UMass is the flagship of Massachusetts. As long as they stay committed, they'll be fine when it comes to $/budget...

That may explain why UMass had an option to become a full member embedded in the contract while Temple never did from what I remember looking at the contract.

UMass should have been brought on board to the MAC a couple years earlier than what it was. It was probably the facilities commitment the MAC was waiting for because I know they have been looking at UMass since at least the early 90s.

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While I think UMass can make it as an independent, I also think they are underestimating how long they'll have to remain. They saw so much realignment over the past few years, it almost sounds like they expect something to happen over the next few years and them to back fill.

The problem is, I think we may have just hit a lull. The power 5 seem content. The Mountain West isn't going to the east, they just left the MAC, Conference USA is at least as big as it wants to be, and the American has shown no desire to go beyond 12. The Sunbelt is the one valid alternative and if they don't go with UMass, I see them remaining an independent for a number of years.

It's possible the Big 12 expands or maybe the Mountain West goes into Texas setting off dominos, but I would not put money on it the next half decade.

[quote='Steve1981' pid='10828147' dateline='1402579078']
Post 90% of the Ron Chimelis article with our AD, "As UMass football seeks its way, AD John McCutcheon sees progress - and hope"

[quote]
He said another misconception is that the option of becoming an all-sports member of the MAC was the league's idea. McCutcheon said that's not true.

"That was a clause that we put in,'' he said. "Before (the most recent) conference realignment, there was a good deal of talk that the Big East would split, possibly devastating the Atlantic 10 as a basketball conference.''

The Big East did split, with the Catholic private schools forming their own league. But not only did the Atlantic 10 survive, it thrived.

That left UMass with no basketball-related reason to leave the A-10. It did leave the school with the still-unfinished business of finding a new football league.

McCutcheon is convinced that will happen. He said he cannot guarantee when.

"It's hard to tell, but the opportunities are out there and our conversations will be ongoing,'' he said.

As UMass football seeks its way, AD John McCutcheon sees progress - and hope
[/quote]

So let me get this strait:

UMass put that clause knowing full well that they was using the MAC anyway to go somewhere else? Also they KNEW that the MAC was going to force their hand just so UMass can say no and the MAC look like the bad guys?

If I was the MAC Commissioner when you knew that they was going to say no regardless, I would have made that part of the agreement very, very public during the tournament just to make a huge distraction.

UMass deserves everything they get now and no conference(that includes you AAC) should let them in for any sports!

(06-12-2014 11:11 AM)lance99 Wrote:  [quote='Steve1981' pid='10828147' dateline='1402579078']
Post 90% of the Ron Chimelis article with our AD, "As UMass football seeks its way, AD John McCutcheon sees progress - and hope"

Quote:He said another misconception is that the option of becoming an all-sports member of the MAC was the league's idea. McCutcheon said that's not true.

"That was a clause that we put in,'' he said. "Before (the most recent) conference realignment, there was a good deal of talk that the Big East would split, possibly devastating the Atlantic 10 as a basketball conference.''

The Big East did split, with the Catholic private schools forming their own league. But not only did the Atlantic 10 survive, it thrived.

That left UMass with no basketball-related reason to leave the A-10. It did leave the school with the still-unfinished business of finding a new football league.

McCutcheon is convinced that will happen. He said he cannot guarantee when.

"It's hard to tell, but the opportunities are out there and our conversations will be ongoing,'' he said.

As UMass football seeks its way, AD John McCutcheon sees progress - and hope

So let me get this strait:

UMass put that clause knowing full well that they was using the MAC anyway to go somewhere else? Also they KNEW that the MAC was going to force their hand just so UMass can say no and the MAC look like the bad guys?

If I was the MAC Commissioner when you knew that they was going to say no regardless, I would have made that part of the agreement very, very public during the tournament just to make a huge distraction.

UMass deserves everything they get now and no conference(that includes you AAC) should let them in for any sports!

The reason UMass wanted the clause is right there in the part you bolded, not to make the MAC look like the bad guys.

"Before (the most recent) conference realignment, there was a good deal of talk that the Big East would split, possibly devastating the Atlantic 10 as a basketball conference.''

The next sentence explains that didn't happen.

The Big East did split, with the Catholic private schools forming their own league. But not only did the Atlantic 10 survive, it thrived.

(06-12-2014 11:19 AM)Minutemen429 Wrote:  

(06-12-2014 11:11 AM)lance99 Wrote:  [quote='Steve1981' pid='10828147' dateline='1402579078']
Post 90% of the Ron Chimelis article with our AD, "As UMass football seeks its way, AD John McCutcheon sees progress - and hope"

Quote:He said another misconception is that the option of becoming an all-sports member of the MAC was the league's idea. McCutcheon said that's not true.

