SB Nation User Blog: FSUncensored

Getting Ready for 2009!!! A preview of the wide receivers. A group loaded with talent but yet still...

FSUncensored — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 15:21:27 -0000

Getting Ready for 2009!!! A preview of the wide receivers. A group loaded with talent but yet still have to prove themselves. Reed, Easterling, Fortson, Goodman, Givens, and Piurowski. Go Noles!!

No Playmakers? Think again!

College Football News Previews the 'Noles

FSUncensored — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 14:21:03 -0000

College Football News Previews the 'Noles

Main link above.
Offense here
Defense hereFar from perfect but not terrible.

The Road to Eligibility

FSUncensored — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 11:53:31 -0000

[Written by SWFLNole]

With Willie Downs and C.J. Mizell not making it to campus this year FSU again doesn't complete a recruiting class through enrollment. This is a hot button issue with FSU fans, because the team South and East of us seem to always make sure they get their players eligible. A 90% enrollment rate is still pretty good, however. I want to talk a little bit about the eligibility process and how it works for the students. Because there is only so much that is important for the average fan, I will focus solely on Public/Private school and disregard the home school students (Insert Tebow SAT joke). Also it will focus on D1 only; D2 has a whole different set of standards that are lower.

First of all a student must have completed 16 core classes:

"4 years of English.
3 years of mathematics (Algebra I or higher).
2 years of natural/physical science (1 year of lab if offered by high school).
1 year of additional English, mathematics or natural/physical science.
2 years of social science.
4 years of additional courses (from any area above, foreign language or non-doctrinal religion/philosophy)."

The grades in these courses are what determines a students core GPA, which is the GPA that matters to the NCAA clearinghouse. These GPA scores team with a student's test score to establish if they are eligible or not. The SAT is only math and verbal, not writing. While the ACT is the sum of the four parts of the test. As many people know there is a sliding scale for the GPA-Test Score average. The higher the GPA the student athlete has, the lower the test score has to be to get in. (I have cleaned this up to the tenth, there are slight differences to the .025)

NCAA DIVISION I SLIDING SCALE CORE GRADE-POINT AVERAGE/ TEST-SCORE New Core GPA / Test Score Index
Core GPA SAT ACT Verbal and Math ONLY
3.55 & above 400 37
3.5 420 39
3.4 460 42
3.3 500 44
3.2 540 47
3.1 580 49
3.0 620 52
2.9 660 54
2.8 700 57
2.7 730 60
2.6 780 64
2.5 820 68
2.4 860 71
2.3 900 75
2.2 940 79
2.1 970 82
2.0 1010 86

This table gives us a good idea what it is like to try and become eligible. A 2.0 GPA is the lowest allowed, and the student must then get over 1000 cumulative on the verbal and math sections of the SAT. If a student starts early in school and can knock out some B's in his sophomore or junior year he is well on his way because something like a 2.6 makes the SAT highly achievable. However you can see how it becomes harder and harder as the grades get lower. Speaking of starting early the NCAA lays out a plan for student athletes. As a freshman and sophomore it is just to focus on grades in core classes and making sure the guidance counselor sets up a plan to complete all the core classes. As a junior they suggest registering in the eligibility center, and sending in a transcript. Because students have to establish amateur status, they should also begin their amateurism questionnaire. As a senior they have to send in their test scores, and finish their amateurism certification. Finally a copy of their final transcript and proof of graduation must be sent by the guidance counselor.

These are the main guidelines, however the student must make sure of a few other things. Their ACT or SAT scores must come directly from the testing services and not off of their transcript. Also all of their courses have to be approved as legitimate core courses by the NCAA.

We all know that students take online courses once they have received their test score and may need one or two extra A's on the transcript. This is popular at almost every school in the country. The fact of the matter is that almost any student should be able to get qualified if they put in a little bit of effort. With all of the special services for any learning disability, real or perceived, it just adds to the fact that there is little excuse for a player to not qualify with the current standards. I hope this helped for you all to become a little more eligibility savvy when discussing next year's borderline athlete. If you would like to go even more in depth than I have here, visit this link:

https://web1.ncaa.org/eligibilitycenter/hs/faq.pdf

All information courtesy of NCAA clearinghouse 2008-2009

Florida State Releases Response to NCAA COI's Response to FSU's Appeal

FSUncensored — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 14:53:44 -0000

FSU's Response to The NCAA Committee on Infractions Response to FSU's Appeal

Read through it and let us know what you see in the comments section. I'll do the same.

Monday Morning Tomahawks: Wednesday 07.01.09 Freshmen Workout Edition!

FSUncensored — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 01:24:32 -0000

Welcome to July! We have a lot of exciting things coming for you as there only 69 days till Florida State takes on Miami... and Hurricanes don't hit Tallahassee anymore. We will probably have about 100 articles in the remaining offseason. For now though, let's get caught up on some 'Nole News.

Important Dates

Jul. 18- Seminole Showtime- BE THERE FANS.
Aug. 6 - players report
Aug. 7 - first day of preseason practice
Aug. 9 - media day (which is also traditionally fan day)
Aug. 10 - first day of full contact practice

Orlando Sentinel - Easterling's recovery a positive for maligned FSU receivers
After one day of watching Easterling, Stroud isn’t doubting that he will play in the season-opener against Miami. "No question," Stroud said. "After what I saw today, there’s no question he’ll be back." His rehab is going better than anyone could have expected. My enthusiasm is slightly tempered, but this is really encouraging. You'll remember that our resident pediatrician and amazing writer TrueCubbie wrote: Inside the Treatment Room: Taiwan Easterling and his Achilles. I suggest reading that.

MORE INSIDE!

