2013 College Football chatter....

[skidadl]

haha! rev and iamtdg's hero has been insane for so long...

http://footballscoop.com/news/11572-the-time-mike-leach-called-the-big-12-commissioner-from-the-sidelines

The time Mike Leach called the Big 12 commissioner from the sidelines

The time Mike Leach called the Big 12 commissioner from the sidelines
Former Texas Tech quarterback Graham Harrell sat down with RedRaiderSports.com's Aaron Dickens before Saturday's game with Kansas State in Lubbock. As expected, the two got to talking about Harrell's glory days under Mike Leach. Harrell talked about how Leach would signal in a formation but force Harrell to call the play, essentially making Harrell his own co-offensive coordinator.

Then Harrell got to talking about the time Leach pulled out his cell phone during a game to complain to the Big 12 commissioner.

Um, what now?

"I can remember in the third quarter, he's pulling his cell phone out," Harrell says of Texas Tech's 2007 loss at Texas. "He always talked to me between series, so he's talking to me and he pulls his cell phone out and he called the Big 12 commissioner. He's like cussing out the Big 12 commissioner, telling him like, 'These refs are screwing us. You better watch my post-game press conference because I've got some stuff to say.'"

(Skip to the 13:54 mark to see for yourself.)

Texas Tech lost the game, 59-43, and Leach later called the officiating "a complete travesty." The Big 12 fined him $10,000, at the time the largest fine ever levied by the conference.

I'm at a loss whether to be more amazed that:

A) ABC television cameras didn't catch Leach talking on his cell phone during the middle of a game. That's not a common occurrence.

B) Leach was actually able to get a call out standing in the center of a 100,000-seat stadium.

Harrell then talked about the time Leach told then-Red Raiders defensive coordinator Lyle Stenencich his plans to make a personnel change at that position over headset during the third quarter of Texas Tech's 49-45 loss to Oklahoma State. You may remember that one as the game that sparked Mike Gundy's "I'm a man! I'm 40!" tirade.

It's beginning to sound more and more like ESPN needs to produce a "30 for 30" on Texas Tech's 2007 season.

 

[boozeman]

Art Briles gets new 10-year deal


Updated: November 13, 2013, 10:47 PM ET
ESPN.com news services



Baylor football coach Art Briles has a new 10-year contract with the Bears, the team he has taken from perennial Big 12 loser to the conference's lone remaining undefeated team.

Briles told The Associated Press on Wednesday night that he is really "humbled and blessed" by the new deal, which goes into effect after this season.

"It allows us to do what our job is, concentrate on Texas Tech this Saturday," Briles said. "We feel fortunate to be at Baylor and are glad the feeling is mutual."

Baylor regents approved the deal Wednesday. Financial terms weren't revealed, which is standard policy for the private university. A source told ESPN's Joe Schad that the deal will put Briles in the top third of Big 12 coaches in average annual pay. The Dallas Morning News reported that Briles will make more than $4 million next season.

When Briles arrived at Baylor in November 2007, the Bears had just finished their 12th consecutive losing season under four coaches since the inception of the Big 12.

Briles is 41-30 at Baylor, which is 8-0 this season for the first time in school history. The Bears are fifth in the BCS standings and have won a school-record 12 games in a row. Briles' fast-paced spread offense has turned Baylor into a national title contender this season. The Bears are averaging 61 points, on pace to break a major college football record.

The 10-year deal goes through the 2023 season. Briles already had been signed for multiple seasons past this year.

"We've got a lot of bridges to cross. We feel like we're in the infant stages of our program, without question," said Briles, who turns 58 next month. "That's what makes it exciting."

After playing Texas Tech in the Dallas Cowboys' stadium this weekend, the Bears have games left at No. 12 Oklahoma State and TCU. Their regular-season finale, which will be the last game played at Floyd Casey Stadium, is Dec. 7 against No. 24 Texas in what could conceivably determine the Big 12 champion.

Baylor went 4-8 in each of Briles' first two seasons, including 2009, when Robert Griffin III suffered a season-ending knee injury in the third game of the season.

But in 2010, the Bears had their first winning season as a Big 12 team and made it to their first bowl game in 16 years. A year later, Griffin won the Heisman Trophy while Baylor capped its first 10-win season since Mike Singletary was a linebacker at the school 31 years earlier with a win over Washington in the Alamo Bowl.

Next season, the Bears move into a new $260 million on-campus stadium situated on the banks of the Brazos River.

Baylor athletic director Ian McCaw said in a recent interview with the AP that Briles turned Baylor "into a destination job" after arriving in a position that "was not the most appealing out there."

"To his credit, Art's created something here that's really special, and we hope he's going to see it through to the final line," McCaw said then.

