Three Big 12 Teams Could Be Prepared to Jump Ship to the SEC

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Before the start of the 2010 college football season, rumors were running wild with conference expansion, realignment, or possibly watching one fall to the ground if four members jumped ship at the same time.

Texas, Texas A&M, Oklahoma State, and Oklahoma were rumored to be in a hot and heavy relationship with the PAC-10 and most thought those four schools were about to start the destruction of the Big 12 all on their own.

While three were headed west, Texas A&M was apparently talking to the Southeastern Conference about heading to east if in fact the other three aforementioned schools also left.

The rumors alone were enough for the Big 12 commissioner to go into overdrive about putting a large television contract in place to lure these four schools back and keep the entire conference in place. With Texas signing a big time ESPN television deal for just their university, three schools have apparently been thinking about jumping ship as they had planned to do more than six months ago.

Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, and Texas A&M are apparently all talking about jumping ship. If they do that, the Big 12 will be down to eight teams and it may start a chain of events that might kill the entire conference after all.

Just when it looked like the Big 12 was saved thanks to the efforts of the conference commissioner, it may yet be pulled apart at the seems. All thanks to the University of Texas.

The Longhorns are double-dipping in television money and the other 11 schools in the conference are a little more than upset. Not only will they receive money from the new television deal negotiated for the entire Big 12, but now they'll also be making a large amount of money with the deal they just signed with ESPN.

The fallout to this move wouldn't do much to Texas, but it would do a great deal of damage to schools like Kansas, Kansas State, Iowa State, Baylor, and Texas Tech. If the conference falls apart, does the television deal also fall apart?

Though fans of the schools left behind might be a tad bit upset by what might happen depending on the results, there's only one school they can point their finger at. One school wasn't happy enough with the money coming from the television contract negotiated to keep the conference together.

If this move tells you anything, it's that Texas wanted nothing more than to be independent from the rest of the conference. They wanted to be their own entity and they pulled that off behind the scenes.

The rivalries, the match ups and the big games might have been effectively ended with that move and it wouldn't shock me in the least if Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, and Texas A&M depart the Big 12 for the SEC, leaving the rest of the conference to fend for themselves.

With just over seven months remaining until the 2011 college football season kicks off, the dominoes could continue to fall. With three teams possibly on their way out, will it mean the teams left over will find new homes as well?

This become a hot button topic over the next few weeks or months depending on when or if this move is made.

If it does happen, will Texas pull a BYU and go independent? Some might say they already are thanks to ESPN.

There's been a lot of moving and shaking in college football over the last eight months and we may not have seen the end of it just yet.

Colorado and Nebraska apparently saw the writing on the wall and made their move to greener pastures. Maybe that should have been the warning shot that this wasn't the end of the problems the Big 12 would have to deal with.

They were able to put a band-aid on it before the 2010 season kicked off. I don't know if there's anything they can do to save themselves now.

For Michigan, it's Down to Les Miles or Brady Hoke

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Just hours prior to the Cotton Bowl at Cowboys Stadium, talk began to spread through the stadium about the possibility of LSU head coach Les Miles getting interest from Michigan about their head coaching vacancy.

Though no one thought Miles would answer any questions about the job before, during, or after the game, it didn't take long to find out that the two sides were going to begin conversations to gauge each other's interest.

We know that this isn't the first time Miles' name has come up. You might remember his name coming up before Rich Rodriguez left West Virginia in the middle of the night to become the new head coach in Ann Arbor.

This time, Rodriguez is out and the Wolverine fans want a big time name to replace him. A guy that's going to bring them wins over Ohio State and another national championship. Though not necessarily in that order.

But Miles isn't the only name that's being talked about when it comes to the biggest vacancy in college football right now. Another name that is on the Ann Arbor radar is current San Diego State head coach, and former Michigan lineman coach under Lloyd Carr, Brady Hoke.

He's not the "sexy name" that most would believe a job like this would require. Sure Hoke has a familiarity with the university as he spent seven years under Carr but that doesn't make him the kind of guy that can come in and immediately turn this team around.

There was a comment made by Yahoo Sports' Columnist Dan Wetzel about how Hoke would be his choice if he were a fan. To me that statement makes absolutely no sense at all.

If you polled, just for argument sake, 100 Michigan fans do you really think the majority would be ok with Brady Hoke? Absolutely not and especially not if Les Miles is being mentioned.

