Seminoles Turn to Hard-Cell Plan

If Florida Governor Jeb Bush decides to run for president, he might have some explaining to do to voters of New Jersey. Bush is the latest to take advantage of a loophole in NCAA rules that coaches have been abusing to no end: the text messaging of recruits. Bush took time from his schedule to send a text message to Myron Rolle, a hotshot prep defensive back from New Jersey. He did it on behalf of Florida State. One has to wonder what Gator and Hurricane fans have to think about that. Bush's effort appeared to pay off though, as Rolle is expected to sign Wednesday with the Seminoles. The text messaging issue no doubt just moved up a notch or two when the NCAA meets to review its recruiting regulations (registration).

Tracing the Root of All Recruiting Evil

Recruiting is about selling hope, and there are countless websites that track the moves of prospects being courted by college coaches. The biggest sites are Rivals and Scout, and they somehow differentiate the No. 6 tight end from the No. 11. Often there is not a "whisker's difference" between players, and just because one can bench five more pounds than the other doesn't mean he will become a superior player. But like the coaches, the sites are selling hope to fans, who cling to every word. So where did this madness start? In 1970, Joe Terranova wrote an article for the Patriot-News of Harrisburg, Pa., and offered readers a more in-depth report for $2. Within a week, he had 400 requests for that report. Terranova's reports eventually blossomed into a business, and others were quick to join in.

Reporters' Notebooks

James Edward, Deseret Morning News: Is the state of Utah becoming a prep football hotbed? It certainly has a banner group of prospects this year.

Steve Kelley, Seattle Times: Texas A&M is in a tizzy over the use of "12th Man" by the Seattle Seahawks. Maybe the Aggies should just chill.

Steve Batterson, Quad City Times: The practice of grayshirting, which has become somewhat commonplace in the Pac-10 and SEC, is spreading to the Big Ten.

Iliana Limon, Albuquerque Tribune: Governor Bill Richardson plans to ask the Legislature for $15 million to improve athletic facilities at New Mexico. The plan would call for the building of an indoor practice facility for football.

Steven M. Sipple, Lincoln Journal Star: Nebraska linebacker Jeff Souder, one of 13 true freshmen to play last season, is leaving the team.

Zach Silka, Sun-Sentinel: Former Texas quarterback Vince Young brushed aside questions about his throwing mechanics or the possibility of not be drafted No. 1.

John Heuser, Ann Arbor News: Michigan has the early lead for the top class of 2007. A junior has given Lloyd Carr an oral commitment.

Oregon Scoots Through Another Loophole

Oregon has a reputation for creativity when it comes to recruiting, and the Ducks are at it again. Take a look at Oregon Gridiron, a site accessible to the public but directed at recruits. And the Gridiron site is not alone. Check out Coach Bellotti. It too appears to be aimed at recruits, with photos of team dining rooms, meetings and air travel. NCAA rules do not thoroughly address the use of websites in recruiting, and Oregon took note, as it always has. In 2004, Oregon spent $110,000 in one one weekend flying recruits to campus on private jets. The NCAA has since banned the practice. In 2005, Oregon sent prospects personalized comic books. The NCAA later told Oregon to stop the practice. So are these sites helping the Ducks? If you believe the recruiting services, no. Oregon's class, should it stand as projected, is ranked 47th, a decline from its 2005 ranking of 28th and 2004 ranking of 12th. Even rival Oregon State is doing better this year, with a class that ranks 37th.

Reporters' Notebooks

Bill Pennington, New York Times: More and more college hopefuls are reaching out to recruiting services to enhance their chances of being noticed (registration).

Jerry Hill, Waco Tribune-Herald: Baylor is doing surprisingly well in the recruiting wars. Wesley McGriff might be the reason why.

Rus Baer, Columbia Daily Tribune: You can smuggle anything out of Missouri, including the top prep football talent.

Don Williams, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: For the first time since 2001, Texas Tech will be without a fifth-year senior starting at quarterback.

Carter Strickland, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Georgia has expanded its recruiting base beyond the Southeast and onto the national level (registration).

David White, Fresno Bee: The blue-chippers go elsewhere, leaving the crumbs for Fresno State, but the Bulldogs like it that way (registration).

Vincent M. Mallozzi, New York Times: We couldn't let this one pass. A profile of Will Leitch, the man behind Deadspin (registration).

Randy Peterson, Des Moines Register: Iowa State defensive end Jason Berryman, no stranger to trouble, is in trouble again.

Columnists' Corner

Dan McCarney, San Antonio Express-News: Feeding the appetite of recruiting-hungry fans is neverending, but what are they really getting? (registration).

Jim Polzin, Capital Times: Trips to the grocery store or walks through the airport suddenly aren't so simple for Wisconsin's Bret Bielema.

Charles Durrenberger, Arizona Daily Star: You think the recruiting season ends on Wednesday? Think again. It's time to start going after next year's class.

David Climer, Tennessean: Middle Tennessee State didn't make the grade. Now the Blue Raiders are short eight scholarships.

Berry Tramel, Oklahoman: Former Oklahoma running back Mike Gaddis has a new lease on life thanks to his brother (registration).

Bill Nichols, Dallas Morning News: Former Texas quarterback James Brown is building a business empire in Austin (registration).

Who Is Calling the Shots at San Diego State?

What a crock. Chuck Neinas' cozy relationship with San Diego State has reached new heights. The sports consultant has billed the school $30,000 for his contribution in the hiring of Chuck Long as football coach, who then hired Neinas' son. In the past 18 months, Neinas, above left, has billed the school $76,496.36 for his work. "This is hilarious," Smith College professor Andrew Zimbalist, a sports economist and NCAA watchdog, told the San Diego Union-Tribune. "Are you sure Jack Abramoff (the disgraced lobbyist, above right) isn't involved?" David Ridpath, director of the Drake Group, which pushes for academic reform in college sports, told the paper, "... if a school would call me, I could spend 20 minutes on the search. Just give me $100." A ripoff? You betcha. There should be outrage over this misuse of funds. And isn't it time the NCAA put its foot down and cut out Neinas the middleman? As Zimbalist said, "It's the old boys network personified, good for members of the club, but the club's membership rules seem to be more restrictive than those at Augusta National." And kudos to one our our great partners in crime, Ben Maller, for getting here first.

It Was a Tough Day for the Crimson Tide

The ultra-gay Bruno of HBO's "Da Ali G Show" exposes homophobia while attending an Alabama game. This doesn't go over with fans like the one above. Afterward, one of his victims is former Crimson Tide running back Shaud Williams. This is funny stuff.

Reporters' Notebooks

Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times: While UCLA keeps plugging away, the top high school players continue to flock to USC, despite increased competition for playing time.

Susan Miller Degnan and Manny Navarro, Miami Herald: Has Miami turned its back on recruiting from its fertile backyard? Some observers of the program are saying that is the case (registration).

Don Banks, SI.com: You wanted a mock draft, we've got a mock draft. A first look at what can be expected in the first round of the NFL draft, scheduled for April 29-30.

Derek Belt, Mobile Register: Hardly a word was mentioned about Clemson's Charlie Whitehurst before the Senior Bowl. That changed Saturday when he became the star among stars.

Ron Higgins, Commercial Appeal: If rules were meant to be broken, then there are some dumb rules. Take the case involving Deuce McAllister and two Mississippi recruits, for example (registration).

Kyle Ringo, Boulder Daily Camera: Colorado's recruiting efforts are running on empty in Texas, a state that has served the Buffaloes well in the past (registration).

John Heuser, Ann Arbor News: David Cone is headed to Michigan. Not the pitcher, the quarterback from Georgia.

Thirteen and Oh-io State?

If things go according to this plan, Ohio State and Notre Dame will meet again in the Fiesta Bowl, this time to decide the national title. Yes, it's never too early to look ahead to the 2006 season, as some are already doing. Here is one look at the top 25 teams for 2006.

Reporters' Notebooks

Mike Knobler, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: The NCAA infractions committee has decided to penalize Georgia Tech again. The Yellow Jackets will have their scholarship limit set at 79 for 2006 and 2007, six less than the NCAA maximum of 85 (registration).

Jeff Potrykus, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: It appears Wisconsin running back/troublemaker Booker Stanley has played his last game for the Badgers (registration).

Brian Dohn, L.A. Daily News: Washington Redskin assistant DeWayne Walker appears to be the choice to become UCLA's defensive coordinator.

D. Orlando Ledbetter, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Georgia finished second in the Stafon Johnson sweepstakes. The running back, rated No. 2 among high school seniors at the position, committed to USC (registration).

Steve Kirk, Birmingham News: Andre Smith, regarded as the top prep offensive lineman, might be close to committing to Alabama.

Gareth Clary, Mobile Register: Vanderbilt's Jay Cutler will get a chance to showcase his skills in the Senior Bowl on Saturday. Here is a link to the rosters.

Rick Maese, Baltimore Sun: National signing day — one of the biggest and most meaningless days in sports — is right around the corner. And this year, the absurdity has hit an all-time high.

Reporters' Notebooks

Emily Badger, Orlando Sentinel: A state representative is sponsoring a bill that would allow Florida junior colleges to field football teams.

Tim Bisel, Topeka Capital-Journal: Louisville will play Kansas State on Sept. 23 in Manhattan in what could be one of the premier nonconference games of the season.

Tom Kubat, Lafayette Journal and Courier: A letter Purdue junior tight end Garret Bushong wrote to the school's newspaper is creating quite a fuss.

Michael Wallace, Clarion Ledger: Former Mississippi and current New Orleans Saints running back Deuce McAllister may have violated NCAA rules in his dealings with two prospects.

Michael Ko, Seattle Times: Stephen Schilling, regarded as the top recruit in the state of Washington, says he will attend Michigan.

Matt Markey, Toledo Blade: Michigan is coming off a 7-5 season, but its recruiting class is shaping up as one of its best ever.

Charles Durrenberger, Arizona Daily Star: Arizona scored another one, landing a top prep cornerback, who picked the Wildcats over USC and Oregon.

D. Orlando Ledbetter, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Georgia has commitments from the top prospects in Texas and Maryland and is in the running for the top player in California (registration).

Susan Miller Degnan, Miami Herald: Miami's recruiting class took a hit in the rankings when quarterback Pat Devlin switched his commitment to Penn State (registration).

John McClain, Houston Chronicle: New Houston Texans coach Gary Kubiak sidestepped the No. 1 question: Is it Vince Young or Reggie Bush?

Kevin B. Blackistone, Dallas Morning News: When Southern Methodist quit playing home games at the Cotton Bowl, the storied stadium's slow crumble began (registration).

Berry Tramel, Oklahoman: Oklahoma's fall from grace in 2005 can be traced to the collapse of its special teams (registration).

Political Football

Lynn Swann left his job as an ABC sideline reporter at season's end and threw his hat into the ring of candidates in the race for governor of Pennsylvania. The former Pittsburgh Steeler and USC receiver took his lumps early, but has clawed back against Bill Scranton, his main opponent in the battle for the Republican nomination. The race took an ugly turn this week when Scranton campaign manager James Seif said on a televised call-in show, "The rich white guy in this campaign is Lynn Swann." Seif was fired by Scranton, who is scrambling to put his campaign back together with the hope of winning the nomination and challenging Democratic incumbent Ed Rendell in November. Here is a link to Swann's website.

Reporters' Notebooks

Susan Miller Degnan, Miami Herald: Miami has lost top quarterback recruit Pat Devlin, who switched his commitment to Penn State (registration).

Jorge Milian, Palm Beach Post: Miami and Boston College will mark the 22nd anniversary of Doug Flutie's "Miracle in Miami" with a prime-time game on Thanksgiving.

