Lane Kiffin is in his second season as head coach of the USC Trojans, and the Trojans are currently 8-2 with two games left. Kiffin was hired after Coach Pete Carroll bolted for the National Football League and was 8-5 in his first year.Kiffin's hire always seemed strange to me. How could a coach with so little head coaching experience become the head guy at such a prestigious national powerhouse like USC? Part of me has always believed they brought him in for the term USC is on probation and will move on once they are off. The logic behind this thinking is that Kiffin is a great recruiter, and since the Trojans will be losing scholarships then they need to get the best players possible with their limited numbers. Therefore, they hired him. However, I could be completely wrong and crazy about that so I want to ask other fans how long they think Kiffin will last at USC. I just don't see him lasting more than two or three more years. He just isn't that good of a coach, in my opinion.
The USC Trojans received a big verbal commitment today when Rocklin (Whitney High School), Calif. tight end Jalen Cope-Ftizpatrick pledged to Lane Kiffin immediately after receiving an offer, according to Scout.com.Cope-Fitzpatrick, also rated a four-star prospect by Scout, has all the things any coach would want in a tight end, with good hands and outstanding size (6'5", 250 lbs.).The commitment itself was somewhat surprising on a couple fronts.It seemed the Trojans were pretty well set at tight end with a trio of young premier players—Xavier Grimble, Christian Thomas and Randal Telfer—already in the fold, but there may be other considerations as to where Cope-Fitzpatrick could wind up.A very good blocker already, there has been talk that when all is said and done, Cope-Fitzpatrick may slide one spot over and play guard at some point in his career. He has the frame to put on weight, and his athleticism would make him a natural in the interior.The commitment itself on Cope-Fitzpatrick's part was also a surprise in that there was little mention by him when considering the schools that were recruiting him.Having received offers from schools such as Miami (Fla.), Nebraska and most of the Pac-12, Cope-Fitzpatrick—according to Scout's Brandon Huffman—was waiting for USC's offer. When it came from head coach Lane Kiffin, he accepted on the spot.With Cope-Fitzpatrick's verbal, the Trojans now have 10 commitments for 2012.Read more USC Football news on BleacherReport.com Read Full Article
The USC Trojans received a big verbal commitment today when Rocklin (Whitney High School), Calif. tight end Jalen Cope-Ftizpatrick pledged to Lane Kiffin immediately after receiving an offer, according to Scout.com.
Cope-Fitzpatrick, also rated a four-star prospect by Scout, has all the things any coach would want in a tight end, with good hands and outstanding size (6'5", 250 lbs.).
The commitment itself was somewhat surprising on a couple fronts.
It seemed the Trojans were pretty well set at tight end with a trio of young premier players—Xavier Grimble, Christian Thomas and Randal Telfer—already in the fold, but there may be other considerations as to where Cope-Fitzpatrick could wind up.
A very good blocker already, there has been talk that when all is said and done, Cope-Fitzpatrick may slide one spot over and play guard at some point in his career. He has the frame to put on weight, and his athleticism would make him a natural in the interior.
The commitment itself on Cope-Fitzpatrick's part was also a surprise in that there was little mention by him when considering the schools that were recruiting him.
Having received offers from schools such as Miami (Fla.), Nebraska and most of the Pac-12, Cope-Fitzpatrick—according to Scout's Brandon Huffman—was waiting for USC's offer. When it came from head coach Lane Kiffin, he accepted on the spot.
With Cope-Fitzpatrick's verbal, the Trojans now have 10 commitments for 2012.
Read more USC Football news on BleacherReport.com
Lane's family owns airplanes and are in the oil business. His job is pretty much to hang out on the golf course and schmooze with the customers. He also already owns his own house. Should someone as wealthy as Lane be allowed to win Big Brother?
Notre Dame's rivalry with the University of Southern California is considered to be one of the best rivalries in college football.As of late, the rivalry itself has been a bit one-sided with USC winning eight consecutive match-ups from 2002 to 2009.The Irish bucked that trend last season beating Lane Kiffin's Trojans 20-16 in Los Angeles.Many believe that victory marked the beginning of a seismic shift in the series.That shift is due largely to the fact that Notre Dame is on the rise with Brian Kelly while USC is on the decline because of NCAA-imposed sanctions.The Irish should be favored heading into this season's contest, the first night game at Notre Dame Stadium in 21 years.Follow along as we count down the five reasons why Notre Dame will beat USC (again).Begin Slideshow
Notre Dame's rivalry with the University of Southern California is considered to be one of the best rivalries in college football.
As of late, the rivalry itself has been a bit one-sided with USC winning eight consecutive match-ups from 2002 to 2009.
The Irish bucked that trend last season beating Lane Kiffin's Trojans 20-16 in Los Angeles.
Many believe that victory marked the beginning of a seismic shift in the series.
That shift is due largely to the fact that Notre Dame is on the rise with Brian Kelly while USC is on the decline because of NCAA-imposed sanctions.
The Irish should be favored heading into this season's contest, the first night game at Notre Dame Stadium in 21 years.
Follow along as we count down the five reasons why Notre Dame will beat USC (again).
Begin Slideshow
Kennedy Pola returned to USC — where he previously played and coached — under somewhat controversial circumstances last year. That episode and a full season behind him, Pola (Mater Dei High) has settled into the same Heritage Hall corner office he occupied in his first go-round at USC, from 2000-03. USC assistant coach Kennedy Pola talks about his return to USC, what it takes to be a good fullback and the status of the Trojans' backfield for the 2011 season.THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ADVERTISEMENT Recruiting wasn't part of the job description in the NFL, where he coached in Cleveland (2004), Jacksonville ('05-09) and Tennessee ('10). That transition is where our conversation began. Q: You hadn't been at Tennessee very long when Lane Kiffin came calling. Why come back? A: It's USC. There's no other university (like it). If you'd been here before — and I've been blessed to be here as a student-athlete and been here working for two bosses, been through good and bad — and knowing Lane, knew of the sanctions, there was an opportunity to help our university in some way. If they asked me to stack cups or something (I would have done it) just to help. I was here as a player when we had a two-year ban. It's an adjustment for the student-athletes, the fan base and the coaching staff. Q: You began your coaching career as a volunteer assistant at Crespi High (of Encino). What do you remember most about that experience? A: Winning a championship. We won the CIF-Southern Section with Coach Bill Redell. It's funny, but it's kind of reality sometimes: I had the best player in Russell White. He was the CIF Player of the Year, and he was only a sophomore. I realized then that I don't have to be a really good coach — I just have to have really good players. Q: How old were you when you first started coaching? A: Twenty-two, 23 years old. I had just finished at USC. Had a cup of coffee in the NFL. Had the eighth knee surgery and realized the NFL's not for me. That's another personal challenge that's helped me become a better teacher to coach a lot of these young men. Q: What's the distribution of the surgeries? A: Four on each. Never missed a game, though. I don't know if it was a smart decision. Q: Why did coaching appeal to you? A: You're going deep. You're going back to the young man who move from Samoa, who, at 12 years old, didn't know how to speak English. Coaches were like your father figure. That's just the truth. The guardian I lived with who raised me through high school was my basketball coach. He became more than a basketball coach. He became like my father. From Wayne Cochran to Bruce Rollinson to Ted Tollner to John Robinson ... every coach I've come in contact with has been an influence on what I've done. When I had the opportunity, when Coach Bill Redell asked me to come and help, it helped me to grieve too. ... You're a high school All-American, all that stuff, hyped up, and your dream is to play in the NFL, make some money and take care of your family. But it didn't happen. It helped me with my grieving. Q: You graduated with a degree in history. You also were born on the day that John F. Kennedy was assassinated and were named after him. Is he an important historical figure to you? Or is there someone else you admire? A: No, it would have to be him because everybody relates to that date. It's amazing. I wish I was a writer because I would record every conversation