Upset Alert in College Football tonight?

UCF at Louisville 7:00 p.m. ESPN (HD) - Could Top 10 Cardinals fall at home in this important AAC game tonight?  The Magic 8 Ball suggests not.

NFL showcased Peyton Manning in Season Opener, while Friday Night spotlights 2 College Games in Week 2

Thursday night debut of the 2013 NFL Season spotlights Denver's Peyton Manning in a record tying Season Opener

Friday, September 6th

UCF at Florida International 7:00 p.m. CBSSN (HD) - New AAC member vs. new C-USA member in Miami, FL.

Wake Forest at Boston College 7:00 p.m. ESPN2 (HD) - An ACC showdown in Week 2, ae two Atlantic Division foes square off.

Have a great weekend !!!

Coach Fran McCaffery hires 2Nd assistant at Iowa: former Central Florida head coach Kirk Speraw returns to alma mater

On Friday, April 24, 2010, the University of Iowa announced that ...

IOWA CITY, IA - - University of Iowa Head Basketball Coach Fran McCaffery has named former Hawkeye Kirk Speraw an assistant coach on his basketball staff. The hiring of Speraw was announced today and becomes effective immediately.

"I'm excited and honored for the opportunity to return to the University
of Iowa and reconnect with friends and fans of the Hawkeye basketball program,"
said Speraw. "My family and I are extremely appreciative of Coach McCaffery for
this opportunity. I'm eager to help and hit the ground running. I'm very
impressed with Coach McCaffery and his vision for the program."

"I'm ecstatic to have KirkSperaw join our staff," said McCaffery. "I have known Kirk a long time and have tremendous respect for his knowledge, character and reputation. When I was at the Final Four, Lute Olson recommended him very highly, as has everyone else I have spoken to about him. Kirk is very well known and liked in the state of Iowa and it is great to have a Hawkeye on the staff."

Speraw, who is a Sioux City, IA native has over three decades of basketball coaching experience. He is a two-time Hawkeye letterman (1978-79) who played for Head Coach Lute Olson. He was a member of the 1978-79 squad that won 20 contests and a Big Ten title. As a senior, he was named the team's most inspirational player.

As both an assistant and head coach, Speraw has mentored dozens of players who have played professionally, including Hawkeyes Ronnie Lester, Steve Krafcisin, Vince Brookins, Steve Waite, Kenny Arnold, Kevin Boyle, Mark Gannon and Bobby Hansen.

Speraw began his coaching career with the Hawkeyes, serving as a graduate assistant with Iowa's 1979-80 team that advanced to the Final Four. The Hawkeyes went 23-8 that season. Speraw then moved to Denver University, where he was an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for two years (1980-82).

Speraw joins the Hawkeyes after serving 17 years as head coach at the University of Central Florida (1993-2010). Speraw is the school's winningest coach with a 279-233 record. During his tenure, 18 of his players received all-league honors, including four first team honorees. Additionally, since the start of the 1993-94 season, 54 of Speraw's student-athletes earned academic all-conference recognition.

His tenure included four NCAA Tournament berths (1994, '96, '04 and `05). In 2006-07, he was recognized as Conference USA Coach of the Year after guiding the Knights to 22 victories and a second place league finish. His most successful season at UCF was in 2003-04, when the Knights finished 25-6, received votes in the top 25 and won the Atlantic Sun championship, earning an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Prior to his head coaching job at UCF, he served as an assistant coach at the University of Florida for three seasons (1990-93) under Head Coach Lon Kruger. While on the Florida staff, the Gators participated in two NIT's, including advancing to the semifinals in 1992.
Prior to his three years in Gainesville, Speraw was the head coach at Pensacola Junior College (PJC) from 1987-90. At PJC, he led the Pirates to an 82-21 record and three consecutive Panhandle Conference titles. His 1989-90 team won 31 games and finished fifth nationally. The team's success that year earned Speraw national recognition. He was tabbed the NABC/Kodak National Junior College Coach of the Year, as well as the state's Coach of the Year.

Speraw also had a coaching stop at Florida Southern, serving as an assistant from 1982-87. The Moccasins posted a 100-46 record and made four appearances in the Division II NCAA Tournament, including a third-place finish in 1986.

