Lots of good topics in this week's mailbag. I'm leading with a big-picture bowl-business question:
From Joel in Pittsburgh: It's obvious that nobody wants to see any of the bowls other than the BCS games. Doesn't this problem get worse and worse with more bowl games and less playoff talk?
Feldman: Actually it doesn't, if you look at some of the early numbers on the bowl games. The Champs Sports Bowl, which was a blowout with Florida State hammering Wisconsin 42-13, drew a 5.2 rating, which is a staggering number. (ESPN's most-watched bowl game ever was the 2006 Alamo Bowl between Iowa and Texas, which had a 6.0 rating.) The game that followed the Champs, the Emerald between Miami and Cal, had the highest rating number of any TV program that night (broadcast on cable), drawing a 4.6. The ratings were also especially big for the Alamo between Mizzou and Northwestern and for the Holiday between Oregon and Oklahoma State.
From Vince in Westerville, Ohio: How high is the ceiling for Terrelle Pryor as a quarterback, factoring in the way he throws the ball right now? He's all-world as a running quarterback, but isn't it true that Jim Tressel doesn't know how to play him yet (runner/thrower)?
Feldman: I think he had a very good first year. People need to remember it is a huge jump from high school to big-time college football, and it's also not like Pryor played in one of the most competitive leagues in the country in high school. Obviously as a passer he needs a lot of work. The biggest criticism I heard of him is that he doesn't have the trust in his reads to hit big throws, meaning he waits until he is sure a man is going to be open before unloading. Great passers have the anticipation to know when things are going to break. Much of that can be developed over time, I'm told, but we'll see how fast he picks it up. Right now, he is very one-dimensional.
My hunch is they've narrowed the gap because of the scholarship restrictions which have spread about more of the talent base; the more wide-open offensive schemes have de-emphasized to some extent power football; and the boom of cable TV and the effect of seeing games on almost every night has enabled programs that were previously off the radar to get some exposure, and that is a boon for recruiting.
From Dee in Columbus: Will the national media now speak of Oklahoma and Bob Stoops in the same light as Ohio State and Jim Tressel? Oklahoma has lost its last five BCS games, yet people give them a pass in comparison to Ohio State.
Feldman: I don't see anyone giving Stoops a pass on this. He is now is 1-8 in his past nine "big" games (1-3 vs. Texas and 0-5 in BCS games.) He and his team did field a bunch of questions about this before the game, and it'll surely follow OU next year.
From Walker in Ga.: If USC is such a good team in such a difficult conference (lol) why don't they schedule some out of conference games against the likes of Florida, Alabama, Georgia, or even some Big 12 teams like Texas or Oklahoma and during the latter part of their schedule?
Feldman: I think you can criticize the power of the Pac-10 if you want (although the league was great in bowl play this year), but I don't know how you can take issue with the Trojans' nonconference scheduling at all. Unlike almost everyone else, they don't play any 1-AA teams. Also, since Pete Carroll arrived, USC has played Auburn, Arkansas, Colorado, K-State, BYU, Va. Tech, Nebraska and Ohio State, among others. That's impressive, and they've gone there to play those teams. From what I've heard, USC brass has also made inquiries to other SEC programs to try and line up home-and-homes but hasn't gotten many positive responses.
Also, you have to remember that now, with the Pac-10 going to a round-robin schedule (playing all nine teams) and with USC/Notre Dame an annual commitment, the Trojans have only two nonconference openings per year.
From Chris in Baton Rouge: Great call on LSU getting blown out. Thanks for the laugh.
Feldman: I got a bunch of these from Tigers fans taking issue with my picks, which left me scratching my head. I'd never had a hotter run of luck picking games than this bowl season, where I ended up 23-11 against the line. But yes, I did miss big on LSU. I think the Tigers' performance last month was one of the most impressive of the whole bowl season.
From Darril in Dover, N.H.: Larry Keech, a former sportswriter for the (Greensboro, N.C.) News & Record, had Utah No. 1, Boise State No. 2, Texas No. 3 and Rice No. 18. Rice? Hmmm, maybe Mr. Keech deserves a little more credit than the relentless criticism he has received since October. Boise probably came within a couple inches of Vinny Perretta's shoe stepping on the white line away from being undefeated and, from what I saw from 10-3 Rice in their bowl game, they sure played like the 18th-best team in college. Maybe his ballot wasn't perfect but instead of ESPN criticizing this guy since October, they should consider bringing him on as an analyst since he obviously knew something you all didn't.
Feldman: Well said. Keech displayed Jim Walden-like vision this year.
RANDOM STUFF
• The biggest star of the title game Thursday night was Charlie Strong and his defense. To hold OU -- a team that hadn't scored under 35 points -- to just 14 while overcoming two bad Tim Tebow INTs is very impressive.
• I couldn't believe how loud the stadium was. I don't even recall the Swamp being quite that loud. It really was a Gators home game.
• Check out Mark Schlabach's early early 2009 top 25.
Obviously lots can change especially after the deadline in a week when underclassmen announce whether they're moving on to the NFL. I think the top five looks pretty good, although if Sam Bradford leaves OU, I don't see the Sooners as a top-10 team in 2009, given all the linemen they're also losing. I also think Oregon might be a little low at 17. I could see them in the preseason top 10.
• Intriguing battle shaping up for big Memphis wideout Marlon Brown, the nation's #3 WR.
The 6-foot-4 Brown, who scored on a big catch-and-sprint in the Under Armour All-American game last weekend, has both Tennessee and Ole Miss in his final group of choices, as new UT recruiting coordinator Ed Orgeron goes up against his old school, Ole Miss.
According to ESPN affiliate Web site InsideTheGrove.com, Ole Miss beat out LSU for his final-visit date: "I set the visit up [Thursday night]," Brown said. "Coach [Houston] Nutt asked me three weeks ago to come visit and I said no I didn't want to at the time. I changed my mind."
• It's a huge weekend at BYU, where Manti Te'o and Xavier Su'a-Filo headline a stellar group of visitors to Provo, writes Greg Biggins:
"In addition to Te'o and Su'a-Filo, 15 committed Cougars will be on hand ready to recruit as hard as the coaching staff. Te'o has already visited UCLA and Notre Dame and will also check out Stanford and USC. We've always felt this would come down to a BYU-USC battle and as of now, it sounds like the Cougs are the team to beat. Su'a-Filo has visited USC and LSU and will check out UCLA next weekend. The talented lineman has played things pretty close to the vest but those close to him feel LSU and USC have led for most of the year. BYU has a real shot here however and a good visit could go a long way in landing Su'a-Filo. Another big priority recruit will be linebacker L.T. Filiaga (South Jordan, Utah/Bingham). Filiaga was the LB MVP at the NIKE Camp in Provo last June and is one of the most under-rated players in the West. Filiaga will visit Utah next weekend and will likely pick from the two in-state schools following his last visit."
• The prep all-star games have caused some shifting in the ESPN 150, as Tom Luginbill explains.
• Notre Dame has fired its D-line coach Jappy Oliver, Eric Hansen reports.
• If you're a baseball fan I encourage you to check out Rick Cleveland's great new book on former Red Sox pitcher Boo Ferriss.
Cleveland is practically the governor of Mississippi sports and a wonderful storyteller, and this is really a fascinating tale.
Bruce Feldman
