Hot Take House: Game 163, Brees GOAT, Jimbo Fisher Fail, CFB Worst Calls Ever

Game 163

These are hot takes and fun from the weekend. Send us your hot takes to ImMad@unafraidshow.com, and they may make the next week Hot Takes House. Do not read any further if you are easily offended. If you do, share with a friend.

Game #163

If the NFL can figure out the field playoff in 16 games, NHL and NBA in 82, why can’t the MLB figure it out in 162? How on earth do they play 162 games in the MLB, but still need one game tie-breakers to decide who wins the division? Game 163?

There are about 62 meaningless games in baseball. Teams and players are going through the motions. If those games were more important, we wouldn’t need a 163rd before playoffs.

NFL

1. All the garbage roughing the passer penalties are actually increasing the NFL fan experience. They add one more thing for you to talk smack talk about in your fantasy leagues, with your friends, and be outraged about. We love outrage.

2. My question is why won’t they just put flags on the QBs? They would rarely hit the ground then. Guys would be able to grab the flags, and that would be a sack. Guys are losing thousands of dollars just doing their job. Something has to change.- Richard Sherman

3. The Khalil Mack trade looks worse and worse every week. Mack is the runaway NFL defensive MVP at this point. The Raiders have no pass rush, and the two first rounders they get from the Bears will be 12-16 because the bears no longer suck.

4. Josh Allen is back being to who we thought he was. Don’t be mad Bills fans; facts are facts. Swing and a miss

5. #FitzMagic is dead, and VF Castro doesn’t like it. LOL

6. Drew Brees will need 201 passing yards next Monday night at home against Washington to become the NFL’s all-time passing yards leader. Why is he not in your top 10 quarterbacks of All-Time? I’ll wait…

7. Remember a long time ago last week when Tom Brady was old and the Patriots sucked? They are bullies for what they did to the Dolphins.

8. The Steelers will cave in on LeVeon Bell. James Connor is a good back, but he’s the FitzMagic of running backs. It was fun for a little while, but it’s a novelty.

9. Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper May Change the NFL by signing Eric Reid.

College Football

1. “Kelly Bryant has an opportunity to extend his football life & actually control his own future… and you think it’s selfish??? Give me a break.” – Joel Klatt

2. Holding on the running back? WTH!

 

3. The original worst football call of the day was Louisville up by 3 with 1:56 left in the 4th quarter on the Florida State 21 yard line calling a pass play instead of a run. The pass was intercepted, and Louisville lost in regulation.

4. The actual worst football call of the day belongs to James Franklin and Penn State. They had two timeouts on 4th and 5 to run this play:

5. Jimbo Fisher needs to be suspended. If the player were to do this to Jimbo, he would be finished in college football!  There is no reason any coach should be getting physical with a player to get his point across.

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Unafraid Show’s College Football Top 10 Rankings Week 6: Crushing the Competition

College Football Top 10 Rankings Week 6

Best weekend of college football this year.

There were multiple quality games and near upsets on at every time slot. College Football is the only sport that can show you what it’s like to simultaneously feel alive and like you want to die! That is why is it is by far the greatest sport there is! Before we get to College Football Top 10 Rankings Week 6, you can reference the Unafraid Show’s College Football Top 10 Rankings for Week 5.

The two most frustrating parts of being a college football fan are the biased polls and the terrible non-conference schedules. I cannot change the schedules but I can rank the college football top 10 teams by the correct criteria: quality wins, schedule played, and dominance. Most polls including the College Football Playoff Committee give college blueblood teams a massive “benefit of the doubt.”  How else can you explain Georgia at #2 when they haven’t played anyone, or Wisconsin ranking above Cal and BYU before this week? I don’t believe in that. The best teams who play the best schedules will always be ranked highest. Only the games that have been played matter. I re-rank the top 10 every week from scratch. The previous week’s rankings do not factor into the next week. So, the rankings will change every week as more games are played.

1.  Alabama (5-0)

Alabama won a game with their starting quarterback Tua Tagoviloa only attempting 8 passes. I know it was only Louisianna, but that is still impressive. Teams typically move down in the College Football Top 10 Rankings when their schedule is not particularly impressive. But, Alabama combats their schedule with an unmatched dominance. It will be interesting to see how the 2018 Crimson Tide respond when someone puts up a fight. We may have to wait till November when they get LSU and Auburn.

2. Notre Dame (5-0)

A quarterback change has taken Notre Dame from a really good football team to a playoff contender. Brandon Wimbush could only beat you with his legs. Ian Book can beat you with arm and legs. Against Stanford, he regularly extended plays and escaped sacks to complete passes for 3rd down conversions. The Notre Dame defense is fast and extremely physical. This is not your typical Fighting Irish team that is overrated. Dominant wins over Michigan and Stanford make them an easy choice at #2 in the College Football Top 10 Rankings Week 6.

3. LSU (5-0)

LSU keeps piling up wins. They didn’t beat Ole Miss as bad as Alabama did, but Joe Burrow and company still showed offensive dominance. Burrow threw for 292 yards and three touchdowns and added another 92 yards and a touchdown on the ground. I cannot remember the last time LSU had a dynamic passer at quarterback who could also hurt you with his legs. I am salivating thinking about their matchup against Georgia in two weeks. They are one of the few SEC teams that have played a quality schedule so far.

4. Ohio State (5-0)

Penn State had the game in sewed up, but Ohio State pried a victory from the jaws of defeat. Dwyane Haskins stats looked good again, but the truth is in the film. The majority of his 270 pass yards came off screens to backs and wide receivers. The Ohio State vs. Penn State game felt a lot like the Stanford vs. Oregon game last week. The team who dominated and looked better lost the game. However, there are no moral victories in sports. The Buckeyes won, so they reap the rewards in the College Football Top 10 Rankings Week 6.

