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Behind the Scenes with ESPN

Click here for a full list of Andrew’s articles, blogs and interviews for ESPN America.

AMERICAN FOOTBALL ON ESPN AMERICA

The NCAA College Football season on ESPN America
Click here for details and latest TV schedules, etc.
Viewers in Europe can also watch the NFL season and ESPN’s Monday Night Football
Click here for more details and latest TV schedules, etc.
While viewers in the UK and Ireland can tune in to NFL Monday Night Football on ESPN.
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You can also follow ESPN America on Twitter or Facebook to get the latest updates on TV scheduling, competitions, blogs, etc.

Read about Andrew Joseph’s visit to Arrowhead Stadium for the MNF Game between the Chargers and Chiefs.

Click here to enter our Monday Night Football and other prize competitions.

Who won the Heisman Trophy?

ESPN America Staff — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 04:37:33 +0000

HEISMAN UPDATE: Watch video of Robert Griffin III (Baylor Bears) receiving the Heisman Trophy and listen to his inspiring acceptance speech. It was another great night in New York as previous Heisman winners (inc Tony Dorsett, Archie Griffin, Vinny Testaverde, Doug Flutie, et al) were on hand to welcome the latest addition to their legendary ranks.

2011 HEISMAN TROPHY PRESENTATION

Live on ESPN America Dec 10th 1.00am UK / 02:00 CET

Who will be crowned Top College Football Player of the Season at the 77th Heisman Trophy Ceremony from the Best Buy Theatre in New York City?

The Heisman Trophy is one of the top, if not the most recognized and most revered, individual sporting awards in the United States. Win the Heisman and you go down in sporting history, remaining firmly imprinted in sports fans’ minds and the Heisman fraternity. Winning the Heisman does not guarantee a successful career in the pros, but it does confirm a stand out season in college.

The roll call of previous Heisman winners is a true A-list of NCAA Football legends from the very first recipient Jay Berwanger (Chicago) in 1935, through Davey O’Brien (TCU) – after whom the top college quarterback award is named, Paul Hornung (Notre Dame), Roger Staubach (Navy), OJ Simpson (USC), two-time winner Archie Griffin (Ohio State), Herschel Walker (Georgia), Bo Jackson (Auburn), Barry Sanders (Oklahoma State), Eddie George (Ohio State) – see video below, Tim Tebow (Florida) and last year’s winner Cam Newton (Auburn).

Video: 1995 Heisman winner Eddie George reflects on this year’s nominees …

The following videos are interviews with the five Heisman nominees.

ANDREW LUCK – QB – Stanford

Entering the 2011 season, Andrew Luck was considered a lock to win the Heisman Trophy. Luck, the projected first pick in the NFL draft, is truly a once in a generation talent. He exhibits the maturity, work ethic and leadership that every coach hopes for in a quarterback, but he also has the skill-set to back it up. Although the Cardinal did not make it to the Pac-12 Championship Game, Luck succeeded in leading his team to the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl. While completing 70 percent of his passes, Luck threw for 3,170 yards and 35 touchdowns this season. He even found time to catch a pass!

MY PICK: ROBERT GRIFFIN III – QB – Baylor

The man simply known as “RGIII” took the college football world by storm this season. Griffin has alway been recognized for his world-class speed, but nobody could have anticipated the huge strides he made in his passing game. Seemingly each game, Griffin was breaking records and rewriting the Baylor history books. Griffin is the first Bear to ever receive an invite to the Heisman Trophy Ceremony in New York, and he could very well be the first Bear to leave with the hardware. In a season that lacked a true dominant player, RGIII provided the most defining Heisman moments. Whether it was his game-wining touchdown pass to beat Oklahoma as time expired, singlehandedly leading a 21-point fourth quarter comeback against Kansas, or beating in-state rival Texas in convincing fashion, Griffin did it all. RGIII took home the Davey O’Brien Award for Top College QB; could the Heisman be next?

TRENT RICHARDSON – RB – Alabama

Two seasons ago, Mark Ingram became the first Alabama player to win the Heisman Trophy, and the Tide could be adding another member to the prestigious football fraternity. Trent Richardson made a name for himself in the 2010 BCS National Championship Game against Texas, and in his first season as Alabama’s premier back, he did not disappoint. Richardson’s offensive output, electrifying runs, and mere presence is why the Crimson Tide have a rematch with top-ranked LSU. This season, Richardson rushed for 1,583 yards and 20 touchdowns, while averaging a phenomenal six yards per carry.

TYRANN MATHIEU – DB/PR – LSU

And the “Honey Badger” strikes again. When LSU lost All-American defensive back Patrick Peterson to the NFL, there was some concern about how Mathieu would respond to the pressure of leading the LSU secondary. Well, he passed that test with flying colors. Mathieu’s Heisman moment came in the SEC Championship Game against Georgia, in which two gravity-defying punt returns (one for a 62-yard touchdown) ignited a dominating comeback win and a spot in the BCS title game. Mathieu has earned the reputation of a game-changing defender, who always seems to make the huge play. It will be interesting to see if his failed drug test earlier in the season derails his chance at the award.

MONTEE BALL – RB – Wisconsin

What if I told you there was a running back who has accumulated 200 more rushing yards, 15 more total touchdowns, and a better yards per carry average than Trent Richardson? Well, you would have Wisconsin’s Montee Ball. The touchdown machine out of Wentzville, Missouri, has put up some of the best numbers in the country, while receiving very little national attention. The Heisman Committee recognized the excellent season that Ball is having for Wisconsin, and he deservingly received an invite to New York. Although Ball is a long-shot to win the award, he is undeniably one of the best talents in the country.

ANDREW JOSEPH is writing about college sports for ESPN America from his base in Kansas, and he will be reporting live from various games this season.

