NCAA Football News

If becoming the first freshman to win the Heisman Trophy wasn't enough, Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel is certainly showing off his athletic prowess this offseason.

The rising sophomore signal-caller for the Aggies—who set the SEC's single-season total offense record last year with 5,116 yards—shot a 79 at Pebble Beach Golf Links in Monterey, Calif. last week. 

But that was just the beginning.

Manziel moved down the coast a bit this week to work on his passing motion with noted quarterback coach George Whitfield Jr. He then took a break from training in the ocean—yes, that actually happened—to take batting practice before a San Diego Padres game.

The results were, as expected, spectacular (via Whitfield's Twitter account):

Manziel homers @ Padre game! #DimeCity vine.co/v/bEX3La9iq3L

— George Whitfield Jr. (@georgewhitfield) May 17, 2013

Very impressive, but not all that shocking.

Only, he wasn't done. Manziel also reenacted the scramble, fumble, recovery touchdown pass to Ryan Swope from the Aggies' 29-24 win over Alabama last season.

Manziel, who played middle infield in high school, told USA Today in April that he misses the game—which was once a big part of his life.

"I miss baseball,'' Manziel said. "If I didn't play football, I'd play baseball.''

It was so big, in fact, that it played a big role in his recruitment, according to 247Sports.com.

For now, though, his future looks rather bright on the gridiron. After all, launching home runs at Petco Park isn't a bad hobby to have if you can get it.

Johnny Manziel: Heisman Trophy winner, solid golfer, home run hitter, semi-decent actor.

If Texas A&M fans have their way, he'll add SEC champion to his growing resume before his career in College Station comes to a close.

 

Follow @BarrettSallee

Read more College Football news on BleacherReport.com

JUCO defensive end Devonte Lambert wants to play in the SEC, or at least that's what his top four would suggest.

Radi Nabulsi of ESPN.com is reporting that Lambert has narrowed his interest list down to four: Mississippi State, Tennessee, Florida and Georgia. 

All four are interesting options, but according to Nabulsi's report, one program in particular presents a unique opportunity for the defensive end, Georgia:

“Georgia wants me to be a standup, like Jarvis Jones,” Lambert said. “They want me on the line, but he told me I will be playing where Jarvis Jones was playing and he was a standup end. So I don’t know if I will have my hand in the dirt or be standing up.” 

Georgia plays a 3-4 defense, but with the standup defensive end it could technically be considered a 4-3 "under."

What this means is that the defense basically slides over to account for the "strong side" of the formation. The strong-side linebacker will move down outside of the tight end and basically play as a strong-side defensive end. The normal strong-side defensive end would then play the 5-technique outside of the tackle, and the nose tackle will play the strong-side A-gap.

The defensive end on the weak side will then slide over to a 3-technique between the guard and tackle,a and the weak-side linebacker will come down to the line where the defensive end was with primary pass-rush responsibilities (Jarvis Jones).

Finally, one of the safeties will come down to linebacker depth and therein lies the basic premise of the 4-3 under. At the high school level it's often called the 5-2 or "Eagle" front, and it's great for accounting for the extra blocker on the strong-side—the tight end.

trojanfootballanalysis.com has a good graphic of the 4-3 under, so here's a visual of the formation:

Lambert would be able to fit in well in Georgia's scheme, and considering that he's from Waynesboro, Ga. and goes to Georgia Military College, the Bulldogs have to feel good about their pitch.

Lambert is the best JUCO player from the state of Georgia and he's the No. 1 JUCO strong-side defensive end in the 2014 class, both according to the 247Sports Composite rankings. He's 6'3'', 275 pounds and he looks like he can be a stud at the D-I level.

He's big and naturally strong and he possesses a tremendous bull rush off the edge. That said, Lambert has a great deal of quickness to his game as well as a good dose of athleticism and aggressiveness. He'll be able rush the passer at a high level, but he can also rip inside, shoot the B-gap, come down the line and make a play in weakside pursuit. 

Lambert could play the "Jarvis Jones position" and thrive, so keep an eye on Georgia in this recruiting race.

That said, he had good things to say about all four schools on his interest list and he hears from multiple coaches every day, per Nabulsi:

“I talk to coach [Todd] Grantham pretty much every day,” Lambert said. “He messages me on Twitter. I also hear from Florida almost every day -- coach [Brad] Lawing. Also coach [Steve] Stripling from Tennessee.” 

Florida is poised for a dominant defensive year in the SEC and Butch Jones is doing great things with Tennessee on the recruiting trail. Speaking of the recruiting trail, Mississippi State has been using some unique strategies as of late, so all four schools in the running have something to feel good about.

Either way Lambert could end up being a huge JUCO addition for one of these four SEC programs that seem to have the edge for his commitment.

 

Note: All scouting and analysis of Lambert done via tape study of film provided on his 247Sports profile page.

