They Ran Out Of Crowns At Burger King

Give me a break buddy.

ACC Announces New Bowl Partnerships

Atlantic Coast Conference Commissioner John Swofford announced today partnerships with seven football bowl games which will be effective for the six years of postseason play following the 2014 through 2019 seasons. ​

​The seven agreements include the New Era Pinstripe Bowl, which was announced on June 25, and are in addition to the previously announced 12-year partnership with the Discover Orange Bowl.
​In all, the league has reached agreements with the Russell Athletic Bowl in Orlando; the Hyundai Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas; the Belk Bowl in Charlotte, N.C.; the Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl in Nashville, Tenn.; the TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, Fla., and the New Era Pinstripe Bowl in New York City.

​Additional bowl partnerships for the same time frame are expected to be announced in the near future, as the conference will have 15 teams in its postseason mix beginning in 2014 with Notre Dame joining the league's postseason options.
​
 ​The new agreements, all six years in length, feature increased net financial revenues to the Conference, reduced ticket obligations, added flexibility in selection of teams to create the best possible matchups and avoid repeat appearances, prioritized geographic regional proximity for better fan access, additional new market and bowl game possibilities for ACC teams and a greatly increased presence in bowl games in Florida. ​

​“We are extremely pleased to announce relationships with this outstanding collection of future bowl partners,” said ACC Commissioner John Swofford. "Each of these premiere bowls is recognized for its excellence, and they collectively combine to offer our 15-member league more flexibility, improved financials, marquee match-ups and attractive destinations.”

​The ACC will once again send its champion, if that team is not part of the College Football Playoff, to the Discover Orange Bowl in South Florida. If the Discover Orange Bowl is hosting one of the semifinal games of the College Football Playoff, the ACC champion will play in one of the other host bowls of the playoff – the Fiesta Bowl or the Chick-fil-A Bowl – if not playing in a semifinal game.

​The Russell Athletic Bowl will have the first selection of ACC teams after the Discover Orange Bowl and the College Football Playoff. As part of that agreement, an ACC team will also play in the Capital One Bowl whenever the Discover Orange Bowl hosts a Big Ten team to play the ACC champion. ​

​The league will be returning to the Russell Athletic Bowl for the 14th consecutive season after the 2014 campaign when the new agreements go into effect. The league has posted a 9-3 mark in the game.
​After the College Football Playoff, Orange Bowl, Capital One Bowl (when applicable) and Russell Athletic Bowl, selections will be made from a pool which has the conference sending four teams to the Hyundai Sun Bowl, the Belk Bowl, the New Era Pinstripe Bowl and either the Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl or the TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl.

​The ACC will be returning to the Hyundai Sun Bowl for the fifth consecutive year. The Hyundai Sun Bowl, tied with the Orange and Sugar Bowls as the nation’s second-oldest bowl game, will be holding its 80th annual contest this year.

​The conference will also be headed to the Belk Bowl, which will be played in Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C., for the 13th consecutive year in 2014. The conference has been a part of every Belk Bowl game since its inception in 2002, including its predecessors: the Continental Tire Bowl and the Meineke Car Care Bowl.

​The league will also renew its agreement with the Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl, a relationship that began in 2005. In the six-year cycle beginning after the 2014 season, the ACC will send a team to Nashville for the Music City Bowl three times and will send a team to the Taxslayer.com Gator Bowl game three times. This agreement allows the ACC to return to the Gator Bowl, a game in which it participated annually from 1995 through 2008, and offers increased options to maximize bowl destinations for teams and fans.

​And, as previously announced, the ACC will be sending a team to the New Era Pinstripe Bowl for the first time after the 2014 season, though new member Syracuse played in both the 2010 and 2012 bowls. The New Era Pinstripe Bowl, which is operated by the New York Yankees, will be in its fourth year of existence this year. Played annually in Yankee Stadium, the game has seen its attendance increase in each of its first three years. Affiliation with the game allows the ACC an increased branding presence in the nation’s largest market and gives its schools and fans a chance to take part in a series of events showcasing the metropolitan New York area.

Media Selects Alabama To Win SEC

Is anyone surprised by this?  Not me.

