The GM John Lynch. Success or Failure?

The San Francisco 49ers find themselves in a peculiar situation. A 9-7 record coming into week 18 gives HC Kyle Shanahan his second winning season since he took over the reigns of the franchise. However that guarantees them nothing. In order to make the playoffs, the Niners need either a win or a Saints loss to get in. A Saints win and a Niners loss would see another year end in the regular season. The Niners do not have an easy matchup, they face the Rams in LA who need a win in order to clinch the NFC west. However, Kyle Shanahan is 5-0 vs Sean McVay in their last five matchups. The Saints play the Atlanta Falcons on the road, Atlanta being eliminated last week after their loss to Buffalo.

If the Niners win, the Shanahan/Lynch duo will look to make their second Super Bowl in three years. If they lose and the Saints win, it will be four missed playoffs in five years. Let’s take a deeper look into John Lynch’s tenure as GM.

Following a successful NFL career which ended with his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the former Buccaneers and Broncos safety embarked on a broadcasting career. Having a very successful resume, being an important part of Monte Kiffin’s and Tony Dungy’s Tampa 2 defense along with winning a Super Bowl under Jon Gruden, it seemed as if Lynch had accomplished every goal available in Pro Football.

Lynch who still has the passion for the game decided he wanted to take a more hands on approach. The San Francisco 49ers came calling and on January 29, 2017, Lynch was named General Manager. His first few moves were a stroke of brilliance. The hiring of Kyle Shanahan, a highly valued coordinator on the market who reinvented the Atlanta Falcons offense, an offense which led the Falcons to the Super Bowl and won Matt Ryan a MVP.

With the 2017 Draft approaching, Lynch and the Niners were in need of a quarterback. He released Colin Kaepernick due to a “scheme misfit” with Shanahan’s system. With the second overall pick, Lynch and the Niners were rumored to draft Mitchell Trubisky out of North Carolina. The Bears in need of a quarterback, traded their third overall pick along with their 3rd and 4th round selections to move up one spot. A stroke of brilliance followed by failure. Despite having both Deshaun Watson and Patrick Mahomes available to fill their quarterback need, Lynch went elsewhere. With the third overall pick, he selected DT Solomon Thomas out of Stanford. A pick which didn’t work out and San Francisco got rid of him after four years. I have no problem with the Thomas selection, he was a highly rated prospect out of college. However in the previous two drafts, the Niners took interior lineman in the first round. Deforest Buckner in 2016 and Arik Armstead in 2015, both out of Oregon. Then Lynch traded back into the first in 2017 to select Reuben Foster. An excellent linebacker out of Alabama, legal and personal issues made NFL executives cautious of him. The Niners gambled and failed. He had a fantastic rookie season followed by legal issues which forced the Niners to release him. However this draft was not a failure as with his fifth round selection, the Niners selected All Pro TE George Kittle. They also added UDFAs Matt Breida and Kendrick Bourne, two essential pieces in their Super Bowl run. His crowning piece came on the verge of the trade deadline. A second round pick to New England saw Jimmy Garoppolo become the new face of the franchise. The season ended with Jimmy G being forced into action due to injuries to the Niners other quarterbacks. He went 5-0.

The next season filled with hope was quickly dashed when Jimmy Garoppolo tore his ACL in week 3. The Niners finished 4-12. However all was not lost as All-Pro Nick Bosa was selected second overall in the following draft.

The Niners filled with talent started the 2019 season 8-0 and finished 13-3 to grab the number one seed in the NFC. In John Lynch’s best draft, Nick Bosa, Deebo Samuel, Dre Greenlaw and Mitch Wishnowsky all assisted a phenomenal year alongside FA signings Kwon Alexander, Dee Ford and trade acquisitions Laken Tomlinson and Emmanuel Sanders. The team made it to the Super Bowl and despite being up in the 4th quarter by 10 points, the Niners allowed the Chiefs to comeback and win. The loss not on Lynch’s shoulders but on Shanahan’s.

The following season saw the Niners lose many of their players early in the season against the Jets in New Jersey. Jimmy Garoppolo, Nick Bosa, Trent Williams, George Kittle and Raheem Mostert missed significant time if not the whole season. The Niners finished 6-10.

Here’s where my criticisms of Lynch start. Coming into the 2020 draft, a lot of teams were looking for a quarterback. The first round projected selections turned out to be phenomenal with most first rounders experiencing a significant amount of early success. Names like Ja’Marr Chase, Jaylen Waddle, Devonta Smith, Rashawn Slater, Penei Sewell, Kyle Pitts, Pat Surtain II, Micah Parsons, Najee Harris, Jamin Davis, Rashod Bateman, Alijah Vera-Tucker and Odafe Oweh all having standout seasons. This was also suppose to be a quarterback filled draft with the talents of Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson, Trey Lance, Justin Fields and Mac Jones all expected to be first round selections, there was also rumors surrounding David Mills and Kellan Mond. Lynch looking to upgrade his QB room decided to trade up to third from twelve in order to get his guy. A steep price saw Miami get the Niners 2021 first round selection along with a 2021 first, a 2022 third and a 2023 first. That’s a lot of capitol for a quarterback when Jimmy is still under contract for multiple years. I didn’t think it necessary to move up. The teams ahead of the Niners were the Jags, Jets, Dolphins, Falcons, Bengals, Eagles, Lions, Panthers, Broncos, Cowboys and Giants. I knew the Jaguars and Jets would select quarterbacks but no other team seemed to be in the market for a QB. The Niners went with Trey Lance from NDSU with the third overall pick and to be short, he’s been a project. In his few starts, he’s been consistently outperformed by multiple young quarterbacks which is fine if the Niners didn’t give up their early draft capitol for the next two years. Only time will tell if it pays off.

Lynch has had an up and down career as GM. Most of his picks haven’t paid off but the ones that do are potential Hall of Famers. The Niners lack severe depth at receiver, corner, safety and edge rushers. They’re also on the verge of missing the playoffs again. His predecessor Trent Baalke was a horrible GM, only surviving because of his Kaepernick selection and the work of Jim Harbaugh so Lynch has definitely been an improvement. However the Niners have gaping holes all over the field and have lacked consistency outside of their Super Bowl run. It’s hard to justify Lance’s selection when 4 of the next 10 selections made the Pro Bowl as rookies and Smith, Surtain II, Waddle and Sewell are all having monster rookie seasons. Also note that majority of the players I mentioned play positions for which the Niners lack depth and talent.

Here’s my final thoughts. Lynch has had seven first round picks yet hasn’t built a sustainable roster. His massive contract extensions given to Jet McKinnon and Weston Richberg blew up in his face. He’s allowed Trent Brown to leave, considering him to be not up to standard, just for him to blossom in New England and to me the most egregious move was keeping Arik Armstead and trading Deforest Buckner. I understand you couldn’t keep both but I personally was against that move from day one. However Lynch has rebuilt a franchise that suffered greatly from the horrific decision making skills of Trent Baalke, Chip Kelly and Jim Tomsula. He’s turned them into contenders and they’re peaking at the right time. I consider Lynch to be a success so far despite his multitude of failings due to his ability to draft superstars. Bosa, Samuel and Kittle are arguably the only reason he still has a job. But if he and the Niners fail to make the playoffs once again, I think serious questions about his job need to be asked and if Trey Lance is a bust, then he’s got to go.

The Opt Out. Why analyst and commentators shouldn’t chastise players who skip bowl games.

This morning I heard Kirk Herbstreit, a voice I deeply respect chastise collegiate football players for opting out of non CFP bowl games. He questioned their commitment and love for the game, basically stating that the “new generation” of football players are soft and in it for the money. This rhetoric has been talked about and repeated over and over again and quite frankly, I am sick of it.

I love the game of football. I played football and I was horrible at it. I worked hard, did my best but for a multitude of reasons, including the fact I have no talent meant my career never surpassed high school. If I had the opportunity to play in the Rose Bowl, I would. However there’s a reason I don’t have that opportunity. I will never know what its like to grind away for years to earn a scholarship or opportunity. To commit every second of my life in college to football. While I was partying and sleeping in, these players pushed their bodies, minds and souls to the limit. I also will never know what its like to have millions of dollars dangling in front of me. I grew up very fortunate. I will not try to hide my upbringing to make myself seem like I came from nothing. I am a very fortunate man. I can’t say the same for these players. NFL money has the ability to elevate families out of generational poverty, I’m not saying every draftee grew up in less than ideal situations but the NFL improves most. There are a lot of families that have been poor or lower middle class in the United States since the end of the Civil War if not from before. These young men, who sweat and toil should not put the success of their families in the way of a meaningless game. Though football has a deep and cherished history, rewritten everyday, the game does not determine if you can afford to eat or not. It doesn’t pay for housing or medical. It won’t care if your dreams end on that glorious field.

Let’s talk about the money. For some reason, there’s been an incredible opposition to collegiate players receiving financial compensation for their services. Almost like the players owe the universities for scholarships offered. Scholarships that can be revoked at anytime if the player is unable to physically perform. Almost as if it’s the guidelines of a normal job. Unlike a normal job, college athletics doesn’t offer PTO, sick leave, family leave or any of those safety nets. Just a full ride scholarship. Now I know what most of you are thinking. A full ride scholarship is priceless. Room and board, free education, supplies and such. It is a lot but these players pull in way more money then what’s being paid to them in scholarship money. Ohio State made around 52 million dollars last year. Every FBS team is allowed to have 85 players on scholarship. That roughly totals around $670,588 dollars in revenue generated per scholarship player. That’s per year and keep in mind that 2020 was a COVID year affecting tickets sales and other in person revenue sources. A four-year scholarship is worth around $150,000 dollars. That means football players, if they play all four years generate over 2.5 million dollars in profit each of the university so no, they don’t owe anybody anything. If anything, they’ve paid back their scholarships and then some through the product they put on the field. Also NY6 bowl games offer massive payouts, for example in the 2019 Rose Bowl, Washington and Ohio State were both offered 40 million to play in the game. Just a quick reminder that the players, you know the ones putting their bodies on the line don’t make a cent. Whatever clothing and possible watches gifted to the players does not even come close to the money given to coaches, athletic directors and school presidents.

The best example is Giants linebacker Jaylon Smith. In his junior year at Norte Dame, Smith was a projected top 5 player. However in the Fiesta Bowl, Smith tore both his ACL and LCL requiring surgery. His draft stock fell and he went from top 5 pick to falling to the Cowboys in the second round. Smith was given a 4 year, 6.49 million dollar contract with 4.42 million guaranteed. In fact, Smith was lucky he didn’t drop further as he had to miss his entire rookie season due to rehabilitation and was only selected by the Cowboys because he was operated on by Cowboy’s doctor Dan Cooper, thus the Cowboys had better health information come draft day. Oh by the way the fifth pick in the draft was Jalen Ramsey who made 22.90 million is guaranteed money on a four year deal. Also there’s no insurance policy offered by universities or bowl sponsors in case you get hurt so if you suffer a career ending injury, good luck is about the best you’re gonna get.

I could go on about the money schools are making and health but I want to talk about Herbstreit’s comments. He said this and was supported by college football legend Desmond Howard. Kirk Herbstreit never player or signed to play in the NFL and in Desmond Howard’s final game, Michigan was competing for a National title. Also Howard’s NFL career earnings do not come close to the money current first rounders make so neither of them have been in the situation that current players are in. Also they played in the Rose Bowl. Not the Rose Bowl presented by Citi bank or Capitol One, not some sponsorship filled event where everyone is earning a dollar but them. They played in the actual game, as simple and special as it used to be. However that’s not what bothers me. To insinuate the current player doesn’t love the game or doesn’t work hard. That they’re not gym rats, that they’re not devoted to the game is straight bullshit. I apologize for strong language but I could not find the words to properly express how I feel. It is so hard to make it to college as a football player, especially now. With accessible film and websites like Hudl and the AIR app. With 24/7 giving out stars and ranking to players, you have to go above and beyond for the game. These players put their bodies on the line and hearts on their sleeve for the game. You don’t make it this far unless you are completely invested in football. You don’t grind from pee-wee or high school because you’re good at it. Everyone at this level is good, the love and passion invested into your craft makes you great, makes you a first rounder and if these kids don’t want to throw the prospect of their futures away for your money grab, that doesn’t make them soft or less of a man. It makes them smart. Notice how no team in the history of the CFB playoff has ever had a single player opt out because of the draft. That’s because winning matters to them. Winning a championship matters to them. Winning the Duke’s Mayo bowl does not. Players don’t grind to dump mayonnaise on their coach. They grind to win championships, you know the same championship you make millions talking about every week. We don’t criticize coaches for leaving their program for a better job, we don’t criticize programs for abandoning their conferences for better opportunities. The question I have is why do you hate on kids for trying to make something of themselves? Isn’t that the whole point of college? Or do you just hate because they can skip out on moments you could never reach? Whatever it is, I suggest whomever criticizes these players take a good look at yourself as ask why are you so upset? All I know is that the money these players are making is gonna go to improve communities and help people. There’s a reason why thirty-two men are nominated for the Walter Payton Man of the Year award and trust me, non of those sponsors or universities had anything to do with it.

Let the players be and move on. That’s all.

The Perfect Day

As the new year approaches us, I would like take this time to share a story. I started Midnight Sports Today as an outlet. I was tired of watching my favorite sport shows speak about things that was not sports or make the same repetitive points on the same old teams. Now I do believe social issues must be discussed on all platforms. I also support one’s right to discuss such issues. However I found that said issues were not being discussed for its impact or importance on our society, more as it was the trending topic of the day. For the shows that refused to speak on said issues, I felt as if they had an agenda. To push a certain player or product. I understand that everyone has the favorite players and teams, Lord knows I do. However I felt as if it got repetitive to a point where originality was an exception. Where smaller market teams wouldn’t get a mention. Midnight Sports today was my outlet. A place where free thought and opinion on sports would not just be acceptable but encouraged. A place for all of us. I feel as if I have been successful in my efforts. I’ve made great relationships and friends with people I met through MST Twitter page, engaged in passionate debate and shared in our love for all things sports. My work has not come without criticism, I’ve made predictions, comments and takes for which have not well received. However, all of you engaged with my words and gave me a moment of your precious time, for that I am eternally grateful. So to start the new year, I would like to share a personal story. My first UH football game.

It was late November near Thanksgiving. I was in high school at the time and I had always wanted to go to a game. My day started out great. I used to be heavily involved in war games/ simulations. I was part of a club in high school and we’d play games before classes started. Every other Saturday or so, we’d meet at this store in Kalihi near Young’s fish market and play. My dad who bought me 2, 12 packs of Pepsi so I wouldn’t show up empty handed,  dropped me off that morning. I had a phenomenal time and finished around 3. My dad with my mom picked me up in their 1996 Toyota 4Runner and we set off for Aloha Stadium. I wanted to rep my team so badly but I didn’t have any UH gear so my dad bought me a shirt that morning and I quickly changed into it as we passed all the HPD bike cops directing traffic.

We entered the stadium and my dad got both me and my mom all the snacks we wanted. One of the great things about Aloha Stadium was that the selections are endless. Besides the standard concession booths filled with popcorn, hot dogs and water, there was dippin dots, Papa Johns, blazin steaks and the multiple beer stands where endless men would wait for another drink, already hammered from the booze filled tailgates from the parking lot. 

My dad got us prime 45 yard line seats as Aloha Stadium had a split on the 50. The stadium used to be able to move. I know that sounds crazy, it was a different time. We sat next to this older man, he was a white guy who lived in the islands for decades. He told me that he had 3 other buddies, the seat where we sat but unfortunately his friends either passed away or had medical issues so he was the only one left. It makes you think and made me appreciate how fortunate I was to be there, in this rusty but legendary cathedral of football. The man had binoculars for which he allowed me to use. It felt like I was on the field, next to players like Joey Iosefa, Scott Harding and Ikaika Woolsey who dawned the old school green jerseys and rainbow emblems of the 70’s.

With snacks and anticipation, the game was a initial dud. Hawaii rapidly down 14-0, a hallmark of the Norm Chow era found itself on defense. A 3rd down stop brought up 4th down for UNLV. Guess what happened? They ran a fake punt. I yelled for the UH special teamer to turn around but of course he didn’t listen. In the red zone, about to be down 21-0, Hawaii’s Na’Quan Phillips picked the ball off in the end zone to keep UH in it. The game was an up and down affair.  

Hawaii football was in a poor state at that time, the Chow era was marked with close losses and then blowout losses. No true quarterback, finishing at the bottom of the Mountain West, UH was the joke of college football. This game was no different. Harding muffed every punt, no offensive consistency, irritation all around.

Finally we reached halftime, turns out my cousin was at the game. I joined him for the second half in the upper tier of the stadium, above the end zone. Hoping fortunes would change. 

It did, UNLV and Hawaii engaged in a back and forth battle. The fourth quarter was a tough one. With less than 2 minutes left in the game, Hawaii was up 31-28. UNLV had the ball. UH needed a stop. With a full complement of timeouts, Chow was ready….to fail. Only using one timeout, UNLV drove down the field to score the potential game winning touchdown. However UNLV stormed the field with around 25 seconds left and got a bunch of unsportsmanlike penalties to be accessed on the kickoff. 35-31 UNLV. My memory is a little fuzzy but I believe they also kicked the ball out of bounce. Hawaii began their drive. A short gain followed by a timeout saw UH have a shot with 7 seconds left. Here we go. Woolsey dropped back and fired into the endzone. I fire out of my seat, no noise could be made. It was…incomplete. I take a quick gander to the scoreboard. One second remained. UNLV protested saying the game was over but the refs were having non of it. Chow called timeout and drew up the play. Woolsey dropped back, shotgun formation. Clean pocket. He steps up, no time left and fires the ball into the endzone. There’s a UH wide receiver. He jumps up, arms extended. Caught. I’m sorry let me quote me exact words at that time. “Holy fu***ing sh*t, he caught it, he caught it!” The late Robert Kekaula speaking to audiences worldwide…”Oh my goodness” to Rich Miano’s “this play will be reviewed.” This issue was that Kemp was pushed out of the endzone as soon as he caught it. It was so fast, no one knew if he crossed the plane.

It didn’t matter, the team and crowd stormed the field. The tumbler was jumping up and down. The crowd who remained in the stands were going crazy, the band played the loudest tune they could. It took an army to clear to clear the field, we won and replay confirmed. Kemp who is now a Kansas City Chief clearly had possession in the endzone. I went crazy, celebrating with my cousin. As the game finished with a procedural QB kneel, I raced down the column ramp to meet up with my parents to bask what just happened. It was incredible. We left and ate dinner at Zippys with the excitement of winning plowing throughout my body as a downed a surf pac with fruit punch. That night is forever etched into my memory. The moments shared, the heartbreak felt, the joy which filled my being. My dad’s dad jokes, yelling it’s Chao time to Norm Chow. The feeling of we love this team but please get a new HC. The effort my parents took to give me this perfect day. As we jumped on H3 towards the eastside, I looked out the window after waiting in the sea of red that is the break lights of the thousands of cars that were also trying to leave the stadium just thinking to myself…wow what a night. Thought the bright lights of Aloha stadium shall remain turned off forever, that place. Those orange, yellow and blue seats. The rusty pillars, the abandoned dugouts. Those times never leave me and for that, I’ll be forever fond of UH football.

Todd Graham and Hawaii. A story of differing philosophies.

I want to start this by saying I had positive feelings towards the Graham hire and I do believe in what he is currently doing. However that does not absolve him of much deserved criticism. I will lay out my points and be as fair as possible. However I wanted to share my current mindset before I begin.

January 21, 2020. The day Graham was hired to replace Nick Rolovich as Head Coach of the University of Hawaii football team. Rolovich would leave for Washington State alongside assistants Brian Smith, Craig Stutzmann, Michael Ghobrial and Director of Recruiting Jason Cvercko. Graham was set to begin what would be another exciting UH football season before COVID through a notch in said season. Despite this, Graham’s first season was a success. 5-4 with victories over rivals Fresno State and Nevada. The season was capped off with a victory over Houston in the 2020 New Mexico Bowl.

