"This job is a great job."

"To be honest, (there was speculation) we would not be able to get anybody because the word on the street is the president meddles too much. Florida State is in a mess. Yakety-yak. We were going to be on probation. All the parade of horrors. But we could have gotten any one of 200 people if we wanted them. This job is a great job."
FSU President T.K. Wetherell quoted in Tallahasee Democrat regarding the hiring of an athletic director

Noles Get Another Commit

According to The St. Pete Times,Plant City senior offensive lineman Rhonne Sanderson orally committed to Florida State on Tuesday night. Sanderson had an official visit with the Noles last weekend and had recently received a scholarship offer from Michigan State. "I've always wanted to play at Florida State and when I got the opportunity, I took it," Sanderson said.

Sanderson (6-3, 280) started at left tackle for the Plant City Panthers, who were 26-2 during his junior and senior seasons. Plant was the 2006 Class 4A state champion.

"The Comeback Kid" Commits To Noles

Just call him the comeback kid. Apparently A.J. Alexander from Altoona, Pa. is commitment number twenty-three for the Noles. Alexander had committed to the Noles in May of 2007 and then withdrew his commit.

He is described as one of the fastest players in the nation and will probably play at either cornerback or wide receiver in college. Alexander had naroowed hic choices to the Noles and Tennessee.

Gators Tops In The State

Here are the latest recruiting rankings of the "Big Three" schools in Florida. This is an average of the ESPN rankings plus the two major recruiting services:

Florida- #3

Miami- #5

FSU- #9

The Duh Factor...Stupid File

* What do three economists with too much time on their hands do? Nope - not come up with solutions to a coming recession. They have devised a College Football Recruiting Prediction model that predicts what schools high school football recruits will pick. The trio are all former FSU doctoral students. The article about these recruitniks in SI.com indicates that according to the model, recruits usually will pick the BCS-conference school nearest their hometown that has the biggest on-campus stadium and won the most games last season. Duh!

* File this in the Stupid file. Wake Forest reserve running back Luke Caparelli has been dismissed from the team after writing on his Facebook page that he would "blow up campus."He posted the note on his page on Jan. 13. The threat said that Caparelli would have an Uzi submachine gun "locked and loaded in his bag. Police searched his dorm and found no weapons.

"...work to do what we ask them to do."

"That's what I'm trying to do now -- find guys that are very, very intelligent and that are willing to work to do what we ask them to do."
Offensive line coach Rick Trickett regarding the type of players he wants to recruit

New Poll: Which Big Three School Will Have Best Recruiting Class

There is a new poll question: "Which "Big Three" Florida school will have the best recruiting class on National Signing Day?"

Countdown To Signing Day Continues As Noles Host Half Dozen Prospects

National Signing Day is close and the Noles are seeking to finish strong in the recruiting battle. Here are the prospects that are scheduled to visit this weekend:

Toshmon Stevens (DE) - Stevens is a considered a strong commit to the Noles. The 6-5 Stevens is from Crescent City, Florida. At 205 he is very thin but is expected to put on weight when he gets to college. Scouting reports have him playing either DE or TE. He comes off the ball quickly and does a great job of making plays in space and is good at changing direction.

Rhonne Sanderson (OL) - He is a Tampa native and at 6-4/280, Sanderson is not highly ranked although several schools have now gone after him. FSU is competing with Michigan and Michigan State for Sanderson's commit.

Ed Imeokparia (Safety) - It is no secret that the Noles need help in the secondary so Imeokparia may help in that area. He is from New Jersey and has already taken official visits to Cincinnati, Louisville, Michigan State and North Carolina.

Jamie Harper (FB) - Harper is the number 1 ranked fullback in the country. It is not clear what chance the Noles have to land Harper who is from Trinity Christian in Jacksonville. Clemson has the best shot but FSU and Miami are still in the mix. Here's what one scouting report had to say about Harper. "Harper has good vision, balance and instincts and can stop on a dime and show extraordinary change of direction and athleticism. Harper has blazing speed and is so explosive."

