The poll has closed and tying with 35% of the vote each was to suspend the five players for the "bowl game and four games next year" and to suspend the players for the "bowl game and all of next year." Suspending for the "bowl game and three games next year" received 24% of the vote, and "play in bowl, but suspend for all of next year" received the remaining 6 percent.
I understand the loophole (bowl games are unique), and the delicate situation (multi-party agreements with major $$$ tied to them) the bowl presents. I also understand how sensitive some people can be with the items sold, which could make no punishment too severe. My vote would be for the same five games, but for it to kick in immediately, meaning suspended for the bowl game and the first four games next season.
The timing of all this really gave the NCAA a black eye. If they were going to wait until the 2011 season to start the suspension, then why not wait until after the bowl game and the deadline to declare for the NFL draft to announce the suspensions? The NCAA took years to rule in the Reggie Bush/USC case, they could easily come up with a way to prolong this investigation another three or four weeks. It sure would have helped diffuse all this controversy.
Thanks to all who voted. Don't forget to vote in this week's poll: "Which New Year's Day loss was the worst for the Big Ten?"
Showing posts with label NCAA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NCAA. Show all posts
Monday, January 3, 2011
Monday, November 15, 2010
Poll Results: Will the NCAA rule regarding Cam Newton's eligibility fast enough to avoid a Heisman or BCS controversy?
By a unanimous decision, the NCAA will not make a ruling on Cam Newton's eligibility fast enough to avoid a Heisman or BCS controversy. As for the Heisman, there is a simple solution, which I will detail tomorrow in the Heisman Hopefuls update.
Thank you to all who voted. Don't forget to vote in this week's poll: "Which team was the most overrated?" And that can be at anytime during this year.
Thank you to all who voted. Don't forget to vote in this week's poll: "Which team was the most overrated?" And that can be at anytime during this year.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Game Predictions, Week 4, 2010
It’s a good thing I didn’t get full of myself for my 36-10 record on the year and go bet the house in Vegas. Last week humbled me, as I was only 14-9. That makes the record on the year 50-19. Lots of good games this week. As always, you are free to chime in with your picks, or at least where you agree or disagree. If I leave out a game that really interests you, throw out your prediction for that.
Friday, September 24
TCU at SMU, 42-27 TCU
Saturday, September 25
Buffalo at Connecticut, 31-13 Connecticut
North Carolina State at Georgia Tech, 24-23 North Carolina State
Virginia Tech at Boston College, 28-14 Virginia Tech
UAB at Tennessee, 27-7 Tennessee
Alabama at Arkansas, 35-31 Arkansas
UCLA at Texas, 24-14 Texas
Stanford at Notre Dame, 42-14 Stanford
Idaho at Colorado State, 21-17 Idaho
Fresno State at Mississippi, 34-24 Fresno State
Oregon at Arizona State, 35-17 Oregon
Toledo at Purdue, 31-10 Purdue
Central Michigan at Northwestern, 38-14 Northwestern
Akron at Indiana, 35-17 Indiana
North Texas at Florida Atlantic, 31-6 Florida Atlantic
Western Kentucky at South Florida, 42-7 South Florida
UCF at Kansas State, 28-10 Kansas State
Oklahoma at Cincinnati, 55-7 Oklahoma
New Mexico State at Kansas, 40-10 Kansas
New Mexico at UNLV, 13-7 UNLV
Southern Miss at Louisiana Tech, 34-10 Southern Miss
West Virginia at LSU, 28-24 LSU
FIU at Maryland, 24-10 Maryland
If you missed College Football Haven's Top 25 this week, click here.
If you missed Monday Musings this week, click here.
If you missed College Football Haven's Heisman Hopefuls this week, click here.
If you missed this week's trivia question, click here.
Friday, September 24
TCU at SMU, 42-27 TCU
Saturday, September 25
Buffalo at Connecticut, 31-13 Connecticut
North Carolina State at Georgia Tech, 24-23 North Carolina State
Virginia Tech at Boston College, 28-14 Virginia Tech
UAB at Tennessee, 27-7 Tennessee
Alabama at Arkansas, 35-31 Arkansas
UCLA at Texas, 24-14 Texas
Stanford at Notre Dame, 42-14 Stanford
Idaho at Colorado State, 21-17 Idaho
Fresno State at Mississippi, 34-24 Fresno State
Oregon at Arizona State, 35-17 Oregon
Toledo at Purdue, 31-10 Purdue
Central Michigan at Northwestern, 38-14 Northwestern
Akron at Indiana, 35-17 Indiana
North Texas at Florida Atlantic, 31-6 Florida Atlantic
Western Kentucky at South Florida, 42-7 South Florida
UCF at Kansas State, 28-10 Kansas State
Oklahoma at Cincinnati, 55-7 Oklahoma
New Mexico State at Kansas, 40-10 Kansas
New Mexico at UNLV, 13-7 UNLV
Southern Miss at Louisiana Tech, 34-10 Southern Miss
West Virginia at LSU, 28-24 LSU
FIU at Maryland, 24-10 Maryland
If you missed College Football Haven's Top 25 this week, click here.
If you missed Monday Musings this week, click here.
If you missed College Football Haven's Heisman Hopefuls this week, click here.
If you missed this week's trivia question, click here.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Monday Musings: 10 Thoughts About Week 3
College Football turned in another memorable weekend. It was packed with memorable performances, unexpected events, and defining moments for teams, players, and coaches. Here are this week's musings.
1. Here we go again. Last year, the Michigan Wolverines started hot (4-0) and we all thought they were back. They only won one game the rest of the year (63-6 against Delaware State). That has made me hesitant to get excited about Michigan this year. The shootout with UMass on Saturday didn't help. Will Michigan keep winning once Big Ten play starts?
2. Houston, we have a problem. A week after Houston appeared to be in excellent shape with a ground game to go with their potent passing attack, the Cougars lost their first and second string quarterbacks. Case Keenum was the life blood of that team. Now, a season full of so much promise, is most likely shattered.
3. The ACC favorite is who? The North Carolina State Wolfpack looks to be the team to beat in the ACC. They are the only 3-0 team, and behind the arm of Russell Wilson they are legit. Tom O'Brien had struggled so far at NCState, but he looks to have assembled a solid team he can win with.
4. Escaped by their whiskers. The Wisconsin Badgers survived a scare Saturday by Arizona State. A blocked extra point attempt with 4:09 to play made the difference. Wisconsin has one more game to figure things out before Big Ten play starts. They might be 3-0 at this point, but none of their wins have been dominant.
5. Can we shorten the game to 3 quarters? This question was asked by FIU, and everyone playing Oregon. The Florida International Golden Panthers had a 20-6 lead going into the fourth quarter, only to see Texas A&M score 21 fourth quarter points to win 27-20. Oregon is humiliating everyone, do we really need to rub it in and play the final 15 minutes?
6. 'Bamas Best Back. Mark Ingram made it clear that he is, not only, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner. He is the best Alabama Crimson Tide running back. Back from injury, Ingram took his first carry of the season 48 yards. He had over 100 yards in the first quarter. He averaged 16.8 yards per carry, and scored two touchdowns. Trent Richardson is a very good player, but let's refrain from saying he is better than Ingram.
7. This is why you came back? Many experts felt Jake Locker would have pushed Sam Bradford for the number one pick in last April's NFL draft. Locker decided to stay for his senior year. I don't think he came back for games like the one on Saturday: 4-20 passing for 71 yards and 2 interceptions. Here's an idea, let's go back nine months and Locker can declare for the NFL draft and Jimmy Clausen can stay for his senior year.
8. The Pac-10 packed a punch. Although Washington didn't look so hot, several Pac-10 teams did. Arizona came up with the biggest upset of the year by knocking off Iowa, 34-27. Stanford continued to roll with a 68-24 trashing of Wake Forest. UCLA rebounded with a 31-13 win over upstart Houston. While it was just Portland State, Oregon still exceeded expectations (69 points in 45 minutes). Even Arizona State represented well in a loss at Wisconsin. The losses by Washington and Cal hurt the conference, but everyone else came through.
9. You conned me. UConn had us all fooled. The Huskies are not measuring up to contender status in the Big East. A 20 point loss to Michigan in the opener (UMass only lost by 5). A 14 point loss to Temple this week. Temple might win the MAC, but if you expect to contend in a BCS AQ conference, you put away MAC schools easy.
10. The most overrated play. Michigan State faked a field goal in overtime to beat Notre Dame. It was a risky call, and it looked cool from the camera angle on television, but don't buy into the hype that this one play was the gutsiest play of the college football season. The Michigan State head coach even explained that they didn't have much confidence in their kicker. My props to Michigan State for getting the win over one of their rivals and for executing the play well, but let's not blow this out of proportion.
For the latest College Football Haven Top 25, click here.
1. Here we go again. Last year, the Michigan Wolverines started hot (4-0) and we all thought they were back. They only won one game the rest of the year (63-6 against Delaware State). That has made me hesitant to get excited about Michigan this year. The shootout with UMass on Saturday didn't help. Will Michigan keep winning once Big Ten play starts?
