Michigan's Mallett to transfer

[TheRook]

In a move that's a shock to no one.......


***********************************************



ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Ryan Mallett has left the Michigan football program, and the quarterback might be reunited with his offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, his father said Wednesday.
"He's on his way home," Jim Mallett told the Associated Press. "We don't know where he's going to go yet, but we need to do something quick. We're going to visit three, four or five schools."


The former Texas Class 4A offensive player of the year may end up at Tennessee, which is considering hiring former Michigan offensive coordinator Mike DeBord and quarterbacks coach Scott Loeffler.

"If they're hired, that would be a real good possibility," Jim Mallett said. "Ryan really clicked with both Coach DeBord and Coach Loeffler during the last couple months of the season; and during bowl practices, I've never seen Ryan throw the ball or read defenses as well as he did."

Mallett said his son also will consider transferring to Texas A&M, Arkansas and UCLA, among other schools. After sitting out next season, he will have three years of eligibility.

"Several schools have called, and we're still open-minded about any program that runs a pro-style offense," he said. "He's going to enroll this semester, so we've got to get moving."

Mallett played in 11 games as a freshman, filling in for Chad Henne when Henne was injured. Mallett was 61-of-141 for 892 yards with seven TDs and five interceptions.

He enrolled at Michigan a year ago, leaving high school a semester early. The 6-foot-7, 252-pound quarterback threw for more than 2,500 yards and 27 scores as a senior at Texarkana High School, where he was a three-year starter.

As soon as Lloyd Carr retired and Rich Rodriguez was hired, Mallett's days seemed to be numbered because of Rodriguez' spread offense, which has featured mobile quarterbacks.

"It just wasn't a fit, and yet it was a hard decision," Jim Mallett said. "When he came home for Christmas, he told me and my wife that he really was falling in love with being at Michigan.

"Ryan wants to thank Coach Carr, his staff and all the players for helping him have a great experience the past year."

[jcindaville]

Im shocked



Did you hear on the jim rome show that Rodriguez kids have been getting death threats..

Fucking mountain hill billies are fucking insane

[TheRook]

Im shocked



Did you hear on the jim rome show that Rodriguez kids have been getting death threats..

Fucking mountain hill billies are fucking insane

I don't listen to Rome. He's not on anywhere here.

But that sucks nevertheless.

[***THA FIX***]

Georgia president: Schools need to regain control of postseason
ESPN.com news services

Updated: January 9, 2008, 1:11 PM ET
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Georgia Calls for Playoff System in Place of BCSATHENS, Ga. -- The president of the University of Georgia proposed an eight-team playoff system to determine the NCAA's national football champion.




Michael Adams, chairman of the NCAA executive committee, has opposed a playoff for 20 years but said Tuesday the current BCS system is "undercutting the sportsmanship and integrity of the game."




Adams wants the NCAA to seed eight teams into the four bowls. If one of the major bowls declines to participate, then another bowl could fill the void.




"I believe the season is already too long and demands too much of athletes and the universities that serve them," Adams said at a news conference. "But this year's experience with the BCS forces me to the conclusion that the current system has lost public confidence and simply does not work."




Adams would like a special NCAA committee to work out the particulars, but the plan calls for the winners of the four major bowls -- Rose, Sugar, Orange and Fiesta -- to play semifinals at least one week later, with the championship game the following week.



I was disappointed that the story came out today. This is LSU's day and the Southeastern Conference's day.
--SEC Commissioner Mike Slive

In a statement posted on the NCAA Web site Tuesday afternoon, NCAA president Myles Brand said he would take Adams' request to the Division I board of directors Monday at the NCAA convention in Nashville. Brand said the structure of postseason football for the Football Bowl Subdivision rests with the presidents.




"The BCS has produced some exciting games since it came into existence, but there may be a feeling among some presidents, though not all, that there is need for structural changes. This is an issue that will be decided through presidential leadership," Brand said.




Georgia was ranked fourth in the BCS entering the last week of the season, behind Missouri, West Virginia and Ohio State. When Missouri and West Virginia lost, Georgia did not rise to second behind Ohio State but dropped to fifth in the BCS. Southeastern Conference champion LSU vaulted from seventh to second.




LSU defeated Ohio State 38-24 Monday night to win the BCS title. Georgia routed previously undefeated Hawaii in the Sugar Bowl, 41-10.



LSU coach Les Miles wasn't overly pleased with the timing.



"There's a time for proposals. There's a time for adjusting the schedule. It might not be today," he said Tuesday.


"Whatever the rules are is fine with me," Miles said of the plan. "I can tell you this, a year ago if we had an eight-team playoff, we might've fared pretty well. This might've been our second trophy. I look forward to whatever setup there is."



