2023 Miscellaneous College News

[owbc]

2 hours ago, yourout said:

With only a 35k seat stadium and the way the college football landscape is evolving they simply aren't big enough.

Exactly. I happen to know a couple of people who work for WSU. Their athletic department has been in a dire financial situation for a long time. Even with the Pac-12 money they can't keep up and the reality is that they have been heavily subsidized by the other schools in the conference for a long time. 

It's a credit to the passion of that fanbase that they have been competitive in the Pac-12 but they are better suited for the Mountain West. 

[Jim French Stepstool]

3 hours ago, yourout said:

With only a 35k seat stadium and the way the college football landscape is evolving they simply aren't big enough.

I would say 'devolving', but my point is that they turned that issue into a lot of energy that carried them, and it was fun to see. The stadium size is a valid point, but I think market size and income generation is a much bigger factor in the current climate. When expanding, the B10 didn't see USC, UCLA, Washington & Oregon. They see LA market, Seattle market & Nike money.

[Jim French Stepstool]

1 hour ago, owbc said:

Exactly. I happen to know a couple of people who work for WSU. Their athletic department has been in a dire financial situation for a long time. Even with the Pac-12 money they can't keep up and the reality is that they have been heavily subsidized by the other schools in the conference for a long time. 

It's a credit to the passion of that fanbase that they have been competitive in the Pac-12 but they are better suited for the Mountain West. 

I'm sure they have a similar problem in Corvallis. It's sad. You look at the attendance at some of UCLAs' games in recent seasons, it's embarrassing. But being in the LA market trumps having a crappy, lethargic "studio audience". So we're creating a mini-NFL. As inevitable as that is, it simultaneously kills off the essence of what was IMO a much better product.

[owbc]

5 minutes ago, Jim French Stepstool said:

I'm sure they have a similar problem in Corvallis. It's sad. You look at the attendance at some of UCLAs' games in recent seasons, it's embarrassing. But being in the LA market trumps having a crappy, lethargic "studio audience". So we're creating a mini-NFL. As inevitable as that is, it simultaneously kills off the essence of what was IMO a much better product.

The thing that's especially sad is that WSU has a huge football fanbase and they are a pretty good draw on TV. Top half of the Pac-12. They have a huge following in Seattle that rivals UW. But if Boise State hasn't been able to land a spot in the Big 12, WSU is definitely not going to either.

 

[Jim French Stepstool]

29 minutes ago, owbc said:

They have a huge following in Seattle that rivals UW. 

 

Interesting. I never would've thought that.

I knew it was a loyal, enthusiastic core though. They came to Madison several years ago for a non-con game & I was impressed with the # of folks that travelled.

[yourout]

2 hours ago, Jim French Stepstool said:

I would say 'devolving', but my point is that they turned that issue into a lot of energy that carried them, and it was fun to see. The stadium size is a valid point, but I think market size and income generation is a much bigger factor in the current climate. When expanding, the B10 didn't see USC, UCLA, Washington & Oregon. They see LA market, Seattle market & Nike money.

True...

 

[LouisEly]

9 hours ago, yourout said:

With only a 35k seat stadium and the way the college football landscape is evolving they simply aren't big enough.

Every day Northwestern thanks their lucky stars that the Big Ten has historically been very good at football.

[TURBO]

Pretty sick and tired of the Dione Sanders hype.  

Looking forward to his team losing to see how the media covers it.

[nate82]

1 hour ago, TURBO said:

Pretty sick and tired of the Dione Sanders hype.  

Looking forward to his team losing to see how the media covers it.

AHEM it is coach Prime!!!!!! Who is this Deion Sanders person????

[CheezWizHed]

I've basically ignored the hype... Do I understand it right that he took the HC job at Colorado where his son is one of the starters and they basically rebuilt the whole team based on transfers?

[owbc]

The coaches are the stars in college football and Coach Prime plays the part better than the rest of them. I love it.

