Man what a crazy roller coaster of an offseason for the Big 12. Who would’ve thought a year ago that the Big 12 would be rocked to its very knees and survive probably one of most weirdest advances in college football history. It was like a whacked out game of Axis & Allies. Welp Germany didn’t win and neither did the Big 10. So here we are going into what is the last season we will ever see for this 12 conference league. Who will come out on top? Roll dice to find out (er read below).
Tag Archives: Bill Snyder
Kansas State Wildcats Football 2010 Preview: Getting Better Everyday
The Kansas State Wildcats enjoyed somewhat of resurgence last year. They even almost went to the Big 12 Championship Game. Yet, they failed to make a bowl. The offseason was the most quiet I’ve ever heard and now we find ourselves looking straight down the barrel of a new football season. The weirdness of last year’s season should continue for this year. It’s all good for Bill Snyder 2.0, as they will be getting better. Day by day. Little by little.
Continue reading Kansas State Wildcats Football 2010 Preview: Getting Better Everyday
Crib Sheet: (Not So) Secret Agent Ban
Apparently there’s still some fallout from the NCAA’s investigation of schools regarding sports agents and football players. Read all about it below. Our take on the whole thing? The times they are a changing and much like any other huge organization, change comes slow. This week’s Crib Sheet points out that while the NCAA is running around doing investigations, they are cutting drug testing budgets. We think the NCAA needs to lean down more and seriously reconsider just how sports are played today. On the Crib Sheet:
- It looks like alot of big name players are going down at Nebraska and Missouri. Mike Smith broke a leg for the Cornhuskers and Jerrell Jackson broke his left wrist. Will this potentially blow open the Big 12 North? The bigger injuries usually happen during the season.
- Well well well, it looks like Bryce Brown IS coming to Kansas State. That is, until Derek Dooley releases him from his scholarship at Tennessee. Brown’s had some trouble there and decided to bolt after Lane Kiffin did. Bill Snyder 2.0 should help clean him up after this blows over.
- The bowls are changing from this year to next, take note.
- As more and more reports of paid trips come up, Nick Saban closes camp to scouts and then grabs some of his buddies on a call to the NFL regarding ways to stamp out the rampant sports agent issue. It’s alright that Saban is trying to clean things up now, but we’re thinking he’s getting ahead of it to take advantage of it later on down the road.
- The crash that took Senator Ted Stevens also took William Phillips, who had 3 sons that played football at three different universities. Our condolences go out to them and their family.
- New Mexico football players can’t tweet. Now we loves the Twitter and we see no harm in kids doing the same thing socially that their peers are. If DeWayne Walker was smart, he would cryptically recruit via Twitter.
- Playboy picked Ohio State to win it all. Is Playboy even relevent anymore. They used to have it big but now it just seems they are a glorified New Yorker. Even the nudity isn’t intriguing anymore.
- So the media circus that was Mike Leach is now replaced with a reality show. Yup, Texas Tech decided that the pirate attention was not enough and will document the team throughout the season in a reality show. Hard Knocks this won’t be. But hey it already sounds better than Jerzey Shore.
- Iowa State will be a little bit behind schedule as they are busy laying sandbags and not practicing in their flooded facilities. Last year was a turnaround type season for the Hawkeyes, but now it looks like a setback of unnatural proportions has hit them hard.
- Sprint’s Football Live app now does college football. Yes, all of you smartphone subscribers out there will now get a chance to watch ESPN college football games as well as the Notre Dame home games. Very nice indeed.
- Even though the conference was about to blow up, the Big 12 still leads in ticket prices for football games. This year will be massive because of the farewell tours coming from Nebraska and Colorado.
- The NCAA is cutting costs related to drug testing. Gone comprehensive tests, Ephedrine, and advance notice to schools. What stays are the high risk drugs and an easier path of get away with taking performance enhancing drugs.
- TCU announced a $105 million dollar stadium expansion. The Horned Frogs are looking to capitalize on the big time and make their stadiums tops in the country. Because of that, the Armed Forces Bowl will move to SMU just for next year.
- Renee Gork was fired from her sports radio job in northwest Arkansas for wearing a Florida Gators hat. Well, duh.
Crib Sheet: Camp KCCGD
It’s time to go camping! The teams are gearing up and we geared up for our own camp adventure last week. :
- The two biggest movers and shakers from the off season’s expansion bonanza might actually play each other. There was the talk of Notre Dame and none other than Texas will play each other in a couple of years. Good for both programs. If the Longhorns end up with an exclusive television station, this game might only be played on Longhorns TV and NBC.
- Assistant coach Bruce Walker from Missouri was arrested last week on a DWI. The coaches and some of their wives were coming back from a trip to the Lake of the Ozarks. Now we’ve been down there many times and we can say that more than likely you will be coming back drunk from down there. A cab was called, he should’ve taken it. But hey, Missouri’s used to making bad choices, right?
- Meanwhile, in Ames, Iowa State defensive back David Simms plead guilty to the credit card fraud charge. He sits out the first game against Northern Illinois. See kids? Crime doesn’t pay (kinda).
- Not only does Kansas have to deal with Holden Tharp’s year ending injury, but now they have to change the fight song! Colorado and Nebraska are somehow featured in the song and since they are high tailing out of the conference, new words must be had.
- The NCAA is on a tear. They’re dumping on West Virginia, which could affect current Michigan coach Rich Rodrieguez. The association is also hanging out on the North Carolina campus. Tennessee is getting a letter of inquiry by these bad boys. It seems like they are focusing on the south. It won’t be much longer before they spread out across the whole country.
- To no one’s surprise, Indianapolis will be the home of the Big Ten Championship Game.
- So while Boise State’s head coach Chris Peterson banned Twitter use for players, the player who incited the haymaker from LeGarrette Blount spoke up and let us know what he said. “How ’bout that (expletive)-whuppin?” So Blount was talking smack before the game and this guy threw it in his face afterward.
- Backup quarterback Sherrod Harris for the Texas Longhorns will skip his final season to focus on school. Huh? He must not be very good.
- The Bill Snyder 2.0 magic is in effect. The Kansas State Wildcats reported record contributions for the last year. It also helps that a very public blunder by Bob Krause fed the anxiety of said contributors.
- On the other side of the coaching spectrum, Florida head coach Urban Meyer closed all practices because of ‘Scumbags’ and ‘Internet People.’ Okay, so that might work for TMZ, but really Urban? Everyone?
- The USA Today Top 25 pre season poll is out! Top five in order are Alabama, Ohio State, Florida, Texas, and Boise State. Yes, a mid major is up there and TCU is not far behind. Big 12 wise we have Oklahoma and Nebraska at 8 and 9 respectively. How much will this change in the next couple months? We can’t wait for the season to get here.
- UCLA is falling apart right before Kansas State’s eyes. The middle game is gone with two season ending injures and an academically ineligible tag. We think Daniel Thomas is drooling just a little bit more at this rushing opportunity.
Crib Sheet: Hot and Heavy
The beating heat of the summer is getting to us. We’re producing an inordinate amount of swass underneath while compiling this week’s very beefy Crib Sheet. We’re going for some lemonade and to air our sweat regions. Here’s the Crib Sheet:
- It’s official, via text message, that Bryce Brown will not be coming back to Tennessee. Will he land at Kansas State? The way Daniel Thomas is looking might draw the Wichita, Kansas native back home to the Wildcats. Tennessee will not release him from his scholarship so that will slow him down.
- Big 12 Media Days for Kansas was all about Turner Gill. He landed a great hire at offensive coordinator and Chuck Long. It’s a rebuilding year and they are trying to stay focused on the field and not with all the crap that happened off of it.
- Colorado’s Big 12 media day was not as exciting as leat year’s. Oh, they’re stoked this year but we got the sense that they are distracted about moving to the Pac 10. One thing is for sure, if Cody Hawkins starts for the Buffaloes, they will lose every time.
- Oklahoma, on the other hand, spent the day talking about the huge expectations they have. Yes, they had a ton of injuries last year. That means that the younger kids have more experience and more time with each other. They should be tough, but we’re not sold yet on national title tough.
- Texas A&M’s media day was unheard of. You’d think the cash they got in the expansion deal means that they command more respect at the podium but apparently not.
- BCS director Bill Hancock had alot to say in the last week. First off the Big 12 change won’t affect the BCS. A playoff would kill the regular season. Any playoff would have to start at 16 teams. And if the appeal from USC over recruiting violations fell through, the title they won would be left vacant. Man, that’s alot from a guy who’s been nonexistent ever since he took over.
