Friday, August 31, 2007

Columnists' Corner

Scott Rabalais, Baton Rouge Advocate: Is this the No. 2 team in the land? Louisiana State, despite a 45-0 victory over Mississippi State, turned in a pedestrian effort.

Jim Mashek Biloxi Sun Herald: The good news for Mississippi State is that its through with LSU. The Bulldogs play Tulane on Sept. 8 in the Louisiana Superdome, a team obviously closer to their skill level.

Brad Rock, Deseret News: Hold on Utah fans, the season is not over yet. Or maybe it is.

Mike Hlas, Cedar Rapids Gazette: Barry Alvarez was 1-10 in his first season at Wisconsin. Bill Snyder was 1-10 in his first season at Kansas State. Just sayin', Iowa State fans.

Eric Crawford, Louisville Courier-Journal: Who said Louisville doesn't hold open practices? The Cardinals had one last night.

Steve Politi, Newark Star-Ledgers: Rutgers cleaned up on Buffalo and the hero was quarterback Mike Teel, who is now 14-3 as a starter.

Brian Murphy, Idaho Statesman: Taylor Tharp was cool in the pocket and Boise State ran its winning streak to 14 games.

Ed Graney, Las Vegas Review-Journal: The Nevada Las Vegas food chain: Eat or be eaten.

Big Ten Network, Cable Battle Gets Dirty

Iowa State fans were running into the streets, pitchforks in hand, to protest Thursday night. It had nothing to do with the Cyclones' 23-14 loss to Kent State. It had everything to do with the Big Ten Network and its business partner, Fox Cable Networks.

Mediacom said it was not allowed to broadcast the game because Fox, which has rights to Big 12 telecasts and had granted approval in the past, denied the request, according to the Des Moines Register. The Big Ten Network has yet to secure an agreement with Mediacom, and the cable outfit in essence implied that Fox, the Big Ten's partner, denied the request in order to put more pressure on Mediacom to agree to the Big Ten's terms.

Mediacom put the above image on the screen and provided the radio broadcast of the game. The image gave directions on how to sign an online petition and the number to University of Iowa president Sally Mason to voice complaints. Fox said Mediacom was merely raising a fuss because it didn't have exclusive rights to the telecast, which was streamed over the Internet at Cyclones.com.

We have an email into the Big Ten Network and hope to have more on this later in the day.

Yet Another Incredible Site

Maybe nothing can prepare you for watching Syracuse coach Greg Robinson scream at a player, which we expect to see Friday night when the Orange play host to Washington in what should be an entertaining nonconference game.

But preparation is the name of the game, and for the weekly grind, you have to check out College Football Season, a reference site that has an emphasis on conference strength and scheduling trends.

This is another dazzling piece of work by a reader, Sam, who was kind enough to fire an email at us Thursday. Frankly, our head has been spinning since.

There is so much information on this site we haven't a clue as to where to begin. To see the possibilities, click here to take a look at last season's numbers.

Let us know what you think. College Football Season has been bookmarked under Toolbox on Wiz Resources for future reference.

USC: The Team to Beat

USC opens Saturday with a scrimmage against Idaho, then comes a biggie on Sept. 15 at Nebraska. Other dates to note: Oct. 20 at Notre Dame and Crewcut Charlie Weis and Dec. 1 against UCLA at the Coliseum. Click in the image for a closer look at the poster.

Poster schedules: Florida State, Wyoming, Vanderbilt, Pittsburgh, Arkansas, Kent State, Navy, Duke, Purdue, Missouri, South Carolina, Wake Forest, Middle Tennessee, Brigham Young, Syracuse, Louisiana Tech, South Florida, Colorado, Southern Mississippi, Washington State, Kentucky, Houston, Toledo, Iowa State, North Texas, Arizona State, Cincinnati, Minnesota, Clemson, North Carolina State, West Virginia, East Carolina, Nevada, Georgia Tech, Florida, Oklahoma, UCLA, Kansas State, Utah, Stanford, Auburn, Northwestern, Iowa, Texas El Paso, Penn State, Ohio.

Game of the Week

A year ago, California walked into Knoxville with high expectations. The Golden Bears walked out 35-18 losers, and it wasn't as close as the score would indicate.

On Saturday, the rematch takes place at Strawberry Canyon, and it is our Game of the Week.

This year we will ask some of our blogging partners to help us break down the big game from week to week. For openers, we'd like to welcome the gang from Losers With Socks, a fine Tennessee site that has been getting in rips all week on the Golden Bears. Click here for one good rip.

