Fixing college football games, as per Dale Hansen.

[Caballo]

Yesterday, while listening to ESPN radio on the drive home, Dale Hansen accused Texas Coach Mack Brown of trying to “cover the spread” by throwing the ball into the end zone at the end of the Nebraska game on third down, instead of playing conservatively for the winning field goal. The pass was batted around and almost intercepted, which would have cost Texas the game. Hansen said that the only reason this was done was so that Texas exes who bet heavily on the game would win their bets.

In the conversation, he stated that a “star player” at SMU in the early 80's told him that the real story behind the team was their penchant for playing the spread. Hansen reminded everyone that he was the one that “broke the story which shut down the program.” He then said that in a game against Rice, Bobby Collins put Eric Dickerson into the game late so that they could score another touchdown and cover the spread. Supposedly, a “big booster” came down to the sideline late in the game and told Collins that he had a lot of money on the game and wanted Collins to score. Hansen claims that ED confirmed this to him in a telephone call.

Hansen said that “the reason SMU was paying all the players was so that their boosters could bet big money on the games.”

If Mack Brown and Bobby Collins performed the acts which Hansen is accusing them of, isn’t that the same thing as fixing games? It is not like shaving points, (see Tulane basketball), but they are still altering the game for betting purposes.

Talk amongst yourselves.

[Jeffrey Lebowski]

Hansen makes me want to throw myself into oncoming traffic.

[MustangIcon]

Hansen makes me want to throw myself into oncoming traffic.

Correction- Hansen makes me want to throw HIM into oncoming traffic.

[jtstang]

I don't buy it. First, Hansen is a Nebraska fan. Second, Mack Brown won a National Championship last year, and Bobby Collins was in the running for one with Dickerson. What's going to happen to these guys if they tell the "big booster" to F.O.? Doubt they are going to get the coaches fired with their teams in the position they have them in. Makes no sense.

[that's great raplh]

never name your kid dale

[PonyPride]

I don't buy it. First, Hansen is a Nebraska fan. Second, Mack Brown won a National Championship last year, and Bobby Collins was in the running for one with Dickerson. What's going to happen to these guys if they tell the "big booster" to F.O.? Doubt they are going to get the coaches fired with their teams in the position they have them in. Makes no sense.

Couldn't agree more. Right you are, jt.

[Stallion]

Truth is anyone betting on SMU that year probably lost their [deleted] since SMU tended to play to their opponents level. I'm pretty sure SMU did not cover against UTEP, TCU, NTSU, Baylor, UH, Tech, Arkansas and Pitt. They definitely covered against Tulane, A&M and UT. I'm not really sure about Rice which ended 41-14 which means the scenario is plausible in that game but something tells me that game was within 20 points late in the game anyway.

[Caballo]

Hansen made a big deal of the "fact" that he no longer cares about Nebraska football, even though he used to host the Tom Osbourne show in Lincoln, and cover all their games. We know that is BS.

But, the interesting point of his rant was that he is accusing the coach of the defending National Champions of trying to fix a football game by throwing into the end zone at the end of the game instead of playing for a winning field goal. That is a serious charge, and he should have more to back up a charge like that than to just spout off his accusations. I am no fan of the Longhorns, but to slander someone's character accusing them of fixing a game is a big deal. And, a criminal offense.

How is attempting to score late in a game for the sole purpose of covering a spread any different that a magical fumble or intentionally stopping short of the goal line. Hansen could have just as well claimed that Brown was trying to throw the game by passing at that point.

Hansen is an idiot and should be held accountable for his accusations.

[SMU Football Blog]

I don't have the animosity towards Dale that some on here do, but I was saying "BS" to the radio on my way home last night. Hanson has always played fast and loose with the truth. Actually, he's always played fast and loose with reality.

To be clear, this is what Dale was saying was the smart thing to do:

With 32 seconds left and no timeouts, down by one, 3rd and goal from the 5. According to Dale, the smart thing to do was kick the fieldgoal on 3rd down.

The choices are:

(A) run the ball. The benefit is if you score you are up by five and Nebraska needs a TD to win. The problem is that if you don't get in and don't get out of bounds, the clock runs and you may not get the FG unit out in time;

(b) pass the ball, if nobody is open, throw it away. The problem is you risk an interception. The benefit is if you score you are up by five and Nebraska needs a TD to win. The benefit is if you don't make it and it isn't intercepted, the clocks stops and you have time to get the field goal unit out there, plus you took an additional five seconds off the clock;

(c) kick the field goal on third down. The benefit is if there is a botched snap, you have a chance to do it again. The risk is you are giving Nebraska a few more seconds to go down the field and get a field goal to win.; The other risk is that, again Texas can't stop the clock with a botched snap if they fall on it, and they may not even get a second chance to kick it.

Anybody that thinks that kicking the fieldgoal on third down in that situation is OBVIOUS, isn't paying attention.


And the reason SMU was paying players was to win. Anybody that thinks differently is a moron.

[EastStang]

My guess is that coaches probably try to cover the spreads, not so much to accommodate their boosters as to meet expectations created by the spreads. If you are a 20 point favorite and win by 7, people will say your team played badly and criticize the coach when perhaps the other team played above their heads. So, by beating the spreads, you meet expectations.

[Stallion]

also let's remember that UT was placing its entire season on the back of a walkon who had never set foot on a college playing field in his entire life. As a son of a former UT President of the Texas Exes in Dallas-my father and I were both saying that UT should attempt to score and not leave the game to the walkon in that situation. Losing a game in the Pros is no big deal-lose onme in College Football and your season goes down the drain.

[SMU Football Blog]

Obviously, you don't run it. So, you either pass or kick. Stallion, thanks for pointing out the walkon kicker; I had forgotten the earlier kicking woes in the game. I am passing in that situation. Of course, I also coach my freshman QB before the snap to throw it away and not into coverage.

[Mexmustang]

Unfortunatly for Mr. Hansen, he keeps falling lower and lower in his career--one day we won't even find him on the radio dial! Maybe Mac was afraid of a "walk-on" kicker and couldn't count on a field goal...Maybe Bobby was trying to get Dickerson more points in the Heisman as well as win a National Championship!

[ponyte]

In the conversation, he stated that a “star player” at SMU in the early 80's told him that the real story behind the team was their penchant for playing the spread. Hansen reminded everyone that he was the one that “broke the story which shut down the program.” He then said that in a game against Rice, Bobby Collins put Eric Dickerson into the game late so that they could score another touchdown and cover the spread. Supposedly, a “big booster” came down to the sideline late in the game and told Collins that he had a lot of money on the game and wanted Collins to score. Hansen claims that ED confirmed this to him in a telephone call.

Geez, that wouldn’t have been the year that ED was in the running for the Heisman would it? I mean, what coach would put a player in a game to pad his stats just to win the Heisman?

This is utter BS and what one has come to expect from alleged journalist. Geez, has Hansen been taking pointers from Dan Rather now?

[Caballo]

Geez, that wouldn’t have been the year that ED was in the running for the Heisman would it? I mean, what coach would put a player in a game to pad his stats just to win the Heisman?


When asked after the game, that is exactly what Bobby Collins said was the reason for sending ED back in. If Collins wanted to run up the score for spread purposes, Reggie Dupard, the backup RB, was more than capable of scoring a TD against a normally weak Rice team himself.