September
2, 2002
MEDIA
SCOPE
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Editor Dave Hershorin offers his comments on this
past weekend's college football media coverage.
CONTRASTS
OF THE WEEK
Dave Ragone's Protection - hope this young
man has major medical insurance
Ralph
Friedgen's Quarterbacks - young, inexperienced,
and not Shaun Hill (who made it with the Minnesota
Vikings!)
Lee
Suggs' Bum Knee - any questions about last
year's season ending knee injury have been sternly
answered
UPSET
CITY
- Duke's win over East Carolina in Durham has
to be the mother of all upsets for this week.
- Colorado State
Sonny Lubick is beyond being
an excellent football coach (42-22 road record).
The previously ranked #6 Buffaloes have to be
getting tired of getting beat by Lubick's team
as of late, three out of the last four times to
be exact.
- Villanova over Rutgers. The sad part - is this
really an upset?
- Miami over UNC - This Ohio team has given notice
that they are a team that will challenge Marshall
for the MAC this year. This UNC team has given
notice that they are not ready to challenge in
the ACC this year.
MY
GRASS IS BLUE
Louisville took one on the chin at home Sunday
against in-state rival Kentucky. Stories coming
out of spring told of problems with the Cardinal
OL. These problems look to be quite real, as Louisville
QB Dave Ragone will be lucky if he can even recall
what happened Sunday night, as his brain may have
been jarred loose by the poundings Kentucky defensemen
were landing time and time again. Even when he
wasn't on his back, he was usually on the run.
Cardinal fans have placed much stock in Florida
State's visit in just a few weeks. Many still
wonder if beating the Seminoles could salvage
this season. It is highly recommended that Louisville
concentrate on the upcoming matches with Duke
and Colorado State (both on the road) first.
WHAT
THE PRESEASON POLLS MISSED
People must realize that we are still in the early
going of the 2002 season. But based on a quick
two week survey:
AUGUST OVERRATED TOP 5
1. Louisville
2. Colorado
3. Maryland
4. Louisiana State
5. Illinois
AUGUST
UNDERRATED TOP 5
1. Iowa State
2. Colorado State
3. Virginia Tech
4. Notre Dame
5. Oregon
TRIPPING
TO EAST RUTHERFORD
NationalChamps.net took the show on the road this
weekend to the Meadowlands in East Rutherford,
NJ for the last Kickoff Classic ever to be played.
Maryland and Notre Dame squared off in the 20th
anniversary of this game, dating back to 1983,
and will be the final Classic as the NCAA phases
out preseason games in 2003. Along with having
the great fortune of meeting ex-Boston Celtics
owner Red Auerback and ex-NFL standout Conrad
Dobler's roommate from his days at the University
of Wyoming (good conversation), it was so sweet
getting together for the first game of the season
under the bright lights of College Football. This
particular match up will not exactly be nominated
for the most exciting game to be played in 2002.
If we discovered one thing that is evident, it
would certainly have to be the fact that Maryland
doesn't have an option QB to run Head Coach Ralph
Friedgen's system. Nor do the Terps have a QB
that bares any resemblance to someone who has
played before. After a decade of disappointment,
the Irish look to be on the right track, but any
major declarations based on this August 31st indicator
would just be picking at straws before they've
grown. There are still lots of sausages to be
grilled, coolers to be misplaced, conversations
to take place, fall memories to be shared, and
games to be played. Nothing could be finer.
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