Countdown to Kickoff 2015 #10: Offseason recap

In just 10 days, we'll have college football back on our TV screens.  So, to get everyone ready for the season, we have at least one new post every day until kickoff!

To start off, let's take a look at what has transpired in this offseason.


First of all, the NCAA has made some rule changes, as they tend to do every year.  There's nothing too drastic, at least very few that the average fan would notice during the course of a game or season. (NCAA.org)

The SEC is having major first world problems now that they haven't won two national championships in a row.  (Fox Sports)

Apparently, it's a big thing that there are fewer bye weeks in 2015.  Of course there are, since Labor Day is later, and the season is starting in September instead of August for the first time in three years.  (FBSchedules.com)

The country's most intriguing QB competition got a little less murky, as Ohio State's Braxton Miller will move to receiver.  (Sports Illustrated)

The AAC thinks it could turn the Power 5 into the Power 6.  Wishful thinking there, as there was a reason you weren't invited to that group when the Big East dissolved.  The biggest problem is that as schools in that conference get good and grow, they'll get taken by the larger conferences in expansion.  (Yahoo! Sports)

UNC is facing some discipline from the NCAA over fake classes.  As with anything involving NCAA discipline, the case is rather complicated.  However, UNC does not seem to be worried, and is acting like business as usual.  (SBNation)

Virginia Tech has renamed the street in front of Lane Stadium to Beamer Way.  (HokieSports.com)

Not directly related to college football, but rather to the network that broadcasts most of it . . . ESPN is having some money issues, and could be facing some cost cutting measures.  (Wall Street Journal)

Related to that, ESPN parted ways with Colin Cowherd over the summer, although they "fired" him a week before his contract expired because of something "offensive" that he said.  Word on the street is that Cowherd is going over to Fox Sports, which could be starting its major push to be ESPN's direct and top competitor sooner rather than later.