Washington plays its first non-conference opponent

The Seattle Times has the story on the first ever match-up between the University of Washington football team and a non-BCS opponent.

An interesting sub-theme in the article concerns what BCS teams looking for an easy opponent are willing to pay to a team willing to take a pounding in exchange for some cash:

And with BCS teams trying to schedule as advantageously as possible, the ante has risen in attracting opponents. San Jose State, for instance, got $900,000 for a trip to Alabama last year. [UW athletic director] Woodward said "it's just nuts" what some non-BCS FBS schools are seeking in guarantees.

I think there is a paper waiting to be written (or maybe already written ...) looking at the determination of these payouts.

Welcome to the Pac-12

A guide for new members Colorado and Utah from Bud Withers at the Seattle Times.

Only a week to go ....

Slick Rick update

Ted Miller offers some optimism (?) and some kind words (?) about former Washington football coach Rick Neuheisel, now on the hot seat as coach at UCLA.

Sleeping ducks, lie

Oregon's great tradition of sleaze waddles on.

NCAA busy addressing important issues

In particular, the important issue of what bagel spreads schools can offer to their athletic recruits.

Hat tip: Dann Millimet

Steve Kelly on Sark and UW football

Seattle Times columnist Steve Kelly modestly claims that coach Steve Sarkisian has "raised UW football from the dead."

Maybe so. I'm looking forward to the season.

College football recruiting rankings

In the latest CBS rankings, Michigan is at #1 and Washington is at #18.

I am amazed that Michigan is doing so well with a new coach.

A Big "10" primer for Nebraska, which will be the 12th team

From ESPN, an informative guide to Big "10" football for the incoming Cornhuskers.

Taster:

MICHIGAN STATE

If you want to get under their skin, just go up to Michigan State fans wearing Spartans jerseys and say, "Oh, couldn't get into Michigan, huh?"

Then duck.

Good stuff.

Hat tip: Dann Millimet

Napoleon Kaufman

Former U of Washington star running back Napoleon Kaufman now runs, and ministers to, his own church in Oakland.

Husky football

Scout.com offers their preview of the fall season.

Mocking Ohio State

Annarbor.com on the recent wave of t-shirts taking advantage of the recent ethical lapses at Michigan's arch rival in Columbus.

Pac-12

The Pac-12 officially came into being today, replacing the Pac-10.

Columnist Bud Withers of the Seattle Times ponders the changes in college sports that have transpired since 33 years ago, when the Pac-8 became the Pac-10

And here is a report on the Pac-12's television deal. More games on national TV is good for me.

Hi, I'm Tressel

My colleague Charlie Brown suggests an audit pair study for the young men (and women) named Tressel down there in Ohio-land, the better to determine the treatment effect associated with this now unfortunate moniker.

The problem is that N = 20 is a bit low if one sticks to the actual Tressels, though of course one could train auditors to pretend to be Tressels for the sake of science.

Al Burleson

A feel-good story from Husky football: Former cornerback Al Burleson, who played right around the time my father started taking me to games when his usual companion was out of town on business, gets his degree at age 56.

Tressel out at Ohio State

Jim Tressel has resigned as football coach at Ohio State, and apparently Ohio State will play all of next season with an interim coach.

Tressel should have spent more time reading about Richard Nixon. The punishment for the cover-up is always worse than the punishment for the crime.

Good news for Michigan and Brady Hoke. Bad news, I would say, for college football overall.

Addendum: here is the pounding from Sports Illustrated that makes it clear why Tressel had to go now.

Honoring Jim Tressel

A Michigan fan springs for a billboard.

Jake Locker

Jake Locker becomes the first University of Washington quarterback to be drafted in the first round of the NFL draft, despite those puzzlingly low scores on the Wonderlic. This is no small achievement given that the list of past UW quarterbacks to play in the NFL includes Warren Moon and Mark Brunell.

Cornhuskers

Off Tackle Empire welcomes Nebraska to the Big Ten (11, 12, etc.)

Hat tip: Dann Millimet

New Michigan football coach

Brady Hoke is suddenly Michigan's new coach. I did not even know the name until about a week ago.

I'm glad they went with someone with past Michigan connnections. I worry that he lacks experience in the upper echelons of the college football world but then so did Don James when U-Dub plucked him out of Kent State.

Should be interesting.

Rich Rod on his way

According to annarbor.com, they really are going to unhire Rich Rod today as Michigan football coach.