Gridiron Dynasty - Rockne DIA (BCS)

[joannes3000]

We kick off season 38 with Arizona coming to town, led by former Syracuse coach huskerbob. Arizona is ranked slightly ahead of us in my preview (33 - 37), so we knew it would be a tough game. We had a meltdown in the 3rd quarter, surrendering 13 unanswered points and went into the 4th down 30-21. Thankfully, we returned the favor by blanking them 15-0 in the final quarter. We ran for 249/4 and passed for 166/1/0, totaling 415 yards while our defense allowed 429 yards.

30-36 W

We headed off to Athens, OH to face a good mid-major Ohio squad (34 - 37). We got on track early and took a 27-14 lead into halftime before rolling to victory. We ran for 393/5 and passed for 35/1/0, totaling 428 offensive yards while our defense allowed 337 yards.

41-21 W

After two strong wins to open the season, we took a very undeserving #7 WIS ranking back home to face a mighty USC squad led by one of the great coaches in GD - richramirez. I rate USC as the #2 team in the country, and we're not even in the neighborhood in terms of talent (we're ranked #37). We eventually lost the game, but it was a very respectable loss on our part. A great bit of info - we held the ball for the entire first quarter, with our offense in full gear and frustrating the USC defense. What's bad is that we opened the 2nd quarter by falling short on a 4th and 1 from inside the 10... I can only wonder what could have happened if we took the lead early. We ran for 140/0 and passed for 177/2/0, totaling 317 yards while our defense allowed 398 yards.

28-14 L

Game 4 had us on the road again, this time to face a downtrodden Ole Miss team (78 - 37). We had a slim 21-14 lead at the half before our depth took over as the game progressed. We ran for 334/5 and passed for 24/0/0, totaling 358 yards while our defense allowed 261 yards.

35-17 W

Our final OOC game sent us off to Hawaii to face the Warriors (81 - 37). We took a 30-7 lead into halftime and rolled for the blowout. We ran for 564/7 and passed for 10/0/0, totaling 574 yards while our defense allowed 309 yards.

51-27 W

----------

Our solid OOC schedule had us ranked #7 before the USC game, which quickly disappeared after we lost at home to them. We regained the #7 ranking after the Hawaii game, however, and are on a nice groove going into conference play with a 4-1 record. Two of our three interdivisional games are against sim teams and our other interdivisional game is against Cincinnati, so we have a very realistic shot at going into divisional play with a 7-1 overall record and a 3-0 conference record.

Things get nasty once we get into divisional play, however, as we will still be lucky to win two games. Rutgers is still a sim, so that's an auto win there, and I like our chances against West Virginia at home. We also gave UConn a decent run for their money last season (38-23 loss), and with a coaching change we might have a chance at an upset on the road.

In order to match our preseason goal of 9 wins, we'll have to beat the teams we should beat (Louisville, Colorado State, Rutgers, Cincinnati) and engineer an upset against either West Virginia or Connecticut. If we can get 9 wins during the regular season and don't get a nasty matchup in our bowl game I'd like to think we can crack double digit wins for the year and get my job security bumped up a notch.

----------

5/8/08 Louisville

5/9/08 at Colorado State

5/10/08 at Cincinnati

[joannes3000]

Conference play began with a home matchup against sim-coached Louisville. We were 25.5 point favorites and covered the spread with ease. We ran for 501/7 and passed for 62/0/0, totaling 563 yards while our defense allowed 261 yards.

14-49 W

Next we traveled to Fort Collins to face another sim-team, this time it was 16.5 point dogs Colorado State. We had the spread covered two minutes into the second quarter in a blowout. We ran for 561/8 and passed for 29/1/0, totaling 590 yards while our defense allowed 311 yards. All three of my top RBs gained over 150 yards, with Herbert Fink going off for 195/4 on 17 carries.

61-12 W

Our final interdivisional game was on the road as well, going to Cincinnati. We took a 21-10 lead at halftime and pitched a shutout in the 2nd half on our way to victory. We ran for 320/3 and passed for 59/1/0, totaling 379 yards while our defense allowed 331 yards. Our offense was sloppy today, converting only 4/7 3rd down attempts, which is not what I wanted to see heading into divisional play.

