Tuesday Afternoon Linebacker

I just headed over to the Bucs’ forums for the first time in ages, and it still sucks. The 97ers are still in charge and can’t stand it that the Bucs are winning. Sure they feign delight at the 3-0 start, but they also take every opportunity to bash the Bucs and Gruden. One guy even had the gall to post that he is thankful that McKay’s scouting staff is still there and found Caddy. While I’m sure the scouts were able to assist in Williams’ evaluation, it was Gruden who told the young man at the Senior Bowl that he’d be a Buc. By the way, if you ever find yourself over at that claptrap (the Bucs forum) and you see someone refer to a LEGEND; those are the folks who supposedly “know” football, have been around a long time, and hate Gruden.

On a happier note, the Gators, Bulls, and Thunderers were victorious over the weekend. The Bulls and Thunderers were overmatched on paper, but came out ahead. While the Gators returned to their tradition of trashing the lower echelons of the SEC.

This Is A Cheese Shop!
Brett Favre, what a guy. He is so good that even though his team is losing at halftime, his one touchdown pass is the highlight shown. Anyway, more on him later. Caddy rushed into the record books on Sunday. Becoming the all-time leading rookie rusher after three games and the first rookie to post 100+ yard performances in his first three games. He is also the league’s leading rusher. And quietly, Brian Griese and the Bucs’ receiving corps is also turning in a top performance. As any good football fan knows, running leads to passing. As teams will continually put 7 or 8 in “the box” to attempt to stop Williams, that of course opens up the passing game. True, Griese still has his interception problem from last year. With the running game in good hands, hopefully the focus in practice can be coaching that out of him.

The game did not go as TALB had expected. Given the pathetic performance of the Packers up to this point (alliterate much) I had fully expected the Bucs to run roughshod over the Cheesy Rats. Instead, it was kept close by an over-their-heads showing by the home team. Then there is the matter of the identity of these new Buccaneers. They are a fourth-quarter team. Unlike even the Super Bowl year, this team closes games. And that is a welcome sight.

The Tampa-Green Bay series sure has turned in the last few years hasn’t it? The Packers used to crush the Bucs on the regular. Now, since 1998 or so, the Pewter Pirates have reversed that particular trend, posting a 6-4 regular season record in that span, including winning three of the last four collisions.

Unfortunately, I did not get to see most of the game. But what I did see impressed me and I am confident in this team and their ability to go the distance.

Right now, it looks like a home date against the Dolphins on October 16th is the only roadblock to starting 7-0 before embarking upon the division schedule against Carolina on November 6th. From there it gets tougher with a home game against the Bears and the pair against the Saints as the only contests one might even remotely call a “gimmie”.

The Tournament
The NFL season is short, and after three games you can start to see the playoff picture develop. There is no question that the field is far from set. But the teams that are likely to see postseason action are becoming clear. Obviously right now the Bucs and the Colts are considered the class of their respective conferences. With teams like the Eagles, Steelers, Patriots, Dolphins, Bengals, Falcons, Rams, and Seahawks also considered front-runners. The next two weeks are going to be vitally important for the playoffs. After just three games the difference, in wins and losses, is not that great. But after six games, teams at 6-0 and 5-1 will be light years ahead those teams that are at .500 and below. Especially in the division races. If you have a three or four game lead in the division after just six games, that is going to be hard to overcome.

Wildcats Ho!
So, what is there to say about what Florida did to Kentucky Saturday? One thing that stands out is that Verne Lundquist stated at 11:00 remaining in the 2nd quarter, whilst pimping next week’s Florida-Alabama tilt, that Florida was going to win the game, going away. Then a few minutes later Chris Leak showed just how comfortable he was in the pocket when he took the shotgun snap and didn’t take a step before throwing. He just stood there as if he was “all-time QB” in a sandlot game with no blitzing. This was one of those “good old days” games as Florida leapt out to a 49-7 halftime lead.

The other thing you could say is that the Florida first team can challenge for a Rose Bowl berth. The backups, not so much. Florida First Team: 49, Kentucky: 7. Florida Backups: 0, Kentucky 21. Whatever optimism we Gators fans are having must be tempered by that performance. Granted, in big games we are not likely to see a wholesale replacement of the first team with the second or third. But this is still a cause for worry. And as expected, TTNHBC is not pleased either.

Verne Note: In the span of about three real-world minutes Verne Lundquist managed to refer to Florida as Miami (following the tipped interception) and then Kentucky (after the turnover margin graphic). I really just do not like this guy. Much like Brent Musberger, Verne doesn’t try to hide his distaste for the Florida Gators. He gives the Gators praise when they are due. But he saves the announce-o-tron hyperbole for their opponents. Which is fine I guess. Gator fans don’t need Verne Lundquist to tell us we have a good football team, we already knew that.

African Or European Cardinal
Ho-ly Crap! Go Bulls! In a game they were expected to not even be in, the South Florida Bulls destroyed the ninth ranked Louisville Cardinals 45-14. After their performance and the outcome, USF can legitimately campaign for poll votes. That might be a tough road to hoe since the Bulls have yet to record even one 25th place vote in either poll thus far. But this is a big win that was on TV and will be on top of the headlines across the country. Here’s to next week’s match-up of #37 USF versus #9 Miami, should be a good one. What if?

