As I'm sure we all know by now, Carson Palmer has come out and said how much he despises the (not capitalized) Ohio State University. Apparently some Luckeye fans aren't taking to kindly to this. While I understand them being upset about his comments, some people are taking this to a level that's just crazy. As posted on Lance McAlister's blog, some people are calling for a boycott of Carson. This is just ridiculous.

People that have been fans of the Bengals for years are saying they are going to boycott not only Palmer but the entire Bengals team while he's the quarterback or even on the team period. I understand how much fans of OSU love their team, and for those that actually attended there, they love the school as a whole. Guess what? Palmer loves his school too. He has the right to bash on OSU. Just because he plays in the same state as the school doesn't mean he should hold his tongue when talking about a team he despises. His words may have been a little over the top, especially for him, but if that's the way he feels who are the OSU fans to tell him he should keep quiet.

Ohio State and USC play each other in the second game of the season this year, which is what prompted Palmer to make the comments he did. I have absolutely no problem with him saying what he did. Granted I'm along side him as a OSU hater. I've been a big Notre Dame fan for years. Had his comments been directed at them, I would have laughed and said he's entitled to his opinion and I can totally understand why he feels the way he feels. He loves USC and everything about it. Just because he can't stand the Buckeyes doesn't mean all their fans should boycott him or the Bengals. But I wouldn't expect anything less from the OSU fans. I know a lot of them and while I know the passion they have for their team, they can go overboard with it at times and not know when to just let something go.

After hearing/reading Palmer's comments I have to say that I love the guy even more. There's no reason to suddenly not like him just because he doesn't like your school or your team. If he was an OSU grad and had played for the Buckeyes (well he wouldn't be a pro QB now that's for sure) he would have said the same about a team like USC I'm sure. You can't expect the guy to suddenly love the Buckeyes just because he plays and lives in Ohio. That's just asking way too much in my opinion. Buckeye fans just need to chill and get over it. What they need to worry about is heading out west to play USC and, in Palmer's words, "going out to the Coliseum and experience L.A. and get an old-fashioned Pac-10 butt-whipping."

It has been a long process, and it continues. Ben Mauk still does not know if he will be playing in 2008. The Bearcats QB was told his appeal would be looked at by the NCAA on Monday. Now it is Tuesday, approaching Wednesday, and still no ruling. It is very unlikely that he will get his sixth year of eligibility after being denied once earlier this year, but the UC faithful still have hope. Mauk threw for 3,121 yards and 31 touchdown passes to lead the Bearcats to a 10-3 record in 2007. The info on Mauk should come within the next 24-48 hours.

It wasn't too long ago that Brian Brohm was touted as a sure-fire top 5 pick in the NFL Draft. However, after a senior season upon which Louisville greatly underacheived, he dropped a bit on draft boards. Now it is unclear whether or not Brohm will even go in the first round.

Brohm lacks the rocket arm, but is accurate and has great mechanics. You can tell the kid was the son of a coach. He learns quick and will only get better with experience. As a senior, Brohm actually threw as many interceptions as he had in his first three seasons, but he did also throw for a career high 4,024 yards and 30 touchdowns to go along with a 65.1% completion rate.

Boston College's Matt Ryan is largely believed to be the draft's top quarterback and one that Baltimore, who picks No. 8 overall, apparently covets. Assuming that holds true, where does Brohm fall?

The 22-year old is going to provide great value where ever he winds up. He is the top of a second tier of quarterbacks that also includes Michigan's Chad Henne and Delaware's Joe Flacco. As has been the case in past drafts, quarterback-needy teams might consider trading into the back half of the first round to snare one of the second-level signal-callers. Consider this recent history:

In 2007, the Browns dealt back in to select Notre Dame's Brady Quinn (No. 22). Two years prior, the Redskins made a similar move to snare Auburn's Jason Campbell (No. 25). In 2004, the Bills traded back for J.P. Losman (No. 22) and the year before that, the Ravens swung a deal with the Patriots to get Kyle Boller (No. 19).

I see a trade coming, but most of the mock drafts I have checked out see Ryan either going to the Falcons at #3 or the Ravens at #8. Whichever team don't get Ryan in Round 1 will turn to Brohm in Round 2. There is going to be a surprise team pop out and make a move at this guy. I wouldn't be surprised to see Minnesota to make a move and maybe even Miami.

