Time to stir the pot (I mean why let The Love and JCW have all the fun)...
Before I do that though I wanted to mention that during their fade in fade out sequences featuring quick action shots of different NCAA teams / players Ohio is included...Baby steps I know but cool none the less...
On to the pot stirring...
The most recent installment of this show (which highlights behind the scenes footage from Alabama's Fall Camp) also did their "winners & losers" segment on Ohio A&M. For those of you that don't know, this is a segment in which they go through a high profile team's upcoming schedule to pick W's & L's. Brian Griese (who I usually respect) was making the picks with Erik Kuselias. He predicted an early season loss at home to Miami (FL) predicated on A&M's questions in the defensive backfield vs Miami's deep and talented WR core.
Kuselias then moves on to say "OK...So the following week could we see a hangover against their in state rival Ohio?" Griese proceeds to employ a pregnant pause and then asks "Are you serious?" to which EK responds "No" and they move on to predict 2 more losses to Iowa and Wisconsin.
I'm certainly not saying I expected him to predict an Ohio win here because they obviously have to guard their reputations but honestly this kind of thing frustrates me to no end. These guys are paid what I can only assume is good money to educate themselves on and comment on College Football. I'm sorry Brian but you and your ilk continually show your arses when it's as apparent as it is that you only ever bother to really study a select group of teams you know will get the attention even though you are posed almost daily with questions like these.
The smallest amount of investigative work (or for that matter recall) would have bourn out a knowledge of the results the last time these two teams encountered each other and just how hard fought that game was. One more iota of effort would have resulted in the understanding that beyond the intensity that the Ohio kids always bring to a game like this, we are also in possession of an extremely talented WR group (the same A&M challenge he called to light in the Miami game) as well as a solid returning Defense featuring a Nagurski listed LB in the middle. Not to mention that this WR group looks to be even deeper than last years' from which our only loss was a player that was drafted before any A&M player. I'm simply saying, just please put the effort in to educate yourself enough to understand that sarcasm in this case makes you look like an idiot.
Now I know the A&M apologists are going to pile on here and go on and on about Pryor being a Heisman candidate. To this I say pashaw. My feeling is that he's in that conversation solely due to the original recruiting hype and the fact that he happens to now wear red & pewter. His attitude lacks to say the least and his ability to throw and / or make good decisions is questionable at best. He's literally had one game of the type expected out of him during recruiting (Oregon). A QB that points fingers when the chips are down is one who will melt down under the pressure of a schedule like A&M has this year.
My feelings are that if you can contain him (I understand this is no small task but feel it is doable) and force him to throw routinely you'll come out on top of that battle every time. I'm not going to predict anything regarding INT’s or the eventual outcome of this game simply because I want to thoroughly enjoy the lead up and the game itself knowing that Ohio is no longer the patsy we once were (and that we can ruffle fan feathers by tacking on the "U" every time they throw out that OH-IO cheer for OUr team).
I'm going to exercise restraint (for a change) and not get drawn in by the apologists. I simply wanted to vent about the inept and self serving way in which ESPN goes about their business.
Whew...I feel better...
36 OUT!
GO OHIO!
Last Edited: 8/20/2010 11:42:41 AM by Bobcat36