The Sports Truth

Is Jeff McVaney, Strake Jesuit High School’s starting QB, the next Tim Teabow?

You decide…

A dramatic win over the Longhorns couldn’t save Dennis Franchione’s job.

Texas A&M defeated #13 Texas on Saturday, 38-30 on senior day at College Station, but that couldn’t save the job for the head coach. In a move that is not surprising, ESPN is reporting that Dennis Franchione will step down as head coach of the Aggies on Sunday and is not expected to coach the team’s bowl game.

Dennis Franchione’s days as the Texas A&M head football coach are over.

Forget Ruth or Bartman, the new curse du jour in professional sports is The Curse of the 2nd ranked team in college football.

Soon to be dropped #2 Oregon continued a stunning trend in college football this past Thursday, becoming the 5th #2 ranked team to lose to an unranked team. USC, California, South Florida, Boston College, and now Oregon.

The Curse doesn’t end with just the lone loss and it seems to be getting worse. USC won its subsequent game, then lost to Oregon later in the year. California, South Florida suffered worse fates, losing three consecutive games each. Boston College is in the midst of a two-game losing streak and must win in Clemson to avoid losing three in a row.

However, with the demise of the Ducks, apparently The Curse saved its best for last (so we think - watch out, Oklahoma and Kansas).

Oregon learned today that star quarterback and Heisman hopeful, Dennis Dixon, is done for the year after tearing his left anterior cruciate ligament in Thursday’s loss. The Ducks will go to UCLA next week and then finish the season with Oregon State at home. It was a hard enough schedule to begin with, but The Curse wanted to make it even more difficult by taking Dixon away as well.

The Curse of #2 does not discriminate and will take down anyone in its path. The best strategy to make the BCS title game is to be #3 going into the last week of the season.

If you were fortunate enough to stay up late on New Year’s Day, well into January 2, you were treated to arguably the best college football game of all time, if not the greatest football game ever.

That’s a debate for another time, but no one will argue that the game was not - to steal a phrase from ESPN Classic - an instant classic. To that extent, a plethora of articles - written by far more accomplished writers than I - have already been waxed about this fabulous game.

I think Pat Forde even wrote two articles himself (not that it wasn’t undeserved). However, did any of these supposed “senior” writers have the foresight to keep a running diary of the Fiesta Bowl as the senior writer for thesportstruth.com (yours truly) did? Okay, neither did I.

At least not until the second half.

I’m also guessing that none of these esteemed writers will admit that they bet on the game as I will.

Not only did I bet on the BSU/OU game, I bet on the Rose Bowl before it, USC/Michigan. I parlayed the money lines for USC and Boise State, a whopping $5 to win $28. Sure, I bet money, but this site doesn’t pay even its senior writer enough to bet big.

Without much further ado, here is a running diary of my USC and Boise State parlay:

4:30 pm: Tariq, a long time friend of mine and my inspiration for the money line parlay, calls to ask who I’d take in the Rose Bowl, USC or Michigan.

4:34 pm: After minor debate (because neither of us know all that much about college football) we decide on USC, but the +2.5 points isn’t all that appealing. However, the money line of +120 seems a lot more fun. What’s the point of getting 2.5 points? How many games are decided by less than a field goal? Exactly.

4:38 pm: Tariq announces that he’s placed a $10-to-win-$12.50 money line bet on USC and is going to place a $5 parlay bet on USC and Boise State’s money lines. It takes very little to suck me in.

4:40 pm: Luke places $5 parlay on USC and Boise State - my first collegiate bet of the year.

5:08 pm: Kick off of the Rose Bowl occurs, but I’m too busy to make it, trying to make dinner for my roommates before I’ve got to head out at 7 pm for a few hours.

5:47 pm: Both defenses have been impressive so far, but the game is a boring 3-0 after USC kicks an ice-breaking field goal.

5:48 pm: Tariq calls to discuss our bet. We conclude that we’re still in good shape. Michigan’s defense has been playing well, but we expected that. The Trojans’ defense stepping up is unexpected, and good news for USC backers.

6:50 pm: Michigan ties the game with a field goal and we go to halftime 3-3. Boring, but effective so far.

7:05 pm: The USC band leader has just informed us that the marching band will now be performing “My Humps” by the Black Eyed Peas. Needless to say, it sounds muddled and horrible. Why? THAT SONG WASN’T WRITTEN FOR A MARCHING BAND! Seriously guys, there’s nothing wrong with playing songs written for marching bands. There’s a reason Drumline was a successful movie, and it wasn’t the story line.

