One way to pass the time between now and the start of the 2016 college football season is by coming to this blog and learning all about what has occurred week by week during the off-season. All Spring camps have ended by now, and we are in what could be considered as a dead period until camps begin in August, but I will do my best to find every nugget I can and report those to you every Friday night between now September. Every now and then, I may miss a Friday night, but by the end of the weekend, you will find this report here. I do also have a life people...
Big 12 Expansion Talk
The Big 12 is back on the brink of Armageddon once again, as expansion talks continue despite the opposition of arguably the two strongest members of the league, Texas and Oklahoma. There is not even a consensus at Oklahoma within their own ranks as to how anyone feels about expanding to 12 or more teams in the near future, and that divide could be instrumental in whether the conference holds together, or loses one of their most important members.
The conference is considering (depending on who you believe or listen to) BYU, Boise State, Colorado State, UCF, Memphis, Houston, and SMU for membership. Memphis has anted up bigger than anyone at this point, as Memphis based Fed Ex has promised a massive sponsorship package should the Tigers be admitted.
The huge hangup is that the Big 12 feels overall that a Big 12 network is needed to make expansion work. The problem is that Texas is showing no signs of giving up their own Longhorn Network to make it work, and that is a huge problem for all involved. If Texas keeps the LHN, there is no Big 12 Network, likely no expansion, and a likely implosion following where OU could start shopping themselves around, which would be the pulling of the swing that unravels the sweater.
These talks are still ongoing, but the results could go anywhere between up, down, or straight to the bowels of Hell.
Hot Water at Ole Miss
The NFL Drafts biggest misfit, Leremy Tunsil, is just the gift that keeps on giving at Ole Miss. The Rebels program is in severely hot water this week after draft day comments by Tunsil that he was paid at Ole Miss. Text messages between Tunsil and an assistant over obtaining cash to pay his Tunsil's mother's electric bill have been admitted as being real by Ole Miss. Hugh Freeze will now likely have to also give testimony in a lawsuit by Tunsil's ex-step father over an assault case in which Freeze may have to admit that agents were present during said assault, meaning that Tunsil had illegal contact with agents, and Freeze had knowledge of this. Freeze is trying to get the questions limited for the sake of testimony, and then have that testimony sealed as to keep it from NCAA investigators or anyone else for that matter. That's a bad sign.
The NCAA has already opened an investigation into Ole Miss football, and this could be a huge and nasty mess for the Rebel program.
Chauncey Waters Kicked Out at Georgia
Chauncey Waters has been booted off the Georgia football team for his 3rd marijuana arrest since last November. Waters, a former 5 star recruit, had already faced a 3 game suspension in 2016 for the December arrest. He was also arrested in November, and was recently arrested and charged with 4 felonies in regard to his pot usage. Apparently, he was going to clean up his act, but then he got high...and there is no Georgia Snoopdog program to pick him up.
More SEC Jurisprudence
Alabama has also had their 5 star issues, as Charles Baldwin, a member of their 2016 class who was expected to have immediate impact, got booted out of the program for violation of team rules. That's a cover all for dumb ass activities. He enrolled early, but apparently couldn't even get through a semester without messing up. Way to go!
Goodwill In Short Supply In Lincoln
Apparently, things have deteriorated so badly around the Nebraska football program, that Mike Riley felt the need to embark on a "Good Will Tour" around the state this week. He went to every corner of the state to restoke support for his Huskers, who finished at 6-7 in 2015. I guess I wouldn't be all that fired up if my favorite school hired a guy who was about to be fired by his former employer either, only to finish 4 games behind 9 wins that Husker fan criticized Bo Pelini for winning. Missing him yet?
More Awful Penn State News
Allegedly, a victim of sex abuse reported his abuse to Joe Paterno as early as 1975, and other cases date back to 1971. This asserts that Joe Paterno's halfhearted (and entirely unbelievable, in my opinion) assertion that he never had a clue about anything going on right under his considerable nose, was a ton of absolute crap. It was reported this week that as many as 6 other Penn State assistants over the years had actually encountered the abuse taking place, and said nothing. It was also alleged that the University worked to pay off victims as early as the 1970's to make it all go away. Prosecutors do not seem to keen to take on this case any longer, but in any event, restoring any of Paterno's erased wins seems a little presumptuous now.
John Steigelmeier to Get 1st Multi-Year Contract at South Dakota State
After 20 seasons as the coach of the Jackrabbits of South Dakota State, John Steigelmeier is about to get his first multi-year deal. The South Dakota legislature changed a law prohibiting state employees from being given multi-year contracts, and so SDSU can finally lock down their guy for the considerable future. Now watch him leave...
Kevin Steele's Contract Details Released...and They Are Horrifying
Kevin Steele is the DC at Auburn, and his contract details were released this week. Steele will make...wait for it...$3.6 million in 2016 as the DC of the Tigers. He's not a head coach. He is a defensive coordinator. An assistant. How can the NCAA continue the argument against players making money during their college careers, when you have assistant coaches in the SEC making more money than Group of Five head coaches, or even most Power Five head coaches? It's insulting when you think about it. This is the road that major college football is taking, and it leads straight of the nearest cliff.
That's all for this week...see you next week on "This Week In College Football: Volume 2"
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