How does a team with essentially the same personnel as last year go from one of the worst defenses in the country to one of the best? How does that happen? Here's how. We've known Carolina has had the horses for a couple of years now but just couldn't get it together. So they brought in defensive specialist and national championship winning coach Gene Chiznik (14-0 Auburn 2010) to take over the defense to the tune of 700k per year (plus a little "off the books" scratch from the Rams Club I'd wager). He has performed magnificently. This illustrates Carolina's mentality to a tee, when adversity strikes double down and pony up, money can't buy you love but it can sure can buy your way out of trouble sometimes.
I look at it a bit differently. I think they've bought their way INTO trouble and maybe only just now have they realized it. Here's the deal. Carolina is a basketball school, an ACCEPTED, cream of the crop, they don't get no bigger basketball school. A basketball school with VERY FEW peers! Dirty? Hell yes! But certainly no dirtier than Kentucky. However they are, without doubt, carved in stone, never to change for all time, a SECOND TIER football school. They are NOT Alabama, Ohio State or USC... and never will be. Clemson, a football school from way back is barely in this club of which we all know who the members are and who the members ain't. That's just the way it is. This fact puts Carolina is in a very precarious situation, very precarious indeed!
How so Hammer? I'm glad you asked. This Tar Heel team is the best of my lifetime and I've been hanging around a while. Whichever team wins the ACC Championship game, and it could very well be Carolina, has a guaranteed spot in the four team playoff and a shot at the NCAA Championship! Clemson by virtue of their #1 ranking and undefeated season, UNC by virtue of their knocking off #1 and their one loss season. If the North Carolina Tar Heels win and is one of those playoff teams, if Carolina and not Clemson takes a spot from the traditional powers, and remember they'll be half a dozen very pissed off teams who think THEY deserve inclusion, then my friends the Heels with all their high powered New York lawyers and all their money will be drowned by the tsunami of investigations that will descend on the lovely Chapel Hill campus. You cannot pull the illegal shit Carolina has pulled, up to and including running a bogus department with bogus classes for 18 LONG YEARS, and then turn around and take (for instance) Oklahoma's place in the playoff and not expect retribution! The traditional powers in college football would put so much pressure on the NCAA, Carolina would think the Russians have invaded. There would be no more foot-dragging, no more delays, no more breaks. Sanctions would be devastating and swift. People would go to prison. Forget football, a Tar Heel victory over Clemson next Saturday would spell the end of Carolina basketball for potentially twenty years! If a pissing contest ensues between football and basketball football will win by a mile every time because THAT'S WHERE THE MONEY IS! North Carolina has put themselves in the unique position of winning it all in a sport they don't care that much about at the cost of losing it all in a sport they think they own. Saturday's game is the biggest game in the history of UNC athletics. Therefore I say....GO HEELS!
Ok, that's done. Now let's talk a little football playoff. TigerHawk's Hawkeyes are getting notice. The sports establishment is asking just what we've all been asking, is Iowa for real? My view is a good passing team will beat Iowa. If they've got a weakness it's in the secondary. They don't make a lot of mistakes and they're solid, but a top team running, let's say the Wildcat would overwhelm them I'm thinking. But last I looked Michigan State didn't run that offense. Even still, sorry TigerHawk, I just don't see these guys going much further. However you may have noticed my predictions yesterday so what do I know?
Alabama has to be in unless they stumble against Florida and that ain't gonna happen. Well done Florida, great season and the program is definitely back, but it's over, see you next year.
Ohio State is maybe done but how could you leave this team out? They can beat anybody, in fact absolutely would beat just about anybody. But the numbers just ain't there.
They want a west coast team in but who? Stanford had a nice win against Notre Dame (removing them from any consideration) but no way they're good enough. There are no other west coast teams.
Right now I'd say Clemson and Alabama are locks unless they really screw up. Whoever comes out of the Big Ten Championship game is a lock as well. I'd guess Michigan State but hey, it could be Iowa. The last spot has to go to Oklahoma. Now, who SHOULD get in? Ohio state without doubt. Stumbled against Michigan State but so what? Clemson would be my next pick then Alabama and then the Big Ten champ. Oklahoma would be out. Is that going to happen? Hell to the friggin' NO!
Well that's it, it's after 11, time for a drink. By the way, how ya liking them Panthers?
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