UTEP football is the butt of many jokes. If you asked a CFB fan to name the worst FBS program, a substantial amount would probably say UTEP. Many might say Rutgers, but that’s just because Rutgers happens to be a dumpster fire that was let into one of the two most prestigious conferences, for some reason.

So, how did UTEP get to this point? For starters, UTEP was never incredible. Their most wins came in 1956 when a Mike Brumbelow coached team went 9-2 with a loss in the Sun Bowl. They had a solid two year stretch where they went 8-4 in 2004 and 2005 under head coach Mike Price. These were Mike Price’s first two seasons. He would coach for seven more, with only one bowl appearance and never going over .500.

The late 1940’s to early 1950’s were the best time to be a UTEP fan, or actually a Texas Western University fan, as the school wasn’t given its current name until 1967. But one could argue they’ve never truly been relevant. This sounds extremely harsh, but when your highest highs are Sun Bowl appearances before the modern era, and you haven’t won a bowl game since the school was renamed, it’s tough to argue otherwise. But what’s so uniquely bad about UTEP?

For starters, there’s recruitment. One might think being in Texas would provide an advantage with all the talent at high school’s there, but it’s hard to build a pipeline when you’re competing with 11 other FBS teams in the state (all of which, quite frankly, are more appealing). Than there’s El Paso itself; it’s hard to convince a recruit to come down to that corner of the desert. UTEP’s 2020 recruiting class is ranked 131 overall, three spots behind FCS Eastern Washington. That doesn’t bode well for on field performance.

Well, what about coaching? Dana Dimel will be returning for his third year as head coach in 2020. The last two seasons he has gone 1-11. Many football fans might be wondering why he hasn’t been fired at this point, but there’s a couple complicated factors involved. First of all, UTEP is in a tough situation budget wise. They’re not one of those schools that can just throw money at a promising coach, and they can’t really afford a buy out. In fact, UTEP’s financial ability to actually run an FBS football program has come into question the last few years, but hopefully they’ll make it through. A second factor is that 1-11, sadly, is an improvement. In 2017 Sean Kugler, then Mike Price after Kugler resigned, led the Miners to a winless season.

Dana Dimel didn’t have a bad resume coming into UTEP. He wasn’t a coveted hire, but he was a running backs coach under Bill Snyder’s illustrious system at K-State. He had an impressive stint as Wyoming’s head coach, going 22-13, but also led Houston to their worst record in school history. Will Dimel’s record improve in another year at UTEP? Hopefully. But things don’t look great. Again, the recruiting classes coming in leave a lot to be desired. No institutional changes have been made, mostly because UTEP can’t afford to.

So, what does UTEP’s future look like? Many suggest a drop to FCS, but this ignores the vast financial benefits that come from being an FBS program (although there are some steep costs to keep FBS eligibility). The best possible path to winning is to sit on Dimel’s salary, save up, and then get an energizing new head coach who will bring in-state recruits to El Paso and organize them into a system that can win. CUSA is not a tough conference – only a few stars need to align for UTEP to return to a bowl game for the first time since 2014, and maybe even have a shot at contending for the division. But due to UTEP’s difficult situation, Miners fans will probably have to grind their teeth for another few seasons at the bottom of the barrel.

The pageantry and tradition of college football is why so many people prefer it to the NFL. While the quality of play may be less, the long standing rivalries and unique school cultures that evolve from college play are absolutely unbeatable. While everyone’s favorite college football tradition is going to be the one from their school, we’ve tried to make a neutral list of the best traditions the sport has to offer. Agree with our picks? Disagree? Let us know on our Twitter @Sidelines_SN.

10. Dotting the i – Ohio State

Script Ohio was first put on the field in 1936. But, it wasn’t until the game against Michigan that year that the band director asked a sousaphone player to take the spot of glory. Since then, it’s always been a senior or fifth year sousaphone player (with the exception of some special guests, like Woody Hayes and John Glenn) tasked with the big moment. After they dot the i, they high five the drum major and bow to both ends of the stadium. The Ohio State Band is arguably the best college marching band in the country (or The Best Damn Band In The Land, as they’re referred to) and this tradition is undeniably one of the best.

