College Football Capsules: 'Bama wins $32M bet on Saban as profits soar
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The University of Alabama won its bet on Nick Saban.
In fact the gamble — a $32 million, eight-year deal that made Saban the highest paid college coach — paid off better than anyone might have hoped.
Records from the U.S. Department of Education show Tide football made nearly enough money in the 12 months ending June 30 — $38.2 million — to cover not only the $4 million per year of Saban’s orginal contract, but also the one-year extension he recently signed that upped it to $4.7 million annually.
"That makes it pretty much an open-and-shut case," said James Cover, an economics professor at the university.
Especially considering it is an almost 40 percent gain from the year before Saban was hired in 2007. By comparison, domestic corporate profits in the United States have plummeted 27 percent since 2006, according to statistics from the Bureau of Economic Analysis.
This year could be even better than the last for Alabama, with the Crimson Tide set to play Texas in the Bowl Championship Series title game on Jan. 7. Fans barely recall those pre-Saban days when Alabama was an also-ran in the national title discussion.
Along with BCS bowl money, Alabama will rake in cash from the Southeastern Conference, sales of licensed Tide merchandise, tickets and donations. Florida’s football revenues jumped $7.2 million to $61.3 million this year after it won the national title last season, records show.
Alabama officials raised more than a few eyebows when they opted to make Saban the nation’s highest-paid college coach almost three years ago, signing him after he left the NFL ranks and the Miami Dolphins. At the time, Oklahoma’s coach Bob Stoops was reportedly the highest-paid college coach with a contract worth just under $3.5 million in 2007.
Saban is proving to be worth the money. He has led Alabama to two straight SEC title games and two straight lucrative BCS bowls while compiling a 25-2 record over the last two seasons. The school may have raised the salary bar to new heights, but it’s hard to question whether it was a good financial investment.
Football continues to pay the bills for other varsity sports and the department still wound up with a $22.1 million profit last year.
Recession-plagued construction is at a standstill in some areas, but huge cranes stand over Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa. It’s being expanded to raise its capacity to 101,000 at a cost of more than $80 million.
Alabama’s jobless rate climbed to 10.9 percent last month, but the waiting list for Crimson Tide football tickets is more than 10,000 names long.
On University Drive, stores are selling Southeastern Conference championship shirts as quickly as they can get them after ‘Bama’s 32-13 convincing win against Florida last week.
David M. Jones, who runs Alabama Bookstore, said he has been swamped with fans buying hats and T-shirts ever since the SEC title game. Excitement over Alabama football has helped his business weather the recession.
"We call it the Saban effect," Jones said. "It was a great investment three years ago, and he’s continuing to pay dividends."
House panel passes college football playoff bill
WASHINGTON — Dismissing complaints from some members that Congress had more pressing matters, a House subcommittee approved legislation Wednesday aimed at forcing college football to switch to a playoff system to determine its national champion.
"We can walk across the street and chew gum at the same time," said the subcommittee chairman, Illinois Democrat Bobby Rush, one of the bill’s co-sponsors. "We can do a number of things at the same time."
The legislation, which still faces steep odds, would ban the promotion of a postseason NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision game as a national championship unless it results from a playoff. The measure passed by voice vote in the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s commerce, trade and consumer protection subcommittee, with one audible "no," from Rep. John Barrow, D-Ga.
"With all due respect, I really think we have more important things to spend our time on," Barrow said before the vote, although he stressed he didn’t like the current Bowl Championship Series, either.
The BCS selections announced last weekend pit two unbeaten teams, No. 1 Alabama and No. 2 Texas, in the Jan. 7 national title game. Three other undefeated teams — TCU, Cincinnati and Boise State — will play in a BCS bowl game, but not for the championship.
"What can we say — it’s December and the BCS is in chaos again," said the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Joe Barton of Texas, the top Republican on the House Energy and Commerce Committee. He said the BCS system is unfair and won’t change unless prompted by Congress.
The legislation, which goes to the full committee, would make it illegal to promote a national championship game "or make a similar representation," unless it results from a playoff.
There is no Senate version, although Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, has pressed for a Justice Department antitrust investigation into the BCS.
Shortly after his election last year, Barack Obama said there should be a playoff system.
In a statement before the vote, BCS executive director Bill Hancock said, "With all the serious matters facing our country, surely Congress has more important issues than spending taxpayer money to dictate how college football is played."
Yet Barrow wasn’t alone in criticizing his colleagues’ priorities; Reps. Zach Space, D-Ohio, and Bart Stupak, D-Mich., made similar arguments. Space said that with people facing tough times, the decision to focus on college football sends the "wrong message."
The legislation has a tough road ahead, given the wide geographic representation and political clout of schools in the six conferences that have automatic BCS bowl bids — the ACC, Big East, Big 12, Big Ten, Pac-10 and SEC.
The current college bowl system features a championship game between the two top teams in the BCS standings, based on two polls and six computer rankings. Eight other schools play in the Orange, Sugar, Fiesta and Rose bowls.
Under the BCS, the champions of those six big conference have automatic bids, while other conferences don’t. Those six conferences also receive far more money than the other conferences.
