Saturday Football Fever

By now, most people have probably already seen Knowshon Moreno’s leap.

Unless, that is, you were waiting to see it on Sports Center.  Apparently, the worldwide leader buried the UGA highlights and didn’t even show Moreno’s leap.  And Mark Richt is complaining about it.

According to Richt, “They missed the boat or didn’t do their homework or whatever. I don’t know how they couldn’t have noticed that as thorough as it seems like that are most of the time.”

Here’s the deal coach.  You are playing the Central Michigan Chippewas and you blew them out.  You’re not going to be the lead highlight on ESPN, especially when there are upsets to show.  And really, who cares what Knowshon does against a small time team?  Outside Athens, GA, no one.  Had this come against the elite athletes that play for USC, Florida or Oklahoma, then it would be noteworthy.  But he’s leaping over an undersized safety who wasn’t good enough to get a scholarship offer from a Big Ten school, including Northwestern.  Why is that supposed to be mind blowing?

Don’t get me wrong, it was a nice play.  But for Richt to chastise ESPN for not playing it is ridiculous.  Had it been a truly, utterly amazing play, then I could see his point.  But its not as impressive as Richt seems to think.

Filed under: Player News

Tags: big 10, central michigan chippewas, espn, florda gators, georgia bulldogs, knowshon moreno, mark richt, northwestern wildcaats, oklahoma sooners, sec, usc trojans

Normally, I wouldn’t care about what happens in the Kansas spring game. But given their success last year on the gridiron, a little more attention will be paid to the Jayhawks this year.

I don’t think that you’ll see the same level of success from Mark Mangino and the Jayhawks again. For starters, they have a much tougher schedule this year. Their conference slate is much more difficult this season, as they play at Oklahoma and Texas and Texas Tech at home. Throw in a game at an improved (and pissed off) Nebraska and a tough game against Missouri and the Big 12 schedule is brutal. Add non-conference opponent South Florida and you can guess that Kansas won’t be 12-1 again next year.

You also have to consider that they lost a ton of talent on both sides of the ball. First team All-Americans Aqib Talib and Anthony Collins; second team All-American James McClinton; receiver Marcus Henry and leading rusher Brandon McAnderson. Even the USC’s and Ohio State’s of the world don’t bounce back easily from player attrition like that.

Finally, Reesing will have the weight of the offense and the team on his shoulders. If Reesing fails to deliver (like he did in the spring game), then Kansas will crumble. Their fate rests on his ability to take his game to a higher level. Not an easy feat.

Even if all goes poorly for Kansas this season, they’ll always be able to say they won the basketball national championship.

Filed under: Conference News, Spring Practice

Tags: anthony collins, aqib talib, big 12, brandon mcanderson, james mcclinton, kansas jayhawks, marcus henry, mark mangino, missouri tigers, nebraska cornhuskers, ohio state buckeyes, oklahoma sooners, south florida bulls, texas longhorns, texas tech red raiders, todd reesing, usc trojans