When Miles' name first came up before LSU's win over Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl, I talked to a few people in the press box who agreed that taking the head coaching job at Michigan would not be a step up for him. It would be a lateral step at best and one could argue it would be a step down seeing as Miles has had more success at LSU.

As far as Hoke is concerned, San Diego State is hoping Les Miles takes the job at Michigan for no other reason than they're enjoying the success they had this past season. Keeping Hoke means continuing that ride. One that doesn't look like it's going to end any time soon.

There's been no indication of when a decision is going to be made as to who the next head coach of the Wolverines will be. We do know it's down to two names but only one of those is the right guy for the job.

Whoever is chosen will leave another empty seat that will need to be filled. Will it be LSU or San Diego State?

LSU, Texas A&M Thrill Fans at the 75th Annual Cotton Bowl

For those of you who love college football this was the perfect atmosphere for this game. The fans were already getting loud before the game even started.

From the moment each team came out on the field for warmups, Cowboys Stadium in Arlington was already jumping with fans from both teams screaming and yelling at the top of their lungs. Not like they needed the gentle shove but when the big screen put up the "noise meter" it became so loud that none of us could hear each other in the press box.

All of this was before the opening kick off. They were just getting warmed up.

It was all about mistakes for Texas A&M and two of them were enough to allow the LSU Tigers to run away with the game. Aggie quarterback Ryan Tannehill was intercepted twice and both were telegraphed badly.

When you first learn how to be a quarterback and you learn the ins, outs, do's and don'ts, you're taught to never stare at your receiver or stare them down. Tannehill apparently forgot those lessons because its what caused both of his interceptions, one of which led to a late LSU touchdown.

Though we can talk about the game until we're blue in the face and talk about what each team did or didn't do, I think enough of you watched it where you don't need me to break it down. So how about we do something a little different? You ok with that? Good.

From the moment I walked in to Cowboys Stadium there was a different feel to this game. But it wasn't the game itself, it was the atmosphere that surrounded it.

As you drive up to the stadium you see fans clad in LSU purple and gold as well as Aggie fans dressed in maroon and white. This is what college football is all about and I don't think you could get a better venue for this game and for these teams than Cowboys Stadium.

Everyone who's been here talks about the huge screen that sits some 50-60 feet above the playing surface. Don't get me wrong it's a sight to behold but it's just screen no matter how big it is.

This game was about the fans and it was about a game that has so much tradition behind it. When you talk about this game you mention guys like the great Jim Brown and so many of the other hall of famers that have graced this game through the years.

From the opening kickoff to halftime to every play in between, the fans enjoyed themselves at every turn. Not to offend Texas A&M fans but the LSU Tiger fans were loud from the moment this game got underway. They drowned out everybody and they have every right to be proud of their team's victory on this night.

It was a back and forth game from the start but one the Aggies just couldn't hang on to. They made too many mistakes, turned the ball over too many times, and made unforced errors that gave the Tigers new life. This 41-24 win was not only earned by LSU but you could almost say the Aggies handed them a few touchdowns just like a scratch golfer giving a few strokes to an opponent that's not quite as good.

The Aggies had a good run and we're looking for their first 10-win season in more than a decade but the Tigers made sure that 10th win wasn't coming on this night. They made sure that they would be the best team that took the field on this Friday night.

No matter whether you're a college football fan or an NFL fan, atmospheres like this don't come around very often. This was my very first time to take in a game, in person, that featured LSU and I wasn't disappointed.

For now, Texas A&M will go back to the drawing board and their students will head into yet another off season. Both teams will lose their seniors and both will rebuild with incoming freshman as well as experienced upper classmen.

We will see these teams again and even better than they were this season. We're not done hearing from the LSU Tigers and the Texas A&M Aggies.

As the clocked rolled to triple zeros at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, I get one more look at what was an amazing experience and a tremendous game from both teams.

Say what you want about the win for LSU and the mistakes from Texas A&M, they deserved to be on this stage and they put on a show that should make their fans proud. A bounce here and a change in fortune there could have turned the tide in another direction but neither of those things happened.

This game went exactly as LSU wanted it to go and they leave here with the Cotton Bowl trophy.

Until next year and the 76th Annual Cotton Bowl, we wrap things up with a big thank you to Cowboys Stadium, to the LSU Tigers and their fans as well as to Texas A&M and their fans.

Congratulations to the LSU Tigers, the 2011 Cotton Bowl Champions. Well deserved and well earned.

Texas A&M vs LSU: Updates From the 7th Annual Cotton Bowl

Update: 9:54pm CST - A&M couldn't get the big play they needed and they punt it back to LSU. With 6:59 to go in the third quarter, LSU still has their 35-17 lead.

