Former Alabama coach, player Perkins dies at 79
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Ray Perkins, who followed the legendary Paul “Bear” Bryant as football coach at the University of Alabama and started the transition with the NFL’s New York Giants that led to two Super Bowl titles, died Wednesday in Tuscaloosa. He was 79.
The school announced his death, and daughter Rachael Perkins also posted about it on her Facebook page. No other details were immediately available.
“He served the University of Alabama with great class and integrity,” Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban said on the Southeastern Conference coaches teleconference. “He was a great coach and had a tremendous impact on the game, and he was a really, really good person and a really good friend.”
Perkins left after four years as head coach of the Giants to replace Bryant after the 1982 season. It was a dream job for the former Crimson Tide star receiver.
Perkins won three bowl games as Alabama’s coach and was 32-15-1 overall from 1983 to 1986 — he also served as the school’s athletic director during that period — but that included a 5-6 record in 1984. It was the program’s first losing season since 1957, the year before the school hired Bryant.
Perkins also was the head coach of the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers for four years (1987-90). He later spent one season leading the Arkansas State program before working as an assistant for several NFL teams.
An All-American receiver at Alabama in 1966, Perkins played professionally for the Baltimore Colts for five years (1967-71).
“We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Coach Perkins,” Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne said. “Just a year ago we were celebrating him as our SEC Football Legend in Atlanta, an honor he was truly deserving of.”
While he had only a 23-34 regular- season mark with the Giants, Perkins started a turnaround for the franchise before leaving. In 1981, Perkins led the team to its first postseason berth since 1963. New York upset the Philadelphia Eagles, the reigning conference champions, in the NFC wild-card game before losing in the divisional round to the San Francisco 49ers, who went on to win the Super Bowl.
Bill Parcells replaced Perkins and inherited a team that had Lawrence Taylor, Phil Simms and Harry Carson. The Giants won the Super Bowls that capped the 1986 and 1990 seasons.
Big Ten rule change
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Big Ten Conference dropped its six- game minimum to be eligible for the league championship game Wednesday, clearing the way for No. 3 Ohio State to burnish its playoff credentials by taking on No. 15 Northwestern.
The Buckeyes (5-0) will try for their fifth straight conference title when they face the Wildcats ( 5-1) on Dec. 19 in Indianapolis. Ohio State finished the regular season with only five games after Michigan had to pull out of this Saturday’s scheduled showdown because of COVID-19.
The rule change had to be approved by the Big Ten Conference Administrators Council, which includes athletic directors, senior women’s administrators and presidents from all 14 schools.
“The decision was based on a competitive analysis which determined that Ohio State would have advanced to the Big Ten football championship game based on its undefeated record and headto-head victory over Indiana, regardless of a win or loss against Michigan,” the Big Ten said in a released statement.
The conference determined before the season that teams would have to play six of their eight scheduled games to qualify for the league title game. Ohio State — No. 4 in the College Football Playoff rankings and the conference’s only undefeated team — has missed three games for reasons related to COVID-19.
A win against Northwestern could be important in the Buckeyes’ seeding for the four- team playoff. The CFP selection committee said it ranks teams based on on-field performance, “using conference championships won, strength of schedule, head-tohead results and comparison of results against common opponents to decide among teams that are comparable.”
The Big Ten change was made at the expense of surprising Indiana ( 6-1), which would have gone to the title game if the six-game rule had remained intact. The No. 9 Hoosiers, who lost 42- 35 at Ohio State this season, had Saturday’s game against rival Purdue called off because of COVID-19.
Indiana athletic director Scott Dolson said the Hoosiers were looking forward to completing one of the best seasons in program history.
“Although we understand the conference’s decision, we are disappointed,” he said.
Another LSU opt-out
BATON ROUGE, La. — Freshman tight Arik Gilbert, who entered the week leading LSU in receiving this season, has decided to opt out for the remainder of the schedule.
Tigers coach Ed Orgeron announced Gilbert’s decision Wednesday, and he could not say for certain whether Gilbert intended to return next season or transfer.
“Do I think we have a chance at getting him back next season? Yeah,” Orgeron said. “Is there a chance of him transferring? I don’t know that. He hasn’t told me he’s transferring, but obviously we’re going to re-recruit him, and obviously we wish him the best.”
Orgeron said the 6- foot-5, 249- pounder from Marietta, Georgia, told him he was opting out because “his body was hurting and he had some things he had to take care of.”
Under NCAA rules adopted during the coronavirus pandemic, players may opt out this season without adversely affecting their scholarships. Gilbert, who had 35 catches for 368 yards and two touchdowns, had been second in receiving behind Terrace Marshall Jr. until Marshall decided to opt out before last weekend’s 55-17 loss to Alabama.
Now Gilbert is the ninth player to opt out for LSU, which is 3-5 less than a year after completing a 15- 0 season by winning the CFP title game. The Tigers play at No. 6 Florida on Saturday before hosting Ole Miss on Dec. 19.