Category: Football

Run. The. Ball. Please.

by Jeremy Fernando, posted in NFL

A good friend proposed a scenario to me after 49ers head coach Beto O’ Rourke (does anyone else see the resemblance?) flat out forgot how to coach.

The scenario is: You’re up by 3 in the Super Bowl with 6 minutes to go. You’ve been averaging 8 yards a carry on the ground. On 1st down, your RB runs for 5 yards making it 2nd and 5. Are you going to run the ball again or throw it?

Still fuming from last night’s ending, I replied with a few expletives then said “even if I had Jesus Christ as my QB I’d still run the ball.” Everyone and their mother knows pretty boy Jimmy Garoppolo isn’t exactly God’s gift to QB, however after watching the 9ers play calling in the 4th quarter I’m starting to question whether Kyle Shanahan actually did think he had our Lord and Savior under center.

For the first 3 quarters, the Niners found themselves with a 20-10 lead mainly due to a balanced offensive effort which featured a rushing attack that averaged over 6.4 yards per carry for the game. Raheem Mostert, Tevin Coleman, and Deebo Samuel were providing a potent rushing attack and Jimmy G was making the throws he needed to make. Through this offensive scheme, the Niners offense was keeping the vaunted Chiefs offense off the field. By consistently gaining yards by running the football, the Niners were controlling the game by chewing large chunks of time off the clock each possession.

Yet, with a 10-point lead with 11 minutes to play in the 4th quarter and the Lombardi Trophy within arm’s reach, the 49ers ran 5 plays: 2 runs and 3 passes. After a 1st down run for a yard, Coach Shanahan called a pass play which wound up incomplete, stopping the clock in the meantime. After a false start which made it 3rd and 14, Shanahan was forced to call another pass play which wound up with Jimmy G scrambling for 3 yards. After a Niners punt, Patrick Mahomes and Co. marched right down the field and promptly scored a touchdown making the score 20-17. With 6 minutes to play and the ball, the Niners gained 5 yards on a 1st down rush from Mostert. Now, any human being with half of a functioning brain would run the ball the next play. But not Shanahan. No, that clown decided to call a pass play on 2nd and 5. On a day when the Chiefs hadn’t shown they were capable of stopping the run, Kyle Shanahan decides to pass the ball on the most important 2nd down of the game. A fun fact for the crowd out there, the Niners had 1 negative rush and it was their 1st play of the game for -1 yard. Why for Heaven’s sake would you throw the ball on 2nd down? In the words of the great Sandra Bullock in the movie The Blind Side “Enough with the trick plays Burt! Run the dang ball!!!!”

Run the freaking ball and watch the clock just keep ticking. Honestly, the worst thing that could happen is Mostert rushes for no gain. That sets up a 3rd and 5 but keeps the clock running. And where the heck was Deebo Samuel in all of this? A pivotal part of the 1st 3 quarters, the most athletic man on the Niners was simply taken out of the game plan in the 4th quarter. I would honestly wonder if Shanahan had taken the Chiefs -1.5 but then I remembered he has another total 4th quarter meltdown on his resume. Lest we forget he was the offensive mastermind behind the 2016-2017 Atlanta Falcons, the team that would go on to blow a 28-3 lead in the Super Bowl. Even in that game, Shanahan completely abandoned the game plan when he needed to stick to it the most. By refusing to stick to the rushing game in the 4th quarter, head coach Kyle Shanahan frankly cost his team a Super Bowl.

The 49ers have a great young core and will most certainly be back in the big game soon. However, as a rental fan for the night Kyle Shanahan completely pissed me off last night with his abhorrent play calling in the 4th quarter.

Contributor NFL Position Rankings

by Jeremy Fernando, posted in NFL, Top 10

As Super Bowl weekend draws near, our contributors at Grad School Sports put together a list of their NFL position rankings. Please voice both your agreements and disagreements in the comments section. As always, please email us at gradschoolsports@gmail.com if you wish to be a contributor. Let’s start with the most important position on the field, the Quarterback.

QUARTERBACKS

NAME12345
Gerritt JonesWilsonMahomesWatsonLamarRyan
Cole WestMahomesWilsonLamarWatsonRogers
Mason WaldenMahomesLamarWilsonDakWatson
Alec MurrayMahomesWilsonLamarBreesWatson
Christian JuliusMahomesLamarWilsonBreesWatson
Jeremy FernandoMahomesWilsonLamarWatsonBrees
Brady VaughanWilsonMahomesBreesRodgersLamar
AnonymousMahomesWatsonRodgersBreesLamar
Ethan MyersBradyRodgersWilsonLamarMahomes
Noble QuyMahomesWilsonLamarWatsonBrady

Player (1st votes)Points
1Mahomes (7)44
2Wilson (2)35
3Lamar26
4Watson16
5 (tie)Rodgers10
5 (tie)Brees10
Brady (1)6

RUNNING BACKS

NAME12345
Gerritt JonesCMCBarkleyCookZekeHenry
Cole WestCMCZekeBarkelyCookKamara
Mason WaldenCMCBarkleyZekeKamaraCook
Alec MurrayCMCBarkleyCookKamaraHenry
Christian JuliusCMCHenryZekeCookBarkley
Jeremy FernandoCMCHenryCookBarkleyZeke
Brady VaughanCMCHenryBarkleyZekeKamara
AnonymousBarkleyCMCCookHenryZeke
Ethan MyersZekeBarkleyCMCChubbKamara
Noble QuyBarkleyCMCKamaraCookZeke
Players (1st)Points
1CMC (7)46
2Barkley (2)35
3Zeke (1)22
4Cook18
5Henry16