Update: 9:48am CST - Texas A&M better get something going soon because if they don't the LSU Tigers are going to run away with this game long before the fourth quarter ever comes up. They need a score on this drive.

Update: 9:43pm CST - Sorry this update is late. We're underway in the 2nd half and already LSU has put another score on the board and looks to be running away with this game if A&M can't figure out something quick. It's 35-17 LSU

Update: 9:09pm CST - We've reached halftime and it's been a tremendous game so far here at the 75th annual Cotton Bowl. The LSU Tigers lead the Texas A&M Aggies 28-17 as both teams head for the locker room.

Update: 9:03pm CST - Momentum folks and LSU has it. After a bad pass by A&M quarterback Ryan Tannehill, resulting in his 2nd interception of the night, the Tigers used that turnover and have extended their lead to 28-17 with 1:16 left in the half.

Update: 8:52pm CST - Just when the Aggies were putting together a drive of their own, Ryan Tannehill is intercepted and the Tigers have the momentum on their side.

Update: 8:40pm CST - LSU takes the kick off and returns it back to their own 32-yard line. They'll have the ball 1st and 10 with 7:35 to go in the 2nd quarter.

Update: 8:39pm CST - Just when you thought LSU was taking control of this game, think twice. Texas A&M scores on a halfback option and they take a 17-14 lead with 7:44 to go 2nd quarter.

Update: 8:28pm CST - Touchdown LSU and with the extra point they take a 14-10 lead over Texas A&M

Update: 8:19pm CST - Here are some first quarter stats for you:

Texas A&M quarterback Ryan Tannehill had six complete passes on nine attempts for 60 yards and a touchdown. A&M wide receiver Jeff Fuller led the way with two catches for 18 yards. Running back Cyrus Gray had 50 yards on seven carries with a 7.1 yards per carry average.

For LSU, quarterback Jordan Jefferson completed three passes on six attempts for 61 yards with a touchdown as well as an interception.

Update: 8:18pm CST - Texas A&M was stopped on a 3rd and 21 thanks to an incomplete pass. They tried a 52-yard field goal but it went off the right upright. LSU has the ball 1st and 10 at their own 48-yard line

Update: 8:13pm CST - That's the end of the first quarter with Texas A&M leading LSU 10-7. They will begin the 2nd quarter with the ball and a 3rd and 21 from the LSU 35-yard line.

Update: 8:07pm CST - LSU is on the board with a 50-yard touchdown pass. It's 10-7 Texas A&M with 1:48 to go in the first quarter.

Update: 7:54pm CST - Field goal good from Texas A&M after they intercepted LSU deep in A&M territory. The Aggies came to play tonight and they take a 10-0 lead with 5:03 left in the first quarter.

Update: 7:45pm CST - Just when A&M had the momentum forcing a three-and-out on LSU, a running into the kicker penalty gave the Tigers the ball back and they're driving on the Aggies.

Update: 7:37pm CST - What a start to this one. A long kick return from Texas A&M to the LSU 28-yard line and a few plays later the Aggies punched it into the end zone. The Aggies jump out to a quick 7-0 lead. Not sure LSU knows what hit them. The Aggies had their no huddle offense going right off the bat, not allowing the Tigers to get set.

Aggies drive: 5 plays 31 yards

Update: 7:30pm CST - LSU wins the toss and we are ready for the 75th Annual Cotton Bowl. This place is absolutely deafening right now. If you want to know why I love college football over the NFL every day of the week and twice on Sunday, you should be at Cowboys Stadium right now.

Update: 6:47pm CST - We're about 45 minutes from kickoff, both teams still on the field running drills and will probably be here for another 15-20 minutes before heading back to their respective locker rooms.

Good evening ladies and gentlemen and welcome to Arlington, Texas and Cowboys Stadium the sight of the 75th Annual Cotton Bowl.

I'll be bringing you updates from the game all night long as well as sending out updates on Twitter so you can follow me there (@T_Kaufmann).

Both teams are on the field for warmups, LSU is in their road whites with yellow pants and yellow helments while Texas A&M is in their home maroon jerseys with white pants and maroon helmets. We're expecting a crowd of a little under 90,000 for tonight but that's still a solid number for a big game like this between two good teams.

LSU's end zone is on the east side of the stadium while Texas A&M is directly opposite them to the west. The fan sections are to the north and south, LSU to the north and A&M to the south.

