College Football
Week Preseason – It was one heck of an offseason
‘There’s going to
be a complete blowup’
“….especially in football, and there needs to be”
Those were the words of Clemson coach Dabo Swinney back in April.
Swinney went on to say, “A lack of uniformity will lead to a complete restructuring in college athletics at some point. The larger, more powerful Power Five schools will be forming their own division in football. I think there will eventually be some kind of break and another division. Right now, you got everybody in one group and it’s not feasible. The current system is a mess. It’s hard to get anything accomplished.”
Swinney added, “I am against anything that devalues education. That’s what I’m against. I am for anything that incentivizes education. I’m against the professionalism of college athletics. It’s a good thing that players can cash in on their name, image and likeness. But it’s nonsensical to think that the current NIL rules won’t be used as a recruiting incentive. There’s no rules, no guidance, no nothing. It’s out of control. It’s not sustainable. It’s an absolute mess and a train wreck.”
On the transfer portal, Swinney said, “We’re not doing our job as coaches and recruiters if we are bringing in a bunch of transfers.”
Alabama coach Nick Saban said, “I don’t think what we’re doing right now is a sustainable model. Last year, on our team, our guys probably made as much or more than anybody in the country. But that creates a situation where you can basically buy players. You can do it in recruiting. And you can also get players to get in the transfer portal to see if they can get more someplace else.”
“We now have an NFL model with no contracts, Saban added. Everybody has free agency. It’s fine for players to get money. I’m all for that. But there has to be some responsibility on both ends, which you could call a contract.”
He went on to say, “Many schools have established collectives which help players find NIL opportunities. However, these collectives also provide boosters the opportunity to channel payments to players.
So there’s going to have to be some changes implemented. Some way to create a level playing field. And there’s no salary cap. So whatever school decides they want to pay the most, they have the best chance to have the best team.”
Paul Finebaum said, “NIL is an existential threat to the future of college football.”
ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit is a proponent of the players additionally getting a share of the television money. “I think it’s inevitable that eventually the players are going to have it. Whether it’s a union or whatever, somebody’s going to represent them. The players are going to say why not allow us to have a share of the television money. I think that is the next step beyond NIL.”
Herbstreit also believes the Power Five conferences will break away from the NCAA for football and form their own organization to run the sport. Paul Finebaum agrees with Herbstreit. Finebaum thinks it will happen somewhere between five and 10 years from now – between 2027 and 2032. Herbstreit thinks it will happen sooner, three to four years from now – between 2025 and 2026. Stay tuned!
Yes, the offseason was a tumultuous one.
The 2021 season had no sooner ended and the offseason had no sooner begun, when Hawaii head coach Todd Graham resigned under pressure. Two weeks later, the Rainbow Warriors hired Timmy Chang as Graham’s replacement. Chang is a former quarterback at Hawaii. Most recently, he had been a wide receivers coach at Nevada and Colorado State. Before hiring Chang, Hawaii tried to lure former head coach June Jones back to the school, but the two parties couldn’t come to an agreement on a contract.
Remember “Walk Don’t Run” the instrumental by the Ventures that went to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the summer and fall of 1960? The Ventures were a four-man instrumental band that formed in Tacoma, Washington. Don Wilson, a co-founder of the Ventures and the band’s distinctive rhythm guitarist, died in January. The Ventures had six Top 40 hits in the 1960s, including “Perfidia” and their last hit, “Hawaii Five-0,” the theme song from the hit television show. Perfidia reached No. 15 on the charts in the winter of 1960-61 and “Hawaii Five-0” reached No. 4 in the spring and summer of 1969. The Ventures are called the best-selling and most influential instrumental band in rock ‘n’ roll history. The band recorded 250 albums and were inducted into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame in 2008. In the summer of 1964, the Ventures released a new version of “Walk Don’t Run” that peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard chart. Don Wilson was 88.
In late January, Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin went on Twitter and called himself the “Portal King.” Kiffin had tremendous success in January, recruiting players from the Transfer Portal. He even posted a picture on Twitter of a sign on his office door that read, “Please check back later. I’m gone portaling…..Coach Kiffin.”
On February 1, the suspense was over with Caleb Williams. Suspense, but no surprise. The Oklahoma quarterback, who entered the transfer portal at the end of 2021, announced he was transferring to USC. Williams will be hooking up with his old coach Lincoln Riley. Williams’ announcement follows that of USC quarterback Jaxson Dart. Dart, who also entered the transfer portal around the end of 2021, announced he was transferring to Ole Miss.
After his defensive coordinator, Dan Lanning, left to become the head coach at Oregon, Georgia coach Kirby Smart named Will Muschamp to be his new DC. Muschamp is a former head coach at Florida and South Carolina and a former defensive coordinator at Auburn and Texas.
In early February, rumors of Bryan Harsin’s demise at Auburn began circulating. After all, many Auburn fans and officials were not happy about Tank Bigsby running out of bounds, causing Auburn to lose the Alabama game. They were not happy that Auburn lost to Houston in the Birmingham Bowl. They were not happy that Auburn ended the season, losing five-straight games. They were not happy with all the coordinators and assistant coaches bailing out – some before they even arrived on the scene. They were not happy about 20 some players entering the transfer portal. And let’s face it – Auburn has always been psychotic about its football coaches.
Saturday Down South’s Matt Hayes said, “When the powers that be at Auburn want to remove a coach, they attack professionally, they attack personally, they attack character and they attack integrity. Then they write a buyout check and start over. When those in power at Auburn want you out, they do everything they can to get you out. No cost is too high and no road is too low.”
Terry Bowden, Tommy Tuberville, Gene Chizik, and Gus Malzahn all had winning records as coaches at Auburn. All, either won a national title, played for a national title or had an unbeaten season. All were forced out. Now Bryan Harsin is under fire. If Harsin is forced out, Auburn will have paid $62.39 million in buyout money since 1998.
Auburn officials conducted an investigation of Harsin. His fate remained in doubt. Many analysts, including the SEC Network’s Paul Finebaum, were convinced that Harsin would be ousted. But ultimately, the Auburn officials decided to hold onto Harsin – at least for one more year. Auburn is psychotic, but not that psychotic.
“The stars at night are big and bright. Deep in the heart of Texas.” On February 9, Swamp Mama and I flew to Austin, Texas, to attend a wedding. We arrived in Austin two days before the rehearsal dinner and three days before the wedding. That gave us some time to explore around the Austin area.
Swamp Mama had never been to Austin. It was my first time back since the 1980s, when I had two or three business trips for meetings at the Austin American-Statesman. Upon arrival in Austin, we first drove to Dripping Springs, Texas – the “Gateway to the Hill Country.” That’s how the town promotes itself.
Dripping Springs is about 15-20 miles west of Austin. That’s where the wedding and reception would be held. I wanted to check things out in advance and get the lay of the land. The big event was going to take place at the Canyonwood Ridge Event Center in Dripping Springs.
With that task accomplished, we returned to Austin and checked into our hotel. After freshening up in our room, my next task was to find and check out the location of the rehearsal dinner – the Austin Country Club – host site of the PGA’s World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play. The Austin Country Club is a bit northwest of Austin on the Colorado River – a picturesque spot in a beautiful part of town. Task two accomplished.
By now, our stomachs were growling. It was time to find a restaurant for dinner. Fortunately, we didn’t have to go far. We discovered Jack Allen’s Kitchen 360, located near the Austin Country Club. And what a nice discovery it was. We had a great dinner.
The next day – Thursday – we had a full day to explore. Following breakfast, we went to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, located just south of Austin. Granted, February is not the ideal time of the year to visit the center – mid-March to mid-November is or so we were told. But, as the lady at the ticket window proudly told us, “Brown is a color.”
In spite of it being the “brown” time of the year, the center and its grounds were lovely. It’s beautifully landscaped, lots of trails, interesting buildings and structures, a gift shop and a coffee shop, all on 284 acres. And I think we walked all 284 acres. It was a good morning to be outdoors – pleasantly cool and sunny.
Following the visit to the Wildflower Center, Swamp Mama and I decided to brave the I-35 traffic and head to downtown Austin to check out the University of Texas. Being one of those people who is kind of a natural at navigation, I piloted the two of us to a parking garage about a block off the westside of the UT campus.
We wandered in and out of shops along Guadalupe Street, before finding our way into a Sweetgreen for lunch. It was our first time eating in a Sweetgreen, where you move through an assembly line of salad creation. The Sweetgreen staff builds your personal choice of salad contents and toppings along the way. You name it, they can put it in or on your salad. I have to say that I had one of the best, if not the best, salads I have ever had.
Exiting Sweetgreen, we walked across Guadalupe Street to the University of Texas and began our stroll around the campus, starting at the student union and the famous UT Tower. I must say the westside and southside of the UT campus is a bit of an urban concrete/asphalt jungle and the eastside is six lanes of I-35 with solid traffic in all six lanes. The northside of the campus is the greenest, prettiest and most pleasant part.
