2010 NCAA Football Thread

[Lights Out]

Trust me, you got lucky with the Boise State/Oklahoma game.

That was indeed a great game, one of the most exciting college football games in recent memory. It would have been ten times better on ESPN with the better commentary that comes with it.

[bigmike]

Ingram and Dareus are expected to turn pro tommorow.

I knew Dareus would leave, since he got in trouble for talking with the agent. I figured Ingram would go but I was hoping he would come back after a disappointing season but next season might be any better if he has to split time with Richardson. Now I just hope Julio will come back, but he will probably turn pro too.

[dfwabel]

Ingram and Dareus are expected to turn pro tommorow.

I knew Dareus would leave, since he got in trouble for talking with the agent. I figured Ingram would go but I was hoping he would come back after a disappointing season but next season might be any better if he has to split time with Richardson. Now I just hope Julio will come back, but he will probably turn pro too.

Does it really matter when Saban is notorious for "over-signing" them making the scholarship numbers work out after the fact by giving under-performing players medical scholarships.

From the Wall Street Journal:

Former Alabama football players say the school's No. 1-ranked football program has tried to gain a competitive edge by encouraging some underperforming players to quit the team for medical reasons, even in cases where the players are still healthy enough to play.

At least 12 times since coach Nick Saban took over the program in 2007, Alabama has offered players a "medical" scholarship, according to public statements made by the team. These scholarships, which are allowed under NCAA rules, are intended to make sure scholarship athletes who are too injured to play don't lose their financial aid. A player who receives one of these scholarships is finished playing with that team.

Three Alabama players who've taken these exemptions say they believe the team uses the practice as a way to clear spots for better players by cutting players it no longer wants. These players said they believe Mr. Saban and his staff pressure some players to take these scholarships even though their injuries aren't serious enough to warrant keeping them off the field.

"I'm still kind of bitter," said former Alabama linebacker Chuck Kirschman, who took a medical scholarship last year. Mr. Kirschman said Mr. Saban encouraged him to accept the scholarship because of a back problem that he believes he could have played through. "It's a business," Mr. Kirschman said. "College football is all about politics. And this is a loophole in the system."

Alabama isn't the only school that has given players medical scholarships. Including the Crimson Tide, the 12 members of the Southeastern Conference have given at least 25 of these scholarships to football players in the past three years. Ultimately, it's the school's decision whether a player is healthy enough to play football.

[AJM]

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/huskyfootballblog/2013861044_first_pac-12_title_game_headed.html

The story says the network will pay around $14.5 million for the game (and $25 million total including some other obligations), which will be held Dec. 3 at and will pit the winner of the North Division (UW, WSU, Oregon, Oregon State, Cal and Stanford) against the winner of the South (the other six schools) at the site of the team with the best record.

About time...Pac-10/12 has needed this game for a long time. Good for competition, cash infusion, and national legitimacy.

[dfwabel]

Way to go StubHub! Hard to believe that you now tell us that you are not ticket brokers when you buy seats and then resell them.

On Wednesday night, eBay's StubHub pulled off all of its tickets to Monday's BCS National Championship Game.

This was because a big seller who had already sold tickets on the site admitted to the company that he wouldn't have enough tickets in hand to satisfy the amount that he posted to the site. Since StubHub has always guaranteed that if a ticket is fraudulent or can't reach the buyer, they will make the customer whole with a similar ticket, the company was concerned that there would be some customers that bought tickets that wouldn't be able to get them.

"We have purchased as many tickets as are available to help fill customers’ orders, however we are still short of tickets due to the incredibly high demand for this game," StubHub spokeswoman Joellen Ferrer said.

Stubhub has had its ticket guarantee in place since its founding in 2000 and says it has never failed to deliver on its promise.

Here is what they are attempting to do. On Thursday, the company sent out e-mails to fans who had already purchased tickets, offering them a full refund and an additional payment of twice the ticket price. For example, if a fan paid $1,000 for a ticket, StubHub offered to refund the $1,000, as well as an additional $2,000 for the ticket.

