Sunday, December 15, 2019

Renaming the college football conferences


MATHEMATICS AND SPORTS

Renaming some major conferences



Most of the major Division I conferences have gone through a realignment process in recent years and the resulting changes have rendered the Division I landscape very difficult to recognize. The reasons for the changes were obvious. The administrators of the conferences felt the need to extend their base of operations to make the television networks more viable.

     The SEC added Texas A&M and Missouri. The conference once based in the middle of the country and named the Big 10 now has 14 members. The conference known as the Big 12 now has 10 schools. The Pacific 10, which used to be the Pacific 8, is now the Pacific 12 and its roster of members includes four schools that do not touch the Pacific Ocean.

     Some of these conferences should call for their member schools to eliminate their Mathematics majors if this is the best their conference administrators can do in terms of counting. Come to think of it, they’d better drop Geography, too, if anyone studies that science.

     We have saved these mis-led leagues the trouble of paying for a marketing study to determine how to rename their leagues. We have done it for them. Someone needs to do it and that someone should not be an egg-headed college professor. We’ve seen what they can do. Thus, a real-world look at the problem, with rational solutions, is below.

     Enjoy.



THE ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE: This group includes Louisville and Pittsburgh, which are not located anywhere near the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. It produces champions in many sports, especially basketball, and one of its members is the reigning national champ in football. New name: Mostly Atlantic Conference, or the MAC. Yes, the acronym is taken. So what?



THE BIG 12 CONFERENCE: Has ten members, but there will be more shuffling soon and the number is likely to change again. Most of the current members were part of the old Southwestern Conference and this bunch should go back to the future. New name: Southwestern Conference.



THE BIG 10 CONFERENCE: By keeping its old name, the conference administrators admit that four of its member schools aren’t worth much. Unfortunately, The Big 10 And 4 Others Who Aren’t Worth Much is too long a name. This conference’s name has become a joke, a tagline for every grammer school teacher trying to teach students to count (“Don’t worry if you can’t count kid,” a teacher might say. “They have colleges for you in the Big 10.”) New name: The Big North.



THE MOUNTAIN WEST CONFERENCE: Actually, this one is pretty well-named. Its members include Hawaii, which is very far to the west and has mountains in it. We really wanted to rename this one The Surfer’s Paradise Conference but they don’t surf much in Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Idaho or Nevada, so that name was out. Leave this one alone.



THE SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE: No counting errors in this one, it is actually fairly well-named. Still, we wonder which part of the Southeastern United States College Station, Texas (Texas A&M) or Columbia, Missouri (University of Missouri) are in, since both are located west of the Mississippi River. New Name: The Southeasternish Conference.



Finally, the list of independent schools (primarily for football) deserve better than to be simply listed as Independents. We feel schools not willing to join a conference do not deserve consideration for the football playoff system so, New name: Ineligible for the College Football Playoff System.


Saturday, December 14, 2019

Burrow, Heisman and more


NOTES

   (Week 15)



Joe Burrow, who started his college football career at Ohio State, won the Heisman Trophy Saturday and the Speedylee Committee applauded the selection. Burrow was the best-known player on the best team. Burrow and his LSU Tigers advanced to the first round of the NCAA Final Four football playoffs. … Alabama did not advance to the Final Four this season but their former quarterback, Jalen Hurts, got to go to New York for the Heisman Trophy presentation and Hurts is still playing. Hurts and his new team, the Oklahoma Sooners, also qualified for the playoff tournament. … Justin Fields, the Ohio State quarterback, started his career at Georgia. Ohio State plays Clemson in the first round of the playoffs. LSU plays Oklahoma in the other game. … Slippery Rock’s dream season in NCAA Division II football ended on a sour note. The Rock lost to Minnesota State 58-15. Slippery Rock finished a glorious season with a 13-1 record.

Saturday, December 7, 2019

Our final rankings before Sunday's Final Four announcement by the College Football Committee is below with a few important notes.

THE SPEEDYLEE COLLEGE FOOTBALL RANKINGS FINAL FOUR:

1. LSU
2. Ohio State
3. Oklahoma
4. Clemson


Our prediction for the CFPC's Final Four:

1. Ohio State
2. LSU
3. Clemson
4. Oklahoma

Speedylee's pre-season Top 10:
Clemson, Georgia, Washington, Alabama, Oklahoma, Texas, Ohio State, LSU, Florida, Utah.