Read more of Andrew on the Road:

Bedlam Live Blog: Oklahoma at Oklahoma State Road Trip

Click here for a full list of Andrew’s articles, blogs and interviews for ESPN America.

AMERICAN FOOTBALL ON ESPN AMERICA

The NCAA College Football season on ESPN America

Click here for details and latest TV schedules, etc.

Viewers in Europe can also watch the NFL season and ESPN’s Monday Night Football

Click here for more details and latest TV schedules, etc.

While viewers in the UK and Ireland can tune in to NFL Monday Night Football on ESPN.

Click here for more details.

You can also follow ESPN America on Twitter or Facebook to get the latest updates on TV scheduling, competitions, blogs, etc.

Read about Andrew Joseph’s visit to Arrowhead Stadium for the MNF Game between the Chargers and Chiefs.

Click here to enter our Monday Night Football and other prize competitions.

Road Trip: Behind the Scenes with ESPN

ESPN America Staff — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 07:10:40 +0000

Andrew Joseph – in the course of his college football road trips for ESPN America – went behind the scenes with two ESPN college football production crews.

Football is the ultimate game of preparation. There is no other sport in the world that requires a week of practice just to play one 60-minute game. Every Saturday the sports world’s focus shifts to the collegiate gridiron as millions of people tune-in to watch hours of televised football coverage.

The diehard college football fan’s attention may hang on every play; however, seemingly overlooked are the tireless efforts of the men and women behind the scenes that truly make Fall Saturdays the best days of the year.

ESPN started its college football coverage back in 1982, and nearly three decades later, the network airs over 400 live games a year. This astounding feat wouldn’t be possible without the dedicated ESPN production crews around the country.

In order to get a better sense of what it actually takes to produce a football game, I spent two weekends behind the scenes with some of the best production crews in the business.

When it comes to producing college football, the production crews do not have the luxury of more than a week’s advanced notice. Although the game times and TV slots are determined two weeks in advance, the crews will usually find out its next location on Sunday: only six days prior to kickoff.

Rather than limiting a crew’s performance on Saturdays, the short notice creates a demand for the most informed football minds available.

This is where the magic happens.

“The hardest part is finding out on Sunday night where we are going to go. The short notice really forces everyone to have general knowledge of college football,” ESPN College Football Producer Jim Zirolli told me.

Zirolli’s crew, which includes Director Steve Turnberger, Announcer Carter Blackburn and Analyst Brock Huard, are predominately assigned to Pac-12 games; however, they found themselves in Big 12 country for two consecutive weeks this season.

The regional and conference variety of game assignments just furthers the necessity for a crew to be well versed in all of college football.

“As a college football analyst, you always have to be on your toes. Although you may be assigned to some games, it’s a very fluid situation,” Huard said. “Nothing really surprises me now. This is my fifth year with ESPN, and even though maybe ‘our’ focal point is the western region, there’s still decisions made every week.”

Once the crew finds out the next location, it’s almost immediately back to work. The producer has to get in contact with the respective school’s Sports Information Director to go over the upcoming broadcast’s logistics and access to team personnel.

The work that the crew does in the week leading up to a game is as crucial as the game itself. The week consists of various conference calls and meetings that provide both critiques and planning ahead for the next game. During the production conference call that takes place on Mondays, the crew discusses both the previous game with the bosses at ESPN and what to expect going into the next broadcast. Then on Tuesdays the crew has a video review call, in which every detail of the previous game is assessed. It’s nearly impossible to have a “perfect” broadcast, but this meeting strives to make each production exceptionally better than the previous one.

The crew’s weekly mission is not to simply film a game for television, but rather each telecast should tell a story that complements the action on the field. Each game is supposed to be entertaining, memorable, and informative; part of the producer’s job is to filter all the storylines and details into what ultimately makes the best broadcast.

Bo Garrett leading the game day meeting.

When I met up with ESPN Producer Bo Garrett and his crew in Lincoln, Nebraska, I saw firsthand how the producer condenses a series of storylines surrounding a game to fit in with the actual broadcast. In Nebraska’s case, the Cornhuskers were playing Ohio State on homecoming in their Big Ten home debut. Nebraska was coming off its first loss of the season to Wisconsin, so Garrett and Director Mike Roig planned to tie-in details from that game to the matchup with the Buckeyes. On top of that, this was a meeting between two of the top programs in college football, but Ohio State was still reeling from the Jim Tressel scandal and player suspensions. The real task at hand for each game is communicating these storylines to the entire crew and staying on the same page.

A great deal of the preparation during the week is reading, and I mean a LOT of reading. On the Friday prior to the Oklahoma Sooners at Kansas Jayhawks game, Turnberger showed me the folders filled with stories, interviews, and commentary about each team and their media guides. Although, every member of the crew is extremely educated when it comes to college football, they have to be familiar with virtually every facet of the two teams for a successful broadcast. However, the preparation is not all reading. The producer, director, and commentators all have interviews with the two coaching staffs and select players before the game.

“The whole point of the week is to quickly get familiarized with the details of the football teams,” Zirolli said. “We really want to breakdown what they’ll try to do.”

The producer and director try to get as much information from the coaches as they can. This not only creates an informative broadcast, but it also helps ensure the crew that there should be no surprises when it comes to personnel and coaching decisions. The analysts really emphasize strategy in the discussions with the coaches and collect information about the state of the program. ESPN college football analyst Matt Millen uses the interviews with the players and coaches as an essential aspect of the in-game analysis. For example, he had spoken with Nebraska quarterback Taylor Martinez about his throwing mechanics, and that dialogue was relayed to the entire crew during the game day meeting. As a result, during the game, there would be several replay montages focusing on Martinez’s throwing style as Millen broke down what Martinez had told him and what he – and the viewing audience – was actually seeing.

