Jan. 3 bowl thread

[DanOregon]

I realize it isn't a "bowl game" - but its nice to see all the soldiers at the high school All-American game in San Antonio. I've got to think it's a nice opportunity to give the high school players a chance appreciate the choices their talent has given them and the sacrifices made on our behalf.
Would also be nice if for every college declaration, there was a full-ride scholarship awarded to a soldier.

 

[Sam Mills 51]

Do you realize how bad Buffalo was before Gill got there? I mean it's obvious that you don't.

Ohio (which is complete and utter fail at football) could pencil in Buffalo as a win before Gill got there. The Bulls were worse than Washington, Wazzu and Idaho were this year.

Actually I do. I think he needs more time.

I don't. Buffalo was so bad that the program made Duke - DUKE! - look successful in football by comparison. And save for the too-short Steve Spurrier Era and a bowl in '94 under Fred Goldsmith, Duke has been a punchline since 1961.

Turner Gill has already proven plenty. But I'm with MU ... if Gill continues the success next season, there shouldn't be a shadow of a doubt and he will look wise for bypassing Syracuse and a couple of others.

 

[pseudo]

Buffalo's uniforms are literally the exact same as Kentucky's last year, other than saying "Buffalo" instead of "Kentucky," of course. And the helmet logo (interlocking UB vs UK) is almost the exact same as well.

I noticed that too. Their team name is also one letter of from a certain pro team. They need their own identity.

"Bulls" has been the nickname of the UB teams since 1931 -- well before the AAFC Bills, much less the current version. They actually used a red-white-and-royal color scheme with the initials on a white helmet throughout the '80s and early '90s:

When former Penn State o-line coach Craig Cirbus took over the program in 1995, he adopted their plain navy-and-white look to get away from the Bills' design, because the logo was the only way to tell the two apart before the NFL team switched to red helmets in 1984.

According to the Helmet Project, the source of the above image, Kentucky didn't put the UK logo on theirs until 1997. I haven't seen too many Wildcat football fans in western New York, so I'm going to guess that Warde Manuel doesn't think the similarity is a problem.

Back to the game: disappointing to let the score get out of hand like that, but it's still a significant building block in the program's development.

 

[Fenian_Bastard]

I realize it isn't a "bowl game" - but its nice to see all the soldiers at the high school All-American game in San Antonio. I've got to think it's a nice opportunity to give the high school players a chance appreciate the choices their talent has given them and the sacrifices made on our behalf.
Would also be nice if for every college declaration, there was a full-ride scholarship awarded to a soldier.

It also would be nice if we could have had a real, no-**** GI Bill without caterwauling from either legislators or taxpayers.
Tell you the truth, I'm not sure how I feel about a four-hour Army infomercial aimed at teenagers.

 

[zagoshe]

Let me see if I get this straight --

5-19 and loser of ten in a row Gene Chizik gets a bigger job

Brady Hoke, who lost to Buffalo in the Mac championship game, gets a bigger job

Something named Doug Marrone with no head coaching experience and no real extensive college experience gets a job.

Yet Turner Gill is still at Buffalo.

Yep that seems right to me.......

Brady Hoke is a better coach than Turner Gill. Who still lost a bunch of games at Buffalo this year. Ball State only lost one. Anyway, Hoke's move was a lateral one, at best.

I'm sorry for not thinking Gill is going to be the next big mid-major to jump to a big conference and succeed. I'd like to see a 12-1 season or two before I believe that. Otherwise he's going to be another Gerry Dinardo.

That is ridiculous.

Brady Hoke in year three at Ball State was 4-7 -- he didn't have his first winning season until year five -- he went 7-6 and got smoked in the international bowl. And in year six he won 12 games --- and he is leaving without ever having won the Mid-American Conference.

So let's review -- six years at Ball State, only two of them with a winning record, no conference titles.

Turner Gill three years at Buffalo -- which was regarded as the worst program in the country when he arrived -- one winning season and one MAC title -- oh yeah, did we mention that one MAC title came against Hoke and Ball State?