Scouting the 2009 Football Opponents

If you didn't know, we have designated a specific page to post information about our opponents. This helps us to write better previews and helps keep you abreast of our opponent's programs. Currently, there are a lot of links in the comment section that will be added to the main page. I've been slacking on that but it will happen soon. Of note are some recent items:

Nate Irving of NCST, the ACC's best linebacker after Marrk Herzlich was diagnosed with cancer, was in a big car wreck. Broken leg and collapsed lung. He might be back by midseason but it's very much up in the air.
The Quad Countdown: No. 69 Wake Forest - The Quad Blog - NYTimes.com Wake Forest must rebuild much of its defense after losing two first-day N.F.L. draft picks in Aaron Curry and Alphonso Smith- only three starters return. They will have to depend on an offense that has floundered over the past few years.
FlexBoner!!! Numerous sites break down Georgia Tech's flexbone offense. OTHER PEOPLE’S RIVALRIES AND THE FUTILITY OF DEFENDING AGAINST THE WISHBONE " The Birddog Fundamentally, the mechanics of your basic triple option play are the same whether you’re running it out of the wishbone, I-formation, spread, or whatever. Each of these formations, however, imply different overall philosophies. The underlying theme of the wishbone– bringing blockers to the point of attack to support a power running game– is very different than that of the spread. In the spread, you want to stretch the defense, both vertically and from sideline to sideline, in order to create running lanes. You might think these are just platitudes, but they aren’t; this difference, coupled with the threat of the pass, is why wishbone defenses don’t work against the spread option. The spread allows an offensive coordinator to use a greater variety of formations in order to create the space he wants for his ballcarriers. Smart Football: Why you can't just play "assignment football" against the flexbone/triple-option That term gets thrown around by announcers a lot, with the implication being that all you have to do is "assign" one guy to the dive back, one to the quarterback, and one to the pitch back. The problem is that Johnson will figure out your assignments and change his blocking schemes accordingly. For example...
Luckily, one of our writers is a state championship Flexbone offensive coordinator who has studies Johnson extensively. He will be breaking down PJ's offense as well.

I'm really glad I didn't write the previews for our opponents yet. As offseason injuries mount, it makes more and more sense to hold off on the previews until the last minute.

Florida State Football Summer Conditioning - FLORIDA STATE OFFICIAL ATHLETIC SITE
The guys were back on the field yesterday and a few of our guys went out to watch. 100+ photos of the new freshmen! And a video of Ponder mastering his coach speak. Check out that link! Some notes from what I gathered:

Jacobbi McDaniel looks huge. I heard he weighed in at 295lbs. He's a bit softer than the coches want right now (it's not all good weight), but if he can get down to a solid 286-287ish, he'll be the rare freshman defensive tackle to make an impact.
DeMonte McAllister (ladies man, lock city), has a huge frame and he is not filled out. He can get a lot bigger. He has big arms right now, but his legs have room to grow and grow.
Jarmon Fortson, Nigel Bradham, and Tavares Pressley are extremely well put together.
Moses McCray, despite battling that hip injury continues to look good physically. He has a great balanced frame.
Gerald Demps, Lonnie Pryor, Dan Hicks, look like freshmen body-wise.
Ryan McMahon looks tiny. Glad he's healthy though...
Greg Reid is a great guy to talk to but he has a tiny tiny head.
Chris Thompson looks extremely agile and should be an immediate weapon.
Everette Dawkins has added some good weight and is probably 265-270ish, but he still needs to be playing defensive end and not defensive tackle.
JaJuan Harley is a full grown man and he is extremely fast.
John Prior (lineman from Ohio) ha a phenomenal frame. He's also a lumberjack (seriously, his family has a logging business). Huge forearms and in good shape.
Willie Haulstead and Rodney Smith are both impressive structurally, but have a lot of room to add good muscle weight. Haulstead has that Anquan Boldin look, where you can see him adding 25lbs in a year.
Henry Orelus does not look good. He is quite obese and Trickett is going to have a field day shrinking him down to size. The kid didn't quit though, and he will get to where Trick needs him.
Justin Mincey really has an opportunity to make MILLIONS OF DOLLARS. You hear that Justin? Work your butt off every day this offseason, get to 295lbs or so, start, flash your potential, and get noticed. This is your last chance and FSU really needs you. Even one day of slacking is too many.
Lonnie Pryor looked a bit average.
Aubrey Phillips looked huge.
A big thanks to those who went out to practice.

FSU leads for both Brandon Willis and Corey Miller, per Tharinger.com (thanks NoleT&T). That's a very good thing. FSU is going to have an elite recruiting class.

NFL Forum :: - Zone blocking scheme there's some more on zone blocking.

I suspect that we haven't yet heard the last of Marcus Sims at Florida State. Good thing, he'd be an idiot to leave for a DII school.

Dissecting the NCAA Committee on Infractions' Response to Florida State's Appeal- Part Two

FSUncensored — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 00:38:54 -0000

This is part two of Tomahawk Nation's examination of the NCAA Committee on Infractions' reply to Florida State's appeal. In the first installment, we looked at some background information, the standard of review, and the first three factors the committee considers when levying a vacation of wins penalty. If you haven't read the first part, do it first, as this piece won't make any sense without the other.

Throughout this whole thing, you must remember the standard of review: Abuse of Discretion.

What does that mean? Typically, it is a failure to take into proper consideration the facts and law relating to a particular matter; an Arbitrary or unreasonable departure from precedent and settled judicial custom.

Where a trial court must exercise discretion in deciding a question, it must do so in a way that is not clearly against logic and the evidence. An improvident exercise of discretion is an error of law and grounds for reversing a decision on appeal. It does not, however, necessarily amount to bad faith, intentional wrong, or misconduct by the trial judge.

Abuse of Discretion is a very difficult standard to overcome in an appellate proceeding. FSU has to show that the NCAA's decision was clearly against logic and the evidence.

The Burden is on FSU! The NCAA COI can basically sit back and do nothing and unless FSU conclusively proves its case, the IAC will uphold the COI's sanctions.

We continue looking at the factors today, starting with:

Factor 4: "Comparison of the Penalty of Penalties Imposed

There's not much of a contradiction here. FSU says that it will not generally apply-- not that it never applies. The NCAA cites three cases within the past year where it applied the penalty without intentional misconduct by a coach. Nobody has ever alleged that Bowden engaged in "intentional misconduct", but the rule states that it is not required. There is a duty to uphold a culture of compliance, The penalty is on the university, and it just so happens that Bowden was the coach of record when he used ineligible players.

Note: see how dumb T.K. was to drag the NCAA into what was a purely academic issue? Over 500 students took this course and many more than the athletes cheated. Yet for some unknown reason. T.K. decided that he wanted greater control over athletics (could it be that this coincided with Dave Hart not wanting Jeff Bowden as offensive coordinator, opposing the move, and helping to foster Jeff's ouster? I don't know) and he drug the NCAA into an athletics issue.

So the NCAA cites three cases where they did what FSU says can't be done and all three happened within the last year.

