The Rebels lost to FCS opponent, Jacksonville State, in the opening weekend of the 2010 season. This cannot be good for Houston Nutt. This is unacceptable anywhere in the nation, but even more so in the SEC. Fans in the South are by far the most diehard in the country and they aren't going to be able to forgive and forget this loss. It was terrible. An FCS opponent is not supposed to beat a FBS team. It was already being whispered that he was on the hot seat prior to the season after falling far short of expectations last year. After this loss, his seat is scorching hot and it is going to be difficult for him to survive, in my opinion. This could be his last coaching stint anywhere. I don't think Nutt is going to be around another year, but what do you think? Is this Houston Nutt's last year as the Ole Miss Rebels head coach?

Brian Johnson

The Georgia Bulldogs and the Florida Gators face-off this weekend in their annual contest in Jacksonville, FL dubbed the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party. The Dawgs enter the game 5-2 and 4-1 in the SEC with a chance to win the SEC East. Florida, on the other hand, is 5-3 and 2-3 in the SEC. All the Gators will be playing for is pride and bragging rights in the rivalry game. 

Brian Johnson

June 19, 2011

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- University of Michigan men's basketball guard Tim Hardaway Jr. (Miami, Fla./Palmetto Senior) was named one of 13 finalists for the 2011 USA Men's U19 World Championship Team today (Sunday, June 19) by the USA Basketball Junior National Team Committee.

Hardaway is the eighth Wolverine to represent the United States at a FIBA Championship and the first to make the U19 team since Graham Brown (2003-06) helped Team USA to a fifth-place finish in 2003.

The selection came after three days (four training sessions) during the USA U19 Team training camp, which started Friday (June 17). Hardaway will remain at United States Olympic Training Center for the remainder of training camp before heading to Lithuania for exhibition games and then Latvia for the 2011 U19 FIBA World Championship, June 30-July 11.

Joining Hardaway as a finalist for the USA U19 World Championship squad include: Keith Appling (Michigan State), James Bell (Villanova), Anthony Brown (Stanford), Jahii Carson (Mesa High School, Arizona State*), Joe Jackson (Memphis), Jeremy Lamb (Connecticut), Meyers Leonard (Illinois), Khyle Marshall (Butler), Javon McCrea (Buffalo), Doug McDermott (Creighton), Tony Mitchell (North Texas) and Patric Young (Florida). George Mason's Paul Hewitt will serve as head coach and be assisted by St. Mary's College head coach Randy Bennett and Jacksonville's Cliff Warren.

Team USA will be looking to successfully defend its gold medal at the event from two years ago. At the 2009 U19 World Championship in Auckland, New Zealand, Team USA won the event for the first time in 19 years.

• 2011 U19 World Championships Schedule & Information
• Thirteen Finalists For USA Men's U19 Team Named (June 19, 2011)
• Hardaway Invited to 2011 U19 FIBA World Championships Training Camp (May 12, 2011)

Contact: Tom Wywrot (734) 763-4423

Jeff Evans

Posted by Bryan Fischer

The calendar has turned from May to June and it's time to see how schools are building their class of 2012. Today we'll take a look at the verbal commitments for the ACC, where several schools are starting to build momentum on the recruiting trail.

Boston College (1)

Offensive lineman Win Homer (Christchurch, Va.)

Clemson (4)

Offensive lineman Patrick Destefano (Roebuck, S.C.)

Offensive lineman Jay Guillermo (Marryville, Tenn.)

Athlete Germone Hopper (Charlotte, N.C.)

Defensive end Shaquille Lawson (Central, S.C.)

Duke (5)

Wide receiver Max McCaffrey (Highlands Ranch, Colo.)

Linebacker Deion Williams (Orange, Calif.)

Defensive back Dwayne Norman (Jacksonville, Fla.)
 
Defensive end Allen Jackson(Owings Mills, Md.)

Wide receiver Erich Schneider(Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.)

Florida State (10)

Offensive tackle Alphonse Taylor(Mobile, Ala.)

Kicker Roberto Aguayo(Groveland, Fla.)

Athlete Chris Casher(Mobile, Ala.)

Defensive end Mario Edwards Jr. (Denton, Texas), Tom Lemming Top 100 for 2012 member

Linebacker Ukeme Eligwe (Stone Mountain, Ga.)

Defensive end Dante Fowler Jr. (St. Petersburg, Fla.), Tom Lemming Top 100 for 2012 member

Quarterback Sean Maguire (West Orange, N.J.)

Running back Mario Pender(Cape Coral, Fla.), Tom Lemming Top 100 for 2012 member

Defensive tackle Dalvon Stuckey(De Funiak Springs, Fla.)

Defensive back P.J. Williams(Ocala, Fla.)

Georgia Tech (2)

Offensive lineman Chase Roberts(Norcross, Ga.)

Defensive end Junior Gnonkonde(Lakeland, Ga.)

Maryland(3)

Defensive end Roman Braglio(Owings Mills, Md.)

Offensive lineman Nick Brigham(Atlanta, Ga.)

Offensive lineman Mike Madaras(Olney, Md.)

