Events Coming Full Circle

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH
PHOTOS BY CANDICE EBLING

In life, there are times when you ask where was I when specific events happen?

I've had numerous moments like that through the years.

Especially when I've had medical issues connecting them with events and dates.

On this day in 2007, one of those occurred at Lockhart Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, FL.

During the weeks leading up to the Michigan Wolverines hosting Appalachian State at The Big House in Ann Arbor, MI., a friend of mine named Mark Lehrman asked me what I thought of this matchup.

The Mountaineers entered the contest as two-time FCS Champions while the Wolverines came into the game as No.5 in the AP and Coaches Poll.

Michigan had a strong senior class of offensive tackle Jake Long, tailback Mike Hart and QB Chad Henne.

I told Mark this game is going to be tougher than most people think.

Just because you're at a lower level of college football doesn't mean that you're much better than your opponent.

There are a lot of great NFL players that come from these institutions such as the late Walter Payton and Jerry Rice.

The Michigan vs Appalachian State University (ASU) game was the first ever on the New Big 10 Network.

Little did anyone know that this would be the Biggest Upset in College Football History.

There was no betting line on this game. Las Vegas didn't think much of it to give it a line.

Oh, how Vegas missed this one.

ASU was ranked No.1 in the pre-season FCS Poll from The Sports Network, receiving 67 out of 70 first place votes. The team had won the previous two FCS National Championships and were favorites to win a third consecutive title according to media outlets.

More importantly, they had also won their last 14 games, the longest in either Division I Subdivision at that time. They had an overall record of 6-34-1 against major FBS teams. The Mountaineers ran a no-huddle spread option system, which they implemented in 2005, their first championship season.

Michigan paid Appalachian State $400,000 to play the game.

When it was all said and done, Michigan lost 34-32 in front of a stunned crowd of 109,208.

Wolverines Coach Lloyd Carr was stunned while Mountaineers Coach Jerry Moore was on Cloud Nine.

The Wolverines would finish the season 9-4 and ended their season beating the Florida Gators 41-35 in the Capital One Bowl in Orlando.

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Where was I when all of this history took place on September 1, 2007?

I was covering My first FAU Football Game for the Deerfield Beach Observer at Lockhart Stadium for a team that was coached by Howard Schnellenberger, who is in the photo at this year's Spring Game.

FAU faced Middle Tennessee State, who was and is currently coached by Rick Stockstill, now in his 14th season.

FAU defeated Middle Tennessee State 27-14 in front of 11,398 fans.

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The aftermath of the Big Upset at The Big House saw ASU win their third consecutive FCS Championship.

The Mountaineers became the first FCS team to receive votes in the Final AP Poll. They received five votes which placed them at a tie for 34th overall with The University of South Florida.

Michigan hosted the Mountaineers again in 2014 and the visitor received $850,000 to get mauled 52-14. The Mountaineers were now members of FBS and played in the Sun Belt Conference.

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Twelve years nearly to the day, Stockstill would face The No.7 Michigan Wolverines on August 31, 2019 on The Big 10 Network.

Middle Tennessee State entered the game as 35.5 point underdogs and they compete in Conference USA.

The Blue Raiders capitalized on two U-M turnovers and scored late in garbage time, but lost 40-21 in front of 110,811. The margin of victory didn't reach the point spread. But there would be no major upsets this time. 

While I have no idea of the amount Middle Tennessee State earned for this game, I assume they earned between $750,000 -- $ 1 Million.

But the prime-time exposure was priceless.

As I look back at the sequence of events, it's surreal to think that Middle Tennessee State, located on the outskirts of Nashville in Murfreesboro, would face the two teams I cover 12 years apart nearly to the day with a historical upset.

Nevertheless, it was a good opportunity to reminisce where I was when a particular game occurred.

We'll see Middle Tennessee State in action as The Blue Raiders face FAU at 4 pm on October 12, 2019 in Boca Raton, FL.

Yet, it's amazing how things indeed come full circle.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at www.scottsports33.com and is the Founder and CEO of The South Florida Tribune.

Future Big 12 Or Major Conference Candidates?

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH

Whenever I hear of expansion in any sport, I become very intrigued.

Expansion to me means growth, increase of revenues and adding of new markets.

One person who I follow on Facebook is former NFL Running Back Craig James. He decided to ask his followers what would be good markets that the Big 12 Conference could add. It was interesting to hear some of his responses.

It's inevitable that in Major College Football we're approaching a new era with Super Conferences.

Right now, we have The Power Five which leads toward selection of The Final Four and decides match-ups for Major Bowl Games.

What I've decided to do in this story is to make a case for some of the finalists which could eventually be members of the Big 12, or for that matter if they're bypassed, that could land in another Major Conference.

My numerical order doesn't reflect how I rank the teams.

1. Air Force--This military academy has had a good football tradition. Being an Independent has always allowed Air Force to schedule whatever opponents are available. Air Force used to have some entertaining games with Notre Dame. Is the Air Force ready to see top caliber competition year in and year out? I have my doubts.

2. BYU--This school has won a National Championship, plus has produced a pair of  Super Bowl Winning QB's in Steve Young and Jim McMahon. BYU has also developed a pretty good reputation in basketball. Current Boston Celtics Executive Danny Ainge played for the Cougars and also played on NBA Title Teams in Boston. I like BYU's chances of landing in a major conference.

3. University of Central Florida (UCF)--Former Coach George O'Leary lost his job at Notre Dame because of an inaccurate resume. But he built a good enough resume for the Knights by compiling an 81-68 record in 11 seasons. UCF is honoring him with a statue outside their Football Stadium.

I like UCF's chances of landing in a Major Conference. There is a conference that will want a presence in a Major Florida City. Orlando is an excellent Sunshine State possibility. It hosts two bowl games every year.

