Sports Agenda for Tuesday (1/8/13)
Big Story:
Well, if that absolute mauling of the Fighting Irish didn't prove that 1.) Notre Dame isn't back; 2.) Notre Dame doesn't belong on the field with the SEC Champion; and 3.) the SEC is the best conference by leaps and bounds in college football nothing will. It's a post-BCS edition of the Agenda today.
Quote of the Day:
"Maaan! I'ma tweet him and I'm gonna get a follow. That's messed up. But I guess she's more famous than me." – Alabama quarterback A.J. McCarron on LeBron James following his girlfriend on Twitter. He's dating a Miss Alabama, Katharine Webb
BCS Championship Game:
Oh man where do we start with this one.
I couldn't help but think of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh's pep rally for the Heat when they first joined up.
I can just hear the SEC saying, "Not one championship, not two, not three, not four…"
Last night's victory by Alabama set a ton of records and made it seven straight national championships for the Southeastern Conference.
Why is the SEC so dominant?
Speed, speed, and lots of power.
You could see it last night on the field. Notre Dame's defense had never seen the kind of speed Alabama had as defenders constantly took poor angles thinking the Alabama players were slower than they actually were.
While we're on the subject of Notre Dame's defense, which I'm told was on the field at times last night…can somebody please teach them to tackle.
Alabama ran around, through, and over the Irish in every way possible.
The opening drive for Alabama set the tone and from there the route was on.
I was trying to find something positive for the Irish, but there was nothing from that game that was good for Notre Dame.
The coaching decisions by the Irish were some of the worst I've ever seen…and being a Missouri fan, I've seen bad coaching decisions.
Seriously, whichever coach decided the game plan was to attack Alabama's All-American cornerback Dee Milliner…yeah, he should be unemployed this morning.
I counted several times last night that Notre Dame put nine players in the box on defense to stop the running game. Alabama lined up, snapped the ball, and ran right through the Irish's vaunted front seven.
Let's just put it bluntly, Alabama humiliated the Irish last night.
And I have to say, I enjoyed it for a couple of reasons.
First, even though I don't always claim it, Alabama is my home state, so if my teams can't win it, at least the championship stays home.
Second, I was raised in SEC country and have believed since I was knee high to a grasshopper that the SEC is the best conference. Period. Book it. Done.
Finally, I loved the fact that Alabama's complete domination of Notre Dame gave the old sportswriters the middle finger on their claims that Notre Dame is back and that's the best thing in college football today.
Here's the reality those writers don't want to face: for most college football fans today, Notre Dame doesn't have the luster it used to.
Think about it, the Fighting Irish haven't been relevant nationally until this year.
A lot of the students in school and recent graduates weren't alive the last time Notre Dame won a championship.
And on that note, I feel really old right now.
But, Notre Dame's not the end-all, be-all of college football and certainly last night, Alabama proved that Notre Dame still has a LONG way to go before it can compete at the highest level.
Now, that all said, the Irish do have the coach who can make it happen in Brian Kelly. But Coach Kelly, next time, don't attack the best player on a defense. That's like attacking Darrelle Revis in the pros. It's not going to work out for you in the end.
So how about some fun facts Alabama pulled off last night?
- Alabama beat Notre Dame for the first time since 1987 and only the second time in history.
- Alabama now has 15 national championships in college football history.
- Alabama's win means the number two ranked team in the BCS has won the championship 8 times out of 15 games.
- Alabama is the first back-to-back BCS national champion
- Alabama was the first team since the mid-90's to win three titles in four years.
- Alabama's win means the SEC STILL hasn't lost a BCS National Championship Game.
- The SEC has now won seven championships in a row
- Alabama is the first team to win three BCS National Championships
- Alabama continued the tradition of the winning team rushing for at least 150 yards in the game.
- Alabama head coach Nick Saban STILL hasn't lost in the BCS National Championship game.
Not bad eh?
They also beat the point spread and the over/under so take that Las Vegas.
Okay, so this year is now finished…
By the way, the SEC….yeah….they placed three teams in the top five in the final polls.
Take that Big Ten, Big 12, Pac 12, ACC, Big East, Conference USA…blah, blah, blah.
2013 College Football Season:
So here are some things to look forward to next year….
Next year is the final year of the BCS!
Read that again….Next year marks DEATH TO THE BCS!!!!!
Can the SEC win eight in a row to end the BCS?
Hopefully conference realignment is over, but I'm not holding my breath.
I know the SEC, Big 12, Pac 12, etc are almost certainly set.
Oregon is gonna hear from the NCAA and it may not be pretty
Ditto University of Miami Hurricanes
So how about a way too early top 5 for next season….
- Alabama – no explanation needed
- Ohio State – the Urban legend is alive in Columbus and ready to fight
- Oregon – this will be determined by the NCAA
- South Carolina – Spurrier is reloading as we speak and Jadaveon Clowny is a freak
- Stanford
Now, I don't have Texas A&M in there because I'm pretty much convinced if they lose both offensive tackles to the NFL, which they should considering both are first round picks….I think Manziel will struggle without them.
I think the Aggies will lose 1-3 games if both tackles leave for the pros.
My teams to look out for….
Louisville, Florida State, UCLA, Clemson, and Arizona.
Coaches on the hot seat next year:
Randy Edsall, Gary Pinkel, Lane Kiffin, Gus Malzahn, Mack Brown, and anyone not named Nick Saban.
