College Football 2008-09

[Reed John]

College Football 2008-09

I didn't watch any of it out of protest.

[matt j]

College Football 2008-09

uh... me too. Sure, that's it.

[Incandenza]

College Football 2008-09

In case you were wondering, Bill Plaschke can type while having his tongue planted deep in...well, just read:

Start with the grass stains. He left the field wearing the most splendid of grass stains, long swaths of green stretching over his shoulders, across his chest, down his back, the badge of a linebacker.

Now check out the number. He is No. 15, but his jersey was tugged and twisted so much, sometimes it looked as if he were No. 11, sometimes 17, the wrinkles of a lineman.

Finish with the face. Thick cheeks decorated in eye black, framed by a crew cut, above a tight expression that sweated with intensity, a face of a fighter.

This is Tim Tebow. For a couple of wonderfully antique hours Thursday, this is the perfect player who made us forget college football's imperfect system.

After Florida's messy 24-14 victory over Oklahoma in the BCS national championship game at Dolphin Stadium, I'm still not sure I can name the nation's best team.

But I'm absolutely positive of its biggest star, that being the Gators quarterback who looks like a Four Horseman, acts like Seven Blocks of Granite, and talks like Knute Rockne.

"I wanted to leave nothing on that field," Tebow said.

But, oh, he did, and suddenly all the BCS controversy momentarily disappeared underneath his churning legs, his exhorting arms, and his game-ending, completely uncharacteristic, in-Oklahoma's-face Gator chomp.

Picked up the first unsportsmanlike conduct penalty of his career.

"I didn't trash talk," he said. "Just gave it a little Gator chomp."
[...]
Remember the news about him this summer? Where some great players make headlines only through police reports, Tebow made the front page for helping circumcise Filipino infants in an orphanage run by his father's ministry.

With last year's Heisman Trophy and two national titles on his resume, it might be natural for Tebow to forgo his senior season and join the NFL.

But once there, he will probably be little more than a backup quarterback or situational fullback. Once there, he will probably never again hear the weepy cheers of fans or feel the sincere hugs of teammates, all of whom know that this national title belonged to him.

"It's an honor to be a Gator!" Tebow shouted into the faces of adoring fans late Thursday night.

Several steps away, much more quietly, teammate Nelson was shaking his head.

"That honor," he said, "is ours."

The sad thing is, I know that's probably not the worst Tim Tebow mash note today.

[Incandenza]

College Football 2008-09

Man, Pete Carroll really sounded like a dick yesterday:

Sanchez, the Trojans' starting quarterback who will finish his classwork in May with one year of remaining football eligibility, formally declared that he was leaving school to join the NFL.

Carroll, his coach, publicly treated him like a traitor.

Said Sanchez: "It is with a heavy heart that I say goodbye to this university."

Said Carroll: "We didn't see this decision the same."

Sanchez carefully and emotionally thanked everyone from Carroll to the guy who washed his jock.

Yet Carroll was so visibly frustrated, he wouldn't even sit next to Sanchez during the Heritage Hall news conference, then later refused to sit while answering questions.

Said Sanchez: "I will always fight on."

Said Carroll: "Mark is going against the grain in this decision, we know that, he knows that."
[...]
In typical USC public-relations fashion, Sanchez was graciously given a chance to say goodbye. But Carroll turned it into something resembling an uncomfortable, awkward breakup.

The surreal gathering in the Heritage Hall meeting room began with two chairs at the front table.

Suddenly, just before the news conference began, one chair was removed.

It was clear, from that moment, Sanchez would be on his own.

The quarterback went first, fighting back tears and talking about "sleepless nights and lots of prayer."

The coach went next, and immediately treated Sanchez not like a college kid who just made a life-changing decision, but like a professional free agent who just opted out of the contract.

"We have compelling information working against the choice going this way," Carroll said.
[...]
As Carroll spoke, Sanchez sat in a chair on the side, staring straight ahead, trying to smile through the obvious discomfort.

