I had the privilege to coach. Others are family friends:

Tebow’s Turmoil

/ Dennis Griffith / 1 Comment

Who knows where such nonsense gets started?  But whoever it was that first suggested Tim Tebow’s throwing flaws are the fault of Florida Coach Urban Meyer is, to say it kindly, misguided.

It was reported that, at a recent press conference, Tebow explained he had a lot of work to do and acknowledged that his years at Florida had not prepared him for the NFL.  Some quickly took Tebow’s words as a slap at Coach Meyer, or at least that Tebow’s words reveal that he had somehow been slighted by Meyer.

Pundits suggested Tebow flaws provide recruiting fodder for Alabama’s Nick Saban.   

It is reasoned, if Florida did not get Tebow NFL ready who could they get ready? Then, adding the fact that Tebow’s highly touted predecessor, Chris Leak, failed to make an NFL roster after his college career, these self acclaimed experts point the finger at Florida’s spread offense, and declare that Urban Meyer’s system is to blame.  And thus, if Meyer can’t prepare QB’s, even of the calibur of Tebow & Leak, for the NFL, why should any prospect who has aspirations of playing on Sundays even consider Florida,  if he has the opportunity to play elsewhere – especially, say, Alabama?

I agree with sportswriter Mike Bianchi who says: “It is not Urban Meyer’s Job to Make Tim Tebow NFL-Ready“. Bianchi makes a good case, but I would g even further.

I don’t know if Tebow will make himself into an NFL star or not.  But fortunately Tebow know that the NFL is not the real measure of success in life. 

Second, those who are blaming Meyer have no idea what it takes to be an NFL QB.  They seem to assume that good coaches can just crank them out.  Or maybe they just grow on trees.  But the truth is that there are many, many reasons that some great college QB’s never cut it in the NFL, while other merely adequate college QB’s thrive. (See Tom Brady for example.)

Finally, while I have my doubts that Nick Saban is involved in this stuff at all, I would suggest he – and any coach – look at his own legacy before he take aim at Urban Meyer.  Who was the last successful QB Alabama sent to the NFL? Richard Todd?  How about Saban himself?  Did any of his LSU QB’s shine at the next level?  I’d hate to claim that I can make a kid into the next Jamarcus Russell, if I were Saban.  That’s a sure way to get a kid to go elsewhere.

Tide’s Tarnished Trophy?

/ Dennis Griffith / 2 Comments

Hats off to Alabama’s Crimson Tide. A dominating defense carried them to their eighth NCAA Football Championship – the first in nearly 20 years.  Two 100 yard rushers on offense not only drained the clock, but in the end also drained what was left of the spirit of the out manned Texas Longhorns.  Texas played a commendable second half, but the outcome was almost completely in the books before the first quarter ended.

Despite the Tide’s dominating performance Thursday night, more than one headline I have seen since has declared Alabama’s undisputed National Championship “mysterious”.  What was the mystery?  People can only wonder what would have been had Texas All American QB Colt McCoy not suffered a game ending shoulder injury during the first drive. 

I think specualtion is good, though.  Taking nothing away from Alabama, this game will be far longer remembered because of the “What If” than for any other reason.  It lends an element of specualtion to non-Alabama supporters.  It promotes enjoyable arguments about who was really best that will go on until the ball is teed-up next September – and maybe longer than that for Longhorns left wanting.

It also shows that college football does NOT need a playoff.

Despite the TV commentators and executives who are crying for a championship, what would that prove? If the argument is that the championship should be settled on the field because any other way leaves a shred of doubt as to who is the actual champ, this game shows that even if a game is played the outcome can still be shrouded in doubts.  What will a series of such games prove – other than the networks can make a few more dollars?

But I think this “controversy” is good for the game, and for the sports fan.  It gives people something to talk about.  I don’t think a playoff would add anything. In fact I will hate to see it when it eventually comes to be.

Alabama is the champion. They earned it.

BUT what if…?

2009 Heisman Trophy

/ Dennis Griffith / Leave a comment

 

For the first time in years there is no clear cut candidate who will win the Heisman Trophy. For that reason alone the race is interesting. And for the first time in years I may be seeing glimmers of hope restored in my attitude. 

