Early Bowl and College Football Thoughts

Before doing my next group of picks, I thought I would take a look back at some previous games and other things of interest in the college game. At this point, I'm 10-2 in my previous bowl picks with the Liberty Bowl on now and the Alamo and Independence still to come.

Best game: I didn't get to watch the Hawaii Bowl which could be it. However, Central Michigan's comeback from being down 21 at the half to only losing by 3 was pretty exciting. Too bad they lost their chance by bloop kicking (short and high but returnable) after tying the score with just over a minute left. Not really too smart to let a team only needing a field goal start near midfield.

Worst game: This Liberty Bowl that I'm watching. It's 3-3 early in the second half. It's brutal. I'm not sure if either team will score again.

It was kind of ironic to hear some UK supporters say that Florida State shouldn't be in a bowl game because of some cheating. UK plays their basketball games in an arena named after a coach who cheated so much that the 1952 season was suspended. However, it should be embarrassing for FSU players because they were getting the answers to a test for an online music class. Even worse, it was an open book exam.

However, the fact that FSU will only have 43 scholarship players pretty much gives the Music City Bowl to UK which is a boon to UK fans. For a few more days, they can forget that they have a basketball team. Actually, John Clay of the local rag had a stupid column a few days ago saying the bowl game was lose-lose for UK. If they lose the game, UK looks like a bunch of schmoes for losing to a team minus 36 players. Even if they win, everyone says it's because FSU was shorthanded. That's BS. This is the Music City Bowl. Two years from now, only UK and FSU fans will remember anything from it. Tennessee barely beat FSU for the 1998 national title in the Fiesta Bowl, but no one remembers that the quarterback who got FSU to the Fiesta Bowl, Chris Weinke, was out for that game.

Rick Neuheisel was hired as the new UCLA football coach (hopefully his specialty is blocking on field goal attempts). I think it's nice that he's back in the college game because him being fired at Washington four years ago was bogus. He broke the NCAA rule against gambling by being in a NCAA basketball tournament pool. You know, the tournament that depends on pools for ratings which means more money for the NCAA.

West Virginia has filed suit against former coach Rich Rodriguez because his buddies have been publicly stating that Rodriguez wasn't going to pay the $4 million buyout that was in his contract if he left the Mountaineers (which he did for Michigan). One of Rod's good friends said that he was basically coerced into signing a new contract that included the buyout. Riiiiight. Yeah, WVU certainly twisted his arm with that 70% raise they gave him in the same contract. A contract is a contract. If it gives Rodriguez the opportunity to break it, he can leave. If it says he has to pay to do so, he has to pay.

Some people wonder why coaches are allowed to leave while under contract. It's because it's in their contract that they can. They just generally have to pay to do it. Some wonder why colleges don't put language in that forces them to stay the length of the contract. Easy. They know they may have to go grab someone else's coach if they get rid of the one they have. As part of their search, WVU has interviewed Central Michigan's head coach.

It's been pretty humorous to see how badly West Virginia fans have been taking Rodriguez leaving. The fact that WVU is going to fight so hard for the buyout (in most cases, it's negotiated down)is only one indication. He was heckled at an airport, his hometown removed a sign saying he was from there (to protect from vandals) and pretty much a total disowning. It's obvious why. When Bobby Petrino left UL, I wasn't that bent out of shape about it. I knew he was a mercenary (who could win which is why I liked him), but he didn't have any real connection to Louisville before taking an assistant position and later the head job. Rodriguez was a native West Virginian who played at WVU. It took me one game as a visitor to Morgantown to see West Virginians fans are to their football team what UK fans are to their basketball team. So, Rodriguez was idolized. Then he left. He didn't just leave. He proclaimed Michigan to be a dream job which pretty much stated that West Virginia sucked. For Mountaineer fans, he didn't just insult the school, he insulted the entire state. Then he threw salt on that wound by trying to steal recruits from WVU (before telling his former players he was leaving) and screwing up their future recruiting. To put it in a way many of my friends can understand, imagine Billy Gillipsie flopping and being replaced by John Pelphrey who eventually takes them to two Final Fours in three years. Then leaves to take the North Carolina job because it's a special situation there. Oh, and he takes a top five prospect with him. How do you think UK fans would view Pelphrey?

A report out there says Darren McFadden may have had a car (OK, a brand new Escalade) bought for him by a potential agent. That means he could be ineligible for the Cotton Bowl. Who cares? Sure, Arkansas can beat Missouri (they did beat LSU), but I didn't think they would with McFadden. And he's not coming back next year.