Miami (10)

Linebacker Keith Brown(Miami, Fla.)

Wide receiver Jontavious Carter(Cordele, Fla.)

Quarterback Gray Crow(Clearwater, Fla.)
 
Offensive lineman Ereck Flowers (Miami, Fla.)

Wide receiver Angelo Jean-Louis (Wellington, Fla.)

Running back Randy "Duke" Johnson(Miami, Fla.) 

Linebacker Raphael Kirby (Stone Mountain, Ga.)

Defensive back Amos "A.J." Leggett(Miami, Fla.)

Defensive end Trent Taylor(Lakeland, Fla.)

Quarterback David Thompson(Miami, Fla.)

North Carolina (7)

Tight end Terrance Knox (Concord, N.C.)

Linebacker Dan Mastromatteo (Absecon, N.J.) 

Tight end Justin Meredith (Anderson, S.C.)

Athlete Phillip Williamson (Durham, N.C.)

Linebacker Shakeel Rashad(Jacksonville, Fla.)

Linebacker Christian Russell(Chatham, Va.)

Defensive tackle J.J. Patterson(Roanoke Rapids, N.C.)

N.C. State(3)

Defensive back Niles Clark(Marietta, Ga.)

Defensive back Josh Sessoms(Bailey, N.C.)

Defensive back James Summers(Greensboro, N.C.)

Virginia (5)

Linebacker Kwontie Moore (Norfolk, Va.)

Athlete Wilfred Wahee (Norfolk, Va.)

Offenisve lineman Ryan Doull (Fork Union, Va.)

Linebacker Mark Hall(Virginia Beach, Va.)

Defensive back Demeitre Brim(Lakeland, Fla.)

Virginia Tech(11)

Running back J.C. Coleman(Chesapeake, Va.)

Wide receiver Desmond Frye (Chester, Va.)

Athlete Der'Woun Greene(Portsmouth, Va.)

Tight end Dakota Jackson(Roanoke, Va.)

Defensive back Donaldven Manning(Miami, Fla.)

Linebacker Dahman McKinnon(Hope Mills, N.C.)
 
Quarterback T.J. Millweard(Fort Worth, Texas)

Athlete Mario Nixon (Norfolk, Va.)

Defensive back Davion Tookes(Fairburn, Ga.)

Offensive lineman Jack Willenbrock (Exton, Pa.)

Wake Forest (1)

Offensive lineman Joel Suggs(Randleman, N.C.)

Jeff Evans

Strategy and personnel · Notes, quotes · Inside slant

STARS OF 2011:

QB B.J. Daniels -- Daniels was maddeningly inconsistent in 2011 and still had a tendency to throw ill-timed interceptions (not that any interception could be considered well-timed, but they led to significant momentum swings). Still, he finished with a strong game in the bowl win over Clemson (20-of-27 passing) after sitting out the regular-season finale with a thigh injury. If he can continue building on that success, he will be a huge factor.

LB DeDe Lattimore -- After an impressive spring, when he was moved from the middle to the weak side, Lattimore had an outstanding year as a redshirt freshman, finishing second on the team in tackles with 69 stops. Among them were 6.5 tackles-for-loss. He started 12 of 13 games and will be counted on for a key role.

RB Demetrius Murray -- With veteran RB Mo Plancher gone, Murray should become the focal point of the running game. He ran for 542 yards as a sophomore last year and flashed breakaway potential. His 67-yard run against Louisville was USF's longest run from scrimmage of the year.

OTHER PLAYERS TO WATCH IN 2011:

DT Ryne Giddins -- Giddins was solid off the bench all year and then started two games when senior Craig Marshall went out with a foot injury. Giddins had 3.5 sacks for the season.

TOP NEWCOMERS

RB Darrell Scott -- A junior transfer from Colorado who sat out 2010, Scott will get a good look for time in the mix at running back. At 6-2, 235, he's a power back who had 564 yards in kick returns with the Buffalos in 2009. He had one start in 11 games as a freshman at Colorado in 2008.

LB Mike Jeune -- Jeune was the only junior college signee in February's recruiting class and will take part in spring drills after enrolling early. From Jacksonville, Fla., Jeune was a junior college All-America selection for Independence (Kan.) Community College, where he was instrumental in leading a team picked to finish last in its conference to the playoffs.

OT Quinterrius Eatmon -- After dropping a few pounds to get down to about 340 on his 6-6 frame, Eatmon looks to compete for a starting position up front as a redshirt freshman.

PLAYER NOTES

--Sophomore WR Derrick Hopkins became the first member of the USF track team to win both the 60 and 200 meters at the Big East Championships. Hopkins ran the 60 n 6.77 seconds and the 200 in 21.30. Hopkins did not have a reception as a redshirt freshman last season but looks to be a contributor in 2011.

--Junior LB Armando Sanchez is one player who will get a look on the other side of the ball in the spring. He will take snaps at fullback in the spring.

Copyright (C) 2011 The Sports Xchange. All Rights Reserved.

