The New, Improved Wiz, Version 2.0

After three years and 3,644 posts, the site has moved. Please join us at TheWizofOdds.com.

Bottoms Up to Louisiana State, Kansas State

U.S. News & World Report has released its 2009 list of "America's Best Colleges." Congratulations to those Division I-A football-playing universities that made the top 25 — Stanford, Duke, Northwestern, Rice, Notre Dame, Vanderbilt, Virginia, UCLA, California — but let's get to the meat of the post: schools that didn't fare as well.

The associated ranking numbers of Tier I schools end at 130, so let's examine I-A universities in the bottom 25 of the 130. Louisiana State and Kansas State were ranked 130th, followed by Utah (127th).

Colorado State and Arkansas were tied at 125th, then came Arizona State (121st). Ohio, Kentucky and Washington State were grouped at 116, and Brigham Young and Texas Christian were tied at 113.

Rounding out the list were Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina and Tennessee, all tied at 108.

Arnold: Never Question My Hawk Loyalty

About that stop Tom Arnold made last week to an Alabama practice. The pride of Ottumwa, Iowa, now says he hasn't turned his back on the homestate Hawkeyes and that his trip to Tuscaloosa was in part because his girlfriend went to Alabama.

Arnold fired off an email to Mike Hlas of the Cedar Rapids Gazette to clear things up after Hlas had fun with Arnold's appearance in T-town, asking if the actor/comedian had become "Benedict Arnold."

Arnold wrote: "Okay, slam my work BUT NEVER question my Hawk Loyalty..my G-Friend went to Bama..she’s got a place there, Nick Saban used to coach in the Big 10..so I took my godson, his mom and sisters to a closed practice with the AD to watch and say hello to Nick. (I did remind him of the Capital One Bowl a few years back and he’s a great guys so.. My godson, who’s the best 8 year old quarterback in Brentwood California, is being forced to go to Alabama (unless he gets into Harvard) by is mother.

"Of course I’ve pitched Iowa City but as you all know, with women, you’ve got to pick your battles and since he’s only 8..well…and while I’m here, where’s the Hawk Loyalty for OUR COACH??? He could’ve dumped us years ago..could’ve been head coach of the NY Giants, World Champs, but no, he’s loyal, so let’s try to stay off the man’s butt…we’re better than that. Tom"

Kansas Tries to Plug Security Leak

Kansas' $31 million upgrade to its football facilities was the source of much excitement in Lawrence, but that quickly subsided earlier this month when Mark Mangino marched his players onto two new practice fields. The big guy apparently realized that anybody could watch what the Jayhawks were doing.

Now the athletic department is going to spend another $90,000 in an attempt to give the team more privacy. Officials plan to plant 100 pine trees — ranging in height from 10 to 20 feet — around the fields beginning this week.

Mangino said Friday night that this has nothing to do with security, but associate athletic director Jim Marchiony told the Lawrence Journal-World otherwise.

“The real reason,” he said, “is just to allow for more privacy during practice with respect to how much can be seen and heard.”

Reporters Notebooks

Bart Wright, Greenville News: The spread offense continues to gain popularity in the college game, but the NFL takes a different view of the offense. Spread quarterbacks are often passed up by NFL teams because pro teams don't want to invest the time in training a player to work under center.

Palm Beach Post: Yes, he said it. Florida Atlantic's Howard Schnellenberger denied he questioned Texas' toughness, but video shows otherwise.

Ryan Finley, Arizona Daily Star: Arizona tight end Rob Gronkowski, who caught six touchdown passes in 2007, has been diagnosed with strep throat and is being tested for mononucleosis. He's questionable for the opener against Idaho and could miss a month or more should he test positive for mono.

Ian R. Rapoport, Birmingham News: An Alabama fan who started going to games when he was 11 has calculated that the Crimson Tide's chances of winning improve by 8% when he is in attendance.

Caulton Tudor, Raleigh News & Observer: The Atlantic Coast Conference can talk a good game, but now it needs to win some, beginning Thursday when North Carolina State travels to South Carolina.

Bob Condotta, Seattle Times: Tripper Johnson, 26, is giving up his dream of being a major leaguer and will walk-on at Washington. Coaches say he has a good chance of playing, either as a reserve safety or on special teams.

Ray Melick, Birmingham News: Taylor Zarzour, the sports director of radio station WPTF in Raleigh, didn't put Auburn in his Associated Press preseason top 25 and has been threatened by Tiger fans. Doug Segrest of the Birmingham News left Wisconsin out of his top 25 and is hearing it from Badger fans. Fans need to remember that this is only a game.

Here is today's mystery link.

Southern Mississippi

The Larry Fedora era at Southern Mississippi kicks off Saturday night when the Golden Eagles play host to Louisiana Lafayette. Fedora replaced Jeff Bower, who was forced out after 17 seasons. Bower's departure was controversial, considering his tenure at Hattiesburg was longer than all but three coaches in Division I-A — Penn State's Joe Paterno (42), Florida State's Bobby Bowden (32) and Virginia Tech's Frank Beamer (21). Bower's only losing seasons came in 1991 and '93. Thanks to Zac at Old Hat Creative.

Barnhouse's Bottom 25: UAB

Legendary sportswriter Wendell Barnhouse recently left the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and is now a correspondent for Big 12 Sports.com. With 30 years experience of observing the college scene, his expertise is unmatched. In the spirit of Steve Harvey's Bottom Ten, Wendell will provide us a capsule look at college football's less fortunate, counting down the Bottom 25 teams in Division I-A football.

No. 7 Alabama Birmingham
Location: Birmingham, Ala.
Nickname: Blazers.
Conference: Conference USA, East Division.
Coach: Neil Callaway, 2-10, one season.
Division I-A history: 91-96-2 in 17 seasons, .486 winning percentage.
Last bowl season: 2004.
Best record in last five years: 7-5 in 2004.
Rank(ed) because: Even when this program started out as a Division III team in 1991 (and lost its first game to Millsaps, 28-0), the Blazers never failed to win at least four games each season. In Watson Brown's final season (2006), UAB won three games. In Neil Callaway's debut season, the Blazers went one worse and won only two games. As CUSA has improved, UAB has slipped.
Negative number: In UAB's 10 losses, the Blazers gave up fewer than 30 points only once — a 25-9 loss to Memphis. In five of the losses, UAB gave up 40 or more.
Possible victory: At Tulane, Nov. 15. Selecting a conference road game is a leap of faith. But the Green Wave also reside in the Bottom 25 (No. 11). If UAB hasn't lost hope by this point of the season, this is a game it should win.
Biggest blowout: At Tennessee, Sept. 13. The Volunteers will be looking to move up in the polls and tune up for their game with Florida the following Saturday. The Blazers have to hope Tennessee is lacking focus.
Is there hope?: A number of players left the team before last season because of raised standards in academics, offseason behavior and workouts. That reduced the roster to 60 scholarship players and contributed to the 2-10 record, but Callaway believes that sent a message and that his staff is recruiting solid citizens who also are good players.

Thanks to the Helmet Project.

Kansas State

Are Kansas State players about to have an afterlife experience? This poster schedule depicts the Wildcats in the tunnel entering Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium. Some fans are questioning if Kansas State is headed in the right direction after the team imploded in the second half of 2007, giving up an average of 49.5 points in the final four games. Nonetheless, Ron Prince was given a new contract.

Why Are You Here?

We're hours from cutting off all contact with this Blogger address, so if you have yet to receive the memo, we've moved the site to The Wiz of Odds.com. Go there, bookmark it, tell your friends, your neighbors, perhaps even your relatives.

Reporters Notebooks

Patrick Reusse, Minneapolis Star Tribune: Minnesota coach Tim Brewster's speech at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul was a good hot-air test for the Republican National Convention that will be held in the building early next month.

Scott Dochterman, Cedar Rapids Gazette: The Big Ten Network has reached an agreement with Mediacom, the largest cable provider in Iowa.

Don Walker, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: The dispute between the Big Ten Network and Time Warner continued when the cable operator offered to air two Wisconsin games on a pay-per-view basis, with the proceeds going to the university.

Barry Jackson, Miami Herald: Miami suspended quarterback Robert Marve for the opener against always-tough Charleston Southern. That means freshman Jacory Harris is expected to start Thursday night's game.

Andrea Cohen, Oklahoman: Oklahoma State and Texas Tech officials can't decide where to play their 2009 game in Dallas. Oklahoma State and T. Boone Pickens want to play at the new Dallas Cowboys stadium. Tech officials want to use the Cotton Bowl, in part because former Red Raider quarterback John Scovell is on the Cotton Bowl Athletic Association Board.

Pat Harty, Iowa City Press-Citizen: Iowa has no business being a .500 team, but if it goes 6-6 again, things are going to turn ugly.

Andrew Logue, Des Moines Register: Austen Arnaud will start at quarterback for Iowa State, which opens the season Thursday against South Dakota State.

Joe Ovies, 850 The Blog: Redshirt freshman Russell Wilson will start at quarterback for North Carolina State in the opener Thursday against the South Carolina.

Bob Wieneke, South Bend Tribune: Notre Dame starting tight end Mike Ragone will miss the season after surgery to repair the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.

Luke Meredith, Associated Press: If you're looking to find rosters to fill in the blanks for EA Sports' NCAA Football '09, check out Game Rosters.com.

Barnhouse's Bottom 25: Louisiana Lafayette

Legendary sportswriter Wendell Barnhouse recently left the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and is now a correspondent for Big 12 Sports.com. With 30 years experience of observing the college scene, his expertise is unmatched. In the spirit of Steve Harvey's Bottom Ten, Wendell will provide us a capsule look at college football's less fortunate, counting down the Bottom 25 teams in Division I-A football.

No. 8 Louisiana Lafayette
Location: Lafayette, La.
Nickname: Ragin' Cajuns.
Conference: Sun Belt.
Coach: Rickey Bustle, 26-44 in six seasons.
Division I-A history: 460-489-31 in 100 seasons, .485 winning percentage.
Last bowl season: None. (Louisiana Lafayette played in the 1970 Grantland Rice Bowl, which is not recognized as a "major" bowl game.)
Best record in last five years: 6-5 in 2005.
Rank(ed) because: Bustle, a former Virignia Tech assistant, has a program that is built on a solid rushing attack (seventh in the Division I-A last season with 250 yards per game. The Ragin' Cajuns, though, can't do much else. They were 100th or worse in six statistical categories — passing offense, net punting, punt returns, rushing defense, total defense, scoring defense.
Negative number: 21. The scoring margin in last season's 38-17 loss at home to McNeese State, which in case you don't keep track of things is a Division I-AA team. Losing to a I-AA team — bad. Losing to a I-AA team that can use the victory as a bargaining chip for recruits in your home state — worse.
Possible victory: Florida International, Nov. 1. The visitors are one of the few teams that are ranked better (worse?) in the Bottom 25 than La-La. Considering the schedule before this game, the Ragin' Cajuns might be seeking their first victory when the Panthers travel to Louisiana.
Biggest blowout: At Illinois, Sept. 13. Playing a road game against a solid Big Ten team is a two-course menu for a big loss.
Is there hope?: Everywhere but in the win column. Bustle can boast of his team's classroom work that is producing an upward-tracking Academic Progress Rate. Season ticket sales are up, the school has built a new indoor practice facility with a new weight room next for construction. But the Ragin' Cajuns don't appear capable of moving North of the six-win level.

Thanks to the Helmet Project.

More Trouble Brewing at Alabama

Seriously, what have the good people of Alabama done to deserve this?

Tom Arnold, left, the pride of Ottumwa, Iowa, whose erratic behavior has become a source of embarrassment to Hawkeye fans, has apparently turned his back on his former university. He was spotted Thursday in Tuscaloosa, schmoozing with Nick Saban, joking with athletic director Mal Moore and attending an Alabama practice.

Arnold, whose major Hollywood accomplishment was marrying Roseanne Barr, reportedly claimed his son will one day play at Alabama.

One problem with this. Arnold doesn't have a son. At least not yet.

This came shortly after a report that Saban may have complained about his being shorter in a Coca-Cola advertising campaign using a cardboard cut-out of the coach alongside colleagues Tommy Tuberville and Houston Nutt (thanks to EDSBS). The cut-outs were eventually made the same size, much to the surprise of Nutt, reportedly the tallest member of the three Southeastern Conference coaches.

All this followed our earlier report of Alabama bringing in the Pacific Institute to help players with mental conditioning/character development issues. An anonymous reader took note of the affirmations given to Crimson Tide players and came up with one for Saban:

"I am the unquestioned master of my domain. My power frustrates all who live in my world. There is nothing regarding the football program that is not under my micro-management control. My power is important to me! I will out-recruit, out-work, out-earn and out-maneuver any and all of my coaching peers. I am committed to returning Alabama football to its rightful place among college football's elite. I will entertain other job offers if they offer me more money but I will believe my own words when I say that I am not interested in other jobs. My methods are perfect. I close practices unless allowing in certain people benefits myself or my program. I learned by secretive ways from the best but I am even better than my teachers. I control the media! I control the fans! I CONTROL ALABAMA FOOTBALL!"

Ohio State Tops Preseason BCS Standings

Huh? That's right, we have the preseason Bowl Championship Series standings in hand, thanks to Sam Chi, the BCS Guru, and Ohio State — the team everybody loves to hate — is No. 1.

USC is No. 2, making the Sept. 13 meeting between the Buckeyes and Trojans at the L.A. Coliseum of Herculean importance. Georgia is No. 3, Oklahoma sits at No. 4 and Florida resides at No. 5. The rest of the top 10: No. 6 Missouri, No. 7 Louisiana State, No. 8 West Virginia, No. 9 Clemson and No. 10 Texas. Every team that received at least a single vote in the Associated Press or coaches poll is placed in Sam's BCS standings, all the way down to a tie for 57th between Washington and Hawaii.

What is Sam's methodology for his preseason rankings? He writes: "It's the same formula that produces the official BCS standings, with two exceptions: 1) Since the Harris Interactive Poll that accounts for 1/3 of the standings won't be available until late September, the AP poll is used in its place; 2) None of the six BCS computers publish preseason ratings, so ratings from 20 computers that do are used. The highest and lowest ratings for each team are discarded, and the remaining 18 averaged to produce the computer score."

The first set of official standings won't be released until Sunday, Oct. 12, but Wiz readers will once again be ahead of the curve in 2008. Sam will be providing us with updated standings on Saturday nights throughout the season so you'll know about 18 hours in advance of the "official" announcement on Fox of where your team stands each week.

Reporters' Notebooks

Chris Givens, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette: Arkansas is expected to extend its deal to play games at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock through 2016. Arkansas will not be required to play more than two games a season at War Memorial in the remaining eight years of the contract.

On Campus, Orlando Sentinel: Best theme for a college football special section? It belongs to the Sentinel, which got Barack Obama and John McCain to pose for the cover shot. Plus a link to the section, which carries a political theme throughout.

Tom D'Angelo: Palm Beach Post: Florida State is preparing a written response to the NCAA’s notice of allegations of academic fraud and should release the document on or around Sept. 12.

Stephen Tsai, Honolulu Advertiser: Quarterback Tyler Graunke, the expected starter for Hawaii until he was suspended because of "academic issues," has been reinstated to the team.

Curtis Anderson, Eugene Register-Guard: Quarterback Nate Costa, Oregon's expected starter, suffered an injury of unknown severity to his left knee.

Rusty Simmons, San Francisco Chronicle: Sophomore Kevin Riley was named the starting quarterback for California, edging out senior incumbent Nate Longshore.

Jeremy Fowler, Orlando Sentinel: Florida defensive tackle Torrey Davis has been cited twice since April of driving with knowledge of a suspended license. He has a court date of Sept. 22.

