Category: College Football

Negotiations over a 14-team College Football Playoff format, which would begin in the 2026 season, are trending to featuring more at-large teams amid backlash to bidding from the Big Ten and SEC that would have afforded the conferences a sizable portion of the field and automatic first-round byes each year, sources familiar with the negotiations told CBS Sports.

When discussions began two weeks ago, sources told CBS Sports that the Big Ten and SEC would seek to receive as many as four automatic qualifiers each — eight total — in an expanded playoff. Coming out of the first College Football Playoff Management Committee meeting, it seemed as if a “3-3-2-2-1” model was gaining the most traction; that would have the Big Ten and SEC receiving three AQs, the ACC and Big 12 getting two each and the Group of Five being guaranteed a playoff bid with three at-large spots remaining.

As part of that model, the Big Ten and SEC sought to be guaranteed the only two byes in the bracket on an annual basis with their respective conference champions immediately advancing to the second week of play.

Discussions have pivoted since that proposed format led to a substantial outcry with fairness being immediately called into question.

“What they’re basically saying is, ‘We don’t trust the selection committee. Therefore, we basically want to take away their power,’” a person familiar with the discussions told CBS Sports. 

SEC commissioner Greg Sankey has long supported a CFP bracket that includes all at-large teams. The CFP negotiation process has been one of horse trading with conferences going back and forth with their demands. All parties are seeking a resolution within the next few weeks as the CFP seeks to firm up a deal with ESPN for future media…

..

[ad_2]

Read More

The Texas A&M football team starts spring ball in less than two weeks on March 22 and it is quickly approaching.

Mike Elko officially begins his first season in College Station as head coach and brings a brand new staff with him. One of the key personnel is offensive coordinator & quarterbacks coach Collin Klein, who will be a huge factor in whether or not junior quarterback Conner Weigman lives up to the Heisman hype.

Klein recently sat down for a Q&A with the Aggies’ social media team and Weigman had to love what his new OC had to say about what’s in store for Texas A&M this season at Kyle Field.

“You’re going to have a chance to be the best player in the country on the best team in the country year in and year out,” Klein proclaimed. “That’s what we’re going to build from the ground up and look out!”

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Shaun on Twitter: @Shaun_Holkko.

Story originally appeared on Aggies Wire

..

[ad_2]

Read More

Spring is right around the corner, and with the calendar change comes the first practice periods for most college football teams ahead of the 2024 season. Over the next few weeks, coaches will be able to better gauge how their teams stack up ahead of this coming season. 

With the spring transfer window looming in April, staffs will also evaluate any remaining needs now that the first transfer phase and both high school signing periods have passed. Most rosters are all but set at this point, and if a team is still seeking a complete overhaul … well, they’re probably in trouble. But there are some prominent teams that have specific areas of need. 

The spring transfer window is especially important for new coaches — such as Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer and Washington’s Jedd Fisch — that were hired in January. By the time they accepted their new positions, the winter window was close to closing or had already ended. That left little time for evaluation and recruiting, unless they brought players they were familiar with from their previous stops. 

Other teams simply missed on top targets or had needs emerge due to transfer defections they’ve not yet been able to replenish. Whatever the case, here are some prominent teams with glaring roster needs as spring practice kicks off around the country.

Need: Quarterback

The reigning national champions have a glaring need at the most important position on the field. Longtime starter J.J. McCarthy is off to the NFL after leading the Wolverines to the top of the mountain, and there is no apparent successor to his throne. Veteran Jack Tuttle will be back for a seventh season and isn’t the worst option as a pure game manager if all else fails. His upside is severely limited, and despite his years of…

..

[ad_2]

Read More

Those in attendance as Notre Dame opened spring football practice on Thursday couldn’t give enough praise to Fighting Irish rising junior cornerback Benjamin Morrison.

Morrison is among the top cornerbacks in all of college football and recently drew major praise from his former teammates at the NFL Combine.

Morrison is back for his junior season and started spring practice with a bang on Thursday.  The Notre Dame Football Twitter account released a video of Morrison making about as spectacular of interception as you’ll ever see as he was defending wide receiver Jayden Thomas in practice.  Check it out in full below:

The catch Thomas makes while being covered very well by Morrison in the second highlight is no light task, but with Morrison’s flat-out ridiculous play before its easy to overlook that.

Welcome to spring football 2024!

Story originally appeared on Fighting Irish Wire

..

[ad_2]

Read More

Former UCLA coach Chip Kelly shocked the college football world last month when he left his job as a power conference coach to become the offensive coordinator at Ohio State. The move is unprecedented, even in the ever-changing landscape of college football. In his introductory press conference at Ohio State on Tuesday, Kelly said the decision came down to personal fulfillment. 

“I just want to be happy,” Kelly told reporters. “And I’m really happy coaching a position. I’m really happy to be at this place (Ohio State)”

Kelly said it was UCLA’s LA Bowl game preparation that rekindled his desire to coach at a more grassroots level. Quarterbacks coach Ryan Gunderson left the Bruins to become the offensive coordinator at Oregon State and Kelly stepped in, working hands-on with a posiiton group for the first time for the first time since he was the offensive coordinator at Oregon from 2007-08. 

“I think my wife remarked, ‘I haven’t seen you this happy in a long time,’” Kelly said. “To me, the best part of football is the football. So you got to do football, and not some of the things that are involved with the head coaching deal. And, to me, the best part of football is football. And so you got to do football and not do some of the things that involve with the head coaching deal.”

