zefrank gets it.

blogpoll - week 14

Caveats / explanations…I’m approaching this from the attitude of “this team would beat this team, this weekend, at a neutral site.”  That may not agree with brian’s m.o., but I’m not official anyway.  right now, today, West Virginia is the scariest team out there, and I think they’d beat anyone you could name.  Same with Missouri – their resume at this point is very impressive.  As to putting Georgia above Ohio State – OSU is a terrific team, but they just don’t scare me.  Georgia does, on some level.

 

Wish I could put Michigan at 25^th, but no.

 

1.  West Virginia

2.  Missouri

3.  Georgia

4.  Ohio State

5.  Usc

6.  Oklahoma

7.  Lsu

8.  Kansas

9.  Va Tech

10.  Illinois

11.  Florida

12.  Boston College

13.  Tennessee

14.  Clemson

15.  Hawaii

16.  Arizona State

17.  Wisconsin

18.  Auburn

19.  Virginia

20.  Cincinnati

21.  Texas Tech

22.  Texas

23.  Byu

24.  Arkansas

25.  Oregon

Sound and Music

Listening to NPR Science Friday this morning, and there was an interview with Oliver Sacks on his new book, “Musicophilia.”

I’ve heard many interviews with him, and I’ve always, always, always been fascinated.  He has an innate ability to take the most arcane, specialized subject – in this case, music’s effect on the brain – and discuss it in relatable ways.  I immediately put the cd version of his book on hold at the library, and I can’t wait to get it.

Then I was listening to Radio Lab, a program that I absolutely LOVE.  They’ll take some subject – sleep, or the placebo effect, or space – and riff on it in unusual, unexpected ways.  This one was a sort of ‘making of’ episode, recorded at an Apple Store (mmm!  Apple Store!), where they talked about some of the ways they work.  And this line absolutely jumped out of the headphones:

“Sound is like touch…from a distance.”

Interesting that both of these subjects / discussions dance around the concept of “Sound Therapy,” which (half-sentence explanation alert!) is the idea of using sound and music to treat various forms of mental illness.  It’s something Camilla and I have talked about briefly as a path for Whitaker…

Really strange and surprising – suddenly it’s been tapping at the edges of my consciousness.  Sorta like AA did.  Weird.

Blogpoll, Week 12.

The usual “not an official part of the blog poll” rejoinders apply.

 

1. Oregon – I’m convinced.  I had discounted the win over Michigan, since I thought my guys quit…oh, around about the middle of the third quarter.  And I still think they did – but as the Ducks keep winning and winning, and not by flukes or emotion, I become more and more converted.  This is just a REALLY good team, about one brain freeze away from being undefeated.  I hate them, starting with the Nike influence and going all the way down through the uniforms and the loudmouthed coach and the billion-dollar locker room, but man, are they good.
2. Oklahoma – I have to say that I have some reservations about this team, but they just keep killing people.  The reservations come from the Colorado loss – they were up 17 in the third quarter, so it has that flukey look about it, but the final stats say a lot more.  Colorado dominated that game in all facets, and national champions don’t usually get drilled like that, scoreboard and late-game heroics notwithstanding.  Still, Texas Tech and Oklahoma State figure to be wins before the Big 12 title game against Kansas / Missouri, and I like their chances that day.  And by the way – here’s yet another reason the superconferences suck – balanced schedules are dead.  Oklahoma hasn’t played Nebraska or Kansas and instead might have to beat Missouri again to get in the title game.  Stupid.
3. Kansas – still not convinced of this one, either.  Their schedule is right out of the Bill Snyder playbook, for one thing.  And it’s Kansas.
4. LSU – Should be above Kansas, but…well, their coach is a loony, prone to giving games away as often as he “wins” them.
5. West Virginia – I’m never completely convinced by the Big East teams (see South Florida), but they just keep beating people, and Pat White is as able as anyone to win a game on his own.  Get them in the title game, and he could pull it off himself.
6. Missouri – the Illinois win is looking better and better…really not challenged outside of that game and the Oklahoma loss.  At K-State and at Kansas to finish the season.
7. Georgia – as EDSBS says, the evil Mark Richt is coaching Georgia this season.  Two bad losses, but they’ve pounded good Florida and Auburn teams lately.  Possibly too high.
8. Arizona State – The escape vs. a lousy Washington State team bugs me, and needed a late td to pull within 19 against Oregon, and haven’t really beaten anyone, either.
9. Ohio State – I can’t help it.
10. USC – ditto.

 

No more comments…

11. Virginia Tech
12. Florida
13. Boston College
14. Illinois
15. Texas
16. Clemson
17. Virginia
18. Wisconsin
19. Cincinnati
20. Michigan
21. Kentucky
22. Tennessee
23. Boise State
24. Connecticut
25. Penn State

Blogpoll, Week 11

1. Ohio State
2. Oregon
3. LSU
4. Oklahoma
5. West Virginia
6. Kansas
7. Missouri
8. Arizona State
9. Georgia
10. USC
11. Virginia Tech
12. Michigan
13. Boston College
14. Connecticut
15. Florida
16. Texas
17. Auburn
18. Alabama
19. Clemson
20. Virginia
21. Kentucky
22. Hawaii
23. Cal
24. Boise State
25. Florida State

mmmm...beilein...henne...mmmm.

Some impressions of the basketball game vs. Ferris here:

 

http://maizeandbluematters.blogspot.com/2007/11/first-impressions.html

 

Anything jump out at you?  Yeah, the words “system” and “offense.”  Say all the nice things you want about Amaker – good man, good guy, helped change perception of the program from renegade to clean, etc. – but if you can describe his system in ten words, I’ll give you a ‘maize rage’ t-shirt.  It’s a little ragged, and it probably won’t fit the “talent,” but it’s squeaky clean.  This year might not be the year, but look out - the angel of death is coming, and it’s gonna RAIN threes on you and bug the heck out of you on the wing.

 

Dang, that was fun to write.

 

On to football.  I missed almost all of the first three quarters (long story), but mgoblog is dead on – Chad Henne may not be the best quarterback we’ve ever had, but man…he was totally on fumes, playing at about 50% strength, and he just said to the team, “climb on my back guys, or get the hell out of the way.  We’re still going to win this one.”  Name another guy we’ve had like that.  Braylon in the 2004 State game, maybe – but maybe Henne should get a little more credit for that one, too.  Okay, Biakabutuka in the 313-yarder against Ohio State.  Wheatley in the Rose Bowl (scratch that – he sat out the fourth with leg cramps).  Woodson in…uh…the entire 1997 season. 

 

Anyway.  I knew we were going to miss him on the field (Mallett hasn’t convinced me, yet), but we’re REALLY going to miss his guts.  It’s really a shame he isn’t a captain.  He deserved it.