But is Tennessee in trouble? Quite possibly. Quarterback Erik Ainge is hurt, and that could mean the Volunteers are headed to Shreveport or Memphis for the postseason.

Expect quarterback Nate Longshore and coach Jeff Tedford, pictured above, along with some guy named DeSean Jackson, to make life troublesome for the visitors. Yes, if we had any money, it would be on Cal in this one. The Golden Bears are not only going to win, but they will cover the 6.5 points.

Thanks to Image of Sport.

Crystal Ball

Jon Wilner, San Jose Mercury News: Give him Wisconsin, Arizona, Georgia, USC and Florida State. Hmmm. That is four favorites.

Jody Demling, Louisville Courier-Journal: Could one possibly be game enough to take Northern Colorado and the 59.5 points against Hawaii?

Boston Herald: Sorry Jim Harbaugh. Take UCLA and lay the 17 points against Stanford, which is coming off an 1-11 season.

Jimmy Burch, Fort Worth Star-Telegram: Picking the winners and losers in the Big 12.

The Quad, New York Times: The experts at the Times tackle five top games.

New York Post: Saturday's heros tackle the spread.

Oklahoman: The staff picks five games, including Oklahoma State at Georgia.

Kansas City Star: Six staffers give their opinions on 16 games.

For the latest lines, check with Doc's Sports.

Reporters' Notebooks

Jake Trotter, Oklahoman: The NCAA granted a waiver for Oklahoma to establish a fund to assist with funeral expenses for the family of Herman Mitchell, the Sooner recruit who was gunned down last Friday in Houston.

Wendell Barnhouse, Fort Worth Star-Telegram: College football insider: Notes, quotes and anecdotes.

Paul Strelow, Columbia State: Dancing at Clemson's zombie zoo will resume Monday night despite concerns by some fans that the stadium structure could be damaged.

Joe Vardon, Toledo Blade: The owner of a South Toledo cell phone store denies he introduced a gambler to Harvey "Scooter" McDougle, a Toledo running back who earlier was the focus of an FBI probe into pointshaving involving Rocket games.

Kevin Tatum, Philadelphia Inquirer: Navy serves as a measuring stick to rebuilding Temple.

Associated Press: Arkansas announced plans for a Spanish radio network to broadcast games for the state's rapidly growing Hispanic population.

Associated Press: Former Oklahoma quarterback Rhett Bomar threw for one touchdown and ran for another to lead Sam Houston State past Angelo State, 17-13.

Here is today's mystery link (please scroll down).

Thursday, August 30, 2007

USC's McNair Tries to Clear the Air

USC running backs coach Todd McNair remained at the center of a storm Wednesday over two 1990s convictions for mistreating dogs, first brought to light by the site Bruins Nation.

McNair told the Los Angeles Times that both cases stemmed from his failed attempts at dog breeding.

"I had a number of different breeds at different points of time over a couple years," he told the Times. "I realized I got in over my head. I wasn't able to maintain it properly and it cost me."

But law enforcement officials told the paper that "all indications" showed McNair was involved in pit bull fighting.

"We didn't witness a dogfight taking place, but . . . that's what the dogs were used for," East Greenwich (New Jersey) Township police official Charles Barone said. "There was a treadmill used for [dog] training, and we found the dogs in an unsheltered, wooded area far from the highway, where they were held down by [automobile towing] chains connected to large tire rims. It was deplorable."

A judge ruled there was insufficient evident to convict McNair of dogfighting, but officials were able to convict the former NFL running back on 17 counts of animal cruelty and failure to license dogs. He was fined more than $4,900.

Police emailed several crime scene photos from the 1996 incident to the Times, including an image of one dog's mangled face. We have found what we believe to be that image online. Instead of posting it, we have chosen to only link to it. In other words, the image comes with a warning. Here is that link.

The Times' story also details a 1994 incident involving police shooting and killing a pit bull that was suspected to have belonged to McNair, and a 1993 incident that led to McNair being charged with animal neglect. He was convicted for failing to display tags on two dogs and received a sentence of probation and a fine.

McNair also tried to clear his name in story posted on USC Rips It, which is a site operated by USC. The story was authored by Ben Malcolmson, a former writer for the Daily Trojan who tried out and made the team in 2006. Malcolmson told the Wiz earlier this month that he is now employed by the USC athletic department and works on the site directly out of the football office.