We're going to have a great game today so I hope you can hang around and join in on the conversation either here or on Twitter. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the 75th Annual Cotton Bowl

Chris Petersen, Not Jim Harbaugh Should Be Michigan's Top Candidate

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Boise State is one of the most hated programs in Division 1-A college football. No matter which state you travel to or how many fans you talk to there isn’t one person who doesn’t know, or despise, Boise State.

It’s not the winning they hate and it’s not even the blue turf, though some might have that high on their list, it’s the lack of a strong schedule year in and year out.

You can talk about their Fiesta Bowl win over Oklahoma and you can even talk about their win over Oregon to kick off the 2009 season. But there are as many people who credit the Broncos with those wins as discredit them as overrated.

We can sit here and debate Boise State until we’re blue in the face, no pun intended, but there is one man with ties to Boise State that gets a lot of respect outside the city of Boise and the Western Athletic Conference.

Boise State’s head coach, Chris Petersen.

That name seems to come up with just about every coaching vacancy that seems to open each and every year in college football no matter where it is.

When the Florida job came open after Urban Meyer decided to step down Petersen’s name immediately hit the rumor mill. Some, myself included, were almost sure he was the number one candidate and shoe-in for the job.

That’s why we were all shocked when the Florida athletic director introduced long time Texas Longhorns defensive coordinator Will Muschamp as their new head coach.

Now, with the Florida job filled as well as the University of Miami, there’s one job that everyone is looking at and one that most believe is already filled. The University of Michigan.

Ever since head coach Rich Rodriguez made the move from West Virginia to Ann Arbor his time was already ticking away. The Wolverine fans weren’t fond of him right from the start and it didn’t take long for them to voice their opposition. The same opposition that has been heard the loudest this season.

With another disappointing season under their belt, it would almost seem like a lock that Rodriguez is about to lose his job. He even went so far as to say he would not lobby the athletic department to be able to stay.

That in itself is the biggest white flag of surrender that Rodriguez has ever sent up the flag pole. It seems like he knows his time has come to an end and he isn’t going to keep the inevitable from happening.

If the rumors are true and he is headed out the door there’s one man that most believe will be his successor, current Stanford head coach Jim Harbaugh. In fact, he’s the man that seems to be the growing favorite among Wolverine fans.

But before we hand him the scepter and the keys to the Michigan kingdom, there are those of us that not only believe Harbaugh won’t be the head coach of the Wolverines but I’ll even go as far as to say he’s not the best man for the job.

Say what you want about him being an alumni of the university and a guy that has done a great job with the Stanford football program, but has he really shown the ability to handle the kind of pressure the Michigan job would come with? Stanford isn’t exactly Michigan.

Harbaugh is a coach that is capable of doing big things at the next level of college football but when we’re talking about someone that can take this team back to where it used to be, there’s only one name that needs to be mentioned.

Petersen is not your prototypical rah-rah, fire you up, kind of guy. He’s not the kind of guy that’s going to jump up and down when a big play is made.

He is an under-control, methodical, thinking two and three plays ahead kind of coach. The Wolverines don’t need to be fired up, they need to win. Now.

Before you make the argument that a coach coming from a mid-major program won’t have the same success in big-time college football, need I remind you Urban Meyer spent two seasons as the head coach of the Utah Utes before he won two national championships with the Florida Gators.

Petersen not only brings a proven track record of winning but he brings a name that most top recruits, and their families, will already be familiar with.

Where most football programs would worry about a brand new coach bringing in the right players, one would almost have to wonder if he would have to do any recruiting at all. Would the players come to him?

I have no problem with Jim Harbaugh. In fact, I’m a huge fan of his and I enjoy the kind of spirit and energy he brings to the Stanford sidelines.

But, if I’m the Michigan Wolverines and I’m looking for a guy that can take me back to the top of the Big Ten and back to a shot at the BCS National Championship, there’s only one name they need to write down.

Chris Petersen.

Wednesday Morning Sports Report: Cliff Lee, Fresno State, and Cam Newton's Draft Status

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Good Wednesday morning to all the sports fans out there.

This is something that I've wanted to do for awhile but since there were so many people worried more about reads than content, I wasn't really able to put this kind of thing together. But, now that I'm kind of doing my own thing, we're going to have some fun with it.

Every morning, I'll be doing a small sports report and give random thoughts on some of the things going on around the world of sports. We'll talk about just about every sport you can imagine except for the ones that I could care less about.

That being said, are you ready? Good...let's get it.


