Because of My Love for John Wooden, I Lose Money

The following piece was written by former guest writer Travis Cearley.  Enjoy:

Because of My Love for John Wooden, I Lose Money

By Coach Cearley

Admittedly, I know next to nothing about the PAC-12.  And, admittedly, I probably won’t ever spend hours researching their CFB history because the teams there have never really held my interest in any way.  However, as a high school basketball coach, I have always held an affection for all things involving the UCLA Bruins.  They Call Me Coach, in my opinion, is a premier spiritual and philosophical text and should be counted among pieces like Lewis’ The Screwtape Letters and Chopra’s The Book of Secrets.  Over the last year I have had the pleasure of making multiple visits to the UCLA campus.  My sister currently works at the David Geffen School of Medicine, and she has taken me on tours of Westwood, including a spiritual venture into an empty Nell and John Wooden Court where the presence of something greater than yourself is unavoidable… Now my point:

The former 1984 Rose Bowl MVP is not bringing honor to his Alma-Mater.  With the loss to Arizona (which was rightfully listed as among the worst 10 teams in the nation by this blog), Neuheisel’s UCLA record drops to 18-26.  I understand that the Bruins are not a football powerhouse, but when you coach for the school that is the home of the Prophet John Wooden, you have certain responsibilities…here are three from Wooden himself:

1.      Have Enthusiasm.  I have only seen two UCLA games this year (both losses); however, I cannot recall seeing Neuheisel excited for any reason over the last three years.  And it seems as though he has given up emotionally on his team.  Since he came to UCLA, Neuheisel would make a post-game tradition of speaking to the UCLA fans after a game…win or lose…however, he ceased doing so this season.  Why?  Because he continues to lose?  Big deal.  Losing is no excuse to become emotionally aloof.  As a coach, your job is ALWAYS on the line (please refer to an earlier post regarding Coach Richt).  I have a hard time believing he just came to that realization after the Texas loss this season. 

2.      Prepare.  Nick Foles is going to pass the ball.  He is going to pass it to the wide side of the field.  The deep ball is definitely a threat; but, to allow him (or his receivers) to make a living on crossing routes, screens, and slants is just inexcusable.  Where is the pressure; where are the stunts;  and, why can’t the linebackers tackle slot receivers?  As a head coach, you are responsible for making sure your defensive coordinator is prepared.

3.      Recognize.  Number 21 (I don’t know his name) was targeted and chumped all night.  Twice he was burnt for a touchdown on the same play, and he played the entire game… in a blow-out.  If it is a close game, and he is your number one corner and the opposition scores twice on him, fine.  But in a whoopin’, send a message.  Sit his tired butt down.  Surely there is a walk-on or a freshman or a 12^th man spiritual captain that would love to get his knuckles bloody.  As a coach it is paramount that you send the message “Win or lose, we play hard.”

I want to be clear.  I am not suggesting that Neuheisel loses his job.  I have repeatedly denounced “hot seat” talk.  I just want Coach Neuheisel to carry the torch.  UCLA is the only PAC-12 team I root for or even give a crap about.  **And to my detriment, I continually pick them to be victorious.  The Ducks are too flashy (and it often feels unwarranted); The Trojans remind me too much of Ohio State; The Cardinal gave up their most interesting character to the 49ers; The Cougars are abysmal; The Buffs will always belong in the Big 8; and, The Bears, well, I mean, they’re from Berkeley.  I understand Coach Wooden passed a year-and-a-half ago, but as a fan, I want to believe that everything shrouded in the blue and gold is a direct reflection of Wooden’s spirit. Please, Mr. Neuheisel, go to Pauley and meditate; it will do your soul some good.

**Playing in a weekly CFB pool has prompted many discussions about the dangers of picking with your heart…Why can I not separate myself from this?  I will take any advice, sympathy, or criticism.

Top 25 (Week 7)

We've compiled a top 25 ranking list, but it's a little unconventional.  We would like to present to you… the top 25 worst teams in College Football!

