Saban on playoffs: ‘You can’t sneak yourself in’

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Alabama coach Nick Saban was just finished dusting off the confetti from last night’s BCS championship victory over Notre Dame — his fourth championship in eight years — when he took the podium this morning for a press conference.

Saban touched on and was asked about a variety of topics — yes, the NFL thing came up; no, Saban wasn’t happy about it — including his opinion on a four-team playoff, which is coming up in two years.

Here’s what Saban said about the selection process:

“You can’t sneak yourself in,” Saban said, adding that teams should have to play in a conference championship game. Currently, four of the five major conferences in college football hold such a game; only the 10-team Big 12 does not.

Personally, I feel the Big 12 has it right. Play nine conference games in a round robin league and have a clear a path to a playoff spot with a good enough overall record. Financially speaking, the Big 12 doesn’t need a conference championship either. If a playoff selection committee truly places an emphasis on what teams have done in the regular season, then sneaking in based on whether or not your conference has a championship game doesn’t seem likely when the field is still just four teams.

But if we’re talking about “sneaking in,” it’s tough not to tell Saban to look in the mirror after what happened following the 2011 season. The Tide did not win the SEC West and therefore did not play in the SEC championship game, but because there was a strong push for “the two best teams” to play in the BCS championship, Alabama got the nod over Big 12 champion Oklahoma State.

A four-team playoff is far from perfect and it won’t resolve every problem, but “sneaking in” doesn’t feel like it will be an issue.

AP

Meandering our way through the offseason, a single one-liner at a time…

– Mike Leach might be returning to the Big 12… as an opposing coach.

– 10 of the 12 teams in the Big Ten are investing a combined $1.72 million more this year in football assistant coaches pay than they did last year.

– The Des Moines Register has a 45-minute conversation with Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz, replete with video and everything.

– From, again, the Des Moines Register: recruits who keep an open mind are simply playing by the rules.

– al.com takes a look at the surprising development at slot receiver for Auburn this spring.

– If you’re interested in hearing third-generation Michigan State player Riley Bullough singin’ and strummin’, click HERE.

– Michigan will, for now, open the season as 26-point favorites vs. Central Michigan.

– With skill commitments in tow, Vanderbilt will now switch its recruiting focus to the trenches.

AP

In 2012 as a high school senior, Derrick Nash led the state of Michigan in rushing.  In February, the running back signed a National Letter of Intent to play his college football at Central Michigan in what he called “the greatest moment in my life.”  Three months later, Nash received the worst news of his young life.

Leukemia, diagnosed following a trip to the emergency room for what was thought to be mono or the flu.

The prom, his graduation ceremony and even his first year of college football have been replaced by chemotherapy sessions at University Hospital in Ann Arbor.  The good news is Nash was told by doctors that “everything would be fine. I would be able to get better” and play football again after sitting out the 2013 season.

Nash, though, wasn’t sure that would be with the Chippewas, telling Hugh Bernreuter of mlive.com that he was “worried [CMU] coaches were going to give up on me.”  That was one fear in this whole process for which there was no need.

“One of the first things we told him was that he was going to play football again and that he was going to play for CMU,” Chips head coach Dan Enos (pictured) said. “Keeping him on scholarship was a no-brainer. It’s the right thing to do. That’s the philosophy from the president through the athletic director to the coaches. You do the right thing.”

Added Enos, “I can’t wait until he can run onto our field before a game wearing a CMU uniform. That’ll be a great moment for a lot of people.”

Nash will continue undergoing chemo treatments for the next five months or so, but could be released from the hospital as early as late this month.  The website writes that Nash “expects to receive a medical redshirt season and begin working toward the 2014 season” following his release.

Thoughts and prayers go out to Nash as he continues his battle to beat this insidious disease.  And here’s to hoping he realizes his dream by running out on to the field in September of 2014 with his teammates as the Chips take on Purdue.

AP

With “voluntary” summer workouts set to commence in short order, Tulsa has found itself suffering an unexpected bit of personnel attrition.

The school confirmed to Tulsa World late this past week that kicker Daniel Schwarz and wide receiver Adam Boyd will not be a part of the football program for the 2013 season and will apparently seek transfers.  As is ofttimes the case, no reasons for the departures were given.

The bigger of the two departures by far is that of Schwarz.  As a freshman last season, Schwarz was the Golden Hurricanes’ starting kicker, connecting on 12-of-18 field goal attempts and 52-of-59 extra points.  He finished second on the team in scoring with 88 points.

Taking over the kicking duties will apparently be Carl Salazar, a walk-on who has spent time at both Air Force and Oklahoma.

