Honorable Mention: Boxing-Friday Night Fights: Rances Barthelemy vs. Arash Usmanee (Friday 10pm from Miami live on ESPN2); Women’s College Basketball: Florida State @ Maryland (Sunday 1:30pm from Comcast Center live on ESPNU); High School Basketball: Perry Hall @ Dundalk (Wednesday 6:30pm), Perry Hall @ Chesapeake-Anne Arundel County (Friday 7pm)

10. Badfish (Friday 8pm Rams Head Live); Ryan Cabrera/Teddy Geiger (Sunday 8pm Baltimore Soundstage); Wale (Tuesday 8pm Fillmore Silver Spring); Delta Rae (Saturday 7pm 9:30 Club); Pat McGee Band (Friday & Saturday 7:30pm Birchmere)

I wish I could say I wasn’t familiar with Ryan Cabrera. I wish more that I could say I didn’t enjoy this song.

Wale is a Redskins fan. As much as that bothers me, I still enjoy this tune.

Delta Rae likely the best band you weren’t listening to in 2012…

I genuinely enjoy Pat McGee.

9. “Looper” available on Blu-Ray/DVD (Tuesday); “Texas Chainsaw 3D” out in theaters (Friday); Cirque Eloize iD (Saturday 8pm Sunday 1pm & 5:30pm Modell Performing Arts Center at The Lyric); Glenn Clark’s New Year’s Day plans (Tuesday parts unknown)

Honestly, you really don’t want to know what I do to celebrate the New Year. I’ll give you a hint. It doesn’t involve pants.

(Continued on Page 2…)

As always, this week’s 15-7-0 is brought to you by Roofing By Elite. Visit them at roofingbyelite.com. We make 15 observations about football that are ELITE, 7 that are “not so ELITE” and one “zero” who deserves to sleep on the roof from outside of football.

(As a reminder, we don’t do Baltimore Ravens game analysis here. We do PLENTY of that elsewhere. This is about the rest of the world of football.)

Here we go.

“The Elite 15″…

1. I have to assume that at this point they don’t need to keep trying to wake up the echoes in South Bend.

Remember when the Trojans were down two scores late and went for it on 4th down anyway? I bet that worked out well…

I can’t tell if Fighting Irish LB (and likely Heisman Trophy finalist) Manti Te’o was excited about the win, though…

Also, what do you think Lane Kiffin was thinking here…

Of course, the Trojans are NEVER losers…

2. Now that Jay Cutler has returned to save the Chicago Bears’ season, we can all get back to talking about how much Jay Cutler sucks.

He’s unlikeable, but he’s a hell of a QB…

Back to that “unlikeable” thing. Ask AJ Jefferson…

J’Marcus Webb might disagree though…

3. Jesus. Weren’t the Bengals just completely dead a couple weeks ago?

Mohamed Sanu had a busy day (on my fantasy football bench)…

Credit to NFL Red Zone’s Scott Hanson-who saw Raiders DL Tommy Kelly in a fight and IMMEDIATELY noticed he was a doppelganger for Suge Knight…

4. There might be a LITTLE bit of drama headed to New York this year, but I’m pretty confident Johnny Manziel has locked up the Heisman Trophy.

His big game Saturday against Missouri happened AFTER Johnny Football overcame this troublesome looking injury…

Manziel will finally speak to the media for the first time Monday. He’ll have to play catch up to the all out blitz the Irish have gone through with Te’o…

5. Now Alabama plays Georgia next week for the right to be favored to win the BCS Championship Game.

Georgia’s Alec Ogletree prepared for the SEC Championship showdown by going all Kurt Angle on Georgia Tech…

Elsewhere in the SEC, I give you Jarvis Landry!

(Continued on Page 2…)

I wanted to start of by saying that I realize you can’t appease everyone’s interests and goals when it comes to anything in life, let alone a playoff system in college football. However, I’m not the biggest fan of the four-team playoff for several reasons.

