SEC Championship - A whole lotta love

UGA Fans at FanFest

I was lucky enough to spend time today covering the SEC Championship from the fans' perspective with my colleague, Ari Russell, who is the founder of BeyondUSports.com - another site to which I'm a regular contributor. We shot a ton of awesome video with UGA and LSU fans all over the World Congress Center and Georgia Dome, plus a really kick-ass tailgate. I really understood a lot more about SEC football today...at the end of the day, despite being fiercely loyal to their teams, these fans love everything about SEC traditions. That means being classy regardless of the outcome of the game. There were fans from various SEC schools at the tailgates, FanFest, and the game itself just supporting the glory and tradition that is so deeply valued in the SEC. 

The game started off with a bang. UGA came out swinging and held looked like they may just pull off the upset...until LSU decided to come alive. We all knew it was inevitable.

Intense LSU fan

Obviously, LSU won by a massive margin tonight, but I think UGA has a lot to be proud of. They came a long way after a shaky start to their season and proved many haters wrong (hey...haters gonna hate, anyway). So cheers to a great day, lots of fun and another fabulous college football season!

Check out the video coverage of all of the SEC Championship game events posted below or on BeyondUSports.com.

Suh's Bad Behavior

Andrew Weber/US Presswire

Part of me wants to make a snarky, "well it's because he went to Nebraska" comment, but I'll reserve bias because it really doesn't have anything to do with it (maybe).

Yesterday, as I was watching the Packers vs. Lions game, all I could see was a whole lot of nothing the first half, and then a whole lot of self destruction by way of penalties and bad decisions the second half for the Lions. This post, however, has nothing to do with the Lions late-season self destruction or thinning secondary due to injury. This is all about Ndamukong Suh.

Suh was ejected from the game after he pounded the head of Packers' offensive lineman Evan Dietrich-Smith, followed by a giant stomp on him.

Hold up. 

I'm sorry, in what world is that okay behavior? Grow up, Suh. He said later about his behavior, "I want to apologize to my teammates, my coaches and true fans for allowing the refs to have an opportunity to take me out of this game." Right...okay. He continued, "What I did was remove myself from the situation the best way I felt, with me being held down." I'm sorry, is it just me or is this just a giant "I'm the victim" play by Suh? He has lost his mind if he thinks anyone thought this wasn't intentional. To me, the worst part of this is he genuinely feels like he didn't do anything wrong. I hate to say it, but all of America would have to disagree here.  As ESPN.com blogger Kevin Seifert said, "...if Suh didn't intend to do what he did Thursday, he needs to be examined for involuntary leg and arm movement." While I got a small laugh out of this, it's incredibly true. There's no room for any sort of doubt in this situation. Suh has established himself as a dirty player. Once you go there, there's no going back.

Let's do a reality check here, real quick. Obviously things happen. Football isn't exactly a delicate sport, but there really is no place for behavior or actions like Suh's. Period. End of story. This situation makes me disappointed for a number of reasons. I liked Suh (despite that whole he-went-to-Nebraska thing) and actually found him rather interesting and well-spoken. Above all else, though, he was a bad-ass player with so much talent he almost didn't know what to do with it. Impressive. He single-handedly changed the Detroit Lions' defense and their team as a whole. Now, he's changing it for different reasons. Suh has been fined many, many times - last year for hits on Jay Cutler and Jake Delhomme, this year for a nasty hit on Andy Dalton in the preseason.

Let's talk numbers, now. Suh has now received three personal foul penalties this season alone, making his total number seven since his rookie season last year. He's now tied (ironically) with his teammate, Cliff Avril for the most personal foul penalties in the league since last year. Suh can say backwards, forwards, upside-down and sideways that he was justified in what he did and that there was reason for it...fine, let him. He's wrong. Obviously Suh doesn't care about his public perception and has a total lack of respect for the rules of the game, his coaches, teammates, fellow players and the NFL as a whole. Unbelievable.

My opinion? Suspend him for the rest of the season. It's time for Roger Goodell to make a point, and Lions coach Jim Schwartz needs to step in and back him up. There is no room in this game for actions like Suh's. His talent is undeniable, his behavior is unacceptable. Let him learn his lesson.

Until next time...
S.

Penn State's Tragedy and Scandal

Andy Colwell/The Patriot-News/AP

I've waited a while to address the situation at Penn State because it's been so difficult for me to face. I have a hard time not being emotional when it comes to abused of children by someone they trusted. A week ago, my friend Amy sent me the full list of all of the charges and the grand jury indictment against Jerry Sandusky. I was speechless. I cried. I felt disgusted and nauseated. I felt horrified. Most of all, though, I felt so angry for these poor, innocent children who had their trust violated by someone in a position of influence and their innocence stolen. There are just no words.