SEC EAST

• 1. Georgia (149 first-place votes)
• 2. South Carolina (75)
• 3. Florida (19)
• 4. Vanderbilt
• 5. Tennessee
• 6. Missouri
• 7. Kentucky

SEC WEST

• 1. Alabama (225)
• 2. Texas A&M (11)
• 3. LSU (7)
• 4. Ole Miss
• 5. Auburn
• 6. Mississippi State
• 7. Arkansas

SEC CHAMPION

• 1. Alabama (182)
• 2. Georgia (38)
• 3. South Carolina (18)
• 4. Texas A&M (4)
• 5. LSU (1)

Bleacherreport.com

Nick Saban Challenges John Cena For The Title

Actually met the guys that create these belts at a conference in Orlando a few years back.  The belts were way overpriced, but I would have loved to have purchased one while I was at Florida State.  

Somewhere online there should be an image of a Tennessee belt floating around.  Very good chance Dooley took that on his way out of town.

Why The Media Is Jealous Of Johnny Football

USA Today

Take a good, long, hard look at this picture. What do all of the hacks on the outside of the table have in common with Johnny Football? NOTHING!

So while most of these Herbs are asking questions like, "What do you want to accomplish this season?"

What they really want to know is, "What's it like to bag this chick?"

The resounding theme of the week as the media swarms around the reigning Heisman trophy winner is jealousy. These guys wish they could have been Johnny when they were attending Meat Market Tech working on their liberal arts degree.   Instead they were trying to chase down some girl at the soup counter who had a faint mustache.

 Tip of the hat to you Johnny!  To the victor go the spoils.

Yahoo Sports

TheBigLead.com

Everyone Is Scared Of Jadeveon Clowney

Trust me!

What Will Spurrier's $300 Buy You?

The dean of SEC Media Days, Steve Spurrier, was at it again today.  He didn't advocate going so far as paying his football players, instead he said they needed some pocket cash for expenses.  Spurrier is a huge advocate of dishing out $300 per game, per player.

This got me thinking, what would the average college football player do with $300 each week.  Below is a list of items that a South Carolina player could buy with their newfound "expense" money.

Two pair of Lebron sneakers

A Drone 2.0 helicopter

Jadeveon Clowney could purchase four of his jerseys from the team store.

Everything in this picture!

Muschamp Opens SEC Media Days With A Bang

USA Today Sports

Florida Gators head coach Will Muschamp gained the most attention on Tuesday morning at SEC Media Days when he fired a shot across the bow at Ohio State.

“We appreciate our friends from Ohio making sure we follow NCAA rules. They certainly know something about NCAA rule,” said Muschamp.

From his track record on Aaron Hernandez, I don't expect a response from Pontiff Meyer.

Bravo Andy Stapples!  It's an all-new college football mock draft at SI.com.

I am very hopeful that Johnny Football strolls through this season like a modern day Sebastian Janikowski.

Which Former Head Coach Will Be Missed Most?

Which of these stellar former head coaches will be missed most when SEC media days gets started this week?

This one is a no-brainer to me, it has to be John L. Smith.  Wouldn't you love to have the chance to ask this bum why he invested as much money as he did in bad land deals?  No, I think it would be more fun to ask him how he took a team that was a potential national title contender and ran them into the ground last season.

Gene Chizik, John L. Smith, Joker Phillips, Derek Dooley

2013 FSU Football Poster

Does Bryan Stork look like a member of Hell's Angels?

ACC Football Kickoff Attendees

Florida State wide receiver Rashad Greene

The ACC announced the players who will be attending this month's football kickoff in Greensboro.  I'm actually impressed the schools are sending players the media wants to talk to.  I only make that statement because for several years Dabo Swinney and companywere sending an OL that NO ONE wanted to talk to.

