UCLA's Spring Showcase hype video is sweet
Since UCLA is approaching their spring game a little differently than a lot of schools, as they've opted to name it the "Spring Showcase" instead of dubbing it a "spring game". Once you take a look at all that they have planned, the name change makes some sense.
The showcase will have a Fan Zone open to kids, and include activities such as live music, food trucks, and even a station to get your UCLA temporary tattoo. Then, following the event, fans will get on the field access to the players for autographs and then get treated to a fireworks show.
Here's the video that the Bruins have released to hype up the event.
New uniforms for the Minnesota Vikings
While you may remember getting a peek at these new threads a few days ago when these photos leaked, last night was the official unveiling of the Vikings new uniforms.
While no major changes took place, Nike describes the new look as merging "ancient Viking culture with respected football heritage". Plenty more pictures can be seen here.
Do you like the subtle new look?
D-II Findlay unveils first known helmet design of its kind
Interesting idea here. University of Findlay (D-II - OH) has just unveiled the first known helmet in the country to feature a player's name on the back of the lid. New uniforms are on the way as well.
What are your thoughts on this one?
Just as a little background, Findlay is the first head coaching for head coach Rob Keys, who took over the program back in 2010. Keys and his staff took over a one win program and have since quickly turned the program around, winning 13 games over the past two seasons.
Coming off of a second place finish in the ultra competitive GLIAC last season, the hype is at a fever pitch in Findlay, and these new helmets (and the yet to be unveiled uniforms) will surely fuel that fire.
New photo>
Dan Patrick gave Dana Holgorsen a great idea
The whole interview is pretty good; but listen to this final exchange. Nice idea Dan...
Interesting study on tempo in college football
As more and more offensive coordinators in college football subscribe to the "I want to go fast!" teachings of a young Ricky Bobby, we must pause to ask an important question: does getting to the line of scrimmage faster help a team win more games? If so, does that mean the opposite holds true as well?
The team at FootballStudyHall.com examined the fastest and slowest offenses in college football in terms of plays per minute of possession. Houston led the country with 3.28 plays per minute of possession, well ahead of second-place Oregon, while New Mexico was the slowest team in college football at 1.92 plays/mop.
While the studies dives into other offshoots of this discussion, we decided to examine the 10 fastest and slowest offenses and see how those stats correlate with wins and losses.
Fastest Teams by Plays per Minute of Possession
1. Houston - 3.28, 5-7
2. Marshall - 3.20, 5-7
3. Louisiana Tech - 3.15, 9-3
4. Arizona - 3.05, 8-5
5. Baylor - 3.01, 8-5
6. Indiana - 2.95, 4-8
7. Oregon - 2.92, 12-1
8. Oklahoma State - 2.85, 8-5
9. Clemson - 2.84, 11-2
10. Akron - 2.83, 1-11
Combined, those teams went 71-54
10 Slowest Teams by Plays per Minute of Possession
1. New Mexico - 1.92, 4-8
2. Auburn - 1.96, 3-9
2. Florida - 1.96, 11-2
4. Alabama - 1.99, 13-1
5. Western Kentucky - 2.00, 7-6
6. Kansas State - 2.02, 11-2
7. Wisconsin - 2.05, 8-6
8. Maryland - 2.06, 4-8
9. Utah - 2.07, 5-7
10. Michigan - 2.09, 8-5
The tortoise group checks in at 74-54, nearly identical to the collection of hares at the top.
Admittedly this is a small sample size prone to outliers (for instance, New Mexico's 4-8 season brings the average down but was actually a smashing success on the field) but delving that deep into the numbers is beyond the point. Like anything else in football, offensive pace is much more about execution than scheme. It's not about how fast you get to the line of scrimmage, it's about what you do after the ball is snapped.
Read the full study here.
Video: D-III school goes through basic training
St. Lawrence University, a Division III school in upstate New York, has developed a special relationship with the Fort Drum Army base that they hope has helped them develop an edge to help them come fall.
