The most important decision in the history of the world will be made in the next few weeks, and we'll be providing daily updates on all the hype and hyperbole surrounding the Boise State quarterback competition.
Vs.
Word from Broncos camp is glowing about Bush Hamdan and strangely silent about Kellen Moore. How are we supposed to overreact to every little detail when we don't have every little detail? Looks like we'll just have to start reading into things.
Moore: Practicing with the returners? Good. Throwing an interception to Jeron Johnson? Bad. Hamdan: Gave a media interview and said all the right things.
Advantage: Hamdan.
In the lead: Hamdan. Haven't heard a bad thing about him yet ... except that he's a senior.
Previewing the WAC seems like a good job for an intern. Unfortunately, we do not have an intern. Ugh. Previously: San Jose State and LaTech. Today: Fresno State.
Fresno State
Team motto: "Disappointment is not an option (until November)"
The Fresno State Bulldogs are overrated, overhyped, and in over their heads. What’s new, right?
The national media has named the Bulldogs as WAC favorites despite obvious evidence to the contrary. They have pegged them as potential BCS busters, a title that is routinely placed on Fresno in the preseason only to be unceremoniously ripped from their grasp once conference play begins. And the Bulldogs have scheduled themselves into a fairly large hole with an extremely tough non-conference slate that just screams “2-2.”
Still excited about Fresno State? We haven’t even mentioned Tom Brandstater yet. "I can still make a play! DUAN!"
Five questions
What is all the fuss about?
The Fresno fuss comes from a number of different factors. First, the Bulldogs finished strongly last season with wins over Kansas State in a late non-conference clash and Georgia Tech in the Humanitarian Bowl (never mind the fact that GT didn’t want to be there). Second, Fresno returns 16 starters from last year’s team, including ten on offense. Third, that offense could be something special with senior QB Tom Brandstater, sophomore RB Ryan Mathews, and senior TE Bear Pascoe. And fourth, the media is dumb.
Where does Pat Hill’s courageous scheduling end and Pat Hill’s detriment to the team begin?
This question should be asked more often. Playing “anyone, anywhere, anytime” is a good motto if you never want to be successful in college football. The true formula for success is playing “the right teams at the right places at the right times” (see Boise State’s 2006 schedule for proof). Pat Hill is systematically screwing his team over year in and year out by giving them an impossible schedule. The players give it their all in non-conference play, never going undefeated, then they have the inevitable letdown once the WAC schedule rolls around. Come on, Pat. Be like everyone else and just schedule Cal Poly and MAC schools.
Tell me a Fresno State weakness that does not rhyme with Schmandstater.
The Bulldogs' front seven was hit the hardest in the offseason, and it remains to be seen how the team will recover. People forget that Fresno had the WAC's defensive player of the year last season in Marcus Riley, which probably means he shouldn't have been WAC defensive player of the year. Nevertheless, the Bulldogs will have to replace him if they hope to stop some of the high-powered WAC offenses...and some of the not-so-high-powered ones.
Who is Chastin West?
West led the team in receiving yards in 2006 before missing last year with a knee injury. The junior wideout is expected to add a deep threat dimension to the Bulldogs' offense, which is too bad considering Brandstater is still the quarterback. At any rate, West and teammates Marlon Moore and Jason Crawley will make the Fresno State receiving corps one of the most balanced in the conference.
Will the Bulldogs be undefeated when they come to Boise?
Don’t count on it. The Fresno schedule was not created with perfection in mind. It was created to accomodate giant let-downs in big games. Still, if the Bulldogs are as great as the media make them out to be, a perfect non-conference record could certainly be possible. It's that pesky WAC schedule that could ultimately be their undoing. November will be a tough month for Fresno, and arriving in Boise unscathed might be too much to ask. History would make it seem like expecting the Bulldogs to sail through the WAC would be like expecting British humor to consistently make sense. In other words, don't hold your breath.
Over/Unders
+/- 13 excuses involving Kansas State that Pat Hill makes following loss at Rutgers
+/- 173 references to "Touchdown" Tommy Brandstater that are immediately followed by incompletions or interceptions
+/- 6 WAC wins
+/- 32 defensive line combinations that Pat Hill tries before ultimately switching to the 1-2-8 defense.
One of these years Fresno State will break through and win a WAC title. So why not this year? That was the reasoning that the USA Today Coaches' Poll used.
The Bulldogs will undoubtedly be good. Their offense should run like a well-oiled machine. They will patch together a defense that keeps them in games. They have playmakers on both sides of the ball with experience and desire. But this would hardly be the first time that the Bulldogs have gone into a season with talent, and we know how many outright WAC titles they have to show for it (making "0" with fist and giggling quietly to oneself).
We refuse to jump on the Fresno State bandwagon both due to our hatred of Fresno State and due to the fact that we're not entirely sure the bandwagon will get where it's going. Is Tom Brandstater driving? Then we'll take the bus.
We may be horribly wrong; the Bulldogs might be great. But for now, at least we have history on our side.
