Event #3- Dawg Walk before the Auburn game

On Saturday, November 12, 2011, I attended the Dawg Walk that took place before the Auburn game. My 16-year-old brother came up from my hometown of Warner Robins, Georgia, for the game. He happens to be an Auburn fan, so this was his first game he’s ever been to in Sanford Stadium, and the perfect game to come see. Anyway, as we were walking down East Campus Road to the stadium, we were on the side where the Tiger Walk happens. I went to many Tiger Walks when I was an Auburn fan. But this Tiger Walk was much smaller than what they usually do back in Auburn. My brother and I ran past the Tiger Walk and went on around Reed Hall to the other side of the stadium where the Dawg Walk was taking place. This happened to be my first Dawg Walk that I’ve ever seen, and I got to share it with my brother. There weren’t many students around that I saw, but many parents that were probably mostly alumni, and their families and kids. There was a pathway made for the UGA football team and staff to walk through and high-five people as they walked by. The band was playing, everyone was screaming and shaking their red pom poms. The best view was probably either where my brother and I were on the steps going down from Tate Plaza or on top of the bridge, where we happened not to be.

There were no advertisements that stick out in my mind, but the overall message was to get the UGA crowd pumped up before game time and to try and keep the Dawg Walk as family-centered as possible.

If I was a visitor to UGA and had just left the Dawg Walk (which in a way I was b/c I’d never been to a Dawg Walk before), I would have to admit that the whole entire process would get my blood pumping and excited for the game! I would also comment on their school spirit and support for the team.

Event #2- UGA Invitational Cross Country Race

On Saturday, September 3, 2011, I attended the UGA Cross Country Invitational that was located at UGA’s Equestrian complex. I decided to go to this event because my high school cross country team was competing. I ran cross country my junior and senior years at Houston County High School, so I knew the majority of the kids on the team this year. I showed up in the middle of the collegiate mens’ 8K race. I’m not quite sure who won the race because I was trying to find my alma mater. I did happen to see the collegiate girls’ race though. I don’t know many details of who won, but I do remember at least 6 UGA girls were toward the very front. I ran with a girl my junior year in high school, and I saw her at this event. She runs for Georgia Tech, but she didn’t do very well. The only other colleges I remember that were there were Alabama and Mercer. Neither the boys’ team nor the girls’ team from my high school did well.

The people working at the cross country race that I can remember were the police officer letting people into the complex, the guys helping people park, the guys riding in the golf carts to signal the first and last person in each race, the people monitoring the race, and some UGA people selling shirts under a stand.

There weren’t many messages being presented at the cross country race. The act of selling UGA Cross Country Invitational T-shirts is an indication that they are trying to make money for the program and also promote UGA cross country.

If I was a visitor to UGA when I left those races, I would think that the UGA girls have a great cross country team. I wouldn’t like Georgia weather (b/c it was like 98 degrees), and the venue was very grassy and dirty, but that’s because it was held where the horses are kept.

Alabama-LSU: The Right Game, BCS or Not

In an online article for The Wall Street Journal, Darren Everson discusses the many reasons why Alabama is the correct choice to play LSU in the 2012 BCS National Championship game, even if it is a rematch from earlier in the year. He provides many statistics to show the difference between Alabama and Oklahoma State, such as Alabama ranks thirtieth nationally in total offense, while Oklahoma State ranks third. Yes, Oklahoma State definitely has the better offense. But defensively, Alabama ranks first in total defense, while Oklahoma State ranks 107th.

He also stated that Alabama beat all of their opponents by sixteen or more points, besides the LSU game where they obviously lost by three points. On the other hand, Oklahoma State was down by seventeen points at halftime to Texas A&M and was tied with Kansas State with three minutes to go in the game. He also brought up the Cowboys’ only loss to Iowa State, and he said just because of that loss alone, Oklahoma State doesn’t deserve to play in the National Championship.

