Shirts With Random Triangles

Big Tentacles: Urban Meyer, Bret Bielema, Iowa, and more.

2012-02-10T16:58:00.001-05:00

(Big Tentacles is the SWRT look at the Big Ten and the schools it not-so-secretly covets.)

The "M" Word.
Ohio State head football coach Urban Meyer is still refusing to say the word "Michigan." (Lost Lettermen)

We are not amused.
Ohio University takes umbrage to Michigan head football coach Brady Hoke's habit of referring to Ohio State as "Ohio." (The Detroit Free Press)

From the "Closing the barn door after the horses leave" dept.
The Ohio State board of trustees approves the creation of a new office to oversee compliance to NCAA regulations. (Rivals.com)

Stop Your Sobbing.
Wisconsin head football coach Bret Bielema should quit whining about Urban Meyer's rrcruiting policies. Because Tom Hardesty said so. (The Record)

The Els Word.
Nebraska linebackers coach and special teams coordinator coach Ross Els discuses his new role as the Cornhuskers' recruiting coordinator. (The Lincoln Journal Star)

The high cost of football.
Iowa announces a two-dollar increase in season ticket sales. (The Quad City Times)

Coffee Talk.
Iowa names a coffee-dispensing vending machine as the Hawkeyes' new quarterbacks coach. Yes, Black Heart Gold Pants is somehow involved with this insanity. (Black Heart Gold Pants)

Covering Dixie Like Mildew: Hugh Freeze, Gene Chizik, Nick Marshal, and more.

2012-02-09T16:49:00.002-05:00

(Covering Dixie Like Mildew is the SWRT roundup of SEC news, with the occasional pesky Southern school from another conference.)

Getting down to business.
New Ole Miss head football coach Hugh Freeze is settling into his new job and is ready for the challenge of turning the Rebels football program around. (ESPN)

Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again.
Josh Bean wonders if Alabama's failure to sign high school offensive lineman Darius Philon (who committed to Arkansas) will hurt the Crimson Tide's future recruiting endeavors in the Mobile, AL area where Philon is from. (The Mobile Press-Register)

What, Me worry?
Auburn athletic director Jay Jacobs says he wasn't concerned by the amount of time it took the Tiger's head football coach Gene Chizik to hire new offensive coordinator Scot Loeffler and new defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder. (The Opelika-Auburn News)

Carry On Wayward Son.
Former Georgia cornerback Nick Marshall has reportedly enrolled at Garden City Community College in Garden City, Kansas. Marshal and two other players were dismissed from the team last week. (The Athens Banner-Herald)

There can be only one.
Track 'Em Tigers looks at the battle for the Auburn starting quarterback job in 2012 between Clint Mosley, Khiel Frazier, and Zeke Pike. (Track 'Em Tigers)

With Six You Get Eggrolls.
LSU offensive lineman Josh Dworaczyk, who missed the 2011 season because of a knee injury in training camp, has been granted a sixth year of eligibility by the NCAA. (ChuckOliver.net)

Jersey Shore bound?
Arkansas is reportedly in talks with Rutgers for a home-at-home series for the 2012 and 2013 seasons. (The Arkansas News)

Orange Crush.
Tennessee's Orange and White Game has been scheduled for April 21. (The Knoxville News Sentinel)

Dancing in the Ruins: Mack Brown, Bob Stoops, Mike Stoops, and more.

2012-02-09T15:12:00.000-05:00

The Plain of Jars in Laos.

(Dancing in the Ruins is SWRT's look at the Big XII Conference. Or at least what's left of it.)

Back in the Saddle Again.
Texas head football coach Mack brown says his passion for coaching the longhorns has returned. (ESPN)

Law and Order: Des Moines.
Iowa State suspends defensive back Matthew Thomas after his arrest on charges relating the alledged theft of an iPod. (The Des Moines Register)

There's a possibility but no chance.
Barry Tramel believes that Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops would balk at another home-at-home series with FSU as long as his brother, Mark Stoops is the Seminoles' defensive coordinator. (The Oklahoman)

In other Stoops family-related news...
Oklahoma defensive coordinator Mike Stoops talks about the 2012 version of Sooners' defense. (ESPN)

Back in the High Life?
Texas Tech could be on the rebound in 2012. (ESPN)

Waiting for the Great Leap Forward.
Andrea Adelson and David Ubben debate how TCU will do as it moves to the Big 12 in 2012. (ESPN)

Oklahoma State's Gallagher-Iba Arena is cursed.
Well it would be, if this was the Gallagher it was named after:

(Wide Right & Natty Lite)

South Carolina legislature balks at bill to protect Clemson-South Carolina rivalry.

