The Alabama Crimson Tide were defeated by the LSU Tigers 9-6 in overtime in front of their home crowd. However, despite the loss, they remained ahead of the undefeated Stanford Cardinal in the BCS Rankings. Was this just?Should Alabama be ahead of Stanford in the BCS?
Posted by Bryan FischerWith a rigid academic profile and a football team that is now BCS-caliber, Stanford has to search the country for recruits that fit their specific profile for what they're looking for. The Cardinal staff went all the way into Brentwood (Tenn.) Monday night for their latest commitment, offensive lineman Graham Shuler, who felt the school was just what he was looking for."I actually decided a couple of weeks ago but I’ve really just been praying about it and talking about it with my coaches and my family and just really making sure that this is the best decision for me and at the end of last week, I just really realized this is it, this is where I want to be and what I want to do," Shuler told Scout. "I wanted to go to a school where I could get an incredible academic environment and a great education that would prepare me for my future. There’s no better school in the country that can prepare me for the field like Stanford can and the rest of my life in the classroom."The 6-foot-5, 275-pound Shuler is the son of former Auburn tackle Rob Shuler, who played in the early 80's. While the son didn't follow in his father's footsteps to the SEC, he is on board with a rising power in the Pac-12 and is looking to help recruit a promising class for the school this year."I mean, right now I’m very excited about my decision," he said. "I’m not really sure what all I’m allowed to do. I want to better Stanford as much as possible and I will be a spokesperson, advocate for them for the rest of my life. So might as well start now. I want to be the best, I want to be on the team that’s the best, and that happens by surrounding yourself with the best players."The fifth commitment for Stanford's class of 2012, Shuler has a 3.9 GPA and held offers from Clemson, Boston College, Mississippi State and Syracuse among others. As a testiment to the the Cardinal's national reach, all five commitments are from a different state and none of them are from California.
With a rigid academic profile and a football team that is now BCS-caliber, Stanford has to search the country for recruits that fit their specific profile for what they're looking for. The Cardinal staff went all the way into Brentwood (Tenn.) Monday night for their latest commitment, offensive lineman Graham Shuler, who felt the school was just what he was looking for.
"I actually decided a couple of weeks ago but I’ve really just been praying about it and talking about it with my coaches and my family and just really making sure that this is the best decision for me and at the end of last week, I just really realized this is it, this is where I want to be and what I want to do," Shuler told Scout. "I wanted to go to a school where I could get an incredible academic environment and a great education that would prepare me for my future. There’s no better school in the country that can prepare me for the field like Stanford can and the rest of my life in the classroom."
The 6-foot-5, 275-pound Shuler is the son of former Auburn tackle Rob Shuler, who played in the early 80's. While the son didn't follow in his father's footsteps to the SEC, he is on board with a rising power in the Pac-12 and is looking to help recruit a promising class for the school this year.
"I mean, right now I’m very excited about my decision," he said. "I’m not really sure what all I’m allowed to do. I want to better Stanford as much as possible and I will be a spokesperson, advocate for them for the rest of my life. So might as well start now. I want to be the best, I want to be on the team that’s the best, and that happens by surrounding yourself with the best players."
The fifth commitment for Stanford's class of 2012, Shuler has a 3.9 GPA and held offers from Clemson, Boston College, Mississippi State and Syracuse among others. As a testiment to the the Cardinal's national reach, all five commitments are from a different state and none of them are from California.
Oregon Ducks running back LaMichael James had a huge game against the Stanford Cardinal. He had 20 carries for 146 yards, 7.3 yard average, 3 touchdowns, and a long of 58. After the Ducks loss to the LSU Tigers, James name hasn't really been mentioned in the Heisman Trophy race. He has, however, rushed for 1207 yards and 12 touchdowns, and is currently ranked 6th in total rushing yards even though he has missed two games due to injury. After his performance against Stanford, is he back in the Heisman Trophy race?