5. Oklahoma (5-0)

Kyler Murray is the Black Doug Flutie. He is small, but he can play! He and Oklahoma bounced back from that narrow escape against Army with an offensive explosion. Murray finished with 432 yards passing and 8 total touchdowns (1rush) against Baylor. I truly believe Oklahoma’s offense is more explosive this year than last year with Baker Mayfield. Most people expect Murray to hang his cleats up and play in the MLB. Oklahoma has the best receiving corps in the country.  I would love to watch Alabama try and stop this offense.

6. Clemson (5-0)

The Tigers are breathing a sigh of relief. Kelly Bryant decides to transfer, and Trevor Lawrence gets hurt while they are down to Syracuse. All signs pointed to a loss for Clemson. But, Dabo Swinney cashed in all his good Karma from doing the right thing for Kelly Bryant, and they got the win. You are always rewarded in life for doing the right things. Every top team faces a couple of gut-check games each season, and this was one for Clemson.

This team is good, but they have not been nearly as dominant this season as I expected.

7. Washington (4-1)

The Huskies has the best defense in the nation not named Alabama. Washington has stepped up their game since their close week 1 loss to Auburn. This week the Huskies undressed BYU, who beat a highly regarded Wisconsin team. It was a dominant performance. Jake Browning is real close to shutting me up about his inconsistent play against good teams. Their matchup against Oregon in two weeks will be an epic showdown.

8. Georgia (5-0)

New week, weak opponent, Georgia Wins. Rinse. Repeat. Georgia has played no teams currently ranked in the top 25. Unless Georgia starts demonstrating some Alabama-like dominance, it will be tough to rank them as higher until they get to the heart of their schedule. Please don’t try to tell me the South Carolina game was a good game. They just got beat up by Kentucky. I believe the Bulldogs could be a playoff team, but they will need to get more production out of Fromm or Fields at quarterback.

9. Auburn (4-1)

It took Auburn all four quarters to put So. Miss away. They were only able to rush for 96 yards on 36 attempts. The win was extremely unimpressive. War Eagle needs to figure out how to get their running game on track, or they will get tripped up against Miss State, Ole Miss, or Texas A&M in the next month. The only way the Tigers make the College Football Playoffs is if they do so on the back of Jared Stidham.

10. West Virginia (4-0)

500 yards of total offense seems to be the norm for West Virginia in 2018. Will Grier will find himself a finalist for the Heisman if he keeps playing like this. We still don’t know a lot about the Mountaineers defense. Their schedule has been relatively light so far, but their dominance has them narrowly ahead of the teams Next Up. Dana Holgorsen has a shot to get West Virginia over the hump in the Big 12 this year.

Next Up:

Michigan, UCF, Texas, Oregon, Penn State

I know some of you are steaming mad right now because your team is ranked too low or is unranked. Take a breathe and realize that your fandom is causing irrational thoughts. Leave a comment or shoot an email: ImMad@unafraidshow.com… Yes, that is the real email address.

Update: Alston v. NCAA: Amateurism on Trial for Violating Anti-Trust Law

Amateurism

The NCAA will stop at nothing to preserve its beloved “amateurism.”  This article is an update to the initial details of the Alston v. NCAA case detailed on the Unafraid Show. The NCAA demonstrated this last week with the parade of witnesses they called to defend their bedrock principle of “amateurism” in the Alston v. NCAA trial.  In Alston, former college athletes sued the NCAA to have the cap limiting athletic scholarships to cost-of-attendance removed.  The Plaintiffs argue that the cap is a violation of federal antitrust laws.  Each witness offered justifications in support of the NCAA’s assertion that the cap is necessary to protect “amateurism” and to help “student-athletes” become apart of the greater campus community.

There was a recurring theme amongst the NCAA’s witnesses.  Almost every witness argued that removing the cap would have a detrimental effect on college athletics.  However, many of the witnesses failed to offer any hard evidence of that assertion.  They relied on their opinions, which are not sufficient in this antitrust case.  The issue of whether removing the cap would have a detrimental effect on college athletics is the main issue in the case. Therefore, arguments for and against must be supported by expert testimony and/or quantitative data.

NCAA Witnesses in Support of “Amateurism”

The NCAA called several witnesses who offered complex testimony that addressed a variety of issues.  The following are highlights from a few of the testimonies.

Rebecca Blank’s Testimony

First, the NCAA called Rebecca Blank, the Chancellor at the University of Wisconsin, Madison (Wisconsin).  Her testimony was fascinating as it will likely do more harm than good to the NCAA.  While Blank testified that “student-athletes” should not be paid, she also criticized how much coaches are paid.   She stated that it was “unfortunate” that the cap on coaches salaries’ was removed and asserted that the high salaries make the programs look bad.  This assertion made Blank appear to not fully support the NCAA’s and Power 5 conferences’ model.

Relatedly, Blank testified that if “student-athletes” were paid, Wisconsin would reconsider its participation in college athletics. Wisconsin issued a statement the very next day that completely undermined Blank’s testimony. The statement made it clear that Wisconsin has no plans to stop offering college athletics.  Blank’s testimony and Wisconsin’s response makes the NCAA and the Power 5 conferences look disjointed. Furthermore, Blank failed to offer any quantitative evidence to support her assertion that loosening the cap would negatively affect college athletics.

Michael Aresco’s and Eugene Smith’s Testimonies

Similarly, American Athletic Commissioner Michael Aresco testified that the rules capping scholarships are necessary to help smaller conferences like his compete.  He argued that the cap ensures that the “big” schools cannot recruit all of the talents.  This argument is flawed.  Even with the cap, it is generally the same teams in the football bowl games, in the college football playoffs, and in the later rounds of the March Madness Tournament. While Aresco’s testimony is more helpful than Blank’s, he too failed to offer any quantitative evidence in support of his claim that loosening the cap would negatively affect college athletics.

