Nutt not sure what Pac 12, Big Ten seeing in date other leagues don’t
Former Arkansas coach Houston Nutt is curious about decisions on Tuesday by the Pac 12 and Big Ten to cancel their football seasons now.
“My question is why the Pac 12 and Big Ten say no,” Nutt said Wednesday to Tye Richardson and Tommy Craft (The Morning Rush) on ESPN Arkansas. “I’d like to hear what they have to say on both sides.”
Nutt played a couple of years for the Razorbacks, then got into coaching. After a couple of stops in the SEC with the Hogs and at Ole Miss, he is now living in the Dallas area and a studio analyst with the CBS Sports Network.
“The biggest thing, you know the experts are going to be there and give you all the information you need and you’re going to go from there,” Nutt said. “If the doctors and experts say you’ve got things under control and it’s safe, then yes.
“I’m just very curious what the SEC, Big 12 and ACC are looking for. I’m just real curious how it’s going to work out.”
At this point, dealing with the coronavirus pandemic, things are changing almost hourly at times. The decisions by the Pac 12 and Big Ten are the first to stop for Power 5 conferences.
Nutt hasn’t been on the field coaching since the 2011 season, but he’s got a pretty good idea what he would say to his team with all of this going on.
“Let’s control what we can control,” he said Wednesday. “This is different, so we don’t know. We’re going to listen to the experts, they’re going to have a blueprint for us and we’re going to follow that.”
You can’t take these times for granted. There’s been times players didn’t really want to work out. It’s the greatest game in the world and you can’t take it for granted … ever.”
Nutt also never had to deal with the players fighting to have a bigger voice in how things are going, but he does urge some caution.
“The voice from the players is definitely getting louder,” Nutt said. “I would just remind the players these are the greatest days of your life. I’d be careful.”
He saw the list of demands from the Pac 12 players, too.
“They may have gone a little bit far,” he said. “I remember when I got a $6.25 laundry money … I was excited. When you look at what they have now it’s a good time be a student athlete. I wouldn’t keep pushing too hard for too many things. I think you can go a little too far and ask for too much.”
It may sound a little old-school to some of the players, but Nutt feels there are better ways to discuss things.
“There’s nothing wrong with players coming to their coach or having a meeting,” he said. “For the majority across the country they want players to graduate, be safe and be the best they can be.”
King on wild last few days with who’s playing, who’s not … and why
ON HALFTIME: Bill King of Nashville Sports Radio on events of last few days in college football and how it’s an all-or-nothing type gamble.
Former Arkansas Head Coach Houston Nutt joins The Morning Rush
Former Arkansas Head Coach Houston Nutt joins The Morning Rush to share his thoughts on the Big Ten and Pac 12 postponing their college football season. Plus, he shares the “Bring That Wood” story, and his thoughts on why Darren McFadden should have won the 2007 Heisman Trophy! Check it out now!
Franks named to watch list for national top quarterback award
Arkansas’ Feleipe Franks was named to the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award watch list, given every year to the top senior and upperclass quarterback set to graduate.
The award is given by the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Educational Foundation and Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Selection Committee.
Candidates are chosen based on player performance on and off the field.
Franks, entering his first year as a Razorback, transferred to Arkansas after a three-year playing career at SEC foe Florida.
In 2019, he started all three games he played in, throwing for 698 yards and five touchdowns, while also rushing for 68 yards and a score.
He racked up 254 yards and two touchdowns against Miami in the season opener, followed by 270 yards and two touchdowns on 25-of-27 passing against Tennessee-Martin, followed by a 12-for-17, 174-yard showing in the conference opener at Kentucky.
He started all 13 games as a redshirt-sophomore in 2018, throwing for 2,457 yards and 24 touchdowns, while also rushing for 350 yards on 110 careers, tying for a team-high seven rushing scores.
Franks helped lead the Gators to a 10-3 record while becoming the first Gators quarterback since John Brantley in 2010 to start every game throughout the entire season.
Franks’ redshirt-freshman season featured eight starts and 11 games played, throwing for 1,438 yards and nine touchdowns. He was the first redshirt-freshman QB to start a season opener for Florida since 1988.
He also turned down a 31st round selection in the 2019 MLB Amateur Draft by the Boston Red Sox as a pitcher to continue with his collegiate football career.
Information from Arkansas Communications is included in this story.
Sankey says SEC staying course towards Sept. 26 start for season
With the Big Ten and Pac-12 cancelling their fall sports that puts the SEC, Big 12 and ACC on the clock … and most people are predicting no college football this fall.
SEC commissioner Greg Sankey isn’t ready to go there … at least as of Tuesday afternoon after two of the Power 5 schools bailed out.
“I look forward to learning more about the factors that led the Big Ten and Pac-12 leadership to take these actions today,” Sankey said in a press release. “I remain comfortable with the thorough and deliberate approach that the SEC and our 14 members are taking to support a healthy environment for our student-athletes.
