The Hammer's College Football Review: Week 9

You know college football is a crazy game. You work hard, train your guys, suit 'em up and send 'em out on the field Saturdays and hope like hell they perform up to potential. The thing is you don't know what's going on in their lives. They could have substance abuse issues you are not aware of. They could have personal issues, women problems...whatever. And I know this sounds crazy but I'm sure it happens all the time, and that is unreported injuries that may seem minor to the individual (or not so minor) and they want to hide it just to get their game. That I'm thinking is what happened at Wallace Wade yesterday because those officials must be fuqing BLIND!! On this four seconds on the clock kickoff return there were at least three...THREE blatant blocks in the back (and two that could have reasonably been called). On one "backward pass" the player's knee was clearly down. Plus there's a sideline player who ran on the field DURING THE PLAY and he's real easy to spot, he's the one not wearing a helmet! Look, I say this not as a Duke fan (believe me) but this is the most egregious piece of high school officiating I've seen in my lifetime and I've been watching this stuff a while. It was absurd, it was crazy, it's Hillary's emails on the football field. When ESPN leads with this play and spends their first 15 minutes talking about how nuts this travesty of a play it was, then it seems to me the league office has a lot of splaining to do! What a Goddamn joke!

Ok, let's get past that. Let me get the ACC out of the way and I warn you, I'm in a foul mood. It has to be said North Carolina has a damn fine football team, maybe even top ten. This group has always been able to score, they've got a lot of offensive weapons, but what held them back was their defense. The past few years their defense was among the worst in the country. So Coach Fedora goes out and spends 700K on Gene Chizik as defensive coordinator. You remember him don't you? Yeah that's right, the guy who won a National Championship at Auburn and then got fired almost immediately (wonder how Auburn feels about him now?). Obviously a guy like that is not going to hang around too long (if successful) and it's a gable paying an assistant coach this kind of scratch, but it's certainly paying off because the Heels' defense is outstanding! In fact if they can get past what will likely be a very pissed-off Duke next week they'll be playing either FSU or Clemson in the ACC Championship game. Then we'll see what they got. My advice? Take Carolina and the points.

Speaking of Clemson...well what can I say. The Wolfpack played as well as they're able but Clemson is just that good. Their big play potential is off the charts. I'm actually proud of our guys (except the secondary). We scored 41 points against a team that Notre Dame could only manage 22 against. You know Clemson drives me crazy. They have no offensive weaknesses and reel off yards in chunks. 8 yards here, 12 yards there and then when they get you in a groove looking for the swing pass or run, they pop you with a 45 yard post pattern and well, it can work your nerves. Anyway I'm just glad we hung with 'em, I guess. At least that's what I keep telling myself.

I'm guessing CW is happy. His Cavaliers held off a determined Ga. Tech squad with some good defense and a balanced running game. UVA is actually turning into a good team. Next up they've got Miami after that Duke, Lewisville and Va. Tech. They could salvage a decent year and get Mike London back, presumably to do the same shit next year. That's what I'm hoping for anyway. I'd hate to see somebody like, well for instance Carolina's defensive coach show up in Charlottesville. We might then have to take them seriously. No, I much prefer London. Go Wahoos!

Ok on to the big boys. TCU keeps rolling along whipping WVU like it was their little brother. Stanford got lucky as hell when Washington State's field goal kicker missed a game winner after hitting on four previously. Notre Dame got by a motivated Temple which actually looked like a football team. My guess is they probably drugged the Irish, that's Bill Cosby's alma mater you know. Florida owned Georgia in Jacksonville so Mark Rich will be part of the 47% not in the labor force very soon I'd say. In the Big Ten Iowa remains undefeated and looking really good. OSU and Michigan State better take notice. In fact there are a good number of undefeated teams at this stage in the season, more than usual I think. Teams like Houston, Toledo and Memphis are kicking ass and don't count these guys out. No way they're getting into the playoff but if you are a top ten school, no way you'd want one of these teams on your schedule.

Well that' it. I feel like the Wednesday after the Tuesday after the first Monday in November 2012....wrung out and too tired to be upset. We had 602 total yards yesterday against Clemson with NO turnovers and still lost by 15 points. We're 1-3 in the league and the only team we've beaten worth shit is, well nobody. Plus we have yet to play FSU and Carolina. Things ain't looking good. To hell with this game, I'm a Bayern Munchen fan.