These first five teams aren't as bad as some, but they still make the list:

25. Kentucky - Kentucky may play in the SEC, but that fact alone hasn't netted them many wins.  They sit at 2-4 overall and 0-3 in the SEC.  Their only wins came at a neutral site against Western Kentucky (14-3 Wildcats), and at home against Central Michigan (27-13 Wildcats).  Both of those teams are on this list, and won't earn them much credit.  But the Kentucky Wildcats also lost to a team on this list, and at home, too: The Louisville Cardinals.  The Kentucky offense is terrible, with 119 passing yards per game (116th in the nation), 110 rushing yards per game (101st in the nation), and only 13 points per game (118th in the nation).  In their defense, Kentucky has played at home against Florida, and at LSU and South Carolina.   

24. Army - Army proudly represents the armed forces as one of the worst teams in College Football.  They sit at 2-4 overall, their only wins being an upset over struggling Northwestern and at home against the always-bad Tulane.  They've lost to MAC powerhouses Northern Illinois, Miami Ohio, and Ball State.  At least those games were all on the road.  The Black Knights do lead the nation in rushing yards, but they are dead last in passing yards.  Their scoring offense and defense are subpar as well. 

23. East Carolina - ECU is not as terrible as some, but they are still awful enough to make the list.  When they gave South Carolina a good game in week 1, conference success seemed to be in their future, and so far a 2-1 record in Conference USA doesn't seem so bad.  The Pirates are 2-4 overall, however, and their only wins came at home against winless UAB and at the terrible Memphis Tigers.  They are 115th in the nation in rushing yards and 105th on scoring defense.

22. Rice - Rice has certainly never been a powerhouse, and things haven't changed this year.  The Owls are 2-4 overall and 1-2 in Conference USA.  Their 2 wins came over a struggling Purdue team (blocking a field goal to win) and at home against the terrible Memphis Tigers.  This weekend the Owls lost at Marshall.

21. Tulane - Tulane is usually a safe bet for the top 25 worst teams in the nation.  This year the Green Wave has posted a 2-5 record overall, and sit at 1-2 in Conference USA.  Their only two wins came at home against FCS opponent Southeastern Louisiana, and at the winless UAB Blazers.  The Green Wave has lost to the likes of Duke, Army, and UTEP.  Tulane is 110th in the nation on scoring defense.

These next five take their role as sorry teams a little more seriously:

20. Central Michigan - The Chippewas have seen some success in the MAC in recent years, but that is now a distant memory.  At 2-5 overall and 1-2 in the MAC, things aren't looking good.  The wins came over FCS opponent South Carolina State and conference mate Northern Illinois.  Notable losses include at struggling NC State and at home to Eastern Michigan, a team that is consistently one of the worst in the country.

19. Louisville - Poor Louisville.  They were able to win at Kentucky, but still sit at 2-4 overall and 0-1 in the Big East.  Their only other win was against non-D1A Murray State.  The Cardinals dropped games at home to Florida International and Marshall.  With only 16.3 points per game, (111th in the nation) the Cardinals continue to struggle.

18. Kansas - Is there a team more sorry than Kansas?  Since the loss of Mangino, these Jayhawks have severely struggled.  KU is 2-4 overall, and 0-3 in the Big 12.  Their only wins were against non-D1A McNeese State and a close one over Northern Illinois.  The Jayhawks are dead last in the nation in scoring defense at 49 points per game allowed. 

17. Miami Ohio - Miami Ohio won the MAC last year, but this season has been pretty sorry.  The Red Hawks are 2-4 overall and 1-1 in the MAC.  Their 2 wins came against Army and the terrible Kent State.  They couldn’t even manage a win against AQ school Minnesota in one of the Golden Gophers' worst years.  Miami Ohio sits at dead last in the nation in rushing with only 66.3 yards per game on the ground.

16.  Middle Tennessee - Middle Tennessee is another safe bet for a list of the top 25 worst teams.  The Blue Raiders are 1-4 overall and 0-2 in the Sun Belt.  Their only win came at home against a terrible Memphis team.  Their last game was one of their most embarrassing losses: an overtime loss at home against Western Kentucky.  Middle Tennessee's offense stats are somewhat impressive, but at 114th in the nation on scoring defense, the Blue Raiders still make this list.