Still, the UT campus has its pretty spots with several attractive buildings, including the Darrell K. Royal Memorial Stadium and the LBJ Presidential Library. The stadium seats 100,119 and the Library holds more than 45 million documents. The campus is comprised of 437 acres – bigger than the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center’s 284 acres. No, we did not walk all 437 acres.
Friday morning, Swamp Mama and I hit the road for Johnson City, Texas. Johnson City, the home of the 36th president, is the center for the LBJ National Historical Park, which contains the visitor center and a museum. Twelve miles west of Johnson City is the LBJ Ranch area of the Historical Park.
LBJ was born in Johnson City and his birth home is still standing. At age five, his family moved to the ranch west of Johnson City. The ranch house became the Texas White House during LBJ’s presidential years.
Johnson City was named for James Polk Johnson, an uncle of LBJs. Where Dripping Springs is called the “Gateway to the Hill Country,” Johnson City is called the “Crossroads of the Hill Country.”
Following the Johnson City visit, we returned to our hotel where we had time to rest up and get ready for the rehearsal dinner. The rehearsal dinner was a white dinner jacket and black tie affair for the men and a long red dress affair for the women – hence the wedding taking place near Valentine’s Day. I rented my tux through Men’s Wearhouse – getting fitted for the wardrobe in Melbourne, Florida, and picking up and returning the wardrobe in Austin, Texas.
We had a good time at the dinner, visiting with relatives and meeting and talking to some interesting people from all around the USA. The Austin Country Club was a perfect and beautiful setting for the dinner.
Whenever Swamp Mama visits a new town, she likes to visit a quilt shop and purchase some fabric. I went online and located some quilt shops in the Austin area. She picked one out that was reasonably close to our hotel. Swamp Mama called the shop to make sure they would be open.
Saturday morning, we drove to the quilt shop called “The Cotton Cupboard.” It was located in the suburbs, northwest of Austin. On the way back to our hotel, we stopped at another Jack Allen’s Restaurant – this time for lunch. This one was called Jack Allen’s Kitchen Oak Hill. It was every bit as good as Jack Allen’s Kitchen 360. There are three Jack Allen’s in Austin. If you are ever in the area, I recommend you eat at one.
Later in the afternoon on Saturday, we drove out to Dripping Springs for the wedding and reception. Canyonwood Ridge is a first-class, top-notch and beautiful event center. The front entry opens into a large foyer. The chapel is located on one side of the foyer. The event room for banquets, dances or wedding receptions is on the other side of the foyer. The back of the foyer opens up onto an immense and beautifully manicured and landscaped lawn. This is where the guests gathered after the wedding ceremony before the reception. Running along the back exterior of the event center is a large outdoor bar. The lawn sits high, overlooking the Hill Country. Hence the name of the event center, it literally sits on a ridge.
The wedding and reception wasn’t as formal as the rehearsal dinner – suits, coats and ties for the men; party, cocktail dresses for the ladies. The wedding invitation did say, “No jeans allowed.” Hey, it’s Texas. There were, however, a half-dozen or so men at the reception, wearing cowboy hats. Hey, it’s Texas.
But I must admit, they were expensive looking cowboy hats, like the ones George Strait wears.
The reception was grand, with good food, fun, music and dancing. The groom’s cake was a replica of the UT Tower.
Early Sunday morning, Swamp Mama and I checked in at Austin-Bergstrom Airport for our flights back to Florida, via Atlanta. “The cowboys cry ki-yippie-yi. Deep in the heart of Texas.”
Flying out to Texas and on the return, I quickly learned that you really don’t have to wear a mask on the plane – once you are above 10,000 feet on takeoff and before you are below 10,000 feet on landing. As long as you have your tray table down with a beverage and/or food on the tray table, no mask is required. You can’t eat or drink with a mask on. And if my beverage was about to run dry, I would ask the flight attendant for another coffee or diet coke.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not an anti-masker. Swamp Mama and I diligently wore our masks during the height of COVID. But in 2022, I was ready to take off the mask. After all, I was fully vaxed and double-boosted. Plus I am 0 blood type and left handed. With that combination, the chance of getting COVID is all but nil.
He was one of the few musicians in pop history to score Top 10 hits as a drummer. “Teen Beat” hit No. 4 on Billboard’s Hot 100 in 1959 and “Let There Be Drums” hit No. 7 in 1961. Drummer Sandy Nelson died on February 14. In all, he recorded more than 30 albums. Born and raised in Santa Monic, California, Sandy Nelson was 83.
In mid-February, Marshall, Old Dominion and Southern Miss announced they were leaving Conference USA a year early. Instead of leaving for the Sun Belt Conference on June 30, 2023, the three schools said they were exiting C-USA on June 30, 2022. The new departure date is in violation of C-USA bylaws, which require you to remain in the conference for at least 14 months after initially announcing your departure. The three schools initially made their departure announcement in the fall of 2021.
Conference USA responded, saying it would sue the three schools to prevent them from departing in the summer of 2022. You can imagine the nightmares, angst and headaches that was causing C-USA and Sun Belt schools with the scheduling of football games in the fall of 2022 – not to mention the other fall sports. Stay tuned!
He played college football for Arizona State, where he was a halfback and defensive back. The Washington Redskins drafted him in 1964. He played 14 seasons for the Redskins and was the NFL’s Rookie of the Year in 1964. After two seasons as a running back in the NFL, the Redskins switched him to wide receiver in 1966. He was a wide receiver for the rest of his NFL career and a good one too. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1984. Charley Taylor, a native of Grand Prairie, Texas, died on February 19. He was 80.
Miami (Florida) coach Mario Cristobal announced he had hired Charlie Strong to be the Canes linebackers coach. Strong is a former head coach at Texas, Louisville and South Florida. He spent the 2021 season coaching linebackers for the Jacksonville Jaguars in the NFL.
“We skipped the light fandango. Turned cartwheels ’cross the floor. I was feeling kinda seasick. But the crowd called out for more….” Gary Brooker, the lead singer, songwriter, pianist and founder of the British band Procol Harum, died on February 19. He was the singer and co-writer of the 1967 worldwide hit “Whiter Shade of Pale.” The song reached No. 5 on Billboard’s Hot 100 in the summer of 1967. Other Procol Harum hits included “Hamburg,” “Conquistador” and “A Salty Dog.” A native of London, Gary Brooker was 76. “…..As the miller told his tale, that her face, at first just ghostly, turned a whiter shade of pale….”
Well, after months of lengthy debates, meetings and conferences on expanding the College Football Playoff to more than four teams, CFP executive director Bill Hancock announced in February that the playoff would remain at four teams through the 2025 season. The CFP management committee (10 FBS conference commissioners, plus the Notre Dame athletic director) voted 8-3 to expand. However, the vote needed to be unanimous to approve the expansion. The ACC, Big Ten and Pac-12 voted not to expand. Thus, the CFP board of managers (11 presidents and chancellors), who have ultimate authority over the playoff, agreed that the playoff would remain at four teams for four more seasons.
It’s estimated that by remaining at a four-team playoff, the 10 FBS conferences and Notre Dame were forfeiting $450 million or more in potential revenue.
After Conference USA announced it was suing Marshall, Old Dominion and Southern Miss to prevent the schools from departing the conference in the summer of 2022, Marshall filed a suit against C-USA to force its early departure. Then, Marshall was granted a temporary restraining order against C-USA, after the league filed a request for arbitration in Marshall’s bid to expedite an early move to the Sun Belt Conference. A few days earlier, C-USA released a football schedule for the 2022 season that included Marshall, Old Dominion and Southern Miss. It’s going to be interesting.
She was the original “Hot Lips.” Sally Kellerman, who played Margaret “Hot Lips” O’Houlihan in the 1970 movie M*A*S*H, died on February 25. Born in Long Beach, California, she grew up in the Los Angeles area. Sally Kellerman was 84.
Following a six-year absence, Art Briles was briefly back in college football. Grambling State hired the former Baylor coach as its new offensive coordinator. Briles was fired at Baylor after the school’s mishandling of sexual assault allegations. Former Grambling star Doug Williams said he was “very disappointed” by the school’s hiring of Briles. “I’m very disappointed in Grambling. I really am,” Williams said.
Williams’ words were powerful. A few days later, and amid pressure, Art Briles resigned from his new position at Grambling, saying he would be a distraction to the program. Grambling and first-year coach Hue Jackson were met with a wave of backlash after hiring Briles.
Former Florida defensive coordinator Todd Grantham was hired by Nick Saban to be a defensive analyst for the Crimson Tide. Grantham is also a former DC for Mississippi State, Louisville and Georgia.
In March, Swamp Mama and I took another trip – this one with Princess Gator, Gator Gabe and Gator Babe. The five of us went to Snowshoe in West Virginia for some fun in the snow. We began the trip with a rendezvous in the Florida panhandle. From there, the five of us drove to Peachtree City, Georgia, in separate vehicles.
