FanHouse http://www.fanhouse.com FanHouse http://www.fanhouse.com/media/feedlogo.gif FanHouse http://www.fanhouse.com en-us Copyright 2008 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/SEC Preview: Florida, Contenderhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/08/08/sec-preview-florida-contender/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/08/08/sec-preview-florida-contender/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/08/08/sec-preview-florida-contender/#commentsFiled under: ,

You want contenders? The SEC has 'em. Up on deck: Florida, owner of 2007's most potent offense... and most pathetic defense.

WHY THEY'LL WIN

Duh! The common thinking here is that Tebow + Harvin = misery and doom for all who face them. And how can you argue the point? The dynamic duo put up massive numbers last season. It was good enough for the "no sophomore can win the Trophy" Heismandment to be nullified. It also launched Percy Harvin's 2008 stiffarm campaign.

Even with the recent news of TE Cornelius Ingram's injury -- which will effectively end his career at the University of Florida -- Florida is stacked, stacked, stacked on offense. Playmakers abound at wideout, in the backfield and, oh yeah, the offensive line is really freaking good too.

It might be the best offense Florida has ever fielded. Thinking back to on the heady Spurrier era, and the offensive juggernauts the OBC produced, that should provide some context for the significance of that statement. Facing Florida's O will be be a scary thought for the rest of the SEC.

 

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]]>Ryan Ferguson2008-08-08T13:53:00 00:00Ranking the SEC: The Easthttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/07/24/ranking-the-sec-the-east/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/07/24/ranking-the-sec-the-east/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/07/24/ranking-the-sec-the-east/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,


After romping through the West, FanHouse turns their attention on the SEC East, a division which is more stratified but still looks to be plenty competitive. Our results are based on votes from our contingent of six FanHouse bloggers.

#6: Vanderbilt - Average rank: 6

Poor Vanderbilt. They've had many opportunities but just can't seem to put it all together. The Commodores earned the dubious distinction of FanHouse's only unanimous vote -- last place. Radcliff: "Downtown Nashville can be fun!" Jacbi: "Woof. Kill me. Woof." Holiday: "If I could rank them seventh, I would." 'Nuff said.

#5: Kentucky - Average rank: 4.8

Adam Jacobi has a particularly low opinion of the 'Cats this year. "The unfortunate lesson of SEC football is that if you come out of nowhere, you're every bit as capable of going straight back to nowhere in one year's time, and without Andre Woodson, that's exactly what'll happen in Lexington. They're not capable of hanging with anyone ahead of them here in the east, and their only prayer of winning one against the West is a home game against Arkansas. Good luck." Andy Katzer agrees: "Remember when UK beat LSU in 3 overtimes? Hang on to that memory, Big Blue."

 

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]]>Ryan Ferguson2008-07-24T10:57:00 00:00The ACC's Dismal State of Beinghttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/07/23/the-accs-dismal-state-of-being/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/07/23/the-accs-dismal-state-of-being/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/07/23/the-accs-dismal-state-of-being/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


If you were to ask a handful moderately knowledgeable college football fans to rank the BCS conferences, most would probably place the ACC last or close to last. And they'd be right.

And Tony Barnhart has some powerful stats to support them.
- 1-9: The ACC's record in BCS Bowl games. The league has won only once on college football's biggest stage, and that came when Florida State beat Virginia Tech, which then was not a league member, in the Sugar Bowl for the 1999 national championship. The ACC has lost nine straight BCS games.

- 2-17: The ACC's record against non-conference teams ranked in the top 10 the past four years.

- 9-31: The ACC's record against non-conference teams ranked in the top 25 the past four years.

- 0: The number of times the ACC has received an at-large bid to a BCS game.

Great googly moogly! That's horrendous. While much of the luster wore off with FSU and Miami's precipitous fall from grace, these numbers show that the problem is more widespread than two marquee teams. The conference as a whole has been entirely uncompetitive in recent -- and not so recent -- memory.

