Updated June 27
Guess there were some fans at the College World Series. (See below.)
From: Touchdownbuck
Hi Dennis! I have a question/comment for your mailbag. Much is said about ranking teams with tags such as Tailback U. etc. While I bleed scarlet and gray, I think the Buckeyes should be lumped in with teams such as Auburn, Wisconsin and even Michigan and USC as Tailback U's. BUT, I think OSU should be titled Linebacker U. I will not mention any names because I know you know them all, but if you look at the Bucks vs. Penn State in the past decades, OSU stands alone against all teams in that category. Do you agree? Thanks!
TDBuck:
I will refer you to pretty much the definitive word -- a story last fall in the Columbus Dispatch.
Looks like Linebacker U. will always be in State College.
From: Matt
Dennis, long-time reader of your stuff! I was curious to know your thoughts on where Ed Orgeron would rank on your list of best D-line coaches if he had stayed on the college level. Given his work at USC, Miami and even Syracuse, would he be No. 1? Keep up the great work!
Matt:
IF Ed Orgeron were still in college ... IF Ed Orgeron had not been fired at Ole Miss ... IF he had not left USC, Coach O would definitely be on the list.
From: Michael
Boy have you been licking Dan McCarney's boots! Iowa State will win the Big 12 North within two years under Gene Chizik and play in upper echelon bowls Holiday and higher within three years: Something Dan McCarney had never done at Iowa State. Write it down, buddy.
Mike:
National Geographic called. They want to do a story on you. Something about an amazing discovery of the last Iowa State fan.
From: Alan
Georgia fan here! Good article! Would have liked to have heard you mention how Rodney (Garner) built, as head recruiter, that 1998 Tennessee championship team before he came to Georgia. They have not WON the SEC championship since he left. I think that says it all. Real Georgia and Tennessee fans know -- Rodney IS the difference between the demise of the program and the rise of the Georgia program.
Very Vol:
"Demise of the program"? I seem to recall Tennessee playing for the SEC title last December. I'm also getting all these e-mails about how John Chavis HAS to be on my list for best assistant coaches.
Ya'll can't have it both ways. The program can't be in the toilet and have some of the best assistants around. It doesn't make sense.
From: Joseph
It seems that the combination of Eddie Gran and Hugh Nall has won the praise of the nation as deadly combination at Auburn, but you chose Gundy.
Can you explain further? As well, Gran has been a stalwart in South Florida recruiting for years developing an amazing pipeline.
Tiger Bait:
... and Gundy has a national championship ring, five Big 12 titles and Adrian Peterson to his credit.
From: Earl
A hack sports writer named Randy Moore at www.rockytop.com has been publicly bashing your rankings of various position coaches for several weeks now. What do you think of the pots shots he's been taking at you from his hidey-hole in Knoxville?
Snitch:
Moore is a rat-faced little ground squirrel who should kneel before me in awe.
If you've got an address, I know a couple of guys who would like to have a little "conversation" with him. That's how we roll here on the Internet.
From: Mike
LSU No. 16 (in post-spring rankings)? You are a moron. We have the best offensive and defensive lines in the country. No way they finish lower than No. 7 or 8, pinhead.
Mr. Perrilloux:
Thanks for the support but your son still won't be around to enjoy it.
From: WVU_Three
Mr. Dodd, I was wondering if you would be willing to write an article with some facts regarding the WVU-Rich Rod saga? Several things have happened that were very pro WV and are starting to paint RR as what the WVU faithful have been saying.
I have yet to see one of these articles placed on this website. I was hoping you as a responsible sports journalist would actually write an unbiased article not laced with conjecture the way some of your colleagues seem only able to do. I would also like to point out that WVU is having the best recruiting class in the history of the program.
Mountain Ear:
Stop right there. That last sentence is the best -- and the silliest -- you've written.
Recruiting classes are like ex-girlfriends. You don't know what you had until they're gone. Let's not judge Bill Stewart's six months in office (either way) by what MIGHT be a good recruiting class four years from now.
From: Larry
The way to solve the problem of the College World Series being too long is simply return to the old format. Eight teams, double elimination. They abandoned this format because the networks were not happy with the fact that the exact date of a championship game could not be determined.
Now the networks are no longer involved, plus the exact date of a championship game still cannot be determined ahead of time. The current format is just too long, and a one-game championship is not a fair way to determine a baseball championship.
Seam Head:
You got all that right. I was in Omaha for only four days. It seemed like a month.
I'm certain the CWS and ESPN are going to work this thing out. The biggest mistake was scheduling two off days before the championship series on Monday. Hello? Those are weekend days when people have free time and can come to the stadium.
By the end of the longest CWS ever (12 days) the fans, players, coaches and media were worn out.
From: David
Couldn't agree more. NCAA, ESPN, etc. are all trying to milk all there is to milk from this cow and turning off many of its fans. It would seem better to have another home-and-home series after the super regionals to limit the teams to four going to Omaha. Then have a four-team double-elimination tournament just like the regionals to determine the champion. There is no way I could stay in Omaha for 11 days.
Seam Head II:
Omaha isn't bad, it's just all the sitting around and four-hour baseball games. I don't know how MLB beat writers do it. You've got to be something special to cover a major league team -- or have absolutely nothing else going on in your life.
From: Keith
This is a one-sided conversation but I suppose it has to be. Do you have to talk about a failing economy with higher gas, food and inflation? Evidently the rich get bored easy but the tickets were sold and in the end it was great entertainment.
Seam Head III:
I've been going to the College World Series for 17 consecutive years. You know what? This WASN'T great entertainment for the most part. There was a lot of laying around, card playing and lint picking. My belly button got really dirty.
