Then there’s Notre Dame. Not even the committee could rank the Irish ahead of a perfect UC.
This stuff sounds complicated. It’s not. USA Today:
Even if Oklahoma ends the regular year with two wins, how could the judges rule the Sooners better than the Bearcats? When OU was unbeaten, it was considered no better than 9th. Oklahoma State needs a couple blowouts.
Now, then. . .
(What I meant to say with that tortured wreck of a sentence is: Fickell will stay awhile. So will the guy that follows him, if he’s any good. The carousel at UC will stop spinning.)
Thad Matta left Xavier because he didn’t think he could win a national title there, and that was after the Musketeers nearly beat Duke in the Elite 8. Brian Kelly left UC for much the same reason, though his lifelong dream was to coach in South Bend.
If UC is playing in a semifinal five weeks from now, that can’t-win-it-all stigma is removed.
Where would Luke Fickell go tomorrow that’s any better than where he is today?
He has recruiting on such a roll, good prospects are being passed over, for better ones. He’ll be heading into a P-5 conference in a couple years. The pressure he faces to succeed at UC is mostly self imposed.
Fickell could make more money somewhere else, but since when has money been an issue with him?
If you have built your Ford to a point where it gives you 200,000 miles only needing a regular oil change, why would you trade it in for a Ferrari?
It has always been assumed, both with X hoops and UC football, that their current coaches were highly talented fast-trackers who’d do great things in town while keeping their real estate agents on high alert. Maybe not so much in Clifton anymore.
AN INTERESTING WEEK FOR THE MEN, who host the Stillers Sunday. For the first time in forever, Pittsburgh is more desperate than its little brother. L’il bro is better and more importantly, healthier. An L to the Steelers would not be disastrous.
If the Steelers lose, they’re in an impressive hole.
What should scare you if you bleed orange (anybody bleed orange?) is that Ben is playing very well, especially for an octogenarian. His arm is almost shot, he can’t move, but he almost took down Justin Herbert on the road Sunday night. His defense prevented that, but his defense could get instantly good if Watt, Fitzpatrick and Haden play. All missed last Sunday, but apparently look good for this Sunday.
The Steelers are 26th in run defense, but 4th in sacks, so expect Mixon to do his best John Riggins imitation again Sunday. But even with Mixon carrying 30 times, Burrow still got pulped some by the Raiders.
The Steelers wideout group can run with the Bengals, and that was before Tyler Boyd was listed as questionable for Sunday.
Las Vegas got badly outcoached last week. That won’t happen this week. That said, the Bengals have better players all around than Pittsburgh. Younger players, too, unfamiliar with Steeler Mystique as it has applied to the Men for centuries. There should not be a letdown like what happened in the Meadowlands, if only because Pittsburgh isn’t the Jets. Zac Taylor is growing weekly as a leader and play caller.
And really, how much longer can Ben possibly own the Bengals in Cincinnati?
Men 23, Steelers 17.
INTERESTING POINT made by former GM Mike Tannenbaum, writing on the website The 33rd Team. He says what I've said forever: Taking a wideout in the 1st-round is dicey, because the football world is full of good wideouts:
Ultimately, from a strategic planning standpoint, teams should account for the surplus of receiving talent in the league. Will we see more WRs taken in the first rounds as teams look to copy others? Or will teams begin to fill other needs since they can find WR talent later?
The latter is the better way to fill out a roster, as quality players at EDGE, OT, and CB are scarce in later rounds. The risk is not ensuring that your QB will have ideal weapons in a pass-first league. It’s a classic case of cost-benefit analysis, and it will be fascinating to see how it plays out.
THIS AMAZES ME. . . I’ve been covering the Bengals since 1988 and I don’t recall them ever playing on Thanksgiving. Thirty-four years, more than 70 games. How is that possible? Correct me if I’m wrong.
TUNE O’ THE DAY. . . Van Morrison’s best stuff has always had a spiritual quality to it. If you claim to like Van and in the next breath suggest his best tune is Brown-Eyed Girl well. . . your cred on the subject isn’t breathtaking.
Spiritual, mystical Van is the best. Even romantic Van is fantastic. My favorite album of his is Into The Music . Side 2 is pure, head-over-heals love angst.
So is this tune , off the disc titled No Guru, No Method, No Teacher.