Next, we come to two cases you have probably heard about: Oklahoma and Georgia Tech:

Let's put this in a picture:

This is a hungry dog. He should not eat brown paper bags. He should not eat a brown boot. But what about Brown dog food? Should dogs not eat brown things? Common factors are cool but they are not as important as the relevant factors. The committee first discusses Georgia Tech's case:

That's crucially important language because it is the the Appeals council (not the Committee on Infractions) who the Committee On Infractions (COI) cites. The IAC is the group who will decide FSU's appeal (see part one for an explanation of why this isn't a final decision, but rather a response from an adversarial party).

I mentioned yesterday that the NCAA keeps the factors fluid because each situation is different. FSU clearly falls within 3 of those 4 possible factors for consideration (academic fraud, serious intentional violations, and a great number of violations). They continued:

Not much to say here, this is just a clearer list of things to consider when assessing a vacation of wins penalty in light of the Georgia Tech case.

So with those clearer factors, the COI discusses some recent cases in which it imposed the vacation of wins penalty. This does get a bit repetitive but they are trying to build their case (even though the burden is on FSU, not the COI):

Here the NCAA COI is saying "FSU, we've done this three times in the last year, with less severe cases than yours, and none involved the coach element." Next comes the Oklahoma case...

This was the case of Oklahoma QB (top QB in the nation and projected starter) Rhett Bomar and some lineman (also a starter) taking money from a car dealership while performing no work. The wife of a Texas A&M Booster turned them in. Oklahoma only met two factors, FSU meets at least 5 and probably 6. Oklahoma kicked their two players off the team while FSU only suspended theirs. I think you get the picture. The COIalso addresses an Arkansas case with which I am not as familiar...

It seems to me that outside of the "double repeat violator" status, our case was much more similar to the Arkansas' case in terms of factors met than it was to the Tech case or the Oklahoma case.

The COI concludes the "Comparison of Penalty Imposed" section by essentially comparing FSU to Mary Lou Retton:

FSU: Hey! Look at us! We are perfect at committing academic fraud and letting the entire world know!

The appeal does get a bit nasty here as they call it an "easy decision", but they are right. I mean, "every factor"?? This case was easy. FSU served it up on a silver platter. Ken Griffey hits pretty well off a tee too.

I'll now turn to the next factor discussed on appeal:

Institutional Cooperation in the Investigation

This is just another restatement of the Committee's need for flexibility in decision making. They do lay it our pretty well here.

More discussion of the differences between the Oklahoma case and our case, with emphasis on Institutional Cooperation:

The COI seems to have dotted their I's and crossed their T's much better in this case than they did in the past. Maybe that is because FSU invited them to nail the university?

Next, they discuss the Ole Miss case from which the original 7-factor test arose:

Remember, this is the IAC's language. I pay special attention to anything the IAC has said because they are supposed to be neutral in this process (like an appellate judge). As repeatedly stated over and over again, no single factor controls. All the factors will be mixed together.

This is more "you really screwed up and did try to cure some of your mistakes but your actions were so egregious that we have to punish you" language. Here's more:

The COI does a great job of citing the IAC's language which is the language to cite if it's available. Some is available for FSU, but the COI has a truckload of IAC language to use. FSU has to be careful because some cases have helpful language but citing to them gives the COI an opportunity to contract the facts (FSU meeting every possible factor, the other case not), etc.

Now the COI gets quite mad:

They seem to really be focusing on this idea that they have the power to consider all the factors in an aggregate fashion.

They conclude the participation issue with this:

The COI is smart here in urging the IAC to consider what they could have done in order to properly frame the penalties they did assess.

Moving on:

Factor 6: Impact of Penalties on Innocent Student Athletes and Coaches

I want to make sure to note that the guys handling the appeal for FSU aren't dumb. They are being paid to do a job and are doing the best they can. It's not their fault that TK gave the NCAA a gun on the way to a knife fight. FSU's attorney's obviously aren't going to cite language that crushes their own argument. The important thing to note is the weakness of FSU's case.

The COI's footnote discusses the knowledge that some innocent parties will always be impacted by these penalties, but contends that they are very fair and that they dissuade programs from acting this way in the future (cheating, not turning themselves in, haha).

The other thing to note is that these violations weren't separate from the program. Bowden or anyone else can hardly claim that they aren't culpable. They are part of the program from which the cheating occurred. As soon as T.K. Wetherell blew up an academic issue into an NCAA issue, it became Bowden'sproblem, much to the chagrin of T.K. and everyone else involved with FSU.

Here's more of FSU dodging the issue and the spirit of the rule:

Again, if FSU had better cards they would play them. Their case is just weak.

FSU tries to make the case that the coach should get to count the wins even though he cheated by using ineligible players (who were eligible at the time of cheating, by rule, because FSU was one the one perpetrating the cheating...):

The NCAA concludes this 6th factor with this:

It's important to note that they don't discuss coach Bowden. It doesn't matter who the coach is. The penalties are laid out, and in a team sport, you win as a team and lose as a team.

Factor 7: NCAA Policies Regarding Fairness In, and Equitable Resolution of, Infractions Cases

Since they mention the hearing, I will put this here:

Rumors are that allegedly a lot of stuff went down at the hearing. Allegedly, "someone" for FSU offered to "endow a scholarship for $1M to whatever cause the NCAA wanted" and allegedly, someone on the Committee (COI) told The Knowledgeable FSU speaker that "the committee was not in the practice of accepting bribes." There are also all sorts of rumors that allegedly FSU went over the committee chair's head when negotiating the self-imposed penalties, allegedly was successful, and allegedly this is rumored to have hurt FSU because the Committee was offended that FSU allegedly wasn't playing by the rules. Now, this is all internet rumor and I am not representing it as fact. The voracity of these rumors is for you to decide as a reader. Everyone will agree, however, that it's not good to act in a rogue cowboy manner and usurp the authority of a board comprised of academics who consider themselves to be above moral reproach.

It's also rumored that T.K. allegedly wanted to embarrass Dave Hart during the Alabama game (fall 2007). T.K. stated that the first order of business was to seize control of the "rogue athletic department" and make sure they didn't "circle the wagons" Our own Frank D. reminds us that Hart had a 10 year contract from 1999 to 2009. TK initially told Hart his contract would not be renewed when it expired, but then TK did not want to wait until the end of 2009 to get rid of Hart, so he basically bought out Hart's contract for $475,000 plus a annuity which brought the total to well over $500K. Hart and his wife are Bama grads. What better place to sling mud on someone than during a game against their Alma Mater? Hart would not kiss up to Bowden or T.K. Hart saw the unprofessionalism with which Bowden ran the team and he knew it was sub-standard. How did he know? Hard knew it because he could see the way other coaches of successful FSU sports programs ran their operations. Again, that is all internet rumor and is all alleged. I do not represent that as fact, but am simply relaying a rumor that outlines why T.K. allegedly wanted to slam Dave Hart and at the same time seize greater control of the athletic department from which he could allegedly help out his friend Bobby Bowden.

