The ClayNation Starting 11: Willie Martinez Edition
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Here's the full column.
Defensive coordinator Willie Martinez has to go at Georgia.
Bulldog football fans know it, Mark Richt has to know it, anyone with a semblance of intelligence about sports knows it. My favorite part of watching Saturday's games was seeing Willie Martinez on the sideline after Georgia's defenders gave up one big play after another to Arkansas. Often, you could just see him in the background, arms raised, a puzzled, crestfallen look on his face. My favorite shot was in third quarter after a Georgia's defensive back stood flat-footed and didn't move as a wide receiver ran right by him.
The camera caught Martinez in the background with a pained look on his face. He looked just like he'd just found his daughter's homemade porn tape while surfing the Internet. Which would be awful. But what's even worse is that you know every single Georgia fan on earth looked the exact same sitting in front of their television. Without further ado, let's hit the ClayNation Starting 11.
1. The Charlie Weis era came down to Michigan State's quarterback Kirk Cousins missing a wide open receiver in the back corner of the end zone.
Doesn't it seem like 40 years ago when Weis almost upset USC with Ty Willingham's players? Anyone else see the irony of Steve Sarkisian beating USC with Willingham's players? Logic dictates that the best way to beat USC is to fire Tyrone Willingham the season before you play them.
But back to Charlie Weis, have Notre Dame's football fortunes fallen so far that all it takes is a home victory over Michigan State -- Michigan State! -- to get Irish eyes smiling again? Right now, Notre Dame still controls their own destiny towards a BCS bowl game whipping. Which, honestly, tells us more about the BCS than anything else.
2. Landry Jones threw six touchdown passes for Oklahoma.
I've asked this question before, but in light of the fact that a guy like Landry Jones can come in and lead the offense with such precision, isn't it time Heisman voters start considering Oklahoma signal callers "system quarterbacks?" I think the "system quarterback" argument is one of the dumbest things I've ever heard, because it only gets applied to schools with strong quarterbacks that aren't traditional powers.
At least if the media is going to be consistent about applying the label, they ought to make Oklahoma quarterbacks wear the badge as well. For instance, every Texas Tech quarterback, running a very similar offense to Oklahoma's, is called a "system quarterback" which, as used, is a pejorative designation that serves to disqualify Mike Leach's signal callers from winning a Heisman.
Why isn't the same true for schools like Oklahoma? It's the same system, If running it disqualifies Graham Harrell shouldn't it also disqualify Sam Bradford? Otherwise, let's just ditch the system quarterback cliche for good.
3. Georgia defensive coordinator Willie Martinez can't even get his metaphors correct.
The sideline reporter, Erin Andrews, reported that Willie Martinez was telling his players not to worry about the Arkansas offense because they were just throwing grenades.
A perplexed Todd Blackledge then delivered the line of the night: "But grenades hurt when they explode."
4. Best new analogy I've thought of for going for it on 4th down, like moving a baby inside the house after they fall asleep in the car.
This is one of the most difficult calls I have to make. If my son is asleep in the car, do I go get a newspaper and sit in the car while he sleeps, i.e. punting on third down, or do I try to move him inside, i.e. go for it on fourth down, and transfer him to a bed knowing that if he wakes up, the nap is over and dad's back on the hook for playtime?
Honestly, this is such a difficult decision. I consider time of day, likelihood of ambient noise that could wake him up and weather conditions (Could the sunlight wake him? Is it raining?). I'm going to do a whole column on this at some point. Every parent turns into a head coach in this situation, you want the drive, i.e. the nap, to continue, but is it worth the risk?
Continue reading here. Labels: claynation starting 11 willie martinez
Posted by Clay Travis at 1:35 PM
 
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who is the George defensive coord that you refer to? i guess i expect more since you use such errors to justify the lack of intelligence in others.
I think Willie Martinez would also be a bad coordinator for George.