I've had over the years, the stories. That generation, they can recall to the second, to the minute, everything around them when it happened, where they were, all over the world: "I remember my mom crying, I remember my teacher, everybody just went silent, the principal over the loud speaker." Q: You seem to have a special relationship with fullbacks because you were one yourself. What does it take to be a great fullback? A: First of all, you're selfless. It's all in the attitude. Team player. You have to love collisions. I've always said, fullbacks have the best hands on the team. Here at USC, from Malaefou MacKenzie to David Kirtman to Stanley Havili, those guys can catch the football. I've always teased the other guys. I think the reason why, when I first started here at USC, Coach (John) Robinson had that philosophy that before you became a tailback you were playing fullback. That's the movement guy. Once you learn the fullback's blocking point, entry point, what they're doing, I think the tailback sees the game a lot better. Q: The running backs' production was pretty good last year; Allen Bradford and Marc Tyler combined for about 1,700 yards. But it seemed like Lane Kiffin was seldom satisfied with the running game. What's your take on it? A: You can always improve. I don't think it's the young men's fault. You've got to understand, they have a new coach. Marc and Allen and Stanley had been with Coach Mac (Todd McNair) for four years. All of a sudden you've got a different voice, a different way of installing, a different way they see things. I think it took awhile for us. Then the rhythm of the play-caller. I think it's going to be a lot better this year. Q: Because there's a greater comfort level? A: There's more continuity. I look back at our production here in our first run with Pete (Carroll). We were 6-6. The next year, Sultan (McCullough) had a 100-yard game, (Justin) Fargas against Oregon broke out, and things started jelling. Then the next year was even better. Q: A few days after spring ball ended, Lane Kiffin released a depth chart. Four guys were listed as co-starters at running back. How much influence do you have on that, and how do you size up the race? A: It's always the head coach's decision. But he's going to weigh it on everybody, what's your opinion on it. You never say it's my decision. This is Coach Kiffin's team. There's no question about it. You have to be available as a running back. If you're not taking care of your schoolwork, the way you behave, things like that, (it's a problem). Professional guys, they're pros; I never had that issue. "This is business. I'm going to show up. I'm going to do the right thing." At least the ones I've been around. We haven't (found) a guy who's going to step up and do everything. You look at Stanford and their identity, they rotated backs as well (last season). It's kind of that way right now. The back that's going to stand out is going to be a back that Coach is going to feel comfortable in (his) doing everything: protecting the quarterback, running the routes, running hard. Q: What can you tell me about the two guys coming in in the fall, Amir Carlisle and Buck Allen? A: Amir ... has a good traffic burst. He can go from first to fourth pretty quick. He's not the biggest, but very good football instincts. Real good ball-catching skills. We'll figure out when he gets here and the pads come on how he's going to attack. I'm sure he'll be fine. He's been brought up around football a lot of his life; his dad is a trainer in the NFL and college. He knows what it takes. The other young man is a big kid. We lose Allen (Bradford), C.J. (Gable) and Stanley (Havili) — there go three big backs. The only one we have left is Marc (Tyler). He comes in, and he's our second big back. He's got a good feel. He can catch the ball. I've always told him it's kind of nice to have an "Allen" in the backfield at USC. He didn't get it. Q: He didn't get it? He didn't know who Marcus Allen was? A: He didn't get it at first. It's been awhile. Contact the writer: mlev@ocregister.com
Kennedy Pola returned to USC — where he previously played and coached — under somewhat controversial circumstances last year.
That episode and a full season behind him, Pola (Mater Dei High) has settled into the same Heritage Hall corner office he occupied in his first go-round at USC, from 2000-03.
USC assistant coach Kennedy Pola talks about his return to USC, what it takes to be a good fullback and the status of the Trojans' backfield for the 2011 season.
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
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Recruiting wasn't part of the job description in the NFL, where he coached in Cleveland (2004), Jacksonville ('05-09) and Tennessee ('10). That transition is where our conversation began.
Q: You hadn't been at Tennessee very long when Lane Kiffin came calling. Why come back?
A: It's USC. There's no other university (like it). If you'd been here before — and I've been blessed to be here as a student-athlete and been here working for two bosses, been through good and bad — and knowing Lane, knew of the sanctions, there was an opportunity to help our university in some way. If they asked me to stack cups or something (I would have done it) just to help. I was here as a player when we had a two-year ban. It's an adjustment for the student-athletes, the fan base and the coaching staff.
Q: You began your coaching career as a volunteer assistant at Crespi High (of Encino). What do you remember most about that experience?
A: Winning a championship. We won the CIF-Southern Section with Coach Bill Redell. It's funny, but it's kind of reality sometimes: I had the best player in Russell White. He was the CIF Player of the Year, and he was only a sophomore. I realized then that I don't have to be a really good coach — I just have to have really good players.
Q: How old were you when you first started coaching?
A: Twenty-two, 23 years old. I had just finished at USC. Had a cup of coffee in the NFL. Had the eighth knee surgery and realized the NFL's not for me. That's another personal challenge that's helped me become a better teacher to coach a lot of these young men.
Q: What's the distribution of the surgeries?
A: Four on each. Never missed a game, though. I don't know if it was a smart decision.
Q: Why did coaching appeal to you?
A: You're going deep. You're going back to the young man who move from Samoa, who, at 12 years old, didn't know how to speak English. Coaches were like your father figure. That's just the truth. The guardian I lived with who raised me through high school was my basketball coach. He became more than a basketball coach. He became like my father. From Wayne Cochran to Bruce Rollinson to Ted Tollner to John Robinson ... every coach I've come in contact with has been an influence on what I've done.
When I had the opportunity, when Coach Bill Redell asked me to come and help, it helped me to grieve too. ... You're a high school All-American, all that stuff, hyped up, and your dream is to play in the NFL, make some money and take care of your family. But it didn't happen. It helped me with my grieving.
Q: You graduated with a degree in history. You also were born on the day that John F. Kennedy was assassinated and were named after him. Is he an important historical figure to you? Or is there someone else you admire?
A: No, it would have to be him because everybody relates to that date. It's amazing. I wish I was a writer because I would record every conversation I've had over the years, the stories. That generation, they can recall to the second, to the minute, everything around them when it happened, where they were, all over the world: "I remember my mom crying, I remember my teacher, everybody just went silent, the principal over the loud speaker."
Q: You seem to have a special relationship with fullbacks because you were one yourself. What does it take to be a great fullback?
A: First of all, you're selfless. It's all in the attitude. Team player. You have to love collisions. I've always said, fullbacks have the best hands on the team. Here at USC, from Malaefou MacKenzie to David Kirtman to Stanley Havili, those guys can catch the football. I've always teased the other guys. I think the reason why, when I first started here at USC, Coach (John) Robinson had that philosophy that before you became a tailback you were playing fullback. That's the movement guy. Once you learn the fullback's blocking point, entry point, what they're doing, I think the tailback sees the game a lot better.
Q: The running backs' production was pretty good last year; Allen Bradford and Marc Tyler combined for about 1,700 yards. But it seemed like Lane Kiffin was seldom satisfied with the running game. What's your take on it?
A: You can always improve. I don't think it's the young men's fault. You've got to understand, they have a new coach. Marc and Allen and Stanley had been with Coach Mac (Todd McNair) for four years. All of a sudden you've got a different voice, a different way of installing, a different way they see things. I think it took awhile for us. Then the rhythm of the play-caller. I think it's going to be a lot better this year.
