The College Football Thread

[1001001]

So it's USC vs. Boston College in lovely Emerald Bowl!



It should actually be a fun match-up. I'm not sure where my loyalties lie in this one....

Well, you guys get to play in a beautiful ball park in a beautiful city. That's a plus at least.

Well, I agree SF is a beautiful city.

But...a night game in that stadium on Dec. 26th? I don't even want to think about how cold it will be by the Bay. Besides, the configuration for football looks all kinds of fucked up.

I think I'll be watching from my warm, toasty La-Z-Boy.

 

[Commander Vaughn]

So anyone else pumped for the Division II National Championship this Saturday?

My Grand Valley State Lakers take on Northwest Missouri State at 1:00pm on ESPN2. Both schools are fielding really good teams, so it'll be a fun game to watch. Division II title games are usually pretty close games.

Hopefully Grand Valley sends Northwest Missouri to their fifth straight loss in the national title game.

 

[Galactus]

Ok the one thing I dislike like about college sports and especially football, is the fact that everyone gets paid except the players. Kelly gets to go to Notre Dame, sign a big contract, get all kinds of endorsement deals and the players get zero. And don't come telling me a full scholarship is getting paid. They have to do everything under the table while the coaches and ADs just roll in money. It is just modern day slavery. They are just modern day gladiators.

 

[tomalak301]

I just heard that Kelly will not be there coaching the team in the Sugar Bowl because he went to ND. That's fucking wrong on so many levels. I agree, the Players should be pissed.

 

[Neroon]

I just heard that Kelly will not be there coaching the team in the Sugar Bowl because he went to ND. That's fucking wrong on so many levels. I agree, the Players should be pissed.

It has happened on occasion that the outgoing coach remains for the bowl game. However, I can see the logic in not being there. and to be fair we don't know whose decision that was - Kelly's or UC's. Your loyalties are now compromised and it's in question just how much your mind is on that game.

What upsets me is why can't they wait until AFTER the bowl game to deal with this? What's the harm in waiting three weeks? Is recruiting affected that much?


ETA: I should point out that I don't harbor much in the way if ill will to Kelly. This is a dream job for him. Sure, the money had some influence on his decision, but he took it for more than that. Isn't he Irish and Catholic? What greater job could he have than a chance to make Notre Dame football relevant again?

 

[Galactus]

I don't think it makes any difference. Just shows how selfish the schools really are. ND didn't care at all about the players at Cinci only about themselves. Very religious and noble of them. It is a business and should be treated as such and the players should be paid for their hard work, like all other students who work at the schools. But we all know nothing will ever happen because their is too much money and power in the alumni to keep politicians in check.

The NCAA could easily say that it is a violation to talk to any coaches or employees until their season is over. The could at least pretend to care.

 

[Neroon]

Count me in as one who feels the players should reap some benefit here. The Men's Basketball tournament and most of the bowls rake in obscene amounts of money. The coaches have shoe contracts and show deals. Somehow it seems very logical that the players should reap at least some benefit from all of that. Okay, so the jerseys sold may not have the players' names on them, but it's their performance which is the greatest factor in attracting all of that money. Still, it's important to remember that most of these players have their education paid for with renewable scholarships. Their room & board & fees are all taken care of, a luxury that most students - and not all players for that matter - can enjoy.

The thing is that after all of the time put in at practice and conditioning and in prep for the games, then the classes and studying for those.... who has time to do much of anything? It seems right to give them at least some kind of stipend to go out for pizza or take their girlfriend out or whatever.

 

[Timby]

What upsets me is why can't they wait until AFTER the bowl game to deal with this? What's the harm in waiting three weeks? Is recruiting affected that much?

Yes. Letters of intent are being signed and sent right now. If Notre Dame wants to salvage this year's class, Kelly needs to have his wheels rolling as soon as humanly possible.

