NCAA Football News

The South Carolina Gamecocks are gradually picking up the pace in 2014 recruiting, yet they have already made a splash in the 2015 recruiting class by landing wide receiver Dexter Neal.  

Neal provided South Carolina with a verbal commitment Thursday, which gives the Gamecocks a potential big-time wide receiver for the future.  

The recruitment of Neal also continues the established trend of Spurrier and his staff landing players from Stephenson High School in Stone Mountain, Ga.  

According to Will Ayers of TheBigSpur.com:

The 6-foot-2, 195-pound wideout is the fifth player to commit to the Gamecocks from Stephenson in the past three years. The Gamecocks landed Kadetrix Marcus, also known as J.J., in the 2011 recruiting cycle. Kyle Fleetwood and Mike Davis signed with the USC in 2012, and in a few months class of 2013 cornerback Ali Groves is expected to enroll in summer classes.

Continued success with established recruiting grounds has been a staple of Spurrier's tenure at USC, and Neal is no exception. 

At 6'2", 195 pounds as just a sophomore, Neal still has time to get even bigger. He has a solid wide receiver frame as is, but this kid's ceiling is high. 

Neal's intense work ethic drives him on and off the football field and can push him to new levels.  

When William Gunter of TheBigSpur.com asked Neal about "what he brings to the table," Neal claimed "I just work hard, I work my hardest whenever I can."

That sort of attitude and Neal's skill set is probably what drove the Gamecocks to issue an offer to him early.  

The combination of an early offer at a school that makes Neal feel at home and South Carolina already landing multiple teammates and friends of Neal definitely led to Neal's quick decision.  

Neal's teammate and 2014 recruit Bryson Allen-Williams have been friends for a long time and Allen-Williams may have played a role in the recruitment of Neal. Allen-Williams stood alongside Neal during his interview and fielded some questions with William Gunter of TheBigSpur.com, as seen in this video.   

Defensive coordinator Lorenzo Ward and wide receivers coach Steve Spurrier Jr. headed the recruiting effort to land Neal. Neal developed a strong relationship with Ward and recognized that Spurrier Jr. understands how to coach receivers all the way down to the minor details.  

Neal told Will Ayers of TheBigSpur.com, "Coach Ward, he is a pretty cool guy, funny. He gets along with people, [...] Coach Jr., he is a good coach. From what we saw when I went up to my visit he likes to work you, and he works on the small stuff to get your technique better."

These coach-player relationships were key for Neal's decision and also learning about the South Carolina football environment.  

The Gamecocks are still a couple years away from seeing Neal don the garnet and black uniform and he could pull his verbal commitment, though that seems rather unlikely.  Neal has so many connections with the players and staff at USC and likes the feel of the Gamecocks program.  

It is now a waiting game until Neal steps onto the field.  

Neal is a great recruit for 2015 and has huge potential as a big-bodied wide receiver who could emerge as a top receiver in the future. 

Read more College Football news on BleacherReport.com

College football players are students first and athletes second. When we hear that, we often laugh at the notion that school matters to these players.

It mattered to Vince Young, and he is now a proud graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. Even after winning a national title and becoming the third overall pick in the 2006 NFL draft, graduating ranks No. 1 among his achievements.

In a recent interview with Bruce Feldman of CBSSports.com, Young said “This will rank No. 1 because it is what I came to school for. I came here to get an education, and to win a national championship. And now, I get to put that smile on my mom's face.”

He earned his degree in Youth and Community Studies.

Young came to Texas in 2002 as a 5-star ranked as the No. 1 player in the country by Rivals. His impact was felt by his redshirt freshman year when he shared snaps with Chance Mock.

The following season he was the starter.

During his three seasons as the starter, Young guided the Longhorns to 30-2 record and the 2005 national championship.

He was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in 2006 spending six seasons in the league. He has played for Tennessee and Philadelphia, and was on the Buffalo roster during 2012.

Almost immediately after he was drafted, Young started impacting the Houston community by  forming the VY Foundation in 2006. The non-profit’s mission is “to provide empowerment, resources and leadership opportunities to equip our next generation of leaders, from all walks of life to believe, to achieve and to succeed.”

He also has an ownership stake in the Vince Young Steakhouse.

For all the bad press that he received over the years, Young has accomplished a lot. He has put a lasting impact on the Austin and Houston communities, and his new degree will help drive that impact further.