The Daily Trojan also has an editorial titled, "Bruin blog site did not practice good journalism." Bruins Nation, of course, has a response for this. The teams play Dec. 1 at the Coliseum.

The Great Schedule Creator Is Back at It

We told you last Friday about reader Tom's fantastic college football schedule link. He has been tinkering with it the past few days and his creation has evolved into something really special. Again, you must check this out! The link is here, and we've also updated the link on our Wiz Resources page, under Toolbox, titled Strangest Brew Schedule.

We will let Tom explain all the new features:

"This update allows you to make your own schedule grid. You input your time zone, week range, whether or not you want logos and then select your teams. Teams can be selected individually or each conference can be selected by clicking the appropriate button. The grid can be as small as 1 team for 1 week up to the full grid for the whole season.

"I plan on trying to keep the schedule dates/times up to date during the season and may add in scores of completed games and TV data if I can easily import the data."

Ohio: The Rush Is On!

Ohio, fresh off its appearance in the GMAC Bowl in Frank Solich's second season, is back for more with running back Kalvin McRae, the first Bobcast in 30 years to rush for 1,000 yards in back-to-back seasons. Ohio has games in September at Virginia Tech and at home against Wyoming.

Poster schedules: Florida State, Wyoming, Vanderbilt, Pittsburgh, Arkansas, Kent State, Navy, Duke, Purdue, Missouri, South Carolina, Wake Forest, Middle Tennessee, Brigham Young, Syracuse, Louisiana Tech, South Florida, Colorado, Southern Mississippi, Washington State, Kentucky, Houston, Toledo, Iowa State, North Texas, Arizona State, Cincinnati, Minnesota, Clemson, North Carolina State, West Virginia, East Carolina, Nevada, Georgia Tech, Florida, Oklahoma, UCLA, Kansas State, Utah, Stanford, Auburn, Northwestern, Iowa, Texas El Paso, Penn State, USC.

The John David Booty Video


Who says bloggers don't do good work? In this case, insanely great work. Our friends at Trojan Wire have put together a remarkable highlight video of USC quarterback John David Booty, complete with selected shots of the Song Girls. You'll want to check this out. One can't imagine the hours of work it took to put this together.

Reporters' Notebooks

Michael Tsai, Honolulu Advertiser: Hawaii quarterback Colt Brennan said he took out a loan for $28,000 to purchase an insurance plan that would protect him in the event of an injury that would be "detrimental to my draft position."

Bryan Mullen, Tennessean: Tennessee's Erik Ainge has a broken pinkie on his throwing hand, but Phillip Fulmer believes his quarterback will play against California.

Paul Strelow, Columbia State: Clemson is in discussion with Alabama about staging a neutral site game at the Georgia Dome in 2008.

Greg Hansen, Arizona Daily Star: A column that will definitely anger any Brigham Young fan.

Wendell Barnhouse, Fort Worth Star-Telegram: What is the Big Ten really up to? It wants to gouge cable subscribers.

Molly Tanity, Seattle Post-Intelligencer: Washington to going to be thin at cornerback in Friday night's game at Syracuse.

Chip Brown, Dallas Morning News: Rick Chryst, commissioner of the Mid-American, Britton Banowsky, commissioner of Conference USA, Wright Waters, commissioner of the Sun Belt and interim Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe are in the running to become Big 12 commissioner.

Jake Trotter, Oklahoman: Oklahoma has filed a waiver request to the NCAA and if granted, the university would raise money for the family of Herman Mitchell, the Houston-area recruit who was shot and killed last Friday.

Mark Fagan, Lawrence Journal-World News: Kansas football is back, and businesses in Lawrence are preparing for a "million-dollar weekend."

Jeff Carroll, South Bend Tribune: Why justice isn't even-handed at Notre Dame.

Rick Cleveland, Clarion-Ledger: Now that Mississippi's Jerrell Powe has been declared ineligible for the season, he should do the right thing and enroll in a junior college.

To bypass registration, go to Bug Me Not. Thanks to Hester Graphics.

Wednesday, August 29, 2007

USC Assistant Twice Mistreated Dogs

USC running backs coach Todd McNair, in his fourth season with the team, was twice convicted on charges related to mistreatment of dogs in the 1990s, according to reports.

"I really don't want to comment on something 14 years ago, and especially something I was cleared for," McNair told Gary Klein of the L.A. Times Tuesday night.