7:20 pm: USC takes their first possession of the second half down the field for what seems like an easy touchdown (I wouldn’t know, radio is ambigious like that). It’s 10-3 USC and I feel much better about everything.

7:34 pm: Chad Henne is picked off in USC territory on a play that looked like it was designed for the USC defensive lineman who caught the ball. Needless to say, USC marches in for their second touchdown, 17-…. what? I hate college football. USC missed the extra point. That’s the thing about point spreads in college football: you can never trust the kicker. Now at 16-3, those 2.5 points loom large.

7:41 pm: Henne has turned the ball over again in USC territory, this time fumbling, and I’m now assuming an 19-3 lead at worst. With a little over one quarter remaining to play, the first half of the best seems solid.

10:36 pm: Back in the car and the Boise State game is instantly on. In this era of scores constantly flashing across the bottom of our screen along with the score of the game we are watching on TV omnipresent, trying to determine the score of a game on radio is near impossible.

10:39 pm: I’ve finally learned that Boise State is up 14-10 after Oklahoma kicks a field goal. I still don’t know if USC won, but I give a guess of 28-10 to my girlfriend.

10:51 pm: Boise State is driving and has the ball in Oklahoma territory with less than 30 seconds to play. Rather than simply drop my girlfriend off, I’m going to run inside for a few minutes and catch the end of the first half. Still, no word on the USC game. I’m surprisingly not nervous.

10:53 pm: We turn on the game right as Boise State’s quarterback, Jared Zabransky, finds Drisan James on the opposite side of the field, avoiding a sack and creating a positive play. James jukes the LSU defender out of his pants and scampers for a touchdown. At 21-10, Boise State has all the momentum and I’m glowing about my bet. We’re 3/4 of the way home.

11:13 pm: I arrive at my humble abode just in time to watch Marty Tadman pick off Paul Thompson and run it in for a touchdown. A 28-10 Boise State lead illicits a “wooooooooooo” from Tariq via instant messanger, and our bet is all but over. Tariq also informed me he’s laid $10 to win $20 on the Boise State money line. I envy Tariq and his wealth.

11:17 pm: There it is, the momentum shift. The only thing that could derail a 28-10 lead in the middle of the third quarter. Oklahoma just punted and the ball took a freakish bounce, hit an unsuspecting Boise State player in the back of the leg and was recovered by Oklahoma. A slew of cuss words and “that really, REALLY sucked” messages are exchanged between Tariq and I.

11:18 pm: Jesus, that was fast. Two plays later, Adrian Peterson is in the end zone and Oklahoma closes to 28-17. What is it about college games that differ so much from the pros where the second the punt hit a Boise State player, you know that an 18-point lead is no longer safe? Stuff like this wouldn’t be nearly as traumatic in the pros.

11:23 pm: Zabransky drops back in the pocket, rolls left, curls back around right while running backwards and while getting taken down, completes a pass to his lineman. This is, of course, illegal. Flag is thrown. Tariq sums it up best with “can you say meltdown?” while I continue the cliche with “I can smell it. From 3,000 miles away.” Needless to say, we’re not amused.

11:24 pm: “Illegal touching, #69 on the offense.” Is there anything better than unintentional comedy?

(more…)

Nick Saban has officially left the Miami Dolphins for the University of Alabama, despite repeated (and pointed) denials of his intention to do so. After the statements he made in the past two months, the former LSU coach’s decision to return to the college game is all the more dubious:

November 2006
“I took this as a challenge. We certainly haven’t seen this through and gotten where we want to go and finished the job here, so why would I be interested in something else?”

December 21
“I guess I have to say it. I’m not going to be the Alabama coach… I don’t control what people say. I don’t control what people put on dot-com or anything else. So I’m just telling you there’s no significance, in my opinion, about this, about me, about any interest that I have in anything other than being the coach here.”

December 27
“I’m just making a rule to never comment on something like that again because every time you comment on it, it just makes for another story. So I’m not going to comment on it five years from now, and I’m not going to comment on it next week.”