2. Houston, we have a problem. A week after Houston appeared to be in excellent shape with a ground game to go with their potent passing attack, the Cougars lost their first and second string quarterbacks. Case Keenum was the life blood of that team. Now, a season full of so much promise, is most likely shattered.
3. The ACC favorite is who? The North Carolina State Wolfpack looks to be the team to beat in the ACC. They are the only 3-0 team, and behind the arm of Russell Wilson they are legit. Tom O'Brien had struggled so far at NCState, but he looks to have assembled a solid team he can win with.
4. Escaped by their whiskers. The Wisconsin Badgers survived a scare Saturday by Arizona State. A blocked extra point attempt with 4:09 to play made the difference. Wisconsin has one more game to figure things out before Big Ten play starts. They might be 3-0 at this point, but none of their wins have been dominant.
5. Can we shorten the game to 3 quarters? This question was asked by FIU, and everyone playing Oregon. The Florida International Golden Panthers had a 20-6 lead going into the fourth quarter, only to see Texas A&M score 21 fourth quarter points to win 27-20. Oregon is humiliating everyone, do we really need to rub it in and play the final 15 minutes?
6. 'Bamas Best Back. Mark Ingram made it clear that he is, not only, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner. He is the best Alabama Crimson Tide running back. Back from injury, Ingram took his first carry of the season 48 yards. He had over 100 yards in the first quarter. He averaged 16.8 yards per carry, and scored two touchdowns. Trent Richardson is a very good player, but let's refrain from saying he is better than Ingram.
7. This is why you came back? Many experts felt Jake Locker would have pushed Sam Bradford for the number one pick in last April's NFL draft. Locker decided to stay for his senior year. I don't think he came back for games like the one on Saturday: 4-20 passing for 71 yards and 2 interceptions. Here's an idea, let's go back nine months and Locker can declare for the NFL draft and Jimmy Clausen can stay for his senior year.
8. The Pac-10 packed a punch. Although Washington didn't look so hot, several Pac-10 teams did. Arizona came up with the biggest upset of the year by knocking off Iowa, 34-27. Stanford continued to roll with a 68-24 trashing of Wake Forest. UCLA rebounded with a 31-13 win over upstart Houston. While it was just Portland State, Oregon still exceeded expectations (69 points in 45 minutes). Even Arizona State represented well in a loss at Wisconsin. The losses by Washington and Cal hurt the conference, but everyone else came through.
9. You conned me. UConn had us all fooled. The Huskies are not measuring up to contender status in the Big East. A 20 point loss to Michigan in the opener (UMass only lost by 5). A 14 point loss to Temple this week. Temple might win the MAC, but if you expect to contend in a BCS AQ conference, you put away MAC schools easy.
10. The most overrated play. Michigan State faked a field goal in overtime to beat Notre Dame. It was a risky call, and it looked cool from the camera angle on television, but don't buy into the hype that this one play was the gutsiest play of the college football season. The Michigan State head coach even explained that they didn't have much confidence in their kicker. My props to Michigan State for getting the win over one of their rivals and for executing the play well, but let's not blow this out of proportion.
For the latest College Football Haven Top 25, click here.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Game Predictions, Week 3, 2010
I improved a little from week one to week two on my record for picking the winner. My only misses were Sun Belt Conference games and upset specials. Last week, I was 19-4, and now I am 36-10 on the year. As always, you are free to chime in with your picks, or at least where you agree or disagree. If I leave out a game that really interests you, throw out your prediction for that.
Friday, September 17
Kansas at Southern Miss, 31-21 Southern Miss
California at Nevada, 31-10 Cal
Saturday, September 18
Ohio at Ohio State, 42-3 Ohio State
Arkansas at Georgia, 42-24 Arkansas
Maryland at West Virginia, 24-21 West Virginia
Kent State at Penn State, 31-7 Penn State
Georgia Tech at North Carolina, 17-14 North Carolina
Connecticut at Temple, 31-24 UConn
North Texas at Army, 21-14 Army
Ball State at Purdue, 35-28 Purdue
Air Force at Oklahoma, 34-24 Oklahoma
Florida at Tennessee, 21-17 Florida
BYU at Florida State, 31-21 Florida State
Troy at UAB, 28-27 Troy
Louisville at Oregon State, 35-17 Oregon State
Middle Tennessee State at Memphis, 38-14 Middle Tennessee State
Boise State at Wyoming, 42-7 Boise State
Texas at Texas Tech, 41-35 Texas
Notre Dame at Michigan State, 27-21 Notre Dame
Fresno State at Utah State, 24-21 Utah State
New Mexico State at UTEP, 28-17 UTEP
Iowa at Arizona, 27-17 Iowa
Houston at UCLA, 38-35 Houston
If you missed College Football Haven's Top 25 this week, click here.
If you missed Monday Musings this week, click here.
If you missed College Football Haven's Heisman Hopefuls this week, click here.
If you missed this week's trivia question, click here.
Friday, September 17
Kansas at Southern Miss, 31-21 Southern Miss
California at Nevada, 31-10 Cal
Saturday, September 18
Ohio at Ohio State, 42-3 Ohio State
Arkansas at Georgia, 42-24 Arkansas
Maryland at West Virginia, 24-21 West Virginia
Kent State at Penn State, 31-7 Penn State
Georgia Tech at North Carolina, 17-14 North Carolina
Connecticut at Temple, 31-24 UConn
North Texas at Army, 21-14 Army
Ball State at Purdue, 35-28 Purdue
Air Force at Oklahoma, 34-24 Oklahoma
Florida at Tennessee, 21-17 Florida
BYU at Florida State, 31-21 Florida State
Troy at UAB, 28-27 Troy
Louisville at Oregon State, 35-17 Oregon State
Middle Tennessee State at Memphis, 38-14 Middle Tennessee State
Boise State at Wyoming, 42-7 Boise State
Texas at Texas Tech, 41-35 Texas
Notre Dame at Michigan State, 27-21 Notre Dame
Fresno State at Utah State, 24-21 Utah State
New Mexico State at UTEP, 28-17 UTEP
Iowa at Arizona, 27-17 Iowa
Houston at UCLA, 38-35 Houston
If you missed College Football Haven's Top 25 this week, click here.
If you missed Monday Musings this week, click here.
If you missed College Football Haven's Heisman Hopefuls this week, click here.
If you missed this week's trivia question, click here.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Heisman Trophy Hopefuls, Week 2, 2010
The Heisman Trophy race continued to evolve this week with all the big games and big performances. After poor performances last week, Landry Jones and Jake Locker rebounded to look like legitimate Heisman Trophy candidates. Mark Ingram missed his second consecutive game. Unless he comes back and runs for 300 yards next week he is unofficially eliminated. Dion Lewis needs to have a big game soon or he will be off the list as well. He averaged less than 3 yards per carry against New Hampshire. You can say the same thing about Ryan Williams for Virginia Tech. He had less than 100 yards on 20 carries in a loss to James Madison. That is not the way Heisman hopefuls play. Christian Ponder and Jacory Harris hurt their chances mightily with poor performances on the big stage, while Terrell Pryor helped himself with over 200 yards passing and 100 yards rushing against Miami. However, I think we can all agree that if the Heisman had to be awarded today, the trophy would go to Denard Robinson at Michigan. He is 43-62 (69.4%) for 430 yards, 2 TD and 0 Int, plus 57 rushes for 455 yards (8 yards per carry) and 3 TD.
As I stated last week, no one will be added or removed from the detailed list of hopefuls until after week three. A few players have played their way onto the radar. Marcus Lattimore from South Carolina with his huge game against Georgia. Ricky Stanzi with Iowa. He is playing much better this year and appears poised to lead Iowa on a run for the national championship. Jeffery Demps at Florida is becoming the 2010 version of Percy Harvin while averaging over 12 yards a carry on an otherwise inept Florida offense.