The site Bruins Nation made mention of a 1996 incident involving McNair on a post earlier Tuesday. The Times then confirmed the 1996 incident and found another similar charge brought against McNair in 1993.

McNair, a former NFL player, was charged with animal neglect in July 1993 when he was a member of the Kansas City Chiefs. He was found guilty, fined $500 and put on probation.

In March 1994, police in the New Jersey Borough of Paulsboro shot and killed a pit bull for biting and locking onto a neighborhood dog. They suspected the dog belonged to McNair, and discovered six more chained in his yard. He agreed to move them.

On March 30, 1996, McNair was charged with cruelty to animals, failure to obtain licenses and keeping animals for the purpose of fighting on his property in East Greenwich, N.J. Animal control officers found up to 22 pit bulls, including 17 adults and five puppies.

"I've never seen anything like it," Gloucester County officer Charles Barone told the Philadelphia Daily News in a story dated April 4, 1996.

Police Chief William Giordano told the newspaper: "These conditions are deplorable."

The Rocky Mountain News reported later that year that the dogs were attached to heavy automobile towing chains. Some of the dogs were found in standing water, and many were scarred. Several had fresh wounds and one had a broken leg.

Although authorities believe McNair had been training the dogs for fights, they could not prove it. In October 1996, McNair was convicted of cruelty to animals and neglect. He was ordered to pay nearly $25,000 in fines and perform eight hours of community service.

USC coach Pete Carroll told the Times he became aware of the incidents about a week ago and addressed them with McNair.

"We looked into it to make sure we knew what happened," Carroll said. "That was a long time ago."

Hit Us With Your Best Shots

Going to a game this weekend? This is your chance to be a playa. Send us images of the tailgate party, cheerleaders, band, mascots ... heck, even the game! It's a good way to get a cheap pop for your website or any other cause you feel like promoting (within reason, of course). Remember to send descriptions with your images. The address: dawizofodds (at) aol.com.

Penn State: Fight On!

Penn State opens Saturday at home against Florida International, but will Joe Paterno lead the team out onto the field? If not, Nittany Lion fans can at least remember the grand, old days in the 2007 poster schedule. Click in the image for a closer look.

Poster schedules: Florida State, Wyoming, Vanderbilt, Pittsburgh, Arkansas, Kent State, Navy, Duke, Purdue, Missouri, South Carolina, Wake Forest, Middle Tennessee, Brigham Young, Syracuse, Louisiana Tech, South Florida, Colorado, Southern Mississippi, Washington State, Kentucky, Houston, Toledo, Iowa State, North Texas, Arizona State, Cincinnati, Minnesota, Clemson, North Carolina State, West Virginia, East Carolina, Nevada, Georgia Tech, Florida, Oklahoma, UCLA, Kansas State, Utah, Stanford, Auburn, Northwestern, Iowa, Texas El Paso, Ohio, USC.

Reporters' Notebooks

Jake Trotter, Oklahoman: Hours after Oklahoma recruit Herman Mitchell was shot to death in Houston, a Sooner fan started to raise money to help cover the cost of the funeral. But after raising $4,500, he was told to stop by Oklahoma officials because his actions would constitute an NCAA rules violation.

Allison Sherry, Denver Post: Ralphie, Colorado's 1,300-pound mascot, is nearing the end of her prime, and officials are raising funds to bring on board another Ralphie.

Ed Miller, Virginian-Pilot: Virginia, which has ventured west of the Mississippi only 13 times in 119 seasons, will leave a day early for its opener at Wyoming.

Kathleen Kreller, Idaho Statesman: Winning has a hefty price, as some longtime Boise State fans are finding out.

Jeff McDonald, San Antonio Express-News: Texas coach Mack Brown was given a fat raise.

Bryan Mullen, Tennessean: Tennessee coach Phillip Fulmer, who we're told has lost "quite a bit of weight," lost some out of his wallet. He donated $1 million to the university.

Ronnie Woodward, Raleigh News & Observer: East Carolina's Rob Kass, the projected starting quarterback, will be suspended for the opener at Virginia Tech.

Eric Crawford, Louisville Courier-Journal: Is Louisville SEC-ready? The Cardinals are, and they should show the world by scheduling some powerhouse teams from the powerhouse conference.

Chuck Carlton, Dallas Morning News: How conferences are working to keep their officials away from scandal.

Associated Press: Notre Dame defensive lineman Derrell Hand, arrested last month on a misdemeanor charge of propositioning a prostitute, was suspended for three games by Crewcut Charlie Weis.