Q: Because there's a greater comfort level?
A: There's more continuity. I look back at our production here in our first run with Pete (Carroll). We were 6-6. The next year, Sultan (McCullough) had a 100-yard game, (Justin) Fargas against Oregon broke out, and things started jelling. Then the next year was even better.
Q: A few days after spring ball ended, Lane Kiffin released a depth chart. Four guys were listed as co-starters at running back. How much influence do you have on that, and how do you size up the race?
A: It's always the head coach's decision. But he's going to weigh it on everybody, what's your opinion on it. You never say it's my decision. This is Coach Kiffin's team. There's no question about it.
You have to be available as a running back. If you're not taking care of your schoolwork, the way you behave, things like that, (it's a problem). Professional guys, they're pros; I never had that issue. "This is business. I'm going to show up. I'm going to do the right thing." At least the ones I've been around.
We haven't (found) a guy who's going to step up and do everything. You look at Stanford and their identity, they rotated backs as well (last season). It's kind of that way right now. The back that's going to stand out is going to be a back that Coach is going to feel comfortable in (his) doing everything: protecting the quarterback, running the routes, running hard.
Q: What can you tell me about the two guys coming in in the fall, Amir Carlisle and Buck Allen?
A: Amir ... has a good traffic burst. He can go from first to fourth pretty quick. He's not the biggest, but very good football instincts. Real good ball-catching skills. We'll figure out when he gets here and the pads come on how he's going to attack. I'm sure he'll be fine. He's been brought up around football a lot of his life; his dad is a trainer in the NFL and college. He knows what it takes.
The other young man is a big kid. We lose Allen (Bradford), C.J. (Gable) and Stanley (Havili) — there go three big backs. The only one we have left is Marc (Tyler). He comes in, and he's our second big back. He's got a good feel. He can catch the ball. I've always told him it's kind of nice to have an "Allen" in the backfield at USC. He didn't get it.
Q: He didn't get it? He didn't know who Marcus Allen was?
A: He didn't get it at first. It's been awhile.
Contact the writer: mlev@ocregister.com
Kennedy Pola returned to USC — where he previously played and coached — under somewhat controversial circumstances last year. That episode and a full season behind him, Pola (Mater Dei High) has settled into the same Heritage Hall corner office he occupied in his first go-round at USC, from 2000-03. USC assistant coach Kennedy Pola talks about his return to USC, what it takes to be a good fullback and the status of the Trojans' backfield for the 2011 season.THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ADVERTISEMENT Recruiting wasn't part of the job description in the NFL, where he coached in Cleveland (2004), Jacksonville ('05-09) and Tennessee ('10). That transition is where our conversation began. Q: You hadn't been at Tennessee very long when Lane Kiffin came calling. Why come back? A: It's USC. There's no other university (like it). If you'd been here before — and I've been blessed to be here as a student-athlete and been here working for two bosses, been through good and bad — and knowing Lane, knew of the sanctions, there was an opportunity to help our university in some way. If they asked me to stack cups or something (I would have done it) just to help. I was here as a player when we had a two-year ban. It's an adjustment for the student-athletes, the fan base and the coaching staff. Q: You began your coaching career as a volunteer assistant at Crespi High (of Encino). What do you remember most about that experience? A: Winning a championship. We won the CIF-Southern Section with Coach Bill Redell. It's funny, but it's kind of reality sometimes: I had the best player in Russell White. He was the CIF Player of the Year, and he was only a sophomore. I realized then that I don't have to be a really good coach — I just have to have really good players. Q: How old were you when you first started coaching? A: Twenty-two, 23 years old. I had just finished at USC. Had a cup of coffee in the NFL. Had the eighth knee surgery and realized the NFL's not for me. That's another personal challenge that's helped me become a better teacher to coach a lot of these young men. Q: What's the distribution of the surgeries? A: Four on each. Never missed a game, though. I don't know if it was a smart decision. Q: Why did coaching appeal to you? A: You're going deep. You're going back to the young man who move from Samoa, who, at 12 years old, didn't know how to speak English. Coaches were like your father figure. That's just the truth. The guardian I lived with who raised me through high school was my basketball coach. He became more than a basketball coach. He became like my father. From Wayne Cochran to Bruce Rollinson to Ted Tollner to John Robinson ... every coach I've come in contact with has been an influence on what I've done. When I had the opportunity, when Coach Bill Redell asked me to come and help, it helped me to grieve too. ... You're a high school All-American, all that stuff, hyped up, and your dream is to play in the NFL, make some money and take care of your family. But it didn't happen. It helped me with my grieving. Q: You graduated with a degree in history. You also were born on the day that John F. Kennedy was assassinated and were named after him. Is he an important historical figure to you? Or is there someone else you admire? A: No, it would have to be him because everybody relates to that date. It's amazing. I wish I was a writer because I would record every conversation I've had over the years, the stories. That generation, they can recall to the second, to the minute, everything around them when it happened, where they were, all over the world: "I remember my mom crying, I remember my teacher, everybody just went silent, the principal over the loud speaker." Q: You seem to have a special relationship with fullbacks because you were one yourself. What does it take to be a great fullback? A: First of all, you're selfless. It's all in the attitude. Team player. You have to love collisions. I've always said, fullbacks have the best hands on the team. Here at USC, from Malaefou MacKenzie to David Kirtman to Stanley Havili, those guys can catch the football. I've always teased the other guys. I think the reason why, when I first started here at USC, Coach (John) Robinson had that philosophy that before you became a tailback you were playing fullback. That's the movement guy. Once you learn the fullback's blocking point, entry point, what they're doing, I think the tailback sees the game a lot better. Q: The running backs' production was pretty good last year; Allen Bradford and Marc Tyler combined for about 1,700 yards. But it seemed like Lane Kiffin was seldom satisfied with the running game. What's your take on it? A: You can always improve. I don't think it's the young men's fault. You've got to understand, they have a new coach. Marc and Allen and Stanley had been with Coach Mac (Todd McNair) for four years. All of a sudden you've got a different voice, a different way of installing, a different way they see things. I think it took awhile for us. Then the rhythm of the play-caller. I think it's going to be a lot better this year. Q: Because there's a greater comfort level? A: There's more continuity. I look back at our production here in our first run with Pete (Carroll). We were 6-6. The next year, Sultan (McCullough) had a 100-yard