Suffering Through the BCS
There is a new champion in college football and hardly anyone outside of Gainesville, Florida seems all that thrilled about it.
Certainly there is always going to be a little jealousy creeping in anytime someone other than your favorite team wins something of consequence. Thus a little bashing of the Florida Gators, or whoever else might have found themselves in their position, is expected. But this season, just as the season before it and the season before that, the din has grown louder for a playoff system for Division I football. And this season, just as the season before it and the season before that, the folks who bring about the Bowl Championship Series could care less about your concerns.
What most people forget, however, is that Division I already has a playoff system so arguing about creating one is misplaced. The real problem that never gets articulated is that the current playoff system is too restrictive. It's basically a two-team playoff with those teams picked by a confusing amalgamation of polls.
At some point, the critics of the BCS will get their way. In the current economic environment almost anything that at one time seemed unimaginable is likely to happen. It is easy to envision a collapse of the sacred bowl system on a purely fiscal basis, which would eliminate the major obstacle to a more expansive playoff. But even if that doesn't happen, eventually those who really control sports in this country, the broadcast networks, will force a comprehensive playoff system on the naysayers and protectionists that refuse to budge to logic and reason.
But until that happens, the best way to fix the BCS is to simply abolish it. On pure merits, a one-game playoff will always yield far more controversy than it will solve. There simply is no way to satisfy the number of teams with a claim on one of two slots and far too many variations and lack of comparators to ever insure that those voting in these polls will get the top two teams correct.
This season is instructive but nearly any season in the past 10 would do. To my eyes, USC was the best team I've seen this season. I understand they lost to Oregon State, which lost to Penn State. I understand, too, that their head coach, Pete Carroll, keeps finding a way to underprepare his team at least once a season which leads to them being on the outside looking in more often than not. But having watched USC dismantle both Penn State and Ohio State this season, it was easy to see that this is a team with far more talent from top to bottom and side to side than any other team in the country.
Maybe you're one of those that believe that wins against Big Ten teams are meaningless. But having watched Ohio State do everything right but win against, first Penn State and then a Texas team that was far more highly ranked convinced me that Ohio State wasn't nearly the patsy that many believed.
The SEC had their share of good teams, including the national champion, again this year. Florida is clearly a very good team. But is it just another good team made better because of the presence of college football's best player, Tim Tebow? Oklahoma seemed unstoppable heading into the game with Florida, despite its one loss. But a team averaging 50 points a game or more for a good part of the season couldn't get more than 14 on Thursday night. Florida, too, was having its way with every team prior to Oklahoma, almost scoring at will against them, and yet only managed 24 points against a highly suspect Oklahoma defense.
And let's not forget about Utah. They dominated Alabama, a number one team for a healthy part of the season.
The point, though, is not to trash any of these teams or to argue against Florida this year. It's simply to note that the outcome of the Florida-Oklahoma game solved nothing. Florida is still a one-loss team, just like USC and Texas. Utah is still undefeated. Each has a legitimate argument for why it's better than the other, even if you don't share their viewpoint.
It's not as if anyone outside of those with a vested interest in the BCS system thought that the outcome of the Florida-Oklahoma game would solve anything going in. Thus it's not a surprise they still feel that way coming out. In other words, it's pure fantasy to say that whoever wins the BCS national championship game is an undisputed champion. It's not designed to yield that result, no matter its claims.
Given what's undeniable, why play the game at all? If a playoff in major college football is too logistically complicated for this nation to solve, a nation that solved the logistics of landing men on the moon and getting a package from Anchorage to Poughkeepsie overnight by the way, then stop trying. Stop acting as if the worst thing in life is different polls crowning a different teams number one.
The argument against the BCS is all the more compelling when you consider the unintended consequences this convoluted system has created. Essentially, the BCS system has chosen to sacrifice the value of a winning a conference championship in its quest to bring relevance to one game being played later and later each January. At the same time it's also rendered meaningless every other bowl game except the self-titled National Championship game.
From a fan's perspective, there simply is nothing meaningful about winning the Big Ten anymore, as an example. All it does is get you in the Rose Bowl. It doesn't necessarily get a team a leg up on getting into the BCS title game. Indeed, given how little respected the Big Ten is these days, being the Big Ten champ carries all the prestige of being the prettiest girl in shop class.
