Nick Saban should see to it that the Crimson Tide is up to the task and repeat as national champions. But if Alabama stumbles, which teams are poised to challenge for the top spot?

Coaches Bob Stoops, Dan Hawkins and Mack Brown are all looking forward to the new season in the Big 12. (NBC Sports)

FanHouse: One has to wonder how long before another conference comes after a conference school or two.

An interesting column by David Moulton last week in the wake of the latest player-agent investigation that openly poses a very provocative question: is it time for FBS college football to leave the NCAA behind? As shocking as that statement is, it's actually possible. Affiliation with the NCAA is voluntary, and teams or conferences or even whole sports can decide to leave at any time. Naturally, for the first two, serious consequences may result, but Moulton suggests that the heavy hitters in CFB seriously consider it for one prime reason: reevaluating the rules for a sport in which the stakes have risen so high that they even rival those of fortune 500 companies. And protecting those stakes!

We probably wouldn't be quite having this conversation except for that breaking agent scandal that wouldn't stop last week, but now it's issue #1, right at the forefront. Or is it merely a symptom to the larger problem at hand? How do you govern and police this money-making mess we call FBS? SEC commissioner Mike Slive didn't have word one about the agent issue in the draft of his Media Days speech last Monday, but he quite thoroughly addressed the issue in his opening remarks by Wednesday.  I think that Alabama coach Nick Saban had something to say about it, too.

This is latest scandal proof positive that big-time college football has simply outgrown the Byzantine rules and constraints of the NCAA and is virtually ungovernable without a major, more liberal overhaul? While no one openly advocates a wild, wild west-type scenario, the idea has been presented that FBS should branch out with it's own form of governance, with rules more applicable to it specifically, and perhaps it's time that we did look at it in a new light. With many of the penalties for both serious and minor infractions considered sometimes Draconian in effect, perhaps a more Libertarian approach would be worth noting. Said Moulton:

"In its zealous attempt to clean up college football, (the NCAA) is beginning to kill mosquitoes with sledgehammers. And over time the NCAA is more likely to kill mosquitoes with bombs than revert back to using spray."

The top programs in the country are valued at tens of millions of dollars, some exceeding $100M. Additionally, tens of millions in annual revenue are at stake. Do you really want teenage kids utilizing bad judgment to jeopardize any of that? Talk about throwing a cog into the wheel. In some cases, such behavior is virtually institutionalized, or at least condoned, but many more are isolated, which still can lead to some serious penalties. Should CFB takes the reigns now before the whole team is driven over a cliff? Maybe Slive has the right idea about bringing some of the shadier aspects of the whole business out into the light:

"If we had a student who was a great violinist and wanted to join a symphony and become a professional musician, there are all kinds of things the school could do to help make that happen", said Slive. "I think the NCAA rules on this issue are as much as part of the problem as they are the solution. Instead of shutting things down for these student-athletes, we need to open up the system and give them greater access to it. We need to take the mystery out of it."

Mr. College Football, Tony Barnhart, goes Slive one step further, with a full comparison to the shenanigans today with the prohibition era of yesteryear. The fact that agent contact is so verbotten is analogous to the black market for booze in the 1930s. Players are attracted to the danger of it. But there is an even deeper divide. Says Barnhart:

"There is another facet to this issue that people don’t like to talk about. At the end of the day, the athletes really don’t trust the adults who are running the system. The adults say they working with the best interests of the athletes involved. I think most athletes believe that the adults are looking out for their employer first. So when somebody comes along and points out that you, young football star, are putting money in all of these people’s pockets and you aren’t getting squat, it becomes a pretty compelling argument. I’m not sure I could resist it at the age of 19 or 20."

I believe that the time when major college football calls buzz-kill on the NCAA and seeks a new organizing body is drawing near. The stakes are too high and the chances for EPIC FAIL from just one little player so great that the meltdown-risks must be remade to be in line with the-- admittingly high--rewards. If so, a major overhaul in the many areas will certainly happen. If I were anointed king of CFB, here's how my list might shake out:

1) Recruiting: Probably the most likely candidate for a wild west scenario. Virtually unlimited contact after a point certain, say starting in the junior season of high school.  But with unlimited contact comes higher potential for abuse.  Players could still only commit after their senior season, but I'd say allow them to commit early and often--national signing day becomes a deadline, not a starting gun. Contracts are contracts, though. Once you commit, you're in. Some recruits might want to change their telephone numbers. Nick Saban real happy.

