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You Uncut Gem, You…

Filler

You Uncut Gem, You.

The Cast

Date: 03 January 2020

FILLERBUSTER’S ELEVEN

BACKGROUND:  This started as a long-winded numbered blog.  It transformed into an organized long-winded category blog.  Now, it is a quick-hitter to ease your pain.  I lack time.  So, the preparation of the blog actually made me procrastinate from writing the thing.  Let’s see who makes the cut.  Barely edited as usual unfortunately, so please excuse any mistakes during my stream of consciousness.  I feel the need…the need for speed.  Let’s turn and burn.

SETTING: This is written mostly Thursday night after work, and finished up and released Friday after work.

  1. EVERGREEN:  In my dream world, I would have enough time to highlight the last decade of sports, and possibly predict the next decade.  Sounds fun.  But, I have a full time job, other things to attend to, and therefore do NOT have that time for this blog.  Too much organization and research for those fun things, and too much to get off my chest regularly daily.  This blog is about what is at my sports skull’s calling.  So.  The Steelers aren’t in the playoffs.  Hollow feeling.  So, to settle myself from the next four weeks of emptiness, I decided to focus on the fact that other fan bases have it way worse.  In the NFL, the Browns have not been to the playoffs in 16 years.  I can’t imagine doing that year in and year out.  My thoughts and prayers, as long as it isn’t putting the Steelers OUT of that playoffs when you break the drought.  Get in as a wildcard.  The Suns (9) and the Kings (13) are the NBA droughts.  But, if you recall, right before this streak started for each, they were good.  One bit it because of a three pointer by Robert Horry, and the other had the run-and-gun style that just didn’t translate to the slower playoff tempo.  They will rise again, but still a long-time drought for both.  In MLB, it is the Mariners (16) and the Marlins (13).  Long time, but again, before that, they were both good.  The Mariners had Griffey and were postseason regulars.  The Marlins…won it all before dismantling their squad (again, after 1997 oddly).  Finally, in the NHL, you have an interesting takeaway.  The droughts are not as long, and the sport is more cyclical.  More teams make it rotationally than other sports.  But, you still have the Buffalo Sabres (10) presently.  If you look at actual titles, then you see that ELEVEN (a lot for a sport) teams have never won the Cup.  And the Maple Leafs have gone 51 years (Sabres are at 48).  Anyway, the NHL is more about winning-it-all-droughts than getting IN the postseason.  What did I learn from this?  Well, A) I feel worse than ever for Browns fans and B) this is still going to suck watching these NFL games with no Steelers in the picture.  Our fan base is moderately spoiled in comparison to others and I will move on after that note.
  2. NFL:  Bad news for Atwater and Lynch fans.  Troy Polamalu WILL get in the HOF on this round most likely, meaning for both of those remaining guys to make it, they would have to allow three safeties in for the same year, which is doubtful.  The Browns fired Freddie Kitchens.  He shouldn’t shoulder ALL of the blame, but WAY too much talent on that team to have a losing season, and way too many signs they weren’t following their coach during the season.  I noticed that the Browns can’t even get MEETINGS with some of these coaches they are eyeballing.  I don’t think bringing in AB is a publicity stunt at all, as AB implied about the Saints.  I think they watch film, say they have to bring him in, and then get in close quarters with him and realize he is nuts.  But, glad to know he is still alternating “I want to play” and “Screw the NFL” actions.  The all-time QB’s were announced.  They are all guys we would take into a must-win game, but give me Joe Montana first on my list…still.  The Jags fired and kept Marrone, all in the same week, and that is a microcosm of how that organization is running right about now.  I like the Skins hiring Riverboat Rivera, but anything sensible from that organization at this point is a win.  Culture change IS needed.  The old Patriots we know and hate would never drop a late, seeding dependent, game against the Dolphins at HOME.  No  bye for them, and I can see either KC or Baltimore taking them down away from their crib.  Seattle lost at home to the Niners to drop their seed, and now Russell Wilson has put history on himself.  He is only 2-4 in road playoff games in his career.  Now, he will have to pull them off without the 12th man.  