Okay, crazy conspiracy theories aside, FSU contends that their punishment was enough and the NCAA contends that the punishment was a quick fix to assure that the athletes could return to the field in the most expedient way possible. FSU then tries to claim that the main focus of the suspensions and failing the kids for the course that they cheated in was to punish them. The NCAA throws FSU's own hearing transcript back in their face:

As a friend of ours from Texas put it: Although I disagree with forcing a university to forfeit games after the fact if it only later learns that a player(s) cheated on their own, I do agree with holding the institution accountable for what it's employees knew and what they did (especially here when three separate employees were involved). The institution should have been considered to have knowledge of their ineligibility when it's employees became aware. The vacation of wins is Florida State's penalty - not a Bobby Bowden penalty (though, in this case, he happens to be hurt worse just because of where he is in his career), and Florida State is comprised of employees. "Florida State" received notice of the cheating when 3 of their employees learned of(actually actively engaged in) cheating. As of that point, no problem in holding FSU by playing academically ineligible players that FSU employees knew should have been academically ineligible. It's disingenuous to say that FSU was unaware of it ... FSU isn't a separate entity that can be told or learn of things. It receives notice when persons in its employ learn of things (or perpetrate the acts of which they are alleged to have known)!

I can't decide if FSU was really stupid when they agreed to the 3.5 game suspension for reinstatement, or if they actually believe the NCAA was saying "suspend them 3.5 games, fail them for the course, and everything if fine for ever and ever." I do have my suspicions...

Is it just me, or is FSU's argument akin to a bank robber who gives all the money back thinking that he will not face any jail time? Would the bank robber have given the money back had he not been caught? How long would Brenda Monk kept on "making sure the kids stay eligible?"

This is of course the new policy the NCAA discussed in one of the previous sections, which arose in order to clarify the factors. I again think this reply is a bit unprofessional (and so do some of my law school friends, for whatever that is worth), and the committee probably didn't need to remind us again that FSU amazingly hit all the aggravating factors and was unprecedented in its violations.

I am not familiar with the procedure for amending bylaws, so I won't comment on that second paragraph other than to say that it really slams FSU and makes me wonder why we are pursuing this appeal? I keep coming back to this issue of T.K.'s guilt for launching the massive and unnecessary investigation and thus opening a huge Pandora's box that ended up hurting his dear friend and former coach Bobby Bowden.

They conclude the 7th factor:

What I takeaway from the 7th factor is that FSU tried to have their cake (get the players back very quickly through some hastily thrown together suspension/ vacation of the class remedy) and eat it too (not have any punishment for the actual act).

Conclusion

FSU cheated, used ineligible athletes who were ineligible at the time of the cheating, can't say that they didn't know because in fact their own employees enabled and acted in the cheating, and the entire program will pay the price, including Bowden, because he was the head coach of record who used players who the university knew were ineligible at the time of participation. I don't think the mention that they went light on scholarship losses is foreshadowing. I'm told that even though the COI reserves the right to re-open the case and assess further penalties after appeal, they are very unlikely to do so.

I still think this appeal is a huge waste of time and money. It puts the individual above the university. It has been poorly managed and is a public relations nightmare with consequences (including on recruiting and reputation) that will hurt the university long after T.K. Wetherell and Bobby Bowden are gone. I don't think there is any way that FSUmet their burden of proof with this appeal and I do not think I could do a better job. You are only as good as the facts you're given, and the circumstances that made up this case are extremely tough to spin.

If only T.K. and Bowden realized that leaving the university on solid footing would be a much greater testament to their legacy than an embarrassing public fight over a likely unattainable individual record.

[Editor's Note: For all our regular readers who do not care about this stuff, my apologies. I didn't want to cover this garbage and hoped that it would just go away. After a while, however, it became apparent that people were not reading or were not understanding the COI's response to FSU's appeal to the IAC. I just tried to provide some clarification on the matter and help Florida State fans to understand FSU's appeal. Please remember that no final decision has been made and that this document we dissected over the last two days is written by the NCAA COI. It is not the COI, but rather the IAC that will render the final decision.]

GO NOLES!!

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Could Florida State's NCAA Mess Have Been Avoided? Why FSU Should Drop Their Appeal

FSUncensored — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 02:13:36 -0000

First, you need to realize that the Committee on Infraction's (COI) response to FSU's appeal is not a final decision. Let's review how this process works.

Prosecution: NCAA Committee on Infractions (COI)

Defendant: FSU

Judge (of the appeals): NCAA Infractions Appeals Committee (IAC)

So this response is from the COI, the committee that originally handed down the sanctions and is now opposing FSU's appeal. It was issued in response to FSU's appeal. The final judgement will come from the IAC, which as noted above, will consider the arguments from FSU and the COI before rendering it's final verdict. The COI and IAC are comprised of different members.

With that out of the way let's discuss the COI's response to FSU's appeal. This is by far the longest article ever to appear on TomahawkNation (which just hit half a million visitors in under a year!), so please take your time reading. I've pasted large sections of the NCAA's response inside, as well as some analysis.

I. Origin of the Case

Rumor has it that this all could have been avoided. Some say that FSU President T. K. Wetherell wanted Athletic Director Dave Hart out and went digging for dirt, ordering the full-scale investigation. Let me be very clear: there was no reason to investigate this. Institutions disqualify athletes all the time for cheating and they do not decide to launch full-scale investigations into the case and they do not shoot off flares to alert the NCAA The basketball player who admitted to cheating didn't have any eligibility left. FSU should have failed him in the course and moved on. This investigation was vindictive, personally motivated, costly in many ways, and unnecessary.

So the number climbed from one basketball player to 22 because FSU decided to conduct an internal investigation. FSU says there are 22 cheaters, but the NCAA wonders if there are actually more...

Of course, the NCAA leapt at the chance to investigate a gift-wrapped violations case. There was no need for FSU to investigate this as they did, and unfortunately for the 'Noles, FSU's investigation turned up much more than T.K. thought it would.

So that's the background.

This is particularly damning as FSU met all of the factors needed to impose a vacation of wins penalty. FSU had a duty to uphold a culture of complainace and they did not do so. The players were ineligible at the time of cheating.

