The more we know, the less we do

If you watched primetime college football last night, then you saw the clip of California wide receiver Jahvid Best’s horrific injury.

The picture above is the before; you don’t want to see the after.

As Best landed on his back after soaring at least five feet into the air, his helmet flew off of his head due to the impact and we all got to see the close-up of a kid who looked dead. His arms were stiff, in the air, and by all accounts, he didn’t move for several minutes.

According to analysts, this “abnormal posturing” of Best’s body after being knocked out is a sign that the brain has lost contact with the rest of the body. Sometimes, HD close-ups aren’t necessary.

Obviously, if you saw the play, it didn’t look like there was any way that fall could have ended well, but players can get seriously injured in far less spectacular ways. Any time a defender lowers his head to make a tackle, he is inches from paralysis, every single time.

Best has movement and is reportedly making an extremely quick recovery, just over 12 hours after the injury. But he will not play another down in college football this season, for one simple reason that may make you sick.

This was Best’s second concussion in eight days.

In the past few years, it has been proven that concussions, when added up over years of hits, can turn a person into a human vegetable. Head injuries have a lasting impact as the body ages, and football players have had the most issues with dementia and other related problems.

So knowing what we know now, why do we allow a kid back on the field one week after one of the most serious injuries that can occur in a sport?

Professional athletes are grown men, and they are making a salary to put their health on the line. If they want to go out and play with Post-Concussion Syndrome while their families watch them take hits on national television, that’s their call.

But not a kid who is doing it for free, even if he insists he is fine.

I understand the mantra that at this point in the season, everyone is playing hurt. The college football season is a long grind and guys are playing with pulled hamstrings, sore ankles, and possibly even a few broken bones.

But those all heal over time. Your brain may not, and we know this.

It isn’t just Best that was allowed into harm’s way after a concussion, it happens every week. Remember when Tim Tebow took the field for Florida just 14 days after he was seen being taken out of a stadium in an ambulance, vomiting uncontrollably?

That wasn’t because he had the flu, it was a symptom of a severe concussion.

But the Gators made the decision somewhere that a win over LSU to keep their national championship dreams alive was more important than a kid’s future. I don’t always want to throw the blame on the head coach, but he does have the final call as to who takes the field. Urban Meyer should have sat Tebow, but then again, this is the same guy who had to be overruled by Brandon Spikes on Spikes’ own suspension.

Maybe the NCAA needs to step up and mandate recovery time, because it appears the colleges themselves have no idea how to handle this issue.

Women’s college soccer — today’s version of Fight Club?

Apparently New Mexico women’s soccer player Elizabeth Lambert has an issue with the Mormon policy on polygamy.

If you have yet to see this video, you definitely have to watch this to see just how thuggery seems to transcend every college sport, both male and female. Courtesy of ESPN, and if Lambert played football for the University of Florida, she would probably be suspended for the first half of her next game:

See why women’s college soccer may need steroid testing

ACC players and coaches receive recognition

Because I am such a big ACC fan, I decided to make today’s blog about the conference and spotlighting the players and coaches who have been selected as semifinalists for several awards at the end of the season.

This list can be found on Heather Dinich’s ACC blog on ESPN.com as well, but here are a few of the awards and the players/coaches who have the chance to win them:

Maxwell Award (the nation’s most outstanding player by the Maxwell Football Club):
Christian Ponder, Florida State

Seriously, has anyone been more valuable to his team this season than Ponder? The young man has turned FSU’s offense into a reincarnation of the Arena Football League because that’s what the Seminoles have to do to win games. No graduate student should be saddled with that much responsibility, but Ponder seems to want the pressure.

Biletnikoff Award (the nation’s most outstanding wide receiver by the Tallahassee QB Club Foundation):
Demaryius Thomas, Georgia Tech

This kid is incredible. If you have seen him play, you know that he is a legitimate No. 1 receiver at the next level. And he has a swagger on the field that makes him even more fun to watch. “Bay Bay” even got his nickname’s initial on the back of his jersey. His first name doesn’t have a “B” in it, so “B. Thomas” can only mean one thing.

