Parker Charged With DUI

FSU junior receiver Preston Parker was arrested Saturday morning and charged with DUI after police found him passed out behind the wheel of his car at a McDonald's. ESPN is reporting this from accounts obtained by the Tallahassee Democrat.

According to the report, an officer arrived to find a red Dodge Charger in the drive-through lane at approximately 5 a.m. A wtiness told police the car had been parked there for about 20 minutes, according to the paper.

The car's engine was running, the car was in drive and Parker's foot was on the brake pedal, according to a news release from the Tallahassee Police Department. The officer woke Parker by pounding on the window, according to the release.

" That's a total mystery."

" That's a total mystery. I don't understand it. I've asked the conference and everybody and there is no feeling of where it's going -- good, bad, indifferent -- and when it's going to be released."
FSU athletic director Randy Spetman regarding the NCAA's pending ruling on the school's academic-misconduct case as quoted in Florida Today

Note: It is difficult to believe that Spetman or one of his representatives are not aware of what is in the pending report. It is also absurd that the NCAA has not released its ruling so FSU and prospective athletes could make decisions regarding recruiting for 2009. This is the same NCAA that supposedly has the best interests of student athletes in mind.

" I'm going to try it out."

"I think I'll be all right at safety. I haven't played much there, but I just have to learn it. I'm going to try it out."
D'Vontrey Richardson who has announced he is switching from QB to safety for the 2009 season as quoted in Palm Beach Post

Note: Assuming FSU does not sign a QB and if Richardson remains at safety, FSU will have just two scholarship quarterbacks on the roster - redshirt junior Christian Ponder and redshirt freshman E.J. Manuel.

Done Deal

In a brief statement released today, FSU announced that head football coach Bobby Bowden has signed a one-year contract through January 4, 2010. The terms of the contract remain the same from his 2008 agreement where he was paid a salary just under $2.5 million.

The statement quoted Bowden as saying that he was "... glad to get it signed, up for another year... I appreciate the university’s support. We are busy recruiting and looking forward to next season.”

" What we are doing right now is looking at a 10-percent reduction...."

"What we are doing right now is looking at a 10-percent reduction in our budget for next year, 2009-10, which is a huge (measure). We have not finished that study to see how we get there because we have a lot of hard costs."
FSU athletic director Randy Spetman regarding the athletic budget and expenses such as scholarships and game guarantees as quoted in Tallahassee Democrat

Noles Look Good On Paper

A word to the wise. Don't plunk down your hard earned money on one of the recruiting subscription services with the thought that you will be getting the best information. Five star recruits and the best schools in recruiting predictions have a way of coming back to bite you in the backside. Case in point is FSU. According to one of the recruiting services, the Noles had the the top-ranked classes three out of the past five years in the ACC.

However, the Noles won the ACC title in 2005 and haven't reached the league championship game since. The Hokies on the other hand were ranked as Nos.7,3,6,7 and 4 in the ACC, yet the Hokies won league titles in 2004, 2007 and 2008. Boston College, with classes ranked Nos. 10, 7, 9 and 7, played for the league title in 2007 and 2008.

Hopkins Set To Become Nole

The player known as "Money", Graham Gano, is gone. The Noles will once again be looking for a dependable and reliable kicker in 2009. The Noles may have landed one as they have a verbal commit from the number one ranked kicker,Dustin Hopkins.

Hopkins at 6-2 and 175 pounds is from the Houston area out of Clear Lake, Texas. He is a USA Today first-team All-American who missed just three field-goal attempts his senior season.

One recruiting service describes him as strong, consistent, and mentally tough. His high school coach, Troy Aduddell, said this about Hopkins."Dustin is a guy who will pin teams back on the kickoff."

" I'm not going to take a financial beating...."

" I'm not going to take a financial beating in it."
FSU athletic director Randy Spetman regarding the possibility of an FSU-Miami game on Labor Day which would necessitate paying off Maine $900,000 in guarantees as quoted in Tallahassee Democrat

Note: FSU is scheduled to play Maine on September 5

Noles Finish High In Prestige Rankings

ESPN has revealed a so called Prestige Ranking which ranks all major college football programs. The Prestige Rankings are a numerical method of ranking the best FBS programs since the 1936 season. Point values were assigned for certain successes (win a national title, earn 25 points) and failures (get your program banned from the postseason, lose two points).

ESPN's research department ran all the numbers through the computer to come up with the No. 1 program (and Nos. 2 to 119) of the past 73 seasons. So where did the Noles stack up?

The Noles with 1,110 points ranked number 9. That was one better in the rankings than the Hurricanes and six better than the Gators who came in at number 15. Oklahoma came in at number one.

'You'll freeze.'