The Giants fired Shurmur, and THAT is that gig I want if I am a coach looking for work.  Young QB, stud RB, and not a horrible core, with a great lottery pick incoming.  The Cowboys will move on from Garrett.  They dragged out the end of his tenure, and it will have to be a BIG name to go in and tolerate Jerry Jones.  But, that cupboard, talent-wise, IS full.  I don’t see Lincoln Riley wanting to go into that micro-managed buzz saw, but who knows how Lincoln Riley is feeling after that playoff debacle.  So, Xavien Howard just had surgery but had guaranteed money coming to him, but still had enough energy for domestic assault, I guess.  Jameis Winston had the odd 30-30 year.  30 TD’s and 30 INT’s.  He is either on or way off.  Same for his personal life over the years too.  Sure, he is an alleged rapist, but glad Big Ben will be back next year for the Steelers and I am glad.  I had the odd viewing of watching not one, but TWO QB’s try and “win” the job, and both failed to some degree.  Even when they were winning, they were inept offensively on paper.  It was literally a case of who lost the game less, and allow their defense to “win” the games.  I feel better knowing that Mason and Devlin have starting experience now, but I would rather roll with the sandlot football method of Big Ben, who is somehow ALWAYS in the playoffs.  The Packers beat two teams with a winning record all year.  They won against the Chiefs, without Mahomes.  And they beat the Vikings twice.  Not a good sign.  The good on Carson Wentz.  He threw for 4000 yards, with not ONE of his receivers eclipsing 500 total yards for the season.  The Bad.  The Eagles have won four playoff games and a Super Bowl in the last two postseasons, BUT this is Carson’s FIRST playoff game oddly.  Predictions?  I don’t have bandwidth to break these down game by game.  Let’s just say that I am not buying that Lamar Jackson will go injury free the rest of the way with the way he plays.  I like the Chiefs as the more talented team to upset them in the AFC title game.  On the other side, I keep trying to not believe in the Niners, and they keep proving me wrong.  They have shown me they are the best team in the league outside of Lamar’s healthy running.  BUT, I think Brees gets one more as a payback to last year and getting screwed by the refs.  Destiny, and he takes down the Niners on the road.  Saints over Chiefs in the Super Bowl.  Mahomes takes one more step, but no promised land yet.
  3. COLLEGE FOOTBALL:  Too many games to cover, and probably not interest outside of that particular fan base IN covering them.  But, let me address the big two first, and then a couple of other random notes I had.  First, OU-LSU.  Sure, when I wrote my last blog, I knew I was being optimistic, but I honestly thought there was at least a chance that game could be CLOSE.  Close, at ALL.  Somewhat.  The OPPOSITE of what we saw.  What we watched is a Big 12 team that lacked that NEXT level of talent on defense.  And a team apparently who was confused by the overall scheme, even though Riley didn’t let them go home in between games.  Should have.  They might have looked that lost regardless.  LSU is the best team in the nation, but NO one should be getting rocked 49-14, unless you are a directional playing at the Horseshoe or Tuscaloosa or somewhere similar.  Concerning loss that could affect some recruiting (already has, as they lost their 2021 5-star QB this week).  OU has been in the playoff four times now, and has allowed 37, 54, 45, and 56 points in those four losses.  It is also a shame Jalen Hurts had to end his story like that.  With Clemson-Ohio State, we watched one of the better games over the last 10 years.  Fitting to end the decade with.  We got coaching changes on the fly, two QB’s showing extreme skill, both on the ground and through the air, lead and momentum changes, bad calls, tough coaching decisions, and a little bit of everything.  The turning point in this game was that Ohio State should have been up by 30 with early domination, but instead was up 16-0.  They could have put it out of reach, but didn’t.  Clemson is too good to allow that to fly.  True, I believe that Clemson got away with one on the late fumble reversal, but Ohio State can’t say they didn’t have plenty of chances to win this thing.  Bad calls sometimes come with the territory.  Great game, and give me Clemson in the final to take this down again.  OSU-Clemson was the first time since the awesome Texas-USC final game that two teams met with a 15-plus win streak on the line.  