Merry Christmas Sports Fans!

Well, it's Christmas Eve as I sit here writing this brief piece about the Yule Tide sports season. I have been watching a lot of football today, and I must say that I am ready for some playoff football. Despite the fact the neither the Broncos nor Panthers will likely be in the the playoffs, it should make for an exciting January.

College basketball is starting to heat up and the conference season will be in full swing after the first of the year. Carolina, Florida and UCLA have pulled out ahead of everyone and look to be the top-3 national championship contenders. Ohio State, a sexy pick in the preseason, is off to a hot start; however, they have lost to both Carolina and Florida in convincing fashion.

College football's bowl season is off and running. The BCS gets cranked up next Monday, January 1st. The BCS Championship game will played the following Monday, Jan. 8. Look for there to be little excitment in the four games. Here is how I see them playing out.

The Rose Bowl Game: Michigan vs. USC
Michigan is a really good football team and is looking to make a statement after being left out of the title game. Also, preseason #1 for 2007 could be on the line. USC has lost their last 2 games in the Rose Bowl stadium (to UCLA and Texas), so they want to break that streak. Michigan is the nation's second best team; too bad they lost to #1. Therefore, Michigan wins 34-17.

The Sugar Bowl: LSU vs. Notre Dame
Notre Dame is only a name. That is why they are in New Orleans. They will bring fans and viewers. They took up a spot that a much more deserving Va. Tech or Wisconsin team deserved. The game is in LSU's backyard, so look for the Bayou Bengals to roll to victory 28-10.

The Fiesta Bowl: Oklahoma vs. Boise State
This is Boise's first BCS go round and Bob Stoops' 9287300th. Boise has not had to play a team the caliber of the Sooners thus far this season. They are a non-BCS school in the BCS. The last time that happened Utah beat Pitt. But, Boise is not Utah and Oklahoma is definitely not Pitt. Adrien Petersen is back for the Sooners, so that means Oklahoma wins 31-14.

The Orange Bowl: Wake Forest vs. Louisville
Wake has been riding a wave of momentum all season, but it may have been broken with the long lay off. The Demon Deacons are the feel good story of the year. The feel good story wil play the Cardinals of Louisville in what sounds like a clash of Christian sects. Lousiville has one of the highest powered offense in the nation, but Wake brings a games defense. Wake will hang in there for a while and make a second half push, but Louisville will just be too much for the 'Deacs. The final score will be 45-31.

BCS Championship Game: Florida vs. Ohio State... COMING THURSDAY! (as well as a more in depth look at the four games above)...

Grobe Insists He's Staying

Week after week Jim Grobe's name pops up as a candidate for coaching jobs across America. His name has been most associated with the Alabama job. The Crimson Tide was Beamered late last week by West Virginia's Rich Rodriguez. Their other top candidates (Steve Spurrier and Nick Saban) have also saud "No Thank You."

The list seems to have dwindled to 2 names, Paul Johnson of Navy and Wake Forest's Jim Grobe. Johnson recently agreed to a new contract that will make him one of the highest paid coached in the country, plus he gets a car and a house on top of that. So, paying an astronomical buy out to Navy seems unlikely. The Tide faithful seem less than impressed with Johnson and probably aren't willing to pay a hefty amount to bring him to town.

So, that leaves Grobe. He has taken a football program best known for telling Vince Lombardi that he was not goof enough to be their coach all the way to the Orange Bowl. The Demon Deacons are 10-2 and will play the Lousville Cardinals on January 2. It is the first time, and quite possibly last, in school history that the football team has won that many games. Grobe has taken two programs, Ohio and Wake, from the depths to success. It is about time for him to get a chance to see what he can do with a constant stream of talent.

At Alabama he would have the support and the recruiting base to win and win big. At Wake Forest, the Orange Bowl is a once in a century thing. While at 'Bama it's expected every year.

I can understand why he would want to stay at Wake. He has awesome job security now, he is loved by the 10 to 12 fans and he likes the area. But, in Alabama football is a way of life. They even have an MTV show about their high school football. Alabama has been down over the past few years as they are coming off numerous NCAA sanctions. But, the next guy is inheriting a time bomb of college football success. They are slowing gaining lost scholarships and rebuilding their reputation. A guy like Grobe is just the guy to finish the job. There is no one who says clean program better than Grobe.

He's not 'Bear' Bryant, but he is a bear of a football coach. He should at least listen to the Tide if they call. By going to Alabama, Grobe would improve the lives of himself and his staff. If Alabama can throw $12 million at Rodriguez, then they can come up with a package that would make Grobe and his staff much better off than they are now. They have the most wins in the ACC, but are the lowest paid.

A little note to Alabama. The worst thing he can do is say no. You have already been told no a million times, so what is one more goign to hurt. If you can lure him away, and I am sure you can, then you will start winning games again. And, you will beat Auburn. Because when it matters most Grobe's guys are ready to play.

Photos:
1.http://media3.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/photo/2006/12/02/PH2006120201216.jpg

Was O'Brien's Hiring Unethical?

Last week N.C. State hired Boston College head football coach, Tom O'Brien. It came as a shock to BC players, fans and administration alike. Lee Fowler, N.C. State AD, sought the permission of BC to speak with O'Brien. That permission was granted. Then on Wednesday of last week word came down that O'Brien has accepted the position and that it was the first time the conference (ACC) had learned the two parties were talking. That made the talk of the moral code, or some unwritten rule, being broken.

Was N.C. State out of line by hiring O'Brien? The answer is simply...NO! If O'Brien felt like he was getting a fair shake and was happy at BC, then he wouldn't have wanted to leave. State was informed of his interest last Sunday and then contacted him. There is a lot BC is justified in complaining about since joining the ACC in 2005, but being raided for a coach isn't one of them

It is true that while BC has been in teh top 3-4 teams in the ACC since joining the league in '05. They have finished no worse than 3rd in their 2 seasons, but have not played in better bowl game than the Meineke Car Care Bowl in Charlotte. That bowl game is 6th on the list as far as payouts associated with the ACC.

However, is that really the fault of the conference? Partly, yes. But a lot of the blame must fall on BC. They are notorious poor travelers. Maybe if they sold out their share of tickets for their subpar bowl game, then next year they would step up to the next level. When there are teams like Clemson, State, FSU, Va. Tech, Ga. Tech and UNC (they travel when they do make a bowl game) that bring fans by the bus loads, it isn't hard to see why BC gets sent to Boise or Charlotte. The Peach Bowl, Gator Bowl, Music City and Champs games are going to be reserved for teams that wil sale tickets.

It's sour grapes in 'Bean Town.' And, I would be the same way if someone did it to us. O'Brien's name was swirling around in connection with every job. It was just a matter of where, not if and when. It just so happens that it was State that O'Brien hooked up with. State wanted him and he wanted State; while, BC didn't appear to eager to pull a West Virginia and do something to keep him there.

There is no rule, anywhere, that says that one school within the ACC cannot hire another ACC school's coach. Had State hired Skip Holtz, ECU head coach, then would everyone be screaming that we couldn't take a little-sister school's coach? No, ECU would have laughed that we were admitting that their coach was better than our former coach.

Simply put, if O'Brien was happy at BC, then he would not have left. He wouldn't have let his name get floated around at Arizona State, Stanford and even Alabama. It has been said that many at BC wanted to see him gone, that he could jog through campus without being recognized and that he wasn't the guy for BC. While he had only been on campus for 5 or 6 hours at State and received multiple standing ovations at a basketball game.

State did not do anything unethical when they hired O'Brien last week. The only point that I will concede to those who believe the contrary is that I do think it was a low blow for there to be a no-compete clause in his contract. Thus, he cannot leave State for another ACC school during the duration of his contract. That detail should have probably been left out. Hopefully, Mark Whipple will work out for BC and all of this will be forgotten.

Photos:
1. http://images.news14.com/media/2006/12/7/images/01obrien2.jpg

Tom O'Brien to be New Leader of the Pack

"Innovator. Motivator. Disciplinarian. Program rebuilder." Those are the first words on Boston College's website that describe the departing Eagles' head coach, Tom O'Brien. Barring any last minute hiccups, O'Brien is set to become the next head coach at N.C. State. News came late Wednesday night that Athletics Directoe Lee Fowler and NCSU had reached a deal that would make O'Brien the leader of teh Wolfpack football program.