Chip Cosby, Lexington Herald-Leader: Former Kentucky quarterback Curtis Pulley has enrolled at Florida A&M. Thanks to Scott.

Sports By Brooks: Penn State's opener against Coastal Carolina just got easier. Chanticleer receiver William Chandler was suspended after being charged with third-degree criminal sexual conduct.

Mercedes Mayer, Fort Worth Star-Telegram: Texas Christian unveiled a 40,000 square-foot facility that houses a team meeting room, a players-only club, six suites, club-level seating, an academic center and a dining area.

Shannon Shelton, Detroit Free Press: Michigan State held a dedication ceremony for a 25,000-square-foot addition to the Duffy Daugherty Football Building.

College Football Walk On: The new site plans to establish an award to honor the collegiate walk-on player of the year.

To bypass registration, go to Bug Me Not.

Barnhouse's Bottom 25: Eastern Michigan

Legendary sportswriter Wendell Barnhouse recently left the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and is now a correspondent for Big 12 Sports.com. With 30 years experience of observing the college scene, his expertise is unmatched. In the spirit of Steve Harvey's Bottom Ten, Wendell will provide us a capsule look at college football's less fortunate, counting down the Bottom 25 teams in Division I-A football.

No. 9 Eastern Michigan
Location: Ypsilanti, Mich.
Nickname: Eagles.
Conference: Mid-American, East Division.
Coach: Jeff Genyk, 13-33 in five seasons.
Division I-A history: 425-498-47 in 115 seasons, .462 winning percentage.
Last bowl season: 1987.
Best record last five years: 4-7 in 2004 and 2005.
Rank(ed) because: Unfulfilled promises. The Eagles have spent the last few seasons appearing to be a team ready to turn the corner. The corner is still there and Eastern Michigan's turn signal is still blinking. Over the last three seasons, the Eagles have 12 losses decided by eight or fewer points. This is a program that has yet to learn how to win.
Negative number: Since finishing 6-5 in 1995, the program's last winning season, Eastern Michigan is 35-89.
Possible victory: Indiana State, Aug. 28. The Sycamores have lost 31 of their last 32 games. Eastern Michigan should be able to make it 32 out of 33.
Biggest blowout: At Michigan State, Sept. 6. A victory followed by a loss. The Eagles aren't ready to compete in a Big Ten Conference road game.
Is there hope?: For Genyk, there had better be hope — and victories — in this, his fifth season. This season's team is experienced — 16 returning starters and 46 lettermen. That needs to translate into more than three or four victories.

Thanks to the Helmet Project.

Brigham Young

Brigham Young, winner of 22 games the past two seasons, hasn't lost a Mountain West Conference game since 2005. A favorable schedule should enable the Cougars to be in the hunt for a Bowl Championship Series game. Early tests come at Washington and at home against UCLA. A midseason game at Texas Christian could be tricky, and don't forget about the regular-season finale at rival Utah.

Countdown to Kickoff

Here's your invitation to join me Friday night at the midnight hour (Pacific time zone) for "Sports Overnight America," heard worldwide on the Sports Byline USA Radio Network. Listen live by clicking here and give us a call at 800-878-7529.

Our men and women in the military can listen over the American Forces Network, available in 177 countries and U.S. territories along with all the Navy ships at sea.

If you're looking for a guest for your radio show or podcast, drop me an email at dawizofodds (at) aol.com.

A Reminder That the Wiz Is Moving

If you haven't already, please bookmark our new site, The Wiz of Odds.com. We are moving operations to that site after this weekend and this Blogger address will no longer be updated. Don't be left behind!

Will Leach Set Sail for Jamaica?

Captivated by Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt's stunning athleticism? You're not alone. Bolt toyed with the competition in winning the 100- and 200-meter dashes in world-record time at the Beijing Olympics. Now the Pirate himself, Mike Leach, would like to put Jamaica on his recruiting map.

"I got to be honest, I've been thinking about recruiting Jamaica since I saw that stuff," Leach said, presumably joking (you never know with the Texas Tech coach). "I've been to Jamaica and let me tell you something ... here's the extent that I've thought about that subject, there's approximately 2.8 million people in Jamaica, which is approximately the size of the state of Iowa or Kansas, or the city of Houston.

"It's almost like the country of Jamaica is sitting there saying, 'If you would have just told us that this was important we could have won a lot of this stuff a long time ago.' "

Now if you're a Southeastern Conference coach who took note of reports last week that Bigfoot was found running around Northern Georgia, forget about it. As much as we'd enjoy seeing Phil Fulmer bump into Urban Meyer on the Bigfoot recruiting trail, it turned out to be a big hoax.

But wouldn't Bigfoot look good on the defensive line?

Reporters' Notebooks

Rick Malwitz, East Brunswick Home News Tribune: Is George Zoffinger, a member of Rutgers board of governors, the source for a series of articles by the Newark Star-Ledger detailing financial shortcomings in the athletic department? Some say Zoffinger wants to become Rutgers athletic director. Thanks to Stephen.

Josh Margolin, and Ted Sherman, Newark Star-Ledger: Contractors are behind in completing renovations to Rutgers Stadium, with crews working 10-hour shifts seven days a week to complete a new mezzanine section that includes 1,000 premium club seats and boxes. The Scarlet Knights' opener against Fresno State is 11 days away and tickets for the mezzanine seats have already been sold.

Awful Announcing: ESPN has announced its broadcasting teams. There are some surprising pairings.

Donald Heath, Savannah Morning News: Georgia's "tough" schedule just got a little easier. Eight Georgia Southern players have been suspended for the opener against the Bulldogs.

Kissing Suzy Kolber: Is Matt Simms' career going up in smoke at Louisville? A photo suggests that might be the case for the suspended quarterback.

Mark Bradley, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: The most obnoxious fans in the Southeastern Conference reside in Florida.

Joseph Goodman, Miami Herald: Perhaps Jamar Hornsby deserves a second chance at Florida.

Bill Koch, Cincinnati Enquirer: There's still a chance Ben Mauk will be Cincinnati's starting quarterback. The NCAA agreed to re-hear Mauk's appeal for a sixth year to complete his four years of eligibility.

Kevin Donahue, FanBlogs: Does Florida State's 2010 schedule hint at Bobby Bowden's retirement?

Susan Montoya Bryan, Associated Press: The NCAA put New Mexico on three years of probation and cut five scholarships as punishment for academic violations involving two former assistant coaches.

Chadd Cripe, Idaho Statesman: Boise State will start a redshirt freshman at quarterback. Kellen Moore won the job over senior Bush Hamdan after a seven-and-a-half month battle.

Jeff Potrykus, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Fifth-year senior Allan Evridge, who started six games as a redshirt freshman at Kansas State in 2005, was named Wisconsin's starting quarterback.

Andrew Logue, Des Moines Register: The Iowa State-Kansas State series is moving to Kansas City's Arrowhead Stadium in 2009 and 2010. Each athletic department will receive a $1.8 million guarantee that will be payable over both years, plus 40% of the gate receipts.

Robert Cessna, Bryan-College Station Eagle: Texas A&M ended two-a-days with a water balloon fight between the offense and defense.

Scott F. Davis, Northwest Arkansas Times: Arkansas receiver Marques Wade, whose body had the "odor of intoxicants" when he was arrested on July 26, was sentenced to pay fines, court costs and complete 16 hours of community service on drunk driving and careless driving charges.

Trojan Wire: Check out the insane Joe McKnight video.

Martin Grau Will Remain at OFS

The good people of Bossier City, La., are likely relieved now that Martin Grau, who for weeks has been flirting with that opening Flint, Mich., announced that he will remain at Office Furniture Source. We never seriously thought Grau would leave, not after word leaked that his hourly wage was boosted from $6.55 to $6.75. Nonetheless, it was enough for Grau to have a Les Miles moment.

Thanks to Brian Grummell at FanHouse.

Barnhouse's Bottom 25: New Mexico State

Legendary sportswriter Wendell Barnhouse recently left the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and is now a correspondent for Big 12 Sports.com. With 30 years experience of observing the college scene, his expertise is unmatched. In the spirit of Steve Harvey's Bottom Ten, Wendell will provide us a capsule look at college football's less fortunate, counting down the Bottom 25 teams in Division I-A football.

No. 10 New Mexico State
Location: Las Cruces, N.M.
Nickname: Aggies.
Conference: Western Athletic.
Coach: Hal Mumme, 8-29 in three seasons, 115-93-1 overall in 17 seasons.
Division I-A history: 410-538-31 in 112 seasons, .434 winning percentage.
Last bowl season: 1960.
Best record last five years: 5-6 in 2004.
Rank(ed) because: Hal "The Mad Bomber" Mumme has yet to produce a winning season in Las Cruces despite his offense putting up Arena Football League numbers. Even worse, of the eight victories the Aggies have bagged over Mumme's three seasons, only four have come against Division I-A teams.
Negative number: Five. That's the number of statistical categories where the Aggies ranked in triple digits — 109th in rushing offense, 118th in kickoff returns, 105th in pass defense, 107th in scoring defense, 113th in turnover margin.
Possible victory: Nicholls State, Sept. 4. This is the only Division I-AA opponent on New Mexico State's schedule so it has to be a victory, right?
Biggest blowout: At Nebraska, Sept. 13. The Huskers' defense wants to prove it no longer resembles a sieve. Senior quarterback Chase Holbrook will be a moving target for Nebraska's pass rushers. Considering the Aggies' lack of success versus I-A teams, playing on the road against a BCS opponent could make for an ugly outcome.
Is there hope?: Mumme hired Joe Lee Dunn, a veteran coordinator from the Southeastern Conference, toughen up the Aggies' defense. If New Mexico State can start holding a few foes under 30 points, it might be able to beat some I-A teams.

Thanks to the Helmet Project.

Illinois

Illinois is coming off a surprising 9-4 season that included a trip to the Rose Bowl, but can the Zooker keep it rolling? Consider that the Fighting Illini, who lost running back Rashard Mendenhall, haven't put together back-to-back winning seasons since 1989-90. Defenses will be loading up to stop quarterback Juice Williams, who will have to develop a passing touch. Illinois opens Aug. 30 against Missouri in the Arch Rivalry game in St. Louis. Thanks to Victor.

This Update From the Alabama Politburo

First we learn that Alabama recently brought in the Pacific Institute to help players with mental conditioning/character development issues (i.e. brainwashing; more on that later). Now comes word that Jolly Old Saint Nick Saban pulled scrimmage highlights off Tide TV, a university-run premium site where subscribers pay $120 a year to get, among other things, scrimmage highlights.

Ian Rapoport reported that the roughly two-minute clip from Saturday's work at Bryant-Denny Stadium had been pulled from TideTV. "That's right," he wrote. "The in-house video service run by the athletic department was seriously edited." Then the Birmingham News reporter found out that it was Saban who ordered the highlights be pulled from the site.

"It's no big deal," Saban said. "I don't think that's something that we want to do. That's why we close practice — so that the other team can't see us. We got on the Internet to see if we could see any of Clemson's plays from their scrimmage and didn't see any. That's not what people usually do when you're getting ready to play a game, to advertise on TV or the Internet. I'm not pleased about it, but it's something that can be corrected and it won't happen again."

The public and media are barred from practices or scrimmages by Saban, unless of course it can somehow benefit the coach.

Saban's influence reaches far beyond Tuscaloosa. In April, Mobile Press-Register reporter Gentry Estes wrote a blog post that was critical of the coach's closing of practices. Two days later, the post was deleted by the newspaper with no explanation. Saban is suspected to have complained about the post.

As for the brainwashing exercises, the Pacific Institute was paid $39,000 to conduct the development classes. Here is one affirmation given to players regarding classwork: "I attend all classes with an open mind and with a positive attitude to learn. I'm excited to learn something new every day! My education is important to me. I'm committed to seizing the opportunities that have been given to me. I maintain a 3.5 GPA. I take the time to study, realizing that it is the reiteration that helps me to assimilate what it is I’m learning."

Offensive linemen: "I am an excellent pass blocker. My technique is perfect. I stay low creating a solid base while establishing balance. I sustain my blocks, providing my QB time to complete every pass. My drive blocking is outstanding. I create holes in the defense by driving my opponent off the line of scrimmage. I then use my body to wall off my opponent, preventing him from making the tackle."

Receivers: "I run my routes with precision. I blow by the defender, creating separation. I look the ball into my soft but strong hands, securing it and then I run to daylight. I catch every ball that’s thrown my way and I celebrate when my number is called because I am a big playmaker."

Defensive backs: "I frustrate receivers because I stick to them like glue. I remain calm and relaxed and seek all opportunities to make big plays. Because I am a student of the game of football, I recognize routes as they unfold and always position myself to defend and/or intercept the pass. I'm skilled, I'm fast and I am an aggressive force to be reckoned with. I am a fantastic open-field tackler. I play suffocating defense all the time!"

Defensive linemen: "I am a dominant defensive player. I control the line of scrimmage, making it difficult for the offense to advance the ball. I'm strong and tenacious. I can't be blocked. My pass rush is ferocious. I'm quick off the ball and blow by my opponent, sacking the QB. I am a bad man!"

You can view a video of one of the classes by clicking here.

Don't Touch That Radio Dial

I'll be a guest of Chris Plank on Tulsa's 1430 The Buzz at 3:30 p.m. (Central). You can listen live through 1430's site. If you're out and about on weekends, you've probably heard Chris handling the weekend third shift (1-5 a.m. Central) every Friday and Saturday on Fox Sports Radio.

Looking for a guest for your show? Just drop an email to dawizofodds (at) aol.com.

Reporters' Notebooks

Josh Margolin and Ted Sherman, Newark Star-Ledger: More trouble at Rutgers, where auditors found the athletic department subsidized the travel costs of boosters and other VIPs who accompanied the Scarlet Knights on charter flights to bowl games the past three years. This came at a time when the university was hiking tuition and cutting academic budgets.

C.L. Brown, Louisville Courier-Journal: Louisville has suspended backup quarterback Matt Simms for four games because of a violation of team policy. Simms is the son of former NFL quarterback Phil Simms.

Tom Keegan, Lawrence Journal-World: One huge problem with Kansas' beautiful new practice fields: anybody can watch practice, including spies.

Joe Ovies, 850 The Blog: Virginia is banning all signs at its athletic events. From “Go Cavs!” to “Fire Groh!” to "SportsCenter Is Next." Officials want a “positive game-day environment.”

Heisman Pundit: Is this the start of a Heisman deluge for the Southeastern Conference?

Moisekapenda Bower, Houston Chronicle: Rice's marketing efforts for its opener against Southern Methodist include a cook-off, a keyboardist, climbing walls, balloon animals and face painting. Houston mayor Bill White will serve as an honorary coach and conduct the ceremonial coin toss and furniture impresario Jim McIngvale will be recognized for his advertising contributions.

John Helsley, Oklahoman: How close was Bob Stoops to taking the Iowa job 10 years ago? "If Iowa really wanted me, it would have been there and present there, too, before the interview. It wasn't. So you live and learn." Plus, what qualities got Stoops the Sooner job and a timeline of his hiring.

FanHouse: Oklahoma is making life difficult for former receiver Josh Jarboe, who has transferred to Troy.

Bryan Mullen, Tennessean: Tennessee tight end Brandon Warren, a transfer from Florida State, was cleared to play this season by the NCAA.

Tom Kubat, Lafayette Journal and Courier: Purdue running back Jaycen Taylor is lost for the season after tearing a ligament in his right knee.

Jean-Jacques Taylor, Dallas Morning News: Quarterback Justin Willis, who started 22 of the last 23 games for Southern Methodists, says he does not plan to transfer after being demoted to third string.

Brent Schrotenboer, San Diego Union-Tribune: Former USC running back Reggie Bush and his parents are appealing a recent Superior Court decision that denied their attempt to have a lawsuit against them settled in confidential arbitration and out of public court. Thanks to Mike.