It's unreal to me that no action was taken, despite having multiple reports.  How was this never taken to the police? It's truly unbelievable. There were so many people who knew, who were witnesses, who tried to alert the right people...but it never was addressed the way it should have been. Frankly, everyone is to blame here. This is evil in its purest form. Joe Paterno's legacy is in ashes, and he's falling into history as someone who maybe wasn't the hero we all thought he was (his name was removed from the Big Ten Championship trophy today). The fallout of all of this is so much greater than anyone can understand.

There's no reason for me to go into the details - this scandal has been everywhere, splashed all over every newspaper and news outlet in the country. I pray that the victims of Sandusky's sick abuse can one day recover and that they learn to trust again. I hope that the receive justice and that Sandusky sees his day in court and that he knows how sick he is.

Today, Sandusky proclaimed that he was "innocent." That he was not at fault for the crimes and sick acts he has committed. He said to Bob Costas in an interview that he is "...innocent of those charges... I could say that I have done some of those things. I have horsed around with kids I have showered after workouts. I have hugged them and I have touched their legs without intent of sexual contact."

I don't even know what to say. He's innocent?! He's in denial. He's a sick, sick man. I feel for those who are innocent in this situation - the kids, of course - but the Penn State campus, the players on the team now, and those that have to deal with the negativity and impact of this horrific situation.

This points out a bigger issue of abuse and disgusting behavior of those in positions of power and trust. This is beyond Sandusky, it's beyond Paterno. It's something that (should) and will sit on the shoulders of all those involved for not taking swift action to end this behavior. Justice will come, I believe it.

For more information on the latest with the Penn State/Sandusky scandal, read this.

If you want to help bring awareness and donate to end sex abuse, please visit http://www.rainn.org/.

LSU vs. Bama...I'm Still Waiting

Image Courtesy SportsNola.com

Ok. I feel like I need to write something. This "pre national championship" game has been mediocre at best thus far. I love that these two teams are major rivals and both fan bases are incredibly intense and passionate...but come on this is silly.

It's currently the 3rd quarter and this is what I've gathered: both teams have fantastic defenses, both teams have overrated offenses, neither team is playing quite right, and I've heard the guys in the booth mention Julio Jones one too many times (FYI: he's playing for the Falcons now...they obviously missed the memo). So...can we get something big going in the next quarter and a half? I know both these teams have it in them, and I get the argument that they're so evenly matched that of course this is a low scoring game. To that I say "duh." But, 6-3? Seriously? Sigh.

Stay tuned...full post-game recap to come tomorrow...hopefully with a few more points and a lot more excitement.

...til next time.
S.

**UPDATE** LSU just had a huge interception by cornerback Morris Claiborne. Glad they decided to inject some excitement into this game (finally). It was then lost on me when they couldn't convert and had to settle for another field goal...it's now 6-6...and I'm bored again.

Eric LeGrand: A Real Football Hero

Mel Evans/AP Photo

The Rutgers v. West Virginia game is well underway, but the real story of that match-up involves former Rutgers defensive tackle Eric LeGrand. I've previously written about this phenomenal young man and his courage, toughness and perseverance. Eric is paralyzed as the result of a play gone wrong in 2010 - he lay motionless on the field, only to have movement from his shoulders up. Here we are, over a year later, and he now has feeling and sensation in other parts of his body, and has now vowed that he will walk again. You know what? I believe he will.

At any rate, Eric led the Scarlet Knights to the 50 yard line today, with an axe, symbolic for Rutgers' desire to "keep chopping." Not only is he leading his team out for the first time since his injury, but he's also an analyst of the Rutgers Radio Network. This kid knows no bounds - in the best way possible. It's guys like Eric LeGrand that inspire me...move me to be my best and proving why sports, and more importantly, athletes are some of the most incredible people on this planet.

Just for that...I'll be cheering for Rutgers today. Cheers to them, and to you, Eric LeGrand, and may your progress continue until we see you walk again. I believe!

To donate to the Eric LeGrand "Believe" Fund,  go here: http://www.scarletknights.com/believe

Now's Your Chance, Auburn!

AP Photo

When news broke that LSU would be without 3 players this week in their game against Auburn, all I could think was "here's your chance, Auburn...don't blow it!" Star cornerback Tyrann Mathieu, leading rusher Spencer Ware and fourth leading tackler Tharold Simon are all suspended because they violated LSU's drug policy. These three, right here, are some of the best on this year's LSU team...and clearly three that make the dumbest decisions. Apparently bad decisions are kind of the MO this year for the Tigers - remember when Jordan Jefferson was suspended for his bar fight? Right.

Ok, let's be real for a second. Even without these three, LSU will likely still pull out a win (sorry, Auburn fans) but it puts a damper on morale and leaves holes for Auburn to strike. Prior to the suspensions, Auburn didn't have a prayer, now, they might be able to capitalize on the chaos.

