Official College Football - Week 5 Thread

[DeToxRox]

USF @ Pitt gets us rolling Thursday.

Saturday then brings:

A&M vs Arkansas
Auburn vs South Carolina
Clemson vs Va. Tech
Alabama vs Florida
Nebraska vs Wisconsin

Nebraska vs Wisky will be of the most interest to me. Wisconsin has yet to play any team of relevance but has been impressive regardless. They are 9 point favorites (or at least were as of last night) and could easily blow Nebraska out as the Huskers haven't exactly looked amazing this year, but at the same time the Huskers D is built perfectly to go head to head with the Badgers.

[DeToxRox]

Also, we haven't discussed the fact that Mike Locksley was fired from New Mexico after an underaged player was pulled over for a DWI in a car registered to Locksley. Now some places have reported it was Locksley's sons car and he let a football player borrow it, but considering the absolute piece of shit Locksley himself is, it wouldn't shock me if he just gave it to the kid to use.

Feel bad for New Mexico now. How will they ever host another high level recruit from Maryland again?

[Ksyrup]

Who was the really high-profile recruit from 2010 that he got? I remember him being from Miami, having his presser, and choosing between like Miami, FSU, Alabama, and New Mexico, and picking NM. That right there should have sparked an investigation into Locksley.

[bronconick]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

Who was the really high-profile recruit from 2010 that he got? I remember him being from Miami, having his presser, and choosing between like Miami, FSU, Alabama, and New Mexico, and picking NM. That right there should have sparked an investigation into Locksley.

Calvin Smith. 4* DT.

[Logan]

Excited for the Rutgers-Cuse game Saturday. We have a couple years worth of revenge to pay back.

[Marmel]

Originally Posted by Logan

Excited for the Rutgers-Cuse game Saturday. We have a couple years worth of revenge to pay back.

Marrone >>>>> Shady

[MacroGuru]

In a game nobody outside of Utah cares about except maybe me and BYU14....Utah State @ BYU....and the way USU and BYU are playing...I'm worried.

[Logan]

Originally Posted by Marmel

Marrone >>>>> Shady

Clever.

[Matthean]

Originally Posted by DeToxRox

Alabama vs Florida
Nebraska vs Wisconsin

The two key games for me. Nebraska vs. Wisconsin could be a preview of the Big Ten title game. This is really the only big test for Wisconsin all year as they will be solid favorites from here on out. It would be interesting to see picking between teams going to the title game and you have an undefeated Wisconsin team versus a one loss SEC team.

I think Florida is far more an issue than people are giving them credit. It's at night and in The Swamp so it will be interesting to see how this goes. If 'Bama wins here, only against LSU would they not be decently favored so this is huge for them. Florida plays 'Bama and then LSU. I don't think a team can channel it two weeks in a row against that good of a tandem.

Minor side note, MSU vs. OSU. OSU has been a thorn in the side of MSU for some time. OSU won't get their players back until after this and OSU looks rather human. MSU got beat in the only game that they played somebody with a pulse. This is definitely a "little brother" type of game for State. They need to drive a stake into the heart of OSU when they have a chance to.

[bronconick]

Florida is going to score like 6 points on Alabama. They're horrible in the red zone and don't use their wide receivers.

[Marmel]

Originally Posted by Logan

Clever.

and true.

[MrBug708]

Stanford is going to boatrace UCLA this weekend. Spread is -21, which is really low

[Logan]

Originally Posted by Marmel

and true.

I'm sorry that Cuse fired Pasqualoni and Ray Rice and Courtney Greene chose to go somewhere else. Beyond that, cite something or STFU.

[Passacaglia]

Originally Posted by Matthean

Nebraska vs. Wisconsin could be a preview of the Big Ten title game.

Are you telling me you actually remember which team is in which division? I've got some catching up to do...

[General Mike]

Originally Posted by Logan

Excited for the Rutgers-Cuse game Saturday. We have a couple years worth of revenge to pay back.

We need to beat them like they stole something. Because they did. Pitt as well.

[General Mike]

Originally Posted by Passacaglia

Are you telling me you actually remember which team is in which division? I've got some catching up to do...

Dola, It's really quite simple. All the teams that start with M and N are in the division with Iowa. Everyone else is in the other division.

[Matthean]

Originally Posted by Passacaglia

Are you telling me you actually remember which team is in which division? I've got some catching up to do...