Waco Tribune-Herald: Baylor has extended its series with Rice through 2016.

Barnhouse's Bottom 25: Tulane

Legendary sportswriter Wendell Barnhouse recently left the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and is now a correspondent for Big 12 Sports.com. With 30 years experience of observing the college scene, his expertise is unmatched. In the spirit of Steve Harvey's Bottom Ten, Wendell will provide us a capsule look at college football's less fortunate, counting down the Bottom 25 teams in Division I-A football.

No. 11 Tulane
Location: New Orleans.
Nickname: Green Wave.
Conference: Conference USA, West Division.
Coach: Bob Toledo, 4-8 in one season, 82-46 overall in 14 seasons.
Division I-A history: 482-555-38 in 114 seasons, .466 winning percentage.
Last bowl season: 2002.
Best record last five years: 5-6 in 2004.
Rank(ed) because: Considering this program's home city is still recovering from Hurricane Katrina, putting Tulane in the Bottom 25 smacks of cruel and unusual punishment. But the Green Wave has always struggled to survive. Tulane's defense has made winning as difficult as surviving — over the last five seasons, the team has never given up fewer than 31.3 points per game.
Negative numbers: 115 and 114. That's where Tulane was nationally ranked, respectively, in punt returns and kickoff returns. The special teams just weren't special.
Possible victory: Louisiana Monroe on Sept. 20. This Sun Belt Conference foe won't be a pushover but this is a nonconference home game the Green Wave should win.
Biggest blowout: At Alabama, Sept. 6. For the second consecutive season, Tulane isn't playing on the first weekend of the season. Opening on the road in Tuscaloosa against a Crimson Tide team that's already played a game (against Clemson) is a losing combination.
Is there hope?: Toledo has proven to be a winner and he is concentrating on in-state recruiting. Tulane won two of its last three games and three of last season's losses were by five or fewer points. Tulane can improve and move above .500 ... just don't expect any 12-0 seasons like 1998.

Thanks to the Helmet Project.

Michigan

Michigan is all about the Big House, which played host to the largest crowd in NCAA college football history on Nov. 22, 2003, when 112,118 packed the joint for a game against Ohio State. Click the image for a closer inspection and you'll see the winged helmets blended into the gray sky. Thanks to Zac at Old Hat Creative.

Don't Get Left Behind

No child left behind. Yes, that's our goal. In case you missed it, the site is moving to TheWizofOdds.com. We won't be updating this blogspot address after the weekend, so now is the time to bookmark the new site. You don't want to be left behind.

Reporters Notebooks

Brent Schrotenboer, San Diego Union-Tribune: San Diego State games at Qualcomm Stadium have cost city taxpayers more than $310,000 in losses the past two years.

Barton Deiters, Grand Rapids Press: Michigan's Kevin Grady blew a 0.281 — more than three times the legal limit — when he was arrested for driving while intoxicated on July 2. The police report said an officer asked the running back for a number between 12 and 14 and Grady answered "15." When asked whether Mickey Mouse is a dog or a cat, Grady answered "dog."

Terry Hutchens, Indianapolis Star: Indiana quarterback Kellen Lewis says too much partying led to his suspension last March. "I must have thought I was in Los Angeles, Calif., or something," he said. "I got into the rock star mentality and I took it way too far."

Mike Fields, Lexington Herald-Leader: Jerrell Greene, a standout running back who committed to Kentucky in April, was kicked off his high school team and won't play his senior season. Greene was charged with first-degree robbery in June after he allegedly tried to steal cough medicine from a Kroger pharmacy and got in a fight with store employees before he was arrested. Thanks to Scott.

C.L. Brown and Jody Demling, Louisville Courier-Journal: Scott Long, Louisville's most experienced receiver, is likely to miss the opener against Kentucky after breaking a bone in his left foot. And Justin Burke, a quarterback at North Carolina State, is transferring to Louisville.

Ian Rapoport, Birmingham News: A copy of CBS' preliminary TV schedule for games this fall is working its way around the blogosphere.

Ryan Autullo, Toledo Blade: Bowling Green's secondary has set a goal of 33 interceptions this season.

Tom Kubat, Louisville Courier-Journal: Purdue running back Jaycen Taylor injured his right knee and could miss significant time.

Bobbi Roquemore, Dallas Morning News: Justin Willis, a junior who has started 22 of the last 23 games and holds Southern Methodist's team record with 51 career touchdown passes, was demoted to third string.

Lonnie White, Los Angeles Times: Transfer Kevin Craft has been named UCLA's starting quarterback.

Sandra McKee, Baltimore Sun: Jordan Stuffy has been named Maryland's starting quarterback.

Dugan Arnett, Lawrence Journal-World: Kansas is suddenly down to one kicker on its roster.

Brett McMurphy, Tampa Tribune: South Florida defensive line coach John Hendrick, who suffered a heart attack July 1, returned to practice after being cleared by his doctors.

Bryant-Jon Anteola, Fresno Bee: Fresno State defensive coordinator Dan Brown, who had been recovering from brain cancer, underwent additional head surgery but is expected to coach this season.

Joe Ovies, 850 The Blog: Veteran columnist Frank Dascenzo is retiring from the Durham Herald-Sun.

To bypass registration, go to Bug Me Not.

The SEC Is Better Than the Big Ten

Our man Ryan Parker is back in the house and preparing for the 2008 season with "The SEC Is Better Than the Big Ten." If you want to sing along, the lyrics are posted at Ryan Parker Songs. Enjoy!

Barnhouse's Bottom 25: Rice

Legendary sportswriter Wendell Barnhouse recently left the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and is now a correspondent for Big 12 Sports.com. With 30 years experience of observing the college scene, his expertise is unmatched. In the spirit of Steve Harvey's Bottom Ten, Wendell will provide us a capsule look at college football's less fortunate, counting down the Bottom 25 teams in Division I-A football.

No. 12 Rice
Location: Houston.
Nickname: Owls.
Conference: Conference USA, West Division.
Coach: David Bailiff, 3-9, second season; 24-24 overall in four seasons.
Division I-A history: 416-535-32 in 96 seasons, .439 winning percentage.
Last bowl season: 2006.
Best record last five years: 7-6 in 2006.
Rank(ed) because: Like other academic-oriented Division I-A schools, Rice is always pushing a big rock up a steep hill. For the Owls, though, the rock is bigger and the hill is steeper because they play in a non-BCS conference. That means the revenue sharing stream is much shallower. Rice is the smallest I-A school in terms of enrollment and its football history is faded.
Negative number: 4-2-5. That's the alignment used by defensive coordinator Chuck Driesbach. Last season it yielded nearly 511 yards per game. Rice won a 56-48 shootout and lost a game by the same score.
Possible victory: Southern Methodist, Aug. 29. The season opener on a Friday night ... in Houston ... in late summer. The Owls have to hope that the Mustangs will melt but at the least struggle in June Jones' coaching debut.
Biggest blowout: At Texas, Sept. 20. A rematch of two former Southwest Conference teams; last year's result was a 58-14 Longhorn victory.
Is there hope?: Todd Graham got the Owls to a bowl game in 2006 then slipped out the back door and took the job at C-USA rival Tulsa. That kinda sums up what an up-and-coming coach thought about Rice. The Owls have a record-setting senior quarterback in Chase Clement but they play four of their first six games on the road.

Thanks to the Helmet Project.

Boston College

Boston College has won eight bowl games in a row, the longest streak in Division I-A. Quarterback Chris Crane will try to keep the streak going. He replaces Matt Ryan, the third overall pick in the NFL draft. Atlantic Coast Conference opponents Virginia Tech and Clemson come to Chestnut Hill, two of the Eagles' seven home games. A reminder that you can click the poster for an enlarged view. Thanks to Andrew.

The Wiz, Version 2.0: We're Moving the Site!

After three years of using Blogger, I have decided to move the site to TheWizofOdds.com. If you're still using the blogspot address, you'll need to re-bookmark the site to TheWizofOdds.com. The RSS feed is also changing. This should work for the new feed: http://thewizofodds.typepad.com/the_wiz_of_odds/index.rdf

To help ease the transition, we will be double posting on each site through this week, but after this weekend, thewizardofodds.blogspot.com address will not be updated. The Blogger site and the over 3,700 posts will remain.

We hope you enjoy the new HD format and value your continued support.

The Ultimate Toast to Bo

Bo Schembechler was never one to whine, but now there is wine named after the Michigan coaching legend. Bo Merlot will be unveiled in the Ann Arbor area next week before the Wolverines' opener against those teetotalers from Utah.

The merlot comes from a winery in Monterey because California is the site of the Rose Bowl, which Schembechler set as his team's goal each season.

The price is $19.69. Of course, 1969 was Schembechler's first season as Wolverine coach.

The wine is described as having an "intense fruit forwardness with a luscious berry concentration ... a rich presentation on the palate with a lovely, lingering finish."

Marlena Studer, who operates the company distribution Bo Merlot, says. "It's not a wine you chug down, but one you sip slowly and enjoy."

Thanks to Kevin at FanBlogs.

Reporters' Notebooks

Patrick Ridgell, Longmont Times-Call: Colorado has selected a starting tailback and it's not Darrell Scott, who was voted Big 12 newcomer of the year. Sophomore Demetrius Sumler gets the call for the Aug. 31 opener against Colorado State.

Dennis Dodd, CBS Sports: Court documents portray former Marshall coach Bobby Pruett as having direct involvement in academic fraud and overpayment of athletes working while at the school. Pruett is now the defensive coordinator at Virginia.

Paul Gattis, Huntsville Times: Taylor Zarzour, host of The Big Tailgate show on WPTF in Raleigh, describes himself as an "avid Alabama fan." Perhaps that explains why he left Auburn, which was picked to win the West Division of the Southeastern Conference, off his Associated Press ballot.

John Hunt, Oregonian: Associated Press guidelines for poll voters. "Avoid regional bias, for or against." And this: " 'Homerism' will be challenged and could lead to dismissal from the poll board.

Ben Prather, FanBlogs: Should the Mountain West Conference consider expansion? Adding Boise State, Fresno State and Houston would produce a conference close in performance to the current level of the Atlantic Coast and Big East.

Randy King, Roanoke Times: Sophomore Zach Luckett, projected to be Virginia Tech’s starting flanker, has been indefinitely suspended from the squad after he was arrested on a DUI charge.

Tim Tucker, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Georgia Tech fans hoping to watch Paul Johnson's debut as the Yellow Jacket coach on TV are out of luck. They will have to tune in over the Internet.

Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times: USC running back Joe McKnight suffered a hyperextended right elbow during a scrimmage.

To bypass registration, go to Bug Me Not.

Florida

Reason No. 999 that the only poll that matters is the last one. Florida was picked by media covering the Southeastern Conference to not only win the SEC East over Georgia, but the league title as well. Yet the Bulldogs were voted No. 1 in the Associated Press and USA Today/Coaches poll. Explain that to us. Another reason we don't pay attention to polls. Thanks to Sam for the Gator poster schedule.

Barnhouse's Bottom 25: Arkansas State

Legendary sportswriter Wendell Barnhouse recently left the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and is now a correspondent for Big 12 Sports.com. With 30 years experience of observing the college scene, his expertise is unmatched. In the spirit of Steve Harvey's Bottom Ten, Wendell will provide us a capsule look at college football's less fortunate, counting down the Bottom 25 teams in Division I-A football.

No. 13 Arkansas State
Location: Jonesboro, Ark.
Nickname: Red Wolves.
Conference: Sun Belt.
Coach: Steve Roberts, 31-41 in six seasons, 80-74-1 overall in 14 seasons.
Division I-A history: 49-123-1 in 16 seasons, .322 winning percentage.
Last bowl season: 2005.
Best record last five years: 6-6 in 2006 (and in 2005).
Rank(ed) because: In order to comply with the NCAA's emphasis on political correctness, the school changed its nickname from Indians to Red Wolves. If only winning football games was as simple. Quarterback Corey Leonard and running back Reggie Arnold are among the best in the Sun Belt but Arkansas State needs more players and the ability to play consistently.
Negative number: Since becoming a Division I-A team in 1992, Arkansas State has never won its road opener. The Red Wolves open at Texas A&M on Aug. 30.
Possible victory: Texas Southern, Sept. 6. The Red Wolves should be able to get into the win column against this Southwestern Athletic Conference foe.
Biggest blowout: At Alabama, Nov. 1. The Crimson Tide was embarrassed the last time a Sun Belt team visited Tuscaloosa (Louisiana Monroe last season). Teams with elephants in their logo never forget.
Is there hope?: Roberts has made Arkansas State competitive in the Sun Belt. Other than scuffling for the scraps in Division I-A's basement conference, there's not much more this program can do.

Thanks to the Helmet Project.

Brand's Pay From the NCAA: $935,000

Times are tough. The economy is a mess, corporate America continues to send jobs overseas, workers everywhere are getting laid off and yes, "student-athletes" are still being exploited.

Then there is one Myles Brand, head of the NCAA. His compensation for 2006-07 was $935,000, a 4% raise from the previous fiscal year. That is more than every public university president in the country.

Yes, the NCAA, which listed its tax-exempt purpose as keeping sports as "an integral part of the educational program and the athlete as an integral part of the student body," is rolling in money. At least eight other officials are pulling down over $275,000. The governing body also paid $971,000 to a company that provides charter air travel. Must be nice not having to rub elbows with the common folk.

People should be outraged. At least one group took action. A class-action lawsuit brought by former college athletes who alleged the NCAA failed to cover the full cost of their education was settled earlier this month. The tax records revealed that the NCAA paid $18.6 million for plaintiffs' attorneys' fees and a fund for former athletes to settle lawsuit.

Mission Accomplished

It took 32 years to complete, but Steve Koreivo of Stanhope, N.J., has watched each of the 119 teams in Division I-A play in person at least once. He has chronicled his accomplishment at College Football Fan.

And he's not finished. He plans to see Western Kentucky play in 2009 when it becomes the 120th member of I-A.

"Now that my goal has been achieved, my wife is asking me why I’m still going to these games,” Koreivo, 51, told the New York Times.

Laurie, his wife of 19 years, knows that answer. "College football is in his blood," she said.

We understand.

Thanks to Kevin of We Are Penn State.

Reporters' Notebooks

Wally Hall, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette: Lousiana State offensive lineman Herman Johnson, all 6-feet-8, 350 pounds of him, is listed as one of the largest babies ever born in Louisiana, 15 pounds 14 ounces.

Kevin Scarbinsky, Birmingham News: To coaches, the meaning of "open" and "closed" practices are open for interpretation. Open usually means for a price.

Joseph Goodman, Miami Herald: Receiver Percy Harvin is not a team leader. Does it matter to Florida's success?

Randy Peterson, Des Moines Register: Iowa will be without two starters for its opener against Maine. Tight end Tony Moeaki has a foot injury and receiver Trey Stross is having hamstring problems.

And this friendly reminder, if you want to know what all your Olympic heroes are up to, check out Steroid Nation.

To bypass registration, go to Bug Me Not.

Army

Army has been among Division I-A's worst teams for several years, but its 2008 poster schedule has to rank among the best. Click the image for a closer look and you'll see all the details that capture the glory days of Army football. Thanks to Annie.

Barnhouse's Bottom 25: Akron

Legendary sportswriter Wendell Barnhouse recently left the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and is now a correspondent for Big 12 Sports.com. With 30 years experience of observing the college scene, his expertise is unmatched. In the spirit of Steve Harvey's Bottom Ten, Wendell will provide us a capsule look at college football's less fortunate, counting down the Bottom 25 teams in Division I-A football.