Doug Carlson, Tampa Tribune: Things are shaping up nicely for Florida State. The Seminoles will have eight home games in 2006.

Mike Knobler, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Georgia Tech opens Sept. 2 against Notre Dame, the first of four consecutive home games (registration).

D. Orlando Ledbetter, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: LSU coach Les Miles is in an 11th-hour battle to keep two players who earlier committed to the Tigers from going to Tennessee (registration).

Carter Strickland, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Georgia coach Mark Richt has a new contract that will pay him at least $16 million (registration).

John McClain, Houston Chronicle: Vince Young or Reggie Bush? That will be one of the first questions asked Thursday when Gary Kubiak is introduced as the new coach of the Houston Texans.

Ryan Wood, Lawrence Journal-World: Tight end Josh Bell, one of the top recruits from Kansas' 2005 class, has transferred to Houston.

John Helsley, Oklahoman: Michael Goodson, rated as the No. 4 running back among preps, says he will attend Texas A&M (registration).

Matthew Aguilar, El Paso Times: Texas El Paso coach Mike Price says the recently released film "Glory Road" could be good for recruiting.

Craig Smith, Seattle Times: The state of Washington appears to have some top-flight talent, just not very much of it.

Gamble Doesn't Pay Off for Sporting News

A coming invasion of your privacy? You might want to give it some hard thought if you are one of the millions of Americans who gamble over the Internet. The U.S. Department of Justice announced it had accepted a settlement from the Sporting News, which it had accused of promoting Internet gambling by publishing advertisements for online gambling sites. The Sporting News will pay a hefty fine of $4.2 million and complete a three-year public service campaign, valued at $3 million, to educate people about illegal Internet betting. This comes after word that the Feds want Google to turn over information from its database. Google says it will fight the order. The settlement is the latest in the ongoing campaign led by the DOJ, which two years ago decided publishers and broadcasters are guilty of promoting and profiting from Internet gambling by running ads for it. The DOJ reportedly has reached settlements with several American media companies. An official with the DOJ said prosecutors had warned publishers that their activities were analogous to advertising on behalf of drug dealers and child pornographers. This campaign comes despite the fact that many of Wall Street's largest investment firms have loaded up on Internet casino stocks. Blue chip houses like Goldman Sachs, Fedelity and Merrill Lynch now hold hundreds of millions of shares of online casinos and betting sites.

Read All About It

This one fell through the cracks, but is so hilarious we felt the need to bring it to our audience. It reportedly was done by Mr. Two Cents, a farker on a Florida Gator board, and was first spotted on the excellent blog, EDSBS. It is a mockup of a Rose Bowl page done to match the appearance of mock pages in the Onion's "This Dumb Century." If you are able to read the text, please do so (you can click on the image, or copy it to your desktop to make it readable), as it is equally funny. Not to be outdone, the Onion has an infographic highlighting the best of the bowls that is worth a read. It earlier posted a funny item on Notre Dame deciding to make improvements to its storied history.

Reporters' Notebooks

Aaron Fentress, Oregonian: Jurray Casey, a linebacker at Long Beach Poly who reportedly had given a verbal commitment to play at Oregon, has been charged with murder in L.A. County.

John Helsley, Oklahoman: The money keeps rolling in for Oklahoma State. An alum from Texas will donate $3 million to the athletic department (registration).

Scott Wolf, L.A. Daily News: USC offensive line coach Pat Ruel is being courted by the Atlanta Falcons to be their offensive line coach.

David Climer, Tennessean: Recruiting ratings are more miss than hit. Just look at some of the can't-miss players from past years.

Emily Badger, Orlando Sentinel: Lorenzo Booker was the first recruit to stare into the ESPN camera and announce his college choice. Now it's the thing to do.

Carter Strickland, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Georgia coach Mark Richt is set to receive a contract extension and raise, his second new deal in three years (registration).

Charles Durrenberger, Arizona Daily Star: Arizona convinced a Dallas defensive end that Tucson is better than Iowa City.

Thomas Murphy, Mobile Register: Jonathan Lowe, an SEC All-Freshman performer in 2004, has transferred from Mississippi State and enrolled at Alabama.

Don Williams, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Texas Tech is taking a hit in its secondary. Greg Aycock is the latest defender to leave the team.

Gareth Clary, Mobile Register: D'Brickashaw Ferguson, a left tackle from Virginia, is at the Senior Bowl this week to remove all doubt about who the New York Jets will choose with pick No. 4 pick.

David White, Fresno Bee: Fresno State selected Steve Hagen, a former quarterbacks coach for the Cleveland Browns, as its offensive coordinator.

Nate Allen, Northwest Arkansas Times: Arkansas and USC have moved the Sept. 9 opener at Fayetteville to Sept. 2 to accommodate ESPN.

Manley Yes, but Oregon Likes Him, Too

Former All-Pro defensive end Dexter Manley, left, made as much news off the field as he did on it, serving time and acknowledging before a Senate committee that he made it through school despite being illiterate. He appears to have things turned around and is working as a director of a drug rehabilitation program in Washington D.C. His son, Dexter Manley II, has been one of the most-sought recruits this year, and he has decided to attend Oregon. Manley, a defensive end from Santa Monica College, is described by coach Robert Taylor as "not really blockable." Despite offers from several top colleges, Manley choose Oregon because it plays in the pass-happy Pacific 10. "That's sack central for me," he said.

Reporters' Notebooks

Thomas Murphy, Mobile Register: It's Senior Bowl week in Mobile, and it can be a make-or-break week for many of the players.

Mick McGrane: San Diego Union-Tribune: San Diego State coach Chuck Long, who said his recruiting approach would be to "build a fence" around San Diego County, has received verbal commitments from two more area players.

Bob Condotta, Seattle Times: Bellevue High offensive lineman Stephen Schilling, the top prospect in the state of Washington, eliminated USC and will choose from Michigan, California and Washington.

Charles Durrenberger, Arizona Daily Star: Arizona added more beef up front with the commitment of Hawaiian defensive tackle Lolomana Mikaele.

D. Orlando Ledbetter, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Andre Smith Jr., a standout offensive line prospect from Birmingham, is tired of the recruiting experience and is not close to making a decision (registration).

Chris Low, Tennessean: Tennessee beat Michigan for the services of Texas prep quarterback Nick Stephens.

Manny Navarro and Susan Miller Degnan, Miami Herald: Miami is gaining ground on the recruiting front with two commitments and is expecting a visit from Miami-Dade's top recruit this weekend (registration).

Joseph Person, Columbia State: Tight end Jonathan Hannah is the second player from Steve Spurrier's inaugural South Carolina recruiting class to leave.

Stephen Tsai, Honolulu Advertiser: In what will be remembered as a Sunday Special, Hawaii secured commitments from eight players.

Tim Bisel, Topeka Capital-Journal: New Kansas State coach Ron Prince has been going nonstop since he was named coach on Dec. 5.

Steven M. Sipple, Lincoln Journal Star: Nebraska has been searching for gold in California junior colleges, but will this approach pay dividends?

Doug Flutie to Blame for the Mess We're In

The root of all evil in college football has been found. Yes, we always had suspicions about Doug Flutie, and now our worst fears have been confirmed. Flutie was Boston College's quarterback in 1984, and he came out of nowhere to win the Heisman Trophy. This was quite an achievement not only for Flutie, but for Boston College, which six seasons earlier fielded a team that finished a perfect 0-11. So what happens after Flutie's heroics? Applications to Boston College soared, reportedly up 30% in two years. Now a new study of admissions data from 1988-92 by a researcher at Illinois State found that schools saw an average increase of 6.59% in applicants in the year after one of their players ranked among the top five finalists for the Heisman. So it's no wonder college administrators look the other way when star quarterback Joe Jockstrap runs afoul of the law. Jockstrap, the university's most visible student, is a meal ticket, and not even Dean Wormer would put him on double secret probation.

Reporters' Notebooks

Ian R. Rapoport, Clarion Ledger: Mississippi State has a commitment from Pvt. Timmy Bailey, a veteran of the Iraq war who wants to resume his football career.

Ron Musselman, Commercial Appeal: Even with Troy Smith and Ted Ginn, it's a bit early to call Ohio State the team to beat in 2006 (registration).

Brian Dohn, L.A. Daily News: UCLA's makeover of its coaching staff continued with the naming of a receivers coach.

Chris Low, Tennessean: Former Tennessee offensive coordinator Randy Sanders didn't stay unemployed for long. He has been hired by Kentucky.

Joseph Person, Columbia State: Former South Carolina defensive co-coordinator John Thompson has agreed to a $101,000 contract settlement.

Susan Miller Degnan, Miami Herald: Miami plans to start shopping for another quarterback recruit in case Pat Devlin decides to go elsewhere (registration).

Bob Condotta, Seattle Times: Stephen Schilling, the top recruit in the state of Washington, plans to announce his college choice this week.

D. Orlando Ledbetter, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: An Atlanta-area recruit won't have any problem with Fisher DeBerry's preaching to the team if he decides to attend Air Force (registration).

Jeff White, Richmond Times-Dispatch: One of Virginia's top recruits said he choose the school in part because of ACC basketball. "I love ACC basketball. ... I got to stay in the ACC."

John Heuser, Ann Arbor News: Michigan secured a commitment from Brandon Minor, rated as the nation's best prep fullback.

Mike Bianchi, Orlando Sentinel: Don't concern yourself with steering your son toward law or medical school. Let him major in P.E. and become a college football coach — the only profession in the world that rewards mediocrity with a lifetime of financial security.

Mike Huguenin, Orlando Sentinel: Don't expect your team to win even if it continues to bring in recruiting classes that rank among the nation's best.

Reporters' Notebooks

Brian Dohn, L.A Daily News: Washington Redskins secondary coach DeWayne Walker, who was Pete Carroll's associate head coach at USC in 2001 and an assistant under him in the NFL, is the leading candidate to become UCLA's defensive coordinator.

Scott Wolf, L.A. Daily News: The Pac-10 determined that USC quarterback Matt Leinart broke NCAA rules this season when he worked out with his long-time private coach.

Dan McCarney, San Antonio Express-News: A look at hits and misses from past recruiting classes (registration).

Ray Melick, Birmingham News: Those high school combines designed to showcase players are about to become off-limits to college coaches.

Tony Barnhart, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Steve Spurrier doesn't put much stock in rankings of recruiting classes (registration).

Mike White, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Penn State is trying to keep a record-setting Pennsylvania quarterback from playing for Miami.

Zak Brown, Boulder Daily Camera: It's a key weekend for Colorado, which is entertaining 15 recruits and needs to make up considerable ground in recruiting (registration).

Mark Berman, Roanoke Times: Virginia Tech president Charles Steger wants a review of the athletic department's disciplinary policy.

Bill Dickens, San Diego Union-Tribune: Junior college running back Derrell Hutsona, a backfield mate of USC's Reggie Bush at Helix High, has accepted a scholarship to Washington State.

Patrick Obley and Joseph Person, Columbia State: A look back at the 2004 recruiting classes of Clemson and South Carolina.

Hawaii to Play a 2007 Game in Australia?

Why on earth would we be running a photo of the Australian Rules Football champion Sydney Swans? It's because college football could be headed to the Land Down Under. Hawaii is attempting to schedule a regular-season game in August of 2007 in Sydney. This idea started when the Swans worked out recently at Hawaii's grass practice field during a stop in Honolulu after a series of exhibition matches in California. The Swans have agreed to serve as host and have offered use of all facilities, including 42,000-seat Sydney Stadium. An opponent has not been determined, but the Swans insist that the game must count in the standings.

Reporters' Notebooks

David Stratton, Gaming Today: Casino gambling revenue in Nevada rose 16% in November, but the 168 sportsbooks collectively lost $8.1 million. It occurs so infrequently that officials couldn't recall the last time sportsbooks reported such a loss.

