The Bush family has a long legacy in politics in this nation.
Prescott Bush was a Senator from Connecticut, which heavily influenced his son, George Herbert Walker Bush, who became the 41st President of the United States after serving eight years as Vice President under President Ronald Reagan and had perhaps the most distinguished career of any modern day politician.
George H. W. Bush's son, Jeb Bush, currently running for the GOP nomination for president in 2016, was a very successful two term governor of the state of Florida. Of course, another son, George W. Bush, after a successful two terms as governor of the state of Texas, became the 43rd President of the United States.
Overall, while many disagree with differing policies of the each of the Bush's during their tenures of governance, generally speaking most citizens have a favorable opinion of each of the men and their family. I fit in that category.
As a Floridian, I though Jeb Bush performed very well as governor of my state. I have overall favorable of the presidencies of both 41 and 43, while I would not consider either among the top presidents in our history. I am not supporting Jeb in 2016 for the GOP nomination.
The Bush family usually stays above the fray of political for the most part. George W. Bush has had not one word of criticism of Barack Obama, who seemingly weekly blamed W for every problem he encountered.
But, sadly, over time, the Bush family has felt compelled to bash other republicans. Former First Lady Barbara Bush had spoke strongly of her distaste for Sarah Palin. Jeb Bush discussed how the GOP should move away from the policies of Ronald Reagan.
Unlike many, while we had areas of disagreement, we have always held George W. Bush in high regard.
Therefore, from a man of decency who has declined to comment on a president leading our nation to destruction, we were puzzled on his unprompted voiced negativity regarding Sen. Ted Cruz. Glenn Beck has a theory on this, on which we place a high degree of accuracy. On the issue in question, we strongly side with Sen. Cruz, and expansion into the area of question reveals some troubling avenues of concern, inclusive of immigration.
Although I did not really recognize it at the time, both Bush presidents can be classified as progressive, where the idea of government expansion in the lives of the citizenry, something Reagan acted against, is welcomed. In fact, given the families close relationship with Bill and Hillary Clinton, it would appear they have little problem with the US traveling the same track, just think they can do a btter jog of maneuvering the levers.
It appears, given where Jeb currently stands in the race for the 2016 GOP nomination, the progressive blueprint the Bush family has embraced to political success has been discovered by GOP primary voters and appears to be being soundly discarded.
At least we can recognize that the Bush family are good people, as evidenced by the actions of George W. Bush just today, who on this Veterans Day, visited a group of veterans who were visiting his presidential library in Dallas.
God Bless all our Veterans! We all greatly appreciate your service and sacrifice!
Wednesday, November 11, 2015
Tuesday, November 10, 2015
All They Know
An excellent piece over at the tremendous website Zero Hedge provides detailed analysis as to why millennials are supporting Bernie Sanders & Donald Trump.
The ramifications of the progressive march over the past decade, with orchestrated efforts to discredit churches, private companies, agencies and organizations while creating divisions between classes through race, gender and economic status, has resulted in the Millennials embracing of big government rather than free market capitalism.
Therefore, sadly, the position taken by the Millennials would certainly be considered reasonable. It is all they know.
The ramifications of the progressive march over the past decade, with orchestrated efforts to discredit churches, private companies, agencies and organizations while creating divisions between classes through race, gender and economic status, has resulted in the Millennials embracing of big government rather than free market capitalism.
Therefore, sadly, the position taken by the Millennials would certainly be considered reasonable. It is all they know.
Monday, November 9, 2015
Tigers Declawed
A favorite tactic of the left, this amounts to extortion. Mizzou, just a few years removed from being championed as a bastion of diversity having an openly gay player in LB Michael Sam, is now too racist to bear, claim the top protesters.
Please read the incidents involved, which we deem very weak as they currently are reported to substantiate the level of civil rights strife the protesters claim inflict the university.
Among the list of demands, as reported by the Independent Sentinel, was that President Wolfe must write an handwritten apology “acknowledging his white male privilege” and “recognize that systems of oppression exist.” They also want more social justice centers, more black staff to be hired by quota, more money for black causes, and the demands of the 1969 Black Collegians met. The Black Collegians are leftist advocates.
With the group referencing the admission of white privilege, we can confirm their relationship to other similar movements seeking the same results utilizing differing avenues of approach. White privilege has been code language for the social justice movement, which includes Black Lives Matter. This highly financed group is part of the agenda created to discredit churches, companies, agencies and organizations while creating divisions between classes through race, gender and economic status. BLM is really no different than Occupy Wall Street, just using another mechanism.
In addition, although this has not become present as of yet, admissions by churches, companies, agencies and organizations and/or leaders of such agencies and institutions open a door to significant legal ramifications, not just to those centrally involved, but to all citizens and taxpayers.
“Black Lives Matter hates the American system of government, i.e., the Constitution and capitalism,” says Rev. Jesse Lee Patterson, founder and president of the civil-rights organization BOND. Patterson says the movement associates the U.S. with “whiteness,” and, therefore, despises the very government that appears to be endorsing it.
This appears an attack on the institution, an effort to advance a social justice agenda under the limited if not false premise of racism. A very concerning precedent has now been formed, and similar instances seem likely to follow.
Quotations among those supporting the group at Mizzou claim the nation does not understand the racism and level of tension dealt with on a daily basis in the state of Missouri.
Funny, the nation did not witness any such activity in Kansas City last week, where 800k citizens, of all races, gender, creed, hairstyle, musical interests and favorite superhero came together to celebrate the Kansas City Royals World Series win.
Is the struggle real in Missouri, or is this just another orchestrated event to further divide our nation while making effort to advance progressive tenants of social justice?
Our answer is evident with what just happened in Kansas City.
On Saturday night, we will certainly be cheering for BYU! Go Cougs!
Sunday, November 8, 2015
The Color & Pageantry Top 25
College Football
Top 25
1. Clemson, 9-0, 2
2. Ohio State, 9-0, 1
3. Baylor, 8-0, 3
4. Oklahoma State, 9-0, 12
5. Notre Dame, 8-1, 7
6. Alabama, 8-1. 8
7. Louisiana State, 7-1, 5
8. Stanford, 8-1, 10
9. Iowa, 9-0, 11
10. Florida, 8-1, 9
11. Texas Christian, 8-1, 4
12. Oklahoma, 8-1, 13
13. Utah, 8-1, 14
14. North Carolina, 8-1, 20
15. Michigan State, 8-1, 6
16. Florida State, 7-2, 15
17. Houston, 9-0, 17
18. Michigan, 7-2, 18
19. Mississippi State, 7-2, 23
20. UCLA, 7-2, 24
21. Wisconsin, 8-2, NR
22. Northwestern, 7-2, NR
23. Navy, 7-1, NR
24. Southern Cal, 6-3, NR
25. Oregon, 6-3, NR
OUT: Memphis (16), Toledo, (19), Ole Miss (21), Temple (22) and Texas A&M (25)
VOTES: Memphis, Temple, Arkansas, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Washington State, Toledo, Brigham Young, California, Auburn, Georgia, Miami, North Carolina State and Pittsburgh.
FLORIDA STATE ANALYSIS
Florida State traveled to Death Valley in Clemson SC to take on the highly ranked Tigers, and although it looked good for much of the game, the Seminoles fell to the powerful Tigers 23-13 after a late touchdown put the game away for Clemson. Florida State came in ready to play, with Dalvin Cook breaking loose for a 75 yard touchdown run on FSU's second play from scrimmage. Cook would finish with 194 yards rushing on 21 carries. FSU, leading 7-0, went down into the Tiger red zone on the next possession, thanks to another breakaway run by Cook, but quarterback Sean Maguire, making only his second start, threw an ill advised pass that was intercepted. The missed opportunity would end up being significant, and it highlights the lack of success this season the Seminoles have had in the red zone. Offensively, there were some nice catches, but the receiving core is not where it needs to be at this time. I was disappointed the coaches did not utilize Cook more often out of the backfield with screens, giving him an opportunity to break long gains in space. Up front, the line I thought did a fine job, as Clemson has a dominant from seven. Up front, the Seminoles did a decent job. Clemson DE Shaq Lawson had his moments, but the unit gave FSU a chance for balance and the chance to win. However, there was a period in the third quarter where the unit lost concentration and was hit with a series of dead ball procedure penalties. In a game like this, those execution failures are magnified exponentially. On the stop side, there is no doubt the Seminoles defensive unit performed very well. Clemson is considered a high powered offensive unit, with good reason, and for most of the evening they were held in check. The 'Noles were stout in the interior, with each of the tackles having heir moments. This group is young and will be a force moving forward, although upper classmen Niles Lawrence-Stample and Giorgio Newberry will be missed. Clemson did a lot of misdirection, and worked a lot of short passes to spread out the defense. Tiger quarterback Deshaun Watson is an emerging star. Watson made quite a few plays, some timely ones with his legs, and showed to poise for a sophomore. Derwin James, Marquez White, LaMarcus Brutus and Jalen Ramsey played well, and having Terrance Smith back helped. But the Tigers were resilient. Clemson did mount a touchdown with freshman sensation Deon Cain hauling in a touchdown grab. The Tigers got a late run, catching some defenders out of position, to gain the final score of 23-13. Clemson is a top flite football team, one certainly capable of winning the national championship. There is elite talent on each level both offensively and defensively. The young Seminoles, for a young team with an inexperienced quarterback and youthful receivers and offensive lineman, comported themselves quite well on the road against the #1 team in the nation. Good on Clemson. FSU is a very young team, and this may be the last time FSU loses (the game in a couple of weeks at Florida will be a tough one to be sure) for quite some time. As Bud Elliot of Tomahawk Nation appropriately noted, "I've covered Florida State wins and losses, and I've never seen Jimbo Fisher so proud of his team after a loss. That speaks to the knowledge that Clemson had a clearly superior team, and that Fisher's team is extremely young. He knows the future is bright". Indeed it is.
