Report: Big Ten wants Rutgers

The consensus among Big Ten sources, officials from other conferences and TV executives is that Rutgers offers the best package. Missouri is second and Pittsburgh third. Why Rutgers? It doesn’t hurt that the New Brunswick, N.J., campus is less than 40 miles from midtown Manhattan. Or that the state of New Jersey alone would be the nation’s fourth-largest television market - after New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. Fans wonder: Does New York care about Rutgers? The simplest answer: When Rutgers wins, yes. During Rutgers’ football nirvana season of 2006, its game against Louisville on ESPN drew an 8.1 rating in the New York market, a “phenomenal number,” according to one TV executive. That night, the Empire State Building was lit up in scarlet. The New York market has 7.5 million TV homes, and the Big Ten Network would love to get them on expanded basic cable rather than forcing subscribers to pay extra via a sports tier. Rutgers just completed a $102 million renovation of its football stadium that added more than 12,000 seats, 1,000 club-level seats, a $5 million recruiting lounge - and earned the ire of opposition groups. Capacity is up to 52,454 with an option for building a third deck. – Chicago Tribune

Terry Bowden: Bring on playoffs instead of BCS

Terry Bowden is loving the playoffs life in Division II, and thinks Division I should go the same way. I cannot think of any reasonable expectations why we would not play a playoff at the Bowl Championship Series level as well. I do believe we should use the bowl sites, but I do not think there’s any justification for us not playing a playoff at every level of football. It’s a lot of fun, it’s just a lot of excitement, it builds the pressure, but I think it’s how the game was supposed to be played. It’s supposed to be won on the field. Mythical national championships are fun to write about, but they’re not much fun to earn. – Orlando Sentinel

Alabama DC Kirby Smart could be future Georgia head coach?

Recently, Kirby Smart received a $390,000 raise to stay at Alabama as defensive coordinator, rejecting a bid from Georgia, his alma mater. His new deal will pay him $750,000 annually. Is he worth it? Have coaching salaries, particularly for assistants, gotten completely out of whack? Or if you are as good as Smart (did you catch Alabama’s defense this past year?) does it really matter? … My sense is Saban was probably not crazy about having to pay the $750,000 ransom money to keep Smart at Alabama. Not that it comes out of his pocket, but Saban knows that a large differential in pay among assistants is unhealthy and can create problems, even with a loyal and tireless worker like Smart. However, I think in the wake of the national championship (the Georgia offer was probably tendered before Smart even made it back to Tuscaloosa from Pasadena), and with recruiting at full speed, Saban probably signed off on the salary increase, took two aspirin and went to bed. As for the pesky coach in waiting question, I don’t think it ever came up with Smart. Nor do I think Saban is anywhere near the finish line of his career. And who’s to say that when the issue of Smart may arise again — perhaps in a year or two if the Mark Richt tenure comes crashing down in Athens. Certainly Smart had to think about that when the Georgia offer was made. However, I think his worth to Georgia will likely be higher, with perhaps another national championship at Alabama instead of being part of a sinking ship in Athens. – Mobile Press-Register