[Redrum]

Luckiest:  Brett Nottingham:  Two years ago bailed on UCLA commit to come to Stanford.  UCLA goes in toilet,  Neuehisel proves he can't handle the team or, more importantly, develop QBs.  Double luck:  Harbaugh leaves,  the team cruises on to #4 ranking under Shaw with plenty of talent for the future.  1 BCS bowl game.  Nottingham the presumptive #1 going into Spring after backing up Luck in 2011.

Unluckiest:  Brandon Bourbon.  A Missouri kid who had great speed.  Running back and linebacker.  Admissions accepted at Stanford.  At last minute got his head turned by new Kansas coach Turner Gill ( whose departure from Buffalo sent QB Maynard to Kal).  First year,  hurt.  Kansas and Gill go 3-9.  Second year Bourbon plays LB.  Kansas and Gill go 2-10.  Gill is fired w/  3 seasons left.  Bourbon misses 2 BCS bowl games w/ Stanford.  Kansas recruiting doesn't hold out much hope for Brandon.  3-year average team ranking = #61  (Duke, Tulsa and Central Florida territory).

[Redrum]

Luckiest:  Brett Nottingham:  Two years ago bailed on UCLA commit to come to Stanford.  UCLA goes in toilet,  Neuehisel proves he can't handle the team or, more importantly, develop QBs.  Double luck:  Harbaugh leaves,  the team cruises on to #4 ranking under Shaw with plenty of talent for the future.  1 BCS bowl game.  Nottingham the presumptive #1 going into Spring after backing up Luck in 2011.

Unluckiest:  Brandon Bourbon.  A Missouri kid who had great speed.  Running back and linebacker.  Admissions accepted at Stanford.  At last minute got his head turned by new Kansas coach Turner Gill ( whose departure from Buffalo sent QB Maynard to Kal).  First year,  hurt.  Kansas and Gill go 3-9.  Second year Bourbon plays LB.  Kansas and Gill go 2-10.  Gill is fired w/  3 seasons left.  Bourbon misses 2 BCS bowl games w/ Stanford.  Kansas recruiting doesn't hold out much hope for Brandon.  3-year average team ranking = #61  (Duke, Tulsa and Central Florida territory).

[fullmetal]

I remember the talk about Bourbon and my surprise when he chose Kansas...

How's Zumwalt doing on the unlucky scale?  And Te'o?  Granted, neither of them are on teams whose records approach that of Kansas.

[fullmetal]

I remember the talk about Bourbon and my surprise when he chose Kansas...

How's Zumwalt doing on the unlucky scale?  And Te'o?  Granted, neither of them are on teams whose records approach that of Kansas.

[Kathy]

At last minute got his head turned by new Kansas coach Turner Gill ... First year,  hurt.  Kansas and Gill go 3-9.  Second year Bourbon plays LB.  Kansas and Gill go 2-10.  Gill is fired w/  3 seasons left.  Bourbon misses 2 BCS bowl games w/ Stanford.  Kansas recruiting doesn't hold out much hope for Brandon.  3-year average team ranking = #61  (Duke, Tulsa and Central Florida territory).

That's what he gets for consorting with jayhawks

[Kathy]

At last minute got his head turned by new Kansas coach Turner Gill ... First year,  hurt.  Kansas and Gill go 3-9.  Second year Bourbon plays LB.  Kansas and Gill go 2-10.  Gill is fired w/  3 seasons left.  Bourbon misses 2 BCS bowl games w/ Stanford.  Kansas recruiting doesn't hold out much hope for Brandon.  3-year average team ranking = #61  (Duke, Tulsa and Central Florida territory).

That's what he gets for consorting with jayhawks

[Redrum]

But he's playing in the Emerald (or Whatever) Bowl and UCLA has more upside.  They've always been a sleeping giant with lots of potential recruiting and program advantages for the right coach..  But, so far they continue to sleep.  But Zumwalt at least gets to play on a only moderately sucky team in a really nice area of the country w/ -- in my opinion--a superior population of women to ogle.  Bottom line, he's just not suffering enough to be a finalist.

