So, yesterday I wrote this piece over at the mothership. It's all about the ACC and basketball excellence and the league having to recognize that the basketball excellence has not translated into financial success in the current athletic climate. It caught static, prompted Carolina March to right a rebuttal using all sorts different occurrences to prove that the league, and UNC, have pushed for football success. Great rebuttal honestly, it was very solid from a "see the league/school did X, Y and Z for football" standpoint.

Ultimately it is what it is, if folks really believe that UNC has pushed for success in football at the highest level in the same fashion that they have basketball then I can't really tell them shit. Stadium upgrades are nice. They really are. But, that doesn't change a program from being happy with mediocre levels of success. Levels that would get coaches fired elsewhere. Elsewhere of course being places that want to do, in football, what UNC does in basketball.

As for the league itself, the expansions have come for football. A sort of push to buy the success without changing the culture of the league's existing members. Grabbing some schools who were solid in football and thinking that would raise the level of the league as a whole. It has not worked. The culture and expectations, from fans and administration is largely unchanged. It is what it is, I don't know that it is a bad thing, aside from the whole money ordeal.

In the end I don't particularly care. If the league implodes then so be it. If they opt to galvanize themselves by becoming all basketball all the time if teams depart, so be it. Shit happens. Things fall apart. Oh well. Sorry Charlie. I'll still be in Kenan for a handful of games every year.


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Yay! Today we get to talk actual on the field football, which we always love. This is all about the rule changes that are being implemented in college football for the 2012 season. Here's a quick run down of the rules being changed. As I've already openly stated, I don't think the kickoff rule is going to have all of the desired effect that the people in charge want it to have. A good coverage unit is an invaluable weapon to have and now, with touchbacks going to the 25, it makes sense to maximize what you can get out of your cover squads. Sky kicks, kicks inside the ten and all things that force teams to run the returns should be in play.

We also tackle this new helmet rule. I'm still not exactly sure what this is for. I haven't seen a rash of injuries or even problems where guys without helmets are concerned. I, quite honestly, cannot even remember one. The guy without a helmet knows his helmet is off. The other players know the helmet is off. Yet, it has really been a non-issue beyond looking like a sensational play when they put it on Sportscenter.

Oh and yeah, new intro tracks coming because the little bro has a whole album together. Yes, I'm the bourbon and water drinker that he's referencing.


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More expansion bonanza!! This time we've got Ingram Smith at ChuckOliver.net dropping some FSU expansion bombs. Personally, I've always found Chuck Oliver's site to be informative and pretty well sourced. I know Chadd Scott has been hard against FSU leaving ACC, so on the same site to see someone else say the opposite is pretty intriguing. As a whole the news is interesting and it gets us right back to the discussion of the matter at hand; will FSU leave the ACC.

My stance has not changed really, if they can get the money and it makes sense, go. However, for the rest of the ACC, if this information is true, things do get fun. That's the main focus of the show today, what else happens. Where do Virginia Tech, Clemson, Georgia Tech and the rest end up if all hell breaks loose as people are suspecting. It is so fun to deal in hypotheticals!!


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Yesterday we hit on picking a quarterback, today we're going to stay "on the field" so to speak and talk about something else that I've always found interesting in the college football space: position changes. Prentiss Wagner at Tennessee and Malcolm Mitchell at Georgia are two of the more notable position moves on the college football landscape. Ricky Barnum and Barrett Jones are making moves on the offensive line for Michigan and Alabama. However, the move that really spurred this happened a year ago; Kenny Tate to linebacker for the Maryland Terrapins. Tate's looking to return healthy in 2012 and the Terps are keeping him at linebacker.

Each move is unique in and of itself, but there is a wide angle view as a player shifts to do what's best for his team but not always himself. Some moves are more seamless than others and today we'll look at what they entail and how much work it actually is to change positions. 

OH! And yes, I hit on the whole "Mike Vrabel, smokeless tobacco violation" thing.


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Taking a break from the Florida State, Big XII, Conference expansion stuff to look at some actual football. Bill O'Brien at Penn State has decided that very soon he will name a starting quarterback. Whether it is Paul Jones, Matt McGloin or Rob Bolden is a moot point; he's doing the smart thing by picking one guy to lead his squad through the summer and into fall. Mike Gundy already made a similar move by naming Wes Lunt his starter after spring ball and today we're going to talk about why this is something that only helps your ball club.

Quarterback "battles" suck. They suck for the coaches. They suck for the team. They suck a lot when they are the focus of training camp. Spring is where positions get won and lost. There is no preseason college football, when your guys get to campus in August they are there to get in tip top shape and prepare for the upcoming season. An elongated quarterback battle slows down this preparation process. People think that at some point in August these quarterbacks that are globbed together in a push for one spot are going to clearly separate themselves; they're not. These players are going to be lumped together, they will have good days and bad days; just like they had good spring games and bad spring games.