Butkus Award (the nation’s most outstanding linebacker by the Butkus Foundation):
Quan Sturdivant, North Carolina
Mark Herzlich, Boston College

I’m going to toe the line very carefully on this one, but I’m not sure why Herzlich is on this list. We have all heard the story, he was primed to be one of the top linebackers in the nation this season, until he was diagnosed with cancer in 2008. He has bravely fought the cancer and is close to completely eradicating the disease, and expects to play next year.

The kid is amazing, and stories like this make me love the ACC, because he has been greeted with hugs and donations to his fund from every single school on BC’s schedule (and then some, because even the ACC teams that don’t play BC this year have donated).

I fully believe Herzlich should be handed the award in 2010 if he returns and plays anywhere close to the level he was at in 2007 and 2008 when he dominated at his position. But not this season, even though I love the kid and he is one of the greatest human beings on the planet.

George Munger Award (the nation’s most outstanding coach by the Maxwell Football Club):
Paul Johnson, Georgia Tech
Randy Shannon, Miami

Let’s just remove Shannon from serious consideration, because he will not win this award. But Johnson has a legitimate chance at winning, because what he has done in just under two seasons in Atlanta is miraculous. He took a struggling offense, installed a radical new system and made it work to perfection in almost record time.

Additionally, he has made football in The Flats fun again. The team and fans have turned home games into a three-hour party, introducing a rap song (“All The Way Turnt Up”) into the theme of football games, and the whitest people on the planet have learned the words and even made signs that have the phrase on them.

Seriously, if you haven’t heard this song, go listen to it. If FSU used this as their theme song, the team would be 6-2 right now.

Davey O’Brien Award (the nation’s best quarterback by the Davey O’Brien Foundation):
Jacory Harris, Miami

This has been a sore spot for Seminole fans, as Ponder was left off this watch list, despite names like Bill Stull (Pittsburgh), Zac Robinson (Oklahoma State), and, well, Jacory Harris making the cut. But if Harris can convince the voters that his 11 interceptions through eight games (including two against Florida A&M) isn’t a big deal, more power to him.

Brandon Spikes: Not majoring in Optometry

We’ve all seen the video by now. Hell, it’s probably the clip that’s kept Youtube in business for the last week.

But let’s be honest, it isn’t the first time Brandon Spikes has tried to end someone’s career. It isn’t even the first time an attempt to injure has been caught on camera from this roided-out punk.

On Saturday, Georgia running back Washaun Ealey was nearly blinded while lying on a pile as a running play came to an end. Spikes was the guilty party, jamming his fingers into Ealey’s facemask in an attempt, I guess, to get Ealey to give up the ball even though the play had already been ruled dead.

At times, Spikes has trouble grasping the rules. He finds it far easier to get a grasp on an opponent’s eyeballs.

I understand that this is a rivalry game (well, sort of, Georgia hasn’t exactly made it competitive over the years), but this clearly crossed the line. I mean, ESPN made the issue public, and they find it harder to talk badly about the Gators than anyone.

So with so much publicity on the matter and the sports world clearly in agreement that Spikes should be harshly punished, what was Urban Meyer’s reaction?

Spikes will sit out the first half of this weekend’s game against Vanderbilt.

Sheriff Meyer never fails to disappoint.

But we have always known Meyer will do whatever it takes to win, that is no secret. Players have been alleged to steal cars out of tow lots, only to play a week later. Just because the guy who runs the lot is a Gator fan and doesn’t want to see the kid (Tony Joiner, AKA Tim Tebow’s roommate two years ago) go to jail doesn’t mean he did nothing wrong, Urban.

But what about Tebow himself? Wouldn’t he stand up and do the right thing by condemning his teammate’s behavior on the field?

Not quite.

“I don’t think that we did anything in that game that they didn’t do,” Tebow said.

Um, I think you may be misunderstanding that Golden Rule thing, Timmy.

