Showing posts with label big 12. Show all posts
Showing posts with label big 12. Show all posts

Tuesday, May 10, 2022

1A Independents start to dwindle in 2023

 I'm chuckling at how quickly USC agreed to swap BYU for San Jose St on its football schedule in 2023 since BYU needs to make room for Big 12 conference games in 2023. BYU was 5-0 against  Pac12 football teams in 2021, including a win over USC.
BYU hoops made be in for a ruder awakening when it exits the WCC .
In other news : Notre Dame opens  @Ohio St and also will play BYU in Vegas later in the 2022 season.
Liberty plays Arkansas, VTech, and Wake Forest this upcoming season.
May 12, 2022
Another 2023 football swap: Liberty needs to free up space for CUSA games in 2023 so South Carolina(SEC) agreed to drop them and add Jax St, who needs non -conference games in its first 2023 CUSA season.
I'm curious to see if New Mexico St can carry its WAC basketball success to the CUSA. It's football team has some schedule changes to make for 2023.
Would Gonzaga block adding Seattle(WAC) to WCC to fill BYU's spot?
May 26, 2022
Shifting gears to baseball: BYU is a fourth seed in the WCC tournament and faces an uphill battle to upset  1 seed Gonzaga (ranked 10 in the country). Cougars will need a serious upgrade to be competitive in Big 12 baseball.
 Liberty is in the ASUN semi-finals and should be in decent shape when they join the CUSA.
New Mexico State, another future CUSA member, upset Sam Houston to remain in WAC Winner's Bracket.
May 27, 2022
BYU fell to Loyola Marymount 5-1 in a single-elimination game. Today's WCC matchups.
May 28, 2022
I have new favorite a first name. #ThreeHillier hit two home runs for Liberty in a win  over EKU to advance and face Kennesaw State in the ASUN championship game on Saturday for the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
NMSU advances to first WAC Tournament baseball championship game since 2018 with stunner over Sacramento State and faces winner of Grand Canyon /Abilene Christian game.
May 29, 2022
Liberty lost and will wait for a possible at-large bid.
New Mexico St won and gets the automatic bid. He!! of a "Cinderella" WACT for the Ags.
June 5, 2022
Liberty was eliminated by Central Michigan (MAC) 3-2 in extra innings. Three Hillier had two hits and scored a run for the Flames in the loss.
NMST was eliminated by Vandy in the CWS.
July 10, 2022
UConn decided that hoops was king and ran back to the Big East ,exiting the AAC and relegating pigskin to Independent status. Huskies HC Jim Mora's goal is to join the ACC. You got a lot of work to do, and it starts with three games in 2022 against ACC teams in Syracuse, Boston College and NC State. Plus, if the ACC ever considers you, it's going to want all sports. You ain't getting the "Irish" treatment. 
July 12, 2022
I've wondered why New Mexico St has kept its football going and found a somewhat big name in its history. Charley Johnson who had a decent NFL career as a QB. He coached briefly for NMST after they fired Hal Mumme in 2008. NFL playing career :
St. Louis Cardinals (1961–1969)
Houston Oilers (1970–1971)
Denver Broncos (1972–1975)
Sept 25, 2022
The Edsel sank UConn pigskin after letting my Terps down. I doubt if Jim Mora Jr can save them. NC St abused them yesterday.
Liberty found enough O to beat Akron. Dae Dae Hunter 18 carries, 118 yards, 1TD for the Flames.
UMass may be considering downgrading to 1AA or quitting pigskin after a 28-0 loss to Temple.
BYU beat Wyoming. Notre Dame beat the no defense Tar Heels.
New Mexico St 45 Hawaii 28. Rare easy lei for the Ags.
Oct 2, 2022
 Freeze O machine doesn't miss a beat. Liberty 38- ODU 24.

How about those Huskies? Devontae Houston rushed for 105 yards. UMass gave E.Michigan a scare but lost 20-13 

BYU handled UTAH St.