Jeff Evans

Provo • Fresh off a three-year stint at Navy, new BYU football recruiting coordinator and running backs coach Joe DuPaix insists he isn’t the sole reason for what appears to be a subtle shift in BYU’s recruiting philosophy.

It just kind of looks that way.

Having signed a nearly all-LDS class of football players in February — 18 of the school’s 19 signees from the class of 2011 are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints — the Cougars’ revamped coaching staff, by all appearances, has broadened its scope a bit when it comes to trying to attract non-LDS players to the school owned by the church.

BYU already has a commitment from linebacker Bobby Wolford, a self-described devout Catholic from Bishop Kenny High School in Jacksonville, Fla., and has made scholarship offers to several other non-LDS players, including running back Jamaal Williams of Fontana, Calif., and Jherremya Leuta-Douyere, a linebacker/defensive end from Servite High in Anaheim, Calif.

“I don’t think that is just my influence,” said DuPaix, who is LDS. “I think when you have a new staff that comes together, there are maybe a lot more ideas that are shared amongst the staff that kind of bring the new coaches up to speed. And then the new coaches bring some new things to the table as well. Collectively, we just really feel as a staff that we can go out and find the right kids, whether they be [LDS], or anything else.”

All told, the staff has 12 commitments from members of the class of 2012 — 13 if you count Lone Peak defensive back Micah Hannemann, who committed last week but won’t sign until 2013 due to a scholarship crunch. Eleven of the commits are LDS, but there’s no question that the net has been expanded.

Former recruiting coordinator Paul Tidwell said last year that BYU coaches are targeting players from private Christian schools across the country that share many of the same standards and values as BYU espouses.

“We are looking for the best kids that will come to BYU, whether they live in a different state across the country, or whether they live right here in Provo, Utah. The point is to find the best BYU-fit football players to come to BYU. That might mean that they are LDS, that might mean that they are not LDS. Either way, that is irrelevant,” DuPaix said last week.

“The key component is, do they meet the standards of what we expect at BYU, with the honor code being what it is,” he continued. “Trust me, there are plenty of kids out there that are looking to play football with a group of guys that will live the honor code and that have high academic standards. We are just striving to find those kids.”

Having more commitments than most programs in the country at this point in the recruiting process is nothing new for BYU under head coach Bronco Mendenhall. More than one-third of the players (51 of 146) who have signed with BYU since Mendenhall’s first full recruiting year (2006) had committed by the middle of the previous summer.

A big reason is the importance the staff places on June’s padded, full-contact football camps, including the one held last week and the one that begins Monday. The Cougars landed Hannemann last week, and are expecting to get a couple more commitments this week.

“Camps are very critical for us. They allow us to evaluate the young men,” DuPaix said. “As you know, we are looking for the right kids who will fit at BYU the right way. We are looking for high academic kids that meet the honor code requirements and so to bring them out and physically evaluate them, and get to know them better, is definitely something that we prefer, something that we really like to have done. It helps us here at BYU.”

At first blush, many recruiting analysts figured the widely publicized March incident in which BYU basketball player Brandon Davies was suspended for an honor code violation in the midst of his team’s best season in decades would harm the school’s recruiting efforts in all sports. But DuPaix said his experience has shown the opposite to have happened.

“The exposure definitely has been beneficial,” he said, “because now when you talk to a young man, he knows exactly what BYU is. It allows us to identify the kids that are our type of kids, because they understand more what it is to be a BYU kid.”

drew@sltrib.comTwitter: @drewjay

Jeff Evans

By Greg Auman, Times Staff Writer
In Print: Saturday, June 25, 2011

Nearly three weeks ago, Michelle Moultrie and Brittany Schutte were playing for a national softball championship as Gator teammates on a team that would eventually lose to Arizona State in the finals of the Women's College World Series in Oklahoma City.

Tonight, they take the field for the first time as members of the USA Softball national team, which has an exhibition doubleheader in Plant City as the team tunes up for the World Cup of Softball next month, then the Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico, in October.

Wearing the orange and blue is an obvious source of pride, but the chance to wear the red, white and blue is another kind of special.

"It's almost unreal we're playing for the USA. It's going to be a great experience," said Moultrie, a speedy 5-foot-3 centerfielder from Jacksonville who was named co-MVP at the Women's CWS. "When we first got invited, it was cool, but when you actually get the gear and have the stuff on, it's a whole different level."

Both players will be back at Florida in the spring — Moultrie will be a senior and Schutte a junior — hoping to improve on some of the best offensive numbers in college softball. Moultrie led the Gators with a .443 batting average and led the NCAA in total hits with 101; Schutte led the SEC and ranked third nationally with 22 home runs.

Their challenge for the next month, then again in October, is showing they can hold their own on a roster loaded with All-Americans. The team is headed by USF coach Ken Eriksen and trained at the Bulls' softball stadium on Friday. Eriksen said he expects contributions from both Gators.