game, (Justin) Fargas against Oregon broke out, and things started jelling. Then the next year was even better. Q: A few days after spring ball ended, Lane Kiffin released a depth chart. Four guys were listed as co-starters at running back. How much influence do you have on that, and how do you size up the race? A: It's always the head coach's decision. But he's going to weigh it on everybody, what's your opinion on it. You never say it's my decision. This is Coach Kiffin's team. There's no question about it. You have to be available as a running back. If you're not taking care of your schoolwork, the way you behave, things like that, (it's a problem). Professional guys, they're pros; I never had that issue. "This is business. I'm going to show up. I'm going to do the right thing." At least the ones I've been around. We haven't (found) a guy who's going to step up and do everything. You look at Stanford and their identity, they rotated backs as well (last season). It's kind of that way right now. The back that's going to stand out is going to be a back that Coach is going to feel comfortable in (his) doing everything: protecting the quarterback, running the routes, running hard. Q: What can you tell me about the two guys coming in in the fall, Amir Carlisle and Buck Allen? A: Amir ... has a good traffic burst. He can go from first to fourth pretty quick. He's not the biggest, but very good football instincts. Real good ball-catching skills. We'll figure out when he gets here and the pads come on how he's going to attack. I'm sure he'll be fine. He's been brought up around football a lot of his life; his dad is a trainer in the NFL and college. He knows what it takes. The other young man is a big kid. We lose Allen (Bradford), C.J. (Gable) and Stanley (Havili) — there go three big backs. The only one we have left is Marc (Tyler). He comes in, and he's our second big back. He's got a good feel. He can catch the ball. I've always told him it's kind of nice to have an "Allen" in the backfield at USC. He didn't get it. Q: He didn't get it? He didn't know who Marcus Allen was? A: He didn't get it at first. It's been awhile. Contact the writer: mlev@ocregister.com Read Full Article
Posted by Bryan FischerCBSSports.com Senior Writer Dennis Dodd unveiled his 2011 Hot Seat Ratings for college football and if you pull out the Pac-12 coaches, you'll find the seat is quite toasty - or could be quickly - for at least half of the conference. While Utah's Kyle Whittingham and Washington's Steve Sarkisian don't have anything to worry about, Pac-12 media days might feature a few new faces next year. It almost seems as though the conference has to move to a "hot couch" to fit everybody on it. Here's the list of coaches on the West Coast in order from 5 (brushing off for-sale signs) to 0 (buying second beach house).Washington State's Paul Wulff: 5.0UCLA's Rick Neuheisel: 4.0Arizona State's Dennis Erickson: 3.5Arizona's Mike Stoops: 2.5USC's Lane Kiffin: 2.0Cal's Jeff Tedford: 2.0Stanford's David Shaw: 1.5Colorado's Jon Embree: 1.0Oregon State's Mike Riley: 1.0Washington's Steve Sarkisian: 0.5Utah's Kyle Whittingham: 0Oregon's Chip Kelly: 0Wulff is the only coach in the country to receive a 5.0 from Dodd. His winning percentage is south of the Mendoza Line (.135 entering 2011) and he probably needs to get the Cougars close to a bowl game in order to get another year. He's an alum of the school and poured all his efforts into rebuilding things on the Palouse but it's hard to overlook his overall record. He's got some talent on offense, notably quarterback Jeff Tuel, so there is some hope. The coach with the best chance to get off of the seat is Erickson, who has a team full of upperclassmen and is primed to make a run at the first ever Pac-12 South title. He is just barely over .500 in his time in Tempe and has only finished in the upper half of the conference standings once, which is why his seat is third hottest in the conference. It seems as though Neuheisel has "been on the cusp" of breaking through after two good recruiting classes a few years ago but he'll have to combat a tough schedule to prevent the temperature from rising further. Many have speculated that the school's financial situation is the only thing keeping him around for another year. Tedford finds himself in the middle of the pack but he knows the situation is fluid. Cal fans' expectations will likely raise next year with the re-opening of Memorial Stadium so while the quarterback guru is probably safe this year, he's not too far away from having his name move higher on the list if things don't go well in 2011. Dodd accurately pegs Kiffin as having a pretty lukewarm seat, unlike what some fans outside Southern California might think. However, like with Chip Kelly, any NCAA trouble will find him shooting up to near the top of the list.The hot seat is crowded in the Pac-12 and it should be fun to see who gets off of it this season.One way or another.
CBSSports.com Senior Writer Dennis Dodd unveiled his 2011 Hot Seat Ratings for college football and if you pull out the Pac-12 coaches, you'll find the seat is quite toasty - or could be quickly - for at least half of the conference. While Utah's Kyle Whittingham and Washington's Steve Sarkisian don't have anything to worry about, Pac-12 media days might feature a few new faces next year. It almost seems as though the conference has to move to a "hot couch" to fit everybody on it. Here's the list of coaches on the West Coast in order from 5 (brushing off for-sale signs) to 0 (buying second beach house).
Washington State's Paul Wulff: 5.0
UCLA's Rick Neuheisel: 4.0
Arizona State's Dennis Erickson: 3.5
Arizona's Mike Stoops: 2.5
USC's Lane Kiffin: 2.0
Cal's Jeff Tedford: 2.0
Stanford's David Shaw: 1.5
Colorado's Jon Embree: 1.0
Oregon State's Mike Riley: 1.0
Washington's Steve Sarkisian: 0.5
Utah's Kyle Whittingham: 0
Oregon's Chip Kelly: 0
Wulff is the only coach in the country to receive a 5.0 from Dodd. His winning percentage is south of the Mendoza Line (.135 entering 2011) and he probably needs to get the Cougars close to a bowl game in order to get another year. He's an alum of the school and poured all his efforts into rebuilding things on the Palouse but it's hard to overlook his overall record. He's got some talent on offense, notably quarterback Jeff Tuel, so there is some hope.
The coach with the best chance to get off of the seat is Erickson, who has a team full of upperclassmen and is primed to make a run at the first ever Pac-12 South title. He is just barely over .500 in his time in Tempe and has only finished in the upper half of the conference standings once, which is why his seat is third hottest in the conference.
It seems as though Neuheisel has "been on the cusp" of breaking through after two good recruiting classes a few years ago but he'll have to combat a tough schedule to prevent the temperature from rising further. Many have speculated that the school's financial situation is the only thing keeping him around for another year.
Tedford finds himself in the middle of the pack but he knows the situation is fluid. Cal fans' expectations will likely raise next year with the re-opening of Memorial Stadium so while the quarterback guru is probably safe this year, he's not too far away from having his name move higher on the list if things don't go well in 2011. Dodd accurately pegs Kiffin as having a pretty lukewarm seat, unlike what some fans outside Southern California might think. However, like with Chip Kelly, any NCAA trouble will find him shooting up to near the top of the list.
The hot seat is crowded in the Pac-12 and it should be fun to see who gets off of it this season.
One way or another.
I get the reasons. I get the logic. I get the allure of suggesting that he would go to OSU and deal Gator fans a big blow to the ego that would make for great dramatic theater.But it just isn’t going to happen. That movie requires the suspension of too much reasonable disbelief. Urban Meyer will go into the College Football Hall of Fame in a few years wearing Florida Gator gear.Folks in the sports media, even close to home in the state papers, have already penciled him in as the opening day coach in Columbus in 2012. But they are ignoring so many factors that weigh in much heavier than the simple Ohio connection. I have six good reasons—one for every year he spent at UF—why he won’t be taking the Ohio State head coaching position in 2012 or any other year:1) Coach, Heal Thyself: Urban’s health problem has not gone away, and it will not go away. He may feel a lot better absent the stress and pressure of the UF cooker, but he knows those are false positives. He knows because when he stepped away in the spring of 2010, and then stayed away physically and mentally for the first half of the 2010 season, he felt that big jump in health satisfaction.Well when he had to reassert himself into the trenches after the MSU debacle last season, his health problems kicked right back up again, along with the stress and pressure levels. He can only coach one way, and that way will eventually kill him at a big time program like UF.People have been fond of repeating the Meyer admission that there were only three jobs over which Shelley Meyer (who loves it in Gainesville and is not at all fond of the weather up north) did not have veto power: Notre Dame, Michigan and Ohio State. Well he did not say that in 2010—he said that in 2004.An awful lot has happened since then, from health issues to once-in-a-lifetime players passing through, to building a football dynasty to call his own. He chose Florida over the No. 1 school on that No-Veto list, and took it as far and as high as it could go. If he ever goes back to coaching, it will be in a low-pressure position at a lower division or small conference school.2) Shiny, Happy People Holding Hands: Urban is happy where he is. He is having a ball at ESPN, he is doing a very good job and has no pressure or stress put upon him whatsoever. It isn’t even very hard—he just sits at the desk or visits his old coaching friends and peers and talks about stuff that is first nature to him.His show prep is minimal as a matter of course. Not only that, but his broadcast peers largely have no pressure on them (relative to that which is put on a head football coach, that is) and are pretty happy with their jobs.It's a stark contrast to the coaching profession, where everyone is under the microscope and everyone is fighting for their survival every day, on the field, in the media and in the ears of all the high school recruits. And there are no Lane Kiffin jackals or Mike Bianchi jokers bad mouthing him to or in the press every other day.3) Ti-i-i-ime Is On My Side, Yes It Is: Despite sneers from his detractors – mostly inside GatorNation—his job at ESPN has afforded him a ton of new time to spend with his family. The time he spends on his job at ESPN is much, much smaller than the 24/7/365 job as head coach at one of the two or three biggest, highest-pressured and media-covered programs in all of college sports.When he left in December, he said he wanted to spend more time with his family, not 24 hours a day of every day with them; he resigned—he didn’t retire.4) The Only Way To Go Is Down: This takes “replacing the legend” to a whole new level. Tressel resigned in disgrace and he is still being held up by the OSU fans as an immortal. They blame the players for his demise—in fact, he gets even more clout with the fans for what they falsely think was his falling on his sword for his kids (as opposed to the truth of 10 years of calculated cheating). The Ohio State job is one of those other two or three highest-pressure, media-covered jobs in all of college sports. What’s more, he’d be looked at as the prodigal son coming home to save the program. What’s even bigger than that is that he did at Florida what no coach has done in many decades without being busted later for massive cheating: bag two natties in three years.This is much different than when Steve Spurrier came home to UF to save the UF program—he had “only” won an ACC title at Duke and done well in the USFL (and he wasn’t replacing a beloved legend who won the school’s first national title in 30 years).In fact, because of the way Urban’s Gators thrashed OSU in the national title game after the 2006 season, from the Ohio State fan’s perspective, Urban owes them a national title just to get the scales back to even. Buckeye Nation HATES Meyer—he’s the home-grown kid from Cincy who started coaching at OSU but then left the family, only to return and crush them underfoot and stomp on their graves with another program. While many would put the past aside on the chance that Urban can catch lightning in a bottle in Columbus, many will not forgive him and would just be waiting for him to fail so they could jump on him again. If Urban went to OSU and failed to rip off two titles in his first four years like at UF and maybe throw a Heisman Trophy in the mix, he will be annihilated by the fans.5) You’re Going To Feel a Slight Sting…and Then a Nuclear Explosion: OSU is about to get blasted by the NCAA as hard as anyone has since Florida’s 1980s sanctions, and perhaps even worse. Bank on that. The NCAA just pounded fellow bell cow USC, and the OSU scandals make the USC misdeeds look like J-walking. It's going to have to officially change its name to “An Ohio State University.”Meyer is not going to put his health, family peace, reputation and good name on the line to step into a place where it is 100 percent guaranteed by scholarship restrictions alone that he can’t win big for at least three or four years. The only way he would take over at OSU is AFTER those sanctions were behind them and OSU’s version of Ron Zook or Lane Kiffin has run his course and been dismissed. Urban will be in his 50s by then, and at least four years removed from the coaching profession on any level (and his last season was a complete disaster). He will be at least four years deep into his career as a media personality, and will probably expand his role to be a well-established and revered color commentator at all the big games every week in college football. Both Meyer and OSU would be reaching deep to think that his value as a head coach would be worth coming out of retirement. Especially to rebuild another program. Urban would only come back then (or now) to a situation where he would have low pressure and could win right away. At OSU, that’s not possible in 2012, and it won’t be possible in 2014/2015 when he would take over for whoever is hired to be the Timothy Dalton of the Buckeye coaching chain (consider Luke Fickell its George Lazenby).6) …And I Can’t Stands No More!: He is flat-out fed up with the cheating in college football. The SEC is no doubt the worst conference in the country for cheating, but going to the Big 10+2 is no cure for lawlessness. It wore him down just as the stress, pressure and grind of the big fishbowl program did. When he talks about it on ESPN, you can hear the disgust dripping from his tongue as he discusses it. And he knows that it does not just go for football, but all sports, especially men’s basketball. I get the distinct feeling that if he ever goes back to a major college program, I firmly believe it will be as Athletics Director, where he can work to have a big impact not only on all the sports at his school, but also across the entire conference and the NCAA overall, which is the kind of reach and influence the big ADs have.So as I said, write it down. I'm on record. If I'm wrong, you can say you told me so. But as Don Henley sang on "Victim of Love," I could be wrong, but I'm not....no I'm not.PD is a principle writer at GatorGurus.comRead more Florida Gators Football news on BleacherReport.com Read Full Article
I get the reasons. I get the logic. I get the allure of suggesting that he would go to OSU and deal Gator fans a big blow to the ego that would make for great dramatic theater.But it just isn’t going to happen. That movie requires the suspension of too much reasonable disbelief. Urban Meyer will go into the College Football Hall of Fame in a few years wearing Florida Gator gear.Folks in the sports media, even close to home in the state papers, have already penciled him in as the opening day coach in Columbus in 2012. But they are ignoring so many factors that weigh in much heavier than the simple Ohio connection. I have six good reasons—one for every year he spent at UF—why he won’t be taking the Ohio State head coaching position in 2012 or any other year:1) Coach, Heal Thyself: Urban’s health problem has not gone away, and it will not go away. He may feel a lot better absent the stress and pressure of the UF cooker, but he knows those are false positives. He knows because when he stepped away in the spring of 2010, and then stayed away physically and mentally for the first half of the 2010 season, he felt that big jump in health satisfaction.
Well when he had to reassert himself into the trenches after the MSU debacle last season, his health problems kicked right back up again, along with the stress and pressure levels. He can only coach one way, and that way will eventually kill him at a big time program like UF.
People have been fond of repeating the Meyer admission that there were only three jobs over which Shelley Meyer (who loves it in Gainesville and is not at all fond of the weather up north) did not have veto power: Notre Dame, Michigan and Ohio State. Well he did not say that in 2010—he said that in 2004.
An awful lot has happened since then, from health issues to once-in-a-lifetime players passing through, to building a football dynasty to call his own. He chose Florida over the No. 1 school on that No-Veto list, and took it as far and as high as it could go. If he ever goes back to coaching, it will be in a low-pressure position at a lower division or small conference school.2) Shiny, Happy People Holding Hands: Urban is happy where he is. He is having a ball at ESPN, he is doing a very good job and has no pressure or stress put upon him whatsoever. It isn’t even very hard—he just sits at the desk or visits his old coaching friends and peers and talks about stuff that is first nature to him.
His show prep is minimal as a matter of course. Not only that, but his broadcast peers largely have no pressure on them (relative to that which is put on a head football coach, that is) and are pretty happy with their jobs.
It's a stark contrast to the coaching profession, where everyone is under the microscope and everyone is fighting for their survival every day, on the field, in the media and in the ears of all the high school recruits. And there are no Lane Kiffin jackals or Mike Bianchi jokers bad mouthing him to or in the press every other day.3) Ti-i-i-ime Is On My Side, Yes It Is: Despite sneers from his detractors – mostly inside GatorNation—his job at ESPN has afforded him a ton of new time to spend with his family. The time he spends on his job at ESPN is much, much smaller than the 24/7/365 job as head coach at one of the two or three biggest, highest-pressured and media-covered programs in all of college sports.
When he left in December, he said he wanted to spend more time with his family, not 24 hours a day of every day with them; he resigned—he didn’t retire.4) The Only Way To Go Is Down: This takes “replacing the legend” to a whole new level. Tressel resigned in disgrace and he is still being held up by the OSU fans as an immortal. They blame the players for his demise—in fact, he gets even more clout with the fans for what they falsely think was his falling on his sword for his kids (as opposed to the truth of 10 years of calculated cheating). The Ohio State job is one of those other two or three highest-pressure, media-covered jobs in all of college sports. What’s more, he’d be looked at as the prodigal son coming home to save the program. What’s even bigger than that is that he did at Florida what no coach has done in many decades without being busted later for massive cheating: bag two natties in three years.
