Maryland Refuses To Shake Hands With Penn State Before Coin Toss

Maryland head coach Randy Edsall has always said Penn State will be the Terrapins Big Ten rival.  After the shenanigans today before they game I would say it's on.


Of course it adds to the intrigue that Penn State head coach James Franklin was the "head coach in waiting" at Maryland back when he was on then head coach Ralph Freigen's staff.

The pre-game hand shake refusal by the Terps was something Franklin had not seen on a football field.

"I guess we all have a choice and option to do whatever they want to do." Franklin said.  "They decided to start the game that way. That’s their prerogative. I’ve never been apart of that. In 20 years, I’ve never seen that before."

Maryland head coach Randy Edsall did apologize for his team's pre game actions.

"First of all, let me just start off by saying that I want to apologize to the Penn State fans, to their team and their university for what took place at the beginning of the game." Edsall said.  "That is not who we are. Our emotions got the best of us and we've got to be above that. I know Kevin Anderson, our athletic director, talked to their athletic director and president as well. Like I said, I want to apologize for that and I feel bad about that.

Never seen this. RT @MattGlenesk: Seriously, Maryland? No handshake? Welcome to B1G, clowns. http://t.co/JNcjeIg3CD pic.twitter.com/9YR8NWTccG
— Gregg Doyel (@GreggDoyelStar) November 1, 2014

Wow… nice hand shake by Maryland. Said nobody. http://t.co/tBryAKgDX7
— Matt Yocum (@MattYocum) November 1, 2014

Dear Maryland football team. You are classless. I hope you lose every game for that no handshake crap. #maryland #PennState
— Cary Whitt (@CaryWhitt) November 1, 2014

Maryland kids refusing handshake, Penn State fans booing hurt MD kid. Big 10 should have stayed 10 teams. #Purdue
— Chris ODonnell (@chrisod) November 1, 2014

It's Official, Maryland & Rutgers Have Gone Big

July 1^st is the first day of the new 14 team Big Ten Conference.  Maryland and Rutgers officially join the Big Ten today and they are now thinking big.

So let the pomp and circumstance begin.  

The celebrations in College Park, Maryland and New Jersey are mere formalities.  The big goal was to distribute the Big Ten Network in New Jersey and Maryland and that has been accomplished.

The Big Ten Conference’s expansion into the east coast was all about TV markets.  With the deal the Big Ten Network struck with Time Warner and Cablevision in May and with Comcast lastweek BTN added more homes in the coveted New York/New Jersey and Washington D.C. market.

Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany told ESPN: “It indicates that the Eastern initiative is moving forward in the direction we hoped it would,”

“Our goal was to achieve distribution in New York and D.C., Maryland and New Jersey.” Delaney added.

Mission accomplished.

Introducing Maryland @bigtenconf ice cream at the B1G Campus Celebration! pic.twitter.com/FZGDYdkG3S
— Maryland Athletics (@umterps) July 1, 2014

Wake up feeling B1G! We are official members of the @bigtenconf. #GoTerps #July1
— Maryland Athletics (@umterps) July 1, 2014

Excited for the new Era in not only our @TerrapinHoops program but the entire @UofMaryland community #ThinkB1G pic.twitter.com/UM4h6DjKe5
— Mark Turgeon (@CoachTurgeon) July 1, 2014

It's official...we R B1G! Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook to follow our B1G journey! #WeRB1G #RU pic.twitter.com/NZ6bbp822T
— Rutgers Dance Team (@RUdanceteam) July 1, 2014

Officially B1G!
— RutgersWomensRowing (@RutgersWRowing) July 1, 2014

OFFICIAL! #RFootball & #TheBirthplaceOfCollegeFootball are the 14th member of the prestigious @bigtenconf! #Chop pic.twitter.com/XZ54snaQm2
— Rutgers Football (@RFootball) July 1, 2014

Indiana Hoosiers No Respect For CBI

[HT: Indianapolis Star]

The Indiana Hoosiers finished 17-15 and will not be playing in the post season.  

It's not like they weren't wanted.

Yes Indiana didn't receive and NCAA Tournament bid which was expected.

The NIT didn't select the Hoosiers either.

The CBI?  Indiana athletic director Fred Glass killed that chance.

"Finances wouldn't be an issue if we thought it made sense." Glass told the Indianapolis Star. "But we're Indiana. We don't play in the CBI."

Got that.