He also brought up events from the past years about how coaches such as Mack Brown, the head coach for the Texas Longhorns, were always trying to convince the voters to put their team in the big game. Everson seems glad that there is none of that “lobbying” going on this year, because from the statistics he provided, Alabama definitely deserves to be in the National Championship game against LSU.

Change of cell number sends calls from potential Ole Miss coaches to Texas man

In a blog post on gulflive.com, Jeff Roper explains a quite humorous mix-up that happened to a Texas man named Byron Guidry. Supposedly, he had lived in New Orleans for a while until he moved to Houston, Texas. While in New Orleans though, Guidry had changed his cell number before he left for Houston. Little did he know that he had gotten Archie Manning’s old cell phone number. Archie Manning is the father of Peyton Manning, injured quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts, and also Eli Manning, the starting quarterback for the New York Giants.

Archie used to be the quarterback for the Ole Miss Rebels and soon after that, was the starting quarterback for the New Orleans Saints. Therefore, Archie was chosen to be the co-chair of the committee to make the decision on a new head coach at Ole Miss to replace Houston Nutt.

Guidry had gotten a text from someone that he had never heard of that read, “Archie, I have tremendous love for Ole Miss. I would love to serve as their next head coach. Any consideration would be greatly appreciated. Hugh Freeze.”

Ole Miss is supposedly getting close to announcing a new head football coach. The guy that seems to be in the lead as the Rebels number 1 option is Hugh Freeze, currently the head coach at Arkansas State. Behind him at number 2 is current Alabama defensive coordinator Kirby Smart.

Guidry might not have known what was going on at first, but certainly he does now. What a hilarious series of events! This will be a great story for Giudry to tell his kids or grandkids, that is if he has any.

Bowl bids no longer reward for excellence

In an online column on dailycommercial.com, Frank Jolley discusses his problem with how bowl games reward unworthy teams. He says that more than likely, Ohio State and Florida will play each other this bowl season in the Gator Bowl. Former Florida head coach Urban Meyer is now the head coach of Ohio State, so Frank said he wouldn’t mind seeing Meyer “dodge barbs — and possibly cups, hot dog wrappers and popcorn boxes”.

But what Frank doesn’t agree with is teams that only have 6 wins are allowed to play in a bowl game. He doesn’t think it’s right for average teams to receive millions of dollars to play in a bowl game when their seasons were much less than exceptional. He believes that teams should have at least 8 wins in order to be eligible to play in a bowl game.

He explains that it will get worse because there are expected to be 2 more bowl games added onto the list already in place because of 2 companies trying to get in on this business. Jolley predicts that soon teams with 5 wins will be playing in a bowl game. Frank says he wants to see classic match ups (he gives the example LSU and Alabama in the National Championship), and not contests between two teams barely making it to 6 wins.

Well, my opinion differs greatly with his. Yes, bowl games are all for the money, and yes, it might not be “fair” or “right” in rewarding teams with a mediocre record. But I do believe most college football fans love bowl games, from traveling to the city where their favorite team is playing and having a wonderful experience, maybe even family time, or just watching it on TV from the comfort of their homes. It’s not as if the bowl games are terrible match ups. I think the Gator Bowl will be a great game between Ohio State and Florida, the two teams with 6-6 records. The game will be a little more important because of Meyer’s new position.

Overall, bowl games are profitable for the sponsors because it is advertisement for their company. The media loves bowl season because they get the opportunities to cover so many football games. The cities the games are held at make money with the increased tourism. The fans love it because they get to watch football almost every day during the winter holidays. The players work hard all year-round to try to do the best they can to make it to a bowl game, and let’s face it, they only have 4 or 5 years to be on the team. So why not have as many teams possible play in a bowl game, especially if the sponsors are there. I know that I love to watch football, and I’d say that the more games there are to watch, the happier I’ll be!

2 Ok State women’s basketball coaches die in plane crash

In an online article written by espn.com news services, a tragic plane crash took place late Thursday night in Arkansas. Inside were Oklahoma State’s head women’s basketball coach, Kurt Budke, and assistant coach Miranda Serna. Also killed in the crash was the pilot, 82-year-old Olin Branstetter, and his wife Paula. There were no survivors.