This is much different than when Steve Spurrier came home to UF to save the UF program—he had “only” won an ACC title at Duke and done well in the USFL (and he wasn’t replacing a beloved legend who won the school’s first national title in 30 years).
In fact, because of the way Urban’s Gators thrashed OSU in the national title game after the 2006 season, from the Ohio State fan’s perspective, Urban owes them a national title just to get the scales back to even. Buckeye Nation HATES Meyer—he’s the home-grown kid from Cincy who started coaching at OSU but then left the family, only to return and crush them underfoot and stomp on their graves with another program. While many would put the past aside on the chance that Urban can catch lightning in a bottle in Columbus, many will not forgive him and would just be waiting for him to fail so they could jump on him again. If Urban went to OSU and failed to rip off two titles in his first four years like at UF and maybe throw a Heisman Trophy in the mix, he will be annihilated by the fans.5) You’re Going To Feel a Slight Sting…and Then a Nuclear Explosion: OSU is about to get blasted by the NCAA as hard as anyone has since Florida’s 1980s sanctions, and perhaps even worse. Bank on that. The NCAA just pounded fellow bell cow USC, and the OSU scandals make the USC misdeeds look like J-walking. It's going to have to officially change its name to “An Ohio State University.”
Meyer is not going to put his health, family peace, reputation and good name on the line to step into a place where it is 100 percent guaranteed by scholarship restrictions alone that he can’t win big for at least three or four years. The only way he would take over at OSU is AFTER those sanctions were behind them and OSU’s version of Ron Zook or Lane Kiffin has run his course and been dismissed. Urban will be in his 50s by then, and at least four years removed from the coaching profession on any level (and his last season was a complete disaster). He will be at least four years deep into his career as a media personality, and will probably expand his role to be a well-established and revered color commentator at all the big games every week in college football. Both Meyer and OSU would be reaching deep to think that his value as a head coach would be worth coming out of retirement. Especially to rebuild another program. Urban would only come back then (or now) to a situation where he would have low pressure and could win right away. At OSU, that’s not possible in 2012, and it won’t be possible in 2014/2015 when he would take over for whoever is hired to be the Timothy Dalton of the Buckeye coaching chain (consider Luke Fickell its George Lazenby).6) …And I Can’t Stands No More!: He is flat-out fed up with the cheating in college football. The SEC is no doubt the worst conference in the country for cheating, but going to the Big 10+2 is no cure for lawlessness. It wore him down just as the stress, pressure and grind of the big fishbowl program did. When he talks about it on ESPN, you can hear the disgust dripping from his tongue as he discusses it. And he knows that it does not just go for football, but all sports, especially men’s basketball. I get the distinct feeling that if he ever goes back to a major college program, I firmly believe it will be as Athletics Director, where he can work to have a big impact not only on all the sports at his school, but also across the entire conference and the NCAA overall, which is the kind of reach and influence the big ADs have.So as I said, write it down. I'm on record. If I'm wrong, you can say you told me so. But as Don Henley sang on "Victim of Love," I could be wrong, but I'm not....no I'm not.PD is a principle writer at GatorGurus.com
Read more Florida Gators Football news on BleacherReport.com
June 16, 2011 www.campkiffin.com Camp Kiffin Brochure Camp Kiffin Application On Saturday, June 25, the USC Football Program will host the "Trojans in Training Camp" for kids grades 3-8. The camp will take place on the USC campus and kids will have the opportunity to use the same facilities the Trojans use. The entire USC coaching staff will put campers through a series of drills designed to enhance their individual skills and technique. Campers will have the opportunity to work on both sides of the ball. The cost for the camp is $145 which includes a camp t-shirt and a lunch. Camp will begin at 8:30 a.m. and end at 3:30 p.m. For more information and to register online visit www.campkiffin.com.
June 16, 2011
www.campkiffin.com
Camp Kiffin Brochure
Camp Kiffin Application
On Saturday, June 25, the USC Football Program will host the "Trojans in Training Camp" for kids grades 3-8. The camp will take place on the USC campus and kids will have the opportunity to use the same facilities the Trojans use.
The entire USC coaching staff will put campers through a series of drills designed to enhance their individual skills and technique. Campers will have the opportunity to work on both sides of the ball.
The cost for the camp is $145 which includes a camp t-shirt and a lunch. Camp will begin at 8:30 a.m. and end at 3:30 p.m. For more information and to register online visit www.campkiffin.com.
In Desperate Housewives, Susan and Mike find themselves short on money. They move out of Wisteria Lane into an apartment complex. Susan finds out the apartment manager runs a business within the complex where women wear lingerie while cleaning their apartments. Susan decides they need the money and begins working for the apartment manager and cleans her apartment wearing lingerie. She brings in a lot of cash and is able to help her family out. Would you be okay with your wife doing housework in lingerie for money?
The final Head of Household of Big Brother 12 is between Hayden and Lane. Who do you think will be the final Head of Household?
2011 football season tickets sold out Limited number of Premium Season Club Seats still remain June 20, 2011 BLACKSBURG - The Virginia Tech Athletics Department announced Monday that season tickets for 2011 football campaign are sold out for the 12th-consecutive season. While football season tickets are sold out, a limited number of Premium Season Club Seats still remain available in the Outdoor and Indoor Club areas of Lane Stadium, as well as, the South End Zone. The West side of Lane Stadium features both indoor and outdoor club seating. Each indoor club seating area is beautifully decorated with richly detailed and traditional appointments in a climate-controlled setting. Each area features comfortable upholstered chair-back seats, and provides a great view of the game. Patrons in this area will also have elevator access, private restrooms, and private concessions. Outdoor club seats are reserved chair-back seats at midfield with a terrific view of the action on the field as well as access to a climate-controlled room with private restrooms, multiple television monitors, and private concessions. Zone Club tickets are also available in the South end zone of the stadium. They include access to a climate-controlled room with private restrooms, multiple television monitors, and private concessions. For more ticket information, log on to hokietickets.com or by calling the Virginia Tech Athletics Ticket Office at (540) 231-6731 or toll-free at 1-800 VA TECH4 (1-800-828-3244). For updates on Virginia Tech football, follow the Hokies on Twitter (@VT_Football).
2011 football season tickets sold out
Limited number of Premium Season Club Seats still remain
June 20, 2011
BLACKSBURG - The Virginia Tech Athletics Department announced Monday that season tickets for 2011 football campaign are sold out for the 12th-consecutive season. While football season tickets are sold out, a limited number of Premium Season Club Seats still remain available in the Outdoor and Indoor Club areas of Lane Stadium, as well as, the South End Zone.
The West side of Lane Stadium features both indoor and outdoor club seating. Each indoor club seating area is beautifully decorated with richly detailed and traditional appointments in a climate-controlled setting. Each area features comfortable upholstered chair-back seats, and provides a great view of the game. Patrons in this area will also have elevator access, private restrooms, and private concessions.
Outdoor club seats are reserved chair-back seats at midfield with a terrific view of the action on the field as well as access to a climate-controlled room with private restrooms, multiple television monitors, and private concessions.
Zone Club tickets are also available in the South end zone of the stadium. They include access to a climate-controlled room with private restrooms, multiple television monitors, and private concessions.
For more ticket information, log on to hokietickets.com or by calling the Virginia Tech Athletics Ticket Office at (540) 231-6731 or toll-free at 1-800 VA TECH4 (1-800-828-3244).