Steve Franz/LSU Athletics

So, what does Les Miles say in all of this? Nothing, naturally. He was vague and non-commital, just saying it was an "internal" affair, which is fine, everyone was going to find out sooner or later. At least this didn't happen right before the LSU-Bama game. Can you even imagine? Yeesh. The timing is good for LSU, if it was going to happen at all. Here's the thing that makes me question the Tigers this year: can they survive all these distractions? I'm not sure they can. There's only so much bend a team can have before it breaks.

I will say this. I'm calling calling the much anticipated LSU v. Alabama match up now. It'll be a big ol' loss for the the "Mad Hatter" and his Tigers. Yup. I said it...'Bama will win.

Stories From Week 1 in College Football: Welcome Back!

Hallelujah, it's finally that time. It's September, cooler weather is coming, leaves are changing color, and guys put on pads to hit each other head on at full speed. Ah, football, how I love you. Welcome back!

What happened this weekend in the CFB landscape, you ask? Well, the answer to that is complicated but I'll answer it this way: a lot. Here are my top takeaways:

Doug Beghel/The Oregonian

Poor Oregon State - Yikes. An opening day loss to Sacramento State is ugly and unfortunate. It's clear that the Beavers' offense without the James brothers is a very sad one. A loss in overtime is always a tough one, but a loss in OT to a team that has nowhere near the amount of talent as OSU? Bummer. RB Malcom Agnew was the only bright spot in the Beavers' game, and even then it wasn't anything to write home about. Injuries and big mistakes were the downfall to the Oregon State team. What now? They have to redeem themselves, period, end of story.

LSU Rolls Over Oregon - Let's just say it. The Ducks have lost their swagger...at least for now. Even my personal favorite, LaMichael James, looked like a lost little puppy. The Oregon offense was stopped at every turn by the LSU defense and looked like they were miles away from the national championship caliber team they were last season. LSU, on the other hand, looked ready and poised for the national championship stage. I know it's early, but look for Les Miles' Tigers to bring the pain in the SEC - in my opinion, they're a top contender for the ultimate prize this year.

AJC.com

Mark Richt Might Want to Say His Goodbyes - Oh Mark Richt...he's a good guy and a great coach, but his time has passed at Georgia. The outcry for him to be fired has already begun after the Bulldogs' painful loss to Boise State in the Georgia Dome. UGA made the Boise State Broncos look like a pro caliber team. Messy mistakes and a weak offensive line were ultimately the Dawgs' downfall in their season opener. Georgia plays South Carolina next week and they had better win, or else Mark Richt can wave goodbye to Athens and the UGA football program. We all know UGA fans are some of the most vocal and dedicated in the country, and you can bet they won't put up with another losing season, especially in the ultra-competitive SEC.

Auburn Needs Work - Woah. That's all I could say while watching Utah State beat up on Auburn. Had USU taken advantage of a few missed opportunities (like that onside kick), they would have upset last year's National Champions. Auburn has lost many of it's strong starters (Cam Newton, Nick Fairley, etc) from last year, and has turned into a very young team that obviously has a lot of work to do. Head Coach Gene Chizik even stated that much in his post game press conference. If Auburn wants to defend their title and compete in the SEC, they had better make some real changes...fast.

Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

Notre Dame is Still Irrelevant - Sorry to my ND friends. Let's just be honest here, they aren't the same team they once were. Notre Dame has talent and with the right development, they'll eventually bounce back to the top tier of collegiate football, but they are far from that level right now. South Florida had the upper hand in this game and took advantage of a few big turnovers to pull a big win in South Bend. It's a huge win for the South Florida program, and surely an emotional one for head coach and ND alum Skip Holtz. This game was made extra interesting, though, by multiple delays because of weather. Let's just say this, metal bleachers + lightning = bad news. It was smart to evacuate the stadium in this situation.

Brady Hoke Makes his Michigan Debut - The much anticipated Brady Hoke era has begun in Ann Arbor, much to many fans' relief. Rich Rod is gone and it seems a breath of fresh air has been breathed into the Wolverines' program. Denard Robinson is still dynamic and the offense still works, but this opening game in the Big House showcased the improvements to Michigan's defense. Thank goodness, too, because it was a hot mes over the past few years. Look for Michigan to grow into a strong program once again under alumni coach Hoke.

Sue Ogrocki/AP

Yup, Oklahoma Deserves that #1 Ranking - One name: Dominique Whaley. Big story: the walk-on takes charge of the offense. Awesome. Whaley had the first 100-yard game by a walk on in 36 years...thirty-six years!! This kid is in for an epic season and I guarantee Bob Stoops is patting himself on the back right now. This kid will be the personal interest story of the season, and rightly so. He stuck to his goals and made a swift and serious impact for the Sooners. Beyond Whaley, though, OU does look like they deserve that #1 ranking. QB Landry Jones looks like he hasn't missed a beat and his favorite target, WR Ryan Broyles was a beast (as usual).  OU is an obvious threat to the almighty SEC. Get ready for a battle this season.