Budke was 50 years old and had just started the season off on a good note with a victory at home over Rice. He and Miranda had just been on a recruiting trip in Little Rock when flying back on Thursday. Their plane crashed into the side of a hill in Perry County, Arkansas.

“The plane was spitting and sputtering and then it spiraled and went nose first into the ground,” Perry County Sheriff Scott Montgomery said.

According to reports, the weather was clear and sunny, around 4 PM. The plane, though, was built in 1964. The age of the plane probably led to it’s failure.

“This is our worst nightmare. The entire OSU family is very close, very close indeed,” Oklahoma State president Burns Hargis stated at a news conference Friday. “To lose anyone, especially these two individuals who are incredible life forces in our family, it is worse beyond words.

 

“When something like this happens and, God forbid it happened again, we have to pull together as a family. We’ve got to try to do that,” Hargis said, breaking down in tears.

 

Former players rally around program

In an online article written by espn.com news services (with some info from the Associated Press), it has been reported that a former Penn State University wide receiver and running back named Rich Mauti has rallied around his alma mater and the football team (who has been on an emotional  roller coaster ride this week) to organize one of the biggest reunions of former Penn State football players this Saturday. He emailed 800+ former players to try and get as many of them as possible to travel to PSU to be present on the sideline during the Penn State vs. Nebraska football game. He wants those former players to show up to thank the football program and the university for the positive experiences they all had while playing at Penn State:

“It’s for the kids that have to go out there on Saturday. It’s a show of support for that. It’s not going to be banners and flags and bands. It’s going to be the Penn State Way. It’s going to be our presence. Hopefully, we get enough guys there that will mean something.”

Mauti stated that he is not trying to suppress the scandal that’s ongoing right now:

“I’m not condoning any activities that have been alleged. That’s not the purpose. I’m trying to get everyone that has been through that program, that has had a positive experience, to support the kids and the program and the school at this juncture.”

Mauti said that so far (on Wednesday), 75 players had agreed to show up to show their thanks and support.

This article didn’t have much more information about this story, but it was very interesting. It’s good to see a former player trying to make a difference and get many more former players involved, not just picking and choosing which players. That would be such a great time coming together again after years of not seeing each other (or meeting other players for the first time), and to catch up and watch two Big Ten teams play in an all important game. Hopefully there will be more former players that decide to show up, anything to get the Nittany Lions going in the positive direction.

By the way, Happy Veterans Day! If you know anybody associated with our military, send them your thanks. Freedom isn’t free, and I am submitting this at 11:11 PM on 11/11/11! 🙂

Georgia suspends 3 running backs

Author: Radi Nabulsi

DawgNation

Reporting for ESPN’s DawgNation section on espn.go.com, Radi Nabulsi reveals that Mark Richt and the University of Georgia has suspended 3 running backs for this weekend’s game versus New Mexico State. The 3 suspended include UGA’s star true-freshman running back Isaiah Crowell, and also Carlton Thomas and Ken Malcome. At first, Richt would not explain why the 3 were suspended. All he said was that “they didn’t do things the Georgia way”. It was later found out that the 3 failed a drug test that was administered the Thursday before the GA-FL game.

These suspensions leave UGA with very little help in the backfield. Not only were there suspensions, but Richard Samuel, the second-leading rusher behind Crowell, hurt his ankle the last play of the GA-FL game. The Dawgs are left with redshirt sophomore Brandon Harton, who got a little playing time against Coastal Carolina, fullbacks Zander Ogletree and Bruce Figgins, who haven’t played all year, and many walk-ons. Wes Van Dyk is the only walk-on who has gotten playing time, with one yard against Coastal Carolina.

Richt was asked if Harton would be the starter this weekend, but replied, “I don’t know about that. We’ll kind of see how it goes, but everybody else who resembles a running back will be competing.” This includes cornerbacks Brandon Boykin and Branden Smith, who have been featured on the offensive side of the ball in the past. One notable time, at least with Boykin, came against Boise State in the Dome. Boykin was pitched the ball, ran around the outside, and sprinted 80 yards into the end zone for 6 points. There might be some of that Saturday against the Aggies. We will see very soon what shakes out.

