#Tyrie Scott

[wankerwatch]

Lords Vote

On: Social Fund Winter Fuel Payment Regulations 2024

Baroness Stedman-Scott moved that this House regrets (1) that the Social Fund Winter Fuel Payment Regulations 2024 (SI 2024/869), laid before the House on 22 August, will leave pensioners worse off in winter; (2) the decision to prioritise above-inflation pay rises for unionised public sector professionals over the needs of the elderly, including many households that are eligible for Pension Credit but do not claim it; and (3) the lack of transparency on these policy decisions during the election period. The House divided:

Ayes: 164 (87.8% Con, 4.9% XB, 3.0% DUP, 2.4% , 1.2% UUP, 0.6% Green) Noes: 132 (92.4% Lab, 6.1% XB, 0.8% , 0.8% Bshp) Absent: ~535

Individual Votes:

Ayes

Conservative (144 votes)

Altrincham, L. Ashcombe, L. Attlee, E. Bailey of Paddington, L. Balfe, L. Banner, L. Barran, B. Bellamy, L. Bellingham, L. Berridge, B. Blackwood of North Oxford, B. Blencathra, L. Booth, L. Borwick, L. Brady of Altrincham, L. Brady, B. Browning, B. Brownlow of Shurlock Row, L. Caine, L. Callanan, L. Cameron of Lochiel, L. Camoys, L. Carrington of Fulham, L. Cathcart, E. Choudrey, L. Colgrain, L. Courtown, E. Davidson of Lundin Links, B. Davies of Gower, L. De Mauley, L. Douglas-Miller, L. Eccles, V. Effingham, E. Evans of Rainow, L. Fairfax of Cameron, L. Fookes, B. Foster of Oxton, B. Frost, L. Fuller, L. Garnier, L. Gascoigne, L. Godson, L. Goldie, B. Goldsmith of Richmond Park, L. Goodman of Wycombe, L. Goschen, V. Grayling, L. Harding of Winscombe, B. Harlech, L. Haselhurst, L. Hayward, L. Henley, L. Hodgson of Abinger, B. Holmes of Richmond, L. Hooper, B. Horam, L. Howell of Guildford, L. Hunt of Wirral, L. Jackson of Peterborough, L. James of Blackheath, L. Jenkin of Kennington, B. Johnson of Marylebone, L. Jopling, L. Kempsell, L. Kirkhope of Harrogate, L. Lamont of Lerwick, L. Lansley, L. Lawlor, B. Lea of Lymm, B. Leicester, E. Liverpool, E. Lucas, L. Magan of Castletown, L. Mancroft, L. Manzoor, B. Markham, L. Marland, L. Maude of Horsham, L. McInnes of Kilwinning, L. McIntosh of Pickering, B. McLoughlin, L. Mendoza, L. Minto, E. Mobarik, B. Monckton of Dallington Forest, B. Morgan of Cotes, B. Morris of Bolton, B. Mott, L. Moylan, L. Moynihan, L. Murray of Blidworth, L. Naseby, L. Neville-Jones, B. Neville-Rolfe, B. Newlove, B. Norton of Louth, L. O'Neill of Bexley, B. Offord of Garvel, L. Parkinson of Whitley Bay, L. Patten, L. Penn, B. Pidding, B. Polak, L. Popat, L. Porter of Fulwood, B. Reay, L. Redfern, B. Remnant, L. Risby, L. Robathan, L. Roberts of Belgravia, L. Roborough, L. Rock, B. Sanderson of Welton, B. Sandhurst, L. Sassoon, L. Sater, B. Scott of Bybrook, B. Seccombe, B. Shackleton of Belgravia, B. Sharpe of Epsom, L. Shephard of Northwold, B. Sherbourne of Didsbury, L. Shinkwin, L. Smith of Hindhead, L. Stedman-Scott, B. Stewart of Dirleton, L. Stowell of Beeston, B. Strathcarron, L. Strathclyde, L. Sugg, B. Swire, L. Taylor of Holbeach, L. Trenchard, V. True, L. Tugendhat, L. Vere of Norbiton, B. Verma, B. Waldegrave of North Hill, L. Wei, L. Williams of Trafford, B. Wolfson of Tredegar, L. Wrottesley, L. Young of Cookham, L.

Crossbench (8 votes)

Alton of Liverpool, L. Craig of Radley, L. Freeman of Steventon, B. Greenway, L. O'Loan, B. Pannick, L. Powell of Bayswater, L. Vaux of Harrowden, L.

