NCAA Football FanHouse

The Reggie Bush Scandal Is Clearly Not Affecting USC's Recruiting Efforts

Brian Grummell — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 16:03:00 EST

Filed under: Penn State Football, USC Football, NCAA FB Recruiting, Heisman, NCAA FB Scandal

For over two years now, a cloud has hung over USC's head through the stalemate of the NCAA's investigation into allegations that former star tailback and Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush accepted cash and gifts against NCAA rules. Obviously some sort of punishment against USC would be leveled if the NCAA found truth in the allegations.

Future unrest is usually trouble on the recruiting trail, just ask Penn State how much it has to answer to endless talk of Joe Paterno's retirement or dismissal. In spite of that, and of little surprise given Pete Carroll's ability to pitch, USC keeps smoking along on the recruiting trail.

They added Rivals.com's top player, quarterback Matt Barkley, this spring. Since then they've assembled a class of 15 players solid enough to rank second on Rivals.com's initial recruiting rankings and just behind Ohio State which already had 20+ commitments. If form holds it's another top five, maybe even No. 1 class.

Everyone knows USC is going to take some kind of hit from the NCAA, but the way high profile recruits keep arriving sends the message they're not worried about those pending sanctions.

The Reggie Bush Scandal Is Clearly Not Affecting USC's Recruiting Efforts originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 07 Jul 2008 16:03:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Malcolm Jenkins Had Too Much Fun at Playboy's All America Function

Brian Grummell — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 20:07:00 EST

Filed under: Ohio State Football, USC Football, Big 10, Pac 10

3 ... 2... 1 ... Splat, in a straw cowboy hat. Not sure whether this was a puke-and-rally scene or if Ohio State's star cornerback (formerly pictured at right -- we're working to add the picture again) executed the El Foldo maneuver and called it a night.

Background: Playboy invites players named on its preseason college football All American team to hang out, bond, and, well, party together before the season.

They take group pictures for the magazine, but otherwise have a lot of free time on their hands. Sometimes that free time is spent wearing silly straw cowboy hats. Sometimes it's spent with women you won't be taking home to mother.

... And sometimes its spent refunding your lunch and all the good stuff that had you so cheerful earlier in the evening. Dagnabbit (sorry, straw hat talking there).

~~More documented fun at the link~~. Hint: USC's linebackers dwarf James Laurinaitis.

Update: Looks like the thread was pulled with all the images from the event. Hmm. Most of the pictures in the now-escaped thread showed several Ohio State and USC players hanging out together, partying, with women, etc. Standard stuff. And of course the former picture of Jenkins above losing his lunch. You'll have to take our word for it. It was funny. Bent over puke on the sidwalk funny. Darn lawyers.

Malcolm Jenkins Had Too Much Fun at Playboy's All America Function originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Fri, 04 Jul 2008 20:07:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hugh Hewitt's Talking Crazy Talk About USC/Ohio State

Brian Grummell — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 16:06:00 EST

Filed under: Ohio State Football, USC Football, Big 10, Pac 10

Like boom boom, world's gonna end crazy talk.

[USC fans] know that [Ohio State is] gonna slaughter the Trojans, and therefore they do not want me there at the bloodbath, since it's probably the last football game we'll ever get to see before the United States gets blown up by the Islamists under Obama.

Uh huhhhh. Oh, and the conservative Los Angeles based radio host wants his USC listeners to offer him tickets. Good luck with that.

Crazy as this sounds, I'm actually going to defend Hewitt a bit.

I won't defend the world's-gonna-end part, I'll leave that to our sister site News Bloggers to have fun with, but since we're talking college football here ... let it be known Hewitt is an unabashed Ohio State and Notre Dame (and Michigan) guy. USC naturally gets under his skin. I've listened to his show enough to know that one of his favorite things to do is bash USC. It's his schtick, and he gets particular glee from it considering the greatest chunk of his national audience is in USC-mad Orange County, where he also works as a law professor.

I've seen this act before and taken out of context it sounds crazy, but he truly is just being himself and hoping for a rise out of the USC contingent within his listening audience. As a person holding tickets to that game, I won't be offering Hewitt mine, nor do I think it will be a bloodbath in the Buckeyes' favor. But I am thoroughly amused at his opinion, which is what he was aiming for in the first place.

Now about that world's-gonna-end thing ...

