Not all rumors are created equal. Monday has come and gone, and Les Miles is still the head coach of LSU. Whoever put word out of him being fired probably wanted a little recognition on their twitter account. It just shows the power of social media and how fast rumors can spread. The only real news this past week is not who will beat Alabama next year in the title game but how many titles Bama can roll up during this streak. With the way Saban recruits and schemes for every opponent, Alabama fans will have plenty to be happy about for many years to come. Let’s get into some news and thoughts from this past week:
1. The NCAA made it official. They are going to eject players for “targeting” a defenseless player. Here comes soft man football for defenders. I know the intentions are to make the game safer but it will do more harm than good when you throw out a star player just trying to make a play…not kill the guy with his helmet. I can’t wait for that penalty to be called and see how ESPN and the fans blow it up. At least the NCAA came to it’s senses and allowed Boise State to wear all blue uniforms at home.
2. The recruiting spree for Gunner Kiel is on again. First came Indiana, then LSU; and finally he landed at Notre Dame. After seeing he has no shot at playing time and will ride the bench, he is opting out from the Golden Dome. I wish the kid had just stuck with Indiana. They could use a solid QB and hopefully make a bowl game someday. Imagine the joy he would have felt winning in his home state with Indiana, and possibly leading the Hoosiers to an upset over top Big-10 teams like Ohio State, Michigan, or Wisconsin. I am also curious if he will try and keep it close to home again or head down south to some of those schools who were trying to recruit him. Everyone knows LSU could always use a decent QB because they are horrible on offense.
3. Get your brain working, because you could be the one responsible for naming the new BIG EAST conference. They are considering opening up the doors of social media to rename their conference. I guess American-12 conference did not gain that much traction with fans and the future schools of the conference. My suggestion is the “Everywhere 11+x” conference. You never know who will be in and who will be out and from where at this point.
4. ESPN and the MWC have finalized a TV deal ensuring that we will see more of their games on television. This is minor news in my book, but holds future benefits. Thanks to Boise State and other schools from the MWC for not jumping ship to a “sinking” Big East ship, the MWC was able to a secure a pretty decent TV deal. I see the MWC being able to gain some traction to the BCS and playoff table. The league is growing and creating a conference title game which will bring in more revenue. The MWC really has a chance to do some good things and possibly raise the conference reputation even higher for years to come. Also, the league has a chance to make it on to some BCS teams schedules now with some conferences trying to go away from playing the FCS schools. Look for the MWC to surpass the BIG EAST or what ever they are going to call themselves.
5. The last story that gained some interest was of Alabama QB A.J. McCarron playing hurt for half of the season. McCarron said he kept playing because it’s part of being a leader. I think it could be part of being an idiot ( but when you have a girlfriend as hot as his, you keep playing through the pain). Yeah, it’s cool to keep playing and winning, but you have to think of the life-long consequences. Football will not go on for ever, so try and take care of your body. I know the SEC is tough and they breed them a little different down there, but play it safe. How many players out there continue to risk major injuries by playing hurt? So many times we find out after “the big win” that a key player was playing hurt. Team doctors need to step in and talk some sense into the player; as well as the coach, because I am sure coaches like Saban do not care about a few hurt ribs. What he cares about is getting the “W” and making it to the title game.
Spring football is about to start. A lot of schools will have their first practice, and some new faces for schools could be taking the field for the first time. At the end of this month we have Texas playing their spring game. Hopefully someone can decide on a QB for the Longhorns. Mack Brown’s seat will be incredibly hot this season and anything less than 9 or 10 wins could put him in the unemployment line. Also, to help pass time, we can begin to start filling out brackets in next week or so. I still look forward to the NCAA college football playoffs and the day they expand the field and we can do a mini bracket for that. We can expect the news feed and story lines to pick up with the spring practices starting.
NATIONAL NEWS:
1. BIG-12 spring football news
2. South Carolina’s Clowney buying insurance
3. NCAA rethinking the rules
4. Ducks build staff
5. Johnny football making news
6. Beer sales at college games
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Jeff Hostetler may not have won a Super Bowl with the Giants ( though his uncle of the same name did). He has been an obsessed college football fan living in Florida ever since the Gators beat FSU in the Sugar Bowl to earn the UF’s first national championship.
Ever since Jeff has immersed himself in everything possible related to college football. He enjoys watching, writing, playing, and otherwise obsessing over all things football. A graduate of the University of Florida, he brings a perspective to FishDuck free of our extreme green & yellow homerism glasses to look at the current landscape of collegiate athletics.