Hustle Belt: All Posts by Keith ScheesseleMAC Football, MAC Basketball, MAC Recruiting, MAC Baseball and all of the other #MACtion hijinks in between - hustlebeltblog@gmail.comhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/50387/hustle-fav.png2017-03-01T12:09:08-05:00https://www.hustlebelt.com/authors/keith-scheessele/rss2017-03-01T12:09:08-05:002017-03-01T12:09:08-05:00Report: PJ Fleck reached out to Western Michigan players to transfer
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<figcaption>Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Andy Pepper of WWMT-TV reports Spillane transfer timing is curious.</p> <p id="JpojEm">Andy Pepper of WWMT is reporting that former Western Michigan head coach P.J. Fleck may be getting his B1G career off with a bang. A bang that involves a questionable transfer and when those transfers may have occurred. </p>
<p id="NcLYgt">Let me be clear. I’m not saying Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck is a cheater. I’m saying that a guy said that some other guys said Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck may be playing it fast and loose with transfers from his former stomping grounds in Kalamazoo. Now, if I’m being totally honest, I’ve often wondered why people who are accused of things they didn’t do don’t scream, “THAT DIDN’T HAPPEN. I’LL SUE EVERYTHING THAT BREATHES.” That’s what I would say. That isn’t being said here, but there’s also the whole “high road” thing. </p>
<p id="b4GSIx">I’m not calling P.J. Fleck a cheater. You’re going to have to make that decision yourself. I need to make that abundantly clear. That’s the sort of disclaimer we have to give things in 2017. Here’s the tweets that brought all this to a head:</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Just learned that <a href="https://twitter.com/WMU_Football">@WMU_Football</a> Linebacker Robert Spillane has asked for & been granted his release. No idea yet where he plans to transfer</p>— Andy Pepper (@APepperWWMT) <a href="https://twitter.com/APepperWWMT/status/836374484500299777">February 28, 2017</a>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Spillane *will* have to sit out a year if he transfers to FBS school. Waiting to hear what restrictions will be placed on his release</p>— Andy Pepper (@APepperWWMT) <a href="https://twitter.com/APepperWWMT/status/836379296973340674">February 28, 2017</a>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Sources say Fleck contacted Spillane prior to his official release from WMU. We've reached out to Fleck, Spillane, and Minnesota for comment</p>— Andy Pepper (@APepperWWMT) <a href="https://twitter.com/APepperWWMT/status/836700771509026821">February 28, 2017</a>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Minnesota SID Paul Rovnak telling me that Minnesota "is not recruiting any students from WMU". Did not clarify whether Fleck did recruit...</p>— Andy Pepper (@APepperWWMT) <a href="https://twitter.com/APepperWWMT/status/836721214060122113">February 28, 2017</a>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">...Spillane, if a scholarship had been offered, or if Minnesota is investigating this matter. Updates as we get them here on Twitter</p>— Andy Pepper (@APepperWWMT) <a href="https://twitter.com/APepperWWMT/status/836721380049711106">February 28, 2017</a>
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<p id="M8QaVG">So if you didn’t follow, shadowy figures are claiming that P.J. Fleck recruited Western Michigan linebacker <span>Robert Spillane</span> to join him in Minnesota. </p>
<p id="3b5WsA">Fleck and Spillane have not commented on the story as of yet, so we won’t find out for awhile if the rumors are true. Minnesota has made their statement and are taking steps to conduct its own investigation. </p>
<p id="QZ5q0m">If the rumor is true, it could very well qualify as tampering with a prospect or another team’s active player, which is a violation of NCAA rules. Personally, I think where there is smoke, there is fire. </p>
<p id="T3cD4F">It wouldn’t be the first time a coach leaving a MAC job for a Power Five job did something like that; last season, Dino Babers was <a href="http://www.hustlebelt.com/2016/1/16/10779362/rumors-syracuse-coaches-potentially-tampering-with-current-bowling?_ga=1.131348489.749509014.1464020022">rumored to have been in contact </a>with BGSU players after leaving for Syracuse.</p>
<p id="FhZcbl">It’s a cruel reality in FBS football that Fleck could be taking advantage of. If the rumors are true, Fleck’s really just “cheating” with scare quotes. Your favorite coach is “cheating”. They’re all “cheating”, if we’re going to be honest. Of course, there’s certainly varying degrees of “cheating”. I don’t know how severe a violation like this is, but I think it very well might have happened.</p>
<p id="zv7W1E">The more I think about it, I don’t fault him. If you want to be mad, be mad at the NCAA. They suck. Fleck’s a smart guy. </p>
<p id="mZcKOt">He turned a couple goofy phrases and some props into a head coaching gig at a Big Ten school. The guy is brilliant. He’s college football’s Carrot Top. If it occurred, he weighed the consequences and said “why not?” And you know what, I don’t care. He could be doing way worse things, after all.</p>
<p id="fB5mi7"><em>(</em><em><strong>Ed. Note</strong></em><em>: This story has been edited from it’s original publication for more specific and related context and clarification.)</em></p>
https://www.hustlebelt.com/2017/2/28/14773048/sources-pj-fleck-cheating-minnesota-gophers-michigan-broncos-ncaa-college-football-macKeith ScheesseleAlan RuckerJames H. Jimenez2017-02-01T14:26:41-05:002017-02-01T14:26:41-05:002017 National Signing Day Recap: Ball State Cardinals
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<p>Georgia, Georgia, the whole day through.</p> <p id="16XQ0W">The Neu class has arrived.</p>
<p id="xpSP3h">It’s Year Two of the Mike Neu era in Muncie, Indiana. Year One was disappointing, though not all that shocking. Pete Lembo didn’t leave the cupboard bare when he left Ball State in 2015, but none of the pieces seemed to match. Neu assembled those pieces as best he could, and the end result was a 4-8 (1-7) effort in 2016.</p>
<p id="hK9XsU">It didn’t feel that bad, though did it? Certainly there’s talent at Ball State. Couple that with the drop off we can surely expect at Western Michigan, and a couple solid Cardinal recruiting classes means Ball State could be a player in the MAC West for years to come. This class definitely is a step in the right direction. </p>
<p id="CGJRd9">Listen, this is the Mid-American Conference. When it comes to recruiting, keep your expectations realistic. I mean that strictly as it applies to the ranking, though. The MAC isn’t going to produce a top 10 class. That doesn’t mean that Ball State isn’t improving their program, and moving in the right direction. In fact, it’s been a banner year in Delaware County so far.</p>
<p id="MeNKv0">First things first. Remember Tyler Vander Waal, the quarterback from Sacramento who was headed to Ball State? You can forget him, he decommitted and going to Wyoming. Tight end Peyton Hendershot flipped as well. He’s taking his talents to Bloomington, Indiana and joining the Hoosiers.</p>
<p id="8JHU4t">Now the good news. Neu’s list numbers 29, and it’s a pretty impressive haul for the second year of his regime. Last season Ball State inked 22 and had the MAC’s fourth best class, 111th nationally according to 247Sports. This year Neu took a significant step in the right direction. Ball State’s class ranks 2nd, 83rd in America. Here are your future Cardinals:</p>
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<li id="FoaKVW"><strong>Khalil Newton (3-star ATH, 6’2”, 175 lbs, Stephenson (Stone Mountain, GA)) </strong></li>
<li id="x6aN2e"><strong>Curtis Blackwell (3-star OT, 6’5”, 306 lbs, Norwell (Ossian, IN))</strong></li>
<li id="T5h9XQ"><strong>Justin Gibbs (3-star WR, 6’2”, 200 lbs, Grovetown (Grovetown, GA)) </strong></li>
<li id="V92D3i"><strong>Jimmy Daw (3-star RB, 6’3”, 195 lbs, Medina (Medina, OH)) </strong></li>
<li id="A9iE9E"><strong>Caleb Huntley (3-star RB, 6’0”, 210 lbs, Locust Grove (Locust Grove, GA)) </strong></li>
<li id="DNROJs"><strong>Justin Hall (3-star ATH, 5’10”, 170 lbs, Alexander (Douglasville, GA)) </strong></li>
<li id="rMPtuU"><strong>Shahid Reece (3-star OLB, 6’0”, 220 lbs, Archbishop Rummel (Metairie, LA))</strong></li>
<li id="Lr2n7s"><strong>Brock Burns (3-star S, 6’3”, 176 lbs, Hamilton Southeastern (Fishers, IN)) </strong></li>
<li id="NPEWtg"><strong>Verenzo Holmes (3-star CB, 6’0”, 175 lbs, Aquinas (Augusta, GA)) </strong></li>
<li id="WFTlYf"><strong>Dorion Pollard (2-star OLB, 6’0”, 215 lbs, Hinsdale Central (Hinsdale, IL))</strong></li>
<li id="RL49qT"><strong>Demetrius Murray (2-star CB, 6’2”, 175 lbs Grayson (Loganville, GA))</strong></li>
