travisduncan
Gator Fan
Will Muschamp made his second trip to Bristol this year to do a series of taped and live interviews across ESPN networks on Monday.
Facetime on ESPN is huge for a college football program. Believe it or not BCS voters watch ESPN, and it can have an affect on the BCS standings (2/3 of which is determined by human voters), and that could be the difference when that final spot in a BCS championship game is determined.
Muschamp does have a likableness factor as well (though some would disagree). The likable factor is something which former Gator Steve Spurrier has used to his advantage for many years.
Muschamp's most telling comments came on The Heard with Colin Cowherd when the radio host asked him about whether schools should pay players.
"I do think there is something to cost of attendance," Muschamp told Cowherd.
Cost of attendance is the academic buzz word, adding a cash amount to a players scholarship to cover things which are not currently not covered by room and board.
"Some of these young men, I don't think people realize where they come from. They don't have anything. They can't go home on the weekend. They don't have expenses for bedsheets and toiletries when they come to college. That's real in my world. I don't think a lot of people understand that."
"I'm talking homeless. I've been in situations where young men have been taken in by families. They don't have anything to their own. They don't have a house. They don't have an apartment. They don't have a phone. You can't ever get a hold of them. I've recruited several, and a lot of coaches will tell you the same thing. You don't realize how these guys have been successful. I'm all about opportunities for young men. Giving them an opportunity, a scholarship, that's great, but there needs to be some sort of cost of attendance for these people."
You can listen to the entire segment at http://espn.go.com/espnradio/play?id=6800390
Muschamp also made an apperance on the Scott Van Pelt radio show and you can listen to that segment at http://espn.go.com/espnradio/play?id=6800272&s=espn
Among the other highlights of his conversation with Cowherd on Monday:
"The pressure is on right now. I think we have a good football team on campus. We need to stay healthy. We're thin on both sides of the ball."
"Our offenses in (the SEC) are a little more conservative in our league. But because of the defenses you have to, to protect the quarterback."
On if he is concerned about Charlie Weis' ego
"Charlie is a family guy, that's the reason he's at the University of Florida. He had an opportunity for his son to come to Florida. His wife to move to horse country. Down to Ocala, south of Jacksonville. "
"We're going to be a tough downhill running game that playactions off of it, spread the field when we need to spread the field."
On social media: "Don't mind them doing it. But just don't talk about our football program. Don't talk about injuries. Don't talk about the things within the walls and confines of our family."
On Vegas predicting the Gators will win 7.5 games total:
"I think a lot of the prognosticators go back to last season, we had an 8-5 record."
On if he still gets along with Texas head coach Mack Brown:
"Mack's been first class. He understood this was a chance to come home. I'm five hours away from my parents. My wife Carol she's four hours away from her parents."
-Not great news, but not devastating, Gator safety Matt Elam was cited and booked for underage alcohol possession over the weekend. The 19-year old sophomore was taken into custody after officers saw him on a city street with a plastic cup, according to the Gainesville Sun.
It's also Elam's second alcohol related offense, as he was cited for the same thing one year ago.
While a common offense for many college students, the national media does keep track at the arrest/law enforcement incidents for the Gator program as a sign of a more serious discipline problem at UF.
I don't doubt for a second that Muschamp, will handle it "internally" as UF spokesperson Steve McClain has said. The first-year coach no doubt wants to focus on the task at hand doesn't want his message or program derailed by player arrests as evidenced by how swiftly Janoris Jenkins found himself in Northern Alabama.
