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(Ex-AD) Babcock takes blame for UC football schedule - ctipton - 08-24-2014 07:10 PM
(Ex-AD) Babcock takes blame for UC football schedule
Tom Groeschen, tgroeschen@enquirer.com 3:46 p.m. EDT August 24, 2014
![[Image: 1408909140000-ucnippert-4.jpg]](http://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/13d28f55e3484577c9cce56c4fd0994e2e71966a/c=320-0-4538-3171&r=x404&c=534x401/local/-/media/Cincinnati/ucathleticsblog/2014/08/24/1408909140000-ucnippert-4.jpg)
Former University of Cincinnati Director of Athletics Whit Babcock(Photo: Enquirer file)
Coach Tommy Tuberville is displeased that his University of Cincinnati football team will not open its season until Sept. 12, and former UC athletic director Whit Babcock said he will take the blame.
The Bearcats will be the last major college team to begin their season, with two open dates to start the year. A handful of teams, including UC's American Athletic Conference rival Houston, will have played three games by the time UC kicks off against Toledo on Friday, Sept. 12 (7 p.m.) at Paul Brown Stadium.
"I don't mind one open date but two is kind of ridiculous, to be honest with you," UC coach Tuberville said. "But it is what it is."
So, what happened?
The short version is that UC last year canceled its Aug. 30, 2014 opener against Stony Brook to add a marquee game Oct. 11 at the University of Miami (Fla.). That left the Bearcats with two open dates to begin the 2014 season, and attempts to move other games did not materialize.
"Somebody dropped the ball on our schedule," Tuberville said. "We had a couple problems with some of the guys that previously did the scheduling that just didn't get the job done."
Babcock, who left UC last January to become athletic director at Virginia Tech, was the AD who hired Tuberville at UC in December 2012. Tuberville thus is reluctant to publicly criticize Babcock for the 2014 UC schedule, but Babcock said the fault can be assigned to him.
"I'll take whatever blame anybody wants to give," Babcock said, in a recent telephone interview with The Enquirer. "I can understand where coach Tutberville is coming from. I certainly know the schedule is not ideal, and I don't have any issue with his comments."
Football schedules generally are made several years out. Athletic directors, associate athletic directors and coaches typically all get involved, and television partners also come into play.
When Babcock canceled Stony Brook and added the Miami Hurricanes, he said he had the indication that the American Athletic Conference would move one of UC's league games to be the 2014 opener.
A similar scenario happened in 2012, when the former Big East agreed to have UC play conference opponent Pittsburgh in the season opener. But Babcock said UC's new league, the AAC, was not prepared to move a league game to become UC's 2014 opener.
"A year ago at this time in Newport, Rhode Island (AAC media day), we were told we couldn't move a conference game there (as the opener)," Babcock said. "That's when it got to a code red. There also was some membership turnover in the conference. With everybody going in and going out, we couldn't make it happen."
Mike Bohn, who replaced Babcock as UC AD, inherited the scheduling issue. Bohn also tried to get some games moved up for 2014, to no avail.
"We engaged in the league offices and with institutions across the country, with everybody trying to help us," Bohn said. "We couldn't change anything without negative ramifications."
UC players take it for what it is.
"It kind of stinks not playing until Week Three, but it's something to overcome," quarterback Gunner Kiel said. "It's just another thing we've got to adjust to."
Tuberville said UC will make the best of it.
"We'll have another couple weeks of preparation and get to watch everybody else play," Tuberville said. "Who knows, we might move into the Top 25 and not play a game. You never can tell."
UC 2014 schedule
Fri. Sept. 12 TOLEDO (7 p.m.)
Sat. Sept. 20 MIAMI (Oh.)
Sat. Sept. 27 at Ohio State (6 p.m.)
Sat. Oct. 4 MEMPHIS*
Sat. Oct. 11 at Miami (Fla.)
Sat. Oct. 18 at SMU*
Fri. Oct. 24 USF* (7 p.m.)
Fri. Oct. 31 at Tulane* (8 p.m.)
Thu. Nov. 13 EAST CAROLINA* (7 p.m.)
