Evidently, according to this LA Times article (h/t The Wizard of Odds), the NCAA is going to give a serious look at revising two rules instituted for the 2006 season: Rule 3-2-5 dictated that the clock start when the ball is free kicked and rule 3-2-5-e, the more controversial, ordered that, after a possession change, the clock would start on the officials’ ready-for-play signal.
Sounds like there may be more than a few unhappy head coaches:
“… I don’t know many coaches that are too happy with” the new rules, said Florida State Coach Bobby Bowden. “They’re trying to speed the game up. All they’re speeding up are [coaching] firings.”
At one point this year, Florida Coach Urban Meyer characterized the rule change as “awful.”
Oregon Coach Mike Bellotti told The Times, “It’s the most dramatic, drastic change I’ve seen. Nobody likes it.”
Bellotti made those comments before the season.
Texas Coach Mack Brown complained after his team’s Sept. 9 loss to No. 1 Ohio State that the new clock rules made it more difficult for a trailing team to mount a fourth-quarter comeback.
“They [the Buckeyes] scored with six minutes left and the game was over before we had a chance to do anything,” Brown said on a conference call after that game. “… I hate it.”
USC Coach Pete Carroll, who didn’t want instant replay in college football, thinks the clock rule has to be changed.
“I don’t like it,” Carroll said. “I don’t like it and I think we made a mistake here with this rule and I think we should fix it…”
Although maybe not everyone is that unhappy:
… Teaff said that, contrary to published reports, many coaches didn’t have a problem with the changes, especially defensive coaches.
“It was very interesting,” Teaff said of the survey. “The coaches were pretty well split on it.”
Ironically, I think that Georgia, which has a history under Richt of suffering through some game mismanagement issues now and then, did a fine job this year handing the new clock management rules. The Tech game was an excellent example of that. So from a selfish standpoint, I’m not on the side of those who think it’s a serious problem. But it sounds like a change is gonna come.
My only question is, if they do change the rules and the games go on longer as a result, should we expect Lincoln Financial and CBS to cut back on commercial time?