Marlon W. Morgan, Commercial Appeal: Score another one for Madman Ed Orgeron. Quarterback Brent Schaeffer said yes to Mississippi (registration).

Steve Ellis, Tallahassee Democrat: Receiver Fred Rouse and offensive guard Cornelius Lewis have been kicked off the Florida State team.

John McClain, Houston Chronicle: Vince Young or Reggie Bush? The NFL's Houston Texans, owners of the No. 1 pick, have a unique problem.

Paul Finebaum, Mobile Register: The real lie in college athletics? It's when university administrators say that fatcat alumni have no influence in how things are run.

Kevin Scarbinsky, Birmingham News: An interesting piece about the movement by Louisiana State fans to put up a billboard near the USC campus.

Tim Griffin, San Antonio Express-News: Texas A&M's Dennis Franchione and Arkansas' Houston Nutt are the coaches for Saturday's Shrine Game, but each found time this week for recruiting trips. Rosters (registration).

Brandon Masuoka, Honolulu Advertiser: The Hula Bowl has lost much of its luster, but officials are hoping that returning the game to Aloha Stadium will give it new life (rosters at end of story).

Mission Accomplished

That fundraising campaign to put up a billboard clarifying that USC was not playing for a third consecutive national title has reached its goal of $10,000. Now it's time to fork over the funds to onepeat.com. The L.A. media has passed on this story, but we imagine they will get off their collective duffs once this billboard actually gets posted near the USC campus. Then it will be time for the "taggers" to go to work. ... As for the other side, the USC fatcat alumnus who says he is going to put up a billboard near the Louisiana State campus posted an update on his site, saying "things are right on schedule, but of course, it takes a little time to find the right location, rates, etc." ... Quite an amusing tit for tat we have here. The ball is now in Fatcat's court. Stay tuned. ...

It's Time to Shake Your Booty

And you thought football season was over. Ha! USC is two weeks removed from its loss in the Rose Bowl, but the Trojans were back on the field Thursday for offseason conditioning drills. There is much work to be done after the exodus of five draft-eligible juniors, and the Trojans are searching for a quarterback to replace Matt Leinart. The candidates are Mark Sanchez and John David Booty, left, who is an interesting story. His father, Johnny Booty, is an evangelical minister who operates Our Home Fellowship, a network of home churches designed to bring families together. The L.A. Times did an extensive piece on the Bootys and we have a copy of it in the comments section below this post.

Good Things Come in Small Packages

We hear that fans of national champion Texas, i.e. Brokeback Mountain, are mumbling, "Mack Brown, ah wish ah could quit yew!" And no wonder. They've depleted their savings and run up their credit cards to purchase every available t-shirt, coffee mug, hat, sticker — you name it — proclaiming Brokeback's title feat in the Rose Bowl. Now along comes yet another effort to fleece Brokeback's fans of any remaining change in the cookie jar. For $1.99, fans can download a condensed version of the Rose Bowl from the iTunes Music Store. Of course, you'll need a video iPod, which will cost you a few hundred clams. Despite the required outlay, the game was the No. 1 video download at the iTunes Music Store for a week after the game. As of this posting, it is No. 6. The three other BCS games also are available (registration).

Reporters' Notebooks

Great Falls Tribune: Iowa filled an opening on its schedule by agreeing to play Montana to open the season on Sept. 2. The Wiz wants to know if Montana will bring its streaker.

Nate Allen, Baxter Bulletin: Quarterback Alex Mortensen, the son of ESPN's Chris Mortensen, has decided to return to Arkansas after earlier saying he would transfer.

D. Orlando Ledbetter, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Talent-rich northeast Ohio, where Michigan found Desmond Howard, Elvis Grbac and Ricky Powers, appears to belong to Ohio State again (registration).

Mike Sullivan, North County Times: It took five weeks, but San Diego State coach Chuck Long finally hired an offensive coordinator. It's Del Miller, late of Kansas State.

Jeff Potrykus, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Two more Wisconsin players have been arrested, bringing the number to four players who have allegedly broken the law since Dec. 16 (registration).

Charles Durrenberger, Arizona Daily Star: Arizona might have a problem with two of its junior college recruits. They have yet to enroll for the second semester.

Steven M. Sipple, Lincoln Journal Star: Nebraska is becoming California East. The Cornhuskers just secured their 10th player from the state for the 2006 recruiting class.

Joseph Person, Columbia State: South Carolina needs a defensive coordinator, but it doesn't look like it will be Jon Hoke.

Emily Badger, Sun-Sentinel: Tom Nugent, a former Florida State coach who is credited with developing the I-formation, has died at age 92.

Joseph Goodman, Miami Herald: Sam Young, an offensive lineman regarded at the top recruit in Florida, picked Notre Dame over USC (registration).

Erik Boal, L.A. Daily News: C.J. Gable, a standout running back from Sylmar High, picked USC over Arizona and California.

Connecting the Dots Through Westwood

Bob Toledo, right, once won 20 games in a row as UCLA coach, but he eventually was fired and has been out of work for three years. Not any longer. Toledo was hired by New Mexico's Rocky Long, a former assistant under Toledo at Westwood. The Lobos have lacked any punch in their offense and Toledo, who was the mastermind behind some high-scoring UCLA teams, will try to change that. Toledo's successor at UCLA, Karl Dorrell, has two openings on his staff and could be going after USC assistant Ken Norton, a former Bruin player, to coach the linebackers. As for a defensive coordinator, Dorrell appears to want somebody with NFL experience, and that person could be former Buffalo Bills defensive coordinator Jerry Gray, who says he is interested.

Reporters' Notebooks

Craig Barnes, Sun-Sentinel: Growing concern over length of games and welfare of players could push coaches and administrators toward finding a formula to shorten games.

Steven M. Sipple, Lincoln Journal Star: Nebraska is getting a huge bounce off an 8-4 season. Two well-known donors indicated plans are in the works for major contributions.

Marlon W. Morgan, Commercial Appeal: Mississippi Madman Ed Orgeron is recruiting, well, like a Madman. He landed two more studs this week (registration).

D. Orlando Ledbetter, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Score another one for Florida, which landed a Tampa linebacker to give it a whopping 18 commitments from the paper's list of Super Southern 100 prospects (registration).

Susan Miller Degnan, Miami Herald: One of Miami's prized recruits is now considering Virginia and Penn State after coach Larry Coker fired the assistant responsible for recruiting the quarterback (registration).

David White, Fresno Bee: Pat Hill's flirtation with the NFL has helped him get an extension at Fresno State (registration).

Nate Allen, Northwest Arkansas Times: They're all giddy now that hotshot prep quarterback Mitch Mustain has recommitted to Arkansas.

Trying to Get a Leg Up on the Competition

There is always something something to divert one's attention during a UCLA game, making it rather easy to turn away from the action when the Bruin defense was on the field in 2005. UCLA gave up 232.8 rushing yards and 34.2 points a game, turning in a performance that ranked near the bottom nationally for the second season in a row. Something had to give, and coach Karl Dorrell fired defensive coordinator Larry Kerr on Tuesday. Kerr was the first assistant hired by Dorrell when he became coach in 2003, and he became the second assistant to leave the staff in two days. Eric Bieniemy, a crackerjack recruiter, accepted a job Monday with the Minnesota Vikings.

Reporters' Notebooks

Jim Moore, Seattle Post-Intelligencer: Former Washington and Colorado coach Rick Neuheisel says he received calls from Rice and Temple, but not from San Diego State, a job he wanted.

Mike Knobler, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: It's not a good time for a recruiting coordinator to resign, but that is what has happened at Georgia Tech (registration).

Joseph Duarte, Houston Chronicle: Texas offensive coordinator Greg Davis is the winner of the Frank Broyles award, given to the nation's top assistant coach.

Jeff White, Richmond Times-Dispatch: Virginia hired Mike London, who was the defensive line coach of the NFL's Houston Texans, as its defensive coordinator.

Michael Pointer, Indianapolis Star: Purdue receiver Dorien Bryant become the fourth member of the 2005 team to be arrested since the season ended.

Brent Zwerneman, San Antonio Express-News: Two Texas A&M defensive linemen received superficial stab wounds during a fight outside a College Station bar (registration).

John Shipley, St. Paul Pioneer Press: Minnesota is having trouble filling three open dates on its 2006 schedule.

Andrew Logue, Des Moines Register: For the first time in the 116-year history of Iowa football, every fan wanting season tickets will be re-seated based on a controversial points system.

Charles Durrenberger, Arizona Daily Star: Arizona continued its banner recruiting year with a commitment from an L.A. offensive lineman.

Bob Condotta, Seattle Times: Washington's recruiting efforts took another blow when a top offensive lineman switched his commitment to Tennessee.

Thomas Murphy, Mobile Register: Score one for Alabama, which landed a prize in Texas prep quarterback Greg McElroy, who was headed to Texas Tech.

Jeff Carroll, South Bend Tribune: Notre Dame lost out on Mitch Mustain, but has a commitment from talented Chicago prep quarterback Demetrius Jones.

Mike Sullivan, North County Times: Former Kansas State offensive coordinator Del Miller was expected to interview with San Diego State coach Chuck Long for a spot on the Aztec staff.

Scott Rabalais, Baton Rouge Advocate: It appears the cost of attending a game at Louisiana State is about to go up.

Robbie Neiswanger, Clarion Ledger: New Mississippi offensive coordinator Dan Werner wants to give the Rebels an attitude adjustment.

Pete Thamel, New York Times: Only nine Division I-A coaches who started the 2005 season were no longer with their teams, a record low since the NCAA started keeping track of the statistic in 1947 (registration).

Jeff D'Alessio, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: A look at the teams that are having a recruiting season to forget (registration).

Charles Goldberg, Birmingham News: Auburn and LSU want to move their Oct. 21 game to Sept. 16, a switch that would create a series of other schedule changes.

Oklahoma State Is Now Boone State

You don't get filthy rich like Boone Pickens without pissing some people off. Maybe a lot of people (see last graph of bio). Pickens' $165 million donation to Oklahoma State athletics isn't going over well with some Cowboy faithful. The site BooneState.com takes plenty of jabs at the relationship between Pickens and university president David Schmidly. To use the words of the Oklahoman, "Pickens is depicted with devil horns, while 'Schmid' is at his biggest booster's beck and call." The men behind the site (you can see who owns the site through godaddy.com) have a method behind their madness. According to the site, Oklahoma State has announced that they would be taking 410 homes north of campus to make space for an athletic village. The university has declared that they will deal with these homeowners by using their position of eminent domain. My, how neighborly. ... Well, it turns out that one of the men involved in the Boone State site happens to be one of the homeowners. We wish him luck, but in this case, our money is on Boone State because it has more of it (some registration).

They're Going Hog Wild in Arkansas

It has been the biggest soap opera in Arkansas since Jennifer Flowers told Bill Clinton that it was not polite to point. Mitch Mustain, the Gatorade and Parade prep player of the year, announced Monday that he would attend Arkansas after all. Mustain had given Houston Nutt an oral commitment on Aug. 15, then told the coach he wanted to shop around before Christmas. Nutt seemingly panicked, hiring Mustain's high school coach as offensive coordinator, then had to watch as Notre Dame coach Crewcut Charlie Weis and Tennessee assistant David Cutcliffe made their sales pitches. Arkansas fans were in a tizzy, but it all worked out in the end. A story of this magnitude would not be complete without a video link.

The Unsettled Life of Mike Bastianelli

Mike Bastianelli, top left, never lost a game as a high school player at Concord De La Salle, then he ended up at USC and became friends with fellow Trojan Darrell Russell, bottom left. On the morning of Dec. 15, Bastianelli and Russell died in a horrible car crash involving a bus. It was a tragic ending for both men, and Bastianelli left behind a wife and a 6-year-old daughter. Many friends of Bastianelli were left wondering: Did I do enough to help Mike?

