Jeré Longman of the New York Times has a lengthy and pretty well-written article about Jim Tressel. Longman's done his homework as the number of insights, anecdotes and quotes are solid:
[Clarett and Tressel's relationship] appears more layered than is generally perceived. Tressel genuinely seemed to be attempting to find Clarett a spot in N.F.L. Europe before his latest legal troubles, [Clarett's attorney] Mango said. Jon Saia, a law partner of Mango’s, said that Tressel also appeared willing to testify on Clarett’s behalf if his case had gone to trial instead of ending with a plea arrangement.
(via Ohio State Online)
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I just finished watching Notre Dame get absolutely annihilated by LSU and have to say that all of the preferential treatment given to the Irish may be having a detrimental impact on the program. Sure, the media continually fawns over the team, and they have that sweet, sweet deal with NBC, but the real culprit, I believe, is the lube job the NCAA gives them each year by placing them into bowls that they have no business playing in. What we end up with every post season is a Notre Dame team pairing up with a squad it has no business being on the field with. We saw it in Notre Dame's first ever BCS outing against Oregon State, we saw it last year in the Fiesta Bowl and we certainly saw it tonight against LSU. You have to wonder if these pre-ordained bowl losses don't have an effect on the psyche of the team, the coaching staff or even an impact on recruiting?
That's 9 straight bowl losses for the Irish. You know Irish Nation realized it would be a long night when their fake punt was stuffed on their first drive and two plays later, LSU was up 7-0. I wonder if this was what Crewcut had envisioned when he spoke of how important it was to have his team come out loose.
Bradshaw easily had the best quip of the Sugar Bowl when he gave his reaction to a play during Notre Dame's first drive in which it had been pointed out that Brady Quinn threw a decent block:
"This is your last game. You haven't won a bowl game in 8 years. You block."
Judging from the tempered response JeMarcus Russell gave immediately after the game when asked if he was coming back, it's safe to assume he's gone to The League. Troy should have no trouble finding motivation for the championship game as he has a chance to make a draft statement after Russell's performance.
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Reader Frosty tipped us off to this interesting diary of a Plain Dealer reporter going on a road trip to the big game with three Ohio State seniors. Talk about awesome assignments. From experience on a similar trip with a couple of buddies, I can say that there's nothing quite like it. The sights will be amazing, the conversations both hilarious and deep and the smells sometimes raunchy while packed into your cross-country sled. If you're in your mid-twenties and haven't driven across the country yet, do this soon. You won't soon regret it.
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Finally, out of Mountaineerland, we bring you the fan arrested for growing a tail in the Georgia Tech band seats during the Gator Bowl. Come on Mountaineers! We try to have your back when you don't like the shirts coming out of Abercrombie and Fitch and then you go and do something like this.
