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Is the 40 time that important?

On Saturday, the first workouts for the NFL Scouting Combine begin. This is the season where we get a heavy dose of Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay. They provide us with the insight on these players, from the good to the bad. Mike Mayock, of the NFL Network, will add a no-nonsense approach to his top draft picks and those that are flying under the radar. Fans and media-types are enamored by the blazing 40 times these kids run and also the super-athletic players. But what do we truly gain from knowing a kid runs a sub 4.30, or better yet what do the 32 NFL teams take away from the combine? NFL personnel attend the combine to see what these players look like in person and the interview process. Of course, they like to see them perform in the drills, but the 40 time is not the essential component to the days spent at the combine in Indianapolis. There will be teams that fall in love with the Chris Johnsons, Reggie Bushs, or Darrius Heyward-Beys of the world. But what does the 40 yard dash determine? It shows that a kid has either good or bad straight line speed. A top-end 40 time is not going to help a corner cover a wide receiver better or be better in zone coverage, and it is not going to help a running back with running in-between the tackles, his balance, or agility. Every position has important pertinent drills specific to that position, but the three-cone drill and the shuttle drill are more important to teams. The three-cone drill measures a player’s agility, fluidity of his hips, and his quickness, which is important to how he transitions from one movement to another. The shuttle drill measures the player’s acceleration, his first step speed and his lateral quickness. This allows teams to see how quick these players reach optimal speed for whatever purpose and how they control their body coming out of different movements. The Oakland Raiders are a team that falls in love with the most athletic and fast guys but this comes with a disclaimer: off the field issues or low football IQ. We know that Al Davis is going to make whatever decision his heart desires but this has not produced on the field success for his franchise. As NFL teams push forward, they are looking for athletes that have no prior baggage that will be detrimental to them and then eventually the team. Teams will use the combine to cover every psychological factor of each player. They really want to get to know these players and not only from a football standpoint but what kind of human beings are these kids. We should see more stories like Myron Rolle (Rhodes Scholar) than the kids involved in robberies and altercations. As you get comfy on your couch with your beer in hand and popcorn on your lap, forget about the 40 times and look at the other drills and make your assessment based on how these kids test in them. A glamourous 40 time doesn’t mean anything, just look at Jerry Rice and Emmitt Smith, any arguments? I didn’t think so.

In Tebow, I Trust

Just like Martha Coakley thought she had the Senate seat in the bag, maybe the Timothy Tebow naysayers will eat crow when he becomes successful in the NFL as a quarterback. Granted, he did not look good in the first Senior Bowl practice, fumbling six snaps, but who are we as fans and journalists to determine his fate. For starters, he is probably the best collegiate player in this modern era to play college football: two national championships, Heisman Trophy winner and many more offensive accolades to add to the growing list of accomplishments. With 32 NFL scouts in Mobile, Alabama, he was skewered, devoured, and regurgitated for the viewing public to witness. We all know he came from a spread-option offense run by Urban Meyer and these quarterbacks (think Alex Smith) have trouble lining up under center and making the necessary drop-back throws in the NFL. But who are we to think that Tebow, a God-fearing kid from Jacksonville, FL, will not make it at the next level? There is no denying his passion for the game and as a leader; it has been on display for the last four years as he suited up as a Gator. He did not get the nickname of Superman for no reason. Everyone has witnessed his bowling over of defenders for first downs and touchdowns, his patented jump-pass, his fiery pep talks, his vow to never lose again after a bittersweet loss to Ole Miss in ’08. The scouts are saying that he needs to switch to H-back or tight end. But then they question his speed, is he fast enough to play those positions? It took a lot of courage for him to attend the Senior Bowl; he knew the critics would come out in full force to dish out the criticism real thick like some Missouri barbeque sauce. What kills me is that those who adored everything he did in college are the ones who are vehemently against his success at the quarterback position. It took me a while (three years to be exact) to warm up to Tebow. I guess I had a negative affinity toward Urban Meyer and his winning ways at Florida; it was his mocking smile underneath the surface, and his penchant for exacting revenge on a rival SEC coach if they slighted him in a press conference or his team on the field. But I like Tebow and I think he is good for the sport of football. If I were Tebow, I would do the NFL Scouting Combine and his pro day. The more work he gets in on his mechanics the better for him in the long run. In the senior bowl last Saturday, he did OK; he was not awful. You can still see the hesitancy lining up under center. He had two fumbles but that North defense was a ferocious bunch. I felt that the ball did not come out with enough velocity to reach its target, but all these things will be worked on through him being drafted and well into his career in the NFL. I cannot tell whether he will be a star in the NFL, at the quarterback position, but you know that he will give a 110% in improving his weaknesses. This kid won’t rest or take a day off; when the rest of his team will enjoy the clubs and the bars, he will head home to watch more tape and improve. It’s is in his DNA, and those individuals that are doubted and no one gives a benefit of the doubt to, do rise above the negativity. And I hope, Tebow does. He deserves it.