Nevertheless, Saban, who was 15-17 in two years with the Dolphins, will be one of the highest paid coaches in college football, singing a deal that is rumored to be for 8-10 years and inheriting a program that is struggling and impatient to get better. In the loaded SEC, he’ll have his hands full getting the tide to a BCS Bowl. Here are the ups and downs of his two-year NFL coaching career…

HIGHLIGHTS

• Won six consecutive games after a 3-6 start to finish the 2005 season 9-7.
• Won four consecutive games after a 1-6 start to improve to 5-6 during the 2006 season.
• Led 34-10 defeat of the Denver Broncos in 2005 debut. It was pretty much all down hill from there, however.

LOWLIGHTS

• Denied interest in Alabama job, only to entertain the offer a day after the 2006 season and accept it two days later.
• Passed on signing free agent Drew Brees, who would go on to make the pro bowl, in lieu of trading for Daunte Culpepper, who played four games before getting benched in favor of Joey Harrington. Saban blamed a pre-existing knee injury for Culpepper’s problems, which was perplexing, as he pushed Miami to sign the former Central Florida standout.
• Despite high expectations, Miami started the 2006 season 1-6 en route to a 6-10 season - Saban’s first losing record in his 13-year career.

[Cue The Pundit's Patented Loud Booming Voice & Pulsing Intro Music and Pyrotechnics]

The Pundit is back! After taking a short sabbatical to get his personal affairs in order, the Pundit decided once again to grace this technologically inferior, chimp-edited site with his stately presence before wannabe prognosticators such as Lucas Dwyer attempt to pollute the Pundit’s rabid fan base with NFL excrement.

Back to business. Let us recount the season-long greatness of the Pundit. After the last official week of picks before his holiday, the Pundit’s glorious record stood at 39-12, for a gaudy percentage of .764! No wonder the traffic to TheSportsTruth.com is picking up - people are clearly recognizing the brilliance and acumen of the Pundit.

Perhaps the Pundit should start his own site, but that is a matter for another day. Without further delay‚ the Pundit now offers his voracious fans what they have been craving for the last month - his picks for the crock of poo that is the Bowl Championship Series.

[Cue the Drum Roll]

Rose Bowl: Southern Cal (10-2) vs Michigan (11-1)

Every fan of the maize and blue has been screaming bloody murder since the final BCS rankings came out.

The Pundit would like to take this opportunity to tell you all to piss off! While the Pundit is no fan of BCS, he would have been less a fan of having a damn OSU-Michigan rematch.

Face it, Michigan fans, the SEC is a stronger conference than the Big 10 and Florida, while lacking style points along the way, earned the #2 seed the hard way. You can thank the Missouris and Iowas of the world for having weak teams. Get over it!

As for the Rose Bowl, this is an old school Big 10/Pac 10 rumble featuring some true heavyweights. Michigan is believed to be the most well-rounded team in the country, possessing a vertical passing attack, a strong running game, and a pro caliber front seven on defense.

USC has been hot and cold all year. They are like the SportsTruth.com’s Michael Stephens in softball - sometimes you get a home run and sometimes you get the bunt single with less oomph than a Pundit beer fart. They wreak havoc on opposing defenses for this reason, because you never know when John David Booty and Dwyane Jarrett (below) will light it up deep or get bogged down in check downs and dropped passes. Lacking the playmakers they have had in the past, USC’s defense has been suspect at times as well.

Prediction: If Booty and Jarrett can get some deep balls early to loosen up the Wolverines front seven and allow USC to run the rock, it could be a good game. However, the Pundit thinks that Michigan can go shot for shot with Trojans in a shootout if needed, or totally lock them down to show up the BCS voters. The Pundit is going for the middle ground with Michigan jumping the Trojans early but letting the Trojans hang around. Pete Carroll is too good of a coach to let his team get blasted in a bowl. Michigan by 14 in a controlled shootout.

Fiesta Bowl: Boise State (12-0) vs Oklahoma (10-2)

This is the black sheep of the BCS bowls.

The Broncos go undefeated in the WAC and cry all year long about being left out of the national title race, so the voters give them this bowl slot to make them feel better. Somehow, the Pundit remembers Utah’s BCS run as being somewhat less pitiful - they let their play speak for itself.

By all accounts, Oklahoma is lucky to be in this bowl.

They lose their top QB to disciplinary action, as well as one of the best tailbacks in recent memory for most of the season due to injury. The key element for this team is none other than Bob Stoops. Despite two potential knockout shots and a downswing in NFL caliber talent, he kept his team focused so they could take advantage of Texas’ pratfalls down the stretch.

How good is Oklahoma in a weaker Big 12? Who the hell really knows.