Here's who is playing in the CBI.

March 18

Stony Brook at Siena

March 19 
Wyoming at Texas A&M
Morehead State at Illinois State

Fresno State at UTEP 

Princeton at Tulane

Radford at Oregon State 

South Dakota State at Old Dominion

Hampton at Penn State 

Traevon Jackson Does It Again

((HT: Big Ten Network/CBS))

The Wisconsin shooter has a history of dragging the opposition down with his skills from the outside...

Examples: Penn State, Minnesota, taking Iowa to overtime, et cetera... et cetera... et cetera...

He did it again Sunday with this shot against Michigan State... and it wasn't the end of the game...


The 60-58 win over the #8-ranked Spartans a fourth straight home loss...

Long Night For Ranked Teams In The B1G

((HT: BTN))

Two huge Big Ten upsets last night...

Penn State won in Columbus for the first time in a decade with a 71-70 win over Ohio State in overtime. DJ Newbill's jumper with two seconds left in overtime was the difference there...

And Northwestern followed with another huge upset, a 65-56 victory over No. 14 Wisconsin in Madison.
It was Northwestern's first win in Madison since 1996...



And Wisconsin head coach Bo Ryan gave this answer when asked about the 3-point shooting of Northwestern that put the Wildcats out on the horizon early and kept Wisconsin doing nothing but catching up...

Maryland Files $157M CounterClaim Vs. ACC

((HT: Baltimore Sun/Barker))

The suing and countersuing between the ACC and the University of Maryland over the school's exit to the Big Ten Conference has now come from Maryland- as they are now asking for $157-million in damages the school is saying it should get because the ACC has tried to recruit Big Ten schools as Maryland was leaving...

The counterclaim also asks the North Carolina court to have the conference pay Maryland $16 million that the school says has been improperly withheld since Maryland said they were jumping...

The conference is still looking for its $52-million plus exit fee- in full... from a school that left the ACC because it was running at a deficit and had to eliminate sports in an attempt to try and get closer to a break-even budget...

And got their money grab by joining the Big Ten and getting to be a part of the money distribution of the Big Ten Network- something the ACC has talked about, but won't have any time soon...

And the school is blaming, partly, the four-letter...
From Barker:

Maryland’s counterclaim says the ACC’s desire to expand is driven “in large part on counsel and direction that the conference received from ESPN.”

“Whether that guidance was given formally or informally,” the document alleges, ESPN has “incentivized the ACC to compete more aggressively in the market for conference affiliation/membership.”

Here's the presser that caused all this consternation back around Thanksgiving 2012...
((HT: UMDNews))

BUZZER BEATER: DePaul's Billy Garrett, Jr. Caps Off A Crazy Finish Against Northwestern

It what could be best described as an offensively challenged game between DePaul and Northwestern it took a buzzer beater by the Blue Demons Billy Garrett, Jr. to decide the outcome.




Garrett, Jr's shot game DePaul a 57-56 win over Northwestern.

Here's a better angle plus the entire game highlights from Big Ten Network.
(Garrett Jr's buzzer beater occurs at 2:54.

Thanks Northwestern Athletics


"I looked up, but then everyone ran up to me, so I knew it went in." Garrett said

Neither team was worth a damn offensively.  DePaul shot only 37 percent from the field and was only 1-10 from behind the three point arch.

Northwestern was even worse shooting 32 percent from the field and 8-24 from 3 point range.

‘‘We’re not blessed with a ton of offensive weapons,’’ Northwestern head coach Chris Collins said.

The 'Cuse Conquers Texas Bowl Defeating Minnesota 21-17

The Orange may have beaten the Gophers in the Texas Bowl but head coach Scott Shafer would have like to not have to stress over the outcome the entire game.

"I just couldn’t be happier with the results today, would have been nice if we could have just knocked them out and won by 17 or something, but that’s kind of not our way this year."  Shafer said.

Syracuse had a 14-3 lead in the third quarter before Minnesota rallied for two touchdowns to take a 17-14 lead.

This Mitch Leidner 55 yard touchdown pass to Drew Wolitarsky in the fourth quarter put Minnesota up 17-14.



The Orange have had to rally late in games to get a win.  Syracuse wouldn't have been deep in the heart of Texas Friday for the Texas Bowl if it wasn't for a last minute win over Boston College in the season finale to earn the sixth win.

Why not follow that script in the Texas Bowl.  