WIDE RECEIVERS

NAME12345
Gerritt JonesHopkinsThomasEvansJulioHill
Cole WestThomasHopkinsJulioAdamsHill
Mason WaldenThomasHopkinsJulioAdamsHill
Alec MurrayThomasHopkinsAdamsJulioEvans
Christian JuliusThomasHopkinsJulioAdamsCooper
Jeremy FernandoThomasHopkinsEvansJulioAdams
Brady VaughanJulioThomasHopkinsAdamsHill
AnonymousThomasJulioHopkinsEvansGodwin
Ethan MyersBrownThomasOBJJulioHopkins
Noble QuyJulioThomasHopkinsEvansGodwin
Players (1st)Points
1Thomas (6)46
2Hopkins (1)35
3Julio (2)31
4Adams12
5Evans11

Super Bowl LIV Preview

by Brady Vaughan, posted in NFL

The road leads here! Super Bowl LIV has finally arrived and two of the best teams all year will square off for the Lombardi Trophy: the 13-3 San Francisco 49ers and the 12-4 Kansas City Chiefs

These teams did meet last season in Arrowhead Stadium during Week 3, a game in which the Chiefs won 38-27, but that game has little to no significance.

Let’s take a quick look at how each team got here.

San Francisco 49er’s path to Super Bowl LIV:

The 49ers finished the regular season as the one seed in the NFC. Their 13-3 record was good enough to win them the NFC West division and have the road to the Super Bowl come through Levi’s Stadium on the NFC side of the bracket.

In their first playoff matchup, they were pinned against a confident Minnesota Vikings team in the NFC Divisional round after the Vikings took out Drew Brees and the Saints in the Superdome in New Orleans during the NFC Wild Card Round. Some doubted the 49ers and believed they would be upset, but Jimmy Garoppolo, Nick Bosa, and Co. made sure to dispel that notion. The Niners won 27-10 as Garoppolo completed 11-19 passes and threw for 131 yards with 1 TD and 1 INT. The Niners offensive line and RB Tevin Coleman controlled the line of scrimmage, as Coleman had 22 carries for 105 yards and 2 TDs.

Next, the Green Bay Packers came rolling into Santa Clara boasting a 13-3 record for themselves, but I for one was not a huge advocate of Green Bay. I thought they would lose against the 49ers, but I did not expect San Fran to jump out to the lead they did.

The Niners jumped out to a 27-0 lead at halftime and never looked back. Thanks to a monster game from RB Raheem Mostert, which included 29 carries for 220 yards and 4 TDs, San Fran ended up winning 37-20 in a game that felt much more lopsided than a 17-point ball game.

While Green Bay’s offense out-gained the Niners’ offense (358 yards to 354 yards), Green Bay also turned the ball over three times, which says a lot about the capabilities of the 49ers defense. DEs Nick Bosa, DeForest Buckner, and Dee Ford (former Kansas City Chief) are a presence to be dealt with up front, while CB Richard Sherman and S Jaquiski Tartt and Co. are holding down the secondary. The strength of this 49ers team is their defense and run game and they have ridden those two to their first Super Bowl since 2013.

Kansas City Chiefs path to Super Bowl LIV:

The Kansas City Chiefs finished with a 12-4 regular season record for the second season in a row, winning them the AFC West division while securing the number two seed in the AFC, thanks to the Miami Dolphins knocking off the New England Patriots in Foxboro in Week 17. Due to the way the chips fell in the AFC, the road to the Super Bowl went through Arrowhead for a second consecutive season.

In the AFC Divisional Round, Kansas City welcomed the confident Houston Texans to town. Houston had just come off a dramatic comeback win at home against the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Wild Card Round, and with the Baltimore Ravens losing the day before, both teams knew that if they won, they would be hosting the AFC championship game against the Tennessee Titans.

Houston jumped out to a 24-0 lead, but from then on it was the Patrick Mahomes show. The Chiefs went on a 51-7 run to close out the game (28-0 run in the 2nd Quarter alone), winning 51-31. Mahomes completed 23-35 attempts for 325 yards and 5 TDs while TE Travis Kelce was able to shake off a couple early drops for 10 receptions, 134 yards, and 3 TDs. Houston QB Deshaun Watson played well, completing 31-52 passes while throwing for 388 yards and 2 TDs, but ultimately it was not enough to replicate Houston’s success against the Chiefs earlier in the season.

Next in the AFC Championship Game, the Tennessee Titans. All the talk heading into the game was about the Chief’s run defense and if they could stop Titans RB Derrick Henry, who had been absolutely terrorizing teams. Henry started off well, but after he scored his lone TD in midway through the 1st Quarter, the Chiefs run defense stepped up, thanks in large part to DT Chris Jones, who missed the Houston game with a leg injury. Jones, among other Chiefs defensive linemen like Frank Clark, Derrick Nnadi, and Terrell Suggs, were able to penetrate the backfield often enough to force Henry to adjust his running lanes, which gave the Chiefs an advantage. QB Patrick Mahomes played out of his mind again, and might have even had the best play of his Chiefs career right before halftime to give KC the lead going into the locker room.

From that point on, the Chiefs never looked back, ultimately winning 35-24 and clinching a spot in the Super Bowl for the first time in 50 years.

3 KEYS TO THE GAME FOR THE SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS

  • The Niners must convert on 3rd downs. The 49ers must control the ball. Granted in both of the Chief’s playoff games, the opposing team had the Time of Possession advantage, but I believe converting on third downs is of the utmost importance in this game because the 49ers are a more well-balanced team than either the Texans or Titans. The Niners have a good QB in Jimmy Garoppolo who is fully capable of throwing the football, especially when you surround him with weapons like TE George Kittle and WRs Emmanuel Sanders and Deebo Samuel. If the Niners can stay balanced on offense while picking up third downs and eat time off the clock, it gives Patrick Mahomes a lot less to work with and creates a sense of urgency for the Chief’s offense to keep up.
  • The 49ers must pressure Patrick Mahomes. They have to attempt to disrupt the timing of Mahomes and his receivers. San Francisco has 9 sacks in postseason play thus far. Nick Bosa, DeForest Buckner, and Dee Ford must have an impact on the game if the 49ers are to hoist the Lombardi trophy. If they can consistently penetrate the backfield and pressure/knock down Mahomes or forcing Mahomes to improvise and disrupt the timing of him and his receivers, the Niners will have as great chance of winning.
  • Finally, San Francisco must utilize play action. Their running game is strong enough that the Chiefs will devote tons of time in preparation for it. If the 49ers can have some success running the ball, it will open up play action. If the Niners have success on play action, the Chiefs defense will have a very hard time defending because they will be off balance so much.