Ineligible: Penn State

NOTES: Slippery Rock (13-0) defeated Notre Dame College of Ohio (12-2) 65-59 to advance to the third round of the NCAA's Division II playoffs. The Rock will host Minnesota State in the semi-finals next weekend. It is just the second time The Rock has reached the semi-final round. The last time The Rock advanced so far was back in 1998. Slippery Rock is seeded second in the semis and Minnesota State has been seeded third.


COUNTDOWN TO THE FINAL FOUR

(Week 14)



The mayhem has already started. Utah’s ugly loss to Oregon in the Pac 12 title game last night dropped the Utes from contention for the Final Four. That leaves five teams in position to reach the Speedylee Final Four and six to reach the College Football Playoff Committee’s Final Four. So what happens today?



1.     LSU plays #4 Georgia in the SEC title game. Undefeated LSU can likely stand a close loss and still advance to the Final Four. The Tigers are ranked second by the CFPC. They have more high-quality wins than any school in the country and are expected to win today.

2.     Ohio State plays Wisconsin in the Big Can’t Count Conference title game. The undefeated Buckeyes are expected to win but are likely out of the Final Four with a loss.

3.     Clemson plays in the ACC title game today. The undefeated defending national champions do not have a single high-quality win this season but don’t bet against them today. Clemson is matched against three-loss Virginia.

4.     Georgia plays #1 LSU for the SEC title. The Bulldogs probably can’t make the Final Four with a loss today, but a close game against LSU would make a compelling argument for the Bulldogs. The Bulldogs were ranked #1 here for three weeks and could very well force their way into the party.

5.     Oklahoma plays #9 Baylor for the Big Short Dozen Conference title game. A Georgia or Clemson loss probably opens the Final Four door for the Sooners. This might not be true for the Bears, who are ranked #7 by the CFPC. Baylor might need mass hysteria to get a spot at the table.

6.     Utah is out.



Ineligible: Penn State



SPEEDYLEE SAYS: LSU, Ohio State, Clemson and Oklahoma will populate the Final Four.

Sunday, December 1, 2019


SPEEDYLEE COLLEGE FOOTBALL RANKINGS

(Week 13)



We have reached the point of the season in NCAA Division I football that only the top six teams in the rankings matter. The Final Four will come from that group. This week’s Speedylee rankings will list a top 10 for the final time this season. Obviously, Alabama’s loss to Auburn was a major development for the projected tournament bracket, but the Crimson Tide was a long shot to make the Final Four even with an Iron Bowl victory. Minnesota’s loss to Wisconsin impacted only the lower positions in the top 10. The rankings:



1.     LSU (12-0) beat Texas A&M 50-7. Next up the for the Tigers is the SEC title game.

2.     Ohio State (12-0) beat Michigan 56-27. Next up for the Buckeyes is the Big Whatever title game.

3.     Georgia (11-1) wrecked Georgia Tech 52-7. Next up for the Bulldogs is the SEC title game.

4.     Clemson (12-0) beat South Carolina 38-3. Clemson will play in its conference coronation game.

5.     Oklahoma (11-1) defeated Oklahoma State 34-16.

6.     Utah (11-1) defeated Colorado 45-15 and will play in the Pac 12 title game.

7.     Alabama (10-2) lost to Auburn 48-45 and fell from Final Four contention.

8.     Florida (10-2) beat Florida State 40-17.

9.     Baylor (11-1) edged Kansas 61-6.

10.  Auburn (9-3) edged Alabama 48-45.



Ineligible: Penn State


Notes: Either LSU or Georgia will likely be eliminated from the Final Four after the SEC title game. … This will be the first season since the Final Four format went into use that Alabama will not be among the teams in the playoffs. … Auburn’s losses this season came to teams who were ranked 2nd, 4th and 10th by the Associated Press at the time the games were played. … Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh has never coached the maize and blue to victory over arch rival Ohio State. That’s how jobs are lost. … Utah is a step closer to qualifying for the Final Four. The Utes will need to win their conference title game and hope Oklahoma is perceived as playing poorly by the College Football Playoff Committee. … Slippery Rock beat Shepherd 51-30 in the NCAA Division II playoffs at Slippery Rock Saturday. The Rock hosts Notre Dame on December 7. This is not the well-known Notre Dame of South Bend, Indiana (although the Fighting Irish’s schedule makes the confusion understandable). Rather, the Rock will play Notre Dame College of South Euclid, Ohio. The Golden Bears (11-2) booted a late field goal to defeat Kutztown Saturday.