No. 14 Akron
Location: Akron, Ohio.
Nickname: Zips.
Conference: Mid-American, East Division.
Coach: J.D. Brookhart, 22-26 in four seasons.
Division I-A history: 477-458-37 in 107 seasons, .509 winning percentage.
Last bowl season: 2005.
Best record last five years: 7-5 in 2003.
Rank(ed) because: This is a program that needs more (warning: bad pun alert) ... zip. Akron has been neither awesome nor awful (since World War II, one 10-win season, no winless seasons). Brookhart dismissed seven key players before the 2007 season. Instead of building on the four previous seasons that totaled 25 wins, Akron took a step back.
Negative number: Akron is 1-17 against Big Ten Conference teams. The only victory? That came just a few years before Lee Corso was born — in 1894 against Ohio State.
Possible victory: At Army, Sept. 20. Akron should take the field with a chance to beat an Army team that is also in the preseason Bottom 25.
Biggest blowout: At Wisconsin, Aug. 30: The Badgers' offense has been high-octane the last few seasons. The Zips' defense was below average last season and has to replace half of its starters.
Is there hope?: Brookhart is a solid coach who made a gutsy decision dismissing key players before last season. For good or bad, that might be the defining moment of his tenure. Akron is playing its final season in the venerable Rubber Bowl (opened: 1940). Next season the Zips will play in the 30,000-seat, on-campus InfoCision Stadium.

Thanks to the Helmet Project.

Louisiana State

Nothing flashy about Louisiana State's schedule poster. The message is stated across the top: College football's only two-time BCS national champion. Who can argue with that? Thanks to Jason and Bryan.

Reporters' Notebooks

Tony Barnhart, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: The Southeastern Conference's new TV deal with CBS likely kills any chance there will be an SEC TV network.

Marcus Nelson, Palm Beach Post: Howard Schnellenberger's bashing of Texas has fired up his Florida Atlantic players, who say they want to show the Longhorns the meaning of toughness.

Mark Vierthaler, Lawrence Journal-World: Does a winning football team help the band? Appears to be the case at Kansas, where 239 students registered for band duty, up from 177 the year before.

Bud Withers, Seattle Times: Imagine that, Washington State players going more than six weeks without a beer. Thanks to Tim.

Jeremy Fowler, Orlando Sentinel: More trouble at Florida. Defensive tackle Torrey Davis must appear in court after being pulled over while driving with a suspended license. He won't play in the opener against Hawaii.

Rick Scoppe, Greenville News: Two Columbia police officers were charged with misconduct in office stemming from the arrest of South Carolina offensive lineman Kevin Young in March. "I'm not surprised from the story I heard," Steve Spurrier said.

Michael Rothstein, Fort Wayne Journal Gazette: Notre Dame's junior class continues to lose players. The latest departure is receiver Richard Jackson.

Edward Aschoff, Gainesville Sun: Boston Celtic coach Doc Rivers paid a visit to Gainesville, took in a Florida Gator practice and spoke to the team.

Bryant-Jon Anteola, Fresno Bee: A mistake by Fresno State's ticket office allowed 120 people to buy 357 premium-seating tickets at a single-game rate — many for Fresno State's home opener against Wisconsin.

Scott Wright, Oklahoman: Oklahoma State receiver William Cole's season is over before it started. He suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during a practice.

Austin Ward, Casper Star-Tribune: Two-year Wyoming starting quarterback Karsten Sween lost his job to junior college transfer Dax Crum.

Stephen Tsai, Honolulu Advertiser: New Hawaii starting quarterback Brent Rausch has played 11-on-11 football only one season in the past six years.

Burnt Orange Nation: Why preseason polls are not only ruining college football, but America as well.

Mike Casazza, Charleston Daily Mail: West Virginia linebacker Reed Williams, the team's leading tackler last season, is likely out of the opener against Villanova because he's still recovering from shoulder surgeries.

Dr. Saturday: Welcome back to the blogosphere, Matt Hinton. The man behind Sunday Morning Quarterback is now blogging for Yahoo!

Dan Steinberg, Beijing Sports Smog: Meet judo's version of Mark Mangino, Cuba women's coach Ronaldo Veitia.

Barnhouse's Bottom 25: Nevada Las Vegas

Legendary sportswriter Wendell Barnhouse recently left the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and is now a correspondent for Big 12 Sports.com. With 30 years experience of observing the college scene, his expertise is unmatched. In the spirit of Steve Harvey's Bottom Ten, Wendell will provide us a capsule look at college football's less fortunate, counting down the Bottom 25 teams in Division I-A football.

No. 15 Nevada Las Vegas
Location: Las Vegas.
Nickname: Rebels.
Conference: Mountain West.
Coach: Mike Sanford, 6-29 in three seasons.
Division I-A history: 209-237-4 in 40 seasons, .469 winning percentage.
Last bowl season: 2000.
Best record last five years: 6-6 in 2003.
Rank(ed) because: These are neither the runnin' nor the passin' Rebels. They can't do much of anything on the football field. Sanford was Urban Meyer's offensive coordinator at Utah but his offensive acumen was lost in the transition. In 34 games against Division I-A teams, UNLV has scored 30 or more points five times.
Negative number: UNLV's record has been four of a kind, all deuces. As in two victories each of the last four seasons.
Possible victory: Utah State, Aug. 30. The Rebels have a shot at beating the Aggies, mainly because they're residing in the Bottom 25 (where? just keep following the daily posting; yeah, it's a shameless plug.) Utah State should provide an end to UNLV's eight-game losing streak.
Biggest blowout: At Arizona State, Sept. 13. The Sun Devils will want to put up a big number in order to impress the poll voters.
Is there hope?: Las Vegas is one of the nation's fastest-growing locales. The Mountain West is one of the best non-BCS leagues. UNLV should be able to field a winning football team. But like what happens in the casinos, it's not a sure bet.

Thanks to the Helmet Project.

What Does He Really Think of Saban?

Kevin Scarbinsky of the Birmingham News says Forbes Magazine's proclamation that Nick Saban is "the most powerful coach in sports" is a bunch of running bull.

"Nick Saban is the most powerful coach in sports ... who's lost four of his last five games.

"Saban is the most powerful coach in sports ... who's one game over .500 at his current job.

"Saban is the most powerful coach in sports ... who hasn't had a winning regular season in three years."

Scarbinsky is just getting warmed up. He says Mike Krzyzewski of Duke would have been a much better choice and that "Coach K has won three national titles and didn't have to share any of them with Pete Carroll."

Will Collier of From The Bleachers writes that "Scarbinsky probably ought to have a bomb-sniffing dog check out his car before he drives home tonight. This one isn't going to go over so well with all the Kool-Aid drinkers in Bamaham--which certainly includes a massive crimson cheering section at the Bamaham News."

How Much Does USC Pay Carroll?

Pete Carroll would appear to be the highest-paid college football coach in the land, according to tax returns filed by USC.

For the 2006-07 academic year, Carroll's compensation was $4,436,386. Adam Rose of All Things Trojan reports that offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian's total compensation was $704,380.

Basketball coach Tim Floyd's deal totaled $1,101,111 and athletic director Mike Garrett was at $803,194.

By comparison, university president Steven Sample's compensation was listed at $978,579.

Because it is a private institution, USC has to list only the compensation of its highest-paid employees on returns. The school reported total revenue of $2.7 billion in 2006-07 and total expenses of $2.06 billion.

Thanks to Image of Sport.

Reporters' Notebooks

Marcus Nelson, Palm Beach Post: Florida Atlantic's Howard Schnellenberger is disputing comments attributed to him about the toughness of the Texas Longhorns.

Scott Dochterman, Cedar Rapids Gazette: The woman who has accused two former Iowa players of rape exchanged text messages with one of the defendants hours after the incident.

Gary Klein and David Wharton, Los Angeles Times: A door that was closed on Joe McKnight's right hand sent the USC running back to the emergency room with two injured fingers.

Angelique S. Chengelis, Detroit News: Michigan's Rich Rodriguez has put red blocking dummies in practice with Ohio State logos attached at the contact point.

Greg Stoda, Palm Beach Post: Miami's Randy Shannon can recruit, but now comes the Ron Zookian inquiry. Can he coach?

Mike Bianchi, Orlando Sentinel: Winning has never been more critical because fans who are struggling in a failing economy no longer have the money to support a loser.

Cecil Hurt, Tuscaloosa News: An Alabama-Virginia Tech game in Atlanta to open the 2009 season is closer to reality now that Brigham Young has become a likely replacement for the Crimson Tide on Tulane's schedule.

Joseph Goodman, Miami Herald: Move over Nick Saban, you have competition in magazine cover department. Tim Tebow is on the front of Men's Fitness.

Heisman Pundit: Purdue quarterback Curtis Painter's chances of winning the Heisman are slim, but a website has been started to help boost his campaign.

John Werner, Waco Tribune: Former Penn State defensive tackle Phil Taylor said he plans to transfer to Baylor.

Jake Schaller, Colorado Springs Gazette: Concussions likely have ended the playing career of Air Force tight end Steve Shaffer.

Stephen Tsai, Honolulu Advertiser: Brent Rausch is expected to be Hawaii's starting quarterback in the opener against Florida.

Jeff Potrykus, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Former Wisconsin tailback Lance Smith was sentenced to 20 days in jail on charges of battery and disorderly conduct.

Detroit Free Press: Michigan has started a fund-raising drive to help the family of offensive lineman Elliott Mealer. A car accident killed his father, David, and Mealer's girlfriend, Hollis Richer, and left his brother, Brock, paralyzed.

Tell Zell: For all our friends still working at a Tribune (Sam Zell) newspaper, please sign this petition.

To bypass registration, go to Bug Me Not. Here is today's mystery link. Thanks to Houston.

Navy

How about this tidbit? Navy has won 23 of its last 25 games when scoring first. The two losses were in overtime to Tulsa in 2006 and Ball State in 2007. The Midshipmen have a new coach in Ken Niumatalolo but will run the familiar triple-option offense. Navy has won the Commander-in-Chief's trophy, given to the winner of the series between the Midshipmen, Army and Air Force, five years in a row. Thanks to Kelli.

Barnhouse's Bottom 25: Middle Tennessee

Legendary sportswriter Wendell Barnhouse recently left the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and is now a correspondent for Big 12 Sports.com. With 30 years experience of observing the college scene, his expertise is unmatched. In the spirit of Steve Harvey's Bottom Ten, Wendell will provide us a capsule look at college football's less fortunate, counting down the Bottom 25 teams in Division I-A football.

No. 16 Middle Tennessee
Location: Murfreesboro, Tenn.
Nickname: Blue Raiders.
Conference: Sun Belt.
Coach: Rick Stockstill, 12-13 in two seasons.
Division I-A history: 46-58 in nine seasons, .442 winning percentage.
Last bowl season: 2006.
Best record last five years: 7-6 in 2006.
Rank(ed) because: Entering the 2008 season, Middle Tennessee is lacking depth and has to play too many inexperienced players. Even in the Sun Belt Conference, that's a losing combination.
Negative number: Middle Tennessee has only 74 scholarship players, 11 under the NCAA limit for I-A programs. The program has lost scholarships because of poor Academic Progress Report numbers.
Possible victory: North Texas, Nov. 22. The Eagles are also in the Bottom 25 so this is a mega-matchup in terms of the polls. The Blue Raiders will have the home-field edge.
Biggest blowout: At Kentucky, Sept. 13. Middle Tennessee also plays at Louisville on Oct. 18. Either of these games against BCS foes could get ugly.
Is there hope?: Stockstill took the Blue Raiders to the only bowl in team history in his first season. If he can keep Middle Tennessee from sliding too much this season, the future looks brighter.

Thanks to the Helmet Project.

In the Midnight Hour

When the clock strikes midnight Friday in the Pacific Time Zone, that is your reminder to join the Wiz for "Sports Overnight America" on the Sports Byline Radio Network. Listen live over the Internet by clicking here. Our men and women in the military can listen over the American Forces Network, available in 177 countries and U.S. territories along with all the Navy ships at sea.

If you're looking for a guest for your radio show or podcast, drop an email at dawizofodds (at) aol.com.

Saban and Alabama: Top Dollar, 'Top Gear'

Rarely are "Forbes Magazine" and "Alabama" mentioned in the same breath, but the respected business and finance magazine has just named Nick Saban "the most powerful coach in sports."

Saban has an eight-year contract worth a guaranteed $32 million. To put this in perspective, compare your paycheck to Saban's through the Birmingham News' handy salary calculator.

But how, we ask, can a state whose residents rank among the lowest per capita income afford to pay Saban top dollar?

We hope to find an answer from a trip into this dangerous American back-country by members of the BBC show "Top Gear." Thanks to Deep South Sports.

Reporters' Notebooks

Tony Barnhart, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: The Southeastern Conference and CBS have agreed to a 15-year contract extension to televise the league's football and men's basketball games through 2023. The deal does not eliminate the possibility of an SEC television network. That won’t be determined until the SEC announces the remainder of its television contracts with ESPN and Raycom.

Will Collier, From The Bleachers: CBS and the SEC partner up through 2023? How wonderful. Fifteen years of lousy kickoff times, terrible announcers and a commercial every 10 seconds. Whoo-pee.

Bob Condotta, Seattle Times: The Dawgfather speaks. Washington legend Don James is critical of the Huskies' nonconference schedule, with games against Oklahoma, Brigham Young and Notre Dame. "I don't like it at all. I'd shoot my athletic director if I had that." He added: "Next year is even worse. Who on earth would put LSU in there as an opener? We played LSU (in 1983, a 40-14 Husky loss) but it wasn't like they had just won the national championship."

Bill Koch, Cincinnati Enquirer: Quarterback Ben Mauk has filed a lawsuit against the NCAA, which denied the quarterback a sixth season of eligibility. A hearing for a permanent injunction is scheduled for Aug. 22.

Jon Wilner, San Jose Mercury News: The five easiest schedules. You should be ashamed, Iowa.

Losers With Socks: Why the Big Ten blows. Look at all those cupcakes!

Jake Trotter, Oklahoman: Josh Jarboe has found a new home. The receiver, who was booted off Oklahoma's team after posting a rap video on YouTube that contained lyrics about carrying guns and shooting people, is headed to Troy.

Jean-Jacques Taylor, Dallas Morning News: It says here that Texas Tech has no business even being considered as a title contender in the South Division of the Big 12.

Tim Cooper, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette: Arkansas and ISP Sports have agreed to a 10-year deal that will allow ISP to establish Arkansas Sports Properties and manage all multimedia rights for Arkansas’ athletic programs. The deal guarantees Arkansas $73 million.

Joe Rexrode, Lansing State Journal: Three Michigan State freshmen players are facing misdemeanor charges of failure to obey police.

Jacob Messer, Charleston Daily Mail: Marshall players are brushing off a piece in Sports Illustrated that says the Thundering Herd will be one of the weakest teams in Division I-A.

Felix Chavez, Las Cruces Sun-News: New Mexico State and San Diego State have agreed to play a two-game series beginning in 2009.

Jason Lieser, Palm Beach Post: That's what I'm talking about. Former Miami standout Lamar Thomas is now an assistant coach at Boynton Beach High in Florida. You might remember Thomas from the Backyard Brawl.

Bruins Nation: They're already getting fired up in Seattle for Nov. 15, the day Rick Neuheisel returns with his UCLA Bruins.

Sports By Brooks: A rash of jock itch at USC, with about 25% of the players scratched from practice.

Joseph Goodman, Miami Herald: Congratulations to Tim Tebow. He turns 21 on Thursday. Time for an adult beverage?

Horton's Hob-Nailed Boot: Are these the first photos of UGA VII?

Stewart Mandel, SI.com: A worthwhile cause here. Mandel is holding a "Conference Showdown" in his weekly Mailbag challenging each conference's fans to raise money for DonorsChoose.org. He writes: "It is an extremely innovative charity that allows individuals to not only donate to public schools, but to direct their donations to specific projects in specific teachers' classrooms around the country."

