Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Monday, October 29, 2007
Monday Poll Bashin'/Look who's ahead of Florida and USC
The ambiguity in college football keeps on truckin’ as three more top-ten teams lost along with #11, #14, and #15. Michigan—a team that started the season ranked in the top-five—didn’t even receive a single vote in any poll as recently as week three. Now, Michigan is all the way back to up 12th (up eight spots from last week) in the BCS standings ahead of Florida and USC without having beaten a single team ranked in either poll. In between Michigan’s fall and subsequent rise, there have been 22 teams ranked in the top ten. Just three weeks ago, Cal was ranked #2. Now, Cal isn’t ranked in either poll. Just two weeks ago, South Florida was ranked #2. Now, the Bulls aren’t ranked better than 20th in any poll. So many teams have been banished as afterthoughts only to return quickly and prominently like Georgia. Nobody knows who the best team is. The web of “who beat who” is so entangled that most attempts at rationalizing a top-25 become illogical very quickly.
Because the pollsters follow ridiculous “unwritten guidelines” on dropping teams after losses and bumping teams after wins regardless of the caliber, the polls are not capable of reflecting a true top 25 with so much mayhem going on. Nobody thinks Kansas and Hawaii would beat Florida but that’s what people are pretending to think if that makes sense. I fear that without polls, more than half of the hype in college football would vanish. However, the polls are idiotic. They should be disbanded.
Just when I think that the idiocy is dying down, the next poll comes out to prove me wrong…
Florida over Auburn
Unbelievably, the USA Today poll is immune from criticism on this one. The AP totally dropped the ball by ignoring the fact that Auburn beat Florida at Florida. They both have three losses. Auburn has the best win of the two teams. Tebow-mania has officially infected the polls.
Texas @ #12 in USA Today
Texas has no business being ranked 12th. I have to admit that it’s possible that the Longhorns are the 12th best team but there is absolutely no evidence suggesting that is true. Texas hasn’t beaten a team that received even a single vote in any poll this week. I thought Hawaii had that market cornered. Texas has played two teams that could even remotely be considered good. Not surprisingly, it lost both including a 20-point blowout loss to unranked Kansas St. The AP also has Texas too high at #14.
Hawaii @ #11 in USA Today
This is getting ridiculous. Hawaii hasn’t beaten a team with a winning record. Hawaii also hasn’t even played a team outside of the WAC, I-AA, and the Mountain West. Despite possibly the weakest schedule in NCAA history, Hawaii still needed overtime in two games to dispatch of terrible opponents. Just to give an example of what major conferences have done against Hawaii’s opponents, let’s look at the two teams Hawaii had to beat in overtime. Hawaii beat Louisiana Tech 45-44 in OT. Lousiana Tech lost 42-12 to Cal and 24-0 to Ole Miss. Hawaii also needed overtime to beat San Jose St. San Jose St. lost 45-3 to Arizona St., 34-14 to Kansas St., and 37-0 to Stanford. Please stop voting for Hawaii. You might as well vote for the Northern Iowa Panthers. They’re undefeated and haven’t beaten anyone either.
Va. Tech only drops 3
Virginia Tech was way overrated last week and it is absurd that the Hokies only dropped three spots after a miserable performance on Thursday night. If you didn’t watch the game, you probably think that a four-point loss to the #2 team in the country is a good showing. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. Virginia Tech has a terrible offense. BC played about as bad as a good team could possibly play. Plus, BC isn’t really the #2 team talent-wise. Virginia Tech has had two tests this year and has failed both. It lost by 41 to LSU and played lousy in a huge home game against BC. Until Va. Tech beats a team with a pulse, it shouldn’t be sniffing the top 15.
Auburn over S. Florida
Auburn has two losses. S. Florida has three losses. I’m not a big “records” guy but the polls love “records” which is the only thing that can explain Virginia’s presence in the top 25 over the last few weeks. S. Florida also beat Auburn at Auburn. So, why is Auburn ranked ahead of S. Florida again?
Because the pollsters follow ridiculous “unwritten guidelines” on dropping teams after losses and bumping teams after wins regardless of the caliber, the polls are not capable of reflecting a true top 25 with so much mayhem going on. Nobody thinks Kansas and Hawaii would beat Florida but that’s what people are pretending to think if that makes sense. I fear that without polls, more than half of the hype in college football would vanish. However, the polls are idiotic. They should be disbanded.
Just when I think that the idiocy is dying down, the next poll comes out to prove me wrong…
Florida over Auburn
Unbelievably, the USA Today poll is immune from criticism on this one. The AP totally dropped the ball by ignoring the fact that Auburn beat Florida at Florida. They both have three losses. Auburn has the best win of the two teams. Tebow-mania has officially infected the polls.
Texas @ #12 in USA Today
Texas has no business being ranked 12th. I have to admit that it’s possible that the Longhorns are the 12th best team but there is absolutely no evidence suggesting that is true. Texas hasn’t beaten a team that received even a single vote in any poll this week. I thought Hawaii had that market cornered. Texas has played two teams that could even remotely be considered good. Not surprisingly, it lost both including a 20-point blowout loss to unranked Kansas St. The AP also has Texas too high at #14.
Hawaii @ #11 in USA Today
This is getting ridiculous. Hawaii hasn’t beaten a team with a winning record. Hawaii also hasn’t even played a team outside of the WAC, I-AA, and the Mountain West. Despite possibly the weakest schedule in NCAA history, Hawaii still needed overtime in two games to dispatch of terrible opponents. Just to give an example of what major conferences have done against Hawaii’s opponents, let’s look at the two teams Hawaii had to beat in overtime. Hawaii beat Louisiana Tech 45-44 in OT. Lousiana Tech lost 42-12 to Cal and 24-0 to Ole Miss. Hawaii also needed overtime to beat San Jose St. San Jose St. lost 45-3 to Arizona St., 34-14 to Kansas St., and 37-0 to Stanford. Please stop voting for Hawaii. You might as well vote for the Northern Iowa Panthers. They’re undefeated and haven’t beaten anyone either.
Va. Tech only drops 3
Virginia Tech was way overrated last week and it is absurd that the Hokies only dropped three spots after a miserable performance on Thursday night. If you didn’t watch the game, you probably think that a four-point loss to the #2 team in the country is a good showing. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. Virginia Tech has a terrible offense. BC played about as bad as a good team could possibly play. Plus, BC isn’t really the #2 team talent-wise. Virginia Tech has had two tests this year and has failed both. It lost by 41 to LSU and played lousy in a huge home game against BC. Until Va. Tech beats a team with a pulse, it shouldn’t be sniffing the top 15.
Auburn over S. Florida
Auburn has two losses. S. Florida has three losses. I’m not a big “records” guy but the polls love “records” which is the only thing that can explain Virginia’s presence in the top 25 over the last few weeks. S. Florida also beat Auburn at Auburn. So, why is Auburn ranked ahead of S. Florida again?
Thursday, October 25, 2007
A-Rod in Detroit
With the World Series under way, we are just a few weeks from the beginning of the A-Rod sweepstakes. The courtship of A-Rod will be one of the most highly publicized events in sports history. I’m getting sick just thinking about the daily coverage that we’ll have to endure. The negotiations will likely end with the richest player contract ever awarded in American sports history. Who honestly thought we’d see this again after the public outcry the last time a team handed out the richest contract in American sports history to A-Rod?
Nonetheless, the expectations are that A-Rod’s annual salary will reach $30 million if not more. There will be a handful of intriguing subplots. Boston could get involved which would add even more fuel to the Boston/NewYork drama. Boston thought it had A-Rod in 2003 when it was prepared to ship Manny Ramirez to the Rangers but the trade was vetoed by the players union. When A-Rod was finally traded to the Yankees, he said, “I don't really care what Red Sox fans are thinking." I wonder if Red Sox fans will remember that. The Yankees have publicly stated that they will not get into a bidding war. It’ll be interesting to see if they stand by that stance. It’ll also be interesting to see if the owners involved in the bidding have any spines at all when dealing with Scott Boras. There is always someone (see; the Texas Rangers) who is willing to go for broke. It would be fascinating to see the owners refuse to break the bank. That’s about as likely as the Royals getting involved in the bidding, though.
The likelihood of A-Rod landing in Detroit hovers right around 0%. However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t a gazillion questions Tigers fans around the country are asking each other. Here are just a few of the questions the A-Rod debate raises…
Would A-Rod ever come to Detroit?
No. There are three ways a superstar finds himself in Detroit. 1). He is drafted by Detroit. 2). He is injured and the Tigers overpay. 3). He is old and the Tigers overpay. A-Rod doesn’t fit into any of those categories. That pretty much makes the rest of this post irrelevant. However, I promised question(s)...
Would the Tigers be better with A-Rod?
I think most people would be surprised at how many fans actually think the Tigers would be worse off with A-Rod for various bum/choker related reasons. The truth is that all of those reasons are ridiculous. The Tigers would clearly be better with A-Rod. Since Carlos Guillen is moving to first-base, A-Rod would essentially be replacing Sean Casey in the lineup. The difference between A-Rod and Sean Casey is like the difference between me two minutes before a pizza buffet and two minutes after a pizza buffet. A middle-of-the order threesome of Magglio Ordonez/Alex Rodriguez/Gary Sheffield would be one of the greatest in MLB history. The Tigers almost certainly would have made the playoffs with an additional 54 home-runs and 156 RBIs despite the injuries and slumps that plagued their season.
Can the Tigers win by paying one player over 30% of the total payroll?
Dave Dombrowski referenced this statistic when asked recently about whether the Tigers would pursue A-Rod in the off-season. Dombrowski is a smart guy who has brilliantly reshaped the franchise. Although, I am surprised that he would buy into that sort of thinking. The 30% stat is mostly an empty statistic in baseball where there is no salary cap. In football—where there is a salary cap—it makes sense to want to avoid paying one player a certain amount of the payroll. In baseball—especially in the larger markets—that statistic is irrelevant. Mike Ilitch can shell out as much money as he wants so it doesn’t matter how much money one player makes. It matters how much he is willing to spend. If Ilitch were to pay A-Rod 30% of a 100-million payroll, then the Tigers could not realistically win in the near future. It would require dumping close to $30 million in salary from the existing team which would cripple the franchise. However, if he were to pay A-Rod 30% of a $125 million payroll, then the Tigers would be the best team in baseball next season. The 30% number isn’t important. The payroll is. Also, the Colorado Rockies are in the World Series as I type this and Todd Helton currently takes up 30.5% of the payroll. There is no Salary God who prevents teams with a player making 30% of the payroll from winning.
Would Dombrowski have to gut the team to afford A-Rod?
Jon Paul Morosi of the Detroit Free Press suggests that the Tigers would have to say goodbye to Carlos Guillen, Placido Polanco, Jeremy Bonderman, and Brandon Inge to bring in A-Rod. Again, since there is no salary cap in baseball, the Tigers wouldn’t have to say goodbye to anyone necessarily. It all depends on what Mike Ilitch is willing to pay. I don’t know the answer to this and I don’t think Jon Paul Morosi does either. The reality is that if Ilitch isn’t willing to add to the payroll, then A-Rod won’t be coming to Detroit anyways. Giving up Guillen, Polanco, Bonderman and Inge isn’t even a possibility. It’s also important to note that adding A-Rod would be a move geared for the long term when many of the current Tigers won’t even be on the roster. Next season, Pudge and his $13 come off the books. Two years from now, Gary Sheffield and his $14 million come off the books. The Tigers have a bevy of young, relatively inexpensive talent under contract. Justin Verlander, Joel Zumaya, Andrew Miller, Jair Jurrjens, Rick Porcello, and Cameron Maybin are going to be the face of the franchise five years from now. Placido Polanco, Brandon Inge, and Curtis Granderson will all be affordable for the foreseeable future. If Ilitch is willing to add to the payroll temporarily, the Tigers are in a perfect position to have a player of A-Rod’s caliber—and salary—mesh with a deep, relatively inexpensive core. Only Ilitch knows his limits. If we knew his payroll limit was not a cent higher than $100 million, then we could all save ourselves another sentence on the A-Rod topic.
Are A-Rod’s playoff struggles valid concerns?
No. Some—not all—media people love to harp on this sort of thing. Just last year the Red Wings re-signed Pavel Datsyuk which prompted major criticism from much of the Detroit media because of his underwhelming playoff performances. Yep, Datsyuk’s reputation was all but sealed after just 21 playoff games. The rest—as we know—is history as Datsyuk tore up the first three rounds of the playoffs just a couple months later netting 16 points in 18 games. The Yankees—as a team—have struggled mightily in the playoffs over the last three seasons. The New York-experience has humbled the careers of many superstars such as Randy Johnson, Jason Giambi, Kevin Brown, and Mike Mussina just to name a few. Alex Rodriguez has flourished in New York winning two MVPs in just four years (The ’07 MVP is a mere formality). Just three years ago, he was considered an excellent playoff performer having amassed a .330 batting average in 103 postseason at-bats. A-Rod is not damned to be a playoff-choker for the rest of his career.
Should the Tigers make a play for A-Rod?
Yes with the caveat the Ilitch be willing to add enough to the payroll where the Tigers would keep A-Rod and their core. A-Rod—barring injury—would keep Detroit on the forefront of the baseball world for ten more years at a minimum. There is a good chance that he’ll break the all-time records for home runs, RBIs, and hits among others. Think Bonds’ home-run chase times three without all of the negativity. It will be huge. Despite the Tigers recent resurgence, the Red Sox and Yankees are still the center of the baseball universe. A-Rod would change that immediately. His presence would have a far-reaching impact on everything from attracting free-agents to increasing the franchise’s value. I’ve always felt that A-Rod is as much a “numbers” guy as he is a “Championship” guy. I just get the feeling that he is well aware of the pace that he is on and the records he could break. He is in tremendous shape. When you put those two things together, A-Rod could easily be playing baseball for 14 more years.
Would it be disappointing if the Tigers don’t sign—or even attempt to sign—A-Rod?
Well, since there’s probably less than a 1% chance the Tigers actually sign or even go after him, my answer is no. The Tigers are in excellent shape as they stand right now. They have more youthful talent than any other organization in baseball. The core is young and—most importantly—wants to be in Detroit. The Tigers should be even better next season when injuries probably won’t have the same factor and the lineup is more potent with the expected return to health of Gary Sheffield and the hopeful addition of a productive shortstop such as Edgar Renteria. The Tigers don’t need A-Rod. If Ilitch has a cap limit that makes signing A-Rod impossible, then it’s no big deal. However, if he has the money, he should give it a shot. I would certainly not want Ilitch and Dombrowski to fall under the Boras spell and give into all of the inevitably ridiculous demands he will ask for. There is a fine line between being the highest bidder and outbidding yourself. Dombrowski knows that line which makes the Tigers unlikely suitors. Some team will come along ala the Texas Rangers in 2000 and bite hard on the Boras sell. The only chance the Tigers really have is if every team backs off on talks of $30 million. The problem then would be that the Yankees would likely be back in the picture for an extension at that point. It would take the perfect storm of relative league-wide disinterest, the Tigers willingness to pay between $28 and $30 million, and a willingness by A-Rod to play in Detroit. In other words, start thinking about Raul Ibanez and Edgar Renteria.
Will the Tigers even make an official offer?
I highly doubt it. Anaheim won’t win until it gets Vlad some help. The New York teams have a ton of money to spend. Boston will surely get involved. The Tigers may stick around just long enough to check out the competition before politely saying, “not interested.” However, one question that I would love to ask Mike Ilitch is how much he would have paid to guarantee a playoff bid in 2007. More specifically, if he were told by an all-knowing oracle before the ’07 season that the Tigers would definitely not make the playoffs but he could change all that for an additional $30 million, would he have paid it? I really have no idea how much simply making the playoffs is worth to an owner. Knowing that would help many of us understand how much a player of A-Rod’s caliber is worth.
Nonetheless, the expectations are that A-Rod’s annual salary will reach $30 million if not more. There will be a handful of intriguing subplots. Boston could get involved which would add even more fuel to the Boston/NewYork drama. Boston thought it had A-Rod in 2003 when it was prepared to ship Manny Ramirez to the Rangers but the trade was vetoed by the players union. When A-Rod was finally traded to the Yankees, he said, “I don't really care what Red Sox fans are thinking." I wonder if Red Sox fans will remember that. The Yankees have publicly stated that they will not get into a bidding war. It’ll be interesting to see if they stand by that stance. It’ll also be interesting to see if the owners involved in the bidding have any spines at all when dealing with Scott Boras. There is always someone (see; the Texas Rangers) who is willing to go for broke. It would be fascinating to see the owners refuse to break the bank. That’s about as likely as the Royals getting involved in the bidding, though.
The likelihood of A-Rod landing in Detroit hovers right around 0%. However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t a gazillion questions Tigers fans around the country are asking each other. Here are just a few of the questions the A-Rod debate raises…
Would A-Rod ever come to Detroit?
No. There are three ways a superstar finds himself in Detroit. 1). He is drafted by Detroit. 2). He is injured and the Tigers overpay. 3). He is old and the Tigers overpay. A-Rod doesn’t fit into any of those categories. That pretty much makes the rest of this post irrelevant. However, I promised question(s)...
Would the Tigers be better with A-Rod?
I think most people would be surprised at how many fans actually think the Tigers would be worse off with A-Rod for various bum/choker related reasons. The truth is that all of those reasons are ridiculous. The Tigers would clearly be better with A-Rod. Since Carlos Guillen is moving to first-base, A-Rod would essentially be replacing Sean Casey in the lineup. The difference between A-Rod and Sean Casey is like the difference between me two minutes before a pizza buffet and two minutes after a pizza buffet. A middle-of-the order threesome of Magglio Ordonez/Alex Rodriguez/Gary Sheffield would be one of the greatest in MLB history. The Tigers almost certainly would have made the playoffs with an additional 54 home-runs and 156 RBIs despite the injuries and slumps that plagued their season.
Can the Tigers win by paying one player over 30% of the total payroll?