9. Jump Around – Wisconsin

Jump Around is so ingrained in Wisconsin Badger culture, it’s surprising that it’s one of the younger traditions on this list. Jump Around actually started in a game against a Drew Brees led Purdue. October 10, 1998, as Purdue was trying to drive the ball into the end zone in an extremely close game, the entire Wisconsin student section erupted when House of Pain’s hit blared on the speakers. This energetic tradition has shaken the stadium at the start of the 4th quarter ever since.

8. Enter Sandman – Virginia Tech

When Virginia Tech installed their new scoreboard in 2000, they wanted a new, hype entrance song to go along with the reveal. “Enter Sandman” was chosen over “Welcome to the Jungle” and Sirius, and the electric entrance theme never went away. Many label it the best entrance in college sports – but other strong contenders make this list.

7. Ralphie’s Run – Colorado

Hype entrance? Check. Involving a cool animal? Check. Life threatening? Check.

Ralphie’s Run is chaotic and beautiful, just like college football. Watching Ralphie pound down the field as his handlers hold on for dear life is absolutely incredible. There’s really nothing like the uncontainable force of a buffalo, and that’s what puts this tradition so high on our list.

6. Yell Practice – Texas A&M

Texas A&M was obviously going to make this list in some way, with the longstanding traditions they have. But Yell Practice is truly unique, with Kyle Field filling up at midnight the night before games. If you’ve been there, you know there’s nothing like it. It’s simultaneously reverend yet bursting with energy. And practice truly makes perfect – the 12th man is one of the loudest game day crowds.

5. Howard’s Rock – Clemson

Nothing quite like an entire football team sprinting down a steep hill to get the crowd going. But, rubbing the rock before the run is definitely the coolest part of this tradition. The rock was sourced from Death Valley, California (the name-sake for the stadium, or at least what it’s affectionately referred to as). Coach Howard used it as a doorstop then told booster Gene Willimon to “get rid of it”. He got rid of it by putting it on a pedestal in the east end zone, where it stands today and is rubbed by every player as they run onto the field.

4. Toomer’s Corner – Auburn

Toomer’s Corner is the gateway to Auburn University, but it’s known for its large oaks that get draped in toilet paper after any big Tigers win. It’s debated when this tradition truly began, but most believe it was in 1972 after a win over rival Alabama. The trees were actually poisoned by an Alabama fan in 2010 in one of the most notorious sports-related crimes ever, but have since been replaced. The corner still gets “rolled” after big wins – especially against the Crimson Tide.

3. Country Roads – West Virginia

Arguably the most beautiful of college football traditions, Mountaineer fans sing John Denver’s hit after every home victory. The sound of a stadium full of fans singing the sweet country ballad fills the heart, and has made it one of the most beloved traditions in the sport. Fun Fact: John Denver himself performed the song on field in 1980 to commemorate the new stadium’s opening.

2. Chief Osceola – Florida State

While many schools have shifted away from Native American mascots due to our nation’s difficult past and how they were treated, Florida State instead worked with the Seminole nation to ensure they could use the branding as a way to promote the tribe’s incredible history and preserve their way of life. Chief Osceola is perhaps the best symbol for this; him and his horse Renegade run onto the field before every game and plant the spear in the ground. The mascot pair debuted in 1978 and has been claiming ground for the Seminoles – both Florida State fans and the Native American nation – ever since.

1. Marching In – Army / Navy

At its core, college football is American. It’s something born in this country that hasn’t been replicated anywhere else. With that, Marching In at the Army-Navy game is the epitome of college football traditions and the sport itself. The entire student bodies of both West Point and the Naval Academy march in strict order onto the field. This not only demonstrates the discipline of these cadets, but the longstanding history behind the most American rivalry in sports.

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These are pretty scary times, and emotionally devastating times if you are a sports fan. The novel coronavirus pandemic has forced many to quarantine within their homes, and most businesses have shut down in some capacity. Sports businesses haven’t been excluded – the NBA and NHL have postponed, March Madness has been cancelled and the NCAA has cancelled all spring athletics.