2012-02-09T13:40:00.001-05:00

Remember the story from yesterday about South Carolina state Rep. Nathan Ballentine, who wanted to protect the South Carolina-Clemson rivarly through state law? Well, that's not going to happen.

"A House subcommittee Wednesday shot down the idea of requiring the football teams of USC and Clemson to face off annually, saying it is unnecessary government intervention.

“These matters should be handled by the universities and trustees,” said. Rep. Lester Branham, D-Florence, and chairman of the subcommittee that voted 7-0 to deny the requirement."

Gamecock and Tiger fans are just going to live in nonexistent fear that conference realignment will tear the two school's rivalry apart, it appears.

(via ChuckOliver.net)

Covering Dixie Like Mildew: Nick Saban, Les Miles, and more.

2012-02-08T18:10:00.002-05:00

Fore Unlawful Carnal Knowledge.
Alabama head football coach Nick Saban and New England Patriots head football coach Bill Belichick will be paired together in a Pebble Beach National Pro-Am grouping. (ChuckOliver.net)

Eight is Enough.
The SEC will buck the trend of conferences going to a nine-games in-conference, and will be sticking to eight in-conference games. (GamecockCentral)

A Sort of Homecoming.
LSU head football coach Les Miles returns to Oklahoma for the presentation of the Jim Thorpe Award to Tiger cornerback Morris Claiborne. Miles was head coach of Oklahoma State before taking the LSU head coaching job. (The Oklahoman)

Double your pleasure, double your fun.
Vanderbilt doubles the amount of money is spends on recruiting. (The Tennessean)

South Carolina legislator seeks to protect Clemson/South Carolina rivalry.

2012-02-08T14:22:00.000-05:00

South Carolina state Rep. Nathan Ballentine is trying to get a law passed in the South Carolina General Assembly to make sure the annual rivalry game between the state's biggest schools is preserved. The proposed law would require South Carolina and Clemson face each other every year on the football field.

The rivalry between the Gamecocks and the Tigers seems to be in any danger at the moment. The proposal is more designed to avoid any future shifts in the college football landscape which could endanger it. The recent conference expansions of the SEC and ACC are the impetus for the bill.

"You saw Texas and Texas A&M," said Rep. Nathan Ballentine, who introduced the proposal after uncovering a precedent in 1953, when the General Assembly overruled Southern Conference sanctions against Clemson to keep the rivalry alive. "That rivalry went by the wayside. Nebraska and Missouri dropped by the wayside [in 2010]. No one wants to see that happen here to our two universities where families enjoy the annual game, and it's great for our economy."

A rule like this sounds like a belt-and-suspenders approach to preserve a college rivalry that probably doesn't need preserving. Then again, there are a lot of Longhorn and Aggie fans who are moaning the loss of Texas' most important football rivalry.

(via Dr. Saturday)

Covering Dixie Like Mildew: Nick Saban, Trent Richardson, John Calipari, and more.

2012-02-07T16:35:00.000-05:00

(Covering Dixie Like Mildew is the SWRT roundup of SEC news, with the occasional pesky Southern school from another conference.)

A well-deserved honor.
Alabama head football coach Nick Saban has been given the the Grant Teaff "Breaking the Silence" Award by the The Jason Foundation for his efforts in the prevention of suicide among young people. (al.com)

Headed to the Combine.
Former Alabama running back Trent Richardson and linebacker Dont'a Hightower lead a group of nine former Crimson Tide players invited to the 2012 NFL Scouting Combine. (al.com)

Can we come too?