Perfect Situation
The Bulldogs survive their non-conference schedule unscathed, Lonyae Miller and Mathews rush for 3,000 combined yards so Brandstater never has to throw a pass, Pat Hill figures out that the WAC isn't as hard as it looks, Fresno goes to Fiesta Bowl and beats a "glad-to-be-here" Notre Dame
Reality
The Bulldogs fall to Rutgers and Wisconsin; lose will to live; sleepwalk through rest of schedule, losing three WAC games; go back to Humanitarian Bowl and beat Georgia Tech, starting the whole hype machine over again next offseason
UPDATE 2:45pm: Brian Murphy has breaking news regarding mohawks. It appears Vinny Perretta, Toshi Franklin, and Ian Johnson are sporting the look. Chadd Cripe talks to Bush Hamdan, who graciously talks back.
The morning practice for the Broncos is in the books, and Jeremy Childs is still the hot topic of discussion. Today, he spoke with the media for the first time since his suspension last season, apologizing for his mistake and looking ahead to the season. He issued a statement at the start of the interview, which pretty much clears things up in our book.
"First, I want to apologize to the city of Boise, to the school and the team for what happened in the spring,” Childs said.
Apology accepted.
“It was an honest mistake."
We had no idea plagiarism was wrong either.
"I regret the mistake."
It takes a big man to admit that so eloquently.
"I want to thank the coaches, my team for accepting me back. The athletic director. The vice president. The assistant vice president. One of my teachers. My family for the support and everybody in the community who supported me."
You're welcome.
"I'm looking forward to the season and getting ready to be back with the team and getting rolling."
Us, too.
The Press-Tribune has audio of the interview, and Dave Southorn lets us commonfolk in on some of the details from the morning session. Apparently, someone threw an interception, someone blew an airhorn, and George Iloka was there. Let your imagination fill in the rest.
We'll be updating this post if any other important camp news comes along today, so feel free to check back as often as you wish.
We know we’ve had our differences over the past few months, what with you being unwieldy and archaic and us being fresh and relevant, but we are prepared to bury the hatchet provided you continue rocking the coverage of fall camp.
Great job yesterday. We loved reading all the news and information you got from the players and coaches. Even hearing your observations was refreshing. You showed us yesterday that somewhere deep inside the structure and bureaucracy of the newsroom lies some knowledge of new media and that, more importantly, you are willing to overcome your fears and ignorance of blogging, uploading, and—dare we say—podcasting in order to provide fans with the copious amounts of Bronco news they desire. Thanks for that.
As a result, we are starting to slowly regain our trust in you, kind of like White Fang regaining his trust in humans. Just don’t tie us to a dog sled and make us race to save the farm! (Or was that Iron Will?) We are coming to appreciate the service you provide for the community of Bronco Nation—a service that up until yesterday was more like the service at the Overland Burger King than anything else.
Speaking of yesterday, let’s recap your newsiness blitzkrieg:
Chadd Cripe blog: Jeremy Childs news, walk-on information, more Drew Hawkins news than we care to read
Brian Murphy blog: camp news, WAC quarterback news (better late than never), rumors of suspensions
These instant news updates were supplemented by your always thorough analysis in the print edition, and it worked fairly effectively. More importantly, we could tell that you had been planning this new strategy for quite some time.
Mike Prater: Alright guys, let’s talk about fall camp. How do you think we should approach this?
Chadd Cripe: Well, what does OBNUG do?
Brian Murphy: Post all the time.
Prater: Right! Post all the time! We can do that!
Cripe: Meeting adjourned. Let’s go to Sonic!
Of course, this letter would be incomplete if we failed to address the coming weeks and months. Getting off to a good start is commendable, but keeping your momentum will be the real sign that you have arrived. We imagine that sometime in the next two or three days, you are going to get tired of writing HTML into your blogging program and want to forget the whole thing and go back to throwing news into the print edition. Don’t. That is not what Bronco fans want, and we think you know that.
Keep posting as frequently as you have information. The Press-Tribune does it this way, and we love them for it. You have an advantage that the rest of Bronco Nation does not: access. Use it wisely.
We believe in you for the first time in a long time. Don’t betray our trust. We’d hate to have to eat you like White Fang ate that kid. (Or was that Free Willy?)
The local media came out like gangbusters for the first day of Boise State's fall camp. We'll see how long they keep it up. Here are the latest stories on yesterday's practices.
Dave Southorn's impressions of newcomer practice [Dave's Blog]
The new kids are big, and Drew Hawkins has energy.
Camper of the Day: Ryan Winterswyk [BroncoSports.com]
Poor, poor Nate Potter.
Minor roster notes [Press-Tribune]
No Jaramillo or Jordan. Slater gets scholarship.
Drew Hawkins feature [Statesman]
Because that's exactly what we've been asking for.
Chadd Cripe's camp notes [Statesman]
Interesting Stueckle Sky Club information.
Vandals start camp today [Statesman]
The city of Moscow sighs apathetically.
Twin Falls gets Bronco credentials? [Magic Valley Times-News]
We're about to make up a newspaper so we can get into practice, too.
A Brian Murphy podcast? Oh my. [BNN]
The Murph is leading the Statesman into the 21st century...with a microphone headset!
Vs.
Posts