Even SEC commissioner Mike Slive, who essentially works for the university presidents, gave Adams a light slap on the wrist.



"I was disappointed that the story came out today. This is LSU's day and the Southeastern Conference's day," said Slive, whose two-year term as the BCS coordinator ended with Monday night's game.



Adams insisted he was prepared to advance the proposal even if Georgia had played in the title game.




"It is a matter of fairness and equity," he said.




Adams said he was influenced by players and coaches. He added that he would let Mark Richt speak for himself, but the Georgia coach had been "positive" in discussions about a playoff.




Adams is frustrated by the power of the television networks and of the commissioners of the bowls and conferences.




"The television networks … have grown powerful in deciding who plays and when they play, and, indeed, whom they hire to coach," Adams wrote in a letter to Brand.




"The Bowl Championship Series has become a beauty contest largely stage-managed by the networks, which in turn protect the interests of their own partner conferences."




He said the commissioners of the conferences and the bowls are guilty of "closed-circle decision-making based on traditional contract alliances. It is time to take the ultimate power out of their hands and give it to the student-athletes on the field."




"The most visible element of our most visible sport has almost no presidential involvement," Adams added.




Adams said he understood the consequences of an extended the season.




"This would involve only four schools, and only two into the second week," he said. "To answer concerns about the wear-and-tear on the student-athletes, I would consider returning the regular season to an 11-game schedule."





Adams is the second SEC member president to advocate a playoff in the past year. Last year, University of Florida president James Bernard Machen -- whose Gators played in the BCS Championship Game and won the title -- said the time had come for a playoff system, but backed down from his position after conferring with his fellow SEC presidents.



Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany said on Tuesday that he is not a big fan of the playoff format.



"I would say this -- every year there has been a third team that probably felt wronged," he said to XM Sports Nation. "And if you wait around long enough every conference will have a third team [that felt wronged]. If you had four teams, within 10 years every conference would have a fifth team that didn't get in. And, in fact, if you look at the standings at the end of the regular season, Southern Cal and Georgia would not be in the four. How long would that last?"



On Monday, Atlantic Coast Conference commissioner John Swofford and Slive said the ACC, SEC, Big East and Big 12 are open to a "plus-one" Final Four format in which the top four teams would be selected and seeded.


"In our conference, there's much more open-mindedness about the plus-one than there was two years ago. There's an interest in it ... and a willingness to discuss it in full," Swofford said.

The BCS is in the second of a four-year, $320 million contract with Fox that runs through the 2009 season and 2010 bowls. The BCS will begin negotiating with Fox on another deal in the fall. Fox has exclusive negotiating rights with the BCS.

The Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA), Division II and Division III all have a postseason playoff.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this story.

[***THA FIX***]

Frazier fired as University of Hawaii athletics director
Associated Press

Updated: January 8, 2008, 9:58 PM ET
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HONOLULU -- The University of Hawaii fired athletics director Herman Frazier on Tuesday after he failed to re-sign football coach June Jones.

In a brief statement, the university said the move was made "in the best interest of the athletics program." It came a day after Jones, the winningest coach in school history, accepted a five-year deal worth about $2 million a year to coach at SMU.

Frazier, who was unavailable for comment, had been under fire for a series of widely publicized missteps.

Besides failing to sign Jones, Frazier was criticized for not accepting the full allotment of Sugar Bowl tickets, creating a ticket shortage. He also took heat last year over substandard athletic facilities, filling the 2007 football schedule with two Football Championship Subdivision teams and the poor handling of men's basketball coach Riley Wallace's departure after 20 years.

Under provisions in his contract, Frazier will be paid $312,510, which includes a year's salary, plus 90 days of pay. The contract was set to expire July 31, 2010.

The details of the termination agreement with Frazier must be finalized and require the approval of the Board of Regents.

Associate athletics director Carl Clapp will serve as acting director until Frazier's replacement is hired. Clapp will handle the day-to-day operations, as well as work with administrators to secure a new head football coach.

Frazier came to Hawaii in 2002 after serving as AD at Alabama-Birmingham. He also spent 23 years at Arizona State, where he led the track team to a national championship in 1977. Frazier is also an Olympic champion and former committee member.

Also on Tuesday, the university posted the football coaching vacancy, officially launching its search for Jones' replacement.

A couple days before accepting the coaching job at SMU, Jones sent Frazier a 1,500-word e-mail expressing his frustrations over how his negotiations were handled at the last minute.

"The way my contract talks have been handled ... is kind of the reason I am tired and why I just need to go," Jones wrote.

