Premature commitment to UT

I read today that 13-year-old Evan Berry committed to play football at the University of Tennessee in ... five years. Seriously, a 13-year-old has committed to something? I know 40-year-olds who still can't commit.

OK. Maybe Berry is a little different. He is the younger brother of Tennessee safety Eric Berry. Evan, who has yet to step foot on a high school campus, is ready to follow the path already paved by his brother and father, who also played for the Vols. Evan was actually quoted as saying, "I want to play in the secondary and I want to play for coach (Monte) Kiffin."

Hey Evan, Monte is like a 103. Do you really think he'll be around in five years? I'm not even sure Our Boy Lane Kiffin will be around in five years.

Look, I'm sure Evan is talented. He has the bloodlines. But is there any good reason to make this announcement now? He's already a target for high school teammates and opponents who can't appreciate the arrogance of making this announcement. Who knows, he may not warrant a scholarship to UT.

Congratulations Evan Berry. I hope this works out for you. Just be careful about any other premature commitments in the future.

UPDATE: Here is a YouTube video of Evan and his fraternal brother.

65 days and counting ...

On a hot, sunny summer day, I had to look. It's just 65 days until the first college football game of 2009. Best game of the day is Oregon at Boise State at 10:15 p.m. (EST) on Sept. 3. As an appetizer make sure to watch South Carolina at N.C. State at 7 p.m.

Just 65 more days.

Much ado about summer newspaper filler

Using a ridiculously long list of factors, The Tuscaloosa News came up with its annual list of college football's top programs. The ratings include recent results, historical results, recruiting, attendance, grades and everything in between. Apparently, there's not a lot of sports news to write about in Tuscaloosa in the summer.

Still, it's interesting reading for us college football nuts.

The top three?
1. Ohio State
2. USC
3. 'Bama

Naturally, the SEC is rated the top conference and SEC schools dominate the high end of the list.

Phil Knight U. at it again

Ah, Oregon, isn't it a bit strange that the University known for hippies, birkenstocks, weed and naked Ultimate is at the forefront of cutting edge, futuristic football unis?

Next year, I say they go for The Waterboy uniforms.

Stoops gets raise, doesn't earn it

Let me see if I have this right.

Lose five consecutive BCS bowl games, including two title games and an embarrassing loss to West Virginia in the 2008 Fiesta Bowl. Manipulate the BCS system by running up the score in your final six games to impress voters so you can get the BCS bid over a much better Texas team that you lost to earlier in the season.

It appears that's enough for the University of Oklahoma execs to give the overrated one (Bob Stoops) a hefty raise. According to a number of stories circulating on the web today, OU may pay Stoops about $5 million a year starting in 2011.

I can't argue that Stoops isn't a great coach. His record is 109-24 since joining the Sooners in 1999 and has won a national title (actually Miami was the best team that season). But in these tough economic times and with academics on many campuses being slashed does someone who can't coach in the big game deserve this?

The crushing, abusive media of Iowa make Kirk Ferentz' life a living hell

Kirk Ferentz can't believe his kid made the paper... again.

Apparently Ferentz' enormous salary doesn't include editorial control of the local media who dare report on his son's collegiate exploits.

Yeah, well, sorry Coach. It's not fair. Neither is your out of whack contract.

FREE MAURICE! Eventually. When his sentence is over. Until then...

It's been three or four months since Maurice Clarett once again (sigh) made headlines with this blog he "writes" from prison.

Naturally it was time for ol' Mo to break out the media mojo and request a pardon from Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland. Except then he decided not to. Clarett wants out to spread the word that turns out acting like a douchebag entitled athlete and having an unhealthy attachment to Grey Goose are bad things. Who knew? And who will tell our children if we don't let Mo talk to junior high assemblies across the state.

Excuse my skepticism. This guy gets on my nerves.

Podcast: Episode 32

Does the NCAA have any backbone left? We don't think so. With the weak penalties being handed out to Alabama and Florida State, USC shouldn't be too concerned about the Reggie Bush fiasco. Phil and Tom also discuss how Penn State is waxing the floor with Pitt in its own backyard and snatching top recruits from the WPIAL. We are also wondering how the Big Ten has three of the top 10 revenue-earning programs in the nation, but still suck. Sorry, but we also broke our own self-imposed rule about not talking about Notre Dame. We just can't help ourselves.