Mark Ingram is Primed for the Heisman

On Saturday, the Heisman Trophy will be given out to the “most outstanding player” of the 2009 season. Is there a clear-cut candidate that has trumped everyone and showed dominance throughout this season? Before the season, I wrote about how it will be a three-way dance for the Heisman: Tim Tebow, Colt McCoy, and Sam Bradford. However, Tebow has had a down year, nothing close to his 2007 Heisman year, McCoy has been up and down this season and pretty much killed his shot with a poor display against Nebraska, and Braford re-injured his shoulder, that required surgery, and he is off to the NFL. I know everyone is clamoring over defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh from Nebraska; rightfully so, he finished the season with 12 sacks (four coming against McCoy) with a total of 82 tackles (47 solo). But the Heisman has only been won by one defensive player and that was Charles Woodson in 1997. I have a hard time seeing a defensive player winning the coveted award unless that player does something really exceptional every game and has the backing from the media. I have to say that the trophy will be contested between two dynamic running backs: Mark Ingram of Alabama and Toby Gerhart of Stanford. If I had a vote, it would go to Ingram. He has meant the world to an Alabama team that has been struggling on offense for much of the season. Quarterback Greg McElroy has been shaky throughout the season and has benefitted from his sophomore running back. Ingram finished the season with 1542 yards and 15 touchdowns. On the other hand, Gerhart finished with an outstanding 1736 yards and 26 touchdowns on the ground. If you look at the stats, Gerhart gets the nod. Mind you, I love Gerhart and his tough no-nonsense approach of running over and through defenders. But he is on a Cardinal team that has four losses and the team is on the West Coast. People outside of the West Coat do not get to see Pac-10 games, or they are aired very late. Ingram benefits from playing in the SEC which is probably the most watched conference. Pac-10 games are showed on Versus (which is not available to DIRECTV owners anymore) and FSN. But you have many replays of SEC games on ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPNU, CBS network, and CBS College Sports channel. The sheer availability of SEC games allows the nation to fall in love with Ingram. Ingram’s defining moment was in the SEC Championship game against Florida, a game where Alabama dominated the Gators for four quarters. Coming off a disappointing game against Auburn (30 yards of rushing), he had to prove to the nation that he is an elite-caliber running back and he did. He had a 113 yards rushing and three touchdowns with 76 yards receiving. And Gerhart’s defining moment was the ABC primetime game against a very game Notre Dame team. He finished the night with 205 yards and three touchdowns. Clearly, we see Gerhart again trumping Ingram, but the level of competition comes into play as well. Florida is a better defensive team than The Fighting Irish, and no one can dispute that and also the number of athletic kids in the Southeastern Conference allows for a higher level of competition. But if you average out the run defenses that Ingram and Gerhart have played against, it comes out to: Ingram has played against rush defenses that average 66th in the nation, and Gerhart has rumbled against rush defenses that have averaged 59th in the nation. This shows that the SEC has not been that dominant in defense, especially rush defense this year and it also shows the how good the Pac-10 teams have been at defending against the run. However, I stick to my guns and say that Ingram deserves it. Even last year, running behind Glen Coffee, he was dynamic. He sports a good blend of speed and power. No, he does not running a blazing sub-4.3in the 40 like Chris Johnson (former East Carolina player now with the Tennessee Titans), but he gets those tough yards and has breakaway speed as well. Think about it, when a kid practices against a top 5 defense, he cannot help but be a tough running back. Ingram has willed his team to stay undefeated and get that revenge match with Florida and go to the national title game. And he was the prime reason that Alabama accomplished all those feats. It is really nice to see two young gentlemen being represented for their hard work: Ingram is the quiet guy who has been deflecting Heisman talk all season long, and Gerhart is the humble kid that never thought his name would be in the same sentence as “Heisman.” Ingram has a chance to be the first ever Alabama player to hold this prestigious award.