Democratic Unionist Party (5 votes)

Browne of Belmont, L. Dodds of Duncairn, L. Hay of Ballyore, L. McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown, L. Morrow, L.

Non-affiliated (4 votes)

Prior of Brampton, L. Taylor of Warwick, L. Tyrie, L. Verdirame, L.

Ulster Unionist Party (2 votes)

Elliott of Ballinamallard, L. Empey, L.

Green Party (1 vote)

Jones of Moulsecoomb, B.

Noes

Labour (122 votes)

Adams of Craigielea, B. Alli, L. Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent, B. Anderson of Swansea, L. Armstrong of Hill Top, B. Ashton of Upholland, B. Bach, L. Bassam of Brighton, L. Beamish, L. Beckett, B. Berkeley, L. Blake of Leeds, B. Boateng, L. Bradley, L. Bragg, L. Browne of Ladyton, L. Campbell-Savours, L. Carter of Coles, L. Chakrabarti, B. Chapman of Darlington, B. Clark of Windermere, L. Collins of Highbury, L. Crawley, B. Cryer, L. Davies of Brixton, L. Donaghy, B. Donoughue, L. Drake, B. Eatwell, L. Evans of Watford, L. Faulkner of Worcester, L. Foulkes of Cumnock, L. Gale, B. Golding, B. Goudie, B. Grantchester, L. Grocott, L. Hacking, L. Hain, L. Hannett of Everton, L. Hanson of Flint, L. Hanworth, V. Harman, B. Harris of Haringey, L. Hayman of Ullock, B. Hayter of Kentish Town, B. Hazarika, B. Healy of Primrose Hill, B. Hendy of Richmond Hill, L. Hodge of Barking, B. Howarth of Newport, L. Hughes of Stretford, B. Hunt of Kings Heath, L. Hutton of Furness, L. Jay of Paddington, B. Jones of Whitchurch, B. Jordan, L. Keeley, B. Kennedy of Cradley, B. Kennedy of Southwark, L. Khan of Burnley, L. Kingsmill, B. Knight of Weymouth, L. Lawrence of Clarendon, B. Layard, L. Lennie, L. Leong, L. Liddell of Coatdyke, B. Liddle, L. Lipsey, L. Livermore, L. Mann, L. Maxton, L. McConnell of Glenscorrodale, L. McIntosh of Hudnall, B. McNicol of West Kilbride, L. Mendelsohn, L. Merron, B. Morgan of Drefelin, B. Morgan of Huyton, B. Morris of Yardley, B. Murphy of Torfaen, L. Nye, B. O'Grady of Upper Holloway, B. Pitkeathley, B. Ponsonby of Shulbrede, L. Prentis of Leeds, L. Ramsay of Cartvale, B. Ramsey of Wall Heath, B. Rebuck, B. Reid of Cardowan, L. Ritchie of Downpatrick, B. Robertson of Port Ellen, L. Rooker, L. Rowlands, L. Royall of Blaisdon, B. Sahota, L. Sherlock, B. Smith of Basildon, B. Smith of Malvern, B. Snape, L. Spellar, L. Stansgate, V. Symons of Vernham Dean, B. Taylor of Bolton, B. Taylor of Stevenage, B. Thornton, B. Timpson, L. Touhig, L. Tunnicliffe, L. Turnberg, L. Twycross, B. Vallance of Balham, L. Warwick of Undercliffe, B. Watson of Invergowrie, L. Watson of Wyre Forest, L. Wheeler, B. Whitaker, B. Wilcox of Newport, B. Winston, L. Winterton of Doncaster, B. Young of Old Scone, B.

Crossbench (8 votes)

Boycott, B. Butler-Sloss, B. Casey of Blackstock, B. Ford, B. Hogan-Howe, L. O'Donnell, L. Walney, L. Watkins of Tavistock, B.

Non-affiliated (1 vote)

Austin of Dudley, L.

Bishops (1 vote)

Sheffield, Bp.

[rmbaloncesto]

Thompkins family 👨‍👩‍👦

[authenticnewshindi]

Sharma picks Scott to fill CMA void left by Tyrie exit

Sharma picks Scott to fill CMA void left by Tyrie exit

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Alok Sharma, the business secretary, will this week ask an interim chairman to head the competition watchdog amid confusion over Britain’s post-Brexit state aid regime.