Read more College Football news on BleacherReport.com

Even though much is being made this week of Notre Dame’s perilous non-BCS bowl situation coming into the 2013 season, after next year the Irish may well screw full-fledged ACC football members out of their rightful bowl bids.

Indeed, according to an article posted on ESPN.com this past Thursday, if Notre Dame doesn’t finish in the top 14 of the final BCS standings in 2013 then technically it won’t have a bowl opportunity among the 35 “other” postseason games.

This all comes down to the Irish not having a conference connection which would give them an official bowl tie-in, a scenario that will end when Notre Dame hooks up with the ACC in all sports but football in 2014.

As the article points out, it would be unreasonable to think that one of the 35 “other” bowl games wouldn’t make arrangements to financially compensate a conference with a tie-in and welcome Notre Dame with open arms if it weren’t to meet the BCS qualifications this season.

This basically makes the cataclysmic warning that the Irish may sit home in the 2013-14 postseason seem like a bit of an alarmist claim but, before we all return our attention to the NBA playoffs this wild point actually leads to another more interesting angle.

Moving forward to 2014 and onwards, when Notre Dame is “kind-of,” “sort-of” a member of the ACC in football, but, not really because it’s still technically independent, did you know that the Irish will actually have primacy over the real members of the ACC in terms of “other” bowl bids?

Yes, refer back to the above referenced ESPN.com article to get ACC commissioner John Swofford’s explanation.

There will be a provision in which for Notre Dame to be selected over an ACC team at the point of selection, another eligible ACC team, that Notre Dame would have to be ranked higher, equal to, or in the win column, be within one win of any ACC teams that are also eligible to be picked.

The key words here are pretty obvious; “be within one win of any ACC teams that are also eligible to be picked."

Reading on further, to the final paragraph of the piece, we get the final blow to the fans of the 12 full-fledged—not quasi-independent—football members of the ACC.

For example, an 8-4 Notre Dame could not be selected over a 10-2 ACC team, but could be selected over a 9-3 or worse ACC team.

To quantify this further, if Notre Dame finished 9-3 in 2014 and didn’t make the BCS and Clemson finished 10-2 then the Irish could trump the Tigers in the bowl selection hierarchy.

This means that if Clemson managed to finish second overall in the ACC by virtue of their record and therefore qualified for the conference’s top non-BCS bowl bid—which for now is the Chick-fil-A Bowl— then plausibly Notre Dame would go and face, say, LSU while the Tigers would be relegated to the Music City or Sun Bowl.

And if you don’t think that the Chick-fil-A organizers would do this, think to yourself what business people charged with making money would do when faced with the following selection; LSU vs. Notre Dame or LSU vs. Clemson.

Exactly.

When you add in the fact that Clemson would have earned its 10-2 mark by playing eight conference games and four non-conference foes while the Irish played a sometimes dubious and highly flexible independent slate the pill becomes that much more difficult to swallow.

The big story here is not Notre Dame being at risk of going bowl-less in 2013, instead the headline should have read something like “ACC Sells its Own Soul to be Associated With Notre Dame.”

Or, alternatively, how about “The ACC: The Biggest Independence Enabler in College Football History.”

Though it’s an undeniable fact that Notre Dame is a great university with un-matched brand power, it’s still difficult to understand how a conference would be willing to throw its own members under the bus just to form such a dubious connection.

Especially given that football, the one sport that is not truly linked in the new relationship, is the cash cow of collegiate sports.

Throw in the current instability in terms conference realignment where teams like Florida State, Miami (Fla.) and Clemson (primarily football dominant schools) are ripe for the picking and the arrangement seems curious at best.

Read more College Football news on BleacherReport.com

For several decades, the Michigan football program has been known for churning out some of the best quarterbacks and wide receivers at the college level. Some of those greats even had the privilege of playing alongside one another. Those connections will not be forgotten anytime soon.

There are four main criteria for ranking the top 10 greatest quarterback-wide receiver connections.

Statistical numbers are taken into account, but their is also a certain amount of value attached to the era in which they were recorded. The forward pass was not exactly a big deal in the late 1940s and during Bo Schembechler's 21 seasons as head coach. A receiver has to make up a high percentage of the quarterback's passing yards as well. Great connections must have happened frequently.

Second, beating rivals raises the score of a legendary connection. All rivals are not weighted the same, though. For instance, beating Ohio State is much more valuable than wins over Michigan State and Notre Dame.

The final criteria are championships and winning in general. These two are more important than just about anything else. Winning bowl games, especially the Rose Bowl, are bonuses. 

Begin Slideshow

College football coaches are busy men.

With all of the recruiting, discipline issues, planning, practicing and numerous other responsibilities demanding their time, there is little left for activity on the side.

The men on this list, however, need to drop the coaching, at least temporarily, and take some time to teach these classes.

From relaxation techniques to winning, the coaches on this list have what it takes, and should take the time to impart some of that knowledge.

Read on for a list of classes we would like to see these college football coaches teach.

