NCAA Football

This year’s Senior Bowl reaffirmed the notion that the current crop of quarterback prospects will have to do a lot between now and the April draft to prove themselves worthy of an early-round pick.

While Florida State gunslinger E.J. Manuel was named the Most Outstanding Player of the contest, other participating passers had less-than-stellar performances.

 

 

Syracuse Quarterback Ryan Nassib

Syracuse quarterback Ryan Nassib completed 4-of-10 passes for 44 yards and threw an ugly interception to Georgia safety Bacarri Rambo. Overall, Nassib’s performance on the day left much to be desired.

The former Orange passer is rumored to be the target of the Buffalo Bills, who recently hired former Syracuse coach Doug Marrone to be the team’s head coach.

SB Nation writer Brian Galliford says Nassib “has a lot of what teams look for in a quarterback” and could go as high as No. 8 in the draft—where the Bills first pick.

If that’s the case, the team could not have been too impressed by Nassib’s performance Saturday. It will be up to the Syracuse signal-caller to prove to the Bills and the rest of the league in coming weeks that he is worthy of a premium draft pick.

 

 

Arkansas Quarterback Tyler Wilson

While Wilson’s stats were not bad—8-of-11 passing for 40 yards and no picks—his performance left much to be desired.

Yahoo Sports writer Doug Farras said Wilson looked “tentative” in the game, “throwing checkdown after checkdown” and was nearly intercepted several times. In other words, the numbers may not say it, but Wilson has work to do. 

Wilson had a strong week of practices leading up to the Senior Bowl and has height (he’s 6'2") and a strong arm on his side. 

He’s still projected to go in the first round as one of the top passers drafted, but if he can display to NFL teams in the time between now and the April draft that he is the top quarterback prospect, it could pay off mightily.

 

Oklahoma Quarterback Landry Jones

 

The former Sooners signal caller had an awful Senior Bowl, going 3-of-9 passing for 16 yards.

NFL Network analyst Bucky Brooks calls Jones the “biggest enigma” in the 2013 quarterback class, and “arguably the most talented quarterback prospect” set to be available in the NFL Draft.

But he may not even be selected on the first day. Luckily, there is plenty of time before the draft for Jones to convince NFL teams he is ready for the big-time.

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National Signing Day is just days away, with a number of top recruits already declaring their intentions for Feb. 6. There are still some top recruits that remain uncommitted as the final week of recruiting winds down. 

This is a look at all 100 recruits in the 247Sports.com Composite Rankings and where they will sign when signing day Wednesday rolls around. 

Some teams will make dramatic moves in the team rankings when they pick up top recruits, and others will tumble. The final week of recruiting is always full of action with this year looking to follow the lead of years past. 

***All rankings provided by the 247Sports.com Composite Rankings 

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It may seem like the college football season just came to an end, but the 2013 preseason poll will be released before you know it. The same way the regular season flew by is exactly how the remaining months of the offseason will play out, and it will soon be time for the kids to take the gridiron once again.

So there is no better time than now to predict what the 2013 preseason poll will look like. But instead of mentioning those teams that weren't able to hold their own last year, we are only going to mention the Top 25 teams that finished in the final AP Poll. Unfortunately for some clubs, the rankings are going to be turned upside down.

Some of the programs that were ranked will no longer have a spot in the Top 25 and there are a handful of teams that will climb up the ladder. Due to rosters changing and media hype, things quickly change when it comes to the preseason poll.

Last year doesn't mean much when voters get together for the new upcoming season.

Here is where every Top 25 team from a year ago will be ranked once the 2013 preseason poll is released.

Note: The current rankings are in order of the final AP Poll.

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Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini was apparently not happy when he received the news that 3-star wide receiver Dominic Walker had flipped his commitment from the Cornhuskers to Auburn.

Bo Pelini crossed the line with the way that he reportedly reacted.

According to Chris Hays of the Orlando Sentinel (h/t cfbsection.com), Pelini was not too happy when he received the call from Walker:

It was hard for Walker to make that call to Nebraska on Friday, but he knew he had to do it. He said he didn't handle the Vanderbilt situation as well as he could have back when he decommitted from the Commodores in October and he wanted to make sure and do the right thing this time.

Even his mom was afraid for him when he made the call to head coach Bo Pelini and his staff on Friday.

"It was a very tough decision. They were [mad]. They were very mad. But I thought I had to call them like a real man should," Walker said. "But yeah, they were mad. Coach Pelini said, 'Best of luck, you're going to need it.' "

This was an unprofessional reaction from Pelini, and he wasn't the only one who was upset. Hays also reports that Nebraska's wide receivers coach gave the recruit some backlash:

Wide receivers coach Rich Fisher also was in on the call. 

"Coach Fisher said, 'I can’t believe you,' " Walker said. "It was really awkward."

To be clear, I completely understand where Pelini and Fisher are coming from, but they still crossed the line.

As a coaching staff, there have to be few things more frustrating than losing a commitment—especially so close to national signing day (Feb. 6). Walker was a player that Nebraska was planning on moving forward with, and now Pelini and his staff may have to scramble to try to replace him. If they're not going to replace him, his decommitment still creates negative momentum in the all-important days leading up to national signing day.

Pelini had plenty of reason to be upset, but he had zero reason to lash out and make a snarky remark to the recruit. Simply put, that's not how the head coach of a major college football program is expected to act.

Frankly, that's not how a head coach at any level is expected to act.

He knows better, and he knows the game of recruiting. Nothing is final until signing day, and until then any decommitments or flips are fair game. This shouldn't be surprising to Pelini, and it's certainly not something to lose his composure over.