Cliff Lee: There's more to his move than meets the eye

Everyone wanted to hate on Cliff Lee for the decision he made on Monday night by signing with the Philadelphia Phillies. They wanted to say that he stuck a knife in their back and even more wanted to compare him to LeBron James.

Well, now that it's begun to leak that Lee wanted to be close to a doctor, and a hospital, that specializes in leukemia treatment because of the fact that his son battled the disease at one time, the move seems to be more about being a father than being a professional athlete. Would you like to hate on him now?

I was watching the news last night and the Dallas media, and fans, seem to be still devastated about this move. They don't want to let go of the fact that Lee is gone and it's time to move on. One of those media people, Richie Whitt of 105.3 FM in Dallas and a writer for the Dallas Observer, seemed to be taking things to the extreme.

I can understand wanting the guy back, but to go to the lengths of blaming the Rangers for not giving Lee the seven or eight years he required I think is going a bit far. The Rangers are not going to give anyone that kind of a contract and I don't blame them one bit.

Now, it's time for the Rangers to go after Kansas City's Zack Greinke or Tampa Bay's Matt Garza. Yes Richie, I know they don't excite you but we'll all have to deal with your disappointment.


Fresno State: Suspending three players prior to the Humanitarian Bowl

For those of you who don't know I grew up in Fresno, CA and I remain a die hard Fresno State fan. I know I should try to stay unbiased but that's like asking me to go to a steakhouse and ordering a salad. As the great comedian John Pinette would say (5:30 mark in this video), "salad's not food, salad comes with the food. Salad is a promissory note that food will soon arrive."

The Bulldogs are in yet another bowl game called the Humanitarian Bowl. They were in this position last year before losing to a mediocre Wyoming team. This year their opponent is Northern Illinois. At first glance you'd think this should be an easy win for Fresno State.

Yeah not so much.

With Fresno State nothing is easy or routine. Add to fact that head coach Pat Hill suspended three players who didn't make the trip to Boise with the rest of the team and will not be playing in the game on Saturday. Though Hill won't say what any of these three players did, they aren't bench warming players. One of which is Kyle Knox who's second in tackles. Exactly what their defense needs, a missing piece to an already lackluster squad.

If the offense didn't already have a lot of pressure on them, add this to the list.

Cam Newton: Is he a legit NFL prospect?

I'm not going to hate on Cam Newton because there's no question in my mind that he's the best player in college football. Apparently everyone else agreed because Newton was the one hoisting the Heisman Trophy this past Saturday night.

The question I do have is, no matter how much talent this young man had in college, will it carry over to the NFL? There have only been a few quarterbacks in the NFL that have made the "scrambling QB" work one of which is Michael Vick.

However, I don't know that Newton has that kind of talent to be able to put both his arm and his legs together to make one solid and talented quarterback in the next step in his football career.

What do you fans think? Does Newton have the ability to be a good quarterback in the NFL or will an NFL team try to convert him to a tight end or wide receiver? Neither of those options would shock me in the least.

As of right now, Stanford's Andrew Luck is the top pick in the 2011 draft and there are other players behind him that will be picked up before Newton. So, the question to you fans is, where should Newton go and is he even a first round pick at all?

In closing...

• Brett Favre's consecutive games streak came to an end and not many people cared, myself included.
• Speaking of Brett Favre, are the Minnesota Vikings headed to Los Angeles as the new NFL franchise?
• Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt, and Cliff Lee OH MY!
• I'm still waiting for former Fresno State running back Ryan Mathews to have that breakout game I've been predicting for some time.
• Speaking of Fresno State, fans are excited about Derek Carr being their quarterback next year. Even his brother, current NFL quarterback David Carr, thinks he'll have a lot of success. Fans are hoping you're right, David.
• How are you America's Team if you only have one playoff win in 15 years? Yes I'm talking to you Dallas Cowboys.
• Call me biased, but I'm hoping the Rangers go get Matt Garza for no other reason than he's a former Fresno State pitcher.
• It's hard being a San Diego Padres' fan. It just is.
• Is anyone as shocked as I am that the Cincinnati Bengals are as bad as they are this season?
• Why is no one talking about Jim Thome right now? He has a big year in Minnesota and I don't see his name anywhere.
• Who gets Zack Greinke and who gets Matt Garza? Any predictions?

Shocker: Will Muschamp Named Head Coach at Florida

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I know that I've been saying Boise State's Chris Petersen would be the next head coach at Florida, or at least that he was the guy that Florida wanted.