Mark Ingram, Alabama
2009: 271 rushes, 1,658 yards, 17 TD
2010: --
Last: Did not play vs. Penn State
John Clay, Wisconsin
2009: 287 rushes, 1,517 yards, 18 TD
2010: 40 rushes, 260 yards, 4 TD
Last: 23 rushes, 137 yards, 2 TD
Ryan Williams, Virginia Tech
2009: 293 rushes, 1,655 yards, 21 TD
2010: 40 rushes, 131 yards, 2 TD
Last: 20 rushes, 91 yards
Jaquizz Rodgers, Oregon State
2009: 273 rushes, 1,440 yards, 21 TD
2010: 18 rushes, 75 yards, 1 TD
Last: Bye
Dion Lewis, Pitt
2009: 325 rushes, 1,799 yards, 17 TD
2010: 35 rushes, 102 yards, 2 TD
Last: 10 rushes, 27 yards, 1 TD
Terrell Pryor, Ohio State
2009: 167-295 (56.6%), 2094 yards, 18 TD, 11 Int / 162 rushes, 779 yards, 7 TD
2010: 29-52 (55.8%), 480 yards, 4 TD, 0 INT / 28 rushes, 130 yards, 1 TD
Last: 12-27 (44.4%), 233 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT / 20 rushes, 113 yards, 1 TD
Jake Locker, Washington
2009: 230-395 (58.2%), 2,800 yards, 21 TD, 11 Int / 112 rushes, 388 yards, 7 TD
2010: 42-70 (60.0%), 555 yards, 5 TD, 0 Int / 16 rushes, 41 yards, 1 TD
Last: 22-33 (66.7%), 289 yards, 4 TD, 0 Int / 5 rushes, 12 yards
Ryan Mallett, Arkansas
2009: 225-403 (55.8%), 3,627 yards, 30 TD, 7 Int
2010: 49-67 (73.1%), 701 yards, 6 TD, 2 Int
Last: 28-43 (65.1%), 400 yards, 3 TD, 1 Int
Christian Ponder, Florida State
2009: 227-330 (68.8%), 2,717 yards, 14 TD, 7 INT
2010: 23-42 (54.8%), 280 yards, 4 TD, 3 Int
Last: 11-28 (39.3%), 113 yards, 0 TD, 2 Int
Jacory Harris, Miami
2009: 242-406 (59.6%), 3,352 yards, 24 TD, 17 INT
2010: 34-54 (63%), 442 yards, 4 TD, 4 Int
Last: 22-39 (56.4%), 232 yards, 1 TD, 4 Int
Landry Jones, Oklahoma
2009: 261-449 (58.1%), 3,198 yards, 26 TD, 14 INT
2010: 47-76 (61.8%), 597 yards, 6 TD, 2 Int
Last: 30-40 (75.0%), 380 yards, 4 TD, 0 Int
Matt Barkley, USC
2009: 211-352 (59.9%), 2,735 yards, 15 TD, 14 INT
2010: 38-58 (65.5%), 459 yards, 7 TD, 0 Int
Last: 20-35 (57.1%), 202 yards, 2 TD, 0 Int
Jerrod Johnson, Texas A&M
2009: 296-497 (59.6%), 3,579 yards, 30 TD, 8 Int / 145 rush, 508 yards, 8 TD
2010: 53-78 (67.9%), 671 yards, 6 TD, 0 Int
Last: 25-38 (65.8%), 349 yards, 4 TD, 0 Int
Kellen Moore, Boise State
2009: 277-431 (64.3%), 3,536 yards, 39 TD, 3 INT
2010: 23-38 (60.5%), 215 yards, 3 TD, 0 Int
Last: Bye
Case Keenum, Houston
2009: 492-700 (70.3%), 5,671 yards, 44 TD, 15 INT
2010: 32-46 (69.6%), 553 yards, 5 TD, 3 Int
Last: 15-24 (62.5%), 279 yards, 0 TD, 1 Int
ON THE RADAR: Kendall Hunter, Oklahoma State; DeMarco Murray, Oklahoma; Daniel Thomas, Kansas State; Andrew Luck, Stanford; Greg McElroy, Alabama; Denard Robinson, Michigan; Cameron Newton, Auburn; Ricky Stanzi, Iowa; Marcus Lattimore, South Carolina; Jeffery Demps, Florida
Did you miss the College Football Haven Week 2 Top 25? Check it out here
Did you miss the Monday Musings for Week 2? Read them here.
As I stated last week, no one will be added or removed from the detailed list of hopefuls until after week three. A few players have played their way onto the radar. Marcus Lattimore from South Carolina with his huge game against Georgia. Ricky Stanzi with Iowa. He is playing much better this year and appears poised to lead Iowa on a run for the national championship. Jeffery Demps at Florida is becoming the 2010 version of Percy Harvin while averaging over 12 yards a carry on an otherwise inept Florida offense.
Mark Ingram, Alabama
2009: 271 rushes, 1,658 yards, 17 TD
2010: --
Last: Did not play vs. Penn State
John Clay, Wisconsin
2009: 287 rushes, 1,517 yards, 18 TD
2010: 40 rushes, 260 yards, 4 TD
Last: 23 rushes, 137 yards, 2 TD
Ryan Williams, Virginia Tech
2009: 293 rushes, 1,655 yards, 21 TD
2010: 40 rushes, 131 yards, 2 TD
Last: 20 rushes, 91 yards
Jaquizz Rodgers, Oregon State
2009: 273 rushes, 1,440 yards, 21 TD
2010: 18 rushes, 75 yards, 1 TD
Last: Bye
Dion Lewis, Pitt
2009: 325 rushes, 1,799 yards, 17 TD
2010: 35 rushes, 102 yards, 2 TD
Last: 10 rushes, 27 yards, 1 TD
Terrell Pryor, Ohio State
2009: 167-295 (56.6%), 2094 yards, 18 TD, 11 Int / 162 rushes, 779 yards, 7 TD
2010: 29-52 (55.8%), 480 yards, 4 TD, 0 INT / 28 rushes, 130 yards, 1 TD
Last: 12-27 (44.4%), 233 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT / 20 rushes, 113 yards, 1 TD
Jake Locker, Washington
2009: 230-395 (58.2%), 2,800 yards, 21 TD, 11 Int / 112 rushes, 388 yards, 7 TD
2010: 42-70 (60.0%), 555 yards, 5 TD, 0 Int / 16 rushes, 41 yards, 1 TD
Last: 22-33 (66.7%), 289 yards, 4 TD, 0 Int / 5 rushes, 12 yards
Ryan Mallett, Arkansas
2009: 225-403 (55.8%), 3,627 yards, 30 TD, 7 Int
2010: 49-67 (73.1%), 701 yards, 6 TD, 2 Int
Last: 28-43 (65.1%), 400 yards, 3 TD, 1 Int
Christian Ponder, Florida State
2009: 227-330 (68.8%), 2,717 yards, 14 TD, 7 INT
2010: 23-42 (54.8%), 280 yards, 4 TD, 3 Int
Last: 11-28 (39.3%), 113 yards, 0 TD, 2 Int
Jacory Harris, Miami
2009: 242-406 (59.6%), 3,352 yards, 24 TD, 17 INT
2010: 34-54 (63%), 442 yards, 4 TD, 4 Int
Last: 22-39 (56.4%), 232 yards, 1 TD, 4 Int
Landry Jones, Oklahoma
2009: 261-449 (58.1%), 3,198 yards, 26 TD, 14 INT
2010: 47-76 (61.8%), 597 yards, 6 TD, 2 Int
Last: 30-40 (75.0%), 380 yards, 4 TD, 0 Int
Matt Barkley, USC
2009: 211-352 (59.9%), 2,735 yards, 15 TD, 14 INT
2010: 38-58 (65.5%), 459 yards, 7 TD, 0 Int
Last: 20-35 (57.1%), 202 yards, 2 TD, 0 Int
Jerrod Johnson, Texas A&M
2009: 296-497 (59.6%), 3,579 yards, 30 TD, 8 Int / 145 rush, 508 yards, 8 TD
2010: 53-78 (67.9%), 671 yards, 6 TD, 0 Int
Last: 25-38 (65.8%), 349 yards, 4 TD, 0 Int
Kellen Moore, Boise State
2009: 277-431 (64.3%), 3,536 yards, 39 TD, 3 INT
2010: 23-38 (60.5%), 215 yards, 3 TD, 0 Int
Last: Bye
Case Keenum, Houston
2009: 492-700 (70.3%), 5,671 yards, 44 TD, 15 INT
2010: 32-46 (69.6%), 553 yards, 5 TD, 3 Int
Last: 15-24 (62.5%), 279 yards, 0 TD, 1 Int
ON THE RADAR: Kendall Hunter, Oklahoma State; DeMarco Murray, Oklahoma; Daniel Thomas, Kansas State; Andrew Luck, Stanford; Greg McElroy, Alabama; Denard Robinson, Michigan; Cameron Newton, Auburn; Ricky Stanzi, Iowa; Marcus Lattimore, South Carolina; Jeffery Demps, Florida
Did you miss the College Football Haven Week 2 Top 25? Check it out here
Did you miss the Monday Musings for Week 2? Read them here.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Monday Musings: 10 Thoughts About College Football, Week 2
Week 2 of the 2010 college football season is in the books. It was another week full of surprises and outstanding play. Looking back on the weekend, here are my Monday Musings:
1. Steve Spurrier's solution for South Carolina. Steve Spurrier has struggled to win at South Carolina the same way he won at Florida. He may have found the solution. Running back Marcus Lattimore took the Gamecocks on his back Saturday in a pivotal game against Georgia. The freshman rushed for 182 yards and two touchdowns.
2. The year of the Dakotas. In week 1, Kansas lost to North Dakota State, 6-3. This week Minnesota lost to South Dakota, 41-38. Everyone circle September 25 on your calenders. Suddenly the North Dakota State-South Dakota game has become must see TV.
3. Houston, we have a run game. We all know that the Houston Cougars have a potent passing attack. Well, it looks like they found a run game to compliment it. Bryce Beall ripped off 195 yards on the ground this week against UTEP. With Case Keenum day-to-day following a concussion, Houston might have to rely on the services of Beall this week against UCLA.
