You are doing a Bowl contest right? Right?
You know I like to win stuff.
(And I still think you talk too much.)
- Scole023
You bet, and we have certainly heard from a bunch of you that are interested in having the now seventh annual 'Bowling for bowls of bowl game success (Bowler optional)' contest.
Here are the rules:
Pick all the games below and we are using the point spread listed here. (If you do not understand the point spread, raise your hand and Tommy will come to your chair and hit you in the head with a tack hammer.) The only game without a spread will be the national title game.
Picks have to be in by 11:59 p.m. Friday, Dec. 16.
You will get the number of points for each category; misses will NOT count against you. (Repeat: Misses will not count against you this year.)
Check back this afternoon for the list of games and the point values.
Deal? Deal.
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Is this Alabama team the best college football team you have ever seen?
Thanks and count me in on the college football contest.
- Jesse
No.
It may be the best defense we've ever seen, considering the NFL stars at every level and the depth that this Tide defense has. In fact, this should be a lesson for all the hard-core recruitniks out there. As important as Signing Day can be for the program, the decisions made by players on whether to go to the draft or back to school is more important for the next season.
Alabama got four monster defensive players back heading into 2016, and all of them have been outstanding.
Here's our top five teams of the BCS era:
* 2001 Miami was the most talented team we've ever seen.
* 2004 USC
* 2016 Alabama
* 2009 Alabama
* 2013 FSU
The numbers support a lot of those teams as amazing. And we don't know if Cam Newton in 2010 couldn't or wouldn't have beaten any and all of the above teams.
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Friday is Dec. 9, and it is the birthday of the one and only World B. Free. Would he make your Rushmore of all-time sports names?
- Skip
Great question and you are correct, former NBA gunner Lloyd Free turns 63 today.
Yes, that was World B. Free's given name, so the fact that he changed his name in my mind removes him from consideration.
Before we go much further, let's trot out this week's Rushmores:
Thursday - Rushmore of QBs who should have had much better careers than they did. Jeff George is our far left. Dude physically was elite, a real all-timer. And this is more than just draft busts - for Pete's sake Quincy Carter was a second-round pick in 2001 - but Ryan Leaf was comparable to Peyton Manning in the draft process. We think the suggestion of Bert Jones is a good one, considering his arm strength and skill set. And finally, we thought Brady Quinn had all the tools and it never translated.
Wednesday - Rushmore of Judge Smails quotes and Rushmore of best players not in the Hall of Fame. Emails quotes, and this is unbelievably tough. "Gambling is illegal at Bushwood and I never slice." "I've sentenced boys younger than you to the gas chamber. Didn't want to do it. I felt I owed it to them." "You'll get nothing, and like it!" "Well, the world needs ditch diggers, too."
Best players not in the Hall, T.O., Bonds, Clemens, Rose, although we probably should divide that into snubs and troubled.
Monday - Rushmore of best bowl games this season, and this obviously takes the semifinals off the board. We'll go Russell (Miami-West Virginia), Orange (FSU-Michigan), Citrus (Louisville-LSU), and then off the board with Boca Raton (Western Kentucky-Memphis because there may be 412 points scored).
As for sports names, off the top of our heads, we'll offer a preliminary ballot of Dick Trickle, Coco Crisp, God Shammgod and Razor Shines.
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Nick Tiano picked the Mocs? Hope he doesn't mind sitting for another year. And does Cole Copeland start looking around now?
If USF doesn't work out for Lane Tosh.0 Kiffin, would New England be interested if McDaniels leaves?
- Stewwie
Fair question about Copeland, and we had Tiano on Press Row and he said very plainly that he plans to play quarterback at UTC.
Not sure we can see Kiffin going to New England because of the vibe we get from the Saban-Kiffin relationship currently.
Think of it this way, if Josh McDaniels moves on, do you think Saban would give Kiffin a good or less-than-good recommendation?
That would carry a lot of weight for Belichick in our eyes. And let's be clear: The Patriots do it their way because their way has been very beneficial. Kiffin has been known to color out side of the lines.
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I wonder with UTK fans does Butch Jones "wins" in February recruiting make up for losses in November? Or once the fans put you on an unofficial "hot seat" can a coach recover, or is the firing just a matter of time?
- Jomo
Wow, that's a fair and less-than-insulting question about Coach Butch Jones and the Big Orange.
Are you feeling OK? (Kidding. Mostly.)
We'll say this: Any and all good news is a definite plus right now for Jones considering the malaise and the frustration of the fan base.
And to be fair, we're not ready to fully put Butch on the Hot Seat. Maybe there are growing whispers about his ability to handle a job of this magnitude, but the thought of starting over scares UT more than almost any other program because of the growing pains of the last decade.
Plus, there is no AD in K-town as we speak. That may mean a quicker trip to the hot seat when a new AD is named, but as long as there is no boss, there is no job threat.
And then ask yourself "what would it take in 2017 for Butch to get a pink slip?"
Take unforeseen scandal off the table since those are unforeseen. So what record would it take, 4-8?
We can't see that happening.
As for the second part of your question, we believe a coach can get off the hot seat. Take Auburn's Gus Malzahn, who was there then not. But once you are officially on the hot seat - and parts of the fan base start getting comfortable with the thought of the coach being replaced - it becomes a much easier and quicker trip back to the hot seat.