Jarmon Fortson (Ath) - This may be an exercise in futility as Georgia native Fortson is an Auburn commit. Jimbo Fisher and Lawrence Dawsey have made an in home visit and would love to have him change his commit. He is listed as an athlete and there are several positions that he could play from safety and tight end to wide receiver.

A.J. Alexander (Ath) - This has been an up and down courtship with this Altoona, Pa native. He committed to the Noles in May of 2007 and then withdrew his commit. He is described as one of the fastest players in the nation and will probably play at either cornerback or wide receiver in college. It looks as if the Noles and Tennessee are the two schools with the best shot at Alexander.

Fans Will Need Another Washington For Home Games...Get Tough Attendance Policy Detailed

* Fans will have to ante up another Washington for FSU football games beginning in 2008. At the recent FSU athletic board meeting, a $1 increase for football game tickets was approved. Nole fans purchasing tickets to the seven home games in 2008 will pay $36, $46 or $56 per ticket. It is anticipated that the hike will generate an additional $372,503 in revenues.

* Also, the board was presented details of the new attendance policy for student-athletes that FSU President T.K. Wetherell had already introduced to student-athletes. The policy calls for a one-game suspension for any athlete who accumulates three unexcused absences in any one class. In addition, a fourth unexcused absence in a class results in a suspension for 30 percent of the athlete's season and a fifth unexcused absence in a class means suspension for the entire season.

Faircloth Says Yes To Noles

Offensive lineman Garrett Faircloth ,a 6-7 265-pound OT, from the Bolles School in Jacksonville, FL has committed to the Noles. Faircloth made his decision fresh off his visit to Ole Miss. Faircloth is not a highly ranked lineman (two-star) but fits into Rick Trickett's coaching philosophy.

Faircloth had narrowed his decision down to Florida State, Vanderbilt and Ole Miss.

The Noles have only offered Faircloth a greyshirt which means that he would not join FSU until the spring of 2009. Faircloth becomes commitment number 22 for the Noles.

Ryan Wins...Wake Loses...Davis Wants Do Over

* The final college quarterback award is out and the winner is Boston College's Matt Ryan. It was announced that Ryan won the Manning Award, given to college football’s top quarterback.

The Manning Award was created by the Sugar Bowl to honor the accomplishments of Archie, Peyton and Eli Manning. It is the only quarterback award that considers the candidates’ bowl performance. The award is voted on by a panel of local and national media, as well as each of the Mannings. Florida’s Tim Tebow finished second.

Ryan completed 59 percent of his passes for 4,507 yards with 31 touchdowns. He led the Eagles to an 11-3 record.

* Wake Forest will be looking for a new defensive coordinator. Dean Hood, the defensive coordinator at Wake Forest for the past seven seasons, was named head football coach at Eastern Kentucky on Tuesday. Under Hood, the Deacons led the nation in defensive touchdowns in 2007 with eight.

* After announcing that he would leave Clemson for the NFL draft, running back James Davis decided there's more to gain remaining at Clemson than entering the NFL Draft a year early.

"I think it definitely makes me a better prospect for next year, I'd definitely go higher in the draft" he said Tuesday, his first day back after deciding he'd made a hasty decision.

Davis is one-half of the "Thunder and Lightning" running duo with C.J. Spiller.

Recruiting Rankings For Florida "Big Three" Almost A Dead Heat

Latest recruiting rankings for "Big Three" in Florida. Based on average of the two major college scouting services:

FSU- #6

Florida- #7

Miami- #7

Want Some Nole With That Dog?

With the announced departure of John Lilly to Georgia, he becomes the fourth Nole assistant coach to join Mark Richt. Lilly joins Richt,who was Florida State's quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator, John Eason who was receivers coach at FSU, and Dave van Halanger who was strength coach for the Noles.

