College Football on The Huffington Post

Orange Bowl 2010: Georgia Tech vs. Iowa

2010-01-05T17:56:30Z

MIAMI — It was breakfast time, and Iowa Hawkeyes defensive coordinator Norm Parker sat at a table trying to explain the challenge of stopping Georgia Tech's triple option.

Parker waved his cup of morning coffee.

David Brandon, Domino's Pizza CEO, New Michigan Athletic Director (VIDEO)

2010-01-05T02:42:34Z

The Detroit Free Press reports that Domino's Pizza Chairman and CEO David Brandon will be named the next athletic director at the University of Michigan. The article notes multiple experiences he has had that may make him well suited for the job:

He played football under Schembechler, was a member of the Board of Regents and has business experience as a CEO at Domino's Pizza and Valassis.

He is the co-chair of the fundraising campaign to build the new Mott Children's Hospital with former football coach Lloyd Carr, and their wives are heavily involved in the project as well.

Television viewers, however, may know Brandon for another line on his resume: pizza pitchman. Brandon has appeared in TV commercials mocking Subway sandwiches and oven-baking letters from its rival until they burn up. He also offered "hard working people on main street" a "Domino's Big Taste Bailout." Scroll down to see four of the ads.

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Boise State Wins Fiesta Bowl, Beats TCU 17-10

2010-01-05T00:02:51Z

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Boise State reached into its bag of tricks again and stunned Texas Christian in a Fiesta Bowl duel of unbeaten BCS busters.

After the Broncos pulled off a gutsy fake punt at their own 33-yard line, Doug Martin scored the decisive touchdown to give No. 6 Boise State a 17-10 victory over third-ranked TCU on Monday night.

Fiesta Bowl 2010: Boise State vs. TCU

2010-01-04T16:55:56Z

GLENDALE, Ariz. — TC-Who?

The Texas Christian Horned Frogs are used to the question.

Playoff PAC To Air College Football Playoff Ad (VIDEO)

2010-01-04T15:03:04Z

(SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO)

(AP) WASHINGTON — A new political action committee plans to run ads this week pushing for a playoff system for college football.

Playoff PAC says it will run the ads in Dallas, Salt Lake City and Boise, Idaho ahead of Thursday's national championship game between Texas and Alabama. The ad highlights the fact that two undefeated teams, TCU and Boise State, are not getting a chance to play for the title. The two schools face off Monday night in the Fiesta Bowl.

The ad also includes comments from Bill Hancock, the executive director of the Bowl Championship Series, saying not everyone can play in a championship game.

A copy of the ad, which also will run on the Web, was obtained by The Associated Press.

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Joe Haden To Enter NFL Draft

2010-01-03T15:45:32Z

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida cornerback Joe Haden is skipping his final year of eligibility and entering the NFL draft.

Haden announced his intentions Sunday, two days after No. 5 Florida beat fourth-ranked Cincinnati 51-24 in the Sugar Bowl.

Alamo Bowl 2010: Texas Tech Defeats Michigan State, 41-31

2010-01-03T02:34:50Z

SAN ANTONIO — No questions about Mike Leach. No questions about Adam James.

Those were the ground rules Texas Tech quarterback Steven Sheffield laid down Saturday night after saving the day in a thrilling Alamo Bowl victory that his fired head coach would've loved.

Mike Leach Swears At Adam James VIDEO: 'Shitty Fucking Effort'

2010-01-02T23:48:29Z

The Big Lead flags footage of former Texas Tech head coach Mike Leach berating Adam James at practice in April. In the video, Leach appears to say: "I can't even stand to watch you f--king stumble around. S--ty f--king effort like you f--king accomplished something."

Leach was fired on December 30, 2009 after James complained that he was forced to stand in a small, dark closet while he was suffering a concussion. Alleged video of the incident was posted online. Texas Tech (without Leach) is currently playing Michigan State in the Alamo Bowl. Scroll down for video of the comments, as well as an enhanced audio version.

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Liberty Bowl 2010: Arkansas Beats East Carolina In OT, 20-17

2010-01-02T22:05:25Z

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Alex Tejada kicked a 37-yard field goal in overtime to give Arkansas a 20-17 win in the Liberty Bowl on Saturday night after East Carolina's Ben Hartman missed two field goal attempts late in regulation and another in the extra session.

Hartman missed from 39 yards with 1:03 remaining and from the same distance on the final play of the fourth quarter, then missed from 35 in overtime. Tejada, who has struggled with kicks in pressure situations himself, made his attempt to end the game.