Here is a great next day summary of the game.  https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/28388826/clemson-ohio-state-making-college-football-playoff-classic  Random notes.  I am always impressed by the undersized military schools, as you would think Mike Leach would have a plan with a month of prep against Air Force.  Good win for AF.  And then Navy goes out and beats a very solid Kansas State team (who took down OU).  USC got smoked by Iowa, but they will rise again, as they had LOTS of QB injuries earlier this year.  Iowa State got beat down by Notre Dame, and very confused how ISU struggled so much this year, when they were supposed to break out.  UVA lost to Florida, but they beat the spread, have solidified that they are a program on the up and up, have a really cool coach name, and will contend for the Coastal crown again next year (of course, all teams HAVE contended in that division over the years at some point anyway).  When talking about Matt Rhule leaving, he is a family guy, a god in Waco right now, and has a top 6 coaching salary nationally…he would only leave for an optimal situation through and through.  I get wanting to show you care, but there are way too many unsportsmanlike penalties, pre-game fights, and off the beaten path problems in this year’s bowl games.  Utah was a team RIGHT on the cusp, and wanted future respect down the road for future teams.  They got smoked by Texas, and that didn’t help their long-term cause.  But, at least one Big 12 team looked good.  Michigan-Alabama got great ratings, as it should for those two perennial winning programs facing each other.  And, before Bama just tore down Michigan on the ground in the second half, it was a good game.  Michigan has to think about this.  Under Harbaugh, they have not won one single BIG game.  Oregon-Wisconsin was the best of the New Year’s bowl games.  Highly enjoyable game,  both teams playing like they wanted it, and very close final score.   Fun to see the legendary Rose Bowl live up to its billing, even with two dejected schools in it wanting instead to be in the playoff.  Minnesota taking down a perennially respected and competitive Auburn team provided a last-minute show of respect for Fleck’s team, that we can expect to NOT go far from the top.  Baylor might be a scary team if Charlie Brewer could stay healthy, but he couldn’t, got hurt again in the bowl game, and we will never know.  Speaking of Bama, and talking about Tua, what if he DID come back?  He would be the incumbent against his own brother, and another five-star the experts are saying is the real deal.  We will find out Monday.  Finally, in closing on what I teased above, Lindsey’s dad wrote a great “next steps” piece on OU football.  Interesting, and on point, take from an alumni fan and knowledgeable football guru.  Any weird formatting is because I snipped it rather than copy and paste it (it jacks up my numbering for my 11).
  4. EVERGREEN 2 (guest-Steve Dixon): Read after my closing.  It jacked up my formatting to copy and paste his stuff here.  Seriously, read it down below after.
  5. COLLEGE BASKETBALL:  We are at the point in the men’s basketball season where some things just don’t make sense, OR are the truth that we choose not to believe.  Louisville looked unstoppable early on, but has come back to Earth.  AND, every year Kentucky surges near the END of the year, as the kids mature through tough competition.  Well, Kentucky held serve at home last week, taking down Louisville.  Lots to figure out with those two teams.  We thought Wisconsin was reloading, and Tennessee was reloading better.  Then, Wisconsin goes to Tennessee and DESTROYS them.  By 20.  The SAME Wisconsin team that lost to Richmond, New Mexico, Rutgers, and NC State in a 1-4 stretch earlier.  West Virginia is ALWAYS a tough out at HOME.  Ohio State is experienced and talented, and they have been decimating many of their opponents.  So, what happens?  WVU goes TO Ohio State, and takes them down.  Makes sense, right?  Florida A&M went into Ames and took down Iowa, in case we were believing in them.  And the only think that DID make sense to most people inside the college hoops worlds was what LOOKED like an upset, when CU took down #4 Oregon in Boulder.  Oregon is 0-9 all-time in Boulder.  Vegas knew it, when they made CU a 1.5 point favorite.
