Five-Step Drop: No Rose Bowl Rematch to Open the 2011 Season

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1. Wisconsin and TCU could have started the 2011 season off with a rematch of their incredible Rose Bowl game, but it's not going to happen. According to Madison.com, a third party tried to set up the rematch, which would have taken place at Camp Randall Stadium Sept. 3. Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema said "It took me all of about point-five seconds to say, 'Yes.'" to the game, but TCU balked because the deal would not have included a Badgers trip to Fort Worth. That's understandable, but man, what a game that could have been. Instead, the Badgers will open their season at home against UNLV while the Horned Frogs will be on the road at Baylor. WTMJ radio in Milwaukee reported Friday morning that UNLV had been trying to get out of the Wisconsin game for some time now.

2. Emory Bellard, the former Texas A&M and Mississippi State coach, died Thursday at the age of 83. Bellard worked his way up through the Texas high school ranks to become Darrell Royal's offensive coordinator at Texas, where he helped create the wishbone offense that Texas ran to perfection. He coached at A&M from 1972 to 1978, then took over at Mississippi State from 1979 to 1985. The Houston Chronicle's Richard Justice takes a look at Bellard's legacy through the eyes of his former players.

3. Tate Forcier didn't take long to make up his mind. The former Michigan quarterback has decided he will transfer to Miami for his final two years of eligibility. Forcier will have to sit out the 2011 season. The Miami Herald's Greg Cote says Forcier is far from a sure bet to succeed as the The U's quarterback, but also seems to think the Hurricanes aren't quite as bad off as the Dolphins in the quarterback department.

4. Speaking of The U, the Baltimore Sun reports that former Miami coach Randy Shannon has been offered the defensive coordinator job on Randy Edsall's staff at Maryland. Citing an unnamed source, the Sun says Shannon is very much interested in becoming the Terps' DC. "Shannon would become head coach Randy Edsall's highest-profile assistant and could help the program's recruiting while extending its reach in talent-rich Florida," Jeff Barker writes.

5. Howard Schnellenberger used to coach at Miami, among other places, and one of those other places was Louisville. Mark Ennis of the Louisville blog The Collision Course relates a funny and touching story about Schnellenberger's unexpected visit to a UL flag football class in the mid-1990s. "At this point we could hide the smiles no longer and neither could he. He had accomplished his mission. He had taken five minutes out of his day to give us something to remember. Only five minutes, but it was really cool. As he headed back up the stairs to the old admin building, with his back towards us he left us with one closing comment... 'I'll be watching from my office! Get it right or you WON'T see the field on Saturday!!!!'" They don't make them like Schnelly any more.