First, the NCAA can still keep the bowls and have playoffs at the same time, they just don’t realize it. Yes, I understand the importance of bowl games in college football and I love watching them all as bowl season is an early Christmas present in my mind. However, put this in perspective. Say they do a playoff system similar to D-IAA, where 20 teams make it in and it takes 5 weeks to play, if the season ends the second week in December, that means the postseason ends roughly around the same time it does already. So when would the bowl games be played? During the week similar to the way they already are now. In this way, college football can still make money off the bowl games, and still have the intrigue of a postseason that actually matters based on performance, not polls. The other point regarding the bowls is that all other levels of college football do it. As long as a team posts a .500 winning percentage or better they are bowl eligible. As a former Division III football player at Salisbury University, I can tell you we’ve played in many an ECAC bowl game which is right after our regular season. Groups like the ECAC exists across all levels of college football and there’s no reason that it’s cant be done, or even if you don’t have ECAC bowls, keep the bowls and their advertising groups, but they don’t have to be rid of.

Second, we’ll still see the same teams as always. I’m not saying I don’t mind watching the big guys in college football as I’m an avid believer that it’s the SEC vs. the rest of the NCAA (Go Gators!). At the same time, I like seeing the underdogs get their fair share. While one might say, the top 4 isn’t always indicative of conference winners and teams like TCU and BSU can sneak in, will the people all vote that way? This debate is kind of like the Timothy Bradley vs. Pac-Man decision. Any sport that is subject to human error, voting or judging, will receive scrutiny. However, college football already has such a love affair with the “BCS” conferences, I don’t think a MAC or Sun Belt team that may go 12-0 and cracks the to 25, will ever get a chance for a national title in a four team playoff.

Third, the Notre Dame effect. Something just seemed fishy to me that the Notre Dame athletic director was the one delivering the message to the world regarding the playoff system. Then, it all made sense, they no longer need the hassle of joining a conference and can remain independent. It’s a genius move for a team that hasn’t had glory days since the Lou Holtz era, but now all that Brian Kelly has to do is coach up his team, recruit well, and jack up their schedule with tough opponents and they are back in the promised land.

Last but not least, every other division of football has at least a 20 team playoff. D1-AA has 20, D2 has 24 D3 has 32. While the big schools generally dominate these systems as well, there are still Cinderella stories like St. John Fisher making the final eight in D3, and that’s what big-time college football needs.

No system will be perfect and anything is better than the BCS, and as a college football fan, at least there are semifinals and a final game to look forward to.

Courtesy of Bovada, (www.Bovada.lv,  Twitter: @BovadaLV).

Odds to win the 2012-2013 BCS National Championship         

USC                             3/1

Alabama                       11/2

LSU                              11/2

Oklahoma                     10/1

Florida State                  12/1

Oregon                          12/1

Georgia                         14/1

Arkansas                      20/1

Michigan                       20/1

Notre Dame                   28/1

Texas                           28/1

Virginia Tech                 30/1

West Virginia                 30/1

South Carolina               30/1

Clemson                       33/1

Nebraska                      40/1

Wisconsin                     40/1

Florida                          50/1

TCU                              50/1

Auburn                          60/1

Michigan State              60/1

Boise State                   65/1

Kansas State                75/1

Miami (Florida)               75/1

Oklahoma State             80/1

Mississippi State           100/1

Missouri                        100/1

Texas A&M                   100/1

Tennessee                    125/1

Cincinnati                      150/1

Iowa                              150/1

Louisville                        150/1

Penn State                    150/1

Arizona                         200/1

Boston College              200/1

BYU                             200/1

California                       200/1

Georgia Tech                 200/1

Pittsburgh                     200/1

Stanford                        200/1

UCLA                            200/1

Washington                   200/1

NC State                       250/1

South Florida                 250/1

UCLA                            250/1

Oregon State                 300/1

Conference Odds

ACC – Odds to Win      

Florida State                  1/1

Virginia Tech                 3/1

Clemson                       5/1

Miami (Florida)               9/1

Georgia Tech                 15/1

North Carolina                     15/1

Virginia                              18/1

NC State                       20/1

Wake Forest                       35/1

Boston College                   50/1

Duke                             100/1

Maryland                              100/1

 