You will not be disappointed.

Begin Slideshow

Ohio State corner Bradley Roby is certainly among the best corners in the Big Ten if not the absolute best. But ESPN's Mel Kiper thinks Roby's better than just the best in the Big Ten.

In his initial big board for the 2014 NFL Draft, ESPN's draft expert has Roby as the top corner prospect available and No. 9 overall.

Ohio State has produced its fair share of talented corners in the last few decades including Antoine Winfield, Shawn Springs and more recently Malcolm Jenkins.

Roby certainly has the ability to be as good as any of those names and showed last season why, with 17 passes defensed and a pair of interceptions.

His experience as a wide receiver in high school means he has a natural ability to attack the football in a one-on-one situation, something that's more important than ever in this era of spread offense.

And his success in 2012 means that opponents have to respect Roby. He'll see a lot fewer passes thrown his way, which is one of the signs of a marquee corner.

Roby also had 41 solo tackles last season (second only to Ryan Shazier), showing his ability to make the stop in space, which is another thing that a corner needs to do to be successful in today's game.

His biggest drawback, however, has to do with the fact that he is only 5'11".

Taller corners like Richard Sherman and Brandon Browner from Seattle have been successful by combining their great size with typical corner skills to shut down even the taller receivers.

But Roby can make up for this deficiency with his combination of athleticism and ball skills which he has shown throughout his career.

He has also proven to be a good special teams player, tallying a blocked punt last season. His speed could allow him to be used as a returner at the next level if whichever team drafts him decides to let him field kicks.

Bradley Roby certainly has all the tools to be the best corner in the country. He just has to go out and prove that on the field by shutting down the opponents' passing attacks and leading his team to a great season.

 

Follow me on Twitter @bielik_tim for the latest college football news and updates.

Read more College Football news on BleacherReport.com

The Nebraska Cornhuskers thought they had struck it rich after Colorado offensive lineman Alex Lewis announced that he would transfer to Lincoln.  They thought they added even more depth to an already stout front five.  But they may have just inherited a world of trouble.

According to the Lincoln Journal-Star’s Brian Christopherson, Lewis and Colorado quarterback Jordan Webb may be charged with second-degree assault following their arrests last weekend in Boulder.

Multiple witnesses claim to have seen Lewis push a much smaller man into a brick wall late at night before throwing him to the ground and punching him repeatedly.  The victim was unable to recall the altercation when questioned by police.

Of course, these are just accusations at this point.  The trial is forthcoming, and it is anyone’s guess whether he will be convicted of a felony.

Despite the haziness surrounding Lewis’s legal status, one thing is for certain: There is no place for Alex Lewis in the Nebraska football program.

It is no secret that the Big Red has endured its fair share of off-field problems over the years.  Lawrence Phillips, Richie Incognito and who can forget that pesky dog that Ndamukong Suh had to swerve to miss at 2 a.m. in downtown Lincoln?  Certainly the Huskers are unfortunately well accustomed to sketchy player behavior off the field.

But this is one source of drama and distraction that Nebraska can do without.

Still in the courtship period, this should be the time for Lewis to prove his worth to the Nebraska coaching staff, not raise red flags.  After all, despite announcing his intentions, he had yet to officially transfer to the university and join his new team.  He was still making his first impression, and what an impression it was.

And now Bo Pelini and his staff must wonder whether this is what they are signing up for.

Even though Lewis’s lawyer insists this is an anomaly amidst his client’s otherwise model behavior, how is Nebraska supposed to react to this sort of behavior arising from a prospective player, nevertheless an Alex Lewis who is settled into his new home in Lincoln?

The Huskers quite clearly have enough pressing issues on the field.  The last thing they need is off-field distractions.  So no matter what Lewis has done for the Buffaloes on the field, it is about time for Pelini to tell the hopeful transfer, “Thanks but no thanks, we have seen quite enough of your antics already.”

Read more College Football news on BleacherReport.com

The Florida Gators are once again facing one of the toughest schedules in the country. As if their conference opponents were not enough, they will also face both of their fiercest in-state rivals.

Talk about traversing a tough road to the SEC title game.

Still, there are some opponents that Gator fans do not need to necessarily fret over. They include an FCS team and traditional adversaries in the midst of a temporary decline.

So which games and teams could give the Gators problems?

We shall answer that question now as we rank each game on the Gators' schedule according to level of difficulty.

Begin Slideshow

Buried in the walls and bricks of beautiful Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Illinois lies nearly a century of stories, history and tradition.  Built in 1923, Memorial Stadium has seen not only 90 years of Fighting Illini football, but also has played host to the Chicago Bears, concerts and the Illinois high school football state championships since 1999.

Here are five things you may not know about historic Memorial Stadium. 

Begin Slideshow

On January 1, 2007 at University of Phoenix Stadium, Boise State changed college football forever by stunning Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl, 43-42.