On the Net:
Information on the bill, H.R. 390, can be found at http://thomas.loc.gov
Bowl Championship Series: http://www.bcsfootball.org
House Energy and Commerce Committee: http://energycommerce.house.gov
-- Frederic J. Frommer
Commentary: Something missing in Heisman race
Some of our top elected officials took time out Wednesday from the weighty issues of the day to push a bill that would ban promotion of the BCS title game as the national championship of college football.
There's no truth to the rumor that their next vote will be to declare that the winner of the Heisman trophy isn't necessarily the best college player in the country.
The results of the last 10 years may support that. The list is littered with players who flopped the moment they left school.
College success has not always translated into NFL millions, as recent winners such as Eric Crouch, Jason White and Troy Smith can certainly attest. The jury is still out on Tim Tebow, too, though Florida's governor seems ready to raid the state's treasury if that is what it takes to get Jacksonville to pick him in the draft.
The prospects of this year's candidates seem decent enough. There's going to be some serious talent assembled Saturday at the Nokia Theater in Times Square, including a long shot from Nebraska trying to become the first defensive player to win the Heisman in a dozen years.
The name Ndamukong Suh does have a nice ring to it, and voters do tend to remember the last thing they saw, which was Suh fronting a Nebraska defense that dominated Texas in the Big 12 championship game. Although Suh almost certainly will be rewarded when his name is called as the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft, Heisman voters tend to gravitate toward guys who actually touch the ball.
Web site operators who spend way more time than they should figuring this stuff out have running backs Mark Ingram of Alabama and Stanford's Toby Gerhart in a dead heat, with Suh and Colt McCoy just behind. Tebow will also be in New York, if only because ESPN can't possibly have a college football show without the sport's most popular player.
Like last year, it figures to be competitive. Should make a fine TV show, which is all that seems to matter anymore.
Somehow, though, it all seems way overblown. The Heisman speculation aired incessantly in seemingly every college game this season has dulled the aura of the once mystical straight-armed statue.
A conversation that once developed about the time the leaves started turning now begins in the heat of midsummer when the upcoming season's talent is first evaluated. There's no need for schools to run late season campaigns for their candidates because the ones that have been deemed worthy have long since been anointed as the front-runners.
Players no longer just have to win games for their schools, as McCoy did all season long for Texas. They must have spectacular games on national television when it matters most or risk being shut out of the debate.
One of the great things about the Heisman is it's decided in a relatively democratic process by a wide pool of voters from all parts of the country. Over the years that has helped level the playing field, especially for West Coast candidates who might otherwise have been overlooked.
But the 900-plus voters don't see all the games. Some of them wouldn't be qualified to pick the best player in the country even if they did.
They end up relying on what the talking heads say on TV, and the conversation gets steered in predictable ways depending on what the talking heads have just seen.
So McCoy is probably out, and Tebow is so yesterday. Suh, meanwhile, is the boutique pick for voters who like to look smarter than they really are.
It seems scripted, because in a lot of ways it is. The babblers have decreed that this should be a pick between a running back with better numbers and a running back on a better team.
The voters are merely a prop now, used to make official what has already become preordained. Take a poll of the entire country and you would probably end up with similar numbers because everyone has heard the same talk.
Saturday night's show should be a good one. There will be lots of good action clips, lots of shots of guys looking nervously at each other.
Finally, someone will stand and hoist the Heisman over his head for the 75th time.
It's a great trophy, and a fine tradition. Too bad the mystique that once surrounded it is gone.
Tim Dahlberg is a national sports columnist for The Associated Press. Write to him at tdahlberg@ap.org.
Tebow's legacy goes beyond stats, Heisman Trophy
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Tim Tebow knelt on the sideline, stared across the field and helplessly watched Alabama celebrate the Southeastern Conference championship. His eyes red and watery, Tebow bit his bottom lip repeatedly as he tried to control his emotions.
No chance. Tebow's tears might have been the indelible image of Florida's season, one that started with talk of perfection and essentially ended on a cold, December afternoon in Atlanta.
"It's not how you want to go out," Tebow said.
It's not how he wants to be remembered, either. As the bulky, left-handed quarterback prepared to travel to New York for a third consecutive Heisman Trophy ceremony, Tebow made it clear he wants to be known more for what he accomplishes off the field than anything he does on it.
His 2007 Heisman Trophy, his two Maxwell Awards, his Davey O'Brien Award, his two SEC championship rings and two national titles, they're all special. But they compare little to the smiles Tebow puts on the faces of sick children, the faith-based messages he delivers to prisoners and the reactions he gets from fans seeking autographs, photos or handshakes.
"Those will probably be even more special to me than some of the games and some of the wins and the championships and what not," Tebow said. "Because you know what? At the end of the day, it's more special to be able to use football as a platform to make someone's day."
Tebow's mantra draws praise from his teammates and coaches, but also raises eyebrows outside Gainesville. Three years of Tebowisms and Tebowmania have been followed with some Tebow Fatigue — people tired of hearing about the too-good-to-be-true quarterback.
That's one reason Tebow doesn't expect to become the second player to win a second Heisman Trophy on Saturday night.
"I'm competitive in everything I do, so obviously I want to win," Tebow said. "When you get up there, it becomes more of a, 'Yeah, I want to win this now sort of thing.'"
He's more of a long shot now than in the previous two years. Tebow became the first sophomore to hoist the famous bronze statue two years ago and finished third behind Oklahoma's Sam Bradford and Texas' Colt McCoy last season, while receiving the most first-place votes.