PROJECTED MOCK DRAFT SELECTION
FootballFutures.com - Brian Brohm - Rd. 2, 38th overall - Baltimore Ravens
NFLDraftBlitz.com - Brian Brohm - Rd. 2, 37th overall - Atlanta Falcons
NFLDraftNotebook.com - Brian Brohm - Rd. 2, 38th overall - Baltimore Ravens

Some might say I have it out for University of Michigan football head coach Rich Rodriguez.  They could have a point; I have friends that are somewhat close to the West Viriginia University program, so in some sense I guess I feel a connection to the school, and he just generally has a history of acting like a slimeball.

But I may not be the only one that isn't too thrilled with the coach known as Rich-Rod.  During the Ohio State spring football preview luncheon this past Wednesday, Ohio State coach Jim Tressel took a few questions from the audience.  While Tressel isn't known for taking shots at others, he seemed to toss a barb Rodriguez's way in response to one of the queries:

"Is there a gentleman's agreement between Big Ten coaches that once a player verbally commits to a school, the other coaches are supposedly hands off?"

This was Tressel's answer, after about a one-second pause.

"I guess only between the gentlemen."

Speculation is that this was directed at Rodriguez, who signed a recruit named Ray Roundtree that had already given a verbal commitment to Purdue - an action that prompted Purdue coach Joe Tiller to call Rodriguez "a guy in a wizard hat selling snake oil".  Clearly old Rich-Rod is not endearing himself to his new compatriots.

Sadly, this isn't it for his issues this week.  Following a pre-trial hearing concerning WVU's efforts to recover the $4 million due to them per their former coach's contract, Marv Robon, one of Rodriguez's lawyers, made a statement I have a feeling he's going to regret, if he doesn't already (hat tip to Sports by Brooks):

“It’s like back before the Civil War when slaves had the right to buy their freedom. A penalty of $4 million is almost like a slave from Africa trying to buy his freedom in America. I think it’s an outrageous amount. It’s just not fair and it’s not related to any damages the university is suffering.”

I've tried writing about five different responses to address the sheer ignorance and stupidity of this quote, but I think it's best to just let the quote stand on its own and let the reader absorb it for him/herself.  Either way, I think we can agree that anything related to $4 million is completely unrelated to slavery.

I had a chance to sit down with the Cincinnati Bearcats star wide-reciever Marshwan Gilyard this week. I had many questions for him and I also recieved a couple questions from UC fans too. Mardy was kind enough to answer alot of these.

I asked, "What does it feel like to be part of a top 25 program?" He replied, "To me it is the will to stick out and about being better. I want to be the best not the worst. I know how it feels to be the worst, like the year we went 4-7. Now it seems that we can turn it around from a couple years ago and be best we can be.

"What do you like most about the University of Cincinnati?" He then responded, "Being here and just playing football for the Bearcats."

Marshwan has his own fan club called "Gilyard's Gang", so i asked him, "How do you feel when you walk out on the field at Nippert Stadium, and see fans holding up pictures of you and screaming your name?" He said, "You just don't know how much those guys get me going when I run out and see that sign. It brings tears to my eyes everytime I see it. The only people I have here are my in-laws and my fiance. When I run out and see "Gilyard's Gang" I think of them as my little family, it gives me a real good home feeling!"

And finally,"What is your prediction for next year?" He answered,"I want to live up to the hype and keep working, then just do good."

Today the NCAA denied University of Cincinnati QB Ben Mauk's petition for a 6th year of eligibility.  Mauck had redshirted his freshman year at Wake Forest.  He then broke his arm in the first game of the 2006 season and missed the rest of that season.  Mauk had petitioned for the extra eligibility on the basis that he was forced to redshirt at Wake.  The NCAA didnt' buy it.

But don't despair Bearcat fans.  UC will have Notre Dame transfer Demetrius Jones on hand next season.  He sat out all of this season after starting the first game for the Irish, only to transfer to UC shortly afterwards.  The Bearcats will also have QB's Dustin Grutza and Tony Pike in house as well.

