Podcast: Looking back and figuring out what's ahead for A&M and Alabama

Written by Aaron Torres on .

AM_UpsetAlthough it is now Tuesday, all the buzz in college football remains on last Saturday and remains on the Texas A&M Aggies’ stunning upset over the No. 1 ranked Alabama Crimson Tide.

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The game undoubtedly turned the entire college football world on its head (not to mention the National Championship chase too), which is why on Monday, I tracked down two experts to discuss all the ramifications of Saturday’s epic game: Alex Scarborough of TideNation.com who was in press box Saturday night in Tuscaloosa and Barrett Sallee, lead SEC writer for Bleacher Report.com.

Starting with Alex, we discussed the following:

- What was the reaction like Saturday in Tuscaloosa after the loss? How did the players react, and as importantly, how did the fans react too?

- After playing LSU two weeks ago, was Alabama either physically or mentally fatigued coming into this game? Also, is there any possibility that they were simply looking past the Aggies?

- Finally what do the Crimson Tide have to do to recover from here? What’s next and why after what happened last January, the Crimson Tide are still optimistic they can find themselves in the National Championship Game.

Moving onto Barrett, we discussed the following subjects:

 

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Texas A&M's Win Over Alabama Proves the Aggies are College Football's Next Super-Power

Written by Aaron Torres on .

johnny-manziel-texas-amIt’s not often we have the opportunity to see college football history written right in front of our eyes, only for those of us who were fortunate enough to watch Saturday’s Texas A&M-Alabama game, that’s exactly what we were treated to.

The game basically turned into the “moon-landing” for college football fans; a game we’ll long remember where we were, who we were with, and what we were doing when we watched it. It was 60 minutes of football played at insanely high-level, with the stakes abundantly clear for both teams participating. For Alabama (and the SEC as a whole as well), it was a zero sum game, the chance to stay in the BCS title hunt with a victory and the almost certain elimination from the same chase with a loss. For A&M, it was the opportunity for a program defining win in front of a national TV audience, one which could have repercussions for years to come.

So when you really break it down, Saturday was about much more than football. It was about the crossroads for two college football programs, and in turn, the SEC as a whole. Again, it was history being written in front of our eyes.

Well by now I’m guessing you know what happened, and you know that yes, the mighty Alabama Crimson Tide have fallen. Texas A&M went to a place they described as the “Roman Coliseum,” and were personally responsible for taking down the Roman Empire. In the process, plenty of other stuff happened too; Johnny Manziel became a household name to even the most casual of college football fans, Kevin Sumlin proved to be the superstar head coach many of us knew he’d be when the school hired him 10 months ago, and the Texas A&M Aggies- the same freakin’ team which went 7-6 last year- got the program defining win that a generation’s worth of fans have been waiting for.

 

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Audio: Aaron Discusses College Football Coaching Changes on the Radio + the Week 11 Picks

Written by Aaron Torres on .

kirbyUnfortunately, there will be no college football picks column this week (I'll go ahead and post my picks at the bottom here), but I did want to tip everyone off on one quick thing. On Thursday night I appeared on the "Rob After Dark" radio show down in Florida to discuss this year's college football coaching carousel. A lot of conversation stemmed off this article I wrote for Crystal Ball Run.

Regardless, Rob's producer was nice enough to pass along the audio, and I've attached it here. I also made the decision to put the audio into my podcast stream as well. So if you can't listen to the audio here, you can always download it from iTunes later. You can also subscribe to my podcast, so you get updates every time I post a new podcast.

Anyway, let's get to the audio, where Rob and I discussed the following:

- With Bobby Petrino the "hot coaching" name right now, the question has to be asked: Do schools still care about the character of their coaches, or just winning games? I also dive into the idea that Jim Tressel was fired for relatively minor NCAA violations, while Petrino will now be re-hired after major ethical ones.

 

 

- Where will Kirby Smart end up? I discuss this with Rob, and tell him why there may be some behind the scenes moving and shaking going on at Tennessee.

- Finally, Rob asks me where I stand on Charlie Strong. Rob likes the idea of him going to Arkansas, but personally I just don't see it happening. Frankly, I fully expect Strong to stay at Louisville for the 2013 season.

 

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50 Reasons to be Excited for the 2013 College Basketball Season

Written by Aaron Torres on .

Nerlens-Noel2Reflecting back on it, I can’t think of single thing that has changed more since the day I was born than the sport of college basketball. From the four-year player, to the prep-to-pro era and two or three different incarnations of the one-and-done, this sport continues to evolve, continues to change and repeatedly takes on a new look every few years.

To the detractors, they say that the sport will never be the same as it was 20 years ago.

