I haven’t made a “Short, Short List” in a while.  I have read and reviewed a few books since my last one in May.  This list is not quite as short as I have reviewed a few more books.

1.  Tarnished Heisman: Did Reggie Bush Turn His Final College Season into a Six-Figure Job? by Don Yaeger and Jim Henry.  The authors delve into the controversy surrounding the potential gifts that Reggie Bush received his last two years as a student athlete at USC.  Here is my review of the book.

2.  Hero of the Underground by Jason Peter.  This book is a memoir by former Nebraska Cornhusker defensive lineman and Carolina Panther Jason Peter about his journey to heroin abuse and back to sobriety.  It is a tough book to read in which Peter describes the lifestyle in which he was entrenched, and I don’t recommend it for young teenagers.

3.  Season of Life: A Football Star, a Boy, a Journey to Manhood by Jeffrey Marx.  A good inspirational and encouraging book about a couple of high school football coaches who are seeking to make a difference in the lives of young men more than they are trying to win games.  But, they win the games too.  Here is my review, in two parts.

4.  Top Dawg: Mark Richt and the Revival of Georgia Football by Rob Suggs.  If you were watching Gameday on ESPN this morning, you saw the moving segment on Mark Richt and his wife who adopted two children from the Ukraine.  Mark Richt is one of the reasons that Georgia Bulldog football is a top ten program once again.  This book by Rob Suggs captures the unique revival that Richt brought to the ‘Dawg program.  Here is my review.

5.  Walk-On:  A Memoir by Thom Gossom, Jr. This book is a memoir by the first African American athlete to graduate from Auburn University.  Gossom went on to excel in many aspects including a film and TV career.  Gossom does a terrific job of describing the hardship he endured as one of the few African American students at the rural southern school.  Gossom holds memories of pain and joy from his days at Auburn.  Here is my review of the book.

Currently I am reading Rosebowl Dreams by fellow blogger Adams Jones (no relation), and I will be reading The Galloping Ghost: Red Grange, an American Football Legend by Gary A. Poole shortly.  I will do reviews of these books in the next couple of months.  At that point, I am thinking of reading something Christmas through the holidays.  What do you think?

Previous Short, Short Lists

Short, Short List number one
Short, Short List number two

I feel very honored to have been given the opportunity to read an advanced copy of Top Dawg: Mark Richt and the Revival of Georgia Football by Rob Suggs.  I want to thank those who contacted me and sent me a copy of the book for this opportunity.  The book is about the revival of the Georgia Bulldog program under the leadership of Head Coach Mark Richt.  Coming into the 2008 football season, the Bulldogs were ranked number 1 in the preseason Associated Press poll as well as many other preseason polls (number 5 in the CFTT preseason poll).  The Bulldogs ended the 2007 season as one of the hottest teams in the country including their 41-10 thumping of Hawaii in the BCS Sugar Bowl.

For the readers of Collegefootballtopten.com, I highly recommend you buying and reading this book.  I have been told that it will be released on September 9.  You should be able to order a copy from the Collegefootballtopten bookstore, your local Borders Books or any other book store.  The book is published by Thomas Nelson, a Christian publisher, and Suggs has written primarily about matters of faith.  In this book, Suggs manages to peek inside the doors of a top level Bowl Championship Subdivision football program as well as inside the faith that inspires, empowers and shapes Mark Richt, the man who leads that program, all at the same time.

Rob Suggs is a Georgia Bulldog fan.  He is up front about that.  He explains his own history and how it intersects Georgia football.  Growing up a Razorback fan, I understand and appreciate that, and I am sure Longhorn fans, Rebel fans, Crimson Tide fans, Buckeye fans, Wolverine fans and countless other fans across the country will understand that too.  He was proud in the early 1980′s when Vince Dooley and the Junkyard Dawgs were winning SEC titles, a National Championship, and Herschel Walker won the Heisman Trophy.  However, like many Bulldog fans, he suffered through the period of time when Georgia football was just one of many in the SEC finishing in the pack behind Florida and Tennessee.

The book begins with a pivotal game against Tennessee in Knoxville, TN on October 6, 2001.  Georgia rallies to win the game and the players and fans begin to believe that the Bulldogs can be a top caliber program once again.  From there Suggs, jumps back into time, leading us on a journey of Mark Richt, his disappointments along with his new dreams and the inspiration of his new-found faith.  Suggs also leads us on a parallel journey of the decline of the Georgia program, setting up the need to find a new leader who will lead the Dawgs into the promised land.

From this point, Suggs bring the two together.  One of the interesting parts of the book is the description of the mat drills which Richt brought to Georgia from Florida State via his friend and Strength and Conditioning Coach Dave Van Halanger.  Mat drills is Van Halanger’s creation, a hodgepodge of exercises, drills, etc. inspired from “such elements as the obstacle course in military boot camps and the ropes course in programs like Colorado’s Outward Bound.”