  6. NBA:  Zach Randolph announced his retirement.  I might have been under the impression he was already out of the league.  That is neither here nor there.  Let him retire as opposed to be unwanted.  Anyway, 16-9 is not a shabby career average, and he got two ASG nods.  He just couldn’t get over the hump in being a perennial All-Star or titles, but he was always a decent player.  You think you are old in your 30’s?  LeBron just crossed 35, was named Male Athlete of the Decade, and is spearheading the best team in the NBA.  Speaking of the Lakers, and in another example of a player controlling his destiny, Darren Collison went off the map for half of season, now has reemerged in a “comeback,” and has said he is only down to play for the Clips or Lakers.  The Clippers need ballhandling more than the Lakers.  I go to the Clips if I was him.  David Stern died this week.  He did many things for the sport, and his legacy is secure.  I think my favorite thing he did was not let the world get too cocky when they were challenging the USA in world basketball events.  So, in 1992, he basically gave them all a middle finger and told the NBA players they could play.  The Dream Team was born.  Happy trails, David Stern.  You made the game truly global, among a bunch of other accomplishments.  And, as always, this is the best NBA basketball read of the week.  https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/28400536/ten-nba-things-like-including-happens-kawhi-leonard-sits
  7. NHL:  The NHL Winter Classic, I have always said since inception, is a fantastic idea.  Bring outdoor ice and snow roots to the perfected indoor game, and let us all remember our days on a lake and rink when we were kids.  They innovated this year, and it would have been an event I would have loved to attend.  They brought it to the Cotton Bowl, for the second largest hockey crowd ever.  The Cotton Bowl, which houses the Red River Showdown annually and has the fair outside of it.  Brilliant.  And the hometown Stars scored three unanswered goals to win this one.  And Texans got to watch outdoor hockey.  All in all, the NHL had a great idea from the outset on this event, it gives everyone a break from the back to back football games, and I can’t wait to see what they do next year.
  8. MLB: Don Larsen died this week unfortunately.  He is most famous, of course, for throwing the only perfect game in a World Series game.  And that record will probably outlast you, me, and your kids.  But, what I didn’t know until this week was this.  Although Larsen was very much in tune that he was throwing a no-hitter, he didn’t know about the perfect game until AFTER he was done the game.  Probably for the best for his nerves, but if a no-hitter wasn’t making him  more nervous, then what would.  He only threw the ball 97 times in that game to boot.  Anyway, happy trails, Don, and you did something monumental that probably will never be matched.
  9. THIS AND THAT:  (NO SPOILERS) My wife is hooked on the show, You.  Now, as the progression goes with her shows, she watches whatever, and I sit on my computer in the same room, blogging, working, etc.  If the show catches my eye, I ask her questions on it, and then ask her to wait to watch with me.  Hence, The Compromise Show.  If it is something I can stand but don’t really care about, I just do my thing and watch not caring about plot twists or character development .  Sometimes, if the show sucks, I go do something else, go to the gym, whatever.  You is in the first category.  It is devious, clever, brutal, and mesmerizing at the same time.  Everything going on is about relationships and normal things in our lives, and it makes you think of the crazy people that are out there, the lies they tell, who is stalking you on social media, etc.  I feel like we are about 7-8 episodes into it, and there were so many things going on, I almost couldn’t take it.  It is like Dexter in a lot of ways (props that they threw out a reference in the last episode), but more in our social groups than always with police.  Anyway, I am not saying you SHOULD watch it.  But, just like Don’t F%^& with Cats, you won’t be able to turn away either.  Uncut Gems.  Went to see it.  I was prepared for my favorite movie of all time, as it centered on gambling.  And, maybe my expectations ruined what I thought of it overall.  Adam Sandler was brilliant.  What a comeback for this guy.  He stole the screen, and showed some true, DIFFERENT acting skills.  The plot was ok.  They had good character development, a few scenes that were intense, and a couple of twists that were early, middle, and late that blew the mind.  Not a horrible setup.  I see him getting nods for his acting.  I don’t see the movie overall getting any awards.  Plus, my BIG problem with the movie,  without giving anything away, was the final prop bet.  It relied on one luck bet that I didn’t like.  If I was to do a bet like that for that much money, there is NO way I rely on the first item.  I will leave it at that.  