Making Tuesday Fun Since 2006!
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A "weekly must-read"
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--- ESPN's Ivan Maisel checks out the USC program and finds the coaches surprisingly reluctant about early/spring freshman enrollment.

USC offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian said the Trojans staff does not encourage freshmen to enroll in January. Instead, they do encourage the local signees, such as current freshman Aaron Corp of Villa Park, Calif., to come to every spring practice and every spring quarterback meeting.

"They don't get the physical reps," Sarkisian said, "but they got an awful lot of the mental reps. That got them a little bit of a head start into the summer as they enroll in summer school and they're throwing out on their own with the other guys. By the time that fall camp comes around, they've got a little idea of what's happening." All of that for "a little idea" of the Trojans' offense. If all that does is provide a little idea, why not encourage quarterbacks to enroll in January? "I think your senior year of high school, that time of your life, enjoy it," Sarkisian said. "Go to prom. Go to winter formal. Play baseball, whatever you do. If the kid's got his heart set on [enrolling early], and he wants to do it, we'd love to have him. … I think we've got a pretty good system of getting our guys in here and learning our system and pushing it on them as quickly as possible. But we also have a nice luxury of [not having] to force these kids to play that early. They get a chance to watch All-Pac-10, Heisman-type players in front of them and learn from them, on and off the field."

The article is part of an ongoing ESPN series titled "Evolution of Quarterbacks"

Also: Checking in with freshman "reporting day" at Auburn.  Lots of good quotes in here.

There's one big difference, though: All of a sudden, the players against whom these prized freshmen will line up can be four years older and stronger. That's where football equipment manager Jim Vanzandt comes in to protect them.

Vanzandt measured the scholarship freshmen over the summer for their helmet and pad sizes. He measured the invited walk-ons on Wednesday. Many freshmen don't realize he knows what he is doing.

"In high school, their pads didn't fit them," said Vanzandt, who has been working at Auburn since 2002. "They managed to protect themselves by being bigger and faster. Your helmet should fit tighter than they're used to and their shoulder pads should be tighter. Some of the defensive linemen will literally get their helmets slapped off their heads. They've never been slapped by somebody this big and fast."

Last August, Vanzandt said, freshman defensive lineman Byron Isom insisted on wearing a large helmet instead of a medium. It took one play against senior center Ben Grubbs, who became a first-round pick of the Baltimore Ravens, for the face mask of Isom's large helmet to get shoved into his face. Isom wound up with a scraped nose and lips and got a medium helmet after practice.

Also: A 2007 State of the Union for college football.  Be sure and check out the picture of Hawaii quarterback Colt Brennan with short-cropped dreads.

--- ESPN's Mark Schlabach looks at the early enrollment of freshman Florida quarterback Cameron Newton.  The kid's a walking talking awkward analogy maker.

He told the Florida student newspaper, The Alligator, that his experience this spring was "like throwing a little goldfish in the sea."

And -

"I think I've got a chance to play this fall," Newton said. "But you've still got to compete and put yourself in cruise control. You can't get relaxed. As soon as you get relaxed, somebody can jump ahead of you."

Regardless, the kid can play. 

Also: Big Ten Media Days notes.  Indiana's James Hardy looks to be improved, Michigan and Jim Harbaugh scuffle, Wisconsin's P.J. Hill slims down (we'll see), Jim Delaney backtracks on conference expansion talk, differing views on the text messaging ban and other notes.

Also: The pressure's on for out-of-nowhere Georgia Tech quarterback Taylor Bennett.

"I think people mature at different stages," said new Georgia Tech offensive coordinator John Bond, who was hired during the offseason from Northern Illinois. "I think he matured late as a high school player and kind of matured late in college. From talking to people here, I think it kind of clicked for him the last two or three weeks of the season."

Better late than never for Georgia Tech, which goes into this season trying to replace record-setting receiver Calvin Johnson (the No. 2 choice in the NFL draft after leaving Georgia Tech as a junior).