He could have made a strong push for college football's most prestigious award with a big game — and a victory — last week against Alabama.
Instead, Tebow and the Gators endured some of the same offensive problems that plagued them all season. The 32-13 loss included dropped passes, red-zone struggles and more indecisiveness in the pocket by the quarterback. Tebow completed 20 of 35 passes for 247 yards, with a touchdown and an interception, and ran 10 times for 63 yards.
It wasn't nearly enough.
"On that day, they were a better team than us," Tebow said. "They played with a little bit more heart and determination, and that's something that's very tough to swallow because usually that's a little bit of our edge and they had it."
The loss was especially tough on Tebow, a fiery leader who carried the Gators to the national championship in 2008. He broke down near the end of the game, losing his composure for the second time in two weeks. He also cried during Florida's senior day ceremony.
"You want to end your career on a good note," Tebow said. "Our dream was to win the SEC and go have an opportunity to play in Pasadena for the national championship. That was our goal and something we put a lot of work into. And when you take pride in what you do and you care so much about it, you're going to be passionate and it's going to mean a lot to you and it does mean a lot to me.
"It was tough to swallow, something I cared so much about for my teammates, my coaches, for myself and the fans. That was a dream for us and a goal that we fell short of."
Nonetheless, many believe Tebow will go down as one of college football's greatest players. A three-year starter, Tebow has completed 65.6 percent of his passes for 8,803 yards, with 85 touchdowns and 16 interceptions. He also has 2,896 yards rushing and 56 more scores.
"He'll always be in the argument," Florida State coach Bobby Bowden said. "Here's a guy who is a fullback and a nifty quarterback as well. What a combination that is."
Throw in Tebow's charitable service and his family's missionary work, and Gators coach Urban Meyer can't recall a better ambassador of the game.
"His mission outside of college football is unparalleled as far as I'm concerned," Meyer said. "It's almost like selflessness is now a cool thing. Kids realizing to give back, and if you can brighten someone's day, you do it. The impact that he's made on this team is phenomenal."
Tebow still gets a chance to add to his legacy in the Sugar Bowl against No. 4 Cincinnati on New Year's Day. Tebow wants to finish his college career on a winning note, then do all he can to play quarterback in the NFL. More importantly, though, he wants to use the attention — even the reaction to his tears — in a positive way.
"With being scrutinized and being someone who gets some attention, you've got to realize there's going to be pros and cons," Tebow said. "Some of the cons are having to deal with all of it, having to see it all on TV and having your friends and family reading about it.
"The pros are I can go visit practically any kid I want (in the hospital) and make them smile in there. The pros are that I can go into prisons and share with inmates and actually have them listen to me because I play for the Gators. The pros are having opportunities to go around the country and speak to people and make an influence on their lives. I think the pros far outweigh the cons."
-- Mark Long
QB Williams leaves Illinois with a mixed legacy
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — As he prepared for his last game at Illinois, quarterback Juice Williams talked like a man who doesn't know where he fits into the 199-year history of the program, like he might disappear into the pages of Illini history like he was never here.
He is the all-time Illinois leader in offensive production. He led his team to the Rose Bowl as a sophomore. And he is a potential NFL talent.
And yet Williams told reporters this when asked about his Illini legacy:
"I feel your legacy is really dictated by what people think about you," he said, talking about nights when he fell asleep crying, doubting he was good enough to be a major college quarterback. "If people don't really like me or like the things I've done here, the legacy's not even there."
Juice Williams' place in Illinois football history isn't a simple thing to assess.
The 21-year-old senior owns that offensive record — 10,600 yards in all, easily better than No. 2 Kurt Kittner's 8,880 — but he was benched for ineffectiveness a week after setting it.
Juice engineered an 8-minute drive that neither Illinois nor Ohio State fans will soon forget, draining the clock and sealing the road win that simultaneously ended the Buckeyes' bid for a perfect 2007 season and sent Illinois to the Rose Bowl.
But since that Rose Bowl, the Illini are 8-16. And this season, with a group of receivers that were supposed to be among the best in the country, Juice's Illini averaged 193 yards passing per game and had just 15 touchdowns through the air — both next to last in the Big Ten.
Yet the harshest criticism most fans direct toward Williams is that he never improved after the Rose Bowl. If true, is that on Williams or his coaches?
Head coach Ron Zook brought Williams to Illinois as a prize catch from Chicago. Here was a rarity among highly regarded players from the city, choosing the Illini — who were in the middle of five consecutive losing seasons — over suitors with better reputations and records.
But even Zook, who spent the better part of four years telling fans and reporters that Williams was getting better, now says the player who was the face of his program was both a great guy to coach and a mixed bag on the field.
Williams played hurt, Zook said, and never complained about being benched by his coach or criticized by fans.
"Has he been great? No, not all the time," Zook said. "But I'll tell you something. He's a winner. He's a competitor, and he'll be successful in whatever he does. There's no doubt in my mind."
What Juice wants to do is play in the NFL.
He says he's ready to put the communications degree he's on target to earn in December to work as he raises a 2-year-old daughter, but plans to start training to impress NFL coaches and scouts in January in hopes he won't have to set football aside just yet.
