By: Tyler Ward
For most teams, the NCAA football regular season ended over the weekend and for some of those schools, new coaches will be at the helm at the start of the 2012 season.
There have been some big names that have been let go, but it is almost a certainty that most if not all will be head coaches next year, whether it be in the NCAA's top-tier or in one of the league's subdivisions. The only question that remains is, where are they going to coach?
Let's take a look at the coaches that have been let go thus far:
- Rick Neuheisel, UCLA
- Houston Nutt, Ole Miss
- Joe Paterno, Penn State
- Turner Gill, Kansas
- Dennis Erikson, Arizona State
- Larry Porter, Memphis
- Ron Zook, Illinois
- Rob Ianello, Akron
- Howard Schnellenberger, FAU
- Neil Callaway, UAB
- Paul Wulff, Washington State (Practically gone, but no decision yet)
There's also a few more rumors around the NCAA that more coaches will be let go, such as Randy Edsall (Maryland), Mike Sherman (Texas A&M), Dave Clawson (Bowling Green), Derek Dooley (Tennessee), Dan Mullen (Mississippi State), Steve Fairchild (Colorado State), Kevin Wilson (Indiana), and possibly a few more.
Earlier today, Ohio State named Urban Meyer as their new head coach, replacing Luke Fickell who took over for for Jim Tressel on an interim basis after he was let go before the season.
Former Arizona head coach Mike Stoops has been rumored to become Ohio State's defensive coordinator, but it is unclear at this point.
There have been rumors circulating that former Texas Tech coach Mike Leach is the lead candidate to replace Turner Gill at Kansas. Leach has been considered to be one of the best offensive coaches over the last decade, as he tutored former No. 1 NFL draft pick Tim Couch at Kentucky and turned Oklahoma quarterback Josh Heupel into an NFL draft pick, although it was short-lived.
He was particularly known for his high-powered offenses and aerial assaults at Texas Tech, led by quarterbacks such as Kliff Kingsbury, B.J. Symons, Sonny Cumbie, Cody Hodges, and Graham Harrell.
Leach led the Red Raiders to an 11-win campaign in 2008, and also led them to nine-win seasons in 2002, 2005, and 2007. If he were to be hired by Kansas, there is no doubt that he will try to turn them into one of the NCAA's high-powered offenses.
It is also suspected that Washington State will chase Leach if they do let go of Paul Wulff, who is thought to be fired within the next few days.
With Rick Neuheisel being relieved of his duties at UCLA, there will be another coaching change. At the school, many hirings have been former players, current assistant coaches, or people with ties to the program. They have released a short list that consists of current Boise State head coach Chris Peterson, Houston's Kevin Sumlin and Cincinnati's Butch Jones.
Over the last few seasons, Peterson has been highly-touted as the mastermind behind Boise State's BCS-busting reign in the NCAA. When the UCLA job opened up four years ago, the Bruins staff coveted Peterson but couldn't get a deal done. Now they have an opportunity to get him again and there are rumors going around that he will accept the offer, if given to him.
Kevin Sumlin, Houston's current leading man, has turned the program around drastically since arriving in 2008. The school is currently 12-0, one of the NCAA's two undefeated teams (LSU). In his four seasons, he has led the Cougars to records of 8-5, 10-4, 5-7 and 12-0, respectively.
They are currently undefeated with majority thanks going to quarterback and Heisman candidate Case Keenum. Keenum recently broke the NCAA's all-time passing yards mark during the season thanks to their scary offense.
Larry Porter, who was let go at Memphis, went 3-21 in two seasons, including a 1-15 record within the conference. It is not known if the former Tigers player and leading man will be a head coach elsewhere, but for now, he remains without a job.
It is exceedingly doubtful that Memphis will lure a big-time coach to the school, with the biggest name perhaps being Southern Mississippi's Larry Fedora.
It has also been released that Memphis has made a short list of head coaches, including former Clemson head coach Tommy Bowden, North Alabama's Terry Bowden, former Texas Tech head coach Mike Leach, Texas defensive coordinator Manny Diaz, Arkansas State's Hugh Freeze, Louisiana-Lafayette's Mark Hudspeth, Arkansas assistant coach John L. Smith and former Ole Miss and Arkansas head coach Houston Nutt.
