Rule Changes for the 2008 NCAA Football Season

Chris Alfson — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 12:32:45 -0400

With 2008 College Football right around the corner, I thought I’d take a moment and look at the upcoming rule changes as they affect game play.

The powers that be cannot seem to figure out that a college football playoff system for Division One schools is a good thing.

While no one wants to tamper with the almighty bowl system, no one has any problems tampering with the minor aspects of the game.

So, here is a quick peek at the changes, and my own thoughts on what they mean.

Rule Change No. 1

A 40-second play clock will replace the 25-second clock in most instances, and will start when the previous play is whistled down. Some exceptions to this rule will be in the last two minutes of each half, at change of possession, and after timeouts. Those situations will still use the 25-second clock.

My Interpretation:

This appears to put the NCAA games more in tune with how the NFL operates, which I will neither interpret as good or bad. However, with the extended amount of TV time interruptions in the college football game, I believe this to be a more effective way to attempt to speed up the game play than the 2006 rule change of starting the game clock on every change of possession. That was a rule that everyone in general seemed to dislike, and was repealed prior to the start of the 2007 rule change.

Rule Change No. 2

The replay official may now: a) review any play that leads directly to a fumble; b) review a field goal attempt that is above or below the crossbar and below the top of the uprights; and c) correct any significant game clock error.

My Interpretation:

Being a fan of instant replay, in the hopes of getting the right call, this looks like a great rule to implement. Theoretically, this works once again to limit the amount of human error in a high-speed sports environment. I’m sure that everyone will agree, that replay officials don’t always make the right call, but theoretically, this gives them the chance to do a better overall job of officiating the game.

Rule Change No. 3

Horse collar tackles are now considered personal fouls and will garner a 15-yard penalty.

My Interpretation

I believe that in the NFL safety Roy Williams is responsible for this rule, having broken at least two different players' ankles by tackling someone this way. Personally, while knowing that football is a violent sport, I see no reason why certain types of tackles that have a higher chance of creating injury shouldn’t be eliminated from games. There’s no reason to be subjecting amateur athletes to this type of tackling.

Rule Change #4:

Coaches who win their ‘coaches challenge’ will keep their right to challenge one additional play.

My Interpretation:

Once again, being a fan of instant replay, I like this call. Actually, I’d love to see it taken a step further, and allow a head coach to challenge plays until they lose a challenge. This would only further encourage the use of instant replay, while making sure that someone isn’t challenging official calls just for fun.

Rule Change No. 5

If a kickoff goes out of bounds, the receiving team may: a) elect to have the ball kicked again from the 25-yard line; b) take the ball at the spot; or c) take the ball at their own 40-yard line.

My Interpretation:

I would imagine that every time a ball is kicked out of bounds on a kickoff, the receiving team will simply take the ball at the 40.

Given the opportunity to start on my 40-yard line and only have to go 30-35 yards to be in field goal range sounds like a rather good deal to me.

Additionally, since kick returns can add such a dynamic increase to the game, this seems to be an effective way to keep coaches from playing it safe and avoiding that aspect of the game.

Notre Dame Football: Key for Improvement in 2008

Chris Alfson — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 14:42:06 -0400

My grandfather, in his wisdom and experience, sort of shrugged his shoulders at one point, and simply said, "Maybe he knows something that we don't."

It was sometime during the summer of 2007 and our conversation had centered, as many of them do. around the Notre Dame Football team and why Darius Walker, the star junior running back, leave school a year early when it would seem that his senior season would have him primed to be the offensive focus for the football team, and almost certainly enhance his stock as a NFL player.

Irish fans all over the world take pride in the fact that Notre Dame does not accept just anyone into their school. In order to come to Notre Dame and receive an education, you have to be intelligent.

While Notre Dame fans everywhere questioned Darius Walker’s decision and wondered what the “underlying” reason was for him leaving after his junior campaign, history shows us that he made the right move.

Last year, Notre Dame fans suffered through the worst season many could remember. Of more relevance, Notre Dame fans suffered through what has to be considered one of the worst offensive lines in big time college football history.

As the 2008 season approaches and everyone dreams of glory and success, the single most important aspect of the team that has to change is the offensive line.

This is a situation that is not about any single player, coach, scheme, or any other reason that you can come up with. In order for the 2008 Notre Dame football team to improve and be competitive, the offensive line has to learn to play football. Period.

Preseason magazines everywhere point to Jimmy Clausen being healthy, the running game establishing itself, coaching and philosophy changes within the program, depth and talent from recruiting, and many other things as being a key for Notre Dame’s football program to have improved.

Notre Dame plays four of their first five games at home this season; on paper the schedule appears to be more favorable, and optimism abounds everywhere and most certainly there is reason for it.

However in order for anything else to be relevant in the least bit, by the time the Notre Dame football team takes the field in 2008 the offensive line play has to have improved in obvious, tangible aspects for every phase they are on the field. This is an offensive line that has to effectively run block, pass block, read blitzes, and allow success to happen.

Going back to 2007, by the third or fourth game the offensive scheme no longer allowed for the shotgun to be implemented because the center to quarterback exchange could not be completed effectively.

Let’s think about that again. Approximately one third of the way through the season, a major, modern day college football program was forced to abandon the shotgun formation in every aspect because they could not handle the center to quarterback exchange of the football.

Analyst’s everywhere are touting the development of Jimmy Clausen, the emergence of Robert Hughes at running back and the expected defensive improvement with the hiring of Jon Tenuta. At the end of the day, or more appropriately, the start of the season, the 2008 Notre Dame Football team's ability to improve from 2007 starts and ends with the play of the offensive line.

Bleacher Report - Articles by Chris Alfson

Rule Changes for the 2008 NCAA Football Season

Notre Dame Football: Key for Improvement in 2008