[infrared41]

Trust me, you got lucky with the Boise State/Oklahoma game.

That was indeed a great game, one of the most exciting college football games in recent memory. It would have been ten times better on ESPN with the better commentary that comes with it.

It doesn't happen very often but we are in total agreement on this. Something else that doesn't happen...well...ever is me hyping a Boise State game even more than you do but that game was one of the most exciting games I've ever seen period. And I've been around a while.

Even FOX couldn't ruin it.

[Lights Out]

Even though I'm a Boise fan, I still rank the "Band is on the Field" game higher than Statue Left, but only by a hair.

[RyanMcD29]

The Delaware Blue Hens just Team Canada'd the FCS Championship game. Up 19-0 in the 3rd, they lose 20-19 against Eastern Washington

[Kevin W.]

Stick a fork in the Aggies. They're done.

[TFoA]

Got this stat from twitter: LSU had thrown 7 TDs all season. They have 3 today.

I seriously had to do a double-take when I saw LSU score their first TD through the air. It's been THAT rare for them.

[rams80]

The Delaware Blue Hens just Team Canada'd the FCS Championship game. Up 19-0 in the 3rd, they lose 20-19 against Eastern Washington

I blame the red field.

/Yes, I know it wasn't played there.

[dfwabel]

Got this stat from twitter: LSU had thrown 7 TDs all season. They have 3 today.

I seriously had to do a double-take when I saw LSU score their first TD through the air. It's been THAT rare for them.

Honestly, I think that Les Miles is trying to showcase what Denard could do within his offensive scheme. The downside is that Gary Crowton is his OC, and Bears fans remember his tenure as horrible. It must all deal with the hashmarks.

Michigan also may have to meet theSEC level for coordinator salaries. It seemed they were going to do it for Harbaugh's staff, but that included a former NFL DC in Vic Fangio.

[Burmy]

The Delaware Blue Hens just Team Canada'd the FCS Championship game. Up 19-0 in the 3rd, they lose 20-19 against Eastern Washington

WAC tries to pick up EWU in 3...2...1...

[infrared41]

Uh-oh...does Lights Out know about this... Petersen to Stanford?

[GFB]

Uh-oh...does Lights Out know about this... Petersen to Stanford?

Why would he leave Boise State? That's a career gig.

-Lights Out

[knnhrvy16]

The Delaware Blue Hens just Team Canada'd the FCS Championship game. Up 19-0 in the 3rd, they lose 20-19 against Eastern Washington

WAC tries to pick up EWU in 3...2...1...

Sad thing is, if they were to do so, EWU would probably win the conference title in thier first year. And I'm dead serious, too.

[oddball]

Uh-oh...does Lights Out know about this... Petersen to Stanford?

Why would he leave Boise State? That's a career gig.

-Lights Out

If Peterson was smart, he'd stay at Boise and build that program up to be a top 5 contender each and every year. He really doesn't have to do anything at Boise to do that as it's already on it's way to being that year in and year out top 5 ranked team at the end of the year. If he's like 99.9% of egotistical coaches out there, he'll jump at the first "big-time" job offered him and become like a lot of these coaches that are doing really well at the smaller schools and fall flat on their face at a big-time school. I see Dan Hawkins all over again with him. I'm sorry to say this about him, but he's not Jim Harbaugh who had an NFL playing pedigree to bring from San Diego to Stanford and now the NFL. I hope Peterson stays at Boise and realizes there is no job better than what he has out there, I don't care what kind of money is offered. He has everything a coach could want, including complete control over the program and security for about 10 more years.

[GFB]

Uh-oh...does Lights Out know about this... Petersen to Stanford?

Why would he leave Boise State? That's a career gig.

-Lights Out

If Peterson was smart, he'd stay at Boise and build that program up to be a top 5 contender each and every year. He really doesn't have to do anything at Boise to do that as it's already on it's way to being that year in and year out top 5 ranked team at the end of the year. If he's like 99.9% of egotistical coaches out there, he'll jump at the first "big-time" job offered him and become like a lot of these coaches that are doing really well at the smaller schools and fall flat on their face at a big-time school. I see Dan Hawkins all over again with him. I'm sorry to say this about him, but he's not Jim Harbaugh who had an NFL playing pedigree to bring from San Diego to Stanford and now the NFL. I hope Peterson stays at Boise and realizes there is no job better than what he has out there, I don't care what kind of money is offered. He has everything a coach could want, including complete control over the program and security for about 10 more years.

