The Wiz of Odds

In SEC, If You're Not Cheating, You're Not Trying

Update: Arkansas is now investigating.

Woo pig sooie! Arkansas might have some explaining to do after this image appeared Sunday on several Razorback message boards. It shows several recruits from this past weekend wearing personalized jerseys and posing for a picture in the team's locker room.

Look closely and you'll also see that the lockers have been personalized with names of the recruits.

Last we checked, creating a false game day environment was a big no-no according to NCAA rules. Can you say secondary violations?

The Joe Paterno Interview

Penn State's Joe Paterno recently told a recruit he plans to be coaching "for another five or six years," but a lot of people might question the wisdom of that statement after listening to an interview Paterno gave last Thursday to Steve Duernig of 620-WDAE in Tampa.

Duernig introduces the segment by saying what an honor it was to interview Paterno, who will celebrate his 84th birthday on Dec. 21. From there, the segment deteriorates, with Paterno having trouble hearing Duernig.

The segment lasts only two minutes and you can listen by clicking here.

Paterno's Nittany Lions play Florida in the Outback Bowl on Jan. 1.

Update: There's also this video from Friday's presser in Tampa. Frankly, Paterno seems to have slipped considerably in the past month.

Thanks to Image of Sport.

Will Muschamp? Huh?

Reaction from the college football world over Florida's hiring of Texas assistant Will Muschamp as coach. Muschamp, 39, has never been a head coach, but that wasn't an issue with Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley, who has given Muschamp the keys to the car.

He replaces Urban Meyer, who according to the Gainesville Sun, resigned because of health risks.

Andy Staples, SI.com: Hiring Muschamp was a bold and intelligent move by Foley.

Chris Low, ESPN: Foley has demonstrated in the past that he's not afraid to go down a path nobody else is expecting. Remember Ron Zook?

Pat Dooley, Gainesville Sun: Muschamp has the credentials to be a great hire.

Kirk Bohls, Austin American-Statesman: Texas should have never agreed to make Muschamp head coach in waiting.

Richard Justice, Houston Chronicle: Muschamp may be a great coach, but he's unlikely to ever accomplish the things Mack Brown has accomplished.

Gene Frenette, Florida Times-Union: Hiring Muschamp was an incredibly bold move considering all the proven head-coaching talent that was available.

Reporters Notebooks

Kent Faulk, Birmingham News: A Birmingham lawyer and lifelong Auburn fan asked a judge to hold off scheduling a trial so he and his family can go to the Jan. 10 Bowl Championship Series title game, fearing he might not ever get another chance. The judge granted the request.

Sports by Brooks: Although ESPN's Craig James denies he ever received extra benefits when he was a player at Southern Methodist, his agent after college was the booster who set up the slush fund that led to the program being given the "death penalty" by the NCAA.

Sports Media Watch: For the second consecutive year, ESPN had its most-viewed college football season in over a decade. But ratings and viewership were down for games on ABC. Ratings for the Atlantic Coast Conference title game improved from last year but remained low.

Joe Muench, El Paso Times: Will Texas El Paso's Mike Price retire after the Miners plays Brigham Young in the New Mexico Bowl?

Michael Rosenberg, Detroit Free Press: Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon's silence is a bad sign for Rich Rodriguez.

Detroit News: Brandon, when asked what he has learned in his first nine months as Wolverine athletic director: "Don't read blogs. Don't listen to talk radio."

Penn State Clips: Joe Paterno tells a recruit he expects to be coaching for "another five or six years."

Bad Idea: Commit a Crime, Have It Posted on YouTube

Police have arrested one man and are still seeking witnesses in relation to burn damage to the turf at Reser Stadium after Saturday's Civil War game between Oregon and Oregon State at Corvallis.

Duck fans rushed the field and burned a "I Hate Your Ducks" T-shirt at midfield. Police identified the suspect through a photograph and this YouTube video.

Cost of repairing the turf was estimated at $1,500.

Reporters Notebooks

J.P. Giglio, Raleigh News & Observer: North Carolina's Butch Davis feared frustration and pent-up anger from the NCAA investigation was potentially destructive for the players involved in the probe and sought counseling for them in September, according to an email from Davis to athletic director Dick Baddour.

SportsBusiness Journal: The always entertaining list of bowl gifts to players.

Joe Vardon, Toledo Blade: Former Toledo running back Harvey "Scooter" McDougle, Jr., and three other former Rocket athletes are expected to plead guilty to charges stemming from an alleged point-shaving scheme at the university.

Doug Robinson, Deseret News: Why is Connecticut, at 8-4, in a Bowl Championship Series game?

Ralph D. Russo, Associated Press: Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany says his conference already has sacrificed much for the good of college sports by giving up some access to the Rose Bowl and he sees no reason it should give even more to create a playoff.

Steve Wieberg, Steve Berkowitz and Jodi Upton, USA Today: Salaries for coaches are on the rise, but Fresno State's Pat Hill is taking a $300,000 pay cut in 2011. Plus, a breakdown of coaches' compensation for 2010, unique bonuses, Jim Tressel's special deal and why some public schools didn't reveal contract details.

Ron Cook, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Firing Dave Wannstedt was the easy part for Pittsburgh.

Gene Frenette, Florida Times-Union: Urban Meyer's decision to step down might be a good thing for the Florida Gators.

Dan Wolken, Memphis Commercial Appeal: So long, Dan Mullen, and thanks for the Mississippi State memories.

Richard Justice, Houston Chronicle: If Mack Brown wants to hire the best available offensive coordinator, he'll have Mike Leach on the next flight to Austin.