The College Football Thread 12/20 - 12/30

[Bored 0]

Starting Thursday there will only be 15 games in 11 days but then on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day there will be 12 games total so figure that will be a good time to create a new thread. I think the Poinsettia Bowl actually should be quite entertaining but then we get a dreadful streak of bowls the following six days (which includes two rematches of regular season games) until the Holiday Bowl.

 

THURSDAY

Poinsettia Bowl: Utah vs. Navy, 9:00/6:00 PM, ESPN

 

FRIDAY

New Orleans Bowl: Memphis vs. Florida Atlantic, 8:00/5:00 PM, ESPN2

 

SATURDAY

PapaJohns.com Bowl: Southern Miss vs. #22 Cincinnati, 1:00 PM/10:00 AM, ESPN2

New Mexico Bowl: New Mexico vs. Nevada, 4:30/1:30 PM, ESPN

Las Vegas Bowl: UCLA vs. #17 BYU, 8:00/5:00 PM, ESPN

 

SUNDAY

Hawaii Bowl: #24 Boise State vs. East Carolina, 8:00/5:00 PM, ESPN

 

WEDNESDAY, December 26th

Motor City Bowl: Purdue vs. Central Michigan, 7:30/4:30 PM, ESPN

 

THURSDAY, December 27th

Holiday Bowl: #11 Arizona State vs. #19 Texas, 8:00/5:00 PM, ESPN

 

FRIDAY, December 28th

Champs Sports Bowl: #14 Boston College vs. Michigan State, 5:00/2:00 PM, ESPN

Texas Bowl: Houston vs. TCU, 8:00/5:00 PM, NFL Network

Emerald Bowl: Oregon State vs. Maryland, 8:30/5:30 PM, ESPN

 

SATURDAY, December 29th

Meineke Car Care Bowl: #25 Connecticut vs. Wake Forest, 1:00 PM/10:00 AM, ESPN

Liberty Bowl: UCF vs. Mississippi State, 4:30/1:30 PM, ESPN

Alamo Bowl: Penn State vs. Texas A&M, 8:00/5:00 PM, ESPN

 

SUNDAY, December 30th

Independence Bowl: Colorado vs. Alabama, 8:00/5:00 PM, ESPN

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Papajohns.com bowl? I mean corporate sponsorship is one thing, but is the pizza website really THAT important?

[Bored 0]

They're cornering the shut in market that can't even talk to someone on the phone, although they would still have to the answer the door. I suppose they could just leave their tip on the doorstep.

[BX 0]

There are rumors swirling about that Nick fucking Saban is interested in the West Virginia job.

[Guest Vitamin X]

AHAHAHAHAHA

 

No way. No FUCKING way. I want to see him take it, just for fun. He's worse than Larry Brown.

[AboveAverage484 0]

There are rumors swirling about that Nick fucking Saban is interested in the West Virginia job.

 

No way, won't believe it until it happens. Where is AlwaysPissedOff? This would be worse than Francione.

[SilverPhoenix 0]

There are rumors swirling about that Nick fucking Saban is interested in the West Virginia job.

 

That would be the worst hire in all of sports. Worse than any the Knicks have made in this decade. I'm dead fucking serious.

[Guest Skye Sweetnam]

There are rumors swirling about that Nick fucking Saban is interested in the West Virginia job.

 

That would be the worst hire in all of sports. Worse than any the Knicks have made in this decade. I'm dead fucking serious.

Why. The worst is that he gives you an above .500 season, and will somehow still recruit a good class, if he leaves after one year.

 

[Guest My Pal, the Tortoise]

I wonder if it's too late to bet on the Music City Bowl.

[HarleyQuinn 0]

A coaching hire at the FCS level...

 

Alcorn State - Ernest Jones has been hired. He was the RB Coach at the University of Cincinnati prior to accepting the gig.

[Guest My Pal, the Tortoise]

HarleyQuinn has consigned himself to being the Division I-AA Newswire or something. If the board were your cable lineup, he wouldn't even be the public access channel that you check out now and then out of curiosity that you'll hit something really out there and funny like Penis Power, he'd be the government access channel that just shows old fat people discussing zoning ordinances, being taped with only one bad video camera on a tripod: there's a 1% chance that this will end up being of relevance to you in the grand scheme of things, but you really can't be bothered to sit here and figure out how.