- Texas Big 12 media days was alot like just hanging out. Coach Mack Brown handled the alignment talk well and also took care of the Nebraska contigent in a subdued kind of way.
- The assistant coach who took a punch from head coach Mike Locksley sued both him and New Mexico for the fight. We’re thinking he lost the actual fight and is now taking it to the courts.
- So assistant coach Mark Nelson of East Carolina resigned because of NCAA allegations that he evaluated players in off-season workout and conditioning drills. Huh? Coaches evaluate all the time. That’s what they do. The NCAA is beginning to be irrelevant and completely out of touch.
- Oklahoma running back Mossis Madu got a DUI. He’ll probably be benched for the half of the first game.
- ESPN is going 3d! They will broadcast a couple of college football games in the new tech as well. Check out the list here.
- IMG bought ISP Sports and now is the mega daddy of all agencies that license pro and college sports media to outlets. These guys will have some major pull when it comes to bringing in more bucks from the supposed holy grail of television deals for college athletics.
- Junior defensive lineman Jamie Blatnick of Oklahoma State was arrested last Saturday after getting in a fight with a former Cowboys offensive lineman Stephen Denning. Looks like the defensive guy couldn’t take the lip from the offensive guy.
- Former Oregon quarterback Jeremiah Masoli is walking on to Ole Miss in the hopes of still playing football. He was booted off the Ducks for burglary and weed smoking. We all believe in second chances right? This second chance will have a short leash.
- The Big 10 media days are a happening as we speak and commissioner Jim Delany is looking for a title game next year. Meanwhile Nebraska athletic director Tom Osborne is yapping his lip about the stability of the Big 10 being the major factor for the move.
- Iowa State defender David Simms plead guilty to credit card fraud that he originally denied. It looks like his career might be over up there.
- Bill Snyder 2.0 goes old school with his scheduling philosophy for the Kansas State Wildcats. They had Oregon on the schedule, but now they are off. The excuse was the new 9 team schedule for the conference coming up. It was also mutual. So will Miami be next off the list?
Crib Sheet: Media Blitz
We’ve been sacked from the Big 12 Media Days on this week’s Crib Sheet. We’ll go over the last media day next, as we have a major pile of news dump on you. Here we go:
- The Big 12 Preseason media poll is out and we have ourselves a rivalry game for the Big 12 Championship. The sports media picked Nebraska in the North and Oklahoma in the South, with Missouri and Texas shortly behind in both divisions respectively. Speaking more locally, Iowa State’s big season last year didn’t improve their status as they were voted last. Kansas and Kansas State are neck and neck for the middle of the pack, with the benefit of the doubt going to the Wildcats and its coaching experience. Usually the sports media is wrong so we’re anxious to see how it plays out this season.
- Meanwhile the All Big 12 Preseason was announced as well. Two Missouri kids, one Kansas, one Kansas State, and a whole bunch of Texas and Oklahoma kids make up the team. That pretty much tells you what the sports media thinks of the talent in the conference. Pretty obvious too.
- So the SEC and the NCAA saga continues this week as Georgia is the latest school in the south to be investigated. Apparently the agent/player gaming of the system has been going on for years and the SEC is the first target (after sharpening their sword on USC). The center of which is a reported party in South Beach, Miami hosted by the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers Frank Gore. So it looks like a big dust-up will happen here right before the college football season to make sure all players in the college football game stay honest. For how long? We don’t know.
- In case you are wondering, Nebraska athletic director Tom Osborne will be heading to the Big 10’s preseason meetings next month. We’re wondering if he will be shining shoes while he’s there.
- Big 12 media days came and Dan Beebe will spoke, as well as BCS head honcho Bill Hancock. They are bringing out all of the PR guns to fight of the sports media blitzkrieg surrounding the expansion explosion over the summer. Even with detailed recounts of the summer of expansion love. Is Dan Beebe the savior?
- Iowa State defensive back David Simms looks to be under the police gun for a stolen credit card number and is charged. They haven’t filed charges yet, but the police did search his place. We’ll see if he was the culprit or one of his buddies.