"That was a clause that we put in,'' he said. "Before (the most recent) conference realignment, there was a good deal of talk that the Big East would split, possibly devastating the Atlantic 10 as a basketball conference.''

The Big East did split, with the Catholic private schools forming their own league. But not only did the Atlantic 10 survive, it thrived.

That left UMass with no basketball-related reason to leave the A-10. It did leave the school with the still-unfinished business of finding a new football league.

McCutcheon is convinced that will happen. He said he cannot guarantee when.

"It's hard to tell, but the opportunities are out there and our conversations will be ongoing,'' he said.

As UMass football seeks its way, AD John McCutcheon sees progress - and hope

So let me get this strait:

UMass put that clause knowing full well that they was using the MAC anyway to go somewhere else? Also they KNEW that the MAC was going to force their hand just so UMass can say no and the MAC look like the bad guys?

If I was the MAC Commissioner when you knew that they was going to say no regardless, I would have made that part of the agreement very, very public during the tournament just to make a huge distraction.

UMass deserves everything they get now and no conference(that includes you AAC) should let them in for any sports!

The reason UMass wanted the clause is right there in the part you bolded, not to make the MAC look like the bad guys.

"Before (the most recent) conference realignment, there was a good deal of talk that the Big East would split, possibly devastating the Atlantic 10 as a basketball conference.''

It's call a carefully worded escape clause.

Extremely optimistic about our future and can't wait till Aug 30th.

In the meantime this board is interesting and so is Bob McGovern's interview with Brandon Potvin, which will post a good portion.

Quote:You've been away from the team for a short time, but how do you see things progressing with the program?

We definitely lost talent. You lose a couple of NFL players in Rob Blanchflower and Anthony Dima, and then you lose some of the workhorses you had on the defensive line. They are going to take a hit in that sense, but they can put it together.

When you get 80 to 100 guys excited to play football, and proud to be a part of something, it doesn't really matter what you're lacking – it's what those guys are ready to do. Just from talking to the guys, they're really fired up, and it's not that phony “rah, rah” fired up. Those guys are really coming together under Whipple from what I'm hearing. They're excited to go.

That's what we lacked when I was up there. Nobody really wanted to be there. Guys were getting kicked off the team, and I'm seeing some of my best friends transferring or getting kicked off, and you had to walk on eggshells. Now, everyone is just playing ball, and everyone is having fun and loving the team and the coaches. It's how it should be. With all that stuff out of the way, people are just happy playing the game.

I think they're going to do well honestly. They've got the athletes up there to do it, but it's a matter of putting it all together. From what I'm hearing and from what I'm seeing, they're doing the right things.

Do you think Tom Masella, UMass' new defensive coordinator, and his version of the 3-4 defense will work right away?

It's all about the variation of the three-down. We ran one my sophomore year but it was a shaded front, and I was playing the five-technique (lining up outside the tackle), so it put me at an enormous advantage rather than being head-up with a tackle in the four-technique. It puts you on the edge, and that allowed me to use my quickness and speed.

I think these guys are going to do something similar to that, so Peter Angeh is going to have a chance to do things out of the five-technique. Danny Maynes is going to be out of the one (in front of the gap next to the center), and I don't know who they have out of the three yet. This team is much better suited for this style of the three-down.

When we were running the three-down against Wisconsin and Maine – and I can't believe we lost to Maine, that never should have happened – that three-man front didn't put us at an advantage. The one they're going to use under Masella, it's a much better style. It puts athletes in a much better position.

What young linebacker/lineman really stood out to you?

A kid that I really took under my wing, and really fits what I try to look for in a teammate, is Shane Huber. I know he's coming off a knee injury, and I really hope he can bounce back. He's a kid that looks the part, acts the part, and he carries himself like an upperclassman. He's very well-spoken and he plays his ass off, which is the most important thing.

Coming in, you have upperclassmen looking for you to contribute, and he took that challenge and was doing his thing until the knee injury. He's a kid I'm looking at to bounce back.

Peter Angeh is another kid to watch out for. Like I said, if he's playing the five-technique and gets a lot of reps, he'll really be in a good position to make player.

There's also Kassan Messiah. You look at him and you ask, “How are you not an All-American?” He's got the body and the mold. It's just a matter of him really getting out of his shell and really being confident enough to make plays.

Those three guys have always caught my eye, and so I'm hoping they have a breakout year.

What are your thoughts on the Pro Style offense coming back to Amherst?