His second season was not as successful. A tough start with a daunting Pac-12 road schedule found UH at 1-2. UH began their conference schedule with a last second loss to San Jose State. A game for which UH should’ve won. They didn’t and a last second incompletion saw their record go to 1-3. A win at New Mexico State saw Hawaii welcome in arch rival Fresno State. A team ranked 18th in the nation and fresh off a victory over UCLA. Starting QB Chevan Cordeiro was out with an injury and Graham’s recruit Brayden Schager stepped in and stepped up. Combined with huge performances from Calvin Turner Jr., Dae Dae Hunter and Khoury Bethley saw UH’s first win over a ranked opponent since 2010 under Greg McMackin. Cordeiro would return two games later and start for the rest of the season, most likely to preserve Schager’s redshirt. UH would go 3-3 in their final six under Cordeiro to finish the season at 6-7. A disappointing season capped by a huge Senior night victory followed by a win against rival Wyoming, Hawaii’s first win in Laramie since the nineties. A Hawaii Bowl birth would be awarded to UH but they would have to drop out due to lack of players and COVID.

Now it brings us to our current situation. Rumors of displeasure in the locker room began to rise with all fingers pointed at Graham. A twitter space led by former UH offensive lineman RJ Hollis saw players express further displeasure, with some pointing to Graham’s attitude and claims of verbal beratement and abuse. In the following weeks, UH starters Chevan Cordeiro, Dae Dae Hunter, Justice Tavai, Darius Muasau, Jonah Laulu, Cam Lockridge and Nick Mardner all announced their intention to transfer. DB Kai Kaneshiro had announced his retirement and St. Louis (Hawaii HS) Quarterback AJ Bianco has held off signing his LOI to UH despite verbally committing to Hawaii earlier in the year. Bianco has also recently been offered by Nevada. Due to the loss of Hawaii players, noise has risen in the community and throughout the Bows fanbase with many people calling for UH AD Matlin to fire Graham. Here’s my thoughts.

The only UH coach in recent memory not to coach at least four seasons was Fred von Appen. His third season ended without a win and was replaced by June Jones. Graham deserves at least three full season to bring in his own players and his own system. Graham has also improved Hawaii in the transfer window with two recruits coming in from powerhouses Georgia and one from Oklahoma. Graham has made two bowl games in his first two seasons, the first UH coach to ever do that. Graham is 2-0 over Fresno State and he has won against every UH rival except Boise State where in his first game against Boise, Hawaii lost by eight, the closest margin of loss since June Jones left. Graham has had an impressive early signing window in 2022 capped by DB Chigozie Anusiem from Cal and Virdel Edwards II from Iowa State.

Graham has also had some failures. An inability to close out tough games, adapt to Hawaii culture and keep tenured starters in the program. The biggest controversy was giving his son Michael a football scholarship and promoting his other son Bo to Offensive Coordinator. I consider myself to be fairly knowledgeable in the game of football, especially from the offensive side of the ball. My offensive philosophy is heavily influenced by the Run N Shoot offense. My main criticism of the Run N Shoot is the lack of a running game. Hawaii’s inability to run cost them dearly, especially in the 2008 Sugar Bowl where Georgia was able to drop eight defensive backs into coverage and dominate the ballgame. I like the fact that Hawaii’s current offense incorporates a run game, however the passing game has suffered dramatically. I am a big believer in horizontal routes and forward short gain passes. Graham believes in check downs behind the line of scrimmage and deep balls. Graham’s play calling for the most part has been atrocious. The only games for which I do not have criticism is the Wyoming game and Portland State. He calls plays scared, shown in the final drive against UNLV and he fails to establish proper route concepts. He does not utilize his receivers strengths and absolute weapons like Jared Smart have become shells of their former self. I do believe, along with the challenges presented by COVID that he needed to settle in and learn how to be a proper play designer and play caller. However if he continues to falter and Todd Graham doesn’t remove his son, that should be grounds for termination for both.

Graham has had some ups and downs, that is without a doubt. However to say he inherited a championship team is incorrect. Yes, the team in the previous season did go 10-5 with a birth to the Mountain West title game. Yes they did beat Arizona, Oregon State and Army. Yes, they did beat BYU (with future second overall pick Zach Wilson) in the Hawaii bowl. The 2020 team for which Graham inherited after the early signing window did not have multiple starters from that year. Starting Quarterback Cole McDonald, staring receivers JoJo Ward, Cedric Byrd and Jason-Matthew Sharsh, running backs Fred Holly and Dayton Furuta along with defensive backs Rojesterman Farris II, Ikem Okeke and Solomon Matautia. All of which left before Graham landed in Hawaii. That’s a lot of players, key players to replace.

Graham also has the most wins in a second season at UH since Bob Wagner along with two rivalry game trophies. Graham has Hawaii’s second ever mainland bowl victory. Graham was 4-2 against Arizona at ASU, hired Mike Norvell and Billy Napier as OC, both have gone on to become the Head Coaches of Florida State and Florida respectively. He also recruited NFL players N’Keal Harry, Kalen Ballage, Zane Gonzales, Matt Haack, Damarious Randall and Eno Benjamin.

Yet Graham has allowed top UH players to transfer out. It is a mark on his record. I do want to break down several transfers though.

Chevan Cordeiro: The two year starter and four year Hawaii man will spend the next two years at San Jose State. Let’s be real, Cordeiro would not have started in 2022. Shrager has clearly established himself as the next UH shot caller. Regardless of any Graham controversy, Cordeiro would’ve left for a better opportunity anyway.

Now lets talk about those who announced their desire to leave after the Hawaii Bowl was suppose to be played.

Jonah Laulu: The D Lineman was a havoc maker. Funny that less than 48 hours after he announced his intention to transfer, Laulu was offered a scholarship from multiple top programs including LSU, Oklahoma, Georgia, Miami and FSU.

Nick Mardner: UH starting receiver who has the frame to go to the next level. Offers from Cincinnati and Virginia Tech.

Darius Muasau: Chuck Bednarik award watchlist, Hawaii middle linebacker. Will get offers, none announced as of 12/29/2021

I think its funny that majority of players leaving are either leaving for better schools/ programs or would not be starters next year. Now I don’t believe that Graham did not use strong, possibly abusive language towards players. However from what reports were saying, whatever Graham had said seems mild to what I have personally witnessed on the field during Hawaii High School games. It sounds like Graham has a group of players he likes and if you are not in that group, you don’t receive special privileges. I haven’t heard anything said to corroborate such a story from stars like Calvin Turner or Khoury Bethley. Not saying it didn’t happen, perhaps I was anticipating something worse.

I want to leave everyone with this. I understand Graham has left a sour taste in the mouth of UH fans. I am a UH fan and I can not say I’ve been satisfied with what Graham has done in his first two years. I also understand success takes time, especially in Hawaii and in a program whose stadium was just condemned and whose budget seems to be hemorrhaging money regularly. Here’s how I see it. There is only one local guy who I think could take UH to new heights and that is Rich Miano. Miano is a phenomenal recruiter and coach, shown by his time at Kaiser High School. However Graham is a phenomenal recruiter too with roads into the west coast, the south and his home state of Texas. UH will never keep the top prospects home, there’s too much opportunity, money, and better situations in the mainland. Hawaii has always had to supplement their rosters with JUCO and transfer talent. Graham has provided UH a gateway into the talents of Power Five schools. The shit has not hit the fan. No games have been lost. For the first time since at least Bryant Moniz but more likely Colt Brennan, Hawaii has a consistent Quarterback in Brayden Shrager (from Texas). If UH ever wants to win an outright division title and/or return to a NY6 bowl game, Graham gives Hawaii their best shot. Let’s be real, Hawaii was never going to win a title with the players that are leaving. There are multiple winnable games lost in the 2021 season due to Cordeiro’s inconsistent play and lack of an accurate arm. Graham is not Norm Chow. I lived through Norm Chow. There were only two bright spots in the Norm Chow era. Being undefeated on Senior Night and Marcus Kemp. I am tired of the notion Hawaii can only win with people who understand the culture. Dick Tomey landed in Manoa, fresh off the plane from UCLA and became a legend. June Jones did not have incredible success because he played and was a GA at Hawaii. He had success because he’s a former NFL OC and Head Coach, he’s a winner because he was a great recruiter, he was a winner because he had a phenomenal staff with the names of Jerry Glanville and Greg McMackin coaching up the team. Graham took an ASU team who didn’t win a thing since the 90’s and made them relevant again. I am tired of the same old, same old. Rolovich was never going to beat Boise, Rolo struggled constantly against Fresno and Wyoming. Rolo was struggling in the Pac-12 before he got fired. I want the team to be great and if Graham thinks he’s able to replace those guys with better talent then I say good luck and I hope you’re right. I’m willing to bet all the money in my pockets against all the money in your pockets that UH will not regress because these players are leaving. If Memphis coached by Graham’s former OC Mike Norvell can make it to the Cotton Bowl, we can’t we? Why can’t that beautiful green colored H be shown in the Rose Bowl?

The Revamped Southeastern Conference

Let me start with this. This article is not a criticism of the SEC. I love the SEC, it is the best brand of college football around. However the SEC championship has become slightly repetitive. The games itself are always a blast but we see the same teams every year. Since its inception in 1992, only six teams have won the contest along. In fact only 10 of the 14 SEC teams have ever made the championship game. Now I don’t want to mix things up to “be fair” or to “be equal” because this is football and not paddy cake. I want some freshness, some spiciness. Especially with the additions of both Oklahoma and Texas, I think conference realignment is in order.

This is how I would do it. Two divisions. Four games played in your division. Two games played between divisions, thus facing the same opponent every four years and two protected rivalry game. (Would have a couple exceptions for long standing traditions). I would have both the first weekend and last weekend of the season be rivalry week.

Here’s how I’d spilt the divisions.