All-Time AP Poll

I admit to enjoying rankings and listings, so when I found this today at the Tuscaloosa News I wanted to share with everyone who reads An 'Eye and an 'Eer.

According to the article, years ago, Charles Woodroof, the SEC Assistant Director of Media Relations, came up with the idea of using each Associated Press poll to form an all-time AP ranking — or at least since 1936, then the first poll was held.

He assigned points based on each team's finish (25 for first, down to 1 for 25th), and added them up.

Although the poll hasn't always had 25 teams (From 1936 to 1961 the wire service ranked 20, from 1962 to 1967 only 10, and from 1968 to 1988 it was 20 again until the AP expanded to 25 teams in 1989), it may the closest thing to a pure ranking of the entire modern era of college football.

Now for the new Top 25 of all-time:

1. Oklahoma 743.5
2. Michigan 741
3. Notre Dame 710.5
4. Ohio State 692
5. Alabama 657
6. Nebraska 617
7. Southern California 598
8. Texas 595
9. Tennessee 548
10. Penn State 504
11. Miami 439
12. Florida State 418
13. Georgia 413
14. LSU 412
15. Auburn 396
16. Florida 395.5
17. UCLA 352
18. Arkansas 293
19. Michigan State 268
20. Texas A&M 264
21. Washington 260
22. Ole Miss 235.5
23. Georgia Tech 231.5
24. Iowa 223
25. Colorado 218

Gophers new stadium is immaculate

Holy upgrade.

From the craphole of the Metrodome to the new TCF Bank Stadium, the Minnesota Golden Gophers will be playing in one of the nicest stadiums in college football this fall. Check out this lockerroom. With this stadium and facility Tim Brewster may just turn the Gophers into a legitmate Big Ten contender.

Graduation video of Aikman

I've always been a huge Troy Aikman fan. I remember when he started his college career at Oklahoma and then transferred to UCLA where he was a Heisman candidate. I became a bigger fan when he became the quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys.

Watching him graduate from UCLA is a great statement about No. 8. This is a nice interview. Enjoy.

Canes getting back to recruiting roots

This is a smart move by Coach Randy Shannon.

On a South Florida Sun-Sentinel blog recently, Shannon has said he wants his coaches recruiting the best football players available ... not based on what a recruiting website says about players or how many stars associated with their name.

Instead Shannon wants his coaches evaluating the talent and getting those who perform best on the field and produce results. What he's saying is he wants athletes who know how to play football. That's getting back to Miami's roots.

If Miami officials are willing to stick with Shannon despite what should be another struggle this season, the former defensive coordinator may be close to getting the Hurricanes back on top of the ACC and in the nation.

$5 tickets a winner for me

Here are my Sept. 5 college football options: Liberty at West Virginia, Navy at Ohio State and UConn at Ohio U.

Going to see the Mountaineers is always a good option, but I'm passing on this one. I'd actually like to see the Buckeyes' defense get challenged by the Midshipmen offense (who scheduled this game with USC coming to Columbus the following week?). However, I'm not forking over the $85 for a ticket.

So I'm going to Athens, Ohio, to watch the Huskies face the Bobcats in a rare BCS conference school traveling to a Mid-American Conference campus. This game appealed to me well before I found out Ohio was selling $5 tickets for the game. So my wife, who is an Ohio University alum, and I will be on hand for the 7 p.m. kickoff.

Should be interesting to see Frank Solich in action as the OU coach, and the Bobcats should be much better after a disappointing 4-8 last season. The Huskies could have their hands full, and at $5 a ticket it should be a pretty nice crowd.

I guess I only have 82 more days until kickoff.

ESPN buys Rose Bowl

If it didn't already, ESPN officially owns the sporting world now. The Worldwide Leader added the Rose Bowl to its stable of bowl games starting in 2011. Remember ESPN had already pried away the other BCS games by outbidding FOX.

Look, I won't miss the horrible announcing on FOX. But this means there are almost no bowl games remaining on network TV. This isn't a positive. I get ESPN and so do most of my friends. But not all of the approximately 300 million people in the U.S. have cable or satellite TV.

Personally, this doesn't impact me much at all. I enjoy watching college football on ESPN. It will also mean better announcers and better coverage, since these guys and gals actually do games during the season (unlike FOX).