3 KEYS TO THE GAME FOR THE KANSAS CITY CHIEFS:

  • The Chiefs defense must force the 49ers to become one dimensional on offense. If Jimmy G and co. keep the Chief’s defense off balance, the Chiefs will have a very difficult time winning. This means that DT Chris Jones, DE Terrell Suggs, and LBs Anthony Hitchens and Reggie Ragland must step up, play sound football, and cover their gaps to stop the running attack of the 49ers. RBs Tevin Coleman and Raheem Mostert are more than formidable opponents. They can shift the game in their favor in the blink of an eye. The Chiefs must replicate what they did to Derrick Henry in the AFC title game if they are to win.
  • Sammy Watkins must be a factor. In the regular season, Sammy Watkins popped off for 3 TDs against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the first game of the season, but did not do much the rest of the season. Watkins has played a big role in the Chief’s offense this postseason and must continue to do so if KC is to come out on top. Having to cover him, TE Travis Kelce, and WRs Tyreek Hill and Mecole Hardman is a nightmare for any defense, but especially so if Watkins is performing like he is capable of doing.
  • Patrick Mahomes must play at an MVP level. Mahomes has been the unquestioned leader of the Chiefs on offense and must play excellent. The Chiefs cannot afford a game where Mahomes is shut down like he was in the first half of the AFC Title game last season against the New England Patriots. The 49ers defense is too good to spot them a double digit lead. Whether Mahomes scrambles to pick up first downs, is making the correct reads on RPOs, or dissecting the coverages correctly, he must take care of the ball and perform at a high level. If he does so, I think the Chiefs have a great chance to come out on top.

PREDICTION:

I think the 49ers try to control the ball throughout the first half. Mostert and Coleman get into a groove offensively by picking up some key first downs. However I am confident that even if the 49ers attempt to control the ball for extended periods of time, the Chiefs will do what they do best, which is striking quickly on offense. I believe this game could come down to turnovers, and I like the Chiefs to get at least one turnover this game. Steve Spagnuolo’s defenses have been known for being very tough to dissect and have proven to work in the Super Bowl against the best of the best (see the Giants Super Bowl title against the Patriots in Super Bowl XLII). Kyle Shanahan is one of the brightest offensive minds in the game and will certainly make adjustments to what he sees from the Chiefs defense, but I think Patrick Mahomes will make just enough plays for the Chiefs to prevail in the 4th Quarter. I’ll take Kansas City 28-24.

as always, follow me on twitter for more opinions and sports related content @bradyvaughan30

Adding Differentiation to Targeting Penalties

by Jeremy Fernando, posted in NCAA Football

After watching Monday night’s College Football National Championship, two things were crystal clear: LSU was by far the best team in the country and the NCAA must change their Targeting rules. With LSU up 28-25 on Clemson in the middle of the third quarter, Clemson middle linebacker James Skalski was ejected from the game after his tackle of LSU receiver Justin Jefferson was ruled as Targeting.

After watching the replay, it was evident that the officials made the correct call as Skalski did lead with the crown of his helmet. However, many fans were upset that Skalski was thrown from the game as it was obvious there was no clear attempt from the linebacker to cause harm or injury to Jefferson. Skalski was just trying to make a tackle. Skalski was not only ejected from one of the biggest games of his life, but due to NCAA rules he will also be forced to miss the first half of Clemson’s season opener next September. While Targeting penalties are in place to ensure the safety of NCAA student-athletes, more often than not the consequences cause irreparable harm to great players who are forced to sit out key games just for trying to do their job on the field. In the midst of this controversy, it is time the NCAA drafts new legislation when it comes to the consequences players face for Targeting.

While there are gray areas in the NCAA rulebook as to what exactly Targeting is, for now I would like to focus on the consequences that student-athletes face when called for a Targeting penalty. Per NCAA rules, players found to have committed fouls pertaining to “Targeting and Making Forcible Contact With the Crown of the Helmet (Rule 9-1-3)” and “Targeting and Making Forcible Contact to Head or Neck Area of a Defenseless Player (Rule 9-1-4)” face automatic disqualification. Automatic ejection is a strong consequence for a NCAA athlete especially if they are seniors potentially playing in their final game. It is an even worse punishment when it forces players to sit out meaningful games that have an impact on the school and community around them.

Two weeks ago, Ohio State cornerback Shaun Wade was ejected from a College Football Playoff game after he was called for Targeting for his hit on Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence. Wade, one of the best defensive players in the country, was disqualified from the game on a play that many saw as a clean hit because there was no intent to injure on the part of Wade.

When the play occurred OSU was leading Clemson 16-0, however after losing Wade the team struggled at times defensively and eventually lost the game. Losing in the semi-finals not only cost OSU a spot in the national championship game, but also the potential to earn millions of dollars in t-shirt and ticket sales. Once again, the consequences stemming from a controversial Targeting penalty played a key factor in a very important game.

Since Targeting is arguably the worst penalty a player can commit on a football field, the NCAA should look to how the NBA deals with players who commit the worst foul in basketball, the flagrant foul. Per NBA rules, there are two types of Flagrant Fouls: Flagrant Foul Penalty 1 and Flagrant Foul Penalty 2. Penalty 1 is defined as “Unnecessary contact committed by a player against an opponent” whereas, Penalty 2 is “Unnecessary and excessive contact committed by a player against an opponent.” When Penalty 1 is called on a player, the offender is called for a foul and is given a warning. However, if Penalty 2 is called the player is immediately ejected from the game. The NCAA should adapt these policies for its Targeting penalties.

