Alamo Bowl Preview

“Leaving the game plan is a sign of panic, and panic is not in our game plan.”-Chuck Noll (four time Super Bowl winning coach)

Some sage advise from the coach with more Super Bowls than any other, however there’s one problem for the Wildcats-their game plans (especially on offense) tend to be pretty crap.

Now this isn’t to say that I think Stoops is a bad coach or that a loss today means we should start scouting for his replacement. In fact, as I stated here, Stoops has ushered in the most successful period in Arizona Football history. & for an example of the results of overreacting to a disappointing season one need only look to Dick Tomey being fired in 2000 after two six loss seasons (a mere two years after leading Arizona to a 12-1 record & a #4 ranking) in favor of John Mackovic who would be fired after going 10-18 over two and a half seasons. Fact is, Stoops is good but he’s not great.

This Week In College Football!

This Week: 0-1 (To quote Tommy Stoessor, “Sigh…”)

Season Total: 48-13

Championship Games:

· ACC: #15 Virginia Tech vs. #21 Florida State-Props to Mark Stoops. He took over a defense ranked at the bottom of the ACC & turned them into the 11^th best defense in points allowed. In fact they’ve allowed over 20 points only three times this season, which just so happens to be the three games they lost. It also so happens that Tyrod Taylor & the rest of the Hokies offense has only scored under 20 once this season, a 19-0 victory over Boston College. I’ll take VT to win its 11^th straight.

Virginia Tech 27, Florida State 20

Alex Zendejas & the State of Wildcat Football

Last night we all had the privilege to watch a classic episode of the Duel in the Desert, though I understand most Wildcat fans wouldn’t quite put it that way. Fact is, however, that last night was the first overtime game in the history of the rivalry (the pre-OT 1987 game ended in a 24-24 tie) and for all the heartbreak there were an equal number of thrills. Of course all anyone is talking about is Alex Zedejas & his blocked extra points, & it’s understandable why (even if I don’t think that’s entirely fair). So let’s go ahead & break down each of Zendejas’s last three kicks, both the quality of the kicks & the decisions that went into them, & what it all means for Arizona Football.

ARIZONA vs. ASU

It's once again time for the Wildcats & Sun Devils to battle it out for the oldest of all the rivalry trophies in college football, the Territorial Cup. Now this year feels a bit like last, as we have two decent teams that have disappointed their fan bases.

Arizona once again blew away hopes of a Rose Bowl, though with the quality of Oregon & Stanford this year (& playing both on the road) such hopes were never quite reasonable. However it is hardly unreasonable to be upset about the two home losses to mediocre Oregon State & USC teams (each of which has lost to a Washington school). In both games the vaunted Arizona defense looked, well… defenseless for much of the game & the offense seemed to forget they were even in a game until late in the fourth quarter.