Former Oregon head coach Mike Belotti has been rumored to become the next head coach at Arizona State. After 13 years of being the Ducks' head coach, Belotti stepped down in July 2009, thus paving the way for the hiring of Chip Kelly.
It has been a fact that Belotti loves the Pac-12 and any available coaching slot within the conference will make Belotti drool. There are also vacancies at UCLA and soon-to-be Washington State, but both schools have not shown interest in the former Ducks coach.
Personally, I believe that Belotti will be the perfect coach for Arizona State and he is the type of coach that could turn around a program that has struggled mightily as of late. If Belotti does get hired, it will almost certainly be by a Pac-12 school.
The coaching carousel has just begun and I'm sure there will be more surprises down the road.
Showing posts with label Ohio State Buckeyes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ohio State Buckeyes. Show all posts
Monday, November 28, 2011
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
The Urban Meyer Saga: Will He Ultimately Become The Next Ohio State Head Coach?
By: Tyler Ward
News surrounded Urban Meyer today as ESPN has reported that he has denied a report that he accepted the head coaching position at Ohio State.
It has been reported that the contract that was offered would be a seven-year deal worth approximately $40 million.
The Columbus Dispatch has said that two sources close to the school reported that the current ESPN analyst and former Florida football coach will be introduced as the new lead man for the Buckeyes sometime next week. However, the sources have said that the terms of the deal have not be announced.
Meyer said of the report, "I have not been offered any job nor is there a deal in place. I plan on spending Thanksgiving with my family and will not comment on this any further."
But there are a few obstacles regarding the situation at Ohio State. Meyer has said that he needs to speak to his entire family about the job over Thanksgiving and wants to delve into how bad the accusations are against his soon-to-be school.
Luke Fickell, the current interim head coach, would stay on as an assistant head coach if Meyer were to join the Buckeyes before the start of the 2012 NCAA Football season.
The only question that remains is how Meyer would fill in with the once-upon-a-time powerhouse.
Meyer has been one of the best and highest-paid coaches since he left Utah for Gainesville after the 2004 season. He would go on to have a stellar coaching tenure at Florida, winning two national championships and coaching players such as former Heisman winner and current Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow, Maurkice Pouncey, Brandon Spikes, Aaron Hernandez, Percy Harvin, Joe Haden, Carlos Dunlap, among many others.
He would also have an exceptional bowl record, winning five of six games, including those two national championship games against Ohio State and Oklahoma.
There is no doubt that if he were to accept the head coaching position, he would be going into a rebuilding process that has been decimated with NCAA sanctions. But there is also no doubt that if a single person could turn Ohio State around, that it would be Meyer who has been one of the most successful coaches of the decade.
The Buckeyes, currently in turmoil over the sanctions, have been struggling this season. Ohio State has already lost five games this season, with losses against Miami, Michigan State, Nebraska, Purdue, and Penn State. They also really haven't been that great in their wins this season with their best win coming at home against the Wisconsin Badgers a few weeks ago.
Like former Buckeye teams, they have been a stellar defensive team but they have struggled offensively, which is considered uncharacteristic. There has been inconsistency at the quarterback position with Joe Bauserman and freshman Braxton Miller taking the majority, if not all, the snaps for the Buckeyes.
And to just go off the beaten path for a second, Bauserman is perhaps one of the worst quarterbacks I have ever seen - yes, even worse than current Colts quarterback Curtis Painter, former Chargers quarterback Ryan Leaf, and possibly even worse than former LSU star and Raiders bust JaMarcus Russell (Leaf and Russell were phenomenal college stars, however).
So, with that being said, that is possibly why Ohio State has been a horrible offensive team this season.
But I digress. The Ohio State Buckeyes NEED Urban Meyer as their head coach. And in some kind of weird way, Meyer needs the Buckeyes. So ideally, it could be a great fit if the puzzle pieces fall the right way for both sides.
The school also needs to realize that there is a realistic chance that they will not find a better coach than Meyer on the market and anything short of Meyer will be a disappointment. So they need to go all in with their poker chips and throw anything and everything in the pot to try and officially sign Meyer to a contract.
However, there is one thing that could possibly hurt the Buckeyes if Meyer decides to become their head man. When the going gets tough, Meyer gets less tough and decides to leave the program. If the NCAA sanctions somehow become too tough to handle, Meyer could leave.