ACC Atlantic Division – Odds to Win    

Florida State                  1/2

Clemson                       11/4

NC State                       9/1

Wake Forest                       16/1

Boston College                   22/1

Maryland                              30/1

 

ACC Coastal Division – Odds to Win    

Virginia Tech                 10/11

Miami (Florida)               9/2

North Carolina                     11/2

Georgia Tech                 6/1

Virginia                              13/2

Duke                             30/1

 

BIG 12 – Odds to Win   

Oklahoma                            1/1

Texas                                4/1

TCU                              11/2

West Virginia                  11/2

Kansas State                12/1

Oklahoma State             22/1

Texas Tech                   30/1

Baylor                           40/1

Iowa State                     65/1

Kansas                             100/1

 

Big East – Odds to Win

Louisville                               9/4

South Florida                      7/2

Cincinnati                             5/2

Pittsburgh                            13/2

Rutgers                         13/2

Syracuse                      20/1

Temple                              20/1

Connecticut                         25/1

 

Big Ten – Odds to Win 

Michigan                               2/1

Wisconsin                            5/2

Nebraska                              7/2

Michigan State              15/2

Penn State                    12/1

Illinois                                20/1

Iowa                                   20/1

Northwestern                 35/1

Purdue                          50/1

Indiana                              65/1

Minnesota                            100/1

 

Big Ten – Leaders Division Winner (Without Ohio State)        

Wisconsin                            1/2

Penn State                    3/1

Illinois                                15/2

Purdue                          10/1

Indiana                              15/1

 

Big Ten – Legends Division Winner    

Michigan                               11/10

Nebraska                              9/4

Michigan State              4/1

Iowa                                   8/1

Northwestern                 12/1

Minnesota                            40/1

 

PAC 12 – Odds to Win  

USC                             5/8

Oregon                              2/1

Washington                         12/1

California                              18/1

Stanford                        25/1

Arizona                         35/1

Utah                             35/1

UCLA                            40/1

Arizona State                50/1

Washington State          50/1

Oregon State                 60/1

Colorado                               100/1

 

PAC 12 – North Division Winner          

Oregon                              2/5

Washington                         5/1

California                              17/2

Stanford                        10/1

Washington State          15/1

Oregon State                 22/1

 

PAC 12 – South Division Winner          

USC                             1/6

Arizona                             10/1

Utah                             10/1

UCLA                            15/1

Arizona State                18/1

Colorado                               30/1

 

SEC – Odds to Win      

Alabama                               11/5

LSU                              11/5

Georgia                             11/2

Arkansas                              7/1

South Carolina                    10/1

Florida                               12/1

Auburn                          22/1

Mississippi State           30/1

Missouri                                35/1

Tennessee                    35/1

Texas A&M                   40/1

Vanderbilt                      60/1

Kentucky                              100/1

Mississippi                          100/1

 

SEC – East Division Winner     

Georgia                             17/10

South Carolina                    5/2

Florida                               3/1

Missouri                                11/1

Tennessee                    11/1

Vanderbilt                      16/1

Kentucky                              25/1

 

SEC – West Division Winner    

Alabama                               8/5

LSU                              8/5

Arkansas                      4/1

Auburn                          12/1

Mississippi State           15/1

Texas A&M                   20/1

Mississippi                          50/1

The University of Maryland is making some changes to the playing surface at Capital One Field at Byrd Stadium in College Park. This much we know for sure.

How much more we don’t fully know yet. I reached out to a spokesperson at the school and was told this…

“Construction has started on a new surface at Capital One Field at Byrd Stadium. The project is being funded with private donations and will be completed in time for the upcoming season. Further details will be available soon.” 

Via Facebook/Twitter/message boards, a rumored look at what the field could look like has been making the rounds…

I have to stress that this is only a RUMOR at this point. I’ve poked around with a few other sources in College Park and have received responses like “I’m pretty sure there’s going to be turtle shells on the field” and “they’ve definitely talked about changing the color of the field.”