Can you imagine if the Bulls were to knock-off the Canes? For starters that’s deficiently a top-20 ranking if not a top-15 spot. Right now you have to like the Bulls in the Big East. Louisville was the only other team anyone considered a contender. But to beat a team like Miami in their own house, they could go a long way in the BCS with that kind of confidence. On October 22 the Bulls face West Virginia at home for what will very likely be the Big East championship.

Join The Tivolution
Now that instant replay has spread throughout the major conferences of college football, the NCAA has finally approved the use of the system during bowl games. From what I’ve seen so far from the system used in college, I like it. They are pretty quick to decide and I haven’t seen any bad calls by the replay booths across this fair nation.

CBSucks, The Return
CBS can’t even spring for a pair of HD rigs to shoot the half-time show (and presumably the pre-game too). I’m sitting here watching a dirty video of Tim Brandon and Spenser Tillman flanked by a pair of crisp, HD rendered it would seem, “CBS Sports” side bars. And the big Eye still only delivered three NFL collisions in HD Sunday. And CBS’ NFL HD broadcasts are even sponsored by Sony. For Pete’s sake if another company is picking up all or part of the tab why aren’t they going full speed with the new technology?

Grated Cheese
The affable quarterback from Green Bay did it again. He cost his team a victory yet still gets all the accolades. Yes, one of his three picks was not his fault. But how can the league and the media still worship this man as a football player? He is reckless and appears to be more concerned with his own image than with making the Packers a winner.

In the old days, Mr. Favre could toss up those prayers and expect something good to happen. That’s what happens with you have three or four legitimate stars at the wide-out spot. Toss in an all-pro tight end and you can get just about anything caught if you can just get it in the receiver’s reach. But over the last half-decade or so the receivers for the Pack just aren’t that good anymore. Sure they’ve got Donald Driver and Javon Walker, but if one isn’t injured, the other is flapping his gums about his contract. TALB believes that Brett Favre is a pretty good quarterback who was once surrounded by great receiving talent. Much like Joe Montana with the Chiefs, we can now see what happens to a QB who has lost his star pass catcher. It is embarrassing to the man and he should just call it quits.

Now this is not meant to take anything away from Favre’s abilities as a leader. He has shown time and time again just how good he is a rallying the Packers and getting them to play above and beyond. But that’s about all he has left I fear. So we here at TALB wish him luck in his (hopefully) farewell season and maybe we can meet them in the playoffs for one last crushing.

BMOC
Tennessee 30, LSU 27 (OT)
After waiting out the storms, the LSU Tigers opened their home season against the hated Vols. Hey, at least the Tigers got to open their home schedule actually at home. But them darn orangie guys took the victory on a rare Monday night college game.
Notre Dame 36, Washington 17
The first play for the Irish was called by a dying 10-year old. Unfortunately he did not live to see the game. Then the Irish went on to defeat their old coach with his new team. That has to be kind of weird. Many of the Irish players must have had Ty Willingham sit in their living rooms at some point over the last couple of years, and now they must go on the field and defeat him. Such is life in D-IA football.
Michigan State 61, Illinois 14
TALB does not wish to dwell on the old Zooker, but when his team turns in a performance like this it deserves a mention. Especially to all of those folks out there who thought he should stay after the win at FSU last year.
Colorado 3, Miami 23
In 1994, this would have been the game of the week. Now it’s hardly worth network coverage. Where the heck have the Buffs been all these years? Oh yeah, ra pe and coverups. Gotcha.

Bitch Smacked
Thunderers win! Thunderers Win!
John’s BitchSmackers fell 73-36 to the second to last place Thunderers this past weekend. It helps that I finally got some scoring out of my skill players. And even with three of my players posting goose-eggs, I managed a pretty good victory as only one of the Smacker’s players cracked double-digits. John, I feel for you man, I’ve been having that kind of week the previous two games.
Next week the Tunderers matchup against the Ass-clowns; who features Marc Bulger, Priest Holmes, and that’s about it.

Running Items
WTF?
Last year, for the season, the Colts had 45 sacks and Peyton Manning had 49 touchdown passes. Through three games this season, the Colts have amassed 13 sacks to just two touchdowns for Manning. Maybe they have their defense worked out, eh?

Reverse Watch
Twice in the UF-UK tilt the usually fallible Verne Lundquist was able to properly identify unconventional reverses. One each by UF and UK the involved the QB taking the ball running to the offense’s right, then pitching the ball to a wide-out heading the other direction. These plays, while not in the normal mold, were reverses. So kudos to Lundquist for accurately calling the play. Though part of me thinks he simply called it a reverse since he saw what looked like and end around to him.

Rose Bowl
USC vs. Virginia Tech
I can’t put Florida in here because the poor play of their backups and this lingering feeling I have that we’re going to lose a game in the next couple, three weeks.

Super Bowl XL
Bucs vs. Colts
Still the top teams, at least according to TALB, in the NFL right now.