Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Alamo Bowl

Oklahoma State vs. Arizona

  
   Oklahoma State looks to cap a memorable year with a school-record 11th victory in San Antonio's Alamo Bowl on Wednesday night when it squares off against an Arizona team hoping to salvage a win from a disappointing final two months of the season.

   The 16th-ranked Cowboys (10-2) were picked to finish fifth in the Big 12 South this season, but ended up tying for the division title and setting a school record with 10 regular-season wins.  They are making a school-record fifth straight bowl appearance. 

    The Wildcats seemed like they might be headed to a BCS bowl earlier this year, climbing as high as ninth in the rankings, but four straight losses to close the regular season quickly ended those hopes. Arizona is still appearing in a third consecutive bowl game, matching the school's previous best string from 1992-94.

   Oklahoma State leads the FBS in total offense at 537.6 yards per game, ranks third in scoring at 44.9 points and boasts three skill position players named to the all-Big 12 first team.

   Justin Blackmon is the conference's player of the year, the Biletnikoff Award winner and a first-team All-American after leading the nation with 151.4 receiving yards per game and 18 touchdown catches. He needs eight yards against Arizona to break the NCAA sophomore receiving yards record of 1,672, set by Pittsburgh's Larry Fitzgerald in 2003. Blackmon has tied an NCAA record with 11 straight games of 100 yards receiving with a TD.

   Brandon Weeden was second in the country in yards passing per game (336.4) and fifth in touchdown passes (32). He has also thrown for 4,037 yards.

   Blackmon was joined on the All-American first team by running back Kendall Hunter. The senior is seventh in the nation with 126.3 rushing yards per game and ran for 16 TDs.  He did all this while rushing for 1,516 yards.

   Since the start of November, the Wildcats have allowed an average of 456.0 yards, 20th-worst in the FBS, and an average of 36.0 points, 27th-worst.  This is after a 7-1 start, where they were 10th nationally in points and yards allowed.

  
   While the Wildcats' defense needs to tighten up, the offense heads into the bowl playing some of its best football.

   Nick Foles has passed for 1,063 yards with nine touchdowns to just one interception in his last three games. He threw for 2,911 and 19 touchdowns the entire season.  The junior leads the Pac-10 in passing with an average of 291.1 yards and his favorite target, first-team all-conference selection Juron Criner, led the league with 73 receptions and 1,186 yards.

Prediction: Oklahoma State 49, Arizona 41

Texas Bowl

Illinois vs. Baylor

   Baylor clinched its first winning season since 1995 and earned a bowl bid for the first time since losing 10-3 to Washington State in the 1994 Alamo Bowl.

   Averaging 32.6 points and ranked 12th nationally in total yards per game (478.5), Baylor has the potential to present another challenge for the Illini, who give up an average of 24 ppg, but have had Michigan score 67 on them and Minnesota score 38. 

   Bears quarterback Robert Griffin III ranks seventh in the country averaging 315.5 yards of total offense and has thrown for nearly 3,200 yards and 21 touchdowns.

  
   Senior Jay Finley's 1,155 yards rank second on Baylor's single-season rushing list. He ran for 250 yards on 26 caries in a 47-42 home win over Kansas State on Oct. 23.  Kendall Wright's 66 receptions for a career-high 825 yards lead a group of four Bears receivers with at least 40 catches.
   
   Mikel Leshoure led all Big Ten running backs with 1,513 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns.  Leshoure ranks eighth in the country with 126.1 rushing yards per game.

   Nathan Scheelhaase has thrown for 1,583 yards and 17 touchdowns in his first collegiate season.  He has shown why he was one of the country's best dual-threat quarterback recruits, as he has rushed for 815 yards and four touchdowns.

   A.J. Jenkins is Scheelhaase's favorite target, having caught 50 balls for 694 yards and seven touchdowns.

Prediction: Baylor 35, Illinois 21

Military Bowl

East Carolina vs. Maryland

   This game makes for an interesting case as Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen will no longer be the coach of the Terps after the game.  After winning ACC Coach of the Year in 2010, the Maryland Athletic Department decided to buy out Friedgen.

   Maryland (8-4) is back in a bowl game for the first time since beating Nevada 42-35 in the 2008 Humanitarian Bowl in Boise.  Maryland's return to the postseason came after the Terps dropped their last seven games of 2009 and finished 2-10.
   
   The Pirates are centered around a passing game that is among the best in the nation, averaging 319.3 yards with 37 touchdowns.

