NCAA Endzone

Paul Johnson, after spending six very successful years at the Naval Academy, had been signed as the new head coach at Georgia Tech, for a deal worth 11 million over the next seven years.

At Navy, Johnson lead the Midshipmen to a 6-0 record versus Army, the longest streak by either side since the rivalry began, broke the longest losing streak to one school in the country by beating Notre Dame (who just had a big commit) this season, and is taking Navy to their 5th straight bowl game after only reaching one in the previous 20 seasons.

At the same time, the Georgia Tech program has struggled, most notably in the Georgia rivalry, where it has dropped 7 straight.

“That [Georgia game] is a game Georgia Tech needs to win,” Johnson said. “I embrace that.”

If not for Calvin Johnson, likely the greatest athlete to ever grace the Tech campus, they would’ve been hard pressed to find winning seasons in the previous few years. This season, they muddled to a 7-5 finish in a weak ACC, the 3rd such season under Chan Gailey. He also posted two 7-6 marks. The one unusual year was Johnson’s senior season, where they were invited to the Gator Bowl with a 10-2 record, falling to WVU.

After fans weren’t even thinking Johnson as a possible hire, he sprung out and is apparently a very good choice. They seem to think he can break the scary trend against Georgia and even Clemson.

Johnson was previously the head coach of Georgia Southern, where he won two Division I-AA national championships and a record five consecutive Southern Conference titles.

Johnson has said he won’t coach either team in their respective bowl games. Instead, he plans to begin his new job and might even start recruiting as early as Monday. He also plans to get his assistant coaches together soon also.

“I hope this is my last job. The hardest thing you have to do in coaching is that meeting with your team when you tell them you’re leaving. I’ve had to do that twice as a head coach, and I hope I don’t ever have to do that again.â€?

Tim Tebow won the Heisman as soon as the voting began, but he may have lost it tonight…

Darren McFadden, the senior running back at Arkansas, came in a close second to Tebow in the voting, losing by approximately 200 ‘points’. That may seem like a large margin, but when you consider that he received 1,700 total, it is just a fraction.

The scary part is that nearly 500 points had no real effect on the winner, because the voting is open to any player, not just the finalists. Meaning all those points went to people who had no real chance at winning.

Maybe even worse is that this year’s voting wasn’t all that close. In 2004, Matt Leinhart (the winner), Adrian Peterson, and Jason White all finished within 350 points of each other. The year before, Jason White beat Larry Fitzgerald by only 150 points, nearly the same amount of points uninvited Darren Sproles finished with. And just two years before that, QB Eric Crouch beat Florida QB Rex Grossman by only 62 points.

But back to this year. Granted, there is no guarantee that McFadden would’ve beat Tebow by more than 200 points even if the voted re-started after they announced the four finalists, but why test it?

While it is hard to argue against Tim Tebow, it’s easy to root for McFadden. He stayed around for his senior after finishing in 2nd last season in the voting as well, only to accomplish little that he hadn’t already. He is still the top RB prospect, and maybe the top overall, but his team did very little in the crowded SEC and he was overtaken in the Heisman by a sophomore; the first ever to win the award.

Colt Brennan finished in a distant 3rd, 1,100 points behind McFadden. Don’t feel too bad for him; he lead a Hawaii team to its biggest game ever, and the 3rd non-BCS team to get into a BCS game. Oh, and he might be the top QB in the next draft. Read more about Colt here.

That is, unless Chase Daniels has anything to say about it. He ended up in fourth place, receiving 425 points. His Missouri Tigers are headed to the Cotton Bowl, after being in the national championship game two weeks ago.

Other players receiving votes: Oregon’s Dennis Dixon (178), West Virginia’s Patrick White (150), Boston College’s Matt Ryan (63), UCF’s Kevin Smith (55, the only non-BCS player), LSU’s Glenn Dorsey (30), and Virginia’s Chris Long (17, the son of Hall-of-Famer Howie).

Criticizing the voting system is one thing. Criticizing the player is another. Tebow had a great season, played hard, and was the most important player on a great team. His 20/20 touchdown season passing and rushing was a first, and his 51 total TDs are simply amazing. Whether or not you believe McFadden, Brennan, or even Daniels is more deserving, it’s hard to say no to such a great ball player.

“And the winner is…�

Somehow ESPN has managed to turn that simple statement into nearly 2 hours worth of coverage.

As if the hour-long special wasn’t bad enough, they practically dedicate the preceding ‘SportsCenter’ to the Heisman Presentation, with about 100 different analysts giving their opinion on who they would vote for.

It really takes about 2 minutes for the actual presentation. But, about 10 minutes on each candidate, even though it has basically been narrowed to two, along with past Heisman winners hanging out and of course, commercials, the whole program is dragged out way longer than necessary.