In week 12 of the 2011 college football season, the #18 USC Trojans travel to Eugene, OR to play the #4 Oregon Ducks in Autzen Stadium. The Ducks are coming off their biggest win of the season over the #9 Stanford Cardinal. The difference in that game was Stanford was unable, once again, to keep up with Oregon's speed.This week, the Ducks face a depleted USC team currently battling through NCAA Probation and Sanctions. The Trojans may not have depth, but they are highly talented at most positions. A key distinction between Stanford and USC is the Trojans have deep threats at the wide receiver positions with Robert Woods and Marqise Lee, and the Cardinal didn't. Like the Cardinal, USC also has a prototype NFL quarterback in Matt Barkely. The Ducks will have to contain and stop the Trojans passing game if they want to win this game. Woods and Lee are as good as they get, and both are a threat to score touchdowns whether they catch short passes and have to make plays with their legs or catching the deep ball. The Trojans are 23rd in the nation in passing offense, 28th in total offense, and 4th in sacks allowed. Basically, they have a great offensive line and they like to and are good at throwing the football.USC's offense is great, however, this game will decided by whether the Trojans defense can handle the speed and play-making ability of Oregon's offense. In particular, for the Trojans to upset the Ducks at home, they will have to stop the Ducks run game. Statistically, the Trojans are great at stopping the run and are ranked 8th in the nation giving up only 100.40 yards on the ground per game. However, upon deeper scrutiny, the statistics are misleading. If you glance over USC's schedule, they have only faced one great running back in Chris Polk of the Washington Huskies. I expect the first half to be a good game with the Trojans keeping it close. However, in the second half, Oregon's Heisman Trophy Hopeful, LaMichael James, and crew will take over by wearing out the thin USC defense.Once the Trojans start getting tired, their defense won't be able to handle Oregon's speed. The Ducks are favored by 14.5 points for a reason. For USC to win this game, they have to contain Oregon's team speed on offense. I don't think the Trojans have a chance!USC vs Oregon: Can the Trojans handle the speed of the Ducks?
The Stanford Cardinal and Heisman Trophy Hopeful Andrew Luck lost their first game of the year this passed weekend versus the Oregon Ducks. Luck completed 27 of 41 passes for 256 yards and three touchdowns, however, Luck also threw two costly interceptions. Luck and the Cardinal have played two big games this year, and Luck's performance was not good in either. In his other big game of the season versus the USC Trojans, Luck threw a pick six that gave USC the lead and nearly cost the Cardinal the game. They say a candidate's performance in big games is extremely important for their run at a Heisman Trophy, and for a quarterback it is also important to win. Luck took a big hit this passed weekend, but did Andrew Luck lose the Heisman Trophy versus Oregon?
Through the first eleven weeks of the 2011 college football season, the Stanford Cardinal's quarterback, Andrew Luck, dominated the Heisman Trophy race and discussion. However, following a close win to the USC Trojans and then losing the next week to the Oregon Ducks, Luck no longer leads in the race for the Heisman Trophy Award. Instead, the quarterback of the Oklahoma State Cowboys, Brandon Weeden, is now considered the front-runner.Weeden has led the Cowboys to an undefeated season thus far and has them currently ranked #2 in the BCS standings. Though he is currently the leader, he has not separated himself from the rest of the hopefuls. He does, however, still have to play the #5 Oklahoma Sooners. If the Cowboys beat the Sooners, then they are going to the BCS National Championship Game in New Orleans, LA. One of the major, if not most important qualifications needed by a quarterback to win the award is to have his team in contention for the National Championship. The only thing that can stop the Cowboys from going to the BCS Title Game is if the Sooners beat them.If Weeden is able to beat the Sooners and has a descent to good game will he win the Heisman Trophy Award?
Through week 11 of the 2011 college football season, the Oregon Ducks find themselves ranked number four in the BCS rankings and one place behind the Alabama Crimson Tide. Both teams have one loss and are contending for a spot in the BCS National Championship. The two both lost to the same opponent, the LSU Tigers. The Ducks lost to LSU in the Cowboys Classic season opener in Dallas, Texas, but have since won nine games in a row including wins versus the #18 Arizona State Sun Devils and the #4 Stanford Cardinal. The Ducks have the 8th best offense in the nation, but the 63rd best defense...it is typical for teams that run an uptempo spread like the Ducks to suffer in defensive statistical categories due to quick scoring and less time of possession.Alabama, on the other hand, lost to LSU in week 11 at home 9-6 in overtime. The Tide missed 4 field goals, 3 in regulation and 1 in overtime. Bama has won 10 games including against #6 Arkansas Razorbacks, #12 Florida Gators, and #23 Penn State Nittany Lions. Alabama has the #1 defense in the nation and #35 offense. Are the Oregon Ducks better than the Alabama Crimson Tide?