In Peachtree City, we overnighted at the home of Stephen and Valerie Marsh. Valerie is the daughter of our neighbor and friend Sara Schenk. The next morning, Stephen and Valerie took us to the Atlanta Airport, where we caught our flight to Charleston, West Virginia.
“In the lane, snow is glistening….” At Yaeger Airport in Charleston, the five of us piled into a Chevy Traverse and hit the road for Snowshoe. Fresh snow covered the ground from a snowstorm the previous day. The roads were clear and it was a bright sunny, but cold, day. Along the way, we stopped for lunch at Tamarack.
Arriving at Snowshoe, we checked into our two-bedroom, two-bath condo in Highland House. Our unit was on the second floor with a corner balcony that overlooked the top of the slopes. “A beautiful sight, we’re happy tonight, walking in a winter wonderland….”
Princes Gator, Gator Gabe and Gator Babe had chosen and booked snowboarding for their activity on the slopes. Following a morning lesson, they spent the next couple days improving their snowboarding skills. The final night at Snowshoe, the kids drove snowmobiles on a trail ride through the woods and up and down the slopes. Swamp Mama and I spent our days exploring around Snowshoe and watching the kids snowboard. Swamp Mama was the quintessential snow bunny.
After a few days at Snowshoe, we bid farewell, drove down the mountain and over to Green Bank, West Virginia, for the kids to see the big telescope. From Green Bank, we backtracked a bit past the bottom of Snowshoe. We were headed to the home of our friends Fred and Sally Adkins, where we would spend our last night before heading back to the airport in Charleston. Fred and Sally live about 15 miles from Snowshoe.
“Later on we’ll conspire, as we dream by the fire….” Fred and Sally, as always, were great hosts. It was the first time for Princess Gator, Gator Gabe and Gator Babe to meet them. That evening, Sally prepared a sumptuous cheese fondue and a Caesar salad. We shared the meal in front of a cozy log fire. Before leaving the next morning, we were the fortunate beneficiaries of Fred’s tasty Appalachian breakfast.
Our flight from Charleston to Atlanta was uneventful. Again, once we reached 10,000 feet, I lowered my tray table, placed a snack and beverage on the table and removed my mask. My mask remained off until we descended below 10,000 feet.
After arriving in Atlanta, we returned to the Marsh home in Peachtree City, where we relaxed for a couple days, before making our way back to our respective homes in Florida.
The portal calls again. Florida quarterback Emory Jones first entered the transfer portal at the end of the 2021 season. Then, a few weeks later in January, Jones changed his mind and said he was staying at Florida. Well, in March, at the beginning of spring practice in Gainesville, Jones announced he was entering the transfer portal again. Stay tuned!
D-I-V-O-R-C-E! In late March, Marshall, Old Dominion and Southern Miss were officially divorced from Conference USA for the start of the 2022 football season. According to C-USA bylaws, Marshall, Old Dominion and Southern Miss were supposed to wait until 2023 before exiting the conference to join the Sun Belt Conference. C-USA was demanding that the three schools adhere to the bylaws. But the schools wanted out early and they got their way. The terms of the separation agreement were not announced.
The early divorce sent officials of C-USA and the Sun Belt scampering to revise the 2022 football schedules. C-USA was reduced to 11 members, while the Sun Belt increased to 14 members. In addition to Marshall, Old Dominion and Southern Miss, James Madison also becomes a new member of the Sun Belt on July 1, 2022.
“Was the dark of the moon on the sixth of June, in a Kenworth, pullin’ logs….I says, ‘Pig Pen, this here’s the Rubber Duck. And I’m about to put the hammer down’….” Bill Fries, the deep voiced country singer known as C.W. McCall, whose outlaw trucker anthem “Convoy” went to No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 in early 1976, died at his home in Ouray, Colorado. “Convoy” was originally an ad campaign for an Iowa bread company. The song also inspired a Sam Peckinpah movie of the same name, staring Kris Kristofferson, Ali MacGraw and Ernest Borgnine. Prior to “Convoy,” McCall had a mild Top 40 hit with “Wolf Creek Pass,” in 1975. Born in Audubon, Iowa, Bill Fries was 93. “….Convoy! We gone, bye, bye.”
Surprise! In April, ESPN predicted the following teams would be the surprise teams of the 2022 football season. According to ESPN, drum roll please, the surprise teams will be BYU, NC State, Mississippi State, Miami (Florida), Nebraska and Florida State. Stay tuned!
“Everybody now, we got love. By the numbers, we got love….” Robert Louis Ridarelli, who changed his name to Bobby Rydell, died on April 5. From 1959 to 1965, Rydell had 30 songs on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart, nineteen of which reached 25 or higher on the chart. Six of Rydell’s songs were Top Ten hits. His biggest hit was “Wild One,” which rode the charts during the winter and spring of 1960, reaching No. 2. Rydell’s other big hits were “We Got Love,” “Swingin’ School,” “Volare,” “The Cha-Cha-Cha” and “Forget Him.” “Volare” was a cover of the 1958 hit by Domenico Modugno. A native of Philadelphia, South Philly to be exact, Bobby Rydell was 79. “One more time, we got love. All together now, we got love….”
It’s been a decade. In April, Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby announced he was stepping down. Bowlsby has been commissioner of the Big 12 for 10 years. Prior to the Big 12, he was the athletic director at Northern Iowa, Iowa and Stanford. He will remain the Big 12 commissioner until his successor is found, at which time he will retire.
A first. Notre Dame has added Tennessee State to its 2023 schedule. The contest will mark Notre Dame’s first ever football game against a historically Black college or university. The Fighting Irish will host Tennessee State, currently coached by Heisman Trophy winner Eddie George, on September 2, 2023. Notre Dame will open the 2023 season the week before against Navy in Dublin, Ireland.
As a freshman, at the beginning of the 2018 season, he was the starting quarterback at USC. But that October, he suffered a concussion and was replaced by Jack Sears at QB. As a sophomore, at the beginning of the 2019 season, he was again the starting quarterback for USC. Then he tore his ACL in the opening game and was replaced by Kedon Slovis at the quarterback position. In 2020, he transferred to Georgia and during the 2020 season became the starting quarterback for the Dawgs. But he suffered an oblique injury early in the 2021 season and was replaced by Stetson Bennett. After the 2021 season, he entered the transfer portal again. In April, J.T. Daniels announced he was transferring to West Virginia.
Interesting note: If Daniels, as expected, becomes the starting quarterback at West Virginia, he will face his former USC teammate Kedon Slovis. Slovis transferred from USC to Pitt earlier in the year. WVU and Pitt open their 2022 seasons against each other in the resumption of the “Backyard Brawl.” Stay tuned!
It has been the Carrier Dome for 43 years. But not anymore. In April, Syracuse announced it had parted ways with Carrier Global International. In recent years, Carrier has closed two plants in Syracuse and laid off 1,200 workers. Technology company JMA Wireless is taking over the naming rights of the venue. Hence forward, it will be known as the Wireless Dome.
Florida announced it was trademarking Billy Napier’s phrase, “Scared money don’t make money.” Last year at Louisiana, Napier was known for going for the first down on fourth down instead of kicking a field goal when the ball was on the 30 yard line or closer to the goal line. When asked why he did that, Napier always said, “Cause, scared money don’t make money.” The quote actually comes from Young Jeezy in his 2009 song “Scared Money.”
Known as “The Mad Bomber,” former quarterback Daryle Lamonica died on April 21. Lamonica played college football for Notre Dame, where he was the team’s starting quarterback for three seasons – 1960-1962. He played 12 seasons in the AFL/NFL – four as backup quarterback for the Buffalo Bills and eight as the starting quarterback for the Oakland Raiders. Out of high school, Lamonica turned down a baseball contract with the Chicago Cubs. He was nicknamed “The Mad Bomber” because of his affinity to throw long passes in virtually any situation. Daryle Lamonica, a native of Fresno, California, was 80.
He found a home. Former Florida quarterback Emory Jones, who entered the transfer portal for the second time in March, announced in May that he was transferring to Arizona State. There was always a bit of the devil in Jones. He stands a good chance of starting for the Sun Devils, as incumbent ASU quarterback Jayden Daniels transferred to LSU back in February.
His records made the charts for two decades, but he was ultimately best known for his Texas nightclub. Mickey Gilley, the singer and piano player whose Texas nightclub was the inspiration for the movie “Urban Cowboy,” died May 7. Gilley had 17 No. 1 country singles between 1974 and 1983, including his cover of Ben E. King’s “Stand By Me,” which was a crossover hit, reaching No. 22 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart in 1980. During his two decades on the charts, he placed 42 singles in country’s Top 40, 34 of which made it to the Top Ten. His nightclub – Gilley’s – opened in 1971 in Pasadena, Texas, outside of Houston. Gilley was well into his 30s before he had his first hit and over 40 before his nightclub achieved widespread acclaim. Mickey Gilley, who was born in Natchez, Mississippi, was 86.
