Td Moving Average Ii

Menyiapkan Studi Teknis Dasar ThinkorSwim oleh TD Ameritrade memberi para pedagang banyak indikator bagan yang dapat digunakan untuk melakukan analisis teknis yang sangat dalam. Indikator seperti itu disebut studi di ThinkorSwim. Anda mendapat kesempatan untuk menambahkan sebanyak mungkin penelitian sesuai dengan grafik Anda, menyimpan dan memuatnya kapan pun Anda mau. Untuk menyesuaikan setelan bagan Anda, dapatkan akses ke perangkat lunak utama ThinkorSwim dan buka tab Charts di menu utama. Klik pada Studi di bagian atas grafik dan kemudian Tambahkan Studi seperti yang ditunjukkan pada gambar di bawah ini. Di sini, Anda bisa melihat studi Anda terbagi dalam berbagai jenis atau menurut abjad. Cara lain untuk melanjutkan adalah dengan mengklik Studies, Edit Studies. Jendela baru yang disebut Edit Studies and Strategies muncul. Pilih dari daftar di sebelah kiri semua studi yang ingin Anda manfaatkan. Jika Anda tidak tahu apa studi itu, klik pada tanda tanya di samping setiap studi dan dapatkan penjelasan tentang apa yang dirancang penelitian itu. Cara Set Up Moving Averages Bayangkan Anda ingin menambahkan moving average ke chart Anda. Anda harus menggulir daftar dalam urutan abjad dan memilih Simple Moving Average. Klik dua kali. Di sisi kanan, Anda harus melihat studi baru Anda di bawah bagian Ditambahkan Studi dan Strategi. Pada titik ini, Anda dapat memilih agar penelitian Anda langsung ditunjukkan pada bagan Anda (studi pada sub-grafik bagian atas) atau memilikinya di bawah grafik Anda di jendela yang berbeda (studi tentang sub-paragraf yang lebih rendah). Pilihan ini bergantung pada bagian informasi atau studi yang ingin Anda tambahkan ke bagan Anda. Misalnya, dalam kasus rata-rata bergerak yang ingin Anda tampilkan di bagan Anda, karena dengan cara ini Anda dapat menerima sinyal yang berguna untuk membeli atau menjual saham Anda saat harga melewati garis rata-rata bergerak. Saya secara pribadi ingin membuat dua Simple Moving Averages (SMA), jangka pendek (20,0) dan jangka panjang (200,0). Anda bisa mengaturnya seperti ini. Kembali ke grafik dan klik lagi pada tombol Studi di atas. Kemudian klik Quick Study and Moving Averages. Di menu baru yang muncul, gulir ke bawah dan klik Simple Moving Average. Sekarang Anda memiliki dua cara berbeda untuk mengatur SMA. Klik lagi Studi, lalu Edit Studies. Di jendela ini, Anda menemukan di sisi kanan studi hanya ditambahkan di Studi Tambahan dan Strategi. Klik hanya satu kali dan Anda akan melihat properti studinya tepat di bagian bawah jendela yang sama. Di kolom input, pilih Close as price dan 20 as length. Anda ingin menetapkan rata-rata bergerak pendek pada 20 hari berdasarkan harga di penghujung hari. Pada titik ini, Anda bisa mengulangi tindakan yang sama untuk membuat SMA jangka panjang pada 200 hari. Klik langsung pada grafik dengan tombol kiri mouse. Saat menu baru keluar, klik Edit Simple Moving Average lalu lanjutkan seperti di atas. Untuk setiap studi, Anda bisa memilih tipe, gaya, lebar dan warna yang berbeda dengan memberi tata letak yang Anda sukai. Cara Menyelamatkan Kajian di ThinkorSwimKantor pembuat kabinet, Mike Spurlock, menginginkan sistem sederhana untuk kabin pantainya. Itu tidak terlalu sulit, Mike, Anda hanya membangun ini, kataku, menggambar gambar sederhana dari sebuah jalur transmisi dengan menggunakan driver midbass 5.5 Vifa dan tweeter lembut-kubah tweeter Scan-Speak. Seiring saya mengisi detailnya, saya berkomentar, Driver khusus ini sangat mudah digunakan, karena keduanya cukup rata, terdengar bagus, dan hanya memerlukan crossover minimal. Jalur transmisi harus menyediakan bass dan midrange yang lebih baik daripada kotak tertutup, dan juga menghindari kebutuhan akan tempat yang mahal. Mike kemudian mengajukan pertanyaan kunci: Mengapa Anda juga tidak menarik konfigurasi DAppolito, Lynn Thatll dua kali lebih efisien, jadi saya bisa menggunakan ampli trio 300B baru saya. Hmmm, kata saya, dengan gaya System Administrator terbaik saya yang paling ringan. Biarkan saya menggambar yang ada di komputer saya, jadi kami bisa memiliki dimensi yang akurat untuk dikerjakan. Mari kita membicarakan hal ini lagi. Ketika saya mengerjakan gambar komputer Kanvas, saya sadar bahwa pengeras suara baru mungkin memenuhi kebutuhan lebih banyak orang daripada Mike. Lagi pula, saya memang butuh sesuatu untuk dibicarakan untuk artikel saya selanjutnya. (Ariel memulai debutnya di majalah Positive Feedback Vol. 4-4Fall 1993, diikuti oleh revisi Mark II di Vol 5-1.). Mungkin sesuatu yang sedikit lebih signifikan mulai beranjak. Waktu untuk sedikit merenungkan apa sebenarnya proyek ini. Tiga gagasan utama muncul: Efisiensi yang lebih tinggi dari rata-rata dikombinasikan dengan suara alami dan hidup, pencitraan yang luas, dan keseimbangan tonal yang sedikit hangat (bukan keseimbangan minimonitor yang tipis, dengan kata lain). Desain konseptual sederhana yang menyisakan ruang bagi pembangun untuk bersenang-senang dengan tweaking bagian. Crossover akan cukup sederhana untuk memungkinkan eksperimen sonik dengan berbagai merek kapasitor, induktor, dan resistor. Jalur transmisi bisa disetel dengan baik untuk ruangan yang berbeda dengan mengubah area area keluar dan dengan mencoba bahan pengisi yang berbeda (wol, crimped Fortrel, dll.) Di bagian pipa lurus di belakang pengemudi. Konstruksi langsung Saya menyadari bahwa tukang kayu yang paling terampil tidak suka membangun bentuk aneh yang memiliki jari-jari besar. Meskipun sebuah kotak cukup dekat dengan bentuk yang mungkin terburuk untuk sistem loudspeaker, itulah yang dikatakan oleh petugas woodwork kepada mereka yang ingin mereka bangun. Sebagai hasil dari pembatasan terakhir ini, saya memutuskan untuk menggunakan rasio emas di seluruh sistem untuk mengurangi dampak difraksi yang merusak pada kotak-jenis kandang. Gema diffractive masih ada dalam domain waktu, namun jaraknya dengan hati-hati sehingga tidak membuat puncak dan divot besar dalam domain frekuensi. Proses penyebaran ini membantu kualitas subjektif dari pencitraan dan perspektif spasial. Tukang kayu berpengalaman dengan meja yang akurat, kotak miter yang tepat, router, dan seperangkat klem (atau lebih baik lagi, tas vakum) harus bisa melengkapi sistem ini. Jangan, ulangi tidak, coba sistem ini jika ini adalah loudspeaker pertama Anda. Pada skala kesulitan, ini pasti lebih rumit daripada pembicara rak buku biasa, tapi lebih sederhana daripada tanduk Lowther. Sebanding dengan jalur transmisi tipikal dalam kompleksitas dan persyaratan untuk pengerjaan kayu yang sangat akurat (132 toleransi sepanjang 4 kaki). Karena inspirasi untuk sistem ini keluar dari langit biru yang jernih, saya menamainya setelah Archangel Ariel. Bagi saya, nama Ariel menangkap bagaimana rasanya memiliki ciptaan baru yang muncul dari yang terbesar, hidup kembali, dan pergi ke dunia. Berkat majalah Positive Feedback dan Internet, orang-orang di seluruh dunia menikmati Ariel. Karena menjaganya agar tetap sederhana ada di pikiran saya pada awal proyek ini, saya memilih driver yang mutakhir, mudah untuk dikerjakan, dan memiliki kualitas subjektif kelas satu tanpa memerlukan sirkuit pemerataan rumit dalam crossover. (Tidak banyak pembalap yang memenuhi syarat) The midclass Vifa 5.5 P13WH-00-08 secara menyegarkan bebas dari suara kacau dan membingungkan dari tipikal 7 dan 8 driver polypropylene. Ini hampir pasti karena ukuran kerucut yang kecil, yang membuatnya lebih kaku, serta teknik Vifa yang hati-hati dari rakitan tiang peluru. Respons frekuensi pengemudi ini juga cukup luar biasa, dengan midband penguasa datar dengan lembut turun ke rolloff 12 dBOctave halus yang dimulai pada 5 kHz. Itu berarti crossover bisa sederhana, dan wont membutuhkan pemerataan midband. Kebisingan dari driver Vifa 5.5 lebih tidak biasa daripada yang pertama kali muncul. Karena telinga sangat sensitif terhadap ketidakseimbangan spektral di kalangan menengah, kebanyakan pembicara dengan kesetiaan tinggi secara tradisional menggunakan pemerataan sederhana dalam crossover untuk meluruskan kelas menengah yang penting. Hanya dalam beberapa tahun terakhir kita sudah mulai melihat driver berkinerja tinggi yang tidak memerlukan pemerataan, dan midbass Vifa 5.5 adalah contoh yang sangat baik. (Satu-satunya yang lain yang bisa saya pikirkan adalah Focal 6V415, dan bahkan yang satu memiliki benjolan kecil di 4,5 kHz). Saya pertama kali mendengar Vifa 5.5 di Lineaum LFX, dan terkesan dengan nada tengah yang sangat transparan. Saya tidak begitu terkesan dengan bass tipis. Saya pikir jika pengemudi ini memiliki masa depan sebagai unit midbass yang bagus, sepasang mereka yang mengemudikan jalur transmisi 6 kaki akan membawanya keluar. Menggandakan akan mendapatkan 6dB efisiensi dan ruang kepala, dan jalur transmisi akan memperpanjang bass ke F3 pengemudi - 60Hz. Sebaliknya, kotak berventilasi dengan tuning TheileSmall QB3 konvensional memulai rolloff 24dBoctave pada 80Hz. Kedua pendekatan ortodoks untuk mendapatkan bass yang lebih dalam dan lebih kuat adalah: Pilih driver midbass yang lebih besar. 7 atau 8 akan menjadi pilihan logis, dan akan turun menjadi 40 atau 50Hz. Simpan Vifa 5.5, gunakan sebagai pengemudi midrange, dan tambahkan woofer kertas kerucut 10 atau 12 ke dalam kotak terpisah. Itu akan turun ke 40Hz tanpa masalah. Ya, saya bisa melakukannya. Jika sudah, sistem ini akan berakhir terdengar seperti ribuan sistem 2 atau 3 arah biasa. Saya ingin pembicara ini memiliki midrange dan treble sama baiknya dengan yang ada di pasaran. Dan tidak ada alasan mengapa tidak, karena membangun midrange dan treble yang benar-benar bagus jauh lebih murah daripada suara yang bagus yang dikombinasikan dengan bass berdaya tinggi dan dalam. Speaker high-end di tengah titik harga (1000 sampai 5000) biasanya berkompromi dengan mids untuk mendapatkan lebih banyak bass intens yang diinginkan audiophiles. Meningkatkan ukuran driver midbass mengurangi kualitas midrange dalam kasus Vifa (dan banyak driver lainnya). Driver 6,5 dan 8 Vifa memerlukan pemerataan menengah yang sederhana, dan setelah Anda mengatasi semua masalah dan biaya ekstra dalam crossover, mereka tetap saja tidak terdengar sebagus adik mereka (EQ bukanlah pengganti kualitas). Pergi ke sistem 3 arah dengan menambahkan crossover pasif lainnya pada 200 sampai 300Hz hanya meminta masalah dalam hal kapasitor besar, mahal, dan secara sonik mengganggu dan induktor inti besi. Dengan asumsi Anda menghabiskan banyak uang di bagian crossover, masih ada masalah penurunan crossover di kisaran mana telinga paling sensitif terhadap distorsi fasa (100 sampai 800Hz). Dan untuk apa woofers poli kerucut 10, 12, atau 15 inci paling tidak memiliki bass yang bagus. Its keras dan dalam baik-baik saja, tapi mereka tidak bisa menjaga dengan baik dan tweeter. Itulah mengapa sebagian besar sistem 3 arah menghindari penggunaan midrang dan tweeter terbaik - meskipun mids dan tweeter berkualitas terbaik tidak menambah banyak harga, mereka mengekspos kualitas woofer poli kerucut generik yang buruk. Woofer yang baik dengan cepat mengalami uang yang serius, dan dibutuhkan bi-amping untuk benar-benar melakukannya keadilan. Desain tradeoffs di Ariel adalah midrange dan treble berkualitas tinggi, fokus dan kedekatan dengan spektrum, dan efisiensi yang baik - dengan mengorbankan bass yang dalam dan kuat. Saya katakan pada kebanyakan orang untuk terus maju dan membangun Ariel, dan lihat apakah mereka menginginkan lebih banyak bass setelah mereka tinggal bersamanya selama beberapa bulan (agak mirip dengan Quad ESL atau Lowthers). Jika Anda ingin sedikit lebih banyak ekstensi, jangan terburu-buru keluar dan belilah subwoofer komersial yang kebanyakan tidak bisa mengikuti kecepatan dan resolusi Ariels. (Dengan pengecualian subwoofer REL, yang bekerja dengan baik, saya memiliki REL Strata II.) Lihatlah bagian Bass yang Baik untuk info lebih lanjut tentang woofer (bukan subwoofer) yang cocok untuk Ariel dan ME2s . Kembali ke midrange, saya tidak bisa merekomendasikan driver midbass lainnya sebagai pengganti. Jika Anda ingin menggunakan driver lain, Anda benar-benar sendiri. Ada segelintir tweeter papan atas yang bisa dipilih, tidak seperti mids bagus, yang langka. Ini adalah hasil dari banyak kemajuan dalam ilmu material, holografi akustik, dan pemodelan komputer dalam dekade terakhir. Kubah lunak pada khususnya telah membuat langkah besar, dan berada di atas kepala lembut di Seventies. Kubah lunak terbaik (Scan-Speak D29059500 dan D29059700) sekarang melampaui kubah logam terbaik. Isu pewarnaan subjektif berjalan sedikit lebih dalam dari pada respon datar dan plot air terjun MLSSA yang baik. Para tweeter terbaik memenuhi semua kriteria teknis dengan sangat baik, yang tersisa adalah perbedaan subjektif. Di sinilah saya berpisah dengan brigade detail-di-semua-biaya, dan mencari yang kedengaran paling benar-untuk-hidup. Saya bukan penggemar suara pemotong cookie analitis yang begitu populer di majalah kelas atas. Kriteria saya jauh lebih sederhana: apakah terdengar seperti orang sungguhan yang bernyanyi di ruang tamu saya Apakah klarinetnya terdengar seperti klarinet yang sebenarnya Apakah benar itu hidup dan bernafas Keluarga tweeter Scan-Speak D2905 mengkomunikasikan esensi halus ini dengan cara yang paling alami. Saya sudah dengar sejauh ini. Berikut adalah kesan pribadi saya dari tiga model teratas: D29059500: Tweeter Scan-Speak ini adalah kombinasi dari rakitan dome 9300, pelat depan, dan redaman Ferrofluid, dikombinasikan dengan ruang belakang non-resonan 9900 aerodinamis. Karena saya memiliki sedikit keraguan tentang sonik tahun 9900, ini membuat pilihan terbaik untuk semua Ariel dan ME2. Laporan dari Ariel Builders Club setuju: ini tweeter favorit mereka. Kurasa sebaiknya aku ganti kubah lengket tuaku 9000s dengan tahun 9500 satu hari ini. D29059700: A 9900 dengan pelat muka datar. Saya pernah mendengar desas-desus bahwa Siegfried Linkwitz menugaskan tweeter ini untuk jajaran speaker Audio Artistry. Dia menginginkan semua fitur dari 9900 tanpa tanduk dangkal, sehingga pada 9700. Tidak ada pertanyaan tentang hal itu, suara mereka terdengar sangat bagus dalam speaker Audio Artistry - dengan Linkwitz sebagai perancangnya, mereka harus The 9700, bersama dengan 9900, jangan Gunakan Ferrofluid dalam celah koil suara. (Sebuah fitur yang sangat tidak biasa pada tweeter akhir-akhir ini). Yang menciptakan puncak besar pada kurva impedansi pada resonansi tweeter 600Hz, sehingga membutuhkan filter takik yang disetel tepat di crossover. Lebih penting lagi, ini juga berarti bagian tweeter crossover Ariel dan ME2 memerlukan perancangan ulang yang lengkap untuk 9700 - jika Anda menggunakan crossover saham, ada kemungkinan nyata merusak tweeter dan kepastian distorsi IM yang sangat tinggi sebagai hasil dari Ekskursi tak terkendali pada resonansi tweeter. D29059900: Bagian atas jalur driver Scan-Speak. Sayangnya, tweeter ini bukan secangkir tehku. Saya havent mendengar speaker yang menggunakan tweeter ini yang sesuai selera saya dalam kerutan yang diukur dalam respon di daerah 12 sampai 18kHz terdengar (setidaknya bagi saya), dan saya bukan penggemar tanduk pendek, itulah yang 9900 digunakan sebagai pelat muka. (Elemen kontrol directivity tanduk.) Bagaimanapun juga, pemutaran standar Ariel dan ME2 memerlukan perancangan ulang lengkap untuk 9900. Jika Anda memilih 9900, Anda sendiri. Pastikan Anda memiliki CLIO, MLSSA, dan mikrofon kondensor 12 dikalibrasi di dekatnya. Jika Anda seorang pembangun yang sangat maju dengan laboratorium yang lengkap, ini bisa menjadi tantangan yang menarik. Dalam istilah yang sepenuhnya obyektif, Vifa P13WH-00-08 dan Scan-Speak D29059500 adalah driver paling sederhana dan paling netral di dunia, delay-delay vs. frekuensi dan hasil air terjun MLSSA benar-benar luar biasa. Belum lagi mereka terdengar hebat juga. Dont mengambil kata-kata saya untuk itu - pembangun lain dari Ariels telah memanggil saya dari jarak jauh dan mengatakan kepada saya bahwa mereka tertipu saat berpikir bahwa sebuah pesta sedang bermimpi tiba-tiba di ruang tamu mereka. Seorang tetangga bahkan mengira salah satu tetangga sebelahnya sedang bersenandung dan musiknya - ternyata dengungan ada pada rekamannya, dan dia belum pernah mendengarnya sebelumnya. Dengan penguat tabung vakum, suara, piano, dan klarinet moderat. Memiliki kehadiran di dalam ruangan yang santai dan alami. Sangat berbeda dari suara high-end yang Anda dengar di pertunjukkan. Sejarah Singkat Ariel Atau, Kisah yang Membenci. Ariels pertama cukup sederhana hanya jalur transmisi dua kali lipat, menabrak reflektor sudut, dan kembali ke bagian belakang kabinet, dengan lubang di dekat bagian atas kabinet. Ketiga pembalap tersebut berbagi ruangan umum yang dipecat ke dalam jalur pembaca yang penasaran dapat memesan masalah belakang Vol 4-4. Dari majalah Positive Feedback jika mereka penasaran melihat karya seni yang buruk (buruk). Saya senang dengan kualitas mids dan high, tapi bassnya tidak jauh lebih baik daripada minimonitor (tapi kekurangan suara gertakan kotak kecil yang tergencet atau terkompresi). Untuk menjaga agar tetap sederhana, mari kita panggil pasangan ini Markus 1. Obrolan singkat dengan seorang teman lama, Ron Nelson (dari pengeras suara Nelson-Reed), mengungkapkan bahwa ventilasi harus dekat dengan lantai. Sebaiknya tepat di atasnya. Jika Anda benar-benar ingin memberi energi pada ruangan. Baik Ron dan aku, bersama dengan banyak perancang speaker lainnya, menyadari bahwa efek batas yang menarik terjadi di dekat lantai. Dapatkan pengemudi atau ventilasi dalam jarak kritis dari nol sampai tiga inci, dan seluruh ruangan menyala, seolah-olah gelombang bass melaju dengan bebas