The real test was not necessarily physical, but mental.  The drill were designed to strengthen the team’s mental toughness and create bonds from among the players.  For starters, they held the mat drills at 5 AM in the morning.  The players were grouped according to position types in groups of four.  You are recorded, by two cameras, and graded for the next morning’s mat drills.  Are you still with me?  Each group must perform a particular drill at one of five stations.  Each person in the group must execute the drill perfectly.  If anyone does not, the group performs the drill again.  And again, for each misstep.  Until all members of the group executes each drill perfectly.  I nearly cried reading about the drills.  The grading put you in a group the next morning with a similar grading.  If you were a player who did not do so well, the next morning your group would be with fellow players who also did not do so well.  Eternity can be a long time!  These drills exhibited an intensity in Mark Richt that some might be surprised to learn.

Richt earned the love and respect of his former players.  One player, D. J. Shockley, actually wrote the forward for this book.  Shockley played four years as a back up behind fellow QB David Greene before getting his shot to be the starter in 2005 as a Fifth-Year Senior.  His willingness to be patient in a time when QB’s will simply transfer to play somewhere else quicker is a testament to the love he felt from the staff and Coach Richt.  Nevertheless, Richt exhibits a certain amount of intensity and demands it of his staff and players as well.

As a Razorback fan, I almost found myself rooting for Georgia to win the National Title this year.  The story is compelling, and Suggs does a great job of taking the reader on the journey of how Mark Richt and the Georgia Bulldogs football program converged.  In an age when so many major college football programs are shrouded in negative actions, both by players and coaches, this story is refreshing because, while no one is perfect in the Bulldog program, Richt emphasizes positive behaviors from those in his program and leads by example.  Mark Richt is someone you can root for and feel good about it.

Below is a Sample Chapter of Top Dawg

Read Chapter One of Top Dawg

Continued

5.  Georgia–The Bulldogs are number 1 in the AP poll finishing the 2007 season as the nation’s hottest team.  The Dawgs routed Hawaii in the Sugar Bowl to finish the year.  Georgia struggled early before realizing that Knowshon Moreno was the answer at RB, and the defense rose to dominate once again.  Georgia returns QB Matt Stafford of Dallas’ Highland Park and Moreno at RB along with the core of their defense.  While the Bulldogs return some high profile players such as Stafford and Moreno, they have some holes to fill particularly on the offensive line.  To make matters worse, LT Trinton Sturdivant went down in a preseason scrimmage, and he is out for the season.  The Dawgs also need to find players at WR.  Nevertheless, Coach Mark Richt is one of the best, and the Revival of the Dawgs has been hard to ignore.

4.  Florida–The Gators return All World WR Percy Harvin and All-Around-Great-Guy Tim Tebow, and with an improved running game by an actual RB, their offense may be even more explosive.  The defense was very young in 2007, but if they gained valuable experience they might become much improved by the end of the year.

3.  Oklahoma–The Sooners return all of the players needed to make a run at the National Title.  Sam Bradford has proven himself a good QB, and the defense is usually stout.  Oklahoma will have to overcome the disappointment of their Fiesta Bowl loss to West Virginia, but should be rolling by the Red River Rivalry in Dallas.

2.  USC–Same song, second verse.  That’s how you could describe USC’s preview every year.  The Trojans will have a new QB, but the objectives will be the same.  Win the Pac 10, and have a shot at the National Title.  Mark Sanchez suffered an injury in preseason practice, but he plans on being back.  Few have a better group at Linebacker that USC.  And, Joe McKnight is just beginning his big-play era.

1.  Ohio State–Last year the Buckeyes snuck up on everyone, this year the Ohio State University will be watched closely.  They return their starting QB and RB, and their offensive line is experienced.  The linebacker unit is one of the best in the country led by James Laurinaitis.  They have one of the top 2 or 3 secondaries, and everything has come together for the Buckeyes to make their way back to a third BCS National Title Game.  Even though they lost the first two, the third time might be a charm.  Look for Ohio State to give QB Todd Boeckman more responsibilities in the passing game, and he should reward the coaches by cutting down on the mistakes.  And then, there is the Terrelle Pryor factor.  The coaches may use him like Florida did Tim Tebow his freshman year.  Pryor may become the ultimate change up for the Buckeye offense.

Summary: CFTT Preseason Top Ten

1. Ohio State
2. USC
3. Oklahoma
4. Florida
5. Georgia
6. Clemson
7. LSU
8. Oregon
9. Missouri
10. South Florida

I wrote in a previous post that I would reveal my top ten coaches list. Here is my list. Of course, I know it is a subjective exercise. Most will not agree with me. That’s fine. But I’ll give you my list, and I will also try to explain why. As before, this list is not in ascending or descending order.

