It’s not about the money is it? Hell yeah, why else would they play?
By Tophatal
The College Football — season (D1) is already in full swing and the wherewithal of the teams as they pad their schedules in order to proceed up the rankings . Never let it be said that the NCAA in conjunction with the BCS doesn’t know a good thing when they see fit .College Football has exploded into a multibillion dollar industry that can simply exist by itself. However, the corporate executives on Park Avenue and further afield know that a tie-in with the NCAA , BCS or in fact a wildly successful college program can do them no harm . There are a multitude of sins come hand in hand with such an arrangement, that can lead to the gross violations and surreptitious behavior, that we have witnessed in recent years. And it has been the failure of the NCAA, as well as athletic directors and compliance officers at these schools that has led us to where we are today.
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Slide show .
NCAA President Mark Emmett and the body he presides over are toothless body, whose powers are rarely exhibited as warranted. OK, so a great deal will be made of the punishment handed down to Penn State but let’s face it, were it not for the public outrage and a certain amount of the empathy , the football program at the university would have been given the death knell . Not quite cast out in exile , it may well be several years before football at the Penn State can once again be looked upon with any reverence. Bill O’Brien has an unenviable task ahead of him , beyond succeeding the late Joe Paterno , as he also has to reinvent the sullied image and tarnished reputation of this once proud program. I firmly believe that he will succeed but that success will come along with detractors who are averse to change.
The acting AD David M. Joyner has been quick to show his support for the new head coach and his revamped coaching staff and that faith now seems to paying dividends . Beaver Stadium at College Park in Pennsylvania seems to have been revived with the fans now throwing their full support behind the Nittany Lion players . The team is off to a 1-2 start with their next scheduled game to be played this upcoming Saturday when they take on Temple (Owls) University at University Park, Pennsylvania . This game should give us a guide as to the progress being made by team and where they may well stand amongst their competitors within the Big Ten — standings .
Matt McGloin is clearly being asked to lead and provide with the prerequisite leadership sought, as the program and the team undergoes a new chapter in its history. And the best way possible is for Penn State to win and at the same time show the pride and demeanor that clearly wasn’t present under Joe Paterno, as he and his coaches led the program into some unfathomable depths of despair while trying to gloss over the egregious and heinous actions > of Jerry Sandusky , most notably Gary Spanier and Tim Curley. It is extremely hard to fathom how both Curley and Spanier could be so nondescript and lackadaisical in their handling of the sordid affair that dragged down Penn State. The Freeh Report has done little to alleviate to the pain caused by all of the parties involved in this sordid episode , other than to suggest that there was no leadership or moral decency to be found from anyone in a position of authority. Such, are the vagaries and the Machiavellian maneuvers deemed necessary to pursue a cover-up.
Be honest here , hands up if you were ready to ride on the USC (Trojans) bandwagon because Lane Kiffin was selling you the fact that this team was ready to become a “world beater” ? Don’t be shy, man up, and show yourself. There is nothing more humbling, that a large dose of reality and being solidly kicked in the ass as well as by a nemesis who brings you back down to earth. Kiffin and his self-absorbed demeanor, were rendered less reverential in light of the Trojans’ 21-14 loss to Stanford (Cardinals) . And in one fail swoop, the chances of USC being a prominent factor in the BCS national title picture , resembles the chances of Donald Trump becoming a Democrat! And with that loss we may well seen the hopes of Matt Barkley dashed , as the presumptive favorite for the Heisman Trophy . The Trojans’ quarterback will have to play at an at exceptionally high level over the remainder of the team’s schedule if he is to have a remote chance of being an award winner , thereby adding to the Trojans’ legacy of producing Heisman Trophy winners .
