College Football’s Playoff System Under Scanner
Michigan St. Spartans athletic director Mark Hollis said that College football‘s playoff system would not involve games played on home sites. To ensure the Rose Bowl remains as big a part of the postseason as possible, letting teams have home-field advantage doesn’t square with the Big Ten’s mission, though concerns about whether college stadiums could handle college football games have been previously cited by the decision-makers.
In college sports this summer, the plan for a four-team playoff is the hot topic, with Big Ten presidents meeting in Chicago on June 3, then conference commissioners visiting the city June 20, when the hope is that a playoff plan can be established. In the 2014 season, a four-team playoff is expected to begin. In the future, Big Ten teams will be playing fewer bowl games. They will likely be playing them in different locations.
At the league’s spring meetings, it has all part of a shifting bowl landscape that Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany discussed Tuesday. Delany said there is a “very strong consensus” among the league’s athletic directors that the bowl-eligibility prerequisite should augment from six wins to seven wins, a sentiment that has echoed nationally.
For bowls the past six seasons, teams that finished the regular season at 6-6 have been eligible. The Big Ten sent two 6-6 teams (Minnesota Vikings and Iowa) to bowl games, and both lost in 2006. The Big Ten has had a total of seven 6-6 teams in bowls. Since 2006, only two Big Ten teams that finished 6-6. In 2007, Northwestern and Iowa did not make bowls.
Coaches like Northwestern’s Pat Fitzgerald and Purdue’s Danny Hope are in minority, although they oppose the increase from six to seven wins. Delany said it would help the health of the sport, although he admits that the increase “probably doesn’t favor us”. On Wednesday, Delany and Big Ten administrators will continue meeting. The sessions at a downtown hotel include faculty representatives, conference athletic directors and senior women administrations.
In late June, Commissioners are scheduled to meet and have a new format in place for approval by university presidents by July 4. Bill Hancock, BCS Executive Director said that an overhauled version of No. 1 vs. No. 2 championship game would be used, if no agreement were reached. Delany said he wants to end the practice of sending 6-6 teams to bowl games, opting for a 7-5 records a minimum requirement, although the Big Ten sent 10 teams to bowl games following the 2011 season.
Spring Football Could Face a Major Change
Major college football may soon resemble the National Football League.
Alas, that does not mean the protectors of the bowls and the proponents for a playoff are any closer to resolving their differences. Instead, among college coaches, a new debate is brewing that involves the preseason routine, not the postseason.
It is expected that a proposal for teams to schedule one spring scrimmage or practice session involving another school will be sent to the NCAA, after the American Football Coaches board meets next week in Arizona.
With the idea of spring scrimmages against other schools, Clemson’s Dabo Swinney was the first coach to go public. Vocally on board with the plan is Brady Hoke. Other coaches have jumped on the cause as well.
It is clear the idea is not dying on the vine, as it has in the past, in reading a recent report from the AP. While there is plenty of support and intrigue from those within the profession, not every college football coach is on board (Bob Stoops and Nick Saban have been outspoken against this). Now is the time when the game has the money to make this happen, with the rise of popularity in college football, specifically spring game.
After the NCAA tournament, the sporting calendar, from a television standpoint, is barren. On the college sports side, baseball, softball and lacrosse are enormous, but they are not drawing the droves of fans to the television screen that college football does on a constant basis.
Coach of defending national champion Alabama, Nick Saban fears that adding another team into the mix will result in less time being spent on reinforcing the fundamentals with younger player. In addition, that, in his view consumes time away from players looking to move up the depth chart by getting in more practice reps against the first-teamers.
AFCA president and Harvard coach Tim Murphy believes that the more viable option is joint practices rather than actual games, even though he confirmed that the concept of preseason scrimmages is gaining in popularity with coaches.
It is time college football got the same consideration from the NCAA as the NCAA allows sports like baseball, basketball and soccer to schedule exhibition and preseason games. It would not have to be ordered. The schools that have a preference to keep the whole thing in-house should have that selection, too. At present, teams are allowed 15 spring football practices capped by an overestimated intra-squad scrimmage.
