Wednesday, April 30, 2008

The Ultimate Bar Bet Resource

Which team had the most players selected in the NFL draft?

A) Alabama
B) Northwestern
C) Bentley
D) Oklahoma State

The correct answer is, of course, C, Bentley.

Valuable information like this can come in handy. Thus the reason for this post. Here's the draft breakdown by teams, conferences and positions.

For all that talent Ohio State allegedly has been stockpiling, it had only three players selected. Rival Michigan, interestingly enough, had six. The Buckeyes are already talking revenge in the 2009 draft.

Brigham Young fans might be upset about opening the 2008 season at home against Northern Iowa, but consider that the Panthers had more players selected (2) than the Cougars (1).

Hog Heaven

Meet Tusk, the Arkansas mascot who was taking it easy last Saturday during the Razorbacks' spring game festivities. Tusk, a 380-pound Russian boar that closely resembles a wild razorback hog, resides on a local farm when not paraded around in this cage.
Our man Greg made the trek to Fayetteville to find out what life is like for those living high on the hogs and he came away impressed.
"Let me start by saying this venue was the most active site of the the spring games I attended during this year. Lots of corporate tie-ins, lots of activities and some of the nicest people you will ever meet, especially Frank Broyles [above].

"In talking to him about the color commentaries he provided on ABC college football in the '70s, he actually let me stay in the autograph line while he told stories about those experiences."
The new Boss Hog in Fayetteville is Bobby Petrino and T-Shirts playing off the popular "Got Milk" campaign were in abundance.
Arkansas fans like to think of themselves as the biggest fish in the Southeastern Conference pond.
There was no shortage of energy in the air, reflected in this young fan's headgear.
This is how the Razorbacks roll ...
Yes, that's a photo of Sam Walton in the middle of the trophy case. His Wal-Mart billions no doubt helped pay for this.
A homeowner near Razorback Stadium gets in the spirit.
Big Red was on hand to greet Greg as he entered Razorback Stadium.
A look toward the open end of the stadium and the "PigScreen," a Smartvision LED screen that is built into the giant scoreboard.

Paying the Price at Check Out Time

Here is something Rich Rodriguez can look forward to. Writing checks for large sums to his former employer, West Virginia University.

Michigan basketball coach John Beilein just sent this check for $290,000 to West Virginia for the first installment he owes the university for his $1.5 million contract buyout.

Rich Rod, of course, owes substantially more, according to West Virginia officials, who are suing the Michigan coach for a $4 million buyout in his contract.

Thanks to West By God Virginia for their help.

Reporters' Notebooks

Chris Dufresne, Los Angeles Times: Are the Pacific 10 and the Big Ten alone in standing in the way of a playoff? Plus, Ed Goren, the president of Fox Sports, says the network doesn't care if there is a change in title format, it just wants to stay in the game.

Kevin Scarbinsky, Birmingham News: If Alabama fans thought losing to Louisiana Monroe was a low point, it wasn't. Draft weekend was.

Jason Siffring, Big Red Network: The site's annual look at spring game attendance. You can compare the 2008 numbers to 2007 and 2006.

Chip Scoggins, Minneapolis Star Tribune: E.J. Jones, dismissed from the Minnesota team a year ago after being linked to but not charged in a sexual assault, would like to rejoin the team. But Golden Gopher officials say that is unlikely to happen.

Mike Feigen
, Daily Evergreen: Washington State is likely to lose six scholarships next year because of a poor Academic Performance Rate.

Marc Weiszer, Athens Banner-Herald: Georgia has completed its 2009 schedule with what promises to be a bruising home game against Tennessee Tech.

Phillip B. Wilson, Indianapolis Star: A look at the future of sports coverage, merging high-definition TVs with the Internet.

Ian R. Rapoport, Birmingham News: Tuscaloosa police chief Ken Swindle, who has become a controversial figure to Alabama fans, announced he is retiring on Oct. 1.

Ron Musselman, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: As expected, five Penn State players who were suspended from spring drills have rejoined the team. Thanks to Kevin of We Are Penn State.

Howie Stalwick, Seattle Post-Intelligencer: Washington State player Andy Roof was arrested on suspicion of fourth-degree assault. He allegedly head-butted a bouncer when denied entry into a private party; punched a man in the face; then smashed a man's face into the sharp edge of a stop sign.

