2015 College Football Thread is now closed

[champcruthik]

Baylor/UCF replay on..Petty is the goods man. Damn

Give me Prescott over Petty, my dude.

Any way Iowa doesn't win 10 games this year?

Hawkeyes losing to Nebraska and at Maryland. Maybe the Wisconsin game too.

 

[Bobby Layne]

 
George O'Leary is giving strong consideration to stepping down this season, multiple sources close to the program have told FOX Sports.

That move could happen as early as after the Knights' opening game against Penn State  on Aug. 30 in Ireland, with his protege Brent Key getting to take over the program.

Asked for comment, UCF  AD Todd Stansbury said through a spokesman that there have been no discussions of that nature at this point.

O'Leary, who turns 68 later this month, has been the head coach at UCF since being hired in 2004. The team went 0-11 in his debut season but responded by going 8-3 the following season. O'Leary has won Coach of the Year honors in three leagues -- the ACC (twice), Conference USA (three times) and the AAC (once). In 2013, O'Leary led the Knights to a 12-1 season and a BCS Bowl win in the Fiesta Bowl en route to a No. 10 ranking in the Coaches Poll.

The 36-year-old Key, who was promoted to assistant head coach of offense earlier this year in addition to his roles as offensive line coach and recruiting coordinator, is in his 10th season at UCF. He was a former All-ACC offensive lineman for O'Leary at Georgia Tech. The Alabama  native was a team captain and started four seasons for the Yellow Jackets.

As FOX Sports noted last month, Key's stock has been on the rise in the coaching ranks and he has been an integral part of UCF's surge under O'Leary. Last season, the Knights’ offense averaged 35.2 ppg and his O-line did not allow a sack against, among others, Baylor, Penn State and Louisville   -- all three teams that ranked in the nation's top 50 in sacks (the Cards were second).

Last winter, Key turned down a chance to become the head coach at UAB  to remain at UCF, according to sources.

Is he sick?

 

[Bobby Layne]

 
UCF coach George O'Leary  denied a Fox Sports  report that he intends to resign as coach of the Knights after the season-opener against Penn State.

"I don’t know anything about that stuff and where that came from," O'Leary told the Orlando Sentinel late Saturday. "I never spoke to anybody from Fox or anybody. I don’t have any idea what that’s about.”

Fox Sports writer Bruce Feldman posted a story Saturday night saying, "George O'Leary is giving strong consideration to stepping down this season, multiple sources close to the program have told FOX Sports. That move could happen as early as after the Knights' opening game against Penn State  on Aug. 30 in Ireland, with his protege Brent Key getting to take over the program."

Two other well-placed sources within the UCF program told the Sentinel they had not heard of any sort of timeline for O'Leary to step down or for Key to take over the program.
 
The Knights completed 10 days of preseason camp so far and are focused on sustaining the success of the 2013 season that culminated in the Fiesta Bowl Championship. They open the season on Aug. 30 vs. Penn State in Dublin, Ireland.

 

[Johnny_Cakes]

Max Wittek walking on at Hawaii.

That's USC QBs for you.

 

[rell826]

Syracuse football QB Terrel Hunt's deep ball was sharp and 6 other observations from the Fan Fest scrimmage
Nate Mink & Stephen Bailey | syracuse.com By Nate Mink & Stephen Bailey | syracuse.com
Email the author | Follow on Twitter
on August 09, 2014 at 9:31 PM, updated August 09, 2014 at 9:49 PM

Syracuse, N.Y.— Here are seven key takeaways from Syracuse's Fan Fest scrimmage on Saturday:

Terrel Hunt's deep ball looked sharp

This was clear from the very first play when Hunt connected with Jarrod West for a 30-yard gain down the right sideline. The two hooked up twice more on similar plays, picking on transitioning cornerback Corey Winfield each time.

The only downfield toss that could have been better was a fly to Ashton Broyld on the right side. The throw was caught, but it was slightly behind Broyld. He likely would have scored with a better toss.

But other than that, his longer throws didn't hover and he did not throw into traffic once (though to be fair, he mostly faced the second-team defense).

