Say it with me: Benefit of the Doubt

In today’s world people feel the need to render immediate and radical judgments based on the events that happened in the preceding moments. Columnists and television personalities grab pens and microphones and attempt to say the most shocking thing they can think of in an effort to grab attention.

Need evidence? Look at all the columns that buried Notre Dame Football in December and said they were doomed to be irrelevant forever. Want evidence outside Notre Dame? Look no further than that frequent guest on Outside the Lines (Feinberg? Feinman? I can’t remember his name—he’s bald with glasses, looks like he’s about 50, and has not smiled since his 9th birthday) who pronounced the University of Florida football program dead the week after Urban Meyer said he was stepping down.

“Experts” on ESPN get in front of a camera or computer and spout off for millions to see without any sort of fear repercussions for how inaccurate and ignorant their statements turn out to be (we should name this the Colin Cowherd Corollary). I suppose it makes sense then that countless people follow suit on the internet. Armed with $9.99 a month accounts on premium sites like Rivals and Scout they storm message boards, attacking those who disagree with their opinion while offering up irrational and short-sighted arguments in bulk.

Lately on the Notre Dame boards it has been constant showdowns over the Irish struggles in the waning days of this recruiting cycle. There are those who believe Brian Kelly can win national championships whether it’s with 2-stars or 5-stars. On the other hand are people who think the lack of success on the recruiting trail these past six weeks is all the evidence needed to show he’s going to be a complete and utter failure. Let’s break down exactly what each side is screaming at the other.

“In the last two weeks we’ve had Blake Lueders decommit, missed out on long-time ND legacy Anthony Barr, and Gio Bernard has one foot out the door. All were four stars. Meanwhile, Kelly is handing out offers to three stars like hot cakes. Kelly is a terrible recruiter who will never get it done relying on three-star talent!”

Pump the brakes, Sparky. Any time a new coaching regime rolls in there will be some turnover with recruits. It’s unfortunate that we missed out on these specific guys but it’s not entirely unexpected and it’s certainly not the end of the world. Lueders opted for Stanford where Randy Hart (who recruited him to Notre Dame) is now on the coaching staff. With Anthony Barr there seemed to be other circumstances in play (girlfriend transferring to UCLA, best friend is Neuheisal’s son) that led people to believe that even though it made sense he’d go to ND he was never the stone cold lock most assumed. Bernard is the lowest rated of this trifecta and frankly I don’t think anyone is too upset about losing him, they’re just dismayed by the trend.

In terms of the three-star offers going out, these aren’t panic decisions. Kelly recruited these players during his time at Cincinnati and is well aware of their capabilities and how they’d fit in to what he’s trying to do. It’s true that you can’t win championships relying totally on three-stars, but it’s also true that they can be key cogs in getting there. Kelly has shown through the years that he’s a winner who is quite capable of developing talent. He needs to be given the benefit of the doubt on these calls until proven otherwise.

Let’s also not forget that we’re still in the hunt for monster recruits Seantrel Henderson and Christian Jones and in good position for other highly touted prospects like Matt James and Dietrich Riley. I’m sure inking 2-3 of them will soothe some of the dissenters. I’m even surer it won’t silence all of them.

“Look at what Kelly did at Cincinnati with two and three star talent! He doesn’t need five star players—he can develop three stars into five stars! If the so-called best in the nation aren’t interested in us then we won’t be interested in them.”

This is flat out wrong as well. What Kelly did at Cincinnati was incredibly impressive but the whooping Florida put on the Bearcats in the Sugar Bowl only highlighted the fact that you’ll never take home the ultimate prize with a roster chock full of two and three star talent. That result doesn’t even remotely take away from the accomplishment of taking a perennial doormat like Cincinnati to back-to-back BCS games. The stats don’t lie—Kelly is a great football coach…but part of building a national champion is not only excelling on the field but also on the recruiting trail. This is something he’ll have to learn to attack with the same vigor he approaches coaching.