Obviously it is all about the money, as anything is with ESPN. The true spirit of college football is that these guys throw it on the line week in, week out, without payment. They play because they love the game and want to win. However, when it comes to television, something gets lost in the translation.

This presentation is not going to change the outcome. It’s not going to change votes. And it certainly is not going to change most people’s opinion on who they think is the best player in college football.

What will it change?

My opinion on ESPN’s true nature… What happened to bringing sports to the world? When did it become about the money?

In other news, is Tennessee’s head coach on the way out? Read about it here.

Is this Tim Tebow’s year?

Regardless of what may come Saturday night, the sophomore from Florida has been unbelievable all season long, scoring 51 total touchdowns. His Gators play in the toughest conference in football and was just outside a BCS game. His video game-like stats with two years of college left will be rewriting record books before long, though one may be broken Saturday.

No sophomore has ever won the Heisman.

But at some point, your grade must be thrown out. Voters should focus on what he has done on the field, and that is lead a team that was worried that he may be more like a fullback then a field general.

So, when people disregard how old he is, and just focus on his play, he wins, right?

Maybe not…

Senior QB Colt Brennan of Hawaii’s monster stats are only half the story. The former walk-on has been without a doubt the most valuable player to his team; the only to go undefeated. Hawaii makes its first appearance in a BCS game.

Florida? It won the national championship last season, but this year is settling for a trip to Orlando and the Capital One Bowl against Michigan. While it certainly isn’t a worse case scenario for the Gators, few would have imagined the Warriors would be where they are today.

Sure, the schedules matter. But maybe people are voting more on a name and a school than a player.

Its likely, almost guaranteed, that Tebow will walk away with the Heisman. However, if this writer had a vote, it’d be for Colt Brennan.

Just how important is teamwork? Read about it here…

North Carolina has added a new jersey color to its wardrobe. Seems that the Tour de France leader gets to wear a yellow jersey, so now the leader at North Carolina gets to wear one. Thus far, it belongs to defensive-minded guys; safety Trimane Goddard had it Tuesday and two defensive linemen preceded him.

Several Maryland players are taking a yoga class. Good for them! Yoga increases flexibility and stamina, not to mention it can help you feel more focused. Sounds like a winning combination. The Jacksonville Jaguars, with all their hamstring problems, could learn a thing or two from Maryland.

Speaking of the Jacksonville Jaguars, I went to training camp yesterday. The rookies were lookin’ pretty darn sharp. The highlight of my day, however, came when former Gator Mike Peterson stopped right in front of me to assist the stretcher driver in picking up the backboards that had begun to scatter when he hit a bump. Me, being a smart ass and knowing Peterson’s sense of humor, I just couldn’t resist yelling, “Don’t you be getting on that stretcher now!” The big guy looked over his shoulder and flashed me a huge grin. It was a priceless moment, and of course all I captured of it on my camera phone (dorko forgot her camera) was Peterson’s back. Figures. I had witnesses, though, and I had to ask them if it really happened because I didn’t quite believe it myself. Even the Georgia fan next to me assured me it happened.

From the Every Day Should Be Saturday blog (warning: Gator-friendly) comes some interesting drink recipes for fans of various teams. My favorite, the Bourbon Meyer, was down in the comments somewhere.

The jury found Northern Colorado punter Mitchell Cozad, accused of stabbing the team’s starting punter in his kicking leg, guilty of second-degree assault instead of attempted murder. I didn’t think the attempted murder would stick. The assault could get him up to 16 years in prison. Surely someone will teach him how to make a shank right quick, if he doesn’t get shanked first. He’ll be an amateur among pros if he goes.

The Oregon Ducks could be playing a game in China against Boise State in 2009 … that quacks me up. Perhaps the Ducks just don’t want to play on that blue turf anymore, but that’s a long way to go to avoid it.

The Miami Hurricanes could be playing their last season at the Orange Bowl, which needs $206 million in repairs. Um, guys, you could build a new one for much less than that. If the University of Central Florida can do it, so can you. All it takes is a little planning and a pricey corporate sponsorship. Your bad on the planning part!

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The Fighting Irish don’t have a starting quarterback named, according to Charlie Weis. Dude, what’s the holdup? The season is almost here. Your lawsuit is resolved. Time to get on the stick and pick one. You have three viable candidates, which is more than some teams have. So just spin the chamber and pull the trigger already. Inquiring minds want to know who your starter is.

Wake Forest is going to be defending its first ACC title since 1970. You go, boys. You were the sleepers of last season and I always like to see sleepers win. Unless it’s FSU, of course.

South Carolina’s QB returned to practice after having academic problems. Seems he missed too many summer school classes. Well, there’s an easy solution to that one - go to class. Duh.

