Fotop

QUOTE(AbeFroman @ Dec 2, 2006 -> 11:09 AM) Charlie Weis may have been successful with the Patriots. But the fact remains that Ty Willingham, Bob Davie, or probably 50 NCAA coaches could have led the Irish to exactly the same record they have this year. In my mind, he hasn't done anything to set himself apart as a great NCAA coach yet. You've got to be kidding me. Ty Willingham is a fraud. Don't believe me? Ask Washington fans. They fell in the same trap of Ty being a great "character" guy and the "right person for the program" as ND did 4 years ago. Now they're calling for his head just like ND was; too bad there wont be the same fanfare that was involved when he was fired at ND after 3 years. The man is an awful, awful game coach and an overrated recruiter. If you can't see that, then I've got some prime, overlooked land for sale in the swamplands of Florida. Quick ridiculous Weis v. Willingham stat of the day, Brady Quinn threw for 35 TDs this year. Ty Willingham never had more than 34 offensive TDs in any season he coached ND Now for the more pertinent Weis v. Willingham Stats (considering two season sample sizes): - Willingham took over an ND team that was 14-9, w/ a +56 difference in points for/points against. - Two years later, he's 15-10 w/a +1 differential - Weis took over an ND team that was 11-13, that had a -72 difference in points for/points against. - Two years later, he's 19-5 w/a +266 differential. And for fun...here's the comparison for Pete Carroll: - Carroll took over a team that was 11-13 w/a +52 differential and turned it into a 17-8 team w/a +314 differential. - Point being, Weis produced an 8 win improvement over a 2 year span (Carroll 6 wins), and has a 328 pt improvement (Carroll's was 262 pts) Simply put, Weis turned an undisciplined, awful 6-5 team (that lost the friggin insight bowl) into a 9-3 team that finished in the top ten. He's 19-5 in his first two seasons, and I believe the only ND coach (in the modern era) with a better two year record is Ara. He completely flipped the momentum for recruiting top athletes around (Ty brought in the two worst recruiting classes in ND history in back to back years) finishing with one of the top 5 recruiting classes in the country last season, and lining up to do the same this year. When's the last time you saw athletes like Armando Allen, Jimmy Clausen, et al flocking to ND? Isn't it too cold, too hard in class, and an awful college "experience"? Weis is relentless when it comes to recruiting...certainly couldn't say that about Willingham. Needless to say, it's good to see some people in this thread (Rex, Krush, to name a few) that can actually step back and objectively analyze ND. I don't know what it is about ND that makes people so angry and/or irrational, but again, I find it quite funny.

QUOTE(whitesox61382 @ Dec 1, 2006 -> 01:20 PM) In a big surprise, the number two rated all purpose back in the nation - Armando Allen - is going to announce for ND over Florida tomorrow. Almost everyone assumed that he was a Florida lock after questions about his ability to EE at ND, but Weis went to visit him the other day and that was the icing on the cake. Before this season, a lot of people thought that Allen was the best high school back in the country. Unfortunately, he was seriously injuried early in the season and missed most of his senior year. The guy has amazing speed with some reports saying sub four-four fourty time. A great get for ND. Huge get for ND. Not only is Allen a serious talent but Weis went into Miami, Fla State, and Florida's backyard and pulled him out. But hey, wasn't it too hard to recruit at ND, Urban Meyer?

And it's arguable to say that if ND had the warm-ups Michigan did instead of two difficult games to start the season, the result of the ND/Michigan game could have been considerably different (not saying ND would have won, but it's damn hard to open your season like that).

