Wow, there's a lot to get to today friends. Lots.
Weekend winners and losers, academy apprenticeship carousel edition. From the "Talks too much" studios, it's go time.
Weekend winners
Auburn and Gus Malzahn. Midway through the analysis Malzahn was sitting on Bunsen burner. At 5-2 afterwards an baffling second-half collapse at LSU, it was broadly believed that Malzahn's time was all-but-up. Normal Sunday practices were annulled and there were letters of a abounding day of closed-door, coaches-only affairs the Sunday after LSU, and whatever was discussed and aired absolutely has paid dividends. Aback then, Auburn is 5-0 with wins over then-No.1 Georgia and then-No.1 Alabama aftermost Saturday. Wow. Merry Christmas to the Malzahns, who acceptable will see a monster addendum on his board eventually rather than later. A nice accession fabricated alike added nice by the whispers that Malzahn is Best Numero Uno for Arkansas. (Side note: If Kerryon Johnson can not play Saturday in the SEC appellation bold adjoin Georgia, well, that would absolutely aching Auburn's chances.)
Matt Luke. We mentioned this on Press Row aftermost week, that if he won the Egg Bowl to accomplishment 6-6, Luke, the above Ole Absence player, had a adventitious to accumulate the job. Acceptable six amateur — Ole Absence is out of the postseason because of self-imposed penalties — because the arresting holes and the accident of your brilliant quarterback was amazing. Beating a ranked Mississippi Accompaniment aggregation in the animosity bold was a big calamus too. Luke, artlessly put, is a dude that formed his appendage off in an bottomless bearings and landed his dream job. Will he accomplish connected term? Who knows? But here's action the resumes on Ross Bjork's board to adapt the ashamed Hugh Freeze were not absolutely alarming anyone's beard back.
UCLA. The zaniness all about the academy football branch this weekend affectionate of relegated the Bruins landing Chip Kelly to the back-burner. But apperceive this: Kelly has a no-doubt, walk-off, full-blooded and has a Nick Saban-type of beam at UCLA. Apperceive this: Dude was 46-7 at Oregon with three-star talent. In the abundant recruiting acreage that is Southern California, what will Kelly do with four- and best aptitude with the Bruins? Plus, afterwards adversity through the abasement of Jim Mora (every Falcons fan is comatose his or her head, whether they are acquainted of it or not), Kelly presents a cast new day.
College football playoff chaos. Animosity weekend connected to prove that all of the agitation and anxiety and un(whatever) is added alternating the way to award the four. Now, afterwards Auburn exhausted No. 1 and Pittsburgh exhausted No. 2 Miami, there is a about accuracy for anybody involved. The champ of the SEC appellation bold is in. The champ of the ACC appellation bold is in. Oklahoma and Wisconsin, if they win in the Big 12 and Big Ten appellation games, appropriately are in. If TCU or THE Ohio Accompaniment win in those appellation games, again there will be altercation about whether Alabama gets in or whether a two-loss Pac-12 champ deserves a shot. (Somewhere the board — and those of us who never appetite it to aggrandize above four — absolutely charge the Sooners and the Badgers to win so the four are four appointment champs, nice and neat. Because the drumbeat from the TV sponsors and the Finebaums will absolutely appetite Alabama in the mix for eyeballs and interest.)
November academy basketball. Wow, the comedy has been actual absorbing — the Gonzaga-Florida bold late Friday night was amazing — and there looks to be a lot of teams with a lot of talent. Two things that jumped out to us: First, Collin Sexton, the Alabama apprentice who abandoned 40 on Minnesota as the Tide reshot the "My aggregation is on the floor" scene from Hoosiers at the end of the game, is a beast. Second, man, how about Jim Foster's UTC women, who now accept won bristles beeline that includes wins over Indiana, Northwestern, Georgetown and Auburn.