Speaking of South Carolina, Steve Spurrier is upset that two of his recruits were denied admission to the school even though they met the NCAA’s minimum academic standards. Um, dude. It’s a college. It’s supposed to be academically competitive. Sports are great, but academics come first. At least they should come first. If they don’t make the cut, they don’t play. Simple enough.

Florida running back Brandon James got six months probation and community service for purchasing pot. Easy solution to that one, too - don’t smoke pot, or have someone else buy it for you. Hello!

Nobody in college football should be more glad to be starting a new season than Arkansas coach Houston Nutt. The Arkansas offseason was, in a nutshell, nuts. Now it’s time for football, which means the drama level in Arkansas will revert to a normal state. At the very least, there will be something substantial to talk about.

A woman lied to the cops and said Northern Colorado punter Mitchell Cozad was with her when he was supposedly stabbing the team’s starting punter. That’s not the first time a woman has lied about being with a football player …

UCLA fans have to be excited, if this little bit from the LA Times is true. “UCLA fans had to rub their eyes and hope it wasn’t a mirage: Bruins receivers went up field and got the ball.” Well, that’s a good start. Now they just have to cross the goal line with it. Get ‘er done!

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No secrets here.

I am a Gators fan. In fact, I’m wearing my Gators championship jersey right now. I wore it all summer. So am I a little prejudiced? Um, yeah!

Because I am a good little Gators fan, I went to the spring Orange & Blue game in Gainesville. In fact, it was my first trip to a college football stadium, so I was just soaking it all in. The Swamp looks a lot different in person than it does on TV. It seemed like every seat was a good one. Even though the stadium wasn’t completely full, it was plenty exciting. But I digress.

The real treat of the day was seeing Tim Tebow do something but run. After seeing him in the Orange & Blue game, I can let you in on this one little secret that Gators fans have mostly been keeping to themselves.

The boy has an ARM! Not only can he run, he can throw. He appears to be a total-package kind of quarterback. Small wonder Gator fans are excited about him. Tebow shows signs of being everything you could want in a quarterback, on and off the field.

But does that mean he can lead the Gators to another national championship?

It’s possible. But I wouldn’t go as far as saying it’s probable. The Gators lost a lot of strong players to the NFL draft, particularly on defense. And as the reigning national champions, there will be a lot of teams gunning for them, bringing their best game in hopes of defeating the reigning national champions.

I think the Gators have as good a shot at the national championship as anyone. But I wouldn’t say it’s a lock.

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Indiana tight end Blake Powers threw a water balloon into another car while stopped at a red light, hitting the driver in the head.

Funny, right? Apparently not to the off-duty police officer who was driving the other car. Powers was arrested and charged with misdemeanor battery. Not to mention driving next to a police officer while having fun.

Was it technically a crime? Yeah. But was it worth making an arrest on? Not to me it wasn’t.

So now Powers will have to go to court and get his slap on the wrist. An inconvenience, yes, but hopefully the judge remembers what it was like to be young and wanting to have a little fun. We all act stupid when we’re young, but there’s not always criminal intent behind it.

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Boise State lovebirds Ian Johnson and Chrissy Popadics were married over the weekend, with no racial nastiness invading the ceremony. Good luck, kids. Being married is sometimes hard, but you get out of it what you put into it.

UCLA wide receivers coach Eric Scott has been put on administrative leave following a burglary charge. Coach Karl Dorrell (pictured) will take over Scott’s duties.

University of Montana cornerback Jimmy Wilson has been ordered to stand trial in the death of his aunt’s 29-year-old boyfriend. The suspended cornerback remains in jail pending an Aug. 14 hearing.

Jury selection has begun for Mitchell Cozad, the Northern Colorado backup punter accused of stabbing starting punter Rafael Mendoza in his kicking leg. The trial is expected to last about 10 days. Mendoza, unable to fully extend his kicking leg after the attack, is rehabbing the leg this summer.

Baltimore Sun reporter Heather Dinich talks about rule changes in her Terps blog. This is the first I’ve heard of any college football rule changes. Stay tuned.

And last but certainly not least, the New York Times ran a wonderful article on the Play It Smart program. Anything that helps kids finish school is a good thing in my book. A couple of the program’s graduates are considered strong candidates for the Heisman Trophy this year. Check the article out to see who they are.

It’s about to storm, and my dog is a huge baby about storms ever since the nasty Florida hurricane season in 2004. Right now he is trying to take my laptop’s place on my lap, so that will be all for today. Got to go take care of my baby.

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A few days ago, I wrote about how the wedding of Boise State running back Ian Johnson and cheerleader Chrissy Popadics was being complicated by NCAA rules on gift giving and accepting services.

Apparently, that’s not the only complication. Johnson told the Idaho Statesman that he’s had to hire security for the wedding due to racial threats.

As you can see from the picture, Johnson is black and Popadics is white.

