While the Ohio and Northern Illinois football teams' opinions may differ on who will win when the two teams meet tomorrow to open their conference schedules, head coaches Frank Solich and Joe Novak are in agreement on one topic:
The NCAA Rules Committee's new clock rules stink.
I like the old game
Solich said after Ohio's 29-3 victory over Tennessee-Martin on Saturday. I don't think it was bad the way it was. More and more people are watching college football the ratings are continually high but yet they felt like they needed to take time off (to fit the game in a time frame). They're not shortening any commercials. Those timeouts are still there.
Novak was blunt about his stance on the rule changes.
I hate it
Novak said during the Huskies' Tuesday press conference. I think you'd hardly find any coaches who like it. How it got passed
I have no clue. How it got passed concerns me. At least get input from coaches.
While the NCAA Rules Committee got together this summer to abolish darkened eye shields on helmets (Rule 1-4-5-s) and make sure kicking tees now keep the football no more than an inch off the ground (Rule 2-15-4-c), changes affecting the clock (Rules 3-2-5 and 3-2-5-e) are causing the biggest stir at collegiate programs across the country.
Time now begins when the ball is put into play on free kicks. In previous years the clock would not begin to tick down until a kick receiver came in contact with the ball.
However, the second modification will undoubtedly have the biggest impact on collegiate football programs across the nation. Following a first down, the clock now starts when a referee signals the play ready. In previous seasons, time did not start until the offense snapped the ball.
There are fewer snaps. Solich said. Both teams (during Saturday's Ohio/Tennessee-Martin game) had in the high 50s as far as offensive snaps. A lot of times you'll be in the 60s
and if you're playing well you'll be in the 70s. I've been around offenses that have had 90 snaps. Those days are probably gone with the way the clock is running.
I think the average is like 13 less plays a game
Novak said. I think there were some (teams) that had up to 30 less plays. We're knocking a lot of plays out. Why
what is wrong with the game
why do we want to knock plays out?
Novak said the rule negatively affects the one group most critical to collegiate football's success, the fans.
People paid $60 Saturday to see (the Ohio State/Northern Illinois game)
they should get a refund
he said.
Solich and Novak are not alone in their criticisms of the new clock rules. During the RedHawks' press conference Tuesday, Miami coach Shane Montgomery said finding coaches who favor the new clock rules will be a challenge.
I haven't talked to any other head coach that is for the new clock management rules