Part of the reason ND slipped in recruiting was the fact that we adopted an arrogant attitude about it. We thought that because of our name and brand the top players would line up to play under the dome. That’s simply not the case anymore. In today’s recruiting world we need to go out and make very clear the fact that five star recruit X is vital to our program and sell the living crap out of how he fits in to it. If that means coddling a few egos along the way in order to get where we need to get then so be it.

Charlie Weis’ biggest contribution to the Notre Dame program was the blueprint he provided for luring the top talent in the country back to South Bend. He worked harder than anyone in college football, developed fantastic relationships with players and their families, and did everything in his power to show recruits why ND needed them and why they needed ND.

This is the first time Kelly has been involved with a program on the highest level of college football and there will be a learning curve. The fact that he’s been a head coach for so long means it won’t be as steep as it was for Charlie Weis or Bob Davie, but there will still be one. That being said, the guy’s record is impressive and everything we’ve seen and heard from and about him suggests he’s a sharp guy who will make whatever necessary adjustments he has to in order to be successful. This is another situation where patience must be exercised.

Irish fans need to stop, take a deep breath, and be reasonable. I think it’s safe to assume that if you’re paying to be a member of a Notre Dame site you’re a fan of the Irish. It’s time to stop all this friendly fire. The constant attacks back and forth within our own fanbase are borderline embarrassing.

The fact is Brian Kelly is still over 200 days from running out the tunnel of Notre Dame Stadium for the first time. He’s still months away from coaching his first official practice at Notre Dame. To start handing out verdicts one way or the other is completely ridiculous. There will be plenty of time to dissect and pass judgments ad nauseum this fall in terms of the product on the field. Off the field we're still a full year away from an appropriate time to start passing judgment on Kelly's recruiting prowess.

I realize “giving the benefit of the doubt” is going the way of Atari, typewriters, and Urban Meyer's concern for his health and family, but it’s a mantra that every Notre Dame fan needs to drill into their brain over the next eight months.

Cards Walk the Plank in Newark

Last night's Louisville-Seton Hall game was huge for both teams. The Cards came in on a 2 game losing streak, while this year's much-improved Pirate outfit had just 1 conference win to their credit, despite giving teams like Syracuse and West Virginia all they could handle at home. Louisville's trip to the Prudential Center was a glaring reminder of just how far they have fallen this year, just how much they lost from the previous season, and just how much it's going to take to make a run at a tournament berth. Ever since Rick Pitino walked on campus in 2001, their has been a certain intensity to his teams, especially on the defensive end. The suffocating full-court press and quick rotation on defense has fallen by the wayside this season. No longer are Edgar Sosa and Jerry Smith able to watch quick guards blow by them, only to have Earl Clark or David Padgett send their shots several rows deep in the stands. No longer can Samardo Samuels play soft on the interior, or be a step slow on his rotations, because Terrence Williams isn't there to come over from the weak side and deny what would have been easy looks at the basket had he not been there. This year, the Cards are surrendering almost 70 points a game to their opponents, and to fans like myself, that number seems woefully inadequate to describe the deficiencies on the defensive end. Like most Cards fans, I'm used to seeing the boys give up about 55 points a game, swallow up guards with their full-court press, and push opposing offenses away from the basket and into challenged shots. This year has been a sobering wake up call. As Pitino said after the game, not one Louisville defender is capable of defending off the dribble, and this causes the team to be in constant flux, rotating and rotating to more and more open shooters. The problem is, the team lacks the athleticism and quickness of last year's squad, and is too slow to keep up with any team that moves the ball well around the perimeter. The intensity and sense of desperation that used to strike fear into opposing offenses is gone, and with it goes the chances of a top-tier finish in the Big East or of a deep run in the postseason (unless we're talking about the NIT). Some quick-hitters from the game last night:

-Seton Hall became the 3rd consecutive team to shoot over 50% from the floor against Louisville. Last year, and in years past, there weren't 3 teams that did that over an entire season.