   Dominique Davis shattered team records with 36 TD passes, 3,699 yards and 358 completions -- 99 more than the previous mark. The junior, in his first season at East Carolina, connected on 64.9 percent of his throws and had 14 interceptions.

   Davis threw 18 TDs and four picks while posting a 145.2 rating over the last five games.
Receivers Dwayne Harris and Lance Lewis are Davis' top targets. Harris has a Conference USA-high 93 receptions along with 1,055 yards and 10 touchdowns.  Lewis' 78 catches are third in the league, and he has a team-best 13 TD receptions and 979 yards.
   
   While East Carolina's offensive power is clear, the defense has had major problems. The unit is the worst in the country, allowing averages of 43.4 points and 478.8 yards -- 220.8 rushing.  The Pirates have given up 54.8 points per game over the last five contests.

   Terps freshman Danny O'Brien is coming off a stellar performance in the season finale, going 33 of 47 for 417 yards and throwing four touchdowns to Torrey Smith. O'Brien has thrown for 2,257 yards, 21 scoring passes and six interceptions.

   Torrey Smith is tied for the ACC lead with 12 TD catches and has 1,045 receiving yards.

Prediction:  East Carolina 49, Maryland 40

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Insight.com Bowl

Missouri vs. Iowa

   This matchup features teams going in different directions.  Iowa started the season ranked ninth and started the season 7-2, including a demolishing of then- fifth-ranked Michigan State.  But the Hawkeyes struggled down the stretch, losing their last three and struggling to defeat Indiana.  The Tigers, on the other hand, are on a three-game winning streak, one in which they have scored 35 points or more twice.

   Not only has Iowa had its problems on the field, but it has ended the season with some major off the field problems as well.  All-time leading receiver Derrell Johnson-Koulianos was arrested on drug charges and therefore suspended by Coach Kirk Ferentz,  Then Adam Robinson, the team's leading rusher who had rushed for nearly 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns was also suspended, he for failing to "comply with team expectations and policies."  The two backup running backs also left the team, leaving true freshman Marcus Coker as the starter.

   Luckily for Iowa, they still have quarterback Ricky Stanzi, who threw for 2,804 yards and 25 touchdowns, while throwing a career-low four interceptions.  With Johnson-Koulianos out, he will rely on St. Louis-native Marvin McNutt, who led the team with 51 grabs for 798 yards and eight touchdowns.  Coker rushed for 403 yards and two touchdowns in limited duty.

   But it'd not only the offense that the Tigers need to worry about.  The Iowa defense is quite stout itself being led by yet another St. Louis-native, defensive end Adrian Clayborn.  Clayborn has 51 tackles, including seven for loss and three and a half sacks.  The defensive backfield is also quite talented, led by Tyler Sash and Shaun Prater also were named first-team all-Big Ten. Sash was third on the Hawkeyes with 73 tackles and Prater tied for the team lead with four interceptions.

   Up to this year, Missouri had been known for its explosive offense.  Well this year, the Tigers have their best defense in years and it is paying off for them.  They are giving up only 15 ppg, which is fifth in the nation.  Linebackers Andrew Gachkar and Zaviar Gooden lead the team with 81 and 79, tackles, respectively, while six players have two interceptions and four more with one.  The team has forced 27 turnovers on the year.

   But that's not to say the Tiger offense hasn't been explosive.  The team is averaging 30 points per game and has become a more balanced offense this year.  While Blaine Gabbert has thrown for over 2,700 yards and 15 touchdowns, four Tigers, including Gabbert have rushed for 239 yards or more.  The team is led by De'Vion Moore who has run for 485 yards and eight touchdowns.

   After losing starters Danario Alexander and Jared Perry, everyone wondered who would step up to be the next in a recent run of great receivers.  Four receivers have 32 catches or more.  T.J. Moe leads the squad with 77 catches for 893 yards and six touchdowns.  Michael Egnew continues the line of recent Mackey Award finalists/winners and All-American tight ends after catching 83 balls for 698 yards and four touchdowns.

Prediction: Missouri 34, Iowa 21

Champs Sports Bowl

NC State vs. West Virginia

   West Virginia ranks second in the FBS in scoring defense at 12.8 points, second in rush defense at 85.1 yards and third in total defense at 251.3 yards. The squad ended the regular season playing some of its best football, allowing four touchdowns over the last four games.