Meyer insists that the behavior of Spikes is completely out of character and “that’s not who Brandon is.” But after watching many Florida games in the past, that is exactly who Spikes is, and if it continues to go unnoticed, it will continue to be exactly who Spikes is.

So if I were Urban Meyer, what would I have done?

First, I would grow a chin. Sorry, that was mean.

I would have suspended Spikes for two games. Understanding that this sort of thing really does happen all the time in piles, I would sit down and tell him that he now has a target on his back, so to do that again would be unacceptable.

He doesn’t need to be suspended for the year or kicked off the team. After all, this is a sport where we as fans root for a defensive back to annihilate a receiver, when in reality, we know that hits like that could end a kid’s career just as easily as an eye gouge.

The remaining teams on Florida’s schedule should install visors on every helmet, and make it clear that they are doing so because of Spikes and his “caged animal” mentality on the field.

The punishment certainly doesn’t fit the crime (and it never does with Meyer), but Spikes will be punished the rest of the year in that he will be a marked man by offensive linemen and maybe even a few running backs.

Every player that lines up across from Spikes for the rest of the year already knows about his bad Achilles’ Tendon and won’t hesitate to roll on it (paging Ryan McMahon and Rodney Hudson of FSU’s offensive line), because the sport of football is nasty like that.

Maybe one of these days, Urban Meyer will grow a pair (and a chin) and teach these kids how to behave like men. That is, as long as he learns to be a man himself and teach his players the difference betwen right and wrong.

Until then, we’ll see you in the second half, Brandon. I’m sure missing 30 minutes of football will teach you.

Third quarter from Hell dooms Hawks

When the Atlanta Hawks went to the half in Sunday night’s game against the Los Angeles Lakers, they trailed by six points and were engaged in a battle that made it appear as if the Hawks were completely capable of running with the best team in the NBA on their home floor.

By the end of the third quarter, Hawks fans got a sickening glimpse of just how far the team still has to go.

Outscored 34-18 in the third quarter, the Hawks put together an epic meltdown that gave me and other Hawks fans the opportunity to hop in the time machine and get another look at how Hawks Basketball looked in 2004.

And after seeing it again, I don’t ever want to go back.

Just how bad was that third period? The Lakers went on an 18-0 run.

18-0.

They had 12 fast break points in 12 minutes. When a team is allowed to hold the ball for 24 seconds on every possession, you’d think that was impossible.

It looked like a preseason game. On any given fast break, there were three Hawks sitting on the floor while three or four Lakers ran down the court uncontested, trying to decide who would take the next dunk in a five-minute span that resembled a slam dunk contest.

I half-expected the Hawks’ bench to break out paper numbers and start scoring each one.

So who do we blame in a situation like this, and was it a one-time meltdown or something we will see many times this season?

First of all, I see no reason to panic over this issue. The team is going to protect the home floor, and losing to the Lakers on the road should be expected. We just aren’t on their level yet.

But at this point, there are a few reasons to be uneasy. First of all, head coach Mike Woodson isn’t the answer, and the way he managed that third quarter is shameful.

Most coaches are quick with the trigger when an opposing team starts a scoring run. But with Woodson, he doesn’t sound the siren when the first bomb drops.

He waits until the whole city has been wiped out.

Did Woodson really need to wait until the fifth consecutive fast break to call a timeout? I doubt it.

Did he need to bench Joe Johnson with 2:39 left in the third quarter, right in the middle of the disaster? Probably not, especially considering how vital he was to the team’s offense all night. He had 18 of the team’s first 23 points in the game, he clearly was the only hot hand on our team, so maybe leaving him in would have stopped the bleeding.

But that’s what we get with Woodson.

Now we can only hope that he can pull the team back together and recover quickly. The team has to stay out west for two more games against very good teams, and it is possible that this team will return to the Eastern Time Zone with a 2-3 record and below .500 for the first time in two seasons.

Portland and Sacramento are next, and the team has Denver, New Orleans, Boston and Portland again in the next 14 days.