Sky News has learnt that Mr Sharma has picked Jonathan Scott, a board member at the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) since 2016, to replace Lord Tyrie on a temporary basis.

An announcement, which is expected on…

[junker-town]

How long will it take Dan Mullen to get Florida out of its rut?

Mullen’s got loads of SEC experience and inherits a roster full of exciting sophomores and juniors. How long might it take him?

Bill C’s annual preview series of every FBS team in college football continues. Catch up here!

Long ago at Football Outsiders, I took a look at whether any type of coach is more likely to succeed than any others. The only broad conclusions I could reach were as follows:

Programs tend to gravitate toward their historical norms.

If you can get a coach with power conference coaching experience, that’s slightly more likely to work out for you than anything else.

Those aren’t mind-blowing conclusions, but they’re instructive when thinking about Florida’s hire of Mullen.

Florida’s historical norms:

Following the 2010 season, Florida’s 50-year average percentile rating in the S&P+ rankings was 84.7 percent. If you recall standardized testing, that’s pretty good. The Gators had achieved at an elite level throughout most of the 1990s and 2000s, but had been at least solid before that.

Basically, all Florida needs is a decent head coach in order to play at a top-15 level.

During the seven seasons since, Florida’s average percentile rating in S&P+ is only 76.2 percent. Granted, 2017’s strange collapse played a role in that figure, but you could say UF’s hires of Will Muschamp and Jim McElwain were average at best.

Hiring a coach with the right kind of experience:

Muschamp and McElwain had solid résumés. But neither had been a P5 head coach before.

Mullen has nine years of not only P5 head coaching experience, but SEC head coaching experience.

And he led historical overachievement at Mississippi State. In the 50 years before his arrival, MSU’s average percentile rating was 57 percent. In his nine seasons, it was 75.4 percent. His Bulldogs finished ranked in the AP top 20 three times and won six bowls. He raised the bar significantly in Starkville.

Any further context you want to add is even friendlier. You know, like how how Florida’s offense had an average Off. S&P+ ranking of fifth during his last three years as OC in Gainesville (2006-08) and has had an average ranking of 65.4 since.

On paper, this is very likely to be at least a good hire for Florida. I would be floored if the Gators weren’t at least top-15 good soon. (They’ve only hit that mark twice in the last seven years.) On the field, this was a nearly risk-free hire.

So why isn’t there more energy emanating from Gainesville? This hire got a good grade from everyone who grades such things, but “Florida’s going to be back soon!” buzz — like what we saw from Scott Frost’s Nebraska hire — has been minimal.

Recent headlines haven’t helped. Something in the neighborhood of seven Gators were allegedly involved in a confrontation involving gamblers and BB guns (and a frying pan). This came after a few key players were suspended or booted for “misusing school-issued funds” last fall. It’s a lot harder to get your program to achieve when your two-deep is randomly Thanos-ing itself.

Meanwhile, though July recruiting rankings are as conversational as they are consequential, Mullen hasn’t done himself any favors there either.

Then there’s the product on the field. Florida didn’t bottom out in exactly the same way that Tennessee did last season — while UT’s Butch Jones was very much fired for on-field performance, McElwain’s dismissal was blurrier, and the Gators were decent for half the season. Still, as with Jeremy Pruitt at UT, Mullen is facing a Year Zero season while figuring out what kind of building job he’s got.

Florida’s got plenty of individual talent, even if this latest stupid scandal continues. It’s hard to set 2018 expectations until we know the timeline for the rebuild, but we can still make an educated guess on how the season will go.

Offense

Let’s start with a positive: Florida should be pretty good up front. The Gators were mostly solid in run blocking last year — they were 31st in stuff rate (run stops at or behind the line) and 32nd in Adj. Line Yards, though they were far from awesome in short-yardage situations (82nd in power success rate) — despite young running backs.

They now return all eight linemen who started at least one game last year and who’ve combined for 112 career starts. Left tackle Martez Ivey has mostly lived up to his five-star hype (he was second-team all-SEC last year), and while McElwain didn’t recruit like gangbusters up front, he did compile experience.

Granted, pass blocking numbers were terrible. Both primary quarterbacks, Feleipe Franks and Malik Zaire, took sacks on over 11 percent of their pass attempts, and UF ranked a wretched 114th in Adj. Sack Rate. But a lot of that is on the shoulders of the QBs, not necessarily on the line. Franks was an overwhelmed redshirt freshman, and Zaire was sack-prone at Notre Dame, too.