On Monday, Hawaii president David McClain acknowledged the school could have been more aggressive and timely.

"I also want to apologize to our fans and all of Hawaii for matters getting to this stage in the first place," he said. "Exceptional performance deserves exceptional recognition and your university was slow to step up. That won't happen again."

Jones' agent, Leigh Steinberg, said he contacted Frazier on Dec. 27, soliciting an offer and notifying the athletics director of a time-sensitive offer from another institution.

Steinberg contacted Frazier again Thursday when he didn't get a response. Hawaii responded later that day with its initial offer of $1.1 million annually. Hawaii eventually offered a package of about $1.6 million annually and promised improvements to the facilities and more resources.

By then, it was too late.

Jones wrote that he probably would have signed an extension if an offer was made in 2006, before this past season or as late as the Dec. 1 regular-season finale.

In his e-mail, Jones also left behind a list of five possible successors with local ties: New York Giants offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride, Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator Norm Chow, San Jose State coach Dick Tomey, Texas assistant coach Duane Akina and Hawaii linebackers coach Cal Lee.

"I have talked to them and they are interested," Jones wrote. "I know you know a lot of people too that would be good but this place is different and unless you get someone that knows Hawaii you will take a big step backwards."

Steinberg said the list of possible successors proves how much Jones cares about the Warriors, who went undefeated during the regular season before losing to Georgia in the Sugar Bowl.

"He's still heavily committed to the success of the Hawaii football program and extremely concerned that the program he built and the players he recruited are successful," Steinberg said Tuesday. "Those are the players, a week ago, he was coaching in a bowl game."

Former Michigan State coach John L. Smith, who runs a wide-open offense similar to Jones', is among those being considered for the Hawaii job.

"With 18 years of collegiate head coaching experience and over 130 wins, I would hope that would qualify me as a candidate to be the next head coach at the University of Hawaii," Smith told The Associated Press in a telephone interview from his home in Louisville, Ky.

Smith, who was fired following the 2006 season after compiling a 22-26 record with the Spartans, said he couldn't wait to get back to college football.

"I think I could bring high energy and an unsurpassed work ethic to help keep Hawaii at the top of the WAC," he said. "I've had experience recruiting Hawaii, and also Samoa along with of course, the West Coast and the rest of the country."

Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press

[***THA FIX***]

Granger faces possible arrest warrant after missing court date
The Associated Press

Updated: January 9, 2008, 11:29 AM ET
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TEMPE, Ariz. -- Oklahoma Sooners defensive tackle DeMarcus Granger missed a court date following his shoplifting arrest in Arizona and faced the potential of a warrant being issued for his arrest Wednesday.

According to the Tempe Municipal Court, Granger could still avoid an arrest warrant being issued if he appeared before a judge during a walk-in docket or arranged to pay a bond on Wednesday.

The court had no record of an attorney for the 21-year-old Sooners starter, who was suspended for Oklahoma's 48-28 loss to West Virginia in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl last week.

Police said Granger was arrested Dec. 29 after he removed an anti-theft device from a jacket at a Burlington Coat Factory in Tempe, then tried to leave the store with the jacket stuffed in a bag.

Granger started 11 games for Oklahoma during his sophomore season, recording 35 tackles and 3½ sacks. The Sooners (11-3) finished the season ranked eighth.

Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press

[vols fan]

I'll take him.He didn't look bad this year as a freshman.Jonathan Crompton was the predicted starter this year(looked damn good last year against lsu but didn't play much this year)but Mallett I guess would have to sit out a year anyway.

[***THA FIX***]

Prince leaving Notre Dame; three returning for fifth season
Associated Press

Updated: January 9, 2008, 11:45 AM ET
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SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Notre Dame cornerback Munir Prince has decided to transfer to Missouri, and three other Irish players have applied to return for fifth years.



Linebacker Maurice Crum Jr., a captain of last year's team, defensive end Justin Brown and cornerback Terrail Lambert have applied to the university to return next season for their final year of eligibility. While other schools redshirt players, Notre Dame players who do not participate for a season must earn their degrees and apply for permission to return for another season.



Crum was fourth on the team in tackles last season with 84. Lambert had 34 tackles and Brown made 30.



Prince, one of the quickest players on the Irish roster, was a tailback as a freshman, carrying the ball 15 times for 21 yards. He switched to cornerback last season and was in 10 games, making three tackles. He has decided to transfer to Missouri.



Both starting cornerbacks, Lambert and sophomore Darrin Walls, are expected back next season, and Prince was also behind several other reserves.