1. Jim Tressel, Ohio State University–It’s hard to argue with Tressel’s success at Ohio State. However, he won four national titles in Division I-AA before jumping to Division I-A (now the Bowl Championship Division) to coach Ohio State. In 21 years as a head coach Tressel has 11 Ten Win seasons. Four titles in Division I-AA and one in Division I-A while at Ohio State. His accomplishments should not be diminished by the Buckeye losses in two straight national title games. The Buckeyes will be an early favorite to make a third straight appearance in 2009, and this time they might win the game. Tressel’s ability to lure prize recruit Terrelle Pryor may have been the advantage he needed to win the title.

2. Urban Meyer, University of Florida– Coach Meyer has been head coaching for 7 years, and 3 of those seasons were Ten Win seasons. Remarkably, Meyer has not finished a year as a head coach with less than 8 wins. Meyer is the hot new young coach for most. His Gators expect to be a major contender both in the SEC and nationally during the 2008-09 season behind returning QB and Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow.

3. Pete Carroll, University of Southern California– Few could argue with Carroll’s inclusion on a Top Ten Coaches list. USC had an astounding 10 players taken in the 2008 NFL draft. Carroll was 6-6 in his first season at USC, but then he won at least 11 games in each of his next six seasons. Carroll led USC to 2 BCS National title game appearances, 2 AP and 1 BCS National Championships, and six straight top 4 finishes. Carroll’s Trojans have either won or tied for the Pac 10 Championship for six straight seasons. In the last three years, USC has been an early season favorite to play in the BCS National Championship Game. Carroll’s resume is impressive.

4. Dennis Erickson, Arizona State University–In 21 seasons as head coach, Erickson has 7 10 win seasons and 2 National Championships. Erickson has coached six different college football teams and is prone to jumping around a bit. Nevertheless, when Erickson takes over a program, he usually makes it a winner. His first year at Arizona State, Erickson led the Devils to 10-3 record and a share of the Pac 10 Championship. Erickson is leading a Devil Storm in the Desert.

5. Bob Stoops, University of Oklahoma–Stoops had a fast start in Norman. In just his second year, the Sooners won the National Championship. Rarely does Stoops lose the annual Red River Rivalry against Texas. Stoops has seven 11 win seasons in 9 years as the head Sooner coach. Stoops’ teams have reached a BCS Bowl 6 different times, winning the first 2.

6. Mac Brown, University of Texas–Brown’s resume was punctuated by a National Championship in 2005 with a thrilling win over USC in one of the greatest 1 vs. 2 and National Championship Games ever. Led by QB Vince Young, Brown’s Longhorns answered every challenge during the year by several teams to make it to the Rose Bowl for the National Title. USC did not have answer for UT’s Young as he scrambled and passed his way to a second consecutive Rose Bowl title and the BCS National Championship. Brown has ten 10 win seasons in 20 years of coaching.

7. Phillip Fulmer, University of Tennessee–Fulmer has nine 10 win seasons in 16 years as head coach of the Volunteers. Fulmer has six SEC East Division Titles (1 shared) and 2 SEC Championships. Fulmer’s Vols have been to two BCS Bowl games and won one National title. Fulmer has a 76.6% winning percentage. All he has done at Tennessee is win. In Knoxville, there are 109,000 screaming fans singing Rocky Talk.

8. Frank Beamer, Virginia Tech University–Beamer has been a head coach for 27 years, yet he still produces good teams. Beamer has nine 10 win seasons including four straight. Bearmer’s teams are usually among the best in special teams, and players regularly compete for a lunch pail.

9. Mark Richt, University of Georgia–Richt has five 10 win seasons in 7 years as a head coach, all at Georgia. Richt’s teams have been to three BCS Bowls and has two SEC Championships. Richt’s ‘Dawgs are many people’s pre-season favorite to win the 2008-2009 BCS National Championship. Georgia rallied last year after two early season losses to finish number 2 in the final polls. The Bulldogs were widely considered the hottest team at the end of the 2007-2008 season.

10. Gary Patterson, Texas Christian University–Patterson’s Horned Frogs have four 10 win seasons in his 7 years as head Frog. Patterson’s teams have finished ranked four times. The Frogs have accomplished all of this during the Patterson era while competing in three different conferences and knocking off teams from BCS conferences. Twice in the Patterson era TCU knocked at the BCS Bowl party door. The Frogs under Patterson have upsets against Texas Tech, Oklahoma, and Iowa State. The Frogs recently knocked off Stanford in 2007 the week after the Cardinals upset USC at the Coliseum. The Frogs return a lot of talent to make another run at the Mountain West Conference Title.