"They have all the capabilities in the world, as they've proven in the college game," Eriksen said. "They showed really well at the tryouts (in California last week), and they're multifaceted. Moultrie can play any outfield position, and her speed (31 stolen bases) is very dangerous. Brittany is a very good outfielder, but she will go on to play catcher for (Florida) in the next few years. She's dynamic, and her bat is a very potent bat. She can hit for average and power, and definitely helps a coach get creative with the lineup."

Schutte of Fountain Valley, Calif., played primarily outfield for the Gators but earned a spot on the national team as a catcher. Her power at the plate is a strength, but she hopes to hone more specific skills during the summer such as situational hitting.

"I had a lot of moments where I felt like I could have come through, but I didn't," Schutte said. "I definitely want to be able to do that for USA (softball)."

The national team plays a doubleheader tonight against the U.S. junior national team, which features younger college players, including USF rising sophomore shortstop Kourtney Salvarola. Next are exhibitions next week in Virginia and Maryland, then the Canadian Open International Championship from July 9-17. Eriksen said players are aware of the pride in wearing their national colors, but they'll also come to understand the high expectations that come with that uniform.

"The best analogy I can give to fast-pitch softball and wearing USA is that you're wearing the NY of the New York Yankees. You're the most recognizable team in the world," said Eriksen, who was an assistant coach on the U.S. gold-medal team in the 2004 Olympics. "Team USA is the winningest program in the entirety of softball, so you're joining a program that has a strong presence in the world, on the field and off as ambassadors."

Click here for reuse options!
Copyright 2011 St. Petersburg Times

Jeff Evans

By the Eye on College Football bloggers

To celebrate the (now fewer than) 100 days remaining until the first Saturday of the new college football season, this is the CBSSports.com College Football 100: our countdown of the 2011 season's 100 most influential players, coaches, administrators, venues, or any other related

30. LAMICHAEL JAMES, running back, Oregon. Granted, it was just Oregon's spring game. But Duck fans had to like the fact that LaMichael James had only three carries (lest he gets hurt) and that one of them went for a touchdown--your simple, run-of-the-mill, back-and-forth 67-yard "scamper" as the Oregon media described it. The run was almost par-for-the-course for the reigning Doak Walker Award winner, but that's the thing about James: when you're a threat to score just about every time you touch the ball, 67-yard touchdowns happen sometimes.

On top of setting his sights on a host of Oregon and Pac-12 rushing records this season, James hopes to help lead Oregon back to the BCS championship game and finish what the team came so close to doing last year. The Ducks have to replace several offensive linemen, but that might not be a big issue for James, who can hit the tiniest of holes in split-seconds. Speed is the 5-foot-9, 190-pound back's greatest asset, considering he moonlights on Oregon's track team and anchors the 4x100 relay team (among other things). James will leave the track behind soon though, moving on to playing a game of "catch me if you can" and blowing past defenses come fall. A second trip to New York as a Heisman finalist -- and possibly more -- seems likely. -- BF

29. LUKE KUECHLY, linebacker, Boston College. The ACC has produced several dominating defenders in the last couple of years, but few have demanded the attention from day one like Kuechly. Tapped to replace Mark Herzlich in the BC linebacking unit in 2009, Kuechly stepped in and set an NCAA freshman record with 158 tackles on the season. When the two were on the field together in 2010, Kuechly led the nation with 183 tackles and was named a unanimous All-American by pretty much anyone with a publication.

Entering his junior year the expectations are as high as ever for Kuechly. He is widely considered a first-round draft pick in 2012, but will need another impressive season to cement that status. The good news for Eagles fans is that head coach Frank Spaziani and the rest of the staff believe that Kuechly has done nothing but improve. But with a much younger defense alongside him in the huddle in 2011, Kuechly will need to provide more than individual statistics to help Boston College get back to the postseason. The good news is the mere presence of the 6-foot-3, 235-pound playmaker on the field is a tactical advantage, with the opposition always having to keep an eye on No. 40. Considering the potential for Kuechly in 2011, it won't just be the opposition--we'll all have our eyes on No. 40 this fall. -- CP

28. BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIP GAME, title tilt, Indianapolis. For years and years, the Big Ten stood apart from the rest of FBS college football in one very unfortunate aspect: it was the only conference that did not employ either a full round-robin conference schedule or a conference championship game. In other words, only in the Big Ten could two teams potentially go undefeated in conference play (or otherwise tie for the conference championship) and have no way to break the tie on the field. In fact, that's not just a pointless what-if; it actually happened in 2002, when Iowa and Ohio State both ran the table in Big Ten play. Iowa had one blemish on its non-conference record and OSU didn't, so the Buckeyes went to the BCS Title Game and won. But Big Ten fans had (and still have) the right to feel cheated out of what would have been an excellent conference championship game.