   The Mountaineers also have a skilled quarterback in Geno Smith, who was second in the Big East with 2,567 passing yards and 23 touchdowns, both second most in school history behind Marc Bulger's 3,607 yards and 31 TDs in 1998.  Smith threw for a career-best 352 yards in the finale. He has one interception in his last five games.  The running game is led by Noel Devine, who has had a rough senior season, rushing for only 886 yards and six touchdowns, far fewer than what was expected after last season's nearly 1,500 yard and 14 touchdown season.

  
   That defense will look to stop a North Carolina State offense that was second in the ACC with 32.6 points per game. The unit revolves around Russell Wilson, who led the conference with 3,288 passing yards and 26 touchdowns.

   Wilson, who finished two points shy of Virginia Tech's Tyrod Taylor for All-ACC first-team honors, had eight 300-yard passing games and attempted 60 passes in the regular-season finale. The junior is also a dangerous runner, rolling up 394 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground.

Prediction: N.C. State 31, West Virginia 27

Monday, December 27, 2010

Independence Bowl

Georgia Tech vs. Air Force

   If you like running attacks, this is the game for you.  Georgia Tech and Air Force are the nations No. 1 and 2 teams in terms of rushing, with the Jackets rushing for 327 ypg, while the Falcons rush for 318. The teams combined for 299 pass attempts.

   The Yellow Jackets, however, could be without their most versatile threat. Quarterback Joshua Nesbitt broke his arm against Virginia Tech on Nov. 4 and it's uncertain if he'll be ready to play. Sophomore Tevin Washington has filled in, but he hasn't been as productive.In nine games, Nesbitt, a first-team All-ACC selection last year when the Yellow Jackets won the conference, is second on the team with 737 rushing yards and a team-high 10 touchdowns. He's also passed for 674 yards and seven scores.  Washington, meanwhile, rushed for 289 yards and three touchdowns while passing for 292 and two scores.

   Luckily for Georgia Tech, running back Anthony Allen has stepped up his game as of late, averaging over 138 ypg the last four games.  He has rushed for 1,225 yards and six scores on the season.  Regardless of who starts at quarterback, the Yellow Jackets will be without leading receiver Stephen Hill, who was one of four players declared academically ineligible. Hill had 15 receptions for 291 yards and three touchdowns.

   Unlike Georgia Tech, Air Force seems to be peaking at the right time. The Falcons have won three in a row by a combined score of 125-65. They closed the regular season with a 35-20 victory at UNLV on Nov. 18.

   Air Force is led in rushing by junior Asher Clark, who ran for 1,001 yards and five touchdowns. Quarterback Tim Jefferson has a team-high 15 rushing touchdowns and 769 yards on the ground.

   The Falcons also could have another threat if Jared Tew is be cleared to play. He suffered a broken fibula against San Diego State on Oct. 16 after rushing for 540 yards and three touchdowns in seven games.

Sunday, December 26, 2010

Little Caesar's Bowl

Florida International vs. Toledo

The Rockets return to postseason play for the first time in five years in the Little Caesar's Pizza Bowl against FIU, which will be making the first bowl appearance in its history.

Toledo, who had lost 16 games over the previous two seasons, improved dramatically this year under second-year coach Tim Beckman. They finished second in the West Division of the Mid-American Conference, and three of their losses were to teams also playing in bowls -- Boise State, Northern Illinois and Arizona.

While reaching this bowl is a great reward for Toledo, it's a remarkable achievement for FIU, which is in just its ninth season of play at any level and sixth year in the FBS. The Golden Panthers' six wins this season comprise one-fifth of their 30 victories all-time.

The Golden Panthers averaged 38.0 points while winning four of their final five games. Their offense is led by  running backs Darriet Perry (707 yards and 14 TDs in 2010) and Darrian Mallary (669 yards, two TDs). Quarterback Wesley Carroll, completed 61.8 percent of his passes for 2,483 yards with 15 TDs.

Toledo lost starting quarterback Austin Dantin to a shoulder injury during an Oct. 30 victory over Eastern Michigan, but replacement Terrance Owens doesn't seem to have missed a beat. A redshirt freshman, Owens has thrown 12 touchdown passes and only two interceptions. Owens will look to get the ball to sophomore wideout Eric Page, who had 94 receptions for 1,081 yards and eight TDs this season. The explosive Page also scored three touchdowns on kickoff returns.