2006 Strength of Schedule for teams in question (courtesy of Jeff Sagarin, contributor to the BCS formula): OSU: 36th USC: 3rd Michigan: 13th LSU: 25th Louisville: 31st Florida: 27th Cal: 2nd Arkansas: 49th Tennessee: 10th Boise State: 99th ND: 19th Auburn: 29th Rutgers: 63rd West Virginia: 48th Wisconsin: 85th But, but ND plays an awful schedule!!!111 But really, what I find most hilarious is all of the haters whining about media bias for ND. You do realize a large amount of poll voters, other coaches, media types, etc. DESPISE ND? For every one ND lover there's at least 2 ND haters. In terms of bowls, it's about money, like it or not. It's not like this is a new concept either...the entire reason bowls exist is for revenue. Why do you think there's 30+ of them? ND is a national brand, travels well, and gets high ratings. Music to the networks and bowl organizers ears. Yea, it's not "fair", it's capitalism. Welcome to America. Only solution to stopping "undeserving" teams is a playoff. And barring some miracle, that doesn't look like it's happening soon.

QUOTE(thedoctor @ Nov 10, 2006 -> 11:01 AM) i don't think he'll come either, but it was encouraging to read that he was in attendance at benn's signing party last night. also, let me apologize to fotop for my comments last night. i was a little drinky, and reading them today it's clear i was posting like a douche. my bad. anyhow, i can understand some of the questions of why benn would choose illinois. from an outsider's perspective it makes no sense. but if you follow illinois football and watch the team, it's clear they are getting better. this team was way, way down, but it is coming back. two years ago we got killed every time out and the same last year. this year? not so much. yes the record is bad, but any time you start a true freshman at qb, you'll have problems. but if you watched games last year and watched them this year, the progression is clear. that, combined with the overwhelming youth on the roster gives you a little optimism. plus, i do think juice played a huge role in this. he's a pretty dynamic guy and a natural leader. he's the kind of player people gravitate to. and although he's struggled at times this year, he's also shown flashes that suggest he is going to be a major stud. there's a reason programs like ohio state and texas were after him. juice slotted at qb for the next few seasons is a good thing. and i think when you look at benn's finalists, it could be argued that by choosing illinois he selected the school that will have the best qb situation next year. No big deal, doc. I didn't take offense, but thanks for being mindful. Apology accepted. And I agree, it probably was the best qb situation for benn; ND is going to have a war in the spring for our starting job, FSU is an offensive mess, Maryland still has Hollenbach(?) and he's nothing special. And from an ND perspective it's nice that benn is going to a school that won't effect us. Plus with the Little verbal yesterday, it makes the loss of benn managable (now if we could only get some darn DEFENSIVE recruits!). About Illinois in general, I understand momentum has shifted, I outlined that earlier and said they were on the rise. If I were a fan of UofI, I'd certainly be happy right now, but at the same time cautiously optimistic. Zook's track record as a game coach is highly suspect, and nothing about his coaching this year makes me think he's going to be outcoaching anyone in the near future. That's why I've emphasized the "wait and see" approach. But hey, you need to players first before you can compete, right? They're getting that part down, the rest remains to be seen.

QUOTE(WHarris1 @ Nov 9, 2006 -> 06:38 PM) eat your hat http://www.soxtalk.com/forums/index.php?s=...t&p=1187252 The key phrase in that post revolves around Zook and a big bag of money...but I digress. Don't want to talk about shady recruiting without substantial evidence, but anything involving Locksley stinks to high heaven (this is a guy that offered Victor Abiamiri a PS2 to go to Maryland). Again, I've got nothing other than what I've heard, so I can't draw any conclusions or convince anyone otherwise. I'm certainly metaphorically eating my hat currently. QUOTE(thedoctor @ Nov 9, 2006 -> 06:42 PM) if you think benn is the first good thing to happen to illinois football you haven't been paying much attention. No, I pay plenty of attention to college football. It's very easy to have the perspective presented when the bar is set so low. Granted, Zook's brought in some quality players but UofI is still quite a ways away from being successful. Unless he magically learns how to COACH a game anytime soon, he will only take you so far. Is a program being built up? for the most part yes. Will it translate to victories? That remains to be seen. But really, have your day. Recruiting coups do not happen like this very often. Zook has exceeded his billing as a "great recruiter" on this one. But to quote Pulp Fiction, in a Bill Simmons PG-13 manner, "let's not start sucking each other's popsicles just yet".