 NMST lost 21-7 to FIU(CUSA). Ags hoops team is going to like the move to the CUSA more than its football team. 
Oct 4, 2022
BYU on NBC this week for a visit to Notre Dame. The Hall to Hill connection will give BYU a big road win.
Oct 9, 2022
Mora Jr has UConn looking like a team. UConn 33 FIU 12. Maybe the Cusa will take them for just football since UConn is a hoops first school and they're staying in the Big East.

 ND 28 BYU 20 to give ND 7-2 lead in the series. Liberty took care of UMass, and Army got trounced by Wake Forest
Oct 13, 2022
I doubt if the MAC wants to deal with UMass as a member again, and UConn would be interesting for football only. This weekend UMass hosts Buffalo while UConn travels to Ball St.

An angry Arkansas(SEC) makes an infrequent visit to BYU. Notre Dame hosts Stanford(Pac12). NMST hosts New Mexico(MWC)
Oct 16, 2022
Big Independents, ND and BYU had rough days. Liberty escaped Gardner -Webb.

UConn didn't score in the second half and lost to Ball St. UMass still doesn't know Defense is one of the three parts of football and lost to Buffalo 34-7.
NMST 21 NM 9 in the Rio Grande Rivalry or Battle of I-25.
Oct 20, 2022
Mormons land in Falwell country for an interesting matchup. Liberty got within one of Wake Forest in its only loss but hasn't played as tough as a schedule as BYU. Dae Dae Hunter is an exciting offensive player for the Flames, but he won't be enough. BYU 34 LIB 27.
BTW, Notre Dame hosts UNLV(MWC) in the first matchup ever between these football teams. ND should recover from the bad loss to Stanford. ND 30 UNLV 17
Oct 22, 2022
Wow BYU got killed in Falwell country. They got a lot of work to do before they play a Big 12 schedule. BYU 14 @ Lib 41 F
Dae Dae Hunter Yds-Rc31 Yds-Ru213 TD-Ru1

Notre Dame beat UNLV 44-21. Pyne threw 2 td passes for the Irish
Oct 30, 2022
BYU keeps losing, this time to ECU(AAC). In New England, UConn beat BC, while UMass lost to New Mexico St.
Notre Dame dominated Syracuse and hosts Clemson next week. The game will be on NBC.

Shifting gears to Independent hoops. Chicago St was unable to land in a small, midwestern conference after leaving the WAC and managed to put together a 2022/23 schedule that includes Delaware St, an hour from my home, and Marshall.
Hartford left the America East conference, despite some recent success, as part of its move to Div III.
Oct 31, 2022
No. 23 Liberty is ranked in the AP football poll for the first time since 2020.
Nov 3, 2022
Interesting weekend with the Independents. 
Liberty may fall right out of the top 25 after it visits Arkansas.
Clemson needs to beat Notre Dame to stay in contention for the F4.
Army/AirForce will be close and is occurring at Arlington TX
BYU needs to beat Boise St if it wants to go bowling.
UConn reaches .500 with a W over UMass.
Nov 4, 2022
Man, I'm stunned that Liberty hung on and beat Arkansas 21-19, particularly after Hunter, one of their best O players was injured in the 1q. AFA beat Army and UConn beat UMass.
Hall to Nicau connection saved the day for BYU in a 35-28 win over Boise ST. Notre Dame deserves props for kicking Clemson's butt and the Tigers were exposed