sepanjang pinggiran ruangan. Mungkin mereka melakukannya, untuk semua yang saya tahu. Jika Anda memindahkan pengemudi atau melonggarkan beberapa inci lebih jauh dari lantai, efeknya akan hilang, dan speaker mulai terdengar seperti minimonitor lagi, semua regangan dan gerutuan. Ron dan saya menduga ini adalah bentuk pemukul tanduk yang tidak biasa, dengan driver atau ventilasi dimuat ke gambar cermin di bawah lantai, meningkatkan efisiensi dan penanganan daya, dan mengurangi distorsi. Jadi ventilasi di atas harus pergi. Ya, saya bisa saja memodifikasi kandang itu untuk garis tiga kali lipat, desain TL yang sangat tua akan kembali ke tahun 1971, tapi sebelum saya pergi ke jalan itu, saya mendengar sebuah demonstrasi yang sangat mengesankan yang mengubah saya. Mike Spurlock (Anda ingat dia di awal cerita ini) menghubungi seorang teman arsitek di Tacoma, WA, bernama Randy Hedgebeth, dan Randy menurunkan pembicara TL yang baru menggunakan single focal 6 12 fiberglass midbass dan 1 Focal Kevlar tweeter. Kualitas bass di Randys TL sangat mengesankan, terutama karena Id telah terbiasa mendengarkan subwoofer yang menggunakan sepasang driver push-pull 10 Peerless CC-line di sebuah kabinet kaki berkelok-dua Bessel. Si kecil 12 Focal mencocokkan orang besar yang berkuasa dan meraihnya, dan berada di kelas yang superior untuk kecepatan dan detail. Semua dari seorang sopir Focal berukuran kecil Untungnya, Randy tidak tertarik untuk bersikap malu terhadap rancangannya (tidak ada jive berpemilik ini), dan menunjukkan sebuah artikel yang dia tulis untuk majalah Pembicara Pembuat. Fitur utama dari jenis transmisi Randys yang baru adalah: A) Hibrida gelombang 14 gelombang klasik yang dikombinasikan dengan labirin terlipat selama 13 sampai 12 terakhir, mirip dengan Brother Jon oleh Robert Spear dan Alex Thornhill in Volume 13, Nomor 4 dan 5 majalah Pembicara Pembuat. B) Menempatkan pengemudi pada titik 45 sepanjang garis, bukan ujung yang jauh dan mengisi 15 terakhir sepenuhnya dengan blok penyerap busa. C) Meninggalkan garis yang tidak terisi dan menggunakan damping pads 14 dan 38 terasa pada lokasi yang sesuai di sekitar pengemudi. (Sejauh yang saya tahu, dua fitur terakhir ini unik untuk desain Randys). Artikel Randys juga menyediakan seperangkat persamaan yang mengesankan untuk menyeimbangkan area pengemudi, resonansi udara bebas, dan panjang garis keseluruhan. Mengingat kemiskinan literatur pada pengeras suara jalur transmisi, dan penghinaan yang digunakan para insinyur arus utama untuk merancang desain di luar lingkaran yang dipuja oleh Theil and Small, saya menganggap artikel Randys merupakan langkah maju yang besar. Setelah mendengar versi pertama dari Ariels, Randy mendorong saya untuk membangun pasangan baru yang memanfaatkan apa yang telah dia temukan tentang sistem TL. Percakapan ini menjadi awal dari Markus 1.9 dan Mark 2 Ariels. Mark 1.9s adalah foto yang Anda lihat di foto ruang tamu saya, dan Mark 2s adalah versi pertama yang masuk Web kembali pada tahun 1995 atau 1996. (Ah iya Ketika Web masih muda, pada zaman Mosaik Dan Netscape 2.0, ketika hanya ada 200.000 situs dan browser Anda akan mogok setelah 15 menit. Itulah salah satu alasan mengapa situs ini terlihat begitu sederhana. HTML diberi kode tangan dan tua) Kecuali Anda membangun Mark 2. deskripsinya sebagian besar Kepentingan historis Versi ini memelopori konsep hibrid TLlabyrinth untuk Ariel, dan Ive menempel di sana melalui tebal dan tipis. Masalah tradisional dengan TLs adalah konflik pengisian yang cukup untuk wilayah 80-200Hz sambil menghindari masalah kerucut dari redaman berlebih. Terdengar sebagai dinamika terjepit. Dengan labirin yang menghaluskan bass di wilayah 80-200 Hz, jumlah pengisian bisa sangat berkurang, dan versi terbaru penggunaan Ariel sangat sedikit dibandingkan dengan garis tradisional 3 kali lipat. Bagi saya, tanda kesuksesan di TL adalah minimal pengisian sekaligus menjaga respon lancar. Tidak mudah untuk melakukan keduanya. Melihat gambar Mark 2 setelah lewat beberapa lama, saya dapat melihat bahwa versi ini mengalami beberapa perubahan, seperti penambahan kotak crossover di bagian belakang basis kandang. Ini memiliki TL yang dimulai sebagai garis terpisah, miring untuk meminimalkan pantulan di wilayah tepat di belakang pengemudi (penting pada speaker manapun), lalu bergabung bersama di bagian labirin. Ada fitur setinggi variabel yang menghasilkan banyak komentar selama bertahun-tahun, karena saya membiarkan detail tersebut bagi pembangun untuk mencari tahu. Kombinasi kayu lapis interior dan eksterior MDF juga telah dibawa ke depan di semua jenis Ariels lainnya, karena ini memberikan struktur dalam yang kaku (mentransmisikan getaran dari pengemudi) sementara memiliki kulit luar yang lossier lebih teredam. Itu adalah paduan suara keluhan tentang panel interior twisted 15 derajat yang mendorong versi Mark 3 yang direvisi, disertai keinginan untuk menyediakan aliran udara interior yang lebih halus untuk bagian lurus jalur (aliran udara di labirin dengan sengaja kasar). Ada gambar kedua yang memiliki perbedaan detail pada pemasangan panel miring. Seperti yang diharapkan, orang yang membangunnya melaporkan bass bagian atas yang lebih halus dan midrange yang lebih rendah sebagai hasil dari bentuk interior yang kurang berbentuk. Perbedaan yang paling menonjol pada versi Mark 4 adalah jalur transmisi kembar akustik yang cocok, dengan garis independen untuk setiap pengemudi. (Terima kasih lagi kepada anggota Ariel Builders Club atas sarannya.) Setiap baris menggunakan profil tanduk terbalik yang meruncing dari belakang pengemudi ke pintu masuk labirin. Secara subyektif, ada peningkatan yang signifikan pada daerah upper bass dan lower-midrange dari 100 sampai 500Hz (piano, male voice, dan acoustic bass). Meskipun garis berbentuk Y yang asli tampak seperti ide bagus saat itu, interaksi yang tertunda waktu antara kedua pembalap itu membuat midbass agak kacau sampai batas tertentu. Dua jalur transmisi yang sepenuhnya independen dan cocok menghilangkan kemungkinan refleksi yang tertunda waktu dari satu pengemudi ke yang berikutnya. Satu masalah yang pembangun dengan ruangan dengan langit-langit rendah (8 kaki) yang ditemui adalah bass yang berlebihan. Fitur tinggi variabel yang membingungkan banyak pembangun juga tidak terbukti cukup efektif dalam membatasi keluaran ventilasi. Percakapan lain dengan Ron Nelson, bersama dengan eksperimen oleh anggota Ariel Builders Club. Menunjukkan bahwa memindahkan ventilasi dari lantai hanya beberapa inci membuat perbedaan besar di ruangan dengan langit rendah dan bass berat. Eddie Draaisma membangun kotak solid-sided setinggi 4 inci, meningkatkan keseluruhan speaker 4 inci lebih tinggi, sekaligus menjaga pelat dasar menempel di lantai. Bagi Anda yang sudah memiliki Ariels di ruangan yang lebih kecil, Anda bisa mencoba tiga kotak yang berbeda. 2,5, 4, dan 6 tinggi. Dan lihat mana yang paling sesuai untuk Anda. Mengubah tinggi ventilasi hanya beberapa inci membuat perbedaan yang sangat besar pada tingkat bass secara keseluruhan, karena mengendalikan efisiensi kopling ruangan. Kemungkinan lain adalah membangun ME2 yang jauh lebih sederhana yang pernah saya dengar bekerja sangat baik di kamar yang sangat kecil. Solusi terbaik, bagaimanapun, adalah memberi Ariel lebih banyak lintang untuk ruangan yang berbeda. Ini mendorong versi Mark 4.5, yang merupakan tanda angka 4 dengan ventilasi belakang terpisah, yang memungkinkan pembangunan cerobong asap tingkat tinggi opsional untuk mengangkat lubang ventilasi efektif membuka beberapa inci dari lantai jika perlu. Perhatikan bahwa cerobong asap ini bisa sesederhana pipa PVC berpotongan terbagi dua, atau seperti yang dijelaskan sebagai sub-rakitan kayu terpisah. Sebulan kemudian, Zoltan Kis memodifikasi Mark 4 Ariels-nya dengan ventilasi sisi ganda. (Versi ini juga bisa memanfaatkan perpecahan pipa PVC untuk memperpanjang ventilasi secara vertikal). Pada saat ini, penamaannya semakin membingungkan, jadi saya melemparkannya ke handuk dan kembali menamai keseluruhan seri Mark 5. Bukan hanya Mark 5, tapi Mark 5b. 5r. Dan 5s. Jadi di sana. Tiga versi, bangun yang Anda inginkan, Anda memilih di mana Anda ingin ventilasi keluar. Baseplate, belakang, atau samping. Secara teori, semuanya seharusnya terdengar sama karena panjang gelombang bass 10 kaki atau lebih pada frekuensi ventilasi, namun dalam praktiknya, orientasi ventilasi mungkin akan membuat perbedaan. Versi produksi sebenarnya adalah Mark 6. Versi ini secara akustik disederhanakan dan dioptimalkan untuk mesin potong kayu NC yang dikendalikan secara otomatis. Perhatikan bahwa gambar tersebut menghilangkan pengisian biasa dan bantalan wol yang ditunjukkan pada versi lain, hal ini dilakukan sebagai kemudahan untuk mengubah gambar menjadi file DXF 3D. Jika Anda ingin membangun Mark 6 untuk diri Anda sendiri, tambahkan bantalan redaman pengisi dan wol yang ditunjukkan pada versi speaker lainnya. Meski sangat sulit untuk konstruktor rumah, versi ini harus memiliki kinerja tertinggi karena perubahan profil cross-section secara gradual dan progresif di jalur transmisi. Tujuannya dengan versi yang berurutan adalah aproksimasi halus dari profil tanduk balik yang beralih ke labirin di ujungnya. Saya akui tidak kurang dari enam versi Ariel mungkin nampaknya mengintimidasi pada awalnya, dan mungkin sedikit menyebalkan bagi Anda yang berada di tengah proyek. Namun dalam praktiknya, kebanyakan dari ini adalah sejarah kuno. Tidak ada alasan untuk membangun versi awal. ABCers melaporkan hasil yang lebih baik dengan setiap versi berturut-turut. Bagi Anda di pertengahan proyek, jika Anda meninggalkan apa yang Anda miliki dan beralih ke versi terbaru saya tidak bisa menjawabnya. Sama seperti apakah Anda harus meng-upgrade komputer Anda sekarang atau menunggu tahun depan. Perbaikan terlihat, terutama di midbass, namun karakter penting Ariel telah ada sejak Markus 2. Perbaikan semuanya mengarah pada transparansi, pengurangan pewarnaan, dan optimalisasi 100 sampai 500Hz, yang mana Selalu menjadi tantangan terbesar bagi pembicara transmisi. Begitu Anda mendengar suara TL, rasanya tidak mudah untuk kembali ke desain kotak tertutup atau vented-box. Saya menempatkan tweeter itu di konfigurasi DAppolito di luar pusat, dengan harapan bisa mengurangi kealamian di tengah-tengah bahwa banyak sistem DAppolito komersial dipamerkan. Dengan menciptakan asimetri lateral berdasarkan rasio bagian emas, ini akan membantu meredam gelombang berdiri yang mungkin terbentuk di panel depan. Masih ada potensi gelombang tegak vertikal, tapi setidaknya itu sama sekali tidak akan berlipat ganda dengan simetri kiri-kanan juga. Mengapa saya berangkat dari konfigurasi DAppolito simetris yang terkenal. Nah, ini penjelasan yang panjang. Seperti yang saya sebutkan di awal artikel ini, sebuah kotak adalah bentuk mengerikan untuk loudspeaker. Lagi pula, sebuah loudspeaker beroperasi dengan kecepatan suara (bukan figur pidato), dan kapan terakhir kali Anda melihat pesawat terbang yang tampak seperti kotak Sama seperti pesawat terbang, ujung dan gundukan yang tajam membuat gelombang kejut di tempat yang kasar, Dan gelombang kejut ini membuat hambatan di pesawat terbang dan refleksi sekunder dalam loudspeaker. Karena pantulan ini memiliki penundaan yang sebanding dengan penundaan yang dibuat oleh kepala dan bahu pendengar, pantulan tepi membingungkan citra stereo, meratakan perspektif kedalaman, dan membuat kelelahan mendengar. Pendekatan yang benar-benar benar adalah dengan menggunakan bentuk aerodinamis yang menyapu dengan lembut, menghasilkan lemari speaker dengan kurva radius besar setidaknya sama dengan radius kerucut midrange. Wah, Anda mungkin berpikir, tidak ada yang melakukan ini. Mengapa Harapan Biaya dan Kosmetik? Itu saja. Dalam peraturan pesawat terbang, keselamatan dan kinerja, mendikte bentuk pesawat terbang. Bagaimanapun, bahan bakar bekas yang dirancang dengan buruk dan kecelakaan karena perbandingan, pengeras suara yang dirancang dengan buruk hanya menghancurkan rasa realisme dan kecantikan musikal. Setelah benar-benar menghancurkan pretensi hi-fi dari speaker berbentuk kotak, inilah yang saya katakan untuk Anda lanjutkan dan bangunlah. Nah, saya mendengar reaksi tukang kayu di banyak tempat, dan sangat jelas bahwa bentuk eksotis (dengan standar loudspeaker) memerlukan mesin dan keterampilan eksotis. Selain itu, kebanyakan dari kita terbiasa dengan suara speaker kotak, cacat dan sebagainya. Jadi saya memutuskan untuk meminimalkan efek subjektif dari refleksi tersebut dengan hati-hati menyebarkan waktunya. Di sinilah rasio bagian keemasan masuk. Rasio yang disebut phi. Dan mendekati 1: 1.618, salah satu rasio terbaik untuk dipilih jika Anda mencoba mencegah gelombang berdiri. Semua penempatan pengemudi di panel depan ditentukan oleh serangkaian bagian emas, dengan lokasi tweeter kiri-ke-kanan menjadi yang paling penting. Untungnya, para pembalap midbass memiliki lebih sedikit masalah dengan difraksi, jadi tata letaknya kurang penting. Jadi saya mengambil konfigurasi DAppolito standar dan mengimbangi tweeter hanya sedikit, mengikuti rasio phi section emas. Hal ini menyebabkan kedua jarak tepi memiliki rasio kiri-ke-kanan 1: 1,618. Akibatnya, sisi kiri tweeter melihat kabinet yang 1.618 kali lebih kecil dari sisi kanan. (Pola ini terbalik pada speaker lain, tentu saja.) Asimetri yang disengaja menghilangkan energi dari gelombang berdiri di panel depan, yang memberikan peningkatan respons frekuensi dan impuls yang terukur dan terdengar dibandingkan dengan sistem DAppolito konvensional. Meski butuh sedikit waktu lagi untuk membangun lemari Kiri dan Kanan yang dicerminkan cermin, sepadan dengan usaha tersebut. (Perhatikan: Pencitraan akan hancur jika Anda lupa membayangkan gambar belakang speaker kiri dan kanan. Saya menemukan bahwa dengan cara yang sulit di Consumer Electronics Show 1975 ketika departemen pengiriman Audionics secara tidak sengaja mengirimi kami sepasang speaker Kiri karena kesalahan. Kami harus mengirimkan speaker yang tepat melalui pengiriman udara semalam, tidak murah seharga 120 lb. TLM-200.) Dimensi panel: Semua panel berukuran 34 tebal, kecuali panel depan dengan ketebalan ganda, yang terdiri dari dua bagian dari 34 MDF dilaminasi bersama. Ingatlah untuk secara akurat mengukur ketebalan semua panel Anda, kami harus menyesuaikan dimensi kami di seluruh sistem karena MDF kami hanya sedikit lebih tebal dari yang diperkirakan 34 inci. Perhatikan ketebalan panel belakang mungkin lebih tebal dari 34 jika diinginkan, Anda dapat memilih 1, 1 14, atau lebih jika Anda mau. Hanya dimensi eksterior yang berubah, sedangkan pengukuran interior tetap sama. Beberapa pembangun melaporkan hasil yang baik dengan lemari ekstra-tenang dengan panel belakang ekstra tebal. Semua panel eksterior adalah MDF kelas premium (kami menggunakan high-density Canadian Rangerboard) dan semua panel interior adalah kayu lapis (kayu lapis adalah 3 sampai 4 kali lebih kuat dalam kompresi dan ketegangan daripada komposit MDF). You could do worse than use multi-ply Baltic Birch plywood, which is the choice of the BBC. The amount of wood in the Ariel is pretty modest, so you neednt be deterred by the cost of the Baltic Birch. The Interior panels slide into grooves that are dadoed or rebated a quarter-inch into the front, side, and rear Exterior panels. I do not recommend screws, butt joints, or biscuit joiners, since the mechanical properties and air-seal are nowhere close to the performance of a well-made dado (rebate) groove. Think about how the best furniture and musical instruments are made and youll be heading in the right direction. The mechanical integrity of the cabinet comes from the glued dado (or rebated) joints, not fasteners. Precise construction and test-fitting assures that all glued surfaces will mate accurately. If the cabinet is accurately constructed, it can be completely pre-assembled and test-fitted without gluing, which lets you check for interference and clearance problems before you commit to gluing. A perennial question concerns the exact way to cut the dadorebate and the edges of the labyrinth sub-panels. One way is to make a dadorebate all the way across the cabinet interior, and simply make a simple right-angle saw cut in the sub-panel, as shown in the drawings. Another way is to stop the dadorebate where the sub-panel ends, and round the edge of the sub-panel so it fits right into the rounded end of the routed-out dadorebate channel. Which is right Both are You see, turbulence in the labyrinth area is fine. The whole function of the labyrinth is to slow the air-flow it is very different than a horn, where smoothness is everything. Although its not pretty to have the dadorebate extend beyond portions where the sub-panel stop, the extra turbulence introduced by a 14 deep groove really isnt all that important acoustically. But it is ugly even if you cant see it. you know its there, after all. So if esthetics are important to you, and I admit if youre building an Ariel in the first place, they probably are. then the alternative approach of rounding-off the ends of the sub-panels (sometimes called bullheads) and stopping the routed-out dadorebate right where the rounded panel ends is tidier and certainly a lot nicer looking. And if you have the great good fortune to make the cabinet with computer-controlled routers, this is the only way to go everything fits exactly into place after the NC router automatically does all the hard parts. What about dimensioning Its probably a good idea to have the rounded-off sub-panels extend just a wee bit further into the 2 wide aperture, maybe 18 or so, to make up