Jeff Overley, Orange County Register: Former USC quarterback Todd Marinovich has been charged with felony drug possession and resisting a police officer.

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Brigham Young Fans Want Independence

Brigham Young's frustration over the Mountain West Conference's TV network, The mtn., has reached such a level that some Cougar supporters are calling for the team to leave the league and go it alone.

"Is independence a viable, productive financial move to consider?" writes Dick Harmon of the Deseret Morning News.

According to experts contacted by Harmon, being independent might be good for football, but the rest of the Cougar teams would suffer mightily.

Going independent is not easy. Writes Harmon: "A move to go independent in football could take a decade to pull off just in scheduling contracts. And who would want to play the Cougars in Provo during a key stretch of Big Ten, Big 12 or Pac-10 conference play?"


What is likely to happen is a shakeup of Mountain West. "If BYU administrators consider looking into becoming an independent, it might be to just placate irate boosters who do not like the current TV deal. ... I do know, BYU will not stand by with the status quo of its TV deal.

"But jumping leagues or going independent? Formation of a new league would be more plausible, maybe even doable."

That Sly Fox Paterno ...

The terrific site Sports by Brooks informs us that the Penn State quarterbacks are now using a PlayStation 3 during position meetings, a stunning development given that Joe Paterno barely knows about text messaging.

Actually, this appears to be the work of Paterno's son, Jay, the team's quarterbacks coach, who has loaded the Nittany Lion playbook onto a Madden game for use in the video game machine.

"The good thing is nobody's ever late for our [meetings] — not that they're ever late — but they're all about 20 minutes early now because they all want to get in there and turn it on and beat each other," Jay Paterno told Sam Ross Jr. of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

Thanks to M Zone for the image.

Orange Fever at Texas El Paso

Granted, there is a lot of territory in Texas, but Texas El Paso will leave the state for only three of its 12 games. Name another team that will venture outside the state only three times during the course of the 2007 regular season. And one of the Miners' out-of-state trips is a 45-minute jaunt on Interstate 10 to Las Cruces to play New Mexico State.

Poster schedules: Florida State, Wyoming, Vanderbilt, Pittsburgh, Arkansas, Kent State, Navy, Duke, Purdue, Missouri, South Carolina, Wake Forest, Middle Tennessee, Brigham Young, Syracuse, Louisiana Tech, South Florida, Colorado, Southern Mississippi, Washington State, Kentucky, Houston, Toledo, Iowa State, North Texas, Arizona State, Cincinnati, Minnesota, Clemson, North Carolina State, West Virginia, East Carolina, Nevada, Georgia Tech, Florida, Oklahoma, UCLA, Kansas State, Utah, Stanford, Auburn, Northwestern, Iowa, Penn State, Ohio, USC.

Reporters' Notebooks

Edward G. Robinson III, Raleigh News & Observer: Rob Kass, projected to be East Carolina's starting quarterback, was arrested early Saturday on charges of driving while impaired.

Kevin Brockway, Gainesville Sun: Former USC tailback Emmanuel Moody is transferring to Florida.

Joseph Duarte, Houston Chronicle: Texas coach Mack Brown is expected to get a pay raise that will put him over the $3 million threshold.

Suzanne Halliburton, Austin American Statesman: Texas receiver Limas Sweed says he will play in the opener against Arkansas State.

Tony Barnhart, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Five burning questions about the Southeastern Conference as we enter Week 1.

Paul Finebaum, Mobile Press-Register: Oddsmaker Danny Sheridan likes Tennessee to win the SEC East and Louisiana State to win the SEC West.

Ron Higgins, Commerical Appeal: It will be critical for Mississippi State to keep quarterback Michael Henig healthy Thursday against Louisiana State. Backup Josh Riddell has been suspended.

Troy Phillips, Fort Worth Star-Telegram: North Texas' Todd Dodge is making the rare jump from high school to Division I-A. Reaction to Dodge's hiring has ranged from respectful to lukewarm to downright ambivalence among Sun Belt coaches.

Randy Peterson, Des Moines Register: The Iowa-Northern Illinois game at Soldier Field in Chicago is a big financial winner, with each team getting at least a $1 million payout for the nonconference game.

Ed Barkowitz, Philadelphia Daily News: Here are 50 things you didn't know about college football.