Hold on Hawks fans, it may get bumpy really soon.

ESPN playing the evil tyrant in the Heisman Vote

ESPN has done it again.

The network with the most pull in the race for the Heisman Trophy is holding their annual vote for the fans to decide who they think should win the honor this year, as sponsored by Nissan.

When this blog is finished, I’m willing to bet that 90 percent of those who read it will never buy a Nissan in their lifetime.

That’s because the Worldwide Leader in Sports, and Bias, has decided to take matters into their own hands and ensure that Tim Tebow is known as the best player in the state of Florida, even if only Florida fans seem to think so.

Let me explain. On the ESPN website, fans can log in and vote for their Heisman candidate, and the votes are being tallied in real-time. There are nine players who you can select, or you can opt for the “other” and fill-in your own player.

Well, not surprisingly, many FSU fans have taken it upon themselves to fill in quarterback Christian Ponder as their vote, because unlike most of the country, word is spreading around Tallahassee that Ponder may be the best signal-caller in the country right now.

So doesn’t that deserve some recognition?

ESPN doesn’t think so. In fact, on the leaderboard of the 33 players that have received the most votes, Ponder isn’t even on that list.

They have removed him from Heisman consideration, even though his stats suggest he should be in the top-10 of Heisman voting right now.

Let me repeat that. ESPN has removed him.

Why? Because he is doubling up Tim Tebow in passing yards this season? Probably.

I wrote a blog about a month ago defending Ponder as the best quarterback in Florida. Let me update some stats, and you can tell me if it makes sense that he isn’t even allowed to be considered one of the 33 best players in the nation.

2,176 passing yards (he only had 2,006 in all of 2008). ONE interception all year (a Hail Mary as time expired in the first half of FSU’s opener against Miami). 395 passing yards last week against the top-ranked pass defense in the country (North Carolina). 12 touchdowns.

Now the top-ranked QB in the Heisman voting, Tebow. 1,159 passing yards (an average of 165 per game. Michael Vick thinks those passing numbers are pitiful). 8 TDs to four interceptions. Against a Mississippi State team that allowed Georgia Tech to hang 42 points on them just weeks ago, Tebow hit exactly zero of his receivers for touchdowns.

But he had no trouble hitting true freshman Johnthan Banks for two interceptions that both went back the other way for six points.

He surely sounds like the best quarterback in the nation!

FSU’s opponents are a combined 36-16 so far, while Florida’s opponents are a combined 26-24. Are the Gators facing better teams? Maybe occasionally, but that doesn’t make up for the extreme lack of passing yards from Tebow while he throws to superior receivers.

Then there’s this stat from TomahawkNation.com — against BCS teams, Ponder throws a pick just once every 196 pass attempts. Tebow? One in 23 tries. Miami QB Jacory Harris? One in 17.

Now the reason why I am dragging Harris into this debate is because he is also on the Heisman Watch on ESPN, checking in at 6th overall.

I can’t fault Tebow or Harris for being in the top-10 of voting, after all, this is done by the fans so they can vote for whoever they want. But the point is that people are logging on to vote for Ponder, and ESPN is throwing those votes out.

Paging ACORN. This is a whole new level of corruption.

Of the 33 players, here are a few that are allowed to receive votes: Houston QB Case Keenum (13th place), Michigan QB Tate Forcier (16th), BYU QB Max Hall (17th), Kansas QB Todd Reesing (18th), Mississippi QB Jevan Snead (29th), and Alabama linebacker Rolando McClain (32nd).

Then there’s NC State QB Russell Wilson, who may be in the same atmosphere as Ponder in a few stats, but plays for a team even worse. But we can still vote for him!

Or how about Oklahoma State receiver Dez Bryant.

Let me clarify.

Formerly Oklahoma State wide receiver Dez Bryant. He has been suspended for the season for dealing with an agent, so he played just three games (against Georgia, Houston, and Rice), and currently checks in at 20th in the voting.

Maybe ESPN should worry less about Tim Tebow threats to the Heisman Trophy and more about clearing their list of ineligible players.

