Category: College Football (Page 249 of 296)

SPORTSbyBROOKS.com posted an interesting piece about Don Yager’s new book, “Tarnished Heisman”. The book is about Reggie Bush’s behind-the-scenes dealings at USC, including him and his family accepting up to $291,000 from future business clients.

The jacket of Don Yaeger’s “Tarnished Heisman”: “With the explosive information revealed in Tarnished Heisman, Bush stands to be ruled ineligible — a decision that could cost his alma mater the 2004 national championship title, force the forfeit of every game Bush played in after losing his eligibility, and potentially strip Reggie Bush of the shining prize of his college career: the Heisman Trophy.”

The first reax of Adam Rose of the LOS ANGELES TIMES, who covers USC for the outlet: “It doesn’t look good.”

Rose has yet to sift through every last word, but notes that Yaeger, a former investigative reporter for SI, claims in the book that “$47,000 went directly to Bush out of the overall $291,000 that went to his family. That makes it hard to deny he knew what was going on. While the photo section lacks any photocopied receipts, bank statements, or otherwise, the Author’s Note says that a website will publish much of it.”

As the evidence continues to mount against Bush, all we can really think of is where was Pete Carroll? Considering the myriad of entanglements (legal and otherwise) that allegedly ensnared Bush during his time at USC, it’s hard to believe that the coach knew absolutely nothing about what was going on. If he didn’t, he wasn’t doing his job, and should be held accountable.

This is obviously just speculation, but maybe this is why reports have surfaced that Carroll is interested in the Atlanta Falcons’ head coaching job after years of rebuffing offers from various NFL teams. Is Carroll planning an escape plan if shit hits the fan? Either way, Bush has to be uneasy about this entire situation, because the story just won’t die. In fact, it seems to be growing legs.

In the wake of Michigan hiring former West Virginia head coach Rich Rodriguez (and his spread offense), quarterback Ryan Mallett has decided to leave the school after only his first year.

“He’s on his way home,” Jim Mallett told The Associated Press on Wednesday. “We don’t know where he’s going to go yet, but we need to do something quick. We’re going to visit three, four or five schools.”

The former Texas Class 4A offensive player of the year may end up at Tennessee, which is considering hiring former Michigan offensive coordinator Mike DeBord and quarterbacks coach Scott Loeffler.

Losing Mallett is big for Rodriguez and Michigan. Mallett is a prototypical drop back passer with an NFL arm and a huge ceiling. Rodriguez is currently trying to recruit hotshot high school quarterback prospect, Terrelle Pryor, to run his spread option attack, but if he can’t land him, the Wolverines might have a huge setback. Changing offensive schemes – especially when it’s going from a pro-style to a spread – isn’t like turning a light switch on and off.

An article in the LA Times sheds some light on the BCS’ short-term postseason plans.

Despite continued resistance from two conferences and a major bowl, incoming Bowl Championship Series coordinator John Swofford says college football leaders will continue to explore a modified playoff.

“I think the subject deserves that,” Swofford, commissioner of the Atlantic Coast Conference, said Monday at a Football Writers Assn. of America meeting.

Really? You “think” that 90%+ of college football fans might be right about a playoff being the best thing for the sport?

College football officials have ruled out an expanded “NFL-style” playoff.

Great.

Four conferences — ACC, Big East, Southeastern and Big 12 — are interested in pursuing a Plus One model that would add an additional game to the current five-game BCS arrangement.

The Pacific 10 and Big Ten Conferences, and the Rose Bowl, are opposed to Plus One.

Get with the program, Pac-10 and Big Ten. What is this “Plus One” that you speak of?

Plus One would potentially seed the top four teams in the final BCS standings. No. 1 would play No. 4 and No. 2 would play No. 3 in two of the major BCS bowls, and the winners would then play for the BCS title.

Wait, isn’t that just a four-team playoff? Why are we calling this “Plus One”?

Swofford admitted Plus One would not solve the controversies that have often plagued the BCS since its inception in 1998.

If Plus One was used this year, Georgia and USC, two of the hottest teams in the country, would not have made the cut. Georgia finished No. 5 in the BCS standings; USC was No. 7.

Right, and an “NFL-style,” six-, eight- or even sixteen-team playoff would solve those controversies.

ARGH!

In the wake of the Buckeyes’ 38-24 loss to LSU in the BCS title game, Ohio State president Gordon Gee felt the need to make it public knowledge that he’s not in favor in of a “plus-one” playoff format for college football.

Gee said he hasn’t had formal discussions on the matter with other Big Ten presidents and said he wasn’t familiar with all the nuances of a plus-one proposal. But at first glance, he said he would not be in favor of any model that jeopardizes the Big Ten-Pacific 10 tie-in to the Rose Bowl or could diminish “the existing bowl structure.”

“People might say the Big Ten, the Pacific 10 and the Rose Bowl are being greedy,” he said. “No, there would be more money to be made. But it’s not about money, it’s about preserving history.”

First and foremost, if Gee isn’t fully familiar with all the nuances of a plus-one proposal, then why is he shooting it down publicly? I realize he isn’t full rejecting the proposal, but do the research first before being opposed to an idea as big as a playoff format in college football

Secondly, preserving history is one thing, not making the sport better is another. Sports are about tradition and history, but more so it’s about fans and what we want. Most college football fans want a playoff system and if it means sacrificing the “tradition” of the Rose Bowl, than so be it. To most fans, the Rose Bowl doesn’t hold the same meaning as it used to anyway, and how could it with the games being as bad as they have the past two years? Plus, on a much smaller level, it’s a home game for the Pac-10 every year. So does it really mean that much to the Big Ten if college football scarifices that game for the sake of a playoff?

Thanks in large part to quarterback Matt Flynn’s three touchdown passes and another stifling performance by their defense, LSU soundly defeated Ohio State 38-24 in Monday night’s BCS National Championship Game.

The Tigers didn’t give the Buckeyes different looks or rely on secret magic that only a SEC team possesses. They just lined up and took it to the Buckeyes for 55 minutes (the first five minutes were dominated by OSU). It also helped that LSU limited mistakes and capitalized on the Buckeyes’ miscues. OSU’s defense didn’t help matters by putting on a horrible tackling performance, either.

Somewhere, some writer has already written how the SEC is a more dominating conference than the Big Ten because its players are faster, they’re more physical or that their cheerleaders are better looking. It’s not true. Forget the conferences – LSU was just better and made less mistakes, both mentally and physically.