Sunday, November 24, 2019


SPEEDYLEE COLLEGE FOOTBALL RANKINGS

(Week 12)



Oregon’s loss to Arizona State was the only defeat for a top 10 school this week, but two teams adroitly avoided defeat by opting not to play at all.  #3 Clemson did not play and dropped a position, #9 Florida did not play and moved up a spot. Baylor returned to the top 10.





1.     LSU (11-0) defeated Arkansas 56-20. The Tigers have been ranked #1 here for six weeks.

2.     Ohio State (11-0) finally played a representative team, albiet an ineligible one, in Penn State and won 28-17.

3.     Georgia (10-1) defeated Texas A&M 19-13 and moved ahead a position.

4.     Clemson (11-0) did not play but their schedule is so weak, it was hard to tell the difference.

5.     Oklahoma (10-1) defeated TCU 28-24.

6.     Alabama (10-1) beat Western Carolina 66-3.

7.     Utah beat Arizona 35-7.

8.     Florida (9-2) avoided a trap game by not playing at all.

9.     Minnesota (10-1) beat Northwestern 38-22.

10.  Baylor (10-1) beat Texas 24-10.



INELIGIBLE: Penn State



WATCHLIST: Michigan (9-2), Oregon (9-2).



NOTES: Key games for the coming weekend: #2 Ohio State vs. Watchlisted Michigan, #6 Alabama vs. Auburn and #9 Minnesota vs. Wisconsin. … The Pac-12 Conference lost a Final Four contender when Oregon unexpectedly lost to Arizona State. It looks increasingly as though the conferences to be represented in the Final Four will probably be the SEC, the Big 10 (or 14 or whatever) and the Big 12 (or 10 or whatever). It is still possible that the SEC could get two teams in the Final Four, but that possibility seems less likely now than it did a few weeks ago. … The classic rivalry game between UCLA and Southern Cal had an interesting twist this year. Both coaches, Chip Kelly of UCLA and Clay Helton of USC, could be fired in the coming days. … The PAC 12 should take notice of the Arizona State program, under Herm Edwards. The Sun Devils have become a tough out. … Undefeated Division II power Slippery Rock had a bye week in the NCAA D-II playoffs and will host Shepherd (9-2) in a second round game on Nov. 30. Shepherd beat Indiana of Pennsylvania 31-27 in a round one game Saturday. The Rock is ranked 8th as the second round approaches.

Sunday, November 17, 2019


SPEEDYLEE COLLEGE FOOTBALL RANKINGS

(Week 11)





Minnesota’s loss to Iowa probably ends the Golden Gophers’ dream of reaching the Final Four but it emphasizes the value of playing in a strong conference. Iowa was ranked in the top 15 by some polls. Iowa’s win had deeper impact on the rankings than just knocking Minnesota down. Alabama, which won handily over Mississippi despite losing its QB again, remained in contention for a berth in the Final Four because the teams ranked behind the Tide, like Minnesota, keep losing. As the regular-season games get fewer, the plots get thicker.



1.      LSU hammered Ole Miss, 58-37.

2.      Ohio State beat Rutgers.

3.      Clemson beat Wake Forest.

4.      Georgia beat a stubborn Auburn team 21-14 at Auburn.

5.      Oklahoma edged Baylor, 34-31.

6.      Alabama (9-1) defeated Mississippi State but lost QB Tua Tagovailoa for the season.

7.      Oregon defeated Arizona 34-6.

8.      Utah defeated UCLA 49-3.

9.      Florida defeated Missouri 23-6.

10.  Minnesota suffered first loss, 23-19, to Iowa.



INELIGIBLE: Penn State



WATCHLIST: Michigan, Baylor, Iowa.