Bennett, a 6-foot-3, 215-pound junior, gives the Yellow Jackets more options in the passing game. Because Bennett is at least four inches taller than Ball, he'll be able to throw over the middle more often. Bond said Bennett also is capable of making a variety of throws, allowing the Yellow Jackets to install more pass routes.

"We've got more routes and different routes," said freshman receiver Demaryius Thomas, who has earned the moniker "Baby Calvin" from his teammates because of his ability to make spectacular catches. "We've got routes over the middle and on the sideline and more deep routes."

Also: What's Hot (and not) for 2007.

--- ESPN's Joe Schad writes about Virginia Tech returning to the field.  Not to be callous but this story was talked about non-stop on ESPN's College Football Live all last week and will most likely dominate the season opener of College GameDay.  I feel terrible about what happened and sports are a legitimate and helpful part of healing, but this is overkill and frankly the college football angle is very minor compared to the real tragedy.

Not that my input matters, but I'd rather enjoy a real "moment of silence" from the college football link to the slayings and have ESPN simply embargo the story until GameDay.  Put the VT logo inside all college football related broadcasts if you like, I won't blink.  Mention the story as necessary.  But we're being bludgeoned with it and being worn down before the season ever starts.  So stop!  Please.

--- Sports Illustrated's Stewart Mandel is back with another round of the Mailbag headlined by Big Ten expansion talk.

Why I love college football fans reason #1,033,059:

Did you know that a group of Nebraska fans in Phoenix actually pay a radio station there to broadcast the Huskers' network on Saturdays?

Also in The Mailbag - Steve Spurrier's SEC title talk, how to make an off-the-radar team like Utah State a power (Mandel nails it: find a quality coach), confusion over LSU's offense, the Mailbag Crush isn't going over so well with some readers, Mike Stoops' future at Arizona (patience!), Baylor gets no love, Georgia's non-championship expectations, more people confusing Sports Illustrated with ESPN and the obligatory SEC homer below.

What do you think about making the BCS Championship Game like the Little League World Series, whereby the SEC champion gets an automatic berth in the title game, and the rest of the world (other conferences) fights to play for the other slot. That might finally put the SEC on even ground with the other weaker conferences.
--Ryan, Atlanta

That kind of talk had quieted down the last two years and then Florida wins in a romp in a year where there was no "great" team and then it all starts up again.  Police your own, guys.

Also (from Mandel's blog): Pac-10 commish not dealing in reality.

--- Sports Illustrated's Luke Winn wonders if Michigan can live up to preseason expectations.

A man who fit the stereotypical profile of a booster -- a fat cat with slicked-back hair, chomping a wet, unlit cigar and drinking an iced tea -- had sidled up to the scrum of reporters to listen to Carr's remarks and was offering some under-his-breath commentary. Upon hearing the "if you don't meet those [expectations], you're going to have to deal" portion of Carr's reply, the man muttered, "You have to hear from people like me."

Such is the state of affairs for Michigan, where the scrutiny comes even heavier from the inside (the fans) than it does from the press.

--- CBS SportsLine's Dennis Dodd says LSU defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey is unblockable.

You have to understand what 64 tackles (8 1/2 for loss) means for a defensive tackle. Linebackers and defensive backs typically make the vast majority of stops for most defenses. No tackle was among the NCAA's top 100 tacklers last season.

Yet, Dorsey finished third on his team. Mix that in with the constant double teams and a 300-pound interior lineman averaging almost five tackles per game is amazing.

Also: Big Ten exploring the unsettling dangers of conference expansion.

Also: Joe Paterno keeps 'em waiting.

Also: Big Ten Preview.

Whiskey would rather maul you, than finesse you, even if it is one of its own.

Ask Josh Nettles. Mention the backup defensive back's name in the Badgers' locker room and you're likely to get a mix of pity and laughter. It was during spring practice 2006 that Nettles became part of recent Wisconsin lore.

Tracking down tailback P.J. Hill near the sideline, Nettles chose the wrong angle.