However, this will probably mean lower ratings for all of the big bowl games in 2011, but the BCS doesn't care as long ESPN is willing to dish over hundreds of millions of dollars. Audience be damned.

Rick Neuheisel likes to poke bears with sticks

Why do college football coaches talk to booster groups?
So, PAC-10 coaches decide to vote to let family members under the age of 18 on the sideline. Only one coach votes no and that ticks Neuheisel off enough to yap to his boosters about it and take some shots at Petey Carroll.

yes, Rickster, this is certainly the issue that should put you over the top in your pursuit of USC. Let's worry about putting together an offense capable of getting a couple of first downs this year.

Besides, can you blame Carroll for voting against this? Would you want your kids hanging out with Snoop? Nobody can get on the 'SC sidelines without a SAG card anyway.

An SEC school on probation? The horror...

Taking away wins seems to be the NCAA's new hammer. Of course, taking away wins from games nobody much remembers is more like a Nerf hammer. 'Bama is the latest victim, losing 21 wins over a three-year period divided between the glorious reign of Mike Shula (or was it David?) and the Dark Lord, Nick Saban. Eight of the wins came in 2005, Shula's best season. The crime? Players getting free textbooks and giving/selling them to fellow students. C'mon, has the NCAA seen what these freaking textbooks cost?

But the true victim here is Shula. Now it will take him one season longer to catch Joe Paterno's all-time victory mark.

Time to read

I picked up my copies of Phil Steele's College Football 2009 and the Sporting News College Football magazines today. If you haven't purchased a copy yet get out and do it. They are both great reads.

I'll be back tomorrow with something new.

Switzer teams with Dunkin Donuts

Barry Switzer is a college football coaching legend. He may be better known for living in the gray area of what was and wasn't legal during his 16 seasons at the University of Oklahoma. He resigned in 1989 after the NCAA put the Sooners on probation. But the fans in Norman love him, especially because he went 157-29-4, which gives him the fourth-best all-time winning percentage (.837).

But is he really a household name in 2009?

Seems Dunkin Donuts is counting on it with a new four-commercial spoof of Switzer coaching women's lacrosse, swimming, yoga and chess. The spots aren't even that funny.

What do you think?

UConn prepares for Big Ten

UConn is the new Penn State.

According to a story at nesn.com, Connecticut coach Randy Edsall has given the OK to a new-look for 2009 that will simplify the Huskies uniforms in the style of Penn State. The new duds were crafted by the geniuses at Nike, which gave us these unis.

Now I doubt the new uniforms look exactly like the one I posted above, but it may not be too far off base either. However, by simplifying things UConn is either letting the Big Ten know it is prepared to join the conference once it decides to expand, or Edsall is trying to let Penn State officials know he's interested in replacing JoePa once he retires.

Retro football cards

Terry Bradshaw at Louisiana Tech. Jim Brown at Syracuse. Randy Moss at Marshall.

These are just three of the autograph cards that you'll be able to get in the 2009 Magic Set, which is sort of a remake of the 1951 Topps Magic set. It will include current players and former football legends. The basic set consists of 200 cards with 50 additional short-prints.

There are also mini parallels (one per pack) and mini black parallels as well. Also included are buyback cards and several insert sets. What makes this set almost irresistible for collectors or college football fans is all of the history contained in these packs. However, at a suggested $4 a pack (eight cards per pack) it won't be cheap.

Here are some of the players included in this set:

Jackie Robinson, UCLA
John Elway, Stanford
Eric Dickerson, SMU
Tony Dorsett, Pitt
Dan Marino, Pitt
Bo Jackson, Auburn
Ray Lewis, Miami

Happy collecting.

Scheduling malfunction

I guess the Big Ten really does need that 12th member.

Word out of Ann Arbor and Michigan blog MVictors.com is the Wolverines asked conference peer Minnesota to come to the Big House in 2010 to play a non-conference game. The Gophers turned Michigan down despite a potential huge payday.

I love what Minnesota AD Joel Maturi had to say on the matter. "I’m not a real brilliant guy, but I'm not so sure it's in the best interest of Minnesota football to play Southern Cal and Michigan in back-to-back weeks. Non-conference, so-to-speak."

What's going on at Michigan? Since when can't the Wolverines find someone willing to take their money to play at the Big House? It's not like Michigan is that intimidating these days.