As much as a part of me wanted this story to really come true, as a Fresno State fan and as a fan of Petersen himself, I truly wanted loyalty to win the day and it looks like that has come to pass.

Will Muschamp, the offensive coordinator at Texas that was said to be the next in line to take over the Longhorns, is the guy that the Florida Gators have gone with which in a lot of ways is surprising. He's not a name that any of us saw coming and a name that was never reported in Florida's search.

I'm going to say good for Will because he's a guy that definitely deserves a shot to have his own team to prove that he's ready for the challenge.

I'll have a full article up shortly for my opinion as well as the other coaching jobs that are currently open.

Florida Gators In Talks With Bob Stoops?

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Update: 1:14pm CST - A source out of Boise told me that he'd be shocked to see Stoops take the Florida job and still believes Petersen to be the number one guy for the job.

Update: 12:25pm CST - I talked to Lisa Horne of Fox Sports on this news and she told me, "Stoops is always mentioned in any high-powered coaching job (ie, Notre Dame) and it never pans out. I also think Florida goes after a coach who has a winning record in bowls but isn't necessarily in a BCS conference. Like a Patterson, Petersen, Calhoun or Niumatalolo."

Update: 12:00pm CST - Talked to another source out of Houston that tells me it's Stoops' job if he wants it. But if not, Kevin Sumlin from Houston could become a factor.

Update: 11:57am CST - The source that has been on this story since Thursday night is not sold on the report from ESPN Insider and doesn't believe that Stoops would accept the job. He did admit that they could be wrong and stranger thing have happened, but they're not ready to accept that Stoops is the man.

Update: 11:50am CST - With Stoops coming in as the Florida head coach, it looks like Jacksonville University head coach Kerwin Bell will come in as the offensive coordinator.

Update: 11:46am CST - I talked to a source this morning who tole me "it will be Stoops." The terms of the deal aren't yet available but I'm told that Stoops should be the next head coach at the University of Florida.

So Boise State fans can breathe easy. For now.

According to rumors that have surfaced this morning, something I didn't expect to happen apparently could very well be happening.

The Florida Gators apparently are in talks with Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops to become their next head coach.

There's nothing official behind this yet and I'm still trying to find out from sources if they can confirm this, but it's already hit the rumor sheets that the two sides are in negotiations.

As of last night, a lot of people expected the Gators to name Boise State head coach Chris Petersen as their man by sometime next week but that was assuming Stoops turned the job down. Apparently, it seems that's not going to happen.

When it's confirmed, we'll break it down and I'll give my take on the hire.

Chris Petersen To Be Named Head Coach at Florida By Next Week?

Update: 11:03pm CST - I know I haven't posted any new updates but there really isn't anything new to report. However, knowing that Boise State quarterback Kellen Moore is going to be a Heisman finalist, Chris Petersen is going to give his quarterback center stage and not take away the spotlight from a player who deserves it at this point in his career.

There was, however, an interesting thought thrown out on Boise radio earlier this afternoon. Though Moore told Dan Patrick earlier today that he was coming back for his senior year, if Petersen were to leave Boise State, would Moore change his mind and head to the NFL? It's a thought to ponder...

More updates as I receive them tomorrow.

Update 5:14pm CST - Bianchi went on to say that he expects Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops to turn the Florida job down. He says Florida will go with a proven head coach and threw out the names Stoops and Petersen. If Stoops does turn them down, than Petersen is the guy that will more than likely land the job.

Update: 5:02pm CST - Terry Ford of KIDO Radio in Boise talked to Mike Bianchi with the Orlando Sentinel this afternoon who said Mullen would be a last option if the Gators get turned down by guys like Chris Petersen, Bob Stoops, and others.

Update: 3:08pm CST - According to ESPN Insider, the job is Chris Petersen's to have but only IF a former offer is turned down by Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops.

Update: 2:50pm CDT - Hearing buzz out of Boise that Chris Petersen is expected to be named the head coach at the University of Florida by Wednesday.

Update: 2:02pm CST - Contrary to Thirdage.com, a source I spoke to said the fourth person that is either scheduled to have an interview or has already had one is UConn head coach Randy Edsall.

Update: 1:58pm CST - Brady Ackerman of WGGG in Ocala, FL was on Barnhart & Durham of 790 The Zone in Atlanta this morning and confirmed there are four candidates who have either interviewed or had interviews scheduled with Florida.