[Danville_Wrestling 0]

I wonder if it's too late to bet on the Music City Bowl.

 

Yea, no kidding. I can't be surprised with Florida State, though. At least they've downgraded to academic cheating from being the "shoplifting university" of college football.

[HarleyQuinn 0]

HarleyQuinn has consigned himself to being the Division I-AA Newswire or something. If the board were your cable lineup, he wouldn't even be the public access channel that you check out now and then out of curiosity that you'll hit something really out there and funny like Penis Power, he'd be the government access channel that just shows old fat people discussing zoning ordinances, being taped with only one bad video camera on a tripod: there's a 1% chance that this will end up being of relevance to you in the grand scheme of things, but you really can't be bothered to sit here and figure out how.

 

Thanks for the support

 

I know that most of the posters here couldn't care less about the FCS/I-AA but at the same time, there are several posters who attend/attended I-AA schools and I find the whole division interesting.

 

Not only are I-AA players making an impact in the NFL but many I-AA schools have made the jump to I-A in the past sixteen years including: Arkansas State (1992), Nevada (1992), North Texas (1995), Boise State (1996), Central Florida (1996), UAB (1996), Marshall (1997), Middle Tennessee State (1999), Connecticut (2000), South Florida (2001), and Troy (2002). While most of these schools haven't experienced a ton of success, they have had some successes throughout the years.

 

Even head coaches at the I-AA level are making the jump to I-A. Washington State just hired Paul Wulff, formerly the head coach at Eastern Washington where he went 53-40.

[HarleyQuinn 0]

Here's another coaching change that could hurt Southern Illinois in I-AA.

 

Northern Illinois hired Jerry Kill as their head coach. Kill went 50-14 at Southern Illinois between 2003-2007.

 

"Kill, who played football for former Texas A&M head coach Dennis Franchione at Southwestern (Kansas) College where he was a double major in education and biology, began his coaching career under Franchione as the defensive coordinator at Pittsburg State in 1985."

 

From his press conference...

"When I was at Southern Illinois, we were always trying to get the best players that we could possibly get. We battled and understood our restrictions. People ask me why I wanted to go to division-I and I tell them that I have always wanted to know what I could do with about 23 more scholarships. I know what we've done with 63 and we have been pretty good, but I'd like to see what we can do with that extra amount.

 

"Defensively, philosophies are similar to what has been here in the past. Offensively, we've expanded more and more. You have to adapt to the talent that you have. We threw the ball this year more than we ever had and led the conference, but it was because of the quarterback that we had. You still have to run the football though, or you won't have a chance. I'm a big believer in special teams."

 

"When you take a job like this you have to watch film and get to know the kids and personnel. It's certainly a good situation to come in to and to have kids that are young. It gives us an advantage in recruiting because we only have 10 scholarships available."

[BX 0]

It'll be at least ten years, but I foresee Appalachian State making the jump to 1-A once they improve their facilities. I dunno if a bigger stadium is possible, but it's coming.

[BX 0]

It'll be at least ten years, but I foresee Appalachian State making the jump to 1-A once they improve their facilities. I dunno if a bigger stadium is possible, but it's coming.

[BX 0]

It'll be at least ten years, but I foresee Appalachian State making the jump to 1-A once they improve their facilities. I dunno if a bigger stadium is possible, but it's coming.

[Guest Skye Sweetnam]

It'll be at least thirty years, but I foresee Appalachian State making the jump to 3-AAA once they improve their facilities. I dunno if a bigger stadium is possible, but it's coming.

 

 

[BX 0]

I thought you had been banned.

[Guest My Pal, the Tortoise]

Leena should never be banned. Come on. That was funny.

[teke184 0]

I wonder if it's too late to bet on the Music City Bowl.

You can bet on it, but I'm sure the line has gone to shit now.

 

 

The question at this point isn't "Will Kentucky win?", it's "By how much?"

[teke184 0]

I wonder if it's too late to bet on the Music City Bowl.

 

Yea, no kidding. I can't be surprised with Florida State, though. At least they've downgraded to academic cheating from being the "shoplifting university" of college football.

