Marve Gets Out of the U

I wrote in October that there was no way for both freshmen quarterbacks at the University of Miami to finish their careers at the school. After news last week that Robert Marve would be suspended from their bowl game for missing classes, today it was announced that he would be transferring schools. Miami has given Marve his release, but with stipulations that he not tranfer to any ACC, SEC or other Florida schools.
This has infuriated Marve's father Eugene, a former teammate of mine with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Reports say he wants to go to the University of Florida, LSU or Tennessee and the Marve's don't understand why the SEC if off limits.
Robert Marve was the Player of the Year in Florida after leading his Plant High School team to the state title in 2006. He redshirted last year after a major car accident left him with a non-throwing wrist injury. He will have to sit out next year as part of transferring to another division I school.

Wild, Wacky Windup to NFL Season

2008 has been a wild ride for the NFL. There have been many firsts and a bunch of only happened once before type of scenarios played out this season. Chad Pennington leading the Dolphins from a 1-15 season a year ago to the AFC East Championship. The 4-8 Chargers charging into the playoffs after polishing off the division leading Broncos in the final week. The 11-5 Patriots not making post-season play. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers going 9-3 and dropping their final four to sit home for January. There are more stories of triumph and collapse including the Cowboys win and in chance at Philadelphia, only to drop the biggest egg in recent memory, including the first 0-16 team in league history.
I'm excited for these playoffs, because each match up looks intriguing before kick-off and that is the way I like it as these final 12 teams head out on the road to Tampa.

Titans Win Titanic Matchup With Steelers

I have never been much of a Kerry Collins fan. As a practitioner of proper fundamentals, I've never liked the way he throws the football and in this photo he doesn't even use the threads. Doesn't matter, credit due to the long-time veteran who just led his Titans to the homefield advantage in the AFC, routing the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-14.
No one could have seen this coming. No one saw the Vince Young meltdown earlier this year either, but it happened and Collins deserves much credit. He won't get as much as he deserves, like Ben Roethlisberger in Pittsburgh, the strong running game is credited with their success, but there is plenty of room to pat the 15 year vet for the Titans "run" to the top of the AFC.

Favre still great at 39

I didn't want much to do with Brett Favre when the rumors had him landing in Tampa this summer. I still don't think it would have been the right thing for the team, but he sure would have made Jon Gruden's horrific offense much more entertaining. He is still special and took the New York Jets from a lower echelon team to probably the AFC East Champs and I don't think there is another QB in the league that could have done that.
He is now heading to his 10th Pro Bowl, first in the other conference and he deserves it. Good luck to him as he leads the J-E-T-S, Jets, Jets, Jets into the final weeks of the season.
Aloha Brett.

Oklahoma's High Powered Offense Powers Bradford

Congratulations to Sam Bradford and the Oklahoma Sooners for adding another Heisman Trophy winner to their roles. Oklahoma's offense scored more points in more consecutive games in college football history and Bradford made it look easy most of the time. His "helicopter" move near the end zone a few weeks back probably helped his profile as well. However, blowing Texas Tech and their high level QB off the field probably sealed the deal.
Tim Tebow came in a close third, in fact, the closest voting between first and third ever with Colt McCoy in at number two. He also got the most first place votes, which is fitting, as the sitting trophy holder and has his team playing Bradford's for the biggest title.
It was a nice presentation and program and it seems like the three best players in college football this year are the three nicest kids in the world as well.

No Heisman Invitation for Top QB

Graham Harrell's senior season is one for dreams. The only blemish was a blowout loss to Oklahoma in which he looked rather ordinary under extreme pressure. That loss to OU overshadowed the win over Texas earlier in the year, when he outbattled Colt McCoy, who will be in New York City Saturday night for the awards presentation.
Tim Tebow, last year's winner and Sam Bradford, probably the odds-on-favorite to win it, along with McCoy are the only players invited on the trip. This is a terrible shame! Harrell is right in this mix of QB's this year and should be standing next to them when the winner is announced.
No, I don't think he should win the award, but he definitely deserves to be in the room.

Tebow Takes Florida To SEC Title

Tim Tebow, without the services of Percy Harvin, took the Florida Gators from a 4th quarter deficit to an SEC title against the #1 ranked Alabama Crimson Tide. The TV even showed the gargantuan receiver Cornelius Ingram (sidelined all year) on the sideline. Wow, what if he wasn't injured?
Colt McCoy has an unbelievable completion percentage and fantastic numbers overall and I believe is the best pro QB prospect of this year's crop--if he decides to go to the NFL--but Tim Tebow is still the best football player in college football today.
Sam Bradford just led his team to another 60+ point performance for the Sooners and Graham Harrell gave Texas Tech a shot at the national title that they have never had before, but Tim Tebow is the best football player in college football today.

Ryan and Flacco Revive Teams

The Rookie of the Year honor will have to be split by twins split at birth, or so it seems. Both Matt Ryan of the Falcons and Joe Flacco of the Ravens have led their teams to 8-4 records with one month left to go in the season, but what is uncanny is their stats thus far.
Ryan has completed 203 of 333, while Flacco is at 202 of 331. Right now Ryan has more passing yards (2625 to 2276), but both of their completion percentages are exactly 61%. Ryan's QB rating is 91.2 versus 82.3 based on interceptions. Flacco has 9 to date while Ryan has just 6 to go along with one more TD at 13.
The Ravens are second in the AFC North behind the Steelers, while the Falcons are third in the NFC South behind the Buccaneers and Panthers, but are lurking only one game back.
There will only be one rookie of the year, but it will be hard to choose between them. The nod may go to Ryan because the Falcons needed a savior just a bit more than the Ravens and he has delivered, but Flacco has done the job in Baltimore just as well.