Thursday, January 6, 2022

Sunbelt 2023 or 2022 expansion reverberates

 Ark-Little Rock, a non-football member of the Sun Belt since 1991, is going to the Ohio Valley Conference on July 1st, 2022.
 UT Arlington, another non-football member is is a candidate to join the Missouri Valley Conference.
James Madison HC Curt Cignetti announced the hire of Matt Transue as the new Senior Director of Football Operations.
 Transue joins the Dukes with five-plus years of experience at the FBS level as it relates to the day-to-day operations of a football program. He spent five years in various positions at Va Tech from 2017-21 then was the DFO at Ga Southern last season. I'm sure Helton, the HC at Georgia Southern, ain't digging losing him to a future SBC opponent.
Division travel shouldn't be bad in the Sunbelt East: Coastal Carolina, Appalachian State, Georgia State, Georgia Southern, Marshall, Old Dominion and James Madison.
Jan 15, 2022
Sunbelt will let #herd, USM, and ODU, know on Jan 26 if they can join for 2022 instead of 2023.
Jan 22, 2022
UTA is set to join the WAC, not the MVC, on July 1, in time for the 2022-23 athletic season. The WAC is getting Texas-heavy. 
Feb 2, 2022
Various news outlets reports that JMU will be joining the Sunbelt in all sports starting in the fall of 2022, and the Dukes are slated to open their football season against MTSU on September 3.
Feb 5, 2022
America East bans Stony Brook Seawolves from conference tournaments because it's moving to the CAA, who did the same thing to James Madison for their move to the Sunbelt. Both schools will need to get at large bids to NCAA tournaments.
Feb 23, 2022
Marshall is suing C-USA in Cabell County, WV in a bid to exit early for Sun Belt and are claiming that the current bylaws on arbitration were not in effect when they joined the conference in 2003.
CUSA may want to move Liberty(Independent in football) in earlier than the planned 2023 date.
March 30, 2022
#herd, USM, and ODU got their wish and will join the SunBelt for 2022 football season. Conference USA will play with 11 members next season and has petitioned the NCAA for health and safety reasons, a lack of bye weeks, to play two football games in Week 0 in 2022.
April 23, 2022

Well, if the Sunbelt schedules more games against division opponents than travel should be reduced.
May 4, 2022
Cincinnati, Houston, and UCF are negotiating a settlement with the AAC to leave the league early and make their Big 12 membership official on July 1, 2023 . And watch the AAC try to speed up bringing in these CUSA teams: Florida Atlantic, Charlotte, North Texas, UTSA, Rice and UAB.
May 21, 2022
Sad news for Jax St , who's transitioning to 1A while it on its way to the CUSA in 2023. Assistant head football coach Calvin Magee(59) died after suffering a heart attack. He was an assistant to HC Rich Rod at several schools over the years and played four seasons at TE for TBay Buccaneers.
May 31, 2022
Georgia Southern (40-18) of the Sun Belt Conference will host a Baseball regional for the first time. East Carolina(AAC) and S.Miss (CUSA) are also hosting. BTW, ECU opens against Coppin St (MEAC), a small inner-city schooi in Baltimore, my home town.
June 10, 2022
It's official on July 1, 2023 :Cincinnati, Houston, UCF will join the Big 12 The Big 12 will field 14 teams in 2023 . The three schools will each pay the AAC $18 million over a 14-year period to leave the conference early. As an FBS independent, BYU will only have to pay $500,000 to leave the WCC for other sports, Six CUSA schools six schools will now officially join the AAC :Charlotte, Florida Atlantic, North Texas, Rice, UAB. and UTSA CUSA will also add four schools: Jacksonville State, Liberty, New Mexico State. and Sam Houston State.
July 21, 2022
I took a nap on the Sunbelt. JMU's Homecoming Weekend October 22: The Dukes will face Marshall, a team they’ve only played to twice in the 1990s. Marshall won both matchups.
July 29, 2022
Coastal Carolina QB Grayson McCall signed an NIL deal with Darlington Raceway( “Too Tough To Tame”). I can see this one working out well.
When I went to a few Nascar races at Dover around from 1998-2000, a lot of the long- time fans told me that Darlington was a track I should visit.


 