The same goes for the Pac 10. If any major conference is less appreciated than the Big Ten it's the Pac 10. USC is almost always a good team and the rest are almost always not. USC has its way in that conference every year, well in every year in which they take each game seriously anyway. It wasn't the loss to Oregon State that kept USC out of the National Championship game, it was the lack of respect pollsters have for the conference.
But if there was no BCS at all, and it's not hard to remember when that was the case, winning the conference carried not only prestige but a real chance to be crowned number one by someone, even if not by a consensus. This year's Rose Bowl would have taken on far more meaning for both Penn State and USC and would have carried far greater implications if it had been on equal footing with all of the major bowl games. But since there was a BCS National Championship game looming with two other teams, it carried all the significance of a Randy Lerner press conference. The same is absolutely true of the Sugar Bowl game between Alabama and Utah. While it may have been sort of fun to watch Utah dominate a SEC team, it carried no meaning.
What I miss most are the days when there was a compelling reason to watch the Orange Bowl, the Rose Bowl and the Sugar Bowl. Now those games are just pictures at an exhibition with the added benefit to the teams of a lot of cash to keep them wedded to the current system.
When the presidents of the major conferences and their surrogates at the BCS say they aren't interested in a playoff, they really are saying they aren't interested in bringing certainty. Fine, then it would be great if they'd stop pretending they are by foisting a compromise on the public each year that is actually makes the problem worse, not better. Jettison the BCS games as the failed experiment they have become and really restore meaning to the bowl games you claim to you're trying to protect in the first place.
blogcritics.org
Boise State football coach Chris Petersen tops Idaho's highest paid employees list
BOISE, Idaho -- An annual report by the state controller's office lists Boise State football coach Chris Petersen as the state's highest-paid employee with a salary of $806,998.
All top 10 of the state's highest paid employees work at universities, with four of the top five at BSU.
Greg Graham, BSU men's basketball coach, is second at $343,678. School President Bob Kustra comes in third at $299,416, while Idaho State University President Arthur Vailas is fourth at $286,650. Rounding out the top five is Eugene Bleymaier, BSU's athletic director, at $266,115.
The sixth-highest paid state employee is Aicha Elshabini, dean of the University of Idaho's College of Engineering, at $230,838.
Idaho Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter, with a salary of $108,727, is No. 311 on the list. Otter could have been higher but he turned down a 3 percent pay increase this year.
"He feels that if the other employees aren't getting raises, he shouldn't get a raise either," Otter's budget chief, Wayne Hammon, told The Spokesman-Review. "So he'll just turn it back."
Besides his salary, Otter receives a $4,500 monthly housing allowance because Idaho has no official governor's residence.
Steve Shaw, a political scientist at Northwest Nazarene University, said the difference in salaries show some "misplaced priorities" during a time when the state is making budget cuts.
"The coaches' salaries have just kind of exploded over the years," he said.
Petersen directed the Broncos to a 12-1 record this season, going undefeated in the regular season and a No. 9 ranking before losing 17-16 to No. 11 TCU in the Poinsettia Bowl on Dec. 23.
Other state workers making more than Otter are his chief of staff, the investment manager for the state retirement fund, the director of the office of the state Board of Education, various university officials, physicians employed by the state Department of Health and Welfare, top executives of several state departments and divisions, and all of the state's district judges.
idahostatesman.com
Nittany Lions deny distractions
ANAHEIM - Derrick Williams clutched a video camera in his right hand and relished the chance to wear a short-sleeve shirt in December. Josh Gaines soaked in the atmosphere and offered a giddy smile about the chance to ride the whirling teacups in his first trip to Disneyland.
For at least one day, they and their Penn State teammates were able to take their minds off the challenge that lies ahead.
In the official kickoff to Rose Bowl week, Penn State players were enjoying what was the first trip to Disneyland for most of them on Friday as they took a break from their preparations for their showdown Thursday with USC.
With the temperatures below freezing in State College, Pa., Penn State was enjoying its first trip to the Rose Bowl since 1995 and fourth ever. The players admitted to feeling like kids at Disneyland but said it was important for them to keep in mind that this was a business trip for them.
"I don't think it's going to be that difficult," Williams said. "We have the best college football coach in history and he has been through a lot of different games and different weathers, everything you can throw at him, Coach (Joe) Paterno has been through.