Andrew Luck of the Stanford Cardinal has led the Heisman Trophy race for the entire 2011 season, however, Trent Richardson from the Alabama Crimson Tide has been catching up with him amongst actual Heisman voters. This weekend, the Crimson Tide will face one of the nation's most vaunting defenses in the LSU Tigers. If Richardson is able to have a big game and lead the Tide to victory, will he be able to steal the lead from Andrew Luck in the Heisman Trophy Race?
There are some really important games this weekend. I think it's hard to say which is the most important. Number 3 TCU takes on number 5 Utah, which will without a doubt shuffle the Top 5 in the BCS. One team will drop and the other has the potential to climb. Number 6 Alabama goes to Baton Rouge, Louisiana to play the number 10 LSU Tigers. Baton Rouge is a nasty place to have to go on the road and play. This game has National Title and SEC West Title implications on the line. If Bama wins, they are still in the hunt for both SEC West and the National title games. If they lose, they are out of both. If LSU wins out and the number 2 Auburn Tigers lose to both the Georgia Bulldogs and the number 6 Alabama Crimson Tide, then they could make the SEC championship game and have an outside shot at the BCS championship game. Number 15 Arizona goes to number 13 Stanford in a game that should separate the contender from the pretender in the PAC 10. Is Arizona a legitimate threat to Oregon? Not if they don't beat Stanford. The Ducks have several PAC 10 games left. A loss to Arizona and a loss to Oregon State, would give Stanford the Conference Title if they are able to win out. If Stanford beats Arizona and Arizona beats Oregon, then the PAC 10 is going to join the ACC, Big East, and SEC East as a sloppy mess. If Stanford loses, then Arizona controls its destiny in the PAC 10. Number 18 Arkansas goes to Columbia, SC to take on the number 19 South Carolina Gamescocks in a game with SEC East implications. Arkansas is pretty eliminated from the SEC West title. South Carolina, however, is in the thick of the messy SEC East. They are actually in the drivers seat for it, but a loss to Arkansas would end that. Number 21 Baylor goes on the road to take on number 17 Oklahoma State. Baylor beat Texas, but are they for real or is Texas that bad? Well, we find out this weekend. The Big 12 South is still wide open and the 3 teams (Oklahoma is the 3rd) vying for the South Title have yet to play each other. This is the first game between their top 3. Whoever wins will be in the driver's seat and have to beat Oklahoma to go to the Title game. Also, a loss by Baylor hurts TCU in the BCS. So far Baylor has been there big win and the discussion about Utah is that they shouldn't be #5 in the polls. So TCU would love for Baylor to win the Big 12 South.All I know is we have a great slate of games for the weekend. What do you think is the biggest and most important?
Through week 8 of the 2011 college football season, the Alabama Crimson Tide's Trent Richardson and the Stanford Cardinal's Andrew Luck seem to be separating themselves from the rest of the pack in the race for the Heisman Trophy. Luck started the season as the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy, and he has not disappointed. Stanford is undefeated and contending for an opportunity to play for a National Championship. So far this season, he has accounted for the following statistics:Andrew Luck 2011 Season Statistics - 145 pass completions; 202 pass attempts; 1888 passing yards; 71.8% completion percentage; 9.35 average yards per pass attempt; 62 yard long; 20 touchdowns; 3 interceptions; sacked 2 times; 180.0 QB ratingRichardson, on the other hand, began the season on the Heisman shortlist, and has climbed up the list. He is currently in second in ESPN's Heisman projections, but there is still plenty of football to play. So far this season, he has accounted for the following:Trent Richardson 2011 Season Statistics - 132 rushing attempts; 912 yards rushing; 6.9 yard average per carry; 76 yard long; 15 touchdowns; 15 receptions; 179 yards receiving; 11.9 yard average per reception; 61 yard long; 1 touchdownThrough week 8, what do you think? Who leads the Heisman Race?Trent Richardson vs Andrew Luck, who is the Heisman Front Runner?