Texas, Consider This Your Last Warning

Not every team can march into Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium and come with a victory, but on Aug. 30, the Florida Atlantic Owls plan to do just that.

Coach Howard Schnellenberger told the University Press, Florida Atlantic's student newspaper, that his team is ready to take the Longhorns out behind the woodshed for a good old-fashioned beating.

"Once we step out on the field with Texas, the only ones who can help us is ourselves. Texas always has a very polished team that has great talent, but they aren't tough, they aren't a physically tough team.

"My defense will get to a point where they will be mean, nasty and ornery bastards and that’s what you need for Texas. Texas will move the ball with tit-for-tat, screens and options, but we’ll make them pay a price whenever they catch one of those dinky passes. We’ll put three hats on them and make them not want to get up, that’s the way to beat Texas."

Florida Atlantic is a 23-point underdog.

North Carolina

A dazzling poster schedule from North Carolina, which appears to be on the upswing despite a 4-8 record in Butch Davis' first season as coach. Six of the Tar Heels' losses came by a touchdown or less, two of which were against teams ranked in the top 15 at the time. Thanks to Zac at Old Hat Creative.

Barnhouse's Bottom 25: Kent State

Legendary sportswriter Wendell Barnhouse recently left the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and is now a correspondent for Big 12 Sports.com. With 30 years experience of observing the college scene, his expertise is unmatched. In the spirit of Steve Harvey's Bottom Ten, Wendell will provide us a capsule look at college football's less fortunate, counting down the Bottom 25 teams in Division I-A football.

No. 17 Kent State
Location: Kent, Ohio.
Nickname: Golden Flashes.
Conference: Mid-American, East Division.
Coach: Doug Martin, 15-31 in four seasons.
Division I-A history: 297-476-28 in 85 seasons, .388 winning percentage.
Last bowl season: 1972
Best record last five years: 6-6 in 2006.
Rank(ed) because: There are few programs that have been in existence for such a long time with so little hardware in the trophy case. Kent State has won a single MAC title. That came in 1972. The Golden Flashes had a 6-5-1 overall record that season.
Negative number: In 85 seasons of football, Kent State has had 25 winning seasons and only two in the last 30 seasons.
Possible victory: Delaware State, Sept. 13. This is a buy-a-victory game against a I-AA foe. Kent State might even enter this game with momentum; it plays a winnable game at Iowa State on Sept. 6.
Biggest blowout: At Ball State, Sept. 27. Picking a MAC game as a possible lopsided loss is a reach. But the Cardinals have a potent offense and if the Golden Flashes are hobbled after playing four games, this conference opener could be ugly.
Is there hope?: Yes, and even for this year. Dual-threat quarterback Julian Edelman is back after being knocked out in Week Eight by an arm injury. Tailback Eugene Jarvis is the nation's leading returning rusher; he gained 1,669 yards last season. Kent State was 5-2 midway through the 2006 season but has gone 4-13 since.

Thanks to the Helmet Project.

North Carolina State

North Carolina State turns the clock back to 2006 when it had the team sign its schedule poster. It appears only the seniors signed this poster, but still, a terrific idea. As always, click the image for a closer look. Thanks to Chris.

Reporters' Notebooks

Andrea Cohen, Oklahoman: The economy is so bad that even the big guys are getting hurt. Oklahoma State's plans to start construction on an indoor practice facility will likely be pushed back. The reason? The high price of oil has impacted the value of Boone Pickens' hedge fund, which the university uses as collateral when borrowing funds for new projects.

Jeremy Fowler and Brian Steele, Orlando Sentinel: Florida tight end Cornelius Ingram, who had his college career end after a torn anterior cruciate ligament, owes back rent and has been issued a complaint for eviction from a Gainesville apartment complex.

Mick Elliott, Tampa Tribune: Two more Florida players are out for the season because of torn ACLs, Five Gators have suffered torn ACLs in the past month.

Bob Condotta, Seattle Times: Officials who are behind a proposal for a new Seattle Bowl are hoping their game can begin in 2010.

Ryan Finley, Arizona Daily Star: Season ticket sales at Arizona are down 13.7% from last year.

Marc Isenberg, Money Players: The real reason the NCAA decided it was in the best interest not to challenge CBS' incorporation of college sports into fantasy games.

Dave Hickman, Charleston Gazette: West Virginia defensive lineman Pat Liebig was granted a sixth season of eligibility.

Don Markus, Baltimore Sun: Navy quarterback Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada has a strained hamstring and could miss the opener against dreaded Towson.

Here is today's disturbing mystery link. Thanks to Gordon Keith.

Barnhouse's Bottom 25: San Diego State

Legendary sportswriter Wendell Barnhouse recently left the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and is now a correspondent for Big 12 Sports.com. With 30 years experience of observing the college scene, his expertise is unmatched. In the spirit of Steve Harvey's Bottom Ten, Wendell will provide us a capsule look at college football's less fortunate, counting down the Bottom 25 teams in Division I-A football.

No. 18 San Diego State
Location: San Diego.
Nickname: Aztecs.
Conference: Mountain West.
Coach: Chuck Long, 7-17 in two seasons.
Division I-A history: 469-367-32 in 85 seasons, .559 winning percentage.
Last bowl season: 1998.
Best record last five years: 6-6 in 2003.
Rank(ed) because: A school located in a paradise like San Diego, in a state that produces hundreds of Division I-A players, shouldn't be struggling to stay out of the basement of a non-BCS conference.
Negative number: The Aztecs last had a winning season in 1996 and have finished above .500 five times in the last 20 years.
Possible victory: UNLV, Nov. 22. San Diego State should defeat I-AA Cal Poly in the season opener. Instead of the obvious answer, we'll go with the season finale. If the Aztecs haven't lost hope by late November, they should be able to defeat the Rebels. The winner might avoid finishing last in the Mountain West.
Biggest blowout: At Notre Dame, Sept. 6. Considering the Aztecs are facing the insecure and inconsistent Irish, maybe the scoreboard won't get too lopsided.
Is there hope?: Long proved himself as an outstanding offensive coordinator at Oklahoma. He has yet to prove himself as a winning head coach. The program needs to show improvement this season or Long's tenure could be short.

Thanks to the Helmet Project.

It's Time Bobby, It's Time ...

A mediocre team coming off a 7-6 season with 10 players suspended for the first three games because of an academic scandal. Twelve losses in two seasons. A once-proud program without a 10-win season since 2003. Michael Cunningham of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel writes that it's time for Florida State's Bobby Bowden to call it quits.

"It's not fair for Bowden to stay at FSU and run a mediocre program, but he gets to decide what mediocre means. You can say that's his right considering what he's done for the program since 1976 but, darn it, it's time to move on."

Cunningham adds: "Perhaps I'm being too harsh because I'm not emotionally invested in the Seminoles. Maybe I don't have the proper perspective because I was barely more than a baby when Bobby took over this program.

"But, darn it, I'm just going on what Bowden says. The Seminoles are putting out mediocre football teams, so it's not fair for him to stay."

Best Conference? The Envelope Please!

How did you spend your summer? Stewart Mandel of SI.com decided to settle the "Who's conference is the best?" debate, sitting down with two interns and crunching numbers.

Each of the six Bowl Championship Series conferences was ranked against the others using five categories: BCS bowl record, percentage of teams in the final Associated Press poll, nonconference performance (as measured by the RPI formula used for basketball), record in other bowl games and NFL draft picks per teams. Data from the 10 years of the BCS was used for the study, and it was divided into two five-year chunks to help examine how the pecking order had changed after the Atlantic Coast Conference's raid on the Big East.

Six points were awarded for first place, five points for second and so on. The BCS and top 25 categories weighted doubly.

The winner for the past five years? The Southeastern Conference, which amassed 40 out of a possible 42 points. The Pacific 10 was second, with the almighty Big Ten finishing fourth, trailing the ACC. The Big 12 was fifth and Big East sixth.

San Diego State

No wonder Chuck Long occupies the No. 6 slot on the Coaches Hot Seat rankings. He's 7-17 in two seasons at San Diego State and not much is expected of the Aztecs in 2008. But all that would change if San Diego State marched into South Bend on Sept. 6 and defeated Notre Dame. Long had his team open camp last week with three days and two nights at Camp Pendleton, the historic Marine base in San Diego County. Players slept in barracks under boot camp-like conditions. Long can only hope he doesn't get marching orders at the end of the season. Thanks to Sean.

Barnhouse's Bottom 25: Northern Illinois

Legendary sportswriter Wendell Barnhouse recently left the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and is now a correspondent for Big 12 Sports.com. With 30 years experience of observing the college scene, his expertise is unmatched. In the spirit of Steve Harvey's Bottom Ten, Wendell will provide us a capsule look at college football's less fortunate, counting down the Bottom 25 teams in Division I-A football.

No. 19 Northern Illinois
Location: DeKalb, Ill.
Nickname: Huskies.
Conference: Mid-American, West Division.
Coach: Jerry Kill, first season.
Division I-A history: 448-443-50 in 106 seasons, .523 winning percentage.
Last bowl season: 2006.
Best record last five years: 10-2 in 2003.
Rank(ed) because: Spanning the 1995 through 1998 seasons, the Huskies lost 31 of 32 games, including a 23-game skid. Joe Novak persevered, putting together seven consecutive winning seasons between 2000 and 2006. The thud was last year's 2-10 record, a sign that the bottom has fallen out.
Negative number: In last season's 10 losses, the Huskies scored more than 21 points only twice.
Possible victory: at Minnesota, Aug. 30. Why not start off the Jerry Kill Era with a bang? The Gophers, after all, lost to Bowling Green of the MAC and to I-AA North Dakota State last season.
Biggest blowout: at Tennessee, Oct. 4. The Volunteers' size and speed will be too much for the Huskies.
Is there hope?: Starting quarterback Dan Nicholson and starting running back Justin Anderson, a 1,000-yard rusher, return. If the Huskies can avoid injuries, Kill's first season could provide a nice building block to restoring the past glory.

Thanks to the Helmet Project.

Reporters' Notebooks

Associated Press: A settlement in a class-action lawsuit brought by former college athletes who alleged the NCAA failed to cover the full cost of their education has been formally approved by a federal judge. The NCAA will create a $10 million fund over the next three years to reimburse former student athletes for educational costs they previously incurred. The NCAA will also make an additional $218 million available to current Division I schools to pay for benefits given to athletes enrolled between the 2007 and 2013 academic years.

Andrew Carter, Orlando Sentinel: Are college fantasy leagues just another example of the exploitation of college athletes — just another way for a company to make money off an athlete's name while the athlete receives nothing?

Don Walker, Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel: Wisconsin athletic director Barry Alvarez earned more than $167,110 in outside income in 2007 by giving speeches, doing radio shows and appearing as an analyst on network television, records show. Alvarez's largest source of outside income was his work as a Fox network analyst for the Bowl Championship Series. For that weekend work, Alvarez was paid $30,000.

Berry Tramel, Oklahoman: A video containing lyrics related to drugs and guns was removed from Bob Stoops.com. The embarrassment comes 10 days after freshman receiver Josh Jarboe was kicked off the team for posting a rap video on YouTube that contained lyrics about carrying guns and shooting people.

Awful Announcing: ESPN has sold the naming rights for the Lee Corso Picks segment on "College GameDay" (where Corso puts on the mascot head) to Chick-fil-A.

Dave Dye, Detroit News: Offensive lineman Justin Boren, who transferred from Michigan to Ohio State, said he continues to receive abusive emails from Wolverine fans.

Bob Condotta, Seattle Times: Another bowl game? A group wants to revive the Seattle Bowl, which disbanded after the 2002 season because of financial reasons. The group reportedly is seeking assurance it would have the support of the Pacific 10 Conference, which already has contracts with seven bowls.

Jim Moore, Seattle Post-Intelligencer: Washington State coach Paul Wulff isn't exactly a disciplinarian when dealing with his band of troublemakers. Plus, Cougar receiver Jeshua Anderson will be sidelined for at least six weeks after hernia surgery.

Chip Towers, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Georgia left tackle Trinton Sturdivant may have suffered a season-ending knee injury in a scrimmage.

Dugan Arnett, Lawrence Journal-World: Another running back is leaving Kansas. Donte Bean's departure comes a day after Carmon Boyd-Anderson decided to leave.

Jeff Barker, Baltimore Sun: Is Maryland's Ralph Friedgen is trying to instill a fighting spirit into his team? He showed players a tape of the Ali-Frazier "Thrilla in Manila" fight last week.

Scott Wright, Oklahoman: Oklahoma State's Mike Gundy is still a man, but now he's 41.

Natalie Meisler, Denver Post: Fifth-year senior Billy Farris was named Colorado State's starting quarterback.

Allan Turner, Houston Chronicle: Texas A&M selected a 2-year-old sable and white AKC-registered collie from Topeka as its successor to Reveille VIII.

To bypass registration, go to Bug Me Not.

Reporters' Notebooks

Chris Foster and Chris Dufresne, Los Angeles Times: UCLA quarterback Ben Olson is out at least eight weeks because of a broken bone in his right foot, but he hopes to play this season. Plus, it was a lost weekend for UCLA and USC quarterbacks.

David Whitley, Orlando Sentinel: Attention Joe Paterno: Florida State's Bobby Bowden now suggests he'll remain as coach beyond 2008, even if the Seminoles finish 7-6 this fall. "Right now I have no desire to quit, I know that. I enjoy it. I know my days are numbered. Does that mean next year? Not necessarily. The next year? Not necessarily."

Josh Langenbacher, Daily Collegian: Penn State linemen continue to struggle to stay in the program. The latest to leave is Josh Marks, a four-star offensive lineman coming out of high school.

Justin D. Anderson, Charleston Daily Mail: The attorney who helped West Virginia wring $4 million out of Rich Rodriguez and Michigan says the "case helped unify the state."

Tim Tucker, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Georgia Tech's ticket sales haven't spiked despite the hiring of Paul Johnson to replace Chan Gailey as coach.

Paul Strelow, Columbia State: Clemson starting defensive tackle Rashaad Jackson’s knee injury was worse than expected. Jackson suffered a torn quadriceps and is slated to miss at least the first half of the season.

Dugan Arnett, Lawrence Journal-World: Sophomore running back Carmon Boyd-Anderson plans to leave Kansas and transfer to a junior college.

Bob Wieneke, South Bend Tribune: Jack Rockne, the youngest son of Knute Rockne, died Sunday afternoon in South Bend from complications of cancer. He was 82.

It's Back to Barrow to Kick Off the Season

Not-so-legendary copy editor James Brooks occasionally reports on Alaska news for the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, the farthest north daily newspaper in North America. Before working at the News-Miner, James worked for the Florida Keys Keynoter and graduated from Virginia Tech in 2003 after working for that school's sports information department and the Collegiate Times, Tech's student newspaper. He was in Barrow, Alaska, over the weekend when the Barrow High Whalers kicked off the season against the Skyview Panthers.

BARROW, Alaska — It's Saturday and across the country, football players are at or headed to camp, getting ready for the season. But at the northernmost town in the United States, the season has begun.

When you get off the plane in Barrow, the first thing you notice is the tundra. There are no trees, barely a fringe of grass and a landscape devoid of color. It's simply too far north for anything to grow.

On Saturday, the day of the Whalers' season opener, the temperature hovered in the high 30s, but the wind blowing off the Arctic Ocean made it seem at least 10 degrees colder. There are no trees or hills to break the wind, just the Arctic plain stretching in three directions and the iceberg-dotted Arctic Ocean lurking to the north. This was a nice day.