The word intent, mentioned above, is one not found in the NCAA rulebook, however it is one that should be enforced immediately. The NCAA should have Targeting 1 and Targeting 2. Targeting 1 penalties should be called on hits such as Skalski’s when the player leads with the crown of his helmet. The penalty would result in 15 yards gained for the opposing team, however the player would not be disqualified. Targeting 2 should be called on hits such as the one Oklahoma DB Brendan Radley-Hiles had on LSU RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire two weeks ago in the College Football Playoffs. 

Targeting 2 would be called when there was clear intent to injure on blatant head to head hits such as the one above. When Targeting 2 is called, the offending player would be ejected. This differentiation in penalties gives players a second chance to remain in the game especially when there was no clear intent to cause harm to a player like in the Skalski play. While this makes these penalties “judgment” calls for officials, it still gives them options rather than immediately disqualifying a player per NCAA rules.

This proposal is in no way bulletproof and there are logical fallacies in my argument. However, having only one consequence for every Targeting call has been a disaster for the NCAA. Providing a differentiation of Targeting calls will allow great athletes to stay on the field especially when there was no intent to cause harm or injury to an opposing player.

AFC Championship Preview

by Brady Vaughan, posted in NFL

Both participants of this year’s AFC Championship game are coming into the game riding incredibly hot streaks. The sixth-seeded Tennessee Titans have beaten three division winners in a row in the Houston Texans (Week 17), the New England Patriots (AFC Wild Card round), and the Baltimore Ravens (AFC Divisional Round), and get their chance to beat the fourth this upcoming Sunday when they travel to Kansas City to take on the number two-seeded Chiefs.

The Chiefs come into this game riding a hot streak of their own. They have won seven straight and have not lost since Week Ten, which is the last time these teams met. The Titans won that matchup 35-32 in Nashville.

This time, the game is in Arrowhead Stadium, the site of last year’s AFC Championship game.

The Titans however, have had success recently against the Chiefs. In addition to beating them earlier this season, Tennessee has beaten the Chiefs in Arrowhead three times since 2014, including in the AFC Wild Card round in 2017, the game of the famous “forward progress” call on Titan’s QB Marcus Mariota. This was also the game in which Marcus Mariota threw a TD pass to himself, if that gives you any idea about the Chiefs’ luck in the playoffs.

Chiefs DT Chris Jones missed last game with an injury to his calf, but is listed as questionable for this week’s game as of Friday at 3:15pm. His presence in the middle of the defensive line would be a huge boost to the Chiefs defense who has struggled to stop the run for a good portion of the year. Last time these teams played, the Titans ran the ball 26 times for a total of 225 yards on the Chiefs, 23 carries and 188 yards of which were provided by star RB Derrick Henry.

Henry has terrorized defenses these last three games, as he has averaged 32 carries/game for 196 yards/game. The continual threat of Henry breaking a big run at any given point keeps defenses off balance, allowing for QB Ryan Tannehill to do just enough with his arm to make plays and put points on the board for the Titans.

Chiefs’ safety Tyrann Mathieu described it best when trying to tackle Derrick Henry after these teams played earlier this year. Mathieu said he thought he broke his jaw trying to tackle Henry and described trying to hit Henry as trying to hit “solid rock.”

With all that in mind, here are three keys to the game for each team:

3 KEYS FOR THE KANSAS CITY CHIEFS:

  • The Chiefs must attempt to limit Derrick Henry’s yards on the ground. This is a lot easier said than done, but the Titans go as Derrick Henry goes. If the Chiefs are able to disrupt the Titan’s offensive line and get penetration into the backfield, it makes it that much easier for the Chiefs to stop Henry.
  • Patrick Mahomes must be MVP-caliber Mahomes. Mahomes’ first game back from injury this season was when the Titans and Chiefs last played in Week Ten. In that game, Mahomes completed 36 of 50 passing attempts and threw for 446 yards and 3 TD’s. Mahomes must make sure the Chiefs do not go three-and-out and are extending drives by making plays with his arm and legs. I believe if the Chiefs want to win this game, Mahomes must replicate his last performance against the Titans on some level.
  • Tyrann Mathieu must have a major impact. Whether it is defending the pass by covering receivers one on one, lining up as a LB as he has multiple times this season under new DC Steve Spagnuolo, or even stopping Henry on the ground, Tyrann Mathieu can do it all and he must do it all on defense for this Chiefs defense to be successful. He is the unquestioned leader and the defense goes as he goes. If he is making plays and instilling confidence in the defense, then the defense will respond positively and make plays.

3 KEYS TO THE GAME FOR THE TENNESSEE TITANS:

  • Contrary to one of the Chiefs’ keys, the Titans must establish Henry and the ground game early and often. If the Titans can control the ground, they can control the game. Establishing Henry and pounding the rock keeps the reigning MVP off the field in the biggest game of the year. I believe the Titans will attempt to do this right out of the gate.
  • Ryan Tannehill must extend plays with his arms and legs. With the amount of carries Henry has been getting, play-action becomes a key weapon for the Titan’s offensive attack. Tannehill must take advantage of this and the one-on-one coverage the Chiefs will likely play against the Tennessee WRs and TEs, as he completed 13 of 19 passing attempts for 181 yards and 2 TD’s when these teams last played.
  • The Titan’s secondary must step up and challenge the Chiefs WRs at the line of scrimmage. The Titan’s DBs need to be physical at the line of scrimmage. If you sit back and play zone, the Chiefs WRs will find a weak spot in the zone. If you back off but play man, the Chiefs WRs are one of the fastest groups of WRs in the league and will blow by you. I believe the Titan’s DBs must attempt to disrupt the routes of the Chiefs receivers, which will disrupt the timing between the wideouts and Mahomes if they want to win this game.