for the wood that was taken off in the rounding-off operation. This keeps the cross-section of the TL fairly constant, which is a good thing to do. The midbass flange diameter is 5.53(5 1732), flange depth is 0.188 (316), and the diameter of the inside hole is 4.56 (4 916). T-nuts spaced at 45, 135, 225, and 315 degrees are recommended for driver mounting, since it facilitates removal and testing as well as providing a predictable amount of torque on each bolt. I use 1024 by 2 hex bolts for appearance, durability, and the ease of adjusting torque evenly on the driver frame. (I do not recommend using wood screws to mount drivers. Wood screws tear up the wood, making driver replacement difficult, and cannot be torqued to uniform tension without further damaging the wood. Wood screws are not compatible with drivers that are accurately and precisely mounted to the front panel.) Although its a hassle, youll get improved driver performance and easier mounting for the T-nuts if you make large-radius scalloped cut-aways between the T-nut mountings, leaving about a 34 lip for each T-nut mount. This makes connecting the hook-up wires and lightly filling the interior of the enclosure much easier, as well improving the airflow around the magnet. The tweeter flange diameter is 4.125, flange depth is 0.156 (532), and the diameter of the inside hole is 3.25. T-nuts spaced at 45, 135, 225, and 315 degrees are recommended for driver mounting. As before, a scalloped opening between the T-nuts is a good idea not for airflow, which is zero for the tweeter, but to be able to get the hook-up wires connected to the tweeter without bending the rather fragile terminals on the tweeter. Although its not very clear in the drawing, the tweeter chamber is acoustically isolated from the midbass TL sections. If you want to open a hole into this section, either make it barely large enough for the tweeter wire and seal it with RTV silicone, or drill a 12 hole in the bottom section only . then cover it with felt. Be careful about setting up the router depth and getting a good air-seal with the gasket material. Even extremely small air leaks will degrade the quality of bass significantly. (This is true for all types of cabinets, not just the Ariel.) Many people have expressed concern about the large radii on the left and right sides of the cabinets. I would like to comfort you and say that a 34 radius works just fine, but I cant. The first version of the Ariel had 34 radius edges, and I hate to say it, but the current version has a projected stereo image area at least 20 to 30 better. with the same drivers and crossover as the first version. So yes, the large radius is really important, although I grant it is not easy to construct. To get the correct radii on the cabinet requires a 3 hp router (about US280 for a 12 shank 3 hp DeWalt), and expensive bits. (The 34 router bit is Amana 48520 and costs US53, and the 1.25 bit is Amana 49524 and costs US153. Ouch) It is probably most cost-effective to go in with another builder for this kind of investment. fortunately the large-radius bits are useful for making other kinds of high-performance speakers as well. Important Note for Metric Woodworkers: Although all of the drivers are made in metric Scandinavia, Ive converted the dimensions to the nearest 116 or 132 for the convenience of woodworkers using traditional measure. If you convert the driver dimensions back to metric again, the errors will add up, and the mounting holes could easily be the wrong size. Save yourself a lot of pain and aggravation and simply measure the drivers directly when you get them in the mail. Whatever you do, dont start building the cabinet before you get the drivers Since you will be building the cabinets in metric units, use the interior dimensions as the starting point for all other measurements. 18 or 20mm MDF and plywood are excellent choices for building the cabinets just keep the interior dimensions similar and let the exterior dimensions fall where they may. In case youre curious, the left-to-right centerline of the tweeter is determined by the Golden Section ratio of 1:1.618 measured from the midpoint of the radiused edges. In some countries MDF or even plywood is not available if this is your situation, use the softer woods for the exterior cabinet, and the hardest woods for the interior elements. Make sure that wood that you use has been kiln-dried, and has been kept dry at all times between the kiln-drier and your cabinet shop. It doesnt do any good to use kiln-dried wood thats been sitting in a mud puddle Access Door and Binding Posts: Well, they have to go somewhere (like the old Vaudeville joke, everybodys gotta be someplace) If you put them here and make the panel itself removable, you can insert the wool andor crimped Fortrel after youve built the enclosure. For convenience, the inner cutout can be 4.56 (4 916) in diameter to match the driver cutouts. The binding posts are then mounted on a 5.53 (5 1732) diameter disk of 14 Masonite or transparent acrylic, which is fitted into the routed-out flange with a gasket. Dont forget about a good air seal here also, so be sure to use a gasket and 6 or 8 screws (or better yet, bolts and T-nuts) to mount the Masonite or acrylic disk. Dont expect anything terribly profound, this is just what I observed while I helped Mike build the first prototypes. WEAR EAR PROTECTORS. Even though I wore them during all of the sawing and routing work, my ears still rang with a 9 kHz whistle for many hours afterwards. Hearing tones like this means the nerve cells in the cochlea (inner ear) have been traumatized and that you should keep things very QUIET for a day or two afterwards. As for me, it made me aware that audiophile woodworkers should go out of their way to use extra high quality ear protection. what I was wearing obviously wasnt good enough. Mike and I were exasperated by a persistent series of small (116 to 132) errors in the lengths of the outside panels and in the corresponding dado locations, which required a fair amount of rework as we went along. We later traced this to an inaccurate miter box combined with not cutting all 8 outside panels at the same time. Make sure your miter box is set to exactly 90 degrees, and dont allow any domestic interruptions to a sequence of related operations. The various dado-cut (rebate) slots make it possible to test-fit the various portions of the enclosure as you assemble them. This lets you check if any tolerances have gone astray or if any panels have the wrong dimensions. This is an essential step Make sure you do this frequently as you build up the various assemblies that go into the enclosure. The final step before gluing is to pre-assemble the enclosure and check for tight, accurate fit in all locations. Youll find that it assembles like a big Chinese puzzle and fits quite snugly without glue. If all the pieces fit, you can disassemble, clean up all of the interior surfaces, glue the felt down in the appropriate places, get out your clamps, and go ahead with the final assembly and gluing procedure. Ive spoken to two different constructors who used a vacuum bag to laminate the front panel and also do the final enclosure clamping. This sounds like a really great idea if youve got the facilities, it neatly sidesteps all of the troublesome warping problems that can arise from conventional clamping procedures, as well as assuring uniformly high pressures on all glued surfaces. The decorative faceplate of the tweeters (and mids) must be mounted flush with the front panel of the enclosure. Even tiny variations create reflections in the time domain which are measurable and audible. On the subject of reflections, if you must use a grillcloth and grill frame, mount it about 2 away from the front panel using the old Infinity-style standoffs. The major problem with grill cloth isnt the absorption, which is quite minor in sheer fabrics, but the reflection, which causes roughness in the high frequencies if it is any closer than about 1 to the dome. Panel Damping, Sound Absorbers, and Filling Testing for panel damping is really simple play loud orchestral or choral music through the loudspeaker and press your ear directly on the rear or side panel of the enclosure in an area close to the drivers. With many speakers, youll hear a loud, offensive drone, which youll then discover is still audible when you listen to the speaker in the normal seated position. One of the most important differences between mass-fi and advanced loudspeakers is the quietness of the cabinet panels with the best speakers, the cabinet is almost totally silent. In the Ariel and ME2. the panels have very small free areas, and full-width plywood cross-members are used to increase rigidity. Small Deflex pads may optionally absorb the remaining vibration in the panel directly behind the driver, but these should be used in moderation or not at all with the later versions of the speaker. The best application for Deflex may not be on the cabinet walls at all, but glued to the magnets of the drivers (with a small aperture removed for venting the driver). To minimize acoustic standing-waves inside the cabinet, use 12 or 38 thickness of F13-density 85 wool felt to line the areas around the drivers (as shown on the construction diagrams). This is an industrial felt, light grey in color, and is used for noise damping in truck headliners and under heavy machinery in factories. It can be found at gasket-supply houses in the industrial part of a major city. The panel directly behind the driver is most critical, since it will reflect energy right back at the driver if not lined with a heavily absorbent material, such as industrial felt or Deflex damping pads. My experience with foam damping pads (2 thick 2 gray polyethylene foam) has not been very successful. Using the foam at various locations within the enclosure all resulted in a substantial loss of impact and realism and the addition of a toneless gray coloration to the overall sound (by contrast, the measurements showed a tiny improvement). My partner, Karna, immediately objected. (Her exact words were They sound constipated Take it out) She made me remove all the foam blocks from the speakers, and sure enough, they sounded much better and more alive. So watch out when you use foam damping material. The straight portions of the line can be very lightly filled with cleaned, combed, and carded long-fiber wool, crimped Fortrel, Acousta-Stuf, or polyfill. (The labyrinth itself is intentionally left unfilled.) The wool appears to be most effective in the midband, and provides a sweet and transparent sound. By contrast, crimped Fortrel or polyfill has only a moderate damping effect in the midband and tends to selectively damp the bass. If you use wool, make double - sure it is moth-proofed having moths in your house is no joke (Bold experimenters might want to try tiny 2 by 6.5 pillows of feathers or goose down located directly above the entrance to the labyrinth. these materials are very lossy and will absorb line reflections quite efficiently, although some bass may be lost.) The removable panel that supports the binding posts at the rear of the enclosure is removable for a reason it allows you to add or remove filling material long after the cabinet is built, so the system can be tuned for your own personal tastes and listening environment. NEW TGS COVER STORY. NFL HYPOCRISY amp SUPER BOWL LI REVIEW Well . we cant say we have never had an overtime Super Bowl any longer. Old LI took care of that last weekend, as the Patriots rallied in unbelievable fashion from a 28-3 deficit to steal a 34-28 win over the deflated Falcons, who looked on their way to an easy win well into the fourth quarter. Never had a Super Bowl winner rallied from more than 10 points down, much less 25. In retrospect, this was the latest example of Bill Belichicks team keeping its composure and cool under fire. Much like the Super TGS SUPER BOWL PREVIEW. PLUS PATS-FALCS MEMORIES As for the Patriots and Falcons, they donrsquot have much history against one another, although their long-distance and infrequent rivalry actually dates to the pre-merger days. More specifically, to the As for the Patriots and Falcons, they donrsquot have much history against one another, although their long-distance and infrequent rivalry actually dates to the pre-merger days. More specifically, to the summer of 1969 in a preseason game on August 17 at Boston Collegersquos Alumni Stadium, which would be the then-called Boston Patriotsrsquo home TGS SPECIAL REPORT. ALL-TIME SUPER BOWL RANKINGS 30-50, Denver 24 - Carolina 10 (at Santa Clara)...No offensive showcase, but the Broncos would ride their defense in a performance reminiscent of the 1985 Bears and 2000 Ravens to shut down Cam Newton and the NFLs top-scoring team. Denver did not need to do much on offense thanks to a D that forced four turnovers and would score the games first TD when game MVP Von Miller, a constant thorn in Newtons side, stripped the Panther QB on a sack and Bronco Malik Jackson would recover in the end zone. The game would stay taut until deep in the 4th Q NEW TGS COL HOOPS. JANUARY BRACKETOLOGY UPDATE 5 Duke (14-4) vs. 12 Chattanooga (14-4). How the mighty have fallen in a month, as we have dropped Duke from a 1 seed all of the way to a 5 after four losses, Coach Ks absence due to back surgery, and Grayson Allens various antics. The Blue Devils have some work to do to get back into the protected seed discussion. The So Con race looks like it will come down to Chattanooga and East Tennessee State, with both coaches (Matt McCall for the Mocs, Steve Forbes for the Bucs) getting plenty of interest from suitors once the coaching carousel swings into action in late March action. NEW TGS COVER STORY. NFL CONFERENCE TITLE NOTEBOOK This past Sunday, we hit the 50-year anniversary of Super Bowl I, played on January 15, 1967 at the L. A. Coliseum. Pro football fans know that the Packers beat the Chiefs that day, 35-10. We were there and remember it like yesterday . Two weeks hence, for our Super Bowl issue, we will reminisce a bit about that day, which just celebrated its golden anniversary. Having experienced the Super Bowl from the outset, we have always noted something special about the semifinals of the tournament, and the special anticipation that accompanies TGS SPECIAL REPORT. COL FB COACHING HOT SEAT FOR 2017 T here was a lot of conjecture in Tucson that Rich-Rod might not last beyond 2016 as the Wildcats collapsed to a miserable 3-9 mark and missed the bowls for the first time on his watch (which began in 2012). Though AD Greg Byrne announced in November that Rodriguez would be back in 2017, so Rich-Rod was not coaching for his job in the Territorial Cup regular-season finale vs. Arizona State, but the 56-35 romp past the Sun Devils has at least made the offseason a bit more pleasant at UA. The Cats were hit hard by injuries this past season, especially at the QB spot, which made TGS SPECIAL REPORT. NFL SEASON REVIEWS amp DIVISION ROUND NOTES Denver (9-7). Like the Bengals, we havent run our Broncos season review with other non-playoff teams since 2010, either. Unlike the Bengals, Denver is looking for a new coach after Gary Kubiak stepped down for health and stress reasons, so things are on hold for a while in Broncos Country as John Elway goes about hiring Kubiaks successor, which will also impact a veteran staff (and d. c. Wade Phillips, who is currently out of contract). While the defense leaked more than a bit vs. the run (the loss of DT Malik Jackson in free TGS HOOPS UPDATE. WHERE ARE THE MID-MAJORS THIS SEASON American.. . Right now the best hope for the mid-majors to get more than two Dance bids might be in the American, where a handful of entries seem to have legit shots for at-large slots. Both SMU (RPI 22 and eligible once again for the Dance) and Cincinnati (RPI 26) appear to be well-positioned for March consideration by the Selection Committee, but beyond the Mustangs and Bearcats, it begins to look dicey. Temples RPI (48) looks better than its 9-7 SU record. Kelvin Sampsons Houston (RPI 60) and Johnny Dawkins UCF (RPI 61) have the look of bubble teams, and Tubby TGS SPECIAL REPORT. WILD CARDS AND THE OVER THE HILL GANG The expansion of the pro football playoffs is one of the fascinating differences from our first year of publishing TGS in 1957 to the present. In the late 50s, before there was even an American Football League, there were only twelve professional teams (six in each conference, the Western and Eastern) and one playoff game to decide the NFL title. Almost always those championship games were played before the end of December, too by comparison, the current regular season extended into January Interestingly, in our first publishing year, the NFL title game between Cleveland and TGS SPECIAL REPORT. WAKEY-LEAKS UNDER THE MICROSCOPE We are still trying to process the bizarre recent Wakey-Leaks story involving Wake Forest football radio color analyst Tommy Elrod. First, a bit of background. Elrod--a former Wake Forest player and assistant coach--provided or attempted to provide confidential game preparation material to opponents several times starting in 2014, the school announced earlier in December. Wake Forest began a program-wide investigation (without the aid of FBI Director James Comey, we are sure) last month after an equipment TGS HOOPS. FIRST (DECEMBER) BRACKETOLOGY UPDATE 1 Duke (12-1) vs. 16 Grambling (5-7)Long Beach State (4-10). H ere we go with the first effects of the NCAAs decision to pull tournaments out of North