Chuck Amato elevated the program to national relevancy. And, that was just about as far as he could get it. Amato was great for State. He did a lot of great things and has placed the program on solid footing for the future. The ceiling for Amato had been reached, but the ceiling for State football has not. Thus, it was time for a change.

O'Brien is just what State needs right now. The program doesn't need to be rebuilt, it needs to be tweaked. There is a definite need for innovation (offensively), motivation (State can't beat UNC or Wake right now) and discipline (the Pack have been seriously hendered by stupid penalties and other issues possitively realted to a lack of discipline). So, if there a College Football M.D., then O'Brien would be the prescription to what ails State.

O'Brien went 75-45 in 10 seasons at BC. Under his direction the program was lifted from the depths of the Big East to perennially top-20 program. The Eagles have made 8 straight bowl games (including this season's bowl), winning 6 straight. However, the bowl games have been lack luster in terms of prestige because of the notorious poor travelers known as BC Eagles "SuperFans." At State a 7-5 season warranted a trip to the "Muffler Bowl" in Charlotte, N.C. At BC that's all a 9-3 season can get.

O'Brien's record against the upper echelon of the Big East and rest of the nation has been called into question. It is not a big deal, because it was at BC. It is a lot harder to win at BC. No one cares about BC football in New England. I mean they have a limit of how many night home games that they are allowed to play because of the people who live near the stadium. The fan support at State is much better than it is in Boston and the monetary support for the program is probably greater as well.

He is 0-4 against former Miami and current UNC head coach, Butch Davis. It was a little different situation then though. Davis had a dynasty in the making in Coral Gables, and O'Brien had a fledgling BC program lucky to be in the top-25.

Three of the things that the Pack lacked on the field this year are 3 of the 4 things that O'Brien brings to the table. Innovation, motivation and discipline kept the Pack from a successful season this year. Had Chuck been able to supply those things, then he would still be roaming the sidelines for State. And I, more than anybody, wished that was the case. It's not the case. The case is that TOB is the new man. And he deserves all the support in the world.

You want to see what a personality such as O'Brien's can do for a team? Then just watch the Orange Bowl on January 2, 2007. Jim Grobe, of Wake Forest, has done a miraculous job at Wake. His strengtths? Innovation, motivation and discipline.

Thank you, Boston College. Three simple words on your web-site have given us the reasons for hiring away your football coach. We need those things here in Raleigh,a nd now we have it. I can't wait for an official press conference. Word is beginning to surface that a introductory press conference could come this Saturday. Could there be an appearance at the heritage basketball game? What better way to be introduced to N.C. State, than to attend a basketball game on the hallowed floor of Reynolds' Coliseum? That would be awesome.

Photos:
1.http://i.a.cnn.net/si/2006/football/ncaa/12/07/ncstate.obrien.ap/p1.obrien.getty.jpg
2.http://thedirtroad.net/jeff/images/upload3.jpg

Rich Rodrigues to Alabama. _______ to West Virginia.

It became apparent last night that Alabama had offered it's vacant head coaching position to West Virginia's head coach, Rich Rodriguez. The offer is worth a reported $12 million over 6 years, plus to $2million buy out of Rodriguez's current contract.

WVU seemed like the perfect place for Rodriguez, and I would have never thought of him leaving. He grew up about 30 minutes from the Morgantown campus and then played football for the Mountaineers in the 1980s. It seemed like a perfect match. Most college football players wo go on to coach have their alma mater as their dream job. However when money is involved, nothing else matters.

Plain and simple, if this goes through as expected, then it will be nothing more than a cash grab for Rodriguez. The $2 million is obviously worth mroe to him than the opportunity to further his legend in teh community in which he has spent a majority of his life.

There is nothing wrong with someone wanting to take a step up in the world and make a little more money. However, right now the Alabama job is a step down from the West Virginia job. At WVU, Rodriguez can realistically compete for a BCS spot year in and year out. At Alabama, he will find himself competing in the middle of the pack; and that just doesn''t cut it at Alabama. The man can do no wrong in Morgantown, and it is hard to understand why he would want to go somewhere like the looney-bin that is Tuscaloosa.

Seeing how this is all but a done deal, the focus should shift to who will replace Rodriguez at WVU. I am in no way close to the situation; however, I like to speculate. There are three names that I think will be at the top of West Virginia's list as soon as the Rodriguez news is made official.

The first name on the list is a name that has been linked to every job under the sun. And, to each and every one of those links he has said "no." However, if there was ever a job that made perfect sense for this particular guy, then it would be WVU. Morgantown is a blue-collar town, with a blue-collar school and this guy is definitely a hard nosed blue-collar guy. His no non-sense demeanor would fit perfeclty. His offense would definitely work like a charm with the current athlete at WVU. He is a native of Huntington, W.V. Was a one-time assistant at Huntington's Marshall University. Has a great deal of head coaching experience and has never had the opportunity to take a over a program in good standing. This year he pulled off one of the greatest miracles ever. He won a conference championship and a trip to the BCS at Wake Forest. Of course, I am talking about Jim Grobe. He has to be the top-candidate for this job. WVU should be prepared and willing to throw 1.5-1.75 million reasons why on top of the fact that he is a home town boy to come. I know he has said that he is perfectly happy at Wake, and who wouldn't be there. He is the first football coach in school history to outshine the school's basketbal coach. I doubt he pays for a meal in Reynolda Village. If he were to goto WVU, then he wouldn't have to pay for a meal anywhere in West "By God" Virginia. His personality fits better at WVU, he's from the area, has coached in the area, would have a legitimate shot to reach the BCS every year, would get paid more, would be THE top dawg on campus and would have the supposrt he lacks at Wake Forest. He has to be the logicalfirst choice for the Mountaineers.

The second name on the list should be Navy's Paul Johnson. The man has done an excellent job at Navy and has them in yet another bowl game. Once considered a top candidate for the N.C. State job, Johnson has been heavily scrutinized for his wish-bone triple-option offense. Well, with the athletes that they have at West Virginia that offense would work. Being the head coach at NAvy takes a tough personality and WVU is associated with tough personalities. Johnson wouldn't have worked at N.C. State. But, he would work at WVU. He could still run his offense and teh fan base would probably be perfectly fine with it so long as he won football games. That is completely opposite to the situation in Raleigh, just ask Herb Sendek. Johnson has taken Navy back into the respectable category and has beaten his biggest rival, Army, 4 consecutive times. I know it's Army, but with a rivalry like that you throw the records out the window. Johnson is not a W.V. native, in fact he is from North Carolina. But, he has all the characteristics required to be the head football coach for the Mountaineers. I think at this point he seems like the most realistic choice to succeed Rodriguez, because Grobe seems content on staying. But, this job will probably pry at Grobe's heart strings. So, that is why I am listing him as the top candidate. Plus, I would like to see him else where so that I wouldn't have to worry about him every year.

The third name is a West VIrginia grad, former player and former assistant coach. Florida's associate head coach and and safeties coach, "Doc" Holliday. He began his coaching carreer in 1979 as a graduate assistant at WVU. He would spend the next 20 years as an assistant for the Mountaineers before leaving to become the Assoc. HC/wide receivers coach under Chuck Amato at N.C. State in 2000. He then left NCSU in 2004 to join Urban Meyer at Florida for his current position. Holliday has a litany of NFL players that have played for him. He is considered one of the top assistants in the country that is not currently a coordinator. However, that is the one down fall of his resume. He doesn't have any head coaching or coordinating experience. He is probably their "go to" guy in the event that the aforementioned candidates were to say no. I don't know the man, nor do I claim to. But, I think he would take any offer sent his way.

So, how will this all turn out? That I don't know. There is one thing for sure, and that is that this season has been crazy. Countless caoching changes have overshadowed much of what has went on this year. Whoever takes that job will inherit a program in much better standing than Alabama's program. Rich Rodriguez is a fool to leave West Virginia for Alabama. Don't count on him being there too long. He must beat Auburn and the team that I saw play Auburn is far from being able to accomplish that.

