There are a lot of ACC teams with some big holes to fill, mainly Virginia Tech. The Hokies lost a lot of key players from their ACC Championship teams. Other teams such as Florida State and Miami look to come back to the elite of college football. Duke and Georgia Tech are breaking in new coaches.

Atlantic Division

Boston College
Spring Practice Begins - March 25
Spring Practice Ends - April 26 with their squad scrimmage that day.

The Eagles must find someone to take over for Matt Ryan. As it looks right now, Chris Crane, who spent two years backing up Ryan, is the front runner. But he could receive some competition from transfer Codi Boek. Maybe more important, the Eagles must find a replacement at running back for L.V. Whitworth, who was a big part of their offense. Due to injuries, Boston College might have to turn to a true freshman, Josh Haden, who enrolled early.

Clemson
Spring Practice Begins - March 22
Spring Practice Ends - April 12 with their squad scrimmage that day.

The Tigers are one of my teams to watch for next year since they return a lot of starters, and in reality, do not have many holes to fill. Defensive end Phillip Merling left early to go to the NFL and Clemson is hoping that DaQuan Bowers is ready to step out of high school and replace Merling. I’d also keep an eye out for the battle at offensive tackle. It will be key for the Tigers to protect Cullen Harper this fall.

Wake Forest
Spring Practice Begins - March 26
Spring Practice Ends - April 19 with their squad scrimmage that day.

Since the Demon Deacons are losing 3 starters off of their defensive line, I think that would be a good place for them to start. At quarterback Riley Skinner must work on protecting the ball more, and will have to get comfortable with some new receivers this spring. Chip Brinkman, Jordan Williams, and Demir Boldin are the three guys which will catch the majority of Skinner’s passes in 2008. Finally, they will have to find a replacement for center Steve Justice, who might be the best offensive lineman ever to play at Wake.

NC State
Spring Practice Begins - March 18
Spring Practice Ends - April 19 with their squad scrimmage that day.

Safety DaJuan Morgan left early for the NFL. Out of the healthy and eligible choices, the Wolfpack will look to Jimmaul Simmons, Robbie Leonard, or Dominique Ellis to fill that spot. Work needs done on the offensive front to get their rushing game moving. The lack of a rushing attack was something that hurt NC State last year, even though they did improve as the season progressed. Their passing game, which saw their quarterbacks throw for a combined 23 interceptions must improve also, which means Daniel Evans and Harrison Beck will battle it out.

Maryland
Spring Practice Begins - March 25
Spring Practice Ends - April 26 with their squad scrimmage that day.

Linebacker Erin Henderson left for the NFL early and leaves Adrian Moten and Alex Wujciak as they main contenders for that job. On offense there is a huge hole in the backfield with the graduations of Keon Lattimore and Lance Ball. Right now Morgan Green and Da’Rel Scott are two sophomores vying for the starting position. The Terps also have to produce a way for a competent quarterback to emerge from junior Chris Turner, senior Jordan Steffy, and junior Josh Portis.

Florida State
Spring Practice Begins - March 17
Spring Practice Ends - April 12 with their squad scrimmage that day.

How does Florida State deal with spring football since they know so many starters will be missing from the first few games? Any way they do it, they must find some playmakers on offense. Quarterback Drew Weatherford and running back Antone Smith have to live up to their potential. Especially Weatherford, who showed flashes of brilliance his freshman year, but hasn’t progressed in his maturation since that year.

Coastal Division

Virginia Tech
Spring Practice Begins - March 26
Spring Practice Ends - April 12 with their squad scrimmage that day.

The number one question surrounding the Hokies is: Will they use a two quarterback system with Sean Glennon and Tyrod Taylor, or use this spring as a forum for the competition between the two? Replacing linebackers Xavier Adibi and Vince Hall will be no easy task either. The Hokies also lose their top four wide receivers from 2007. If that wasn’t enough, with the depature of cornerback Brandon Flowers to the NFL, Tech must find a replacement in the group of Rashad Carmichael, Stephan Virgil and Cris Hill.

Virginia
Spring Practice Begins - March 21
Spring Practice Ends - April 12 with their squad scrimmage that day.

Al Groh’s seat has cooled, but with his returning quarterback Jameel Sewell academically ineligible, he must find a quarterback. Sewell isn’t the only one having issues staying academically eligible, defensive end Jeffrey Fitzgerald and cornerback Chris Cook are two others. Branden Albert left early to go to the NFL which makes the Cavs have to replace both offensive guards this spring. Patrick Slebonick and B.J. Cabbell will be in competition for that position.

Duke
Spring Practice Begins - March 19
Spring Practice Ends - April 12 with their squad scrimmage that day.

It will be the first spring practice under new head coach David Cutcliffe. His first order of business will be to change the attitude of the team. Losing is a disease. Cutcliffe has some nice building blocks for his offense with quarterback Thaddeus Lewis and wide receiver Eron Riley, but he must build an offensive line first so that these athletes can show their skill.

Georgia Tech
Spring Practice Begins - March 24
Spring Practice Ends - April 19 with their squad scrimmage that day.

Paul Johnson begins his first spring with the Yellow Jackets, and all signs point to a rebuilding year in 2008. Taylor Bennett saw the writing on the wall and transferred so that leaves sophomore Josh Nesbitt and Auburn transfer Calvin Booker to take the reigns this fall. Both have the ability to run the offense, but I am sure come recruiting time, Johnson will recruit exactly who he wants for QB. On defense they must replace two linebackers, who were their top two tacklers in 2007.

Miami
Spring Practice Begins - February 26
Spring Practice Ends - March 29 with their squad scrimmage that day.

Kyle Wright has graduated and Kirby Freeman has transferred, so that leaves the starting quarterback job to redshirt freshman Robert Marve. If Marve slips up at all, two early enrolled freshman Jacory Harris and Cannon Smith, could take his job. The Canes must replace two guards and a center who were lost to graduation. On defense, Calais Campbell, a defensive end left early, which makes it Courtney Harris job to lose. Also the Canes lost free safety Kenny Phillips. The two people fighting for that job will be Anthony Reddick and Lovon Ponder.

North Carolina
Spring Practice Begins -March 3
Spring Practice Ends - April 7 with their squad scrimmage that day.

In Butch Davis’ second year, he hopes that the kids he recruited can start making an impact, most importantly at defensive line, defensive end, and linebacker. The Tar Heels were putrid running the ball last season, but even with four running backs returning there is no real number one back. Greg Little did a good job running the ball at the end of 2007. Part of their problem is their offensive line, which will also be an area of improvement for the spring.

Once again, Ohio State looks to be the favorite…or at least the front runner for the 2008 Big Ten Championship. Minnesota had a horrible season last year, but they have only one way to go and that is up. Illinois hopes to prove that last season was not a fluke and Michigan is going to be breaking in an entirely new offense. Here are the needs for the Big 10 come this spring.

Ohio State
Spring Practice Begins - March 24 or 25
Spring Practice Ends - April 19 with their squad scrimmage that day.

