Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Headlinin': Bracing for the next front in the NCAA's war on taunting

Making the morning rounds.

You can't do that on television (anymore). As a reminder, I hope everyone enjoyed Justin Blackmon's gratuitous DeSean Jackson impersonation in Oklahoma State's Alamo Bowl win over Arizona last month:

... because beginning this fall, stricter anti-taunting rules passed last year are going to begin nixing touchdowns for live-ball exuberance like Blackmon's goal-line jog: "That [Blackmon's touchdown] will be shown in February," said Dave Parry, national officiating coordinator, referring to next month's meeting of the NCAA rules committee. "I've already told them to pull that play. Next year, with the rule as it's written as we speak, that would not be a touchdown." Instead, Parry said, self-aggrandizing moves like Blackmon's that begin on the field will draw a 15-yard penalty from the spot of the foul. "That would get people's attention quickly," he said. No argument there. [CBS Sports]

In with a bang. With the Class of 2011 almost in the barn, Rivals reviewed the five-stars of the Class of 2010 in their first year on campus, and came away suitably impressed: Of the 26 players granted five-star status in the '10 class, 19 played significantly for their new teams, and seven – Seantrel Henderson (Miami), Keenan Allen (Cal), Robert Woods (USC), Marcus Lattimore (South Carolina), Owamagbe Odighizuwa (UCLA), Michael Dyer (Auburn) and DeMarcus Milliner (Alabama) – were regular starters by at least midseason. Among the seven that didn't make an immediate impact, one sat out the season as a transfer (Florida defensive end Chris Martin, originally a Notre Dame commit turned Cal signee), one was stuck behind a Heisman Trophy finalist (Oregon running back Lache Seastrunk), two left their respective teams (Miami cornerback Latwan Anderson and USC receiver Markeith Ambles) and one was diagnosed with leukemia before the season (Auburn offensive lineman Shonn Coleman). [Rivals]

Eh, we've heard it a million times. With Ohio State's day in NCAA court approaching, the Columbus Dispatch reviewed three high-profile cases of players suspended over the last six months for accepting improper benefits, and determined OSU's chances of reducing the five-game suspensions levied against quarterback Terrelle Pryor and three other Buckeye starters are pretty slim: Appeals on behalf of Georgia receiver A.J. Green, Middle Tennessee quarterback Dwight Dasher and North Carolina defensive backs Deunta Williams and Kendric Burney all fell short. Considering the university isn't allowed to present any new "evidence" that wasn't considered in the original decision, that's a pretty ominous record. [Columbus Dispatch]

Coordinator blues. Now that Les Miles has cast his lot with LSU for the long haul, the Tigers' search for a new offensive coordinator begins in earnest with, uh, Steve Kragthorpe? The ex-Louisville coach will interview in Baton Rouge today to replace Maryland-bound Gary Crowton, who suddenly may not look as bad as he did last week. The other rumored candidate is TCU offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Justin Fuente, though he denied any talks with LSU. [Baton Rouge Advocate, Dallas Morning News]

Meanwhile, back at the job Miles turned down, Michigan is on the lookout for a new defensive coordinator to resurrect the rock-bottom Wolverine D, beginning with Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Greg Mattison (a former Wolverine DC under Gary Moeller in the mid-'90s) and one Jon Hoke, secondary coach with the Chicago Bears and brother of incoming Michigan boss Brady Hoke. [Detroit News]

Cam Newton doesn't watch film. Well, so says his All-American left tackle, Lee Ziemba, anyway, joking around with ESPN's John Anderson over the weekend at the Walter Camp Awards in New Haven, Conn.:

Oh, he keeds, folks, he keeds. (I think.) [War Eagle Reader]

Quickly... Alabama cornerback B.J. Scott is transferring to South Alabama. ... You, too, can own Cam Newton's BCS Championship sweat. ... And Cecil Newton almost certainly wasn't kidding when he told the Birmingham News that "It will take a book to really, really tell" the story of the NCAA investigation into his son's recruitment, if you catch his drift, publishers.

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Matt Hinton is on Twitter: Follow him @DrSaturday.

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