NEBRASKA ANALYSIS
Led in part by the stellar play of outfielder Alex Gordon, a former University of Nebraska All America baseball player, the Kansas City Royals won the 2015 World Series. A 432ft home run by Gordon was the pivotal play helping the Royals win game one. With the recent struggles of the Cornhusker football team, which appeared to consist of issues within the locker room, it became apparent the Nebraska football could learn quite a bit from the world champion Royals. Kansas City is a team which does all the little things, is principled in their beliefs with the players believing in each other and holding each other accountable. Accountability and teammate support seemed missing, particularly in the game last week at Purdue, which was a humiliating a loss as Nebraska has suffered in decades of moons. Seventh ranked Michigan State came to Lincoln with a chance to become a playoff team with veteran signal caller Conner Cook, who must have been chomping at the bit to fire passes against the 'Huskers woeful secondary. But, while perception if often reality, for those in the know Nebraska is a better team than their record, and play, would indicate. It is simply a matter of execution, and team that takes on the characteristics present with the Royals. Nebraska put it to Michigan State early, and had a chance to blow the game open. But Sparty is worthy of a champion, and Michigan State would come back to take a halftime lead. It would have been an appropriate time for the 'Huskers to fold, particularly if players veered toward individualism rather than the adoption of those Royal characteristics. Not so fast my friend. Nebraska played well across the board. Quarterback Tommie Armstrong almost gave the game away, with two very poor interceptions in the red zone tossed. But with Armstrong, most often the bad is far outweighed by the good. And on this night, a night with visible team enthusiasm, Armstrong was hero. Complimenting the passing efforts of Armstrong was a strong running game, a combined effort of Imani Cross, Terrell Newby and Andy Jankovich, along with Armstrong on some quarterback runs. The line, playing against some real fine players, perhaps had their best performance of the season, complete with Armstrong recognizing the time clicking on each play. As Armstrong said,"They got pushes. They had a sense of urgency and they had a different attitude."The receivers, led by Jordan Westerkamp and Alonzo Moore, were stellar. Westerkamp got crushed several times, but kept up his high level of play. Down by two scores late, Armstrong directed a brilliant Husker comeback. After posting a touchdown, Michigan State failed to record a first down and punted, downing the ball at the Nebraska 9. It what seemed impossible, Armstrong fired twice to Jordan Westerkamp, for gains of 28 and 33 yards. Then, Armstrong hit Brandon Reilly for a 30 yard score. Sparty had a chance afterward, but Nebraska stood tall and for only the second time in 40 years, an unranked 'Husker team beat a top ten team. In addition, it was the first win over a top ten team since Nebraska beat top ranked Oklahoma in 2001. This was a HUGE victory for Mike Riley and this team. They have taken a two by four to the forehead more than any team, and it took some intestinal fortitude to come out and battle this strong Spartan squad for 60 minutes. Perhaps these 'Huskers did steal a page from the Royals playbook, one which has the team working individually in support of one another. It was a total team effort at Memorial Stadium. Nebraska is not a 4-6 team, and showed that to Sparty and the nation. While the effort, and the win is sure something to celebrate, and we all did, the more important thing is to build upon this, and collect wins (inclusive of a bowl game for which at least more win is necessary) to set the stage for a run at the Big Ten Championship in 2016. #GBR
Top 25
1. Clemson, 9-0, 2
2. Ohio State, 9-0, 1
3. Baylor, 8-0, 3
4. Oklahoma State, 9-0, 12
5. Notre Dame, 8-1, 7
6. Alabama, 8-1. 8
7. Louisiana State, 7-1, 5
8. Stanford, 8-1, 10
9. Iowa, 9-0, 11
10. Florida, 8-1, 9
11. Texas Christian, 8-1, 4
12. Oklahoma, 8-1, 13
13. Utah, 8-1, 14
14. North Carolina, 8-1, 20
15. Michigan State, 8-1, 6
16. Florida State, 7-2, 15
17. Houston, 9-0, 17
18. Michigan, 7-2, 18
19. Mississippi State, 7-2, 23
20. UCLA, 7-2, 24
21. Wisconsin, 8-2, NR
22. Northwestern, 7-2, NR
23. Navy, 7-1, NR
24. Southern Cal, 6-3, NR
25. Oregon, 6-3, NR
OUT: Memphis (16), Toledo, (19), Ole Miss (21), Temple (22) and Texas A&M (25)
VOTES: Memphis, Temple, Arkansas, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Washington State, Toledo, Brigham Young, California, Auburn, Georgia, Miami, North Carolina State and Pittsburgh.
FLORIDA STATE ANALYSIS
 |
| Deshaun Watson eludes Terrance Smith Photo/NBCSports.com |
NEBRASKA ANALYSIS
 |
| Alex Gordon Kansas City Royal OF Former 'Husker All America OF Photo/Huskers.com |
 |
| Nebraska WR Jordan Westerkamp Photo/Huskers.com |
Monday, November 2, 2015
Crowned!
  |
| Kansas City Royals Take The World! |
The Kansas City Royals defeated the New York Mets at Citi Field in Flushing last night 7-2, rallying once again from a deficit to win the 2015 World Series.
It was the Royals first World Series title since 1985, and their second in the franchise history.
It was a great season for the Royals, and each series win by the Royals on the way to winning the World Series exemplified what the organization represents. C Salvador Perez was named MVP of the series, well deserved by most accounts, although other choices held merit.
As Dirk Chatelain of the Omaha World Herald so eloquently noted, "The Royals rode nobody. It’s as close to a TEAM championship as you will ever see. Ever. Kansas City mastered old-school baseball, putting the ball in play, running the bases with reckless abandon, forcing opposing defenses to perform".
All season, it was #TakeTheCrown! Consider it #Crowned.
Sunday, November 1, 2015
The Color & Pageantry Top 25
College Football
Top 25
1. Ohio State, 8-0, 1
2. Clemson, 8-0, 2
3. Baylor, 7-0, 3
4. Texas Christian, 8-0, 4
5. Louisiana State, 7-0, 5
6. Michigan State, 8-0, 6
7. Notre Dame, 7-1, 7
8. Alabama, 7-1, 8
9. Florida, 7-1, 10
10. Stanford, 7-1, 9
11. Iowa, 8-0, 11
12. Oklahoma State, 8-0, 12
13. Oklahoma, 7-1, 13
14. Utah, 7-1, 14
15. Florida State, 7-1, 16
16. Memphis, 8-0, 15
17. Houston, 8-0, 17
18. Michigan, 6-2, 18
19. Toledo, 7-0, 19
20. North Carolina, 7-1, 21
21. Ole Miss, 7-2, 22
22. Temple, 7-1, 23
23. Mississippi State, 6-2, 24
24. UCLA, 6-2, 25
25. Texas A&M, 6-2, NR
OUT: Duke (20)
VOTES: Southern Cal, Oregon, Wisconsin, California, Northwestern, Brigham Young, Louisville, Arizona State and Cincinnati.
NEBRASKA ANALYSIS
Nebraska got bludgeoned at West Lafayette as Purdue smashed the formerly strong Nebraska Cornhuskers 55-45 on Halloween, providing the ultimate spook on the fan base. Nebraska, one of the all time winningest teams in college football, got crushed today at pedestrian Purdue (it was 42-16 at one point) in stadium with an announced attendance of @30,000 mostly comprised of Husker fans, which is unacceptable under any circumstances. Yes, Nebraska played the game without starting quarterback Tommy Armstrong, and the team remains saddled with injuries, but the scout team should be able to gain a comfortable victory over lowly Purdue, winners of only one conference game in the last three seasons. This loss is a low point, on the heels of an embarrassing home loss to Northwestern, which was preceded by some weeks by a one point loss to lowly Illinois. A loss to any of these teams in any given season should me considered a major upset, but to all three in a single season in five alarm troubling. I supported the hire of Mike Riley, but for whatever reasons, and those may be plentiful, the season has become a catastrophe. There are the on the field issues, most notably turnovers, five of which resulted in 28 Boiler points. Understand Nebraska scored 29 fourth quarter points, and still lost by two scores. There were other issues. There were players who did not seem to give a crap about getting hit in the face, the lack physicality and the abandonment of a running game (although it seemed to be going good early) and a shocking lack of command of both lines of scrimmage. The offensive line is young and lack some degree of talent (although, there appear to be players not getting on the field that have great promise?) but the failures of the defensive line, considered by most a team strength, are very troubling. Those are the faults of the coaches, and to some degree the players. Injuries, which continued Saturday with the loss of DeMornay Pierson-El to a gruesome leg injury, have really hurt the 'Huskers. If the coaches identify players who are not giving 100%, and there is evidence looking at film, then they need to be shown the door. Wearing that "N" on the side of your helmet is a privilege, what it represents is of extreme significance to all the the former coaches and players who built this place, and the fans and alumni of the program. Coach Riley seems to pointing some statistical areas of improvement, but I recall former Coach Bill Callahan, who was appropriately fired, being much more concerned by statistical achievements rather than winning games and preserving historical records (consecutive winning seasons and bowl appearances of on fire heat). Riley needs to get control of this team right quick. Michigan State is coming to town, and they will punch you in the face. Riley's 'Huskers, OUR 'Huskers, better not take that lying down. It will be on national television, and the nation will be watching. It is time to man up, and grasp the urgency surrounding the state of the program. The talent to dump the Spartans is on hand, and Memorial Stadium will provide the energy needed, so get this done and put the Big Red on the road back to challenging for not only conference championships, but national championships. We expect that here, and if you don't fit in, hit the road.
FLORIDA STATE ANALYSIS
Early in the week, we learned that Dalvin Cook was out for the Syracuse game, yet another noon kickoff for FSU, for the which the Seminoles have often arrived sleepy. However, as College Gameday heated up, we learned that Seminole starting quarterback Everett Golson would not be available due to concussion issues. Sean Maguire would get the nod at signal caller for FSU. Before Golson arrived from Notre Dame, Maguire seemed the heir apparent for the job, but Maguire had failed to seize the position in spring or fall practice. However, Maguire knows the offense well, can make the throws and, having lost a close battle to Golson, would be ready to lead the Seminoles without much if any drop off. Maguire did a fine job, showing command of the offense and opening up the offense with precision in the vertical passing game. Maguire threw for over 300 in the first half, with WR Travis Rudolph, who had inexplicably been hiding on milk carton all season, the main beneficiary. With Cook out, there were concerns regarding the running game, but Jacques Patrick, a true freshman from Orlando Timber Creek, ran with authority all day, gaining 162 yards. Patrick appears quite the compliment to Cook, and given what we witnessed Saturday, could be an integral part of the FSU arsenal moving forward. Syracuse is not an upper echelon squad, but they are improving and are well coached. The Seminole defense gave up some ground, but stopped the Orange when necessary. Niles Lawrence Stample is really having a year, and true frosh Derwin James is going to be a superstar. The Seminoles have really missed Terrance Smith inside. Nate Andrews returned and made some plays at safety. FSU just needs to defeat complacency and establish greater consistency on defense, as the unit is borderline elite. The 45-21 victory over Syracuse represented a decent day, much needed after the offense grounded to a halt at Georgia Tech last week, with the defense having just enough breakdowns to be costly. FSU may have a quarterback controversy, as there is little doubt Maguire graded out extremely high on this day. Looking at tape from GT (also watching in person), it does appear Golson is not getting the ball vertical with consistency, and Maguire excelled at that against Syracuse. There is little doubt Fisher will be be focus on this over this week as the Seminoles travel to Clemson for a monumental game, one FSU cannot lose if it has any playoff aspirations. FSU will underdogs of over a touchdown. I suspect FSU plays very well up in Death Valley, but this Clemson team is playing very well and is, thus far, considered a solid top five team. For FSU to win, Cook will need to get loose and the aforementioned vertical passing game will need to be engaged. Defensively, FSU will give the offense opportunity to win it.
Top 25
1. Ohio State, 8-0, 1
2. Clemson, 8-0, 2
3. Baylor, 7-0, 3
4. Texas Christian, 8-0, 4
5. Louisiana State, 7-0, 5
6. Michigan State, 8-0, 6
7. Notre Dame, 7-1, 7
8. Alabama, 7-1, 8
9. Florida, 7-1, 10
10. Stanford, 7-1, 9
11. Iowa, 8-0, 11
12. Oklahoma State, 8-0, 12
13. Oklahoma, 7-1, 13
14. Utah, 7-1, 14
15. Florida State, 7-1, 16
16. Memphis, 8-0, 15
17. Houston, 8-0, 17
18. Michigan, 6-2, 18
19. Toledo, 7-0, 19
20. North Carolina, 7-1, 21
21. Ole Miss, 7-2, 22
22. Temple, 7-1, 23
23. Mississippi State, 6-2, 24
24. UCLA, 6-2, 25
25. Texas A&M, 6-2, NR
OUT: Duke (20)
VOTES: Southern Cal, Oregon, Wisconsin, California, Northwestern, Brigham Young, Louisville, Arizona State and Cincinnati.