And So…The Fat Lady Sings

Charlie Weis’ stint at Notre Dame has come to an end. When someone gets fired, it is not a time for celebration. But I can assure you that Fighting Irish fans in South Bend and across the nation are happy that he is gone; the message boards and forums have been calling for Weis to be removed after their loss to Navy. And it became more emphatic to the nation that Charlie would be relieved of his duties once they lost to Stanford, with Toby Gerhart putting on another impressive performance. Weis did not make friends when he arrived in South Bend. He rode in like a desperado all clad in black but instead of brandishing a gold-plated six shooter it was his Super Bowl rings that he blinded us all with; he was often deemed indifferent and arrogant to Notre Dame-backers, boosters, and the media. Weis was the ultimate pro wrestling “heel” (bad guy): he was no different than the Iron Sheik or Greg “The Hammer” Valentine. However, in his last two years there was a softer Charlie, a man that was more comfortable with himself and goofy at times. We know how much he has meant to the New England Patriots and Tom Brady: former sixth round pick and eventual Hall of Famer. He helped developed Brady into a star quarterback for those hated New Englanders. So why wouldn’t Notre Dame go after the “sexy pick” after unsuccessful seasons with Bob Davie and Tryone Willingham? But what happened was something no one saw: 35-27 in his five year tenure. Davie ended up with two fewer losses than Weis, in a five year span, and Willingham, in his three years, ended with a 21-15 record. The biggest Achilles heel for the Fighting Irish has been their defense. The defense finished the year ranked 87th in the nation: surrendering, on average, 397.95 yards per game. On the flip side of this, they were ranked 10th in total offense, averaging 451.75 yards per game. It’s good to have an offense and Drew Brees can attest to that (sorry for the NFL reference), but if you cannot get the boys on defense to make crucial stops then you lose those close bittersweet games: they have lost the last six games by an average of 4.6 points. They are hardly a team that is getting creamed week in and week out. Notre Dame assumed that Weis would be the messiah that would bring back the storied tradition of coaches: Knute Rockne, Frank Leahy, Ara Parseghian and Lou Holtz. However, it is unrealistic for them to put that kind of pressure on him or any coach. Those years of ten to eleven win seasons are long gone. And who is to say that those head coaches would have the same success that they had in the past today: the college game has evolved so much and so has the athlete. Yes, Notre Dame is steeped in tradition, but kids nowadays are not concerned with that and that has to do with our society as a whole. We want instant gratification. Look at the popularity of the SEC and Big 12. Kids would rather be on CBS or ESPN where they get more exposure than NBC which is the home of the Fighting Irish. One of the problems hindering this program is geographical location. Do you see kids wanting to go to Indiana over Texas, Florida, Alabama or USC? If I had a choice, I would pick any Southeastern team or West Coast team. I want to enjoy the nice weather and girls that are in shorts and sundresses instead of girls wearing over-sized sweatshirts and leg warmers. And the academic standards are not going to allow the university to get the athletes that you see at Florida or Texas. Its commendable that they have a high graduation percentage, but if you want to play in BCS bowl games and compete for national titles, something has to give, so what is it going to be? Athletic Director Jack Swarbrick is saying all the right things: “But I think I will say it is important to us to look first and foremost at people who have demonstrated an ability to build and sustain a Division I college football program.” For the Notre Dame fans, let’s hope that he sticks to his plan and make this a meticulous process. As of Sunday, word came out on ESPN that a decision could be made as early as today. I do not know if someone is spreading rumors but if this is true then what happened to the extensive research that he promised. There are 120 college football programs that have qualified personnel, forget about the NFL. Find a college coach that has a good staff and is adept at recruiting and find out his philosophies on the game and where he is planning to take your program. Why pick up a former NFL head coach or assistant that has no experience in recruiting and the college game?! Most importantly, expectations need to be tempered in South Bend, and once they realize that, success can happen. All successful people go through rocky moments in their lives, but one must persevere. And Notre Dame needs to understand that change comes in small chunks; it is not an overnight thing. They need to give whoever they choose as the head coach time to turn around this program: they should not expect nine to ten wins in the first two years. And with the recent departure of Jimmy Clausen and Golden Tate to the NFL draft, it will take some time for that program to be potent on offense. Who knows maybe next season it will be the defense that carries this team or maybe not. My mother always told me that you must creep before you can walk, and once The Fighting Irish realize this then success can come their way.