The NFL free-agent is still working out with the hope that an NFL team will come calling, but even if the league doesn’t do so, there is a bright future ahead. His last opportunity came with Buffalo in 2012. 

His masterful win over USC in the 2006 BCS title game will always be remembered by college football fans, but his graduation has been the most impressive accomplishment to date. 

 

Follow @ShugJordanPkwy

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Wide receiver recruit Dionte Sykes committed to UCLA on the same day that he received an offer from Jim Mora and the Bruins.

Now that's a commitment worth being excited about if you're a UCLA fan.

Sykes is a 3-star wideout with a great amount of potential, if only because of his size alone. He's 6'4'', 200 pounds, according to 247Sports.

Erik McKinney of ESPN.com reports on the commitment, and on Sykes' thoughts on his decision:

Sykes, who was previously offered by Arizona, Arizona State, Michigan and Michigan State, among others, picked up an offer from UCLA earlier this week and didn't need more than a few moments to know he would commit. On Thursday evening, he made it official by committing to the Bruins. 

"I knew I was going to go there from the very beginning," Sykes said. "I've known that whole staff since I was little, and I'm from California. It's a perfect fit." 

In contrast with 247Sports, ESPN lists Sykes at 6'2'', 205 pounds. Per McKinney, the young star says he can play tight end or wide receiver, and claims the Bruins are open to him playing either position:

The 6-foot-2, 205-pound receiver will have the ability to play tight end or wide receiver at UCLA, and he said the Bruins staff told him to keep an eye on both positions this fall. 

"They said I'll play whichever one fits me best," Sykes said. "They want me to pay attention to the whole offense and we'll see how things work out." 

Whatever his official height may be, there's no doubting that Sykes is a talented recruit and a good commitment for UCLA.

He runs crisp routes and has good footwork, and that complements his size. He displays incredibly soft hands and his length allows him to fully extend and make a fundamental catch with his hands. It also helps him go up and "high point" the ball.

Note: You can watch Sykes' highlights here.

All of that is a technical way of saying that Sykes will make some plays on less than accurate throws, and he'll be a good jump ball receiver over smaller defenders.

The final aspect of Sykes' game is his physicality. While he possesses all the traits of a good wide receiver, he's also not opposed to lowering his shoulder, driving his feet and pickup up extra yards after contact. That mentality should also make him a good blocker, so the possibility of playing him at tight end definitely exists.

We've seen the tight end position become more of a hybrid wide receiver/tight end role recently, and perhaps Sykes could fit that mold. Tight ends that can stretch the field vertically up the middle and seams are becoming valuable, and if Sykes puts on more weight, he could be that type of player for UCLA.

One thing is for certain: Whether it be at tight end or at wide receiver, Sykes projects to be a talented player for the Bruins.

 

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

Read more College Football news on BleacherReport.com

Do you hear that? That’s the sound of a lumbering herd of NFL scouts returning to civilization after a few weeks of R and R.

With a fresh crop of future NFL players ready to be gauged, the year-long process of football study is underway yet again. For Johnny Manziel—college football’s great electrifying chain-mover—this dissection (and predictable doubt to accompany it) will be persistent, regardless of how close he comes to matching impossible expectations.

Think Alabama will be Manziel’s biggest obstacle in 2013? Or, perhaps his late November trip to Baton Rouge? Or, if things go exceptionally well, maybe this obstacle will come during the SEC or even BCS Championship Games?

As daunting as these on-field opponents might be, NFL scouts could prove to be his most worthy adversary. Nothing is confirmed that Manziel’s second season as starter will be his last, although he’s not exactly shying away from this talk either.

And because Manziel has the option to get paid to play football—not just bring in $37 million in free marketing for Texas A&M—and become an instant millionaire, there’s a distinct opportunity that 2013 is the last we see of him at the college level.

With every YouTube highlight, touchdown pass or jaw-dropping bit of improv out of the pocket, however, the scouts will remain skeptical. 

Sure, that’s wonderful and all, but this is the NFL. This is "The Shield." 

His style doesn’t compute with the age-old NFL formula of successful quarterback play.

This formula, of course, has proven its uselessness and inconsistency time and time again.

At 6'1" he’s too small to play and hold up at the next level.

Russell Wilson and Drew Brees agree.

His “arm talent” simply isn’t there.

First, I’d like to punt this phrase to the moon. I should also add that Manziel completed nearly 70 percent of his passes in 2012. He also has a cannon and his mechanics—which are by no means bad—are soon to be vastly improved.

