The BCS held out as long as it could & now dispenses a "playoff" lollipop

Declining TV ratings and slow ticket sales finally pushed the power brokers of the BCS to create the playoff it never wanted.

The BCS people did it the right way. They waited as long as they could, made as much money as they could, and finally threw out this lollipop to an audience that is so desperate for change and the appearance of fairness that we will celebrate it as progress.

The four-team playoff model that was approved by the BCS people and is still up for approval by university presidents and a D.C. oversight committee is likely going to receive the green light so we can have a playoff by 2014.

This does not mean Boise State, or any non-AQ, is going to the title game. This four-team playoff model is a re-distribution of the wealth disguised as equal opportunity. Someone is going to get screwed. And that someone is not going to be Texas, Alabama or Ohio State.

The semifinal games will be at traditional bowl sites, and the national title will be up for bids. Expect the Dallas Cowboys and Cowboys Stadium figure to be a player for that game.

SEC boss Mike Slive (he is the white dude pictured; not Snoop) has wanted this four-team model, he got it, now expect their to be two SEC teams in the Final Four for a while. The people who run the Pac 12, Big 10, Big 12 and SEC are going to get theirs.

Would TCU's Rose Bowl team been in this Final Four? Yes. Would Boise State have made it once or twice? Probably.

If the non-BCS schools thought it was difficult to get an invite to the Fiesta, Rose, Sugar or Orange the Final Four figures to be an even tougher ticket.

Even though the playoff participants will be selected by a selection committee that will almost assuredly protect their own, this is the first step in what will eventually be a larger, more inclusive playoff format. It's going to start with four teams, people will complain, and it will grow.

It starts with four, it will eventually go to eight and then 16.

 

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TCU is the cover of Dave Campbell's 2012 Texas Football

Unlike the cover of Sports Illustrated or the Madden football video game, being asked to be the cover art of Dave Campbell's Texas Football magazine is not the unofficial end to your season.

The always anticipated football preview magazine has released its cover art, and TCU football coach Gary Patterson is the cover boy.

Funny that Patterson is on the cover of an issue that hails his team's entrance into the Big 12 while in the bottom right is a shot of his former boss, Dennis Franchione.

Fran's Texas State team is making the jump to the FBS level.

 

 

 

 

 

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Former Texas Tech head coach Mike Leach weighs in on Craig James' senate run & a college football playoff

ARLINGTON, Texas - The last person I expected to see at the final day of Dallas Cowboys minicamp was Washington State head football coach Mike Leach, but there he was on Thursday afternoon chatting up Jerry Jones on the sidelines.

Wearing a Washington State hat and t-shirt, Leach looked and sounded very comfortable. He was in town working a football camp at McMurry University.

I asked him a few questions, and as you might expect he did not disappoint getting in a direct dig at Craig James, an indirect dig at Tommy Tubberville, and even opining on a college football playoff.

The Big Mac Blog: Did you follow Craig James' senate run here in Texas?
Mike Leach: Well, I think the results are what everybody expected. I think I share the same opinion as 97 percent of the others in this state. Correct me if I am wrong.

The Big Mac Blog: What are your thoughts on this potential four-team playoff?
Mike Leach: It's in flux and it's changing, so ...

The Big Mac Blog: But you are a playoff guy?
Mike Leach: Oh yeah. I want more than four; 16 is better. I'd like to have 64. I think it would be a lot of fun. ... I don't know the best way to do it. Call me day after tomorrow.

The Big Mac Blog: Surprised after multiple years of being away there are still so many people upset about the fact you left Texas Tech?
Mike Leach: We worked together with the fans. What we did it together (and) it was a great 10 years. Obviously there was a little corruption involved with my ouster there. I think there are certain people at Tech who lost a lot of credibility over that. ... Keep in mind they haven't even paid me for 2009. I worked all 2009. 

The Big Mac Blog: Are you mad about it or have you moved on?
Mike Leach: I am trying to collect my money. If you worked all this year and at the end of the year you don't get paid you'll probably try to get your money. It's like your word is your bond. You shake somebody's hand, that should be the case. I am certainly due for 2009, that hasn't happened.

The Big Mac Blog: Do your feelings about certain people at Tech prevent you from hoping that team does well?
Mike Leach: Well, certainly I recruited a bunch of those players. I felt like 2010 was going to be our best team. That was our most talented team coming back. In 2009 we won nine games with three different quarterbacks. Now I am pretty occupied with my own team. I'm focused on that.