During the 2009 season, Florida and Alabama faced off in the SEC Championship game with a trip to the title game on the line. Florida would go on to ultimately lose the game while the Tide would go on to win the national championship over the Texas Longhorns.
Shortly after the game, Meyer was sent to a hospital for dehydration and chest pains. He would be released later that day, but would announce later that he would resign from the Gators and no longer be the head coach. There are a few theories out there that Meyer simply was not used to losing at Florida and once they lost without getting Tim Tebow an astounding third championship ring, he just left the team. So if that is the case, Meyer could eventually leave Ohio State once the team starts to struggle.
Only time will tell however. And I'm sure we will find out what Meyer will do within the next week or two.
Other Potential Candidates if Meyer doesn't sign:
- Houston Nutt - Resigned from Ole Miss, officially will end after the season
- Joe Paterno - You never know, but I highly, highly, highly doubt it
- Jim Caldwell - Coached under Paterno at Penn State; current head coach of the 0-10 Indianapolis Colts and has been rumored to be on the hot seat
- Gus Malzahn - Current Offensive Coordinator at Auburn and is considered to be one of the best up-and-coming coaches
- Mark Richt - Was once reported to be on the hot seat; current head coach at Georgia
- Robert Smith - Current ESPN analyst and former Ohio State running back
- Mike Stoops - Former Arizona Wildcats coach; fired during this season and is looking for employment
- Tony Sparano - current Miami Dolphins head coach; has been reported to be on the hot seat throughout this season
News surrounded Urban Meyer today as ESPN has reported that he has denied a report that he accepted the head coaching position at Ohio State.
It has been reported that the contract that was offered would be a seven-year deal worth approximately $40 million.
The Columbus Dispatch has said that two sources close to the school reported that the current ESPN analyst and former Florida football coach will be introduced as the new lead man for the Buckeyes sometime next week. However, the sources have said that the terms of the deal have not be announced.
Meyer said of the report, "I have not been offered any job nor is there a deal in place. I plan on spending Thanksgiving with my family and will not comment on this any further."
But there are a few obstacles regarding the situation at Ohio State. Meyer has said that he needs to speak to his entire family about the job over Thanksgiving and wants to delve into how bad the accusations are against his soon-to-be school.
Luke Fickell, the current interim head coach, would stay on as an assistant head coach if Meyer were to join the Buckeyes before the start of the 2012 NCAA Football season.
The only question that remains is how Meyer would fill in with the once-upon-a-time powerhouse.
Meyer has been one of the best and highest-paid coaches since he left Utah for Gainesville after the 2004 season. He would go on to have a stellar coaching tenure at Florida, winning two national championships and coaching players such as former Heisman winner and current Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow, Maurkice Pouncey, Brandon Spikes, Aaron Hernandez, Percy Harvin, Joe Haden, Carlos Dunlap, among many others.
He would also have an exceptional bowl record, winning five of six games, including those two national championship games against Ohio State and Oklahoma.
There is no doubt that if he were to accept the head coaching position, he would be going into a rebuilding process that has been decimated with NCAA sanctions. But there is also no doubt that if a single person could turn Ohio State around, that it would be Meyer who has been one of the most successful coaches of the decade.
The Buckeyes, currently in turmoil over the sanctions, have been struggling this season. Ohio State has already lost five games this season, with losses against Miami, Michigan State, Nebraska, Purdue, and Penn State. They also really haven't been that great in their wins this season with their best win coming at home against the Wisconsin Badgers a few weeks ago.
Like former Buckeye teams, they have been a stellar defensive team but they have struggled offensively, which is considered uncharacteristic. There has been inconsistency at the quarterback position with Joe Bauserman and freshman Braxton Miller taking the majority, if not all, the snaps for the Buckeyes.
And to just go off the beaten path for a second, Bauserman is perhaps one of the worst quarterbacks I have ever seen - yes, even worse than current Colts quarterback Curtis Painter, former Chargers quarterback Ryan Leaf, and possibly even worse than former LSU star and Raiders bust JaMarcus Russell (Leaf and Russell were phenomenal college stars, however).
So, with that being said, that is possibly why Ohio State has been a horrible offensive team this season.
But I digress. The Ohio State Buckeyes NEED Urban Meyer as their head coach. And in some kind of weird way, Meyer needs the Buckeyes. So ideally, it could be a great fit if the puzzle pieces fall the right way for both sides.