Friday, December 24, 2010

Hawaii Bowl

Hawaii vs. Tulsa

   If you like offense, this is the bowl for you.  Both of these teams feature one of the top offense in the nation, with Hawaii ranking eighth nationally at 497 yards per game, while Tulsa is fifth at 504 yards per game.

   Hawaii is back ladies and gentlemen.  After a rough two years, the Warriors are back on the national stage and going for their third 11-win season in five years.  The resurgence is led by quarterback Bryant Moniz who, like former Warrior qb's Timmy Chang and Colt Brennan, loves to sling the ball around.  Moniz has thrown for 4,629 yards and 36 touchdowns, while completing two-third of his passes.  Greg Salas has caught 106 passes for 1,675 yards and 12 touchdowns.  Kealoha Pilares has 88 catches for 1,306 yards and a team-high 15 touchdowns.  While their main source of offense is through the air, their running game has been somewhat potent as well.  Alex Green has run for 1,168 yards and 17 touchdowns. 

   G.J. Kinne has been masterful running the spread offense and was named the Conference USA offensive player of the year. He threw for 3,307 yards and 28 touchdowns while rushing for a team-high 557 yards and seven scores. Kinne is fourth in the FBS in total offense at 322.0 yards per game, helping Tulsa rank fifth in total offense with 503.5 yards, 15th in rushing (219.3) and 16th in passing (284.2).  Tulsa has four players with at least 333 rushing yards. One of them is the multi-threat Damaris Johnson, who may be the team's most dangerous player aside from Kinne.  Johnson, a wide receiver, was the C-USA special teams player of the year and is the all-time FBS leader with 3,308 kickoff return yards. He is averaging 27.4 yards on kickoff returns and 12.5 on punt returns, scoring one touchdown in each fashion.  He's also rushed for 462 yards and 9.2 per carry while adding team highs of 53 receptions and 771 yards. Johnson is averaging 191.8 yards of offense.
   
   Safety Mana Silva tied for the FBS lead with eight interceptions, helping Hawaii to a nation-best 23 INTs, and is the school's all-time leader with 14. Linebackers Corey Paredes and Aaron Brown combined for seven, with Brown running two of his three INTs back for touchdowns.

   Tulsa registered 19 picks, six each by defensive backs Dexter McCoil and Marco Nelson. The Golden Hurricane, though, rank 84th in scoring defense at 29.9 points per game and 107th in total defense with an average of 442.6 yards allowed.

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Las Vegas Bowl

Boise State vs. Utah

   Three weeks ago, Boise State was playing for a chance to go to the National Championship game.  Today, they're playing in the Las Vegas Bowl against Utah, who themselves thought they could crash the BCS party in as late as October.  Two missed field goals dropped the Broncos from number three in the polls into playing in the December 22nd bowl.

   Even in their loss to Nevada, the Broncos offense seemed too good to be true.  Kellen Moore is completing 71 percent of his passes, while throwing for 3,506 yards, 33 touchdowns and a mere five interceptions.  Doug Martin has rushed for 1,113 yards and 11 touchdowns.  Backup Jeremy Avery, despite rushing 100 fewer times, has also rushed for 11 touchdowns.  Moore has two studs to throw the ball to, in Titus Young and Austin Pettis.  Young, an All-American, has caught 65 passes for 1,151 yards and nine touchdowns.  Pettis, meanwhile, has caught 59 balls for 804 yards and nine touchdowns.  Their nearly 47 ppg is second in the nation.

   Utah will be playing with their backup quarterback, Terrence Cain, who will be filling in for Jordan Wynn, who is out after having shoulder surgery.  Luckily for the Utes, Cain has a 9-1 record as a starter.  With this, Utah will probably have to rely on it's tandem of running backs, Eddie Wide (683 yards, 11 touchdowns) and Matt Asiata (673 yards, eight touchdowns).  That's not necessarily a good thing, because they are going up against a Boise State team that allows 103 yards per game, sixth in the nation.

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Beef O'Brady's Bowl Preview

Southern Miss vs. Louisville

Southern Miss will play in its ninth straight postseason game, while Louisville is making their first bowl since their 2007 Orange Bowl appearance.  The Cardinals improved from 65th to 12th in the FBS with 304.7 yards allowed per game, but will face a Southern Miss offense that ranks 15th in the FBS with 37.6 points and 458.2 yards per game.