Prediction: The Sooners got through a tough season with some serious issues that would have tanked most teams, and play in a better conference. Sooners by 14 in the least-anticipated bowl all year. Well, except the Don’t Sleep With the Ugly Inbred Miner’s Daughter West Virginia / Marshall Coal Bowl earlier this year.

Orange Bowl: Louisville (11-1) vs. Wake Forest (11-1)

This is by far the most interesting matchup of all the BCS Bowls. Louisville was one win away from potentially being in the title game (yes, the Big East was strong enough, people - look at the bowl games played so far). Wake Forest won the ACC despite its talent-limiting academic standards (just think about that for a second).

Louisville is a high octane, pro-style offense that could probably score some points on some NFL teams. Wake Forest runs a multiple set wishbone attack that emphasizes ball control and misdirection. Both teams play bend- but-don’t-break defense.

Key questions include:

• Can Wake Forest’s offense keep the Louisville offense off the field by running the ball up the gut, the Cardinals’ biggest weakness?
• Can Wake Forest stop the aerial assault that averaged 35+ points a game this year? The Pundit thinks everyone that loves college football should watch this one just to see an unusual clash of styles.

Prediction: Wake Forest had a magical run and should be commended for it this year, but the Pundit doesn’t think the Deacons have the secondary to stop the Cardinals. Another thing to consider: The ACC was way down this year, so how impressive is the Deacons’ record? Cardinals by 24.

Sugar Bowl: Notre Dame (10-2) vs. LSU (10-2)

The Irish were one of the Pundit’s preseason favorites. That one gets a big Homer Simpson “D’oh!” from the Pundit! Anyways, the Irish are lucky to be here, seeing that Arkansas played a tougher schedule and looked better doing it.

With that BCS flub in mind, the Irish can hang with anyone on offense when they are hot. However, their defense sucks! They can’t lock anyone down for more than a series or two, especially in the deep middle of the field on post and seam routes.

As for the Tigers, they are the best two-loss team in the country. They had one major slip-up which cost them a chance at the title game. They aren’t flashy or dominant on offense, but they play hard, aggressive, mistake-free ball on defense.

Prediction: The Irish will score points with their high-octane offense, but the Tigers will counter that with solid scheming and athleticism. The Irish won’t be able to stop the Tigers solid all around offense with their swiss cheese defense. The strengths of these two teams will battle it out and the Pundit takes the Tigers by 10 in an entertaining game. The Irish will keep it close, but the Tigers will control this one throughout.

BCS Title Game: Ohio State (12-0) vs. Florida (11-1)

The Pundit thinks this could actually be an interesting matchup… if a few things happen:

1. Chris Leak (right) finally lives up to the massive hype that brought him to the Gators in the first place and lights up Ohio State’s secondary instead of choking in a big game.
2. Troy Smith & Co. get the lead in the first half, and then get comfortable in the second half, allowing the Gators to sneak back in it.
3. The Gators’ defense, which has carried them all year, plays two lock down halves of football.

Of the above three scenarios, the Pundit doesn’t think any of them are likely to happen. Chris Leak is a biyatch, Jim Tressel won’t allow the Buckeyes to let up after last year’s debacle against Texas, and Florida’s D is good but not good enough to shut down OSU for a whole game.

Prediction: Florida is screwed. They have a chance, but only a slim one. Ohio State will have to give them serious help by way of turnovers. The Buckeyes will be in a dogfight in the first half, but will cruise in the second half and win by 17.

And the editors of the Sports Truth thought we needed to see psychologists for our sports betting addiction after we wagered cash on a pair of U.S. Senate races.

Yes, the headline you read above is true. A man killed his friend with a rifle in a dispute over a $20 bet on the South Carolina-Clemson game, authorities said Sunday. James Walter Quick, 42, has been charged in the shooting of Richard Allen Johnson, 43, who died from a single shot to the chest.

Quick and Johnson watched the game Saturday at Johnson’s home in Lexington, S.C., about 100 miles south of Charlotte. Quick took South Carolina, while Johnson took Clemson, straight up. The Gamecocks came from behind and won, 31-28.

Quick celebrated.

Johnson said the Tigers “shouldn’t have lost” and refused to pay.

Quick left the house and retrieved a high-powered rifle from his Chevrolet Corsica.

“He went back in and told Richard, ‘I want my money or I’m going to shoot you,’” said Lexington County Sheriff James Metts, adding that both (stunningly) had been drinking beer.