For updates on Virginia Tech football, follow the Hokies on Twitter (@VT_Football).
Of the six BCS Conferences in college football, it is clear the Southeastern Conference (SEC) is the most hated across the nation. It would be easy to simply call it jealousy of the SEC's recent, unprecedented success in winning Five Straight BCS National Championships, four of which were done by four different SEC teams in a row, but there is more to it than just that. There is definitely some jealousy involved, but that is not the entire picture.For many years, the fans of other conferences have repeatedly accused the SEC of being the dirtiest conference in the nation where cheating or at least bending the rules was a way of life. Countless of message board threads have been created all over the internet debating and accusing SEC teams of not playing by the same rules as everybody else. Unlike many conspiracy theorists, the fans of other conferences fears and angers have repeatedly been proven true by the actions of teams and individuals associated with the SEC. In the last two years, the following has occurred involving SEC teams:University of Alabama Crimson Tide Textbook Scandal: On June 6, 2009, 16 sports teams at the University of Alabama were penalized for having players involved in a scandal charging the University for textbooks, in some cases up to $3,000 dollars, and then selling them to other students. The football team was ordered to vacate 21 wins from the 2005 through 2007 seasons, They were also put on probation for three years. Alabama won the BCS National Championship while on probation. For more information on the Tide's Textbook Scandal, see NCAA puts Alabama Football Back on Probation, Vacates Wins. Florida Gators Arrests and Lowering of Academic Standards: during Coach Urban Meyer's tenure, the Gators racked up 31 arrests on the football team. In the 2009 study The Academics Athletics Tradeoff, the Atlanta Journal Constitution revealed Florida as the school that lowered academic standards for football players the most out of all 54 public institutions of all the FBS schools.University of Georgia Bulldogs Jersey Sale: the Bulldogs star wide receiver, AJ Green, served a four game suspension at the beginning of the 2010 College Football Season for selling his 2009 Independence Bowl jersey for $1,000 to an agent or someone who markets amateur athletes. Green was also made to make a $1,000 donation to a charity with the profit gained from selling the Jersey.Mississippi State Bulldogs Recruitment of Cam Newton: it is still unclear exactly what occurred with the recruitment of Cameron Newton, however, we know Cecil Newton sought $180,000 for his son's signature with the Bulldogs. The story also seems to involve a few Mississippi State boosters. Auburn Tigers Use of NCAA Loopholes: the Tigers were recruiting Cam Newton at the same time as MSU. After it became clear Cecil Newton had sought money from MSU, AU made use of a loophole in the NCAA Rules in order to continue to recruit Newton. AU concluded Cecil acted without Cam's knowledge when he sought money from MSU boosters or affiliates. Since AU is not where the alleged violation occurred, the rules allow AU to continue to recruit the player. What AU did was dirty, but as it stands now it is not a violation of the NCAA rules. It also must be noted, this is based on facts that have so far been disclosed to the media. In general, many people still consider "Cam-Gate" as an unresolved issue. Another current major thorn in Auburn's side is the "HBO - 4," which are four former players that were interviewed by HBO and admitted being given cash handouts. The NCAA has yet to rule on these matters.Ole Miss Rebels: the SEC was forced to implement a new recruiting rule known as the Nutt Rule after the Ole Miss coach Houston Nutt. In 2009, Nutt recruited 37 players even though the NCAA only allows 25 players to sign in one year. Nutt placed the excess players in the class into Junior Colleges where they will mature and be ready to join the team in two years ready to play. The SEC instituted the rule which only allows a team to have at most 28 recruits. The issue of Oversigning and the SEC will be covered below.University of Tennessee Volunteers and Lane Kiffin: currently, the NCAA is investigating the Volunteers for things that occurred under Coach Lane Kiffin's watch. Since we don't have the facts yet, I'll leave the Tennessee case empty. However, I wanted to make sure I included them as a team to have gotten in trouble in the last two years.LSU Tigers Potential Involvement with "Street Agents": LSU was recently interviewed by the NCAA in regards to their relationship with Willie Lyles, a man widely considered a "street agent" and at the center of the Oregon Ducks debacle. It is still unclear as to whether there was any wrong-doing committed by LSU, but it is yet another example of another SEC team being involved in a scandal.Another reason often mentioned for why many hate the SEC is because of Oversigning recruits. The following chart is taken from the article The Oversigning Cup - 2011 from Oversigning.com:As can be seen, the top 5 oversigning programs are from the SEC, as well as 6 of the top 10.According to the NCAA's 85/25 Rule, a University may only have up to 85 football players on scholarship on a team and only 25 total can be from a single year (as in 25 freshman, 25 sophomore, etc).. However, each year, almost every program from the SEC signs at least 25 players. So in 4 years, that means an SEC team accumulates at least 100 players, though many go way beyond that number. This means teams are Oversigning Recruits (recruits they are signing + players remaining from the previous season > 85). There is only one way for a team to get under 85, and that is to cut players and kick kids out of school to be replaced by younger and better talent. A kid could be a sophomore in a University and suddenly be pushed out and be forced to give up his scholarship. Fans of other conferences argue SEC teams essentially have tryouts, and shed the excess players by keeping the best 85 and getting rid of the less talented players. Teams that do not sign over 85 players are thus at a disadvantage because they do not have the luxury of choosing their top talent they'd like to keep. They are stuck with whatever they have.Two other reasons often cited for disliking the SEC involves its fans. The first is the accusation SEC fans are the most arrogant and obnoxious bunch in all of College Football. SEC fans tend to demean and look down upon other conferences. They talk as though only a handful of teams in the nation would be able to handle an SEC schedule. No matter how good a middle of the road team from another conference might be, they will insist any middle of the road SEC team could beat them 9 out of 10 times. It is quite annoying. The following is a perfect example of their arrogance. According to SEC fans, the reason the Oregon Ducks were undefeated last year was because they didn't play an SEC schedule. They couldn't give the Ducks credit for what they had accomplished, instead they behaved as though the Ducks undefeated record was a fluke and beneath any of them. (see video below).The other reason SEC fans are despised is because no matter what SEC school wins a National Championship, fans from every team in the conference celebrate it. After their big out of conference wins, SEC fans are routinely seen chanting "SEC! SEC! SEC!" That isn't how it is supposed to be. You are supposed to celebrate when your team wins the National Title, not when one of your rivals does. However, that's not the case in the SEC where fans from each team cheer on their Rivals when playing out of conference games or when in the National Championship Game. It must be easy to be an SEC fan. As long as one of the 12 teams wins the National Title, you get to celebrate. That just isn't right and is obnoxious. When the Auburn Tigers win the BCS, the Alabama Crimson Tide fans are not allowed to celebrate.And a final example that is often cited as a reason people hate the SEC is because its teams do not play on the West Coast or very far out of South. See the video below for this argument.These are just some of the things I've heard around the internet and when talking to people. It seems clear to me that there is a mutual disgust with the SEC shared by the other five conferences.