He'd like to play quarterback, but he's willing to try his hand at running back, receiver — whatever it takes.
"If that's the only opportunity I have to have to play in the NFL, that's (what he'll do)," he said.
But, like his time at Illinois, his NFL prospects aren't a simple thing to figure out.
"I have mixed feelings on Juice," NFL.com analyst and former Dallas Cowboys general manager Gil Brandt said.
Williams isn't an NFL quarterback, Brandt said, but "I think he's too good an athlete not to be a player. ... He'll get drafted."
Maybe as a receiver, or perhaps a safety.
If he makes it, a lot of the credit will belong to Illinois and his coaches for giving him a shot to move beyond what he calls "a very rough background." And, he adds with humility, he'd like a little credit, too.
"I'm not the Tom Brady of college football," Williams said, "but I was able to do some pretty spectacular things and get some pretty significant wins the past four years."
-- David Mercer
Locker has asset in Sarkisian
SEATTLE — Who needs Mel Kiper Jr. when there's Steve Sarkisian?
Jake Locker, whom some experts think would be the first quarterback taken if he enters April's NFL draft, has an advantage Jimmy Clausen didn't have at Notre Dame and Sam Bradford didn't have at Oklahoma when those fellow star passers recently made their decisions to forego senior seasons.
Washington's junior has a coach who, though only 35, is something of an expert on the decision Locker must make by Jan. 15, the league's deadline for entering the draft.
Until 11 months ago, Sarkisian was a top assistant at Southern California, a cradle of recent NFL quarterbacks good enough to leave after their junior years. So this is the fourth time in eight years he's gone through this.
"We're fortunate that I've had some pretty good experience with this — that have gone both ways," Sarkisian said this week. "I've seen Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart stay in school. I've seen Mark Sanchez decide to turn pro. Not that any decision is wrong or right. It's what's best for those individuals."
Sarkisian started giving Locker a primer on his decision a month ago.
The coach and Washington athletic director Scott Woodward met with Locker and his parents during the week of Nov. 15, during an off week for the Huskies.
"It's just part of us trying to supply him with the right information, the information that really matters that he's going to base his decision on, and not get caught up in the fluff or the things on the perimeter that don't really matter," Sarkisian said.
The coach is also in the process of getting Locker in contact with Palmer, Leinart and Sanchez, so Locker can "understand what the thought process of each of them, so he can come to a conclusion that he feels good about."
Two days after saying "I don't have a plan of attack. I don't have an outline. I don't have anything," following his 2009 season finale and win over California on Saturday, Locker sat down again with Sarkisian.
Two days after fans in Husky Stadium chanted "One more year!" Locker formally applied for an evaluation from an NFL advisory committee. The committee, representing all 32 league teams, will provide him in the coming weeks with an estimate on his draft prospects.
Sarkisian advised Huskies fans not to read anything into that, calling it "normal" research for any star junior.
What's not normal is the NFL's labor situation. If the league and its players' union don't reach a new collective bargaining agreement in 2010, the 2011 season could be played without a salary cap. Sarkisian is helping Locker explore how that might affect rookie salaries, should Locker choose to stay in college for one more year.
Heisman Trophy winners Palmer and Leinart listened to what Sarkisian had to say and stayed at USC. That worked out OK. Palmer was the first overall pick in 2002 and Leinart was selected 10th in 2005.
Eleven months ago, Sanchez went against the advice of Trojans coach Pete Carroll and presumably Sarkisian, though Sarkisian won't say. Sanchez left and was drafted fifth overall. He is now the starter for the New York Jets.
Sarkisian said he was intimately involved with Sanchez's decision. He calls Sanchez "a great young man" for whom he has the "utmost respect."
"With Mark, just as with Jake, I'm not one to go in there and tell these guys what to do," Sarkisian said. "I just want to supply these guys with information, answer whatever questions they may have.
"Carson, Matt and Mark, they (made) their decision based on what they felt was right, and they never looked back on it. That's what I'm hoping Jake can get accomplished with this as well."
Sarkisian said he is telling Locker to base his decision upon the following:
—The history of quarterbacks that leave early and what they've accomplished.
—What teams will potentially be drafting in the top five, an order that won't be determined until after the NFL regular season ends Jan. 3.
—The evaluation he gets back from that league committee.
—The other quarterbacks that are entering the draft.
—The Huskies' prospects for continuing their progress from 0-12 under Tyrone Willingham last year to 5-7.
"And I think it's based on his strengths and his weaknesses, on what another year would mean for him here, as compared to what another year would mean for him in the National Football League in continuing that process of becoming a premier quarterback," Sarkisian said.
Then there's the issue no one wants to mention, the reason Locker is about to take out an insurance policy for 2010.
"The natural thing would be, 'Well, what if he gets injured?' (With) the insurance policies in place now, that's not as big a factor," Sarkisian said. "You look at a guy like Sam Bradford. He had a season-ending injury, and he's still going to be a top 10 draft pick. So I don't think that is a minus."
Asked if he was optimistic in Locker returning to Washington, Sarkisian answered: "Very optimistic."
Why's that?
"That's just the way I think," Sarkisian said, laughing. "Just the kind of guy I am. It's half-full, not half-empty."
-- Gregg Bell
Florida assistant Strong heading to Louisville
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Charlie Strong tried to stay patient, kept telling himself that one day the right opportunity to become a head football coach would come along.