Boyd, a two-star member of Tulsa’s 2012 recruiting class, took a redshirt for his true freshman season.

AP

Thanks to family issues back home, Tulane will be without one its most experienced members of its receiving corp for the 2013 season.

According to the Baton Rouge Advocate, Wilson Van Hooser has asked for a release from his Tulane scholarship and will transfer out of the football program.  The reason for the transfer has nothing to do with problems with the coaching staff or off-field issues or anything of that sort.  Rather, the senior wide receiver wants to move back home to be closer to his mom, who the paper writes has undergone seven back surgeries and several other procedures looking into her brain over the past several months and is currently bedridden.

“I needed to make a big-boy decision, because I’m graduating, my older brother is getting married and Fudge (brother and Tulane teammate Walker Van Hooser) is moving into a position he’s really excited about,” Van Hooser told the Advocate. “I need to step up for my family, and I need to be the one to be back in Montgomery (Ala.) to help out as much as I can.”

While Van Hooser is leaving the Green Wave, he wants to play his final season of college football.  In a classy gesture, Van Hooser said that the Tulane coaching staff has reached out to their counterparts at Auburn and Troy in an attempt to help the player find a roster spot for the 2013 season.

That gesture wasn’t lost on Van Hooser.

“I was so impressed with the way the coaches handled it, and I hoped they would be okay with my decision,” the receiver said. “But I didn’t expect them to sympathize, and they did. These things aren’t easy.”

Van Hooser has played in 37 games the past three years, totaling 55 catches for 805 yards and nine touchdowns.  His best year came during his redshirt sophomore season in 2011 with 36 receptions for 487 yards and four touchdowns.  While he had just 11 catches in 2012, he averaged over 21 yards per reception and his five touchdown catches were tied for second on the team.

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A little over a month after signing on as a member of North Carolina’s 2011 recruiting class, Delvon Simmons was released from his Tar Heels scholarship and ultimately landed at Texas Tech.

Two years later, the defensive tackle is on the move yet again.

RedRaiderSports.com is reporting that Simmons has decided to transfer out of the Tech football program.  Apparently this doesn’t come as a shock to those who cover the team on a daily basis as Chris Level of that Rivals.com website wrote on Twitter that the player has “gone back and forth on wanting to transfer several times; this time, it’s happening.”

The Tech athletic department has yet to publicly confirm the defensive lineman’s impending departure.

As for potential transfer destinations, Simmons is already slated to visit USC this weekend.  Simmons was close to signing with the Trojans coming out of high school before (briefly) opting for the Tar Heels.

Additionally, Simmons is reportedly considering Miami, Penn State and Pittsburgh.

Simmons, who will be forced to sit out the 2013 season if he stays at the FBS level, will have two years to use two seasons of eligibility beginning in 2014.

For the 2011 recruiting class, Simmons was a four-star recruit rated as the No. 1 player in the state of Pennsylvania; the No. 5 defensive tackle in the country; and the No. 80 player at any position in the country.  He started all 13 games for the Red Raiders in 2012 after playing in 10 games as a true freshman in 2011.

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Ladies and gentlemen, the college football offseason!

According to FOX8-TV in Cleveland, Akron football player Seth Cunningham is facing a charge of aggravated robbery following an incident late Thursday night.  And by “incident,” we mean the cornerback allegedly held up a tobacco pipe store at gunpoint.

Per the television station, “Cunningham, 21, entered the 24-hour store on Pearl Road Monday and waved a 9mm handgun in the air. He stole a water pipe worth $447 before taking off.”

Brunswick (Ohio) police caught up with and arrested Cunningham, who they allege admitted to the robbery.  He was taken to a county jail but was subsequently released after a $30,000 bond was posted.

The Zips subsequently confirmed that Cunningham has been indefinitely suspended from the football program.

The senior cornerback played in nine games in 2012.

Meandering our way through the offseason, a single one-liner at a time…

– Michigan offensive coordinator Al Borges has no problem with Devin Gardner fine-tuning his game with the help of a quarterback guru.

– The Omaha World-Herald says all the talk of more neutral site games in college football is a bunch of hot air.

– Graduating from Texas, former UT great Vince Young says the sheepskin trumps any pigskin glory he achieved with the Longhorns.

– Polynesian players are prospering at Utah.

– PennLive.com: Michael Mauti‘s rise to Penn State icon was about so much more than his play.

– al.com: Auburn legend Terry Beasley fights back during week of despair, health scares

– With Nick Saban set to be inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame this weekend, some of the Tide coach’s knickknacks (get it?) will be on display.