No more, no more, as the Big Ten is going to be invading Indianapolis and the Lucas Oil Dome every December from now until 2015, settling the age-old controversy on whether being a Legend or Leader is better (more on that in a little bit). Purists are understandably chafed that the Big Ten--the conference that couldn't get more arctic or physical without literally employing polar bears as offensive linemen--is deciding its conference championship in a dome, but watching a game in horrible weather is miserable, and misery in the name of purity is still misery. It's good to see Jim Delany's still got something of a heart. -- AJ

27. THE SMURF TURF, home field, Boise State. It's rare for the actual field to be a school's most recognizable feature, but that's certainly the case for the love-it-or-hate-it blue turf at Boise State's Bronco Stadium. The only blue artificial turf in the world, it's rumored (though not confirmed, alas) that migrating birds sometimes mistake it for a giant lake and try to land on it. Like the birds that may or may not land flat on their face, opposing teams seem to nose-dive when they play on the turf, going 2-77 against the Broncos there since 1999.

Perhaps most impressive is the fact that the home team is perfect in conference games, going 40-0 on the Smurf Turf during WAC play. This is Boise State's first year in the Mountain West and they aim to keep that mark going, but it won't be easy. Looming large on the schedule is a game against departing MWC power TCU in the middle of November. The Horned Frogs aren't expected to be quite as good as they were last year (or in the teams' 2009 Fiesta Bowl meeting) but they do figure to be the Broncos' biggest road block to another BCS game -- and possibly even the national title game -- if they get by Georgia in their opener. With plenty of returning starters back from last year's 12-1 squad, don't be surprised if Boise proves unbeatable on the blue turf once again. -- BF

26. MIKE SHERMAN, head coach, Texas A&M. When Sherman was hired at College Station before the 2008 season, replacing Dennis Franchione, it wasn't exactly the kind of move that had Aggie fans celebrating impending national championships. A 10-15 mark through his first two seasons didn't help matters, and Sherman found himself on the hot seat even after signing a seven-year deal. That seat only got warmer when the Aggies started off the 2010 season 3-3 ... and then a funny thing happened. Sherman finally pulled the plug on Jerrod Johnson and went with Ryan Tannehill at quarterback, and after that all Texas A&M could do was win. The team finished the year 9-4 after losing to LSU in the Cotton Bowl, but by then the Aggies had already picked up their first share of the Big 12 South title since 1998.

So it's safe to say that Sherman's seat has cooled considerably in 2011. Of course, while he may not have come to College Station with the highest of expectations, now that Aggie fans have a taste for winning again, Sherman's biggest task will be to keep that momentum going. To do that he's going to have to make sure his defense continues to improve. After finishing dead last in 2008 and 2009 in the Big 12 in points-against, the Aggies rocketed up to second in the conference last season, allowing only 20.3 points per-game. If Sherman can continue leading the Aggies to improvement on both sides of the ball, as he did last season, the Longhorns won't be the only team from Texas to worry about in the Big 12 championship race. -- TF

25. MANTI TE'O, linebacker, Notre Dame. During his time in South Bend, Charlie Weis seemed to have a lot of success recruiting offensive players. On the defensive side of the ball, while Weis brought in some solid players, the game-changing playmakers you need to win were never seemed to be among them. That is, until Weis went to Hawai'i and landed Manti Te'o. Weis may be gone, but the "Hawaiian Hitman" remains and Brian Kelly is thrilled to have him. The biggest factor in Notre Dame's strong finish in 2010 was a defense that shut down opposing offenses, and Te'o was the driving force in that unit.

Through his first two seasons Te'o has racked up 192 tackles (129 of them in 2010) and 14 tackles-for-loss. Te'o can be counted on to fly to the ball on every play, and while he's not as polished in pass coverage, he can stuff the run with the best linebackers in the country. What should scare offensive coordinators this year is that with the stockpile of talent Notre Dame has built on its defensive line the last few years, Te'o should be free to seek and destroy all season long. And if that's the case, it may not be long until Notre Dame is back on a BCS stage -- with Te'o the face of its success -- and college football fans are forced to hate the Irish again instead of just laughing at them. -- TF

24. LES MILES'S COJONES, coaching decision-makers, LSU. Since Les Miles took over for Nick Saban at the Bayou Bengal helm in 2005, it's no secret that LSU has won its fair share of thrillers. But it's not just the selective memory of the charmed 2007 run talking; over Miles's six seasons, LSU has gone a stunning 22-9 in games decided by seven points or less. Since we're talking about games potentially decided by a single bounce of the ball, most teams' records in these situations naturally yo-yo back and forth year-to-year--look at Iowa's rise-and-fall over the past few seasons, for instance. But not LSU. Aside from a 2-2 mark in 2008, Miles has finished above .500 in this category ever year of his Baton Rouge tenure.