Sunday, January 19, 2020

P5 pigskin on the hardwood January 2020

ACC: Louisville and FSU sit atop the ACC with 6-1 records. Duke(5-2) looks ragged and UNC is as bad as their head coach says they are. A bunch of teams with 4-3  conference records including Cuse.
B10: Terps(4-3) woke up yesterday and beat Purdue, but the Buckeyes(2-5) descent continues with a loss to a much improved PennSt (4-3) squad. Here's the top three. MSU (6-1) Illinois(5-2) Rutgers(4-2)
B12: Baylor is 5-0 and Kansas is 4-1 while Texas Tech(4-2) is hanging around. I thought Huggy had WVU(4-2) turned around but they lost to a so-so KSt squad yesterday and haven't looked sharp lately.
Pac12: Another wild week  out west.  WSU loses its football coach , Mike Leach, and its hoops squad knocks off Oregon then Oregon St to move to 3-3 in conference play. #OnyekaOkongwu scored 22 for USC in an overtime win over Stanford which left both teams tied for first with 4-1 records.
SEC: I loved South Carolina knocking off Kentucky at the buzzer, but the Gamecocks weren't done as they headed west and beat TAMU. Rough week for Auburn who lost to Bama and Auburn. Madness tickets are up for grabs to everyone but Ol Miss and Vandy who are 0-4. Georgia is 1-3 but they have Anthony Edwards
Jan 22
 Illinois remained in second with a win over Purdue who 's headed toward the B10 cellar. Bane led TCU to an upset of TT in B12 play. #Lsu (6-0) held off the Gators 84-82 to remain a game ahead of UK in the SEC.
Jan 24
Topsy-turvy action continues. Indiana upset Sparty(6-2) 67-63 in B10 play., which knocked Sparty into a tie for first with Illinois(6-2) . OhioSt (2-7)lost to Minnesota and is only one game out of the cellar. In the Pac 12 Oregon inched closer to Stanford with a win over USC, and Washington stumbled closer to the basement with a loss to Utah
Jan 26
Pac 12#remymartin (24 PTS, 3 REB, 4 AST) played a key role in ASU comeback victory over #22 Arizona. #23 Colorado beat fading Washington.
ACC:  Wyatt Wilkes scored 19 points for# 5 Florida State in a narrow win over Notre dame. # 6 Louisville rolled over Clemson.
B10: #21 Illinois survived Michigan and #24 Rutgers edged Nebraska.
SEC / B12 showdown ended in a 5-5 tie yesterday. SEC winners: Kentucky won at Texas Tech in OT. LSU beat Texas. Auburn beat Iowa St. Arkansas beat TCU. Alabama beat Kansas St .
B12 winners. Baylor over FLA. Kansas over Tenn. OK over Miss St. OK ST over TAMU. West Virginia over Missouri
Jan 27
 I've heard way too much chatter about how 11 of the 14 B10 teams may get Dance tickets, that's goofy. Illinois and MSU are tied at the top at 7-2. Terps squeaked out a big win over Indiana yesterday and are tied for second with with Rutgers at 6-3. 
Jan 29
Rutgers beat Purdue(11-10, 4-6) last night which should put the Boilermakers on the bubble. In the SEC Miss St got a big win over FLA, Auburn survived last place Ol Miss, and TAMU beat Tenn. Missouri beat GA but both those teams, Ol Miss and Vandy need big winning streaks just to get on the Dance bubble.
In the ACC VTech loss to Miami hurt, while VA got a big win over FSU which gives Louisville sole possession of 1st.. Duke beat Pitt.
Jan 31-
Cowan led my Terps to a win over Iowa, and Illinois beat Minnesota to keep things tight at the top of the B10. The Pac 10 is growing a big middle. Pritchard led Oregon(18-4, 7-2 Pac-12) to a win over Cal(9-11, 3-4 Pac-12). Chris Smith scored 30 for UCLA(11-10, 4-4 Pac-12) in a win over Colorado
(16-5, 5-3 Pac-12). Zona(14-6, 4-3 Pac-12) squeaked by Wash(12-10, 2-7 Pac-12).

USC (17-4, 6-2 Pac-12) beat Utah(12-8, 3-5 Pac-12) and Oreg St (13-8, 3-6 Pac-12) beat Stanford 
( 15-5, 4-3 Pac-12
feb 2
Wacky Pac 12  results continue with Washington's  descent remaining a constant . Stanford upset Oregon. Cal edged Oreg St.. Zona beat Wash St. ASU beat Wash
feb 4
Big dogs kept rolling in the B12 last night.  Baylor (20-1, 9-0) beat KSt , and Kansas(19-3, 8-1) got a solid game from Azubuike(17 PTS, 12 REB, 2 BLK) in a 69-58 win over Texas. 
feb 5
Terps(8-3) take over first  in the B10 with their win over Rutgers(7-5) and Mich St(8-4) loss to Penn St (7-4). Auburn(7-2) survived Arkansas in OT while UK(7-2) beat Miss St  which moved them into a tie for second in the SEC behind LSU(8-0)
feb 6
In the SEC Florida handled Georgia, while Vandy stunned LSU thanks to a big night from Saban Lee
(33 PTS, 4 REB, 6 AST). And SEC cellar dweller Ol Miss got (38 PTS, 3 REB, 2 AST ) from Breein Tyreee in an upset of South Carolina. Wake Forest collapsed in the second half against Louisville who outscored them 52-30  for a 86-76 ACC win.Another wacky big 10 final score Purdue 104 Iowa 68. West Virginia stayed in the B12 race with a 76-61 win over Iowa St.
feb 7
Maybe the Pac 12 is filtering out the decent from the mediocre? ASU(5-4) made fourteen treys in a win over UCLA(5-5). Zona(6-3) beat USC(6-4) 85-80. Colorado(7-3) beat Cal(4-5). Utah(4-6) beat Stanford(5-4). Or maybe not? 
feb 8
Big win for the Terps with the D holding Illinois to 24 points in the second half of 75-66 win. Anthony Cowan Jr. MD - G (20 PTS, 4 REB, 7 AST)
feb 9
 Sparty loss to Michigan yesterday was great for the Terps. Minnesota fell off the bubble in its loss to Penn St yesterday. Zona's loss to UCLA makes the P12 messier. Auburn looked ragged at the beginning but managed to beat LSU in OT and move in to a three way tie for first place in the SEC with UK and LSU
feb 11
Tre Jones did a great job of  helping Duke overcome a ton of turnovers to beat Florida St 65-60. T. Forrest led FSU with.18 PTS, 9 REB, 4 AST. In B12 play Texas Tech crushed TCU and Baylor got by Texas.


