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ATHLON
1. FLORIDA
2. OHIO STATE
3. OKLAHOMA
4. SOUTHERN CAL
5. GEORGIA
6. MISSOURI
7. WEST VIRGINA
8. AUBURN
9. LSU
10. CLEMSON
11. TEXAS
12. WISCONSIN
13. KANSAS
14. BYU
15. ARIZONA STATE
16. ILLINOIS
17. TENNESSEE
18. TEXAS TECH
19. OREGON
20. SOUTH FLORIDA
21. VIRGINIA TECH
22. RUTGERS
23. PENN STATE
24. WAKE FOREST
25. FRESNO STATE
26. FLORIDA STATE
28. MICHIGAN
30. ALABAMA
43. MIAMI
44. BOSTON COLLEGE
60. NOTRE DAME
LINDY’S
1. GEORGIA
2. SOUTH CAL
3. OHIO STATE
4. OKLAHOMA
5. MISSOURI
6. FLORIDA
7. LSU
8. TEXAS
9. CLEMSON
10. WEST VIRGINIA
11. WISCONSIN
12. BYU
13. AUBURN
14. ARIZONA STATE
15. KANSAS
16. TEXAS TECH
17. WAKE FOREST
18. ILLINOIS
19. SOUTH FLORIDA
20. ALABAMA
21. OREGON
22. FRESNO STATE
23. PITT
24. TENNESSEE
25. FLORIDA STATE
27. SOUTH CAROLINA
31. MICHIGAN
35. BOSTON COLLEGE
43. MIAMI
59. NOTRE DAME
ATHLON TEAMS ON THE RISE-
UCLA, TEXAS TECH, PITT AND NORTH CAROLINA
TEAMS ON THE DECLINE-
KENTUCKY, ARKANSAS, BOSTON COLLEGE AND LOUISVILLE
ATHLON ACC PREDICTIONS
- ATLANTIC-CLEMSON, WAKE FOREST, FSU, MARYLAND, BOSTON COLLEGE AND NC STATE
- COASTAL-VIRGINIA TECH, NORTH CAROLINA, MIAMI, GEORGIA TECH, VIRGINIA AND DUKE
LINDY’S ACC PREDICTIONS
- ATLANTIC-CLEMSON, WAKE FOREST, FSU, MARYLAND, BOSTON COLLEGE, N C STATE
- COASTAL-VIRGINIA TECH, NORTH CAROLINA, MIAMI, GEORGIA TECH, VIRGINIA, DUKE
ATHLON SEC PREDICTIONS
- EAST-FLORIDA, GEORGIA, TENNESSEE, SOUTH CAROLINA, KENTUCKY, VANDERBILT
- WEST-AUBURN, LSU, ALABAMA, MISS STATE, ARKANSAS, OLE MISS
LINDY’S SEC PREDICTIONS
- EAST-GEORGIA, FLORIDA, TENNESSEE, SOUTH CAROLINA, KENTUCKY, VANDERBILT
- WEST-LSU, AUBURN, ALABAMA, MISS STATE, OLE MISS, ARKANSAS
SEC FOOTBALL
SEC MEETINGS IN DESTIN: The SEC coaches and officials meet next week in Destin, Fla., to dole out the checks from around $122 million in revenue. From that total, around $50 million comes from television for football. They will also receive around $25 million from bowl games.
ALABAMA: ESPN College GameDay is possibly coming to Atlanta for the Alabama vs. Clemson game. Terrance Cody (6-5, 395), a defensive tackle from Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, received word from the NCAA Clearinghouse that he is certified. Cody, who chose Alabama over Miami and Oklahoma, wears a size 18 shoe and does shoulder shrugs with 300 pounds.
All eight of Alabama’s signees from the Mobile area will qualify academically according to their high school coaches. Seven of the eight prospects plan on enrolling in June except for Destin Hood, who could be selected high in the Major League Baseball Draft. Alabama quarterback signee Star Jackson has also been certified by the Clearinghouse. Safety signee Mark Barron earned a 26 on his ACT. Receiver Julio Jones has also qualified. Defensive back signee Alonzo Lawrence’s test scores have been flagged by the NCAA.