After all, he’s wrapping up a week working with quarterback guru George Whitfield Jr. on a beach in California. Ah, the life of Johnny Football.

But despite the gaudy statistics, the Heisman, the once-in-an-everything ability and, most importantly, the limited sample size of one season, the year-long takedown has begun. Former NFL scout and current NFL.com writer Bucky Brooks is one of the first to put Manziel in his public crosshairs, and the headline says it all, really.

Johnny Manziel doesn't look like elite NFL quarterback prospect.

Although Brooks acknowledges Manziel’s brilliant “improvisational skills” and even goes on to call him “electrifying,” he does so to serve as his own devil’s advocate. His argument against Manziel as a potential pro quarterback is summarized early on in his piece.

Now, I know that the legions of Johnny Manziel fans will take exception to my assessment, but my opinion is based on the fact that elite NFL quarterback prospects possess three or four blue-chip traits (from a list that includes size, athleticism, arm talent, leadership skills, clutch factor, intelligence and pocket-passing skills) that validate their status as potential franchise players. I've studied the Texas A&M star's 2012 game tape, and I simply don't believe that he has enough of those qualities at this time to merit serious consideration as an elite quarterback prospect.

Brooks makes a living evaluating talent, and he’s unquestionably gifted at what he does. He’s doing his job with his preliminary evaluation, an evaluation that could prove to be 100 percent accurate. Manziel’s game may not translate at the next level. Heck, it may not translate to his second season as a starter in college.

That’s part of the issue with this stance, however, which will be the stance other talent evaluators take. The sample size is so small, so limited, and it includes Manziel’s only season of play. That’s all there is, so making a proclamation given the unique circumstances seems hasty.

The bigger problem with this evaluation (and the others to follow), however, is that it’s utterly predictable. It surfaces each year.

When a quarterback veers away from that classic 6'4," 225-pound, rocket-arm mold, there’s an assumed notion that he doesn’t fit the NFL. The circumstances vary, of course, but anyone without this vintage QB makeup is automatically greeted with extreme skepticism.

For Manziel, this will only be amplified. He doesn't have the height, and it’s hard to determine just how his elusiveness and overall game will fare. Although the San Francisco 49ers’ defense is a slight (just a slight) upgrade over Louisiana Tech’s, I feel comfortable saying that Johnny Football does things that would make anyone look utterly foolish on the other side.

And perhaps that’s just it. Perhaps I’m too sensitive defending the game I cover. In a way, the impending knocks on Manziel’s play feel like a knock on college football, that somehow this incredible, defense-destroying greatness has a ceiling we’re just not seeing. Or perhaps we simply choose not to.

As scouts line up to knock the height, the arm, the decisions and the leadership, there’s a sense of camaraderie that generates deep from within as I line up to defend one of my own. Not just anyone, either. Someone special. Someone unique from all the others, both now and historically.

I won’t pretend to be an NFL scout, or make an elaborated case that Manziel’s brilliance against SEC foes will translate to Pro Bowls in the not-too-distant future. But if there’s anyone who can shatter the NFL quarterback checklist, a list that’s becoming increasingly vague over time and in need of an update, this is the guy.

As he continues to destroy most everything in his path in a matter of months, and as the scouts proclaim his limitless talents limited, I will remain skeptical of the skeptics.

I've got Johnny Manziel's back. Not that he needs it.

Read more College Football news on BleacherReport.com

With the college football season inching closer, watch lists for some of the most prestigious awards are beginning to leak to the public. The most recent watch list that has been announced is for one of the more underrated awards, the Lott IMPACT Trophy. 

IMPACT stands for integrity, maturity, performance, academics, community and tenacity. The trophy is given to a defensive player who strives for excellence on and off the field. These guys lead their football teams, perform well in the classroom and give back to their communities.

All 42 players who made the list should be honored, but here are some of the candidates who stand the best shot to win this award.

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The rivalries in college football are some of the most heated of any sport in the country. Predictions for every 2013 rivalry game are right here.

From Alabama vs. Auburn to Washington vs. Washington State, there are many major rivalries that get blood boiling all over the country each season.

Here are the projected 2013 winners of every major rivalry in college football.

*Schedule of matchups from ESPN. (Rivalry weekend, Notre Dame and Oklahoma schedules and post-rivalry weekend links here.)

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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

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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. 

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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.

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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.

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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. 

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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.

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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.

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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!

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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.

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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.

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