Standard of Review

Ah yes, the dreaded "abuse of discretion" standard. What does that mean? Typically, it is a failure to take into proper consideration the facts and law relating to a particular matter; an Arbitrary or unreasonable departure from precedent and settled judicial custom.

Abuse of Discretion is a very difficult standard to overcome in an appellate proceeding. FSU has to show that the NCAA's decision was clearly against logic and the evidence. That won't be easy and the 'Noles are shelling out huge bucks to try to save Bobby's wins. I doubt T.K. ever thought his attempt to force out Dave Hart (allegedly) would lead to his former coach and good friend Bobby Bowden losing his wins. Could it be that FSU is appealing against the great weight of the evidence because T.K. feels guilty for doing this to his friend?

ISSUE RAISED ON APPEAL & COMMITTEE RESPONSE

The NCAA is essentially saying that FSU is the exact type of case for which the vacation of wins penalty was devised.

FSU: "Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain". NCAA Committee on Infractions: "Oh, you mean THAT man that you tipped us to? We would have never seen him had you not pulled the curtain back and shone the spotlight on him." FSU's appeal really did fail to address the important issues and instead made arguments that briefly touched on the issue and then went off on other tangents. I was unsure of how FSU would conduct their appeal because the NCAA's case looked very strong, but now that I see what they did it makes me sad to know that they have wasted huge dollars on this worthless endeavor.

This is very important so pay attention. The NCAA changed the standard of review in 2008. This effectively decreases the importance of previous successful appeals by schools who sook to regain their vacated wins. FSU cites the Georgia Tech and Oklahoma cases, but those schools were appealing under the old standard. It's doubtful they would win under the new standard, just as it is very doubtful FSU will prevail. This really makes me wonder why FSU would appeal these relatively light sanctions. The scholarship losses are minimal and won't impact the program going forward. The probation term is short. The vacated wins only hurt the past, and rational people don't believe that Bowden will catch Paterno when they consider Penn State's cupcake non-conference schedule and pathetic Big 10 slate (Northwestern, Indiana, Purdue, Indiana, anyone?) against FSU's murderous non-conference gauntlet including games at Florida, Oklahoma, BYU, and USF, while playing in a conference that had 10 bowl teams last year. Could it be that FSU is appealing because of a guilty conscience? Whatever the reason, this appeal is foolish. It continually drags FSU out into the public eye and allows writers to rehash FSU's problems. FSU should have accepted the penalty and moved forward. It is what they should do now before they waste more money in a ridiculous and losing public battle.

This is sort of like disciplining your children. There are many factors you will consider, but there is no set rubric you use. Instead, you'll consider all of the factors when rendering your decision.

Factor 1: The Nature, Number, and Seriousness of the Violations

FSU can't contest these findings because these are facts that FSU led the NCAA to when they shouted for the NCAA to come investigate and embarrass Dave Hart. These are serious allegations, and they happen at most of the major D1 programs. The difference is that other programs do not order ill-advised investigations into these matters. To recap, FSU has admitted to the above findings and is still appealing.

Here the NCAA is laughing at FSU. FSU said "hey, what about the Georgia Tech Case" and the NCAA COI said well um, you meet all of those factors. Without much legal argument for this factor, we see FSU turn to other points which don't directly address the actual factors...

The NCAA cites evidence that the cheating happened in more than one course and that one employee instructed other employees how to help the athletes cheat.

Disingenuous is right. I took this course at FSU and did not cheat and anyone taking this course would have been forced to read those instructions before beginning the examination. Ignorance is no excuse. This argument from FSU is baffling and we should all be embarrassed that FSU's money is going toward this. Explicit instructions that the test was to be taken without outside help of any kind, including notes (and obviously tutors), combined with signed admissions from students... and yet FSU still tries to challenge this point as some sort of mistake.

Factor 2: Conduct & Motives of the Individuals Involved in the Violations

If I was running this appeal, I would leave this factor alone. How can you spin your tutors giving answers to students during the test? Can there be an acceptable motive here?

This would be quite funny if FSU hadn't seriously tried to argue this point.

"We don't really believe the student athletes cheated. They got inappropriate help"_ Florida State President T.K. Wetherell.

One of the more ridiculous statements T.K. has made in his time as president. But there's more...

The reason why Florida State's argument sounds sort of ridiculous is because FSU really has no leg to stand on, particularly considering the new elevated standard of "abuse of discretion." We're condemning our conduct from one side of our mouth and denying it with the other side. While the NCAA COI's response seems slightly unprofessional and overaggressive, it's clear that they are incensed that FSU is actually trying to appeal this decision. I'm quite sure that the NCAA didn't want to badly punish FSU. They will never again hammer an elite level program, it takes away too much money from their pocket. Their thinking was probably like this:

"Okay, a few scholarships, slight probation, and we'll take some of Bowden's wins which doesn't matter any way because unless Paterno suddenly retires he will stay ahead of Bowden by virtue of a cakewalk schedule."

FSU is looking a gift horse in the mouth and spitting in its face.

Yeah... I would have probably let this factor alone. Challenging this factor just gave the COI another opportunity to unload on Florida State. They are right, too, in that some of the athletes who took the course were guys who have struggled to stay eligible even with the easy "A" in the course. I'm looking at you, defensive tackles...

Factor 3: Corrective Actions Taken by the Institution

This is one of the more ridiculous paragraphs in the entire report. It is saying "without a vacation of wins penalty, we would have taken away more scholarships and reserve the right to do so." By going forward with this appeal Florida State is showing blatant disregard for the future of the program at the expense of protecting two seasons in which the 'Noles went 7-6. While I don't think FSU will lose more scholarships (because they aren't getting the wins back), this action has to show Jimbo Fisher where the universitite's priorities really stand.

Takeaway:

1. It does not matter when FSU knew the athletes cheated, it matters when they cheated. They are ineligible at that instant and that has always been the rule. Further, FSU can't seriously attempt to argue that they weren't on notice of the cheating when their own tutors were perpetrating the cheating!

2. I'm very glad they FSU didn't lose any post-season appearances.

I can certainly understand FSU's desire to understand the weight of each factor, but I can equally understand the NCAA's need to maintain flexibility in evaluation and penalization. Lacking a truly playable hand, FSU again drew for the precedent card.

This seems almost tongue and cheek and this whole response is a bit juveline (as was FSU's appeal). The committee clearly believes that FSU's appeal is making a mockery of the system. It is almost as if FSU expects to recieve credit (their wins back) simply for turning in their homework on time. The important sentence here is that just as in the Ole Miss case (the original case setting out the factors), FSU's negatives far outweigh its positives.

Tomorrow: Factors 4-7 and a conclusion!

For Entertainment Purposes Only: Season Win Totals

FSUncensored — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 00:21:42 -0000

Welcome to another edition of For Entertainment Purposes Only! Last year, this rather informal column went 251-190 (57%) +41.0 That's 251 wins and 190 losses for a winning percentage of 57%. If you were wagering $100 fake dollars per game, you would have netted $4100 at season's end. But since these are fake wagers, we refer to our wager amount as "units." First though, a disclaimer:

I want to emphasize that we don't endorse gambling at this site, and anything on here is for entertainment purposes only. Always check with your local, state, or federal laws to determine the legality of wagering.

Last time, we discussed some wagers for conference and division winners. Since then, the odds on Clemson have gone from +1000 to +500, and Ole Miss went from +350 to +200. No odds went against our decisions.

Today we will discuss season win totals. Vegas sets the number, we call it over or under!

* If any of this seems really foreign to you, I assure you it is quite simple. Please refer to our previous post (linked above).

The Lines

Alabama
Over 9½ reg season wins	+145
Under 9½ reg season wins	-175
Arizona
Over 6½ reg season wins	-110
Under 6½ reg season wins	-120
Arizona State
Over 6½ reg season wins	-120
Under 6½ reg season wins	-110
Auburn
Over 7½ reg season wins	+145
Under 7½ reg season wins	-175
Boise State
Over 10 reg season wins	-185
Under 10 reg season wins	+155
BYU
Over 9 reg season wins	-120
Under 9 reg season wins	-110
California
Over 9 reg season wins	-155
Under 9 reg season wins	+125
Clemson
Over 8½ reg season wins	+105
Under 8½ reg season wins	-135
Connecticut
Over 6½ reg season wins	+160
Under 6½ reg season wins	-200
Florida
Over 11 reg season wins	-135
Under 11 reg season wins	+105
Florida State
Over 8 reg season wins	+160
Under 8 reg season wins	-200
Georgia
Over 8½ reg season wins	-110
Under 8½ reg season wins	-120
Georgia Tech
Over 8½ reg season wins	-110
Under 8½ reg season wins	-120
Illinois
Over 7½ reg season wins	-150
Under 7½ reg season wins	+120
Iowa
Over 8 reg season wins	+100
Under 8 reg season wins	-130
Kansas
Over 8 reg season wins	+130
Under 8 reg season wins	-160
LSU
Over 8½ reg season wins	+100
Under 8½ reg season wins	-130
Maryland
Over 6 reg season wins	+135
Under 6 reg season wins	-165
Miami Florida
Over 8 reg season wins	+120
Under 8 reg season wins	-150
Michigan
Over 6 reg season wins	-165
Under 6 reg season wins	+135
Mississippi
Over 9 reg season wins	-105
Under 9 reg season wins	-125
Missouri
Over 7½ reg season wins	+155
Under 7½ reg season wins	-185
Nebraska
Over 8½ reg season wins	-110
Under 8½ reg season wins	-120
North Carolina
Over 8½ reg season wins	+100
Under 8½ reg season wins	-130
Notre Dame
Over 9 reg season wins	+100
Under 9 reg season wins	-130
Ohio State
Over 9½ reg season wins	-110
Under 9½ reg season wins	-120
Oklahoma
Over 10 reg season wins	+125
Under 10 reg season wins	-155
Oklahoma State
Over 9 reg season wins	+105
Under 9 reg season wins	-135
Oregon
Over 8 reg season wins	+152
Under 8 reg season wins	-182
Oregon State
Over 7½ reg season wins	-120
Under 7½ reg season wins	-110
Penn State
Over 9 reg season wins	-185
Under 9 reg season wins	+155
Pittsburgh
Over 7½ reg season wins	-165
Under 7½ reg season wins	+135
Rutgers
Over 8 reg season wins	-200
Under 8 reg season wins	+160
Southern Cal
Over 10½ reg season wins	+110
Under 10½ reg season wins	-140
South Carolina
Over 7 reg season wins	+145
Under 7 reg season wins	-175
South Florida
Over 8 reg season wins	-110
Under 8 reg season wins	-120
Tennessee
Over 7 reg season wins	+140
Under 7 reg season wins	-170
Texas
Over 10 reg season wins	-155
Under 10 reg season wins	+125
Texas Tech
Over 8 reg season wins	+150
Under 8 reg season wins	-180
UCLA
Over 6 reg season wins	-180
Under 6 reg season wins	+150
Virginia Tech
Over 9½ reg season wins	+125
Under 9½ reg season wins	-155
Wake Forest
Over 7½ reg season wins	+135
Under 7½ reg season wins	-165
West Virginia
Over 8½ reg season wins	-115
Under 8½ reg season wins	-115
Wisconsin
Over 8 reg season wins	-115
Under 8 reg season wins	-115
Texas Christian
Over 9 reg season wins	-115
Under 9 reg season wins	-115
North Carolina State
Over 8 reg season wins	+160
Under 8 reg season wins	-200
Michigan State
Over 8 reg season wins	+140
Under 8 reg season wins	-170

Take a look at those, figure out what you like. I have to say that some of these look very easy- until you consider the "juice" (the "vigorish/ the "vig" / the "odds"). Figure out which you like and then scroll down. Oh, and these numbers do not include conference championship or bowl games- though they do include games against 1-AA opponents.

Maryland Terrapins under 6 wins at -165. (Fake wager of 165 to net 100)

First, I don't think Maryland is a good team. They only return 9 starters, a number that could drop to 7 if they lost Left Tackle Bruce Campbell or Nose Guard Travis Ivey to grades. They schedule is tough, and they will be definitive underdogs in at least 6 of their 12 games (@ Cal, Clemson, @ Wake, @ NCST, VTech, @ FSU) . Of the remaining 6, 4 look to be tossups (Rutgers, UVA, @ Duke, BC). Only James Madison and Middle Tennessee appear to be sure wins for the Terps- and Zach_Nole reminds us that MTSU BEAT Maryland last year. Their recruiting has really dropped off in recent years and since their magical 2001-2003 run (31-8 record), they have just two winning seasons. I also prefer to wager on unders whenever possible, because the public is typically overly optimistic about every team, and lines often fail to properly account for the possibility of attrition. I predict Maryland to finish at 5 wins, and will say that I believe they are more likely to finish with 4 than 6.