Like other sports fans, I have my opinions each year.  Sometimes my opinion matches that of the “experts”. But even then it is not enough to override the disappoitments of years when the results seem to be a sham; when it appears the fix is in; when networks like ESPN have more to do with choosing the winner than players’ performances on the field do. 

But I am hopeful this year will be different.

Below are my top 5 picks, with number 1 being who I would have voted for had I been given a vote.  I know that some of my choices can’t win – not all were even invited to the party in New York. But that doesn’t matter. These are my slections:

1. Ndamukong Suh – DT – Nebraska – Senior

A dominant player in the trenches; the best player in the country this year. PERIOD.  And in this year when there is no clear cut QB or RB, a defensive lineman can win.  (I know a defensive player was once given the trophy, but this time Suh should legitimately “win” it.)

Watch the video: Suh

2. Toby Gerhart – RB – Stanford – Senior

It was tough not voting for Gerhart. He is equally deserving for both his stats and his style.

3. Mark Ingram – RB – Alabama – Sophomore

It is hard to believe no Tide player has ever won the Heisman.  Ingram may go home with it. If he does, there is no injustice, he is a great back.  But I wouldn’t give it to him this year.

4. Tony Pike – QB – Cincinnati – Senior

While it is over used hyperbole, Pike is the driving force behind the Bearcats’ undefeated season.  His backup played well in periods Pike was injured, but without Pike Cincinnati would be good but not great. 

5. Colt McCoy – QB – Texas – Senior

The Maxwell Award winner should have won the Heisman last year.  His numbers were down a little, but McCoy’s performances still shined.  He has Texas playing again for the National Championship.

Tim Tebow’s Tears

/ Dennis Griffith / 2 Comments

“There’s no crying in football.”  That paraphrase of a Tom Hanks movie line is the apparent sentiment of many in the world of sports media today.

Are you kidding me?  It makes me wonder how many of these guys ever played the game – or played any game.

Tim Tebow is taking a pounding from pundits because he shed some tears as the 2009 SEC Championship Game came to a close with his Florida Gators on the short end of the scoreboard.  These sportwriters, and sports radio hosts, seem to think Tebow’s reaction was somehow sub-manly.  Granted,this is not a universal attitude among those in sports journalism – and maybe not even the majority opinion, but I’ve heard enough to realize this perspective does not belong just to a few isolated idiots.

Much has already been written about Tebow’s exploits and exceptional character. There is nothing I can add to that. There is no need to re-make those cases.  But I do want to chime-in on this conversation with a couple simple points.

1. Absolutely there are tears shed on football fields.  It is almost as much part of the game as is sweat. It is physically demanding game. It is also mentally and emotionally exhausting – perhaps especially for a quarterback.  Players prepare for hours upon hours for 60 minutes of competition.  At the end of the competition a player who has give all he has to give, physically, mentally, and emotonally, is drained. He is reduced to raw emotion. Tears are often shed on both sides, especially in a championship game – tears of joy for the victors; tears of frustration for the one whose all was not quite enough.

Frankly, as an ex-player and former coach, it is the guys who are not on the verge of tears at the end of a hard fought game who always bothered me most. 

2. Tebow demonstrated the epitome of character and sportsmanship.  Having been reduced to raw emotion; having watched year-long – if not life-long – dreams coming to an end, Tebow was nothing but gracious and effusive in his compliments and congratulations to his opponents. No excuses. No finger pointing. No sour grapes.  Tebow just said: “Alabama was better than us today”.  

Impressive. Which is more than I can say for Tebow’s naysayers.

Commissioner-in-Chief?

/ Dennis Griffith / Leave a comment

washington

A day after Tea Parties were held across our land, I learn that our money is not the only thing our elected officials in Washington are concerned about afterall.  With wars looming, pirates pestering American freighters, and our economy still in the gallows, apparently Congress has its eyes on college football. They want to fix the BCS. 

While I cannot endorse all his positions, I have to support David Climer of the Tennessean, who in his April 12 column spoke to the issue: Congress Has Bigger Problems to Address Than BCS.