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Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Rutgers to Notre Dame: Forget About It!

If you're going to negotiate with Rutgers these days, well, you're going to negotiate on the Scarlet Knights' terms. That's the way things are done in Jersey, understand?

The Scarlet Knights were scheduled to start a six-game series with Notre Dame in 2010 but the Fighting Irish have to told to take a hike.

Notre Dame wanted the three games scheduled for Piscataway to be moved to the new NFL stadium being built at the Meadowlands. But Rutgers, which is spending $102 million to renovate its stadium, was against such a move.

"We feel Rutgers' home games should be played on-campus at Rutgers Stadium." athletic director Bob Mulcahy said.

But this being Jersey, nothing comes easy. The contractor in charge of the Rutgers' renovation project had been previously fired from all work on K-12 public schools in the state.

Update: An interesting piece on the Notre Dame-Rutgers situation in the New York Times, and a biting column in the Daily Targum, the Rutgers student newspaper, saying it's about time somebody stood up to the Notre Dame bullies. Now that Rutgers said no, is Syracuse the next scheduling target of the Irish?

Baker Polishes His Pickup Lines


Sam Baker, the USC offensive lineman who was the 21st pick of the NFL draft by the Atlanta Falcons, gives a tour of his Ford F-150 pickup.

As Sports By Brooks points out, Baker said he has gotten over 100 parking tickets while at USC. While Baker acknowledges he's "not a very clean individual" and needs to carry deodorant with him at all times, the 6-foot-5, 305-pounder comes across as quite a likable character.

Reporters' Notebooks

Ray Melick, Birmingham News: Southeastern Conference commissioner Mike Slive is scheduled to present a plan for a four-team playoff at the Bowl Championship Series meeting this week in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.

Chris Dufresne, Los Angeles Times: BCS officials don't need to leave Florida with a tan, they need to leave it with a plan.

Dick Harmon, Deseret News: Who is standing in the way of a playoff? It's the Big Ten and the Pacific 10.

Wendell Barnhouse, Fort Worth Star-Telegram: The Cotton Bowl has requested that its game be played on Jan. 2, 2009 and that the start time be moved back three hours.

Detroit Free Press: Imagine that. Rich Rodriguez will be playing golf with Nick Saban.

Mike Knobler, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Taylor Bennett, Georgia Tech's starting quarterback last season, is transferring to Louisiana Tech.

Tabitha Yang, Tallahassee Democrat: The State Attorney's Office will not prosecute Florida State's Preston Parker on a two-year-old misdemeanor charge.

Brent Schrotenboer, San Diego Union-Tribune: Former San Diego State player Martin Miller was found guilty of first-degree murder and attempted murder stemming from a 2005 double shooting.

Greenville News: ESPN2 will go the Division I-AA route on one of its Friday night telecasts, broadcasting the Appalachian State-Wofford game on Oct. 31.

Monday, April 28, 2008

No Shortage of Rivals for the Zooker

Are some recruiting websites merely recruiting vehicles for certain teams? That's what Ron Zook suggested last week during his criticism of the "Saban Rule." The Zooker said that some teams had secretly allied themselves with the websites as another way to communicate with recruits. The benefit for the websites is that they get better information, more traffic and make more money while helping their teams.

The editor in chief of one of those recruiting sites has fired back. Bobby Burton of Rivals.com says the Illinois coach is out of line. Writes Burton:

"The new rule has come about because of your profession's inability to work within the rules that govern them. Simply put, the NCAA doesn't want its head coaches going out in the spring because they don't trust you and your brethren.

"This new rule has nothing to do with Rivals.com; it's not our job to recruit players, nor is any writer paid to recruit players to a school. It's our job to report about recruiting. Instead, the new rule has everything to do with your profession's inability to follow rules."

Of course, some coaches have already found a way around the Saban Rule. Namely, Nick Saban.

Thanks to Image of Sport.

The Express


Here's an early trailer for "The Express," a drama based on the life of Syracuse's Ernie Davis, the first African-American to win the Heisman Trophy. The film is scheduled for release in October. Thanks to Donnie Webb of the Syracuse Post-Standard.

Spring Reports

Our fifth look at spring games across the country:

Arkansas: No shortage of offense to go with a record crowd of 40,200. Even with a running clock in the second half, the Red and White teams combined for 735 yards.