Baylor's Stud QB Robert Griffin III is Awesome - I don't think anyone saw this one coming. RG3 carried Baylor to a stunning win over #14 TCU. Goodbye Horned Frog, hello Bears. It's obvious that RG3 and his receivers will make for a lot of fun this season - they're dynamic and work well together; however, it's Baylor's defense that needs work. They were ahead of TCU by a lot and let it all slip away, almost losing the game. Obviously, that kind of thing can't happen, so it's safe to say the Bears' focus will be on fortifying their defense from here on out. As far as TCU goes, they'll have to work on team dynamics on both sides of the ball, but don't count them out quite yet, they're still a strong program.

Other Things Worth Noting: 

Marco Torres/HoustonPress.com

•  Texas A&M was looking good, which is a positive for them since they announced their departure from the Big 12
• ...And on that note, billionaire T. Boone Pickens announced the Big 12 was dead as both OU and OSU look to join other conferences. What T. Boone says goes, ya know.
• BYU looked good in their win against Ole Miss, but then again, it is Ole Miss.
• Andrew Luck is still a beast.
• Blah, blah, blah, Virginia Tech is really awesome, blah, blah, blah.
• USC looked mediocre at best...c'mon, they almost lost to Minnesota...at home!
• The other USC (South Carolina) is really good, especially with Stephen Garcia starting. Note to Steve Spurrier: don't ever bench him again.
• Can Dan Persa get well already? I really like him leading the Wildcats.
• I think Case Keenum beat UCLA on his own. Welcome back, kid.
• Colorado is still terrible. Jon Embree, good try, but you still have very little talent on your team. You had better recruit well, or else CU will be at the back of the Pac-12 rankings, sitting pretty with Washington State.

So what's the bottom line this week? Nothing makes me happier than the return of football season.

Til next time...
S.

Updates on the Miami Situation

If you need my thoughts on the situation as a whole, read my update from yesterday here. I feel I need to explain something further, especially after talking with my buddy Ryan last night. Let's be real here. This is about the adults in the situation. These players were kids...likely kids who have rough backgrounds and of course are going to jump at money, gifts, etc dangled in front of them. WHERE was the administration in all of this and why is UM President Donna Shalala giving a half-assed "heartfelt" letter to the Miami family? Where is the statement of strength and conviction saying "YES, we will investigate this and we will go after Nevin Shapiro?" Ugh. Just ugh. Disgusting.

Yesterday, former UM Head Coach Jimmy Johnson went on the "Paul and Young Ron Show" and ripped Nevin Shapiro, calling him a "jock sniffer wanna-be" and a "scumbag." You can read more about Coach Johnson's reaction here. Of course it's a bit ironic given Johnson had a few scandals of his own, but he is a standup guy who fights for what he believes in, and he still considers himself a part of the Miami family, that's for certain. Today, UM blog "Beyond U Sports" wrote a piece about Shapiro and his cowardice simply because he had an axe to grind and felt "unsupported." Give me a break. Anyway, you can check that out here.

New UM Athletic Director Shawn Eichorst (finally) released a statement today. He said "I know our family is hurting right now and that is what has made the past few days so difficult...There are tough times ahead, challenges to overcome and serious decisions to be made...we will be stronger as a result... Now, the community, the coaches, the student-athletes and the University have my unconditional support as we move towards a better day. Now, the community, the coaches, the student-athletes and the University have my unconditional support as we move towards a better day. And there will be a better day." Now THAT is a statement I can get behind.

There's just a mixed bag out there, and ironies a-plenty, and it continues to get uglier by the day. I've read a mixed bag of opinions...some saying this will end with the death penalty for Miami, others saying "not quite" but that it will be close...either way it's bad news.

Oh one last great article sent to me by my boyfriend's father...separating fact from fiction. We'll see if any of it holds down the line.

Below is video of Coach Golden's presser this morning. Take a look - leave your thoughts in the comments.


Until next time...
S.

University of Miami and New Allegations...The Fallout

Let me start by saying as a University of Miami Hurricane fan, my heart breaks. It breaks for new Head Coach Al Golden, who stepped away from a blossoming program at Temple to lead the new era for the U, it breaks for his new coaching staff who also came to Miami thinking they would usher in the new winning era for the team, and it breaks for those kids not involved in this. This is a disgusting display of an out of control booster, wrongdoing by coaches, and most importantly, administrators at the University.

I won't re-hash the allegations against Miami - you can read all the gory details here, as uncovered by Senior Investigative Reporter for Yahoo! Sports, Charles Robinson. It's so bad you want to look away. This very well could be the end for the Hurricanes football program. There are so many players and coaches involved in this thing, it wouldn't shock me to see the death penalty a la SMU. In my opinion, though, I think what happens to the U will be worse than death. I see a sentence far worse than what we see at USC and Ohio State, or any other school dealing with major NCAA infractions. It will be close to the brink, so much so, that they will be unable to recruit, unable to retain, and unable to reestablish. A fate, in my opinion, worse than death for the once great program.