Actually, academic problems have been a hallmark of Papa Bowden's run there.

 

 

In particular, there's the infamous case of Deion Sanders, who didn't go to any of his fall semester classes or exams in 1988, as he knew he was going to the NFL after bowl season.

 

The embarrassment of that revelation in the late 80s made Florida State put the "Deion Sanders rule" on the books about athletes attending classes and exams.

 

 

(There's a debate on whether Deion would even be covered under the Deion Sanders rule, as he was a walk-on for FSU instead of a scholarship player because he was already under a baseball contract with the Yankees.)

[Guest My Pal, the Tortoise]

I wonder if it's too late to bet on the Music City Bowl.

You can bet on it, but I'm sure the line has gone to shit now.

 

 

The question at this point isn't "Will Kentucky win?", it's "By how much?"

I found $5 on the ground yesterday. Since it's money I wouldn't have had anyway, perhaps I shall bet these $5 on Florida State.

[Danville_Wrestling 0]

I wonder if it's too late to bet on the Music City Bowl.

 

Yea, no kidding. I can't be surprised with Florida State, though. At least they've downgraded to academic cheating from being the "shoplifting university" of college football.

Actually, academic problems have been a hallmark of Papa Bowden's run there.

 

 

In particular, there's the infamous case of Deion Sanders, who didn't go to any of his fall semester classes or exams in 1988, as he knew he was going to the NFL after bowl season.

 

The embarrassment of that revelation in the late 80s made Florida State put the "Deion Sanders rule" on the books about athletes attending classes and exams.

 

 

(There's a debate on whether Deion would even be covered under the Deion Sanders rule, as he was a walk-on for FSU instead of a scholarship player because he was already under a baseball contract with the Yankees.)

 

I forgot the "Deion Sanders rule." I started watching college football in the mid-1990s when all the Seminole players seemingly got busted for shoplifting (some at UK got busted too interestingly enough...must've been a 90s fad) so the Deion issue passed me by, although a friend told of me of it the other day before I saw your post when we were discussing the upcoming game. Shouldn't the NCAA be issuing stiffer punishment that this, though? I mean I know its Bowden and all but up to TWENTY-FIVE players?!?! You've gotta be kidding me.

 

However, I think betting on Florida State isn't that bad of a proposition. As much as I like UK, I've always found it hard to find confidence in the football program because when we get breaks (such as just having to kick a FG to finally beat Tennessee this year in the second OT or the Bluegrass miracle five years ago) we always seem to screw up.

[CanadianChris 0]

According to ESPN, Ohio State starting CB Donald Washington and backup CB Eugene Clifford have both been suspended for the game against LSU:

 

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/bowls07/news/story?id=3162942

[teke184 0]

I wonder if it's too late to bet on the Music City Bowl.

 

Yea, no kidding. I can't be surprised with Florida State, though. At least they've downgraded to academic cheating from being the "shoplifting university" of college football.

Actually, academic problems have been a hallmark of Papa Bowden's run there.

 

 

In particular, there's the infamous case of Deion Sanders, who didn't go to any of his fall semester classes or exams in 1988, as he knew he was going to the NFL after bowl season.

 

The embarrassment of that revelation in the late 80s made Florida State put the "Deion Sanders rule" on the books about athletes attending classes and exams.

 

 

(There's a debate on whether Deion would even be covered under the Deion Sanders rule, as he was a walk-on for FSU instead of a scholarship player because he was already under a baseball contract with the Yankees.)

 

I forgot the "Deion Sanders rule." I started watching college football in the mid-1990s when all the Seminole players seemingly got busted for shoplifting (some at UK got busted too interestingly enough...must've been a 90s fad) so the Deion issue passed me by, although a friend told of me of it the other day before I saw your post when we were discussing the upcoming game. Shouldn't the NCAA be issuing stiffer punishment that this, though? I mean I know its Bowden and all but up to TWENTY-FIVE players?!?! You've gotta be kidding me.

 

However, I think betting on Florida State isn't that bad of a proposition. As much as I like UK, I've always found it hard to find confidence in the football program because when we get breaks (such as just having to kick a FG to finally beat Tennessee this year in the second OT or the Bluegrass miracle five years ago) we always seem to screw up.