LSU: Former quarterback Ryan Perrilloux will likely start his I-AA college career at Georgia Tech on Thurs., Aug 28. Perrilloux admitted to Yahoosports.com that he has been diagnosed with obsessive/compulsive disorder. Coach Les Miles is constantly being asked about the starting quarterback during his booster tours. Miles and offensive coordinator Gary Crowton appear confident that the offense will perform fine regardless who starts. Andrew Hatch and Jarrett Lee are the frontrunners. Crowton has known Hatch since his days at BYU. He said Hatch is big and can run. Crowton said Lee is an outstanding passer who can put touch on the ball. He also said freshman Jordan Jefferson comes in as the No. 3 quarterback ahead of T. C. McCartney. With four starters returning on the offensive line the only spot open is right tackle. Miles said Joseph Barksdale came out of spring as the No. 1 right tackle.
GEORGIA: Bulldog fans are buying Arizona State season ticket packages, some for as little as a $100, to see the game on Sept. 20. Coach Mark Richt, Auburn’s Tommy Tuberville, Miami’s Randy Shannon, Notre Dame’s Charlie Weis and Yale’s Jack Siedlecki left Monday to tour military bases in the Middle East on a trip put together by the NCAA and Armed Forces Entertainment. Quarterback signee Zach Mettenberger has been selected as an Elite 11 quarterback for a chance to compete with other top quarterbacks in California. Bulldog quarterback commitment Aaron Murray is also an Elite 11 selection.
There are some land mines in Georgia’s schedule. Before traveling to Arizona State they will face an inspired South Carolina team on the road. Then the following week, they come home to play Alabama after two weeks of traveling on the road against South Carolina and Arizona State. Before the Florida game, Georgia travels to LSU which is one of the toughest games they have played in years before the Florida game. Georgia had an open date last year before Florida and came out with a lot of energy. Before going to Auburn, Georgia will be coming off games at LSU, Florida in Jacksonville, and road games at Kentucky and Auburn.
According to UGAsports.com, receiver signee A J Green has qualified and will report on June 2. Defensive end signee Toby Jackson could be headed for prep school. Offensive lineman signee Cordy Glenn is on his way to qualify. It is still early to know for sure until the players go through the NCAA Clearinghouse. Offensive lineman Clint Boling was arrested under the suspicion of driving under the influence last week. Boling started 10 games last year.
FLORIDA: Safety signee Dee Finley is still trying to qualify. Florida Coach Urban Meyer has an amazing qualifying record over the past several years. Over Meyer’s first three signing classes 71- of- 72 players have qualified. Eleven- of- 22 signees have already qualified.
The Gators have won the SEC All-Sports Trophy for the second straight year and the 16th time- in- 17 years. Georgia was second and Tennessee third. The football and basketball teams were the two lowest placing men’s teams. LSU was fourth overall, Auburn fifth and Alabama sixth. Tennessee beat out Florida by one point to win the men’s title and Florida won the women’s title.
Meyer said receiver Riley Cooper will spend the summer concentrating on baseball instead of football. He’ll be playing in a summer baseball league. Receiver Percy Harvin is ahead of schedule and is running in a pool. There is a chance that offensive lineman Ronnie Wilson could walk-on, but Meyer said linebacker Jon Demps, who is not in school, will not return. Wilson has paid for his own tuition and is in school, but he would have to meet certain criteria in order to return. Running back Chris Rainey, lineman Brandon Antwine, defensive lineman Javier Estopinan, and tight end Tate Casey were granted medical redshirts. Defensive lineman Matt Patchan is already participating in team workouts after having a bullet removed from his shoulder. He was shot at a park near his hometown a couple of weeks ago. Meyer said defensive lineman Torrey Davis is the only player that they are concerned about academically.
AUBURN: Philip Lutzenkirchen (6-4, 245), a tight end from Marietta, Ga., committed to Auburn last week over Clemson. Rodney Scott (5-9, 185), a four-star running back from Cross City, Fla., has committed to Auburn. Clemson, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Purdue, South Carolina and Arkansas have offered him. His final three were Auburn, South Carolina, and South Florida.
VANDERBILT: Commodore officials announced a $60 million/five-phase plan to upgrade Vanderbilt Stadium (renovate concourse, entrance areas and exterior painting), Memorial Gym and Hawkins Field over the next five years.
ARKANSAS: Brandon Barnett, the No. 2 running back behind Michael Smith, was arrested Tuesday night after he was pulled over and police discovered that he had an outstanding warrant from a traffic citation a few years ago. He failed to pay an earlier traffic ticket. The Arkansas at Texas game has been selected by ABC for a 3:30 pm kickoff on Sept. 13.