But the years passed and the phone call offering the perfect job never came. More than once the longtime Florida defensive coordinator wondered if it ever would.
Strong did his best to soldier on, never fully realizing how much he wanted to lead his own program until it the moment it actually happened.
It's why he had to bow his head and bite his lip moments after agreeing to take over as head coach at Louisville, the weight of years of frustration washing away into the frigid December air.
"When we were offered this job, me and my wife (Victoria) and I looked at each other," Strong said, "because you just never thought it was going to happen."
Strong, who helped Florida win two national championships, becomes the 11th black coach in the Football Bowl Subdivision and the fourth hired in the last month, signs that major college football is finally embracing minority hires.
"I think athletic directors and presidents are finally showing a sincere commitment to inclusion and equity," said Floyd Keith, executive director of the Black Coaches and Administrators Association.
While Strong wondered when his time would come, Louisville athletic director Tom Jurich had no such doubts. His only concern was that he waited too long to lure Strong away from the Gators.
Jurich pledged not to contact the 49-year-old Strong until after the Gators finished their regular season out of respect. He spent the down time talking to people like former NFL coach Tony Dungy about Strong's character. Yet when other jobs became available during the interim, Jurich admitted thinking his decision to be polite was "stupid."
He didn't hesitate once the Gators fell to Alabama in the SEC title game. Jurich and Strong met in Gainesville on Sunday and spent the next two days talking on the phone before Jurich flew back to Florida on Wednesday to get his man.
"I just wanted somebody so hungry he would crawl here, and there's no doubt he would crawl here," Jurich said.
Instead, Strong sprinted.
Strong was so focused on getting the rebuilding process started he and Jurich didn't even go over the details of his five-year contract that will pay him a base salary of $1.6 million annually until moments before he was introduced.
"It's like a non-issue to him, it's like it doesn't matter," Jurich said. "I just shook my head. I said 'Charlie I'm going to this board meeting in 15 minutes we've got to get it ratified' and he hadn't even addressed it yet. He just wants to win some games."
So do the Cardinals, who slipped off the national radar under former coach Steve Kragthorpe, who was fired after going 15-21 in three seasons.
"We're going to start over," Strong said.
Louisville doesn't really have a choice after going 4-8 this year. Even worse than the inconsistent play on the field was the apathy among the fans who were turned off as the team sank to the bottom of the Big East.
A crowd of just over 23,000 turned out for last month's season finale against Rutgers, a decline the program knows must stop with Cardinal Stadium expanding to 55,000 seats in time for next year's opener against rival Kentucky.
Strong will spend the next few days recruiting and beginning to assemble his staff but plans to be on the sideline for the fifth-ranked Gators when they play No. 4 Cincinnati in the Sugar Bowl.
"I've been there, I still feel like I owe it to them," Strong said.
Florida coach Urban Meyer and athletic director Jeremy Foley did little to stand in Strong's way.
"Once I said I want to be a head football coach, the conversation kind of stopped," Strong said.
Besides, now Strong will get a chance to match the success of his longtime friend.
"What you always want to do is, you want to take a program and say 'You know what, I want to see if I can go and win a national championship also,'" Strong said.
He'll have his work cut out at Louisville, where the defense's precipitous fall has fueled the Cardinals' descent into the Big East cellar. Louisville ranked 67th nationally in both total defense and scoring defense this year, significant improvements from 2007 and 2008 but still only good enough for seventh in the eight-team Big East.
Though he'll be in charge of the team, Strong will call the defense. That's fine by the Cardinals.
"We have to come back renewed, ready to get this bad taste out of our mouth," sophomore defensive end Greg Scruggs said. "We have to feel refreshed with the new coach, new stadium, new start. A lot of things are going to change around here."
Including where the Cardinals get their players. Kragthorpe and his staff largely abandoned recruiting in the south in favor of looking for players from the west and southwest.
"There are some deficiencies somewhere on that (recruiting) board," Strong said. "Now let's go find those guys."
It's a mission he's been waiting for his entire career, one he's been focused on since he and former Notre Dame coach Lou Holtz would go through mock head coach interviews when Strong was coaching the defensive line for Holtz in the mid-1990s.
"It was good that I had him as a model for me," Strong said.
-- Will Graves
Orange Bowl lets Iowa coach escape cold
HOLLYWOOD, Fla. — Coaches Kirk Ferentz and Paul Johnson sat in the shade of a resort hotel, their backs to the pool as a waterfall provided background noise for their Orange Bowl news conference.
"It's really a pleasure to be here today," Ferentz said. "If we were in Iowa right now, we would not be outdoors, I can assure you."
That's one reward for a successful season. Rather than endure Wednesday's blizzard back home, Ferentz was in South Florida to promote his Hawkeyes' Jan. 5 game against Johnson and Georgia Tech.
The schools will play for the first time, and the two coaches first met less than a year ago while pursuing the same recruit — offensive lineman Nolan MacMillan.
"We bumped into each other at a high school in New Jersey in January," Ferentz said. "That was the first time I met Paul."
MacMillan chose Iowa.
"I cheated," Ferentz said. "His dad went to high school with me."
"I owe him one," Johnson said with a smile.