Can USC Stop the Hemorrhaging?

It is still baffling to me how USC’s defense went down in flames last Saturday in the Los Angeles Coliseum. Stanford handed the Trojans an emphatic beatdown, putting up 55 points on USC. And if fiendish Jim Harbaugh had more time, he would have instructed his team to punch in more touchdowns. Pete Carroll never imagined that his team would give up the most points in school history, not in his tenure, I bet. Carroll’s track record has been nothing short of brilliant: seven Pac-10 titles, six BCS bowl victories, seven BCS bowl appearances, 63 consecutive games of 20 points, two national championships and the list goes on. What has happened to this team that used to be a juggernaut on offense and played sound defense? Through the first five games, the defense gave up an average of 8.6 points per game. It started with the Notre Dame game where they gave up 26 points, and they stopped an Irish team that was coming back for the win. The following week saw them thwart an Oregon State team that has given them headaches in the last couple of years, beating them in 2006 and 2008. Then the Halloween game in Autzen Stadium: this scenario could not get any worse. Quarterback Jeremiah Masoli unleashed a monster game against the defense, racking up 164 yards rushing and true freshman running back Lamichael James upped Masoli, adding 183 yards on the ground with one touchdown. The Ducks cruised to a 47-20 win. It was embarrassing to see a defense get picked apart like they did. They looked defeated and were outplayed the entire game. Arizona State was next and this game ended up being a close contest, 14-9. The defense played notably better, making better tackles and their angles of pursuit were more precise. However, the Sun Devils are 92nd in total offense. Hardly an offensive juggernaut, compared to Oregon who is 32nd in total offense and 6th in rushing offense. The city of Los Angeles rested easy after this game and had confidence in Carroll and his staff that what happened against the Ducks would not happen again. But it did. Last Saturday, the Cardinal team undressed the USC on their home field. Senior running back Toby Gerhart racked up 178 yards on the ground with 3 touchdowns, and true freshman quarterback Andrew Luck (who is going to be a star when he comes out) ran for 61 yards for good measure. There wasn’t anything that Stanford did that USC has not seen: North-South running by Gerhart which opened up play-action passes and precise throws by Luck. There was no spread-option attack that Oregon runs, nothing of the sorts. Probably the best facet of the game for Stanford was the play of the offensive line; they mauled and pushed back the Trojans’ defensive line and negated the linebackers. Luck had time to throw, and Gerhart had seems to run through. Basic football, nothing else. But the blame does not rest solely on the defense’s shoulders. On offense, Matt Barkley threw 3 interceptions and fumbled; these turnovers were converted into points, 28 points. I’m not going to be overly critical of Barkley because for a true freshman he has done well. He needs to improve and do better at taking what the defense gives him. Injuries have hit USC hard this year similar to Oklahoma: Anthony McCoy, Stanli Havli, David Ausberry, Allen Braford, Damien Williams and the defense has their own share of set backs. A young quarterback needs his safety valves in times when things are not going well. Barkley has a good rapport with Williams (who did not play due to injury) and McCoy (who returned from injury but pulled in one catch for seven yards). The good news was sophomore Brice Butler stepped up with six catches for 96 yards and one touchdown. This was a bright spot for this offense. Even with Butler’s performance, Joe McKnight might have out-shined him with 146 yards on the ground, an outstanding 8.9 yard per carry average. Simply, brilliant by McKnight. Carroll has raised expectations since he started in 2001. And we are finally seeing that it is hard to maintain that level of success: he has given us a rich piece of chocolate cake with a delectable layer of frosting, but now our piece of cake is devoid of frosting and does not wash down smoothly. We have been spoiled with the reloading of players, but this year we see a noticeable drop off. Also, losing your coaching staff adds to this problem as well. The loss of Norm Chow, Lane Kiffin, Steve Sarkisian, Nick Holt and many others behind the scenes we do not know about. Carroll needs a veteran assistant to help him on gameday to see things he might miss and to give him a hand. He is doing too much. Tuesday’s practice saw Carroll talking about shaking things up and utilizing other players: “this week, there will be a number of players moving around and playing with the first-team to get a chance to showcase their talents.” The bye week has come at the right time for the players to heal, and for Carroll and his staff to assess new players that can contribute. The open competition will make everyone accountable for doing the best at their respective positions. It cannot get any worse for The Men of Troy. When you hit rock-bottom you can only go up. And if there is anyone I would want guiding my ship through the perilous waters, it is Pete Carroll.