"I don't know if we ever said, 'You'll freeze.' But the landscape of playing, especially if you're a skill guy, is not as conducive as it is in The South."
Jimbo Fisher regarding talking to recruits who may be thinking of playing up North as quoted in Sports Illustrated

Will Noles Finish Strong On National Signing Day ?

Yet another recruiting service has the Noles listed at number 16 in regard to recruiting for 2009. With that and $4 you can buy a cup of coffee at Starbucks.The Noles have usually ended strong but the pending NCAA report against FSU may be a damper this year.

" It was pretty cool."

"Basically, I was with the whole line the whole weekend — the people that are going to be blocking for me somewhere down the future. It was pretty cool."
Running back Lonnie Pryor from Okeechobee,Florida on his official visit to FSU as quoted in Tallahassee Democrat

Note: Pryor is a verbal commit to FSU.

Noles Lead Atlantic In Recruiting For 2009

As national signing day nears, the Seminoles are ranked number 10 in the nation according to ESPN's recruiting rankings. The Noles have commits from four of the top-25 defensive linemen headed by the country's No. 1 defensive tackle, Jacobbi McDaniel, out of Madison county in Florida.

The Noles according to ESPN have the number one recruiting class for 2009 in the ACC's Atlantic division.

" I don't think there is a bad scenario in it because we've self-imposed scholarship reductions...."

"I don't think there is a bad scenario in it because we've self-imposed scholarship reductions (five over two years) and we're implementing those whether we get (the decision) before signing day or not. If there are additional scholarship reductions I believe we'll be able to say we need to slip those a year."
FSU athletic director Randy Spetman regarding the NCAA and its yet to be announced decision in regard to the academic fraud case as quoted in Tallahassee Democrat

"... the complication that legendary Bobby Bowden has become as immovable head coach."

"Florida State, meanwhile, has fallen from national prominence ... and also is dealing with the complication that legendary Bobby Bowden has become as immovable head coach."
Palm Beach Post sports columnist Greg Stoda commenting on Florida's dominance and reasons why FSU is no longer a national power

Hudson Listed Among Best Returning Offensive Lineman For 2009

As we look toward national signing day in February, one college football site has listed the best returning players for 2009. FSU has one player listed in the best of the returning players. Sophomore Rodney Hudson is listed as the fifth best returning offensive lineman in the nation.

" I haven't heard any coaches that are alarmed."

"We know pretty good what could happen because our university has tried to handle this thing exactly how they think the NCAA would handle it. I haven't heard any coaches that are alarmed. We would like to have the full count."
Bobby Bowden regarding pending NCAA investigation against FSU as quoted in Tallahassee Democrat

Note: The decision could come anytime now and speculation is that the NCAA might take away wins from FSU due to the academic fraud

"... was one that you couldn't pass up."

"The opportunity to attend Oxford next year as a Rhodes Scholar was one that you couldn't pass up."
Myron Rolle who won a Rhodes scholarship in November and plans to seek a one-year master's degree in medical anthropology as quoted on ESPN

Note: Rolle was apparently projected to be an early round pick in 2009 and says he plans to enter the 2010 NFL draft.

Is Trickett Considering Illinois?

ESPN is reporting that offensive lines coach Rick Trickett is being sought out by Illinois.

Trickett has one year remaining on his contract at FSU and has been seeking to negotiate a new contract. However, FSU athletic director Randy Spetman has said that is not a top priority at this time.

Take Your Invitation And...

The Gator Bowl folks may be scratching their heads after ditching FSU for a less talented team as Clemson. The Champs Sports Bowl outdrew the Gator Bowl matchup of Clemson and Nebraska in the television ratings. The Champs Sports Bowl drew a 4.5 rating while the Gator had a 4.1 rating. When the folks in Jacksonville come calling again hopefully FSU will tell them what to do with their invitation.

Signing Day Looms Near

As national signing day looms near for college football, the Seminoles currently have seventeen verbal commitments. Of those seventeen, four are listed in ESPN's top 150 recruits for 2009. Players cannot sign a binding letter of intent until national signing day on Feb. 4.

With the loss of Graham Gano, the Noles do have a verbal commitment from the nation's number one kicker, Dustin Hopkins, from Houston, Texas. Until national signing day, profiles of the commitments will be posted.

" That's kind of the way that game works."

"They could and I'm sure that if there is anyway they can, they will. That's kind of the way that game works."
Bobby Bowden regarding schools using the expected loss in scholarships by the NCAA in their recruiting as a result of the FSU academic fraud case as quoted in Tallahassee Democrat

"... he’s planning on coming back."

"Mickey just dropped by about two days ago and said he’s planning on coming back. Naturally, I told him how happy that made me and that’s where that ended."
Bobby Bowden regarding Mickey Andrews as quoted in St. Pete Times

Note: Bowden also has confirmed that he will definitely be back in 2009

Noles Score Big In Ratings

The Noles may be down but they are still up when it comes to those who want to watch the Noles play. The Champs Sports Bowl pitting the Noles against Wisconsin was the second-largest to ever watch a bowl game on ESPN.