"The only thing he has to do is relay it to the captains and we will tell the team. Everybody will be on the same page."
With USC playing in the Rose Bowl for the fourth consecutive season, the Trojans have plenty of familiarity with the week of activities leading up to the game. But Penn State players will be battling a week of new distractions.
While they are used to bowl games, the Rose Bowl is different. The Disney trip is part of a week that includes the Lawry's Beef Bowl and other bowl-related activities. Combine the warm weather (to them) for a team with almost no West Coast roster presence and it would be easy to be highly distracted.
"We've been in big games before and from that aspect it's not that much different," center A.Q. Shipley said. "It's going to be a great experience. We're used to the big games, but this is their familiar territory and it will be a big adjustment for us."
Been Here Before?
Paterno is recovering well from recent hip surgery and was walking without help on Friday and even offered some humor at the Disneyland press conference.
In his 43rd season as head coach, the 82-year-old joked that he had been in his position before.
"It's great to be back to Disneyworld," he said. "I was here 150 years ago, before the chairman of the Rose Bowl."
More Penn State Notes
Penn State players were given Friday off from practice, marking the second consecutive day they went without a workout.
Williams, a wide receiver, said he will play in the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala., on Jan. 24.
(c)2008 Press-Enterprise Company
Boise State's gamble on Iloka paying early dividends
SAN DIEGO - Boise State defensive backs coach Marcel Yates counted once. In a 50-minute meeting, freshman safety George Iloka said "Yes, sir" 25 times.
A sign of respect, sure. But also, apparently, a sign of understanding.
Iloka, who graduated from high school in January, earned Freshman All-American honors with 56 tackles, four interceptions and six pass breakups this season.
"He's shown tremendous playmaking ability," sophomore safety Jeron Johnson said. "He's shown that the decision for him not to redshirt was a good call by the coaches."
The Broncos discovered Iloka in Sugar Land, Texas, where he didn't even play defense until his senior year. They offered him a scholarship before the season - a commitment TCU, the Broncos' opponent in the Poinsettia Bowl on Tuesday - wouldn't make.
Iloka visited TCU two weeks before he graduated from high school a semester early and enrolled at Boise State.
"They never pulled the trigger," Iloka said. " I'm not bitter about it. I would have still been a Bronco."
Iloka is trying to treat the Horned Frogs like any other opponent - an approach that works fine as long as he doesn't talk to anyone from home.
"Back home, everyone is going to watch this game - my friends, my family, my coaches, the dudes I played against," Iloka said. "It's a pretty big game down there."
If his freshman season is any indication, Iloka won't let the extra attention bother him.
He played extensively in the second game against Bowling Green, the day after a 2-hour cram session in the film room because he still didn't know his assignments. He made his first start a week later at then-No. 17 Oregon - clearing the way for the Broncos to employ a three-safety scheme the rest of the year.
"It went all so fast," Iloka said. "They just threw me in against Bowling Green, threw me in the fire, and I was able to perform. I've just been rolling since then. I think the Oregon game gave me a lot of confidence it gave me confidence I can play with these other guys."
Iloka has leaned on his coaches and veteran teammates like Johnson and senior safety Ellis Powers. At times, they need to lift the freshman's spirits after a mistake; other times, they challenge him to do better.
"It will be exciting to see where George is going to go in the years to come," Boise State coach Chris Petersen said. "He's a fun guy to coach. He's still a first-year player for us. There are still things he's figuring out on the run."
Iloka learns through film study - a work habit that doesn't come easily to freshmen. Teammates say he studies as much as anyone on the defense.
"It's school and football for him," Yates said. "If he's not in class, he's in (the football complex)."
Iloka learned the importance of film study at Kempner High in Sugar Land, which runs its high school program like a college program.
"We had to kick him out of film sessions down here because after the game he'd sit here till 1 in the morning with us," Kempner coach James Brown said. "He wants it. He's got a lot of desire. He's got a lot of dreams for himself. He's got the physical tools to go beyond college football."
Brown took over the Kempner program in 2007 and moved Iloka (6-foot-3, 202 pounds) from wide receiver to safety in spring ball. Boise State running backs coach Jeff Choate and Petersen spotted Iloka and decided to take a gamble.
They offered him a scholarship before he had played the position in a game. Iloka committed early.
"We had to kind of take a leap of faith," Choate said.