If college football does go this route one can’t help but wonder if the sports betting site will be offering any action – count on it!
College Football Maaco Bowl Preview: Arizona State vs. Boise State
The Maaco Bowl in Las Vegas has become one of the premier early bowls. This year the No. 7 ranked Boise State Broncos (11-1) will visit Las Vegas for the second time this year when they play the Arizona State Sun Devils (6-6). The matchup is a sign of disrespect to Boise State, who could be playing in a BCS bowl game if they were in a better conference than the Mountain West.
The Boise State Broncos are an overwhelming favorite with a Pointspread of 14 points. Both teams struggled to cover the Pointspread all season. The Broncos have only covered the Pointspread in 4 of 12 games against the Pointspread and the Sun Devils have only covered 3 of 11 games. The money is gravitating towards the Broncos despite the large number. 73.91% of early bets are going down on the Broncos.
The Broncos are a prohibitive favorite with a -600 Moneyline making the value play on the Sun Devils at +450 on the Moneyline. The Over/Under on this game is 66 points and the Broncos have faced large numbers all season in the Over/Under department. The betting public is crushing the under in this game at a rate of 88%.
The Sun Devils have a few interesting trends relating to this game. Arizona State has gone Under the number 7 of 8 times against Mountain West Conference opponents but they have gone Over in 16 of their last 21 games.
Boise State has covered the Pointspread in 8 of their last 10 bowl games and they have shot Over the number in six of their last eight games.
Michigan Wolverines VS Nebraska Cornhuskers Week 12 CFB
The Michigan Wolverines and Nebraska Cornhuskers are looking at the same numbers so far this season and as such could be looking at a possible date for a Big 10 Championship game this December in Indianapolis.
Suffering some humiliating defeats in their first season in the Big 10 Nebraska has pulled off some big wins as well so far. Stinging from their upset at the hands of Northwestern the Cornhuskers head into this critical late season tilt with a dangerous Michigan team.
Big 10′s perennial giant killer, the Iowa Hawkeyes, and their state rivals Michigan State, have handed the Wolverines their losses.
In passing and rushing Denard Robinson leads the Wolverines this season. He will be tough on the Nebraska defenders with his ability to scramble and run his way out of the pocket.
As for the run game Nebraska is no slouch when getting down and dirty. Scaling back his run first philosophy this season Taylor Martinez is still subject to run on every down. Looking to rush for 1,000 yards Martinez has 768 yards rushing so far this season.
After an emotional win over the Penn State Nittany Lions, Bo Pelini and his Cornhuskers may have had a lot taken out of this team. The raw and emotional Penn State game was a little awkward but seemed to help the Penn State players.
With one game remaining after this weekend both teams will take on rivals from their neighbouring state. Michigan faces the Ohio State Buckeyes and Nebraska will take on the Iowa Hawkeyes.
South Florida Bulls Favored on Road Against Pittsburgh Panthers
The South Florida Bulls travel to play the Pittsburgh Panthers in Pittsburgh Thursday night and it is a sign of the times in what could be the last season for the Big East Conference.
South Florida is a field goal favorite in sports betting against the spread over the once powerful Panthers, on Pitt’s home turf. There is a good reason for the Bulls being favored in this early season conference tilt. The Bulls have not lost this season, including a win over a common opponent, the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame.
The Bulls and Skip Holtz went into South Bend and beat the Irish with a good game plan and a stronger desire to win the game. Notre Dame has since risen out of their funk and they took down the Pitt Panthers by a field goal in Pittsburgh.
The Panthers rank in the bottom half of college football’s elite teams. Pittsburgh ranks 67th in passing and 61st in rushing which tells much of the story on this team that once dominated the line of scrimmage. Now the Panthers are getting manhandled up front and it shows in the box score.