Lane Kiffin’s career has been marred by a great deal of controversy and his departure from Tennessee (Volunteers) to become the head coach at USC after the departure of Pete Carroll, to return to the NFL . Kiffin’s abrupt and rather surreptitious move left a rather unsavory taste amongst the hierarchy at Tennessee, and certainly among the majority of Volunteers’ fans. The coach’s disposition for flouting the NCAA rules and then responding that he was unaware that there has been any transgression , shows Lane Kiffin not only to be somewhat economical with the truth but also a conceited son of a bitch ! How else would one describe the fact that on repeated occasions since his ascent to his current position , he has seen fit to endanger a program that has only just returned from sanctions imposed on it by the NCAA , while his predecessor and then AD Mike Garrett simply looked the other way, as the surreptitious behavior of several Trojans’ football players went unreported. As we all know former USC tailback Reggie Bush rather than face further embarrassment returned his Heisman Trophy —- (2005) after all of the furor of his career with USC and the alleged payments received by the player . A house was furnished to his family, which has since has been proven that the player profited from that gift. Something that Bush to this day, still denies any wrongdoing on his part, while only having offered a less than contrite apology for what he says were simply errors in judgment while at attending USC on a full scholarship.
The Trojans’ program is one of the most profitable and revenue driven programs in College Football, ranking in the top ten of all of D1 football. And though thePAC 12 is seen as the epicenter for college football in the West , in no way should it be deemed that the teams can be overlooked as non-contenders for the national title. Stanford, Arizona (Wildcats) , Arizona State , Oregon (Ducks) , Oregon State , California (Bears) and UCLA (Bruins), can be viewed as omnipresent forces within the conference.
Kiffin has been blessed with a talented team led by Heisman Trophy hopeful, Matt Barkley , T J McDonald, Silas Redd and slew of NFL hopefuls, who for the present will look to impress the NFL scouts while parlaying their college careers into something more tangible. The conference games will be also a telling mark as to whether or not the Trojans are a national championship-caliber team. From my own perspective I believe that USC , if they are to prove themselves worthy , they will have to win out , and simply win the PAC 12 championship game convincingly , in order to convince the BCS Committee of their worthiness as a national champion contender ! Having lost so early in the season isn’t necessarily such a bad thing but the manner of the loss and the opponent in question, certainly has hindered Lane Kiffin’s chances raising the national championship trophy.
If Lane Kiffin is said to be conceited, then Alabama’s head football coach, Nick Saban has to be looked upon as a conniving and disingenuous bastard! He has been known to be condescending, most definitely a liar, and if nothing else, someone who has willingly courted controversy solely for the sake of placing his himself for scrutiny within the public arena. There is no denying that as a college coach he has known considerable success having won three national titles over the course of his career but it has been his cold and calculating approach that has times alienated him with the press while he is beloved by the program’s fans in the state of Alabama. Last season , Saban brought the Tide program another national title, with their thoroughly lopsided victory over SEC rivals LSU (Tigers) —– 21-0 in the BCS national title game. That loss left a bitter taste in the mouths of the Tigers’ players and left Les Smiles smarting and somewhat dismayed in the way his team lost the game , having gone in as the decided favorites , due to an earlier regular season conference victory over Alabama in 2011.
In 2012, these two teams may well be clashing once again for the SEC championship title that might be seen as a precursor to another potential national title rematch. However, it is my belief that there may well be another SEC aspirants with something to say about that whole premise ! Florida , under second year coach Will Muschamp has his team playing with a great deal of zeal , with an improving defense and an offense , that is slowly finding a rhythm that will indeed serve them well, as they proceed over the course of their schedule. Will Muschamp has recruited vigorously, trying to avail himself of best talent available in order to make the Gators a competitive force once again. The program had fallen on hard times, since the departure of Tim Tebow in 2010, for the NFL . With Tebow’s departure , then came Urban Meyer’s abrupt and sudden resignation, subsequent retirement, un-retirement and then return to the program , only to then leave once again. Now, with Meyer having returned to the college game, where he now coaches the Ohio State Buckeyes. A betrayal that is not lost on the vast majority of Gators’ fans across the country who still feel aggrieved by Meyer’s actions.
Florida, is off to a 3-0 start with decisive victories over Bowling Green State, Texas A&M and Tennessee (Volunteers ). Next up for Muschamp’s players will be a 22nd September match-up against SEC rivals Kentucky (Wildcats) at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium , in Jacksonville , Florida. It will be here that we should get to see whether or not, Jeff Driskell, Trey Burton , Mike Gillislee , Solomon Patterson , Josh Evans , and Jonathan Bostic are as good as advertised.