Why of course...after I had the Big Ten standings loaded in a different tab.

[Marmel]

Originally Posted by Logan

I'm sorry that Cuse fired Pasqualoni and Ray Rice and Courtney Greene chose to go somewhere else. Beyond that, cite something or STFU.

I love Rutgers fans. Marrone is 2-0 against Shady.
Syracuse is 30-10-1 All-Time against Rutgers.

You were better for a 5 year stretch, which coincided with the worst 5 year stretch in Syracuse history. Is that what you want to hang your hat on? Really?

Maybe if you are lucky you'll get to 30-11-1 before we stop playing you. Have fun in the Big East.

[tarcone]

Iowa has a bye week. We have unveiled the no huddle offense. Cant wait to see what the next game against PsU brings on Oct. 8th.

Im really looking forward to NEB-WISC. Should be a fun game.

[Logan]

Originally Posted by Marmel

I love Rutgers fans. Marrone is 2-0 against Shady.
Syracuse is 30-10-1 All-Time against Rutgers.

You were better for a 5 year stretch, which coincided with the worst 5 year stretch in Syracuse history. Is that what you want to hang your hat on? Really?

Maybe if you are lucky you'll get to 30-11-1 before we stop playing you. Have fun in the Big East.

Such typical trash from you. I didn't talk one ounce of smack. Just asked for a reference to his "shadyness". Which you have none. Carry on dickhead.

[molson]

I've said it before, and I'll say it again, the Syracuse/Rutgers rivalry is the most heated and emotional in the history of sports. It's really too bad it's going away, with Syracuse moving to the ACC and Rutgers moving to the big 10 to deliver the NYC market.

[Chief Rum]

Originally Posted by MrBug708

Stanford is going to boatrace UCLA this weekend. Spread is -21, which is really low

Yeah, this one's gonna get ugly.

[Logan]

Originally Posted by molson

I've said it before, and I'll say it again, the Syracuse/Rutgers rivalry is the most heated and emotional in the history of sports. It's really too bad it's going away, with Syracuse moving to the ACC and Rutgers moving to the big 10 to deliver the NYC market.

God forbid someone says they are looking forward to a game without the results of the 1980's being brought up.

And you shouldn't have edited your post, it was good.

[molson]

Originally Posted by Logan

God forbid someone says they are looking forward to a game without the results of the 1980's being brought up.

And you shouldn't have edited your post, it was good.

Well, you posted that you wanted "revenge" for something, not sure what, I think that's what prompted the response (And I think that qualifies as mild smack, maybe an ounce, ounce and a half). The response was disproportionate, sure, but I think it also ties in with the Rutgers fanbase bragging about being in huge demand last year and that having it not pan out.

[rowech]

Originally Posted by molson

I've said it before, and I'll say it again, the Syracuse/Rutgers rivalry is the most heated and emotional in the history of sports. It's really too bad it's going away, with Syracuse moving to the ACC and Rutgers moving to the big 10 to deliver the NYC market.

You'll keep needing to say it in order to get anyone to believe it.

[Buccaneer]

Got to back up my friends Marm and molson. Rutgers, in the 70s and 80s, wsa one of those teams that you didn't realize was playing in Division 1. Sort of like Temple. They had a nice 5 year stretch, so that's a legacy, along with playing the first game. But man, their fans have such an inferiority complex; defensive too.

[mauchow]

I'm pumped for the Badger/Husker game - I'm tempted to fork out a few hundo and get over to the game. My wife will be home with the baby and I can enjoy an atmosphere similar to the Ohio St game last year at Camp Randall. I still have yet to make it to a game there.

[Logan]

Originally Posted by Buccaneer

Got to back up my friends Marm and molson. Rutgers, in the 70s and 80s, wsa one of those teams that you didn't realize was playing in Division 1. Sort of like Temple. They had a nice 5 year stretch, so that's a legacy, along with playing the first game. But man, their fans have such an inferiority complex; defensive too.

So which is it...do we think we're better than we are, or do we have an inferiority complex? Breaking news...neither Rutgers or Syracuse is relevant on the national scene.

This is why I normally stay out of these threads. But for the hell of it, I'll ask again for Marmel to explain the Shady comment without citing historical records as the basis. Put up or shut up.