- Kansas Frosh Jeremiah Evans’ career is officially over due to his worsened heart condition. It sucks when you can’t get on the field due to health issues and we wish him the best in whatever he decides to do with his life.
- Lane Kiffin ticked off Tennessee Titans head coach Jeff Fisher by hiring his running back coach for his USC team. Fisher calls it unprofessional, we think it’s the next step in coaching evolution. Courtesy calls are out the window if you want a guy bad enough. It’s dog eat dog out there. The Titans apparently think that USC broke the law too.
- Bo Pelini was mum on the Big 10 during Nebraska’s media day time. It looks like he’s pulling out the ole coaching classic. And while not chewing any gum with his mouth open. The Nebraska players are wearing reminder bracelets of their loss last year as well.
- Back in his NCAA days, Dan Beebe wanted to contract sports agents with universities so everything could be on the table. If a violation was found, the agent could lose potentially millions and the university may not be on the hook as much. Beebe is looking better and better every week.
- Ron Prince’s side of the story was obvious, as a deposition revealed. He was guaranteed money and now he wants it. There was even a napkin thrown in by former Kansas State athletic director Tim Weiser. It’s another he said she said, with a “Memo of Understanding” between the two. The courts will take this one over and we’ll see who gets the dough.
- The once troubled and jailed Maurcie Clarett is out of jail and back in his former school, Ohio State. Hey sometimes it takes people much longer to realize a college education is a useful tool in this world.
- The Pac 10 has a new logo. Ain’t it cute? They are also changing their name to the Pac 12 once Colorado and Utah join.
- Dan Beebe has also been busy trying to sweep the leaving teams out the door quick. He doesn’t want a court battle over the fees. Plus he thinks Colorado leaving next year instead of 2012 makes much more sense. The sooner the better for everyone involved.
- Oklahoma State safety Victor Johnson was arrested for smoking dope. Ruh roh. Suspension time for that guy.
- Missouri has some beef left over from last year’s Navy blowout. Blaine Gabbert looks to be the guy and Derrick Washington looks to be his running buddy. The Tigers have a couple of chips including being picked behind Nebraska and not being invited to the Big 10.
- Kansas State on the other hand, looks to be clawing it way up, with the help of running back Daniel Thomas. Bill Snyder 2.0 won’t give away the starter at quarterback (again) and he’s dealt with the loss of a puff schedule he like so much.
Crib Sheet: Turning Our Attention to the Field
It’s almost July and it’s time to start getting serious about football. For the last couple of months we’ve been going back and forth on conference expansion and raiding. Now that it’s all over (hopefully), we can start getting juiced up for the major competition on the field. The Crib Sheet has its cleats on so you should too. Here we go:
- The major sanctions against USC hit former running back and current New Orleans Saint Reggie Bush. Bush was reportedly in on the scandal part but now he vows to help with the appeal for USC to the NCAA. Maybe his Heisman Trophy is in trouble?
- It looks like Pac 10 went from the Pac 11, with the addition of Colorado, to the Pac 12 with the addition of Utah. Mormons invade the conference as the Mountain West Conference powerhouse moves in on the big boys. Will the Pac 12 have a title game now? Does it seem weird that both the Big 10 and Pac 10 will have title games and now the Big 12 will not? Meanwhile the Mountain West will stay at 9.
- The Big East Commissioner sent 20 roses (10 white and 10 red) with ‘Unity’ written on the card to the Big 12 (10) offices. It seems the Big East and the ACC should be thankful that the Big 12 didn’t blow up and ruined college football.
- The Big 12 (10) may not be enough for Jerry Jones. He wants them to go after Notre Dame and Arkansas. Okay Jerry, calm down a sec and let’s get the current group figure out first. By the way, Arkansas shot down any expansion talk.
- Apparently Big Game Bob still wants to roll with the west coast even after all of this expansion dancing. Maybe it’s the fire of competition in his belly. Maybe it’s what coaches are supposed to say.
- Andy Staples talked about the BCS and how it’s super solid for now, even though people are still complaining. One side you have the director, Bill Hancock, and on the other you have Texas Rep. Joe Barton and Utah Senator Orrin Hatch. Yeah, so Utah goes to the Pac 10 and Hatch still wants to take down the BCS. If Utah ends up undefeated again, will he be so loud?