Things are genuinely great, when all three prominent Florida college football programs are riding high. The Gators are 3-0, as are Florida State (3-0 and the Miami Hurricanes (2-1) . Albeit, that the latter two programs are part of the ACC , it should be misconstrued that football isn’t part of the glamor of a conference primarily known for their renowned basketball programs . Jimbo Fisher has a top ten ranked team with ambitions on a national scale. And no doubt the Seminoles’ head coach would like to prove the naysayers wrong with a run to BCS Bowl prominence , with the ultimate goal , being a participant in the BCS title game. The results garnered by FSU through three games , are pretty impressive , and gives credence to the fact that Jimbo Fisher and his coaching staff has this team playing with a great deal of guile . And a highly anticipated game against the Clemson (Tigers) this weekend should give the home fans a great deal to cheer about , when the two programs meet at Doak Campbell Stadium , in Tallahassee ,in Florida ,.
Miami’s off-season woes have been well chronicled concerning the mismanagement and non-compliance of the athletics department with NCAA mandates , concerning personal gifts offered to student athletes . School AD, Shawn Eichorst and university President Donna Shalala have simply buried their heads in the sand, while this sorry episode engulfed the program. What might be even more inconceivable is that head football coach Al Golden could have been conduit for much of the actions that went on , unreported , with an intermediary of the coach, acting as a go-between for the players and the now disgraced and federally incarcerated former Canes’ booster Nevin Shapiro. And Shapiro has been naming names , embroiling current and former players to whom he paid hundreds , if not thousands of dollars , plied them with substantial gifts beyond what anyone could have deemed possible. Now as the school tries to distance itself from those issues , Al Golden still retains his position as the head coach. Miami did themselves no favors with their embarrassing 52-13 loss to Kansas State on the 8th September , before rebounding back to beat Bethune Cookman ….. 38-10 . Miami’s next meeting, has them tangling with fellow ACC rivals , Georgia Tech in a game that is sure to competitive, as it will be mean-spirited between these two high-profiled programs.
College Football is fraught with danger , not necessarily with regard to the endangerment of the players on the field . More so, it has to do with the corruption of the sport and the bear facts, that the major conferences within the game are simply driven by greed , power and the growing need to garner as much money as they can , while carrying on their business activities with wanton disregard of morals or ethics. The idiocy remains that so many fans are buying into this bullshit , while trying to suggest that this is simply the best way for the game to proceed. Clearly , there is not enough intelligence to go around , and it would appear that being apathetic is the choice that is preferably taken by many rather than seeing the NCAA , BCS and conference presidents act responsibly. Not to be left out of this all, are the well compensated coaches who simply are happy with their lot, no matter what idiotic changes are proposed.
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Picture gallery for your perusal .
Although we are only into the fourth week of a fourteen week schedule for College Football , what surprises if any , have come as a complete shock to you ? Which programs , do you feel will be vying for the national title, as well as the most prominent BCS Bowl games? Simply leave a comment as you see fit on this topic and anything else you believe pertinent to the subject matter .
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Picture and slide show details below .
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(1) NCAA President Mark Emmert , who succeeded Dr Myles Brand upon his death, to become the highest ranking executive of the NCAA . Over the years , questions have arisen as to the genuine willingness of that governing body to punish certain programs with impunity . Only light of the apparent outrage of the public did the NCAA punish Penn State for the egregious acts that took place and the conspiracy to cover up those acts by the highest ranked officials on the board of trustees of the academic establishment . AP Photo / Connor Gilchrist …
(2) Penn State head coach Bill O’Brien, left, shakes hands with Navy head coach Ken Niumatalolo before an NCAA college football game in State College, Pa., Saturday, Sept. 15, 2012. The Nittany Lions would go on to defeat Navy 34-7 . AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar …
(3) Quarterback Matthew McGloin (11) of the Penn State Nittany Lions celebrates after throwing a touchdown pass to Jesse James (18) during the first quarter against the Navy Midshipmen at Beaver Stadium on September 15, 2012 in State College, Pennsylvania. Getty Images North America / Rob Carr ……
(4) Matt Barkley (7) of the USC Trojans tries to get a pass away after being hit during their final quarter of their game against the Stanford Cardinal at Stanford Stadium on September 15, 2012 in Palo Alto, California. .Ezra Shaw / Getty Images ….