While having no sports is an absolute tragedy, one of the lingering effects of these cancellations is the economic impact. In this article we’ll detail how the COVID-19 cancellations might affect your athletic department’s budget.

NCAA Disbursements

The NCAA provides financial disbursements from March Madness that help schools cover their costs of operation. These payments are typically in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, but are often millions of dollars for larger programs. The NCAA has said they will attempt to provide some form of compensatory payment to programs, but obviously this won’t be the full payment since all of the income from the tournament itself has been lost. So, will schools be left hanging out to dry?

The good news is, probably not. For a majority of schools, their main breadwinner is football. There haven’t been any announcements about postponing college football, so for these programs, they don’t have much to worry about. Budgets will certainly have to be adjusted to make up for the loss, but schools should end up fine. Even for schools that make most of their money from basketball, most of that money has already come in through ticket sales and merchandising throughout the regular season. If college football is postponed, then the majority of programs will have reason to seriously worry.

What About Spring Sports?

Spring brings some of the most fun sports for schools. Baseball, softball and lacrosse are some of the most watched non-revenue events in the NCAA. But therein lies the point; these sports are generally non-revenue, and at best do a little more than break even. The NCAA model is to make the bulk of money off of football and basketball (and believe it or not, wrestling has become a revenue generating sport) and use that money to support the others. So, while we’ll be devastated to not watch baseball teams duke it out in Omaha this summer, the actual bottom line of athletic departments won’t be hurt. In fact, it might even be helped since the schools won’t be on the hook for athlete’s travel.

Going Forward

While the novel coronavirus pandemic has had widespread effects and will certainly change how we view the sporting world forever, I don’t expect any major changes to happen to how athletic departments structure their budgets. The only thing I could see happening is schools doing more to prepare for the event in which they can’t run a football season, but surely a widespread bailout would be needed for all football schools. Thus, that would be a larger institutional change rather than on individual athletic departments.

Show some love to an athlete that lost their season, continue to support your school, but your athletic department should ultimately be fine. Thankfully, we have much more sports to look forward to – the important thing to do right now is to be safe.

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The QB is the playmaker of the team, and almost always the highest drafted by the NFL – but Running Backs are almost definitely the most entertaining to watch. The jukes, stiff arms and hurdles make them some of the most dynamic, powerful and entertaining athletes in any sport. With that, here’s our 7 most exciting RB’s of the last decade that we love to binge watch highlights of.

7. Derrick Henry

Henry couldn’t go unnoticed. The 2015 Heisman Trophy winner (the only non-QB to win it in the last decade) was Alabama’s workhorse in their national championship run. While he doesn’t boast the insane production of some of the others on this list, Derrick Henry could explode whenever you needed him, and that brought the Crimson Tide the title. Plus, you’d be hard pressed to find someone with a nastier stiff arm.

6. Montee Ball

The above video is one of the best highlights ever. Montee Ball was a monster, and any defender trying to stop him was simply at his whim. Just look how he spins players off and then pushes them away to charge into the end zone. Wisconsin is known to produce beastly running backs (with a few others on this list), but Ball was truly something special. He could always manage a touchdown, as shown above; in fact, he had 33 rushing TD’s his senior year, the single season record for the decade.

5. Christian McCaffrey

Anyone that watched McCaffrey in his 2016 season should know why he’s on this list. The man was an absolute tractor, pushing aside anyone in his way. McCaffrey is another person on this list that doesn’t boast insane total yardage, but he was the very definition of electric. Anytime the ball ended up in McCaffrey’s hands, there’s a chance it was going for a touchdown. And anyway – 3,922 career yards ain’t shabby.

4. Melvin Gordon

Melvin Gordon was the human highlight reel. He could hurdle anybody, and leapt over plenty of desperate defenders on his way to the end zone. He had a whopping 4,915 yards in his college career, with over 2,500 of those in his record breaking junior year. He also boasted a whopping 45 rushing touchdowns. In the above game vs. Nebraska, Melvin Gordon broke LaDainian Tomlinson’s single-game rushing record with 408 yards. He had 16.3 yards per carry – scary!