Ponder that.

Take the ‘C’ out of ‘BCS’ and you have…

This whole process is getting really, really stupid.

Before the season began, I predicted that the University of Cincinnati would become the best team you didn’t expect to see near the top in 2009. I didn’t, however, expect to see them running the table.

Now it appears they might, and the “experts” are spending a lot of time and effort to hold them down just in case they actually win out.

And who are they protecting by holding down the Bearcats? Iowa. And Boise State. And of course, USC.

So let’s take a look at last week’s BCS rankings and compare them to this week’s standings, and maybe we can try to make sense out of this.

Here is what the BCS looked like last week:

1. Florida
2. Alabama
3. Texas
4. Boise State
5. Cincinnati
6. Iowa
7. USC
8. TCU

And now the way the top-8 look this week:

1. Florida
2. Alabama
3. Texas
4. Iowa
5. USC
6. TCU
7. Boise State
8. Cincinnati

Let’s start at the top, leaving the top-3 out. I have no problem with those three, they deserve to be there.

Iowa jumped Boise State and Cincy for beating Michigan State on the final play of the game. Yeah, that Michigan State team that lost to Central Michigan earlier in the year.

Now the Hawkeyes have played well this season, and if they run the table, they deserve to be in the top-5. But what is being fed into that computer to make it believe their last-second win was more impressive than blowout wins by Cincinnati and Boise State?

Let’s talk about those two blowouts. Boise went to Hawaii and throttled a bad Hawaii team, furthering their case for a BCS Bowl bid. And Cincy beat Louisville 41-10 at home in a game that was never close.

And the Bearcats did it with their star quarterback in street clothes. So clearly, they should have been dropped three spots in the poll for doing that.

Then there’s USC, who gets the benefit of the doubt in the polls more than anyone, mostly because of their frequent appearances on national television. Being on the West Coast, they are usually the main event for late games, when the coaches who vote are back home after their games and unwinding with some late-night football.

So the Trojans beat Oregon State at home by six points in a thriller. That bumps them up two spots within the top-10 when no teams above them lost.

I watched intently a few weeks ago as Kirk Herbstreit spent almost five minutes on ESPN trying to disprove Cincy’s chances for a BCS Title Game berth. His main point was that their win at Oregon State would be the brightest shining star on the schedule, but still wasn’t a big deal because the Beavers were no good.

I guess the Beavers are suddenly much better, because USC had trouble with them.

Believe me, Cincinnati deserves to play for the championship if they win out. They are better than Iowa, Boise State, USC, TCU, and, yes, Alabama. Those of us that have watched them know that, but because they aren’t a big-market team, most people haven’t seen them.

I firmly believe that this year’s Bearcats team would stay in a game with Florida for all 60 minutes, even on the biggest of stages. Their pro-style offense has enough firepower with standout wide receiver Mardy Gilyard, and their defense is too fast for Big East offenses to handle. They allowed 20 points once — but not more than that in any games this season.

I understand that a lot of my statements in this blog seem bold, and if I read this before the season, I would have called myself crazy too. But I have seen Cincy play several times since then, and they are legitimately good, but they need the chance to prove it.

Of course, thanks to the current system, we’ll get to see the SEC Champion play Texas or USC instead, because there’s nothing more fun than choosing from the same pool of four teams every season to watch in the title game.

Although, if Florida lost to lowly Cincinnati in the title game, the college football world would be turned upside-down.

And we certainly can’t have that.

The eye of a huge storm

Before I report the statement that was made today, know that the decision is completely out of Bobby Bowden’s hands.

But according to ESPN, Bowden informed Tony Barnhart that he is “strongly leaning” towards returning for the 2010 football season with Florida State.

Uhh…

The subject continues to polarize the fanbase at FSU. You’re either on one side, urging folks to support the man who has built the program and made it great. Or you’re on the other side, wondering aloud why a man who built the program should have the chance to destroy it as well and leave it as irrelevant as when he inherited it.

With every week, the Seminoles lose another game to a team that they used to beat annually. Florida State used to go years without losing a home game, now the only teams they beat are from Division I-AA.

That’s not an exaggeration. In FSU’s last five home games against Division I-A opponents, they are 0-5.

Zero. And five.

With every loss, the “Bobby must go” crowd gets larger. So why in the world would we want our team to win a game the rest of the way?

The main argument that supporters of Bowden present is that he isn’t the problem — after all, he can’t catch those dropped passes or play defense.

To that, I say how dare you blame kids who are putting their future health on the line, in exchange for a free education, to protect a man who has acted like a rotten brat in the last few weeks.

I would also like to present a scenario, and for this, you’ll have to think back to 2006. Remember how opposed Bobby was to firing Jeff Bowden, his son? Well, if it were up to Bobby, his son would still be running the offense into the ground.

So if he finds it impossible to fire those defensive coaches that are running the defense into the ground, maybe it’s time we stopped playing these games and got rid of the man who is so opposed to change.

In the glory days, FSU’s offense had a magic number that once reached, they automatically won. That magic number was 30 points.

In the 2009 season, the offense has scored at least 34 points three times, or half of their games. We have won just one of those games.

In other words, the offense has galloped ahead of the defense, and it’s time to get that defense on the same level.

Defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews has stated that this year will likely be his last. But Chuck Amato hasn’t said that, and even if the defensive coaches all leave (as we implore them to do), we don’t need Bowden selecting the next defensive staff. This should be Jimbo Fisher’s call.

It’s going to get uglier, and expect to see more family members come forth and defend Bowden. Look for Bowden to make this more personal than it should ever be. But in the end, look for Bowden to be gone after this season, no matter what he tells ESPN.

Blackout for change…or hypocrisy

This blog entry is going to take on a very different tone, and I wish I could be like everyone else and just say it’s time for Bobby Bowden to go.

I am a member of the FSU Alumni Association, and my belief is one that has been quite popular in the last few days — it is time for Bobby Bowden, Chuck Amato, Mickey Andrews, and the rest of the “old regime” to go. But I believe my other opinion that I’m about to present isn’t so popular, but will hopefully make you think nonetheless.

If you are a student or alum and plan on wearing black to the game this weekend against Georgia Tech, you are one big, walking hypocrite.

Now let me explain.

The idea to blackout the stadium in protest of the stubbornness of Bowden and others seemed like a brilliant way to support the team but show the nation that the school doesn’t fully support the decisions that have been made with regards to the coaching staff in the past few years.

But what happens when the news breaks that changes will be made, sooner rather than later?

What you do know is that a high-ranking trustee within the university has demanded that changes be made at the end of the year. However, you may not have heard about the other issues that have raged behind the scenes all week.

Coaches have been fighting each other (literally fighting each other, as in punches thrown), Bowden has had nasty meetings with the higher-ups, and it was rumored today that he even met with the organizers of the blackout movement to try to convince them to shut down the plan and urge the students to wear garnet and gold.

So if you, a student, know what we all know now and yet still wear black, which is not a school color, you are lowering yourself to the level of the man you are protesting.

And while we’re on the subject of the blackout, why does there always have to be another theme with the FSU students? Why is it so hard to just go to a game and let your presence be the support you are stressing? Why does an all-day tailgate, or a massive protest, or the bribery of only getting good seats if you show up early have to come along with the package?

Those should all be sideshows in preparation of the main event, which is the football game. You are the student; wear garnet and gold and support the team and leave the decisions up to the alums that have the power to do so (now that it is clear you aren’t the only ones fed up).

If Bowden really did meet with the organizers of the blackout today and those students said “thanks, but no thanks, the blackout will go as planned,” then I hope you see the hypocrisy in that outcome. That has been Bowden’s exact response before and after the meetings with the higher-ups.

So if you want to get rid of Bobby, then don’t act like him.

As for the GT fans that may or may not be making the trip (and I know some of you read this blog), I hope this has helped paint a better picture of the issues you will get a chance to see first-hand this Saturday evening.