On September 10, 2016, UCF faced the Michigan Wolverines at The Big House and did lose 51-14, but got some good exposure. It hired former Oregon Offensive Coordinator Scott Frost as O'Leary's successor. I'm sure this University would do well in basketball.

4. Cincinnati--The Bearcats have produced good football and basketball teams. From a territorial standpoint, there is a good recruiting base in Ohio and Kentucky. But there are too many markets I would choose over them.

5. Colorado State--This would be my sleeper pick. Once upon a time Colorado used to be in The Big 12 before bolting to the Pac 12. The Big 12 would be wise to add Colorado State to recapture the Denver Market. I told this to James and he liked the idea. Thumbs up for the Rams.

6. U-Conn--Because of travel, I don't see The Huskies getting into The Big 12. Their basketball programs are championship caliber. However, their football program is still building. The only chance of a Major Conference would be the Big 10. The Huskies former Athletic Director Warde Manuel was recently hired by Michigan. I don't see U-Conn changing conferences anytime soon.

7. Houston--The advantages of adding U-H to the Big 12 is a large TV Market and continue to have a strong presence in Texas. With that said, Houston's college team still takes a backseat behind the NFL's Texans, although Miami, Pittsburgh and Tampa Bay fare well. There is competition for the entertainment dollar behind the Texans, MLB's Astros and NBA's Rockets. It's hard to overlook that Houston has defeated Florida State and Oklahoma recently and that enhances their credibility should the Big 12 invite.

Nonetheless, I have my doubts with Houston due to the fact that there are better options. However, if the Big 12 wants to have another team in Texas, this would be the logical choice which would bolster recruiting.

Jim Harbaugh was preparing for a Satellite Camp in Texas with Baylor Bears Coach Art Briles, but those plans came to a halt with his firing because of a Sex Scandal.

8. Rice--It's another Texas school but because of it's lack of history in major sports, the Owls are better off competing in a Mid-Major Conference. I could see Rice in the bottom of the standings in these Major Conferences. I think Rice has No Chance of getting into a Power-Five Conference.

9. SMU--The Mustangs have a solid sports history and being in Dallas is a Big TV Market. But as was the case with Houston, does the Big 12 want to expand further into Texas. I could see another Power Five Conference taking a shot here to expand their recruiting base. One thing to take note is the SMU Sports has had a checkered past by getting into trouble with the NCAA in football and basketball. At one point SMU was hit with the Death Penalty and the Football Program was shut down.

10. Tulane--The New Orleans market would be an intriguing addition to any conference. A new football stadium was built on campus. Two Bowl Games are held at The Superdome every year. The population base is strong and Tulane is in LSU's backyard. I think Tulane lands somewhere with a Power Five Conference.

11. South Florida--My Alma-Mater is at the top of my list to land somewhere. I'm not being biased because of being a Proud Bull. The Tampa Bay Area has an excellent High School Football Tradition as I found out working with the Tampa Tribune from 1984-86. It's a large TV Market. The Bulls play at Raymond James Stadium with the Bucs.

Landing marquee teams won't be a problem. There is an annual New Year's Bowl Game held on New Year's which is The Outback that has a rich history.

Coach Willie Taggart is on the verge of turning USF into a winning program. Basketball has a good on campus facility in The Sun Dome.

The Bulls have played Michigan State and Wisconsin recently. Michigan Coach Jim Harbaugh held a Spring Practice 90 minutes south at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, FL on March 4 where an estimated crowd of 5,000 attended. The Wolverines spent approximately $350,000 for their spring excursion.

For a conference to have this big of a presence in a Major Market would be hitting a Home Run. Florida is a big recruiting ground around the country.

I have a gut feeling that if USF gets bypassed by The Big 12, then The Big 10 will snap up the Bulls, much to the dismay of the SEC where these coaches criticized Harbaugh's Satellite Camps figuring he was a threat to recruiting in their backyard.

The Big 10 recently expanded its brand to Maryland and Rutgers (New York Market) in an attempt to grab East Coast exposure. It's time to have a team in Florida whether it's going to be USF or UCF.

So now you have it.

As the landscape of college sports changes over the next so many years, it will be interesting to look at a USA Map and watch schools play in different time zones for the almighty dollar with dreams of competing for National Championships.

I can also visualize that if the Big 10 lands a school in Florida, Harbaugh will add more Satellite Camps while SEC Network Reporter Paul Finebaum will continue to whine louder and louder. This clown must get paid good money by the SEC Network to complain about Harbaugh!

I wonder how much it would irritate Finebaum if a Big 10 school plays six games in SEC Territory. I am amused at how much Harbaugh does aggravate Finebaum and makes Paul look like a complete idiot.

Nonetheless, I expect UCF and USF to land somewhere and there will be a bigger Big 10 or Big 12 presence like never before.

It will be interesting to see how this plays out.

I'll also be curious to see how close My Projections turn out.

Stay Tuned.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at www.scottsports.com and is a member of The Detroit Sports Broadcasters Association.

Michigan's Next Football Coach?

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH

It is very rare that I would pass on a Michigan VS Ohio State contest to go Holiday Shopping with My Girlfriend.

But when the Wolverines are 21-point underdogs and this is likely going to be Coach Brady Hoke's last game, then I'm not interested in watching a Swan Song.

After Michigan's 23-16 loss to Maryland Saturday, the Wolverines dropped to 5-6 and this was their best chance to become Bowl Eligible.

Right now Ohio State is hungry and they need this game to give them a punchers chance to reach the Final Four to have an opportunity at winning the National Championship in January in Dallas at AT&T Stadium.

A win over Michigan would put Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship against Minnesota or Wisconsin.

Hoke's record is currently 31-19, however in the past three seasons, he's 20-17. Top recruits are changing their minds about going to U-M and looking elsewhere.

The Big Ten needs Michigan to be a top rated school because the All-Time Winningest Program only enhances the conferences credibility. Football in The State of Michigan is a better place when the Wolverines are winning.