Reporters' Notebooks

Lonnie White, Los Angeles Times: In a blow to UCLA, assistant Eric Bieniemy, who coordinated the Bruins' recruiting efforts, is leaving to take a job with the Minnesota Vikings.

Andy Staples, Tampa Tribune: Florida's recruiting class could reach 31, but the NCAA allows only 25 players a year to sign. So how are the Gators going to pull it off?

Rus Baer, Columbia Tribune: Will Missouri retire Brad Smith's No. 16 jersey? No way, not after the controversy over retiring Brock Olivo's No. 27 in 1997.

Doug Doughty, Roanoke Times: Virginia appears to be in disarray, with coach Al Groh trying to recruit, fill vacancies on his staff and having linebacker Kai Parham leave early to turn professional.

Donnie Webb, Syracuse Post-Standard: Syracuse, which ranked near the bottom nationally of nearly every offensive statistic, is trying to address those shortcomings by stacking its recruiting class with offensive talent.

Alan Schmadtke, Orlando Sentinel: Negotiations to extend George O'Leary's contract with Central Florida have begun, with the coach expected to pass the $1-million-a-year mark.

Tim Stevens, Raleigh News & Observer: The first player in the recruiting class of 2006 to commit to North Carolina State has rescinded his commitment (registration).

Boulder Daily Camera: Colorado coach Dan Hawkins has landed his first two commitments, bringing the Buffaloes' total to 10.

Don Williams, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Texas Tech's recruiting class is shaping up — on paper, at least — to be the Red Raiders' best in eight years.

Jeff Miller, Dallas Morning News: The American Football Coaches Association ended its convention without formally pursuing changes to the way that officials are assigned to bowl games, but that doesn't mean the controversy is over (registration).

Nancy Gay, San Francisco Chronicle: It doesn't appear that Fresno State coach Pat Hill will be leaving for the NFL. He has scheduled his first players' meeting of 2006 for Wednesday.

Jeff D'Alessio, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Which five teams are pulling the surprises of the recruiting season? Click here to find out (registration).

Facilities? The Buck Stops Here

Oklahoma State, which received a $165 million donation from Boone Pickens, wants to put its athletic facilities on the map, including its football stadium. But it will have some doing to match the facilities of Ohio State, which includes the Ohio Stadium (above). The Horseshoe recently underwent a $200 million facelift. The Oklahoman came up with a list of campuses for facilities, and the Buckeyes rank No. 1 (registration).

Reporters' Notebooks

Chris Low, Tennessean: Tennessee is headed for its lowest-rated recruiting class since Phillip Fulmer took over in 1993.

Jerry Hill, Waco Tribune-Herald: This is regarded as a banner year for prep quarterbacks in talent-rich Texas.

Carter Strickland, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Having former players in the NFL playoffs pays dividends. Just ask Georgia (registration).

Suzannah Gonzales and Dick Stanley, Austin American-Statesman: Texas fans are buying anything they can get their hands on that says "national championship." (registration).

Charles Durrenberger: Arizona Daily Star: Arizona has several high-profile prospects coming in for visits and hopes to finish its recruiting efforts with a bang.

Phil Kornbult, Columbia State: South Carolina had a huge haul of commitments over the weekend and took a big step toward filling its list of needs.

Scott Wolf, L.A. Daily News: Safety Darnell Bing is leaving a year early, becoming the fifth junior to depart USC.

Bob Wieneke, South Bend Tribune: Sam Young, an offensive line recruit from Fort Lauderdale, will decide between Notre Dame and USC.

Steven M. Sipple, Lincoln Journal Star: Nebraska appears to have landed 6-foot-6 receiver Will Henry.

Jim Henry and Steve Ellis, Tallahassee Democrat: Florida State received an oral commitment from defensive end Kevin McNeil.

John Allen, Commercial Appeal: With Vince Young in the mix, NFL teams might have to rethink their draft strategy (registration).

Columnists' Corner

Doug Segrest, Birmingham News: Even with plenty of time left in the recruiting season, it's clear that Florida is going to have the No. 1 class.

Kirk Bohls, Austin American-Statesman: It it possible that Texas, which ended one dynasty, could be starting one of its own? (registration).

Paul Finebaum, Mobile Register: Yes, Alabama finished higher in the polls than rival Auburn, but Crimson Tide fans have no reason to brag.

Mark Bradley, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: What has Marcus Vick learned from his older brother? Not much (registration).

The Sad Story of Wyatt Sexton

Wyatt Sexton's playing career is over. Sexton was in line to become Florida State's starting quarterback in 2005, then a sequence of bizarre incidents put his childhood dream of playing for the Seminoles on hold. He was suspended last June for refusing to submit to a random drug test, then was found by police a few weeks later on a street near his Tallahassee home, rambling incoherently and claiming at times to be "God" and "the son of God." Less than a month later, his family announced that the former honors student was suffering from advanced stages of Lyme disease. Although Sexton had quietly returned to classes and the practice field as the Seminoles prepared for the Orange Bowl, doctors have advised him to end his football dream (some registration).

Odds and Ends About the Site

The time has come for another of those public service announcements to keep you updated on what is happening in this little corner of cyberspace.
First, we get plenty of complaints about all the links we post to sites that require registration. Yes, we dislike it too. But the Wiz has something that will make everybody's life easier. It's called Bug Me Not, and it's in our links list under Bypass Site Registration. Just type in the URL of the site you are looking to gain access to, and this site magically produces a user name and password. Give it a whirl.
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Third, this blogspot stuff can be confusing, so we want to remind everybody that we have an easier URL to remember: thewizofodds.com. Tell all your friends and neighbors.
And last but not least, the Wiz would like to thank all of you for taking time out of your day to pay us a visit. Hopefully we have helped to enrich your day.

Fight On!

That drive to put up a billboard on a high-traffic road near the USC campus to clarify that the Trojans were not playing for a third consecutive national title? Well, a Trojan has answered. The site USC Dynasty went up Thursday, and the person behind it says he plans to "put up a billboard in Baton Rouge — or wherever need be — proclaiming the greatness and legitimacy of the current Trojan dynasty." Ladies and gentlemen, what we have is an old-fashioned pissing match! This Trojan fan claims to be "a successful fatcat alumnus," so there is no need to donate to the cause. He has it covered. But if you want to contribute to relief efforts for victims of Hurricane Katrina, which no doubt caused hardship for countless LSU fans, he is all for it and has a plan.

They Don't Mess Around in Vegas

It took more than four years to build the Showboat's 19-story, 450-room hotel tower. It took 18 seconds to bring it down. The hotel-casino, located about three miles east of downtown Las Vegas, spent the last five years known as the Castaways. It was demolished by implosion this week, ending a 50-year run. The joint fell on hard times recently and had been closed since a change of ownership in a bankruptcy proceeding in January 2004. What will replace it remains a mystery, but in Vegas, it's out with the old, in with the new. We have a couple of links to video of the event. Needless to say, it's spectacular (some registration).

Now They Want to Can Crewcut Charlie

OK, we've taken numerous good-natured jabs at Crewcut Charlie Weis, including our concern about his health, but it is clear this guy can coach. So imagine our surprise when the studly Mighty MJD reported the existence of Can Charlie, a site dedicated to the firing of Crewcut as Notre Dame coach. A search to determine the owners of the domain hit a dead end, so the best guess is that somebody who is fearful of the Fighting Irish's rapid return to prominence under Crewcut is behind all of this. The Wiz, of course, denies any involvement.

Reporters' Notebooks

Susan Miller Degnan, Miami Herald: Miami's hiring of Todd Berry as quarterbacks coach is fueling speculation that the Hurricanes will switch to the spread offense (registration).

Chris Low, Tennessean: One day after an $800,000 lawsuit was filed against him, Tennessee defensive tackle Tony McDaniel made himself available for the NFL draft. And former starting quarterback Rick Clausen will become a graduate assistant for the Volunteers.

Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times: USC offensive lineman Fred Matua tossed his name into the NFL draft pool, following fellow juniors Reggie Bush and LenDale White. Winston Justice and Darnell Bing could be the next juniors to leave.

Andrew Bagnato, Arizona Republic: Arizona State hired Roy Wittke as offensive coordinator, and he will help decide whether Rudy Carpenter or Sam Keller starts at quarterback.

Tom Kubat, Lafayette Journal & Courier: Purdue quarterback Brandon Kirsch, who lost his starting job last season to freshman Curtis Painter, has made himself available for the NFL draft.

Steven M. Sipple, Lincoln Journal Star: Several Nebraska players, including starting center Kurt Mann, are recovering from off-season surgeries.

Jeff Potrykus, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema continues to build his staff, naming Dave Doeren as co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach (registration).

Tom Mulhern, Wisconsin State Journal: Former Wisconsin quarterbacks coach Jeff Horton has landed a job at Iowa State, where he will coach tight ends.

Mick McGrane, San Diego Union-Tribune: New San Diego State coach Chuck Long might have to restart his search for an offensive coordinator.

Jon Malavolti, Lansing State Journal: Michigan State's John L. Smith has found a replacement for defensive line coach Lucious Selmon, who left after only one season.

She's a Brick ... House

Seriously, how desperate can they be for money at Iowa? You might recall our earlier post of officials blasting the press box off the rim of Kinnick Stadium (pretty cool video if you haven't seen it) to make way for a new one, complete with pricey skyboxes. Well, now officials are auctioning pieces, even chunks, of the junk that came down. We kid you not. You can bid on section signs, old creaky chairs from the press box, old player and coach lockers and even a four-by-five foot section of brick wall. They are so money hungry at Iowa that even individual bricks are being sold, with a certificate of authenticity, of course. Shake 'em down, shake 'em down now!

Reporters' Notebooks

Joseph Person, Columbia State: The mystery behind John Thompson's departure from South Carolina grew, with coach Steve Spurrier saying he didn't fire the defensive coordinator.

D. Orlando Ledbetter, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Alex Mortensen, the Arkansas quarterback and son of ESPN's Chris Mortensen who had decided to transfer to Georgia Southern, won't be headed to that school (registration).

Jerry Hill, Waco Tribune-Herald: Baylor hired Joe Kinne as linebackers coach. He lost 80% of his liver after he was shot by the parent of a player last April.

Jason Smith, Commercial Appeal: Jocques Crawford, a talented prep running back, had recruiters trying to knock down his door. Then came an arrest and guilty plea to misdemeanor simple assault (registration).

Charles Durrenberger, Arizona Daily Star: Dana Dimel, a former head coach at Wyoming and Houston, is the new tight ends coach at Arizona, replacing Josh Heupel.

B.G. Brooks, Rocky Mountain News: Colorado scored a bit of a victory when standout kicker Mason Crosby decided to return for his senior season.

Nehlan Blog: The hype surrounding West Virginia's 2006 season is in full force, with one paper picking the team to be the national champion.

Andy Hamilton, Iowa City Press-Citizen: Kirk Ferentz isn't going anywhere. In fact, the Iowa coach was amused to see an ESPN report saying that he had removed his name from consideration for NFL head coaching openings.

Marlon W. Morgan, Commercial Appeal: Mississippi will roll out the red carpet when former Tennessee quarterback Brent Schaeffer visits the campus this weekend (registration).

Susan Miller Degnan, Miami Herald: Miami juniors Baraka Atkins and Ryan Moore won't be leaving early to pursue professional careers (registration).

Moisekapenda Bower, Houston Chronicle: Alabama defensive ends coach Paul Randolph is headed to Rice to become defensive coordinator.