Boston College: The Eagles' replacement for Matt Ryan? It's likely to be Chris Crane, who outshined his competitors by displaying arm strength and accuracy.

California: Jeff Tedford on his team's spring: "I'm really happy with the team chemistry. The way we're working together, the attitude of the team, the focus, the camaraderie — it's all very positive."

Cincinnati: Dustin Grutza showed he would be a capable replacement at quarterback if Ben Mauk is not granted another year of eligibility by the NCAA.

Hawaii: A crowd of 10,000 got in free and watched the first Hawaii spring game in several years.

Marshall: With no less than 20 scholarship players unavailable to play, the Thundering Herd put on an abbreviated spring game.

Maryland: Ralph Friedgen was not enthusiastic about the play of his quarterbacks. "I'm looking for some guy to separate, and I really can't see that right now."

Minnesota: To say the Gophers have a lot of work to do between now and the Aug. 30 opener is a major understatement.

Oregon: A week after fumbling through a scrimmage with 20 plays for negative yardage, the Ducks put on a crisp offensive display before an estimated 14,107.

San Diego State: The Aztecs spent much of the spring game attempting to establish an identity. Based solely on production, the chances of anyone soon becoming a household name are roughly as remote as a run on real estate.

UCLA: Crespi High quarterback Kevin Prince, who wasn't scheduled to enroll until January 2009, has been asked if he can enroll early to help the depleted quarterbacking corps.

Washington: Even the diehards among the 9,000 weren't quite sure what to make of a punchless 10-7 final score.

Sunday, April 27, 2008

Reporters' Notebooks

Chris Foster, Los Angeles Times: UCLA starting quarterback Patrick Cowan will miss the 2008 season because of surgery on his left knee. He will have to petition the NCAA for a sixth year of eligibility if he hopes to play again. Backup Ben Olson is likely to have surgery on his right foot but is expected to be ready for fall drills.

Detroit Free Press: Lloyd Carr on a Columbus Dispatch report that he helped offensive lineman Justin Boren in his transfer to Ohio State: "That's a lie."

Mickey Furfari, Charleston Daily Mail: Should the NCAA allow teams to play scrimmage games before the start of the season? (We ask: Aren't teams doing that now by dumbing down the nonconference schedules?).

Andrew Neff, Bangor Daily News: Florida State has scheduled a 2009 game against always tough Maine. Thanks to the Business of College Football.

Frank Bodani, York Daily Record: Penn State defensive back Knowledge Timmons said he, along with defensive tackle Chris Baker, linebacker Navorro Bowman and tight end Andrew Quarless, have been reinstated to the team. Team officials said that wasn't the case, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Larry Lage, Associated Press: An attorney for Rich Rodriguez plans to ask an attorney for Larry Aschebrook to have his client retract statements that he made in a sworn affidavit last month.

Dave Hart, Raleigh News & Observer: Rameses XVII, the blue-horned ram who led the North Carolina team onto the field for the past five years, died of complications from a wound he suffered at the horns of his own son.

Wendell Barnhouse, Fort Worth Star-Telegram: Urban Meyer on having Florida's spring game televised: "At first I didn't want to [televise the game], but recruiting is such a major player. It's the bloodline of our program, and if they're not here, they are going to be somewhere else, and we want people to see this great campus."

Brett McMurphy, Tampa Tribune: Sophomore tight end/defensive lineman Trent Pupello, who transferred to South Florida from Florida in November, received an NCAA hardship waiver and will be eligible in the fall.

Booty, Woodson No Wonderlic Wonders

More information has become available on the closely guarded Wonderlic scores of NFL quarterback prospects. Mac Mirabile has posted his annual look at the scores and John David Booty, left, formerly of USC, and Andre Woodson, formerly of Kentucky, are at the bottom of the list.

According to Mirable, Booty and Woodson each scored 14 out of a possible 50.

To put this in perspective, Terry Bradshaw scored 15 when he took the test in 1970, according to Mirabile's site. Pat McInally, a graduate of Harvard, is thought to be the only player to score a perfect 50.

A score of under 10 is an indication of literacy problems.

The average score for a quarterback is 24. Offensive tackles average the highest score at 26.

Texas' Vince Young reportedly scored a 6 when he first took the test in 2006. He was given another opportunity and scored 16. Florida's Chris Leak allegedly scored an 8, but his tally has since been updated to a 12 on Mirabile's site.

Former Iowa State running back Darren Davis reportedly has the lowest score for a prospect, a 4.

Among people of various professions, the average participant scored a 24. Chemists score 31, journalists 26, clerical workers 21 and warehouse employees 15.

Saturday, April 26, 2008

Bruins Are in a World of Hurt

The injuries are piling up for UCLA quarterbacks.

Patrick Cowan, right, who was designated the starter by coach Rick Neuheisel early in spring practice, tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in practice and could be lost for the season.

Backup Ben Olson fractured the fifth metatarsal bone in his right foot and likely will have surgery to insert a screw to aid in healing. He will be out two months.

That makes junior college transfer Kevin Craft the starter for Saturday night's scrimmage at the Rose Bowl.

If Cowan is lost for the season, it could also mean the end of his college career. He has already used a redshirt season and would have to petition the NCAA for a sixth season of eligibility.

The Bruins have nonconference games against Tennessee, Brigham Young and Fresno State, meaning UCLA's 2008 season could be over before it starts.

Friday, April 25, 2008

So Much for the Saban Rule

He's back. It didn't take long for Nick Saban to find a way around the "Saban Rule," which prohibits head coaches from making off-campus visits during the spring evaluation period, running from April 15 to May 31.

Kevin Scarbinsky of the Birmingham News details how Saban hooked up with William Ming, a hotshot defensive end recruit from Athens (Ala.) High.

It started when Crimson Tide assistant Curt Cignetti visited Ming at his high school, which has a Distance Learning Lab that allows students to take online classes by using a live webcam. Writes Scarbinsky:

"Cignetti left behind a web address that Ming used to log on later that day and spend 15-20 minutes talking, through the webcam, with Saban, who was in his office in Tuscaloosa.

"Athens High Coach Allen Creasy, who witnessed the conversation, called it 'a first from a recruiting standpoint' for his school.

" 'You could see [Saban's] facial expressions and hand gestures just as if you were sitting across the desk from him,' Creasy said. 'It's the next-best thing to being there in person.' "

And perfectly legal under NCAA rules. Although Saban and his staff are restricted to one phone call to a junior recruit during the spring evaluation period, a prospect can make unlimited calls to a staff, even if a "call" involves the use of a webcam.

As you can expect, Crimson Tide fans are giddy over the news.

Did Carr Help Boren Transfer to Buckeyes?

The announcement this week that offensive lineman Justin Boren was transferring from Michigan to Ohio State came as no surprise. It had been expected from the moment Boren left the Wolverines in a huff, saying that the "family values" he had grown accustomed to while playing for the Wolverines had "eroded in just a few months" under Rich Rodriguez.

Now comes word that Boren might have had help in his transfer from former Wolverine coach Lloyd Carr.

Writes Rob Oller of the Columbus Dispatch: "Maybe they should take a cue from previous Michigan coach Lloyd Carr, who according to a source close to the situation worked behind the scenes to help Boren obtain his scholarship release from Michigan.

"Carr even assured Boren that Ohio State is the closest thing to Michigan that he would find and that there are 'good people' in Columbus."

Thanks to Image of Sport.

The Long and Short of It

There is something called the NFL draft this weekend and Jake Long, the mammoth offensive tackle from Michigan, is signed, sealed and delivered as the No. 1 pick of the Miami Dolphins.

Singer-songwriter Ryan Parker has put together this half tribute-half warning to the Dolphins.

Reporters' Notebooks

Justin D. Anderson, Charleston Daily Mail: Joe Manchin, the governor of the great state of West Virginia, says money and a slick agent changed Rich Rodriguez.

Iliana Limon, Orlando Sentinel: Central Florida attorneys have started to interview players in an investigation into the death of Ereck Plancher.

Jake Schaller, Colorado Springs Gazette: Air Force coach Troy Calhoun wants to soften the team's schedule, following the lead of Navy.

Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times: USC's compliance department is investigating the circumstances surrounding the sale of a T-shirt that used quarterback Mark Sanchez's name. The T-shirt featured an image of the Mexican flag and included the words "Viva Sanchez."