Dave Dombrowski referenced this statistic when asked recently about whether the Tigers would pursue A-Rod in the off-season. Dombrowski is a smart guy who has brilliantly reshaped the franchise. Although, I am surprised that he would buy into that sort of thinking. The 30% stat is mostly an empty statistic in baseball where there is no salary cap. In football—where there is a salary cap—it makes sense to want to avoid paying one player a certain amount of the payroll. In baseball—especially in the larger markets—that statistic is irrelevant. Mike Ilitch can shell out as much money as he wants so it doesn’t matter how much money one player makes. It matters how much he is willing to spend. If Ilitch were to pay A-Rod 30% of a 100-million payroll, then the Tigers could not realistically win in the near future. It would require dumping close to $30 million in salary from the existing team which would cripple the franchise. However, if he were to pay A-Rod 30% of a $125 million payroll, then the Tigers would be the best team in baseball next season. The 30% number isn’t important. The payroll is. Also, the Colorado Rockies are in the World Series as I type this and Todd Helton currently takes up 30.5% of the payroll. There is no Salary God who prevents teams with a player making 30% of the payroll from winning.
Would Dombrowski have to gut the team to afford A-Rod?
Jon Paul Morosi of the Detroit Free Press suggests that the Tigers would have to say goodbye to Carlos Guillen, Placido Polanco, Jeremy Bonderman, and Brandon Inge to bring in A-Rod. Again, since there is no salary cap in baseball, the Tigers wouldn’t have to say goodbye to anyone necessarily. It all depends on what Mike Ilitch is willing to pay. I don’t know the answer to this and I don’t think Jon Paul Morosi does either. The reality is that if Ilitch isn’t willing to add to the payroll, then A-Rod won’t be coming to Detroit anyways. Giving up Guillen, Polanco, Bonderman and Inge isn’t even a possibility. It’s also important to note that adding A-Rod would be a move geared for the long term when many of the current Tigers won’t even be on the roster. Next season, Pudge and his $13 come off the books. Two years from now, Gary Sheffield and his $14 million come off the books. The Tigers have a bevy of young, relatively inexpensive talent under contract. Justin Verlander, Joel Zumaya, Andrew Miller, Jair Jurrjens, Rick Porcello, and Cameron Maybin are going to be the face of the franchise five years from now. Placido Polanco, Brandon Inge, and Curtis Granderson will all be affordable for the foreseeable future. If Ilitch is willing to add to the payroll temporarily, the Tigers are in a perfect position to have a player of A-Rod’s caliber—and salary—mesh with a deep, relatively inexpensive core. Only Ilitch knows his limits. If we knew his payroll limit was not a cent higher than $100 million, then we could all save ourselves another sentence on the A-Rod topic.
Are A-Rod’s playoff struggles valid concerns?
No. Some—not all—media people love to harp on this sort of thing. Just last year the Red Wings re-signed Pavel Datsyuk which prompted major criticism from much of the Detroit media because of his underwhelming playoff performances. Yep, Datsyuk’s reputation was all but sealed after just 21 playoff games. The rest—as we know—is history as Datsyuk tore up the first three rounds of the playoffs just a couple months later netting 16 points in 18 games. The Yankees—as a team—have struggled mightily in the playoffs over the last three seasons. The New York-experience has humbled the careers of many superstars such as Randy Johnson, Jason Giambi, Kevin Brown, and Mike Mussina just to name a few. Alex Rodriguez has flourished in New York winning two MVPs in just four years (The ’07 MVP is a mere formality). Just three years ago, he was considered an excellent playoff performer having amassed a .330 batting average in 103 postseason at-bats. A-Rod is not damned to be a playoff-choker for the rest of his career.
Should the Tigers make a play for A-Rod?
Yes with the caveat the Ilitch be willing to add enough to the payroll where the Tigers would keep A-Rod and their core. A-Rod—barring injury—would keep Detroit on the forefront of the baseball world for ten more years at a minimum. There is a good chance that he’ll break the all-time records for home runs, RBIs, and hits among others. Think Bonds’ home-run chase times three without all of the negativity. It will be huge. Despite the Tigers recent resurgence, the Red Sox and Yankees are still the center of the baseball universe. A-Rod would change that immediately. His presence would have a far-reaching impact on everything from attracting free-agents to increasing the franchise’s value. I’ve always felt that A-Rod is as much a “numbers” guy as he is a “Championship” guy. I just get the feeling that he is well aware of the pace that he is on and the records he could break. He is in tremendous shape. When you put those two things together, A-Rod could easily be playing baseball for 14 more years.
Would it be disappointing if the Tigers don’t sign—or even attempt to sign—A-Rod?
Well, since there’s probably less than a 1% chance the Tigers actually sign or even go after him, my answer is no. The Tigers are in excellent shape as they stand right now. They have more youthful talent than any other organization in baseball. The core is young and—most importantly—wants to be in Detroit. The Tigers should be even better next season when injuries probably won’t have the same factor and the lineup is more potent with the expected return to health of Gary Sheffield and the hopeful addition of a productive shortstop such as Edgar Renteria. The Tigers don’t need A-Rod. If Ilitch has a cap limit that makes signing A-Rod impossible, then it’s no big deal. However, if he has the money, he should give it a shot. I would certainly not want Ilitch and Dombrowski to fall under the Boras spell and give into all of the inevitably ridiculous demands he will ask for. There is a fine line between being the highest bidder and outbidding yourself. Dombrowski knows that line which makes the Tigers unlikely suitors. Some team will come along ala the Texas Rangers in 2000 and bite hard on the Boras sell. The only chance the Tigers really have is if every team backs off on talks of $30 million. The problem then would be that the Yankees would likely be back in the picture for an extension at that point. It would take the perfect storm of relative league-wide disinterest, the Tigers willingness to pay between $28 and $30 million, and a willingness by A-Rod to play in Detroit. In other words, start thinking about Raul Ibanez and Edgar Renteria.
Will the Tigers even make an official offer?
I highly doubt it. Anaheim won’t win until it gets Vlad some help. The New York teams have a ton of money to spend. Boston will surely get involved. The Tigers may stick around just long enough to check out the competition before politely saying, “not interested.” However, one question that I would love to ask Mike Ilitch is how much he would have paid to guarantee a playoff bid in 2007. More specifically, if he were told by an all-knowing oracle before the ’07 season that the Tigers would definitely not make the playoffs but he could change all that for an additional $30 million, would he have paid it? I really have no idea how much simply making the playoffs is worth to an owner. Knowing that would help many of us understand how much a player of A-Rod’s caliber is worth.
Monday, October 22, 2007
Monday Poll Bashin'/Almost back to normal
The craziness keeps on coming. Four more top-ten teams lost this week. Things have been so whacky that the polls are slowly starting to resemble the pre-season polls with LSU, Oklahoma, West Virginia, Virginia Tech, USC, and Florida all back in the top ten. It’s almost like nothing happened other than Michigan, Texas, and Louisville not living up to expectations; and even Michigan is slowly working its way back to the top ten. The rest of the polls are just a big mess with a bevy of teams ranked higher than they should be including Hawaii and Texas. There are also a few instances of teams being ranked behind teams they beat with a similar resume. However, this becomes increasingly less annoying as the season moves along. My biggest criticism for this comes early in the season when we don’t have too many games to refer to. Plus, with so many teams playing each other, it’s impossible to keep everything straight. For instance, Kentucky beat LSU who beat S. Carolina who beat Kentucky. Also, the location plays a tremendous part in the outcome of a game. For instance, it’s not fair to punish Kentucky for having to play at S. Carolina. Good teams are supposed to win at home and that’s what S. Carolina did. Had the roles been reversed, Kentucky may very well have won. You probably won’t see too many vehement complaints from here on out about this sort of thing. I’ll continue to mention it when I would rank teams differently. With each passing week, the picture becomes murkier. Differences become less obvious. By the end of the season, you can make just about any argument you want to make. But, there are still things that just shouldn’t be in the polls.
Before I get into the polls, here are five things on my mind…
1). I’m not sure what it is exactly but—with each passing year—I become less and less of a fan of Kirk Herbstreit. He used to be my favorite college football personality. Now, he’s saying things like, “the BCS system is great for college football” and “a playoff is not the answer.” He never fails to suggest that if anything needs to be tweaked to the current system, it’s the addition of a Plus-1 game. I’m not sure if Herbstreit realizes that a Plus-1 game creates a four-team playoff. That faux pas aside, Herbstreit’s contention that the regular season is a playoff is questionable at best. First, in a crazy year like the one we’re seeing right now, the regular season will have sorted out nothing. Nobody knows who the best teams are now, and nobody will know four weeks from now. Yet, two teams will be arbitrarily put into a Championship game based on uncertainty. There will be a number of one-loss teams left out of the Championship. How is that a fair system? People like Herbstreit—for whatever reasons—fail to realize that an eight or sixteen team playoff would create just as much excitement in the “regular season” as teams vie for those coveted playoff spots. Nobody is ever guaranteed of anything in college football. Just look at Cal. Two weeks ago, the Bears were ranked #2. Now, they’re #18. No matter what sort of Championship you have, the fact that teams only play 12 games a year will guarantee that each regular season game crucial is crucial. If Herbstreit insists on ignoring the unparalled excitement that an 8 or a 16-team playoff would create, then he can at least stop saying a playoff is not the answer when he repeatedly suggests that a Plus-1—or a four team playoff—is the answer.
2). What was up with the way Tommy Tuberville managed the clock when LSU was bleeding it for the game-winning score? Auburn had two timeouts left with more than 35 seconds left. LSU was in field goal range. Those timeouts would have forced LSU to kick the field goal with enough time remaining for Auburn to possibly get into field goal range. Instead, Tuberville decided to take his chances with a 40-yard field-goal attempt. That’s just terrible clock management. Had Tuberville taken those timeouts, there is very little chance that LSU would have taken a shot in the end zone like it did to end the game.
3). I don’t have anything against the Heisman Trophy itself but I hate the process. Andre Ware broke down his Heisman candidates before the Kentucky/Florida game and had Andre Woodson and Tim Tebow near the top. He commented that the loser of that game would drop out of the running. So, 415 yards and 5 TD passes doesn’t do anything for you? If this sort of thinking was just confined to Andre Ware’s head, then I wouldn’t have a problem with it. But, it’s not. Most voters think this way. I won’t even get into the fact that a defensive player can’t win the award more than once ever.
4). I think Navy is the quasi-mid-point of all college football teams. If Navy beats you, then you’re bad. If you beat Navy then you’re good. Consider that since 2003, the combined record of the teams Navy has beaten is 107-284 for a dreadful winning percentage of .273. Navy’s four wins over I-AA opponents weren’t even included in that total. Conversely, the combined winning percentage of the teams Navy has lost to is 120-73 for a winning percentage of .621. So, if you want to know if you have a good team or a bad team, schedule Navy.
5). The Big Ten has taken a lot of flack this season for being mediocre. I can’t say that the criticism is undeserved. Ohio St. is the only elite team in the conference. There is still only one team ranked from the Big Ten in the top 20. However, be prepared to see nine Big Ten teams in bowl games. The conference already has six teams that are bowl eligible and three more with five wins. Northwestern would already be bowl eligible if it just would have beaten Duke.
Here are the remaining schedules for the three teams that need one win for bowl eligibility:
Michigan St.
@ Iowa
Michigan
@ Purdue
Penn St.
Indiana
@ Wisconsin
Ball St.
@ Northwestern
Purdue
Northwestern
@ Purdue
Iowa
Indiana
@ Illinois
Anyhow, on to the complaints…
Kentucky over S. Carolina
I’m not too agitated about this. Kentucky beat LSU. S. Carolina didn’t. Although, Kentucky got to play LSU at home and S. Carolina didn’t. Kentucky lost to two really good teams. S. Carolina lost to one really good team and one average team. S. Carolina beat Kentucky which should be the tiebreaker. I realize that S. Carolina got to play the game at home but after the game, I was convinced that S. Carolina was the better team. Different teams respond to road environments differently so maybe Kentucky just never got it together because of the hostile Columbia-environment. However, I would rank S. Carolina ahead of Kentucky because it looked like the better team by a decent margin. The USA Today had the same result.
The “lose at LSU and drop” theorem
I hate dropping teams for any loss no matter how impressive. Losses can be impressive. Auburn led LSU for the majority of its game losing with: 01 left on the clock. If LSU is the #3 team in the country, then Auburn has no business dropping. A five-spot plunge isn’t the end of the world. Also, Auburn is the only team in the polls with three losses. I just think the pollsters need to be able to look beyond the records. Auburn dropping becomes even more ridiculous since it will undoubtedly climb in the polls after beating Ole Miss and Tennessee Tech in the next two weeks. The USA Today did the same thing.
Hawaii
Hawaii climbed one-spot in the AP poll to #16. Brent Musberger says some dumb things but one of the dumbest came during the Michigan/Illinois telecast on Saturday. He defended Hawaii’s atrocious resume by saying “a win is a win.” He also said that as long as Hawaii keeps winning, it should get to play in a BCS game despite playing possibly the easiest schedule in the history of modern-day college football. Any average BCS school like Purdue, Maryland, or Oklahoma St. would go undefeated with Hawaii’s schedule. The USA Today poll has Hawaii inexplicably ranked at #14. I would expect every top-25 team to beat Hawaii.
Va. Tech at #8
Va. Tech has played one team that is ranked right now and it lost by 41. How is that worthy of the #8 ranking? And it’s not just that Va. Tech hasn’t been playing ranked teams. They have been playing awful teams. The Hokies claim the following wins; E. Carolina, Ohio, William & Mary, UNC, Duke, and Clemson. Obviously, Clemson is not a bad win but the rest are atrocious. There is no reason for Va. Tech to be ranked ahead of Florida and USC among others. The USA Today has Va. Tech at #9.
S. Florida dropping nine spots
Dropping S. Florida nine spots for losing by three points, on the road, against a top-25 team is ridiculous. Nobody wanted S. Florida ranked that high to begin with. This loss just gave every pollster an excuse to jettison them out of the top-ten. USC only dropped eights spots after losing to a 41-point underdog at home. The USA Today dropped S. Florida nine spots as well.
S. Florida over West Virginia
This is a duplicate of the Kentucky/S. Carolina situation. I don’t think it’s idiotic to rank WVU ahead of S. Florida. S. Florida had the advantage of playing the game at home. However, S. Florida was leading 21-3 in the 3rd quarter and 21-6 late in the game. It was never in danger of losing. It was an ugly game with 10 total turnovers. Neither team played great but that is how S. Florida plays. I left that game thinking that S. Florida was the better team. Plus, S. Florida just won at West Virginia at the end of last season. This win wasn’t a fluke. S. Florida should still be ranked ahead of West Virginia at this point. The USA Today again has the same thing.
Virginia
There is no doubt in my mind that Virginia is not a top-25 team. I have been agitated at the fact that both polls have ranked Virginia for the last couple weeks. However, I think I have been looking at this all wrong. I actually think the polls have shown some restraint in keeping Virginia out of the top 20 despite its 7-1 record. The polls usually fall for the teams with the inflated records (i.e. Hawaii). So, I guess this is more of a compliment than a criticism. Nevertheless, Virginia deserves to be ranked as much as Hawaii does.
Texas over Cal (among others)
Texas has no business being ranked ahead of Cal. Texas hasn’t beaten a ranked team and its five wins are over teams with a combined record of 16-29. They boast wins over the following powerhouses; Arkansas St., TCU, UCF, Rice, Iowa St., and Baylor. Cal, on the other hand has beaten # 5 Oregon and a Tennessee team that is much better than any team Texas has beaten. There is a boatload of teams that Texas shouldn’t be ranked ahead of but Cal seems the most obvious.
Before I get into the polls, here are five things on my mind…
1). I’m not sure what it is exactly but—with each passing year—I become less and less of a fan of Kirk Herbstreit. He used to be my favorite college football personality. Now, he’s saying things like, “the BCS system is great for college football” and “a playoff is not the answer.” He never fails to suggest that if anything needs to be tweaked to the current system, it’s the addition of a Plus-1 game. I’m not sure if Herbstreit realizes that a Plus-1 game creates a four-team playoff. That faux pas aside, Herbstreit’s contention that the regular season is a playoff is questionable at best. First, in a crazy year like the one we’re seeing right now, the regular season will have sorted out nothing. Nobody knows who the best teams are now, and nobody will know four weeks from now. Yet, two teams will be arbitrarily put into a Championship game based on uncertainty. There will be a number of one-loss teams left out of the Championship. How is that a fair system? People like Herbstreit—for whatever reasons—fail to realize that an eight or sixteen team playoff would create just as much excitement in the “regular season” as teams vie for those coveted playoff spots. Nobody is ever guaranteed of anything in college football. Just look at Cal. Two weeks ago, the Bears were ranked #2. Now, they’re #18. No matter what sort of Championship you have, the fact that teams only play 12 games a year will guarantee that each regular season game crucial is crucial. If Herbstreit insists on ignoring the unparalled excitement that an 8 or a 16-team playoff would create, then he can at least stop saying a playoff is not the answer when he repeatedly suggests that a Plus-1—or a four team playoff—is the answer.
2). What was up with the way Tommy Tuberville managed the clock when LSU was bleeding it for the game-winning score? Auburn had two timeouts left with more than 35 seconds left. LSU was in field goal range. Those timeouts would have forced LSU to kick the field goal with enough time remaining for Auburn to possibly get into field goal range. Instead, Tuberville decided to take his chances with a 40-yard field-goal attempt. That’s just terrible clock management. Had Tuberville taken those timeouts, there is very little chance that LSU would have taken a shot in the end zone like it did to end the game.
3). I don’t have anything against the Heisman Trophy itself but I hate the process. Andre Ware broke down his Heisman candidates before the Kentucky/Florida game and had Andre Woodson and Tim Tebow near the top. He commented that the loser of that game would drop out of the running. So, 415 yards and 5 TD passes doesn’t do anything for you? If this sort of thinking was just confined to Andre Ware’s head, then I wouldn’t have a problem with it. But, it’s not. Most voters think this way. I won’t even get into the fact that a defensive player can’t win the award more than once ever.
4). I think Navy is the quasi-mid-point of all college football teams. If Navy beats you, then you’re bad. If you beat Navy then you’re good. Consider that since 2003, the combined record of the teams Navy has beaten is 107-284 for a dreadful winning percentage of .273. Navy’s four wins over I-AA opponents weren’t even included in that total. Conversely, the combined winning percentage of the teams Navy has lost to is 120-73 for a winning percentage of .621. So, if you want to know if you have a good team or a bad team, schedule Navy.