Offensive linemen A.J. Greene and Brandon Mosley, and deep snapper Josh Harris, have been invited to will represent Auburn at the 2012 NFL Scouting Combine. (al.com)

The more the merrier.
Florida RB's Jeff Demps and Chris Rainey, along with defensive tackle Jaye Howard have been inited to the 2012 NFL Scouting Combine. (The Gainesville Sun)

Dre Day.
Misdemeanor drug charges against former Alabama cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick have been dropped. (al.com)

Blindsided.
Sean Tuhoy, The adopted father of former former Ole Miss and current Baltimore Raven defensive tackle Michael Oher, is interested in the soon-to-be-vacant position of Ole Miss athletic director. (Lost Lettermen)

Steve Rubio is an ex-Tennessee director of player personnel.
Rubio was one of the last holdovers from Lane Kiffin's one-year fling as the Vols' head football coach. (The Knoxville News Sentinel)

Kentucky basketball coach John Calipari "obsessed" with Nick Saban.
Kentucky football coach Joker Phillips should be really happy to hear that. (The Birmingham News)

Big Tentacles: Urban Meyer, Bill O'Brien, Junior Hemingway, and...playoffs?!

2012-02-07T13:15:00.003-05:00

(Big Tentacles is the SWRT look at the Big Ten and the schools it not-so-secretly covets.)

I will teach, and you will learn.
Ohio State head football coach Urban Meyer is teaching the Big Ten how to defeat the SEC through recruiting. Because Bob Hunter said so. (The Columbus Dispatch)

What's that? Ah -- Playoffs? Don't talk about -- playoffs?! You kidding me?! Playoffs?!
The Big Ten has come up with a proposal for a college football playoff scheme. (The Chicago Tribune)

Unsolicited advice of the day.
Mark Kram asks four sports personalities who succeeded legends on how new Penn State head football coach Bill O'Brien should handle following in the footsteps of the late Joe Paterno. (The Philadelphia Daily News)

Crime watch.
Former Michigan receiver Junior Hemingway's Sugar Watch has been stolen from his father's home, along with other bowl game-related valuables. (AnnArbor.com)

Gone Daddy Gone.
Michigan has announced that it's sold of its alottment of around 25,000 tickets for the Wolverines 2012 season opening game against 2011 BCS champion Alabama at Cowboys Stadium on Sept 1. (The Detroit Free Press)

It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday.
Former Iowa offensive coordinator Ken O'Keefe says his last goodbyes while heading off to become the Miami Dolphins new wide receivers coach. (The Cedar Rapids Gazette)

Under the radar and through the woods.
Iowa's 2012 recruiting classes is rated as underrated by Dave Miller. (The National Football Post)

You'd better shape up.
Wisconsin warns it will end its licensing agreement Adidas for violating a labor code of conduct regarding a the shutdown of a factory in Indonesia where workers failed to set severance. (The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel)

Better Holmes and Gardens
Michigan State already has the first member for its 2013 recruiting class with the verbal commitment of Michigan high school Gerald Holmes. (The Detroit Free Press)

It's Getting Better All the Time.
Northwestern's 2011 season was better than 2010. Because Sippin' on Purple said so. (Sippin' on Purple)

Derek Dooley is stuck in a moment that he can't get out of.

2012-02-07T11:35:00.001-05:00

It's been a couple of months since the Tennessee Volunteers lost their first game to the Kentucky Wildcats in football since 1984. How has Tennessee head football coach Derek Dooley dealt with the loss? Not very well, apparently.

"That game will bother me for the rest of my life," Dooley said Thursday during an end of the season meeting with the News Sentinel. "It eats me alive. I didn't sleep for a week after that game.

"I'm not sure how long I will go in time without thinking about that game at some point in the day."

Of course, he is trying to spin the loss into a positive direction.

"I believe this in my heart — going through that will make us better for next year," Dooley said. "I do, I believe that in my heart. Did it hurt us in December? Of course it did. Did it hurt us to the point where we can't overcome? Absolutely not. I think it's going to make us better.

"I watch those workouts out there, I don't believe that team would be in the place they're in right now had we beaten Kentucky. I don't believe it, because they're in a different place right now. And I'm in a different place as a coach. That game has allowed us to sharpen our focus. It's allowed us to not live in an illusion that everything is great, which it wasn't. That's why I said what I said, that we needed this to happen."

