Cobs of the Week - Gary "Iceman" Pinkel, Kirk "Play for OT" Ferentz, The Pac-12, The Big Ten, And the Entire State of Indiana
by Jon Johnston on Sep 12, 2011 5:15 PM CDT
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PrintMaybe you were sulking around Nebraska the past couple days thinking that your Cornhuskers are the only sucky team around, that everyone else's teams are living up to expectations, winning games in style, with flair,
Uh, no. There was plenty of suckage going on across the college football landscape this past weekend, and here's your CN writers nominees for the COB OF THE WEEK (we really need a photoshop to go with this). PLENTY OF SUCKAGE, HAHAHAHAHA, that didn't involve Nebraska at all!
Yes, you heard that right! So hit the jump and you can gloat over this week's nominees of suck!
Gary Pinkel
The Missouri head coach has a long-standing reputation for unorthodox coaching moves that backfire...so much so that it even has it's own label: the Pinkel factor. The Pinkel factor reared it's ugly head late in the fourth quarter when Missouri lined up to attempt a game-winning 47 yard field goal. But then Pinkel called timeout just before the playclock expired. Then he did it again. It's become a standard strategy for coaches facing a crucial game-altering field goal attempt... but Gary Pinkel is likely the only coach who called timeouts when his team is kicking. Usually coaches defending against a field goal attempt call timeouts to add to the pressure on the kicker...it's called "icing the kicker".
Pinkel, of course, denies that he was icing the kicker. His strategy was to try and draw Arizona State offside. Fair enough. But the strategy didn't work. After burning two timeouts, Grant Ressel missed the field goal, and the Tigers went on to lose in overtime. And that's the Pinkel factor in a nutshell: an unorthodox strategy fails, and Missouri fans don't understand why Pinkel gets criticized for it.
There's a reason why defensive coaches burn all their timeouts before trying to defend a crucial field goal attempt, and whether Pinkel intended to ice his own kicker or not, that's what he did.
Kirk Ferentz
Kirk Ferentz, for once again playing it way too safe and heading to overtime despite having 2 timeouts and 1:17 on the clock, in a tie game on the road needing only about 40 yards to get his good PK into position. He did the same thing in the pivotal 2009 Ohio State game @Columbus, and suffered the same result. Playing not to lose is no way to win.
Result, Iowa State wins because PAUL RHOADS DOES NOT PLAY FOR TIES, PUSS BOY!
The Pac-12 Conference
How about the Pac-12 office putting a touchdown back on the board two hours after the USC/Utah game ended last night? Trying to send a message to Austin that the league office will do whatever it takes for the name programs???
Just in case you're not familiar with what happened - USC blocked a potential game-tying field goal against Utah. While a Trojan footballer was returning the ball for an apparent touchdown, many USC players ran onto the field as the clock expired. A foul was called, and due to new rules changes this season, the points were removed from the board. Game over, USC 17, Utah 14.
BUT WAIT! The Pac-12 conference later ruled that the call should have been a dead ball foul, and puts the points back on the board. Now game over USC 23, Utah 14, which would have beaten the 8.5 point spread. OH VEY, WHAT IS THE PAC-12 CONFERENCE TRYING TO DO, GET THEMSELVES WHACKED WHILE MAKING THEIR NAME TEAMS LOOK GOOD?
The Big Ten
Minnesota lost to New Mexico State, Purdue lost to Rice, Ohio State nearly lost to Toledo, Iowa lost to Iowa State and Penn State didn't have an offense against Alabama. Oh, and Indiana lost to Virginia, but I don't know of anyone who thinks that's a huge upset.
This is not the way a conference depicts greatness. Minnesota, Purdue and Indiana may not be the cream of the crop but holy crap - losing to New Mexico State and Rice? I guess the only way to go is up.
A Last Minute Addition - The Entire State of Indiana
I wasn't going to, and then I saw this at BGHP:
Also, the state of Indiana's weekend in football:
Indiana: L, 34-31, Virginia (lost on last-second field goal)
Purdue: L, 24-22, at Rice (lost on last-second field goal block)
Notre Dame: L, 35-31 at Michigan (lost on last-second touchdown pass)
Ball State: L, 37-7, at South Florida (down 30-0 at halftime)
Indianapolis Colts: L, 34-7, at Houston Texans (down 34-0 at halftime)
That's a whole lotta suck in one place.
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ICES their own kicker. This is the reason Mizzou will never be compleatly relivant in the big picture of college football
Nebraska, The Good Life
Keith Stone, always smooth
I hope the state of Indiana continues to dominate that 'L' column.