5). The Big Ten has taken a lot of flack this season for being mediocre. I can’t say that the criticism is undeserved. Ohio St. is the only elite team in the conference. There is still only one team ranked from the Big Ten in the top 20. However, be prepared to see nine Big Ten teams in bowl games. The conference already has six teams that are bowl eligible and three more with five wins. Northwestern would already be bowl eligible if it just would have beaten Duke.
Here are the remaining schedules for the three teams that need one win for bowl eligibility:
Michigan St.
@ Iowa
Michigan
@ Purdue
Penn St.
Indiana
@ Wisconsin
Ball St.
@ Northwestern
Purdue
Northwestern
@ Purdue
Iowa
Indiana
@ Illinois
Anyhow, on to the complaints…
Kentucky over S. Carolina
I’m not too agitated about this. Kentucky beat LSU. S. Carolina didn’t. Although, Kentucky got to play LSU at home and S. Carolina didn’t. Kentucky lost to two really good teams. S. Carolina lost to one really good team and one average team. S. Carolina beat Kentucky which should be the tiebreaker. I realize that S. Carolina got to play the game at home but after the game, I was convinced that S. Carolina was the better team. Different teams respond to road environments differently so maybe Kentucky just never got it together because of the hostile Columbia-environment. However, I would rank S. Carolina ahead of Kentucky because it looked like the better team by a decent margin. The USA Today had the same result.
The “lose at LSU and drop” theorem
I hate dropping teams for any loss no matter how impressive. Losses can be impressive. Auburn led LSU for the majority of its game losing with: 01 left on the clock. If LSU is the #3 team in the country, then Auburn has no business dropping. A five-spot plunge isn’t the end of the world. Also, Auburn is the only team in the polls with three losses. I just think the pollsters need to be able to look beyond the records. Auburn dropping becomes even more ridiculous since it will undoubtedly climb in the polls after beating Ole Miss and Tennessee Tech in the next two weeks. The USA Today did the same thing.
Hawaii
Hawaii climbed one-spot in the AP poll to #16. Brent Musberger says some dumb things but one of the dumbest came during the Michigan/Illinois telecast on Saturday. He defended Hawaii’s atrocious resume by saying “a win is a win.” He also said that as long as Hawaii keeps winning, it should get to play in a BCS game despite playing possibly the easiest schedule in the history of modern-day college football. Any average BCS school like Purdue, Maryland, or Oklahoma St. would go undefeated with Hawaii’s schedule. The USA Today poll has Hawaii inexplicably ranked at #14. I would expect every top-25 team to beat Hawaii.
Va. Tech at #8
Va. Tech has played one team that is ranked right now and it lost by 41. How is that worthy of the #8 ranking? And it’s not just that Va. Tech hasn’t been playing ranked teams. They have been playing awful teams. The Hokies claim the following wins; E. Carolina, Ohio, William & Mary, UNC, Duke, and Clemson. Obviously, Clemson is not a bad win but the rest are atrocious. There is no reason for Va. Tech to be ranked ahead of Florida and USC among others. The USA Today has Va. Tech at #9.
S. Florida dropping nine spots
Dropping S. Florida nine spots for losing by three points, on the road, against a top-25 team is ridiculous. Nobody wanted S. Florida ranked that high to begin with. This loss just gave every pollster an excuse to jettison them out of the top-ten. USC only dropped eights spots after losing to a 41-point underdog at home. The USA Today dropped S. Florida nine spots as well.
S. Florida over West Virginia
This is a duplicate of the Kentucky/S. Carolina situation. I don’t think it’s idiotic to rank WVU ahead of S. Florida. S. Florida had the advantage of playing the game at home. However, S. Florida was leading 21-3 in the 3rd quarter and 21-6 late in the game. It was never in danger of losing. It was an ugly game with 10 total turnovers. Neither team played great but that is how S. Florida plays. I left that game thinking that S. Florida was the better team. Plus, S. Florida just won at West Virginia at the end of last season. This win wasn’t a fluke. S. Florida should still be ranked ahead of West Virginia at this point. The USA Today again has the same thing.
Virginia
There is no doubt in my mind that Virginia is not a top-25 team. I have been agitated at the fact that both polls have ranked Virginia for the last couple weeks. However, I think I have been looking at this all wrong. I actually think the polls have shown some restraint in keeping Virginia out of the top 20 despite its 7-1 record. The polls usually fall for the teams with the inflated records (i.e. Hawaii). So, I guess this is more of a compliment than a criticism. Nevertheless, Virginia deserves to be ranked as much as Hawaii does.
Texas over Cal (among others)
Texas has no business being ranked ahead of Cal. Texas hasn’t beaten a ranked team and its five wins are over teams with a combined record of 16-29. They boast wins over the following powerhouses; Arkansas St., TCU, UCF, Rice, Iowa St., and Baylor. Cal, on the other hand has beaten # 5 Oregon and a Tennessee team that is much better than any team Texas has beaten. There is a boatload of teams that Texas shouldn’t be ranked ahead of but Cal seems the most obvious.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Michigan's Next Football Coach Final Edition
Recent related posts:
Paul Johnson is the best option for Michigan
Misunderstanding Paul Johnson
Nobody knows for certain when Michigan will be looking for its next football coach. It could be as soon as three months from now or a couple years from now. Only Lloyd Carr knows the answer to that one. However, I get the impression that this is it for Lloyd. If that ends up being the case, then the coaching search that takes place three months from now will probably be the most exciting thing to happen to the program since ’97. My preferences have changed slightly since my last list 10 months ago. Most of the names are the same but instead of focusing solely on candidates without ties to the program, I have included Les Miles who appears to be the only legitimate “Michigan Man” in contention. Any of the following coaches would be a good hire. Odds are that our next coach will be one of the guys below. If it is, recruiting likely won’t take a hit and the program will likely not miss a beat in the intermediate and likely flourish in the long run.
The Candidates
1). Les Miles-------LSU
I must admit that my first inclination at the thought of Miles being Michigan’s next coach was less than enthusiastic. I’ve never been an opponent of Miles in Ann Arbor but I did prefer some other names. I didn’t know much about him other than his brief tenure at Oklahoma St. and his first season at LSU. I have been dreaming (in my dreams) that Michigan’s next football coach would be an innovative tactician who could get the best out of Michigan's vast talent.
“Strategery” has never been a word used to describe the current Michigan coaching staff. Miles has never been thought of as an innovative genius of any kind, either. Whereas Jeff Tedford, Bobby Petrino, Paul Johnson, and Rich Rodriguez expose weakness with superior game-planning and play-calling, Miles keeps it relatively simple. Where Lloyd Carr attempts to coach like Bo Schembechler, it seems like Miles actually does it. Miles has proven that he is a Bo-disciple in just about every way. He favors the running game but not to a fault. He has a strong defense. He’s charismatic and he doesn’t pretend that he is a saint. Lloyd Carr—for all the goodwill that he has brought to the university—has taken everything that Bo did well and magnified it tenfold in a not-so-good way. He has taken Bo’s preference to the running game and turned it into a fixation often to the detriment of the program. He has removed virtually all surprise from the ground game often giving away the play before the ball is even snapped by using “tells” like a freshman wide receiver in the game or a fullback shuffle. He has taken Bo’s passion for UM and the comradery in the locker room and turned it into a “fort” where everything is run as if the program is protecting secrets vital to the safety of America.
The Michigan program has become stale. Bo’s success has been turned into a parody. When I first thought of Miles as Michigan’s next football coach, I envisioned just another Lloyd-type coach. I don’t see that anymore. I see a guy cut from the same cloth as Bo. He values a strong coaching staff. He can recruit with the best. He is conservative when he needs to be and risky when he needs to be. For the last five years, the term “Michigan Man” has left me ill at least when combined with the phrase “Michigan’s next football coach”. Miles is a “Michigan Man” and he would be a great fit. Some people will say he isn’t one of Lloyd’s favorite people. Others will say that Miles has had a shaky past. Don’t buy into that garbage. He was good enough for Oklahoma St., LSU, and Bo. As far as I’m concerned, that means he’s good enough for Michigan. Keep in mind that anyone who tries to discredit Miles as Michigan’s next football coach based on anything other than his coaching style probably has an agenda. Read mgoblog's profile of Miles to get a better idea of why he would be a good fit in Ann Arbor.
Best guess: Most signs point to Miles being the guy. I don’t have any reason to disagree. I think there is a better than 50% chance that Miles succeeds Carr.
2). Jeff Tedford----California
This is the third time I’ve listed the best candidates for the Michigan coaching job over the last 2+ years. Tedford has been in the top three on every list. There is little doubt that Tedford is an excellent coach. In the five years previous to his arrival at Cal in December of 2001, the Bears were 16-36 (.307 winning %). In the five and-a-half years since, Tedford has guided the Bears to a 48-21 record (.695 winning %). Tedford has turned the Cal program into a perennial BCS threat. Playing second fiddle to USC in recruiting has not made thing easy. Tedford has continued to bring top-notch talent to Berkley nonetheless. He is an offensive-guru and would be a perfect fit to open up the Michigan offense. I would certainly not be disappointed if he were the guy to take over the program. Read mgoblog’s profile of Tedford for more on Tedford’s miracle-job at Cal and his many strengths as a coach.
Best guess: Tedford seems happy at Cal. I don’t think he’s actively pursuing a way out of town. He also seems happy on the West Coast as evidenced by his coaching resume. I’m not sure what the pecking order is out west in terms of most sought after positions. USC is probably number one followed by UCLA. Tedford can pretty much coach wherever he wants so anytime one of those spots open—which could be soon for both places—Tedford could have the first crack if he wants it.
3). Paul Johnson-----Navy
Johnson will be a godsend for whatever program hires him. He just might be the best college football coach in the country. There certainly isn’t a single reason to think otherwise. There are only two other teams in the country that face as many obstacles as Johnson does at Navy and those teams are the other service academies (Army and Air Force). Air Force managed to run a pretty good program under Fisher DeBerry for a number of years but has tailed off significantly since his retirement. Army—with a talent level right on par with Navy—has gone 14-67 (.172 winning %) since 2000. When I say that Navy can only recruit players that nobody else wants, that’s exactly what I mean. You will almost never find a player at Navy or even remotely interested in Navy—or any of the academies—who has a legitimate shot at the NFL. And even if you did, said player would have to be willing to delay his NFL career by five years in order to honor his five-year commitment as a Naval Officer. Johnson has an annual roster full of players who are strong on heart and short on talent. His teams are always undersized and outmatched athletically. Navy never has a personnel advantage unless they are playing Army. As frustrating as it is to say—because I root for the academies—the only way an academy can compete under the current rules is to have vastly superior coaching. Cue Johnson.
What he has done at Navy has been truly remarkable. In the four years previous to his arrival, Navy was 9-35 (.204 winning %). In the five and-a-half years since, Navy is 41-27 (.602 winning percentage). Since the last game of his first season at Navy, Johnson has guided the Midshipmen to a 40-17 record (.701 winning percentage). That turnaround puts Tedford’s miracle-job at Cal to shame. By the end of this season, Johnson will have taken Navy to five-straight bowl games. The program only went to one bowl game in the previous twenty years before Johnson signed on
Even more remarkable is what Johnson has been able to accomplish offensively with the least sought after group of players in the country. Navy leads the nation in rushing with an unbelievable average of 345 yards per game. Navy’s offensive linemen weigh an average of 270 pounds. Navy’s starting right tackle is 255 pounds. Navy never has a quarterback who can throw. Every opponent knows that Navy is undersized. Every opponent knows that they’re going to run the ball 80% of the time. Yet, nobody can stop them. Johnson’s teams are also extremely disciplined. Navy is first in the nation in fewest penalty yardage and third in the nation in fewest penalties. Navy is 8th in the nation in 3rd down conversion percentage and 9th in 4th down conversion percentage. Johnson goes for it on fourth down over two times per game and has a dazzling success rate of 71%.
Johnson has been successful at every stop. He ran a I-AA powerhouse at Georgia Southern that resulted in two National Championships and five conference titles in five years. There is no question in my mind that Johnson will resurrect a fallen program in the near future. If Nebraska had any clue what it was doing, it would expend every resource into bringing Johnson to Lincoln. Johnson’s unstoppable running game would be a perfect fit for Nebraska’s rich tradition. I don’t think Johnson is a realistic candidate for the Michigan job. I think Bill Martin would take some heat for even considering it because of Johnson’s relative obscurity. Plus, it’s way too convenient for people to make the excuse that being successful at Navy isn’t like being successful at Michigan. Frankly, it’s not. It’s much, much harder to be successful at Navy.
Best guess: Tom Osbourne may be just the guy to give Johnson a call. I am a fan of Navy so I’m hoping he doesn’t go anywhere but he certainly deserves to coach at a marquee program. He would give Texas and Oklahoma fits.
4). Rich Rodriguez-----West Virginia
Rich Rodriguez is the pioneer of the spread option. Without Rodriguez’s influence, Urban Meyer would be just another football coach, Alex Smith would just be John L. Smith’s nephew and not the first pick in the NFL draft, and Ohio St. probably would have won the National Championship in 2006. Rodriguez is easily one of the top ten coaches in college football. The talent level he has at West Virginia is nowhere near what most people would expect. The Mountaineers have only had one top-30 recruiting class since Rodriguez took over. Still, Rodriguez has managed to turn the WVU into a perennial top-ten program. The program has reached new heights in just a few short years. Rodriguez is on track to lead the Mountaineers to their third-straight 11-win season. He has led the program to two consecutive top-ten finishes for the first time in school history and is working on a third. Rodriguez has led WVU to back to back bowl wins for only the second time in school history. WVU had only won one bowl game in the previous 21 years.
The spread option has made West Virginia the second most prolific rushing attack in college football this season. The Mountaineers have increased their rushing totals in each of the last four seasons and they are on pace to do the same this season. Despite running the ball 50 times per game, WVU leads the nation in average yards per carry which goes a long way in demonstrating how effective Rodriguez’s scheme is. WVU also leads the nation in rushing touchdowns by a considerable margin.
The spread option doesn’t lean heavily on the running game by its nature but it can clearly manifest itself in that way. For teams with lesser talent, it is meant to even the playing field with an effective rushing attack. For teams with a quarterback who can throw, the spread option becomes even more devastating and the heavy reliance on the running game isn’t necessary. This was the case with Alex Smith in Urban Meyer’s spread option at Utah. With Alex Smith, Meyer was able to balance his attack about as evenly as possible as Utah rushed for 2,836 yards and passed for 2,694 for an amazing 51/49 ratio in 2004. That would likely be the case with Rich Rodriguez if he took over at Michigan as well. Michigan’s talent level would allow Rodriguez to run the spread option in the way it was meant to be run. Ideally, any coach—whether he runs the spread option or not—wants a balanced passing and rushing attack (unless that coach is Mike Martz). Rodriguez hasn’t had the personnel to do that at West Virginia so he leans on the running game.
The spread option is not a “gimmick” offense that can only be used with inferior talent, nor is it an offense that is designed to ignore the pass. The last two National Champions (Texas and Florida) have run the spread option. Ohio St.—with a Heisman winning quarterback—ran the spread option last season. The offense is adaptable to all teams with all talent levels.
Best guess: Rodriguez is at his alma mater. He loves West Virginia. He has the program among the elite in the nation. He turned down a gazillion dollars to coach at Alabama. I don’t think he’s going anyway—ever.
5). Brian Kelly----Cincinnati
Kelly took over the Central Michigan football program after Mike DeBord proved just how inept Michigan’s philosophy would be at a school that doesn’t have the best talent. Kelly took DeBord’s mess and turned it into a winning program in just two seasons. In 2006, Kelly led the Chippewas to their first 10-win season since 1979. The season also culminated in Central’s first ever bowl win. Considering the crop of talent he inherited from DeBord’s regime, Kelly proved his merit as a phenomenal football coach.
Kelly took over for Cincinnati in December of 2006 just in time to lead the Bearcats to only the third bowl victory in school history. Kelly has taken the Cincinnati program to a new level in 2007. The Bearcats are ranked for the first time since 1976. The Bearcats got off to a 5-0 start which was the first such start since 1935. Although Kelly is nationally recognized as an offensive mastermind, Cincinnati’s defense has stolen the show thus far ranking 6th in the nation in points allowed per game.
Kelly achieved early success in his coaching career as he dominated Division 2 football at Grand Valley St. In his last three seasons at GVSU, Kelly was 41-2 with two National Championships. His 2001-team averaged an unbelievable 58 points per game. Kelly is clearly a brilliant coach. He will not last at Cincinnati for very long. Look for his next step to be a quantum leap to a national power or possibly the NFL. Michigan will probably not look at Kelly as anything other than a fallback option. There is no question in my mind that Kelly would get the most out of the Michigan program. He maximizes talent which is just what Michigan needs.
Best guess: Kelly is in the process of pulling the Urban Meyer Trifecta. Meyer went from Bowling Green to Utah to Florida in just five years. Kelly is on an almost identical pace. He went from Central Michigan to Cincinnati and the next destination will likely be a big one. I don’t see him lasting more than three seasons at Cincinnati. I have heard that Kelly has interest in the NFL, but, who doesn’t at some point or another?
6). Greg Schiano-----Rutgers
Schiano has revived the once dormant Rutgers program in astonishing fashion. Last season, Rutgers was in position to go to the BCS Championship Game as late as mid-November. This is a program that was 0-11 in 1997, 1-10 in 1999, and 1-11 in 2002. Rutgers is nowhere near a finished product considering Schiano had to build the program from scratch. Last season’s success is finally having an impact on recruiting as Rutgers finds itself in on more high-profile recruits. It has been a slow—and sometimes stagnant—process since Schiano took over in 2001. Schiano has the program in line for its third-straight bowl game which is astounding considering the program hadn’t been to a bowl in 27 years before the streak began.
Schiano turned down the Miami (FL) job to stay at Rutgers. He is clearly interested in finishing the job he started six years ago. I would be surprised if he wasn’t interested in the Michigan job, however. There is no question that he would be a great coach wherever he ends up. My guess is that he’ll take over for Joe Paterno in 2058. Schiano is kind of an unknown commodity. He is clearly a good coach but Rutgers has taken a step back this season. Building a team from the bottom up is slightly different than keeping the program among the elite year in and year out. He might be a risky hire in that regard. Then again, he’s coaching at Rutgers. He has done about as well as a coach can do there.