NEBRASKA ANALYSIS
Nebraska got bludgeoned at West Lafayette as Purdue smashed the formerly strong Nebraska Cornhuskers 55-45 on Halloween, providing the ultimate spook on the fan base. Nebraska, one of the all time winningest teams in college football, got crushed today at pedestrian Purdue (it was 42-16 at one point) in stadium with an announced attendance of @30,000 mostly comprised of Husker fans, which is unacceptable under any circumstances. Yes, Nebraska played the game without starting quarterback Tommy Armstrong, and the team remains saddled with injuries, but the scout team should be able to gain a comfortable victory over lowly Purdue, winners of only one conference game in the last three seasons. This loss is a low point, on the heels of an embarrassing home loss to Northwestern, which was preceded by some weeks by a one point loss to lowly Illinois. A loss to any of these teams in any given season should me considered a major upset, but to all three in a single season in five alarm troubling. I supported the hire of Mike Riley, but for whatever reasons, and those may be plentiful, the season has become a catastrophe. There are the on the field issues, most notably turnovers, five of which resulted in 28 Boiler points. Understand Nebraska scored 29 fourth quarter points, and still lost by two scores. There were other issues. There were players who did not seem to give a crap about getting hit in the face, the lack physicality and the abandonment of a running game (although it seemed to be going good early) and a shocking lack of command of both lines of scrimmage. The offensive line is young and lack some degree of talent (although, there appear to be players not getting on the field that have great promise?) but the failures of the defensive line, considered by most a team strength, are very troubling. Those are the faults of the coaches, and to some degree the players. Injuries, which continued Saturday with the loss of DeMornay Pierson-El to a gruesome leg injury, have really hurt the 'Huskers. If the coaches identify players who are not giving 100%, and there is evidence looking at film, then they need to be shown the door. Wearing that "N" on the side of your helmet is a privilege, what it represents is of extreme significance to all the the former coaches and players who built this place, and the fans and alumni of the program. Coach Riley seems to pointing some statistical areas of improvement, but I recall former Coach Bill Callahan, who was appropriately fired, being much more concerned by statistical achievements rather than winning games and preserving historical records (consecutive winning seasons and bowl appearances of on fire heat). Riley needs to get control of this team right quick. Michigan State is coming to town, and they will punch you in the face. Riley's 'Huskers, OUR 'Huskers, better not take that lying down. It will be on national television, and the nation will be watching. It is time to man up, and grasp the urgency surrounding the state of the program. The talent to dump the Spartans is on hand, and Memorial Stadium will provide the energy needed, so get this done and put the Big Red on the road back to challenging for not only conference championships, but national championships. We expect that here, and if you don't fit in, hit the road.
FLORIDA STATE ANALYSIS
Early in the week, we learned that Dalvin Cook was out for the Syracuse game, yet another noon kickoff for FSU, for the which the Seminoles have often arrived sleepy. However, as College Gameday heated up, we learned that Seminole starting quarterback Everett Golson would not be available due to concussion issues. Sean Maguire would get the nod at signal caller for FSU. Before Golson arrived from Notre Dame, Maguire seemed the heir apparent for the job, but Maguire had failed to seize the position in spring or fall practice. However, Maguire knows the offense well, can make the throws and, having lost a close battle to Golson, would be ready to lead the Seminoles without much if any drop off. Maguire did a fine job, showing command of the offense and opening up the offense with precision in the vertical passing game. Maguire threw for over 300 in the first half, with WR Travis Rudolph, who had inexplicably been hiding on milk carton all season, the main beneficiary. With Cook out, there were concerns regarding the running game, but Jacques Patrick, a true freshman from Orlando Timber Creek, ran with authority all day, gaining 162 yards. Patrick appears quite the compliment to Cook, and given what we witnessed Saturday, could be an integral part of the FSU arsenal moving forward. Syracuse is not an upper echelon squad, but they are improving and are well coached. The Seminole defense gave up some ground, but stopped the Orange when necessary. Niles Lawrence Stample is really having a year, and true frosh Derwin James is going to be a superstar. The Seminoles have really missed Terrance Smith inside. Nate Andrews returned and made some plays at safety. FSU just needs to defeat complacency and establish greater consistency on defense, as the unit is borderline elite. The 45-21 victory over Syracuse represented a decent day, much needed after the offense grounded to a halt at Georgia Tech last week, with the defense having just enough breakdowns to be costly. FSU may have a quarterback controversy, as there is little doubt Maguire graded out extremely high on this day. Looking at tape from GT (also watching in person), it does appear Golson is not getting the ball vertical with consistency, and Maguire excelled at that against Syracuse. There is little doubt Fisher will be be focus on this over this week as the Seminoles travel to Clemson for a monumental game, one FSU cannot lose if it has any playoff aspirations. FSU will underdogs of over a touchdown. I suspect FSU plays very well up in Death Valley, but this Clemson team is playing very well and is, thus far, considered a solid top five team. For FSU to win, Cook will need to get loose and the aforementioned vertical passing game will need to be engaged. Defensively, FSU will give the offense opportunity to win it.
Thursday, October 29, 2015
Media Exposed
 |
| CNBC Panel/Carl Quintanilla, Becky Quick & John Harwood |
CNBC used to be a respected network which brought America the financial news it sought well beyond the three major networks. Certainly, there has always been rivaling political presence among the hosts on the network, held in adequate check in years past.
But in the last half decade or so, CNBC has turned into a biased arm of NBC News, which is no longer credible as a unbiased presenter of the truth. There are still good people over at CNBC, most notably Bill Griffith, Sue Herera, Jim Cramer, Joe Kernen and the wonderful Larry Kudlow. But given what America witnessed last night, and make no mistake the suits over at the network are thrilled placing a much higher value on political positions than profits or God forbid the truth, they may not have the lights on much longer.
Several former employees have made their way over to FOX Business Channel, inclusive of Neil Cavuto, Stuart Varney, Lou Dobbs, Eric Bolling, Trish Regan, Melissa Francis and the "Money Honey", Maria Bartiromo.
Becky Quick used to be quite good, but the arrogance dripping off her blouse last night flooded the stage. Carl Quintanilla has seemingly gone the way of Tom Costello (now at NBC News), a good reporter who reached certain status and turned political.
John Harwood, a supposed new representative of parent NBC News who gleefully baths in Barack Obama's bathwater, has a long history of partisan journalism. Harwood extended himself so far out last night, he arrogantly lied on the issue of Marco Rubio's tax plan. I wonder how many Americans thought he may have a point no doubt missed Megyn Kelly pointing out Harwood's lie.
Jim Cramer, and animated truth teller Rick Santelli, got a few questions in an effort to stem accusations of bias, but it failed miserably to work.
Senator Ted Cruz, R:TX, had enough and called the panel out.
The comments made by Cruz received the highest register among the polling by Frank Luntz of Luntz Global since he began charting responses in 1996.
Incidentally, the second highest rating came when Sen. Marco Rubio, R:FL, labeled the mainstream media a Hillary Clinton Super PAC.
BAM! The truth just hit everyone across the forehead with a two by four.
The media was given special privileges to operate to keep the three branches of government in check. As Rubio, and Cruz, pointed out last night with lethal precision, that has not bee the case in America for some time.
It is among the many reasons America is now suffering, falling significantly short of reaching her potential. As such, these individuals who are part of the propaganda machine protecting the elected officials operating in contempt of our Constitiution should be considered enemies within.
Wednesday, October 28, 2015
Love Is In Fact The Answer
 |
| Nebraska Cheerleader Brianna Anson |
The University of Nebraska Athletics family is deeply saddened with the passing of Brianna Anson, a valued member of our Spirit Squad and student at UNL. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family, loved ones and fellow Spirit Squad members and staff.
The UNL community hurts today to know we have lost one of our own. It is our sincere hope at this difficult time that everyone will take care of and support one another. UNL counselors are on hand and have been meeting with close friends, fellow Spirit Squad members and classmates. Others who are deeply affected by this loss are encouraged to contact Counseling and Psychological Services at 402-472-7450.
We have a love for life, which on Saturdays in the fall is filled with College Football. While we primarily focus on the events on the gridiron, it is the Color & Pageantry on the sidelines and in the surrounding community on gameday that makes it so special. That without question is inclusive of the cheerleaders and spirit squads.
We join The University of Nebraska in offering our prayers to Brianna, her family and friends, the cheer community and fans of the beloved game of College Football nationwide. Brianna was a beautiful young lady with the world waiting for her to experience all life has to offer. Sadly, her journey was cut short.
If you are suffering or need assistance, please seek out family, friends or strangers; most would be happy to help, and it may be a help to them as well. Take care of and support one another.
Love is in fact the answer.
Tuesday, October 27, 2015
FEDeral Protection
 |
| Janet Yelln/ FED Chair |
More aligned with the truth; however, is that rates need to rise to pull back the excessive money currently in the system, but there is heightened fear even a 0.25 basis point raise in rates will send our fragile economy spiraling downward. This would expose Obama's claims of a great recovery as false.
In addition, due to Obama's economic policies and lack of independence of the FED, few tools remain in the toolbox to counter shocks to the system, which are coming very soon.
It is important to note that in the aftermath of the housing crisis of 2008, virtually every economic decision from bailouts to excessive regulation was the wrong choice.
Monday, October 26, 2015
Appalling and Dishonorable
Texas Congressman Louis Gohmert told One America News that some very familiar names pressured members of the House Freedom Caucus to rethink who they would endorse for Speaker.
“Promises were made and as I understand it, our friend Senator Jim DeMint, now head of the Heritage Foundation was making calls persuading…really shocked me. I don’t guess I was so surprised that Newt Gingrich was making calls behind the scenes to Freedom Caucus members to tell them, ‘you gotta cave and go with Paul,’” Gohmert said.
Backdoor promises that are made, crossing the aisle to collaborate with those who plot the demise of our nation as founded and the elitism of the ruling class to govern above the head of the people they are elected to represent is appalling and dishonorable.
Shame on former Sen. DeMint of the Heritage Foundation for this betrayal of our founding principles as Ryan pledges to govern outside of the people, unwilling to have his authority challenged.
We continue to support Rep. Dan Webster (R:FL) for Speaker, and extend our greatest appreciation to Rep. Gohmert for keeping up the fight for freedom!
“Promises were made and as I understand it, our friend Senator Jim DeMint, now head of the Heritage Foundation was making calls persuading…really shocked me. I don’t guess I was so surprised that Newt Gingrich was making calls behind the scenes to Freedom Caucus members to tell them, ‘you gotta cave and go with Paul,’” Gohmert said.