Paul Gattis, Huntsville Times: Speaking of Alabama, the Crimson Tide is prepping for a key weekend when several targeted recruits will visit.

George Schroeder, Oklahoman: Rufus Alexander, a junior linebacker and leader on the Oklahoma defense, is returning for his senior season (registration).

Randy King, Roanoke Times: Virginia Tech quarterback coach Kevin Rogers said the dismissal of quarterback Marcus Vick from the team had nothing to do with his decision to take a job with the Minnesota Vikings.

An In-Your-Face Approach to USC Fans

This is either the biggest scam in the history of the Internet or a stroke of genius. The site Onepeat.com says it wants to set the record straight: USC was not going for three national titles in a row in last week's Rose Bowl. At least not officially. The BCS title — the one that is the recognized championship — was won two years ago by LSU. USC won the Associated Press title in 2003 and the BCS title in 2004. Believe us, it's a sore subject in Louisiana. So Onepeat is collecting donations to purchase billboard space on a high-traffic road near the USC campus (hopefully within view of the 110 freeway). The estimated cost of completing this project is $10,000, and since the site went up about four days ago, nearly $2,000 has been donated. If enough funds are raised, several billboards will be put up, including one outside of ESPN's headquarters in Bristol, Conn. Proceed at your own risk, and thanks to reader John for giving us the tip!

Those Brilliant USC Song Girls

Now that USC has finally lost a game, rival UCLA fans are letting the Trojans have it. The good folks at Bruin Zone have posted a photo of a USC Song Girl celebrating a Texas touchdown in last week's Rose Bowl while getting an annoying stare from two of her colleagues. A few USC fans have snuck into the forum and the sides are now engaged in battle. The Wiz, watching from his seat on the 50, is very entertained. ... And just a reminder to check out the rest of our humble blog.

Reporters' Notebooks

Jeff Miller, Dallas Morning News: Grant Teaff, director of the Football Coaches Association, says a uniform replay system, most likely one including a challenge format, will be endorsed for use in Division I-A in 2006 (registration).

Randy Kenner, Knoxville News-Sentinel: Those grand plans to stage a Virginia Tech-Tennessee game before 160,000 fans at Bristol Motor Speedway appear dead.

Scott Wolf, L.A. Daily News: The losses continue to pile up for USC. LenDale White is gone, Reggie Bush is going, and Winston Justice and Darnell Bing are likely to follow. Wolf also talked with former Trojan receiver Mike Williams, who talks about "getting into it" with coach Pete Carroll before he decided to leave early.

Tom Witosky, Des Moines Register: Conference USA has completed its review of the officiating crew that worked the Outback Bowl and made several controversial calls, but the league is keeping the results confidential.

Kyle Ringo, Boulder Daily Camera: New Colorado coach Dan Hawkins, on the job for only 11 days, is trying to salvage the Buffaloes' recruiting efforts (registration).

Marlon W. Morgan, Commercial Appeal: Mississippi Madman Ed Orgeron is on a roll. He convinced studly linebacker Patrick Willis to stay for his senior season (registration).

Paul Honda, Honolulu Star-Bulletin: Score two for UCLA. The Bruins landed defensive end Micah Kia, arguably the top player in Hawaii. He will join teammate Dylan Rush, who earlier told UCLA he was on the way.

Rodney McKissic, Buffalo News: New Buffalo coach Turner Gill doesn't have much time for anything these days, even a haircut.

D. Orlando Ledbetter, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Those Bowdens are at it again. Clemson's Tommy and Florida State's Bobby are butting heads on the recruiting trail (registration).

Otis Kirk, Northwest Arkansas Times: Arkansas has extended a scholarship offer to Alabama prep quarterback Carson Williams in what appears to be a backup plan should Mitch Mustain not become a Razorback.

Chad Hartley, Reno Gazette-Journal: Nevada got its 20th commitment when California prep quarterback Colin Kaepernick selected the Wolf Pack.

Phillip Marshall, Huntsville Times: Benjamin Tate, a record-setting prep running back from Maryland, is already taking classes at Auburn.

Rob Moseley, Eugene Register-Guard: Oregon is hopeful of landing top-flight cornerback Devin Ross, but the Ducks' recruiting efforts overall appear to be sailing along.

Columnists' Corner

Joe Biddle, Tennessean: Vanderbilt, intoxicated after going 5-6, must be crazy for deciding to open the 2006 season at Michigan.

Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star: Now that Oklahoma State has $165 million to play with, the Cowboys can take aim at the best digs in the Big 12 (registration).

Berry Tramel, Oklahoman: Maybe they should just go ahead and rename Oklahoma State "Pickens State." (registration).

What Up, Dogg?

USC tailback LenDale White will announce Wednesday that he is leaving a year of college eligibility behind and making himself available for the NFL draft. The announcement will be made at the ESPN Zone in Denver and will be broadcast, of course, by ESPNews. But the Wiz is hearing that White has selected Premier Sports Management to represent him, which is interesting because its list of clients include not only USC coach Pete Carroll, but rapper Snoop Dogg, who reportedly is part of PSM's front office. Snoop is a huge USC fan and appears to have struck a bond with White. We never thought about Snoop hanging around, say Green Bay, but this could get interesting (some registration).

If You're Not Cheating, You're Not Trying

The Wiz was getting tired of the daily Marcus Vick soap opera, and thankfully Stanford arrived on the scene to knock the bad boy off the charts. The squeaky-clean university took one on the chin Tuesday when a lawsuit filed against the school contained embarrassing information. In 2003, Stanford football players took recruits to strip clubs, including the New Century Theater in San Francisco. The New Century is a fully nude club, and no alcohol is served, but the suit said there were alcohol purchases by minors at other venues. Naughty, naughty! Players are allowed to spend $30 entertaining a recruit, and three players spent more than that — by $3.70, $6.01 and $6.86. This activity no doubt resulted in a bumper crop of recruits, and we expect the Cardinal to be quite competitive this fall.

What's in Your Wallet?

Look at the bright side. At least some of the money you were forking over last summer for gasoline will find its way to the college gridiron. Mega-rich Boone Pickens, who has made a good share of his wealth in oil, just gave Oklahoma State $165 million in cash. Don't worry, he still has plenty in the bank. It only about 10% of his net worth and with the deduction he can now claim, Pickens will get a hefty refund check. What could you do with $165 million? It's more than the value of at least 20 of the teams in the NHL or six of the teams in Major League Baseball. Or you could buy 41 minutes of advertising during Super Bowl XXXV. Better yet, you could pay for Stanford lap dances. ... Pickens, who is 77 and an OSU alum, now has given at least $251 million to Oklahoma State in the past decade (video) His donations to Oklahoma State rank second in gifts to a public university. The Walton Family (Wal-Mart) has given $300 million to Arkansas (registration).

Columnists' Corner

Paul Finebaum, Mobile Register: How do the coaches rank in the SEC? Steve Spurrier is No. 1, and Mississippi Madman Ed Oregeron is No. 12.

Dan Bickley, Arizona Republic: College football has a new problem. The average length of a game was 3 hours, 21 minutes, with the Big 12 having the longest average game at 3:28.

Wally Hall, Northwest Arkansas Times: Comments made by hotshot prep quarterback Mitch Mustain have rankled many Arkansas fans.

Bud Withers, Seattle Times: Top to bottom, the Pac-10 is going to be loaded in 2006, even with USC losing some of its top-level players.

John Harris, Toledo Blade: Michigan is 7-7 in its last 14 games, and Lloyd Carr must change his way of thinking.

Reporters' Notebooks

Bryan Mullen, Tennessean: After being prodded by ESPN, Vanderbilt has agreed to open the 2006 season at Michigan.

Angelique S. Chengelis, Detroit News: Michigan tailback Max Martin became the second prominent player to transfer in a week. He is headed to Alabama.

Michael C. Lewis, Salt Lake Tribune: Utah has landed two prized recruits, pushing its list of commitments to 19.

Bob Wieneke, South Bend Tribune: Notre Dame's commitment list is at a robust 26, but Crewcut Charlie Weis is looking to sign 28 players on the Feb. 1 national signing day.

Mick McGrane, San Diego Union-Tribune: San Diego State coach Chuck Long has a commitment from one of Southern California's top prep running backs.

Steven M. Sipple, Lincoln Journal Star: Nebraska added to two preps to its commitment list, including a much-needed defensive back from L.A.

Carter Strickland, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Urban Meyer's spread offense has helped push Florida to the top of the recruiting charts. (registration).

Miami Herald: Louisiana Monroe offensive coordinator Todd Berry is expected to join Larry Coker's staff at Miami by the end of this week.

And Why Is This the NCAA's Chief Concern?

The NCAA convention is going on between much-needed breaks for cocktails in Indianapolis. We don't want to bore you will all the convention snooze, er news, but there was a tidbit Monday that caught our eye. The NCAA's controversial Native American mascot policy has a backlog of appeals, causing the organization to delay the Feb. 1 implementation for some schools. This is good news to fans of a handful of teams, including Illinois, which is expected to appeal to no end to keep its Chief Illiniwek. It appears little will be done with the backlog until the executive committee meets again on April 27. Now doesn't the NCAA have more important issues, like doing something about the incredibly low number of black head football coaches? All we get from NCAA president Myles Brand is more rhetoric. ... Brand did say the NCAA will become even more aggressive commercially, something that's appropriate as long as it's done within the "principles of higher education." But gee, let's not share any of those record profits with the workers, i.e. "student-athletes." Oddly enough, many of those "student-athletes" just happen to be black (some registration).

The Gift That Keeps on Giving

When Marcus Vick announced he was turning pro, we thought he meant a career in football, not a career in crime. Well, proving once again that he has poor judgment, Vick decided Sunday night to have a meal at McDonald's in the 62-hundred block of Town Point Road in Suffolk. A man of his good taste can do better than McDonald's, for chrissakes. How about Applebee's? There's one in the 12-hundred block of North Main in Suffolk, just a few minutes down the road. ... Police say Vick was "in the company of a young lady" and apparently believed three people had made comments to the woman. Vick allegedly brandished a firearm at the three and now faces three misdemeanors punishable by up to 12 months in jail and a $2,500 fine. We found it interesting that Vick was caught on video driving (speeding?) away from his residence (nice crib and ride, by the way). Guess he cleared up that earlier misdemeanor charge of driving on a suspended license. Yea, the one he is scheduled to appear in court on Jan. 17. Some people never learn, do they? Or maybe they just believe they are above the law. His baggage now fills a cargo ship and NFL teams will think long and hard about picking Vick.

Reporters' Notebooks

Marlon W. Morgan, Commercial Appeal: Mississippi Madman Ed Orgeron has hit the jackpot. Former Miami assistant Dan Werner has joined his staff as offensive coordinator and former Hurricane assistant Art Kehoe will become offensive line coach. Now the Madman must convince linebacker Patrick Willis to stay for his senior season (registration).

Steven M. Sipple, Lincoln Journal Star: They already are counting the days in Lincoln, where Nebraska should be the favorite to win the Big 12 North. And defensive coordinator Kevin Cosgrove is staying put, turning down an opportunity to join the Minnesota Vikings.

John Heuser, Ann Arbor News: Michigan athletic director Bill Martin says he has full confidence in coach Lloyd Carr, saying "the program's in great hands."

Sam Farmer, Los Angeles Times: Vince Young's entry into the NFL draft means Reggie Bush is no longer a lock to be the No. 1 selection.

Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times: Wait a minute. Is Reggie Bush having second thoughts about turning pro? Although he met with USC coach Pete Carroll and an agent Monday, the Heisman winner said he still had not decided whether he would turn pro.

Brian Murphy, Idaho Statesman: Boise State coach Chris Petersen is taking a gamble by handing his offensive and defensive coordinator jobs to coaches who have yet to turn 30.

