College Football 2012 Season

[Guynemer]

Oh dear.

Why don't you have a seat?

[H Tower]

edit: nevermind

[Imran Siddiqui]

Many, many people have been fighting for a playoff in college football for many years, but the most they could get were tiny (and usually annoying) adjustments to the system. Why? Well, you can’t sum up anything complicated with only one reason, but the big reason is probably this: College football is hugely, irrepressibly, inordinately popular. And when something is that popular, there is overpowering pressure to keep things where they are.

http://joeposnanski.si.com/2012/01/1.../?sct=cf_wr_a2

There is a reason Joe Posnanski is arguably the best sports writer in the country.

[Tupac Shakur]

Eh. He's no Spencer Hall.

[H Tower]

Apparently, according to ESPN Joe Paterno is on his death bed. Love him or hate him, he'll be missed.

I always figured that shortly after he gave up coaching, he would fade fast.

[SlowwHand]

#9 on my list.

[Al B. Sure!]

Joe Pa passed away.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Latest news is that he's in serious condition, but not gone yet.

[H Tower]

Joe Pa passed away.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/spor...aken-down.html

Saturday, as news outlets looked for developments on the 85-year-old former coach’s condition, at least two Internet reports were published saying that he had died. At one, Onward State, which covers Penn State, the managing editor resigned his position after removing its post that Paterno had died. Here's former managing editor Devon Edwards' announcement on Facebook.

Apparently the other website reporting Paterno's death is Apolyton

[H Tower]

Apparently Alby is off the hook for starting the rumor.
http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/story/16960572

Earlier Saturday night, CBSSports.com published an unsubstantiated report that former Penn State coach Joe Paterno had died. That mistake was the result of a failure to verify the original report. CBSSports.com holds itself to high journalistic standards, and in this circumstance tonight, we fell well short of those expectations.

CBSSports.com extends its profound and sincere apology to the Paterno family and the Penn State community during their difficult time.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Paterno, however, eventually did pass away during the evening (I celebrate death for no one).

[Tupac Shakur]

Jesus, why would you even consider celebrating JoePa's death? It's not like he molested anyone.

In other news, the New York Giants keep on proving that playing hard in the regular season is for suckers.

[Boris Godunov]

So it seems that the Bucs are going to hire Chip Kelly away from Oregon. They're going to have to pay a boatload of money for him. And he'll be reunited with LaGarrett Blount.

In the meantime, Oregon fans are panicking and hoping that Chris Petersen will be the replacement. I wouldn't count on that, but who knows?

[Ming]

In other news, the New York Giants keep on proving that playing hard in the regular season is for suckers.

Gee... they won their division and earned a chance to be the champion.
That's more than every conference winner in College football can say except one.

[Tupac Shakur]

So it seems that the Bucs are going to hire Chip Kelly away from Oregon.

Is Kelly really dumb enough to make that move? He's built a consistently excellent program at Oregon, while the Bucs are a perennial dumpster fire.

[Ming]

Is Kelly really dumb enough to make that move? He's built a consistently excellent program at Oregon, while the Bucs are a perennial dumpster fire.

FROM USA TODAY

Oregon football coach Chip Kelly looks to be staying in college football after serious talks with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Register-Guard of Eugene, Ore., reported late Sunday night Kelly decided against a move to the NFL after it seemed he was set on leaving.

ESPN, the Tampa Bay Times, and KGW8, a Portland TV station, previously reported Sunday that Kelly was negotiating a deal with Tampa Bay, citing persons with knowledge of the situation.

The Buccaneers are looking to replace former coach Raheem Morris, who was fired after a 4-12 season on Jan. 2, the same day Kelly's Ducks won the program's first Rose Bowl since 1917.

The Bucs lost their last ten games in 2011 and finished dead last in points allowed (30.9).

Since becoming Oregon's head coach in 2009, Kelly's teams went 34-6, won their conference and reached a BCS game in all three seasons. He was previously an assistant with Columbia, New Hampshire, and Johns Hopkins before becoming Oregon's offensive coordinator in 2007.

Kelly was among the highest-paid college coaches in the country in 2011 with a $2.8 million base salary and the chance to earn up to $1.035 million in bonuses. Morris earned $2 million in salary last season with the Bucs, according to the Times.



So they probably didn't offer him enough money.

[Imran Siddiqui]

n/m due to Ming's post.

Maybe he was just helping himself out in negotiations for a new contract?

[Boris Godunov]

I think I was awakened by the sigh of relief from Eugene this morning.

Kelly's contract isn't up until 2014 I believe, but I don't think he needs any more leverage than he already has. He's as a god to Oregon at this point.

[Tupac Shakur]

Turns out Bret Bielema is not only a douche, but also a whiner. Urban Meyer

[-Jrabbit]

This?

Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema followed up his signing day shot at Urban Meyer Thursday by asking his athletic director, Barry Alvarez, to have a little chat with Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany during today's athletic director meetings in Chicago about Meyer's "unethical" recruiting tactics at Ohio State. Bielema and coaches from Michigan State took aim at Meyer on Wednesday for violating a "gentleman's agreement" among Big Ten coaches not to pursue recruits already committed to another Big Ten school, standard operating procedure in Meyer's old SEC stomping grounds at Florida. This year, Ohio State flipped eight prospects who were already committed elsewhere after Meyer was hired in late November, including four-star linemen Kyle Dodson and Se'Von Pittman from Wisconsin and Michigan State, respectively, giving the Buckeyes the best overall class in the conference.