“We will continue to further refine our policies and protocols for a safe return to sports as we monitor developments around COVID-19 in a continued effort to support, educate and care for our student-athletes every day.”
Maybe almost as interesting as the cancellation of the seasons was Wisconsin athletics director Barry Alvarez saying the football team will continue working out 20 hours a week, per Sean Callahan of the Nebraska site on Rivals:
Wisconsin AD Barry Alvarez said teams will get to stay on a 20-hour week in the fall with workouts and drill work. #BigTen
— Sean Callahan (@Sean_Callahan) August 11, 2020
Exactly how long players would stay interested what would amount a year-long jumping up and down and studying film plays out remains to be seen.
The Big 12 is now the next conference people are watching with some reporting they are the key to what the SEC and ACC will decide to do, but neither appears to be in a big hurry to make a decision.
But leave it to Steve Spurrier to weigh in with maybe the most logic of all from Pat Dooley of GatorSports:
Coach Spurrier called a few minutes ago. Said the SEC and ACC should just play their seasons and winners face off for national title because one conference was going to win it anyway.
— Pat Dooley (@pat_dooley) August 11, 2020
Stick around … this thing ain’t over yet.
Transfer walk-on Jones given scholarship by Hogs on Tuesday
A week after Arkansas coach Sam Pittman said he was impressed with offensive lineman Luke Jones, the former Pulaski Academy player was awarded a scholarship Tuesday, according to multiple media reports.
Jones originally signed with Notre Dame in 2018 before transferring to the Razorbacks. He had originally committed, then flipped to the Irish.
He sat out last year after a year in South Bend.
Not a typical walk-on, Jones originally signed with Notre Dame as a 5.7 three-star recruit out of Pulaski Academy in Little Rock in the Class of 2018.
He spent just one year with the Fighting Irish before transferring back home to play for the Razorbacks, where he was actually committed before flipping to Notre Dame. NCAA rules required him to sit out last season.
Because he was not on scholarship immediately as a walk-on, the Hogs were able to sign full classes in 2019 and 2020, but now figures to be in the mix in the offensive line.
BuckNuts’ writer on OSU fans’ reaction after cancellation: ‘Complete anarchy’
Steve Helwagen with BuckNuts.com covering Ohio State told Derek Ruscin and Zach Arns (Ruscin & Zach) on ESPN Arkansas Tuesday the reaction from fans was “complete anarchy.”
UPDATED: Big Ten, Pac 12 officially pull plug on fall sports … what’s next?
The Big Ten voted Tuesday to pull the plug on fall sports at all of their schools with a statement from commissioner Kevin Warren that pointed to player safety.
Shortly after, their little brother, the Pac 12 did the same thing, voting to cancel fall sports and will look at options to play in the spring, sources told ESPN.
Stadium first reported the news.
The conference has a webinar scheduled for 3:30 p.m. CDT to discuss the decision that will include conference commissioner Larry Scott, CEO group chair and Oregon president Michael Schill, Arizona State athletic director Ray Anderson and Oregon State senior associate athletic director for sports medicine Dr. Doug Aukerman.
“The mental and physical health and welfare of our student-athletes has been at the center of every decision we have made regarding the ability to proceed forward,” the Big Ten’s Warren said in a statement. “As time progressed and after hours of discussion with our Big Ten Task Force for Emerging Infectious Diseases and the Big Ten Sports Medicine Committee, it became abundantly clear that there was too much uncertainty regarding potential medical risks to allow our student-athletes to compete this fall.
“We know how significant the student-athlete experience can be in shaping the future of the talented young women and men who compete in the Big Ten Conference. Although that knowledge made this a painstaking decision, it did not make it difficult. While I know our decision today will be disappointing in many ways for our thousands of student-athletes and their families, I am heartened and inspired by their resilience, their insightful and discerning thoughts, and their participation through our conversations to this point. Everyone associated with the Big Ten Conference and its member institutions is committed to getting everyone back to competition as soon as it is safe to do so.”
It will be interesting to see how coaches like Nebraska’s Scott Frost react after he said the Cornhuskers would play anywhere.
Frost on Monday said his program is prepared “to look at any and all options” in order to play this fall, on Tuesday issued a joint statement saying “we are very disappointed in the decision by the Big Ten.”
“We have been and continue to be ready to play,” the Nebraska joint statement said. “Safety comes first. Based on the conversations with our medical experts, we continue to strongly believe the absolute safest place for our student athletes is within the rigorous safety protocols, testing procedures, and the structure and support provided by Husker Athletics.
“… We hope it may be possible for our student athletes to have the opportunity to compete.”
If the Pac 12 follows along, as expected, you have to wonder if Nebraska and Colorado figure it’s time to re-think their decisions to leave the Big 12 a few years ago.
Nebraska and the @Big12Conference door may in fact be opening.
— Tim Brando (@TimBrando) August 11, 2020