He’s probably going to get trounced by Oregon and USC…but if he wins one of those games or even plays them close the hype train is going to keep rolling. 
 

 

[Samurai Bucky]

Apart from his "Prime" schtick, he says the right things.  I was not going to watch the 60 minutes interview, but ended up watching.  The line to me was something similar to, "I don't only want them to success on the field, but off the field and in the classroom."  We will see how long that goes.  I am pulling for him to be successful as a coach and leader of young men.

[madbad2000]

6 hours ago, CheezWizHed said:

I've basically ignored the hype... Do I understand it right that he took the HC job at Colorado where his son is one of the starters and they basically rebuilt the whole team based on transfers?

He took the job at Colorado to prove that he can succeed against better competition.  He went to Jackson State to showcase that HBCUs can be successful and help that program get upgrades to their program.  He won a lot, but constantly fought off the level of competition argument.  He took the CU job, brought in his sons through the transfer portal, brought over the number one recruit in the country he got at Jackson State, Hunter, and then proceeded to transfer in basically a whole new team (51 new transfers) and brought along a lot of good coaches.  Can't really blame him though with the way the Buffs have been struggling recently.  Deion has always done hype really well.  The hot start has fueled that and it will be interesting to see if they can maintain that success this year.  Rumors are that recruits are responding well to the atmosphere during recruiting which may keep the success train going. 

[BrewerFan]

8 hours ago, CheezWizHed said:

I've basically ignored the hype... Do I understand it right that he took the HC job at Colorado where his son is one of the starters and they basically rebuilt the whole team based on transfers?

Well...that and the 2023 version of Deion Sanders himself in Travis Hunter.

But yeah, he intentionally ran off most of the kids telling them they weren't wanted at the program. Not something I find particularly impressive. His logic was 'if words run them off, they're not for us.'

 

I don't know, still not sure what to make of him, but Hunter seems like a special talent.

[Fear The Chorizo]

2 hours ago, BrewerFan said:

Well...that and the 2023 version of Deion Sanders himself in Travis Hunter.

But yeah, he intentionally ran off most of the kids telling them they weren't wanted at the program. Not something I find particularly impressive. His logic was 'if words run them off, they're not for us.'

 

I don't know, still not sure what to make of him, but Hunter seems like a special talent.

He's playing by the current transfer portal rules, and frankly he can't be blamed for it in trying to rapidly turn over a roster that went 1-11 and he had no part of recruiting to that school. 

Will be interesting to see how they recruit the next couple seasons as CO moves back to the Big 12.  Deion has put together a pretty darn good coaching staff at CO, and you can't argue with his experience as a player in both the collegiate and NFL levels as a huge draw for blue chip recruits looking to cash in on NIL deals.  They'll likely go through a rough patch of this season, but he's already got the groundwork in place to dramatically upgrade the football talent coming into Boulder.

I've met Deion a couple times in person when he wasn't in front of a camera - literally at a Denny's close to his mother's place while I was down in Ft. Myers for spring baseball...outside of the public eye he was very unassuming and gracious with me and teammates who approached him, not looking for autographs but just to talk a few minutes.  The Coach Prime/Prime Time stuff done in front of the cameras is what he does to grab the spotlight (and the $$ that comes with it), because he knows drawing that attention is oftentimes much easier to do than it finding you - and if you're good enough to shine when the spotlight is on you the attention builds even faster.  When the cameras are off (lately it seems like they never are, lol), he knows how to relate with kids and coach 'em up.

Hunter was among the very best recruits in the entire county the year he selected Jackson State - he's absolutely a 1st round NFL talent provided his slight frame doesn't go through significant injury in the next year or two before he's draft eligible in 2025.

[BrewerFan]

6 hours ago, Fear The Chorizo said:

He's playing by the current transfer portal rules, and frankly he can't be blamed for it in trying to rapidly turn over a roster that went 1-11 and he had no part of recruiting to that school. 