Now the top 15!  Competition is getting a little tougher:

15. Boston College - How bad is Boston College?  The Eagles are 1-5 overall and 0-3 in the ACC.  Their only win came at home against non-D1A opponent Massachusetts.  They dropped a game at home against Duke.  They may have had some tough opponents in Clemson and Wake Forest, but will need to find wins somewhere in conference play.

14. Buffalo - At least Buffalo fans don't expect much.  (Are there Buffalo fans?)  The Bulls are 2-5 overall and 1-2 in the MAC, albeit with a somewhat respectable win over Ohio.  Their only other win came against the Stony Brook Seawolves (sounds more like a vacation spot than a football team!).  Buffalo also lost to the perennial disappointment Ball State.  With 18.1 points per game (108th in the nation), the Bulls are right where they're used to.

13. Idaho - There's only room for one good team in Idaho, and I'll give you one hint: It's not the Vandals.  This sorry squad is 1-6 overall and 0-3 in the WAC.  Their only win was at home against FCS opponent North Dakota. Notable losses include MAC team Bowling Green, and conference mates LA Tech and New Mexico State.  These Vandals will continue to struggle, only average 76.1 rushing yards (117th in the nation) per game. 

12. Kent State - The Golden Flashes of Kent State are certainly bad enough to make this list.  They are 1-6 overall and 0-3 in the MAC.  (In the MAC!)  Their only win was against non-D1A South Alabama.  They recently lost at home to struggling conference opponent Miami Ohio.  Their offense is putrid, 117th in the nation in passing yards and 118th in rushing yards.  With only 10.7 points per game, they are dead last in the nation in scoring offense.  In their defense, they did travel to Alabama and Kansas State.

11. Akron - I think I played Akron once in the MAC conference title on my Playstation.  I'm pretty sure that's the only time they've ever been good.  The Zips are 1-5 overall and 0-2 in the MAC.  Their only win was against non-D1A opponent Virginia Military Institute.  Akron even lost at Eastern Michigan.  They sit at 114th in the nation in scoring offense, and 111th in scoring defense. 

And finally, the top 10 worst teams in the country:

10. Indiana - The Hoosiers are pretty terrible this year.  They are 1-6 overall, and 0-3 in the Big Ten.  Their only win was against non-D1A school South Carolina State.  Their losses weren't pretty, either.  They Hoosiers lost to Ball State at home in the opener, and at Sun Belt opponent North Texas.  Most people don't even realize that North Texas is a division 1-A school!

9. Colorado ­ - Colorado sure is enjoying its new life in the Pac-12!  The pathetic Buffalos sit at 0-3 in the conference and 1-6 overall.  Their only win came against Colorado State at home.  CU is in the bottom 25 in the nation in rushing yards, points per game, and scoring defense. With the remaining games on their schedule all in the Pac-12, they may not win another game.

 

8. Minnesota - Minnesota… definitely one of the worst teams in the nation.  The Golden Gophers are 1-5 overall and 0-2 in the Big Ten.  Their only win was at home against terrible Miami Ohio.  Their most embarrassing loss was at home to FCS opponent North Dakota State.  Purdue is certainly no powerhouse, but they were able to put up 45 points on this sorry Minnesota squad last week.  Minnesota sits at 109th in the nation in both scoring offense and defense.

7. Oregon State - The Oregon State Beavers may have been the worst AQ team in the country until they knocked off Arizona.  The Beavers are 1-5 overall and 1-2 in the Pac-12.  The only win is of course against the truly terrible Arizona Wildcats, and their most embarrassing loss came at home to FCS opponent Sacramento State!  It's not often that an AQ team loses to an FCS school.  These Beavers are terrible.

6. Arizona - The Arizona Wildcats may be the worst AQ school in the country.  The Wildcats have lost 10 straight to AQ schools.  They couldn't even manage a win over awful Oregon State last game.  Arizona sits at 1-5 overall and 0-4 in the Pac-12, their only win over non-D1A Northern Arizona.  They are second to last (119th) in the nation in rushing yards, 117th in scoring defense, but mysteriously 3rd in passing yards with 383 a game.  These yards have yet to net any wins.