Eddie Money's Liberty Bowl Halftime Show Performance VIDEO: 'Two Tickets To Paradise'

2010-01-02T20:51:13Z

Viewers watching the 2010 Liberty Bowl may have been surprised to learn the identity of the game's halftime show performer. Eddie Money, perhaps best known for the 1986 song "Take Me Home Tonight" (among other singles), sang "Two Tickets To Paradise" to the Memphis crowd. The song, which he released more than 32 years ago, clearly caught viewers off guard when ESPN aired a portion of the performance. Scroll down for a clip of the halftime show, as well as a dress rehearsal and several of Money's music videos.

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Jahvid Best To Enter NFL Draft

2010-01-02T18:43:19Z

BERKELEY, Calif. — California star tailback Jahvid Best announced Saturday that he will skip his senior year and enter the NFL draft after a disappointing final college season cut short by injury.

"It wasn't an easy decision. It took a lot of thought and we got a lot of advice from everybody," Best said on a conference call. "This is an opportunity that I can't pass up."

Steve Pincock, Texas Tech Trainer: Mike Leach 'Wanted Adam James To Be Uncomfortable'

2010-01-02T18:38:11Z

LUBBOCK, Texas — A Texas Tech athletic trainer told university officials he did not agree with Mike Leach's treatment of receiver Adam James after the player was diagnosed with a concussion.

In an affidavit released Saturday by the university, Texas Tech trainer Steve Pincock said he told James he was "sorry" for having placed the player inside an equipment shed near the practice field.

Cotton Bowl 2010: Ole Miss Beats Oklahoma State, 21-7

2010-01-02T18:17:17Z

ARLINGTON, Texas — Dexter McCluster gave Mississippi fans a finale to remember, rushing for 182 yards and two touchdowns, including the go-ahead 2-yard run on a direct snap with 4:03 left as the Rebels beat No. 21 Oklahoma State 21-7 in the Cotton Bowl on Saturday.

McCluster also had an 86-yard TD run in the second quarter after the senior had already become the first Southeastern Conference player with 1,000 yards rushing and 500 yards receiving in the same season.

Dexter McCluster Touchdown Run VIDEO: Rebel Runs 86 Yards Untouched

2010-01-02T17:04:20Z

UPDATE: The Rebels won the Cotton Bowl, 21-7.

Ole Miss running back Dexter McCluster provided some second quarter fireworks in today's Cotton Bowl, running 86 yards untouched. The touchdown and ensuing extra point gave the Rebels their only points in the first three quarters. The Rebels remain tied with Oklahoma State at the start of the fourth quarter.

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Joe Cutbirth: Leach Incident Shows ESPN Ethics Stink

2010-01-02T03:34:30Z

The whole mess at Texas Tech involving head coach Mike Leach and Adam James, son of ESPN college football analyst Craig James, is just sort of dark and odd.

We know Leach is quirky. We know he can be crude and sexist. It's much tougher to tell from news reports, secondhand anecdotes and a video that surfaced on ESPN but seems more appropriate for The Blair Witch Project, if he actually is a cruel sadist. Isolating a player -- even a malcontent -- with a legitimate injury is really poor judgment. And Tech officials seemed to rush through their investigation and Leach's firing in a way that looks shady, because it helped the school narrowly avoid paying Leach an $800,000 bonus.

But ESPN has some dirty laundry, too. The network owes its viewers, Tech and frankly the journalism profession a look at its own ethical guidelines. It also has to stop stonewalling new questions about Craig James' actions with flip denials from a corporate spokesman.

If allegations Leach made yesterday to The New York Times prove true, Craig James should face disciplinary action and possibly lose his job. If they don't, Leach needs to apologize publicly to the James family, drop his attempts to be reinstated and reconsider his future in college football.

In his first major interview since the incident, Leach told the Times:

Craig James called assistant coach Lincoln Riley so often to lobby for playing time, that they had a meeting with Adam James. They played him two of the messages and asked, "How would you feel if we went in there to the meeting room and we stuck speakers up and we played these two messages for the team?" ... After that, we didn't get any more phone calls from Craig, but he did proceed to call administrators.

That is a serious charge to anyone who has worked in journalism. This story isn't about Craig James, yet. But it could be real fast if Leach is telling the truth. No coach or university should have to live with a network media analyst who covers their school behaving like that. It would be a gross violation of journalistic ethics for any sports journalist to try and directly influence how any college football program is run. For it to happen where the journalist's son is on scholarship would be beyond the pale.