(Via: Get The Picture / EDSBS)

Hugh Hewitt's Talking Crazy Talk About USC/Ohio State originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 30 Jun 2008 16:06:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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USC's Kicker Can Outrun Half Your Team

Brian Grummell — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 15:09:00 EST

Filed under: USC Football, Pac 10

I wish I was joking. His name's David Buehler (Bueller? Bueller?) and he clocks a 4.49 in the 40-yard-dash. That's uhhhhh, really fast. Need proof? Posted below are times from USC's recent end-of-spring combine. Dude can fly.

Buehler came to USC out of a junior college where he was a safety as well as the kicker. Unlike 99.9% of kickers out there he's a legit athlete. Like 100% of all kickers, he's still a kicker, and being an actual football player does little to diminish their standing as football's second class citizens.

I wish there was YouTube of this, but I remember in a game last year probably against Washington State he hilariously ran down a kick returner from behind. You can go a decade and sometimes not see something like that.

In lieu of meaningful video, we'll leave you with Buehler mic'd up at a USC practice.

USC's Kicker Can Outrun Half Your Team originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sun, 29 Jun 2008 15:09:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LA Sheriff Collides With Pete Carroll

Sean Hawkins — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 08:40:00 EST

Filed under: USC Football, Pac 10

That traffic in southern California can be absolutely brutal. It's not just that you have to be careful, but you have to always be wary of the other unpredictable drivers that roam the highways and byways. You never know when someone will cut you off. Just ask Pete Carroll.

According to Scott Wolf in the LA Daily News, the rock-star coach was simply minding his own business, cruising through Malibu on the Pacific Coast Highway Tuesday evening, when suddenly:

"I was in the fast lane and the cop came from the slow lane and pulled right in front of me to make a U-turn," Carroll said. "(My car) got hammered."

That's right, a cop. Apparently it was an LA County Sheriff who ruined Carroll's evening. Luckily there were no injuries, and everyone is OK. Carroll even attended a high school football camp the following day. The worst thing to come out of it was Carroll having to remain at the scene for a few hours while everything was wrapped up.

What's a little odd here isn't just a police car ramming Carroll, but according to the article, the Malibu sheriff station was completely unaware of the incident. Wouldn't you think the sheriff station would know if one of their own was involved in totaling Pete Carroll's car?

LA Sheriff Collides With Pete Carroll originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Thu, 26 Jun 2008 08:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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USC Assistant Pat Ruel: 'Pete Carroll Is Like a Beautiful Woman'

Brian Grummell — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 12:28:00 EST

Filed under: USC Football, Pac 10

Context!

CBS Sports' Dennis Dodd wrote an article about USC offensive line coach Pat Ruel, discussing his itinerant career, accomplishments -- and man date with Pete Carroll before accepting the USC job.

Carroll worked all the angles. The two had been assistants together at Arkansas in 1977. USC's coach used picturesque Manhattan Beach to his advantage, taking his recruit to lunch there on a sun-splashed day.

"Pete's like a beautiful woman," Ruel said after taking the job. "The closer you get, you better look out. He is very charismatic. He can smile and make you feel like a million dollars."

I wonder who he thought of when calling Carroll a beautiful woman? Jessica Alba, perhaps? Or Halle Berry? Maybe Angelina Jolie? Maybe Cook's girl, Scarlett Johansson. Or maybe one of my favorites, Diane Lane? The world may never know.

One thing we do know, when your masculinity is set -- see: coaching offensive linemen and ownership of one awesome moustache -- you can safely get away calling your boss a beautiful woman. Just don't do it too often.

USC Assistant Pat Ruel: 'Pete Carroll Is Like a Beautiful Woman' originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Tue, 24 Jun 2008 12:28:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Oklahoma's Compliance Department Costs $1.2 Million Annually

Brian Grummell — Wed, 28 May 2008 19:43:00 EST

Filed under: Oklahoma Football, USC Football

Cost of doing business? Is this normal?

Among Oklahoma's remedies to the Rhett Bomar/ J.D. Quinn money-for-nothing-gate situation, the school is banning employers from hiring more than five Sooner athletes at a time.

And this:

Oklahoma also informed the NCAA that it has expanded its full-time compliance staff from three to eight workers and also has two part-time staff members. As a result, the annual compliance budget has grown to $1.2 million.

Unlike Monopoly, Oklahoma's not getting out of jail for free. This action sort of raises the ante towards any kind of "get off our back" costs that will be associated with USC when/if the Reggie Bush and O.J. Mayo situations ever get resolved.