Kyle Ringo, Boulder Daily Camera: Colorado and Colorado State have agreed to continue their rivalry at Invesco Field in Denver (registration).

Steve Ellis, Tallahassee Democrat: Six members of Florida State's 2006 recruiting class are enrolling early.

Phil Kornblut, Columbia State: It's the biggest weekend of the recruiting season for Clemson and South Carolina and each team is gearing up.

Jerry Hill, Waco Tribune-Herald: Mark Nelson, who made Baylor's special teams among the best in the nation, is leaving to become Tulsa's defensive coordinator.

Ryan Wood, Lawrence Journal-World: When you size it up, Kansas' 2005 defense may have been the program's best in the past 30 years.

Frank Burlison, Long Beach Press-Telegram: After some time to reflect, what was Pete Carroll thinking, going for it on fourth-and-two late in the Rose Bowl loss to Texas?

Berry Tramel, Oklahoman: How will Vince Young's exit affect 2006 Big 12 football? Oh, I don't know. Did the Bulls miss Michael Jordan? (registration).

Eric Hansen, South Bend Tribune: Tight end Anthony Fasano decided the lure of the NFL outweighed his desire for winning a national championship at Notre Dame.

Taking Cheerleading to a New Level

We've often wondered what it must be like to a judge a Raiderette tryout, but that experience might not prepare one for selecting members of this Argentinean cheerleading squad. We are not sure what futbol team this elite group is, ah, behind, but there are plenty of other photos to examine in search of clues. Our favorites involve a young fan pressing up against the fence for a close look, and what we believe is a photographer trying to improve his perspective. One could debate how all of this might stack up against our Lisa Guerrero link, or for that matter, the Jenn Sterger collection that has been floating around. That is for you to decide.

Young's Next Step Is a Big One

Vince Young is doing the smart thing and cashing in on his Rose Bowl performance, but how will his unique skill set translate to the NFL? The Wiz believes Young will have some tough going, but with the right situation, he could become an impact player. Texas coach Mack Brown wisely used the shotgun formation to showcase Young's ability, but the quarterback will have to learn to be comfortable under center in the NFL. As Marcus Allen said, he will have to turn his back to the offense as opposed to watching it. Another thing is that Young will have to consistently throw the deep ball, specifically the 20-yard out patterns that NFL teams cherish. Although some coaches may want to tinker with his throwing motion, which resembles the flinging motion of Bernie Kosar, the big question is this: How much stock do you put in one scintillating game? In Austin, they say no NFL team should bet against Young (some registration). And a New York Times piece takes an interesting perspective, saying Young, much like Michael Vick, represents the next generation of quarterbacks, and that it is the NFL that needs to change. But that is unlikely to happen. The piece is available only to online subscribers or in the print edition.

It Was a Prescription for Disaster

Jason Peter was one of the best players in Nebraska history, but he paid a price for gridiron glory. While in college, the defensive tackle developed chronic back pain and started to take pain pills. The Carolina Panthers selected Peter in the first round of the 1998 draft, but his pro career resulted in more injuries, more pain and more surgeries. Peter increased his dependence on drugs, and when his NFL career ended after the 2001 season because of spinal injuries, he was working his way to 80 Vicodin a day. Eventually, he turned to crack cocaine, followed by heroin. Today, Peter is drug-free, but his battle is far from over.

Johnny Can't Read, but He Sure Can Run

They played the All-American Bowl Saturday in San Antonio, and a bunch of the nation's top prep players made announcements as to where they plan to continue their playing careers, er education. ... Anyway, it's almost sickening watching some carnival barker of a sideline reporter parade the kids in front of the camera so they can tell the world which university is worthy of their talents. But there is no better place to stage an event like this than Texas, the undisputed king of prep football. The Dallas Morning News surveyed 37 districts and found that the average salary of head coaches was $82,179.16. The salaries of 41 of the 95 coaches in the findings are at least twice the average salary of teachers in their districts. Also of note: coaches in the Dallas district were lagging behind in pay, meaning that the cowbell towns that tie their identity to football are laying out the really big cash. Sounds like "Friday Night Lights," doesn't it? As for the All-American Bowl, Chris Wells, an Ohio State recruit, was the MVP. One columnist calls him an immediate impact player. And Mitch Mustain, that hotshot recruit from Springdale High in Arkansas? He completed two of 13 passes for minus-two yards (some registration).

Columnists' Corner

Bud Withers, Seattle Times: The Rose Bowl had the wow factor going for it, but where does it rank when compared to other classic postseason games?

Jake Curtis, San Francisco Chronicle: Wait a minute, you're calling it a classic game? Seriously, a lot went haywire at the Rose Bowl, enough to fill this reporter's notebook. A worthwhile read.

Tom Oates, Wisconsin State Journal: Loved that Rose Bowl, eh? If you had a playoff, you could have that every year.

Paul Finebaum, Mobile Register: If history is a gauge, Alabama is set for a big, big fall in 2006.

George Diaz, Orlando Sentinel: Larry Coker cleaned house by firing four assistants, but the moves reek of self-perseverance for Coker, who should be held most accountable for the 40-3 loss to LSU.

Ned Barnett, Raleigh News & Observer: More people than Marcus Vick may be guilty of bad behavior, judging by the slow reaction of Virginia Tech officials (registration).

Reporters' Notebooks

Jim Masilak, Commercial Appeal: The nation's No. 1 ranked junior college recruit and football savior-in-waiting is from Memphis, but he's headed to Arizona (registration).

Jill Painter, L.A. Daily News: UCLA's Maurice Drew honored a wish made by his late grandfather that he leave college early and turn pro.

Chadd Cripe, Idaho Statesman: Boise State's new defensive coordinator is only 29, but Justin Wilcox is considered a rising star in the coaching profession.

Brett McMurphy, Tampa Tribune: Kyle Bronson, who as a freshman kicker had the second-best season in South Florida history, is likely leaving the team because he hasn't been awarded a scholarship.

Susan Miller Degnan, Miami Herald: There are five coaching openings on the Miami staff. An alarming number. But don't expect any of the positions to be filled for at least a week (registration).

Marc Morehouse, Cedar Rapids Gazette: Iowa's Kirk Ferentz is reeling in recruits, and it appears the Iowa coach is no longer on the radar of the Houston Texans (subscription, so story is in comments).

Carter Strickland, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Georgia's leading receiver, Leonard Pope, has signed with an agent, meaning he won't be back for his senior season (registration).

Donnie Webb, Syracuse Post-Standard: Syracuse assistant Major Applewhite, the former Texas quarterback who used to bail out Chris Simms, is headed back to the Lone Star State. He is Rice's new offensive coordinator.

Otis Kirk, Northwest Arkansas Times: Score one for Arkansas in the unpredictable world of recruiting. Ben Cleveland, a tight end from Springdale, switched his commitment from Florida to Arkansas.

Angelique S. Chengelis, Detroit News: Matt Gutierrez, who was slated to be Michigan's starting quarterback in 2004 until he got injured, has transferred to Division I-AA Idaho State.

Randy King, Roanoke Times: Now that Marcus Vick is gone, who will become Virginia Tech's quarterback?

'I'll Just Move On to the Next Level, Baby'

And so it ended for Marcus Vick. The Virginian-Pilot tracked down Vick at a Virginia Beach restaurant Friday night, hours after the quarterback was booted off the Virginia Tech team. "It's not a big deal. I'll just move on to the next level, baby," Vick said. Does that mean you would enter the NFL draft? "Yeah, defnitely." ... Oh, then no, "I'm sorry" or "I let my teammates down." No, none of that. And that is a big part of the problem. Vick, the player, became bigger than Virginia Tech, the team. Or for that matter, Virginia Tech, the university. The NCAA likes to call it "loss of institutional control." The Wiz sees it as a sign of insecurity when a university has to align behind a football team to validate its existence. Checks and balances are tossed aside and individuals are allowed to make a sham of the school. It will be interesting to see how the university handles this from a public-relations standpoint because right now, it is sporting a real shiner. Just check out all the embarrassment Vick brought the university since he enrolled in 2002. Sadly, coach Frank Beamer didn't have the common sense to make this play call. Evidence suggests that Tech president Charles Steger finally had to step in. ... We also have a link to three video reports, including comments from Beamer (some registration).

He Is One Gutty Little Bruin

Here at the Wiz, we try not to cover every Tom, Dick or Harry who decides they are good enough to chuck away their college eligibility and try to make it at the pro level. But this one, UCLA fans, is going to hurt. Maurice Drew is leaving Westwood and headed to what he hopes is a lucrative career in the NFL. Drew is one amazing player. First, he's small (listed at a generous 5-foot-8, 205 pounds). Second, there are questions about his durability. He certainly won't be an every-down running back in the NFL, not with quick 300 pounders ripping him to the turf. But as a return specialist, he could be special. He averaged an NCAA-record 28.5 yards a return this past season. Drew gave little indication he was planning to end his college career early, but he suffered a separated left shoulder in the Sun Bowl. A back only has so many carries in him, so maybe Drew decided after his trip to El Paso that he would prefer to get paid to carry the ball. Then again, maybe it was just the mere sight of El Paso that turned him off to the college game. We will know more Saturday after he gathers the media to explain his decision.

See the So-Called Stars of Tomorrow Today

The last time we watched a football game from the Alamodome, Nebraska players were flooding the field while some guy from Michigan was streaking down the sideline with no time left on the clock. That was the Alamo Bowl, and we can only hope the Sun Belt officials are back Saturday for the All-American Bowl, because that final play in the Nebraska-Michigan game was damn entertaining. What is the All-American Bowl? Somebody came up with a list of who they thought were the best prep players in the land, then decided to fly them to San Antonio and have the kids battle it out for ... well, come to think of it, nothing. But if you are a recruiting nut, this is a can't-miss game. All those players the snake-oil salesmen have been telling you about — "I have Ralphus Jericho rated as the No. 3 defensive tackle among high school seniors" — you can scout yourself. And with Texas being the new flavor of the week, all the top players want to go to Austin, which is just up the road from San Antone. Rosters? Oh yes, here are the links to the East and West rosters. And in case you are interested, here is the link to the official site (some registration).

Vick Is Dismissed from Hokie Team

Virginia Tech dismissed quarterback Marcus Vick from the team Friday, citing "a cumulative effect of legal infractions and unsportsmanlike play." The annoucement came after it was revealed that Vick was facing a misdemeanor charge of driving on a suspended license. He was stopped in Hampton at 3:31 a.m. on Dec. 17 for driving 38 mph in a 25 zone. Dec. 17 also was the day that the Hokies began preparations for the Gator Bowl with a 1 p.m. run in Blacksburg, which is considerable distance from Hampton, roughly 300 miles. The information just became public after it was entered Thursday into the Virginia Judicial Systems website. What is disturbing is that Vick might have avoided dismissal had the news about his latest legal troubles not become public. Virginia Tech has a lot of explaining to do.

Virginia Tech to Lay Down the Law to Vick

The Richmond Times-Dispatch is reporting that Virginia Tech's Marcus Vick will be suspended for at least one game if he returns for his final season of eligibility. Hokie coach Frank Beamer will meet with Vick and his mother Friday to spell out two options and offer a third to the quarterback. The options:
1. He can accept a suspension — likely one game, possibly more — at the start of the 2006 season.
2. He can transfer to a Division I-AA school and have full eligibility.
3. He can turn pro, which Vick would need to do by the Jan. 15 deadline.
Vick was caught on tape stomping on the left leg of Louisville's Elvis Dumervil in the Gator Bowl. No penalty was called, but Steve Usecheck, the Big 12 official who led the crew in Monday's game, told the Daily Press of Newport News that if officials had seen Vick stomp on Dumervil's leg, they would have tossed him from the game. "I wish we had the opportunity to talk to (Vick) because that was complete (expletive). ... You bet I would have thrown his ass out." Usecheck also said Virginia Tech's first-half taunting and late hits were the worst he has seen in his 22 seasons. The Hokies are scheduled to open with home games against Kent State, Southern Mississippi and Cincinnati. Not exactly murder's row. Nonetheless, even Hokie faithful appear to have lost patience and are asking for order to be restored.
Update: Vick has been dismissed from the team. If you came here by permalink, you can access the latest information by clicking here, which will give you access to the entire site.

