As we begin to drag the football season by the tail on a downhill pull I wanted to chime in on a few thoughts that are tarrying round the Tank these days.
First of all, its nice to see the Cowboys have begun to embark on their 6-7 game win streak as they are two games into it. Thanks in large part to Tony Romo's healed lung and ribs coupled with the emergence of rookie Demarco Murray. Demarco looks like he could be a poor man's Adrian Peterson with his hard running and tremendous vision - after all, they are from the same Alma mater where Demarco broke AP's freshman rushing records only to spend the rest of his college career on and off the injury list. The soft schedule over the last half of the year will hopefully give the Cowboys the confidence and boost they need to make some waves in the playoffs. The increasingly tough schedule for the Giants should slow them down enough to let the Cowboys catch them within the division. The December 11th match up should prove to be one that has both teams vying for first place in the NFC East. Should certainly be an interesting few weeks.
Here is my take on the top teams in each conference:
Dallas wins the NFC East - Giants hit the meat of their schedule and prove to be only mediocre
Green Bay wins the North - they have Aaron Rodgers and 514 people who can catch the ball
New Orleans wins the South - nobody else in the division is willing to step it up. Going for it on 4th & one in your own territory simply shows the Falcons need a better coach
San Fran runs away with the West - congrats Alex Smith, FINALLY
New England wins the AFC East - who else can do it?
Pittsburgh wins the North - one word: Experience
Tennessee wins the South by default - say goodbye to Kubiak and say thanks to Peyton Manning
San Diego wins the West - Carson who? Chiefs are a disappointment. John Elway, Tebow, and Prayer wont get it done for the Broncos....sorry, Timmy!
Speaking of Tim Tebow...all the guy does is win. Its in his blood. Its in his pedigree. And who can argue with a Man of the Cloth. If his athletic ability fails him; he always has God to help. Granted his arm is about as strong and accurate as a third grade girl throwing left handed, but he makes those around him better. He has heart, will, desire, a strong work ethic, and God on his side. All he does is win and you cant deny victories. Its all about winning and "what have you done for me lately." Well, as a starter in the NFL he has shown he knows how to fire up his team, come from behind on the road, and end up on top. His passing stats are abysmal and his arm is even worse, but until he proves that he can no longer win games you gotta hand it to the guy. After all, your alternatives are Kyle "Capt. Neckbeard" Orton and Brady Quinn. Brady who?
Last thought on the NFL - two words: John Skelton. In two games he has thrown for an average of 270yds & 2 TD's/game with a 2-0 record. The kid is big, has a rocket arm, and can move around in the pocket. With the tin man himself at tailback in Beanie Wells; the Cards have to pass as often as possible and I like the poise he has in the pocket. This kid will overtake Kolb as the starting QB and eventually become a top echelon QB in the NFL.
A few lingering thoughts in the College Football ranks. As far as Russell Wilson is concerned the poor guy just wont get his due. It has absolutely nothing to do with his play on the field, but his lousy sorry excuse for a defense that robbed him of his chance at the ultimate individual college award. Sadly, the Heisman now goes to the best player on the best team; instead of giving it to the guy whose performance best exhibits the pursuit of excellence with integrity.
If only the Wisconsin D could knock that pass down at the end of the MSU game. The Badgers most certainly would have won in OT given all the momentum they gained after Russell Wilson brought them back from being down two scores. And don't even get me started on the horrific play of the defense against the Buckeyes at the end of that game. If they win those two tilts they are sitting in the top 5 in the country and Russell Wilson most certainly would be on top of the list of Heisman candidates.
If you look at the top 5 passer ratings in the CFB Russell Wilson sits at the top followed by Case Keenum, RGIII, Kellen Moore, and Andrew Luck. LUCK IS LAST among this group. LAST!! Its just too bad that Andrew Luck was anointed the Heisman right after Cam Newton raised the trophy last December. I will take Russell Wilson and Case Keenum over Luck any day in the NFL. Trent Richardson of Alabama is even worthy of Heisman consideration more so than Luck, in my opinion. Wilson just plays on a team with a crap defense and his Heisman worth has suffered as a result.
Suddenly, it seems as though all eyes are turned to Brandon WeedenBlackmon. Or, better yet, LSU is undefeated at this point and the best player on their team is Tyrann (the Honey Badger) Mathieu
Just give Russell Wilson the eye test and you will see he is the most deserving of the award for the best athlete in CFB. He is the closest thing to Bo Jackson since, well, Bo Jackson; I just hope he at least gets a chance to play in the Rose Bowl and really showcase his supreme talents in a BCS bowl. From his poise, to his ability to throw a pretty ball, to his ability to use his legs if needed. His decision making is spectacular. 25 TD's (5 more TD's on the ground) and a mere 3 INT's in 218 pass attempts is something to take notice of. He has a 201 passer rating (highest in FBS), a 75% completion percentage compared to only 70% for Luck who has thrown for ONLY 200 more yards than Wilson in 100 more pass attempts.
Wilson is efficient, he is effective, and he is one hell of an athlete who just wont get his due since his team lost two games because of a horrific defense. Not to mention, Andrew Luck seemingly has already been awarded the Heisman, #1 pick in the 2012 NFL draft, and God-like status because of the media-hype.