Photos:
1.http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/060321/060321_rodriguez_vmed_9p.widec.jpg 2.http://graphics.fansonly.com/photos/schools/wake/sports/m-footbl/auto_action/-grobe-orlebar-091303.jpg
3.http://starbulletin.com/2005/12/01/sports/art9.jpg
4.http://media.scout.com/Media/Image/31/319975.jpg

Tom O'Brien to Replace Amato

Tom O'Brien to Replace Amato

Since Chuck Amato was let go on November 26 I have refrained from writing anything. So, I have a lot to cover and I will back track a bit. However, I will start with the news that is most pertinent to me. And that is that N.C. State has all but hired Boston College's Tom O'Brien as the new head football coach.

I think it is a great hire and I know a lot of Wolfpack fans will disagree with me. That is because Wolfpack nation, for the most part, is ignorant when it comes to building programs. Tom O'Brien is the complete antithesis (that's opposite for my Wolfpack brethren who did not attend the University) of Chuck Amato. Amato did a lot for this program and he has left an indelible mark on the program.

What does O'Brien bring to the program? He brings discipline to start with. Under Amato the Wolfpack was routinely one of the most penalized team in the country. The football program was known more for personal fouls than just about anything else.

O'Brien brings a fresh perspective as well. Chuck Amato had his way of doing things, and that didn't include an offensive identity. The offense progressively got worse as the post-Rivers era progressed. The defense, however, was always good. Even this year, the defense played well enough to win ball games. The offense struggles to score points, in fact they even struggled to make a first down. O'Brien is sure to bring an identity.

Continuity amongst the coaching staff was something that definitely lacked under Amato. It became apparent that Amato wasn't the easiest person to work for. The carousel of assistant coaches led to a carousel of philosophies, especially on the offensive side of the ball. It's hard for 19-22 year olds to win ball games when every year they are adjusting to a new system. O'Brien had most of his staff for at least 4 years while at BC. It also looks as if BC will be heading in a new direction, so much of O'Brien's staff will be available to make their way to Raleigh.'

O'Brien is just what the Dr. ordered. He brings in discipline, an identity and continuity. All of these things will help elevate the Wolfpack program to the next level. There is not a person out there that Lee Fowler could have hired that everyone would be hapy about. So, I know that there will be plenty of O'Brien haters out there. I must say, that when Lee Fowler talks of N.C. State fans, he hits the nail on the head. There is a reason that he and the rest of the athletic department get paid to work there. And there is also a reason why State fans are just that, fans.

Give the man a chance. He is a proven winner. I know his record against the top-25 was no so outstanding. However, that was at BC. He received far less support while in Chestnutt Hill, with a smaller fan base and far less monetary support from the boosters. He was ready to leave there and he wanted to come to Raleigh. There were plenty of jobs out there that he could have been able to get, but he wanted this one. He will take this University to the next level of college football. He is an ACC guy (from his days at Virginia and BC) with head coaching expierence and success. So, just wait until he has coached a game before you pass judgement. And send Lee Fowler a Christmas card, because he just made a great move.

Wake Forest is Flying South for the Winter

As I sat in the stands at Alltel Stadium this past weekend and watched teh Wake Forest Demon Deacons take the ACC Championship I couldn't help but pull for them. This was the third time that I had the opportunity to see the mighty Swiss play in person, and I must say that I have never seen a college football team play that hard.

I never thought that I would see the day that Wake Forest would represent the ACC in the Orange Bowl. The BCS and Wake Forest are two things that I didn't think mixed very well. However, everytime that I picked against them, they proved me wrong. And they did it again Saturday by beating Georgia Tech.

The 'Deacs are an excellent football team. And they deserve all the credit in the world for accomplishing what they did. However, the 'Deac fans need to 'Wake Themselves' and enjoy this for what it is. Yes, the team will be good again next year. Yes, they will play just as hard next year as they did this year. But, no, the conference will not have the same landscape next season as it did this season.

As great of an accomplishment winning the ACC Championship was, it still involved a lot of luck. If you would have told me at the beginning of the year that FSU and Miami would be 6-6, that Va. Tech and Clemson would stumble mid-season, that N.C. State and UNC would be 3-9 and that Ga. Tech would fall flat in the biggest game of the season; then, I would have laughed in your face. And then you told me that Wake Forest would be the only team left standing, then you probably would have had to take me to the hospital.

However, you cannot take it away from them. The title, and $17 million, is theirs to keep. They played better than anyone else this season and found a way to win when the odds seemed stacked against them.

I must say that I am tired of hearing the Wake faithful calling into the radio stations talking about nest year. Next year is next year and another 11-2 season will be tougher to come by than this one. Enjoy it. You still have the Orange Bowl left to play. Next season doesn't matter right now. Go to Miami and watch the Deacons and the Cardinals (sounds like a holy war) play for the Oranges. It should be a great game. And yet another game that the 'Deacs will be 20+ point underdogs. Louisville feels they have something to prove and the 'Deacs should feel no pressure. No one expected them to be there. Everyone expected Louisville to be there. So, my money is on Jim Grobe (if he is still the coach there come January 2, which he probably will be) and his Wake Forest Demon Deacons. Just remember 'Deac fans, don't get ahead of yourselves. We here at N.C. State made that mistake and we just underwent a coaching change.

Florida to Play Ohio State in BCS Championship

Florida passed Michigan in the final BCS pole of the regular season Sunday and earned the right to play for the National Championship. It was a controversial pass, but the right one in my opinion. And here is why.

Michigan lost to Ohio State. Granted it was at OSU and only by 3 points; however, they still lost. Ohio State has already proven that they can beat Michigan. They shouldn't have to do it again. If it were anybody but the holy Michigan or Notre Dame then no one would care.

Michigan is the number 2 team, but unfortunately they are the #2 team in their conference as well. If you don't win your conference championship, then under the current system you shouldn't be allowed to play for the title. Florida won their conference (SEC), the toughest conference in the country.

Florida played high profile games in the last 2 weeks, while Michigan sat at home licking their wounds from the OSU game. Florida beat FSU in a nationally broadcast game and then beat top-10 Arkansas in the SEC Championship this past Saturday.

All that means that Florida deserved it over the Big Blue of Michigan. So, stop your crying Wolverine Nation and go play in the Rose Bowl and prove something. I don't think you will beat USC. So, your claim to a title shot is pretty much a moot point.

I'm calling it right now...Ohio State will be upset by Florida, just like Ohio State upset Miami when everyone said that there was no way that they would. The final score will be Florida 34, Ohio State 31. Happy Bowl Season!!

Photos:
1. http://media.scout.com/Media/Image/35/358628.jpg
2. http://www.fsu.com/media/2003/12/05/oran_bowl_logo_02.jpg
3. http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2006/12/04/sports/04colleges1.span.jpg

Chuck Amato out at NC State

The Technician, NC State's studnet newspaper, has reported that the Wolfpack football team has a meeting scheduled for 9 p.m. tonight at the Murphy Center inside Carter Finley.

News has been swirling all day about Chuck Amato's future at NC State. This meeting and several published stories on-line seem to point to Amato's firing or resignation as head coach. An announcement is expected sometime after this 9 p.m. meeting.

Don't expect any sort of press conference until Tuesday, however. It would be innappropriate to hold a press conference on Monday. This is because it is UNC's day to announce the official hiring of Butch Davis and Sydney Lowe's biggest game thus far as Wolfpack basketball coach.

If the firing is made official, then stay tuned for my list of potential replacements for the head coaching position at NC State.

Chuck Amato Does nothing to Help Himself

If there was ever a year where the Wolfpack had no excuse to lose to the Tar Heels from UNC, then it would be this year. The Tar Heels entered the game with a lame duck head coach and a 1-9 record and that lone win came against D-1AA Furman (barely!). The 'Pack didn't come in much better either. Five straight losses, all of which the team could have and should have won, and a non-existent offense. However, there was no way that Chuck was going to drop a third straight to Carolina. That would only incite riots in Raleigh. The Wolfpack managed only 3 field goals and lost the game 23-9. John Bunting ended his tenure as the Tar Heels head coach with a 4-2 record versus Chuck Amato.

Could Amato's fate be the same as Bunting's? It looks more and more likely with every passing minute. There is no excuse for losing to Carolina this year. There is no excuse for being penalized more than the Oakland Raiders. You can't win games when you have more penalty yards than rushing yards.

