In actuality, it has nothing to do with Cody’s skill level and instead has to do with his dad’s feelings that he shouldn’t have been a part of a team that was clearly in a rebuilding year. Says the coach,

“Here’s a guy who’s trying to do his best to win games and help his team and does everything right and is a good student and he’s getting killed on Facebook and getting killed on his cell phone.”

The Buffaloes have a 3-8 record so far this year, and Hawkins feels like it was a bit selfish for him to recruit his son, pressuring him into playing for Colorado when he had other offers on the table.

Dan Hawkins, Image: Newscom

Whether this is true or not, it’s a little lame for Hawkins to be saying this, in my opinion. It he regrets recruiting his son he should regret recruiting anyone to the team. Yes, it is his son. I get that. But being on a team coached by his father isn’t the reason the kid’s getting a lot of crap from fans. He’s getting crap because he threw 11 interceptions this year.

The fact of the matter is, even though no one player can ever take the blame for a team that isn’t doing well, the quarterback sets the stage for a good season or a bad season. That’s why quarterbacks are often given the Heisman, and that’s why the top quarterback often goes first in the NFL draft. With that good, though, is the bad – you take the blame when your team isn’t doing well.

Cody seems to be handling the situation well, and teammates say that they respect him for being so accepting of the changes being made at the school, even though it means that he’s no longer the starting quarterback. You can read more about what his dad had to say at ESPN.

Post from: EveryJoe

Dan Hawkins: Full of Recruiting Regrets

“He was not engaged in a fight. He didn’t throw any punches. He didn’t directly engage the individual. He just got coldcocked by somebody, and we’re very disturbed by that.”

Clausen was reportedly out with his family and girlfriend after the team’s double-overtime loss to Connecticut earlier that day. The whole group decided to leave after exchanging angry words with some of the other bar patrons. Apparently, the girlfriend forgot her purse, and when Clausen went back to get it, someone followed him back outside and punched him. One of the employees at the bar said that several members of the team were also at the bar that night, and that they had police on hand to prevent problems with fans.

Image: Newscom

The police were called, but no report was filed by Clausen, who was sporting a black eye at practice this week. Coach Charlie Weis has refused to comment on the punch, other than to say that Clausen will play this weekend despite the assault. The typical press conference held every week by Notre Dame was canceled, probably to avoid reporters who just want to talk about angry fans rather than their upcoming game against Stanford.

Post from: EveryJoe

Clausen to Start on Sat Despite Punch

And unfortunately for Cody Hawkins, that’s no longer the case. After a decent first half against Texas last week, junior threw yet another deep pass that was picked off by the defense, which turned the game in the Longhorns’ favor. That might have been forgiven…if not for another interception following the first. And his dad promptly should him a spot on the bench. These were his eight and ninth interceptions of the year. Ouch.

Hawkins was replaced by Tyler Hansen, who will be starting for the Buffaloes for the rest of the season. Last year, the scene in Colorado was similar, and after Cody bombed during the first half, he and Hansen shared the spotlight. This year, that won’t be the case, as Coach Hawkins thinks there needs to be a single, clear leader. In both years, Hansen was supposed to redshirt, but it hasn’t worked out that way.

Is Hansen ready to lead the team? Image: Newscom

Is dad being too hard on Hawkins? Or, has he been too easy on him so far this season?

I’m not sure, but they’re up against Kansas this week, so I guess we’ll see if there’s been any improvement. They’re 1 – 4 so far, so things can’t get much worse, right?

Post from: EveryJoe

Colorado’s Dan Hawkins Makes Hard Choices

Today, Carroll announced that the starting position would belong to Barkley when the team plays San Jose State on September 5. At the end of spring training, Carroll had announced that Corp would be the team’s starting quarterback for Week One, so many people seem surprised by this new development. Come on, people…you didn’t see this coming?

Corp and Barkley competing at practice. Image: Newscom

Number one, although Corp was promised the starting job last spring, I’ve noted before that the practice was one of competition over the past month. It wasn’t a secret that Carroll was working out all three players as though they may be starting.

Number two, Carroll was visibility and vocally upset at the end of last season when Sanchez made it public that he was going to enter the draft. I don’t blame him. He spent a year building up someone who he thought would be with his team for at least two seasons. The Trojans were good last year. Maybe with a returning Sanchez, they could have been great this year – maybe even national champions. So, it makes sense that Carroll would go with a younger quarterback who is going to give him two or three years at least. Corp, on the other hand, could pull a Sanchez at the end of the season.

Number three? Boy’s got talent. To be a freshman and convince a coach that you should lead USC, you have to be good. Carroll has said that Barkley has the “temperament to handle the position” as well. The players like him. He’s not an ass. Those things count.

Oh, and I thought I had just three points…but number four, let’s not forget that Corp is coming off of an injury. He broke a bone in he leg on August 10 and missed two weeks of practice. In the weeks leading up to your first game, that’s major.

Carroll has noted that the competition will continue, but he’s also said that Barkley isn’t just the team’s one-game starter. He’s going to give the guy a chance, even if he’s not so good during Week One. I have to say, though, if the Trojans lose against San Jose State, Carroll might be singing a different tune.