Manti Te'o at Notre Dame is a bit more complex.  The Irish, at least,  have seen glimpses of the sun.  But, matched against expectations,  the team has disappointed.  The hard part is that after 3 seasons,  the Irish faithful are starting to put Te'o in the disappointment category.  Which is odd, considering he's a Butkus award contender,  but such is the burden of ND expectations.  Bottom line:  I don't think Te'o thinks of himself as unlucky.  He hasn't been able to carry the team on his back but his career in South Bend will get him a shot at the NFL.

[Redrum]

But he's playing in the Emerald (or Whatever) Bowl and UCLA has more upside.  They've always been a sleeping giant with lots of potential recruiting and program advantages for the right coach..  But, so far they continue to sleep.  But Zumwalt at least gets to play on a only moderately sucky team in a really nice area of the country w/ -- in my opinion--a superior population of women to ogle.  Bottom line, he's just not suffering enough to be a finalist.

Manti Te'o at Notre Dame is a bit more complex.  The Irish, at least,  have seen glimpses of the sun.  But, matched against expectations,  the team has disappointed.  The hard part is that after 3 seasons,  the Irish faithful are starting to put Te'o in the disappointment category.  Which is odd, considering he's a Butkus award contender,  but such is the burden of ND expectations.  Bottom line:  I don't think Te'o thinks of himself as unlucky.  He hasn't been able to carry the team on his back but his career in South Bend will get him a shot at the NFL.

[JohnR34231]

Would he have gotten off the bench at Stanford so far?

Certainly not at running back. Perhaps at linebacker.

What does everyone think?

[JohnR34231]

Would he have gotten off the bench at Stanford so far?

Certainly not at running back. Perhaps at linebacker.

What does everyone think?

[cardfan09]

I remember the talk about Bourbon and my surprise when he chose Kansas...

How's Zumwalt doing on the unlucky scale?  And Te'o?  Granted, neither of them are on teams whose records approach that of Kansas.

As much as hate ND, I think Teo's got to be pretty happy with his situation.  Decent bowl game; projected to go highly in the draft.  Now, if he had chosen Stanford he'd certainly be in a better spot, but I don't think he's suffering from the same sort of existential terrors as Bourbon and Zumwalt.

[cardfan09]

I remember the talk about Bourbon and my surprise when he chose Kansas...

How's Zumwalt doing on the unlucky scale?  And Te'o?  Granted, neither of them are on teams whose records approach that of Kansas.

As much as hate ND, I think Teo's got to be pretty happy with his situation.  Decent bowl game; projected to go highly in the draft.  Now, if he had chosen Stanford he'd certainly be in a better spot, but I don't think he's suffering from the same sort of existential terrors as Bourbon and Zumwalt.

[Redrum]

Definitely a linebacker,  but a kid who went to the Missouri state track finals from his tiny little rural HS.  Don't know about his instincts,  but I  reckon he'd be in the two-deep.  Once again,  our defensive scheme and coaching [i.e. player development] have made Jarek Lancaster a very pleasant surprise filling in for Skov.  I bet they'd have done the same for Bourbon.

[Redrum]

Definitely a linebacker,  but a kid who went to the Missouri state track finals from his tiny little rural HS.  Don't know about his instincts,  but I  reckon he'd be in the two-deep.  Once again,  our defensive scheme and coaching [i.e. player development] have made Jarek Lancaster a very pleasant surprise filling in for Skov.  I bet they'd have done the same for Bourbon.

[washingtonismoney]

The linebacker who probably feels unluckiest: Luke Kuechly.

[washingtonismoney]

The linebacker who probably feels unluckiest: Luke Kuechly.

[Redrum]

Oregon's Cliff Harris.  He of the umpteenth Second Chance.

Lucky because he was gifted with enough physical talents to start on a very physically gifted Oregon defensive backfield.

Lucky because despite his other gift for screwing the pooch when it came to complex challenges-- like simply obeying the law-- he played for the one coach in the western U.S.  who would put up w/ that kind of crap.