According to the NCAA's 85/25 Rule, a University may only have up to 85 football players on scholarship on a team and only 25 total can be from a single year (as in 25 freshman, 25 sophomore, etc).. However, each year, almost every program from the SEC signs at least 25 players. So in 4 years, that means an SEC team accumulates at least 100 players, though many go way beyond that number. This means teams are Oversigning Recruits (recruits they are signing + players remaining from the previous season > 85). There is only one way for a team to get under 85, and that is to cut players and kick kids out of school to be replaced by younger and better talent. A kid could be a sophomore in a University and suddenly be pushed out and be forced to give up his scholarship. Fans of other conferences argue SEC teams essentially have tryouts, and shed the excess players by keeping the best 85 and getting rid of the less talented players. Teams that do not sign over 85 players are thus at a disadvantage because they do not have the luxury of choosing their top talent they'd like to keep. They are stuck with whatever they have.Two other reasons often cited for disliking the SEC involves its fans. The first is the accusation SEC fans are the most arrogant and obnoxious bunch in all of College Football. SEC fans tend to demean and look down upon other conferences. They talk as though only a handful of teams in the nation would be able to handle an SEC schedule. No matter how good a middle of the road team from another conference might be, they will insist any middle of the road SEC team could beat them 9 out of 10 times. It is quite annoying. The following is a perfect example of their arrogance. According to SEC fans, the reason the Oregon Ducks were undefeated last year was because they didn't play an SEC schedule. They couldn't give the Ducks credit for what they had accomplished, instead they behaved as though the Ducks undefeated record was a fluke and beneath any of them. (see video below).The other reason SEC fans are despised is because no matter what SEC school wins a National Championship, fans from every team in the conference celebrate it. After their big out of conference wins, SEC fans are routinely seen chanting "SEC! SEC! SEC!" That isn't how it is supposed to be. You are supposed to celebrate when your team wins the National Title, not when one of your rivals does. However, that's not the case in the SEC where fans from each team cheer on their Rivals when playing out of conference games or when in the National Championship Game. It must be easy to be an SEC fan. As long as one of the 12 teams wins the National Title, you get to celebrate. That just isn't right and is obnoxious. When the Auburn Tigers win the BCS, the Alabama Crimson Tide fans are not allowed to celebrate.And a final example that is often cited as a reason people hate the SEC is because its teams do not play on the West Coast or very far out of South. See the video below for this argument.These are just some of the things I've heard around the internet and when talking to people. It seems clear to me that there is a mutual disgust with the SEC shared by the other five conferences.
Posted by Jerry HinnenWhen it comes to the SEC and coaching turnover, there's reputation, and there's reality.The reputation is that with a heaping help of pressure from the nation's most rabid fanbases, the nation's most cutthroat conference hires and fires head coaches on the slightest of whims, for the most gentle of disappointments. And certainly, there have been some head-scratchers over the years, like David Cutcliffe's sudden dismissal from Ole Miss or Houston Nutt's tumultuous departure from Arkansas despite years of success.But as illustrated by Dennis Dodd's CBS Hot Seat Ratings, since the 2008 season -- and the surprising exits of long-tenured Auburn and Tennessee head coaches Tommy Tuberville and Phillip Fulmer, as well as Mississippi State's Sylvester Croom -- the league that supposedly sees its head coaches change with the wind has in fact become a model of relative stability. Collectively, the SEC has fired just a single coach the past two seasons--Vanderbilt's Robbie Caldwell, himself only hired as a last-minute replacement following Bobby Johnson's retirement. Four other coaches have left the league in that span, but all of them -- Urban Meyer at Florida, Lane Kiffin at Tennessee, Rich Brooks at Kentucky and Johnson -- did so voluntarily, and in Brooks's case the seamless transition to coach-in-waiting Joker Phillips barely even qualifies as a "coaching change."That newfound reticence to put coaches on the firing line is reflected in Dodd's ratings, which show just one current SEC coach rated above the median "on the bubble" 3. You get one guess who:Alabama Nick Saban 0.0 Arkansas Bobby Petrino 1.0 Auburn Gene Chizik 0.0 Florida Will Muschamp 0.5 Georgia Mark Richt 3.5 LSU Les Miles 2.5 Mississippi Houston Nutt 3.0 Mississippi State Dan Mullen 0.0 South Carolina Steve Spurrier 0.0 Kentucky Joker Phillips 1.5 Tennessee Derek Dooley 3.0 Vanderbilt James Franklin 2.0 Assuming we don't have some unforeseen three-win meltdown with Nutt in Oxford, there's a very real possibility the SEC enters 2012 with the same 11 head coaches listed above. Richt is -- without question -- the SEC coach in the most trouble, but he's also a coach with an extremely favorable 2011 schedule, a wealth of talent on hand, and perhaps the most patient administration in the conference.And if Richt's still here, who won't be? The Spurrier retirement rumors have been securely put to bed with the arrival of recruits like Marcus Lattimore and Jadeveon Clowney. A big 2010 has Miles back on (mostly) firm footing; it'll take multiple down years (or a grass overdose) for him to earn a pink slip. Dooley has at least another couple of seasons with the benefit of the doubt (if we may quibble with Dodd's "3"). And while the aforementioned meltdown might do the trick for Nutt with the Rebels, between his track record and the back-to-back Cotton Bowls -- not something that happens on the regular in Oxford -- he almost certainly has another season of rope.The most likely coach to keep the SEC from going 12-for-12 in the retention department isn't likely to be fired at all, in fact; it's Dan Mullen, who could be one more sterling season in Starkville away from getting the kind of megabucks, keystone program offer the Bulldogs just can't quite match. But the guess here is that Dodd, overall, is entirely correct--if Mullen stays put and Richt can salvage eight or nine wins, there's not enough heat under the SEC seats to expect a coaching change anywhere in the league's 12 head coaching positions.
The reputation is that with a heaping help of pressure from the nation's most rabid fanbases, the nation's most cutthroat conference hires and fires head coaches on the slightest of whims, for the most gentle of disappointments. And certainly, there have been some head-scratchers over the years, like David Cutcliffe's sudden dismissal from Ole Miss or Houston Nutt's tumultuous departure from Arkansas despite years of success.
But as illustrated by Dennis Dodd's CBS Hot Seat Ratings, since the 2008 season -- and the surprising exits of long-tenured Auburn and Tennessee head coaches Tommy Tuberville and Phillip Fulmer, as well as Mississippi State's Sylvester Croom -- the league that supposedly sees its head coaches change with the wind has in fact become a model of relative stability. Collectively, the SEC has fired just a single coach the past two seasons--Vanderbilt's Robbie Caldwell, himself only hired as a last-minute replacement following Bobby Johnson's retirement.
Four other coaches have left the league in that span, but all of them -- Urban Meyer at Florida, Lane Kiffin at Tennessee, Rich Brooks at Kentucky and Johnson -- did so voluntarily, and in Brooks's case the seamless transition to coach-in-waiting Joker Phillips barely even qualifies as a "coaching change."
That newfound reticence to put coaches on the firing line is reflected in Dodd's ratings, which show just one current SEC coach rated above the median "on the bubble" 3. You get one guess who:
And if Richt's still here, who won't be? The Spurrier retirement rumors have been securely put to bed with the arrival of recruits like Marcus Lattimore and Jadeveon Clowney. A big 2010 has Miles back on (mostly) firm footing; it'll take multiple down years (or a grass overdose) for him to earn a pink slip. Dooley has at least another couple of seasons with the benefit of the doubt (if we may quibble with Dodd's "3"). And while the aforementioned meltdown might do the trick for Nutt with the Rebels, between his track record and the back-to-back Cotton Bowls -- not something that happens on the regular in Oxford -- he almost certainly has another season of rope.
The most likely coach to keep the SEC from going 12-for-12 in the retention department isn't likely to be fired at all, in fact; it's Dan Mullen, who could be one more sterling season in Starkville away from getting the kind of megabucks, keystone program offer the Bulldogs just can't quite match.
But the guess here is that Dodd, overall, is entirely correct--if Mullen stays put and Richt can salvage eight or nine wins, there's not enough heat under the SEC seats to expect a coaching change anywhere in the league's 12 head coaching positions.
Larry King
March Madness
Natasha Fame Leslie
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Sanu Dellafiore
John Armstrong
Fred Hanna
Georgia Hester