-Although the Pirates undoubtedly came out scorching, when they did miss they usually came up with their own rebound, grabbing over half of their missed shots over the course of the game. The inability to hold teams to one shot per possession and deny second chance opportunities has been a glaring weakness of the this year's team. Clark and Williams are gone, and although he has improved his pursuit of the ball and his blocking out, Samardo Samuels is nowhere near the kind of rebounder he needs to be for this team to go anywhere.

-The Cards were 14 of 25 (56%) from the line last night, including 1 for 3 performances from Sosa, Smith, Samuels, and Reggie Delk. This horse has been beaten well past dead, but just a few of those misses turned into makes changes this game completely.

-Jeremy Hazell lit up the Cards again, making 9 of his 12 shots from the floor, 3 of 6 from behind the arc. Granted, a couple were prayers that found their way into the net, but the interior and help defense has to get on him quicker when he makes his way to the basket. Too many easy buckets for the Pirates' star.

-Louisville had 9 assists on 28 made field goals, including just 2 from Sosa. The ball movement and execution in the half court has to improve dramatically for this team to do anything this year.

All that being said, there are a lot of bright spots and silver linings in this year's team, and a lot of hope for the future. Peyton Siva continues to improve. He is learning to play more in control and set up his teammates, and he made several great decisions in traffic last night. Rakeem Buckles is raw, but when he reins in his offensive game, the kid is going to be a beast. The freshman Mike Marra scored 10 points in 19 minutes of action, and looks more and more comfortable shooting the ball. However, for me, many questions remain. Why does Terrence Jennings only get 12 minutes a game? He is the longest and best shot-blocking defender on the team, and scored 8 points in 8 minutes last night. Kyle Kuric had been averaging about 20 minutes a game in the previous 3 contests, but never came off the bench last night. He is, for my money, the best pure rebounder on the team despite being just 6'4. Surely we could have used him on the boards last night, and maybe he could have cleaned up a few of the missed opportunities that led to easy 2nd chance points for the Hall. I will hopefully be interviewing Kyle soon, and we'll see what he has to say about this year's team and what it needs to do to be a player in the conference and NCAA tourney race. For now, let's hope the Cards can rebound and play well in an absolute must-win game against Cincinnati on Sunday.

And don't think I forgot the clearly blown call at the end of the game. Jerry Smith hits a 3 with .7 seconds left, and with the ref clearly counting off the seconds, Keon Lawrence steps about 2 feet into the court, and with no call from the ref, reestablishes himself behind the end line. It was a horrible call on a clear violation, and would have given the Cards a chance at a game-tying or even game-winning shot.

The Train Stops in Philly

Last night's Xavier-Temple showdown was undoubtedly one of the biggest games of the Atlantic-10's young life. The two programs that have historically dominated the conference came into their meeting undefeated in conference play and on a roll, Temple getting ranked up to 17th in the country along the way. There was a great deal of hype surrounding the meeting and many thought the eventual A-10 champion would be the winner of this one. In the end, the Owls proved too much at home for the young Musketeers and handed them a 77-72 loss, their first L since a double-OT thriller at Wake Forest on January 3rd.

Xavier, now 12-6 overall and 4-1 in A-10 play, blew a huge opportunity to get a marquee road win and cement themselves into the NCAA tournament in March, having won 6 of the past 7 games and back on their way to national attention. The first half continued back and forth for most of the time with numerous lead changes and quick play. The Owls ended up leading 39-34 at halftime but X quickly mounted a 2nd half surge, going on a 7-0 run just before the 15 minute mark and grabbing the lead at 48-47. The very next Temple possession really was symbolic of the game, however, as Juan Fernandez drained a 3 to give his team the lead back. Xavier was never able to hold a consistent edge in the 2nd half and always seemed to be on the verge of surging in front, although they never actually made it happen. They pulled it to within 3 points in the final minute but Temple was able to ice the game at the free throw line, crushing any chance the Muskies had at a miracle comeback.