<li id="V9DdzQ"><strong>Myles Hannah (2-star CB, 5’11”, 172 lbs, Stephenson (Stone Mountain, GA) </strong></li>
<li id="P6sdXi"><strong>Christian Albright (2-star SDE, 6’2” 225 lbs, North Cobb (Kennesaw, GA) </strong></li>
<li id="bMWEi5"><strong>Brett Anderson (2-star CB, 5’11”, 175 lbs, Grand Blanc Community (Grand Blanc, MI)</strong></li>
<li id="Un1OgK"><strong>Zach Haynes (2-star SDE, 6’3”, 225 lbs, South Warren (Bowling Green, KY))</strong></li>
<li id="UT6tYq"><strong>Erick Eldridge (2-star OT, 6’5”, 294 lbs, Southfield (Southfield, MI) </strong></li>
<li id="Xf6wLn"><strong>Jake Mckenzie (2-star OT, 6’4”, 259 lbs, Heritage Christian (South Holland, IL)</strong></li>
<li id="srlDqg"><strong>Ethan Merriweather (2-star WR, 6’0”, 168 lbs Carmel (Carmel, IN) </strong></li>
<li id="p2wdCa"><strong>Bryce Cosby (2-star CB, 5’11”, 170 lbs, Dupont Manual (Louisville, KY)) </strong></li>
<li id="BkdBZI"><strong>Malcolm Lee (2-star S, 6’2”, 180 lbs, Baker (Mobile, AL)) </strong></li>
<li id="6zwJ04"><strong>Markice Hurt Jr. (2-star RB, 5’9”, 183 lbs, Michigan City (Michigan City, IN))</strong></li>
<li id="VQBagF"><strong>Antonio Phillips (2-star S, 6’0”, 170 lbs, Kirkwood (Saint Louis, MO))</strong></li>
<li id="I0k1kL">
<strong>Poni Tu’uta (2-star DT, 6’4”, 290 lbs, </strong><strong>John Curtis</strong><strong> (New Orleans, LA))</strong>
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<li id="yMChJO"><strong>David Rueth (OLB, 6’1”, 205 lbs, Archbishop Alter (Dayton, OH))</strong></li>
<li id="MDIv1m">
<strong>Michael Robinson</strong><strong> (OLB 6’1”, 205 lbs, Allatoona (Acworth, GA))</strong>
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<li id="m0TOpA"><strong>Kevin Dominque (3-star ATH, 6’1”, 200 lbs, Plaquemine (Plaquemine, GA))</strong></li>
<li id="ybf4Mv"><strong>Hassan Littles (2-star WR, 5’10”, 175 lbs, Stephenson (Stone Mountain, GA))</strong></li>
<li id="QLdyz8"><strong>Jordan Williams (3-star DE, 6’4”, 235 lbs, Centennial (Champaign, IL)</strong></li>
<li id="cakPem"><strong>Nathan Snyder (P, 6’4”, 220 lbs, Marysville (Marysville, OH)</strong></li>
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<p id="UJR2rb">Neu nets 11 3-star recruits up from eight last year. In the opinion of 247Sports, this class is more accomplished at the top than 2016’s. Ball State may have grabbed it’s next great wide receiver in Khalil Newton. His tape is worth your time. Courtesy of hudl:</p>
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<p id="UJCIfZ">Your other takeaway needs to be the number of names from the Peach State. <em>It’s more than a third of the class.</em> Hey, don’t get me wrong. That’s not a bad thing. So far, Neu is proving himself to be an above average recruiter. That said, making some progress in Indiana will go a long way towards the Cardinals again becoming competitive in the MAC.</p>
<p id="D9NZrM">Cardinals’ offensive coordinator <span>Joey Lynch</span> did get a gem in Curtis Blackwell. Ball State was one of five MAC schools to make an offer offensive lineman. 247Sports rates him as the number 13 OL in the state of Indiana. He’s a big boy, as you can see in this highlight. Keep in mind, this is from his <em>junior year.</em></p>
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<p id="dmybRA">So it’s so far, so good in Muncie. Everyone outside of Kalamazoo is glad that P.J. Fleck rowed the boat to Minnesota. Things are going to be wide open in the MAC West for awhile, bet on that. It may not feel like it, but Neu’s first season at Ball State was better than Lembo’s last. If he is able to get close to the success that Lembo reached at his peak in Muncie, Cardinal football fans have a lot to look forward to for the next few seasons.</p>
https://www.hustlebelt.com/2017/2/1/14434558/2017-national-signing-day-recap-ball-state-cardinals-ncaa-football-recruiting-letter-of-intent-macKeith Scheessele2016-12-19T13:31:12-05:002016-12-19T13:31:12-05:00Pioneers McCaffrey, Fournette are making bowl games less relevant
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<figcaption>Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>And we applaud them for it.</p> <p id="AzDaC3"><span>Christian McCaffrey</span> was the reason you planned on watching the 2016 Sun Bowl. Leonard Fournette was the reason you planned on watching the 2016 the Citrus Bowl. Neither are going to play, and it’s fantastic.</p>
<p id="62X9UT"> Monday morning <span>McCaffrey</span> was the second college football superstar in a week to announce that he would skip his team’s bowl game to focus on his preparation for the 2017 <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl-draft">NFL Draft</a>. </p>
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<p lang="und" dir="ltr"><a href="https://t.co/zeGcGtWlPy">pic.twitter.com/zeGcGtWlPy</a></p>— Christian McCaffrey (@CMccaffrey5) <a href="https://twitter.com/CMccaffrey5/status/810850259530301440">December 19, 2016</a>
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<p id="YfqX5I"> </p>
<p id="vn4Fbc">Obviously this news alone is a good thing. McCaffrey and Fournette have nothing to gain by playing in their respective bowl games and should absolutely focus on what could potentially be very lucrative careers in professional football. Some will not understand this, and will make the “letting your team down” argument. The absurdity of such take is mind-boggling. While the possibility of losing out on millions of dollars due to injury should end the conversation, it’s also worth noting that players on the level of McCaffrey and Fournette are not as invested in your team as you are. Yes, I know McCaffrey’s dad went to Stanford. Yes, I know Fournette is from Louisiana. They don’t care about winning the bowl game, and they shouldn’t. That fond memory you have of watching the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/sugar-bowl">Sugar Bowl</a> when you were 9? They don’t have that. Or if they do, it does not loom as largely in their minds as a gigantic bowl full of money. To argue that they should play is foolish beyond comprehension.</p>
<p id="sl8QKu"> The greater takeaway for the college football fan, however, should be that this is a trend that we will see more frequently in coming seasons. A common complaint among the casual fan is that there exist too many bowl games. This is going to go a long way towards fixing that. That’s to take nothing away from the Stanford and LSU football teams, but unless you are a die hard fan of the Cardinal or Tigers, you’re no longer going to go out of your way to watch those games.</p>
<p id="1FMMlj"> And that is definitely a good thing. The Power Five is now experiencing a little bit of what has been commonplace among Group of Five teams for decades now. Not the players taking off early, of course, but the coaches. Talk to a handful of G5 fans and you’re likely to speak to someone who has had their coach hop to a new job before their team’s bowl game has been played. Ball State fans will remember Brady Hoke’s departure before the 2009 GMAC Bowl. It happens in the P5 too. I get that, it’s just more common for the G5. Don’t @ me.</p>
<p id="9Qjpl6"> So while McCaffrey and Fournette blaze a trail for top tier Power Five athletes to reject a ceremonial watch for the honor of skipping out holidays with their families and playing in the Zoosk.com bowl, the G5 can offer a different product. That product is elite MAC or MWC players being showcased on the grand December 19<sup>th</sup> stage. For better or worse, they need that opportunity to increase their draft stock, should any exist to begin with.</p>
<p id="rL5bm5">Change will not happen immediately. There’s obviously too much money to be had there, and of course your fictional national championship games will still exist. What we will experience however, is a slow, sad decline of bowls like the Sun and Citrus. It will get worse, decisions like those of surefire draft picks McCaffrey and Fournette will eventually extend to more Power Five football players on the fringe of being picked to play in the NFL. Bowl games will become less relevant every year, and who knows, maybe a MAC team that goes undefeated and beats its opponents by an average of 3 touchdowns a game will get a shot at playing for the national championship. Either way, bowl season as you know it will continue to slowly erode.</p>
<p id="S3xNMa">And it will be glorious to watch.</p>
https://www.hustlebelt.com/2016/12/19/14008466/pioneers-mccaffrey-fournette-bowl-stanford-cardinal-lsu-tigers-louisiana-ncaa-football-sun-citrusKeith Scheessele2016-11-29T19:44:33-05:002016-11-29T19:44:33-05:003 colossal errors by the College Football Playoff committee
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<img alt="NCAA Football: Michigan at Ohio State" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/BXGr_iIqjAvl12yZOXyWORZKqxU=/0x0:991x661/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/52055311/usa_today_9706686.0.jpeg" />
