Colorado Scheduling Rumors

Colorado wants to play football in Yankee Stadium. The potential matchup would pit the Buffaloes against the Army Black Knights some time in the next five years. I love the matchup for one reason: if there is one BCS team that Army can outdraw at Yankee Stadium it is a middling Big XII team from the most distant B12 state. It doesn't look to me like the New York CU Alumni club is that imposing- set it up for 2014, Army... we've got this.



















With CU coach Dan Hawkins coaching this year under a vote of confidence from Colorado AD Mike Bohn, Army could have the competitive advantage of more stability than the Buffs by 2014.

There will come a time when Army will want to start scheduling tougher opponents - playing a team like Colorado would be a great litmus test before Army football draws up that tougher slate. Book that game, West Point.


From the 'news we could have figured out on our own' file comes this update:

The CBS college football schedule is set - so now we know the kickoff time for Army/Navy.

Dec. 11- Army vs. Navy, 2:30 PM, ET

First 2010 Army Preview

The previews are beginning to appear and Scout has the first one for the Black Knights. I don't want to say it's sugar coated, but it's awfully optimistic.


The defense is loaded with experience with everyone of note returning in the secondary, all three starting linebackers coming back, and with pass rushing terror Josh McNary leading a decent line. The offense gets four starters back on the offensive line, all the top running backs, a quarterback in Trent Steelman who has a year of time under his belt, and a new star in fullback Jared Hassin to provide an inside presence.

Now there’s no reason to not shoot for a bowl game, and possibly even a win over Navy. The program is still trying to make the changes needed to succeed using Ellerson’s style, but the time is now for the production to come. For long suffering Army football fans, this is the year you’ve been waiting for.


A lot of content there - offense, defense and overall previews with an early 2010 depth chart; no reason not to be pumped up for football season after reading this one.

Some sites release previews in a countdown fashion which has the effect of hyping the season early and putting teams down hard. I am relieved every day that I check those lists and Army is not yet previewed. Presnap Read is one of those countdown preview sites and they've reached #93 on their countdown.

Army isn't listed yet, but the teams that are previewed read like Army's 2010 schedule.

93. UTEP
94. Illinois
95. Virginia
96. Colorado State
97. Florida Atlantic
98. U.N.L.V.
99. Kent State
100. U.A.B.
101. Ball State
102. La.-Lafayette
103. Rice
104. Louisiana Tech
105. Akron
106. Arkansas State
107. Vanderbilt
108. Buffalo
109. Fla. International
110. Washington State
111. Memphis
112. Miami (Ohio)
113. San Jose State
114. La.-Monroe
115. New Mexico State
116. New Mexico
117. Tulane
118. Western Kentucky
119. Eastern Michigan
120. North Texas

Army plays 4 teams in the lowest rated 30 Div 1-A? Awesome. Add in VMI and you can pretty much justify shopping early for your Armed Forces Bowl tickets.

I'll keep you updated on 2010 previews, and I also want to keep an eye on that Presnap Read list - we'll see how many of Army's opponents rank in the lower 1/3 of FBS.

Immortalizing a Legend

I suppose it's fitting that a story on memorializing Army football legend Doc Blanchard is the first story I found after returning from my Memorial Day in California.
Doc Blanchard's hometown of Bishopville, SC will honor its hero with a trio of statues depicting Blanchard as a young boy, as an Army football player and as an Air Force pilot.

The plan was unveiled at Bishopville's Opera house on Memorial Day, and the official dedication will take place on June 13th.

I'm not excerpting it because the article is a must read for Unbalanced Line patrons, with a touching story of how the plan got off the ground and a nice bio detailing Blanchard's football and military careers.

This article out of Sumter, SC has a couple more stories about honoring Blanchard, this one focusing on Doc's humble nature.

What most impressed me about Blanchard in that short time I asked him questions and he gave me his responses was how unimpressed he was with himself. Blanchard, who passed away last year at the age of 84, was 77 years old at the time and that was probably about the 100,000th interview or so he had given about winning the Heisman Trophy in 1945, being a three-time All-American and being "Mr. Inside" to Army teammate Glenn Davis' "Mr. Outside."

He answered my questions earnestly and was very cordial, often displaying a dry sense of humor. Blanchard pointed out that it was actually the second time he had been honored by Bishopville.

"They honored me when I came home from West Point. That was in 1944," Blanchard said. "I guess I'm getting the longevity award this time."

I can't think of anything more appropriate for the Army great than to be immortalized in his hometown, and a credit to Bishopville - meeting class with class, Blanchard's hometown could not bestow a better honor just as Blanchard could not have been a better hero.

Happy Memorial Day