Week of 6/15
/I was on a vacation this week - with no access to the internet. But here are stories I caught up on …
6/15:
Iowa reached a separation agreement with longtime football strength coach Chris Doyle, and is effective immediately. Doyle had been placed on administrative leave earlier this month after a large group of former players spoke out about mistreatment that was focused on the strength coach
Robert Morris, located in a suburb of Pittsburgh, announced that they will move to the Horizon League from the Northeast Conference effective July 1. Since the league doesn’t sponsor football, the Colonials will play as an FCS Independent this season before becoming an associate member of the Big South in 2021
6/16:
Former coach Bob Stoops highlights the newest nominees for the College Football Hall of Fame. Stoops spent 18 seasons at Oklahoma, leaving as the school’s all-time winningest coach with 190 victories. He also led the Sooners to 10 Big 12 titles, 14 seasons of double-digit wins, and one national championship in 2000. Other new nominees that standout - Gary Pinkel (Head Coach at Missouri and Toledo), Champ Bailey (UGA cornerback), Ken Dorsey (Miami quarterback), Dwight Freeney (Syracuse defensive end), and Sebastian Janikowski (FSU kicker)
6/17:
The Southern Heritage Classic, an event that draws an average of more than 75k people between the game. tailgating and parade, has been canceled this year because of COVID-19. An annual football game between Jackson State and Tennessee State, has now been postponed for the second time in three years (2018 was canceled because of weather). A disappointment for so many fans, but the health and safety of all involved is most important.
Kevin Thomson, who entered the transfer portal just about a week ago, announced he will be joining the Washington Huskies. The Big Sky Offensive Player of the Year in 2019 will add some needed experience to the quarterback position - as the three other scholarship qbs on the roster have combined for just three college passes. Thomson, who is from Auburn, Washington, will face his former team, Sacramento State, on September 12th at Husky Stadium
Mississippi State and Washington State have scheduled a home-and-home series for 2030 and 2031. Will this be the Mike Leach Bowl? Leach, the new head coach of the Bulldogs, spent the previous eight seasons as the head coach at Washington State
6/18:
Alabama and Ohio State announced that they have scheduled a 2027-2028 home-and-home football series. These perennial playoff contenders last met on January 1, 2015, a 42-35 Buckeye victory that propelled them to the National Championship that year. Of their four meetings, with the Crimson Tide leading the series 3-1, the two schools have only met in the regular season once - back in 1986. With these games seven years away, one has to wonder if Dabo Swinney will be coaching Alabama?
It didn’t take long for Dillon Doyle, son of former Hawkeyes strength coach Chris Doyle, to leave Iowa and find a new home. Doyle entered the transfer portal on June 9th, and today he announced his intention to play for Baylor
6/19:
Clemson has 23 football players (28 athletes and other personnel) test positive for COVID-19. All were asymptomatic and have now begun self-isolation. The Tigers are now added to the growing list of schools that are seeing positive results in their athletes, and one can’t help but wonder if this trend will really cause problems for teams to compete this fall
The SWAC, which has led the FCS conferences in attendance for 42 of the last 43 years, is prepared to start its season on Labor Day, but they have plans in place to start as late as 10/17 or even cancel the season altogether if the coronavirus pandemic remains a problem. Southern University though has acted on their own by canceling their September 12th game against Florida A&M on Wednesday, and today announced a new 2020 schedule that doesn’t start until 9/19 - thus they postponed their meeting in Detroit against Tennessee State that was scheduled for 9/6
6/20:
After 14 Wildcat athletes tested positive for COVID-19, Kansas State has suspended football workouts for the next two weeks. They join Houston, who also suspended their workouts over a week ago
6/21:
Former USC center Max Tuerk died on Saturday while hiking with his parents. Tuerk was a freshman All-American in 2012 and selected to the All-Pac 12 first team as a junior. Unfortunately, a knee injury cut short his senior year.