The most famous football field perhaps in the world belongs to Boise State University, as Bronco Stadium’s blue turf would be recognized just about anywhere…

BSU isn’t the only school to do something significant with their turf. Eastern Washington University’s Roos Field is known as “The Inferno” thanks to this color…

The NFL has actually implemented a “Boise State rule” preventing teams from changing turf colors from the traditional green.

The Terrapins would not be making their first cry for attention, as they garnered PLENTY of buzz on Labor Day last year when they introduced these Under Armour duds in a win over Miami…

For the record, I don’t much care what the Terps wear or what kind of field they play on. As I told former Maryland/Baltimore Ravens CB Domonique Foxworth in an interview last year, if the Terps were competing for a BCS Championship I’d sign off on them wearing Duke uniforms for the game.

But…what do you think? Is the rumored look of the field too much?

-G

At the risk of going down the road that Ozzie Guillen recently trekked by acknowledging admiration for someone that most find to be despicable, I have to say that I have a lot of admiration suddenly for the BCS, and the process by which they have infiltrated and taken over college football.

 

For years we’ve argued about the process by which college football decides its national champion, and how to fix it. And for years we’ve come away disappointed, ultimately submitting to the realization that the money making juggernauts that are the current college bowls were simply too powerful and too influential to supplant. Then along came the BCS…

 

Instead of simply conceding that the broken system that controlled college football would always trump cries for a truer process, the BCS instead infiltrated that corrupt system, capitalized on the greed that defined it, and ultimately used that greed to create a niche for themselves and to entrench themselves in firm control of the process.

 

First, the BCS did away with the formulary approach to matching bowl participants strictly by conference affiliation, and separated the haves and have-nots. The Orange, Sugar, Rose and Fiesta Bowls were deemed the most important, and by way of the new process they were given the power to decide the “true” national champ and to host the game in their respective bowls once every four seasons.

 

What happened next was the smartest and I suppose most ironic part of the whole equation. Given the money that they were making in hosting the national championship on a rotating basis while also still running their own prestigious bowls during the in-between years selling the big four on a 5^th BCS game was probably much easier than it should have been. Now the bowls could still rotate the title game year-by-year and continue to host their regular bowl games too, essentially double dipping every fourth season. What the “bowl gangsters” likely failed to realize at the time, is that in accepting the extra game format they essentially gave full control of the national title game to the BCS and totally compromised their position of power as a result.

 

At the end of last season, the BCS announced their intentions to consider taking their show on the road, and entertain locations other than the big four bowl sites. It didn’t get a lot of attention at the time, but maybe it should have. As reports indicate that the BCS is now in the process of creating their own 4-team tournament to decide the title, the bowl commissioners are likely on the brink of panic, and possibly the brink of irrelevance too…and all I can say is that it serves them right and they had probablt better play nice with the BCS. They’ve relinquished the driver’s seat.

 

A couple of interesting side-conspiracies come to light as well. First is that shortly after “Jerry World” was built in Dallas, the Fiesta Bowl came under heavy scrutiny for bad financial business. Some would suggest that it’s more than a coincidence that one of the big four would come under fire at a time when the Cotton Bowl would look awfully appealing to everyone. Wherever the controversy actually came from, it has only served to remind everyone of just how corrupt and flagrant the bowl system is and has been. It also seems to be only a matter of time before a BCS title game is played in that magnificent building.

 

Tigers Add Guthrie & Marshall To Recruiting Class
Rafriel Guthrie and Marquis Marshall Sign National Letters Of Intent To Play For Towson

TOWSON, Md. - Towson head men’s basketball coach Pat Skerry has announced the addition of Rafriel Guthrie and Marquis Marshall to the Tigers’ 2012-13 recruiting class. Guthrie, a Washington, D.C. native, is a 6-3, 200-pound physical wing and Marshall is a 6-5, 170-pound versatile sharp-shooting guard from Reading, Pa.

Guthrie, who spent this past season playing for the College of Southern Idaho, will be a junior at Towson and can play immediately with two years of eligibility remaining. Marshall committed to Towson during the late signing period after starring for Berks Catholic High School.

