d• Hasta La Vista, Orange Bowl: This fall could be Miami's last in the OB:
[...]
UM's lease at the OB runs through 2009, and [UM chief financial officer Joe] Natoli ''asked would that be a problem if they want to go [to Dolphin Stadium] in 2008?'' Hernandez said. "I said something could be worked out...
"My feeling is they're inclined to go to Dolphin Stadium. They've been very serious [with Dolphin Stadium] over the last few months, so they must be very close. It's just a gut feeling.''
UM officials have been negotiating exclusively with Dolphin Stadium since early June and have resolved nearly all of their differences.
[...]
According to one official, UM would make approximately $1.5 million more annually by moving to Dolphin Stadium than accepting the city of Miami's most recent proposal, based on similar attendance projections.
But that $1.5 million would grow if UM draws larger crowds at Dolphin Stadium.
Two officials on the Dolphin Stadium side, who requested anonymity, said they expect UM will move there because the Hurricanes would be making more money and playing in a newer, more luxurious venue.
Also, there is sentiment among several prominent UM officials toward moving, but that view isn't unanimous among trustee members.
There's so much history in the Orange Bowl, from Joe Namath's finger-wagging upset of the Colts in Super Bowl III to Nebraska's doomed two-point attempt in the 1984 mythical championship game, but the main opposition for a potential move comes from Lamar Thomas, because, ultimately, can teams come into the DS talkin' smack? Playin' that?
Gratuitous? Absolutely. That's what I'm talkin' 'bout. Why don't we just meet outside in the tunnel, Mr. I Crave In-Depth Financial Analysis?
• Big Fish Is Gettin' Very Nervous!: Jimbo Fisher's eraly impressions of surely-improving-by-now quarterbacks Drew Weatherford and Xavier Lee?
Aside from fueling "F$U LOL" threads on Florida boards, Fisher was (presumably) blowing highly-motivating smoke in favor of redshirt freshman Christian Ponder and his "toughness and intelligence," leading the Tampa Tribune to declare, "QB Race Gets 3rd Entrant." The new offensive coordinator compares his terminating prowess to George Steinbrenner's, and his veteran quarterbacks to Billy Martin, supposedly intimating he's not afraid to let them go if he wants to take the offense in a new direction.
But, as Fisher notes, Steinbrenner fired Martin about four times, and it's my guess - probably everybody's guess - that's at least as many times as Fisher will alternate between Weatherford and Lee before Ponder or DeVontray Richardson crosses his mind when "mentally and physically do[ing] things" is more than empty rhetoric.
• Wrong, Wrong, 100 Percent Wrong In Every Way: Uh, that would be me, one day after strongly suggesting - okay, outright claiming without qualification - that `05 uber-recruit and longtime academic casualty Jerrell Powe was pissing in the wind in his Quixotic quest for another scholarship offer from Ole Miss, when later the same day Dennis Dodd apparently breaks the story that Powe is expected to sign with the Rebels today, according to attorney/spokesman/eligibility shaman Donald Jackson. Mississippi media, after telling us Wednesday Powe was looking to sign with Miami, reported this morning the papers are already signed.
Well, maybe only 95 percent wrong: Powe is still not cleared to play by the NCAA, a significant hurdle for a kid who had, like, no grades to speak of out of high school, whose mother once suggested he was illiterate and who briefly tried to sue the NCAA when it said correspondence work he took through BYU, of all places, was only completed with "significant assistance." So he's only back where he was at the beginning of the process: a commitment. Once he's actually cleared to enroll and declared eligible, the quest will end. But publicly, at least, that's a dramatically more optimistic proposition this morning.
Elsewhere at Ole Miss, one-time savior Brent Schaeffer appears to have fallen further behind ex-walk-on Seth Adams in the quarterback derby, if Schaeffer's sudden appearance at wide receiver Wednesday are any indication. The former Tennessee signee actually volunteered for the move on Tuesday, thereby joining top ten quarterback recruit Robert Lane (now a tight end) and California [no relevant person here is from CA, except BS via JC; see below - ed.] wide receiver Markeith Summers (working at DB) as a high profile bust/bust-in-waiting looking for new life at another position. Yes, two - count `em, two - once heralded quarterbacks will catching passes this fall from an un-scholarshipped transfer from Delta State.