UF did appear to have some answers brewing. After a struggle against Michigan, the Gators averaged 6.3 yards per play and 31 points per game in wins over Tennessee, Kentucky, and Vanderbilt. Freshman Malik Davis rushed 42 times for 311 yards, Franks completed 65 percent of his passes and averaged a strong eight yards per pass attempt (including sacks), and sophomore Tyrie Cleveland caught 11 of 18 balls for 270 yards. The young core looked ready.

And then the calendar flipped to October. Franks took 15 sacks in three games and went into a shell. Zaire took over and did the same, so Franks got the job again. After producing a 150.3 passer rating in September, Franks managed just 99.3 thereafter.

Still, he was a freshman. So was Davis, who missed the last month of the season with a knee injury. Cleveland’s production vanished when his QBs’ production did, but he’s still a former blue-chipper with a a track record. (He was also involved in the frying pan scandal.)

Potential has never been Florida’s problem, but the list of guys with it is awfully long.

Newly eligible Ole Miss transfer and former blue-chipper Van Jefferson caught 91 passes over two seasons in Oxford and produced a plus-14 percent marginal efficiency, which dwarfed that of any Florida receiver besides slot man Kadarius Toney. (Jefferson was in what I’ll politely call a more WR-friendly offense.)

Toney, another member of the Frying Pan Seven, caught 15 of 21 passes with a lovely 57 percent success rate. He also rushed 14 times for 120 yards. He also did next to nothing after September.

Running back Adarius Lemons came off the bench late in his freshman year and gained 110 yards in 13 carries against UAB and FSU.

Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

Van Jefferson

Juniors like running back Lamical Perine and receivers Josh Hammond and Freddie Swain didn’t produce intriguing per-touch numbers but have racked up experience. There’s another layer of four-star youngsters who have barely seen the field, but still might carry potential. Perhaps the most noteworthy: Ohio State transfer Trevon Grimes, sophomore Daquon Green, JUCO tight end Lucas Krull, and freshman slot Jacob Copeland.

Then there’s Scarlett. He rushed for 889 yards (five per carry) for the pass-challenged 2016 offense before missing last season. And while Franks didn’t run often, he looked good when he did (29 non-sack carries, 212 yards). Mullen brought co-coordinators John Hevesy and Billy Gonzales from Starkville, and with Davis, Scarlett, and Perine, with either Franks, freshman Emory Jones (yet another of the Frying Pan Crew), or sophomore Kyle Trask behind center, it’s not hard to see a version of last year’s run-heavy MSU offense. And if that happens, there’s upside in the receiving corps, too.

Needless to say, though, it’s been a while since Florida’s offense lived up to recruiting rankings.

Logan Bowles-USA TODAY Sports

Jordan Scarlett

Defense

Florida hasn’t had an offense rank higher than 39th in Off. S&P+ since Meyer left, but the defense held on through the Muschamp years and the start of the McElwain era. Florida ranked 13th or (much) better in Def. S&P+ every year from 2008-16.

But the back seven got thinned out between 2016 and 2017, the line dealt with injuries, and the Gators fell to 54th last year. Things bottomed out during a three-game stretch that saw them allow 7.1 yards per play and 38 points per game to Georgia, Missouri, and South Carolina.

Now, 54th still isn’t terrible — it’s better than what the offense has been — but Todd Grantham’s first Florida defense has quite a bit to prove.

Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Chauncey Gardner-Johnson

The primary source of problems was in the big-play department — the Gators didn’t suffer glitches, they suffered catastrophes. They ranked 27th in success rate but 118th in IsoPPP (which measures the magnitude of the big plays you allow), and despite a slow game tempo, the 5.2 plays per game of 20-plus yards that they allowed ranked 97th.

Of course, when you see that freshmen and sophomores accounted for seven of last year’s top nine DBs, those big plays begin to make sense. The secondary was so young that it’s still one of the youngest in FBS, but there is some play-making talent. Junior nickel Chauncey Gardner-Johnson led the team with 15 havoc plays (six tackles for loss, nine passes defensed), and sophomore corners Marco Wilson and CJ Henderson combined for 18 passes defensed.