After the NCAA Division I Council ruled that the Power Five conferences no longer need to have divisions in order to have a conference championship game, the Pac-12 and the Mountain West Conferences announced they were eliminating their divisions. Both conferences said that the two teams with the highest winning percentages would play for the conference championship.
In mid-May, the Nick Saban-Jimbo Fisher feud broke out. Saban accused Fisher of buying his players and Fisher called Saban an unethical narcissist. And so it began. Ultimately, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey had to step in and tell the two West Virginia boys to cool it. To add fuel to the fire, former Florida coach Steve Spurrier said that Saban wasn’t lying when he said Jimbo bought his players. Stay tuned!
Speaking of Greg Sankey, the SEC commissioner announced in May that the SEC might just abandon the College Football Playoff and conduct an exclusive SEC playoff at the end of the season. Most saw this as posturing by Sankey. He is still miffed that the CFP Management Committee didn’t vote for playoff expansion back in February. Actually they voted 8-3 to expand, but the vote needed to be unanimous for expansion to take place. The ACC, Big Ten and Pac-12 were the three votes against expansion.
Also in May we lost Susan Jacks, Bob Lanier and Gino Cappelletti. Jacks was the featured singer of the Canadian group The Poppy Family, who had a No. 2 hit with “Which Way You Goin’, Billy?” in the spring of 1970. She was the wife of Terry Jacks, who later had the No. 1 hit “Seasons In The Sun,” in the winter of 1974. Susan Jacks was 73. Bob Lanier was the center for the Detroit Pistons and the Milwaukee Bucks from 1970 to 1984. He played college basketball for St. Bonaventure. A native of Buffalo, New York, Bob Lanier was 73. Gino Cappelletti was a wide receiver and kicker for the Boston Patriots of the AFL from 1960 to 1970. He played college football for Minnesota. After football, Cappelletti went into radio broadcasting as the color commentator for Boston College football and the New England Patriots. A native of Keewatin, Minnesota, Gino Cappelletti was 88.
At the SEC spring meeting in Destin, Florida, following Memorial Day weekend, the big topic was whether the conference should go to a nine-game conference schedule when Oklahoma and Texas join or remain at eight games. Apparently, about half of the SEC schools prefer nine games, while the other half prefer eight. Word is that SEC commissioner Greg Sankey is in favor of nine games, but he wants to have most of the schools behind him. Stay tuned!
“Summer Breeze,” “Diamond Girl,” “Get Closer” and “We May Never Pass This Way Again.” Those were great hits in the early 1970s by the duo Seals and Crofts. Jim Seals, a native of Texas, died on June 6. He was 80.
In early June, the Big 12 announced that Cincinnati, Houston and UCF would become members of the conference in July 2023. The three schools had each negotiated an $18 million departure fee with the AAC. BYU, an Independent, had already announced it was joining the Big 12 in 2023. That means the Big 12 will be a 14-team conference for at least one year, as Oklahoma and Texas are not expected to leave for the SEC until 2024 or 2025.
Following Nick Saban’s verbal accusation that Jimbo Fisher and Texas A&M bought its players, we learned in June that Texas A&M president M. Katherine Banks and athletic director Ross Bjork sent a letter to SEC commissioner Greg Sankey requesting that Saban be suspended and fined. Sankey ultimately reprimanded both Saban and Fisher, but no suspensions or fines were handed out.
Army and Navy jointly announced in June that the Army-Navy game would be played in five different locations during the next five years. The five venues are Foxborough, Massachusetts (2023), Landover, Maryland (2024), Baltimore, Maryland (2025), East Rutherford, New Jersey (2026) and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (2027). All five of the games will be played on the second Saturday in December each year.
The American Athletic Conference announced that its six new members will officially join the league on July 1, 2023. Charlotte, Florida Atlantic, North Texas, Rice, UAB and UTSA are all leaving Conference USA to join the AAC. That’s the same date that Cincinnati, Houston and UCF leave the AAC to join the Big 12.
“All gas, no brakes.” That was the tweet from Texas coach Steve Sarkisian on June 23. Sarkisian was reacting to the big announcement. The unanimous No. 1 recruit in the class of 2023 – quarterback Arch Manning – announced his commitment to the Longhorns. Manning, the grandson of Archie Manning and son of Cooper Manning, had been heavily recruited by Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, Ole Miss and Texas. Ultimately, Texas won out. The suspense is over. Question: Will Quinn Ewers enter the transfer portal after this season? Stay tuned!
UAB football coach Bill Clark announced he was retiring on August 1 because of chronic back problems. Clark, 53, said he has suffered from long-standing back issues that grew more and more debilitating. Offensive coordinator Bryant Vincent will be UAB’s interim head coach during the season. Clark had a 49-26 record at UAB with two C-USA championships, three division titles and four bowl appearances. The Blazers were 35-15 the past four seasons.
Divisions are becoming dinosaurs. The ACC became the latest conference to do away with divisions, making this season the final year for the Atlantic and Coastal Divisions in the conference. The ACC joined the Big Ten, Pac-12 and MWC who earlier announced they were doing away with divisions beginning in 2023. Add the Big 12 and the AAC, who don’t have divisions, to that group and you have six FBS conferences who won’t have divisional play. Soon it will be seven FBS conferences, as the SEC is heading down the same path. The SEC is still trying to decide if it will play eight or nine conference games and what the format will be. The ACC will move to a 3-5-5 format, in which each team has three permanent games played annually, with the other 10 opponents rotating on an every-other-year basis. Currently, only C-USA, the MAC and the Sun Belt are sticking with divisions. But that could change.
They got their man. The Big 12 announced in late June that Brett Yormark will be its next commissioner. Yormark has been the COO of Jay-Z’s Roc Nation since January. Prior to that he was the CEO of Roc Nation for three years. Yormark joined Roc Nation in 2019 after spending 15 years with Barclays Sports and Entertainment, owners of the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets. He oversaw the Nets move from New Jersey to Brooklyn, as well as the construction of the Barclays Center. Yormark replaces Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby, who announced in April that he was stepping down.
Ole Miss downed Oklahoma, two games to zip, to win the College Baseball World Series. Ironically, although Oklahoma is far closer to Omaha, Nebraska, than is Mississippi, Ole Miss had 90% of the fans at Charles Schwab Field for both games. OU fans apparently like their football but not their baseball. I felt sorry for the Sooner baseball players. No wonder they lost.
On the last day of June, a bomb exploded in college football. The shockwaves were felt across the country. USC and UCLA let it be known they were leaving the Pac-12 and joining the Big Ten. This was a bigger surprise and a bigger shock than that of Oklahoma and Texas leaving the Big 12 for the SEC. Immediately, the pundits began talking about this being the process of the Big Ten and the SEC, little by little, building up to become college football’s two premier conferences. More on this next week.
Actor James Caan died on July 6. Although he is best known for the role of Sonny Corleone in “The Godfather,” my favorite James Caan movie is “Cinderella Liberty.” The TV movie “Brian’s Song” was pretty good too. James Caan was 82.
Good ole Fort Courage. He played Cpl. Randolph Agarn on the 1960s TV show “F Troop.” Remember that show? Larry Storch died on July 8. He was 99.
In mid-July, Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick revealed what would force Notre Dame to join a conference: less than $75 million. That’s how much Notre Dame wants annually from NBC to sign a new contract with the network. The current contract, which pays the Irish $22 million annually, expires in 2025. According to Swarbrick, if Notre Dame can’t get $75 million from NBC in the new contract, the Irish would forgo its Independence and join a conference. NBC responded, saying the network would have to partner with a Power Five conference, such as the Big 12 or Big Ten, to meet Notre Dame’s demand. That means NBC would sign a contract to broadcast Big 12 or Big Ten games, along with Notre Dame’s home games. NBC has been broadcasting Notre Dame’s home games since 1991.
The SEC Media Days began on July 18. I felt sorry for Sam Pittman and Brian Harsin. When the Arkansas and Auburn coaches spoke on the mornings of the third day and fourth day respectively, the large conference room was almost empty. Apparently, the media has no interest in the Razorbacks or the Tigers. Conversely, when Georgia coach Kirby Smart spoke, following Pittman, the conference room was full.
The most overused word at the SEC Media Days was “culture.” Every coach and many of the commentators used the word – overused the word. Everyone talked about “building a culture,” “creating a culture,” “maintaining a culture,” “establishing a culture,” “generating a culture,” “growing a culture,” “sustaining a culture,” etcetera, etcetera. I got the feeling that each SEC football program must be a large Petri dish.
Currently, an athlete can enter the transfer portal at any time during the year. In July, the NCAA recommended a change to that rule which would limit the time to two windows during the year in which an athlete could enter the transfer portal. The first window would be the first 60 days following College Football Playoff selection Sunday – roughly early December to early February. The second window would be May 1-15. The recommendation is expected to be approved this month.