"It was one of the most amazing things I ever saw," linebacker Jonathan Casillas said. "P.J. lifted him up and took him three yards and threw him out of bounds. The guys' legs were up in the air. P.J. did it right in front of the defense.

"We'd never seen anything like that. It was like Earl Campbell."

Also: West Virginia's Pat White and Steve Slaton expect big things in 2007.

"In camp, sometimes you can tell a freshman, they don't know what the hell they're doing," [West Virginia coach Rich] Rodriguez said. "Steve was running in circles but he was really, really fast. I can remember his first play as a starter versus Virginia Tech. He was tossed the ball, then dropped the ball, then reversed directions. It was the most spectacular six-yard run you've ever seen."

--- CBS SportsLine's J. Darin Darst previews the Sun Belt (!).

Also: Chad Henne and Michigan hope to overcome late-season slides.

--- The Sporting News' Matt Hayes calls Gainesville the best college sports city.

Also: New Boston College coach Jeff Jagodzinski is set up for success.

Also: Butch Davis can turn North Carolina around, but not immediately.

Also: Six sleepers ready to stir things up.  There's some sensible stuff in here mixed with some crazy talk.  I'll let you sort through all of that.

--- The Sporting News' Tom Dienhart says no doy to talk about Nick Saban's intensity.  Solid interview with some new anecdotes mixed in with some of Saban's oft-repeated talking points since SEC Media Days.  Enigma, no?

Also: New Louisville coach Steve Kragthorpe is ready for the big time.

Famous last words:

He's a coach's kid who was groomed for this job, which he told me would be his last.

Also: Coaches poll analysis - who didn't pick USC?

Also: Illinois coach Ron Zook sets his sights on a bowl game.

That talent haul didn't go unnoticed across the nation. In fact, many wondered how Zook was able to lure blue chippers to a black and blue program that has won just four games -- one in the Big Ten -- in Zook's two years. The New York Times did its best to unearth dirty deeds, but nothing was found.

"I had that paper call me last winter," a Big Ten assistant at another school told me earlier this summer. "But I told them I didn't know anything. I don't know what they were getting after."

--- Rivals.com/The Sporting News' Mike Farrell looks at the top freshman tight ends.

--- CSTV's Trev Alberts answers his weekly mailbag and says Steve Spurier's "got that twinkle".  Also inside: whether USC would be different in the SEC and whether or not Trev said Penn State was in a rebuilding year.

--- CSTV's Adam Caparell says Big Ten expansion doesn't make sense.

Also: 2007 Football Schedule Planner - Week 11

Also: The voters in this year's USA Today/Coaches poll (below).

Frank Beamer, Virginia Tech; Mike Bellotti, Oregon; Bret Bielema, Wisconsin; Larry Blakeney, Troy; Bobby Bowden, Florida State; Tommy Bowden, Clemson; Jeff Bower, Southern Mississippi; Art Briles, Houston; Mack Brown, Texas; Bill Callahan, Nebraska; Neil Callaway, UAB; Lloyd Carr, Michigan; Mario Cristobal, Florida International; Sylvester Croom, Mississippi State; Bill Cubit, Western Michigan; Mark Dantonio, Michigan State; Butch Davis, North Carolina; Bill Doba, Washington State; Randy Edsall, Connecticut; Dennis Franchione, Texas A&M; Phillip Fulmer, Tennessee; Jeff Genyk, Eastern Michigan; Joe Glenn, Wyoming; Jim Grobe, Wake Forest; Dan Hawkins, Colorado; Pat Hill, Fresno State; Steve Kragthorpe, Louisville; Mike Leach, Texas Tech; Rocky Long, New Mexico; Sonny Lubick, Colorado State; Bill Lynch, Indiana; Doug Martin, Kent State; Les Miles, LSU; Shane Montgomery, Miami (Ohio); Hal Mumme, New Mexico State; Joe Novak, Northern Illinois; Houston Nutt, Arkansas; Tom O'Brien, North Carolina State; George O'Leary, Central Florida; Gary Patterson, TCU; Chris Petersen, Boise State; Mark Richt, Georgia; Mike Riley, Oregon State; Rich Rodriguez, West Virginia; Greg Schiano, Rutgers; Howard Schnellenberger, Florida Atlantic; Mark Snyder, Marshall; Frank Solich, Ohio; Steve Spurrier, South Carolina; Rick Stockstill, Middle Tennessee State; Bob Stoops, Oklahoma; Jeff Tedford, California; Joe Tiller, Purdue; Bob Toledo, Tulane; Dick Tomey, San Jose State; Jim Tressel, Ohio State; Tommy Tuberville, Auburn; Charlie Weis, Notre Dame; Tyrone Willingham, Washington; Ron Zook, Illinois.