Oklahoma's Compliance Department Costs $1.2 Million Annually originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 28 May 2008 19:43:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Not Everyone At USC Recognizes Pete Carroll

Brian Grummell — Tue, 20 May 2008 12:28:00 EST

Filed under: USC Football, Pac 10, NCAA FB Video

Something light on this fine Tuesday mid-day: USC football coach Pete Carroll walking around campus asking staff and students what they know about USC football.

Surprise! Not everyone realizes they're talking to the head coach. No wonder Reggie Bush and O.J. Mayo's alleged indiscretions flew under the radar. Regardless, time to boost those Q scores coach.

(H/T: The Wiz)

Not Everyone At USC Recognizes Pete Carroll originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Tue, 20 May 2008 12:28:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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USC and the NFL Draft: Dude!

Brian Grummell — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 19:52:00 EST

Filed under: USC Football, Pac 10

You know the commercial.

Anyway, while flipping through this week's The Sporting News, there was a blip inside about the boys from Troy:

The NFL already has a team in L.A. It's USC. Seven former Trojans were drafted during the first two rounds. How did USC lose two games last season?

I've been scratching my head the last two years trying to figure that out. It's just one writer but he's expressing something I think a decent number of pundits may eventually be asking about USC if they have another 10-win season with the kind of talent they've amassed while riding on the legacy of the 2003 (yes, that did happen LSU fans) and 2004 title teams.

That curiosity, that sentiment, is but one word: dude.

The larger issue isn't just those two losses, but USC's declining overall body of work. Stanford and the 2006 UCLA loss are disasters unparalleled by anything since Carroll arrived at USC. The Oregon loss was to a good team, but what was USC doing struggling with Washington, Arizona, a tanking California squad, and offensively against UCLA and Oregon State? That's more than half the schedule with an absolutely loaded team.

Same thing in 2006: the aforementioned UCLA loss, a loss to a good Oregon State team (at one point rallying from being down three scores), Arizona, Washington State, Washington and California.

I'm less concerned with them not going undefeated. There's always a little bit of good fortune that goes into that. Regardless, they certainly could play a lot better than they have these last two season, especially given a ridiculous amount of talent on both sides of the ball.

This is sort of a turning point year for USC. They'll be loaded once again, with surefire first/second rounders to be paired with many other NFL prospects.

Likely 2009 first/second rounders in the starting lineup: DT Fili Moala, DE Kyle Moore, LB Rey Maualuga, LB Brian Cushing, S Taylor Mays (JR), CB Cary Harris

Projected first/second round underclass: QB Mark Sanchez, WR Vidal Hazelton, WR Damian Williams, RB Joe McKnight, RB Stafon Johnson, C Kris O'Dowd, OT Butch Lewis, DE Everson Griffen

Likely draft choices among starters/contributors: TB C.J. Gable, FB Stanley Havili, TE Anthony McCoy, OG Jeff Byers, S Kevin Ellison, LB Kaluka Maiava, CB Shareece Wright

The short of it is USC's absolutely loaded again. They've become an NFL factory but seem to have lost something off that fastball in the college game.

Dude.

USC and the NFL Draft: Dude! originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 30 Apr 2008 19:52:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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College Eye for the NFL Guy: John David Booty

Brian Grummell — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 16:59:00 EST

Filed under: USC Football, NFL Prospects

Opinions are like ... well, you know. Here's our smelly take.

WHAT NFL SCOUTS ARE SAYING

Pro Football Weekly's 2008 NFL Draft Guide

Is clearly well-coached, with very sound mechanics. A pure pocket passer with functional arm strength, Booty is a West Coast, rhythm passer who will need to play in an offense that features a lot of short crosses and slants to be effective. Could develop into a solid backup, but would handicap what an offense could do as a starter.

Bonus Moment of Contradiction

Keeps his poise under pressure and does not pull the ball down to run.

Two sentences later:

Shows little awareness for pressure and can be rattled.

PROBABLY GETTING DRAFTED ...

Second day, in the third, fourth or fifth round.

GUY WHO WATCHED HIM FOR FIVE YEARS IS SAYING

One of the draft's most vexing prospects, Booty did the near impossible in transforming himself from a marvelous high school gunslinger in a shotgun system to a pure pocket passer running an NFL offense. He's one of the rare quarterbacks to successfully transition out of a system that produced highly regarded future flame-outs Josh Booty, Brock Berlin and Brent Rawls.