The Big Mac Blog: Miss anything about Lubbock?
Mike Leach: Great place. Great fans. Great people. Just the enthusiasm, especially the students at our games.

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TCU results vs. the Big 12 - an indicator of future performance?

FORT WORTH - TCU is in its finals days as a member of the Mountain West Conference. Not only does this mean no more trips to San Diego, Las Vegas or 9:30 p.m. CT starts, it also means no one at TCU has to explain how its conference is just as good as the Big 12, ACC or Big 10.

Whenever TCU's baseball season ends, this part of sales job is over. The Big 12 sells itself.

"It will be nice not to have to win our league every year to get in (the NCAA tournament)," TCU baseball coach Jim Schlossnagle said, which pretty much goes for every sport the school sponsored.

Part of this sales job included TCU coaches and administrator's telling the world their results against "the big boys".

For instance, TCU always had very handy its record in football against AQ schools, Big 12 etc. Since Gary Patterson took over as the head coach 2000, here is how TCU fared against then Big 12 schools: 6-6.

Texas: 0-1 (2007, 13-34)
Texas A&M: 0-1 (2001, 9-28)
Texas Tech: 1-1 (2004, 35-70; 2006, 12-3)
Oklahoma 1-1 (2005, 17-10; 2008, 10-35)
Baylor: 3-1 (2006, 17-7; 2007, 27-0; 2010, 45-10; 2011, 48-50)
Iowa State: 1-0 (2005, 27-24)
Nebraska: 0-1 (2001, 7-21)

Can TCU's success against teams from the Big 12, ACC, Big 10, Pac 12, etc., be used to accurately forecast future success when the school joins the conference next month? Yes. No. Not really. Kinda. Sorta. 

"Somewhat," Schlossnagle said. "Now all I know is baseball. But there are so many things; for instance, if we play a mid-week game (against a Big 12 team), it's a toss up. What you look at is how have we done in weekend series against Cal-State Fullterton, an SEC team, or a Big 12? Look at those records, and that comes out pretty good.

"We haven't had to go Oklahoma one weekend, Texas the next. That's more of a football deal because of the physical nature of the sport. It is more of a thing to talk about in football and less in baseball but still something to consider."

Just using football, there are a million ways to spin, or distort, the 6-6 record against the Big 12.
* Two of the losses came in 2001, when Patterson took over a young roster.
* When TCU played at Texas, Andy Dalton was a redshirt freshman.
* When TCU lost to Baylor in 2011 it was breaking in a new QB while the Bears had the future Heisman winner.
* When TCU defeated Oklahoma, the Sooners were using a raw QB who couldn't hit the air if he fell out of a plane.

No one knows exactly how this is going to play out. Too many variables make this an impossible prediction. Privately, most people around TCU feel the school will "hang" with the Big 12 in its first year; meaning, finish around fourth, fifth or sixth.

"In baseball we better be there, at least, because we have built it on pitching," Schlossnagle said. "If you can pitch with Oklahoma, Texas and Baylor you've given your chance to compete in the league."

Less than one month remains before TCU joins the Big 12. At this point, it looks as if the Frogs will be able to compete in the league, but forecasting their success is an impossible guess.

Hope this clears everything up ...

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Road trip to Tallahassee - Florida State may want in the Big 12, which means ...

The brief geographical sanity that was the Big 12 was kicked to the curb once West Virginia joined, so adding Florida State makes about as much sense.

But conference realignment has nothing to do with academics, proximity or frequent flyer miles and everything to do with straight cash, homey.

Florida State is irate with the ACC's recent TV contract with ESPN, and is now flirting with the Big 12.

In an exclusive interview with www.warchant.com, FSU board of trustees chair Andy Haggard verbally torched the ACC.

A Big 12 official told Yahoo Sports' Dan Wetzel the league would be crazy not to look at FSU.

Adding FSU would mean the Big 12 has an odd number, which means the league has to find another school (Miami? Louisville? South Florida? Oxford? Cambridge?), and puts a Big 12 football title game back on the table.

Haggard said the ACC TV contract is too basketball heavy, and furthers the perception the conference favors the schools in North Carolina.

When directly asked about the possibility of joining the Big 12, Haggard said: "How do you not look into that option. On behalf of the Board of Trustees I can say that unanimously we would be in favor of seeing what the Big 12 might have to offer. We have to do what is in Florida State's best interest."