Accordingly, the athletic director at Ohio State University Eugene Smith testified.  His testimony was generally helpful to the NCAA.  He pointed out that not all college athletes will play professionally and that they need to be prepared for that reality.  Smith acknowledged if college athletes were paid there would still be fans, although there may be less.   He also asserted that donors might be less inclined to donate.

What is Next in Alston

On Monday and Tuesday of this week, each party presented the rest of their witnesses.  The trial ended on September 25.  Each party will submit a written closing argument to the judge.  The judge will then take some time to review and then issue a ruling.  After the ruling is issued the parties will have the option to appeal to the federal appeals court in the 9th circuit.  This case could possibly reach the United States Supreme Court.  Alston v. NCAA is extremely significant to college athletics.  If the plaintiffs succeed, it could completely change the world of college athletics.

Hot Takes House: Mahomes GOAT, Soft NFL, Tiger Immortal, Oregon Ducks Heartbreak

Game 163

These are hot takes and fun from the weekend. Send us your hot takes to ImMad@unafraidshow.com, and they may make the next week Hot Takes House. Do not read any further if you are easily offended. If you do, share with a friend.

Golf

If I could wish any professional athlete an eternal prime, it would be Tiger Woods. I want to watch him forever. He’s 42, and the window is closing. I don’t want it ever to end. Golf needs him to be great at 80years old because nobody watches when he’s not playing.

NFL

1. At this point, the NFL should make it two hand touch on the quarterbacks or wrap them in bubble wrap.

Or they should use this new instructional video teaching players to pillow fight tackle quarterbacks.

2. Pat Mahomes is not hot. He’s the GOAT. By halftime of week 3, he had completed touchdowns to nine different Chiefs players. The ALL TIME NFL RECORD for a season is 13 from the 2016 Falcons. 

3. Minnesota Vikings… WTF… You really lost to the Bills 27-6?

4. Raiders lose, Khalil Mack dominates, rinse wash repeat

5. Jon Gruden said It’s hard to find a great pass rusher, but it’s apparently effortless to trade one away.

6. Bill Belichick may retire after this season. The Patriots Suck. Tom Brady is old. They traded the wrong guy. The future is not bright.

7. What kind of a world do we live in where the Detroit Lions defeat the New England Patriots two weeks after getting blown out by the New York Jets. That’s just some whacky nonsense that should have everyone frightened about the future of our planet. – Unafraid Show email submission

8. Custom NFL Kaepernick Jerseys of teams he never played for are the new black (fashion reference).

College Football

1. Virginia Tech lost to Old Dominion. This is one of the biggest upsets in college football history. ODU is one of the worst teams in the country. Most have them ranked around number 127/130 FBS programs.

2. The AP Poll is garbage again. For the past two weeks, BYU has been ranked above Cal, who beat BYU. And Wisconsin who lost to BYU but has played a soft schedule is ranked above both. Maryland and Texas are both 3-1. Texas is #18 in the polls, and Maryland received just a couple votes.

3. Georgia Bulldogs fans are sensitive and Big Mad about not being ranked higher in the Unafraid Show College Football Top 10. They haven’t played a good team yet, are mad at me like I made their garbage non-conference schedule.

4. Oregon Ducks can be a top 10 College Football team despite gift-wrapping a game to Stanford.

5. Oregon fans have to stop blaming the refs for the loss to Stanford. There were some questionable calls, but the reality is the Ducks gave the game away. Adversity is going to strike and when it does cant snap it over the QBs head, fumble, or let Stanford score so quickly.

6. Who will win a game first, Chip Kelly at UCLA or Scott Frost at Nebraska? If Old Dominion can beat Virginia Tech and North Texas beat Arkansas, UCLA, and Nebraska have to win at least once.

Politics

I don’t know whether Brett Kavanaugh is guilty or innocent of the allegations against him. But I do know it is 2018, and him conveniently having calendars from 1982 to prove your innocence sounds too good to be true. But what could the calendars prove anyway? I wouldn’t imagine that if he is guilty, he wouldn’t have entered raping a woman on the calendar.

THE END

Always share UnafraidShow.com articles. Check out the T-shirts, and other gear in the Unafraid Store:

Send us your hot takes to ImMad@unafraidshow.com and they may make the next week post.

Hot Takes: FitzMagic will fade, Urban Meyer Shut Up, GGG got robbed

Game 163

Unafraid Show is introducing a new weekly staple called HOT TAKES: These are hot takes and fun from the weekend. Send us your hot takes to ImMad@unafraidshow.com and they may make the next week post. Do not read any further if you are easily offended.

NFL

1. Enough with the ties in the NFL. We can’t just be friends. You called me those names, and I wore those outfits. We CANNOT just be friends. How can the cities of Green Bay and Minnesota accept a tie? Raiders vs Rams would never accept a tie. They would do a duel in the parking lot, Carr vs. Goff. Someone would die, but someone would WIN.

2. I applaud Vonte Davis for retiring at halftime of Bills game. Teams cut, release, and bench players (Bill Belichick/Malcolm Bulter) without notice. They don’t care about the precarious positions it put families, relationships, or friends in. So, why should I feel bad for the team? I shouldn’t and don’t. But it does suck for his teammates.

Donald Trump is calling this a win. Two weeks ago Davis would have retired during the anthem; now he did it in the locker room instead.

3. The Buffalo Bills are bad, but the Arizona Cardinals are worse.

4. Don’t expect this Ryan Fitzpatrick magic to last if he is named the starter. Every time he is the backup he plays excellent, but when he’s named the starter, it all falls apart. I love the FitzMagic outfit though.

5. Jaguars > Patriots, even when the playoffs come this year.

6. The NFL is smart. They got NFL fans are more mad about the roughing the passer calls than players kneeling.

Sidenote: what was Clay Matthews supposed to do, ask him to fall or lay a pad down for Kirk Cousins before the hit?