[Matthean]

Originally Posted by molson

I've said it before, and I'll say it again, the Syracuse/Rutgers rivalry is the most heated and emotional in the history of sports. It's really too bad it's going away, with Syracuse moving to the ACC and Rutgers moving to the big 10 to deliver the NYC market.

So heated it never gets mentioned when talking about the top rivalries.

[molson]

Originally Posted by Matthean

So heated it never gets mentioned when talking about the top rivalries.

I was joking. It was just funny to see Rutgers and Syracuse fans all fired up about a game.

Edit: (myself included)

[Buccaneer]

Originally Posted by molson

I was joking. It was just funny to see Rutgers and Syracuse fans all fired up about a game.

Lol. I think it came from that five year stretch where Rutgers fans were deservedly crowing about being world-beaters. Before that, however, no one had heard of them.

[Logan]

Ha...didn't think some people would miss that. And for the record, I wasn't being sarcastic with the "you shouldn't have edited that" comment. The Big Ten expansion thread will go down in FOFC history.

[General Mike]

Syracuse fans make it so easy to hate them. Never met a Syracuse fan who wasn't a douchebag.

[molson]

Originally Posted by Logan

Ha...didn't think some people would miss that. And for the record, I wasn't being sarcastic with the "you shouldn't have edited that" comment. The Big Ten expansion thread will go down in FOFC history.

I had originally posted, "with Syracuse moving to the ACC and Rutgers moving to the big 10 to deliver the NYC market (per 2010 blog reports helpfully posted on FOFC)", but then cut the parenthesis part for being unnecessary, since it was clear I was joking. But yes, that would have made it more clear that I was mostly making fun of that thread, as I've done many times in that thread.

[molson]

Originally Posted by General Mike

Syracuse fans make it so easy to hate them. Never met a Syracuse fan who wasn't a douchebag.

We've reached stage 3 in the rivalry!

Though, I admit, most Rutgers fans I've met are pretty cool. Of course, if you think everyone in a group has characteristic X, you might want to look in the mirror and see how you treat them. Nice people don't usually get douchebag responses from people for no reason.

[Logan]

Craig Carton is the only d-bag Cuse fan I've met, for the record.

[Marmel]

Originally Posted by Logan

Such typical trash from you. I didn't talk one ounce of smack. Just asked for a reference to his "shadyness". Which you have none. Carry on dickhead.

Please show me where you asked for a reference to his Shadyness. If you did ask, I honestly missed it. You said cite something, I assumed you meant to cite that Marrone is > than Shady.

For the record, he is not Shady in the way he runs a program. It is an affectionate nickname cause he looks like a greasy shady dude.

Finally, are personal insults like yours really allowed on this forum?

[Marmel]

Originally Posted by molson

I've said it before, and I'll say it again, the Syracuse/Rutgers rivalry is the most heated and emotional in the history of sports. It's really too bad it's going away, with Syracuse moving to the ACC and Rutgers moving to the big 10 to deliver the NYC market.

Nice!

[Logan]

Originally Posted by Marmel

Please show me where you asked for a reference to his Shadyness. If you did ask, I honestly missed it. You said cite something, I assumed you meant to cite that Marrone is > than Shady.

For the record, he is not Shady in the way he runs a program. It is an affectionate nickname cause he looks like a greasy shady dude.

Finally, are personal insults like yours really allowed on this forum?

You said Shady is "true". I immediately said to cite something. I'm not sure how that could be misconstrued. Thank you for answering.

[Marmel]

I meant Marrone > Shady is true, and I thought you were doubting that somehow. Good luck Saturday.

[JonInMiddleGA]

I just hope that Rutgers & Syracuse don't find the transition from 8 to 11 man football too rough.

edit: Syracuse probably should never had stopped playing the traditional game while Rutgers, well, if they wanted to be competitive in the B10 they probably should have made the switch a lot sooner.

[Buccaneer]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

I just hope that Rutgers & Syracuse don't find the transition from 8 to 11 man football too rough.

edit: Syracuse probably should never had stopped playing the traditional game while Rutgers, well, if they wanted to be competitive in the B10 they probably should have made the switch a lot sooner.

Rutgers was playing football right after the Civil War, while the South wasn't doing too well.

[miked]

Originally Posted by Buccaneer

Lol. I think it came from that five year stretch where Rutgers fans were deservedly crowing about being world-beaters. Before that, however, no one had heard of them.