The fact of the matter is, Walker handled this in the right way. He could have very well Tweeted his decommitment or texted it in to a graduate assistant or someone else he knows on the team. He could have gone about it in a hundred different, much easier ways, but he chose the right way.

More often than not, the right thing to do is often the harder thing to do. I commend Walker for handling this the right way.

He owned up to his decision and called Pelini. In that process, he showed incredible maturity and humility. That's more than we can say about some head coaches who have left programs high and dry in the past, let alone a recruit changing his verbal commitment.

Despite all of that, Pelini has the audacity to throw Walker's maturity back in his face and treat him in a disrespectful manner?

No matter how upset you are, you just can't treat a high school kid that way when it comes down to him making arguably the biggest decision of his life. This choice for him is much more than football, and that's a fact that gets lost all too much in the recruiting process.

Walker is choosing his future, and he has every right to change his mind without the fear of backlash from the head coach of a program.

Sure, you expect it from fans on message boards. You expect it when you hop online and read your emails, and you definitely expect it on Twitter.

You don't expect it from the head football coach at Nebraska, though. He has to be above that, at least for his reputation's sake on the recruiting trail.

This is not a good look for Pelini.

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Bob Bowlsby, the commissioner of the Big 12, is looking for a dance partner for his league, as reported by Kirk Bohls from the Austin American-Statesman. While two other unspecified conferences are on the table, it is the ACC that seems to be the clear leader at this stage in the process.

Unfortunately for fans who want this happen, there's no point in putting too much stock in this moving forward. It's just not something that is going to work in the current landscape of the collegiate athletic world. We've already seen the Pac-12 and Big Ten alliance fall apart before it ever had a chance to start, and this Big 12-ACC venture will be no different.

In theory it would be a blessing to fans. They'd get another guaranteed game against a big-time draw from a BCS conference—Florida State-Texas and Clemson-Oklahoma and the like. Those are games that would get fans pumped up and help fill up stadiums. In the current climate of full stands being hard to come by, one would think that would be a deciding factor.

Except that is not the only matrix by which this decision shall be made. Full stadiums are nice; flexibility in scheduling is better. The ACC is a league that already dropped its nine-game conference schedule plan due to the addition of Notre Dame to the conference slate.

The Fighting Irish are not going anywhere. Florida State, Clemson and Georgia are not about to drop their in-state rivalries, and overall flexibility is not going to be compromised.

The ACC lets its members pick their own nonconference games and then works around those dates to help teams maximize what they do outside of the league. A partnership with the Big 12 would dry up a lot of open dates in the league and really stack the deck for the conference's members.

A team like Florida State, with eight ACC games plus Florida on the docket, has to be smart in its future scheduling. It cannot control when it ends up with Notre Dame on the schedule, but it can oppose the addition of a Big 12 team before it happens. A Big 12-ACC alliance would put Clemson, Florida State and Georgia Tech in the crosshairs of 11 BCS-caliber opponents with just one game of flexibility.

That is not something any team in college football is signing up to undertake.

It is not just the schools with in-state rivals to play that will push back at the idea of the partnership. North Carolina is set to play Ohio State in 2017. Adding another major date with the Big 12 would put the high-profile Buckeyes date in jeopardy.

The same goes for Virginia Tech in this regard. The Hokies have Alabama (2013), Ohio State (2014, 2015) and Wisconsin (2016, 2017) on their schedule already. Throw in their dates with East Carolina in the future, and being locked into a game with the Big 12 just will not serve the Hokies well from a flexibility standpoint.

So, while it works for fans and would get their enthusiasm up, they are not the folks making the hard decisions about scheduling. The four-team playoff is on the horizon, and while it's been said that "strength of scheduling matters," how much it will matter to the selection committee remains to be seen. Wins are the currency that college football trades in, and overstocking a schedule is not the way to grow a portfolio.

Flexibility and getting wins are what the ACC both wants and needs. The teams that want to schedule a Big 12 game are free to do just that, while the other ACC members can enjoy their dates with the Big Ten, SEC, Big East or Pac-12. Rooting for the alliance makes sense for fans, but ultimately do not expect teams to compromise their scheduling freedoms to make it come to fruition.

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4-star tight end Durham Smythe has committed to Notre Dame.

This is a great pickup for Brian Kelly and the Fighting Irish, and there is no doubting the fact that they've received a commitment from one of the better recruits in the 2013 class.

Smythe has the chance to be a star tight end at the college level. He's 6'5'', 233 pounds and he runs a 4.75 40 according to 247Sports. He's also ranked as the No. 8 tight end in the 2013 class according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings.

Max Olson of ESPN.com reports on Smythe's commitment:

Durham Smythe (Belton, Texas/Belton) pulled the trigger on a verbal commitment to the Irish at the end of his official visit this weekend. Smythe is Notre Dame’s 23rd commit of 2013. 

Long considered a Stanford lean, Smythe chose Notre Dame over the Cardinal and made his decision before taking an official visit to Michigan next weekend. 

“Going into the visit, I felt like I had a pretty good relationship with the staff and I was really excited about visiting,” he said. “When I got out here and experienced everything first-hand, there really wasn’t a doubt in my mind.” 

Smythe is bringing a lot to the table for Notre Dame. 

He has good size and terrific speed for a tight end. He'll be able to use his speed to stretch the defense vertically in the seams as a receiver.

He's a terrific commitment for Notre Dame, especially considering the loss of Tyler Eifert. Replacing Eifert's production and role in the Fighting Irish's offense is not going to be an easy task.