 

Hunter was among the very best recruits in the entire county the year he selected Jackson State - he's absolutely a 1st round NFL talent provided his slight frame doesn't go through significant injury in the next year or two before he's draft eligible in 2025.

I get he didn't do anything "wrong," but I don't like the way some of the kids who bought in to Col when they were down were treated.

51 transfers is...excessive. But I get it's part of the rules.

The overall recruiting is still a big question mark. If his son ends up being a 1st round pick and Hunter makes a real run at a Heisman, that will certainly help. Shedeur is looking like a real prospect at this point, he's the 44th overall prospect for this upcoming draft class(though Deion says neither nor Shilo are leaving this year). Shilo is a day 3 pick it sounds like. 

This next year though...Colorado might do even better in the transfer portal. They won't get 50 transfers, but I think they'll get a LOT of the better players. 

But he has gotten the #1 CB and 5 star recruits the last couple years in Hunter and McClain. Though for some reason, the later hasn't gotten on the field.

There's still a huge gap between grabbing a couple 5 stars here and there because you're Deion and building a recruiting machine like UGA, Clemson, USC, 'Bama, FSU.

 

I do kinda respect how Deion emphasizes the off field behavior. That'll likely be tested, but we've already seen examples of him not playing the best player because of off field situations.  

[Jim French Stepstool]

On 9/21/2023 at 11:04 AM, Fear The Chorizo said:

He's playing by the current transfer portal rules, and frankly he can't be blamed for it in trying to rapidly turn over a roster that went 1-11 and he had no part of recruiting to that school. 

Will be interesting to see how they recruit the next couple seasons as CO moves back to the Big 12.  Deion has put together a pretty darn good coaching staff at CO, and you can't argue with his experience as a player in both the collegiate and NFL levels as a huge draw for blue chip recruits looking to cash in on NIL deals.  They'll likely go through a rough patch of this season, but he's already got the groundwork in place to dramatically upgrade the football talent coming into Boulder.

I've met Deion a couple times in person when he wasn't in front of a camera - literally at a Denny's close to his mother's place while I was down in Ft. Myers for spring baseball...outside of the public eye he was very unassuming and gracious with me and teammates who approached him, not looking for autographs but just to talk a few minutes.  The Coach Prime/Prime Time stuff done in front of the cameras is what he does to grab the spotlight (and the $$ that comes with it), because he knows drawing that attention is oftentimes much easier to do than it finding you - and if you're good enough to shine when the spotlight is on you the attention builds even faster.  When the cameras are off (lately it seems like they never are, lol), he knows how to relate with kids and coach 'em up.

Hunter was among the very best recruits in the entire county the year he selected Jackson State - he's absolutely a 1st round NFL talent provided his slight frame doesn't go through significant injury in the next year or two before he's draft eligible in 2025.

In your opinion (since you met the guy), which one is the phony?

[BrewerFan]

On 9/22/2023 at 3:06 PM, Jim French Stepstool said:

In your opinion (since you met the guy), which one is the phony?

In watching Prime, it's not hard to see how the two mesh together.

I remember people hated Deion because of the high-stepping and that...competitive confidence, that's not mutually exclusive with being a nice person, with being down to Earth or willing to give people some time. I don't think one has to be a "phony," for those to co-exist. 

[BrewerFan]

On a side note, both Alt and Black Fischer, the ND OTs look like NFL players.

OSU moved Tuimoloau, a projected 1st round pick(probably in the way Kayshon Boutte was mocked in the top 15 a year ago at this time, but an NFL prospect nonetheless) from the right side lining up over Alt to the left side lining him up over Fischer.

Two 5 star recruits...just saying, they'd both look very good in a different Green and Gold color scheme.

 

Henderson, the back from OSU has incredible balance and is an outstanding receiver. Worth a 3rd...IMO.