Backdoor promises that are made, crossing the aisle to collaborate with those who plot the demise of our nation as founded and the elitism of the ruling class to govern above the head of the people they are elected to represent is appalling and dishonorable.
Shame on former Sen. DeMint of the Heritage Foundation for this betrayal of our founding principles as Ryan pledges to govern outside of the people, unwilling to have his authority challenged.
We continue to support Rep. Dan Webster (R:FL) for Speaker, and extend our greatest appreciation to Rep. Gohmert for keeping up the fight for freedom!
The Color & Pageantry Top 25
College Football
TOP 25
1. Ohio State, 8-0, 1
2. Clemson, 7-0, 2
3. Baylor, 7-0, 4
4. Texas Christian, 7-0, 5
5. Louisiana State, 7-0, 6
6. Michigan State, 8-0, 8
7. Notre Dame, 6-1, 9
8. Alabama, 7-1, 10
9. Stanford, 6-1, 11
10. Florida, 6-1, 12
11. Iowa, 7-0, 13
12. Oklahoma State, 7-0, 15
13. Oklahoma, 6-1, 17
14. Utah, 6-1, 3
15. Memphis, 7-0, 16
16. Florida State, 6-1, 7
17. Houston, 7-0, 18
18. Michigan, 5-2, 19
19. Toledo, 7-0, 21
20. Duke, 6-1, 20
21. North Carolina, 6-1, 23
22. Ole Miss, 6-2, NR
23. Temple, 7-0, 24
24. Mississippi State, 6-2, 25
25. UCLA, 5-2, NR
OUT: Texas A&M (14) and California (21)
VOTES: Georgia, Southern Cal, Texas A&M, Arizona State, Wisconsin, Pittsburgh, California, Northwestern, Louisville, Brigham Young, Boise State, Cincinnati and Oregon.
NEBRASKA ANALYSIS
Nebraska welcomed what would appear to have been a beaten down Northwestern team to Lincoln, with an opportunity to build off an impressive win at Minnesota. Instead of the Big Red asserting itself and embarking on a road to string some victories together, it was Northwestern who established authority. In Lincoln. In fact, the Wildcats are a Hail Mary away from being 3-0 in their last three trips to Memorial Stadium. Nebraska is now 3-5, with losses to Illinois and Northwestern. While I have been in support of Mike Riley, I must make it very clear that this is completely unacceptable. Offensively, there are a multitude of issues. The offensive line is horrible, evidenced by the fact some Wildcat DT had a day Ndamukong Suh would be proud of, throwing around would be 'Husker blockers and defining disruption. While the staff is quick to play several players at every other position, the staff simply refuses to substitute up front. People, particularly inside, are getting their ass whipped and forcing Tommy Armstrong to run the offense under duress. Of course I am not at practice every day, but I don't think the group is this lacking in talent. Danny Langsdorf is failing miserably in play calling, seeming to attempt without fail, and failing in effort, to be balanced. Forget that crap. Run the ball; commit to it, establish an identity. Not only the 0-2 hole, but the counter, or around the perimeter. Long passes on third and short, which fail to be executed forcing punts, are inexcusable play calls. If the staff is not confident to run, then use Armstrong in a run/pass option, placing him and the offense in a position to be successful. Nebraska must be able to run when they need to, not just when they want to, which they cannot even do. This staff is responsible for this ineptitude. Armstrong, who lives under duress, threw a horrendous pick six, which gave the Cats an early leg up. Tommy needs to eliminate these critical and costly errors, or he may be in a real battle next spring if not sooner. Zach Darlington, over there on the bench, played brilliant high school football at Orlando Apopka HS, winning a state championship. Top players in Florida are usually pretty good at football. The defensive unit has shown improvement, but what seemed at the start of the year a strength in the interior defensive line, has turned into a very average group. Players are flat footed, and the secondary is reactive rather than attacking, much less playing the ball. The Northwestern quarterback, who ain't no JC Watts, got lose for several long runs putting the Cats in scoring position. Once is really not acceptable, but it happened multiple times. The linebackers seemed lost on many occasions, and the safeties, sadly inclusive of Nate Gerry, were awful. It is obvious there are issues the public is not privy to, which many thought would be the case in the aftermath of the Pelini termination, but it is the experience of Riley that was counted upon to control those types of aspects. Missing a bowl game give consideration to both Riley and his staff, and AD Shawn Echorst, to potentially losing their jobs. It is noted, the Miami team, coached by Al Golden who Eichorst embraced, got blasted 58-0 at home by Clemson. This same UM team defeated Nebraska earlier this year. Arm chair quarterbacks seem to know more about what needs to be done than the coaching staff, which is beyond troubling. I place the staff on notice.
FLORIDA STATE ANALYSIS
Florida State traveled to Atlanta to take on the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, a team ranked by most in the top 15 prior to the season. Tech started out strong, but lost to Notre Dame, and was reeling sitting 2-5, with five consecutive losses. Many in the ACC originally perceived this a a big rivalry, and although the Jackets season had gone off the rails, you knew they would be ready for the Seminoles. It was a beautiful setting, one you would think the Seminoles would be fired up to showcase their talent in. But as usual, FSU started lethargic, even with the defense giving FSU some early opportunities. Horrendous play calling, very poor execution and a significant lack of strength within the red zone doomed FSU. The Seminoles had ample opportunities to go up by two scores and take Tech out of the game, but the 'Noles were unable to fond paydirt and capitalize on these chances. Tech played well, particularly on defense, seeming to confuse Nole signal caller Everett Golson. Up front, FSU had a rough night, unable to open holes, adequately pass protect and racking up egregious penalties. On many occasions, receivers were breaking free, but under duress, Golson had to get rid of the ball or did not see over the lineman struggling to pass protect.
On defense, FSU gave up big plays at really bad times. S Derwin James, a highly coveted five star safety who was having a good night, left a man to run lose allowing Tech to convert a fourth and five late. On occasion, the Seminoles stopped Tech cold when it needed to, but then on other instances it failed to do so. It would appear the loss of LB Terrance Smith and safeties Tyler Hunter and Trey Marshall hurt for this matchup, but even still, FSU should have won this game. Even still, one would thin Roberto Aguayo would be successful on his field goal effort had it not been blocked, but to allow the Tech player to pick up the ball and score to win the game is evidence of the evening. It made all the highlight reels. Fisher need the blame on this, not adapting the offensive play calling. There were very few screens, and counter plays to open up what appeared to be congested early throwing lanes for Golson. Most thought FSU would step back a bit this year, but continue to grow and set things up for the next few seasons. That appears to still be the case. With Syracuse coming in Saturday at noon, I recommend the Seminoles come out fired up to cut wood, rather than sleepwalking for a half similar to previous noon kicks this season.
TOP 25
1. Ohio State, 8-0, 1
2. Clemson, 7-0, 2
3. Baylor, 7-0, 4
4. Texas Christian, 7-0, 5
5. Louisiana State, 7-0, 6
6. Michigan State, 8-0, 8
7. Notre Dame, 6-1, 9
8. Alabama, 7-1, 10
9. Stanford, 6-1, 11
10. Florida, 6-1, 12
11. Iowa, 7-0, 13
12. Oklahoma State, 7-0, 15
13. Oklahoma, 6-1, 17
14. Utah, 6-1, 3
15. Memphis, 7-0, 16
16. Florida State, 6-1, 7
17. Houston, 7-0, 18
18. Michigan, 5-2, 19
19. Toledo, 7-0, 21
20. Duke, 6-1, 20
21. North Carolina, 6-1, 23
22. Ole Miss, 6-2, NR
23. Temple, 7-0, 24
24. Mississippi State, 6-2, 25
25. UCLA, 5-2, NR
OUT: Texas A&M (14) and California (21)
VOTES: Georgia, Southern Cal, Texas A&M, Arizona State, Wisconsin, Pittsburgh, California, Northwestern, Louisville, Brigham Young, Boise State, Cincinnati and Oregon.
NEBRASKA ANALYSIS
Nebraska welcomed what would appear to have been a beaten down Northwestern team to Lincoln, with an opportunity to build off an impressive win at Minnesota. Instead of the Big Red asserting itself and embarking on a road to string some victories together, it was Northwestern who established authority. In Lincoln. In fact, the Wildcats are a Hail Mary away from being 3-0 in their last three trips to Memorial Stadium. Nebraska is now 3-5, with losses to Illinois and Northwestern. While I have been in support of Mike Riley, I must make it very clear that this is completely unacceptable. Offensively, there are a multitude of issues. The offensive line is horrible, evidenced by the fact some Wildcat DT had a day Ndamukong Suh would be proud of, throwing around would be 'Husker blockers and defining disruption. While the staff is quick to play several players at every other position, the staff simply refuses to substitute up front. People, particularly inside, are getting their ass whipped and forcing Tommy Armstrong to run the offense under duress. Of course I am not at practice every day, but I don't think the group is this lacking in talent. Danny Langsdorf is failing miserably in play calling, seeming to attempt without fail, and failing in effort, to be balanced. Forget that crap. Run the ball; commit to it, establish an identity. Not only the 0-2 hole, but the counter, or around the perimeter. Long passes on third and short, which fail to be executed forcing punts, are inexcusable play calls. If the staff is not confident to run, then use Armstrong in a run/pass option, placing him and the offense in a position to be successful. Nebraska must be able to run when they need to, not just when they want to, which they cannot even do. This staff is responsible for this ineptitude. Armstrong, who lives under duress, threw a horrendous pick six, which gave the Cats an early leg up. Tommy needs to eliminate these critical and costly errors, or he may be in a real battle next spring if not sooner. Zach Darlington, over there on the bench, played brilliant high school football at Orlando Apopka HS, winning a state championship. Top players in Florida are usually pretty good at football. The defensive unit has shown improvement, but what seemed at the start of the year a strength in the interior defensive line, has turned into a very average group. Players are flat footed, and the secondary is reactive rather than attacking, much less playing the ball. The Northwestern quarterback, who ain't no JC Watts, got lose for several long runs putting the Cats in scoring position. Once is really not acceptable, but it happened multiple times. The linebackers seemed lost on many occasions, and the safeties, sadly inclusive of Nate Gerry, were awful. It is obvious there are issues the public is not privy to, which many thought would be the case in the aftermath of the Pelini termination, but it is the experience of Riley that was counted upon to control those types of aspects. Missing a bowl game give consideration to both Riley and his staff, and AD Shawn Echorst, to potentially losing their jobs. It is noted, the Miami team, coached by Al Golden who Eichorst embraced, got blasted 58-0 at home by Clemson. This same UM team defeated Nebraska earlier this year. Arm chair quarterbacks seem to know more about what needs to be done than the coaching staff, which is beyond troubling. I place the staff on notice.
FLORIDA STATE ANALYSIS
 |
| Grant Field at Bobby Dodd Stadium |
On defense, FSU gave up big plays at really bad times. S Derwin James, a highly coveted five star safety who was having a good night, left a man to run lose allowing Tech to convert a fourth and five late. On occasion, the Seminoles stopped Tech cold when it needed to, but then on other instances it failed to do so. It would appear the loss of LB Terrance Smith and safeties Tyler Hunter and Trey Marshall hurt for this matchup, but even still, FSU should have won this game. Even still, one would thin Roberto Aguayo would be successful on his field goal effort had it not been blocked, but to allow the Tech player to pick up the ball and score to win the game is evidence of the evening. It made all the highlight reels. Fisher need the blame on this, not adapting the offensive play calling. There were very few screens, and counter plays to open up what appeared to be congested early throwing lanes for Golson. Most thought FSU would step back a bit this year, but continue to grow and set things up for the next few seasons. That appears to still be the case. With Syracuse coming in Saturday at noon, I recommend the Seminoles come out fired up to cut wood, rather than sleepwalking for a half similar to previous noon kicks this season.