Louisville will possibly go with three quarterbacks in the bowl game, as Justin Burke will start, but Adam Froman and Will Stein might also play.  The one good thing for the Cardinal offense is that running back Bilal Powell is going to play.  Coming off of an all-conference selection this season, he has rushed for 1,330 yards and 10 touchdowns.  His 1,330 yards ranked second in the conference behind Uconn's Jordan Todman, who rushed for 1,574 yards this season.

Unlike the Cardinals, Southern Miss relies on its offense to win games.  Seven of 12 games saw them score at least 40 points, while three more saw them score 31 points or more.  Their 38 ppg is good for 15th in the country.  Quarterback Austin Davis has thrown for 3,898 yards and 18 touchdowns, while also rushing for over 400 yards and a team-high 10 touchdowns.  Junior Kelvin Bolden has made quite a splash in his collegiate debut, having caught 41 balls for 667 yards and six touchdowns.

Monday, December 20, 2010

Poinsettia Bowl

San Diego State vs. Navy

   At first glance, you would think that this game was kind of an unfair advantage in favor of the Aztecs.  Not only is the game being played in San Diego, but in SDSU's home stadium as well.  But then when it is brought up that there is quite a Navy presence in the area, that theory is thrown out the window.

   Anyway, back to football.  Coach Brady Hoke has led an incredible turnaround of the San Diego State program.  Just last season, the team was 4-8.  The Aztecs are playing in a bowl game for the first time since 1998, which coincidentally was the last time they had a winning record.  The offense is led by quarterback Ryan Lindley, who led the Mountain West with 3,554 yards passing and 26 touchdowns, tied with TCU's Andy Dalton for most in the conference.  And Lindley has two targets he loves in Vincent Brown and DeMarco Sampson.  Brown has 61 catches for 1,187 yards and nine touchdowns, while Sampson has 65 grabs for 1,175 yards and eight scores.  The running game isn't that shabby either, as it's led by Ronnie Hillman, who has over 1,300 yards and 14 touchdowns. 

   As what has seemed like it has always been, the triple option is the bread and butter of the Navy offense.  As a team, the Midshipmen have rushed for nearly 3,500 yards and 36 touchdowns, which comes out to 289 rushing yards per game, which ranks fifth nationally.  Quarterback Ricky Dobbs is the catalyst of the offense, having run for 860 yards and 13 touchdowns.  Alexander Teich is second on the team with 825 yards and five touchdowns.  Dobbs has also thrown for 1,380 yards and 12 touchdowns.

Saturday, December 18, 2010

Humanitarian Bowl Preview

Northern Illinois vs. Fresno State

This game will be an interesting one in the fact that Northern Illinois will be playing with an interim coach because their head coach left to become the coach at Minnesota two days after their loss in the MAC title game to Miami (OH).  How the team will react is to be seen.

After an unblemished 8-0 conference record in the regular season, the Huskies earned their first ranking since 2003 and second overall.  It was very short-lived, however, as they suffered their first loss to a MAC team in the conference championship game.  Soon after their coach, Jerry Kill, left  to take over the head coaching duties in Minnesota.  The Gophers are going to have to stop a vaunted Huskie rushing attack.  Their 265 yards per game rank them seventh in the NCAA and their 38 ppg is 13th.  The running attack is headed by the running back-quarterback tandem of Chad Spann (1,293 yds, 20 TD) and quarterback Chandler Harnish (764 rushing yards, five rushing touchdowns, 2.230 passing yards, 20 passing touchdowns and only five interceptions).

While the Bulldogs' statistics don't jump out at you like NIU's, they are a very balanced attack, throwing for 214 yards per game and rushing for 157.  Ryan Colburn has thrown for 2,529 yards and 21 touchdowns, while his backfield mate Robbie Rouse has rushed for nearly 1,100 yards and eight touchdowns.  The offense will be tested against a Northern Illinois defense that is giving up 19 points per game.  In their wins, Fresno State is averaging 32.ppg, while scoring only 25 ppg in their four losses.

New Mexico Bowl Preview

BYU vs. UTEP

The New Mexico Bowl features a team from the Mountain West (BYU) and Conference USA (UTEP).  UTEP comes into this bowl as possibly one of the few teams that had a losing record in conference play, after finishing 3-5, en route to a 6-6 record.  After starting the season 5-1, the Miners lost five of their next six games, including three games in which they lost by 10 points of fewer, two of those being by four and three points, respectively.