Reporters' Notebooks

Jenni Carlson, Oklahoman: They are worried in Norman. Texas' victory in the Rose Bowl is bound to give the Longhorns momentum in the battle for key recruits (registration).

John Shipley, St. Paul Pioneer Press: Now that he has the fat, new contract, Minnesota's Glen Mason wants an on-campus stadium (registration).

Michael Murphy, Houston Chronicle: Houston coach Art Briles is shaking up his staff. Two assistants are stepping aside.

Jeff Carroll, South Bend Tribune: In the wake of Notre Dame's loss to Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl, it's clear the Fighting Irish need help in their secondary.

Rodney McKissic, Buffalo News: Former Bills quarterback Alex Van Pelt is the newest addition to Turner Gill's staff at Buffalo.

Charles Durrenberger, Arizona Daily Star: Arizona's recruiting class, currently rated in the top 15, could get better in the coming days.

Shelby Oppel Wood, Oregonian: The Oregon State athletic department is under fire for running a big deficit.

Rus Baer, Columbia Daily Tribune: Of the top 50 players on Missouri's final two-deep roster, 40 have eligibility remaining.

Columnists' Corner

Steven M. Sipple, Lincoln Journal Star: Talk of Nebraska coach Bill Callahan returning to the NFL is a bunch of hogwash.

Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star: Postseason expectations for the Big 12 were low, but the conference has something to be proud of after its teams went 5-3 (registration).

Mitch Vingle, Charleston Gazette: A word of advice for West Virginia fans: Don't dawdle on buying tickets for the 2006 season.

Ray Melick, Birmingham News: Even with replay, officiating in bowl games hit a new low and complaints hit a new high.

Ron Morris, Columbia State: If you are a defensive coordinator and working for Steve Spurrier, this is what to expect.

Mike Hlas, Cedar Rapids Gazette: Kirk Ferentz to the Houston Texans? It doesn't seem like the right job or the right time for the Iowa coach to make the move (subscription, so story is in comments).

Austin Now Holds the Title Belt

Congratulations are in order to the Texas Longhorns. Yes, that very outfit from central Texas we've tossed barbs at throughout the season. They walked into USC's backyard (the Rose Bowl) and stunned the champions, ending the Trojans' monumental winning streak at 34 games. And that Vince Young? What a player. One Florida columnist is even demanding a recount of the Heisman ballots. Imagine that, somebody in Florida calling for a recount! Bush won fair and square, didn't he? ... Now we do have some questions for USC coach Pete Carroll. Like why are you running a quarterback sneak with an empty backfield? You know Matt Leinart can't move the pile without a little help from you-know-who. And while we're at it, why didn't you have your defensive ends rush up the field in an effort to contain Mr. Young. Wouldn't you prefer he beat you with his arm rather than his legs? But after 34 in a row, we will cut you some slack. But don't let it happen again, OK? That's the bottom line, 'cause Stone Cold Steve Austin says so.

Maybe Iowa Was Offside

Check that. Remember Wednesday's item about the blown calls in bowl games, specifically Iowa being called offside on an onside kick that the Hawkeyes recovered? We have new evidence, presumably provided by Florida fans, that indicates the refs were right on top of it. While Iowa fans remain in a hissy over the Outback Bowl, they have new worries about coach Kirk Ferentz. The good folks at the Houston Chronicle are reporting that the NFL's Texans, currently searching for a coach, want to size up Ferentz for a 10-gallon hat. This is enough to cause shock waves from Fort Dodge to Fort Madison. But rest easy, Hawkeye faithful. Pat Harty of the Iowa City Press-Citizen breaks it down and says it is unlikely that Ferentz will saddle up and head for Houston.
Update: OK folks, if you haven't figured it out, this image has been altered.

Reporters' Notebooks

Manny Navarro and Andre C. Fernandez, Miami Herald: Two studly preps say the coaching shakeup at Miami won't keep them from honoring their verbal commitments.

Patrick Obley, Columbia State: With strong offensive and defensive lines and budding star James Davis returning, a 10-win season is within reach for Clemson in 2006.

Associated Press: Maybe there is hope for a playoff. SEC commissioner Mike Slive, who is taking over the controls of the BCS, says he wants to examine the possibility of expanding the postseason.

Kyle Nagel, Dayton Daily News: Of the 117 teams in Division I-A (excluding Air Force and Navy) in 2004, 39 lost money fielding football teams. Six more simply broke even.

Steve Politi and Mike Garafolo, Newark Star-Ledger: Word that USC was going for its third national title in a row was news to LSU, which won the 2003 BCS title.

Nolan Hayes, Durham Herald-Sun: Fresno State is looking for an offensive coordinator after Frank Cignetti left to take the same post at North Carolina.

Rob Moseley, Eugene Register-Guard: Oregon receivers coach Dan Ferrigno is leaving to take the same post at Pac-10 rival California.

Dave Curtis, Florida Sun-Sentinel: They're still giggling in Florida over the victory in the Outback Bowl, but when you get down to it, the win doesn't cover up the Gators' flaws.

Squeezing the Juice Out of the Orange Bowl

Frank Fitzpatrick, Philadelphia Inquirer: Enjoy it now, Penn State fans. The Nittany Lions lose a chunk of their defense, most of their offensive line and Michael Robinson (registration).

Walt Moody, Centre Daily Times: The extent of Paul Posluszny's injury has yet to be determined, but it's a sad reminder how fragile a football player's career can be.

Joe Starkey, Tribune-Review: Like it or not, Joe Paterno will return for his 41st year on the Penn State sidelines.

Doug Carlson, Tampa Tribune: Bobby Bowden could have been bumfuzzled by the loss, but his Florida State team was able to prove its point with a strong finish.

Brian Landman, St. Petersburg Times: Bowden thought his team might get blown out against Penn State. Now he says, "maybe we got the material to get back on up there where we belong."

Jemele Hill, Orlando Sentinel: You never thought the day would come when FSU would act more like Northwestern than the most dominant team of the 1990s.

Jeff Shain, Miami Herald: Old pros Paterno and Bowden took similar approaches to handling their kickers after each kept missing opportunities to win the game (registration).

NCAA Ready to Blow the Whistle on Refs

If you thought instant replay was the solution, think again. The bowl season has been marred by colossal errors, and the NCAA is taking note. The governing body reportedly has agreed to discuss procedures used to select game officials for bowl games after controversial calls in the Alamo, Outback and Cotton bowls. Iowa fans flooded the NCAA with emails after linebacker Chad Greenway, highlighted in a screen capture from the ESPN telecast, was ruled to be offside on an onside kick that the Hawkeyes recovered. Greenway clearly was behind the line, but the crew from Conference USA ruled otherwise. The conference has acknowledged the mistake. "Take an officiating crew from the Sun Belt Conference. If those guys were as good as the guys we have working in [the Big Ten], they would be working in our league," Iowa athletic director Bob Bowlsby said. Bowlsby likely was talking about the crew from the Sun Belt that worked the Alamo Bowl, which ended on a wild play. And Texas Tech fans are upset that Keith Brown was not ruled down on Alabama's second play from scrimmage that resulted in the Crimson Tide's only touchdown in a 13-10 victory. The Sun Belt and WAC were the two conferences that did not use replay, yet all bowl games required the use of the technology. Critics say officials from the two conferences were not up to speed when it came to the use of replay.

Reporters' Notebooks

Ray Fittipaldo, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: West Virginia should be near the top of the list when national title contenders are discussed next season.

Carter Strickland, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Georgia will suffer heavy losses and the departures could grow in number, depending on what two juniors decide (registration).

Pete DiPrimio, Fort Worth News-Sentinel: Mark your calendar for Sept. 2. That is the day Notre Dame plays Georgia Tech and begins its quest for a national championship.

Doug Lesmerises, Cleveland Plain Dealer: Ohio State will be loaded on offense in 2006. It's the defense that will have to be rebuilt.

Mike Lucas, Capital Times: The Barry Alvarez era is over at Wisconsin. Now his hand-picked successor, Bret Bielema, will be put to the test.

Jay G. Tate, Montgomery Advertiser: Auburn fans are upset with the defensive collapse against Wisconsin, but coach Tommy Tuberville is not about to panic.

Steve Kirk, Birmingham News: Key personnel losses will make for a challenging 2006 season, but coach Mike Shula says the Crimson Tide will remain a force.

Randy King, Roanoke Times: Virginia Tech finished 11-2, and anything less in 2006 will be considered a disappointment.

Eric Crawford, Louisville Courier-Journal: Louisville is trying to move forward, but Marcus Vick's cheapshot of Elvis Dumervil remains topic No. 1.

Keith Whitmire, Dallas Morning News: Texas Tech took a step forward in 2005, but two losses in the final three games left the Red Raiders feeling shortchanged (registration).

Andy Staples, Tampa Tribune: Florida returns most of its key players and the Gators are making a case to be mentioned among national title contenders in 2006.

Andy Hamilton, Iowa City Press-Citizen: Iowa's season was a disappointment, but the Hawkeyes believe the future is bright with 14 starters returning in 2006.

Ralph K.M. Haurwitz, Austin American-Statesman: A Rose Bowl ticket is worth up to $2,000, but state and federal elected officials from Texas don't have to worry about paying a cent above the face-value price of $175 (registration).

Cedric Golden, Austin American-Statesman: Who will win the Rose Bowl? Writers and selected outsiders are equally divided on the outcome (registration).

Columnists' Corner

Hubert Mizel, Gainesville Sun: As glorious as the bowl season has been, imagine how a playoff would capture the attention of a football-crazed nation.

T.J. Simers, Los Angeles Times: Belly dancers, USC and NCAA recruiting violations. How did they get linked in a Fort Worth newspaper?

Norman Chad, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: USC might be the best team in the land, but the Trojans clearly aren't the brightest (registration).

John Agsalud, Honolulu Star-Bulletin: Here are the top five technology-related reasons why Texas will beat USC in the Rose Bowl.

Orange Bowl: One for the Ages

Chico Harlan, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Joe Paterno and Bobby Bowden are the last survivors. Never again will two coaches pace opposite sidelines, united by such age and accomplishment.

Jeff Shain, Miami Herald: Maybe it was only fitting that Paterno and Bowden wrestled a little longer by going well beyond regulation (registration).

John Romano, St. Petersburg Times: In the end, for Penn State, this was about finding glory. And for Florida State, it was about reliving misery.

Joe Henderson, Tampa Tribune: The Seminoles are not as bad as they look. Then again, they are not that good.

Gator Bowl: The Hokie Thug Is Back at It

His name is Marcus Vick and he needs to be taught a lesson. During Virginia Tech's victory over Louisville, the Hokie quarterback is caught stepping on the left leg of the Cardinals' best player, defensive end Elvis Dumervil. Vick says it was an accident. You can view the clip here. We see this as an attempt to injure an opponent and Vick needs to be dealt with by NCAA officials because Virginia Tech has shown little or no ability to discipline Vick unless absolutely forced to. Remember this? Vick flipping off the crowd at West Virginia? That was the same game he clocked a Mountaineer assistant on the sideline. But again, it was an accident. Those who were at the Gator Bowl are calling for action but expecting nothing will become of it, knowing the history of Virginia Tech and Vick. The quarterback could have been remembered for leading a comeback, instead he soiled the win. And they won't soon forget Vick's actions in Louisville (some registration).
Update: Virginia Tech athletic director Jim Weaver said the school plans to "review and assess this incident further and deal with it accordingly." We've heard this before. ...