- Mizzou Chancellor Brady Deaton is your new chairman of the Big 12 Board of Directors. This might be part of the maneuvering to keep Mizzou in the Big 12 (10). It also seems kind of flimsy.
- Bill Snyder 2.0 weighs in on the expansion movements and laments the fact that a Big 12 (10) may not have a title game. His solution? Two 5 team divisions and a title game. It makes sense for a small school like K-State to go for that but we don’t think this will happen just yet. It could bring in more money, however.
- Colorado is in some financial hot water right now and leaving the Big 12 (10) will put them in a deeper hole. Will they ever crawl out of it? First they need to win and second they need to ride out the changes over the next couple of years. With Dan Hawkins as the coach, the Buffalo fans out there might have to wait a good 10 years before that program makes money and wins championships.
Crib Sheet: Adding a Notch to the Expansion Talk
So the Big 10 expansion speculation that’s been building the last couple of months has finally come to a head here at the KCCGD Headquarters. We’ll give our thoughts about the whole shebang in the next couple days, but we wanted to whet your appetite with some tasty nuggets of information in the Crib Sheet. You, too, can munch down on expansion rumor to fill your belly with enough information to win your sports bar argument. Sports screaming at its finest, folks. On to the Crib Sheet:
- In case you thing we’ve forgotten, Mike Leach’s case against Texas Tech has a hearing coming up May 14th and last week Texas Tech officials filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit altogether. They say the sworn statements are all that is needed and that Leach’s treatment was an offense worthy of termination. Leach on the other hand is making the case that it was about his contract and the bonus he was about to receive.
- Kansas State, ever the team to take on tough new challenges, forged a mega deal to face the fearsome University of Texas San Antonio. Who? Yes that’s right, The Roadrunners, led by former Miami coach Larry Coker, will face the Wildcats in their inaugural FCS seasons. Man, UCLA isn’t that tough. Leave it up to Bill Snyder 2.0 to find the scrubs of the scrubs.
- Here is your 2010-11 college football bowl schedule! Just in case you missed the Big 12 match ups, new Big 12 blogger David Ubben follows up with schedule for the respective conference teams. Kudos goes to the Insght Bowl for making the jump from the NFL Network to ESPN.
- Notre Dame tight end Mike Ragone was feeling green big time last Saturday. No, not green for the Fighting Irish, but green for rolling doobies. New coach Brian Kelly is going to bitch slap him around a hit and call it a done deal. It’s the new century, football players get stoned all the time, even the pious ones.
- Our homeboy Kevin Kietzman here at WHB 810 am filled the airwaves with reports that the Big 10 offered invitations to the conference to Missouri, Nebraska, Rutgers, and Notre Dame. The wave of denials built up so big that Big 10 commissioner Jim Delany had to send out comment denying the report. This summer’s only going to get hotter with speculation.
- So the speculation has been about what conferences will do to react to the Big 10 Expansion. Well, on the Big 12 side it seems they may be exploring options with a pact between them and the Pac 10 (see the play on words?). Basically, the two conferences will have something similar to the hardwood series we enjoy but on the football field. The speculation is that there is also a potential Rose Bowl spot that could be up for grabs too. Remember, it’s speculation only.
Crib Sheet: Blowing Our Noses to Divas
Quick somebody get us some facial tissue and some decongestants. It’s allergy season here at the KCCGD Headquarters! We’re sneezing our heads off and we’re barely making it through the week. That’s not stopping us from delivering your favorite weekly news roundup: The Crib Sheet! It’s chock full this week with a ton of diva grandstanding from college conference officials. It’s a good thing our noses are stuffed because we think alot of that talk stinks. On to the Crib Sheet:
- So the graduation rate for college athletes are on a curve. The College Sport Research Institute factored in longer years and lighter classloads to determine that the reported 79 percent rate is actually 54.8 percent, compared to 73.7 percent of other students. Looks like the NCAA needs to take some more math classes.
- All the hype leading up to the commissioner meetings this week was whether or not the Big 10 would accelerate expansion plans. Big 10 commissioner Jim Delany came out of the meetings to speak on this rumor to reporters. “Nope” was pretty much all he said. Crisis averted.
- Northwestern will play Illinois at Wrigley Field. Finally! All those people in Chicago will have an opportunity to root on two disappointing local teams that don’t play baseball. Way to go guys!