COMPLETE STORY

The Univeristy of Cincinnati finalized the deal with head football coach Brian Kelly on Tuesday, agreeing to a five-year extension. The new deal runs through December 31, 2012. With incentives, Kelly's new deal could have the coach making as much as $2 million per season.

Kelly led the Bearcats to their first 10-win season in nearly 60 years and the school finished in the final top 25 rankings for the first time ever. The success has the appoval rating for UC football at an All-time high and has led to Kelly being a very rich man.

Here's a detailed breakdown of the deal:

BASE SALARY: $300,000 (will be reviewed at least annually)
RADIO AND TELEVISION: $400,000
PUBLICE RELATIONS: $300,000
SPORTS CAMP: $100,000
SHOE AND APPAREL CONTRACT: $100,000
*Includes use of automobile and golf club membership; $1.2 million base will increase $50,000 (Jan 1, 2010 and every season after)

INCENTIVE BONUSES
Top 25 Finish (AP and/or Coaches Poll): $50,000
Victory over top 25 team: $10,00 per win
Appearance in BCS Bowl Game: $100,000
Appearance in any other Bowl: $40,000
Big East Regular Season Championship: $50,000
Big East Coach of the Year: $20,000
National (AFCA) Coach of the Year: $50,000

REGULAR-SEASON INCENTIVES
Seven wins: $5,000 ($3,000 per win after that)
*$20,000 possible - 12 wins

ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE
Team GPA exceeds 2.75: $5,000
Team GPA exceeds 3.0: $10,000
Graduation Rate (each academic year): 75% based in four years from initial enrollment of the current class: $100,000
Academic Progress Rate (exceed the standard set by NCAA): $10,000 after first four years (must be exceeded after that)

ATTENDANCE INCENTIVE
Over 15,000: $12,500
15,000-20,000: $25,000
20,000-27,500: $32,500
27,501-32,000: $50,000

BOWL, FAMILY TRIP ALLOWANCE
The University will make available to Kelly in each year of the term of the contract a budget of $25,000 and 200 bowl tickets to any bowl in which the university participates.

TERMINATION WITHOUT CAUSE
Before Dec. 31, 2008: $2,000,000
Before Dec. 31, 2009: $1,500,000
Before Dec. 31, 2010: $1,250,000
Before Dec. 31, 2011: $750,000
On or after Dec 31, 2011: $500,00

IF KELLY LEAVES FOR ANOTHER SCHOOL OR NFL, HE PAYS
Before Jan 15, 2009: $2,000,000
Before Jan 15, 2010: $1,000,000
Before Jan 15, 2011: $750,000
Before Jan 15, 2012: $500,000
On or after Jan 15, 2012: $250,000

PRACTICE FIELDS
The University agrees to "use its best efforts" to build or acquire two practice fields on campus by Sept. 1, 2009, and an indoor facility, which shall be understood to include a bubble over Nippert Stadium or some other campus facility by Dec. 1, 2009, or by the conclusion of the last home game of the season, whichever occurs later. If the deadline is missed, the buyout payment for Kelly taking another job will be reduced by half until the Jan. 15, 2010, or the date on which the two practice fields and indoor facility become available.


This definitely puts the pressure on UC to get the job done, but still shows the University of Cincinnati and its president, Nancy Zimpher, are committed to athletic success, when acheived in a manner that sheds good light on the rest of the university. This is a huge win for everyone involved!

The Cincinnati Enquirer had an outstanding insight in to Greater Cincinnati sports in Sunday's edition. They played off of President Bush's State of the Union Address, scheduled for Monday night, and conducted an on-line survey soliciting fans opinions of local college and pro sports. There were some interesting trends that developed from the nearly 11,000 voters:

COMPLETE RESULTS

--The Bengals received three times more votes than any other catagory with UC Football (not Reds) finishing second

--The Bengals finished 11th out of 12 in fan confidence (that makes Miami football look pretty bad)

--97% percent of UC fans think program is better than it was 2-3 years ago (duh?)