NOTES: Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa is out for the season with a hip injury. He started the season among those to watch for the Heisman Trophy and has posted some great numbers, but he has been injured twice. He might be this generation’s Joe Namath. … Auburn (8-3) has gone from being a contender for the Final Four early in the season to a top 10 team at mid-season and finally to a tough out at the end of the season. … Slippery Rock (11-0) advanced to the NCAA D-II playoffs after defeating Kutztown 37-35 to win the PSAC championship game. The Rock did not lead until Charles Snorweah scored a touchdown with 25 seconds remaining in the game. The Rock scored 16 unanswered points in the final quarter. Kutztown was also undefeated going into the game. Slippery Rock was ranked #8 going into the title game.

Sunday, November 10, 2019


SPEEDYLEE COLLEGE FOOTBALL RANKINGS

(Week 10)



There can’t be doubt in the mind of any sane person who the #1 college football team in the country is by now. #1 LSU’s victory over #4 Alabama in Tuscaloosa was a wild and exciting game. It also gave convincing evidence why LSU is #1 here again this week. Ohio State’s victory over Maryland gave convincing evidence that the Buckeyes’ greatest strength is piling up points against weak opponents. While Alabama was the only top 10 team to suffer a loss in our ranking, undefeated Minnesota stunned ineligible, unranked and undefeated Penn State. The Nittany Lions were among the top 10 in other rankings. Baylor fell off the list and Florida dropped a position even though both teams won this week.



1.      LSU (9-0) defeated #4 Alabama 46-41. The #1 team should beat the #4 team, but this remains a huge win for the Tigers.

2.      Ohio State (9-0), whose schedule is said by some to be tougher than LSU’s, mangled Maryland 73-14.

3.      Clemson (9-0) beat North Carolina State 55-10.

4.      Georgia (8-1) beat Missouri 27-0. The reason the Bulldogs are ranked so high is simple: Right now we believe Georgia would beat the teams ranked lower.

5.      Oklahoma (8-1) narrowly beat middle-of-the-road Iowa State 42-41.

6.      Alabama (8-1) lost to #1 LSU. Right now, Alabama would beat the teams ranked lower.

7.      Minnesota (9-0) defeated Penn State 31-26 in a good football game. It is the first-ever appearance in the Speedylee top 10 for the Golden Gophers. Welcome!

8.      Oregon (8-1) did not play, which looks pretty smart right now.

9.      Utah (8-1) also did not play. Maybe it’s a Pac 12 thing.

10.  Florida (7-2) dropped a position even though the Gators beat Vanderbilt 56-0 in a game that rivaled Ohio State’s win over Maryland for drama.



INELIGIBLE: Penn State.



WATCHLIST: Michigan, Auburn and Baylor. Neither Michigan nor Auburn played this week. Baylor defeated TCU 29-23.


NOTES: Each week it’s the same thing: Everyone wants to know how Slippery Rock fared. Good news: The Rock completed a perfect regular season with a 56-7 victory over Gannon. The Rock plays Kutztown in the PSAC championship game next week. Kutztown is also undefeated. … You are left to wonder how Southern California managed not to hire Ed Orgeron as fulltime head coach of the Trojans. He’s been on staff at USC twice and had a record of 6-2 as the program’s interim head coach. … Odell Haggins is in his second stint as the interim head coach at Florida State and he is undefeated in that role. The Seminoles beat Boston College Saturday to give Haggins his third win against no losses as the fill-in bossman. It was the first game since FSU fired Willie Taggert a week ago. A few years ago, Haggins directed two victories after Jimbo Fischer ditched the FSU program to coach at Texas A&M. … Lovie Smith was carried off the field by his Illinois players after the Illini became bowl-eligible with a victory over Michigan State. In his first two years at the school, the team had seven total wins, but Saturday’s win was the sixth this season.

Sunday, November 3, 2019


SPEEDYLEE COLLEGE FOOTBALL RANKINGS

(Week 9)



Georgia’s victory over Florida was the biggest game of the weekend. Georgia did not improve in the rankings but its resume got better. Florida’s loss dropped it to #9. Most teams ranked above Georgia this week did not play and #3 Clemson did not play a meaningful game when it defeated Wofford. Oregon’s victory over Southern Cal allowed it to jump past Utah. Undefeated Baylor joined the top 10 for the first time this season. We have come to the final stretch of the season.



1.      LSU (8-0) did not play ahead of key game against 8-0 Alabama. Last three games are against Mississippi, Arkansas and Texas A&M. Their combined records stand at 11-16.

