The Wiz of Odds

Reporters Notebooks

Ken Tysiac, Raleigh News & Observer: North Carolina's investigation into possible improprieties in its program took a serious turn with the announcement of possible academic misconduct. The allegations involve a tutor who formerly was employed by coach Butch Davis. ESPN's Joe Schad reports that the tutor was also Davis' nanny.

Luke DeCock, Raleigh News & Observer: The academic mess could make a mess of Davis' future. A clause in Davis' contract says that if an NCAA violation occurs in the program that he reasonably should have known about, the university can fire him without owing him payment for the remaining years on the contract.

J.P. Giglio, Raleigh News & Observer: North Carolina opens the season in eight days, but which players will take the field remain unclear. The coaching staff already had begun preparations for Louisiana State as if senior standouts Marvin Austin and Greg Little, who are involved in a separate NCAA investigation for possible improper contact with a sports agent, would not be available.

Scott D. Pierce, Deseret News: It would be in the Mountain West Conference's own self-interest to give Brigham Young a bigger slice of the TV revenue pie. Because, without the Cougars, the pie is going to get a lot smaller.

Vai Sikahema, Deseret News: The former BYU player urges the school to boldly move forward: "Let's throw caution to the wind and declare our independence. Independence from the shackles of the World Wide Leader of incompetence, the mtn. network (who was the marketing genius who thought it would be a good idea to make "mtn." lowercase?), Mountain West Conference and the idiocy of MWC commissioner Craig Thompson."

Dan Hinxman, Reno Gazette-Journal: Nevada president Milton Glick has sent a letter to the Western Athletic Conference informing the league of Nevada’s intention to join the Mountain West for the 2011-12 school year.

Sports Media Watch: The overhaul of ESPNews continues, as the network's eponymous half-hour newscasts are set to virtually vanish from its schedule. ESPNews will debut two new shows on Monday that — along with SportsCenter — will make up the network's entire weekday line-up.

Tom Hoffarth, Farther Off the Wall: Greed vs. Greed: With a week to go, who to side with in Time Warner Cable vs. ABC/ESPN.

Oregon State

Little known fact about the Beavers under Mike Riley. Since Riley returned to Corvallis for his second stint as coach in 2003, he has a record of 56-33. But his record in September is only 12-15. That’s right, nearly half of his losses have come in September, so this is a team to play early. The Beavers' play Texas Christian, Louisville and Boise State in September this year, and only the game against the Cardinals is at home. Don't be surprised to see Oregon State with a 1-2 record entering October before staging a turnaround in Pacific 10 Conference play.

As a run-up to the start of the season, the Wiz will display one poster each day until our supply is exhausted.

Then we turn it over to readers, who will vote on the poster of the year. In the meantime, send your team's poster schedule to jayzuma (at) gmail.com.

Last year, the site displayed 69 posters. This is poster No. 58 for 2010. Thanks to Ian!

The Auburn Family

Starring "Charles from Reeltown" and "Tammy from Auburn," frequent callers to the Paul Finebaum Radio Show. Thanks to Get The Picture and Capstone Report.

Reporters Notebooks

Chris Dufresne, Los Angeles Times: The Football Writers Association of American has stripped USC of the 2004 Grantland Rice Trophy, awarded to the nation's top team since 1954. The title will be left vacant.

Kevin Scarbinsky, Birmingham News: The decision of the Football Writers to take the 2004 title from USC but keep it vacant is unique because it demonstrates an utter lack of guts and brains. Clearly, Auburn deserved the title.

Paul Cloos, Mobile Press-Register: Insurance regulators accuse a Tennessee couple of using $2.6 million in ill-gotten gains from a bogus insurance scheme to fund a lavish lifestyle that included a suite and ticket package to Alabama games. The alleged price tag for the Bryant-Denny suite: $138,000. Bart Posey also is alleged to have donated money from the company bank account to Alabama's Tide Pride boosters organization, including a check for $38,000 in February.

Kyle Ringo, Boulder Daily Camera: Colorado's Dan Hawkins, 16-33 in four seasons at Boulder, asked for a contract extension this summer. He has three years left on his current deal.

George Vecsey, New York Times: To enjoy college football, don't think too much.

Natalie Meisler, Denver Post: Brigham Young will likely remain in the Mountain West Conference. Still to be worked out are issues surrounding BYU-TV.

Poll: Select the Pac-10 Power Couple

As the saying goes, behind every good man is great woman. At last month's Fox Sports-Pacific 10 Conference Hollywood Premiere Night in Los Angeles, six of the league's coaches arrived with their wives. Our friends at Image of Sport were on the scene as the couples paraded down the red carpet and stopped for the paparazzi before entering the 20th Century Fox Studios.

Make no mistake, these are all power couples, but one has to stand head and shoulders above the rest. Who better to make the choice than our hip audience? So we turn it over to you to select the Pac-10's power couple of 2010.

This is straight out of Hollywood and there are a number of factors to consider — hairstyle, clothing, makeup. Image is everything folks, and the couple with the fewest flaws wins.

Enlarged images of the coaches and their wives follow, then the poll. You get only one vote, and the poll closes on Sept. 1 at midnight. Click an image for an enlarged view.

Virginia

New coach Mike London shouldn't have to spend much time scouting Richmond, the Cavaliers' first opponent. He coached the Spiders for two seasons, compiling a 24-5 record that included winning the Division I-AA national championship in 2008. London, who is also a former Virginia assistant, faces a Herculean rebuilding job, but he grew up in Hampton and went to college at Richmond and that gives him ties to two of the most fertile recruiting areas in the state. Nonetheless, it's going to take him at least a couple of seasons to get the Cavaliers back to respectability.

As a run-up to the start of the season, the Wiz will display one poster each day until our supply is exhausted.

Then we turn it over to readers, who will vote on the poster of the year. In the meantime, send your team's poster schedule to jayzuma (at) gmail.com.

Last year, the site displayed 69 posters. This is poster No. 57 for 2010. Thanks to Terri!