Quite frankly, I'm at a total loss for words when it comes to the University of Miami administration's actions...especially those of UM President Donna Shalala. The administration KNEW that Nevin Shapiro had been illicitly involved with UM student-athletes. They knew that he was not a standup guy (altercations with the head of Compliance?! How was this not investigated?!) and knew of his transgressions...for over a year. How dare this program not tell Al Golden and his staff? It blows my mind.

The only statement UM can muster? "As stated this morning, the University of Miami takes any allegations seriously and will continue to cooperate fully in a joint investigation with the NCAA." Oh, so NOW you cooperate. Sounds good, Miami. This morning, more news comes pouring out from Shapiro's lawyer, stating that now former football head coaches Randy Shannon and Larry Coker were involved and knew full well of Shapiro's activity from 2002-2010. How is this man, currently incarcerated for being a crook and criminal, doing this? How could UM not have said "perhaps we should keep this guy away from our kids?" How could an administration knowingly not take action. There is so much wrong here, so many people wrong. To see guys that I respected as men and players on "the list" of those who interacted with him - Frank Gore, Willis McGahee, Jonathan Vilma, Devin Hester, Sean Spence, Kellen Winslow, Jr, etc... is a brutal reality that this happened...and that it continued to happen and affects players currently on the roster (ie: Jacory Harris, Ray Ray Armstrong, et. al.). Unbelievable.

The University of Miami administration needs to step up and get in front of microphones and cameras and talk. This responsibility should not fall on Al Golden. Period. End of story. In his presser this morning, Golden showed grace and class in this whirlwind of chaos and said "How did this guy, if he did, how did he get around our players like that? Me, as a head coach, wants to know." You're damn right he wants to know, and deserves to know what the hell kind of mess he just walked into.

What now? What about the kids who have been sold on Coach Golden and his staff...the new "Golden Era" at UM? It's reality check time. It won't exist. Al Golden was the future of this program, and because of past actions and disgusting behavior from previous coaches, administrators, and players, it is ruined. When I became a UM fan, I learned of the "U Family." My boyfriend of 4 years grew up in the Orange Bowl. He grew up loving guys like Ken Dorsey. He held the winning ideology of the program to his heart and he learned toughness from watching players like Devin Hester, Willis McGahee, and Frank Gore. Where are they at a time like this? As he said, "Some U family this is." He's beside himself. He has been a fan since he was a small boy, a lover of the orange and green, though the good and the bad. He truly loves Miami. He feels cheated, slighted, and is without words. You know what? He's right and he's justified in this feeling. Where is the U Family? Why aren't we working together as a family to prop each other up? This is beyond sad...it's heartbreaking.

I fear that we will soon learn more and become inundated with "Thug U" all over again. It's like a flashback, but worse this time around. There are more than just Miami players and coaches involved, here, and I'm sure they will be feeling the pressure soon (word is Clint Hurtt is already in deep). I'll be keeping my eye on this story and updating as I can...I'm sure it will be in our faces for some time.

Below is Coach Golden's presser this morning. Classy, tasteful, strong.



Until next time...
S.

Pac-12 For The Win

This post is for all you Pac12 fans. Incredible video they released today. What a way to kick of College Football Media Day...damn. I'm not sure I'd call CU a "progressive powerhouse" but I did get chills when he said "stand shoulder to shoulder with the Rocky Mountains." I love football.

In other news...

So then there's this...glad to have seen it today, makes me a little less tense thinking about CBA related news. Chris Chase is right, getting this gigantor tattoo sure does solve the issue of not actually getting their rings in a public way. At any rate, thank you Sam Shields...thank you.

Rebuilding is Not an Excuse

What does it mean when someone says "it's ok, they're just rebuilding"? Rebuilding...rebuilding what? Come on. Like that's an excuse to be awful?? We've seen it a million times - Notre Dame, Michigan, Miami, Nebraska, Florida State, the list goes on and on.

So, as I had a conversation with Ryan again today, we talked about a particular tweet that the University of Colorado's athletic department put out regarding the Buffs' tough schedule for 2011-12. Let's see here...Oregon (Homecoming, naturally), USC, Stanford, Cal, Arizona, UCLA, Arizona State, Utah, and Ohio State (thank goodness they're depleted on the player side or we'd be really sunk). Hm, let me see how this will play out...I'll save you the anticipation, it won't end well. Why? Because we're "rebuilding." Come on. Excuses. Basically, new head coach Jon Embree had better sack up and deal with the talent he has on the field and make some good play calls. In the meantime, the name of the game is recruiting. Go, Embree, go! Now's the time to capitalize on those pipelines in California and Texas. Recruit like there's no tomorrow...just don't break any NCAA rules (please). I'd like nothing more than to cheer LOUDLY for my alma matter in public places and to wear my Buffs Football shirt with pride, but for now I will continue with slow, cautious optimism until they actually start winning games. After all, it's not intramurals, right Dan Hawkins?