28-10 W

----------

So far, so good. We swept through interdivisional play as expected, although our WIS ranking fell from #7 to #14 due to the low quality wins against two sim teams. We won't have that problem for long, however, as we open divisional play on the road against #8 UConn. Our 7-1 record looks good right now, but we'll be lucky to win two games out of the last five. Buckle up, everyone. The rubber is about to meet the road.

----------

5/11/08 at #8 Connecticut 7-1

5/12/08 West Virginia 5-3

5/13/08 at Rutgers 3-5

5/14/08 Pittsburgh 5-3

5/15/08 #10 Syracuse 8-0

[joannes3000]

Our first division game was on the road against powerhouse UConn. It escapes me why we were favored by 1.5 on the road, but it made me hopeful for a close game. We took a 17-14 lead into halftime and held a 24-21 lead halfway through the 4th until we finally ran out of steam. UConn's trademark running attack finally broke down our defense late in the 4th. We had a chance late in the game, but were forced to punt with 3 minutes remaining and didn't get the ball back. We ran for 134/2 and passed for 117/1/0, totaling 251 offensive yards while our defense allowed 433 yards (422 on the ground).

24-31 L

We came home for division game number two to face a West Virginia team that we've flirted with beating for the past two seasons. We finally broke through with a resounding win, which helped soften the fall from the loss against UConn. We had a slim 13-10 lead at the half and took a 20-17 lead into the 4th quarter. It was our depth that made the difference in the final frame, however, as we rattled off 21 points in the 4th. We ran for 443/5 and passed for 49/1/0, totaling 492 yards while our defense allowed 427 yards.

24-41 W

Game 3 was a breather against sim-coached Rutgers. The game was fairly close until the 4th quarter, where we posted 19 points for the final margin. We ran for 474/6 and passed for 39/1/0, totaling 513 yards while our defense allowed 378 yards.

47-27 W

Our fourth divisional game brings Pittsburgh to our home field, and the fans got one hell of a game. Pitt took a 24-21 lead into halftime. We took a 28-24 lead into the 4th quarter. Pitt scored a TD late for a 38-35 lead, but we came storming back with our 2 minute offense. With 7 seconds to go and the clock stopped after completing a 15 yard pass for a 1st down, we sat at the 1 yard line. Rather than go for the win, however, we kicked the FG to go into OT. Not cool.

We got the ball to start the first OT and rambled in for a TD. We forced a fumble on 3rd down, but were unable to recover it, and Pitt went on to score a TD to send the game into a 2nd OT. We held Pitt to a FG in the 2nd OT, but fell 2 yard short of a 1st down on our possession. We went on to shank the 34 yard FG to lose a crushing game at home.

We ran for 311/4 and passed for 208/2/0, totaling 519 yards while our defense allowed 420 yards.

48-45 (2OT) L

We had no time to feel sorry, and neither did our fans, as Syracuse was in town for the regular season finale. Syracuse took a 21-10 lead at the half and had a commanding 35-10 lead going into the final frame. I laughed at the notion of scoring 25 unanswered points in the 4th quarter against a superior team, but I was the one laughing as the points kept rolling in. 7 points to open the quarter. Punt by Syracuse. 7 more points with just under 7 minutes left in the game. Punt by Syracuse. Another TD with just over a minute remaining plus a 2 pt conversion... Onside kick... Syracuse recovers. 1st down - 0 yards on a run, time out, 46 seconds remaining. 2nd down - incomplete pass, 37 seconds remaining. 3rd down - offsides by the defense. 3rd and 5 - 8 yard pass for the ball game.

We ran for 318/4 and passed for 99/0/0, totaling 417 yards while our defense allowed 376 yards. We had a costly turnover, which was the only one in the game, and we managed to lose by one possession.

35-32 L

---------

It's tough to say that we accomplished all that we could have or that I'm pleased with how our season wound up. I'm glad that we won 9 games and I'm also glad that we finally got over the hump and beat West Virginia. But geez, we lost to UConn by 7, Pitt by 3 in 2 overtimes, and Syracuse by 3. Not to mention that we only lost to USC by 14.