Briles came to Baylor from Houston, where he was 34-28 in five seasons (2003-07). The Cougars were 0-11 two seasons before he arrived, but Briles led them the 2006 Conference USA championship and four bowl games.

Briles has spent his entire coaching career in Texas, starting in the high school ranks. He won four state championships in his 12 seasons at Stephenville High before becoming the running backs coach at Texas Tech, his alma mater. He spent three seasons with the Red Raiders before going to Houston.

"Obviously, his track record was tremendous, but the things that were especially appealing about him were his ability to turn around programs," McCaw told the AP last month. "What he did at Stephenville High, taking over a program that really had never won, leading them to four state championships, taking over Houston when they were 0-11 and taking them to four bowl games. It takes a unique coach to be able to lead that kind of a turnaround, and he's got the makeup to do it. And he's done it again at Baylor."

 

[Texas Ace]

Glad to see that.

He's got a bright future and he gets better and better, but I don't think he was ready to be the HC at Texas as some were thinking.

We need a big name.

 

[boozeman]

Jameis Winston deserves benefit of doubt in sexual assault claim until proven otherwise



By Dan Wetzel 7 hours ago Special to Yahoo Sports

At 4:43 a.m. ET on Dec. 7, 2012, a report of a sexual assault was filed with the Tallahassee Police Department. The incident took place earlier that morning, between 1:30 and 2 a.m. The alleged suspect, it is now known, is Jameis Winston, currently the starting quarterback and Heisman contender for second-ranked Florida State.


Winston has not been charged with a crime. Forget innocent until proven guilty, absolutely no law enforcement body has accused him of doing anything at all. He'll continue to quarterback the Seminoles.

In fact, since that moment the report was filed nearly a year ago until TMZ broke news of the investigation Wednesday evening, no one from the police to the prosecutor's office has bothered to speak to Winston. Not one interview, not one question, not one thing, at least according to Winston's attorney, Tim Jansen.

So let's start right there.

If Jansen is telling the truth, then over 11 months of a said-to-be "open investigation" by the Tallahassee police, including the Special Victims Unit that was assigned the case, deemed it unnecessary to speak to one of the two people who would presumably be at the center of this incident. They did contact Jansen last February about the allegation, but they never went any further in regards to his client.

Why?

If Jameis Winston sexually assaulted someone, then he should go to prison. Forget about football, this is about freedom.

At the same time, however, he deserves some fairness to the process. The police report released Wednesday is overwhelmingly redacted, but there are a few clues available about the incident.

They include the complainant admitted drinking that night. The location of the alleged assault was an apartment. The time of incident was, essentially, late on a Friday night. The listed motive, per the complainant, was "sexual gratification."

All of these suggest a classic case of "acquaintance" or "date rape." This isn't a guy hiding out in the bushes grabbing women who are innocently passing by.

The two people knew each other. The case, at its heart, is seemingly a he-said, she-said. Sadly, it's all too common, especially on and around college campuses.

Regardless, it doesn't take 11 months to investigate the incident. It certainly doesn't take 11 months to even bother to question someone who has been accused of this, especially when the initial report was made within two hours of the alleged incident.

The standard, if the allegation is deemed credible, is to speak to Jameis Winston as soon as possible. That isn't just for the credibility of the investigation but to protect the accused. Memory is sharper in the immediate aftermath and not nearly as much a year later. An innocent man would rather defend himself with the clearest version of the truth possible.

It's not that the police did nothing here. The police report says that "evidence" was collected from the victim and pictures of the victim's injuries were taken. At least three separate officer's names are listed on the report. So there was something there.

So, again, why did no one speak to Winston?

At this point, with so little known and so many questions swirling, that is the essential point of the story. The Tallahassee Police have turned the investigation over to a state's attorney. Winston's attorneys didn't return calls seeking additional comment.

Perhaps the police didn't act because they quickly deemed the allegation baseless or found the accuser/victim to be non-credible. The police report lists the accused as standing between 5-foot-9 and 5-foot-11. Winston is 6-foot-4. Of course, police reports are historically riddled with errors.

Also for what's it worth, Winston's attorney told the Tallahassee Democrat he's provided law enforcement with two affidavits from witnesses present that night that defend Winston. Did Winston also provide a written account of the night and that was enough for the police to not seek questioning?

Perhaps the investigation stalled because the complainant didn't want to cooperate, although the TPD told the Tallahassee Democrat she is working with the state attorney.

Or perhaps, as some are certainly prone to believe, a college town police department swept this under the rug. At this stage, however, that isn't just baseless speculation but wild, unfair stereotyping.

The assumption requires the belief that numerous officers and departments (including the one assigned to investigate sexual assaults) chose to risk their careers, reputations and perhaps their own freedom to protect a then-redshirt quarterback for the local football team.