I know, my UM fascination I have continues on. They're in a similar situation as CU, though. Once at the apex of the college football world, they fell, and fast. It's been a rough uphill climb since the tumble after their last National Championship win in 2001. There were a few tumultuous years under Randy Shannon (who, by the way, deserves credit for really helping to impress the importance of academics and good behavior) with a few good moments, but a lot more ugly ones. Now that Al Golden is head coach, we'll see what happens, but I stick to my bottom line: it's all about recruiting. In a state like Florida where the talent is so rich, UM has to compete with UF, FSU, UCF, USF, and a myriad of smaller schools just to get guys on their field. It may seem counter-intuitive, but it makes it harder to recruit. Lots of competition for just a few guys. Without big-time players, how do you make the big-time wins? Can't exactly blame it on "rebuilding" now can you? So, Al Golden, usher us in to the new "Golden Era" of Miami football. Starting with the division title is a good place to begin.

Notre Dame has one of the richest traditions in collegiate football...the tradition of winning. Similar to UM, Notre Dame was a power house for years before their downfall and the even worse years under Charlie Weis. We heard the stories "Charlie Weis will save ND football!" False. Charlie Weis, for the offensive genius he was touted to be, dragged ND nation through hell. Rough couple of years there, eh? This year they have one of the strongest recruiting classes and are poised to sit atop the polls. We'll see what happens come August, but I feel good for ND. Granted, they haven't been without controversy (and tragedy) under new coach Brian Kelley who kept his job after the inexcusable and tragic death of a student, but they soldier on. We'll see what becomes of them, but again I stand by my view that rebuilding is not an excuse. Kelly recruited hard after just one year in the program, and now ND sits in the pre-season top 25 polls. My point is made.

(Hey CU...recruit hard, that's what I'm trying to say. Then maybe, just maybe, we can hit up a bowl game!)

Michigan sits in the same position. Another school with a storied legacy to uphold yet has had years of turmoil. Many blame (now) former coach Rich Rodriguez. Rich Rod, the charismatic coach with the spread offense who did no wrong at West Virginia had made every possible wrong decision at every possible turn at Michigan. So, as the Wolverines attempt to forget the Rich Rod era, they are hopeful that Brady Hoke is their man. For his sake, I hope he can lead UMich to a win over Ohio State and Michigan State....Rich Rod never could. It's all about recruiting now, and it's in Hoke's hands to turn the talent he can score into real results on the field.

I know, you all are shaking your heads, "but Sara, rebuilding and recruiting go hand in hand." YES...to an extent. An exciting, young, up-and-coming coach can recruit...but then again so can Joe Paterno. Just sayin'. Rebuilding a program from ruins is tough, no doubt, but should it be used as an excuse for not producing on the field? In my opinion, no. At the end of the day, are there any excuses for a crappy game on the field? I bet you if you poll head coaches, the majority say absolutely not. It's a cycle that rises and falls...no one school can be a powerhouse forever.

So, go Buffs, fight down that field...to at least 6 wins this season...please. Oh, and Michigan, Miami, Notre Dame, and all the other programs who are fighting to re-establish themselves can join you, too.

You know you've made it when...you have an NCAA investigation.

Another day, another college football cheating scandal.

Seriously? Enough already. It's time for some change, and frankly, I'm not sure anyone knows where to start. Most fingers point at the NCAA for being rigid, unprepared to tackle the major issues in collegiate athletics, and generally antiquated on the whole. Others blame the broken system..."maybe we should just pay our players to avoid these messes." The same pattern keeps occurring - a team sees some (varying level of) success and boom, allegations of cheating scandals and recruiting violations start flying. It's frustrating for fans, players, coaches, and school administrations, and there are no easy answers on how to fix this. As my buddy Ryan always says "everyone does it, it's just a matter of when they get caught." Let's take a couple of cases in recent memory and evaluate.

North Carolina. Traditionally known as a university with a strong basketball legacy - football had fallen by the wayside in recent years. Enter Butch Davis to save the day. Good ol' Butch found plenty of success at the University of Miami and later turned to the NFL with the Cleveland Browns. UNC thought he was the guy to turn the school into a stronger player in the ACC and land them relevancy on the college football map. Sure, they've had a few decent seasons and turned out some strong NFL caliber guys. Welp, suffice it to say, the program wasn't clean, and we surely saw this in the laundry list of allegations that the NCAA released charging the program with academic fraud (tutors re-writing papers, doing homework, etc. - really this can't be that uncommon...), failure to monitor players' behavior from 2007-2010, and a few other minor accusations. The big one that got all the attention was the involvement of former coaching assistant John Blake and his ties to an NFL agent. Allegedly, Blake was sending his athletes to this agent while they were still in school and were registered student-athletes. Read between the lines on that one. Apparently, Blake was also on the payroll for this agent, making a nice amount of money so long as he continued to pull in players. FYI, this is pretty significant and serious NCAA infraction. One of the major, if not THE qualifying factor, that separates college from the pros is that student-athletes aren't paid and do not have sponsorships (see: Jeremy Bloom leaving University of Colorado football after receiving an endorsement for his career in skiing). Naturally, Davis claims total ignorance in the typical "I really didn't know, I swear" defense. Right. Well, as a result, 14 players (most of them pretty important cogs to the UNC football wheel) were suspended, 7 players missed the entire season (good players that have the power to change the direction of a season), Blake resigned, and who knows what other sanctions may be coming down the pike. Tsk, tsk, UNC. Is this shocking? No. But it is another case of my friend whom I referenced earlier...the general feeling that these things happen, it's just a matter of if/when/how you get caught.