Assuming that Hoke is terminated, I've decided to make some suggestions on who could roam the sidelines at "The Big House."

1. Mike Stoops is the Defensive Coordinator at Oklahoma under his brother Bob. Mike coached at the University of Arizona from 2004-2011 and was 41-50. How could anybody rule out a Stoops since the bloodlines are strong in college football? Give Mike a big powerhouse like Michigan and he'd make the most of his second opportunity. Arizona has struggled throughout the years despite the recent success of former Michigan Coach Rich Rodriguez.

2. Jim Leavitt is a linebackers coach for the San Francisco 49'ers. Now I know that he won't get consideration for the job, but I'll give you reasons why he should. He built My Alma-Mater USF's Football Program from Scratch. From 1997-2009, he was 95-57 and put USF on the College Football Map. Unfortunately for Leavitt, he was fired due to conduct regarding treatment of students. He's currently working on Jim Harbaugh's staff. Since Leavitt left USF, his successors have really struggled. Skip Holtz was 16-21 in three seasons. Willie Taggart is currently 6-17 with one game left this season. Is Leavitt's fiery personality too much for Michigan Football? Probably. But right now Michigan needs a lot of energy and the 57-year old is a proven winner and his temperament could be what this university needs to reignite this once proud powerhouse.

3. Jon Gruden would bring tremendous credibility to Michigan. He's 51 and has a knack when it comes to developing young quarterbacks. Gruden went to school at University of Dayton. He was born in Sandusky, Ohio, the home of Cedar Point which is the Roller Coaster Capital of the World. He would be on an interesting roller coaster ride at U-M at the beginning. But a great way to recruit is take an NFL career record of 95-81, show the student's parents his Super Bowl Ring and tell him that he has a lot of Professional Contacts that could turn into Dollar Signs which make Dreams Come True. Anybody who watches Gruden on ESPN is definitely going to learn something. A recruit would be foolish not to play for Gruden, who would be returning to the Midwest. Can you imagine a Michigan VS Ohio State Game with two coaches from the Buckeye State? I wouldn't be going Holiday Shopping if these two faced each other in November!

4. Greg Schiano had an opportunity to become the coach at U-M when former Athletic Director Bill Martin spoke to him on December 5, 2007. Two days later he withdrew his name from consideration. During an 11-year tenure at Rutgers University, Schiano was 68-67 with a 5-1 record in Bowl Games. He coached two seasons in the NFL with the Tampa Bay Bucs but struggled with an 11-21 mark. He built Rutgers into a credible program and ironically, the school is a member of the Big Ten. The timing may not have been good for Schiano before, but since he's unemployed, it could work out this time.

5. Pat Fitzgerald will turn 40-years old on December 2. The Wolverines have seen plenty of the the Northwestern Wildcats coach since he became the head man in 2006. As of tonight, Fitzgerald is 60-52 and has guided the Wildcats to five Bowl Games. He-s 1-4 at his Alma-Mater, but the question remains, would Fitzgerald be ready to take a major climb at a program with Michigan's History? One former Northwestern Coach was Ara Parseghian who coached there from 1956-63 and compiled a 36-35-1 mark then moved on to Notre Dame. This is a tough call for the Orland Park, Illinois native.

6. Cam Cameron is a Michigan Man and what would a coaching search be without looking for one? Cameron spent 10-years at U-M where he learned from the late Bo Schembechler. He's tutored QB's Jim Harbaugh, Elvis Grbac and Todd Collins. He's also coached Amani Toomer, Derrick Alexander and Heisman Trophy Winner Desmond Howard. Cameron has worked alongside future head coaches Lloyd Carr, Gary Moeller, Les Miles and Mike DeBord. Cameron is currently the Offensive Coordinator/QB Coach at LSU under Miles. He's struggled with his two head coaching stops. From 1997-2001, he was 18-37 at Indiana. But I wouldn't hold that against Cameron because Indiana is a basketball school, and struggles on the gridiron. In 2007, Cameron's lone season with the Miami Dolphins produced a 1-15 mark. He's been a QB Coach for the Washington Redskins as well as an Offensive Coordinator for the San Diego Chargers and Baltimore Ravens.

7. Les Miles has been approached twice since Carr retired after the 2007 Season as well as in 2010 when Rodriguez was fired. While he's listened to Michigan's overtures, he declined and elected to remain at LSU then return home to his Alma-Mater. As of tonight, Miles is 7-4 and his career mark is 130-49. At 61-years old, he's signed through 2019. Would he join former SEC/Florida Coach Urban Meyer in the Big Ten? Meyer is 50 but it would be neat to see these two rivals face each other in the Big Ten. But I don't believe the third time will be the charm and Miles listens, but stays put.

8. Jim Harbaugh is going to get mentioned for this job as his status beyond this season with the 49'ers remains in limbo. If there is a reach, this one is it. Harbaugh is a former U-M QB and his name surfaces when the head coaching vacancy becomes available. He's a proven NFL QB and he's won at every coaching stop. He began his career at the University of San Diego and from 2004-2006, Harbaugh was 29-6. He moved on to Stanford from 2007-2010 and was 29-21. He mentored Indianapolis Colts QB Andrew Luck. Then he stayed in the Bay Area to coach the San Francisco 49'ers where he's been since 2011. He's currently 43-15-1 with three trips to the playoffs and one Super Bowl Appearance. Another Michigan Man and he'll turn 51 on December 23. There will be plenty of fire in him. Now the question would be how much the Wolverines would have to pay him to return to Ann Arbor?

9. Mack Brown is currently enjoying life as a broadcaster at ESPN. But these days coaches tend to work into their late 60's and early 70's. Brown turned 63 on August 27, 1951. His overall head coaching record is 244-122-1 and is 13-8 in Bowl Games. His main coaching stops include North Carolina and Texas. He won a National Championship in 2005. If Michigan came calling, I'm sure Brown would listen very hard and this would be his last coaching stop at another Legendary Program. I believe he would take this job! Michigan and Texas are scheduled to play in the future during the regular season.

