HB Arnett's "Lite" <mailto:hbarnett@fiber.net> hbarnett@fiber.net 801 372 0819 Vol. 38, Issue 8 - A, September 19, 2018 Bottom Ten ESPN's senior writer Ryan McGee puts out a weekly "Bottom Ten" rankings of college football teams that are not playing well. You can read his whole piece by clicking here <http://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/page/bottom091818/bottom-10-fl orida-state-big-ten-heading-wrong-direction> or get the salient section of his musings below. 1. <http://www.espn.com/college-football/team/_/id/166/new-mexico-state-aggies> Whew Mexico State (0-4) New Mexico State Not New Mexico is now the nation's only four-loss team after losing to New Mexico Not New Mexico State in the Rio Grande Rivalry Not The Battle of I-25. Now the Aggies will take I-10 Not I-25 south for the Pillow Fight of the Century of the Season against ... 2. <http://www.espn.com/college-football/team/_/id/2638/utep-miners> UTEPID (0-3) These guys. The Minors were skunked by perpetual Coveted Fifth Spot nominee Tennessee, 24-0, but that's understandable. Their minds were already on the future. With New Mexico State this week, UTSA the next and late season matchups with Rice and Western Kentucky (both 0-3), this could be the most treacherous Bottom 10 gauntlet since that time I found myself on a plane full of ADs returning home from a Conference USA West corporate picnic. I don't know who kept pelting me with pretzels from economy class, but it hurt my feelings. 3. <http://www.espn.com/college-football/team/_/id/23/san-jose-state-spartans> San No-se State (0-3) The Spartans hung tough on the road against Oregon, successfully fueling their anger at me for accidentally calling them Trojans. Prior to the game, SJSU players could be heard shouting "For Sparta!" like the guys in that "300" movie. There was also one guy who yelled "For Troy!" but I'm pretty sure that's because his name was Troy. 4. <http://www.espn.com/college-football/team/_/id/2117/central-michigan-chippe was> Central Michigan Chippy-was (0-3) Central Michigan celebrated surrendering Kansas' first road win in 11 years by suffering its second road loss in three weeks. #efficiency 5. <http://www.espn.com/college-football/team/_/id/52/florida-state-seminoles> Flori-duh State (1-2) Hey Big Ten West, at least you aren't Willie Taggart, who is less popular in Tallahassee than a Steve Spurrier impersonator wearing a turnover chain from The U. 6. <http://www.espn.com/college-football/team/_/id/295/old-dominion-monarchs> Old Dumbinion (0-3) The Monarchs lost Pillow Fight of the Week: Episode III to Charlotte in a game that was moved up two days because of Hurricane Florence. I live in Charlotte and had intended to attend, but it didn't happen, also because of Florence. Yes, I know the hurricane didn't get to Charlotte until Friday. I'm talking about my Aunt Florence, who moved into our attic to wait out the storm. I haven't checked on her since the weekend, but I can smell Ben-Gay and a pumpkin spice Yankee Candle, so I know she's still up there. 7. <http://www.espn.com/college-football/team/_/id/2636/utsa-roadrunners> R-O-C-K in the UTSA (0-3) While UTEP hosts New Mexico State in the Pillow Fight of the Century of the Year this week, next week the Miners will travel to UTSA for what might be Pillow Fight of the Century of the Actual Century. It all depends on the outcome of UTSA's game this weekend with ... 8. <http://www.espn.com/college-football/team/_/id/326/texas-state-bobcats> Texas State Armadillos (1-2) These guys. But if Texas State loses to UTSA and New Mexico State loses to UTEP then we'll still get a Pillow Fight of the Century of the Actual Century. We'll just have to wait until Texas State hosts New Mexico State on Oct. 27. Just in time for Halloween. By the way, do you know who Texas State lost to in its season opener? 9. <http://www.espn.com/college-football/team/_/id/164/rutgers-scarlet-knights> In a Rut-gers (1-2) These guys, who haven't won since. It's one thing to get stomped at Ohio State. It's another thing entirely to receive an equally awful thrashing at ... Kansas. Rutgers opened the game in Lawrence with a dropped pass, two carries for zero yards, a 2-yard pass, a dropped interception and a pick-six. A Scarlet Knight hasn't looked this anguished since Thanos beat up her boyfriend and snapped his fingers. 10. <http://www.espn.com/college-football/team/_/id/193/miami-(oh)-redhawks> My Hammy of Ohio (0-3) The MAC was once the platform upon which the entire Bottom 10 was built. Now it is poised to reclaim that dominance from the teams of the west. Seven of the league's 12 teams currently have losing records. If the Redhawks are going to make a move, the time is now. The next four weeks will bring throwdowns with 1-2 Boiling Green, 1-2 Western Not Eastern Or Central Michigan and State of Kent, which is ... well, 1-2. Waiting List: <http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/team/_/id/41/uconn-huskies> U-Can't (1-2), <http://www.espn.com/college-football/team/_/id/98/western-kentucky-hilltopp ers> Western Kentucky Hillstoppers (0-3), <http://www.espn.com/college-football/team/_/id/242/rice-owls> Minute Rice (1-2), <http://www.espn.com/college-football/team/_/id/113/umass-minutemen> U-Mess (1-3), <http://www.espn.com/college-football/team/_/id/153/north-carolina-tar-heels
UNC Achilles Heels (0-2), <http://www.espn.com/college-football/team/_/id/2567/smu-mustangs> SMU Mustanks (0-3), <http://www.espn.com/college-football/team/_/id/204/oregon-state-beavers> Ore-gone State (1-2), <http://www.espn.com/college-football/team/_/id/2509/purdue-boilermakers> Pur-don't (0-3), Arkansaw (1-2), people who complain about schedule changes due to natural disasters.
