Five Penn State players were selected in April's NFL Draft, but several other former Nittany Lions are battling to make NFL rosters.
One is former co-captain Josh Gaines, who recorded 31 tackles and four sacks as a senior in 2008. The Fort Wayne, Ind., native signed with the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted free agent, and he went through the first full-contact practices of the Eagles' training camp at Lehigh on Friday.
I caught up with him after Friday's second practice session, which was moved indoors because of rain. Here's what he had to say:
On his first week in training camp:
"I'm doing good, just learning and adjusting. I'm playing a little d-end, a little d-tackle, doing both. Since we're a couple guys short, I'm running double duty jobs right now."
On the adjustment from Penn State to the NFL:
"It's cool regarding, as far as being strict, the Eagles are one of the stricter teams in the NFL. Coming from Penn State, it's really not much of a change. But as far as playing -- like game speed -- it's a little faster, guys are a little bigger. They all play a little lower, and your technique's gotta be a little better."
On where he fits in, early in camp:
"You know, right now probably rushing inside, playing a little d-end. A couple guys got hurt so I was ready for whatever. Right now I'm just fighting to win a spot."
On the improvements he's made in his game:
"I know already that I've gotten better. Already, my pad height, playing low. There's big guys here and if you don't get low, you're definitely going to get pounded."
On what's he's learned from teammates like Trent Cole, Brodrick Bunkley and Mike Patterson on the Eagles' line:
"Hands, hands. Trent's not a real big guy but he takes advantage of playing low with his speed. So a lot of stuff like that. Playing the bigger guys, it really just helps playing behind those guys and watching them on film."
On staying in touch with his former Penn State teammates scattered around training camps:
"Oh yeah, I talk to Gerald [Cadogan] every once in a while. I talk to A.Q. [Shipley]. I talk to Aaron [Maybin], Mo [Evans], Ty [Sales], a couple other guys. We try to stay in touch a little bit."
That last day of July and the last day of a short week for the Afternoon Kickoff.
This week's Friday list brings you the Big Ten's Top 10 Players, regardless of position. It's extremely difficult to compare a defensive tackle to a running back, for example, so obviously these can be debated pretty easily.
But here's one man's take.
10. Eric Decker, WR, Minnesota
Decker and quarterback Adam Weber form one of the best and most underrated passing tandems in the nation. A 6-foot-2, 215-pound senior, Decker led the Big Ten in catches (84) and receiving yards (1,074) and earned a first team All-Big Ten selection last season.
9. Corey Wootton, DE, Northwestern
A first team All-Big Ten player, Wootton recorded 10 sacks in 2008 but tore his ACL in the Alamo Bowl loss to Missouri. Only seven months removed from the injury, he appears ready to go in 2009 and will be a force off the edge if he can rebound from the knee problem.
8. Terrelle Pryor, QB, Ohio State
The most hyped player in the league, Pryor has enormous potential and flashed plenty of signs of stardom last season. Although he only attempted more than 20 passes in a game once, the then-true freshman was efficient and also ran for 631 yards. Look for the numbers to improve this season, and while he won't be a Heisman finalist, he can set himself up for a run in 2010.
7. Jared Odrick, DT, Penn State
Odrick has flown a little bit under the radar for much of his career, but he is a good NFL prospect and a potential All-American. With good size at 6-foot-5, 306 pounds, Odrick is strong against the run and also disruptive in the passing game. He's athletic and consistently pushes into the backfield.
6. Juice Williams, QB, Illinois
Consistency is all that's held Williams back from being an elite player. He can be erratic at times and is prone to making too many mistakes -- he threw 16 interceptions last year -- but he also led the Fighting Illini with 719 rushing yards and had some big games passing, including 451 yards against Missouri and 462 against Minnesota. Both of those were losses, so some help from his teammates wouldn't hurt.
5. Daryll Clark, QB, Penn State
Not quite as flashy as Williams, Clark is instead a much more consistent producer. Outside of a 341-yard, four touchdown performance against Michigan State, his numbers rarely really stood out. But he's dangerous with his legs, thew just six interceptions in 321 attempts, is one of the best leaders in the country and is the reigning first team All-Big Ten signal caller.
4. Greg Jones, LB, Michigan State
Selected as the Big Ten's preseason defensive player of the year, Jones is the Big Ten's leading returning tackler after racking up 127 in '08. The junior middle linebacker also made 12 stops behind the line and has excellent range. The Big Ten may be down, but as usual, it has no shortage of great linebackers.
3. Sean Lee, LB, Penn State
Lee would have been a favorite for the Butkus Award last season, but he tore his ACL in spring practice and missed the season. In 2007, he finished second behind Dan Connor in the Big Ten with 138 tackles. It's still uncertain whether he'll play outside or move inside, but Lee said he feels 100 percent, and if so, he'll fight for plenty of national honors.
2. Navorro Bowman, LB, Penn State
Of course, Lee will have to battle his own teammate for national honors. Bowman's legal trouble appears behind him right now, and he's poised for a monster year after leading the Nittany Lions with 106 tackles and 12.5 tackles for loss in 2008.The 6-foot-1, 230-pound junior has outstanding athletic ability and range and was the Collegian's vote for preseason Big Ten defensive player of the year.
1. Arrelious Benn, WR, Illinois
A similar player to former Florida all-purpose man Percy Harvin, Benn also boats good size at 6-foot-2, 220 pounds. The junior is the Big Ten's most dynamic player. He caught 67 passes for 1,055 yards last season, along with rushing for 101 yards and returning kicks and punts. Expect our pick for Big Ten offensive player of the year to get more touches this season as Illinois tries to bounce back from a disappointing 5-7 campaign.
Just missed the cut: Penn State RB Evan Royster, Michigan DE Brandon Graham, Minnesota QB Adam Weber, Iowa OT Bryan Bulaga, Iowa LB Pat Angerer, Indiana DE Jammie Kirlew.
One thing is clear: Although it's a toss-up between Penn State and Ohio State as the league's preseason favorite, the Lions clearly boast the Big Ten's most star power. Royster probably belongs somewhere in the top 10, and while Ohio State is loaded with talent, the Buckeyes lost plenty of big-names like Chris Wells, James Laurinaitis and Malcolm Jenkins.
Also, it's a weak year for offensive linemen and defensive backs in the Big Ten, but the quarterback and linebacker crops are excellent.
***** Quick hits:
-The "Who didn't vote for Tim Tebow?" story just keeps going. Steve Spurrier now says he regrets making such a huge deal about his vote his director of football operations' vote. And he's right. I never thought I'd see Spurrier bow to the pressure like that before.
***** Video of the Day:
Arrelious Benn's huge day against Penn State in 2007:
*****
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Dakota Royer of Manheim Central High School announced his decision to attend Penn State at a news conference at his school Thursday morning, according to fightonstate.com.
Rated a three-star linebacker prospect by Scout.com and a four-star defensive end by Rivals.com, Royer earned first-team AAA All-State honors at defensive end in 2008. At 6-foot-3, 220 pounds, he would need to put on a lot of weight to stay at the end position in college.
Penn State's current class of 2010, according to Scout.com:
-Dakota Royer, LB, Manheim (Pa.) - 3 stars
-Kevin Haplea, TE, Annandale (N.J.) - 4 stars
-Alex Kenney, WR, State College (Pa.) - 3 stars
-Robert Bolden, QB, Orchard Lake (Mich.) - 4 stars
-Levi Norwood, WR, Waco (Texas) - Rating N/A
-DaQuan Jones, DT, Johnson City (N.Y.) - 4 stars
-Evan Hailes, DT, Chesapeake (Va.) - 4 stars
-Kyle Baublitz, DE, York (Pa.) - 3 stars
-Tom Ricketts, OT, Wexford (Pa.) - 4 stars
-Miles Dieffenbach, C, Pittsburgh (Pa.) - 4 stars
-Luke Graham, G, Harrison City (Pa.) - 3 stars
-Silas Redd, RB, Stamford (Conn.) - 4 stars
-Adrian Coxson, WR, Baltimore (Md.) - 5 stars
-Paul Jones, QB, McKees Rocks (Pa.) - 5 stars
-Mike Hull, MLB, Canonsburg (Pa.) - 4 stars
As USC remains under an investigation by the NCAA into its football and basketball programs -- more specifically, the handling of Reggie Bush and O.J. Mayo -- a new possible violation has been revealed.
USC coach Pete Carroll did not have a full-time special teams coach on staff last year (sound familiar?) but instead was consulted by former NFL assistant Pete Rodriguez.
In an effort to level the playing field, the NCAA allows schools to have nine full-time assistants and two graduate assistants, while there are also rules on people from the outside being in contact with players and helping coaches.
From the LA Times:
"I would watch practice and tell Pete, 'Hey, this guy needs this and this,' " Rodriguez said. He said he believed that his work complied with National Collegiate Athletic Assn. regulations that cap the number of coaches a team can have and that restrict consultants.
A response from a former NCAA investigator:
"That's coaching," said J. Brent Clark, a onetime NCAA investigator who practices law in Oklahoma, when told of Rodriguez's statements.
"The rules are designed to level the playing field for all institutions regardless of the size of their budgets. It would make no sense for the rich and powerful to be able to compensate coaches with NFL backgrounds outside the coaching-limitation rules."
I'd have to agree with Clark. I don't know how one wouldn't consider that coaching. Maybe he's not technically coaching the players, but he's more or less coaching through Carroll.
And this is not the first time USC has done this:
Carroll had tapped at least one NFL-pedigree coach before Rodriguez. Early in his tenure, Carroll brought in NFL journeyman coach Alex Gibbs to help the Trojan staff.
During the off-season, Gibbs met with coaches and analyzed game videos, according to a source familiar with Trojan football operations, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was concerned about alienating USC.
Just add all this to the list of questionable actions by USC. Will the NCAA ever actually come down hard on the football program? Probably not.
But aside from the fact that Pete Carroll seems like a pretty nice guy, USC is basically the Barry Bonds of college football. They haven't gotten penalized yet, but just about everyone suspects shady things have occurred.
***** Quick hits:
-Back on the release day for NCAA Football '10, I simulated a season for a quick projection of what will happen. EA Sports did the same, and Penn State made it into the BCS title game -- where it was destroyed by Florida 45-14. From the "this will never happen" department: it also says a one-loss Penn State made the title game over one-loss Oklahoma and USC teams.
-Like Florida State, Alabama doesn't want wins taken away from its past. The Crimson Tide had 21 wins taken away because of a scandal involving athletes and textbooks are now appealing to get the wins back. Makes sense to me. The punishment just doesn't seem to fit the crime at all.
***** Video of the Day:
Derrick Williams breaks last year's Wisconsin game open:
*****
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The watch list for the John Mackey Award for the nation's best tight end was released today, and Penn State senior Andrew Quarless made the cut. For the full list, go to the Mackey site and click the link under "Watch List."