Smythe joins 4-star tight end Mike Heurman as another elite 2013 tight end commitment for Notre Dame. Much like Smythe, Heurman has good size at 6'4'', 220 pounds, and he runs a 4.76 40 according to 247Sports. He's the No. 9 ranked tight end in the 2013 class according to the 247Sports composite.

Both players are talented enough to come in and compete with Troy Niklas and Ben Koyack for the starting job as freshmen, but this could also be an excellent platoon group as well. Both Niklas and Koyack are bigger than the two incoming freshmen, thus they would be great in two-tight or unbalanced situations as blockers.

Smythe and Heurman are fast and will both be great receivers, so Kelly and his staff can utilize those two players in passing situations. They're also big enough to stay home and block though, so Notre Dame wouldn't be giving away anything by bringing either of them in.

We'll most likely see Smythe used situationally as a freshman, especially in passing situations. In fact, I also wouldn't be surprised if Notre Dame split him out and created a few mismatches in the slots or flats. The same could be done with Heurman as well.

Either way, Kelly and his staff will have a lot of options in regards to how to best utilize Smythe. He's a very talented recruit, and he'll play a big role as a freshman.

With the tight end position becoming more and more versatile, having options and different personnel to use is a huge advantage.

Smythe will be one of those options in 2013, and he'll create a ton of mismatches for Notre Dame.

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One of the biggest fish left in the recruiting pond heading into the weekend was running back Derrick Green from Richmond, Va. The 247Sports.com Composite 5-star prospect narrowed his choices down to Michigan, Auburn and Tennessee, and made his decision known on Saturday

Unfortunately for the Tigers and Volunteers, as the 6'0", 220-pounder chose the Wolverines over the two SEC contenders.

So where does Auburn go from here?

The Tigers have already signed junior college running back Cameron Artis-Payne, a 3-star prospect who will have three years to play two seasons. He rushed for 2,048 yards and 25 touchdowns for Allan Hancock College in Santa Maria, Calif.

But there's still room for a high school running back in this class.

The Tigers hosted 5'11", 190-pound running back Johnathan Ford from New Hope, Ala. Ford is rated as a 4-star prospect according to 247Sports.com, and has been a commitment to Vanderbilt since April 2012.

But according to 247Sports.com national recruiting director JC Shurburtt, Ford is very much in play for Auburn despite his commitment to the Commodores:

One player I haven't mentioned when talking #Auburn is four-star RB Jonathan Ford, who is committed to #Vandy. He's in play. Excellent RB.

— JC Shurburtt (@jcshurburtt) January 28, 2013

That's good news for the Tigers. Ford has been gaining a lot of momentum late in the recruiting process, picking up offers from Auburn and Georgia, and visited Tennessee on Jan. 11 according to 247Sports.com.

The Tigers are also hot on the trail of current Notre Dame commit Tarean Folston.

The 5'9", 185-pounder from Cocoa, Fla., committed to the Fighting Irish on Jan. 2, but took an official visit to Auburn on Jan. 18. Auburn's late push to land Folston can be tied to Auburn's hiring of Dameyune Craig as its co-offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach. Craig had been recruiting Folston when he was coaching at Florida State, according to AL.com.

With rising junior 1,000-yard rusher Tre Mason returning, Auburn is set at the running back position. But first-year head coach Gus Malzahn loves to spread the football around to various running backs in different formations, so it's important for Auburn to have options.

Green may be out of the picture now, but don't be surprised to see Malzahn and Co. flip a top running back between now and national signing day.

 

Follow @BarrettSallee

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The LSU Tigers are still in the running for 5-star defensive end and No. 1 overall recruit Robert Nkemdiche.

The odds may be stacked against them, but all it takes is one good visit on the recruiting trail to drastically change those odds. A week ago, we weren't sure if LSU was going to land an all-important official visit.

That's not the case anymore...

Nkemdiche just took his official visit to Ole Miss, and it was a visit that went very well, according to Kipp Adams of ESPN.com:

As for the top prospect in the country, Nkemdiche enjoyed himself too. 

"The Ole Miss official was awesome," Nkemdiche said. "I enjoyed hanging with my brother and showing that me and him have a bond together. It is a special thing." 

While that is terrific news for Ole Miss, Nkemdiche did also say that he's going to set up his official to LSU, per Adams:

"Ole Miss is up there –- and then there is Florida and LSU," Nkemdiche said. "I am going to set my LSU official up this week.

Right now it seems as if both Florida and LSU should be considered outliers for Nkemdiche's commitment considering his strong family ties with the Rebels and the tone of his recent official visit. That said, though, at the very least, LSU and head coach Les Miles will be able to put the Tigers in a great position to have a chance.

With literally days left until National Signing Day (Feb. 6), a chance is all LSU can ask for at this point.

The pitch is simple for the Tigers. It comes down to playing time at defensive end—which LSU can offer—and the chance to play for a nationally relevant program. LSU will be a contender in the SEC for the next few seasons, and the Tigers are always getting attention from the national media. Factor in the incredible home atmosphere of Tiger Stadium, and you've got yourself a strong pitch if you're LSU.

The question now becomes, is that enough to propel LSU over Ole Miss in Nkemdiche's mind?

Frankly, if that were to be the case, it would be a major upset. Nkemdiche may not claim a leader publicly, but the Rebels have held the upper hand ever since he decommitted from Clemson. 

Family is not always a factor, but in Nkemdiche's case it seems to be the factor.  It's a strong bond, and it very well could be stronger than playing time at LSU, national relevance and immediate contention within the SEC.