Sat. Nov. 22 at Connecticut*
Sat. Nov. 29 at Temple*
Sat. Dec. 6 HOUSTON*
(Game times TBA unless noted)
*American Athletic Conference game
HOME GAMES at Paul Brown Stadium
http://www.cincinnati.com/story/ucathleticsblog/2014/08/24/babcock-takes-blame-for-bearcats-football-schedule/14532945/
RE: (Ex-AD) Babcock takes blame for UC football schedule - cinbinsportsfan - 08-24-2014 07:39 PM
Eh, no big deal IMO.
RE: (Ex-AD) Babcock takes blame for UC football schedule - Bearcat85 - 08-24-2014 07:51 PM
TT has complained about this now in almost every interview for months. Time to shut up and do what needs to be done to deal with it and quit making excuses. The team is going to get the wrong message.
RE: (Ex-AD) Babcock takes blame for UC football schedule - Coopdaddy67 - 08-24-2014 09:01 PM
(08-24-2014 07:39 PM)cinbinsportsfan Wrote: Eh, no big deal IMO.
RE: (Ex-AD) Babcock takes blame for UC football schedule - Bearcats#1 - 08-24-2014 09:16 PM
as Howard Jones sings...No one ever, is to blame
(Ex-AD) Babcock takes blame for UC football schedule - Pony94 - 08-24-2014 09:26 PM
Oh snap, a Howard Jones throwback
RE: (Ex-AD) Babcock takes blame for UC football schedule - Bearcats#1 - 08-24-2014 10:12 PM
(08-24-2014 09:26 PM)Pony94 Wrote: Oh snap, a Howard Jones throwback
HoJo ROCKED!!! hahaha
(Ex-AD) Babcock takes blame for UC football schedule - Pony94 - 08-24-2014 10:14 PM
Saw him with Mr. Mister in 1986
RE: (Ex-AD) Babcock takes blame for UC football schedule - Ring of Black - 08-25-2014 01:56 AM
I'm glad Whit manned up. I still think the conference could have done some things as well.
RE: (Ex-AD) Babcock takes blame for UC football schedule - Captain Bearcat - 08-25-2014 07:18 AM
(08-25-2014 01:56 AM)BJUnklFkr Wrote: I'm glad Whit manned up. I still think the conference could have done some things as well.
It costs Whit nothing to take the blame for this. No one at VT will ever know about it, and UC doesn't have any power over him anymore. Nevertheless, it's still good to hear.
RE: (Ex-AD) Babcock takes blame for UC football schedule - pat5775 - 08-25-2014 10:36 AM
(08-24-2014 10:14 PM)Pony94 Wrote: Saw him with Mr. Mister in 1986
Not fair... Granted I wasnt born yet but still, im jealous.
RE: (Ex-AD) Babcock takes blame for UC football schedule - dossbig - 08-25-2014 11:00 AM
The AAC could have made it happen but they won't do anything that helps UC. They know we will be gone if we get an offer. That said it is pretty short sighted of them.
RE: (Ex-AD) Babcock takes blame for UC football schedule - BearcatJerry - 08-25-2014 02:01 PM
(08-24-2014 09:16 PM)Bearcats#1 Wrote: as Howard Jones sings...No one ever, is to blame
....and...
Things can only get better!
RE: (Ex-AD) Babcock takes blame for UC football schedule - Ring of Black - 08-26-2014 04:14 AM
(08-24-2014 07:51 PM)Bearcat85 Wrote: TT has complained about this now in almost every interview for months. Time to shut up and do what needs to be done to deal with it and quit making excuses. The team is going to get the wrong message.
Gotta agree. Sucks, yes, but he's in
territory now.
RE: (Ex-AD) Babcock takes blame for UC football schedule - mac6115cd - 08-26-2014 06:49 AM
(08-25-2014 11:00 AM)dossbig Wrote: The AAC could have made it happen but they won't do anything that helps UC. They know we will be gone if we get an offer. That said it is pretty short sighted of them.
Agree. You don't treat one of your marquee teams that way. We don't know how long we'll be in the American - Aresco should've accomodated.