2.      Ohio State (8-0) did not play ahead of key games against 3-6 Maryland and 2-6 Rutgers. Three weeks from now OSU faces a stern test in undefeated and ineligible Penn State.

3.      Clemson (9-0) defeated Wofford 59-14. Finishes regular season against North Carolina State, Wake Forest and South Carolina. Their records combine to total 15-11, only Wake Forest has a winning mark so far.

4.      Alabama (8-0) did not play ahead of key game against LSU. Finishes with Mississippi State, Western Carolina and Auburn, who combine to record of 13-14.

5.      Oklahoma (7-1) did not play. Finishes season against Iowa State, #10 Baylor, TCU and Oklahoma State. Three of the four have winning records and one is even for a total of 23-10.

6.      Georgia (7-1) defeated #7 Florida 24-17 in a good game. Faces Missouri, Auburn, Texas A&M and Georgia Tech in final four games, with combined records of 20-16.

7.      Oregon (7-1) humbled USC 56-24. Final three games are against Arizona, Arizona State and Oregon State, currently combined 13-12 records.

8.      Utah (7-1) beat Washington 33-28. Finishes season with UCLA, Arizona and Colorado, who combine for record of 11-16.

9.      Florida (7-2) lost to Georgia 24-17. Finishes with Vanderbilt, Missouri and Florida State, total records of 11-14.

10.  Baylor (8-0) did not play, a clever ploy. The Bears will play their first meaningful opponent November 16 when they face #5 Oklahoma.



WATCHLIST: Auburn (7-2), Michigan (6-2). Auburn has an early-season win over #8 Oregon and losses to LSU and Florida. Michigan has a win over Notre Dame and losses to Penn State and Wisconsin.



INELIGIBLE: Penn State.


NOTES: It might not be the Game of the Century, but the LSU-Alabama game could turn out to be an elimination game for the Final Four. Great matchup of long-time rivals with a lot on the line. Schools who avoid conference play seldom have games like this one. … Auburn has defeated Oregon and yet Oregon is ranked higher here. Auburn is not playing at the same level it was early in the season. Oregon is ranked ahead of Utah based upon Oregon’s victory over Southern California Saturday. USC beat Utah earlier this season. … It seems likely that the conferences that will produce Final Four teams this season will be the SEC (which could produce 2 teams as has happened before), the 14-team Big 10 (if Ohio State wins out), the ACC (assuming Clemson wins out) or the 10-team Big 12 (if Oklahoma wins out). Either LSU or Alabama will have a loss by this time next week but we could see both in the Final Four, depending upon how the remainder of their schedules go. The Pac 12, which at least knows how many member schools it has, does not seem likely to produce a Final Four club this year. … The game of the utmost concern to many Speedylee readers was NCAA Division II Slippery Rock’s toughie against California (of Pennsylvania). The Rock nipped the Vulcans 31-28 and remained undefeated. Two games remain between the Rock and another undefeated season.

Sunday, October 27, 2019


SPEEDYLEE COLLEGE FOOTBALL RANKINGS

(Week 8)



Eight teams in the Speedylee top 10 played this weekend and four of them lost. As a result, the rankings are very different from the week before. #2 Oklahoma was stunned by unranked Kansas State, #6 Auburn narrowly fell to #1 LSU, #9 Notre Dame lost badly to Michigan and #10 Wisconsin lost to #4 Ohio State. LSU continues to have the best resume in college football with wins over both Florida and Auburn. The Tigers face Alabama next. Utah and Oregon returned to the top 10. Auburn is, without question, the best 2-loss team in the country. This week’s rankings:



1.      LSU (8-0) beat Auburn 23-20 and has the best resume so far this season. Their next game will be against Alabama.

2.      Ohio State (8-0) won its first game of the season against a quality opponent when it beat Wisconsin 38-7. The Buckeyes jumped from fourth to second.

3.      Clemson (8-0) beat Boston College 59-7 and got leap-frogged by Ohio State.

4.      Alabama (8-0) beat Arkansas 48-7 and has next week off before the annual struggle with #1 LSU.

5.      Oklahoma (7-1) lost to Kansas State 48-41 and fell from #2. But Oklahoma is probably capable of beating any of the teams ranked above it and the Sooners still have a pathway to the Final Four, if they win out.