Three Candidates Emerge For AD Position...Lilly May Be Georgia Bound

* According to published reports, three candidates have emerged for the vacant position of FSU Athletic Director. Two of the candidates have FSU ties. They are Wayne Hogan who was a former FSU athletics administrator and is currently an associate athletic director at Georgia Tech. The other is Martin Mayhew,ex-FSU football player and current senior vice president and general manager for the Detroit Lions. The other candidate is former Florida Marlins President Donald Smiley.

* Although not being reported on the Georgia or FSU official athletic sites, several sports sites are reporting that FSU tight ends coach John Lilly may be heading to Georgia. This is in light of the fact that UGA TE Coach Dave Johnson will be returning to his alma mater to coach the WVU offensive line.

The Georgia Sports Blog says that Lilly is the person to replace Johnson. Lilly is not only the tight ends coach but also the recruiting coordinator. He has been at FSU for 13 years.

Noles Land Verbal Commit Number 18

Zebrie Sanders, a 6-6 and 273 pound offensive lineman from Clayton, Ohio has committed to the Noles. He fits well into what offensive lines coach Rick Trickett is looking for in offensive linemen. Sanders is quick off the ball and has excellent feet.

Scouts say that he is versatile in both run and pass blocking. Sanders becomes FSU's 18th commitment.

Three have already signed letters of intent and are enrolled at FSU. They are LB Nigel Bradham, DB Terrance Parks, and LB Vincent Williams which brings to 21 the number of recruits who have either signed letters of intent or are verbal commits for 2008.

It Depends On What Your Definition Of Fairness Is

We will just have to agree to disagree. I am referring to the recent poll in which I asked if Xavier Lee had been treated fairly at FSU. The overwhelming majority of you voting in the poll believe that Lee was treated fairly while at FSU.

On this one, I am going to have to disagree. Allow me to give a few examples. Lee was never given a fair shot at quarterback at FSU despite horrible game performances by Drew Weatherford for the past three years. Drew until this year threw almost as many interceptions as he did TDs. Not to mention his inability to read coverages and throwing consistiently into double coverage. And where was Lee? Sitting on the bench.

By the way,this is not about Drew. I think he is a great kid and an excellent example for the FSU football team. However, this is not about Drew the person but Drew the QB. Plain and simple, he is an average QB at best.

Anyone that follows FSU football knows that there is no comparison between the two quarterbacks when it comes to talent. Lee was clearly the more talented and yet was never given a fair shot at being the starting quarterback for the Noles. In his three years at FSU, Lee started only six games for the Seminoles. Hardly enough games to show what he could do.

We also were witness to Bobby Bowden who publicly denigrated Lee and refused to call him by his name. On the other hand, I never heard Bobby Bowden publicly criticize Weatherford and of course he calls him by his name.

The ultimate insult came when Lee was asked by Jimbo Fisher and I am guessing Bobby Bowden to change positions and play tight end. If this is how Jimbo Fisher evaluates talent, we may be in for lots of problems in the future. If the Seminoles needed a tight end, why didn't they have Drew Weatherford become a tight end,? Fisher could start Ponder or Richardson next year and have a more talented Lee at backup. I would prefer a guy who can throw a ball 70 yards on one knee than Weatherford who can barely throw it 50 yards.

Lee did make mistakes on the field as well as off the field but Bobby Bowden has always been willing to forgive and give players a second chance. However, it seemed that Lee was made the poster boy for Bowden's anger and criticism.

Fans and others are frustrated and are asking questions that perhaps should be examined more closely. A comment by a reader on the Orlando Sentinel web site in regard to an article about Lee asked what Anquain Bolden, Peter Warrick, and Xavier Lee had in common. The reader answered the question with the fact that all had been "... Mr. Florida quaterbacks out of high school who unfortunately chose the Seminoles, and were converted to different positions. "

Perhaps my definition of fairness differs from Bobby Bowden's definition. After all, his definition of nepotism differed from the common dictionary defintion of that term also.

As always, I welcome your comments.

Noles Have Welcome Mat Out For Six Recruits This Weekend

As National Signing Day on February 6 draws closer, FSU is hosting six recruits this weekend on official visits:

Zebrie Sanders (OL) - This has been a strange recruiting ritual with Sanders. The 6-5 lineman from Clayton, Ohio was reported to be choosing either Florida or Georgia. That fell through and the Noles also announced that they were no longer interested in him. However, he is scheduled to visit and there is a good chance that the Noles will get a commit from him.