Now, over eight years later, let us look back on this fantastic game that rocked the college football world.

 

The Build-up

For Oklahoma, going to the Fiesta Bowl was just business as usual.

The Sooners had just won their fourth Big 12 Title and this would be the fifth BCS Bowl for Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops. They'd already won a Rose Bowl as well as a national championship in the 2001 Orange Bowl.

Tom Guthrie, the son of an Oklahoma alumni and a die-hard Sooners fan told me that Oklahoma, "Was expected to win this game. Oklahoma is always expected to win national championships."

After all, who hadn't heard of mighty Oklahoma? Who can forget the legendary coach Barry Switzer or all of the championships Oklahoma has won over the years?

So going to the Fiesta Bowl for a team like Oklahoma was almost trivial to many fans. Routine. You just expect them to play that well.

Meanwhile, no one seemed to really know who this team that would take on the Sooners was. 

The members of the WAC knew who Boise State was all too well. Although they were a relative newcomer to the conference, they dominated from the word 'go.' The Broncos up to that point had won five straight WAC titles and had lost just one conference game over that period.

Brandon Minert was a student at Boise State at the time, and he was one of those lucky people to go this historic game.

"I didn't know how good we were," Minert said talking about the build-up to this game. "We had just been winning so much, so I thought we had a chance. But I was up-and-down."

But whatever people thought we would get, no one expected the amazing game we would be treated to that fateful New Year's Day.

 

Boise State Dominates Early

While everyone remembers Boise State's heroics late in the game, people often forget how well the Broncos came out in this game.

Quarterback Jared Zabransky and the Broncos struck first as he found Drisan James for a 49-yard touchdown pass. Ian Johnson widened Boise State's lead on a 2-yard touchdown run less than two minutes later in the first quarter to make it 14-0.

Jameson Davis had briefly been a placekicker for Boise State, and he was happy with the way the Broncos had started the game.

"It was great to see them score on that first possession." 

Meanwhile, Oklahoma fans had to feel a bit uncomfortable. "I thought that Oklahoma as a team had underestimated Boise State," Guthrie said, remembering that first quarter.

But Oklahoma didn't stay scoreless for long.

The Sooners scored their first touchdown of the game with just 26 seconds to go in the first quarter as quarterback Paul Thompson found Manuel Johnson for a 7-yard touchdown. Oklahoma closed the lead to just four on a 31-yard field goal.

Then, Zabransky found James again for their second touchdown of the night, putting up the Broncos 21-10 at the half.

"I thought that we were going to kill them," Minert said as his Broncos ran into the locker room at the half.

 

Momentum Shifts Toward Oklahoma

Things continued to go Boise State's way for a while in the second half as Marty Tadman picked off Thompson for a 27-yard interception return for a touchdown. The Sooners were in serious trouble as they fell behind, 28-10.

But then, most of the rest of the second half belonged to the Sooners.

It all began as Boise State punt returner Aiona Key muffed a punt on the Boise State 11-yard line that was recovered by Oklahoma's Marcus Walker. Two plays later, Adrian Peterson ran into the end zone from eight yards out to make the score 28-17.

Boise State went three-and-out on the next possession, and Oklahoma continued to chip away at that lead with a 28-yard field goal to make it 28-20.

The Broncos and Sooners traded punts after that, but with less than 1:30 to go in regulation Oklahoma's Thompson hit Quentin Chancey to make it 28-26 with a two-point conversion pending.

This must have been one of the longest two-point conversions in history as Oklahoma had to run this play three times. The first attempt was nullified on a pass interference penalty against Boise State, and the second was called back on an illegal shift against Oklahoma.

In the end, Thompson found a way to score the conversion and the Sooners tied the game.

Then, it seemed like the dream ended for Boise State when Zabransky threw an interception that was returned for a touchdown with just 1:02 to go.

The Oklahoma fans seemed to breathe a bit easier. "I thought it was over," Guthrie said after Oklahoma made it 35-28.

Meanwhile, Minert was furious with his quarterback. "We were all so mad that he had threw away our chance."

But, as they say, it's not over 'till it's over.

 

The Hook-and-Lateral

The following possession didn't inspire much confidence to begin with as Boise State was running out of time and downs. On 4th-and-18, Zabransky dropped back and the Broncos made one of the gutsiest plays in college football.

"Circus."

Zabransky threw a 15-yard pass to James, who then lateraled the ball to Jerard Rabb, who ran just inside the pylon for the touchdown.

The hook-and-lateral at its finest.

"The hook-and-lateral play was so emotionally draining that the girl next to me started crying as [Rabb] ran in for the score," Minert recalled as the Boise State fans in the stadium went wild. 

Even the Oklahoma fans couldn't help but admire how perfectly this play had worked. "I was just wowed by it," Guthrie told me with a laugh. "It was too beautiful of a play to be frustrated."

Broncos fan Tyler Andrus wasn't surprised to see this play go so well. "These plays are routine to them. It's in the playbook. They run it 100 times in practice."

