A convenient felony

I was going to post something snarky about this and how it fits into this, but I didn’t really feel like it.  Besides, I have a feeling that this is a theme that will be visited and revisited with gusto in the Blogosphere over the next few days.

But then I read this… jeez. I guess these guys are serious, since it’s a ‘Bama blog, but damn.

… Elder’s likely departure will also free up a scholarship in regard to the limit of 85 scholarship players. As you probably know by now, we need to free up a few scholarships, and this just puts us one step closer to that point. Moreover, on a more general point, it is largely reasons like this as to why you oversign in the first place. Attrition is a part of the game, and you have to compensate for that accordingly.

Just to be clear, when he writes “reasons like this”, he’s referring to this:

… The charges are, of course, very serious. This is not your typical college transgression by any stretch of the imagination. The two charges of armed robbery are considered Class A felonies in the state of Alabama, and in the state of Alabama Class A felonies carry a punishment of, “Not less than ten (10) years and not more than life or ninety-nine (99) years imprisonment in the state penitentiary and may include a fine not to exceed $20,000.”

I don’t know about you, but I don’t expect the vast majority of coaches who engage in oversigning to have the mindset that it’s justified because some kid is going to commit a violent felony. But then again, maybe they just think differently in Tuscaloosa than I do.

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Less is more. Up is down. Black is white.

Make sure you read this depressing post at EDSBS about the new, improved (for the third straight season!) clock rules.

And pay particular attention to this quote from Michael Clark, the head of the NCAA Football Rules committee, the group responsible for this latest travesty:

“NFL studies showed that adding the 25-40 clock will actually add 4 to 5 plays per game based on consistent pace of play. BCS Football and officials themselves were for this change. With the ready for play, live ball out of bounds rules, (This happens about 12 times per game, with on average 3 of those in last 2 minutes) we should get the same amount of plays in a time span that is a few minutes shorter. For the record it is BCS football, TV, Conference Commissioners with lengthy seasons and television that leads the push for faster games. The Committee’s stance is that the game has given about all it can give back without a negative influence on product. Next move will have to be from Administrators or Television themselves. It is still a great game. MC”

Like Orson, I don’t get the committee’s version of the new math, but as murky as the logic appears to be in the first three sentences, what’s said in the next three is both clear and sad.

Television is our master.

Sure, he’s not happy about it, and I’ll give Clark a couple of brownie points for not hiding his feelings on the subject.

But even with that, Clark still can’t bring himself to draw a line in the sand completely. “The Committee’s stance is that the game has given about all it can give back without a negative influence on product.” “About all”? About? What hole cards has the committee held back at this point?

I said sarcastically in an earlier post that this was all about finding a happy medium and that the broadcast folks would let us know when the football wonks hit the sweet spot. Little did I know how true that is.

I hate to beat the dead horse here, but this is why it’s near impossible for me to accept anyone’s assurance that any small change to the D-1 postseason will be a final step. Seriously, why should we expect any difference in behavior when it comes to the subject of playoffs? Once that’s in motion, nothing will stop until the networks say so.

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UPDATE: Orson backtracks on the fuzzy math issue. That doesn’t affect my point on the second part of Clark’s quote, though.

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UPDATE #2:  SMQ thinks Orson may have been too hasty with his concession.

It’s a legal matter, baby.

Sometimes momma doesn’t win.

Sedrick Johnson, a four-star receiver from Arp, Texas, originally sent a signed letter of intent to Iowa State on Feb. 6.

Last week, he sent another letter to Texas A&M.

The difference in the letters, according to Johnson’s high school coach, is that the first letter was signed by his father, the second by his mother.

Momma thinks she has special powers here. And she’s not happy about the NCAA. They don’t write. They don’t call.

On Sunday, a woman identifying herself as Johnson’s mother said her son’s football future remains in limbo.

“I can’t tell you,” Della Johnson said via phone when asked where her son would play. “I do not know that.”

Johnson’s mother went on to say no timetable has been set for when her son would make a decision, or when the matter will be resolved.

“Because Iowa State has not called here,” Della Johnson said, “and the NCAA has not called here.”

That could be because they’ve already made up their mind.

The NCAA has ruled that Arp senior Sedrick Johnson’s letter of intent with Iowa State is valid, Arp coach Dale Irwin said Friday.

Johnson signed with Iowa State last week to play football.

On Thursday, he signed and faxed a letter of intent to Texas A&M after a legal matter surfaced in regard to the Iowa State scholarship.

His mother asked for a waiver to void the Iowa State scholarship.

“He’s got to honor the first scholarship,” Irwin said.

Johnson (6-4, 195, receiver) orally committed to A&M in the fall, but changed his mind on national signing day.

Sounds like he’ll be one happy camper in Ames, Iowa.

Something in the water

What is going on in Knoxville this offseason?

… During the past 38 days, nine UT football players have either had run-ins with police or been dismissed from the team for unspecified violations of team rules.

At that pace, Fulmer will have trouble fielding a team by mid-summer.

All mockery aside, somebody needs to get inside Britton Colquitt’s head – and soon. One alcohol related charge can be chalked up to college life; five in less than four years hints at an alcohol dependency problem.

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UPDATE:  I feel your pain, brother.

The 10 best SEC games of 2007: #8

September 29, 2007: Auburn 17, Florida 14

(photo courtesy BRIAN CASSELLA | Gainesville Times)

Don’t you think Urban Meyer wishes he had a little of Phil Fulmer’s 2007 mojo? I mean, Tennessee wins three games last year because its opponents’ kickers missed field goals to tie or win; meanwhile, Ol’ Urban gets to the end of a game, puts his arm around the ref, whispers sweet nothings in his ear, calls (and gets) a time out at the very last moment timed to disrupt the kicker… and watches a freshman calmly put two through the uprights on the road to put a dagger in the Gators’ hearts.

Call it the “it couldn’t happen to a better person” game.

Say what you will, over the years Tommy Tuberville has been a pretty good big game coach. Even though Meyer got most of the attention from this game for his ultimately futile maneuvering at its end, he was shown up by Tubby with regard to coming up with an effective game plan.

Auburn staggered into this game against the #4 Gators with a 2-2 record, having lost home matches to South Florida and Mississippi State (and looking pretty shaky in its home opener with Kansas State, for that matter). Yet the Tigers managed to pull out the win, weathering a typical game from Superman (201 yards passing on 20-27 throwing and leading UF in rushing with 76 yards and a TD) and despite only managing to average 2.3 yards per rushing attempt.

Some of the important keys for the Tigers were avoiding turnover meltdowns (the Tigers were +1 against UF; in their first three games they were an incredible -10) and controlling the clock (Auburn had the ball almost 33 minutes). It was also noteworthy that Brandon Cox was an efficient 17-26 with no interceptions.

But the biggest key of all was limiting Florida to a mere 56 plays on offense. As Sunday Morning Quarterback pointed out, Florida averaged a yard more per play in this game than it did in the rout of Ohio State that garnered the Gators their second MNC. Florida lost because Tebow and Company couldn’t get their hands on the ball enough.

Al Borges was canned after the year, but this game was his masterpiece. Auburn didn’t do anything particularly dramatic on offense. It was just relentlessly efficient. The final drive was a perfect example of that: 11 plays, 35 yards, 3:34 off the clock (and that with five timeouts on the drive).

17 points would be Florida’s worst offensive showing of the year, as the Gators were not held under 20 points by any other opponent.