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Friday TIME: US | UK WEATHER: US | UK HOME THE NEIGHBORHOOD "Life in the UK" American Groups Essential Contacts Money Education Driving WHAT'S ON US Group Events Diary Dates Music Live FEATURES Politics blog SPORTS Features Sideline blog NFL Draft THE AMERICAN MAGAZINE ONLINE |
SIDELINE ARCHIVE Unnecessary Hits To The Pocket / Upset: BYU October 17, 2008 Romo's Pause / Seattle Seahawks October 15, 2008 Weekend Prep: Red River and More October 10, 2008 College Football's 'Crossroads' Weekend October 9, 2008 Gramatical Error October 7, 2008 Turning The Page September 30, 2008 So Cal 'Quizzed — But Who Will Answer? September 26, 2008 3rd Tuesday Panic Button / Forté Yard Dash September 23, 2008 Two and Oh; Oh and Two September 22, 2008 No More NCAAffeine September 11, 2008 Week 1 College Football September 6, 2008 How To Spell Heisman / Chad Ocho Cinco September 1, 2008 Why the Favre story STILL won't go away August 18, 2008 Olympic Notes / Ricky's Still Relevant August 14, 2008 Committee Meetings August 9, 2008 Let the QB Battles Begin August 8, 2008 Slinging The Slinger — More Favre August 6, 2008 Welcome to the 2008 season July 28, 2008 Plus One May 27, 2008 Draft: The Morning After April 28, 2008 Draft: Thinking the Unthinkable April 25, 2008 Draft: Ready For The Long Haul April 23, 2008 Sofa–bound Sport April 16, 2008 Post–Winter Wonderland April 11, 2008 Six Impossible Things February 4, 2008 Brady's Misdirection Play February 3, 2008 Colorful Language January 23, 2008 Let the Romo–bashing begin: Dallas lost January 14, 2008 Bowl Bites: The Wrap January 10, 2008 All About The Coaches January 1, 2008 Bowl Bites 3 and A Communication Breakdown December 29, 2007 Bowl Bites 2 December 27, 2007 Bowl Bites 1 December 23, 2007 The Empty Chair - Coach Situations Vacant December 22, 2007 For Some, The Playoffs Are Now December 15, 2007 A Certain Lack Of Welcome December 13, 2007 Unrelated Notes November 29, 2007 Two Thanksgiving thoughts November 22, 2007 Halftime: NFC November 9, 2007 Halftime: AFC November 8, 2007 London, Part 2 / A Tale of Two Chads / A Game of Intimidation November 4, 2007 Damp Squib / Other London Notes October 29, 2007 Rock 'Em, Sock 'Em / Dolphins – The Aftermath October 23, 2007 The Dolphins Did What? October 18, 2007 Notes on the Defenses October 13, 2007 Habits to be Broken October 12, 2007 Overtime October 13, 2007 This Week's Starters October 6, 2007: USF: Covering The Spread / Fantastic Football September 27, 2007: Grossman: The Final Act? / McNabb, the Epilogue September 24, 2007: Eagles QB in Slight Controversy September 21, 2007: Leftwich's Parting Gift to Jacksonville? / Boos cruise September 18, 2007: Notre Dame M.I.A. September 16, 2007: Looking Beyond NFL Wk. 1 September 12, 2007: Best Hope For Heisman September 10, 2007: Coaching Hot Seats / AP Poll Feeling ’Appy September 7, 2007: The NFL’s Prime Cuts September 5, 2007: Michigan Falls to Killer Apps September 3, 2007: Look Out Couch / The Taint's On You, Bud September 1, 2007: |
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SPORTS SIDELINE 
Observations, Opinion & Occasional Silliness by Richard L Gale KILLER APPS When Appalachian State felled mighty Michigan in surely the greatest upset in college football's long history, they shook not only the national preseason polls, but roused every potential underdog in the land. This season could be dangerous for favorites, because if Appalachian proved anything, they proved that sharp execution and preparedness levels the playing field. Most commentators spent their preseason sleep-grumbling their way through their annual diatribes on how big, ranked powerhouses shouldn't be padding the win column by scheduling 1-AA teams. It was as much as the commentators could do to remember not to still call them '1-AA'. Well, so much for foregone conclusions: No.5 Michigan fell to a team that isn't even a member of their 119-team brand of football. And that's why they play the games. If many people weren't aware of Appalachian State, or didn't know where Boone, North Carolina is, they do now. A glance back at the February issue of The American: "You know what? ... Division 1-A and Division 1-AA don't even officially exist, the Division 1 board of directors abandoning the labels in favor of 'Football Bowl Subdivision' and 'Football Championship Subdivision'. You know who the NCAA football champions are? Appalachian State. I'm not kidding" Apparently, the Michigan Wolverines don't subscribe – they ambled into the game expecting to just roll these 1-AA Mountaineers. But A-State brought their 'A' game and the confidence of BEING national champions. The Wolverines defense couldn't contain their spread offense, their special teams didn't execute, and penalties contributed to their woes. The Wolverines' hope of national championship contention died right there, in front of their own 110,000-strong crowd. Shocked into action, they could run the table from here, win the Big Ten, defeat Ohio State, and finish 11-1. But nobody's letting them into the BCS title game. Nobody is going to forget this, and no poll voter is going to admit in three months that a team that lost to a FCS school is either no.1 or no.2 in the FBS even if all of that came to pass. Despite the numbers from their almost-comeback, it's questionable RB Mike Hart (188 yards, 3 TDs) will be able to hide the result from his Heisman resumé. The only way QB Chad Henne (19-37, 233 yards, 1 TD, 1 int) gets to own a Heisman is if O.J.'s turns up on eBay. And as for Wolverines coach Lloyd Carr? Well, Carr-watch is officially on. His inability to beat Jim Tressel had already warmed his seat going into this season, and he needn't even dream about job-salvaging redemption against Ohio State at the other end of the schedule; between now and November 17, Michigan face Oregon, Penn State, Wisconsin, not to mention Notre Dame, Northwestern, Eastern Michigan (you still think those are gimmes, after Appalachian State?) And yet a deeper theme may yet emerge than the fate of Michigan's coach. With Boise State's astonishing victory over Oklahoma highlighting January's bowl games, and now Appalachian's taming of the Wolverines to start the new season, can any team under-estimate a 'lesser' opponent. Indeed, in the wake of Boise State and Appalachian State, how many other underdogs may yet be inspired to victory? And how many more before poll voters start to re-evaluate the difference between major, mid-major and lesser conference opponents? |
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