NCAA Football

[Umpire in Chief]

College football season has began. The one thing I love about college football is there are big games every week from week 1. Even though I'm a Pirate from ECU, I'm picking Clemson to go all the way. Depending on the poll you look at they're ranked between 7 & 10. This week they have a huge game to kick the season off against 'Bama in the Georgia Dome.

ECU plays Va Tech of course I'm pulling for the Pirates. When I went to ECU, ECU was a nationally ranked independent team and we looked forward to the Big East games against VT & WVU. The tables have turned and VT is now the perennial ranked team and ECU has fallen to relative obscurity, but they still put up a good fight and nearly beat Tech last year. Now they're back at Ficklin Field. My Pick ECU.

[BrianC14]

My Runnin' Utes knocked off Michigan today! :o

[Umpire in Chief]

Wow I picked the upset and ECU won a hard fought game where they were in position that if they had lost they would have beaten themselves.

Clemson, well I'm shocked. I thought it would have been a close game with the tigers pulling ahead.

Next week ECU hosts WVU. I'll have to look at how WVU did, but right now I'd pick WVU. I'll post my official pick Friday.

As for Virginia Tech, They should not be nationally ranked after that loss. ECU, just for clarification, should not be ranked either. 'Bama should be around 10-12 and Clemson should now be around 20. If ECU pulls the upset against WVU then they should be ranked. Even if they have a really strong showing they might eeek in around 25 depending on what else happens next week.

[Umpire in Chief]

Hey, Hey, E C, You look so good to me!

My Pirates surprised the world today and not only beat WVU, but spanked them. I expect to see them in the national rankings come Monday. I expect to see them somewhere around 15.

The Pirates play Tulane next week at Tulane. I definately pick ECU.

[Kyle_Stevens]

Who is this ECU team? Has anyone heard of them? :D

[Umpire in Chief]

The rest of the world may not know much about them yet, but they will. They have had a few good years in the early-mid 90's. And had a great coach Steve Logan. Apparently the AD & Logan got in a pissing match and Logan left. They went back to obscurity never being a bottom dweller, went from being an independent school to being part of Conference USA. Every year they pull an upset or two. They always make some obscure bowl. Last year they went to the Hawaii bowl and upset Boise St. Their turn around came when Skip Holtz took over about 4-5 years ago. Now their back where they belong.

I would like to have seen ECU join the SEC and that still may happen down the road. Yes, initially they would be a bottom dweller in football, but I think they would rise to meet the challenge in a few years. In baseball ECU is usually ranked in the nation and would hold their own. Basketball, well that's another story it would be like Duke or UNC are in football. Don't expect too much.

When I went to ECU they were independent and had a great schedule. Every year we'd get WVU & VT from the Big East, we'd get University of South Carolina and another team from the SEC, although ACC teams refused to play us. Which led to in 1992 ECU going to the Peach Bowl in Atlanta. The Pirates were a huge underdog to NC State, but won mainly due to our QB Jeff Blake. After that the ACC still refused to play ECU. Once ECU joined Conference USA they've had 2 ACC games each year NC State (Now a huge rivalry) and UVA. Nobody really cares about any team from Whoville (Sorry Strike3Scott. I dont know if your a who? fan, but I know they're in your neck of the woods). I would love to see ECU get Maryland in the ACC (UMD is my wifes Alma Matter). Then we could have a family trip to either G-Ville or College Park.

I'm going to go out on a limb and predict that East Carolina as a team in a non-BCS conference, will get an BCS bowl invitation.

[BrianC14]

How about that 15 yarder personal foul called on Washington, as their QB scored what would (should) have been the tying touchdown, with 2 seconds remaining?

I realize that the NCAA rulebook says that they must flag it, but come on! So Washington ends up having to kick a 35-yard extra point, and BYU wins the game on something that was utterly ridiculous.

ps: No, I'm not a WU fan.

[Umpire in Chief]

I expect to see them in the national rankings come Monday. I expect to see them somewhere around 15.

Okay, I under estimated the Pirates the AP & ESPN's Power Rankings put them at 14. USA Today put them at 20. But what does McPapaer know?

Now the strength of their schedule goes way down right now. Even if they were to win out, I don't think they can really rise too much. Maybe #10.

Saturday they're at Tulane (weather permitting) Tulane lost to 'Bama, Tulane will put up a good fight, but will lose to the Pirates.

Then probably the biggest game of the season @ NC State. Even though NC State is mediocre, anything can happen when you get a heated riveraly. I definately pick the ECU, but once again this might be the toughest game of the season.

[mstaylor]

How about that 15 yarder personal foul called on Washington, as their QB scored what would (should) have been the tying touchdown, with 2 seconds remaining?