“Rafriel Guthrie provides us with a level of tenaciousness that we sorely need,” said Skerry. “He can score, rebound and defend, but most importantly he plays extremely hard at all times. Marquis Marshall comes from great genes and is a terrific long-range shooter. He has a tremendous upside as he develops physically.”

During the 2011-12 season, Guthrie played in all 36 games with 34 starts at Southern Idaho, helping the Golden Eagles to a 31-5 overall record, a SWAC and Region 18 Championship and an eighth-place finish at the NJCAA National Tournament. The sophomore averaged 15.1 points, 7.7 rebounds and had 47 steals, all ranking second on the team. He also shot 49.0 percent from the floor and 35.0 percent from beyond the arc en route to being named an honorable mention National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) All-American.

Guthrie came to CSI from Seward County Community College where he started 27 of the team’s 34 games as a freshman in 2010-11. He averaged 13.0 points and 4.4 rebounds per game while helping the Saints to a 27-7 overall record.

Prior to his time at Seward County CC, Guthrie starred at Cardozo High School in Washington, D.C. During his senior year, Guthrie averaged 28.2 points and 8.0 rebounds for the Clerks. He also was a member of the Cardozo football team where he played outside linebacker and wide receiver.

Marshall led his high school team to a 28-3 record and the Berks County and District III championship in 2012. He was named All-County and Third Team All-State (Pa.) after averaging 16.0 points per game during his senior season.

Marshall is listed as a two-star recruit and has been rated as one of the Top 20 players coming out of the state of Pennsylvania this year.

Marshall’s father, Donyell, played in the National Basketball Association for 18 years. An All-American at the University of Connecticut, he finished his collegiate career by being selected as the BIG EAST Player of the Year in 1994. Donyell was drafted after his junior year at UConn by the Minnesota Timberwolves as the fourth overall pick in the 1994 NBA draft. He played for eight different NBA teams from 1994-2009 and averaged double figures in scoring in a season on 10 separate occasions.

Guthrie and Marshall join Towson’s early signees – Barrington Alston, Jerome Hairston, Frank Mason and Timajh Parker-Rivera to make up the Tigers’ six-man 2012-13 recruiting class. Towson’s recruiting class was listed as the best in the Colonial Athletic Association and No. 6 among non-BCS schools by CBS Sports during the early signing period. Towson will also gain the services of BIG EAST transfers Jerrelle Benimon and Mike Burwell, who both sat out the 2011-12 season per NCAA transfer rules.

On Friday’s edition of “The Reality Check”, Ryan Chell and I decided to put together a Maryland Terrapins season ending report card. After the Terps’ loss to North Carolina in the ACC Tournament, it was easy to assume the basketball season was over in College Park.

That assumption proved accurate Sunday night, as the NIT failed to extend an invite to the Terps as expected. The University of Maryland declined to participate in the lesser known postseason CBI Tournament due to the financial model that forces schools to pay for participation. (Three schools from BCS conferences-Washington State, Pitt and Oregon State all accepted CBI bids.)

It’s a long winded way to say the season is over. The Terps finished 17-15 in Mark Turgeon’s first season since taking over for the retired Gary Williams, surpassing the expectations of many while still falling short of the expectations of others.

In our Report Card segment Friday, I graded Turgeon’s job in year one as a “B”. I noted the lack of both quality and quantity in Maryland basketball players that Turgeon was forced to deal with partly due to the late timing of Williams’ retirement announcement. Not only did Maryland lose All-ACC Center Jordan Williams to the NBA, they also lost F Haukur Palsson to a pro turn in Europe. Turgeon was only able to retain one from Williams’ three-man recruiting class (G Nick Faust) although he made up for that in part with a late commitment from C Alex Len.

(I point all of this out because some Maryland fans have decided to “blame” Gary Williams for the state of the program. They’re only telling half of the story.)

Len’s 10 game suspension to start the season and PG Pe’Shon Howard’s 18 missed games due to injury made an already difficult situation nearly impossible. Entering the season, there was legitimate reason to fear a “bottoming out” of sorts for the Maryland program.