These allegations are easy to verify. ESPN and sports reporters should ask Riley directly if he ever recorded messages from Craig James, brought them to the school, and played them for Adam James in a meeting with other coaches. ESPN and sports reporters should ask Adam James directly if he ever attended a meeting where phone messages from his father were played. (If he says no, they should ask where he was at the time Leach says the meeting occurred.) One word answers will do.

Riley has a game to coach on Saturday. But he should come out publicly by Monday and verify in detail the content of the alleged calls. Leach should produce a signed letter by Riley and any other coach who attended the meeting that supports the story Leach told the Times. If the tapes still exist, Riley should play them for ESPN, the Times and other independent sports media.

That's how you verify a simple yet critical set of facts. If Leach's assistant coaches can't or won't verify the story he told the Times, something is very wrong with Leach and he doesn't deserve to work in major college sports. If they can and do, and if the tapes exist and support Leach's claims, then something is very wrong with Craig James, and he doesn't deserve to work in major sports broadcasting.

Everyone in journalism knows that credibility is a perception. That is why political reporters don't report on races involving their family members and why business reporters don't report on companies in which they own stock. ESPN could have avoided this whole situation by reassigning Craig James the minute his son signed with Texas Tech. The announcement that James would not be covering the Alamo Bowl -- like that is some big step by ESPN -- is so ridiculous it's offensive. It was absurd for him ever to have been near that game, Big 12 football and/or Tech athletics in the first place.

Craig James has every right to be a pestering football dad, as obnoxious as that may be. However, if he wants to exercise that right, he owes it to his network and the reputations of other reporters who work there to move into a job that doesn't have these ethical temptations or create the appearance of impropriety. News organizations routinely reassign reporters to avoid even slight impressions of conflict over work their family members do in government, business -- even sports. Why was Craig James any different?

Ephesians 2 8-10: Tim Tebow's Eye Black Bible Passage (PHOTOS)

2010-01-01T21:03:40Z

Tim Tebow regularly includes references to Bible passages in his eye black. During the SEC Championship game, he guided viewers to John 16:33. The week before, in his last home game as a Florida Gator, his eye blacks referenced Hebrews 12:1-2. Tonight, Tebow is playing the final game of his college career in the Sugar Bowl, and he has included one final message beneath his eyes.

Tebow's eye black says "EPH 2:8-10," a reference to the Epistle to the Ephesians. Ephesians 2:8-10 says:

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith -- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God -- not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

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Rose Bowl 2010: Ohio State Beats Oregon, 26-17

2010-01-01T20:49:40Z

PASADENA, Calif. — Terrelle Pryor jumped on a golf cart and rode up the Rose Bowl tunnel in his grass-stained uniform, heading out to pick up a trophy. A clutch of departing Ohio State fans caught sight of his No. 2 jersey and let loose the sort of wild cheer Pryor always imagined would be the soundtrack to his career.

Ohio State's bowl woes were over, thanks to a quarterback who finally played up to his enormous potential – and a sturdy defense that grounded Oregon's high-flying offense.

Capital One Bowl: Penn State Nips LSU, 19-17

2010-01-01T18:25:30Z

ORLANDO, Fla. — Dampened by rain, slowed by mud and trailing late in the fourth quarter, Daryll Clark was determined to get Penn State some points.

The No. 11 Nittany Lions and their star quarterback emerged from the muck for a thrilling 19-17 win over No. 13 LSU at the Capital One Bowl.

Gator Bowl 2010: Florida State Beats West Virginia, 33-21

2010-01-01T18:12:11Z

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Bobby Bowden rode only a few bouncy steps on his players' shoulders, then hopped off.

"I thought it was about time to get down," he said.

Mike Leach: Adam James Is Lazy, Acts Entitled

2010-01-01T15:59:51Z

LUBBOCK, Texas — Fired Texas Tech coach Mike Leach said the father of the player he was accused of mistreating after a concussion meddled more than any parent he's ever come across.

Leach also denied he mistreated Adam James when he spoke Friday to The Associated Press about his firing.

Outback Bowl 2010: Auburn Beats Northwestern In Epic OT Thriller

2010-01-01T15:39:34Z

TAMPA, Fla. — Pat Fitzgerald reached into Northwestern's bag of tricks one more time, hoping to pull out the perfect play to give his team a dramatic victory over Auburn in the Outback Bowl.

"I've had it in my back pocket for four years, and people tell me I'm too conservative. So I said, `What the heck. We're here to win, so let's go,'" Fitzgerald said after a version of the old fumblerooskie failed in overtime, leaving the Wildcats with a 38-35 loss on Friday.