Syracuse quarterback Terrel Hunt sealed Texas Bowl MVP honors with a 12 yard touchdown run with 1:14 left to win it for the Orange.



Hunt completed 19 out of 29 passes for 188 yards and rushed for 74 yards and tow touchdowns.

"This young man at my left (QB Terrell Hunt) is really representative of what we are as a program, young man from New York (and) stayed in New York to come and play at Syracuse." Shafer saidl  (He) isn’t’ the prettiest guy in the world on the field yet, but he’s getting prettier by the minute."

Hunt may not be super model status yet but Shafer doesn't need beer goggles anymore.

Sparty Upsets The BCS Plan In Defeating Ohio State 34-24, Wins Big 10 Title

All you Ohio State haters got the result you wanted Saturday in the Big 10 Championship Game.

Michigan State pulled it off with a 34-24 win over the Buckeyes and thus ending the nations longest winning streak at 24 games.

Are they rolling the trees at Toomers Corner in Auburn celebrating Michigan State's win over Ohio State?  That win may have put Auburn in the BCS Championship Game.

It took a nine yard touchdown pass from Conner Cook to Josiah Price to put Michigan State up for good.

Thanks Big Ten Network/Fox Sports


Late in the game the Spartans Jeremy Langford's 26 yard touchdown run was the icing on the cake.

Thanks Big Ten Network/Fox Sports



 "Our players, I'm so happy for them."  Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio said.  "They made a lifetime moment tonight for all of us - all of us had that moment, our fans, our players. It will be a moment that we'll never forget."



Michigan State is headed to Pasadena, California to play in the Rose Bowl.

A win over Michigan State and Ohio State would be playing Florida State in Pasadena in the BCS Championship Game.  Now the Buckeyes are in limbo.

"You know it's going to haunt all of us, I imagine, for a little while," Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer said. "But that's part of the game."

“I’m just at a loss for words." Ohio State linebacker Ryan Shazier said. "I haven’t lost in a while and it kind of hurts. We worked so hard and it just slipped out of our hands. We’ve just got to keep working and try to get ready for the next game.”

Michigan State is now 12-1, it's first 12 win season in school history.  

Ohio State falls to 12-1 and might have nothing to show for it.

Nebraska Fans Not Calling For Bo Pelini To Be Fired

Bo Pelini

{HT: Lincoln (Neb.) Journal-Star}

Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini dared his athletic director Shawn Eichorst to fire him during a bizarre post game tirade during his press conference following the Cornhuskers 38-17 loss to Iowa.

Perhaps Husker fans are more "Pro-Bo"

After the game the Lincoln Journal Star surveyed Nebraska fans as to whether Bo Pelini should stay or go.

Norm Phiffer from Lincoln, NE says Bo should stay.

Nebraska A.D. Shawn Eichorst

"No, absolutely not. You can’t make changes every six years, change guys every six years and expect to have a successful program. We need to stay with what we’ve got.”

Husker fans don't take to kindly though to offensive coordinator Tim Beck or defensive coordinator John Papuchis.

"I think Tim Beck and John Papuchis should, be (fired) though."  Dan McMullen from Council Bluffs, Iowa said.  "I think they’re taking him down. I think Bo is a hell of a coach, but his coordinators will drag him down.”

The only opinion that matter is Eichorst who says he will evaluate Pellini's performance at the end of the season.

You wonder if Pelini teed up Eichorst to pull the trigger and fire him during his post game melt down in front of the assembled media.

It's going to be an interesting few days in Lincoln.

Really, Bo Pelini...??? Really...???

((HT: BTN))

In B1G action today, it has been a rough week for the Pelini family...

We have chronicled the sheer stupidity that allegedly got brother Carl fired in Boca, and it almost hit critical mass in Lincoln...

Northwestern had a lead and could stop their four-game losing streak if they could just hold on...
Only thing was, everyone forgot to check with third-string QB Ron Kellogg III...


So, just how safe is Pelini's job anyway...???

So, Wait... Who's Bowl-Eligible...???

The short answer is Minnesota, Duke, Tulane, and Rice...

And, no, this is not some kind of pre-Halloween joke or something...

The HQ has always enjoyed Coach Cut's work at Duke... he gets it... and, thankfully, the Athletic Department has had the patience they're supposed to with a program that is a square peg-round hole when it comes to the sport and the kids you can bring in to the program on a yearly basis...

