College Football

What can you say about a guy who managed to parlay the greatest loss in college football history into a deal that’s still paying him more money from Notre Dame than Brian Kelly received from the school after taking the team to the national title game? Well, all I can say is that’s it’s a long way down from touting yourself as Mr. Decided Schematic Advantage to picking up flotsam and jetsam from the MAC. Sadly, however things play out at Kansas, there’s likely another sucker waiting to take a shot with Weis. Filed under: Charlie Weis Is A Big Fat...

You gotta love the semantics of recruiting.  An offer by a school isn’t binding.  A verbal commitment by a kid isn’t binding.  So I’m not exactly sure what is gained by this wrinkle: Alabama’s scholarship offers at some positions, most notably quarterback, are non-committable and pending an evaluation at summer camp, reported al.com’s Mike Herndon. Alabama has non-committable “offers” out to two Georgia high school quarterbacks, Gainesville’s Deshaun Watson (committed to Clemson) and Pierce County’s Tyler Harris. “It is our philosophy at certain positions that we really like to learn a lot about players and one of the best ways to learn about a player is when they come and visit you, because you’re limited in terms of the contact you can have with them off-campus,” Saban told the website. So a high schooler gets an “offer”, but it’s an offer he can’t accept when it’s made.  That’s not an offer; it’s an invitation to come visit. It’s common for colleges make non-committable scholarship “offers” to rising seniors that are pending an evaluation at summer camp – especially at the quarterback position. It’s just rare for a college coach, especially Saban, to publicly admit it because then it may cause confusion for other kids at other positions offered by the same college on whether or not they have a “true” or committable offer. Jeez, ‘ya think? But let’s not forget the real problem with recruiting is high school seniors who can’t make up their minds. Filed under: Recruiting

As deferential as Tony Barnhart can be on many issues, he’s always been credibly consistent with his criticism of the flaws in the Coaches Poll.  (If you’re a longtime reader here, no doubt you’ll remember an old Barnhart column on the subject served as the inspiration for the Mumme Poll.) So it’s no surprise that he bats down David Cutcliffe’s suggestion that the coaches continue to have a say in the composition of the postseason field.  Nor is it a surprise that he mines the last Coaches Poll for another blatant example of a conflict of interest. Remember that at the end of last season Northern Illinois (12-1), the MAC champ, needed to finish No. 16 or better in the final BCS Standings to earn an at-large spot, probably in the Orange Bowl. If Northern Illinois finished No. 17, then it was all but certain that No. 11 Oklahoma (10-2) would get that Orange Bowl bid as an at-large team. So every single vote counted. An analysis of the final vote in the Coaches poll (the only one that is made public) by Steve Berkowitz of USA Today, revealed that four Big 12 coaches (Oklahoma is a member of the Big 12), including Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops, either voted the Sooners No. 6 or Northern Illinois No. 24. Stoops did both. Maybe I need to rename the MP. Of course Barnhart can’t resist pulling a punch or two.  After reciting the usual trinity of why the Coaches Poll as it’s now configured is problematic – bias, conflicts of interest and lack of time to research the field thoroughly – plus a bonus pot shot at Junior, he thinks there should still be a place in the room for Big Game Bob’s, um, perspective. The coaches will continue to do their poll. I like the idea of not releasing the first poll until mid-October. But that poll, and no other human polls, will be in the room with the selection committee. I’ve already suggested putting Grant Teaff, the executive director of the AFCA, on the selection committee to represent the coaches. Teaff would get input from his coaches and meet with his board of directors before the selection process and then serve as their voice in the room. I’m not really sure what that accomplishes.  If there’s a poll, warts and all, the committee would be able to see it without the need for Teaff’s presence.  All that’s likely to occur with him being in the room is that the coaches lobby Teaff and Teaff in turn lobbies the committee.  Is there any reason to think that, behind closed doors, he would serve as an effective filter of the bias and conflicts that corrupt the poll?  Given that Teaff has long fought making the Coaches Poll more transparent, I’m skeptical. If the coaches want to make a credible pitch to be included in the discussion, they need to clean their poll up first. Filed under: BCS/Playoffs, Media Punditry/Foibles, Mumme Poll

Redshirt Freshman Austin Johnson came to PSU a versatile 3-star offensive line prospect with only a handful of other BCS offers. He's since switched to the defensive line, as what LJ Sr wants, LJ Sr gets. Johnson's on the short list to see significant playing time at the nose tackle position this fall, one of a few youngsters vying to fill the void that rookie Seattle Seahawk DT Jordan Hill has left. He had a good spring and great spring game, notching two sacks. Hailing from New Jersey, Johnson also played basketball in high school, leading his team to a state title. He hails from the same high school as former Nittany Lion and current Raider Jack Crawford. Follow @BSDtweet on TwitterAnd join us on FacebookAll BSD community members should review our current Posting & Commenting Policies before creating any posts or commenting.

This is the last full regional profile. We'll start picking up the pace after this one, so that your eyes don't bleed. Let's get it done. #1 Jenn Brown, SO, Economics vs. #16 I'm Going Derp It all started harmlessly. Asked about that year's State Patty's Day, Jenn Brown was cheerful, and simply trying to share some insights when she spoke to The Daily Collegian's Chris Bickel on March 1st, 2010. Frankly, Jenn didn't even provide the best quote from that season's State Patty's Day - shared by 06Lion in this fanshot, which no one read. Nevertheless, Jenn Brown's morally casual attitude immediately earned her a legion of followers on BSD, sight unseen. Different BSDers thought they discovered her Twitter account, and her Spacebook page. Three years later, alumna Jenn Brown - the real one, not the sideline reporter - remains like the fabled mountain yeti: sought by hundreds of dudes living in their parents' basements, still elusive, still without photographic evidence. Can Jenn Brown walk right past 16-seed I'm Going Derp in the HUB, wearing the same clothes she wore out last night? Of course. This won't even be a contest. #8 Ham Sandwich vs. #9 Your [blank] Sounds Hot You might think Ham Sandwich began with a talk about quarterbacks, or the offensive line. To be the best of my search capabilities, that doesn't appear to be the case. Ham Sandwich first made the 2-deep as the reserve tight end, behind Kevin Haplea, and ahead of Garry Gilliam, Andrew Szczerba, Nate Cadogan, and - that's right - true freshman Kyle Carter, last year's Big Ten Offensive Freshman of the Year. (True freshmen were (mostly) ineligible at PSU, until 2012). And as freakishly talented as Ham Sandwich is, it will get a serious game out of 9-seed Your [blank] Sounds Hot. A quick search reveals 861 comments on BSD containing the exact words "sounds hot". That's eight hundred, sixty-one - nearly an entire Sandusky Trial Open Thread of nothing but 'your girlfriend/wife/sister/cousin/mother sounds hot' comments. I'm not clicking 'next' 90 times to find the first one, but I can tell you that the last one was posted just a few days ago, by No.21 in this thread - and it's still going green. That, my friends, is a deep, deep squad. #5 SOA vs. #12 Hullstache Stephen Obeng-Agyapong is rarely amused. As a freshman from out of state, SOA was unfamiliar with Lift for Life, and at one point, had raised $0 - until RUTS discovered him, and BSD adopted him, pushing SOA past his goal in about 20 hours (note to WeAre! editors: use frown photo to increase donations). SOA grew into a folk legend at BSD, though he wouldn't see the field for another two years (obligatory: SOA finds your lack of faith disturbing). In the interim, psuwxman (and Adam Shell) got SOA to crack a smile. Hullstache. Hullstache. Hullstache. #4 Poz / Mauti vs. #13 BBDS Defense The Poz / Mauti debate isn't about who supports the run better, or who has better pass drops. It's hunkability. And though Mauti's passion stirred the emotions of a few BSDivas (and Dudes), Poz's catalog of shirtless photos probably carries the day. But has an official winner ever been crowned? How did the Bend-But-Don't-Suck Defense land only a 13-seed? The selection committee works in strange ways. Maybe they noticed the drop in BBDS mentions. Maybe they saw the change in commentor tenor about BBDS pre-2009 Rose Bowl, and post-2009 Rose Bowl. No one can say for certain. But this much is clear - BBDS won't be getting many female votes in its opening round match, and that's something it will have to overcome if it wants to survive and advance. #3 HOSS's vs. #14 Recruiting Starz FACT: HOSS's is great food, if you like eating from a dumpster, or if your crack habit leaves you with only $4.57 for meals. We've debated the (lack of ) merits of this hog slop often. Like here. And here. And here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here. But the original debate? Tha

Former Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis made more from the school in the 2011 season than Brian Kelly, the man who actually coached the Irish that season.

This offseason we will count down various topics from Monday through Friday, bringing you the top five of the important and definitely some not so important issues in college football. It's the Doc Five, every week until we will thankfully have actual games to discuss. PLAYERS WHO COULD KEEP JOHNNY MANZIEL FROM ANOTHER HEISMAN NO. 2, TAJH BOYD When Tajh Boyd announced he would forgo being part of a weak 2013 NFL draft class to come back to Clemson, he solidified his spot as one of the major threats to unseat Johnny Manziel for the Heisman Trophy. Boyd has been a little underrated and overshadowed during his career, but that should change this year. He has had two productive seasons as a starter, throwing for more than 3,800 yards each of the past two seasons, with 69 touchdown passes. He also ran for 514 yards and 10 touchdowns last season. NFL.com's Daniel Jeremiah, a former scout and a great follow on Twitter, had a very accurate and complimentary comparison for Boyd: Tajh Boyd reminds me of Russell Wilson for these 3 reasons: easy thrower, escapability and toughness. — Daniel Jeremiah (@MoveTheSticks) May 22, 2013 That fits, and Boyd is also taller than Wilson, who was great at N.C. State and Wisconsin in college and looks like a future NFL star with Seattle. Given that Boyd has set his statistical floor at a level that should already have him in the Heisman mix (he was not a top 10 finisher last year despite accounting for 4,410 yards and 46 touchdowns ... told you he was underrated), a natural progression as a senior could lead to him contending for the Heisman Trophy. Last year Boyd improved his completion percentage from 59.7 to 67.2, a good sign that he's maturing as a quarterback. He almost doubled his rushing production, another positive sign. He will miss receiver DeAndre Hopkins, who was a first-round pick of the Houston Texans in April, but he does have the incredibly talented Sammy Watkins back. What Boyd has to do is eliminate mistakes. One other stat that has been consistent is Boyd's interceptions, with 12 in 2011 and 13 in 2012. He had four multiple interception games last season, which is probably too many to win a Heisman Trophy given the deep group of quarterbacks in college football this season. He'll also need to lead Clemson to a very good season and maybe a BCS bowl game. That's certainly possible, considering Clemson's schedule is fairly favorable until a Nov. 30 game at South Carolina. That game comes just before most Heisman ballots will be submitted. Boyd's 346-yard, two-touchdown game against a tough LSU defense in the Chick-fil-A Bowl last year shows he has the ability to play at a Heisman Trophy level. If he can stay at that level through a full season, and Clemson gets some key wins, Boyd will end up getting a lot more votes than last year. Previously on the "Doc Five" 5. Jadeveon Clowney 4. Jameis Winston 3. Lache Seastrunk - - - Want to join the conversation? Hit us up on Twitter @YahooDrSaturday and be sure to "Like" Dr. Saturday on Facebook for football conversations and stuff you won't see on the blog.

Longtime Alabama sports talk show host Paul Finebaum is joining ESPN and the SEC Network.

Four-star LB Dante Booker chooses Ohio State

Elon is joining the Colonial Athletic Association for the 2014-15 season.