He was an MVP. He was an All-Star. He was “Mr. Defense.” He was “Mr. Basketball.” Bill Russell died on July 31. A native of Monroe, Louisiana, his family moved to Oakland, California when he was 12. From there he went on to play college basketball for San Francisco where he led the Dons to back-to-back NCAA championships in 1955 and 1956. From San Francisco, he went on to play for the Boston Celtics where he led the Celts to 11 NBA championships, eight consecutive, and the last two as head coach. He was the first Black head coach in a major American sports league. Bill Russell was 88.
At the Big Ten Conference media days, conference commissioner Kevin Warren hinted that the Big Ten may next go after Washington, Oregon, Stanford and California of the Pac-12. Stay tuned!
“It’s time for Dodger baseball.” The enduring face and voice of the Los Angeles Dodgers, sportscaster Vin Scully, died on August 2. Scully was the “Voice of the Dodgers” for 67 years, from Ebbets Field in Brooklyn to Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles – 1950 to 2016. His time with the Dodgers was the longest tenure of any broadcaster with a single team in professional sports history. A graduate of Fordham, where he played baseball, Scully was the protégé of Red Barber. Vincent Edward Scully was 94.
On August 8, Swamp Mama and I hit the airport again. It was time to fly to Des Moines, Iowa, for my annual Navy reunion – a group of us who worked and partied together while stationed in Edzell, Scotland.
What a whirlwind, non-stop week it was. On Tuesday, we had a 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. bus tour, covering Winterset, Iowa, the Bridges of Madison County, the John Wayne Museum (Winterset was his birthplace) and the Iowa Quilt Museum. Then on to tour a John Deere Agri Vision Center, a dried flower farm and an Alpaca farm. Before busing back to Des Moines, we visited and had dinner at the Henry Wallace Country Life Center in Orient, Iowa.
The next day we toured the Iowa State Capitol – very impressive. Following lunch, we were given a tour of the headquarters of the World Food Prize Foundation, which was founded by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Norman Borlaug, a Des Moines native. The Foundation has the aim of assuring adequate food and nutrition for all. It was founded in 1986 through the support of General Foods. Supporting the world food supply, the Foundation is involved in animal science, aquaculture, soil science, water conservation, nutrition, health, plant science, seed science, plant pathology, crop protection, food technology, food safety, research, emergency relief and the alleviation of poverty and hunger.
Thursday was the opening day of the Iowa State Fair – one of the Top Four state fairs in the country. We were there. I indulged in a “pork chop on a stick”. Yum! We saw the cow made out of butter and much more. First time I had been to a state fair in years. Believe me, the Iowa State Fair is a big one. My phone told me I walked 16,825 steps that day. According to ratings, the consensus top four state fairs in the United States are Iowa, Minnesota, Texas and Wisconsin. It varies from one rating to another which of the four is No. 1. But those states are always in the top four. Just after those four are Ohio and New York. Or some rankings say New York and Ohio.
During the week, we had some great and fun dinners at The El Bait Shop (more than 100 beer taps), the Henry Wallace Country Life Center (best pork steak), the Court Avenue Restaurant and Brewing Company (maple-bourbon glazed pork chops). Pork ruled. I had my share. After all, I was in Iowa. And finally, The Royal Mile, an excellent pub.
Friday morning, us sailors (who were never on a boat) sadly bid farewell to one another. Looks like it will be Rapid City, South Dakota, for the reunion next year – September or October.
We had no sooner bid farewell, when Dave and Sue Brolhorst, our friends from Lincoln, Nebraska, picked us up. The four of us spent Friday touring around Des Moines. It began with Drake University, primarily the athletic facilities at Drake. Ryan Parriott, who is married to Dave and Sue’s granddaughter, Erica, is the Assistant Director of Recreational Services, Intramurals and Sports Clubs at Drake. He gave us an excellent tour, starting with Drake Stadium, home of the Drake Bulldogs football team. But the stadium, perhaps, is better known for the Drake Relays. The relays are regarded as one of the top track and field events in the United States – one of only two competitions in the United States to earn Silver Level status. The Drake Relays were first held in 1910.
Drake football is a non-scholarship Division I (FCS) football program. The team competes in the Pioneer League. Ryan told us that during a football game only about 2,300 fans are in attendance. But during the Drake Relays, the stadium is packed full. The stadium seats 14,560.
From the stadium, we went to the Knapp Center where the Bulldogs play basketball. It seats 7,155. In 1969, Drake’s basketball team made it to the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament, where the Bulldogs nearly upset UCLA in the semifinals. Drake fell to the Bruins, 85-82.
Drake basketball competes in the Missouri Valley Conference. The Knapp Center has facilities for other sports – volleyball, etc. The center first opened in 1992. It went through a renovation in 2010. The basketball court seating is currently going through a renovation.
A new soccer stadium is under construction next to the Knapp Center. We also went in the old basketball arena where the floor is now turfed and used as an indoor workout and practice facility for the athletes of various sports.
From Drake, we went to Palmer’s Deli and Market where the four of us had lunch. Then it was off to Valley Junction, a historic area in West Des Moines. Valley Junction is a renovated railroad district with a collection of more than 150 retail shops, including art galleries, boutiques, restaurants and specialty stores.
That evening, we hooked up with Ryan and his wife Erica (Dave and Sue’s granddaughter) and the six of us had dinner at the Iowa Taproom in Des Moines. No, I didn’t have pork. I settled for fish tacos. Following dinner, Dave and Sue returned Swamp Mama and I to our hotel.
We had a 6 a.m. flight out of Des Moines on Saturday. We needed to schedule an early taxi ride. The desk clerk at our hotel told me that ever since COVID, taxi service in Des Moines was all but non-existent and unreliable. The clerk recommended I book a ride to the airport with Uber or Lyft. I have never had the need for one of those services. I chose Lyft and booked our ride for a 4 a.m. pickup. Swamp Mama was worried our driver would not show up. But she was there right on time. Shortly before pickup, the Lyft App provided me with a visual of where her car was and how many minutes away she was. Good service.
During the week, while in Iowa, we learned of the deaths of two singers and an author/historian – Olivia Newton-John, Judith Durham and David McCullough. Who can forget such songs as “I Honestly Love You,” “Have You Never Been Mellow” and “Please Mr. Please?” Newton-John sang her way into our hearts in 1971 with Bob Dylan’s “If Not For You.” For the next 27 years, 28 of her songs reached Billboard’s Top 40. Fifteen of those 28 reached the Top 10 and five became No. 1 hits. A native of England and raised in Australia, Olivia Newton-John was 73.
Durham was the only female and the lead vocalist in a popular folk-rock singing quartet from Australia – The Seekers. In the spring/summer of 1965, “I’ll Never Find Another You” reached No. 4 on Billboard’s Hot 100. Then in the winter/spring of 1969, “Georgy Girl” reached No. 2 on the charts. An Australian, Judith Durham was 79.
In books, McCullough covered our history like no other writer. He provided us with great biographies – “Truman” and “John Adams,” both of which won the Pulitzer Prize. He wrote about major events – “The Johnstown Flood” (his first book), “The Great Bridge” (the building of the Brooklyn Bridge), “The Path Between the Seas” (the building of the Panama Canal) and “The Pioneers” (the settling of the upper Ohio River valley). He told us about “The Wright Brothers” and the Revolutionary War in “1776.” And those are just a sampling of his works. Born in Pittsburgh, David McCullough was 94.
The Big Ten Conference is currently negotiating a new TV contract and ESPN won’t be involved. The conference declined a $380 million, seven-year deal with ESPN, ending a 40-year relationship with the network. FOX will remain the Big Ten’s primary TV rights holder, with CBS and NBC set to join as partners. CBS’s long-term deal with the SEC is set to expire after the 2023 season. Starting in 2024, ESPN will be the exclusive network home of the SEC. The Big Ten’s new deal with FOX, CBS and NBC will be worth $1.25 billion annually to the conference. FOX will have most of the action in the Big Ten, but CBS and NBC will have a piece of the action.
Among the Power Five conferences, the Pac-12 is next up to the negotiating table. It’s current TV deal is set to expire after the 2023 season. The Big 12’s current deal expires after the 2024 season. With ESPN shunned by the Big Ten, look for the network to become aggressive trying to secure Big 12 and Pac-12 rights.
Last week, Kentucky basketball coach John Calipari must have felt the need for some attention. Well, he certainly got it. Calipari tweeted “Kentucky is a basketball school? It’s always been that way. Alabama is a football school. So is Georgia. But this is a basketball school and we need to keep moving in that direction.”
Calipari was politicking for new and improved basketball facilities at Kentucky.
But you can imagine the reaction, especially from Kentucky football coach Mark Stoops. Stoops was obviously angry and upset with Calipari’s comment. Stoops, however, kept his calm and remained cool. He responded, “Basketball school? I thought we competed in the SEC.”
