Own the group chat with The Weekender, highlighting the biggest stories in college sports, standout writing from Eleven Warriors, and a glance at what's next.
Jim Harbaugh: "I’m here as long as Michigan wants me here"
After another offseason of flirting with NFL teams before either having no choice or opting to return to Ann Arbor, Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh proclaimed his desire to be the Wolverines' head coach for as long as the school wants him to be.
"Calls come in, calls are taken, those conversations are had, there’s a few coaches on our staff those calls came in and they decided to stay here at Michigan. I’m one of them. ... I’m here as long as Michigan wants me here. You would’ve had a story if I wasn’t here. But I’m here, and this is where I want to be."
Whether it was the Minnesota Vikings gig last year or the Denver Broncos job last month, or any other rumored NFL head coaching jobs over the last few years, it's pretty clear Harbaugh would love returning to the professional ranks. At some point in those flirtations however, it seems like those NFL teams pull back, forcing Harbaugh to reiterate his love for his current role in Ann Arbor.
Hey, maybe he means it this time. Or maybe we'll hear the same story next year after another offseason of dipping his toes in the NFL waters. Either way, as much as he's easy to dislike from an Ohio State fan perspective, Harbaugh's kicked the Buckeyes' ass two years in a row and that certainly helps Michigan fans deal with his NFL interests and an NCAA probe of his program which asserts he lied to investigators.
Alabama Hoops, Led by Nate Oats, Is an Embarrassment Despite Lofty Ranking
Despite a No. 2 national ranking on the strength of a 24-4 record as March Madness draws near, Alabama's mens basketball program led by head coach Nate Oats is in the news for all the wrong reasons.
Back in January, now-former Crimson Tide player Darius Miles allegedly handed a loaded gun to a friend, Michael Lynn Davis, after Miles requested teammate Brandon Miller drive the gun to him. Davis, minutes later, allegedly used the gun to kill 23-year-old Jamea Jonae Harris after an argument on The Strip in Tuscaloosa with both Miles and Miller on the scene.
While Miles and Davis face capital murder charges, Miller, the Tide's leading scorer and a projected top-5 pick in the upcoming NBA Draft, has not been charged with any crime.
Miller's attorneys assert the freshman "never touched the gun, was not involved in its exchange to Mr. Davis in any way, and never knew that illegal activity involving the gun would occur." His attorneys also stated Miller didn't even know the gun was in his vehicle until text messages from Miles to Miller explicitly asked Miller to bring Miles the gun. Police have also noted Miles and Davis were in Miller's car just before the shooting. Teammate Jaden Bradley is also alleged to have been at the scene.
Miller, again not charged with any crime, also hasn't faced any discipline from Oats or Alabama's athletic department. Earlier this week, Oats badly mishandled a press conference question related to the sad situation.
Heres Alabama coach Nate Oats complete answer when asked about Brandon Miller being at the scene of the fatal shooting on the Strip in January that resulted in the arrest of Darius Miles and Michael Davis pic.twitter.com/jF3QEPFrBZ
— Nick Kelly (@_NickKelly) February 21, 2023
For his part, Miller seems unaffected on the court. He went for 41 points and eight rebounds on Wednesday night including the game-winner against South Carolina.
Then yesterday, Miller thought it would be a good idea to keep this pregame intro move going before scoring 24 points in a three-point win over Arkansas. Yeah he's been doing it all season but how 'bout we show some self-awareness. What a shame Oats refuses to be the adult in the room.
Brandon Miller being introduced during the starting lineups pic.twitter.com/Fen0xT8V8L
— Ryan Hennessy (@RyanWVTM13) February 25, 2023
CFB Execs Proposing Clock Rule Changes to Reduce Game Length, Injuries
Sports Illustrated's Ross Dellenger reported this week college football's high-powered braintrust is focused on four proposed rule changes to shorten games and all or some of those modifications could be made in time for the 2023 season.
The four proposals under consideration:
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) February 20, 2023
1) Prohibiting consecutive timeouts (ie icing kicks)
2) No untimed down at end of 1Q/3Q
3) Clock runs after 1st downs except inside of 2 mins in a half
4) Clocks runs on incompletions once ball is spottedhttps://t.co/7B2dTMS5Eo
The top three listed above are NFL rules already so adoption at the collegiate level feels like a sure bet. Icing kickers is played out since most college kickers would miss a clutch kick regardless of being iced and how often does it really happen every Saturday? No untimed downs at the end of the first and third quarters and running the clock after first downs except for the last two minutes of a half also feel like understandable changes.
The fourth proposal however would be unique to college football versus the NFL and quite frankly would be a dumb change. Incompletions to stop the clock are often strategic (beyond the spike at the line of scrimmage) and help keep games close or at least give the trailing team a chance to make things compelling.
All in, I must confess the length of college football games is never really a personal concern. Like 99% of you, I just can't stand all the commercials and that's the real root cause of long broadcasts.
You gotta love the disingenuous nature of the head honchos touting ways to shorten games while at the same time having no interest whatsoever in reducing the amount of advertising a fan endures during the average telecast.
ICYMI
Kyle McCord Entering Spring With Same Mindset As Previous Season Despite Raised Stakes
Despite a "blank slate" for both Kyle McCord and Devin Brown as they fight for the starting quarterback job in Columbus, McCord was C.J. Stroud's backup last season. For his part, McCord is focusing on consistency, leadership and being the best version of himself as he looks to succeed Stroud in leading the Buckeyes.
Perry Eliano Says Ohio State Hasn't Scratched The Surface of Sonny Styles' Potential, Huge Opportunity Awaits
After reclassifying to join Ohio State a year ahead of schedule, safety Sonny Styles showed tremendous growth over the course of a developmental 2022 season and projects to have unlimited upside as he looks to make a mark in the secondary this fall.
Tony Alford Believes TreVeyon Henderson Will Come Back With a Vengeance Following Injury-Plagued 2022 Season
It was a season to forget for TreVeyon Henderson but he's recovering from December foot surgery and position coach Tony Alford expects a return to elite performance once the game-breaking running back is cleared for action.
What's Next
- Men's & Women's Fencing: CCFC Championships: Today
- Women's Lacrosse: vs. Cincinnati, 4 p.m. Tuesday (BTN+)
- Men's Basketball: vs. Maryland, 7 p.m. Wednesday (BTN); at Michigan State, 12 p.m Saturday (ESPN)
- Women's Basketball: B1G Tournament: Wednesday - Sunday, Target Center, Minneapolis, MN (BTN, Fox Sports App, ESPN)
- Women's Ice Hockey: vs. Minnesota Duluth, 2 p.m. Friday
- Men's Volleyball: vs. Charleston, 4 p.m. Saturday (BTN+)
- Football: Spring Game, 12 p.m. Saturday, April 15 (BTN)