In the SEC (A) side we have (I lack a name so we’ll call it A and B)

Auburn

Mississippi State

Texas A&M

Florida

Tennessee

LSU

Georgia

Arkansas

In the SEC (B), we have

Texas

Oklahoma

Kentucky

Missouri

Alabama

Ole Miss

Vanderbilt

South Carolina

In the first week of the season or more eloquently titled Week 0, we’d kick off the season with

Lone Star Showdown (Texas v. Texas A&M) @ Cowboy Stadium

Tennessee v. Kentucky

Arkansas v. Ole Miss

Oklahoma v. Auburn

In Week 1, we would have

Alabama v Florida @ Mercedes-Benz Stadium

South Carolina v. Georgia

Exceptions (Game between conferences is grandfathered in)

Alabama v. Tennessee

Georgia v. Vanderbilt

Final day in the regular season.

Iron Bowl (Alabama v. Auburn)

Egg Bowl (Ole Miss v. Miss State)

Battle Line Rivalry (Missouri v. Arkansas)

Tennessee v. Vanderbilt

LSU v. Oklahoma

This would be a new world of football down south that put a smile on my face from ear to ear. This about the possibilities.

An Alabama v. LSU SEC championship or an Iron Bowl part 2. How about Oklahoma and Florida or Tennessee and Texas. These great football traditions, showcased in Atlanta.

How about the start of the season. For so long we’ve waited for college football and to kick it off is Texas and Texas A&M. This about the passion, the pageantry and phenomenal stories waiting to be written. Last but not least is the new rivalries waiting to form. The National Championships decided on the last day of the season. Senior night heartbreaks. Glorious victories. I’m foaming at the mouth thinking about it. This schedule is what SEC football is all about. Expecting the unexpected.

Lincoln Riley: How he got to USC and its incredibly shady.

I think we can all agree that Lincoln Riley’s word is as valuable as a winter coat in July. So please excuse me when I call bullshit on his claim that USC officials reached out to him only after Oklahoma’s loss in Bedlam. I want to prefix this that the piece for which you are about to read is purely hypothetical, however I have come to believe that USC officials reached out to Riley in January of 2021 and a deal was struck by September at the latest. Below are some important dates to keep in mind.

06/10/2020: USC ends disassociation with Reggie Bush, thus ending the last of the sanctions from the USC recruiting scandal.

12/18/2020: USC loses the Pac-12 championship at home to Oregon

12/30/2020: Oklahoma defeats Florida to give Lincoln Riley his first bowl win in the Cotton Bowl

06/15/2021: The state of California reopens stadiums for full capacity

07/30/2021: Texas and Oklahoma announce plans to move to the SEC, agree to play 75-80 million to Big 12 in buyout

09/11/2021: USC loses to Stanford

09/12/2021: Clay Helton is fired, given 12 million dollar buyout

11/27/2021: Oklahoma loses to Oklahoma State ending any possibility of playoff appearance of New Years Six bowl game.

11/28/2021: Riley introduced as new Head Coach of USC

I think its fair to say that Lincoln Riley’s contract at USC will be within the range of 95-110 million dollars. Comparable to the deals received by Mel Tucker, James Franklin, Ed Orgeron and Dabo Swinney. However no institution proposes and finalizes a deal of that magnitude over night. Below will be a breakdown of how the Riley deal went down from my perspective and why USC needs to be investigated for tampering.

Rumors about USC moving on from Clay Helton have been surfacing since at least 2018. Helton’s lack luster season and loss to Iowa in the Holiday Bowl in 2019 stocked the flames calling for his time to end in southern California. Helton has lacked an ability to win both on the field and with recruiting. Top prospects from California have fled to the powerhouses that are Alabama and Ohio State. USC quite frankly have been middle of the pact for sometime. However Helton was given one last shot but losing the Pac-12 title to Oregon was the final straw in my opinion. USC was ready for change. There were a few issues. USC wasn’t a popular destination, bigger jobs had opened up and quite frankly there wasn’t a lot of great candidates to choose from. The biggest moves was Texas hiring Steve Sarkisian, Auburn hiring Bryan Harsin and Boise State hiring Andy Avalos. As you can see, there wasn’t a lot of options for USC that would be a significant step up from Helton.

Thus I believe USC sent out feelers to a bunch of different coaches. I suspect they inquired with Riley, Kliff Kingsbury as he had been the OC at USC for a brief moment before getting the Arizona Cardinals job, Chris Petersen due to his success in Washington, Harsin who was offered a better job at Auburn and Urban Meyer who would take the Jacksonville Jaguar job. I believe Petersen had no interest in coaching so Riley was the best and only option left. Riley who was coming off of the Cotton Bowl win was riding on a high. Everyone was predicting a national championship for Oklahoma and yet another Heisman quarterback in Spencer Rattler. However Oklahoma lost a lot of talent in the offseason. Rhamondre Stevenson, Ronnie Perkins, Adrian Ealy, Creed Humphrey, Tre Brown and Tre Norwood would all leave for the NFL and wide receiver Charleston Rambo would depart for the Miami Hurricanes. It was okay as Oklahoma typically faces a cupcake schedule and Riley with another successful season could negotiate his own huge extension. USC was an after thought at this point. Riley was in prime position to negotiate an extension. He had three playoff appearances and four Big 12 titles. Then the bombshell announcement dropped. Oklahoma was heading to the SEC and with the move went Riley’s hopes of a massive extension. Until that SEC money hits the Sooners account, Oklahoma was gonna be out a lot of money. There was no extension coming anytime soon. Fast forward to the beginning of the season, Oklahoma was No. 2 in the country. However the hidden cracks soon became exposed at the hands of Tulane. A poor performance with a shocking revelation. He doesn’t have his receivers anymore. Yes he had Marvin Mims but his other guy in Rambo was gone. Riley always had at least two threats. Sterling Shepard and Dede Westbrook or Westbrook and Mark Andrews. Hollywood Brown and CeeDee Lamb. Now there was only one and that might remain a constant having to compete against the SEC in recruiting.

On the other side, USC had a less than impressive win against San Jose State University. That’s when it was agreed to reach out to Riley again. I truly believe that on September 11th, after Oklahoma blew out Western Carolina and USC lost to Stanford at home, USC called their booster club to raise money for Riley while agreeing to fire Helton. If they didn’t have a plan in place and they just wanted to get rid of Helton, USC should’ve fired him on Sunday but they waited till Monday. Here’s where things get hypothetical but this is what I believe. USC and Riley had a verbal agreement on Saturday night, ensuring Riley would be the head coach of the trojans once Oklahoma was eliminated from playoff contention. On Sunday, USC officials met to figure out Helton’s buyout clause while Riley met with his staff for which he would plan to take with him to USC. Riley held a backdoor meeting with his top officials to get their contracts in order, to get their recruits to switch to USC and to plan out their escape in order for his men to get their home lives in order as far as housing and schooling for their children.

On Monday, Helton is fired. If we took anything away from the LSU hiring search is that its loud and speculative. Yet USC, one of the biggest brands in college football, a team in the heart of Los Angeles, in one of the biggest media markets of the world says nothing. The job got barely any media coverage. The media had three jobs on a silver platter to debate about. LSU, Florida and Miami. Who’s getting fired, who’s getting hired? We heard every name attached to LSU. Riley, Jimbo Fisher, Dave Aranda, Billy Napier, etc. Crickets at USC. I think USC used their media connections to keep the job quiet, to ensure Riley’s name never got brought up so no one could block the move. Think about it, what names came up for USC? Jeff Fisher? Lane Kiffin? Names with no chance and no traction. The week after their blowout win, Oklahoma played like trash against Nebraska, only coming out with a one score game in a tightly fought contest. I would call it a fluke if they didn’t have similar experiences against Kansas State, West Virginia, Texas, Kansas State, Kansas, Iowa State and a loss to Baylor. USC traveled up to Washington State that week. What team fires a coach on a Monday, knowing they have to fly out five days later? Oklahoma played the opening game of the weekend. I see USC sending their officials who typically stay back on road trips to Norman to finalize contracts that night with Riley and fly back before anyone started asking questions. Then when Oklahoma lost Bedlam, it was time to execute their plan. Riley was out before the sun rose.

To compound this claim, reports of Oklahoma assistant coach Roy Manning recruiting on behalf of USC have come out over the weekend. A slue of Oklahoma commits from the west coast have recommitted to USC, just in time for early signing day on December 15. Here’s how I see it. Riley wanted money and Oklahoma spent it to join the SEC. Riley had no guarantees heading into the most challenging portion of his career. USC just got rid of the black cloud that has overshadowed the trojan program for about two decades. The Pac-12 is vulnerable with Oregon being shaky at best and Utah having to replace retiring head coach Kyle Whittingham. USC provides big money, big recruiting and a easy road to the playoffs. Riley provides the buzz that fills seats and the pedigree that fills win columns. At the first sight of trouble, Riley dipped. At least ask yourself this if you’re doubtful. Why would USC tolerate Clay Helton after all this time, give him endless opportunities just to fire him after two games for which he won one? Helton needed to be gone so Riley could come as soon as Oklahoma’s season was over and USC didn’t know when that was gonna be.

Whether you like it or not, he left. I believe every person should be able to choose where they want to go and to go after opportunities to advance their life and the lives of their families. However young men and their families pledged the next four years of their lives to Lincoln and to not even have the curtesy to be a man, to look these young men in the eye and tell them the truth. To skip town with the riches made of the back of those men, to have Bob Stoops who gave up his dream so his school could keep you have to clean up your messes. It is disturbingly sad. Perhaps USC will be back under Riley but his reputation is rubbish and as a lover of football. A lover of college football, both USC and Riley need to be investigated because I don’t feel I’m far off from the truth and it sickens me. I guess some people never change their stripes, they just do a really good job at hiding them. Boomer Sooner.

How to fix Texas Football

Quite frankly, the Texas Longhorns have been the joke of college football since Charlie Strong first walked through the doors of Austin. The big, bad Longhorns have been mediocre at best. With only one Sugar Bowl victory to their name, made bitter sweet by Sam Ehlinger’s incorrect assessment of the program with his famous “we’re back!” phrase, Texas needs some fire to re-light the flame of championship performance.

