A lot of good X's and O's stuff hit the web this week. Enjoy.
Chip Kelly on Designing an Offense | Smart Football
When I was hiring staff, I wanted to hire a lot of smart people. Then let’s sit together as a group and say, ‘Alright, what did you do in the quick game? How do we want to do it in the quick game? This is what we did here.
Personnel groupings: Running with four wide receivers - Football Study Hall
Running out of an empty or nearly-empty backfield comes with the benefit of a scattered defense looking to cover the outside. But that also comes without a lead blocker. How does that balance play out in the end? It turns out that extra space is allowing for extra yardage on the ground.
Basketball on Grass - Football Study Hall
The only potentially helpful rule for defense is that if the offense substitutes personnel, it isn't allowed to snap the ball until the defense has had the chance to substitute as well. Of course, if an offense can use quick-tempo and be multiple without substituting, the defense is in a bind that worries even the likes of Nick Saban.
An interview with Art Briles, who's already two steps ahead of you - SBNation.com
We got in a position early where we got a good lead, and we sat on it, quite honestly. We sat on 49 points, but we sat on it. That's what that was all about. The only thing I feel bad about is that it cost Nick the No. 1 offensive leader in America. He was the leader all through the season, and he went to No. 2 after the bowl game.
This is an interesting look back at some games that were fun to watch.
We found ten times in the conference championship era of college football where a team that would have hosted a title game ended up losing at a neutral site by five points or less. Feast, fans of revisionist history.
Do you all think Dan Mullen is still a hot commodity? Will he jump to a bigger program soon?
Mississippi State lessens football sanctions with self-imposed penalties - Yahoo! Sports
The school was dealt only a light blow by the NCAA Committee on Infractions Friday for impermissible benefits received by a Bulldogs football player.
Longhorn Network makes playing Texas worthless: Just ask Ole Miss - SBNation.com
As announced Tuesday, the second and final game between the Rebels and Longhorns in Austin has been optioned by LHN, relegating the game to a paltry TV audience of an estimated 10 million subscribers nationwide and virtually blacking out the visiting team's TV footprint (for now). If it's aired only on the LHN, almost no one in SEC country will see the game, nor will any future college football players in almost every state the Rebels regularly recruit.
Recruits running their jibs in public. Never a good idea.
KM: The Urban Meyer thing was just funny to me. He came to my school a week after I told his assistant that I wasn't even interested in them. I told him no to his face, and it's got to be one of the top five reactions of someone ever. His facial expression was just so funny. My coach was tearing up and had to go in his office to laugh. BR: Talk more about coach Meyer's face when you told him no. Was he mad, upset? KM: More like the state of shock where the guy has literally never been told no in his life. It literally looked like a kid the first time you tell him 'no, you can't do something.' It looked like he was a baby about to cry. It was so funny.
All of these Penn State people need to go away.
Court rejects appeal from accused Penn St. administrators - CBSSports.com
Ex-Penn State athletic director Tim Curley and ex-vice PSU vice president Gary Schultz had asked for the court to dismiss the charges againt them. A previous appeal had been denied by a grand jury judge in April who said he did not have the jurisdiction to consider the complaint, leaving only one other potential avenue for a dismissal, an appeal filed in county court by accused former Penn State president Graham Spanier.
Texas A&M is getting a ludicrous amount of press this off-season. How do you all think Sumlin, Manziel & company do on the field this fall?
2013 MLB draft -- Kohl Stewart to sign with Minnesota Twins, passes up Texas A&M football - ESPN
Even though so many who followed the journey of Houston St. Pius X pitcher and 2013 ESPN 150 quarterback Kohl Stewart assumed the flamethrowing right-hander already had his mind and heart set on playing pro baseball, Stewart planned to be a Texas A&M Aggie.
The adventures of Johnny Manziel now include a music video (Video) | Dr. Saturday - Yahoo! Sports
If you’ve been waiting for Johnny Manziel’s offseason off-field antics to finally hit their peak, today might be your lucky day. The reigning Heisman Trophy winner and everyone’s favorite rising sophomore is now in a music video.
Texas A&M's Kevin Sumlin on modern recruiting, NCAA Football 14 and more - SBNation.com
I'll tell you what we have. We've got two solid weeks of camps going on. We had a one-day high school camp on Sunday. We had a youth camp just finishing up [Wednesday]. We've got a O-line, D-line, quarterback, wide receiver academy that starts Thursday. We'll have another one-day camp Sunday. We've got a kicking camp coming up, and then we'll have a youth camp.
Freshman USC WR Steven Mitchell out for year with knee injury - College Football - SI.com
Southern California incoming freshman receiver Steven Mitchell will miss the 2013 season after tearing ligaments in his right knee.
Colin Cowherd Rips Alabama’s 2013 Football Schedule
"Six of those teams on that schedule are in the toilet. Their toughest game honestly is their second game of the year, Texas A&M. What do you know? They’ve got a bye before it, because Saban pretty much runs the conference. By the way they also face LSU, they get a bye before that.
Golden Nugget Releases 2013 College Football Games Of The Year By Don Best Staff
Don Best has revealed the Golden Nugget's 250 College Football Games of the Year that were the first odds officially released to the betting public in Las Vegas at 1 p.m. (PT) on Friday, June 7.
Notre Dame lines are below.
Temple +24
Michigan - Even
Purdue +14
Michigan State +6
Oklahoma +2
Arizona State +4
USC +5
Air Force +18
Navy +18
Pitt +10.5
BYU +11
Stanford -5.5
Bengals rookie Tyler Eifert on transitioning to the NFL & Skyline chili - SBNation.com
Dan Rubenstein of SB Nation caught up with Tyler Eifert at the 2013 NFLPA Rookie Premiere about adjusting to NFL life, the city of Cincinnati, and other fun football and non-pigskin related topics.
Tommy Rees was back in the news this week after CBK sort of named him the starter.
BRIAN KELLY KNOWS WHAT DANGER IS - Every Day Should Be Saturday
Brian Kelly woke up and walked right past the toothbrush, eyeing it. Daring it to hop from the porcelain cradle and scrape the bacteria off his sparkling white teeth. It wouldn't, because it and the rest of the world were cowards.
Notre Dame Football analysis: Is there a higher ceiling for Rees? - southbendtribune.com
"We have Tommy Rees, who is an established player, and he will be our starter. We think Andrew Hendrix and Malik Zaire can contribute, but Tommy will be our starter. We are under construction right now. It's 2013, and we are putting our football team together."
The HLS crew tore up this stellar Gregg Doyel piece.
Nothing Golden About Gregg Doyel's Hackjob - Her Loyal Sons
Loyal readers, I give you Gregg Doyel (only linking so you don’t think I’m making this up) and his well deserved destruction below.
Keith embedded a bunch of really entertaining videos in this one.
Fantasy Camp fun | Inside the Irish
As someone that had the opportunity to participate in this coaching staff’s very first Fantasy Camp, I can tell you that it’s an incredible experience.
Notre Dame Football: Replacing Notre Dame's Defensive Leadership in '13
Replacing the most decorated player in the history of college football and one of the greatest players in Notre Dame history is no easy task, but it is the reality the 2013 Irish face.
It's always interesting to see what Phil's take is.
Congrats to Joe Schmidt on picking up a scholarship.
Congrats to @joeschmidtiv for earning a scholarship. His success last season was the tip of the iceberg. #WOPU #schollie
— Chris Salvi (@CSalvi24) June 7, 2013
Be sure to catch up with everything that we've had going on around here this week. Just hit our home page.
Have a great weekend!