Matt Millen and Sean McDonough: The Public Face of ESPN TV GameDay Productions

After a week full of interviews, conference calls, and rehearsals, Saturday is where the magic truly happens. The buildup to the game inside the production truck is just as exciting and electric as being inside the stadium itself.

Garrett compared the role of producer to that of the head coach of the broadcast, and the similarities were definitely clear.

“You got a lot of moving parts, a lot of players and you really have to organize and then create a game plan based on discussions with the announcers and your production personnel about what key video elements, what key graphics, and then create a little game plan and react as the game unfolds,” Garrett said.

The REAL best seat in the house.

Zirolli sees the producer and director as “co-head coaches.”

“The producer and director have to be a united front. We both have the same answers to everything,” Zirolli said. “The producer doesn’t dictate what (Steve) is going to do. We are a team, and it is an ongoing discussion throughout the game. We know each other so well that we can dissent in an adult fashion. We are the face, we are the head of this show; there is no doubt about it.”

I was fortunate enough to watch the production of the Oklahoma-Kansas game from right inside the truck. As game time neared, the mood inside the truck reminded me of a team getting ready to take the field. Every one was focused and prepared, but the anticipation was clearly there. Kansas was the heavy underdog, but the effort inside the truck does not change whether if it is a triple overtime thriller or a 40-point blowout.

“You have to give the game the respect it deserves because the kids are on the field and playing their hearts out,” Zirolli said.

When the game went underway, it was amazing just seeing the quick decision-making of crew in action. The producers and directors have seconds to decide what works best in a broadcast, and every detail of the game has to be under consideration. There is no margin for error on live television, but both Zirolli and Turnberger executed the game plan to perfection.

I’d like to thank everyone from ESPN at both games for giving up their precious time to show me around backstage and for providing me with access to all areas before and during the games. Both visits certainly opened up my eyes as to the amount of work and dedication it takes from so many talented people to provide the best game day coverage that we viewers generally take for granted.

ANDREW JOSEPH is primarily writing about college sports for ESPN America from his base in Kansas, and he will be reporting live from various games this season.

Next Road Trip: Live on ESPN America: Bedlam – #10 Oklahoma at #3 Oklahoma State, Saturday Dec. 3rd.
Join me live on Twitter

Read more of Andrew on the Road:

Live from Monday Night Football

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AMERICAN FOOTBALL ON ESPN AMERICA

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Nat Coombs: Sucking For Luck

Nat Coombs — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 03:25:56 +0000

This week Nat looks at the intriguing story behind which NFL team may end up with consensus No. 1 draft pick Andrew Luck from Stanford.

As usual, there are a number of interesting narratives in the NFL this season. Is there anyone that can deal with the Packers in the NFC – or indeed the whole league for that matter? What has gone wrong with the self proclaimed Dream Team in Philly?

I’m not even gonna mention Tebow – but if you’re interested in the most white hot phenom in sports right now you can read my last column on the Denver QB right here.

But perhaps the most intriguing storyline of all is the fact that a significant number of fans, supporting dead in the water teams, are willing them to lose as many games as possible, to enable them to have the best chance of landing the Number One Draft Pick. Or as it’s become commonly known – SuckForLuck.

Andrew Luck, the Stanford QB, is the designated Number 1 Pick in the 2012 Draft according to every draft expert in the entire world. Even the late, great Al Davis – known for his erratic choices in his latter years that seemingly ranked speed in a player as more important than all other attributes combined – would have grabbed Luck with both hands, should his Raiders have the option.

Luck has already been anointed as the NFL’s next “Great Quarterback” and is expected to vault into the elite class of Brady, Manning, Brees and Rodgers within a short time of turning pro (which will be a year late as he actually turned down the chance to declare for nthe NFL darft last season). He’s the guy you can build a franchise round, they say. Here’s the real deal.

He has the intelligence, maturity, throwing technique (Tebow’s Achilles Heel, of course) and understanding of a pro-style offense (supposedly Cam Newton’s main issue, though he’s not faring too badly these days) not seen for a long time at that age. Aaron Rodgers, Philip Rivers & Co. didn’t even get close to this kind of universal acclaim when they came out. His reputation precedes him so powerfully, that you’ll find NFL fans the world over who haven’t even seen Luck take a snap that’ll tell you he’s the best quarterback available in the Draft since Peyton Manning. The best College QB I’ve ever seen, they’ll assure you.

And as for the team owners, remember that the Number One pick is much sexier now that the re-aligned Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) means it’s not as huge a financial risk as it used to be. So the chance of busting out an Al Davis / JaMarcus Russell style over-reach is less painful. Taking a QB – as opposed to a blindside tackle who you can at least farm out to the other side, and then to guard if he doesn’t work out – is less risky than it used to be.

Yep – whichever way you cut it, Andrew Luck is the future, and teams are falling over themselves to get him; leading to all manner of conspiracy theories that teams are deliberately tanking to stand a shot of getting him. Ironically, I heard more than a few wise heads suggest at the start of the season that Jim Harbaugh, the 49ers’ Head Coach and Luck’s former coach at Stanford, started the hitherto hapless Alex Smith at QB to ensure San Fran would be in the cellar. Smith seems to be having the last laugh there – as the Niners have just clinched the NFC West. Although a 64-2 NFC Championship blowout is on the cards for them.

Of course, there is one team that no one saw in the box seat for Luck, and the fact that they seem to be storming their way to a perfect 0-16 record, thus guaranteeing the Number One pick, poses some real conundrums for Bill Polian and his board in Indianapolis. What was previously unthinkable – namely drafting Luck and trading Peyton Manning – is an idea gaining momentum in various quarters of the media. The extent of Manning’s neck injury is unclear and even if he comes back fighting fit and playing to the same level, he’s got perhaps four more years left in him. So do they take Luck, let him sit and learn from Manning? … thus creating the most expensive back up in the history of the game, but also ensuring a fluent succession with a guy capable of running the table for the next 10 to12 years – or do they gamble, trade Manning and start their future right now?

