Sports Then and Now

It the world of prognosticating, last weekend was not kind to college football’s omnipotent one as the Zultan of College Football proved that even the best can have a bad week.

The Minnesota Gophers, a thorn in the side of the Zultan all season, gave one final zing with a shocking win over the beloved Iowa Hawkeyes. Couples with the upset of Boise State by Nevada, the late comeback win by Auburn over Alabama and losses by Penn State, Purdue and Oklahoma State the result was a disappointing 4-6 week for the great one.

Yet, even when the Zultan was at a low point, his record was still equal or better than many of those who thought they would out-shine his talents.

Yes, there were 13 lucky soles listed below who posted a better week than the Zultan, but there were many who fared worse. It gives the all-knowing one at least a little glimmer of joy and hope as we look toward the upcoming bowls.

Even though the crystal ball showed a big crack late in the season, there is still plenty of time for the Zultan to repair his reputation with a strong showing in the second annual Sports Then and Now College Football Bowl Challenge.

Be sure to check back beginning on December 8th for the list of games and opportunity to win.

Speaking of winning, many have spent the entire fall trying every week to best the Zultan with the goal of posting enough weeks with a better record to earn the end of the season prize.

It was an exciting contest that came right down to the wire and ended just as the Big Ten has with a three-way tie. However, unlike the Big Ten that needs a computer to tell it which team will be considered its champion, the Champion of the Sports Then and Now College Football Contest was the competitor who shined the greatest in the weeks in which he defeated the Zultan. Read the rest of this entry →

Cam Newton led Auburn back against Alabama and proved his own the field accomplishments are worthy of the Heisman Trophy.

For now, the championship picture in college football seems a bit clearer, but with one week left there is still time for a mess to develop at the top of the standings.

Comebacks Set Contenders Apart

For a team to truly be deserving of being considered the best team in college football they must be able to come back from adversity and also be able to withstand the challenge from opponents who are playing at the top of their game.

Both Auburn and Oregon solidified their positions at the top of the BCS rankings by taking the best shots from Alabama and Arizona, respectively, and still coming out on top.

The rally by Auburn from a 24-7 halftime deficit probably secured the Heisman Trophy for quarterback Cam Newton and potentially will propel the Tigers into the BCS title game regardless of the outcome of their conference championship tussle with South Carolina.

Oregon made some miscues in their opening half against Arizona, but proved in the second half that they have one of the most explosive offenses in the country. They will have a challenge at Oregon State, but if they cannot win that game on the road then they probably don’t belong in the national title conversation.

Conversely, Boise State is no longer in the national title picture because they could not withstand the second half rally by host Nevada. The Broncos nearly remained undefeated, but a missed field goal at the end of regulation and another in overtime proved too much to overcome.

Some are now saying the Broncos were a fraud and never really deserving of consideration for the BCS Championship Game. It is likely that if Boise State played in the SEC or Big Ten they would have a difficult time winning every week, but they would still be a contender for conference titles and BCS bowl bids. Under the current landscape, Boise State has to finish undefeated to have a chance at even making a BCS bowl and that seems highly unfair as they are certainly better than the best teams from either the Big East or ACC and better than anyone in the Pac 10 other than Oregon. Read the rest of this entry →

Joe Paterno and his players celebrate the coaches 400th victory.

After Penn State University rallied from a 21-0 deficit to defeat Northwestern University 35-21 on Saturday evening it seemed the only people not focused on the historical significance of the victory were Penn State head coach Joe Paterno and his wife Sue.

While the game announcers and crowd were celebrating the fact that the win was Paterno’s 400th as head coach of the Nittany Lions, to the man who has been at Penn State since 1950 and the head coach since 1966, the most important thing was that his team had rallied from a big deficit to defeat a pesky Wildcats’ team for their sixth win of the season.

When asked about the significance of the milestone victory, Paterno first wanted to talk about the comeback, Northwestern and what a good job head coach Pat Fitzgerald was doing with his team.  “I was just delighted to see us comeback. I thought the kids hung together and I was real proud of them. I think Pat [Fitzgerald] is doing a great job and I was worried sick about them.”