The Buckeyes originally hired Bill O’Brien as their offensive coordinator in January, but he left to become the head coach at Boston College. Ohio State coach Ryan Day then turned to Kelly, who was an assistant when Day played at New Hampshire in the late 1990s. Day also served as an assistant on Kelly’s staff with the 49ers in 2016. 

“It would have taken a special place for me to leave UCLA because I love those players, and I love that coaching staff,” Kelly…

..

[ad_2]

Read More

One of the nation’s top quarterbacks from the 2025 recruiting cycle is counting down the days until he announces his college destination and Auburn is among the eight programs still in the running.

According to Hayes Fawcett of On3, four-star quarterback Husan Longstreet will choose between Auburn, Oregon, UCLA, Michigan, Texas A&M, Miami, Ole Miss, and Louisville on April 14.

Auburn joined Longstreet’s recruitment journey late but has skyrocketed in value. Hugh Freeze and company offered Longstreet late last year, which caused Longstreet to schedule a spring visit to the Plains.

According to On3’s Recruiting Machine, Texas A&M is the school to beat for Longstreet’s commitment as they hold a 98% chance to land him. Steve Wiltfong and Andrew Hattersley of 247Sports shares the same sentiment as On3 regarding Longstreet’s possible college destination, as they have submitted Crystal Ball predictions in favor of Mike Elko and the Aggies.

Freeze and the rest of his staff have the chance to change Longstreet’s recruitment journey by hosting him for a visit on March 23.

NEWS: Four-Star QB Husan Longstreet will announce his Commitment on April 14th between these 8️⃣ Schools!

The 6’2 190 QB from Corona, CA is the Top Uncommitted QB in the ‘25 Class (No. 6 QB) per On3

Where Should He Go?👇🏽https://t.co/UkW1fGuoED pic.twitter.com/kq3Mm56Apw

— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) March 4, 2024

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on  X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter @TaylorJones__

Story originally appeared on Auburn Wire

..

[ad_2]

Read More

The NCAA rejected Reggie Bush’s request to reconsider penalties levied against the USC football program — as part of Bush’s effort to regain his Heisman Trophy — because he was “not an involved individual” in the landmark case, CBS Sports has learned. 

In a 2022 letter from the NCAA to Bush’s legal team, obtained by CBS Sports, the NCAA Committee on Infractions explained to Bush, “… you were never officially charged by the NCAA enforcement staff” in the 2010 case. 

The letter clarifies to Bush that the sanctions were “an institutional penalty. Therefore, you do not have standing to seek reconsideration. Your request is therefore denied.” The letter goes on to explain that the committee’s decision is final. A similar request was denied in 2023. 

The Heisman Trust told Bush it will not evaluate potentially returning the 2005 trophy he voluntarily surrendered in 2010 until the NCAA reconsiders penalties against USC.

Bush is not mentioned by name in the USC public infractions report despite the program being forced to vacate statistics and school records achieved by the running back “in which [he] competed while ineligible,” according to the NCAA. The NCAA itself said the case was “centered” around impermissible benefits given to “student-athlete 1,” who is largely assumed to be Bush. “Student-athlete 1” is mentioned 340 times in the 67-page report.

Penalties levied following four-year NCAA investigation included USC receiving a two-year postseason ban and being docked 30 scholarships. The school was forced to vacate 14 wins in which Bush played. Bush was also disassociated from USC for a 10-year period, which ended in 2020. 

Bush continues to push for the return of his 2005 Heisman.

College sports’ player compensation climate changed…

..

[ad_2]

Read More

Arch. Man. Ning. He’s not in the game.

Over 10,000 student athletes have already opted into the wildly-anticipated “EA Sports College Football 25,” but one of the sport’s most recognizable backups has reportedly decided to sit out of the upcoming video game, per Orangebloods’ Anwar Richardson.

Manning, who is expected to be No. 2 on the Longhorns depth chart behind 2024 Heisman hopeful Quinn Ewers as a redshirt freshman, reportedly did not opt in to the game. That means Texas fans can expect to see “QB #16” on the Texas depth chart instead of “A. Manning,” a name that exudes eminence in the football world.

Manning, the 19-year-old nephew of Peyton and Eli Manning and son of Cooper Manning, is already one of college football’s most valuable student athletes in terms of NIL. That likely made it a bit easier for the quarterback to pull his name out of the video game, which will have a ton of eyes upon come its release (which is still undetermined).

Why did Arch Manning opt out of “EA Sports College Football 25?”

Manning reportedly will sit out of “EA Sports College Football 25” because he is “focused on playing football on the field,” per Orangebloods’ Anwar Richardson.

A five-star recruit and 2023’s top recruit by 247Sports composite, Manning immediately became one of college football’s most valuable student athletes upon joining the Longhorns last season.

REQUIRED READING: Xavier Worthy: Fastest man in football? What to know about the NFL combine record holder

“EA Sports College Football 25” NIL incentive

When dealing with a pool as large as “EA Sports College Football 25” was, the NIL incentive was bound to be relatively paltry.

Players who opted into the game earned $600 and a copy of the game ($70 retail value, though there are likely to be multiple editions and it’s unclear what edition players would get in that case). As…

..

[ad_2]

Read More