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Lots of news doing the rounds in college football at the moment, so here’s a quick recap of the most important headlines.
Miami Beach Bowl Aftermath
I wrote yesterday about the shocking violence that had engulfed Marlins Park following the end of the 2OT Miami Beach Bowl, and this morning comes more news: clearly, the American Athletic Conference commissioner is unhappy (as are the Athletic Directors from Memphis and Brigham Young) and there will be a raft of official investigations to determine the ringleaders.
Honestly, it shouldn’t be too hard to work out who started everything, given the seven billion cameras ESPN had – and, by now, you, me and everyone else in the football world had seen multiple replays. The vision certainly doesn’t get better with age. Like I suggested yesterday, there should be at least a few Cougars and Tigers players not making it onto the field for their respective 2015 season openers.
Jameis Winston
The Florida State quarterback, who will lead his team against Oregon on New Year’s Day at the Rose Bowl was – predictably, I must say – cleared of any wrongdoing or misconduct by retired Supreme Court Justice Major Harding. Only, perhaps, because there was a lack of sufficient evidence to satisfy the necessary burden of proof.
Not exactly shockingly, the attorney representing the woman who accused Winston of sexual assault, Blaine Kerr, declared that “the fix was in” on this case, and there’s enough at stake to understand where Kerr is coming from with that quote. I mean, if Winston had been found guilty of a violation, he would probably have been banned for the Rose Bowl Game, and maybe the National Championship game as well. If FSU win, that is.
Now, a cynical observer might suggest that Florida State has too much at stake with their football program to have undeniably it’s best player on the sideline for the biggest game of the year.
Because of that, there’ll always be a shadow of doubt as to whether the entire proceeding was rigged, fixed or otherwise manipulated. I doubt Winston’s popularity will rise much. Many are going to see this as an escape, rather than a solid declaration that he’s not guilty.
Marcus Mariota
The Oregon Ducks’ Heisman-winning quarterback was named the Associated Press Player of the Year overnight – becoming the first Oregon player to achieve that honour – and he did it in resounding fashion, too: he netted 49 of the 54 votes submitted by the AP Top 25 media panel.
Alabama’s star receiver Amari Cooper finished second (with three votes) and there was a tie for third between Jameis Winston and Wisconsin back Melvin Gordon, both players receiving a vote each.
Frank Beamer
The Virginia Tech coach who underwent throat surgery in early December has been cleared to coach as the Hokies take on Cincinnati at the Military Bowl on Saturday, but will do so from the coaches box upstairs, rather than the sideline, in the same vein as Joe Paterno, who coached Penn State from above the field at the 2009 Rose Bowl Game.
Jimbo Fisher
Florida State have given National Championship-winning head coach Jimbo Fisher an extension through 2022. That’s to be expected, given Fisher is 58-10 in Tallahassee since replacing the legend Bobby Bowden before the 2010 season.
You win big, you get paid big, and this re-up comes on the back of another extension signed just a year ago.
Doug Nussmeier
Former Michigan offensive coordinator under Brady Hoke, Nussmeier, has been hired by Jim McElwain at Florida (per a Sports Illustrated report), and will resume SEC duties after making his name at Alabama under Nick Saban.
As bad as Michigan were offensively this season, you can’t lay all the blame on Nussmeier. He’s a good OC and this year was but an aberration. Look for him to bounce back with the Gators.
Florida could do with some competent office – they haven’t seen much of it in recent years. Not since the glory days of Urban Meyer, Tim Tebow and Aaron Hernandez.
Jim Harbaugh
49ers GM Trent Baalke added fuel to the Jim Harbaugh-to-Michigan fire, admitting that the University of Michigan has reached out to their former quarterback, which is yet another hint that what every Wolverine fan wants is going to happen.
What’s that? Harbaugh will leave the NFL and coach at Ann Arbor, likely for an obscene amount of money. I mean, there’s more upside at Michigan than there would be at the NY Jets or Oakland – the two teams Harbaugh has been linked to within the NFL – and with the money they’re willing to throw at him, why not go? He might also go down in history for being able to turn a reeling program around.
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