- The BCS came out with a 3 pronged formula to help determine who gets an automatic bowl bid after the 2012 season. They take the highest ranked BCS team, the total BCS numbers for the conference, and the number of teams in the top 25 to determine who gets the nod. This is an obvious gesture to the Mountain West Conference, whose Boise State team has been rolling the last couple of years and has an opportunity to start in the top 3 once the preseason rankings come out. It will be interesting to see how this adds to the pressure and expectation the Broncos have this year.
- So the first round highlights of the NFL Draft include Tim Tebow going to the Denver Broncos. Huh? What is he gonna do? Be a running back. Good thing the Big 12 represented big time with 9 picks going from the conference, including the top 4. Way to go Big 12!
- Bill Snyder 2.0 is weighing the decision to get surgery on his torn ACL and MCL. More and more we’re thinking that Snyder 2.0 is a cyborg version of the original. It’s only reason we can come up with to answer Snyder’s statement that it doesn’t hurt much. What’s up with that? A jammed finger hurts like hell. This guy just walks it off. He’s hiding a gun in his leg, we swear.
- The NCAA approved two more bowls for a total of 35, including the Yankee Bowl and the Dallas Football Classic. The later is the former Cotton Bowl and will have a place on New Year’s Day. Huzzah! This is the kind of expansion we enjoy here. Not the kind where you at more teams to the playoff. New Year’s Day next year will be mega stuffed with more football.
- We probably should let everyone know that if an expansion from the Big 10 happens, expect the SEC to counter move. Yeah, it’s going to domino all over the place. We really just need two conferences. That way we can determine a champion the easy way.
- Coming back to the somewhat near future, ESPN announced its 2010 College Football Primetime schedule and we have a whole bevy of games from the Big 12. The Lonestar Showdown with Texas A&M and Texas on Thanksgiving should be a treat. So’s the rematch between Nebraska and Kansas State on Oct 7th. Football can’t get here anytime sooner.
Crib Sheet: I Feel A Draft in Here
Welcome to this week’s Crib Sheet where we give you wall to wall coverage of the NFL Draft! Well, maybe not. This post will be about as much as we will put into the pros and their cherry picking of primo college talent. After this weekend, college football reloads and we are one more week closer to the start of the best sport ever. No, not the National Football League, but college football! So kick back, relax, and enjoy some Crib Sheet tastiness:
- No more fun for you football players out there! No more hidden shout outs on your black eye tap! No more wedge blocks? Okay, so the NCAA approved a couple of rules that tightens taunting on touchdown plays and removing points from the board, restricts players from putting messages on their black eye tape, and making the wedge block on kick offs illegal. Um, where did all of the fun go? If they were concerned about player safety or individuality like the pros, then they should pay them like a pro.
- Chris Harper, the Oregon transfer, is pumped to switch to full time wide receiver for Kansas State. Back at Oregon, he tried to fulfill his dream of being quarterback and played a dual threat role. Ever since the Bill Snyder 2.0 coaches pulled him aside and said he could pull pro money if he went full time receiver, he’s been catching balls and being content. All it takes is the potential of major cash to change some one’s mind. America!
- Welp, Mike Leach’s attorneys finally filed a lawsuit claiming his firing was all a big conspiracy. This was pretty much expected, unlike his firing. Isn’t he in Key West? Is he really in a hurry to get back to coaching? Maybe the pirate is trying to pilfer and plunder a couple of extra gold coins here.
- Boise State will replace their beloved blue turf for ….. more blue turf! The glare from the light reflecting from the turf bothered everyone in the stands. The blue field itself still bothers us on the television. What could’ve been an advantage over opposing teams may seem like dressing for their rumored top 3 debut in the BCS Standings later this year.
- Former Kansas State quarterback Dylan Meier died in a hiking accident in Arkansas. He was the quarterback from 2002-06. Our condolences go out this his family and friends.
- McFarlane Toys will be coming out with some college football themed action figures. This is their second time around with this idea. The idea is to take big NFL stars and showcase them in action from their college days. So far there hasn’t been a Big 12 player immortalized in toy form yet, but we like the Drew Brees one alot.