The football student-athletes who will be attending the 2013 ACC Football Kickoff are:

Boston College
Chase Rettig		Quarterback		6-3		213		Senior		Sierra Madre, Calif.
Steele Divitto		Linebacker		6-3		238		Senior		Ridgefield, Conn..
Clemson
Tajh Boyd		Quarterback		6-1		225		Senior-R		Hampton, Va.
Spencer Shuey		Linebacker		6-3		230		Graduate-R		Charlotte, N.C.
Duke
Anthony Boone		Quarterback		6-0		230		Junior-R		Monroe, N.C.
Ross Cockrell		Cornerback		6-0		185		Senior-R		Waxhaw, N.C.
Florida State
Rashad Greene		Wide Receiver		6-0		180		Junior		Albany, Ga.
Lamarcus Joyner		Defensive Back		5-8		187		Senior		Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
Georgia Tech
Will Jackson		Offensive Lineman		6-3		295		Senior-R		Knoxville, Tenn.
Jeremiah Attaochu		Defensive End		6-3		242		Senior		Washington, D.C.
Maryland
C.J. Brown		Quarterback		6-3		210		Senior-R		Cranberry Township, Pa.
Dexter McDougle		Cornerback		5-11		195		Senior-R		Falmouth, Va.
Miami
Stephen Morris		Quarterback		6-2		214		Senior		Miami, Fla.
Shayon Green		Defensive Line		6-3		262		Senior-R		Tifton, Ga.
North Carolina
Bryn Renner		Quarterback		6-3		225		Senior		West Springfield, Va.
Kareem Martin		Defensive End		6-6		265		Senior		Roanoke Rapids, N.C.
NC State
Rashard Smith		Wide Receiver		5-9		175		Senior-R		Dublin, Ga.
Dontae Johnson		Cornerback		6-2		195		Senior		Pennington, N.J.
Pitt
Devin Street		Wide Receiver		6-4		195		Senior-R		Bethlehem, Pa.
Aaron Donald		Defensive Line		6-0		285		Senior		Pittsburgh, Pa.
Syracuse
Macky MacPherson		Center		6-2		290		Senior		Syracuse, N.Y.
Jay Bromley		Defensive Tackle		6-4		285		Senior		Jamaica, N.Y.
Virginia
Morgan Moses		Offensive Tackle		6-6		335		Senior		Richmond, Va.
Jake Snyder		Defensive End		6-4		270		Senior-R		Glen Allen, Va.
Virginia Tech
Logan Thomas		Quarterback		6-6		257		Senior-R		Lynchburg, Va.
Jack Tyler		Linebacker		6-1		225		Senior-R		Oakton, Va.
Wake Forest
Michael Campanaro		Flanker		5-11		190		Senior-R		Clarksville, Md.
Justin Jackson		Outside Linebacker		6-1		230		Senior-R		Rockingham, N.C.
R-Denotes player was redshirted

New Texas Uniforms

Texas has joined the long list of Nike schools to update their uniforms this fall.

For more photos of the updated uniforms, visit the Texas Equipment staff on Twitter.

Michael Holmes Is Finished At Virginia Tech

Don't screw around in Blacksburg, VA.  That's the message the student judicial committee passed along to Michael Holmes today.

Holmes, who had the potential for a big season, was released from the team, and the university for his involvement in a fight after the Hokies spring game.

These clowns who sit on the student judicial committee won't be getting a Christmas card from Frank Beamer anytime soon.  And when did a student judicial committee get so much power?

I actually sat on a student judicial committee back in my college heyday.  We didn't have an ounce of power.  Occasionally a kid would be brought in that had smoked some dope in his dorm room and we would shame them, not throw them out of school.

One of my favorite cases was a kid who "borrowed" a university golf cart or a late night joy ride.  The golf cart ended up in a pond on campus.  The student said that he made a wrong turn, but I didn't care.  As the other judicial members were weighing the punishment for this student, I was thinking what time we were going to start partying that night.

This is a college football player for crying out loud.  Any member of a student judicial committee should be required to watch The Program.  Take a bow kids, you have just cost the Hokies a chance at another ACC Title.

Michael Holmes

Anna Benson Is One Crazy Broad

Anna Benson mug shot

Guys, take a long hard look at what happens when you hit it big as a big leaguer, and get caught up with an exotic dancer.

Anna Benson is back in the news.  Reports out of Smyrna, GA show that Benson was arrested after breaking into the home of her estranged husband Kris Benson.

This story just gets weirder though.  ESPN.com reports that Benson was arrested with not only a gun, but a bullet proof vest, a hatchet, expandable baton, taser, and a knife.