Another variable is for them to draft Luck, let him sit for a while, and then trade him to a desperate suitor (as the Eagles did with Kevin Kolb). But the Eagles had Michael Vick by then – not a spring chicken but younger than Manning – and they clearly had a plan grabbing Vince Young, the logical Number 2 to Vick in that style of offense.

So many options – and that’s just the Colts. The Seahawks, Browns, Jaguars are all in the running and they really need a QB so they could well trade up if they don’t end up with the worst record. And let’s face it gang, we could do with some crazy horse-trading on Draft Day after the vanilla CBA induced inertia of this year.

Yet there is one aspect that isn’t being considered at all. It’s all very well Sucking for Luck. But what if Luck Sucks? We’re all assuming he’s going to be great. What if he’s not?

Remember Ryan Leaf? Selected second overall behind Peyton Manning in the 1998 draft – and many scouts couldn’t decide between them. Doesn’t matter who goes 1 or 2, they said. Both these guys are going to have All-Pro Careers. These weren’t mid-second round developmental players that may end up with an OK career. These were NFL locks. Yet Leaf turned out to be one of the biggest draft busts of all time.

And out of the most recent drafts, and number one QB picks, the aformentioned JaMarcus is now out of the league and out of most people’s minds. Of other recent highly-rated QB recruits, Matt Stafford is good but injury prone and Sam Bradford is having a torrid time in St. Louis after a promising start. None of those guys may have been dead certs in precisely the same way that people say Luck is going to be, but the principle remains. These are golden boys in the second golden age of the QB. And none of them look like being another Brady (a sixth round pick BTW) or Manning.

In some respects, you sense that the Colts hierarchy hope they can land a few wins just to avoid the complex decision. Either way, whoever does end up with Andrew Luck would do well to remember that they don’t necessarily have a sure thing. Somewhere, Joey Harrington is reading this, and nodding sagely.

AMERICAN FOOTBALL ON ESPN AMERICA

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Click here to enter our Monday Night Football and other prize competitions.

NAT COOMBS is a writer and broadcaster who hosts the chat show Talk of The Terrace on our partner channel ESPN, and both NFL & MLB coverage on BBC Radio Five Live. He also anchors the US sports podcast Americarnage. Follow Nat on Twitter

ESPN Films: Unguarded

ESPN America Staff — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 02:29:53 +0000

After a superstar high school basketball career in Fall River, Mass., Chris Herren dominated the courts at Boston College and Fresno State before playing for the Denver Nuggets, his beloved Boston Celtics and across the world. Despite his success playing basketball, his heavy addiction to drugs worsened (Chris failed drug tests wherever he played) and quickly took over his life, before he ultimately lost control and ended up in a rehab facility.

Ultimately, Chris – the youngest and most talented of three generations of local heroes – has found redemption and personal fulfillment through the game, but only after it led him literally around the world, and down a path of alcohol and drug addiction that nearly killed him.

Now three years sober, Herren’s long struggle with addiction is told in Unguarded, ESPN Films’ new documentary premiering Weds. Nov. 30 on ESPN America.

Through personal interviews with Herren’s family, friends and coaches along with his own words as he travels the country telling his inspiring story, director Jonathan Hock weaves together the rollercoaster of events in Herren’s life over the last 15 years. Events that could have led to his death have instead brought him to a place where he now finds the most peace – coaching basketball.

It’s the way of most sports stories to show how a life’s meaning can be found on the athletic field, how dedication to the game can provide redemption and honor. But sometimes talent is a mixed blessing, and the measure of an individual ultimately can’t be taken by wins and losses.

Chris Herren came from the city of Fall River, Mass., a faded textile town where personal loyalty and a tradition of high school basketball championships had come to fill the void left by the abandoned mills in every neighborhood. Chris’ brother Mike had led Fall River’s Durfee High School to two state titles, and became the only player other than Patrick Ewing to ever make all-state in Massachusetts three years running – Chris would be the third. Like every local hero before him, Mike’s dreams began and ended with winning at Durfee. But Chris was supposed to be different. His talent was beyond anything Fall River had ever seen; he was the chosen one, and on his shoulders fell the hopes of his family, his friends and his entire city.

If Chris’ life had gone according to script, this is where the music swells, he rises to claim his destiny as an NBA All-Star and redeems all the empty days and nights of forgotten Fall River. Indeed, Chris did become a big-time college star and did make it to the NBA. But not before he fell into an abyss of alcohol and drug addiction, a decade-long nightmare in which he would lose everything that ever mattered to him.

But the story of Chris Herren is the story of hope. While we were filming, Chris marked his third anniversary of sobriety. He has reclaimed his family and the love and respect of the community. Ultimately, it was only after Chris lost the game that was supposed to be his salvation that he found his life’s true meaning. Every day may still be a struggle, and he may never be able to claim the kind of final victory that basketball would have provided, but real life isn’t always like that. For most of us, it is a daily struggle. Self-respect and the love of family are the greatest rewards we can claim. And that can be much harder to achieve than hitting the big shot or winning the big game.

I’d like to thank Chris and his family for allowing us to tell their story. For 10 years, it was a nightmare, and because the final message is one of hope, they allowed us into the darkest places we could travel with them, with a rawness and an openness rarely offered. Chris’ philosophy is that you have to give things to get things in life, and my hope is that by telling his story, together we can give hope to those still in life’s dark places, and inspiration to the rest of us as we pursue our own lives’ great gifts, whatever they may be.