The Broncos have reaped immediate dividends. Iloka was impressive last spring as an early arrival, experience that was essential to him playing this year. He struggled at times during fall camp - so much that the coaches decided to redshirt him - but made a late charge that got him onto the field.
The Broncos couldn't resist his aggression, his instincts and a gangly frame that allows him to cover huge chunks of ground as a pass defender.
"He's not afraid of anybody," defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox said. "To me, why he made it, apart from being 6-3, 200 with long arms, is his competitiveness and toughness."
Iloka says he hasn't let the success affect him. He wants to add 15 pounds, get faster and increase his understanding of the scheme going into his sophomore year.
Yates will be right there to make sure he doesn't relax.
"We don't want him to go through that sophomore slump guys that play as true freshmen usually go through," Yates said. "I'm going to stay on him pretty hard. The sky's the limit for him as far as how good he could be."
(c) 2008 Tri-City Herald, Associated Press, McClatchy-Tribune & Other Wire Services
Best thing for NCAA football: More anguish
If you are part of the silent minority and have no deep feelings either way about a college football playoff, perhaps you should consider rooting for the preferable option.
That is, whatever evokes the maximum degree of distress among the most people in the tainted industry. This is where I come down on the issue, because remember, when in doubt, a little schadenfreude goes a long way.
President-elect Barack Obama recently came out in favor of an eight-team postseason solution. One would think he has more important issues to solve. One also would think that he could not possibly have less important issues at hand.
But that is his privilege and this is not about politics, at least per se. What tipped the scale for us was news that Rep. Joe Barton of Texas, the ranking Republican on the House Energy and Commerce Commission, introduced a bill before Congress that would demand a clear national champion.
Mind you, given the present, past and very likely future state of the intercollegiate athletic sewer system, a clear champion will not necessarily be a clean champion. But Barton's point is valid. The current Bowl Championship Series is insufficient because, he says, "the controversy rages on."
Whether that is all bad is debatable. NASCAR and the PGA Tour have attempted to concoct playoffs, but results are more fizzle than bang. Jimmie Johnson won the Sprint Cup by finishing 15th in his last demolition derby. Golf's points race has undergone more face lifts than Joan Rivers. Neither sport can manufacture as much fanfare with a playoff as college football attracts without one.
But again, anxiety is the object of our affection, and the fact the BCS mechanism creates such inconvenience is all good. The more coaches complain, the bigger the institutions they represent, the larger the egos involved, the fatter the budgets devoted to the cause, the fewer the merry, the better. Why should hypocrisy mean happiness?
After all, among the supposed reasons for not having a playoff is that athlete-students will be deprived of precious class time. This is bogus, as is the excuse about protecting the sanctity of the regular season. There are 34 bowl games because they represent 34 revenue streams.
If you broke even on your job performance -if you still have a job - you probably wouldn't win a free trip to Hawaii for Christmas. But after being assured his job is safe, Charlie Weis will be there with 6-6 Notre Dame because it's all about money.
What's best about the flawed BCS mechanism is that it rewards running up scores, thereby enhancing the possibility of pompous coaches antagonizing each other. Nothing could be finer, except maybe Mack Brown of Texas fuming about winning the game of the year against Oklahoma, only to be excluded from the next game of the year - Florida vs. Oklahoma, for the FedEx Championship at Miami.
There is no perfect playoff format, as witnessed by the recent World Series conducted in brutal Philadelphia weather. Obama suggested a shorter regular season to accommodate three weeks of playoffs. He wisely said so after Election Day polls closed, because that formula would seriously impact the essence of NCAA football: cash flow.
The status quo of no playoff works for us as long as it continues to annoy the annoying people involved. Besides, college football's angst diverts our minds from reality such as the saga of Gov. Rod Blagojevich, a sports fan who tried what franchises do to generate income. They sell personal seat licenses. His PSL just happened to be for one of Illinois' two Senate seats. Allegedly.
Copyright (c) 2008, Chicago Tribune
Boston College eyes first ACC title
TAMPA, Fla.: Boston College's Matt Ryan moved on, as did an impressive group of Virginia Tech players who were either drafted or signed NFL free-agent contracts after making their mark in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
A year after the ACC championship game offered plenty of star appeal, the league is presenting an Eagles-Hokies rematch without national title implications or much else to get fans excited about buying tickets.