feb 12
SEC basement kids are shaking things up. Ol Miss(4-7) beat Miss St(6-5) 83-58 and Mizzou(3-8) gave LSU(9-2) a battle before losing 82-78.
feb 16
Terps blew a big lead then came back behind Cowan in the final two minutes to knock off Sparty. I'm proud they didn't choke. PennSt  beat Northwestern to stay 1GB of the Terps in the B10.
SEC: The basement kids are at it again. Mizzou knocked off Auburn and OL Miss gave UK quite a scare before losing 67-62. Meanwhile Bama stayed on the  bubble  by beating LSU.
 In the B12 Baylor beat WVU and  Kansas handled OK, while Texas Tech was upset by OK St. In the ACC, Louisville  was upset by Clemson while FSU survived Cuse and Duke rolled Notre Dame.
It's getting mighty crowded near the top of the PAC. Colorado(9-4) beat Oregon St, USC (8-5) handled Wash St, UCLA(8-5) beat WASH, and Zona(8-4) beat Stanford. Oregon(8-4) and ASU(7-4) were idle.
feb 19
Why is Ohio St 25. Do conferences records matter?
feb 20
SEC:Georgia(3-10) upset Auburn(9-4) and TAMU(7-6) moved up while knocking Bama(6-7) down the basement steps .Miss St(8-5) edged South Carolina(8-5) which creates more havoc for the Dance Committee.
ACC: NCSt(8-7) upset Duke(12-3) while Louisville(13-3) got back in gear with a manhandling of Cuse(7-8). UVA(10-5) may be off the bubble with a win over BC. 
Texas Tech(17-9, 8-5 Big 12)got a much needed win over KST
feb 21
PAC12: Oregon(9-5) fell out of first in a  77-72 loss to ASU(9-4).Rob Edwards ASU - G(24 PTS, 4 REB, 1 AST) had a solid night.Colorado(10-4) edged USC(8-6) to take over first place. Zona(9-4) beat Oregon St and UCLA(9-5) beat Utah.
feb 23
B12: Baylor missed too many free throws and easy shots in a loss to Kansas. The B12 has become a more physical conference and the refs  are allowing it . Texas tech  should be off the bubble while WVU's loss to TCU hurt.
Pac12: Buckle up! Here come the Bruins(10-5) who knocked off first place Colorado(10-5). ASU survive Oreg St to remain  alone in first place.Oregon (10-5) survive Zona.
SEC: TAMU  kept rolling with a win over Miss St. Kentucky and Auburn did enough to survive, respectively, Florida,,and Tenn.
feb 24
 Terps lost to the Buckeyes and Penn St lost to Indiana . Sorry to say that means the B10 may get ten tickets to the Dance.
feb 25
FSU took over first place in the Acc with an impressive come from behind win over Louisville. WVU is on the bubble after back to back B12 losses to TCU and Texas.
feb 27
He!! of a comeback for the Terps last night over Minnesota. The74-73 loss nails the coffin on any Dance tickets for the Gophers(13-14, 7-10 Big10). Rutgers' 65-64 loss to Penn St moved the Knights(18-11, 9-9 Big Ten) closer to the bubble
SEC: FLA spanked LSU. South Carolina survived GA in OT. Big night for Anthony Edwards UGA - G(36 PTS, 7 REB, 4 AST)
feb 28
 Good luck to the Dance committee sorting out the Pac 12 tickets. Last night Colorado lost Cal. USC beat Zona. UCLA beat ASU. Oregon beat Oreg St.
mARCH 1
 UCLA beat Zona taking sole possession of first place in the P12 pending the outcome of the Ducks game today. Terps, Duke, FSU, and Baylor lost yesterday, too.
march 3
Baylor pushed Texas Tech(18-12, 9-8 Big 12) closer to the bubble with an OT win and Duke did the same to NC St(18-12, 9-10 ACC) via a potent second half .
March 5
ACC: UVA has been hot but barely beating Miami 43-41 puts their O in doubt again. FSU survived Notre Dame . SEC: Tenn upset UK on Monday, and last night TAMU upset Auburn and Arkansas upset LSU.  Dance committee will have some tough decisions.
March 6
ASU lost to the basement Huskies- it appears the Pac12 T would sort out the Dance tickets. 
March 8
 Oregon took the opening of UCLA's loss to USC and the Pac12 crown with a win over Stanford. Zona and Colorado had bad losses to respectively, Washington and Utah. West Virginia got a big win over Baylor in the B12 and TX got rolled by OK St.
March 21
 Sometimes the one and done guys don't improve their draft value. It's no surprise #AnthonyEdwards is leaving Georgia for the NBA, but I think his season was decent not great, and it may hurt him a little during the draft. In his final three college games, he shot 11-for-55 from the field.
March 29
 Shaka stays: Smart is 90-78 (40-50 Big 12) in five seasons and has led Texas to two Dance appearances. Horns were right on the bubble before Covid short circuited the season.
april 30,  2020
 #DaishenNix became the third high school prospect to agree to enter the G League’s professional pathway program, agreeing to turn pro instead of attending UCLA. It appears the Gatorade group will reduce the number of  one-and-doners.