Crib Sheet: Spring Fever
It’s been a real quiet week. Hey, the weather’s finally coming around and everyone’s outside doing stuff. What are we doing at the KCCGD headquarters? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. We’ve been recovering since SXSW and it’s not time yet to do some cleaning. So we’ve been lounging and laying around soaking up some non conditioned air. We had just enough energy to pump out another Crib Sheet. So check it out while we take a nap:
- Oklahoma State’s Pistol Pete is your new ESPN Radio Mascot Champion. After taking over the college bracket, Pete beat up Benny the Bull from the Chicago Bulls and the pro side. Congrats Pete! Be sure to check up on our review of this guy here.
- The Kansas Jayhawks have a new deal with IMG that includes a new video board for the stadium. Hopefully, the screen size will be big enough to fit highlights of former head coach Mark Mangino.
- Texas A&M students have a shot to play with the big boys on campus this week. They can catch a touchdown, tackle a runner, and do other things with the football players in the ‘Pigskin Palooza’. Head coach Tommy Tubberville says this is all in good fun, but we’re thinking he’s secretly looking for more players. Hey, the military can produce some major athletes, just not general ones.
- The Little Caesars Bowl continues onward with the re-up of the MAC and the Big Ten. But it gets a little different after that. The top MAC team will face the 8th place team in the Big Ten, if that team is eligible. If not, a Sun Belt Conference team will take its place. Or, the MAC and Sun Belt will play in the Little Caesars Bowl.
- Bill Snyder 2.0 came back stronger. They have the technology to do so. They will need again apparently. The Kansas State head coach tore both his MCL and ACL during spring practice. He even coached the rest of practice after the incident. This old guy is tough. Let’s hope he gets a robot leg.
Crib Sheet: College Town World Tour
So I’m just now getting back into the swing of things now that I’m back from the SXSW conference. The yearly Music/Film/Interactive conference can take a toll on your body and even though I got back Monday, I’m still feeling the effect. The drive there uses I-35 and actually hits up a couple of college towns. Big 12 wise, we sped through Oklahoma’s home in Norman and landed in Austin, the home of the Texas Longhorns. Which one is better? It’s not fair, really. The conference was in Austin and I only drove through Oklahoma. Now here’s this week’s Crib Sheet:
- Speaking of Texas, apparently they are hitting the eiquette skills as well as the plyometric skills down in Austin. If you are going to be a football dignitary, the I guess you would need to know how to flaunt elitist like chops. Do they really need to know how to hold a fork right when tearing into some ribs from the Salt Lick, however?
- Much ballyhooed recruit Bryce Brown has left the Tennessee program, due to either personal issues or the fact that Lane Kiffin left. So let the rumor mills begin again! First one out of the gate: Bryce’s brother left Miami and is heading the K-State. So that means there may be a chance Bryce will come play for Bill Snyder 2.0 and the Wildcats. I hope the second round of hype around Bryce is faster.
- Weakened and ill coach Urban Meyer returned to the Florida Gators and practice last week. If you remember he quit the team due to health reasons but then came back when he realized that he could get better. Or at least put on some poundage. This year will be a nice off year for Meyer so he can reload next year, both on football and his health.
- Just like when baseball’s Chicago Cubs shocked everyone and had its first ever night game a decade or two ago, now the Big House in Michigan will be doing the same. What better way to do so than against the Notre Dame Fighthing Irish? This should be a close game, with a new coach on one side and another almost on the hot seat.
- Nick Saban is your first ever Bobby Bowden national collegiate coach of the year. The Over the Mountain Touchdown Club is in Bowden’s home town of Birmingham, Alabama. Not much surprise here. The coach that wins the national title for the school in the home state of the award title’s name. Zlam Dunk.
- Expansion or not, the Pac 10 may be looking into instituting a conference title game. Commissioner Larry Scott mentioned that when going over all expansion possibilities with CBS Sports. There’s an NCAA rule that states you need to have 12 teams to have a conference title game. So if they do want to do it without expansion, then they need to change that rule.
