OHIO STATE RECEIVES THEIR PUNISHMENT, A COUPLE OF MAJOR SUSPENSIONS FOR BOWLS & IF NOT A QB FOR CHIEFS, THEN WHO?
I'm sorry for today's post being late, I tried writing it very early this morning like I normally do but I was falling asleep at the keyboard. My knee has blown up again, the calcium deposit has come back & it's about the size of a golf ball. The pain in severe & it's constant, sleep doesn't come easy. So when I felt like I was going to nod out, I slept. I'm behind on Christmas duties as well, so I'll get this post going right now.
The NCAA announced their punishment for Ohio State University Tuesday afternoon. I think it was about right, altho there was one surprising component to it. The Buckeyes have a 1-year post season ban, no BIG TEN Championship game should they qualify & no bowl game. The university self-imposed a 5-scholarship forfeiture for the next two seasons, the NCAA tacked another 4 onto that total. OSU also put themselves on a 2-year probation a few months back, the NCAA added a third year to that penalty. What this does essentially let new head coach Urban Meyer have a "free year" in 2012, no expectations because they can't go anywhere anyway. Takes a lot of pressure off from day one. Now it will return bigger in 2013 after the 2011-12 seasons of, shall we say less than expected results. The surprising part of the NCAA violation letter was that former coach Jim Tressel was slapped with a five-year show cause for his part in covering up "Tattoo-Gate." What that means is Tressel will be almost impossible to hire as a college coach for the next five years. The NCAA states in their decision Tressel clearly lied to them on four separate occasions when questioned about the players involved in Tattoo-Gate. He also kept information pertinent to the school's portion of the investigation away from the university. So if you want to hire Jim Tressel, you'll have to show cause to the NCAA as to why. One more note on the Ohio State punishment, athletic director Gene Smith, the luckiest AD in the country to still be employed, said after the NCAA announcement "We are surprised & disappointed with the NCAA decision. However, we have decided not to appeal the decision because we need to move forward as an institution." If Gene Smith was surprised, he the most clueless person in Columbus Ohio. The decision to forgo an appeal is just smart business, the sooner this dies down, the sooner normal recruiting can return & Meyer can get on with his efforts to return the Buckeyes to national prominence.
Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz made it clear yesterday of his intentions to stay as the Hawkeye's head man. With the Kansas City Chiefs job opening up, there was some speculation he might join old friend Scott Pioli. But Ferentz stated yesterday "There has been considerable speculation & questions regarding my coaching future at Iowa & elsewhere. I fully intend to be at Iowa in 2012 & beyond." That's Coachspeak 101, it doesn't mean he wouldn't move elsewhere, but for now, leave me alone.
In another story involving the Hawkeyes, leading rusher Marcus Coker has been ruled out of their Insight Bowl game against Oklahoma. Coker rushed for nearly 1,400-yards this season & scored 15 TD's. He was MVP in last year's Insight Bowl win over Missouri when he ran for 219-yards. His backup, DeAndre Johnson has all of 79-total yards this season, so the Hawkeyes lose a lot with Coker's suspension. The university said Coker's suspension stemmed from "a violation of the student athlete Code of Conduct." Just yesterday OU lost DE Ronnell Lewis to academics. He is one of the Sooner's best pass rushers.
Wide receiver Dwight Jones of the University of North Carolina has been suspended from the traveling squad for the Tar Heels' upcoming Independence Bowl trip. He was involved in a party promotion that involved under-age drinking displaying his likeness plus violations of football program rules. He has a slight chance of being reinstated over the weekend prior to Monday's bowl game. Jones lead all Tar Heel receivers with 79-receptions for 1,119-yards & 11-touchdowns. That's a lot to lose for interim coach Everett Withers, who announced today, he's joining Urban Meyers' staff at Ohio State as co-defensive coordinator. Monday will be his final game for UNC.