Brian Bennett and Alex Davis, Louisville Courier-Journal: The pizza business must be good. Louisville received a $10 million pledge toward stadium expansion from Papa John's International, its founder, John Schnatter, and his wife, Annette. It was the largest gift ever bestowed upon the school's athletic department.

Glenn Guilbeau, Shreveport Times: Louisiana State may have Mike VI, a new Bengal tiger mascot, in his habitat across the street from Tiger Stadium by the Sept. 8 home opener.

Brian Davis, Dallas Morning News: When Sam Houston State opens Thursday against Angelo State, the Bearkats' quarterback, Rhett Bomar, can finally begin a new chapter in his life. No more talk about Oklahoma, NCAA violations or Big Red Sports/Imports.

Michael Murphy, Houston Chronicle: Houston will honor its scholarship to Jerrod Butler, the offensive lineman whose playing career is over after he suffered cardiac arrest during a workout.

Pitchfork Nation: How about an Arizona State-Miami game to start the 2008 season?

The Quad, New York Times: It's first and 10 for the Times, which enters the college football blogosphere.

To bypass registration, go to Bug Me Not.

Monday, August 27, 2007

Vindication for Delany? Perhaps

You might remember last February, when Big Ten commish Jim Delany, no doubt sore over his league's pathetic showing in the postseason, took a shot at the Southeastern Conference.

"I love speed and the SEC has great speed, especially on the defensive line, but there are appropriate balances when mixing academics and athletics," wrote Delany in a letter addressed to fans of the Big Ten and college football.

Now perhaps there is a measure of vindication for Delany. Rivals has released the results of a study of the players from the recruiting class of 2007 who did not enroll or have not yet enrolled in school for the fall.

The Big Ten lost only four recruits: two from Illinois and one each from Michigan State and Purdue.

The SEC? Half the teams in the SEC lost at least four recruits, including an amazing 10 lost recruits for Auburn. In total, the SEC lost 45 recruits.

Thanks to Kevin of We Are Penn State.

Best Team Money Can Buy Hits the Road

Think your team has a fatcat? Forget about it. T. Boone Pickens, who we've chronicled time and again, is a man among boys when it comes to a bankroll. And his team is Oklahoma State.

T. Boone State opens Saturday between the hedges at Athens. Consider this your last warning, Georgia.

T. Boone State is bringing a high-powered offense and questionable defense, but in time, the bankroll will help clear up those defensive problems.

In advance of T. Boone's visit to Athens, he gave an interview to Carter Strickland of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

"I know we are not going to win every game," said T. Boone, 79. "But what I want is a football team and a program that could do that. We may not win every game, but I want to have a chance to win every game. We may go undefeated. I'm not sure that I have got that much time left.

"But I'll do anything within my power as long as it is honest to try and make that happen. Anything they need."

In late 2005, T. Boone forked over $165 million to the Oklahoma State athletic department. Well, that money was in the Cowboys' hands for less than an hour before it was transferred to a fund controlled by — you guessed it — T. Boone. He has since parlayed it into $300 million in a challenging market.

Then there is the "Death Pool," or "Gift of a Lifetime" if you're an Okie State fan. Twenty-eight donors agreed to name Oklahoma State as beneficiaries of lift insurance policies worth $10 million each.

Flush with funds, Okie State decided to build an athletic village just north of campus. Of course, some of the land needed for the project was seized through eminent domain.

Recruits are starting to notice, as Strickland points out. Oklahoma State has 19 commitments and is rated 21st by Scout.com for 2008. The two previous years the Cowboys cracked the top 25 in recruiting rankings for the first time.

Hopefully this won't impact alternative admissions given to student-athletics, which have been rising at an alarming rate at the university.

Week 1 (Hawaii Favored by 59.5 Points)

We are happy to welcome back Doc's Sports as one of our sponsors. To start each week, we take a look at that naughty business of oddsmaking. It's legal in Las Vegas and strictly against the law elsewhere, but for some odd reason, people you meet on the street can tell you that on Saturday, California is a 5.5 favorite against Tennessee, or that Oklahoma State is getting 6.5 points at Georgia.

Before we forget, you can get a copy of Doc's 2007 Sports Journal by going to this link.

This is certainly the biggest Thursday of the season, with 16 games scheduled, highlighted by Louisiana State (-18) at Mississippi State and Oregon State (-7) playing host to Utah.

On Friday, Navy (-21) is at Temple and Washington (-3) is at Syracuse.