"After talking with Munir, he decided he'd like to leave our football team and the university," coach Charlie Weis said Tuesday. "I appreciate all Munir has done for our program and Notre Dame and wish him well in the future."

Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press

[***THA FIX***]

Rutgers running back Rice will enter NFL draft
Associated Press

Updated: January 8, 2008, 5:07 PM ET
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A Side Of Rice
Rutgers' Ray Rice didn't even have the best rushing performance of the 2008 bowl season, but his 280 yards in the International Bowl was the third all-time best rushing yardage in a bowl game.

Player Bowl Yards
P.J. Daniels, Georgia Tech 2004 Humanitarian 307
Tony Temple, Missouri 2008 Cotton 281
Ray Rice, Rutgers 2008 International 280*
James Gray, Texas Tech 1989 All-American 280
Curtis Dickey, Texas A&M 1978 Hall of Fame 276
* Rutgers single-game record
NEWARK, N.J. -- Ray Rice will skip his senior year to enter the NFL draft after becoming the leading rusher in Rutgers history and transforming the Scarlet Knights into a Top 25 team.

"I have always dreamed of playing in the NFL, and I felt the time is right to pursue the opportunity to play at the next level," he said in a statement Tuesday.

His decision came three days after he ran for 280 yard and scored four touchdowns in a 52-30 victory over Ball State in the International Bowl. It was Rutgers' third straight bowl game and second straight bowl win after the school went 27 years without qualifying for a bowl.

In his three seasons, the Scarlet Knights were 26-12 after failing to finish above .500 in the 12 previous seasons.

"I am very happy for Ray and his family," Rutgers coach Greg Schiano said. "He has been one of the elite players in college football during his career at Rutgers. Although we will miss him greatly, we all look forward to watching him play on Sundays."

Rice and Schiano are to hold a news conference on Wednesday.

Rice leaves Rutgers with numerous records, including career yards rushing (4,926), career rushing touchdowns (49) and yards rushing in a season (2,012) and game (280). He became the 13th player in NCAA history to gain more than 2,000 yards in a season. He made The Associated Press' All-America second team as a sophomore and junior.

Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press

[***THA FIX***]

Florida State junior Hayes entering draft
Associated Press

Updated: January 9, 2008, 11:37 AM ET
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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Florida State linebacker Geno Hayes will forgo his senior season to enter the NFL draft in April.



Hayes, a junior, called it a tough decision and thanked coach Bobby Bowden and the coaching staff.



"I know he has the ability to play at that level,'' Bowden said. "It is just a matter of time.''



Hayes was second on the team in tackles and an Atlantic Coast Conference first-team pick in 2007.



He is the second Florida State linebacker in as many years to leave early. Lawrence Timmons was a first-round pick in 2007 by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Hayes is not projected as high and Bowden had said earlier that he hoped the player would come back to improve his draft stock.



Hayes also made news off the field. He was stunned with a Taser by Tallahassee police in September after a 2 a.m. altercation outside a bar.



In November, he predicted Florida quarterback "Tim Tebow's going down'' four days before the Seminoles were beaten 45-12 by the Gators. Hayes made only one tackle late in the game.

Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press

[***THA FIX***]

Johnson, Davis standouts thus far in bowl season
By Mel Kiper
ESPN.com
(Archive)
Updated: December 31, 2007
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Question: Which offensive players who are draft eligible have been standouts during the bowl season?
Kiper: You have to start with East Carolina's senior running back Chris Johnson, who had 418 all-purpose yards against Boise State in the Hawaii Bowl.

[jcindaville]

I don't listen to Rome. He's not on anywhere here.

But that sucks nevertheless.

they have to escort his 12 year old daughter between classes

WVU = Class

[jcindaville]

why does the fix keep cluttering up these threads

[jason18]

I'll take him.He didn't look bad this year as a freshman.Jonathan Crompton was the predicted starter this year(looked damn good last year against lsu but didn't play much this year)but Mallett I guess would have to sit out a year anyway.

Hell yeah i have been reading that for the last week.very likely he ends up in Knoxville esp if his 2 coaches come,which they are rumored to be doing.He is 6'6 235....come to knoxville please.yeah he would sit out a year but he hasnt red-shirted so he would still have 3 yrs to play.

[vols fan]

Hell yeah i have been reading that for the last week.very likely he ends up in Knoxville esp if his 2 coaches come,which they are rumored to be doing.He is 6'6 235....come to knoxville please.yeah he would sit out a year but he hasnt red-shirted so he would still have 3 yrs to play.

Big Ten is known for running the ball.These 2 coaches and Fulmer should go hand and hand.His Senior year will be just in time for a playoff