Don't forget our nappy headed hoes.

Seriously, I got nothing to add except that Syracuse sucks and they needed a botched call to beat Toledo. I got nothing.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Buccaneer

Rutgers was playing football right after the Civil War, while the South wasn't doing too well.

Any yet somehow, despite the War of Northern Aggression, Southern football is actually relevant. Rutgers football on the other hand ... oh wait, that's right, they're the cornerstone of the Big East.

[molson]

Originally Posted by miked

Seriously, I got nothing to add except that Syracuse sucks and they needed a botched call to beat Toledo. I got nothing.

That extra point was so confusing. On the angle from the front, I clearly saw the ball pass in front of the upright (no good). On the angle from the side, I clearly saw the ball behind the upright (good). Live, it sure looked no good.

Whatever, 3 more wins to bowl eligibility!

[DeToxRox]

And Tennessee is on the clock

An assistant coach during Lane Kiffin’s tenure at the University of Tennessee wired $1,500 to a talent scout in July 2009, funding the airfare for an unofficial recruiting trip by then five-star prospect Lache Seastrunk and his mother, Yahoo! Sports has learned.
In an apparent NCAA violation, then-Volunteers secondary coach Willie Mack Garza sent the money to one-time scout Will Lyles, who had paid for plane tickets for Seastrunk and his mother Evelyn. Garza, who joined Kiffin’s staff at USC in 2010, stepped down from his position with the Trojans in September citing “some personal issues unrelated to USC that I need to address.” His resignation came shortly after Lyles informed NCAA investigators in August of the transaction. Lyles said NCAA investigators were conducting a wide-ranging look into Tennessee recruiting practices.





AdChoices

[IMG]
Moneygram from Willie Garza to Will Lyles, who paid for plane tickets for Lache Seastrunk and his mother.

Houston-based Lyles was a talent scout and mentor to several area players, including Seastrunk ofTemple, Texas, in the central part of the state. Lyles said he told the NCAA he organized and paid for Seastrunk and his mother to travel to Knoxville June 20-21, 2009 for an unofficial visit. Lyles said he wasreimbursed via MoneyGram by Garza on July 5. Lyles said he provided the NCAA receipts for the plane tickets and a hand-written MoneyGram receipt.