Whoops. A few hours after this interview was put online, FSU started to hear it. Obviously. FSU president Eric J. Barron issued this statement Saturday evening: 

"Florida State University regrets that misinformation about the provisions of the ACC contract has unnecessarily renewed the controversy and speculation about University's athletic conference alignment. Florida State respects the views of the Chair of its Board of Trustees that, of course, any university would examine options that would impact university academics, athletics or finances. At the same time, Florida State is not seeking an alternative to the ACC nor are we considering alternatives. Our current commitments remain strong."

Suuuuure they do.
 
So ... let's do the math here.

- Nebraska, Colorado, Texas A&M and Missouri all leave the Big 12 for more money. Sorry; those schools left for conferences that are more aligned with their academic standings.

In their place are TCU and West Virginia for sure. Now Florida State could join that would make the Big 12 look like:

Texas
Texas Tech
Baylor
TCU
Oklahoma State
Oklahoma
Kansas
Kansas State
Iowa State
Florida State
West Virginia 

 

 

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TCU Horned Frogs football lands ex-Nebraska running back

It's a good bet that if TCU was still a member of the Mountain West Conference, or possibly even The Big East, it would not have landed this former top running back from the University of Nebraska.

Former Cornhuskers running back Aaron Green Tweeted this evening, "@AGreen_2 I will be finishing my Football career at Texas Christian University AKA TCU!!"

Who is Aaron Green? Well, he has his own website.

Originally from San Antonio's Madison HS, Green ran 24 times for 105 yards with two touchdowns as a freshman for the Cornhuskers in 2011. He also had one catch for 25 yards and a score. 

Green was likely No. 3 on the depth chart going into fall practice. It was reported out of Lincoln that after he was granted his release he wanted to play closer to home.

He will have to sit out one season according to NCAA transfer rules. 

Green was a top recruit coming out of high school, and he should contend for the starting job at TCU in 2013. 

 

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Uh-oh: Craig James' senate run appears dead, which means he may be coming back to TV

From the Nobody Could See This One Coming is the latest news that former ESPN analyst turned U.S. Senate hopeful Craig James appears just about done in his bid to put Americans on "Real Street".

According to polling, this report from the National Journal says that of the five Republican candidates running for the U.S. Senate seat in Texas, Good Haired James has a mere two percent.

In a word - that sucks.

The polling goes:
David Dewhurst 51 %
Ted Cruz 16 %
Tom Leppert 7%
Craig James 2%
Glenn Addison less than 1% 

The primary is scheduled for May 29, so James still has time to win what should be his rightful seat to the U.S. Senate after years of preparing for this position ... talking about college football for a living.

When this campaign ends what does James do:
a.) Open a gas station in Lubbock?
b.) Does ESPN re-hire James to return to his role as a divisive analyst that people loved to hate? 
c.) Join another network where he can get under people's skin?
d.) Take a different run at politics?
e.) Write a bio titled, "How Craig James Killed Five Hookers & Got Away with It"; click here for a link to this internet sensation story, and former Texas Tech coach Mike Leach having fun with it.

As much as James' departure from politics that lasted a solid 25 minutes, expect him to return to the public spotlight very soon.

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Texas Tech wins a title, then loses the entire program

How can Tommy Tuberville be blamed for this one?

Texas Tech hasn't had the best year, but the Red Raiders did win the coveted President's Cup chess tournament. Now Susan Polgar is taking her knights, pawns, kings, queens and the rest of her entire championship team and leaving Lubbock for St. Louis and Webster University.

That's right - Texas Tech chess coach Susan Polgar (right) is taking the entire Texas Tech chess team and moving to Webster University in The Lou.

My initial thought was Pac-12 commish Larry Scott was behind this to "expand" his conference's TV footprint.

It makes you wonder just how many impermissable text messages and phone calls Webster made to Polgar to land this prized team. It's one thing to steal a coach or a player, but this may be unprecedented - one university is taking another university's entire squad.

Click here to learn more about Polgar.

This would be like, say, Baylor landing the entire defending national championship Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball roster for next season. Texas Tech has won two consecutive chess titles. Bet those t-shirts are flying off the rack at the Red Raider Spirit Store.

Texas Tech is loaded in chess. The Red Raiders feature seven chess grandmasters; kinda like a McDonald's All-American only, you know, not.

Here is a photo of the Red Raiders' celebrating their most recent title with the "Guns Up" sign. I was thinking the same thing - bet these guys know how to party. 

 

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