Experience should help with the big plays, but Grantham’s system is aggressive — his Mississippi State defense ranked 13th in success rate and 120th in IsoPPP. So the all-or-nothing tendencies will continue, which is fine, as long as there are far more alls than nothings.

Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Cece Jefferson

The front seven was also incredibly young, so much so that rush end Cece Jefferson and tackle Khairi Clark might be the only seniors to see action. (It also was only minimally damaged by Frying Pangate — reserve tackle Kyree Campbell was the only defender involved.)

With the addition of WVU transfer Adam Shuler II, UF appears loaded at end. Jefferson, Shuler, and Jabari Zuniga each had at least eight tackles for loss and three sacks last season, and Jachai Polite added another five. And inside linebacker David Reese led the team in tackles and came in second in TFLs with 10.

Linebacker depth might be tenuous, and the potential nose tackles in Grantham’s system haven’t proved themselves (no returning tackle had more than eight tackles last year), but there are known pieces to go with all the potential. Grantham improved MSU’s defense from 73rd to 19th in Def. S&P+ last year and could have a similar effect in Gainesville.

Special Teams

Florida ranked a healthy 15th in Special Teams S&P+ — despite almost no production in the return game — because of the dynamite leg combination of kicker Eddy Pineiro and punter Johnny Townsend. Both are gone.

With all these athletes at WR and DB, the returner positions have lots of unproven potential. (So this goes for basically the entire team.)

2018 outlook

2018 Schedule & Projection Factors

Date Opponent Proj. S&P+ Rk Proj. Margin Win Probability 1-Sep Charleston Southern NR 32.3 97% 8-Sep Kentucky 64 8.9 70% 15-Sep Colorado State 95 16.7 83% 22-Sep at Tennessee 79 7.3 66% 29-Sep at Mississippi State 14 -10.0 28% 6-Oct LSU 16 -3.3 42% 13-Oct at Vanderbilt 75 6.7 65% 27-Oct vs. Georgia 6 -13.9 21% 3-Nov Missouri 30 1.8 54% 10-Nov South Carolina 35 3.5 58% 17-Nov Idaho NR 30.3 96% 24-Nov at Florida State 18 -6.6 35%

Projected S&P+ Rk 32 Proj. Off. / Def. Rk 60 / 21 Projected wins 7.2 Five-Year S&P+ Rk 8.9 (28) 2- and 5-Year Recruiting Rk 13 / 13 2017 TO Margin / Adj. TO Margin* -3 / -5.2 2017 TO Luck/Game +1.0 Returning Production (Off. / Def.) 75% (77%, 74%) 2017 Second-order wins (difference) 4.8 (-0.8)

In Mullen’s first season at MSU, he brought a spark to a moribund offense and improved the Bulldogs from 95th to 33rd in S&P+. They improved from four wins to merely five because of some tight losses and a brutal schedule, but by year two, MSU was 9-4 and 26th.

Moribund offense? Check. Taking over a four-win team? Check. If nothing else, this feels familiar for Mullen.

SEC media picked Florida third in the East, which is fine as a splitting-the-difference pick. To me, either Mullen takes root and the Gators ride a hot start to second in the East, or this proves a Year Zero situation and UF ends up fifth or sixth.

S&P+ projects the Gators 32nd overall and favors them in eight games, with a ninth (LSU) a relative tossup. But home games against UK, Mizzou, and South Carolina, plus road trips to Tennessee and Vanderbilt, are extremely losable if last year’s primary issues — horrible passing game, big plays on defense — prove too deeply set.

I expect Mullen to eventually achieve at least a top-15 level. But Florida is a total mystery this year.

Team preview stats

All power conference preview data to date.

[usatrendingsports]

Faculty Soccer finish of yr accountability: Good, unhealthy and ugly of 2017 predictions

In August, when predictions have been being finalized and printed, you had that second. Sooner or later, you most likely thought to your self, “man, this dude is out of his thoughts.”

As has been the case for practically a decade, this column is a Christmas current to you — the reader who demanded accountability for preseason predictions gone awry (and in addition an opportunity for me to brag slightly). What predictions have been good, unhealthy and ugly? Let’s have some enjoyable:

The Good: SEC preseason predictions as a complete

In our daring predictions for the SEC, not solely did I nail the SEC Championship Recreation matchup and end result, I had this gem:

“Auburn, Alabama and Georgia will all be playoff-worthy and have one common season convention loss every. There might be a authentic debate about whether or not the convention deserves two groups within the CFP.”

