NCAA Football Unc Football

"Old School" is the College Football FanHouse's irregular look back at the rich history of college football, usually through the medium of embeddable flash video. Check out the Old School archive for more famous plays and infamous hair.

Old School usually consists highlight clips of relatively recent games, but thanks to the University of Georgia's media archive department the entire 1947 Sugar Bowl is now online and streaming:




That, obviously, is not the entire game. Hoo-boy, those would be some pissed of guys in hats if it was. This is the entire game. If you dig the era when "football" was defiantly pronounced as two words, coaches regarded the forrward pass as deadly poison, and guys like Georgia's Charley Trippi played quarterback, receiver, running back, punt returner, kick returner, linebacker, and punter, this is your jam, man.

Georgia would beat North Carolina 20-10, finishing a perfect 10-0 but losing out on the national title to Notre Dame. Georgia's official site takes a distinctly non-'Bama tack when discussing the potential screwjob, highlighting the team but setting Georgia's two "consensus" national champions apart.

It doesn't get the attention of Ralphie or Bevo, but UNC has their own live mascot for football games. A blue horned ram named Rameses. Well, they are given the title of Rameses after they take the mantle.

The latest is actually named Pablo, but will now be known as Rameses XVIII. The 3 year-old ram ascended by killing his father -- the now deceased Rameses XVII.

Rameses and Pablo shared a field at Hogan's farm outside Carrboro. On April 13, they butted heads, as rams are occasionally wont. This particular collision was so jarring that it snapped off one of the older ram's horns.

An infection set-in and despite the antibiotics, it wasn't enough. Rameses died 10 days later. Say what you want about a ram as opposed to a buffalo or a steer with regards to intimidation factors on the sideline. There is something fearsome about a mascot that takes over after killing the predecessor.

It's an 84 year tradition of one line of rams, that has apparently blown through them over the years. Admittedly nature plays a role. The lifespan of a ram averages only 10 years or so.

In an unusual -- and still developing story -- WRAL is reporting that three North Carolina Football players were sexually assaulted this past weekend in a Chapel Hill apartment complex. The players met the accused (three women and one man) in a local bar and then proceeded back to the apartment. Police were later called to the scene and found the players tied and bound, two in their underwear and the other still clothed.

The players names are not being released and the North Carolina Athletic Department is not saying anything beyond, "We're aware of the situation but we don't have enough information yet."

The accused have been arrested and are claiming the encounter was consensual.

For Butch Davis, who saw one of his players murdered while at Miami, this most be a scary reminder to how vulnerable these young athletes are.

Spurning the advances of former Bruin Rick Neuheisel, UCLA athletic director Dan Guerrero has narrowed his list of candidates for the football head coaching job to three.

According to both local papers, the next football coach in Westwood will be Boise State's Chris Petersen, Texas Tech's Mike Leach or the NFL Network's Steve Mariucci. Petersen is said to be the favorite, but the notoriously stingy University may opt for Mariucci, as he has no contract that needs to be bought out.

There's only one little problem: Guerrero has yet to dump current head coach Karl Dorrell. In fact, Dorrell is quoted in the University's official press release regarding the Las Vegas Bowl, saying, "UCLA is extremely happy to be playing in the Pioneer Las Vegas Bowl." I guess he has a point, because the way this season went, Dorrell should be happy to be in a bowl at all!

Given his 5-1 record against Dorrell, it should come as little surprise that USC coach Pete Carroll is coming across as Karl's greatest fan, imploring fans and the University to, "Give him a friggin' break."

One of the bigger names in college football is stepping off of the coaching carousel even before things get going. Butch Davis and North Carolina agreed to an extension to his current deal with the school, making it highly unlikely he will leave for a bigger and better job this offseason.

Davis was the hot name to take the (not yet officially vacant) Arkansas job. Leaving Chapel Hill after one year would have rubbed a some recruits and fans the wrong way but the allure of returning to his alma mater was strong for Davis. However, North Carolina might be a better job than taking over the Razorbacks. UNC offers deep pockets, decent recruiting territories and low expectations. Sure, basketball will always be king in the Triangle, but Mack Brown showed you can win as the head Heel.

Arkansas is a different story. Not only are you trying to win in the ultra-competitive SEC. You're also subject to mega scrutiny. (Remember fans filing petitions to see Houston Nutt's text messages?) It might take a season or two to turn things around, but Davis made the right call.