That isn't just improbable and would require a vast cover-up; it's without even a hint of evidence suggesting as much.

What's more believable, albeit with limited known facts, is that the police saw nothing to investigate. That may not mean the woman is lying. It may mean there just isn't evidence. Although, again, if this were a close call, you'd think the police would have at least spoken to Winston.

"This case has been going on for over a year," Winston's attorney told the Democrat. "The case was basically closed and we're not sure why it's opened up. We've been cooperating with the law enforcement agencies and we're hoping to get a quick resolution in favor of Mr. Winston."

Jameis Winston deserves a resolution. So does the complainant involved.

The way the police report is redacted suggests they were trying to protect Winston's name as much as the complainant. Unfortunately, some of it is too late. "Winston under investigation for sexual assault" is powerful headline and one that won't ever be scrubbed off the Internet or the memories of heckling fans during road games.

It's long past time for sexual assaults, particularly acquaintance rapes, to end in America. They are a terrible plague against women. They are overwhelmingly preventable. There should be zero tolerance.

That said, there also must be a fair system for the accused. Even the most ardent activist against sexual assaults understands that. Without balance within the process, the entire movement collapses.

As sure as the complainant deserved a thorough and serious investigation into what she says happened in that apartment on that December morning, Jameis Winston deserves to be publicly cleared if, indeed, police long ago privately determined he did nothing wrong.

 

[Rev]

Glad to see that.

He's got a bright future and he gets better and better, but I don't think he was ready to be the HC at Texas as some were thinking.

We need a big name.

No. Texas wasnt ready for him. Besides Mack is Back

 

[skidadl]

Glad to see that.

He's got a bright future and he gets better and better, but I don't think he was ready to be the HC at Texas as some were thinking.

We need a big name.

Th dude is almost 60 and has been coaching his whole life. Hes as ready as anyoje right now. I'm sure Texas wants some more flash and pop than him but that is their bad.

 

[Carp]

Rumors are out there now that they extended him to keep him away from the Redskins.

 

[Rev]

Rumors are out there now that they extended him to keep him away from the Redskins.

Haven't heard that one but I did hear USC was looking at Sumlin and in turn A&M at Briles. Seems a little out there that A&M would just be looking, though.

 

[Cotton]

No. Texas wasnt ready for him. Besides Mack is Back

 

[Tony D]

So the #1 recruit in the country Da'Shawn Hand, who was a heavy Michigan lean, chooses Alabama. This is what happens to a once proud college football powerhouse who loses to an undermanned Penn St. team, Nebraska at the big house and then bitch slapped, stepped on, and laughed at by your in state rival Michigan St.

Michigan fans thought he was a slam dunk to be in their class, but I guess the kid was smart enough to turn on the TV and actually watch them play the last month or so and see that ship sinking fast.

http://college-football.si.com/2013/11/14/dashawn-hand-top-recruit-alabama/

 

[1bigfan13]

Haven't heard that one but I did hear USC was looking at Sumlin and in turn A&M at Briles. Seems a little out there that A&M would just be looking, though.

I was hoping he was on USC's radar.

The last thing Oklahoma needs is for another Texas team to become relevant, which is what Baylor has achieved.

The bulk of the Sooners roster is composed of kids from Texas. In the good old days we only had to worry about battling Texas and someties A&M for the best recruits. Now we have to battle Texas, A&M, Tech, and Oklahoma State.

This is some bull!

 

[Deuce]

Brett Hundley wears #17 and he looks like Quincy Carter in the face.

~adds him to no likey list~

 

[L.T. Fan]

I have mixed emotions about who I want to win the Baylor/TT game. Baylor needs to lose if OU has any chance to win the conference but on the other hand Baylor is the best shot to represent the conference in the BUS.

 

[VA Cowboy]

Nice one Georgia.

 

[Tony D]

Nice one Georgia.

Wow. Just knock the ball down. Ravens last week, now this. Huge win.

 

[L.T. Fan]

Watching the Texas Tch game. Hasn't Webb been QB ing most of the year. Mayfield is playing tonight. What's he deal?

 

[Deuce]

What an interception by Baylor. This game has completely turned around. It's fun to watch.

 

[skidadl]

Watching the Texas Tch game. Hasn't Webb been QB ing most of the year. Mayfield is playing tonight. What's he deal?

Actually Webb is the 3rd stringer. Mayfield got hurt earlier.

 

[skidadl]

What an interception by Baylor. This game has completely turned around. It's fun to watch.

I'm just about as scared as ever. You've gotta think that Baylor has been much more consistent and will soon run away with it.

 

[Texas Ace]

Way to go Okie State!