Tom Dienhart, BTN.com Senior Writer, July 8, 2015
Remember how Cardale Jones performed vs. Alabama in the Sugar Bowl? Impressive. Turns out, the Tide didn?t respect Jones.
"Looking back, when we had exit interviews with our players where you look in hindsight, I asked every kid, Landon Collins, Nick Perry, Jarrick Williams, the really smart (players) on our team, 'Where did we go wrong? What did we do wrong?' All three of them said 'We did not respect the quarterback.' Our job as coaches was to make them respect the quarterback," Alabama defensive coordinator Kirby Smart told 680 The Fan.
Let that be a lesson to you, kids.
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Nebraska offensive coordinator Danny Langsdorf has a plan, according to Jon Nyatawa of Omaha.com. That?s why he?s so good. In an effort to improve the Huskers? passing efficiency, he has assigned a basic pass-and-catch program.
Langsdorf was a first-year NFL assistant coach more than a decade ago when he stood on the sideline and watched one of the game?s greats flawlessly run through a pregame throwing routine. It was Peyton Manning, completing pass after pass to guys like Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne. ?A work of art,? Langsdorf told Nyatawa. ?It was a 45-minute deal. Full speed. The ball wasn?t on the ground once.?
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Who is Michigan?s best NFL prospect? One analyst says it is a guy who didn?t even play on the team last year-Stanford CB Wayne Lyons, a graduate transfer. Interesting
The 6-foot-1, 193-pound Lyons is projected to go in rounds four through six by draft site WalterFootball.com, and rates as the third-best draftable cornerback prospect in the Big Ten, behind Minnesota's Eric Murray and Penn State's Jordan Lucas. Mlive.com says Lyons considered entering the 2015 draft, and was projected by some as a late-round prospect, but opted to return to school and transfer to Michigan as a fifth-year senior after the school hired Jim Harbaugh in late December.
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The NBA and the state of Iowa have been, well, strangers. So says the great Mike Hlas of the Cedar Rapids Gazette.
According to Hlas? tabulations: Ex-Hawkeyes currently in the NBA: Reggie Evans (a 35-year-old free agent), Marble, and perhaps White.
Ex-Iowa State Cyclones currently in the NBA: Chris Babb, who has played 14 games with the Celtics and spent most of his two pro seasons with Boston?s D-League affiliate in Maine.
Ex-Drake Bulldogs currently in the NBA: None. The last one was Lewis Lloyd, in 1990.
Ex-Northern Iowa Panthers in the NBA: None. Ever.
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Good column from Mike Poorman of StateCollege.com on former Penn State QB Matt McGloin, who is about to embark on his third-yes, THIRD–NFL season. Unbelievable.
Dating back to when he was fighting for a starting job with Rob Bolden at Penn State in 2010, Poorman notes the only thing constant around McGloin has been change. But there have been many constants with McGloin - unshaken confidence, great focus, a strong work ethic and continued improvement. And, these days, maturity. I never thought McGloin would be a pro. What an example he sets.
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Dan Duggan of NJ.com wonders how recent transfers to Rutgers have fared. Check it out.
Nine scholarship players have transferred to Rutgers since the summer of 2013. Rutgers coach Kyle Flood has found the most success by adding graduate transfers for their final year of eligibility. Flood will attempt to continue that trend this season with the addition of Kaiwan Lewis, a linebacker from South Carolina.
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Dallas Cowboys center Travis Frederick says he saw head coaching potential in Paul Chryst back when he was a Badger and Chryst was OC.
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The great Mike Carmin of the Lafayette Journal Courier takes a look at Purdue?s quarterback situation. It may be a concern-for a third year in a row. Where have you gone, Robert Marve?
How spotty was the QB play in WL last year? The offense totaled 16 points or less in each of the last four games. Projected 2015 starter Austin Appleby and Danny Etling-who has transferred to LSU–combined to average 5.2 yards per attempt, ranking next-to-last nationally. Want more? For the seventh straight year, Purdue featured a different starting quarterback in the Old Oaken Bucket matchup against Indiana.
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Good podcast with ex-Indiana star QB Antwaan Randle El from Circle City Sports Report.com.
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About Tom Dienhart | BTN.com senior writer Tom Dienhart is a veteran sports journalist who covers Big Ten football and men's basketball for BTN.com and BTN TV. Find him on Twitter and Facebook, read all of his work at btn.com/tomdienhart, and subscribe to his posts via RSS. Also, send questions to his weekly mailbag using the form below and read all of his previous answers in his reader mailbag section. |