Brian Bennett, Louisville Courier-Journal: It seemed like only yesterday they were giving away tickets to Louisville games. Now plans call for a 21,000-seat expansion of Cardinal Stadium.

Lauren Boyer, Centre Daily Times: Almost a year after student section seats sold out in 59 minutes, Penn State developed a plan to halt the influx of thousands of season ticket hopefuls to its Ticketmaster Web site.

Mason Kerns, Des Moines Register: Iowa defensive tackle Cody Hundertmark was charged with possession of alcohol under the legal age. He is the 15th Hawkeye player to encounter legal trouble since last April.

Randy Peterson, Des Moines Register: Iowa State will seek permission to continue with architectural planning for the second phase of its Jack Trice Stadium renovation project when it meets with the Iowa state Board of Regents next week.

Dave Reardon and Brian McInnis, Honolulu Star-Bulletin: Hawaii has switched the date of its 2009 home game against Navy from Sept. 5 to Nov. 21.

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Slick Rick Takes in Spirit Squad Tryouts

The all-important spirit squad tryouts were held this week at UCLA and none other than Slick Rick Neuheisel took time from his busy spring schedule to examine this year's pool of candidates.

According to Trojans-Haters Club, Neuheisel "came over during a score-tallying break, and talked to us and some judges, about golf, and Rose Bowls. ... He was just so cool, so personable, and so approachable, that we felt comfortable to chime into his 'conversation,' without feeling pushy.

"And he instantly included us in the group. So cool!! Someone asked him if he was gonna stick around and judge, but he said no way, that he had his own students that were keeping him very busy [but that otherwise, he would have loved to!]."

OK, enough of the chatter. What did Slick Rick come to see? It's posted below, with more images at Trojan-Haters Club, which earlier chronicled the Swim With Mike event featuring the USC Song Girls.
Thanks to With Leather for the tip.

It's Time to Rebuild at Texas A&M

The 2007 season was a forgettable one in College Station. If Dennis Franchione wasn't publishing his VIP Connections newsletter or running up the score on Nebraska, an Aggie yell leader was being sent home from the Alamo Bowl after saying, "Joe Paterno's on his death bed! And someone needs to find him a casket."

To top it off, an Aggie fan at the Alamodome was caught on camera digging in his nose and consuming a tasty snack. Yikes!
But times, they are a changing in College Station. Thanks to the fine photography work of reader Greg, we are here to show you how they are blending the old with the new in Aggieland in 2008. It was all on display Saturday at the Maroon and White game.

Yes, the 12th Man is alive and well, along with the $1,000 boots cadet seniors proudly wear around campus.
Gone is Franchione and his newsletter. The new sheriff in town is Mike Sherman. OK, who cares if he was caught sleeping at the NFL scouting combine when he was on the staff of the Houston Texans? And the yell leaders? They promise to be on their best behavior.
The Aggies embrace their tradition. They have a trophy case to prove it.
Everything is big in Texas. They once crammed 88,253 into Kyle Field.
The snazziest addition to Kyle Field came in 2006 with the installation of 12th Man TV, a 3,954 square foot Mitsubishi Diamond Vision enhanced resolution LED videoboard. Bitching!
Aggieland Outfitters was sued over the Saw 'Em Off logo and had to make minor changes to it because the original design infringed on the Texas Longhorn trademark. (This all started after an Aggie victory over the Longhorns in 2006.) But from the looks of it, the lawsuit merely made the logo even more popular among Aggie fans.
Young and old fans were among the estimated crowd of 32.000.
Gas prices might be pushing $4 a gallon, but Texas is oil country and high prices for fuel are not going to slow down the Aggies.

Reporters' Notebooks

Chip Scoggins, Minneapolis Star Tribune: Minnesota has new uniforms designed by Nike. There are six different uniform combinations that feature a number of changes in design and material, including the return of white pants for the first time since 1967. Photos: click here. Reaction: click here.

The Warriors Will Throw: Hawaii also unveiled new uniforms, designed by Under Armour. Photos: click here.

Randy Riggs, Austin American-Statesman: Texas Tech's Mike Leach says unlike South Carolina’s Steve Spurrier, Notre Dame’s Charlie Weis and Maryland’s Ralph Friedgen, he has no plans to relinquish play-calling duty. "Because I'm younger than those guys... I got into coaching to coach. Otherwise, you’re just a handshaker."