The school also needs to realize that there is a realistic chance that they will not find a better coach than Meyer on the market and anything short of Meyer will be a disappointment. So they need to go all in with their poker chips and throw anything and everything in the pot to try and officially sign Meyer to a contract.
However, there is one thing that could possibly hurt the Buckeyes if Meyer decides to become their head man. When the going gets tough, Meyer gets less tough and decides to leave the program. If the NCAA sanctions somehow become too tough to handle, Meyer could leave.
During the 2009 season, Florida and Alabama faced off in the SEC Championship game with a trip to the title game on the line. Florida would go on to ultimately lose the game while the Tide would go on to win the national championship over the Texas Longhorns.
Shortly after the game, Meyer was sent to a hospital for dehydration and chest pains. He would be released later that day, but would announce later that he would resign from the Gators and no longer be the head coach. There are a few theories out there that Meyer simply was not used to losing at Florida and once they lost without getting Tim Tebow an astounding third championship ring, he just left the team. So if that is the case, Meyer could eventually leave Ohio State once the team starts to struggle.
Only time will tell however. And I'm sure we will find out what Meyer will do within the next week or two.
Other Potential Candidates if Meyer doesn't sign:
- Houston Nutt - Resigned from Ole Miss, officially will end after the season
- Joe Paterno - You never know, but I highly, highly, highly doubt it
- Jim Caldwell - Coached under Paterno at Penn State; current head coach of the 0-10 Indianapolis Colts and has been rumored to be on the hot seat
- Gus Malzahn - Current Offensive Coordinator at Auburn and is considered to be one of the best up-and-coming coaches
- Mark Richt - Was once reported to be on the hot seat; current head coach at Georgia
- Robert Smith - Current ESPN analyst and former Ohio State running back
- Mike Stoops - Former Arizona Wildcats coach; fired during this season and is looking for employment
- Tony Sparano - current Miami Dolphins head coach; has been reported to be on the hot seat throughout this season
Monday, May 30, 2011
Ohio State Coash Jim Tressel Resigns Amid Allegations
By: Tyler Ward
It's been a hell of a year for "The" Ohio State football team and their fans.
Tressel helped guide the Buckeyes to their first national championship in 34 years when they won it all a few years ago.
Now, Tressel is no longer part of the Buckeyes family and unfamiliar circumstances surround his resignation.
He didn't resign because he thought he had done enough in his coaching career or because he had future endeavors to take care of. He resigned because of NCAA violations from a scandal involving a tattoo parlor.
"After meeting with university officials, we agreed that it is in the best interest of Ohio State that I resign as head football coach," Tressel said in a statement. "The appreciation that [wife] Ellen and I have for the Buckeye Nation is immeasurable."
Nearly three months ago, a news conference was held to announce that the school had suspended Tressel for the first two games of the upcoming season, and later announced that the suspension had been upped to five games. Tressel was also fined $250,000 after reports surfaced that some of his players had received improper benefits from a tattoo shop owner.
Ohio State president E. Gordon Gee sent a letter to the school's board of trustees, saying, "As you all know, I appointed a special committee to analyze and provide advice to me regarding issues attendant to our football program. In consultation with the senior leadership of the university and the senior leadership of the board, I have been actively reviewing the matter and have accepted coach Tressel's resignation."
Tressel and the university were supposed to go in front of the NCAA's infractions committee Aug. 12 to answer questions about the involvement in the scandal.
According to reports, Tressel knew of the benefits, but failed to report them.
He denied knowledge of the improper benefits to players until he was confronted with e-mails showing that he knew about them since April 2010.
With Tressel's resignation, Luke Fickell becomes the team's head coach for the 2011 football season.
It is unlikely that Fickell will become the team's long-term head coach as they will look to hire somebody after the season is over with.
With such a high profile job becoming available, many candidates want the job at the famed school.
One name that has already been brought up is former Florida Gators head coach Urban Meyer.
Now a football analyst for ESPN, Meyer has denied that he is interested in the job.
"I am committed to ESPN and will not pursue any coaching opportunities this fall," Meyer said in a statement. "I have thoroughly enjoyed working with the people at ESPN this spring and remain very excited about my role with the network this fall."
"Jim Tressel has been a respected friend and colleague for a long time. I wish Jim and his family the very best now and in the future," Meyer continued.