Andrew Luck 2011 Season Statistics - 145 pass completions; 202 pass attempts; 1888 passing yards; 71.8% completion percentage; 9.35 average yards per pass attempt; 62 yard long; 20 touchdowns; 3 interceptions; sacked 2 times; 180.0 QB rating
Trent Richardson 2011 Season Statistics - 132 rushing attempts; 912 yards rushing; 6.9 yard average per carry; 76 yard long; 15 touchdowns; 15 receptions; 179 yards receiving; 11.9 yard average per reception; 61 yard long; 1 touchdown
Get over it Ducks Fans...you're schedule has been terrible thus far. The combined record of all your opponents you've played is 17-34. Auburn's opponents combined record is 37-27. Only One of Seven teams that Oregon has faced even has a winning record. That was Stanford, the best opponent they'll play all year. It might be the only ranked game they play all year. Think about that...we really don't know anything about the Ducks other than they are able to run up the score against 2nd and 3rd tier competition. The teams they beat can't beat anyone...I have to ask why are the Ducks #2? Y'all keep questioning and complaining about why AU is #1, but really the better question is why y'all are #2? It beats me. Six of the eight team's Auburn has already played have winning records. Four of them are still currently ranked. One of AU's opponents has only lost one game (LSU 7-1). Two of AU's opponents are 5-2 (South Carolina & Arkansas) and a third is 6-2 (Mississippi State). Almost all those teams are already bowl eligible. We still haven't faced our hardest opponent...Alabama. Bama is hands down better than every team the Ducks play this year. Nobody they play could hang with Bama. AU is Gonna Beat Bama and make the trip to Glendale!!! Don't want to hear anything about how y'all beat an SEC Team. UT hasn't won a single SEC game...they are 0-5 in the SEC. They've lost around 30 players to attrition in the last two years as well as having had 2 coaching changes over the same period...no program would be doing good under those circumstances. Hell, at least UT can win 2 out-of-conference games. That makes them one of the tougher games the Ducks have played this year...lol.Only Arizona and Stanford have more wins. Anyways, I know I'm Right. Look at the BCS points...we just blew right by y'all...Good Luck!!! War Damn Eagle!!! Am I Right?
Posted by Bryan FischerOhio State offered 2013 quarterback Jalin Marshall. Junior college tight end Blake Jackson is planning on visiting Arkansas at least one more time. In-state recruiting has changed since the arrival of Bobby Petrino. Defensive end Jhaustin Thomas has Florida high on his list.Colorado is losing the in-state recruiting battle so far this year. Iowa is casting a wide net in recruiting and it's paid off with a few commitments. Defensive back Jermaine Edmondson could be on the verge of getting an offer from Michigan State.- Wide receiver Austin Aikens has been blowing up this summer.Commitments: Florida cornerback Ellis Marder committed to UConn. Kicker Jaden Oberkrom will head a few miles west after committing to TCU. Safety Jeremy Clark has accepted a greyshirt offer at Michigan. Stanford added three wide receiviers to their recruiting class in Kodi Whitfield, Connor Crane and Deante' Gray. The Cardinal also nabbed a commitment from safety Drew Madhu. Nebraska has been on a roll lately and grabbed the verbal pledge of offensive lineman Paul Thurston. Penn State added two defensive tackles in Austin Johnson and Derek Dowrey.
Ohio State offered 2013 quarterback Jalin Marshall.
Junior college tight end Blake Jackson is planning on visiting Arkansas at least one more time. In-state recruiting has changed since the arrival of Bobby Petrino.
Defensive end Jhaustin Thomas has Florida high on his list.
Colorado is losing the in-state recruiting battle so far this year.
Iowa is casting a wide net in recruiting and it's paid off with a few commitments.
Defensive back Jermaine Edmondson could be on the verge of getting an offer from Michigan State.
- Wide receiver Austin Aikens has been blowing up this summer.
Commitments:
Florida cornerback Ellis Marder committed to UConn.
Kicker Jaden Oberkrom will head a few miles west after committing to TCU.
Safety Jeremy Clark has accepted a greyshirt offer at Michigan.