USC. I'll be brief with this one, since it's so high profile. Basically, there was zero institutional control over the program for about 4 years and experienced high profile players (ie: Reggie Bush...and his family) receiving money, cars, housing, and representation without notifying the NCAA. Apparently Pete Carroll was well aware and got outta there like a bat out of hell when he knew everything was about to be exposed. It actually worked out for Bush and Carroll since both of them were far removed from college football when the NCAA hammer of sanctions came down and likely didn't care much. However, USC's football program suffered the consequences of the previous coaches and players playing fast and loose. They received a post-season ban in 2010 and 2011 (meaning no bowl games, even if they had a perfect record) and lost 30 scholarships for the next three seasons. Oh, and they had to vacate all victories from 2004 -2005. Ouch. Oh, and by the way, USC's violations weren't exclusive to football...there were also major violations in men's basketball and women's tennis. Yikes.

Ohio State. I'll be even shorter with this since I just covered it the other day. Bascially, Ohio State football players had a tattoos-for-memorabilia trade with a local tattoo shop owner (which in reality likely involved money and tattoos, not just the tattoos). There's also a new update to this story as of a few hours ago - apparently OSU is self-imposing sanctions and vacating some key 2010 wins - namely their victory in the Sugar Bowl. They're also waiving the $250,000 fine imposed on former head coach Jim Tressel. They're also altering Tressel's resignation and changing it to a formal "retirement." Apparently Tressel is taking responsibility for the NCAA investigation (shock and awe!) and the University has imposed an additional 2 year probation on the football program. While this may be a good head start on what the NCAA sanctions will be, it surely won't be the end for them. That leads me directly into the next situation...

Oregon. Oh Oregon, how I loved you and your flashy, "innovative" uniforms courtesy of Phil Knight and Nike. I genuinely liked Chip Kelly and his visor and your Donald Duck mascot. I really, really liked LaMichael James. You seemed genuine and not taken up with the silliness of pay-for-play scandals and other things. Silly me. Now Coach Kelly is facing the wrath of the NCAA as they're investigating a situation with sports agents Will Lyles (and Baron Flenory, on a lessor level) and their relationship to Oregon's program. Apparently UO paid Lyles $25,000 for his services last year alone. Their bad, because now the NCAA is knocking. Oh, and by the way, now LSU is involved in this whole mess as they apparently used Lyles' services as well. So did Oregon skirt the line of what's legal in NCAA's book, or did they cross the line? Time will tell...after an investigation, of course. What a mess.

Of course there are other relevant stories - the case of Boise State (who self-reported...interesting), Tennessee and the Lane Kiffin drama, Auburn and Cam and Cecil Newton, the University of Colorado disasters from the early 2000's....the list goes on and on.

At what point do we step back and re-evaluate the NCAA's rules and college football (and athletics, for that matter) on the whole? When the sanctity of the game is lost? Frankly, I don't think tattoos and cars are taking away from the sacred nature of the game, but rather perhaps it's the old and impractical attempts of the NCAA when it comes to regulation. Maybe it takes the NCAA and the administrations of these universities to come together and bring everyone into this century when it comes to what's realistic and what isn't. I'm so sick of "fill-in-the-blank University caught in new football scandal!" Widespread reform may be the only answer we have, here, if anything, to preserve the holy sport of college football! We must have the NCAA to make things right and to regulate the necessary things in collegiate athletics, but at what point is it too much?

I'd love your thoughts on the recent rash of college football "scandals" and the NCAA's involvement...you can share your opinions in the comments.

Until next time...
S.

**UPDATE** It seems we can add Georgia Tech to this growing list. We learned today that the program will be stripped of their 2009 ACC Conference Championship title after an NCAA investigation found major rules violations and there was refusal by both student athletes and staff to cooperate with the investigation. There were also major infractions made by the Tech Basketball program, as well. The school will now have probation through 2015, a $100,000 fine, "public reprimand," and various other (more minor) penalties. Additionally, the football program must vacate all victories after November 24, 2009 (which includes the ACC Championship game). This is the third time Georgia Tech has earned a spot in the doghouse with the NCAA. There were previous charges and the program was warned that they were on thin ice. Another day, another violation. A day in the life of collegiate athletics...