(5) USC Trojans head coach Lane Kiffin talks to quarterback Matt Barkley during their loss to the Stanford Cardinals at Stanford Stadium on September 15, 2012 in Palo Alto, California. Ezra Shaw / Getty Images ….
(6) Head Coach John L. Smith of the Arkansas Razorbacks shakes hands with Head Coach Nick Saban of the Alabama Crimson Tide before a game at Razorback Stadium on September 15, 2012 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The Tide would go on to crush Arkansas 52-0 in a game that wasn’t even remotely close . Getty Images / Wesley Hitt ….
(7) Denzel Devall (30) of the Alabama Crimson Tide sacks Brandon Allen (10) of the Arkansas Razorbacks at Razorback Stadium on September 15, 2012 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The Crimson Tide defeated the Razorbacks 52-0 . Getty Images /Wesley Hitt …..
(8) Jeff Driskel (6) of the Florida Gators throws under pressure from the Tennessee Volunteers during the second half of play at Neyland Stadium on September 15, 2012 in Knoxville, Tennessee. . John Sommers / Getty Images …
(9) Will Muschamp head coach of the Florida Gators reacts to a call by the officials during the first half of play a against the Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium on September 15, 2012 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Getty Images / John Sommers ….
(10) University of Miami President , Donna Shalala , is seen here with the university’s AD Shawn Eichorst . The two have tried to distance themselves from the allegations brought about, after it was revealed that former Canes’ booster Nevin Shapiro was guaranteed access to current and former athletes on the men’s basketball and football teams. Monetary gifts and loans were provided to these players by Shapiro. In the latest around of allegations , head football coach Al Golden has been embroiled in this mess , with the belief that he had a subordinate act as an intermediary between Shapiro and his players . Golden vehemently denies any wrongdoing on his part or that he was aware of any of his players accepting gifts from the now incarcerated Shapiro. Miami Herald / Antonio Echevarria ………
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NCAA Football conference standings
Alabama (Crimson Tide) football news
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Tophatal's Blog 
“Look , what my players do behind my back , is their own goddamn business , just as long as I get a piece of the action ” ! Canes’ head football coach Al Golden
The Tide are rollin baby , and they're < taking names and kicking much ass ! Deal with it !
Chelsea Charms and two of her closest friends are prepared to offer their services to the NFL and replace the replacement referees . I’ve no problem with that just as long as Chelsea’s charms don’t interrupt the flow of the game ! Goodell should not have bothered getting refs from the D2 and D3 levels of College Football. He should have gone after a number of Chelsea’s charms and a number of her friends . Your thoughts on the matter ?
Will blow a whistle and strip for food
Tophatal …………….
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Go Gators!
This team is finally playing with the kind of intensity we expected from a Will Muschamp-coached bunch. We’ll see how they fare at home in two weeks against LSU.
And I can’t say I know anyone who feels even the slightest bit sorry for Kiffin. That was a great clip of him getting frustrated and walking out on that Q&A the other day.
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The Gators are good enough to vie for the SEC title but much of that would be predicated upon the schedules of Alabama and LSU over the course this season .
I’m a man who speaks my own mind ! My wife is hot and she gives good h##d !
Don’t you wish your wife , were hot like mine ? Kiffin and his wife
Lane Kiffin is simply a conceited SOB ! Nothing more , nothing less !
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“So coach , when are we going to kick and chomp on some Gator ass ? ” Buckeyes’ player ” Son you don’t know how much I hate that program now . They treated me badly when I left . They have no respect , after all of the good that I’d done” . Urban Meryer
Tophatal ………..
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Chris
Muschamp can coach and he can recruit . Simply look at his track record under Mack Brown at Texas (Longhorns) .