5. Memphis - This sorry squad of Tigers is 1-6 overall and 0-3 in Conference USA.  Their only win is against FCS opponent Austin Peay.  Notable (embarrassing) losses include at Middle Tennessee, at Rice, and at home to East Carolina.  They are 116th in the nation on both scoring offense and defense. 

4. UAB - UAB, one of the few winless teams in the nation.  The Blazers sit at 0-6 overall and 0-3 in Conference USA.  At least they haven't lost to any FCS schools, but with only 13.2 points per game (117th in the nation) it doesn't look like improvement is in their future. 

3. UNLV - I would imagine people often forget that Northern Las Vegas fields a division 1 football team.  These Rebels are 1-5 overall and 0-1 in the Mountain West.  Their only win came over an extremely erratic Hawaii team at home.  Their most embarrassing loss came at home to FCS opponent Southern Utah.  They are 113th in the nation in passing yards, 113th in points per game, and 118th (third worst) in the nation on scoring defense.

2. Florida Atlantic - FAU has the honor of being one of the few winless teams in the country, and seeing as how they play in the Sun Belt, that's good enough to earn number 2 on our list. The Owls are 0-6 overall and 0-3 in the Sun Belt.  They are in the bottom 20 in scoring offense and defense, and passing and rushing yards.  At 0-3 in the Sun Belt, no game on the schedule is a cupcake win.  The Owls could easily finish the season with a perfect (losing) record.

1. New Mexico - New Mexico is another of the few winless teams in College Football.  The Lobos are 0-6 overall and 0-1 in the Mountain West.  Their worst loss was at home to FCS opponent Sam Houston State in overtime.  They are 110th in the nation in scoring offense, and 119th in scoring defense, allowing 44 points per game.  With no wins, terrible stats, and a loss to an FCS school, New Mexico is the number one worst team in the country.

And there you have it!  Other teams under consideration were: Northwestern, Iowa State, NC State, Utah, Cal, Ole Miss, Utah State, LA Tech, North Texas, Troy, LA Monroe.

The Year's Biggest Surprises

We've put together our top 10 biggest surprises of the year:

1. Clemson Bursts into National Title Scene

The Clemson Tigers have recovered from last year's 6-7 disappointment and already posted 6 wins in the first half of the season with an unblemished record.  The Tigers started off their surge onto the national scene with a win over defending national champion Auburn - the Auburn Tiger's first loss of this year.  Clemson followed up with a win over ranked Florida State, and solidified their standings with a victory at Virginia Tech.  The Tigers have two more games before they travel to undefeated Georgia Tech in a huge ACC matchup. 

2. Ohio State's Foundations Crumbling

Following the many off-season scandals and the departure of Jim Tressel, many wondered how the Buckeyes would look when they finally took the field this season.  Week one looked as expected, with a 42 - 0 shutout against Akron.  It was in week two when Toledo almost beat the Buckeyes at home that fans started to worry.  The Buckeyes lost at Miami to a struggling Hurricane team, then to Michigan State at home and on the road to Nebraska.  The 3-3 Buckeyes had their foundation ripped out from underneath them this offseason, and it's going to take some time before they can stand tall again. 

3. Seminoles Enter Free Fall after Climbing to the Top of Preseason Hype

The Florida State faithful had high hopes for this season.  A top ranking, a new quarterback, and a hyped up defense.  Perhaps the glory days were returning.  The Seminoles put up big numbers against Louisiana Monroe and Charleston Southern, but then the Oklahoma Sooners came to town.  OU won 23-13, sending the Seminoles into a downward spiral.  Florida State lost again at the upstart Clemson Tiger's Death Valley, but with Clemson's success this wasn't too much of a surprise.  Things really got bad this past weekend when the Seminoles lost at Wake Forest.  Florida State is in free fall, and now no games are guaranteed wins.

