Alex, I'll take "Things you can see coming from 1,000 miles away" for $200. What? Bryce Brown is being investigated?!? Why, I never.
Kiffin said Brown is eligible but said he doesn’t know if Brown will be eligible for UT’s season opener against Western Kentucky on Sept. 5. ...
At question is money raised for Brown and other players to attend football camps while Brown was a sophomore at Wichita (Kan.) East High School, Kiffin said. The investigation has been ongoing since at least February.
Now, knowing Lane Kiffin, I'm sure he handled this in a mature manner and didn't essentially say "Not FAIR!!!" You know, forget I even said that.
Kiffin said the practice of raising money for high school players to attend camps is common. Kiffin said five or six other high school players also were involved with the fund raising.
"None of them are dealing with this but him," Kiffin said.
That buzz you hear is the speculation about the role "advisor" Brian Butler -- because it would be unethical and against the rules for Brown to have an "agent" -- in all of this. KNS labels Butler's potential involvement "unclear." But, keeping in mind that NCAA investigations have the tendency to morph from one thing to another, he is the land mine.
The wildcard in the game could be Brian Butler, who had a curiously prominent role in Brown's recruitment. At one point, he was even charging for Brown recruiting updates on a Web site. The NCAA frowned, and Brown discontinued the information-for-pay.
As for the charges themselves, Rocky Top Talk sees little coming from it unless the NCAA is in the mood to get creative.
I will be very interested to see if they term a football camp 'playing a sport' because that's a broad application of the term.
Somewhere, a Tennessee booster is preparing a subpoena for Nick Saban.
At least the plan is working brilliantly.
Pappy Bowden not buying Tebowmania
Too say that Bobby Bowden doesn't fancy Tebow as the GPOOE (TM Blutarsky) is an understatement.
"People keep asking me about Tebow," Bowden said. "You know, is he the best ever? I don’t know if he’s better than Charlie. I don’t think he runs better than Charlie. I don’t think he throws better than Charlie. And Charlie only played [quarterback] two years for us."
Charlie Ward? You're going to put Tim Tebow as No. 2 or No. 1a because of Charlie Ward? Jeremy Fowler will take your challenge, with a post showing that Tebow's completion percentage is 2.8 points higher, he's more than a yard a half better per passing attempt, he has 18 more TDs and 11 fewer interceptions (half as many, to put it another way) and outdoes Ward in rushing TDs 43 to 10. Even accounting for Tebow being in college football two and half seasons so far to Ward's two, it's hard to take that comparison too seriously.
Looks like Ward will need to win the intangible category, because his statistics don't measure up to Tebow's.
Indeed.
GQ gets, um, unprecented access?
Tim Tebow bares his chest for the men's magazine.
QB controversy? All part of the plan
Boy Wonder thinks it's great to be unable to choose a quarterback two and a half weeks before the season begins. Really.
Is Nick Saban coaching Florida?
Two more players leave the team for medical reasons.
Vandy loses key defensive lineman
A broken foot will keep DE Steven Stone out for "at least six weeks."
That 'minor' back injury for Randall Cobb?
You tend not to travel from Lexington to Columbus, Ga., for a bit of pain.
When asked whether the injury is serious, Brooks replied, "It's serious enough that he couldn't practice, and we need to get it straightened out. We just have to see what (the problem) is. If it's just muscle spasms, we need to get him in a stretching routine that will help."
Keep an eye on this.
How's that 'physical' approach to practice working out for you?
Not so good for Georgia, which saw no fewer than six players sit out with hamstring injuries Tuesday.
That's convenient
Veazey:
Still no interviews for RB Anthony Dixon. My request was denied on grounds that his punishment includes not being able to talk to the media.
Low: 'Backs will be a big part of Hogs' passing game'
How's that different than under Houston Nutt?
Oh, they're going to catch the ball, not throw it. I see.
Another SEC reality TV series
This one based in Auburn, though with the show coming from CSS, I wouldn't bet on Survivor-type production quality. (HT: Dr. Saturday)
There is no football in Kentucky
Instead, the focus on Thursday night -- 16 days before college football starts -- will be on a television special to unveil the basketball slate. This would never happen for football. Granted, it's harder to get excited about the thrilling nonconference tilt with Norfolk State, but still ...
Actually, football has been played there
Pop quiz: Which five teams have never lost to a Rich Brooks-coached Kentucky team? Name the three league teams against which Brooks has a winning record.
(1. Alabama, Auburn, Florida, South Carolina, Tennessee; 2. Vanderbilt, Mississippi State and Arkansas.)
Does Gramps Google actually know it's spelled 'punk'd'?
A nice Monte Kiffin profile from the St. Petersburg Times.
SWINE FLU's latest victim is 'Meet the Rebels Day'
Houston Nutt doesn't want his players exposed to the vicious disease.
Dicky's World returns
This time: Dicky Lyons Jr. tries out for the UFL's Orlando Tuskers.
Eli Gold will always be Alabama football to me
I remember listening to him in Alabama back when I was young and the only Auburn fan in my family -- back when ESPN was still growing and was far from a wholly-owned subsidiary of the SEC, meaning games weren't always on TV.
His fact-checking and writing, though, could apparently use a little work.