Tuesday, October 20, 2015
Time To Take Your Government Back
It has been an interesting day in the political arena, which over the last decade and a half has seemingly completed a slow creep encroachment into our daily lives.
Two examples are presented for your review.
Just today, Rep. Paul Ryan, R:WI, announced he will step in and make a run at Speaker of the House, but demanded that certain conditions be met. The Blaze reports "Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) told his GOP colleagues Tuesday night that he would seek the speakership if every Republican caucus endorsed him for the job."
The establishment is falling in line, as Rep.Jason Chaffetz @jasoninthehouse (R:UT) tweeted “I am out and supporting @RepPaulRyan for Speaker. Right person at the right time.”
No, that would be Daniel Webster, R:FL, and man of principle.
Although not even on the job yet, Ryan is demanding conditions our representatives must meet. Screw Ryan! He failed miserably to meet the one and only condition he was tasked with when the voters placed the GOP in control of the House: Stop Obama!
Among the items Ryan failed to stop Obama on was illegal immigration. But, as Conservative Review’s Daniel Horowitz recently wrote, “There is nobody around in the party who is more fanatically dedicated to the cause of open borders than Paul Ryan.” In fact, the left favors his candidacy.
Ryan, who supported the Trade Promotion Authority voted to continue funding Planned Parenthood (are you kidding me?), is a ruling class progressive who would continue governments encroachment over the citizenry.
Also today, as report by The Daily Signal, "the Senate Democrats blocked legislation that would punish “sanctuary cities” in a 54-45 vote Monday afternoon. The bill, called the Stop Sanctuary Policies and Protect Americans Act, needed to overcome a 60-vote threshold. It would withhold certain federal funding from states or cities that refuse to comply with requests from federal immigration officials to turn over immigrants who are in the country illegally". See how your Senator voted.
As Patrick J. Buchanan warned, "a country that cannot control its borders is no longer a country."
Illegal immigrants can continue to be harbored by cities promoting open borders, even if our citizens are getting killed. Bill O'Reilly is torqued, and so am I.
Enough. It is time to take your government back from the ruling class elitists who think they can control your lives and make better decisions for how you should conduct your life than you can.
Two examples are presented for your review.
Just today, Rep. Paul Ryan, R:WI, announced he will step in and make a run at Speaker of the House, but demanded that certain conditions be met. The Blaze reports "Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) told his GOP colleagues Tuesday night that he would seek the speakership if every Republican caucus endorsed him for the job."
The establishment is falling in line, as Rep.Jason Chaffetz @jasoninthehouse (R:UT) tweeted “I am out and supporting @RepPaulRyan for Speaker. Right person at the right time.”
No, that would be Daniel Webster, R:FL, and man of principle.
Although not even on the job yet, Ryan is demanding conditions our representatives must meet. Screw Ryan! He failed miserably to meet the one and only condition he was tasked with when the voters placed the GOP in control of the House: Stop Obama!
Among the items Ryan failed to stop Obama on was illegal immigration. But, as Conservative Review’s Daniel Horowitz recently wrote, “There is nobody around in the party who is more fanatically dedicated to the cause of open borders than Paul Ryan.” In fact, the left favors his candidacy.
Ryan, who supported the Trade Promotion Authority voted to continue funding Planned Parenthood (are you kidding me?), is a ruling class progressive who would continue governments encroachment over the citizenry.
Also today, as report by The Daily Signal, "the Senate Democrats blocked legislation that would punish “sanctuary cities” in a 54-45 vote Monday afternoon. The bill, called the Stop Sanctuary Policies and Protect Americans Act, needed to overcome a 60-vote threshold. It would withhold certain federal funding from states or cities that refuse to comply with requests from federal immigration officials to turn over immigrants who are in the country illegally". See how your Senator voted.
As Patrick J. Buchanan warned, "a country that cannot control its borders is no longer a country."
Illegal immigrants can continue to be harbored by cities promoting open borders, even if our citizens are getting killed. Bill O'Reilly is torqued, and so am I.
Enough. It is time to take your government back from the ruling class elitists who think they can control your lives and make better decisions for how you should conduct your life than you can.
Sunday, October 18, 2015
The Color & Pageantry Top 25
College Football
Top 25
1. Ohio State, 7-0, 1
2. Clemson, 6-0, 6
3. Utah, 6-0, 7
4. Baylor, 6-0, 4
5. Texas Christian, 7-0, 3
6. Louisiana State, 6-0, 2
7. Florida State, 6-0, 12
8. Michigan State, 7-0, 9
9. Notre Dame, 6-1, 13
10. Alabama, 6-1, 11
11. Stanford, 5-1, 15
12. Florida, 6-1, 5
13. Iowa, 7-0, 16
14. Texas A&M, 5-1, 8
15. Oklahoma State, 6-0, 16
16. Memphis, 6-0, NR
17. Oklahoma, 5-1, 23
18. Houston, 5-0, 21
19. Michigan, 5-2, 14
20. Duke, 5-1, 18
21. California, 5-1, NR
22. Toledo, 6-0, NR
23. North Carolina, 5-1, NR
24. Temple, 6-0, NR
25. Mississippi State, 5-2, 21
OUT: Ole Miss (10), Arizona State (19), UCLA, (20), Northwestern (24) and Boise State (25)
VOTES: Georgia, Ole Miss, Wisconsin, Miami, Auburn, Tennessee, Arizona State, UCLA, Pittsburgh, Southern Cal, Louisville, Brigham Young, Kentucky, Northwestern, Utah State, Missouri, Nebraska, Cincinnati, Boise State, West Virginia and Arizona.
NATIONAL ANALYSIS
What on earth could we possibly add to the incredible finish at the Big House as Michigan State, who never led until they did, returned a botched punt to defeat Michigan in a play for all the ages.
Michigan led the game when the 60:00 expired, but the live play culminated with Sparty in paydirt on a most improbable play. Michigan State is mighty happy today, but they were exposed as an impostor, at least at this point, to discussions of the playoff......We knew Memphis was a well coached team who was much better than most anyone thought, but we had no idea that after being down 14-0, they would steamroll Ole Miss, who is obviously not all that well coached considering the talent they possess. A mock draft came out recently, which had three Rebel players in the top ten. The Landsharks look like a collection of five star recruits that don't necessarily play well as a team. Tiger coach Justin Fuentes will be a top target for a top job, perhaps with South Carolina...... Rutgers stormed back from a huge deficit to top Indiana at Bloomington.....BAMA exposed A&M, and LSU had trouble defeating Florida as both are either pretty doggone good or not so good; who really knows.....Arizona State could not win at Utah, and Oregon got a much needed win at Washington......Boise State had 7 first half turnovers, no joke, and got blasted by Utah State....North Carolina, who lost week one versus So. Carolina after having three red zone turnovers, is now 5-1 and the schedule is mighty friendly.....Iowa could run the table, but just when you get on board with Iowa, well, you know.....Southern Cal put up a big fight, but lost at Notre Dame....Clemson is positioning themselves for the playoff if they can knock of FSU in Death Valley in three weeks....The wheels have come off Georgia Tech, who took a home loss to Pitt to fall to 2-5. Big things were expected this fall, but the Rambling got wrecked for some reason.
FLORIDA STATE ANALYSIS
Louisville came into Tallahassee at 2-3, but they were the best 2-3 team in America, with losses to Auburn, Houston and Clemson. The Cardinal have plenty of young talent, are well coached, and fear nobody. Once again, Florida State entered a noon kickoff sleepwalking, and with Louisville stacking the box to stop Dalvin Cook, things did not go well on offense for FSU in the first half. FSU had to feel their way, trying to find ways to force Louisville out of the box. Struggles on the offensive line hurt the effort, and OL Coach Rick Trickett had to have a sideline meeting to get things going. All the while, although Louisville moved the ball, converting several long third down plays, the Seminole defense did a good job of tightening when needed. Louisville led 7-6 at the half. In the second half, Florida State made some quality adjustments up front and exercised a plan allowing Golson to utilize his legs running and with some short throws to open things up. Kermit Whitfield, who is really emerging, made a house call and Dalvin Cook, who is reserving a spot for himself in New York for the Heisman presentation, got loose on a number of plays to give the Seminoles a commanding lead. FSU kept up the pressure on Louisville, and won going away 41-21. It was a quality win over a quality opponent in what could be considered a trap game, coming off a victory over rival Miami and prior to a road trip to Atlanta to tackle Georgia Tech, who although is surprisingly having a rough year, is always primed to play their best when FSU rolls into Bobby Dodd. Although Louisville was 2-3 coming into the game, the Cards had settled upon a starting quarterback, who while young, possess top athleticism and exhibits a high level of maturity. The Cards are a fine football team, and this was without question a quality win for the Seminoles. FSU, along with Everett Golson at quarterback, continue to take steps in growth and are on their way to being a very good football team. On a negative note, it looks as though Trey Marshall may have broken an arm and may be lost for much if not all of the remaining season. His loss hurts FSU, and personnel adjustments within the secondary will need to take place. However, the 'Noles, with Dalvin Cook having a special season and Everett Golson finding his groove without any turnovers, march on.
NEBRASKA ANALYSIS
Everything that could go wrong for Nebraska in 2015 has gone wrong. Four losses, by a total of 11 points, have enraged the fan base. Adding to the sting, the Big Red was tied or had the lead in each of these games with 0:11 on the clock. On top of that, the defense has been ravaged by injuries, adding turmoil to a defensive backfield that has forgot how to cover anyone; dead last in pass defense in the nation. The scorecard heading into a road trip to Minnesota, who has beaten Nebraska two straight seasons, was nothing but unacceptable. On the plus side, the locker room seemed in tact, and if so, it was only a matter of time before Nebraska played a reasonably complete game and whipped somebody. That day would be on this day, as Nebraska defeated Minnesota going away 48-25. Two mentalities needed to be turned upside down. First, the Gophers thought they would beat Nebraska, in similar fashion to how they have the last two games and second, Nebraska had to mentally record that they will not allow bad things to occur late in the game, allowing Nebraska to snatch defeat from victory again as usual. Nebraska got going early and often, leading 24-14 at the half. The 'Huskers mixed the run and pass effectively, with Tommy Armstrong rebounding to play well, utilizing his receivers in dynamic fashion. DeMornay Pierson-El not only snared a TD catch between two defenders, but broke loose on a punt return in the first half to set up a score. The Big Red stuffed the run all day, applied adequate pressure on the quarterback and gave the secondary a chance to improve their game. Make no mistake, the Gophers are not an elite passing outfit, but that does not necessarily matter when you suck at coverage, as the Gophers threw for 300 yards. Obviously, there were breakdowns; too many of them. However, the scorecard on this day showed improvement, with some defenders occasionally looking for the football, and with Josh Kalu sealing the day with a 41 yard pick six. Offensively, Terrell Newby ran for 118 and Armstrong, raising his completion percentage, was 18-26 for 261 yards. The 'Huskers were balanced, and did not make too many head scratching offensive play calls, although there were some late moments. Nebraska must win three of their remaining five games, which include undefeated teams Michigan State and Iowa, just to make a bowl game. It must happen. Nebraska could win them all, just seemingly as easily as they could lose them all. If the 'Huskers can play like they did on Saturday, odds favor they win most of the remaining games. It is hoped they show continued improvement, and do not beat themselves. It does have the look; however, that Saturday may have been a turning point for the better. Maybe, just maybe, we ran right out of bad luck.