Hunt looked sharp on his intermediate passes as well. He threw his first touchdown on an out route to Ben Lewis, who beat freshman safety Rodney Williams in coverage.
After the score, the offense turned around and drove the defense right back down the field. Hunt finished off the drive again, hitting redshirt freshman wide receiver Sean Avant in the left side of the end zone.

His last touchdown toss came on a 55-yard connection with West down the left sideline.

Young defensive linemen have up-and-down day

The defensive line had to plug some holes on the interior because Eric Crume and Ryan Sloan were held out of practice. It forced Ron Thompson to slide inside next to Isaiah Johnson, and Shafer has been happy with Thompson's play.

There still seems to be some work to do to get the young defensive tackles ready to play. On one instance, Wayne Williams struggled to get in his stance when the first-team offense picked up the pace of play. Marcus Coleman had one of the few apparent penalties when he jumped offsides.

Ivan Foy, Omari Palmer, Rob Trudo featured on first-team offensive line

While the Syracuse staff shuffled various skill-position players in with each quarterback, the lone offensive position group to really stick to a team was the offensive line. Here's a look at the first- and second-team units from Saturday.

First team: LT Sean Hickey, LG Omari Palmer, C John Miller, RG Rob Trudo, RT Ivan Foy

Second team: LT Michael Lasker, LG Alex Hayes, C Jason Emerich, RG Aaron Roberts, RT Jamar McGloster

Lasker was listed ahead of Foy on the pre-training camp depth chart after Foy was suspended from spring ball due to academic issues. And while it may not necessarily mean a shift in the battle, Foy worked with Hunt and that unit on its first four possessions.

Lasker got a few plays in with the first team when he subbed in for Hickey at left tackle at one point.

Looking at the guard battle, returning starter Nick Robinson did not play in the scrimmage. He missed spring ball with a lower-body injury. Trudo, who started every game at left guard last season, worked on the opposite side of the center.

Freshmen see extensive time on defense

A good number of true freshmen took a significant number of reps for the defense: Zaire Franklin was working at middle linebacker with Luke Arciniega and Ollie Vigille not practicing.
Parris Bennett, Jonathan Thomas and Colton Moskal also saw time with the second-team unit. Moskal dropped an interception but was in good position to make the play. And safety Rodney Williams made a great open-field tackle on Ben Lewis near the line of scrimmage.

Jarrod West, Sean Avant, Ben Lewis, Steve Ishmael shine for WRs

West and Hunt have both spoken about the improved rapport they bring into this season. They spent a lot of time this summer running routes and getting in tune with one another. That showed on Hunt's deep balls Saturday as West caught all three in stride.

Avant saw possibly the most repetitions of any receiver with Brisly Estime sidelined due to a sprained ankle and Corey Winfield being moved to cornerback. He looked fluid in the offense, catching bubble screens and button routes. He didn't drop any balls that he should have caught and didn't appear to be out of place at any time.

Lewis caught the first touchdown of the game on an out route from Hunt and also played a relatively clean scrimmage. He saw action with every quarterback.

And Ishmael, the highly touted freshman, made a nice catch up the right sideline on a throw from Austin Wilson. After stepping out of bounds, Ishmael received a powerful congratulation from Foy, who tried to grab him by the shoulder pads but comically knocked him to the ground.

Ishmael caught a couple shorter throws and made as much of an impression as any offensive freshman save maybe Ervin Phillips.

Veteran defensive backs play well

The starting secondary has long defenders in Julian Whigham and Durell Eskridge coupled with a pair of physical defensive backs in Brandon Reddish and Darius Kelly. If you heard the cracking of pads on a tackle, there was a good chance Kelly was in on it, and Reddish came up and made a tackle for loss on Adrian Flemming in a rare period when the first-team offense faced the first-team defense.

Chauncey Scissum, Ritchy Desir and Wayne Morgan are all going to play this year, especially when Syracuse lines up in its Okie package. Scissum made a nice play swatting away a deep ball. The defense didn't force any turnovers.