Yahoo! Sports, with Lyles’ cooperation, requested and received an independent receipt of the transaction directly from MoneyGram International. Under transaction history request, the receipt lists “Willie Garza” as the “sender” and “Will Lyles” as the “receiver” of $1,500. An additional $76 processing fee was charged to Garza.
When reached by cell phone, Garza declined comment. USC sports information director Tim Tessalone declined to comment. The NCAA declined comment, citing its policy of not discussing potential cases.
“We are aware of the situation as is the conference office,” Tennessee associate athletic director for communications Jimmy Stanton said. “We’ve been verbally contacted by the NCAA enforcement staff regarding a recruiting issue in 2009 related to the former coaching staff and a student-athlete who never attended Tennessee.”
Evelyn Seastrunk acknowledged she and her son made the trip to Knoxville but declined comment on who paid for the plane tickets or where they stayed during the trip.
“I’m so sick and tired of this ‘Willie Lyles said this and Willie Lyles said that,’” Evelyn Seastrunk said. “I don’t care what Willie Lyles says. I don’t care as long as my son is OK.
“Whatever undercover dirty stuff that they’re doing, I’m pretty sure that Willie Lyles is not the only person. He’s just the only one that’s been caught. This is something that they’ve been doing forever.”
[IMG]
Willie Mack Garza
While colleges are allowed to pay airfare for recruits during “official” visits, they are prohibited from doing so prior to the first day of a player’s senior academic year. Seastrunk, who had just completed his junior year at Temple (Texas) High School, was thus responsible for transportation costs for any “unofficial visit” as the June 2009 trip would be classified.
Seastrunk never took an official visit to Tennessee and signed with the University of Oregonin February 2010. After one season in Eugene he transferred to Baylor in August of 2011 where he is currently sitting out.
An NCAA finding of a major violation would be particularly troubling for Tennessee. The Volunteers athletic program was cited in August for “failure to monitor” when its men’s basketball program was placed on two years probation for a variety of major infractions under former coach Bruce Pearl.
The school could be deemed a “repeat offender,” which would call for additional and stiffer sanctions.
Lyles spoke with the NCAA on Aug. 30 in Los Angeles. Two days later Garza, who had followed Kiffin in 2010 to the University of Southern California, resigned abruptly from the Trojans’ staff.
Lyles told Yahoo! Sports what he explained the NCAA: that Garza set up Seastrunk’s June 2009 unofficial visit through him, that Lyles paid $1,446.80 for the initial airline tickets for Lache and his mother to fly from Waco, Texas to Knoxville, Tenn., and that Garza later wired the money to Lyles.
Lyles said he only agreed to speak to NCAA investigators if they guaranteed Seastrunk immunity from any penalties associated with this incident. Lyles said immunity was granted on the condition that both he and Seastrunk were completely honest and forthcoming (Lyles said Seastrunk has already spoken to the NCAA). He said the NCAA was already investigating Tennessee’s recruiting practices.
“I wanted to make sure Lache would be fine, this isn’t about him,” said Lyles, who maintains a close relationship with the player. “It’s the NCAA’s rules and the schools not following them. During our meeting it became clear the NCAA already had knowledge of what was going on at Tennessee.”
[IMG]
Will Lyles
Lyles, now 32, was employed at the time by Elite Scouting Services, based in Florida. Lyles had fashioned a career as both a scout who could inform college coaches about talent while also serving as a mentor and personal trainer to Texas high school players. He developed close relationships with a number of Lone Star State players, including Seastrunk and Oregon All-America running back LaMichael James, a native of Texarkana.
In January of 2009, he started his own company, Complete Scouting Service. He made headlines earlier this year when it was revealed he’d received a $25,000 payment from the University of Oregon for his national recruiting package. The NCAA is currently investigating both Oregon and LSU, another Lyles’ client, for their ties to the scout.
Lyles said he had never met Garza until the spring of 2009 when the recruiter called about Seastrunk, then one of the most coveted running backs in the country.
“[Garza called] and he says ‘Hey, how are you doing. I’m Coach Garza. I recruit the state of Texas for Tennessee. We need to talk about Lache Seastrunk getting here on an unofficial visit,’” Lyles said. “And I said ‘OK.’ I told them that I would let Evelyn [Seastrunk] know. When I told her about it, she said ‘That’s cool.’”
Lyles said he worked with the Seastrunks and Garza to find an agreeable date. He bought the tickets through Expedia, charging $1,446.80 to his Visa debit card. He said the price was high because it was a last-minute fare, due to uncertainty over the travel availability of the Seastrunks. The tickets were purchased June 19 for a June 20 departure.
After the visit, Lyles said Garza called to discuss reimbursement.
“Coach Garza said, ‘How do you want me to give the money to you,’” Lyles said. “I said, ‘You can send it Western Union or MoneyGram.’ … I had already come out of my pocket for over $1,400 for plane tickets.”
On July 5, his money came in. The MoneyGram was sent from a location in Lancaster, Texas, a Dallas suburb. Lyles said he didn’t know why it came from Lancaster. Garza is a native Texan who played at the University of Texas from 1988-92 and as a coach has actively recruited the state for years.
Lyles acknowledged he kept the remaining $53.20.
Lyles said Tennessee reimbursing a third party for the cost of an unofficial recruiting visit is clearly against NCAA rules. But the scout said the practice isn’t uncommon in college football. Lyles said coaches often seek someone with the financial means to pay the initial cost of the trip. He declined to cite other schools that engaged in the practice or detail any of his other testimony to NCAA investigators.
Contact Yahoo! Sports investigative reporter Charles Robinson at [email protected]

[molson]

This does not bode well for Boise St. (old joke).

[Chief Rum]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

Any yet somehow, despite the War of Northern Aggression, Southern football is actually relevant. Rutgers football on the other hand ... oh wait, that's right, they're the cornerstone of the Big East.

Isn't it just sad that somehow the South still managed to lose the war to those twits?

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Chief Rum

Isn't it just sad that somehow the South still managed to lose the war to those twits?

Tragic, but better coaching can't always overcome superior depth.

[Marmel]

There is something to be said about running a clean program and graduating players, not that southern football knows much about that. Its no wonder the SEC dominates...it is one big cesspool. Syracuse was a national player, has a rich history and will return to BCS bowls doing it all the right way.