There's no question that the loss was disappointing for X, but it doesn't crush their chances for the postseason as there are still many opportunities to improve the resume. A win was possible in Philly, but Temple was clearly the better team on this night, shooting 60% from the field as a team (ridiculous) and relying heavily on their starters to carry them (no starter played under 36 minutes). Senior Ryan Brooks led the charge Wednesday, scoring 22 points on 7-12 shooting and grabbing 7 rebounds while Lavoy Allen also had an excellent game by scoring 16 and tallying 7 boards also. The Owls deserve a good deal of national respect, now having beaten Xavier, Villanova, Seton Hall and Rhode Island, and are certainly helping to prove that the A-10 is a legitimate conference this season and will be dangerous come postseason play. This return to prominence for Temple and Xavier's recent success set up one great matchup and gained some much needed national focus for an underappreciated conference.

There are many good things that came out of this game, but the fact remains that Xavier lost when they could have won. Here's 2 main reasons for last night's setback:

1. Kenny Frease- There's not much left to say about Kenny anymore. Coach Mack has given the big center numerous chances to start games and become a key factor in this team's success. Frease has continually gotten worse and worse, however, as his opportunity has increased. Last night Kenny couldn't even grab rebounds let alone contribute anything on the offensive end and turned the ball over multiple times. If you aren't getting boards at 7 feet tall, there's no reason for you to even be playing the game, Kenny's minutes have to decrease from here on out.

2. Poor help defense- Temple was consistently getting open jumpers and easy layups all night because of their solid screening away from the ball and attacking the hoop. Xavier did a terrible job of recognizing the plays that the Owls were running and where they were going and really failed to help each other out when there was a defensive breakdown. This doesn't seem to be an overall glaring issue for the season, but Mack better work on this with his squad if they expect to stop other talented offenses down the road.

The schedule doesn't get any easier for X after this loss as they host the red-hot Rhode Island Rams on Saturday at the Cintas Center. The Rams will come into the game at 15-2 overall and 3-1 in conference play, having beaten Providence, Boston College and Oklahoma St. out of conference. This game now looms huge for the Muskies as they search for another quality W to post on their schedule and try to get into the NCAA tourney and improve their seed. This is an important junction for Xavier and Coach Mack certainly knows it, look for another great A-10 showdown on Saturday night.

The Worst Things in Life are Free: Cards Lose Heartbreaker to Pitt

It's often said in college basketball circles that games are won and lost on the free throw line. Memphis' 2008 NCAA runner-up squad can certainly attest to this adage, and relate to the feeling of handing a sure victory to an opponent on a silver platter. Louisville found out what that feels like today, snatching defeat from the jaws of victory against 20th-ranked Pittsburgh today at the Peterson Events Center. Pitt had a 30 game winning streak going at the Pete, but the Cards had emerged victorious in their last two visits to one of the nation's toughest home court advantages. It looked for all the world like Rick Pitino's outfit would complete the trifecta, but the charity stripe proved anything but charitable in the game's final moments. Admittedly, I missed most of the game. Returning from a trip, I caught the start of the second half on the radio, coming home to pull up a chair in front of my laptop and catch the last 4 minutes of regulation on ESPN360. It was all I needed to see. The game was a perfect microcosm of Edgar Sosa's four years in red and white. High expectations and early success were followed by disappointment and failure. The NYC product played one of the best games I've ever seen by a freshman in the 2007 NCAA tournament, scoring 31 points in a thrilling second round loss to Acie Law and Texas A&M. What people might not remember is that it was a pair of missed free throws by Sosa that halted the comeback effort and preserved the victory for Texas A&M. After a pair of mediocre efforts in his sophomore and junior seasons, Sosa looked to be putting together his finest season as a Cardinal, improving his decision-making, his shooting, and his mental approach to climb out of Rick Pitino's doghouse. Today, however, showed why he will never be remembered with the likes of Reece Gaines, Francisco Garcia, DeJuan Wheat, and Taquan Dean in the pantheon of great Louisville guards. Sosa missed 4 of his 5 free throw attempts in the final 1:30 of the game. He missed front ends, back ends, and all manner of freebies, allowing Pittsburgh to come back and eventually force overtime. All told, the Cards were 1 for 6 over that fateful minute and a half span; Jared Swopshire, normally a stellar free-throw shooter at 83%, missed the front end of a 1-and-1 with Louisville leading 68-63.

