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USA Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Illinois head coach Bret Bielema calls out tampering in college football
It is no secret that tampering is a big problem in college football today. On seemingly countless occasions, programs have reached out to players not yet in the transfer portal with the hope of convincing them to enter the portal and come to their school. One Big Ten head coach, at least, is not afraid to hold back when it comes to tampering allegations. In a recent appearance on Fox Sports's "The Triple Option" podcast, Illinois head coach Bret Bielema called out an SEC program for tampering with former Illini running back Josh McCray. "Somehow he found his way to the portal and 12 hours after being in the portal he was on a flight to Georgia," Bielema said of McCray. "I don't know how that happened but it's crazy." Sure enough, less than a week after entering the portal, McCray committed to the Bulldogs. Fair or not, tampering in college football tends to benefit big-name programs like Georgia while hurting smaller ones such as Illinois. Fortunately for USC, the Trojans are one of the "haves" when it comes to college football, and stand more likely to benefit from tampering than be hurt by it.
USA Today
6 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Illinois head coach implies that the Georgia Bulldogs tampered with his star RB
The Georgia Bulldogs are expecting Illinois transfer running back Josh McCray to be one of the major additions to their roster. However, Illinois head coach Bert Bielema believes Georgia didn't add him fairly. Bielema believes that Georgia tampered with McCray to get him to come to Athens. 'We did lose a guy to Georgia,' Bielema said on "The Triple Option" podcast, talking about McCray when discussing his current running back room. 'Somehow, he found his way to the portal and 12 hours after being in the portal, he was on a flight to Georgia. I don't know how that happened, but it's crazy." This quote implies that Bielema is accusing Georgia of tampering. However, he later clarified his remarks saying that Illinois helped McCray enter the transfer portal and find a new college football home. Bielema was rightfully a little upset at losing McCray, who led Illinois in rushing yards (609) and rushing touchdowns (10). McCray's bruising style of running made him a perfect fit in Bielema's running scheme. McCray will be looking to revitalize Georgia's running game, a unit which finished second to last in the SEC in rushing yards per game (124.4) last season. Rising sophomore Nate Frazier figures to be the starter after filling in well when Trevor Etienne was hurt, but McCray should be in the lead for the second spot. He'll be primarily competing with returning redshirt sophomore Roderick Robinson II, who missed many spring practices, redshirt senior Cash Jones, who figures to contribute more to the passing attack and redshirt freshman Chauncey Bowens.
New York Post
24-06-2025
- Sport
- New York Post
Urban Meyer details the secret 14-year grudge he's holding against Sports Illustrated
Some grudges never go away. That is the case with former Ohio State coach Urban Meyer. Meyer revealed on 'The Triple Option Podcast' last week that he's holding onto some lingering anger against Sports Illustrated over a story from 14 years ago that detailed the Buckeye program's memorabilia-for-ink scandal and put then-coach Jim Tressel on the cover. 'I still hold a grudge about that whole thing,' Meyer said. 'I know Jim Tressel. I followed him, so I know exactly what his program was all about. And that was wrong. The support Tressel received in Columbus, I don't think was fair, and certainly the national [media], it's actually a joke, to be honest with you.' 3 Urban Meyer with Ohio State. AP On June 6, 2011, SI published its story by writers George Dohrmann and David Epstein that detailed the scandal in which six players from the Ohio State football team had traded memorabilia for cash or tattoos, one being star quarterback Terrelle Pryor. SI's report showed that the Department of Justice's December 2010 investigation didn't go back far enough — going back to 2002, it involved over 28 players. The story led to the resignation of Tressel as the Ohio State head coach. Meyer took over as head coach after Luke Fickell's season as interim in 2011, and he was left to deal with the fallout: the Buckeyes were banned from the postseason in 2012, placed on two-year probation, and lost five football scholarships for a three-year period. 3 Urban Meyer on 'The Triple Option' podcast. The Triple Option/YouTube 3 Former Ohio State coach Jim Tressel The Plain Dealer /Landov 'I know this one well because I lived it,' Meyer said. 'Our 2012 team went undefeated and was not able to compete (in the postseason). We would have played Notre Dame for the national championship that year. It was very punitive. Jim Tressel, whom I know well — once again, I know this case because I lived it, and I was hired directly after Coach Tressel resigned. There was no competitive advantage (to the penalties). 'They were trading memorabilia for tattoos. Competitive advantage, zero. There's nothing there. Was it wrong? Yes. Jim Tressel was accused of lying. … He was aware of (the trading). He ended it. … But the inconsistency of that penalty, to this day, still bothers me.' Tressel went on to become the president of Youngstown State University from 2014-2023 and in February of 2025, was sworn in as the 67th Lieutenant Governor of Ohio. Meyer, on the other hand, coached the Buckeyes until 2018, until he endured his own set of scandals that led to his retirement after the 2018 season. He won a national championship with Ohio State in 2014. He went on to coach the NFL's Jaguars in a disastrous stint that saw him fired with a 2-11 record and spate of on- and off-the-field controversies.
