College Football Rule Proposals

(AP Photo/John Bazemore)

The NCAA is once again looking to add and take away in respect to certain rules in college football. The rules committee has proposed various rules which if passed, will be effective during the 2010 or 2011 seasons.

One of the most notable rules proposed regards unsportsmanlike conduct being considered a live ball foul beginning in 2011.

Celebration after a score has been and will continue to be addressed as a dead-ball personal foul. However, a new rule concerning celebration while IN THE ACT of scoring would NULLIFY the score.

An example would be a long touchdown run where the player begins to celebrate and high-step PRIOR to breaking the goal line. In this case a flag would be thrown and the touchdown REMOVED and NULLIFIED! Using the aforementioned example, a personal foul would be accessed, the score removed, and the penalty would be imposed from either the original line of scrimmage or spot of the “celebration” foul.

Additional rule proposals include:

-The extension of medical hardships to include concussions. The rule simply means that if a player was sidelined very early in the season due to a serious concussion, the player in question could possibly receive a medical hardship and retain his year of eligibility.

-Eye black will no longer be a means of “message writing” effective in 2010. Bible verses, area codes, personal promotion, (etc) will no longer be allowed. Notable players such as former USC star Reggie Bush (area code), and former Florida great Tim Tebow (scriptures), are examples of what would now be considered a violation.

-In 2011 television monitors will be permitted in the press box and used by coaches. The home team must be responsible for the monitors and insure that both teams (coaches) have the same viewing abilities and capacity.

-The rule requiring a player’s pants to cover his knee at all times has been nullified.

-Proposal to eliminate an intentional wedge containing three or more receiving team players on kickoffs. This proposal is designed to make it more difficult to “plan” a return on free kicks. Multiple players will not be allowed to serve as part of a “swinging gate” or “sideline wall” on kickoffs…etc.

-Proposed discussion at the 2011 committee meeting to abridge the rules concerning blocking below the waist. The committee will meet to help clarify and possibly adjust the rule in the future.

Crimson Commitment: National Signing Day 2010

(AP Photo/Ed Reinke)

In February of 2009, Alabama waited until late in the afternoon to see if star running back Trent Richardson would hold true to his word and commit to Alabama. Richardson did sign with the Tide, and 'Bama concluded National Signing Day on a high note…late in the afternoon.

In 2010 the day was rather uneventful, and National Signing Day was
over by 10 a.m. on Wednesday morning. If 2009 was a day of drama…2010 was more like a day of paid programming.

As expected, Alabama lost 5-star defensive back Keenan Allen, as he officially signed with California. Other than the Allen departure, Alabama sealed all 26 commitments…as expected.

The Tide had some “flirtations” in the person of Shon Coleman (offensive tackle) and James Stone (offensive guard), but like many projected, Coleman and Stone maintained verbal commitments and signed with Auburn and Tennessee, respectively.

2010 ALABAMA RECRUITING CLASS

ENROLLED IN JANUARY
PK Cade Foster (6-1, 215) Southlake (Texas) Carroll
RB Jalston Fowler (6-0, 240) Prichard Vigor
DB John Fulton (6-1, 180) Manning (S.C.)
DL Brandon Lewis (6-3, 275) Scooba (Miss.) East Mississippi Community College
OL Chad Lindsay (6-3, 307) The Woodlands (Texas)
DB DeMarcus Milliner (6-2, 180) Millbrook Stanhope Elmore
OL Austin Shepherd (6-5, 316) Suwanee (Ga.) North Gwinnett
QB Phillip Sims (6-2, 209) Chesapeake (Va.) Oscar Smith