That’s pretty sad, that a college kid has to hire security for his own wedding because he’s got the nerve to fall in love with someone who’s not the same color as he is. Love is blind, but hate is not.

One blog has been bombarded with comments from a white supremacist site after posting a story on the couple.

It’s always nice to know that there are people who have time to spew their hate and discontent around the blogosphere. I mean, have your freedom of expression and all that, but can’t you express it in a place where people actually want to read your stink?

There are some people who are still stuck in the dark ages and insist on making the rest of us uncomfortable with their extreme views on race and interracial relationships. I usually ignore them, but by doing that, am I only making the problem worse instead of better? There is no way to answer that question in a way that will have any real meaning.

All I know is that if two people truly love each other, the outside package doesn’t matter as much as what’s on the inside.

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In light of the recent investigation of NBA referee Tim Donaghy for possible game fixing, I couldn’t help but wonder about the integrity of college football officials.

The Baltimore Sun ran an article yesterday about the ACC doing background checks on football and basketball officials. I was surprised to learn from that article that the Big Ten is the only other conference that does background checks on officials.

It doesn’t make sense to me. Why anyone would put someone in a position where they could have control over the outcome of a game and not do at least a cursory criminal background check, at the minimum?

My other job is in law enforcement, and background checks are commonplace in my world. So my view could certainly be warped on this issue. Do you think a background check should be required for anyone officiating a college football game? Or would it just be a waste of money?

Oklahoma State has won the right to use eminent domain to acquire a piece of property needed for completion of its athletic village, a court has ruled. Eminent domain basically means that even though you own a property, the state has a right to take it for public use.

The owners purchased the property in 2005 for $25,000 and turned down the school’s offers of up to $62,000 to buy it. They plan to appeal the decision, but in the meantime Oklahoma State holds the title to the property and is free to begin its construction on the property. If the owners win the appeal, they can regain control of the property even though Oklahoma State has built upon the property.

After the appeal, a jury will determine how much the owners will be paid for the property. Until then, they have legally been “robbed” of their land.

I’m all for progress and the expansion of college athletic facilities, but I always feel sorry for the little guy in eminent domain cases. Whether you buy a property for residence or investment purposes, it seems like you should have control of it once you have made the purchase. The sad reality is that sometimes that control is taken away, and nobody likes to lose control of something they’ve worked hard for.

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The New York Times ran a nice article on Virgina Tech, marking the beginning of freshman orientation on the campus. It seems that the freshmen overwhelmingly want to know where and when they can get their football tickets.

Football games are a fun part of college life. But football will mean more than fun at Virginia Tech this year. This will be the year when an entire campus uses football as a healing process.

The spring game was cancelled in the wake of the shooting tragedy that occurred in April at the Virginia Tech campus, so the resumption of football games will be a sign that everything is returning to normal. It will give students, faculty and alumni something to be proud of, especially if the team does well. Having ESPN there to televise the return to normal is something I’ve been looking forward to all summer.

There is not a beating, feeling heart in the entire country that is not rooting for the Hokies this year in some small way. Here’s to healing.

Twenty people were inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame today. Among them were Florida State coach Bobby Bowden and Dancing With the Stars winner - ahem- I mean, Dallas Cowboy Emmitt Smith (Go Gators!). My congratulations go out to this year’s inductees.

I love halls of fame, especially when the worthy are inducted. That means I don’t love the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, because there’s a lot of unworthy performers in it, but I digress.

I love weddings, too. Speaking of weddings, Boise State tailback Ian Johnson will be getting married on July 28th. IdahoStatesman.com ran a story on it, and boy, do I feel sorry for his fiancee.

How romantic that she got proposed to on national TV after her honey scored the game-winning two-point conversion in the Fiesta Bowl on January 1st. I don’t feel sorry for her because of that. I feel sorry for her because NCAA rules have invaded the wedding planning.

It’s hard enough to plan a wedding that happens without any hitches, so that it becomes the day you’ve always dreamed of. But then there are these NCAA rules about accepting free or discount services, and who you can and shouldn’t accept gifts from. People who knew the player before he was a player can give a gift, but boosters shouldn’t.

I give the girl credit for going through with it, given all the extra constraints. If it were me, I’d be saying hey, honey, are you sure you don’t want to wait until after we graduate to get married?

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Minnesota suspended cornerback Dominic Jones and three other players for their alleged involvement in the rape of an 18-year-old woman.

Jones is the only one charged in the incident so far, which was videotaped on a cellphone and then erased. Investigators were able to recover part of the erased video, and there is DNA evidence linking Jones to the crime.

And yet another college football career is derailed by serious criminal allegations.

You would think these guys, smart enough get into college and to learn a football playbook, would be smart enough to stay out of trouble. It seems that once the party starts, the common sense ends.

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