Lucky because instead of crashing the car while loaded w/ weed  at 130+  mph. he and his companion merely got pulled over.

Lucky because,  for some reason,  people believed his story after the traffic stop and he got put back in the corral with all the other lucky Oregon players.

Unlucky because waaaaay back in his past nobody whupped him upside the head for being such an idiot.  Unlucky because people kept telling him how great he was even when he screwed up.

Unlucky because serial screw-ups finally wear out their welcome,  which Cliff did,  already on probation he was popped for drug possession in his home town of Fresno in November.  Unlucky because with his track record and only one more season of eligibility,  no worthwhile program will touch him  and  he's not THAT special so the NFL might not even want him around.

[Redrum]

Oregon's Cliff Harris.  He of the umpteenth Second Chance.

Lucky because he was gifted with enough physical talents to start on a very physically gifted Oregon defensive backfield.

Lucky because despite his other gift for screwing the pooch when it came to complex challenges-- like simply obeying the law-- he played for the one coach in the western U.S.  who would put up w/ that kind of crap.

Lucky because instead of crashing the car while loaded w/ weed  at 130+  mph. he and his companion merely got pulled over.

Lucky because,  for some reason,  people believed his story after the traffic stop and he got put back in the corral with all the other lucky Oregon players.

Unlucky because waaaaay back in his past nobody whupped him upside the head for being such an idiot.  Unlucky because people kept telling him how great he was even when he screwed up.

Unlucky because serial screw-ups finally wear out their welcome,  which Cliff did,  already on probation he was popped for drug possession in his home town of Fresno in November.  Unlucky because with his track record and only one more season of eligibility,  no worthwhile program will touch him  and  he's not THAT special so the NFL might not even want him around.

[JohnR34231]

There was something about his official visit to Stanford that turned him off.

I always guessed it was the realization of

1) How far Stanford was (physically and culturally) from his home town and/or

2) How long it would take him to get on the field at running back and perhaps a suggestion from the coaches that he would get sooner playing time if he shifted to defense.

Would be ironic if it were the latter.

I do agree that he would be on the field somewhere on defense if he had come here. As the Ducks demonstrate to us every year, we need more guys on defense with his kind of speed.

P.S. I'm not sure Zumwalt is all that  miserable. He's close to home, he's with his buddies (and maybe his girl friend), and the Bruins aren't what you would call horrible (hey, they made it to the Pac-Twelve championship and are in a bowl game).

[JohnR34231]

There was something about his official visit to Stanford that turned him off.

I always guessed it was the realization of

1) How far Stanford was (physically and culturally) from his home town and/or

2) How long it would take him to get on the field at running back and perhaps a suggestion from the coaches that he would get sooner playing time if he shifted to defense.

Would be ironic if it were the latter.

I do agree that he would be on the field somewhere on defense if he had come here. As the Ducks demonstrate to us every year, we need more guys on defense with his kind of speed.

P.S. I'm not sure Zumwalt is all that  miserable. He's close to home, he's with his buddies (and maybe his girl friend), and the Bruins aren't what you would call horrible (hey, they made it to the Pac-Twelve championship and are in a bowl game).

[Kathy]

the Bruins aren't what you would call horrible (hey, they made it to the Pac-Twelve championship and are in a bowl game)

with a losing record

[Kathy]

the Bruins aren't what you would call horrible (hey, they made it to the Pac-Twelve championship and are in a bowl game)

with a losing record

[Redrum]

Beats being at Kansas,  where their opponents expect Jayhawks to pick up their laundry for them.

[Redrum]

Beats being at Kansas,  where their opponents expect Jayhawks to pick up their laundry for them.

[JohnR34231]

Zumwalt may not be on a BCS team, but at least he's not on a laughing stock team.

At least not too much of a laughing stock team.  :)

[JohnR34231]

Zumwalt may not be on a BCS team, but at least he's not on a laughing stock team.

At least not too much of a laughing stock team.  :)