"I can tell you this. We at the Big Ten don't want to be like the SEC—in any way, shape or form," Bielema told the Sporting News. "I called Urban and we spoke about it. We talked about it, and he said it would stop and it did. I'll let our commissioner deal with anything else. That's not who we are [in the Big Ten]. We settle things among ourselves as coaches."

Well, until you get the athletic director and commissioner involved. [The Sporting News]

[Tupac Shakur]

Yes, that.

[-Jrabbit]

"I can tell you this. We at the Big Ten don't want to be like the SEC—in any way, shape or form."

I missed the memo where Bielema now speaks for the entire Big 10.

He might want to reconsider that statement in light of the SEC's whole "having talent" and "winning the BCS" thing.

[rah]

Now the Big 10 is talking about a national championship playoff. From this mornings paper


By Teddy Greenstein, Tribune reporter
7:11 p.m. CST, February 6, 2012

The Big Ten is not only ready to listen to proposals regarding a national four-team football playoff, league and school officials are kicking around an intriguing idea.

Sources told the Tribune that a Big Ten plan would remove the top four teams from the BCS bowl pool and have semifinal games played on the college campus of the higher seed. That would do away with the facade of "neutral" sites such as New Orleans, Miami and Pasadena, Calif., and ease travel concern for fans.

The championship game then could be bid out, like the Super Bowl.

The concept of the Big Ten even entertaining playoff proposals seemed laughable as recently as two months ago. But in the wake of a low-rated BCS title game that satisfied few outside the Southeastern Conference footprint, the conference is ready to study and contribute ideas.

"We have to listen to the fans; we cannot be tone-deaf," said Northwestern athletics director Jim Phillips, who chairs the Big Ten's Administrators Council. "The Big Ten is open and curious."

In 2008, the SEC proposed a Plus-One — a more palatable term for a four-team playoff — during BCS discussions, and the ACC supported it. But with the Big Ten, Pac-10, Big 12, Big East and Notre Dame disapproving, the plan never materialized.

"There has been a lot of bantering and rhetoric," Phillips said, "but no one has come up with a formal plan."

BCS Executive Director Bill Hancock said that 50 to 60 BCS bowl/playoff plans were presented the day after the BCS title game in New Orleans, but they apparently lack details. The next college football cycle begins with the 2014 season, and most expect a new system to be approved this fall.

Also on the table: Creating a seven-win requirement for bowl teams, a rule that could torpedo more than a half-dozen money-losing games and end embarrassing contests between schools that dumped their head coaches.

And moving up the BCS title game. Alabama's trouncing of LSU took place Jan. 9, a day after the NFL's wild-card weekend. Fourteen percent of the country tuned in, marking the third-lowest rating in the 14 years of the BCS.

"There is a very strong sense that we have missed the boat and are playing games too late," Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany told the Tribune. "Students are back in class, people are back at work."

Delany would not comment on any potential Big Ten playoff proposal, saying he first needs to take the temperature of university presidents, chancellors and athletic directors.

But he did say: "I think sports fans are conditioned to playoffs. I don't begrudge them that. They're looking for more games, but we're trying to do the right thing.

"It's a matter of coming up with something that does not kill the baby with the bath water. We have a regular season that is vibrant. We have 12 games plus a (conference) championship game — that's a lot of games. We have academic calendars, though that doesn't resonate with many people. But if you're dealing with university presidents, faculty and coaches, you're talking about it."

NU's Phillips said that in evaluating playoff proposals, Big Ten officials would use four criteria:

Is it fair to the student-athletes already suiting up for 12-13 games?

Would it undermine college football's vital regular season?

Would the teams be chosen in a way that reflects competitive fairness?

Can the Rose Bowl be protected?

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports...,4747499.story


Will such a low viewership this year be enough to revive the debate to the point of something actually getting done?

[Guynemer]

"The Big Ten is open and curious."

I wonder how much of the low ratings was the rematch, and how much was it being the first BCS Championship on ESPN.

[Imran Siddiqui]

The 7 win requirement for Bowls is a great idea! I also do like the 4 team playoff, but I liked the Plus One better.

[rah]

Yeah the 7 win requirement was what I found quite amusing.

Also on the table: Creating a seven-win requirement for bowl teams, a rule that could torpedo more than a half-dozen money-losing games and end embarrassing contests between schools that dumped their head coaches.

Gee, I wonder what embarrassing contest they were referencing.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Unfortunately, I don't get which game you are referencing.

Is it Ohio State and Florida? Because that was a fun game.

[Guynemer]

Illinois-UCLA

[rah]

Bingo.

[H Tower]

Ok, now can we strip away the Big East's auto BCS bid?

BigEast "football" 2014
Boise State
Central Florida
Cincinnati
Connecticut
Houston
Louisville
Memphis
Navy
Rutgers
San Diego State
SMU
Southern Florida

:vomit: