Links at Lunch: NCAA Target on Miami, SEC Speed, FCS Rankings
By Kyle Kensing
A welcomed side benefit of football season nearing kickoff is attention will turn to, y’know, football as opposed to scandals. Miami is the latest under the microscope. Al Golden is urging his players to be forthright with NCAA investigators, per The Miami Herald’s Manny Navarro. The NCAA has no jurisdiction over white collar, federal crimes, but Ponzi scum scheme conspirator Nevin Shapiro may be avoiding further sentencing to his 20-year jail stint. Navarro’s report states Golden expressed surprise in the investigation, and it’s easy to believe him. After turning around Temple, Golden’s was a name mentioned in conjunction with the Penn State opening whenever it may arise. It seems unlikely he’d leave a program he singlehandedly built for a program seemingly headed for very serious NCAA reprocussions. One of the flaws in NCAA logic is on display here. The rat Shapiro’s allegations span the Larry Coker and Randy Shannon eras. Should Golden’s staff comply with the NCAA, which is to be expected given Golden has conducted himself with class throughout his career, punishment leveled on the current Hurricanes is misdirected.
- South Carolina’s unfamiliar role as SEC East favorite poses challenges. Joel Barker at OnsideKick.com examines how the Gamecocks face unprecedented trials going from hunter to hunted.
- Gamecock sophomore Marcus Lattimore is a lynchpin to South Carolina’s success. Trent Richardson will help fuel Alabama’s national title hopes. But there’s more to the SEC running back landscape than these two All-America level talents. Team Speed Kills appropriately delves into the tailback scene of the SEC.
- More SEC talk: Les Miles is a polarizing figure. Some see him as the Mad Hatter with an impressive career win percentage at two different stops and a national championship; others see him as a poor game manager who has squandered talent routinely. But what do the others say? Coaches By The Numbers examines.
- Crystal Ball Run was nice enough to have this blogger stop in as a guest for its Five Burning Questions series, talking Pac-12.
- Missouri faces some uncertainty on its offensive line now, as left tackle Elvish Fisher went down to a “serious” injury at Monday’s practice. Zoulogy talks about the ramifications in the Tigers’ trenches.
- The first FCS Top 25 was released Monday at The Sports Network. Defending national champion Eastern Washington sits atop the poll. The powerful Colonial Athletic Association has seven teams in the rankings, including…Villanova?!