Speraw and his wife, Tracy (an Iowa City native), have two sons, Drew and Dustin, and two daughters, Brooke and Bailey. Drew played for his dad at Central Florida for four years, completing his eligibility this past season. Brooke is currently a University of Iowa student.

SPERAW COACHING CHART

• Iowa Graduate Assistant 1979-80


• Denver Assistant Coach 1980-82


• Florida Southern Assistant Coach 1983-87


• Pensacola Junior College Head Coach 1987-90


• Florida Assistant Coach 1990-93


• Central Florida Head Coach 1993-2010

What others reported on Kirk Speraw hire by Iowa coach Fran McCaffery:

Iowa hires former UCF coach Speraw as assistant ‎- SI.com
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) -- Iowa coach Fran McCaffery has hired former Central Florida coach Kirk Speraw as an assistant. Speraw was recently fired after 17 ...

Kirk Speraw Named to Fran McCaffery's Staff at Iowa ‎ - Bleacher Report

Hawkeye basketball: Kirk Speraw joins McCaffery's staff ‎ - DesMoinesRegister.com

Kirk Speraw joins Iowa's men's basketball staff – this seems like ... ‎ - Gazette Online (blog)

In closing, Kirk Speraw was one of my first "fan" favorites, when he was a basketball player under coach Lute Olson in the 1970s. Coach McCaffery has announced two of his three assistants for the Iowa Basketball program. Speculation is high about a couple of other former Iowa players filling the third assistant position, as well as the graduate assistant position.

peace

It's certainly been an odd week so far in College Football with the news at Florida and now Texas Tech

What's going on around College Football, since Christmas? Urban Meyer is going and now on leave of absence. Now, Texas Tech is suspending coach Mike Leach, due to treatment of one of his players.

Who makes the hires while Meyer is away? - ESPN (blog)‎
Assuming Urban Meyer is indeed coming back after his leave, you know it's going to be his call at the end of the day. Most signs point to Chuck Heater ...
Ex-Gators cast doubt on Urban Meyer's sub - USA Today (blog)
To understand Meyer's flip-flop, one must first understand his past - SI.com
Florida's Interim Coach Is Like Meyer, but With a Passion All His Own - New York Times

What impact will Urban Meyer's leave of absence have on the Gators recruiting for 2010 and beyond?

Meyer's leave will have impact on Florida recruiting - USA Today
With signing day a little more than five weeks away, Urban Meyer's decision to take a leave of absence as Florida coach has created uncertainty with some of ...
Urban Meyer's gridiron guessing game - Palm Beach Post (blog)

The news out of the Texas Tech pre-bowl camp is even more odd ...

Leach's attorney says coach did no wrong‎ - AP
The lawyer for Mike Leach says the suspended Texas Tech coach did nothing wrong in how he treated a player with a "mild" concussion. ...

Texas Tech suspends Mike Leach after player complains about treatment‎ - USA Today
Texas Tech has suspended coach Mike Leach from all duties following a complaint from a player and his parents regarding Leach's treatment of the athlete ...

At least college football fans can enjoy some more bowl action today, with two more bowl games on ESPN ...

The Prime Time Game on ESPN tonight:

Champs Sports

Miami-FL vs. Wisconsin
Orlando, Fla. at the Florida Citrus Bowl
Kickoff is Dec. 29Th at 7 p.m. Central Time

The Wisconsin Badgers didn't fare well last year in Orlando vs. Florida State, so will the trip to face the Hurricanes be better in 2009? Maybe a prime time game for the Badgers will allow them to play better, than last year's day game in the 2008 Champs Sports Bowl?

Both teams finished 5-3 in their respective conferences, the ACC and the Big Ten; and 9-3 overall for the season.

Our Pick: Miami-FL 34, Wisconsin 32

The Tune up Game before tonight's Prime Time game on ESPN:

EagleBank

UCLA vs. Temple
Washington, D.C. at RFK Stadium
Kickoff is Dec. 29 at 3:30 p.m. Central Time

A Pac 10 vs. MAC showdown in Washington D.C. When is the last time a MAC team won a bowl game? Heck, the same can be said for UCLA, who have not been stellar in bowl games either. UCLA was only 3-6 in the Pac 10 in '09, 6-6 overall. Temple finished 7-1 in the MAC East, tied with Ohio U for first place. The Owls were 9-3 overall.

