TicketsWelcome to everyone's favorite weekly feature, the brief Tuesday Breakfast before I head off to the media luncheon.
Have a feeling there may be more discussion about the powderkeg of the college football landscape than the Keg of Nails today, but I could be wrong. People have asked me all the time during this how much all the realignment and conference stuff is affecting the team. From everyone I talk to, it affects the team about as much as the Derek Jeter-Minka Kelly relationship rumors. They hear about it, but that's about the extent of it.
That goes double for the veterans driving this team, because it won't even affect them. Maybe they follow it because their Twitter feed is filled with it, but beyond that, they could care less. They care about beating up on Louisville on Saturday. Which works out nicely for the coaching staff.
Let's eat...
--- With the official announcement of TCU moving to the Big 12, the Big East announced it will consider adding six more football schools to get itself to 12 teams.
Here is the story on that from Andy Katz and Andrea Adelson.
The schools mentioned in the ESPN article are UCF, East Carolina, Army, Navy, Air Force, Memphis and, of course, the move to FBS for Villanova.
While it was discussed, no raise in the exit fee has come out of the recent meetings, so a decision for one of the current schools to leave would still cost $5 million. I would put the world "only" in front of that figure, but my fingers won't allow me tot type it.
As has been the case for a week now, everyone waits on Missouri. The Tigers had a 45-page document outlining their options leak yesterday. It said they can make up to $12 million more each year with a move to the SEC and listed possible future Big 12 members as Louisville, BYU, TCU, WVU and Notre Dame (excluding football).
--- Commissioner John Marinatto issued this statement on TCU's acceptance of the Big 12 invitation:
"Although never having competed as a member of the BIG EAST Conference, we are disappointed with the news that TCU is joining the Big 12. As noted earlier today, our presidents met via teleconference this morning to focus on the future and have authorized us to engage in formal expansion discussions with additional institutions. We anticipate taking action in the near future."
--- UC playing Louisville this week makes for an interesting backdrop, as Bill Koch writes today. The two have been great conference companions for a long time now. Of course, much like all of college athletics rivalries it seems, all of that is in jeopardy with the latest developments.
--- Cincinnati and Rutgers are the two biggest surprises of the non-conference Big East season, Adelson writes. They are both doing it with defense. Considering the struggling Louisville offense is coming in here this week, it's yet another opportunity to follow the model.
She also lists JK Schaffer as the league's defensive MVP at midseason.
The stats back that up: team-leading 35 tackles, 3.5 TFL, .5 sack, 3 INTs, 6 PBUs, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery for a TD.
The guy does it all.
--- Rush The Court broke out a list of 10 Players You Don't Know But Soon Will. For purposes of this blog it should be called Nine Players You Don't Know And Sean Kilpatrick.
RTC had this to say about SK:
"Sean Kilpatrick, Cincinnati- Mick Cronin has many key components from last year's surprise team back in the fold - namely Yancy Gates, Dion Dixon and Cashmere Wright - but he should be most excited about the return of Sean Kilpatrick. Straight out of Notre Dame Prep, Kilpatrick emerged as one of the premiere outside shooting weapons in the Big East during his debut campaign, a time when most freshmen struggle badly to find the bottom of the net. Kilpatrick earned all-Big East rookie honors and finished with a robust 38% mark from deep. Kilpatrick also ranked third on the team in scoring, fourth in assists and ended his year behind only Dion Dixon in offensive rating. Kilpatrick is a viable candidate to make a major jump in his second year under Cronin."
--- Some randomness...
--- I can only imagine the reactions of my friends who still work for Gannett when they read stories like this one. The CEO left and took a $37.1 million retirement and disability package. Under him, about 20k jobs evaporated.
--- As if working in the newspaper industry weren't dangerous enough: Police shootout in lobby of newspaper.
--- Hard not to root for Robbie Hummel this year.
--- Hey, want to see a mountain biker get trucked by an antelope? I thought so.
--- The first of the UC's string of three consecutive Keg of Nails victories came in 2008. Here are the highlights and postgame sound from the monsoon that came upon Papa John's Stadium.