Jonathan Hock – director

For details of other new ESPN FIlms, click on the titles below:

CATCHING HELL – Finding Steve Bartman

RENEE – The Renee Richards Story

THE DOTTED LINE – Sports Agents

CHARISMATIC – Horse & Jockey

College Football Video Highlights – Week 14

ESPN America Staff — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 10:57:33 +0000

It’s official! “Game of the Century: Part II” as Andrew Joseph recaps the final week of college football’s regular season.

After an extensive, nationwide debate, college football will in fact see a rematch between SEC foes Alabama and LSU in the BCS National Championship Game.

LSU has clearly been the best team all season long, as the Tigers stand alone as the only remaining undefeated team in all of college football, but questions still remained after Saturday night about Alabama’s worthiness of a rematch. The Crimson Tide only suffered one loss all season, and it came at home to top-ranked LSU. We rarely see teams that fail to win its respective conference championship get the nod for the title game, but this season is the clear exception.

HONEY BADGER: SEC Game MVP LSU's Tyrann Mathieu returns a punt for a TD.

Although the Tide will be rolling strong down Bourbon Street in January, Big 12 power Oklahoma State definitely did enough in Week 14 to stir up the debate. I was at Boone Pickens Stadium live blogging for ESPN America (click here to visit the live blog) and the Cowboys looked more than impressive enough to deserve a shot at the title game. And their fans must have been so disappointed to find that they were not going to New Orleans.

For a recap on the big games over the weekend, watch the following ESPN College Football Final Extra video with highlights, interviews and reaction from reporters, players and coaches.

Connecticut at Cincinnati

Later in the week, we shall have a complete round up of the all the great Bowl Games you can watch on ESPN America as well as the BCS Bowl games in January.

ANDREW JOSEPH is writing about college sports for ESPN America from his base in Kansas, and he will be reporting live from various games this season.

Read more of Andrew on the Road:

Bedlam Live Blog: Oklahoma at Oklahoma State Road Trip

Read about Andrew Joseph’s visit to Arrowhead Stadium for the MNF Game between the Chargers and Chiefs.

AMERICAN FOOTBALL ON ESPN AMERICA

You can also follow ESPN America on Twitter or Facebook to get the latest updates on TV scheduling, competitions, blogs, etc.

Click here to enter our Monday Night Football and other prize competitions.

LIVE BLOG: Bedlam #10 OU at #3 OSU

ESPN America Staff — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 02:12:51 +0000

ESPN America’s College Sports Reporter ANDREW JOSEPH and ESPNAmerica.com Editor COLIN M JARMAN will be online before, during and after the Oklahoma at Oklahoma State game.

If you have any questions or comments about this year’s Bedlam game, the two teams or the college football season in general, please add you thoughts at the bottom of the page. We shall reward the best comment we receive from each half of the Bedlam game with a special ESPN America flat-brim cap (or click here for your chance to win one).

Remember to follow us on this blog page … or on Twitter and Facebook.
For other live CFB games on ESPN America, go to our Week 14 Video Preview.

WELCOME TO BEDLAM!

#10 OKLAHOMA (9-2) vs #3 OKLAHOMA STATE (10-1)

Live 1:00am UK / 02:00 CET

SATURDAY, DEC. 3rd

10:30 p.m. CST

FINAL SCORE: Oklahoma State-44 Oklahoma-10

Well, they call it BEDLAM for a reason. After a dominating performance that captured the Big 12 title, the Oklahoma State faithful stormed the field at Boone Pickens Stadium.
Absolute pandemonium ensued, and the goal posts were among the victims.

The Cowboys knew entering this game that they needed to overpower Oklahoma to even have a chance at jumping Alabama in the BCS standings. Regardless of if Oklahoma State succeeds in passing the Crimson Tide, they played as perfect of a football game as one can expect during a top 10 matchup. The Cowboys’ high-powered offense dismantled Oklahoma from start to finish, and the cool-headed Landry Jones looked like a deer in headlights amid the OSU pass rush. The early season Heisman hopeful was 27-50 for 250 yards and two interceptions.

The Pokes are known more for their passing prowess, but the running back tandem of Joseph Randle and Jeremy Smith stole the show tonight. The pair combined for 270 yards and four touchdowns. The Cowboys finish the regular season with a school-best 11-1 record, and they are BCS bowl bound for the first time in school history.

“I don’t think there’s any question, Oklahoma State should play in the big game,” Mike Gundy said after the game.

Only time will tell if he’s right.

10:24 p.m. CST
TOUCHDOWN OKLAHOMA – Blake Bell in at quarterback runs it in 28 yards for the score. The score is now 44-10 Oklahoma State with 2:25 remaining in the ball game. “Boomer Sooner” plays for just the 23^rdtime tonight, but it’s way too little, too late for the Sooners.

This Oklahoma team was the preseason favorite to win the national title, but they have failed to live up to the lofty expectations.

10:09 p.m. CST

INTERCEPTION Oklahoma State – An awful night for Landry Jones just got worse as a pass intended for Stills gets picked off by Justin Gilbert.

The fourth quarter has been a stalemate thus far on the scoreboard, and the Cowboys just handed the ball right back to the Sooners after the Jeremy Smith fumble. The score remains 44-3 Oklahoma State with 6:41 left in the game. The Oklahoma fans have headed on home, but Boone Pickens Stadium remains rocking. These OSU fans can taste the Big 12 title.

9:45 p.m. CST
Sharp tacks on a 34-yard field goal to make the score 44-3 Oklahoma State with 1:56 left in the third. The Sooners escaped giving up another touchdown as Josh Stewart dropped a pass in the end zone. At what point do Alabama fans begin to get nervous? Has to be soon. Or, even, Sooner than soon!?