7. Patrick Mahomes will be better than Sam Donald, Josh Rosen, Josh Allen, and Lamar Jackson combined.

College Football

1. Urban Meyer should quit while he is ahead. All this talking isn’t convincing anyone. It is only going to make reporters dig for more dirt that will actually get him fired.

Meyer is the guy who gets away with a crime then writes a book called, ” If I Did It”.

2. The NCAA is going to lose the Alston v NCAA case, and the landscape of college athletics will forever be changed. Players will be getting paid sooner rather than later.

GGG vs Canelo Robbery

GGG got worked by the judges. I wouldn’t trust boxing judges to judge a bake sale. They continuously deliver head-scratcher decisions. Boxing needs to make the judges scorecards public after each round. I bet there would be more knockouts when fighters press because they know they are behind!

When I see Canelo standing up to all those GGG power punches all I can think of is the PED tests for Canelo and how they may have made stronger.

People/Politics

1. Mueller must have had Paul Manafort’s ass in a sling if pleading guilty to two counts, forfeiting over $46 million in accounts and real estate, waving your right to an attorney, and snitching is your best option.

2. Things I’m waiting to hear about Tom Arnold and Mark Burnett’s Emmy’s preparty fight, but know I won’t:

I’m tired of these THUGS.

Spoiled brat millionaires.

What a terrible example to all the kids who aspire to be like them!

Send us your hot takes to ImMad@unafraidshow.com and they may make the next week post.

Big 12 Football Week 4 Power Rankings: Upsets and offensive dominance

Big 12

The Big 12 had some major upsets this weekend, but the real storyline was Texas Tech’s offensive dominance over Houston that not only broke records but catapulted the Red Raiders as national stat leaders. Some teams rose, others fell, and there are a few that are shocking the conference–both in good and bad ways.

Here’s how the teams stack up through four weeks:

10. BAYLOR

After taking it to ACU and UTSA to start the season, Baylor took a 40-27 loss to Duke on Saturday. Between quarterbacks Charlie Brewer and Jalan McClendon, the Bears had 270 passing yards and just one touchdown in the air. Baylor was a little more effective running the ball, but even with higher numbers, the Bears finished the day with just a single double-digit run by Jalen Hurd.

With three fumbles by the offense and zero sacks by the defense against a Power 5 team, this could help paint a more accurate picture as to what we can expect from Baylor this season.

9. IOWA STATE

There was a lot of hope and excitement regarding the Cyclones headed into the season, and yet here they are, sitting on a 0-1 start following a crushing loss against the Sooners on Saturday. While it was only a 10 point loss, Iowa State had issues controlling the clock at home. Moreover, the Cyclones’ defense allowed OU quarterback Kyler Murray to throw for 348 yards, averaging 12 yards-per-pass. With other Big 12 teams firing up high-powered offenses early this season, it could be an issue with the Cyclones’ secondary moving forward.

8. TCU

Facepalm. TCU and Ohio State originally scheduled a home-and-home series, but for a bigger payout, the game was moved to AT&T Stadium in Arlington, and that loss of home advantage could have been a difference-maker against the No. 4 ranked Buckeyes.

TCU started as an underdog against Ohio State, but simple mistakes prevented this game from being closer than it should have been. Quarterback Sean Robinson has thrown just five touchdowns this season but was plagued by turnovers on Saturday, and the Buckeyes capitalized off the mistakes, putting a fumble return for a touchdown, and a pick-6 on the board. While TCU has the talent to recover, a visit to Austin to play the Longhorns this week following their win over USC won’t provide the Horned Frogs much time to make adjustments.

7. KANSAS

Kansas is 2-0, and most people are actually really excited for the Jayhawks, whose only marquee win in years was against the Longhorns back in 2016. Sure, the Jayhawks’ 55-15 blowout victory was at home against Rutgers, but a few points emerged. Kansas has a serious issue with quarterbacks, but did manage four rushing touchdowns, and hauled in two defensive touchdowns on three interceptions thrown by Rutgers.

Kansas heads to Baylor this weekend, and with the way the Bears are playing, there’s a huge possibility the Jayhawks start in-conference play with a win over a team that’s still rebuilding.

6. WEST VIRGINIA

Unfortunately, West Virginia’s Week 3 matchup against NC State was canceled due to Hurricane Florence, so there isn’t a lot of data to go off before the Mountaineers square up against Kansas State this week.

5. KANSAS STATE

Kansas State beat UTSA, 41-17, and between quarterbacks, Skylar Thompson and Alex Delton, put up three touchdowns. Thompson established himself as QB1, throwing for 213 yards, with 66 rushing yards and a touchdown from one yard out.

UTSA head coach Frank Wilson said, “We held them to some third-down opportunities, but we just couldn’t get them off the field.” This is interesting because UTSA controlled time of possession, but Kansas State averaged 15 yards-per-pass compared to just 3.7 yards-per-rush. Kansas State faces a West Virginia team that had plenty of time on Saturday to study the Wildcats, who have been struggling in several areas to start the season. Bill Snyder will have his team’s attention, but West Virginia is hungry to get back on the field, so this will be a game to watch.

4. TEXAS

Texas got revenge on the No. ranked USC Trojans in its 37-14 victory in Austin on Saturday, but the win wasn’t without controversy. On a keeper from the end zone, USC defenders sacked Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger in what was a clear safety, but the officials said the football broke the plane. That missed call gave the Longhorns momentum throughout the first half, and USC just couldn’t make the necessary second-half adjustments, which have plagued the Trojans since its Stanford loss two weeks ago.

This upset was a morale booster as the Longhorns head into Big 12 play, and with the No. 12 ranked TCU Horned Frogs on the schedule this week, Texas should be riding high, while Gary Patterson will have to refocus TCU following its loss against Ohio State.

It’s also worth mentioning that Texas’ upset over USC is its 900th win in program history.