Jermaine Thomas (RB) - Thomas is one of three commits that the Noles have from First Coast High School in Jacksonville. Thomas has been a commit to the Noles since April. He is considered a firm commit but is scheduled to visit LSU prior to National Signing Day.

Jabaris Little (TE) - Little is a local commit from Tallahassee Lincoln. He is expected to play tight end and is also considered a firm commit.

Josh Gehres (WR) - Gehres has been offerd a scholarship by the Noles as a greyshirt candidate. He is also from Lincoln. He is considering FSU, Iowa, Ga Tech, and Mich St.

Avis Commack (WR) - Commack is part of the First Coast trio. He is a commit to the Noles who is considered solid. He chose the Noles over Illinois, Georgia Tech, and South Carolina.

Nigel Carr (LB) - Carr is the third recruit from First Coast this weekend. He also is a commit to the Noles. He chose the Noles over Clemson, Florida, and South Carolina.

Poll Results: Was Xavier Lee Treated Fairly

Results of the poll: "It is official. Xavier Lee will not be back at FSU in 2008. So what do you think?"

He was treated fairly at FSU. - 62.5%

He was never given a fair shot at FSU. - 37.5%

Breaking Down The Numbers: Field Goal Percentage

National rankings based on 119 teams and the ACC rankings on 12 teams:

Stat: Field Goal Percentage- FSU had a 79.4% field goal percentage rate in 2007.

ACC Ranking: 2006- #6 2007- #7

National Ranking: 2006- #65 2007- #33

Field goal kicker Gary Cismesia or "The Weed" was a kicker that was up and down during his career at FSU. There were times in 2007 that looked as if he had actually made the leap and then he would miss a field goal that would have your head shaking. He however did improve his ranking nationally but in the ACC was ranked lower than he was in 2006.

With Cismesia gone, Graham Gano may be doing both the field goal and punting duties. The Noles in 2007 did sign 6-5 kicker Shawn Powell who gray shirted this year and will be at FSU in 2008. Powell seems dedicated. He has been working with a kicking coach. According to Powell, the coaches have been working on "... on getting me ready to kick at the college level. They also have been preparing me for being a freshman in college." The Noles are in need of a steady kicker that can kick the big ones in close games.

Rich Is Hacked And No Text Messaging Allowed

* New Michigan coach Rich Rodriquez is apparently showing what some would call a lack of class or worse. He is being sued for $4 million by WVA due to a buyout clause that was in his contract. Seems that Rich doesn't want to pay it and just doesn't understand why "mean" old WVa would want to honor the contract. Now apparently there are player files and documents that are missing at WVa. Rodriquez who claimed that he loved WVa is now calling the administration liars. He also has been insensitive to Michigan players and has said basically if they don't like the new offense he is going to install, too bad. They can take a hike. Wonder how long Michigan alumni will put up with this guy? Lloyd Carr he is not.

* The NCAA has voted to keep its ban on texting recruits in place. An override vote, originally spearheaded by the American Football Coaches Association, barely made it to the floor at the NCAA Convention in Nashville, Tenn.

When the issue finally came up for a vote, only 21.3 percent of Division I members supported the override.

Noles Lose Linebacker Recruit To Gators

Dunnellon LB Lerentee McCray who visited FSU last week announced what school he will be attending in 2008 and it's not the Noles. McCray announced that he is picking the Gators at the ESPN zone in downtown Orlando earlier today.

His choice had been narrowed to either FSU or Florida. McCray finished his senior season with Dunnellon with over 100 tackles, and eight sacks for the Tigers. McCray was also named to the US Army All-American team. He will be playing the will or weakside linebacker position for the Gators.

Fisher Looked At Wrong Guy

Looks as if Jimbo Fisher was looking at an unlikely prospect for tight end when he approached former FSU quarterback Xavier Lee about switching positions.