9:35 p.m. CST
TOUCHDOWN OKLAHOMA STATE – Jeremy Smith breaks a couple tackles and gets free for a 37-yard touchdown run. The score is now 41-3 Oklahoma State with 5:23 remaining in the third, and an electric Boone Pickens Stadium crowd has Bourbon Street on their minds.

The Cowboys needed a miracle to jump Alabama, but this is as impressive of a performance as I’ve seen all season. The scary part is that it’s only the third quarter, and the Pokes are not letting up one bit.

VIEWER COMMENTS
Robbie Wilson-Storey tweeted: “Does Landry Jones have a bet on the Cowboys to win? He is playing awful. #beingowned”
Rob Smith Surtees posted on Facebook: “Switching between both 8pm ET games on your two channels in Britain. I mundanely ate a piece of toast at half-time (3am). But should I have a full English breakfast later?!”

9:15 p.m. CST
The Cowboys start the second half right where they left off. Like I said before the game, the Sooners could not afford to give Weeden time to operate in the pocket. However, the 28-year old quarterback has had all kinds of time to find receivers.
Sharp hits a 37-yard Field Goal to make the score 27-3 with 12:02 remaining in the third. Weeden led Oklahoma State 80 yards down the field in less than three minutes.
TOUCHDOWN OKLAHOMA STATE – The ball inexplicably falls out of Jones’ hand before he throws the ball. Richetti Jones picks up the fumble and takes it five yards for the Oklahoma State touchdown. This game is an absolute disaster for the Sooners – no other way to put it. The score is 34-3 Oklahoma State with 11:56 remaining in the third.

8:47 p.m. CST
HALFTIME – Oklahoma’s Mike Hunnicutt hits a 48-yard field goal to end the first half. The kick was actually nearly blocked and hit the upright before going through. The score is now 24-3 Oklahoma State, and this half could have easily been worse for the Sooners. Weeden is 14-21 for 156 yards, and Randle has two touchdowns.
I have to give credit to the Oklahoma State faithful for braving some unfavorable weather conditions and making for a great college football environment. The first half has been all Oklahoma State, but I wouldn’t count the Sooners out just yet. Landry Jones is one of the nation’s top quarterbacks, and the Sooners are riding an eight-game winning streak against their in-state foes.
The halftime “Boomer Sooner” count is at 15 – not much reason to play their fight song tonight … but there’s always the second half. Stay tuned!

8:40 p.m. CST

TOUCHDOWN OKLAHOMA STATE – The 106th Bedlam meeting is turning more into a nightmare for the Sooners by the second. Randle’s two-yard touchdown run caps off a seven-play, 43-yard drive for the Cowboys. The score is now 24-0 with 1:05 remaining in the half. Oklahoma State needs to make a statement win, so I don’t expect coach Mike Gundy to let the Sooners off easy. OU needs to make some serious adjustments, or this game will only get worse for Bob Stoops’ squad.

FUMBLE RUMBLE: OSU's Jamie Blatnick returned a Landry Jones' spillage to the one.

8:26 p.m. CST
FUMBLE and TOUCHDOWN OKLAHOMA STATE – With the Sooners driving, Alex Elkins sacks Landry Jones and forces a fumble. OSU’s Jamie Blatnick recovers the fumble and takes it 59 yards to the Oklahoma one-yard line. Joseph Randle calmly runs the ball in for the score on the ensuing play. The Sooners keep on shooting themselves in the foot, and the Cowboys lead 17-0 with 4:39 remaining in the half.
Poke nation can’t get enough of the Cowboys’ effort tonight.

8:15 p.m. CST
It’s pretty evident that the Sooner offense misses Ryan Broyles. Yes, Kenny Stills and Jaz Reynolds are talented receivers, but Broyles brought an entirely new dimension to the offense. Whether it’s Stills or Reynolds, one of the OU receivers needs to step up, or Bedlam will get even more out of hand.
With about 10 minutes remaining in the second quarter, Jones is 13-24 for just 100 yards and an interception – not good enough to beat the #3 team in the country on the road.

JONESING FOR A TD: Landry is finding it tough going in the first half.

7:55 p.m. CST
At the end of the first quarter, Oklahoma State leads Oklahoma 10-0. The Cowboys have been feeding off the crowd’s energy, dominating nearly every facet of the game’s first 15 minutes.
Weeden is 8-10 with 115 yards passing. The “Boomer Sooner” count is at 11 for whoever is wondering.

7:45 p.m. CST
And the “Boomer Sooner” count hits double digits. After picking up a few first downs, Jones looked to be playing more poised after the early game butterflies. Jones targeted Jaz Reynolds in the end zone, but Broderick Brown made an acrobatic interception. At first glance it looked like Reynolds may have reeled it in, but Brown made an amazing play on the ball.
The interception definitely looks to be a momentum killer early as Oklahoma State is driving yet again. The Cowboys have been without a doubt the better team thus far.
Field Goal Oklahoma State – Sharp’s 25-yard field goal caps off an efficient drive following the interception. The Cowboys lead the Sooners 10-0 with 2:51 remaining in the first. It’s been a great first quarter for the Pokes.

OSU's #87 Tracy Moore goes flying against the Sooners in the first quarter.

7:30 p.m. CST
Oklahoma quarterback Landry Jones is hearing it early and often from the OSU faithful. The Cowboys are doing a great job putting pressure on Jones. Jones got hit hard on two consecutive plays in that second drive, but he got the ball away before a sack. The Sooners go three-and-out. It’s still scoreless in Stillwater with 9:49 left in the first.
Right as I hit update, Weeden connects with Tracy Moore for a 53-yard pickup. The Cowboys are inside the OU 10-yard line.
TOUCHDOWN OKLAHOMA STATE: Jeremy Smith runs it in for a score from nine yards out. Oklahoma State leads Oklahoma 7-0 with 8:36 left in the first. The Cowboys only needed four plays on the drive, and the touchdown has the crowd fired up even more.