This failed attempt to get Minnesota to play a non-league game has the feel of some out-of-the-way high school begging schools to come play them.

I would normally rip on RichRod and Michigan AD Bill Martin for trying to pull this off. But look around and you'll see it's getting tougher for the big programs to get teams to make a road trip for a butt-whipping. Even Mid-American Conference schools are demanding $800,000 to travel.

So don't be surprised when conference teams start playing each other in a non-conference game. Or JoePa's expansion talk would help. How would Rutgers or Pitt look in this spot on the schedule?

Podcast: Episode 31

Time to dissect Phil and Tom's preseason conference rankings (Phil totally trashes Tom's ACC picks). We also take a look at the potential of BCS busters joining BCS conferences and does that make sense, as well as the most over-rated and most under-rated coaches today. We also think the NCAA will uphold its decision to take away victories from Bobby Bowden, and that Our Boy Lane Kiffin may actually be crazy. Enjoy.

Preseason: Big 12 rankings

Last season was a banner year for the Big 12 with Oklahoma, Texas, Texas Tech and Missouri taking turns in the top five and OU playing for the national title. Okie State could step up this year, but unfortunately for the Cowboys they remain in the South Division with Texas and OU. In the North, Missouri will take a step back from recent years, but remain ahead of a competitive, if not very good, Division.

Big 12 South

1. Texas
Key returners: QB Colt McCoy, WR Jordan Shipley, LB/DE Sergio Kindle, LB Roddrick Muckelroy, FS Blake Gideon
The Longhorns have plenty of chips on their shoulder from 2008 to play in this upcoming season. Sure, Colt McCoy is back, but almost as important are the four returning OL starters. Texas needs to develop a running game outside of McCoy. The non-conference schedule is a snoozer.
Predicted record: 12-0

2. Oklahoma
Key returners: QB Sam Bradford, LT Trent Williams, TE Jermaine Gresham, DT Gerald McCoy, RB DeMarco Murray
I don’t have a good reason to think the Sooners will lose twice other than all the losses on the offensive line. As accurate as Sam Bradford is, in the rare time he was pressured last season, he struggled. You just have to wonder if the mental shock of the national title game loss and the accident that paralyzed WR Chris Wilson will take a toll.
Predicted record: 10-2

3. Oklahoma State
Key returners: QB Zac Robinson, WR Dez Bryant, RB Kendall Hunter, OT Russell Okung, LB Andrew Sexton
The Cowboys are a hot pick to surprise in the Big 12 this year. If they were in the North, it could be interesting – but they’re not. OSU will score a lot of points, but they just don’t match up with the depth of OU and Texas. They do get the Longhorns in Stillwater and that could be a huge game.
Predicted record: 9-3

4. Texas Tech
Key returners: LB Marion Williams, CB Jamar Wall, NT Colby Whitlock, OT Marlong Winn
The Red Raiders will return to form this season after suffering lots of losses on offense. Taylor Potts is the next huge-numbers-ignored-by-the-NFL QB. Lots of players are back on defense, but this is is Texas Tech – who cares about defense?
Predicted record: 8-4

5. Baylor
Key returners: LB Joe Pawelek, QB Robert Griffin, CB Trentston Hill, LB Earl Patin
Baylor is poised to move up after last year’s 4-8 season, even with some substantial losses on the offensive line. Griffin is a tremendous athlete at quarterback and coach Art Briles’ offense will keep up with the rest of the league. It’s on defense where the Bears must improve to reach a bowl game.
Predicted record: 6-6

6. Texas A&M
Key returners: QB Jerrod Johnson, OG Lee Grimes, S Jordan Pugh
The Aggies face a number of problems, but the biggest is this – poor play along both lines. There’s lots of experience on the offensive line, but it has yet to be determined if that’s good or bad news.
Predicted record: 4-8

Big 12 North

1. Missouri
Key returners: RB Derrick Washington, WR Jared Perry, OG Kurtis Gregory, LB Sean Weatherspoon, NT Jaron Baston
Lots of new faces for the Tigers as the Chase Daniel crew moves on. There’s talent, though, as Mizzou has upped its recruiting in recent years. It’s just young talent. Sophomore Blaine Gabbert will likely take over at QB and he’s got a terrific arm. But the Tigers offense is about decision making. Defensively, the Tigers have to be better than last year to match that record.
Predicted record: 9-3