Top 25
1. Ohio State, 7-0, 1
2. Clemson, 6-0, 6
3. Utah, 6-0, 7
4. Baylor, 6-0, 4
5. Texas Christian, 7-0, 3
6. Louisiana State, 6-0, 2
7. Florida State, 6-0, 12
8. Michigan State, 7-0, 9
9. Notre Dame, 6-1, 13
10. Alabama, 6-1, 11
11. Stanford, 5-1, 15
12. Florida, 6-1, 5
13. Iowa, 7-0, 16
14. Texas A&M, 5-1, 8
15. Oklahoma State, 6-0, 16
16. Memphis, 6-0, NR
17. Oklahoma, 5-1, 23
18. Houston, 5-0, 21
19. Michigan, 5-2, 14
20. Duke, 5-1, 18
21. California, 5-1, NR
22. Toledo, 6-0, NR
23. North Carolina, 5-1, NR
24. Temple, 6-0, NR
25. Mississippi State, 5-2, 21
OUT: Ole Miss (10), Arizona State (19), UCLA, (20), Northwestern (24) and Boise State (25)
VOTES: Georgia, Ole Miss, Wisconsin, Miami, Auburn, Tennessee, Arizona State, UCLA, Pittsburgh, Southern Cal, Louisville, Brigham Young, Kentucky, Northwestern, Utah State, Missouri, Nebraska, Cincinnati, Boise State, West Virginia and Arizona.
NATIONAL ANALYSIS
What on earth could we possibly add to the incredible finish at the Big House as Michigan State, who never led until they did, returned a botched punt to defeat Michigan in a play for all the ages.
Michigan led the game when the 60:00 expired, but the live play culminated with Sparty in paydirt on a most improbable play. Michigan State is mighty happy today, but they were exposed as an impostor, at least at this point, to discussions of the playoff......We knew Memphis was a well coached team who was much better than most anyone thought, but we had no idea that after being down 14-0, they would steamroll Ole Miss, who is obviously not all that well coached considering the talent they possess. A mock draft came out recently, which had three Rebel players in the top ten. The Landsharks look like a collection of five star recruits that don't necessarily play well as a team. Tiger coach Justin Fuentes will be a top target for a top job, perhaps with South Carolina...... Rutgers stormed back from a huge deficit to top Indiana at Bloomington.....BAMA exposed A&M, and LSU had trouble defeating Florida as both are either pretty doggone good or not so good; who really knows.....Arizona State could not win at Utah, and Oregon got a much needed win at Washington......Boise State had 7 first half turnovers, no joke, and got blasted by Utah State....North Carolina, who lost week one versus So. Carolina after having three red zone turnovers, is now 5-1 and the schedule is mighty friendly.....Iowa could run the table, but just when you get on board with Iowa, well, you know.....Southern Cal put up a big fight, but lost at Notre Dame....Clemson is positioning themselves for the playoff if they can knock of FSU in Death Valley in three weeks....The wheels have come off Georgia Tech, who took a home loss to Pitt to fall to 2-5. Big things were expected this fall, but the Rambling got wrecked for some reason.
FLORIDA STATE ANALYSIS
Louisville came into Tallahassee at 2-3, but they were the best 2-3 team in America, with losses to Auburn, Houston and Clemson. The Cardinal have plenty of young talent, are well coached, and fear nobody. Once again, Florida State entered a noon kickoff sleepwalking, and with Louisville stacking the box to stop Dalvin Cook, things did not go well on offense for FSU in the first half. FSU had to feel their way, trying to find ways to force Louisville out of the box. Struggles on the offensive line hurt the effort, and OL Coach Rick Trickett had to have a sideline meeting to get things going. All the while, although Louisville moved the ball, converting several long third down plays, the Seminole defense did a good job of tightening when needed. Louisville led 7-6 at the half. In the second half, Florida State made some quality adjustments up front and exercised a plan allowing Golson to utilize his legs running and with some short throws to open things up. Kermit Whitfield, who is really emerging, made a house call and Dalvin Cook, who is reserving a spot for himself in New York for the Heisman presentation, got loose on a number of plays to give the Seminoles a commanding lead. FSU kept up the pressure on Louisville, and won going away 41-21. It was a quality win over a quality opponent in what could be considered a trap game, coming off a victory over rival Miami and prior to a road trip to Atlanta to tackle Georgia Tech, who although is surprisingly having a rough year, is always primed to play their best when FSU rolls into Bobby Dodd. Although Louisville was 2-3 coming into the game, the Cards had settled upon a starting quarterback, who while young, possess top athleticism and exhibits a high level of maturity. The Cards are a fine football team, and this was without question a quality win for the Seminoles. FSU, along with Everett Golson at quarterback, continue to take steps in growth and are on their way to being a very good football team. On a negative note, it looks as though Trey Marshall may have broken an arm and may be lost for much if not all of the remaining season. His loss hurts FSU, and personnel adjustments within the secondary will need to take place. However, the 'Noles, with Dalvin Cook having a special season and Everett Golson finding his groove without any turnovers, march on.
NEBRASKA ANALYSIS
Everything that could go wrong for Nebraska in 2015 has gone wrong. Four losses, by a total of 11 points, have enraged the fan base. Adding to the sting, the Big Red was tied or had the lead in each of these games with 0:11 on the clock. On top of that, the defense has been ravaged by injuries, adding turmoil to a defensive backfield that has forgot how to cover anyone; dead last in pass defense in the nation. The scorecard heading into a road trip to Minnesota, who has beaten Nebraska two straight seasons, was nothing but unacceptable. On the plus side, the locker room seemed in tact, and if so, it was only a matter of time before Nebraska played a reasonably complete game and whipped somebody. That day would be on this day, as Nebraska defeated Minnesota going away 48-25. Two mentalities needed to be turned upside down. First, the Gophers thought they would beat Nebraska, in similar fashion to how they have the last two games and second, Nebraska had to mentally record that they will not allow bad things to occur late in the game, allowing Nebraska to snatch defeat from victory again as usual. Nebraska got going early and often, leading 24-14 at the half. The 'Huskers mixed the run and pass effectively, with Tommy Armstrong rebounding to play well, utilizing his receivers in dynamic fashion. DeMornay Pierson-El not only snared a TD catch between two defenders, but broke loose on a punt return in the first half to set up a score. The Big Red stuffed the run all day, applied adequate pressure on the quarterback and gave the secondary a chance to improve their game. Make no mistake, the Gophers are not an elite passing outfit, but that does not necessarily matter when you suck at coverage, as the Gophers threw for 300 yards. Obviously, there were breakdowns; too many of them. However, the scorecard on this day showed improvement, with some defenders occasionally looking for the football, and with Josh Kalu sealing the day with a 41 yard pick six. Offensively, Terrell Newby ran for 118 and Armstrong, raising his completion percentage, was 18-26 for 261 yards. The 'Huskers were balanced, and did not make too many head scratching offensive play calls, although there were some late moments. Nebraska must win three of their remaining five games, which include undefeated teams Michigan State and Iowa, just to make a bowl game. It must happen. Nebraska could win them all, just seemingly as easily as they could lose them all. If the 'Huskers can play like they did on Saturday, odds favor they win most of the remaining games. It is hoped they show continued improvement, and do not beat themselves. It does have the look; however, that Saturday may have been a turning point for the better. Maybe, just maybe, we ran right out of bad luck.
Thursday, October 15, 2015
An Emerging Threat
An arrogance to large to relinquish power can corrupt individuals with great intentions, much less those drunken with narcissism.
Without question, there are some similarities here to take note of, and with Obama seeking to become Secretary General of the United Nations post presidency, alarms sounding over the potential loss of US sovereignty and individual freedom should be eardrum piercing.
Without question, there are some similarities here to take note of, and with Obama seeking to become Secretary General of the United Nations post presidency, alarms sounding over the potential loss of US sovereignty and individual freedom should be eardrum piercing.
Sunday, October 11, 2015
The Color & Pageantry Top 25
College Football
Top 25
1. Ohio State, 6-0, 1
2. Louisiana State, 5-0, 2
3. Texas Christian, 6-0, 3
4. Baylor, 5-0, 4
5. Florida, 6-0, 5
6. Clemson, 5-0, 6
7. Utah, 5-0, 7
8. Texas A&M, 5-0, 9
9. Michigan State, 6-0, 8
10. Ole Miss, 5-1, 10
11. Alabama, 5-1, 11
12. Florida State, 5-0, 13
13. Notre Dame, 5-1, 14
14. Michigan, 5-1, 19
15. Stanford, 4-1, 16
16. Oklahoma State, 6-0, 21
17. Iowa, 6-0, 22
18. Duke, 5-1, 24
19. Arizona State, 3-2, 25
20. UCLA, 4-1, 20
23. Oklahoma, 4-1, 12
24. Northwestern, 5-1, 15
25. Boise State, 5-1, NR
OUT: Southern Cal (17), Georgia (18) and California (23)
VOTES: Toledo, Auburn, California, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Western Kentucky, Memphis, Tennessee, Georgia, Arizona, Texas Tech, Temple, Washington, Brigham Young, West Virginia, Kansas State, Cincinnati, Southern Cal, Miami, North Carolina and Louisville.
NEBRASKA ANALYSIS
It was another afternoon of misery for Cornhusker nation on Saturday, as Nebraska fell to Wisconsin 23-21 on a last second field goal. Nebraska has lost four games by 11 points, each with the opposing team scoring on essentially the last play from scrimmage. An argument could be made that the Big Red should be 6-0, but the reality is you are what your record says you area, and that is a mind boggling, and completely unacceptable, 2-4. I won't get into the particulars of the game, for which Nebraska appeared at any junction poised to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. A pedestrian Wisconsin, whose vaunted running game was limping, found opportunity to throw for over 300 yards, and engineer two very late fourth quarter drives of 70+ yards to derail the Cornhuskers. Like many, I supported the parting of ways with former coach Bo Pelini. In addition, I have long admired Mike Riley, knowing he was a man of character who was accomplishing quite a bit at Oregon State, which has a minimal foot print in comparison to Nebraska. I never could have imagined what is taking place currently. Some of the issues are not his fault. It has been reported former DL coach Rick Kazenski, who interestingly enough remains unemployed in coaching, is in contact with current players and attempting to sabotage the current staff among his former players. I don't know if this is true, but if it is, somebody needs to get in the face of this disgruntled and bitter man. And any players who harbor resentment for the current staff out of loyalty to the former staff need to pack their bags. Plenty is the fault of Riley. His offensive coordinator, Danny Langsdorf, is failing miserably at play calling and it has now almost directly cost us two games. As Damon Benning, a former Husker I-back and now 1620 The Zone talk show host, has often said, Nebraska needs to be able to run the ball when they need to, not just when they want to. Well, who is our running back? Newby does not seem to be the guy, Cross is fairly stated a fullback, which Janovich is. Devine Ozigbo has gotten some work, and Mikale Wilbon is missing. On Saturday, Nebraska burned the redshirt of 4* recruit Jordan Stevenson to apparently return a few kickoffs, which is a complete mystery to most. Can he figure in? It is truly mind boggling. After starting the season strong, Tommy Armstrong has not only regressed from this year, but has fallen to depths not even seen last year. He is passing well under 50% the last two games, that is not going to cut it. The line is not blocking well, and when Armstrong goes back to pass in the pocket, he is under immediate duress. Given this, the play calling being exhibited are very poor. Armstrong has some talents, some of which would lend themselves to some plays that appear to missing from the Big Red playbook.