After Carroll's statement, the coach quickly stood but was asked some questions. Usually he would sit down again to answer them. This time, he stayed standing, as if he couldn't wait to leave.

When he did hustle away, he barely acknowledged Sanchez, lightly shaking his hand and quickly turning away.

[Reed John]

College Football 2008-09

What a douche.

In general, I don't think QBs are well served by going early, but Sanchez is currently pegged as a first-round pick and from what I've seen of him, he's got as good of a chance as any of the other QBs in this draft of being a good pro (in other words, less than 50%, but that's just how it is).

We're disappointed that Aaron Maybin is jumping to the draft after only his sophmore year at Penn State, but the draftniks have him goin in the top 10. There's just no way he can sensibly turn that down. Hopefully he'll land with a good team that has a place for him.

[Incandenza]

College Football 2008-09

In general, I would say that Sanchez didn't have a stellar year and could probably stand to benefit from another year as the starter, since this was just his first year in that role.

However, his best game was the Rose Bowl, and it never hurts going into the draft with a big bowl victory and your best performance of the year in that game. Plus, look how well coming back for another year turned out for Leinart.

[Incandenza]

College Football 2008-09

Christ. This is an article posted on Pete Carroll's official website:

“The facts are so strong against this decision,” Carroll said. “After analyzing all the information, the truth is there — he should’ve stayed for another year.”

Carroll cited a study that shows 62 percent of underclassmen quarterbacks who declare early for the Draft eventually don’t pan out in the NFL. He also pointed to Sanchez’s NFL Draft evaluation, which projected Sanchez as a second-round selection.

“Mark’s chance to increase his value and become the top player in college football next year would have been worth $10-$20 million or more — likely more,” Carroll said. “One more year of running a team is almost priceless, so he lost the chance to fully prepare himself and become the very best he could be before going to the NFL.

“That’s why there’s a 62 percent failure rate for underclassmen quarterbacks.”

During the press conference, Sanchez repeatedly referred to achieving a lifelong dream as to one of the reasons he made this decision.

“We have always been in full support of Mark pursuing his dream,” Carroll said, “he just should have postponed realizing his dream another 12 months.”

Carroll stressed that his advice to Sanchez throughout the last two weeks had the quarterback’s interests in mind, not his team’s.

“I’m trying to help him be the best he can be, and that would’ve been to stay in school another year and increase his value,” Carroll said. “The facts are there. And he knew all of it, but that’s what he wanted to do it, so we wish him the best.”

Carroll wasn’t alone in his disagreement.

“His family didn’t want it and everybody else told him he should’ve stayed,” Carroll said. “Also, he let go of the opportunity to affect the people around the university and the community, something that would’ve been unforgettable.”

Although he remained strong in his disagreement, Carroll emphasized that he still supports Sanchez and knows he “will always be a special member of the Trojan family.”

“Even though we disagree, I still support him and we’re going to try to help him in any way we can,” Carroll said. “It’s like a family member — you’re not going to stop loving him just because he makes a bad choice.

“Hopefully he’ll overcome the history of these decisions and the people’s opinions out there and becomes very successful.”

Sanchez will graduate in May. He's not leaving school early. Carroll is clearly revealing that football is far more important to him than any notion of an education for his players.

And here's that handshake--



You stay classy, Pete.

[Reed John]

College Football 2008-09

He also doesn't understand statistics very well.

Carroll cited a study that shows 62 percent of underclassmen quarterbacks who declare early for the Draft eventually don’t pan out in the NFL. He also pointed to Sanchez’s NFL Draft evaluation, which projected Sanchez as a second-round selection.

How many senior quarterbacks "pan out?" I seriously doubt it's much more than 38%. Think about it. Every year there are at least four or five QBs that go in the first few rounds. There are only 30 starting jobs in the NFL. It's the hardest position intellectually and probably the toughest learning curve from college to pro. The odds are not in favor of any one of them "panning out."