7:05 p.m. CST
It’s senior night in Stillwater at the 106th meeting of the Bedlam Series. The loudest cheers were for senior quarterback Brandon Weeden.
Tempers are flaring as Oklahoma is waiting at the tunnel for Oklahoma State, but the coaching staffs jump in and pulls the Sooners back. The Cowboys’ entrance usually has smoke machines going strong, but WOW, they really went all out tonight with strobe lights, lasers, and extra smoke.
We’re just about underway. It’s time for BEDLAM!
Oklahoma State deferred, so the Sooners start off with the ball.
Boone Pickens Stadium tonight is easily the loudest crowd I’ve encountered this season – and for good reason.

6:35 p.m. CST
There’s about 30 minutes until kickoff, and Boone Pickens Stadium is already rocking. It looks like the Cowboys will be wearing black, orange, and black as reported earlier.
I am hearing that Oklahoma star defensive end Ronnell Lewis will be inactive tonight. The Sooners will need to find a way to put pressure on Weeden because he has shown the ability to pick apart a secondary when given time to work.
I will be keeping a live tally of the times the OU band plays the contagiously catchy “Boomer Sooner” fight song. Oklahoma never needs much of an excuse to play the famous tune. We currently stand at two renditions with 30 minutes until kickoff. Over/under 60 times played tonight? You decide.

6:00 p.m. CST
The Oklahoma State special teams unit is warming up in black helmets, orange jerseys and black pants. We’ll see if that turns out to be the game uniforms for the Pokes. The student section is already full to capacity with an hour remaining before kickoff.

Looking at the SEC title game, the top-ranked Tigers were on upset alert at halftime, but LSU has come out firing all third quarter. Ignited by some gravity-defying returns by Tyrann Mathieu, LSU has scored 28 unanswered points and leads Georgia 28-10.

5:06 p.m. CST
Back from dinner, where the kind folks at Oklahoma State set everyone up with a great BBQ ribs spread [below]. I may or may not be covered in BBQ sauce right now. I’ll find a way to persevere regardless.

The press box is starting to fill up, while the stands are still empty. Like every visit to Stillwater, the uniform rumors are going strong. The Cowboys have 48 different uniform combinations, so it’s really a guessing game. I’d think they’d wear orange against the Sooners, but you never know. The Cowboys are taking the field right now in their street clothes as the student sections begins to fill up…

Looking at the games around the country, the Georgia Bulldogs still hold a 10-7 lead over #1 LSU at half. On Tryann Mathieu’s electric punt return for a score, replays actually showed that he tossed the ball to the official before crossing the goal line. Nonetheless, the touchdown counted.
Baylor is blowing out Texas 41-24 at the end of three, and Larry Fedora’s Southern Miss squad ended Houston’s BCS hopes in a 49-28 blowout win.
Stay tuned for more updates from Stillwater.

VIEWER COMMENT: Johnathan Mark ‘Shaggy’ Sharpe-Smith posted on our Facebook: “Watch every week. Noles fan. But today I’ll be woofing for UGA, ye-hawing for the Cowpokes and doing whatever Houston folk do.”
Remember best viewer comments of the night will win an ESPN America flat-brim cap.

4:17 p.m. CST (US Central Standard Time)
Hello from Stillwater. We’re about three hours away from kickoff from Bedlam between #10 Oklahoma and #3 Oklahoma State. Up here in the press box, we have the SEC title game on the TVs. Georgia is giving the top-ranked LSU Tigers an early beating. It’s still early, but the Bulldogs are playing with an unforeseen intensity. There could be no remaining undefeated teams in just a matter of hours.
It’s a gloomy day in Stillwater, and it had rained hard all morning. Right now the weather has calmed down, but Bedlam may be subject to some sloppy conditions. Nonetheless, everyone is extremely excited for this game, especially with the Big 12 title on the line. In three hours Boone Pickens Stadium will be rocking as the archrivals duel it out on the field.
Feel free to comment or follow me on Twitter @AndyJ0seph and @espnamerica for a chance to win ESPN America merchandise.
Off to get food.

Photo: Cool Cowboy logo on the field. Pistol Pete has been the OSU mascot since 1923! Andrew’s hoping to bump into the the real gun-toting mascot …

Photo: Andrew wasted no time in getting himself onto the playing field in a deserted stadium – check out the orange!

Photo: Three and half hours to go to kickoff in Bedlam 2012. Andrew Joseph has arrived and will be checking in LIVE from Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, OK.

VIDEO: The Bedlam Rivalry.

FRIDAY, DEC. 2nd

Andrew Joseph previews Bedlam 2011.
It’s going to be BEDLAM in Stillwater with the Big 12 title on the line!
The Alabama Crimson Tide may be the co-leader in clubhouse with the #2 ranking, but Oklahoma State intends to do all it can to foil an SEC rematch between Alabama and LSU. All eyes will be on the third-ranked Cowboys on Saturday night as they must dominate archrival #10 Oklahoma in order to make a statement to the voters.
For a great deal of the season, this year’s matchup between Oklahoma and Oklahoma State was considered a de facto play-in game for the BCS National Championship, but that was before the two fell victim to the upsets of Week 11. However, I don’t expect either side to get caught up with what this game could have been, but rather I expect both coaches – Stoops and Gundy – to have their teams even more fired up than ever.
The Bedlam Series has been played since 1904, and the Sooners have absolutely dominated the rivalry, posting a 82-16-7 record. Despite the lopsided record, Bedlam is always one of the most heated games in all of college sports. Although the Sooners have won the last eight Bedlam games, the Cowboys have to like their chances at getting a win this year.
There will be plenty of offensive fire power on display at the impressive Boone Pickens Stadium. Oklahoma is led by standout quarterback Landry Jones, but the Sooner offense lost some of their luster after senior wide receiver Ryan Broyles went down with a torn ACL. Jones entered 2011 as one of the primary Heisman Trophy candidates, but he is no longer considered a major player in the race, despite throwing for over 4,000 yards, 28 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions.