Of course, Tennessee fans never see losses as positive. And if the Vols have as 2012 season as disappointing season as the 2011itteration, then Dooley will have a lot more time on his hands to reflect on the Kentucky loss.

(via The Knoxville News Sentinel)

Unquiet on the Western Front: Rich Rodriguez, Larry Scott, Cliff Harris, and more.

2012-02-06T13:51:00.003-05:00

(Unquiet on the Western Front is SWRT's look at the Pac-12, WAC, Mountain West, and other West Coast/Rocky Mountain schools extravaganza.)

Here, There, and Everywhere.
Arizona head football coach Rich Rodriguez's first recruiting class for the Wildcats has members fromacross the country. (The Tuscon Citizen)

Stay just a little bit longer.
The Pac-12 gives commissioner Larry Scott a contract extension through 2016. (ESPN)

Let's make the best of the situation.
Mark Schlabach gives USC high marks for National Signing Day success despite scholarship restrictions due to the Reggie Bush scandal. (ESPN)

Cliffhanger.
Oregon cornerback Cliff Harris receives an invite to the NFL Combine. (The Register-Guard)

Mo Money Mo Problems.
Wyoming's across-the-board success in college athletics brings new challenges for athletic director Tom Burman. (The Wyoming Tribune Eagle)

Round and round we go.
California Golden Blogs has a round table on how Cal should use the money from the new Pac-12 TV contract should be used. (California Golden Blogs)

Welcome to the Fallout: Nick Saban, Bill O'Brien, Tom Brady, and more.

2012-02-05T08:51:00.001-05:00

(Welcome to the Fallout is the SWRT off-season weekend wrap-up of college football related news.)

Woke up this morning from a nightmare with Madonna in it last night. Glad I don't have to...oh crap! She's doing the Super Bowl halftime show tonight! Hide your kids, hide your wife.

There can be only one.
Kevin Scarbinsky asks if Alabama head football coach Nick Saban will run LSU counterpart Les Miles out of the SEC like he did Urban Meyer. (The Birmingham News)

Who Are You?
Stefanie Loh profiles new Penn State head football coach Bill O'Brien. (The Patriot-News)

Cancel my reservation.
West Virginia cancels its Sept. 8 road game against Florida State. (ESPN)

Waiting for the Great Leap Forward.
TCU head football coach Gary Patterson hopes that the Horned Frogs will get a recruiting boost as the school joins the Big 12. (Rivals.com)

Better late than never.
Alabama high school quarterback Jameis Winston signs with FSU two days after National Signing Day. (USA Today)

Tom Brady's School Days.
New England Patriots' QB Tom Brady credits his days at Michigan for helping make him a three time-Super Bowl winner. (The Detroit Free Press)

Welcome to the Fallout: Urban Meyer, Andrew Luck, Dorial Green-Beckham, and more.

2012-02-04T10:14:00.001-05:00

(Welcome to the Fallout is the SWRT off-season weekend wrap-up of college football related news.)

It Crawled from the South.
Chris Low accuses Ohio State head football coach Urban Meyer of bringing SEC recruiting practices to the Big Ten. (ESPN)

Urban Meyer is a hypocrite when it comes to recruiting.
Because Mike Bianchi said so. (The Orlando Sentinel)

It's a strange world. Let's keep it that way.
Dennis Dodd tells the Big Ten "It's Urban's World", and to "deal with it." (CBS Sports)

Making the Super Bowl XLVI rounds.
Former Stanford quarterback and probable first round NFL Draft pick for the Indianapolis Colts Andrew Luck meets with the local media in Indianapolis. (Stampede Blue)

Bend it Like (Green-) Beckham.
David Ubben looks at what the signing of blue chip linebacker Dorial Green-Beckham means for Kansas. (ESPN)

The Long Road.