You telling me that Kris Benson wishes he had a chance to go back to Clemson and forget about this crazy girl.  Your damn right!

Where's Jimbo?

Stewart Mandel, of SI.com, is out with his list of the ten best, and five worst coaches in college football.

Here is his list, and feedback I have on each coach.

Best coaches

1. Nick Saban (Alabama) - the dean of college football.
2. Urban Meyer (Ohio State) - ran a pseudo prison football system at Florida.  Will wait until all NCAA sanctions are lifted before brining the trouble to Columbus.  
3. Chris Peterson (Boise State) - could coach anywhere in America.  Instead he breaks the heart of marquee teams every season.
4. Gary Patterson (TCU) - another solid coach at a small program.  I'd like to see what he could do in the SEC.
5. Bill Snyder (Kansas State) - grandaddy makes the list for his continued ability to find the best talent that junior colleges have to offer.  Be real, would any blue chip recruit go to Manhattan if they weren't coming from a JUCO?
6. Les Miles (LSU) - I personally believe "Lesticles" should be higher on this list.  
7. Kevin Sumlin (Texas A&M) - Had a great first season in College Station.  Some think he is destined for even greater success.  I have to think there could be a letdown this season with Johnny Football.
8. Bob Stoops (Oklahoma) - the natives are starting to get restless in Norman.  Their only national title came back in 2000 when Stoops was able to knock off the Noles in Miami.  Since then, Bobby has been back to the national title game on several occasions, but shits the bed everytime he gets there.  Will it be time for a fresh face in Norman soon?
9. Bobby Petrino (Western Kentucky) - if this joker wasn't caught banging his assistant on a motorcycle in Arkansas last summer we may be talking about the Razorbacks as 2012 national champs.  Instead, Petrino got canned.  Now he is trying to show every AD and President that he is trustworthy enough to be handed the keys to a major college program.
10. Art Briles (Baylor) - have you ever been to Waco?  This town looks like someplace that was abandoned when the zombie apocalypse hit.  I give Briles all the credit in the world for not only winning in Waco, but for being able to attract ANYONE to come and play there.

Worst Coaches

1. Tim Beckman (Illinois) - they wanted the Zooker gone, and they got another shitty coach in his place.
2. Ron English (Eastern Michigan) - I don't have a clue who Ron English is, or where Eastern Michigan is located.
3. Kirk Ferentz (Iowa) - this cat has been stealing from the great state of Iowa for a long, long time. To think that they are paying Kirk what they are and he continues to deliver mediocre at best seasons.  Not sure this would fly anywhere else in the country.  I have several friends who follow Iowa, and I always feel bad for them each season when expectations are so high, and the product is so bad.
4. Lane Kiffin (USC) - You have to win, and win now Lane. 
5. Charlie Weis (Kansas) - I just can't get the image out of my head of Weis sitting on the sideline at UF as the OC on an old persons walker.  

Let's stop for one second and digest this list.  My question for Stewart is, WHERE IS JIMBO FISHER????

Fisher has been a beast in recruiting since he took over the job at Florida State.  Last season the Noles were 12-2, won the ACC for the first time since 2005, and a BCS bowl for the first time since 1999.  Yet Fisher is absent from the list.

Not only is he absent from the 10 best coaches, he is nowhere to be found on the just missed list or could be on the list in three years.

I understand that writers like Stewart have been burned in the past with their preseason expectations of the Noles.  I also know, better than anyone, that the Noles have lost games they have had no business losing the last few seasons (e.g. NC State).  But Fisher has done more than enough to be in the 9th position in front of Bobby Petrino.

Who else is missing from the list that you think should be added?

Oh The Memories

I remember the 2013 Orange Bowl like it was yesterday.  The Florida State Seminoles capped off their season with a dominant win over Northern Illinois.

But it's not so much the game that I remember most, no it was the entire four day run that will stay with me for a long time.

Most people don't understand that a bowl game is a fantastic opportunity for the players and coaches to end the season on a positive note.  It is also a chance for the support staff to go out on a high note.  That is just what we did at the Orange Bowl.

I should have known how the week was going to progress after the first night when a member of the Orange Bowl committee welcomed us to the team hotel with carte blanche access to the hospitality suite.  One of the guys in our crew drank so many Tequilla and Cokes that he still thinks it is 2012.