Carolina based upon the states LGBT restroom policies. Well save commentary for another day. In the meantime Tobacco Road will be out of sub-regional mix for the first time in many years. Right now we suspect Duke gets to the top line, especially as its star frosh are now healthy and contributing, though Grayson Allens continued petulance and immaturity are becoming serious issues (he is now on suspension after TGS SPECIAL REPORT. CAROUSELS, BOWLS, BROWNS. AND 76 BUCS As the rapidly-progressing 2016 football season moves into December, we at TGS prepare for one of our most exciting and gratifying times of the year. Within two weeks, well be into the bowl season, always a marker for us because these games have often defined past seasons. And when wrapping up a sixth decade of publishing, as we are in 2016, the years could easily start running together in our minds without recollections of the bowls, and the enduring memories they provide for past seasons. In a moment, well get to talking about the upcoming postseason calendar, as well as take a look at where TGS SPECIAL REPORT. WHAT NEXT FOR NEW JERSEY Readers of these pages know that we at TGS have been keeping a close watch on developments in New Jersey regarding the Garden States attempt to legalize Las Vegas-style sports betting. That attempt took another detour in August when the states latest bid was rejected for a third time by the U. S. Third Circuit Court in Philadelphia. The question now is if the latest roadblock is going to completely stall New Jerseys attempts, or will the Garden State come up with yet another alternative that might change its luck in federal court (or, better TGS SPECIAL REPORT. RIVALRY WEEK II--AND THE TEN-YEAR WAR A longtime staple of season-ending college rivalry weeks has been the annual showdown between Ohio State and Michigan, who renew hostilities again this Saturday in another crucial game with possible national title implications by the banks of the Olentangy in Columbus. Hard as Urban Meyer and Jim Harbaugh try, however, they have a long way to go to reach the intensity levels of predecessors Woody Haynes and Bo Schembechler in the days of this series between 1968-78, when a Rose Bowl bid would go to the winner of Buckeyes-Wolverines each year, TGS SPECIAL REPORT. COLLEGE FB RIVALRY WEEK(S) ON DECK For most of our publishing years at TGS . the college football regular season has ended with a bang when the vast majority of the most-heated traditional rivalries would take place on the same late-November weekend, usually just before Thanksgiving. The fun would annually continue into Thanksgiving week when a handful of other longtime hostilities would be renewed. But changes in the college scheduling over the years have somewhat muted the old rivalry week phenomenon. Instead, and a more than a bit regrettably NEW TGS HOOPS COVER STORY. TGS 2016-17 COLLEGE HOOPS TOP 40 1-VILLANOVA. Its been a decade since the Florida Gators recorded the last repeat national championship. And teams rarely pick up where they left off at the end of the previous season. But when last seen, Nova was the best team in the country, and much of the same cast returns, including national player of the year candidate swingman Josh Hart and various other components from Jay Wrights 2015-16 masterpiece. The bad news Point guard Ryan Arcidiacono and C Daniel Ochefu were key cogs in the run to the title. And touted frosh recruit Omari Spellman has been ruled an academic redshirt and will not be eligible this season. TGS SPECIAL REPORT. BEHIND NFL RATINGS DROP--PART II Maybe they knew something after all . Were talking about sports owners and sports leagues of yesteryear, when the prevailing philosophy, at least regarding TV, was that less is more. Of course, it was a different era when TGS began publishing in 1957, before an explosion in TV rights fees would be worth billions of dollars. In those days, team owners and leagues would derive most of their revenue from the live gate. While there were a handful of exceptions TGS SPECIAL REPORT. ON THE COLLEGE FB HOT SEAT Texas. Not exactly a surprise here, as HC Charlie Strong has been getting more abuse from Texas backers than Paul Ryan has been receiving from Donald Trump supporters. Strong has upgraded the Longhorn offense this season because his forced hire for a new offensive coordinator, Sterlin Gilbert (via Tulsa), has mostly worked well, though Strong has had to reassume control of his defense after demoting coordinator Vance Bedford. Longhorn backers, who have not had a national title contender since Mack Browns 2009 team, are awfully restless TGS HOOPS PREVIEW. 2016-17 NBA WEST FUTURES TO WATCH The Phoenix Suns (29) have too often committed an NBA version of hari-kari under the ownership of unpredictable Robert Sarver, whose idiosyncracies have created an unstable environment and helped undermine the recent promise of the Jeff Hornacek regime. But former player and assitant Earl Watson was retained as HC after showing some promise in his interim stint, and the Suns enter the campaign flying decidedly under the radar. That might be a plus, as the all-Kentucky backcourt of Eric Bledsoe and Brandon Knight, plus Devin Booker, has already flashed considerable TGS HOOPS PREVIEW. 2016-17 NBA EAST FUTURES TO WATCH In the end, the Washington Wizards (43) struck out like batters facing Max Scherzer in free agency, as attempts to lure hometown hero Kevin Durant, as well as options 1B (Al Horford) and 1C (Nicolas Batum), all failed, but not for lack of trying by team prexy Ernie Grunfeld. On the plus side, however, D. C. would end up as the landing place for HC Scott Brooks, who steered Ok City to relevance and won at a .620 clip for the Thunder before getting kicked to the curb before last season. After the Wiz tuned out Randy Wittman a season ago, Brooks would appear a nice upgrade on the bench. TGS SPECIAL REPORT. BEHIND THE NFL RATINGS DROP ldquoIn my opinion, Super Bowl ratings have peaked, just as they have for Monday Night Football. The changes in the industry that I have already mentioned are irreversible. The marriage between the NFL and the networks has entered a period of reevaluation and readjustment. Those halcyon days of yore are gone for good. rdquo -- Howard Cosell, from I Never Played the Game . 1985 The subject of football overexposure is not a new one. As noted above, various insiders have been offering dire warnings to gridiron and TV executives for more than a half century. For the most part, and until recently, they turned out to be false alarms. TGS SPECIAL REPORT. THE THIRD SATURDAY OF OCTOBER IN THE SEC Were approaching the midway point of the 2016 college football season, and already something resembling a changing of the guard is apparent. By now it is obvious that recent powerhouses such as Oregon, Michigan State, and Stanford have slipped far from their perches of the past few years. Notre Dame is staring down the barrel of a potential losing season. LSU has already fired its head coach rumors are flying that opposite numbers at legendary Texas, Southern Cal, and perhaps even Penn State and Notr e Dame could also be looking for new TGS SPECIAL REPORT. 2016 MLB PLAYOFF PREVIEW Something has got to give in the other NLDS that features the Washington Nats (2710) and the Los Angeles Dodgers (41) . both notorious postseason flops in recent years. Indeed, the Nats franchise has only once won a playoff series, and that came in the jerry-rigged 1981 strike season when, as the Montreal Expos, it won an NL East playoff vs. the Phils before being cruelly denied a World Series berth by the Dodgers and a game-deciding homer by current LA radio announcer Rick Monday. In 2016, however, it might be an edge to the Nats, partly because Washington has the home-field advantage TGS COLLEGE FOOTBALL PREVIEW. LOOKING FOR AN ANGLE Following is a brief example of our weekly Looking for an Angle feature courtesy Chief Analyst Gary Olshan. The full Angle can be accessed each week in TGS . issue No. 6 available online now Smu at TULSA (Friday). Scheduling dynamics favor Tulsa. Golden Hurricane off a bye week, while SMU on road for 4th time in first 6 weeks, including trip to Temple last week. Tulsa QB Dane Evans hit 19 of 27 for 240 yds. in his squadrsquos 40-31 series victory in Dallas LY. Ball State at CENTRAL MICHIGAN. BSU had captured 5 straight in series until LYrsquos 23-21 loss in Muncie. CMU QB Cooper Rush was en fuego, hitting 30 of 38 for 316 yds. amp 2 TDs. Cards are time-tested 32-14 as visiting underdog since 2006 (2-0 TY). TGS REPORT. HANDICAPPING THE BIG 12 EXPANSION DERBY Though the past couple of years have been relatively quiet, weve still seen more upheaval in the college conference landscape over the past six years than we have the sixty years preceding. The next movement of those tectonic plates could be just around the corner, as a once covert process has become unabashedly overt as the Big 12 has not only announced it is considering expanding beyond its current 10-school membership, but is openly soliciting applicants. At times over the past few months the process has more resembled the IOC evaluating bids from interested cities for the Summer and Winter Olympics, or FIFA for future World Cups TGS SPECIAL REPORT. THE NIGHT THE HOUSTON COUGARS HIT 100 In our six decades of publishing TGS . we have often been entertained (and intrigued) by the University of Houston, which is back in the spotlight again, having cracked the top ten after its impressive win vs. Oklahoma and appearing intent on staying in the title mix. If the Cougars can navigate through a better-than-advertised AAC slate, a late November date vs. Louisville suddenly has the look of a potential Final Four-elimination game (especially after the Cards romped past Florida State last Saturday). Wersquoll discuss more about the future of UH as a possible addition to the Big 12 in upcoming issues. But, as we continue our TGS SPECIAL REPORT. THE NIGHT THE SEC WENT PRIME TIME As has often been the case through our six decades of publishing TGS . the SEC continues to generate headlines in college football. No surprise, then, as we celebrate our 60th season of publishing, that we cant help but get into the SEC mood by reviewing one of the most significant games of the TGS era, one that we recall each season in the run-up to the annual grudge match between Alabama and Ole Miss, renewing hostilities this Saturday at Oxford. While it might be hard for modern-day fans TGS SPECIAL REPORT. NFL SEASON-WIN WAGERS TO WATCH NFC BEST BET. Wersquove seen enough over six decades not to overreact to preseason results, but it was hard to overlook some of the problems being endured by the Chicago Bears (7frac12) during the exhibition slate. The first-string offense in particular appeared a mess, unable to budge in the important third preseason test (vs. the Chiefs), which more than a few NFC sources suggest has a lot to do with the departure of o. c. Adam Gase, now the Miami HC who seemed to coax the best out of QB Jay Cutler a year ago. More specifically, there are some questions regarding TGS 2016 PRO FOOTBALL PREVIEW. A LOOK AT THE NFC WEST Wow, can it really be 40 years since the Seattle Seahawks entered the NFL We remember it like yesterday, including the first preseason and the inaugural game against the 49ers on the same day the Montreal Olympics concluded. We were watching the local San Francisco telecast, which was being shown in Reno (which is 49ers territory) as the Hawks fell behind 24-0 at the break but rallied in the second half behind unheralded first-year QB Jim Zorn, who had spent the previous season on the Cowboys taxi squad. Zorn led a breathtaking late rally that TGS 2016 PRO FOOTBALL PREVIEW. A LOOK AT THE AFC WEST KANSAS CITY. Letrsquos not forget that K. C. all but beat Denver last year when the Broncos had Peyton Manning and four-year veteran Brock Osweiler at QB. Recall also that one of the Chiefsrsquo losses was to Denver in the most bizarre fashion. The Broncos trailed 24-17, but tied the game on a Manning TDP with :36 to play. While everyone was settling in for the expected overtime, K. C. star RB Jamaal Charles unbelievably fumbled on the first play after kickoff, with Denver returning it 21 yards for a stunning 31-24 final Turn that score TGS SPECIAL REPORT. TGS AT 60 AND OPENING WEEK MEMORIES This is a special opening weekend of college football for us at TGS . as we embark upon our 60th season of publishing. As such, we will occasionally be recalling memorable games and events from the past six decades in a year-long celebration of our milestone campaign. Those who have visited our website know that we often enjoy taking a look back, as we do each summer for our college conference Retrospective series. No opening weekend, however, quite matched 1970, the year in which the NCAA in January granted schools the opportunity to add an extra ldquo11th gamerdquo to the schedule TGS 2016 PRO FOOTBALL PREVIEW. A LOOK AT THE NFC SOUTH CAROLINA. Prior to 2014, no team had ever repeated as champion of the contentious NFC South. Carolina did it that season with a mere 7-8-1 record After last yearrsquos much more impressive 15-1 regular season and three-peat in the division, the Panthers are now going for a previously unheard of South four-peat It wonrsquot necessarily be easy. Not even with 2014 WR sensation Kelvin Benjamin back after missing last year with a knee injury. Thatrsquos because the recent history of teams that lost the Super Bowl the previous season is not a good one . Just last year, previous Super Bowl loser TGS 2016 PRO FOOTBALL PREVIEW. A LOOK AT THE AFC SOUTH Chalk another up to super-agent Jimmy Sexton, whose stable of clients includes a near-quorum on SEC coaches. Plus several players, including QB Brock Osweiler, the key offseason addition for the Houston Texans . who would surprisingly steal the AFC South last year despite a slow 2-5 break from the gate and starting four different QBs during the wild ride of 2015. That, however, was before the offseason, when Osweiler was set to cash in on his stint as starting QB in Denver when Peyton Manning was TGS 2016 PRO FOOTBALL PREVIEW. A LOOK AT THE NFC NORTH GREEN BAY. Green Bay slipped a notch last season, losing at Lambeau in the season finale to the hated Vikings in the final regular-season game. That loss will sting, especially for a proud Packer team that had won four straight crowns in the NFCrsquos fabled ldquoBlack and Blue Division. rdquo The Green Bay brain trust rightly regards the still-improving Vikes as a worthy challenger to the Packrsquos recent domination. Every NFL team is going to endure some injury trials during the brutal, 16-game NFL regular season. Quality depth is valuable, and valid excuses few. But you have to forgive the Pack for TGS 2016 PRO FOOTBALL PREVIEW. A LOOK AT THE AFC NORTH It was a bit odd seeing the Baltimore Ravens ( out of the playoff mix a year ago after qualifying for the postseason in six of HC John Harbaughrsquos first seven seasons on the job. Upon inspection, however, it was totally understandable considering the casualty list (a league-high 20 players on injured reserve) that effectively sabotaged the campaign. By December, QB Joe Flacco, RB Justin Forsett, and WR Steve Smith were all out, and 2015 never began for rookie WR Breshard Perriman, KOrsquod in preseason. And that was just on the offensive side. How the TGS 2016 PRO FOOTBALL PREVIEW. A LOOK AT THE AFC EAST NEW ENGLAND. This is one of the safest picks in the NFL, considering the Patriots have won 13 of the last 15 AFC East titles. Not to mention four Super Bowls. In those two years New England did not win the East, they lost on tiebreakers to the Jets at 9-7 and missed the playoffs in 2002, and lost on tiebreakers to Miami in 2006 and also missed the playoffs, f inishing 11-5 despite losing Tom Brady in the season opener due to a torn ACL. Backup Matt Cassel guided the team the rest of the way, building a multi-million-dollar career for himself as a result. Brady will be missing time once again this season, being suspended the first four games after TGS 2016 PRO FOOTBALL PREVIEW. A LOOK AT THE NFC EAST Considering some of the dramatic yearly fluctuations in the history of the New York Giants, bouncing back from last yearrsquos 6-10 disappointment is nothing out of the ordinary. Why, in the first decade of TGS publishing back in the lsquo60s, the annual G-Men rollercoaster ride resembled that of the old ldquoCyclonerdquo at Coney Island. After winning a third straight Eastern Conference title in 1963, New York sagged to 2-10-2 the following season, prompting the retirement of key vets such as Y. A. Tittle and Frank Gifford. The Giants recovered to 7-7 the next season before completely TGS 2016 COLLEGE FB PREVIEW. TGS PRESEASON TOP 40 1-CLEMSON. Like last yearrsquos Kansas City Royals, who used their narrow miss the previous season to fuel a return to the World Series and a win over the Mets, ACC sources believe the close loss to Alabama in last Januaryrsquos CFP title game (one in which Clemson often looked the better team) could serve as a similar motivator to this seasonrsquos Tigers. Postseason wins in recent years over LSU, Ohio State, and Oklahoma (twice) have proven that Dabo Swinneyrsquos program is now among the nationrsquos elite. Star jr. QB Deshaun Watson returns as the ultimate catalyst l TGS 2016 COLLEGE FB PREVIEW. A LOOK AT THE INDEPENDENTS NOTRE DAME. ND coach Brian Kelly has a rebuilding job to do after losing 7 players drafted in the top 103 picks by the NFL in May, but there is