Everyone likes to talk about "signature wins" and all that stuff... a supposed win where your program moves forward past a point of success and a glass ceiling- on to bigger things...

If you believe in those things, then the win over Virginia Tech yesterday in Blacksburg may have been it. There were entirely too many interceptions thrown by Logan Thomas. The Hokies defense kept the football Devils in check (and downright ineffective) in the second half, but the visitors held on.
((HT: ACCDN))


In the B1G, Minnesota either showed everyone how they're progressing as a team- putting the concerns around head coach Jerry Kill aside for another few days- or they exposed Nebraska for the charade they are as a ranked team...

Probably, the latter if you as the HQ (and Tommie Frazier- who went on another Twitter "toldyaso" rant after the game)...
Here's the Tracy Claeys special...
((HT: BTN))


Tulane knocked off Tulsa 14-7 in C-USA play to improve to 6-2 and stay undefeated in division play. The Green Wave are now bowl eligible for the first time since 2002...

It led to song...as it should have...
((HT: Stephen Segari))


And Rice is also 6-2 after taking care of UTEP 45-7. Taylor McHargue threw 4 TD passes and the Miners are now 1-6 on their own. But the cool moment was when 4'9" walk-on Jayson Carter got his first in-game reps...
Evidence below...
((HT: Rice SID))

B1G Review: Michigan Shatters Records, NW Season Shattered...

((HT: BTN))

Kinda hidden in all the numbers yesterday was the day that Michigan QB Devin Gardner had playing pitch and catch...

584 yards of total offense with 503 of them in the air...
Jeremy Gallon caught 14 passes for 369 yards receiving...
Evidence below...


The HQ knew that Indiana could score points and rack up yards on their own, as they're now 3-4 and could handle Penn State earlier in the year, but much like a lot of other teams they can't stop anyone when it matters...

Michigan, by the way, is 6-1 after winning 63-47...

Brady Hoke was quoted as saying that all he cares about was winning the game... that is accurate these days in the current state of college football...

Elsewhere... Minnesota knocked off Northwestern, who only two (three?) weeks ago was the darling of everyone... Ohio State had issues early with Iowa before winning their 19th straight, and Illinois proved they can't stop anyone either in their 56-32 loss to Illinois...

With A Back-up Quarterback Ohio State Rattles Florida A&M

Ohio State calls Kenny Guiton the most famous back-up quarterback in college football.

Saturday against an over-marched Florida A&M team Guiton's fame reached a new zenith.

Guiton threw for an Ohio State record six touchdowns, all in the first half, in the Buckeyes 76-0 rout of the Rattlers.




"I had all day," Guiton said. "The coaches wanted to come out throwing the ball around and I thank them for the trust they had in me to be able to do that."

"He's an efficient player right now, he's an incredible manager, coach on the field so, you know, his time came." Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer said.  "He was prepared, and his coach and him did a very good job. I think Tom Herman it's not by accident that this thing happened, now. It's not because he had the buckeye in his pocket or his lucky tee shirt; it's because he worked hard with the position coach to get ready for his opportunity and boy did he."

Yes he did coach Meyer.  

When asked if Braxton Miller was still the Buckeyes number one quarterback Meyer had a one word answer.

"Yes."

Quarterback controversy in Columbus, I think not.

What Were The Badgers Thinking? Strange Ending In Arizona State's 32-30 Win Over Wisconsin

Can you explain this ending by to the Wisconsin - Arizona State game?



Wisconsin head coach Gary Anderson tried to explain.

It is a shame that it went down that way." Anderson said.  "If there is 18 seconds left we teach the kids to spike it and of course he slipped but that is what we practice. We were worried we would have a kickoff our way.”

Wisconsin fans are calling this the "Valley Of The Stun."

Michigan Almost Gets Zipped By Akron.

Terry Bowden almost, almost got his first signature win as the head coach of Akron.

Heck the Zips almost pulled off one of the biggest upsets ever in college football.

Michigan fans were having Appalachian State flashbacks.

Akron was leading Michigan 24-21 very late in the fourth quarter until Fitzgerald Toussaint scored the go-ahead touchdown with 2:49 left in the game.


 The Zips were not done though. Akron quarterback Kyle Pohl drove the Zips inside the Michigan five yard line with 3 chances to win the game. On their third chance Pohl was hurried by Michigan linebacker Brennen Beyer and the pass fell incomplete.

