Michigan quarterback thinks he could challenge world’s fastest man
The Olympic games have come and gone. If you are like me you soaked in as much coverage as possible over the past two weeks, perhaps so much to the extent where regular activities took a back seat (as evidenced by the lack of updates on this site over the past week). I can’t help it. I’m an Olympics geek every two years.
I can only assume Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson was watching some of the Games as well, at least when world-class sprinter Usain Bolt, from Jamaica, was lining up on the blocks. Bolt was unbeatable in Beijing four years ago and entered the 2012 Olympics looking to silence some doubters after finishing behind countryman Yohan Blake in the Olympic qualifiers in Jamaica. Of course, he did so in brazen fashion.
Despite Bolt reasserting his seat on the throne of the running world with gold medals in the 100 meter dash, 200 meter dash and 4 x 100 relay, Robinson seems to think that he could get a leg up on Bolt in more of a football speed test. … Continue Reading
The four-team playoff is here, and not everybody is thrilled about the news. I know I am not. The best-selling Death to the BCS knows what this all means for its own future…
We will now happily take up our rightful spot in the buck-a-book-bin
Dan Wetzel, one of the co-authors of Death to the BCS (and a previous podcast guest) penned one of the columns you absolutely must read today, of all days. Wetzel goes to town on tearing apart the men who formed this four-team “playoff.”
What do you think about the new college football playoff? Please vote in this poll and share a comment if you wish.
Will the NFLPA's decision to repeal the "junior rule" lead to more troubles in college football?
Over the weekend the NFL Player’s Association voted to repeal the infamous “junior rule,” which barred agents from contacting college football players until after they were out of high school for three years. The rule was inspired by the Reggie Bush investigation at USC, which netted the Trojans a vacated BCS title, loss of scholarships and a two-year postseason ban. More recently we have seen North Carolina be slapped with a one-year postseason ban (podcast), Ohio State receive a similar punishment, and players suspended at South Carolina and Georgia. We are also patiently awaiting the NCAA’s decision on how to handle what went down at Miami.
Following the North Carolina situation we saw some of the most powerful college football coaches in the game, Nick Saban and Urban Meyer, address their concerns with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. When Goodell isn’t suspending players (or coaches) he generally seems to be a guy that has the best interest in the good of the game at heart, even if he is misguided with some ideas.
My gut reaction is that the NFLPA’s decision to repeal the junior rule opens a path for some dangerous waters in college football. We know that not all agents live by the rules. While the NFLPA monitors agents and certifies them, there will always be somebody every now and then who wiggles around the rules with not-so-innocent intentions.
With this recent decision, how concerned are you, the college football fan, that we could be in store for some more dirty news in the future? Or am I completely misguided in my line of thinking here (it happens, I’ll freely admit that.” Let me know what you think in the comments section below.
Want to vote in more polls? Check out the Elite Eight of our Worst College Football Uniform Tournament! Voting ends Saturday.
Is Danny O'Brien pointing to a new destination, or will he stay with Maryland? Jaclyn Borowski/The Diamondback
Maryland quarterback Danny O’Brien is leaving the program. It’s official. It was reported last week that O’Brien had already informed Maryland head coach Randy Edsall that he was intent on transferring, but he quickly refuted those reports by saying via Twitter that he was still a Terp.
Now we know he is moving on.
O’Brien, offensive lineman Max Garcia, and linebacker Mario Rowson all asked for and were granted a release form their scholarships at Maryland, as confirmed by the school in a press release Monday.
“I’m disappointed by Danny’s decision,” coach Randy Edsall said in a prepared statement. “Danny told me that he’s not committed to our program, that he’s not ‘all in.’ I want what’s best for all of our players. Danny wants a fresh start elsewhere. I wish him well.”
O’Brien will be a junior in 2012 with two years of eligibility remaining. According to a report by the Baltimore Sun O’Brien would like to play in an offensive system “that could use an established quarterback and runs a variation of the pro-style offense such as the West Coast Offense.” Schools that fit that mold, as mentioned by the newspaper, include Wisconsin, Stanford, Vanderbilt and Michigan State in addition to Maryland, which remains a strong possibility with the signing of the state’s top player and wide receiver, Stefon Diggs, over the weekend. O’Brien served as host to Diggs on a recent recruiting trip to Maryland, just days before reports came out that the quarterback was contemplating a transfer.
If Maryland is not to be the school of choice for O’Brien, consider Vanderbilt a strong candidate. Vanderbilt head coach James Franklin was previously the offensive coordinator and supposed coach-in-waiting at Maryland when O’Brien was recruited. Franklin remains a personal favorite of O’Brien according to multiple sources. Vanderbilt went to a bowl game in Franklin’s first year on the job after winning just four games each of the previous two seasons.
Vanderbilt’s leading passer last season was redshirt junior Jordan Rodgers, a previous junior college transfer. Jordan is the younger brother of Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers and has one year of eligibility left. Rodgers has also been reported to be involved in speaking out against Vanderbilt’s nondiscrimination policy as it applies to student groups.
Wisconsin successfully converted an ACC quarterback in 2011, taking N.C. State’s Russell Wilson to lead the Badgers offense to a Big Ten title and a Rose Bowl appearance. With Montee Ball returning at running back for Bret Bielema’s squad in 2012 the biggest question mark on offense will once again be under center. Michigan State loses Kirk Cousins at quarterback but, like Wisconsin, looks to be in decent shape everywhere else in 2012 and could be in position to make a run back to the Big Ten championship game if things fall in to place in the fall.
Stanford loses Andrew Luck, one of the top quarterbacks in the nation over the past two seasons. The Cardinal had a very strong recruiting class signed for 2012 and it appears that Stanford will remain in contention for the next few years in the Pac 12.
O’Brien is on track to graduate this spring, which means that if he decides to transfer he will be exempt from the NCAA rules requiring an FBS player from sitting out a year when transferring to another FBS program. He would be available to play immediately wherever he ends up playing. O’Brien would just need to be enrolled in a graduate program in order to remain eligible.
Poll
So, where will O’Brien end up? Share your prediction in the poll widget below, and leave your choice for “Other” in the comment section. We’ll keep the poll running until we get official word on where O’Brien will play in 2012.
National Signing Day is here, which means it is probably the biggest day of the year for web traffic for three websites. The top three recruiting services are Rivals.com, Scout.com and relative new kid on the block 247Sports. Whether you get your dose of recruiting information from their national site(s) or one of their many individual school-based affiliates, I’m curious which one is your favorite.
Please take a moment to vote in the poll below and I’ll revisit the results at the end of the week. While I consider Rivals, scout and 247 to be the big three, I included ESPN, MaxPreps and an option for Other, just in case. If you vote “Other,” please leave a comment with who would receive your consideration.