Any other year my opinion would be: Chuck deserves one more year, at least, to right the ship and win big. However, the loss to the Tar Heels altered my sentiment. If we can't beat a 1-9 Tar Heel team with their already replaced coach, then what is there to make me think that we can beat them when Butch Davis takes over on Nov. 27? A repeat performance next season by Chuck and the 'Pack could set the program back a decade.

It will not take long for Davis to start attracting big time recruits to Chapel Hill. In fact, he already has had one change a committment and a few others considering it. Jim Grobe will more than likely be back in WInston-Salem next season and he is making his name known in recruits' households. Skip Holtz could likely have bragging rights over N.C. State, if the ECU Pirates were to come into Carter-Finley and win this weekend's rivalry game.

I have been a supporter of Chuck all along. And up until this weekend I stood firm with my support. I felt sick to my stomach watching the Tar Heel defense score a touchdown on a 4th and 6 fumble by QB Daniel Evans. That was the straw that broke the camels back. We had an offense that couldn't score against tall grass, 3 time outs and were backed up in our own territory. That screams punt, especially with the way the defense had played. But, we went for it and gave the Heels a TD and an emotional win.

There is one sign that a coach should be fired. If the coach looks like he has lost his players. If the players are no longer playing hard, disciplined or with any passion. Throughout the first 10 games of the season, I felt like the team had played hard. They didn't play disciplined, but they never have. And, they always seemed to have a passion out there on the field. However, that was not the case this past weekend in Chapel Hill. The team just looked as if they were out there because they had to be. They must have been ready to watch the Michigan v. Ohio State game or something.

I have never been more dissapointed. It is one thing to lose and go down swinging. It is a completely different story to lose and go down in a fiery nose dive. It looks like Chuck has lost the players and he has definitely lost the fan base. If he is going to stay, then Athletics Director Lee Fowler and Chancellor James Oblinger need to let it be known that Chuck is the man for the job. But, if a change is going to be made, it needs to be made this year. Amato has done a lot for the University and the football program. He has laid the foundation for a successful program with facilities and national prominence. Maybe he has reached his peak and has set it up for the next guy to take it to the next level. This is no light matter. A lot of people could lose their jobs just before the holidays. But, a lot of money and time has been expended by a lot of people and they deserve a return on their investments. The time is now. Either give Amato a loud vote of confidence or walking papers.

Photos:
1. http://www.tarheeldaily.com/photos/buntingamato300.jpg
2. http://abclocal.go.com/images/wtvd200.101705amato.jpg

Jimmie Johnson's Chase with Destiny

Jimmie Johnson has been NASCAR's #1 driver all year long. If it were not for a mid-summer hick-up, Johnson would have went wire-to-wire as the championship leader. Heading into this weekend's Ford 400 at Miami-Homestead, Johnson has a lead of 63 points over 2nd place Matt Kenseth.

Only twice, in NASCAR's modern era, has a driver lost the points lead in the final race of the season. That doesn't seem to be likely this year. Johnson and the 48 Lowe's Chevy always seem to find a way to finish near the top. Johnson hasn't finished outside of the top-2 in nearly a month. And this weekend all Johnson needs is a top-12 finish to clinch the NEXTEL Cup.

Johnson seems poised to win his first title. In his 5-year career in NASCAR's top division Johnson has been competitive in all of them. He has been the championship runner-up twice. But, this time he takes the lead to Miami and Matt Kenseth has all but conceeded the championship. Kenseth has not ran great in the Chase for the NEXTEL Cup, but due to the fact that he entered the Chase as the points leader and just hasn't had as much bad luck as everybody else he finds himself in 2nd.

When Kenseth won the last Winston Cup he was criticized because he only won one race. That was one of the reasons that NASCAR went to the Chase system. So, I don't think that Kenseth wants to win this one with a bunch of 12th and 13th place finishes. Kenseth is not the only driver besides Johnson with a shot to win the title.

Kevin Harvick, Denny Hamlin and Dale Earnhardt Jr. all have a chance to win the championship this weekend. However, they are each 90 or more points behind. That means to win the championship they would need to win the race and have Johnson finish in the mid-30s. And, I don't think that will happen to Johnson. It could, because it's NASCAR and it is unpredictable. Anything can happen. Johnson could blow a tire early and hit the wall or he could get caught up in someone else's mess.

The important thing for Johnson is not to be too conservative. They will run the race conservatively and concentrate on not beating themselves. But, you can be too conservative and that can be the thing that beats you. They just don't need to take chances. They need to run the race as they normally would, minus the risky passes and making risky calls on pit road. They cannot sit in the middle to the back of the pack and expect to hold on to the championship. They will be tempting fate if they do that.

Luckily for Johnson, he has a lot of support around him. Rick Hendrick has won 5 championships as an owner, 4 of those were won by Johnson's teammate and co-owner, Jeff Gordon. Between Hendrick and Gordon will be enough advice and wisdom to put Johnson in the right place at the right time.

The excitement this weekend will be for the final spot in the top-35 in owner points. Kyle Petty is 47 points ahead of 36th place Sterling Marlin. Why is the top-35 so important? Well, because the top-35 in owners points are guaranteed a spot in the first 5 races next season. And that will be big because there will be a lot more teams trying to get into the races next year with the entry of Toyota into NASCAR. Kyle Petty should have no problem holding that advantage over Marlin because they never seem to be more than 3 to 4 spots away from each other at the end of the races.

I said at the beginning of the Chase that Kevin Harvick would win the NEXTEL Cup. I guess I will be wrong, but it won't be the first (or last) time that it will happen. Harvick could still pull it out with a miracle, but it doesn't seem unlikely. It is going to be Jimmie Johnson's evening Sunday. He should get the championship and it will validate everything that team has done over the past few years. Congratulations Jimmie! I hope that I am not getting too far ahead of myself.

Photos:
1.http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/050316/050316
_jimmy_johnson_ehmedium.jpg
2.http://nbc25.net/uploadedImages/weyi/Sports/Stories/jimmie%20johnson.jpg

College Football Picks!

BREAKING NEWS: This morning (11/17) the betting lines had Wake Forest as a 1 point favorite in tomorrow night's match-up with Virginia Tech. So, I will change my pick from Wake, straight up, to Wake -1...

Here's my picks for this weekend's action, starting with tonight's game...

(8) West Virginia @ Pittsburgh -- Pitt +11 X WVU-45 Pitt-27
Buffaloe @ (12) Wisconsin -- Wisc. -38
N.C. State @ UNC --NCSU -3 1/2
(16) Oklahoma @ Baylor --OU -20 1/2
Michigan State @ Penn State -- Michigan St. +17 1/2
Miami @ Virginia -- Miami +3
(21) Maryland @ (20) Boston College -- Maryland +8
(22) Tennessee @ Vanderbilt --Tenn. -8 1/2
Duke @ (18) Georgia Tech -- Duke +24 1/2
Western Michigan @ Florida State -- FSU -16
Army @ (6) Notre Dame -- Notre Dame -29 1/2
(5) Arkansas @ Mississippi State -- Arkansas -14 1/2
Utah State @ (12) Boise State -- Utah State -38
(15) Auburn @ Alabama -- Alabama +3 UPSET SPECIAL!!
Arizona @ Oregon --Oregon -14
(19) Virginia Tech @ (14) Wake Forest -- Wake Forest -EVEN- This game is off the radar, but will prove to be the best "game" out of any of the other games being played...
South Florida @ (10) Louisville -- Louisville -17
(7) Rutgers @ Cincinatti -- Cincinatti +7
Ole Miss @ (9) LSU -- Ole Miss +27 1/2
(17) Cal @ (4) USC -- Cal -6
AND NOW I SHALL PICK THE BIGGEST GAME OF THE YEAR!...
(2) Michigan @ (1) Ohio State -- It's a tough call, I mean it could go either way...I want it to be a blowout, so that I don't have to hear about why these 2 should play again for the National Championship. Jim Tressel has owned Lloyd Carr since taking over in Columbus. However, this year I am taking (2) Michigan +7...Michigan wins by at least 20! maybe.

