The new Big 12 tiebreaker procedures, explained

By Zach BarnettMay 6, 2015, 5:52 PM EDT

Stick a bunch of smart, highly-paid people in a room for two days and ask them to figure out a simple issue and what do you get? A complicated solution, that’s what.

Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby new tiebreaker procedures – among four choices, he noted – to determine its champion at its spring meetings in Phoenix Wednesday, seen below via ESPN’s Max Olson:

Though the intent is clear with tiebreaker B1, Mike Finger of the San Antonio Express-News astutely pointed out the wording needs to be ironed out:

Here’s a fun (?) little example of why wording matters in the Big 12 tiebreaker: pic.twitter.com/hYbmeXYuE2

— Mike Finger (@mikefinger) May 6, 2015

Essentially, three teams finish 8-1 in 2015, the league has put in place procedures to guarantee only one of them holds a trophy at season’s end.

If this tiebreaker had been in place in 2008, Texas Tech (which got blown out by OU) eliminated first, Texas would win H2H w OU.

— Stewart Mandel (@slmandel) May 6, 2015

And in the rare event where three times tie in the standings and on the scoresheet? Well, now that I think about it, that’s exactly the type of thing that would happen in the Big 12.

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Former Vanderbilt football player Brandon Banks found guilty of rape

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By Kevin McGuireJun 24, 2017, 2:22 PM EDT

Former Vanderbilt football player Brandon Banks was convicted by a jury on Friday for rape of a female Vanderbilt student. Following 15 hours of jury deliberations, the verdict of guilty on one count of aggravated rape and one count of aggravated sexual battery was in.

”He’s shocked but understands that this is only the first part of this process, there’s a lot more to do from here on,” Banks’ lawyer, Mark Scruggs, said after the verdict. ”We have some really good issues to raise.”

Part of Banks’ defense was built on succumbing to peer pressure, suggesting he feared he may be beaten up by teammates if he did not participate in the scandalous activity. The jury, having reviewed videos and photos from the incident, some of which were shot by Banks, determined that was not a viable defense.

”Making fun of another person is not right, but we know it happens,” Assistant District Attorney Roger Moore said in closing arguments, according to the Associated Press. ”But it doesn’t give you a legal defense to commit a crime, particularly not an aggravated rape, an aggravated sexual battery. I mean if that’s the case, then we’d have the ‘football team defense.”’

Banks will serve a minimum of 15 years in prison. One count of aggravated rape has a minimum sentence of 15 years.

Other former Vanderbilt players had previously been convicted for their roles in the 2013 rape. Cory Batey was found guilty of aggravated rape and sentenced to 15-25 years in prison in April 2016. Brandon Vandenbeurg was found guilty and sentenced to 17 years in prison.

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California’s state-funded travel ban to discriminating states raises mild football scheduling concerns

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By Kevin McGuireJun 24, 2017, 12:41 PM EDT

The state of California is banning state-funded travel to the states of Texas, Alabama, Kentucky, and South Dakota. Those states are added to the previous state-funded travel bans that included Kansas, Mississippi, North Carolina, and Tennessee due to what California lawmakers say are laws that allow for discrimination against gay and transgender people.

So what does this have to do with college football? My colleague, Bryan, notes this latest decision from the state means scheduling any potential road games for a handful of schools just got a tad trickier.

UCLA, Cal, Fresno St, SDSU & SJSU won’t be able to schedule any new games involving travel to teams in EIGHT states https://t.co/QOCMLilNDc

— Bryan Fischer (@BryanDFischer) June 23, 2017

This development poses a couple of issues for some California schools to address moving forward.

San Jose State is the school affected by this latest news right off the bat. San Jose State has a road game scheduled at Texas on September 9 this season. San Jose State may have to rely on some of that guaranteed money from Texas to cover the expenses, which would put a dent in the total takeaway from playing the game in the first place.

Cal is also scheduled to play at North Carolina on September 2. Cal also plays at TCU in 2021 and at Auburn in 2024. If the ban is still in operation at those times, then Cal will have to budget ahead of time to tackle the expenses. UCLA will play at Memphis on September 19.

The state-funded travel ban to these states may not be an issue for the postseason, as bowl game expenses tend to be carried by the conference and their revenue shares.

Fresno State has a road game at Texas A&M scheduled in 2020. San Diego State has no future scheduling hassles to worry about for the time being.

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When ‘physically, mentally ready,’ door wide open for Keyshawn Johnson Jr.’s return to Nebraska

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