plenty of reason for optimism in South Bend. Last year was a season of almost unprecedented injuries for Notre Dame, as the team lost its top QB, top three RBs, starting TE and nose tackle, plus a fistful of defensive backups. Yet the Irish were 10-1 and in position to be in the CFP semifinal before a last-second field goal gave Stanford a 38-36 win in Palo Alto Nov. 28. The Irish quality and depth at QB is impressive. Soph DeShone Kizer TGS SEC RETROSPECTIVE. THE MISSING RING AT ALABAMA The roll call of Alabama national title winners has become almost too long to count. Indeed, the years and championships seem to run together. From afar, that is. Talk to any longtime Crimson Tide backer on the subject, however, and it will become apparent that the Bama faithful are still irked about one particular national title that got away. through no fault of the football team. Indeed, it is hard to envision an Alabama team finishing a season unbeaten and not being awarded the national title. It happened, however, back in 1966, even prompting a compelling TGS 2016 COLLEGE FB PREVIEW. A LOOK AT THE SUN BELT APP STATE. The Mounties came within one game of winning the Sun Belt Conference last season and is eager to get over the hump in 2016. The Mountaineersrsquo only losses in 2015 were an expected 41-10 setback at Clemson and a key, disappointing home loss to Arkansas State in what turned out to be the decisive battle in the SBC. HC Scott Satterfield is now 22-15 entering his third season in Boone, NC, where App State previously captured three FCS championships. The Mounties won their first FBS TGS 2016 COLLEGE FB PREVIEW. A LOOK AT THE MAC--PART II BOWLING G REEN. MAC defending champ Bowling Green will be starting over on several fronts this season. First, Mike Jinks has arrived from Texas Tech to take over the head coaching job from Dino Babers, who moved on to Syracuse. The Falcons will also be replacing a fistful of offensive weapons, as QB Matt Johnson (4946 YP, 46 TDP LY), WRs Roger Lewis (1544 yds. 16 TDs), Gehrig Dieter (1033 yds. 10 scores), and RB Travis Greene (1299 YR, 15 TDs) all have moved on. The good news for Jinks and the BG faithful is that the Falcons have TGS 2016 COLLEGE FB PREVIEW. A LOOK AT THE MAC--PART I NORTHERN ILLINOIS. Itrsquos difficult to make a case for a team other than Northern Illinois in the MAC West. The Huskies have been the West representative in the MAC championship for six straight seasons and are returning 13 starters, including sr. QB Drew Hare, all of their top ground gainers, and some decorated offensive linemen. In 2015, HC Rod Carey lsquos team lost more than three games for the first time since 2009, but one of the losses was to Ohio State by just a TD, and three others came by an average of just 7 points. NIU covered nine of its first 11 games before season-closing SU and spread losses to Ohio, Bowling Green (MAC title game), and TGS 2016 COLLEGE FB PREVIEW. A LOOK AT C-USA--PART II Where has the time gone It doesnrsquot seem so long ago that we knew of Rick Stockstill as the QB of the first powerhouse Bobby Bowden teams at Florida State. That, however, is now close to 40 years in the rear-view mirror. It also doesnrsquot seem as if Stockstill has been the HC for the past ten years at Middle Tennessee . which in that span has made the move from the Sun Belt to C-USA and become bowl-eligible (though not necessarily bowl - selected ) in six of the past seven seasons. As for Stockstill, he now seems content in Murfreesboro after a few dalliances with other TGS 2016 COLLEGE FB PREVIEW. A LOOK AT C-USA--PART I Perhaps the closest thing to a perennial power in Conference USA has been Louisiana Tech . which has quietly cranked out at least eight wins in four of the past five seasons and romped to its second postseason win in a row last December when walloping Arkansas State in the New Orleans Bowl, 12 months after burying Illinois in the Dallas Bowl. Considering the plight of the rest of the Western half of the loop, another bowl trip appears likely even with a demanding non-conference slate (more on that in a moment) and some considerable reloading to TGS 2016 COLLEGE FB PREVIEW. A LOOK AT THE AMERICAN--PART II HOUSTON mdash The sky is the limit for a Houston squad that finished a school-best 13-1 in Tom Hermanrsquos first season as the head man in 2015, which included a headline-grabbing 38-24 upset win over powerhouse Florida State in the Peach Bowl. The Cougs, a clear choice to repeat as the AAC champs, wonrsquot rest on their laurels under laser-focused Herman, who immediately brought a hard-nosed mentality to the squad. Herman says, ldquoThe record might not show it, but we might be a better team or we might have a better record and TGS 2016 COLLEGE FB PREVIEW. A LOOK AT THE AMERICAN--PART I SOUTH FLORIDA mdash Our No. 1 choice in the East are the ascending Bulls, who made a huge leap last season, making their first bowl appearance since 2010. As a result, 4th-year HC Willie Taggart deservedly received a three-year extension. Expectations are high in Tampa this year, but that has prompted caution from Taggart. ldquoWe are a target, rdquo the coach says. ldquoPeople are going to circle us on their schedule, and we will get everyonersquos best shot. But thatrsquos what we want. We want to be a team that people look to and expect big things from. I have to keep reminding the guys, lsquoWe TGS 2016 COLLEGE FB PREVIEW. A LOOK AT THE BIG 12 TCU. Despite some questions to be answered on his team, it seems pretty clear that Gary Patterson will have his Horned Frogs in contention once again this season, his 16th as HC in Fort Worth. Long an advocate of defense-first football, Patterson (a former safety amp LB as a player and always a defensive coach as an assistant) has admitted on more than one occasion to be rather horrified at the ultra-rapid pace and constant back and forth of so many games these days in the Big 12. But give him credit for adjusting Pattersonrsquos team is 23-3 SU the L2Ys since switching to an Air Raid offense directed by former Oklahoma State and Houston TGS 2016 COLLEGE FB PREVIEW. A LOOK AT THE SEC--PART II TENNESSEE mdash With a full house of 18 starters returning, expectations are sky high at UT, which is our pick to win the SEC East for the first time since 2007. The Vols have shown steady progression under fourth-year HC Butch Jones, who has gone from 5-7 to 7-6 to 9-4. But UT must learn how to pull out the close ones after suffering four losses by a combined 17 points, including a 31-24 double-OT home defeat to Oklahoma and a bitter 28-27 loss at Florida LY, when Jones eschewed an obvious 2-pt. conversion try when up by 12 in the 4th Q. The Vols, whorsquore excited for their Week 2 showdown TGS 2016 COLLEGE FB PREVIEW. A LOOK AT THE SEC--PART I ALABAMA mdash Bama, which has won four national titles in the past seven seasons, will be expected to be in championship contention despite having some holes to fill at QB, RB and on defense. But 10th-year HC Nick Saban, who is now in the discussion as the greatest college coach of all time, will just need to reload once again with a former five-star recruit competing for playing time at every position group. No question talent-rich LSU and Ole Miss are formidable contenders in the dangerous SEC West. But we must once again give the nod to the rolling Tide, which signed the nationrsquos No.1 recruiting class TGS 2016 COLLEGE FB PREVIEW. A LOOK AT THE ACC--PART II So much for any talk that Clemson might have been a fluke last season. Ask Alabama HC Nick Saban, who looked as relieved after Januaryrsquos BCS title escape over the Tigers as he might after completing the Boston Marathon. Saban had reason to feel thankful, because the Crimson Tide could not stop Clemson, or more specifically then-soph QB Deshaun Watson, who passed and ran Bama silly in the title game to the tune of 478 total yards. Only a series of big plays by the Tide allowed Saban to escape TGS 2016 COLLEGE FB PREVIEW. A LOOK AT THE ACC--PART I The last time a Virginia Tech team was not coached by Frank Beamer, Wayne Gretzky still played for the Edmonton Oilers, Bill Walton played for the Boston Celtics, and Ronald Reagan was not quite halfway thru his second term in the White House. It was December of 1986, New Yearrsquos Eve to be exact, at the Peach Bowl in the old Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, and the Hokies would win a thriller vs. NC State, 25-24, on PK Chris Kinzerrsquos 40-yard FG on the final play of the game. Even with the excitement of the win, it was not an easy time for the VPI program, as HC Bill Dooley, who had served in TGS ACC RETROSPECTIVE. CLEMSON TAKES A GOOD PUNCH The history of Atlantic Coast Conference membership would be a college sports equivalent of the expansion of the United States had a few of the original 13 colonies decided to withdraw and align with Canada or Mexico. But there are definite similarities in the pattern(s) of growth that have expanded the league to something much different from its original configuration. The league now stretches almost the length of the entire eastern seaboard, from Boston to Miami, and has extended its tentacles westward as far as Louisville and South Bend, Indiana. Along TGS 2016 COLLEGE FB PREVIEW. A LOOK AT THE BIG TEN--PART II OHIO STATE. Itrsquos time for Ohio State to reload after losing a record five first-round NFL draft picks as well as seven other players picked in the ensuing three rounds. And very few teams can reload like OSU. The Buckeyes are 50-4 SU in four years under HC Urban Meyer, and hersquos recruited as well as the team has played. The last five recruiting classes at Columbus have been rated in the top five in the nation, so therersquos a stack of blue chips waiting in the wings. Seven members of this yearrsquos new class enrolled early for spring, so donrsquot be surprised to see some future NFL draftees begin their TGS 2016 COLLEGE FB PREVIEW. A LOOK AT THE BIG TEN--PART I I OWA. Iowa had one of its finest seasons ever last year, improving from a blah 7-6 campaign in 2014 to a perfect 12-0 regular season and a first-place finish in the Big Ten West. However, the Hawkeyes lost a heartbreaker in the final minute against Michigan State in the conference playoff and subsequently fell flat in the Rose Bowl, as Stanford routed Iowa 45-16. But HC Kirk Ferentz can hold his head high in his 18th season in charge, as 13 starters return, including key performers on both platoons. QB C. J. Beathard is the statistically most efficient returning QB in the TGS BIG TEN RETROSPECTIVE. THE BIG, BAD 65 SPARTANS In college football, the most-compelling of qny all-time best debates might involve the Big Ten, with no shortage of candidates from the past. For our money at TGS . however, there was one Big Ten entry that still resonates more than a half-century later, one that we believe compares favorably with any. We could take our pick whether itrsquos the 1965 or 1966 editions of the Michigan State Spartans that were if nothing else were among the most transformational teams in not only Big Ten, but college football, history. For the purposes of selecting one or the other, we opt for the 1965 version that many still believe was the best college defensive team ever seen TGS 2016 COLLEGE FB PREVIEW. A LOOK AT THE PAC 12--PART II UCLA. There will be a new emphasis this season at UCLA, as HC Jim Mora Jr. (37-16 in four years in Westwood new extension through 2021) seeks to fully exploit the immense potential of soph QB Josh Rosen (60.0, 3670 YP, 23 TDs, 11 ints. as a true freshman starter). It seems like the logical time for Mora to alter the Bruinsrsquo offensive system, as former coordinator Noel Mazzone has taken his considerable experience to Texas AampM ( UCLArsquos opening-game opponent) after four years of mentoring Brett Hundley and Rosen in his TGS 2016 COLLEGE FB PREVIEW. A LOOK AT THE PAC 12--PART I STANFORD . .. Is Stanford more like USC these days than USC Perhaps so, as the Cardinal have won three of the last four Pac-12 titles and have gone to the Rose Bowl in three of the last four years, winning two of the three trips. Also, Stanford boasts the top RB force in the league in stat-sheet stuffer Christian McCaffrey, who helped the team power for a robust 5.1 ypc. Whatrsquos more, the Cardinal have had 24 players drafted into the NFL in the last five years, more than any other Pac-12 team. Thatrsquos the type of stuff that used to be associated with Southern Cal when USC was the dominant TGS 2016 COLLEGE FB PREVIEW. A LOOK AT THE MTN WEST--PART II The end of an era, perhaps Fans at Boise State (2015 SUR 9-4, PSR 6-7) were acting so after the Broncos surrendered the Mountain West crown last season and lost multiple times on their home blue carpet for the first time since 1998. The rabid support base was caught off-guard much as the ldquoremainrdquo crowd in the UK for the recent Brexit vote. H ow could it happen Some are suggesting the fall from the perch was inevitable after HC Chris Petersen left TGS 2016 COLLEGE FB PREVIEW. A LOOK AT THE MTN WEST--PART I By the end of last season, the only thing grating about San Diego State (2015 SUR 11-3, PSR 8-5-1) was longtime play-by-play man Ted Leitner. Ten straight wins to close the season would make it easy to ignore the infuriating Leitner as the Aztecs began to fly in some rarified air, tying one of the legendary Don Coryellrsquos best SDSU teams (with QB Dennis Shaw in 1969) for the schoolrsquos all-time win mark at 11. Along the way the Aztecs rolled to the Mountain West crown and restored some dignity to the league when TGS PAC-12 RETROSPECTIVE. OJS HEISMAN YEAR AT USC With our revived fascination in OJ Simpson thanks to a couple of glitzy recent TV specials, we thought it might be interesting to go back to the early days of the OJ legacy to remind everyone what all the fuss was about in the first place, long before the white Bronco, Johnnie Cochran, and Lance Ito would become forever linked with the Juice. And why not After all, we had an up-front seat to the beginning of the OJ legend, when he leaped into national prominence (perhaps like no other college athlete in our lifetimes) while at nearby USC. Moreover, we were there at the start of the TGS MW RETROSPECTIVE. FREEDOM NIGHT FOR FRESNO STATE As we have done the past three years, along with our summer College FB conference previews, well be providing corresponding retrospective pieces on select leagues as we begin the year-long celebration of our 60th season publishng TGS, set to commence this fall Conference previews begin later in June with the Mountain West . but first is our MW retrospective piece, recalling a special night for Fresno State. Last February, during Super Bowl week in San Francisco, one of the main attractions was the ldquoNFL Experiencerdquo at the Moscone Center. The NFL Experiencerdquo is one of the annual rites TGS 2016 COLLEGE FB PREVIEW. COACHES ON THE HOT SEAT Darrell Hazell. Purdue. Some Big Ten sources were wondering if Hazell would survive 2015 if the Boilermakers missed a bowl game for the third straight season on his watch. Not only did Purdue, miss, it didnt come close, regressing to 2-10, putting Hazell at a not-so-robust 6-30 in three years on the job at Ross-Ade Stadium. Failure to land a postseason slot in 2016 would likely prompt a revolt by whatever boosters are remaining in West Lafayette, so Hazell enters next season not only on the hot seat, but also as one of the coaches most likely to walk the plank before the campaign. NEW COVER STORY. TGS 2016 NFL DRAFT PREVIEW--PART II 22-HOUSTON TEXANS . The Texans made one of the big splashes of free agency when stealing QB Brock Osweiler from the Super Bowl champion Broncos. After a slow start in 2015 and somehow qualifying for the playoffs when using four different QBs, so desperate was Houston GM Rick Smith for an upgrade at the position that he acquiesced to every demand of Osweiler agent Jimmy Sexton, who priced his client out of the range John Elway was willing to pay in Denver. Well see if Osweiler, with only seven NFL starts under his belt, is worth a 4-year, 72 million deal. The Osweiler signing pushes QB to the back burner NEW COVER STORY. TGS 2016 NFL DRAFT PREVIEW--PART I 1-LOS ANGELES RAMS (from Titans). The first winner (as most expected) in the intense return-to-L. A. derby, the Rams embark on a back-to-the-future theme as they temporarily relocate to the historic L. A. Coliseum, which the team abandoned for Anaheim after 1979, while construction begins on their new football palace on the site of the old Hollywood Park race track in Inglewood, set to open in 2019. In this transition year, HC Jeff Fisher has been retained after another losing season in St. Louis, with reported pressure from owner Stan Kroenke to get the team to the playoffs (or else) this fall. There TGS SPECIAL REPORT. 