--Xavier Hoops come in second overall in Approval ranking, behind OSU football (nice job Muskies)

--More Miami University votes than the University of Kentucky (where did the Tristate UK fans go)

--More KY Speedway voters than Ohio State (but we still think OSU game should be played in Fountain Square)

--64% think Reds are better than they were 2-3 years ago (that's not saying much)

--61% think Bengals are worse than they were 2-3 years ago (The buzz of Marvin's Jungle Juice is wearing off...and what a hangover it is)

Admit it, the number one thing on your mind during this two week wait for the Super Bowl has been, "what's Peter Warrick up to nowadays?". 

Well, wonder no more.  In just a few short months, you'll be able to watch (theoretically at least) Warrick play for Team Florida in something called the All-American Football League. 

What, you say, is the AAFL?  Well, according to its website, the AAFL is a professional football league that is looking to strike up a quasi-relationship with Division I-A NCAA football programs.  There are six current franchises: Alabama, Arkansas, Michigan, Tennessee, Texas, and the aforementioned Florida squad.  The majority of each team's initial players will come from local college squads, and then the rest of the roster will be filled through the league entry draft, which is occuring today.

There are some recognizable names associated with the league.  Bengals fans will recognize former Cincy receiver Willie Jackson, and the Florida head coach is former Bengals QB Shane Matthews.  Defensive back Reggie Myles (who most Bengal fans would like to forget) is considered to be one of the Alabama squad's best players.  And those who remember the University of Houston squads of the early 90's will recognize Texas head coach John Jenkins, who was one of the most distasteful personalities in collegiate football history - though if it's any consolation, the years have not been too kind to him:

Other notable names include Chris Leak, Fred Weary, B.J. Symons, Andy Kelly, and Clint Stoerner. 

Notice that most of these players can be described best by paraphrasing a quote from Major League: they either are past their prime, or they never had a prime.  This should make it easier for our guy P-Dub, who hasn't played competitive football in over two years, to make an impact in the fledgling league.  With his knees, he'll need all the help he can get.

Anyone who has watched ESPN the past two days may have saw Florida quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow not only granting ESPN reporter Erin Andrews an interview during a basketball game, but giving the ESPN College Gameday crew a "pep talk" as they prepared for their telecast. It's hard to argue against Tebow's overall talent, and his statistics during the 2007 season made him a logical selection for the Heisman Trophy. However, is ESPN taking advantage of the popularity of Tebow (a student-athlete) to gain a ratings bump? Let's examine the situation further...

Make no mistake, the media love athletes who are open and willing to grant an interview at anytime. Brett Favre, Jeremy Roenick and Shaquille O Neal are just some examples of media friendly athletes who have used their positive "Q" media scores to advance their publicity. The key to those athletes is the word professional. Tebow is a college athlete who has been made larger than life in large part due to major media outlets like ESPN. Tebow is what media folks call a "good story", with a solid foundation built around the three "F's", family, faith, and football. From all accounts, he is a solid young man who has been blessed with a talent for football that few have ever realized.

Tebow has several similarities with former Notre Dame and Washington Redskin quarterback Joe Theismann. While at Notre Dame, Theismann saw his name pronunciation go from THEEZ-man to rhyme with Heisman. While the name pronunciation came from students at Notre Dame, the “new” name was able to stick thanks in large part to the media. Theisman also broadcast Super Bowl XIX for ABC while still an active player with the Redskins. After his career ended with a broken leg, Theismann entered the broadcast booth for good and spent 20 seasons in the booth on ESPN's NFL broadcast. Theismann cashed in his media friendliness for his life after football, becoming a member himself.

Tebow appears like a bright young man and he may very well win another Heisman Trophy in 2008. However, what would happen if he struggles next season and doesn't have huge numbers like in 2007? The same people who are proclaiming him as the second coming may be asking "What is wrong?" Let's hope Tebow's story ends happily, both with the media and in football. College athletes are not professionals, but the media will treat Tebow as one if he continues to let them gain as much access as they have had in his early career. If for some reason Tebow’s career doesn’t pan out, he should shove most of the blame into the face of those who proclaimed him the second coming. Here’s hoping Tebow pulls a Theismann (minus the broken leg of course).