Coker Cleans House

They are calling it "Bloody Monday" in Miami. Hurricane coach Larry Coker sent shock waves through a program already dazed by Friday's 40-3 loss to Louisiana State by firing four assistants. Among those fired were assistant head coach Art Kehoe, a member of the school's Sports Hall of Fame and the only coach on the staff with all five national title rings. Of course, Mississippi Madman Ed Orgeron was circling like a vulture and reportedly has offered Kehoe a position on his staff. Although one columnist is defending Coker, the Wiz thinks the Miami coach is merely trying to save his own bacon. Coker certainly appeared a tad nervous while explaining the firings (video). And just to pile on, the Hurricanes' best player, Devin Hester, is leaving early (registration).

Our Man Blackwell Is at It Again

If you don't know who Grey Blackwell is, well, he's the King of College Football Flash Animations. At least that is what we like to call him. He works for the Raleigh News & Observer and he has another outstanding presentation just in time for the Rose Bowl. This effort is titled "Reggie Bush for President." If you've missed his previous animations, you can find them here. Enjoy!

A Look Ahead, a Look Back

Orange

Jeff Rice, Centre Daily Times: Penn State caught all the breaks this season. It hopes to catch one more lucky round against Florida State.

Jim Henry, Tallahassee Democrat: Bobby Bowden is concerned about Penn State's maturity, and for good reason.

Sugar

Ray Fittipaldo, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Much was made of Georgia's blinding speed, but the fastest players on the field were West Virginia's Steve Slaton and Pat White.

Jeff Schultz, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Georgia was merely too relaxed, too at home, and dug itself too big of a hole (registration).

Fiesta

Terry Pluto, Akron Beacon-Journal: The focus was on what happens when you give Charlie Weis four weeks to prepare. But what happens when you give Jim Tressel four weeks? (registration).

Jason Kelly, South Bend Tribune: A heavy dose of reality: In the end, Notre Dame finished 9-3, but only 2-2 against Big Ten competition.

Capital One

Michael Hunt, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Barry Alvarez secured his legacy long before beating Auburn. He merely added to it with the Badgers' convincing victory.

Christa Turner, Columbus Ledger-Enquirer: Auburn's defense was so worked over by Wisconsin, coordinator David Gibbs was unavailable for postgame interviews.

Cotton

Chuck Williams Columbus Ledger-Enquirer: Even the Texas Tech mascot couldn't watch as a man named Christensen rescued Alabama once again.

Brian Davis, Dallas Morning News: Texas Tech couldn't immediately diagnose why its high-octane offense sputtered and stalled against Alabama (registration).

Outback

Peter Kerasotis, Florida Today: Year One of the Urban Meyer experiment is in the books at Florida. The reviews aren't rave, but they're hardly wretched, either.

Mike Hlas, Cedar Rapids Gazette: Iowa might be screaming about the officiating, but that's what losers do (subscription, so story is in comments).

The Art of the Three-Peat

The year was 1966 and Alabama's football team, as much of an institution in the South as the Baptist Church and just as worshipped, followed two consecutive national championships by starting the 1966 season ranked No. 1, went undefeated, gave up seven points in its last five games — and didn't win a third national title. The Crimson Tide, coached by Bear Bryant (he's the younger looking guy on the left; the other fellow is Joe Paterno at the 1975 Sugar Bowl), gave up 37 points — for the season! Oh yeah, Notre Dame, despite a 10-10 tie at Michigan State, was named national champion. ... And you wonder why 75% of the country dislike the Fighting Irish. Nine teams have had a chance to win three national titles in a row. Nine have failed. USC will try to become the first to do it.

Preview of a Grand Day

Outback

Robbie Andreu, Gainesville Sun: Florida, embarrassed two years ago by Iowa, says it is ready for the Hawkeyes this time.

Sean Keeler, Des Moines Register: The victor will be the team that wins the battle of special teams.

Cotton

Thomas Murphy, Mobile Register: Little did these 24 seniors realize what they were getting into when they decided to attend Alabama.

Don Williams, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: It's a classic matchup: Texas Tech's No. 1 passing offense against Alabama's No. 1 scoring defense.

Gator

Caulton Tudor, Raleigh News & Observer: Teams that beat Virginia Tech — Miami and Florida State — were the only teams that scored more than 17 points against the Hokies.

Mike Harris, Richmond Times-Dispatch: Virginia Tech is mad and wants to take out its frustrations on Louisville.

Capital One

Tom Mulhern, Wisconsin State Journal: It's all about Barry Alvarez for Wisconsin. The Badgers want to send their coach out a winner.

Kevin Scarbinsky, Birmingham News: It has been only two years, but so much has changed for Auburn since the last time the Tigers played Wisconsin.

Fiesta

Bob Hunter, Columbus Dispatch: A classic? Only time will tell if the game will match the buildup (subscription, so story is in comments).

Eric Hansen, South Bend Tribune: Notre Dame kicker D.J. Fitzpatrick says he's ready to make a difference if needed against Ohio State.

Sugar

Carter Strickland and Chip Towers, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Georgia's senior class won't lack motivation against West Virginia (registration).

Scott Rabalais, Baton Rouge Advocate: Pat White had committed to LSU, but the night before signing, decided he wanted to play quarterback. West Virginia was his gateway to success.

Columnists' Corner

Ron Kantowski and Jeff Haney, Commercial Appeal: Wouldn't we be better off if all the BCS games were played on the same day? (registration).

Don Ruiz, Tacoma News Tribune: Here is an interesting way to incorporate the BCS and bowls into a playoff system.

John Mabry, Lincoln Journal Star: When Nebraska goes to L.A. to play USC next fall, the Cornhuskers might be packing more positive vibes than when they played for the national championship in the Rose Bowl a few years ago.

Pete Thamel, New York Times: Almost 50 years ago, Bobby Grier became the first black player to participate in the Sugar Bowl. Gov. Marvin Griffin of Georgia, a segregationist, demanded that Georgia Tech not play in the Sugar Bowl because Pittsburgh's team included Grier (registration).

Kirk Bohls, Austin American-Statesman: Texas says it won't assign specific players to follow Reggie Bush's every move. At least that is what the Longhorns are saying (registration).

John Henderson, Denver Post: A Hooters cheeseburger? They actually make food at Hooters? Well, in 2006, never again.

Reporters' Notebooks

Susan Miller Degnan, Miami Herald: Miami coach Larry Coker's job is safe, but several of his assistants are likely gone after the loss to LSU. Also, standout Devin Hester is expected to announced Tuesday that he will forgo his senior season to enter the NFL draft.

John Riehl, Cedar Rapids Gazette: Iowa State returns 10 of 11 offensive starters in 2006, but the Cyclones have a need for speed (subscription, so story is in comments).

Brett McMurphy, Tampa Tribune: South Florida must replace five starters on offense and at least four on defense, but coach Jim Leavitt is confident the Bulls are pointed in the right direction.

John Delong, Winston-Salem Journal: North Carolina State coach Chuck Amato says the Wolfpack's victory in the Meineke Car Care Bowl "might be one of the biggest wins, when it is all said and done, this university could have."

Pete Thamel, New York Times: Maurice Clarett, who three years ago this week led Ohio State to the national title, was sought by the police in Columbus as a suspect in an armed robbery (registration).

Moisekapenda Bower, Houston Chronicle: Todd Graham, Rice's new coach, left most every Owl supporter feeling rejuvenated after his first press conference.

Stefan Fatsis, Wall Street Journal: Handicapping the Rose Bowl should be a snap. Only it's not. ... You have to be a subscriber to access this story online. Otherwise, find a copy of the Weekend Journal at your local newsstand.

Parade Magazine: The insert for Sunday newspapers announces its 2006 All-American team and has an interview with player of the year Mitch Mustain. You can also access the All-American teams for the past three years.

Jim Walsh, Arizona Republic: Rula Bula, an Irish Pub on Mill Avenue in Tempe, actually ran out of bottled beer on New Year's Eve. Yes, Notre Dame fans are in town.

Getting Rid of the Sideline Riff-Raff

USC games at the Coliseum are known for the collection of hanger-ons that populate the Trojan sideline. Even the Lakers' Luke Walton, who attended Pac-10 rival Arizona, was caught sneaking into the action this year. Bowl championship officials have taken note of the abuses. The Rose Bowl, acting on a directive from BCS administrators (it also applies to the other three BCS bowl games), will allow only five "wild-card" passes to be given out, but only to former players. This means Snoop Dogg (pictured with Trojan coach Pete Carroll), Dr. Dre, Alyssa Milano and Nick Lachey won't be on the sideline. Texas won't have its support group of Lance Armstrong, Roger Clemens, Chris Mihm and Matthew McConaughey. We guess they will have to fight and claw to get a ticket and then sit with the true fans, or what they might refer to as commoners.

Columnists' Corner

Martin Fennelly, Tampa Tribune: OK, it could have been worse. At least this Florida bowl representative — South Florida — didn't start a criminal investigation or a tunnel brawl.

T.J. Simers, Los Angeles Times: Everyone was gushing about the Sun Bowl as if they were really happy to be spending several valuable days of their lives in this pit, especially given the headline across the front page of the El Paso Times: "Flu in EP, Spreading."

Paul Finebaum, Mobile Register: The most enjoyable story for Alabama fans in 2005? A tie between Dennis Franchione and Phillip Fulmer, each going 5-6.

Steve Batterson, Quad-City Times: Iowa's Kirk Ferentz and Florida's Urban Meyer each value their time spent with New England Patriot coach Bill Belichick.

Mike Preston, Baltimore Sun: Iowa's Kirk Ferentz will be at the top of the Baltimore Ravens' list to take over if Brian Billick continues to falter.

Reporters' Notebooks

Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times: USC compliance officials are investigating whether NCAA recruiting violations occurred at a restaurant that is owned by a former player.

Chip Scoggins, Star Tribune: Negotiations went well into Saturday night, but Minnesota and Glen Mason finally agreed on five-year contract (registration).

Kevin Robbins, Austin American-Statesman: Vince Young Sr. has seen his son reach the biggest game of his life, but he watches from a Texas prison (registration).

Calvin Watkins, Dallas Morning News: Texas Christian wanted everybody who would listen to know the Horned Frogs should be ranked among the best in the country (registration).

Zack McMillin, Commercial Appeal: Fresno State lost its fourth in a row, falling to Tulsa in the Liberty Bowl. Now it must find a replacement for quarterback Paul Pinegar (registration).

Steve Kirk, Birmingham News: The first time you see Texas Tech coach Mike Leach, you might mistake him for the team's equipment manager.

Don Williams, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Former UCLA coach Terry Donahue, part of the broadcasting team for the Cotton Bowl, is a big fan of Mike Leach's unconventional ideas.

Ken Gordon, Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State's Justin Zwick, who lost the quarterbacking job to Troy Smith, says he has no plans to transfer for his senior season (subscription, so story is in comments).

Steve Hummer, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Any story that mentions West Virginia and couch burning is automatically included among the Wizard's favorites (registration).

Susan Miller Degnan, Miami Herald: Miami coach Larry Coker said the 40-3 loss to Louisiana State was an "aberration."

Peter Y. Hong, Los Angeles Times: The paper tracks down the players from USC's 1990 Rose Bowl team and finds that for many, life is harder to tackle than football.

Moisekapenda Bower, Houston Chronicle: Rice will introduce Tulsa defensive coordinator Todd Graham as its new coach on Sunday.