Sweater Vests, a guy named Pete, and the NCAA

Forgive me, I'm still talking about Jim Tressel, his former job, Pete Carroll being a villain, and why the NCAA is still antiquated...but that might be an entirely different story.

What is it about coaches like Tressel (and Pete Carroll, for that matter) that bring such intrigue? Is it the idea that he really is a high profile coach who knew exactly what he was doing and just got in too deep? Or was it all a giant accident and misunderstanding? There's no question he has achieved iconic status in Ohio and that his players had nothing but respect for him. So what happened, how did the coach with so much integrity fall so far? I've read numerous articles about Tressel that discuss his sincerity, politeness, and overall stoic nature. How exactly does that translate to cheater and rule-violater? How could he ruin the legacy he was building for himself? How does the most successful coach at Ohio State since Woody Hayes fall from grace with such a terrific thud?

Here's the thing: Tressel has had issues with "not knowing" what was going on with his team for years, dating back to his coaching gig at Youngstown State, before he even stepped foot on the Ohio State campus. In the case with the most recent allegations against his Buckeye players, he took the stance of many politicians: deny, deny, deny....at least until you get caught (which he did). In December, the college football faithful learned of the tattoo parlor that implicated superstar quarterback Terrelle Pryor and three other high profile players in trading Buckeye memorabilia for tattoos (and perhaps money). FYI, this is a big no-no, and the result is always major NCAA violations. Coach Tressel had no choice but to deal with the media circus forming around his office. He eventually confirmed that he did know about his players' transgressions and hadn't told Ohio State higher-ups. Whoops...that's an even bigger violation...secrets make no friends when it comes to the NCAA. Well let me just say this, Ohio State loves Jim Tressel, no doubt, because in the weeks following the breaking of the Pryor/tattoo parlor story, they stood by their man, refusing to force him into retirement, despite outcry from alumni and fans. Well, come to find out this tattoo parlor situation wasn't a new one...these violations of memorabilia swapping dated back nine years! NINE YEARS! That's insanity. I can't even begin to wrap my head around how they didn't get caught earlier...damn Tressel, you're one sneaky dude!

This, of course, doesn't just end there. Us college football junkies later learned about high end cars being driven by players, including Pryor (shocker!). I think it's easy to write these things off and say "these kids deserve it!" but let's be real, here. In the case of Ohio State, the memorabilia-for-tattoos scandal runs deep, but highlights much deeper issues in the program. Now, as a result, a guy who, for the most part, was a standup coach is out of a job and violated major NCAA laws, rules, and regulations. Oh, and by the way, now Ohio State has kissed their beloved Pryor goodbye. Looks like the search for a new QB is on as well...

Here's the question, does this flurry of ignorance and poor decision making make Tressel a bad representation of Ohio State and its football program? I think you'll be surprised to hear me say I don't think so. I think Jim Tressel wanted success. I think he wanted to see his guys do well on the gridiron and to find their way to the greener fields of the NFL. I think he had good intentions but poor execution, all of which is unfortunate, because the bottom line is he is a good football coach. It's unfortunate this will follow him, and now is likely blacklisted from every major football program on a collegiate level (for at least a few years). My guess for his future? He'll take the route of Pete Carroll and head to the pros for his penance.

Speaking of Pete Carroll, he and Tressel have more in common than meets the eye. Carroll also ran a powerhouse program for many years until he moved onto coaching in the NFL. He left, at what many saw as the perfect time, to escape the massive hammer of the NCAA which brought the pain by way of massive sanctions on the University of Southern California after former running back Reggie Bush was accused of serious NCAA violations. Carroll (and Bush, for that matter) had both already moved on and left USC far behind when they faced what could be the end of the recent dynasty period of the program for the new guys to clean up. Was it dishonesty on the part of both coaches, or just plain ignorance? Carroll escaped the sinking ship of USC while Tressel was tethered to the engine of his Ohio State train-wreck. Does this make Carroll a villain for running away? Maybe, but both men now stand in shadowy corners when it comes to their collegiate reputations and legacies that I feel neither will never fully recover from. They've found their way into the most hated lists of many fans and will be made examples of naughty coaching behavior when it comes to NCAA rules violations.

So, what happens now? USC still sits in turmoil as Lane Kiffin (equally seen as villainous after what happened at the University of Tennessee...we'll save that one for another day) tries to put the puzzle pieces back together; and, Ohio State does their best to pretend as though all is well and attempts to recover and move on to the 2011-2012 season without their storied head coach. College athletics are a funny and fickle thing, and the involvement of the NCAA is something that is widely debated. Time will tell what will happen, but for the sake of unity in the college football world, we can only hope to see both programs recover and come full circle again...minus the NCAA violations.

Until next time...
-s