--- The Rivals.com team is still cranking out content at a pace I can't keep up with and adequately link to on here.  To catch up on the last week of work, click this link and pick and choose the most interesting stories dating back to July 30.

--- USA Today's Kelly Whiteside writes that mid-majors (can we use a different term?  That's sooooo college basketball.  Try "Non-BCS" teams) are no longer a surprise in the Top 25.

For the first time since the Bowl Championship Series began in 1998, three teams from conferences without automatic BCS bids are ranked in the preseason USA TODAY Coaches' Poll: No. 22 TCU, No. 23 Boise State and No. 24 Hawaii.

"I think there's narrowing," says Western Athletic Conference Commissioner Karl Benson, who has two teams in the preseason coaches' poll for the first time since USA TODAY took it over in 1991. "I think there's almost an expectation that a team (from the WAC or Mountain West) will emerge."

--- The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Tony Barnhart continues to blog away.  Notable: (1) Is Steve Spurrier Right or Wrong? (2) Questions About The Coaches Poll.

--- The Austin-American Statesman's Kirk Bohls says the Cotton Bowl is still pushing for a spot in the BCS rotation.

Also: Top five for 'Horns?

Mack Brown declined to say if he thinks his Texas Longhorns deserve to be in the top five of the preseason college football polls.

“I don’t think anybody is,” Brown said. “I still despise the preseason polls. They’re just based on who finishes well in their bowls and who has the most starters back. Potentially, we can win all the games.”

Mack misses the point of the polls. They were created in the first place to build interest in the upcoming season and heighten the buzz, and they are no different today. Besides, when Oklahoma won its national championship in 2000, the Sooners were ranked 19th in one preseason poll and 20th in another.

--- The Birmingham News' Ray Melick says the Big 10 and Pac-10 are sour about a playoff.

You know, is it possible that maybe, just maybe, those two conferences have their reasons for not supporting a playoff?  That maybe they had valid reasons to not expand their conferences or create conference title games?  That maybe in spite of the extra cash, they're not the happiest with how things have gone since we decided we could somehow invent a fair and reasonable championship within a sport assembled in such a way as to make that impossible?

And then we turn around and yell at the guys with their wits about them who aren't into remaking the game every few years when people clamor for an elusive championship or are reluctant to drive further down that "money grab" road others have chosen.

Give it a rest already.  They probably think just as poorly of what you support as you do of what they support.  The difference is they're in the public minority on this (although their ability to block most change gives them power) and don't run around with this frustrated narrative that ignores so many of the reasons the various sides feel the way they feel.  All they're saying is "no".  Get over it.

The following should almost be reason enough to be "sour" about a playoff, and respected mightily:

I DON'T WANT COLLEGE FOOTBALL TO BE JUST LIKE EVERY OTHER MAJOR SPORT OUT THERE

Simmer down, show some appreciation for what the current game is like, and go watch the NFL if you want a playoff.

Also: Terry Bowden considers coaching again.

Also: There was so much more for Tyrone Prothro to do.

--- The Mobile Register's Paul Finebaum says the 2007 Iron Bowl will send shock waves if Alabama wins.

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