FSU Football in 2009 isn’t a car wreck, and it isn’t a train wreck.

It is walking into a trailer park and seeing the man in the first trailer on the left beating his wife in the front yard while the three kids scream for food.

It’s that kind of dysfunctional.

But of course, it can always get worse. At least that family has each other — and we still have Bobby Bowden.

Can Florida State beat Boston College?

In just a few hours, Florida State will take on Boston College in a game that will likely define the season for both teams. The winner could go to the ACC Championship Game as the representative for the Atlantic Division, while the loser may be out of contention after one month.

For this reason, I really hope the Seminoles haven’t been overrated yet again, as they enter this game as nearly a touchdown favorite over the Eagles.

Do I think the Seminoles can pull off this road victory and get things rolling in the right direction again? Sure I do. But will we actually ride out with the “W?”

I’m afraid we won’t.

Don’t get me wrong, Boston College is horrible this season. They looked less than mediocre in their last two games, taking a 25-7 clocking at the hands of the Clemson Tigers and then escaping a home game against Wake Forest with a 27-24 win.

But this FSU team has a lot more variables working against them than you may think, and yes, it really is that bad in Tallahassee.

Rumors have surfaced (and been proven to be more than rumors) that a couple of FSU coaches came to blows at a practice earlier this week. When one of those coaches emerged with a chipped tooth, the rumors seemed to catch on.

The pressure is on the players to get the fanbase off Bobby Bowden’s back this week. Bowden has shouldered a lot of blame since the team’s loss to South Florida last Saturday, and the team will likely come out firing in an attempt to defend the man they play for (well, sort of play for).

Oh, and we’re not usually the best at making statements. So I’ll call that a disadvantage.

It was also said that this season would be the one where the running game becomes as great as it once was with the likes of Warrick Dunn and Greg Jones. That has panned out to be as truthful as Mickey Andrews referring to this year’s defense as “the fastest I’ve ever coached.”

So with no running game to speak of in last week’s loss to USF, the passing game will need to take on a larger role this week.

Oh, there’s one problem with that — the 100 percent chance of rain at gametime with over an inch of rain expected.

I’m sure this team can go up to Chestnut Hill and get the win. But in my opinion, this win is going to be tough to achieve and this team doesn’t do well with adversity.

Before I offer my prediction, I wanted to show you what others have said as a comparison. Maybe the funniest blog in existence is one named “Wyatt Sexton’s Wasted Days,” which you can read here. It’s absolutely hilarious and extremely edgy, but worth your time (times a million). Here is what they had to say on what to expect in the upcoming game:

“It’s hard to imagine things getting any worse for this team. But, that doesn’t mean they won’t. The BC game will be a good indicator of where this team will go this season. We personally believe that FSU will win, but we said that about USF. Frankly, you all need to stop listening to us. But, an honest prediction would go something like this: Christian Ponder will play well; FSU’s defensive backs will get burned on a long pass play because, well, that’s what FSU’s defensive backs do; our running game will be good, not great; Dakota Watson will get a sack in the “Prowler” defense; Greg Reid will piss amazing; Jarmon Fortson will catch a great pass; Jarmon Fortson will drop an easy pass; Corey Mangum will embarrass himself; Jermaine Thomas will be average; Budd Thacker will miss an easy tackle in the backfield; Bobby Bowden will wear a hat to the game; Jimbo Fisher will spaz out on the sideline for nothing; Chuck Amato will do nothing; Dustin Hopkins will miss an extra point; Dustin Hopkins will make a 40+ yard field goal; the band will not make the trip; 17 Seminole fans will show for the game; 410 Boston College fans will show up for the game; Justin Mincey will be hurt; Rod Owens will run the wrong route; Rod Owens will fumble the ball; the Noles will win by 7 to 10 points.”

There you have it. I say FSU loses 27-21, and no coaches will fight in view of a camera. You will also hear the name “Mark Herzlich” 724 times, so get used to it.