Five Thoughts on the Week that was

1) I hope Brady Hoke never realizes how to use Denard Robinson at the beginning of the game.

Watching another Michigan game (part in parcel), I can see that Michigan's offense is being handcuffed by their coaches. The defense is atrocious and that won't change until the athletes change because they simply don't have the personnel. With regard to the offense, there's a reason the Wolverines continually get behind in every game and come storming back. Al Borges and Brady Hoke are convinced that they can force their system and make Robinson a pocket passer and that simply is not possible. After a few stalled drives against terrible defenses, they remove the reins and let Denard run all over the field to defeat the small schools they are playing now by himself. Denard Robinson is a stellar athlete but he is not a great quarterback. Hoke may install the offense bit by bit, but I hope he fails to use his most powerful weapon as effectively as possible. When the teams get better as the year goes on, Denard won't be able to come that size of a deficit with a decent defense. He will NOT win the Heisman either way because he simply cannot throw effectively, but he is the most explosive player in the country when let loose.

2) FSU is right on the cusp of being back

Some of the swagger is back in Tally. I loved the environment bringing me back to my rookie season with the Garnet and Gold. The town's rocking and the belief is there, but the talent is JUST short. Don't get me wrong, they are extremely talented and most likely will finish in the top 10 with a BCS berth and an ACC title, but the game against OU showed the importance of experienced veterans in a national title contender. The Noles will be a force to deal with in the years to come which is what is getting me excited about the future. Finally, I see a team that expects to win every game again. This year of experience and swagger will continue the reloading in Tallahassee. The country will once again fear the spear with the huge hits and rowdy atmosphere.

3) Suspensions kill

Yikes Buckeyes! That was pathetic. But let us look at the situation: suspensions have removed the quarterback (Pryor), #1 Running Back (Herron), #1 Receiver (Posey), Left Tackle (Adams), and an up-and-coming defender (Thomas). Imagine any team in which those pieces are removed for a few games...train wreck--and we in Columbus are seeing the brutal reality and results of the Tat 5 indiscretions and selfishness. Miami has a decent team which was underrated from the week 1 loss somewhat attributed to suspensions, but the Buckeyes should never let that happen to a mediocre team. Excuses don't feed the family, but there it is. This loss can be attributed in part to the selfishness of the 5 athletes who put themselves over the team. You have to rebound, but that severe of a loss is a killer.

4) Realignment is here...why couldn't this have been taken care of over the offseason.

After all the talk and speculation in the offseason surrounding conference realignment (primarily focused around the Big 12 schools), nothing happened before the season started. Everything looked to be at a standstill after the Pac 12 expansion until Texas A&M rocked the boat and sought out the SEC. Now, all of a sudden, the big boys in Texas and Oklahoma are seeking a move and out of left field, Pitt and Syracuse jump to the ACC in a move than will most likely destroy the Big East. Let's recap: we appear in line for 4 superconferences (Big Ten, Pac 12, SEC, and ACC). The ACC will be the basketball powerhouse and the SEC will be the football powerhouse (on paper). Three of the four are scrambling to catch the pieces as the fall while the schools in the Big East, Big 12, and non-AQ conferences scramble to find some conference to take them on. The Big Ten is notoriously absent from the realignment talks and they probably have to get in the game. Notre Dame is the big fish that will fall to the Big Ten shortly, but, like it or not, it appears the Big Ten must seek expansion to keep up--or, more likely, they will refuse any and all newcomers (other than ND) and show all other conferences how financially stable they are in comparison and stick with 13-14. Some think it won't work, but the Big Ten has enough of a following and traditional fanbase than it might. It appears that Texas and Oklahoma (and therefore Okie State and Texas Tech) are Pac 12 bound so all of the big fish are already gone (sans Notre Dame) so if Delany doesn't get on it, the Big Ten will be left with nothing but scrubs. I don't know how I feel about superconferences but, as I said last year, they are about to become a reality. I just wished that the schools could have handled this business in the summer rather than taking away from the sport.

5) This is a down year for the Big Ten (for real this year)--mostly due to Ohio State.

The Big Ten has always taken the heat from the media (sorry from ESPiN) because they aren't the ESPiN cash cow of the SEC and the Big Ten Network has actually survived in a world in which the worldwide leader is an essential monopoly. They are always hammered for being slow and weak when most of the criticism was undeserved. Yes, the SEC has had the premier program in college football for the last few years and I won't argue it, but it has the Ole Miss, Vandys, and Kentuckys of the world like every other conference. Ohio State has been the standard bearer and has rebounded from the national championship losses of 06 and 07. The suspensions have hurt the premier program and led to more pundits smelling blood. Unfortunately, the much of the criticism is right this year. Wisconsin is pretty good but we have no real benchmark given the competition. Ditto for Nebraska but the defense has been very suspect. MSU drops the first 'big one' to ND, OSU is embarrassed in Miami, Michigan has been stupid bad defensively, and Penn State was spanked (no big surprise) at home to Bama and struggled with Temple. The one bright spot has been a better than expected Illinois team. I have defended the Big Ten in the past, but it's tough to argue this year. Yes, it's better than the Big East and maybe even with the other big conferences in the meat, but I don't see a single elite team that you can find in the other 4 big conferences (Bama/LSU, OU/OkSt, Oreg/Stanford, FSU). Wisky and Nebraska might join the 'elite' but the downfall of the Buckeyes is felt all around the midwest. Perhaps when the suspensions abate, the Buckeyes will reemerge as a contender, but no matter what, the Big Ten is in a down year.