The Buckeyes must once again erase the memories from a BCS title game which saw them overmatched and in some reports self destructive with fights breaking out in the locker room during halftime. Defensive end Vernon Gholston left early for the draft, but Ohio State has plenty of people waiting to fill his shoes. With their running game set, I think the Buckeyes need to find a playmaker at wide receiver.

Michigan
Spring Practice Begins - March 15
Spring Practice Ends - April 12 with their squad scrimmage that day.

WWRD…What will Rodriguez Do? Does he adjust his offense to the players he has now or will he run with the offense he has now and just hope the players can adjust? That’s the big question in Ann Arbor. With the losses of Hart, Henne, Arrington, and Long the Michigan offense will have plenty of holes to fill.

Wisconsin
Spring Practice Begins - March 8
Spring Practice Ends - April 19 with their squad scrimmage that day.

Allen Evridge and Dustin Sherer will battle it out for the quarterback position which results from Tyler Donovan’s graduation. The winner of that battle will have a nice supporting cast as PJ Hill Jr returns, as well as tight end Travis Beckum who is a huge matchup problem for defenses. On defense, the Badgers are a little thin at defensive end.

Penn State
Spring Practice Begins - March 24
Spring Practice Ends - April 19 with their squad scrimmage that day.

A close and heated quarterback battle between Daryll Clark and Pat Devlin will take place, and it might spill over into the fall. The Nittany Lions must also find a replacement for Justin King who left early; look for AJ Wallace to step in there. The biggest battle might take place off the field as the Board of Trustees & the Penn State Administration debate the future of Joe Paterno.

Illinois
Spring Practice Begins – TBD
Spring Practice Ends - April 19 with their squad scrimmage that day.

Rashard Mendenhall is really making a name for himself…too bad for the Illini it is at the NFL Combine now. Daniel Dufrene looks to solidify his position this spring as the number 1 running back before Zook’s crop of freshman come in. Juice Williams also has to work on his accuracy and taking care of the ball if the Illini want to prove that 2007 was not a fluky season.

Indiana
Spring Practice Begins – March 25
Spring Practice Ends - April 19 with their squad scrimmage that day.

The Hoosiers’ quarterback Kellen Lewis lost his favorite target as James Hardy left early to go pro. Ray Fisher, Andrew Means , James Bailey, Brandon Walker-Roby, Chris Banks and Terrance Turner all look to fill Hardy’s shoes. Finding a running back to take the load off of Lewis, who was their leading passer and rusher in 2007, would also help the Hoosiers. Indiana also must work on solidifying their defense.

Purdue
Spring Practice Begins – March 26
Spring Practice Ends - April 19 with their squad scrimmage that day.

Curtis Painter returns for what seems to be his 10th year as the starting quarterback for the Boilermakes but his favorite targets Dorien Bryant and Dustin Keller are gone. I also believe Purdue needs to develop a rushing attack to take the pressure off of Painter. Jaycen Taylor has been in the program for a few years and it could be time for a breakout season. The defense returns 6 starters but there are still questions in the secondary.

Michigan State
Spring Practice Begins – March 17
Spring Practice Ends - April 19 with their squad scrimmage that day.

The Spartans had a good year in 2007 and only have a few holes to fill this spring. They must rebuild the defensive line and find a few receivers for Brian Hoyer to throw the ball to since Devin Thomas left. Right now Deon Curry, Mark Dell, and BJ Cunningham have potential to be big time receivers.

Iowa
Spring Practice Begins – March 26
Spring Practice Ends - April 19 with their squad scrimmage that day.

What I did notice while watching the Hawkeyes last season was that they had a hard time scoring. Their offense, mainly their offensive line was not as dominate as in years past under Ferentz. Jake Christensen will be back as well as his wide receivers. With all the underclassmen Iowa played last year, they only can improve.

Northwestern
Spring Practice Begins – March 1
Spring Practice Ends - April 26 with their squad scrimmage that day.

Tyrell Sutton was the Big Ten freshman of the year two seasons ago. Sutton was once a feared entity for the Wildcats, but without a competent quarterback and an offensive line, Sutton is an after thought. Northwestern needs to get a good offensive line in there to let Sutton run freely.

Minnesota
Spring Practice Begins – March 26
Spring Practice Ends - April 19 with their squad scrimmage that day.

After losing to North Dakota State, and winning only 1 game in 2007, the returning players are going to be fighting for their starting spots this spring. Because come this fall, Brewster’s recruiting class comes in and many of the current Gophers might find themselves on the bench.

First drill…the fumble drill

Nothing says spring football like a cold-snowy day in the northeastern portion of the United States. Well we all know that isn’t true, but there is one team that does start spring practice today and that is the Texas Longhorns. The have their first scheduled practice today at 3:45 pm and it all concludes on March 29th with their spring scrimmage. I think that is about the time most of the teams up in this region will be starting their spring practices. Today and tomorrow’s practice will be open to the public.

It is also a time honored tradition by the bloggers to pay homage to the Fulmer Cup. As we all know, the Fulmer Cup was invented by Orson of EDSBS and it involves a scoring system for schools based on the trouble that their players get in. Since Tennessee notoriously would be near the top of this list (see this year), their coach would take a lot of grief from the media about their off the field behavior. Well Phil Fulmer has had enough and fired back at a local reporter with a letter to the editor.

For anyone out there wanting to get away from this horribly snowy weather, I suggest a little place called Hawaii. Great weather, beaches, and I hear the women are nice there too. The Hawaii Fan Blog (one of my favorites) has the itinerary for the 2008 “Football `Ohana Festival” Schedule. It involves meeting the players, photos with them, autographs, and watching a scrimmage and a practice. Did I mention that you will be in Hawaii where the weather is nice?

High 5 for spring football & since the strike is over

Bloggers aren’t the only ones who are bored during the offseason of college football, the mainstream writers feel the same way. But unlike the Bloggers, mainstream media members have access to a lot of information and people that bloggers aren’t so they can write some good articles…like predicting the 2008 Big Ten standings. I don’t know about you, but everyone has trouble enough doing that in August and September, but it is only February! Well that ESPN article struck a nerve with a particular Iowa Blogger and he had a few nice words to say.

A website to keep an eye on during the offseason is BCS Busters. Ben is currently putting the finishing touches on a book called The Grass Ain’t Blue In Georgia - The Story Behind the BCS Controversy. Ben is a very knowledgeable person on this topic and in college football in general. So far since the BCS title game he has written two posts Sizing Up the SEC and talking about the history of the conference. Part one talks about Alabama and Auburn, while Part two discusses Georgia and Florida.

28th Anniversary of The Miracle on Ice

Right now I am half way through breaking down the six BCS Conferences and what they key battles and improvements that each team needs to work on during spring practice. If you happened to have ESPN Insider, check out Bruce Feldman’s latest blog on the Top 8 Quarterback battles this spring. I was surprised to see Nate Longshore’s name on this list, but I guess when your team crashes like Cal did at the end of last year, no position is safe. Other teams he talks about and predicts winners of the QB battles are LSU, South Carolina, Auburn, USC, Penn State, Miami, and Michigan.

This is not college football…or even football related, but today is the 28th Anniversary of the greatest upset in the history of the world…the Miracle on Ice. On that chilly night in Lake Placid, New York, a squad of mostly college students took on the best professional team in the world, the USSR. As we all know they won the game 4-3…and the next game beat Finland to capture the Gold Medal. It was a great boost for a country, that at the time, was in maybe it’s darkest days morale wise. I was only a little over a year old at the time of the game, and still to this day, if there were a sporting even I wish I would have attended live…The Miracle on Ice would be #1 on my list.

The Big 12 looks to be a strong conference next year with Oklahoma and Missouri being the early favorites to win the conference. Texas has a lot of holes to fill, but they still have the potential to be dangerous. Kansas is going to take a step back after their phenomenal season last year, while Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, and Colorado have the potential play the surprise team in the Big 12 for next season.

Big 12 South

Oklahoma
Spring Practice Begins - March 5
Spring Practice Ends - April 12 with their squad scrimmage that day.

The Sooners plan on contending for another Big 12 title, if not a National Title but they did lost some key components to the draft. Wide receiver Malcolm Kelly, linebacker Curtis Lofton and cornerback Reggie Smith all left for the draft early and left some holes that the Sooners will have to fill. On defense, via graduation or early departure, the Sooners have to replace both corners and could have 3 new linebackers. If you so happened to watch the Fiesta Bowl, you will also notice that they might want to work on their offensive line a bit.

Texas
Spring Practice Begins - February 22
Spring Practice Ends - March 29 with their squad scrimmage that day.

Running back Jamaal Charles left early for the NFL, so the first priority for the Longhorns will be finding a feature back. Also, Colt McCoy has to work on protecting the ball, if Texas wants to contend for a title he must cut down on the interceptions. Plus on defense they will need to find two new horses to man up the middle of the defensive line and new defensive coordinator Will Muschamp will be installing a new, more aggressive system.

Texas Tech
Spring Practice Begins - March 23
Spring Practice Ends - April 19 with their squad scrimmage that day.

The Red Raiders return 19 starters from their team last year but are in need of a tailback. As I wrote in the ITB Mailbag, this team could be one of the surprise teams in the country, but they need to work on their defense. Everyone knows that with Graham Harrell and Michael Crabtree, Texas Tech will score points, but now it is up to the defense to hold their end of the bargain.

Texas A&M
Spring Practice Begins - March 23
Spring Practice Ends - April 19 with their squad scrimmage that day.

New head coach Mike Sherman will be installing a new offense for the Aggies, one that is not so run oriented. He will have to fill the hole left by tight end Martellus Bennett, who could have benefited by playing in a more balanced offense, but chose to leave for the draft. It will be up to Stephen McGee to step up to the plate and show he is not just a running quarterback.

Baylor
Spring Practice Begins - March 3
Spring Practice Ends - April 5 with their squad scrimmage that day.

New head coach Art Briles has an idea to make the Baylor Bears into a high powered offense, but the only problem is that they need the talent to run it. Their defense needs improving too!

Oklahoma State
Spring Practice Begins - March 3
Spring Practice Ends - April 12 with their squad scrimmage that day.

I look at the Cowboys a lot like I look at Texas Tech, if this team had an average defense they would be dangerous. Zac Robinson returns at quarterback but with the graduation of Dantrell Savage, Oklahoma State will have to find a new running back between Kendall Hunter and Keith Toston. Dez Bryant is their leading returning receiver with only 622 yards, so finding more playmakers at that position will help.

Big 12 North

Missouri
Spring Practice Begins - March 11
Spring Practice Ends - April 19 with their squad scrimmage that day.

The Tigers have three holes to fill since tight end Martin Rucker, tailback Tony Temple and wide receiver Will Franklin are all gone. Their first step will be to find a running back because there will be teams that will be able to slow down Chase, and the Tigers will go further if they have a decent back running the ball. Wide receiver Jeremy Maclin is back and is expected to be the go to guy. Defensively, Missouri looks solid and in my opinion, is the team to beat in the Big 12 right now.

Kansas
Spring Practice Begins - March 12
Spring Practice Ends - April 12 with their squad scrimmage that day.

Can we expect Kansas to repeat last year? Probably not, but the drop off won’t be that steep. The Jayhawks need to fill some holes at cornerback (Aqib Talib), defensive tackle, offensive tackle (Anthony Collins), and running back. Todd Reesing will be back, but to be effective, he must get some protection and not take the hits he did in the Orange Bowl. Kansas also lost their defensive coordinator to Miami. With Oklahoma and Texas on the schedule this year, they will need to be at the top of their game.

Nebraska
Spring Practice Begins - March 26
Spring Practice Ends - April 19 with their squad scrimmage that day.

Where does Bo Pelini start? First he needs to rebuild the defense which was an embarrassment to the Black Shirt name last season. The Cornhuskers do have some promise on offense as Marlon Lucky returns, plus Joe Ganz at quarterback. Ganz took over for Keller last season after his injury.

Colorado
Spring Practice Begins - March 17
Spring Practice Ends - April 19 with their squad scrimmage that day.

The Buffaloes did a good job in Dan Hawkins second year in Boulder. Many thought he was playing favorites by having his son, Cody Hawkins, as the starting quarterback. Well he quelled all that talk when he said that the starting job was wide open come spring time. It will be interesting to see now that Hugh Charles has graduate, if any of the returning players step up at running back before blue chipper Darrell Scott comes this fall.

Kansas State
Spring Practice Begins - March 29
Spring Practice Ends - April 19 with their squad scrimmage that day.

Jordy Nelson led the team in receiving with over 1600 yards, but now is gone. Head coach Ron Prince must find a playmaker either on his team or in the list of junior college kids he recruited to help ease Nelson’s departure. He must also find a replacement for leading rusher James Johnson, but at least he has his QB Josh Freeman returning as well as his entire offensive line.

Iowa State
Spring Practice Begins - March 25
Spring Practice Ends - April 20 with their squad scrimmage on April 19.

There is one thing that the Cyclones do not have in common with the rest of the Big 12. Their starter in 2008 at quarterback will be a new one and they will be the only team in the conference that can say it. Austen Arnaud and Phillip Bates will battle it out this spring to win that honor. Whether it be Bates or Arnaud winning the job, they will have a huge smile on their face come spring when they can start throwing the ball to Sedrick Johnson, a 4 star recruit and the gem of the Cyclone recruiting class.

I guess I am hitting it big here at In The Bleachers because I am going to do my first mailbag. I encourage all readers and listeners to the podcast to please email me at inthebleachers[at]gmail[dot]com with any questions or comments. Especially if you do not agree with something I write; just write me and explain your position. I don’t think there is anyone who does not like a healthy debate. Thanks to everyone who wrote in questions for this mailbag.

The Big “not so loud” House

Brian,

So I myself have been to college football games at Beaver Stadium, Texas A&M and various smaller schools as well as run on Boise State’s blue turf and around the Horseshoe. Knowing you travel around and attend more college football games than anyone I know, where would you say the most interesting, entertaining and exciting places are to catch games? Tailgating details would be great too.

Thanks,
Lindsay
Olympia, WA

Lindsay,

As it currently stands, I have been to Beaver Stadium, Michigan Stadium (twice), The Horseshoe, Spartan Stadium, The Orange Bowl, Pitt Stadium, and Heinz Field. As far as tailgating experience goes, Beaver Stadium is the best (obviously).

But I do have to give it up to Ohio State because in my 3 mile walk to the stadium, I have never seen so many RV’s in my life. Inside the stadium, the crowd was loud and into the game. The dotting of the I is a great tradition for the Buckeyes. One little note for out of town fans in Columbus, if you are going to drink, do it out of a colored plastic cup. You and your wallet will thank me later.

The weather was the best at The Orange Bowl. You can’t beat tailgating on January 3rd in 90 degree weather. But one suggestion, more port-a-johns.

In my two trips to Ann Arbor I met some great Wolverine fans who were more than willing to share their food and their drinks with me. Even though Penn State lost both times in heartbreaking fashion, the fans were classy. The only knock would be that their seats are so close together that your butt has to be the size of a 12 year old boy, plus the Big House was not as loud as I expected it to be. However, I will not be returning to Ann Arbor until Penn State beats Michigan. The 5 hour drive home seems like 12 hours after heartbreaking losses. I told my traveling partner that if I ever ask him to go to Ann Arbor again…to take $60 out of my wallet, kick me in the nuts, and we will call it even.

Spartan Stadium and Heinz Field were good places to watch college games. I don’t really have anything good or bad to say about either place.

Eventually I would like to see an Army/Navy game, a game in LSU, as well as some other SEC games in the South. I hear great things about the atmosphere down there, I want to experience it for myself.

Where do you see Pat White fitting into the pros after his WVU days are over? Do you think Terrelle Pryor should consider this before when considering playing at Michigan in RichRod’s system?

Brian
North Huntingdon, PA

Could White’s Future Be At WR?

Brian,

I will answer your first question about Pat White. I think it is pretty evident, that unless White really improves his passing skills, he will not be a quarterback at the next level. He has improved from his sophomore to his junior year throwing the ball, but I still think there needs to be even more drastic improvements. I know you can point to Vince Young, and say White could throw the ball just as well as he can, but Young is 6 foot 5 inches and 230 lbs, while White is just around 6 foot 2 inches and 190 lbs and has durability issues.

That being said, I think White would be best if he followed in the footsteps of Hines Ward and Antwaan Randle El. I think he could make a decent slot receiver with his speed and quickness, the only unknown would be is if he could catch the ball. Although his durability can be questioned, his heart cannot. I think he’d also be a prime candidate for a punt returner.

Pryor should most definitely look at where he would fit in, and what place would give him the best opportunity to go to the pros. Rich Rod’s system is not one that is conducive to quarterbacks aspiring to go to the NFL and play that position, I think that is why Ohio State right now is still at the top of his list. I also believe if he does take a trip to Oregon, and doesn’t mind being far away from home, that could be another opportunity for him.

Let’s be honest here Penn State fans; you all point to Michael Robinson’s success and think that Pryor could follow in his footsteps. But what position does Robinson play in the pros? That’s right he is a running back for the 49ers. The Ducks put Harrington and Feeley in the NFL and Ohio State has Troy Smith. Pryor is going to take a good look at the situation and the offense that best suits his chance to go to the next level.

Are Vol fans are way too spoiled? Looking at the rankings, I’m not sure why most are upset. With the amount of underclassmen we had playing last year, I’m not sure what they were expecting. Still we did alright on a national level.

Rodney
Missouri

Rodney,

If there is one thing I have found out about SEC fans in the few years of doing the blog and podcast it is they don’t like to be second fiddle to anyone. That includes other teams in their own conference. Besides Vanderbilt and Kentucky, every other SEC team’s fans think that they are elite. When you are ranked 8th in your own conference according to Rivals.com, no one is going to be happy.

Some of it had to do with the loss of David Cutcliffe. He was a good draw for offensive talent to Knoxville. Again, don’t put too much credence into these rankings, the real challenge is developing the talent you get and getting the correct players to fit into your system. The Vols only signed 18 players, which was the lowest in the conference and as you said a ton of underclassmen got playing time last season.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but Penn State has a reputation for making men out of boys, developing players, getting a great education, having a real family when you get there, doing ok in putting players in the NFL(think J Alford) and because of JoePa always has media coverage. Why do you think they do considerable weaker than there reputation in recruiting?

Joseph
Israel

Has JoePa’s inept offense superceded his legendary status with recruits?

Joseph,

Wow, I am impressed that my readership has gone worldwide. As you all know by now I am a fan of Penn State. That is why I really pains me to say what I am about to say…Penn State is not what it once was as far as a football powerhouse goes. There are the elite teams like USC, Ohio State, Florida, Michigan, and a few others; Penn State falls into the next tier of teams.

You are exactly right when you say about Paterno stressing education and making men out of boys, but you are really overestimating the thought process of a football recruit. Today with all of the media attention given to these high school athletes, they want to hear how great they will be in college and how much money they are going to make in the pros. In interviews, it isn’t until a few years after college that players recognize Paterno for what he has done for their growth as a human being and getting them ready for life after football.

If you notice, Penn State does well recruiting on the defensive side of the ball, mainly at linebacker and defensive line. That is not hard to believe since their defense is known to be tough and one of the best every year. But they really lack when it comes to recruiting on the offensive side of the ball. They did have some 5-star athletes like Anthony Morelli and Derrick Williams, but those players have yet or did not live up to their potential. Is it because they simply are not that good as advertised? Is there something wrong with the development of offensive talent in Happy Valley? Or does the offensive just not suit those types of players?

Being a Penn State fan I am sure you have heard all the complaints about QB development and play calling. Recruits read the papers and listen to the pundits talk. So why would they want to go to a place that runs such a vanilla offense and isn’t known for using their talent appropriately? This is something the program needs to address quickly or they are going to struggle mightily on the offensive side of the ball in 2009.

Somehow Glennon has another year of eligibility, and I don’t see him leaving for the NFL draft. I would hate to think of another year with him under center. Don’t get me wrong, I think he can beat the Dukes of the world, but He caves in all of the big games, and that is putting it nicely. Georgia 06, LSU 07, Kansas 07. All heart breaking loses. He split time with Tyrod this year, do you see them splitting time again, or will Tyrod take the reigns once and for all?

Budd
Munhall, PA

Budd,

I think you are a little hard on Glennon. He did lead you to a victory in the ACC title game against Boston College, and if not for a defensive breakdown, the Hokies would’ve beaten Boston College the first time at Tech. Brandon Ore had a rough year rushing the ball, and that allowed teams to tee off on Glennon when he was in the game knowing he lacked mobility.

That being said if you can prove to me, well I guess I should say, if Tyrod can prove to Coach Beamer that he can throw the ball with better than average consistency and accuracy, then I see no reason why he should not be the quarterback for this upcoming season. He brings an added dimension to the game with his ability to scramble and run the ball that Glennon lacks. The real issue might be when and if Taylor wins the job, will Glennon become a cancer in the locker room or will he help this young man mature as a quarterback.

The SEC was a powerhouse last year. Will they remain the elite conference, or do you see another sharing or stealing the spotlight? With the big 12 having the most teams in the end of year top 10, are they contenders?

Frank
Oklahoma

Frank,

When I look at the expected preseason polls for 2008, I think that you will see Georgia ranked in the top 2, as well as Florida, LSU, and Auburn all in the top 15 to 20. Also, Tennessee, South Carolina, and Alabama all could be in the top 25. Week in and week out I don’t think there is a tougher conference to go through than the SEC. Just look at the recruiting rankings year after year…most of the top teams are from the SEC. The SEC also has the last two National Champions as well as some of the most sought after coaches in the country. So for right now, I think the SEC holds the #1 spot.

The Big 12 really surprised me last year. I believe Oklahoma and Texas will once again be contenders and we will find out if Missouri and Kansas are for real or just one year wonders. I think that with the amount of players returning at key positions, both the Tigers and Jayhawks will be back near the top of the Big 12 North. Colorado and Texas Tech are two other emerging teams to keep an eye on.

Another year like 2007 could find his seat very hot

Dear ITB,
Do you see Notre Dame returning to prominence (respectively, of course), or do you see more losing seasons in their future? Can you provide your opinions on the future of Charlie Weis as the Irish head coach?

Thanks,
Johnny
Lacey, WA

Johnny,

In 2008, I still expect Notre Dame to experience some more growing pains. It will not be as bad as the 2007 season where they only won 3 games, but they will not be seeing a 9 or 10 win season next year. There are still a lot of question marks on the offensive line. Not only could the Irish not rush the ball last year, but they almost got Jimmy Clausen killed. At all of the skilled positions on offense, I think the Irish are well set. Now they just need to be able to get those skilled players the ball and use their ability to make defenders miss in the open field.

Charlie Weis will be there for the foreseeable future, when I say that I say for at least two more seasons. I think the faithful were able to write off last season as an anomaly, but he must go to a bowl game this year and the year after he must be at least contending for a BCS bowl game. Looking at the loads of talent Weis has brought in, and the schedule in front of him for the next two seasons, I see no reason why this should not happen.

A lot of teams had emerging seasons last year. To name a few, UConn, Cincy, Illinois, Mizzu, Kansas, Virginia, Hawaii. Which of these do you think were a fluke, and which do you think are here to stay. Do you see anyone new coming on the scene in 2008?

Gary
Hollywood, FL

Graham’s Christmas wish: For an Average Defense

Gary,

I really wouldn’t call any of them a fluke, but I do think Hawaii was a bit soft. I was going to throw in Kansas, but they did beat a tough Virginia Tech team in the Orange Bowl, so you can’t argue with them. They do, however, have to play both Oklahoma and Texas next season, so that will be two tough tests for them. Taking a step back will be Connecticut, Cincinnati (the loss of Ben Mauk), Virginia, and Hawaii.

One surprise team is will be someone from my own neck of the woods, the Pittsburgh Panthers. If Pitt can develop a consistent passing game to go with Shady McCoy, they could be dangerous. The Panthers played well the second half of the season, and really started believing in themselves. If not for a horrible pass interference call in the Rutgers game, the Panthers would’ve went bowling after the defeat of West Virginia.

Another team that isn’t talked about but is not a total surprise is the Clemson Tigers. Cullen Harper is the best quarterback returning in the ACC, and might have been better than Matt Ryan down the stretch. Also returning for the Tigers are the best duo of running backs (now that Jones and McFadden are gone) in James Davis and CJ Spiller.

I think that 2008 could be the year that Texas Tech contends for the Big 12 title. Graham Harrell is back, as well as his favorite target Michael Crabtree. The Red Raiders are going to put up huge offensive numbers, now they just have to find an average defense to go with it.

If not for all the suspensions and the academic scandals, I would have put Florida State in this list too.

Now it is time to look at the Big East Conference as they all head towards spring practice and prepare for the 2008 season.

West Virginia
Spring Practice Begins - March 14
Spring Practice Ends - April 19 with their squad scrimmage that day.

The Mountaineers must put all of the off the field circus behind them and just focus on what is at hand for the upcoming season. With Steve Slaton gone, WVU will have to develop Noel Devine as more of a full time back. His smaller frame might not durable enough to handle the beating that an every down back must encounter, so a suitable back-up would be another priority. Next the Mountaineers need to establish a go to receiver so that teams can not just focus on the run. It will be interesting to see how Bill Stewart and his new staff do this spring.

Pittsburgh
Spring Practice Begins - March 25
Spring Practice Ends - April 19 with their squad scrimmage that day.

The Panthers improved a ton in the second half of the season. They already know they have a go to back in Shady McCoy, but now Wannstedt must develop a passing game to go with McCoy. If that does happen, the Panthers could be deadly heading into 2008. The quarterback battle will commence between Bill Stull, Pat Bostick, and Kevan Smith. Whoever wins that job should get a boost when Derek Kinder comes back from injury. Improving the offensive line is another important job for the Panthers. Phil Bennett takes over as defensive coordinator and inherits a good group of linebackers.

Rutgers
Spring Practice Begins - March 11
Spring Practice Ends - April 19 with their squad scrimmage that day.

There is really just one important job for the Scarlet Knights come this spring, find a replacement for Ray Rice. Their passing game is fine, but they could use a little more consistancy from Mike Teel. This is his team now and with wide receivers like Kenny Britt and Tiquan Underwood, he should have plenty of open targets to throw the ball to. That is if he can find the time to throw, since Rutgers has to replace 60% of their starting offensive linemen.

Louisville
Spring Practice Begins - March 19
Spring Practice Ends - April 18 with their squad scrimmage that day.

Life after Brian Brohm begins this spring, and also they lost their go to wide receiver in Mario Urrutia. So this spring will be spent finding a new quarterback, which could be young Matt Simms and finding some wide receivers to throw the ball to. Scott Long and Trent Guy likely will fill in for void left by Urrutia. The 2007 season was a big disappointment for Louisville mainly because of the defense. This spring will be spent trying to find 3 new linebackers since all of them have departed.

Cincinnati
Spring Practice Begins - April 1
Spring Practice Ends - April 26 with their squad scrimmage that day.

Unfortunately for the Bearcats, Ben Mauk did not get granted another year of eligibilty so not only do they have to find some way to improve their running game, but now they have to find a new quarterback. Tony Pike and Dustin Grutza are two canidates to take over for Mauk. Another candidate to keep your eye on is Demetrius Jones. Most remember him from his days at Notre Dame. Now that he has sat out the year, he can challenge for the starting spot this fall.

Connecticut
Spring Practice Begins -March 18
Spring Practice Ends - April 19 with their squad scrimmage that day.

Tyler Lorenzen had an average year, but the Huskies need for him to step up and become a leader and a more consistent quarterback. But bad news for Lorenzen is that his leading receiver from last year Terence Jeffers, has decided to transfer. Brad Kanuch and former quarterback D.J. Hernandez will have to fill the void. The Huskies will not be able to sneak up on teams like they did last year, so they must be prepared for everyone’s best.

Syracuse
Spring Practice Begins -March 19
Spring Practice Ends - April 19 with their squad scrimmage that day.

This could be Greg Robinson’s last spring at Syracuse if he does not improve this program’s status. Robinson and his staff must find a way to start scoring some points. The Orange’s offense under Robinson has not been a good one, and now this is a make or break year for them. They will have to replace WR Taj Smith who was the Orange’s #2 receiver last year. Lavar Lobdell, Da’Mon Merkerson, and incoming freshman Marcus Sales will fight for that position.

South Florida
Spring Practice Begins -March 18
Spring Practice Ends - April 12 with their squad scrimmage that day.

What made the Bulls so effective on the defensive side of the ball was that they had confidence in their corners to play man-to-man and that allowed the defensive line and linebackers to blitz a lot. Now that those two corners have graduates, the Bulls must find some suitable replacements. In his first two seasons Matt Grothe has thrown 1 more touchdown than interception. That is fine for a freshman and sophomore, but now as a Junior he must protect the ball better and make better decisions. It would also help if the Bulls found a good running back to take some of the pressure off of Grothe.

In an ongoing series I will look at the BCS conferences and when their spring practice starts and ends for this season. Spring football is really important since it is where most battles commence and get settled for most positions. I will first start out on the left coast, and talk about the Pac 10.

USC
Spring Practice Begins - March 25
Spring Practice Ends - April 19 with their squad scrimmage that day.

John David Booty has graduated so Pete Carroll will use this spring to settle on Mark Sanchez and Mitch Mustain at quarterback. Hopefully this time if Mustain does not get QB1 he wouldn’t pout and transfer like he did with Arkansas. Also, it will be an important spring for Vidal Hazelton to become a legit #1 wide receiver and also to unmuddy the Trojans’ backfield with all those starts fighting for carries.

UCLA
Spring Practice Begins - April 3
Spring Practice Ends - April 26 with their squad scrimmage that day.

This will be the first set of practices for the Bruins under new head coach Rick Neuheisel. It will be all about Neuheisel and offensive coordinator Norm Chow installing their offense and having the players become comfortable with it and the new terminology. The Bruins need to have a new attitude going into the 2008 season, and expect to win games. Also, they need to settle on a quarterback, whether it be Olson, Rasshan, or Bethel-Thompson. Pick a guy, stick with him, and let him grow in the offense.

California
Spring Practice Begins - March 17
Spring Practice Ends - April 19 with their squad scrimmage that day.

Coach Tedford will have to find some new offensive weapons since DeSean Jackson and Justin Forsette have graduated. Nate Longshore has to improve on his disappointing 2008 campaign and better watch because if he is lax, Kevin Riley is right behind him wanting to take his job. Riley is best known for taking a sack at the end of the Oregon State game which allowed time to run out, that was the start of Cal’s downward spiral last season.

Oregon
Spring Practice Begins - April 2
Spring Practice Ends - April 26 with their squad scrimmage that day.

Dennis Dixon and Jonathan Stewart have graduated, not good news for Ducks’ fans. Cody Kempt and Justin Roper will fight it out for the QB1 job. Roper had an impressive 4 touchdown performance against South Florida in the Sun Bowl and will hope to build off of that in the spring. Andre Crenshaw looks to be the man to replace Stewart for the 2008 season.

Oregon State
Spring Practice Begins - March 31
Spring Practice Ends - May 3 with their squad scrimmage that day.

The Beavers have a need for improvement on both sides of the ball. First their leading rusher, Yvenson Bernard who ran for over 3800 career yards, is gone. Ryan McCants, Ahmed Mokhtar, and Patrick Fuller all will fight for the carries with McCants having the leg up going into spring. At quarterback Lyle Moevao will duel it out with Brennan Sim for the quarterback job, while on defense they need to find 3 new linebackers since all graduated. This should be a fun spring for the Beavers.

Arizona
Spring Practice Begins - March 8
Spring Practice Ends - April 12 with their squad scrimmage that day.

I’ll just come out and say it, this is an extremely important year for Mike Stoops. I’d go as far as saying a make or break year for him. Willie Tuitama has the full support of the team but the Wildcats have yet to find him a supporting cast. That is the number 1 job for Stoops this spring, if he doesn’t, it could be his last in Arizona.

Arizona State
Spring Practice Begins - March 25
Spring Practice Ends - April 19 with their squad scrimmage that day.

In his final spring practice, Rudy Carpenter must show leadership that lacked a little bit at the end of last season. For two seasons now the Sun Devils have handed Carpenter the keys, now he must show that he can put the team on his back and challenge USC for the Pac 10 title. He might have a little bit of trouble though, since most of his offensive line has graduated. Maybe Rudy should learn how to scramble this spring.

Stanford
Spring Practice Begins - Feb 26
Spring Practice Ends - April 12 with their squad scrimmage that day.

Jim Harbaugh and the Cardinal ended the season on a great note beating Cal, now he must continue that momentum into Spring ball. Harbaugh might be a bit loud spoken but he has confidence in what he can do with this team. Tavita Pritchard is the returning quarterback with some playing experience but Stanford does not have any play makers as of now on offense. That is important to get this spring as well as the defense getting acclimated with new defensive coordinator Ron Lynn’s schemes.

Washington
Spring Practice Begins - April 3
Spring Practice Ends - April 22 with their squad scrimmage that day.

Huskies’ head coach Ty Willingham made some shake ups with his staff, hiring Ed Donatell to run the defense. This is a last ditch effort for Willingham, as he is another coach in this conference on the hot seat. Washington showed some promise early in the season last year but fizzled once conference play started. Quarterback Jake Locker should use the spring to work on his passing skills, this guy is going to be a good quarterback by the time his days are done here. He also has to gel with his receivers and running backs so that teams cannot just key on him.

Washington State
Spring Practice Begins - March 17
Spring Practice Ends - April 12 with their squad scrimmage that day.

This will be the first spring practice for new Cougars’ coach Paul Wulff. His first priority will be to find a new quarterback…Gary Rogers and Cole Morgan look to be the front runners.

Once again I was a guest on Adam Nettina’s show Under Center. I recorded the interviewed and those who could not listen to it live, can listen to it in this podcast. Adam and I talk about what coaching changes we thought were the best and the worst, the Terrelle Pryor saga, and the competition difference between Division 1-A and 1-AA. To download this episode click here.