The Butch Davis-to-Arkansas rumors may not have a lot of credibility to them, but as long as they keep popping up, you have to wonder if he's using them as leverage to create UNC's program in his own image. All year, he's been beating the drum for expansion of Kenan Stadium, and at this Monday's press conference, he set a number to it: 8,000-10,000.

On the one hand, you have the "if you build it they will come" frame of mind. Though UNC is currently 3-8 and rarely in danger of stuffing Kenan beyond its 60,000 capacity, Davis' recruiting classes and non-Browns coaching history suggest that the Tar Heels could be back at Mack Brown Era-levels sooner as opposed to later. And even though Virginia suffered (or still suffers) a similar reputation as being a wine and cheese type of crowd, the expansion of Scott Stadium in 2000 has hardly resulted in scores of empty seats. Davis is aware of this situation:

"Just draw a circle around Chapel Hill, anything inside of 250 miles: Virginia's done it, Virginia Tech's done it, Clemson's done it, Tennesee's done it, South Carolina's done it. So all of the people you're competing for on the eastern seaboard, that's what everybody has done,'' he said. "And they've incorporated the academics ... into their stadium expansion, and that's one of the goals and objectives for us, as well."

Anything jump out to you? I'd reckon that UNC has little trouble with its academic profile or its cash flow...although I can say that UVA's stadium expansion directly led to me getting that B- in Indian Film & Music I needed to fulfill my major's requirements. Mere button-pushing or a honest to goodness attempt to mold UNC into a football power?

No one was expecting UNC to win a lot of games this year. Last season's squad was hardly a juggernaut, and they came into 2007 with little resembling a 2007 solution, even if Butch Davis' hire resulted in a staggering recruiting class. You can't say they haven't played to expectations: the Tar Heels currently sit at 3-8 (albeit with a matchup with Duke remaining), besting James Madison and winning their two other matchups against Miami and Maryland by a total of eight points.

But that doesn't really tell the whole story. Virginia's made headlines for setting an NCAA record for most games won by two points or less, whereas UNC has been on the receiving end of Lady Luck's ramrod, losing six contests by seven points or less (keep them in mind for 2008's sleeper teams). No doubt it must be frustrating, but I'm not sure it's to the point where Butch Davis deserves to get his contract questioned on a weekly basis less than one year in just because the Arkansas job is likely to be open. I mean, when you look at what Houston Nutt went through, is it that much more attractive that having a blank check and a blank slate in Chapel Hill?

Defending ACC Champion? One of the good stories in college football last year? Anyone? Ring a bell?

Well, don't look now, but the Demon Deacons, after a slow, sloppy start to the season have now won 6 straight. They've reached 6-2 and are 4-1 in the ACC. Their only losses were an opening day loss to #2 Boston College and a then ranked Nebraska the following week.

Today Wake Forest blasted North Carolina 37-10. The Demon Deacons actually had less yardage than the Tar Heels. The difference was that UNC had 3 turnovers that Wake Forest took advantage of and scored, along with a kickoff returned 98 yards for a score.

Wake is following the same system as last year. They have a solid, opportunistic defense and the offense doesn't make mistakes. They may not be able to get back to the ACC Championship game without BC losing 2 games, but the Demon Deacons are still going to finish as one of the top teams in the ACC over Florida State and likely other "name" schools in the ACC.

Media bias and college football go hand in hand. "We get no respect," "Our conference is ten times tougher than theirs," "ESPN hates us" are familiar refrains on every message board and on many blogs. Most of these paranoid ramblings come off as half-cocked. Occasionally someone will hit the nail on the head – like ACC Football Report did in this recap.

The national storyline on the ACC is that it is an inferior football product and that Miami and Florida State are a shell of their former selves. The 'Canes and 'Noles are struggling, but as Marcus from AFR points out the ACC continues to get the short end of the stick when compared to their neighbors in the SEC.

Four ACC teams entered the season under new head coaches. The expectations for the new men in charge varied from pundit to pundit and program to program. With the season at its midpoint, it seems like a good time to check each honcho's progress.

Jeff Jagodzinski, Boston College
What people were saying before the season: After eight seasons away from the college game, Jags might have the steepest learning curve. It was also questioned if he'd be able to fill Tom O'Brien's shoes.
What they are saying now: Hmm, maybe this guy can coach? There are still many who are questioning how much of BC's current success should be credited to Jags and how much to the senior-laden team left behind by O'Brien.
Prognosis: Jags is clearly off to the best start of any new coach in college football. BC's schedule gets considerably tougher down the stretch. If he gets the Eagles to the ACC championship he'll probably be named ACC coach of the year.