NATIONAL SIGNING DAY LETTERS OF INTENT
DB Deion Belue (6-0, 175) Tuscumbia Deshler
WR Ronald Carswell (6-0, 180) Macon (Ga.) Westside
RB Corey Grant (5-10, 186) Opelika
DE Alfy Hill (6-4, 222) Shallotte (N.C.) West Brunswick
DE Adrian Hubbard (6-7, 222) Norcross (Ga.)
DT Brandon Ivory (6-3, 330) Memphis (Tenn.) East
TE Harrison Jones (6-4, 230) Memphis (Tenn.) Evangelical Christian
OL Arie Kouandjio (6-6, 315) Hyattsville (Md.) DeMatha
DE Wilson Love (6-4, 235) Birmingham Mountain Brook
WR Keiwone Malone (6-1, 165) Memphis (Tenn.) Mitchell
DB Dequan Menzie (5-11, 200) Wesson (Miss.) Copiah-Lincoln C.C.
LB C.J. Mosley (6-2, 212) Theodore
DB Nick Perry (6-2, 195) Prattville
ATH Blake Sims (6-0, 180) Gainesville (Ga.)
TE Brian Vogler (6-7, 248) Columbus (Ga.) Brookstone
WR DeAndrew White (6-0, 170) Galena Park (Texas) North Shore
DB Jarrick Williams (6-2, 205) Eight Mile Blount
P Jay Williams (6-4, 220) Thomasville

For more information on each player, including position rank, national rank, and star rank, simply click the link below. Once the page loads, simply enter (or copy/paste) the players name in the initial search box available.
PROSPECT SEARCH

For information on team rankings:
2010 NATIONAL TEAM RANKINGS

Alabama/Auburn…Recruiting War

I wanted to take this opportunity to share some personal thoughts in respect to the Alabama/Auburn recruiting war. As of this moment (Tuesday afternoon) the Auburn Tigers are currently ranked third on Rivals.com and the Alabama Crimson Tide are fourth.

The chances are very high that Auburn will have a better nationally ranked recruiting class than Alabama, but has anyone stopped to think of the reason why?

The Alabama Crimson Tide had the top recruiting class in 2008 and 2009. In January of 2010 Alabama won the national championship. Just like the majority of any recruiting class, a good number of those athletes either do not play due to another player being a proven and efficient starter, or the new recruit is given a redshirt, and will never take the field during his first season.

The 2010 Alabama recruiting class is solid, but for the in-state rival to “brag” about surpassing the Tide in recruiting, is based upon lack of knowledge.

Alabama has a “stock pile” of talent from prior recruiting classes that have limited playing time, or in some cases, have yet to take the field. The Alabama football program is now in a position to carefully select prospects based upon need…not want.

Here is a prime example of my case. Why would Alabama need to go after the best high school running back in the nation, when ‘Bama already has Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson?

Auburn on the other hand is in reformation mode and desperately need young four and five-star talent to BUILD the program. Alabama doesn’t need to BUILD the program.

Auburn is doing what they must do given the circumstances, and Alabama is doing what they must do…given the circumstances.

When you have a “stock pile” of talent from consecutive years of top notch recruiting, you don’t need to go after the best college player at every position! Why go after the best, when you just recruited the best?

Recruiting is about building a foundation for the future, and then pushing players through the system.

Alabama put on a “full court press” in 2008 and 2009 in recruiting, and it was a catalyst in winning the national title. Alabama doesn’t need to build a
foundation…the Tide is already firmly perched on the throne.

Crimson Notes 2/2/10

With National Signing Day less than 24 hours away, Alabama has lost the most highly touted recruit on the board. Five-star prospect Keenan Allen (wide receiver/defensive back) is expected to decommit from the Crimson Tide and sign with either California or Penn State on Wednesday.

Allen originally gave a verbal commitment to Alabama in November, but when his half-brother Zach Maynard left the Buffalo football program, Allen began rethinking his commitment to the Tide.

It is unclear where Maynard will attend, but unless something unexpected occurs on Wednesday, Alabama has lost the “top name” of the 2010 recruiting class.

With the loss of Allen, Alabama has dropped to fourth in the national team rankings according to Rivals.com. Florida leads the pack followed by Texas, Auburn, and aforementioned Alabama.

In coaching news, the Alabama Board of Trustees approved the new contact for Tide defensive coordinator Kirby Smart.

Smart now has a salary of $750,000 and the new deal will take him through Feb 28, 2013. The new contract will increase his prior salary of $360,000 and will currently make him the highest-paid assistant on the Alabama football coaching staff.

The new contract/deal also includes a no buyout clause if Smart were to leave and take a head coaching position. However, a $72,000 buyout would be in place if Smart were to leave for another assistant coaching position. An obvious example would be if Smart left to become the defensive coordinator at another school.

If Kirby Smart is still at Alabama on March 1, 2010 (next month) he will receive a $34,400 bonus as part of the new contract agreement.