College-Football Notebook
BCS officials say they will discuss a four-team playoff
¦BCS officials are going to have some serious discussions in the coming months about going to a plus-one format, which could create a four-team playoff in major college football.
John Swofford, the commissioner of the ACC and the new coordinator of the Bowl Championship Series, said yesterday that he intends to lead a “thorough” evaluation of the plus-one format. The BCS must determine in the next nine to 12 months what format it will use for the 2010 season (2011 bowls) so it can negotiate a new television deal.
Swofford and Mike Slive, the SEC commissioner and outgoing coordinator of the BCS, said that there was increased support among conference commissioners and university presidents for serious discussions about the plus-one, which would set the national championship game match-up after the Rose, Orange, Sugar and Fiesta bowls have been played.
Commissioners from all 11 major-college football conferences will meet in Miami in April and the plus-one will be a topic.
“I think we would be remiss if we didn’t have that discussion in full and play it out and see what the ramifications of it are in great detail,” Swofford said. “To see if there are unintended consequences there. What are the pluses, what are the minuses? Really drill into it so we can have the right kind of information…. You don’t know unless you have that discussion.”
¦Coach June Jones is leaving Hawaii to try to lead SMU back to respectability.
Jones, who coached Hawaii to an unbeaten regular season, resisted an emotional plea from Warriors fans and the governor and decided yesterday to return to the mainland to coach SMU, which finished 1-11. He agreed to a five-year deal at about $2 million a year, agent Leigh Steinberg said.
Jones was touched by the outpouring of support from Hawaii fans, including Gov. Linda Lingle, but he was ultimately lured by SMU’s facilities and bigger budget. Jones called Hawaii officials yesterday to tell them.
Jones spent Sunday in Dallas meeting with SMU officials and the search committee that has been working since late October to hire a replacement for Phil Bennett. As the day went on, more people from Hawaii reached out to Jones, hoping to persuade him to return to the team he has guided to national prominence the last nine years. Hawaii officials had made an offer of a salary of about $800,000 a year and a commitment to improve their facilities.
Jones, 54, went 75-41 at Hawaii, including 4-2 in bowls. His teams finished first in the WAC twice and second two other times. He spent 12 years in the NFL before taking the job at Hawaii in the late 1990s and also coached in the USFL and CFL.
¦Cornerback Brandon Flowers of Virginia Tech and tight end Jermichael Finley of Texas announced yesterday that they’ll leave school early to enter the NFL Draft.
Flowers, a junior this year, told the team he is projected as a second-round pick, Tech spokesman Bryan Johnston said yesterday. Flowers submitted paperwork to the NFL advisory committee in December.
Flowers was a second-team AP All-America as a sophomore and junior. He was third on the team in tackles this season with 86 and tied for the team lead with five interceptions.
Finley caught 45 passes for 573 yards and two touchdowns as a third-year sophomore this season.
¦Bob Palcic, who spent the past two seasons as the offensive-line coach at Wisconsin after 12 years in the NFL, was hired as the offensive-line coach at UCLA yesterday.
Palcic coached at UCLA in 1993, when UCLA won the Pac-10 title and played in the 1994 Rose Bowl. Rick Neuheisel, UCLA’s new head coach, was an assistant on that staff.
Paclic, 59, also has worked for the New Orleans Saints, Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, Atlanta Falcons, Southern California, Ohio State, Arizona and Ball State.
¦Quarterback Blake Field of Auburn will transfer to Division II power Valdosta State for his senior season in a final bid for playing time.
Field, a career backup to Brandon Cox, asked Auburn Sunday night for a release from his scholarship to play his fifth season for the defending Division II national champions.
Field finished his Auburn career going 31 for 51 passing for 376 yards, four touchdowns and one interception with one career start.
Freshman Kodi Burns took over the No. 2 spot this season, and Field’s only action at quarterback came in a blowout win over Tennessee Tech. He played the final eight games on special teams.
Coach Tommy Tuberville announced after the Chick-fil-A Bowl that Kodi Burns would enter the spring as the No. 1 quarterback.
The Tigers are bringing in junior college transfer Chris Dodd to compete with Burns and sophomore Neil Caudle.
¦ Kevin Smith of Central Florida, the nation’s leading rusher this season, changed his mind and will turn pro, he confirmed Sunday night.
Smith challenged Barry Sanders’ NCAA record of 2,628 rushing yards in a season, but finished 61 yards short. Smith was hailed as a hero three weeks ago for deciding to stay in school to earn a degree and help build UCF’s burgeoning program.
Another season would have put Smith well within reach of former Wisconsin back Ron Dayne’s NCAA career record.
“Kevin had a great career at UCF,” Coach George O’Leary said in a written statement. “We thank him for his contributions over the past three years and wish him nothing but the best.”
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