the nut

By Kelly Whiteside, USA TODAY
College football will be significantly affected this season by two new clock rules, according to coaches rankled by rules 3-2-5 and 3-2-5-e. They were designed to shorten the game.
The first change means the clock starts on a kickoff when the ball is kicked, not when the receiving team touches it. The other change means the clock starts on a change of possession when the ball is marked ready for play, not when it is snapped.

"I am appalled at the rule changes," said Oregon coach Mike Bellotti. "They are major and very severe and will change the game as we know it."

The changes are expected to mean 10 to 14 fewer plays (some estimate as many as 20).

"Some of the records, if you're losing 12 to 15 plays a game, likely won't be nearly as easily broken," said Tennessee coach Phillip Fulmer.

South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier said: "I think it will help the underdog teams. If you're the underdog, obviously you would like fewer plays in the game."

Spurrier also said teams might use no-huddle offenses more often.

In practices this month, coaches are getting their teams accustomed to the changes.

"When you kick the ball, (the clock) starts; kick it out of bounds with 8-10 seconds to go, the game's over," Penn State coach Joe Paterno said. "We've got to expose our kids to it in preseason practice."

The length of games has grown in recent seasons. For instance, the average time in the Western Athletic Conference has increased 15 minutes in two years.

"We weren't looking to take plays away from the game. We were looking to ... get away from some of these 3-hour, 45-minute games in hot weather or cold weather," said Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville, who is on the rules committee, which approved the changes in May. "This is obviously an experiment. Anything we do in the rules committee can be changed next year."

Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany said Big Ten games ranged from 3:07 to 3:24.

"In a perfect world, the games should be in the three-hour range, not the 3:30 range. If you look at the listening and viewing habits of the next generation, 3½ minutes is long; forget about 3½ hours," Delany said.

I hope that donkey doesn't have a heinie troll!