The current rumor is that the NCAA will make Florida State forfeit games that any of these players played in, especially if one or more of the suspended players is a long-time starter.

 

 

Normally, that would be a "big whoop" situation, but Papa Bowden's not letting JoePa retire with that record for most wins by a D-I coach if he can help it.

 

(Bowden's up by 2 games right now, pending bowls. Forfeiting up to 7 of FSU's games this year could put him a good half-season behind JoePa for the record.)

[HarleyQuinn 0]

Clemson leading tackler LB Nick Watkins has been declared ineligible for the Chick-Fil-A Bowl against Auburn (led the team with 116 tackles in 2006 and had 118 this year).

 

http://www.sportsnetwork.com/default.asp?c.../AFN4118055.htm

[Jaxxson Mayhem 0]

According to ESPN, Ohio State starting CB Donald Washington and backup CB Eugene Clifford have both been suspended for the game against LSU:

 

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/bowls07/news/story?id=3162942

 

 

Good.

[devo 0]

Navy with a huge fourth and goal stop on the half yard line to remain three down with 3:40 to go.

 

This has been a surprisingly good game and it looks to be heading towards a great finish.

[nogoodnick 0]

Its being reported that UCLA officials have flown to Eugene to meet with coach Mike Bellotti. I'm not sure why he would go now since he's turned down better jobs in the past and he makes a lot more than Dorrell. It would be easier to recruit at UCLA however. Also Norm Chow has officially withdrawn his name from consideration.

Oregon football coach Mike Bellotti surfaced today as a candidate for the vacant UCLA coaching position.

 

The Orange County Register reported that members of a search committee headed by UCLA athletic director Dan Guerrero flew to Eugene today to meet with the UO coach. Nobody at Oregon denied the interest is mutual.

 

Bellotti, who was at practice as the Ducks prepared to play against South Florida in the Sun Bowl issued a statement, saying only: "I'm focusing on this team to play in this bowl game." UO athletic director Pat Kilkenny refused to say whether UCLA officials asked for permission to contact the Ducks' coach. "I can neither can confirm nor deny," Kilkenny said.

 

Guerrero fired football coach Karl Dorrell on Dec. 3 and began a nationwide search for a replacement. The Bruins are known to have interviewed Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator Norm Chow, Temple coach Al Golden, Philadelphia Eagles secondary coach John Harbaugh and Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Rick Neuheisel.

 

Chow withdrew his name on Thursday. Golden and Neuheisel were brought back to the UCLA campus this week for second interviews, this time with school chancellor Gene Block.

 

Where Bellotti, the winningest coach in Oregon history, fits in the equation isn't clear.

 

According to media reports, UCLA approached Bellotti early in the search and was rebuffed. Evidently, the search came back to him this week. Bellotti, who turns 57 today, has more head-coaching experience than the other known candidates. He has been at Oregon since 1989, when he arrived from Chico State to become offensive coordinator.

 

He succeeded Rich Brooks as head coach in 1995 and has a 105-52 record. His best season came in 2001 when the Ducks beat Colorado 38-16 in the 2002 Fiesta Bowl and finished ranked No. 2 in the country.

 

In January 2001, Ohio State publicly courted Bellotti, flying him to Columbus for a tour of the campus and the football facilities. A day later, Bellotti withdrew from consideration, saying: "It's hard to walk away from something that you had a hand in building and developing." Oregon was 8-1 this season and ranked No. 2 before quarterback Dennis Dixon suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. Without Dixon, who had been a contender for the Heisman Trophy, the Ducks lost their last three games.

 

Oregon isn't expected to be as good on offense next season without Dixon, a senior, and junior tailback Jonathan Stewart, assuming Stewart enters the NFL draft.

 

Bellotti has a total compensation package of approximately $1.1 million and is under contract until 2012. But his buyout is a comparatively cheap $350,000. His teams have struggled late in the season in recent years. The Ducks have gone in 0-4 in bowl games since winning the Fiesta Bowl. Since the 2002 regular season, Oregon is 9-17 in games played after Nov. 1.

 

-- Ken Goe: 503-221-8040; [email protected]