Preseason college football award watch lists mean next to nothing, but they can at least be a decent gauge to see who is standing out on a national level heading into the season.
Other notable names on the list: Oklahoma's Jermaine Greshman, Wisconsin's Garrett Graham, Pittsburgh's Nate Byham, Michigan State's Charlie Gantt and many others.
Quarless caught just 11 passes fro 117 yards and one touchdown last year and has seen his numbers decline in each of his three seasons. But he appears re-focused going into his final season and has the talent to have a pretty big year if Penn State features the tight ends more.
The safe prediction for the Mackey Award winner once the season plays out? Greshman. The senior caught 66 passes for 950 yards and 14 touchdowns for the prolific Sooners' offense in '08.
CHICAGO -- The Daily Collegian did not vote for Terrelle Pryor as its preseason Big Ten offensive player of the year. There's our Steve Spurrier admission for the day.
Even Jim Tressel admitted to being surprised by Pryor's honor, and I can only wonder when's the last time the guy tabbed as the preseason player of the year wasn't even brought by his school to the conference media events.
Pryor became the first sophomore to be recognized with such a distinction since Maurice Clarett, another Buckeye, in 2003. (Insert joke here.)
But the Pryor preseason selection was just that -- a preseason selection.
To say Pryor is better than Daryll Clark or even Juice Williams at this point would be a ridiculous statement, but that belittles the fact that the honor is not who is the best player but who will be by season's end.
For one, the media also picked Ohio State to win the conference. Assuming things play out that way (and, given the nation's relative lack of surprise with that pick, it's a good bet many think they just might), odds are Pryor, the Buckeyes' signal-caller, will have played a huge role in that feat.
His numbers were far from flattering last season, but you can't put a price on the experience that he gained as a true freshman starting quarterback on a Top-10 team. It's safe to assume Pryor will only get better as time progresses, and it's easy to forget the lofty praises he received as a high school stud just two years ago.
For my money, I'd take Clark over Pryor right now without hesitation. Looking ahead to the season, however, Clark may have a more difficult time with a questionable offensive line protecting him and an unproven group of receivers to throw to.
What about Juice, he of the three-year starting status and video game-like numbers?
Well, in this blog's humble opinion, the Illini's leader takes a backseat in Champaign, Ill. to his favorite target, Arrelious Benn, the guy we think will have deserved it by the end of the year. (He'll have to catch a few more balls in the end zone, but we're confident.)
Benn probably won't win it, however, considering there have only been two previous wide receivers to be tabbed as the actual Big Ten offensive player of the year. (A pair of Wolverines, actually: Desmond Howard in 1991 and Braylon Edwards in 2004.)
And with that, Big Ten media days -- and the conference's own, albeit minor episode of "Votegate" -- has come to an end.
Penn State picked up its 14th verbal commitment Monday when tight end Kevin Haplea announced he would head west from Annandale, N.J. and play his college football in Beaver Stadium, according to scout.com
Scout ranks Haplea as the eighth-best tight end prospect in the nation, and he could fight for playing time next season with Andrew Quarless and Mickey Shuler exhausting their eligibility.
Former Penn State WR Deon Butler, one of the more eye-catching rookies in Seattle's mini camps, signed a multi-year deal with the Seahawks on Friday, according to the AP.
"It's good to know I'm about to go into camp on time and not miss any practices," Butler told the Daily Collegian.
Butler didn't even know his signing was announced and didn't offer specifics on his deal.
"There's a lot of numbers in there," he said.
Team training camp starts Thursday and Butler will try to latch on and earn a position for the fall. Right now, he's at home working out and hanging out with family.
He said he talks regularly with former teammates Jordan Norwood and Tony Davis.
He is Penn State's all-time career receptions leader with 179 catches. His 2,771 receiving yards and 22 TDs are second-best and third-best in school history, respectively.
Despite some attention in rookie camps, Butler is entering training camp in the mindframe he still has to prove himself.
"I treat it the same," he said. "I still gotta go out and make plays."
Another Friday here on the Afternoon Kickoff, and this will be the last Afternoon Kickoff until next Thursday because of Big Ten media days in Chicago early next week.
This week, Friday's list is the Top 10 Preseason Heisman Candidates. Sorry Eric Berry, but only skill position players make the list.
10. Dan LeFevour, QB, Central Michigan
Realistically, LeFevour doesn't have any chance at all of winning the award. It's probably safe to say that no player from the MAC will win the Heisman in the near future, but the Chippewas' quarterback is as good as any the MAC has had in recent years -- a list that includes Byron Leftwich, Ben Roethlisberger and Chad Pennington, among others.
9. Daryll Clark, QB, Penn State
Clark's numbers won't be as flashy as some of the top guys, but if he has another efficient season and Penn State wins the Big Ten with an 11-1 or undefeated record (given the schedule, it's not out of the question), a senior quarterback like Clark will certainly be in the Heisman discussion.
8. Jonathan Dwyer, RB, Georgia Tech
Dwyer checked in as the No. 1 tailback in the country in this blog last week, but it's unlikely Georgia Tech will find itself high enough in the national picture to get Dwyer the award. With that said, the Yellow Jackets boast a much more experienced offensive line this season and Dwyer should put up monster numbers in the second year of the Paul Johnson option era.
7. Dez Bryant, WR, Oklahoma State
It's very difficult for a receiver to win the Heisman, and this year will likely be no exception. But Bryant is probably every bit as good as former Texas Tech receiver Michael Crabtree. Bryamt caught 87 passes for 1,480 yards and 19 touchdowns last season and leads any debate about who is the top receiver in the nation. With quarterback Zac Robinson back as well, Bryant's numders should be just as good or better as '08.
6. Max Hall, QB, BYU
Although the Mountain West is much stronger than the MAC, Hall is in the same boat as LeFevour. He won't win it, but BYU is good enough and Hall is good enough to at least enter the Heisman discussion. Should the Cougars crash the BCS party, Hall will be the main reason why after passing for nearly 4,000 yards last year. And a BCS bid may be enough to at least get him an invite to New York.
5. Jevan Snead, QB, Ole Miss
Ole Miss is just about everyone's favorite surprise contender this season, and that's mostly because of Snead. His numbers were very good in '08, but with a year as starter under is belt, many are expecting the Texas transfer to become an elite quarterback and an elite NFL prospect.
4. Jahvid Best, RB, California
As usual, the Pac-10 appears to be USC, then everyone else. But Cal has a chance to surprise and maybe even knock USC off its throne. All Best did last year was average 8.1 yards per carry, and if Cal somehow takes down the Trojans, he probably has the best chance out of anyone outside the big three to win.
3. Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma
Only Archie Griffin has won back-to-back Heismans, so that's part of the reason Bradford falls from last year's winner to No. 3 heading into the season. With that said, you can't argue against any of these top three as the No. 1 candidate. Bradford passed for a ridiculous 4,720 yards, 50 touchdowns and just eight interceptions on an offense that also featured two 1,000-yard rushers. The big obstacle for the offense this season? Four starters on the line must be replaced.
2. Colt McCoy, QB, Texas
The only one of the top three to not win the Heisman, McCoy beat Bradford in the Red River Shotout last year but was beat out by the Sooners' quarterback both for the award and for a spot in the BCS National Championship game. McCoy completed passes at the incredibly-accurate rate of 76.7 percent last season, and it's very possible it's his turn to win the Heisman this season.
1. Tim Tebow, QB, Florida
Not much needs to be said here. Everyone knows about Tebow, and a lot of the nation is getting sick of hearing about him. But get ready, the year of Tebow is upon us. Florida is the obvious pick to repeat as national champs, and Tebow 's chances of winning his second Heisman in three years are very promising.
***** Quick hits:
-Speaking of Tebow, the mystery of the offseason has been solved.
-A Lou Holtz-coached Notre Dame alumni squad is set to play the Japan national team.
Tony Rice is expected to be the starting quarterback for Holtz's team.
"I'm 41 years old and when they asked me to do this, I said, 'You know what? I'm gonna do it.' "
And rumor has it that Tom Watson will line up at tailback.
***** Video of the Day:
Keep some tissues handy, here's perhaps the most memorable Heisman speech ever from Penn State's John Cappelletti in 1973:
*****
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And again, as a reminder, the Afternoon Kickoff will be put on hiatus for a few days because of Big Ten media days. It will make its return Thursday.
Former Penn State defensive end Aaron Maybin may wait a little longer to start traning camp than the rest of his Buffalo Bills' teammates when camp opens July 25.
Maybin is expected to be a contractual holdout, writes Mark Gaughan of the Buffalo News.
Fear not, Maybin fans. This doesn't appear too threatening to his rookie season. The Bills open camp a week early, and negotiating trends of recent years suggest the early start hampers draft choices' ability to sign before camp.
It's likely Maybin would only miss a week. Camp opens early because the Bills are playing the Tennesse Titans in the Pro Football Hall of Fame game Aug. 8 in Canton, Ohio.
Although SEC media day is the big event going on right now, a few interesting bits of information have come out of the Mountain West's event in Las Vegas.
Mainly, the Mountain West has had discussions about adding a team to take the conference up to 10. It's a move that could potentially give the Mountain West a really good argument to get an automatic BCS bid.
From commissioner Craig Thompson:
"We spent a lot of time talking in general about expansion specifically, not about particular institutions," Thompson said. "I think the conversation typically at a directors level has centered on maybe a 10th will help us. But the real issue is practical scheduling."
I have a hard time believing a specific institution hasn't been discussed, because there is just one obvious fit: Boise State.
There is not one other school that could help the Mountain West's BCS cause should it be added. No team has a better winning percentage this decade than the Broncos. They've won a BCS game in the past when they knocked off Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl. They've beaten Pac-10 teams, with a 37-32 win over Oregon last year and wins over Oregon State in 2004 and 2006.
Boise State finished the '08 season ranked No. 11 in the AP Poll and will almost certainly be ranked in preseason polls this year. Utah (No. 2), TCU (No. 7) and BYU (No. 25) each finished in the top 25 last year as well, and each has a chance to be ranked this season.
In comparison, the Big East -- widely considered the weakest of the BCS leagues -- finished with two ranked teams last year (No. 17 Cincinnati, No. 23 West Virginia), and there's a good chance the conference will have only one team ranked in the '09 preseason pols.
This isn't to say the Big East should lose its automatic bid. As a whole, the Big East is deeper than the Mountain West. But with five BCS bowl games now, would it really be a problem to have seven automatic bids?
In its current nine-team state, I don't know that the Mountain West deserves the automatic bid yet. But add Boise State? Yeah, it would have a really strong argument.
It would be the perfect fit for the Mountain West, and a perfect fit for a Boise State team that has completely dominated the WAC in recent years.
But the question is, should the Mountain West somehow get an automatic bid in the next few years, would it stop clamoring for a playoff if it suddenly finds itself as part of the exclusive club?