 

[Neroon]

Okay, i didn't realize they were being signed this soon. I suppose it's only the absolute top-tier that wait until March/April. Still, that does underscore how he needs to hit the ground running, I guess. I still don't care for it, because of how it screws with the current teams before the biggest game of the year. Yet college football is a business anymore, so you have to follow business mind-sets.

 

[Mallory]

And in other news, a House subcommittee passed a bill yesterday aimed at forcing a college football playoff:

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Dismissing complaints from some members that Congress had more pressing matters, a House subcommittee approved legislation Wednesday aimed at forcing college football to switch to a playoff system to determine its national champion.

Link

 

[Commander Vaughn]

It hurts seeing a former Grand Valley coach going to work for Evil like that. Brian Kelly was responsible for Grand Valley's first two national titles this decade. It's a bummer he's working for the Irish now.

 

[Cyrus]

NCAA should have a rule like NFL that coaches cannot be interviewed for jobs until after the season over. They should also suspend recruiting during December.

Yes. Letters of intent are being signed and sent right now.

Letters of intent cannot be signed or sent until Feb 3:
http://www.ncaa.org/wps/wcm/connect/nli/nli

High school players can only give verbal commitments until then, and of course many of them change their minds by the Feb 3 signing date, especially if there is coaching change.

 

[Timby]

While I may have been mistaken on that note, that doesn't change the fact that Notre Dame needed a coach right now in order for its recruiting efforts to be worth a damn.

 

[Galactus]

That is complete BS. No kid in there right mind who has talent is going to sign a letter of intent in December especially two weeks before Christmas. This is complete BS and plain stupid but who can stop them. The pro leagues definitely have this right and the NCAA as always is wrong.

 

[Neroon]

It hurts seeing a former Grand Valley coach going to work for Evil like that. Brian Kelly was responsible for Grand Valley's first two national titles this decade. It's a bummer he's working for the Irish now.

Look at it this way.... the "mighty" Notre Dame is now having to take its cue from Grand Valle State!

 

[pookha]

even if letters of intent have been signed from what i have seen in the past they are not binding,
kids have changed their minds as new factors come to bear.

and i may be wrong but nfl assitants can be interviewed but not hired until their season is over.

 

[Commander Vaughn]

It hurts seeing a former Grand Valley coach going to work for Evil like that. Brian Kelly was responsible for Grand Valley's first two national titles this decade. It's a bummer he's working for the Irish now.

Look at it this way.... the "mighty" Notre Dame is now having to take its cue from Grand Valle State!

That is a good point. I'm headed to South Bend for a few months in January. It'll be fun to give people a hard time about following Grand Valley's cue.

We lost the national championship game today, which was a bummer. But it was still a great season.

 

[Neroon]

Sorry to hear about Grand Valley St, CV. Heckuva program regardless. From the write up it was a tough game for everyone.

Mount Union is still in theirs after winning today. Interestingly enough, their opponent will be Wisconsin-Whitewater, whom they have played in the past 4 championships.

 

[Crusher Disciple]

Texas won a very ugly game but they won and their defense won. The Big 12 at one time for a few years was where the QBs dominated but it's becoming smash mouthed, tough defense again and that's the way games should be played.

You got your Longhorn gear ready yet?

 

[Commander Vaughn]

Sorry to hear about Grand Valley St, CV. Heckuva program regardless. From the write up it was a tough game for everyone.

Mount Union is still in theirs after winning today. Interestingly enough, their opponent will be Wisconsin-Whitewater, whom they have played in the past 4 championships.

There are some rumors going on around here that Kelly plans on calling on current Grand Valley coach Chuck Martin to be his defensive coordinator at Notre Dame. Martin was the defensive coordinator on Kelly's championship teams here at Grand Valley.

I'm glad to see Kelly find success, I always liked the guy. But seeing Martin go to Notre Dame as well would be disappointing. He's done a great job with the program, and I really like him as a couach. I've actually met him a couple of times, which is pretty cool. Seeing him leave would be disappointing.