Games of note Saturday: Nevada (+21) at Nebraska; Virginia (-4.5) at Wyoming; Washington State (+14) at Wisconsin; Georgia Tech (+2.5) at Notre Dame; Wake Forest (+6.5) at Boston College; Kansas State (+13.5) at Auburn and, last but not least Northern Colorado (+59.5) at Hawaii. Yes, you read that right. We can't ever recall seeing a line that high.

On Monday, Florida State (-3.5) is at Clemson. Numbers are in flux, so get all the data at Doc's by clicking here.

All the Basic Food Groups Covered


They don't make coaches shows like they used to. Watch Bear Bryant and host Charlie Thornton bust out the Coca Cola and Golden Flake potato chips to open the Bear Bryant show, then Bryant drones on for a couple of minutes about 1979 victory over Auburn. Thanks to Sunday Morning Quarterback for finding this gem.

Past classic coaches videos: Bear Bryant, Woody Hayes, Hayden Fry, Lou Holtz, Bobby Ross, Dan Devine, Gary Barnett, Pat Dye, Terry Bowden, Jim Tressel and Eddie Robinson.

Those Gangstas From Iowa City

OK, we've been a tad harsh on the Iowa Hawkeyes of late, so we thought it was time to give the team that has won 13 of its last 25 games a break. Things could better this fall. No Michigan and no Ohio State on the schedule. Thanks to Drinkn From a Firehose for this.

Poster schedules: Florida State, Wyoming, Vanderbilt, Pittsburgh, Arkansas, Kent State, Navy, Duke, Purdue, Missouri, South Carolina, Wake Forest, Middle Tennessee, Brigham Young, Syracuse, Louisiana Tech, South Florida, Colorado, Southern Mississippi, Washington State, Kentucky, Houston, Toledo, Iowa State, North Texas, Arizona State, Cincinnati, Minnesota, Clemson, North Carolina State, West Virginia, East Carolina, Nevada, Georgia Tech, Florida, Oklahoma, UCLA, Kansas State, Utah, Stanford, Auburn, Northwestern, Texas El Paso, Penn State, Ohio, USC.

Reporters' Notebooks

Jim Carty, Ann Arbor News: A Lansing public relations firm employed by Comcast Cable has apologized for an employee posing as a fan unhappy with the Big Ten Network and criticizing Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany on Spartan Tailgate.com and sites that cover Michigan and Northwestern sports.

Wendell Barnhouse, Fort Worth Star-Telegram
: Gone are Troy Smith, Paul Posluszny, Chris Leak, Garrett Wolfe, Daniel Sepulveda, Brady Quinn and JaMarcus Russell. Who are the replacements?

Paul Buker, Oregonian: Sammie Stroughter, Oregon State's All-American receiver, returned to practice after taking time off to deal with personal issues, but nobody is saying if he has returned for good.

Doug Robinson, Deseret Morning News: It's year two of The mtn., the Mountain West's TV venture, and a year later, nothing is fixed.

Pete Pelegrin, Miami Herald: The story of a 28-year-old who had a $90,000-a-year job and became a father last year, but then decided to quit work and go back to college, at Florida International. He made the team as a walk-on linebacker.

Mark Tupper, Decatur Herald & Review: Illinois' Memorial Stadium, undergoing a $120 million renovation, is strewn with debris. But officials say the work will be complete before for the Fighting Illini's Sept. 8 home opener against Western Illinois.

Chip Brown, Dallas Morning News: We'll know about the strength of the Big 12 by the third week in September. By then, nine key nonconference games involving Big 12 teams will be in the books.

Mike Baldwin, Oklahoman: Oklahoma State's opener at Georgia is a "money ball” game. A win between the hedges would be worth more than your typical September non-conference victory. A lot more.

Marc Weiszer, Athens Banner-Herald: Georgia coach Mark Richt issued a public apology for what he described as "knee-jerk" comments he made two days earlier about the the lack of an indoor practice facility.

Joseph Person, Columbia State: South Carolina quarterback Blake Mitchell will start the season on the bench after losing an appeal over his one-game suspension. And suspended Gamecock safety Emanuel Cook underwent an appendectomy over the weekend, shortly after being released from jail on a gun charge.

Bryan Mullen, Tennessean: Tennessee running back LaMarcus Coker was reinstated to the team, but won't play in the opener at Cal.

Rachel Carter, Raleigh News & Observer: Meet East Carolina, the team much of the country will be pulling against in the opener against Virginia Tech.