Georgia and Alabama made the Faculty Soccer Playoff, and Auburn received the SEC West and performed for the convention title with a spot on the road.

However wait, it will get higher.

In game-by-game SEC predictions posted on Aug. 22, I accurately picked the exact SEC wins and losses for Georgia, Alabama and Auburn. Not simply their SEC data, their precise sport outcomes.

Positive, I missed Florida State-Alabama and Clemson-Auburn, however from an SEC perspective, it does not get a lot better.

The Dangerous: USC hype, and Sam Darnold for Heisman

Man, that USC hype bought me. It bought me large time.

Not solely did I decide USC to win the Faculty Soccer Playoff Nationwide Championship (over Georgia), I selected quarterback Sam Darnold because the winner of the 2017 Heisman Trophy.

Granted, these weren’t completely outlandish picks and I actually wasn’t alone on the time. The Trojans have been ranked No. Four within the preseason AP High 25, Darnold was one of many Heisman favorites after a scorching near the 2016 season that culminated within the Rose Bowl and USC was set as much as construct off of that sudden success.

After which the offensive line forgot methods to block through the first month of the season, everyone bought damage and the Trojans fell at Washington State on a Friday night time in September and once more by 35(!) at Notre Dame on Oct. 21. Darnold threw 9 interceptions over the primary six video games of the season, and by no means gained the arrogance he confirmed as a redshirt freshman in 2016.

Sigh.

The season went sideways for Sam Darnold early on. USATSI

However hey, at the least the Trojans made a New 12 months’s Six Bowl and Darnold might be a excessive draft decide when he decides to bail.

The Ugly: Utah. Utah? UTAH?!?!?

For some unusual, inexplicable, weird motive, I had Utah finishing 11-1 (8-1 Pac-12), and shedding a heads-up tiebreaker with USC for the Pac-12 South championship.

Why?

I don’t know, and I apologize for not having a extra concrete motive for one thing so laughable.

We’re speaking a few crew that, with that report, ought to be enjoying a New 12 months’s Six bowl — maybe in Dallas on the Cotton Bowl — and never the Coronary heart of Dallas Bowl, which is performed on the precise Cotton Bowl, not Jerry World. The Utes went 6-6 (Three-6 Pac-12), misplaced six of their final eight and a type of wins was a six-point victory over rival BYU — which went Four-9.

I assumed Utah can be stable on the line of scrimmage regardless of some roster turnover as a result of that was its id. Now, its id is as a let down.

Kyle Whittingham has some fixing to do that offseason. USATSI

The Dangerous: Not shopping for Memphis

In our AAC predictions, we needed to provide you with our most overrated crew. I selected Memphis, and defined this manner.

“I am sorry, however I do not purchase into the Memphis hype. The defensive entrance was atrocious final yr with solely 11 of the 23 sacks coming from linemen. Strain is vital in each convention, and I am unsure that Memphis can get it this yr. That is one thing you’ll be able to work round if in case you have a proficient defensive backfield that is aware of the place to be and methods to get on the identical web page, however attrition within the secondary coupled with the shortcoming to get stress up entrance is a recipe for defensive catastrophe that can make it arduous for an offense led by quarterback Riley Ferguson to beat.”

Memphis completed third within the AAC in tackles for loss with 86 and interceptions with 16. I believe it is secure to say they bought sufficient stress and capitalized on compelled errors within the again finish simply advantageous, thanks.

Oh, and the Tigers completed 10-2 (7-1 AAC), received the West division, went toe-to-toe with eventual convention champion UCF in a 62-55, double extra time loss within the AAC Championship Recreation and completed 20th within the closing Faculty Soccer Playoff rankings.

Undoubtedly NOT overrated.

The Ugly: Nebraska successful the Massive Ten West

The Massive Ten West is usually a craps shoot, and I rolled the cube with Nebraska in 2017.

That turned up snake eyes.

As a substitute of successful the division, topping Wisconsin heads up, springing the upset on Penn State in the regular season and shedding a rematch within the Massive Ten Championship Recreation, the Cornhuskers sputtered to a Four-Eight report, went Three-5 within the Massive Ten, fired coach Mike Riley and completed fifth within the division — one spot beneath Purdue. Purdue.

However hey, at the least Scott Frost is there to save lots of the day now.