With all of the issues that West Virginia University has had over the past couple months (blowing the Pitt game and costing themselves a shot at the national championship, losing their head coach, promoting an assistant with a shaky past, etc.), you'd think it couldn't get any worse.  Well even their bright spot - a Fiesta Bowl victory over Oklahoma - ended badly.  When they got home, they found out that all of their player and program files went missing.

Yep, everything from strength and conditioning, recruiting, attendance records, and personal information files all seem to have just magically disappeared.  Sometime between former head coach Rich Rodriguez's resignation and their return from Arizona, they all just up and walked out the door.

Quite the coincidence, eh?  Well, it gets even murkier when you read that "...several people in the Puskar Center reported seeing Rodriguez...in [his] private office shredding paperwork on Dec. 18."  That would be two days after he resigned to take the head coaching job at Michigan.

So let's recap some of Rodriguez's (or as the WVU fans cleverly nicknamed him, Rich-Rod) hijinx over the past 12+ months:

• Told the media in December 2006 that he planned to be at WVU for the rest of his career
• Met with the University of Alabama three days later to discuss their coaching vacancy
• Signed a new deal with WVU in return for getting commitments from the university for multiple upgrades to the facilities, as well as hefty pay raises for him and his staff
• Leaving WVU 11 months later for the Michigan job
• Filed suit against WVU in an effort to get out of paying the $4 million buyout in his contract
• Allegedly called recruits before he told him team he was leaving the school
• All but shoved expected starting QB Ryan Mallett out the door
• And now the paper shredding

Michigan sure did get themselves a gem.  I wonder if WVU feels it was worth it to keep Rodriguez around for an additional year for all of this crap.  A bit of advice to the U-M athletic department: keep a succession list handy, you never know how soon you're going to need it.

Well it's always nice to see a coach land on his feet.  Former UK head football coach Guy Morriss, who was recently fired from the same position at Baylor University, was back in Kentucky today to interview for a head coaching job.

At Boyle County.  High School.  In Danville, Kentucky (and anyone who's spent a weekend in Danville knows that this isn't even an exciting city by Kentucky's standards).

Yes, a coach that has led two BCS conference programs has decided that he'd rather move down to the high school level than take another shot at a college job.

Granted, Morriss does own a farm in nearby Perrysville, and perhaps he just wants a simpler life.  And Boyle County does have a reputation as one of the powerhouse programs in the state.  But wow, you'd just think Morriss could do better than a high school job.

Or maybe he's just scarred by this, and wants to get out for good.

With the college football season coming to a close last night, the final rankings were relelased today. The Cincinnati Bearcats moved up to 17th in the AP poll and 20th in the USA Today Coaches Poll. This would mark the highest the Bearcats have ever finished in the polls in their 120 years of existence. It was a great season for the Cats as they finished with a 10-3 record, marking only the second time in school history that they would finish with 10 wins in a season. They finished with a perfect record of 6-0 against teams outside the Big East. Their three losses were to Pittsburgh, Louisville and West Virginia. They came within a win over West Virginia of winning the Big East and playing in a BCS bowl game.

This season for the Cats was one that put them in the national spotlight on many occassions and will have them receiving national recognition going into next season as well. They will lose some key players on the defense going into next season. Gone will be the emotional leader and fan favorite, DB Haruki Nakamura. The Cats will also miss DE Anthony Hoke next season. He finished the season with 13 sacks which established a new school record and made him sixth in the country.

What's still up in the air is whether or not QB Ben Mauk will return next season. There is a chance that he could receive another year of eligibility due to medical reasons. If he gets that extra year of eligibility the Cats will have their emotional leader on offense coming back. Mauk finished the season with 31 TD passes, a school record. With his 3,121 passing yards, he became only the third QB in UC history to finish with over 3,000 yards. Should he not be allowed to return next season the team could go back to Dustin Grutza as their signal caller, but that's not a definite either.

UC will return 16 starters next season. Included in that 16 are All-Americans Mike Mickens, Terrill Byrd, and the nation's leading punter, Kevin Huber. Mickens and Byrd will return as leaders of one of the Big East's best defensive squads, and one of the best in the nation. They finished the season tied in the country in takeaways with 42 and they ranked 13th in scoring defense (18.8 ppg). The Bearcats also finished 16th in scoring offense.

A sensational season in UC football ended with a PapaJohns.com bowl win against Southern Mississippi. As a fan of the program as well as an alum of the university, I am pleased and proud of what Brian Kelly was able to accomplish in just his first season as the head coach. He has helped to bring the team national recognition. He got them in the top 25 after just six games and kept them there for most of the rest of the season. A lot will be expected of Kelly and the football team next season. Their road schedule will be a tough one as they have to play at West Virginia, Louisville and UCONN in Big East action. The biggest road test for the Bearcats will come outside of conference play when they play Oklahoma in Norman, OK. I, for one, am looking forward to that game. The home schedule will see out of conference games against Miami (OH) and Eastern Kentucky and Big East action against Pittsburgh, Rutgers, South Florida and Syracuse. Spring practices start in just a couple months...I can't wait!

It's difficult to look at next season only one day after LSU thumped Ohio State in the Allstate BCS National Championship Game, but looking ahead is what pundits and analyst do best. So without further adieu, a look ahead to the top teams of the 2008 season.

(rankings in no particular order)

1. Florida - After finishing 9-4 and losing in the Capital One Bowl, the Gators will almost certainly be a title contender in 2008. Led by Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow and running back/wide receiver Percy Harvin, the offense will once again be formidable. Added to the mix will be USC transfer Emanuel Moody, who should give the offense the consistent back they needed this season. The defense will return a majority of their starters, led by linebacker Brandon Spikes and a youthful core of cornerbacks.

2. Oklahoma - Bob Stoops team finished the season on a sour note with a 20 point loss in the Fiesta Bowl, but OU should once again in the thick of the BCS race in 2008. Sam Bradford will need to avoid a Colt McCoy like Sophomore slump, and running back DeMarco Murray will need to stay healthy after missing the last several games of 2007 due to injury. Bob Stoops could have his most talented offensive team in his 10 seasons as coach if wide receiver Malcolm Kelly stays for his Senior season. Big XII Defensive Player of the Year Curtis Lofton will likely test the NFL waters, but his return would solidify the defense.

3. USC - The Trojans were arguably the hottest team in the country during the last month of the regular season, winning the PAC 10 for the sixth straight season and the Rose Bowl for the third time in five seasons. The offense loses quarterback John David Booty, tight end Fred Davis, and left tackle Sam Baker, but talented running back Joe McKnight will be able to play a more significant role in the offense. The defensive line loses Lawrence Jackson and Sedrick Ellis, but Everson Griffen and Averell Spicer should be more than capable to replace them.

4. Ohio State - The Buckeyes have made two straight national championship appearances, and have a serious chance to make it three in a row next season. Only two starters will graduate (Kirk Barton and Larry Grant) and the offense should be better next season with Chris Wells a serious contender for the Heisman Trophy. The top ranked defense should not miss a beat, with Vernon Gholston and James Laurinaitis joining Malcolm Jenkins as three of the best defenders in the country. A key early season battle with USC will go a long way in determining how good the Buckeyes will be.

5. Georgia - After humiliating Hawaii in the Sugar Bowl, the Bulldogs go into 2008 riding a large wave of momentum. Quarterback Matthew Stafford and running back Knowshon Moreno both will be mentioned as preseason All-Americans, and the defense will once again be one of the fastest in the country.

Ok, I'm watching the Michigan/Purdue game this afternoon, and during a timeout I heard the Purdue band playing "Livin' On A Prayer", by Bon Jovi (like I needed to give you the band name, you already hate me for sticking the song in your head).  As an extremely intelligent blogger noted recently, this song is everywhere.  I've heard this in several games this season, most notably the Boston College/Florida State football game, when we found out that the song has become somewhat of a rallying cry for the B.C. fans.  And I guess my question is...

WHEN THE HELL DID THIS HAPPEN?!?!

As the linked post notes, George Mason's band used this song repeatedly during their 2006 final run.  But come on, there had to be something else to spark this trend.  I'm dying to find out what it is.

To give you an example, here's a clip from the Penn State/Notre Dame game in September, where approximately 378,000 Penn State fans are waving white towels and singing along with the song (they even know the words to the bridge before the final chorus, it's frightening):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXWbHwg7V54&NR=1