<figcaption>Greg Bartram-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>It’s official. They’ve stopped trying.</p> <p id="I7OMFb">Another Tuesday, another disappointing performance by your <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-football-playoff">College Football Playoff</a> Committee. You know this isn’t actually about football, right? You have to know that by now. It’s reality television. No more believable than Keeping up with the Kardashians. And that’s fine. Plenty of people watch that show. There will be plenty of people who hit the theatre to watch the next installment of whatever number Fast and the Furious we’re up to. That’s what the College Football Playoff is. The 30 for 30 we eventually get on the CFP taking bribes is going to be fascinating. Here’s the 3 biggest errors the College Football Playoff committee made on Tuesday night.</p>
<h3 id="L5IMJY">#5 <a href="https://www.maizenbrew.com/">Michigan Wolverines</a> (10-2, 7-2)</h3>
<p id="5LPB1i">Unbelievable. Un-frickin-believable. Well, it’s hard for me to call Saturday’s loss to Ohio State meaningless, because if it goes chalk the rest of the way, the Wolverines are likely left out of the CFP. Michigan’s a huge brand though, so the powers that be may find a way to get them in over a more deserving Clemson or Washington team. Either way, Michigan only dropping two spots to fifth makes one thing clear. The CFP is going to cram Big Ten football down your throat whether you like it or not. Can you imagine a nightmare scenario that involves Alabama winning the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/sec-championship-game">SEC Championship</a>, Clemson dropping the ACC title game to Virginia Tech, and Washington losing the Pac-12 to Colorado? Then you’re potentially staring at a postseason of ‘Bama, Ohio State, Michigan, and the winner of the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/big-ten-championship-game">Big Ten Championship</a> Game, either Penn State or Wisconsin. Three yards and a cloud of yawn. That absolutely sounds like a punishment. Please don’t make me. To be fair though, it could not be worse than Alabama destroying Michigan State last season 38-0 in the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/cotton-bowl">Cotton Bowl</a> that nobody stayed with because people are not going to watch garbage football on New Year’s Eve no matter how much you try to make us, CFP. Ugh. Terrible football is so terrible. Michigan’s too high. We don’t need that much Big Ten. I know, I know, “Keith this isn’t about who we want to see, it’s about finding the best team in the nation!” Don’t kid yourself, it’s not Michigan. </p>
<h3 id="ucDm1H">#9 <a href="https://www.crimsonandcreammachine.com/">Oklahoma Sooners</a> (9-2, 8-0)</h3>
<p id="DJFJwP">You know it might be unfair to say that it’s a “colossal error” that the Sooners are ranked at #9. Rather, it’s just a clear indicator that the College Football Playoff committee isn’t trying very hard with these rankings. Oklahoma was #8 a week ago. The Sooners not play last week, and the previous week destroyed the Mountaineers at West Virginia 56-28. For all of that, they were rewarded by dropping a spot. I understand the logic of teams moving up when they do well, but how is Oklahoma dropping a spot explained? This is going to look even more ridiculous after they smoke Oklahoma State on Saturday. Truly it’s evidence that little work is being put into formulating these rankings.</p>
<h3 id="EZD4Ql">#17 Western Michigan (12-0, 8-0)</h3>
<p id="cwu5x2">Well, this is it Mid-<a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/teams/american">American</a> Conference fans. If it’s not happening this year, with this team, than the entire system is garbage. If you are a Group of Five fan, you likely came to that conclusion awhile ago. They’re going to argue strength of schedule, we’re going to point out that we’d like to play the big schools, they simply do not want to play us. So on and so forth. Western Michigan is not going to get the opportunity to play in the College Football Playoff, and the nation will suffer. You’ll never know who the best team in the country is. Maybe they’d get destroyed. Maybe they wouldn’t. I admit I don’t know. So many of you cannot say the same. But I’m comforted by the fact that I live in Las Vegas, Nevada, and we have very nice things built on people thinking they know more about college football than they actually do.</p>
<p id="4jPSrr"><a href="http://www.espn.com/college-football/rankings/_/poll/21/seasontype/2/year/2016/week/13">Check out the entire CFP rankings here.</a></p>
<p id="oPKPAU"> </p>
https://www.hustlebelt.com/2016/11/29/13785764/college-football-playoff-michigan-wolverines-oklahoma-sooners-wmu-broncos-alabama-penn-rankings-ncaaKeith Scheessele2016-11-29T07:00:02-05:002016-11-29T07:00:02-05:00Dabo Swinney’s refusal to investigate racial slurs is the height of Power Five arrogance
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<img alt="NCAA Football: Clemson at Wake Forest" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/jvT87rzizIcnG3Ktk5oL5C1N1Fo=/0x0:3938x2625/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/52039801/usa_today_9704060.0.jpeg" />
<figcaption>Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>We’ve taken a step towards our next huge football scandal.</p> <p id="GoNmW3">Dabo Swinney’s <a href="https://www.shakinthesouthland.com/">Clemson Tigers</a> played for the national championship last year. Dabo Swinney’s Clemson Tigers may play for the national championship this year. Dabo Swinney feels he’s earned the right to ignore a troubling accusation levied against his football team.</p>
<p id="fq4nxX">Such was the scene Sunday, a day after Swinney’s Tigers dusted the <a href="https://www.garnetandblackattack.com/">South Carolina Gamecocks</a> 56-7 to improve to 11-1 and take another step towards earning a spot in the 2016 <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-football-playoff">College Football Playoff</a>. Accounts from some of the Gamecocks, however, were that Saturday’s contest turned especially ugly. South Carolina players claim that racial slurs were lobbed in their direction several times throughout the game. After the game linebacker <span>Bryson Allen-Williams</span> spoke to the <a href="http://www.postandcourier.com/sports/usc-clemson-post-game-emotions-include-accusation-of-racial-slur/article_44e76878-b46f-11e6-84a1-0b2961f65b7b.html"><em>The Post and Courier</em></a> about the alleged verbal assault.</p>
<p id="tuNqxf"><em>“They called one of our defensive linemen, they used the N-word. An offensive lineman, I don’t know his number. ... We’re going to get our get-back. Next year we play them in Williams-Brice Stadium, and we’re definitely going to have that game circled.”</em></p>
<p id="NE7LeT">Wide receiver <span>Terry Googer</span> tweeted the following after the game:</p>
<p id="ohZvLE"><em>“Never thought I would hear so many racial slurs in my life!! Classless is not a strong enough word to describe the actions!”</em></p>
<p id="WICvP5">Defensive lineman <span>Dante Sawyer</span> tweeted a similar account.</p>
<p id="B2jPlg"><em>“racism still alive in Clemson i see.. classless sobs, still calling people (racial slur) is crazy”</em></p>
<p id="4ZgTqf">I’m not interested in debating whether or not this actually occurred. Clearly though, there’s enough there that it should prompt some sort of action from somebody at Clemson University. Swinney disagrees. He was asked about the accusations on Sunday, and flatly refuses to acknowledge the possibility that this incident occurred. On top of that, wants you to forget about it.</p>
<p id="fjeybX"><em>“I was made aware of that. Obviously everyone is talking about it. That’s a shame. Absolutely I asked my guys about that. To a man, absolutely false. I believe my guys. I know the character of our team and that’s really all there is to say about it.”</em></p>
<p id="TTX6oX">Thank you, Encyclopedia Brown. I’m relieved we can wrap up this investigation and get to work on the case of the mysterious handprints. </p>
<p id="xkVqDh">Swinney’s complete disinterest in even exploring the possibility that this could have happened is simply another in a long list of examples proving that the Power Five conferences are littered with coaches that feel they are above any sort of moral obligation, and in extreme cases, the law. This shouldn’t have been difficult to handle. Watch:</p>
<p id="LL3ApL"><em>“Clemson University and the entire football staff takes these allegations very seriously. We will work together to determine exactly what happened and then address this fully and appropriately.”</em></p>
<p id="5TdfbY">See that? I did that. It’s not eloquent, I banged it out in front of a Shark Tank marathon, so forgive me. That Swinney is not evolved enough to relay a similar sentiment is discouraging, though perhaps we shouldn’t expect much from a guy who “leads” like this:</p>
