The Legend of Link, Recruiting Is Over Celebration

Now that we don't have to read about 17 year old boys on ESPN any more, I thought I'd celebrate with three of this week's best posts:

Orson is making some life changes. (EDSBS)

Paterno loves brains, lips, Darryl Pryor (BHGP)

A Few Good Men could have been a lot better, even with the SEC homerisms. (YMSWWC, this one's actually a little old)

Mallett's Dad, Part Duce

I normally wouldn't ever post twice about the father of a backup quarterback, but the guy leaves me no choice. My issue was that our buddy Jim needs to go away, either let his son answer questions truthfully or simply ignore the questions. Don't lie.

But now you continue your press grabbing deceit. While sources all over the Internet are reporting that your son has actually enrolled at Arkansas, you respond with this jem:

"We haven't made a decision yet, but everybody and their dog is saying my son has done this or that," Jim Mallett said Monday in an interview with The Associated Press. "We're getting calls from reporters at 1 o'clock in the morning, and those reporters are catching the wrath of my wife, Debbie.

Haha, your wife? You just brought you wife into this? And your dog? Or is it my dog? Who's talking, anyway? Now I'm confused.

God I love this story.

Mallett's dad is back!

In 5 short hours Mallett's dad has gone from denying the whole thing to these seemingly well thought out and developed plans:

The former Texas Class 4A offensive player of the year may end up at Tennessee, which is considering hiring former Michigan offensive coordinator Mike DeBord and quarterbacks coach Scott Loeffler.

"If they're hired, that would be a real good possibility," Jim Mallett said. "Ryan really clicked with both coach DeBord and coach Loeffler during the last couple months of the season and during bowl practices, I've never seen Ryan throw the ball or read defenses as well as he did."

Mallett said his son also will consider transferring to Texas A&M, Arkansas and UCLA among other schools.

"It just wasn't a fit and yet, it was a hard decision," Jim Mallett said. "When he came home for Christmas, he told me and my wife that he really was falling in love with being at Michigan.

This is a far cry from what was on the newswire this morning:

When told what Rodriguez said, Jim Mallett insisted his son has not made a decision. "Coach knows more than I do, I guess," Jim Mallett told the AP.

Here is my thing, I really don't mind if you don't want to tell us the details and up to the minute developments of your son's quest to not ride the bench. I'm ok with you telling reporters to stop calling you, and even using profanity to make your point. But why, Jim, why start making shit up? Telling us there has not yet been a decision? You son is not RichRod Gimmick offense material, you know how obvious that is?


Ya, that obvious.

All streaks must come to an end...

Well, they are suppose to. There is one in particular that I am concerned with: Michigan's total dominance of PSU. We haven't beaten them in ten years.

10/14/2006 vs. *Michigan (11-2) L 10 17
10/15/2005 @ *Michigan (7-5) L 25 27
10/12/2002 @ *Michigan (10-3) L 24 27
10/6/2001 vs. *Michigan (8-4) L 0 20
11/11/2000 @ *Michigan (9-3) L 11 33
11/13/1999 vs. *Michigan (10-2) L 27 31
11/7/1998 @ *Michigan (10-3) L 0 27
11/8/1997 vs. *Michigan (12-0) L 8 34

By far the most painful moment of my undergraduate years was watching Hene's completion for the go-ahead score, in person, using clock time that should have never existed. Fucking Big Ten refs and their Michigan shrines.

Anyway, good news: Manningham, Arrington and Mallett are all leaving Michigan. Now I talked about Mallett leaving on the Rumor Rankings a couple of weeks ago, giving it a 5.1/5.0. Mallett's father quickly defended the prospect that his All-Texas son would have to leave. Well Paps, that's Rumor Rankings 1, Mallett's Old Man 0.

This year's #1 free agent, Ryan Mallett
As for the other two, that is a pleasant surprise. Losing an all world O lineman, shifty RB and dependable QB is one thing, but then to give up your entire receiving core is quite another. This offense is bare, I mean Penthouse bare, and while recruiting will no doubt be off the charts (Pryor is all but a lock at this point), even USC can't turn freshman into dependable production in one year.

Which leads to the final question: will we have the balls to attack Michigan this year while they are down?

Rumor Rankings!

A little 'by the seat of my pants' but after a slow couple days last week, the holiday season has brought soap opera drama galore!

I'll, once again, give you a truth rating, out of 5, because things rated out of 5 tend to have more credibility. It is based on nothing substantial and can change from hour to hour...like Rumors themselves.

Rumor #5: Nick F'n Saban is going to WVU

Or, better put, he had his agent, who I'm sure is constantly on call, contact the WVU athletic department.

This one is far out, very, very, far out, like on acid and I don't remember my first name the next day fucked up. If you would have told me two days ago that Rich Rod and his love boy Pryor would be at Michigan, I'd a called you crazy, and that same notion is pulling at me now.

This has been the year of "shut the hell up" moments and I'm done pretending the one yesterday will be the last. This thing has been confirmed several places as, well, containing "legs", and so, because I don't doubt it based on Saban's track record and Bama's finish, what the hell.

Update: It appears Saban rumors are good business. The guy got over 90,000 hits yesterday. I knew this thing was a little off, but its still Saban.

Rumor Ranking (Downgrade) 1.0/5.0

Rumor #6: Mallett to PSU?

Totally factless rumor that Mallett called Penn State today in his search to not be the backup in a gimmick offense. While I literally fell on the floor laughing the first time I pictured this 7' QB running the White/Slayton/Spread thing, I think this kid bailing in Michigan is about a 5.1/5.

But would he really walk into an already, hopefully, competitive starting job race? I doubt it. He is from Texas and so has lots of ties to several Big XII schools along with Arkansas. While he might have called, he's not going to be our QB, not unless Saban goes to WVU.

Update: Mallett's father told the USAToday not to "jump to conclusions."



Ok, your son is arguably the worst candidate for Ram-Rod offense in D1a football. He's either gone or sitting, period. Is he going to PSU? Probably not, so I'm not going to change the ranking; but your son is 7' tall man, start looking, now.

Rumor Ranking 1.0/5.0