With streaker and brawl, halftime show came early

Author: Anthony Gimino

Tucson Citizen

In an online article on tucsoncitizen.com, Anthony Gimino addresses and discusses what took place last night (Oct. 20) during the Arizona versus UCLA football game in Arizona. Having just fired head coach Mike Stoops, Arizona was looking to end a 10-game losing streak to FBS teams, and Arizona was looking like they really wanted to end that streak, posting 42 points in the first half! Being down by 5 TDs had to be a little frustrating for the Bruins. They had 4 seconds left until halftime, so the logical thing to do, in the Bruins perspective, was to try a “hail mary” play to try and lessen the lead Arizona was holding on to.

As the ball was snapped, whistles blew, blowing the play dead. What looked to be an official ran out onto the field to try and get the ball, but there seemed to be something out of the ordinary with him. He had on the proper referee hat and shirt, and he even had the whistle to go along with it. What didn’t match with the other refs, though, was the fact that the guy (who was actually an Arizona student) had on a pair of gym shorts instead of pants. Not only did he disrupt the play and cause a delay, but he also went sprinting toward the end zone, ripping his clothes off along the way, while being chased by security guards.

Well, this seemed to get the crowd’s attention and got them all fired up, but the crowd’s attention was soon shifted to a bench-clearing brawl taking place at mid-field between the Wildcats and the Bruins. The fight began when Arizona sophomore cornerback Shaquille Richardson and UCLA senior wide receiver Taylor Embree were talking crap to each other during the delay. Obviously the “jawing” got out-of-hand enough to where both players committed “flagrant personal fouls” (both players were ejected for those fouls), causing all of the players on the field to run over there to try and break up the fight, getting more players involved in the fighting, resulting in both benches running onto the field making the fight big enough to cover half the field, all while the streaker was being put into handcuffs.

Interim head coach of the Wildcats, Tim Kish, expressed his disappointment and concerns with his players at halftime about the fight, and the Wildcats came back out of the locker room after halftime and only got 2 field goals the rest of the game, but they also shut down UCLA’s offense, allowing only 1 field goal (UCLA also got a safety in the 4^th quarter), beating the Bruins by a final score of 48-12. Kish was pleased with the “composure” his players had in the 2^nd half.

There will probably be major consequences from that bench-clearing brawl for both teams. The Pac-12 will watch the video of the fight over and over again until they pick out which players were involved, and who were not penalized. The conference could punish those players with suspensions, causing both Arizona and UCLA to be short-handed in their next game(s). The 2 players who instigated the fight, Richardson and Embree, could be facing further punishment.

If you would like to watch the video of this incident, just click on the hyperlink up top. It will take you to the article, where a Youtube clip is posted. Enjoy!

Auburn Is Cleared in Investigation Into Newton

Author: Pete Thamel

New York Times

In an online newspaper article from the New York Times, Pete Thamel reports that the investigation involving the shopping of Cam Newton, former quarterback for Auburn, is now closed. However, if new information arises, then the case can be re-opened. The NCAA said that it found no violations with the way Auburn recruited the 2010 Heisman Trophy winner. They had 50 total interviews in this investigation, all of them dealing with pay-for-play. The only evidence in this case was Cam’s father, Cecil Newton, admitting that he was trying to get $200,000 from Mississippi State to get Cam to play football for the Bulldogs. This information might be true, but there is no evidence that Auburn had any recruiting violations. Therefore, there was no need to continue the investigation.

Auburn was also not found of any wrongdoing in the case involving 4 former players in a HBO Sports documentary stating that they were privileged with extra goodies. One out of the 4 players met with the NCAA and gave his version of the story, but what he said was not backed up with any evidence and was “disputed by others”. Therefore, the NCAA made the right decision in these 2 cases. Innocent until “proven” guilty through evidence still reigns supreme.