***** Quick hits:
-One of the hot topics at SEC media days: who didn't vote Tim Tebow All-SEC? A player is considered a unanimous selection if he gets 11 votes because coaches are not allowed to vote for their own players. But Tebow was not a unanimous selection. Most assumed it was Lane Kiffin, but he says he voted Tebow. Among the other coaches, Mark Richt and Nick Saban both said they voted for Tebow as well. The mystery continues.
-Someone broke into the Texas A&M football facility and used athletic tape to spell out "The Eyes of Texas are upon you" on the locker room floor (the opening line of the Texas fight song). Apparently the person responsible is affiliated with Texas A&M and will not be charged. Sounds like a Sue Paterno prank.
***** Video of the day:
The loudest moment in the '02 Nebraska-Penn State game, which had the largest crowd in Beaver Stadium history:
*****
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For once, we have good news on the BCS front. According to CBSSports.com, the BCS successfully lobbied the AFCA to delay its decision to keep the coaches' final vote confidential.
The coaches poll is already a pretty terrible way of ranking college football teams, for several reasons.
1) Coaches rarely see any teams play besides themselves, their opponents and their opponents' opponents on film. Most admit to as much.
2) Many head coaches just give their vote to some assistant or person in the athletic department.
3) There is a massive conflict of interest involved. Anyone would be naive to think coaches aren't influenced by the conference they play in and personal relationships when voting, and who could blame them? It's in their best interests to make their conference and their own team look stronger.
By making the final vote public, we at least get some kind of transparency. The CBSSports story says the BCS could threaten to take the coaches' poll out of the BCS formula, meaning it would likely replace it with some kind of equally bad poll -- like the Harris Poll.
AFCA executive director Grant Teaff said the change is part of the process of "making our poll the best poll it can possibly be." The adjustments were made based on the results of a three-month independent study by Gallup World Poll of the voter selection process and voting procedures. Gallup recommended the change because confidentiality leads to a better poll, according to Teaff. "Why do you have booths for people to vote in?" he said.
Yeah, confidentiality does lead to a better poll... if there aren't huge conflicts of interests involved in a poll that provides 1/3 of the input for the national title game. I just can't see the logic here. By making votes public, wouldn't coaches be much more likely to avoid giving questionable votes to their buddy or their fellow conference member?
Well, not that they avoid it even when votes are public. But it at least opens them up to criticism.
ESPN.com gave a nice overview of questionable ballots at the end of last season.
Some other quotes of note from CBS:
On delaying the confidential vote until the new TV contract starts:
"We just felt that we should wait until the next cycle starts," the AFCA's Todd Bell said. "I can't speak to the outside pressure or anything like that."
Coming to ESPN in 2010-11: The BCS, more corrupt than when it was on FOX!
And the Ol' Ball Coach on why the vote should be public:
"Now," South Carolina's Steve Spurrier told CBSSports.com in May. "There's a chance for some real hanky panky."
If this guy's predictions miraculously came true one year, I can't imagine the "hanky panky" that will ensue in the coaches' poll.
***** Quick hits:
-Yesterday, I mentioned that it wouldn't be surprising at all if the SEC and ESPN collaborated on a network. A few hours later, the SEC and ESPN announced they were collaborating on a new network. I was hoping the ESPN ticker would say something like "SEC and ESPN announce new network, as first reported randomly predicted by The Daily Collegian's Footblog."
-BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall isn't too fond of preseason polls. And that's one way the Harris Poll gets it right -- it's part of the BCS formula, so it doesn't produce a poll until a few weeks into the season. Preseason polls have too much of an effect on the rest of the season even though voters are just making guesses. With that said, I still love preseason polls just because what else is there to do in the offseason except make predictions?
***** Video of the Day:
Former Penn State defensive tackle Anthony Adams tells a story about racing Joe Paterno:
*****
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Former Penn State WR James McDonald has been kicked off the football team, according to a statement from PSU Intercollegiate Athletics.
"James McDonald, a reserve wide receiver and recent graduate of Penn State's College of Communications, will not be invited back for his fifth season on the football team," the statement said.
McDonald was charged with DUI July 9 in the parking lot of the Nittany Lion Inn, according to court documents. He was also driving an unregistered vehicle.
McDonald caught seven passes for 90 yards in his career.
I encourage you to read Solomon's entire piece, which speaks of how ESPN will get behind the SEC more than ever with the new 15-year, $2.25 billion deal between the too.
The Steve Spurrier and Mark Richt anecdotes in there are solid, but the irony of the Tuberville situation is brilliant.
Let's go to the full Tuberville quote from 2005:
"ESPN has gotten so much power lately, it's kinda scary," Tuberville said in 2005. "And most of their analysts are coaches who haven't won games. That's why they're there. I think you know who I'm talking about. And Lou Holtz gets on there and talks about what a team has to do to win that game, and the guy couldn't beat anybody in our conference. ... ESPN, I'll tell you, I don't have much to do with them anymore."
Like Holtz, Tuberville couldn't beat anybody in the SEC last year either, going 2-6 in the league -- remember one of those two wins? Now, he's on an ESPNU show called "Inside the Polls," analyzing the same polls that kept him out of the national title game in 2004 despite going undefeated.
You can't make this stuff up.
But none of it is surprising at all. Bob Knight has always criticized the media, and now he's on ESPN. Same goes for Bill Parcells before he went to the Miami Dolphins.
ESPN pretty much owns he world at this point. Well, if doesn't already, soon it will.
The SEC has discussed creating a TV network in the mold of the Big Ten Network in the past. At this point, would it surprise anyone to see an ESPN-SEC Network? I can see it now... the SEC Network powered by ESPN, featuring lead analyst Tommy Tuberville.
***** Quick hits:
-Before his CBS Evening News days, Walter Cronkite had a strong tie to college football as the first radio play-by-play man for Oklahoma football.
-Last week, I posted about the eroding family values saga at Michigan, this time with the transfer of offensive lineman Kurt Wermers. But according to "sources with knowledge of the situation", Wermers was ruled academically ineligible before he announced his transfer. Hopefully this will be addressed by Rich Rodriguez at Big Ten Media Day in Chicago next week.
-Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz received a contract extension through 2015, although his salary will remain at the low price of $3.02 million per year.
***** Video of the Day:
I'll continue with memorable Penn State moments, this from just before halftime at the '06 Orange Bowl:
*****
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The Penn State wide receiver had a blood-alcohol level between .08 and .10 when he was arrested at the Nittany Lion Inn parking lot at about 2:30 a.m. on July 9, according to court documents that were filed Monday.
The redshirt senior has caught just seven passes for 90 yards over his Nittany Lion career. McDonald caught five passes for 72 yards last season.
He was briefly suspended from the team in April of 2007 for reasons that were never disclosed.
It is currently unknown how the DUI will affect McDonald's status with the team.
Perhaps he hadn't looked at his team's roster yet.
On the billboards that promote Mississippi State football season tickets in coach Dan Mullen and the spread offense's first year, the theme is "Spread The Fun." On the television ads, Mullen is diagramming a play on a white board when he looks over his shoulder and says, with an admirable bit of acting skill, "this is gonna be exciting."
As Kyle Veazey says in that Clarion-Ledger story, Mississippi State essentially dumped Slyvester Croom with the plan to hire a coach that would bring the spread to Starkville. The spread still has yet to really take hold in the SEC, so the Bulldogs went to the one place where it's been successful -- Florida -- and lured the Gators' offensive coordinator away.
Although Mullen has no head coaching experience, right now it appears like a solid hire. He's done a terrific job under Urban Meyer and appears ready for a head coaching gig.
But there is one important thing to point out: The spread offense won't be "fun" until the Bulldogs have the personnel to successfully execute using it.
The team's best offensive player is a 235-pound power running back in Anthony Dixon -- well, at least he was. Now his status is probably pending the results of these new legal issues. But if he remains with the team, he has to be the focal point of the offense.
At quarterback, senior Tyson Lee threw seven touchdowns and five interceptions last year in eight starts and rushed for just 37 yards. At receiver, no returning player averaged more than 11.9 yards per catch. This year, at least, the Mississippi State personnel still screams "run the ball up the middle with Dixon and try to wear down a defense."
Obviously, it will take a few years for the spread to be successfully installed, especially when the past personnel fits a different system. Just ask Michigan. It also wouldn't be surprising at all to see Mullen quarterback recruit Tyler Russell overtake Lee for the starting job. The Bulldogs likely won't win now, so it's a way to build for the future.
But by heavily promoting how fun the spread offense is (and how unique it is... although, yes it is unique in the SEC. But even Penn State has run the spread for half a decade now), Mississippi State is setting itself up for failure this season.
Just look at Auburn. Auburn had been a one-back, two-tight end, power running team for several years. Last year with new offensive coordinator Tony Franklin, the Tigers failed miserably in the first year of the spread, finishing 5-7 and ranking 110th in the nation by scoring 17.3 points per game. Franklin lost his job, as did long-time head coach Tommy Tuberville.
Given the personnel -- and Mississippi State's recruiting class that ranked No. 10 in the SEC according to Rivals.com -- the Bulldogs are likely in for a long season. And running the spread won't be fun if the losses pile up.
I'm sure Mullen won't regret taking a head coaching job, especially at a school in the SEC. But come Oct. 24 when Florida visits Starkville, everyone around the program will get an up-close look at a "fun" spread offense that Mullen left behind.
**** Quick hits:
-Former offensive lineman Chaz Ramsey is suing former Auburn o-line coach Hugh Nall and trainer Arnold Gamber. He claims their actions after his back surgery contributed to the end of his career.
Heninger said Ramsey reinjured his back ``because of being intimidated into doing offensive line drills and weight room activities which absolutely should not have been doing.''
-Army and Notre Dame will square off at Yankee Stadium in 2010. Certainly a neat idea, although I wouldn't like if future Army games at the ballpark take games away from Michie Stadium in West Point. But it's too bad these aren't the Army and Notre Dame teams from the 1940s.
***** Video of the Day:
One of the most memorable plays from the '08 Penn State season:
*****
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We've reached another Friday for the Afternoon Kickoff, and once again that means a list to end the week.
Last Friday, it was the Top 10 quarterbacks in the nation. This week, we'll continue the trend with the nation's Top 10 running backs.
10. Charles Scott, Sr., LSU
A big back at 233 pounds, Scott bulldozed his way for 1,174 yards and 18 touchdowns to earn first team All-SEC honors in his first year as a starter. He carried the LSU offense last season, and although Jordan Jefferson and the passing game should improve, Scott will still be the focal point of the unit.
9. LeGarrette Blount, Sr., Oregon
In his first year as a junior college transfer, the 6-foot-2, 240-pound Blount shared time with Jeremiah Johnson, but each eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark. Blount rushed for 1,002 yards and 16 touchdowns while averaging 7.3 yards per carry. Although Johnson is gone, the Ducks still boast a very potent rushing attack thanks to Blount and quarterback Jeremiah Masoli.