10. Mike Gundy is having a tough season at his Alma-Mater Oklahoma State with a 5-6 record. He's been coaching the Cowboys since 2005 and has compiled an 82-44 record. He's 5-3 in Bowl Games and if there is ever a time to try to lure him away from OSU, it's now. The Cowboys are paying him $3.75 Million a year and at age 47, this guy has a promising future and is off to a excellent start. Many great coaches move onto new challenges. Gundy has compiled his record being the little brother to the Oklahoma Sooners. Can you imagine if he went to a school which was the No.1 university in the state? Can just imagine what a MSU coached Mark Dantonio (58) team would be like against a Gundy coached Michigan Program. Another fiery young competitor that can bring a lot of energy into Michigan Stadium.

It will be interesting to see how the Michigan coaching search plays out. But there are a lot of good candidates who can revitalize this Legendary Program. Many of these guys are great Offensive Minds and have Developed a lot of Quarterbacks, which is an area where the Wolverines desperately need help.


Scott Morganroth can be reached at www.scottsports33.com.

A New FAU Era In Conference USA

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH

The last time the FAU Owls opened the season at home against Middle Tennessee was a day that Michigan Wolverines Football fans certainly would like to forget.

On September 1, 2007, Appalachian State stunned the Wolverines 34-32 in front of 109,208 shocked fans at The Big House.

The rematch will be August 30, 2014.

This same day, I was covering My first FAU contest against Middle Tennessee at Fort Lauderdale's Lockhart Stadium. The Owls defeated Middle Tennessee 27-14. Since that win, FAU has lost five straight games to Middle Tennessee and trail the series 7-3.

Six years later, the Owls have opened at home again against Middle Tennessee, but two major things have changed.

FAU has moved from the Sun Belt Conference to Conference USA.

Three years ago, FAU moved into it's beautiful on campus stadium that faces the Atlantic Ocean. You can see the ocean from the Sixth Floor at FAU Stadium in the Press Box.

Four teams made the switch to Conference USA. Florida International University and North Texas were the first to make their announcements. Months later, FAU and Middle Tennessee followed them.

For the last few years we've seen a lot of conference realignment. Schools like Colorado, Utah, Texas A&M, Missouri, Syracuse, Pittsburgh, Nebraska, West Virginia and TCU are acclimating to their new rivals. The Big Ten will add Maryland and Rutgers next season while Louisville is headed to the ACC.

How have the Owls adapted thus far?

After FAU's 42-35 overtime loss to Middle Tennessee, the Owls are 1-3 and 0-2 in the conference. The Owls have now lost six in a row to the Blue Raiders and trail the all-time series 8-3.

FAU's only victory occurred September 14, as the Owls defeated My Alma-Mater the University of South Florida Bulls 28-10 in Tampa.

It's hard to win committing five turnovers as FAU did, in addition to allowing Middle Tennessee to amass 446 yards in total offense.

It's rare to see a team compile 503 yards in total offense and lose. But that's what happened to FAU.

Wide Receiver, Daniel McKinney, a senior from Detroit was FAU's leading receiver. He had nine receptions for 82-yards and a touchdown. This was a career high for McKinney.

Sophomore QB Jaquez Johnson threw for 321 yards, three touchdowns but also had two interceptions.

When the game was over, FAU Coach Carl Pelini said despite the close loss, he's said there is no such thing as a moral victory.

"You're not going to beat a good football team like Middle Tennessee when you constantly shoot yourself in the foot," Pelini said. "I don't think we were very disciplined on the defensive side of the ball, and I think we made a lot of mistakes on the offensive side of the ball. You can't have five turnovers in college football and expect to win games. It shouldn't have come down to overtime."

Pertaining to the turnovers, Pelini added, "they're tearing at the football. You know you saw it, and we just got to be stronger. We practice ball security everyday, so it's unacceptable."

FAU returns to action on Saturday, September 28 at 7 pm as it hits the road to play in the first "Owls Bowl" visiting Rice in Houston, Texas.

There is one thing FAU didn't have to deal with that two other Florida schools had to face Saturday.

The Florida A&M Rattlers were ripped by the Ohio State Buckeyes 76-0 in Columbus.

FAU's rival Florida International University went to Kentucky and was crushed by Louisville 72-0.

After today's offensive display, I'll be curious as to see what's ahead in the coming weeks for FAU. I find it hard to watch a team score 35 points and lose.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at scottsports33@aol.com.

A Great Save

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH

When the Detroit Red Wings lost a heartbreaking classic 2-1 overtime contest in Game 7 of the Western Conference Semi-Finals Wednesday night to the Chicago Blackhawks in the Windy City, I turned the television right off after the goal.

My girlfriend Candy said "I'm sorry your team lost" then she gave me a passionate kiss on the lips with her million dollar smile.

I thanked her with a hug and said My NHL Season is over. It's time to take care of other business and challenges this summer.

What I took away from the Red Wings stretch drive was they extended their consecutive playoff streak to 22 years. They had to win their final four games to get into the tournament and made it on the last day of the regular season.

Detroit upset the Anaheim Ducks winning their series 4-3.

Goaltender Jimmy Howard has given Red Wings fans hope for the future.

There is no question that Coach Mike Babcock did his best coaching job ever compiling a 24-16-8 record with a team saddled by injuries and incorporating younger players into the line-up.

It's tough enough to be a team in transition, but to do it with a week of training camp coming off a lockout is an amazing story.

This is a great momentum builder now that Detroit is finally moving to the Eastern Conference.

As much as the NHL infuriated and alienated a lot of people, the league rebounded real well as all of the "Original Six Teams" made the playoffs. I can't remember the last time this happened.