While those fears never came to fruition, the team never fully came together. Sophomore G Terrell Stoglin at times carried the Terps during a 6-10 Atlantic Coast Conference campaign, but often proved to be as much of the problem as the solution. Len never showed progress during his freshman campaign, Senior G Sean Mosley offered valuable leadership but never overwhelmed with his play on the floor. The only player that showed marked progress was Faust, who was named to the league’s All-Rookie team.

All of these were contributing factors in grading the job Turgeon did this season. It was a tough campaign, but it could have been significantly worse. Turgeon deserves credit for keeping the program afloat and avoiding any true embarrassment. (Only a late season loss at Georgia Tech stands out as a head shaker due to the opponent and Maryland’s most lopsided defeats came at the hands of NCAA Tournament participants like UNC, Duke, Virginia, Florida State, Alabama and Iona.)

Nearly five hundred words in, it’s time to look to the future. While Turgeon is absolutely deserving of praise for how he kept this Maryland team together in his first season, the coach offered a noteworthy thought Sunday night via Twitter.

Been an unsettling day. Its tough not to be a part of Selection Sunday. It’s something I am not used to.

— Mark Turgeon (@CoachTurgeon) March 11, 2012

Naval Academy To Join The BIG EAST For Football In 2015

ANNAPOLIS, Md.—Naval Academy Superintendent Vice Admiral Michael Miller, USN announced Tuesday in conjunction with BIG EAST Commissioner John Marinatto that the Naval Academy has accepted a formal invitation from the BIG EAST to become a football-only member of the conference starting with the 2015 season.

The Naval Academy and the BIG EAST have agreed to a three-year phase-in period during which a scheduling partnership will be created and leading to a full schedule of eight games in 2015.  During that period, Navy will continue its current partnership with CBS and post-season bowls.  In anticipation of full football membership, Navy will be included in all future television, marketing, promotion, and bowl negotiations by the BIG EAST Conference effective immediately.

“The Naval Academy is pleased to accept the invitation for our football team to join the BIG EAST conference,” said Miller.  “After careful consideration, we believe this affiliation to be in the best interests of the Naval Academy, our athletic programs and the Brigade of Midshipmen.  While our independent status has served Navy Football well to date, BIG EAST conference affiliation will help ensure our future scholar-athletes and athletic programs remain competitive at the highest levels for the foreseeable future.”

“When people look back, they will mark this as a truly historic day for the BIG EAST Conference,” said Commissioner John Marinatto.  “America’s first national football conference is adding a program with true national appeal. Navy’s decision to make the BIG EAST its first football conference home after over 100 years of independence demonstrates the value of our new expansion model and the long-term viability of our football product.  The BIG EAST is truly proud to be associated with one of the most prestigious academic institutions in the country and one of the most storied programs in college football.”

The Naval Academy has established itself as one of the nation’s elite institutions in both academic and athletic prowess.  Navy has annually ranked near the top of both the NCAA’s APR and Graduation Success Rate for student-athletes.  This past year, Navy’s Graduation Success Rate of 96% places the Academy in the top four of all FBS institutions.

On the gridiron the Midshipmen have compiled a record of 75-40 (.652) over the last nine seasons with the 75 wins ranking as the 20th most in the country (and third most among current or future Big East Schools ranking behind Boise State and West Virginia) over that period.  The Mids have gone to a bowl game in eight of the last nine years and their 18 wins over schools from a BCS conference are the most of any non-BCS school over that same nine-year period.

“The BIG EAST will provide an expanded stage for the American public to see our nation’s future leaders,” said Naval Academy Director of Athletics Chet Gladchuk.  “Expanded media opportunities and coverage by the BIG EAST will elevate the national visibility of Navy football to the highest levels.  This new affiliation will brand Navy football as a member of a BCS conference whose competitive aspirations include the opportunity to compete for a championship.  The BIG EAST plays a prominent role in the NCAA governance structure and affiliation will ensure that the Naval Academy solidifies its position as an important contributor to leadership decisions on a national level.  The future direction of Division I athletics and the vision for collegiate football will include insights and input brought to the table by the Naval Academy administration.”