May1, 2020
 Steve Forbes, the new Wake Forest HC, and Currie, the WF AD, worked together when they were both at Tennessee. ETSU (Southern Conference) replaced Forbes with assistant Jason Shay who will be the interim HC for now.
May 24, 2020
When I saw the news that #EddieSutton , HoF coach , died , I thought about the Terps loss in rd2 of the 1988 Dance to his Kentucky team. That was a great season for Terps Coach #BobWade , a one-time legendary HS coach at Baltimore Dunbar High School, who would be forced out at MD by the end of the 1989 season.
June 2
Jason Terry is returning to Arizona his alma mater as an Asst Coach on Sean Miller's staff. He played on six NBA teams including the Mavs 2011 title team.
June 12
 A 10-year NCAA-mandated disassociation with the USC program ended on June 10 for Reggie Bush and basketball player O.J. Mayo. Both players were subject of a huge probe into USC's athletic programs.
June 27,2020
In his first full recruiting cycle since taking over Arkansas(SEC) in 2019, Musselman signed four freshmen in the nation's No. 7 recruiting class and reeled in Indiana (B10) transfer Justin Smith.
7/4/20
Musselman keeps busy: David Patrick, the HC at UC Riverside(Big West), will be the Razorbacks' new associate head coach. Patrick was a major factor in LSU recruiting Ben Simmons. Highlanders elevated Mike Magpayo to replace Patrick.
7/24/20
#stanleyjohnson , who played for  UConn from 2006-10, was found dead in his home. No cause of death but foul play was ruled out. He was a former Mr Alabama of high school hoops.
03/27/21
I  blog from time to time  about the power conferences, and I'm starting to wonder if Austin is the blues capital for men's football and hoops. Or is Shaka not so Smart? Marquette  hired #ShakaSmart as its new head coach. He's a Wisconsin native and was 109-86 overall at Texas with a 52-56 mark in the Big 12 and no NCAAT victories. The rd1 Dance upset to Abilene Christian. may have been the final straw.
 He replaces Steve Wojciechowski, who may be on DePaul's wish list. He certainly has the Catholic background which includes playing basketball at Cardinal Gibbons High School in Baltimore City, but I'm not sure if he'll recruit  well in the Chicago area.
3/29/21
Heavy LA  flavor in the Elite 8 with USC beating Oregon  and UCLA beating Bama yesterday.
Three of the four teams playing today are former  SWC  schools.. Arkansas plays Baylor and Houston plays Oregon St, which wasn't a SWC member.
3/30/21
One former SWC team, the winner of Hou/BAY, will be in the final.  And, how about this in Hoosierland : They hired former Ohio State coach Thad Matta as an associate AD for basketball to serve in an advisory role to Mike Woodson , IU alum and new HC.  
4/1/21
TX hired Chris Beard(UT class of 95) from Texas Tech to be their new hoops HC, but will owe TT a $4 million buyout payment since he is leaving for another school within the state.It would have been 5m but dropped to $4m today under terms of his contract .
Vic Shaefer, who TX hired away from Miss St, got the Horns gals to the Elite 8, while his replacement, Nikki McCray-Penson in Starkville, had a rough season with a talented Dawgs squad. She's on the hot seat after her first SEC season, and maybe thinking it was nicer at Old Dominion.
Hating the Tar Heels is in my Terp blood, but props to Roy Smith who retired today claiming he was no longer the right man for the job.
4/15/21
Tommy Lloyd, a longtime Gonzaga assistant , takes over the Arizona program, despite former Zona players lobbying for Zona guy which included Gilbert Arenas' silly comment that it's an error to hire an assistant coach to be a head coach.
5/15/21
Pac-12 hires MGM Resorts executive #GeorgeKliavkoff as commissioner to replace Larry Scott as Commish. So there were no other qualified candidates with NCAA resumes? I heard Oliver Luck was in the running.
5/16/21
Gonzaga and UCLA hoops have been working to run back Final Four classic in the 2021/22 regular season, which is a great move.
june 22, 2021
Love this hoops matchup: Colorado will play Tennessee in Nashville on Dec . 4, 2021
Jan 14, 2023
By the skin of his teeth, Kevin Warren avoided hurting the Big 10 by deciding to at least play a shortened football schedule in 2020. Jury remains out on how much acquiring USC and UCLA will help the conference. Now he's off to run the hapless Chicago Bears. I don't think he's the answer for Chi-town.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Friday the 13th Football, Mumme and more