Our 9-4 regular season record and #24 WIS ranking (pending CC game results) is the best in my tenure thus far. We should be looking at a level 3 bowl game as well, and unless we get some ridiculous draw, I like our chances of cracking 10 wins this season. Getting back to what could have been, however, I would've loved to have pulled at least one upset against one of the big 3 within our division (UConn, Pitt, Syracuse). Next season I fully expect to beat one of them.

[AHF]

Quote:

---

With 7 seconds to go and the clock stopped after completing a 15 yard pass for a 1st down, we sat at the 1 yard line. Rather than go for the win, however, we kicked the FG to go into OT. Not cool.

Do you not get to control whether they go for the TD or FG?

[joannes3000]

Quote:

---

Quote:

---

With 7 seconds to go and the clock stopped after completing a 15 yard pass for a 1st down, we sat at the 1 yard line. Rather than go for the win, however, we kicked the FG to go into OT. Not cool.

Do you not get to control whether they go for the TD or FG?

Only to an extent, and I already have my basic offensive tendencies set to "very aggressive". I won't even bother contacting CS about the issue because I'm sure they'll tell me that there wasn't enough time on the clock - typical play takes 10 seconds, and there were 7 ticks left - to get a play off, even though the clock was stopped due to the 1st down. Under "very aggressive" I'll go for a 4th down conversion fairly deep within my own side of the field but I can't go for the win on the opposing 1 yard line. :violin-1:

[joannes3000]

From: Timothy Patel

To: Coach joannes3000

Subject: Congratulations, Coach!

Sent: 5/16/08 3:00PM

I just got off the phone with the organizers of the Independence Bowl and I've accepted their invitation. Great job this year, Coach. I think the exposure we will get playing in this game will really help out the program, not to mention recruiting next season.

Keep up the good work!

Timothy Patel

Athletic Director

Temple University

--------

After the completion of the CC games we were ranked #25 and that, along with our 9-4 regular season was enough to land us in the level 3 Independence Bowl. Our opponent is Pac-10 South runner-up UCLA, not exactly a walk in the park. They finished the season 10-3, with their losses coming on the road against top 25 teams North Carolina and California, as well as losing a home game against #3 USC. I should've never opened my mouth about wanting a decent bowl matchup.

---------

The tale of the tape:

Temple OL vs UCLA DL - advantage UCLA. Our OL BLK/STR/TECH/STA average is 82/84/74/58, while UCLA's DL TKL/STR/TECH/STA average is 87/87/67/52. They have the raw talent advantage while we're more technically sound and a little better conditioned. It could be a long day for our front, but I think we can hang in there.

Temple rushing offense vs UCLA rushing defense - push. Our top 3 runners all ran for over 1100 yards, averaged over 7.3 YPC, and ran for at least 11 TDs. They also performed well against human-coached teams, with only UConn preventing a 100 yard performer. UCLA's defensive front is a notch below UConn's, so I like our chances of getting our offense in gear, but it won't be easy.

Temple passing offense vs UCLA passing defense - advantage Temple. I think it may be time to show off our passing game a little bit. Our WR SPD/HND/ELU/TECH/STA average is 84/81/75/75/53 while UCLA's DB SPD/HND/GI/TECH/STA average is 82/50/67/67/62. We also have an above-average QB, and TE Matthew Fontenot who is nearly on par with our WR averages. I'm not saying that we're going to venture completely away from our usual game plan, but I think we're going to sprinkle in a few more passes to see how the UCLA defense reacts.

Temple DL vs UCLA OL - advantage UCLA. Our DL TKL/STR/TECH/STA average is 81/87/75/58, while UCLA's OL BLK/STR/TECH/STA average is 90/87/70/55. Much like the other line matchup, UCLA has the raw talent while we're better technicians. They have a tremendous STR advantage, which bothers me. Looking again at UConn as a measuring stick, UCLA is just a hair worse, meaning they will likely have their way in the trenches.