PREDICTION:

This game is a matchup of directly opposite game plans. The Chiefs will try to play fast and make the Titan’s try to play to their speed, while the Titan’s will try to slow the game down and force KC to play at their speed. I think the Titans establish the running game early. Henry will keep being fed the ball and will run often. I believe Mahomes and the Chiefs will make plays on offense, but I also believe the Chiefs defense is up to the task. They were physically manhandled the last time these teams met, and I do not believe that will be the case again. I believe the Chiefs defense will get enough stops to give the ball back to Mahomes to make enough plays to escape Arrowhead with a win on Sunday afternoon. I’ll take the Chiefs to win 31-24.

As always, follow me on twitter @bradyvaughan30

Why Baylor’s New Head Football Coach is an Excellent Choice

by colewest86, posted in NCAA Football

Thursday afternoon, news broke that Baylor hired former- LSU defensive cordinator, Dave Aranda to be the new head football coach for the Baylor Bears. This news came as a slight surprise to most as media outlets were trending towards associate head coach, Joey McGuire, and Virginia Tech head coach, Justin Fuente. However after the conclusion of the National Championship, Baylor athletic director, Mack Rhoades went after and hired LSU’s defensive coordinator as the new football coach.

Here is a preview of coach, Dave Aranda is and why he is such a great choice for the Baylor Bears:

Coaching History:

Dave Aranda coached the defensive line for Hawaii back in 2009. It was then a couple years later where he got promoted to defensive coordinator for Hawaii. He then went on to Utah State at the defensive coordinator for a year in 2012 where is defense ranked 15th in the country.

The next year, Aranda became the defensive coordinator for the Wisconsin Badgers. He served as the coordinator there for three years, where he made Wisconsin ranked top-10 in total defense in three straight years, including a Big-10 championship appearance in 2014, and 2nd in total defense in 2015.

In 2016, Aranda got hired by the LSU Tigers after many programs were wanting Aranda as their defensive coordinator. He lead LSU defense to be ranked 5th in total defense in 2016, and 12th in 2017. This year, he coached the defense on a LSU team who arguably had the best college football season ever, and won a national championship.

Why is Aranda such a great hire for the Bears?

1.Aranda Fits the Build for Baylor

First off, Aranda has coached some of the best defenses in the country for a couple of the best teams in the country. He has coached the best, and has played the best. In 2019, Baylor had one of the best defenses in their the Big-12, a conference not normally know for defense. Now Baylor, has an well-qualified defensive minded coach coming to a team who heavily relied on its defense to win games.

Normally, Baylor hires up and coming coaches who show promise and hope, but Dave Aranda is a guy who has already has proven himself by consistently having some of the best defensive success in the country. Baylor is getting a big time defensive name to come to Waco.

2. Aranda Has Championship Experience

Any fan of football knows that experience plays a huge deal in the sports. Teams and coaches with more experience have a significant advantage. Good news for the Bears is Coach David Aranda has that elite/championship experience. He has coached a top-10 defense in the the 2 toughest conferences in College Football. Therefore, Aranda has had success against the best talent. Not only, has he had just success, he’s had championship level success. He has held opponents in the College Football Playoffs to 22 total points in the 2nd half. That is elite to do against the top offenses in the country.

His championship experience will go miles at Baylor. It raises his ceiling for what this Baylor team can do since has been there before. Fellow coaches and players will buy into his program because he succeeded at the highest level before. Not many head coaches can say that.

3. David Aranda is Great at Making Adjustments

In the big games LSU defensive coordinator, David Aranda was able to make some key adjustments for his team. In the game vs Florida, it was tied 21-21 at halftime, a game that was very back and fourth. LSU’s defense only allowed a single touchdown the entire 2nd half allowing LSU to beat Florida 42-28.

In addition, Aranda’s defense played the best in the games at the end of the year when the games mattered the most. LSU played three straight “elimination” games in a row, Georgia, Oklahoma, and Clemson. In those 3 games, they allowed just around 16 points a game in non-garbage time. Aranda showed the country his defense plays the best in big games.

Mack Rhoades just brought one of the top defensive talents, and sought after coaches to Baylor. If Dave Aranda can choose a great offensive coordinator, and recruit some great talent to Baylor, Aranda could not only keep Baylor as one of the top teams in the Big-12, but sustain that success for years to come.

The Wednesday Morning News Dump

by noblequy, posted in MLB, NCAA Football, NFL, Sports Talk

Wow. Only two weeks into the new decade and the last weekend alone had huge breaking news in the sports world. This will be a succinct rehash of the many storylines that came out in the last week; more details to follow in their own articles.

Monday, January 7, 2020: Jerry Jones Hires Mike McCarthy to be new Dallas Cowboys Head Coach

After an interview that included a sleep over at the Cowboys practice facility with owner Jerry Jones, Mike McCarthy was announced to be the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys. This comes out a week after the Cowboys announced they would not be renewing Jason Garrett’s contract, and supposed head coaching candidates such as Marvin Lewis, Urban Meyer, and Lincoln Riley. The McCarthy hire has been viewed mostly with mixed to ambivalent feelings by most of the media and Cowboys fan, though most people do view this as an upgrade over Garrett. It appears that McCarthy will be able to hire his own staff and will retain Kellon Moore at Offensive Coordinator. The Cowboys organization and the fans hope that McCarthy will be the final piece to bring the Cowboys back to playoff success.

Saturday, January 11: Tennessee Titans Crush #1 Seed Baltimore Ravens

The Titans rolled into Baltimore and to everyone’s astonishment, absolutely destroyed the #1 seed Ravens that came in as heavy favorites to make it to the Super Bowl. On the legs of Derrick Henry, the stout Titan defense, and 88 passing yards from Ryan Tannehill, the Titans stymied and frustrated the NFL MVP candidate, Lamar Jackson, and ran rough shod all over the Ravens. The Titans have now knocked off the #1 and the #3 seed in the AFC and are headed from wild card to the AFC Championship.

