Jim McElwain, OC for UA. Alabama’s new offensive coordinator comes via the ol’ boy telegraph: Jim McElwain, offensive coordinator for the Fresno State Bulldogs, will be the new official offensive coordinator at Alabama. He replaces Major Applewhite , who allegedly did not have control over his own offense and has since moved on to Texas as an extraordinarily well-paid running backs coach.

In a nutshell: he’s spread-a-licious, having served as the Michigan State OC under John L. Smith (slap!) from 2003–2005 and as Fresno’s OC last year. It will be one a them run-first spreads, however: at Fresno last year, the Bulldogs ran 564 times to 343 attempts passing. McElwain also likely comes with an endorsement from Pat Hill, a compadre of Saban’s from their days together on the Cleveland Browns Belichick staff.

Bedlam just got more expensive. If you care to watch the Bedlam rivalry game between Oklahoma and Oklahoma State and do not possess a student ticket—congratulations! Oklahoma State will throw in the remaining eleven games of the schedule for the low, low cost of just $294 for an endzone seat. The douchebag move mimics Iowa State’s similar ploy last year for the Iowa game, and was just as douchebaggish then as it is now.

Paul Finebaum hates the trend of naming a successor-in-waiting at the head coaching spot. But Paul: Joker, baby. Joker. This whole thing is worth a.) having a second competent black coach in the SEC, and b.) this fark from LSUFreek.

Okay, 1.5 mil. And that’s my final offer. Rich Rodriguez tries to beggar West Virginia down with a $1.5 million gesture of “good faith.” The Mark Schlabach piece on ESPN.com makes it sound like “good faith” was in drastic undersupply in the final days in West Virginia, a period now being chronicled with the scrutiny of the final days of the Nixon White House.

We want the Japanese to build one of these down the side of Mount Fuji. It’s only a matter of time.


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