Calipari later tweeted, “my bad.”
However, just like Steve Spurrier and others spoke out and took sides in the Nick Saban-Jimbo Fisher feud, basketball analysts Dick Vitale and Seth Greenberg tweeted their support for Calipari, reiterating that “Kentucky is a basketball school.” Vitale said that Stoops “got too sensitive,” and added that Calipari was “just being honest.”
Oh well, if it’s not Saban and Fisher, it’s Calipari and Stoops. Life in the SEC.
“….One of sixteen vestal virgins who were leaving for the coast, and although my eyes were open, they might have just as well been closed….”
So much for the offseason, the 2022 season is here!
Touchdown Tom
Quotes of the Offseason
“When we start using name, image and likeness for a kid to come to our school, that’s where I draw the line. Because that’s not why we did this. We never paid players to come to our school. And now, that’s actually happening. People are making deals with high school players to go to their school,” Alabama coach Nick Saban.
“Schools with the most money, with the deep-pocket alumni bases, have the best chance to have the best team,” Alabama coach Nick Saban.
“NIL had nothing to do with this class. This was hard work by our staff. It’s insulting to the kids that come here that you insinuate that,” Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher, saying that NIL deals had nothing to do with securing his No. 1 ranked recruiting class.
“I think it’s fair to say it’s a mess. At some point, we’re gonna have to sort it out so that it’s not a series of explosions all over the place,” Mississippi State coach Mike Leach, on NIL and the transfer portal.
“It looks disastrous. I mean, can you imagine anyone of his ilk – we’re talking about one of the top programs and one of the top schools – doing what he did? Think about Nick Saban or Jimbo Fisher, or Kirby Smart or Ryan Day, getting on a plane on national signing day, interviewing for a job and then not getting it. Now, he has to say I’m not going to do that anymore. What kind of credibility does he have? And why would anyone at Michigan believe him?,” SEC Network’s Paul Finebaum, on Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh’s ill-fated interview with the Minnesota Vikings.
“It’s basically like everybody’s got different salary caps. I joked the other day that they’re gonna implement a luxury tax on Texas and Texas A&M. What they are paying the players is unbelievable. It’s legal. You’ve got players who have never played before making hundreds of thousands or even a million dollars. It is what it is, but it’s not going to be an equal playing field around the country at all. What would happen in the NFL if teams had different salary caps? Eventually, you know, those teams with high salary caps are going to win a lot of games,” Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin.
“No, I do not,” SEC Network’s Paul Finebaum when asked on February 7 if he thought Bryan Harsin would still be the Auburn head coach next week.
“I feel totally refreshed to be at a new university, a great university like this. I feel very comfortable here. I made a great decision and I’m happy I’m in this position,” quarterback Spencer Rattler, who transferred from Oklahoma to South Carolina via the transfer portal.
“Florida is a place that’s done it before and has all the potential. My job is to get it back to where’s it’s been,” first-year Florida coach Billy Napier.
If you take away the sideshow of Lane Kiffin – all the drama, all the Twitter, all the fun stuff that we all laugh about and joke about – the guy is a terrific football coach,” SEC Network’s Paul Finebaum, on the Ole Miss coach.
“I do not like NIL. You go to school for an education. You do not go to college to play football. I’m opposed to paying the player. This is not professional football. I’m not opposed to the player getting some help, but if you check it out, the normal college player gets a lot more help than you think he does,” former Texas A&M and Alabama coach Gene Stallings.
“I’m glad I’m not coaching in today’s game. First of all you have to handle the players with kid gloves. If you don’t, they can leave without penalty. They can go somewhere else and play immediately. I think the NCAA made a mistake when they allowed the players to transfer without having to sit out a year. I think they made a mistake when they allowed the players to transfer for no reason. They transfer to another school, and then they transfer to yet another school. What about all those college credit hours they are losing. Nobody talks about that,” former Texas A&M and Alabama coach Gene Stallings.
“We have legalized cheating out there right now. The NCAA’s not concerned. They don’t really care. There is widespread cheating out there. There is widespread tampering. It is pervasive,” SEC Network’s Paul Finebaum, on the NIL and Transfer Portal.
“Texas A&M bought every player on their team. Made a deal for name, image and likeness. We didn’t buy one player,” Alabama coach Nick Saban.
(To which Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher responded)
“It’s despicable that a reputable head coach can come out and say this when he doesn’t get his way or things don’t go his way. The narcissist in him doesn’t allow those things to happen and it’s ridiculous when he’s not on top. Some people think they are God. Go dig into how God did his deal. You may find out a lot of things you don’t want to know. We build him up to be the czar of football. Go dig into his past. What he does and how he does it is despicable,” Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher.
(And Texas A&M athletic director Ross Bjork added)
“I don’t know why Nick Saban would say what he said except that he’s threatened. There is a saying …. An emperor who loses his dynasty, lashes out …. Saban seems to be making excuses. This is personal. Coach Fisher views this as a personal attack on his integrity and on Texas A&M’s integrity. To have personal attacks, to say that the only reason A&M is recruiting well is because of NIL money is wrong, Texas A&M athletic director Ross Bjork.
(And Steve Spurrier commented)
“I don’t know why Jimbo Fisher is mad at Nick Saban. Did Saban say something that wasn’t true? I don’t think Saban told any lies. I don’t know what Jimbo Fisher was mad about. He beat Saban last year. I guess he can talk now. Fisher hasn’t beat much of anybody, but he beat Saban last year. But he hasn’t won the division or anything since he has been at Texas A&M,” Steve Spurrier.
“It’s safe to say whose side Spurrier is on,” Saturday Down South’s Grant Bricker.
(Even golfer Justin Thomas got in on the act)
“I got a 24-hour rule. I’m not sure what Jimbo Fisher’s rule is. He’s got to win something first before he figures out his rule. I’m playing next week, so we’ll enjoy it, but at the same time, we’re in the middle of a very, very big stretch this season,” PGA champion Justin Thomas, when asked how long he’ll celebrate his golf championship.
“There is no doubt that Clemson has the most insecure and paranoid fan base in college football. I just laugh at the Clemson fans. Get over yourself, okay. You’re not that important. This is 2022. College football has left you behind,” Paul Finebaum of the SEC Network.
“I knew the criticism was out there. Football is football. I wasn’t running from the SEC. I was running to USC,” former Oklahoma coach and new USC coach Lincoln Riley.
“You can’t cheat academics at Notre Dame. At Notre Dame, you are forced every day to go to class.” Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman, an Ohio State graduate, talking about the differences between Ohio State and Notre Dame.
“This is going to send Texas into another stratosphere as far as recruiting goes,” FOX Sports Joel Klatt, on Arch Manning committing to Texas.
“We don’t feel any particular urgency. We think there’s ample time for us to let the landscape settle,” Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick, on when the Irish will join a conference.
“When you do the right things, the right way, with the right people, with respect and appreciation, you will not be denied. When you’re smart in design and disciplined in approach, you win out in time. That’s Vanderbilt football. We know in time Vanderbilt football will be the best program in the country, Vanderbilt coach Chris Lea.
“I don’t see a scenario where Alabama and Georgia are not playing again for the SEC championship, and also not playing again for the national championship,” Tony Barnhart, on the 2022 season.
“This year’s going to be different,” Nebraska coach Scott Frost, on the 2022 Huskers.
“Not only do we have the best damn band in the land, we’ve got the best quarterback, the best receivers and a top tier defense. This is the year of the Buckeyes. Mark my words,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day.
The Quarterbacks – 2022
The two quarterbacks getting the most headlines at preseason are Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud and Alabama’s Bryce Young. In 2021, Stroud passed for 4,435 yards and 44 touchdowns. He completed 71.9% of his passes, while only throwing six interceptions. Not to be outdone, the Tide’s Young passed for 4,872 yards and 47 touchdowns. He completed 66.9% of his tosses and only threw seven interceptions.
TT’s Top 10 Favorite Quarterbacks at Preseason
- Bryce Young (6-0, 194,
junior) – Alabama
- C.J. Stroud (6-3, 218,
sophomore) – Ohio State
- Caleb
Williams
(6-1, 215, sophomore) – USC
- Grayson
McCall
(6-3, 210, junior) – Coastal Carolina
- Brennan
Armstrong
(6-2, 212, senior) – Virginia
- Dillon
Gabriel
(6-0, 205, junior) – Oklahoma
- Jaren Hall (6-1, 205,
junior) – BYU
- Tanner
Mordecai
(6-3, 218, senior) – SMU
- Jake Hanner (6-1, 210,
senior) – Fresno State
- Stetson
Bennett
(5-11, 190, senior) – Georgia
Originally, I had Wake Forest quarterback Sam Hartman (6-1, 208, junior) in my Top 10. However, last week Hartman was sidelined with a non-football related medical situation. It is not known when, or if, Hartman will return this season.