They hoped to find that in Steve Sarkisian. With his experience at Washington and USC, along with his success at Alabama culminating in Devonta Smith’s Heisman win and another Nick Saban National Championship, the idea was that he’d bring a championship mindset to Texas. It looked promising as Sark was 4-1 headed into Red River. Then with a 28-7 lead over their arch rivals, Oklahoma made a change. Bringing in Caleb Williams, the Sooners would come back to beat Texas 55-48. Texas and Sark couldn’t handle and would lose their next six ball games, finishing the season at 5-7 ( a senior night win against K-state provided their fifth win). Quite frankly, I was unsure of Sark when he decided to start true freshman Hudson Card over experienced Casey Thompson. I mean I had just watched Thompson light up Colorado in the 2020 Alamo Bowl when he came in for injured Sam Ehlinger less than eight months before. I didn’t like the move and turns out I was right. It’s not that I don’t like Sark, I don’t believe in him. He falters when things get tough. It’s easy to win at Bama when you usually got a 21 point lead by half. It isn’t when you’ve been punched in the mouth. Can we name one moment this season where Sark has outcoached another team? Or a moment when Texas has outscored their opponents in the second half? Even at Washington, Sark won eight games in his best season. Chris Petersen took Washington to the college football playoffs. Sark won nine games in his only full season at USC, Clay Helton for whom I do not hold in the top echelon of coaches at least won a Pac-12 title and a Rose Bowl. To put it simply, if Texas wants to actually be back, they need to move on from Steve Sarkisian.

As of right now, Texas is closer to Texas State then Texas A&M in terms of championship aspirations between in state colleges. For the state of Texas, here’s how I rank the schools in probability of getting to the playoff. 1. Baylor 2. Texas Tech 3. Texas A&M 4. TCU 5. Houston 6. SMU 7. UTSA 8. Texas. Yes, that’s how bad it’s gotten. At least all the other teams are able to post above .500 records. However with their move to the SEC looming and with NIL, the Texas brand is still attractive to a lot of people. I mean Texas has produced some NFL talent in the likes of Devin Duvernay, D’onta Foreman, Lil Jordan Humphrey, Sam Cosmi and Jordan Hicks. The top Quarterback recruit of 2021 is from Texas in Quinn Ewers so the Longhorns have a relative ease with recruiting local talent alongside the fact that bordering states of Louisiana and Arkansas provide a pipeline to out of state talent as well. However in my opinion, kids want to play for a leader. Someone who inspires confidence and provides them an opportunity to be great. If I’m the Texas AD, I’m paying Sark’s buyout clause and spending every dollar of Texas booster money to bring in Marcus Freeman from Norte Dame. Texas was best when Will Muschamp was their defensive coordinator. The Texas defense was hard hitting, aggressive but most importantly, intelligent. His defense was allowing an average of 19.5 points a game and was one of the top rushing defenses in the country that year. Freeman in his last four games has averaged a total 5.75 points a game. Not bad for his first season. His coaching has propelled starting safety Kyle Hamilton from a first round prospect to a top five pick. Plus Freeman’s youth will be a point of relatability that has served coaches like Lincoln Riley and Dave Aranda well in recruiting. Along with the fact that Freeman’s experience in the Midwest and Great Lakes area in terms of recruiting could bring some far and wide talent to Texas.

From an offensive perspective, they need to get Bijan Robinson the ball. Texas has a wonderful roster of running backs and wide receivers to complement Thompson but the workhorse that is Bijan Robinson will take Texas to great new heights. Early in the season, Sark was lining up Bijan in the slot, throwing screen passes to him and putting him all over the field. It seems like towards the end of the season, Sark was only running the ball with Bijan. That would be fine if the current state of Texas’ offensive line wasn’t a state of disrepair. Texas has a long history of great running backs. Greats like Earl Campbell, Ricky Williams, Cedric Benson and Jamaal Charles took Texas to wonderful heights. Bijan is that talent but even Derrick Henry isn’t great when he’s stopped at the line.

They also need a new offensive playcaller, one name comes to mind immediately. Joe Brady. There’s a lot of rumors that the Carolina Panthers are gonna move on from him and the one time LSU passing game coordinator, responsible for Joe Burrow and the electric 2019 LSU offense could find financial stability and inspiration at Texas. I think its time to to let the ball rip and become the offensive juggernaut of the south like they were in the 2000’s.

My last improvement for Texas is the fans. A rebuild won’t be overnight and expecting it to be is insanity. Its the same expectations put on the end of Mack Brown’s time in Texas, Charlie Strong and Tom Herman. Give the new guy some time because it turns out Mack Brown wasn’t the problem, it was the lofty expectations on him. There’s a reason North Carolina played in a New Years Six game last season and Texas didn’t. Be patient with the new coach and in due time, the rewards shall be so fruitful, you’ll have a handful to shove in Oklahoma’s face.

To Mr. Schottenheimer, thank you

I sit here sulking in the Chargers loss to the Denver Broncos by loading up my X-Box 360 and playing Madden 07. It is a fun throwback to a time in which my favorite player of all time would glide past defenders on his way to the end zone. That player is the Hall of Famer LaDainian Tomlinson. I’d rock my powder blue #21 every Sunday as LT lit up the scoreboard and now I try to relieve those memories through video games. When you play as the Chargers, a small screen pops up where you can select the uniform, difficulty and playbook. Next to the playbook, it says SD - M. Schottenheimer. It made me a little sad as it was a reminder that Coach Schottenheimer had passed in February. I wanted to take a moment to thank Coach Schottenheimer. His tenure with the Chargers was too short and ended so poorly, I wish it could’ve been different. The man helped shape my favorite player into an all time great. However his impact not only on the Chargers and LT was one of success, his impact on football can not be denied. A career win total of 200 wins, a coaching tree filled with champions and his coaching being responsible for multiple Hall of Fame inductees. The criticisms on his career come from his lack of a super bowl appearance. However that shouldn’t take away from his incredible career. I am a firm believer and if anyone with any influence in Canton sees this, the Hall of Fame needs to induct Marty Schottenheimer as soon as possible. In the same way I feel about Don Coryell, if you influence the game in any meaningful and impactful way, you have shaped the history of the NFL and thus your bust deserves to be in Canton. Like Coryell, Schottenheimer won’t get to attend his own ceremony but that shouldn’t take away all that he has done for the game I love.

However I’m not here to debate Coach Schottenheimer on whether he belongs in Canton or not. I’m here to thank a man of a lifetime of work. He had a simple offensive philosophy. Run the football and because of that, my hero became a legend. Breaking the single season touchdown record in 06, LaDainian Tomlinson was set to lead the Chargers to their first ever Super Bowl. However plans were hampered in the playoffs by misfortune capped by Marlon McCree’s fumble after intercepting Tom Brady. Coach Schottenheimer never got another shot to coach my Chargers as he was fired in the offseason. I don’t know what could’ve been. I don’t want to think about it. I do want to think about a packed Qualcomm Stadium erupting to LT breaking the touchdown record against the Denver Broncos. I like to think about Coach Schottenheimer’s great speeches. I think about them a lot, this one in particular. He spoke on the feeling of watching a player grow. The feeling of seeing someone you taught succeed. He was a mentor, a teacher and a good man. He allowed a six year old kid from Hawaii fall in love with a player he only met through a TV screen. He made my Chargers great, he took a franchise in obscurity and let them be seen on CBS which was really helpful as that’s the only game my TV would catch. He would coach in the UFL and in his only season, he’d win a championship. He went out as the winner he was. Whenever I need a lift, I watch LT’s Hall of Fame speech, where he thanks Coach Schottenheimer and says he was the best coach he ever had. It brings a tear to my eye every time I watch it. Thank you Coach, for everything. When I visit the Charger greats in Canton. LT, Ron Mix, Dan Fouts, Junior Seau and co. I hope to see your bust there one day, perhaps with my favorite phrase of your etched below. “One play at a time, let’s go kick some ass.”

How the Steelers should move on from Big Ben

Yes I know. In my previous post, I said the Steelers should hang on to Ben Roethlisberger and I still stand by it. However there is a very real possibility that the Steelers could move on. The Steelers are one of the great franchises in America. Only three head coaches in their entire history, a legacy of greatness proven by the bust of Steelers now and then sitting in Canton, Ohio. A track record of game changers dominating the three rivers. Last names like Bradshaw, Bleier and Blunt. Hall of Fame linebackers like Lambert, Ham and Greene and possibly one day Harrison. There’s mean Joe and Franco Harris with his immaculate reception. The 1974 draft where the Steelers front office, led by Hall of Famers Chuck Noll and Bill Nunn went on to acquire a record five Hall of Fame players. Or any claim against their greatness soon becomes extinguished by the sight of their record six Lombardi trophies. However that is the past and this is now. For the past ten years following their Super Bowl XLIII victory, the Steelers have been above average at best. Several AFC East titles signaling potential but only one AFC championship appearance resulting in a 36-17 blowout at the hands of the New England Patriots, displays a failure to compete at the top level. I do believe that the current roster Pittsburg possesses is impressive, they’re only a few roster moves away from once again hoisting football’s greatest prize.

One of the true regrets of the Steelers organization was their selection or lack of in the 1983 draft. Sitting with their first round pick, they had an opportunity to draft a quarterback. This draft already held future Hall of Fame quarterbacks Jim Kelly and John Elway, in fact five quarterbacks had already been selected at this point. Yet there he was. A Pittsburg kid through and through. Born and raised, attended the University of Pittsburg, graduated and all. Highly rated and battle proven. The Steelers drafted a defensive tackle and that quarterback went on to play for the Miami Dolphins. His name was Dan Marino. The Hall of Famer who was one of the best quarterbacks of his era. He was an All Pro, Pro Bowler and MVP. For the Steelers, not drafting him led to a dismal end to Chuck Noll’s coaching career and a twenty-five year championship drought. If the Steelers want to win a championship again, they will only go as far as their quarterback takes them. Both Bradshaw and Roethlisberger did so and I believe Pitt quarterback Kenny Pickett could be the next to do the same. Pickett is a strong arm pocket passer who has been lighting up the ACC. He has good height, decent mobility and a wonderful sense of timing. There’s some decision making issues but those can be coached and schemed out. He is the perfect fit for the East Coast, excellent for Matt Canada’s offense and the rewrite of an almost forty year wrong.

