AJC > Sports > Blog > Archives > 2007 > September > 05
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
It’s okay to hate Spurrier, but…..
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Just one man’s opinion:
1. It’s okay to hate Steve Spurrier: But when you do that, you’re playing right into his hands. Ever notice that before a big game Spurrier almost always does something that gets people writing and talking about him? That is his way of deflecting pressure from his team and putting it on him. That is one reason why his teams tend to be more relaxed and play well in the big games. And Saturday’s trip to Athens is a big game.
2. Lloyd Carr didn’t forget how to coach: There is no getting around the fact that Michigan should not lose to Appalachian State at home. I get that. But now people are talking about Carr like he is some doofus who couldn’t coach Pop Warner football. Remember that if Michigan makes one more play and doesn’t lose to Ohio State (42-39), the Wolverines would have been in Glendale, Ariz., playing for the national championship last season. Carr and his staff did a lousy job getting their team ready for Appalachian State. There is no getting around that. But understand this: Michigan will not fire Lloyd Carr.
3. The next few weeks are important to Bobby Bowden: After investing hundreds of thousands of dollars into new coaches, his team came out and laid an egg in the first half against Clemson. Couldn’t tackle on defense. Couldn’t block anybody on offense. It was a team that looked dazed and confused until the second half. Maybe that was an aberration. But for the money that has been invested, the Seminoles need to show their fans something Saturday against UAB.
4. Notre Dame will be lucky to win six. In preseason Notre Dame looked like an 8-4 or 7-5 team. Based on what we saw Saturday against Georgia Tech, 6-6 is starting to look pretty good right now. At $3 million per year for coach Charlie Weis, it doesn’t seem like Notre Dame should be this short on talent. But this looks like the gap in Tyrone Willingham’s recruiting. The spin out of South Bend is that starting next year, when QB Jimmy Clausen will be a sophomore, Weis’s recruiting classes will start to kick in. With road trips to Penn State and Michigan coming up, 0-3 looks really possible. The fact that Weis is going to start a true freshman quarterback (Clausen) at Penn State this week is telling.
5. Alabama fans should be cautious: Don’t read too much into the 52-6 win over Western Carolina. The Crimson Tide played with a lot of energy and that was to be expected. But that defensive front seven is thin and the backups are even thinner. Alabama’s defense is going to struggle to stop some of the better teams in this league. Will they be good enough to hold down Vanderbilt on the road this Saturday? Stay tuned