USA Today
20-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Penn State head coach James Franklin wants college football transfer portal window moved
Anyone who has followed college football over the past few years knows the sport's calendar is completely broken. Perhaps the biggest issue of all is the winter transfer portal window, which begins prior to the end of the previous season's playoff and bowl games. This often puts players in the unenviable position of having to choose between finishing the season out with their current team or entering the portal with enough time to find a new home before the spring semester starts. This week, a notable Big Ten head coach spoke up on the issue. In a recent appearance on The Triple Option, a college football podcast hosted by Fox Sports's Rob Stone, Urban Meyer, and Mark Ingram II, Penn State head coach James Franklin advocated for moving college football's transfer portal window until after the postseason ends. 'We're having these conversations during the playoffs,' Franklin said. 'I'm trying to retain my team during the playoffs. That's the challenge. We're trying to get rid of this so you don't have the transfer portal open during the playoffs. We should be totally focused on trying to win a championship and instead, I'm having conversations to try to keep the team together.'
Time of India
19-06-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
"Inconsistency of that penalty still bothers me": Urban Meyer slams NCAA over 2010 Ohio State scandal fallout
Image Source: Getty Urban Meyer, the former Ohio State head coach, has a few particular things he wishes NCAA officials would have done differently in responding to the infamous 2010 tattoo scandal that nearly sunk the Buckeyes program. He inherited the fallout from the scandal, one that started in 2010 but went on long after Meyer got to Columbus, including a 2012 postseason ban that expunged any shot Meyer and an undefeated Buckeyes team had at competing for the national title. In a recent interview on The Triple Option podcast, Meyer said the sanctions were too severe, notably since the violations (trading memorabilia for tattoos) had nothing to do with competitive advantage, but rather were inherently subjective. Urban Meyer says there was no competitive advantage for Ohio State The crux of the problem at hand, a few players trading memorabilia for ink, played no role in the Buckeyes' on-field success, Meyer said, 'Competitive advantage: zero' because such things did not enhance performance or provide an advantage in terms of recruiting, he stressed. The controversy did not concern boosters or excessive inducements during the recruitment process, or even tampering, merely players exchanging souvenirs for tattoos. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like One of the Most Successful Investors of All Time, Warren Buffett, Recommends: 5 Books for Turning... Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Click Here Undo He also noted that the situation was overblown in hindsight. 'There were some players trading… memorabilia for tattoos. That's it,' he said, suggesting that the national furor and NCAA response far exceeded the offense. In the current NIL landscape, that type of activity hardly raises an eyebrow. Meyer argued that it did not give Ohio State an advantage in winning games or securing the best players. NCAA's harsh penalties cost Ohio State a national championship run The scandal also led to Ohio State vacating all 12 wins from the 2010 season and imposed a postseason ban that impacted the 2012 team, Meyer's first season in Columbus. That team was undefeated, but was ineligible to play for a national title. Meyer noted that his team missed the so-called football glory by pointing out that 'we would have played Notre Dame.' Also Read: Boston College gives first official look at new football uniforms for 2025 season Jim Tressel received a five-year show-cause penalty and a $250,000 fine for allegedly lying about the violations. While it was still wrong the way Tressel handled it, Meyer felt that the punishment was too much, especially at a time when players are profiting off their name, image, and likeness so openly. 'The inconsistency of that penalty, to this day, still bothers me,' Meyer said, lamenting how quickly guidelines for college football have adjusted since that time. Game On Season 1 kicks off with Sakshi Malik's inspiring story. Watch Episode 1 here
