It's only Week 4 of the college football season, and tension between coaches is already beginning to flare. First, Texas Tech coach Kliff Kingsbury and Arkansas coach Bret Bielema got into a dust-up about the merits of the spread offense in the wake of the Red Raiders' 35-24 win Saturday.
It must be a Texas thing, because TCU coach Gary Patterson was next up. Senior defensive end Mike Tuaua was arrested Monday on a felony robbery charge, along with teammate Andre Petties-Wilson, and Patterson has suspended the pair. But in defending Tuaua in a Tuesday news conference, Patterson took a clear shot at rival Baylor and its own disciplinary issues.
"It's not even close to what happened south of here," Patterson said.
It was a passing remark in a lengthy rant about Tuaua's character and the fairness of media coverage, but there was no doubt about the target of the remark. Baylor drew heavy preseason criticism when defensive end Sam Ukwuachu was convicted of a sexual assault, not only because the circumstances of his transfer to Baylor from Boise State were questioned, but also because Baylor's internal investigation into the sexual assault allegation came under fire, as well.
The dislike between TCU and Baylor is palpable, but Patterson's shot at a neighboring school didn't come with very good timing.
Or forethought.
While there obviously is no comparison between the severity of the allegation facing Tuaua and that of Ukwuachu's conviction, it's never a good look to point a finger when pointing the thumb is more appropriate. And it's not as though Patterson's program hasn't had its share of issues.
*Follow Chase Goodbread on Twitter **@ChaseGoodbread*.