Ultimately the message here is simple: Pick a guy. Get him fully prepped from a leadership, gameplan, rapport standpoint for game one. If he doesn't work, go with the back-up and let him be the guy. A prolonged battle leaves two players underprepared and that does not help the team as a whole.


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A great article over at Tomahawk Nation that breaks down the viewership valuation of football versus basketball and where the ACC teams stand based upon television draw. Definitely worth a read and it is the opening point of discussion here on the Shorts today. It seems, at least in 2011, that Florida State is the most valuable property from an eyeballs standpoint and while they are not runaway kings of the television set the fact is they have a right to feel like they are carrying a large portion of the ACC's load when it comes to TV sets. So what does it all mean? With a team that's trying to run down Florida, Georgia, Auburn and Alabama on the recruiting trail, money is pretty damn important and they most certainly should explore options.

We also take a quick second to comment on the barely hanging on $2,000 stipend debate. Financially challenged schools are fighting to keep relief out of their athletes hands; all for the sake of not allowing a school that can afford it to help their kids out. Really just shows the self-centered drive when it comes to schools and the divide that is very real between the haves and have nots. We'll keep eyes on this because while the four-team playoff thing is great to stroke off fans, this is something that can actually help the sport.


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The college football bubble is swelling. FBS teams like UT-San Antonio, Texas State and South Alabama have decided to step up to the big plate. Now Liberty is seeking to do the same. My guy, Kyle Kensing over at Saturday Blitz, wrote a pretty compelling article about this "boom" mentality and the idea that they can get more money by getting to the FBS level. Ultimately it boils down to sustainability and if you have not seen recently, FBS football does not exactly sustain itself. It takes money, lots of it, to field a team; and even more to field a consistent winner.

So how do you regulate it? How do you save schools from themselves and their own delusions of grandeur? Right now, you can't. You need smart athletic directors; like at Appalachian State and Villanova. Men who realize the expanded travel for all programs and increased scholarships are a cost that can cripple an athletic department. It ultimately is not fair to the schools or to the programs to push for a goal that they will never reach.


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We're podcasting folks! Today's topic? We've got Florida State set up on a platter. If you were like me this weekend, totally disconnected and enjoying your real life (I was at a dope ass wedding in Albemarle!), then let me catch you up with some articles. Here's the Andy Haggard bomb that started the Florida State is upset firestorm. Then, Randy Spetman the Florida State AD came out and towed the "We're happy in the ACC" line, as he was supposed to. Plus the head coach, Jimbo Fisher, let us know he's all about doing what's best for the Seminoles, and if that's the Big Twelve then do it.

So, now you're caught up. Dan Wetzel at Yahoo! wrote a good piece on the Noles and getting the most bang for their buck. In this short I try to look at both sides of the coin. One, it must be recognized that Florida State is in a unique position where the cash matters a lot more than it does to most other ACC schools. That cannot be discounted and if they can get more elsewhere than by all means they should explore that option. However, it must also be noted that had Florida State won a bit more then perhaps the contract would look a bit different from a financials standpoint.


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We've got Jim Delany up on the shorts today folks. Yesterday at the mothership I took a spin on Delany's new plan about not allowing non-division winners into the four-team playoff. The head man for the B1G has 2011 Alabama squarely in his sights and he is aiming at the SEC to make sure this never happens again. We get it Jim, you have a legitimate fear for what happens if the Southeastern Conference keeps having a couple of the best teams in the nation.

Delany talks resume and scheduling but never discusses the actual best teams. Nick Saban has a response to the commissioner's idea about champions playing and it is a simple one: "Hell No." People want to see the best teams and to ignore that would be ignoring the reason behind this playoff push. Evaluating teams is an active science, not a passive one. Active means film evaluation then tweaking and re-tweaking based upon on-field play. That does not mean looking at a resume and just picking who is the best off of a computer print out. Hopefully more people will realize this as we go forward.


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The ACC just agreed to a revamped media deal with ESPN. The deal is for $3.6 billion over 15 years and gives the Worldwide Leader exclusive rights to all ACC contests on a first, second and third tier basis. Some folks reacted as though the league has finally made it big. Others were beyond disappointed as they looked at the numbers and saw more of the same. Today, I take a quick spin around the podcast to give some thoughts on the new media deal.

From where I sit, the deal is good but not great. It closes the gap but does not eliminate it by any means. But, ultimately it is the bed the ACC has made for itself and while Florida State and Clemson want for more, the on the field product has to warrant the pay out and it has not.

Enjoy the show folks and if you have topics or questions send them into me via twitter.


To listen to the show click here or subscribe to one of the methods listed below.

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