New England Patriots. The Eagles are rolling people. Yes, the Titans took the advance in the AFC South. Yes, the Falcons and Panthers won as the Saints absent to bind affairs in the NFC South. And yes, the Steelers prevailed Sunday night in a bold that had no business actuality that close. And yes, for those wondering, Aggregation Greeson landed a big win in the Weston Wamp fantasy alliance to move into aboriginal abode in our division. But if you are attractive for a champ from the NFL weekend, attending no added than the chic of the league, the New England Patriots. The Patriots agitated the Dolphins to defended a acceptable season. That's the 17th afterwards acceptable analysis for the Patriots, the longest band of its affectionate aback the AFL and the NFL merged.
Tennessee able-bodied director, John Currie, is apparent afore an NCAA academy football bold Saturday, Oct. 14, 2017, in Knoxville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Wade Payne)
Tennessee able-bodied director, John Currie, is apparent before...
Photo by Associated Press /Times Free Press.
Weekend losers
John Currie. Yes, we accept added on that below, but he had to be mentioned right? Wow, what a nightmare, and how abominably was that handled all the way around.
Utah promotions. How abounding times can we accept the aforementioned affair with this aforementioned issue? Utah is the latest academy to accept a half-court attempt go in and now acquisition some loophole not to pay. Charlie Caine hit a half-courter and accepted $5,000. Well, Charlie is 17 and Utah claims those beneath 18 are not eligible. Shouldn't that be apparent afore the shot? Utah reportedly claims its has accomplished out to Caine, but break tuned. In the words of Teddy from Rounders, "Pay that man his money." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwEIjbfOHD0
Florida. The Gators — and God absolve the abounding assemblage of U of F admirers that abounding the Swamp to watch that bloodless breach — were aerated by an appropriately underwhelming FSU on rivalry Saturday. That happens. But again the Gators were larboard captivation the bag by Chip Kelly, who best UCLA over Florida admitting the actuality that Florida is the bigger job and had been allure Kelly longer. Yes, it may be Kelly's comfort-level out West, but it's still actuality larboard at the adapt by your aboriginal choice. (That said, I anticipate Dan Mullen is a acceptable hire, but he's Arkansas. Seriously, you bare to blaze Bret Bielema walking off the acreage after Friday's season-ending accident to Missouri, a bold by the way, in which the Hogs fought like heck for their active coach. (Side note: With all the applesauce activity on about academy football, this P.R. nightmare on Friday was long-forgotten by Sunday evening. It was as if Arkansas shouted above the SEC, "Y'all anticipate you can blow apprenticeship decisions?" And again John Currie told friends, "Hold my beer.")
NASCAR numbers. Yes, we accept aboveboard accepted that our NASCAR fandom is at an best low. As one of our loyal audience acclaimed this time aftermost week, we didn't alike agenda the NASCAR season-ending championship chase in Miami. And you apperceive what? We were not alone. Actuality are the amazing numbers — and numbers that will alone abatement abutting year with crowd-favorites and one-name stars Dale Jr. and Danica abaft microphones rather than abaft a wheel: The final, championship-deciding chase that was Earnhardt's final ride as a full-time disciplinarian drew a 2.8 rating, which was bottomward 20 percent from a 3.5 aftermost year and about 40 percent from a 4.4 appraisement in 2015. The complete analysis on NBC, NBCSN, FOX and FS1 averaged 4.1 actor viewers, which was bottomward 11 percent from aftermost year and 18 percent from 2015.
Sunday, bloody Sunday
We accept said for a while that the alarm on John Currie's time as the University of Tennessee's able-bodied administrator started aback he abject his anxiety in administration the Butch Jones decision.
He waited. He got behind. He apprenticed a quick move afterwards battlefront Butch — or in Currie's words, cogent Butch he's dispatch down, which seemed awe-inspiring at the time — and was not hiring a chase firm.
Then he panicked. He active a announcement of compassionate with Greg Schiano, THE Ohio Accompaniment arresting coordinator and above Rutgers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers arch coach, on Sunday. And again amusing media hell bankrupt loose. Completely and unfiltered.
Twitter became a blaze hydrant of blowback from about every bend of the Big Orange Nation. Protests arose on campus. The Rock was corrective to reflect the thoughts that Schiano was allotment of the camouflage at Penn Accompaniment aback Jerry Sandusky was molesting children.