All that said, upsets are possible, especially in college football recruiting, so the fact that LSU looks like it's going to secure the final visit for Nkemdiche is huge for the Tigers.  

It's going to take a buzzer-beater of epic proportions for LSU to come away with Nkemdiche's commitment on February 6. In fact, this is more like a half-court shot down by two with seconds left.

Just like any half-court shot, the chances of LSU banking it in off the glass are rather improbable, but at the very least, the Tigers still do have a chance.

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While most of the national media has been focused on how the news of the NCAA's "improper conduct" in the Nevin Shapiro scandal could affect the University of Miami's potential punishment, another school that has already received punishment from the NCAA could thrust itself in the spotlight as well.

The University of Southern California. Football's pariah.

In June 2010, USC was sanctioned by the NCAA with a two-year postseason ban, the loss of 30 scholarships over a three-year period and a four-year probationary period due to the school's lack of institutional control regarding student athletes in multiple sports. 

The NCAA's Infractions Report is lengthy (65 pages!) and goes so far as to mention that the committee considered a television ban—which is just shy of the death penalty in college athletics—as part of the punishment it could dole out. Why the NCAA felt the need to add that in the report is mystifying but it certainly shows its level of pissivity, if nothing else.

Robert Swanson, a former USC Associates board member and current season-ticket holder, told me that some alumni (including himself) viewed that television ban mention as a proactive threat from the NCAA to USC—if the school sought relief via the appeal process, the NCAA could reconsider the initial penalties it imposed and add in a television ban.

Paranoia? Perhaps, but the NCAA is an association which answers to no one. USC did file a meek appeal but to no one's surprise, lost without further repercussions.

To understand why USC fans and alumni were so upset with the NCAA's final decree, you have to go back over the last 18 years and compare what other schools received in penalties for far more serious violations. 

In 2002, Alabama received a two-year bowl ban and the loss of 21 scholarships over three years stemming from a pay-to-play scandal involving Albert Means, a recruit out of Memphis. That particular case involved payment for a student-athlete to sign a letter of intent with Alabama—that violation is what the NCAA views as the most egregious of all violations involving student-athletes. Nevertheless, Alabama's sanctions were considerably lighter than the sanctions slapped on USC.

Some college football analysts believed USC's sanctions were too heavy-handed, considering the thin amount of evidence the NCAA's Committee of Infractions (COI) used to prove USC knew or should have known that Reggie Bush was receiving impermissible benefits. 

USC had always maintained that it didn't know student-athletes were receiving impermissible benefits—that's key in cases where institutional control is being questioned. But Paul Dee, the chair of the COI, didn't see it the same way. Dee admonished USC by saying it had to do a better job in compliance because "high-profile athletes demand high-profile compliance." 

Paul Dee's long tenure at Miami perhaps suggests he has had experience in compliance issues—and he has, but unfortunately it wasn't of the positive kind.

Dee was Miami's athletic director from 1993 to 2008 during which time the school's football program was hammered by the NCAA.

In 1995, the school was reeling from a Pell Grant scandal in which 57 players received over $200,000 in federal financial aid stemming from falsified applications. There's a lot more than just that but the point should be made that the university was deemed to have lacked institutional control while Paul Dee was in charge.  

Sports Illustrated columnist Alexander Wolff wrote an article via an open letter to Miami president Edward Foote II regarding his disgust over the Pell Grant scandal. An excerpt from that letter:

Fifty-seven players were implicated in a financial-aid scandal that the feds call "perhaps the largest centralized fraud upon the federal Pell Grant program ever committed." And among numerous cases of improper payments to players from agents was one in which the nondelivery of a promised installment led a Hurricane player to barge into an agent's office and put a gun to his head.

Miami, according to CBSSports columnist Dennis Dodd, received a 24-scholarship reduction over three years, a one-year postseason ban and a three-year probationary period. Massively defrauding the federal government is apparently not as bad as a booster paying for a kid's parent's rent, judging by the NCAA's comparative sanctions on the two schools. 

Like Alabama, Miami's sanctions were lighter than USC's sanctions. You would think Miami would have learned a valuable lesson after the Pell Grant scandal, wouldn't you? 

Miami booster Nevin Shapiro allegedly showered Miami recruits and players with access to cash, gifts, sex, booze, drugs and parties from 2002 through 2010—the long, mind-boggling report by Yahoo! Sports can be read here. The athletic director who oversaw all but two years of Miami athletics during that time period was, you guessed it, Paul Dee. 

Dee's response to Nevin Shapiro's alleged involvement was a stunning display of hypocrisy.

"We didn't have any suspicion that he was doing anything like this," Dee said in 2011. "He didn't do anything to cause concern."

Dee—the same man who allegedly allowed Shapiro to lead the Hurricanes on to the field before a game—plead the "we didn't know" defense on behalf of Miami despite his previous beatdown of USC for not knowing what was going on with Bush.

ESPN's Ted Miller even pointed out Dee's hypocritical statements regarding USC's violations while more severe violations were being committed under his watch while serving as Miami's athletic director:

Here he waxed sell-righteously -- and inaccurately -- over the USC case: “This case strikes at the heart of the principles of amateurism.” ("Inaccurate" because booster pay-for-play strikes at the heart of amateurism, not agents trying to lure players AWAY from amateurism). 

Columnists Stewart Mandel (Sports Illustrated) and Dennis Dodd (CBS Sports) would only have to wait one year before they too could express their ire over the COI's inept and beleaguered leadership. 