8. Jacquizz Rodgers, So., Oregon State
The opposite of the first two on the list in terms of size, the 5-foot-7, 193-pound Rodgers took home Pac-10 offensive player of the year as a freshman. He was one of the few highlights for the Beavers in the 45-14 loss in Happy Valley, but he made a name for himself in the Thursday night upset of USC when he rushed for 186 yards and two touchdowns. He ended the season with 1,253 yards and 11 touchdowns despite missing the final two games because of an injury.
7. Evan Royster, Jr., Penn State
Royster is a very balanced runner with solid speed and excellent vision when running between the tackles. He only received more than 20 carries once last season -- a rarity for a talented tailback in what used to be a prominently I-formation offense. But Royster still rushed for 1,236 yards and 12 touchdowns with an average of 6.5 yards per carry. With inexperienced receivers for Penn State, Royster will probably get a few more touches this season.
6. Noel Devine, Jr., West Virginia
A high school legend, Devine is as dangerous as they come in the open field. He's very elusive and has elite speed, making him a perfect fit for West Virginia's spread option offense. With quarterback Pat White gone, expect more carries to go to Devine, who rushed for 1,289 yards and four touchdowns while averaging 6.3 yards per carry in 2008.
5. DeMarco Murray, Jr., Oklahoma
An elite talent, Murray would be putting up bigger numbers had he not had injury problems, split time with fellow 1,000-yard back Chris Brown and shared a backfield with Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Sam Bradford. Brown could also be on this list, as he led the Sooners with 1,220 yards and 20 touchdowns, but Murray is an all-around threat who rushed for 1,002 yards and 14 touchdowns and caught 31 passes for 395 yards and four touchdowns last season. With Murray and Brown, the Sooners boast the top tailback duo in the nation.
4. C.J. Spiller, Sr., Clemson
Like the entire Clemson team, Spiller had a bit of a disappointing '08 campaign. The Spiller-James Davis tandem was supposed to be the nation's best, but neither came close to 1,000 yards. Spiller received just 116 carries for the season, finishing with 629 yards and seven touchdowns -- along with 34 catches for 436 yards and three touchdowns. Spiller wisely decided to return for his senior season, and with Davis gone, he's the featured player on the Tigers' offense. He's also a dangerous kick returner and averaged 27.2 yards per return last year. Like Devine, Spiller is very tough to bring down in the open field and is known for his elusiveness.
3. Kendall Hunter, Jr., Oklahoma State
The Big 12 is known for its quarterbacks -- and the Cowboys have a good one in Zac Robinson -- but Hunter was the main reason they had the No. 8 rush offense in the nation last year. Small at 5-foot-8, 190 pounds, Hunter racked up 1,555 yards and 16 touchdowns with an average of 6.5 yards per carry. Hunter combined with Keith Toston, Beau Johnson and Robinson form a very talented stable of runners.
2. Jahvid Best, Jr., California
Blessed with the speed of a sprinter, Best averaged an unbelievable 8.1 yards per carry with 1,580 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2008 to be named first team All-Pac-10. He's not a big back at 5-foot-10, 195 pounds, but he's a home run hitter out of the backfield and also averaged 26.3 yards per kick return. In his senior year of high school, he won the California state title in the 100-meter dash with a time of 10.31 seconds.
1. Jonathan Dwyer, Jr., Georgia Tech
Paul Johnson brought the option to the Yellow Jackets, and Dwyer proved to be a perfect fit for the offense. The 6-foot, 228-pound Dwyer rushed for 1,395 yards and 12 touchdowns with an average of seven yards per carry. In his second year as starter, the '08 ACC offensive player of the year should only get better as the triple option attack continues to develop.
***** Quick hits:
-Florida State takes plenty of heat for off-the-field issues and academic scandals, so it's hard to believe one person could offset all that negativity.
Well, NFL-ready safety and Rhodes Scholar Myron Rolle continues to try to do just that. Rolle and his family plan to build the Myron L. Rolle Medical Clinic and Sports Complex in the Bahamas to provide free health services to the people of Exuma. Really, really amazing stuff, and he's just 22 years old.
-Illinois is considering extending the contract of head coach Ron Zook. Why not wait until after the season, you know, to see how he rebounds with a very talented squad that's coming off a disappointing 5-7 campaign?
**** Video of the day:
More from the ridiculously fast Jahvid Best:
*****
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The Centre Daily Times is reporting former Penn State WR Gerald Smith was sentenced to to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty to possession with intent to deliver cocaine.
However, he will likely get parole after 13 months after Smith attorney said his client "wants to get on with his life, start a new chapter and get this chapter behind him."
The ruling stems from a May 2008 arrest when he was caught by a State College Police undercover detective with 123 grams of cocaine.
Smith played from 2000-04, racking up 254 yards on 20 catches while bouncing back and forth from defensive back to WR.
First, Boren said before last season even started that Michigan's "family values have eroded" under new boss Rich Rodriguez. So, he packed up and left for his hometown team and the Wolverines' nemesis, where he'll likely start at guard after sitting out the '08 season because of transfer rules.
Now, the redshirt freshman Wermers is echoing Boren's sentiments, saying:
"I really didn't get along with the new coaches," Wermers said. "They were bringing in a lot of different kids that were not my kind of crowd. Coach Carr's staff was a whole different ballgame. It was like a family. But when Rodriguez came in it was a whole different feeling. It was more of a business.
"I figured I'd get out while I could."
And it was more like a business that lost 75 percent of its games.
Wermers was a four-star prospect coming out of high school according to Scout.com but was not expected to make much of an impact on the Michigan line this season. He'll sit out another year at Ball State before being eligible to suit up in the Cardinals' red in 2010.
As we await possible reaction from Rodriguez, here's what he said in response to Boren last year:
"I've been a head coach for 15 years," Rodriguez told reporters. "I think we have as close a family unit ... than anybody in the country. Always has been and always will be."
Now, there is probably more to the story with Wermers and all we have is his side of things, but it is rare for players to call out their former coaches. Usually when a player transfers you get something like, "(Insert school here) has been good to me, but I feel that the time is right for me to move on and get a fresh start at (insert school that's not as good at football here)."
Instead, we've had two players openly criticize Rodriguez and his staff. Naturally, some fans have been harsh critics as well, and last year, Rodriguez simply told them to "get a life."
It's also rare that a team that went 3-9 will be one of the most compelling stories in college football, but it's true. The Wolverines will be under the microscope this season as they try to rebound from a disastrous season and get the spread offense rolling.
And if they win? I'm sure it'll be a happy family again in Ann Arbor.
***** Quick hits:
-The NCAA said yes, but South Florida says no to recruit Kamran Joyer. USF became suspicious of Joyer when they found nine changed grades on his transcripts.
"Our office would be concerned about and ultimately question any transcript where more than 40 percent of the applicant's grades in college preparatory coursework were changed during the student's senior year," Spatig wrote to Frelick on June 23.
-Star Ole Miss defensive end Greg Hardy has his foot back in a boot after a car accident that also involved teammate Dexter McCluster. No one was seriously injured, but it could be a setback for Hardy -- who had surgery on the foot before last season. He'll be evaluated next week.
***** Video of the day:
Great moments in PSU football history: Larry Johnson breaks the 2,000-yard mark for the season in the 2002 obliteration of Michigan State...
*****
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The prestigious camp invited two Penn State verbal commitments to participate, as well as the current PSU starting quarterback and will take place July 20-23
Daryll Clark will serve as a camp counselor, joining Zac Robinson of Oklahoma State, Colt McCoy of Texas, Juice Williams of Illinois and Cody Hawkins of Colorado on the staff.
And Clark will help tutor future Penn State quarterback Robert Bolden of Orchard Lake, Mich., who committed to the Lions last Friday. Rated a four-star prospect by both Scout.com and Rivals.com, Bolden is a 6-foot-4 dual-threat quarterback in the mold of both Clark and Penn State freshman Kevin Newsome.
Given that four of the Elite 11 counselors are mobile quarterbacks, it looks like Bolden will have some pretty good tutors to get tips from.
Also invited to the camp was Scout.com five-star prospect and Penn State verbal Paul Jones, but he will sit the camp out because of his ankle injury.
Other participants of note include Joe Montana's son, Nick, who is committed to Washington, West Virginia commit Barry Brunetti and California commit Austin Hinder.
The last Penn State recruit to participate in the Elite 11 camp? Pat Devlin, who was a Miami verbal at the time.
Before him? That would be Anthony Morelli. At the time, he had narrowed his choices to Pitt, Notre Dame and Florida State.
Perfect examples of how things can change quickly in recruiting.
***** Quick hits:
-UNC Charlotte is hoping to establish a football program. School officials hope to sell 5,000 personal seat licenses by mid-September but have only sold about 1,850 so far. I enjoyed this part of the story:
With green Charlotte 49ers football helmets on tables and posters reading, "In Order To Protect Our House, We Have To Build One," volunteers were given an outline of their charge.
Thankfully, there is no report of them using Under Armour's "Click-Clack" slogan as well.
-Yesterday, I posted about Tennesee receiver Austin Rogers being sidelined for the season because of a torn ACL. The bad news continues for the SEC's second worst passing game, as junior Denarius Moore broke a bone in his foot and will be out eight to 12 weeks. The Vols better hope highly touted true freshman tailback Bryce Brown can contribute right away to take pressure of the passing game.
***** Video of the day:
Bryce Brown's high school highlights:
*****
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State College native Alex Kenney (no relation to tight ends coach Bill Kenney) told receivers coach Mike McQueary on Tuesday he'd be playing his college football within a five minute drive from his home, according to scout.com.
Kenney is the third WR to sign and 13th overall member in the class of 2010.
"I committed to Penn State," he told FightOnState's Mark Brennan. "It felt right to me and I made the decision. It feels great. Now I'm ready to get back with my high school team and work hard."
Kenney held offers from Boston College, Illinois, Virginia, Stanford, Pitt, N.C. State and others.
It's a big day in the college football offseason. With the release of NCAA Football '10, fans have something to hold them over until the season begins.
Last week, we went over how Sam Keller doesn't like that his likeness (height, weight, number, home state, appearance... everything but name) was used in the game while he played at Arizona State and Nebraska.
Well, sorry Sam. The NCAA Football series is about the only game I play -- and it's also quite popular with the Penn State football team -- so since I got my copy, today's Afternoon Kickoff presents a virtual projection of the 2009 season. I simply picked Penn State, started up a season and simulated through it.