Post from: EveryJoe

Is Carroll’s QB Choice That Surprising?

Junior Sheridan obviously brings the most experience to the game, since Robinson and Forcier are true freshmen. Last year, he played in 8 of the 12 games, throwing touchdowns against Utah in Week One and Minnesota, a game they surprisingly won closer to the end of their horrendous season. Unfortunately, Sheridan isn’t the most consistent QB, and along with touchdowns, he also had five interceptions during the season, including two against Notre Dame. He does have some ground mobility though, and last year, he ran in one against Northwestern. Overall, though, Sheridan isn’t a “force” – at least he wasn’t last year – so he may not be the best choice, even if the other Michigan quarterbacks haven’t even played in college games yet. Sheridan is also coming off a broken leg, so that injury could still affect his abilities on the field.

Nick Sheridan last year against rival Michigan State. Image: Newscom

Forcier and Robinson were both highly recruited by Coach Rod, who thinks that they’d be good for his new spread offense approach at Michigan, which has caused so many good players to leave the school. Forcier has a slight advantage, perhaps, as he graduated high school early to enroll in the college last spring, in time to play with the team during spring practice. Robinson’s been getting a lot of press, though, so I wouldn’t count him out of the game just yet.

Despite the stiff competition for time on the field, the three say that they remain good friends and enjoy how they push one another to play better. We’ll see if that friendship sticks when someone takes the reigns as starter and the other two get less playing time.

Post from: EveryJoe

Michigan’s Opener to be QB Playoff

Image: Newscom

It isn’t that Roper isn’t good, according to the Ducks coaching staff. They just have someone better – Jeremiah Masoli. Montana gives him the chance to explore his NFL potential, according to what he told reporters earlier today.

Roper started during three games last year before a knee injury forced him to spend the next four games on the bend . During those three games, plus three others near the end of the season where he played (but didn’t start), Roper completed 48 out of 91 passes. He threw three touchdown passes and ran the ball in himself once.

Montana can have Roper for two years, since he redshirted in 2006. Will he succeed with this program? Maybe. If he does, I hope people will actually take notice. They may not be Florida or USC, but great quarterbacks have come from weirder places.

Post from: EveryJoe

Roper: From Duck to Grizzly

Image: Newscom

#5 2009 Draft Pick – Mark Sanchez, Quarterback, USC

I think that happiness will die quickly. Sanchez might prove me wrong, but they really need a franchise quarterback. This is a tough, tough, tough place for him to be. The Jets are the only team in their division without a great quarterback…and I think they needed someone much stronger than Sanchez. I mean, hell, he’s only played what, 16 games?

Sanchez says that he wanted to be with the Jets. If that’s true, he wouldn’t have looked so disappointed when Jason Smith was chosen… Just a thought.

Well, I wish him well. I still think he’s not as great of a player was some people think. When he was picked, a friend of mine texted me “Why doesn’t ESPN just blow Sanchez already?” It’s true. They GUSHED over him. Mark Sanchez, prove me wrong. Please. Or New York will rip you to pieces.

Here are other draft picks:

1. Matthew Stafford, Quarterback, Georgia to the Detroit Lions

2. Jason Smith, Offensive Tackle, Baylor to the St. Louis Rams

3. Tyson Jackson, Defensive Tackle, LSU to the Kansas City Chiefs

4. Aaron Curry, OLB, Wake Forest to the Seattle Seahawks

Post from: EveryJoe

2009 NFL Draft: Jets Pick Mark Sanchez

This guy is a pretty interesting character, because he failed to show up for a court dates on drunk driving charges in 2005. Apparently “two suspicious fires” and “years spent on the lam” made authorities wonder if Komlo was really dead or had faked his death with this crash. They did, however, identify his body using fingerprint identification.

Never a dull moment when it comes to the NFL.

Image: sxc.hu.

Post from: EveryJoe

Former NFL Player Komlo Killed in Crash

But now the Jets will need Mangini to help them get Jay Cutler. Cutler is currently with the Broncos and it appears they won’t give him a new contract. So the Jets want him, since… oh… they booted out Chad Peninnington so they could bring on Brett Favre… who retired and now they have no one.

Unless Favre unretires, that is!

(I’m slapping my mouth shut as I said it….)

Anywho, back to the Jets. In order to trade for Cutler, the Jets need to give the Broncos someone, and they don’t have anyone. So they are enlisting the help of Mangini, who is now with the Browns and happens to have two quarterbacks lying around that he doesn’t really want to keep.

What does Mangini (and the Browns) get out of this deal? Some premium draft picks. And the Browns desperately need those.

So there you go, burnt bridges or no, looks like all these coaches have learned to play nice with one another.

Post from: EveryJoe

Jets Need Mangini for Cutler Trade

Whatever my feelings about football may be, I do think that this was the right personal choice for Pryor. You have to go with the college that feels right to you, because there could always be injuries or other circumstances that prevent you from going pro. If you don’t have a good education, it won’t matter how well you tossed a football in high school.

Read more about this story at Rivals.com.

* And hey, Michigan…let’s talk. Who the hell is going to start for you? Can we say “rebuilding year”???

Post from: EveryJoe

Terrelle Pryor Chooses Ohio State