2) Transfer, Redshirt, Medical: Here's the deal. You get four seasons of eligibility to be completed in five years. They don't have to be in a row, and they don't even have to be with the same team. For transfers, if you don't transfer to the next level down (FCS), you lose a year out of that five. Yea, we'll consider hardship medical cases still, but we'll open up the redshirt season to be used at anytime. Why not? They're your unused minutes. Call who you want.

3) Image Rights, Passive Endorsements, Medical or Educational Pension: This is probably where most fans think players get the shaft--as their images are used to advertise and promote the schools and make millions of dollars. As amateurs, receiving outright endorsement commissions could not be considered. Pro players have that right, but they don't have the right to represent their respective team without authorization and just compensation for the organization.  I don't think I would disallow any non-commercial endorsements from players, but that's a mighty slippery slope. Regardless of that debate, I would think that a pension be funded to help players who are medically stricken during their playing careers or to help with vocational retraining or educational benefits for players who don't go on to the NFL.

4) Exposure to agents for career advice: As addressed significantly above. Certainly not all players will have a serious chance to play in the NFL, but perhaps this option could be exercised on a volunteer basis; i.e. for all players requesting it. Team members go in groups, not as individuals, and meet with as large a panel of representatives as possible, starting perhaps as early as after their freshman season. For players wanting to openly declare an end to their eligibility, perhaps an 'Agent Days' event at the school or for the conference where potential draftees can go and start to narrow such decisions down. It is time to bring this sometimes sleazy underworld of the game into the light.

5) Stipends for players: Oh, the big one. You gotta pay them, but you can't call it that. A stipend will do. Yea, they already get a free ride worth tens of thousands of dollars a year, but basically they are de facto apprentice-like employees. Will paying them something remove the spectre of improper benefits still being doled out? Of course not, but having something coming in could go a long way to minimize hard-pressed athletes from considering such a temptation. What's the number? Twenty five years ago, my play cash while I was in school was $100-200 a month. Some of you younger folks tell me what an appropriate number these days might be.

So is that the complete list? No way. There would still be thousands of tiny details to work out, and then a few seasons under the belt to adjust and refine and see where the loop holes are. What are your ideas? Are we ready for such wholesale change in this sport, or is the staus quo okay for the time being? With such a secession, would the gap between the haves and have-nots in CFB become even larger? There are always unintended consequences for everything--especially inaction. But then, there's always been a lot of that in our sport.

View the original post or comment on Has Big Time College Football Outgrown the NCAA?...

It's been a long off season. Let's get back in commenting shape by trying this short exercise, guaranteed to tone and hone your razor wits. Copy and paste and fight amongst yourselves:

1) Lane Kiffin's first year record at USC? Bonus: < > Tennessee's?

2) Over/under for creative Texas hate-signs seen in game crowds and on the internet this year?

3) Urban Meyer health/drama issues?

4) Biggest misguided Heisman candidacy attempt?

5) Mike Leach lawsuit verdict?

6) Spurrier retires, switches teams, moves to NFL, or none of the above?

7) Alabama repeat?

8) Coach Firing Dead-Pool leader?

9) Next major violations contender?

10) Notre Dame: Bowl game, no bowl game--come back one year!

For WEA:

1) Lane Kiffin's first year record at USC? 8-4 Bonus: > Tennessee's

2) Over/under for creative Texas hate-signs seen in game crowds and on the internet this year? 38

3) Urban Meyer health/drama issues? one each

4) Biggest misguided Heisman candidacy attempt? Auburn--Cam Newton

5) Mike Leach lawsuit verdict? Answer unclear. Ask again later.

6) Spurrier retires, switches teams, moves to NFL, or none of the above? Retires

7) Alabama repeat? Nyet

8) Coach Firing Dead-Pool leader? Ron Zooked

9) Next major violations contender? North Carolina. Seriously, 13 players interviewed?

10) Notre Dame: Bowl game, no bowl game for you--come back, one jear! NO-bowl!

View the original post or comment on Fanblogs 1st and Ten: Questions for the Upcoming Season...

Late last week, reports surfaced that a months-long NCAA investigation into North Carolina is occuring, with reported widespread tampering by agents with many players alledged. Up to 13 Tar Heel players may have been interviewed, the most prominent being defensive tackle Marvin Austin, who is expected to be suspended by the NCAA very soon.