Penn State regular season results (Preseason Rank: No. 8)
W 41-0 vs. Akron
W 47-20 vs. Syracuse
W 47-10 vs. Temple
W 44-0 vs. Iowa
L 27-17 at Illinois
W 42-14 vs. Eastern Illinois
W 41-6 vs. Minnesota
W 31-13 at Michigan
W 26-14 at Northwestern
W 23-14 vs. Ohio State
W 34-13 vs. Indiana
W 28-21 at Michigan State
Outside of the 44-0 Iowa result, nothing else here would be too shocking. Many people see Illinois as a trap game, and apparently EA Sports agrees.
Big Ten Standings
1. Penn State 7-1, 12-1
2. Wisconsin 6-2, 10-3
2. Ohio State 6-2, 9-4
2. Purdue 6-2, 7-6
5. Michigan 4-4, 9-4
5. Michigan State 4-4, 6-7
7. Northwestern 3-5, 8-5
8. Minnesota 2-6, 5-7
8. Iowa 2-6, 5-7
8. Illinois 2-6, 5-7
8. Indiana 2-6, 4-8
Really, the only expected things here are Penn State winning the Big Ten and Indiana finishing last. Otherwise, just about everything would be a surprise.
Penn State Stats
Passing
Daryll Clark - 3,011 yards, 27 TD, 2 INT, 68%
Tackles
Michael Mauti - 75
Navorro Bowman - 63
Sean Lee - 56
Sacks
Jack Crawford - 5
Well, I think it's safe to say Graham Zug will not catch 98 passes for 1,434 yards. Both would be Penn State records by far. Brackett's 75 catches would also be a team record, and the 930 yards would by fifth most in Penn State history. Rushing numbers look reasonable, although the defensive numbers are a bit low -- particularly Lee and Bowman.
Heisman Trophy
1. Tim Tebow, QB, Florida
2. Dan LeFevour, QB, Central Michigan
3. Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma
The good press continues for LeFevour in this blog.
BCS Bowls
Rose: Penn State 38, USC 0
Sugar: Texas 27, Boise State 20
Fiesta: USF 27, Central Michigan 20
Orange: Clemson 13, Oregon State 10
BCS Championship: Oklahoma 49, Florida 41
Penn State comes in at No. 2 in the postseason Top 25 after getting revenge in the best way possible against USC in Pasadena. I guess we should stat booking our trips.
That Fiesta Bowl matchup would without a doubt draw the worst TV audience in BCS history. On the other hand, a Florida-Oklahoma title game rematch is very likely and would get plenty of hype.
So there you have it. We'll save these predictions and see how the preseason predictions by the four of us compare with the virtual simulation when the season ends. It'll be just like the BCS formula.. comparing human football knowledge to computer football knowledge.
I'll make one prediction right now: Graham Zug will not catch 98 passes. Sorry, Graham. Score one for the humans.
***** Quick hits:
-Bad news for Tennessee. (In the past, if I stopped right there, you'd probably assume I'm talking about an injury. Now, the first thing that comes to mind is probably "What did Lane Kiffin do?". This time it actually is an injury). Starting receiver Austin Rogers will likely miss the entire season with a torn ACL It's a big blow to a passing game that ranked 107th in the country last season.
-Urban Meyer will never coach at Notre Dame. It can be difficult to believe SEC coaches, Meyer's comment is awfully similar to Nick Saban's "I'm not going to be the Alabama coach" claim. Except in this case, Meyer won't go back on his word two weeks from now like Saban. And actually, I don't believe that Meyer will ever end up at Notre Dame -- at least not until after he makes a run at the NFL.
As much as Penn Sate belongs with Eastern schools, the Big Ten is a far better fit for PSU right now on many levels. Then again, the Nittany Lions would probably make a BCS game every year playing in the Big East. But it doesn't matter -- this simply won't happen.
***** Video of the day:
Probably the most memorable moment from Nick Saban's NFL career
*****
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With all the talk of the BCS issues and conference expansion (the latter mostly thanks to Joe Paterno), what would the ideal college football landscape look like?
Neill Woelk of the Boulder Daily Camera checks in with his plan, which involves 64 teams leaving the NCAA to form their own football league, made up up eight conferences of eight.
Likely to happen? No. But it's the offseason, and this kind of thinking can be fun when news is slow.
So, if I could have any kind of plan for college football, here's what it would be.
-The new landscape would have no effect on conference tie-ins for all other sports, including basketball.
-I have little interest in international soccer, but I absolutely love the idea of promotion and relegation. We've listened to Sen. Orrin Hatch and others talk about the unfairness of the BCS and how it supposedly blocks the smaller conferences from getting fair shots. Well, there is no better way to be fair to the little guys than by incorporating relegation.
-Division I in football gets split even more (not that I-A isn't already unofficially split). Five conferences, 12 teams each make up the top level of college football. Each would also have a 12-team second tier. With 120 current 1-A teams, it works out perfectly. For the most part, I tried to keep current conferences intact, although the Big East had to dissolve.
------------------------- Atlantic
Atlantic: Boston College, Clemson, Maryland, N.C. State, Rutgers, Wake Forest
Coastal: Georgia Tech, Miami, North Carolina, Virginia, Virginia Tech, West Virginia
Second Tier: Army, Buffalo, Connecticut, Duke, East Carolina, Florida Atlantic, Florida International, Marshall, Miami (OH), Navy, Ohio, Temple
Great Lakes
North: Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Wisconsin
South: Illinois, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Purdue
Second Tier: Akron, Ball State, Bowling Green, Cincinnati, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Indiana, Kent State, Northern Illinois, Syracuse, Toledo, Western Michigan
Great Plains
North: Colorado, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Missouri, Nebraska
South: Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, TCU, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech
Second Tier: Air Force, Arkansas State, Baylor, Colorado State, Houston, Louisiana Tech, North Texas, Rice, SMU, Southern Mississippi, Tulsa, UTEP
Second Tier: Fresno State, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, New Mexico State, San Diego State, San Jose State, UNLV, Utah State, Washington State, Wyoming
Southern
East: Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina, Tennessee,
West: Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, LSU, Mississippi, Mississippi State
Second Tier: Central Florida, Louisville, Memphis, Middle Tennessee, South Florida, Troy, Tulane, UAB, UL Lafayette, UL Monroe, Vanderbilt, Western Kentucky
------------------------- Schedule: Eight conference games, including the five other teams in your division and three from the other. Four non-conference games: two against other top tier teams, two against second tier teams.
Playoffs: Each conference plays a title game with the winners of the two divisions. The five conference winners make the playoffs, along with three wild cards determined by some lousy BCS-like formula. The current bowl system can stay in place with non-playoff teams.
Relegation/Promotion: The last place team in every division gets relegated to the second tier of the conference. Ideally, the second tier gets broken up into divisions as well, with each division winner getting promoted to the top level.
So there you have it. This will most likely never happen, and clearly I have too much time on my hands. Either way, relegation would make things interesting and the little guys would have no reason to complain anymore. And we'd have playoffs. Playoffs?
***** Quick hits:
-Last week, ESPN released its 2009 college football announcer pairings. It's a shame that the top two pairings will be on at the same time (Musberger-Herbstreit-Salters and the new Nessler-Blackledge-Andrews group), but it's also nice to see Sean McDonough back in a more prominent role with the 3:30 ABC games. And everyone needs to relax about his new partner Matt Millen. He really is a good color man, regardless of what has happened with the Detroit Lions.
-In other ESPN TV news, here's this year's slate of Thursday night games. A lot of great games in there, especially Oregon-Boise State on opening night, Clemson-Georgia Tech and North Carolina-Virginia Tech. The season can't come soon enough.
"In football, we should have one BCS-type opponent on our schedule every year," Alleva said. "If that means going on the road, that's something we've got to look at doing every once in a while."
A road game? Every once in a while? Bold move...
***** Video of the Day:
The ending to one of the greatest college football games ever:
*****
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Lift for Life is set for this afternoon, but first, it's time to check in with the Friday list here on the Afternoon Kickoff. A few weeks back, Mink ranked the quarterbacks in the Big Ten.
Today, it's the Top 10 Quarterback in the Nation.
10. Robert Griffin, So., Baylor
Not known to well nationally because he plays, you know, for Baylor. But this isn't your father's Baylor. The Bears might not even finish last in the Big 12 South this year thanks to Art Briles' offense with Griffin at the helm (also worth noting that former PSU safeties coach Brian Norwood is the defensive coordinator now and former PSU DT Phil Taylor may start for the Bears). In a conference loaded with great quarterbacks, Griffin quietly threw for 2,091 yards, 15 touchdowns and just three interceptions as a freshman while also running for 843 yards and 13 more touchdowns.
9.Jevan Snead, Jr., Ole Miss
The Rebels are receiving a lot of hype heading into the season with many projecting them to be in the top 10. A big reason is Texas transfer Jevan Sneed, who passed for 2,762 yards, 26 touchdowns and 13 interceptions in his first season in Oxford. Snead showed a lot of improvement in his decision-making down the stretch last season, tossing just two interceptions in his final five games.
8. Zac Robinson, Sr., Oklahoma State
Hard to believe Robinson is only the second best quarterback in his own state after throwing for 3,064 yards, 25 touchdowns and 10 interceptions with a 65 percent completion rate. With good accuracy, a strong arm and mobility, Robinson is a complete quarterback and should lead Oklahoma State to another good year in a very difficult division.
7. Daryll Clark, Sr., Penn State
The Penn State captain turned in one of the best seasons ever by a Nittany Lion quarterback in 2008, throwing for 2,592 yards, 19 touchdowns and six interceptions, and running for another 10 scores. One of the better leaders in the country, Clark is also a perfect fit for the "Spread HD" offense, and if he stays healthy, the Lions should have another big season.
6. Max Hall, Sr., BYU
All Hall has done in the last two seasons combined is throw for 7,805 yards and 70 touchdowns. As a senior, look for Hall to eclipse the 4,000-yard mark and maybe even lead the nation in passing yards while competing for the Mountain West title and maybe even a BCS bowl bid.
5. Todd Reesing, Sr., Kansas
At just 5-foot-11, Reesing isn't a big-time pro prospect, but he's an excellent college quarterback and one of the most entertaining players to watch. A gritty quarterback, Reesing has good mobility and throws well on the run. He passed for 3,888 yards and 32 touchdowns with 13 interceptions last year and has 7,578 yards through the air.
4. Dan LeFevour, Sr., Central Michigan
The Tim Tebow of the MAC, LeFevour is a similar player in terms of size (6-foot-3, 229 pounds), mobility (1,886 career rushing yards) and passing ability (6,683 passing yards, 65 percent completion rate). A leg injury hindered his performance last season, but a healthy LeFevour will be one of the top quarterbacks in the nation and will probably lead Central Michigan to the MAC title.
3. Colt McCoy, Sr., Texas
A Heisman finalist last year, McCoy and the others in the top three of this list will likely be back in New York this coming December. McCoy led the Longhorns in rushing with 561 yards and 11 touchdowns last year and also threw for 3,859 yards and 34 touchdowns with only eight interceptions. A dynamic player in the Texas spread/read option offense, this could by McCoy's year to bring home the Heisman...