Ole Miss shoots for addition by subtraction.
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• Truth In Headline Writing: From the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, on Georgia Tech:
Tech was dead last in average yards allowed per return, partly due to its touchback problems (just eleven in more than 60 attempts), a major issue for field position again as that number will probably drop around zero with the ball moving back to the 30 on kickoffs this year.
• Quickly:
ACC
Careful what you ask for when you call out Antone Smith ... And Frank Beamer retraces his steps: "The last thing I was trying to do was accuse Georgia of spying." It's just that Virginia Tech opened its Peach Bowl practices and Georgia seemed to know exactly what Tech was doing, is all. "Spying" is such an ugly word...
Big 12
The MRI was negative? Oh why, God?! Why are you taking Tony Temple from us! Why - what? Negative is good? Oh. Walk it off, Temple.
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Big East
Brian Kelly is running a daily practice diary with the Cincinnati Enquirer. Amid a lot of obviousness: true freshman Zach Collaros has entered the quarterback race ... Louisville's Earl Heyman: defensive tackle today, pro boxer tomorrow ... A day after taking off from Pitt practice, Pat Bostick's dad said the hyped quarterback will be back early next week ... And Syracuse hasn't named a starting quarterback, but....come on, it's Andrew Robinson.
Big Ten
The Jim Harbaugh thing won't go away at Michigan ... Neither controversy over the Big Ten Network as it begins its regional barnstorming tour.
Pac Ten
The Oregonian's John Canzano pulls no punches in calling out Mike "Teflon" Bellotti ... If he's still around, Bellotti might lead the Ducks to play Boise State - in China ... Oregon State star Sammie Stroughter took some personal time for "school and life overload," or something like that ... Tempers flare at USC, inciting an "expletive-laced tirade" from Pete Carroll. Oh, Pete, really? We're stunned ... UCLA freshman Raymond Carter is gone for the season.
Just to clarify: it's, uh, it's pretty hot out there.
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South Carolina's Brad Lawling feels like a Division I coach again, thanks to Cliff Matthews ... Returning o-linemen at Florida are shocked - shocked! - to learn there is position-shuffling going on here ... Geez, a heart murmur, and Ezekiel Knight persists at Alabama ... Danny Nutt says he's out of the woods weeks after leaving Arkansas for bleeding in his brain stem ... Auburn freshman Lee Ziemba is already working with the starting line at right tackle ... The black stripes are still on the newcomers at Florida ... New offensive coordinator Gary Crowton's already earned his nickname at LSU: "The Wizard." The Don Herbert Estate is looking into a copyright infringement ... And with LaMarcus Coker's status in the air, Tennessee might be turning to more than one freshman at running back.
Mid-majors
Rice receivers coach Jason Washington, hobbled by a torn ACL, mouth packed with gauze, barking muffled calls all the way. Playing with pain is part of the job ... A true freshman, Giovanni Vizza, has already ousted returning starter Daniel Meger for North Texas' quarterback job ... And prized linebacker recruit Joe Easter has left Nevada after failing a physical ... And Air Force continues to adjust to its new offense - well, sort of new.
Independents
Charlie Weis says potato, Demetrius Jones says "let me throw the ball to myself." They challenge each other's comfort zones, and might be the perfect odd couple, per the South Bend Tribune ... Oh, now Maryland's interested in playing Navy, huh? Now the Terps will deign to schedule the poor Midshipmen? What about last year? Remember last year? Navy does, and it says no game for you!
The Rap Sheet
Crimes, misdemeanors and eligibility-crippling issues legal, academic, institutional and otherwise.
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Arrested, Washington cornerback Jordan Murchison, for missing a July court date on a second-degree felony assault charge. Murchison was arrested back in March for wailing on some poor guy because "he suspected the man of showing interest in his girlfriend." The same girlfriend, presumably - although one can never be sure - involved in an unspecified incident that led to Murchison spending a day in jail in June for domestic assault. His bail is $10,000.
Increased, bail for suspended Texas safety Robert Joseph, who remains in Travis County Jail on charges of holding up an Austin apartment at gun point in late July. Two midemeanor charges have been added at $10,000 apiece on top of the $25,000 for armed robbery, raising his total to $45,000.
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