But this delay may be a good thing. The Bearcats will be able to analyze recent game film with some new QBs and I expect them to be better prepared because of it.
RE: (Ex-AD) Babcock takes blame for UC football schedule - indycat - 08-26-2014 09:04 AM
(08-26-2014 06:49 AM)mac6115cd Wrote:(08-25-2014 11:00 AM)dossbig Wrote: The AAC could have made it happen but they won't do anything that helps UC. They know we will be gone if we get an offer. That said it is pretty short sighted of them.
Agree. You don't treat one of your marquee teams that way. We don't know how long we'll be in the American - Aresco should've accomodated.
But this delay may be a good thing. The Bearcats will be able to analyze recent game film with some new QBs and I expect them to be better prepared because of it.
Agree with you about the delay; there is a positive side to it for the early part of the schedule where UC should be strong for the two P5 opponents. The downside will be late season with no bye and the best conference opponents ahead. But the bigger splash would come from beating Miami FL or OSU after the MAC opponents.
RE: (Ex-AD) Babcock takes blame for UC football schedule - Coopdaddy67 - 08-26-2014 09:28 AM
(08-26-2014 06:49 AM)mac6115cd Wrote: Agree. You don't treat one of your marquee teams that way. We don't know how long we'll be in the American - Aresco should've accomodated.
You can't really expect to be accommodated when everyone knows that you're in the conference out of necessity and will bolt the second an offer from the ACC, Big XII, etc. is on the table.
RE: (Ex-AD) Babcock takes blame for UC football schedule - CliftonAve - 08-26-2014 09:34 AM
(08-26-2014 09:28 AM)Coopdaddy67 Wrote:(08-26-2014 06:49 AM)mac6115cd Wrote: Agree. You don't treat one of your marquee teams that way. We don't know how long we'll be in the American - Aresco should've accomodated.
You can't really expect to be accommodated when everyone knows that you're in the conference out of necessity and will bolt the second an offer from the ACC, Big XII, etc. is on the table.
The same could be said for every team in the AAC. It hasn't stopped the AAC from loving UCF, Houston, SMU, ECU, etc.
RE: (Ex-AD) Babcock takes blame for UC football schedule - Bearhawkeye - 08-26-2014 09:50 AM
(08-26-2014 09:04 AM)indycat Wrote:(08-26-2014 06:49 AM)mac6115cd Wrote:(08-25-2014 11:00 AM)dossbig Wrote: The AAC could have made it happen but they won't do anything that helps UC. They know we will be gone if we get an offer. That said it is pretty short sighted of them.
Agree. You don't treat one of your marquee teams that way. We don't know how long we'll be in the American - Aresco should've accomodated.
But this delay may be a good thing. The Bearcats will be able to analyze recent game film with some new QBs and I expect them to be better prepared because of it.
Agree with you about the delay; there is a positive side to it for the early part of the schedule where UC should be strong for the two P5 opponents. The downside will be late season with no bye and the best conference opponents ahead. But the bigger splash would come from beating Miami FL or OSU after the MAC opponents.
That's a bit of a reach imo. I agree with Tubs - the negatives far outweigh any positives.
RE: (Ex-AD) Babcock takes blame for UC football schedule - Bearhawkeye - 08-26-2014 10:00 AM
(08-26-2014 09:34 AM)CliftonAve Wrote:(08-26-2014 09:28 AM)Coopdaddy67 Wrote:(08-26-2014 06:49 AM)mac6115cd Wrote: Agree. You don't treat one of your marquee teams that way. We don't know how long we'll be in the American - Aresco should've accomodated.
You can't really expect to be accommodated when everyone knows that you're in the conference out of necessity and will bolt the second an offer from the ACC, Big XII, etc. is on the table.
The same could be said for every team in the AAC. It hasn't stopped the AAC from loving UCF, Houston, SMU, ECU, etc.
I agree with Clifton. Probably the single best thing that can realistically happen for the AAC this season is that the G5 bowl bid comes from the AAC. So it's puzzling why they wouldn't try to reasonably accommodate the league favorite in that pursuit (especially considering the not all that crazy possibility of UC in the playoffs IF they could manage to go undefeated this year).