Crib Sheet: Digging In The Dirt
Here we go with another week of the Crib Sheet. Signing Day is gone so we are looking toward spring practice as the next big event. Spring practice. In spring. We got a long way to go to get there. So the news will trickle out until then. Never fear, however, we’ll dig up any dirt with our ninja shovel and flick the dust specs of college football news in your face. Bring some goggles, here’s this week’s Crib Sheet:
- You know how they call Kansas State’s stadium the Bill Snyder Family Stadium? Ever wonder why? Welp, signing day gave us another reason why when Bill Snyder 2.0’s grandson Tate Snyder accepted a scholarship offer from the Wildcats. Tate’s dad, Sean, was a punter for Bill Snyder early in his first run and is now an associate in the athletic department. The little apple does not fall far from this tree.
- So signing day is over but we have many more to come. The 2015 class, for example has its first commitment in the form of 13 year old quarterback David Sills as he verbally committed to USC last week. Huh? That’s a little young. His personal coach worked with current USC field general Matt Barkley. How much are this kid’s parents paying this guy? Seems like alot of hype for such a young’un.
- The Texas college stars beat the national squad of stars last Saturday to prove once again that best college football players come from Texas. For this game. Yeah it’s the Big 12 area, but why did the SEC win the national title again? Welp, maybe just the scrubs play this game. They gotta show off in front of NFL scouts somewhere.
- The Super Bowl commercial featuring Tim Tebow was rather lame. Now finally our long national political nightmare is over. This guy will carry hype wherever he goes.
- Darrell Scott has come crawling back to the Colorado program. Okay well, maybe not crawling. If he sits out this year, Hawkins might be fired by then and he could compete for the job with a new coach. We guess UCLA wasn’t all that it’s hyped up to be.
- It looks like the students at Missouri are looking for a live Tiger mascot. We’d like to think our profile of Truman spurned this movement, but it’s probably more of matching the live mascots that already dot the Big 12 plain. Yeah, we’re talking Bevo, Ralphie, Boomer, Sooner, and the rest of the gang. Hopefully, they will pull this one off. Those live mascots are treated like kings.
BCS Title Thoughts and Year End Review
Okay, freshly back from a wedding in California (not MY wedding), I’m now ready to actually talk about the BCS title game and the year that was college football. We’re going to talk about the game that could’ve been, the season that was bookended by injuries, and some other interesting notes that popped up over the season. So, while this is a little late, sit back and enjoy us on your little trip through college football memory lane. Please keep your arms and head inside the windows.
Crib Sheet: Decade of Football Remberence
…will not be discussed here. We’ve seen enough on the other websites so we are just going to say this was the best decade evar. All due to the KCCGD. Plus we’re still drying off from all of the snow that’s still dumping outside. Fortunately, there’s a bowl game on every night to keep us warm and cozy. New Year Eve and Day will be packed full of bowls as well. It’s the last huzzah of the college football season and the decade, help us celebrate in in style! Until then, here’s this week’s crib sheet:
- TCU head coach Gary Patterson is your AP Head Coach of the Year. The former Kansas State alum took a mid-con team undefeated and in the top ranks of the BCS. This guy deserves it. Now only if he rides out the contract a couple of years and takes over for Bill Snyder 2.0 in a couple of years. Heck, they may be a part of the Big 12 in a couple of years anyway. Congrats, coach.
- Missouri Governor Jay Nixon took some pot shots at Texas Tech and Oklahoma State while trumping up support for the rumored Missouri move to the Big 10. Basically he said those schools housed dumb people. Boy if the Tigers stay in the Big 12 after all of this, look out for some revenge to be had in the next couple of seasons.
- Sarah Thomas was the first female official to game a bowl Saturday at the Little Caesars Bowl. Some true ground was broken and word has it, she’s being eyeballed by the NFL. So now all we need to see are some ladies on the field competing. But not a Kathy Ireland type thing.
- He’s in, he’s out, he’s somewhat both. Last weekend, Urban Meyer resigned from the team, announced he was coaching the Sugar Bowl, then announced he was coming back next year. Apparently this all was due to health issues. We think that many Florida fans and alums are experienced some heart related health issues upon hearing this set of news.
- Texas Tech head coach Mike Leach gets the suspension card handed down to him for mistreating Adam James, Craig James kid, because of a concussion he had. Leach’s side of the story includes no apologies and a meddling former NFL player dad. It seems the recent incident with Mark Mangino is helping other players come out of the closet against tough guy coaches. Everyone knew that Leach is a pirate and a pirates life is rough, however. Yearggh. And this pirate is seeking an court order to play the Alamo Bowl. This one’s going to get ineteresting.