I think the telling comment here is that he is "well-coached". If you watch his high school films, Booty was a magical passer with a great downfield arm, wonderful accuracy and an ability to throw accurately on the run and even off the wrong foot. He's gone from a gunslinger to Robo-QB. What was his weakness coming out of high school is now his strength, and his strengths have all but disappeared and made people hilariously wonder about his feel for the game.

What appears to have happened here is that Booty was overcoached in a program that models itself after the NFL. What made him special and unique was somehow lost. Next victim if he's not careful: Mark Sanchez.

Bottom line: Booty has fine mechanics, a cool demeanor, is tremendously accurate and played in a big-time program that runs an NFL offense. He played his best in bowl games and has a lot to offer. I buy the argument that he's an NFL backup, but there's some potential buried somewhere in him if you watch those high school films. If he lands with a franchise that doesn't demand such regimented play from its quarterback, that gunslinging side of him could come back out and he could really blossom.

College Eye for the NFL Guy: John David Booty originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 21 Apr 2008 16:59:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Are Relations Thawing Between City Rivals USC and UCLA?

Brian Grummell — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 11:12:00 EST

Filed under: UCLA Football, USC Football, Pac 10, The Word

For years there has been talk of USC and UCLA returning to tradition and wearing contrasting uniforms at their rivalry game. Problem is, NCAA rules prohibit this practice and require that the offending team be docked a timeout.

It's a stupid rule, but to date the schools have obliged. It doesn't help that relations grew tense in the last year or two between the programs. Enter Rick Neuheisel.

In theory, the hyper-competitive Neuheisel should further the divide between the programs, but he and USC coach Pete Carroll at least publicly seem to respect each other. So much so, in fact, that next year may be an "Nixon visits China" moment in relations between the programs.

USC and UCLA are very close to announcing a novel idea to heat up their rivalry. Both teams will wear their home colors this season at UCLA's home game Dec. 6 in the Rose Bowl.

That means USC will wear maroon. The plan is for the Trojans to be penalized a timeout when they take the field in their homies. UCLA, then, at its first opportunity will call a timeout to even things up. Pete Carroll apparently has signed off on the p.r. strategy. What a way to ramp up the Trojans-Bruins rivalry.

You know what's next? Full diplomatic relations (yeh right!). Until anything happens this is all just talk and cutesy "Americans playing ping pong in China" type ice-breakers floated before the public. Hopefully it happens.

Previously at FanHouse
It's Time to Let USC and UCLA Party Like It's 1969
%Gallery-2782%

Are Relations Thawing Between City Rivals USC and UCLA? originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 09 Apr 2008 11:12:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Memo to This Year's Eventual National Champion: Savor It

Brian Grummell — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 11:50:00 EST

Filed under: LSU Football, Michigan Football, Notre Dame Football, Ohio State Football, USC Football, The Word, TCU Football

Interesting find in Olin Buchanan's Mailbag this week at Rivals.com: a trend has emerged in college football whereby teams winning a title ending in any year ending in an 8 experience a long, painful championship drought.

Recent victims: Notre Dame has not won a title since 1988. USC waited until 2003 after claiming the 1978 crown. Ohio State endured a more than 30-year wait between their 1968 and 2002 crowns. Scary stuff here.

Everyone wants a championship, but maybe it's a devil's bargain in reaching for this year's title?

Other victims of years ending in "8":

TCU was named the Associated Press national champion in 1938 - the third year of the poll - and even though players such as Bob Lilly and LaDainian Tomlinson have since come through Fort Worth, the Horned Frogs have not won another crown.

Michigan won in 1948 and did not win another national title until 1997, and that one was split with Nebraska. The '58 champion was LSU, which waited 45 years before celebrating another national championship.

Ok so maybe it wouldn't be such a bad thing for TCU to win a championship this year. They've waited long enough, maybe another drought is worth the price of ending the current agony.

Memo to This Year's Eventual National Champion: Savor It originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 24 Mar 2008 11:50:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mustain Seeks Prolonged QB Battle

Scott Olin Schmidt — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 11:45:00 EST

Filed under: USC Football, Pac 10, Los Angeles

The start of Spring Football could not come a day sooner for the USC Trojans after the heralded Men of Troy Basketball squad went one-and-done in the NCAA Tournament--and there is good reason to pay attention to what's happening on Howard Jones Field.

Mark Sanchez, Aaron Corp and Arkansas-transfer Mitch Mustain will be battling it out to determine who will replace John David Booty in the fall. Redshirt Junior Sanchez has the leg up according to head coach Pete Carroll, "It will be interesting to see if Mitch and (freshman) Aaron (Corp) can catch up. That's what we'll have to find out."

For Mustain to catch up and win the starting job, he must make sure that time is on his side, and make the coaching staff prolong their decisionmaking process into the fall.

"If it doesn't get decided, it looks better for Aaron or I," Mustain told the Daily News. "From August, it's like night and day for me. And even from December, it's a huge difference, even with where I stand on the team in terms of leadership since (Booty) left. I'm not going to be reluctant to exercise it."

Mustain Seeks Prolonged QB Battle originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 24 Mar 2008 11:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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YouTubesDay: The 1980 Rose Bowl

Brian Grummell — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 02:00:00 EST

Filed under: Ohio State Football, USC Football, Big 10, Pac 10, NCAA FB History, NCAA FB Video, The Word

Ohio State is scheduled to travel out west this fall to play USC in a much-anticipated contest between national powers.

This won't be the first go-round between the teams, as the two played in the 1980 Rose Bowl. USC ended up winning that matchup 17-16 thanks to a game-winning late touchdown drive punctuated by tailback Charles White going "over the top" of the pile and into the end zone.

Smart television executives will be sure to make a play on all these 28 weeks/months later films, and note that USC/Ohio State '08 marks the 28-year anniversary of the 1980 Rose Bowl.

Notable:

Frank Sinatra (RIP) made the official coin toss. Heisman Trophy winner Charles White was named game MVP rushing for over 200 yards. Future Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Allen paid his dues as a fullback until White graduated. Current USC coach Pete Carroll was a defensive assistant for Ohio State in this game (related video here). O.J. Simpson conducts the postgame interview of Trojan coach John Robinson.

YouTubesDay: The 1980 Rose Bowl originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Tue, 11 Mar 2008 02:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pete Carroll Thinks Other Coaches Are Lazy

Brian Grummell — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 17:25:00 EST

Filed under: USC Football, Pac 10, The Word

The man doesn't sleep, so pretty much everyone outside the 99th percentile where he resides faces that fire

"I don't want to sound like a jerk," [USC coach Pete] Carroll says, "But other coaches ... they're just lazy."

Carroll is gripping about the NCAA's ban on off-campus visits during the spring evaluation period (April 15 to May 31). That's a period of time where coaches like Carroll commit to life on the road and find those margins in recruiting and evaluation. Ostensibly, the legislation was an attempt to curb coaches from violating the NCAA's "bump" rule that limits personal contact with recruits at their schools.

For someone like Carroll, this is an unnecessary and unfair "time out". The poor man's got nothing to do except work on his jumper, apparently. Says The Sporting News' Matt Hayes:

The reality is the new rule penalizes those who work hard and build relationships and rewards those who are, yep, lazy.
Nick Saban visited more than 100 high schools in last spring's evaluation period. Urban Meyer's spring jaunts are legendary, and Ron Zook once visited more than 70 schools in 30 days. See the common thread yet?

Those who work hard reap the rewards.
Any coach can watch tape and see potential. The difference is in the details: talking to high school coaches and guidance counselors and teachers early on and getting a feel for intangibles that don't show on grainy video.

The cold reality is the coaching biz rewards the guys who never leave the office and keep family and social commitments to a minimum in pursuit of every possible edge. Someone like Carroll is willing to make those sacrifices others won't. I wouldn't call other coaches lazy (although some are!), but for a competitive freak like Carroll it's probably near-impossible to see things in any other light.

Previously at FanHouse
Pete Carroll Can Not Be Profiled
Pete Carroll Tag
%Gallery-5194%

Pete Carroll Thinks Other Coaches Are Lazy originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 10 Mar 2008 17:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Keeping "The Man" Busy: Mystery Edition

Adam Jacobi — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 21:51:00 EST

Filed under: Oklahoma Football, Penn State Football, USC Football, Big 10, Big 12, Big East, Pac 10, Rutgers Football, NCAA FB Police Blotter

Here's why athletic directors are frowning today...

It's time to play Guess The Misdemeanor!: As a coach, Greg Schiano has to make decisions. Most of them are easy, like "should I blitz against Syracuse" (yes) and "should I sell an internal organ in order to bribe Ray Rice to stay" (yes again--the left kidney and a lobe of the liver).