I realize that the NCAA rulebook says that they must flag it, but come on! So Washington ends up having to kick a 35-yard extra point, and BYU wins the game on something that was utterly ridiculous.

ps: No, I'm not a WU fan.

It seems the PAC-10 didn't agree.

Pac-10: Officials got unsportsmanlike conduct call against Locker right

The Pac-10 has decided that the officials got the controversial call near the end of Saturday's BYU-Washington game right.

"The rule seems pretty cut and dried," Coordinator of football officiating for the Pac-10 Conference Dave Cutaia said, according to the Seattle Times, of Rule 9, Section 2, Article 2c, which states that a player can be penalized for an unsportsmanlike act for "throwing the ball high into the air."

The controversy was the 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on Washington quarterback Jake Locker after he scored on a 3-yard run with two seconds left in regulation. Locker flipped the ball over his head into the air and began celebrating with his teammates. The fling drew a flag for excessive celebration.

As it's written, Locker did violate the rule. But the decision to throw the flag in a moment of jubilation provided a muddled conclusion to an exciting game and brought a storm of criticism from college football pundits. The penalty left Washington's Ryan Perkins attempting an extra point from 35 yards. Perkins' kick was low and blocked by BYU's Jan Jorgensen, leaving Washington 0-2 after the 28-27 loss.

"It is a celebration rule that we are required to call," Pac-10 referee Larry Farina said after the game. "It was not a judgment call."

However, David Parry, national coordinator national coordinator for college football officiating, said Sunday that all calls are judgment calls, although he was in no way critical of the call or the official who made it, since there's no doubt Locker broke the rule.

"I think what he meant is this was so obviously against the rule and flagrant you have no option but to throw a flag," Parry said.

The rules covering sportsmanship and impermissible celebrations were emphasized before this season to college football officials. A video was sent out "stressing major points," Parry said.

But even Parry conceded, "I think it's safe to say on emotional moments officials might become a little more lenient."

[BrianC14]

It seems the PAC-10 didn't agree.

Pac-10: Officials got unsportsmanlike conduct call against Locker right

The Pac-10 has decided that the officials got the controversial call near the end of Saturday's BYU-Washington game right.

"The rule seems pretty cut and dried," Coordinator of football officiating for the Pac-10 Conference Dave Cutaia said, according to the Seattle Times, of Rule 9, Section 2, Article 2c, which states that a player can be penalized for an unsportsmanlike act for "throwing the ball high into the air."

The controversy was the 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on Washington quarterback Jake Locker after he scored on a 3-yard run with two seconds left in regulation. Locker flipped the ball over his head into the air and began celebrating with his teammates. The fling drew a flag for excessive celebration.

As it's written, Locker did violate the rule. But the decision to throw the flag in a moment of jubilation provided a muddled conclusion to an exciting game and brought a storm of criticism from college football pundits. The penalty left Washington's Ryan Perkins attempting an extra point from 35 yards. Perkins' kick was low and blocked by BYU's Jan Jorgensen, leaving Washington 0-2 after the 28-27 loss.

"It is a celebration rule that we are required to call," Pac-10 referee Larry Farina said after the game. "It was not a judgment call."

However, David Parry, national coordinator national coordinator for college football officiating, said Sunday that all calls are judgment calls, although he was in no way critical of the call or the official who made it, since there's no doubt Locker broke the rule.

"I think what he meant is this was so obviously against the rule and flagrant you have no option but to throw a flag," Parry said.

The rules covering sportsmanship and impermissible celebrations were emphasized before this season to college football officials. A video was sent out "stressing major points," Parry said.

But even Parry conceded, "I think it's safe to say on emotional moments officials might become a little more lenient."

1) The rule as written stinks.

2) It's been shown on ESPN video that it's not being applied correctly or consistently - and one of the games where it WASN"T applied was... A PAC-10 GAME! (ASU). :mad:

[Umpire in Chief]

Well I'm sitting here playing on the computer while my wife is catching up on a weeks worth of TV from the TiVO and Regis Philben predicted ECU could go undefeated this season. I don't know how to take it I've seen how his support of the Yankees hasn't helped them, how his support for Notre Dame hasn't helped. But On the bright side the Pirates are being noticed nation wide.

Now for my second pick of the week I'm picking Bowling Green over Boisie. I'm trying not to pick gimme games. Like saying USC is going to stomp Ohio State who struggled against a team like Ohio and is far over-rated at #5. Easy but not a big win for USC and Ohio State should drop out of the top 10 they're a shell of who they once were. So there I gave 3 picks ECU, Bowling Green and USC.