Now we need to revamp the offensive line. To put it easily, the O-line has been quite poor. I would like the Steelers to look for veteran leadership in free agency. If we look at how the Chargers revamped their O-line, having a veteran center can take a lot of pressure off of the quarterback. A center’s ability to call out or change protection will boost a quarterbacks ability to deliver the ball where it needs to be. Plus Najee Harris is a stud and getting those running lanes open will trouble defenses.

Eric Ebron’s contract expires at the end of the season and I have a lot of faith in Pat Freiermuth to be TE 1 for the next five years. Use his money to re-sign key players. At the top of my list is Minkah Fitzpatrick and Juju Smith-Schuster. Juju needs to be the leader for that offensive core and Fitzpatrick is an invaluable asset. For the defense, the hallmark of those great Steeler teams, they need to get help on the outside. Joe Haden isn’t the player he used to be. One or two more cornerbacks will give their impressive defensive line the extra second they need to reek havoc on opposing teams quarterbacks.

For the draft, get Pickett and build around him. The team is already loaded with potential, he can be the next piece to take them over the top. I would like the Steelers to look for a defensive back on day two and sure up their skill positions on day three.

Last thing they need to do is give Mike Tomlin a huge extension. He has made chicken salad out of chicken shit multiple times as head coach. He made Duck Hodges a winner and that should speak on his name. The Ravens gave John Harbaugh an extension in Lamar’s first year, for the stability of the new gunslinger, the Steelers should do the same. Besides, its what the Steelers do.

Steel Will and Why I Need Diapers

On this beautiful Sunday night in America, families from all walks of life storm grocery stores to grab their turkeys for Thanksgiving. I like Thanksgiving, I love Thanksgiving. A time for which we as a nation indulge in the three things that make us wonderful. A day off of work, endless feasting and football. This is a week for which I look forward to. There are three days throughout the year that bring me joy. Super Bowl Sunday, Red River Rivalry Saturday and Thanksgiving. Other days are good but there’s nothing like those three days for me. However on this fine Sunday evening, my week was almost ruined. I am a die hard Chargers fan, I’ve been a fan since 07. Stuck with the team through the rough final years in San Diego with the failed stadium deal, with the sudden but expected move to LA and with the end of Philip Rivers career. However the flame that ignites my football heart burns bright through the arm of Justin Herbert. I wasn’t sold on drafting him but there’s a reason I’m a writer and not a NFL GM (yet hopefully). On this Sunday night, my Chargers faced off against the Pittsburgh Steelers with the winner moving into a wild card spot in the AFC. A Steelers defense without top players T.J. Watt, Minkah Fitzpatrick and Joe Haden was perfectly set up for a Justin Herbert carving. That’s exactly what he did. Herbert posted 3 touchdowns to 1 interception with 382 passing yards to complement his 90 yards rushing. With a commanding 27-10 lead entering the fourth quarter, in typical Chargers fashion, they let the Steelers score 27 points to take a 37-34 lead. I was stunned, sitting in my powder blue Keenan Allen jersey at a cramped booth inside Buffalo Wild Wings. Herbert had one shot. Ball in his hands. 75 yards. Perhaps it was the sugar from the five Pepsis I drank or the sugar metabolizing from carbs inside my pretzel bites. Maybe it was the 60 degree air pumping from the vent above my head or the fact that I’ve seen this story written before but I had the shakes. My teeth were chattering as if I was on a ride at Disneyland in February. Nervous, scared, emotionally shitting my pants. I was a mess. Herbert only took three plays to score, aided by a Steelers blown coverage which allowed Herbert to hit Mike Williams in stride for a game clinching touchdown. A defensive stop by the Chargers gave them their undeserved sixth win of the season. This was a heart stopping game. A weekly occurrence for a Chargers fan like me. I internally shit my pants every week, I can’t remember the last time the Chargers trotted to an easy victory. Maybe against the Jaguars once if that but the Chargers are serious playoff contenders. However if they want to go for a championship, they need to learn how to finish.

On one sideline, victory. On the other sideline, agony. The Steelers should’ve been written off in this game, they should’ve been written off weeks ago. The first month of the season had fans screaming for Big Ben’s retirement and analysts wouldn’t give them not shot to compete. They called Roethlisberger the worst quarterback in the AFC North, their win against the Bills a fluke and the team a disaster. Now look at them, competing at the highest level under Ben. I hate the notion that both Ben and head coach Mike Tomlin need to go. They’ve never had a losing season, two Super Bowl appearances and a ring together. They won their division last season and the lack of both front office ability to build a championship roster and misfortune have prevented the Steelers from winning their seventh championship. For a long time Tom Brady and the incredible defense of “Sacksonville” stopped the Steelers from once again reaching the pinnacle of football. Now it’s the lack of an offense. Ben today had a marquee performance. 273 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. The Steelers defense when healthy is a top five defensive unit. They have top players all across the field. Watt, Hayward, Tuitt, Bush, Fitzpartick, Haden and others led the Steelers to a division title last year. This year, they’re still the same cats when together. However the Steelers have no number one receiver, a tight end in Eric Ebron who is due to drop passes and an oline who couldn’t stop a nose bleed in a hospital. They lost Alejandro Villanueva, Matt Feiler and Maurkice Pouncey and decided Trei Turner and releasing All Pro guard David DeCastro was the solution. They haven’t gone after a receiver in the first round in ages, only now trying to replace the production of Antonio Brown and Le’veon Bell. Quite frankly its a mess. I think Ben still has a little more juice in him. If I was the Steelers, here’s what I would do. Re-sign JuJu Smith-Schuster. Go after Tyler Linderbaum (Center, Iowa) in the first round. He’s a top talent and will provide that offensive line leadership vacated by Maurkice Pouncey. Take a receiver in the second round, the 2022 draft is filled with studs and for all that is right in the world, please get a suitable left tackle. Big Ben is ending his time in the league but tonight proved he ain’t done yet. He wants to win, even taking a paycut to do so. Use the money, use the draft capitol and bring home the Lombardi. Steel Will is still strong in Pittsburg.

The Great Champion: A killer for Mixed Martial Arts

With Kamaru Usman’s victory over Colby Covington, he has pushed himself into contention for being named the greatest fighter of all time or simply the G.O.A.T. of violence. He’s currently 20-1 as a professional, undefeated in his UFC career and holds five consecutive title defense victories. He’s being argued as the greatest welterweight of all time with only the UFC Hall of Famer Georges St-Pierre as competition. Quite frankly, Usman is king and with the retirement of Khabib Nurmagomedov, Usman is the number one ranked male pound for pound fighter in the UFC. However this leads to an issue that we see time and time again in the sport. The UFC has done a good job lining up the best fights possible, however that hasn’t stopped long title reigns in the sport. We’ve seen it with as mentioned GSP, Ronda Rousey, Anderson Silva and Jon Jones. We currently see it with Amanda Nunes, Valentina Shevchenko, Israel Adesanya and now Kamaru Usman. Long time champions kill the popularity of the division.

We like champions, we like winners. What we hate is stagnation. Fighting is best when it is unpredictable. At a moments notice, a fight can turn, a fight can change and it can end. It is the only sport in which time is only an outline and a finish can happen at any time. In boxing, there’s a ten count and every other sport has a predetermined amount of time or time parameters a match must complete before it can be considered final and written into the record books. When we have stagnant champions, it makes the division unwatchable. It is a conclusion already written, an ending with no pizazz. For all my fighting fans out there, can you name the next threat to Nunes’ or Shevchenko’s titles? What about Adesanya’s or Usman’s? Quite frankly, only rematches and no names are the only options left. Who wants to see that many rematches, that many fights where the action and stylistic matchups are the same? Quite frankly, Jones’ and Silva’s title reigns stalled their respective divisions for a long time. There was no excitement, no interest. Sure we had some incredible moments like Jones vs. Cromier or Jones vs Gustafsson but there were many more fights in which we did not care about or let drain from memory. Jones personal and legal troubles became front page news as the rest of the light heavyweight division was left to wither away. Yet when Jones vacated his belt, the division reignited with the same fire which dominated the early 2000’s. Names like Ortiz, Liddell, Belfort, Rua, Couture, Machida, Evans, Griffin and Jackson fueled a heart stopping moment of fighting back in the day. The title was up for grabs and when you thought someone who start their ever-lasting reign, there came someone to kick them off the mountain. It was part sport, part theater that kept you and your wallet tuning in for more. Same thing in the aftermath of Anderson Silva’s loss to Chris Weidman. The belt kept transferring hands where in this crazy world, Michael Bisping became a champion. Fans both diehard and casual shared in these moments of intense debate of what could happen next. Now they just ask who’s next to be served up on a silver platter. This is not a criticism of those long reigning champions. If you can be the best, be it but their success comes at a price that the fans have to pay heavily for.

Max Holloway: A throwback

A common statement across contacts sports, at least at the professional level is that the modern day athlete is “soft.” Especially in the NBA, due to nature of the modern game we see less fights, less “bully ball” one could say. In football, the days of the hard hitters is a thing of the past, their play style negated by the rules governing their sports. Even in boxing, the fighters themselves still bring the intensity and pain associated with the combat sport but its governing bodies do well to step in before things get out of hand. The days of fighting to the death are no more and for good reason. In MMA or the UFC to be particular, it is a true treat to watch fighters exercise their skills and expertise in the multiple disciplines of fighting. However it is a rare treat to see the sheer brazen attitudes of the past, only replicated in video games of the scrapper. The punisher. Today’s fighters are very calculated, disciplined and they understand the game so well that they’re not gonna put themselves in harms way until necessary. It is a smart strategy and though we see fighters who love to strike and strike with high efficiency, non compare on the level of Max Holloway.