But as beautiful as this play was, it didn't win the game. Boise State kicked the extra point to tie the score, but they had just tied the game at 35. They still had to face overtime.

 

The Statue of Liberty

The Sooners certainly didn't waste any time as they scored on their first play in overtime. Peterson simply barreled his way into the end zone from 25 yards out.

"It just seemed like we couldn't sustain our defense as the game went on," Minert said.

Boise State's possession was much more labored, as it took six plays for the Broncos to get to the 5-yard line, and they lost a yard on the seventh play.

Facing fourth down again, wide receiver Vinny Perretta came out in the Wildcat formation and found Derrick Schoumann for the touchdown. 

Barely.

"That whole process felt like torture," Guthrie recalled. "That could have easily been the end of the game. Oklahoma defenders were right there. That was the most frustrating play, really."

Rather than prolong the game into another overtime, Boise State head coach Chris Petersen decided to end the game right then and there as he decided to go for the two-point conversion and the win.

And once again, Petersen reached in his college football bag of tricks.

"I thought it was a great decision to go for two," Jameson Davis remembered. "They were in the game, and they were running out of trick plays."

Both Boise State and Oklahoma fans were dying as this play unfolded. Minert found it particularly painful. "It was almost more than we could stand when they lined up to go for two. It was so stressful and so emotionally difficult to take."

Then, Zabranksy took the snap, pump faked and handed the ball to Ian Johnson behind his back, and Johnson ran it in for the game-winning conversion.

The Statue of Liberty play made history as Boise State won, 43-42.

"It was too amazing to be frustrated by," Guthrie remembered. 

Davis was fooled by the play. "I couldn't believe that they ran a play like that. I was asking who they threw the ball to."

That was the end of the game, but not quite the end of the fantastic sights of the Fiesta Bowl. Johnson, who had run in the game-winning score, proposed to Boise State head cheerleader Chrissy Popadics, who promptly accepted. 

"I saw the proposal. I felt like there was so much craziness that I wasn't surprised by anything anymore," Guthrie remembered.

 

The Aftermath

This one win changed Boise State forever.

"Whenever I travel and when I mention that I'm a Boise State fan, it's the only thing people want to talk about," Minert said. Interestingly, Minert believes that this game improved more than just the football program. He said that this win has helped Boise State as a whole, "improve 10-fold."

Guthrie agrees that this game has drastically changed the Broncos' perception around the country. "Boise State isn't even an underdog anymore. They've outgrown that label."

But what about college football as a whole?

"It made people think that we need a change here," Guthie told me, referring to the BCS system.

This game really opened the way for other teams to make it to BCS bowls. While they weren't the first to bust the BCS (Utah was in 2004), this game helped Hawaii, Utah, TCU and Northern Illinois to make their own trips to BCS bowls.

And now that a playoff is officially coming our way in 2014, we might say that one of the key events that led to its creation occurred at University of Phoenix Stadium on New Year's Day, 2007.

Regardless, this game will stand as one of the best in college football history.

Read more College Football news on BleacherReport.com

In 2014, Rutgers will join the Big Ten, and with the expectation of a higher level of competition,the Scarlet Knights have begun securing talent for the first season in their new conference. The Knights have already secured 10 commitments from five different states, comprised of four defensive recruits and six on offense.

Those already secured for the 2014 recruiting class include:

Sidney Gopre—OLB—The Newark, N.J. prospect is 6'0" and 190 pounds, and has a 3-star ranking from both Scout.com and Rivals.com. 

Saquan Hampton—S—The 6'2", 185-pound N.J. product is evaluated as a 2-star prospect by Rivals.com, and was recruited by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Penn State.

Zack Heeman—OT—Pursued by Maryland and Penn State, the 6'7" N.J. prospect committed to Rutgers on March 15. Rivals.com rates Heeman as a 2-star recruit.

Justin Herron—OG—The 2-star (Rivals.com) prospect is a Maryland native, and despite pursuit by the Terrapins and offers from Boston College and Connecticut, the 6'5", 285-pound lineman chose the Scarlet Knights on May 16.

Josh Hicks—RB—A 3-star prospect from Florida, the 6'0", 175-pound running back reportedly had low-level interest in both Cincinnati and USF, but committed to Rutgers in October, 2012

Pete Mokwuah—DT—Spurning offers from Connecticut and Pittsburgh, the 6'5", 305-pound prospect from Staten Island, N.Y. committed to Rutgers in May, 2013. 

Justin Nelson—DE/LB—A number of high-profile programs pursued the 6'1" LB/DE, including Georgia Tech, Miami (Fla), Penn State, South Carolina, UCLA and West Virginia. But recruiter Dave Cohen got a commitment from the Wayne, N.J. native on February 27. Rivals.com lists his 40-yard dash time as 4.7 for this 3-star prospect.