<div id="7W5ClJ"><div><div style="left: 0px; width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 75.0019%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0wO61BMPoHg?wmode=transparent&rel=0&autohide=1&showinfo=0&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" style="top: 0px; left: 0px; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;"></iframe></div></div></div>
<p id="7d0Ok2">Swinney’s statement on Sunday was essentially the Clemson coach saying that his team is focused on the College Football Playoff and looking into the allegation of hate speech is a chore his squad, staff, and university can ill afford to waste their time with right now. And they’ll back him up 100%.</p>
<p id="97Trkt">It’s a privilege that the college football universe provides those coaches deemed “elite.” In fact this story will likely have completely disappeared by the time the week has ended, simply before Swinney told us to ignore it.</p>
<p id="pW95Ws">We’ve clearly not learned how tremendously dangerous it is for these coaches to rule absolutely. Swinney told college football to focus on the CFP, and focus on the CFP is what college football is going to do. This cycle will repeat until the sport comes face to face with another ugly crisis that sweeps the nation and temporarily tarnishes the sport. We’ll point to this as a “sign,” quickly forget it ever happened, wash, rinse, repeat. Don’t tell me it doesn’t happen.</p>
<p id="hYwZoP">Group of Five schools don’t have this problem. Scandals like this occur of course, but do you think a coach routinely finishing 5-7 in the MAC or Mountain West Conference can get away with acting so flippantly towards a fairly serious accusation? Nah.</p>
<p id="r1uik2">Clemson. I implore you. Act like you care. Just little. Restore a little faith.</p>
https://www.hustlebelt.com/2016/11/29/13769330/dabo-swinney-refusalinvestigate-racial-slurs-arrogance-clemson-tigers-ncaa-college-football-playoffKeith Scheessele2016-11-28T07:00:04-05:002016-11-28T07:00:04-05:00‘Group of Five’ should avoid Brian Kelly after he parts ways with Notre Dame
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<img alt="NCAA Football: Notre Dame at Southern California" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/BgsQlBUSPsvMI3s-m9tGdjjcklU=/0x0:3857x2571/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/52022631/usa_today_9707394.0.jpeg" />
<figcaption>Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>He’s just not worth the hassle.</p> <p id="rSq2MP">Notre Dame was a preseason top ten team. Notre Dame finished the 2016 season 4-8. <span>Brian Kelly</span> will soon be the former <a href="https://www.onefootdown.com/">Notre Dame Fighting Irish</a> football coach.</p>
<p id="0X4PDH">You likely knew all of these things. In fact I had to edit this headline from “after he’s fired,” to “after he parts ways” when rumors surfaced that his “representatives” were helping Kelly explore options outside of Notre Dame. It’s the one thing I can respect about the guy. At least he’s being proactive with his job search. While the timeline may be in question, one thing seems evident. Kelly will be replaced as coach of the Irish. Because Notre Dame wants a leader, and Brian Kelly is not a leader.</p>
<p id="5Crayl">Perhaps the expectation that college football coaches will be exceptional leaders is our fault. Convincing a teenager to run headfirst into a wall so that you can bounce before the bowl game doesn’t necessarily make you Franklin D. Roosevelt. Leadership is a rare quality, yet we seem to think that those coaching on the Power Five level invariably have this quality. Some do. Most don’t. Kelly especially does not.</p>
<p id="nfgSDC">2016 is simply when the wheels fell off. Kelly’s deficiencies have been noticeable for some time. The disturbing way in which he completely mishandled the <a href="http://deadspin.com/5675694/prelude-to-a-tragedy-how-a-notre-dame-student-died-and-why-he-shouldnt-have">death of student videographer Declan Sullivan</a> and his marked disinterest in the <a href="http://deadspin.com/5897809/this-is-what-happens-when-you-accuse-a-notre-dame-football-player-of-sexually-assaulting-you">suicide of Lizzy Seeberg</a> weren’t enough to get Notre Dame’s attention.</p>
<p id="t47FRk">Kelly’s televised attack of Notre Dame assistant strength and conditioning coach last season wasn’t enough to get the university’s attention. Let’s reminisce:</p>
<div id="SD4S1T"><div><div style="left: 0px; width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.2493%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Q1YJD0x7oMM?wmode=transparent&rel=0&autohide=1&showinfo=0&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" style="top: 0px; left: 0px; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;"></iframe></div></div></div>
<p id="4jZhd2">This went largely ignored by the media when it occurred. You can attach any excuse to this action that you want. It’s an attack. And it’s further evidence that Kelly is unfit to lead. Along those lines, I’d like to go on a little bit of a tangent.</p>
<p id="dIX7a5">A couple of times a year, we will see a coach go absolutely nuclear on a kid. Usually it involves something really, really important like possibly receiving a 15 yard penalty. This 19 year old will absorb the wrath of a 40-60 year old coach, who lacks the tools to effectively convey his message. If and when it escalates to what Kelly has demonstrated above with a player, I want that player to do me a favor. Knock that coach the hell out.</p>
<p id="LqdDED">I understand that Kelly’s incident involved another coach which is (better? worse?) different. We seem to give these coaches a pretty long leash when it comes to their sideline behavior. The first player that puts a coach flat on his ass will have at least one new fan. You know how that would end? Public apology from the coach, scholarship honored. Don’t be treated like a punk. By the way, when Kelly was asked if he owed Grimes an apology for the 2015 incident he replied,</p>
<p id="KhRkGA"><em>"They don't know what happened. It's typical of those that are just looking at the video without having any of the information. You know, only those that are clearly near the situation that have all the information can make those judgments. It's an internal matter, and we're handling it internally."</em></p>
<p id="ulCGEz">Classy. I probably would have went with, “Yes, I apologized.” Or something like that.</p>
<p id="TlBjLH">Anyway, the mishandling of the above incidents wasn’t enough to sink Brian Kelly, and in fact it goes further than this season’s 4-8 effort. The news that truly doomed Kelly was the NCAA’s recent findings that resulted in <a href="http://www.ncaa.org/about/resources/media-center/news/former-notre-dame-student-trainer-acted-unethically-committed-academic-misconduct">substantiated academic misconduct.</a> The penalties included Notre Dame vacating 21 wins across 2012 and 2013 as well as:</p>
<p id="67XsQ6">- One year of probation for the athletic department</p>
<p id="sBqrv3">- A public reprimand and censure for the school and a $5,000 fine</p>
<p id="9OQ8U1">- A two-year, show-cause order against the student-trainer</p>
<p id="kJmWdw">- The athletics department must disassociate from the former student-trainer for two years.</p>
<p id="P4903Y">Now you don’t have to be a Power Five football coach to know the appropriate response here. It’s easy. I mean really, really easy. In fact, I’ll go right off the top of my head. Here’s what I would have said:</p>
<p id="AY6cks">“I take these findings very seriously, as does the university. We will be addressing these issues internally while also working with the NCAA to find an appropriate resolution.”</p>
<p id="sUpVzH">Easy, right? There’s a thousand ways to say that. It’s all garbage. It means nothing. It’s just a way to move on. But that’s not what Brian Kelly said. He elected to go a different route.</p>
<p id="RkYfKc"><em>"It was a discretionary action by the committee," Kelly said. "It was student-on-student cheating. Nobody was implicated. The NCAA agreed across the board with that finding. And, (the punishment) was clearly excessive. So, as you know, we're going to appeal this. And one of the options or the clear reasons for the appeal is that the penalty is excessive in its discretion and we believe we have ground there."</em></p>
<p id="ddBF4L"><em>"This matter has nothing to do with me and my status here. This academic piece probably strengthens what I've been doing relative to advocating for our student-athletes and academic support staff relative to them being successful. This obviously has been going on for a few years. The announcement that comes out today has nothing to do with a lack or additional support for Brian Kelly. Any negative criticism about me now is because we're 4-7. It has nothing to do with what came out there today.</em></p>