Yesterday morning I scanned the sports TV schedule and focused on the two games involving ACC teams , UNC/Wake Forest and BC/Kansas(B12). It's been five years since the Terps divorce from the ACC went into effect for the 2014/15 marriage with the Big 10, and I still forget from time to time.
Jamie Newman led the Deacons to a 21-0 halftime lead, and they hung on for a 24-18 win over UNC that oddly doesn't count in the ACC standings. They're in different ACC divisions and haven't met since 2015, and many wonder why this long time rivalry hasn't been made a part of the ACC schedule .
Kansas stunned BC 48-24 for its first road win over a Power 5 school in nearly 11 years. Carter Stanley tossed three TD passes for the Jayhawks.
In a game matching Hal Mumme coaching disciples, Leach and Holgorsen, Washington St (pac12) survived 31 -24 over Houston (AAC). #AnthonyGordon threw for 440 yards and three touchdowns for his third straight 400-yard game for WSU. BTW, Hal Mumme was on the sidelines and was interviewed during the TV broadcast.
Sept 15
Big Saturday for the Big 12: TCU over Purdue(B10). KST over Miss St(SEC). WV over NCST(ACC) .
UCF (AAC) rolled Stanford (PAC 12)
Oct 4
It's been a rough time for Mumme's disciples, Holgorsen and Leach, since their Friday the 13 matchup. Holgorsen's star QB King took a healthy redshirt, and Leach called his players sloppy and soft after a 67-65 loss to UCLA.
Jan 14, 2020
 King graduated in Dec and entered the transfer portal yesterday. Leach is now in charge at Miss St
Jan 21
West Virginia RB #MartellPettaway opts for grad transfer to #MTSU (CUSA) In 2019 he rushed 19 times for 72 yards and two touchdowns. When he played for Holgorsen in 2018, he rushed for 623 yards, six touchdowns. 
King leaves Houston for Miami U
jan 22
Hawai'i hires Todd Graham ,ex-ARIZ St  HC (2011-17 ), to be HC.  He started his coaching career on Rich Rodriguez's staff at West Virginia as linebackers coach in 2001
april 5
Times have changed  #mikeleach, Miss St football coach tweeted about a woman knitting her husband a hanging rope during the quarantine got slapped by the PC internet cops. In 1992 #jackiesherill, then the Mississippi St coach, allowed a bull to be castrated in front of his team  and got less flack. 
april 19, 2020
  I saw this headline : Miami's D'Eriq King is poised to have a Joe Burrow-like impact for the Miami Hurricanes in 2020 and laughed. He!!, If the Canes average two TDs a game on O, that would be an improvement.
MAY 10, 2020
I was looking around at transfer news and saw Tyler Carr, TE from Texas Tech,  was headed to Hawaii and his OC would be GJ Kinne who was a low level asst on the Eagles(NFL) staff last season. When I read more of Kinne's bio , I learned that he was once put into protective custody when his father , who was also his high school football coach was shot in the chest by the disgruntled parent of one of the team's players at Canton HS in Mesquite,TX.
June 4, 2020
RIP Johnny Majors who had 185-137-10 lifetime record at three stops : Iowa St, Pitt, and Tenn. He ended his career in 2007 as Asst AD at Pitt. He led Iowa St (Big Eight) to its first   bowl game, the Sun Bowl in 1971, in which they were crushed by LSU 33-15.
Jackie Sherill replaced Majors at Pitt in 1977.
June 5, 2020
Marinos's statistics dipped during his senior year, which saw Pitt transition from head coach Jackie Sherrill to new coach Foge Fazio. Sherill took the Texas A&M job in 1982.
June 29, 2020
 I found this while reading an article on Rolovich , who left Hawaii(MWC) for Wazzoo. Hawaii's athletic budget of 46M is smaller than East Carolina (AAC), UMass(Independent) and James Madison (1AA)
June 24, 2021
Mumme just took a job in a developmental football league called “The Spring League” . Don't know WTH that is!!!!!!
March 1, 2022
Art Briles, who lasted four days at Grambling after Hue Jackson hired him.   S. Miss considered hiring Briles as an asst in 2019. Shawn Oakman, one of the Baylor players involved in that mess, was eventually exonerated. One a side issue, I noticed Mumme is a Tarleton St grad, and wonder if he chats with Gillepsie, their hoops HC.
May 3, 2022
D'eriq King jumped from the Houston Cougars to the Miami Canes in 2020 looking for an eventual big NFL  payday. Pats signed him as a UFA.
Dec 12, 2022
Mike Leach, the Miss St HC, is in the hospital and reports are that he's been fighting pneumonia for months. Zach Arnett, the Dawgs DC, is running the team heading into the bowl matchup against Illinois

DI Baseball peek in April 2024

 UC Irvine 24-4 (10-2 Big West) Joichiro Oyama 5HR 28RBI 4SB ULL 24-8 (11-1 Sun Belt) LP Langevin has four saves. Eyes on WKU who just kno...