Overall, I give Sandler an A, and the movie a B-…maybe a B.  One hitters.  Again, truffle popcorn at Alamo Drafthouse at Sloan’s Lake is beyond delicious.  Note that the chicken ramen at the new Mizuumi place right by the Drafthouse is off the hook, and something that someone like me (who hates the concept of ramen) even loved.  Cheeba Hut just opened in that strip mall too, so now you have a good sandwich place to before or after the movie.  Things to do in Colorado in 2020.  https://303magazine.com/2019/12/102-things-to-do-in-colorado-in-2020/  Places no one visits but you should (now a brainstorm list for Linds and I).   https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/least-visited-countries-travel/index.html  My group didn’t LOVE T Street Roadhouse in Belmar, but the pork belly Benedict was incredible.  The new Explorer looks like a Range Rover rip-off.  Lincoln must know we laugh at the Matthew McConaughey commercials, but making him ice fishing is BEYOND ridiculous. They MUST be embracing it.  Get ready for “Eldorado Casinos” to replace your stereotypical thought of Caesars, because that purchase is going through, folks. A man lost $506k on the Browns in the last game, and that makes what I said above even more sad.  Electric Mustang orders are now filled for 2020, and even if I had a boatload of cash, I still don’t know about driving around looking for a plug.  Sharon Stone got blocked on Bumble because people thought it was fake, and I wonder if opening lines to her will be a deal where she does the Basic Instinct interview scene by the third date if things are going well.  The Amazon rain forest lost the equivalent of 8.4 million soccer fields in the 2010’s and that is sad.  If you care about Jeopardy here and there, know that this greatest of all-time thing starts on Tuesday, and my boy, James, better not lose THIS one.  There is someone going around in New Orleans killing HOMELESS people, and that is disturbing.  I had a few joke ideas for the Pope slapping a woman’s hand but have decided to just leave it alone.  Post Malone got a new face tattoo for 2020, Mariah was the first artist to have #1 hits in FOUR different decades (oddly, it was simply people’s Christmas spirit carrying over a week into 2020 with that damn Xmas tune she wrote), the Baghdad air strike horrifies me over here, and the dog society, or whatever they are called, has announced two new dog breeds for the year.  One is adorable and cuddly, and the other one looks like a badass.  Finally, we went to the Wolf’s Lair (how did I NOT find that spot before the other day) in the Highlands for brunch.  It was magnificent.  Go there.  But, you have to go for dinner, as the brunch thing was a New Year’s Day thing ONLY, so you have to wait a year.  You just need to have a wife like mine who FINDS these hard to find things.  So cool.
  10. THE FILLERBUSTER:  The way I like ramen and other foods I detest is by drowning them with Sriracha.  My wife watches games very pessimistically, but I admit even my most optimistic spin didn’t have a chance on playoff day with OU, so I guess she was right in this case.  For NYE, we just played games with friends in downtown Denver, and then hit a couple of bars over by Wash Park.  Sportsbook is the dive I wish existed over in that area when I lived there.  Downstairs, pool tables, Golden Tee, very perfectly divey.  It’s front door is in an alley and has three dumpsters within 20 feet of the entrance.  Go there.  Ogden Street South is still the same.  A pole is oddly in the way of certain angle shots with a regular pool cue.  So, the guy I played against simply broke the stick on his leg and continued to shoot.  Ok.  Amazingly, no one seemed to notice.  The Spot hasn’t changed a bit since I last went there, and that is part of its magic.  I bought myself two new pairs of khakis, and now I have enough to wear them every day if I choose.  I am in first place in a bowl pool where you have to pick every single game AND the over/under (very tough…forced picks on over/unders)…home stretch now.  Don’t worry about me and Listeria.  My wife bought me a hard-boiled egg maker, so now I make them that way instead of eating them out of the bag, processed.  I have lots of resolutions.  Don’t feel like sharing them yet.  And what I love about my job is this.  I hit goal for the year so mission accomplished, but today at our revenue meeting, our VP ended the meeting by saying “You are ALL at zero, and are ALL deadbeats right now.  Go sell something.”  Spot on, sir.  I signed up for this shit.  Less than two months until Ecuador…Adios.
  11. TWEET OF THE WEEK

