At the bottom of the post, readers can vote to select the most classless act. One vote per IP address, so give it careful consideration.

Let's get to the finalists:

1. Chip Kelly, Oregon

Oregon leads punchless Washington State, 45-0, in the third quarter of an Oct. 3 game at Eugene, when the Cougars recover a fumble at the Ducks' one-yard line. It takes three plays, but quarterback Marshall Lobbestael sneaks in for a touchdown, cutting Oregon's precious lead to 45-6.

Kelly should have other things to worry about — like keeping his players out of trouble. Instead, he decides to challenge the touchdown call. Although he loses the challenge, the Ducks somehow hang on for a 52-6 victory.

Washington State's Paul Wulff says afterward, "We'll have plenty of motivation moving forward, believe me."

2. Randy Edsall, Connecticut

Connecticut defeated Syracuse, 56-31, on Nov. 28, but the Orange won't forget what happened in the final minute. The Huskies led, 42-31, and were facing fourth and 11 at the Orange 28 with 53 seconds remaining. Syracuse was out of timeouts.

Instead of calling a run play to help bring this to a merciful end, Edsall calls for a pass. Zach Frazer throws a touchdown to Marcus Easley, putting Connecticut ahead, 49-31. The Huskies would return a fumble for another score with eight seconds remaining.

Syracuse's Doug Marrone didn't comment afterward, but his postgame handshake with Edsall was described as being "uncomfortable." Orange safety called Frazer's pass "a little cheap shot."

3. Lane Kiffin, Tennessee

The first-year Volunteer coach's body of work was a classless act, from accusing Urban Meyer of cheating to his one-minute farewell press conference, featured above. But with his 4-4 team entertaining an overmatched Memphis on Nov. 7, Kiffin made several jackass decisions.

After taking a 14-0 lead less than six minutes into the first quarter, the Volunteers tried an onside kick.

Leading 35-0 late in the first half, Tennessee called a timeout when Memphis faced a third-and-eight play at the Tigers' 14.

The Volunteers went for it three times on fourth down in the first half.

The take-no-prisoners approach paid off. Tennessee built a 49-7 lead and held off a late Tiger charge for a 56-28 victory.

A smug Kiffin said afterward: "It came to me during the week that I had to make sure they felt my intensity — we're really going after this thing."

4. Jim Harbaugh, Stanford

The Nov. 14 "double nickels" game. The Cardinal were steamrolling USC, 42-21, when Toby Gerhart rumbled into the end zone. Instead of kicking the extra point, Harbaugh decided to go for two — probably because he couldn't go for three. The try failed, but Stanford tacked on one more score for a 55-21 bludgeoning of Pete Carroll's Trojans.

Carroll was not happen with Harbaugh, asking him in the postgame handshake, "What's your deal? What's your deal?"

Harbaugh retorted, "What's your deal?"

Carroll, when asked about Stanford's try for two, said: "I don't know what they were thinking with that."

Harbaugh offered this: "I thought it was an opportunity, the way we were coming off the ball, the way our players were playing — that it was the right thing to do."

5. Pete Carroll, USC

One would think Carroll would have learned a lesson about being a good sport after what Harbaugh did to him, but USC's coach failed to rise above it in his team's next game on Nov. 28. With the Trojans holding a 21-7 lead over UCLA with 52 seconds remaining, Carroll decided to stick it to the Bruins, calling for Matt Barkley to throw deep to Damian Williams. The play worked for a 52-yard touchdown and Carroll celebrated like a 13 year old at a Miley Cyrus concert.

The benches emptied and the teams nearly went at it. When things settled down, USC held on for a 28-7 victory.

Carroll and USC said afterward that Rick Neuheisel and UCLA deserved it because they were using timeouts with the verdict already decided. Of course, Carroll didn't feel the same way two weeks earlier when Stanford rolled it up on USC.

6. Max Hall, Brigham Young

The Cougar quarterback let his feelings be known after a 26-23 overtime victory over rival Utah.

"I don't like Utah. In fact, I hate them. I hate everything about them. I hate their program, their fans. I hate everything. It felt really good to send those guys home."

Video later surfaced of Hall landing a cheap shot to a Utah player after his winning touchdown pass.

7. Mike Leach, Craig James and Texas Tech

Plenty of blame to go around. Leach allegedly put receiver Adam James in an electrical closet off the press room at Jones AT&T Stadium. That resulted in a complaint by James' dad, Craig, an analyst for ESPN. Leach was suspended and eventually fired, a day before he was due an $800,000 bonus. Leach then said Adam was a slacker and that Craig was a always calling and acting like a LIttle League dad.

Craig said he was merely protecting his son, but documents suggest he threatened the university with a lawsuit for improper treatment of a student-athlete, i.e. his son, who was recovering from a concussion. The only winners here are Tommy Tuberville, the new Tech coach, and attorneys. The fans? The heck with them! Tech just announced a hike in ticket prices for 2010!

Leach's appearance on "Friday Night Lights" was filmed in Austin on Sept. 18, the night before his team played Texas and lost, 34-24. No wonder he lost control of the team in midseason.

8. Rich Rodriguez, Michigan

You can't do this list without Rich Rod, who continues to drag this storied program to new, embarrassing lows.