Tressel was hired by Ohio State prior to the 2001 season. He had been the previous coach at Youngstown State, which coincidentally was under NCAA investigation.
His rookie season as the main man for the Buckeyes, Ohio State went 7-5, but upset Michigan 26-20 in their annual game.
The following season, behind running back Maurice Clarett, the Buckeyes went 14-0, defeating Miami in the national championship game. And for the first time in over three decades, the Buckeyes hoisted the championship trophy.
In 2003, the Buckeyes went 11-2 and 8-4 in 2004.
The next season, the Buckeyes went 12-0, laying among the top in the BCS rankings throughout the entire year. They would go on to face the Florida Gators in the BCS Championship Game, but would get blown out of the water, 41-14.
A year later, Tressel would help guide the school back to the national championship game and face off against another SEC school, the LSU Tigers.
The Tigers were virtually outmatched by the Buckeyes, who many thought would rout the Tigers in a win. But LSU showed that they were the stronger team, albeit being underdogs, and would win the game 38-24.
They would go on to have three more stellar seasons, and eventually winning the Sugar Bowl last season over the Arkansas Razorbacks.
However, in December, the school announced that they would recommend to the NCAA that five players, including star quarterback Terrelle Pryor, be suspended for the first games of the 2011 season.
Reports surfaced that players had sold items such as championship rings, uniforms, tickets, and other items to the owner of a Columbus-based tattoo shop. For Pryor, he sold a Fiesta Bowl Sportsmanship Award for discount tattoos and cash from the owner, Edward Rife.
The school fell under investigation after police had watched Rife for drug trafficking. They then found that players had been receiving improper benefits from Rife and that's where it stands as of now.
At a March 8 news conference, Tressel stated that he had not spoken about the benefits because of the impending case of the drug trafficking investigation. He said that he was "bound by confidentiality".
"As I think back to what I could have done differently ... I've learned that I probably needed to go to the top legal counsel person at the university and get some help," Tressel said.
"I don't think less of myself at this moment," he said. "I felt at the time as if I was doing the right thing for the safety of young people."
It's been a hell of a year for "The" Ohio State football team and their fans.
Tressel helped guide the Buckeyes to their first national championship in 34 years when they won it all a few years ago.
Now, Tressel is no longer part of the Buckeyes family and unfamiliar circumstances surround his resignation.
He didn't resign because he thought he had done enough in his coaching career or because he had future endeavors to take care of. He resigned because of NCAA violations from a scandal involving a tattoo parlor.
"After meeting with university officials, we agreed that it is in the best interest of Ohio State that I resign as head football coach," Tressel said in a statement. "The appreciation that [wife] Ellen and I have for the Buckeye Nation is immeasurable."
Nearly three months ago, a news conference was held to announce that the school had suspended Tressel for the first two games of the upcoming season, and later announced that the suspension had been upped to five games. Tressel was also fined $250,000 after reports surfaced that some of his players had received improper benefits from a tattoo shop owner.
Ohio State president E. Gordon Gee sent a letter to the school's board of trustees, saying, "As you all know, I appointed a special committee to analyze and provide advice to me regarding issues attendant to our football program. In consultation with the senior leadership of the university and the senior leadership of the board, I have been actively reviewing the matter and have accepted coach Tressel's resignation."
Tressel and the university were supposed to go in front of the NCAA's infractions committee Aug. 12 to answer questions about the involvement in the scandal.
According to reports, Tressel knew of the benefits, but failed to report them.
He denied knowledge of the improper benefits to players until he was confronted with e-mails showing that he knew about them since April 2010.
With Tressel's resignation, Luke Fickell becomes the team's head coach for the 2011 football season.
It is unlikely that Fickell will become the team's long-term head coach as they will look to hire somebody after the season is over with.
With such a high profile job becoming available, many candidates want the job at the famed school.
One name that has already been brought up is former Florida Gators head coach Urban Meyer.
Now a football analyst for ESPN, Meyer has denied that he is interested in the job.
"I am committed to ESPN and will not pursue any coaching opportunities this fall," Meyer said in a statement. "I have thoroughly enjoyed working with the people at ESPN this spring and remain very excited about my role with the network this fall."
"Jim Tressel has been a respected friend and colleague for a long time. I wish Jim and his family the very best now and in the future," Meyer continued.