2016 COLLEGE HOOPS SUPERLATIVES TGS PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Malcolm Brogdon, Virginia. We vacillated more than usual on this award for 2015-16, and considered making it a shared honor (though we really dont like to resort to co-winners if we can avoid it). In the end, there was simply a bit more consensus for Brogdon than anyone else. Cause for pause was Brogdons subpar effort (2 for 14 from the floor) in Virginias elimination game in the Elite Eight against Syracuse, when the Cavs blew a late 15-point lead, completing an underwhelming MidwWest Regional for the Virginia senior. Though Brogdon would not be the only player TGS 2016 COLLEGE HOOPS ALL-NEWCOMER TEAM NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR: Jamal Murray, Kentucky. After several years of freshmen dominating the scene, 2015-16 truly was the Year of the Upperclassmen if not the Year of the Seniors in college hoops. A refreshing change, if you ask us, and one we expanded upon in a late-January editorial, when pointing out just a handful of true frosh in the starting lineups, or making any meaningful contributions at all, for top ten teams in the previous weeks poll. Our All-Newcomer team for 2015-16 somewhat reflects those developments of the fast-concluding season, as the only one of TGS MLB PREVIEW. PLAY BALL 2016 AL FUTURES TO WATCH It was nice to see the Minnesota Twins (78 frac12) back in contention last season, as new manager Paul Molitor pushed many of the right buttons despite a succession of stats that belied a spirited run into wild card contention until the last weekend of the season. The Twins were middling statistically in most offensive categories while their team ERA was one of the worst in the league, yet Molitor kept the team in the playoff discussion. Still, the staff was more effective than in previous years, especially 2014 when it ranked bottom-of-the-bigs in ERA (5.06). And the improvement came even with TGS MLB PREVIEW. PLAY BALL 2016 NL FUTURES TO WATCH It has been a few years since we mentioned over and the Philadelphia Phillies (65 12) in the same sentence inside one of our NL season previews. Assuming, however, the Phils bottomed out during last years difficult 63-99 slog, there could be a bit of value on the upside in Philly. The organization has finally culled almost all of the dead weight (including slow-to-react GM Ruben Amaro) it was carrying from the recent glory years of the players who stayed far beyond their sell-by date, only 1B Ryan Howard remains, and even he figures as no more than a TGS SWEET 16 PREVIEW. PLUS TAR HEELS-HOOSIERS MEMORIES After first and second rounds of the Big Dance that suggested all sorts of wild matchup possibilities for the Sweet 16 and beyond, order seems to have been restored-albeit narrowly. The spry upset winners from the first round, and many of the potential rich storylines for the tournament, all would go down to defeat (some in more heartbreaking fashion than others) in the second round. The lowest seeds remaining in the Dance are all college hoops brand names (7 seed Wisconsin in the East, 10th and 11 th seeds Syracuse and Gonzaga in the South). Surprisingly, there are a record six Atlantic Coast Conference teams still alive, which makes the TGS NCAA HOOPS. INDIANA AND KENTUCKY RENEW HOSTILITIES While we have often found room to complain about the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee, as we did with pleasure once again in our previous issue . we do admit to some admiration for the occasional devilish side displayed by the group, and when it plays a de facto matchmaker role for confrontations that have extra elements beyond two quality teams facing one another. We recall one such development, during the days when Kentucky would refuse to schedule Louisville in hoops. The selection committee, however, nonetheless tried its darnedest to set up a matchup in the Big NEW TGS HOOPS. OFF CONFERENCE BIG DANCE RESULTS Following are straight-up and pointspread results for all of the lower-echelon and ldquooffrdquo conferences in NCAA Tournament play since 1994. While straight-up wins are certainly not common for these lower-echelon conference reps in NCAA action, they are not unheard of, either, as the best of this lot has been able to cause real damage in recent years. Some of those who have famously succeeded in sub-regionals over the past decade include Mercer, North Dakota State, and Stephen F. Austin in 2014, Florida Gulf Coast in 2013, plus several others from recent memory including Morehead State, Siena, NEW TGS HOOPS. BUBBLE UPDATE AND TOURNEY PREVIEW SEC-- Solid . Kentucky, Texas AampM . Terlihat bagus South Carolina, Vandy. Bubble. Alabama, Ole Miss, LSU, Florida. Conference-6th. Notes. Tourney March 11-15 at Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, TN (home of the NHL Predators). Last year. NCAA-5 (Kentucky-Final Four, Arkansas-Second Round, LSU, Ole Miss, Georgia) NIT-3 (Vanderbilt-Quarterfinals, Bama - Second Round, Texas AampM-Second Round). BUBBLE TALK AND TOURNEY PREVIEW. The recent it team in the SEC is Vandy, which can move into the solid category with a TGS HOOPS. EARLY COLLEGE CONFERENCE TOURNEY PREVIEW SUMMIT. Tourney March 7-10 at the 2-year-old Denny Sanford PREMIER Center, Sioux Falls, SD (not the home court of nearby, Brookings-based South Dakota State, which plays its home games at Frost Arena, or of nearby, Vermillion-based South Dakota, which plays its home games at the Dakota Dome). The Summit League was formerly known as Mid-Continent Conference. Top contenders - South Dakota State, IPFW, Omaha, North Dakota State . Notes. This wildly-supported event in Sioux Falls takes place for the second year in the still shiny-and-new TGS HOOPS SPECIAL REPORT. LATE FEBRUARY BRACKETOLOGY 4 Duke (20-7, 12) vs. 13 Hawaii (22-3, 78). Duke has recently rallied itself back into the protected seed discussion. Although the Blue Devils would probably rather be nearby on Tobacco Road at Raleigh for the sub-regional, the Brooklyn venue would be the second choice for Coach Krsquos team, and the large contingent of Duke alums in the Big Apple. This would not be optimum travel to Brooklyn for Hawaii, six time zones away from home. The Rainbow Warriors might have a case for an at-large, which they might need, since the Big West Tourney is on the mainland, and top TGS HOOPS SPECIAL REPORT. COLLEGE TOURNEY LOOK-AHEAD ATLANTIC TEN -- Solid. Dayton . Terlihat bagus Saint Josephs, VCU, George Wa shington, St. Bonaventure. Conference-8th. Tourney March 9-13 at Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY. Last year. NCAA-3 (Dayton-Second Round, Davidson, Virginia Commonwealth) NIT-3 (Richmond-Quarterfinals, George Washington-Second Round, Rhode Island-Second Round). Notes. Though VCU currently leads the A-10 standings, Daytons overall accomplishments have it rated slightly higher than the Rams and St. Joes, though the latter two both appear likely to land NCAA Tourney bids. GWU and St. NEW TGS HOOPS. FALSE ALARMS AGAIN AT NBA TRADE DEADLINE ATLANTA.. . After all of the talk about perhaps moving unrestricted free agent-to-be Al Horford and loosening the logjam in the backcourt by dealing away PG Jeff Teague, and perhaps dangling sharpshooter Kyle Korver, the Hawks instead decided to keep their core in tact and hope to rekindle some of last yearrsquos magic their big three provided a season ago. In the end, they did free up some minutes in their backcourt by dealing PG Shelvin Mack to the Jazz, shedding Mackrsquos salary while adding a 2nd-round draft pick in return. TGS HOOPS SPECIAL REPORT. NBA ALL-STAR BREAK REVIEW PART II Oklahoma City (40-14). Theres a big difference between now and a year ago for the Thunder, when Kevin Durant battled injuries and played in only 27 games as Ok City would miss the playoffs. More on current status in a moment. But there is perhaps a bigger story within the story this season at The Peake, and it involves Durant and his pending free agency. To their credit, the Thunder have been making moves for the past couple of years designed to upgrade the supporting cast and make Durant believe that he should stay with the Thunder, which is also going TGS HOOPS SPECIAL REPORT. NBA ALL-STAR BREAK REVIEW--PART I Cleveland (38-14). The Cavs are in a different place than they were at this time a year ago, six games ahead of their 2014-15 pace, and well beyond the roster juggling and personnel moves that continued thru the first half of last season. Cleveland is also now without HC Dave Blatt (released a few days after a blowout loss to the Warriors last month), even with a 30-11 SU record, lending credence to the long-rumored reports of LeBron James never feeling comfy in the Blatt system (or vice versa, as Blatt could never implement the free-flowing offense that worked so well for him in Europe TGS SUPER BOWL 50 REVIEW. THIS ONES FOR PAT There was a time in TGS existence when the two laughingstock franchises in pro football were the Pittsburgh Steelers and Denver Broncos. The Steelers never even made the postseason until 1972, and we all know what happened thereafter. Denver, being one of the original eight AFL franchises, didnt start until much later than the Steelers, but the Broncos never did better than a 7-7 mark in 1962 during the ten-season run of the league. Denver never even finished with a winning record until John Ralstons second Bronco edition in 1973. And the playoffs would have to wait for 1977, when TGS COLLEGE H OOPS. EARLY FEBRUARY BRACKETOLOGY UPDATE 7 Duke (16-6, 25) vs. 10 VCU (16-5, 31). Its been a while since weve seeded Duke this low. Its also been a while since the Blue Devils were out of the Top 25, which just happened last week. Times change . A matchup vs. VCU would recall bad memories for Coach K, whose Duke was dumped by the Rams in the sub-regional in 2007, when Eric Maynor (remember him) was the VCU hero. The current Rams, under first-year HC and Shaka Smart disciple Will Wade, have not lost since Dec. 19 vs. Cincinnati and are currently setting the TGS SPECIAL REPORT. ALL-TIME SUPER BOWL RANKINGS New England 28 - Seattle 24 (at Glendale, AZ). A back-and-forth game played in fits and spurts that took a while to warm up. But just when the Seahawks seemed to have taken control for good in the second half, Tom Brady would rally the Patriots to a late lead before a wild last two minutes and a much-discussed final sequence that blew up in Seattles face, when Russell Wilson was picked off by Malcolm Butler at the one-yard line. All after it seemed as if Seattle was about to steal the game following a circus tipped-catch by Jermaine Kearse at the New TGS NFL SPECIAL REPORT. THE DAY PRO FOOTBALL CHANGED This year marks Super Bowl 50, but it is also 47 years after the game that really put the Super Bowl on the map. yet nonetheless remains a bit of mystery. We reprise our recount of the events of January 12, 1969, and Jets-Colts. Forty - seven years later, Jets 16-Colts 7 seems as hard to believe today as it was back on January 12, 1969. And wersquore not the only ones who still wonder what happened that afternoon at the Orange Bowl. Not to suggest that something was going on under the table that day in Miami, but the way that game unfolded has always invited some curious speculation TGS COLLEGE HOOPS REPORT. THE YEAR OF THE UPPERCLASSMEN 1-Oklahoma . Perhaps no team exemplifies this years trend any better than the Sooners, who start three seniors (Gs Buddy Hield, a top Wooden Award candidate, and Isaiah Cousins, plus F Ryan Spangler). Lon Krugers team also starts a junior guard, Jordan Woodard, who has been in the starting lineup since his first game as a frosh over two years ago. Thus, Kruger has as much experience on the perimeter as any coach in the country . Sixth-man F Dinijyl Walker, a former juco transfer, is also a senior. The only underclassmen in the starting lineup is soph F Khadeem Lattin, and the lone frosh TGS COLLEGE HOOPS REPORT. LOW MID-MAJORS UPDATE Montana (SUR 12-7). The Grizzlies are currently setting the pace in the Sky, but they are not dominating the opposition. In fact, Montana has already won four league games in which it did not cover the pointspread Montana has also failed to cover its last four games (0-2-2) and is ldquounderrdquo in its last five decisions. Though in 6-8 German import PF Martin Breunig (18.7 ppg 24 ppg last four), the Griz do own the Skyrsquos best post threat. Weber State (13-6). Most regional observers believe HC Randy Rahersquos Wildcats will eventually emerge from the Sky thanks to the leaguersquos best 1-2 scoring punch with G Jeremy Senglin (18.3 ppg) and F Joel Bolomboy (17.9 ppg). WSU TGS SPECIAL REPORT. NFL CONFERENCE TITLE NOTEBOOK We at TGS precede the Super Bowl era by a full decade, and can recall a time when the pro football season would essentially end after the NFL and AFL championship games, usually contested in late December. ( TGS was also in existence for the three seasons between 1957-59 that preceded the existence of the old AFL) So when the Super Bowl initially arrived for the 1966 season (and yes, it was unofficially referred to as the Super Bowl by all media outlets before Pete Rozelle would TGS SPECIAL REPORT. THE INJURY MYTH IN THE NBA Back in 1974, TGS founder Mort Olshan wrote Winning Theories of Sports Handicapping, the first study of the art of handicapping sports contests. In that volume was a chapter entitled ldquoThe Injury Mythrdquo in which he laid out the idea that, in general, injuries were vastly overrated in handicapping football. Mort detailed numerous accounts of how rumors of injuries, deceitful coaches, cases of mistaken identity, and miraculous recoveries from bogus hard knocks had done far more to cloud than to clarify the analysis of sporting events. He recounted many instances of teams that were missing key players or had cluster injuries that overcame those problems and won th eir NEW TGS HOOPS. WEEKEND COLLEGE HOOPS WINNERS amp LOSERS WINNER: VPI. Sticking with our ACC theme this weekend, its also time to start taking the Hokies seriously after another win (this one at Georgia Tech) on Saturday. A victory over the Yellow Jackets shouldnt be newsworthy (especially a 1-point win), but any win on the conference road is a good win, especially since VPI hadnt won on the ACC trail since 2013. And VPI has already developed a fortress at Cassell Coliseum, where NC State, Virginia, and Wake Forest have fallen thus far in conference play. Now at 12-6, VPI can begin to think seriously about the postseason, with even a Big Dance bid no longer far-fetched. Moreover, it underlines the quick progress made in NEW TGS HOOPS. TGS MID-JANUARY BRACKETOLOGY UPDATE 5 Duke (14-3, 9) vs. 12 Hawaii (13-2, 97). Dukes profile is not looking as strong as usual, with not many quality wins (yet) and with another loss this week at Clemson, which caused a lot of spittle to be spewed by Coach K and temporarily dropped the Blue Devils out of protected seed territory. Duke needs C Amile Jefferson to get back in the lineup if it wants to make another deep run in March. We suspect that a lot of Big Dance entries would like to avoid Hawaii, which has emerged as a force under first-year HC Eran Ganot, almost beating Oklahoma at the Diamond Head Classic over Christmas. As NEW TGS COVER STORY. NFL DIVISION ROUND NOTEBOOK While Division Round games have historically been fertile territory for home teams and favorites (almost always one and the same), their dominance has not been especially pronounced recent years. Indeed, since the 2004 postseason, road dogs stand 27-18-1 against the number in these playoff games, including 3-1 last season. Remember some dynamics worth mentioning that are unique to this round. Since 1990, when the playoffs expanded from 10 teams to 12, all Division NEW TGS COVER STORY. NFL SEASON-END REVIEWS PART I 2400.jpg Miami (6-10). Owner Stephen Ross effectively undermined the season at the end of the preceding 2014 campaign when deciding to bring back overmatched HC Joe Philbin for a fourth year. After three ugly losses in four weeks, Philbin was canned. And while Miami rallied briefly after Dan Campbellrsquos promotion as interim HC, the only highlight past midseason was a third straight win over the Patriots at Sun Life Stadium on the final weekend, just a few days after GM Dennis Hickey was fired. Ross moved quickly to fill Hickeyrsquos post by promoting scouting director Chris TGS SPECIAL REPORT. LOOK AHEAD TO 2016 COLLEGE FB HOT SEAT Darrell Hazell, Purdue. Some Big Ten sources were wondering if Hazell would survive 2015 if the Boilermakers missed a bowl game for the third straight season on his watch. Not only did Purdue, miss, it didnt come close, regressing to 2-10, putting Hazell at a not-so-robust 6-30 in three years on the job at Ross-Ade Stadium. Failure to land a postseason slot in 2016 would likely prompt a revolt by whatever boosters are remaining in West Lafayette, so Hazell enters next season not only on one of the hottest seats, but also as one of the coaches most likely to walk the plank before the campaign completes NEW TGS HOOPS. COLLEGE HOOPS MID-MAJOR UPDATE ATLANTIC 10. Often the flagship league of the mid-major ranks, the A-10 appears to have several intriguing entries this term, though at the moment we only view Dayton (12-2) as a cant-miss NCAA Tourney invitee. The Flyers are probably not going to have to sweat out Selection Sunday as they did a year ago, especially after quality non-conference wins vs. Alabama, Iowa, Vanderbilt, and Arkansas. Theres enough heft in that collection of victims to offset a potentially-damaging non-league loss to Chattanooga (though the Mocs look to be the clear favorite in the SoCon), and no shame in NEW TGS HOOPS. COL HOOPS WEEKEND WINNERS AND LOSERS WINNER: SOUTH CAROLINA. The Gamecocks took a 12-0 SU record into January, and much skepticism that a forgiving slate had a lot to do with the spotless mark. Which still might be warranted, but the serious vetting for Carolina began on Saturday, and the Gamecocks passed with flying colors when pulling away from dangerous Memphis to score an 86-76 win. More upcoming tests await as SEC play commences, but for now SC looks like a Big Dance entry for HC Frank Martin, finally with proper pieces in place in his fourth year on