Nebraska begins its rebuild now. USATSI

The Good: Michigan’s ridiculous hype

Bear in mind this summer time when this was presupposed to be “the yr” for third-year Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh in keeping with some preseason prognosticators? It wasn’t, and we tried to let you know in our Massive Ten preview.

4 of us (myself, Dennis Dodd, Jerry Palm and Ben Kercheval) pegged the Wolverines as essentially the most overrated crew in our Massive Ten preview. Here is what I wrote about how the season would play out.

“Harbaugh will face severe questions when his crew will not be capable to sustain with extra dynamic offenses at Penn State and Ohio State. Third place within the division for the third yr in a row will not sit effectively in Ann Arbor.”

It was the correct concept … however improper execution, as a result of the Wolverines completed fourth within the Massive Ten East — one spot beneath the earlier two seasons below Harbaugh.

In the meantime, Kirby Sensible led Georgia to the Faculty Soccer Playoff and the SEC title in his second yr ever as a head coach and Lincoln Riley received the Massive 12 and earned a CFP berth after getting the top teaching job — his first ever — at Oklahoma in June after Bob Stoops’ abrupt retirement.

But, for some motive, folks in Ann Arbor appear to nonetheless be simply advantageous with Harbaugh. Unusual.

The Ugly: Florida … simply normally

Talking of Michigan, I assumed they’d lose to Florida within the opener. Sure, that Florida.

“Name me loopy, however Florida coach Jim McElwain is enjoying coy along with his quarterback place,” I wrote within the Week 1 decide story. “Franks will hit a number of receivers with large performs, together with Josh Hammond, Tyrie Cleveland and Freddie Swain, and power a comparatively inexperienced Michigan offense out of its consolation zone in a sport that’ll be a bit increased scoring than you most likely count on.”

Ultimate line for Florida: 192 whole yards, two quarterbacks and a 33-17 loss. What makes it even worse is that each of the Gators touchdowns have been off decide sixes. These depend as “large performs,” proper?

For the yr, I picked Florida to end second within the SEC East behind Georgia and go 9-3 overall. As a substitute, they fired head coach Jim McElwain in October, went Four-7 (Three-5 SEC) and have been the punchline to each unhealthy SEC joke outdoors of Knoxville, Tennessee.

Shut, however no cigar.

It was one of many weirder years in Gainesville. USATSI

So there it’s, school soccer world. The accountability you wished in August is my present to you this vacation season. Be secure, benefit from the bowl video games and savor the subsequent few weeks. We’ve a protracted offseason forward of us.

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[othersportsnews-blog]

Jim McElwain's vision getting clearer for Florida Gators - SEC Site

New Post has been published on https://othersportsnews.com/jim-mcelwains-vision-getting-clearer-for-florida-gators-sec-site/

Jim McElwain's vision getting clearer for Florida Gators - SEC Site

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Scattered all over Jim McElwain’s office environment are propped-up cutouts of laptop-produced renderings of a Florida Gators long term fans have dreamed of for many years.

They are photos of a enormous point out-of-the-art, standalone football facility that will turn out to be a wonderland for football gamers and coaches. There’s a stroll-by means of conference area and a futuristic locker space, finish with what could be mistaken for Gator head-embroidered La-Z-Boy recliners. There’s a two-tale weight space with a cardio balcony and a gamers lounge.

It truly is a futuristic art gallery symbolizing component of the vision McElwain has little by little been developing through his additional than two many years of coaching the Gators. McElwain is surrounded by photos of an evolution that 1 of the premier college or university football packages has been reluctant to pursue as other packages include bowling allies and waterfalls to enhance their presently shiny bells and whistles.

“The 1 detail we’ll normally have is sunshine and palm trees. And nevertheless, that’s not the only detail that sells now,” McElwain instructed ESPN through the spring. “I’m truly satisfied with our path. Now we’re having a whole lot of all those items in spot, not only gamers, but organizationally. You’re viewing a whole lot of advancement in a whole lot of various spots.”

McElwain is not the lone architect powering the idea for Florida’s new football programs. The wheels experienced been in movement for football-linked updates before he arrived just after the 2014 period, but amenities have been a matter of discussion additional than a couple moments for McElwain in excess of the many years.