Tressel was hired by Ohio State prior to the 2001 season. He had been the previous coach at Youngstown State, which coincidentally was under NCAA investigation.
His rookie season as the main man for the Buckeyes, Ohio State went 7-5, but upset Michigan 26-20 in their annual game.
The following season, behind running back Maurice Clarett, the Buckeyes went 14-0, defeating Miami in the national championship game. And for the first time in over three decades, the Buckeyes hoisted the championship trophy.
In 2003, the Buckeyes went 11-2 and 8-4 in 2004.
The next season, the Buckeyes went 12-0, laying among the top in the BCS rankings throughout the entire year. They would go on to face the Florida Gators in the BCS Championship Game, but would get blown out of the water, 41-14.
A year later, Tressel would help guide the school back to the national championship game and face off against another SEC school, the LSU Tigers.
The Tigers were virtually outmatched by the Buckeyes, who many thought would rout the Tigers in a win. But LSU showed that they were the stronger team, albeit being underdogs, and would win the game 38-24.
They would go on to have three more stellar seasons, and eventually winning the Sugar Bowl last season over the Arkansas Razorbacks.
However, in December, the school announced that they would recommend to the NCAA that five players, including star quarterback Terrelle Pryor, be suspended for the first games of the 2011 season.
Reports surfaced that players had sold items such as championship rings, uniforms, tickets, and other items to the owner of a Columbus-based tattoo shop. For Pryor, he sold a Fiesta Bowl Sportsmanship Award for discount tattoos and cash from the owner, Edward Rife.
The school fell under investigation after police had watched Rife for drug trafficking. They then found that players had been receiving improper benefits from Rife and that's where it stands as of now.
At a March 8 news conference, Tressel stated that he had not spoken about the benefits because of the impending case of the drug trafficking investigation. He said that he was "bound by confidentiality".
"As I think back to what I could have done differently ... I've learned that I probably needed to go to the top legal counsel person at the university and get some help," Tressel said.
"I don't think less of myself at this moment," he said. "I felt at the time as if I was doing the right thing for the safety of young people."
Monday, March 28, 2011
NCAA Basketball: All-American Teams Announced; Fredette, Walker Lead First Team
By: Tyler Ward
Just one day after Kentucky and VCU advanced to the Final Four, the Associated Press announced the players elected to the AP All-America Team.
Three seniors were elected to the team - Jimmer Fredette of BYU, Nolan Smith of Duke, and JaJuan Johnson of Purdue. UConn junior Kemba Walker and Ohio State freshman Jared Sullinger were the other two players chosen.
It's the most seniors elected to the team since four were chosen in 2006.
Duke point guard Nolan Smith received 61 of the possible 65 votes. For the season, Smith averaged 21.3 points, 5.2 assists, and 4.6 rebounds per game. He helped lead the Blue Devils to the top of the polls throughout the season.
He became the seventh freshman All-American in the last five years.
Sullinger received 58 of the 65 possible votes.
UConn's Walker, one of the most electrifying players in the NCAA, has led the Huskies to yet another Final Four appearance.
Walker had a stellar start to the season, but as the season went on, he and the rest of the team faded into mediocrity.
Coach Jim Calhoun called Walker "the most important person on the team this year".
The last selection, Purdue's JaJuan Johnson, averaged 20.5 points and 8.2 rebounds per game for the Boilermakers. He also became the first Boilermaker to be selected to the All-American Team since Glenn Robinson in 1994.
Johnson returned to school this season after considering leaving for the NBA last year.
Fredette and Johnson were on the preseason All-American Team. Duke's Kyle Singler, Kansas State's Jacob Pullen, and North Carolina's Harrison Barnes were the others nominated before the season.
The second All-American Team was also announced Monday.
Arizona's Derrick Williams led the team, along with Kansas' Marcus Morris. Notre Dame's Ben Hansbrough, Wisconsin's Jordan Taylor, and San Diego State's Kawhi Leonard were the other players elected to the team.
Just one day after Kentucky and VCU advanced to the Final Four, the Associated Press announced the players elected to the AP All-America Team.
Three seniors were elected to the team - Jimmer Fredette of BYU, Nolan Smith of Duke, and JaJuan Johnson of Purdue. UConn junior Kemba Walker and Ohio State freshman Jared Sullinger were the other two players chosen.
It's the most seniors elected to the team since four were chosen in 2006.