Johnson’s wife and several friends told police that Johnson retorted: “You can’t shoot me, I’m invisible.”

Quick replied, “No you’re not.”

Deputies arrived on the scene and charged Quick with murder and possessing a firearm during the commission of a violent crime. He was leaning against his Corsica, with arms crossed, when police arrived. The men had gone deer hunting together the morning of the shooting and were dressed in camouflage as they watched the game with friends.

Quick and Johnson met a couple of years ago after their wives became good friends. Soon they were inviting each other over for cookouts and to watch games, Quick’s mother and sister told the Charlotte Observer.

Quick didn’t attend USC but always supported the team, said Quick’s mother, who declined to give her name. He usually watched games on TV but sometimes went to the stadium. He also enjoyed playing football with his children, ages 14 and 7.

“You just hear so much commotion about the Gamecocks,” she said. “It’s state loyalty.”

What happened is “totally out of his nature,” his sister, Anne Marie Quick, said.

You mean he didn’t typically murder other humans over football bets? Really?

Let this be a lesson to all you compulsive gamblers to pay up after you lose a bet, regardless of whether your team loses fair and square. But in the event that your friend refuses to cough up $20, it’s probably a tad extreme to take his life. Even if we’re talking about the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry.

[Cue The Pundit’s Patented Loud Booming Voice & Pulsing Intro Music and Pyrotechnics]

Let the BCS dramatics begin, college football fans. Ohio State and Michigan played a fairly entertaining game that was supposed to settle at least one slot in the national title game. Check. Everyone assumed that if Florida, USC, Arkansas, and Notre Dame all managed to win, one of these teams would leapfrog (albeit probably temporarily) Michigan in the BCS standings.

Well, fellow rabid football fans the crock that is the BCS continues! All of the so-called second-tier teams won and Michigan is still ranked #2! Even the Pundit thinks USC got shafted on this one and loyal readers know that the Pundit is not the biggest fan of the Trojans! Anyone else think the national playoff movement just got a big boost?

On a side note, did the Pundit mention that he is now 38-10 for the year and called the OSU-Michigan and Florida spreads this past weekend? Is the Pundit the man or what? Lucas Dwyer only wishes he could wear the Pundit’s jock when he makes his evermore feeble attempts to call NFL games for this Atari-in-a-world-of-Playstations website.

[Cue the Drum Roll]

THE PUNDIT’S POWER FIVE

1. Ohio State. Beats the Wolverines, 41-38, to earn a spot in the National Title game.
Next week’s opponent: Idle.

2. USC. They beat up California again. Somehow the Pundit thinks this week’s opponent will provide a more interesting game.
Next week’s opponent: Notre Dame
Prediction: This game is statement game for both teams. USC has to win big to jump Michigan in the standings, while Notre Dame has to win big to convince as many voters as possible that they are better than their inconsistent defense and offense has shown this year. This is also about payback for Notre Dame since ol’ Matt Leinart took them out of the national title game last year with one of the most amazing plays the Pundit has ever seen. It’s a home game for the Trojans, but the Pundit likes the upset. Irish by 10.

3. Florida. Western Carolina Panthers… did they even take the field?
Next week’s opponent: Florida State.
Prediction: Like Arkansas, Florida has a dangerous finish before the SEC title game. The Seminoles aren’t as good as they used to be but this is one of the best rivalries in football. The Pundit has not been impressed by the Gators of late and likes the upset again. Seminoles by a TD.

4. Arkansas. They beat up on Croom and company but not as bad as expected. Didn’t help themselves in this one at all.
Next Week’s Opponent: LSU
Prediction: This is a dangerous finish for the Razorbacks. The Tigers are hot and looking to sneak into a bigger bowl game. The Pundit likes the explosive Tigers to muddle up the BCS by upsetting Arkansas by three in the fourth quarter.

5. Michigan. The Wolverines gave the Buckeyes their best shot and lucked out with the #2 slot. Happy Birthday!
Next Week’s Opponent: Idle.

Teams Most Likely to Break Into the Top Five: The field is thinning out even more. Louisville… if they get all the upsets listed above. Um, no other team matters at this point. Sorry. Not.

NOTE: Unfortunately for the rabid Pundit readership (which is probably the only thing keeping this lame, chimp-edited site alive), the Pundit can only drop half of his knowledge this week due to time constraints. The Pundit didn’t want to miss another big week though. Holla!