There were some great "Original Six" match-ups. The Toronto Maple Leafs faced the Boston Bruins, the New York Rangers faced the Bruins while the Detroit Red Wings did battle with the Chicago Blackhawks. It's very possible there could be an "Original Six" battle in Stanley Cup Finals.

The Red Wings and Blackhawks have now faced each other for the last time in the playoffs in the Western Conference.

Indeed, the NHL rebounded and made a "Great Save" in the playoffs.

The next winning goal is Conference Realignment next season as well as the numerous "Outdoor Games" scheduled. The NHL has found a new way to market, get larger crowds and have hit a home run with this idea.

My goal for next season is to cover all the Red Wings games in Florida, then go back home for the "Winter Classic" January 1, 2014 as Detroit faces "Original Six" rival Toronto at Michigan Stadium (The Big House) along with 100,000 others. This game figures to set the all-time attendance record for a hockey game.

I'm sure by then, Red Wings General Manager Ken Holland will have upgraded the roster as Detroit can prepare for a fresh start with an entire season as well as much less travel, in addition to building new rivals, rekindling old rivals and enhancing their fan base on the East Coast.

It's been an enjoyable Spring and I look forward to seeing the NHL's return in the Fall.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at scottsports33@aol.com.

Self Destruction 101

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH

I'll never forget what Ivan Drago's trainer said in Rocky V when describing his powerful fighter.

Whatever he hits, he destroys.

The same can be said about NHLPA Executive Director Donald Fehr. Whatever league he leads, he destroys.

In 1994, Major League Baseball cancelled the World Series for the first time in history as a result of a labor conflict.

This ultimately led to the demise of the Montreal Expos, who were on pace to reach the "Fall Classic" for the first time in team history. The Expos are now the Washington Nationals.

Thanks to a home run battle between Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire, along with Cal Ripken Jr's consecutive game streak, baseball eventually recovered although I wouldn't doubt it if some of the fans never came back.

During the last baseball negotiations, both sides quietly put another deal together in the off-season enabling peace and harmony to continue.

Meanwhile, Fehr is working for a league that cancelled the 2004-2005 season. The players revenue decreased from 74 percent down to 57 percent.

Once again, players have flocked overseas to play for minimum wage so they can pay their bills.

Nobody sees them on TV and you can rest assure that the crowds at the arenas are lower than the 15-20,000 per-game in the NHL.

Before he took the NHL gig, didn't Fehr realize that he's in a sport which has the worst TV Contract of the four?

I have a strong feeling that NASCAR's TV Contract is better than the NHL's.

To the NHL's credit, at least they're no longer buying their air-time on NBC because the product and star power is much better.

Oh well, now that the 2013 Winter Classic has been cancelled, it's time to say good-bye to the 2012-2013 season.

The Southeastern Michigan Region figures to lose $75 Million while Detroit figures to take a $25-35 Million hit that could have bolstered it's battered economy. Estimates of 114,000 fans were expected to go to Michigan Stadium's "Big House" to watch Hockey's Attendance Records get shattered.

The NHL has already announced that the 2014 Winter Classic will be played between the Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs providing that the owners don't get too mad in their quest to break the union again!

The fans aren't going to care. The NBA has all of the winter sports headlines to itself.

The NFL, College Football, Basketball, The Final Four, will hold us over until MLB begins Spring Training.

In a bad economy, there will be no sympathy for NHL Hockey.

I was looking forward to seeing the Detroit Red Wings play the Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers in the Sunshine State.

There was an outside possibility I was going to spend my 50th birthday in Michigan then see the Winter Classic at the "Big House."

Instead, it will be short sleeves this winter and No. 50 will be spent near the beach.

I'm grateful to Fehr that he's saved me a lot of money with the high gas prices.

As I mentioned earlier, Michigan Stadium gets the 2014 Winter Classic. The only thing that will change are the players who will participate in the old-timers, regular game and the festivities.

Hopefully, some of the legends that were scheduled in the 2013 game won't be deceased.

Nonetheless, the NHL has set an example that they don't learn from past mistakes.

Look for empty arenas and lower television ratings.

As was the case with the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Los Angeles Kings get to keep their Stanley Cup Trophy longer.

While I never visualized the Detroit Tigers would face the San Francisco Giants in the World Series during a recent blog, I safely made this prediction that the NHL would alienate its fans again thanks to greed.

The NHLPA will once again cave in.

The owners will make sure of that. They're stubborn and Commissioner Gary Bettman won't negotiate a bad deal for the owners even if it means losing another season.

They're losing revenue now and with the 2013 Winter Classic history, the owners aren't spending money on payroll.

Fehr the Fehr and congratulations Donald for wrecking another sport.

The backlash from the fans will be far worse than the damage caused by Hurricanes Katrina (New Orleans) and Sandy (New York City) as Donald Fehr was the eye of the MLB and is the eye of the NHL Labor Storm.

Especially since Hockey has self destructed for the second time within a decade over greed.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at scottsports33@aol.com.

A Humbled Announcer

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH

I rarely watch ESPN's College Football Game Day because of my busy schedule.

But because Nebraska was facing the Michigan Wolverines in "The Big House," this was a great opportunity to hear the crews prediction.

Longtime analyst Lee Corso, 76, seemed quite decisive predicting the visiting Cornhuskers. Corso's famous line "Not So Fast, My Friend" bit him good as Michigan crushed Nebraska 45-17 in front of 113,718, the largest crowd to ever see a Cornhuskers contest in this storied program's rich history.

Not only did Corso look bad with with this prediction, his use of the expletive that begins with an "F" as he was ending his show turned out to be a disaster. Even his sidekick Kirk Herbstreit wondered where the delay button was.

But I'm going to give Corso a pass for this mistake. His public on air apology looked sincere, he showed tremendous remorse and he was very humbled by his actions.