Perhaps Langsdorf could put the following play Florida State ran into the playbook:
Did you see Trevone Boykin run a naked bootleg for 69 versus K-State? Try that.
Langdorf looks very limited with respect to play calling, not utilizing player strengths, down and distance factors, failing to break tendencies and overall game management. For once, let Armstrong use his legs, which would open the field up and cause pause on the pass rush. His skill set is not throwing out of the pocket, so change the QB if you are going to continue to call these ineffective plays. On defense, the defense did play better the last two weeks. However, significant problems remain. The secondary players do not play the ball. They could have picked off Wisconsin all night long if only the NU defenders turned to find the ball. Since they do not do that, they lose receivers and place themselves in position to make inadvertent contact with said receivers opening up the possibility to penalized. And boy howdy, does Nebraska get penalized, often after a big play. It is worth noting Nebraska got flagged for five players in the backfield, for like the third game in a row. Opponents are having entirely too much success converting third and long plays, due to base defenses being played. This is a mess, and now, given the ineptitude already exhibited, a bowl game is in question. Should Riley fail to get Nebraska into a bowl game; he should be terminated.
FLORIDA STATE ANALYSIS
It is a rivalry. Miami came to Tallahassee with absolutely nothing to lose perhaps hoping to save the job of Al Golden. Dalvin Cook immediately hit paydirt, and FSU appeared ready to run Miami out of town on a rail, perhaps going up 21-3. A potential TD catch was overturn, and FSU led 17-3. You have to give the Hurricanes some credit, as they hung in. FSU had trouble extending the margin, primarily due to the receivers falling to execute. Golson played very well, raising his game on this night, and his command, with no turnovers, was great, finishing 25-33 for 291 yards. Thankfully, Cook was healthy enough to put on a clinic and almost took out the Canes by himself. There is little doubt that Cook is the best back at FSU since Warrick Dunn, and he may even be better. The film rewind in my mind is gathering dust on Greg Allen, but man is Cook an elite player. At the end of the night, Cook finished with 222 yards on 22 carries, and pulled up a bit lame on a run he was loose for paydirt. FSU was impacted early defensively by Trey Marshall being tossed for targeting (targeting is really getting out of hand), which made coaches adjust in the secondary. LB Terrance Smith was out, and S Nate Andrews was hobbled, but Andrews had to come in and make do. There were breakdowns. FSU had trouble covering slot receivers, sometimes having safeties unable to keep up with backs and receivers. Miami QB Brad Kaaya hit some throws, and hit Stacy Coley on a touchdown out running FSU safety Tyler Hunter going away to take a 24-23 lead. But, Dalvin Cook took over again, and coupled with some nice plays by Golson, FSU added a touchdown on a 22 yard run by Cook to take a 29-24 lead. The two point effort failed. The Seminole defense stood tall, and now the Seminoles have won six in a row over the Hurricanes. Will Miami fold again? We will see, but they do deserve some credit for hanging in. It could have been 45-7. For the Seminoles, this was a major test, for Miami was a quality opponent which would require FSU to raise their level of play. They did, with Fisher calling a very good game for the most part, and remain undefeated. Louisville, a decent 2-3 team, will provide a test at DOAK, as it has the feel of a trap game with FSU at Ga. Tech the following week.
Top 25
1. Ohio State, 6-0, 1
2. Louisiana State, 5-0, 2
3. Texas Christian, 6-0, 3
4. Baylor, 5-0, 4
5. Florida, 6-0, 5
6. Clemson, 5-0, 6
7. Utah, 5-0, 7
8. Texas A&M, 5-0, 9
9. Michigan State, 6-0, 8
10. Ole Miss, 5-1, 10
11. Alabama, 5-1, 11
12. Florida State, 5-0, 13
13. Notre Dame, 5-1, 14
14. Michigan, 5-1, 19
15. Stanford, 4-1, 16
16. Oklahoma State, 6-0, 21
17. Iowa, 6-0, 22
18. Duke, 5-1, 24
19. Arizona State, 3-2, 25
20. UCLA, 4-1, 20
21. Mississippi State, 4-2, NR
22. Houston, 5-0, NR23. Oklahoma, 4-1, 12
24. Northwestern, 5-1, 15
25. Boise State, 5-1, NR
OUT: Southern Cal (17), Georgia (18) and California (23)
VOTES: Toledo, Auburn, California, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Western Kentucky, Memphis, Tennessee, Georgia, Arizona, Texas Tech, Temple, Washington, Brigham Young, West Virginia, Kansas State, Cincinnati, Southern Cal, Miami, North Carolina and Louisville.
NEBRASKA ANALYSIS
It was another afternoon of misery for Cornhusker nation on Saturday, as Nebraska fell to Wisconsin 23-21 on a last second field goal. Nebraska has lost four games by 11 points, each with the opposing team scoring on essentially the last play from scrimmage. An argument could be made that the Big Red should be 6-0, but the reality is you are what your record says you area, and that is a mind boggling, and completely unacceptable, 2-4. I won't get into the particulars of the game, for which Nebraska appeared at any junction poised to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. A pedestrian Wisconsin, whose vaunted running game was limping, found opportunity to throw for over 300 yards, and engineer two very late fourth quarter drives of 70+ yards to derail the Cornhuskers. Like many, I supported the parting of ways with former coach Bo Pelini. In addition, I have long admired Mike Riley, knowing he was a man of character who was accomplishing quite a bit at Oregon State, which has a minimal foot print in comparison to Nebraska. I never could have imagined what is taking place currently. Some of the issues are not his fault. It has been reported former DL coach Rick Kazenski, who interestingly enough remains unemployed in coaching, is in contact with current players and attempting to sabotage the current staff among his former players. I don't know if this is true, but if it is, somebody needs to get in the face of this disgruntled and bitter man. And any players who harbor resentment for the current staff out of loyalty to the former staff need to pack their bags. Plenty is the fault of Riley. His offensive coordinator, Danny Langsdorf, is failing miserably at play calling and it has now almost directly cost us two games. As Damon Benning, a former Husker I-back and now 1620 The Zone talk show host, has often said, Nebraska needs to be able to run the ball when they need to, not just when they want to. Well, who is our running back? Newby does not seem to be the guy, Cross is fairly stated a fullback, which Janovich is. Devine Ozigbo has gotten some work, and Mikale Wilbon is missing. On Saturday, Nebraska burned the redshirt of 4* recruit Jordan Stevenson to apparently return a few kickoffs, which is a complete mystery to most. Can he figure in? It is truly mind boggling. After starting the season strong, Tommy Armstrong has not only regressed from this year, but has fallen to depths not even seen last year. He is passing well under 50% the last two games, that is not going to cut it. The line is not blocking well, and when Armstrong goes back to pass in the pocket, he is under immediate duress. Given this, the play calling being exhibited are very poor. Armstrong has some talents, some of which would lend themselves to some plays that appear to missing from the Big Red playbook.
Perhaps Langsdorf could put the following play Florida State ran into the playbook:
Did you see Trevone Boykin run a naked bootleg for 69 versus K-State? Try that.
Langdorf looks very limited with respect to play calling, not utilizing player strengths, down and distance factors, failing to break tendencies and overall game management. For once, let Armstrong use his legs, which would open the field up and cause pause on the pass rush. His skill set is not throwing out of the pocket, so change the QB if you are going to continue to call these ineffective plays. On defense, the defense did play better the last two weeks. However, significant problems remain. The secondary players do not play the ball. They could have picked off Wisconsin all night long if only the NU defenders turned to find the ball. Since they do not do that, they lose receivers and place themselves in position to make inadvertent contact with said receivers opening up the possibility to penalized. And boy howdy, does Nebraska get penalized, often after a big play. It is worth noting Nebraska got flagged for five players in the backfield, for like the third game in a row. Opponents are having entirely too much success converting third and long plays, due to base defenses being played. This is a mess, and now, given the ineptitude already exhibited, a bowl game is in question. Should Riley fail to get Nebraska into a bowl game; he should be terminated.
FLORIDA STATE ANALYSIS
 |
| Dalvin Cook/Florida State photo/Fansided.com |
Monday, October 5, 2015
America Key is Individual Power
--Over time, he feared, the state would take away citizens’ free will, their capacity to think and act, reducing them to “a herd of timid and industrious animals of which the government is the shepherd."
de Tocqueville, with his background providing the frame for his unique position for evaluation of America's place in the world, was absolutely spot on. As noted in the fine piece at Daily Signal astutely analyzing de Tocqueville and his conclusions, he critiqued in "the spirit of friendship."
Quoting from the piece, de Tocqueville wanted us to “remember constantly that a nation cannot long remain strong when each man in it is individually weak, and that neither social forms nor political schemes have yet been found that can make a people energetic by composing it of pusillanimous and soft citizens.”
Alexis de Tocqueville should be required reading for high school, if not middle school students, throughout America's public school system. I might ask the members of Congress to familiarize themselves as well.
 |
| Alexis de Tocqueville |
Quoting from the piece, de Tocqueville wanted us to “remember constantly that a nation cannot long remain strong when each man in it is individually weak, and that neither social forms nor political schemes have yet been found that can make a people energetic by composing it of pusillanimous and soft citizens.”
Alexis de Tocqueville should be required reading for high school, if not middle school students, throughout America's public school system. I might ask the members of Congress to familiarize themselves as well.
Sunday, October 4, 2015
The Color & Pageantry Top 25
College Football
Top 25
Top 25
1. Ohio
State, 5-0, 1
2. Louisiana
State, 4-0, 5
3. Texas Christian, 5-0, 7
4. Baylor, 4-0, 8
5. Florida, 5-0, 23
6. Clemson, 4-0, 15
7. Utah, 4-0, 10
8. Michigan State, 5-0, 6
9. Texas AM, 5-0, 13
10. Ole Miss, 4-1, 3
11. Alabama, 4-1, 11
12. Oklahoma, 4-0, 14
13. Florida
State, 4-0, 12
14. Notre Dame,
4-1, 2
15. Northwestern,
5-0, 16
16. Stanford,
4-1, 17
17. Southern Cal,
3-1, 18
18. Georgia, 4-1,
9
19. Michigan,
4-1, 19
20. UCLA, 4-1, 4
21. Oklahoma
State, 5-0, 21
22. Iowa, 5-0, NR
23. California,
5-0, NR
24. Duke, 4-1, 25
25. Arizona
State, 3-2, NR
OUT: Mississippi
State (20), Wisconsin (19) and West Virginia (24)
VOTES: Mississippi
State, Oregon, Boise State, Wisconsin, Memphis, Houston, Toledo, West Virginia,
Temple, Auburn, Arizona, Louisville and North Carolina.