ALTERNATE CATEGORIES THAT DIDN’T MAKE THE CUT:

  1. THE BEST WORKOUT SONG EVER FOR THIS WEEK (because the best song this week IS the best song ever…for now):
  2. QUOTE OF THE WEEK
  3. LINKS TO SAVE YOU TIME IN LIFE
  4. TRAVEL
  5. THIS WEEK’S LIST
  6. MY NUMBERS
  7. GONE FISHING (the riddle for money):
  8. PICS BY MY PIXEL (pictures from my phone):
  9. LIFEGUARD ENTRY:
  10. MISCELLANEOUS

The theme?  Undetermined at writing, so I went with You and Uncut Gems, the two things we have watched since the OU debacle.

And our weekly reminder of the greatest sequel ever made coming out next summer… Top Gun 2.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIgYcrHiTgw

That’s it for today.  Hope you enjoyed or are at least more informed.  Remember two things.  First, feed yourself, feed your family, but always, always remember to…feed the wolf.  Second,  if you can’t spot the sucker in your first half hour at the table, then you are the sucker.  Will I blog again?  That is a CLOWN question, bro.  As one shepherd said to the other shepherd, let’s get the flock out of here.

Here is Steve’s post. The formatting got all jacked up. I promise he had it more organized, but I ran out of time when posting. We had to go see Knives Out.

After witnessing pretty much what I expected ( I had LSU 35 OU 17) only worse, I would like to tackle what needs to addressed with the OU program for next year to be a success.

  1. First, you have to establish your definition of success.  For some programs it is 6 wins and becoming  bowl eligible .  For some it is winning your conference championship, like OU has done 5 years in a row.  For the elite few, like Clemson, tOSU, Alabama, (and now maybe LSU) it is winning the National championship.  It takes different aspects of success to achieve each of these definitions of success.  But it all begins with recruiting…
  2. It all begins with recruiting.  Again you have to define what is considered successful recruiting. For me it is getting players that stand AT LEAST a 50/50 prospect of being drafted.   For exampler OU last year was extremely successful recruiting of wide receivers.  Also, getting Rattler was very important.  In addition, I believe they were fairly happy with the OL recruiting.  Marcus Majors is unknown since he was injured.  There were no real standouts on defense, but Jaden Davis may develop in to a draft worthy talent, time will tell.  We need to finish out this recruiting class with as few Plan B and JUCO (aka Plan B) players and get some Plan A players.  10th ranked recruiting classes will not get you to the elite level (see #1 above to define what ranking of classes you are satisfied with).
  3. Next you have to have elite quality coaching.  This will have a direct bearing on 2. above.  And it will have a direct bearing on player development, which will have a direct bearing on recruiting again.  Right now Bouleware needs to go and I would move Cale Gundy back to RB coach (see 4 below).  And bring another quality receivers coach with special teams credentials. I think they are wasting Gundy’s talent at recruiting and player development.
  4. Offensively we have the fewest holes to plug. 
  5. Find a top tier running  back.  If you don’t think this is important check the stat that our leading rusher in the Peach Bowl was Jalen Hurts, 14-43yds.  This could have been filled by Jase McClellan if he had not defected to Alabama at the 11th hour.  So who do you point the finger at for this happening?  I say Bouleware and to a certain degree Lincoln Riley.  Their job is to get (and keep) the best talent they can and I hold them responsible for letting McClellan get away.  I do not want to hear you can’t predict what 17 and 18 year olds will do.  There were signs and the coaching staff did not manage the situation properly, hence the failure to keep McClellan or cut him loose and replace him with another quality back.  This not a knock on Seth McGowen.  But they better come up with a QUALITY replacement for McClellan (not a Plan B player).
  6. The OL was okay this year.  Not Joe Moore award winning good, just ok.  Bedenbaugh will have to develop a quality OL next year.   There were some decent recruits last year, though none were good enough to crack the starting lineup (or even play for that matter).  The OL recruits this year may rival the WR group from last year’s class.  He will need to find a quality LT.  Ealy is okay as is Creed Humphrey, the most draftable lineman of the 5 starters.  But the guard play is just serviceable for Big 12 championships, but not national championship.  Proof of this was Hurts running for his life all night against LSU. 
  7. Identify the next great TE.  No one has really talked about the impact of not having Calcaterra for most of this season.  Stogner may be that guy.  I’m not sure.  But if you want to be great on offense again you need a Mark Andrews great TE to make that happen. 
  8. Develop Rattler AND a quality backup.  I don’t see Mordecai sticking around, but he may.  So Chad Morris may become more important that we know now.  This is off topic for next year, but Brock Vandergriff is a must get in the 2021 class.  As the article regarding the Georgia HS playoff coach said Vandergriff has a higher ceiling than Trevor Lawrence.  Pretty heady praise.
  9. Find a quality replacement for CeeDee Lamb.  This may be the hardest thing to do on offense.  This guy was one of the truly great receivers in OU history and should have a great NFL career.
  10. Defensively the list is long.
  11.  Develop a feared DL.  Easier said than done.  We lose most of our DL and their backups.  I think Stokes is the only returning starter.  Bonito had flashes as did Ogewoegbu and to a lesser extent Stripling.  But these freshmen will have to be developed if we are going to see a quality defensive front.  I have no idea who will replace Gallimore, maybe Thomas or Hicks.   Redmond and Perkins (if you can keep him off the weed) are quality, if not yet feared. 
  12. Replace the CBs.  This includes Tre Brown.  Again define what you consider success.  If NC is the answer then Brown would need to replaced.  As would both safeties.  They may be in this latest recruiting class, if they can early enroll and go through spring ball.  Jaden Davis was up and down this year.  Not sure how to evaluate his potential. 
  13. Develop a STUD linebacker corp.  Again, they were good enough for the Big 12, but not for CFP.  And if you want to see what I am talking about watch what happens to Murray on the last play of the 3rd quarter in the Peach Bow.  He get knock back 4 yard flat on his ass by the LSU running back.  I rest my case.
  14. Develop a quality kick off return game.  This is almost an afterthought with Riley.  Very disappointing.  Why do they finally decide in the CFP game to put Rambo back there?  Result was about a 35-40 yard return.  Too little, too late.  The rest of the special teams play was okay.  Placekicking by Brkic was outstanding (see I can say something nice).