It has been a good week for Auburn, despite losing badly to Arkansas on Saturday night, but knowing that they are in the clear and that they get to keep their 2010 BCS title are the most important things. Now their focus is on this weekend’s game against the Florida Gators on the Plains. This is not only great news for Cam Newton and the Auburn Tigers, but it’s also a huge burden lifted for the Southeastern Conference. Toward the beginning of this investigation, the SEC was bashed for withholding information regarding this scandal, which was the first indication to the public that this scandal could be serious, maybe resulting in Cam Newton being suspended, denying his chance of becoming a National Champion. But he got his chance, and he made it happen.

 

 

University of Maryland students must pay up for tickets

Author: Leah Villanueva

UM Diamondback

In an online article from the University of Maryland’s independent student newspaper titled The Diamondback, Leah Villanueva writes about how much money the tickets for the football game against the University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish are being sold for and the reactions among the students at the University of Maryland. The game will take place on November 11 at 7:30 PM EST at FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland, which is a mere 20 minutes away from College Park, Maryland, where the University of Maryland is located. Although the game is extremely close-by, Maryland is the visiting team. Notre Dame has a contract with FedEx Field, therefore, they were able to obtain however many tickets they wanted.

As a result, Maryland was only able to access an undisclosed small number of tickets. Many of those tickets were first given to family members of the players, the football staff, and the marching band. This leaves only a small fraction of tickets available for students and fans, making high demand, which ultimately shoots the prices sky high, somewhere between $50 and $60 for one nosebleed seat.

Many students stated that they will not pay such a rate for a seat so far from the field. One sophomore, Brady Griffin, expressed his view on this situation, “You’re paying professional prices for a college football game.” Another sophomore, Dylan Amoroso, still believes that the student body will pay the price and show up to cheer on its team to victory. “It’s against Notre Dame, so it will still be a good, fun game, plus it’s in D.C., which is kinda cool.” The athletics department tried to make a cheaper deal for students by reserving seats right behind the band originally priced at $95, which are now available to students for $60.

This situation is forcing the University of Maryland to cut the costs of the tickets so that the students will not have to pay $95 per ticket. They are losing money by doing this, but that decision is saving the students cash, which hopefully provides a greater turnout of students for the game.

OSU running back Berry hospitalized, involved in assault

Author: Adam Jacobi

cbssports.com

In a blog post on cbssports.com, Adam Jacobi reports that Ohio State University’s running back, redshirt sophomore Jaamal Berry, participated in some type of “wrestling” match with another student on OSU’s campus Wednesday morning around 10:25 AM. This so-called “wrestling” match turned into an assault case, a 1^st degree misdemeanor, which sent Berry to the hospital so that he could be treated for what appears to be some sort of brain trauma such as a concussion. There were no firearms used during this fight, but the weapons used, according to the police report, include “hands, feet, and teeth.”

When police arrived on the scene, Berry “appeared confused and disoriented”, was unaware of his surroundings, and was unable to give the police officer his name or any emergency contact information. No charges have been filed against Berry for the alleged assault, primarily because of the head trauma he received. However, charges still may be filed, and he could be convicted and face some legal consequences, as well as NCAA and OSU punishments.

Jacobi believes this is a problem for Jaamal Berry, not for Ohio State University. He states that Berry will probably miss some games, but points out that he wasn’t much of an impact player in the first place. Therefore, OSU won’t be impacted too badly by this injury.

One component of this story that is of much importance is what injuries, if any at all, did the other party sustain? If the other guy started the fight, then Berry will be back on the field sooner than if he himself caused it, that is, if all goes well with his recovery. It will be interesting to see how the witnesses’ stories pan out and conclude who initiated the fight, and how the NCAA and OSU handle the situation.