– More than $91,000 raised for Mott Children’s Hospital by Michigan football.

AP

In December, it was announced that Daniel Jenkins would be transferring out of the Arizona football program after finishing second among Wildcat running backs in rushing yards last season.  In January, the running back took to Twitter to announce that he would be transferring to Washington State to continue his collegiate playing career.

Four months later?

Lt. Frank Drebin, take it away…

Friday night, UA head coach Rich Rodriguez announced that Jenkins had decided to leave Wazzu and transfer back to the Wildcats.  No reason was given for Jenkins’ decision to transfer back into the program from which he had left just five months ago.

Jenkins participated in spring practice at WSU and would’ve been eligible to play for the Cougars in 2013 as he had graduated from UA in December.  Now, he will be eligible to play for the Wildcats this season as a graduate transfer.

In 2012, Jenkins was third on the team in rushing behind the nation’s leading rusher Ka’Deem Carey (1,929 yards) and quarterback Matt Scott (506) with a career-high 293 yards.  As a four-star member of UA’s 2009 recruiting class, Jenkins was rated as the No. 12 all-purpose back in the country by Rivals.com.

AP

Shortly before National Signing Day this past February, it was reported that Marquise Williams was no longer enrolled at North Carolina. A couple of months later? That’s no longer the case.

UNC confirmed Friday that the quarterback is again enrolled at the school and is attending classes.  Academics prevented Williams from enrolling for the spring semester, which kept the player from participating in spring practice.

Last season, the former four-star recruit served as the primary backup to starter Bryn Renner, who returns to the Tar Heels this fall for his senior season.

Mitch Trubisky exited spring as the No. 2 quarterback on the depth chart as a true freshman.  Trubisky was an early enrollee after signing on as a member of the Tar Heels’ 2013 recruiting class.

As a redshirt freshman last season, Williams accounted for 127 yards passing and 186 yards rushing.  He scored four total touchdowns.

AP

Two months after being slapped with a suspension, Darius Millines, along with a teammate, has seen his career at Illinois come to an untimely end.

An Illini official confirmed to the Associated Press that Millines and defensive end Darrius Caldwell have been dismissed from the football program.  As expected, the only reason given was an unspecified violation of team rules.

The school has yet to offer up any public comments on what led to head coach Tim Beckman‘s decision to dismiss the duo.

In early March, the wide receiver was indefinitely suspended for the same set of reasons.  As a junior last season, Millines was second on the team with 319 receiving yards on 32 catches.

Caldwell played in 12 games as a redshirt freshman last season, credited with 17 tackles, five tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.

AP

We don’t yet know to where Wes Lunt will transfer, but we do know where it won’t be.  Reportedly.

According to Jeremy Fowler of CBSSports.com, Oklahoma State is restricting the quarterback from transferring to Southern Miss as well as any SEC school.  Such restrictions would severely limit desirable destinations for Lunt as he had been considering five schools; three of them — Southern Miss, Tennessee and Vanderbilt — are now off-limits because of his former school in general and his ex-coach specifically.

Still on Lunt’s radar are Illinois and Louisville.  Lunt either has or will in very short order visit the Illini, who are currently considered the front-runners by default.

A school spokesperson confirmed the head-scratching restrictions to Fowler, and stated it was between OSU head coach Mike Gundy and Lunt when asked why the player would not be released to that set of schools.  It’s unclear why Gundy — ya know, the “I’m a man, I’m 40″ rant guy when it came to defending one his players from the sharp barbs of the mean ol’ media — placed such restrictions on Lunt.

The Southern Miss football program is now headed by Todd Monken, who served as Gundy’s offensive coordinator in 2011 and 2012; the Cowboys and Golden Eagles are not slated to face each other during the regular season at any point over the next nine years.  After sitting out the 2013 season to satisfy NCAA transfer rules, Lunt will have three years of eligibility remaining; the only SEC school Oklahoma State will face in the regular season during that four-year timeframe is Mississippi State in 2013.

Ironically, Gundy spoke to at least two different schools this offseason about their head coaching vacancies, and would’ve been free to move to those programs without restriction.  The two schools he’s known to have spoken with about their openings?  Arkansas and Tennessee, both members of the SEC.

Excellent work, Coach Gundy.  You and your university and T. Boone should be very proud of the pettiness and double-standards on full display.  Stay classy, Stillwater.

UPDATED 6:26 p.m. ET: According to Zach Kerker, sports director at 1450 in Springfield, Ill., Lunt’s high school coach stated that his former player is also restricted from transferring to Pac-12 schools as well as Central Michigan (on OSU’s non-conference schedule in 2015 & 2016).  The reason behind the restrictions?  ”They could play in bowl games,” the coach said.