QUOTE(Wedge @ Nov 9, 2006 -> 07:03 PM) Looks like he wanted to become a HAS BENN HAHAHAHA Lol that's an awfully bad joke, Wedge. I cannot fathom why you would want to go to UofI to play football when you're a player of his caliber, but it's his decision so he must certainly have his reasons. Great get for UofI....doubt Benn alone gets you anywhere, but you've got to start somewhere right?

QUOTE(whitesox61382 @ Oct 20, 2006 -> 06:27 PM) In regards to Benn, from the insider articles that I have read the leaders at this point are ND and UI. He still has interest in FSU, and a good visit would certainly help their cause, but in the end I would be surprised if he ends up somewhere besides ND or UI. In regards to Austin, FSU would be wise to stay away. There are some serious character issues with that guy(to go along with a boatload of talent). Some even speculate that the brawl in Miami might have even sparked his interest. I think he is pretty much down to Miami and USC, and I would be surprised if he lands somewhere else. Of the 4 guys listed(Austin, Benn, Hughes, and Wilson), I think UI has the best chance of landing Wilson. He has recently stated that UI and OSU are his clear leaders at this point with UI a slight favorite(can an OSU fan verify if they have even offered to Wilson at this point?). If I were a betting man, I would say that Wilson will be at the UI next year AS IT STANDS NOW. Hughes might follow him, which would make for a nice package deal. Benn will likely decide between UI and ND(as stated above), so they are in good shape with him. I highly doubt they get Austin though. I am getting a little nervous about my Irish. I have a bad feeling that they are going to finish 2nd with a lot of top recruits. They should still be able to pull in a top 10 class(maybe even top 5), but they might miss out on key positions like DT and to a lesser extent LB. If you're worried about the Irish not being able to out-recruit a team that has one big ten win in the past two years, you should be much more worried about the future of the program rather than a single recruiting class. Plain and simple, U of I gets one of those players (Benn, Austin, Wilson, Hughes). There's just too many good teams running at those guys to feasibly believe that UI has a legit shot at landing multiple. I personally think they land wilson, benn and hughes go to ND, and austin goes to miami. But that's just my two cents. FYI, hughes and wilson have stated that they are not a "package deal." They might end up at the same school, but supposedly it isn't a major factor.

Oddly enough last time I was at a game, they briefly played House of Pain's "Jump Around" before playing Boom for Bobby. I really wanted them to continue Jump Around...the beginning of that song is pretty good for this type of situation. But alas, they stuck with the Koch music.

Gload for Scott Elbert. Do it

As we all know, the "big 3" in fantasy football is L. Johnson, S.Alexander, and L.Tomlinson. My question is how do you rank them and why? For me, I think it goes a little something like this: 1) L. Johnson 2) L. Tomlinson 3) S. Alexander However, I'm not really sure...this is pretty much based on the fact that I don't really like Alexander and would much rather root for johnson or tomlinson. I have 2nd pick in my big money league this year, so I'm curious as to everyone's opinion on this. Publications and "experts" are saying Johnson, Alexander, Tomlinson with some even stretching Alexander to #1. Ultimately this discussion is moot if the person w/ #1 in my draft takes Peyton Manning. *Edit: The topic title is not implying I'm playing for that much money, that'd be insane. More a reference to the old pyramid game show. Just thought I'd clarify that for the young whipper snappers out there.

