Friday, July 25, 2008

When it comes to BCS, the ACC lays a big egg

They defend the league, but not the numbers. The latter is hard to do when it comes to the ACC’s record against BCS competition the past four years.
It’s not pretty. And expansion, adding powers Virginia Tech and Miami, along with Boston College, has not resulted in power numbers.
In the last four seasons, since expanding, the ACC is:

» 1-9 in BCS Bowl games. At the end of the 1999 season, Florida State beat Virginia Tech for the title, before the Hokies were part of the conference. The Maryland media guide boasts that the league has three teams that have played for a BCS title. Alas, two — the Hokies and Miami — were not yet part of the conference. Maryland is 0-1 in BCS games.

» 2-17 in non-conference games vs. top-10 competition, including Maryland’s win over No. 10 Rutgers last season.

» 9-31 against non-conference teams ranked in the top 25.

They’ve also never received an at-large bid to a BCS game.
Add it up and it’s no wonder the league is not thought of as highly as the other BCS conferences. At least not right now.
The defenders point to the league’s balance. Two years ago, for example, eight of the 12 teams were ranked at some point. And in the last four years, the ACC has had four more first-round draft picks than the more acclaimed, and successful, SEC.
But it doesn’t help that Miami (12-13) and Florida State (14-12) have stumbled the past two seasons. “The numbers are what they are, and it’s up to us to start winning these games against top opponents,” N.C. State coach Tom O’Brien said during the league’s media session last week. “People are going to criticize us, but until we start winning we really don’t have a leg to stand on.”
The first big test comes late next month when Clemson, the preseason favorite, plays at Alabama.
“This,” Clemson quarterback Cullen Harper said at media day, “is a game we need to win.”


Springs as a safety valve?

The Redskins found another backup safety. He already happened to be on their roster.
But with LaRon Landry hurting and Kareem Moore sitting out Thursday morning, the Redskins turned to veteran Shawn Springs to play some free safety.
It’s a role the veteran cornerback enjoys.
“I love it,” Springs said.
In 2004, his first season in Washington, Springs occasionally dropped to safety. He also blitzed quite a bit off the corner. But injuries prompted Washington to not ask him to do as much the ensuing seasons.
Secondary coach Jerry Gray said his time there Thursday was out of necessity, not a hint of the future. But Springs can dream. He also knows his versatility helps the defense.
“If I can get back to doing everything like that, that would be cool,” he said.
Besides, it might be a spot he plays full-time before retirement. At 33, Springs is getting old for a corner, but he’d still be fast enough, and physical enough, to play safety. Of course, with Landry here, he might have to fill that role elsewhere.
“I wouldn’t mind it at all,” Springs said. “It’s a natural progression for me. I still feel good. I feel like I can still ball at corner, too, but if they want me to play safety then I can play out there too.”
Said Gray, “If it presents itself, he probably could do it.”


Olson, Trembley looking for answers

Orioles manager Dave Trembley likes starter Garrett Olson’s future. He just wants to see more from the 24-year-old lefty in the present.
“I think he’s got a whole lot more opportunity to be successful than what he’s showing right now,” he said. “If he trusts his stuff and attacks the hitters maybe a little more aggressively, he’d probably find the outcome to be a little bit more positive for him. But that’s something he’s going to have to figure out on his own.”
Olson (6-5, 6.11 ERA) hasn’t had a quality start since June 5, eight starts ago. In his last outing, a 10-8 loss to Toronto, Garrett earned a no-decision, but yielded six earned runs on nine hits in 4 2/3 innings.
“I think he’s got a tremendous upside,” Trembley said. “There’s a big learning curve here. Some of the things you might be able to get away with in Double-A and Triple-A, it catches up to you in a hurry here. In a hurry.”


IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

Unlike his father, Andrew Giuliani is not ready to concede defeat. The son of former presidential candidate, and ex-New York City mayor, Rudy Giuliani is suing Duke University, claiming he was wrongfully cut from the golf team. Giuliani, in a 198-page lawsuit filed on Wednesday, said Duke golf coach O.D. Vincent III wanted to cut the team’s roster in half, interfering with the plaintiff’s efforts toward becoming a pro golfer.


BY THE NUMBERS

10 » Players and one coach suspended by the WNBA for their role in an altercation between the Detroit Shock and L.A. Sparks.

0 » Iraqi athletes that will compete in next month’s Summer Olympics after the country failed to address accusations of political interference.


ON THE RECORD

“I just felt they weren’t taking it seriously that I wanted to get a new deal. I can’t go out and play this year making $445,000. Come on, man.”

— Bears kick returner Devin Hester on why he is holding out of training camp.