3. TEXAS TECH

While Texas Tech rolled Lamar in Week Two, the Red Raiders were an underdog at home on Saturday, as they hosted the Houston Cougars who were riding high off a victory against Arizona the week prior. With heightened expectations by Houston’s Heisman talk surrounding Ed Oliver, the Red Raiders knew it was a tall task and responded with a 63-49 upset victory. Texas Tech true freshman Alan Bowman looked at that challenge and threw bullet after bullet, finishing the day with 43 of 59 for 605 yards, five touchdowns, zero interceptions, surpassing Patrick Mahomes’ single-game passing yards for a freshman.

As if one record wasn’t enough, Texas Tech wide receiver Antoine Wesley had 13 receptions for 261 yards and three touchdowns to set the record for single-game receiving yards. This was exactly the kind of quality win Tech needed as it hosts Oklahoma State this weekend to open a tough Big 12 schedule.

See:  Q/A: Former Texas Tech quarterback BJ Symons on Kingsbury, Quarterbacks, and more

2. OKLAHOMA STATE

Oklahoma State routed the No. 17 ranked Boise State Broncos in a 44-21 victory to wrap up its slate of non-conference games to start the season at 3-0.

Fifth-year senior Tyler Cornelius threw for 243 yards and a touchdown, with two rushing touchdowns on the day. Boise State senior quarterback Brett Ripien paid compliments to the Oklahoma State defense in the post-game. “Their D-line, I thought, did a good job,” Rypien said. “You don’t want to get into third-and-long against that defense.” That’s definitely advice the rest of the conference can use as we begin theBig 12 schedules.

1. OKLAHOMA

Oklahoma dominated once again. Not only did the Sooners stay undefeated, but they also did so in a tough Jack Trice Stadium in Ames to go into Big 12 play at 1-0. Kyler Murray finished the day with a 90.5 percent quarterback rating and continues to help the Sooners retool their offense.

The OU defense was a different story, however. Allowing 10 yards-per-pass by Iowa State quarterback Zeb Noland doesn’t bode well for future Big 12 play, which also has offenses that continue to retool.

Want more? Check out The Big 12’s Week Three Power Rankings.

 

 

Alston v. NCAA: Amateurism on Trial for Violating Anti-Trust Law

Amateurism -Alston vs NCAA

College Athletes vs NCAA – Amateurism is on trial again!  On Tuesday, September 4, the trial for what has become known as Alston v. NCAA commenced in federal district court in Oakland, California. Judge Claudia Wilken is presiding.  She also presided over the O’Bannon case in which the NCAA lost. Per O’Bannon, the NCAA can not use the images of its former student-athletes for commercial purposes after graduation without compensation.  Alston could completely change the landscape of the billion dollar industry of college athletics, which is comprised of television and sponsorship deals.

The NCAA and the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) conferences are faced with defending their beloved principle of amateurism. The plaintiffs’ claim that the rules capping scholarships at grants-in-aid and cost-of-attendance violate federal antitrust laws.  The O’Bannon case already determined that the NCAA is subject to federal antitrust laws. So, the NCAA is required to defend against related claims.

College Athletes’ Argument 

The plaintiffs are at the cusp of destroying the charade of amateurism by seeking to remove the NCAA’s scholarship cap.  The cap prevents “student-athletes” from receiving scholarship money above the cost-of-attendance.  A cost-of-attendance scholarship provides student-athletes with an opportunity to get an education without paying. However, it is often not enough to cover many of the athletes’ general living expenses such as food and clothing.

NCAA’s Argument

The NCAA argues that the rules capping scholarships do not violate federal antitrust laws because they are essential to protecting amateurism. They state that the rules are necessary to help “student-athletes” fully integrate themselves into the campus community. They also argue that eliminating amateurism rules will damage college athletics.

The NCAA contends that if student-athletes are allowed more than a cost-of-attendance scholarship, they will cease to be “amateurs” and fans will lose interest. They also state that the scholarship cap helps student-athletes integrate into campus communities. However, the NCAA’s integration argument provides no evidence that the presence of a scholarship cap helps student-athletes.  “Integration” is more likely affected by the major time commitment that each sport requires coupled with the time mandated for actual coursework.  It is highly unlikely that a scholarship cap does anything to alleviate the time management burden each “student-athlete” is faced with in balancing their sport with academics.

Given the flaws in the NCAA’s arguments, it appears that the plaintiffs may have a viable shot at having the cap removed. The plaintiffs counter this argument by noting that the individual conferences will have the choice to adopt their own individual policies regarding compensation caps.  They also argue that college athletics will benefit from changes to amateurism.

The Outcome Could Change College Athletics 

The outcome of this case could completely change the future of college athletics.  If the plaintiffs are successful, the world of college recruiting would completely change. The college recruitment market would essentially be open for conferences and colleges to make their own decisions on how much scholarship money to award student-athletes.

This type of open market would provide the freedom for student-athletes to receive more of the value that they provide to the colleges they attend. Although many student-athletes receive a cost-of-attendance scholarship that provides them with the opportunity to get a “free” education, colleges make millions off the backs of student-athletes each year.  Most of the money is dispersed to coaches, staff, and is used to build lavish athletic facilities.  The current structure is simply not fair to the student-athletes, and as such, they have a lot to gain from the outcome of this case.  If the Plaintiffs are successful, “student-athletes” will be in a better position because they will receive more of the value that they bring to their respective schools.

Big Ten Football Power Rankings Week 3: It’s Lonely at the Top

Big Ten Football Power Rankings Week 3

This past week, the biggest surprise in the Big Ten was the loss by Michigan State to Arizona State. Other than that, most of the teams in the Big Ten Football Power Rankings Week 3 took care of business. Ohio State is a juggernaut, Penn State and Michigan bounced back, and Iowa is on the rise.

Let’s take a look at the Big Ten Week 3 Power Rankings.