The Bulls rank tenth in points scored, scoring 45 points per game with their aggressive offense. The number is slightly skewed. They put 70 on Florida A&M and put up 52 against UTEP.
This game has potential for an embarrassing loss in Pittsburgh’s history and it also has potential to bring South Florida up a few pegs with a convincing win of a Big East opponent. South Florida can establish themselves as one of the best Big East football powers just before the entire conference implodes.
2011 College Football Big Game: Wisconsin Vs. Ohio State
The Ohio State Buckeyes and Wisconsin Badgers will square off in 2011 College Football Big Game at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio, October 29th.
As Wisconsin play six games to start the year before they go to an opponent’s stadium, their schedule sets up well. In 2011 their biggest games on October 1st in opposition to Nebraska, Oct 22nd at Michigan State and Oct 29th at Ohio State. This year the key game for the Badgers is Ohio State.
The Buckeyes will be amped up getting their players back but a cautionary tale. Ohio State still has best talents and will be one of the favorites to win the Big Ten as Tressel successfully brought in top recruiting classes nationally year in and year out. The Buckeyes are a deep team with players who can fill in holes when needed in spite of missing key players to suspension for the first five games. Braxton Miller, one of the top recruits in the nation, looks like the man to fill in for Pryor. Despite being only a freshman, he has the skill to lead the Buckeyes this season.
The Buckeyes will be the strongest as they have been all year, when Wisconsin plays Ohio State on Oct 29th. Many of the players will still be getting their feet under them for the Buckeyes as their sixth game is against Nebraska. The Buckeyes will be hosting a Badgers team that has a very good chance of coming in to Ohio Stadium undefeated as they will be at their most dangerous point the entire year by the eighth game.
Ohio State Enjoying Recruiting Success Despite Controversy
The Ohio State program still continues to enjoy some recruiting success as it added another commitment for the class of 2012, despite a notice of allegations from the NCAA in regard to violations committed under current head football coach Jim Tressel.
A 6-foot-3, 195-pound wide receiver Frank Epitropoulos and punter from the Columbus suburb of Upper Arlington (Ohio) became the sixth recruit to come on board Tuesday.
According to Epitropoulos, the Cleveland Plain Dealer, whose father, John Epitropoulos, lettered for the Buckeyes from 1978 to 1980, informed Tressel of his decision Monday. It was made public Tuesday.
When news of alleged NCAA rules violation first came out Epitropoulos became the first player to give an oral commitment to OSU since December. Canton GlenOak running back Bri’onte Dunn, who had given an oral commitment to Ohio State in September, indicated to Bucknuts.com that he is keeping his option open after Epitropoulos made his decision for now.
Dunn, the 6-2, 215-pound running back is now considered as uncertain, but he is not precluded from sticking it out with the embattled Buckeyes program, the Plain-Dealer reported. According to the Plain-Dealer, for now, the other oral commitments had previously reaffirmed their intentions.
If Tressel wants to teach his players that the best way to get through life is to do what you want, how you want, and assume people will turn a blind eye, then that is his right. I’d like to assume that the administration of Ohio State will see things differently.
Perhaps they will draw a line in the sand and come to the conclusion that this just isn’t the way things should be done. I doubt it though. After all, he’s 9-1 against Michigan. We’ll find out if Tressel knows what’s really important at Ohio State.
Stanford Cardinal’s Andrew Luck keeps rolling in offseason
The Stanford Cardinal‘s offseason didn’t change much for the team’s Heisman Trophy runner-up.
Quarterback Andrew Luck threw for 165 yards and three touchdowns to pace the Cardinal to a 42-3 rout of the White in Stanford’s annual spring game on Saturday.
“There was a lot of points on the board, so I guess it worked out,” Luck said.
Luck wound up a touchdown in all four of his drives, impressing new coach David Shaw.
This spring has been a transition for both of them since Jim Harbaugh left to coach the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers. The game was the first chance to see what the Cardinal offense would look like under the new coach-quarterback duo.
