Daily Nugz - Tuesday, October 13th, 2009
by JG2112 on Oct 13, 2009 4:00 AM CDT
13 comments
Did you see my Gopher Hockey Preview of the Defenders? (yes, the wingers and centers are Offenders. Get over it.) Are you too lazy to scroll? You're lucky - click here.
(1) I posted this yesterday, but I want to touch upon it again because the timing is interesting. Totino-Grace QB J.D. Pride committed to Minnesota this past weekend. He's well known because he's chums with Seantrel Henderson, his uncles are the Barber kids, his Dad was a Gopher, and he traveled with Seantrel to a number of camps this past summer. In fact, for a while the thought was, offer Pride, maybe you get Henderson.
Only one school took the bait. He admitted in an interview that Minnesota was his only offer, and that he sat on the offer for the entire summer while trying to drum up more national interest. He even name dropped Kentucky and Michigan in the article linked above as schools "really interested in him." But, no offers meant he took the one he got.
Well, what's to make of this? Pride wants to play QB. He's got Gray, Alipate and based on star ratings, Parish in front of him. He's a 2 star recruit with no other FBS interest. Repeat: no other scholarship offers. And he admitted that his commitment now has nothing to do with where Henderson will go to school.
Pride obviously has every opportunity to succeed at Minnesota and it could very well happen. However, this is yet another situation where the Gophers had the right to be picky with their scholarship offers. Just because they give an offer does not mean they have to confirm/accept the commitment. Yes, that's a little slippery, but that's recruiting - if kids can hold schools hostage until Signing Day and have stupid hat ceremonies at all-star games, coaches can tell a high schooler to wait until Signing Day before committing. Minnesota could "slow play" recruits (such as Pride or Ragoo or Mitchell) in the hopes of getting a better prospect, because it's pretty obvious Pride, Ragoo and Mitchell would pick up the phone on Signing Day. Accepting Pride's commitment right now makes complete sense for Pride (in that there is likely no other offer to get), but it makes no sense for the Gophers, unless this gets them Seantrel's signature. That's unlikely this weekend, as he has confirmed he'll be in South Bend for the USC/Notre Dame game.
Other Nugz?
(2) Yet another Grant at Minnesota? Yes, it might be Eden Prairie's Taylor Grant.
(3) The Big Ten has a new bowl line-up, and I don't care what anyone says, there will be no shame for whoever finishes 8th and gets a little PIZZA PIZZA in Detroit this winter.
(4) The second ranked Minnesota womens' hockey team did just about the greatest thing possible other than winning a national title - last weekend they bludgeoned Ohio State.
(5) Well, we've got Penn State this week, and Black Shoe Diaries actually cares enough to call it HATE WEEK. Believe me, this may warrant a response with Anthony Morelli front and center.
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We are so gonna own you Gophers
I’ve been looking forward to this beatdown for a few years now, and can’t wait to get our revenge!
by The JuggerNitt on Oct 13, 2009 11:17 AM CDT reply actions
What revenge?
We lost the last two times to Penn State. The last loss was on a bogus pass interference call packaged as a gift to Joe Pa. If anything, we owe you something for ending Brandon Owens’ career.
ok, don't really wanna touch the Owens subject
as that actually sucked big time for him (and I do feel really guilty every time I watch MRob take that hit, because except for that injury that was a great highlight). As for revenge? Revenge for 99, revenge for starting PSU’s decline into the dark years, revenge for preying on our team during those dark years, and revenge for wimping out and not playing us the last 2 years? I dunno, it’s hate week, I gotta find something to focus on.
by The JuggerNitt on Oct 13, 2009 2:09 PM CDT up reply actions
Pride
I think he is a step up from Johnny Johnson and Ryan Collado. I too hope that we can find someone better to give the scholly to but this is not the worst thing in the world. Who knows? Maybe SH will realize that he cannot beat out Tyron Smith or Kevin Graf and transfer back home because Pride is here.
At least he didn't
lie about how many scholarships he was given…ala Ragoo.
by TheEvilProfessor on Oct 13, 2009 1:05 PM CDT up reply actions
Very good point TEP
Who knows what the truth is – but really, we beat Hampton and Florida Int’l for Ragoo.
As for the JuggerNitt, I can’t wait to watch the Lions try and defend against Eric Decker.
Decker is just a product of playing against poor secondaries
while PSU’s is no better, they’re certainly no worse, and whlie I’m certain Decker will have some good plays against PSU’s secondary (see: Benn, Arrelious), it won’t be enough to really do any damage. Let me know when you guys get your running game established, or a defense that can hold opponents to under 20 points/game
by The JuggerNitt on Oct 13, 2009 2:05 PM CDT up reply actions
You probably would have got
more traction if you stuck with the Gophers are going to get whooped because they are playing a ranked team on the road line instead of the “revenge” or “Decker’s not that good” arguements. Because although we in all likelyhood will loose (unless Weber, O-line, LB and RB play very well all game), Decker is a potential All American WR. Trying to make him look like anything else just makes you the fool.
by TheEvilProfessor on Oct 13, 2009 2:41 PM CDT up reply actions
I'm not trying to say Decker isn't good, or won't have good production
I’m saying that having a skilled WR and nothing else typically won’t win you a game against a quality opponent.
And his numbers so far have been good, but if there’s anything I’ve learned about postseason awards, especially for QBs and WRs, is that they tend to gravitate towards players from the no-defense league, aka the Nintendo 12, aka the Big XII.
by The JuggerNitt on Oct 14, 2009 11:44 AM CDT up reply actions
If "tending to gravitate"
means orbiting around the earth, you might be right.
But you’re not even close.
Since 1994, there has been exactly ONE player from the Big Twelve that has won the Biletnikoff Award for best WR – Michael Crabtree. In that same timeframe, Bobby Engram (um Penn State?), Terry Glenn (Ohio State), Charles Rogers (Michigan State), and Braylon Edwards (Michigan) have won that award. That’s 4-1 in favor of the Big Ten.
Since 1989, there have been 4 Heisman Trophy winners in the Big Twelve – Ricky Williams, Eric Crouch, Jason White, and Sam Bradford.
In the same time period, Desmond Howard (Michigan), Eddie George (Ohio State), Charles Woodson (Michigan), Ron Dayne (Wisconsin), and Troy Smith (Ohio State) won the Heisman. That’s 5-4 Big Ten.
Therefore, it’s obvious that you’ve learned little about postseason awards. Now go sing Zombie Nation while drinking a Keystone Light.
Why Keystone Light?
They don’t drink Shlitz or Hamm’s at Penn State?
by TheEvilProfessor on Oct 14, 2009 12:09 PM CDT up reply actions
For the record
I do like the Nintendo 12 comment.
by TheEvilProfessor on Oct 14, 2009 12:10 PM CDT up reply actions
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