JUSTIN TIME: Can Blackmon & #3 OSU's offense crash the BCS title party?

The players to watch in this game are the Cowboys’ dynamic duo of quarterback Brandon Weeden and wide receiver Justin Blackmon [above]. The 28-year old Weeden has used his maturity to his advantage, passing for 4,111 yards and 34 touchdowns this season. Blackmon has put up equally impressive numbers, using his height, athleticism and elite skills to tally 15 touchdowns and and 1,241 yards. This is the most important game in the history of Oklahoma State football, and I will be very interested in seeing how the Cowboys respond with so much on the line.

Photo: Blast from the Bedlam past!

ALL-DAY: Vikings' RB Adrian Peterson played in the Bedlam rivalry back in 2004.

Bedlam Live Blog Page launched with video review of the OU at OSU game from ESPN’s Howie Schwab…

ANDREW JOSEPH is writing about college sports for ESPN America from his base in Kansas, and he will be reporting live from various games this season.

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College Football Video Preview – Week 14

ESPN America Staff — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 22:46:55 +0000

With two weeks (and whatta two weeks!) left in another amazing college football regular season, ESPN America gets into Championship Week with the C-USA and – the big one – the SEC.

Whilst some conferences are crowning their champions in the next two weeks, the BCS final standings will most probably be shook up again. The most likely BCS-shaking game is in Stillwater, OK, where ESPN America will live blog the Oklahoma at Oklahoma State Bedlam rivalry (check out our live blog page as well as following us on Twitter and Facebook over the weekend).

Click here for a full list of Live and As Live CFB games on ESPN America over the weekend.

SATURDAY Dec 3rd – TRIPLE HEADER

#24 SOUTHERN MISS (10-2) at #6 HOUSTON (12-0)
Conference USA Championship
Live 5:00pm UK / 17:00 CET

The Cougars are one of two unbeaten teams this season and their success is based on an explosive passing game led by record-breaking QB Case Keenum (43 TDs). A win in this game would see Houston become the first C-USA team to make a BCS Bowl game. Standing in their way, the Golden Eagles – coming off their first ten win season since 1988 – scored three defensive TDs last week against Memphis but will be severely stretched by Keenum and his receivers.

#1 LOUISIANA STATE (12-0) vs #14 GEORGIA (10-2)
SEC Championship Game
Live 9:00pm UK / 22:00 CET

The semi-unofficial BCS Bowl Game precursor … the SouthEast Conference Championship is always the strongest of the conference title games – and this year the presence of overwhelming Number One Louisiana State reinforces that billing. Unbeaten and unbowed despite a difficult schedule that included knocking off previously unbeaten Alabama, the Tigers are so strong on both sides of the ball that even a loss will probably still see them line up in the actual BCS title game in New Orleans. Georgia overcame two losses to start the season to post ten wins in a row and equally deserve their place in this game.

#10 OKLAHOMA (9-2) vs #3 OKLAHOMA STATE (10-1)
THE BEDLAM RIVALRY !
Live 1:00am UK / 02:00 CET

For more on this game, go to our LIVE BLOG Page as both ANDREW JOSEPH and ESPNAmerica.com Editor COLIN M JARMAN will be online before, during and after this Bedlam game to chat with you about the game, the college football season as a whole and give you the chance to win some ESPN America merchandise (caps, shirts, stuff, etc). Remember to follow us on Twitter and Facebook

HEART OF THE MATTER

One player and team who have finished their season (early) is QB Matt Barkley and USC – serving the last year of the ‘Reggie Bush inspired’ bowl sanctions. Ending the season with a 10-2 record and a #9 AP ranking, the Trojans are ineligible to take part in the first PAC-12 championship game against #8 Oregon (whom they beat a few weeks back) and any Bowl Game. Coming off a career year Barkley has pushed himself into Heisman Trophy contention and has NFL scouts drooling over his stats: 39 TDs and 7 Ints with a passer rating of 161.82 With his season over Barkley appeared on ESPN’s talk show Jim Rome is Burning below …

ANDREW JOSEPH is writing about college sports for ESPN America from his base in Kansas, and he will be reporting live from various games this season.

Read more of Andrew on the Road:

Read about Andrew Joseph’s visit to Arrowhead Stadium for the MNF Game between the Chargers and Chiefs.

AMERICAN FOOTBALL ON ESPN AMERICA

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Click here to enter our Monday Night Football and other prize competitions.

College Football Video Highlights – Week 13

ESPN America Staff — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 09:54:42 +0000

Rivalry Week provided yet more drama and action as conference positions, potential bowl game matchups and the BCS standings all became a little clearer.

WEEKEND ROUND UP with Jim Basquil and ESPN’s regional bloggers

#5 VIRGINIA TECH at VIRGINIA

#22 NOTRE DAME at #6 STANFORD

#8 HOUSTON at TULSA

#13 GEORGIA at #23 GEORGIA TECH

IMPACT PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

WEEK 14 BCS STANDINGS REVEALED

ANDREW JOSEPH is primarily writing about college sports for ESPN America from his base in Kansas, and he will be reporting live from various games this season.
Next Road Trip: Live on ESPN America: Bedlam – #10 Oklahoma at #3 Oklahoma State, Dec. 3rd.
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