The Miners don't do anything amazing and are middle of the road in all of the major statistics.  They are 60th in passing yards (220 yd/pg), 69th in rushing yards (150 yds/gm), 70th in scoring offense (26 pts/gm) and 58th in points allowed (25 pts/gm).  The offense is led by quarterback Trevor Vittatoe, who has thrown for over 2,500 yards and 19 touchdowns.  His favorite target is Kris Adams, who has 44 catches for 917 yards and 11 touchdowns.

BYU is the complete opposite of their opponents.  They started 1-4, before winning five of their next seven to finish 6-6 and third in the Mountain West.  The Cougars are led by their defense and running game.  The defense is ranked 33rd in the country in total defense, after giving up only 339 yards per game.

The offense isn't too shabby either and has been quite stellar on third downs, converting on 45 percent of their opportunities, good enough for 27th in the country.  And all of this is done behind freshman quarterback Jake Heaps.  Heaps has thrown for 2,052 yards and 11 touchdowns in his rookie campaign.  His favorite target is JJ Di Luigi, who is also the team's leading rusher.  He has rushed for 819 yards and seven touchdowns, while hauling in 42 passes for 422 yards.

New Orleans Bowl Preview

Ohio vs. Troy

Despite playing in the MAC, Ohio has got to be one of the hottest teams coming into the bowl season.  Since October 2nd, the Bobcats have won six of their last seven games, their only setback coming in their season finale to Kent State.  This is the second straight bowl appearance for Ohio,which has never won a bowl game (five all-time appearances).

The Bobcats rely on their running game.  Their 169 ypg ranked 39th in the nation.  It is spear-headed by a tandem of Vince Davidson (509 yards, six touchdowns) and Phil Bates (508 yards and three touchdowns).  Three others have rushed for over 200 yards including quarterback Boo Jackson, who is third with 325 yards and leads the team with seven rushing touchdowns. 

The Trojans, on the other hand, are one of the most prolific passing offenses in the country.  Their 290 passing yards per game ranks 12th nationally and combined with their 151 rushing yards per ga,e they rank 24th in total offense with 441 yards per game.  Corey Robinson leads the offensive attack, having thrown for 3,339 yards and 24 touchdowns, while completing 62 percent of his passes.  The great thing about the offense is that they spread it out.  The top four wide receivers have 489 receiving yards or more and three of the four have caught five touchdowns.  Two others have caught three scores.

Friday, December 3, 2010

Cam Newton Reactions

We all know the story about Cam Newton and for most people, it just seems to get more and more interesting as we go along.  The NCAA delivered its opinion on the matter the other day and it could not have opened a bigger door for future violations.

The NCAA cleared Newton to compete without conditions, saying it was Cecil Newton and "an owner of a scouting service" — former Mississippi State player Kenny Rogers — who violated amateurism rules.

The NCAA became involved over the summer in investigating the pay-for-play scheme that was discussed during Newton's recruitment. Two Mississippi State boosters accused Cecil Newton and Rogers of trying to get up to $180,000 for Cam Newton to play for the Bulldogs while the quarterback was being recruited out of junior college last year.

"Based on the information available to the reinstatement staff at this time, we do not have sufficient evidence that Cam Newton or anyone from Auburn was aware of this activity, which led to his reinstatement," Kevin Lennon, NCAA vice president for academic and membership affairs, said in a news release.

You have got to be kidding me.  The kid didn't actually know what his dad was doing?   Why would Cecil ask for money from Mississippi State but no other school?  Especially since Cam originally said that he wanted to go to MSU anyway?   That just doesn't seem right does it??  The only problem is that this will open a big can of worms that will allow future players do this and get away with it without any repercussions.

If you remember, in the summer a basketball player from Chicago, Anthony Davis, was accused of taking money from the University of Kentucky to give Coach Calipari an oral commitment.  Now, his dad, Anthony Davis Sr.,or other parents accused of doing the same thing have nothing to worry about because it can be claimed that the parent knew about the taking of the money and the player had no knowledge of it.  But how believable is all of this??

Pay for play has been going on for years and now it seems as if it will continue to be going on.  Unless this ruling is just one that is temporary until the NCAA is able to look further into the matter, it can be guaranteed that this practice will continue.  Especially since coaches can recruit kids as young as seventh grade, what's to say they won't start then?  If they do, one can only imagine the amount it can grow to until he gives whatever coach a commitment or letter of intent.

But have fun with this NCAA.  Have fun realizing what this has done to the game and that it makes it even more corrupt.  But don't forget, a kid NEVER knows what his parent is doing and is always the innocent one...