Temple rushing defense vs UCLA rushing offense - advantage UCLA. UCLA's dominance up front will only make it harder to contain their dynamic duo of RBs Nathan Anthony and Vernon Goodwin. We will have to play very sound defense and get exceptional play from our LBs in order to contain this talented unit.

Temple passing defense vs UCLA passing offense - advantage Temple. UCLA uses their passing game much like ours - as a compliment to their superior rushing attack. Our DBs match up very favorably with them, and we should be able to limit their passing yardage.

---------

To me, UCLA is a team flying under the radar that is much better than their #32 ranking suggests. One look at their roster proved that and the fact that we'll be in for a fight. This will be very similar to our games against UConn and Syracuse - teams that feature a punishing running attack. So on the bright side, we stayed competitive against those teams even though we had a sizable talent disadvantage. On the not-so-bright side, we also lost those games by close margins.

I think this game will come down to game planning, plain and simple. I will open up the passing game more than usual in this game in order to take advantage of one of the few mismatches we have in our favor. Not only that, but it will also help throw off the UCLA defense in general since we will be operating out of our two usual sets, which will force their coaching staff to make a hard decision - do you play to stop the run or the pass?

Even if we get stymied in the 1st half, it will give their defense something to think about in the 2nd half. I'm hoping our defense can help keep us close so we can put the pressure on their defense in the 2nd half to stop us.

[joannes3000]

Sorry for the late update, but I had a calculus midterm to take care of along with the rest of my ridiculous schedule.

---------

UCLA did what UConn couldn't do all game and what Syracuse couldn't do at the end of the game - they kept us out of striking distance, which takes us out of our element. UCLA stormed off to a 28-3 halftime lead and it was over. Even in game planning for it, we were still unable to slow down their ground game which led to our undoing, as both of their star RBs ran for over 140 yards each. Our passing offense did ok, but we were forced into it entirely too much since we were trailing almost the entire game.

We ran for 94/1 and passed for 226/1/0, totaling 320 yards while our defense allowed 462 yards (375 on the ground). We also lost the turnover battle, giving up two while forcing zero. The end result was the most lopsided loss of the season for us.

38-17 L

[joannes3000]

From: Timothy Patel

To: Coach joannes3000

Subject: Your future?

Sent: 5/21/08 3:02PM

Coach,

I just checked out Firejoannes3000.com and I'm beginning to agree with them! Donations are down and I'm tired of answering angry e-mails from influential boosters. Either win next season or you won't be coaching here anymore!

Timothy Patel

Athletics Director

-----------

Well, my time is nearly at hand. I've dropped to "in jeopardy" meaning that I will get fired unless expectations are met next season. I've put some feelers out there to see what kind of season I need to have in order to keep my job, because I'm leaning toward staying at Temple and trying to ride this out. I figure at least one of the following needs to happen in order for me to keep my job:

1. Win at least 10 games

2. Win at least a level 3 bowl game

3. Win a CC

4. Finish in the top 25 on the season-ending poll

I should be able to win 10 games during the regular season alone. I scheduled a cupcake OOC with 5 very winnable games. I should also have at least 3 conference games against sim teams.

Unless I get another tough draw, I should be able to win a level 3 bowl game. This is a big wildcard, however, and I don't like to stake my job on 1 game that could be against another UCLA type of team.

I doubt I'll be able to win the CC next season, although I could be a darkhorse contender. I took UConn and Syracuse to the brink last season and beat Pitt. Like the bowl victory, however, this has too many variables to feel good about.

I should be able to finish in the top 25 as long as I win my bowl game. I finished #31 this most recent season after going 9-5 and getting throttled by UCLA in our bowl game. But again, this is another big wildcard due to all the variables in play.

-----------

Marquette is open in the West, and after reading over what I just typed I'm going to apply for the job if I'm able to see it. The west is wide open, unlike the East, and as much as I hate to abandon Temple which is on the cusp of being a contender, I can't afford to get fired and likely have to get a job at DIAA.