Fort Drum, one of the largest bases in the Northeast, welcomed the St. Lawrence football team to their base and ran them through their basic training as well as some leadership workshops. Many FBS programs like Michigan, Toledo, and NC State instilled military style workouts last off season and coaches that we talk to love the mental edge that it gives their guys.
The coaching staff at St. Lawrence tells us that their guys were pushed to their limit and beyond, and the mental toughness and leadership qualities that they've derived from the workouts has been a huge asset so far, and will surely continue to pay off come Saturday's in the fall.
Take a look at some of the things that these small college athletes went through during the training. The overwhelming favorite for the players was the "pugil stick battles" around the 3:05 mark (and it's easy to see why).
Pretty impressive stuff.
Sick new video recruits will eat up
Is your program doing these kinds of videos? If so let us know, if not, why not?
Everything you need to know about the College Football Playoff
The commissioners have met in Pasadena for the past few days and finalized every piece of information that will be finalized about the upcoming four-team playoff. Here's what we know at this point.
Who: The top four college football teams in America, as chosen by a selection committee. The "who" of that committee has yet to be determined, although common knowledge indicates it will be a group of 15-to-20 athletic directors, former coaches and the like. Each of the five power conferences will get to submit a list of names, from which the powers that be will form a committee. Executive director Bill Hancock said Wednesday that, in lieu of weekly BCS standings, the committee will release a set of standings three or four times per season.
What: The playoff will officially be known as College Football Playoff. What the name lacks in creativity, it more than makes up for in versatility. Nowhere in the name will you find any sort of scope on the playoff - it doesn't claim to give a way a championship, like the Bowl Championship Series did, it doesn't claim to represent any sort level of the sport, the letters N, C, A and A are absent, and there's no number, so nothing will need to be changed should the field change down the road. It's simply a playoff of college football teams. Worth nothing in the life and times that we live in is that College Football Playoff is also perfectly equipped for search engine optimization. When someone consults Google to learn more about the college football playoff, the College Football Playoff will be the first link they see.
When: Starting at the end of next season and continuing through 2026(?), the semifinals and host bowls will lay claim to New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, provided neither of those days fall on a Sunday. The new system offers back-to-back triple-headers, and more often than not the actual semifinals will fall on New Year's Eve. The championship game will take place the following Monday (the day after NFL Wild Card weekend concludes), which in the first cycle will be Jan. 12, 2015.
Where: That's what was officially finalized on Wednesday. The Rose, Sugar and Orange bowls were already part of the process, and yesterday the Cotton, Fiesta and Peach (which will officially revert away from Chick-fil-A to gain inclusion into the process) joined the party as well. The Rose and Sugar bowls will host semifinals in the same year, while the Orange and Cotton will partner up and the Fiesta and Peach will take the remaining spot in the cycle. The Rose and Sugar bowls will always be on New Year's afternoon and night regardless of whether or not they're hosting a semifinal in a given year, so that means in two out of every three years the semifinals will be on New Year's Eve.
The championship game is open to bid on an annual basis. Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, will host the inaugural College Football Championship, and those on the ground in Pasadena place Tampa as a heavy favorite to get the game in 2016 or 2017. The powers that be stated sights for the 2016 and 2017 title games could be chosen in September.
In the first year of the cycle, the Peach, Orange and Fiesta bowls will be played on Dec. 31, 2014, while the Cotton, Rose and Sugar (the latter two being semifinals) will be played the following day.
Why: There are a myriad of reasons for this, but the most forefront is that the commissioners finally realized it was really tough for fans and students to attend a BCS game on a Wednesday night after the holidays were over.
How: The committee will announce the top four teams (along with their complete rankings) on the Sunday after the conference championship games. The Nos. 1 and 2 teams are guaranteed to not be at a geographic disadvantage. For instance, in a year where the Rose and Sugar bowls host the semifinals, a No. 3 LSU would not be in the Sugar Bowl. The committee smartly placed one bowl on each side of the country in each slot of the rotation.