2. Sam Bradford, Jr., Oklahoma
... Of course, McCoy's opponent from across the Red River will have a say in that. Last year's Heisman winner, Bradford could be the top pick in the 2010 NFL Draft if he leaves early. After a great freshman season, Bradford stepped things up even more as a sophomore and passed for 4,720 yards, 50 touchdowns and eight interceptions with a 67.9 percent completion percentage. At 6-foot-4, Bradford looks like an NFL quarterback and may have been the top pick in last year's draft. Instead, he avoiding going to the Detroit Lions. Smart move.
1. Tim Tebow, Sr., Florida
Most people have become tired of hearing about him, but Tebow could leave Florida as arguably the most accomplished player in college football history -- especially if the Gators win another national title. The perfect fit for Urban Meyer's offense, Tebow has combined to throw 62 touchdowns and only 10 interceptions in two seasons as starting quarterback while also being a touchdown machine as a runner. Part quarterback, part fullback, Tebow may also be the favorite to become only the second player to win the Heisman twice.
***** Quick hits:
-Georgia self-reported eight secondary NCAA violations, including four by the football team. The most notable? Jay Cutler gave Matt Stafford free tickets to an Atlanta Falcons.
The Georgia player told athletic department officials that he had known Cutler since his junior year of high school and had maintained a relationship by phone and text messages. The player said he texted Cutler for tickets for the Broncos' Nov. 16 game at the Georgia Dome.
Honestly, why is this an issue? Cutler -- who went to Vanderbilt -- is probably not a Georgia booster. Does anyone care that Stafford got tickets to a Falcons game from someone who is apparently his friend?
-ESPN.com's Graham Watson with more on schools cutting back on media guides and conferences cutting media days. Luckily for us, Penn State still has a media guide and the Big Ten still has a media day in Chicago.
*****
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Robert Bolden, scout.com's eighth-best QB prospect, verbally committed to Penn State Friday morning at a news conference at his St. Mary Preparatory School in Lake Orchard, Mich.
Scout's Allen Trieu was on hand for the announcement. Bolden is the second QB in the class of 2010, joining western Pennsylvania's P.J. Jones.
Jones underwent ankle surgery earlier this week, but recently told Nittany Network's Bill Kurelic he'd be in camp next month.
"I'll be fine for the season," Jones said. "I'll be back for camp."
His father had said the injury could jeopardize his son's entire senior season.
Here's the Lions' 2010 recruiting class, along with the star-ranking, according to scout.com. It's expected to be a 19-member class
It may be Arts Fest weekend in Happy Valley, but there is another event in town worth checking out if you make the trip. The Penn State football team and Uplifting Athletes will hold its seventh annual Lift for Life event Friday.
The competition will be held from 2-7 p.m. inside Holuba Hall, as 24 teams of Penn State football players will participate in various strength and endurance events to raise money for the Kidney Cancer Association.
Last year, more than $70,000 was raised for the Kidney Cancer Association. Lift for Life is open to the public, with suggested donations of $5 for students and $10 for adults. You can also donate online and learn more about how to get involved by visiting here. Since its first Lift for Life competition in 2003, Uplifting Athletes has also spread to other schools with chapters now at Boston College, Ohio State, Colgate and Maryland.
It's really a great cause that everyone should support, and Friday should be a lot of fun.
Wayne Staats, Matt Fortuna and myself will be attending the event, and many players will be made available to the media. Look for a preview in Friday's Collegian and complete coverage early next week.
***** Quick hits:
-Not surprisingly, the Mountain West and WAC caved and signed the BCS/ESPN contract. The two leagues will continue to fight for the anti-BCS cause... while also accepting BCS money and sticking with the system.
-USC's Everson Griffen and Jordan Campbell were arrested in Nantucket, Mass., on the Fourth of July on breach of peace charges. Griffen is expected to start at defensive end for the Trojans after recording 4.5 sacks last season, while Campbell is a reserve linebacker.
-The Big Ten will hold its media day July 27-28 in Chicago. We'll be there, as will three players from each team. Daryll Clark, Sean Lee and Jared Odrick will represent the Nittany Lions. For the most part, seniors earn the trip, which unfortunately means we will not be getting a chance to speak with Terrelle Pryor. The only non-seniors scheduled to appear are Illinois WR Arrelious Benn, Indiana QB Ben Chappell and Michigan State LB Greg Jones.
***** Video of the Day:
Some Lift for Life background from a few years back:
*****
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Although Tuesday's hearing attracted quite a few spectators, senators mostly stayed away. Sen. Herb Kohl, a Wisconsin Democrat who chairs the Judiciary Committee's subcommittee on antitrust, competition policy and consumer rights, left a few minutes after starting the hearing. New York Sen. Chuck Schumer briefly popped in, but didn't ask any questions. It was, for the most part, Hatch's show.
That would be Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah, who also said to reporters that the notion that the Congressional hearing was simply political pandering is "just bull."
Of course, it looks like a significant portion of the hearing consisted of Hatch defending his home state Utah Utes against Nebraska chancellor and chairman of the BCS Presidential Oversight Committee Harvey Perlman.
"It's hard to imagine what more Utah could have done with its season in search of a national championship, yet under the BCS system, they were eliminated from such consideration before the season even started."
Look, the BCS is obviously a tremendously flawed system that nobody outside of the conference commissioners and Harvey Perlmans of the world seems to like.
With that said, without the BCS, Utah probably would've been stuck in the Las Vegas Bowl or the Poinsettia Bowl. Instead, it got the national stage in primetime in the Sugar Bowl against a team from the SEC. Before taking Hawaii and Utah in the last two seasons, the last time the Sugar Bowl had hosted a team not currently in one of the six major conferences (or Notre Dame) was 1971, when Tennessee beat Air Force.
Perlman has said that actual action by the government would probably force college football to revert back to the old system, with no guaranteed No. 1 vs. No. 2 game. In that situation, it the biggest bowls would likely sign contracts with the biggest conferences, and teams like Utah would be back to playing in the Liberty Bowl and the Poinsettia Bowl.
But now, we also get to see just how much Mountain West and the WAC (which is home to Utah's fellow BCS buster Boise State) are willing to stand up for themselves.
The two conferences have yet to sign the BCS's new contract with ESPN, which goes into effect in 2010. They have a Thursday deadline to decide. If they don't sign the deal, they'll be left out of the BCS/ESPN money and would not be considered for any of the five BCS bowl games.
We know what the senior senator from Utah would probably do, but don't expect the Mountain West and WAC to follow through and not sign. My guess is the BCS would happily continue without them.
***** Quick hits:
-South Carolina has reported 14 secondary violations, although just three are courtesy of the football program. One of these horrifying transgressions includes: "An ineligible player was provided transportation to an away game."
No word on whether or not Lane Kiffin is thinking of illegally transporting two ineligible players across the Florida border for Tennessee's game with Steve Spurrier's former squad in an attempt to upstage the Ol' Ball Coach.
-Ole Miss football will be the focus of a new reality show called "Gridiron U." It will air on TruTV, which I have honestly never heard of. According to Wikipedia, it is apparently the network formerly known as Court TV. Good thing the focus of the show isn't Florida's football team, otherwise the network might have to revert back to the old Court TV name.
***** Video of the day:
A football trick play at its finest:
*****
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To piggyback on Wayne's post, one item has stuck out in my mind amidst all the drama surrounding Penn State recruit Paul Jones' recent injury, and it's a quote the quarterback's father, Paul Sr., made in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
"People have said, 'Why was he playing basketball?' " said Jones' father. "Because he's 17 years old and he is an athlete. You can't have kids live in a bubble."
A father of a highly-touted prep star giving his son the green light to have some fun? Did that really just happen?
Now I suppose as a reporter I am as guilty as anyone else for anointing a kid as the "next big thing" before he steps foot on a college campus. But it is refreshing to read these words from Paul Jones Sr. and know that at least one figure with some authority in such a situation recognizes the sheer absurdity surrounding these recruits.
As Brown pointed out last week, Tennessee just received a verbal commitment from a 13-year-old. Is Evan Berry now expected to put aside basketball, baseball or any other sport he may have had the potential to succeed in? (And I must point out, the word "potential" may actually serve its purpose here, considering it's about the kid's high school career.)
How can a 13-year-old kid be so sure of anything, let alone that he will be physically ready to play Division I football in four years?
He certainly didn't "live in a bubble," and he didn't discover football until 2006. A collegiate sophomore, Crawford is now being dubbed as the next great Penn State defensive end.
One of the top recruits for Penn State could miss his senior season in high school.
Paul Jones, a quarterback for Sto-Rox High School in Allegheny County, broke his left ankle during a pickup basketball game last Thursday and could be out for the upcoming season.
Jones, who gave a verbal commitment to the Nittany Lions in January, had surgery Monday at Children's Hospital in Pittsburgh.
Jones' father, also Paul, said the best-case scenario is only a few missed games. But the worst-case scenario would be four to six months.
The 6-foot-3 quarterback is a five-star recruit on Scout.com and is listed as its No. 3 signal caller for the 2010 class.
The Vikings went 8-2 last season. Jones threw for 1,973 yards and 21 touchdowns with just seven interceptions while adding 294 yards and five touchdowns on the ground, according to Scout.com.
Twenty-four teams of four have been released for Friday's Lift for Life event at Holuba Hall.
Everyone knows the company line is the players look forward to this event because it helps out a good cause, and there's some competition amongst the guys. But from the looks of some of these names, you can tell the players really do care about the afternoon on the field turf.
With that, we're gonna have a little fun too, bringing ya'll the picks for LFL version 7.0.
Winning team: Coffee con Cream (Jared Odrick, Brennan Coakley, Andrew Quarless, Jack Crawford)
Why: Odrick has said he wants to be more violent with his hands, and Friday is going to be the first showing of that violence, as he unleashes fury on tons of iron. Team LBU (Sean Lee, Josh Hull, Navorro Bowman and Mickey Schuler) looks good on paper, but if the coaches let Lee go all out, I'd be surprised.
Losing team: 4th & Long (Jeremy Boone, Ryan Breen, David Soldner and Colin Wagner)
Why: Kevin Kelly, who was jacked for his sized, is gone. And, I'll admit, this award is downright rude, but we're journalists, so we have to have balance. But really, on this day, there are no losers.
Darkhorse team: Cajun Connors Crew (Mike Mauti, Mike Farrell, Mike Yancich and DeOn'tae Pannell)
Why: The group is versatile. The heavy lifter (Pannell), and a bunch of Mikes. Farrell's high school is Shady Side Academy, so you know if there's one group going to be cheatin' on that sled push, these guys can get away with it.