Joining the BIG EAST will not require any degree of government/taxpayer money. Membership, rather, will enhance opportunities for revenue generation in support of the physical mission and the Brigade to a significant degree.  New opportunities for revenues will significantly exceed what Navy can generate as an Independent in football.  The business model that correlates with joining the BIG EAST illustrates an unparalleled opportunity to stabilize the financial condition of both the Naval Academy Athletic Association and the Academy’s support for the physical mission at large.  This includes 32 varsity sports, 14 club programs, intramurals, physical education, and mission related facilities.

Television exposure and opportunities for marketing/promotion will be greatly enhanced through BIG EAST membership.  The BIG EAST television footprint represents 30% of the nation’s households.

“This is an exciting time to be a part of the Navy football program,” said Navy head football coach Ken Niumatalolo.  “There is no doubt the BIG EAST will be a challenging league for us to compete in every year, but the young men that come to Navy want to compete against the best and I believe this will open up some recruiting doors that we’ve been unable to open in the past.”

The Naval Academy will continue to annually compete against Army and Air Force for the Commander-In-Chief’s Trophy and its rivalry with Notre Dame will continue as the longest, continuous intersectional matchup in FBS football.

“It is important to the U.S. Naval Academy, as a premier source for producing the next generation of Naval and Marine Corps officers, that Navy football remains relevant as well as highly visible on the national stage,” said Miller. “This has proven to be the case over the last decade and it will perpetuate itself with this new affiliation.”

So the BCS National Championship might have been one-sided.  It might have been a let-down compared to the regular season OT thriller between LSU and Alabama.  Honey Badger, Tyrann Mathieu, was a non-factor.  LSU quarterback Jordan Jefferson looked lost and almost ready to tap out in favor of backup Jarrett Lee, or even Mr. Bentley.  Les Miles looked, well, less of a coach than Nick Saban.

 Don’t misunderstand.  I’m not an LSU fan.  I respect both teams and have rooted for and against both in different situations over the years.  I was just hoping for a little more ebb and flow for a national title game.  The Nov. 6 matchup was riveting, even without the plethora of points that had become all the rage this bowl season (they are still picking up athletic supporters off the Alamo Bowl field from Baylor’s 67-56 win overWashington).

 I actually was looking forward to a defensive struggle.  I wanted field goals.  They were all Alabama’s.  I thirsted for punts.  They, mostly, were LSU’s.  I waited for game-changing plays.  They just never really came.  Trent Richardson’s lone TD came with time running out on LSU in the fourth quarter.

 But there was one truly refreshing quality to the game played out in the Superdome Monday night, the officiating.  What?  You didn’t really notice?  Perfect.  That’s what you want.  That’s just not the norm anymore.  But this game differed from the flag-fests to which I am usually subjected.

 There were 6 flags thrown in the game.  Three were false starts.  You can’t ignore them.  Two were offside penalties.  Again, no-brainers.  No holding flags.  No blocks in the back.  No hands to the face or interference calls.  The only other penalty called was a roughing flag on a punt return where a fair catch was signaled.  No defenseless receiver flags, or illegal hits on quarterbacks.  Not even a replay review (Did they replay the spot on the early fake field goal??  If they did, it must have been all handled during the time out.  I don’t recall any others).

 There were enough bit hits and sideline hits that certainly one or two might be been flag-worthy.  Enough pushing and shoving after whistles.  I thought I saw the LSU fullback land an uppercut at one point.  But the officials never let the hankies fly.  Whistles were swallowed.  And the game was played.  And it was a beautiful game from that perspective.  I’m sure there are some plays where flags may have been warrented but I didn’t see any that had any major affect on how the game would turn out.  And that’s how it should be.

Former Bills coach Marv Levy was famously caught by an NFL Films crew scolding a referee by calling him an “over-officious jerk”.  Marv was not one for swearing.  But his point was “quit making up penalties to get on TV, guys.”  I blame replay for most of it and the complexity of rules created by slowing the action down so much.  It’s hard to believe a Rec football game can survive with two officials and no replay.  But is sure is refreshing to see the BCS National Championship game run like one.