So many of the memories from the 2013 Orange Bowl won't be captured in the following video.  I remember being poisoned by someone at the hotel to the point I could hardly stand up straight. I remember a young buck from Ohio who tried to ring in the new year with a lady friend who couldn't count to fifteen.

It was one hell of a season, and one hell of a weekend!

Golson Eyes Return

Former Notre Dame starting quarterback Everette Golson is planning his comeback.  Golson was suspended for the 2013 fall semester for "poor academic judgement."

"Poor academic judgement" could be everything from cheating on a test, to not performing well in the classroom.  Let's remember this is Notre Dame, not a school in the SEC.

“I will be returning in the spring, that's pretty much it,” Golson said Saturday to television station WPDE of Myrtle Beach, SC.

Tommy Reese was been named the starting quarterback headed into the fall by head coach Brian Kelly.

Reese isn't a long term solution.  He is a senior and this is a temporary fix.  The player Golson needs to keep an eye on is Malik Zaire.  Should the dual-threat QB get significant playing time this season, Golson may not have a job when he returns to South Bend.

57 Days Until Kickoff

We are inside two months until the start of the 2013 college football season. Looking back to last season, I remember the ACC title game vividly.

Not only was I working the game, but I was desperate to see the Noles capture their first ACC title since 2005.  Florida State came out like gangbusters early.  But just as they did with NC State, the Noles took their foot off the pedal in the second half.

Thankfully Karlos Williams stepped up with the biggest play of his young career with a late INT, sealing the win for FSU.

What will the 2013 season bring?  In 57 days we will find out.

UConn Happy In The AAC?

There is a story today on ESPN.com describing how UConn is happy in the AAC.  Let's be real clear, the only reason they are happy in the AAC is due to the fact no other league has come calling.

Quick, name more than six of the current members of the AAC.  Can't do it can you?

While Lousiville and Rutgers go through the motions this season and participate in the "new" AAC, the rest of the Big East holdovers (USF, UConn, Cincy) are left to wait for 2014.  That's when the AAC officially becomes C-USA.

Don't believe the talk for a second.  If any of these major athletic departments gets a call from the Big 12 during the next wave of expansion they are GONE.

They may not be sitting next to the phones waiting for it to ring now, but they remain hopeful it hasn't rung for the last time.

ACC Lands Six On Hornung Watch List

Clemson WR Sammy Watkins

Six Atlantic Coast Conference football standouts have been named to the 44-man 2013 preseason Watch List for the Paul Hornung Award which was released Friday by the Louisville Sports Commission.

The Paul Hornung Award, now in its fourth season, is given annually to the most versatile player in major college football by the Louisville Sports Commission and football legend and Louisville native Paul Hornung.

Selected from the ACC were Clemson junior wide receiver Sammy Watkins (Ft. Myers, Fla.), Georgia Tech junior defensive back Jamal Golden (Wetumpka, Ala.), Maryland sophomore wide receiver Stefon Diggs (Gaithersburg, Md.), Miami sophomore running back Duke Johnson (Miami, Fla.), Virginia Tech junior rover Kyshoen Jarrett (Tannersville, Pa.) and Wake Forest senior wide receiver Michael Campanaro (Clarksville, Md.).

So my question is why no love for Florida State?  Last time I checked Lamarcus Joyner is one of the top players in the ACC.

'Merica

Hope everyone did the right thing today and celebrated our independence.  These guys had the right idea.

Why not Dutch?

Let me start out by saying that I know this has nothing to do with college footall.

After reading the "Where The Karate Kid is Now" feature written by Ralph Macchio, it brought up an age old question, why wasn't Dutch the main villain?

I know Johnny Lawrence was a badass, but anyone that thinks that Dutch was going to lose to ANYONE in that All-Valley Tournament is delusional.  Had he been tested for steroids, smack, boom, pow, uppers, downers, or any other kind of illegal substance he would have failed miserably.

The only body bag the Cobra Kai's would have been preparing would be for anyone who got in Dutch's way.

Bowden returns to Florida State

News broke yesterday that legendary head coach Bobby Bowden will return to Florida State in a new role this fall.

Click here for more details.