Neinas takes the reins of fractured Big 12

Author: Jim Vertuno

AP Sports writer

In an associated press news article released just a little while ago on Yahoo.com, Jim Vertuno reports that Chuck Neinas is going to be the guy to step up and take over Dan Beebe’s former job as the commissioner of the Big 12 Conference. Chuck Neinas is a former Big Eight commissioner from a while back, who assisted greatly in making college football what it is today, a big business. He will take over as the interim commissioner on October 3^rd, 2011. Neinas says he plans on keeping this position at least 6 months, maybe longer. But those 6 months will not be lazy days for Neinas. He plans on rebuilding the conference and establishing a tremendous amount of trust between all the schools still left. Without trust, not many relationships can remain sturdy.

Much trust was lost when the Texas Longhorns signed a 20-year, $300 million contract for television rights. The contract was with ESPN for the Longhorn Network. More than likely, this network is why Nebraska and Colorado parted from the Big 12, and why Texas A&M will likely follow suit to the Southeastern Conference.

Although Neinas is 79 years old, he’s not your typical elderly man. He stays active by skiing and jogging, which results in a vigorous mind. Steven Hatchell, former Big 12 commissioner when the conference formed in 1996, says that Neinas is “smart, intuitive and very experienced” and is “ideal for what needs to be done”.

Chuck Neinas has a difficult task that awaits him, but he has an overwhelming resume that indicates he can handle it. Vertuno referred to Neinas as “strong and savvy”, which implies that even he believes Chuck Neinas is the guy needed to save the conference and make some progress. If Neinas can somehow keep the rest of the Big 12 conference together, and bring in one more team to make the conference have a total of 10 teams, then maybe, just maybe, this re-alignment may somewhat cease, bringing college football out of chaos and back to balance.

Major Event #1: UGA vs South Carolina

On September 10, 2011, I attended the Dawg’s 2nd football game of the season, 1st game in Sanford Stadium, when they played the South Carolina Gamecocks. This game was not my first UGA game, but it was the first game I have been to at Sanford Stadium. I had gone to Atlanta a week prior to watch the Dawgs play in the Georgia Dome. Anyway, so I had no clue as to how anything was supposed to run. I didn’t know how the traffic was supposed to flow, when the gates were supposed to open, who to tailgate with, etc. The good thing is, though, I know a few upperclassmen here, so they took the time to tell me how Saturdays in Athens run. I was told by a friend that because I live at the Rogers Road apartments, there was no need for me to move my car, which was a relief to me. He also told me that I wouldn’t be able to drive from my apartment to get a parking spot closer to the stadium. I assume I would have to pay to park somewhere closer, so I have decided to walk everywhere on game days. I found out on Facebook that the gates open an hour and a half before the scheduled game time, so that was critical information that I needed to begin planning my day.

I have a friend here who invited me to his tailgate, which took place in the River Mill apartment complex parking lot. He and his friends were playing a game of cornhole when I arrived, and they needed one more player, so I joined in. After a game of cornhole, we began grilling the food that my friend had brought. This food included hamburger patties, duck, and dove. The hamburger patties were somewhat old, but slapping a piece of cheese on top made them taste scrumptious! Not only did I have 2 cheeseburgers, but I also had a block of duck stuffed with jalapeños and cream cheese and a small thing of dove, two items that I have never previously eaten before. Both the duck and the dove were wrapped in bacon, giving them a sweet twist! Once we were done eating, we decided to head on over to the stadium.

Once we arrived at Sanford Stadium, we had to find the right gate, which if I was by myself, I would not have found. There were not many advertisements that I remember seeing when I walked through the gates, but once in the stands, there were many advertisements shown on the Jumbo-Tron. Although compared to a professional sporting event, there were relatively few ads. Being at the game in person, it didn’t really hit me that this game was that big, but I had my family and friends texting me non-stop during the game asking if I was there and that they were watching on ESPN, which made me realize this was the real deal. It always seems like the media pumps the game up more than it should be, with the commercials, game preview, etc. But in person, it’s just kids playing the game they love. This game felt more amateur than the UGA vs Boise State game, primarily because it was being played in an NFL setting.

Although the end result did not work out for the Dawgs, the game was one of the most exciting games I have ever seen in person, and was just an overall great first experience at Sanford Stadium! The Dawgs played much better against USC than BSU, which bodes well for future games. I’m excited to see how this year turns out!