(Let's alpha with the caveat. Which ancillary of the Schiano knew/Schiano didn't apperceive agitation you abatement on affairs in this. One above Penn Accompaniment drillmaster in affidavit depositions says Schiano knew; addition in a affidavit degradation says Schiano didn't. Schiano of advance has denied it, and alike as clammy as Urban Meyer can be, we accept a adamantine time assertive that if there was some affirmation above adverse belief about Schiano in that daydream THE Ohio Accompaniment would not accept explored it or begin it and again abandoned it. Hey, anybody is advantaged to their appearance of that adventure and the absolute angry that in portrayed, alike to the point that if Schiano didn't know, anybody shares in some of the abhorrence that it was accident appropriate beneath their noses and they didn't know. There are no winners in that Penn Accompaniment time. Alone losers, whether they knew or not, in my view.)
And that became the ambulatory point that angry the Big Orange Masses into a difference-making amusing media mob.
They started on Schiano. Again it angry to Currie. Again accompaniment legislators and bounded politicians and candidates for above Tennessee offices got involved, and aloft questions about the agitation and abuse brewing aural the fan base.
It was a academy football fan amusing media revolt, and there's absolutely no added way to call it.
The timeline was surreal: Around 10 a.m. there was a CBSsports.com address that Gruden was still potentially in play. Then, appropriate about lunch, account started circulating that Dan Mullen and Florida — a arch adversary and non-Gruden admired of the UT Nation landing with a arch battling — were abutting to a deal. Around 1 p.m., civic media outlets started advertisement that Currie was finalizing capacity to accomplish Schiano the abutting Vols coach. Twitter erupted, aboriginal at the anticipation of Schiano — who was .500 at Rutgers and ran out of Tampa for a aggregation of affidavit — and bound at his affiliation to Penn State.
By 2 p.m., the movement and drive was absolutely growing. Phrases like "Never set bottom in Neyland again" and "sell my UT tickets and gear" and ultimatums were growing. Retweets showed support; bounded media types were advertisement on the outrage.
By 3:30 p.m., the civic academy football media started throwing stones at the Tennessee fan base. Kirk Herbstreit, Dan Wolken, Dennis Dodd and several others were belief in and throwing haymakers in attention to the UT fans. And the UT admirers could not accept cared less, throwing haymakers appropriate back. In fact, the civic attacks appeared to alone animate the UT admirers and their amusing media efforts. By dinner Sunday, Schaino reportedly was "spooked" and by 8 p.m. the accord was cooked.
Amazing.
Now, as for the abatement out.
Currie could not accept handled this worse, from alpha to end, and in this appearance he deserves to be accursed for cause.
He acutely was so out of blow with his fan abject that he believed this to be the appropriate decision. (And if letters are accurate that this has the Haslam's A-OK, then, well, Currie again ranks about abaft Kermit and Fozzy and advanced of Madam on the account of accomplished puppets around.) And if he believed it to be the appropriate accommodation — as bad as that was — he closed his fate by acceptable a wind-blown area at the beck-and-call of accomplishing the behest for the boosters afterwards the back-bone to advertise it to the fan base.
Nevermind the actuality that there are letters out there that UT may owe Schiano some austere bread for breaking off the accord afterwards MOUs were signed. (One address claims Schiano could be owed as abundant as $20 million.)
And if you still anticipate Currie was put in a boxy spot, brainstorm how boxy that atom will be the abutting time he tries to appoint a coach.
Currie: "We anticipate you would be absolute on the Hill, coach."
Coach: "Do you? What happens if the admirers alpha Tweeting that I charge to be fired."
Currie: "Yeah, about that"
This is no best about Schiano. The UT admirers batten and got what they wanted. Yes, appropriate now there is a lot of back-and-forth from anniversary ancillary — civic media is activity to booty shots about the appendage wagging the dog; UT admirers allurement what's amiss with the barter accepting a say in the administration of its authorization — and Booger McFarland accursed UT admirers and Currie (calling him abject and spineless) this morning on Golic and Wingo.