If the former 1985 USFL Orlando Renegades Coach loses his job, he could go back to work for the Indiana Hoosiers, whom he coached from 1973-1982 and compiled a 41-68-2 record. The Hoosiers are 1-10 and were hammered by Michigan State 55-3 Saturday in East Lansing.

Guest predictor Carl Lewis also picked Nebraska while Herbstreit, a former Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback, did pick his former rival U-M to defeat Nebraska.

The Wolverines, which improved to (9-2, 5-2 Big 10) officially welcomed Nebraska to the conference with this beating....

Michigan State was glad that Herbstreit's prediction came to fruition because they'll play in the inaugural Big 10 Championship Game on December 3 in Indianapolis, Indiana., as winners of the Legends Division. It must have very difficult for the Spartans (9-2, 6-1 Big 10) to root for U-M, but if it made conference history and earns them a trip to a BCS Game, Rose Bowl, I'm sure no one in East Lansing is complaining....

A few years ago, I was angry that the Delaware Fighting Blue Hens and in state rival Delaware State never played at all. But the two schools finally met in the FCS Playoffs and now face each other regularly.

This time, the focus is on the Arkansas Razorbacks, who refuse to play the Arkansas State Red Wolves of the Sun Belt Conference. This season Arkansas State is (9-2, 7-0 Sun Belt) while the Razorbacks are (10-1, 6-1 SEC).

I don't know what the problem is with Arkansas, but this meeting could only bolster the enthusiasm in that state. The Razorbacks should change their name to the "Arkansas Chickens."

There are lots of other great in state rivalries.

Why should an SEC powerhouse even worry about facing a Sun Belt Conference school when most of these games guarantee big pay days for the underdog schools, and seldom do you see wins from these institutions when they play?

Arkansas is coached by a man that didn't have the guts to finish an NFL Season with the Atlanta Falcons named Bobby Petrino. If Petrino had the guts to schedule Arkansas State, I might not be as critical of him. But I know he doesn't have the courage to face the Red Wolves.

Years ago, the college basketball rivalry which reminded me of "Dodgeball" was Kentucky VS Louisville. They were forced to face each other in the NCAA Tournament and that sparked the beginning of a rivalry which is going strong.

The folks in Arkansas should have former President Bill Clinton mediate this boneheaded impasse....

Two major droughts ended on Saturday.

Baylor University, a private Christian institution of 15,000 students located in Waco, Texas., went into Saturday's home game against the No. 5 Oklahoma Sooners 0-20 all-time against their rival from Norman. Most of these games weren't even close.

The No. 22 Bears (7-3, 4-3 Big 12) finally ended years of misery thanks to the performance of Robert Griffin III by improving to 1-21 as the quarterback threw for 479 yards, four touchdowns including a 34-yarder to Terrance Williams with eight seconds left in the game ending Oklahoma's chances of winning a BCS Championship.

The Virginia Cavaliers (8-3, 5-2 ACC) snapped Florida State's five game winning streak with it's fourth straight win in this 14-13 road triumph.

The Cavaliers had never won in Tallahassee going 0-8 in their previous trips to the Florida State Capital. Virginia is now 1-8 in the Panhandle.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at scottsports33@aol.com and his blog can be seen at www.scottsports33.com.

Michigan Verus Tennessee

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH

These two schools rarely face each other in the major revenue producing sports football and basketball, but when they do, it's been a one-sided outcome.

On Friday March 20, they met on the hardwood, and history was made for all of the wrong reasons.

The Michigan Wolverines whipped the Tennessee Volunteers 75-45 in the first round of the NCAA Basketball Tournament.

Three days later, Tennessee Coach Bruce Pearl was fired after six seasons leaving Knoxville with a 145-61 record and six consecutive NCAA Tournament Appearances. But it wasn't the record that saw him get terminated, it was his dishonesty with the NCAA and recruiting problems which sees him looking for another employer. He had guided this program to great success and was popular at Rocky Top, but in the end, his successor is going to have to live with the upcoming NCAA sanctions and the rebuilding that comes with these mistakes.

The No. 45 is also connected with another Michigan versus Tennessee match-up that occurred on January 1, 2002. This time, the Volunteers hammered the Wolverines 45-17 in the Capital One Florida Citrus Bowl. At that time, this was the worst loss in Michigan bowl history prior to this season. There would be no coaching casualties after this game.

But when you look at these two schools, there are some interesting comparisons.

On January 1, 2011, the Mississippi State Bulldogs whipped the Wolverines 52-14 in the Gator Bowl and this became Michigan's worst bowl loss ever. A few days later, Michigan Coach Rich Rodriguez was fired after compiling a 15-22 record in three seasons and also had NCAA problems due to excessive practice time.

Like Tennessee basketball, the Michigan Football Program is in transition under a new coach.

Since both schools have outstanding football traditions, here are some other numbers worth comparing.

Michigan is the All-Time Winningest College Program with 884 wins. The Wolverines have 11 National Championships, a record 112 winning seasons and the biggest stadium in the country. Michigan Stadium will pack 113,000 fans in the Big House.

Meanwhile, Tennessee has 789 wins to go along with six National Titles. The largest crowd to ever watch a game at Neyland Stadium is 109,061.

These are definitely two first class universities, now the only question remains, will the next time they face each other lead to a more competitive contest? We'll find out, but as far as their proud sports histories are concerned, they're certainly worth comparing and this season in football, they'll have younger coaches on the sidelines trying to create their own legacies.

Derek Dooley was 6-7 in his first season while Brady Hoke will try to bring the Wolverines back to respectability in his inaugural year.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at scottsports33@aol.com and his blog can be seen at http://www.scottsports33.com/.

College Football Week 3

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH

There is one major thing that I learned about myself during week three of the college football season. I am not a professional prognosticator therefore I better stick to just informing the fans with facts and not opinions. I predicted the Florida Gators would demolish the Tennessee Volunteers by 50 plus points and the outcome was decided by just 10 by the team that makes Gainesville it's home otherwise known as the defending national champions. So here are this week's highlights.