<p id="NLkRsC"><em>"I have no reason to believe that I'm not (going to be the coach next year). I think you guys are confusing this statement with win-loss record. A win-loss record is always under scrutiny at Notre Dame and it should be. But this matter here has been a long standing matter that the University has handled in a positive way."</em></p>
<p id="st9Aix">My goodness gracious. “This matter has nothing to do with me.” Not, “I look forward to being part of the solution.” Not, “I will work closely with the NCAA and Notre Dame.” Not, “We take the schoolwork of our student-athletes very seriously.” But, “This matter has nothing to do with me.” Unbelievable.</p>
<p id="JapD01">It’s especially troublesome at a place like Notre Dame. When the accomplishments of its athletic teams are not up the school’s high standards, the Irish always have a built in excuse. The academic expectation. They love to play that card. Of course we know that’s garbage. If you can ball, you can ball, even with Notre Dame. Cloaked figures with duffel bags of dollars will find a way.</p>
<p id="IZq8sH">Which is the real reason that Kelly’s relationship with the Fighting Irish is about to end. His inability to <em>publicly</em> hold up the academic integrity of Notre Dame has shattered the illusion. They’re not special. The academics do not make things more difficult for them. They may as well be Florida State.</p>
<p id="jnBt9Q">Things hit an all time low on Saturday at USC. Already suffering through what is, in whole, the worst season in Notre Dame history, the Irish were pummeled 45-27 at The Coliseum. Also, this happened:</p>
<div id="do2njD">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" align="center">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">ND's Jerry Tillery pushes head of a USC player with possible head injury, then steps on another USC player's foot <a href="https://t.co/OvESTUbEum">https://t.co/OvESTUbEum</a></p>— CJ Fogler (@cjzero) <a href="https://twitter.com/cjzero/status/802663817557803010">November 27, 2016</a>
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<script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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<p id="cFj2eI">Let this sink in. Saturday in Los Angeles the <a href="https://www.conquestchronicles.com/">USC Trojans</a> played the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. <strong>USC was the more disciplined team.</strong> If you’re of a certain age, you probably never thought you’d read that.</p>
<p id="1BW2xD">Which brings me to why the “Group of Five” schools should avoid Brian Kelly after his time with Notre Dame has ended. Firstly, it’s probably a moot point. I have taken a very scientific poll of college football “experts” who state that it’s more likely that Kelly gets a job at another Power Five university, takes a coordinator job, or simply takes a year off. You can call those “experts” “sources” if you’d like. We seem to enjoy using that word without consequence.</p>
<p id="9PzUVs">Either way, a Kelly hire is a move that G5 schools can do without. His is a regime completely devoid of accountability. While the G5 product is often a punching bag for fans and media more focused on the Power Five brand, they do offer something that many P5s have long since abandoned. They are the last bastion, if one even exists, of amateur athletics.</p>
<p id="dyRcCi">Many P5s have made the comprise to value success on the football field above all else. Yes, I am referring to you, Penn State and Baylor, so definitely <a href="https://twitter.com/BSUKeith">@me.</a> A Kelly hire means agreeing to a similar comprise, perhaps not as extreme, but one that could significantly diminish the integrity of an academic institution.</p>
<p id="lnUkhq">A Kelly hire would not be without certain benefits. Kelly has the tools to turn a small school into a winner. He showed that at Cincinnati. He will surely scorch the Earth that is middling conference play and a lower tier bowl game, move out the mom and pop mentality, and build a Mega Lo Mart in its place.</p>
<p id="mHR49o">It’s not worth it. Many will say that any G5 would be thrilled to have a coach like Kelly at their university and would move mountains to make it happen. They’re not wrong, and that’s sad. Better to settle on the New Orleans Bowl than to potentially have another Art Briles on your hands, I say.</p>
https://www.hustlebelt.com/2016/11/28/13761070/group-five-brian-kelly-notre-dame-fighting-irish-penn-lions-baylor-bears-art-briles-college-footballKeith Scheessele2016-11-23T07:00:04-05:002016-11-23T07:00:04-05:00Wolverines need a win at Ohio State to stay in the conversation as Michigan’s best team
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<img alt="NCAA Football: Indiana at Michigan" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/g6br_rCcFEMeu2szvGApkJexhBY=/0x0:1750x1167/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/51969963/usa_today_9690345.0.jpeg" />
<figcaption>Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Otherwise, that honor likely goes to P.J. Fleck’s squad in Kalamazoo.</p> <p id="eP1kdF">When “The Game” kicks off Saturday in Columbus, Ohio, there will be more on the line than earning the favor of the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-football-playoff">College Football Playoff</a> committee. The <a href="https://www.maizenbrew.com/">Michigan Wolverines</a> (10-1, 7-1) will need a win against the <a href="https://www.landgrantholyland.com/">Ohio State Buckeyes</a> (10-1, 7-1) to keep pace with the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/teams/western-michigan-broncos">Western Michigan Broncos</a> (11-0, 7-0) as the top college football team in the state of Michigan.</p>
<p id="Zn0vsi">Regardless of the outcome of Saturday’s contest, when the dust settles and the new CFP rankings are released next Tuesday, Michigan will be ranked higher than Western Michigan. But for those not easily swayed by the biased judgement levied from a committee dedicated to keeping football’s blue bloods as the only participants in a flawed and inaccurate postseason tournament trusted by few and accepted by many, WMU will have the inside track to supplant the Wolverines as state champion.</p>
<p id="y3LMpQ">Western Michigan is undefeated. If you’ve found yourself on a Mid-American Conference focused blog, you likely already knew that. Michigan is not undefeated. The Wolverines hung with the Broncos until November 12th, when Jim Harbaugh’s squad was dealt a crippling road loss against the <a href="https://www.blackheartgoldpants.com/">Iowa Hawkeyes</a>, 14-13. A week later Michigan was again unimpressive, struggling to a 20-10 win against Indiana. Wolverines quarterback <span>John O’Korn</span> threw for just 59 yards, the lowest total for a UM signal caller in 15 years.</p>
<p id="NXDeRW">Western Michigan has had no such difficulties with its last two opponents. The Broncos became the nation’s first 10 win team when <span>Jarvion Franklin</span> and <span>Fabian Johnson</span> combined for 259 rushing yards against Kent State in a 37-21 win on November 8th. Last Saturday, WMU blasted Buffalo 38-0, sending a clear message that until they lose, they are Michigan’s top team.</p>
<p id="mlqrMq">There’s still work to be done for P.J. Fleck’s team, though. The Broncos host Toledo on Friday in what amounts to a MAC West championship game. A win and WMU rows the boat to Detroit for the Mid-American Conference title game on December 2nd. A loss and the Wolverines keep the crown as The Great Lakes State’s top team. I’ll allow it.</p>
<p id="b83dsE">Western Michigan and Toledo kickoff from Waldo Stadium in Kalamazoo, Michigan at 5pm ET Friday.</p>
https://www.hustlebelt.com/2016/11/23/13724134/michigan-wolverines-ohio-state-buckeyes-western-broncos-ncaa-college-football-playoff-rankings-gameKeith Scheessele2016-11-22T19:29:39-05:002016-11-22T19:29:39-05:003 teams ranked entirely too high in the latest College Football Playoff rankings
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<img alt="NCAA Football: Penn State at Indiana" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/r2_QEP1wahg3Pj0RZx08MUXkYW8=/0x0:4112x2741/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/51965733/usa_today_9671465.0.jpeg" />
<figcaption>Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>They have to be just pulling names out of a hat.</p> <p id="pLNjdX">Well Mid-American Conference fans, it was a familiar narrative when the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-football-playoff">College Football Playoff</a> committee released its newest rankings on Tuesday night. Cowardice again prevailed as the committee took substantial measures to ensure that undefeated #21 Western Michigan (11-0, 7-0) was left out of the conversation to determine college football’s top team.</p>