 

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]]>Ryan Ferguson2008-07-23T13:29:00 00:00Tebow Won't Be a Playboy All-Americanhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/07/23/tebow-wont-be-a-playboy-all-american/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/07/23/tebow-wont-be-a-playboy-all-american/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/07/23/tebow-wont-be-a-playboy-all-american/#commentsFiled under: , ,

This will break the hearts of college football fans everywhere, I'm sure: Tim Tebow will not be your 2008 Playboy All-American quarterback.

When asked by Playboy, Assistant Sports Information Director Zack Higbee chose not to submit Tebow's name for nomination. Gary Cole, senior VP for the racy magazine, felt the decision was short-sighted..

"I don't hate it when someone has all the facts, understands what our weekend and our history is and then chooses not to attend,'' Cole said. "I do hate it when someone bases their choice on false or incomplete information. ... The weekend (in Phoenix) is completely wholesome. I have always brought my children whether they were 1 or 16 years old. It's a really special few days when these fellows get the opportunity to meet each other and spend a little time together. Friendships are formed at these weekends that last a lifetime."

Tebow's religious beliefs and missionary work make him a bit of an odd fit for anything associated with Playboy, regardless of how 'wholesome' the event may be. Then again, Tebow might not have been selected anyway.

"To be honest, Pat White was my choice from very early on ... actually the end of last season,'' Cole said.

I'm guessing Pat White is also willing to say 'yes' to the nomination, which could be why Cole likes him so much.

 

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]]>Ryan Ferguson2008-07-23T10:22:00 00:00Ranking the SEC: The Westhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/07/21/ranking-the-sec-the-west/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/07/21/ranking-the-sec-the-west/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/07/21/ranking-the-sec-the-west/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,


We've gathered some of FanHouse's finest sportsblogging minds in an effort to get a better grip on how the SEC will shake out this year. Mssrs. Pete Holiday, Andy Katzer, and Yours Truly represent the Southeastern conference, and we've also brough in non-southern fried free thinkers Adam Jacobi, Bruce Ciskie and John Radcliff. Together, we've ranked the SEC West.

Talent reigns in the SEC, but questions haunt the West. Questions like: who'll step up at QB for Auburn and LSU? Can Nick Saban take his #1-ranked recruiting class and make an impact in his second year at Alabama? What about Bobby Petrino and Houston Nutt's do-sa-do in Arkansas in Mississippi?

#6: Arkansas - Average rank: 5.5

Petrino's an offensive wizard, but he's building his passing attack around Casey Dick, who suffered mightily in conference play last year. John Radcliff: "The people of Arkansas probably don't deserve this, but Bobby Petrino does. And I'm going to enjoy ever last second of it!"

#5: Mississippi State - Average rank: 4.83

Several of our bloggers thought highly enough to place Mississippi State at 4th, which in an odd way is a testament to head coach Sly Croom. Andy Katzer: "The Bulldogs' bowl appearance last year either shows huge strides by Croom & co., or proves that there are wayyy too many bowl games. It'll be interesting to see if MSU continues improving their improvement. Or something."

 

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]]>Ryan Ferguson2008-07-21T16:43:00 00:00LSU Kicks Sophomore O-Lineman Off Team: Does Double-Standard Exist?http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/07/18/lsu-kicks-sophomore-o-lineman-off-team-does-double-standard-exi/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/07/18/lsu-kicks-sophomore-o-lineman-off-team-does-double-standard-exi/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/07/18/lsu-kicks-sophomore-o-lineman-off-team-does-double-standard-exi/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Jarvis Jones. Name doesn't ring a bell for you? That's because the 6-7 offensive lineman has only been subbed in to play in seven games as a freshman. But by most accounts, he was likely to enjoy more playing time as a sophomore and had a promising career ahead of him at LSU.

Big fella, we hardly knew ye. Jones was dismissed by head coach Les Miles on Thursday for the usual "unspecified violation of team rules." Miles:
"The issues we had with Jarvis [Jones] were internal and ones that we dealt with within the framework of our team," Miles said in a news release. "However, we just felt like it was time to go in a different direction. We wish him well in any of his future endeavors."
Hopefully, this isn't a case of double standards at work in the LSU football program, but at first glance it's hard to escape that impression. Football prodigy Ryan Perilloux was given umpteen chances to straighten out his act before Miles finally dismissed him from the team during the spring. Apparently if you don't make the highlight reel, your opportunities to screw up are limited at LSU.