Best guess: Rumors have Schiano replacing JoePa at Penn St. I’m not one to buy into rumors given their 10% success rate but this one makes sense. Schiano coached at Penn St. for five years in the 90s. He’s a bright, young coach who doesn’t seem to mind coaching in obscure locations (see; Rutgers).
An additional option if Carr stays another year and the Falcons stink…
This list is predicated on the idea that this is Carr’s last season. If it’s not, more names become available. One giant name that could become available by the end of next season is Bobby Petrino. Short stints by college coaches are the norm in the NFL. Steve Spurrier lasted two seasons as the head coach of the Redskins. Nick Saban lasted two seasons with the Dolphins. Butch Davis lasted 3.5 seasons with the Browns. Dennis Erickson lasted two seasons with the 49ers. All left college football on top of the world to test their craft in the NFL and all found their way back to the college ranks quickly. No coach since Jimmy Johnson has gone from the top of the college football coaching world to a successful coach in the NFL. Pete Carroll proved that life is great after a failed NFL-stint. If Petrino doesn’t pan out in Atlanta—and I’m not sure how he can with the odds stacked against him—some upper echelon college football program will reap the benefits.
Bobby Petrino-----Atlanta Falcons
The odds of Petrino being the next coach go from about 0% to 1% if Carr stays. Petrino is just getting used to coaching in the NFL. He’ll probably not be burnt out after one bad—albeit a dreadfully bad—season in Atlanta. Ownership will give him time to implement his system. So, he’ll probably not be on the market after his first season. Plus, his contract with the Falcons—five years for $24 million—is twice as much as he would get at Michigan. Needless to say, he won’t be actively pursuing ways to give up $12 million. If things continue to stink in 2008, though, you can bet that Petrino will start to think about returning to college ala Carroll, Saban, and Spurrier. I’m pretty sure that this is Carr’s last season, and I’m pretty sure that Michigan would never hire Petrino for various “doesn’t fit in”-reasons. Nonetheless, Petrino is easily one of the ten best coaches in America. He turned Louisville—yes, Louisville—into a dominating college football program. He could turn a top 25 school into a USC-type powerhouse in the same way Pete Carroll did. Petrino at Michigan would send the program into another stratosphere.
Best guess: This is just off the top of my head but Bobby Bowden’s last season at FSU could coincide with Petrino’s last season in Atlanta which would be a perfect fit. Petrino at Florida St. would be bad news for every non-Seminoles fan.
Final thoughts:
I would be shocked if Michigan’s next coach isn’t somewhere on this list. In fact, I would be shocked if Michigan’s next coach isn’t Les Miles or Jeff Tedford. There are obviously other candidates out there worth mentioning like Mike Leach and Jim Leavitt but I don’t think either of them are realistic options. Michigan will look for a specific breed of coach who isn’t “gimmicky” or too obscure which eliminates more than a few options including Johnson and Rodriguez. I wish—but don’t have a whole lot of confidence—that Michigan could have more of an open-mind when looking for its next football coach. Regardless, I am much happier with the prospects than I was one and two years ago when Mike DeBord, Terry Malone, Jim Herrmann, and Ron English were paramount in the discussion. We’re going to get somebody good and it’s going to be awesome.
Paul Johnson is the best option for Michigan
Misunderstanding Paul Johnson
Nobody knows for certain when Michigan will be looking for its next football coach. It could be as soon as three months from now or a couple years from now. Only Lloyd Carr knows the answer to that one. However, I get the impression that this is it for Lloyd. If that ends up being the case, then the coaching search that takes place three months from now will probably be the most exciting thing to happen to the program since ’97. My preferences have changed slightly since my last list 10 months ago. Most of the names are the same but instead of focusing solely on candidates without ties to the program, I have included Les Miles who appears to be the only legitimate “Michigan Man” in contention. Any of the following coaches would be a good hire. Odds are that our next coach will be one of the guys below. If it is, recruiting likely won’t take a hit and the program will likely not miss a beat in the intermediate and likely flourish in the long run.
The Candidates
1). Les Miles-------LSU
I must admit that my first inclination at the thought of Miles being Michigan’s next coach was less than enthusiastic. I’ve never been an opponent of Miles in Ann Arbor but I did prefer some other names. I didn’t know much about him other than his brief tenure at Oklahoma St. and his first season at LSU. I have been dreaming (in my dreams) that Michigan’s next football coach would be an innovative tactician who could get the best out of Michigan's vast talent.
“Strategery” has never been a word used to describe the current Michigan coaching staff. Miles has never been thought of as an innovative genius of any kind, either. Whereas Jeff Tedford, Bobby Petrino, Paul Johnson, and Rich Rodriguez expose weakness with superior game-planning and play-calling, Miles keeps it relatively simple. Where Lloyd Carr attempts to coach like Bo Schembechler, it seems like Miles actually does it. Miles has proven that he is a Bo-disciple in just about every way. He favors the running game but not to a fault. He has a strong defense. He’s charismatic and he doesn’t pretend that he is a saint. Lloyd Carr—for all the goodwill that he has brought to the university—has taken everything that Bo did well and magnified it tenfold in a not-so-good way. He has taken Bo’s preference to the running game and turned it into a fixation often to the detriment of the program. He has removed virtually all surprise from the ground game often giving away the play before the ball is even snapped by using “tells” like a freshman wide receiver in the game or a fullback shuffle. He has taken Bo’s passion for UM and the comradery in the locker room and turned it into a “fort” where everything is run as if the program is protecting secrets vital to the safety of America.
The Michigan program has become stale. Bo’s success has been turned into a parody. When I first thought of Miles as Michigan’s next football coach, I envisioned just another Lloyd-type coach. I don’t see that anymore. I see a guy cut from the same cloth as Bo. He values a strong coaching staff. He can recruit with the best. He is conservative when he needs to be and risky when he needs to be. For the last five years, the term “Michigan Man” has left me ill at least when combined with the phrase “Michigan’s next football coach”. Miles is a “Michigan Man” and he would be a great fit. Some people will say he isn’t one of Lloyd’s favorite people. Others will say that Miles has had a shaky past. Don’t buy into that garbage. He was good enough for Oklahoma St., LSU, and Bo. As far as I’m concerned, that means he’s good enough for Michigan. Keep in mind that anyone who tries to discredit Miles as Michigan’s next football coach based on anything other than his coaching style probably has an agenda. Read mgoblog's profile of Miles to get a better idea of why he would be a good fit in Ann Arbor.
Best guess: Most signs point to Miles being the guy. I don’t have any reason to disagree. I think there is a better than 50% chance that Miles succeeds Carr.
2). Jeff Tedford----California
This is the third time I’ve listed the best candidates for the Michigan coaching job over the last 2+ years. Tedford has been in the top three on every list. There is little doubt that Tedford is an excellent coach. In the five years previous to his arrival at Cal in December of 2001, the Bears were 16-36 (.307 winning %). In the five and-a-half years since, Tedford has guided the Bears to a 48-21 record (.695 winning %). Tedford has turned the Cal program into a perennial BCS threat. Playing second fiddle to USC in recruiting has not made thing easy. Tedford has continued to bring top-notch talent to Berkley nonetheless. He is an offensive-guru and would be a perfect fit to open up the Michigan offense. I would certainly not be disappointed if he were the guy to take over the program. Read mgoblog’s profile of Tedford for more on Tedford’s miracle-job at Cal and his many strengths as a coach.
Best guess: Tedford seems happy at Cal. I don’t think he’s actively pursuing a way out of town. He also seems happy on the West Coast as evidenced by his coaching resume. I’m not sure what the pecking order is out west in terms of most sought after positions. USC is probably number one followed by UCLA. Tedford can pretty much coach wherever he wants so anytime one of those spots open—which could be soon for both places—Tedford could have the first crack if he wants it.
3). Paul Johnson-----Navy
Johnson will be a godsend for whatever program hires him. He just might be the best college football coach in the country. There certainly isn’t a single reason to think otherwise. There are only two other teams in the country that face as many obstacles as Johnson does at Navy and those teams are the other service academies (Army and Air Force). Air Force managed to run a pretty good program under Fisher DeBerry for a number of years but has tailed off significantly since his retirement. Army—with a talent level right on par with Navy—has gone 14-67 (.172 winning %) since 2000. When I say that Navy can only recruit players that nobody else wants, that’s exactly what I mean. You will almost never find a player at Navy or even remotely interested in Navy—or any of the academies—who has a legitimate shot at the NFL. And even if you did, said player would have to be willing to delay his NFL career by five years in order to honor his five-year commitment as a Naval Officer. Johnson has an annual roster full of players who are strong on heart and short on talent. His teams are always undersized and outmatched athletically. Navy never has a personnel advantage unless they are playing Army. As frustrating as it is to say—because I root for the academies—the only way an academy can compete under the current rules is to have vastly superior coaching. Cue Johnson.
What he has done at Navy has been truly remarkable. In the four years previous to his arrival, Navy was 9-35 (.204 winning %). In the five and-a-half years since, Navy is 41-27 (.602 winning percentage). Since the last game of his first season at Navy, Johnson has guided the Midshipmen to a 40-17 record (.701 winning percentage). That turnaround puts Tedford’s miracle-job at Cal to shame. By the end of this season, Johnson will have taken Navy to five-straight bowl games. The program only went to one bowl game in the previous twenty years before Johnson signed on
Even more remarkable is what Johnson has been able to accomplish offensively with the least sought after group of players in the country. Navy leads the nation in rushing with an unbelievable average of 345 yards per game. Navy’s offensive linemen weigh an average of 270 pounds. Navy’s starting right tackle is 255 pounds. Navy never has a quarterback who can throw. Every opponent knows that Navy is undersized. Every opponent knows that they’re going to run the ball 80% of the time. Yet, nobody can stop them. Johnson’s teams are also extremely disciplined. Navy is first in the nation in fewest penalty yardage and third in the nation in fewest penalties. Navy is 8th in the nation in 3rd down conversion percentage and 9th in 4th down conversion percentage. Johnson goes for it on fourth down over two times per game and has a dazzling success rate of 71%.
Johnson has been successful at every stop. He ran a I-AA powerhouse at Georgia Southern that resulted in two National Championships and five conference titles in five years. There is no question in my mind that Johnson will resurrect a fallen program in the near future. If Nebraska had any clue what it was doing, it would expend every resource into bringing Johnson to Lincoln. Johnson’s unstoppable running game would be a perfect fit for Nebraska’s rich tradition. I don’t think Johnson is a realistic candidate for the Michigan job. I think Bill Martin would take some heat for even considering it because of Johnson’s relative obscurity. Plus, it’s way too convenient for people to make the excuse that being successful at Navy isn’t like being successful at Michigan. Frankly, it’s not. It’s much, much harder to be successful at Navy.
Best guess: Tom Osbourne may be just the guy to give Johnson a call. I am a fan of Navy so I’m hoping he doesn’t go anywhere but he certainly deserves to coach at a marquee program. He would give Texas and Oklahoma fits.
4). Rich Rodriguez-----West Virginia
Rich Rodriguez is the pioneer of the spread option. Without Rodriguez’s influence, Urban Meyer would be just another football coach, Alex Smith would just be John L. Smith’s nephew and not the first pick in the NFL draft, and Ohio St. probably would have won the National Championship in 2006. Rodriguez is easily one of the top ten coaches in college football. The talent level he has at West Virginia is nowhere near what most people would expect. The Mountaineers have only had one top-30 recruiting class since Rodriguez took over. Still, Rodriguez has managed to turn the WVU into a perennial top-ten program. The program has reached new heights in just a few short years. Rodriguez is on track to lead the Mountaineers to their third-straight 11-win season. He has led the program to two consecutive top-ten finishes for the first time in school history and is working on a third. Rodriguez has led WVU to back to back bowl wins for only the second time in school history. WVU had only won one bowl game in the previous 21 years.
The spread option has made West Virginia the second most prolific rushing attack in college football this season. The Mountaineers have increased their rushing totals in each of the last four seasons and they are on pace to do the same this season. Despite running the ball 50 times per game, WVU leads the nation in average yards per carry which goes a long way in demonstrating how effective Rodriguez’s scheme is. WVU also leads the nation in rushing touchdowns by a considerable margin.
The spread option doesn’t lean heavily on the running game by its nature but it can clearly manifest itself in that way. For teams with lesser talent, it is meant to even the playing field with an effective rushing attack. For teams with a quarterback who can throw, the spread option becomes even more devastating and the heavy reliance on the running game isn’t necessary. This was the case with Alex Smith in Urban Meyer’s spread option at Utah. With Alex Smith, Meyer was able to balance his attack about as evenly as possible as Utah rushed for 2,836 yards and passed for 2,694 for an amazing 51/49 ratio in 2004. That would likely be the case with Rich Rodriguez if he took over at Michigan as well. Michigan’s talent level would allow Rodriguez to run the spread option in the way it was meant to be run. Ideally, any coach—whether he runs the spread option or not—wants a balanced passing and rushing attack (unless that coach is Mike Martz). Rodriguez hasn’t had the personnel to do that at West Virginia so he leans on the running game.
The spread option is not a “gimmick” offense that can only be used with inferior talent, nor is it an offense that is designed to ignore the pass. The last two National Champions (Texas and Florida) have run the spread option. Ohio St.—with a Heisman winning quarterback—ran the spread option last season. The offense is adaptable to all teams with all talent levels.
Best guess: Rodriguez is at his alma mater. He loves West Virginia. He has the program among the elite in the nation. He turned down a gazillion dollars to coach at Alabama. I don’t think he’s going anyway—ever.
5). Brian Kelly----Cincinnati
Kelly took over the Central Michigan football program after Mike DeBord proved just how inept Michigan’s philosophy would be at a school that doesn’t have the best talent. Kelly took DeBord’s mess and turned it into a winning program in just two seasons. In 2006, Kelly led the Chippewas to their first 10-win season since 1979. The season also culminated in Central’s first ever bowl win. Considering the crop of talent he inherited from DeBord’s regime, Kelly proved his merit as a phenomenal football coach.
Kelly took over for Cincinnati in December of 2006 just in time to lead the Bearcats to only the third bowl victory in school history. Kelly has taken the Cincinnati program to a new level in 2007. The Bearcats are ranked for the first time since 1976. The Bearcats got off to a 5-0 start which was the first such start since 1935. Although Kelly is nationally recognized as an offensive mastermind, Cincinnati’s defense has stolen the show thus far ranking 6th in the nation in points allowed per game.
Kelly achieved early success in his coaching career as he dominated Division 2 football at Grand Valley St. In his last three seasons at GVSU, Kelly was 41-2 with two National Championships. His 2001-team averaged an unbelievable 58 points per game. Kelly is clearly a brilliant coach. He will not last at Cincinnati for very long. Look for his next step to be a quantum leap to a national power or possibly the NFL. Michigan will probably not look at Kelly as anything other than a fallback option. There is no question in my mind that Kelly would get the most out of the Michigan program. He maximizes talent which is just what Michigan needs.
Best guess: Kelly is in the process of pulling the Urban Meyer Trifecta. Meyer went from Bowling Green to Utah to Florida in just five years. Kelly is on an almost identical pace. He went from Central Michigan to Cincinnati and the next destination will likely be a big one. I don’t see him lasting more than three seasons at Cincinnati. I have heard that Kelly has interest in the NFL, but, who doesn’t at some point or another?
6). Greg Schiano-----Rutgers
Schiano has revived the once dormant Rutgers program in astonishing fashion. Last season, Rutgers was in position to go to the BCS Championship Game as late as mid-November. This is a program that was 0-11 in 1997, 1-10 in 1999, and 1-11 in 2002. Rutgers is nowhere near a finished product considering Schiano had to build the program from scratch. Last season’s success is finally having an impact on recruiting as Rutgers finds itself in on more high-profile recruits. It has been a slow—and sometimes stagnant—process since Schiano took over in 2001. Schiano has the program in line for its third-straight bowl game which is astounding considering the program hadn’t been to a bowl in 27 years before the streak began.
Schiano turned down the Miami (FL) job to stay at Rutgers. He is clearly interested in finishing the job he started six years ago. I would be surprised if he wasn’t interested in the Michigan job, however. There is no question that he would be a great coach wherever he ends up. My guess is that he’ll take over for Joe Paterno in 2058. Schiano is kind of an unknown commodity. He is clearly a good coach but Rutgers has taken a step back this season. Building a team from the bottom up is slightly different than keeping the program among the elite year in and year out. He might be a risky hire in that regard. Then again, he’s coaching at Rutgers. He has done about as well as a coach can do there.
Best guess: Rumors have Schiano replacing JoePa at Penn St. I’m not one to buy into rumors given their 10% success rate but this one makes sense. Schiano coached at Penn St. for five years in the 90s. He’s a bright, young coach who doesn’t seem to mind coaching in obscure locations (see; Rutgers).
An additional option if Carr stays another year and the Falcons stink…
This list is predicated on the idea that this is Carr’s last season. If it’s not, more names become available. One giant name that could become available by the end of next season is Bobby Petrino. Short stints by college coaches are the norm in the NFL. Steve Spurrier lasted two seasons as the head coach of the Redskins. Nick Saban lasted two seasons with the Dolphins. Butch Davis lasted 3.5 seasons with the Browns. Dennis Erickson lasted two seasons with the 49ers. All left college football on top of the world to test their craft in the NFL and all found their way back to the college ranks quickly. No coach since Jimmy Johnson has gone from the top of the college football coaching world to a successful coach in the NFL. Pete Carroll proved that life is great after a failed NFL-stint. If Petrino doesn’t pan out in Atlanta—and I’m not sure how he can with the odds stacked against him—some upper echelon college football program will reap the benefits.