FLORIDA STATE ANALYIS
It was rainy and cold up at Wake Forest, but even still, given the recent success the Seminoles have had with the Deacons, it seemed an opportune time for FSU to get the offense cranked up. A three and out in the first drive, with three dropped or misfired passes, prohibited FSU from getting off to a good start. But, Dalvin Cook got loose for a 94 yard TD, the third longest run in Nole history, and FSU led 7-0. The Seminole defensive unit was expected to stifle the Deacons, but it was not the case. Wake threw quick passes, and had their dual threat quarterback use his feet, which alarmingly seemed to confuse the Seminole stop troops. Meanwhile, Cook got a hamstring and the offense seemed to stall. Jonathan Vickers played well in relief, but things were not happening. Golson had moments,and protected the ball, but the offensive effort we saw on Saturday will not get it done against Miami, who is coming to Tallahassee on Saturday night. Additionally, the defensive unit, which lost Nate Andrews and Terrance Smith early, did not appear synced up and looked somewhat confused. Even All America CB Jalen Ramsey had passes completed in front of him. That being said, Wake only scored 16 points. FSU has not really played anyone yet, so we really do not have much of a idea yet. Boston College is not bad on defense, and offensively, BC and Wake tried the same approach. Although Miami has issues of their own, they have much better athletes and next level speed and will test FSU at DOAK Saturday. Perhaps FSU has been sleepwalking, but we will need to see much better offensive prowess and more aggressive defense, not only to beat Miami, but win the tough three game stretch upcoming, which after Miami includes a home tilt with Louisville and a road trip to surprisingly struggling Georgia Tech.
NEBRASKA ANALYSIS
I am at a loss to describe what I had just witnessed. Nebraska's loss at Illinois, after leading for 59:54, is nothing short of inexcusable. This one lands squarely in the lap of the coaching staff, whose mind boggling play calling and inexplicable game and clock management allowed Nebraska to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Omaha World Herald writers Sam McKewon, who described the weather was similar to the ocean banks of Scotland and Tom Shatel, who noted the game was played "in weather that wrecked the Edmund Fitzgerald", the 'Huskers seemed bound and determined to toss the pigskin hither and yon with little to no success. Tommy Armstrong, who was 10-31, regressed considerably from earlier strong efforts this season. Impacted by the wind to be sure, Armstrong attempted way too many passes of 20+ yards with little if anything to show for it, much of the time rolling out of the pocket under duress. There was quite a bit of previous chatter suggesting OC Danny Langsdorf is a great coach, but after some questionable play calling in the first two games, the game plan was pitiful on Saturday, seemingly with no adjustments during the contest when it was obvious to Foghorn Leghorn they were needed. The offensive line is not good, and Coach Mike Cavanaugh, who many thought was perhaps the best coach Riley brought with him from Oregon State, needs to reevaluate. Coach Mike wants to stick with the same group seeking consistency, but that consistency includes poor pass blocking and a failure to own the line of scrimmage, and apparently includes a member of the unit running his mouth and going rogue. Damon Benning, a former 'Husker RB turned radio host on 1620 The Zone in Omaha, accurately says that Nebraska must run the ball not only when they want to, but when they have to. At Illinois, they needed to to run the clock out, but did not do so, either because they were not confident they could do so or the coaching staff stubbornly desired to throw it. Down and distance play calling sucked, with Armstrong throwing downfield on 3rd and 3 repeatedly into a swirling wind. Westerkamp caught one pass for one yard, and that alarm bell rings loud. With Terrell Newby his steady average, Devine Ozigbo was inserted and seems to run with authority having very good situational awareness. Ozigbo should have gotten opportunities to carry the rock much earlier in the year. Two horrendous play calls late in the game, which seemed to be the same bootleg pass play, failed miserably dropping incomplete taking no time off the clock while two runs would have almost expired the time. The defense played much better, but wilted late between the continuous firing of passes deep and officials calling pass interference every other play. Nate Gerry let a receiver get behind him on Illinois last drive, which is inexcusable given Gerry's veteran status. Chris Weber payed well at linebacker, and the DL was better. Rose appeared to remain lost, and Cockrell was hit and miss in the secondary. I was fine with the Riley hire, but had concern over him bringing over much of his staff. Nebraska was almost 4-0 coming in to this game, but was 2-2. The team has been and is plagues by injuries, and does not have top level talent. But, Nebraska is 2-3 for the first time since 1959! I was not born yet! Much of the damage done to Nebraska has been self inflicted, and although there were signs in the first four games (the Hail Mary versus BYU, the OT interception thrown to nobody at Miami and the late game meltdown vs. Southern Miss) that the coaching staff was in over their head both in play calling and game management, it became clear to everyone that it is in fact the case. This loss to a below average Illinois team, and I do not care if the game was played in a hurricane, is the type of loss that will not be tolerated. Coach Riley and the staff may want to hold off any discussion with Realtors about getting settled in Lincoln, because this butter loss is strike one, and the batter resembles Omar Infante rather than Alex Gordon. Not only should Riley be on notice after this, but so should AD Shawn Eichorst. A beatable Wisconsin team comes to Lincoln on Saturday, and it would behoove the coaching staff to be ready and put the players in position to win. Without any question, this is a must win game for Riley and the Big Red, and further game management mistakes will be registered in red. At worst, Nebraska should be 4-1, and it appears the coaching staff is sadly to blame for the win loss deficit. Time to get correct; now.
It was rainy and cold up at Wake Forest, but even still, given the recent success the Seminoles have had with the Deacons, it seemed an opportune time for FSU to get the offense cranked up. A three and out in the first drive, with three dropped or misfired passes, prohibited FSU from getting off to a good start. But, Dalvin Cook got loose for a 94 yard TD, the third longest run in Nole history, and FSU led 7-0. The Seminole defensive unit was expected to stifle the Deacons, but it was not the case. Wake threw quick passes, and had their dual threat quarterback use his feet, which alarmingly seemed to confuse the Seminole stop troops. Meanwhile, Cook got a hamstring and the offense seemed to stall. Jonathan Vickers played well in relief, but things were not happening. Golson had moments,and protected the ball, but the offensive effort we saw on Saturday will not get it done against Miami, who is coming to Tallahassee on Saturday night. Additionally, the defensive unit, which lost Nate Andrews and Terrance Smith early, did not appear synced up and looked somewhat confused. Even All America CB Jalen Ramsey had passes completed in front of him. That being said, Wake only scored 16 points. FSU has not really played anyone yet, so we really do not have much of a idea yet. Boston College is not bad on defense, and offensively, BC and Wake tried the same approach. Although Miami has issues of their own, they have much better athletes and next level speed and will test FSU at DOAK Saturday. Perhaps FSU has been sleepwalking, but we will need to see much better offensive prowess and more aggressive defense, not only to beat Miami, but win the tough three game stretch upcoming, which after Miami includes a home tilt with Louisville and a road trip to surprisingly struggling Georgia Tech.
NEBRASKA ANALYSIS
I am at a loss to describe what I had just witnessed. Nebraska's loss at Illinois, after leading for 59:54, is nothing short of inexcusable. This one lands squarely in the lap of the coaching staff, whose mind boggling play calling and inexplicable game and clock management allowed Nebraska to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Omaha World Herald writers Sam McKewon, who described the weather was similar to the ocean banks of Scotland and Tom Shatel, who noted the game was played "in weather that wrecked the Edmund Fitzgerald", the 'Huskers seemed bound and determined to toss the pigskin hither and yon with little to no success. Tommy Armstrong, who was 10-31, regressed considerably from earlier strong efforts this season. Impacted by the wind to be sure, Armstrong attempted way too many passes of 20+ yards with little if anything to show for it, much of the time rolling out of the pocket under duress. There was quite a bit of previous chatter suggesting OC Danny Langsdorf is a great coach, but after some questionable play calling in the first two games, the game plan was pitiful on Saturday, seemingly with no adjustments during the contest when it was obvious to Foghorn Leghorn they were needed. The offensive line is not good, and Coach Mike Cavanaugh, who many thought was perhaps the best coach Riley brought with him from Oregon State, needs to reevaluate. Coach Mike wants to stick with the same group seeking consistency, but that consistency includes poor pass blocking and a failure to own the line of scrimmage, and apparently includes a member of the unit running his mouth and going rogue. Damon Benning, a former 'Husker RB turned radio host on 1620 The Zone in Omaha, accurately says that Nebraska must run the ball not only when they want to, but when they have to. At Illinois, they needed to to run the clock out, but did not do so, either because they were not confident they could do so or the coaching staff stubbornly desired to throw it. Down and distance play calling sucked, with Armstrong throwing downfield on 3rd and 3 repeatedly into a swirling wind. Westerkamp caught one pass for one yard, and that alarm bell rings loud. With Terrell Newby his steady average, Devine Ozigbo was inserted and seems to run with authority having very good situational awareness. Ozigbo should have gotten opportunities to carry the rock much earlier in the year. Two horrendous play calls late in the game, which seemed to be the same bootleg pass play, failed miserably dropping incomplete taking no time off the clock while two runs would have almost expired the time. The defense played much better, but wilted late between the continuous firing of passes deep and officials calling pass interference every other play. Nate Gerry let a receiver get behind him on Illinois last drive, which is inexcusable given Gerry's veteran status. Chris Weber payed well at linebacker, and the DL was better. Rose appeared to remain lost, and Cockrell was hit and miss in the secondary. I was fine with the Riley hire, but had concern over him bringing over much of his staff. Nebraska was almost 4-0 coming in to this game, but was 2-2. The team has been and is plagues by injuries, and does not have top level talent. But, Nebraska is 2-3 for the first time since 1959! I was not born yet! Much of the damage done to Nebraska has been self inflicted, and although there were signs in the first four games (the Hail Mary versus BYU, the OT interception thrown to nobody at Miami and the late game meltdown vs. Southern Miss) that the coaching staff was in over their head both in play calling and game management, it became clear to everyone that it is in fact the case. This loss to a below average Illinois team, and I do not care if the game was played in a hurricane, is the type of loss that will not be tolerated. Coach Riley and the staff may want to hold off any discussion with Realtors about getting settled in Lincoln, because this butter loss is strike one, and the batter resembles Omar Infante rather than Alex Gordon. Not only should Riley be on notice after this, but so should AD Shawn Eichorst. A beatable Wisconsin team comes to Lincoln on Saturday, and it would behoove the coaching staff to be ready and put the players in position to win. Without any question, this is a must win game for Riley and the Big Red, and further game management mistakes will be registered in red. At worst, Nebraska should be 4-1, and it appears the coaching staff is sadly to blame for the win loss deficit. Time to get correct; now.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