The majority of observers (including many within his own LSU fanbase) have chalked this up to blind luck, and sometimes--as in Tennessee's 13-players-on-the-field penalty that saved the Tigers from themselves last season--they're right. But Miles also hasn't gotten nearly enough credit for the ballsy, go-for-broke, correct decisions that have often turned the tide in such games. While it's easy to note how fortunate Miles was when last year's botched fake field goal pitch against Florida bounced straight into his kicker's arms, it overlooks the fact that playing for a game-winning touchdown is by far the superior choice to settling for a long-distance field goal that would only tie the game even if good. If Miles ignores the criticism and continues to let his cojones do his thinking for him, expect another year of success for the Tigers in the dying minutes--and given how much talent his team will wield, potentially another run at a crystal football. -- JH

23. TODD MONKEN, offensive coordinator, Oklahoma State. Last season the Cowboy offense averaged 44.9 points and 537.6 yards per game. That, to keep the superlatives to a minimum, is rather good. Then Dana Holgorsen left Stillwater to become the head coach-in-waiting at West Virginia, and Monken was hired to replace him. Those are some high-octane shoes for Monken to fill, especially considering he hasn't been a play-caller since 2004, when he was working a previous stint in Stillwater for Les Miles. Since then, Monken followed Miles to LSU for a couple of years and then went on to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

So there's going to be an adjustment period, but the good news is that Oklahoma State still plans to run the same system it ran under Holgorsen. Unfortunately Monken won't have the same command of the playbook right off the bat that Holgorsen did, but he does at least have Brandon Weeden and Justin Blackmon to help cover him. Still, if Monken doesn't get the handle of things quick enough, Oklahoma State's top-10 season could already be "over" (and the immense potential of another year of the Weeden-Blackmon connection "wasted") by the time things are firing on all cylinders.-- TF

But good lord, those names. It's one thing to deal with them over the course of an off-season, when they only come up once a month or so or whatever. Imagine what happens when they become part of the daily conversation. The derision will be deafening. Newscasters won't want to use them. Every time there's a slow moment in a football game, odds are pretty good that some bored color commentator is going to roll his eyes and casually call the division names stupid, and fans will laugh along with them. The Big Ten should be celebrating a brand new era and all of everything else that goes along with Nebraska's entry into the conference, and now instead it's going to have to defend the indefensible "LEGENDS" and "LEADERS" constantly. It's not too late to scrap them and just go with an admittedly imperfect-but-close-enough East-West nomenclature, right? Yeah, it's boring, but boring is good. It lets the on-field product speak for itself, and Big Ten football certainly can do that, right, Mr. Delany? Right? -- AJ

21. URBAN MEYER, television analyst/coaching free agent, ESPN. As we knew already and as Meyer spelled out for us just a few days ago, the most successful head coach of college football's previous decade won't be coaching anywhere in 2011. He'll be living the good life as a talking head at the "Worldwide Leader," offering what we hope will be pointed analysis and sharp X's-and-O's from one of the sport's shrewdest coaches.

But the shadow he'll cast over the college football coaching market will reach far longer than anything he does as a TV analyst. By specifically saying he won't be coaching "this fall," Meyer has all but announced he'll be looking for a new gig for next fall--meaning his name will be dropped into every conversation about currently vacant jobs (ahem), jobs that become vacant during the season, and even jobs that seem like they might become vacant if Meyer would show an interest. Like a prized NBA free agent, Meyer's influence is sure to be felt keenly in the narrative of the 2011 season ... even if he's not on the sidelines for a minute of it. -- JH

The 100 will continue here on Eye on CFB tomorrow. Until then, check out Nos. 100-91, 90-81, 80-71, 70-61, 60-51, 50-41 and 40-31. You can also keep up with the 100 by following us on Twitter.

Jeff Evans

Kennedy Pola returned to USC — where he previously played and coached — under somewhat controversial circumstances last year.

That episode and a full season behind him, Pola (Mater Dei High) has settled into the same Heritage Hall corner office he occupied in his first go-round at USC, from 2000-03.

Recruiting wasn't part of the job description in the NFL, where he coached in Cleveland (2004), Jacksonville ('05-09) and Tennessee ('10). That transition is where our conversation began.

Q: You hadn't been at Tennessee very long when Lane Kiffin came calling. Why come back?

A: It's USC. There's no other university (like it). If you'd been here before — and I've been blessed to be here as a student-athlete and been here working for two bosses, been through good and bad — and knowing Lane, knew of the sanctions, there was an opportunity to help our university in some way. If they asked me to stack cups or something (I would have done it) just to help. I was here as a player when we had a two-year ban. It's an adjustment for the student-athletes, the fan base and the coaching staff.

Q: You began your coaching career as a volunteer assistant at Crespi High (of Encino). What do you remember most about that experience?

A: Winning a championship. We won the CIF-Southern Section with Coach Bill Redell. It's funny, but it's kind of reality sometimes: I had the best player in Russell White. He was the CIF Player of the Year, and he was only a sophomore. I realized then that I don't have to be a really good coach — I just have to have really good players.

Q: How old were you when you first started coaching?

A: Twenty-two, 23 years old. I had just finished at USC. Had a cup of coffee in the NFL. Had the eighth knee surgery and realized the NFL's not for me. That's another personal challenge that's helped me become a better teacher to coach a lot of these young men.

Q: What's the distribution of the surgeries?

A: Four on each. Never missed a game, though. I don't know if it was a smart decision.

Q: Why did coaching appeal to you?

A: You're going deep. You're going back to the young man who move from Samoa, who, at 12 years old, didn't know how to speak English. Coaches were like your father figure. That's just the truth. The guardian I lived with who raised me through high school was my basketball coach. He became more than a basketball coach. He became like my father. From Wayne Cochran to Bruce Rollinson to Ted Tollner to John Robinson ... every coach I've come in contact with has been an influence on what I've done.