Pitiful.  Absolutely pitiful situation.

While uncertainty still abound when it comes to one high-profile member of Florida State’s 2013 recruiting class, another has seen his status clarified in a positive way by an arm of the NCAA.

FSU announced Friday that defensive end DeMarcus Walker has been cleared by the NCAA Clearinghouse following months of uncertainty.  Walker was an early enrollee at FSU but did not participate in spring practice due to the Clearinghouse issue.

Reportedly, the issue stemmed from an online course he had taken in high school.

“Nole Nation I just got the best news ever I’m cleared academically now,” Walker wrote in a tweet posted to his Twitter account. “I swear ever(y) school on the schedule is in trouble now. #FEAR THE SPEAR.”

Walker was a four-star member of FSU’s recruiting class this year, rated as the No. 5 strongside defensive end in the country and the No. 11 player at any position in the state of Florida.  He was rated by Rivals.com as the No. 57 player in the country.

In part because of attrition and in part because of his talent, Walker is expected to contribute immediately to the Seminoles’ line rotation.

AP

Thanks in large part to it being a (very) low point in the offseason college football news cycle, another blast directed at Nick Saban has dominated the headlines over the past couple of days.

The Alabama head coach was referred to as “the devil himself” as well as accused of lacking a personality by Florida assistant Tim Davis at a booster function.  What differentiates this from Vanderbilt head coach James Franklin‘s “Nicky Satan” blast earlier this year is the fact that Saban and Davis had a previous working relationship, leading the former to label the latter’s comments as “terribly disappointing” and seemingly being left hurt by the jabs.

During an appearance via the telephone on the Dan Patrick Show Friday, Saban addressed that topic as well as multiple other issues — including the acknowledgement that preparations for the rematch with Johnny Manziel and Texas A&M are already ongoing.  Check out the video below.

Meandering our way through the offseason, a single one-liner at a time…

– al.com: While you’re going after Nick Saban, he’s going about his business.

– Speaking of Saban, have you ever wondered what the Alabama head coach would look like with Dana Holgorsen‘s hair?  If so, today’s your lucky day.

– Losing U.S. Open tennis could lead to CBS televising early-season SEC games.

– Charlie Weis likes the hope fans have in the Jayhawks, but doesn’t want their faith to be blind.

– Auburn’s defensive line going back to basics in order to shore up its run defense.

– Eric Weddle has become an unofficial ambassador for the Utah football program.

– Oklahoma State defensive coordinator Glenn Spencer and ESPN sideline reporter Jeannine Edwards are engaged to be married.

– Former Ole Miss quarterback Tom Luke has returned to his alma mater as the football program’s assistant athletics director for player development.

– This Georgia Tech grad assistant’s attempt at recruiting via photoshopping is bad. “Not bad meaning good but bad meaning bad,” says Run DMC.

– Not football-related, but Ohio is the most swearingest f—–g state in America.  O-F’N-H!!!

– Not football-related either, but RIP Dick Trickle.  Smoke ‘em if you’ve got ‘em…

AP

An early enrollee has decided to take an early leave of the West Virginia football program, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is reporting.

Citing Chavas Rawlins‘ high school coach, the paper has confirmed that the quarterback will be transferring from the Mountaineers.  It appears as though the departure of WVU assistant Jake Spavital played a significant role in the player’s departure.

“Everyone at West Virginia was great to him, but as you know he came in right when Jake left,” Monessen (Penn.) high school coach Andy Pacak told the Post-Gazette. ”His initial decision was I’m gonna go down there and make the most of it, but that (loss of Spavital) weighed on him a little bit.”

Spavital, WVU’s quarterbacks coach the past two season, left in January for the same job at Texas A&M, plus the additional title of co-offensive coordinator.  Rawlins’ decision also comes a couple of weeks after Clint Trickett transferred in from Florida State and entered the Mountaineers’ quarterback fray.

Rawlins, a three-star member of WVU’s 2013 recruiting class and the only QB signed this year by the Mountaineers, participated in spring practice as an early signee but did not play in the spring game as all of the reps went to Paul Millard and Ford Childress.

“Chavas has been getting reps in practice and slowly we’ve been moving him along, but obviously he’s got a long ways to go,” said head coach Dana Holgorsen after the spring game.

If Rawlins transfers to another FBS school — there’s no early indication as to which direction he might be headed — he would have to sit out the 2013 season but would retain all of his eligibility.