4. This is the best you've got, ACC? The top teams in the ACC did not represent the conference well this week. Miami didn't even push Ohio State. Georgia Tech lost to the aforementioned Kansas team. Florida State was less of a challenge to Oklahoma than Utah State. However, the worst of the weekend was Virginia Tech coming up empty at home against James Madison. Is it time to auction off that BCS spot to the highest bidder?
5. The next move for the Pac-10. This one is so obvious that no studies need to be done. Just cast the votes and announce it later today. It is time to kick out Washington State and replace them with Boise State. From stadium size to media market it is an even swap. The quality of the product in Boise, however, is vastly superior to the product in Pullman. After dropping their opener 65-17 to Oklahoma State, the Cougars had to outscore the Montana State Bobcats 16-0 in the fourth quarter to pull out a 23-22 win and snap a 10 game losing streak.
6. That's more like it. Not to be outdone in futility, future Pac-10 member Colorado returned to its losing ways. The CU Buffaloes showed a different identity than we have become accustomed to in their opener against Colorado State (24-3 win). This week, the Buffs were back to normal. The Cal Bears hung 52 points on Colorado in a 45 point victory. Somehow, Colorado was able to win the third quarter 7-0.
7. Bye, bye, national title hopes. No I am not referring to Virginia Tech, although they can kiss the national championship good-bye as well. I am alluding to the Sun Belt Conference. Ok, maybe they didn't really have any national title aspirations in the first place. However, they are officially out of the picture now. With Florida Atlantic, Troy, FIU, and Louisiana-Monroe all losing this week, no Sun Belt member is still undefeated.
8. The nation's leading rusher is who? A quarterback. With his 258 yard outburst against Notre Dame, Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson is the nation's leading rusher with 455 yards. He has a 41 yard edge on Kendall Hunter from Oklahoma State. Robinson ran for 197 yards against Connecticut in the season opener. It appears he could maintain this lead for awhile.
9. The best 0-2 team. Vanderbilt. The Commodores lost a 23-21 decision to Northwestern in the season opener. They were in striking distance (10-3) going into the fourth quarter against LSU this week. Not too bad considering they lost their head coach only a few weeks before fall camp opened.
10. The worst 2-0 team. Arizona State. What substance is there in wins against Portland State and Northern Arizona? The next two weeks (Wisconsin and Oregon) should even the Sun Devil's record.
For the new College Football Haven Top 25, click here.
1. Steve Spurrier's solution for South Carolina. Steve Spurrier has struggled to win at South Carolina the same way he won at Florida. He may have found the solution. Running back Marcus Lattimore took the Gamecocks on his back Saturday in a pivotal game against Georgia. The freshman rushed for 182 yards and two touchdowns.
2. The year of the Dakotas. In week 1, Kansas lost to North Dakota State, 6-3. This week Minnesota lost to South Dakota, 41-38. Everyone circle September 25 on your calenders. Suddenly the North Dakota State-South Dakota game has become must see TV.
3. Houston, we have a run game. We all know that the Houston Cougars have a potent passing attack. Well, it looks like they found a run game to compliment it. Bryce Beall ripped off 195 yards on the ground this week against UTEP. With Case Keenum day-to-day following a concussion, Houston might have to rely on the services of Beall this week against UCLA.
4. This is the best you've got, ACC? The top teams in the ACC did not represent the conference well this week. Miami didn't even push Ohio State. Georgia Tech lost to the aforementioned Kansas team. Florida State was less of a challenge to Oklahoma than Utah State. However, the worst of the weekend was Virginia Tech coming up empty at home against James Madison. Is it time to auction off that BCS spot to the highest bidder?
5. The next move for the Pac-10. This one is so obvious that no studies need to be done. Just cast the votes and announce it later today. It is time to kick out Washington State and replace them with Boise State. From stadium size to media market it is an even swap. The quality of the product in Boise, however, is vastly superior to the product in Pullman. After dropping their opener 65-17 to Oklahoma State, the Cougars had to outscore the Montana State Bobcats 16-0 in the fourth quarter to pull out a 23-22 win and snap a 10 game losing streak.
6. That's more like it. Not to be outdone in futility, future Pac-10 member Colorado returned to its losing ways. The CU Buffaloes showed a different identity than we have become accustomed to in their opener against Colorado State (24-3 win). This week, the Buffs were back to normal. The Cal Bears hung 52 points on Colorado in a 45 point victory. Somehow, Colorado was able to win the third quarter 7-0.
7. Bye, bye, national title hopes. No I am not referring to Virginia Tech, although they can kiss the national championship good-bye as well. I am alluding to the Sun Belt Conference. Ok, maybe they didn't really have any national title aspirations in the first place. However, they are officially out of the picture now. With Florida Atlantic, Troy, FIU, and Louisiana-Monroe all losing this week, no Sun Belt member is still undefeated.
8. The nation's leading rusher is who? A quarterback. With his 258 yard outburst against Notre Dame, Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson is the nation's leading rusher with 455 yards. He has a 41 yard edge on Kendall Hunter from Oklahoma State. Robinson ran for 197 yards against Connecticut in the season opener. It appears he could maintain this lead for awhile.
9. The best 0-2 team. Vanderbilt. The Commodores lost a 23-21 decision to Northwestern in the season opener. They were in striking distance (10-3) going into the fourth quarter against LSU this week. Not too bad considering they lost their head coach only a few weeks before fall camp opened.
10. The worst 2-0 team. Arizona State. What substance is there in wins against Portland State and Northern Arizona? The next two weeks (Wisconsin and Oregon) should even the Sun Devil's record.
For the new College Football Haven Top 25, click here.
Monday, September 6, 2010
College Football 2010: 10 Musings From Week 1
The 2010 college football season got off to a great start this weekend. It had everything we have come to expect: upsets, blowouts, new players making a name for themselves, new players struggling, old stars are still shining, some of the good teams are still very good, some of the bad teams are still very bad, and unexpected events happened. Here are 10 musings looking back on week one.
1. Biggest Upset: Jacksonville State 49, Ole Miss 48. I wasn't a very good weekend for the SEC (overrated?), and this game was the worst. This is Jacksonville State from the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). We aren't talking about App. State, the two time defending FCS national champion who went on to win their third national championship in a row the year they beat Michigan. Jacksonville State was 8-3 last year, they didn't make the FCS playoffs, and they don't have Ryan Perrilloux this year either.
2. How did that happen? Toledo lost to Arizona 41-2. Maybe I am just weird, but I look at that score and wonder how Toledo was able to get the safety. Safeties are a rarity in football, and for a team to get a safety is a major accomplishment. An accomplishment that you don't expect from a team that is being outscored 41-0 otherwise.
3. I told you so. Just remember you saw it here first. While everyone had Florida ranked in their preseason top 5. I had the Gators number 16. Honestly, I don't know if they even deserve that ranking after struggling so mightily against Miami (OH).
4. Should we be concerned? Florida, Oklahoma, Texas, and USC were supposed to win by hefty margins, and the starters should have rested most of the second half. Instead, they all played well into the fourth quarter.
5. Didn't see that coming. Oregon 72-0 over New Mexico. Sure I had Oregon winning, but who expected 59 points in the first half and 72 at game's end? With the LaMichael James out, Jeremiah Masoli gone, I thought Oregon would play more like the four teams above. I guess the real question is, did I underestimate Oregon or is New Mexico still that bad?
6. Who is that guy? When Middle Tennessee State lost Dwight Dasher less than a week before their first game, it was supposed to be a fatal blow. Dasher was going to be the guy that put the Sun Belt Conference on the map. Rather than fold and give Minnesota an easy win, Logan Kilgore stepped in and put up impressive numbers as Middle Tennessee State actually had the lead going into the fourth quarter.
7. We want our coach back. Cincinnati lost to Fresno State 28-14. After a perfect regular season a year ago, the Bearcats already have a blemish. Meanwhile, former Cincinnati head coach Brian Kelly was in South Bend celebrating his first win with Notre Dame.
8. Don't get too excited. Wake Forest won its first game 53-13. That is cause to celebrate after a 5-7 season last year, right? Not so fast. That 40 point win came against Presbyterian, an FCS team that was 0-11 in 2009. Let's wait and see how the Demon Deacons do against Stanford in two weeks.
9. That must have felt good. Year 3 for Rich Rodriguez at Michigan started with a 30-10 win over a Connecticut team expected to contend in the Big East. For a man needing a big year, this was the right way to start.
10. Ten and counting. After opening 2009 with three straight wins, Colorado State then dropped their next nine. The 24-3 loss on Saturday to Colorado makes it 10 consecutive losses and counting.
1. Biggest Upset: Jacksonville State 49, Ole Miss 48. I wasn't a very good weekend for the SEC (overrated?), and this game was the worst. This is Jacksonville State from the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). We aren't talking about App. State, the two time defending FCS national champion who went on to win their third national championship in a row the year they beat Michigan. Jacksonville State was 8-3 last year, they didn't make the FCS playoffs, and they don't have Ryan Perrilloux this year either.