Kind of makes you wonder about Fisher's ability to evaulate talent. Wondering why he did not approach perhaps Drew Weatherford about the position. Weatherford has been given three years at QB without any significant success.

Fisher could then have started Ponder or Richardson and have had Lee as backup in 2008. He would then have the best talent at QB and Weatherford at a position that he could probably handle. Instead Lee is headed to the NFL draft.

Noles To Take On Buffs In Jax In 2008

The Noles will take on the Colorado Buffaloes in Jacksonville on Sept. 27 at Municipal Stadium. This was one of the last deals made by former athletic director Dave Hart. FSU's non-conference schedule also includes the Noles playing at home against two teams from the Southern Conference. They will be playing host to Western Carolina on Sept. 6, followed by Tennessee-Chattanooga on Sept. 13.

Breaking Down The Numbers: Third Down Conversions

National rankings based on 119 teams and the ACC rankings on 12 teams:

Stat: Third Down Conversions- FSU had a 32.16 third down conversion percentage in 2007.

ACC Ranking: 2006- #9 2007- #9

National Ranking: 2006- #95 2007- #106

The inability to convert third downs was a problem for FSU all season long in 2007. The Seminoles struggled all year in attempting to convert on both short yardage as well as long yardage situations. The developing offensive line, the inability to find holes by Antone Smith, and the lack of playmakers by FSU all contributed to numbers that have to improve if FSU wants to put up more wins. Of course this led to lack of production on offense and in TDs for 2007.

Wells Decommits...Jenkins Visits But Noles Still Number 3

* Seems that anything associated with the word Gainesville is not good. Keith Wells from Gainesville, Georgia is no longer a commit to FSU. The #15 ranked defensive end in the country has decommitted from FSU and now will be choosing between Ohio State,Auburn,Tennessee,Florida,and Miami.

* Five star and number one ranked offensive guard Josh Jenkins from Parkersburg, W.Va. had a good visit at FSU this past weekend. It still appears that Ohio State and West Virginia are the teams to beat in order to sign Jenkins. “I still think those are the two and I’d say Florida State is the three right now,” said Parkersburg high school assistant coach Mark McCullough, who handles Jenkins. Rick Trickett and Bobby Bowden are scheduled to vist Jenkins for an in home visit sometime next week.

"... how they treated him over the years."

"As a single parent, I'm pretty much upset, heartbroken, because of the situation they put him in and how they treated him over the years."
Xavier Lee's mother,Gloria Lee, commenting on treatment of her son at FSU

New Poll: Was Xavier Lee Treated Fairly?

There is a new poll question: "It is official. Xavier Lee will not be back at FSU in 2008. So what do you think?"

Poll Results: Music City Bowl - Moral Victory Or Not

Results of the poll question: "Some are saying that the effort by the Noles against Kentucky was a moral victory. What do you think?"

Yes, it was a moral victory- 61.5%

Nope, a loss is a loss- 38.5%

Hayes And Guion Big Loss for Noles In 2008

111- Number of combined tackes for Geno Hayes and Letroy Guion in 2008.

6- Number of sacks by Hayes and Guion in 2008.

2- Number of FSU juniors who have declared for NFL.

Gone Becoming Familiar Tune

* In what may be the end of his career at FSU,Xavier Lee was not enrolled for the second semester of classes as of Friday according to published reports.

Lee apparently had been discussing the possibility of changing positions earlier in the week. Wonder if Bobby Bowden ever discussed that possibility with Drew Weatherford? I doubt it.

* Letroy Guion is not enrolled for classes and is expected to enter the NFL draft. Guion had 31 tackles in 2007.

FSU Readies For Recruits This Weekend

List of recruits who are expected to be at FSU this weekend:

TE Dwayne Allen (NC) - Allen is a verbal commit to the University of Georgia.However, he is taking some other official visits. Not sure how much of a chance the Noles have in getting him.

DE Everett Dawkins (SC) - Dawkins is an FSU commit and this is his only official visit prior to national signing day.