 

[yourout]

Northwestern with the most pleasant moment of the evening coming from 21 down to beat the gophs in OT.

[TURBO]

LOL @ Coach PRIME!

I'm not an Oregon fan, but watching this idiot fail made my heart warm inside.

Hope he loses out!

[Fear The Chorizo]

On 9/23/2023 at 10:30 PM, yourout said:

Northwestern with the most pleasant moment of the evening coming from 21 down to beat the gophs in OT.

Randomly had KFAN on here driving around MPLS a couple days ago and stumbled into a radio show with PJ Fleck that was filmed live in some local brewpub/restaurant...he spent a great deal of time grousing about the current transfer portal/NIL landscape in college football and how its a shame that a bunch of former Gopher players who transferred to other schools last year would be playing and contributing to a better football team this year, and how unless the area NIL funding increases the Gophers don't stand much of a chance at being more than a "AAA program".  He even identified current young players on their team as guys that better see more NIL funding or otherwise they probably risk losing them in the offseason - their true freshman running back Taylor in particular.  

Personally, I think there's better chance they lose Taylor due to injury after feeding him the ball dozens of times a game until he breaks (he may already be dinged up after last week) - but someone's gotta tell PJ that his program will be lucky to be a AAA program at its zenith, and the days of hoarding guys in programs until you've got a steady stream of 40 5th year seniors to pick from every week to rack up enough wins to get bowl eligible against soft schedules are over.

I can't think of a more overrated head coach than PJ Fleck, all because he won't ever shut up or stop moving around.

[nate82]

You can say whatever you want about coach Prime but his team doesn’t give up.  Rather impressive so far.

[BrewerFan]

11 hours ago, nate82 said:

You can say whatever you want about coach Prime but his team doesn’t give up.  Rather impressive so far.

They play hard and they play for 60 minutes. 

And on that pick by McClain(the #1 CB recruit in the Country and #3 overall). First action he'd gotten for...some strange reason and it's not talent, but just as the Buffs were just starting their comeback, he got a pick and they called a DPI. That's what made it 48-27 instead of 41-27 with Colorado ball at maybe the 40 of USC. 

I get people don't like Deion. I can't say I had an opinion of him one way or another beyond great player, liked to show off a bit with the high-stepping, but seemed more down to Earth after his career doing TV. And now he seems like a pretty solid guy, a good leader of young Men.

[Jim French Stepstool]

On 9/28/2023 at 9:01 AM, Fear The Chorizo said:

Randomly had KFAN on here driving around MPLS a couple days ago and stumbled into a radio show with PJ Fleck that was filmed live in some local brewpub/restaurant...he spent a great deal of time grousing about the current transfer portal/NIL landscape in college football and how its a shame that a bunch of former Gopher players who transferred to other schools last year would be playing and contributing to a better football team this year, and how unless the area NIL funding increases the Gophers don't stand much of a chance at being more than a "AAA program".  He even identified current young players on their team as guys that better see more NIL funding or otherwise they probably risk losing them in the offseason - their true freshman running back Taylor in particular.  

Personally, I think there's better chance they lose Taylor due to injury after feeding him the ball dozens of times a game until he breaks (he may already be dinged up after last week) - but someone's gotta tell PJ that his program will be lucky to be a AAA program at its zenith, and the days of hoarding guys in programs until you've got a steady stream of 40 5th year seniors to pick from every week to rack up enough wins to get bowl eligible against soft schedules are over.

I can't think of a more overrated head coach than PJ Fleck, all because he won't ever shut up or stop moving around.

Hard to imagine PJ being willing to do a radio show. No cameras, no TV audience for him to draw attention to himself, no visual histrionics, no way to show off his strange choice of wardrobe......although like you pointed out he does get to talk.....and talk.....and talk...........

Sounds like the NIL money is comparatively scarce up there. Not a good sign, being in a larger metro area than many of the traditional B10 schools.