When Holloway is fighting, my heart races with anxiety. This is partly due to Holloway’s patented defensive technique of blocking punches with his face. Yet when Holloway seems stunned, it’s typically the moment where he turns up the heat and lays a barrage of strikes to his opponents. Once holding the record for most landed strikes, Holloway is cold and calculated in the octagon but as displayed in his many wars, especially against Ricardo Lamas, Holloway is in fact down for that action. Yet, his head movement and counter striking abilities are bar none in the sport. Holloway, raised in Waianae, raises his game to a level not even the best professionals go. He is a video game, he is a scrapper. Perhaps because of his rough Waianae upbringing or due to his adverse road in the UFC but when Holloway takes on Yair Rodriguez (a phenomenal striker in his own right) we will be thrown back into a time clocking somebody just because was a celebrated and encouraged activity of sportsman. All I say is that this is not a sustainable way to compete so I will enjoy it as long as I can knowing that when the gloves are hung up, Holloway will be an icon of violence.

Michael Mayock: A promising calm in a burning dumpster fire

When Mark Davis donned his finest suit and signature bowl cut to introduce Jon Gruden as the new head coach of the then Oakland Raiders in 2018, a promise was made. In exchange for his return, Gruden would have full control of the Raiders and if anyone had any questions, they could look at his 10 year, 100 million dollar contract as evidence of who ran the show. Then GM Reggie McKenzie was promptly shown the door and in his place was Mike Mayock. Mayock, a broadcasting veteran spent a total of zero years as an NFL executive before being given the keys to the franchise. Mayock’s resume was simple, a long time draft analyst. His job, also simple. Provide analysis on top draft prospects and work to see Gruden’s dreams come true. It’s unsure what players Mayock had a hand in drafting but one thing was simple, if the Raiders were a sleek black Bentley, hell would have to freeze over for him to drive it and those keys, symbolic. It was Gruden’s show and with it saw the departures of All-Pro Khalil Mack, Pro Bowler Amari Cooper and NFL punting yards leader Marquette King. In return, Gruden received a whole host of draft picks and with it, Gruden hand selected first rounders Kolten Miller, Clelin Ferrell, Josh Jacobs, Johnathan Abrams, Henry Ruggs III, Damon Arnette and Alex Leatherwood. Remember when I said Mayock would need hell to freeze over to have complete control over personnel decisions? Well it has.

Gruden was unceremoniously forced to resign when an investigation into the Washington Football Team discovered Gruden sent emails to then Washington President Bruce Allen. Laced with racist, sexist and homophobic rhetoric, compounded by insulting language towards NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, Gruden was subsequently shown the door by the league. And for Gruden’s draft success? Both Henry Ruggs III and Damon Arnette were released in the past two weeks. Ruggs for vehicular manslaughter while under the influence of alcohol and Arnette for making threats via social media while brandishing a firearm. Many consider Ferrell a bust, Abram a reach and Jacobs a risk as he’s found slight difficulty in staying on the field along with Jacobs crashing his sports car while speeding at the end of last season. Leatherwood who played left tackle in college was moved to right tackle where he has struggled and now hopes to reignite his lofty career expectations at guard. Quite frankly, Gruden’s draft history is riddled with misses and players taken higher then their worth. Gruden also had a claim that he wanted high character players but with the actions of Jacobs, Ruggs and Arnette along with signing Richie Incognito who was found to have bullied former players in the past, Vontaze Burfict who was suspended indefinitely by the NFL and lets not forget the Antonio Brown debacle. The moral of the story is that the Gruden experiment has failed miserably.

Now comes in Mike Mayock. Since Gruden’s firing, the Raiders have gone 2-1 under interim head coach Rich Bisaccia and are in the midst of a playoff push lead by quarterback Derek Carr and edge rusher Maxx Crosby. The Raiders have talent. Carr and Crosby, a top 5 tight end in Darren Waller, an elite slot receiver in Hunter Renfrow along with a burgeoning defensive line led by Crosby but outlined with key players such as Pro Bowler Yannick Ngakoue, Carl Nassib, Solomon Thomas along with a rotation of talented defensive tackles. However, the Raiders lack depth and talent in various positions such as receiver, cornerback and tackle. With Gruden being gone, the job rests on Mayock’s shoulders and I believe he will deliver.

Mike Mayock isn’t someone who likes to take gambles. He’s quite conservative in player selections and if the Raiders went by what the experts were saying, they would have a boatload of talent. Mayock came from an analyst job, those analysts are his friends and his track record suggests he’ll agree with most of their opinions. Right now, the Raiders are trying to piece together a team but with an offseason of potential looming, Mayock will be able to select his coach, his players and now the keys to the Bentley work ever so beautifully when it isn’t driven into the ground by a coach who priortized being in control over being a champion.

The Lamar Jackson Story

February 3, 2013. That day that is known for three things. A stadium blackout, a Baltimore Ravens Super Bowl victory and the day the NFL changed forever. With the keys to the franchise in one hand and the Lombardi trophy in another, Joe Flacco was king and with his crown came the spoils. A 6 year, 120 million dollar contract making him the highest paid quarterback in NFL history. In the following months, Tony Romo, Matt Ryan and Arron Rodgers would all sign deals either matching or breaking Flacco record setting amount. However the NFL has a hard salary cap, meaning there is a set number of dollars teams are allowed to spend on players. Where quarterbacks make bank, franchises must make sacrifices. With less firepower to equip quarterbacks with on both sides of the ball, you must be sure your guy is the guy. The guy that can get it done, the guy that can make magic happen where there is none and the guy that will be a leader on and off the field. Now what if I told you that your team needed that guy and in your hands you have a man who has won a MVP, 2 division titles and 36 games out of 45 starts all before the age of 25. How about a player who has made the playoffs every year he’s been in the league, has had a playoff victory and has led the league in touchdown passes. Or a guy who has thrown for more touchdowns than Jared Goff and Carson Wentz, recent members of the big contract clubs. How about to top it all off, his top three receivers have combined for a total zero all-pros and zero pro bowls. His number one target is a tight end.

Sounds like a guy who can make magic out of nothing. I am referring to Lamar Jackson. He is electricity personified and the most disrespected player in the national football league. He is now and always has been. A Heisman winner who was the fifth quarterback selected in the 2018 NFL draft, he wasn’t even the Ravens first pick of the draft (Hayden Hurst) who went on to break records and lead his team to success. However, there is still a debate in the NFL community arguing that the Ravens shouldn’t sign Jackson to his rightfully earned mega-extension and the fact that a deal has not come together yet, even after fellow 2018 first round pick Josh Allen signed his 6 year, 258 million (150 million guaranteed) contract is telling of a franchise who wasn’t hesitant to shell out the dough nine years earlier. Now some may argue that with big money, it takes time to iron out the details. It is a fair argument if Buffalo, Dallas, Kansas City, Philadelphia, Houston and the Los Angeles Rams didn’t sign their shot callers to mega deals within the last two years. It would be fair if Carolina didn’t shell out for Teddy Bridgewater and Jacksonville didn’t shell out for Nick Foles just for them to be gambles which ultimately failed. The Ravens have the sure thing and are still hesitating. Why? Maybe it’s the pressure of what to do next? Maybe they're afraid they won’t have enough money after signing Marlon Humphrey and Ronnie Stanley to big extensions. Well that’s false because Calais Campbell and Brandon Williams contracts are expiring, freeing up over twenty million per year in cap space so that’s false. If everyone else can figure out the numbers, Baltimore is more than able to. Maybe it’s his off the field conduct? He was criticized for playing beach football and running routes on a basketball court. Funny because other quarterbacks are playing backyard football, golf, basketball and yet they’re not criticized. Funny that in the criticism of Jackson, no one brings up that he was spending time with his family and was at a youth event but yes, the family and community man isn’t the guy for me. Maybe it’s because he’s a running quarterback, he’s susceptible to injury. Well he hasn’t missed a game due to injury in the pros or college so that should speak volumes regarding health.  Maybe it’s because he is in the bottom half of the league in passing yards? Well wouldn’t we all be if our number one receiver is 5’9 with a history of dropping passes. So now I ask, what’s the real issue?

I think if you ran the franchise, you’d sign him the first second you got but you don’t run a franchise. You don’t get paid to run a franchise, you don’t feed your family by running a franchise. In fact, your career doesn’t live or die based off what you think of Lamar Jackson. The reason Lamar hasn’t gotten the spoils of his crown is because of everyone but him. Coming out of college, several NFL executives wanted him to convert to running back or receiver. A player like him couldn’t succeed in the NFL was common thought. Jackson was drafted 32nd, the last pick in the first round. In fact, Baltimore traded New England for that pick. That means every GM in the NFL could’ve gotten him and didn’t. That’s fine if you got Mahomes or Brady but those are two men and there are thirty-two teams. With a new deal, that is the evidence that everyone was wrong and when you are wrong, people start asking why. Fans, players and owners all ask how did you get this so wrong. In fact, the GM that drafted Lamar (Ozzie Newsome) retired so his replacement must be the one to pull the trigger, a trigger that’s hard to pull when it goes against the football philosophy we we’re all educated with. Lamar will get his deal and will continue to prove us wrong but while names like Allen, Mahomes, Rodgers get revered, Jackson’s gets disrespected because not only did majority of NFL teams and media voices reject Jackson’s ability to succeed in the league, they rejected the notion that a player like him could play and that’s worse. We’ve all had our fair share of bad picks but to say that his style won’t work means you are behind the curve in an ever-evolving industry and to be behind is to be out the door, closing the dream these GM’s try desperately to hold on to. Even if that means bashing a guy who has achieved so much more at 24 then most of the players they draft will ever do in their careers.

Is Baker Mayfield worthy of an extension?

