Sports

Rumors continue to abound that Florida State and Clemson are looking to leave the ACC for the Big 12.  In the myopic world of conference realignment, a quote from Big 12 interim commissioner Chuck Neinas that his conference has tabled expansion for now is met with rolling eyes (and considering the track record of half-hearted denials and misleading statements on this topic over the past couple of years, it’s not surprising).  I had been thinking for the past week about putting together a 5-step plan to save the ACC (to the extent that it needs saving).  Tony Barnhart of CBS Sports actually beat me to it with the same concept here, but while he has a couple of good ideas under steps 4 (scheduling arrangement with the SEC) and 5 (top tier bowl game) that I had been also thinking about, the first step (the old Al Davis motto of “Just Win, Baby”) isn’t possible this summer, while his third step (talk to Notre Dame) is praying for a miracle as opposed to a plan.  Most importantly, Barnhart’s second step (getting Florida State to stay) is what the ACC specifically needs a plan for in the first place (not just a step in an overall plan).  With all of that in mind, here’s my own 5-step plan to strengthen the ACC this summer:

(1) Change the Football Divisional Alignment to North/South – As much as people have talked about national conferences and TV markets with respect to realignment, the only expansion among the five power conferences into a non-contiguous state was the Big 12 with West Virginia.  (The Big East, of course, expanded into a couple of different continents.)  Geography is still a powerful factor for both conferences and schools as isolated members tend to end up being unhappy members over the long-term.  That factor ought to weigh heavily on Florida State and Clemson in terms of staying in the ACC as they would largely be isolated members of the Big 12 outside of being in the same time zone as West Virginia.  However, the ACC’s football non-geographic divisional alignment largely takes that geographical argument off the table.  Currently, Florida State and Clemson only have Wake Forest and North Carolina State as fellow southeastern members in the Atlantic Division.  Here’s how I would re-align the ACC: (more…)

SEARELS AIN’T SKEERED

Stacy continues to pursue out-of-state studs for what we shall call Zee Panzer OL Experimentch. Centers that rollerskate backwards after the snap need not apply. The next candidate to visit Texas is 2014 OL Cameron Robinson, a 6-6, 230 330 pound, 16-year old swamp beast from Monroe, LA.

Robinson will be in town for Texas’ summer camp this Sunday along with a host of 2013 commits and targets for the next two classes.

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VHT D = TEXAS #1 SRPRZ TEAM 2012 $$$ POWERPLAY

That’s SteeleSpeak for: Texas is Phil’s top dark horse candidate next season. His reasoning? Nasty D, improved O, and a favorable conference schedule.

“Remember,” Steele writes, “four national champs the last 12 years have been off five-loss seasons.”

Oh, we remember, Phil. We remember. Just because it’s the offseason doesn’t mean you can’t take the Dreamwagon for a spin…

There’s positive attrition. There’s negative attrition. And then there’s a Daisy Cutter going off in your locker room. The offseason has been hard in Fort Worth and the recent news of the departure of RB Ed Wesley and LB Deryck Gildon isn’t making things any easier. Since Spring 2012, that’s 5-7 probable starters gone.

Frogs O War has a thorough detailing of the butcher’s bill:

Tanner Brock- Played in every game in 2009 as a freshman, started every game in 2010 and lead TCU in tackles. Was injured in first quarter of Baylor game in 2011. Would likely have been a starter on 2012 team. Dismissed from TCU as part of a campus wide drug bust in early 2012.

Deryck Gildon- Appeared in every game of 2011 as a freshman, totaled 21 tackles. Would likely have been a starter on 2012 team. Rumored to be lost for 2012 due to grades, this has NOT been confirmed but has been publicly alluded to.

Ty Horn- Played in eight games in 2010, ten games in 2011 including one start. Would likely have been a starter on 2012 team. Dismissed from TCU as part of a campus wide drug bust in early 2012.

David Johnson***- Redshirted in 2010, played in 12 games in 2011 including nine starts. Totaled 28 tackles, seven for a loss and three sacks. Would likely have been a starter on 2012 team. DJ reportedly suffered an injury during spring practice that might have been serious enough to keep him out through 2012, no word on his current status.

Devin Johnson- Played in four games in 2009, did not play in 2010, played in all games in 2011. Would likely have been a starter on 2012 team. Dismissed from TCU as part of a campus wide drug bust in early 2012. (more…)

Last time we checked in on the NBA playoffs (aside from Scipio’s piece on the Thunder vs. Joey Crawford) I suggested that LeBron’s championship run was likely contingent on how long Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett could wear their throwback jerseys before they needed to be thrown into the wash, so to speak.

That remains true, but I would add an additional factor that will also go a long way towards determining these Western Conference Finals. I present the following stat line:

22 Minutes, 1-3 shooting, 5 points, 7 rebounds (2 off), 1 assist, 1 steal, 2 blocks, 0 turnovers, 0 personal fouls.

That was Serge Ibaka’s line in game 1 of the Western Conference Finals in which the Spurs overcame the Thunder in an exciting 101-98 opener.

I suggest that add one more name to the list of guys with the potential to swing the playoffs: Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan, and Scotty Brooks. (more…)

Watching the head-to-head recruiting battles between OU and Texas that has bitterly defined the Texas-OU rivalry since the 1950s, evolve into the strange, almost parallel, recruiting universe of today has been interesting.

In 2012, the Sooners signed only 5 of their 26 players from the state of Texas (19.2%, they signed as many Californians as Texans) while the previous ten years boasted a 46% Texas sign rate (107 out of 233, compiled using Rivals.com). The near term trend between 2008-2011 was even more pronounced with 56% of their signees hailing from the Lone Star State.

Though 2012 may simply represent a one year outlier, in 2013, Texas finds itself competing more with SEC schools for the finishing touches on its recruiting haul than against our primary rival and Big 12 hegemon. In a Big 12 that can be defined post-Osborne as an extended contest between Texas and Oklahoma (with Oklahoma winning), and the Texas program coming off of two relatively disastrous years, it’s a curious circumstance that OU is going national.

What is going on? Why is OU in (seeming) Texas recruiting retreat?

They may not be. It’s just that our battles are over before they start. Kent Perkins, Darius James, A’Shawn Robinson – seemingly the top 3 Texas OL on OU’s recruiting board – wrapped up their recruitments 10 to 11 months from Signing Day. The pattern was more or less the same: OU offer or junior day visit, recruit says nice things about OU, followed by Texas offer or junior day, then Texas commitment. With respect to OL specifically, Texas now values many of the same attributes that OU does, and that’s bad news for Bob. I’d bet that in 2007, at least 2 of those 3 end up as Sooners and that has a lot to do with… (more…)