BYU Bottom Ten As exciting as BYU's win over Wisconsin was, I was taught that there must be opposition in all things. Consequently, CS Lite's Senior (in age) and Solo writer HB Arnett has put together his Bottom Ten of BYU Losses. No. 1.The all-time loser was the 1990 65-14 beatdown of BYU and Ty Detmer's shoulders by Texas A&M in the Holiday Bowl. BYU was ranked and the Aggies weren't. Detmer ended with two separated shoulders and BYU fans left with a separated ego and daunting dose of reality. No. 2.Bradlee Van Pelt, pelted BYU in Provo 58-13 on a Thursday night in 2003. He ran over and threw over BYU at will. No. 3.BYU was humming after beating Oklahoma in Dallas in 2009. They were bumming two weeks later as Florida State dominated the Cougars in Provo. It brought BYU back to reality. No. 4.Coming off a 1984 National Championship year, BYU was stunned by UTEP in El Paso the following season 23-16. The Miners were winless when they upset the Cougars. A lot of excuses were rendered for the loss including the stealing of signals and radio waves to an invasion of aliens. Bottom line: UTEP scored more points than BYU. Turns out there were no aliens at the game. They all were documented. No. 5.It's UMass. Need I say more. Or as ESPN calls them, UMess. This was the Liahona of losses for BYU last year because it told us where the program was headed. After a few Laban's heads (coaches) were severed and released by Sitake, BYU now looks like it has recalibrated its Liahona and losses and is back on track. No. 6-13.If you do the math and subtract 6 from 13 you get 7. That is how many years running Utah has beat BYU. It's time for a culture and count change beginning with this year in Salt Lake City. Speaking of Culture Change We might be making it harder than it looks. Look at this short video <https://www.ted.com/talks/terry_moore_how_to_tie_your_shoes?language=en> for an example of something simple making a huge difference. It is my definition of the culture change taking place at BYU football. For decades we have been tying our football fortunes to throwing the ball. It worked when we were young, because it was easy to do and nobody else was doing it. We soon found out opponents finally caught on to the passing game and offense of BYU. They began to wiggle and tug at the BYU's passing laces and they came untied and untrue more and more often. With the addition of Jeff Grimes, BYU is now tying its football offense with a more secure and tried and proven method. It's called running the ball. Sure, it doesn't hurt be able to throw the ball, but big boy or bully football requires running the rock. BYU is doing that now. Here is my personal experience with tying my shoes. For the majority of my life, I have worn flip flops, sandals and slip on shoes. The only time I laced up my shoes was on Sunday when I headed to Church. They were always coming loose or untied. Things changed with our Mission Call. We were expected to wear Sunday best daily. That meant tying my Sunday shoes daily. It was irritating because I had to tie and re-tie my shoes 4 or five times a day. That's when I found the TED talk above. It changed my life and missionary experience. Ok, that's an exaggeration, but you get the point. Something as simple as taking the lace under instead of over, made a huge difference. So does running the ball effectively. Sunday Dinners Where I would Like to be a Fly on the Wall The Empey House. It would be interesting to hear the offensive line conversations between last year's offensive line coach, Mike Empey and James Empey, his son and starting center of this year's BYU football team. In case you forgot, Empey was his son's coach last year while he redshirted. Here's how I envision the dinner conversation going. "You played well and had a great game against Wisconsin, James." "Thanks Dad, it was fun manhandling the vaunted UW defense." "Explain to me how you guys block that jet sweep. I may want to use that scheme if I ever get another offensive line coaching job." "Dad, if we keep playing this way, it won't be long before the BYU offensive line job is open again. Coach Pugh will certainly go with Grimes when he gets a SEC head coaching job in 2 years." "That might be good for me, but it will cost you money. Another three years with Grimes and Pugh and you would be good to go for NFL money." "Thanks for the compliment dad. Can you pass the gravy, please?"