 

And Michigan survived at the Big House 28-24.

"That's a tough one." Pohl said. That happened fast. It was a good call by Coach. We had what we wanted. If it was a half-second more, maybe I could squeeze it and make a better throw."

"This is embarrassing for the University of Michigan football team." Michigan Senior offensive lineman Taylor Lewan said.  "Yeah, we won the game. We're 3-0. That's great. It was embarrassing. It was embarrassing"

"We almost lost to Akron, no disrespect to Akron, but we almost lost after coming out and having a great win last week in front of the whole world, and we come out and almost blow it"  Michigan quarterback Devin Gardner said.

Akron almost pulled it off but calling it a moral victory won't console head coach Terry Bowden.

"It was a wonderful game to watch. I am sick for my players, for how long they played and how hard they played and how well they played, to not come away with a victory." Bowden said. " I have been fortunate in my lifetime to be a part of some big wins and that would have been the biggest. I am sorry for our players because they have worked so hard and been through so much. But I told them they had a chance to play the game of a lifetime and they tried."

The Journey To Omaha: A Hoosier Walk Off

Indiana's Chad Clark

Indiana sophomore Chad Clark committed a critical error in the top of the ninth allowing a couple of
Valparaiso runs to score and it looked like an upset.

Clark had a chance to redeem himself in the bottom of the ninth during a Hoosier rally.

Clark crushed the hanging slider from Crusader closer Karch Kowalczyk over the left field wall and it was a walk off winner for Indiana 5-4.


“That’s never happened to me in my life,” Clark said. “Never even had a walk-off hit.”

Chris Collins To Leave Duke For Head Coaching Job At Northwestern

Chris Collins

According to an OSG source Duke associate head coach Chris Collins has accepted an offer from Northwestern to become the new head coach of the Wildcats.

For 12 years Collins has worked on Mike Krzyzewski’s staff at Duke. 

Jeff Goodman of CBS Sports.com first reported that Collins was taking the Northwestern gig. 

According to Goodman Collins and Northwestern administrators met on Monday and an announcement is expected Wednesday.

It’s a good move by Northwestern, a program that has never played in the NCAA Tournament.

Collins comes from an ultra-highly successful program with similar academics as Northwestern so on the surface this is a perfect fit.  Hiring Collins will not guarantee an NCAA Tournament berth for the Wildcats but it gives the players and fans hope when you look at his background.

A pair of former Mike Krzyzewski assistant coaches and former guards for Coach K as well have taken over programs with high academic standards and enjoyed success.

Tommy Amaker coached Harvard into the NCAA Tournament this year and upset New Mexico in the first round screwing up every office pool bracket across the country.

Amaker’s backcourt mate when he played at Duke, Johnny Dawkins has led Stanford to the post-season the last few years.

Another former Duke guard, Bobby Hurley, was hired by the University of Buffalo as the Bulls head coach.

The Mike Krzyzewski coaching tree keeps growing branches.

Indiana Head Coach Tom Crean Confronts Former IU Assistant: "You Helped To Wreck This Program."

IU Head Coach Tom Crean Confronts Mich. Asst Coach Jeff Meyer

Moments after Indiana clinched it's first Big Ten championship in twenty years by defeating Michigan 72-71 Hoosier head coach Tom Crean confronted Michigan assistant coach Jeff Meyer on the court. 

Meyer was an Indiana assistant coach when Kelvin Sampson was the Hoosier head coach when IU was hit with NCAA sanctions. 

The NCAA said Sampson and Meyer engaged in an impermissible recruiting contact during a two-day sports camp held at Assembly Hall in 2007.  Sampson was forced to resign.

Here's the video evidence of the confrontation.  (Thanks WRTV, Indianapolis)



UPDATE:
In Monday's Big Ten teleconference Tom Crean said he has apologized to Jeff Meyer. 

"I apologized for that and in retrospect, I wish I would not have addressed anything in the heat of battle. But it’s done,” Crean said.

Crean added, ""End of story. We move onto to the Big Ten tournament."

By the way the Hoosiers has never won the Big Ten Conference tournament. 

Your Average B1G Buzzer-Beater (And A Dunk)

((HT: cfbsectionhoops))

Just when you thought the game was over when Michigan had knocked down a three...
Ben Brust did something to match...


But not to be outdone in regulation, Jared Berggren channeled Vince Carter on the drive...
((HT: BTN))