From: utzoo!decvax!duke!unc!tif
Newsgroups: net.sport.foot
Title: Where HAS all the offense gone?
Article-I.D.: unc.3970
Posted: Wed Sep 15 23:11:04 1982
Received: Thu Sep 16 03:55:51 1982


The fact that a good team (ie Washington) can completely destroy
a bad one (ie Texas El-Paso, which should probably let their track
team play their football games for them) has never been in doubt. The
article about the early dominance of defense this season applied to
contests between GOOD teams. An example involving the Pac-10: the USC-
Florida game (won by Florida 17-9). Sure, SMU crushed some poor team
by 50 points (could have been 100). Washington State slammed some
stiff by a bundle. But these are MISMATCHES, pitting power against
wimpdom. And the western teams haven't scored any more points than
the eastern ones.

About the "West-is-better-than-East" thing: Washington has one hell
of a team, there's no denying that. They may indeed be the best team
in the nation (Pitt has always had good PLAYERS, but they seem to have
trouble functioning under pressure (eg last years Penn State and
Georgia games and this year's North Carolina match)). But eastern
teams OVER-RATED? Shucks, they hardly get any respect at all. Pitt
has a history of excellant teams, but only one National Championship
(since the early twenties) to show for it; they're 33-3 the last 3
years. Penn State has NEVER been national champ, despite all of its
success. Navy has had excellant teams of late, but has done no better
than the cheap bowls. Hell, Rutgers went undefeated a few years ago
(and beat some good teams) and didn't recieve a bid at all!


Moving south, you find the ACC (from whence this opus is being generated).
North Carolina, North Carolina State, Clemson, and Maryland have fielded
good teams for years, with scarcely anybody noticing. Until last year,
none had been of national championship calibre, but they didnt even
recieve the recognition they deserved. Clemson was undefeated and ranked
first at the end of last year, but they were still 4-point (and that
my friends, is a large amount for a major bowl) underdogs to Nebraska.
THAT'S overrated? Thank God they aren't UNDER-rated!

I don't know, mabye western football IS exciting and better than the
eastern variety. It would not exactly shock me into silence if I
decided that article 6 was correct (it got the young man part right,
anyway). BUT, I'd like to see some real evidence that this is the case
(NOT in the form of mismatches or references to the most overrated
team in this country next to Notre Dame -USC). Sure, Washington and
W. State dont recieve the ink due them, but two teams do not a region
make. Not to me, anyway.

			   I probably should be afraid to sign my name
			   but here it is
			   Thomas I. Faison