When it comes to player discipline, the answers aren't so simple. So when Schiano found out defensive tackle Justin Francis was arrested, he suspended the young man, then informed the media. Nobody likes a secretive coach, after all. But he decided not to provide the specifics of the arrest itself, which we celebrate as an even better decision. Why? Because it allows us the opportunity to engage in reckless speculation! AOL cannot attest to the veracity of any of these rumors, of course--mainly because this author making them up right now--but we're confidently narrowing down the list of possible infractions to the ones listed below.

Riding a puma through the drive-thru at the local Arby's. Pumas are endangered, pal!
Running an illegal bronzer smuggling ring. Yes, it's Jersey, so the market's there, but get a permit, for crissakes.
Parking fifteen stolen cars on the tarmac at Newark International Airport. Pilots do not appreciate "obstacle courses."
Puma bombing. Again with the pumas!

Virginia is for lovers, and State College is for drunk drivers: Penn State tight end Andrew Quarless, who is probably to the point where you can confidently add "Troubled" to the beginning of all descriptions of him, was arrested early Sunday morning on suspicion of DUI. Though the charges weren't formally handed down until Thursday, he was suspended immediately after his arrest by Joe Paterno.

SPECIAL NCAA SHENANIGANS BONUS: According to the Penn State rivals.com affiliate, Quarless was driving a white BMW when he was arrested, and that may be a problem:

Multiple sources have told FOS that the car did not belong to him, but rather a friend he was with late Saturday night.

Yes, the NCAA ban on driving other peoples' cars is unfairly punitive. Who among us has never borrowed a car during college? But obviously, there's room for abuse, so the rule's existence is, on its face, a little understandable. That's why this author would like to reiterate a proposed Hoopty Clause: a player may borrow a car if its list value is below $4,000 and it will absolutely, positively not get a normal person laid. A Bimmer likely violates even that clause too, so expect the NCAA compliance bloodhounds to come sniffing around Penn State pretty soon.

Was that wrong? Should I not have done that?: Among Pete Carroll's myriad qualities and good deeds is his practice of visiting the inner city of Los Angeles late at night, to no fanfare or publicity. There's no way of knowing if he was out there Wednesday night, but if he was, he had clearly chosen the wrong neighborhood--elsewhere in Compton, recruit Maurice Simmons was getting arrested for armed robbery.

According to the police report, the alleged victim flagged down a police officer in the area, and Simmons and another suspect were apprehended shortly thereafter as they left the scene. With the stolen property. And a gun.

Simmons is in jail, held on $50,000 bail, and suspended from the USC football team.

Believe it or not, this is not a repeat: Here's a story about an incoming freshman at one of the top football programs in the nation, arrested in possession of stolen property and a gun. Again. This time, it was Oklahoma recruit Josh Jarboe, who gets an F-minus in both lawfulness and originality. Well, actually, F-plus--he at least got arrested at school, which is probably the worst place to bring a firearm, outside of a hospital nursery or the set of a game show where if you don't have a gun, they give you a million dollars.

There's been no word on whether Oklahoma has suspended Jarboe, but after two felony charges, the news can't be good--it's not like Bob Stoops is going to reward him with orange slices or a car full of money. Jarboe's future with the team is, shall we say, in doubt.

Kids these days, with their guns and robberies and rap music. Whatever happened to wholesome entertainment like Lawrence Welk?

Keeping "The Man" Busy: Mystery Edition originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Fri, 07 Mar 2008 21:51:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Reggie Bush Accuser Lloyd Lake Leaves Deposition Over Gun

Brian Grummell — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 19:13:00 EST

Filed under: Saints, USC Football, NCAA FB Scandal, The Word

Will the drama never cease?

Lloyd Lake walked out on Tuesday before giving a scheduled deposition in connection with the lawsuit he filed against New Orleans Saints running back Reggie Bush.

At issue was a person in attendance in possession of a gun, which apparently spooked Lake. Yahoo! News, which appears to be 100% in the bag for Lake, recounts what appeared to be a menacing person staring directly at him and revealing a gun during the deposition. It appears based on the ESPN story that this person was a member of Bush's private security outfit.

Lake, fearing for his safety, said no mas to the scheduled deposition after that.