Bobby Petrino-----Atlanta Falcons
The odds of Petrino being the next coach go from about 0% to 1% if Carr stays. Petrino is just getting used to coaching in the NFL. He’ll probably not be burnt out after one bad—albeit a dreadfully bad—season in Atlanta. Ownership will give him time to implement his system. So, he’ll probably not be on the market after his first season. Plus, his contract with the Falcons—five years for $24 million—is twice as much as he would get at Michigan. Needless to say, he won’t be actively pursuing ways to give up $12 million. If things continue to stink in 2008, though, you can bet that Petrino will start to think about returning to college ala Carroll, Saban, and Spurrier. I’m pretty sure that this is Carr’s last season, and I’m pretty sure that Michigan would never hire Petrino for various “doesn’t fit in”-reasons. Nonetheless, Petrino is easily one of the ten best coaches in America. He turned Louisville—yes, Louisville—into a dominating college football program. He could turn a top 25 school into a USC-type powerhouse in the same way Pete Carroll did. Petrino at Michigan would send the program into another stratosphere.
Best guess: This is just off the top of my head but Bobby Bowden’s last season at FSU could coincide with Petrino’s last season in Atlanta which would be a perfect fit. Petrino at Florida St. would be bad news for every non-Seminoles fan.
Final thoughts:
I would be shocked if Michigan’s next coach isn’t somewhere on this list. In fact, I would be shocked if Michigan’s next coach isn’t Les Miles or Jeff Tedford. There are obviously other candidates out there worth mentioning like Mike Leach and Jim Leavitt but I don’t think either of them are realistic options. Michigan will look for a specific breed of coach who isn’t “gimmicky” or too obscure which eliminates more than a few options including Johnson and Rodriguez. I wish—but don’t have a whole lot of confidence—that Michigan could have more of an open-mind when looking for its next football coach. Regardless, I am much happier with the prospects than I was one and two years ago when Mike DeBord, Terry Malone, Jim Herrmann, and Ron English were paramount in the discussion. We’re going to get somebody good and it’s going to be awesome.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
The Big Ten Network
Michigan AD Bill Martin released a lengthy statement today explaining why Comcast is the primary culprit in the standoff with the BTN. There are a lot of people out there--including the man and woman who sat behind me at the Purdue game--who think that the BTN is evil. The majority of the people who actually know the details of the negotiations know this isn't true. Comcast lost me as a customer because of their transparent "we care about the customers" campaign that was absolute garbage. I made the switch to Direct TV and I couldn't be happier. The BTN isn't the most amazing network ever but I have it on just about every night at one point or another. Comcast is relying on its ability to dupe fans into thinking that the BTN is just a greedy idea aimed at keeping college football from the fans. If people think that, then they won't blame Comcast and thus, won't switch their service to another cable provider. Read Martin's message to get the real story.
Monday, October 15, 2007
Monday Poll Bashin'/BC and USF rule the world
Once again the college football world was rocked by craziness in the top 10. LSU and Cal both lost in last-second fashion. Cal’s backup quarterback made one of the worst decisions in sports history while Les Miles unsuccessfully channeled Bo Schembechler for four-straight runs in OT. Both teams will have a chance to climb back into the National Title picture rather quickly. While those losses weren’t season-enders for either team, they were catalysts for the polls to exhibit unprecedented idiocy. I feel for the pollsters. This season has been borderline-insane. It is not easy to rank the top 25 teams. However, it is easy to avoid making moronic rationalizations. A full list of those will come later.
The biggest annoyance for me this week is that the polls have become a reflection of what the pollsters don’t think. Boston College is ranked 2nd in the AP poll and 3rd in the USA Today poll. I’m pretty sure that 95% of all pollsters do not believe that Boston College is a top three team. So what are they doing ranked near-unanimously in the top three? What good are the polls if they don’t even reflect what the voters actually think? BC hasn’t beaten a team in the top 30 of either poll. Among BC’s underwhelming victories are UMASS, Army, and Bowling Green. We went through this earlier in the season as Wisconsin climbed to #5. I can probably count on one hand the number of voters in the country who actually felt Wisconsin was a top five team. The polls should reflect which teams the pollsters think are the best. I don’t think it’s that difficult of a concept.
Not nearly as controversial—but worth noting nonetheless—is Ohio St. being ranked number one by virtually everyone despite the following victories: Youngstown St., Akron, Kent, Washington, Minnesota, Northwestern, and Purdue. I’m not sure there is a team in the top 25 with a worse collection of wins. Ohio St. has been thoroughly dominant in getting to 7-0. They are clearly talented. It is just odd to see a team with that sort of resume as the overwhelming pick as the top team in the country. Unfortunately, Ohio St. probably won’t be tested all year. Likewise, if BC beats Virginia Tech on Thursday, then it will be undefeated without a single ranked team remaining on its schedule. Based on performance to date, South Florida deserves to be ranked number one ahead of Ohio St. and BC.
On to the massive list of poll-related atrocities…
I’m going to break things down by poll this week to make things less repetitive.
USA Today Poll
Penn St. over Michigan
Do these guys watch football? Both teams have the same record and Michigan beat Penn St. with its back-up true freshman quarterback. Amazingly, it gets much, much worse.
Boston College over South Florida
South Florida has two victories over teams ranked in the top 20 (#7 West Virginia and #19 Auburn). Boston College hasn't even played a team that is currently ranked.
Purdue #32!
It was absurd that Purdue was even ranked at all last week by the USA Today Poll. After back to back losses in embarrassing fashion Purdue chimes in at #32? That victory over Central Michigan must carry a lot of weight considering that is Purdue’s marquee win thus far. Just to prove that the AP Poll does follow college football, Purdue didn’t receive a single vote in its poll.
Kansas St. not even ranked
Ranking Texas over Kansas St. at this point is dumb. Both teams have two losses. Kansas St. killed Texas by 20 points. Kansas St. has the best win and the best losses. However, ranking Virginia over Kansas St. is beyond the realm of incompetence. Virginia has six wins against; Duke, North Carolina, Georgia Tech, Middle Tennessee St., Connecticut and Pittsburgh. Virginia beat North Carolina, Middle Tennessee St., and Pittsburgh (teams with a combined record of 6-14) by a grand total of five points. There are 40 teams in I-A football with a better collection of victories. Virginia also managed a whole three points in a 20-point blowout loss at the hands of powerful Wyoming. So, if asked who Kansas St. should be ranked ahead of, my answer is: Virginia.
Virginia Tech over Kentucky
Virginia Tech and Kentucky are 6-1. Virginia Tech’s best win? Unranked Clemson. Kentucky’s best win? #5 LSU. Virginia Tech’s loss? 48-7 to LSU. Kentucky’s loss? 38-23 to S. Carolina. Again, both teams have the same record. Both teams played LSU. Kentucky beat LSU. Virginia Tech lost by 41. I don’t have anything else to say.
Hawaii stays at #16
Hawaii squeaked out another impressive victory in overtime fashion nonetheless. This time it was against San Jose St. It can now add that to its other overtime win against feared Louisiana Tech. Hawaii now has two victories over I-AA teams, two overtime victories against San Jose St. and Louisiana Tech, and the other three wins were against teams with a combined record of 3-17. Sound like the #16 team in the country? If you answered yes, then you should be a college football voter.
Pretending games didn’t happen
There are so many violations in the USA Today poll of teams beating other teams with equal resumes yet being ranked behind those teams. To save time, I’ll tackle all of these at once…
Wisconsin over Illinois
Wisconsin hasn’t beaten anyone of note. Illinois has (Wisconsin and Penn St). Illinois beat Wisconsin.
Florida St. over Wake Forest
Both teams are 4-2. Wake has the best loss of the two teams. Wake beat Florida St.
Georgia over Tennessee
Both teams have two losses. Tennessee crushed Georgia.
Maryland over Wake Forest
Both teams have two losses. Wake Forest has the better wins. Wake Forest has the better losses. Wake Forest beat Maryland.
Rutgers over Maryland
Both teams have two losses. Maryland has the better wins. Maryland has the better losses. Maryland beat Rutgers
Rutgers over Wake Forest
I’m just going to use the Transitive Property on this one. There. I used it.
AP Poll
Arizona St. first place vote
I know it’s just one guy but come on. If there’s a team in the top 20 with a worse collection of wins than Ohio St. and BC, it’s Arizona St. I don’t think anyone doubts that Arizona St. is at the very least, a good team. There’s just nothing, whatsoever, that would indicate Arizona St. is the best team in the country. Thankfully, this is guaranteed to only be a one or two-week phenomenon. Arizona St. plays Cal this week and Oregon next week. If ASU wins both, then there is sufficient evidence to vote ASU #1. If they lose either, then they clearly aren’t #1. This is just a minor annoyance.
Alabama over Florida St.
Again, both teams have the same record. Florida St. beat Alabama. This is one of the only cases of the entire year in which the AP Poll has a team ranked ahead of another team with nearly identical resumes in which it lost to when the USA Today Poll did not also do the same thing. In other words, the USA Today Poll must have missed this one on accident.
Hawaii #17
In a shocking turn of events, the AP Poll actually dropped Hawaii a whole spot after needing overtime to beat San Jose St. This should send a message to frauds everywhere that you will be punished for terrible performances. I don’t know what’s worse: Virginia at #27 or Hawaii at # 17? It’s a toss-up. In all seriousness, Hawaii is ranked ahead of Auburn, Texas, Tennessee, and Georgia among many other superior teams.
Virginia Tech!
At least the AP has Kentucky ranked ahead of Virginia Tech. Still, Virginia Tech hasn’t beaten anyone ranked and lost by 41 points in its only test of the season. The Hokies should be ranked at least five spots lower than #11.
USA Today and AP
Texas over Kansas St.
The AP is usually good about handling the x beat y with nearly identical resumes and records situation. In this instance, they got it wrong along with the USA Today poll. Kansas St. and Texas have two losses each. Kansas St. has the best losses and the best win. Kansas St. beat Texas by 20.
Florida over Auburn
Both Polls are guilty of this one. This comparison is pretty much the same as the Kansas St./Texas comparison. According to the rankings, Auburn has the best loss of the two teams. According to the rankings, Auburn has the best win of the two teams. Both Florida and Auburn have two losses. Florida lost to #5 LSU. Auburn lost to #2 S. Florida. Auburn beat Florida on the road. How can Florida be rated ahead of Auburn at this point?
Oregon over Cal
Cal and Oregon are both really good teams. They are both rated in the top ten. They both have one loss. If only these two teams could play each other so we could see which one is better. Oh, wait. They did play. In fact, they played at Oregon. Cal won. At this point in the season, Cal should be ranked ahead of Oregon. Cal has the better win. Oregon has the better loss. Cal beat Oregon. I have a feeling that this is the least egregious thing on my list according to the average college football fan. It shouldn't be. Cal won and they have the same record. Plus, Cal’s loss was with a freshman, back-up quarterback. That doesn’t change the outcome of the game but Cal very likely would have won on Saturday with Nate Longshore in the lineup.
Rutgers over Maryland
Both teams have two losses. Maryland has the better wins. Maryland has the better losses. Maryland beat Rutgers.
UCONN
Anyone voting for UCONN at this point is either its head coach, or thinks Dan Orlovsky is still in college. UCONN has beaten Duke, Maine, Temple, Akron, and Pittsburgh. UCONN basically lost to Temple. An apparent Temple touchdown was disallowed with 40 seconds left despite video evidence showing a touchdown. I almost forgot; Temple is bad. Please stop voting for UCONN.
Virginia!
The USA Today poll has Virginia ranked #24 which is ridiculous. The AP disappointed me big-time with this one, too. Just when I thought the AP might be getting its act together, it goes and ranks Virginia # 27. Here is a refresher about Virginia…
“Virginia’s six wins are against; Duke, North Carolina, Georgia Tech, Pittsburgh, Middle Tennessee St., and Pittsburgh. Virginia beat North Carolina, Middle Tennessee St., and Pittsburgh (teams with a combined record of 6-14) by a grand total of five points. There are 40 teams in I-A football with a better collection of victories. Virginia also managed a whole three points in a 20-point blowout loss at the hands of powerful Wyoming.”
Penn St. over Illinois
Both teams are 5-2. Illinois beat Penn St.
More signs of college football craziness:
USC is not ranked in the top 25 in three of the six computer polls used in the BSC rankings while South Florida is ranked number one in five of the six computer polls.
Four of the teams ranked in the top 10 of the AP poll were not even ranked to begin the season including South Florida, Boston College, Kentucky, and Oregon.
11 of the 25 teams ranked in the AP pre-season top 25 aren’t ranked anymore.
Arizona St.—despite not beating a team that was ranked at any point this season or a team that received even a single vote in the rankings this week—is rated as the number two team in the country by two computer polls.
The AP’s number one and three teams—Ohio St. and Boston College—have combined to beat zero ranked teams. In fact, together, they have only beaten one team that received even a single vote in the AP poll.
The biggest annoyance for me this week is that the polls have become a reflection of what the pollsters don’t think. Boston College is ranked 2nd in the AP poll and 3rd in the USA Today poll. I’m pretty sure that 95% of all pollsters do not believe that Boston College is a top three team. So what are they doing ranked near-unanimously in the top three? What good are the polls if they don’t even reflect what the voters actually think? BC hasn’t beaten a team in the top 30 of either poll. Among BC’s underwhelming victories are UMASS, Army, and Bowling Green. We went through this earlier in the season as Wisconsin climbed to #5. I can probably count on one hand the number of voters in the country who actually felt Wisconsin was a top five team. The polls should reflect which teams the pollsters think are the best. I don’t think it’s that difficult of a concept.
Not nearly as controversial—but worth noting nonetheless—is Ohio St. being ranked number one by virtually everyone despite the following victories: Youngstown St., Akron, Kent, Washington, Minnesota, Northwestern, and Purdue. I’m not sure there is a team in the top 25 with a worse collection of wins. Ohio St. has been thoroughly dominant in getting to 7-0. They are clearly talented. It is just odd to see a team with that sort of resume as the overwhelming pick as the top team in the country. Unfortunately, Ohio St. probably won’t be tested all year. Likewise, if BC beats Virginia Tech on Thursday, then it will be undefeated without a single ranked team remaining on its schedule. Based on performance to date, South Florida deserves to be ranked number one ahead of Ohio St. and BC.
On to the massive list of poll-related atrocities…
I’m going to break things down by poll this week to make things less repetitive.
USA Today Poll
Penn St. over Michigan
Do these guys watch football? Both teams have the same record and Michigan beat Penn St. with its back-up true freshman quarterback. Amazingly, it gets much, much worse.
Boston College over South Florida
South Florida has two victories over teams ranked in the top 20 (#7 West Virginia and #19 Auburn). Boston College hasn't even played a team that is currently ranked.
Purdue #32!
It was absurd that Purdue was even ranked at all last week by the USA Today Poll. After back to back losses in embarrassing fashion Purdue chimes in at #32? That victory over Central Michigan must carry a lot of weight considering that is Purdue’s marquee win thus far. Just to prove that the AP Poll does follow college football, Purdue didn’t receive a single vote in its poll.
Kansas St. not even ranked
Ranking Texas over Kansas St. at this point is dumb. Both teams have two losses. Kansas St. killed Texas by 20 points. Kansas St. has the best win and the best losses. However, ranking Virginia over Kansas St. is beyond the realm of incompetence. Virginia has six wins against; Duke, North Carolina, Georgia Tech, Middle Tennessee St., Connecticut and Pittsburgh. Virginia beat North Carolina, Middle Tennessee St., and Pittsburgh (teams with a combined record of 6-14) by a grand total of five points. There are 40 teams in I-A football with a better collection of victories. Virginia also managed a whole three points in a 20-point blowout loss at the hands of powerful Wyoming. So, if asked who Kansas St. should be ranked ahead of, my answer is: Virginia.
Virginia Tech over Kentucky
Virginia Tech and Kentucky are 6-1. Virginia Tech’s best win? Unranked Clemson. Kentucky’s best win? #5 LSU. Virginia Tech’s loss? 48-7 to LSU. Kentucky’s loss? 38-23 to S. Carolina. Again, both teams have the same record. Both teams played LSU. Kentucky beat LSU. Virginia Tech lost by 41. I don’t have anything else to say.
Hawaii stays at #16
Hawaii squeaked out another impressive victory in overtime fashion nonetheless. This time it was against San Jose St. It can now add that to its other overtime win against feared Louisiana Tech. Hawaii now has two victories over I-AA teams, two overtime victories against San Jose St. and Louisiana Tech, and the other three wins were against teams with a combined record of 3-17. Sound like the #16 team in the country? If you answered yes, then you should be a college football voter.
Pretending games didn’t happen
There are so many violations in the USA Today poll of teams beating other teams with equal resumes yet being ranked behind those teams. To save time, I’ll tackle all of these at once…
Wisconsin over Illinois
Wisconsin hasn’t beaten anyone of note. Illinois has (Wisconsin and Penn St). Illinois beat Wisconsin.
Florida St. over Wake Forest
Both teams are 4-2. Wake has the best loss of the two teams. Wake beat Florida St.
Georgia over Tennessee
Both teams have two losses. Tennessee crushed Georgia.
Maryland over Wake Forest
Both teams have two losses. Wake Forest has the better wins. Wake Forest has the better losses. Wake Forest beat Maryland.
Rutgers over Maryland
Both teams have two losses. Maryland has the better wins. Maryland has the better losses. Maryland beat Rutgers
Rutgers over Wake Forest
I’m just going to use the Transitive Property on this one. There. I used it.
AP Poll
Arizona St. first place vote
I know it’s just one guy but come on. If there’s a team in the top 20 with a worse collection of wins than Ohio St. and BC, it’s Arizona St. I don’t think anyone doubts that Arizona St. is at the very least, a good team. There’s just nothing, whatsoever, that would indicate Arizona St. is the best team in the country. Thankfully, this is guaranteed to only be a one or two-week phenomenon. Arizona St. plays Cal this week and Oregon next week. If ASU wins both, then there is sufficient evidence to vote ASU #1. If they lose either, then they clearly aren’t #1. This is just a minor annoyance.
Alabama over Florida St.
Again, both teams have the same record. Florida St. beat Alabama. This is one of the only cases of the entire year in which the AP Poll has a team ranked ahead of another team with nearly identical resumes in which it lost to when the USA Today Poll did not also do the same thing. In other words, the USA Today Poll must have missed this one on accident.
Hawaii #17
In a shocking turn of events, the AP Poll actually dropped Hawaii a whole spot after needing overtime to beat San Jose St. This should send a message to frauds everywhere that you will be punished for terrible performances. I don’t know what’s worse: Virginia at #27 or Hawaii at # 17? It’s a toss-up. In all seriousness, Hawaii is ranked ahead of Auburn, Texas, Tennessee, and Georgia among many other superior teams.
