Rule 3-2-5-e dead!

Rejoice my friends, the NCAA rules committee has recommended the elimination of the retarded clock rules that prompted the ire of so many fans and coaches. I imagine if the clock rules were personified they would look something like this:

Rule 3-2-5-e 2006 - 2007

The NCAA football rules committee… recommended going back to starting the clock on the snap after a change of possession instead of when the referee signals the ball ready for play. It also suggested starting the clock on kickoffs after the ball is touched by the receiving team rather than when it is kicked.

Amen, brother! Can I get a witness?!?!

The Wiz is ecstatic. Orson broke out the siren and (appropriately) compared it to the fall of the Berlin wall as only Orson can do. Steaming piles of praise and adoration should be heaped upon bloggers like The Wizard of Odds and College football Stats for tirelessly beating the repeal Rule 3-2-5-e drum. No longer are college football fans held hostage by corporate greed. Penn State fans have a vested personal interest in this because we were left holding the short end of the 3-2-5-e stick when Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema exploited the rule at our expense. You may refer to us as martyrs in the Holy War of college football. Alright, it wasn’t that bad, but we at least get a little more satisfaction in seeing this thing gone.

So what’s next? Well the committee is still trying to cut “dead time” from games and will make the following adjustments.

• Using a 15-second play clock immediately after timeouts instead of a 25-second clock
• Reducing timeouts from 65 seconds to 30 seconds
• Kicking off from the 30-yard line instead of the 35 to cut down on touchbacks
• Limiting the time officials have to review a replay to two minutes

Correct me if I’m wrong, but I see no negatives in the changes. On the contrary, I think more kickoff returns will make the game more exciting and limiting the review time is a step in the right direction. If a coach can’t make a decision in 30 seconds, call a play, and be ready 15 seconds after the ball is placed, then he isn’t doing his job. This will also cut down on commercials because the networks will have less time, which is another reason to celebrate. Keep in mind that this isn’t official yet as these are only proposals, but all in all, it’s a good day to be a college football fan.