And smart fantasy footballers across the globe rejoice as all the Reggie Bush hype make that one guy in your draft pick Reggie way too early. (Granted I think he's an late 2nd/early 3rd rounder right now; I'm assuming he gets overdrafted in early 2nd and possibly late 1st)

Honest question, where are the OSU v. Iowa and OSU v. Michigan games? If both are on the road for OSU, then I highly doubt they run the table. As much as it pains me to say this, Michigan could sneak up on a lot of people this year. Pretty seasoned squad with a good amount of talent, they've got a shot to win the big ten. Granted LLLoyd is still their coach, so he'll find a way to fish it up. Plus Carr has never won in South Bend, so for my purposes I don't really lose much sleep over Michigan at this point. Regardless, I agree that it's going to be a wide open field this year. I have always been of the school of thought that Reggie Bush single-handedly put USC on an entirely different level the past three years. Now, they're back to the same level as the rest of the 10-15 elite programs in college football. Plus, with the 12 game schedule, you never know what's going to happen (even if that 12th game is a cupcake for everyone...it's still nice to have an extra game to watch). Should be a great time, I'm hitting a high-point in my college football/general football withdrawl. It can't come soon enough.

QUOTE(ZoomSlowik @ Aug 10, 2006 -> 01:28 AM) This one's probably going to get me in trouble, but another team I have no faith in is Notre Dame. Their defense was mediocre last year, and I don't see it getting much better. On paper, it might be worse. They need some people to step up across the board. Offensively, they need to improve their run-blocking, and another major receiving threat needs to emerge. I really think they're getting way too much hype. Their schedule also has a few more tough teams. Yeah, I know a lot of people said that last year, but things didn't work out that way. This year, Penn State, Michigan, and USC are all more athletic than they are. Some of those other teams aren't complete pushovers either, and they won't sneak up on anyone this year. They'll still win shootouts, and there are a lot of weak teams on their schedule as well. I just don't see them getting through the year unscathed like some people seem to. Eh I'll bite, because who else is going to defend ND around here...it's either me, wedge or knight. The defense was horrid last year. Something like 103th in all of college football. So really, you have to ask yourself, can it really get all that worse? I mean I can point at reasons why I think they'll be better, but no one is going to buy it until the actual product produces on the field. But for my own piece of mind I'll rattle off my reasons anyways: 1) Experience. Yes, not all bad players suddenly get good a year after getting torched. However, I'm talking about experience as a whole, and this includes this being the 2nd year of the implementation of Minter's defense. Minter has been a successful coordinator over his career, and with the entire coaching staff on board in terms of the defense (Weis and the staff focused on this the most the entire off-season) you have to think it'll at least be schemed better. The players will understand the schemes more due to experience and ultimately they'll stop thinking and just start running and clocking people; that's what experience does for you. Less time questioning your assignments, more time getting after the ball. 2) Talent. D-Line: 5 former High School All-Americans. Probably one of the better DT tandems in college ball (laws/landri). Frome back from injury, and the man I'm pulling for most, Travis Leitko back from a year of leave (former rooomate of mine, great guy). Oh and don't forget about that Abiamiri fella, he's the best of the bunch. A few upperclassemen to round out the bottom of the charts. That's depth folks. More rotating on the line, fresher players, better pass rush...hopefully. Linebackers: The great unknown outside of Maurice Crum, who was all over the field last year. Travis Thomas comes in as weakside linebacker after being shifted from running back. This experiment could pay huge dividends, since Thomas is one of the most talented athletes on the team...but it could backfire. No one knows yet. Vernaglia or Mitchell Thomas will probably be on the strongside. Regardless, lots of speed in the linebacking core; something that certainly lacked last season. Can they cover and tackle? I hope so, but that's the question. Secondary: Zibikowski is a ballhawk, a play-maker in the true sense of the word. However, him and Ndukwe are not so great in coverage. They can hit the daylights out of anyone, but their coverage needs to vastly improve to prevent the big play. In a perfect world, Ndukwe would have made a seamless transition to linebacker, and a speedy cover safety would take his spot in centerfield (McNeil, Walls, Bruton, etc). Wooden is underrated as a corner, sound tackler and decent cover guy he led the team in tackles last year. Lacks elite speed and size, but he gets the job done. Richardson on the opposite corner side is probably my least favorite player in the defense. He does not bring any stand out qualities to the plate, and is probably better served in a nickel corner role. I hope McNeil or Walls gives him a run this summer for his job, which brings me to my next point... 3) Freshman. So we don't have many on the defensive side, but the ones we do could play early. McNeil and Walls were two of the best corners in the country in high school. If our corners slip up, I expect Weis will not hesitate to put these guys into the fire. At linebacker, Toryan Smith is challenging for a starting spot. A lot of people believe he will see plenty of time come the fall. Morrice Richardson is a bit more raw at LB and is probably not on the same level as Smith yet. So I doubt any of these guys makes a huge impact this year on the actual field. However, the fact that they're breathing down the incumbent starter's necks should only push the existing players that much harder. In a year or so we will reap the benefits of solid recruiting classes, and finally (I hope) the "lack of team speed" argument will be thrown out the window. We're getting there. 4) Confidence. Not necessarily in themselves, but in the team. ND has got it's swagger back, and that goes a long way in terms of on field performance (IMO). In another respect, the offense is a known quantity now; they're going to score a lot of points. In a way that takes the pressure off the defense because they know a mistake won't be the end of the world. Also, I think we'll see a lot more of our defense sitting back to prevent the big play because they are confident the offense can make up for all the yards they give up underneath. Will this be an elite defense? No. Will it be 103th in all of college football? God I hope not, but I certainly believe it wont be for these reasons. It will certainly be improved, and I think just enough to keep us in "one of the best teams in college football" consideration. As for going unscathed...well you'd have to be an idiot to predict that for any team this season. Just based on sheer probability, the odds of that are slim. But I will say this, if ND gets out of the first five games without a loss they'll probably roll into USC undefeated and then who knows. But that's a HUGE but. Those first five games are @GT, PSU, Mich, @MSU, Purdue and are going to be a rough road. Either way, it's gonna be a fun season. Can't wait.

