Hmm, why did I suddenly just lose a few readers?
Now that we are ready to either a) get down on Friday or b) find a remedy for the ringing in your ears, it's time to move onto the news coming out of college football this week. Three major stories broke in the days following the end of the BCS (and SEC domination) Era. Our first story takes us down to the heart of Texas, in College Station where....
1) Johnny Manziel announced that he would enter the NFL Draft
In a move that was shocking to absolutely no one, Johnny Football declared that he was done with the whole "college thing" at Texas A&M and was taking his talents down to South Beach the Radio City Music Hall for April's draft. This move comes as no surprise given his off season tensions with the city and the fact that he is consistently ranked as the #2 Quarterback in the draft and slated to go in the Top 10 picks. Guess that means his side market autograph days are truly over now that he will be swimming in money.
What he will be doing as he walks up to the podium
So, what does this mean for college football? Well besides his almost infinite off field antics, Manziel leaves behind a legacy as one of the most entertaining players to watch on the field. Over 7,800 passing yards, 93 combined touchdowns, and and average Adjusted QBR of 88.4. Oh and just a few important awards like the Heisman. His plays will run as highlights on SportsCenter for years. Congrats on your decision, Johnny. The NFL just got an upgrade. I feel for the young Quarterback who has to fill his shoes next year (although he looks like he will fit right in). Speaking off filling shoes in Texas, the new coach of the University of Texas is....
2) Charlie Strong
The search for Mack Brown's replacement is over! And Charlie Strong is just the man to turn the program around. Although "turn around" is a bit of exaggeration. Last year, the Longhorns went 8-5, including an Alamo Bowl lose to a high powered and vastly superior Oregon team. However, for the Longhorns and their fans, its is BCS or bust (well, for next year its College Football Playoffs or bust). In addition, they are losing the recruiting battle in the state of Texas to A&M and TCU, a battle that the University of Texas has always dominated. This is where Charlie Strong come in.
Already in good form with the hand signal
Strong has a proven track record of taking programs from .500 to winning conferences in a short span. When he took over the reigns at Louisville in 2010, he took a team that had been 4-8 in the previous year to 7-6 and a bowl victory. He went out and actively recruited players to come build his program into a national contender at a school known more for its basketball program. With the help of a couple key signings (looking at you Teddy Bridgewater), Strong was able to build up his initial success with an 11-2 and Sugar Bowl winning 2012 season and a 12-1 record this past season. In his four years at Louisville, Strong was 37-15, with a winning record in each season. Even more impressive was the fact that during his tenure, there was an absence of off field issues with his players (the exact opposite Manziel). With his ability to win early, recruit well, and hold his players to a higher standard, Strong is the perfect fit for a young Texas team looking to reclaim the glory days of 2005. Speaking of glory days, the AD of Louisville was probably feeling a bit blue and nostalgic following Strong's departure, so he decided to bring in....
3) Bobby Petrino
You may be asking yourself, "Wait, Bobby Petrino is still coaching college football?" Trust me, this was the first thought that popped into my head when Louisville announced that Petrino would be returning to coach the team. Most people these days seem to forget that Petrino coached the Louisville team from 2003-2006, where he went 41-9 during his first tenure, giving him the best winning percentage of any coaching in Louisville football history. Similar to Strong, he led his team to both and 11 and 12 win season as well as an Orange Bowl victory before heading to the NFL to coach the Falcons. Unfortunately, Petrino is known more for his final days at Arkansas, where he was involved in a horrific motorcycle accident which revealed is extramarital affair with a female staffer. This discovery led the university to fire Petrino, who then went on to coach a forgettable season at Western Kentucky University, going 8-4 and missing out on a bowl game bid.
Hopefully people will remember this Petrino when he begins coaching
So, where does this leave Louisville after they brought Petrino back as their coach? All bad PR aside, they bring back a coach who has not only had a great deal of success, both at Louisville and elsewhere, but a man who has been humbled by his mistakes. Yes, there will be some initial recruiting backlash, as prospects will begin to move away from the program. However, that issue will remedy itself after Petrino leads the Cardinals to another set of successful seasons. For know, Louisville and Petrino must focus their efforts on a young squad who lost Teddy Bridgewater to the draft, a daunting task on its own.
That wraps it up for the major college football news of this week. I'll be taking the weekend off to enjoy my first week back in D.C. (read: sleep the entire weekend as my internal clock is so messed up, I don't even know what year it is). I'll be back on Monday with any breaking news and remember: Don't Rebecca Blackout too hard this weekend.
I'm with ya there Robin
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