David Njoku—WR—Following in the recent mold of Rutgers receivers, Njoku is tall, standing 6'4" and 215 pounds. Despite pursuit by Ohio State and Penn State and an offer from Boston College, the Cedar Grove, N.J. product chose to stay home, committing to the Scarlet Knights on April 9. He is ranked as a 3-star prospect.

Jacquis Webb—OG—Despite offers from Old Dominion and Buffalo, the 6'4", 290-pound lineman chose Rutgers for his commitment in 2014. Per Rivals.com, Webb bench pressed 285 pounds and runs a 5.4 second 40-yard dash.

Tyler Wiegers—QB—The Scarlet Knights have identified several QB prospects on their recruiting list, but the first one that committed was the 6'3", 195-pound Wiegers from Beverly Hills, MI. While Michigan is not usually fertile recruiting ground for Rutgers, this 3-star prospect may be the first dividend from the move to the Big Ten.

The program appears to be moving forward with recruiting thanks to continued success on the football field, but there is no question that the move to the Big Ten will also help to secure  future players. The Scarlet Knights are banking on the opportunity to play Penn State, Michigan, Ohio State, Nebraska and Wisconsin in 2014 to convince some fence-sitting recruits that Rutgers can get them the exposure and experience they need to graduate to the NFL.

Read more College Football news on BleacherReport.com

We are through the first three rounds of the Nebraska football all-time greats fantasy draft, and there have been some surprises. Just as a reminder, here is where the Red Team and the White Team stand after those first three rounds. The positions in italics still need to be selected, while the number (in parentheses) is the number of the overall selection.

RED TEAM

WHITE TEAM

QB: Frazier, Tommie (1)

QB: Gill, Turner (2)

IB

IB: Rozier, Mike (4)

FB

FB

OG

OG

OG

OG

OT

OT

OT

OT

C: Rimington, Dave (5)

C

TE

TE

WR: Rodgers, Johnny (3)

WR

WR

WR

DE

DE

DE

DE

DT

DT: Suh, Ndamukong (6)

DT

DT

OLB

OLB

OLB

OLB

MLB

MLB

S

S

S

S

CB

CB

CB

CB

PK

PK

P

P

Rounds four through six are on tap, so let’s see how the teams start to fill out!

Begin Slideshow

Mark Hollis, the athletic director at Michigan State University, has confirmed that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security raised some concerns about Spartan Stadium and its vulnerability, and that MSU has addressed those concerns in the renovation plans for the facility.

Specifically, DHS was concerned about the location of the university's motor vehicle pool, located next to the stadium. The motor pool services university-owned vehicles and contains gas pumps and tanks. Michigan State will remove the motor pool and rebuild it at another location, presumably away from Spartan Stadium.

While the simple relocation of a university motor pool isn't a major issue in and of itself, the fact that the move is being prompted by concerns from Homeland Security is. Additionally, MSU will have to foot the bill itself; more specifically, the athletic department. Hollis has set aside $1.5 million from the athletic department's regular budget for the move.

"There really wasn't an option; it had to be taken out for the safety of fans and the environment we live in today, there wasn't another option," Hollis said at the Big Ten's meeting of athletic directors Wednesday in Chicago. Hollis also confirmed that the $1.5 million price tag was not included in the $20 million stadium renovation project.

Funny enough, Hollis also admitted that there was nothing wrong with the motor pool itself, other than its unfortunate aesthetics. "[The] motor pool could operate comfortably there for years to come, but it was not the best place to have it for seven Saturdays." So do those seven Saturdays outweigh the other 358 days in the year, especially when combined with at least a $1.5 million tab?

Michigan State, while certainly not struggling financially, is still a public university operating with tax revenues. MSU isn't one of the top earners in the NCAA either, and any cost overruns on a project as large as a stadium renovation are likely to take a huge chomp out of future budgets.

The relocation of the motor pool will certainly improve the look of Spartan Stadium on Saturdays, but we're wondering if it's worth the hefty cost that will inevitably be paid for by tuition-paying students, taxpayers and Spartan fans.

Read more College Football news on BleacherReport.com

Following a torturous recruiting cycle in which head coach Al Golden had to save scholarships for the majority of the year, the Miami Hurricanes coaching staff is already loading up on prospects for the 2014 class.

CaneInsider's Kyle Pumariega broke the news of the latest commitment on Monday.

Confirmed through sources, QB Brad Kaaya has committed to The University of Miami.

— Kyle Pumariega (@KylePuma) May 13, 2013

Kaaya is now the second committed quarterback for Miami, the other being Alin Edouard, a local product from Hialeah High School.

With Kaaya's commitment, many people speculated how long it would be until 4-star recruit Edouard decommitted from the 'Canes.

Susan Miller Degnan of The Miami Herald addressed this situation shortly thereafter.

Edouard, however, said he would not back down from a quarterback battle, and as he later said, "there will be competition anywhere you go."