 

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]]>Ryan Ferguson2008-07-18T08:37:00 00:00NCAA 09: The FanHouse Reviewhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/07/17/ncaa-09-the-fanhouse-review/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/07/17/ncaa-09-the-fanhouse-review/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/07/17/ncaa-09-the-fanhouse-review/#commentsFiled under: ,


Yeah, we're two days late. We FanHousers don't get advance copies of games, tickets, or anything for that matter. We're scrubs, just like you. But that's what makes it all so fun! We spent these two days "past deadline" playing NCAA '09.

The Game

In case you live under a rock, EA Sports' NCAA Football is a wildly successful software franchise updated mid-July of each year. With each new release comes new team and player ratings and, ostensibly, new features.

What's New and What's Not

Good news: if you played last year's next-gen (Xbox 360 vs. Xbox) version of NCAA Football you will be able to jump right in and play without any problem. The controls are virtually identical (thank you, EA), the playbooks are very similar and overall gameplay is in the same ballpark. The menu interface is also very much like '08, but snappier.

 

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]]>ea sportsEaSportsncaa 09Ncaa09Ryan Ferguson2008-07-17T17:18:00 00:00Spurrier Half-Heartedly Endorses Beecher as Starting QBhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/07/15/spurrier-half-heartedly-endorses-beecher-as-starting-qb/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/07/15/spurrier-half-heartedly-endorses-beecher-as-starting-qb/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/07/15/spurrier-half-heartedly-endorses-beecher-as-starting-qb/#commentsFiled under: ,

Steve Spurrier is well-known for his quarterbacks and how he relates to them. In a nutshell, he can be a tad... rough. You don't go play for the OBC if you're not ready for a constant barrage of, ah, 'constructive criticism' from both near and afar.

From Chris Low's SEC blog:
"If we had to play tomorrow, Tommy Beecher would be our quarterback," Spurrier said. "Tommy Beecher actually has played a little bit better in the spring than Chris Smelley and our other quarterbacks."

But in vintage Spurrier fashion, it wasn't exactly what you would call a ringing endorsement.

"Hopefully, someday we're going to have a quarterback here we can all really hang our hat on," said Spurrier, who made no mention of suspended redshirt freshman quarterback Stephen Garcia. "Tommy Beecher is going to get that opportunity first to see if he can be the quarterback of our team. He hasn't played a lot here. He has all the physical and mental abilities to do an excellent job as our quarterback here."

Sort of a win-lose scenario for Beecher: his coach isn't expecting much, nor is anyone else for that matter, so what's to lose? Go out there and play loose, dude. On the flip side, it does sound like Spurrier's keeping the QB seat warm for the more athletic -- and ostensibly more talented -- Stephen Garcia. Despite four separate transgressions in his freshman year at South Carolina, Garcia will be almost certainly be welcomed back by Spurrier and the Gamecocks sometime this season.

 

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]]>steve spurrierSteveSpurriertommy beecherTommyBeecherRyan Ferguson2008-07-15T19:41:00 00:00Gators Get Thin at Safetyhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/07/14/gators-get-thin-at-safety/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/07/14/gators-get-thin-at-safety/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/07/14/gators-get-thin-at-safety/#commentsFiled under: , ,

At one time the safety position at Florida was loaded. Now, not so much.

Attrition due to injuries and dismissal have made for a somewhat precarious situation in the defensive backfield. Jerimy Finch transferred to Indiana after an injury cut short his first year. Jamar "Tomb Raider" Hornsby was booted off the team in May for felonious use of a stolen gas card. To top it off, four-star prospect Dee Finley was unable to qualify academically. Now word from head coach Urban Meyer indicates that Dorian Munroe (junior, 6-0, 191 lbs.) and John Curtis, a walk-on are both out for the year with knee injuries.

