Five College Football Cavalcade footballey opinions and, like, other stuff
5. Why won’t the Big 12 expand to be a 12-team conference?
I know, I know, it doesn’t want to carve up more of the pie, but when it comes to huge alumni bases, expanded TV and recruiting markets, and just making the conference a bigger thing, Cincinnati makes total sense, along with Houston, too.
For the life of me, I’ve never understood why the Big 12 or ACC hasn’t taken over I-4 and brought in UCF and USF – MASSIVE alumni, big cities, important recruiting area.
At least this year, how much fun would it have been to have Cincinnati in the Big 12? I’m not saying it wins it, but …
Iowa State is going to play for the Big 12 Championship.
4. Every team needs Jamelle Holieway
If you’re an NFL team and you’re down to your third quarterback, or worse, why not have an In Case of Emergency Break Glass plan in place with an old-school Oklahoma wishbone attack utilized to get through the day?
The chances of winning in the NFL with an emergency quarterback are next to zero, and God forbid you’re Denver on Sunday with no quarterbacks in that abomination of a game against New Orleans.
The NFL laughs at the option because it’s so simplistic – and the quarterback would get murdered – but it’s an easy offense to run with just a few basic plays. Of course, it’s all about timing, too – and that’s the problem practice-wise – but at the very least, it throws a curveball into a game and gives a desperate team a shot.
3. One year later …
Last year at this exact time we were getting ready for the conference championship games and the announcement of the College Football Playoff pairings to come a bit later.
And the Heisman votes were about to come in.
This year? College GameDay is going to Conway, South Carolina for Liberty vs. Coastal Carolina.
So remember, it’s totally okay to move around the dates for these things. They’re just college football games – they’re going to be interesting and fun no matter when they’re played.
2. It’s not like any of this matters, anyway …
Can we please stop with wondering if this college football season is “legitimate” or not? I keep getting asked about this season and if any of this should count considering all of the craziness … compared to what?
An NBA that ditched a slew of teams in a made-up regular season finish and playoffs played in a bubble?
A baseball season that didn’t even have a home field advantage in the World Series after a shortened season?
An NHL that was one big – and glorious – tournament under controlled conditions and no travel?
I’d actually argue that the college football season is second behind the NFL as the most representative of season of any of the sports.
Outside of the Ohio State issue, what else do you really need to know to come up with a legitimate champion?
1. You’re better off giving all of that money to the recruits
The greatest trick that sports agents have ever pulled was convincing the college athletics world that a long contract leads to better recruits.
Especially in this time of athletic departments gutting sports and staff, and when colleges are doing everything they can to keep the lights on, enough with the TOTAL bullspit that college football coaches need a contract extension or recruiting will suffer.
17-year-old star recruits either 1) are smart enough to know that by the time they’re done, they’ll go through at least two assistant coaching changes and will probably have another head coach, or are 2) so naive that a great salesman can land the pitch no matter what the reality is, and/or 3) will take whatever school makes the best offer.
If he doesn’t get fired, Jim Harbaugh might be at the end of his deal after next year. Here’s the recruiting pitch to any recruit who cares …
“Yeah, it’s the last year of my deal, which means I’m more motivated than ever to produce a winner, and I need you to be a part of it and make that happen as the next star at the University of Michigan.”
And there’s one other aspect to this, too … the transfer portal.
If there’s a coaching change, and the recruit doesn’t like it, he’ll just transfer.
Worst of all with this sports agent hoo-ha, even if the coach gets the extension, that doesn’t mean his job is secure. If he has the extension and stinks, the school will buy him out and there’s going to be a new coach anyway.
– Ohio State’s Playoff problem
– Fiiiiine, put Ohio State in
– I Think, I Know, I Believe
– Sure-Thing Picks of the Century