Make no mistake about it, though. No. 18 Boston College (9-3) and defending champ Virginia Tech (8-4) are excited about the opportunity face each other again with the Orange Bowl on the line after retooling and overcoming injuries to finish strong.
"Last year we were really happy to be in this game," Boston College coach Jeff Jagodzinski said Friday. "This year, they're not just happy to be here. They want to take it one step further and go and win this one."
Few expected the Eagles or Hokies to repeat as division champions after losing several key players from last year's teams that met in the title game, which Virginia Tech won 30-16, in Jacksonville, Fla.
Ryan was the third pick in the NFL draft and has helped transform the Atlanta Falcons into one of pro football's biggest surprises this season.
Tech lost 13 players, including receiver Eddie Royal and cornerback Brandon Flowers, who were either drafted or wound up in NFL camps as free agents. In fact, more than half the roster that made the trip to Tampa was not in Jacksonville a year ago.
"We don't have a lot of name guys, but we have a lot of hard-working guys," Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer said.
Beamer conceded his team is fortunate to be in a position to win its third title since moving from the Big East to the ACC five years ago, especially after losing to Boston College, Florida State and Miami within a four-game span to hurt its chances of winning the Coastal Division.
Boston College's road was even more difficult. After consecutive losses to North Carolina and Clemson threatened to knock them out of the race, the Eagles righted themselves with a 17-0 shutout of Notre Dame and beat Florida State, Wake Forest and Maryland down the stretch to win the Atlantic Division.
BC, which left the Big East in 2005, has never won an outright conference title in either league. The best the Eagles have done was a four-way tie for the Big East championship in 2004 - the year Virginia Tech left that league and won its first ACC crown.
And although he's had to replace Ryan and several other key players, including Ryan's injured replacement Chris Crane, Jagodzinski insists he isn't surprised the Eagles are back in the title game.
"I'm saying that with all sincerity, just because of the makeup of the type of guys I have," the second-year coach said. "Our team this year, it doesn't matter who is playing, it didn't matter who got the credit, it was the most unselfish football team I've ever been around."
Crane, a fifth-year senior who beat Virginia Tech 28-23 on Oct. 18, broke his right collarbone two weeks ago at Wake Forest, forcing Jagodzinski to turn to redshirt freshman Dominique Davis.
Davis struggled early, but retained his composure and directed a game-winning drive in the closing minutes of 24-21 victory. Then he beat Maryland 28-21 in his first college start to clinch BC's trip to Tampa, about 30 miles west of the quarterback's hometown of Lakeland.
"Last year, we had some marquee name guys, Matt Ryan being one. ... All of those guys were replaced with the next guy," Jagodzinski said.
"That's exactly what happened to our quarterback situation. The first meeting we had, I said, 'Matt's not here, Chris this is your turn to go play. Now, it's Dominique's turn to go play."
Beamer, of course, is hoping the Hokies can spoil his homecoming.
"He's a very athletic guy and has got a good arm on him, too," said Beamer who was impressed when he saw the freshman play against Maryland in a game with the division title at stake.
"He got in there, making his first start, and it looked to me like he was in control. Didn't look jittery. Looked like he kind of liked it. That's what the good ones do. They like that situation."
Copyright (c) 2008 the International Herald Tribune All rights reserved
UD's 4-8 season was dim despite tough defense
NEWARK -- In the wake of their 5-6 record in 2006, University of Delaware football players donned workout T-shirts bearing the phrase "Never Again."
They seemed to serve their inspirational purpose when Delaware rebounded to reach the NCAA Division I-AA title game in 2007.
But, as a James Bond 007 film title once suggested, they'd be wise to never say never again.
"Never" happened again too soon for the Blue Hens in the form of a 4-8 finish in 2008, the losingest season in 117 years of UD football and the first time since the 1930s Delaware has had two losing records in three years.
Oddly, it came in a year when Delaware had the type of defense capable of being the foundation of championship contention. A modest offense might have made that possible, but Delaware wasn't even close and paid the price.
There wasn't a whole lot to celebrate. Too bad, because here are a few final reminders, many of them quite worth remembering:
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Safety Charles Graves came into his own as a junior. When the defense was making a key play, he often was in the eye of the storm. He led the Hens in tackles (78), interceptions (five) and fumble recoveries (two).