Meyer was quoted as saying that both players were having "tremendous" offseasons, and that while he expected Munroe to return a stronger and better player in 2009, John Curtis' long-term future in football will have to be "evaluated".

The Gators are likely to start sophomore Major Wright, whose freshman season showed plenty of promise. But who will play alongside of him? Incoming superfrosh Will Hill may get a look at one of the two safety positions, but as far as a two-deep goes, it's anyone's guess.

This was once thought to be a position of strength for the 2008 Gators, but now the secondary is hanging by a thread.

 

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]]>Ryan Ferguson2008-07-14T09:19:00 00:00Jacked Up for SEC Football?http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/07/13/jacked-up-for-sec-football/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/07/13/jacked-up-for-sec-football/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/07/13/jacked-up-for-sec-football/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , ,


We all know which conference is the grandest in the land, at least in 2008. You won't find a single pre-season mag, major sports site or network, or pundit who isn't on board with the fact that the scepter of college football power currently resides in the Southeastern Conference.

(Did I word that in such a way to rile up you fans of lesser conferences? Why, yes... yes, I did. Heh, heh.)

The truth is modern college football in any conference is exciting. Parity, talent, speed, and explosive play are all in plentiful supply in this heady age of the sport. But in the SEC, the intensity knob is turned up to 11 week in and week out, the stadiums are huge, and the crowds are jet-engine loud.

Here's a taste of what's just 6 short weeks away. Salivate with me.

 

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]]>Ryan Ferguson2008-07-13T08:24:00 00:00Two Quarterbacks for Auburn? Maybehttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/07/09/two-quarterbacks-for-auburn-maybe-probably/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/07/09/two-quarterbacks-for-auburn-maybe-probably/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/07/09/two-quarterbacks-for-auburn-maybe-probably/#commentsFiled under: ,

The SEC features only a handful of returning quarterbacks. The SEC West is filled with signal caller intrigue as LSU, Auburn, Ole Miss and Mississippi State all have question marks at the position. The Tigers of Auburn will be an interesting tale because not only has Brandon Cox left the building, so too has OC Al Borges.

Wearing the coordinator headset now is Tony Franklin, who covets spreading out the field and athleticism under center. Kodi Burns showed flashes of promise as a backup to Cox in '07, but seemed better when holding onto the ball rather than passing it. Chris Todd, the pure dropback passer, battled for the starting job in spring practice; but a shoulder injury kept him from being able to lock it up.

ESPN's Chris Low asked Franklin how he'd feel about running a 2-quarterback system:
"I've never done it my life. I did it when I first came here [with the now departed Brandon Cox and Burns] because when I looked at what we had to do to win the first game against Clemson, I didn't think either one of them could win it by themselves. I went into the spring hoping somebody would step up and be the best guy by far, but that didn't happen. I then looked at what we did in the bowl game, and I'd say that if we had to start tomorrow, we'd be better off by playing both Kodi and Chris. If it turned out where one pulled away this summer, that would be a good thing. I don't really foresee that happening right now. I foresee both of them playing."
Auburn could be very solid in the west if they're able to get production from these two. In the same interview, Franklin stated that even with Todd's shoulder at 65%, he was the best passer in practice and it "wasn't even close".

 

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]]>Ryan Ferguson2008-07-09T09:14:00 00:00Mississippi State Gets Disproportionately Large Video Boardhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/07/08/mississippi-state-gets-disproportionately-large-video-board/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/07/08/mississippi-state-gets-disproportionately-large-video-board/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/07/08/mississippi-state-gets-disproportionately-large-video-board/#commentsFiled under: ,

Sly Croom gave the western 'Dogs a banner year in '07. With the painful memories of a 3-9 season fresh in their minds, the Bulldogs turned it around in a big way by going 7-5 (4-4 in the SEC) and then winning their bowl game against UCF, resulting in the first eight-win season since 2000.

Now, Mississippi State is ready to give back... with a giant, wayyy-oversized HD video board. (This is an artist's conception of what the completed project will look like.)


Now, don't get me wrong. Freakin' gigantic replay screens are cool (just ask Texas fans). But maybe this one is just a tad too big for this particular, ah, stadium. Check the uprights and the overall field dimension, then scan back up to look at that monster.

It's going to be blinding for whoever's on offense facing the south endzone... wait. Maybe that's the angle. HUGE HOME TEAM ADVANTAGE. Yeah, that's the ticket. FanHouse approves.

 

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]]>Ryan Ferguson2008-07-08T21:03:00 00:00Vandy Has One Hell of a Tough Row to Hoehttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/07/08/vandy-has-one-hell-of-a-tough-row-to-hoe/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/07/08/vandy-has-one-hell-of-a-tough-row-to-hoe/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/07/08/vandy-has-one-hell-of-a-tough-row-to-hoe/#commentsFiled under: , ,

I've made no secret of the fact that we, the collective SEC FanHouse blogger contingent I admire Vanderbilt. Despite being a small, privately-funded university with a heavy emphasis on academics, they field a football team which plays in the ultra-competitive Southeastern Conference. Vandy might not win a lot of games, but they're competitive against some of the nation's best teams in more than their fair share.

Frankly, they've got no business even making a game of it most of the time. Vanderbilt gets the leftover scraps when it comes to D-IA talent. Yet they routinely take powerhouse schools like Georgia, Florida, and Tennessee to the wire, and beyond.

Bobby Johnson is a superb coach who gets little recognition for his accomplishments. As much as I admire and respect this coach, I have to wonder if he'll ever get his team to a bowl game.

In 2005, the 'Dores had Jay Cutler, a first round NFL draft pick and consensus All-SEC quarterback. The Commodores came maddeningly close to postseason viability, but fell short -- losing, unbelievably, to Middle Tennessee just one month prior to taking the Gators to overtime in the Swamp.

In 2006, Chris Nickson showed a lot of promise, leading Vanderbilt to a "nominal" 4-win season which included an upset of No. 16 Georgia.

 

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]]>Ryan Ferguson2008-07-08T19:26:00 00:00Mark Richt Campaigned for a Title Bid Without Much Hopehttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/07/08/mark-richt-campaigned-for-a-title-bid-without-much-hope/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/07/08/mark-richt-campaigned-for-a-title-bid-without-much-hope/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/07/08/mark-richt-campaigned-for-a-title-bid-without-much-hope/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Remember last season when Georgia was ranked fourth, above 2-loss LSU, but were then jumped by the Tigers after LSU beat Tennessee in the SEC Championship game?

That win propelled the Tigers to their second national championship of the 2-aughts, and they became the first team with more than one loss to win a BCS title. At the time, Mark Richt was a ball of title-campaignin' energy, telling each and every reporter he could drag into earshot that Georgia deserved a bid because of their BCS ranking.

As an SEC fan, I always felt Richt's argument was facetious at best. Georgia ended the year playing their best football in recent memory, but to take a 2-loss team who hadn't even won their division over the SEC champion (with one additional win on their record) was never going to fly.

I'm not a huge fan of the BCS, but they got it right last year.

 

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]]>Ryan Ferguson2008-07-08T08:58:00 00:00Pay $49.95 to Listen In on Steve Spurrier During a Game... of Golfhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/07/08/pay-49-95-to-listen-in-on-steve-spurrier-during-a-game-of-g/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/07/08/pay-49-95-to-listen-in-on-steve-spurrier-during-a-game-of-g/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/07/08/pay-49-95-to-listen-in-on-steve-spurrier-during-a-game-of-g/#commentsFiled under: , ,

South Carolina head coach Spurrier launched a pay-for-subscription website last year, but it didn't go far. The website, which charged $99.95 per year, featured 'inside information' directly from the OBC himself but slipped under the waves when site operator Champion Technologies went out of business in February.