Darren Heitner, a legitimate sports agent who claims to have insider knowledge of the situation in Chapel Hill, had this to say about the depth of the problem in his blog last week:

"So when Joe Schad tells the world that there is a serious NCAA investigation taking place at UNC, sports agents who may be affected should begin to contact their attorneys. Schad notes that Defensive tackle Marvin Austin was a football player who was interviewed. I have a source who tells me that Austin was only 1 of 13 players who have been interviewed - this is far reaching. And it does not only extend to a number of players. The same source tells me that there are a lot of agents that may have dirty hands, including both NFLPA Certified Advisors and marketing agents. Some are being examined more than others.
It is apparently beyond just in-person meetings, rent payments, and travel expenses. We are potentially talking about all expenses paid trips to South Beach, exorbitant amounts of money dropped on accessories, and perhaps even a Bentley or two."

A Bentley or two? I hope they only rented one. And got the full-coverage insurance.

How widespread is this particular case? It seems to have now jumped to South Carolina, as TE Wesley Saunders, who is friends with Austin, has been interviewed by the NCAA. Saunders and Austin allegedly compared notes about 'interviewing' potential agents. Saunders was suspended earlier this year by coach Steve Spurrier for violating team rules.

Then, breaking news today from Florida, that the school self-reported to the NCAA in early June an investigation over allegations that a representative from a sports agent paid former OL star Maurkice Pouncey $100,000 sometime in between last year's SEC championship game with Alabama and the Gator's Sugar Bowl blowout of Cincinnati. Pouncey, who was a junior, declared for this year's NFL draft and was taken in the first round by the Pittsburgh Steelers.

"We were made aware of some information in early June that we reported to law enforcement and we then shared with the NCAA and the SEC," said AD Jeremy Foley. "At this time we have no information that has indicated that there are any compliance issues for the University of Florida."

If the allegations turn out to be true, Florida could be made to vacate the Sugar Bowl victory, Tim Tebow's last hurrah as a Gator. Wow. Are we really still talking about him? I guess we are. I just hope they haven't started engraving the statue.

Has no one learned anything from the Reggie Bush incident other than how to try and hide it better? Granted, these cases don't sound like they went on for years like the RBI, but before you go casting stones, know that conduct like this can occur at any school. There are 38 states that have some sort of civil and/or criminal penalties for enticing amateur athletes, but there are very few prosecutions in this area. Players darn well know the rules when it comes to contact with an agent--immediate suspension and loss of future eligibility, which could depreciate future draft status significantly. Then there's the damage to the school, which even in a small incident can tarnish reputations and force the vacation of games or entire seasons.

View the original post or comment on Pass (the loot) Interference: Agents Contact With Players Rampant?...

 Show us SIX fingers, Tubs! Guns up!

Tommy Tuberville, never one to shy away from being direct, seems to be saying what he feels once again, which could be designed to keep Texas Tech on the map, but might not be endearing himself to other teams and coaches as the new kid on the block. Recently, on a radio show, Tubs offered up his opinion on the future of the conference formerly known as the Big 12:

"I don't think this conference will last long because there is too much disparity between all the teams," Tuberville said. "In the SEC, for instance, Vanderbilt makes as much money in the television contract as Florida. Everybody is good with it. Everybody is on the same page. Everyone gets the same votes.

"That doesn't happen here in the Big 12. We have some teams that get a little bit more money and have a little bit more stroke than some of the other teams. And when that happens, you're gonna have teams looking for better avenues to leave and reasons to leave. We have a 10-team league right now, but I just don't know how long that is going to last, to be honest with you."

Wow, CTT. Tell us how you really feel. Is it just me, or does Tubs seem to be falling into the same mold as the dread pirate Mike Leach, who was ousted in part for pissing off the powers to be in Lubbock?

But even more interesting is his recent hire of strength and conditioning coach Arnold Gamber. Now if that name sounds familiar to Auburn fans, it should. Gamber was Auburn's strength and conditioning coach under Tuberville and was also at the heart of the controversy with former Tiger lineman Chaz Ramsey and his career-ending back surgery. In December 2007, Ramsey had the surgery and was rehabbing it that spring. The story, as told by the Birmingham news:

The rehab program that followed was the source of what quickly became a bitter dispute between the Ramseys and Auburn's training staff.

Ramsey said he returned to Auburn in late May, about six weeks after his surgery, with his back feeling great. But an aggressive treatment program initiated by Auburn's training staff not only conflicted with the specific plan laid out by the surgeon, but actually made things worse, Ramsey said. Two months after the surgery, his back was back to "square one."