OLE MISS: Lineman Darryl Harris has been given a medical waiver to play a sixth year. He played in five games last year. He has nine starts at center and one at right tackle. Harris missed nine games in 2006 which was the basis for his medical hardship.
TENNESSEE: Brandon Warren, a former FSU signee, is set to enroll at Tennessee on June 1. He has spent the past few months at a junior college. Warren still has to be granted a couple of waivers by the NCAA in order to join the football team. His transfer was complicated because he left FSU after only one semester and was not granted his release by FSU.
ACC FOOTBALL
FLORIDA STATE: T. K. Wetherell, the school president, said last week that a college football playoff is coming. Wetherell said economics will eventually force a playoff. He said it will start with a plus-one then grow from there. Wetherell said, “You can take every argument given here today and apply it to other sports on college campus, and you would have to cancel the College World Series, the Final Four or the soccer championships.” Even Notre Dame athletic director Kevin White said in his research that only six schools have a positive money flow. A USA TODAY report said that without subsidies, athletic departments from 19 of 119 I-A schools made money in 2006, up from 18 in 2005. A little more than half the schools 67 of 119 made money on football or men’s basketball (68).
Nole tailback/receiver Preston Parker has been suspended for the first two games of the season (Western Carolina and UTC) after pleading guilty to two misdemeanors of gun and marijuana possession. Justin Bright (6-1, 190), a safety from Duncan, S.C., has committed to FSU. He also had an offer from Texas A & M. Defensive tackle Kendrick Stewart said he should be totally healthy by August after having his shoulder surgery in January.
CLEMSON: Junior linebacker Courtney Vincent, a starter last season, was booted off the team for this season even though he was academically eligible. He did have a poor academic performance during the spring. Last December, he was charged with a DUI and suspended from the bowl game. Redshirt freshman Brandon Maye is expected to take his place. With his leaving, the Tigers have seven returning starters on defense. Receiver Jeff Ogren will also transfer to another school. He caught one pass for eight yards last year. Reserve quarterback Kyle Parker leads the Tiger baseball team in home runs (14), is No. 4 in hitting (.310), No. 2 in RBI (49) and No. 3 in on-base percentage (.405). He is expected to redshirt his first season in football.
WAKE FOREST: The Baylor game originally set for Saturday, Aug. 30, has been moved to Thursday, Aug. 28. Art Briles is the first year coach at Baylor coming over from Houston. Four ACC teams (N C State at South Carolina, Jacksonville State at Georgia Tech, Charleston Southern at Miami and Wake) are now playing on the first Thursday night.
MIAMI: Sophomore defensive end Allen Bailey, who led the team in sacks during spring practice, tore a pectoral muscle Monday and is facing an extended three or four month rehab time after impending surgery. He missed most of his senior season in high school with a stress fracture in his back. Bailey, who moved from linebacker, played on mostly special teams last season.
BIG EAST: Memphis officials are not in serious talks with the Big East, but they will probably do all they can to show the conference that they are interested. The Big East has 16 basketball schools and eight football schools. Unless, a basketball only team leaves then there is no room. Central Florida was one of the last football schools in the running for the Big East before they decided on South Florida. The Orlando Sentinel reported that the Big East would like to add a ninth football member partly because coaches are getting tired of scheduling problems. Big Ten would eventually like to add another member at some point such as Texas, Rutgers, Syracuse or Missouri.
EARLY SIGNING PERIOD: An early signing day for high school seniors was a topic of discussion at last week’s two-day Football Forum held in Dallas. Even Big Ten coaches, such as Jim Tressel, believe an early signing period could be coming soon. The question is when would it be set—in December (on the same date as junior college signings) or the summer?
TRANSFER RULE: Matt Hayes of the Sporting News said there is more interest in looking into the transfer rule concerning immediate eligible following a coaching change. There is momentum for the idea after the recent release of the APR rankings showing a direct correlation between declining scores and coaching changes.
BRENT BEAIRD IS A SPORTS WRITER FOR MYCLAYSUN IN ORANGE PARK, FLA. HE ALSO WRITES FOR RIVALS.COM, SAMSPORTSLINE.COM AND GATOR BAIT MAGAZINE. HE CAN BE HEARD ON SPORTS RADIO 1010 XL.
E-MAIL BRENT AT bcbeaird@bellsouth.net
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