Undeterred, the OBC is going to try again. This time the price will be more accommodating to the average fan -- $49.95 per year or $4.95 per month -- and will feature more inside looks at Gamecock football.
The site will feature a staple of last year's site: the 'Ask HBC' section, where fans type their questions and get them answered by Spurrier. The video playbook also returns as Spurrier and his assistants break down key plays from the most-recent game to give fans an inside look.
Hey, that's really cool. Watching the master himself break down football plays? I'd be all over that. And...
Planned features include having Spurrier miked up while playing a round of golf plus construction updates on the expansion of the team's training room at Williams-Brice Stadium. Scott said a member of the training staff will talk about what the improvements will mean for USC's athletes.
Golf's great. So are construction updates... but shouldn't that stuff run on Lincoln Financial? Anyway, check it out for yourself at SpurrierHBC.com. And tell 'em FanHouse sent you.

 

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]]>Ryan Ferguson2008-07-08T08:10:00 00:00Tennessee's Punter Pleads Guilty to DUIhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/07/07/tennessees-punter-pleads-guilty-to-dui/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/07/07/tennessees-punter-pleads-guilty-to-dui/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/07/07/tennessees-punter-pleads-guilty-to-dui/#commentsFiled under: , ,

The Kicking Colquitts, a multi-generational line of Tennessee men who've applied their shoe leather to pigskin for the past few decades, unfortunately must add a DUI to their impressive kicking records. Senior punter Britton Colquitt -- the last of the kicking Colquitts, for now anyway -- pleaded guilty on Monday to drunken driving.

The incident which led to the charges actually happened back in February, but the trial was postponed until July 7. The sentence? 24 hours of picking up litter, and the loss of his license for one year. Oh, and tack on a suspended sentence of 11+ months in jail, a $350 fine, court costs, a 24-hour detention in jail, and DUI school.

Being that he's a Kicking Colquitt, if you asked the young man, he'd probably say the most severe penalty came from his head coach. Colquitt lost his football scholarship for 2008 and will sit out the Vols' first five games of the season.

Colquitt's an All-SEC punter, and putting him in the stands doesn't help a team which is working the kinks out of a new quarterback and new offense. If I were a betting man, I'd say Tennessee might have to punt a few times this season. Colquitt booted 50+ yard punts in 6 games last year. It'll be tough to match that playing in only seven games in '08.

 

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]]>Ryan Ferguson2008-07-07T23:32:00 00:00Charlie Weis 'Privately Projects' 9-12 Winshttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/07/07/charlie-weis-privately-projects-9-12-wins/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/07/07/charlie-weis-privately-projects-9-12-wins/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/07/07/charlie-weis-privately-projects-9-12-wins/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Being a neuron inside Charlie Weis' cranium has to be good for a wild ride. After a 3-9 season (and let's be honest here, Weis was lucky to get to three) Weis is irrationally exuberant about 2009. He's "privately" expecting a 9 to 12 victory season for the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame.

This isn't exactly rock solid stuff. Detroit Free Press picked up the story from Blue and Gold Illustrated, an Irish beat site. But it's still entertaining.
"From what I'm hearing around the way, Weis is privately projecting anywhere from nine to 12 victories this year. And yes, a 12-1 mark would equal the biggest turnaround (+8.5 games by Hawaii from 1998-99) in major college football history. But given the schedule, it's not unrealistic.

"The only regular-season game in which Notre Dame figures to be a serious underdog is the finale at USC, so Weis could conceivably have an 11-0 team heading out there if everything comes together. At that point, anything's possible. (Kevin Garnett even said so.)"
9 wins would be astounding. 12 would be fall-off-the-couch, spaz-out, never-happen-in-a-million-years amazing. Still, though, doesn't this kinda sorta fit with Weis' M.O.? He took a potshot at Michigan in April, and said recently that he could get "hoodlums and thugs and win tomorrow, but I won't do it that way." And don't forget Weis' "schematic advantage" that he brings to every Irish game! Ubersized dreams of grandeur for '08? Why not?