Texas Over 10 wins at -155 (Fake Wager of 155 to net 100)

Hook 'Em! This one is fairly simple. The Longhorns are one of the best teams in the country. They return 9 offensive starters and an excellent college quarterback in Colt McCoy. In a conference that doesn't play defense and produces no defensive talent, having a great quarterback can really make all the difference. Texas' non-conference schedule is beyond pathetic and they will be 4td+ favorites in each of those contests. Their Big 12 road games are @ Missouri (should be significantly down), @ Oklahoma State (a dangerous game), @ Baylor (not in Texas' league yet, but improved), and @ Texas A&M (a stagnant below average program that should go bowling by virtue of a terrible non-conference slate). They of course do play Oklahoma. After looking at this schedule, I estimated that that Texas will drop 0 or 1 games more than 60% of the time, which makes this profitable. Further, we have the opportunity to "push" (no winner, money returned), if Texas wins only 10 games. Do you think Texas is losing 3 games with their schedule? Thought not.

Rutgers over 8 wins at -200

This is some heavy juice to pay. In order to win this, Rutgers would need to win 9+ games 66% of the time. You already know that we are holding Rutgers at +500 to win the Big East. Again, enthusiasm for the Scarlet Knights is all about schedule and style. Rutgers loses 3 of their top four receiving threats and their all time leading passer in Mike Teel. Yet the guys they lost weren't all that special; they just started for a long time. So, how does Rutgers get to 9 or more wins? Start with a terrible non-conference schedule (a theme I like to emphasize). They play Howard, Florida International, Texas Southern, and @ Army. That's about as sure a four wins are you can get. We'll call it 3.7 Then they travel to a very iffy Maryland team, who could overlook the Knights as they have Clemson the next week. We'll say 4.2 wins in the non-conference. So, can Rutgers find 5 wins in their 7 conference games? They get Cincinnati (lost their entire defense) at home to open the season, and get Pittsburgh at home on a Friday night and have a bye week before the panthers. Touchdown or greater favorites in both of those games? Likely. Let's call is 5.6 wins through 7 games. 5 left and we need to find 3.4 wins. @ a highly suspect UConn team seems like a game Rutgers will be a slight favorite in, so we'll say .7 wins there, putting the Knights at 6.3 wins. Then they get another weekday night home game off a bye week, hosting USF (USF is also off a bye). I'll say .6 wins there, putting them at 6.9 wins with three games to go. @ Syracuse should be a piece of cake, as the Orange are terrible. .85 seems reasonable there, bumping them to 7.75 wins. Two to go. @ a bad Louisville team in a conference road game on a Friday- I'll say .6 wins- putting the Knights at 8.35 wins. They finish out the season hosting WVU in a game that should send them to get pummeled in the Orange Bowl by the ACC champ. With the extra day (they played Fri @ Louisvile), they'll beat WVU .65, putting them at 9 wins even. Oh, and that style thing? Schiano just wants to run the ball and play defense. With the league's best offensive line and a very solid defense, the Knights could conceivably extend their current undefeated streak from 7 to 19- and play for the National Championship. Doubtful- but they'll still win 9+ games and our wager.

Illinois over 7 1/2 wins @ -150

Another moderately high juice wager. Quick! How many Big 10 teams won 8 or more regular season games last year? FIVE. Everyone agrees that Penn State and Ohio State are 1-2 in some order. Then we come to a group that includes Iowa, Illinois, Michigan State and Wisconsin. I happen to think Illinois will finish 3rd or 4th in the Big 10. Their non-conference schedule is manageable, and their in-conference road games outside of Ohio State are a joke (@ Indiana, @ Purdue, @ Minnesota). Teams that are favored in 3 of their 4 conference road games win more than 8 games. Illinois will win 9 games and cash this wager. Yes, I do think the Big 10 is a joke conference trending downward. Only PSU, Ohio State, and Michigan are serious big boy programs focused on football. Northwestern, Minnesota, and Purdue would be gifts on the schedule of any other major conference team. Illinois has decent talent and will take care of business.

South Carolina under 7 wins @ -145.

I'll come out and say it. I'd bet them Under 5.5 wins. I think the Gamecocks win 4 games. They should be TD or more underdogs in all of their road games ( @ NCST, @ UGA, @ BAMA, @ TENN, @ ARK), and should also be TD dogs at home to Clemson and Florida (in Florida's case, probably three-TD dogs). To have any shot at topping 7 wins, the Gamecocks almost must sweep their remaining five home games (FAU, OLE MISS, SCST, UK, VANDY). I see at least one loss in those 5. This team lost a lot and unfortunately for them they have to play the West's top two teams and must travel to Arkansas. Arkansas- not bowling, and losing out on Marcus Lattimore. Fun stuff.

Tennessee Over 7 wins at +140 (wager of 100 to win 140)

I think UT wins between 7 and 9 games. UT had 8 home games, and does not play LSU from the west division. They have three gimme non-conference games and while they do play a much improved UCLA, they should win that one too. Even assuming three losses from @UF, @BAMA, UGA, and @OLE MISS, they can pull out 3 wins from , Auburn, South Carolina, Vandy, and Kentucky to reach 8. This is still a very talented defense and their offense should be a lot more cohesive.

Arizona State Under 6.5 at -110

I don't think Dennis Erickson is a good coach. He does some things well but his game management is poor. Arizona State got really lucky to go 5-7 last year with a very good college quarterback who has now graduated. This year they don't look much improved. I'll give them 1.98 wins for Idaho State and Louisiana Monroe. They are large underdogs at Georgia, I'll say .2 wins there, bringing them to 2.18. They are no better than .6 against Oregon State, so 2.78. Then @ WAZU, still terrible but its a road test, so .5, putting them at 3.28. Washington at home and then Stanford on the road is good for 1 wins, bringing them to 4.28. Then the fun starts. They will be underdogs to Cal and USC in the desert, and I'll give them .65 for those two combined (generously), bringing them to 4.93. At Oregon and @ UCLA are good for a .65 as well, bringing them to 5.58. Zona at home is a coin flip type game, bringing them to 6.08. I'll take the half win for the coin flip, knowing they will be underdogs or very small favorites in 9 of their games.

Georgia Tech Under 8.5 at -120

I think Tech is a very good team, but they have a brutal ACC Atlantic draw. I believe the ACC has 7 have's and 5 have not's. The have not's: Wake, BC, Maryland, UVA, and Duke. On a Neutral field, all of the 7 are TD+ faves over those 5. If tech had BC and Maryland instead of FSU and Duke, I'd be all about the over, but they don't, and their schedule is very difficult. I have them at 7.5 wins and believe they will win 8.