6.      Georgia (6-1) did not play, which was a smart move. Next week, the Bulldogs play Florida.

7.      Florida (7-1) took the week off before playing its annual brawl with Georgia.

8.      Utah (6-1) defeated California of California 35-0.

9.      Oregon (6-1) beat Washington State 37-35.

10.  Auburn (6-2) lost to top-ranked LSU in a typically tough SEC contest.



WATCHLIST: Baylor (8-0), Michigan (6-2).



INELIGIBLE: Penn State


NOTES: The only positions in the rankings that really matter are the top six, due to the NCAA Final Four tournament. The Final Four will come from the first six teams in the Playoff Committee’s rankings. … Michigan’s victory over Notre Dame was the first over a top 10-ranked opponent by the Wolverines this season. Credit Michigan: The second half of that game was probably the worst 30 minutes of football by a Notre Dame team in decades. … Despite its inconsistent play this season, Southern Cal leads the Pac 12’s Southern Division. The Trojans are tied with Utah at 4-1 in conference play but USC defeated Utah earlier this season. … The Rock is rolling. Slippery Rock defeated Clarion 41-6 in NCAA Division II play and improved to 7-0. The Rock’s next game is against California of Pennsylvania.

Sunday, October 20, 2019


SPEEDYLEE COLLEGE FOOTBALL RANKINGS

(Week 7)



       Another week of changes for the Top 10 was brought about by the loss of a game for one school and the injury to another school’s starting quarterback. Heavily-favored Wisconsin, formerly tied for #6, lost to Illinois and that forced changes in the second five. The high ankle sprain Alabama passer Tua Tagovailoa suffered last night will likely put him out of action for at least one game and that changed things for the formerly #4 Crimson Tide. Ohio State moved into the Final Four this week, bumping Alabama down a spot. In truth, Ohio State has not played a high-quality opponent yet this season – that will change shortly – but the Buckeyes pass the Speedylee Eye Test.

            The Speedylee College Football Rankings are meant to show how we see the college football landscape each week and as a prediction of how the College Football Playoff Committee will act at the end of the season. At the end of the season, just before the committee announces the Final Four, we issue one set of rankings as we see them and another for how we think the will act. This week:



1.      LSU (7-0) defeated Mississippi State 36-13. LSU hosts Auburn next week.

2.      Oklahoma (7-0) beat West Virginia 52-14 and plays Kansas State next week.

3.      Clemson (7-0) beat Louisville 45-10. Clemson hosts Boston College next.

4.      Ohio State (6-0) beat Northwestern 52-3 and hosts a big game vs Wisconsin next week.

5.      Alabama (7-0) survived the Tennessee challenge despite losing Tagovialoa and hosts Arkansas next week.

6.      Auburn (6-1) beat Arkansas 51-10 and plays a big game at LSU next week.

7.      Georgia (6-1) beat Kentucky 21-0. The game was tied 0-0 at halftime. Georgia is off next week.

8.      Florida (7-1) beat a determined South Carolina 38-27 and does not play next week.

9.      Notre Dame (5-1) took the week off to prepare for next week’s game at Michigan.

10.  Wisconsin (6-1) lost a trap game to Illinois 24-23 and plays at Ohio State next week.



WATCHLIST: Utah (5-1) beat Arizona State 21-3, hosts California next week. Oregon (5-1) defeated Washington 35-31 and hosts Washington State next week.



INELIGIBLE: Penn State.


NOTES: This is the second straight season Alabama’s Tagovialoa has lost game time due to an ankle problem. … With Tagovialoa injured, Oklahoma QB Jalen Hurts is the unquestioned leader in the Heisman Trophy race. … Michigan had to play an excellent, though ineligible, Penn State team this week and then plays Notre Dame next week. Notre Dame scheduled this week off in order to prepare for Michigan. Notre Dame (5-1) is always popular with the networks and probably has a pathway to the Final Four. … Despite each of them already losing a game, Auburn, Georgia, Florida and Wisconsin all likely still have pathways available to reach the Final Four. The pathway begins and ends with winning out from here on and at least one other top team losing between now and then. … NCAA Division II’s Slippery Rock (6-0) remained unbeaten with a 41-30 victory over Edinboro this week. The Rock’s home game against Clarion next weekend will appear on ESPN 3. Check your local listings.