Dustin Grutza, Hunter Cantwell and Mike Mickens, ah, nostalgia.
Have a feeling there may be more discussion about the powderkeg of the college football landscape than the Keg of Nails today, but I could be wrong. People have asked me all the time during this how much all the realignment and conference stuff is affecting the team. From everyone I talk to, it affects the team about as much as the Derek Jeter-Minka Kelly relationship rumors. They hear about it, but that's about the extent of it.
That goes double for the veterans driving this team, because it won't even affect them. Maybe they follow it because their Twitter feed is filled with it, but beyond that, they could care less. They care about beating up on Louisville on Saturday. Which works out nicely for the coaching staff.
Let's eat...
--- With the official announcement of TCU moving to the Big 12, the Big East announced it will consider adding six more football schools to get itself to 12 teams.
Here is the story on that from Andy Katz and Andrea Adelson.
The schools mentioned in the ESPN article are UCF, East Carolina, Army, Navy, Air Force, Memphis and, of course, the move to FBS for Villanova.
While it was discussed, no raise in the exit fee has come out of the recent meetings, so a decision for one of the current schools to leave would still cost $5 million. I would put the world "only" in front of that figure, but my fingers won't allow me tot type it.
As has been the case for a week now, everyone waits on Missouri. The Tigers had a 45-page document outlining their options leak yesterday. It said they can make up to $12 million more each year with a move to the SEC and listed possible future Big 12 members as Louisville, BYU, TCU, WVU and Notre Dame (excluding football).
--- Commissioner John Marinatto issued this statement on TCU's acceptance of the Big 12 invitation:
"Although never having competed as a member of the BIG EAST Conference, we are disappointed with the news that TCU is joining the Big 12. As noted earlier today, our presidents met via teleconference this morning to focus on the future and have authorized us to engage in formal expansion discussions with additional institutions. We anticipate taking action in the near future."
--- UC playing Louisville this week makes for an interesting backdrop, as Bill Koch writes today. The two have been great conference companions for a long time now. Of course, much like all of college athletics rivalries it seems, all of that is in jeopardy with the latest developments.
--- Cincinnati and Rutgers are the two biggest surprises of the non-conference Big East season, Adelson writes. They are both doing it with defense. Considering the struggling Louisville offense is coming in here this week, it's yet another opportunity to follow the model.
She also lists JK Schaffer as the league's defensive MVP at midseason.
The stats back that up: team-leading 35 tackles, 3.5 TFL, .5 sack, 3 INTs, 6 PBUs, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery for a TD.
The guy does it all.
--- Rush The Court broke out a list of 10 Players You Don't Know But Soon Will. For purposes of this blog it should be called Nine Players You Don't Know And Sean Kilpatrick.
RTC had this to say about SK:
"Sean Kilpatrick, Cincinnati- Mick Cronin has many key components from last year's surprise team back in the fold - namely Yancy Gates, Dion Dixon and Cashmere Wright - but he should be most excited about the return of Sean Kilpatrick. Straight out of Notre Dame Prep, Kilpatrick emerged as one of the premiere outside shooting weapons in the Big East during his debut campaign, a time when most freshmen struggle badly to find the bottom of the net. Kilpatrick earned all-Big East rookie honors and finished with a robust 38% mark from deep. Kilpatrick also ranked third on the team in scoring, fourth in assists and ended his year behind only Dion Dixon in offensive rating. Kilpatrick is a viable candidate to make a major jump in his second year under Cronin."
--- Some randomness...
--- I can only imagine the reactions of my friends who still work for Gannett when they read stories like this one. The CEO left and took a $37.1 million retirement and disability package. Under him, about 20k jobs evaporated.
--- As if working in the newspaper industry weren't dangerous enough: Police shootout in lobby of newspaper.
--- Hard not to root for Robbie Hummel this year.
--- Hey, want to see a mountain biker get trucked by an antelope? I thought so.
--- The first of the UC's string of three consecutive Keg of Nails victories came in 2008. Here are the highlights and postgame sound from the monsoon that came upon Papa John's Stadium.
Dustin Grutza, Hunter Cantwell and Mike Mickens, ah, nostalgia.