And I also like:
Tyler Van Dyke (6-4, 224, sophomore) – Miami (Florida); Hendon Hooker (6-4, 218, senior) – Tennessee; Aidan O’Connell (6-3, 210 ,senior) – Purdue; Spencer Rattler (6-1, 210, junior) – South Carolina; Dorian Thompson-Robinson (6-1, 205, senior) – UCLA, and Spencer Sanders (6-1, 210, senior) – Oklahoma State.
Also, Jaxson Dart (6-2, 220, sophomore) – Ole Miss; Kedon Slovis (6-3, 210, senior) – Pitt; J.T. Daniels (6-3, 210, junior) – West Virginia; Tanner Morgan (6-2, 215, senior) – Minnesota; Bo Nix (6-3, 215, junior) – Oregon; Frank Harris (6-0, 200, senior) – UTSA, and Logan Bonner (6-1, 230, senior) – Utah State.
But keep an eye on:
In the ACC: Devin Leary (6-1, 215, junior) – N.C. State; D.J. Uiagalelei (6-4, 250, junior) – Clemson; Phil Jurkovec (6-5, 214, senior) – Boston College; Jordan Travis (6-1, 201, junior) – Florida State, and Malik Cunningham (6-1, 190, senior) – Louisville.
In the Big 12: Max Duggan (6-2, 214, senior) TCU; Quinn Ewers (6-2, 205, freshman) – Texas; Adrian Martinez (6-2, 220, senior) – Kansas State;
In the Big Ten: Taulia Tagovailoa (5-11, 200 ,junior) – Maryland; Cade McNamara (6-1, 212, senior) – Michigan; Graham Mertz (6-3, 216, junior) – Wisconsin; Payton Thomas (6-2, 210, junior) – Michigan State; Sean Clifford (6-2, 216, senior) – Penn State, and Spencer Petras (6-5, 233, senior) – Iowa.
In the Pac-12: Cameron Rising (6-2, 220, junior) – Utah; Chance Nolan (6-3, 210, junior) – Oregon State; Tanner McKee (6-6, 226, junior) – Stanford; Michael Penix (6-3, 214, junior) – Washington; Emory Jones (6-2, 211, senior) – Arizona State;
In the SEC: K.J. Jefferson (6-3, 245, junior) – Arkansas; Will Levis (6-3, 232, senior) – Kentucky; Anthony Richardson (6-4, 237, sophomore) – Florida, and Will Rogers (6-2, 210, junior) – Mississippi State; Max Johnson (6-5, 220, junior) – Texas A&M;
In the AAC: Clayton Tune (6-3, 215, senior) – Houston; Holton Ahlers (6-3, 230, senior) – East Carolina, and Michael Pratt (6-2, 210, sophomore) – Tulane.
In the MWC: Hank Bachmeier (6-1, 210, senior) – Boise State.
In the Sun Belt: Chase Brice (6-3, 235, senior) Appalachian State.
In C-USA: Austin Aune (6-2, 207, junior) – North Texas; N’Kosi Perry (6-4, 198, senior) – Florida Atlantic; Jarret Doege (6-2, 210, senior) – Western Kentucky, and Chris Reynolds (5-11, 210, senior) – Charlotte.
In the MAC: Rocky Lombardi (6-2, 227, senior) – Northern Illinois; Brett Gabbert (6-0, 209- junior) – Miami, and Kurtis Rourke (6-3, 211, junior) – Ohio.
The New Coaches – 2022
Twenty-nine FBS schools will have a new head coach as we begin the 2022 football season. By the end of last season, 21 schools fired their coach, seven coaches left on their own volition to take a head coaching job at a higher profile school and one coach – Virginia’s Bronco Mendenhall – stepped down.
Of the 10 conferences that make up the Power Five and the Group of Five, the Big Ten is the only conference that has all of its coaches returning. Granted, Nebraska’s Scott Frost was teetering on the edge, but he survived for at least one more season – maybe more.
Among the Power Five conferences, the ACC and the Pac-12 have the most new head coaches this season – four each.
In the ACC, after Miami fired Manny Diaz, the Canes went out and hired a native son – Mario Cristobal. Cristobal, 51, left the head coaching spot at Oregon to return to Miami – his hometown and his alma mater. As a head coach (FIU and Oregon), Cristobal’s overall record is just 62-60. Diaz, by the way, is the new defensive coordinator at Penn State.
The other three ACC schools (Duke, Virginia Tech and Virginia) all hired coordinators – two defensive and one offensive. Duke replaced David Cutcliffe with Texas A&M defensive coordinator Mike Elko, and Virginia Tech hired Penn State defensive coordinator Brent Pry. Pry replaces Justin Fuente in Blacksburg. Meanwhile, Virginia secured Clemson offensive coordinator Tony Elliott to lead the Cavaliers.
The biggest of the four new hires in the Pac-12 (USC, Washington, Oregon and Washington State) took place in Los Angeles. USC dumped Clay Helton and grabbed Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley to be the Trojans new coach. Riley, just 38, was 55-10 in five years with the Sooners.
The new head coach at Washington is Kalen DeBoer. The past two years, DeBoer, 47, has been the head coach at Fresno State. Oregon and Washington State replaced their coaches with defensive coordinators. Oregon got the best known of the two. The Ducks hired Georgia DC Dan Lanning. Washington State went the cheap and easy route, elevating Jack Dickert from DC to head coach in Pullman. Dickert replaces Nick Rolovich, who was fired because he refused to get the COVID vaccine.
The Big 12 has three new head coaches – at Oklahoma, TCU and Texas Tech. To replace Lincoln Riley, Oklahoma brought Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables back to Norman. Venables, 51, had been the DC at Clemson for 10 years. Prior to Clemson, he was the DC at Oklahoma for 12 years.
After being coached by Gary Patterson for 22 years, TCU decided it was time to start a new chapter in Fort Worth. And the Horned Frogs didn’t go far to get their new coach – only 37 miles. TCU hired SMU coach Sonny Dykes, 52, to lead the Frogs. As a head coach (Louisiana Tech, California and SMU), Dykes’ overall record is 71-63. Meanwhile, Patterson is now on Steve Sarkisian’s staff at Texas.
Texas Tech didn’t go far either to get its new head coach. The Red Raiders stayed in Texas and hired Baylor associate head coach Joey McGuire to be Tech’s new coach. McGuire, 50, also coached tight ends, defensive ends and linebackers at Baylor.
The two new head coaches in the SEC are at LSU and Florida. LSU surprised many by hiring Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly to lead the Tigers. Kelly, 60, replaces Ed Orgeron in Baton Rouge. Kelly coached the Irish for 12 seasons. As head coach at four schools (Grand Valley State, Central Michigan, Cincinnati and Notre Dame), Kelly’s overall record is 263-96-2.
Before the season ended last year, Florida gave the pink slip to head coach Dan Mullen. Then the Gators went and hired Louisiana coach Billy Napier. Napier, 42, coached the Rajin’ Cajuns for four seasons. He had a 40-12 record.
Among the Group of Five conferences, the MWC leads the pack with four new head coaches this season at Fresno State, Colorado State, Nevada and Hawaii. When Kalen DeBoer vacated Fresno State to take the head coach job at Washington, the Bulldogs wasted no time in bringing back a familiar face. Fresno State hired former player and former head coach Jeff Tedford. Tedford, 60, previously coached the Bulldogs for three seasons. Prior to that, he was the head coach at California. Tedford’s overall record is 108-71.
In the other three MWC hires, Colorado State hired Jay Norvell. Norvell, 59, coached Nevada for five seasons where he was 33-26. Over the years he has lots of experience on the staffs at Iowa, Northern Iowa, Wisconsin, Iowa State, Nebraska, UCLA, Oklahoma, Texas and Arizona State – mostly as an offensive coordinator, quarterbacks and wide receivers coach.
Nevada replaced Jay Norvell with Oregon State defensive coordinator Ken Wilson. Hawaii hired former player Timmy Chang to be the Rainbow Warriors new head coach. Most recently, Chang, 40, had been the wide receivers coach at Nevada for the past five seasons. He played quarterback for Hawaii from 2000 to 2004 where he was the starter in 50 games.
The Sun Belt Conference has three new head coaches. The biggest catch was Clay Helton. When USC fired Helton, he was quickly grabbed up by Georgia Southern. In seven seasons at USC, Helton, 49, was 46-24.
When Billy Napier left Louisiana for Florida, the Rajin’ Cajuns took the easy route and elevated offensive coordinator Michael Desormeaux to the head coach position. Also in the Sun Belt, Troy hired Kentucky’s defensive coordinator Jon Sumrall.
Two AAC schools will be brandishing new head coaches in 2022. Rhett Lashlee replaces Sonny Dykes at SMU. Lashlee, 38, comes to SMU from Miami (Florida) where he was the offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach. Lashlee has been around. Prior to Miami, he was the offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach at Samford, Arkansas State, Auburn, Connecticut and SMU.
