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 College football fans paid up to $95 this year to watch a spring split squad scrimmage of their favorite team. ESPN has been running highlights of the games in front of NHL playoff highlights. Basically, what I am saying is that spring football is a big deal. Here are the top storylines this April:
New Quarterback for UCLA – Unlike the past two seasons, Patrick Cowan will begin the season behind center for the Bruins instead of Ben Olson. This isn’t a surprising move, as new head coach Rick Neuheisel and offensive coordinator Norm Chow look to make their imprint. Cowan looked good in UCLA’s recent scrimmage, going 7 for 11, with 78 yards passing and two touchdowns.
Joe Pa Still Coaching – 81 years strong, Joe Paterno will still be pacing the sidelines this fall for Penn State, with no stated plan of succession coming anytime soon. Penn State has had a rough off-season, with numerous players getting into trouble off the field and the recent loss of linebacker Sean Lee for the season. Some Penn State trustees are pushing for the naming of a successor for Paterno, but he has earned the right to make that decision.
Helping Out Tebow – The Florida Gators two leading rushers last season were a quarterback and a wide receiver. This season they are hoping USC transfer Emmanuel Moody can take some of the heat off their Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Tim Tebow when it comes to rushing the ball. He has struggled so far this spring grasping the offense, despite the high expectations being place on him. One has to wonder how many big hits Tebow can take.
What About the Champs? – The defending champs are going to lose a lot of firepower to the NFL in a few weeks. However, thanks to top level recruiting they are going to remain very strong on both the offensive and defensive lines. Yet, the real question is at the quarterback position where incumbent starter Ryan Perilloux was recently suspended by the team, for the third time in the past year. This spring will have freshman Jarrett Lee and junior Andrew Hatch splitting snaps.
The End of an Era – This off-season Florida State announced that Jimbo Fisher would succeed Bobby Bowden as the head coach, when he decided to step down. The potentially difficult process of Fisher gradually taking over begins this year.
The Fighting Irish? – 3-9 seasons aren’t looked upon kindly at Notre Dame, especially when one of those losses comes to Navy. Charlie Weis isn’t being called a genius anymore and is facing some serious pressure to turn this storied program around this season. Yet, the Irish won’t get anywhere unless they find a way to protect prized quarterback Jimmy Clausen.
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