Our Pick: Temple 27, UCLA 24

peace

Exciting finish in New Mexico, with next bowl coming up in St. Petersburg

Great finish in the first bowl game of the season with Wyoming defeating Fresno State in OT 35-28 in the New Mexico Bowl to kick off the 2009-10 bowl season.

Next up:
Sat., Dec. 19 at 7 p.m. Central Time
St. Petersburg Bowl from St. Petersburg, Fla.
Big East vs. C-USA: Rutgers vs. Central Florida

The Rutgers Scarlet Knights were picked by some in the pre-season to be the top contender in the Big East Conference in 2009, but the Scarlet Knights finished 3-4, tied for fourth in the Big East, and 8-4 overall. Central Florida Knights didn't enter the 2009 season with high expectations, but finished second in the C-USA East Division at 6-2, 8-4 overall for the 2009 season.

Rutgers was 8-5 in 2008 and won 29-23 in the Papajohns.com Bowl 29-23 over North Carolina State, while Central Florida finished 4-8 in 2008 and have only played in two bowl games in the school's history, losing both games, including the 2007 Liberty Bowl 3-10 to Mississippi State. Rutgers is 3-2 all-time in bowl games.

Prediction for the St. Petersburg Bowl:

Could three be the charm, as the Central Florida plays in its third bowl ever vs. a Rutgers team that is seeking to win their fourth straight bowl game in four years.

Rutgers 38, Central Florida 26

peace

Sidenote: Iowa beats Drake in basketball to stop a two game skid in the series, as well as win one of the three games in the Iowa Four Pack series. Creighton travels to undefeated New Mexico to face Steve Alford's club that is rising in the Top 25 right now.

College Football '09: Let's break down the Conference USA and it's opportunities

Does the Conference USA any BCS noise with a surprise candidate in '09. How does the conference breakdown in '09 for C-USA?

• C-USA is ranked #9 by Jeff Sagarin as a conference in FBS
• The WAC at least has Boise State to carry the torch
• Unlike the C-USA, even the MAC had Ball State last year up to the bowls
• Will a program emerge as a strong Top 25 candidate for C-USA in '09?

Ranked teams in the AP and Coaches' preseason polls:

none

Some magazines do like these C-USA in the Top 25 preseason:

• East Carolina
• Houston

Teams rebuilding in the C-USA in '09

• Tulsa
• Rice

Teams rated below the FBS mark of #120 in 2009?

• Tulane
• SMU

Will the C-USA East Division finish this way in 2009??

1. East Carolina * (6-2 in '08) (5-5 in bowls)
2. Southern Miss (4-4) (9-8)
3. Central Florida (3-5)
4. Memphis (4-4) (3-3)
5. Marshall (3-5) (5-2)
6. UAB (3-5) (0-2)

Will the C-USA West Division finish this way in 2009?

1. Houston (6-2) (8-10-1)
2. Tulsa * (7-1) (7-9)
3. UTEP (4-4) (5-7)
4. Rice (7-1) (5-4)
5. SMU (0-8) (4-6-1)
6. Tulane (1-7) (4-6)

* denotes 2008 C-USA division champs (source for above list)

Last BCS title winner

No C-USA team has ever participated in a BCS bowl.

Kickoff Game of the Season

Friday, Sept 4
Tulsa at Tulane

New Orleans, La. 7:00 PM CT
GameTracker
TV: ESPN

Final Look at the C-USA teams, using the preseason Jeff Sagarin NCAA football ratings:

1. Tulsa (#53 in Sagarin ratings) - Coach Todd Graham is entering his 3rd season and the Golden Hurricane are coming off a 45-13 win in GMAC over Ball State of the MAC (back to back wins in this bowl over the MAC)... 39 letterwinners with 5 OFF and 8 DEF plus punter returing from last year's team that finished 11-3. OOC tests @ New Mexico, @ OU, Sam Houston State and vs. Boise State., so a couple big opportunities OOC for Tulsa.


2. Southern Miss (#65) - Coach Larry Fedora is entering his 2nd season at the helm for the Golden Eagles, who won 30-27 over in the New Orleans over Troy of the Sun Belt. The Golden Eagles (7-6) return 41 letterwinners, with 10 OFF and 9 DEF, but must replace PK/PT Britt Barefoot, but a PK returns with experience. Southern Miss plays Alcorn State, Virginia, @ Kansas and @ Louisville in the OOC. Big home date with UVA in Week 3.