[joannes3000]

The Marquette job officially opened up at the 2:30 am PST cycle, and after a lot of serious thinking I've decided not to apply for it. I think I have entirely too much talent and carryover money to just walk away. After talking to some respected coaches, the thought is that a 10 win season will keep me from getting fired and I think I can get that before my bowl game.

[AHF]

The sim program with the ADs is really unreasonable. You took over a team that won 0 games and have them at a level 3 bowl in 4 years.

Looking at a school like Kentucky, they would be thrilled with that progress.

Instead, it is like you are being evaluated with the expectations that apply at a real football school with a history of double digit wins.

[joannes3000]

Quote:

---

The sim program with the ADs is really unreasonable. You took over a team that won 0 games and have them at a level 3 bowl in 4 years.

Looking at a school like Kentucky, they would be thrilled with that progress.

Instead, it is like you are being evaluated with the expectations that apply at a real football school with a history of double digit wins.

Yeah, the job security aspect of GD is officially getting on my nerves. If I end up going down with the ship, I don't know what I'll do. I talked to the former Cincinnati coach and he said he can still see decent BCS job openings, so my outlook is a little better if I get fired. I don't plan on getting fired, however. We're going to win 10 games. End of discussion.

[joannes3000]

Here's a bit of reprieve from CS:

5/24/2008 10:19 AM Customer Support

If you win a bowl game, you are automatically safe. My best guess is that if you finish in the top 25, you'll be safe as well. Thanks.

-------

Maybe I should throw a bunch of games and win only 8 so I can back into a level 1 or 2 bowl. Almost seems better to do that and get a favorable matchup. Could you imagine my reaction if we win 10 games, get into a level 3 bowl, get matched up with a 2nd-tier BCS school like UCLA, lose, and finish just outside of the top 25?

And for the record - no, I will not be throwing games.

[joannes3000]

After last season's small class of 8, we had a normal class size of 12 to recruit this season. Nothing out of the ordinary other than needing 3 WRs this season. I had recently been going with only 5 WRs on my rosters but have started passing the ball a little more, hence the need for an extra receiver.

---------

Offense

RB Gordon Walters has excellent speed and strength; above average work ethic, hands, and elusiveness; average stamina and technique; and below average athleticism. His SPD/STR combo is intriguing and makes him a blue chip recruit, but his elusiveness will limit his immediate impact. He projects to be an excellent starter in a few seasons.

WR Edward Garza is a blue-chip former RB that will play receiver for the Owls. He has phenomenal speed and elusiveness; above average hands; average work ethic and stamina; and below average athleticism and technique. He's a natural burner and if he refines his technique he could be something special.

WR Edward Hughes is another blue-chip receiver added to the passing game. He has excellent speed and hands; above average work ethic, elusiveness, and technique; average stamina; and below average athleticism. He's a classic possession-type receiver that will thrive in our offense. STUD.

WR Henry McGowan is also a former RB that switched positions. He has phenomenal speed and elusiveness; excellent work ethic; average athleticism and hands; and below average stamina and technique. He won't be expected to contribute immediately and with his great work ethic, he projects to be an above average part of our WR rotation.

TE Joe Walsh has phenomenal work ethic; excellent technique; above average strength, blocking, hands, and game instinct; and below average athleticism, speed, and stamina. He isn't much to look at now, and will never be a true dual-threat TE, but he projects to be a great blocker and a plus receiver. Call him a poor-man's version of Matthew Fontenot.

OL David Bauer has phenomenal athleticism; excellent work ethic and game instinct; above average strength and blocking; and below average stamina and technique. He will get time in the rotation and projects to be an excellent lineman.

OL Mark Clement has phenomenal athleticism and strength; excellent work ethic; and below average stamina blocking, game instinct, and technique. Clement is a road grader for sure, but he needs to work on technique big time. He projects to be an above average piece on the OL.

Defense

DL Richard Kelly has phenomenal stamina; excellent tackling; above average work ethic and strength; average athleticism; and below average game instinct and technique. Kelly projects to be an excellent DL, but right now he needs to work on his technique.

DL Robert Stern has phenomenal athleticism and tackling; above average work ethic and strength; and below average stamina, game instinct, and technique. Stern projects to be an above average DL, but like Kelly he needs to work on his technique in the meantime.