Even more compelling is that Dee's former employer (Miami) benefited from the sanctions he oversaw as the COI's chair—the No. 1 prospect in USC's 2010 recruiting class (according to Scout.com, among others), Seantrel Henderson, decommitted from USC after the sanctions were doled out and eventually signed with Miami.

The NCAA's COI has maintained that because every one of its cases is different, there is no precedent for sanctions. But that's also a convenient way to not have to answer to any institution that cries "unfair" after receiving its punishment. 

That may change shortly.

Former USC running back coach Todd McNair filed a lawsuit last year against the NCAA charging libel, slander and breach of conduct. McNair had been punished by the NCAA with a one-year show-cause penalty which required any school attempting to hire him in a coaching capacity must get NCAA approval.

The NCAA determined that McNair knew or should have known of Bush's relationship with a would-be sports marketer and thus, a lack of institutional control existed within the compliance department which enhanced the school's penalties. 

The presiding judge in McNair's civil suit against the NCAA, Frederick Shaller, recently ruled that the NCAA was "malicious" in its investigation of McNair. That ruling is now under appeal.

Reign of Troy's Trenise Ferreira, a USC blogger, recently contacted attorney Lincoln Bandlow, who is considered an expert in defamation law, for a summary of the case's current status:  

Bandlow explains that when McNair filed a defamation lawsuit, the NCAA brought an anti-SLAPP motion, which means the organization believes its investigation of McNair was thorough and fair and there is no way he could win his case, which will surely be lengthy and expensive. In disagreeing with the NCAA, Judge Shaller is saying that he believes there is enough evidence to show actual malice, which is what McNair’s lawyers need to demonstrate to prevail in this case. Since McNair was a football coach at the time of the investigation, he is considered a public figure, and so the standards of his defense change.

“The judge likely found evidence showing the NCAA shouldn’t believe what they were about to say,” suggests Bandlow. But if it’s just that  [the NCAA] didn’t like him, that’s not enough.”

“All that matters is if they knew the truth and hid it,” said Bandlow, meaning that McNair’s attorneys need to prove there is evidence that the NCAA had no proof of or knew that McNair had no involvement in the situation surrounding Reggie Bush, yet they held him responsible anyway.

McNair's lawyer has maintained that the NCAA knew it had questionable evidence against McNair. In an Orange County Register report, Bruce Broillet, McNair's attorney, reacted to the judge's favorable ruling toward McNair:

[Broillet] said during the hearing that the records showed the agency knew it was relying on false statements about McNair’s conduct and wanted to “nail” the coach, who also played in the NFL.

“They wrote evidence the way they wanted it to be—that’s malice,” Broillet said.

[NCAA attorney Laura] Wytsma rejected that contention in court, saying the evidence in the case show the committee that investigated McNair was trying to get its report right.

“They were struggling to get the right result,” she said, adding that several members of the investigative committee were prominent lawyers and legal scholars.

She also argued that records in the case should not be unsealed, saying it would hurt future investigations. The NCAA does not have subpoena power, she said.

The NCAA appears to be using its lack of "subpoena power" as a strawman defense over its investigative tactics. In the newly released NCAA report in which the NCAA admits to improper conduct in the Miami scandal, the second paragraph is particularly noteworthy:

As it does not have subpoena power, the NCAA does not have the authority to compel testimony through procedures outside of its enforcement program. Through bankruptcy proceedings, enforcement staff gained information for the investigation that would not have been accessible otherwise.

The fact that the NCAA cannot compel witnesses who aren't employed by an institution to testify in investigations—nor can it compel any person who is no longer an NCAA student-athlete—seems to be a recurring theme. 

Can USC sue the NCAA for malice? Possibly.  

If the NCAA decides to settle out of court with McNair, it could stipulate that settlement be sealed from public record and/or McNair sign a confidentiality agreement which could carry heavy financial risk if McNair testified on USC's behalf. 

USC athletic director Pat Haden recently told Los Angeles Times reporter Gary Klein that USC is aware of what is going on with the McNair case's proceedings:

Haden and USC are monitoring a lawsuit filed against the NCAA by former running backs coach Todd McNair in the aftermath of its Bush investigation. A Los Angeles Superior Court judge ruled in November that emails between an investigative committee member, an NCAA worker and a person who works in the agency's appeals division "tend to show ill will or hatred" toward McNair and that McNair has shown a probability that he can win his defamation claims. The ruling is under appeal.

"If the facts come out as have been suggested we would probably reconvene and have a look," Haden says.

Haden, for what it's worth, won two national championships (1972, '74) playing quarterback at USC. He was also a Rhodes Scholar and up until 2010, was a partner in the law firm of Riordan, Lewis and Haden.

To say Haden has USC's best interests at heart would be an understatement. Couple in his legal background and there is no doubt Haden fully understands what USC's best course of action will be when McNair's appeal process has run its course.

Taking on the NCAA could be risky since the NCAA is currently investigating USC over whether or not former running back Joe McKnight received impermissible benefits. Then again, the NCAA had been coming off an embarrassing investigation of UCLA basketball player Shabazz Muhammad—an NCAA employee was reportedly dismissed after her boyfriend leaked information about the investigation while on an airplane. And now there is the improper conduct in the Miami case. 

The blood in the water may prompt USC to finally take that beast head on. Kick 'em when they're down. 

USC could ditch its pariah status and unintentionally be crowned college football's messiah.

Because for the first time in college football history, nobody would be rooting against the Trojans. 

Read more College Football news on BleacherReport.com

While most of the national media has been focused on how the news of the NCAA's " improper conduct " in the Nevin Shapiro scandal could affect the University of Miami's potential ...