14. Purdue (0-2)

Lost to Eastern Michigan, 20-19

If Purdue wants to return to the top of the Big Ten, they can’t lose games to Eastern Michigan. It seems so simple, but you will always struggle to win games when you give up 347 yards in the air to the opposition. On the bright side, Purdue dominated on the ground, rushing as a team for 341 yards and a score. However, that doesn’t change the fact that the Boilermakers lost at home to a non-Power 5 school. That can’t happen. Purdue will look to pick up their first win against Missouri on Saturday.

13. Rutgers (1-1)

Lost to Ohio State, 52-3

Well, at least Rutgers tried. 52-3 is embarrassing, but Ohio State is on another level. The Buckeyes will be in the Top 10 all year. Rutgers had zero chance even if they were allowed 13 men on the field at all times. The only bright spot (by default) was kicker Justin Davidovicz, who made his lone field goal attempt. 134 yards of total offense is not going to beat any team, let alone Ohio State. Rutgers takes on Kansas this weekend in a very winnable game.

12. Illinois (2-0)

Beat Western Illinois, 34-14

Lovie gets (another) W! Illinois took care of business once again against inferior competition as they beat Western Illinois, 34-14. The ground game was the story as running backs Mike Epstein, and Reggie Corbin combined for 168 yards, and Corbin scored 1 TD. For a program that has not had a lot to cheer about in recent years, starting a season 2-0 is something to be proud of, no matter who they played. Illinois gets their first test of the season as South Florida comes to town. The game will be played at Soldier Field.

11. Nebraska (0-1)

Lost to Colorado, 33-28

Scott Frost’s debut did not go according to plan as Nebraska could not hold onto the lead late, surrendering a touchdown pass in the final minute to lose to Colorado, 33-28. Nebraska found its quarterback of the future in true freshman Adrian Martinez, who was sensational all game, combining for 304 all-purpose yards and 3 TDs. However, it may have come at a price as Martinez had to leave the game late with a leg injury. If Martinez can’t go this week, look for Andrew Bunch to get the start against Troy.

10. Minnesota (2-0)

Beat Fresno State, 21-14

The boat is off and running! Minnesota and its young core moved to 2-0 this past weekend with a win over visiting Fresno State. The game came down to the wire as Fresno State was a few yards away from tying the game late in the fourth quarter. Fresno tried a half-back pass on 1st-and-goal from the 4, but Antione Winfield Jr. made a spectacular play to intercept the pass and seal the game for the Golden Gophers. PJ Fleck will look to start 3-0 this weekend as Minnesota plays Miami (OH).

9. Indiana (2-0)

Beat Virginia, 20-16

I don’t care who you play. Winning a non-conference game on the road against a Power 5 school is impressive. Indiana went into Virginia and beat the Cavs 20-16. Indiana was not as explosive on offense as they were in week 1, but the Hoosiers found themselves a running back with Stevie Scott. The true freshman was a workhorse, rushing for 204 yards and a touchdown on 31 carries. This weekend could prove to be a trap game for Indiana as they play Ball State before taking on Michigan State in two weeks.

8. Northwestern (1-1)

Lost to Duke, 21-7

I apologize to all the Northwestern fans for saying the ‘Cats should be 3-0 before the end of the month. The Cats could not stop Duke quarterback Daniel Jones, who threw for 3 TDs before leaving the game with an injury on their way to a 21-7 victory. Just like the first game, Northwestern came out firing out of the gates with a touchdown in the 1st quarter, but could not muster any points the rest of the way. If Northwestern wants to challenge for the Big Ten West title, they will need to fix their second-half offensive problems.

7. Maryland (2-0)

Beat Bowling Green, 45-14

Fear the Turtle! The Terrapins dominated Bowling Green on the ground, rushing for an impressive 444 yards with 5 TDs. Tayon Fleet-Davis lead the team with 2 TDs, and Ty Johnson, Lorenzo Harrison III, and Javon Leake all scored 1 TD. Maryland has another winnable game this weekend against Temple. The Terps could slowly turn into the dark horse of the Big Ten.

6. Michigan (1-1)

Lost to Western Michigan, 49-3

Poor Western Michigan. It was nothing personal, but the Wolverines had to beat them badly. Michigan lost a tough game to Notre Dame in their opener, and the media crushed them with Jim Harbaugh taking the most of the criticism. We knew Michigan was going to take out their frustration on Western Michigan and that’s exactly what happened. The Wolverines offense exploded 451 yards of offense in a 49-3 win. Michigan plays SMU at the Big House this weekend.

5. Iowa (2-0)

Beat Iowa State, 13-3

I said this last week, and I’ll say it again. To any opponent that plays Iowa at Kinnick Stadium, good luck because you are going to need it. The Kinnick Voodoo worked again as Iowa beat Iowa State 13-3, which marked their fourth straight victory over their in-state rival. The defense was the story as the Hawkeyes held the Cyclones to 188 yards on 56 plays. Iowa did what they do best. They ran the ball, played good defense, and controlled the clock. If Iowa gets past Northern Iowa this week, that will set the stage for a giant matchup with Wisconsin in, you guessed it, Kinnick Stadium.

4. Michigan State (1-1)

Lost to Arizona State, 16-13

Michigan State’s playoff hopes took a huge hit after the last second 16-13 upset loss at the hands of Arizona State. Sparty was leading 13-3 going into the fourth quarter before being outscored 10-0 to lose the game. While quarterback Brian Lewerke had a solid day (over 314 yards passing), the running game was left behind in East Lansing as the Spartans only mustered up 63 yards rushing. The silver lining for Michigan State is that this was a non-conference loss, so their hopes for a Big Ten title are more than alive. Michigan State is off this week.