<p id="dU6Lco">Not all teams were so unlucky though. Many were ranked laughably high, a clear message that the NCAA’s top brands will be well represented when the College Football Playoff gets underway on December 31st. We’ll likely be deprived of a satisfying conclusion to the college football season, but you’ll be treated to familiar faces before you nod off in front of the television or flip to a Shark Tank marathon. Here are three teams that are ranked entirely too high in the latest College Football Playoff rankings.</p>
<h3 id="qfMywJ"><strong>#7 Penn State (9-2, 7-1)</strong></h3>
<p id="sJ377P">There is hope for you yet, Baylor. The 2016 <a href="https://www.blackshoediaries.com/">Penn State Nittany Lions</a> are evidence that decades worth of some of the most heinous criminal acts this Earth has ever seen is not enough to keep a prestigious college football brand out of the national consciousness. I don’t need the NCAA’s greatest failure to argue my point though, the resume simply doesn’t add up. Penn State has two losses, including a 39 point destruction at Michigan in which they gave up 326 yards rushing. The other was a 42-39 loss to a Pittsburgh team with four losses on its schedule. Isn’t it enough that Penn State football is permitted to exist at all? Do we also have to forget these two major blemishes on their CFP resume? I won’t, and <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2016/11/17/13666220/deandre-levy-joe-paterno-broken-leg">I like to think DeAndre Levy agrees with me.</a> Penn State. Overrated.</p>
<h3 id="6wJN0u"><strong>#10 Oklahoma State (9-2, 7-1)</strong></h3>
<p id="CjNvX1">I didn’t think when I woke up on Monday morning I would be appointed <a href="http://www.hustlebelt.com/2016/11/21/13700688/ncaa-football-oklahoma-state-cowboys-sooners-central-michigan-chippewas-mike-gundy-bob-stoops-bedlam">SB Nation’s resident Oklahoma State Cowboys football hater,</a> but life comes at you fast. The copious hate mail I received after bringing you so much truth makes it easier to point out how absurdly high OSU is ranked. If we’re able to forget the Cowboys’ loss to Central Michigan in September, which I promised you Coach Mike Gundy we will not, Oklahoma State’s body of work does not warrant its current place in the CFP poll. OK State’s other loss was to a Baylor team that’s lost 4 straight, including a 62-22 annihilation at the hands of TCU on November 5th. It’s shocking that so much is made of the loss to Central Michigan, when really it shouldn’t matter. Oklahoma State. Overrated.</p>
<h3 id="4qqwqE"><strong>#12 USC (8-3, 7-2)</strong></h3>
<p id="Xjvkl8">The fact that a three-loss USC team is even in the CFP discussion while undefeated Western Michigan is so actively ignored, tells you all you need to know about the legitimacy of this playoff format. That said, as long as the format exists, no team that gets beat 52-6 at any point throughout the season should be considered for inclusion in college football’s final four. I don’t care that it happened in the opening week of the season, I don’t care that it was against Alabama. The college football establishment wants nothing more than to put USC on your television on New Year’s Eve. It’s a joke, and while the Trojans can certainly be considered among the Top 25 teams in the nation, talk of breaking into the CFP is based on name recognition alone. USC. Overrated.</p>
<p id="nULFyw">I don’t know that there’s a combination of circumstances that could lead to the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/teams/western-michigan-broncos">Western Michigan Broncos</a> getting a shot at a National Championship. Beat Toledo 100-0 in the MAC West championship later this week? Even that wouldn’t do it. The reality is that these decisions are made before the season even begins. Since a one-point victory over Northwestern to open the season, WMU has beaten opponents by a margin of victory better than four touchdowns. My question for the College Football Playoff committee that is clearly not watching of these games would be, “What else would you have them do?”</p>
https://www.hustlebelt.com/2016/11/22/13718620/college-football-playoff-penn-nittany-lions-oklahoma-cowboys-usc-trojans-western-michigan-broncosKeith Scheessele2016-11-21T12:35:30-05:002016-11-21T12:35:30-05:00Gundy, Stoops bond over Oklahoma State’s humiliation before ‘Bedlam’
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<img alt="NCAA Football: Oklahoma State at Texas Christian" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/IRpu3HlNMst3ImQrm2scOZk89j4=/0x0:2877x1918/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/51938429/usa_today_9689063.0.jpeg" />
<figcaption>Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>They implore you to forget.</p> <p id="txIdnU">This season’s installment of “Bedlam,” the annual meeting of Big 12 Conference foes Oklahoma and Oklahoma State, will mean a little less thanks to the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/teams/central-michigan-chippewas">Central Michigan Chippewas</a>.</p>
<p id="o5iSY7">What could have shaped up to be a critical game in the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-football-playoff">College Football Playoff</a> landscape when the season began was derailed on September 10th in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Down three points with no time left on the clock, Central Michigan used an untimed down to score on a 51 yard Hail Mary-lateral play exploiting what can only be described as one of the greatest defensive collapses in the history of competition. The Chippewas stunned the then #22 ranked <a href="https://www.cowboysrideforfree.com/">Oklahoma State Cowboys</a>. Let’s watch again:</p>
<div id="UPnsKG"><div><div style="left: 0px; width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.2493%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/a24Vg-0QSzU?wmode=transparent&rel=0&autohide=1&showinfo=0&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" style="top: 0px; left: 0px; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;"></iframe></div></div></div>
<p id="2wP04l">It’s beautiful if you’re a CMU fan. Less so for the Oklahoma State faithful. But while many of his peers likely would have handled the setback more gracefully, Cowboys head coach Mike Gundy has been unable to get past the embarrassment of such a humiliating loss. A loss that in all likelihood will keep the Oklahoma State out of the College Football Playoff conversation. We later learned that the game should have ended before that play was allowed to occur. Based on that, Gundy thinks that the result of the game should be changed. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/okstate?src=hash">#okstate</a> football: Mike Gundy still believes OSU should be given win for Central Michigan game <a href="https://t.co/2WDgkkJTFB">https://t.co/2WDgkkJTFB</a> via <a href="https://twitter.com/mark_cooperjr">@mark_cooperjr</a> <a href="https://t.co/Ti8yggriYX">pic.twitter.com/Ti8yggriYX</a></p>— OSU Sports Extra (@OSUSportsExtra) <a href="https://twitter.com/OSUSportsExtra/status/793441275471167488">November 1, 2016</a>
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<p id="MmhnrF">“Nobody will ever convince me we didn’t get the win,” <a href="http://www.pistolsfiringblog.com/bob-stoops-agrees-mike-gundy-osu-one-loss/">said Gundy.</a> “I know Kirby had mentioned the committee feels a certain way about that game, but I think Kirby is playing poker and they see us as a 10-win team. That’s just my opinion.”</p>
<p id="Nk0yXk">“In my opinion, the conference, our conference, should take charge and stick up for us and say, you know what, we’re going to get this right. Or there’s got to be some lawyer out there that’s willing to make a name for himself. He ought to be all over it for a flat fee.”</p>
<p id="1peVff">He’s talking about his conference hiring a lawyer. To be clear, <strong>Oklahoma State head football coach Mike Gundy thinks that the Big 12 conference should hire a lawyer to award his team a win.</strong> It’s disappointing and discouraging that a man who so confidently wears the hair that he does is unable to properly process failure, and his inability to move on from a game that was played more than two months ago only adds to the Oklahoma State humiliation. But much like the friend who will double down that the girl who left you wasn’t worth it, Gundy has some support.</p>
<p id="8bCYxu"><a href="https://www.crimsonandcreammachine.com/">Oklahoma Sooners</a> head coach Bob Stoops is in Gundy’s corner. The loss must’ve been difficult for Stoops as well, as it takes some luster off of this week’s rivalry game, and also exposes his conference as.....meh. Beatable.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Bob Stoops is in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/okstate?src=hash">#okstate</a>’s corner when it comes to the Central Michigan ‘loss’ earlier this season. <a href="https://t.co/hkXdVfWqMG">https://t.co/hkXdVfWqMG</a></p>— Oklahoma State (@TheOkiePokie) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheOkiePokie/status/800449487252533249">November 20, 2016</a>