I think it's what we need, especially with a young defense. We're going to need to keep the defense off the field, and I know that's the story for every team, but you really need to when you have a young defense.

The pro style is going to be good because we're going to slow the game down. We didn't really have the horses to run the spread. I think the pro style is going to fit who we have, and I think it's going to take a lot of pressure off the offensive line. We're going to be able to run the ball better and get into a better rhythm. You can't just open the game throwing the ball. You have you let your O-linemen tough it out and get their face dirty.

As a guy who tried to chase them down, who is the top running back on the team?

I've always liked Jamal Wilson. He's just a hard-nosed kid. You don't see a lot of running backs who are able to run like him and stick his face into a pass block. He's a kid that can carry the load. He can take a pounding and he has great ball security and he follows his blocks. As a lineman, there's nothing more frustrating than a running back who doesn't follow his blocks. To me Jamal has the whole package. He's the guy.

What do you think about Whipple's recruiting so far?

Anytime you can get one of the top recruits at a position (referring to JUCO tight end Jean Sifrin) it's great, particularly since you have to replace a guy like Blanchflower. That sets the bait out for more guys to come next year. I haven't seen the kid play, but if you have that frame, and you're put in a good position, you're going to make plays.

Whipple is bringing in the right guys. He's not going to go out and get kids that can't play right away or who have character issues or anything like that. Whipple knows how to recruit.

Who is going to replace Blanchflower as the leader of this team?

That's tough to say, it really is. I would really like Tajae Sharpe to step up, but it's tough for a wide receiver to fill that role. Their production is based so much on the quarterback play, so it's tough. Nothing against wide receivers, but I want to see a guy in the trenches step up – a guy like Matt Sparks or Tyrell Smith.

I wasn't around in the spring, so maybe someone stepped up. As far as I'm concerned, the leader needs to be a guy who's carrying the load – like a Jamal Wilson or a Tajae Sharpe, if he's getting his catches – or those interior guys.

Who's the toughest offensive lineman out there now that Anthony Dima is gone?

They were so young and inexperienced. Physically they couldn't match up with us during practice because we had some studs on the defensive line. No one wowed me physically, but athletically Tyshon Henderson should be a starting tackle in the SEC based on his size. He just needs to get confident in himself because he can get as physical as he wants to be.

In terms of imposing presence, Tyshon hands down has it. I'm not sure what he's like right now – I'm sure coach (Mike) Golden has been kicking his ass for the past few months. Hopefully he's a monster because that kid has unreal potential. I hope he turns into that next stud.

A guy that has it, but it's a matter of when he wants to use it, is Tyrell (Smith). I would get on him all the time in practice. He's a guy that has a mean streak to him, it's just a matter of when he wants to turn it on.

Matt Sparks is a great center. He's tough, he's smart and he communicates well. Between Tyrell and Matt, they have two pretty good anchors. Fabian (Hoeller) is a pretty tough kid, too. They have the tough guys they need to run the ball.

Talk about your relationship with defensive line coach Dave Sollazzo.

He's honestly unbelievable, and I never would have expected to say those words. Coming in, I did my best to re-prove myself, and it was hard for me and him to set a ground as far as our relationship. He was laying down his rules, and I was coming off a knee injury, and I know I'm a starter. For me, I was taking a backseat, and we both have strong personalities, so we would butt heads. I always wanted more reps to show him I was ready.

We had a really rough year my junior year, but by my senior year I was put in a position to be a starter. I took full advantage. When we played Northern Illinois, I had a great game fundamentally, and that was the game when we saw eye-to-eye, and he saw what kind of player I was. From that game on, he gave me full reign of the defensive line. He was letting me call stunts on the field, and I would come to the sidelines and tell him what was going on.

Our relationship went from me getting ready to leave the program, or at least that kind of attitude, to me and him hugging after games. I remember walking off the field at Ohio and him telling me that he couldn't be more proud of me.

It's unbelievable and me and that guy went from worst enemies to best friends.

In your opinion, who is UMass' biggest rival in the MAC?

Honestly, from this past season, it's got to be Buffalo. I'm not badmouthing them at all, they're a great team, but from my perspective they were the most chippy team we played. It's tough to really get that rivalry going in two years, but just based off last year, I've got to go with Buffalo. During the game, after the game we were chipping away with them, yapping away at them and exchanging blows. Just based off one game, we hate Buffalo the most – at least on defense.

Central Massachusetts had several players drafted this year, how does it feel to see you're neck of the woods doing so well on the gridiron?