Well, you know what I say to the detractors? I don’t give a crap what you think… I’m ready for some hoops!

And thankfully the hoops are ready for me too, as these next few days might also double as the single greatest college basketball kick-off week I can ever remember. From Michigan State-UConn to Kentucky-Maryland, the Champions Classic and Syracuse-San Diego State, I can’t ever remember a season starting with more quality games with more quality teams playing one and other than this one.

It’s also why it’s time to dust off one of my favorite columns of the year, my “50 Reasons to be Excited for College Basketball Season.” Sure the whole concept is a bit corny, and yes, the jokes aren’t as funny on paper as they are in my head.

But who cares? I’m ready to talk hoops!

Here are 50 Reasons I’m excited for the 2013 season.

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College Football Podcast: Former Texas A&M running back Brandon Leone Previews A&M-Alabama

Written by Aaron Torres on .

Kevin_SumlinThere aren’t nearly as many big games on the college football schedule as last week, but amongst the biggest ones, the most interesting may be Texas A&M at Alabama. Can the Aggies- who are playing as well as anyone in college football right now- pull the upset over the No. 1 ranked Crimson Tide?

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On Tuesday I posed that question to former Texas A&M running back Brandon Leone. Brandon played for the Aggies from 2002-2007 and knows the 2012 team well too, after formerly covering them for TexAgs.com.

Leone talked about playing for the Aggies, being coached by Kevin Sumlin on the scout team and this year’s Aggies in this comprehensive interview, starting with:

- Brandon’s time at Texas A&M, in which he was recruited by R.C. Slocum, coached mostly by Dennis Franchione and for a time, worked on the scout team with Kevin Sumlin. Brandon also discusses the two games which Sumlin took over as offensive coordinator, and how well the offense played.

- We then move to the 2012 season, where we discuss the “perfect storm” around Aggies football. Not only are they in the right conference, with the right coach, but Texas is also on its way down and Arkansas and Auburn are struggling as well. Could it lead to Texas A&M becoming an elite, college football power?

- Looking at this season, why Brandon knew this team would be “special” right around the Arkansas game. Also, given that the Aggies only losses have come to Florida, LSU and potentially Alabama, is it possible that this club is actually a bit underrated headed into the Alabama game?

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College Basketball Podcast: ESPN's Andy Katz Previews the 2013 Season

Written by Aaron Torres on .

Katz-ObamaWith college basketball season set to tip-off THIS Friday, it only seemed appropriate that I went out and got the biggest and best guest I could for find for this week’s podcast. Well, there’s no bigger guest in the college basketball world than ESPN senior writer Andy Katz, and on Monday afternoon he was nice enough to join the show.

To listen to the podcast on this website, click the green box below
To download the podcast straight from iTunes, please click here
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Also, be sure to follow Aaron on Twitter @Aaron_Torres

Andy has been at ESPN for 13 years and knows this sport better than anyone. On Monday he discussed a number of topics with me on the 2013 season, including the following:

- Why college basketball is doing a better job now than ever before of making the sport relevant with early season games like Champions Classic, Michigan State-UConn in Germany and Kentucky-Maryland at the Barclay’s Center. What goes into making those games, and which ones is he most excited to see?

- Looking objectively at the defending National Champion Kentucky Wildcats, what does Andy make of the 2013 squad? Is it fair to compare them to a young 2011 team, which ended up making a late run to the Final Four?

- How about Louisville? This team returns more talent than ever before, but they really only did get hot over the last couple weeks of the season. Is this team overrated or properly rated in everyone’s Top 2-3 teams in the country?

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Q&A: Tennessee Head Coach Cuonzo Martin

Written by Aaron Torres on .

Cuonzo_Martin2A few weeks back I had the great pleasure of interviewing current Tennessee head basketball coach Cuonzo Martin on my podcast.

Well with college basketball approaching and the first games being played this coming Friday, I decided to go ahead and write out the interview as a long-form interview. I know some of you might be interested in the interview but might have missed it, might not download podcasts, whatever, so I decided this might be a nice way to access the interview, and hear what Coach Martin has to say about his 2013 club.

Included, Coach Martin talks about the 2013 season, how Kentucky’s success has helped his own program, and his team’s affinity for the Hard Rock Café when they visited Italy this summer.

Enjoy, and if you want listen to the entire audio of the quick, 15-minute interview, please click here.

(Also, be sure to follow Aaron on Twitter @Aaron_Torres)

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Don't Be Fooled: Oregon Is A True Title Contender

Written by Aaron Torres on .

oregon-v-uscAt last count, my "man crush" count tallied somewhere in the neighborhood of 1,221 across the sports landscape. That number isn’t official and always subject to change (not to mention plenty creepy), but on this afternoon, the date of November 5, 2012, that’s where things stand.