Approximately 5.1 million homes tuned into ESPN to watch Florida State’s 42-13 victory against Wisconsin in the bowl game in Orlando.

" We would rather not get into discussing guys we don't invite...."

"We would rather not get into discussing guys we don't invite and would prefer talking about the guys we did."
Kevin McDermond, a spokesman for the Senior Bowl, responding in an email to ESPN regarding why Graham Gano was not invited to play in the Senior Bowl

Note: The reason Kevin doesn't want to discuss it is that he would look like a total idiot in trying to come up with an explanation.

" I would have liked to play in it."

" I would have liked to play in it. I was hoping I would get a chance to play in it since my senior year in high school."
Graham Gano regarding his snub by the Senior Bowl as quoted in Tallahassee Democrat

Brown Out

As expected, FSU junior defensive end Everette Brown according to ESPN will forgo his senior season and enter the NFL draft.

Brown this season had 13½ sacks and 21½ tackles for losses. According to one scouting service, he is rated at number nine in the upcoming NFL draft.

Noles Take On Bulls In 2009

Florida State Director of Athletics Randy Spetman announced today that FSU and USF have agreed to a contract that will have the two football programs play a home-and-home series beginning in 2009.

The first ever meeting between the two schools is set for next season in Tallahassee on September 26. The return meeting will take place in Tampa, September 29, 2012.

The 2009 home schedule along with the Bulls will see FSU playing Miami, NC State, Maryland, Georgia Tech and Maine. The Noles' non-conference 2009 schedule includes Florida, BYU and Maine.

Gano Gets The Boot

The Senior Bowl folks and pardon the pun must have had a senior moment. Or maybe the committee is made up of morons. Either way Graham Gano, the nation's Lou Groza winner for best college kicker, has not been invited to play in the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama. Wonder what rationale the dimwits on the bowl committee could have for not inviting Gano?

All Gano did in 2008 was make 24 of 26 field goals while leading the nation in field goals per game (2.18). Gano also made a school-record 18 straight field goals, tied for the national lead in field goals made (24) and led the country with five made kicks from at least 50 yards. Guess that's not good enough for the "genuises" at the Senior Bowl.

New Poll:How do you feel about Bobby Bowden's expected new one year agreement with FSU?

There is a new poll question: " How do you feel about Bobby Bowden's expected new one year agreement with FSU? "

Poll Results: How do you see the 8-4 regular season for the Noles?

Results of the poll question: "How do you see the 8-4 regular season for the Noles?"

Some improvement but a long ways to go- 64.9%

They have made significant improvement- 29.4%

No significant improvement- 5.6%

The Return Of The Grumpy Old Men

Get ready for Grumpy Old Men part enough. FSU athletic director Randy Spetman reportedly is finalizing a new one-year agreement with Bobby Bowden. Bowden's current one-year agreement signed in December 2006 ended this past Sunday.

Bowden is currently second in all time wins with 382 victories which is one win behind Penn State's Joe Paterno. Paterno recently signed a three-year extension a few weeks ago.

So college football nation in 2009 can expect to see Bobby and Joe Pa as they try to outdo themselves in gaffes and grumpy statements. Is this a great country or what?

You're Outta Here

You have to admire the BC athletic director. In what should be a trend among other athletic directors, Boston College coach Jeff Jagodzinski has been told he will be fired if he interviews for the head coaching vacancy with the New York Jets.

Despite the warning from Boston college athletic director Gene DeFilippo, Jagodzinski plans to do the interview with the Jets according to published reports.

DeFilippo reportedly told Jagodzinski on Saturday that he would fired if he interviewed and then reinforced the school's position Sunday.

Jagodzinski, 45, has been head coach at Boston College the past two seasons, with the team finishing first in the ACC's Atlantic Division each year.

"... so you know what you're working with."

" You'd like to know . . . so you know what you're working with. "
FSU offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher regarding the expected NCAA ruling on scholarship cuts due to the academic fraud case as quoted in Tallahassee Democrat

Reports Have Steele Going To Clemson

Several sources are reporting that Clemson is set to hire Alabama defensive head coach Kevin Steele as its defensive coordinator.

Steele has been at Alabama for the past two years after leaving FSU. Steele will reportedly get a significant increase from his current $360,000 salary, and the Tigers' defense will be entirely in his control.

"... they've done a better job of evaluating people...."

" When I look at the people that are wearing us out, they've done a better job of evaluating people...."
FSU head coach Bobby Bowden regarding being beaten in recruiting by opponents as quoted in Tallahassee Democrat