The Big 12 goes Atkins. The cupcake-heavy non-conference diet, introduced to the Big 12 by Bill Snyder 20 years ago and recently followed by Baylor, is being phased out. Big 12 teams will have to schedule at least one non-conference opponent from a Power 5 and can have no more than one FCS opponent. The new rule will go into effect as existing contracts expire.
The Big 12’s no longer letting its teams schedule a bunch of cupcakes
Good morning, college football! Here’s your wakeup roundup of stuff.
Ray Carlin-USA TODAY Sports
Regarding Henry. Alabama's running back might be the Heisman Trophy frontrunner, but does he -- or either of the other two finalists -- deserve the Trophy?
Maybe it’s not all about the money. As the coaching carousel comes to a stop, it feels like the big-money SEC and Big Ten got lapped by the ACC, which didn’t make decisions out of fear or habit.
High Jinks. Bowling Green hired Texas Tech assistant Mike Jinks to replace Dino Babers, who left BGSU for Syracuse. Jinks comes from Kliff Kingsbury’s air raid offense, schematically similar to Babers’ high-scoring attack.
Every former ACC coach now works for Maryland. Former Virginia coach Mike London, who has a bad record as a head coach but a great record as a recruiter in the Commonwealth, will reportedly join D.J. Durkin’s Maryland staff as associate head coach. Durkin also hired former Syracuse coach Scott Shafer as defensive coordinator and might be retaining D.C.-area recruit whisperer Mike Locksley, who acted as head coach after Randy Edsall was fired.
Believe the Heupel. Missouri is reportedly hiring former Oklahoma offensive coordinator and current Utah State offensive coordinator Josh Heupel for the same position with the Tigers.
Six questions:
- Should Penn State consider hiring Bobby Engram as an assistant coach?
- Should West Virginia trade in Dana Holgorsen for a shipping container? (No, seriously, WVU might get rid of Holgo.)
- Can Tennessee finally move past Florida and Georgia in the SEC East? (Note: This question is scheduled for every Dec. 9, because Tennessee fans demand it.)
- Which slightly deranged former Alabama defensive coordinator has a better chance of winning in his first season: Kirby Smart or Will Muschamp?
- Does Sonny Dykes actually want out of Cal, or does he just want more money for assistants?
- And is a similar story why Ruffin McNeill is out at ECU?
This accurately describes every NCAA investigation. A court decides that the NCAA’s investigation and punishment of USC over Reggie Bush was conducted to reach a predetermined conclusion. This is not surprising.
Baby got back. Michigan’s Jake Butt, the best-named tight end in the country, will return for his senior season in Ann Arbor.
A Holy War in Sin City. Utah and BYU are reviving their rivalry in the Las Vegas Bowl. And Utah fans, which were in the national top 5 earlier this year, don’t seem too enthused about it.
Speaking of BYU, Navy’s head coach Ken Niumatalolo could end up as Bronco Mendenhall’s replacement with the Cougars. BYU reportedly has “strong interest” in Niumatalolo, who got Navy into the top 25 this season.
Cougar Town. Houston wins the final Underdog Poll of the season, while BYU might have the best chance to win a big game of all the non-major programs. It’s a good time to be a Cougar.
SWAG. All bowl gifts, ranked from best to worst. The Russell Athletic Bowl continues to dominate this bowl season.
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