Shawn Courchesne, Hartford Courant: Connecticut legislators announced they have reached and agreement that will allow the Huskies to play "home" games in a series against Notre Dame at out-of-state stadiums.

Tim May, Columbus Dispatch: As expected, offensive lineman Justin Boren has decided to transfer from Michigan to Ohio State. Because of Big Ten rules, Boren can never be on scholarship at Ohio State and will have to pay his own way.

Patrick Ridgell, Longmont Times-Call: Kai Maiava, the final member of Colorado's 2007 recruiting class who turned out to be a starting guard that earned some freshman All-American honors, told coaches he wants to transfer.

Andrew Jones, Wilmington Star-News: There's no spring in the step of Atlantic Coast Conference football.

Brett McMurphy, Tampa Tribune: South Florida's home game against Connecticut has been moved back a day to Sunday, Nov. 23 and will be televised on ESPN.

Bill Free, Baltimore Sun: Mark your calendars: Navy and Ohio State will open the 2009 season in Columbus and meet again in 2014, possibly in Baltimore.

Chip Alexander, Raleigh News & Observer: A Q&A with North Carolina State coach Tom O'Brien.

Rock Kubatko, Baltimore Sun: Brady Smith, the Boston College defensive end accused of gaining access to a residence hall and assaulting a female student early Saturday morning, has been dismissed from the team.

Natalie Meisler, Denver Post: Colorado State is planning a $20 million expansion of its facilities. Included in the project is an indoor practice venue for the football team.

Wendell Barnhouse, Fort Worth Star-Telegram: Lawmakers who are seeking a government probe of the Bowl Championship Series are offsides.

George Schroeder, Eugene Register-Guard: Oregon's offensive linemen are featured in a calendar. Thanks to EDSBS.

Jon Wilner, San Jose Mercury News: San Jose State has scheduled a 2009 game against USC. A four-game series against Navy is set to begin in 2011.

Fred Girard, Detroit News: Rich Rodriguez pursued the opening at Michigan, according to documents Rich Rod was forced to turn over as part of West Virginia's $4 million lawsuit against him. Thanks to John.

Mike Casazza, Charleston Daily Mail: The attorney for Larry Aschebrook, the former West Virginia fundraiser who was accused of making racial comments toward former Mountaineer offensive coordinator Calvin Magee, said his client is leaving his legal options open.

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Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Rivals, Scout at Heart of Next Scandal?

Count Illinois' Ron Zook among coaches who are against the new "Saban Rule," which prohibits head coaches from going on the road during the spring evaluation period from April 15-May 31.

Now throw the Internet into all of this and suddenly you have a bigger problem. Writes Lindsey Willhite of the Arlington Heights Daily Herald:

"Because operator/writers for Internet sites, such as Rivals.com and Scout.com, are the only ones who have unregulated access to recruits when coaches can't talk to them, it's an area that's ripe for corruption.

"Some programs have secretly allied themselves with the Web sites that report on their school as another way to communicate with recruits.

"In return, the Web sites get better information, more traffic and make more money.

" 'We're turning the recruiting over to the so-called recruiting gurus,' Zook said. 'Now, all of a sudden, just like you've got basketball coaches complaining that it's turning over to the AAU coaches, now we're turning it over to these guys that can call them.

" 'Well, you know what a lot of them are saying. They're selling their school to these kids, and we're not able to talk to them. To me, we're losing this thing, in my opinion.' "

Thanks to Image of Sport.

Welcome to Rocky Top

Tennessee finished spring drills Saturday with the Orange and White game at Neyland Stadium and reader Richard was kind enough to send us several shots of the festivities.

A game — even a spring game in Knoxville — wouldn't be complete without a look at the hardware inside the Neyland Thompson Sports Center. First there is the shrine to Peyton Manning.
Then there is the Sears Trophy, representing the Volunteers' 1998 national championship season. The Waterford crystal that sits atop the trophy is still in one piece, unlike Florida's broken trophy.
Fans stream into Neyland shortly before kickoff. Dark skies in the morning gave way to glorious sunshine.
Members of the Team Orange take the field. The announced crowd was 28,896.
Among those in attendance were former Michigan coach Lloyd Carr and former Southeastern Conference commissioner and Bowl Championship Series architect Roy Kramer. The Volunteers open Sept. 1 at UCLA.