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<p id="0kSHSt">“In my eyes they only have one loss, if you play by the rules,” said Stoops. “They review everything else out here. They review a first down. You couldn’t review if that play should have been allowed or not. I have one of those. I count myself with one extra victory. That one at Oregon that everyone counted as a loss. My record book is a little different than everybody else’s.”</p>
<p id="Ak53jx">I wonder if Central Michigan head coach John Bonamego has his own personal record book. Probably not. He probably just uses the one the rest of us use. The one that shows his unimpressed Chippewa team marching into Stillwater and ruining Family Day for the Cowboys. Yes, it was Family Day. Doesn’t it make it a little more delicious?</p>
<p id="D2MHJZ">But as if this plea from two titans of leadership weren’t enough, Mike Gundy says that there’s an army of coaches who are equally appalled at this egregious miscarriage of justice.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Mike Gundy on the CMU game counting as a win: "Every coach I talk to agrees and says the same thing.” That includes Bob Stoops.</p>— Jake Trotter (@Jake_Trotter) <a href="https://twitter.com/Jake_Trotter/status/800736372655005701">November 21, 2016</a>
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<p id="SbjL69">Is it at all possible that these coaches are telling Mike Gundy what he wants to hear so he’ll go away? Because I feel like he would yell at you if you didn’t agree with him. And I could link to the video, but you already know what I’m talking about.</p>
<p id="xNXh8i">There’s been enough tears. I certainly hope this weekend’s “Bedlam” game offers some closure for those so deeply impacted by Oklahoma State’s humiliation. It’s time to move on. Fire Up.</p>
https://www.hustlebelt.com/2016/11/21/13700688/ncaa-football-oklahoma-state-cowboys-sooners-central-michigan-chippewas-mike-gundy-bob-stoops-bedlamKeith Scheessele2016-11-18T08:00:02-05:002016-11-18T08:00:02-05:00Roundtable: Did Western Michigan get screwed in the latest College Football Playoff rankings?
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<img alt="NCAA Football: Western Michigan at Akron" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/wAPjHdI3nudHJLKTOmDMRBde8SY=/0x36:6864x4612/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/51895399/usa_today_9608168.1479442877.jpeg" />
<figcaption>Jason Mowry-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>And all the other Broncos questions that have been keeping you up at night.</p> <p id="w1DqvW">It’s a historic time college football fans. You have questions about the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/teams/western-michigan-broncos">Western Michigan Broncos</a>, one of the nation’s ten best teams. We have the answers </p>
<p id="y57aZZ">Undefeated and nationally-ranked WMU will host the <a href="https://www.ubbullrun.com/">Buffalo Bulls</a> on Saturday afternoon with College GameDay in town. </p>
<p id="1j4fGp">A win, and the Broncos improve to 11-0, continuing to muddy the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-football-playoff">college football playoff</a> picture for those intent on keeping the NCAA’s postseason tournament a Power Five exclusive.</p>
<p id="570lxX">A loss, and the vast majority of you will forget the Mid-<a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/teams/american">American</a> Conference exists for the rest of the season.</p>
<p id="98hT39">For today’s roundtable we feature a pair of Western Michigan writers, <a href="https://twitter.com/JLCoffin1">Justin Coffin</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/broncofitz">Brandon Fitzsimons</a>. Also joining us is <a href="https://twitter.com/AVKingJames">James Jimenez</a>, who covers WMU rival Central Michigan and myself, <a href="https://twitter.com/BSUKeith">Keith M. Scheessele</a>, who would bring marshmallows if either school was burning to the ground. </p>
<p id="BKfbhX">We are putting our rivalries to the side today so that we can discuss what will happen the rest of the way for the only undefeated team not named Alabama. </p>
<p id="ilXIx7">Enjoy.</p>
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<p id="Yofaik"><strong>In the latest College Football Playoff rankings released on November 15th, undefeated Western Michigan </strong><a href="http://www.espn.com/college-football/playoffPicture"><strong>was slotted at #21,</strong></a><strong> up approximately zero spots from the previous week. Are the Broncos getting screwed?</strong> </p>
<p id="iCBz77"><strong>JC:</strong> Depends on what you think of as screwed. Should they be ranked ahead of Boise State? Absolutely. Should they be in the top 15? Probably not, which isn't to say that every team currently in the top 15 deserves to be there either. The committee has a stupid impossible job to do, and shouldn't be ranking outside of the top 10 or 15 anyway, as the logic used to rank teams beyond that tends to fall apart and become lazy. </p>
<p id="i52nJz"><strong>BF:</strong> Yes they did. With WMU's schedule, I get that they don't have many "flashy wins.” However, they went on the road, won two games against Big Ten teams (including an absolute decimation of Illinois' offense), and have yet to drop a game. Sure, Boise has that Washington State win, but they also played the Cougars at home. And won by 3 (the amount of points commonly given in betting lines for home-field advantage). The fact the Broncos aren't Top 15 with an undefeated record given the amount of losses that some teams in front of them have (looking at you, Tennessee), is also alarming for not just the Broncos, but for all G5 schools going forward. </p>
<p id="8gxXQY"><strong>JJ:</strong> Let me be the first to say as a CMU fan that yes indeed the Broncos are being held back by the Committee and their ever-unattainable wisdom. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I miss the old BCS system. At least with the computers, there was no real interference or eye test or any convolution like that; it just took the data and crunched it. It says a lot when the AP Poll, comprised of journalists that watch the games and still primarily use the same scoring systems as they did in the BCS era have WMU seven spots ahead of where the Committee does. I can understand concern about scheduling or whatever, but do we really believe three three-loss Power Five teams are better than Western? Anyway, WMU fits the checklist. Good wins? Check. Point of margin? Check. Chance at a conference championship? Check. I'm ready to take up a pitchfork if need be.</p>
<p id="b0jHRC"><strong>KS:</strong> Yes. They’re undefeated. There’s only one other undefeated team and they’re number one in the country. It’s that simple. If you think it’s not that simple, you’re overthinking it. That’s the biggest problem in college football. There’s too many people who think they know who is good and who is not. I’m not going to breakdown wins and losses or talk margin of victory. Everyone is just afraid that Western Michigan might be as good as I know they are. If they were to get a shot at the CFP and actually win a game against a traditional P5 power, the chaos that would ensue would be suffocating. That would be too much to bear for those dopes that grew up watching their favorite SEC or Big Ten team on their daddy’s knee. The system would begin to collapse in on itself. I would laugh. You would cry.</p>
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<p id="NFC2fp"><strong>What does WMU have to do last three games of the season to climb those rankings? Does it matter?</strong></p>
<p id="HTqXhk"><strong>JC:</strong> WMU has to win, and win BIG. The focus is especially on the Toledo game in Kalamazoo, since beating Ohio or Miami isn't going to bring any sort of wow factor to the table. Does it matter, though? Not if Boise State wins the conference championship. If the committee believes Boise State the stronger team now when it's currently on the outside looking in at the MWC championship, it's absolutely going to think the same if it wins the whole thing. Thanks for nothing, UNLV.</p>
<p id="WaztSY"><strong>BF:</strong> Obliterate everything in their path. A couple weeks ago, Justin mentioned the "Condoleezza Rice Protocol.” That's gonna have to happen each game from here out. As to the second part of the question "does it matter?” It does. I think the Broncos, with a strong showing and a conference championship should get better looks from the committee. Plus, Boise State still has to get to and win the Mountain West Championship Game, and Wyoming could very well still end up being the blocker that prevents that.</p>