A few weeks earlier, the wind had gusted to 40 mph during a Whalers' practice. Snow fell during one late July practice, thick enough that the players were able to lie down on the field and make snow angels.
The Whalers practice regardless of the weather. Coach Mark Voss might cut practice short if the weather gets extremely bad — blizzard conditions, minus-40 or 50 mph winds. But even then, the team will briefly brave the conditions to get used to weather that can roll in at a moments notice off the Arctic Ocean. If it's blowing and snowing, or if the temperature drops below zero, that adds to the Whalers' homefield advantage.

But outside of gusts of wind that played havoc with kicks and punts, the weather wasn't harsh Saturday when Barrow played host to the Skyview Panthers from Soldotna, which lies at the opposite end of the state.

A year ago, ESPN, CNN, ABC, NBC and Pro Football Hall of Famer Larry Csonka were on hand as the Whalers opened their season against the Seward Seahawks in front nearly 2,000 spectators. On Saturday, I was the only member of the media present, and the crowd could charitably be measured at about 200. But they made up for their lack of numbers with the strength of their cheers.
And they come to see the beautiful, blue-and-gold field. One of the Skyview players called it "Boise State in the far north." Voss simply calls it a "million-dollar field." The artificial turf cost nearly a million dollars to manufacture and ship to Barrow, all made possible by Cathy Parker, a Jacksonville, Fla., woman who started a fundraising project titled Project Alaska Turf.

The turf, resting on a narrow strip of land three miles north of Barrow, provides a splash of color that is unmatched. Houses in Barrow are mostly unpainted, baring their raw wood or corrugated metal to the outside world. The few with paint show peeling, flaking, faded faces. But even those muted colors are at least a mile from the field, which sits in the middle of an open space surrounded by gray clouds, fog and the dark, icy Arctic Ocean.

Getting to Barrow is an adventure. The city of 4,065 sits at the northernmost tip of the state, 320 miles north of the Arctic Circle, and after the Russian city of Tiksi, is the second northernmost town of more than 4,000 residents in the world.

Barrow is about as far from Soldotna, Alaska, and Skyview High — Saturday's opponent — as the International Falls, Minn., is from the Arkansas-Missouri border. The Whalers compete in the Greatland Conference, which covers an area greater than the size of Florida and holds fewer than 100,000 people.

It isn't cheap to fly teams across such distances. Barrow High has to spend more than $200,000 a year on travel — both to fly the Whalers to other schools and to fly those schools' teams to Barrow. A fundraising campaign and help from the North Slope Borough School District make it possible, but Voss worries what might come if the school district has to cut costs. Fundraising has been made more challenging by a sagging economy.
The team has managed to cut costs by using local officials instead of flying them in from Fairbanks (500 air miles) or Anchorage (725 air miles). On Saturday, five officials who were in town or part of the school's effort to get local people certified by the Alaska State Athletic Association worked the game.

One of the officials was Gary Lamar, who had been a high school coach in Texas and had been in Alaska all of five days. Lamar was hired by the school district to teach and coach eight-man football at Point Hope, Alaska, a town of 757 that is even more remote than Barrow. He agreed to delay leaving for Point Hope after a local official said he wouldn't be able to work Saturday's game.

The other four men included teachers, a resident and a former Barrow basketball coach who had recently returned to the area. They, like players from Barrow and Skyview, enjoyed the opportunity to be a part of something unique at the top of the world.
Skyview's team arrived Friday at 8 p.m., and players had dinner at Barrow High before boarding a bus for a trip to the field. Upon arrival, they swarmed across the blue turf, tossing a few footballs around and daring each other to jump in the Arctic Ocean less than 100 feet away.

Skyview players praised the playing surface, saying it was the best they'd seen in Alaska. Before leaving, they gathered at midfield, promising each other that they'd jump in the ocean if they won.

But Saturday belonged to the Whalers, who won, 36-27. In many respects, it was a classic high school game — inexperienced officials, players not fully comprehending the playbook, enthusiastic fans and a public address announcer who was wrong more often than not. But the fact the game was being played in Barrow, a place separated from the rest of the world, gave it special importance.
Barrow is at the edge of the edge, separated from a state that is separated from the rest of the United States, but football somehow seemed to be a connection impervious to distance. As I sat watching the game, keeping stats from a painted platform above the field, I couldn't help but think that kids across the United States are doing this exact same thing — in Texas, Florida, Maine and Montana.

The thought made me shiver, and for once, it wasn't from the wind.

Oklahoma

Since 2000, Oklahoma has won one national title, played for two more and won 90 games, more than any other program in that time. No wonder Bob Stoops is regarded as the best coach in the Big 12. Expectations are again sky-high for the Sooners, who play host to Tennessee Chattanooga (why?), Cincinnati and Texas Christian and travel to Washington in nonconference play. Thanks to Scott.

Barnhouse's Bottom 25: Ohio

Legendary sportswriter Wendell Barnhouse recently left the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and is now a correspondent for Big 12 Sports.com. With 30 years experience of observing the college scene, his expertise is unmatched. In the spirit of Steve Harvey's Bottom Ten, Wendell will provide us a capsule look at college football's less fortunate, counting down the Bottom 25 teams in Division I-A football.

No. 20 Ohio
Location: Athens, Ohio.
Nickname: Bobcats.
Conference: Mid-American, East Division.
Coach: Frank Solich, 19-18, fourth season; 77-37 overall in nine seasons.
Division I-A history: 483-507-48 in 112 seasons, .488 winning percentage.
Last bowl season: 2006.
Best record last five years: 9-5 in 2006.
Rank(ed) because: The Bobcats won four MAC titles in the 1960s but since then the program has fluttered between mediocre and terrible. Before taking his resurrection gig to Wake Forest, Jim Grobe had a couple of winning seasons. Frank Solich is trying to jump-start his coaching career but as yet Ohio hasn't proved it can be a consistent winner.
Negative number: Ohio went 4-4 in MAC games last season, allowing 157 points in the four losses.
Possible victory: VMI, Sept. 27. The Bobcats' nonconference schedule includes trips to Wyoming, Ohio State and Northwestern. Even with a defeat of VMI, Ohio could enter October with a 1-4 record.
Biggest blowout: At Ohio State, Sept. 6. The Buckeyes will approach Ohio's visit as a warm-up to their Game Of The Century against USC a week later.
Is there hope?: Solich knows how to coach, going 58-19 as Nebraska's coach. The Bobcats' 6-6 record last season can be rationalized as the glass was half empty (midseason four-game losing streak) or half full (season-ending victory over MAC East champion Miami). Solich must prove that this program is improving and not spinning its wheels.

Thanks to the Helmet Project.

Even the N.Y. Times Is Picking on Rutgers

If Rutgers didn't have enough troubles, now the New York Times is criticizing the university for the buildup of its football program. An editorial titled "Football Fantasy at Rutgers" ran last week:

"In a logical world, Rutgers officials would swallow their egos and admit that their football fantasy was ill conceived, especially in view of New Jersey’s huge debt. They would scale down the stadium project, especially since the university couldn't even fill the existing stadium when the team had losing seasons.

"But logic has not been a noticeable trait among the leadership at Rutgers, nor with the State Legislature, where the largest measure of blame lies. Rutgers is a public university, and its spending should be monitored closely by state officials. But Gov. Jon Corzine and most of the state legislators are big Rutgers football fans, and that does not make for much of a check on spending."

Coach Greg Schiano also addressed a report in the Newark Star-Ledger that a buyout clause in his contract is tied to the completion of Rutgers' stadium project:

"There was speculation that there is some letter or an addendum to my contract that says there's a buyout [waiver] and there's no such thing. Did we talk about it? Yes. Could I have had it if I wanted? Yes. But I'm part of something bigger than just football. I'm part of Rutgers University and I thought the commitment was there so I didn't want to do things that way. When you're part of something, there has to be trust."

Wonder if officials in Penn State are paying attention to all of this?

Middle Tennessee

Middle Tennesse, coming off a disappointing 5-7 season, has a sneaky-tough nonconference schedule, playing host to Maryland and at Kentucky, Louisville, Mississippi State and Western Kentucky. If the Blue Raiders want to make noise in the Sun Belt, they must improve a run defense that was 102nd nationally last season. Thanks to Bradley.

Reporters' Notebooks

Colby Balkenbush, Reno Gazette-Journal: Several Nevada players have been trying hypnosis in an effort to improve their play.

Chris Foster, Los Angeles Times: UCLA starting quarterback Ben Olson suffered an injury to his right foot, the same foot he hurt in spring drills. The severity of the injury is not yet known.

Brett McMurphy, Tampa Tribune: South Florida quarterback Matt Grothe confessed an addiction to Chick-fil-A. "A No. 5, 12 piece nuggets, large combo with a sweet tea — it doesn't get no better than that." But he gave it up and lost 20 pounds in the offseason.

Brian Bennett, Louisville Courier-Journal: Louisville receiver Trent Guy on getting shot last month outside a nightclub: "Nineteen shots fired, and I was only hit once and in the right place. An inch to the right and I could have been hit in the spine. An inch to the left and it could have hit a vital organ. I'm a very blessed man." Plus, Louisville quarterback Hunter Cantwell is an avid outdoorsman who likes to hunt for bullfrogs and catch catfish using his hands.

David Martindale, Fort Worth Star-Telegram: Barry Switzer talks about appearing in an episode of TNT's "Saving Grace."

Chip Towers, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Georgia safety Quintin Banks tore a medial collateral ligament in his left knee and is likely out six weeks.

Andrew Logue, Des Moines Register: Running back J.J. Bass, Iowa State's second-leading rusher last season, has rejoined the team after a suspension.

Bobbi Roquemore, Dallas Morning News: Southern Methodist athletic director Steve Orsini says season-ticket sales are up by 50%.

Kyle Ringo, Boulder Daily Camera: Colorado tight end Drew Hudgins will miss the season because of a knee injury.

Barnhouse's Bottom 25: Marshall

Legendary sportswriter Wendell Barnhouse recently left the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and is now a correspondent for Big 12 Sports.com. With 30 years experience of observing the college scene, his expertise is unmatched. In the spirit of Steve Harvey's Bottom Ten, Wendell will provide us a capsule look at college football's less fortunate, counting down the Bottom 25 teams in Division I-A football.

No. 21 Marshall
Location: Huntington, W.Va.
Nickname: Thundering Herd.
Conference: Conference USA, East Division.
Coach: Mark Snyder, 12-23, fourth season.
Division I-A history: 512-487-47 in 104 seasons, .512 winning percentage.
Last bowl season: 2004.
Best record last five years: 8-4 in 2003.
Rank(ed) because: From 1997 to 2002, won five Mid-American Conference titles and produced players like Randy Moss, Chad Pennington and Byron Leftwich. Check the calendar. It's 2008 and the Thundering Herd has stampeded off the national radar.
Negative number: Marshall has lost 16 games the last two seasons. From 1997-2002, the Herd lost 13 games (while winning 65).
Possible victory: Illinois State, Aug. 30. The Herd needs to start with a victory over this I-AA foe. It might be one of the few chances Marshall fans will get to celebrate. (One of last season's losses came to I-AA New Hampshire.)
Biggest blowout: At Wisconsin, Sept. 6. Camp Randall is difficult for any visiting team. The Badgers are capable of winning the Big Ten Conference. They'll be eager to build a point spread the poll voters will notice.
Is there hope?: Snyder has reshuffled his staff (analogy: deck chairs on the Titanic). John Shannon is the new offensive coordinator and Rick Minter is running the defense. Snyder needs a winning season to restore faith of the fans and his bosses. He is pinning his hopes on a talented group of juniors, sophomores and freshmen.

Thanks to the Helmet Project.

Crew: Give Me a Break

Notre Dame's Crewcut Charlie Weis gave his annual state of the program address on Friday and once again, Jimmy Clausen was the center of attention after photographs of the quarterback attending the "Beer Olympics" appeared on The Big Lead.

Reporters warmed up with a couple of softball questions, then in came the heat. What about Clausen, and what about the photos?

Weis was ready, joking about winning a $1 bet with a member of his staff about which reporter would broach the topic. After endorsing gambling, he condoned underage drinking, then added: "Give me a break. Let's move on."

Fair enough. Our initial reaction was that nothing would become of this, but what did the star quarterback who had almost as many interceptions (six) as touchdown passes (seven) in 2007 have to say? He too, was well rehearsed, embracing the challenge.

"That's the one thing about being the quarterback at Notre Dame — the spotlight is on you at all times," he said. "That's why I came to Notre Dame. That's what I wanted."

We'll drink to that, brother!

Last year Weis had to answer questions about Clausen's health after Internet reports indicated the quarterback had elbow surgery. Weis then issued his macho "tradition never graduates" line before his Fighting Irish embarked on a 3-9 season.

Weis back then: "It's easy for everyone to say, 'This is a transition year. This is a rebuilding year.' You can't ever think like that. I can’t think like that. Players won’t think like that. Not happening."

Nevada Las Vegas

Year four of the Mike Sanford experiment begins at Nevada Las Vegas and if it's anything like the first three, Sanford could be out of a job. He has three consecutive two-win seasons and outside of an outburst after a Sept. 9, 2006 game at Iowa State (YouTube video here), nothing of note has happened with his program. Ron Kantowski of the Las Vegas Sun says the Rebels' problems begin with Sam Boyd Stadium, which seats only 36,800. He writes, "if you don’t have a stadium that seats 50,000, chances are pretty good that football on your campus is only a diversion until basketball practice begins." Thanks to Paul.

Reporters' Notebooks

Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times: USC quarterback Mark Sanchez dislocated his left kneecap and could be out for the opener against Virginia, perhaps longer. Mitch Mustain, a transfer from Arkansas, becomes the starter.

Bill Koch, Cincinnati Enquirer: Quarterback Ben Mauk lost his appeal for a sixth season of eligibility at Cincinnati.

Teddy Greenstein, Chicago Tribune: Stephen Pamon, the Big Ten official whose history of bankruptcy, casino gambling and child abuse was detailed in a Yahoo! Sports article late last year, will not work any more games for the conference.

Bob Lutz, Wichita Eagle: Ron Prince has a new contract, but is Kansas State headed in the right direction? The Wildcats went to a bowl in 2006, then finished 5-7 last season, giving up an average of 49.5 points in the final four games.

Nate Keys, The Post: Ohio offensive lineman Mike Eynon won the second tier of the Ohio Lottery Mega Millions, worth $250,000. After taxes, Eynon will receive $172,500. The NCAA views the lottery as a game of chance (such as a raffle) and winning it is not in violation of any rules.

Rick Scoppe, Greenville News: South Carolina fans will be able to keep their season tickets for a price. They must donate an additional $25 to $395 per seat annually under a plan approved by the Board of Trustees.

Bob Condotta, Seattle Times: Washington announced a 10-year extension of its deal with Nike. The new deal is worth a guaranteed $35 million.

Ken Tysiac, Charlotte Observer: North Carolina State has placed a bronze statue of a snarling wolf in Carter-Finley Stadium, and players will touch the statue as they run onto the field.

Barton Deiters, Grand Rapids Press: Michigan running back Kevin Grady pleaded guilty to driving while intoxicated.

Adam Jones, Tuscaloosa News: A tip of the cap to Tyrone Prothro, who is graduating from Alabama. The electrifying Prothro suffered a grisly compound fracture of his left leg in 2005 (photo link comes with a warning).

Larry Williams, Charleston Post and Courier: And a tip of the cap to Ray Ray McElrathbey, who is graduating from Clemson with a degree in sociology.

Here is today's mystery link. Thanks to Ken, we think. ...

Barnhouse's Bottom 25: Temple

Legendary sportswriter Wendell Barnhouse recently left the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and is now a correspondent for Big 12 Sports.com. With 30 years experience of observing the college scene, his expertise is unmatched. In the spirit of Steve Harvey's Bottom Ten, Wendell will provide us a capsule look at college football's less fortunate, counting down the Bottom 25 teams in Division I-A football.