Sunday, January 12: Epic Meltdown & Epic Comeback: Patrick Mahomes vs. Houston Texans

We witnessed what a fully functional Chiefs offense can do and how bad Bill O’Brien is really at coaching. Also, all the metrics that attempt to disprove the existence of momentum in sports, apparently didn’t take into account people like Patrick The GOAT Mahomes, and how a single explosive kick off return could set off a Chiefs offense that would put up 41 unanswered points, quickly erasing a 24-0 lead the Texans had, to cruise to a 51-31 to make a consecutive return to the AFC Championship to face the red-hot Tennessee Titans.

Sunday, January 12: Coach Jimmy Johnson is announced to join the NFL Hall of Fame on live TV

During the halftime show of the Sunday night NFL playoff, Jimmy Johnson- 2 time Super Bowl winning coach of the Dallas Cowboys in the 1990s-, in front of his colleagues and a national televised audience, was announced into the Pro Football Hall of Fame much to his shock and surprise. The emotion was quite visible as Coach Johnson struggled to stifle the tears of joy and speak as he was being congratulated by his colleagues and TV studio members. Troy Aikman, the Dallas Cowboy’s quarterback during Johnson’s tenure, watched on his monitor from his commentator’s booth and was clearly emotional as well as he saw his former coach join the hall of all-time greats, that includes himself as well. It is important to note that it is upmost tragedy and injustice that Johnson was admitted into the prestigious NFL HoF before getting into the Cowboys’ own Ring of Honor, and it is safe to say that all this deserved praise for Coach Jimmy Johnson has once again brought to light the enormity of Jerry Jones’ personal ego which drove Coach Johnson away in the first place. Only time will tell if Jones and the Cowboys organization will give Coach Jimmy Johnson the recognition he is due, which has already been acknowledged by the league.

Monday, January 13: Houston: Bad News- Texans Meltdown, Worse News- MLB suspends Astros Manager & GM, Worsest news- Astros owner fires GM & Manager

The last couple days have been reallyyyy rough on Houston sports fans. First the Texans blown lead against the Chiefs on Sunday and now the release of the MLB’s findings from their investigation of the Houston Astros and their now-confirmed cheating in their World Series winning team in the 2017 season. The penalty passed down from the MLB was a $5 million fine, the loss of 1st & 2nd round pick for the 2020 and 2021 and the suspension of manager AJ Hinch and GM Jeff Luhnow from all MLB activities for one year. Astros owner, Jim Crane, followed up immediately with a press conference where he fired both Hinch and Luhnow on live TV. While the MLB and the Astros organization are all in a very serious and somber mood, most of baseball is outraged by what is viewed as a slap on the wrist. Other baseball owners believe that the cost of draft prospects, the suspension of a GM and a manager, and $5 million (pocket change for baseball owners) would be worth it to hold onto a World Series title.

Monday, January 13: LSU Completes the Undefeated Season of Destiny- One of the Greatest to Ever do it

LSU left no doubt as they wrapped up the 2019-20 college football season and defeated the reigning national champions, the Clemson Tigers, 42-25 in the New Orleans Super Dome. In a stadium that seemed to be filled 75% LSU fans, LSU won their first national championship since 2007, the 3rd in the last 20 years. Initially Brent Venables, the Clemson defensive coordinator, stymied the prolific LSU offense and forced 3 punts on LSU’s first 3 possessions. However, Coach Orgeron and his staff did what few have been able to do before: out-coach Dabo Swinney. After trailing for most of the 1st half, LSU made the necessary adjustments and were able to better protect Heisman winner, Joe Burrow, allowing him the time to find his receivers downfield for gigantic chunk plays and take the lead going into halftime. The 2nd half, LSU’s offense continued to fire on all cylinder as the LSU defense tightened down and handed Trevor Lawrence his first loss in his collegiate career. LSU became the first school in NCAA history to defeat 7 Top 10 opponent, with 4 Top 4 opponents, to finish, not only as National Champions, but also potentially as one of the greatest college football teams to ever play.

Tuesday, January 14: Boston Red Sox Fire Manager Alex Cora

On Tuesday evening, the Boston Red Sox ballclub has decided to “mutually agreed to part ways” with Alex Cora in an official statement, effectively firing him, one day after serious cheating implications came to light from his days as a bench coach with the 2017 Houston Astros, and potentially with his own ballclub in the 2018 year when the Red Sox won their own World Series title. Alex Cora was mentioned explicitly in the official MLB investigation report that cited him as one of the primary ring leaders in their sign stealing cheating scheme. Time will tell what kind of punishment the Red Sox organization may have to face, depending on what the MLB investigation report reveals.

High Risk, High Reward: The story of the 2019 LSU Tiger Team and Season

by andrewcline33, posted in NCAA Football

In the aftermath of his team’s decisive 42-25 rout over the reigning national champion Clemson Tigers, Ed Orgeron took in the moment. He stood on that stage and watched, as his players raised that beloved trophy and took turns holding and kissing their new prize. Ed turns to one side and sees a sea of orange heading for the exits. The Clemson fans came and supported well, but were now leaving after watching their beloved Tigers lose their first game since the 2017 College Football Semi-Finals, that also happened to take place in New Orleans. The new dynasty in college football had hit a snag and their long streak of 29 straight wins came to an end on a gloomy night in New Orleans. Ed turns to his other side and sees the victors and their fans hugging their loved ones and singing those provocative words to the song “Neck”. For the LSU fans, this was a great deal. Winning their 4th National Title, 3rd in the BCS/College Football Playoff era meant all of their nightmares of their last trip to New Orleans for a national title could now be washed away. Ed looks out and wraps his arms around his team and begins to think what we all were thinking. How did they get here?