Make no mistake; the game's final minutes were in no way the sole fault of Sosa. Defensive miscommunications led to a wide open three from the corner by Brad Wannamaker that pulled the Panthers within 2, and the final play of regulation saw Jerry Smith commit a needless foul as Wannamaker tried to weave his way through a trio of Cardinal defenders in an effort to throw up what would have undoubtedly been a very, very low percentage attempt to tie the game. That being said, Sosa is one of just 2 senior starters on this team, and he has to step up and make a few from the foul line in the game's closing minutes. He's a 70% free throw shooter on the season, and if he makes even one of two on a trip to the line, the game is over, and those clutch shots by the Panthers become meaningless. This would have been a huge win for Louisville for a lot of reasons. It would have snapped Pitt's 30 game home winning streak and represented the signature win that the Cards so desperately needed to add to their tournament resume, which now looks pretty barren. Opportunities to beat ranked teams on the road, especially in the Big East, are few and far between, and you have to take advantage of them when they do come around. The loss drops the Cards to 3-2 in the Big East, with a road trip to Seton Hall coming up on Thursday, followed by a home date with Cincinnati. Both are winnable games, but neither would look nearly as good as this one would have. This was a devastating loss, and Sosa surely feels worse than anyone, but at some point he has to take this team on his shoulders and play the senior he supposedly is. Louisville wasted another stellar effort by Samardo Samuels, who made 12 of his 20 field goals on the way to a 25 point, 6 rebound effort. He was dominate throughout the game, and made several huge buckets down the stretch to keep Pitt at arm's length. Also lost in the heartbreak was a breakout game from Preston Knowles, who finally regained the sharpshooting form he had last year as the conference's best three point shooter and lost for several games after sustaining a thumb injury on his shooting hand. The junior from Winchester, Kentucky scored a season-high 21 points on 8 of 12 shooting, 5 of 7 beyond the arc, where he had been connecting on just a 27% clip to this point in the season. Once again, the lack of leadership that has plagued this Cardinal team throughout the season came to a head at the Pete. Sosa did have 13 points and 5 assists, but it's just sickening to watch him clank free throw after free throw with a chance to close out a huge W. Jerry Smith continued his anemic play, missing all 3 of his attempts from the field as he was held scoreless in 22 minutes of action. The senior duo have never shown the ability to lead their team and close out games, and nowhere was it more important than in this game today. I'm tired of trying to find silver linings in these deflating losses. It was a heroic effort for 39 minutes at one of the nation's toughest places to play, and Samuels continues to be a dominant force inside. At some point, the seniors will have to step up and take this team with them. Until they do, Louisville isn't going anywhere this season. It's time to step up, boys. Answer the bell or have fun in the NIT.

Two Dudes, One Post: Ringin' in the New Year

After a one month hiatus Two Dudes, One Post has returned! We're only two weeks into the offseason but it's already been even more eventful than the entire 2009 regular season. There's plenty to dissect from LA to Gainesville. GIDDYUP.

1. Let's start out West with Southern Cal. What are your thoughts on Pete Carroll bolting and Lane Kiffin taking his place? Does Southern Cal stay as dominant as they have been this decade over the next five years with Kiffin at the helm?

Mattare: I think over the last couple years it had become evident that Carroll was getting a little restless and wanted to take on a new challenge. The thing is he had such a cushy situation at Southern Cal that he wasn't going to leave for just anything. He was willing to wait as long as necessary until a job opened up that would allow him the control he thought he needed in order to be successful on the professional level. The Seahawks not only gave him that power, but they gave him $7 million and gave him the opportunity to stay on the West Coast. With the exception of the 49ers, Chargers, or expansion LA jobs coming open this was probably the best possible scenario for him to make the leap.