2. Kansas
Key returners: QB Todd Reesing, WR Kerry Meier, WR Dezmon Briscoe Jr., SS Darrell Stuckey, DT Caleb Blakesley
Nobody gets more from less than KU coach Mark Mangino and the Jayhawks will definitely be in the running for the Big 12 North title this year. Reesing is short and slow and is as gutsy a quarterback as you’ll see. Meier is slow, but does nothing but make huge catches. KU will once again score points. Stopping people will be the key.
Predicted record: 8-4

3. Nebraska
Key returners: C Jacob Hickman, K Alex Henery, NT Ndumakong Suh, SS Larry Asante
The Huskers lost a tremendous amount of skill players from last year’s team, but in my mind, the further they get from Bill Callahan’s teams, the better. This is the Big 12, so everybody scores. With seven starters back on defense, maybe the ‘Huskers could win the division.
Predicted record: 8-4


4. Colorado
Key returners: QB Cody Hawkins, WR Scotty McKnight, WR Josh Smith, RB Darrell Scott
The Buffs have 10 players returning on offense, which should be good news since they struggled to score last year. Forming a decent running game will be Colorado’s best chance to improve. On defense, only five starters are back. That’s not good news in the Big 12.
Predicted record: 7-5

5. Iowa State
Key returners: QB Austen Arnaud, RB Andrew Robinson, S James Smith, DE Christopher Lyle
As rocky as Gene Chizik’s tenure may have seemed at Iowa State, he did upgrade recruiting. The Cyclones have some talent and Arnaud is a underrated quarterback. New coach Paul Rhoads might have more success than people will realize.
Predicted record: 4-8

6. Kansas State
Key returners: OT Nick Stringer, OG Brock Unruh, DT Daniel Calvin, DB Josh Moore
Bill Snyder returns to take over the Wildcats program that has lots of returning starters but a porous defense and an overall lack of talent. Ron Prince’s JUCO-only recruiting system never really seemed to pan out. It will take time for Snyder to put things back together, which is something administrators and boosters probably weren’t counting on.
Predicted record: 4-8

Sporting News takes a crack at best players

When you are trying to write about college football in June you find reporters and bloggers coming up with a lot of lists.

Best/worst coaches

Best/worst stadiums

Best/worst concessions

The Sporting News recently posted its Top 25 players for the 2009 season. No major surprises, but interesting to note that there is just one Buckeye (Terrelle Pryor) and no Mountaineers (what, no Noel Devine?).

There is only one other Big Ten player on the list (No. 25 Arrelious Benn, WR, Illinois), and just one Big East player (No. 6 George Selvie, DE, South Florida).

Topping the list is University of Florida Superman Tim Tebow, the first of three Gators and eight SEC players to crack the Top 25. The Big 12 has seven representatives, led by Oklahoma QB and last year's Heisman winner Sam Bradford. The Pac-10 has four players, followed by one each from the ACC, Mountain West and Notre Dame.

Begging and pleading at the Big House

As a youngster in the late 1970s and early 1980s there were a few teams that personified college football. Programs like Alabama, Penn State, Texas, Oklahoma, Ohio State, USC, Notre Dame and Michigan.

You could argue most of these are still among the elite today. However, Michigan is officially off that list now. It started with the hiring of RichRod, but now there is this year's Michigan-Big House Pledge T-shirt (click on image to see a larger version).

Big-time programs don't need fans to sign an honor code or declare they will attend home games in good times or bad, for richer or poorer. Following a 3-9 debacle in RichRod's first year and my oh my how things have changed in Ann Arbor.

Here is what the shirt says:

THE BIG HOUSE PLEDGE
I pledge to make my way to the Big House every football Saturday
to cheer on my Maize and Blue as they take the
field in the name of Michigan. I will join the
chorus of Wolverine faithful as they hail the Victors.
I promise to give everything I have to the Maize and Blue and I
will dig deep for something extra when the team needs me most
I will bring it all four quarters and I won't stop until the clock
reads all zeroes. I will do all of this because I am
ALL IN FOR MICHIGAN

Since when do the fans need a pep talk? When you know you're going to suck again. Any Michigan fan wearing this shirt should be booted from the Big House. I'm actually embarrassed for Michigan right now.

Maybe I'll get a few for my Ohio State friends so they can replace these shirts.