It was not long removed from Ed Orgeron being considered a bad hire. When LSU was looking for their next head coach, Ed Orgeron was number 3 on the wish list at best. But when Jimbo said no, and Tom Herman sold his soul for burnt Orange, Ed got the call. Uncertainty surrounded Orgeron thanks to his time at Ole Miss in the early 2000’s. His inability to win when he was a head coach in the SEC deterred many, and even though he had been fired, some people were not sure if Coach O could live up to his predecessors at LSU in Nick Saban and Les Miles. That uncertainty did not go away the next year as they went 9-4 and had to fire offensive coordinator Matt Canada. After switching back to Steve Ensminger to call the plays, Orgeron knew he needed a field general. Little did he know that his quarterback would have as much uncertainty as he did.

At around the time Louisiana’s premier college football program was making changes about it’s offensive coordinator, Ohio’s premier program was trying to figure out who would be the heir apparent to J.T. Barrett who was now off to the NFL. Dwayne Haskins and Joe Burrow competed day in and day out in the spring of 2018 to see who would be QB1 for the Buckeyes. At the end of the spring, Haskins had nudged out Burrow for the job, and that Burrow looking for another school to call home. In comes the unproven coach on the Bayou who saw something in Burrow and said that he would be the starter for the Tigers. While Joe Burrow had the mind and the size of a quarterback, like Coach O, uncertainty surrounded him. How would a kid who has hardly received valuable snaps in games be a starter in the SEC? How would a kid from Athens, Ohio handle the culture change of Baton Rouge and South Louisiana? In year one Joe Burrow showed that he could win games and he could lead this team to a New Year’s 6 bowl, but could he really be the guy to lead them to a national title? Coach O needed an ace in the hole. He found it in an unproven assistant from the most prolific passing team in the NFL.

In the summer before this season, Coach O traveled down I-10 to the Big Easy to speak to New Orleans Saints and their offensive staff. Orgeron was looking to pick their minds and take some ideas back to Baton Rouge. What he took was a little bit more valuable, as he hired on Joe Brady, an offensive analyst of the Saints who wasn’t even 30 years old, to oversee the passing game for the Tigers. Like his head coach and quarterback, Brady came in with many question marks and uncertainties as well. First off he was extremely young, and had only been with the New Orleans Saints for a couple of seasons. Second with such little experience in the college game, and coming into a situation with a veteran offensive coordinator, Steve Ensminger, no one was sure how that relationship would work. After beating Georgia Southern in game 1 of season, LSU played Texas in Austin and had their full offense on display. With a 3rd and 17 in the 4th quarter and when former LSU coaches and offenses would have played it safe, Ensminger and Brady dialed up a tremendous play that led to a Burrow to Justin Jefferson touchdown. This was the defining moment for the Tigers and showed that the Ensminger and Brady relationship could and would work.

With Burrow at quarterback and Brady and Ensminger calling the plays, LSU went into 2019 with new expectations. Along with other stars and weapons who had own uncertainties in their time at LSU like Clyde Edwards-Helaire (Size), Justin Jefferson (recruiting stars), Thaddeus Moss (Health), and Derrick Stingley Jr. (True Freshman), This LSU team took off. Embarking on what could go down as the most impressive resume in college football history by beating 7 Top 10 teams at the time of the game. They beat all 4 of the preseason top 4 teams (Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, and Oklahoma). That win against Alabama, snapped an 8 game losing streak to their SEC rivals. They had the greatest offense in college football history, as they scored the most points ever in a season. They finished with a 5,000 yard passer, 1,000 yard rusher, and 2 1,000 yard receivers. They took home so many individual honors from the Broyles award, Coach of the Year, Biletnikoff, and Jim Thorpe award. Not to mention that they will have to create a new wing at their football operations building just for Joe Burrow. The senior quarterback took home the Davey O’Brien, Maxwell, Walter Camp, Johnny Unitas awards, and became the 2nd Heisman Trophy winner in school history. All of this was culminated Monday with the team standing center stage in the Superdome raising the National Championship trophy after beating the juggernaut that is Clemson.

So How did they get here? They got there because Coach O took chances. He saw the program in his image when he interviewed for the job. He envisioned building a program that could beat Alabama, and compete not only for an SEC title, but a national one as well. He recognized that he had to the hire the right people and recruit the right kids, no matter the uncertainty behind them. He was going to do this his way and not care about the outside noise. Coach O lived and coached this season by the famous motto “Go big or go home”. In the city where poker was created, Coach O went all in, and his dream came to fruition. Coach O took in that moment, but let’s be real, only two words were in his mind: Geaux Tigers!

If You Care About Integrity in Sports, Boycott the National Championship

by Ethan Myers, posted in NCAA Football

The College Football National Championship is here, and from the looks of it, it should be a good one. LSU against Clemson, two unbeaten powerhouses, square off tonight. The storylines write themselves: Joe Burrow vs. Trevor Lawrence, Dabo Swinney taking on the SEC again, and LSU dominating in the best conference in the country. All of this sounds just fantastic, however there is a dark underbelly to this contest. ESPN and the national media has sold the country a bill of goods once again, and they expect us to just sit back and lap it up.

Let’s start with the obvious: ESPN has always had a clear SEC bias. This dates back even before the College Football playoffs, however it became truly evident once the playoff system was created. According to ESPN, the SEC is the king of football, and if you don’t play in the SEC, you are trash. This year there were really only 4 teams that made sense for the playoffs: LSU, Clemson, The Ohio State University, and Oklahoma. This made these selections have very little controversy. However, whoever got the #1 seed had a massive advantage, as it was clear that Oklahoma was going to have the #4 seed, and getting to play OU in the semifinals was essentially a bye week. For the last couple weeks leading up to the final rankings, The Ohio State University held the #1 spot, which made a lot of sense. They were the only team that had truly dominated every game this season (LSU fans, don’t embarrass yourselves by claiming that giving up 38 to Texas and barely winning was a quality game for you). Come Conference Championship week, both tOSU and LSU had great games. The Ohio State University beat Wisconsin for the second time this season by multiple scores, and LSU trounced an anemic-looking Georgia. It appeared that the rankings would stay the same and tOSU would get the #1 seed.

Once the final rankings were released, ESPN once again showed their SEC bias. LSU ended up with the #1 seed and essentially a “bye-week” by getting to play Oklahoma, where as tOSU fell to #2 and drew Clemson. The best part is how they justified giving LSU the #1 seed. The committee kept Georgia at #5 in the final rankings, even though Georgia has look absolutely terrible all year. This was a team that lost to 4-8 South Carolina at home! Thinking Georgia deserved to stay so high is only possible with a severe brain injury. However, this allowed the committee to point at LSU and declare that they beat the #5 team, such a fantastic win! This allowed ESPN and the powers that be to fulfill the first step in their plan of making sure the SEC is in that championship game. The next step? Getting Clemson in that title game.

Before it is explored how the Clemson-The Ohio State University game was fixed to make sure Clemson won, it is important to see why the powers that be want Clemson in that title game playing the SEC. According to the national media, only one team has been successful in beating SEC teams consistently: Clemson. They also like to ignore what happened the last time Ohio State played the jewel of the SEC in Alabama, but that wouldn’t fit their narrative. The problem with Clemson beating SEC teams is that it weakens the narrative that the SEC is king: how can they be king if they lose to an ACC team? The answer is simple. Prop up Clemson as essentially a quasi-SEC team. That way, even if the SEC loses, they really just lost to another southern powerhouse, so the SEC narrative can live. Now if an SEC team loses to a Big Ten school, that doesn’t exactly connect with the narrative. Thus, something had to be done to make sure The Ohio State University lost to Clemson.

Looking at the game on the surface, it appears that The Ohio State University lost a 29-23 heart-breaker to a superior Clemson. Upon closer review of the game, it is quite evident to see the Buckeyes weren’t just playing Clemson, they were also playing against the refs. The crew used for the game was an SEC referee crew. Isn’t that just awfully convenient for the powers that be to fix the game?

Let’s start with the targeting call on tOSU DB Shaun Wade. Shaun Wade was sacking Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence, going in right for 6′ 6” Lawrence’s chest. At the absolute last second when Wade had 0 time to react, Lawrence ducked his head down and Wade grazed helmets. This was a perfect opportunity for the SEC refs to kick out one of tOSU’s best defensive players. They launched the flag and immediately threw out Wade for “targeting”. Such an embarrassing call and so transparent to keep Clemson in the game. Plus this allowed ESPN commentators Herbstreit and Fowler to sing Lawrence’s praises the rest of the game. You’d think Lawrence deserved a Medal of Honor for staying in the game after that sack; the commentators were surprisingly silent on talking about tOSU QB Justin Fields or tOSU RB J.K. Dobbins when it came to toughness, even though both players could barely move out there and were still competing.

The most egregious call came in the 3rd quarter with the Buckeyes trailing 21-16. Lawrence threw a pass to Clemson WR Justyn Ross, who appeared to secure the ball and take multiple steps before tOSU DB Jeff Okudah stripped the ball. The Ohio State University recovered the supposed fumble and took it back for a touchdown, giving tOSU the lead again. However, the SEC referees decided to review the play. Even though the call on the field was that the play was a fumble, the SEC crew decided that holding the ball with two hands and taking multiple steps wasn’t enough for possession, and reversed the call to an incomplete pass, taking the touchdown away from the Buckeyes. So much for needing “conclusive evidence” to overturn a call, the SEC crew and the powers that be decided this was a perfect chance to stop the Buckeyes from scoring and make sure Clemson won.

By the time it was all said and done, ESPN got exactly what they wanted. The SEC champion and Clemson are squaring off for the national championship. Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany dared to spur ESPN by signing a TV deal with Fox, and ESPN is still trying to make the Big Ten pay to this day. It is so clear how rigged the system is and how awful it is that they would actually fix a game to make sure Clemson won. The only way to stop such blatant corruption from happening is to show the national media that the fans will not tolerate this farce of an event. I for one will not be tuning in to ESPN to watch this game, as I refuse to give them any of my business after they showed they’re willing to spit in the face of fair competition. If you also care about integrity in sports, the best way to fight back is to not watch this game, and refuse to buy into this lie the national media is trying to perpetrate.

Thank You Matt Rhule

by Clayton Neider, posted in NCAA Football

Thank you Matt Rhule. Thank you for taking the chance on a broken program. Thank you for stepping in and being the leader Baylor Football needed. Thank you for building a program that Baylor Nation can be proud of. Thank you for giving us hope again.

Matt Rhule has been the hottest coaching name in sports in the past couple of weeks. He has accepted a head coaching position at the Carolina Panthers. He struck a deal for 7 years, 60 million dollars with incentives up to 70 million. I could not be happier for him and his family.

I was lucky enough to give some tennis lessons to his son and the thing that was very evident is that he is a family man first. His son loved everything tennis and football related. It was clear that Coach Rhule is a dad to his children and a husband to his wife before he is a coach.

1-11. The 2017 football season is one I will never forget. I was at every home game and was wondering if this guy could turn it around. Against my better judgement I trusted him in these moments of absolute failure but he told us of a better time ahead. He talked about a time where Baylor would be contending for a Big 12 Championship. Baylor nation was just too blind to whole heartedly trust the process.

The bad times make you appreciate the good times. This last season could not have been more sweet. Standing in Mercedes Benz stadium after the crushing loss to Georgia I looked back and was proud of how far the Baylor Bears had come. This was in large part due to Matt Rhule.

Matt Rhule, Baylor Nation is sad to see you go. Many are grumpy and angry but we will always remember what you have done for this program. We will always remember how you instilled strength, hard work, and consistency. We will always remember the 2019 season with a shot at the playoff. We will remember your vision for Baylor Football and the young men that you had a huge impact on. We will always remember your dedication to your family first and your love for the game of football.

Baylor Nation thanks you and wishes you the best at the Carolina Panthers.