Former Notre Dame center and NFL veteran Tim Grunhard discusses the twisted path that led him to his new position as Kansas' new offensive line coach. (The Topeka Capital-Journal)

You Never Can Tell.
Mike Strange points out there are as many players who weren't blue-chip National Signing Day prospects as there are those that were playing in Super Bowl XLVI. (Mike Strange)

Making the great leap forward.
Alabama's early enrollees are making the adjustment to life in college. (al.com)

Another One Bites the Dust.
Iowa head football coach Kirk Ferentz loses yet another member of his coaching staff as offensive coordinator Ken O'Keefe for a coaching position at another unnamed program. Or possibly even for the Miami Dolphins. (Rivals.com, The Des Moines Register)

A Few Small Repairs.
Scott Hood looks at the changes South Carolina head football coach Steve Spurrier has made to his coaching staff since the end of the 2011 season. (Gamecock Central)

This is going to hurt me more than it does you.
The dismissal of three Georgia players for violating team rules leave the Bulldogs a little thin in the secondary. (The Athens Banner-Herald)

ACC fans left out in the cold.
The ACC gives its fans the short end of the stick when it comes to its new scheduling policy when Syracuse and Pitt join the conference. Because Caulton Tudor said so. (The Charlotte Observer)

Big Tentacles: Brady Hoke, Bill O'Brien, and more.

2012-02-03T17:05:00.001-05:00

(Big Tentacles is the SWRT look at the Big Ten and the schools it not-so-secretly covets.)

We're strange allies with warring hearts.
Michigan head football coach Brady Hoke takes the side of Ohio State Urban Meyer over the hand-wringing by other Big Ten coaches over Meyer's "what's mine is mine, what's yours is mine" recruiting philosophy. (The Detroit Free Press)

Nittany Lions eyin' O'Brien.
Penn State players will be watching their future head football coach Bill O'Brien in his final game as the New England Patriots' offensive coordinator Sunday in Super Bowl XLVI. (The Philadelphia Inquirer)

Taking it on the chin.
New England Patriots' players like to poke fun at the soon-to-be-departing O'Brien's physical features, including his chin. (The Philadelphia Inquirer)

Distant Early Warning.
Michigan State receiver Kyle Kerrick has already enrolled for classes in East Lansing. (The Lansing State Journal)

The Name's the Same.
The Big Ten is sticking with those dreaded "Leaders" and "Legends" division names. (ESPN)

MEN'S BASKETBALL

Enemy Mine.
Your basketball-centric guide to exposing myths about the Indiana-Purdue rivalry, from an unmistakably Hooser point of view. (The Crimson Quarry)

Dubious achievement award of the day.
Remembering the best Iowa men's basketball team of the past twenty-five years. Sadly, it was the one from exactly twenty-five years ago. (The Gazette)

Covering Dixie Like Mildew: Will Muschamp, Cassanova McKinzy, Mark Richt, and more.

2012-02-03T15:14:00.001-05:00

(Covering Dixie Like Mildew is the SWRT roundup of SEC news, with the occasional pesky Southern school from another conference.)

Building the Perfect Beast.
Florida head football coach Will Muschamp talks about " building a program and not a team." (ESPN)

Let me rephrase that...

Linebacker Cassanova McKinzy tries to clarify his off-the-cuff remark on picking Auburn over Clemson due to the lack of a Chick-fil-A on the Clemson campus. (The Birmingham News)

Assuming the position.
Tennessee hires Derrick Ansley as an assistant cornerbacks coach. (The Knoxville News Sentinel)

The Pink Bulldog.
Holly Anderson calls Georgia head football coach Mark Richt "the Inspector Clouseau of accidental NCAA infractions.” Does that make Mike Bobo Cato? (SI.com)

All this and brains too.

Georgia early enrollee tailback Keith Marshal had a 4.31 GPA high school, which is higher than his 40-yard dash time of 4.25 seconds. (The Chattanooga Times-Free Press)

I Ain't Mad at Cha.
LSU head football coach Les Miles disses potential Tiger recruits who committed to other schools, including Notre Dame quarterback commitment Gunner Kiel. (The Baton Rogue Advocate)

Hat dance.
Arkansas-committed defensive lineman Darius Philon's high school coach explains why his former player switched his commitment from Alabama to the Razorbacks after he had done the National Signing Day hat trick with a 'Bama hat. (The Birmingham News)

Did Bret Bielema lie about his boss meeting Big Ten commissioner about Urban Meyer's recruiting practices?