Considering the fact that McElwain’s arrival, Florida has manufactured a $17 million indoor facility (lastly catching up with just about each other main football program), up-to-date its dormitories and witnessed a $twenty five million renovation of the Otis Hawkins Centre for teachers. The hope is that in June 2019, the football team’s $60 million task — component of a $a hundred million task declared by previous athletic director Jeremy Foley in September that will include updates to the baseball and softball stadiums — will develop a a few-tale, one hundred thirty,000 sq.-foot facility (equipped with a dining hall for all student-athletes and located across from the Gators’ apply fields) that will serve as the conference and schooling headquarters for football.

“Coach Mac is modifying this whole tradition of Gator football into a little something wonderful,” sophomore heart T.J. McCoy reported. AP Photograph/John Bazemore

For McElwain, the new football facility is critical for player advancement and perfectly-currently being. The glimpse will be wonderful, but its function is a little something the Gators desperately wanted.

“Coach Mac is modifying this whole tradition of Gator football into a little something wonderful,” sophomore heart T.J. McCoy reported.

Foley may have turned the Florida athletic department into 1 of the nation’s finest through his twenty five many years in charge, but it has been a seamless changeover to Scott Stricklin, forty seven, who embarks on his have vision with McElwain. The previous Mississippi Point out athletic director, who headed facility updates of additional than $one hundred forty million in Starkville and noticed important raises in booster club membership and donations through his time there, seems like the perfect resourceful husband or wife for McElwain as he continues to push the aesthetics of Florida’s football program.

“In this working day and age, amenities notify your staff members, your student-athletes and that outdoors earth wherever your priorities are,” reported Stricklin, who would finally like to include point out-of-the-art updates to the Swamp, as perfectly.

Even though aesthetics are a main component of McElwain’s vision, he also is building the actual football component in his path also. Back again-to-back SEC Japanese Division championships have been rather tainted for some by constantly mediocre offenses, but as McElwain enters his 3rd period in Gainesville — with a staff picked by the media to end next in the East to a Ga staff he is 2- in opposition to — the evolutionary approach is having spot on his roster.

Gradually, McElwain has manufactured a receivers group, headlined by All-SEC member Antonio Callaway, deep danger Tyrie Cleveland and do-almost everything jitterbug Brandon Powell, that could be the SEC’s finest. Functioning back Jordan Scarlett, who rushed for 889 yards (five yards for each carry) last calendar year, is having early NFL adore, whilst Lamical Perine could start off for a handful of SEC universities. McElwain also returns four starters together an offensive line that could be the SEC’s most improved device and a authentic strength for the Gators.

Florida has not been ready to say all of that at the very same time in almost 10 many years.

Then, you will find recruiting. Soon after blemishes in McElwain’s 1st two lessons, he has experienced a ton of momentum in excess of the earlier couple months.

Initially, a doomed 2017 course experienced a furious end, with 10 of Florida’s 23 signees committing in the last five days of the recruiting cycle, hurling Florida up 7 rankings places to shut at No. thirteen.

Months later on, McElwain is once more rolling, attaining 7 commitments in 7 days. Four are ESPN three hundred customers, which includes quarterback Matt Corral, who some recruiting solutions have outlined as a five-star prospect. The dude who has struggled to put offenses on the area in Gainesville snatched a four-star offensive lineman, the No. 2 limited conclude and a four-star receiver in the earlier 7 days to enhance Corral, who could be the quarterback recruit Gator Nation has been waiting around for for many years.

But on his have campus, McElwain thinks he presently has a good quarterback problem. He lastly has two quarterbacks he individually recruited and signed in his offensive impression in redshirt freshmen Feleipe Franks (ESPN three hundred member) and Kyle Trask. Franks remaining spring atop the depth chart and, according to men and women in Gainesville, he has experienced a wonderful summer.

McElwain also introduced in graduate transfer Malik Zaire from Notre Dame, who is a genuine enigma but has won in excess of the locker space. Zaire provides the Gators additional athleticism and will straight away compete for the setting up work.

“We are now up to lastly our range in the scholarship depend that we want to be in the quarterback space,” McElwain reported. “We have received some actual selections there. And that’s a superior detail.”

McElwain has not strike Nick Saban degree. He is not standing with City Meyer, Jimbo Fisher or Dabo Swinney nevertheless. But he is lastly building the way he needs. It may not have occur at the warp velocity Gators fans have clamored for, but McElwain is developing this Florida program in his impression, and it is setting up to fork out off.

“Now having there and breaking the doorway down, that’s what we have to do,” he reported. “I come to feel superior about these men, our men come to feel superior about what they have to do to carry out that.”

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