3. Penn State (2-0)

Beat Pittsburgh, 51-6

It’s safe to say that Penn State woke up and learned from their Week 1 mistakes. The Nittany Lions dominated Pittsburgh from start to finish, outscoring the Panthers 44-0 after the first quarter in a 51-6 blowout. McSorley threw for 2 TDs, but the running game lead by Mike Sanders was the difference maker for Penn State as the Nittany Lions rushed for 211 yards and 3 TDs. Penn State plays Kent State this week in Happy Valley.

2. Wisconsin (2-0)

Beat New Mexico, 45-14

Jonathan Taylor runs the ball. Jonathan Taylor moves the chains. And Jonathan Taylor scores touchdowns. Rinse. Repeat. The running back had a dominating performance against New Mexico. Taylor ran for 233 yards on 33 carries and scored 3 touchdowns. Not that the Badgers needed to throw the ball, but quarterback Alex Hornibrook will need to throw the ball more than 8 times in order to win a Big 10 title. Wisconsin plays BYU at home in week 3.

1. Ohio State (2-0)

Beat Rutgers, 52-3

The “We can play defense, too” game. After surrendering 31 points to Oregon State a week ago, the Buckeyes defense responded in a huge way, allowing only 3 points in a 52-3 win over Rutgers. Quarterback Dwayne Haskins had another tremendous day, throwing for 233 yards and 2 TDs. If Haskins can put up these numbers in Big 10 play, the Heisman campaign will only strengthen. The Buckeyes have a huge test this Saturday night as they travel to Texas to face TCU.

Big 12 Football Week Two Power Rankings: Which teams should be concerned?

Big 12 Football Week Two

Big 12 Football Week Two was very telling in many ways. For some teams, weaknesses were exposed, and for others, promise emerged.

Here’s how Big 12 teams stacked up.

10. Iowa State

Iowa State had a lot of promise headed into this season, and with good reason.  The Cyclones had one of the more impressive turnaround seasons last year. With its first game of the year cancelled due to weather, Iowa State knew they had to put everything into the Week Two road matchup against in-state rival, Iowa. Unfortunately, the Cyclones left much to be desired in all three phases of the game, and took a 13-3 loss.

Iowa State faces No. 5 Oklahoma in Ames next weekend, and have a very real possibility to start the season at 0-3 if things don’t start clicking.

9. Kansas State

Bill Snyder’s Wildcats are off to a very poor start. After winning their season opener last weekend against South Dakota, Kansas State dropped a big one against the No. 18 ranked Mississippi State Bulldogs at home. It wasn’t just a loss, however, it was a 31-10 route, and K-State only amassed 213 total yards of offense despite having possession for about half the game. As if those statistics weren’t bad enough, K-State is ranked 120th in the nation in passing yards after Week Two.

With UTSA on the schedule this weekend, the Wildcats have time to turn this around, but offensively, there’s a lot to be desired.

8. Kansas

With its 31-7 win over Central Michigan over the weekend, Kansas has finally snapped its 46-game road losing streak, and the Big 12 couldn’t be prouder for the Jayhawks. Kansas put up 361 total yards of offense, and capitalized on six CMU turnovers to go 1-1 before hosting Rutgers on Saturday.

Rutgers hasn’t played well this season, and the odds predictors already have the scales tilting in the Jayhawks’ favor. Could Kansas be 2-1 before the start of conference play? It’s certainly likely, and believe David Beaty’s team will have momentum in their favor this week.

7. Texas

Following Texas’ loss at Maryland, they needed a win last weekend to build momentum headed into Week Three against the USC Trojans. While the Longhorns took the W against Tulsa, it wasn’t pretty, and it raised more question marks than it answered.

Tulsa missed a few field goals which could have flipped the script, and second-half adjustments appeared to move Texas backwards. Those aren’t the halftime adjustments you need to be making.

Quarterbacking issues have been highlighted with Sam Ehlinger over the past two weeks, and while interceptions haven’t been an issue, his speed and inability to extend plays on the ground have been. It’s tough to win in the Big 12 if quarterbacks can’t extend plays, and if Texas is going to be truly competitive against video game numbers, they have to work through that.

6. Baylor

Baylor is a team that has been in rebuilding mode under head coach Matt Rhule, and in its 2-0 start to open the season, you can see noticeable changes in how receptive players have been to Rhule’s coaching style. What’s more, quarterback Charlie Brewer threw for 328 yards against UTSA for three touchdowns. If that doesn’t scream “Big 12 cannon,” I don’t know what does.

Baylor had seven penalties for 70 yards, which is something they need to clean up headed into conference play, and of its 492 total yards of offense, only 92 yards were on the ground. With Big 12 defenses catching up to the passing game, that could also present an issue down the road.

5. Texas Tech

Texas Tech pitched a 77-0 shutout against Lamar on Saturday for the first time since 2006, which was the most points Tech’s hung on an opponent since 2005. Moreover, while Texas Tech ended their season opener win streak last week, Tech won their 19th consecutive home opener. To say Texas Tech rebounded from the loss against Ole Miss would be an understatement, and while Saturday’s win was against a team Tech should have handled easily, it not only showed the country what true freshman quarterback Alan Bowman was capable of, it also gave Tech an opportunity to let all quarterbacks see playing time, which impressed both in the air, and on the ground.

The Red Raiders were impressive in all three phases, and continue its turnover streak, but one area of concern is in penalties. Granted, there were plenty of fresh bodies who were rotating in for the first time, but Texas Tech had 14 penalties for 139 yards. That will not fly against a team like Houston this week, and throughout Big 12 play.

4. West Virginia

West Virginia has looked good against Tennessee and Youngstown State to start the season, but against teams in a rebuild (regardless of whether they’re in the SEC or not), and an FCS team, you’d expect more defense from a team trying to prop its quarterback up for the Heisman.