The chance for payback will come next month in Miami. Ninth-ranked Georgia Tech (11-2) earned the Orange Bowl berth by beating Clemson in the Atlantic Coast Conference title game Saturday. No. 10 Iowa (10-2) received an invitation after a storybook season that included seven games decided in the final minute, including two wins that swung on the last play.
The high-scoring Yellow Jackets had their share of thrills too, with five wins by a total of 21 points.
"You have believe that you're going to win," Johnson said. "Certainly we didn't get it done every week, but for the most part, our guys have found ways to make plays. In big games, good players find ways to make plays. That's what we've had."
Ferentz said winning close games involved a learning process for his Hawkeyes, whose four losses in 2008 were by a total of 12 points.
"There's a little bit of development that has gone on," he said. "One of the neat things for us this year is it was a different player finding a way to ignite us every time. That's how we're built. We don't have a marquee player, but we have a lot of good players."
With the bowl game nearly four weeks away, both coaches said they welcomed the break so injuries can heal. Among those sidelined has been Iowa quarterback Ricky Stanzi, who missed the final two regular-season games and underwent surgery to repair a severely sprained right ankle.
"He is doing absolutely fantastic," Ferentz said. "We expect him to be practicing full this weekend."
Ferentz said standout guard Dace Richardson, who missed the final four games with a broken leg, is expected to return in a couple of weeks. Johnson said he's not sure how many of his injured players will be healthy for the Orange Bowl.
Ferentz said he's still trying to figure out how to simulate the Yellow Jackets' triple option in practice. It's a scheme the Hawkeyes haven't faced, and it helped Georgia Tech average 307 yards rushing and 35.5 points per game to Iowa's 109 and 23.1.
The Hawkeyes will fly to South Florida on Dec. 27, and the Yellow Jackets are scheduled to arrive Dec. 30. Both coaches said they want to balance work and fun, rewarding players for successful seasons while also giving them the best possible chance to win.
Ferentz is mindful of the Hawkeyes' only other Orange Bowl appearance seven years ago, when they endured a 38-17 drubbing against Southern California.
"The one thing all of us learned at an early age is it's a lot more fun if you play well and look representative," Ferentz said. "You want to look like you did during the season. Unfortunately we didn't do that the last time we were in Miami, and it's a bitter pill to swallow."
The Yellow Jackets last played in the Orange Bowl in 1967, losing to Florida.
"We had a little dry spell," Johnson said with a smile.
They're not exactly bowl novices, though — Georgia Tech earned an invitation for the 13th year in a row.
-- Steven Wine
Tennessee confirms probe into Orange Pride group
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — University of Tennessee officials say they are "cooperating fully" with the NCAA in its investigation into some of the school’s football recruiting practices.
"We are concerned about the alleged activities of some members of the Orange Pride," Tennessee officials said in a statement released Wednesday.
"Both university and NCAA guidelines are a part of the Orange Pride’s orientation and training. If those guidelines were violated, we will take appropriate action. Because of federal student privacy regulations, we can’t comment further."
Orange Pride is one of three student admissions groups that act as "ambassadors" for the university providing campus tours, help with admissions and hosts prospective athletes and their families. The university said Orange Pride has 75 students, both men and women, as members who work with hundreds of students.
The New York Times reported on its Web site Wednesday the NCAA is probing the use of hostesses by Tennessee to attract top players. The NCAA has met with four prospects and is expected to talk to two more this week.
The NCAA declined to comment Wednesday, citing its policy "not comment on current, pending or potential investigations."
Tennessee athletic director Mike Hamilton confirmed the investigation to The Times but did not return a message left on his cell phone Wednesday by The Associated Press.
Marcus Lattimore, a high school running back, told The Times several hostesses traveled almost 200 miles to watch three Tennessee recruits play at James F. Byrnes High School in Duncan, S.C. They brought signs including one that read, "Come to Tennessee."
Lattimore had made an unofficial visit but was not interested in committing to Tennessee. But two of his teammates, Brandon Willis and Corey Miller, have committed verbally to Tennessee. Lattimore called the hostesses pretty and real cool.
"I haven’t seen no other schools do that," Lattimore told The Times. "It’s crazy."
Many schools use hostesses to help prospective students during campus visits. They are considered representatives of the university and are not allowed to recruit players off campus. The visits could be considered violations of NCAA rules.
Tennessee has reported six minor NCAA violations since Lane Kiffin became coach a year ago — for his efforts in recruiting. Violations involved staging a mock news conference for prospects and mentioning recruits by name both on the radio and on his Twitter and Facebook accounts.
The efforts resulted in Kiffin signing the nation’s top recruit in Bryce Brown weeks after signing day, a signee that pushed his first recruiting class from as low as No. 22 to No. 8 by Scout.com and No. 10 by Rivals.com. Brown is the highest-rated recruit ever to sign with Tennessee.
Brown, the consensus top running back prospect in the country, also was the recruit Kiffin named on radio in one of his NCAA violations.
Currently, Kiffin’s 2010 recruiting class with 23 players verbally committed is ranked No. 5 nationally by Rivals.com.
Nine Michigan State players face misdemeanor charges
LANSING, Mich. — Authorities charged nine Michigan State football players with misdemeanor assault and conspiracy Wednesday following a dormitory brawl last month that has left the team short-handed for its Jan. 2 bowl game.