You also have to realize:

- You are in the middle of Idaho. Seriously, trying to get a kid from Florida or Texas to want to go play ball in Idaho over USC, Texas, or Miami if everything is equal. It's not even a mildly boring state like Ohio or Michigan or Oregon. It's freaking IDAHO.

- Your school isn't going to have the money that an Alabama or Oregon will have. Not only does that mean less money for you, but less money for facilities, staff, and equipment. Just recently, Alabama bought a new, state-of-the-art training facility... for Dr. Phillips high school in Florida.

- Thirdly, he has zero chance of winning a national championship at Boise State. Zero. As long as there are two teams from the Big Four Conferences who have one loss or less, Boise State will continue to get picked over by the bigger schools.

- Boise is never going to have a huge following. Of course you may pick up the occasional college football drifter, but you're never going to have 80,000 people at a Boise State home game.

- He could just as easily gain all those perks you listed at a bigger school, then he could have the whole enchilada, rather than settling for the half the burrito at Boise State.

[Lights Out]

Oregon was "interested" in Petersen when they fired Belotti and even interviewed him... no dice. And Oregon is a FAR better program than Stanford. I'll believe Petersen's going to Stanford when he's at a press conference at Stanford.

Supposedly, it's a moot point. Rumor has it that BSU offensive coordinator Bryan Harsin only left for Texas because Petersen assured him he'd be in Boise for a while. Harsin was the leading candidate for head coach if Petersen were to leave.

[rams80]

Uh-oh...does Lights Out know about this... Petersen to Stanford?

Why would he leave Boise State? That's a career gig.

-Lights Out

If Peterson was smart, he'd stay at Boise and build that program up to be a top 5 contender each and every year. He really doesn't have to do anything at Boise to do that as it's already on it's way to being that year in and year out top 5 ranked team at the end of the year. If he's like 99.9% of egotistical coaches out there, he'll jump at the first "big-time" job offered him and become like a lot of these coaches that are doing really well at the smaller schools and fall flat on their face at a big-time school. I see Dan Hawkins all over again with him. I'm sorry to say this about him, but he's not Jim Harbaugh who had an NFL playing pedigree to bring from San Diego to Stanford and now the NFL. I hope Peterson stays at Boise and realizes there is no job better than what he has out there, I don't care what kind of money is offered. He has everything a coach could want, including complete control over the program and security for about 10 more years.

You also have to realize:

- You are in the middle of Idaho. Seriously, trying to get a kid from Florida or Texas to want to go play ball in Idaho over USC, Texas, or Miami if everything is equal. It's not even a mildly boring state like Ohio or Michigan or Oregon. It's freaking IDAHO.

- Your school isn't going to have the money that an Alabama or Oregon will have. Not only does that mean less money for you, but less money for facilities, staff, and equipment. Just recently, Alabama bought a new, state-of-the-art training facility... for Dr. Phillips high school in Florida.

- Thirdly, he has zero chance of winning a national championship at Boise State. Zero. As long as there are two teams from the Big Four Conferences who have one loss or less, Boise State will continue to get picked over by the bigger schools.

- Boise is never going to have a huge following. Of course you may pick up the occasional college football drifter, but you're never going to have 80,000 people at a Boise State home game.

- He could just as easily gain all those perks you listed at a bigger school, then he could have the whole enchilada, rather than settling for the half the burrito at Boise State.

Yeah, Stanford brings all of that to the table. On the flip side, Petersen's effectively got guaranteed lifetime employment at Boise and has seen what has happened to all too many "hot young coaches" at good mid-major programs when they jump for the major school job-they get fired within 4 years when they can't deliver miracles. I'm sure the lesson of Dan Hawkins is still very much in Petersen's mind.