Read the full article on Bleacher Report...

When you think of SEC recruiting juggernauts, you think of Alabama, LSU, Florida, Auburn and Texas A&M. 

In year's past, you'd have to go down that list pretty far to find the Ole Miss Rebels. In each of the past two seasons, the Rebels have finished in the bottom half of the SEC in the final 247Sports.com team recruiting rankings

This is not the case in 2013.

The Rebels currently sit 14th in the team recruiting rankings, and could vault into the Top Five if things go their way between now and sun down on national signing day.

Head coach Hugh Freeze has already positioned his program as the unquestioned leader for Robert Nkemdiche, the 6'4", 285-pound defensive end from Grayson (Ga.) High School, who is the No. 1 prospect in the country.

The Rebels are also hot on the heels of five-star safety Tony Conner from Batesville, Miss. Auburn and Alabama are also pursing the 6'1", 205-pounder heavily, but staying in state and committing to Ole Miss is certainly a possibility.

If Ole Miss just lands those two players, it would likely move into the Top 10. But the class of 2013 could be even better.

Chris Jones, the nation's No. 2 overall prospect in the 247Sports.com rankings, made a surprise visit to Oxford this weekend. The 6'5" 250-pound defensive end has been a commitment to Mississippi State since June 11, 2012 but decided to make the trip to Oxford on a weekend when Nkemdiche, Conner and five-star wide receiver commit Laquon Treadwell were also on campus.

If Ole Miss is able to land Nkemdiche and Jones, that would create one of the most fearsome pass rushes we've seen off the edge in quite some time.

Not to be outdone, five-star offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil—the nation's No. 3 overall prospect—was also on campus on an official visit over the weekend. After the visit, the 6'6", 295-pounder told Scout.com that Florida State was out of the running for his services, and it's down to Alabama, Georgia and Ole Miss.

It may be more of a long shot for Ole Miss to land Tunsil, but on the off-chance that he chooses the Rebels, that gives them a chance at signing the nation's top three prospects.

Not too shabby, especially considering they're coming off of a 7-6 season and haven't been in the legitimate SEC West title hunt in nearly a decade.

Freeze was absolutely the right hire at the right time for Ole Miss. He has been known for quite some time to be an ace on the recruiting trail; but his offensive system, combined with available playing time on defense has made Ole Miss the flavor of the week—or, in this case, the recruiting season.

The rest of the SEC West should have already taken notice of Ole Miss. If the chips fall in their favor between now and Feb. 6, the turnaround could be accelerated.

 

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Urban Meyer is best known for his offensive prowess, but with the recruiting class he has brought in for the 2013 season, the Buckeyes are poised to field one of the best defenses in the conference in coming years.

Meyer has secured commitments from 22 total recruits, including 16 of the 4-star variety. Most of those recruits are defensive players, and there are several that are perfect for the Big Ten brand of football.

Ohio State will lose John Simon and Johnathan Hankins to the NFL this offseason. The Buckeyes have a young core in place to develop in with their departure, but a little extra depth certainly couldn’t hurt.

We’ll take a look at the top defensive players in Ohio State’s recruiting class that will have the biggest impact in stopping the run and keeping Ohio State’s defense true to its roots.

 

Donovan Munger: 4-star DT

Munger is a 6’4”, 285-pound lineman with experience on both sides of the ball. He’ll likely end up playing on the interior defensive line at Ohio State, and that’s the best spot for him.

With his big frame and active hands, Munger is especially strong against the run. He’s not a finished product, and pass-rushing is an area of weakness. However, he won’t have to be much of a pass-rusher in Ohio State’s defensive scheme.

He’ll need to hit the weights and add some bulk, but Munger can be a quality component to the Buckeyes’ run defense in coming years. He probably won’t see the field much in 2013, though.

 

Michael Hill: 4-star DT

Of all the defensive players Ohio State landed this year, Hill is the most capable run stuffer. His 6’2”, 315-pound frame fills a lot of space, and he looks to have a bright future at the center of the Buckeyes’ defensive line.

With Johnathan Hankins entering the NFL draft, the Buckeyes must look to reload on their interior defensive line. They’ve done just that with this recruiting class, and Hill can play a role similar to that of Hankins in the future.

While he is still very raw, Hill has the ability to push people around. He’s strong and physical, and possesses a lot more mobility than one would expect from a player his size. Hill has to focus on refining his technique and playing with a lower pad level, but he isn’t far from ready to face Big Ten offensive linemen.

 

Billy Price: 4-star DT

Price is another primarily defensive player with the potential to play on either side of the football. He’s aggressive and physical with all the tools a coach looks for in a Big Ten lineman.

Price’s greatest asset is his physicality, and with a 6’4”, 300-pound frame, Price can do a lot of damage. He has active hands and quick feet, and understands how to attack opposing offensive linemen. Adept in both run defense and pass rushing, Price has exceptional versatility for an incoming freshman.

Where Meyer decides to play Price will depend on need, but he’s certainly capable of playing more than one position. Of the defensive tackles Meyer brought in this year, Price has the best chance at getting into the defensive line rotation early in his career. He has a very high ceiling.

 

Joey Bosa: 4-star DE

Bosa projects as a strongside defensive end in college, and he’ll be a perfect fit for Ohio State. With a tough, physical style of play and a high motor, Bosa fits right in with the Ohio State defensive mentality.

At 6’5” and 270 pounds, Bosa has room to add some bulk. He also has enough size and quickness to slide inside at times, and could make an immediate impact in some sub-package situations for the Buckeyes. He’s an ideal candidate to rush the passer in nickel and dime packages.