the job at Columbia. The question with South TGS SPECIAL REPORT. TGS NFL WILDCARD NOTEBOOK The expansion of the pro football playoffs is one of the fascinating differences from our first year of publishing TGS in 1957 to the present. In the late lsquo50s, before there even was an American Football League, there were only twelve professional teams (six in each conference, the Western and Eastern) and one playoff game to decide the NFL title. Almost always those championship games were played before the end of December, too by comparison, the current 2015 regular TGS SPECIAL REPORT. BLACK MONDAY LOOMS IN NFL Mike Pettine, Cleveland. The Brownies entered the final weekend with a 3-17 mark over their last 20 games and with no indication that things are going to be improving anytime soon. Worse for Pettine is that his supposed defensive expertise has not translated to his team, which ranks near the bottom of NFL stats. Pettine has not been helped by the circus that seems to follow second-year Johnny Manziel, who has hardly looked like a franchise QB and now might have another issue to deal with (a new and apparently damning video during Christmas week) before the regular - TGS HOOPS. LATE DECEMBER BRACKETOLOGY UPDATE 4 Duke (9-2) vs. 13 Chattanooga (10-2). Duke has a lot of ground to cover before it can be rated alongside last years latest Coach K title winner. In the short-term that journey has become even more bumpy with 6-9 Amile Jefferson, the Blue Devils best interior defensive presence, temporarily out of action with a foot injury, and a return date unknown. His absence was felt in Saturdays loss vs. Utah and its 7-footer, Jakob Poeltl. By March, however, Duke could be a load if Jefferson is back in the fold and gangly 6-9 frosh Brandon Ingram lives up to the hype (which he has hinted at in the past month). The SoCon TGS HOOPS. THE GREAT LAKER 33-GAME STREAK IS IN JEOPARDY Inexorably . the Golden State Warriors are marching toward one of the most enduring records in American sports. After Fridays win at Boston, the defending champs had won their first 24 games of the 2015-16 season, already the greatest-ever break from the gate in NBA history. Given that the win streak expands even further over two seasons, there are a handful of different interpretations of the streak thru December 10. It could be either be at 28 straight if including the four wins at the conclusion of the 2014-15 regular season, or at 27 in a row if including the three straight wins to close out the NBA TGS SPECIAL REPORT. BOWL PREVIEW AND COACHING CAROUSEL The college football bowl system bounces along its merry way and remarkably continues to grow without any apparent public demand for it to do so. Two new bowl games have been added to the postseason mix in college football after the bowl lineup expanded by three games a year ago. Predictably, with bowls having added ten more slots since 2013, there are not going to be enough teams with winning, or non-losing, records to be invited to all of the contests, hence a handful of teams with 5-7 records will find themselves bowl participants within the next month And, given the recent bent TGS HOOPS SPECIAL REPORT. GUY LEWIS TRIBUTE AND AMERICAN UPDATE When former University of Houston HC Guy Lewis passed away last week at the age of 93, all sorts of memories began to cross our minds from that unforgettable season of 48 years ago. Thats because Lewis, and his Houston Cougars, briefly took over the national headlines in the late 60s while transforming a region that had previously viewed basketball as something to do between the football season and spring football. After Lewis and the Cougars burst upon the scene, however, basketball suddenly had its own wider berth in TGS SPECIAL REPORT. CHECKING IN ON NEW JERSEY Readers of THE GOLD SHEET can be excused for wondering what has happened with New Jerseys attempt to legalize sports wagering, which has been followed closely on these pages over the past couple of years. This fall, however, much of the media became sidetracked from the New Jersey storyline when focus shifted toward the fantasy sports marketplace, and we at TGS followed along with a three-part editorial devoted to that same topic earlier this football season. But while the New Jerset sports gaming storyline has been flying under the radar in recent months, rest assured it has BEST OF TGS HOOPS. PURDUE DEBUT TO REMEMBER amp BIG TEN UPDATE When debut games are mentioned, we canrsquot recall any quite as dramatic as the one in which Rick Mount played his first varsity contest on December 2, 1967 for Purdue. In fact, after over five decades of publishing, we dare say Mountrsquos first varsity game is one of the greatest and most memorable hoop classics we can recall. Making the night special almost 48 years ago was the fact that the Boilermakers would be hosting, guess who, top-ranked defending national champion UCLA, featuring none other than Lew Alcindor, then beginning his junior TGS SPECIAL REPORT. RIVALRY WEEK AND THE IRON BOWL Thanksgiving week is the closest link to the old late-November rivalry weeks that used to end every college football regular season with a bang. Until the conference shuffling that began in the 90s, many of the traditional rivalry games took place the weekend before Thanksgiving, with a handful held on the weekend immediately after Turkey Day. Often featured were annual showdowns such as Nebraska vs. Oklahoma from the old Big 8, and Texas vs. Texas AampM from the old Southwest Conference, storied rivalries now on hiatus since the TGS SPECIAL REPORT. OPENING A PANDORAS BOX AT MIZZOU--PART II There are plenty of still-moving pieces in the storyline involving the University of Missouri and the threatened boycott by its football team of the recent game against BYU. Some of those were addressed in the first installment of this piece that ran in the new TGS Football Issue No. 12, and will be revisited more at the end of this piece. Still, even those who have voiced disappointment at the Mizzou situation must acknowledge that the threatened football boycott played a large TGS SPECIAL REPORT. OPENING A PANDORAS BOX AT MIZZOU Six years ago, when doing research for book projects as well as feature stories that have appeared in past seasons on the pages of TGS Basketball . we were in Indianapolis to chat with Jerry Harkness, a former All-American hoopster and star performer on Loyola-Chicagos 1963 NCAA title winners. Harkness was a fascinating interview for reasons that went beyond basketball, especially for his up-close view of the turbulent 60s and exposure to the leaders of the civil rights movement, which in that era would operate its Chicago Freedom Movement TGS NFL NOTEBOOK. LIONS-PACKERS WEEK AND MEMORIES OF 62 Though the Lions and Packers battled for the NFC North crown at the end of last season, most of their matchups in recent years have have not been very memorable. And, frankly, current form indicates theres nothing to believe we are in store for anything extra special when they square off again Sunday afternoon at Lambeau Field, where Detroit has rather remarkably not won since George Bush was in the White House. thats George H. W. Bush in 1991 TGS HOOPS PREVIEW. COLLEGE HOOPS PRESEASON TOP 40 1-WICHITA STATE . Theyre b-a-a-a-c-k . Were talking about Shocker senior Gs Ron Baker and Fred VanVleet, holdovers from the 2013 Final Four team and having flirted with the NBA Draft last spring before deciding to come back for one more go at Koch Arena. As did top-tier HC Gregg Marshall, who continues to resist moves to bigger-name programs (Texas the latest high-profile suitor to be rejected). Baker, VanVleet, hard-nosed senior Evan Wessel, and Kansas transfer Connor Frankamp (eligible mid-December) gives Marshall arguably the top backcourt in the country, and the addition of Cleveland State TGS HOOPS. REMEMBERING A LEGEND: MEL DANIELS TRIBUTE The most recent shocker, however, came late last week when news that former great Indiana Pacers C Mel Daniels passed away suddenly at the age of 71. We will excuse modern-day hoops aficionados, and those of the ESPN generation, if they draw a blank on Daniels. But even those sorts are likely aware of the old ABA, and they ought to know that the league was more than Julius Erving and flying slam dunks and wild hairdos. There was a blue-collar side to the ABA exemplified by Daniels and his Pacers. And it really wasnrsquot Erving (who joined the ABA about TGS SPECIAL REPORT. FANTASY FACTS AND FICTION--PART THREE If looking for confirmation about Fantasy Football becoming a truly newsworthy topic, all one had to do was tune in to last weeks CNBC GOP Presidential Debate from Boulder, Colorado. Where, among other serious topics discussed, we found out that Jeb Bushs Fantasy FB team was undefeated thru seven weeks of action and featured Rob Gronkowski and Ryan Tannehill. We were also made aware that Chris Christie doesnt give a hill of beans for Fantasy FB, at least as part of the discussion in a presidential debate is concerned . TGS HOOPS NBA PREVIEW. 2015-16 NBA FUTURES TO WATCH It has started to dawn upon fans of the Chicago Bulls (49frac12) that their team might never be fully healthy with a collection of injury-prone key cogs such as Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah. The starters missed an average of more than 17 games last season, so we wonder if new HC Fred Hoiberg is going to ha ve the same issues with available bodies as did predecessor Tom Thibodeau in recent years. Still, we do not want to dismiss the Bulls, as Jimmy Butler progressed from defensive specialist to All-Star while Rose has struggled to TGS SPECIAL REPORT. FANTASY FACTS AND FICTION--PART TWO Well . we knew we were jumping into a hot topic last week with our part one of ldquoFantasy Facts and Fiction. rdquo But even Nostradamus might have had problems predicting the sudden tidal wave of fantasy coverage that has recently dominated the news cycle. How did the tectonic plates beneath the fantasy industry shift over the past week On Tuesday, U. S. Congressman Frank Pallone Jr. and Senator Bob Menendez, both New Jersey Democrats, argued for new safeguards after cheating allegations surfaced against a DraftKings employee. A day later TGS SPECIAL REPORT. FANTASY FACTS AND FICTION--PART ONE In the biography Knight . authored with the respected Bob Hammel, legendary basketball coach Bob Knight related a brief discussion he once had with President Gerald Ford shortly after The General had come under familiar criticism. Lamenting his fate with the press to the president, Ford reminded Knight that things could be worse. Bob, said President Ford, if you think the sports pages are rough, you ought to try the front pages. Fast-forward nearly forty years, and now the heretofore blissful fantasy sports marketplace is about to get hit with the same warning that Gerald Ford gave to Bob . TGS SPECIAL REPORT. TGS 2015 MLB PLAYOFF PREVIEW The Dodgers have home-field edge in the NLDS vs. the New York Mets (175) . the leagues surprise entry that capitalized upon the collapse of the East and the dysfunctions of the division-favorite Nats. Deadline additions Jose Uribe and especially Yoenis Cespedes added a very sharp edge to the Mets attack, though it will be up to a young rotation (Matt Harvey, Noah Syndergaard, Jacob de Grom, and perhaps rookie Steven Matz) to carry the Mets deep into the postseason in their first playoffs since 2006. when the Mets also eliminated the Dodgers in the NLDS. TGS SPECIAL REPORT. TGS NOTEBOOK: A TRIBUTE TO TAD We like to joke that jobs at TGS are much like the US Supreme Court. both are lifetime appointments. But that might not be wholly accurate. In the current lineup of Justices, Antonin Scalia is the longest-serving member, and his appointment to the Court commenced in September of 1986. Meanwhile, six of the full-time employees at TGS pre-date Scaliarsquos term in the Supreme Court, while among the other eight Justices, only Anthony TGS SPECIAL REPORT. BIG TEN ON THE FAULT LINES--PART II Three weeks ago, we spoke of Big Ten commissioner Jim Delanyrsquos statements earlier this year regarding a possible resurrection of long-ago eligibility rules that barred freshmen from competing on varsity teams. Within that story we outlined what was really on the mind of Delany and the conference. But that was not the only recent development involving the Big Ten. Such as the case with the recent August ruling from the NLRB (National Labor Relations Board) that dismissed an historic March 2014 decision by a regional NLRB director in Chicago who TGS SPECIAL REPORT. CLUMSY - GATE amp PATRIOTS PARANOIA With the NFL moving quickly toward its 100th anniversary in 2019, we find it amazing how the nationrsquos sports media can act with such collective indignation when presented with a story such as ESPNrsquos recent exposersquo on the lengths to which the Patriots might have been bending the rules in recent years. Judging by the reaction of some of the nationrsquos sportswriters, you would likely assume that such shenanigans began with Bill Belichickrsquos infamous ldquoSpy-gaterdquo episode in 2007, spilling into more-recent memory with this yearrsquos Tom Bradydeflated football controversy. TGS SPECIAL REPORT. NFL 2015 SEASON-WIN BEST BETS Thank goodness for the Houston Texans (8 12 wins) who enlivened an otherwise desultory NFL preseason as this summerrsquos spotlighted team on HBOrsquos Hard Knocks . with second-year HC Bill OrsquoBrien providing unexpected color with his salty language and quick wit. But OrsquoBrien, who earned his coaching spurs as Bill Belichickrsquos o. c. before keeping a distressed Penn State program afloat, already proved he knows what hersquos doing last season when stewarding the Texansrsquo 7-win improvement over 2013. Offseason roster changes hardly seem TGS 2015 PRO FOOTBALL PREVIEW. A LOOK AT THE AFC WEST DENVER. After four years of John Fox (and four straight AFC West titles), three of them with Peyton Manning, GM John Elway decided to make a change. The Broncsrsquo 43-8 clubbing at the hands of the previous Seahawks in the Super Bowl had plenty to do with his decision. But last seasonrsquos 24-13 home loss in the divisional round to Indianapolis made the decision easier. With a dwindling number of years left in the championship window for Manning, Elway chose to try for some new leadership and a new style. And, as it so often TGS 2015 PRO FOOTBALL PREVIEW. A LOOK AT THE NFC WEST SEATTLE. Preseason work has exposed a few more cracks in the foundation at Seattle, though nothing that HC Pete Carroll seems particularly worried about. One of the reasons the Hawks struggled and lost two of their first three exhibition games was an ankle injury suffered by backup QB, and usual preseason star . Tarvaris Jackson, forcing former Arena Leaguer RJ Archer to take a lot more snaps than expected. The offense, as could be expected, would suffer. Though in twelve offensive series in the first three games, Wilson and the starting unit did not manage a TD, with seven punts, four FGs, and a TGS SPECIAL REPORT. BIG TEN ON THE FAULT LINES--PART ONE As is often the case in the football offseason, gridiron-oriented news cycles get dominated by superficial issues. Patriots fans might not agree, but the Tom Brady ldquoDeflate-gaterdquo scandal (which will be addressed more in depth on these pages in a few weeks) would probably qualify as such. As would the countless storylines regarding fantasy football projections that seem to be dominating the web these days. (Wersquoll have some unique observations later this season on TGS 2015 PRO FOOTBALL PRVIEW. A LOOK AT THE AFC SOUTH Call it a ldquosilent dynasty, rdquo perhaps A look at recent history would suggest as much for the Indianapolis Colts (2014 SUR 13-6, PSR 13-6) . especially within the AFC South division in which they have resided since 2002. Fact---the Colts have reached double-digit wins every year save one since 2002, a feat exceeded by no other NFL team (even the Patriots, who last won in the single digits in lsquo02). The transition year of 2011 between the Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck eras (2011 was the season missed in entirety by Manning, recovering from neck surgery), when Indy collapsed to 2-14 TGS 2015 PRO FOOTBALL PREVIEW. A LOOK AT THE NFC SOUTH NEW ORLEANS. After missing the playoffs for the first time in five years, the Saints decided to make some major changes while the remarkable Brees (36 years old, virtually 5000 YP each of the last four years) still has a couple of g ood years left. To help steady last yearrsquos shaky pass protection, GM Mickey Loomis dealt extra-dimension (but sore-shouldered and very expensive) TE Jimmy Graham to Seattle for C Max Unger. The teamrsquos No. 1 draft pick was spent on 6-7, 320 OT Andrus Peat from Stanford. To help restore a missing edge to the TGS 2015 PRO FOOTBALL PREVIEW. A LOOK AT THE AFC NORTH Arguably . since HC John Harbaugh was hired in 2008, no AFC team (even New England) has accomplished more than the Baltimore Ravens (2014 SUR 11-7, PSR10-8, UU 9-9) . Harbaughrsquos squads have reached the playoffs in six of seven seasons (the same as Bill Belichickrsquos team), won a Super Bowl, and also won at least one elimination game in every year they qualified for the postseason. A year ago, that was as a wild card, losing out to Pittsburgh for the regular-season North crown and a half-game behind Cincinnati for TGS 2015 PRO FOOTBALL PREVIEW. A LOOK AT THE NFC NORTH GREEN BAY. The Packers have found a formula for success that works. for them. For nearly three decades, Green Bay has been strong at QB and WR, competent at RB, and usually at least serviceable on defense. The team is mostly ldquohome grown, rdquo with the majority of players on the team being mostly Packers only. The big money goes to stars such as QB Aaron Rodgers (now in his tenth year), WRs Jordy Nelson amp Randall Cobb, and DEOLBILB Clay Matthews. The G. B. front office, ably directed by Ted Thompson, signs few veteran free agents, instead preferring to draft and groom its own young TGS 2015 PRO FOOTBALL PREVIEW. A LOOK AT THE AFC EAST NEW ENGLAND. Wersquoll stick with our annual prediction of New England capturing the AFC East, which the Pats have done for the last six years, and 11 of the last 12 (the only exception being 2008, when Brady sustained a torn ACL in the season opener). Under thorough, all-business, yet flexible and creative HC Bill Belichick, the Patriots have otherwise been able to overcome all obstacles to rule over their division. And those obstacles include last Sept. 29s 41-14 demolition by the Chiefs in Kansas City, after which, for the next several days, sportswriters and talking heads throughout the media were TGS 2015 PRO FOOTBALL PREVIEW. A LOOK AT THE NFC EAST We know about the four-year cycles in the Olympics, World Cup, and US presidential elections. We also know about the four-year cycle as it relates to the New York Giants (2014 SUR 6-10. PSR 7-9, OU 10-6) . who won the Super, quite unexpectedly, in both the 2007 and 2011 seasons. The similarities between those title runs were almost eerie. Can the four-year cycle repeat in 2015 with the G-Men There remain a handful of pillars from both of those title campaigns, including HC Tom Coughlin and QB Eli Manning. Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo TGS 2015 COLLEGE FB PREVIEW. A LOOK AT THE GOLD SHEETS TOP 40 1-OHIO STATE. As the great Kentucky play-by-play voice Cawood Ledford liked to say, ldquoWrite it down. rdquo For if the Buckeyes are the same team in 2015 that we saw for the final three games from last season, they will repeat as FBS champion. Giving hope to the masses, however, is that OSU did not flash that form for much of 2014 and was vulnerable enough at different times of the campaign to actually lose to a modest Virginia Tech and survive narrow escapes at Penn State and Minnesota. Still, hard to find any weak spots, and even TGS 2015 COLLEGE FB PREVIEW. A LOOK AT THE MAC--PART II NORTHERN ILLINOIS. NIU HC Rod Carey, who like o. c. Bob Cole and d. c. Jay Niemann, arrived in DeKalb when Doeren took over in 2011, returns 15 starters and has done a good job of plugging in new parts the last two seasons. In 2013 and 2014, the team had 14 and 12 returning regulars and went 23-5. This yearrsquos offense has jr. QB Drew Hare back for his second season as the regular triggerman. Hare threw for 2322 yds. and had an 18-2 TD-int. count. Harersquos 2 interceptions (326 throws ) were the fewest among FBS QBs that qualified for the passing efficiency title won by Oregonrsquos Marcus TGS 2015 COLLEGE FB PREVIEW. A LOOK AT THE MAC--PART I AKRON. Although Terry Bowden is just 11-25 SU in his first three seasons at Akron, therersquos no doubt that the team is on track to return to the bowl picture soon, perhaps this season. Bowden inherited a team that was 5-31 from 2009-2011, and he definitely had a plan. Install a first-tier coaching staff, recruit Ohio and Florida with vigor, and fill in the edges by convincing athletes committed to bigger programs who werenrsquot going to be starters to come and play at Akron. Itrsquos working TGS BIG 12 RETROSPECTIVE. THE REAL GAME THAT CHANGED THE GAME When the subject of ldquomost importantrdquo college games will arise, there are rarely any shortage of candidates for the honor. Regarding college basketball, and with apologies to shallow sorts such as Seth Davis, who wrote an entire book to place the 1979 Michigan State-Indiana State NCAA title game in nomination, we have addressed the question on the pages of TGS Basketball in the past, and have always opted for the epic 1968 UCLA-Houston game at the Astrodome as the unquestioned TGS ATLANTIC COAST RETROSPECTIVE. THE GAMECOCKS SAY ADIOS TO THE ACC At its inception, the ACC was a tidy regional alliance spawned mostly by a defection from the old version of the Southern Conference (a league that still exists today), which banned its members from participating in bowl games. With the postseason football ban as a motivator, seven schools (Duke, North Carolina, NC State, Wake Forest, Maryland, Clemson, and South Carolina) withdrew from the SoCon on May 8, 1953, and created the ACC, making the second conference formed by schools collectively withdrawing from the SoCon after the SEC had formed after doing the same in 1932. By TGS 2015 COLLEGE FB PREVIEW. A LOOK AT THE SUN BELT APP STATE. Mark down App State as team on the ascent. In their first year in the Sun Belt Conference after 44 in the Southern Conference, the former FCS Mountaineers got off to a a slow start (1-5 overall 0-2 in league play), but enjoyed a fast finish (6-0). App State (6-2 in the conference) ended third in the Sun Belt, behind only Georgia Southern (8-0) and Louisiana (7-1). Not to be overlooked, however, was that HC Scott Satterfield (former App State QB, now in his third year) made an ldquoinvestmentrdquo in 2014, filling his lineup with sophs and frosh TGS 2015 COLLEGE FB PREVIEW. A LOOK AT THE INDEPENDENTS NOTRE DAME. This yearrsquos defense should be a formidable group. Star jr. LB Jaylon Smith (team-high 112 tackles LY) will likely go to the NFL if he stays healthy and has similar production in 2015. Jr. S Max Redfield was 2nd with 68 stops, and he showed in spring that hersquos ready to take another step forward and correct some of the mistakes he was making last season, thanks in part to new DB coach Todd Lyght. The front four is intact after giving up 4.2 ypc, not bad considering that injuries to jr. NT Jarron Jones and sr. LB Joe Schmidt played a part in the team giving up TGS 2015 COLLEGE FB PREVIEW. A LOOK AT CONFERENCE USA--PART II WKU. The collective groan you might have heard in the distance in the offseason was probably opposing C-USA coaches when hearing the news that record-setting Top QB Brandon Doughty would be granted a sixth year of eligibility by the NCAA and would return for one more go this fall. Combined with punishing 235-lb. RB Leon Allen, no QB-RB duo in NCAA history matched their staggering numbers from last seasnm. All Doughty did was lead the nationrsquos passes with 4830 yards thru the air, and in conjunction with Allenrsquos 1542 YR gave TGS 2015 COLLEGE FB PREVIEW. A LOOK AT CONFERENCE USA--PART I Louisiana Tech. There are also some established supporting weapons on hand from last yearrsquos team that would score a whopping 37.4 ppg (ranking 13th), most notably sr. RB Kenneth Dixon, a spectacular scoring machine in his Bulldog career with a whopping 61 TDs, with 28 of those a year ago when gaining 1299 YR and catching another 30 passes. With Dixon keeping defenses honest out of Tech single-back sets, Driskel also has plenty of seasoned receivers on hand, including sure-handed Trent Taylor (64 catches a year ago), former LSU TGS 2015 COLLEGE FB PREVIEW. A LOOK AT THE BIG 12 TCU. With only five starters back on defense this season, TCU might give up a few more points than last yearrsquos 19 per game (8th in the nation). However, by the end of 2014, HC Gary Patterson could not believe how much his offense had improved. Remember, many last August expected AampM transfer QB Matt Joeckel to win the starting QB job because Patterson had decided to roll the dice on offense, bringing in Sonny Cumbie from Texas Tech and Doug Meachem from Houston to install the ldquoAir Frogrdquo uptempo spread. But then-junior Trevone Boykin--who twice previously had been moved to WR--took hold of the starting QB spot in the TGS 2015 COLLEGE FB PREVIEW. A LOOK AT THE ATLANTIC COAST--PART II Clemson. Regardless, the Tigers have the trigger-man they want for the attack in soph QB Deshaun Watson, who burst upon the scene like gangbusters a year ago but would unfortunately miss five full games with a pair of injuries (broken finger and torn ACL). Assuming he can stay in one piece this fall, Clemson might have the most dynamic force in the ACC after Watson shined brightly as a frosh, tossing for 1466 yards and 14 TDP with just 2 picks in essentially just four full games, which included an eye-opening 435-yard, 6 TDP effort vs. a stunned North Carolina. Watson has targets, too, with WRs Mike Williams TGS 2015 COLLEGE FB PREVIEW. A LOOK AT THE ATLANTIC COAST-PART I Georgia Tech. Having the proper option pilot in Justin Thomas was the key to last yearrsquos offensive renaissance that produced a whopping 37.9 ppg (ranked 11th nationally). Thomas, perhaps the fastest-ever QB in a Johnson offense, ignited the option by rushing for over 1000 yards while proving a dangerous pass threat as well, tossing for 18 TD passes (almost Dan Marino-like for a Johnson ldquoOrdquo) last fall. Now a junior, Thomas has generated some peripheral Heisman mention entering the fall, though there is a bit of concern regarding a supporting staff that lost some established firepower to graduation after the Orange Bowl win. TGS SEC RETROSPECTIVE. PUNT BAMA PUNT AND THE 72 AUBURN AMAZINS Get ready for a new football movie. Although, unless yoursquore a longtime SEC fan, and an Auburn diehard at that, the subject matter might come as a surprise. Wersquore not talking about the Bo Jackson years, Cam Newton, or the unexpected mad dash to the 2013 BCS title game by Gus Malzahnrsquos first Tiger team, either. Rather, itrsquos time to get reacquainted with perhaps the most unlikely success story we can ever recall in our near six decades of publishing TGS . T he new movie, still in its production phase TGS 2015 COLLEGE FB PREVIEW. A LOOK AT THE SEC--PART II GEORGIA. As usual, UGArsquos 15th-year mentor Mark Richt owns the overall talent level to make a run at the SEC title and the College Football Playoff in 2015. The Bulldogs return a solid nucleus on both sides of the ball, with 12 starters back, plus both kickers. But itrsquos an unknown at QB, where for the first time in nearly a decade UGA entered the summer without knowing who the starter would be. The defense, which seriously improved under second-year coordinator Jeremy Pruitt last season, should continue its upward trend, aided by another strong recruiting class. To wit: TGS 2015 COLLEGE FB PREVIEW. A LOOK AT THE SEC--PART I ALABAMA. Though Alabama has signed th e nationrsquos No. 1 recruiting class for the fifth straight season and remains as our team to beat in the loaded West Division, it shapes up as a much tighter race in 2015. The Tide, which is considered to be playing one of the nationrsquos toughest schedules, has some serious reloading on the offensive side. And to make matters worse, four of Bamarsquos opponents will enjoy the benefit of a bye week prior to their clash with the defending SEC champs, including three within the TGS BIG TEN RETROSPECTIVE. WHEN THE BUCKEYES BUCKED THE ROSE BOWL Imagine . a Big Ten school, on the cusp of winning the national championship, declining an invitation to the Rose Bowl Then, imagine that school being . Ohio State We know, the hordes of modern-day Buckeye backers who might not even know of Matt Snell or Paul Warfield, or even Woody Hayes, could probably not comprehend. Especially since there is no more football-crazed and mesmerized locale outside of the SEC than Columbus. But during our publishing history at TGS, which dates back to 1957, the above scenario actually occurred. as unbelievable as it sounds today. TGS 2015 COLLEGE FB PREVIEW. A LOOK AT THE BIG TEN--PART I OHIO STATE. No two ways about it, Urban Meyerrsquos defending national champs are loaded. The Buckeyes have to be considered the consensus No. 1 to start the season, as they return 14 starters, both kickers, are riding a 13-game winning streak, and will be reinforced by a recruiting program that has gone through the roof under Meyerrsquos guidance. Letrsquos start with a QB situation that could be the most talented threesome in history if all three regain full health. Both Braxton Miller (now likwly to play at WR) and J. T. Barrett were held out of spring contact recovering from TGS 2015 COLLEGE FB PREVIEW. A LOOK AT THE BIG TEN--PART II WISCONSIN. Paul Chryst is the newold face in Madison. Chryst takes over as HC for Gary Andersen, who bolted for Oregon State last December after going 19-7 in two seasons at Wisconsin. Chryst is a native of Madison and played QB for the Badgers from 1986-88. He served as co-offensive coordinator in Barry Alvarezrsquo last season as head coach in Madison and then was Brett Bielemarsquos o. c. from 2006-11 before spending the last 3 seasons as head coach at Pitt. Have to expect the ldquonewrdquo Badgers to look a lot like the old Badgers. That means running the ball brutally, effectively, and relentlessly and playing rock lsquoem, sock lsquoem TGS AMERICAN RETROSPECTIVE. NIPPERT MEMORIES AND THE CINCY COMET Rest easy, college football historians, Cincinnati is going to be re-opening Nippert Stadium this fall. After nearly 100 million worth of renovations, the Bearcats return to their traditional home surroundings this fall after spending a season on the riverfront at the NFL Bengalsrsquo Paul Brown Stadium. Not long ago, Nippertrsquos future was in some doubt, as some influential Cincy alums were pushing the school to emulate the University of Pittsburgh, which moved to the NFL Steelersrsquo Heinz Field over a decade ago after its longtime on-campus Pitt Stadium was demolished to make room for the TGS 2015 COLLEGE FOOTBALL PREVIEW. A LOOK AT THE AMERICAN--PART I CINCINNATI-- LYrsquos high-octane aerial assault attack (34.0 ppg) should continue to shine brightly in 2015. Strong-armed 6-4 jr. QB Gunner Kiel (3,254 YP LY), who began his career at Notre Dame, finished with 31 TD passes to tie the schoolrsquos single-season record. The Bearcats return their top seven receivers, led by speedy 5-9 Shaq Washington, who had 66 catches and 4 TDs. Mekale McKay amp Chris Moore (8 TD catches apiece LY) are the deep threats in UCrsquos wide-open, four-WR offense. LYrsquos inconsistent ground assault (only 72nd nationally) should be steadier this campaign with the TGS 2015 COLLEGE FOOTBALL PREVIEW. A LOOK AT THE AMERICAN--PART II HOUSTON. The Tom Herman Era begins in Houston after the somewhat surprising firing of third-year HC Tony Levine following LYrsquos 8-5 campaign. Highly-respected Herman, who brings credibility after winning the national title as the offensive coordinator at Ohio State in 2014, has spent the first several months on the job instilling a toughness that had been lacking the past couple years under mild-mannered Levine. And it appears that the players were ready for a change in the culture, according to Herman, who says, ldquoThe really neat thing that Irsquove found is there really wasnrsquot a lot of pushback from TGS PAC-12 RETROSPECTIVE. THUNDER CHICKENS ON THE FARM M odern - day football fans and the new-wave ESPN crowd who have become used to the current David Shaw corporate model at Stanford probably have no idea what a colorful and personality-rich football history exists on The Farm. Indeed, there is a long and illustrious gridiron background in Palo Alto aside from John Elway and the band and being on the wrong end of The Play at the end of the 1982 Cal game (Stanford folk dont like to talk about that game, so we wont ing it up again). The football tradition on The Farm is a rich one, much of it long before Elway TGS 2015 COLLEGE FOOTBALL PREVIEW. A LOOK AT THE PACIFIC 12-PART II ARIZONA STATE. Now that Arizona State has achieved double-digit victories two straight years (10-4 and 10-3), third-year coach Todd Graham is thinking of the next upward steps for his program. Among those are to become more gnarly road warriors and thus a factor on the national scene. In the last two seasons, Grahamrsquos Sun Devils are 12-2 SU in Tempe (one loss to Stanford in the 2013 Pac-12 title game the other loss to UCLA last season when starting QB Taylor Kelly was out with a foot injury). Over those same two years, ASU is only 8-5 SU away from home (5-8 vs. the spread). If the Sun Devils are TGS 2015 COLLEGE FOOTBALL PREVIEW. A LOOK AT THE PACIFIC 12-PART I STANFORD might have a different look to it this season than the recent rugged Cardinal outfits that have produced victory totals of 12, 11, 12, 11 in the four previous seasons before last yearrsquos 8-5. In fact, even with 2014s season-closing routs of Cal, UCLA and Maryland, it was clear such a change was underway. With more of it likely to come in 2015. Evidence of the transition from a physically-dominating power bunch was apparent last season, when the Cardinal lost to every high-quality team they faced, except to UCLA in its regular-season finale (after the Bruins had enjoyed a TGS MOUNTAIN WEST RETROSPECTIVE. THE DAYS OF AIR CORYELL AT SDSU As we have done the past two years, along with our summer College FB conference previews, well be providing corresponding retrospective pieces on all of the leagues as we honor the 59th publishing season of TGS . set to commence this fall Preceding our upcoming Mountain West 2015 preview is a look back to long-ago Air Coryell days at San Diego State. Conference previews begin in later June When D on Coryell arrived at SDSU, the Aztecs had won just seven games in the previous four seasons. But SDSU would