**UPDATE at2:45PM CT
The university asked for & received permission from the NCAA to reinstate Jones for their bowl game. He will return to practice tomorrow.
New Kansas coach Charlie Weis had successful hip replacement surgery on Sunday. He will begin his rehab in Florida with his family & then return to Lawrence around the 10th of January.
College passing game guru Norm Chow will return to his home state of Hawaii to become the University of Hawaii's new head coach. The 65-year old Chow has never held a head coaching position. He spent 26-years at BYU before moving to North Carolina State as offensive coordinator. He filled that position for 3 other PAC-12 schools before moving back home to coach the Rainbow Warriors. Chow has long been considered one of the sharpest minds in college football when it came to passing offenses.
Efforts to shore up a beaten-up offensive line have begun in Green Bay. LT Chad Clifton is still ailing from a hamstring pull suffered in week 5, plus a back condition. RT Brian Bulaga was injured Sunday in their loss to Kansas City & his replacement, rookie Derek Sherrod, suffered a broken leg less than a quarter later. Sherrod remains hospitalized in Kansas City after undergoing two surgical procedures to set a broken tibia & fibula. Only reserve tackle Marshall Newhouse is healthy but after seeing Chiefs OLB Tamba Hali wear him out, the Packers are in the market for some offensive tackles. They signed former Chief Herb Taylor to their 53-man roster. Left guard T.J. Lang will move out to right tackle & he'll be replaced by Evan Dietrich-Smith. Seeing Aaron Rodgers under constant pressure had to bring a good feeling to the pass rush-happy Forty-Niners as we approach playoff time.
Kansas City kicker Ryan Succop was named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week. Succop was 4 for 4 in field goals & kicked an extra point in the Chiefs' upset win over the previously undefeated Green Bay Packers.
The Bears made a move they should have made last week, they benched quarterback Caleb Hanie. Veteran Josh McCown will start in his place as the bears cling to their slim playoff hopes. Those hopes could be dashed as they travel to Green Bay for a game Christmas night.
Attorney for Sam Hurd, Bret Greenfield, said in a statement today his client "was really anxious to get out there & face these charges. He wants to show everyone the truth about him." The truth is Hurd took a kilo of cocaine from a undercover cop with the agreement Hurd would cash his Bears' paycheck the next day to pay for the drugs. He was arrested with the coke in his car. They have him on tape bragging about being a huge supplier of drugs in the Chicago metro area. That's the truth. What Greenfield could be referring to is what I've said all along, he might have been lying about being a bigtime drug dealer. He could've done this for several reasons but the most important one is jump over being a low-level dealer right into the bigtime. Skip all that on the job training crap, just get to the big paydays. I will be shocked if:
1. He is proven to be a major drug kingpin in the Chicago area.
2. He has a network of street dealers.
3. If he carries a weapon.
4. If the police found a significant amount of drugs other than the kilo they gave him.
5. If he's anything more than a blowhard looking for an audience.
6. If he ever plays in the NFL again.
After a flurry of emails since the Kyle Orton-led Chiefs beat Green Bay Sunday, I have to tell you people.....relax. They still have two important games remaining, they still have a shot at the playoffs, at least until Denver wins a game. Orton will become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, his intentions are unknown right now. What the Chiefs feel about Orton is also unknown, they may want to talk contract, they may just want him to go on his way. So there are a lot of intangibles we don't know about right now. I was asked if the Chiefs decided to keep Orton, what other position would they consider with their first round pick? I can't speak for Scott Pioli, but here's who I would be looking at if a QB isn't in the first round draft mix.
1. Jonathan Martin--offensive tackle--Stanford*
2. Riley Reiff--offensive tackle--Iowa*
3. David DeCastro--guard--Stanford*
4. Luke Kuechly--inside linebacker--Boston College*
5. Devon Still--defensive tackle/end--Penn State
6. Mark Barron--safety--Alabama
*denotes underclassman eligible for the draft
I was asked about Montee Ball, Wisconsin RB. I like him, probably as a late second round, early 3rd. Was also asked which position(s) are the deepest in this draft? Without knowing how many underclassmen come out, it's impossible to say right now. But based on seniors alone, cornerback & wide receiver are once again fairly deep in talent.