Stanford added three wide receiviers to their recruiting class in Kodi Whitfield, Connor Crane and Deante' Gray. The Cardinal also nabbed a commitment from safety Drew Madhu.
Nebraska has been on a roll lately and grabbed the verbal pledge of offensive lineman Paul Thurston.
Penn State added two defensive tackles in Austin Johnson and Derek Dowrey.
June 24, 2011Jaak Poldma of the men's tennis team and Chris Mezger of the baseball team were named 2011 Pac-10 Spring Scholar-Athletes of the Year, presented by Toyo Tires® , Friday (June 24).Poldma, the Trojans' 2011 co-captain, graduated from USC this spring with degrees in communications and political science. He was a 2011 Pac-10 All-Academic first team selection with a 3.65 GPA and earned second team notice in 2010 and honorable mention honors in 2009.Mezger, also a 2011 Pac-10 Conference All-Academic selection with a 3.78 GPA, graduated from USC this spring with a degree in linguistics.In order to be eligible for the Pac-10 Scholar-Athlete of the Year award, student-athletes must be a senior (in athletics eligibility) on track to receive a degree, have a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher, participate in at least 50% of the scheduled contests in the sport and have a minimum of one year in residence at the institution. Each Pac-10 institution may nominate one individual per sport, and the winners are selected by a committee of Pac-10 staff members at the conclusion of each sport's regular season. The athletic accomplishments of the nominees are a consideration in the voting for the award. A Scholar-Athlete of the Year will be named in each of the Pac-10's 22 sponsored sports: baseball, men's basketball, women's basketball, men's cross country, women's cross country, football, men's golf, women's golf, women's gymnastics, men's rowing, women's rowing, men's soccer, women's soccer, softball, men's swimming & diving, women's swimming & diving, men's tennis, women's tennis, men's track & field, women's track & field, women's volleyball, and wrestling. Scholar-Athletes of the Year in each sport will receive a commemorative award. Toyo® will donate $1,000 to the scholarship funds of the institution's athletic department of each winner in recognition of their accomplishments.The Pac-10 Conference, in cooperation with Pac-10 corporate partner Toyo Tires, established the "Pac-10 Scholar-Athlete of the Year Awards, presented by Toyo Tires" during the 2007-08 academic year.The Pac-10 Scholar-Athletes for spring include: Chris Mezger, USC - Baseball, 3.78 - linguistics Jack Dukeminier, Oregon - Men's golf, 4.03 UG/3.88 grad - general business Pia Halbig, California - Women's golf, 3.67 - media studies Alex Syverson, Stanford - Men's rowing, 3.70 - economics Erika Roddy, Stanford - Women's rowing, 3.83 - human biology Jaak Poldma, USC - Men's tennis, 3.65 - communications & political science Venise Chan, Washington - Women's tennis, 3.63 - business administration/marketing Elliott Heath, Stanford - Men's track & field, 3.58 - mechanical engineering Kate Niehaus, Stanford - Women's track & field, 4.05 - bioengineering Lesley Rogers, Arizona State - Softball, 3.80 - sociology Check out Jordan Moore's profiles on both Poldma and Mezger.
June 24, 2011
Jaak Poldma of the men's tennis team and Chris Mezger of the baseball team were named 2011 Pac-10 Spring Scholar-Athletes of the Year, presented by Toyo Tires® , Friday (June 24).
Poldma, the Trojans' 2011 co-captain, graduated from USC this spring with degrees in communications and political science. He was a 2011 Pac-10 All-Academic first team selection with a 3.65 GPA and earned second team notice in 2010 and honorable mention honors in 2009.
Mezger, also a 2011 Pac-10 Conference All-Academic selection with a 3.78 GPA, graduated from USC this spring with a degree in linguistics.
In order to be eligible for the Pac-10 Scholar-Athlete of the Year award, student-athletes must be a senior (in athletics eligibility) on track to receive a degree, have a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher, participate in at least 50% of the scheduled contests in the sport and have a minimum of one year in residence at the institution. Each Pac-10 institution may nominate one individual per sport, and the winners are selected by a committee of Pac-10 staff members at the conclusion of each sport's regular season. The athletic accomplishments of the nominees are a consideration in the voting for the award.
