A little of this, and a lot of that — gridiron edition:
- I don’t have a vote — and if there were any justice at all in the college football world, neither would anyone else — but it says here that the best one-loss team in America plays at Stanford Stadium.
It won’t mean much when Oregon and Auburn line up to play for the mythical “title,” but if a national playoff tournament was in place, I’d like the Cardinal’s chances better than any of the one-loss “State” teams — Ohio, Michigan or Boise — and as much as Wisconsin’s, too.
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Coach Jim Harbaugh and quarterback Andrew Luck are Stanford’s dynamic duo, but neither one will be there much longer.
But sorry, 49ers fans: Neither one is likely to show up at Candlestick Park, either.
Harbaugh has a year left on his Stanford contract, but that wouldn’t stop him from leaving for a pro job after this season.
Remembering that Bill Walsh left Stanford and turned the 49ers into a dynasty team, fans have hoped for a repeat by the current Stanford coach.
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The advice has become cliché: If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. What if it is broken? What if it’s a football team? What if it’s the 49ers, who need a very large repair job?
What if it’s a franchise without direction or people who could locate that direction?
We begin with a concession. The Niners could make the playoffs, because someone from the NFC West indeed is required to do so, and because the division is, in a word, awful.
Which some might use to describe the Niners, although mediocre would be more accurate. Mediocre and hugely disappointing.
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Sorry to intrude on your upcoming holiday weekend, but Bay Area sports fans you have a job to do Thursday. Grab that wishbone from your turkey and please wish that:
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Well, this is one 49ers fans can’t blame on Alex Smith. They may even want him back after Troy Smith crashed and burned in the 49ers’ first home shutout in 33 years Sunday.
When a new quarterback, especially an unconventional one like Troy Smith, comes into the NFL, he can have some early success. But then, the defensive coordinators look at the game video and devise schemes to stop him.
That’s what happened to Troy Smith on Sunday.
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Since the first prisons were built, convicted felons have exited their doors proclaiming themselves as “changed men.” It’s understandable. A few years of striped sunlight can give a man pause; enough time to reflect on the mistakes of his past, with an eye toward correcting them in the future.
But how does two years in a federal penitentiary help a man become a “changed quarterback”?
I have no idea, but that appears to be exactly what happened to Michael Vick.
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So, wait, just because these 49ers have found a starting quarterback everybody likes, all is forgiven?
The 49ers are 3-6, and in a big hole after losing at least four games thanks to either pathetic performances or unforgiveable errors. Now they have their fingers crossed that Troy Smith can save a season that’s been nothing short of a disaster.
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The other guy is getting the attention. A huge article on Jim Harbaugh in Sports Illustrated. Why not? Stanford has lost only one game. Stanford is ranked No. 7 in the nation.“I have a lot of respect for coach Harbaugh,” said Jeff Tedford.And two wins in three tries over Harbaugh.Fans get bored. Alumni get impatient. A few years ago, Tedford was the miracle worker, the man who took a Cal team that had been 1-11 and turned it around immediately to 7-5.It was 2002, and Tedford was Coach of the Year.
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URL: http://www.sfexaminer.com/archive/17571/17571?page=52&type[story]=story