4. Missouri Struggles to Post 2 Wins in 5 Games

There was a lot of speculation as to how well James Franklin would fill Blaine Gabbert's shoes at Missouri.  This Tigers team has had success in recent years, but after the loss of several key players, the Tiger faithful weren't sure if the success could be maintained.  Thus far, it hasn't.  The Tigers managed a win in week 1 against now 1-4 Miami Ohio, then lost an anticipated matchup at Arizona State.  The Tigers rebounded at home against a non-D1 team, then lost at Norman.  They appeared to be turning things around after exceptional play against the Sooners, but perhaps the Sooners were just hung over after their victory at Florida State.  The Tigers played terribly in a loss at Kansas State this weekend, and unless things improve they will be lucky to win 3 of their remaining games.

5. Wake Forest Posts 4 Wins, Including Upset Over Florida State

If the week one overtime showdown with Syracuse had gone their way, the Demon Deacons would now be 5-0.  Wake went on to beat NC State, Gardner-Webb, Boston College, and finally Florida State.   Wake is now a contender in the ACC.  They face Virginia Tech this week at home, but after knocking off FSU, a win against a struggling VA Tech team is not out of the question.   Jim Grobe is a great coach who instills a great deal of discipline in his players.  Don't be surprised if the Deacons continue to improve.   

6. Syracuse and Pittsburgh to the ACC

The Big East has struggled to stay afloat as an AQ conference despite having 8 teams that often are not respected.  But now the Big East will likely not survive for long with the loss of Syracuse and Pittsburg to the ACC.  TCU was scheduled to head to the Big East in 2012, but are now looking into the stalling Big 12 conference.  The future of the college football landscape is uncertain, but Syracuse and Pittsburgh have hopefully found a foothold they can use to support themselves going into the future.  This will also further elevate the ACC's dominance in basketball.

7. North Carolina State Falling off the Map

NC State sure misses Russel Wilson right about now.  The former quarterback transferred after helping to lead NC State to the most success they've enjoyed in recent years.  He is now leading Wisconsin in a strong national title run.  Meanwhile the NC State Wolf Pack have fallen to 3-3, and 0-2 in the ACC.  They've lost to Wake, Georgia Tech, and Cincinnati, and only have one win over a division 1-A team (Central Michigan).  That means they need to post 4 more wins to make a bowl, since only one non-D1 game counts towards bowl eligibility.  With NC States remaining schedule - and the way they've been playing - that may be tough.

8. Wisconsin and Wilson a Very Happy Couple

The adjustment period was more than complete this past Spring for Russel Wilson.  He looks like he's been running Wisconsin's offense for years.  The transfer QB has led the Badgers to a dominant 5-0 start, including a huge win over Nebraska at home.  With the Big 10 and Ohio State down this year, Wilson looks to keep this offense rolling.  Perhaps more surprising than Wilson's success and chemistry with the team is the fact that many now consider him the Heisman front-runner.

9. Kansas State Quietly Climbs up the Polls

The Kansas State Wildcats simply play sound football.  Coach Bill Synder uses his personnel to perfection.  They do what they do well, and don't try to do anything outside their capabilities.  They don't receive a lot of national attention, but their sound fundamental football has earned them a 5-0 record and a number 17 spot in the AP poll.  These haven't been cupcake wins, either.  K-State knocked off number 15 Baylor at home, and beat Miami on a 4th quarter goal line stand.  The Wildcats will go as far this year as their personnel can take them. 

10. The Pac-12 More Than a Little Top Heavy

I don't think many consider the Pac-12 a power conference like the SEC, but we were a little surprised by how bad they are this year.  With the exception of Oregon and Stanford (and for the moment Arizona State - they are notorious for falling apart later in the season) the Pac-12 is weak.  Arizona, Colorado, and Oregon State only have 1 win each.  The Pac-12's overall non-conference record is 20-12, but only 14-12 without Oregon, Stanford, and Arizona State.  But more than the record, the quality of these teams is less than mediocre.  Time will tell, but the Pac-12's bowl record is not likely to be good.

Another notable surprise is the success of Michigan.  What do you all think?  Leave a comment below and let us know what aspects of College Football have surprised you most this 2011 season.