Missouri Under 7.5 @ -185.

I think Missouri caught everyone off guard with their offense but college football is catching up. They have to play Texas and OK St. from the south, and play very losable games @ Nevada and v. Illinois in the non-conference. 5.15 wins is my calculation and I wouldn't be surprised to see a 4-8 campaign. 8 wins would be a big surprise.

Alabama over 9.5 @ +145

This is sort of a hedge for our Ole Miss SEC West play at +350. I think Bama is more likely to win 10 games than they are to lose 4. Saban has to avoid losing to a bad team here, but if they beat VT this should cash. I believe that Alabama is slightly better than Ole Miss and LSU. They get the tigers at home but must play at the Rebels. The Tide will be favored in at least 10 and as many as 12 of their games. Bama's defense will keep them in a lot of games this year and at +145, I like my chances for double digit wins by the tide.

Others...

Southern Cal Under 10.5 -140

Arizona Over 6.5 wins at -110

VTech Under 9.5 wins at -155

As for FSU...

I think this is a good number. I don't see the 'Noles winning more than 8 games this year with their suspect defense and brutal schedule. They could, but it's not likely.

Monday Morning Tomahawks 06.25.09

FSUncensored — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 03:56:43 -0000

Let's start with some good news. Foster kids get a helping hand from FSU's Myron Rolle -- OrlandoSentinel.com Way to go Myron!

Apparently incoming Freshman Linebacker C.J. Mizell is looking into Hargrave Academy for the Fall Semester and enroll in spring (Hargrave is a prep school). That's just fine by me. Mizell is ultra-talented but if he doesn't get himself squared away with academics and behavior he isn't going anywhere. I've seen the pictures of what Mizell did to coach Jerry Odom before being forced to leave Georgia high school athletics and it was not pretty. To be clear, I want Mizell in Garnet and Gold, but only if he is prepared to at least pretend to be a student athlete. Mizell has taken his SAT/ACT enough times that his score will almost certainly be flagged by the NCAA clearing house. If he goes to prep school, they will force him to study for a few hours a day and instill some discipline in him. Prep school could be a good thing for this young linebacker. If he came to FSU this season, he wouldn't see much playing time and if he got in trouble it would look bad on the 'Noles. If he get's in trouble at prep school, that's not on FSU. Here's hoping he does get in to FSU, but if he doesn't, prep school might not be the worst thing for him. Perception matters.

Since people have been asking me about this... I asked around for clarification. Dan Hicks (son of Dan Footman) is not playing linebacker. His locker is apparently in the linebacker's section- because they ran out of lockers.

Gresham not considered for Fullback spot, yet| Tallahassee Democrat

Much more inside!

I caught a lot of heat for the Maurice Harris article. People wrote that he had won an academic improvement award and that he does community service. The article was poorly written. I was up late when the news broke and I should have held it until the morning to make sure it read well. I also should have clarified that I was talking about his value to the team- not his value as a person. The comments about his slacker attitude and immature behavior on the field stand.

The idea behind the article stands, however, and that is that FSU isn't fully committed to winning yet. They are close, but that full commitment is not there. Elite programs like LSU, UF, Alabama, and USC find ways to remove the guys who don't pan out. We all know about the 2007 recruiting class and how it is a major drag on this program. I'm told that when Jeff Bowden was fired along with the offensive staff, that Jimbo Fisher and the new staff didn't want several of the kids who had committed to the old coaches. Bobby Bowden wouldn't let them pull the offers to the kids. Among those were Cameron Wade, who we recently argued should be kicked off for his terrible attitude and lack of talent. Forcing Fisher's hand was one of the first signs that Bobby wasn't totally comfortable with the Fisher deal.

Again, don't expect FSU to be great until the entire program is committed to winning. That means players who do not develop, lack effort, and put FSU in a bad light must go. It's all about roster churning and being able to sift through the largest talent pool possible. I do think FSU is close, but Bowden is a huge step behind the other elite coaches in the game. The nice guy act doesn't work when everyone else is playing a different game.

For more on this, let's turn to Jeff Cameron, who had a great two days of show for 1270theteam (AM Radio, Tallahassee- streaming). Here are the audio clips from 1270theteam.com:

Clip 1 Clip 2 (why Smiley will beat these charges but should still be booted- he sucks) & Clip 3 (w/ Ira)

Speaking of radio, make sure to check out WRFV - 910AM The Dream- The Mike Davis Show, streaming live covering South Georgia Sports and Florida State!

Spring Practice Central- Seminoles.com put up a great compilation of spring practice clips, pictures, and re-caps. Much better organization guys!

Counting down the ACC's top 30 players: No. 8 - ACC - ESPN No. 8. Rodney Hudson, OG, Florida State, Jr. 6-2, 285. Good, except she inexplicaply put Clemson's Thomas Austin above Hudson because Austin is like some sort of volunteer or something. Heather Dinich: still never played a down of football.

via www.pottsville.k12.pa.us

Orlando Sentinel - Terry Bowden on brother Jeff: He "got blamed for everything" by
Terry says Blame Bobby not Jeff. Actually, blame both.

Orlando Sentinel - More on the budget (Carter)
Some highlights from the proposed budget that the Florida State athletic committee endorsed earlier today.

FSU's White didn't live up to his own expectations | tallahassee.com | Tallahassee Democrat
"I know I wasn't as strong as I need to be," he said. "Everybody knows my work ethic, but to be complete I feel like I need to get stronger. I'm working on it." It hasn't been easy for White, according to FSU strength coach Todd Stroud, but he's starting to see positive results out of the junior defensive end. "Some guys are weight-lifting guys and have the ability — with the way God made them with their tendons and ligaments — to develop a lot of power very fast," Stroud said. "He is not as gifted as a weight-lifter. But he's very explosive from the waist down. His upper body is behind where it should be, but he's made a lot of strides." Maybe Florida State's talented No. 98 can make enough strides to have himself the same type of season No. 99 had last season for the Seminoles. "He wasn't the best at what he did when he got here, either," White said of Brown, who was picked by the Carolina Panthers in the second round of the 2009 Draft. "But when he realized it was time to kick it in, he got everything together. "… I know when my time to stand out is going to come. I know it's going to come. And I'll be ready for it."

Um.... wow Marlon.

FSUncensored — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 17:17:24 -0000

Um.... wow Marlon.