BCS problems need solutions, ASAP!

Author: Mac Cerullo

UConn Daily Campus

In a blog posting for the University of Connecticut’s Daily Campus, Mac Cerullo gives his take on the Bowl Championship Series and the issues it inflicts upon the NCAA football teams that have the privilege of playing in a BCS bowl game. The Daily Campus interviewed the newly inaugurated President Susan Herbst, and the topic of college football and the postseason was brought up. Supposedly, President Herbst is passionate about athletics and wants to solve problems such as NCAA compliance and academics. Although when asked about the BCS system, Herbst had a “noncommittal” attitude toward the matter:

“The postseason and the BCS, I don’t really have a strong opinion on that. The BCS… [is] so far out of my control, and with all the presidents it’s the same: we can’t unilaterally do anything. So, I don’t know, we just kind of wait and watch, but I don’t know that there’s going to be much change in the next few years in terms of the bowl system.”

Cerullo seems disappointed with this answer. He hoped President Herbst would be the leader of the movement to change the postseason of Division I NCAA football from the BCS bowl game style to a playoff system. Much of his disappointment originates from the fact that the University of Connecticut lost $1.8 million by accepting a bid to play Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl last season due to ticket sales. Much of that $1.8 million lost went to the big Whigs who run the bowl game, such as John Junker, the former CEO of the Fiesta Bowl, who wastefully spent much of that money.

On the other hand, both the UConn Men’s and the Women’s basketball teams reached the NCAA Final Four, which is a playoff-style postseason, and made a combined $1.7 million through their efforts. Therefore, Cerullo believes that a playoff system in college football would be just as profitable, if not more. But what he failed to mention is there are many teams that can participate and compete in the basketball playoffs, and they can play almost every day. Whereas for football, each team would play only one game per week. As a result, only a few teams would be able to make the playoffs.

The teams that would normally make it to the Rose Bowl, Sugar Bowl, Fiesta Bowl, and Orange Bowl will play each other until there are 2 teams left to vie for the forever-coveted National Championship. The other teams that do not make the cut for the playoffs, but have at least 6 wins, will still have the opportunity to play in a bowl game. The only aspect that will be different is there will be no “BCS” bowl games. This portion is where agreements will probably never be made, because the coaches, athletic directors, and BCS conference commissioners in charge who gain thousands and millions of dollars through these bowl games will not want to give up their control and change a system that works for them, even if it means there is dissatisfaction among players, students, alumni, and fans.

Don’t expect the BCS to change anytime soon.

Ohio State players not cleared to play

Associated Press

ESPN.com

Having already missed the season opener against Akron, 3 Ohio State football players will miss their upcoming game against Toledo this weekend. Starting tailback Jordan Hall, cornerback Travis Howard, and backup safety Corey Brown were suspended earlier this year for taking $200 at a charity event. They have not yet been cleared to play, but are expected to been reinstated this week.

The 3 players had believed that they had permission to attend the charity event, but in fact they had not. They were required to get written permission to attend those kinds of events. There were no names released as to whom the players might have received the money from, but the investigation is still ongoing.

These suspensions add to the 4 others already in place, back from when former quarterback Terrelle Pryor and his teammates received a tremendous amount of money and discounted tattoos for selling their merchandise. The 4 players involved in the selling of merchandise incident have 4 more games to sit out, while Hall, Howard, and Brown will more than likely just miss one more game.

With a new coach in place and the season getting off to a 1-0 start, I’m sure the Buckeyes are ready to have all of their players reinstated and be out of the drama-filled spotlight for a while.

It’s Official!

Author: Pete Thamel

The New York Times

June 20, 2012: This is the day Texas A&M will no longer be a part of the Big 12 Conference. This is according to a news release set forth on Wednesday (Aug 31) by the university itself. Texas A&M’s motive in leaving the Big 12 is to hopefully move into the Southeastern Conference, whereas to hopefully be more competitive and maybe win a National Championship.