LB Manuel Jones has phenomenal speed and tackling; excellent technique; average athleticism, work ethic, and stamina; and below average strength. He is a former DB and will be a ballhawk at his position.

DB Christopher Cantu has phenomenal speed and elusiveness; excellent technique; average work ethic; and below average athleticism, stamina, hands, and game instinct. Cantu has the physical gifts of an all-world DB but he needs to study the playbook like his life depends on it.

DB Shane Dotson has phenomenal athleticism, speed, and work ethic; above average technique; average stamina and game instinct; and below average hands and elusiveness. Dotson is a stud in the making. Much like Cantu, as soon as Dotson gets a little smarter, he won't allow a lot of passes completed in his direction.

---------

I thought last season's class was awesome and I think this class is right on par. We were able to recover nicely after watching several top recruits go to PSU and BC. Not only that, but Rutgers is human-coached this season, adding more competition in our recruiting area. I like that we landed some nice pieces on offense to compliment last season's defensive standouts.

Here's how the pittsky and bhazlewood recruiting services ranked our conference:

Syracuse - 46/32

Connecticut - 12/16

West Virginia - 29/31

Pittsburgh - 4/6

Rutgers - 38/36

Temple - 19/19

South Florida (sim) - 80/83

Marquette - 73/61

Cincinnati - 34/34

Colorado State (sim) - 99/90

Depaul (sim) - 109/111

Louisville (sim) - 114/109

That makes two consecutive consensus top-20 recruiting classes. Now let's see if I can keep my job...

[AHF]

Sounds like a good base for a big step up this year. Talk about a difference in talent from when you took over!

How do you think your overall talent ranks for this season? Top 25?

[joannes3000]

Quote:

---

Sounds like a good base for a big step up this year. Talk about a difference in talent from when you took over!

How do you think your overall talent ranks for this season? Top 25?

Since you asked...

Here's my DIA preview for Rockne. We're just inside the top 25, checking in at #24. My Big East preview has us ranked the 3rd most talented team in the conference; behind only Syracuse and Pitt, and ahead of UConn.

[joannes3000]

Sorry for a very outdated preseason analysis. Calculus is winding down and I have a final next week that I'm not looking forward to at all.

--------

Another top 20 recruiting class has Temple's roster brimming with talent. We'll need every last bit of it this season, as I have my back against the wall with my job security "in jeopardy".

Our OOC schedule was designed to keep my job. 5 very winnable games on tap, with none of them against teams that should pose a realistic threat. If we don't go 5-0 early, this could turn into my farewell tour.

Conference play will be where the rubber meets the road. Our 3 interdivisional games should be wins. We lead off with a home game against Cincy before playing 2 straight sim teams. We need to win all 3 games at this junction.

Divisional play will likely be a rollercoaster ride that will determine whether or not I'm fired. Our first and last games are in the must-win category. If we win both, that will put us at 10 regular season wins and we won't have to sweat the games in the middle of divisional play against Syracuse, Pitt, and UConn. I'd rather do that, instead of hoping to upset one of the three powerhouses no matter how close we played them last season.

--------

The only verification I've gotten from CS regarding my job security is that a bowl win will guarantee that I don't get fired. Coaches have told me that 10 wins should guarantee that I don't get fired also, but that hasn't been confirmed by CS. Best-case scenario? I win 10 regular season games, get a level 3 bid and a favorable bowl draw, win my bowl, and keep my job.

--------

6/7/08 at Indiana

6/8/08 at Tulane

6/9/08 at Louisiana Lafayette

6/10/08 at Kentucky

6/11/08 at Idaho

[gsuteke]

does this cost money?

If so CS is dumb as hell to risk alienating someone who has paid for 39 seasons thus far when there are sim coached teams out there.

[AHF]

Quote:

---

does this cost money?

If so CS is dumb as hell to risk alienating someone who has paid for 39 seasons thus far when there are sim coached teams out there.