Now on to Lane. Goodness gracious, what a risk Southern Cal is taking with this guy. He's yet to proven he can be an effective head coach, yet to prove he can stay out of trouble, and yet to prove that he's not a timebomb ready to go off. The guy has the potential to lead the Trojans to even greater heights as a younger, more energized version of Pete Carroll but he also could be responsible for driving the program into the ground. Yes, the guy recruits like a maniac and has an elite staff coming with him to Los Angeles, but that will only go so far. As a Notre Dame fan I'm thrilled that he'll be on the Trojan sideline come fall. For all the potential he has to be great I think there's even more potential for him to totally implode. And to top it off, the fact that the odds of him taking a potshot at Notre Dame are somewhere in the 85-90% range means he no doubt will become the most villianous and hated coaching rival since Jimmy Johnson. And you thought we couldn't hate Southern Cal anymore than we already did...

Bill: I think the Pete Carroll situation will play out further down the road. Everyone is waiting to see what happens to the USC athletic programs. If they are cleared of the allegations, then I have no problem with Carroll’s move, they were excellent this decade. If they are not, it certainly looks like he bolted before everything surfaced and I’m suddenly unimpressed and a little angry.

Lane Kiffin? I hope he does terribly at USC. He accuses the SEC of being full of cheaters, runs his mouth at Meyer before losing to him, his players get arrested, then leaves for a school that may have a dirty program. And lastly, he didn’t leave a school like Vandy, or Indiana behind. He left Tennessee whose fans are just as, if not more passionate than USC fans and the expectations are just as high. It was a move that stirred up a whole bunch of drama, and it almost seemed lateral. I do realize he has roots out West, but still.

2. Pretend for a second you're a Tennessee fan. First, in ten words or less explain your feelings on Lane Kiffin at this moment without expletives. Next, who do you think they need to target going forward?

Mattare: Ten Words for Lane - "You probably killed Davey Crockett too, didn't you?"

The Vols need to go out and find a long-term solution, someone who is totally committed to the University of Tennessee and will immmediately add necessary stability to a shell-shocked program. The previous two coaches (Majors and Fulmer) had been there for over a combined 30 years and were totally devoted to the school. Now this slick-talking turncoat has tossed them into a coaching search for the second time in 14 months. The ideal would be Will Muschamp because he's a young, dynamic defensive mind that understands recruiting in the South, but I just don't feel like it's realistic to think they can pry him from Texas. David Cutcliffe is a respected coach who understands the culture but his age and health issues make me think he'd be more of a quick fix.

At the top of my list would Kyle Whittingham from Utah. He's not a spring chicken, but he's an up and comer that plays smashmouth, confident football. He went into the Sugar Bowl last year with a bunch of two and three star recruits and totally dismantled a top five Alabama team that was undefeated in the regular season. There would be some legitimate questions as to whether he could recruit in the cutthroat SEC, but remember there were those same questions levied at Urban Meyer when he arrived in Gainesville six years ago.

Bill: Ten Words for Lane - "I’ll hit an old man in public."

Hire Mike Leech, I don’t think he deserved to be fired for what he did to begin with. He’ll bring a swagger in with him and if his system can be effective in the SEC it will change the way teams have to play D in the conference.

3. Urban Meyer turned the college football world upside down right before his team's bowl game when he stepped down as head coach of the Gators...but then decided after watching a good practice that his health issues weren't really that bad and he'd just take a leave of absence. What was your take on the entire situation?

Mattare: I understand that Meyer has a right to make whatever decision he likes, but I think the way he yanked around the country--but far more importantly his team and program at Florida--and over the course of a week did a complete 180 made him look terrible. First of all, I don't understand how one positive practice made him suddenly forget the terrifying health issues he's endured over the course of the season. Second of all, his "time to put family first" shtick followed by his daughter being quoted as saying "I get my Daddy back" followed by him going "PSYCH!" makes him look disingenuious.