Short answer, yes. Long answer, without a doubt. If you look at the Browns franchise, there are two quarterbacks of note, Bernie Kosar and Otto Graham. You can throw that one year with Derek Anderson in there but I wouldn’t. However both Kosar and Graham are relics of the past and serve as a reminder of what was, not what is. Those Cleveland Browns, formed under Paul Brown moved to Baltimore in the nineties and in a deal struck by the league, the new Cleveland Browns took their place. It has been a disaster ever since. With only one playoff appearance and zero playoff wins, the Browns were the laughing stock of the NFL for decades. I mean who hasn’t seen the picture of the man with a Tim Couch jersey with the names of every following starting quarterback attached to it. Since 2000, the Browns have averaged a new quarterback almost every season. We all know of the failures from the front office. Names like Quinn, McCoy, Manziel and Weeden haunt the franchise’s inability to produce consistent quarterback play. Talents like Joe Thomas, Josh Cribbs, Alex Mack, Joe Haden and much more were wasted due to one position. Now here comes this undersized arrogant gunslinger from Oklahoma who not only has survived but thrived in Cleveland and has captured the ultimate goal for the franchise, a playoff victory. Not just any playoff victory but a win against their arch rivals, the Pittsburgh Steelers. Over the past three years, Mayfield has had four head coaches, three offensive coordinators and the weight of being a Brown on his shoulders, yet he has guided the former laughing stock to an above .500 season and into a true Super Bowl contender. Sure, he is surrounded by weapons but Baker threw for over 3,500 yards, 26 touchdowns with a 62.8 percent completion percentage against 8 interceptions. Those numbers are not commonplace in the NFL and definitely not in Cleveland. He is the real deal. All I have to say is this, you can look at the numbers. You can look at his style, you can look at everything but Baker has done what no one could and just because the Browns became a threat doesn’t mean they should find Arron Rodgers or another replacement. The Browns are still the Browns and it takes a special player, a unique talent with the f you attitude to succeed. Baker isn’t the best fit for ninety percent of NFL franchises but he's a perfect fit for Cleveland. Thus he is more than deserving of his contract extension.

The Eight Team College Football Playoff

If you love college football as much as I do, then you hate the NCAA. More importantly the inability for the sport and its governing body to find a solution to a problem which has plagued the sport since it’s inception.

The year, 2004. The state, Alabama. The team, Auburn. Coached by now U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville, the Auburn tigers hosted one of the most prolific running offenses in collegiate history, powered by running back duo Ronnie Brown and Cadillac Williams. Quarterback Jason Campbell led a team which would finish the season 13-0 with 5 top 25 victories along with an SEC championship with a win over Tennessee, their second win over the Vols that year. They would end their season with a victory over Virginia Tech in the Sugar Bowl but what Auburn really wanted was a National Championship. However their season would be overshadowed by the National Championship game between USC and Texas. An instant classic which saw Texas capture it’s first and only national title of the 21st century via a Vince Young scramble. A beautiful ending to an incredible year of college football except for Auburn. Why weren’t they there? Because Texas and USC were both undefeated and Auburn was the casualty of politics. See for many years the National Championship was based off a vote from so called electors, then a championship game was created. Then the BCS was created where the teams playing in the championship game was decided based off a computer calculating various numbers which is still hard to explain till today and finally a playoff was introduced. A four team tournament decided with a semi-final and a final. The team selections are based off select committee members and this was suppose to be the fix all solution but in it’s first year, it became painfully clear it wasn’t.

The year was 2014, January sprung four teams to compete on New Years Day. Alabama vs Ohio State and Oregon vs Florida State. Heisman winner Marcus Mariota led the ducks to a rout of fellow Heisman winner Jameis Winston in the Rose Bowl while Urban Meyer, Cardale Jones and the Ohio State Buckeyes upset the Alabama Crimson Tide. In the championship game, a Buckeyes team filled with talent smoked the Ducks to capture the first CFP national championship. On paper, a squad made up of names like Joey Bosa, Ezekiel Elliott, Taylor Decker, Eli Apple, Vonn Bell, Michael Thomas and many more future NFL pros looks like a shoe in for the playoff except entering the final week of the season, Ohio State was engaged in a fierce debate. Alabama, Oregon and Florida State all clinched their spots in the playoff, barring an upset in their respected conference championship games. However the race for fourth was hot between TCU, Ohio State and Baylor. They all had one loss and all deserved to be number four but thus an issue. Unlike Ohio State, TCU and Baylor play in the Big 12 and in the 2013-2104 season, the Big 12 didn’t have a conference championship game. Ohio State in the Big 10 did and thus they got the final spot. To make a long story short, too often times in college football, a team or teams get left out of the playoff for various and most often dumb reasons. Teams like Baylor, TCU, UCF and Oregon have been left out of the playoffs in the following years after Ohio State’s win with barely a half decent explanation. Here’s my solution to fix this.

College football is driven by sponsorships and money. Currently six bowl games are on a rotating schedule to host the semi-final games. The Sugar, Rose, Orange, Fiesta, Cotton and Peach bowl are locked in so I suggest this. An eight man playoff.

1 v. 8 2 v. 7 3 v. 6 4 v.5

A quarterfinal matchup which uses four bowl games and a semi final which uses the remaining two. Here are my rules for qualification. A committee selection will select and rank each team. A conference can only have a maximum of two teams in the playoff and one must be the conference champion. An undefeated, undisputed conference champion from a group of five school will have automatic acceptance into the playoff. The quarter final shall take place on New Years Day. The semi-final a week after and a National Championship game the week after that.

For those who say this is too taxing on colligate athletes, I offer a solution. Each school receives roughly 30-40 million per appearance in a playoff game. Five million should be set aside in bonuses. One million for coaches and four million to be divided upon the players. The more you advance, the more you get paid.

No one will argue if a 9th or a 10th seed should be in because typically only six teams per year have the resume to compete for a National title but I suggest eight teams just to make things even. This way, those teams left out have an opportunity to prove they belong on the biggest stage.

What’s next for Spencer Rattler?

Dubbed a pre-season All American, a future first round pick and a Heisman trophy candidate, Oklahoma quarterback Spencer Rattler now finds himself as the second string QB of the Sooners following a benching in the Red River Rivalry against Texas, precluded by a lackluster performance throughout the season. This isn’t the first time he’s been benched as a similar moment happened in the 2020 edition of the Red River Rivalry where Rattler was benched for Tanner Mordecai. Difference is Rattler came back to beat Texas and this year his replacement Caleb Williams has hit the ground running with Lincoln Riley’s offense and in the dust lies Rattler. Like Mordecai, it’s painfully clear Oklahoma is no longer a suitable home for Rattler. Mordecai transferred to SMU where he has thrived with the Mustangs and now Rattler will soon have to enter the transfer portal. Here’s some suggestions for where Rattler could go to revitalize his career.

1. Tennessee. For years the Vols borderlined on obscurity, constantly losing ground in the SEC and failing in their ability to replace National Championship winning coach Phillip Fulmer. Lane Kiffin, Derek Dooley, Butch Jones and Jeremy Pruitt have all tried and failed. However, new head coach Josh Heupel and his pass heavy spread offense has revitalized rocky top and with a broken roster, Heupel’s Vols are making noise once again. Starting quarterback Hendon Hooker looks to be headed to the NFL as he is a senior and backup Joe Milton continues to perform below his above average expectations. With the ability to start right away and throw the ball constantly along with the use of his legs, Rattler could be the missing piece to what takes the Vols back to the top of college football.

2. Ole Miss. Another SEC school with a similar situation to Tennessee, Lane Kiffin’s Ole Miss will need to replace future first round pick Matt Corral. With an offense similar to Oklahoma, the constant use of passing patterns and RPO plays, Rattler would be right at home in Oxford. Keep in mind, Kiffin has not only taken Matt Corral’s game to the next level but his work with Heisman trophy winners like Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart along with NFL pros Matt Barkley and Jalen Hurts could be the key to unlocking Rattler’s obvious potential.

3. LSU. I know what you’re gonna say. Another SEC school? And yes. The only difference between Alabama and LSU is that Alabama recruits solid quarterbacks and LSU doesn’t. Names like Tua, Hurts, Jones and McCarron have all guided the talented Crimson Tide to various National Championships and eventually all made their way to the NFL. LSU has had similarly talented rosters without the quarterbacks to lift them over the top. Then comes in Joe Burrow from Ohio State and bingo! An undefeated season, a national championship and one of the most legendary teams of all time. Since 2010, LSU has had top players who have become NFL stars. Names like Odell Beckham Jr., Jarvis Landry, Leonard Fournette, Russell Gage, Jamal Adams, Tredavious White, Tyrann Mathieu, Jalen Mills, La’ei Collins, Trai Turner, Kwon Alexander, Danielle Hunter, Deion Jones, D.J. Chalk and so many more have electrified Death Valley but no Quarterback. Yes, Max Johnson has solidified his position as starter but I personally don’t believe he’s better than Rattler and with a loaded roster along with a new coaching staff coming in, Rattler could be the key for a repeat of 2019.

4. Texas. Could he really? Leave the Sooners for their arch rival? Well quite frankly the relationship between Rattler and Oklahoma ended when fans started chanting Caleb Williams name during the Sooners game against West Virginia. Texas could provide the fire for which Rattler can start his revenge tour. A talented receiving core outlined with speed, a top running back in Bijan Robinson if he stays for another year and offensive ingenuity from Coach Steve Sarkisian (who saw Mac Jones ascend from Tua’s backup to a first round pick) could see Rattler thrive. Quite frankly, Casey Thompson and Hudson Card haven’t done anything to solidify their place as the starter for the Longhorns and with Texas use of RPO and pistol formations, Rattler would fit in easily. If Rattler comes and Texas can sure up it’s offensive line, Rattler might find the last laugh across Red River.

5. Nevada. Perhaps a move out of the power five conferences is just what the doctor ordered. If Nevada’s head coach Jay Norvell and OC Matt Mumme (Son of Air Raid innovator Hal Mumme) stays for another season, Rattler would slide into a system which has allowed Carson Strong to both thrive and rip apart opposing defenses. Along with the offensive similarity to Oklahoma (he was co-OC under Bob Stoops at Oklahoma) and a strong recruiting base, Rattler could be the piece which could help Nevada finally claim an undisputed conference championship.