No. 22 Temple
Location: Philadelphia.
Nickname: Owls.
Conference: Mid-American, East Division.
Coach: Al Golden, fourth season, 5-19.
Division I-A history: 392-525-52 in 109 seasons, .431 winning percentage.
Last bowl season: 1979.
Best record last five years: 4-8 in 2007.
Rank(ed) because: The Owls were so bad for so long and attracted such little interest they were asked (not so nicely) to leave the Big East Conference. Temple spent two seasons as an independent before joining the MAC in 2007. Until the Owls can remove the stigma of their recent ineptitude, they'll be considered a Bottom 25 contender.
Negative number: Since its last winning season (7-4 in 1990), Temple is 35-156 in 17 seasons, a .224 winning percentage.
Possible victory: Connecticut, Sept. 6. If the Owls are so bleepy then why suggest they've got a chance to knock of a team from a BCS conference? Incentive, friends, incentive. UConn is one of the Big East teams that evicted the Owls from that league. Playing at home, Temple would like to prove its worth.
Biggest blowout: At Penn State, Sept. 20. The Nittany Lions aren't as fearsome as they once were but any team that travels to Happy Valley could wind up leaving whipped and sad. Even in defeat, Temple can measure itself based on the point spread.
Is there hope?: All four of Temple's victories came in the MAC. One of those wins came against Miami (Ohio), the team that won the East Division. With 21 starters returning, the Owls have a shot at winning the East or compiling a winning record.

Thanks to the Helmet Project.

Reporters' Notebooks

Joe Ovies, 850 The Blog: The next big thing is fantasy college football. The NCAA's executive committee decided it couldn't eliminate the incorporation of college sports into fantasy games and decided, essentially, to retain the status quo.

Adam Rose, All Things Trojan: Who is the real 'SC? According to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, it's the University of Southern California, not the University of South Carolina.

Austin Meek, Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas State coach Ron Prince signed a five-year contract extension through 2012. His pay was boosted to a guaranteed $1.1 million annually.

Robbie Andreu, Gainesville Sun: Florida tight end Cornelius Ingram had his college career come to an an end after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during a non-contact drill.

Marcus R. Fuller, St. Paul Pioneer Press: Only three members of Tim Brewster's first recruiting class are still playing for Minnesota.

Steve Ellis, Tallahassee Democrat: Bobby Bowden stressed the need for Florida State to build an indoor practice facility after inclement weather forced the team to conduct drills in the men's and women's basketball practice facilities.

Tim May, Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State defensive backs Donald Washington and Jamario O'Neal are both suspended for the first two games.

Associated Press: Jarvis Jones, a lineman who was dismissed from Louisiana State after breaking team rules, has transferred to Oklahoma. The scholarship became available last week when receiver Josh Jarboe was kicked off the team.

Heisman Pundit: Is the Southeastern Conference best in the land? In some years yes, in other years no.

Steroid Nation: Former Michigan defensive end Rondell Biggs is facing a steroid charge.

Jeff Sentell, Birmingham News: Simpson Pepper, "the voice of Legion Field," died Thursday night. He was 79.

And if you're looking for the NCAA schedule spreadsheet with helmets, here is the link.

Barnhouse's Bottom 25: Colorado State

Legendary sportswriter Wendell Barnhouse recently left the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and is now a correspondent for Big 12 Sports.com. With 30 years experience of observing the college scene, his expertise is unmatched. In the spirit of Steve Harvey's Bottom Ten, Wendell will provide us a capsule look at college football's less fortunate, counting down the Bottom 25 teams in Division I-A football.

No. 23 Colorado State
Location: Fort Collins, Colo.
Nickname: Rams.
Conference: Mountain West.
Coach: Steve Fairchild, first season.
Division I-A history: 464-504-33 in 109 seasons, .480 winning percentage.
Last bowl season: 2003.
Best record last five years: 7-6 in 2003.
Rank(ed) because: The Rams have fallen from the glory days under former coach Sonny Lubick. Colorado State has had three losing seasons in the last four years as Lubick's time in Fort Collins wound down.
Negative number: 0. That's the number of first-team Mountain West all-conference selections for the Rams over the last two seasons.
Possible victory: Sacramento State, Sept. 6. Of the four nonconference games, this Division I-AA foe is probably the only team the Rams can safely assume they can beat. In the MWC, the opener at home against UNLV might be Colorado State's best hope.
Biggest blowout: At California, Sept. 27. Other than facing rival Colorado in Denver, the Rams' toughest test will be against the Bears in Berkeley.
Is there hope?: Fairchild is Lubick's hand-picked successor and is a former Colorado State quarterback who served on Lubick's staff for seven years. After seven seasons in the NFL as an offensive coordinator, he has plans of using a power running game balanced with a daring passing attack.

Thanks to the Helmet Project.

Connecticut

You'll have plenty of chances to see Connecticut in action on the ESPN family of networks. The Huskies play one game on a Thursday, two games on a Friday, eight games on a Saturday and one game on a Sunday. Thanks to Zac at Old Hat Creative.

Reporters' Notebooks

Detroit Free Press: The winners in the West Virginia-Rich Rodriguez lawsuit? Lawyers, who racked up more than $442,400 in billable hours and expenses representing West Virginia. But the firm plans to donate at least a quarter of its fees to the school. Thanks to Brian at the Business of College Football.

Ian R. Rapoport, Birmingham News: Alabama's Nick Saban had his first blowup with the media, although this one was only "6 or 7 on a scale of 10." And no, Alabama doesn't have a depth chart.

Ray Melick, Birmingham News: Did Auburn freshman DeRon Furr leave the team because he was bullied?

Kelly Holleran, Charleston Daily Mail: Presidential candidate John McCain stopped by Marshall and told the Thundering Herd about his days as a prisoner in Vietnam.

Susan Miller Degnan, Miami Herald: Miami defensive tackle Antonio Dixon was in good condition after being hospitalized. He apparently suffered from the effects of the sun and intense heat during practice.

Don Williams, Lubbock Avalanche Journal: Texas Tech is scheduled to announce expansion plans to Jones AT&T Stadium. Plus, the Red Raiders added always tough North Dakota to their 2009 schedule.

David Wharton, Los Angeles Times: A jury found USC linebacker recruit Maurice Simmons guilty of two felonies and a misdemeanor in connection with a street robbery in March.

Bruins Nation: A secret agent leaked a copy of the USC compliance form to the blog.

Ron Musselman, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Penn State quarterbacks coach Jay Paterno calls the team's new style of offense "Spread HD," joking that HD could stand for high definition or highly diverse and hopefully not huge dud.

Donnie Webb, Syracuse Post-Standard: Syracuse and Notre Dame are expected to announce a 10-game series. The Orange will play five games in South Bend and move their five "home" games to Giants Stadium in the Meadowlands.

Rick Scoppe, Greenville News: South Carolina receiver Joe Hills lost an appeal for a redshirt year.

Andrew Logue, Des Moines Register: Iowa State receiver Wallace Franklin has been suspended from the team after two arrests this spring.

To bypass registration, go to Bug Me Not.

Barnhouse's Bottom 25: Duke

Legendary sportswriter Wendell Barnhouse recently left the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and is now a correspondent for Big 12 Sports.com. With 30 years experience of observing the college scene, his expertise is unmatched. In the spirit of Steve Harvey's Bottom Ten, Wendell will provide us a capsule look at college football's less fortunate. Over the next 25 days, Wendell will count down the Bottom 25 teams in Division I-A football.

No. 24 Duke
Location: Durham, N.C.
Nickname: Blue Devils.
Conference: Atlantic Coast Conference, Coastal Division.
Coach: David Cutcliffe, first season, 44-29 overall in five seasons.
Division I-A history: 443-451-31 in 95 seasons, .496 winning percentage.
Last bowl season: 1994.
Best record last five years: 4-8 in 2003.
Rank(ed) because: Over the last 10 seasons, Duke is the worst program in a Bowl Championship Series conference. Since 1998, Duke has had three winless seasons and only 13 victories over Division I-A teams. The Blue Devils have lost 25 consecutive Atlantic Coast Conference games.
Negative number: Zero. The number of players on the roster who have won an ACC game as a Blue Devil.
Possible victory: Aug. 30 vs. James Madison or Sept. 13 vs. Navy. Duke has four home games to open the season. The lowest hanging fruit in that foursome would be the season opener and the visit by the Midshipmen.
Biggest blowout: Nov. 15 at Clemson. The Tigers figure to be in the thick of the ACC Atlantic Division race. The chance of a gimme victory in Death Valley could translate into a long day for the Blue Devils.
Is there hope?: Former coach Ted Roof assembled a roster that has some talent. Cutcliffe's charge is to remove the stigma of losing. Cutcliffe proved he could be a successful head coach in five seasons at Ole Miss. Winning in the ACC — even at Duke — is a reasonable goal for a coach who won in the Southeastern Conference.

Thanks to the Helmet Project.

When the Law Looks the Other Way

How did Florida's Ronnie Wilson escape the long arm of the law and did the fact that he was a football player help his cause?

Wilson appeared to have violated probation on Jan. 6 after he was arrested on a marijuana charge, but that charged was dropped in part because the case was considered weak, according to the state attorney's office. An official also said, according to Joseph Goodman of the Miami Herald, that "there was an understanding that the University of Florida was going to take over the case and impose disciplinary action."

Instead of any disciplinary action, Florida appears to have rewarded Wilson, who had already been booted out of school after he pleaded guilty in August 2007 to misdemeanor charges of battery and discharging a firearm (an AK-47 assault rifle) in public. Wilson was allowed to enroll for the spring semester on Jan. 7, one day after his arrest on the marijuana charge. His miraculous turnaround continued this week when he rejoined his Gator teammates at practice.

Wilson's probation, according to the court document, stated: "Live and remain at liberty without violating any law. If you fail to complete the terms of your probation as required, you will be arrested ..."

Wilson's probation also included 100 hours of community service, which he is said to have fulfilled as an assistant offensive line coach at his high school, Pompano Beach Blanche Ely. Goodman blogged that the service forms signed by an Ely assistant "have that unmistakable look of something that was filled out all at the same time — Wilson was at Ely nearly every day from August 22 to October 10."

Goodman contacted James Jones, who was then the head coach at Ely, and Jones said Wilson was at practice only "twice a week."

Goodman has received some quality email from Gator fans, but the Herald reporter wrote that he thinks coach Urban Meyer is doing the right thing by allowing Wilson back on the team:

"It probably doesn't matter to Meyer at all if Wilson ever plays a down of football for the Gators. If Wilson graduates, then it was all worth it."

Thanks to Kevin at FanBlogs.

Talking It Up

A reminder to join your humble webmaster on "Sports Overnight America," which can be heard over the Sports Byline USA Radio Network. The fun starts just after midnight Friday in the Pacific time zone. Listen to the show live by clicking here and give us a call at 800-878-7529.

If you're looking for a guest for your radio show or podcast, drop us an email at dawizofodds (at) aol.com.

Texas Tech

Big things are expected of pass-happy Texas Tech, which has gone to a bowl in each of Mike Leach's eight seasons as coach. The nonconference schedule is once again among the cushiest in the land, and we can't help but look at the opener against Eastern Washington and wish it were a matchup against Louisiana State instead. The gang at Bash Riprock's certainly would have approved. Thanks to Greg.

Barnhouse's Bottom 25: Southern Methodist

Legendary sportswriter Wendell Barnhouse recently left the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and is now a correspondent for Big 12 Sports.com. With 30 years experience of observing the college scene, his expertise is unmatched. In the spirit of Steve Harvey's Bottom Ten, Wendell will provide us a capsule look at college football's less fortunate. Over the next 25 days, Wendell will count down the Bottom 25 teams in Division I-A football.

No. 25 Southern Methodist
Location: Dallas.
Nickname: Mustangs.
Conference: Conference USA, West Division.
Coach: June Jones, 1st season; 76-41 overall in nine seasons.
Division I-A history: 438-466-54 in 91 seasons, .485 winning percentage.
Last bowl season: 1984.
Best record last five years: 6-6 in 2006.
Rank(ed) because: This is Year 21 since SMU's program resumed after two years on the sidelines. NCAA probation, aka The Death Penalty, ended football on The Hilltop in 1987. The school voluntarily added 1988 to the suspension. Two decades, one winning season, four coaches and 153 losses later, the Mustangs are still wandering in the wilderness.
Negative number: SMU has lost 43 games over the last five seasons. In 25 of those defeats, the Mustangs allowed 35 or more points.
Possible victory: If the Mustangs don't win their season opener at Rice, they should be able to defeat I-AA Texas State at Ford Stadium in Week Two.
Biggest blowout: Sept. 13 at Texas Tech. The Red Raiders rolled up 49 points at SMU last season. Considering that the Mustangs will be using an offensive scheme similar to Texas Tech's, there will be plenty of possessions. That's good news for Tech's prolific attack, bad news for SMU's questionable defense.
Is there hope?: Yes. Jones proved at Hawaii that he is capable of resurrecting losing programs. Phil Bennett, Jones' predecessor, did a good job of recruiting and the school's stringent academic guidelines have been softened. The pass-happy run-and-shoot (mostly shoot) offense Jones prefers is similar to the schemes used by most successful high school programs in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

Thanks to the Helmet Project.

Bulldogs and Bengals

All those troublemakers in Athens caught the attention of Ryan Parker, who is back with a song comparing the arrests of Georgia players in 2008 with the criminal activities of the Cincinnati Bengals the past two years. Check out more of Ryan's work at Ryan Parker Songs.

Houston

New coach Kevin Sumlin, who takes over for Art Briles, has been an assistant at Washington State, Wyoming, Minnesota, Purdue, Texas A&M and Oklahoma. The Cougars haven't won a bowl game since 1980 when they beat Navy, 35-0, in the Garden State Bowl. Sumlin will try to end the string Cougar bowl losses that has reached eight. Thanks to Ryan.

Reporters' Notebooks

Stephen Tsai, Honolulu Advertiser: Tyler Graunke, Hawaii's expected starting quarterback, said he is being withheld from training camp because of "academic issues" and did "not do as well as I would have liked" in a summer-session class. Thanks to Sam of Bleed Crimson.

Andrew Carter, Orlando Sentinel: Florida State's Bobby Bowden said a third consecutive mediocre finish might not necessarily be enough to send him into retirement but that the Seminoles have "got to do better or I'm going to have to get out of here."

Natalie Meisler, Denver Post: Colorado wants Folsom Field to become the first zero-waste stadium at the major college or pro sports level. Officials want to funnel all food and beverage containers and other stadium debris into either recyclable or compost bins.

Brett Dawson, Louisville Courier-Journal: Kentucky's Rich Brooks dismissed quarterback Curtis Pulley for violation of team rules. In June, Pulley was cited for marijuana possession. In July, he was arrested and charged with multiple traffic violations, eventually pleading guilty to speeding.

Kevin Scarbinsky, Birmingham News: Dennis Franchione is about to resurface, this time as a analyst for ESPN Radio.

Brandon George, Dallas Morning News: Cotton Bowl officials have pulled out of the bidding for the Army-Navy game.

Jeff Call, Deseret News: Junior Tom Sorensen, projected to be Brigham Young's starting center, is expected to be out up to six weeks because of a shoulder injury.

Associated Press: Ohio State has begun selling reserved spaces for recreational vehicles. The price? A mere $90 a game. Last year tailgaters paid $50 to park at Ohio State.

Joe Ovies, 850 The Blog: The NCAA mistakenly declared a North Carolina recruit ineligible because it used the wrong clearing house rules.

FanBlogs: With reports that the NCAA is about to put the hammer down on USC, maybe Auburn will get that 2004 national title.

Despite Arrest, Wilson Is Back With Gators

Florida defensive lineman Ronnie Wilson returned to the team this week as a walk-on despite an apparent violation earlier this year of his probation.