Now with an official date, this move can now go down as planned. The next step in this process is for Texas A&M and the Big 12 to agree on a buyout, which is expected to be around $15 million. Once all legal aspects are sorted out, SEC presidents will meet and talk about the new addition. They will take a vote, and if accepted, Texas A&M will be a part of the SEC for the 2012 football season.

This move leads to talk about who will replace Texas A&M in the Big 12 Conference. The 3 teams mentioned in the article are Notre Dame, Arkansas, and Brigham Young University (BYU). I agree with the author of the article in the sense that the team out of those 3 mentioned that will most likely join the Big 12 will be BYU. There are many factors that lead me to believe this.

Being independent, Notre Dame is able to schedule whomever they want to, and vice versa for other teams. When the Irish make it into bowl games, they receive all the money. The money is not divided up amongst any other teams, because Notre Dame is not affiliated with a conference in football. Arkansas won’t leave because they are in a competitive and strong SEC conference already. BYU however, is currently independent in football (they are in the West Coast Conference for many other sports). If BYU joins the Big 12, and they win the Big 12 Conference game in the future, then they will receive an automatic birth into a BCS Bowl game, an opportunity they won’t have being independent.

Not only will the Big 12 need to replace Texas A&M, but the SEC will probably look around to add one more team in order to make the conference even and balanced at 14 teams. There are not any specific teams mentioned in this article that the SEC might want, but the team will most likely be from the ACC if I had my guess, such as Virginia Tech. This will result in a significant swing in college sports.

In my opinion, the author kept a neutral perspective and was just reporting the facts he had gathered through his sources, trying to get the story out as fast as possible. He actually published this article the day of the Aggies’ announcement. I believe this story will not cease until everything is final and set in stone. I am eager to see what team joins the Big 12. Also, if and when Texas A&M is accepted by the SEC, will another team will be added? If so, which team? Will it be Virginia Tech? Or will it be another team not even on the horizon? We will find out sooner or later.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LSU Suspensions

Author: Glenn Guilbeau

Gannett Louisiana

Ranked #4 in the country according to USA Today’s Coaches Poll, LSU takes a huge blow today with 2 more suspensions to tack on after yesterday’s current one-game suspension of a top Tiger WR, Russell Shepard, for violating certain NCAA rules.

Les Miles, head football coach at LSU, indefinitely suspended QB Jordan Jefferson and LB Joshua Johns shortly after the two turned themselves in this morning (Aug 26) for their involvement in a bar fight that took place last Friday (Aug 19). The two players were charged with the felony of second-degree battery, which is a case in which “the offender intentionally inflicts serious bodily injury.” The victims of this fight were beaten to where one had three broken vertebrae and the other had bruising on his hands and face. Jefferson and Johns were released this afternoon from prison on $5,000 bond each.

These suspensions hurt not only the players involved, but also the rest of the LSU football team, coaching staff, and the university itself. Losing a 2-year starting quarterback is about the most tremendous loss a football team can experience. Now, the team has to make a few adjustments with the loss of Jefferson because for the most part, he was a running QB. LSU’s back-up might be more of a passing QB, therefore, this could change the entire offense.

Not everything about these suspensions are negative though. One positive aspect of this situation is that hopefully many of the collegiate athletes out there look at this and realize they could screw up and lose all they have going for them. Therefore, hopefully, players learn from Jefferson’s and Johns’s mistake and remain eligible to play.

In my opinion, the author kept a neutral perspective and was just stating the facts he had gathered through his sources, trying to get the story out as fast as possible, because this is a developing story that just occurred today. I am not sure what other information should have been put in this article since this just happened, but I am sure there will be new information surfacing daily.

If Jefferson and Johns are convicted, they could be serving up to 5 years in prison with a $2,000 fine. The police are still investigating and gathering facts as to hopefully wrap up this case as soon as they can, but as we all know, the wheels of the justice system move quite slowly. What is conclusive, though, is that Jordan Jefferson’s and Joshua Johns’s football playing days at LSU are over.