LINEMEN OF THE YEAR: Defensive end Matt Marcorelle (defense), whose season included a game at middle linebacker, and center Kheon Hendricks (offense), who didn't have quite the supporting cast.
FRESHMEN OF THE YEAR: Walk-on Andrew Harrison (defense) was a much-needed antidote to Delaware's injury-ravaged linebacker crew, and Rob McDowell (offense) started all year at guard, a rarity for a true freshman.
GUTSY PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Senior middle linebacker Erik Johnson closed a stellar career by pressing on through back and shoulder injuries, setting a fine example for a defense that kept excelling as more and more players were hurt, and finishing No. 6 all-time at UD with 183 solo tackles. He deserved a better finish.
UNSUNG HERO OF THE YEAR: Overshadowed by some of his more celebrated linemates such as defensive ends Ronald Talley and Marcorelle, tackle Julian James started all 12 games and was sixth on the team in tackles and tied Talley for the team lead with eight sacks. Honorable mention: defensive end John Higginson.
RECORD OF THE YEAR: Senior wide receiver Aaron Love broke Eddie Conti's school record with 193 career catches.
LESSON OF THE YEAR: Its quarterback depth never strong, Delaware had lived on the edge in its first six years under coach K.C. Keeler by never having any of its fine starters -- Andy Hall, Sonny Riccio and Joe Flacco -- out for an extended period -- injuries and inefficiency didn't sideline them. Then came this year, when the latest transfer, Robby Schoenhoft, wasn't as adept as advertised, struggled and then got hurt. Backup Lou Ritacco also was inexperienced and not quite up to the task. Keeler, to his credit, admitted the error of his ways, saying Delaware must recruit and build a stable of quarterbacks.
SAFE BET OF THE YEAR: That Delaware has another transfer at quarterback next year, and it should, because rebuilding its prominence at the position from within takes time.
CURIOSITY OF THE YEAR: Delaware decided it needed a third quarterback, so it enlisted former Akron signee and junior college project Sean Hakes in the summer. Then Schoenhoft and Ritacco went down, and Delaware decided Hakes wasn't good enough.
BULLPEN OF THE YEAR: Seniors Love and Robbie Agnone, a tight end, actually looked quite adept while playing quarterback for the two games both Schoenhoft and Ritacco were out. The two converts, who'd both played quarterback in high school and Agnone for a year at Pittsburgh, were selected because of their experience and superior knowledge of the offense in comparison to Hakes. But the offense was still extremely limited.
STAND-UP GUY OF THE YEAR: Schoenhoft, who answered questions about his failures and his successes with the same forthright composure, class, maturity and honesty. The oft-used term "good kid" is an understatement in his case.
COMEBACK OF THE YEAR: Senior tailback/wide receiver Kervin Michaud, presumably out for the season with a broken collarbone since game No. 4 against Albany, returned in game No. 10 and sparked a victory over Towson.
INJURY OF THE YEAR: The offense missed Michaud, and the defense could have used safety Anthony Bratton, who tore his ACL before the second game.
DISTURBING FACT OF THE YEAR: Delaware has not finished in the top two of the CAA South standings in four years and has a 13-19 record in conference games in that time.
AWFUL STATS OF THE YEAR: Lots of competition, but Delaware's 17.5 points per game were its fewest since 1960 (10.2) and its 275.8 yards per game were the fewest since 1961 (271.1).
HISTORICAL FOOTNOTE OF THE YEAR: Before this season, only four long-standing Division I schools -- Ohio State, Michigan, Tennessee and Delaware -- had never lost eight games in a season. That list is now down to just Ohio State and Tennessee, and the Vols needed to win their last two to avoid eight losses.
POSTSEASON QUESTION OF THE YEAR: Do the struggles of 2008, and the "moving parts" Keeler often referred to in his revamped offensive coaching staff, lead to changes? As of now, he only says that's part of his overall evaluation.
RHETORICAL QUESTION OF THE YEAR: While the quarterbacks and running backs were frequently criticized throughout the season, why wasn't the offensive line, which is said to be the source of most offensive success and failure, handed more of the culpability for the offense's shortcomings?
FALSE IMPRESSION OF THE YEAR: Delaware's season-opening 14-7 loss at Maryland instilled all kinds of false hope.
BEST REASON TO LOOK AHEAD TO 2009: The defense could be even better.
delawareonline.com
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