When I had the opportunity, when Coach Bill Redell asked me to come and help, it helped me to grieve too. ... You're a high school All-American, all that stuff, hyped up, and your dream is to play in the NFL, make some money and take care of your family. But it didn't happen. It helped me with my grieving.

Q: You graduated with a degree in history. You also were born on the day that John F. Kennedy was assassinated and were named after him. Is he an important historical figure to you? Or is there someone else you admire?

A: No, it would have to be him because everybody relates to that date. It's amazing. I wish I was a writer because I would record every conversation I've had over the years, the stories. That generation, they can recall to the second, to the minute, everything around them when it happened, where they were, all over the world: "I remember my mom crying, I remember my teacher, everybody just went silent, the principal over the loud speaker."

Q: You seem to have a special relationship with fullbacks because you were one yourself. What does it take to be a great fullback?

A: First of all, you're selfless. It's all in the attitude. Team player. You have to love collisions. I've always said, fullbacks have the best hands on the team. Here at USC, from Malaefou MacKenzie to David Kirtman to Stanley Havili, those guys can catch the football. I've always teased the other guys. I think the reason why, when I first started here at USC, Coach (John) Robinson had that philosophy that before you became a tailback you were playing fullback. That's the movement guy. Once you learn the fullback's blocking point, entry point, what they're doing, I think the tailback sees the game a lot better.

Q: The running backs' production was pretty good last year; Allen Bradford and Marc Tyler combined for about 1,700 yards. But it seemed like Lane Kiffin was seldom satisfied with the running game. What's your take on it?

A: You can always improve. I don't think it's the young men's fault. You've got to understand, they have a new coach. Marc and Allen and Stanley had been with Coach Mac (Todd McNair) for four years. All of a sudden you've got a different voice, a different way of installing, a different way they see things. I think it took awhile for us. Then the rhythm of the play-caller. I think it's going to be a lot better this year.

Q: Because there's a greater comfort level?

A: There's more continuity. I look back at our production here in our first run with Pete (Carroll). We were 6-6. The next year, Sultan (McCullough) had a 100-yard game, (Justin) Fargas against Oregon broke out, and things started jelling. Then the next year was even better.

Q: A few days after spring ball ended, Lane Kiffin released a depth chart. Four guys were listed as co-starters at running back. How much influence do you have on that, and how do you size up the race?

A: It's always the head coach's decision. But he's going to weigh it on everybody, what's your opinion on it. You never say it's my decision. This is Coach Kiffin's team. There's no question about it.

You have to be available as a running back. If you're not taking care of your schoolwork, the way you behave, things like that, (it's a problem). Professional guys, they're pros; I never had that issue. "This is business. I'm going to show up. I'm going to do the right thing." At least the ones I've been around.

We haven't (found) a guy who's going to step up and do everything. You look at Stanford and their identity, they rotated backs as well (last season). It's kind of that way right now. The back that's going to stand out is going to be a back that Coach is going to feel comfortable in (his) doing everything: protecting the quarterback, running the routes, running hard.

Q: What can you tell me about the two guys coming in in the fall, Amir Carlisle and Buck Allen?

A: Amir ... has a good traffic burst. He can go from first to fourth pretty quick. He's not the biggest, but very good football instincts. Real good ball-catching skills. We'll figure out when he gets here and the pads come on how he's going to attack. I'm sure he'll be fine. He's been brought up around football a lot of his life; his dad is a trainer in the NFL and college. He knows what it takes.

The other young man is a big kid. We lose Allen (Bradford), C.J. (Gable) and Stanley (Havili) — there go three big backs. The only one we have left is Marc (Tyler). He comes in, and he's our second big back. He's got a good feel. He can catch the ball. I've always told him it's kind of nice to have an "Allen" in the backfield at USC. He didn't get it.

Q: He didn't get it? He didn't know who Marcus Allen was?

A: He didn't get it at first. It's been awhile.

Contact the writer: mlev@ocregister.com

Jeff Evans

Kennedy Pola returned to USC — where he previously played and coached — under somewhat controversial circumstances last year.

That episode and a full season behind him, Pola (Mater Dei High) has settled into the same Heritage Hall corner office he occupied in his first go-round at USC, from 2000-03.

Recruiting wasn't part of the job description in the NFL, where he coached in Cleveland (2004), Jacksonville ('05-09) and Tennessee ('10). That transition is where our conversation began.

Q: You hadn't been at Tennessee very long when Lane Kiffin came calling. Why come back?

A: It's USC. There's no other university (like it). If you'd been here before — and I've been blessed to be here as a student-athlete and been here working for two bosses, been through good and bad — and knowing Lane, knew of the sanctions, there was an opportunity to help our university in some way. If they asked me to stack cups or something (I would have done it) just to help. I was here as a player when we had a two-year ban. It's an adjustment for the student-athletes, the fan base and the coaching staff.

Q: You began your coaching career as a volunteer assistant at Crespi High (of Encino). What do you remember most about that experience?