How crazy is the abode UT now finds itself: UT got formed by Vandy on Saturday to lose eight amateur in a analysis for the aboriginal time in its appreciative history, and Sunday was worse.
How surreal are the decisions fabricated by UT administration (and apperceive this, if Beverly Davenport didn't apperceive about Currie's actions, again OK, but if she did and active off on them, again this may acreage on her desk, too)? There were signs during the ad-lib protests Sunday that said, "Bring aback Butch."
Yep, that Butch, as in Butch Jones.
It was an astonishing day, and one that will be remembered as the aboriginal time a fan abject absolutely revolted and prevailed.And if we apperceive annihilation about today's online apple and the affection of academy football fans, it will not be the last.
This and that
— How crazy and underground is MMA? There was no boilerplate media advantage of a UFC guy actuality brought up on bribery accuse for accordant to fix a fight. Now brainstorm if that happened with a MLB/NBA/NFL etc. player?
— Wow, amidst the football applesauce it was adamantine to accumulate up at times. Well, for the additional afterwards week, we pulled a complete Jerry Seinfeld on our picks. Our academy picks went 3-3 (and afterwards a 3-0 alpha and with two semi-bad beats Saturday evening) and that was disappointing. It additionally was black that two of the picks we alone at go time aftermost anniversary were Washington and Georgia, but alas, everyone's picks are absolute in retrospect. And to complete the so-middle-of-the-road-the-yellow-line-is-surprised results, the NFL picks went 2-2 too. NFL picks are 19-20-2 on the season; academy picks are 43-31-1 and at 58.1 percent and beneath 60 percent for the aboriginal time in a connected time.
— We accept generally heard the aback and alternating about players missing this accident or that bold for the bearing of a child. Hey, we were there for anniversary of the 5-at-10 tots' aboriginal day. Heck, Phil Mickelson was able to absence the U.S. Open because of it — and absent this year's because of a aerial academy graduation. But you apprehend it beneath and beneath with football players right? (We consistently wondered what would appear if a playoff quarterback's aboriginal adolescent was built-in on the Sunday of the appointment finals, what would happen?) Well, here's the adventure of Everson Griffen, the Vikings arresting lineman, who in afore the bold on Thanksgiving, watched online as his third adolescent was born. Then, afterwards a sack, aloft his shirt attractive for name suggestions. Acceptable times.
— Well, anticipation this was an absorbing acknowledgment from Jeff Passan, a Hall of Fame voter, to Joe Morgan's letter aftermost week. Discuss. Jeff Passan on the Hall of Fame vote and Morgan's letter.
— Golic and Wingo took to the airwaves this morning, replacing the athletic that was Mike & Mike on ESPN Radio. Here's a quick early morning recap.
Today's question
From Darren Rovell's Twitter, anticipation this was actual interesting: This Week, 60 Years Ago: Bear Bryant signs a 10-year arrangement with Alabama account $17,500 a year. That's $150K a year in today's dollars, which Nick Saban fabricated every fives= canicule this year.
Speaking of numbers, actuality are the buyout numbers for the jobs that accept been opened: Arizona Accompaniment owes Todd Graham $12.3 million; UCLA owes Jim Mora $12 million*; Texas A&M owes Sumlin $10.4 actor (within in the abutting 60 days); UT owes Butch Jones $8.2 million*; Nebraska owes Mike Riley $6.6 million*; Arkansas owes Bret Bielema $5.9 million*. (* — that sum is bargain by the bacon of any approaching jobs over a set time frame.)
Happy Cyber Monday. If that's your thing, go crazy. We adopt to absolutely go to food for our Christmas shopping.
On this day in 1895, Alfred Nobel's will establishes the Nobel Prize.
Bruce Lee and Jimi Hendrix were built-in on this day. That's two appealing bang-up individuals in their called professions, friends.
On this day in 2006, Pamela Anderson and Kid Rock divorced. Man, we absolutely anticipation they ability accomplish it. Sigh.
As for a Rushmore, let's in account of Eddie Rabbit, who would accept been 76 today, do a Rushmore of acclaimed bodies with an beastly in their name.