<p id="fNEyuQ"><strong>JJ:</strong> WMU will have to (somehow) improve on their +26 PPG margin in the next two games against Toledo and Buffalo, with the potential for a MAC Championship Game. That's going to be rough for the Toledo game, as the Rockets are a sneaky good team. Wins over 2-8 Buffalo and whoever comes out of a dilapidated MAC East won't be regarded as quality wins. The Broncos are kind of boned as it stands in that regard. Will it matter is the more important question here. I've been saying for the last month that even if WMU is undefeated at the end of the year, the Committee will find a way to jam Boise State into that New Year's Six bowl because they have more name-brand appeal and are seen as coming from a stronger conference. I still stand by that prediction; the poll release on Tuesday only confirmed that.</p>
<p id="6WTliW"><strong>KS:</strong> The Broncos have to engage in a more extreme form of bad sportsmanship than you have ever seen in your life as a football fan. 49-0 with a minute left in the MAC Championship Game? Go for it. Points, points, points. The Committee actively encourages, nay, DEMANDS, that teams destroy opponents beyond recognition. 49-0 is a joke of course. That game would need to be more in the 66-0 range. I don’t think it matters, because as I said earlier, fear will be the prevailing factor. College football can not handle a G5 team in the playoff. They will do everything they can to prevent that from happening.</p>
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<p id="SMrwM9"><strong>So how does the season end for WMU?</strong></p>
<p id="rcD6ii"><strong>JC:</strong> I said at the beginning of the season that WMU would start 10-1, lose to Toledo, go to the MAC Championship Game anyway. That scenario is unlikely as ever, but I still think WMU loses this game to the Rockets. Fitz is going to call me a damned pessimist, but I think big play ability out of Toledo's wide receivers is going to be too much for the Bronco secondary, and WMU will have to play its bowl game in front of 1500 people somewhere in Alabama over the holidays. But hey, it beats playing in Boise! </p>
<p id="c77XYR"><strong>BF:</strong> I want to say with a <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/cotton-bowl">Cotton Bowl</a> berth and win. Maybe even a loss. But if the Cotton Bowl isn't there, it's tough to say. I can guarantee that a 13-0 Western Michigan team will not be playing in a bowl sponsored by Dollar General, for obvious reasons (I mean, come on. That bowl screams poverty). The Miami Beach Bowl might be a good choice, or maybe even the Poinsettia Bowl. Either way, I like the Broncos' odds to win a "lesser" bowl if it comes to that. The Cotton Bowl would be gravy just on its merits.</p>
<p id="D295bF"><strong>JJ:</strong> The conference badly needs WMU to get into the Cotton Bowl. (Yes, I'm willing to admit that there is no way for WMU to get to the Playoff; that has been proven.) I still have a naive optimism that the Broncos will get there and put up a valiant fight against whoever they play. The more likely scenario will be a visit to lovely Mobile, Alabama to participate as the MAC Champion in the newly-minted Dollar General Bowl (RIP #GoDaddyBowl.)</p>
<p id="IJ89ee"><strong>KS:</strong> Western goes undefeated in the next three. They do not get into the CFP, they do not go to the Cotton Bowl. I can only hope for the WMU faithful that they go to a bowl game in a city that is pleasant to visit. Win that, make t-shirts that read “2016 National Champions” and know that they are a select few of us educated fans who will always appreciate how good you actually were.</p>
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<p id="9QABdq"><strong>What does College GameDay coming to Kalamazoo mean for WMU?</strong></p>
<p id="lHysd3"><strong>JC:</strong> College GameDay going to Kalamazoo means a lot in terms of injecting excitement into the program, and capitalizing on what's been built there over the last four years. It is not, however, an acknowledgement of their success or belonging in the national picture. It's more of an affirmation that the G5 serves to produce a novelty product every couple of years. ESPN clearly recognizes that something special is happening with the WMU program, but I doubt highly it believes its getting a first look at a future power. That said, everything about this feels surreal and awesome and I don't know what to do with my hands.</p>
<p id="Jmz6ch"><strong>BF:</strong> It really looks like a great community event. Growing up, I wish I could've gone to GameDay, but never had the chance due to locations. Just once they went to Notre Dame, and I think I was busy that day. Now? Tons of young and old fans can live the experience in their backyard. Students will go to the middle of campus and see it, and be mesmerized (I hope). It truly is a spectacle that should create a whole new generation of Western Michigan fans.</p>
<p id="DRIJHr"><strong>JJ:</strong> I would imagine that it means a lot to the Kalamazoo community. I have friends that attend WMU that normally don't go to games that are suddenly very excited to go on Saturday because of the ESPN appearance. If you're not on the boat by now as a WMU fan, maybe this is the event that brings them on board. It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to represent your alma mater on TV and I'm sure people will come out in droves. Though, I do have to say there will be a decided (additional) chill whenever the NY6 Bowl or the Playoff is mentioned and WMU is not. There will still be Walmart Wolverines that whoop and holler though. That's unavoidable.</p>
<p id="NJRlNn"><strong>KS:</strong> I’m realistic about what this means. As these guys already said, it is not acknowledging WMU as a real player on the national level, but any exposure like this is good exposure for Western Michigan and the rest of the Mid-American Conference. That said my greatest hope is that some fans, particularly Western Michigan students, are able to box up that ugly Michigan or Michigan State gear and start supporting the school to which they pay thousands of dollars.</p>
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<p id="Mn44mX"><strong>What happens when the season is over? Is P.J. Fleck jumping ship to a P5 progam?</strong></p>
<p id="scOxmx"><strong>JC:</strong> There's a better than 40% chance P.J. Fleck sticks around Kalamazoo for an extra year, but doing so would be a huge risk if he expects to continue rising at this pace. There are going to be some excellent jobs opening up, and while I think Fleck truly believes he can elevate WMU beyond the normal constraints of a G5 school, the risk of staying might be far too high. I think he goes, but I'd imagine Fleck would prefer not to be known as "former Purdue Head Coach P.J. Fleck."</p>
<p id="BjQtBw"><strong>BF:</strong> I think he stays for two more years. Next year might be a little rough with trips to USC and Michigan State early on while the Broncos break in a new QB and WR group, but the depth on this team should be the strength and if the Bronco defense keeps improving, who knows what heights Fleck could take this team. Look, if Houston can pony up a 2 year/$4,000,000 contract for Herman, WMU could do the same and keep building on something that the MAC needs to improve its reputation as a decent G5 conference.</p>
<p id="XfAsAH"><strong>JJ:</strong> Personally, I want to see him take the first Amtrak out of Waldo Stadium as soon as the season ends. I might be a little biased in that opinion, though. Anyway, Fleck will definitely be on the radar for at least a couple Power Five teams with vacancies this carousel season. Fleck got offers last season but turned them down, which I imagine would be rather hard to do. I understand WMU is trying to keep him, but when you try to out-money a school that has money, that never ends well. I would say it's a 55/45 leave to stay ratio.</p>
<p id="OIEud3"><strong>KS:</strong> Gone, and you’d leave too. Money will be too much. It’s the reality of being a MAC fan. If the Broncos lose against Buffalo, Toledo, or in the MAC Championship, the only question is if he’s out before the bowl game. If you’re a Broncos fan and you think differently, you’re too close to the trees.</p>
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<p id="JZXLTZ">Well, that's that. We tried our best to figure out what's what over in Kalamazoo. </p>
<p id="tyusLb">The greatest season in Western Michigan Broncos history continues tomorrow when WMU welcomes the Buffalo Bulls to Waldo Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30pm ET. RTB!</p>
https://www.hustlebelt.com/2016/11/18/13654048/roundtable-western-michigan-broncos-screwed-latest-college-football-playoff-rankings-ncaa-footballKeith Scheessele