Thoughts On Football

Now that we have so much medical and scientific evidence over the dangers of repeated head trauma found in people who play football, I do not see how youth tackle football leagues are allowed to continue.  Flag football, when coached properly, will teach our youth all the skills they need before they play tackle football at the high school level.  Throwing, catching, foot work, and even tackling skills are teachable without having to risk head injuries at an early age.

I only saw a replay of "The Play" so I have to put this weekend's finish of the Michigan/Michigan State game as the greatest finish to a football game I ever saw.  There is no describing the incredible luck Michigan State  had on that final botched punt.  How happy were Michigan State players to have pulled out the win and remain undefeated?  Jalen Watts-Jackson, the defensive back who scored the winning touchdown, was mobbed by such enthusiastic team mates, they ended up dislocating his his hip, forcing him to have emergency surgery.

Here is the difference between organizations that expect to win and those who hope to win.  Denver is still undefeated at 6-0 while Cleveland is struggling at 2-4.  However, Denver, with a weal armed and immobile Peyton Manning quarterbacking them, could easily be 3 and 3.  Instead, they keep finding ways to win, including this weekend against the Browns.  Cleveland should have won this game, but found another way to deserve their nickname, The Mistake by the Lake.  In fact, if Cleveland were a team use to winning like Denver is, they could easily be 4 and 2 and in the hunt for the playoffs.

Hard to believe the 49ers and Ravens squared off in a thrilling Super Bowl just a few years ago. While many predicted a rough year for San Francisco, no one could have called a 1-5 start for the Ravens and been taken seriously.

We are half way through the college football season and so far all we know is there is no way of knowing which four teams make the college playoff this year.  I would not count out Alabama despite having one loss.  Nick Saban knows how to prepare his teams better than anyone on a week to week basis.  If they do not make the playoffs, it will only be because they lose once more to a more talented team.

Meanwhile, Ohio State will have to beat Michigan State and Michigan just to earn a spot in their conference championship game. Those are three big games to win before even thinking about the playoffs.

As for USC, their problems go beyond Steve Sarkisian being fired.  AD Pat Haden shoulders as much of the blame for the fiasco known as Trojan football and he may need to go as well.  Whoever their next coach is, he has to be someone with no connection to the Pete Carroll era.  They need a guy who needs to restore a sense of toughness and discipline that has been lacking now for a long time.  It would help if he was someone who also sees himself staying with USC for the long haul and not looking to use the job as a stepping stone to the NFL.