2012-02-03T13:19:00.001-05:00

Wisconsin head football coach Bret Bielema, was more than a miffed over rival Ohio State head football coach Urban Meyer's recruiting policies. Notably the ones involving getting high school players who had verbally committed to one school to flip their commitment over to Ohio St. Bielema want as far to claim that his boss, Wisconsin athletic director Barry Alvarez, was going to meet with Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany over Meyer's actions.

The only problem is that he seems to have made the story up. Alvarez has denied any knowledge of the meeting when asked about it by ESPN's Joe Schad.

"Colleague Joe Schad caught up Friday with Alvarez, who said he has no issue with coaches "flipping" recruits who had committed to another school. Meyer flipped several for Ohio State's class, including offensive lineman Kyle Dodson, a Wisconsin commit.

"Recruiting is recruiting until they sign," Alvarez told Schad. "If we had somebody who changed their mind and came to us, that's OK. Urban [Meyer] was very aggressive but there is no pact within the conference not to continue to recruit. It's open season until they sign."
Alvarez also said he's unaware of any "illegal" tactics by Meyer and hasn't spoken with Delany."

It seems that Alvarez is going to be having a completely different meeting with Bielema in his office. It's probable Alvarez is probably going to be doing more of the talking.

(via ESPN)

Urban Meyer has a case of potty mouth while responding to fellow Big Ten coaches' criticism.

2012-02-03T11:44:00.000-05:00

Urban Meyer has only been head football coach of Ohio State for a little over two months, but he's getting a nasty little reputation in the Big Ten as a coach who goes after other college's recruits. Meyer's "what's mime is mine, what's yours is mine" recruiting philosophy isn't winning him any friends in fellow Big Ten coaches like Michigan State's Mark Dantonio and Wisconsin's Bret Bielema, who have openly criticized his recruiting style.

Worse for Meyer: Wisconsin athletic director Barry Alvarez is reportedly meeting with Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany about the way he put his 2012 recruiting class together.

Meyer isn't taking the criticism of his recruiting practices lying down. He fired back Friday morning at an Ohio High School coaches clinic. His response included a touch of the potty mouth.

"You're pissed because we went after a committed guy? Guess what, we got 9 guys who better go do it again," said Meyer. "Do it a little harder next time."

Uh, Urban, that's not Tim Tebow-approved language, you know that? It's certainly not win you any friends in the Big Ten, either. It's proof that you can take the coach out of Florida, but you can't take the Florida out of the coach.

(via CBS Sports)

Georgia kicks three football players off the team.

2012-02-03T10:51:00.002-05:00

It seems that Georgia head football coach Mark Richt can't get a break. A day after Josh-Harvey Clemons' letter of intent finally reached the fax machine in the Butts-Meare building in Athens, Richt has to turn around and dismiss three freshmen from the Bulldog squad for what's referred to as " a violation of team rules."

The freshmen in question are cornerback Nick Marshall, defensive back Chris Sanders, and receiver Sanford Seay.

"It’s a privilege to play college football and to be a part of this team and University," said head coach Mark Richt said in a statement. "Along with that privilege comes certain responsibilities. Mistakes were made and part of our job is helping them learn from mistakes. Going forward, we are committed to assisting them find opportunities where they can continue their education."

Read more here: http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/2012/02/03/1919165/make-it-three-chris-sanders-also.html#storylink=cpy

The "violation of team rules" apparently include an alleged incident where Marshal and Seay were allegedly involved in the theft of money from a student in an University of Georgia dorm. There is no word yet on the reasons behind Sanders' dismissal.

(via The Athens-Banner Herald, The Columbus Ledger-Enquirer)

Urban Meyer re-christens Michigan "That Team Up North."

2012-02-03T10:21:00.000-05:00

That's odd. Michigan doesn't appear on this 2012 Ohio State schedule that new head football coach Urban Meyer has posted in the Buckeye locker room. Now why would Ohio State dump It's Most Hated Rival after year and years of playing each...Oh, I see what you did there.

