Category: College Football (Page 53 of 296)

      Florida officially cuts ties with Urban Meyer to avoid violations

      February 2, 2011 /

      The SEC and NCAA was suspicious when Urban Meyer signed a deal to become a college football analyst less than two months after he resigned from Florida. So to avoid being USC’d, the Gators officially cut ties with Meyer on Wednesday.

      From the Orlando Sentinel:

      Meyer had remained on UF’s payroll in an undefined role since resigning as coach in December. But earlier this week when he signed a deal to become a college football analyst for ESPN, it raised red flags with the SEC and NCAA. After UF contacted those organizations about the potentially problematic situation, the wheels were set in motion for Meyer to being taken off the university’s payroll.

      It would have been a dicey situation for UF and possibly against NCAA rules had Meyer, who is appearing today on ESPN’s coverage of National Signing Day, publicly discussed potential recruits as a paid employee and representative of UF.

      Former coaches join TV networks all the time, so it’s not surprising that Meyer would do the same after resigning as head coach at Florida. But one would think that UF was paying him more than ESPN, right? Not that he needs the money, but this wouldn’t be Meyer’s way of forcing Florida to cut ties with him so he would be free to sign with another school, would it?

      Nah, you’re right. He’s not that devious. No way he doesn’t resurface at Ohio State in a couple of years…

      On a semi-related note, did a bitter Gator fan write the intro for Meyer’s Wikipedia page? Check this out:

      Urban Oscar Meyer, III (born July 10, 1964) is a college football analyst for ESPN, a retired American college football coach and former bench warmer…He is best known for his exclusive, romantic relationship with quarterback Tim Tebow, as well as coaching the Florida Gators to two BCS National Championship Game victories during the 2006 and 2008 seasons…

      Former bench warmer? His exclusive, romantic relationship with quarterback Tim Tebow? Ouch.

      Hey, I’m not saying those two references aren’t statements of fact. I mean, look at that photo up above and tell me you know exactly where Meyer’s hands are (and aren’t). But one would think that someone with Meyer’s best interest at heart wouldn’t have painted him in that light.

      College Football, External Sports

      Nick Saban-to-Titans rumors starting to circulate

      January 31, 2011 /

      Like a good case of H1N1, the Nick Saban-to-Titans rumors are spreading like wildfire.

      The rumor started on Sunday and has quickly spread to the internet message boards, which provide really, really reliable information. While the more recognized sources like ESPN, FOX and SI discuss suitors such as Gregg Williams, Mike Munchak, Mike Heimerdinger and Dave McGinnis, the sharks on the message boards are chumming for anything illogical.

      Granted, this is Nick Saban we’re talking about. It wouldn’t be shocking to see him leave a team in the lurch for a seemingly better opportunity because, well, he’s done it before. But rumors like this always seem to surface around this time of year because National Signing Day is in two days. It sure sounds like someone is trying to make a few Alabama verbals think twice about rolling Tide next year.

      Chances are Saban isn’t going anywhere (for now) and the Titans will wind up with a more logical choice. Like Lane Kiffin.

      College Football, External Sports, NFL

      Is Newton’s February workout just a publicity stunt?

      January 31, 2011 /
      Auburn Tigers quarterback and Heisman trophy winner Cam Newton smiles during the warm ups at the BCS Championship game at the University of Phoenix stadium in Glendale, Arizona on January 10, 2011. Auburn beat the Oregon Ducks 22-19 to win the national championship. UPI/Gary C. Caskey

      According to CBS Sports, at least one NFL front office executive believes that Auburn quarterback Cam Newton’s individual workout on February 10 is just a publicity stunt.

      I asked a handful of scouts about this workout. All were mystified as to what gains could be made with what one front officie executive termed a “publicity stunt.”

      One high level scout put it this way:

      “The Newtons would be best to realize they aren’t in college anymore. Regardless of how good he looks for [the media], there isn’t going to be a bidding war for him. We’re not recruiting him. They could wind up turning more people against them than for them with this [workout].”

      As Rob Rang of CBS points out, NFL scouts are forbidden to attend a workout like this that was set up by the player (or agent, or whomever). This will be a media-only event, which raises questions as to why Newton’s camp would want to set up a workout like this in the first place.