It's great. I played with or against Blanchflower for six or seven years. Anytime a guy you grew up with makes it to the highest level and is getting paid to play the game he loves, it's nothing but love and respect from me. I played with Richard Rodgers too, and he's just a phenomenal athlete, and the same with Yawin Smallwood.

Anytime you see a kid make it from your city, a guy who you've played against, it feels good. It makes the object of the NFL more real and touchable. Anytime your buddies get picked up, and you can watch them play on Sundays, it's a dream come true.

..

Last one: How much are you looking forward to Boston College?

It's going to be great. The thing with those guys is we know we can play with them. When we were I-AA, those guys were the I-A guys.

Rivalries are huge. For I-A, it's just us, them and UConn. Everyone wants to play for BC. As an ACC school, they play primetime. They're always in a bowl game, and they always do well. But we're tough, we're going to be able to handle them. It's going to be a great day, and I'm looking forward to it.

http://umass.247sports.com/Article/QA-wi...n-29100812

(06-12-2014 11:42 AM)lance99 Wrote:  

(06-12-2014 11:19 AM)Minutemen429 Wrote:  The reason UMass wanted the clause is right there in the part you bolded, not to make the MAC look like the bad guys.
"Before (the most recent) conference realignment, there was a good deal of talk that the Big East would split, possibly devastating the Atlantic 10 as a basketball conference.''

It's call a carefully worded escape clause.

Looks like it has backfired to this point.

^ Not really. If that clause wasn't in there than the MAC could have just said "Seeya UMass we don't need you anymore", at least with the clause we had the opportunity to join for all-sports if we wanted to or if the A-10 had been decimated by the Big Catholic East.

Quote:...."Our schedule for that (2016) season is one-third set already. ...

I'm guessing that the 1/3 is all in Sept., Oct and Nov are going to present different challenges. But no need to worry, sounds like everything is going just the way they planned it.

^ I heard Ohio is willing to play us if we trade a basketball game.

(06-12-2014 01:18 PM)perimeterpost Wrote:  

Quote:...."Our schedule for that (2016) season is one-third set already. ...

I'm guessing that the 1/3 is all in Sept., Oct and Nov are going to present different challenges. But no need to worry, sounds like everything is going just the way they planned it.

I'm sure one of the teams can easily be moved to those months if needed.

(06-12-2014 01:26 PM)Steve1981 Wrote:  

(06-12-2014 01:18 PM)perimeterpost Wrote:  

Quote:...."Our schedule for that (2016) season is one-third set already. ...

I'm guessing that the 1/3 is all in Sept., Oct and Nov are going to present different challenges. But no need to worry, sounds like everything is going just the way they planned it.

I'm sure one of the teams can easily be moved to those months if needed.

There you go, that would make September 3/4 set and October/November 1/8 set.

Do deals with the MAC and Sunbelt, the MAC will schedule a bye for two UMass opponents in last October with traded home/away FB/BBall series, the Sunbelt will schedule a bye for two UMass opponents in early November with traded home/away FB/BBall series ... then you'd have half of your October/November set once you have done the deals with the individual schools for the games for 2016/2017 or 2016/2018.

I think the UMass situation is a real mixed bag.

I agree that the AD is probably overly optimistic about when realignment will present a new opportunity but I don't think the schedule issue is as dire as many believe. Right now there is a great deal of demand within the G5 for home/home games and most if not all of the G5 assemble their non-conference slate and hand it to the league office, the league then builds around those dates.

So if ODU wants to play UMass the first weekend in November that is really not a problem and some schools may very well prefer to push a non-conference game later in the season in order to have a mini-break of sorts from league play.

With no bowl tie-ins, Umass would essentially be playing for nothing as an independent though. Navy, BYU and Notre Dame get some recognition for obvious historic reasons, but I can't see too many bowls taking UMASS even if they go like 9-3/8-4. On the other hand, there are so many bowls that we probably won't have enough bowl eligible teams to fill them so UMASS could make some by default.

(06-12-2014 01:21 PM)EmeryZach Wrote:  ^ I heard Ohio is willing to play us if we trade a basketball game.

I've floated this idea before but I think it would be interesting to see Ohio and UMass coordinate a Saturday in November where the football teams play in the afternoon and the men's bball teams play in the evening. Both schools also have really strong marching bands that could put on a separate performance before or after the football game. Logistically it would be a nightmare to coordinate the scheduling of two different sports but it could possibly be a fun event for the fans.

(06-12-2014 01:21 PM)EmeryZach Wrote:  ^ I heard Ohio is willing to play us if we trade a basketball game.

Sure. A one and done in Peden and a one and done in the Convo.....