ACC Football as the Season Winds Down

I have been away for a little more than a week. Well, sports is on my mind and I want to talk about it. The ACC football season is winding down and the conference championship game is only 2 weeks away. We know for sure that Georgia Tech will be there, but who will be the other team there? It's between Wake Forest and Maryland, and they will play to see who goes next weekend in College Park, M.D. There are a few things that I want to discuss, so, here goes...

Coaching Changes
UNC announced this week that they have hired former Miami Hurricanes and Cleveland Browns head coach, Butch Davis, to replace recently fired John Bunting. Davis turned a reeling Miami program around. However, Carolina is in a drastically different situation than was Miami in 1995 when Davis took that job. In Miami, Davis had an awesome recruiting base in the same town, and an even deeper pool of talent in the state of Florida. In North Carolina, Davis has to compete with 4 other in state D-I programs to compete with. The good news is that one of them, Duke, is out of the football picture right now. However, Chuck Amato (N.C. State), Jim Grobe (Wake Forest) and Skip Holtz (East Carolina) have all made a recruiting name for themselves in the state. Competition for recruits does not just include the in-state guys; Phillip Fulmer (Tennessee), Steve Spurrier (South Carolina) and Tommy Bowden (Clemson) have all had success recruiting within North Carolina. Thus, there is greater competition for the top talent than there is in Florida and N.C. has a far less bountiful talent pool than the Sunshine State. Can Davis do it? Yes. Why?

Well, both Chuck Amato and Jim Grobe could be gone at the end of the year. First, Chuck Amato faces the 2 biggest contests of his tenure at N.C. State in the season's final two weeks. He needs a win against UNC worse than anything and a win against ECU would go a long way to keeping his job secure in Raleigh. However, losing one, or even both, of the games could spell the end for Chuck. I think that would be the wrong decision and would UNC an upperhand for the next few year, but there is a great chance that Chuck has to win the last 2 in order to keep his job. Jim Grobe has had a miracle year at Wake Forest. History tells us that Wake Forest coaches leave after having comparable seasons. Grobe can do no wrong at Wake; however, he's not going to get the respect on campus that an under-achieving Skip Prosser gets. There are some schools, like Michigan State, that I think Grobe would leave for. But, he needs to be careful in choosing his destination. A football school looking for a coach would be stupid not to bring Grobe in. Wake Forest needs to wake up and give Grobe and his staff a BIG raise or someone else will and Wake will be without a single football coach. Heck, if State does push Chuck out, then my vote for his replacement would go to Grobe. We have some extra money left over from not hitting a home run in the basketball coaching search.

ACC Championship
Georgia Tech will represent the Coastal Division; but the representative for the Atlantic Division will come down to a match-up between Maryland and Wake Forest at Maryland on Nov. 25. Wake Forest is having the best season in school history. The 'Deacs are 9-1 and are in the top-15 in the country. For the first time in school history the 'Deacs will play a third consecutive primetime television Saturday night game against the Hokies of Virginia Tech. The resurgent Hokies are out of the conference title hunt, but they are looking to improve their bowl potential. Well, back to the point at hand. Wake Forest has never played in any of the games now known as the BCS bowls. The Orange Bowl would be the 'Deacs destination were they to win the ACC Championship in Jacksonville, Fla. It's amazing to think that the 'Deacs are just one botched field goal attempt for making an argument for a birth in the National Championship game in Arizona. Both Wake and Maryland have flown under the radar all year and are going to go head to head for a chance at the BCS. I will admit that I have been waiting for Wake to falter, but now I am pulling for them. They are the best story this year besides Rutgers. The 'Deacs play hard and honest, and that is why I am picking them to take care of the 'T(w)erps next weekend. Ralph Friedgen seems like a seedy guy. Marykand plays dirty and has had their success this year fall into their lap. They don't deserve the opportunity to play Georgia Tech, the 'Deacs do. I don't see Wake being able to tople the Yellow Jackets. Tech just has too much offense and the Wake defense, as good as they are, will not be able to shut-out the Calvin Johnson led crew like they did Florida State. I wouldn't bet against Wake, because they coninue to prove everyone wrong. I just hope those "Wake" basketball fans don't turn into "Wake" football fans in the next couple of weeks, because that would be an insult to the players, coaches and true Wake fans intelligence. So, Red Sox, Detroit Tigers, Patriots, Cowboys, FSU(football), Miami Heat, Detroit Piston and whoever is doing the best this year fans, stay away from the 'Deacs. They don't need your bandwagon love, because you'll be off just as soon as some other team you know nothing about wins a game or 2.

Photos:
1. http://i.a.cnn.net/si/2004/football/nfl/12/02/butch.davis/p1_butch2_all.jpg
2. http://www.covers.com/images/2006/180x180/grobe_jim061016b.jpg


3. http://www.gnu-bee.com/football/helmets/wake_forest.gif

FAITH HILL!!!

Faith has even made ESPN with her exhibition of how to be a poor loser! If anything it has brought her a lot of publicity. And you know what they say: "All publicity is good publicity!" Was it a joke? Only Faith and God know that answer. She can say all she wants to that it was just a joke; but, no one will believe her. I know that I don't. I agree that Carrie Underwood should not have won. It should take years to make it to that level. Just because she was on American Karaoke doesn't make her Female Vocalist of the Year. Carrie Underwood is definitely not on the level of Faith Hill, Reba McIntire, Sara Evans, Martina McBride, Trisha Yearwood and Barbara Mandrell (just to name a few). I think we all said "WHAT?!?!?" when the announcement was made. If it were not for Simon, Randy and Paula, then Underwood would be working at a grocery store somewhere. The award should have went to Faith Hill, I mean she did have the best year out of the nominees. Personally, I think it should go to Martina McBride every year by default. Oh Carrie, your new song about slashing tires is terrible.

Photo:
http://dailyblabber.ivillage.com/entertainment/archives/E_FaithHillAngry_400.jpg

Wave your flag with pride!

Michigan State message boards are asking for him, Ivan Maisel is writing about him, the Southern Fried Football Tour even visited him this weekend and Wake Forest has him. I am talking about Jim Grobe of course. This man could get a flower bed to win football games. His wins and losses record may not say it; however, he has turned perrenial losers into winners. In fact coming into the year his overall record and record at Wake Forest were below .500. Now, he is a few games over that point. He did it at Ohio and he has done it in Winston-Salem. Now, if he could only teach Goal Post Disassembly 101.

The Demon Deacons defeated Boston College over the weekend in the biggest football game in Winston-Salem since the 2003 4-AA state championship game between Independence and New Bern high schools. Apparently, the stmosphere was great. This according to Mark Packer, of the Southern Fried Football Tour, and the TV coverage. That would be in deep contrast to the atmosphere of the Clemson game earlier in the year. Maybe it's because big games are usually played at night at Wake Forest (because a majority of basketball games are at night).

The 'Deacs are 8-1 and heading into their toughest stretch yet. In the season's final 3 weeks Wake must play at Fla. State, home against a rejuvinated Va. Tech and then at Maryland for what could be the showdown for Jacksonville. They will, as usual, probably be underdogs in at least 2 of those games. However, like they have done so many times this year they will probably win. Win or lose in the final weeks the 'Deacs have made a statement. And that statement could very well cost them their coach. I hate to say it, especially with Butch Davis coming to town, but I hope he doesn't go anywhere. The Wolfpack probably would never win another in-state game, but I love the way his teams play.

If anyone deserves a shot at the big time, then its most definitely Jim Grobe. If he had the talent pool from which to fish, he would not have the record he has. He could easily make a Michigan State powerful once again. If this year has proven anything, then it is that Grobe will not get the respect he deserves in Winston-Salem. Skip Prosser loses everything but his head and the people there still love him? It makes no sense! This year's slogan should be "Wake Ourselves!" because Wake Forest has something special going on and I'm not sure if everyone there realizes it. There were still empty seats this past weekend. But, I doubt the first time the Tar Heels come calling this winter that there will be an empty seat to be found.

If UNC hires Butch Davis as its next football coach, then it is higly possible that Grobe would jump to the top of Michigan State's coaching list. According to Internet reports, UNC and Davis are close to making a deal. Where Davis goes, stars will follow. And that means a lot of losses for Wake, State and Duke (who loses every week already). So, this year would be a great time to leave if Grobe decided to do so. Grobe might not have the personality of a Skip Prosser; but, I can guarantee you that he would never lose games with a lack of effort. If Grobe had the level of recruits that Prosser gets, then Wake Forest would be more like Texas or Tennesse. Appreciate Grobe now, before he is wearing another school's colors!

