Category Archives: College Football

Apr 18 2013
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College Football, Oklahoma State University, Recruiting, Social Media

NCAA RECRUITING & SOCIAL MEDIA – 04.18.2013

(written for The Daily O’Collegian in April 2013)

In January, former Oklahoma State All-American Thurman Thomas used Twitter to reach out to prep phenom Laquon Treadwell encouraging the nation’s consensus top high school wide receiver to attend OSU. The NFL Hall of Fame running back thought his actions were harmless. They were not.

Thomas had committed a recruiting violation without even knowing it. Albeit a minor infraction, the OSU compliance department had to self-report the improper contact to the National Collegiate Athletics Association, because Thomas didn’t know that his status prohibited him from contacting prospective athletic prospects urging them to consider Oklahoma State.

But is that really his fault? Continue reading →

Dec 05 2012
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College Football, Oklahoma State University

The Ongoing Saga that is Collegiate Athletics

It’s been an interesting last few days for fans of Oklahoma State football. For the second time in as many seasons, OSU fans have dealt with rumors that head coach Mike Gundy was interviewing with other programs. Just a year after signing a contract extension at OSU, news broke on Monday that  Gundy was a candidate for head coaching vacancies at both Tennessee and Arkansas.

It even got so crazy that at one point yesterday two different reporters for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette wrote that Gundy was the new coach at Arkansas and that Gundy was out of the running within minutes of each other. Bret Bielema of Wisconsin was eventually announced as the new coach of the Razorbacks, but Tennessee still needed a coach. Reports surfaced today that Tennessee had officially made an offer to Gundy and Cowboy fans were left holding their breath for a few hours until it was announced that Gundy had turned down the job and would remain in Stillwater.

Even with Gundy remaining at OSU, the unsettling part of all of this is the fact that Gundy was even considering leaving what he has repeatedly called his “New York Yankees job” and his “last stop.” Things began to make more sense when word came out that the relationship between Gundy and Athletic Director Mike Holder is “fractured.” Through it all, one thing has become clear: something needs to change. When egos come into play (as they often do in business), it’s hard for people to compromise, but if Gundy and Holder both want what’s best for their alma mater, they’ll get together, smooth things over and keep Oklahoma State headed to the top of collegiate athletics.

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Sep 10 2012
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College Football

New Conference, New Coach, New QB, Same Result

When Texas A&M took the field on Saturday, their fans were enthused about a new beginning. They were playing their first game in new conference (SEC), led by a new coach (Kevin Sumlin) with a new offense run by a new quarterback (Johnny Manziel). Everything was new. That is, ALMOST everything.

On the other sideline was the familiar face Florida Gators head coach Will Muschamp (former defensive coordinator and head coach-in-waiting at the University of Texas). He might have left Austin, but his resentment for College Station still remains. While speaking to a group of Florida alumni before the season, Muschamp let this gem slip: “You ever been to College Station? It’ll be the only time you go.”

Unfortunately for the Aggies, Muschamp wasn’t the only blast from the past for Texas A&M football. That new offense? It yielded the same old result. Last year, five of the Aggies six losses saw them blow a double digit lead. On Saturday, A&M took a 17-7 lead halfway through the second quarter only to see the it evaporate and the eventually turn into a disappointing 20-17 loss.

While the game day atmosphere in College Station could arguably be among the top in the SEC, unfortunately for Aggie fans, the football program might not be. There are still lots of questions. Can Sumlin’s up-tempo spread offense ready to compete against the vaunted defenses of the SEC? Is Manziel the answer at quarterback? Can the Texas A&M find a way to hold on to a lead? Only time will tell. But one thing’s for sure, the Aggies are ready to find out.

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Sep 05 2012
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College Football

Not-So-Happy Valley

It was a long summer for Penn State students, alumni and football fans. The program and university were repeatedly rocked by a child sex scandal and its ensuing NCAA sanctions. They were constantly in the media spot light…and not the good one. Everyone looked forward to the 2012 season, hoping that success on the field might provide at least some form of escape from it all.

People across the country wondered how Penn State fans would handle the scandal. Would they still support the team? Would they still show up? The answer? YES. More that 97,000 Nittany Lions fans packed Beaver Stadium on Saturday and chants of, “We Are! Penn State!” rang loud and proud throughout the day. The fans weren’t the only ones who came back. Despite being eligible for immediate transfer to any college football program, more than 90% of the team returned to Penn State.

Unfortunately for both parties, Penn State’s winning tradition was among the things that didn’t return on Saturday. A 14-3 half time lead gave way to a 24-14 loss and optimism and hope turned into disappointment and despair. But despite the cathartic victory having to wait at least one more week, fan support remains strong, which is a good thing. Because, wins or not, it’s going to take a quite some time to return to anything even resembling normalcy in Happy Valley.

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