This is a difficult situation for Meyer to be in and the public needs to be sensitive to that. That being said, I question the timing of the decision (the week leading up to your bowl game...why not wait and think it out in the offseason that was arriving six days later?) and if it turns out he's not coming back and he's just playing this game for recruiting purposes he'll go down as one of the all-time sleezes in sports history.

Bill: I think he had some sort of episode that triggered the resignation (cardiac arrest?) and he got spooked and told himself he would give up coaching to get his health in line, then once he was better he decided he could do both at the same time.

4. There have been an unheard of twelve coaching changes in the BCS conferences this offseason, including at powerhouse schools like Notre Dame, USC, Florida State, and Tennessee. What do you think was the best hire, the riskiest hire, the most underrated hire, and the worst firing?

Mattare:

Best Hire - Brian Kelly (Notre Dame)...I'm not saying he's a guaranteed success, but ND locked up one of the most dynamic, up and coming coaches in the country fresh off an undefeated regular season where he was named the AP Coach of the Year. I suppose the runner-up would be Charlie Strong at Louisville.
Riskiest Hire - Lane Kiffin (USC)...Like we went over before, he could be great but he could also be a complete and utter disaster (fingers crossed for the latter).
Underrated Hire - Mike London (UVA)...This is a young, intense guy who has experience in the pros, ties to UVA (coached there on two different occassions), and won big in his first head coaching job at Richmond. Hokie fans can't be thrilled about this development.
Worst Firing: Mike Leach (Texas Tech)...All you have to do is read the published letters that were exchanged between the AD, the Chancellor, and a prominent booster and you realize how stupid/egotistical the leadership at Tech is. Yes, Leach is quarky and did nothing to help the situation, but it's obvious the people at the top had no appreciation for what Leach did to resurrect their football program.

Bill:

Best Hire: goes to Texas Tech...I’ve always been a Tommy Tuberville fan and I feel he can shake up the Big 12. The conference is deceivingly weak and lacks good defensive play. I think Tuberville sweeps Texas in one of his first three seasons.
Riskiest Hire: goes to USC...Did they really think this one through or did they just try to ease the Carroll situation as quickly as possible? Lane Kiffin will be solid, but I doubt if they will be able to maintain the standard set by Carroll. The Pac-10 has some strong teams right now and Kiffin has yet to put together an excellent season as a head coach.
Underrated Hire: goes to Florida State...Everyone knew it was going to be Jimbo Fisher but I feel this is a real chance for them to return to prominence. They have the talent, it's time to put the pieces together. I realize this is slightly hypocritical coming from a JoePa supporter especially since I didn’t necessarily agree with the move to fire Bowden, but I like how they had a head coach in waiting and I think it was the right guy.
Worst Firing: goes to Notre Dame...I enjoyed the Charlie Weis era so much.

5. This offseason more than ever there has been incredible fallout and resentment when a head coach chooses to leave one job for another. Many recruits have adopted the practice of committing to a coach more than they do the school and are somewhat left behind and cheated when the coach they committed to jumps ship. Does the rule need to be changed so that they can transfer without sitting out a year in these situations?

Mattare: I don't think the rule needs to change, I think the players' attitudes need to change. If there's one thing that these situations show it's that they SHOULD be committing to a school, not a coach. Think about the repercussions of allowing transfers without penalties: when a coach gets canned it will essentially make all of the players free agents who can pick and choose where they want to finish out their careers. If you think recruiting high school kids is ridiculous imagine how the sharks would circle if teams were allowed to poach from rosters when a coaching change was made. The mass exodus that could occur after firing a coach would essentially amount to a program death penalty in some situations. Allowing the ability to freely transfer opens a can of worms the NCAA is just not going to want to deal with.