The Mountaineers racked up an impressive 625 yards of offense, and wide receiver Gary Jennings managed to haul in three touchdowns off just six catches bringing his yards-per-catch to an impressive 16.2 yards. This, coming off an offseason involving speculation as to how productive he’d be, or how much he’d contribute to the Grier Show. It’s safe to say West Virginia is positioning itself to have a nice showing against NC State on Saturday, but the Wolfpack has had a 2-0 start with double-digit victories, too, so that should be an interesting matchup.

3. Oklahoma State

South Alabama tried to limit Oklahoma State on the ground last weekend  They didn’t have much success, as they allowed four rushing touchdowns to the Cowboys’ already potent quarterback Taylor Cornelius’ passing game. Cornelius finished the day throwing for 428 yards which moved the football quite well, but one thing Oklahoma State will have to watch for in their young quarterback are turnovers. As previously stated, Big 12 teams are figuring out how to stop passing attacks, and if given the opportunity to snag two interceptions per game, opponents will, and have a much higher likelihood of returning them for a score.

The Cowboys take on No. 17 Boise State at home this week, and the two teams seem fairly even in terms of statistic this season. While Boise State is a Group of Five school, expect for the Broncos to treat this game as if it were the Rose Bowl.

2. TCU

TCU looked good on defense and on the ground.  In the air, quarterback Shawn Robinson left a lot to be desired.  He only passed for 146 yards, one touchdown, and one interception in the H0rned Frogs’ 42-12 victory over SMU.

Head coach Gary Patterson has a very short window to fix TCU’s quarterbacking issues, as TCU takes on No. 4 Ohio State in Prime Time on Saturday.

1. Oklahoma

Oklahoma remains the team to beat in the Big 12, but last weekend’s 49-21 win over UCLA wasn’t without a major hit. Top running back Rodney Anderson sustained a knee injury during the game that will sideline him for the rest of the season. Anderson has had three season-ending injuries in the last four years. so that’s a tough situation all around.

Thankfully for the Sooners, the talent up and down is abundant, and human highlight reel, quarterback Kyler Murray has people saying “Baker who?”

The Sooners face Iowa State this week. With the way the Cyclones have been playing, it could be a long afternoon of continued OU dominance.

 

Want More? Check out: Patrick Mahomes: Why The New Chiefs Quarterback Will Thrive In The NFL

Unafraid Show’s College Football Top 10 Rankings Week 3

College Football Top 10

The two most frustrating parts of being a college football fan are the biased polls and the terrible non-conference schedules. I cannot change the schedules but I can rank the college football top 10 teams by the correct criteria: quality wins, schedule played, and dominance. Most polls including the College Football Playoff Committee give college blueblood teams a massive “benefit of the doubt.” I don’t believe in that. The best teams who play the best schedules will always be ranked highest. Only the games that have been played matter. I re-rank the top 10 every week from scratch. The previous week’s rankings do not factor into the next week. So, the rankings will change every week as more games are played.

1. Alabama

The Crimson Tide have looked good in every area in their first two games, so they sit on top of the top 10. Tua Tagoviloa at QB makes Alabama seem to be unbeatable at this point. Their schedule has not been extremely tough with wins against Louisville and Arkansas State, but they have dominated.

2. Ohio State

Ohio State gets a lot of credit because they have played two Power 5 teams. Neither of them was any good, but the Buckeyes bludgeoned them. The Ohio State is off to a hot start, but we will see what they are made of against TCU in week 3. Urban Myer can make the game plan, but can’t help them on the sideline as he serves the last game of his “suspension.”

3. Clemson

Great win against Texas A&M. Clemson has the second best win of the season. They battled the weather and a hostile environment in College Station. Clemson has the same caviar problem Alabama has. They have two QBs who can win games for them.

4. Auburn

The best win of the season so far is Auburn over Washington. This week they had a bye, but that win is still carrying a ton of weight. And the Tigers do the unthinkable; they play back to back tough games. The rubber will meet the road in Week 3 when LSU rolls into town.

5. Oklahoma

WOW. Oklahoma’s offense looked unstoppable against both FAU and UCLA. Many People expected a dropoff after Baker Mayfield departed for the NFL, but that has not happened. Kyler Murray has been lighting it up. The OU wide receivers are the best group in college football.

6. Stanford

Stanford has done exactly what Stanford has always done, WIN! They have already knocked off USC and SDSU. No team in college football can claim to have two better wins. Most teams have only played one quality opponent. Stanford has something special in their quarterback KJ Costello. Bryce Love is no longer their biggest weapon.

7. Notre Dame

Notre Dame’s win over Michigan in week 1 looked even better after week 2. The Fighting Irish shut Michigan’s offense down so bad that we thought Michigan sucked. However, The Wolverines bounced back in we two, so there’s that.

I still don’t believe in Brian Kelly’s team yet. They are limited in the passing game with Brandon Wimbush at quarterback which will cost them games this season.

8. Georgia

Georgia beat South Carolina and Austin Peay. We have no idea how good South Carolina is because they played Coastal Carolina in week 1. I couldn’t be more frustrated by Georgia. My eyes tell me this is a good football team, but we only get to see them against quality competition a hand full of times all season.

9. West Virginia

West Virginia’s win over Tennessee is just a notch below Georgia’s win over South Carolina. I’m not even going to try and compare their victories over Austin Peay and Youngstown State.

Will Grier and the Mountaineers offense is showing out right now. West Virginia is in full “win Will Grier the Heisman” mode.

10. Virginia Tech

The Hokie’s took Florida State behind the woodshed in week 1. But beating FSU doesn’t look so hot when FSU narrowly escape Sanford in week 2. Yes, Sanford. Justin Fuente seems to be building something special in Blacksburg. The Hokie’s have a legit show of making the ACC championship game.

Next Up:

Wisconsin (haven’t played anybody), Washington (needs a quality win)

I know some of you are steaming mad right now because your team is ranked too low or is unranked. Take a breathe and realize that your fandom is causing irrational thoughts.

leave a comment or shoot an email: ImMad@unafraidshow.com… Yes, that is the real email address.