Remember, if you want the podcast you must subscribe to the Feedbuner but if you want to subscribe to the blog please use the RSS feed. This is for iTunes to be able to archive the shows. Enjoy this week’s episode of In The Bleachers and if you have any questions or comments to the show please email them to inthebleachers AT gmail DOT com.

We are 6 days removed from the 2008 LOI day and there are really only a few things to look forward to if you are a college football fan. First is the Terrelle Pryor saga and where he will end up signing. As I understand it right now, he will visit Penn State this weekend and is still thinking about going to Oregon, but that’s a long shot right now. In my opinion, it is down to Ohio State, who I believe is still his leader, and Penn State for his services. According to this statistical model done by the Mercer University School of Business and Economics, Penn State has a 35.9% probability of signing him with Ohio State second at 23.8%.

I believe if Penn State is honest with him about what the plan will be after Joe Paterno retires, they will have a great shot in landing him. I will be talking about Pryor and other recruiting news on tonight’s Under Center show with Adam Nettina. If you check out Adam’s site, you will see how to listen live to the show. It runs every Tuesday from 8pm to 10pm and tonight I am slated to go on at 9pm EST. Once again I will record the show and put it up for a podcast so the readers of this blog can hear the interview.

Russell Shepard is a name to remember

The final recruiting rankings are out, and since Pryor’s signing will have no impact on the top 5…here they are from Rivals.com.

1. Alabama
2. Notre Dame
3. Florida
4. Miami
5. Oklahoma

But if you take a closer look at the commitment list you will see that both Alabama and Miami have 32 and 33 signees respectively. Since you can only take 25 per year, that leaves a few people that the schools are expecting won’t qualify and have to go the prep school route, or greyshirt and enroll in the school in January of 2009. Rivals.com usually updates this list again near fall camp time.

One team name you don’t see up there is the USC Trojans, but they have already had a head start on the 2009 class. As of this moment the Trojans have 9 verbal commitments for 2009. Matt Barkley is regarded as the #1 QB recruit in the 2009 class and is the marquee guy to verbal to USC so far. It use to be that Texas would be the team that jumped out front with the early verbals, but USC has beat them to the punch this year.

An interesting battle that will be shaping up on the recruiting field will be one for the athletic quarterback Russell Shepard from Texas. Sheppard has already attended Texas’ Junior Day, but has not committed to them yet, and now word out of Michigan is that they are hot after him since the Wolverines are skeptical that they will not get Pryor in this class. Shepard has said that he wants a chance to play QB and he would get that at Michigan and most likely start there, but at Texas he would face some stiff competition and might end up playing another position. This is a battle I would definitely keep my eye on.

Don’t forget bloggers that voting for the 2007 College Football Blogger Awards is underway. Check out EDSBS for all of the details on how to vote.

Throughout the day I will be posting my comments and some news that happens during the first day that the 2008 High School class can sign their letters of intent. Usually we have a few shockers and a few switches, so we could be in for a long ride. All times posted are EST just for your information.

6:45 AM EST - This came in late last night but it will be the first thing posted today. There is more of a possibility that Terrelle Pryor will not sign today. Late last night, he sent a message to the coordinator of Rivals.com recruiting and told him that he is still undecided. He wants to take an official visit to Penn State and possibly Oregon. His father has been impressed all along with the way Penn State has handled his recruiting. As of right now, Pryor will not commit today. This latest article details what he has been going through the last day. From my understanding of that article Pryor was going to pick Ohio State, and his father wants him to go to Penn State.

7:45 AM EST - A non Pryor update for once. The top RB on the board still left uncommitted, Darrell Scott will announce at 12:50 pm and from what I am hearing, Colorado is going to win the Big 12 battle over Texas. Julio Jones, a 5 star WR from Alabama will announce at 12:30 p.m., and I believe his home state will be elated with his decision.

8:13 AM EST - Despite a late push from Tennessee and Penn State, WR Deion Walker sticks with his commitment to Notre Dame.

Big day in Ann Arbor early

9:25 AM EST - Michigan has reportedly gotten an LOI from Roy Roundtree, a 4 star WR from Ohio. Roundtree did verbal to Purdue earlier in the year. Four-star offensive guard Josh Jenkins signed with West Virginia after taking a look at Florida State and Ohio State when Rich Rodriguez left WVU.

9:30 AM EST - DUAL FLIP ALERT!!! Michael Shaw has switched from Penn State to Michigan. So the Nittany Lions get spanked off the field by the Wolverines too! Michigan also gets Ricky Barnum away from the clutches of the mighty Urban. Big day for Michigan so far, Barnum is a 4 star center.

9:43 AM EST - Not exactly recruiting news but former Wolverine and current Razorback Ryan Mallett is petitioning to play next season. He is hoping that the NCAA will waive the year he has to sit out. Good luck with that…FLIP ALERT!! - Ramon Buchanan who had committed to Miami, then switched to Florida, and now has signed his LOI with Miami.

Canes building momentum

9:54 AM EST - Just taking a quick look at the Rivals.com Team Rankings…Florida will most likely fall from #1 since they have lost two players already, so that leaves a battle between Alabama and Notre Dame for the Mythical Recruiting Championship of 2008. Saban and Weis are really doing a good job with teams that combined for 9 wins in 2007.

10:00 AM EST - Another team that I have to give props to early on is “Da U”. The University of Miami has pulled out some great recruits early on…Tommy Streeter, Ben Jones, Kendall Thompkins, and the aforementioned Buchanan. All blue chip recruits that could bring Miami back to the top of the ACC.

10:17 AM EST - Okay forgive me…I jumped the gun a little bit on Michael Shaw, but that is what a live blog is all about…rumors…predictions…and sometimes they are wrong. Shaw just stated at his press conference that he is too conflicted and hasn’t made a decision even though the Rivals.com Michigan report had said that he (Shaw) chose Michigan. Shaw will come back at 1 pm EST to make his choice.

10:24 AM EST - Butch Davis had a great year last year on LOI Day, but he just lost E.J. Abrams-Ward. Abrams- Ward is a 6-foot-5, 210-pound athlete from Thomasville (N.C.) High and chose Tennessee over North Carolina. He has expressed interest in playing basketball in college.

10:45 AM EST - My eyes are crossing and we are only a little over 4 hours into LOI Day. This is great! It’s like the NFL Draft for college football fans. Omar Hunter who originally committed to Notre Dame…then switched to the Gators is now torn on who to sign with. This could be more bad news for Gator fans. Four star Tight End Dwayne Allen has picked Clemson over Georgia according to 790 The Zone in Atlanta.

10:54 AM EST - Some news on the wafflers…Michael Shaw is apparently upset because someone leaked the info of where he was going before he announced it. So what…if you know where you want to go, does it really matter if a stupid internet recruiting person said it first? Omar Hunter is concerned now that Florida co-defensive coordinator Greg Mattison is going to take a job with the Baltimore Ravens. Another recruit Corey Lewis who had verballed to Virginia and recently opened his recruiting back up has set a 3 pm press conference. Rumor has it he will choose Ron Zook and the Illini.