Apparently Meyer has gotten a little tired of Michigan head football coach Brady Hoke's nasty habit of referring to Ohio State as simply "Ohio." In fact he's taken things up a notch and revived Woody Hayes' old "That Team Up North" line. It's the kind of thing you would expect a former Florida coach to do. Expect something like a "You can't spell 'dumb' without 'UM'" sometime soon,

(via Dr. Saturday HT: Deadspin)

Big Tentacles: Urban Meyer, Mark Dantonio, Bret Bielema, and more.

2012-02-02T16:03:00.000-05:00

(Big Tentacles is the SWRT look at the Big Ten and the schools it not-so-secretly covets.)

What's mine is mine, what's yours is mine.
Stewart Mandel takes a look at how Ohio State head football coach Urban Meyer managed to get a top-five recruiting class despite the the shadow of Tresselgate and a one-year ban from postseason play by the NCAA (SI.com)

Hands off!
Michigan State head football coach declares that college that recruit players already committed to another school as being "unethical." Gee, Urban, I wonder who The Dantonio could be talking about? (The Detroit News)

Everybody Hates Urban.
Wisconsin head football coach Bret Bielema isn't too pleased about Meyer's recruiting practices, either. (SB*Nation)

Be My Enemy.
Urban Meyer is Michigan State's new enemy. Because Drew Sharp said so. (The Detroit Free Press)

Purple Reign.
Pat Fitzgerald signs his largest National Signing Day class as Northwestern head football coach. (The Chicago Sun-Times)

A Big Red scare.
Nebraska head football coach Bo Pelini was involved in an automobile accident with another vehicle on his way to a booster dinner. He was not injured in the crash, which was the fault of the driver in the the other vehicle. (WOWT)

How well did Penn State do on National Signing Day?
About as well as you would expect it to under the circumstances. (The Philadelphia Enquirer)

Misplaced priorities?
It didn't help Penn State's recruiting any to have new head coach Paul O'Brien still busy finishing out his job as the Super Bowl bound New England Patriot's offensive coordinator. (USA Today)

Roll With the Changes.
Penn State quarterback Matt McGloin comments on the changes in the Penn State coaching staff. (StateCollege.com)

Louisiana Tech RB Tyrone Duplessis found dead.

2012-02-02T14:39:00.001-05:00

Condolences go out to friends and family of sophomore Louisiana Tech running back Tyrone Duplessis, who was found dead on Thursday in his apartment. He was 21. The cause of death is unknown.

(via USA Today)

Covering Dixie Like Mildew: Dorial Green-Beckham, Gary Pinkel, Derek Dooley, and more.

2012-02-02T13:51:00.000-05:00

(Covering Dixie Like Mildew is the SWRT roundup of SEC news, with the occasional pesky Southern school from another conference.)

Same as it ever was. Same as it ever was. Same as it ever was. Same as it ever was...
Alabama celebrates yet another successful recruiting class under head football coach Nick Saban. (Rivals.com)

Bend It Like Green-Beckham.
Missouri lands Dorial Green-Beckham, the top prospect in the country. (Rivals.com)

Eye of the Tiger.

Missouri's successful 2012 National Signing Day success is another "boost" in the Tigers' "brand name." Because Mizzou head football coach Gary Pinkel said so. (The St. Louis Post-Dispatch)

The Downward Spiral.
LSU's dismal National Signing Day comes on the tail of the debacle of being shut out by Alabama during the BCS championship game. (USA Today)
Mythbusters.
Chuck Oliver looks at the whether or not the myth of Georgia's inability to recruit players on the offensive line during the Mark Richt era. (ChuckOliver.net)

The Best There Is. The Best There Was. The Best There Ever Will Be.
Vanderbilt head football coach James Franklin celebrates the Commodores best National Signing Day ever. (The Tennessean)

Are You Not Entertained?
South Carolina head football coach Steve Spurrier wasn't amused that ESPN didn't send anyone down to Columbia, SC to cover the Gamecocks on National Signing Day. (SB*Nation)

Ready to Start.
The newest members of Steve Spurrier's coaching staff at South Carolina are ready to help the Old Ball Coach build on the Gamecocks' success in recent years. (Gamecock Central)

Tennessee head football coach Derek Dooley "must win now."
Because Pat Forde said so. (Rivals.com)

From the "A watched pot never boils" dept.
The addition of Texas A&M to the SEC doesn't seem to be reaping any huge benefits for SEC school on the recruiting trail in the Lone Star State/ At least not yet. (Rivals.com)

We had joy. We had fun. We had seasons in the sun.
An in-depth look at "The Four Seasons of Southern College Football." (ChuckOliver.net)

Jim Tressel finds non-coaching job at Akron.