Wilson was kicked out of school last year after he spit on and slapped a man during a scuffle at a nightclub on the morning of April 5, 2007, according to a Gainesville police report. Wilson is said to have waited outside for the man to leave the club and later pulled an AK-47 from the trunk of his car and fired shots into the air. You can hear the shots being fired on a 911 call that is linked here.

Wilson pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges of battery and discharging a firearm in public and was booted out of the university.

He was allowed to enroll in the spring semester on Jan. 7, 2008, a day after he was arrested again and charged with misdemeanor possession of marijuana, according to court records obtained by the Miami Herald. The arrest was an apparent violation of his probation

The marijuana charge was dropped on April 3. Terms of Wilson's probation end April 21, 2009.

Urban Meyer acknowledged he was aware of Wilson's arrest in January and told the Herald that the lineman wasn't officially back on the team. But the junior is listed on Florida's roster that was distributed and he was given his old jersey number 70.

Annual Rant About 40-Yard Dash Times

The Beijing Olympics begin this week. Unfortunately, Michigan cornerback Morgan Trent, right, will not be part of the U.S. track team.

According to a chart posted in the Wolverine weight room, Trent clocked 4.13 seconds in the 40-yard dash.

Not only is the best time among Michigan players, it obliterates the best time ever recorded on a track. That time was 4.38 by Ben Johnson, who set a world record of 9.79 in winning the 100 meters at the 1988 Seoul Olympics.

Timing officials broke down that famed race to come up with the time. Johnson, of course, had to give it all back after testing positive for steroids.

Yes, 40 times are full of it, just like recruiting rankings.

Make It a Bud Light

Score one for The Big Lead. That's Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen on the right, partaking in something called the "Beer Olympics." Also in the photos (there's another on The Big Lead link) are linebacker Brian Smith, running back James Aldridge and an unidentified fourth person, according to Michael Rothstein of the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette.

What will become of this? Little or nothing once you consider the evidence. Nonetheless, Notre Dame officials are promising a full investigation.

Although Clausen has yet to turn 21 (Aldridge turned 21 last month), there is no time stamp on the photos. And there is no evidence of Clausen or the other players drinking any illicit beverages. What the players are guilty of is bad judgment, especially Clausen, who was cited last year for the obscure law of transporting alcohol as a minor.

Clausen was reportedly punished for that transgression by Crewcut Charlie Weis, but the real punishment came when he was named the starting quarterback for a team that gave up a record 58 sacks.

Shaken, Not Stirred

USC kickers David Buehler and Joe Houston, punter Greg Woidneck and offensive lineman Zack Heberer were showing off their Los Angeles apartment last week when a 5.4 earthquake jolted the area. Fast forward to the 5-minute mark. Thanks to Adam Rose of All Things Trojan.

Reporters' Notebooks

Associated Press: North Carolina governor Mike Easley signed a measure into law that temporarily legalizes ticket scalping over the Internet.

John Rohde, Oklahoman: No surprise here. The favorite drink of Oklahoma State's Mike Gundy is Red Bull.

Ray Melick, Birmingham News: Jacksonville State's Ryan Perrilloux: "When I leave, I want to be remembered not for getting into trouble but for leading this football team to a championship, getting a degree and for doing positive things in the community."

Mark Snyder, Detroit Free Press: Michigan running back Kevin Grady, who was said to be suspended after a July 2 arrest on suspicion of driving while intoxicated, practiced on Monday. "He's still suspended as far as actual games," Rich Rod clarified.

Jeff Potrykus, Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel: Reserve running back Lance Smith, who is facing up to a year in jail, has likely played his last game for Wisconsin.

Chip Cosby, Lexington Herald-Leader: Kentucky starting cornerback Paul Warford has been ruled academically ineligible.

Iliana Limon, Orlando Sentinel: Central Florida cornerback Johnell Neal, who was shot in the left arm in May, was practicing Monday.

Bob Condotta, Seattle Times: Linebacker E.J. Savannah, Washington's leading tackler last season, is academically ineligible.

Chadd Cripe, Idaho Statesman: Boise State receiver Jeremy Childs, who set a team record last season with 82 receptions, will be suspended for the opener against Idaho State. And Bronco games will be available to Spanish radio listeners.

Washington State

New Washington State coach Paul Wulff is facing a big rebuilding job, but if anybody can bring a winner back to Pullman, it's Wulff. Check out Bud Withers' story on the Cougar coach that appeared Sunday in the Seattle Times. You can't help but pull for the guy. Thanks to Tim.

Reporters' Notebooks

Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Texas Tech has suspended contract talks with Mike Leach. Athletic director Gerald Myers, citing a need to be fiscally responsible, says he can't negotiate a new deal until after the season.

Chadd Cripe, Idaho Statesman: It's a dirty job, but somebody has to do it. At Boise State, equipment manager Dale Holste is responsible for doing 300 pounds of laundry a day.

Jake Trotter, Oklahoman: Oklahoma athletic director Joe Castiglione wants to patch things up with Nebraska. The last time the Cornhuskers played at Owen Field, Bill Callahan hollered "hillbillies" as stormed off the field after a 30-3 beating in 2004.

Kyle Neddenriep, Indianapolis Star: Indiana a football state? While the state may never shed its reputation as basketball country, those who have watched the evolution of the two sports over decades say football is closing the gap between the sports in popularity and prestige.

Syracuse Post-Standard: Syracuse kicker John Barker has been suspended indefinitely for "conduct detrimental to the team."

Associated Press: A West Virginia woman has obtained a patent on an interesting product called "WV 'Fan'cy Gloves."

Richard D. Lee, Tuscaloosa News: Alabama senior running back/kick returner Jonathan Lowe is not part of the Crimson Tide’s 105-man practice roster and is not expected to return any time soon.

Chris Cox, Daily Gamecock: South Carolina has reinstated quarterback Stephen Garcia 14 days earlier than planned.

Lauren Epps, Manhattan Mercury: John Jacob Houlik, a linebacker for Kansas State, was arrested on DUI charges.

Alex Abrams, Springdale Morning News: Dismissed Arkansas linebacker Freddie Fairchild faces new criminal charges after police say he ran from an officer and threw away a bag of marijuana.

Deseret News: Junior quarterback Jase McCormick has left the Utah State team because of personal reasons.

Heisman Pundit: A look at several freshmen who could make quite an impact this fall.

College Football Resource: Check out the snazzy, new look!

Here is today's mystery link. Thanks to Tom Kirkendall.

Barnhart Leaving Journal-Constitution

The hits to newspapers keep coming. Will Collier of From the Bleachers was the first to send us the news. Tony Barnhart, longtime writer at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, is taking a voluntary buyout.

Barnhart makes note of "an upcoming change in my relationship with the AJC" in his Mr. College Football blog.

"On a personal note: I want to acknowledge and say thanks to those of you who wrote words of encouragement concerning an upcoming change in my relationship with the AJC. Given the realities of the blogosphere the word has gotten out about some of the tough decisions a lot of us in this business are having to make. I’m not in a position to talk about it now but I hope to be able to do so soon. But I did want to thank you for the kind notes."

Why SEC Officials Are Running Scared

Think you're smarter than Southeastern Conference officials? Try taking this 23-question exam given recently to league officials. The average score was 93%. The officials say the score counts for 25% of their end-of-season evaluation.

And then there is the fitness test, highlighted by a 1.5-mile run. Officials must reach certain times based on their age, with slower times needed as they get older. Umpires, who tend to be physically larger, get an extra minute to make their time.

Umpire Wally Hough, a 50-year-old, 275-pound man, has to complete the run in under 16 minutes. Failing to meet or beat the time means your season is over before it starts.

"It's something you dream about to be in the SEC, and you look forward to it every year," Hough said. "And one year it can all be gone."

Thanks to Image of Sport.

Notre Dame

This should be an interesting season for Notre Dame. Four of the first five games are at South Bend and five of the last seven are on the road. In case you're wondering about that white box in the lower right-hand corner, that is an ad box. The Fighting Irish rotate the logos of several different companies (local and national) in that spot. Thanks to Brian.

Auburn Was Left Out of the Party in 2004

The BCS Guru continues his excellent series examining the 10 years of the Bowl Championship Series with a look at the 2004 season.

After the grandmother of all BCS disasters in 2003, officials decided to overhaul the formula to correct blaring errors. It didn't help.

USC, Oklahoma, Auburn, Utah and Boise State finished undefeated. The Trojans and Sooners met in the title game with USC winning, 55-19. Utah and Boise State were never seriously considered title contenders, but Auburn was and Southeastern Conference fans screamed bloody murder when the Tigers were excluded from the title game.

Two factors did in Auburn. First, the Tigers were lightly regarded and No. 17 in the Associated Poll preseason poll before fighting their way to the No. 3 slot. Second, Auburn did itself no favors with a nonconference schedule of Louisiana Monroe, Louisiana Tech and I-AA Citadel. Seven of the Tigers' 11 regular season games were at home.

Auburn defeated Virginia Tech, 16-13, in the Sugar Bowl and finished No. 2 in the AP poll. The Tigers declared themselves national champions and a championship logo was designed and trademarked. To this day, the Auburn "title" lives on, with a national championship ring appearing last month on eBay.

The Bo Pelini Polka

OK, it's not the "Beer Barrel Polka" sung by Frankie Yankovic, but music producer George Dare has released the "Bo Pelini Polka."

You can listen to the jingle by clicking here.

Dare lives in Las Vegas and has produced theme songs for the Make A Wish Foundation and Muscular Dystrophy Telethon, but like many Nebraska natives, he lives and dies Cornhusker football on Saturdays.

Corn Nation has also posted another of Dare's compositions, this one titled "Nebraska Nation."

Reporters' Notebooks

Brent Schrotenboer, San Diego Union-Tribune: The NCAA may be close to ruling that former USC running back Reggie Bush is retroactively ineligible, which could cause Bush to lose his 2005 Heisman Trophy and the Trojans to forfeit games in 2004 and 2005. Thanks to Mike.

Rick Malwitz and Keith Sargeant, East Brunswick Home News-Tribune: Athletic director Robert Mulcahy said there is no clause in Greg Schiano's contract that would allow the coach to break his 10-year deal without penalty if Rutgers is unable to complete an expansion of its stadium by 2009. Thanks to Jon and Stephen.

Keith Sargeant, East Brunswick Home News-Tribune: Where is Tony Soprano when you need him? Mulcahy is defending his approval of a no-bid contract with Nelligan Sports Marketing Inc. in February 2000. The marketing firm employed Mulcahy's son, Robert J. Mulcahy.

Marc Weiszer, Athens Banner-Herald: A wild weekend in Athens that resulted in one Georgia player being arrested and two others sent to the hospital. Long snapper Jeff Henson and defensive back Donavon Baldwin have been suspended.

Detroit Free Press: Retired Michigan coach Lloyd Carr, along with athletic director Bill Martin and hockey coach Red Berenson, have been diagnosed with melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer.

Sal Interdonato, Times Herald-Record: Army coach Stan Brock was back at practice, only days after surgery to treat prostate cancer.

Associated Press: Elected officials in Ohio have spent more than $400,000 on Ohio State tickets since 1996, purchasing hundreds of seats each year through their campaign funds, according to state records. Thanks to Kevin of We Are Penn State.

Arizona Daily Star: Arizona president Robert Shelton says the Wildcats are going to a bowl game. "We're going to a bowl. You heard it here. Probably not on January 1 or after." And what if they don't get a bowl bid? "If we don't go to a bowl, we have to really examine our program and what we're doing."

Iliana Limon, Orlando Sentinel: The parents of Ereck Plancher have notified Central Florida that they plan to file a lawsuit against the university over the death of their son.

Rick Scoppe, Greenville News: South Carolina's Steve Spurrier didn't vote Duke in his preseason top 25 after he was asked to stop the practice by Grant Teaff, executive director of the American Football Coaches Association. Plus, five long-time boosters filed a lawsuit against South Carolina and its athletic booster club, saying the athletic department reneged on a seat-licensing agreement made under former athletic director Mike McGee.

Ray Melick, Birmingham News: What would happen if, for one day, a college football game was played and nobody came?

Stephen Tsai, Honolulu Advertiser: Quarterback Tyler Graunke will be withheld from participating in Hawaii's training camp until he resolves a personal issue.

Berry Tramel, Oklahoman: The expansion on Oklahoma State's Boone Pickens Stadium is complete. Tramel writes: "I walked out onto the east-side landing of the stadium Saturday, and only one word came to mind: amazing. Simply amazing."

Maurice Patton, Tennessean: Vanderbilt suspended freshman running back Jermaine Doster for the season after his arrest two weeks ago on three misdemeanor charges in his hometown of Tampa.

To bypass registration, go to Bug Me Not. Here is today's mystery link. Thanks to Pam.

Has Oklahoma Suddenly Become Gun-shy?

Josh Jarboe seemed to be a perfect fit at Oklahoma, a program full of history and tradition, national championships and uncontrollable players.

Back in the Barry Switzer era, there was one George "Buster" Rhymes. As the story goes, several players engaged in a snowball fight and Rhymes got hit. He went back to his room, returned with an Uzi and sprayed bullets into the Norman sky.

Rapper Chuck D of Public Enemy was so impressed with Rhymes' legacy that he gave fellow rapper Trevor Tahiem Smith, Jr. the name Busta Rhymes after watching him perform.

So what has changed in the 25-or-so years since Switzer's band of heathens ruled Norman? Dare we say the Internet?

In the 48 hours since we posted the video of Jarboe's rap on YouTube, it had been watched over 55,000 times. There were more than 550 comments, making it the No. 2 among Friday's most discussed videos.

Back when Rhymes and other Sooners were raising hell, it often went unreported. In today's world, even the slightest transgression can spread like a wildfire across cyberspace, creating a public relations nightmare.

On Thursday, Bob Stoops told Berry Tramel of the Oklahoman that he had no plans to boot Jarboe. "Kick a guy off the team for what he says?"

Stoops then added, "We're starting to talk about everything kids say and do. Now we're in people's homes, in their private spaces."

But as the Internet hits piled up, Oklahoma had no choice. On Friday, Jarboe was gone.

John Rohde of the Oklahoman applauded the move. "Whoever is responsible for dismissing freshman wide receiver Josh Jarboe, bravo," he wrote.

Whether Jarboe was treated fairly is a post for another day. This is about the Internet. It has changed the game and Jarboe's case is a prime example.

Temple

This could be the season Al Golden's plan pays off. The Temple coach played a bunch of fuzzy-faced freshmen and sophomores in his first two seasons. His first team went 1-11, but last season the Owls were 4-8, winning four of their last seven. Dare we say bowl game in 2008? Thanks to Kevin for sending the poster schedule.

Why the Downtime on the Site?

On Thursday, I received an email from Blogger stating that the site was identified as a potential spam blog and had been "locked." I had to request a review in order to regain the ability to post or do anything else on the site. At first, I thought this to be a phishing scam. Turns out it wasn't.

Upon investigation, locking sites has become commonplace on Blogger, which is owned by Google. Many blogs have been targeted (examples here, here and here) and now it was happening to me. Frustration set in, then anger. Just try reaching somebody — anybody — at Google, whose customer service is nonexistent.

After requesting the review, much of Friday was spent calling, emailing and faxing Google offices in Mountain View, Calif., and New York in order to regain access to the site. Every attempt led to a dead end, but late Friday night, the site was unlocked. No email, no explanation.

Due process is nonexistent in any of this and once you are locked, all you can do is sit and wait. In essence, you are guilty until proven innocent.

Blogger is huge, with growth estimated at over a million blogs a month. If you're considering using the platform, take note of what happened to us and countless other Blogger sites.

Good will come of this. A backup plan has been launched in the event the site is again locked. It will be up and running soon in case of another bump in the road.

We're quickly getting caught up and thanks for your patience during this unexpected setback.