Never doubt the power of The Pete

11:05 AM EST - If it wasn’t a big enough kick in the nuts for Nebraska fans to get squashed by Kansas (like the Mangino reference?) but apparently Kendall Thompkins showed up to his announcement wearing Nebraska gear…only to pick the Canes. Ouch! I had Kevin Jones flashbacks there! Omar Hunter ended the speculation and signed with Florida.

11:20 AM EST - As I speculated before, Florida has dropped from #1 in the overall recruiting rankings with Notre Dame being the new #1 and Alabama at #2. Nick Perry is set to announce anytime now and he is between USC and Michigan. Also there are more grumblings about Sam McGuffie and a possible switch from Michigan.

11:23 AM EST - A chink in the armor of USC as Joe Adams signs with Arkansas.

11:35 AM EST - I am still awaiting word on Nick Perry but a few kids from the prep school ranks have signed their LOIs. Running back Enrique Davis chose Mississippi over a host of other schools and his old teammate, Quinton Coples signed with North Carolina. Davis was widely considered the top prep school recruit in the nation.

11:39 AM EST - Just when I go a take a shot at Pete Carroll, he goes and gets one of the best defensive ends out there…Nick Perry picked USC over Michigan and Miami.

11:50 AM EST - Update on Julio Jones who will annouce in about 45 minutes. They are setting up the tables and put 4 hats on it…Alabama, Oklahoma, Florida State, and Florida. He also got reportedly got a call from the Governor of Alabama last night to push the Tide. Next up for the USC train is hopefully TJ Bryant but they are in a battle with Florida State and Miami for him.

11:54 AM EST - News is flying in like crazy…I have learned that Khiry Battle will sign with Arkansas. Battle, from Dacula (Ga.), is a standout running back and safety will chose the Hogs over the Rebels (HT: MJ4H).

11:56 AM EST - Ron Zook has a huge smile on his face right now as he just stole a recruit right in his old stomping grounds of Florida. Corey Liuget picked the Illini over LSU. Watch out Big Ten, Zook is for real! Clemson also picks up their 4th 4 star of the day with OT Antoine McClain. Give me some slack for the next few minutes as I attempt to stuff my mouth with food for lunch.

12:25 PM EST - I am full of energy with food in my belly. Here is some news that I have been hinting towards which is now making its ranks to the official news. Sam McGuffie might be following in the footsteps of Terrelle Pryor…and not sign today. Like I said last night in my interview and today on the blog, McGuffie is having second thoughts about signing with Michigan. Notre Dame have received 23 LOI’s today and they might not be done. Four star RB Milton Knox is having second thoughts about signing with UCLA.

Clemson is creeping up

12:35 PM EST - Okay I am officially done picking against USC. The Trojans pull in TJ Bryant and Alabama pulls in a stud WR with Julio Jones like I said earlier.

12:50 PM EST - A 4 star athlete from Montour PA, Christian Wilson, was once a verbal to Michigan but now has signed with North Carolina. Wilson picked the Tar Heels over Boston College. It seems as if the momentum that Michigan built early is fading. Another signal of that is now there is smoke to the rumor where Michael Shaw will actually honor his verbal commitment to Penn State and we will find that out in about 10-15 minutes.

Hawkins gets his man

12:55 PM EST - This is a bit of old news…relatively speaking of course but Clemson got a signed LOI from Jamie Harper today. Harper is a 4 star fullback that ran for over 1400 yards this year. The Clemson Tigers are another team quietly moving up the recruiting rankings.

1:04 PM EST - The number 1 ranked running back recruit Darrell Scott chooses to go to Colorado over Texas.

1:10 PM EST - You didn’t actually think that Urban Meyer would lose everyone did you? TJ Lawrence picked the Gators over Michigan, Virginia Tech and South Carolina. Now Gator fans can celebrate a victory over the Wolverines.

1:15 PM EST - What is that wooshing sound I hear? It is the Hurricanes picking up another 4 star commitment. Brandon Harris chose Miami over Ohio State, UCF, Ohio State, and Florida. Michael Shaw’s press conference is going on now.

1:19 PM EST - Michael Shaw picks Michigan. Bad day for the Nittany Lions they are getting slaughtered. They have to hope some how to get Pryor and even that in my opinion is very unlikely.

1:34 PM EST - I am through making predictions that much I know…but I will make some educated speculations. With Shaw going to Michigan, they are getting close to their limit of scholarships. That means they either have to greyshirt someone or they won’t be able to take someone that might still be undecided…McGuffie…Pryor. Maybe they know something we don’t? I gotta give a hat tip to the Notre Dame staff for pulling in the 23 kids they did after a 3-9 season. It’s funny how they can sell a school that last won a bowl game when these kids were 3 or 4 years old. I can’t be too nice to the Domers.

What will we do with all these recruits?!?!

1:38 PM EST - FLIP ALERT!!! - It is about time we have another filp-flop…things were starting to get a little boring around here. Four star wide receiver Sedrick Johnson went back on his word to go to Texas A&M and chose…really…ummm…Iowa State. I’m serious on that one. I was also looking at the team recruiting rankings and noticed that as of now Minnesota has the 17th ranked class. Tim Brewster is going be turning that program around in no time.

2:01 PM EST - Michigan recruit Dann O’Neill does not seem too worried about Sam McGuffie going back on his verbal commitment. O’Neill said he knows McGuffie loves Ann Arbor…well if he loves it that much, what is he waiting for?

2:20 PM EST - The defending MNC LSU Tigers got some good news today when 5 star cornerback Patrick Johnson decided to pick LSU and also 4 star offensive tackle Greg Shaw plans on joining him. Right now LSU is just outside the top 10 at 11 in the recruiting rankings.

2:55 PM EST - As you can tell the news is slowing down to a pace of a trickle. There are still a few big names left to commit, mainly in California. So once I get word I will post them. Thanks to everyone who has been checking back throughout the day, this has been a fun day to say the least.

3:23 PM EST - Alabama continues to add to their list of massive recruits as they locked up four-star linebacker Jerrell Harris. The Tide right now sit at about 31 for today…somebody should let Saban know that he can’t have all these kids come into camp this fall. Come on Bama…leave some for the rest of the country!!

3:59 PM EST - In case you were curious on who was still left to commit today….check out this page on Rivals.com.

6:38 PM EST - News out of Arkansas is saying that four star OL Matt Hall from Russelville, AR has signed with Arkansas but his parents have not signed their part of the LOI. Rumors are flying that they want him to go to Ole Miss. The 3pm press conference at Arkansas had no mention of Hall since it is forbidden to talk about a recruit that hasn’t signed yet, but he did sign with Arkansas in front of the media this afternoon.

9:32 PM EST - Four star RB Milton Knox stays with his initial verbal and signs with UCLA.

10:30 PM EST - Sam McGuffie ends the suspense and sends his LOI in to Michigan.

10:38 PM EST - FLIP ALERT TIMES TWO!!! Uona Kavienga, who had previously verballed to BYU and UCLA, signs his LOI with USC.