Photo: http://graphics.fansonly.com/photos/schools/wake/sport/cheer/mascot.jpg

ACC Basketball Preview!

This year's ACC basketball season should be a good one. The conference only has 4 teams ranked in the top-25 pre-season poll. But, its just like last year when the ACC received no respect in only getting 4 teams in the tournament when 5 obviously deserved a bid. This season is hard to gauge. Carolina will definitely be the class of the field. But, who will finish second will be the biggest question that will be asked. I will do my best to break it down as far as how I see the conference season playing out...

1. UNC 27-5 (14-2)
2. Duke 24-7 (12-4)
3. Ga. Tech 25-6 (12-4)
4. Fla. State 22-8 (11-5)

5. Boston College 23-7 (10-6)
6. NC State 20-10 (9-7)
7. Maryland 19-12 (8-8)
8. Virginia Tech 17-11 (7-9)
9. Wake Forest 16-12 (6-10)
10.Miami 14-16 (4-12)
11.Virginia 12-18 (2-14)
12.Clemson 12-18 (1-15)

The above is a prediction, an estimate, and I have no idea how things will turn out. I have yet to see any of these teams play or practice. So, what do I know? Nothing really. The conference records are matematically possible, I think. But, this is how I see it based on the numbers from last year, as far as returners and returning offesnse, etc.

Conference Player of the Year: Tyler "Travel" Hansbrough, UNC
Coach of the Year: Sidney Lowe or Coach K...It will be a toss up.
Rookie of the Year: Brandon Wright UNC
Conference Tourney Champ: Florida State
Sleeper Teams: Wake Forest and NC State

I gathered my information from the ACC's media preview from the conference's website.

Photo from: http://www.theacc.com

College Football Picks!

These are a few matchups that I have chosen from this weekend's action!...

Ball State @ (2) Michigan -- Michigan -33 1/2...Michigan could cover in the first quarter.
Maryland @ (19) Clemson -- Maryland +20...It'll be close for a while but Clemson will pull away.
Virginia @ Florida State -- Florida State -12...Virginia's luck stops at Doak Campbell.
(7) FLorida @ Vanderbilt -- Florida -17...Florida needs style points to stay in the BCS title race.
Navy @ Duke -- Navy -11 1/2...Power houses in the '40s, these 2 schools are no longer that.
North Carolina @ (11)Notre Dame -- Notre Dame -25...ND may score a hundred in this one!
(1) Ohio State @ Illinois -- Illinois +24 1/2...OSU will win but by no more than 21.
Washington @ (24) Oregon -- Washington +16 1/2...Quack! Quack! Ducks by 13!
(13) LSU @ (8) Tennessee -- Tennessee +3 1/2...Rocky Top still have shot at BCS title.
(16) Boston College @ (22) Wake Forest -- Boston College -3 1/2...Can't go against a road favorite.
(20) Ga. Tech @ NC State -- NCSU +5 1/2... Night game, homecoming...The 'Pack usually shows up.
(9)So. Cal @ Stanford -- USC -28...Cardinal will pay for Oregon State upset.
Oklahoma St. @ (4)Texas -- Texas -17 1/2...Colt McCoy for Heisman!
(12) Arkansas @ South Carolina -- Arkansas -2 1/2...P-I-G SOOOOOOOOOUEY!
(18) Oklahoma @ (21) Texas A&M --A&M +2...The loss of Adrian Peterson catches up with the Sooners.
(23) Va Tech @ Miami --Miami +3...Home dogs is rare for Miami, and they won't lose this one.
UCLA @ (10) CAL --UCLA +17...CAL by 14.

This should be an awesome weekend of college football! A lot of the BCS Picture will clear up this weekend. The ACC and SEC championship games could be set this weekend. Will it be Louisville vs. the winner of the Ohio State/Michigan game (Nov. 25, Ohio State by 10)? Or, a one loss team from the SEC? Who knows! It should be great!

John L. Smith Out at Michigan State

When it comes to college sports I normally stick to the ACC. And Michigan State's firing of their head football coach, John L. Smith, is definitely an ACC story. The conversation of who will replace Smith has started already, and I am writing an horu before MSU's press conference is scheduled.

When you think Big 10 football, what do you think about? You think about smash mouth, run the football first football. And when you survey the college football coaching landscape you will see a coach who loves to run the football, and does it with great success, just down the road in Winston-Salem. Wake Forest head football coach Jim Grobe will definitely be at the top of MSU's list.

Grobe employs a Big 10-like running game. His teams remind me more of a Big 10 team than they do an ACC team. I mean that by style of play, not talent or quality of play.

The Spartans have lacked discipline and have lacked results because of that since Smith arrived in Flint. Grobe's Deacons play with an intensity and fire that is seldom matched. They play disciplined football and this year that has translated into a 6-1 record thus far.

When you compare the 2 programs you must give the edge to Michigan State. They have nice facilities and a fan base that shows up to each and every game. In both Winston-Salem and Flint Grobe would be playing second fiddle to the basketball program; however, a win over Michigan, Notre Dame and Ohio State could quickly change that. Another thing is money. Grobe would get a lot more of it from Michigan State, than he will ever get from Wake.

The 54-year-old Demon Deacon coach is from West Virginia. He has a tough West Virginian personality that is needed at Mich. State. However, he is an ACC guy. He played football and received both his undergraduate and Master's degree from the University of Virginia. Could that be enough to keep in the confernce? Possibly so.

Grobe is used to fighting for recruits. Wake Forest is located in a state that has 5 D-1A football schools and is dominated in recruiting by SEC schools. So, he could recruit in Big 10 country. He is also a great guy, with great character; something many felt Smith lacked after the way he left Louisville. Parents could feel comfortable in sending their kid to Mich. State if Grobe were there. He also coached at Ohio University, so he knows the recruiting landscape in that area very well.

Michigan State needs a guy like Grobe and Grobe needs a school like Michigan State. Grobe maybe perfectly happy in Winston-Salem and if he is, I hope he stays. However, he has done an awesome job at Wake and if he wants to move to the upper echelon of the coaching ranks, then he will at least consider going to MSU. The Swiss would hate to see him leave, but I wouldn't. I think it is a testament to his coaching ability that his name would even be mentioned for a position like Michigan State. Sparty would benefit greatly from bringing in a guy like Grobe to clean house.

The picture to the right is a picture of Grobe when he was the coach at Ohio University. So, he's wearing green. Could we see that color on him again very soon? Or, a better question, how much of it will he be making in a couple of months?

I had to write this quick so that I could be one of the first to report it. So expect more in the near future on this subject.

Photos:
1.http://images.usatoday.com/sports/college/football/_photos/2005-11-17-in-jlsmith.jpg
2.http://www.ohiou.edu/ohiotoday/sum98/jpegs/grobe1.jpg

Chuck, I want to support you; but, you make it hard to do so.

Dear Chuck,
What is wrong with our football team. I was hoping that our state would have a top-25 team at the top of the conference; however, I wasn't hoping it would be the Demon Deacons of Wake Forest. I was hoping that it would be the Wolfpack.

Our football team is 3-5 with and have to play 2 top-25 teams in the next 2 weeks. Our bowl prospects are grim at best. I was disappointed in last year's trip to the Meineke Car Care Bowl. I think this program is capable of so much more than that. Why are we going to fall short of a trip to even the Boise Bowl or the Stuckey's World Famous Pecan Log Bowl at South of the Border?

To say that I am disappointed would be an understatement. Our 5 losses have come to teams we shouldn't lose to. On the flipside, 2 of our 3 wins have come against teams that I could understand us losing to. Akron has beaten us, North Texas and Miami...OF OHIO! Southern Miss has beaten us, SE Louisiana, Central Florida and Houston; oh by the way they lost to ECU. Wake Forest is a good team, this year, but we still have no excuse to lose to them. Maryland, we kick started their season and now they're on a roll. Virginia has beaten us, Wyoming, Duke and Carolina; and, also lost to ECU.