OL Garrett Faircloth (Fl.) - Faircloth is a decommit for UCF out of Jacksonville. Other schools vying for him are FSU, Vandy, abd Ole Miss.

OL Josh Jenkins (WVA) - Jenkins was WVa commit but recently de-committed. Schools looking to sign him include Ohio St., FSU, Pitt, and Michigan. Ohio State is probably in the lead but the Trickett factor could sway him.

WR Julio Jones (Al) - Jones is the number one ranked wide receiver in the country. Probably Alabama is in the lead and I think it would be a long shot for Noles to land him.

LB Lerentee McCray (Fl))- McCray decommited from Miami with Gators probably at the top o f his list with FSU having a shot.

DT Moses McCray (FL) - McCray is an FSU commit who should not be a problem at national signing day.

LB Marcus Robinson(Fl) - Robinson is a Miami commit but is being recruited by Chuck Amato. In his last season, he had 112 tackles and 24 sacks.

DE Markus White (Ks) - White committed to Florida State in December. He was the National JUCO Defensive Player of the Year. He is a solid commit to the Noles.

Big Recruit Weekend Scheduled

In the latest recruiting rankings, FSU is in the top 10 in both major recruiting service rankings. The Noles are ranked at #4 and the other has them ranked #6. FSU currently has verbal commits from 3 Top 100 recruits in the nation, 3 five star athletes, and 8 four stars.

A big weekend is upcoming for recruits as FSU has as many as 11 who are tentatively projected to take visits this weekend. Among those are the number one wide receiver in the country, Julio Jones, and the number one ranked offensive guard, Josh Jenkins, from Parkersburg, West Virginia.

Breaking Down The Numbers: Passing Offense

National rankings based on 119 teams and the ACC rankings on 12 teams:

Stat: Passing Offense- FSU averaged 242 yards a game in 2007

ACC Ranking: 2006- #2 2007- #4

National Ranking: 2006- #29 2007- #47

FSU offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher who is also the quarterbacks coach had Drew Weatherford and Xavier Lee as quarterbacks in 2007. Probably the best thing that can be said for Weatherford is that he cut down on his interceptions dramatically. However, he still tends to throw into double coverage and not look for secondary receivers. Not to speak of his speed which is s-l-o-w.

FSU's passing offense declined in both the ACC as well as nationally in 2007. The Noles just did not have enough firepower with Drew Weatherford or our receivers this year. It bears repeating that FSU is in need of some playmakers at the wide receiver position.

It would be silly to attribute the lack of passing offense entirely on the quarterback but certainly that is a position that really needs close scrutiny before the 2008 season begins.

Bobby Bowden has already annointed Drew the starter in 2008 but he has always liked him so what else is new. Jimbo Fisher will have a difficult decision to make as he looks at an experienced but average quarterback versus inexperienced but more gifted players.

Half Of "Thunder And Lightning" Headed To NFL

* Clemson's "Thunder" is gone. James Davis, half of Clemson's "Thunder and Lightning" backfield duo along with C.J. Spiller has decided to give up his senior season to enter April's NFL draft. "I can't lie to you, it was really hard for me just to leave here," Davis said Wednesday night after meeting with coach Tommy Bowden for about 30 minutes. "I've been thinking about it every day." Davis was projected as a third-round pick by the NFL.

* Look for a battle between FSU and Miami in the recruiting war. Miami has set its sights on several FSU verbal commits. The Canes are making a late push to close out an excellent recruiting class that's deep and talented in receivers, linebackers, defensive linemen and quarterbacks. They currently have 27 oral commitments and can add about six more. The Canes are going after defensive end Keith Wells who is an FSU commit but recently expressed some misgivings regarding FSU. They are also looking at highly recruited corner T.J. Bryant from Tallahassee.

* FSU's pass offense maybe can rest easier in 2008 when they play NC State. Free safety DaJuan Morgan, who led N.C. State with 117 tackles and 13 passes broken up last season, said Wednesday that he will forgo his senior season to enter the NFL draft.