It’s been almost a week since we witnessed what was billed to be The Game of the Century, and I finally feel ready to talk about it. Few would argue that the game did not live up to the hype. Anytime you have the top two teams in the nation battle in a three-point game, you have some great TV.

As a Michigan fan, I came into the game with mixed emotions. First, for about seven days leading up to last Saturday, I felt like I could throw up at any minute. The magnitude of this game and what it meant to us was almost unbearable.

The Wolverines were a disappointing 7-5 last year, including a bowl loss to the completely overrated Nebraska Cornhuskers. The Ohio State game gave us the opportunity of a lifetime. Vindication. Redemption after we gave the Buckeyes the game last year. And most importantly, a shot at the National Championship.

Surely if we went 12-0, there wasn’t a team in country that could stop us. USC? Ha. They couldn’t even beat Oregon State. Arkansas? Did you see what USC did to them? Florida? Surely you’re joking. The quarterback situation there is sure to ruin them eventually. I’m sorry, did someone say Notre Dame? For some reason, the numbers 47-21 come to mind… in South Bend!

The more we run through these scenarios, the more overwhelmed we become at the opportunity we have before us. We could be National Champions once more!

Then the slap in the face - more commonly known as reality - brings us back to earth. The scenarios are all dandy, but the problem is we have one game left to play. And not just any game… The Game.

The one we look forward to every year because of the pride it can bring us and the pain it can force us to come to terms with. Plus, this year was a little different. This was no ordinary Ohio State team. This was no longer the Buckeye team we could make fun of because of Maurice Clarett. He’s moved onto bigger and badder things in his life. This Buckeye team was a force. A Heisman lock at QB. A lightning-quick receiving corps that make a 4.4-forty time look pedestrian. A defense more intimidating than last year. And finally, a coach that has broken our hearts more times than we care to remember.

Suddenly, the room is closing in on us. We’re getting short of breath. Not only to we have to play the best Buckeye team we can remember, but we have to do it on their field, with their fans, and their stupid coach who has not given us one ounce of gratification since he got there.

To top it all off, the king of our storied institution - the guy that made us what we were and helped make this rivalry what it is - passed away the day before the game. We would be playing with extra motivation, of course, but also with heavy hearts because of this enormous loss. By now, the adrenaline that was making our hearts beat so fast had turned to fear and doubt.

Writing this means rehashing a feeling that I hoped I wouldn’t have for at least another 360-some days. Needless to say, the six days before the game were filled with the same feelings. It would be a waste of time to discuss those, but do know that it’s possible I lost 5-10 pounds because of all the pacing.

(more…)

As a native Michigander, I feel it’s my duty to clarify something about last weekend’s excellent Michigan-Ohio State game, which the Buckeyes ended up winning, 42-39: lots and lots of people from Michigan, including myself, find the University of Michigan remarkably obnoxious and were actively rooting against the Wolverines in this game.

Although the University of Michigan obviously has a storied, impressive program, fine coaches, and quality players, the university and its fans have an age-old legacy of a$$holery that’s simply impossible to ignore. Plus, we’re Michigan State fans and our team is terrible at playing football.

Now here’s the trouble (and yes, I’ll get to the actual game in a second) - “The” Ohio State University is nearly as bad. Jim Tressel seems shady, Maurice Clarett went there, and Ohio is boring to drive through and be in (with the notable exception of Cedar Point). Moreover, they’re probably the best football program in the country right now. As the game began, I kept searching in vain for permutations that could result in both teams losing this one. No dice.

So back to the game: Two really good teams, two really good fight songs, two really sh!tty fanbases. And, unfortunately for me, two really respectable performances. I don’t think this game was ever really as close as the final score indicated, but Michigan showed a lot of spirit battling through Troy Smith’s stellar performance and keeping it close until the very end.

Michigan’s offensive line did a fine job beating up OSU’s previously unbreachable defensive line, allowing Mike Hart to run for 6.2 yards a carry and a total of 142. Chad Henne was a notch above solid throughout most of the game, and seems destined to become the next in the long line of steady but unspectacular UM quarterbacks that end up having respectable careers in the league (my prediction: worse than Tom Brady; better than John Navarre; Let’s say he’s the next Elvis Grbac).

As for Ohio State, they’re clearly the better team, both this weekend and throughout the season. I can’t root for them in the national championship game, but rest assured that if I wasn’t so blinded by illogical hate, I would surely try.