And of every man on the list, one guy who has firmly supplanted himself in the Top 10 (if not Top 1 or 2) is Oregon football coach Chip Kelly.

For starters, I love Kelly’s attitude; Chip is a no-nonsense, “stop wasting my time with dumb questions” New Englander, the same kind of no-nonsense, “stop wasting my time with dumb questions” New Englander I grew up around. Crap, I knew 100 Chip Kelly’s growing up, so while you may find him surly and unpleasant, I find him charming and refreshing. Every time Chip Kelly looks at a reporter sideways, scowls, ignores the question and turns the other way, it basically just reminds me conversation I ever had at Thanksgiving dinner between the ages of 12 and 25.

Of course if Chip Kelly was just a sharp-tongued New Englander I wouldn’t be writing about him today. Instead I’m writing about Kelly more because of the football stuff, and because the man is an offensive savant, a guy whose teams score touchdowns as effortlessly as you and I put on pants in the morning. Currently, the Ducks rank No. 1 nationally in points scored (52 a game), and haven’t ranked lower than fourth nationally in scoring in any of his four years as a head coach. In a sport where there’s a new “offensive genius” crowned every day, Kelly is a genius in every sense of the word.

Now those stats aren’t news to anyone reading this, but still worth repeating, and are reason alone to tune into Oregon’s games every Saturday. I once compared watching Oregon’s offense to some kind of religious experience, and frankly I don’t think that assessment is that far off. It’s literal poetry in motion, football porn, whatever you want to call it. As my buddy Dave (a huge Oregon fan) once said, “My only disappointment about this team is that they only play once a week.”

 

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Ten Reasons Why Alabama Won't Just Win, But Win Big On Saturday

Written by Aaron Torres on .

Nick_Saban_1College football fans, I’m sorry.

Please understand, I tried all week to find an interesting angle on Saturday’s Alabama-LSU game. I tried reading as much as I could, tried e-mailing fans of each team, tried talking to friends in the media, hoping that someone, anyone really, would give me something interesting to write about.

Unfortunately, they all struck out, just like I did. Ultimately every single person I spoke to essentially told me the same thing:

“Alabama is going to win Saturday, and honestly, I’m not even sure it’s going to be close.”

Now before Tigers’ fans jump down my throat, understand this isn’t an “LSU is bad” thing (frankly, I think you could make a case that they’re anywhere from about the third to sixth or seventh best team in the country) as much as it’s just about Alabama being that good. The Crimson Tide are quite possibly the most meticulously prepared, flawlessly coached, and well-oiled juggernaut I can ever remember watching over the course of a college football season. I’m not saying they’re the “best” team I’ve ever seen, per se. Just the least flawed. If that makes sense.

And really, that does defy all common logic. I mean seriously, how can this team, be this good, after losing this much talent off last year’s club? It’s a good question, and actually I thought Todd Blackledge said it best last Saturday, when he described Alabama this way:

“I’m not saying Alabama is better than they were last year, but they are playing at a higher level.”

Good God, if that doesn’t sum up Alabama in one sentence, what would?

That one sentence is also why I’ve decided to scrap any semblance of a normal preview for this game: Simply put, I can’t think of one logical reason not to pick Alabama. Sure something crazy might happen; A.J. McCarron might come down with mononucleosis, T.J. Yeldon might get kidnapped from the team hotel or Nick Saban might get into a motorcycle accident with his mistress on the back seat. But assuming none of that stuff does happen, Alabama will win Saturday night.

And at the end of the day, that really is the only angle I could come up with for a preview on this particular game. It isn’t about why ‘Bama will win, because really, who isn’t picking ‘Bama to win?

Instead, the question becomes, “Why will ‘Bama win big?”

Here are 10 reasons…

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Aaron Makes a Return Appearance on "UNITE"

Written by Aaron Torres on .

As many of you may remember, a few weeks ago I appeared on the ESPNU TV show "UNITE" to break down Week 2 of the college football season.

Well apparently I did a pretty decent job, and on Wednesday, Halloween night, they asked me back to preview Oregon-USC. I was given the task of defending the Trojans, even if I didn't (and still don't) actually think they're going to win Saturday.

More importantly though, I did get one very strict edict from the UNITE staff: They expected me to dress up in "costume" for my appearance. I'm not a "costume" guy per se, but hopefully met their expectations. I figured in honor of 'SC and in honor of their win at Autzen Stadium last year, I'd dress up like Lane Kiffin did last fall in Eugene.

26-Lane-Kiffin

Above is the picture of Kiffin from that Saturday night, and hopefully my outfit on UNITE did a decent job of matching that.

Hope you enjoy!