Well, that is my formula for a National Championship (my personal standard of excellence).  It will not be easy.  It begins tonight with finishing out the recruiting class. 

Flame away.

THROW IT BACK IN THE POND
LeBron injury
McCarty Evansville title ix
beast mode apparel spikes
lions wr Jones 6 month old son dies
Bruce Allen out skins football ops
LeBron buys beats for osu
hanakkah attacks
airstrikes Iraq syria
Australia fires
brady takes blame for dolphins loss
Arians says he can win with different qb
gtech recruit dies train
clips Beverly injured missing games
Iran protesters scale US embassy wall
tik Tok app debate
chan gailey out of retirement dolphins OC
pens guentzel out injury
twins pick up hill Bailey
gm rams no regrets Goff gurley
Kayla Harrison 1 mil nye
akinja transferring from gtown to arizona
jonathan issac carried off with stretcher-knee
belichick freed of bengals video charges
Illinois legalizes weed
transgender coming to marvel
kiffin adds ex-MD coach to staff
zion-when?
butler ends jordan shoe deal
anthony cheered in msg return,scores 26
browns will hire coach before gm
jury still out on brissett as colts qb

Polamalu, wayne hof finalists

Uga football lands five star #6 star darnell Washington

impeachment back
Coachella lineup announced
family finds snake in oven
Illinois makes 3.2 mil first day legal cannabis
ex-astros pitcher will harris joins nats, team that beat him
browns interested in urban meyer
hs all America game
Kings dedmon fined for asking for trade
wiseman signs agent
nba all star voting
Justin jrue Aaron holiday first bro trios ever
ovechkin to skip asg rest
yanks german banned for first 63 games
Serena named female athlete of decade
masters commercials starting
a&m oklahoma state
msu-wake
psu Memphis
oc’s daughter in law dies in plane crash on way to game
said osu lsu best teams all year ignored
Lawrence run before half
running into punter call
osu stopped tempo game
football move reversal
cal-illinois
miss st. louisville
Dobbins goes pro
rhule turns down browns interview
pregame scuffle- kentucky, va tech
fsu-asu
kentucky-va tech
georgia state-wyoming
lsu gets lb Divinity back
okudah enters draft
indiana-tennessee
cincy bc
Dylan Moses insurance draft
Conner injury
Steelers ravens not same
all time QBs announced
ravens peters signs extension
robert kraft might face felony charges
steelers lose ravens
Houston tenn
raiders extend richie incognito
eli considering retirment, not backup role
watt active again
why does urban meyer keep popping up in searches?
sam wyche dies at 74, bengals, bucs
bears commit to trubisky in 2020

Black band to commerrate stern

Miss st fires moorhead

Mccaffrey named all-pro at two positions

Chase young will go pro

Fired stars coach going into rehab

Ohio Nevada bowl game

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