It is probably a rare exception that an experienced coach takes a job with the dregs of the league on purpose, though. I agree the system stinks but they probably don't set the system up for people taking over schools like Temple and Duke.

[joannes3000]

Quote:

---

does this cost money?

If so CS is dumb as hell to risk alienating someone who has paid for 39 seasons thus far when there are sim coached teams out there.

It costs ~$10.95 a month, although I haven't paid for a season in a few months due to getting reward points for my bowl appearances/victories.

And unfortunately, AHF has it right - the game isn't designed very well at the DIA level. At the top (elite schools) you have the highest standards to meet, but if you're at an elite you should be held to such standards. At the bottom (non-BCS conferences) you can stink up the joint for 5+ seasons before getting fired, which makes sense.

It's the middle ground (BCS, non-elite) that my schools are in that gets shafted. The standards aren't as high as at the elite programs, but it's a little too high IMO. I mentioned to CS that while I'm not in favor of lowering the bar at DIA BCS non-elites across the board (UConn and Syracuse in my conference should be held to near-elite standards, for example), they really need to look at creating a sliding scale that correlates to a school's win/loss record over x number of seasons. There simply is no reason that I should be held to the same standards as UConn and Syracuse - perennial powerhouses that have been human-coached for ages - when my Temple team had been driven into the ground by seasons of being sim-coached.

Temple and Duke were complete rebuild jobs, which I knowingly chose to inherit. And while I have turned Duke around (and have no complaints), I'm on the verge of getting fired at Temple where my track record should have me nowhere near being "in jeopardy". I knew the rules coming in, so I'm not complaining. I am wishing for change, however.

[joannes3000]

The "put up or shut up" tour starts with us on the road in Bloomington to face sim-coached Indiana. The point spread was our biggest hurdle, and had Indiana as a modest 10.5 home dog. We cleared that hurdle in 11 minutes. We ran for 284/5 and passed for 353/5/0, totaling 637 yards while our defense allowed 309.

72-10 W

We went further south for game 2; down to NOLA to face sim-coached Tulane, who were 19.5 home dogs. We ran for 317/4 and passed for 214/2/0, totaling 531 yards while our defense allowed 276.

40-3 W

We didn't travel far for our next game, heading to Lafayette to face sim-coached Louisiana Lafayette. I felt kind of bad about picking on a team like this. We ran for 394/5 and passed for 220/4/0, totaling 614 yards while our defense allowed 275.

62-10 W

Staying in the south, we headed off to SEC country to face Kentucky - the first human-coached team we've faced all season. No matter. We ran for 355/2 and passed for 211/3/0, totaling 566 yards while our defense allowed 228 yards. We had the ball for 40+ minutes!

37-0 W

Our final OOC game has us in the middle of nowhere (Moscow) to face Idaho. Maybe it was jet lag or our team being a little road-weary, but we played a relatively uninspiring game. We still won, but it wasn't a very solid effort. We ran for 328/3 and passed for 214/4/0, totaling 542 yards while our defense allowed 336. We had two sloppy turnovers (both fumbles) that negated scoring drives, which always bothers me.

48-32 W

---------

Stage one of the "put up or shut up" tour was successful as we went 5-0 as expected. None of the teams were close in terms of talent and we played to our ability for every game except against Idaho. Maybe it was the sleepy stadium environment that threw us off. Our offense is rolling along, showing signs of a passing attack that should give our conference foes plenty to worry about.

Stage two features only one human-coached team to start conference play, and once again I expect us to go undefeated. We go into conference play ranked #15 and our first game is against #7 ranked Cincinnati. I think even their head coach will admit that they are overhyped at this point, and that works in my favor. It's a game against a top 25 team that I can win, which will help when it's time for the post-season.

At this point I like my chances of locking up a top 25 ranking and at least a level 3 bowl game. If I can combine those things with a 10 win regular season, I'd like to think that I will retain my job even if I lose my bowl game. Hell, if we can win one game against Syracuse, Pitt, or UConn, we could be looking at a top 15 bid and a level 4 bowl.

---------

6/12/08 #7 Cincinnati

6/13/08 Colorado State

6/14/08 at Louisville