Linkbacker U. is Representin' McWestside

What do you expect? I don't have
my computer with Photoshop
right now, so MS Paint
is all we get today.

Who knew Scranton turf wars were this intense? Matt McGloin, that's who.

"Whenever he says where he's from, he says West Scranton, not Scranton," Mr. Meyers said of Mr. McGloin.

For Mr. McGloin's father, Paul, there's a pretty simple explanation for that.

"He loves West Scranton," Mr. McGloin said of his son. "It's a part of town where people care about each other and take care of each other."

Can't you just picture the amber waves of grain and purple mountains' majesty in the background?

This yellow journalism is not worth a link. Mark Madden wrote Madden: Sandusky a State secret for the Beaver County Times last night. The whole thing is just rancid garbage, but this particular passage caught my eye as truly unethical:

Penn State dominates Texas, advances to another NCAA final

In a rematch of last year's national title bout, Penn State swept Texas tonight (25-13, 25-13, 25-22) in the NCAA women's volleyball semifinal. But unlike the classic battle from 2009, the Nittany Lions completely dominated the Longhorns, only trailing a few times in the third set. Most of the match, Penn State led Texas by double digit margins.

But to those watching the game, one couldn't discern which was scarier--the dominance of senior captain Blair Brown, or the equal dominance of Penn State's young freshmen like Deja McClendon, Ariel Scott and Katie Slay.

Poll: Who should get the Big Ten expansion invite?

With a newly "accelerated" timetable for expanding the Big Ten, let's dip back into the waters of prognostication. Tell us who you think should get an invitation to join the Big Ten? (note: if you choose "other" be sure to give us your thoughts in the comments)

When the Big Ten sends out expansion invitations, which schools would you most like to see on the list?

Follow LBU on Facebook and Twitter Subscribe to Linebacker-U.com by Email Be sure to visit our new LBU Forums

Thursday Question: Big Ten realignment

It feels like every day there's a new favorite to join the Big Ten. We've heard the pundits roll out their own Big Ten solutions, from a 16-team superconference, to a simple 12-team adjustment. Of course, what else would we cover in this week's Thursday/Almost-Friday Question?

Up this week...
What should the Big Ten look like after expansion?

Galen

Since this is a totally hypothetical situation and I’m in total control here I’m going to add Texas into the Big Ten since they are already talking about it (yeah, yeah I know it’s not going to happen but play along anyway, mmmkay?). Here’s how I would stack the two divisions:

Div I: Ohio State, Penn State, Texas, Purdue, Minnesota, Illinois

Div II: Michigan, Iowa, Wisconsin, Northwestern, Michigan State, Indiana

Latest Expansion Rumor: Texas to the Big Ten

Texas--yes, that Texas--is talking with the Big Ten about the possibility that the Longhorns could be added as the conference's 12th team, come 2011. At least, that's what Tom Keegan, sports writer for The Lawrence Journal-World, reported today.

A source with ties to the Big Ten said that while most people’s attention has been trained on the conference stealing Missouri, the Big Ten has engaged in “preliminary exchanges” with a much bigger fish from the Big 12... “There have been preliminary exchanges between the Big Ten and Texas,” the source told the Journal-World on Wednesday. “People will deny that, but it’s accurate.”

So, what? Most of the pundits are out there right now calling this possibility a no-brainer move for Texas and the Big Ten. But I'm not quite so enthused. Call me a traditionalist to the point of being flawed, but I just don't like the idea of the Eight Contiguous Northern States, plus Texas, Conference. Even worse, doesn't this kind of thing just ooze NFL? I mean, seriously, would this not be just as money-grubbing as the NFC East, with the New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins, and Dallas Cowboys?

I shouldn't get all worked up, though. "Preliminary exchanges" is another way of saying that the Big Ten and Texas are aware that each other exist. I'm sure the Big Ten has contacted at least a half-dozen schools by now, but only the higher profile programs are eager to leak the goodies. Remember that whole Pitt thing a few weeks ago? Yeah, that worked out real well.

This is not to say at all that Texas hasn't been contacted by the Big Ten, or that the Longhorns aren't interested in hearing what the Big Ten has to offer (which isn't really that much). Notre Dame was one or two meetings away from coming on board in 1999, but whatever agreement the two parties had going fell apart, seemingly one minute before zero hour.

The addition of just one team like Texas--superpower, huge revenue base, recruiting Mecca--seems highly unlikely for the Big Ten. If this report came with additional rumors of the Big Ten looking to poach Texas, and two more teams from major conferences like the Big XII, then I'd say hold on to your hats, folks. For now, though, let this one simmer on the back burner for at least a little while longer, before we all go freaking out that the Big Ten will round up one of the biggest juggernauts in college football.