1) In their week two win against Colorado, the Toledo Rockets defense gave up 38 points but they should have known that if they give up this many points again to intrastate rival No.11 Ohio State, the outcome could get ugly. It did as the Buckeyes whitewashed the Rockets 38-0 in front of 71,727 at Cleveland Browns Stadium. The Buckeyes improved to 25-1 against current MAC schools. The Buckeyes have not lost an intrastate game from a school in Ohio since 1921 as they fell to Oberlin.

2) Since we're on the Ohio theme, former Nebraska Cornhuskers Coach Frank Solich posted a 58-19 record in six seasons with the "Big Red" from 1998-2003. He has found a home with the Ohio Bobcats (2-1) and is 25-27 after Saturday's 28-10 victory over Cal Poly. The Ohio Bobcats are located in Athens and play in 24,000 seat Peden Stadium. Solich's Cornusker's were accustomed to playing in front of crowds above 85,500 in Lincoln. During his four plus seasons he has guided the Bobcats to a bowl appearance. But one of his biggest accomplishments was on September 6, 2008 when he took his Bobcats into Ohio Stadium and lost a hard fought decision to the No.3 Buckeyes 26-14 in front of 105,002. The Bobcats travel to Knoxville and face the Volunteers (1-2) Saturday at Neyland Stadium which has a capacity of 100,011. Solich's overall collegiate record is 83-46.

3) If you're a Minnesota Golden Gophers fan and you bought season tickets to the new TCF Bank Stadium, one way to accept the first loss in this facility, which holds 50,805, is by witnessing an outstanding performance by a Heisman Trophy Candidate. Jahvid Best scored five touchdowns and rushed for 131 yards enabling the No.8 California Golden Bears to topple the Gophers 35-21.

4) After coming off a nice 17-15 victory over Kansas State at home in week two, the University of Louisiana-Lafayette came back to reality in the battle of I-10 as the No.9 LSU Tigers hammered the Ragin' Cajuns 31-3 in front of 92,443 fans at Tiger Stadium. LSU improved to 22-0 in their series with UL-L and won versus a team from Louisiana for the 23rd straight time. The Tigers are 33-0 against the Sun Belt Conference. UL-L fell t0 1-22 against ranked opponents.

5) Speaking of the Sun Belt Conference, in NFL terms when the Raiders are mentioned playing a Maryland based team, we speak of the match ups between Oakland against the Baltimore Colts or Ravens. On Saturday, The Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders (2-1) defeated the host Maryland Terrapins (1-2) 32-31 in College Park as Alan Gendreau kicked a 19-yard field goal as time expired. This was the second straight win for the Blue Raiders over Maryland as they pulled off a home 24-14 upset on September 6, 2008.

6) The Delaware State Hornets (0-2) will see Maize and Blue twice this season and at the rate things are going figure to lose both games. On Saturday, the Delaware Blue Hens (2-1), who wear the same colors as the Michigan Wolverines faced their intrastate rival for the first time ever in the regular season and came away with a 27-17 win over the Hornets in Newark. A crowd of 20,585 saw this contest. The Hornets face No.23 Michigan on Oct 17 and playing in the "Big House" if my math is correct, the crowd will by five times higher in a venue that holds over 100,000.

7) What is the only way to play in the Rose Bowl if your conference has no affiliation to get there? Schedule the UCLA Bruins and after this past weekend, the Kansas State Wildcats felt the same way many Big Ten teams feel when the conference loses to the Pac 10. The Wildcats were beaten by UCLA 23-9 and dropped to 1-2 while the Bruins improved to 3-0. UCLA was 4-8 last year under first-year Coach Rick Neuheisel. The only difference in this 100,000 seat stadium was the size of the crowd as 67,311 turned out as the Rose Bowl does sellout yearly.

8) Was the Washington Huskies 42-23 win over Idaho in week two a fluke? Don't tell that to the USC Trojans, who dropped a 16-13 decision in Seattle. A crowd of 61,889 at Husky Stadium watched Washington avenge a 56-0 loss at USC last season, the worst loss in the 80-year history of this series. In the Idaho win, Washington snapped a 15-game losing streak. Washington entered this game with a 10-game Pac 10 Conference losing streak. Do you think Washington Coach Steve Sarkisian, USC's former offensive coordinator, has the Huskies headed in the right direction? Ask his former boss Pete Carroll and the answer will be an obvious yes, whose team was a nearly three touchdown favorite heading into the contest.

9) How would you like to be ESPN Announcers Sean McDonough and Matt Millen. This tandem called back to back thrillers as they watched the Michigan Wolverines defeat Notre Dame 38-34 on September 12 in Ann Arbor. On September 19, they saw No.13 Virginia Tech (2-1) defeat the No.19 Nebraska Cornhuskers (2-1) 16-15 in Blacksburg, VA as Tyrod Taylor fired an 11-yard touchdown pass to Dyrell Roberts with 21 seconds left in the game. The Cornhuskers fell to 1-21 in their last 22 games against teams in the top 20. Meanwhile, Virginia Tech now has won 32 straight non conference home contests.

10) Perhaps Florida Atlantic University (FAU) Coach Howard Schnellenberger will have better luck with the rest of his schedule after the Owls (0-2) lost its first two road games to Nebraska 49-3 and to South Carolina 38-16. FAU's latest loss came to Gamecocks Coach Steve Spurrier, who is 37-0 in his career against teams not currently in the Bowl Championship Series. FAU faces University of Lousiana Monroe-Warhawks (1-2) in the home opener this Saturday at Ft. Lauderdale's Lockhart Stadium. UL-M was spanked 38-14 Saturday by the Arizona State Sun Devils in Tempe.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at scottsports33@aol.com

College Football Week 2

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH


As we get ready for this Saturday's action? Here are some of the most interesting developments on the college gridiron during week two.