2. How did that happen? Toledo lost to Arizona 41-2. Maybe I am just weird, but I look at that score and wonder how Toledo was able to get the safety. Safeties are a rarity in football, and for a team to get a safety is a major accomplishment. An accomplishment that you don't expect from a team that is being outscored 41-0 otherwise.
3. I told you so. Just remember you saw it here first. While everyone had Florida ranked in their preseason top 5. I had the Gators number 16. Honestly, I don't know if they even deserve that ranking after struggling so mightily against Miami (OH).
4. Should we be concerned? Florida, Oklahoma, Texas, and USC were supposed to win by hefty margins, and the starters should have rested most of the second half. Instead, they all played well into the fourth quarter.
5. Didn't see that coming. Oregon 72-0 over New Mexico. Sure I had Oregon winning, but who expected 59 points in the first half and 72 at game's end? With the LaMichael James out, Jeremiah Masoli gone, I thought Oregon would play more like the four teams above. I guess the real question is, did I underestimate Oregon or is New Mexico still that bad?
6. Who is that guy? When Middle Tennessee State lost Dwight Dasher less than a week before their first game, it was supposed to be a fatal blow. Dasher was going to be the guy that put the Sun Belt Conference on the map. Rather than fold and give Minnesota an easy win, Logan Kilgore stepped in and put up impressive numbers as Middle Tennessee State actually had the lead going into the fourth quarter.
7. We want our coach back. Cincinnati lost to Fresno State 28-14. After a perfect regular season a year ago, the Bearcats already have a blemish. Meanwhile, former Cincinnati head coach Brian Kelly was in South Bend celebrating his first win with Notre Dame.
8. Don't get too excited. Wake Forest won its first game 53-13. That is cause to celebrate after a 5-7 season last year, right? Not so fast. That 40 point win came against Presbyterian, an FCS team that was 0-11 in 2009. Let's wait and see how the Demon Deacons do against Stanford in two weeks.
9. That must have felt good. Year 3 for Rich Rodriguez at Michigan started with a 30-10 win over a Connecticut team expected to contend in the Big East. For a man needing a big year, this was the right way to start.
10. Ten and counting. After opening 2009 with three straight wins, Colorado State then dropped their next nine. The 24-3 loss on Saturday to Colorado makes it 10 consecutive losses and counting.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Violate the Rules Now, Don't Pay Later
Last year Michigan was hit by the NCAA for violating rules. Earlier this year, the NCAA finally came down on USC for events that happened back when Reggie Bush was on campus. Just last week, the NCAA accused West Virginia of major violations. These major violations started when Rich Rodriguez coached there.
There are many complaints about how the NCAA handles rules violations, but the biggest is probably that in many cases the violators escape any real punishment. For example, Reggie Bush and Pete Carroll. Bush doesn't have to sit out any games, lose any eligibility, or have a "no draft" tag placed on him by the NCAA in cooperation with the NFL. Pete Carroll has changed employers and he will never feel the effects of the lost bowl appearances and lost scholarships. The West Virginia case presents the same problem. Whatever punishment the NCAA metes out to the Mountaineers for Rich Rod's transgressions will not be borne by Rodriguez.
How can this problem be corrected for both players and coaches? For coaches, I think there is a pretty easy solution. If the coach is no longer at the university, then he has to take a 15-20% pay cut. A second violation would bring a larger pay cut (30%). A third violation and the coach is banned from being a head coach in the NCAA. For a coach like Pete Carroll who is no longer coaching college football, the NCAA can sue him. (I don't know how coaches contracts are structured now, but the NCAA could make it mandatory that all coaches contracts include a provision that states the coach agrees to pay a fine if he retires or takes a NFL coaching job and is later found to have broken NCAA rules.)
For players, the solution is not as simple. In fact, I don't have a solution that I feel strongly about. The player's stats and records could be stricken from the books. What might be better is to have the player pay back the monetary value of the scholarship that he received.
The fact of the matter is that unless the NCAA changes something, coaches and players will continue to violate rules at the same rate or higher.
There are many complaints about how the NCAA handles rules violations, but the biggest is probably that in many cases the violators escape any real punishment. For example, Reggie Bush and Pete Carroll. Bush doesn't have to sit out any games, lose any eligibility, or have a "no draft" tag placed on him by the NCAA in cooperation with the NFL. Pete Carroll has changed employers and he will never feel the effects of the lost bowl appearances and lost scholarships. The West Virginia case presents the same problem. Whatever punishment the NCAA metes out to the Mountaineers for Rich Rod's transgressions will not be borne by Rodriguez.
How can this problem be corrected for both players and coaches? For coaches, I think there is a pretty easy solution. If the coach is no longer at the university, then he has to take a 15-20% pay cut. A second violation would bring a larger pay cut (30%). A third violation and the coach is banned from being a head coach in the NCAA. For a coach like Pete Carroll who is no longer coaching college football, the NCAA can sue him. (I don't know how coaches contracts are structured now, but the NCAA could make it mandatory that all coaches contracts include a provision that states the coach agrees to pay a fine if he retires or takes a NFL coaching job and is later found to have broken NCAA rules.)
For players, the solution is not as simple. In fact, I don't have a solution that I feel strongly about. The player's stats and records could be stricken from the books. What might be better is to have the player pay back the monetary value of the scholarship that he received.
The fact of the matter is that unless the NCAA changes something, coaches and players will continue to violate rules at the same rate or higher.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Conference Expansion Craziness
Sorry I have not posted a real article or anything for such a long time. Thank you to those who still frequented the site and have been participating in the opinion polls.
We are in the middle of what is supposed to be the quiet time for college football. Letter of Intent day is long passed and the spring football practice sessions wrapped up weeks ago. Classes are out and the coaches can't have contact with the players. Yet, the conference expansion craze is generating enough headlines and discussion to make this as busy as the regular season. Let's quickly run down the popular possibilities for each conference in expansion.
Big 10
We will start with the one that is responsible for this mess.
Plan A is to add Notre Dame to reach 12 and hold a championship game.
Plan B seems to be to take teams from the Big 12 and Big East to reach 14. Top candidates include the Big 12's Nebraska and Missouri and the Big East's Rutgers, Syracuse, and Pitt.
Pac-10
Plan A is to change the rule for championship games to conferences with 10 teams, as opposed to the current minimum of 12.
Plan A-1 emerged just last weekend to add six Big 12 schools that would include Texas, Texas Tech, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, and either Colorado or Baylor.
Plan B Add Colorado and Utah to reach 12 and get a championship game to leverage a better TV deal and start a Pac-12 Network.
Big 12
Plan A is to weather the storm by keeping the nucleus of Texas, Oklahoma, and Nebraska. They would prefer not to lose any team, but if Missouri goes they will survive.
Plan B add BYU, Louisville, Cincinnati, Memphis, Arkansas, or another team NOT IN THE CURRENT BIG 12 FOOTPRINT to replace Missouri.
SEC
Plan A is to wait and see what happens knowing most likely they won't have to do anything.
Plan B is to expand to 16 teams by attacking the ACC and/or Big 12. Popular candidates include Texas, Texas A&M, Florida State, Miami, Clemson, and Georgia Tech.
Big East
Plan A is to give Notre Dame an ultimatum to join the conference for football or lose membership for its other sports. This is viewed as the best hope for survival, regardless of Notre Dame's response. The idea is to stop radical changes by forcing Notre Dame to join the Big 10 or, in their dreams, to stabilize the Big East by having Notre Dame as a football school.
Plan B die.
Plan C reach into the mid-majors again and repopulate the conference after the dust settles.
THE REST
Plan A is to wait and see. The Mountain West Conference (MWC) made this clear yesterday in a press conference announcing that Boise State would not be added. The ACC will only add teams if it loses teams or 16 becomes the new 12. The rest of the mid-majors won't expand unless one of the major conferences disbands and they feel they can capitalize with one of the once privileged "BCS schools."
With all these options on the table, which make the most sense and are the most likely?
Big 10 Plan A. Probably not going to happen. Notre Dame is being very vocal about wanting to stay independent, which means that is probably the message the boosters are sending. Notre Dame will listen to its boosters more than the Big 10.
Big 10 Plan B. Rumors are that Nebraska and Missouri to the Big 10 is immenent and could be annouced very soon. I think this has a high probability of happening, but not this month. Expansion is as big of a decision for these conferences as marraige is to an individual. The conferences will take the time that they need. These two teams would bring the total to 13 for the Big 10, which means one Big East team needs to come along. Pitt has the best football program, but offers the least new market. Rutgers has shown promise and the head coach is committed to the school, but how much market do the Scarlet Knights really bring? Syracuse has been putrid in football, but is great in basketball. However, the Orangemen seem to have the potential of delivering the most TV sets. I would rank the likelihood of these teams joining the Big 10 as 1-Rutgers, 2-Pitt, 3-Syracuse.
Pac-10 Plan A and A-1. Until the news broke about the 6 Big 12 schools I thought changing the championship game rule was going to happen and the Pac-10 would not change. If the numbers add up for Texas, I think the six Big 12 teams will end up joining the Pac. I have no expertise in projecting TV revenues, but I think there is a good chance that Texas would stand to profit with this arrangement with the Pac-10. If not, I think this opens a new can of worms for the top teams from the Pac and the top teams from the Big 12 to form a new 12-16 team conference hand picking the teams that would make the $$$ numbers work.