 

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]]>Ryan Ferguson2008-07-07T08:14:00 00:00Phil Fulmer Gets a Big Raisehttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/07/04/phil-fulmer-gets-a-big-raise/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/07/04/phil-fulmer-gets-a-big-raise/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/07/04/phil-fulmer-gets-a-big-raise/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Surprise! Fresh off the hot seat, Phil Fulmer joins the Big Boy SEC Coaches Club thanks to a one million dollar raise. Fulmer's new contract is worth an average of nearly 3 million dollars per year through 2014 thanks to yearly -- and automatic -- $150k bumps. Fulmer will also get a chance to win additional bonuses for winning an SEC championship ($350,000) or a national title ($850,000). Fulmer's new salary puts him in league with contemporaries such as Les Miles, Urban Meyer and Nick Saban, all of whom own one national title in the aughts of the new millenium.

What other conference rewards one of its middling coaches with a million dollar pay raise?

Oh, sure... stop squawking. I know: Fulmer won his division in 2007, and he managed to get the Vols to the double-digit win category (10, to be precise) to boot. He has a national title on his resume. And he has a great overall record: as a head coach he's won 147 games, losing only 45. And he's a sterling 87-27 in the hypercompetitive SEC.

 

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]]>Ryan Ferguson2008-07-04T19:36:00 00:00Donovan Snubs NABC, Accepts 15-Year Old Son of Doc Rivers' Commitmenthttp://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2008/07/04/donovan-snubs-nabc-accepts-15-year-old-son-of-doc-rivers-commi/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2008/07/04/donovan-snubs-nabc-accepts-15-year-old-son-of-doc-rivers-commi/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2008/07/04/donovan-snubs-nabc-accepts-15-year-old-son-of-doc-rivers-commi/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

It was a big deal when Billy Gillispie accepted a commitment from Michael Avery, a 15-year old 8th-grader who hadn't yet settled on which high school he'd been attending when he said 'yes' to Kentucky. Gillispie took a lot of heat, not only from the press but the UK athletic director, who took some convincing before he blessed his coach's actions.

The National Association of Basketball Coaches, an organization which has no power of enforcement but does carry clout within the profession, issued an edict which basically stated that recruiting kiddos prior to their sophomore year of high school is a big no-no -- or at least, "strongly discouraged". Gillispie responded in kind by saying he fully respected the NABC's position and that he intended to abide by it from now on.

Enter Florida's Billy Donovan, who just three weeks removed from the NABC's recommendation accepted a recruitment from Austin Rivers, son of Doc Rivers, coach of the 2008 world champion Boston Celtics. Young Rivers, like Avery, is merely 15 years old and two grades shy of the NABC's recommended 10th-grade.

 

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]]>Ryan Ferguson2008-07-04T18:17:00 00:00Kentucky's Jasper to Transferhttp://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2008/06/01/kentuckys-jasper-to-transfer/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2008/06/01/kentuckys-jasper-to-transfer/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2008/06/01/kentuckys-jasper-to-transfer/#commentsFiled under: ,

It's finally official, ending weeks of speculation: Kentucky guard Derrick Jasper has asked for a release and will transfer, according to school officials.

There had been widespread rumors that Jasper, a west-coast transplant, was painfully homesick in Lexington. His statement appears to confirm that.
"The decision to transfer is in no way an indication of my experience playing for UK," Jasper said in a statement released by the university. "I feel at this point in my life, it is important for me to be close to my family, and I intend to transfer to a school closer to the west coast where I can see my family more often, and they can see me play."
Head coach Billy Gillispie, in his own statement, called Jasper's decision "disappointing" but went on to portray the 6' 6" swingman as "fantastic, both as a person and a basketball player."

Kentucky is losing an important cog in the wheel of their basketball program. Since point guard Alex Legion transferred at the beginning of the '08 season, Jasper's departure leaves Kentucky's cupboards nearly bare at the PG slot. Talented incoming frosh DeAndre Liggins could be the Wildcats' answer to run the point, but there's a problem: so far, Liggins has not been able to qualify academically. If Liggins fails to make it onto campus at Kentucky, the 'Cats will likely be forced to turn to Michael Porter, who has a nice looking 3-pointer but struggles defensively thanks to his physical stature and limited athleticism.

If Porter starts at point, '09 could be another uphill battle for the 'Cats, who also lost two seniors responsible for nearly 50% of their offense.

 

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]]>Ryan Ferguson2008-06-01T09:37:00 00:00