So the way I see it is the only game that we shouldn't be concerned about losing would be the Carolina game. I mean if we can't beat teams that have lost to ECU, then we can't expect to beat ECU, right? Oh wait, we should worry about the Carolina game because we always find a way to screw that game up.

Oh Chuck, I want to give you my full support. I have the utmost confidence in you when we play Florida State. But that seems to be the only team that we are ever truly ready to play. I wish we could have them on the schedule 12 times a year.

I know that it takes time to build a program up. But, it seems that we have taken a step back since Phillip Rivers left. We have been through countless assistant coaches. That seems to be the reason for the lack of continuity in our program.

The team just hasn't looked prepared to play this year. We start slow, really slow. And that is a sign that team and the coaching staff just are not prepared well enough. It's a shame too. You came to NC State and have built this program and our facilities, and I will always give you credit where credit is due. Thus, I have to credit you with the lack of production on the field this year.

Do I think you should lose your job? No. Like I said earlier, I know it takes time to build a program. You have taken this program to national relevance. And that is a big step. People everywhere know who NC State is when it comes to football. However, we have lacked consistency over the past 3 years and we seemed to have reached a ceiling. Ten or 15 years ago 3-5 wouldn't mean a whole lot; and the fact that it means so much now is a symbol of the great things you have done here. Our record is not acceptable and it shouldn't be if we hope to take this program to the next level.

Oh I just hope that you can have the team ready to play this weekend against Georgia Tech. I want to believe, I want to say 'Told you so' to all the Chuck haters when we make it to the big time, I want to say a single digit in front of the NCSU on the top of the ESPN screen and most of all I want what is best for our program. And right now I think you, Chuck "The Chest," are the man for the job. But, please do not give me reason to think otherwise by continuing to lose games like we have over the past 3 weeks.

Sincerely,
Concerned Wolfpack Fan
Carter-Finley Regular

Photo:
http://www.tarheeldaily.com/photos/buntingamato300.jpg

College Football Picks for the Weekend! And, maybe a 'lil NFL?

NC State +1 1/2
Missouri -2
Ole Miss + 19
Buffalo +35
Miami +5 1/2
UNC +9
Florida -14
Minnesota +27 1/2
Texas -11
Tennesee -3 1/2

We'll see how I did come Sunday morning!

Thumbs Up! Thumbs Down! W/E 10/28

What a weekend of sports action. From college football to baseball to NASCAR, it was all great. There were a lot of great performances and a lot of poor ones. I am here to expose both sides of that spectrum. So, here is this week's installment:

Thumbs Up!: Clemson Football- All purple?!? It was ugly, but effective. If it weren't for a bad place kicker the Tigers would be in the thick of the national title hunt. However, a double-overtime loss to BC gives the Eagles the inside track to the ACC Championship, especially after a big win at Fla. State. If Clemson can take care of business they should make it to Jacksonville Dec. 7. Boston College still has games at Wake and at Miami and will not win both of those. Clemson's biggest test will come at season's end when they host Steve Spurrier and the South Carolina Gamecocks.

Thumbs Up!: Duke- You suck, and you and everyone else on the planet knows it. However, you don't play like it. You give each of your opponent's everything you have. You have put fear inWake Forest, Fla. State, Alabama and, most recently, Miami. You might be winless, but you have given the other team a reason to at least show up, unlike your counterparts in Chapel Hill.

Thumbs Up!: Chicago Cubs- Fans, soo your pain will cease! The Tribune has finally hired a good manager after firing Dusty Baker. The Cubs look poised to give the necessary resources to new manager Lou Piniella. They may go after Alex Rodriguez. Any way you look at it, this is a step in the right direction for the "lovable losers." Lou is old, so it is going to be win now for the Cubbies.

Thumbs Up!: Jimmie Johnson- Counted out of the Chase after the first 2 weeks, and now he is right on, points leade,r Matt Kenseth's door step after a big win this weekend in Martinsville. Now that he is back in it, he has to be most people's favorite. I am going to stick with my original pick of Kevin Harvick, but I can see Johnson winning it.

Thumbs Down!: FSU- Ugly uniforms, and an ugly performance. Now the boosters are calling for Bobby Bowden's retirement. I think its time for that to happen. The 'Noles lost conference game #3 this weekend. Their lone conference win so far came against Duke. The 'Noles will make a bowl game this year, but it will not be a big one. The who's going to replace Bowden conversation needs to begin.

Thumbs Down!: UNC AD Dick Baddour- Finally, John Bunting is gone, or at least he is at the end of the season. Ig you're going to fire a coach, then you need to do it, ot wait until the end of the season to announce it. A lame duck coach is a coach with no power over his players. Some players respond with wins in this situation, and some lose more games in this situation. For some reason I think that the Heels will continue to lose under lame duck Bunting. the best choice to replace Bunting is former ECU head coach, Steve Logan.

Thumbs Down!: Washington Redskins- Lose 2, win 2, lose 2...this pattern will land the redskins at 8-8, which is a decent season. But, it will not get them into the playoffs. The Colts picked apart the 'Skins in the second half and they did it with ease. The Skins need to pick it up or they will be sitting on the couch watching the playoffs. Look for wholesale personnel changes for them this week during their off week.

Honorable Mentions:
(+) Nebraska football; (+) James Davis (RB, Clemson); (+) Kenny Rogers (in with a World Series championship); (-) David Ragan ( how many wrecks can one guy cause?); (-) Kansas State BBall (Practice with new coach Bob Huggins has started); (-) Car of Tomorrow...

ACC: Atlantic Coaching Carousel

The coaching landscape of ACC football will look drastically different this time next year. Half the conference could be searching for new coaches at the end of the season. It's a product of the poor quality of the conference this season and the stellar jobs of some. I'm just guessing here and I know nothing more than anyone outside of the situations. However, I think there are some no brainers out there and here they are school by school coach by coach:


NC State: Chuck Amato- This year's squad is currently 3-3 headed into the Maryland game. The media didn't give the 'Pack a chance to win 3 games this year. I think Amato's job was safe regardless. He will be around until he decides to leave. He has made State relevant on a national level and the program continues to move forward.

UNC: John Bunting- Expect the press release and news conference as early as the Monday after their last game is played. The 1-6 Tar Heels are miserable to watch. Bunting is a great guy, but he has driven a program with more tradition than most know straight into the ground. He's gone no matter what at the end of the season. It's time for a change at Carolina. They need to find the next Mack Brown. That could be cuurent offensive coordinator, Frank Cignetti. Other candidates include: Butch Davis (doubtful), Chris Petersen (Boise State), and Mike Price (UTEP).

Wake Forest: Jim Grobe- Good as gone! Not fired, but chasing that dollar. Grobe will be at the top of a lot of lists at season's end. He's ready for the big time and he deserves it. It's probably taken so long because many doubt his offensive system will work at a big time school. But, opponents only have a week to prepare for that offense that you will only see once a year. Look for him to head to an SEC school, most likely in Mississippi. Ole Miss and Mississippi State could be looking for new head coaches. Miss State is the more likely of the two. Michigan State could possibly give Grobe a call, and that would be a good fit. Frank Cignetti would probably be the 'Deacs top choice to replace Grobe, or maybe they keep it in the family of current coaches. However, with facility upgrades coming it would probably be a good idea to keep those writing the checks happy with someone they have heard of. There are a laundry list of mid-major schools who would love to get one step closer to the big time with the Wake Forest job.

Duke: Ted Roof- Probably stays. Who else would take that job? He needs to be gone and in all likelyhood he will be gone. I don't know who would replace him. It would most likely be some position coach from some big time program like Texas or Ohio State. However, no names come to mind because there is no one out there with a reputation who would risk losing it by going to Duke. The best decision for the Blue Devils is to move to D-1AA in football. Don't worry DUIkies, basketball practice has started and the school's best QB, point guard Greg Paulus, is injured.

Virginia Tech: Frank Beamer- Bad year and bad attitudes, but he stays. That is Beamer's program and he isn't going anywhere until he decides it time to step down.

Virginia: Al Groh- His seat has been warm this year, but I think there is talent in that program. They're just too young to win a lot right now. He deserves at least one more year. But, he, like Amato, is building a firm foundation in Charlottesville and he deserves time to make things happen there. Thomas Jefferson wouldn't approve of firing Groh!

