With spring ball over, football fans have now turned their attention to the NFL Draft. This is a special time where schools and conferences can brag about who’s going to the NFL, while still on the recruiting trail. We then have Kentucky going all out for football … which is a first, since it is known more for its basketball. Finally there is Nick Saban — the football coach that makes headlines for anything he does.
1) All we hear about is the SEC this, the SEC that — bor-ing. Well, get ready folks because after the NFL draft you are gonna hear it even more. The SEC led with 11 first-round picks. Most impressive was Texas A&M, who had three while Auburn and Alabama both followed with two each. How can you go wrong walking into a recruit’s living room if you’re Texas A&M Coach Kevin Sumlin.
The kid asks “can you get me to the next level?” and without hesitation Sumlin says “yep, just come to College Station and we will take care of the rest.” That is going to make recruiting wars much more interesting around the state of Texas and if you didn’t get your fill of Johnny Manziel over the NFL draft weekend … then here is a little more:
2) When we think of Kentucky, we think basketball. We think about all of the one and done recruits, but it looks like the school is turning its attention to football and trying to help their fans care just a little bit more about what is going on with that team.
The ‘Cats wanted to show fans they are invested in Coach Mark Stoops and that he is the man to turn things around by extending his contract through 2018-19. By doing that, you give the fans, recruits, and players the faith needed to see that he will be around and lead the team long term.
But can you really have faith in a coach who just went 2-10? Time will tell if it is a good move. For now, I think we can all respect the fact that Kentucky is willing to stick things out with him instead of letting him go a few seasons and then firing him.
3) As for the PAC-12 — they are mulling around the idea of moving the Championship Game to a new pro stadium in Santa Clara. Having a permanent site in a pro stadium would be a nice upgrade for PAC-12 fans, but I feel it will take time for it to catch on and we will see a lot of open seats in that stadium.
The SEC championship game has never hosted a game with fewer than 73,000 in attendance, while the PAC-12 championship game at Stanford barely drew 31,000. If Stanford/Oregon vs UCLA/USC happens, then it could be a pretty good crowd in Santa Clara. I do like how Larry Scott is a visionary man and is always thinking about the future for what will better the PAC-12 and keep the conference in the main spotlight.
Time to wrap it up again for another week of college football. We have had a lot of back door dealings and appeals going on with the NCAA and their lawsuits this past week. With time, that will be all the headlines seen. If you are still looking for your football fill, I suggest you check into the Arena Football scene. I have been watching it more and more and man, it is a fastpace and high-scoring game. At one of those games, the teams combined to score five touchdowns in the final minute of the quarter. Trust me, you will enjoy it until college football is back.
NATIONAL NEWS:
1. Virginia Tech going big
2. UNC focusing on academics
3. Jim Tressel is the BOSS!
4. Future NFL prospects
5. Spring ball wrap up
Main photo by Amerigo Vespucci
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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.