      If Newton struggles, then the media will hammer him. If he performs well, then the NFL may be turned off by what appears to be a workout to upstage the league’s process for evaluating prospects. It seems like an inevitable lose-lose situation for Newton.

      College Football, External Sports, NFL, NFL Draft

      Is Jake Locker’s draft stock falling?

      January 29, 2011 /

      Depending on what slot he was taken at, Washington quarterback Jake Locker passed on anywhere from $36-72 million when he decided to stay in school for his senior season. Still, if he played well in 2010, that money would have been waiting for him in the 2011 NFL Draft.

      The problem is that he didn’t play well. After completing 230 of 395 pass attempts for 2,800 yards with 21 touchdowns and 11 interceptions as a junior, he struggled while completing just 184 of 332 attempts for 2,265 yards with 17 touchdowns and nine picks as a senior. Now, according to recent projections, it looks like he may fall into the second or third round.

      From FOX Sports’ Adam Caplan:

      What I liked: You can clearly see his outstanding athleticism. Locker, like many of the quarterbacks here this week, throws fairly well on the run. He is better passing outside of the pocket. He also has pretty good arm strength.

      What needs improvement: His release point is going to need to be adjusted in the NFL. Locker rarely made two solid or accurate throws in a row, which is a troubling sign. Too many of his passes sailed high or away from his intended receiver. The ball simply does not come out of his throwing hand well — which is alarming.

      Round projection: Third.

      While ESPN’s Todd McShay continues to be high on Locker, some have referred to his accuracy as “terrible” while others believe that he’ll never be a starting quarterback at the pro level.

      That said, isn’t it a little premature to say whether or not he’ll struggle in the NFL? After all, he hasn’t had his Pro Day yet and the scouting combine is still a couple of weeks away. In fact, the Senior Bowl hasn’t even been played yet, so if Locker impresses over these next couple of months he could improve his draft stock greatly.

      If most pundits thought that he was a top-5 pick last year, then obviously he has the tools to be a first-rounder (unless of course those pundits off about him last year, which wouldn’t be surprising). Let’s hold off before we deem this kid the next Brian Brohm.

      College Football, External Sports, NFL, NFL Draft

      Nevada’s Kaepernick drawing rave reviews at Senior Bowl

      January 28, 2011 /

      Out of the six quarterbacks on both Senior Bowl rosters, Nevada’s Colin Kaepernick seems to be drawing the most attention this week.

      This is what FOX Sports.com’s Adam Caplan had to say about Kaepernick’s performance thus far:

      What I liked: Kaepernick was terrific from the start of Monday’s practice and he really didn’t let up. He was quite accurate on most of his passes up to 30 yards. And his touch was terrific. He throws with very good timing and anticipation for such a young signal caller. I also liked that he was willing to throw the ball into tighter areas. That’s something most young quarterbacks won’t try to do. And his athleticism is outstanding. He’s clearly the best quarterback out of the six and it’s not even close. If he has a great performance during February’s NFL Combine, it’s not out of the question that Kaepernick goes in the first round.

      What needs improvement: There is one small issue. He has a slightly long release point, which causes his passes to be a little late every now and then. That’s something that can be adjusted by his quarterback coach in the NFL.

      Caplan wasn’t the only person impressed by Kaepernick’s performance either. One scout told the Sacramento Bee that Kaepernick “might have made the most money of any Senior Bowl player this week.”

      Considering he’s been performing against the likes of Jake Locker and Andy Dalton, it’s surprising that Kaepernick drew the best reviews, although not altogether shocking. He has great size, speed and athleticism, but according to reports his accuracy has been better than expected and his arm strength is superb. NFL Network’s Mike Mayock even said of Kapernick: “It’s like watching Nolan Ryan [throw].”

      It’s too early yet to being projecting where guys will fall in the draft – especially with the scouting combine still a couple of weeks away. But given the type of offense that Chan Gailey runs in Buffalo, I wonder if Kapernick would be a good fit for the Bills in the second round.

      College Football, External Sports, NFL, NFL Draft

      « Older posts Newer posts »

      © 2026 The Scores Report – The National Sports Blog

      Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