As the year draws to a close, let’s take a look at the weirdest events that happened related to the game we all love. In no particular order, these are some of the most memorable events in football over the past year.
The demise of the state of Ohio and Jim Tressel
The “O” block that represented so much in the Jim Tressel-led Ohio state program began to unravel as the Buckeyes prepared for last year’s Sugar Bowl. Several players, including star QB Terrelle Pryor, were reported to have received improper benefits from the owner of a local tattoo parlor in December. The players were then suspended, not for the bowl game, but for the first five games of the 2011 season.
It was later discovered that Tressel was aware of the irregularities but did not report them. On May 29, Tressel resigned amid pressure from the Ohio state administration. Interim coach Luke Fickell went 6-6, just 3-5 in the Big Ten, and the Buckeyes hired Ohio native Urban Meyer to lead the program. Meyer was “rewarded” with a bowl ban in 2012 thanks to the sweater vest.
Jumping Ship: Continued Conference Realignment
With Nebraska in the Big Ten and Colorado and Utah as part of the new PAC-12, 2011 continued the trend of conference mixups as Texas A&M decided it had had enough of the Longhorn Network and Texas and moved over to the SEC. A few weeks later, Missouri was on the radar as the next team to make the jump from the Big 12 to the SEC. Pittsburgh and Syracuse, owners of boards in the Big East, will become part of the ACC, and TCU, which was scheduled to become a member of the Big East, has calmed down and joined the Big 12. West Virginia has decided to do the same, it is Say, leave the Big East and join the Big 12 even as a lawsuit threatens the move. San Diego State, Boise State, Houston, SMU, UCF, and the Navy decided that they would all join the Big East. Get all that? There will be a test before next season.
Robert Griffin III wins the Heisman
The most interesting man in college football, and also the strangest, received the Heisman Trophy in an unforgettable season for Baylor fans. RG III has always been on the grid, but Baylor is not a household name in college football. robert griffin iii The 6-2, 225-pound junior, who has already graduated, put the Bears on the map quickly. The first Friday night of the college football season saw RGIII lead his Bears to a five-touchdown, 50-48 victory over TCU in front of a nationally televised audience. He then threw for 551 yards and threw a last-minute TD to beat Oklahoma. He capped off Baylor’s 10-3 season this week and led the Bears to a 67-56 victory in the Alamo Bowl. Great arm, excellent knowledge of the game, incredible speed… the geekiest player in the game!
Weird high school performances
Several high school football records were broken this season with some odd numbers. Jonathan Gray, a senior at Aledo (TX) HS, set a national record for his career touchdowns with…205! That’s an average of over 50 per year! Gray also finished second in career points scored from him with 1,232.
Hillcrest (MO) HS senior WR Dorial Green-Beckham broke his career record for receiving yards with 6,356. Maty Mauk, Senior QB at Kenton (OH) HS finished his career breaking national records for passing yards, TD passes, completions, attempts and total yards. Here’s a breakdown of the weird numbers from him:
Passing yards 18,932
TD assists 219
Completions 1,353
Attempts 2,110
Total yards 22,681
the year of the package
The Green Bay Packers returned to the 2011 playoffs, then went 4-0 in the postseason capped by a Super Bowl win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. The victory continued as the Packers won the first 13 games of the new season led by likely NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers. It would be the second-longest winning streak in the NFL, 19 games, before an upset loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 14.
Case Keenum rewrites the record books
With a sixth year of eligibility, Case Keenum made it count. He led Houston to a magical 11-1 season in which the Cougars led the nation in total offense and scoring. Keenum finishes his career with 18,685 passing yards, 152 touchdowns and career-leading 1,501 completions.
Tim Tebow
That’s probably all that needs to be said, but for those who aren’t tuned in, Tebow was painting the No. 3 quarterback with the Broncos when they started this season 1-4. The former Florida star and Heisman Trophy winner inserted himself into the lineup as a starter and led Denver to an improbable 7-1 record as the Broncos captured first place in the AFC West. In the process, he has converted many to the belief that a stretch-type quarterback with a stretch-type college offense can be successful in the NFL.
NFL Lockout
After 136 days, the NFL owners and players reached a new labor agreement, one that greatly benefits both parties, and the season went on without interruption. As fans, we knew it would get done. We just didn’t know when. Now, we barely remember that it sank.
Weird NFL Numbers
Entering the final week of the NFL season, Drew Brees has already broken Dan Marino’s record for most passing yards in a season. Brees has 5,087 yards and he’s not the only one scheduled to top 5,000. Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers and Eli Manning each reached 4,000 yards with three weeks to go. Brady is on track to hit 5,223. Some weird numbers and it can go on, as four quarterbacks plus the likes of Philip Rivers and Ben Rothliesberger and others are leading us into another golden age of passing in the NFL.