NCAA Football 2013 Off season discussion thread

[Ronnie-]

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/big-east-become-american-athletic-225953878--spt.html

The current Big East will be called the American Athletic Conference starting next season.
The conference announced the decision Wednesday after university presidents approved the new moniker earlier in the day.
The Big East football schools were in need of a new name after they agreed to let seven basketball schools break away from the conference to start a new league this summer to be called the Big East. In return, the football schools received about $100 million of a $110 million pot the league had accumulated in recent years from exit and entry fees and NCAA basketball tournament revenue.
The American Athletic Conference will have 10 members in its first season: Rutgers, Louisville, Connecticut, South Florida, Cincinnati, Central Florida, Memphis, Houston, SMU and Temple.
Rutgers and Louisville are likely leaving after 2013 and are set to be replaced by Tulane, East Carolina and Tulsa in 2014. Navy is scheduled to join in 2015 for football only, and the conference will begin playing a league championship football game.

Nine of the schools set to compete in the American Athletic Conference were at one time part of Conference USA.

 

[Ramy]

Seven-year-old battling brain cancer scores TD in Nebraska’s spring game

http://collegefootballtalk.nbcsport...in-cancer-scores-td-in-nebraskas-spring-game/

This is what these players should be doing in the offseason. Helping a little kid out, not getting arrested for DWI or armed robbery etc...

That was cool.

 

[Derwin0]

Conspicuously missing with them naming all these players is Cam Newton, ya the guy that was given 200,000 to show up and play for them.

waiting for this to come out.

The whole teams doing this synthetic marijuana and Cam wasn't ?
Ok.

And what if he was? Synthetic marijuana was not on the list of banned substances yet. Ergo, no rules were broken.

 

[Derwin0]

That was cool.

normally I don't like Nebraska, but that was the class act of the year :thumbsup:

 

[mccoyrj]

That was cool.

Very Cool. :up :cry:

 

[Ronnie-]

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaaf...led-least-10-drug-tests-164027709--ncaaf.html

As former LSU defensive back Tyrann Mathieu flies all over the country meeting with NFL coaches to hopefully secure his football future at the end of the month, he’s also sharing the harsh realities of his past.
Mathieu was high at LSU — a lot.
Mathieu, a 2011 Heisman Trophy Finalist who missed the 2012 season after coach Les Miles booted him off the team for a failed drug test, told one NFL coach that during the course of his LSU career he failed more drug tests than he could count.
"I quit counting at 10. I really don't know," Miles told the NFL coach, according to USA Today.
Yet Mathieu was suspended once for a drug-related offense and then dismissed last year. There were no other suspensions during that time, especially during the height of his epic run to the Heisman Trophy ceremony.
"If he flunked 10 tests before they suspended him, it shows that he got no kind of help," the coachtold USA Today on the condition of anonymity.
There’s really no excuse for this. Mathieu needed help and LSU should have cared more about the player than his game. Why did it take so long for LSU to finally do something?

Wonder why they kept testing him if there were no consequences, and what finally made them say enough is enough?

 

[mccoyrj]

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaaf...led-least-10-drug-tests-164027709--ncaaf.html



Wonder why they kept testing him if there were no consequences, and what finally made them say enough is enough?

To be clear, it was Mathieu that stated he quit counting at 10, not Miles. That was a typo in the article.

And there were consequences. He was a Heisman candidate that was kicked off a team competing for titles. With the NCAA eye on the SEC, there is no way a school like LSU would continue testing that much without consequences, which there were. In addition, Mathieu is back-pedaling now. This tweet was posted on an LSU message board...

@Mathieu_Era: Im LSU forever... I don't rock like that.. no matter the situation, i always take responsibility

One thing Mathieu has never been is responsible. This kid has problems, and I hope he works things out for his own sake. He basically is throwing away a promising career, yet it sounds like he's found someone with little regard for facts to help him do a little damage control to try and secure a spot in the NFL. It'll be interesting to see what happens to him in the future. That will ultimately tell the tale. I wish him luck, he'll need it with the direction he's going in now.

 

[Ronnie-]

Where was the typo? I thought it was clear who said it.

If it is true, and there were that many failed ones, then obviously the coaches and higher ups knew it.

My point about the punishments, or lack thereof, best I remember, and you can correct if I am wrong, nothing happened to him besides a temporary/quick suspension until he was kicked off last year. I may be wrong on that, but it seems to me that if he failed that many, punishment would have been more severe and happened much sooner.
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[mccoyrj]

Where was the typo? I thought it was clear who said it.

Mathieu, a 2011 Heisman Trophy Finalist who missed the 2012 season after coach Les Miles booted him off the team for a failed drug test, told one NFL coach that during the course of his LSU career he failed more drug tests than he could count."I quit counting at 10. I really don't know," Miles told the NFL coach, according to USA Today.
Yet Mathieu was suspended once for a drug-related offense and then dismissed last year. There were no other suspensions during that time, especially during the height of his epic run to the Heisman Trophy ceremony.

I believe that should be "Mathieu told the NFL coach," unless I'm not reading the article correctly.

If it is true, and there were that many failed ones, then obviously the coaches and higher ups knew it.

My point about the punishments, or lack thereof, best I remember, and you can correct if I am wrong, nothing happened to him besides a temporary/quick suspension until he was kicked off last year. I may be wrong on that, but it seems to me that if he failed that many, punishment would have been more severe and happened much sooner.
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I agree with everything you write. That's why I think this story isn't quite accurate. This showed up on a New Orleans news website yesterday...

BATON ROUGE, La. - Tyrann Mathieu said a story by USA Today that quotes him as saying he failed at least 10 drug tests at LSU doesn't accurately reflect the discussions he's had with coaches while on his visits to several NFL club's facilities.The story on USA Today's website quoted an assistant NFL coach as saying that Mathieu was asked how many drug tests he had failed at LSU and that he responded that it he "stopped counting at 10."
A news release from LSU didn't elaborate on what inaccuracies might be in the story and both Mathieu and LSU Athletic Director Joe Alleva praised the school's drug testing practices.
A quote attributed to Mathieu that was sent out by LSU didn't directly deny the report and instead chided the reporter for releasing medical information while defending LSU's testing.
“It is irresponsible and shows a lack of integrity for anyone to disclose medical information regardless of how it was gathered,” Mathieu said. “I would expect that conversations regarding my drug testing history during the course of my medical treatment would be private. LSU has a strong drug testing program and LSU went to great lengths to help me in my treatment and recovery. I understand that many people enjoy reading about the negative side of sports, but to publish those second-hand comments without being given a chance to address that comment prior to the publication of the article is irresponsible.”
“Once a substance abuse problem is identified, LSU is diligent in tracking those individuals over extended periods of time with frequent testing and engages them in meaningful opportunities for support through counseling and substance abuse treatment,” said Alleva.

http://www.wwltv.com/sports/college/Mathieu--202748721.html

 

[Ronnie-]

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaaf...ld-break-sec-bcs-streak-195343697--ncaaf.html

So until we see it happen, the answer to the oft-asked question, "Who will break the SEC's BCS streak?" will remain the same.
Nobody.

 

[mccoyrj]

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaaf...ld-break-sec-bcs-streak-195343697--ncaaf.html

TA&M is sure getting a lot of mileage out of that Alabama win last year. They never bring up how they almost blew an early 21 point lead in that same game, or that they were easily defeated at home by Florida and LSU. They seem to have jumped to the second best team in the country all of a sudden. Funny how hype works, isn't it?

 

[Ronnie-]

They dang sure have milked the hype cow dry, and yes most of it was because of that win. They also got some extra mileage out of their decisive handling of Oklahoma as well.

I for one feel that they will be legitimate. They were Imo last year, and guessing on where some teams "should" be this year.

Then again, they may come out flat. It has happened before

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[Ramy]

Guess I know why Chip Kelly left for the Eagles.

http://www.yardbarker.com/college_f...ting_violation_in_ncaa_investigation/13409005

 

[Derwin0]

The NFL should start suspending these coaches that bail from the NCAA right before their misdeeds become public.

 

[Jimbo]

Guess I know why Chip Kelly left for the Eagles.

http://www.yardbarker.com/college_f...ting_violation_in_ncaa_investigation/13409005

Hmmm, following in Pete Carroll's shoes ...

 

[dvrexpander]

Just remember.. Bama has to come out of Atlanta a winner against VT labor day weekend, and yea yeah I know its a huge long shot but it is the first game of the year for both teams and both teams have a ton of time to prepare so ya just never know. I know I'll certainly be there to cheer on the hokies and try to come back with a win which if that happens - VT very well could run the table depending on how they win the game, certainly something to ponder considering just about all our defense is coming back, QB is coming back and all the receivers cept for 1...biggest issue is running back or which one to go with.

#beatbama

 

[Ronnie-]

A big win can certainly set the pace for the season, which is one reason I think Saban likes to schedule these types of games to kick off the season each year. It is good for the fans, and is good for the teams. If they win.

A big loss can sometimes set the losing team on a tailspin that takes several weeks to recover from, if they do at all. At that point, a shot at a BCS bowl is usually out of the question.

 

[The Insider]

Just remember.. Bama has to come out of Atlanta a winner against VT labor day weekend, and yea yeah I know its a huge long shot but it is the first game of the year for both teams and both teams have a ton of time to prepare so ya just never know. I know I'll certainly be there to cheer on the hokies and try to come back with a win which if that happens - VT very well could run the table depending on how they win the game, certainly something to ponder considering just about all our defense is coming back, QB is coming back and all the receivers cept for 1...biggest issue is running back or which one to go with.

#beatbama

I always give you the most crap of anyone on this forum but no one can say you are a bad fan Always keeping the faith, no matter how bad the odds.

If VTs history the last many years of big games first of the year are any indication, Bama can put in its 4th stringers and still win without a sweat.

 

[hancox]

So - whaddyaguys think of the new UConn logo / jerseys?

http://nikeinc.com/news/uconn-updates-visual-identity-and-new-uniforms-for-huskies#/inline/19316

The helmet is, ahem, different, though (I like it, for the record)

 

[Ramy]

I think it looks pretty cool.