Fredette led the nation with 28.5 points per game and became one of the most popular players in the NCAA. He also became the first Cougar to be chosen since Danny Ainge in 1981.
Fredette, happy with the selection, said, "If you go out and play your game and have confidence in yourself, you can accomplish great things. That's what I've always said in my head, and it's worked out."
Duke point guard Nolan Smith received 61 of the possible 65 votes. For the season, Smith averaged 21.3 points, 5.2 assists, and 4.6 rebounds per game. He helped lead the Blue Devils to the top of the polls throughout the season. Sullinger, a freshman, averaged 17.2 points and 10.1 rebounds for the Buckeyes this season. After their defeat in the tournament, Sullinger announced that he would return to the school for his sophomore season.
He became the seventh freshman All-American in the last five years.
Sullinger received 58 of the 65 possible votes.
UConn's Walker, one of the most electrifying players in the NCAA, has led the Huskies to yet another Final Four appearance.
Throughout the season, Walker has been one of the best players in college and he proved that with his level of play in his junior season.
Walker had a stellar start to the season, but as the season went on, he and the rest of the team faded into mediocrity.
However, they got hot at the right time as Walker led the Huskies to five wins in as many days to win the Big East Tournament. The guard averaged 23.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 4.6 assists for the Huskies this season.
Coach Jim Calhoun called Walker "the most important person on the team this year".
The last selection, Purdue's JaJuan Johnson, averaged 20.5 points and 8.2 rebounds per game for the Boilermakers. He also became the first Boilermaker to be selected to the All-American Team since Glenn Robinson in 1994.
Johnson returned to school this season after considering leaving for the NBA last year.
Fredette and Johnson were on the preseason All-American Team. Duke's Kyle Singler, Kansas State's Jacob Pullen, and North Carolina's Harrison Barnes were the others nominated before the season.
The second All-American Team was also announced Monday.
Arizona's Derrick Williams led the team, along with Kansas' Marcus Morris. Notre Dame's Ben Hansbrough, Wisconsin's Jordan Taylor, and San Diego State's Kawhi Leonard were the other players elected to the team.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Oklahoma Supplants Ohio State As #1 In BCS Poll; Oregon, Boise State Follow
By: Tyler Ward
It was a crazy weekend in college football. For the second straight week, the #1 team entering the weekend is not atop the standings on Sunday. Alabama fell to South Carolina last weekend and Ohio State got upset by Wisconsin on Saturday.
There are now ten undefeated teams left in college football, so there may be some BCS bowl controversy later in the season. But, there is still a lot of games to play and I can guarantee there will not be ten undefeated teams left at the end of the season. It is pretty much a given that Boise State and/or TCU will be undefeated at the end of the season and depending on how many undefeated teams there are, one or both may play in the biggest game of the year. There is still a possibility we could see a one-loss team make the big game (I will make a rant at the end of this article, so stay tuned). Oklahoma is now the new #1 team in the nation, with Oregon and Boise State following suit in the BCS poll. Auburn and TCU round out the top five. There is a chance that a team from the SEC or Big Ten will be undefeated in their conference at the end of the year, which means that it's even more important for Oregon and Oklahoma to succeed the rest of the season.
LSU is now in the sixth spot, with Michigan State moving up to seventh. LSU and Auburn play each other this weekend, which means one team will fall - we just have to wait and see who it is. Alabama remained neutral and is still in eighth. Another unbeaten, Utah, currently ranks ninth. Ohio State, who was first entering the weekend, fell all the way to tenth.
Missouri, another undefeated team, ranks 11th. Andrew Luck and his Stanford team jumped up to 12th with Wisconsin, who beat Ohio State, jumped up to 13th. Oklahoma State and Iowa rank 14th and 15th, respectively.
Nebraska lost to Texas 20-13 on Saturday and with that loss, the Huskers fell to 16th. Florida State, Arizona, Texas, and West Virginia round out the top 20. South Carolina, a week after upsetting Alabama, allowed Kentucky to come back and win, so the Gamecocks fell eleven spots to 21st. Kansas State and the Ryan Mallett-less Arkansas Razorbacks rank 22nd and 23rd. Mississippi State, ranked for the first time since the early 2000's, is now 24th in the BCS standings. Virginia Tech takes the last spot at 25th.Personally, I think that Oregon should be #1. I do not like the BCS. I feel that their "formulas" are very wrong. They should just scrap it all together. Oregon has shown all year that they are a very formidable team and they need to be treated like that. With Heisman candidate running back LaMichael James, they have shown that they are very good. If James continues at this pace, he may be the next Heisman winner.