Finally when asked about what has motivated him for all these years, Paterno thought for a second, chuckled and then said, “Getting paid.”

It was just another reminder that unlike many coaches today who are about spin and creating an image, with Paterno what you see is what you get. And it appears the same can be said for the woman who has been by his side throughout his entire tenure as head coach. Read the rest of this entry →

Part Two: The Final Four Fantastic Finishes

Running back Fred Russell carries the ball for Iowa.

When Iowa travels to Ann Arbor on Saturday, they will face this season’s most impressive offensive force to date, all packed into one player—Michigan’s Denard Robinson.

Even in defeat against Michigan State last weekend, Wolverine quarterback Robinson still managed to generate more than 300 yards of offense. This was billed as “containing him.”

Michigan’s offensive prowess will be pitted against the Hawkeyes’ highly ranked defense in what promises to be an intense struggle on the front lines.

The difference in the game could come be the ability of the Wolverine defense to stop Iowa on offense.

It will hopefully be another fascinating game to add more sizzle to the historical football rivalry between Iowa and Michigan as we look back over the past 30 years.

Which down-to-the-wire games have provided the most excitement during these eight gridiron classics––as the game clock ticked down while one team was making a last second charge to score for the ultimate win? You be the judge.

1990: Iowa Wins 24-23 in Ann Arbor on October 20

Iowa place-kicker Jeff Skillett helped Iowa win in 1990.

Iowa was coming off a losing season in 1989, as the bloom was definitely off the rose and the earlier glory days of the 1980s seemed to fade.

Yet Iowa was beginning to climb out of their recent funk and into the limelight, coming into Michigan with a 4-1 record and a ranking of No. 23.

Hope blossoms eternally for Hawkeyes and their fans.

No. 10 Michigan was waiting to fulfill their own destiny, which for them necessitated putting down the Iowa Hawkeyes.

It did not look good early for the Iowa faithful as Michigan built a 14-7 halftime lead.

When Michigan, led by quarterback Elvis Grbac, seemed to be cruising, taking a 20-10 lead in the third quarter, Iowa roared back, putting on their defensive brakes.

The Hawkeyes shut down the Michigan offense—holding them to three first downs in the second half.

Read the rest of this entry →

The Iowa Hawkeyes are seldom winners against the Michigan Wolverines on the football field.Part One: The 1980s

Part I: The 1980s

Michigan seldom loses to Iowa.

Since 1900 the Hawkeye record stands at 11-40-4 against the Wolverines.

This is not good news if you are a Hawkeye or a Hawkeye fan heading into Wolverine territory for another showdown in Week 7.

Iowa won contests in 1900, 1924, 1958, 1962, 1981, 1984, 1985, 1990, 2002, 2003, and 2009.

Six of the eleven wins have been on the road––over half.

This is somewhat good news since Iowa will be playing Saturday in Ann Arbor.

During the rivalry, Iowa and Michigan also played for four ties––in 1929 (0-0); in 1957 (21-21); in 1963 (21-21) and in 1988 (17-17)––which marked the only tie with Michigan in a game played at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City.

Read the rest of this entry →

Nick Saban has Alabama poised for another run, but can they repeat as champions?

After romping through an undefeated 2009 season, many experts have ordained Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide as the team to beat again in 2010. While Alabama will again be formidable, it will be hard for them to overcome the loss of most of the defensive stars that carried them past Florida and Texas and to an undefeated record a year ago.

While last season there was little question that Alabama, Texas and Florida were the undisputed best teams in college football (unless of course you are a fan of TCU and Boise State), in 2010 it may be a little harder to gauge which college teams are the cream of the crop.

Across the board, college football teams lost a plethora of talented players that must be replaced in 2010. The teams that are able to rise from the pack in 2010 will be those that have new players and former backups ready to play at the highest level.

Below is a look at the major conferences in Division I-A (Bowl Championship Subdivision): Read the rest of this entry →