Virginia Tech!
At least the AP has Kentucky ranked ahead of Virginia Tech. Still, Virginia Tech hasn’t beaten anyone ranked and lost by 41 points in its only test of the season. The Hokies should be ranked at least five spots lower than #11.
USA Today and AP
Texas over Kansas St.
The AP is usually good about handling the x beat y with nearly identical resumes and records situation. In this instance, they got it wrong along with the USA Today poll. Kansas St. and Texas have two losses each. Kansas St. has the best losses and the best win. Kansas St. beat Texas by 20.
Florida over Auburn
Both Polls are guilty of this one. This comparison is pretty much the same as the Kansas St./Texas comparison. According to the rankings, Auburn has the best loss of the two teams. According to the rankings, Auburn has the best win of the two teams. Both Florida and Auburn have two losses. Florida lost to #5 LSU. Auburn lost to #2 S. Florida. Auburn beat Florida on the road. How can Florida be rated ahead of Auburn at this point?
Oregon over Cal
Cal and Oregon are both really good teams. They are both rated in the top ten. They both have one loss. If only these two teams could play each other so we could see which one is better. Oh, wait. They did play. In fact, they played at Oregon. Cal won. At this point in the season, Cal should be ranked ahead of Oregon. Cal has the better win. Oregon has the better loss. Cal beat Oregon. I have a feeling that this is the least egregious thing on my list according to the average college football fan. It shouldn't be. Cal won and they have the same record. Plus, Cal’s loss was with a freshman, back-up quarterback. That doesn’t change the outcome of the game but Cal very likely would have won on Saturday with Nate Longshore in the lineup.
Rutgers over Maryland
Both teams have two losses. Maryland has the better wins. Maryland has the better losses. Maryland beat Rutgers.
UCONN
Anyone voting for UCONN at this point is either its head coach, or thinks Dan Orlovsky is still in college. UCONN has beaten Duke, Maine, Temple, Akron, and Pittsburgh. UCONN basically lost to Temple. An apparent Temple touchdown was disallowed with 40 seconds left despite video evidence showing a touchdown. I almost forgot; Temple is bad. Please stop voting for UCONN.
Virginia!
The USA Today poll has Virginia ranked #24 which is ridiculous. The AP disappointed me big-time with this one, too. Just when I thought the AP might be getting its act together, it goes and ranks Virginia # 27. Here is a refresher about Virginia…
“Virginia’s six wins are against; Duke, North Carolina, Georgia Tech, Pittsburgh, Middle Tennessee St., and Pittsburgh. Virginia beat North Carolina, Middle Tennessee St., and Pittsburgh (teams with a combined record of 6-14) by a grand total of five points. There are 40 teams in I-A football with a better collection of victories. Virginia also managed a whole three points in a 20-point blowout loss at the hands of powerful Wyoming.”
Penn St. over Illinois
Both teams are 5-2. Illinois beat Penn St.
More signs of college football craziness:
USC is not ranked in the top 25 in three of the six computer polls used in the BSC rankings while South Florida is ranked number one in five of the six computer polls.
Four of the teams ranked in the top 10 of the AP poll were not even ranked to begin the season including South Florida, Boston College, Kentucky, and Oregon.
11 of the 25 teams ranked in the AP pre-season top 25 aren’t ranked anymore.
Arizona St.—despite not beating a team that was ranked at any point this season or a team that received even a single vote in the rankings this week—is rated as the number two team in the country by two computer polls.
The AP’s number one and three teams—Ohio St. and Boston College—have combined to beat zero ranked teams. In fact, together, they have only beaten one team that received even a single vote in the AP poll.
Friday, October 12, 2007
Best Pizza in Detroit
New York and Chicago are known as the two pizza-havens of America. I don’t have a problem with that considering pizza in America began in New York; and Chicago introduced the monstrosity that is “Chicago Style Stuffed Pizza.” Both locales earned their reputations. Lost in the love-fest for New York and Chicago, though, is the phenomenal array of pizza put out in Metro Detroit. New York boasts giant slices of thin pizza and the “fold” technique. Chicago boasts stuffed, pie-like pizza that often requires a fork and knife. Detroit offers its own version of the deep dish that you won’t find in Chicago or anywhere else. The phrase “deep-dish” encompasses a lot of styles. To know one is certainly not to know them all. Detroit’s deep-dish is square—not stuffed—and doesn’t sacrifice the quality or quantity of its major pizza components—cheese, sauce, crust, and toppings—to get its point across.
Buddy’s, Shield’s, Cloverleaf, and Loui’s are four Detroit-giants that essentially came out of the same kitchen but have evolved to form their own unique recipes. The first three have 50+ years of history while the latter is the youngest and best of the bunch. All four brands have their own version of how Detroit’s deep-dish began and what part their restaurant played in that history. The rich tradition of pizza in Detroit is truly an unheralded American treasure. Unless you’ve lived in Detroit long enough to figure this out for yourself, this is all probably news to you. Detroit and “pizza” have never been synonymous outside of the “pizza chain” world. The rest of the country probably views Detroit as the birthplace of Little Caesar’s and Dominoes. It would be a shame for Detroit to be identified by the various pizza-chains that have started out of Michigan. Little Caesar’s and Dominoes have been great for pizza delivery across America but both products pale in comparison to what Detroit pizza is really about.
While Detroit-style deep-dish rules the city, that is hardly the only perfected-style you will find in the area. If you know where to look, you will find all sorts of varieties and unique takes on pizza. Among the fabulous styles of pizza you will find in Detroit are; Detroit-style deep-dish, traditional round, Northern Italy/New Haven, CT style, thin, and even a Detroit take on the Chicago deep-dish. You will find a truly unmatched mesh of pizza styles and tastes in Detroit. If you live in Detroit and have only experienced the cookie-cutter, quickly-thrown-together, chain pizza, I highly suggest you seek out the places listed below. If you plan on visiting Detroit from out of town, your view of the city will be altered permanently after trying some of the places below.
As always, my opinions are just that: opinions. I love pizza. I am not biased in my “style” of preference but this list is littered with biases everywhere else. I have been to each of the places listed below multiple times as well as countless other pizza places in the area. I have lived in Metro Detroit for 20 years and to the best of my knowledge, the following is a list of the best pizza Metro Detroit has to offer.
Metro Detroit's Best Pizza
1). Loui's Pizza
Loui’s pizza is the best pizza Detroit has to offer, IMO. The actual “Loui” opened his pizza outfit 27-years ago. Before gracing Detroiters with his unbeatable pizza, Loui spent time at Buddy’s and Shields. Loui’s version of the square, deep-dish pizza is often lumped in with his two previous employers but, believe me when I say, they are nothing alike. You’ll probably find a higher percentage of patrons eating their pizza with a fork—something I do not condone under any circumstances—at Loui’s. The pizza is thick. Unlike Shield’s and Buddy’s, though, Loui doesn’t jip on the sauce or the cheese. Even more important, the sauce and cheese are of a tastier variety. While Buddy’s and Shields have a tendency to cook their pizza’s well-done, Loui’s pizza is cooked perfectly. The crust is crisp on the outside and soft in the middle. The ingredients are premium starting with thick pepperoni. I have always enjoyed Buddy’s and Shields but since I discovered Loui’s, I have not been able to look at those establishments in the same way. The only negative that I have come across is the inexplicable absence of the all-important cheese bread. If I’m ordering pizza, there’s a 95% chance I’m ordering cheese bread. The 5% of the time I don’t order it is when I’m having Loui’s.
Location(s): Hazel Park
Style: Detroit-style deep-dish
Recommendation: This pizza is heavy and slightly expensive. If you’re an average eater, then 2-3 slices will do. My personal preference at Loui’s is pepperoni, sausage, and onion. Don't be afraid to dine-in. The parking can be a littley dicey (not enough spots) but the atmosphere is excellent.
Buffet: no
2). Pizza Papalis
Pizza Papalis is known as the place to get “Chicago Style Pizza” in Detroit. While I have to admit that PP’s stuffed pizza is quite tasty, PP only shows up this high on my list because of its thin pizza. I brought a former Shield’s pizza-maker to PP recently who had only previously had PP’s Chicago-Style. He gave me the go-ahead to order whatever I wanted so figured I’d blow his mind with an extra-large, thin, meat lover’s. An hour later as we were leaving, he exclaimed without a hint of doubt in his voice, “this is the best pizza I have ever had in my life.” I know that there are a lot of pizza fans in Detroit who have been to PP and not had the thin. I was one of them for years. I simply looked at PP as a place to get some “Chicago Style Pizza” from time to time. However, since I was turned onto the thin pizza, PP is now my pizza of choice, bar none. The ingredients are phenomenal. The ham tastes like slices of honey baked ham you might find at an Easter dinner. The pepperoni comes layered with as many as five pieces stuck together. I can’t begin to do justice to the quality of PP’s thin pizza. I can only recommend that you make a trip to one of the two full-service locations in metro-Detroit.
Location(s): Multiple
Style: Chicago Style Deep-Dish and Thin
Recommendation: Order a small Chicago Style—I recommend the “Papalis Gourmet” minus black olives for a spectacular combination of flavor—just to get a taste of it but order an extra-large, meat lover’s, thin pizza to ingest possibly the greatest pizza you will ever taste. The breadsticks and garlic bread are worth ordering in tandem.
Buffet: yes
3). Tomatoes Apizza
“Tomatoes” is a truly unique experience. In fact, you will find no other pizza-joint in Metro Detroit quite like it. The pizza here is of the “East Coast” variety. The pizzaiola—or pizza-maker—has crafted a masterpiece of a recipe in the style of Frank Pepe’s legendary pizza in New Haven, CT. It is the antithesis of the thick, deep-dish pizzas that Detroit’s pizza history is rooted in. I cannot make a better recommendation as far as introducing yourself to “Tomatoes” than to simply go to its pizza buffet served weekdays at lunch. The day I made that decision goes down as one of the greatest dining experiences of my life. Think of this pizza buffet as a “Grand Finale” at a fireworks show. But, instead of it lasting a minute or two, this lasts as long as you’ve got room left in your stomach. Unlike many other pizza buffets where cold pizzas with unwanted ingredient-combinations litter the buffet-line, “Tomatoes” is constantly filled with some of the most spectacular pizza combinations you’ll ever see. The owner, Mike Weinstein, makes the pizza himself taking great pride in every slice that is eaten at his restaurant. I have never actually met a person who has heard of Tomatoes Apizza which tells me that too many Detroiters are missing out on this pizza-haven. If you’re reading this and you’ve never been, make plans today. You won’t regret it. The only negative aspect of my visit(s) to Tomatoes came when an arcane policy of charging any child who is able to walk came to my attention. I have no problem charging children—of any age—who eat. In this instance, my son was charged the children’s price (I believe it was $4.99) and he didn’t eat. I explained to the owner that my son was two-years old and despite our wishes to the contrary, he doesn’t eat pizza. He said it didn’t matter. I’m not sure how a place can legally charge someone for not eating. We have been on somewhat of a silent boycott since said experience.
Location(s): Farmington Hills (2)
Farmington Hills
Style: Classic East Coast Neapolitan Style Pizza
Recommendation: Do yourself a favor and introduce yourself to all the magical combinations Mike Weinstein offers at his weekday lunch buffet. He is at the Middlebelt/14-Mile Rd. location. You’ll find everything on the menu at the buffet. I highly recommend not ordering take-out or delivery. In fact, if you can’t make it to the restaurant, then you’re better off passing all together. I have not been to the Halsted location but I can't imagine it's anything less than spectacular as well.
Buffet: yes
4). Green Lantern Lounge
The Green Lantern has the best cheese-bread in metro-Detroit and I’m not sure it’s even close. In fact, “Lantern’s” cheese bread is better than 95% of the pizza in metro-Detroit. Luckily, you don’t have to go anywhere else to find a pizza equal to the task since “Lantern” has that, too. There is no question that the pizza is greasy. There’s no way around that. Some people have issues with greasy pizza. If everything else was equal, I would probably go with a non-greasy pizza over a greasy one. The problem is that everything else isn’t equal. You will not find five better pizza-joints within the state of Michigan. “Lantern” offers a deep-dish and a normal crust and both come round. The cheese is stellar. The cheese that makes the cheese-bread so good is also what powers that taste of the pizza. The toppings are also excellent. The only negative is that the inside of the Green Lantern often resembles a smoker’s convention. The obvious easy fix to that problem is to pick it up and take it home.
Location (s): Madison Heights
Style: Round Deep-Dish and Traditional round
Recommendation: The round Deep-Dish is almost the exact same as the Traditional round except it’s heavier without more taste. You get more taste in each bite without having to eat as much so traditional round is my style of choice. The cheese makes the pizza but the toppings are also excellent. I would recommend a meat lover’s.
Buffet: no
5). Alibi
There is nothing flashy about Alibi. I lived in Rochester Hills for five years and never even heard of the place. It wasn’t until my second stint in Rochester Hills that I came across it. I heard from a friend that it had excellent pizza among other things. I gave it a go and the pizza was phenomenal. Like the restaurant, there is nothing flashy about the pizza. It isn’t a gut-buster like many of the other pizza-joints on this list. It is a round, traditional pizza with a ridiculous amount of flavor. One of the things I use to judge a pizza is whether I eat the crust or not. When I was a kid, I never ate crust. For me, the best part of the pizza is the cheese, sauce and toppings. I would eat the crust of square, deep-dish pizzas every now and then but I never at the crusts of traditional, round pizza. Well, I mowed through every last ounce of Alibi’s pizza-- crust and all. I keep going back and forth between the Green Lantern and Alibi as to who has the best, traditional, round pizza. I ended up giving Green Lantern the edge because of its unbelievable cheese bread. You cannot go wrong with either. If my mom were making this list, I suspect Alibi’s would be number one with ease. There is a well-known negative with regards to Alibi’s. If you’ve ever done a search for Alibi’s on the web, you have likely found the lengthy list of negative comments with respect to Alibi’s service. I have to admit that I have never had a bad experience at the restaurant but I know people who have. I don’t think it’s a matter of a few angry customers either. No other elite pizza place has anywhere near the number of negative-service related comments. So, keep that in mind as you’re stuffing yourself silly with pizza.
Location: Troy
Style: Traditional round
Recommendation: Alibi hits you with the basics so you don't need to load up on toppings to get a great taste. A pepperoni pizza would do you just fine. However, if you like toppings, you can’t go wrong with a meat lovers.
Buffet: no
6). Shield's Pizza
Shield’s has excellent pizza. There is no other way to say it. Shield's serves thick, deep-dish pizza. Its main competitors in that niche in terms of best pizza are Loui’s and Buddy’s. It is my opinion that Shield’s falls firmly in between the two. I cannot say, with good conscience, that Shield’s is better than Loui’s. I don’t believe that to be true. My number one complaint with Shield’s is that each slice teases you with sauce. Instead of a layer of sauce that encompasses the whole pizza, you’ll find patches that may only cover 1/3 of the slice. You won’t find that at Loui’s. My friend--the former Shield’s employee--is convinced Shield’s is the best pizza around (at least until his Pizza Papalis experience). I am certain that some bias goes into that opinion so take it for what it’s worth.
Location(s): Multiple
Style: Detroit-style deep-dish
Recommendation: You can try ordering extra-sauce but chances are you still won’t have enough. It doesn’t hurt to try, though. A “pepperoni and sausage” pizza does the job at Shield’s. It is not the sort of pizza that flourishes with extra toppings. The magic of shields lies within the crust, sauce and cheese.
Buffet: no
7). Buca Di Beppos
The most unheralded pizza in the country is found at Buca Di Beppo’s. Buca’s is not specific to Detroit but it is one of the best pizzas in the area regardless. I’m not sure that most people even realize that Buca’s serves pizza. It is a fantastic “Italian” restaurant. It isn’t regarded as a “pizza joint” so it’s superior pizza is hidden from the pizza-loving public. Buca’s is one of the rare places that when I am eating the pizza, I literally shake my head in disbelief at how fantastic it tastes. I could attempt to describe what makes this pizza so good but the best thing I can say is that after every experience, I am convinced that the ingredient that makes the pizza so good is something different than what I thought the previous time. My wife insists that it’s the sauce. I have left thinking it was the cheese, the sauce, and the toppings. My final verdict is that the "moneymaker" is the gorgonzola cheese. The only negative experience at Buca’s occurs every visit and it’s the feeling of loss when the last bite is eaten. That is undoubtedly a sad event for me.
Location(s): Multiple
Style: Italian thin
Recommendation: You couldn’t pay me $100 to go to Buca Di Beppo’s and order anything but the Spicy Arrabbiata pizza with half sausage/half sun-dried tomatoes. This combination—for reasons I cannot fully explain—is heaven on Earth. Also--and this is crucial--ask for gorgonzola cheese instead of mozzarella on any pizza that you order. Buca's has seven different pizzas but only the "Arrabbiata" comes with gorgonzola. For an extra bit of flavor, order a side of Alfredo sauce to dip your pizza in. The perfect compliment to their outstanding pizza is the “Pan Fried Fresh Mozzarella.” A better cheese-stick appetizer does not exist in this world.
Buffet: no
8). Kruse & Muer
Former Shield's cook/friend was also a cook at Kruse & Muer. This guy certainly has experience making great pizzas which makes his endorsement of Pizza Papalis’ thin crust pizza even more believable. Kruse & Muer is one of the truly great restaurants in Michigan. It is known more for its fantastic seafood and pasta dishes than it is for its pizza. However, that’s not to say the pizza isn’t the best thing on the menu. The truth is that this place is more of a fancy outfit; so I think the pizza gets neglected a bit. Those who have been to Kruse & Muer know that it serves unbelievable bread. That same bread is the dough for the pizza. It is thick and airy. The toppings are of the premium variety. The sauce is truly fantastic. This pizza is like no other pizza that I’ve had. The best way that I could describe it is “home made”. No pizza looks the same. You can tell this place takes great pride in each pie it serves. If you’re ever in the area, feel free to stop by and sample a slice as Kruse & Muer almost always has a pizza sitting out at the take-out counter for customers to try.
Location(s): Multiple
* The Rochester Chop House does not serve pizza.