The other new coach in the AAC is Stan Drayton. Drayton, 51, is the new head coach at Temple. He comes to Temple from Texas where he was the associate head coach and running backs coach.
Like the AAC, C-USA has two new head coaches. Sonny Cumbie takes over the program at Louisiana Tech. Cumbie, 40, was the offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach at TCU from 2014 to 2020. Last year, he was the OC/QB coach at Texas Tech.
Mike MacIntyre replaces Butch Davis at FIU. MacIntyre comes to FIU from Memphis, where he was the defensive coordinator last year. Prior to Memphis, he was the head coach at San Jose State and Colorado. He also has been the defensive coordinator at Duke and Ole Miss.
Last year must have been a good year in the MAC. The conference only has one new head coach this year. That new coach is Joe Moorhead at Akron. Moorhead, 48, is returning to Akron. He was on the Zips’ staff from 2004 to 2008 – the last two of those years as offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach. Moorhead has lots of experience as an offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach and as a head coach. Last year he was the OC/QB coach at Oregon and previously at Connecticut and Penn State. Moorhead has head coaching experience at Fordham and Mississippi State.
Four Independents will sport new head coaches in 2022. Among the best known is Jim Mora, who is replacing Randy Edsall at Connecticut. Mora, 60, has been out of coaching for a while, but from 2012 to 2017 he was the head coach at UCLA. Prior to that, he was a head coach in the NFL with the Atlanta Falcons and the Seattle Seahawks.
To replace Brian Kelly, Notre Dame elevated its defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman. He was definitely the choice of the Irish players. Freeman, 36, has been on the staff at Notre Dame since 2021. Prior to that he was the defensive coordinator at Purdue and Cincinnati.
Massachusetts reached back into the past to select its new coach – Don Brown. Brown, 66, coached the Minutemen from 2004 to 2008. He also was the head coach at Northeastern. Last year, Brown was the defensive coordinator at Arizona. He has been a DC at nine different Division I colleges. Lastly, Jerry Kill is the new head coach at New Mexico State. Kill, 60, is a former head coach at Saginaw Valley State, Emporia State, Southern Illinois, Northern Illinois and Minnesota. Most recently, he was the assistant to the head coach at TCU – 2020-21.
Coaches on the Hot Seat – 2022
As in past years, 2022 is no different when it comes to coaches who may not be around next year – at least not around at the same school. These coaches have become known as the hot seat coaches – coaches who are in danger of getting the pink slip at the end of the season, if not during the season.
Among the Power Five conferences this year, most of the coaches are in good shape to return in 2023. None of the coaches in the Pac-12 are truly on the hot seat and the SEC and Big 12 only have one coach each on the hot seat.
Granted, in the Pac-12, Arizona State’s Herm Edwards, UCLA’s Chip Kelly and California’s Justin Wilcox are on the warm seat. But all three stand a good chance of returning in 2023. The one coach each in the SEC and Big 12 who are feeling the heat are Auburn’s Bryan Harsin and West Virginia’s Neal Brown.
After finishing 6-7 in 2021, Harsin came darn near getting fired. In fact, in February, most analysts figured Harsin was as good as gone. Along with the losing record, there were a number of political factors that were negatively impacting Harsin. But he survived. However, it’s looking slim to impossible that Harsin will be around after the 2022 season.
Meanwhile, West Virginia’s Neal Brown is a little better off than Harsin, but not much. After three seasons in Morgantown, Brown is 17-18, finishing 6-7 last year. To keep his job, he needs to finish the regular season with seven wins. Anything less and Brown is out.
Most of the action in the Power Five conferences is likely going to take place in the ACC and Big Ten. Between those two conferences, there are seven coaches on the hot seat – four in the ACC and three in the Big Ten.
The four in the ACC are Florida State’s Mike Norvell, Georgia Tech’s Geoff Collins, Syracuse’s Dino Babers and Louisville’s Scott Satterfield. Following two seasons in Tallahassee, Norvell is 8-13 – 5-7 last year. On the positive side for Norvell, FSU finished strong last season, winning two of its three final games. The two wins were over Miami (Florida) and Boston College. The one loss was by only three points to Florida. To survive, Norvell must have a winning season in 2023.
The future is looking bleak for Collins and Babers. In three seasons at Georgia Tech, Collins is 9-25 – 3-9 last season. In six seasons at Syracuse, Babers is 29-43 – 5-7 last year. Louisville’s Satterfield is in a little better shape than Collins and Babers, but he still needs to win in 2022. In three seasons, Satterfield is 18-19 – 6-7 last year.
Of the three Big Ten coaches on the hot seat, the hottest – by many degrees – is Scott Frost’s seat in Lincoln, Nebraska. Frost barely survived the 2021 season, but ultimately, in the end, he got a vote of confidence from his athletic director – Trev Alberts. But for Frost, there won’t be a vote of confidence after the 2022 season, unless the Huskers are vastly improved. After four seasons, Frost is 15-29 – 3-9 last year.
Then there is none other than Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh. Harbaugh has a decent record – 61-24 after seven seasons – 12-2 last year. And speaking of last year, Harbaugh beat Ohio State for the first time and took his Wolverines to the playoff. But then he went and interviewed for the Minnesota Vikings job. What kind of respect is that for Michigan – his alma mater. It will be interesting. There is one of three outcomes for Harbaugh after the 2022 season. He will resign. He will be fired. Or he will be back in 2023.
The third Big Ten coach who is out on a limb is Indiana’s Tom Allen. After five seasons in Bloomington, Allen is 26-32 – 2-10 last year. But Allen is well liked. He took the Hoosiers to a couple bowl games. Still, likeness only lasts so long when you lose. Allen could use a winning record in 2023, but that’s not looking good.
Among the Group of Five conferences, the MWC and Sun Belt are in the best shape with only one coach each on the hot seat – San Jose State’s Brent Brennan and Texas State’s Jake Spavital. In five seasons with the Spartans, Brennan is 20-37. Last year he was 5-7. In three seasons at Texas State, Spavital is in worse shape, averaging only three wins a year at 9-27 – 3-9 last season.
The MAC has three coaches on the hot seat, all averaging less than five wins a season. Scott Loeffler at Bowling Green is 7-22 after three seasons – 4-8 last year. Ball State’s Mike Neu is 28-41 following six seasons with the Cardinals. He was 6-7 last year. And finally, the veteran of the group, Eastern Michigan’s Chris Creighton, is 37-57 with eight seasons in Ypsilanti under his belt. On the positive side, Creighton was 7-6 last year.
Meanwhile, the AAC and C-USA each have four coaches on the hot seat. In the AAC, South Florida’s Jeff Scott may be in the worst shape. In two seasons, Scott only has three wins coupled with 18 losses. After six seasons, Tulane’s Willie Fritz is 31-43. But he was a measly 2-10 last year.
Tulsa’s Philip Montgomery is barely surviving at 38-46 after seven seasons. The interesting situation is at Navy. After 14 seasons, Ken Niumatalolo is 105-75. But he has been struggling in recent years – 4-8 last season. The unexpected win over Army last year probably saved his job.
Leading the pack of hot seaters in C-USA has to be Mike Bloomgren at Rice. In four seasons, Bloomgren is 11-31. He was 4-8 last year. In two seasons in Boca Raton, Florida Atlantic’s Willie Taggart has not shown much progress. He is 10-11 overall – 5-7 last year.
Middle Tennessee’s Rick Stockstill has been around for a long time in Murfreesboro – 16 seasons. But at 101-98, he is barely keeping his head above water. And finally, Seth Littrell hasn’t exactly ignited fireworks at North Texas. After six seasons, Littrell is 37-38. He was 6-7 last year.
Among the seven Independents, none of the coaches are on the hot seat.
Touchdown Tom
…80 years ago, this week in 1942, was “Jingle Jangle Jingle” by Kay Keyser
…75 years ago, this week in 1947, was “Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! (That Cigarette)” by Tex Williams, and “Peg O’ My Heart” by The Three Suns
…70 years ago, this week in 1952, was “Auf Wiedersehen, Sweetheart” by Vera Lynn
…65 years ago, this week in 1957, was “(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear”/“Loving You” by Elvis Presley
…60 years ago, this week in 1962, was “Breaking Up Is Hard To Do” by Neil Sedaka
…55 years ago, this week in 1967, was “Light My Fire” by The Doors, and “All You Need Is Love” by The Beatles
…50 years ago, this week in 1972, was “Alone Again (Naturally)” by Gilbert O’Sullivan
…45 years ago, this week in 1977, was “I Just Want To Be Your Everything” by Andy Gibb
…40 years ago, this week in 1982, was “Eye Of The Tiger” by Survivor
…35 years ago, this week in 1987, was “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” by U2
…30 years ago, this week in 1992, was “End Of The Road” by Boyz II Men
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