All Entries in the "College football" Category
Kiffin Trades the River for the Ocean
Back on October 11, I wrote that Tennessee Volunteers fans needed to climb on board The Lane Train. I insisted that Lane Kiffin, if given time, would give Tennessee fans six (the phrase is an homage to legendary Vols broadcaster John Ward). I was correct… sort of. What I should have said was Lane Kiffin would give Tennessee [...]
Alabama vs. Texas a Dream Match-Up… Or Is It?
Congratulations to the Alabama Crimson Tide. They marched east to the Georgia Dome in Atlanta and disposed of Tim Tebow and the Florida Gators in the SEC championship game with a suffocating defense and an offense led by Greg McElroy, playing the role of Tim Tebow on this particular night. With the win, the Tide now rolls west [...]
Give Kiffin Time, He’ll Give Tennessee Fans Six
Legendary Tennessee broadcaster John Ward used to say “Give… Him… Six” on Vols touchdowns. New head football coach Lane Kiffin will have this program scoring points, wins and more for years to come if he’s given the time he needs to change what has become a culture of average. Go to any city in the nation and talk [...]
WDAY On the Air at the Fargodome
This past weekend saw another edition of the WDAY tailgating party take shape at the Fargodome. I did live updates over the course of three hours, we gave out WDAY / Bison mugs and offered incredible food from Sandella’s… It was chilly and misty but the mood was warm and festive. The Gold Star Marching Band, or at least [...]
Sports Fans are Candles in the Wind
Three friends sitting in a bar, late August 2009, discussing college football. Jim’s team is the Tennessee Volunteers. Mike’s team is the Notre Dame Fighting Irish Dave’s team is the North Dakota State Bison They’re experts. They’re seasoned fans. They… know… The Game. Jim: We finally got ourselves a real coach, boys! Lane Kiffin is gonna [...]
College Football 2009…The View from Fargo
College football is into week three and I’ve already fumbled. In recent years my View of the Season would have been posted weeks ago but the continued adjustment to having a daily radio program, writing a weekly humor column for the newspaper, getting my oldest daughter into her first days of school, trying to rent our [...]
Why Not Play the BCS Championship Game in June
By Christopher Gabriel, CGabriel.com Another college football season has come to an end. The Florida Gators are your BCS National Champions after defeating the Oklahoma Sooners, 24-14. Two things stick out about this win. This is Florida’s third national championship, the second under head coach Urban Meyer in the past three years. And this ties the latest [...]
For Tennessee, Progress is in the Risk
By Christopher Gabriel, CGabriel.com The Phillip Fulmer Era at the University of Tennessee has ended. The final statement in his long tenure on the Vols sideline was a 28-10 win over Kentucky. After several Gatorade showers, a brief interview on ESPN and lots of hugs, smiles and a few tears, he was carried off the field by his players while clutching [...]
Phillip Fulmer: A Man for Too Many Seasons
By Christopher Gabriel, CGabriel.com It’s deer hunting season here in Minnesota. The first shot was fired sometime around dawn on Saturday, November 8. More than 500,000 hunters go after deer annually throughout the Land of 10,000 Lakes. Similarly, the first shots already have been fired in the annual college football coach hunting season. The major heads on the [...]
College Football 2008: Stories, Non-Stories and Near-Stories
By Christopher Gabriel, CGabriel.com In just a few days, the Beijing Summer Olympics will begin. Whether or not anyone actually sees who wins events in track and field because of the smog is anyone’s guess. In just a few weeks, the Democratic and Republican national conventions will commence. Whether or not anyone actually sees a candidate that can lead this nation is everyone’s hope. [...]
College Coaches: Are They Worth The Big Money?
By Christopher Gabriel Blog Harbor and CGabriel.com Last week I was talking with a Tennessee Volunteers fan about, of all people, UConn women’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma. The topic was Auriemma’s new contract that will pay him more than legendary Lady Vols coach Pat Summitt. To suggest he was irate over this new development would be an understatement. But [...]
BCS a Mess After Another Wild Saturday
It’s a mess. In a college football season that has made the improbable the only constant, Saturday’s championship and rivalry showdowns followed the 2007 script to perfection: What you were sure would happen . . . did not. The championship scenario was very simple: West Virginia, a huge favorite over Pittsburgh in Morgantown, merely had to [...]
Kansas vs. Missouri: Great for College Football
Let’s face it, when you think KU vs. Mizzou, it’s the Border War on the hardwood that comes to mind. Be it Allen Fieldhouse, Rock Chalk Jayhawk, Norm Stewart, The Antlers and so much more, these two universities, alumni, students and fan bases simply don’t see eye-to-eye. And in football, they . . . wait . [...]
Lloyd Carr and Phillip Fulmer: One Leaves with Dignity, the Other…
It’s doubtful fans of the Michigan Wolverines and the Tennessee Volunteers would ever agree on much. And yet, both programs mirror each other in many ways: Depending upon the category you choose to look at, all-time wins, bowl wins, bowl appearances or national championships, both schools are top five or top 10 in every one [...]