The NCAA announced their punishment for Ohio State University Tuesday afternoon. I think it was about right, altho there was one surprising component to it. The Buckeyes have a 1-year post season ban, no BIG TEN Championship game should they qualify & no bowl game. The university self-imposed a 5-scholarship forfeiture for the next two seasons, the NCAA tacked another 4 onto that total. OSU also put themselves on a 2-year probation a few months back, the NCAA added a third year to that penalty. What this does essentially let new head coach Urban Meyer have a "free year" in 2012, no expectations because they can't go anywhere anyway. Takes a lot of pressure off from day one. Now it will return bigger in 2013 after the 2011-12 seasons of, shall we say less than expected results. The surprising part of the NCAA violation letter was that former coach Jim Tressel was slapped with a five-year show cause for his part in covering up "Tattoo-Gate." What that means is Tressel will be almost impossible to hire as a college coach for the next five years. The NCAA states in their decision Tressel clearly lied to them on four separate occasions when questioned about the players involved in Tattoo-Gate. He also kept information pertinent to the school's portion of the investigation away from the university. So if you want to hire Jim Tressel, you'll have to show cause to the NCAA as to why. One more note on the Ohio State punishment, athletic director Gene Smith, the luckiest AD in the country to still be employed, said after the NCAA announcement "We are surprised & disappointed with the NCAA decision. However, we have decided not to appeal the decision because we need to move forward as an institution." If Gene Smith was surprised, he the most clueless person in Columbus Ohio. The decision to forgo an appeal is just smart business, the sooner this dies down, the sooner normal recruiting can return & Meyer can get on with his efforts to return the Buckeyes to national prominence.
Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz made it clear yesterday of his intentions to stay as the Hawkeye's head man. With the Kansas City Chiefs job opening up, there was some speculation he might join old friend Scott Pioli. But Ferentz stated yesterday "There has been considerable speculation & questions regarding my coaching future at Iowa & elsewhere. I fully intend to be at Iowa in 2012 & beyond." That's Coachspeak 101, it doesn't mean he wouldn't move elsewhere, but for now, leave me alone.
In another story involving the Hawkeyes, leading rusher Marcus Coker has been ruled out of their Insight Bowl game against Oklahoma. Coker rushed for nearly 1,400-yards this season & scored 15 TD's. He was MVP in last year's Insight Bowl win over Missouri when he ran for 219-yards. His backup, DeAndre Johnson has all of 79-total yards this season, so the Hawkeyes lose a lot with Coker's suspension. The university said Coker's suspension stemmed from "a violation of the student athlete Code of Conduct." Just yesterday OU lost DE Ronnell Lewis to academics. He is one of the Sooner's best pass rushers.
Wide receiver Dwight Jones of the University of North Carolina has been suspended from the traveling squad for the Tar Heels' upcoming Independence Bowl trip. He was involved in a party promotion that involved under-age drinking displaying his likeness plus violations of football program rules. He has a slight chance of being reinstated over the weekend prior to Monday's bowl game. Jones lead all Tar Heel receivers with 79-receptions for 1,119-yards & 11-touchdowns. That's a lot to lose for interim coach Everett Withers, who announced today, he's joining Urban Meyers' staff at Ohio State as co-defensive coordinator. Monday will be his final game for UNC.
**UPDATE at2:45PM CT
The university asked for & received permission from the NCAA to reinstate Jones for their bowl game. He will return to practice tomorrow.
New Kansas coach Charlie Weis had successful hip replacement surgery on Sunday. He will begin his rehab in Florida with his family & then return to Lawrence around the 10th of January.