Pac-10 Plan B. What was once the most likely and reasonable scenario is as good as dead, I think. If this was such a great idea, the Pac-10 would not be bending over backwards to try and make other scenarios work.
Big 12 Plan A. Your guess is as good as mine about keeping the Big 12 nucleus together. It is hard to imagine that the Big 12 could cease to exist, but at this point we have to accept that it just might.
Big 12 Plan B. If Missouri is the only school to replace you can rule out Arkansas and Memphis as candidates. It won't happen. Cincinnati is very unlikely as well. I think it will come down to Louisville or BYU. Anyone who knows me will know that BYU would be my preference, but my gut feeling tells me that the Big 12 would prefer to expand east, not west. A presence east of the Mississippi could be very valuable.
SEC Plan A. This is the plan I envision the SEC following. Even if conferences expand to 16 teams now, the SEC is in a position to wait and see if these expansions really work. If they do, the SEC is strong enough to rip teams away from almost anyone.
Big East Plan A. I don't see the ultimatum happening. I really think the Big East will go down (Plan B) without much of a fight if two or more teams are taken. Raiding other conferences will prove fruitless because the Big East will be so weakened that BCS automatic qualifying status will be lost.
To summarize, the biggest players in the conference expansion game are: Notre Dame, Texas, and the NCAA rule for minimum teams required for a championship game. Notre Dame is capable of keeping the structure of eastern college football largely in tact by joining the Big East. Texas is capable of exploding the structure of college football nationwide by breaking up the Big 12. An NCAA rule change could keep everything status quo. Not only would it satisfy the Pac 10, it could satisfy the Big 10, or keep the Big 12 from expanding if one or two teams leave.
We are in the middle of what is supposed to be the quiet time for college football. Letter of Intent day is long passed and the spring football practice sessions wrapped up weeks ago. Classes are out and the coaches can't have contact with the players. Yet, the conference expansion craze is generating enough headlines and discussion to make this as busy as the regular season. Let's quickly run down the popular possibilities for each conference in expansion.
Big 10
We will start with the one that is responsible for this mess.
Plan A is to add Notre Dame to reach 12 and hold a championship game.
Plan B seems to be to take teams from the Big 12 and Big East to reach 14. Top candidates include the Big 12's Nebraska and Missouri and the Big East's Rutgers, Syracuse, and Pitt.
Pac-10
Plan A is to change the rule for championship games to conferences with 10 teams, as opposed to the current minimum of 12.
Plan A-1 emerged just last weekend to add six Big 12 schools that would include Texas, Texas Tech, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, and either Colorado or Baylor.
Plan B Add Colorado and Utah to reach 12 and get a championship game to leverage a better TV deal and start a Pac-12 Network.
Big 12
Plan A is to weather the storm by keeping the nucleus of Texas, Oklahoma, and Nebraska. They would prefer not to lose any team, but if Missouri goes they will survive.
Plan B add BYU, Louisville, Cincinnati, Memphis, Arkansas, or another team NOT IN THE CURRENT BIG 12 FOOTPRINT to replace Missouri.
SEC
Plan A is to wait and see what happens knowing most likely they won't have to do anything.
Plan B is to expand to 16 teams by attacking the ACC and/or Big 12. Popular candidates include Texas, Texas A&M, Florida State, Miami, Clemson, and Georgia Tech.
Big East
Plan A is to give Notre Dame an ultimatum to join the conference for football or lose membership for its other sports. This is viewed as the best hope for survival, regardless of Notre Dame's response. The idea is to stop radical changes by forcing Notre Dame to join the Big 10 or, in their dreams, to stabilize the Big East by having Notre Dame as a football school.
Plan B die.
Plan C reach into the mid-majors again and repopulate the conference after the dust settles.
THE REST
Plan A is to wait and see. The Mountain West Conference (MWC) made this clear yesterday in a press conference announcing that Boise State would not be added. The ACC will only add teams if it loses teams or 16 becomes the new 12. The rest of the mid-majors won't expand unless one of the major conferences disbands and they feel they can capitalize with one of the once privileged "BCS schools."
With all these options on the table, which make the most sense and are the most likely?
Big 10 Plan A. Probably not going to happen. Notre Dame is being very vocal about wanting to stay independent, which means that is probably the message the boosters are sending. Notre Dame will listen to its boosters more than the Big 10.
Big 10 Plan B. Rumors are that Nebraska and Missouri to the Big 10 is immenent and could be annouced very soon. I think this has a high probability of happening, but not this month. Expansion is as big of a decision for these conferences as marraige is to an individual. The conferences will take the time that they need. These two teams would bring the total to 13 for the Big 10, which means one Big East team needs to come along. Pitt has the best football program, but offers the least new market. Rutgers has shown promise and the head coach is committed to the school, but how much market do the Scarlet Knights really bring? Syracuse has been putrid in football, but is great in basketball. However, the Orangemen seem to have the potential of delivering the most TV sets. I would rank the likelihood of these teams joining the Big 10 as 1-Rutgers, 2-Pitt, 3-Syracuse.
Pac-10 Plan A and A-1. Until the news broke about the 6 Big 12 schools I thought changing the championship game rule was going to happen and the Pac-10 would not change. If the numbers add up for Texas, I think the six Big 12 teams will end up joining the Pac. I have no expertise in projecting TV revenues, but I think there is a good chance that Texas would stand to profit with this arrangement with the Pac-10. If not, I think this opens a new can of worms for the top teams from the Pac and the top teams from the Big 12 to form a new 12-16 team conference hand picking the teams that would make the $$$ numbers work.
Pac-10 Plan B. What was once the most likely and reasonable scenario is as good as dead, I think. If this was such a great idea, the Pac-10 would not be bending over backwards to try and make other scenarios work.
Big 12 Plan A. Your guess is as good as mine about keeping the Big 12 nucleus together. It is hard to imagine that the Big 12 could cease to exist, but at this point we have to accept that it just might.
Big 12 Plan B. If Missouri is the only school to replace you can rule out Arkansas and Memphis as candidates. It won't happen. Cincinnati is very unlikely as well. I think it will come down to Louisville or BYU. Anyone who knows me will know that BYU would be my preference, but my gut feeling tells me that the Big 12 would prefer to expand east, not west. A presence east of the Mississippi could be very valuable.
SEC Plan A. This is the plan I envision the SEC following. Even if conferences expand to 16 teams now, the SEC is in a position to wait and see if these expansions really work. If they do, the SEC is strong enough to rip teams away from almost anyone.
Big East Plan A. I don't see the ultimatum happening. I really think the Big East will go down (Plan B) without much of a fight if two or more teams are taken. Raiding other conferences will prove fruitless because the Big East will be so weakened that BCS automatic qualifying status will be lost.
To summarize, the biggest players in the conference expansion game are: Notre Dame, Texas, and the NCAA rule for minimum teams required for a championship game. Notre Dame is capable of keeping the structure of eastern college football largely in tact by joining the Big East. Texas is capable of exploding the structure of college football nationwide by breaking up the Big 12. An NCAA rule change could keep everything status quo. Not only would it satisfy the Pac 10, it could satisfy the Big 10, or keep the Big 12 from expanding if one or two teams leave.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
WEEK IN REVIEW: Mar. 7-13
When this week began we were less than six months away from kick off. No wonder the spike in newsworthy headlines.
1. 'Bama meets Obama. The 2009 National Champion Alabama Crimson Tide were welcomed to the White House by President Obama on Monday, March 8.
2. Oregon head coach Chip Kelly has suspended starting quarterback Jeremiah Masoli for one year after he plead guilty to second degree burglary charges. Star running back LaMichael James will miss one game next year. Some think that losing Masoli is not a big deal and Oregon should still be the front runner in the Pac-10. I think it blows the Pac-10 wide open. USC is still a big question mark, Stanford lost Toby Gerhart, Washington is a wild card that will impact who wins the championship. Maybe this will be Oregon State's year. Mike Riely consistently overachieves with his players, and the Rodgers brothers are back. I applaud Coach Kelly for being as bold as he is with disciplining his players. If more coaches adopted his strict standards we would see a great improvement in society.
3. Wisconsin running back will miss all of spring practice. He is recovering from ankle surgery, and the recovery is slower than originally expected. I don't think this will impact him come fall. It is a fairly common practice for veteran players with any questionable health issues to participate minimally in spring drills. He knows the offense and has plenty of experience. Since he is not in tip top shape he does not need to be subjected to the physical part of spring practice. Let him come back in the fall ready to go.
4. Mike Leach testified as part of his lawsuit against Texas Tech. Nothing has been resolved yet, but his attorney's are increasingly confident. There is no question that Mike Leach did not act with prudence, but were his actions enough to justify his dismissal? A video of Leach using profane and derogatory language with his players after two games last season was released this week. While this is another "bad judgment" by Leach to talk like that with cameras rolling, I can't imagine he did anything different than most of the other coaches across the country. Maybe this negative exposure of Leach will bring a change in the language used by coaches, which would be another improvement to society.
5. The BCS and Congress go at it again. Another round of government involvement with the BCS started this week. Senators Orrin Hatch and Max Baucus. This one centers around financial disclosure to determine whether the BCS is withholding money from government funded schools. Every time the government starts to get involved the debate over the government involvement starts again. I have stated my general feelings on this before. I just want to counter all those who argue that the government has more important things to worry about. If that is how you feel, why are you worrying so much about it? Don't you have more important things to worry about?
6. Notre Dame Athletic Director hints at Notre Dame giving up independent status. He said that conference expansion may force the Fighting Irish to relinquish its independent status. The only thing that would force Notre Dame to join a conference is years of mediocrity. Win and the money takes care of itself.
7. Paying college football and basketball players. Ed O'Bannon has filed a lawsuit against the NCAA for not paying him and others for using their likeness in video games. You can read the full story here. That brings up the question, should college athletes get paid? We all accept that college football is a big cash cow. In many indirect ways, college players are compensated for their efforts. Most of them are on scholarship. They don't pay a dime for their education. The best players are drafted and given millions of dollars by professional teams. Players can be busts in the pros, but they still get those mega dollars because of their play in college. How about the all-expenses paid trips? How much would you pay to visit President Obama in the White House? I don't think anyone from Alabama paid anything. The Universities are providing free access to personalized training and to top notch facilities (in most cases). The rest of us have to pay for these. Of course, I have not seen a break down of "profits" for universities or the NCAA, so maybe the athletes are not being fairly compensated. Then again, how many of us are being "fairly compensated" at our day jobs?
That's it for this week. Don't be shy with your feedback, but do be polite and respectful. As for those waiting for the BCS series, that should be ready in one week.
1. 'Bama meets Obama. The 2009 National Champion Alabama Crimson Tide were welcomed to the White House by President Obama on Monday, March 8.
2. Oregon head coach Chip Kelly has suspended starting quarterback Jeremiah Masoli for one year after he plead guilty to second degree burglary charges. Star running back LaMichael James will miss one game next year. Some think that losing Masoli is not a big deal and Oregon should still be the front runner in the Pac-10. I think it blows the Pac-10 wide open. USC is still a big question mark, Stanford lost Toby Gerhart, Washington is a wild card that will impact who wins the championship. Maybe this will be Oregon State's year. Mike Riely consistently overachieves with his players, and the Rodgers brothers are back. I applaud Coach Kelly for being as bold as he is with disciplining his players. If more coaches adopted his strict standards we would see a great improvement in society.
3. Wisconsin running back will miss all of spring practice. He is recovering from ankle surgery, and the recovery is slower than originally expected. I don't think this will impact him come fall. It is a fairly common practice for veteran players with any questionable health issues to participate minimally in spring drills. He knows the offense and has plenty of experience. Since he is not in tip top shape he does not need to be subjected to the physical part of spring practice. Let him come back in the fall ready to go.
4. Mike Leach testified as part of his lawsuit against Texas Tech. Nothing has been resolved yet, but his attorney's are increasingly confident. There is no question that Mike Leach did not act with prudence, but were his actions enough to justify his dismissal? A video of Leach using profane and derogatory language with his players after two games last season was released this week. While this is another "bad judgment" by Leach to talk like that with cameras rolling, I can't imagine he did anything different than most of the other coaches across the country. Maybe this negative exposure of Leach will bring a change in the language used by coaches, which would be another improvement to society.
5. The BCS and Congress go at it again. Another round of government involvement with the BCS started this week. Senators Orrin Hatch and Max Baucus. This one centers around financial disclosure to determine whether the BCS is withholding money from government funded schools. Every time the government starts to get involved the debate over the government involvement starts again. I have stated my general feelings on this before. I just want to counter all those who argue that the government has more important things to worry about. If that is how you feel, why are you worrying so much about it? Don't you have more important things to worry about?
6. Notre Dame Athletic Director hints at Notre Dame giving up independent status. He said that conference expansion may force the Fighting Irish to relinquish its independent status. The only thing that would force Notre Dame to join a conference is years of mediocrity. Win and the money takes care of itself.
7. Paying college football and basketball players. Ed O'Bannon has filed a lawsuit against the NCAA for not paying him and others for using their likeness in video games. You can read the full story here. That brings up the question, should college athletes get paid? We all accept that college football is a big cash cow. In many indirect ways, college players are compensated for their efforts. Most of them are on scholarship. They don't pay a dime for their education. The best players are drafted and given millions of dollars by professional teams. Players can be busts in the pros, but they still get those mega dollars because of their play in college. How about the all-expenses paid trips? How much would you pay to visit President Obama in the White House? I don't think anyone from Alabama paid anything. The Universities are providing free access to personalized training and to top notch facilities (in most cases). The rest of us have to pay for these. Of course, I have not seen a break down of "profits" for universities or the NCAA, so maybe the athletes are not being fairly compensated. Then again, how many of us are being "fairly compensated" at our day jobs?
That's it for this week. Don't be shy with your feedback, but do be polite and respectful. As for those waiting for the BCS series, that should be ready in one week.
Saturday, March 6, 2010
WEEK IN REVIEW, Feb. 28-March 6
First, to follow up on last week's inquiry. The new excessive celebration penalty is still just a proposal. It was passed by the NCAA Rules Committee and will now go before the Playing Rules Oversight Panel. I am unable to find the date that that panel will consider this rule, but my guess is that the panel will support it and it will go into effect in 2011. To clarify the rule, the only change that it will bring is for "taunting gestures" on the way to the end zone. The penalty will be assessed from the spot of the foul and the points will be taken off of the board. Celebrations after a player crosses the goal line will still be dead ball fouls and assess on the extra point or kickoff. I agree with this proposed rule change, in principle. Any violation of the rules that happens in the field of play while the play is live should be charged that way. My problem with the rule is the language. What exactly is a taunting gesture? Some are obvious, but others are not. Can this rule be invoked if an official thinks that a player is taunting the fans? Are their rules of proximity and direction? If a player is 15 yards away from the nearest defender can any gesture really be interpreted as being directed at the defender? If the ball carrier has his back turned to the defender can any gesture by the ball carrier be interpreted as taunting the opposing player? The possibilities are endless. I am all for sportsmanship, but the language of this proposed rule needs to be clarified before it is implemented.
Now, on to this week.
1. The big event this week was the commencement of spring ball for some schools. Yes, you read that right. The first official day of spring is still two weeks away, but teams have already started practicing. That includes Air Force. Why the cadets have already started spring football beats me. I can understand if teams in the south want to get an early start to beat the heat, but Air Force is in Colorado Springs with an altitude well over 5,000 feet, plus the Academy is situated up against the mountains. I used to live in Colorado Springs and it doesn't get warm until May. Can the practices really be that effective? Maybe President Obama is going to deploy all the cadets on a top secret 3 month mission later this month, so the only time to do spring ball is now.
2. If you didn't believe it already, expansion is imminent for the Big-10. A report is out confirming what we all suspected. This is being done for money. As a side note, the report lists Pittsburgh, Notre Dame, Syracuse, Missouri, and Rutgers as the prime candidates.
3. The NFL scouting combine concluded. Nothing too earth shattering happened there. Just one more step in the process. Players impressed, players disappointed, but with pro days and individual workouts for another month and a half, a lot of changes in projections will be made.
Those are the stories that stuck out to me. Go ahead and use the comments section to weigh in on them or put forth your own take on additional stories that you are following.
Just one other thing to add, I am working on a series of posts on the BCS, so in a not too distant week I will have daily editorials about the BCS.
Now, on to this week.
1. The big event this week was the commencement of spring ball for some schools. Yes, you read that right. The first official day of spring is still two weeks away, but teams have already started practicing. That includes Air Force. Why the cadets have already started spring football beats me. I can understand if teams in the south want to get an early start to beat the heat, but Air Force is in Colorado Springs with an altitude well over 5,000 feet, plus the Academy is situated up against the mountains. I used to live in Colorado Springs and it doesn't get warm until May. Can the practices really be that effective? Maybe President Obama is going to deploy all the cadets on a top secret 3 month mission later this month, so the only time to do spring ball is now.
2. If you didn't believe it already, expansion is imminent for the Big-10. A report is out confirming what we all suspected. This is being done for money. As a side note, the report lists Pittsburgh, Notre Dame, Syracuse, Missouri, and Rutgers as the prime candidates.
3. The NFL scouting combine concluded. Nothing too earth shattering happened there. Just one more step in the process. Players impressed, players disappointed, but with pro days and individual workouts for another month and a half, a lot of changes in projections will be made.
Those are the stories that stuck out to me. Go ahead and use the comments section to weigh in on them or put forth your own take on additional stories that you are following.