Would you like to see Texas in the Big Ten?

(HT:MGoBlog)

Follow LBU on Facebook and Twitter. Subscribe to Linebacker-U.com by Email

Alabama Averts BCS Championship Choke

Alabama's victory over the Florida Gators in the SEC Championship Game a month ago will go down as the Crimson Tide's most impressive victory of the 2009 football season. That's pretty unfortunate, you see, because Alabama just happened to defeat Texas in the BCS National Championship Game last night, a game most everyone outside the Confederacy will soon forget.

Marcell Dareus (57) rumbles into the end zone after intercepting a deflected pass against the Texas Longhorns. Bama went on to win the 2009 national championship, 37-21.

Texas jumped on the Tide early, courtesy of Nick Saban's atrocious calls early in the game. But then Colt McCoy went down with a shoulder injury. The senior signal caller, Heisman runner-up, heart and soul of the Longhorns program, would not return. Texas' 6-0 lead quickly evaporated; Alabama scored 24 unanswered points, including Marcell Dareus' pick six just before the half.

Like many viewers, I was ready to pack it in and just leave the game on as background noise while I do other, more interesting things (which there were many at that moment). But then something happened to Alabama - they stopped trying. Yes, as Texas punted on its first possession of the third quarter, you could see Saban and the Tide close the playbooks. For Alabama, it was time to run off the next 27:05 and start celebrating. If they added to their 24-6 lead, great, but any sense of urgency boarded the bus early.

And who could blame them? I thought the game was over. We all thought the game was over. No one gave it a second thought when Alabama started handing the ball off play after play. I mean, seriously, they had Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram in the backfield, who had already torn up the Longhorns defense a good deal.

But national title-winning coaches aren't supposed to think like "us." They are supposed to preach and practice "60 minutes of football" until their team is standing on the podium receiving its trophy. Saban and his staff didn't do that last night. They acted like we, the fans, thought they should. It nearly lost the game.

Texas and Alabama combined for six punts in the third quarter. But the Longhorns moved into better and better field position each time. On the final drive of the quarter, Jordan Shipley hauled in a Colt-esque pass from freshman backup Garrett Gilbert for a 44-yard score. The Longhorns had life, down only 24-13, and Alabama gave it to them.

Then the real fun started. Mack Brown called a brilliant onsides kick, promptly recovered by his Longhorns. Although another Texas punt soon followed, Alabama missed a long field goal on its next possession. It remained an 11-point game, and Texas was emotionally surging.

Gilbert would connect again with Shipley, this time for 28 yards into the end zone. For a minute, I thought I had fallen asleep. For the Longhorns to crawl back, the scoreboard reading 24-21 Bama, there was no way it was the same game I was watching before halftime. Alabama let off the gas with half the race to go; but fortunately for the Tide, Texas' luck would run out soon enough.

The Crimson Tide never again mounted a significant drive on its own. The Longhorns got the ball back with just over three minutes left, with a chance to either tie with a field goal, or win with a touchdown. Gilbert would be sacked by Eryk Anders on the drive's second play, forcing a fumble that would give the ball to the Tide on the Texas three yard line. Two plays later, it was 31-21 Bama. Game over.

Although the Alabama would tack on a cheap touchdown (after another Texas turnover) shortly after, making the final score a very misleading 37-21, no one will forget the thrill Texas provided in that final quarter. Losing its star quarterback on the first drive, facing a seemingly insurmountable deficit, Texas was able to catch an Alabama team on cruise control.

This game will be viewed many different ways, but not excluding one of the most lackluster coaching performances in recent bowl history. Saban and his crew nearly threw away the game from the start, with quirky plays and a terrible game plan. It only became worse; when Alabama did regain its composure (just as Texas lost its own) and a big lead, the coaches began to call plays like their team was up 24-6 with two minutes, rather than two quarters, left in the game.

Alabama won the game. The Crimson Tide are the 2009 BCS National Champions. But whether they, or anyone else, like it or not, this is a somewhat tainted title. The loss of McCoy was like Alabama losing its entire offensive line. And when Alabama actually played well, they weren't smart enough to follow through and put the game away. The Crimson Tide played down to a Texas team that was no more dangerous than a middle-of-the-pack Big Ten team. That's not what national championship caliber teams do in the biggest game of the year.

But that's what the BCS gives us. Had this game been played 20 years ago, Boise State, which owned a TCU team that many had been calling for to play Alabama in the Rose Bowl, might have a shot at being voted No. 1. That's not the system we have, though. And no matter what anyone says to try to defend the BCS and its 2009 national champ, this year will be another that leaves all of us wondering "what if?"

Follow LBU on Facebook and Twitter. Subscribe to Linebacker-U.com by Email