Instead, it's time for players to tweak their attitudes on why they choose to go where they go. If there is a situation like Ryan Mallet's where you just don't fit the new scheme the new coach is implementing then take your medicine, sit out a year, and go where you need to go.

Bill: I think so. Remember we’re talking about 18 year old kids here. I don’t think it’s fair to penalize them. It would be similar to a school drastically changing the curriculum of my major while I’m a sophomore in the college. I would be resentful. People are sticking up for these guys saying “it’s a business” and it is--for the school and the coach. But what about the student athletes?

RAPID FIRE FINISH, EXTENDED EDITION!

Bill: The cast of Jersey Shore hits up Atlantic City on tonight's episode. Are you pumped?

Mattare: Pumped, but not as pumped for when they hit McFadden's in DC next Tuesday. I want to hear Pauly D's strategy on everything from Black Jack to the War on Terror.

Mattare: Penn State basketball sits at 8-8 on the year including a sterling 0-4 Big Ten record. Did you break any bones jumping off that bandwagon?

Bill: One word: Repeat. It's the NIT for us. Dechellis shuffled the starting lineup Tuesday against Illinois and we almost pulled one out. Almost.

Bill: How excited is DC about Shanahan? The last thing I need is for the Skins to be good.

Mattare: Cautiously optimistic because we've been burned by plenty of big names in the past decade so no one is "all in." Dan Snyder is still the owner.

Mattare: I have to cut Mikey a check for fantasy football since he came in second place this season. I put "Your Chlamydia Medication" for the description on Tim's check (he won the league), what should be the one on Mikey's?

Bill: Gerbil Retrieval Surgery.

Bill: What's your Super Bowl pick?

Mattare: It pains me to say it, but I really think the Cowboys are the team that emerges. I feel dirty even saying it.

Mattare: Let's go back to Penn State basketball (which you've done a great job covering so thoroughly for the blog). Did you attend more ND football games or more PSU basketball games in your four years of college?

Bill: Coverage - Battle is the only person I trust on the team. Answer - PSU BBall 3-1.

(Editor's Note: Bill was at the ND-BC game in '04 and the ND-PSU games in '06-'07...that's 3-3 for those keeping track at home)

Bill: McGwire says steroids didn't help him hit home runs. That's like saying being super skinny didn't help you fit into your sister's sweatpants. Since you're still my friend, should Big Mac be in the Hall of Fame?

Mattare: No, he shouldn't. Ever. He's a complete moron for thinking they didn't help. And I'm going to stab you in the neck next time I see you.

Mattare: If your girlfriend had Tim Tebow's number in her phone and talked with him regularly how would you feel?

Bill: I'd feel confident knowing her best guy friend was uglier and less athletic than me.

Bill: They're finding ANACONDAS in Florida. Do you have Jon Voight and/or Ice Cube's number?

Mattare: Anacondas? I'm assuming there's a Tiger Woods joke hidden there. If not give Mr. Yack a call, he wrestles anacondas in his spare time.

Mattare: Snooki, the 4'6" creature from Jersey Shore whose brain cells commit mass suicide whenever she speaks, revealed that she wants to have her own veterinarian practice one day. I'm staggered. What would Vegas put the odds at of that dream coming to fruition?

Bill: 0.3%. She would diagnose a stuffed animal if you put it in front of her.

BREAKING NEWS: Lane Kiffin's House in Knoxville

Strangely, the Knoxville Fire Department has refused to acknowledge that there is a fire at that address.

More reaction on the whirlwind that is the college football offseason to come this week. It's never a good sign when the offseason is more compelling than the regular season was.

Who knows if Billy will crawl out from under his '02 Nissan Altima that he's been working on after work every day and post something as well. Maybe I'll lure him out with a Two Dudes, One Post. We'll see, but regardless we'll spend some time breaking down Urban, Poodle, and the Most Hated Man in the History of the State of Tennessee. The lull our faithful readers have had to endure has officially come to a close.

My Wish for 2010...

Tell me this wouldn't be a just punishment for all Southern Cal's trangressions...