<--- ISN'T SCARED OF COMPETITION AT ALL , IT'S G.U.M.P ON THIS END , ( GREAT.UNDER.MAJOR.PRESSURE )🏈✊

— Alin Edouard #10 (@ALLEN_EDWARD2) May 14, 2013

While Edouard still is committed to Miami, he recently told 247Sports his commitment wasn't the strongest.

“My commitment to Miami is not strong anymore. It’s getting kind of weak now,” Edouard said Saturday afternoon at the spring jamboree held at FIU. “I’m having concerns and my people are having concerns also. Right now it’s kind of so-so.”

With that being said, Charlie Strong and Louisville took full advantage of the Kaaya commitment and its impact on Edouard, as noted by Dieter Kurtenbach of the South Florida Sun Sentinel.

To recap, Alin Edouard has had Miami and Louisville visit him today.

— Dieter Kurtenbach (@dkurtenbach) May 14, 2013

Louisville's coaching staff will keep trying to steal Edouard from the 'Canes, but Edouard staying committed really would not be a bad thing for the Miami program.

247Sports lists Edouard as a dual-threat QB and Kaaya as a pro-style passer, so they bring slightly different skill sets to the field.

Because of his superb running ability, I've called Edouard a "perfect fit" for offensive coordinator James Coley in the past, and I won't back down from that.

Kaaya's highlights show his rocket arm, excellent accuracy and phenomenal touch. Kaaya is more like Stephen Morris than Edouard, and, well, 'Canes fans kinda like the way Morris plays.

With Morris graduating following the 2013 season, Miami is left with a solid group of signal-callers in Ryan Williams, Gray Crow, Preston Dewey and incoming freshman Kevin Olsen.

Edouard's speed is something that cannot be matched by any quarterback on the roster, and speed at every position is an invaluable asset to a team.

Kaaya surely is not as fast as Edouard, but he makes up for it with his ability to set up a play.

According to ESPN Insider, Kaaya does a nice job selling fakes and can freeze safeties and linebackers to fit the ball into seams and holes in coverage.

Kaaya, like Olsen, is very experienced in a shotgun-heavy offense, and Coley's offense will utilize plenty of shotgun.

So, what is the bottom line?

Both talented players give Miami more offensive options, the 'Canes need to keep them both and the once-thin quarterback position keeps getting deeper and better in Coral Gables.

Read more College Football news on BleacherReport.com

There is some light at the end of the tunnel.

After falling into a pit of absolute tragedy in 2010, the Longhorns have slowly been climbing back to the surface.

From 5-7, the "Horns followed with subsequent 8-5 and 9-4 seasons, marked progress if there ever was any.

But 2013 could provide just the right set of circumstances to have a still non-elite Texas team lay claim to a Big 12 title, a crown it has not worn since its BCS National Championship Game run in the 2009 season.

Nineteen returning starters, a schedule that is not as menacing as some may think and some choice moves has provided a promising foundation for what could be a special season.

What else could factor in?

Begin Slideshow

The start of football season is under four months away, so that means it is time to look ahead at dark-horse BCS title contenders.

Teams like Alabama, Ohio State, Oregon and Stanford are frontrunners to earn a shot at the BCS national championship.

But, who is this year's Notre Dame?  

Who can make an under-the-radar run at bringing home a BCS title to their school?  

College football season is all about the excitement of big games, rivalries, and, as with all sports, the underdog story. The criteria for being a dark-horse contender is overall potential of growth over the course of a season, ease of schedule and momentum.   

Here is a list of five dark-horse BCS title contenders for the 2013 college football season.   

Begin Slideshow

During the 2012 season, the Wisconsin football offense wasn't exactly a juggernaut—withholding a few routs of inferior opponents and a 70-point outburst in the Big Ten Championship Game. Early season struggles running the football, a fluctuating quarterback situation and a lack of threats in the passing game didn't help the matter.

But new head coach Gary Andersen is looking to change all that. He'll keep the power running game intact, but Andersen would also like to have a mobile quarterback under center to give the Badgers offense a little more diversity.

The quarterback position, while still up for grabs, has a much better feel to it, and Wisconsin brings back several offensive weapons from a season ago. We'll count down the five most prolific playmakers on offense and analyze what each one brings to the table.

Begin Slideshow

Coach Brady Hoke and the Michigan Wolverines have a legit chance to win the 2013 Big Ten title.

Obviously, getting past Urban Meyer and the Ohio State Buckeyes will be a major challenge. Still, the Wolverines have the personnel to get in position and run the table through the conference.

Factor in an impressive recruiting class—ranked No. 2 on Scout.com and No. 5 on Rivals.com—and Michigan will also be among the BCS national title contenders this season.

To that end, let's form a blueprint for the Wolverines to win their first Big Ten title since splitting it with the Iowa Hawkeyes in 2004.

 

Offense

Devin Gardner's talent will feature a much more prolific passing game than Denard Robinson's.