Best lookin' team: 98 Degrees (Derek Moye, Gerald Hodges, Nick Sukay and Chaz Powell)
Why: We know who the pretty boys are in this competition, the ones who might show up with baby oil slathered on. My only question is, where's Brett Brackett?
Best name: You Three & Dupree (Stephon Obeng-Agyapong, Andre Dupree, D.R. Refice and Pat Zerbe)
Why: Good name. Bad movie.
Also considered: EERHT MAET (Knowledge Timmons, Nerraw McCormack, Ako Poti and Shaine Thompson)
Monstars (Devon Still, Ollie Ogbu, Johnnie Troutman and Stephfon Green) NOTE: I'm guessing Stephfon is Mugsy Bogues?
Well, today is the big day. It's the day when the Senate gets together to attempt to solve our biggest national crisis: college football's method of determining a champion.
Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah thinks the BCS might violate antitrust laws, giving Congress a reason to hold a hearing about it. Also, it's a good chance to suck up to his constituents back in Utah. Kind of like Texas Rep. Joe Barton.
Now, we get to sit back and watch as two of the least popular institutions in America do battle. Just what we all need -- government control over the "communist" BCS.
Sports Illustrated's Stewart Mandel wrote an excellent column condemning the hearings as a waste of time.
From Mandel:
At its core, the BCS is basically one big TV contract between the four major bowl games and the nation's most marketable conferences, nearly all of which were already in business together long before they decided to stage a No. 1 vs. No. 2 championship game. Hatch claims "the BCS system denied [undefeated Utah] a chance to play for the national championship," but in actuality, the title game was open to anybody. No rule prevented the coaches and Harris Poll voters from tapping Utah for the title game had they seen fit, though the Utes' chances were unquestionably hurt by the stigma of playing in a so-called "non-BCS" conference.
And to continue off that, let's turn to Tony Barnhart of the Atlanta Journal Constitution, who points out that Mountain West coaches like Joe Glenn (No. 5), Rocky Long (No. 7), Gary Patterson (No. 7) and Utah's own Kyle Wittingham (No. 5) didn't even consider the Utes worthy of the title game.
Mandel also refers to Harvery Perlman's interview, which points out that any government action would probably move the BCS even farther away from playoffs and back to the pre-BCS days of bowl tie-in and split national titles.
Yes, just about everyone wants a playoff. But this is not the way to make it happen.
Now I am far from an expert on antitrust laws. In fact, I know next to nothing about the topic. But all indications are that the BCS does not violate any sort of antitrust law, and we're simply seeing a waste of the Senate's time.
College football would be better off if those who run the BCS could recognize that the calls for playoffs are being fed by the precision their system implicitly promises but can never deliver. And Americans would be better off if Republican legislators devoted their energies to reforming our antiquated antitrust laws instead of looking for silly new ways to apply them.
Tune in tomorrow for more on this charade.
***** Quick hits:
-Jewel Hampton, Iowa's replacement for Shonn Greene, is apparently "OK" after suffering a knee injury last week during workouts. After answering the door, he also said, "Coach said not to talk to reporters."
-ACC commissioner/BCS coordinator John Swofford answered 10 questions with RealClearSports.
***** Video of the Day:
The video quality is pretty lousy, but here's a random Penn State football moment for the day. Eric McCoo bounces the ball to himself on the way to a touchdown:
*****
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Two months ago, former Arizona State/Nebraska quarterback Sam Keller filed a lawsuit against EA Sports -- maker of the NCAA Football video games -- for using college players' likenesses without compensation.
NCAA rules prohibit EA from using players' names, but just about everything else in the game is similar. And once the game is released, rosters are free to be edited and player names can be added.
"We signed a paper at the beginning of college saying we couldn't benefit from our name," said Keller, who is now 24 and living in Scottsdale, Ariz. "So why was the N.C.A.A. turning a blind eye to this and allowing EA Sports to take our likenesses and make big bucks off it?"
The point has some validity, and the same could probably apply to things like all the No. 17, No. 45 and No. 22 jerseys sold at the stores in State College. Then again, I have a hard time believing Keller would care if his NFL career was working out right now.
In a statement, the N.C.A.A. said the complaints were without merit and that the video games did not violate N.C.A.A. rules.
This may be the first instance of the phrase "did not violate NCAA rules" appearing in print this offseason.
It must also be noted that the NCAA makes a lot of money off the licensing of the games.
One of the twists in the debate over video games is that the very players who are supposedly the victims are some of the games' biggest fans. Jason Kelce, an offensive guard for the University of Cincinnati, said he agreed with the spirit of Keller and Hart's lawsuits. "I don't think it's fair for college athletes over all," he said.
Still, Kelce said he and his teammates were counting the days until July 14, when Electronic Arts will release the latest version of NCAA Football. "We end up playing it nonstop for like four months," he said.
Finally, I enjoyed some of the thoughts from Nebraska fan site Corn Nation, most notably:
In another related story, several Husker fans who own Electronic Arts college football games are alleged to be considering their own class-action lawsuit.
They are seeking to have a new release issued that will "remove or randomize" Keller's likeness on conditions that he fraudulently represented himself as a real Nebraska quarterback and they have no desire to be reminded of him again.
Ouch.
And not only is Keller apparently unpopular with fans of both schools he played for, but now he probably has all fans of the NCAA Football video games upset with him as well.
***** Quick hits:
-Florida president J. Bernard Machen is trying to reduce alcohol sales in Jacksonville during the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party. Part of his plan is to reduce the number of locations selling alcohol by 50 percent -- which, I assume, would probably double the alcohol sales at outlets still allowed to sell it.
-Former Hawaii quarterback Timmy Chang -- the NCAA's all-time leader in passing yards -- was arrested on suspicion of robbery for allegedly grabbing a camera and throwing it on the roof of a building.
***** Link/Video of the Day:
With all the talk of football video games, here's the greatest athlete of all time: Tecmo Super Bowl Bo Jackson.
*****
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It's Friday of Fourth of July weekend and I'm at the beach, but that won't stop me from bringing you the Afternoon Kickoff list for the week.
Today, it's my list of the top 10 college football stadiums I'd like to attend a game at but haven't yet. (Note: That means Penn State, Army, Navy, Michigan, Michigan State, Wisconsin and the Rose Bowl are excluded from this list. Penn State, Army, Wisconsin and the Rose Bowl would probably all be included otherwise.)
1. Tiger Stadium - LSU (At night)
Known as Death Valley, the stadium is famous for the "Earthquake Game." The crowd reaction was so loud when LSU scored a game-winning touchdown against Auburn in 1988 that it registered on a seismograph. Penn State loves its night games at Beaver Stadium, and the other stadium most known for rocking at night is Tiger Stadium.
2. Ben Hill Griffin Stadium - Florida
One of a few on this list that I've seen in person but haven't been to a game at. The Swamp is without question one of the most intimidating environments in football, and its unique architecture makes it stand out like so many college stadiums do when compared to the cookie cutter NFL stadiums.
3. Memorial Stadium - Clemson
The Clemson campus is very similar to Penn State's: sprawling and in the middle of nowhere. The fans are passionate and the other stadium nicknamed Death Valley is always hostile no matter how strong the Tigers are. The pregame tradition of the players touching Howard's Rock and running down the hill is one of the best in football.
4. Neyland Stadium - Tennessee
If you can stand hearing "Rocky Top" after every play, then Neyland Stadium is definitely a place to visit. The stadium is located next to the Tennessee River, where fans tailgate on boats. Running through the "T" is also one of the better field entrances.
5. Ohio Stadium - Ohio State
Just like Florida, I've been there -- but for a basketball game. The Horseshoe has only gotten louder since becoming more enclosed with recent expansion, and the "Dotting of the I" is probably the most famous pregame tradition in the country.
6. Notre Dame Stadium - Notre Dame
Like the Big House, the stadium itself doesn't appear like anything too special, but it's one of the most historic stadiums in the country with Fenway, Wrigley, Lambeau, etc. From Touchdown Jesus to the "Play Like a Champion Today" sign, history is everywhere in South Bend. Now if only they could cut the grass.
7. Kyle Field - Texas A&M
Home of the 12th Man, Kyle Field hasn't exactly been home a great football team as of late. But Aggies fans are still some of the best in the country, and this is simply incredible.
8. Memorial Stadium - Nebraska
Nebraska fans have always been known as some of the classiest around, and given that the Cornhuskers football team is the only big-time team in the state, football is a huge deal in Lincoln. Plus, this is pretty cool.
9. Lane Stadium - Virginia Tech
If there's one team that Penn State should set up a home-and-home with, it's Virginia Tech. The teams are close geographically and both are top programs, so it's a series that makes sense. Expansion has helped make the stadium more enclosed to keep the noise in, and it's another place that's even more intimidating at night.
10. Folsom Field - Colorado
Probably the biggest wild card on this list, Folsom Field isn't necessarily known for its noise level. But the scenery is incredible, and what's not to love about Ralphie the Buffalo leading the team onto the field?
Also considered: Jordan-Hare Stadium (Auburn), Doak Campbell Stadium (Florida State), Bryant-Denny Stadium (Alabama), Darryl K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium (Texas), Autzen Stadium (Oregon), Husky Stadium (Washington).
***** Quick hits:
-ESPN's Pat Forde ranks the nation's current top 10 rivalries. A good list, and you don't see too many that are strictly current like this. Penn State-Ohio State checks in as the first under honorable mention.
-Set your DVRs, Rutgers and UCLA have set up a home-and-home series for... 2016 and 2017. Kudos to both for the unusual matchup, and it will be a big game for Greg Schiano -- will still probably be waiting for Joe Paterno to retire.
***** Video of the Day:
Wisconsin didn't make the above list because I've been there, so here's a clip of their end of the third quarter "Jump Around" tradition:
*****
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Levi Norwood is following in his brother Jordan's footsteps at Penn State. Taran Buie will be playing with brother Talor Battle at the BJC soon enough. And on the national scale, Taylor and Blake Griffin were drafted a week ago and Serena and Venus Williams will clash at the Wimbledon final on Saturday.
I don't know about you folks, but I can definitely feel the sibling love in the air. (It might also be because my youngest brother celebrates his fourth birthday Friday, but bear with me ... And Joe, if you're still around in 2023 and need a kicker, Vince Fortuna has displayed some mean upside with his right leg. My swollen shins can attest to that.)
Without further ado, I bring to you the Top 5 active brothers (and sisters) in the world of sports.
5. Taylor and Blake Griffin, NBA
It was a happy night for the Griffin family last Thursday at the NBA Draft. Before Taylor was taken at No. 48 by the Suns, Blake became the second No. 1 pick in the family, as he was chosen to save that other LA franchise (bless his heart). The first? Taylor actually had his name called three days earlier as the No. 1 pick of the lovable Harlem Globetrotters. Something tells me these two will move up this list in the near future.