All nine players were charged with conspiracy to commit assault and battery, according to Ingham County prosecutor Stuart Dunnings III and campus police chief James Dunlap. Each was also charged with at least one count of assault or assault and battery.
Coach Mark Dantonio has suspended 11 players, up from eight following the Nov. 22 incident. Two days afterward, he dismissed running back Glenn Winston and defensive back Roderick Jenrette, both of whom have been charged in the incident.
The players could face up to a one-year maximum sentence on the conspiracy charge, and up to 93 days on the other charges. All are misdemeanors.
Dunnings said more charges could b fle.
'Thres n ngin ivetiaton s Iwoldn'true that out," the prosecutor said.
The suspensions come as Michigan State (6-6) prepares for a Jan. 2 game with Texas Tech (8-4) in the Alamo Bowl matchup of Big Ten and Big 12 teams.
Michigan State spokesman Terry Denbow said none of the suspended players is allowed into the weight room, study areas or other parts of the football building. They will not travel with the team to the game in San Antonio.
"They don't have access to any of the activities," he said. "None of them are preparing for the bowl game."
Karl Price of Louisville, Ky., national president of Iota Phi Theta fraternity, has said the dispute started with a run-in between a few football players and members of the fraternity at an East Lansing nightclub on Nov. 21.
One night later, Michigan State held its annual football awards banquet. Roughly 90 minutes after it ended, a group of players allegedly went across the street to Rather Hall, where the fraternity was wrapping up a potluck dinner in the dorm lounge.
Versions of what happened next vary. Some have said 15 or more people — some wearing ski masks — got involved in a brief fight. Others say there were no ski masks and that most in attendance were just bystanders.
Campus police have not said if any injuries resulted from the altercation. Iota Phi Theta said one of its members was treated at a hospital.
When the bowl game was announced on Sunday, Michigan State quarterback Kirk Cousins said it will hurt not having the suspended players.
"My heart breaks for those guys," he said
Amngth egh payrsDatoioorgialy usenedwee thre starters: defensive back Chris L. Rucker and receivers B.J. Cunningham and Mark Dell. All were charged Wednesday.
The four suspended nonstarters who were charged are Fred Smith, Ashton Leggett, Jamiihr Williams and J'Michael Deane. The suspended players who weren't charged are Brynden Trawick, Ishmyl Johnson, Donald Spencer and Chris D. Rucker, no relation to Chris L. Rucker.
Denbow said Dantonio suspended three additional players as he became aware of their participation in the dispute.
The university is continuing its own police investigation. None of the players' standing as students is affected, Denbow said.
-- Kathy Barks Hoffman
Four Seminole assistant coaches out after bowl
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Former Florida State star tailback Dexter Carter is among four Bobby Bowden assistant coaches not being retained after the Gator Bowl.
Incoming head coach Jimbo Fisher is cleaning house after the Jan. 1 game.
Carter, the Seminoles' running backs coach the last three seasons, is out along with longtime Bowden assistant and former North Carolina State coach Chuck Amato, strength coach Todd Stroud and defensive ends coach Jody Allen.
"Life goes on," said Carter, who starred for the Seminoles in the late 1980's and was a first round draft choice by the San Francisco 49ers. "You've got to be able to dust yourself off and move forward."
Carter, 42, said he was not given a reason why he was being let go by Fisher, who is still in negotiations with the university on a contract as head coach.
"He doesn't have to give me a reason and he didn't," Carter said. "He's going in a different direction. He's not bringing people in who aren't qualified. They can coach."
Bowden, speaking at a Gator Bowl reception in Jacksonville, said he expected all four coaches to stick around for the bowl game.
"As far as I know, they'll all be here for the bowl," Bowden said. "I sure hope they do to try to keep some continuity in our practices and things."
Bowden said he expected Fisher to make changes.
"You hate to see any coaches go that you know," Bowden said. "But just like I told my sons Terry and Tommy and Jeffrey — who all have been fired — that is the nature of the job, the nature of the game, hiring and firing and replacing and losing and so and so.
"I'm just very concerned about their welfare, but coach Fisher, who's going to take my place, has got to do what he's got to do."
Unless Fisher makes more changes, he will be keeping receivers coach Lawrence Dawsey, recruiting coordinator/tight ends coach James Coley, defensive line coach Odell Haggins and offensive line coach Rick Trickett. Dawsey and Haggins also played for the Seminoles.
A seven-year NFL veteran, Carter said he learned a lot during his three years coaching Florida State backs.
"I leave a much better coach than when I arrived." said Carter, who wants to remain in the coaching profession and hopes to someday become a head coach. "You can't be mad. If you are, at some point you'll get over it."
Amato, 63, spent 21 seasons with Bowden, including the last three after being fired by as head coach by his North Carolina State alma mater after a 3-9 season in 2006.
The raspy-voiced, barrel-chested Amato had a 49-37 record coaching the Wolfpack.
Stroud, a noseguard for Bowden between 1983-85, had been strength coach for three years while Allen had been with the Seminoles the past 10 seasons.
The Gator Bowl is also the final time on the sidelines for Bowden after 56 years in the coaching profession. Defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews announced his retirement last month.
Fisher, who was on the road recruiting Wednesday, now has five assistant coaching positions to fill.