Bosa is a technically-sound defensive lineman. He uses leverage and a low pad level to knock defenders backward off the snap, and while he won’t be able to outmuscle everyone at the next level, his skill set translates well to the college game.

 

Trey Johnson: 4-star ILB

Johnson and Mike Mitchell were two of Ohio State’s biggest commits this offseason. Both have a chance to see some immediate playing time on defense in 2013.

Johnson is an intriguing player. He is fast and aggressive, but he possesses a slight frame to play inside in a 4-3 front. At 6’2” and 218 pounds, Johnson will have to add some bulk in order to garner additional time at linebacker early in his career.

Still, Johnson’s aggressive style and willingness to go head-to-head with anyone makes him a terrific fit to play inside linebacker at Ohio State. He also adds an element of speed and quickness to the position, and has an extremely high ceiling going forward.

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The Senior Bowl is a great time for NFL draft prospects to improve their stock early in the offseason. Few people helped themselves more than running back Stepfan Taylor ...

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After an undefeated regular season, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish should remain near the top with a number of instant impact recruits projected to join Brian Kelly’s team. 

Just four years ago, the Fighting Irish snagged 5-star linebacker Manti Te'o out of Hawaii. Although he came up short in leading his team to a national title, Te'o was a bona fide star as soon as he stepped foot on campus. 

Fast forward to 2013 and it appears the Fighting Irish will have secured their first 5-star linebacker since they brought Te'o to South Bend. Let's take a look at the top instant impact recruits for the Fighting Irish.

 

Jaylon Smith, LB, Bishop Luers HS

Jaylon Smith, the No. 2 overall player in the class of 2013, is regarded as a can't-miss prospect. Blessed with an incredible 6'3", 218-pound frame and 4.44 speed, the consensus top outside linebacker is a physical freak. Anyone who watched the U.S. Army All-American Bowl realized just how special this kid can be. 

Lining up at both outside linebacker and with his hand in the dirt, the best player in the state of Indiana displayed impressive pass-rushing skills and even blocked a field goal. With his frame and athleticism, Smith could fit at any linebacker position. While he should ultimately end up as a premier 3-4 outside 'backer, Smith should make an instant impact on passing downs. 

His pure speed and freakish first step should make him a pass-rushing nightmare, while his fluidity and pass-coverage skills will make him a valuable third-down defender. 

As he continues to grow into his frame, Smith will evolve into an All-American player, but he'll certainly make noise as a third-down defender as a freshman. 

 

Max Redfield, Safety, Mission Viejo HS

The strength of Notre Dame's recruiting class goes far beyond its top player. With safety Zeke Motta graduating, the Fighting Irish are in need of a playmaker on the back end. Ask and you shall receive. 

Fellow 5-star recruit Max Redfield should step in immediately at Motta's free safety spot and become a first-round pick. 

Pound for pound, Redfield might just be the best athlete in the country. Checking in at 6'' 3'', 195 pounds, the California native could dominate at receiver or defensive back, but looks like a lock at safety. A consensus top-five safety, Redfield draws high marks for his hands, instincts and coverage skills. Combined with his fantastic frame and 4.50 wheels, Redfield should be an upgrade over Motta. 

Like Smith, he could bulk up a bit, but he should find his way onto the field early in his career. 

His incredible skill set should give Fighting Irish fans plenty to cheer about in 2013. 

Greg Bryant, RB, American Heritage HS

While Smith and Redfield should anchor the defense for years to come, running back Greg Bryant should be a staple on offense. 

And with leading rushers Cierre Wood and Theo Riddick both departing for the NFL, the time is now for the 4-star tailback. 

Checking in at 5'11", 196 pounds with 4.48 wheels, Bryant clearly has the size and speed to be an excellent college back. When watching the tape, it's evident that the star out of Delray Beach, Fla., runs with conviction. He isn't the shiftiest back, but plays with power behind his pads and breaks tackles consistently. 

Notre Dame hasn't been able to reel in a running back with his talent in quite some time, so the Fighting Irish shouldn't be coy in showing off their new toy in 2013. 

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Ohio State and Michigan are tearing it up on the recruiting trail in 2013, loading up their offensive and defensive lines.  For Ohio State, last year’s defensive line recruiting was arguably unmatched.  Mix that in with the current commits for 2013, and you’re looking at perhaps the best D-line pull in the last two years.

Flip it around, and Brady Hoke has done a great job in getting the Michigan offensive line back to where it was before the Rich Rodriguez days.  Though these opposing lines might not be going against each other right away, it’ll be a fun sight to see the dog fights that occurs in the trenches in the next few years. 

In 2012, Urban Meyer and Ohio State brought in three 5-stars on the defensive line (all ratings courtesy of Scout.com’s prospect rankings).  Noah Spence, Adolphus Washington and Tommy Schutt all received playing time as true freshmen last season. 

Michigan brought in highly-touted offensive tackle Kyle Kalis last year, but their offensive line haul this season is what really impresses.

With the nation’s No. 1 ranked guard, Patrick Kugler, currently committed to the Wolverines, many others have followed in his footsteps.  The No. 6 and No. 7 ranked guards will join Hoke’s team next fall in Chris Fox and David Dawson, and there's no forgetting Kyle Bosch, who Scout.com lists as the No. 3 tackle prospect in the nation.  No way can any team compete with this kind of talent on the offensive line, right? 

Well, Urban Meyer has countered in his own way.

