Upon further review, replay favored (football)

David Kalan

October 3, 2005

A year the Big Ten tested it, instant replay has been getting positive reviews from the coaches of the Big Ten.

“I think all of us are unaminous in our support of the system,” Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said. “The bottome line is everybody wants to get it right.”

The Big Ten tried the system last year and nine conferences have adopted it this year. The Sun Belt and Western Athletic conferences are the only two holdouts. Both plan on using it next season.

Instant replay has also been approved for use in all 28 bowl games this season.

Still, some coaches still raise issues about its effectiveness.

“I’ve said all along that I don’t know if I’m a real big instant replay fan,” said Ohio Sate coach Jim Tressel. “You don’t see a block or a hold, something that could affect the play as much as whether the players foot was down before the line.”

In the system used by most conferences, a replay official in a booth initiates replays when something is reviewable. The Mountain West conference uses a system more like the NFL’s. Reviews are initiated by coach’s challenges.

Most Big Ten coaches are unsure if that is the best route to take since it has a tendancy to lengthen already long games.

“Our game saturday was 4 hours and 31 minutes,” Tiller said. “Need I say more?”

You Gotta Have Hart

After weeks without sophomore tailback Mike Hart, Michigan finally saw what it had missed in its overtime win over Michigan State. In his first game back Hart, who had been battling a hamstring injury, seemed to have rejuvinated a Wolverines offense that had grown stagnant on the ground.

But Michigan coach Lloyd Carr was quick to note on Tuesday that Hart doesn’t simply improve the Wolverines when he’s running the ball.

“He’s willing to play without the football,” Carr said. “I don’t see anyone out there who’s a better protector as a back.”

Still, Hart’s statistics when he does run the ball is hard to ignore. Hart rushed for 218 yards and a touchdown in his return on Saturday.

Even though he has played less than two games this season he still leads the team in rushing by over 100 yards.

“You can’t just pick out one thing as an athelte because its more in the totality of who he is,” Michigan coach Lloyd Carr said. “When he’s on the football field we’re a better team because he’s a great player.”

Early risers

The practice of graduating high school early for spring workouts has become more common recently as some highly ranked recruits, like Penn State’s Justin King and Derrick Williams, have forgone the end of their senior year in high school to start working out with their college teams. But some woner if that’s the best idea.

“I’m old fashioned,” Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said. “If it were my son I’d prefer him to stay in high school and enjoy his high school experience, but that’s the trend now. Everybody wants to be 28 when they’re 18.”

While some coach’s, such as Michigan’s Lloyd Carr note the obvious benefits of learning the team system a semester early, others are less certain that the players aren’t losing valuable life experience.

Penn State’s Joe Paterno, who is coaching King and Williams, is among those with concerns.

“You only go to high school once,” Paterno said. “You may as well play the whole role out and have a little fun doing it – King and Williams came in here in January and didn’t miss a beat. Now if they have regrets 15 years from now because they didn’t go to a prom, that worries me a little bit.”

Reach David Kalan at [email protected].

“You may as well go home and suck on a lollipop and hold hands with your girlfriend.” – Joe Paterno on the toughness required to play in the Big Ten

Who’s counting:

48 – Rushing yards for Laurence Maroney against Penn State last week. Maroney had rushed for 698 yards in his first four games.

Power Poll: