In past years, coaches such as Ferentz would have to worry about the glamorous programs picking off their top talent if they needed a Plan B. That won’t happen as often now. Sure, Alabama and Ohio State are still going to get great players, but maybe this system will give a boost to the sport’s middle class.
Speaking of signing day, maybe Shelley Meyer can give Urban a map of Ohio for Christmas. Of the 21 high school stars the Buckeyes signed last week, four were from Ohio. I'm not saying every Ohio State player should be from the state, but I think Ohio kids would play with a little more fire if they fell behind by a few touchdowns at, let's say, Iowa. Sometimes, a 5-star recruit might have one eye on the NFL instead of what's in front of him.
No surprise that UD would travel to Saint Mary's and lose. The Flyers teased the Faithful with a solid first half in the Gaels' high school gym, but predictably melted after halftime. What was surprising: Barry Tompkins did the play by play for TV viewers. Tompkins, 77, is best known for announcing boxing matches. (Insert joke here about the Flyers getting knocked out.) My kids would know Tompkins for his work on the Rocky Balboa-Ivan Drago brawl in Rocky IV.
Speaking of UD, I stumbled upon the Colorado-South Dakota State overtime thriller last week and one name sounded familiar. No, not Wild Bill Hickok. McKinley Wright. Remember him? He was to be the centerpiece of Archie Miller's recruiting class this season at UD. You know, a legitimate point guard. Well, he's fantastic. His final stat line looked like something Kyrie Irving would put up. He's leading the Buffs in scoring with 16.6 points per game and is shooting 50 percent.
Trending up: Tavon Austin/Robert Quinn, Jamie Dixon, Wofford. Austin and Quinn play for the Los Angeles Rams, but they're more than football players. They have teamed up with LA Family Housing to help the disadvantaged in their community. Last week they presented a Christmas present to a homeless mom and her six kids: a furnished apartment. The two Rams decked out the place (beds, TV, kitchen stuff) and bought gifts for the kids. Great job, guys.
Trending down: NFL rulebook, Chris Paul, Pete Carroll. The Steelers' Jesse James caught a late touchdown pass last Sunday that appeared to take down the Patriots. He caught the ball, turned and broke the plane as he went to the ground. Then the football moved. No TD. Ridiculous. It's OK for a runner to fly out of bounds near the pylon and lose the ball. A running back can break the plane by an inch and lose the ball and it's a TD. James had control and broke the plane. Touchdown.
Knucklehead of the Week
Jerry Richardson is selling the Carolina Panthers, forced into the move after recent accusations that he engaged in workplace misconduct. A Sports Illustrated report outlines how Richardson made employees wear jeans and commented on how the women looked in Levi’s. He reportedly asked for foot massages and was famous for something called the “seatbelt maneuver.” Some of the women who stated they were harassed settled out of court with the 81-year-old former NFL player. One former employee told SI that the boss was viewed as a “creepy old man.” No word on whether Richardson ever worked in Hollywood.
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