3. Saquon Barkley

“HE IS SO ELECTRIC!” – you got that right. If Gordon is the human highlight reel, Saquon is the human cheat code. No matter what situation you put him in he could break out for a big gain. The man was monstrous, with some of the biggest quads the game has ever seen. He’s continuing to dominate in the NFL with the New York Giants, proving he’s a generational talent at his position. Saquon’s college career brought 3,843 rushing yards, 1,195 receiving yards, and 51 total TD’s.

2. Donnel Pumphrey

6,405 rushing yards. Need we say more? Donnel Pumphrey was the king of speed, repeatedly torching opponents defenses and making them look like kids. Game after game Pumphrey embarrassed anyone that tried to tackle him and broke record after record while doing so. While our #1 came close to knocking him off, Pumphrey retains the FBS record for career rushing yards. Simply electric.

1. Johnathan Taylor

Johnathan Taylor was something else. You can claim recency bias, but the numbers and film don’t lie. Taylor had two seasons with over 2,000 rushing yards and was only 25 yards away from having a third his freshmen year. Opposing teams always put everyone they could on him, and yet he still managed a career 6.7 yards per carry. He wasn’t facing easy opponents either; these were stacked Big 10 defenses built to stop the run, and Johnathan Taylor just shredded them. He was a generational talent, a Badger legend, and any NFL fan is eagerly waiting to see what he’ll do there.

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Everyone has an opinion on the Volunteers. Many hate them, in fact, most probably hate them. They have arguably the largest online presence of any fan base, and that doesn’t help. But they have consistently had some of the best teams in CFB history and when they’re down, they’re not down for long. And while last season had one of the worst starts in Vol history, it appears a massive rebound is exactly what’s coming next. Here’s why we’re making that prediction:

Defense

For starters, the Volunteers return their entire Defensive Line. The team will miss Darrell Taylor, but have signees Tyler Baron and Morven Joseph coming in. Pruitt’s defense has been consistently getting more cohesive and effective, and 2020 may be their greatest improvement yet with the amount of returning talent. Cornerbacks Bryce Thompson, Alontae Taylor and Shawn Shamburger will surely be feasting downfield. It became clear how vital Thompson was when the defense got significantly better following his return from suspension. Shamburger should also provide leadership to the ‘backs group in his senior year. Tennessee is adding promising recruits to an extremely experienced defense; they should have one of the Top 25 defenses in the country barring any major injuries.

QB Potential

Jarrett Guarantano didn’t have the best 2019 season. There were some shining moments of potential, but the terrible start to the season as well as glaring inconsistency made him out to be one of the worst QBs in the SEC. However, with the 2020 season comes a new opportunity, and Guarantano is up for it. He announced he had “unfinished business,” and a second year under experienced OC Jim Chaney should help Guarantano iron out the wrinkles. As an added bonus, touted recruit Harrison Bailey is waiting in the wings. He can watch and learn from Guarantano, and if things don’t pan out well, be ready to replace him. Either way, the QB will be protected because…

O Line Improvement

Pruitt and Chaney have worked year round to improve the Vol O Line over the last two years, and it’s paid off. Furthermore, *all five* starting O Linemen are returning. This should do wonders for chemistry and consistency, especially since last year’s squad already saw great improvement by the end of the season. Trey Smith, who made the All-SEC first team last season, will lead this group. Guarantano will have a comfortable pocket.

Coaching

Any Vol that’s been paying close attention should be thrilled with what Pruitt’s built so far. Sure, a 13-12 record doesn’t look stellar on paper, but the improvement over the last two years has been notable. Last season certainly had a rocky start, but the Vols comeback, six game winning streak and Gator Bowl win over a strong Indiana team perhaps show Pruitt’s coaching strength more than anything. The Volunteers really figured things out in the second half of the season, and you have to give Coach Pruitt credit. He’s clearly built a culture down there, and something tells me we’re just starting to see the benefits of this. We’ll see if Pruitt can be the first of Saban’s former assistants to take him down.

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