Rumor has it Adrian Peterson was involved as well, but I doubt he gets kicked off the team. Again, purely a rumor but this is certainly not good for OU.

QUOTE(thedoctor @ Jul 21, 2006 -> 01:17 PM) no doubt this dude has some issues. alaeze story this is a risk, but i suspect it's one the team felt they had to make. if he is playing this fall, he's starting. Willie Williams...your plane to Illinois is now boarding. Thank Coach Zook.

Dont know if this has been mentioned/actually works, but I've been hitting vote with just a 1 in the vaildation box (apparently you just need anything there) and it's taking me to the same thank you for voting screen. Then I hit alt + I wonder if this is actually working? It looks like it, since I'm taken to the same screen in the end as I normally would be. Just thought I'd let you guys know this, just in case it is real and we can increase voting volume 100 fold.

What's that saying we have around here? "If X happens, then I'll eat my hat?" Well if Benn goes to Illinois, I will eat my hat. Not saying he's going to ND, but come on...there's no way U of I beats out all the schools that are in on him. That or Zook has a big bag of money for him/incriminating photos of him and I'll be dining on a hat.

QUOTE(SoxFanForever @ May 11, 2006 -> 04:50 PM) I have a feeling Sony is going to be taking some serious losses on PS3 if they are charging $600 bucks. People can afford it but why not just invest it towards a computer at that price? Rumor has it Sony is going to be LOSING upwards of $400 per system at that price point. With the 360, Microsoft is losing somewhere between $100-$200...hence the high price for games ($60) and accessories. With these kinds of losses incurred from the start, I'm thinking PS3 games are going to cost even more. When everything starts to come out, I have a feeling the $600 price tag on the console won't be the only absurd price point.

QUOTE(Soxbadger @ May 2, 2006 -> 02:42 PM) Wisconsin Football has committments from Al Toon's son, Nick Toon, and Josh Ogelsby one of the top OL in the nation. Both are in-state players so it's not that suprising Wisconsin got them. The real question will be about the RB Clay, who is supposedly the best RB the state of Wisconsin has ever produced. There is a lot of talk with ND and Michigan already getting big time QB prospects, that Wisconsin may benefit and get a guy that wanted to go to one of those schools. Ogelsby is a beast, he's a great get for Wisconsin...just sucks we couldn't poach him from your backyard

QUOTE(whitesoxfan101 @ Apr 30, 2006 -> 10:30 PM) I don't know how saying that makes you crazy. It's all quite true, and this will be one of the great classes in ND history. BUT they do need to recruit a bit better on defense still. It's only crazy because when ND was THE place to be, they recruited whomever they pleased. So to get back to that point in the modern era of college football is a bit more difficult. I cant really cite specific classes, but at the height of the program, ND pretty much got everyone. Therefore, I'm just saying that's some big expectations to fill.

QUOTE(maggsmaggs @ Apr 30, 2006 -> 09:42 PM) Also, they have a real good chance to add Arrelious Benn who is one of the top two WRs for the 07 class. Illinois in the mix as well. Even though I am an ILL fan, ND >>>>> ILL. Benn would be nice as well, he was on campus for the spring game along with the other recruits. Looks like a monster, he'd be a great add. Like I said before, ND's new found ability to recruit skill position players is a huge plus because in the past, it's been a tough sell. Obviously, Weis has a lot to do with this; high powered offense, NFL pedigree, gives him lots of leverage on the recruiting trail. Now if the defensive players start to fall into the fold, THAT would be amazing. We could use a little help on that side of the ball. Regardless, this has been quite the start to '07 recruiting. As I've been saying, and call me crazy but I believe it, I think this turns out to be one of the best recruiting classes in ND history.

Mike Ragone, 5 star Tight End from New Jersey, is expected to commit to ND to play football tomorrow morning at 9:30am. Big kid, 6-5; 230...supposedly runs a 4.45. Recently tore an ACL, but should be ready for his senior season, hopefully he doesnt lose much speed. Considered to be the top tight end in the class of '07. And the hits just keep on coming for ND, #1 QB and now the #1 TE. It's good to see Weis building up momentum in the recruiting department before the season.

Looks like someone's gonna step into Brady's shoes as campus heartthrob...

QUOTE(AddisonStSox @ Apr 21, 2006 -> 03:54 PM) Per ESPN News. Brace yourself for four years of Joe Montana compairisons. Or the Ron Powlus comparisons... It's still early, and I'm sure plenty of schools are going to go after him until signing day. I doubt they see much success, but still it's not official until he signs on the dotted line in Feb. Obviously this is a great get regardless of what kind of player Claussen turns into. Sure he could bust, but with Fraser and Jones in tow as well, we'll be ok if Claussen pulls a Powlus. But I think the big picture here is Claussen now becomes a large tool in the recruiting of other top prospects. Having him on board makes ND that much more attractive to recruits. And to be honest, that's what we really need; the kind of skill position players/athletes that ND rarely gets. If top receivers fall into the fold now, I wouldn't be surprised and that is a position we havent recruited well in a LONG time (granted the stovall/mcknight grab was quality 4 years ago). I have a feeling this wont be the only commit this weekend as well; many top prospects are on campus for the Spring Game (which is tomorrow), and again with Claussen in the fold, these guys have even more incentive to jump right in. Last year it was pretty much first come first serve for those ND offered, so these players know they should commit before its too late and the class is full. Regardless it's good to be a big player in recruiting again. All of a sudden the "obstacles" to recruiting at ND (academics, middle of nowhere, weather, etc) seem to be a thing of the past. And it's also pretty ridiculous that now ND will have to turn away it's 2nd 5 star QB prospect in as many years (Mustain last season, and potentially the younger Paulus brother this year). Btw, I think I hear Beano Cook typing an article about Claussen winning 3 Hesimans and 3 National Championships.