A: Winning a championship. We won the CIF-Southern Section with Coach Bill Redell. It's funny, but it's kind of reality sometimes: I had the best player in Russell White. He was the CIF Player of the Year, and he was only a sophomore. I realized then that I don't have to be a really good coach — I just have to have really good players.

Q: How old were you when you first started coaching?

A: Twenty-two, 23 years old. I had just finished at USC. Had a cup of coffee in the NFL. Had the eighth knee surgery and realized the NFL's not for me. That's another personal challenge that's helped me become a better teacher to coach a lot of these young men.

Q: What's the distribution of the surgeries?

A: Four on each. Never missed a game, though. I don't know if it was a smart decision.

Q: Why did coaching appeal to you?

A: You're going deep. You're going back to the young man who move from Samoa, who, at 12 years old, didn't know how to speak English. Coaches were like your father figure. That's just the truth. The guardian I lived with who raised me through high school was my basketball coach. He became more than a basketball coach. He became like my father. From Wayne Cochran to Bruce Rollinson to Ted Tollner to John Robinson ... every coach I've come in contact with has been an influence on what I've done.

When I had the opportunity, when Coach Bill Redell asked me to come and help, it helped me to grieve too. ... You're a high school All-American, all that stuff, hyped up, and your dream is to play in the NFL, make some money and take care of your family. But it didn't happen. It helped me with my grieving.

Q: You graduated with a degree in history. You also were born on the day that John F. Kennedy was assassinated and were named after him. Is he an important historical figure to you? Or is there someone else you admire?

A: No, it would have to be him because everybody relates to that date. It's amazing. I wish I was a writer because I would record every conversation I've had over the years, the stories. That generation, they can recall to the second, to the minute, everything around them when it happened, where they were, all over the world: "I remember my mom crying, I remember my teacher, everybody just went silent, the principal over the loud speaker."

Q: You seem to have a special relationship with fullbacks because you were one yourself. What does it take to be a great fullback?

A: First of all, you're selfless. It's all in the attitude. Team player. You have to love collisions. I've always said, fullbacks have the best hands on the team. Here at USC, from Malaefou MacKenzie to David Kirtman to Stanley Havili, those guys can catch the football. I've always teased the other guys. I think the reason why, when I first started here at USC, Coach (John) Robinson had that philosophy that before you became a tailback you were playing fullback. That's the movement guy. Once you learn the fullback's blocking point, entry point, what they're doing, I think the tailback sees the game a lot better.

Q: The running backs' production was pretty good last year; Allen Bradford and Marc Tyler combined for about 1,700 yards. But it seemed like Lane Kiffin was seldom satisfied with the running game. What's your take on it?

A: You can always improve. I don't think it's the young men's fault. You've got to understand, they have a new coach. Marc and Allen and Stanley had been with Coach Mac (Todd McNair) for four years. All of a sudden you've got a different voice, a different way of installing, a different way they see things. I think it took awhile for us. Then the rhythm of the play-caller. I think it's going to be a lot better this year.

Q: Because there's a greater comfort level?

A: There's more continuity. I look back at our production here in our first run with Pete (Carroll). We were 6-6. The next year, Sultan (McCullough) had a 100-yard game, (Justin) Fargas against Oregon broke out, and things started jelling. Then the next year was even better.

Q: A few days after spring ball ended, Lane Kiffin released a depth chart. Four guys were listed as co-starters at running back. How much influence do you have on that, and how do you size up the race?

A: It's always the head coach's decision. But he's going to weigh it on everybody, what's your opinion on it. You never say it's my decision. This is Coach Kiffin's team. There's no question about it.

You have to be available as a running back. If you're not taking care of your schoolwork, the way you behave, things like that, (it's a problem). Professional guys, they're pros; I never had that issue. "This is business. I'm going to show up. I'm going to do the right thing." At least the ones I've been around.

We haven't (found) a guy who's going to step up and do everything. You look at Stanford and their identity, they rotated backs as well (last season). It's kind of that way right now. The back that's going to stand out is going to be a back that Coach is going to feel comfortable in (his) doing everything: protecting the quarterback, running the routes, running hard.

Q: What can you tell me about the two guys coming in in the fall, Amir Carlisle and Buck Allen?

A: Amir ... has a good traffic burst. He can go from first to fourth pretty quick. He's not the biggest, but very good football instincts. Real good ball-catching skills. We'll figure out when he gets here and the pads come on how he's going to attack. I'm sure he'll be fine. He's been brought up around football a lot of his life; his dad is a trainer in the NFL and college. He knows what it takes.

The other young man is a big kid. We lose Allen (Bradford), C.J. (Gable) and Stanley (Havili) — there go three big backs. The only one we have left is Marc (Tyler). He comes in, and he's our second big back. He's got a good feel. He can catch the ball. I've always told him it's kind of nice to have an "Allen" in the backfield at USC. He didn't get it.

Q: He didn't get it? He didn't know who Marcus Allen was?

A: He didn't get it at first. It's been awhile.

Contact the writer: mlev@ocregister.com

Jeff Evans