2012-02-02T12:35:00.002-05:00

Disgraced former Ohio State head football coach Jim Tressel has finally landed on his feet and has found a new job. He's going to be the new vice president for strategic engagement at The University of Akron, the school where he began his career in coaching.

“It’s truly an honor to be here,” Tressel said. “I look forward to doing whatever I’m asked to do. I’m excited about being a Zip. ... I’m going to learn all I possibly can (about the university) in the next short while and see where I can help best.”

Tressel will not have anything to do with the Akron Zips athletic department, due to his being hit with a five-year "show cause" penalty for his handling of the scandals at Ohio State that cost him his job. Which should disappoint used car salesmen and tattoo artists throughout the Akron area.

(via The Columbus Dispatch)

Josh Harvey-Clemmons finally faxes his letter of intent to Georgia.

2012-02-02T11:37:00.002-05:00

The Bulldog Nation's Long National Nightmare is over. Josh Harvey-Clemons, the high school outside linebacker/bail bondsman has faxed his letter of intent to Georgia. This ends a long day and night of drama where Harvey-Clemons future in Athens was in doubt due to rumors that his grandfather and legal guardian was applying pressure on hum to sign with Florida. This would have been a major debacle, since Harvey-Clemons had verbally committed to Georgia on television.

Harvey-Clemons' signing should come as a relief to Georgia head football coach Mark Richt, who went to great lengths (i.e jail) to recruit the outside linebacker. Now if he can do something about the Bulldogs' other Long National Nightmares (the continued hire of offensive coach Mike Bobo and strength and conditioning coordinator Joe Tereshinski), all will be right in the Bulldog Nation.

(via The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, ESPN)

Mississippi State commitment raises the bar for signing day announcements with a baby.

2012-02-01T16:27:00.000-05:00

Last year Isaiah Crowell raised the bar of National Signing Day announcements when he brought a bulldog puppy in a Georgia t-shirt when he committed to UGA. It seemed nobody could have topped Crowell's performance. Well, somebody did.

Enter Ritchie Brown, a Long Beach, MS inside linebacker, announced his intentions to play for Mississippi State on Wednesday. Along with him family members including his baby nephew. Guess how he made his decision known?

Methinks there's a strong possibility the NCAA might step in and put a stop to this using living creatures as signing day props. At least they should before some Alabama commitment brings a live elephant on stage. And don't say they won't.

(via Kegs 'N Eggs, SB*Nation)

Mark Richt's trip to jail pays off in prospect's letter of intent to Georgia. (UPDATED)

2012-02-01T11:29:00.005-05:00

Georgia head football coach Mark Richt's trip to the slammer to hand prospect/bail-bondsman Josh Harvey-Clemons' aunt her misplaced ID has paid off. The high school outside linebacker has signed a letter of intent to play for Georgia in the fall.

"–Big News of the day so far for Georgia: outside linbacker Josh Harvey-Clemons picks Georgia over Florida State and Florida. He made the announcement on ESPNU. His sister provided the answer by showing a Georgia shirt.

“I knew when I went there that’s where I wanted to go after the visit,” Harvey-Clemons said about his Jan. 13 visit. ” It felt like home. They seemed like they wanted to win and go and compete for championships.”

Harvey-Clemons said his relationship with defensive coordinator Todd Grantham influenced him."

Clemons didn't mention that Richt went to jail to give the linebacker's aunt her misplaced ID while the two family members were bailing some unfortunate who had a run-in with the law. But that was probably to protect Richt's character.

UPDATE: (2/1/12) 3:30 PM: It's being reported that Josh Harvey-Clemons's grandfather (and legal guardian) is refusing to sign off on the necessary papers for his grandson to sign with Georgia.

(UPDATE 2/2/12) Harvey-Clemons' LOI has been faxed to Georgia.)

(via The Athens Banner-Herald, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)