Update: 1:40pm CST - I had talked earlier about a fourth name that could possibly be interviewed by the University of Florida. According to a site called ThirdAge.com, Arkansas Razorbacks' head coach Bobby Petrino is the favorite to land the job.

Update: 10:53am CST - Just heard that Boise State quarterback Kellen Moore was on the Dan Patrick Show this morning and announced he would be back for his senior season. That definitely has to make Chris Petersen think twice about leaving. Or does it?

Update: 10:47am CST - Interesting article from Mike Bianchi from the Orlando Sentinel. The headling? "Dan Mullen is not the man for Florida Gators coaching job"


I know a lot of college football fans, especially those of you in Gator country, are wanting updates on Chris Petersen and the hiring process at the University of Florida.

So, I'll keep this thread open and update it throughout the day as I receive information. I'm not going to say that Petersen is the shoe-in for the job because I don't know that yet. However, I'll give you what I do know and you can draw your own conclusions or speculate however much you feel necessary.

I talked to a source out of Atlanta this morning and received some good details on what we knew last night.

From what he tells me, he has a reliable source that confirmed Petersen did in fact interview for the job but there were interviews that either are or will take place. Houston head coach Kevin Sumlin and Mississippi State head coach Dan Mullen were mentioned there was a fourth interview that could take place but he didn't have the name readily available.

Also, something being reported by a radio show out of Atlanta (Wes Durham and Tony Barnhart), if Florida was to hire Kevin Sumlin, he would apparently bring with him Oklahoma State offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen.

While Petersen's name has been linked to Florida, this source gave me even juicier information. Chris Petersen is apparently Penn State's number one guy and they're hoping he stays at Boise State for one more year so they can go after him after the 2011 season.

Again, I'll keep updating this thread with any new information I receive.

Chris Petersen: Florida Gator Fans See Him As Number One Choice

Chris Petersen seems to be the guy that Florida Gator fans want.

How do I know that? Well, to answer that question I'll have to give a shoutout to one of the better college football fan forums in the country,  Gator Country. There's a few threads up at this moment talking about the Boise State head coach as the number on guy on Florida's radar.

The reason I like this forum as much as I do is because there aren't fans throwing wild rumors and speculation out about who the next coach is going to be. However, they do make it clear how much they would love to have Petersen as their next head coach.

I don't blame them one bit.

Since I posted the rumor of Petersen headed to Florida late last night, there's been nothing new on that front. Gator Country was also all over the fact that you could attempt to track the tail number of each of the three University of Florida planes to see where they had been. Apparently that trick is used by more than just sportswriters and bloggers like myself.

Let's think this out for a moment.

There's been a lot of talk about Dan Mullen from Mississippi State, but as fast as his name comes up it seems to either be shot down or discredited. There are some that make a great point to say that Florida can have anyone they want.  This job vacancy is perhaps the biggest job in the country and one that just about any coach in Division 1 football would kill to have.

I talked a source in Boise last night and as we exchanged thoughts about why this makes too much sense for Petersen, the more we came to the same conclusion. Petersen would be silly not to take this opportunity if in fact the Gators want him as their number one choice.

Instead of writing out each thought that was put out there by both myself and this source, I'll just number them and you can put think through them as we did when we were talking about it.

1) Boise State is headed to the Mountain West who, after losing TCU, Utah, and BYU, is nothing more than the old WAC. Not really a step up and has to be frustrating to not only the school but Petersen himself.

2) All coaches want a shot at the biggest prize in college football. For Petersen, staying at Boise State only makes him a complete long shot.

3) The Florida gig would pay him more than he's making at Boise State.

4) It's the biggest job offer he's ever going to get

5) Even though he's at a mid-major school, he's built himself a solid name around the country

6) He's already proven to be a solid recruiter and his name alone, along with being at Florida, would bring some solid recruits coming to him. He wouldn't have to sell them on much.

7) This is just me assuming, but I have to believe Florida went to Boise to meet with Petersen to talk to him about the job before he came to interview. If he really is the number one candidate, this isn't a meeting they would have over the phone.

8) If Petersen wasn't the least bit interested and was more than ok staying at Boise State, he wouldn't have interviewed for the job. If in fact that part of this story is true and Petersen did in fact interview for the job.

So with all those thoughts being out there, is this already a foregone conclusion? Maybe. Maybe not. We don't know any facts at this point other than an Orlando Sentinel writer telling a Jacksonville radio host that Petersen was interviewing for the job.

I'll leave you to draw your own conclusions because until we know any facts about this story, all we really have is assumptions and speculation.