Maryland: Ralph Friedgen- One more year. One more year and that's all he gets. His program looks like it has peaked and is not headed back up anytime soon. Since making it to the Orange Bowl a few years back the 'Terps have done nothing but dissapoint. I don't want to speculate who would replace the "Fridge," but once again Cignetti's name will arise and possibly John L. Smith, if Mich. State lets him go. Smith has experience recruiting this area from his time at Louisville.

Boston College: Tom O'Brien- He's not going anywhere anytime soon. He's as much a part of BC as Doug Flutie.

Florida State: Bobby Bowden- He's not going to retire after this season, but I think it is time for him to. If by some twist of fate he does retire, I think that Mickey Andrews, Bowden's long-time offensive coordinator, will get the job for a few years. He deserves it more than anyone. Then look for a possible return of Mark Richt, head coach at Gerogia and former FSU assistant.

Miami: Larry Coker- Oh, this program is need of a change. They need a no nonsense guy who will not tolerate thuggery. The Hurricanes need to beg former head coach Butch Davis to return. he was the only person who has been able to control that program over the last 20-25 years. Plus, Coker's national championship was won with Davis' players. If Davis decides not to return, then expect George O'leary (UCF and formerly Ga Tech), JohnChavis (def. coordinator Tenn.), Dan Brooks (Def. line coach Tenn.) and maybe even Jim Grobe to get an interview. It's unfortunate because Coker is a great guy and a good coach. He is just in the wrong situation and he will find the right one, maybe at UNC or somewhere else where a good guy can make a living.

Clemson: Tommy Bowden- He's going to be at Clemson for the next 20 years. One day they will name the field after him like FSU's Bobby Bowden field. It will be Tommy Bowden Field at Memorial Stadium, "Death Valley." Bowden has taken a lot of heat while at Clemson. But, I think he is part of the group that will make the ACC a power conference.

Georgia Tech: Chan Gailey- It didn't work out for him in Dallas, but it is working for him at Georgia Tech. The only wayI see him ever leaving the Ramblin' Wreck is if some school throws millions of millions of dollars at him. He tried the NFL and it did not work. He seems better suited for the college game. And he has taken the 1990 co-national champions back to national relevance. No more Diamond Nuts Seattle Bowl (or whatever) for the Yellow Jackets.

The ACC has a good crop of coaches, and hopefully more are to come. If the ACC is going to reach the level of the SEC, Big XII and Big X, then the coaches will have a lot to do with it. Bowden, Amato, Gailey, Beamer, Groh and O'Brien are going to be around for a long time to come. Schools such as Miami, FSU and UNC need to find long term solutions; while Wake, Duke, Maryland need to cycle through the next crop of good coaches for the country to pick through and then maybe find their own mainstays at the headcoaching position.

Hopefully, Duke will one day be out of the picture in football and be D-1AA. To replace them the conference should think about East Carolina, who has raised their academic standards and reputation to that of an ACC level. However, that would hurt recruiting for the remaining members of the Big-4. Maybe the likes of a Notre Dame or someone else like that could replace them. But that's another argument for another day.

Photos: From top to bottom...
1.http://media.scout.com/Media/Image/33/339296.jpg
2.http://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/uploads/photos/perm/main/DOMHIBDOPAJD/032505-bunting2.jpg
3.http://graphics.fansonly.com/photos/schools/wake/sports/m-footbl/auto_action/220414.jpeg
4.http://graphics.fansonly.com/photos/schools/acc/sports/m-footbl/03-04action/a-duke-roof-filer.jpg
5.http://www.coachillustrated.com/images/CoachImages/50x50/beamer50x50.jpg
6.http://sportsmed.starwave.com/media/ncf/2002/1125/photo/a_groh_i.jpg
7.http://graphics.fansonly.com/photos/schools/md/sports/m-footbl/auto_ap/fridgeyell.jpg
8.http://www.king5.com/sports/pac10/stories/M_IMAGE.1009386cd18.93.88.fa.7c.2a21b2ae.jpg
9.http://www.ffc.org/images/events/bobby_bowden/bobby_bowden_hat.jpg
10.http://content.answers.com/main/content/wp/en/6/66/LarryCoker.jpg
11.http://chronicle.augusta.com/images/headlines/082901/Clemson_Bowden_reaxLR.jpg
12.http://publish.netitor.com/photos/schools/geot/sports/m-footbl/auto_action/a-gailey-083102.jpg

Thumbs Up! Thumbs Down! W/E 10/21

Thumbs Up!- Wake Forest Football- Jim Grobe's Deacons won in Carter Finley for the first time in 22 years this past weekend. Grobe's "I know I can't line up and beat you, so I am going to run in the opposite direction" offense works. With an offensive style more suited for a Mountain West school the Deacs are bowl eligible before Halloween. And in one of the wealest conferences in the nation Wake Forest could find themselves in the ACC championship game come the first week in December.

Thumbs Up!-Detroit Tigers- First trip to the World Series since Wake last won in Carter Finley(coincidence? I think not.). Jim Leyland has resurrected one of baseball's greatest franchse. With their combination of experience and youth the Tigers looked poised to lay claim to the World Series after sweeping the A's in the ALCS and handing the Yankees an early exit in the ALDS. Leyland deserves all the credit in the world. He convinced a team who had previously lost 100+ games that they could do anything, and, they have.

Thumbs Up!-Carolina Panthers- The Pantehrs have won 4 in a row after dropping the first 2 games of the season. The offense came alive against the NFL's best defense, the Baltimore Ravens. And Steve Smith looks poised top become the first receiver to be named MVP since 1940. It's time for all you bandwagoners who jumped off after the 0-2 start to jump back on. This week the Panthers head to Cincinatti to play the Bengals and then return home to play TO and the Cowboys Sunday night Oct. 28.

Thumbs Down!-Miami Hurricanes- Like always "The U" has found some way to embarass themselves. This past weekend's brawl with Fla. International was disgusting and the 'Canes deserve to lose their post-season privileges. I don't care who started the fight. Miami has a reputation as a top notch private university to uphold. Sports are supposed to shed a positive light on the university, but at Miami it's probably turning potential students and student-athlete(is there even such a thing as a student-athlete?) away. The ACC dropped the ball with their less than impressive stand. One game suspensions? They shouldn't be allowed to ever suit up again.

Thumbs Down!-NC State Football-If you ever want to see how a team can beat themselves, then all you have to do is watch the game film from the Wake Forest game. The 'Pack let a late 1st half touchdwon happen when Wake was only trying to get 3 points. And before that a fumble led to a safety and 2-pts. for Wake. That's 6-9 points that the 'Pack could have preserved. And that would have led to a win. State's record against inferior talent and competition fell to 1-3 this season. The 'Pack travels to Maryland this weekend for the first of 2 more inferior opponents in a row (Maryland and Virginia) before hosting ACC top-dawg Ga. Tech on Nov. 4. At that point the 'Pack should be on the verge of bowl eligibility and hopefully still in the conference championship race.

Thumbs Down!- The ACC- Is it not bad enough that the football in our conference sucks this year? Our top-3 football schools, FSU, Miami and Va Tech, are all out of the top-25. We have no top-10 BCS ranked team. Our conference championship game could put 2 unranked teams playing each other. Expansion was supposed to boost bothe football and basketball; however, both have taken a hit. And, the Big East, whom we raided, has seen improvements in bothe sports since expansion. Now we have this Miami debacle and the conference has gone weak. If it would have happened at Duke, Wake or Maryland, then there would have been hell to pay. But, since it will seriously hurt the ACC to not have Miami in the conference championship game or a bowl game they have decided that one game is enough. We have been outdone by Fla International, who dismissed 2 players and suspended numerous others indefinitely. 3

Honorable Mentions:
(+) Kasey Kahne; (+) Sam Swank; (+) Chicago Bears; (-) UNC Football; (-) Arizona Cardinals; (-) Georgia Bull Dog Football.

Photos:
1.http://www.dailyherald.com/dow_photos/7/DTS234_ALCS_ATHLETICS_TIG.jpg
2.http://i.a.cnn.net/si/2006/football/ncaa/10/14/miami.brawl.ap/Hurricanes.jpg