Just one other thing to add, I am working on a series of posts on the BCS, so in a not too distant week I will have daily editorials about the BCS.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
WEEK IN REVIEW
I have come up with a format for the offseason. Each week I will do a week in review on Saturday that touches on the big stories of the week. Then you can give your input in the comments section about what stories you want to hear more about from me. Don't feel limited by the list I provide. If something interests you and I left it off my list, put it in the comments and I will research it and give my take during the week. I want to know what interests you so I can provide a better experience for you.
This week the big stories include:
1. The NCAA finding Michigan out of compliance on practices.
2. The NCAA finishing its hearings of the USC athletic department.
3. The NFL combine in Indianapolis.
4. New rules regarding the eye black and celebration penalties. Eye black must be just that, no logos, numbers, words, or scripture references. Celebration penalties will now be live ball fouls, so touchdowns will be called back if a player celebrates excessively.
Now it's your turn to tell me what you think and want more of.
This week the big stories include:
1. The NCAA finding Michigan out of compliance on practices.
2. The NCAA finishing its hearings of the USC athletic department.
3. The NFL combine in Indianapolis.
4. New rules regarding the eye black and celebration penalties. Eye black must be just that, no logos, numbers, words, or scripture references. Celebration penalties will now be live ball fouls, so touchdowns will be called back if a player celebrates excessively.
Now it's your turn to tell me what you think and want more of.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
COACHING: BOWDEN VS. PATERNO
With weekly attention to coaching in college football, how long did you think it would take to get to these two coaching giants? Joe Paterno at Penn State and Bobby Bowden at Florida State are the two coaches with the most sustained success in the game today. Bowden caught Paterno for the lead in the race for the most all-time wins by a Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) head coach earlier this decade and they have flipped-flopped spots at one and two over the last two to three years with neither one taking more than a one or two game advantage.
Which coach is better? Who would you rather have coaching your team? This is an endless debate rooted in opinion. Nevertheless, here is a quick analysis of each coaches’ resume:
Paterno
Which coach is better? Who would you rather have coaching your team? This is an endless debate rooted in opinion. Nevertheless, here is a quick analysis of each coaches’ resume:
Paterno
- 385 wins 127 losses 3 ties
- 23-11-1 Bowl Record (23 wins is a record)
- 44th year coaching
- 2 National Championships
- 5 undefeated seasons
- 5 losing seasons
Bowden
- 383-124-4
- 21-10-1 Bowl Record (21 wins is second most to Paterno)
- 44th year coaching
- 2 National Championships
- 1 undefeated season
- 2 losing seasons
(source: wikipedia.com)
A few other interesting facts:
- Bowden’s teams were ranked in the top 5 for 14 straight years (1987-2000).
- Paterno has had one undefeated season each decade (1968, 1969, 1973, 1986, 1994)—note: the 2000s have not concluded yet, maybe he gets one this year.
- 31 of Bowden’s victories came in four year at Samford, a Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) school.
- Paterno’s style of play has been more traditional, balanced pass-run attack.
- Bowden’s style of play has been flashy and spread out to take advantage of great team speed.
This off season, the Joe Paterno and Bobby Bowden duel for the wins record took a strange, unforeseen twist when the NCAA sanctioned Florida State University for a student academics scandal. Part of the sanctions was to vacate 14 Florida State victories. Florida State has relentlessly appealed this decision by the NCAA, and to my knowledge the appeals are still ongoing.
Although it seems an oxymoron that one of these two has to be a loser in the battle for most wins, I am quietly rooting for Paterno to ultimately end up on top, even with Bowden’s 14 wins restored. Nothing against Bowden. My feelings are mostly to avoid controversy and endless debate for the next 100 years. First, Bowden has 31 wins at a FCS school. Personally, I can’t penalize Bowden for his 31 wins at a FCS school. Technically, FBS and FCS are the same division in NCAA sports, but more importantly, how many of Paterno’s wins have come against FCS teams? Second, the NCAA’s ruling to vacate 14 Florida State wins. If Paterno ends with the most wins, then Bowden supporters will argue it was the vacated wins. If the wins are restored and Bowden ends with the most wins, then Paterno supporters will argue that Bowden cheated for his wins. Both of these men have had such great careers, their retirements do not deserve to be tainted.
In any case, the Bowden vs. Paterno battle is great for coaching in college football. Perhaps the more important issue is what will happen when they are gone. Coaching is evolving with the rest of the sport and we may never see a 300 win coach again.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Xs and Os: DIVISIONS
If you are new to college football, you might be asking: How does a team win 72-0 (Air Force) or 54-0 (Boston College) and not be ranked in the Top 25? That is a good question with a simple answer: Not all teams are created equal. Maybe it is better said that not all divisions are created equal. Schools that participate in college athletics governed by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) are divided into three divisions: Division I, II and III. For college football, Division I is subdivided into the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) and the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). A wide valley separates the level of competition between each division, and even between the division I subdivisions. The FBS teams are significantly better than the FCS teams. To clarify my answer to the original question, Air Force plays in the better subdivision in the best division of college football (FBS) while its opponent Nicholls State is from the FCS. Boston College is a member of the FBS, too, and it played Northeastern—another FCS school. It is similar to the high school varsity team playing the junior varsity team. Therefore, such a lopsided score can be more indicative of an inferior opponent and not a superior ball club. These cross-divisional and cross-subdivisional match ups are not uncommon in the first three weeks of the college football season.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
PERSPECTIVE: WHAT MAKES COLLEGE FOOTBALL SO SPECIAL?
To kick off the 2009 college football season, let me pay tribute to this magnificent game. College football is the best game on earth! The NFL and NCAA are different, and I find the college game to be better. Therefore, before I am called for delay of game, I answer the burning question: What makes college football so special?
- Eternal Optimism. With college football players limited to four years of eligibility, college football teams have enough turnover each year that weaknesses can be turned into strengths in just one year. Right now, everyone has identical records. Fans everywhere have reasons to believe that this year will be THE year. A year of experience and maturity, a new freshman recruit, or a junior college transfer can make the difference in a team being middle of the pack and a contender. Whatever the end was to last year—a disappointing bowl performance, a losing record, or a win for the ages—time has dissipated the sorrow or escalated the ecstasy, and it is easy to talk ourselves into believing the best case scenario will become reality for our team.
- Blowouts. Who has not enjoyed watching big play after big play on the way to a 63-0 final score? You are watching a highlight video, no editing necessary. The game might lack competition, but the perfect execution and beautiful precision is captivating in its own right.
- Rankings. After a game ends, fans transfer all their interest in the final outcome of the game to the updated rankings. No blown call by the referee, no bad play call, no fumble, interception, or dropped pass generates as much discussion, debate, and interest for the next week than the rankings. As imperfect as they are, where would college football be without them? What else is more coveted by fans than to see their team “properly” ranked? Finally, without rankings, we could not have …
- Upsets. On the opposite end of the spectrum from blowouts, we find that rare occasion of the team that does not match up in hype, size, speed, or prominence, yet it rises to the occasion and beats a team that is highly ranked. This is why we tune in every week, because on any given Saturday, anyone can beat anyone. As we know, who does not like an underdog? Upsets, while they are happening, draw in casual fans and gets them to stop what they are doing and become emotionally attached to a no-name team, if only for a day, hoping they hold on and pull off the win.
- Schedule Variety. Teams have control of their schedules outside of the annual conference games. In the NFL, the league officials set the schedule and the fans are familiar with all 16 opponents in any given year. Colleges, however, make agreements with whoever they want. This brings a whole new element of mystery and intrigue to the season. The schedule of your favorite team may include a school you have never heard of, or it may include one of the traditional powers. Either way, it enhances the overall experience.
- Rivalries. Do I really need to say anything about this one? No matter how the season has gone in September and October, the win-loss records are thrown out as rivals square off for year-long bragging rights, for the upper hand in recruiting battles, for pride. Style points no longer matter, you are just happy to escape with the win. The difference between a 9-3 and an 8-4 season does not look like much on paper, but it is a huge difference when that fourth loss is a loss to your rival. No matter how successful a year is, you still feel like something was missing if you lost to your rival.
- Awards. End of the year accolades uniquely pique fans’ interest. From all-conference teams all the way to the Heisman Trophy, players’ every move is analyzed all year long. Debate rages from level of competition to intangible qualities to philosophically identifying the intent of the award so that the right player is selected. Players from every position are recognized as the best at their trade, whereas, in the NFL the accolades are limited to a handful of MVPs and Players of the Year. Some college awards take into account elements beyond play on the field—community service, academics, citizenship, and leadership. Players make so much effort and sacrifice throughout the year, it is good to see so many of them recognized for being exceptional.
- Bowls. “It’s the most wonderful time of the year.” For about two weeks in late December and early January, on any given day, you can find a match up of teams that had winning records, and that may never play each other again. Yes, the bowls have over multiplied and are now excessive, and January 1 is not what it used to be, but from a fan’s standpoint this is still the best way to satisfy your appetite for the game that you can make it through the long off-season. They also serve as a stage for legendary performances that stay etched in our memories forever: Boise State vs. Oklahoma in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl, Vince Young in the 2005 and 2006 Rose Bowls. The bowls are the closest thing in college football to March Madness in college basketball.
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