Luck finished 16 for 22 passing and led the Cardinal to TD drives on all four of his possessions. He also found a new favorite target in tight end Zach Ertz, who caught all three touchdown passes and finished with 64 yards receiving.
“I think a little bit of it was feeling each other out, seeing where this team’s going to go,” Luck said. “The spring provides a good base of something to work on for this offseason, for this summer, for training camp. Guys are starting to step up and they realize it’s going to take a lot more work to be a good team.”
Luck returns at quarterback after putting off being the NFL draft’s likely No. 1 sports handicapping pick and several starters are back from a 12-1 team that finished fourth in the final AP poll, the school’s best ranking since the unbeaten 1940 team finished second.
Fiesta Bowl Scandal – An Overview
The Fiesta Bowl will be investigated by the Bowl Championship Series. According to an internal report released by the bowl, the reimbursements total at least $46,539. The BCS will investigate to “consider whether the Fiesta Bowl should remain a BCS bowl game.” Junker, known for his bright yellow Fiesta Bowl sports jacket, had been the chief representative of the event for three decades.
Fiesta Bowl Committee announced the firing of President and CEO John Junker. He was canned after an extensive second investigation revealed allegations that have been circling for years according to the press release. Junker used the nonprofit “charitable” Fiesta Bowl as a conduit for political favors and potentially illegal campaign donations to his pals in the legislature.
At the Fiesta Bowl’s website the full report of the investigation is available online. It details a variety of nefarious activities by Junker over the years. It’s a fun read you should give it a look.
Details include $46,539 in campaign donations to various elected officials made by employees of Junker’s who said they were reimbursed for their individual donations. This illegal activity is still under investigation by the Attorney General’s office.
Junker also used the considerable funds amassed by the Fiesta Bowl through corporate sponsorships to treat favored politicians to all expenses paid trips to football games. The New York Times reports that Russell Pearce, the State Senate president, and his family, were flown to games in Chicago and Boston and put up at the Ritz.
Junker himself did well. The Fiesta Bowl paid close to $20,000 in golf club fees for Junker at four resorts; $27,00 per year for cars for Junker and his wife; Junker expensed over $1,200 for visits to a strip club and much more on more family-friendly meals; and $33,000 was spent on Junker’s 50th birthday party, held at Pebble Beach.
NCAAF: Record Football Crowds Recorded in 2010
2010 was a record-breaking season for NCAA in this past college football season. It has announced that for the fourth time in five seasons football attendance saw an increase. Breaking a record set in 2008, close to 50 million fans attended football games this season. In 2010, with 639 total NCAA schools, 49,670,895 fans attended home, neutral site, and postseason game, which is up 1,386,222 from 2009.
In the figures, all home, neutral and postseason games such as conference championship and bowl games were counted. Courtesy of Division I, who saw an increase of 713,527, came the total attendance increase of 1,386,222 fans from 2009 to 2010. Football Championship Subdivision home attendance was its third highest ever in FCS history at 6,031,800, while Football Bowl Subdivision teams set a record of 37,678,722 fans.
With 782,776 total fans at seven homes games in 2010, Michigan topped the Division I leaders, which is an average of 111,825. Michigan snapped their average game attendance in a season. Michigan Stadium is the largest football stadium in the United States. The SEC claimed six of the remaining seven spots in attendance, while Ohio State (105,278) and Penn State (104,234) were second and third respectfully. In the rankings released, Florida (90,511) and Florida State (71,270) finished ninth and 20th respectfully.
Ohio State at 105,278, Penn State at 104,234, Alabama at 101,821 and Texas at 100,654 were the four other programs, which topped the 100,000 mark. For the Big Ten Conference teams, this was the fourth consecutive year that held the top three spots. For the 13th consecutive year, the Southeastern Conference was the best Division I league draw. Of the remaining top 10 spots, SEC schools claimed six. In average home attendance, there is little surprise that schools led the way.