Hoke might be a good coach, there is no way you could objectively or even subjectively claim he is a better coach than Gill is.

And whoever said it is right -- Auburn was not a good fit for him, I'm glad Syracuse thumbed their nose at him because that is a grave yard, so it isn't the worst thing that he didn't move up this year but his living with an address in Buffalo should end at this time next year.

 

[PeteyPirate]

I realize it isn't a "bowl game" - but its nice to see all the soldiers at the high school All-American game in San Antonio. I've got to think it's a nice opportunity to give the high school players a chance appreciate the choices their talent has given them and the sacrifices made on our behalf.
Would also be nice if for every college declaration, there was a full-ride scholarship awarded to a soldier.

Great story from there: Xavier Nixon, a stud lineman recruit from my hometown of Fayetteville, N.C., home of Fort Bragg, has both parents serving in Iraq right now, and I understand they are both at the game.

 

[DanOregon]

I don't know FB - if I'm sitting there and I see an injured guy in a military uniform, and a football player playing three card monte with LSU, Florida and Florida State, I'm thinking I might want to bust my ass to get into college. And you're right about Nixon, great story. Anyone know if they took the players to the Intrepid Center?
I think the Army creating a video game to lure recruits is more disturbing.

 

[slappy4428]

I'll have you know that Lancelot Link is a redshirt senior.

You are right. Chimp's got eligibility.

He'd start at most Pac-10 schools

 

[Fenian_Bastard]

Dan --
Agree completely on the video game. Urgh.
But that photo you ran is very scary.

 

[DanOregon]

The kid-catcher from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang kept me from eating candy as a kid for a whole month.

 

[Cosmo]

Let me see if I get this straight --

5-19 and loser of ten in a row Gene Chizik gets a bigger job

Brady Hoke, who lost to Buffalo in the Mac championship game, gets a bigger job

Something named Doug Marrone with no head coaching experience and no real extensive college experience gets a job.

Yet Turner Gill is still at Buffalo.

Yep that seems right to me.......

Brady Hoke is a better coach than Turner Gill. Who still lost a bunch of games at Buffalo this year. Ball State only lost one. Anyway, Hoke's move was a lateral one, at best.

I'm sorry for not thinking Gill is going to be the next big mid-major to jump to a big conference and succeed. I'd like to see a 12-1 season or two before I believe that. Otherwise he's going to be another Gerry Dinardo.

Hoke's move was not lateral. He's in a way better conference in a better city and a WAY better HS football state. Will he ever field a ranked team? Maybe not, but he's making over 700K and living in one of the nicest cities in the country and has a way better recruiting state.

He left a rising Mac conference and a team that was No. 14. In football terms I don't know. Maybe lifestyle wise it was the better move.

You are right about better recruiting though.

Once in a lifetime shot. Ball State will never be this strong again.

 

[buckweaver]

Once in a lifetime shot. Ball State will never be this strong again.

Merv Rettenmund just punched a wall and doesn't know why.

 

[Cosmo]

One 10-win season in 83 years of football this year. Just sayin'

 

[buckweaver]

One 10-win season in 83 years of football this year. Just sayin'

Ball State went 9-0-1 in 1965 with Rettenmund as its star halfback. Tied Cleveland State in the Grantland Rice Bowl at the end of the year. That's some legacy, man.

 

[dooley_womack1]

Was Kevin Mackey the opposing coach?

 

[buckweaver]

Hell if I know. Cleveland State didn't have any good baseball players then. :D

 

[Cosmo]

fnord.

 

[shotglass]

Hey, Rettenmund got drafted by the Cowboys. Fairly impressive.

 

[buckweaver]

Hey, Rettenmund got drafted by the Cowboys. Fairly impressive.

Despite playing only three games his senior year. Cowboys took a lot of fliers in those days, and some worked out. But the Orioles won that round.

 

[badband]

all this time later, and i'm still broken up over nick saban losing to utah. i just cant get over it. more proof that nice guys always finish last.