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college is the minor leagues for the NFL. It’s all about the bucks. Millions of dollars. Follow the money trail. Pay the kids stop the scam.
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Bobby Gee
You have to understand the NCAA moves at a snail’s pace . Only when they feel like being proactive , will they do so .
The Miami Hurricanes still await their punishment concerning the Shapiro scandal .
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Monte ought to take Lane out to the woodshed and beat some of that smugness out of him.
The Gators are making good progress and have a chance to compete for the SEC East title, although they’re probably a year or two away from winning the SEC championship.
Florida State looks very good this year and if they can get by Clemson this week there is very little else standing in their way of playing in the BCS championship game.
Have a great weekend my friend and cheers!
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aero
“Lane how many times have I told you , stop being such a smug bastard . That’s not the way your mother and I raised you ” ! Lane & Monte Kiffin
Just asking but is Monte still ambulatory enough to beat his son’s ass ? LOL,LOL,LOL !!!
The Gators I believe can have a very good season but so much of that will be predicated upon how the the other teams in the conference handle their schedules .
Jimbo Fisher simply has the ‘noles playing some great football and I can see them playing in a major BCS Bowl game this season !
Let’s see if the Bucs can get back on track by defeating the Cowboys this weekend at Cowboys Stadium , in Arlington , Texas .
All-time series’ match-ups between the Buccaneers and Cowboys .
Have a great weekend my sincerest regards to you and the immediate family .
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Monte did introduce his son to his first ever vagina . Lane actually wet himself when he witnessed and was told what it was actually meant for .
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” Hi my name is Matt Barkley and I would like to say that the Heisman Trophy vote is not the most important thing in my life . I turned down millions of dollars last season in forgoing the NFL Draft so that I could return to USC . Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III got the raw end of that deal , that’s for sure ” A paid advertizement brought to you by another dumb USC quarterback ____ Matt Barkley
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I actually feel for Barkley. I mean, had he left for the NFL last year, he would have to compete for a Draft spot with Griffin and Luck (not sure he would have gone ahead of them). In fact, I am not sure he would have been drafted before Ryan Tannehill either. With those guys in the draft, it may have been a good move to come back to USC for another year…especially considering the fact that he could get at least one year at USC OFF of probation (bowl game, etc.).
If I were him, I probably would have returned too.
As for losing the Stanford….there is really no excuse for that. I mean, losing four times to the same team (who was very recently the doormat of the conference) has got to hurt. Especially considering the fact that the QB and coach that got Stanford to this point are no longer around!
I don’t want to take too much away from Stanford and their Defense, but is USC really only good for 14 points against Stanford? Really?
Oh well, I was shocked that the AP voters gave USC the No. 1 preseason ranking. I even wrote about it here: http://onepointsafety.com/2012/09/18/the-trojans-of-usc-are-not-who-you-the-ap-voters-thought-they-were/
I think Barkley can still win the Heisman (although it will be a little harder to do now). As long as Stanford keeps winning, the voters will consider it a “quality loss” against a good team. As you know, voters have a tendency to forget about early season losses. Also, the fact that there are not many Heisman contenders at this point helps Barkley a lot. If USC wins the rest of their games this season, wins the Pac 12 Championship (which will be a challenge for them), and earns a trip to the Rose Bowl….you will definitely see Barkley at the ceremony in NYC (and he might just win it).
However, that is a lot of “IFs” and in order to win the Pac 12, USC and Barkley will have to beat Oregon, Notre Dame, and UCLA before the title game where they will most likely face either Oregon or Stanford for a second time. (Note: If they face Stanford for a second time, and win, the voters will definitely forget about the early season loss to Stanford….so there is a chance for redemption.)
We will have to wait and see…but if they make it to the top, I am guessing the Heisman voters will consider the mountain that USC climbed good enough to give Barkley their vote.
Later,
Travis
http://www.OnePointSafety.com
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I’m with you concerning Matt Barkley as I feel that if he had declared his eligibility , I don’t believe that he would be a top 5 pick , or perhaps mid to late first round or the early second round at the latest .
This year —- dependent upon USC’ success will very much determine Barkley’s value in the 2013 NFL Draft .
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