You can never have too many.

Southern Cal has 10 tailbacks on its roster.

And it’s not like they suck, either:

How deep, you say? If forced to choose between USC’s 10 or the rest of the Pac-10 tailbacks combined, no coach in his right mind walks away from the Troy 10.

“You would think,” says one Pac-10 coach, “one or two of those guys would see the numbers game and go somewhere else.”

The numbers don’t lie.

Recruiting guru Jamie Newberg has a piece up about the pros and cons of an early signing period for football recruits.

Other than a brief “it’s about the kids” lapse, it’s a pretty thoughtful job.

Newberg’s strongest point is about how college football is already gravitating to early verbal commitments. He cites a couple of interesting facts about the process:

My how things have changed, just look at this decade. By June 1, 2003, 61 prospects made commitments to schools from a BCS conference. That same number as of last Friday (June 1) was 323. In five short years the number of commitments just during the spring is up an astounding 500%! [Emphasis added.] By June 1, 2004 the number of early verbals was 118 and on the same date in 2005 and 2006 the numbers were 122 and 196 respectively…

… Over the past two and a half years (this class included), the Longhorns signed an amazing 50 prospects from recruits that had committed to them by the first day of June prior to the start of the senior seasons. That number would even be higher had Texas not lost a handful of committed prospects to other schools…

In other words, if things are already heading that way, perhaps it’s worth considering codifying a process that helps the schools and the kids (ha! now I’m doing it).

Newberg is in favor of an early signing date in the summer, but acknowledges that there would have to be some significant rule changes for that to occur. He also sidesteps the LOI issue for a kid that commits early and then sees the head coach leave, merely saying that’s something that would have to be addressed.

**Sniff**

Paul Westerdawg does a fine job with this:

Not a bad way to start your day if you’re a Dawg fan.

TV or not TV

Major hat tip to The Wizard of Odds for pointing out this site that provides an exhaustive listing of televised games, both by network and by web.

Check it out.  I’m sticking it in my links.

Beggars at the table

Note to Bernie Machen: if schools in the same conference can’t agree to share broadcast revenues equally amongst themselves…

Most of the league’s “haves” would rather undergo an NCAA investigation than volunteer to take less money.

… what makes you think SEC schools are going to share their hard earned bucks with Utah State?

(h/t The Wizard of Odds)