The conflict only escalated. Ramsey accused head trainer Arnold Gamber of calling him "less than a man" and suggesting that he use pain medicine for the rest of his Auburn career. The Ramseys say that Auburn team physician Dr. Michael Goodlett was horrified that the rehab directives were not being followed, and told Ramsey to report directly to him, not the training staff.

A year ago this month, Ramsey filed a lawsuit against Gamber and former Auburn OL coach Hugh Nall for "compensatory and/or punitive damages" for "pain and anguish" and "the denial of a very probable career in the NFL."Nall was dropped from the suit last month.

The bigger question is why would Tuberville hire a man who has a blemish like this on his record (still unproven, however) for possibly abusing players when his head coach predecessor at Tech was fired for doing the exact same thing? One must wonder if Tubs made this hiring decision unilaterally without conferring with the higher ups who pay the legal bills. A hiring like this might go a long way into helping Leach's pending lawsuit against the university.

Of course, fielding a winning team in Lubbock this fall will make any Tubs detractors fade away for a while--even Craig James. I'm not sure what a pass-happy Tubs team will look like, but I can tell you that they will start to play defense down there. For a change.

h/t: OU Ron

View the original post or comment on Tommy Tuberville Doing It His Way at Texas Tech...

Tennessee's athletic director Mike Hamilton confirmed yesterday that the Volunteers will not choose to accept an offer from Lane Kiffin and USC to meet in the 2011 Chick-Fil-A Kickoff game, sponsored by the Atlanta Sports Council. Hamilton has been approached a few times by ASC president Gary Stokan, and has apparently received a few text messages from Lane Kiffin himself. Failing to rise up and challenge this obvious bravado from Kiffin, Hamilton spoke the words that madeevery safety-orange checkerboard clad Vol fan's stomach churn.

"We've got plenty to keep us busy in 2011 already. We're building our program back, and our schedule is tough enough as it is. The reality of it is if it was Texas or UCLA in the Chick-Fil-A Kickoff Game, we just couldn't do it in 2011."

That's right, he said that the schedule was "too tough" already.

What? Are you kidding me? What was all that jive about getting hosed by Kiffin? I thought you guys were going to get him back somehow? Now you get the perfect chance and all you can say is No Mas?

But, infers Hamilton, Tennessee couldn't play the game even if it was Texas or UCLA. Huh? It ain't UCLA. It's USC. And your ex-coach. How do you not pull the trigger on this game? Yea, the Vols have a tough OOC schedule next year with Cincinnati and North Carolina, but they start the season with North Texas. Cut those guys a check and say GAME ON to Kiffykins. If not for your own self-respect, at least for that for the rest of the conference. Even Pat Dye is saying that Tennessee isn't man enough to play USC in a virtual home game. Word has it that Phil Fulmer has said that he could make himself available for the game--not to coach, but to play.

Tennessee and USC do have a home and home inked for 2021 and 2022, but Kiffin is as likely to still be the coach at USC as the Big 12 is to still being a conference or Utah is to winning the Pac-12. Tennessee is also scheduled for the Kickoff Game in 2012 against NC State, but who says you can't play two of these games in a row? Alabama played in 2008 and 2009. This turn down by Tennessee is even worse than Auburn ducking a chance to play UCLA in 2010. Keep declining a marquee game like this, SEC, and see if they don't start looking at other conferences.

Vols, I felt for you. You got played by a slickster. Your program deserved better than him--the biggest-mouth-running coach in CFB history. And now he gets to keep running his mouth by telling everyone he gave you a shot and you said NO, it's just too hard. Somewhere on Rocky Top, a couch burns.

View the original post or comment on Tennessee Turns Down Shot at Kiffin Bowl...

Former Oregon QB Jeremiah Masoli is expected to be admitted to one of three graduate programs at the University of Mississippi, which should make him eligible to play as early as this season, a source told ESPN's Joe Schad.

A former top recruit for the University of Tennessee quit the team by texting his incoming coach goodbye.

Oklahoma running back DeMarco Murray finally made it through a season without getting hurt last year.A Now he wants to do something no Sooner -- not even his friend, Adrian Peterson -- has done: rush for 2,000 yards.A Murray scored five touchdowns in his first college game in 2007, which must have looked familiar to OU fans who watched Peterson set ...

Mack Brown thinks defenses are starting to catch up to the spread offense. He's noticed how much his defense has struggled against powerful, traditional running teams in bowl games.

28 5:47 pm Tweet This! http://mync.com/site/53894/ GREENSBORO, N.C. Preseason player of the year Christian Ponder and a league-high five players from North Carolina's defense headline the preseason all-Atlantic Coast Conference team.