From ESPN's story, Bush's side contends that Lake had made a pair of threats in December against Bush. Law enforcement and private security allegedly advised Bush to take extra precaution especially after Lake's attorney allegedly told Bush's attorney that he could not control Lake, a ~~former~~ alleged gang member, if Bush didn't pay up. Got all that?

Basically, welcome to civil court hell, but with guns and intimidation. Don't ever get divorced, kids. Or allegedly leave a business partner in the lurch for large sums of cash.

Reggie Bush Accuser Lloyd Lake Leaves Deposition Over Gun originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Tue, 12 Feb 2008 19:13:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Signing Day: The Morning After

Brian Grummell — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Alabama Football, Miami Football, Michigan Football, Notre Dame Football, Oklahoma Football, USC Football, NCAA FB Recruiting, The Word

Here's hoping your school isn't using whiskey as mouthwash thinking about who it woke up next to this morning

Themes

USC Soars Late, Pulls Shocker

Tallahassee Lincoln kids love to flirt, and they're never lacking for suitors. But when push comes to shove, the vast majority of them break hearts and stick with the hometown Seminoles. So it came as a complete shock to many people when highly regarded cornerback T.J. Bryant cast his lot with Pete Carroll and USC.

USC lost out on Alabama linebacker Jerrell Harris, but did pull in Bryant, Michigan linebacker Nick Perry and Los Angeles linebacker Uona Kavienga throughout the second half of the day to slide into 7th place in the Rivals.com rankings. It's been a great month of recruiting overall as USC recently got a pledge from the nation's top player for 2009 in quarterback Matt Barkley along with several other preliminary top 100 recruits. Damn.

Back To The Future

As expertly stated by EDSBS, the top of the recruiting rankings have a certain 1985 feel. Alabama, Oklahoma, Notre Dame, Miami ... thank heaven for moth balls.

Miscellany

Notre Dame has a great deal to prove on the field after last year's disaster and two consecutive BCS flops. However, the Irish were magnificent in holding together their recruiting class and finding some decent guys in the trenches (at least on defense, anyway). The same can be said for UCLA after the departure of coach Karl Dorrell.

Jumpin' Sam McGuffie briefly flirted with California, but he's come home now and will stick with Michigan.

Signing Day: The Morning After originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Thu, 07 Feb 2008 10:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Recruiting: Paris Hilton Sightings Will Do

Brian Grummell — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 17:58:00 EST

Filed under: USC Football, NCAA FB Recruiting, The Word

As far as I know, USC doesn't bring recruits to the home of Trojans' coach Pete Carroll. Nope, no ping ping is happening there. However, like everyone else in this salesman's game, USC's got a pitch: celebrities and the California lifestyle.

Comedic actor Will Ferrell is a regular on the USC sidelines when not filming spots with players or losing charity swim events against Carroll. Other middling celebrities are often spotted on the Trojan sidelines (Nick Lachey, Alyssa Milano, etc.). They're even in the stands, as "The Fonz" Henry Winkler is a regular. The celeb spotting has also become a recruiting pitch.

USC made sure to sell just that to a linebacker recruit out of the state of Alabama named Jerrell Harris:

The recruiting process has been whirlwind, allowing him to catch a glimpse of socialite Paris Hilton and singer Eve on a recruiting trip to USC.

And so it goes.
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Recruiting: Paris Hilton Sightings Will Do originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Tue, 05 Feb 2008 17:58:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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YouTubesDay: Stafon Johnson's Amazing Pick

Brian Grummell — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 06:00:00 EST

Filed under: USC Football, Pac 10, NCAA FB Video, The Word

Tomorrow is signing day, so in the spirit of the season - ogling over kids not yet graduated from high school - I present to you this video. In it, future USC tailback Stafon Johnson (100+ yards in the Rose Bowl against Illinois) makes one of the more impressive plays I've ever seen.

The video quality is poor, so take my word when I say Johnson managed one of the more unique hat tricks around. In the 2004 Los Angeles City Section championship game between Birmingham High and Dorsey High (played at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum), Johnson did the following in a single play:

1)Perfectly timed a play from the safety spot to level a receiver the exact moment he put his hands on the ball

2)Took the ball from said - nearly decapitated - receiver while following through on the hit

3)Takes said victory spoils and shakes a tackle in impressive form returning the interception for a touchdown

Ah hell, description doesn't do it justice. Just watch. And then watch again. Seriously.

YouTubesDay: Stafon Johnson's Amazing Pick originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Tue, 05 Feb 2008 06:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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