Jeff Wilson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram: How important is it to have experience at cornerback? Only one of the 16 teams with 11 victories in 2006 started two freshmen at the position. That team was Texas Christian.

Jeff Carroll, South Bend Tribune: Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen confirmed what readers to this blog have known for months. He had elbow surgery.

Here is today's mystery link.

Sunday, August 26, 2007

Another Handy, Dandy 2007 Schedule

Our post from Friday of reader Tom's online Division I-A college schedule grid was a hit. Within hours, loyal visitors Darin and Dan emailed us a schedule that is in Excel format and has been floating around the Internet. This one is organized by conference and has all the snazzy helmet logos. You can download it by clicking here. Certainly handy if you are away from an Internet connection and want to do a little research.

Mapquest: Spurrier Was Right


It's all clear now. No wonder South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier was pushing for softer admissions requirements at the university. Check out this answer from Lauren Caitlin Upton, South Carolina's entry in Miss Teen USA 2007. She was the third runner-up.

Power to the Purple

Unfortunately, the site's design doesn't allow us to showcase Northwestern's poster schedule in the proper fashion. You can, however, click in the image to get a better look. There is something to be said about Northwestern playing host to Northeastern in the opener. Of course, it just happens to be North Shore Community Day at Ryan Field.

Poster schedules: Florida State, Wyoming, Vanderbilt, Pittsburgh, Arkansas, Kent State, Navy, Duke, Purdue, Missouri, South Carolina, Wake Forest, Middle Tennessee, Brigham Young, Syracuse, Louisiana Tech, South Florida, Colorado, Southern Mississippi, Washington State, Kentucky, Houston, Toledo, Iowa State, North Texas, Arizona State, Cincinnati, Minnesota, Clemson, North Carolina State, West Virginia, East Carolina, Nevada, Georgia Tech, Florida, Oklahoma, UCLA, Kansas State, Utah, Stanford, Auburn, Iowa, Texas El Paso, Penn State, Ohio, USC.

Saturday, August 25, 2007

This Is What $16 Million Buys You

The Rose Bowl has completed a $16 million project to upgrade facilities, and if you're a UCLA player, you have to like the new digs. It seems like you could fit the Spruce Goose inside the Bruins' remodeled locker room, which is 110 feet long by 50 feet wide. We have reader Johnny to thank for sending along these shots.Coach Karl Dorrell may have an open door policy. Unfortunately, he's not in his office at the moment. Can I take a message?...
A ribbon of UCLA All-Americans stretches across the top of the lockers. The square footage for both the home and visitor locker rooms before the remodel was 7,876. Now it's 13,791. Combined, there are now 22 coaches lockers, whereas before there were none.
And stationed in each corner are large flat-panel TVs. Ten TVs and five game clocks adorn both locker areas. The media room, according to a UCLA release, has been increased from 1,825 to 5,676 square feet.

Didn't Know This Was Legal in Huntington

What do you get when you mix women + alcohol + muscular young college men modeling uniforms? A Chippendales moment at Marshall.

The Thundering Herd held their annual football clinic for women Thursday night, and from the looks of the photos, such at this one courtesy of Mark Webb of the Herald-Dispatch, the ladies really enjoyed themselves. And Marshall players didn't seem to mind, either.

Rumor has it a few of the ladies even ran out of dollar bills.

Clinics for women have gained popularity over the years and we're not sure if they are all like Marshall's event, but if they are, a few husbands probably want to know about it.

For more photos, check out the slideshow from the Herald-Dispatch. Thanks to Greg.

Auburn Goes Old School

You've all seen the shots. The old football photos of players jumping at some odd angle or striking a pose for a promotional shot. Auburn took that idea and applied it to the 2007 poster schedule. Thanks to Greg.

Poster schedules: Florida State, Wyoming, Vanderbilt, Pittsburgh, Arkansas, Kent State, Navy, Duke, Purdue, Missouri, South Carolina, Wake Forest, Middle Tennessee, Brigham Young, Syracuse, Louisiana Tech, South Florida, Colorado, Southern Mississippi, Washington State, Kentucky, Houston, Toledo, Iowa State, North Texas, Arizona State, Cincinnati, Minnesota, Clemson, North Carolina State, West Virginia, East Carolina, Nevada, Georgia Tech, Florida, Oklahoma, UCLA, Kansas State, Utah, Stanford, Northwestern, Iowa, Texas El Paso, Penn State, Ohio, USC.