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"They scored with
six minutes left and the game was over before
we had a chance to do anything," Brown told
ESPN.com. "I really hope whoever made these
changes will go back and look them over."
Sure, it might be sour grapes;
the Buckeyes thoroughly trounced the defending
national champion Longhorns 24-7. However, coach
Brown isn't alone in giving the changes their
due thought. Bettors are also wondering about
them, albeit for a completely different reason.
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What It's
All About
The average length of a college game
in 2005 was roughly 3 hours, 20 minutes.
The NCAA decided that was asking too
much of its fans' attention spans.
This is what the rulemakers came up
with:
Rule 3-2-5:
The game clock starts on a kickoff
as soon as the ball is booted off
the tee, not when the receiving team
touches it.
Rule 3-2-5-e
On a change of possession, the clock
will start on the ready for play signal,
not when the ball is snapped.
The new rules seem to be working.
One random example: San Diego State's
season opener vs. UTEP was its shortest
game of the decade, lasting 2:52.
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Most experts agree that the
changes will result in games being shortened by
anywhere from 10 to 20 plays. The obvious consequence
is lower scores, with more time rolling off the
clock during changes of possession. (The Ohio
State-Texas game flew well under the total of
52.)
Tom Hoffarth, a columnist
with the Los Angeles Daily News, shared the following
information after Week 1 of the college season:
"According to research
at the Web site www.cfbstats.com, more than 18
plays a game disappeared last weekend into thin
air. That's a 10-percent reduction. In 2005, a
typical game had 168.58 plays. For 2006 already,
it's down to 150.26.
"As a result, teams
combined to gain an average of about 100 fewer
yards a game last weekend versus the 2005 openers.
Scoring was also down by about 4.5 points (attention
Vegas bettors)."
Of course, oddsmakers were
able to adjust to the changes before the season
started. Proof of that came as the over went a
balanced 8-9 at the Bodog Sportsbook on Saturday.
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Straight from the
Bodog Sportsbook:
"We needed the under to hit
in 15 of our 17 decisions on totals
in Week 2 of NCAA football, so thus
far the bettors are continuing their
trend of taking the over regardless
of the clock changes. It could be
that not a lot of bettors even know
about the changes yet. However, outbursts
like the one by Mack Brown are likely
to lead to the general public catching
on.
"That brings up an important
point. Oftentimes bettors will over-react
to much-publicized news, which in
this instance would actually create
value on the over. It doesn't appear
that's the case yet, but it's something
to keep in mind for Week 3."
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Other angles to consider:
* A shorter game should
theoretically result in shorter lines. Whereas
Team A might have been a 14-point favorite in
a 168-play game (last year), if there are 10 percent
less snaps in 2006, the line should also be reduced
by 10 percent (to 13 or 12.5). Of course, this
is an over-simplification of the matter, but something
to keep in mind.
* Less possessions means
a better chance the game will be decided by three
or seven points. For example, what might have
been a 20-10 final score in 2005 may end at 17-10
in 2006. Granted, a 24-17 game last year might
end at 21-17 these days, but the former - a three-
or seven-point advantage being preserved as opposed
to created - is the most likely scenario.
TOP
PHOTO: Texas coach Mack Brown is less than
happy with the NCAA's attempts to shorten the
game. (Getty Images photo)
Note: All
NCAA football lines subject to change.
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