If only we could convince the schools in Texas that they win a trophy for having the largest number in the ‘L’ column.
"I did dumb things." - Tim Beck, Nebraska's new OC
by Salt Creek and Stadium on Sep 12, 2011 6:33 PM CDT reply actions
As tempting as it is
to vote for Pinkel, I honestly believe it goes to the PAC-12. That’s just wrong.
The best part is that it was for a named team that's on probation and can't play in either the BCS or Pac-12 championships.
"I did dumb things." - Tim Beck, Nebraska's new OC
by Salt Creek and Stadium on Sep 12, 2011 7:13 PM CDT up reply actions
A note about the Ohio State in 2009.
Ferentz did receive a lot of heat for that, but at least then the rationale made sense. It was Vandenbergs first ever start, in one of the tougher places to play in the country, against an elite defense. And while he had played well up to that point, he had also thrown three picks, and easily could have had 5. So the rationale made sense, even if you didn’t agree with the decision.
But Saturday…guh. ISU has never had what anyone would consider to be an elite defense, and this year’s edition won’t change anyone’s mind. Iowa had significant height advantages over anyone in ISU’s secondary, but Kirk decided to run it into the line twice, and once Iowa got called for a false start, you knew it was two knees and then OT. Hell, I think most of us knew Kirk was going to sit on it as soon as ISU tied it up. It is somewhat downright baffling that Ferentz would willingly give Iowa State an extra possession when the Iowa defense failed to force an ISU punt after the 2nd quarter. The Iowa defense couldn’t stop Jantz, but Kirk was willing to send them out on the field to get the stop in overtime that they never got. Obviously it was anything but a guarantee that Iowa would score, but Meyer had hit a 50-yarder into that same end of the stadium earlier, and Iowa’s last possession had resulted in an 80 yard touchdown drive.
At least give them a chance, Kirk!
Watching the Cubs piss it away for 31 years.
That
could vote could go to any one of those all were poor this weekend.
I voted for Pinkel, BUT
…honorable mention to Florida Atlantic and its ONE first down against Michigan State. I don’t care HOW good you think Michigan State is — a Division I offense should be able to produce at least, say, three first downs in a game. They got ONE.
But wait, there’s more, because the game also contained one of the dumbest special teams moves ever seen — after a Michigan State player called for a fair catch, an FAU player on coverage decides to step in front of the returner and catches the ball, incurring a 15-yard kick-catch penalty…the only way Sparty was gaining yardage on the play.
by ManAgainstWorld on Sep 12, 2011 9:21 PM CDT reply actions
I don't get the Pinkel thing.
That’s gotten a bit too much attention I think. The word from the field, was that he had told his kicker they were going to try the hard count to draw the defense off-sides.
Icing only works (if you even believe it works at all) when the kicker thinks he’s about to go for it and then doesn’t. In this case, he never had any intention until the actual kick. Therefore he wasn’t iced. He simply missed it.
I voted for Ferentz. What a gaff.
"Not the victory but the action; Not the goal but the game;
In the deed the glory"
GO BIG RED!
That's what I figured too.
That or they were contemplating the fake and Pinkel kept changing the call.
"I did dumb things." - Tim Beck, Nebraska's new OC
by Salt Creek and Stadium on Sep 13, 2011 11:12 AM CDT up reply actions
Not true...
Since everybody does it, nobody is surprised when the opposing coach calls a time out to ice the kicker. Icing is making the kicker stand out there thinking about the kick he’s going to make. Grant Ressel stood out on the field for two minutes knowing he was eventually going to kick a field goal.
And according to one eyewitness (a Missouri fan, no less), Ressel wasn’t acting like he was going to kick the ball…so there was no way Arizona State was going to be fooled by Pinkel’s strategy.
by Husker Mike on Sep 13, 2011 12:44 PM CDT up reply actions
The State of Indiana - all the way
You could make that argument before the absolute thrashing of their beloved Colts (suckers) and the reality that life without Manning sucks, but you throw in the heartbreaking and absolute thrashings, well… you get the idea.
Always check the words with the red squiggly line. They mean you probably screwed up.
"I wasn't going to, and then I saw this at BGHP"
Really? Iowa is making fun of anyone else after losing to the ’clones? Really?
Can you say “deflection”? Sure. I knew you could.
"Were there monkeys? Some terrifying space monkeys maybe got loose?"
by UltimaRatioRegum on Sep 14, 2011 12:41 PM CDT reply actions
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