We caught a glimpse of that in 2012, as evidenced by his 11 passing scores to just five picks and a 59.5 completion percentage. Gardner also tossed for 1,219 yards, which was 100 fewer than Robinson despite only getting under center for the final five games.

Gardner displayed glimpses of being a true pocket passer last fall. He'll only show better development this season, because of experience and reliable receivers. As KC Joyner of ESPN.com (subscription required) writes, Michigan's offense will be better:

With Gardner under center, Hoke and Borges could lean more heavily on attacking the defensive schematic weakness, all the while knowing they had a quarterback who was either going to wait for the play to fully develop or hit a check-down pass rather than run the ball and try to make a big gain all on his own.

Getting Gardner and his receivers a full offseason worth of work in this system should dovetail well with a schedule that, unlike 2012, doesn't include Alabama, has Notre Dame and Ohio State both visiting the Big House.

In short, more dependable balance will get established. Gardner has the awareness to spread the field, and that will keep linebackers and safeties occupied.

Last year, six different receivers caught 10-plus passes, and five averaged more than 15 yards per catch. Continuing to rely on multiple targets and utilize every field dimension simply sets up the run.

Fitzgerald Toussaint also needs to get healthy to be fed the brunt of the carries. Fortunately, that appeared to be the case as Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com wrote on March 28:

Michigan running back Fitzgerald Toussaint said he is "85 to 90 percent" recovered from a broken left tibia and a fractured left fibula suffered in the first quarter against Iowa on Nov. 17.

The recovery for the redshirt senior, who had surgery to repair the broken bones that day, is ahead of schedule.

Considering that he averaged 5.6 yards per carry in 2011, expect a breakout season for Toussaint with Michigan's enhanced passing attack. That will keep opponents honest, but it also allows the Wolverines to smash the trenches and win any short-yardage situation.

Defense

Michigan defense has a lot to prove this fall.

For one, losing defensive linemen Craig Roh and William Campbell is tough. Finding an instant replacement won't just happen through one offseason, either. Frank Clark, however, is one guy with immense potential.

Last season, he wrecked backfields by recording nine tackles for loss and defending three passes.

Unfortunately, the Wolverines are without linebacker Jake Ryan, but he may suit up sooner than anticipated. As Kyle Meinke of MLive.com reported on April 13, Coach Hoke brought some optimism:

Turns out, star linebacker Jake Ryan could return from a torn ACL sooner than had been expected.

"I'm not a doctor, but possibly middle of October," coach Brady Hoke said after Saturday's game at Michigan Stadium. "Some people react differently."

Obviously that remains to be seen, so Michigan will need to expect more from Clark and Co. when the season kicks off. Giving him the luxury to just rush constantly and beat blocks on the outside is to Clark's advantage.

The more pressure he applies, the more an offense is forced to alter its blocking schemes. As a result, potential linebacker fillers Cameron Gordon and Brennen Beyer (who has the size to play multiple spots) will be able to increase production.

Gordon, though, is the more established of the two with 98 career tackles and eight defended passes. His wherewithal at the intermediate level will complement the front line, which allows Michigan to win the immediate point of attack.

Ultimately, the Wolverines get off the field on third down and/or generate more turnovers. That gets Hoke's offense back on the field to control the tempo, and Michigan then finds itself in charge of its own destiny.

Read more College Football news on BleacherReport.com

Ohio State will enter the 2013 season with high expectations. That's not new for the program or its head coach Urban Meyer. But it will be the first time the program and Meyer have had those expectations together.

It's no secret the Buckeyes won't face the toughest slate of games on their march to match last season's 12-0 regular-season record. But after a year of flying under the national radar, the Buckeyes have the spotlight and all the pressure it brings right back on them.

Besides the Big Ten and national championship, Ohio State will be chasing the record books. No Buckeye football team has ever strung together more than 22 consecutive wins—not even the Archie Griffin-led teams that made four consecutive Rose Bowls.

With 10 wins to open the season, the Buckeyes can tie that record, and their game against Indiana could break it. 

In judging the toughness of these games, I looked at how good I expect the Buckeyes' opponents to be, where the game is played and which teams are coming off byes. I also looked a little bit into how teams matched up in terms of style.

Begin Slideshow

When watching football, it’s easy to take for granted that the equipment utilized by the participants is the same as it has always been, standing ready to protect the players from the tough physical demands of the game.

But as much as we know the game of football, it has changed from its origins as a rugby-like affair in the late 1860s to the modern game we know in 2013. The equipment designed to shield the competitors has also been completely transformed within the 144-year history of the game.

The following slideshow tracks this historic transformation by chronicling the evolution of six of the major components of football equipment from their individual debuts right up until how they look and perform in today’s version of the game.

As a tasty bonus, not only do we look at how the equipment has changed but we identify why each evolution took place; whether it was spurred on by injury, technological advancement or mere aesthetic desires.

Begin Slideshow