1) NFL teams that are utilizing the latest "Wildcat" innovation created by the Miami Dolphins in 2008, must be drooling that Florida Gators quarterback Tim Tebow has thrown a touchdown pass in 30 consecutive games, plus has 45 rushing touchdowns. He ranks tied for third on the SEC's all-time rushing list behind Kevin Faulk (46) and Herschel Walker (49). The Gators blasted Troy 56-6 in Gainesville as Tebow accounted for five touchdowns enabling Florida to maintain its No. 1 ranking. Tebow will have plenty of games to shatter that record starting with Saturday's contest in "The Swamp" against the Tennessee Volunteers.

2) Two weeks ago, it looked like Michigan supporters wanted to run Coach Rich Rodriguez out of Ann Arbor. I'll bet they have a different attitude now as U-M upset No. 18 Notre Dame 38-34 at "The Big House." Tate Forcier didn't look like a freshman as he threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Greg Mathews with 11 seconds left. Forcier went 23-33, 240 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Forcier had a 31-yard TD run and rushed for 70 yards. When it was all over, Michigan's win overshadowed the fine performance by Notre Dame signal caller Jimmy Clausen, who went 25-42, 336 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions. It's been a long week for Fighting Irish Coach Charlie Weiss and I'm sure he'll be glad to return to South Bend Saturday to face the Michigan State Spartans. A loss to MSU could greatly hamper Notre Dame's attempt to reach a BCS bowl game.

3) Look for Central Michigan University (CMU) quarterback Dan LeFevour to play in the NFL someday. The CMU signal caller was 33-46, 328 yards and amassed three touchdowns to lead the Chippewas to a stunning 29-27 win over Michigan State at Spartan Stadium. LeFevour passed Marshall's Byron Leftwich (12,084) for the most yards in MAC history with 12,166. LeFevour can add to his record Saturday against the Alcorn State Braves. The Braves (0-1) were destroyed in their opener 52-0 to Southern Mississippi on Sept 5th.

4) In the battle of basketball schools, the host Connecticut Huskies could have used former Detroit Lions quarterback Dan Orlovsky, who passed for over 10,000 career yards. The No. 19 North Carolina Tar Heels (2-0) edged the Huskies (1-1) 12-10 Saturday in East Hartford, Conn.

5) The Iowa Hawkeyes, who survived a scare a week ago to Northern Iowa University 17-16, bounced back nicely by winning a road game in Ames by crushing intrastate rival the Iowa State Cyclones. Quarterback Ricky Stanzi threw a career high four touchdown passes. Iowa also forced six turnovers in the states biggest athletic event.

6) It seems like the Tennessee Volunteers got a false sense of security by routing Western Kentucky 63-7 in their opener. Tennessee Coach Lane Kiffin rarely lost to UCLA as an assistant coach at USC. But the Bruins humbled the young coach by defeating him 19-15 defeat in front of 102,239 at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville. Loss No. 2 for Kiffin is expected in Gainesville against the Florida Gators, who have won their first two games by margins of 59 and 50. I have a feeling that Florida Coach Urban Meyer would like to surpass 60 points after Kiffin accused the Gators of recruiting violations. This is going to get ugly for the Orange and White. My prediction, Florida will hammer Tennessee 75-21. Accuse the Gators of cheating and Tebow and company will punch you in the mouth. There is no reason to think that a 50-point spread shouldn't hold-up in this contest.

7) It seems like yesterday that the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers and my alma mater, the University of South Florida Bulls were rivals in the Sun Belt Conference in basketball. Western Kentucky used to dominate my Bulls. Western Kentucky is in its first full season in Division I and USF defeated the Hilltoppers 35-13 in Bowling Green, KY.

8) The last time I saw Florida International University (FIU) wide receiver Ty Hilton was last season in the Golden Panthers 57-50 loss to Florida Atlantic University. A crowd of 92,012 at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, saw Hilton have a 96-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. FIU kept this contest close trailing 20-14 at halftime to No. 4 Alabama before the Crimson Tide pulled away for a 40-14 win. It's hard to believe the the 5-10, 175 pounder is just a sophomore and the upside on this youngster barring injuries in unlimited. NFL scouts know it!

9). The Big 12 has been feasting on Sun Belt Conference teams through the first two weeks. But the Sun Belt Conference finally broke through as the host University of Louisiana-Lafayette (UL-L) Ragin' Cajuns edged Kansas State 17-15. UL-L didn't need alumnus Jake Delhomme (Carolina Panthers) to pull off the upset. Instead, the needed a Tyler Albrecht 48-yard field goal with 32 seconds left that enabled UL-L to win it's first game over a BCS Conference member since 1996. This loss was no way for Kansas State Coach Bill Snyder to celebrate a contract extension through 2013.

10) In the game of the week, the Ohio State Buckeyes came through again losing another big contest by dropping an 18-15 decision to USC in the final moments. The shocked Columbus crowd of 106,033 saw the Buckeyes drop their sixth consecutive game to a top five opponent and watched USC post its 10th straight win against the Big 10. The Trojans have beaten Ohio State seven straight times.

Ohio State fans will have a reason to be nervous in week three as the Buckeyes play their first game in Cleveland since 1991 against the Toledo Rockets in Cleveland Browns Stadium. The Rockets (1-1) defeated Colorado 54-38 in week two on Friday Sept 11th and last season edged the Michigan Wolverines 13-10 in "The Big House." The Rockets are 5-6 in their last 11 games against the Big Ten which will give Buckeyes Coach Jim Tressel plenty of motivation material for his 11th ranked squad. Toledo is some 20 miles closer to Cleveland than Columbus and the Rockets are considered the home team. Ohio State is 25-1 all-time against the MAC and hasn't lost to an intrastate rival in 88 years.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at scottsports33@aol.com