Young and old RBs lead group

Speaking of Phillips, he nearly juked linebacker Josh Kirkland out of his shoes on one of the first plays of the scrimmage. Earlier this week, running backs coach DeAndre Smith said that he expects Phillips to play this year, and on Saturday we saw why. He has the ability to make guys miss, and looked good both running between the tackles and catching the ball out of the backfield.

Phillips is behind four experienced running backs in Prince-Tyson Gulley, George Morris II, Devante McFarlane and Adonis Ameen-Moore, but he'll be a guy to keep a close eye on through the rest of training camp.

Ameen-Moore was the other back to play particularly well. He bulldozed freshman cornerback Cordell Hudson on the second possession of the scrimmage and showed that despite dropping some weight, he's still a tough guy to wrap up.

 

[statis22]

Maan Iowa is gonna shove it in Nebraska just like they did last year.

 

[finallyfamous]

Iowa

Child please

 

[chevellerollin]

Rell with the usual long Syracuse post

 

[zs05wc]

I guess since I didn't realize there was a new thread I'll post this pic I posted in the old one. The under the lights uniforms. Don't mind them too much except for the stripes on the numbers.
View media item 1124404

 

[rell826]

Someone's gotta rep

 

[statis22]

Iowa

Child please

The standard 3 years of mediocrity then win 10 & a major bowl bid. They're due.

Iowa's gon be good, schedule way too light.

 

[00david00]

Max Wittek walking on at Hawaii.

That's USC QBs for you.

He messed up when he didn't graduate on time. Has to sit a year now and will only have 1 yr of eligibility, as opposed to being able to play immediately.

 

[DeadsetAce]

I guess since I didn't realize there was a new thread I'll post this pic I posted in the old one. The under the lights uniforms. Don't mind them too much except for the stripes on the numbers.
View media item 1124404

hate those stripes

 

[herbshuttles15]

Here's a clearer pic

The stripes on the uniforms will have a shiny look

 

[ThaxbyChamblis]

The standard 3 years of mediocrity then win 10 & a major bowl bid. They're due.

Kansas St is gonna mess around @ somehow win 10 games too

 

[newbs24]

Not worried about unis, more worried about what 5 OL will be able to block an opposing player... And, if the defense can show signs of life... They either made a play on the ball or got torched... Much more of the latter... Need to be more consistent... I think the DL will be much improved and I wouldn't mind seeing Ray Taylor as the other S if Jabrill is locked into the nickel and Blake and JD Lewis are the corners.

 

[ThaxbyChamblis]

@SBNationCFB: Is Saban just being Saban, or does Alabama have actual worries? http://t.co/7pp8iIDz31 by @rollbamaroll

 

[District of Columbia]

#AskJameis on Twitter [emoji]128514[/emoji][emoji]128514[/emoji][emoji]128514[/emoji][emoji]128514[/emoji]

Lmao u think these PR dudes would've learned by now them joints have the same outcome everytime

 

[champcruthik]

#AskJameis on Twitter [emoji]128514[/emoji][emoji]128514[/emoji][emoji]128514[/emoji][emoji]128514[/emoji]

Lmao u think these PR dudes would've learned by now them joints have the same outcome everytime

Can't be worse flames than Draya.

Maan Iowa is gonna shove it in Nebraska just like they did last year.

We'll see November 28th. I'm taking Nebraska confidently, even at Kinnick.

 

[rook]

taylor martinez isnt at nebraska anymore right?

 

[champcruthik]

taylor martinez isnt at nebraska anymore right?

Armstrong is the new starter. Started and won the Gator Bowl against Georgia.

 

[gunna get it]

Before the concussion at APK I woulda said Zack Darlington wod have a chance to start sometime in his 1st yr at Nebraska. But after reading that the concussion has caused him to develop a stutter, I don't think he shod even be playing football anymore

 

[herbshuttles15]

 

[rigby]

About to be 3 championship visits since 2010 and 2 wins since 2010

let's go

 

[ThaxbyChamblis]

Jalen Ramsey got booted out of practice today for hitting (or causing someone to hit) Jameis lol

This was after he swung on a frosh TE and had been repeatedly told to not try to kill his teammates when thudding