A Scholar-Athlete of the Year will be named in each of the Pac-10's 22 sponsored sports: baseball, men's basketball, women's basketball, men's cross country, women's cross country, football, men's golf, women's golf, women's gymnastics, men's rowing, women's rowing, men's soccer, women's soccer, softball, men's swimming & diving, women's swimming & diving, men's tennis, women's tennis, men's track & field, women's track & field, women's volleyball, and wrestling.
Scholar-Athletes of the Year in each sport will receive a commemorative award. Toyo® will donate $1,000 to the scholarship funds of the institution's athletic department of each winner in recognition of their accomplishments.
The Pac-10 Conference, in cooperation with Pac-10 corporate partner Toyo Tires, established the "Pac-10 Scholar-Athlete of the Year Awards, presented by Toyo Tires" during the 2007-08 academic year.
The Pac-10 Scholar-Athletes for spring include:
Chris Mezger, USC - Baseball, 3.78 - linguistics Jack Dukeminier, Oregon - Men's golf, 4.03 UG/3.88 grad - general business Pia Halbig, California - Women's golf, 3.67 - media studies Alex Syverson, Stanford - Men's rowing, 3.70 - economics Erika Roddy, Stanford - Women's rowing, 3.83 - human biology Jaak Poldma, USC - Men's tennis, 3.65 - communications & political science Venise Chan, Washington - Women's tennis, 3.63 - business administration/marketing Elliott Heath, Stanford - Men's track & field, 3.58 - mechanical engineering Kate Niehaus, Stanford - Women's track & field, 4.05 - bioengineering Lesley Rogers, Arizona State - Softball, 3.80 - sociology
Check out Jordan Moore's profiles on both Poldma and Mezger.
The first BCS ranking are out. Oklahoma is #1, the Ducks #2, BSU #3, Auburn #4, and TCU #5. Oklahoma is a surprise number one and I personally don't think they should be there. My top 5 are ranked in the order the options for you're number 1 are in. I believe Auburn has had the hardest slate of games thus far and they deserve to be number 1. Auburn has defeated Clemson, Arkansas, South Carolina, Kentucky, and Mississippi State. My number 2 team is Oregon. They have a signature win over Stanford. Oklahoma gets the benefit of the doubt for playing in a BCS conference. Boise St is 4 and TCU 5 in my list because I don't believe the system was set up for non-AQ schools to get into the National title. I believe the national title is for teams that earn it through the season. Their schedules are just too easy. The majority of their opponents are non-BCS conference opponents. That's the explanation of my top 5. What's you're number 1 thus far this season?
The Boise State Broncos beat the Oregon Ducks in both 2008 and 2009. Yet, the Ducks jumped them in the polls when they have yet to lose a game. Does this seem fair? Should the Ducks have jumped them so soon in the polls? I think it was right. Stanford is a harder opponent than anyone Boise St will face all year. The BCS was made for teams in BCS conferences. Oregon plays a harder schedule and thus earns the right to pass Boise State within the system that exists. I'm all for a plus 1 system, which would give Boise St a chance. However, their schedule is awful. They play teams that BCS schools play for a breather in the season. Boise St is good, but this is the system that we have right now. Hopefully, this and other similar events will lead to a plus 1 system, but for now this is just how it is.
The Boise State Broncos beat the Oregon Ducks in both 2008 and 2009. Yet, the Ducks jumped them in the polls when they have yet to lose a game.
Does this seem fair? Should the Ducks have jumped them so soon in the polls?
I think it was right. Stanford is a harder opponent than anyone Boise St will face all year. The BCS was made for teams in BCS conferences. Oregon plays a harder schedule and thus earns the right to pass Boise State within the system that exists.
I'm all for a plus 1 system, which would give Boise St a chance. However, their schedule is awful. They play teams that BCS schools play for a breather in the season.
Boise St is good, but this is the system that we have right now. Hopefully, this and other similar events will lead to a plus 1 system, but for now this is just how it is.
Larry King
March Madness
Natasha Fame Leslie
Ryan Seacrest
Sanu Dellafiore
John Armstrong
Fred Hanna
Georgia Hester