4. Brook and Robin Lopez, NBA
These twins were picked at No. 10 and No. 15, respectively, during last year's NBA Draft after stellar two-year careers at Stanford, which included a run to the Sweet 16 in 2008. Brook had the better rookie year, averaging 13 points and 8.1 rebounds per game for the Nets, but Phoenix's Robin wins the ever important category of best hair.
3. Bengie, Jose and Yadier Molina, MLB
There's something to be said for one family sending three kids to the Show. Not only that, the trio can collectively call themselves World Series champions. San Francisco's Bengie has had the most decorated career of the three, carrying a lifetime .276 average to go with his back-to-back Gold Gloves in 2002 and 2003. He and Jose won the 2002 World Series with the Anah...er, L.A. Angels (of Anaheim). Yadier may very well be the most promising of all, hitting .279 in his sixth season with the Cardinals. His two-run, ninth-inning homer against the Mets in Game 7 of the 2006 ALCS sent St. Louis to the World Series, where they topped Detroit in five.
2. Peyton and Eli Manning, NFL
When all is said and done, Peyton will likely be atop all the major NFL passing records. (Assuming, of course, that Brett Favre officially retires someday.) The reigning MVP is a three-time winner of the league's highest individual honor, and he cemented his legacy by being named the MVP of the Colts' Super Bowl XLI triumph over the Bears. One year later, baby bro Eli led the Giants to a last-second upset over the previously undefeated Patriots in Super Bowl XLII. Manning the younger also collected the game's MVP award. What are the odds of brothers winning back-to-back Super Bowl MVP awards?
1. Venus and Serena Williams, tennis
... probably similar to the the odds of sisters winning 17 majors in tennis. Come Independence Day, these two will have combined for 18 Grand Slam titles. Eighteen! Not only that, they will have met eight times in a Grand Slam final. Venus will look to cut into lil sis' 10-7 lead in major titles Saturday.
Enjoying my lunch at work, I reached the last item in my lunchbox: Cream-filled chocolate cupcakes from TastyKake. The ones with white icing drooping off the sides with a chocolate stripe down the center.
Naturally, Penn State's non-conference schedule came to mind. But instead of beating a dead horse criticizing the soft home dates in September (and October) I decided to mix it up a bit and tell ya'll why you should bother showing up for these noon kickoffs.
Here's some of the better talent Akron, Syracuse, Temple, and yes, Eastern Illinois will throw out to bang helmets with the Nittany Lions in the fall.
WR Deryn Bowser, Akron
Penn State's re-tooled secondary won't have to wait long to be tested. Pass-happy Akron has always been known the throw the pigskin around the yard, and Bowser will likely be on the receiving end of most of those this fall. At 6-foot-2, Bowser has size, and he's bringing 64 catches and 785 yards of experience with him from last year.
FS Mike Holmes, Syracuse
Remember when Daryll Clark fumbled on Penn State's opening drive in the Carrier Dome a year ago? That was all Mr. Holmes. He also returns kicks, leading Syracuse with more than 900 yards and more than 23 yards per return in '08, including a TD.
DE Andre Neblett, Temple
Neblett recorded 7.5 sacks and forced two fumbles for the Owls last season. Penn State is busting out three new offensive linemen in '09, including a brand new left tackle having to deal with Neblett.
K Austin Signor, Eastern Illinois
Laugh all you want, but this guy can kick the football, and at 6-foot-4, probably your butt too. Signor ranked third in the country last year with 19 kickoffs going for touchbacks, and he averaged about 67 yards per kickoff. Signor likely will be the team's place kicker as well, and watch out Lion fans, he's a former Iowa Hawkeye.
Well, we've heard one side of the BCS vs. playoff debate. So why shouldn't there be a playoff? New chairman of the BCS Presidential Oversight Committee Harvey Perlman has the answers.
Perlman, the chancellor at Nebraska, addressed all of the latest issues in an interview with Nebraska StatePaper published yesterday. You can read entire interview by click that link, but here are some highlights:
"We rejected the Mountain West proposal unanimously, which included the representative of the five conferences who are not automatic qualifiers.
And in fact, we had a report from the commissioner of each of the Division I conferences and none of them were prepared to adopt the Mountain West Conference proposal now because we just signed an agreement for four years. And everybody believes it's our obligation to comply with our agreements."
Who wants to bet that in another four years, we'll hear the same thing?
"Now, coaches and players will always want to play as many games as possible. And I respect them for that, but I don't think any of us are prepared to adopt a playoff system that interferes with exams in the fall semester, that extends into the spring semester any more than we have to."
Because you know, the other three levels of NCAA football don't have playoffs and a month of March Madness doesn't affect classes at all...
"What I think most people don't understand is that the alternative to the current system is not a playoff. The alternative to the BCS is going back to our traditional relationship with our bowl partners."
If the goal of everybody is to make the Rose Bowl happy, then this sounds like a fine plan.
It would diminish the bowl structure and it would reduce the number of opportunities for student-athletes to play in the postseason and that's not a good thing.
Who says you can't keep bowl games if there is a playoff?
If you look at college football now, it's the greatest sporting event spread over September, October, November, December and a little bit of January that the country has. A playoff would seriously diminish the regular season, as it has in college basketball.
I agree 100 percent.
I'll admit, I've never been as adamant about a playoff system as the rest of the nation. Some people want a 16-team playoff, and that would be the biggest mistake the sport has ever made.
I still think the best solution might be the plus-one format, matching No. 1 vs. No.4 and No. 2 and No.3 in two BCS bowls and having the winners advance to the title game -- or something similar.
But the Mountain West's plan for an eight-team playoff? Yeah, that would work too. Six major conference winners, the top smaller conference team and one wild card. First two rounds at neutral sites so the fans don't have to travel every week. If that was the system, the regular season would not be diminished because only conference winners (with one exception) would get playoff bids. Sounds good to me.
Oh wait, let's get one more statement from Chancellor Perlman:
***** Quick hits:
-Yesterday, The Michigan Daily posted a rumor that a Michigan-Georgia home-and-home could happen in 2010 and 2011. The Atlanta Journal Constitution thinks otherwise.
***** Link/Video of the Day:
A memorable day for Chancellor Perlman's school: 1997 vs. Missouri, on their way to a split national title:
*****
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Norwood is also the son of former Penn State safeties coach Brian Norwood, who took over as Baylor's defensive coordinator last season. Upon moving from State College to Waco, Texas, Norwood did not suit up for Midway High's football team last year but will play as a senior this season.
Like Jordan, Levi has not been heavily recruited, but obviously, things worked out for Jordan. Levi also plays wide receiver but has a few inches on his brother at 6-foot-2.
Penn State's current class of 2010, according to Scout.com:
-Levi Norwood, WR, Waco (Texas) - Rating N/A
-DaQuan Jones, DT, Johnson City (N.Y.) - 4 stars
-Evan Hailes, DT, Chesapeake (Va.) - 4 stars
-Kyle Baublitz, DE, York (Pa.) - 3 stars
-Tom Ricketts, OT, Wexford (Pa.) - 4 stars
-Miles Dieffenbach, C, Pittsburgh (Pa.) - 4 stars
-Luke Graham, G, Harrison City (Pa.) - 3 stars
-Silas Redd, RB, Stamford (Conn.) - 4 stars
-Adrian Coxson, WR, Baltimore (Md.) - 5 stars
-Paul Jones, QB, McKees Rocks (Pa.) - 5 stars
-Mike Hull, MLB, Canonsburg (Pa.) - 4 stars
Back in 2001, when Zack Mills took over the reigns as Penn State quarterback, I remember being shocked when the offense occasionally broke the huddle and Mills stopped a few yards behind center. What? The shotgun at Penn State?
It was if the shotgun was some revolutionary concept -- and at Penn State, where the I-formation was standard for decades, it did seem like something out of the future.
Of course, the shotgun is just a standard part of Penn State offense now, which under Jay Paterno and Galen Hall has evolved into the "Spread HD."
Another of the new developments at Penn State during the Rashard Casey/Zack Mills era and into 2005 with Michael Robinson was the option. Not that PSU should go back to anything from the first half of the decade, but given the personnel available, option packages would suit the offense well.
When Penn State fully transitioned to the spread in 2005 with Robinson at quarterback and the Butler/Norwood/Williams group at receiver, the Texas-like spread option proved to be a viable threat when used. And Robinson also frequently ran zone option plays from under center (you may remember his touchdown in the second quarter against Ohio State at the goal line).
The option largely disappeared in the Anthony Morelli era of 2006-07, and understandably so. With more of a traditional pocket passer, the offense moved toward a pro-style spread system.
Last season, the Spread HD came into effect, trying to get players into space, spreading the ball around and offering a wide variety of formations. And with one year of the offense under the team's belt, it's time to incorporate some more option plays into the system.
Given that the receivers are unproven, mixing in more option looks than in 2008 would allow Penn State to take advantage of the wealth of talent in the backfield between Clark, Evan Royster, Stephfon Green, Brandon Beachum and in a Derrick Williams-like role, Chaz Powell.
I'm not saying that the Nittany Lions should switch to a Paul Johnson flexbone offense (which is broken down quite well by Smart Football). But adding some more option looks seems like a natural progression of the Spread HD.
It allows different playmakers to get their hands on the ball. It can confuse defenses. And it takes advantage of the different types of athletes available in the backfield. For example, Clark running the option out of the shotgun flanked by Royster and Green presents a matchup problem for just about any defense.
Sure, it's a risk given how important Clark's health is to the team's success this season. But Penn State must capitalize on Clark's versatility at quarterback, and incorporating more option into the offense is a way to do so.
-Sen. Orrin Hatch wrote an editorial in this week's edition of Sports Illustrated about why Congress should get involved in the BCS. A Senate hearing is coming next week.
***** Link/Video of the Day:
Georgia Tech running the option to perfection last season against Miami:
*****
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Matt Fortuna is a junior majoring in journalism and a football reporter for the Collegian. He has previously covered the men's tennis, soccer and basketball teams. A traditionalist, he would like nothing more than to see Joe Paterno throw it back to his Brooklyn days and install the single-wing offense this season.
Nate Mink is a junior majoring in journalism and a football reporter for the Daily Collegian and a 5-foot-10 sesquipedalian from Allentown who has tried to grow facial hair for 20 years. Sadly, he has been unsuccessful thus far. He is anxious to get a new driver's license in September and hopes the bartenders at Zanzibar in Ann Arbor believe he's 21.
Wayne Staats is a senior majoring in journalism and history and is a football reporter for the Collegian. He previously covered the baseball and women's basketball teams. He never made it far playing competitive football, unless Nerf football in grade school counts.
Matt Brown is a senior majoring in journalism and is the Collegian's football editor. He previously covered the Penn State men's basketball, baseball and women's soccer teams. While a fan of most sports, he thinks the 14 Saturdays of the college football season are the best 14 days of the year and all 34 bowl games are worth watching.
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