Bowl Games New Years Day 2010: Schedule, Times, Broadcast Info

2010-01-01T13:24:56Z

New Year's Day means bowl games, and there are five bowl games scheduled for New Year's Day 2010.

Here are today's bowl games on the schedule:

Outback Bowl 2010:
Jan. 1, 11 a.m., Tampa, Fla.
Northwestern vs. Auburn, ESPN broadcast

Capital One Bowl 2010:
Jan. 1, 1 p.m., Orlando, Fla.
Penn State vs. LSU, ABC broadcast

Gator Bowl 2010:
Jan. 1, 1 p.m., Jacksonville, Fla.
West Virginia vs. Florida State, CBS broadcast

Rose Bowl 2010:
Jan. 1, 5 p.m., Pasadena, Calif.
Oregon vs. Ohio State, ABC broadcast

Sugar Bowl 2010:
Jan. 1, 8:30 p.m., New Orleans, La.
Florida vs. Cincinnati, FOX broadcast

For additional BCS match-ups, see the complete Bowl Games Schedule.

Also, a breakdown of some of today's key bowl games can be found here.

Dr. Johnny Benjamin: Craig James for Father of the Year

2010-01-01T09:52:52Z

It's a sad day in the great State of Texas when a father protecting his family is frowned upon. I know as Texans that traditionally we have always valued football but I thought that God and family still came before grid iron glory.

Craig James, the father, not Craig James the Texas football legend or ESPN analyst did exactly what a responsible father should do for his family...period. However, unpopular and controversial it may be to some.

He should be commended for doing whatever is necessary to protect the health and well being of his family and in this instance his son, Adam.

Let's call it for what it was. Craig James' son was being punished, publicly humiliated, ostracized, ridiculed, made example of or however else you want to describe the confinement for alerting the staff that he had suffered a concussion. The curious actions of the coach very well may have been an attempt to 'set the tone' for the program; albeit a very dangerous one.

Thankfully, our country has been of late moving in a more enlightened direction as it pertains to concussions. The NFL has finally chosen to take up the mantle and lead a public initiative towards player safety. And as predicted, due in large part to Commissioner Roger Goodell's leadership, this information and perspective has begun to filter down to football programs, players and families on all levels.

Concussions are serious injuries and are not to be taken lightly by the player or coaching staff.

Adam James did exactly what players have been instructed to do when it comes to concussion safety and management, alert the medical staff and coaches immediately. Unfortunately, when this young man did as instructed, all hell broke loose.

Now those responsible for this debacle have embarked on an even more bizarre course and begun to publicly attack the injured player. If Adam James is tough, a hard worker, has the right attitude, thinks he is entitled or harbors any other potential perceived character flaw is inconsequential when discussing proper concussion management.

In a bizarre way, I am thankful that this shameful scenario happened to a family with the stature of the James' family. If this would have happened to another young athlete from a different family situation, one that didn't feel adequately empowered to publicly confront a 'big time' football coach or program, it may have been business as usual and the world would have never known. And the other players would have learned the lesson of what happens to a player that reports a concussion.

Statements have been made suggesting that sequestering Adam in a dark place against his will did not further injure him. Maybe it did or didn't but it certainly had no role in proper concussion management. The treating physician didn't prescribe such actions nor should he have. So I ask. Why was it done?

I will take the road less traveled and publicly applaud Craig James the father. Do you think for one moment that he didn't realize as this thing was spiraling downward that it may be extremely unpopular, bad for his public image and consequently his career?

Craig James is a Texas football legend, a retired NFL player and an ESPN analyst but most of all a good dad.

Adrian Taylor Leg Injury VIDEO: Oklahoma Lineman Injures Leg

2009-12-31T21:57:42Z

The Oklahoma Sooners edged Stanford tonight in the Sun Bowl, but it was not a cheery night for everyone on the team. Less than three minutes into the game, Sooners defensive lineman Adrian Taylor suffered a gruesome leg injury after a Stanford rushing attempt. Taylor, in visible pain, was carted off the field after the play. According to reports, Taylor suffered a broken ankle. Scroll down for video.

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Sun Bowl 2009: Oklahoma Tops Stanford, 31-27

2009-12-31T21:28:05Z

EL PASO, Texas — The combination of Landry Jones and Ryan Broyles was almost unstoppable for Oklahoma.

And while the Sooners' steely defense couldn't quite stop Toby Gerhart, yards were hard to come by for the Heisman Trophy runner-up.