 

In addition to bringing in a massive haul in 2012, Coach Meyer was able to pull Joey Bosa out of Florida, who ranks as a 5-star defensive end prospect.  Bosa checks in at 6’5" 270 pounds, and can play inside or come off the edge as a pass-rusher. 

Ohio State was also able to pull in a handful of 4-star prospects along the defensive line such as Michael Hill, Tyquan Lewis, Billy Price and Donovan Munger.  Though Munger recently visited Florida State, things seem to be settled back down as he affirmed his commitment back to the Buckeyes, according to ElevenWarriors. 

 

 

Donovan Munger has reaffirmed his pledge to #OhioState

— 11W Recruiting (@11WRecruiting) January 25, 2013

 

 

Now, I know recruiting "stars" don't mean everything, but when these kids haven't played a college snap, it's definitely something to keep note of.

The great Ohio State-Michigan rivalry is headed back in the right direction, where The Game hosts two top 10 teams annually.  It all starts in the trenches, and both coaches seem to have that figured out. 

As the years go on, The Game will give us some of the best line matchups we could ask for.  Whether it’s Noah Spence verse Kyle Kalis or Michael Hill verse Davis Dawson, these matchups will have an old-school feel to them.  A new Ten-Year-War has started, and the Buckeyes and Wolverines are on their way back up to national dominance. 

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Classes are underway and the seven early enrollee athletes are at USC, there is no more speculation—they are officially Trojans.  Who are they? What are their qualifications? What will they bring to USC? Let’s take a look at the Magnificent Seven of 2013.

These seven young men are the future of a USC program still under significant NCAA sanctions. Coach Lane Kiffin and his staff have done a superb job recruiting the best and brightest of the class of 2013 to be Trojans.

Let’s take a look at the Magnificent Seven:

QB Max Browne

RB Justin Davis

WR Darreus Rogers

DL Kenny Bigelow

DB Chris Hawkins

DB Leon McQuay III

DB Su’a Cravens

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Classes are underway and the seven early enrollee athletes are at USC, there is no more speculation—they are officially Trojans...

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After an outstanding performance at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl on Jan. 5, and a thorough examination of his top schools, 5-star running back Derrick Green (Richmond, Va.) chose to become commitment No. 27 for the Michigan Wolverines' 2013 recruiting class (via Rivals).

Given the fact Michigan's rushing offense finished No. 43 in the nation last season (only averaging 183.8 yards per game), and three-time leading rusher Denard Robinson is out of eligibility, there is a wide open competition at running back in Ann Arbor. 

Green will be one of the favorites to take over the starting job this season, and I expect the No. 8 overall prospect to get a substantial amount of carries as a reserve to start the season before rising to the top of the depth chart by mid-October.

Click ahead to read about the five reasons why Green will take over as Michigan's starting running back this year! 

 

Note: All prospect rankings are courtesy of Rivals.com.

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Once Derrick Green sign's his Michigan letter of intent next month, the serious work begins.

The Richmond, Va. commit will arrive in Ann Arbor this summer ready to show why he's Scout.com's No. 1 rated running back.

The 6'0", 220-pound Green caught Michigan coach Brady Hoke's eye as a powerful, yet speedy runner, who would be perfect for Michigan's new smash-mouth, between-the-tackles rushing attack.

Green recently displayed a glimpse of his talents by first posting a 40-yard dash time of 4.36 at the recent U.S. Army All-American Bowl, then rushing for 49 yards on eight carries during the game itself.

With the addition of Green, Michigan will have the best stable of power backs since the combination of Anthony "A-Train" Thomas and Chris Perry in 2000.

Could Green have anywhere near the success of Thomas (who finished his Michigan career with 4,472 yards, second on the all-time list behind Michael Hart)?

Green will first have to wrestle the starting job away from some cool customers.

Also looking for playing time at running back this fall will be Fitzgerald Toussaint, Thomas Rawls, Drake Johnson, Deveon Smith, Justice Hayes and Dennis Norfleet.

Toussaint, who suffered a season-ending leg injury against Iowa (Nov. 17), battled through a disappointing 2012 season, finishing with just 514 yards after gaining 1,041 yards the year before.

Rawls, like Toussaint, is somewhat of a question mark going into 2013. At times, the 5'10", 218-pound bruiser ran with confidence, but at other times he looked lost. When Denard Robinson took a spot in the offensive backfield at the Outback Bowl, Rawls became the No. 4 tailback and never played.

If Hoke decides to play the freshmen, look for Green to be part of a two-man rotation with Smith, who prepped at Warren (Ohio) Howland.  At 5'10, 218 pounds, Smith's qualifications are not far from Green's.

Rated the state of Ohio's No. 6 prospect overall, Smith ran for 1,800 yards and scored 27 touchdowns during his senior season.

It's also possible that Johnson can use his speed to wiggle his way into the rotation. As a high school athlete he was an All-American in the 110-meter high hurdles.

That leaves Hayes and Norfleet as third-down or situational backs, with Toussaint and Rawls still in question. There's also the possibility of a split-back alignment, which Michigan used successfully in the 1981 Rose Bowl. That formation excludes the fullback, who seldom ran the ball in Michigan's previous power-I offenses. 

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Zach Mettenberger learned a lot in his first year as LSU's starting quarterback.

The strong-armed junior led the Tigers to a 10-2 record and showed great improvement as the year went on.

Next year will be a new beginning for Mettenberger and the Tigers. With one year of starting experience under his belt, LSU is looking for its quarterback to be one of the best in the SEC.

But what is it that Mettenberger needs to improve on to reach that elite level?

Let's go ahead and break down five things that Mettenberger must improve on in 2013.

Bleacher Report Style!

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