Its just too bad the best player in CFB wont win the Heisman this year because of shoddy defensive play and a biased media. But, in my eyes Russell Wilson is the best athlete whose performance best exhibits the pursuit of excellence with integrity.
FIN
FIN - Finally, some more crap to fill up the T4NK!
ReplyDeleteI'm going to start by saying this - Russell Wilson isn’t the best player at his position in the country, nor is he even the best player on his team! Don't get me wrong, I think Russell Wilson is a great football player - his mix of athleticism and intelligence make him an excellent quarterback. But look at these numbers: 248 carries, 1,622 yards, 29 touchdowns, 6.54 yards per carry; 17 catches for 248 yards and five touchdowns. These are the numbers of Wilson’s teammate Monte Ball. Ball’s stats are incredible, and better than potential Heisman winner Trent Richardson. Not only does Ball have better stats for the season, he outrushed Richardson against Penn State by 45 yards (Richardson – 111, Ball – 156) on less carries and scored two more TDs (Keep in mind I used this comparison since Richardson is supposed to be the best back in the country). Additionally, Ball set the NCAA record last weekend with the most consecutive multi-touchdown games (12) putting him at 34 total TDs for the season. Only Barry Sanders has scored more touchdowns in an FBS season with 39 – a number that is reachable with two games left on the Wisconsin schedule. The SEC bias that has developed over the years is unfortunate, isn’t it?
Even if Wisconsin didn’t blow that one against MSU, Wilson still would not deserve an invite to Radio City. Players across the country like Luck, RG3 (a better athlete than Wilson), Barkley, Richardson, as well in his own backfield in Ball, leave no question that your claim of Wilson as the best player in college football is incorrect.
Notice I did not even include Keenum. Yeah he has awesome numbers, but look at Houston’s garbage schedule – they haven’t played a ranked opponent all year. I hope they win this weekend, make it to the Sugar Bowl and get destroyed by a solid B1G opponent – The Michigan Wolverines. GO BLUE!
All very good points, "Anonymous." I agree that Montee Ball deserves credit for a great season and I dont want to take anything away from what he has done.
ReplyDeleteA few quick points: The average size of the Badger O-line is 6'5" 322lbs. The average size of the Green Bay Packer O-line is 6'4" 318lbs. It helps out when your running behind the Great Wall of Wisconsin. Im pretty sure that I could rush for 30TD's behind those behemoths.
Trent Richardson plays in the SEC where the run defenses are far stingier than the run defenses that Ball faces in the Big 10.
I think the Badgers have a great offensive coordinator and what Russell Wilson has done with the poise he has shown playing the most difficult position on the field in both the Big 10 and the ACC is more than commendable. Oddly enough, his two highest rated quarters of the year came in his only two losses. Further proving that those losses were not Wilson's fault and FURTHER proving that if the Badgers defense wasnt so ungodly awful he would have been responsible for two HUGE 4th quarter comeback wins within the conference. Certainly worthy of Heisman talks.
RGIII is a phenomanal athlete in the same mold as Antwan Randle El, Troy Smith, and Eric Crouch among a few others; but he is no NFL QB. Wilson could play in the NFL and would likely start today on teams like Denver, Arizona, Miami, Jacksonville, Seattle, Washington, or Minnesota.
I love his athletic ability, his QB sense, and the poise he shows in the pocket. Montee Ball has had a great year and so have a number of college athletes. But, Russell Wilson looks ready to play at the next level, and his performance this year best exhibits the pursuit of excellence with intergrity.
FIN - Did you pee in here? The water feels warmer than the last time I came by.
ReplyDeleteThanks for nibbling on my bait – I knew you fell into the group with an SEC bias considering you claim to be an Alabama fan. SEC defenses aren’t exactly yards ahead of those in the B1G, take a gander at these numbers:
Excluding Wisconsin, there are six Big Ten teams ranked in the top 36 nationally in total defense: Michigan State (No. 4), Illinois (eighth) Penn State (11th), Michigan (16th, pretty impressive considering they ranked 116 last year, Eh??), Ohio State (23rd), Nebraska (36th). The Badgers didn't play Michigan, but Ball faced FIVE of those defenses.
Excluding Alabama, there are also six SEC teams ranked in the top 36 nationally in total defense: LSU (No. 2), South Carolina (fourth), Georgia (fifth), Florida (10th), Vanderbilt (19th) and Tennessee (28th). The Tide didn't play South Carolina or Georgia, so Richardson faced only FOUR of those defenses.
AND I give the SEC defenses an advantage since that league is so offensively bland.
Sure the Wisconsin offensive line is big (I would love to see you out there trying to run behind them by the way), but Alabama’s line is experienced returning 4 of 5 starters from last year. I’ll take experience over size any day.
Alright, so RG3 is comparable to Randle El or Troy Smith – but he is much better than both, plus he has a size advantage to take along into the league. He has an impressive completion percentage (72.6), averages over 10 yards a completion, is considered one of the most accurate passers in the NCAA, and we can’t forget about his over 600 yards rushing. I’d have to say he’s the second most dangerous player in college football behind next year’s Heisman trophy winner – Denard Robinson!!!
On a side note – Houston and Case Keenum look like turds. Looks like he won’t even get a chance to prove himself since he can’t even execute against Southern Miss?!?! This is why the BCS is such trash (but this is another can of worms). But, thank you Houston for making Michigan’s road to the Sugar Bowl that much easier!! GO BLUE!!