Colt McCoy and the Texas Longhorns solve their offensive woes for now, beating Missouri 41-7

Boy was it ugly, Colt McCoy and his team spared no one in the beatdown they served the Missouri Tigers on Saturday night. It was so ugly that in the third quarter ABC pulled the plug to switch over to their West Coast coverage of the USC and Oregon State game--where these two teams were trading punches. It was the old McCoy (26/31 for 269 yards with 3 touchdowns and one interception) playing pitch and catch with his receivers against an overmatched Missouri team. The entire nation has been waiting for him to breakout this season, and he did against albeit a Missouri team whose quarterback Blaine Gabbert was playing with an injured ankle. Gabbert was unable to plant his feet and this cause a lot of his balls to have no velocity on them. Do not misunderstand me, Missouri can put up points like Texas Tech, but these two offenses score too fast so their defenses get no time to rest and that is why they give up a lot of points, on defense. And also your team identity in college dictates the recruits you will attract: so an offensive team will get more kids on offensive side than the defensive side and vice versa. Not only that, but the Longhorn’s defense (#2 in total defense--which was held by Alabama who dropped to #4) have stepped up in a big way since the Oklahoma game. It’s safe to say that Mack Brown’s team looked far more impressive last Saturday than Alabama and Florida (who both struggled to secure a definitive win). But on a whole, Alabama, Florida, and Texas do not look like the same teams from the 2008 season. One thing for sure is that Texas should not get too excited by beating a Missouri team that is ranked 52nd in the nation in total offense (giving up an average of 345.86 yards per game) and a pass defense that is 65th in the nation (allowing on average of 218.0 yards per game through the air). Looking at their schedule, the best defense they played was Oklahoma’s and they barely won that game, 16-13. Yes, they are in control of their own destiny, but what lies ahead is a trip to Boone Pickens Stadium to play Oklahoma State this upcoming Saturday. I know you are going to say that no Dez Bryant (lied to the NCAA) and Kendall Hunter (injured) will make it easier for the Longhorns. However, you never know: they still have Zac Robinson at quarterback (12 touchdowns and 3 interceptions) and Keith Toston (6 rushing touchdowns and 606 yards rushing so far). Last season, the Longhorns (at home) looked less than stellar in a tight game that they eked out, 28-24. Texas is 3rd in the AP poll, USA Today poll, and BCS standings. If they win out, the winner of the December 5th SEC Championship game will be their opponent in the national title game. But if for some reason they lose a game along the way, all their national championship aspirations fly out the window. And that leaves the Men of Troy sitting perfectly in all this. USC is sitting comfortably (on the 50th floor of the penthouse suite) at No.5 in the BCS standings, and all they have to do is win out, and for Texas to have one loss for them to be in the national title game. The Trojans have to beat Oregon in Autzen Stadium (one of the toughest places to play in the nation, if not the loudest) this upcoming Saturday and this will allow them to step over Iowa (4th in the BCS) and be seated at the No.4 spot in the BCS. But if they lose, they might be out of the BCS picture all together. There is no doubt that silently and secretively USC is hoping for a Texas loss and for their offense to put up 42 points on Oregon like they did against Oregon State. But it has to be disheartening for Trojan fans (myself included) to witness their defense giving up 63 points in their last two games. Last season, Texas’ hopes of the national title were taken away in a Cinderella moment by Michael Crabtree. And then the stupid Big 12 tiebreaker rule that kept them out of Big 12 Championship game, even though they beat Oklahoma head-to-head, 45-35. No one can deny Texas of their destiny, if they just win out. But for the Longhorns it’s all about consistency, this was the first game where their offense was firing on all cylinders, can they keep it up for the remainder of the season?