3. Houston (#66) - Coach Kevin Sumlin also is entering his 2nd season at the helm for the Cougars. The Cougars defeated Air Force 34-28 in Armed Forces to finish 8-5. The Cougars return 41 letterwinners, with 8 OFF and 4 DEF plus both kickers for '09. In the OOC, the Cougars face Northwestern State, @ Oklahoma State, Texas Tech and @ Mississippi State. C-USA teams will have some opportunities to pick up some quality wins.


4. East Carolina (#73) - Coach Skip Holtz enters his 5Th season, after making the Top 25 for 3 weeks last year after wins over Virginia Tech, West Virginia, @ Tulane and @ North Carolina State. OOC opponents for '09 are Appalachian State, @ West Virginia, @ North Carolina and vs. Virginia Tech for four very challenging OOC opponents for ECU, who return 51 letterwinners, with 9 OFF and 7 DEF plus both kickers. ECU lost 19-25 in Liberty vs. Kentucky to finish 9-5 last year.


5. Rice (#91) - Coach David Biliff enters his 3rd season at the helm for the Owls, who are coming off a 38-14 win over Western Michigan the Texas to finish 10-3. The Owls return 49 letterwinners, including 4 OFF and 9 DEF plus both kickers. The OOC slate includes @ Texas Tech, @ Oklahoma State, Vanderbilt and Navy for the Owls in '09.


6. Central Florida (#93) - Coach George O'Leary enters his 6Th season leading the Knights. The Knights finished 4-8 last year... 44 letterwinners return, with 9 OFF and 6 DEF plus punter. The OOC schedule begins with Samford, Buffalo, Miami-FL and @ Texas intermixed with C-USA play.


7. Memphis (#100) - Coach Tommy West is entering his 9Th season for the Tigers. The Tigers finished 6-7 last year, but lost 14-41 to USF in the St. Petersburg. The Tigers return 49 letterwinners, with 5 OFF and 7 DEF plus their placekicker. The '09 OOC slate opens with Mississippi as usual, with @ Middle Tennessee, UT-Martin and a later season game at Tennessee after 5/8Ths of C-USA play.


8. UTEP (#101) - Coach Mike Price enters his 6Th season at the helm for the Miners who were 5-7 last year. The Miners return 55 letterwinners, including 8 OFF and 7 DEF plus their punter. The OOC schedule includes Buffalo, Kansas, @ New Mexico State and @ Texas in '09, before opening C-USA play vs. Houston.



9. Marshall (#103) - Coach Mark Snyder is entering his 5Th year at the helm for the Thundering Herd that finished 4-8 last season. The Herd return 46 letterwinners, with 8 OFF and 8 DEF plus both kickers. The OOC slate begins with Southern Illinois, @ Virginia Tech, Bowling Green, then a later game in the middle of C-USA play @ West Virginia.


10. UAB (#118) - Coach Neil Callaway enters his 3Rd season at the helm for the Blazers. The Blazers return 51 letterwinners, with 11 OFF and 7 DEF from a 4-8 team in '08. The Blazers open the '09 season vs. Rice and vs. SMU in C-USA, then play @ Troy and @ Texas A&M and later OOC games @Mississippi and vs. Florida Atlantic.
    
11. Tulane (#134) - Coach Bob Toledo is entering his 3rd season and finished 2-10 last year. The Green Wave return 53 letterwinners, including 7 OFF and 6 DEF plus punter. The Green Wave picked up wins over ULM and SMU in '08. The OOC slate for '09 includes BYU, McNeese State, @ Army and @ LSU.


12. SMU (#135) - Coach June Jones enters his 2Nd season at the helm for the Mustangs, after leaving Hawaii. His first season finished 1-11, with only win against FCS Texas State. The Mustangs return 51 letterwinners, including 8 OFF and 8 DEF but will have to see an newcomer emerge as PK/PT. OOC schedule for Mustangs in '09 is Stephen F. Austin, @ Washington State, @ TCU and Navy.

A look back at last year's statistics in the Conference USA.

peace