Style: Round deep-dish
Recommendation: Kruse & Muer features premium toppings so you can’t go wrong with your selection. My pizza of choice is pepperoni, ham, and caramelized onion. The sausage is sliced Italian-sausage which doesn’t go well on pizza in my opinion. The thickness of the pepperoni varies according to who is cutting it so if you have a preference, make sure you tell the waiter/waitress or be prepared for the possibility of pepperoni three times as thick as you’re used to.
Buffet: no
9). Buddy's Pizza
Buddy’s is probably the most recognizable pizza name in Detroit outside of the chains. It has a reputation of being the best pizza in Detroit and for a lot of people, that is true. I like Buddy’s but I do not love Buddy’s. I need more sauce and cheese on my pizza. I don’t need extra of either. I just need it to cover the entirety of the dough sans the crust. You won’t find that at Buddy’s. Even when I ask for extra sauce, it rarely makes a difference. I get the feeling that Buddy’s pizza-makers ignore extra-sauce requests on principle alone.
Location: Multiple
Style: Detroit-style deep-dish
Recommendation: Buddy’s has faltered lately in my last few visits. I love the pizza but it’s not in the top five the area has to offer. So, I’ve been giving some of their specialty combinations a try. I’ve struck out with the “Greek Pizza” and the “Margherita Pizza.” The “BBQ Chicken Pizza” is OK but I can’t say I dream about it at night. The “Hawaiian Pizza” is probably the worst of the bunch because of the sweet and sour sauce. If you’re looking for multiple toppings, I would recommend either going with the tried and true “Meat Deluxe Pizza” or the “Super Pizza” which has a little bit of everything. If you don’t like a teaspoon of sauce per slice, then you will want to order extra sauce on the pizza before the pizza arrives--and even then, that might not do you any good. If you wait until after the pizza arrives to ask for extra sauce, you will be served a cup of Buddy’s sauce in it’s cold, runny, pre-cooked form. Disapointment doesn’t come in a greater form than that.
Buffet: no
10). Cloverleaf Bar and Restaurant
After researching the best pizza in Detroit, I came across an unfamiliar name. Cloverleaf is not in the ideal location for most of metro-Detroit. My wife’s parents live about as close to the Cloverleaf as anyone I know and it still took 20 minutes to get there. My first experience was of the carry-out variety. I was mildly impressed. The 40-minute drive round trip probably took away from the experience but I had no complaints afterwards. I was not convinced that this was the best pizza that I had ever tasted but I was also pretty sure it was among the 15 best pizzas I’ve ever had in Detroit. For my second try, I made the decision that I was going to have a dine-in experience. This time, I was able to appreciate a piping hot pizza in all it’s glory. The crust is sweet in a way that words cannot describe. The story goes (at least Cloverleaf’s version anyways) that the owner of the Cloverleaf was the originator of the Buddy’s pizza recipe. He sold the recipe to Buddy’s and per the agreement, was not allowed to open a pizza place within a certain amount of miles from Buddy’s. That’s why the Cloverleaf ended up in Eastpointe. So, it stands to reason that the Cloverleaf and Buddy’s taste virtually the same—and they pretty much do. One thing I noticed from my dine-in experience is that the Cloverleaf offers a buffet which is a definite plus for any pizza-joint.
Location: Eastpointe
Style: Detroit-style deep-dish
Recommendation: If I’m eating Detroit-style deep-dish and it’s not Loui’s or Shield’s, my default pizza is a meat lover’s. Cloverleaf’s pizza is good enough where pepperoni will do the trick if that’s your preference.
Buffet: yes
11). Cottage Inn
A conservative estimate of how many Cottage Inn pizzas I ate in college falls somewhere around 200. Needless to say, I like the pizza. The deal of choice back then was called, "The Late-Night Special." If I remember correctly, it was not available until after 10pm thus the name. During my freshman year, Cottage Inn did not permit its traditional round to be part of the late-night special. This prompted many ill-fated attempts at explaining to the Cottage Inn crew how ridiculous that rule was. By my sophomore year, traditional round was fair game. Ironically, it was then that the deep dish became my style of choice. If that's not an example of "you want what you can't have" then I'm not sure what is. I have grown to appreciate both styles equally. If you twisted my arm hard enough, I'd probably go with the square. Cottage Inn is the King of gourmet/specialty pizzas. Cottage Inn has fantastic toppings so the more the better.
Location(s): Multiple
Style: Detroit-style deep-dish and Traditional Round
Recommendation: Some locations around Ann Arbor offer an all-you-can-eat lunch buffet. If you're like me and your ears perk up at the sound of "pizza" and "buffet" in the same sentence, then it would behoove you to find one of those locations. Also, Cottage Inn offers flavored crust like Hungry Howies. You can't go wrong with butter garlic and parmesan crust.
12). Jet's Pizza
It’s too bad that all Jet’s are not created equal. I have had great Jet’s pizza and I have had mediocre Jet’s pizza. Your odds of receiving a good pizza from Jet’s is not based on luck; rather it is based on the location in which you order the pizza from. Good Jet’s locations almost always produce brilliant pizza. I can personally vouch for the Jet’s on Auburn Rd. in Rochester Hills. I firmly believe that the pizza I received on a weekly basis from this Jet’s location was among the two or three best pizzas I’ve ever had in my life. The crust is so crisp. The cheese is cooked to gooey-perfection in the middle and slightly-burnt near the crust. The sauce is simply unbelievable. Eating that pizza was a surreal experience. I made the mistake of telling everyone I knew that Jet’s had the best pizza around. I realized this mistake when I started to have Jet’s at other locations. One of the more disappointing food-related experiences in my life came when I ordered from the Jet’s in my new neighborhood. I was all ready to re-visit that amazing experience and then I took disappointing bite after disappointing bite. I cannot place a pizza-joint in the top five if only a handful of its locations are of the elite variety. Every Jet’s pizza in America should find out what the Auburn Rd. location is doing and duplicate it to a T from the temperature and consistency that it serves its ranch dressing to the way it cooks its pizza.
Location(s): Rochester Hills and everything else
Style: Detroit-style deep-dish
Recommendation: If you didn’t catch the hint in the summary, make your way to the Jet’s on Auburn Rd. in Rochester Hills. Order a Meat Lover’s and pad your walls so you won’t hurt yourself when you jump for joy after the first bite. Also order Jet’s pepperoni bread with extra ranch. Use the ranch liberally. It is phenomenal.
Buffet: no
13). Guido's Premium Pizza
Guido’s is another pizza-joint that I was unaware of until recently. To be fair, I spent the first five years of my adult life out of state and out of country. It wasn’t until my return that I was able to devote the necessary resources to adequately pursue my dream/goal of finding the best pizza-joints in Michigan. The first thing I noticed when I opened the Guido’s pizza box was the sheer amount of toppings on each slice. It was the most impressive display of topping-coverage that I have ever seen. Guido’s is right in line with Buddy’s and Cloverleaf.
Location(s): Multiple
Style: Detroit-style deep-dish
Recommendation: If you like meat, your best bet at Guido’s is to go with a meat lover’s pizza. You will be blown away when you open the box and the volume of toppings is revealed to you. It is almost picture-worthy.
Buffet: no
14). Pizza House
When I was in college, Pizza House was my 4am meal of choice. To be honest, though, my order usually featured a combination of three or four appetizers rather than pizza. My pizza choices back then were either a “Late-Night Special” from Cottage Inn or a misprinted Marco’s coupon that yielded one of the great college feasts you’ll ever have for a mere $6.00. It wasn’t until my wife and I were shacked up at the University Hospital staring at our new baby girl that I got a formal introduction to Pizza House’s pizza. I had it a few times before but it was just your typical pepperoni pizza with a group of friends. This time around, I went big and boy was I rewarded. My specialty pizza of choice turned out to be the Spicey Mediterannean minus banana peppers plus pepperoni. That ends up being extra mozzarella, muenster, and feta cheese along with pepperoni. It was heaven in my mouth. We also ordered the Feta Bread which is just another form of awesomeness. That experience was so good that we ordered the exact same thing two nights in a row. We also tried the Chicago Style. It wasn’t bad but their money maker is the traditional round.
Location: Ann Arbor and East Lansing
Style: Traditional round, Chicago-style, and thin.
Recommendation: Skip the Chicago-style. It’s a poor man’s Uno’s which is a poor man’s Chicago-style pizza in my opinion. Order the round with your toppings of choice. Pizza house allows you to get freaky with a laundry list of unique toppings. If you are inclined to experience pizza at it’s pinnacle, then I suggest a Spicy Mediteranean minus banana peppers and add pepperoni. This is a truly phenomenal concoction.
Buffet: no
15). Frank’s Pizzeria
Frank’s has a loyal following as evidenced by its number one position on the Detroit City Search’s best pizza in Detroit for 2006. However, Frank’s was nowhere to be found in the top 10 the previous two years. So, I’m guessing that Frank’s top position in ’06 was due to an anomaly or a concerted effort by Frank’s to get its patrons to take part in the voting. Regardless of how Frank’s got to number one, it piqued my interest. So, I made the trek to Wyandotte to see for myself. Frank’s is a humble outfit located on Wyandotte’s downtown strip. The smoking and non-smoking sections are both located in one average-size room. That pretty much means if one person is smoking, the whole restaurant is the smoking section. There was a person smoking for the first 15 minutes and thankfully that was it. The pizza “looked” like old-fashioned, homemade pizza. The pepperoni was the curled-cup variety where a small amount of grease sits inside. The pizza is traditional round. I enjoyed it. I can see why so many locals rave about it. However, better pizza exists and it exists closer than Wyandotte. If you’re making your way south for any reason, you might want to consider stopping off of I-75 on your way out or on your way back into town. It’s worth a try. I would rather have Green Lantern, Alibi’s, Pizza House, and Kruse & Muer’s when it comes to the traditional round style of pizza.
Location: Wyandotte
Style: Traditional Round
Recommendation: Frank’s doesn’t accept Credit Card. There are banks just around the corner than you can walk to if you forget. The pizza is also on the greasy side. If this is a problem, you may want to dab your napkin over each slice.
16). Como's Restaurant and Pizzeria
Como’s has decent pizza. There are more than a few people who are convinced that Como’s is the “best” pizza. Everyone has their own opinion but Como’s isn’t anywhere near the best, IMO. I’m not sure enough people outside of Ferndale have even heard of Como’s to call it overrated. Just don’t get your hopes up. It’s a tasty pizza and nothing more. It certainly does not compare to Alibi’s or Green Lantern. Como’s offers two types of round: deep-dish round, and thin round. I’ve tried them both and I really don’t have much of a preference. Whereas the thin-round at Green Lantern is much more taste-effective than the deep-dish, you can go with either at Como’s. One thing that I do like about Como’s is the number of ingredients it offers. If you want a certain ingredient on your pizza, chances are Como’s has it. The menu is way too pricey for the caliber of pizza served. I’m not sure pizza should ever be $20 for a large but if it is that much, it better be the best around which Como’s is not. Como’s is a Ferndale tradition sporting a vintage neon sign of yesteryear.
Location: Ferndale
Style: Round Deep-Dish and Traditional Round
Recommendation: Don’t trek to Ferndale for Como’s pizza alone. If you’re on your way to Detroit or spending the day at the Detroit Zoo, then take advantage of the proximity. Also, don’t go to Como’s during the Woodward Dream Cruise unless you want to watch the Woodward Dream Cruise because that’s what you’ll be doing.
Buddy’s, Shield’s, Cloverleaf, and Loui’s are four Detroit-giants that essentially came out of the same kitchen but have evolved to form their own unique recipes. The first three have 50+ years of history while the latter is the youngest and best of the bunch. All four brands have their own version of how Detroit’s deep-dish began and what part their restaurant played in that history. The rich tradition of pizza in Detroit is truly an unheralded American treasure. Unless you’ve lived in Detroit long enough to figure this out for yourself, this is all probably news to you. Detroit and “pizza” have never been synonymous outside of the “pizza chain” world. The rest of the country probably views Detroit as the birthplace of Little Caesar’s and Dominoes. It would be a shame for Detroit to be identified by the various pizza-chains that have started out of Michigan. Little Caesar’s and Dominoes have been great for pizza delivery across America but both products pale in comparison to what Detroit pizza is really about.
While Detroit-style deep-dish rules the city, that is hardly the only perfected-style you will find in the area. If you know where to look, you will find all sorts of varieties and unique takes on pizza. Among the fabulous styles of pizza you will find in Detroit are; Detroit-style deep-dish, traditional round, Northern Italy/New Haven, CT style, thin, and even a Detroit take on the Chicago deep-dish. You will find a truly unmatched mesh of pizza styles and tastes in Detroit. If you live in Detroit and have only experienced the cookie-cutter, quickly-thrown-together, chain pizza, I highly suggest you seek out the places listed below. If you plan on visiting Detroit from out of town, your view of the city will be altered permanently after trying some of the places below.
As always, my opinions are just that: opinions. I love pizza. I am not biased in my “style” of preference but this list is littered with biases everywhere else. I have been to each of the places listed below multiple times as well as countless other pizza places in the area. I have lived in Metro Detroit for 20 years and to the best of my knowledge, the following is a list of the best pizza Metro Detroit has to offer.
Metro Detroit's Best Pizza
1). Loui's Pizza
Loui’s pizza is the best pizza Detroit has to offer, IMO. The actual “Loui” opened his pizza outfit 27-years ago. Before gracing Detroiters with his unbeatable pizza, Loui spent time at Buddy’s and Shields. Loui’s version of the square, deep-dish pizza is often lumped in with his two previous employers but, believe me when I say, they are nothing alike. You’ll probably find a higher percentage of patrons eating their pizza with a fork—something I do not condone under any circumstances—at Loui’s. The pizza is thick. Unlike Shield’s and Buddy’s, though, Loui doesn’t jip on the sauce or the cheese. Even more important, the sauce and cheese are of a tastier variety. While Buddy’s and Shields have a tendency to cook their pizza’s well-done, Loui’s pizza is cooked perfectly. The crust is crisp on the outside and soft in the middle. The ingredients are premium starting with thick pepperoni. I have always enjoyed Buddy’s and Shields but since I discovered Loui’s, I have not been able to look at those establishments in the same way. The only negative that I have come across is the inexplicable absence of the all-important cheese bread. If I’m ordering pizza, there’s a 95% chance I’m ordering cheese bread. The 5% of the time I don’t order it is when I’m having Loui’s.
Location(s): Hazel Park
Style: Detroit-style deep-dish
Recommendation: This pizza is heavy and slightly expensive. If you’re an average eater, then 2-3 slices will do. My personal preference at Loui’s is pepperoni, sausage, and onion. Don't be afraid to dine-in. The parking can be a littley dicey (not enough spots) but the atmosphere is excellent.
Buffet: no
2). Pizza Papalis
Pizza Papalis is known as the place to get “Chicago Style Pizza” in Detroit. While I have to admit that PP’s stuffed pizza is quite tasty, PP only shows up this high on my list because of its thin pizza. I brought a former Shield’s pizza-maker to PP recently who had only previously had PP’s Chicago-Style. He gave me the go-ahead to order whatever I wanted so figured I’d blow his mind with an extra-large, thin, meat lover’s. An hour later as we were leaving, he exclaimed without a hint of doubt in his voice, “this is the best pizza I have ever had in my life.” I know that there are a lot of pizza fans in Detroit who have been to PP and not had the thin. I was one of them for years. I simply looked at PP as a place to get some “Chicago Style Pizza” from time to time. However, since I was turned onto the thin pizza, PP is now my pizza of choice, bar none. The ingredients are phenomenal. The ham tastes like slices of honey baked ham you might find at an Easter dinner. The pepperoni comes layered with as many as five pieces stuck together. I can’t begin to do justice to the quality of PP’s thin pizza. I can only recommend that you make a trip to one of the two full-service locations in metro-Detroit.
Location(s): Multiple
Style: Chicago Style Deep-Dish and Thin
Recommendation: Order a small Chicago Style—I recommend the “Papalis Gourmet” minus black olives for a spectacular combination of flavor—just to get a taste of it but order an extra-large, meat lover’s, thin pizza to ingest possibly the greatest pizza you will ever taste. The breadsticks and garlic bread are worth ordering in tandem.
Buffet: yes
3). Tomatoes Apizza
“Tomatoes” is a truly unique experience. In fact, you will find no other pizza-joint in Metro Detroit quite like it. The pizza here is of the “East Coast” variety. The pizzaiola—or pizza-maker—has crafted a masterpiece of a recipe in the style of Frank Pepe’s legendary pizza in New Haven, CT. It is the antithesis of the thick, deep-dish pizzas that Detroit’s pizza history is rooted in. I cannot make a better recommendation as far as introducing yourself to “Tomatoes” than to simply go to its pizza buffet served weekdays at lunch. The day I made that decision goes down as one of the greatest dining experiences of my life. Think of this pizza buffet as a “Grand Finale” at a fireworks show. But, instead of it lasting a minute or two, this lasts as long as you’ve got room left in your stomach. Unlike many other pizza buffets where cold pizzas with unwanted ingredient-combinations litter the buffet-line, “Tomatoes” is constantly filled with some of the most spectacular pizza combinations you’ll ever see. The owner, Mike Weinstein, makes the pizza himself taking great pride in every slice that is eaten at his restaurant. I have never actually met a person who has heard of Tomatoes Apizza which tells me that too many Detroiters are missing out on this pizza-haven. If you’re reading this and you’ve never been, make plans today. You won’t regret it. The only negative aspect of my visit(s) to Tomatoes came when an arcane policy of charging any child who is able to walk came to my attention. I have no problem charging children—of any age—who eat. In this instance, my son was charged the children’s price (I believe it was $4.99) and he didn’t eat. I explained to the owner that my son was two-years old and despite our wishes to the contrary, he doesn’t eat pizza. He said it didn’t matter. I’m not sure how a place can legally charge someone for not eating. We have been on somewhat of a silent boycott since said experience.
Location(s): Farmington Hills (2)
Farmington Hills
Style: Classic East Coast Neapolitan Style Pizza
Recommendation: Do yourself a favor and introduce yourself to all the magical combinations Mike Weinstein offers at his weekday lunch buffet. He is at the Middlebelt/14-Mile Rd. location. You’ll find everything on the menu at the buffet. I highly recommend not ordering take-out or delivery. In fact, if you can’t make it to the restaurant, then you’re better off passing all together. I have not been to the Halsted location but I can't imagine it's anything less than spectacular as well.