Director Of Athletic Academic Support Leaving

ESPN is reporting that Mark Meleny, director of Florida State's athletic academic support program, has been told that his contract will not be renewed when it expires this susmmer. This is a move in my opinion that should have happened sooner than now given the academic fraud case that is currently pending.

In a somewhat ambigious statement, FSU president T.K. Wetherell is quoted as saying that "Meleney was not fired."

Previously two of Meleney's employees were dismissed or resigned after it became known that answers were called out to students taking a music history class last spring. Many of those in the class were scholarship athletes who were later suspended for what will be four games in total, one of which was the Music City Bowl.

Cleaning House

Cleaning house. We all know that term and we better get accustomed to hearing it because it looks as if there will be a lot of that in the coming months. Lax discipline, an inept academic support department, academic fraud, and players who lack character are just a few of the issues that will be addressed in the coming months.

This didn't just occur over night. For those apologists that want to put their heads in the sand and say that Bobby Bowden should be absolved of any responsibility, I say that is ridiculous. How many times have we seen Bobby Bowden slap players on the wrists when they got into trouble? His answer- running stadium steps. To use an old saying, the chickens are now coming home to roost.

In the most recent academic fraud case, Bowden expressed how sorry he felt for the players that were suspended. He never mentioned their lack of character and the shame that they have brought on the football program and the university.

An athletic director needs to be hired sooner rather than later. FSU needs to get the report of the academic fraud to the NCAA in a timely manner. FSU president T.K. Wetherell needs to stop being a player and instead be a leader. He no longer is one of the boys on Bobby Bowden's football team. Recruits for 2008 and in the future should be judged as much on their character as their physical skills.

I said at the beginning of the 2007 season that this would be a bumpy ride. Well, you ain't seen nothing yet. The coming months and the 2008 season could be very hard to stomach for FSU fans. It could get very ugly.

The bottom line is that this program needs a major overhaul starting at the top on down. One has to wonder if Bobby Bowden is the person you want speaking to the press when tough choices are made. What we don't need is someone who bemoans the wrongs instead of saying that we are going to do the right thing. Decisive leadership and unequivocal statements are needed. No excuses. Just clean house.

" You hope it turns out good for him. "

“You hope it turns out good for him. He’s a very talented player. It’s hard to replace a senior, as much for his leadership as his ability. That’s the hard thing.”
FSU defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews regarding Geno Hayes leaving FSU

More Honors For McMahon and Hudson...Wells Wants A Call...Guion Probably Gone

* FSU center Ryan McMahon and guard Rodney Hudson were each named first team freshman All-Americans by AON Insurance and the Football Writer's Association of America on Tuesday. The pair of Seminole linemen were the only two players from the same school to be named to the first team on the offensive side of the ball and one of just three pairs of freshmen from the same school to be named to the team.

* Not sure what to make of this. Seems that defensive end Keith Wells from Gainesville, Georgia who is an FSU verbal commit is unhappy that he has not heard from the Noles.

An article in yesterday's Atlanta Journal-Constitution quotes Wells as saying,“They’re not communicating with me a lot. I guess they’re just wanting to see what I’m going to do. Me and the guy who was recruiting me at FSU just haven’t communicated like we used to." He is being recruited by FSU defensive ends coach Jody Allen.

The 6-foot-5, 270-pound Wells says he is now going to be visiting other schools and has said he is looking at visiting Tennessee, Miami,and possibly Clemson, Notre Dame and Alabama.

* Look for defensive lineman Letroy Guion to also skip his senior year to enter the NFL Draft. Mickey Andrews says that he has not returned to FSU which is not a good sign.

Hayes Leaves FSU For NFL

In what was really no surprise, FSU linebacker Geno Hayes will not be back at FSU in 2008 and instead has opted for the NFL draft. Hayes led FSU with 17.5 tackles for losses from his weakside linebacker spot.

He also was second behind Derek Nicholson with 80 tackles and made five sacks on the year. In a press release Hayes said that "This has been the toughest decision I have ever had to make.”