Although, I will say that I can't imagine the Gators picking a better guy than Chris Petersen and I can't imagine him turning the job down if in fact they offer it to him.

Chris Petersen: Could the Boise State Head Coach Be Headed to Florida?

Otto Kitsinger III/Getty Images

There's no question that Boise State head coach Chris Petersen is a guy who's name will come up in just about every coaching vacancy in the country.

Florida is no exception.

When Urban Meyer resigned a few days ago, the rumor mill began to churn with just about every big name from TCU's Gary Patterson to South Carolina's Steve Spurrier taking over his old job. But what about Petersen?

This is a head coach who has done amazing things at Boise State and has carried their football team to BCS bowls and unbeaten, dominant seasons. He's done enough to make his team one of the most hated, or loved, football teams in the country.

Earlier this evening, I received a call from a source in Boise who told me Petersen had interviewed for the head coaching position with the Gators. Petersen is in Lake Buena Vista, Florida about 40 minutes outside Orlando, for the Home Depot College Football Awards dinner with his quarterback Kellen Moore.

I haven't been able to confirm anything but I did come across a podcast on KIDO 630 AM in Boise. Radio host Terry Ford did an interview with David Lamm of 1010XL in Jacksonville, FL earlier today. Before Ford could say anything about Petersen or the open job at Florida Lamm said, "Mike Bianchi, who's a columnist for the Orlando Sentinel, comes up to me and says did you hear that the Gators are interviewing Chris Petersen today in Orlando?"

I know the leading name that a lot of people have talked about is Dan Mullen from Mississippi State and there's even an article on Bleacher Report talking about a rumor that Mullen has accepted the job at Florida. But, as the article makes very clear, it's nothing but a rumor.

While we all have our opinions on Mullen and every other candidate that is going to be named to this gig, let's focus on Petersen and see if we can connect the dots.

The source I talked to a few hours ago had attempted to contact the Boise State Sports Information Director earlier this afternoon for a comment but had yet to get a response. Normally, if a school wants to deny a report and do so emphatically, like Nebraska athletic director Tom Osbourne did when rumors surfaced Miami was looking at Bo Pelini, they would do so quickly.

That denial hasn't come.

There's also a little trick that sports writers have used in the past to track the whereabouts of a certain school's athletic director or athletic department.

If you've neve visited a site called FlightAware.com, you can put in a tail number of an aircraft and track where it's been and where it's scheduled to go next.

As for the University of Florida has three different aircrafts, two of the flight aware's are turned off and the third shows no status after 12/3/2010.

While that might not mean much to the normal every day reader, it's fishy to the writers who have been doing this for a long time. It was actually a tip given to me by a nationally known writer when I spoke to them earlier tonight.

I know there are a lot of college football fans, especially in the south, who question Petersen's ability to coach in the Southeastern Conference. But let's not forget, that same thing was said about Urban Meyer when he was hired by Florida from the University of Utah after just two seasons with the Utes.

While I'm in no way saying Petersen is Florida's lead guy, I think it's the right time and the absolute right job for him to take if he were in any way interested.

This story will play out over the coming days but I wonder just how long Florida is going to wait before they announce their next head coach.

Will it be Dan Mullen from Mississippi State or will it be Chris Petersen from Boise State?

Let the speculation begin.

Urban Meyer: The Head Coach Of The Florida Gators Expect To Announce Resignation

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Urban Meyer, according to several reports, is stepping down as the head coach of the University of Florida which will be made effective in a few hours when a press conference is scheduled to take place.

Meyer's health has been a concern and news slowly began to leak out earlier today and it was made official by GatorUpdates,  via twitter, as well as  Brett Murphy from AOL Fanhouse.

Since taking over as head coach of the Gators in 2005, Meyer is 64-15, including 36-13 in the SEC, 4-1 in five bowl appearances, and two national championships under his belt.

To read the full article, click here

Cam Newton: The Auburn QB Already Found Guilty in The Court Of Public Opinion

 Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

For most of the day, I've seen just about every opinion out there about Auburn quarterback, Cam Newton. I've seen what fans and media alike have said and, for the most part, it's hard to disagree with a lot of it.

I have to say that this was really the first time I've been this torn on an issue. Probably because this is different than every other NCAA issue we've had in the past.

This isn't about a player meeting illegally with an agent, this isn't a player taking money from a booster, and this isn't a player accepting a ride on a golf cart. Also from an agent. This has to do with a player and a parent.

To read the full article, click here