Buffet: yes
4). Green Lantern Lounge
The Green Lantern has the best cheese-bread in metro-Detroit and I’m not sure it’s even close. In fact, “Lantern’s” cheese bread is better than 95% of the pizza in metro-Detroit. Luckily, you don’t have to go anywhere else to find a pizza equal to the task since “Lantern” has that, too. There is no question that the pizza is greasy. There’s no way around that. Some people have issues with greasy pizza. If everything else was equal, I would probably go with a non-greasy pizza over a greasy one. The problem is that everything else isn’t equal. You will not find five better pizza-joints within the state of Michigan. “Lantern” offers a deep-dish and a normal crust and both come round. The cheese is stellar. The cheese that makes the cheese-bread so good is also what powers that taste of the pizza. The toppings are also excellent. The only negative is that the inside of the Green Lantern often resembles a smoker’s convention. The obvious easy fix to that problem is to pick it up and take it home.
Location (s): Madison Heights
Style: Round Deep-Dish and Traditional round
Recommendation: The round Deep-Dish is almost the exact same as the Traditional round except it’s heavier without more taste. You get more taste in each bite without having to eat as much so traditional round is my style of choice. The cheese makes the pizza but the toppings are also excellent. I would recommend a meat lover’s.
Buffet: no
5). Alibi
There is nothing flashy about Alibi. I lived in Rochester Hills for five years and never even heard of the place. It wasn’t until my second stint in Rochester Hills that I came across it. I heard from a friend that it had excellent pizza among other things. I gave it a go and the pizza was phenomenal. Like the restaurant, there is nothing flashy about the pizza. It isn’t a gut-buster like many of the other pizza-joints on this list. It is a round, traditional pizza with a ridiculous amount of flavor. One of the things I use to judge a pizza is whether I eat the crust or not. When I was a kid, I never ate crust. For me, the best part of the pizza is the cheese, sauce and toppings. I would eat the crust of square, deep-dish pizzas every now and then but I never at the crusts of traditional, round pizza. Well, I mowed through every last ounce of Alibi’s pizza-- crust and all. I keep going back and forth between the Green Lantern and Alibi as to who has the best, traditional, round pizza. I ended up giving Green Lantern the edge because of its unbelievable cheese bread. You cannot go wrong with either. If my mom were making this list, I suspect Alibi’s would be number one with ease. There is a well-known negative with regards to Alibi’s. If you’ve ever done a search for Alibi’s on the web, you have likely found the lengthy list of negative comments with respect to Alibi’s service. I have to admit that I have never had a bad experience at the restaurant but I know people who have. I don’t think it’s a matter of a few angry customers either. No other elite pizza place has anywhere near the number of negative-service related comments. So, keep that in mind as you’re stuffing yourself silly with pizza.
Location: Troy
Style: Traditional round
Recommendation: Alibi hits you with the basics so you don't need to load up on toppings to get a great taste. A pepperoni pizza would do you just fine. However, if you like toppings, you can’t go wrong with a meat lovers.
Buffet: no
6). Shield's Pizza
Shield’s has excellent pizza. There is no other way to say it. Shield's serves thick, deep-dish pizza. Its main competitors in that niche in terms of best pizza are Loui’s and Buddy’s. It is my opinion that Shield’s falls firmly in between the two. I cannot say, with good conscience, that Shield’s is better than Loui’s. I don’t believe that to be true. My number one complaint with Shield’s is that each slice teases you with sauce. Instead of a layer of sauce that encompasses the whole pizza, you’ll find patches that may only cover 1/3 of the slice. You won’t find that at Loui’s. My friend--the former Shield’s employee--is convinced Shield’s is the best pizza around (at least until his Pizza Papalis experience). I am certain that some bias goes into that opinion so take it for what it’s worth.
Location(s): Multiple
Style: Detroit-style deep-dish
Recommendation: You can try ordering extra-sauce but chances are you still won’t have enough. It doesn’t hurt to try, though. A “pepperoni and sausage” pizza does the job at Shield’s. It is not the sort of pizza that flourishes with extra toppings. The magic of shields lies within the crust, sauce and cheese.
Buffet: no
7). Buca Di Beppos
The most unheralded pizza in the country is found at Buca Di Beppo’s. Buca’s is not specific to Detroit but it is one of the best pizzas in the area regardless. I’m not sure that most people even realize that Buca’s serves pizza. It is a fantastic “Italian” restaurant. It isn’t regarded as a “pizza joint” so it’s superior pizza is hidden from the pizza-loving public. Buca’s is one of the rare places that when I am eating the pizza, I literally shake my head in disbelief at how fantastic it tastes. I could attempt to describe what makes this pizza so good but the best thing I can say is that after every experience, I am convinced that the ingredient that makes the pizza so good is something different than what I thought the previous time. My wife insists that it’s the sauce. I have left thinking it was the cheese, the sauce, and the toppings. My final verdict is that the "moneymaker" is the gorgonzola cheese. The only negative experience at Buca’s occurs every visit and it’s the feeling of loss when the last bite is eaten. That is undoubtedly a sad event for me.
Location(s): Multiple
Style: Italian thin
Recommendation: You couldn’t pay me $100 to go to Buca Di Beppo’s and order anything but the Spicy Arrabbiata pizza with half sausage/half sun-dried tomatoes. This combination—for reasons I cannot fully explain—is heaven on Earth. Also--and this is crucial--ask for gorgonzola cheese instead of mozzarella on any pizza that you order. Buca's has seven different pizzas but only the "Arrabbiata" comes with gorgonzola. For an extra bit of flavor, order a side of Alfredo sauce to dip your pizza in. The perfect compliment to their outstanding pizza is the “Pan Fried Fresh Mozzarella.” A better cheese-stick appetizer does not exist in this world.
Buffet: no
8). Kruse & Muer
Former Shield's cook/friend was also a cook at Kruse & Muer. This guy certainly has experience making great pizzas which makes his endorsement of Pizza Papalis’ thin crust pizza even more believable. Kruse & Muer is one of the truly great restaurants in Michigan. It is known more for its fantastic seafood and pasta dishes than it is for its pizza. However, that’s not to say the pizza isn’t the best thing on the menu. The truth is that this place is more of a fancy outfit; so I think the pizza gets neglected a bit. Those who have been to Kruse & Muer know that it serves unbelievable bread. That same bread is the dough for the pizza. It is thick and airy. The toppings are of the premium variety. The sauce is truly fantastic. This pizza is like no other pizza that I’ve had. The best way that I could describe it is “home made”. No pizza looks the same. You can tell this place takes great pride in each pie it serves. If you’re ever in the area, feel free to stop by and sample a slice as Kruse & Muer almost always has a pizza sitting out at the take-out counter for customers to try.
Location(s): Multiple
* The Rochester Chop House does not serve pizza.
Style: Round deep-dish
Recommendation: Kruse & Muer features premium toppings so you can’t go wrong with your selection. My pizza of choice is pepperoni, ham, and caramelized onion. The sausage is sliced Italian-sausage which doesn’t go well on pizza in my opinion. The thickness of the pepperoni varies according to who is cutting it so if you have a preference, make sure you tell the waiter/waitress or be prepared for the possibility of pepperoni three times as thick as you’re used to.
Buffet: no
9). Buddy's Pizza
Buddy’s is probably the most recognizable pizza name in Detroit outside of the chains. It has a reputation of being the best pizza in Detroit and for a lot of people, that is true. I like Buddy’s but I do not love Buddy’s. I need more sauce and cheese on my pizza. I don’t need extra of either. I just need it to cover the entirety of the dough sans the crust. You won’t find that at Buddy’s. Even when I ask for extra sauce, it rarely makes a difference. I get the feeling that Buddy’s pizza-makers ignore extra-sauce requests on principle alone.
Location: Multiple
Style: Detroit-style deep-dish
Recommendation: Buddy’s has faltered lately in my last few visits. I love the pizza but it’s not in the top five the area has to offer. So, I’ve been giving some of their specialty combinations a try. I’ve struck out with the “Greek Pizza” and the “Margherita Pizza.” The “BBQ Chicken Pizza” is OK but I can’t say I dream about it at night. The “Hawaiian Pizza” is probably the worst of the bunch because of the sweet and sour sauce. If you’re looking for multiple toppings, I would recommend either going with the tried and true “Meat Deluxe Pizza” or the “Super Pizza” which has a little bit of everything. If you don’t like a teaspoon of sauce per slice, then you will want to order extra sauce on the pizza before the pizza arrives--and even then, that might not do you any good. If you wait until after the pizza arrives to ask for extra sauce, you will be served a cup of Buddy’s sauce in it’s cold, runny, pre-cooked form. Disapointment doesn’t come in a greater form than that.
Buffet: no
10). Cloverleaf Bar and Restaurant
After researching the best pizza in Detroit, I came across an unfamiliar name. Cloverleaf is not in the ideal location for most of metro-Detroit. My wife’s parents live about as close to the Cloverleaf as anyone I know and it still took 20 minutes to get there. My first experience was of the carry-out variety. I was mildly impressed. The 40-minute drive round trip probably took away from the experience but I had no complaints afterwards. I was not convinced that this was the best pizza that I had ever tasted but I was also pretty sure it was among the 15 best pizzas I’ve ever had in Detroit. For my second try, I made the decision that I was going to have a dine-in experience. This time, I was able to appreciate a piping hot pizza in all it’s glory. The crust is sweet in a way that words cannot describe. The story goes (at least Cloverleaf’s version anyways) that the owner of the Cloverleaf was the originator of the Buddy’s pizza recipe. He sold the recipe to Buddy’s and per the agreement, was not allowed to open a pizza place within a certain amount of miles from Buddy’s. That’s why the Cloverleaf ended up in Eastpointe. So, it stands to reason that the Cloverleaf and Buddy’s taste virtually the same—and they pretty much do. One thing I noticed from my dine-in experience is that the Cloverleaf offers a buffet which is a definite plus for any pizza-joint.
Location: Eastpointe
Style: Detroit-style deep-dish
Recommendation: If I’m eating Detroit-style deep-dish and it’s not Loui’s or Shield’s, my default pizza is a meat lover’s. Cloverleaf’s pizza is good enough where pepperoni will do the trick if that’s your preference.
Buffet: yes
11). Cottage Inn
A conservative estimate of how many Cottage Inn pizzas I ate in college falls somewhere around 200. Needless to say, I like the pizza. The deal of choice back then was called, "The Late-Night Special." If I remember correctly, it was not available until after 10pm thus the name. During my freshman year, Cottage Inn did not permit its traditional round to be part of the late-night special. This prompted many ill-fated attempts at explaining to the Cottage Inn crew how ridiculous that rule was. By my sophomore year, traditional round was fair game. Ironically, it was then that the deep dish became my style of choice. If that's not an example of "you want what you can't have" then I'm not sure what is. I have grown to appreciate both styles equally. If you twisted my arm hard enough, I'd probably go with the square. Cottage Inn is the King of gourmet/specialty pizzas. Cottage Inn has fantastic toppings so the more the better.
Location(s): Multiple
Style: Detroit-style deep-dish and Traditional Round
Recommendation: Some locations around Ann Arbor offer an all-you-can-eat lunch buffet. If you're like me and your ears perk up at the sound of "pizza" and "buffet" in the same sentence, then it would behoove you to find one of those locations. Also, Cottage Inn offers flavored crust like Hungry Howies. You can't go wrong with butter garlic and parmesan crust.
12). Jet's Pizza
It’s too bad that all Jet’s are not created equal. I have had great Jet’s pizza and I have had mediocre Jet’s pizza. Your odds of receiving a good pizza from Jet’s is not based on luck; rather it is based on the location in which you order the pizza from. Good Jet’s locations almost always produce brilliant pizza. I can personally vouch for the Jet’s on Auburn Rd. in Rochester Hills. I firmly believe that the pizza I received on a weekly basis from this Jet’s location was among the two or three best pizzas I’ve ever had in my life. The crust is so crisp. The cheese is cooked to gooey-perfection in the middle and slightly-burnt near the crust. The sauce is simply unbelievable. Eating that pizza was a surreal experience. I made the mistake of telling everyone I knew that Jet’s had the best pizza around. I realized this mistake when I started to have Jet’s at other locations. One of the more disappointing food-related experiences in my life came when I ordered from the Jet’s in my new neighborhood. I was all ready to re-visit that amazing experience and then I took disappointing bite after disappointing bite. I cannot place a pizza-joint in the top five if only a handful of its locations are of the elite variety. Every Jet’s pizza in America should find out what the Auburn Rd. location is doing and duplicate it to a T from the temperature and consistency that it serves its ranch dressing to the way it cooks its pizza.
Location(s): Rochester Hills and everything else
Style: Detroit-style deep-dish
Recommendation: If you didn’t catch the hint in the summary, make your way to the Jet’s on Auburn Rd. in Rochester Hills. Order a Meat Lover’s and pad your walls so you won’t hurt yourself when you jump for joy after the first bite. Also order Jet’s pepperoni bread with extra ranch. Use the ranch liberally. It is phenomenal.
Buffet: no
13). Guido's Premium Pizza
Guido’s is another pizza-joint that I was unaware of until recently. To be fair, I spent the first five years of my adult life out of state and out of country. It wasn’t until my return that I was able to devote the necessary resources to adequately pursue my dream/goal of finding the best pizza-joints in Michigan. The first thing I noticed when I opened the Guido’s pizza box was the sheer amount of toppings on each slice. It was the most impressive display of topping-coverage that I have ever seen. Guido’s is right in line with Buddy’s and Cloverleaf.
Location(s): Multiple
Style: Detroit-style deep-dish
Recommendation: If you like meat, your best bet at Guido’s is to go with a meat lover’s pizza. You will be blown away when you open the box and the volume of toppings is revealed to you. It is almost picture-worthy.
Buffet: no
14). Pizza House
When I was in college, Pizza House was my 4am meal of choice. To be honest, though, my order usually featured a combination of three or four appetizers rather than pizza. My pizza choices back then were either a “Late-Night Special” from Cottage Inn or a misprinted Marco’s coupon that yielded one of the great college feasts you’ll ever have for a mere $6.00. It wasn’t until my wife and I were shacked up at the University Hospital staring at our new baby girl that I got a formal introduction to Pizza House’s pizza. I had it a few times before but it was just your typical pepperoni pizza with a group of friends. This time around, I went big and boy was I rewarded. My specialty pizza of choice turned out to be the Spicey Mediterannean minus banana peppers plus pepperoni. That ends up being extra mozzarella, muenster, and feta cheese along with pepperoni. It was heaven in my mouth. We also ordered the Feta Bread which is just another form of awesomeness. That experience was so good that we ordered the exact same thing two nights in a row. We also tried the Chicago Style. It wasn’t bad but their money maker is the traditional round.
Location: Ann Arbor and East Lansing
Style: Traditional round, Chicago-style, and thin.
Recommendation: Skip the Chicago-style. It’s a poor man’s Uno’s which is a poor man’s Chicago-style pizza in my opinion. Order the round with your toppings of choice. Pizza house allows you to get freaky with a laundry list of unique toppings. If you are inclined to experience pizza at it’s pinnacle, then I suggest a Spicy Mediteranean minus banana peppers and add pepperoni. This is a truly phenomenal concoction.
Buffet: no
15). Frank’s Pizzeria
Frank’s has a loyal following as evidenced by its number one position on the Detroit City Search’s best pizza in Detroit for 2006. However, Frank’s was nowhere to be found in the top 10 the previous two years. So, I’m guessing that Frank’s top position in ’06 was due to an anomaly or a concerted effort by Frank’s to get its patrons to take part in the voting. Regardless of how Frank’s got to number one, it piqued my interest. So, I made the trek to Wyandotte to see for myself. Frank’s is a humble outfit located on Wyandotte’s downtown strip. The smoking and non-smoking sections are both located in one average-size room. That pretty much means if one person is smoking, the whole restaurant is the smoking section. There was a person smoking for the first 15 minutes and thankfully that was it. The pizza “looked” like old-fashioned, homemade pizza. The pepperoni was the curled-cup variety where a small amount of grease sits inside. The pizza is traditional round. I enjoyed it. I can see why so many locals rave about it. However, better pizza exists and it exists closer than Wyandotte. If you’re making your way south for any reason, you might want to consider stopping off of I-75 on your way out or on your way back into town. It’s worth a try. I would rather have Green Lantern, Alibi’s, Pizza House, and Kruse & Muer’s when it comes to the traditional round style of pizza.
Location: Wyandotte
Style: Traditional Round
Recommendation: Frank’s doesn’t accept Credit Card. There are banks just around the corner than you can walk to if you forget. The pizza is also on the greasy side. If this is a problem, you may want to dab your napkin over each slice.
16). Como's Restaurant and Pizzeria
Como’s has decent pizza. There are more than a few people who are convinced that Como’s is the “best” pizza. Everyone has their own opinion but Como’s isn’t anywhere near the best, IMO. I’m not sure enough people outside of Ferndale have even heard of Como’s to call it overrated. Just don’t get your hopes up. It’s a tasty pizza and nothing more. It certainly does not compare to Alibi’s or Green Lantern. Como’s offers two types of round: deep-dish round, and thin round. I’ve tried them both and I really don’t have much of a preference. Whereas the thin-round at Green Lantern is much more taste-effective than the deep-dish, you can go with either at Como’s. One thing that I do like about Como’s is the number of ingredients it offers. If you want a certain ingredient on your pizza, chances are Como’s has it. The menu is way too pricey for the caliber of pizza served. I’m not sure pizza should ever be $20 for a large but if it is that much, it better be the best around which Como’s is not. Como’s is a Ferndale tradition sporting a vintage neon sign of yesteryear.
Location: Ferndale
Style: Round Deep-Dish and Traditional Round
Recommendation: Don’t trek to Ferndale for Como’s pizza alone. If you’re on your way to Detroit or spending the day at the Detroit Zoo, then take advantage of the proximity. Also, don’t go to Como’s during the Woodward Dream Cruise unless you want to watch the Woodward Dream Cruise because that’s what you’ll be doing.
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