College passing game guru Norm Chow will return to his home state of Hawaii to become the University of Hawaii's new head coach. The 65-year old Chow has never held a head coaching position. He spent 26-years at BYU before moving to North Carolina State as offensive coordinator. He filled that position for 3 other PAC-12 schools before moving back home to coach the Rainbow Warriors. Chow has long been considered one of the sharpest minds in college football when it came to passing offenses.
Efforts to shore up a beaten-up offensive line have begun in Green Bay. LT Chad Clifton is still ailing from a hamstring pull suffered in week 5, plus a back condition. RT Brian Bulaga was injured Sunday in their loss to Kansas City & his replacement, rookie Derek Sherrod, suffered a broken leg less than a quarter later. Sherrod remains hospitalized in Kansas City after undergoing two surgical procedures to set a broken tibia & fibula. Only reserve tackle Marshall Newhouse is healthy but after seeing Chiefs OLB Tamba Hali wear him out, the Packers are in the market for some offensive tackles. They signed former Chief Herb Taylor to their 53-man roster. Left guard T.J. Lang will move out to right tackle & he'll be replaced by Evan Dietrich-Smith. Seeing Aaron Rodgers under constant pressure had to bring a good feeling to the pass rush-happy Forty-Niners as we approach playoff time.
Kansas City kicker Ryan Succop was named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week. Succop was 4 for 4 in field goals & kicked an extra point in the Chiefs' upset win over the previously undefeated Green Bay Packers.
The Bears made a move they should have made last week, they benched quarterback Caleb Hanie. Veteran Josh McCown will start in his place as the bears cling to their slim playoff hopes. Those hopes could be dashed as they travel to Green Bay for a game Christmas night.
Attorney for Sam Hurd, Bret Greenfield, said in a statement today his client "was really anxious to get out there & face these charges. He wants to show everyone the truth about him." The truth is Hurd took a kilo of cocaine from a undercover cop with the agreement Hurd would cash his Bears' paycheck the next day to pay for the drugs. He was arrested with the coke in his car. They have him on tape bragging about being a huge supplier of drugs in the Chicago metro area. That's the truth. What Greenfield could be referring to is what I've said all along, he might have been lying about being a bigtime drug dealer. He could've done this for several reasons but the most important one is jump over being a low-level dealer right into the bigtime. Skip all that on the job training crap, just get to the big paydays. I will be shocked if:
1. He is proven to be a major drug kingpin in the Chicago area.
2. He has a network of street dealers.
3. If he carries a weapon.
4. If the police found a significant amount of drugs other than the kilo they gave him.
5. If he's anything more than a blowhard looking for an audience.
6. If he ever plays in the NFL again.
After a flurry of emails since the Kyle Orton-led Chiefs beat Green Bay Sunday, I have to tell you people.....relax. They still have two important games remaining, they still have a shot at the playoffs, at least until Denver wins a game. Orton will become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, his intentions are unknown right now. What the Chiefs feel about Orton is also unknown, they may want to talk contract, they may just want him to go on his way. So there are a lot of intangibles we don't know about right now. I was asked if the Chiefs decided to keep Orton, what other position would they consider with their first round pick? I can't speak for Scott Pioli, but here's who I would be looking at if a QB isn't in the first round draft mix.
1. Jonathan Martin--offensive tackle--Stanford*
2. Riley Reiff--offensive tackle--Iowa*
3. David DeCastro--guard--Stanford*
4. Luke Kuechly--inside linebacker--Boston College*
5. Devon Still--defensive tackle/end--Penn State
6. Mark Barron--safety--Alabama
*denotes underclassman eligible for the draft
I was asked about Montee Ball, Wisconsin RB. I like him, probably as a late second round, early 3rd. Was also asked which position(s) are the deepest in this draft? Without knowing how many underclassmen come out, it's impossible to say right now. But based on seniors alone, cornerback & wide receiver are once again fairly deep in talent.
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