"Florida State is going to be fine," Carter said. "But nobody can forget the legacy of coach Bowden."
-- Brent Kallestad
Gator Bowl adds extra seats for Bowden's finale
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Gator Bowl is adding extra seats for Bobby Bowden's finale.
Two days after the bowl announced a sellout for its Jan. 1 game between Florida State and No. 18 West Virginia, organizers decided to add temporary bleachers — much like the city does for the annual Florida-Georgia game at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium.
The bleachers will provide an extra 6,000 seats, with the tickets getting split evenly between the schools.
The extra seats will increase stadium capacity to 83,500. The Gator Bowl sold every ticket to the game in less than two hours Sunday.
Bowden announced last week that the bowl game would be his last. The Gator Bowl passed up Clemson, Miami and Boston College to select the Seminoles and give Bowden an alluring matchup in his finale.
SEC coaches honor Tebow, McClain and Arenas
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Southeastern Conference coaches have picked Florida quarterback Tim Tebow as both offensive player of the year and the league's top scholar-athlete.
They chose Alabama linebacker Rolando McClain as top defensive player and Crimson Tide return man Javier Arenas earned special teams honors.
The league announced the coaches' All-SEC team and award winners on Wednesday.
LSU offensive lineman Ciron Black won the Jacobs Trophy as the league's top blocker. It's the first time since 1997 that a member of the Tigers' football team was recognized in that category.
"It's an honor to have claimed this award," Black said. "I thank God and all the people who have made it possible for me to play at LSU. We have done some great things here in my career, and I couldn't have done it anywhere else. It's just a blessing to have been part of this."
Black has started 52 consecutive games at left tackle for LSU, tying a school record for consecutive starts set by Andrew Whitworth. He can become the school's all-time leader in that area when the Tigers take on Penn State in the 2010 Capital One Bowl on New Year's Day in Orlando, Fla. "I've been fortunate to stay injury free. I thank our training staff," he said.
Alabama's Nick Saban was chosen as coach of the year by his peers.
Coaches picked Tebow as the scholar-athlete of the year for the second straight time. He is also a Heisman Trophy finalist.
Vanderbilt return specialist Warren Norman was the coaches' top freshman.
Beck named Pittsburg St. head football coach
PITTSBURG, Kan. — Pittsburg State has named Tim Beck as head football coach to replace Chuck Broyles, who retired following his arrest on suspicion of drunken driving.
University president Steve Scott announced the appointment Wednesday.
Beck is a 1988 Pittsburg State graduate who played defensive back for the Gorillas. He's a longtime assistant to Broyles, including 16 years as offensive coordinator.
Broyles was given a DUI citation in Galena late last month and has pleaded not guilty. He remains on paid administrative leave as Pittsburg State's athletics director.
William & Mary's Laycock seeking victory No. 201
WILLIAMSBURG, Va. — William & Mary football coach Jimmye Laycock was driving to work on Tuesday morning when he heard something rolling around behind him in his SUV.
It was the game ball his team gave him after the Tribe (11-2) dominated third-seeded Southern Illinois 24-3 Saturday in the Football Championship Subdivision quarterfinals — the 200th win of Laycock's career.
"It fell off the back seat onto the floor," Laycock said with a laugh. "I thought, 'What the heck was that?' I looked back and there was the ball, so I brought it into the office this morning. I'm sorry. I wish I could come up with a better story for you."
It's not a bad story, just lacks any celebratory punch.
Which Laycock hasn't made any time to do.
After his players gave him the game ball, rather than savoring the milestone on the trip home, the 61-year-old was already back to work. He is still game-planning for No. 201 on Friday night at No. 2 Villanova (12-1).
Laycock became just the 13th coach at the FCS level to get to 200 wins. His career record is 200-140-2 makes him the winningest coach at a place where Marv Levy and Lou Holtz also roamed the sidelines.
"It certainly is a significant milestone in anybody's coaching career, and to do it at one school ... is probably unique," Laycock said on Tuesday. "It's a nice thing to have, and if you're going to have a milestone win, it's pretty neat to have it in such a big game like we had it."
Right tackle Keith Hill said of the milestone: "It's not right to call it icing on the cake, because it's so much more. You could call it the perfect storm."
It is just the second trip to the semifinals for the Tribe in Laycock's 30 years as coach, and bears some similarities to the last one, in 2004. Then, they played Colonial Athletic Association rival James Madison, and Friday's game is also against a CAA rival.
Laycock has spent the week watching film and looking for things that will help reverse his team's fortunes against Villanova — they lost 28-17 to the Wildcats on Oct. 3.
"It just shows he wants more out of this season than 200 wins," linebacker Evan Francks said. "He wants to beat Villanova. I know he does ... we all do."
Hill said the second-seeded Wildcats are the right opponent at the right time — it's a chance for the Tribe to get a shot at the title while righting one of the few wrongs this season.
"I want to play these guys again," he said. "The feeling of not doing what you know you can do — more than proving it to them, you want to prove it to yourself."
For Laycock, a win against Villanova would be just another step toward a larger goal. He delivered the message again in the locker room in Illinois.
After the team captains presented him with the game ball, the players were celebrating the milestone when Laycock interrupted them.
"You want to see me happy," he said, "let's get 202."
That, of course, would mean a national championship.
-- Hank Kurz Jr.
