With Louisville ascending quickly out of the gates of the college football season, the early playoff discussions have already begun. Bobby Petrino has seemingly resurrected his career as a head coach after a complete disaster of an off-field situation saw his run at Arkansas crash on the side of the road. Now, with Petrino and the Cardinals very much worth discussing as a legitimate national title contender three weeks into the season, Petrino’s old boss at Arkansas says the past will not affect the present.
Jeff Long, athletics director at Arkansas, of course, is that former boss of Petrino’s. Long may have felt let down by Petrino in the final days of his time as head coach of the Razorbacks, but Long and the rest of the College Football Playoff have one specific job to accomplish at the end of the year; field the best four teams in college football into a College Football Playoff. Long’s past feelings about Petrino will not affect how the Cardinals may or may not be viewed in the national title picture should Louisville be so fortunate to be in such a position at the end of the season.
“No, there’s no reason for me to recuse myself,” Long said, according to the Associated Press. It is standard protocol for any member of the College Football Playoff selection committee with a direct tie to any potential playoff candidate to leave the room during discussion of that specific school. Although Petrino is a former coach at Long’s Arkansas, that does not come into the equation for Long’s role on the committee."I think Louisville is a fine football program, and they demonstrated that after three weeks of the season. We’ve got six more weeks before we rank a group of teams.”
“I think Louisville is a fine football program, and they demonstrated that after three weeks of the season. We’ve got six more weeks before we rank a group of teams.”
Long, as the chairman of the selection committee, has previously been tasked with addressing the committee’s weekly poll on live television and essentially serve as the face of the committee (that responsibility is now Texas Tech AD Kirby Hocutt‘s). The reaction to some of Long’s comments during the weekly poll explanations have been taken to task a number of times during the past two seasons, but these comments related specifically to Petrino and Louisville are fair and honest. There is no reason Long should be removed from the discussion of Louisville as long as there is no evidence suggesting Long still has an ax to grind with Petrino. We are more than a few years removed from Petrino’s last stint at Arkansas, so as long as the water has passed under the bridge, Long should remain on the selection committee if and when Louisville is discussed.