Now, it's time for my rant:
I'll be the first to tell you that I am very critical of Boise State. I just don't understand how someone can say they deserve to be in the title game when they have one of the easiest schedules in college football. Yes, they deserve some recognition if they go undefeated, but they do not deserve to have a shot at the title. If they played in the SEC, Pac-10, or Big 12, and go undefeated, then by all means, waltz into the championship game. But, they play in the WAC conference, one of the weakest conferences in football. How can someone rationally say that they deserve to be in the title game? What does Boise State's remaining schedule look like? Louisiana Tech, Hawaii, Idaho, Fresno State, Nevada, and Utah State. Come on. Come on. Boise State did play important non-conference games earlier this season against Virginia Tech and Oregon State, so that helps them. But, since they play in the WAC, that doesn't help in the least bit. Their other wins this season have come against Wyoming, New Mexico State, Toledo, and San Jose State. Frankly, it does not make any sense to me.
Like I said before, if Boise State actually played in a major conference and go undefeated, they deserve to be in the championship game. But, with the way their schedule is, there's no doubt in my mind that they should not be in the BCS championship game. Boise State is not that great of a football team. There is also no doubt in my mind that if they played in the SEC, they would be incredibly lucky to win more than half of their games. The same goes for the Pac-10, Big Ten, and Big 12.
I don't know how other fans feel, but I would personally love to see Boise State leave the conference and go elsewhere. Why? I'll put it very simple. I want to see them play against good opponents. I want to see them occasionally lose, so the people who favor the Broncos can finally be quiet.
Unfortunately, we will never see the Broncos in the SEC because of the geographical differences. There is a possibility that they could end up in the Pac-10 or Big 12, but with the way things are right now, they will not change unless they think they are good enough to silence the "haters" when they play better opponents. They are joining the Mountain West conference in 2011, but the teams they play aren't that much better.
Just for kicks and giggles, how many Boise State players are currently in the NFL? Since their first WAC championship title in 2002, they have had 14 players in the NFL (11 were drafted). Who are the players? Gerald Alexander, Chris Carr, Ryan Clady, Daryn Colledge, Brock Forsey, Korey Hall, Matt Hill, Ian Johnson, Quintin Mikell, Legedu Naanee, Jeb Putzier, Orlando Scandrick, Derek Schouman, amd Kyle Wilson. Forsey, Hill, Johnson, and Putzier are out of the NFL. Alexander and Mikell play sparingly, although they are on teams (both have combined for 2 tackles; Alexander has both). I will give them credit, though - they did have Ryan Clady, who many consider to be one of the best offensive linemen in the NFL. There is also Kyle Wilson, who was a first round selection this season by the New York Jets. This is just my opinion: If Boise State is considered to be so good, shouldn't they have NFL-ready players? Yes, the college game is completely different from the NFL and some players just don't translate that well to the NFL. But, what about teams like Alabama, Florida, Ohio State, and so on? They have capable NFL-ready players every single year, but Boise State has an equal, if not better, record than those schools. Boise State should be graduating players into the NFL every single year, but they don't. Maybe scouts see something that casual fans don't. Maybe the players just aren't that good. Maybe it's a little bit of both. We'll never know.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
2010 NCAA Football: Preseason Top 25
By: Tyler Ward
Well, one of our favorite times of the year is right around the corner - yep, college football. Words cannot describe how excited we are to have another enticing season of football where people actually play for the fun of the game, not the money.
With Alabama winning the national championship last season, they were no doubt a surefire number one. After that, it's a crapshoot.
Top 25:
1. Alabama
2. Ohio State
3. Florida
4. Texas
 |
| Bama looks to repeat |
5. Boise State
6. Virginia Tech
7. TCU
8. Oklahoma
9. Nebraska
10. Iowa
11. Oregon
12. Wisconsin
13. Miami (FL)
14. Penn State
15. Pittsburgh
16. LSU
17. Georgia Tech
18. North Carolina
19. Arkansas
20. Florida State
21. Georgia
22. Oregon State
23. Auburn
24. Utah
25. West Virginia
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