No stranger to litigation (see West Virginia), Rich Rod was sued for allegedly defaulting on a real estate loan to build condominiums near Virginia Tech's Lane Stadium. One of his business partners in the failed venture is facing five felony counts and possibly 50 years in prison.

Michigan has gone to 33 consecutive bowl games until Rich Rod arrived. Now they've missed the postseason two years in a row. If that's not bad enough, the NCAA alleges that Rich Rod's program committed five potential major rules violations. Somehow, he's still the coach.

9. Mike Locksley, New Mexico

Nothing quite like punching your receivers coach in the face after a coaches meeting. That's what Locksley did, landing a blow to Jonathan "J.B." Gerald in September.

Locksley showed more fight than his team, which finished 1-11 and ranked near the bottom in nearly every NCAA offensive and defensive category.

This year's offensive line class has many play makers. While USC grabbed highly touted lineman in their 2008 class, a couple were busts and now Khaled Holmes and Matt Kalil must be able to step up as it seems they will be starting next season.

USC suffered major blows at the linebacker position last year with the de-commits of Manti "I was a Trojan the day before signing day" Te'o and Vontaze "Best LB in the Pac-10 in 2010" Burfict.  They recovered with commitments of Jarvis Jones, Frankie Telfort, and Marquis Simmons only to later discover of Telfort's rare heart condition during practices and ultimately ruling out Telfort from future play.  The 2009 class somehow kept its anti-linebacker disease through the 2010 recruiting class.

Having said that, USC will have one of the best classes it will ever have... On the offensive side of the ball.

Lets take a look at our commits after the jump...

This year's offensive class is incredibly incredible.  It's filled with play-makers in nearly every position and can be quite a force in the seasons coming.  Lets take a look at these wonders: (NOTE: I hate the star system, but eff it, I'm going to implement my own star-system the way I want it to be.)

Already Enrolled:

Kyle Prater (WR)*****:

This player should be dubbed "The next #1" (He's wearing #85).  Make no mistake about it, Prater is a tall, lean, ball-catching machine.  At 6-5, Prater has the size and vertical jump to catch anything that is heaved at him.  His hands are freakishly large and catching one-hand grabs is not rare; Just check out this video.  He wont out-run you, but with the proper conditioning drills that he will do over the next seven months, you better pre-order your #85 jersey now because they will sell out.

Dillon Baxter (RB)*****:

A man among men. Dillon is an emotional leader and will rub some of it all to others.  Baxter opened his recruiting (as did most) when Carroll left the program, but a week later solidified his commitment to USC and enrolled on Monday.  His running back skills are as good as anyone's, but he can add a few more pounds.  He also played QB for his school and was excellent at the position, even out-performed other quarter-backs in the Army Bowl All-American practices.  Having said that, watch out for the wild-cat play.

Committed:

Robert Woods(WR)*****:

Woods and Prater are the top two wide-outs in the nation.  With Woods, you get speed and great ball- catching skills. Don't be fooled by his size (6-1, 185), his leaping ability will kill corners (40 inch vertical).  His route-running abilities is what breaks away from all the other wide-outs in the nation, he will confuse the heck out of corners and safeties. I project him to be RoJo 2.0.

Xavier Grimble(TE)*****:

Has the size (6-6, 245) to be a small lineman, just to athletic to be one, though.  Xavier Grimble has soft hands and will punish linebackers once he receives it. Top tight-end in the nation.

DJ Morgan(RB)*****:

Probably the fastest out of the bunch.  Morgan's juking abilities are un-matched.  He was invited to the Army All-American Bowl Game but could not participate as he had a devastating knee injury.  Once recovered, look for him to return punts and more.

Randall Telfer(TE)*****:

With Xavier being the most physical, Telfer is the most athletic.  Very tall and lean, Kiffin is going to be a very happy kid when he implements his top two tight-ends.

Jesse Scroggins(QB)*****:

The 6-2 quarter-back is known for his accuracy and athleticism.  What he's not know is his arm, but he proved everyone wrong when he showed scouts he could throw the ball 70 yards down the field.  No people, that was not a typo.  Matt Barkley may be the QB for now, but Lane's "clean slate" speech will bring Barkley the competition.

Giovanni Di Poalo(OT)*****:

Mid-size offensive lineman who has terrific blocking abilities on the running game.

Matt Darr (K)*****:

Punter who regularly kicks 50-yarders at ease.

DEFENSE:

George Uko( DT)*****:

A defensive tackle who will bull rush you with top effort.  Top three defensive-tackle in the nation. Watching Uko play is very similar to that of Sedrick Ellis.  He has terrific size and should see a great amount of playing time at the defensive tackle position. If only Uko played in the Stanford game...

Dion Bailey (DB)*****:

A real ball hawk.  Will have a field day when his time comes in the tampa 2.  He's a safety that lacks top-speed, but his strength will over power mid-sized receivers.

Demetrius Wright (S):

My favorite recruit of the class.  Wright showed everyone on national television that recruits should enroll at a school not for the coach, but for the school itself.  The day Carroll departed, Wright did not flinch and wanted to be a USC Trojan.  Has very similar skills and build like Bailey, but has more upside and a larger frame that may even put him as an outside linebacker.

Anthony Brown (ATH):

Position player who is able to do parts of everything. He is a great tackler, great ball catching ability, great speed, lacks size.

Dak Smith (DT):

An overweight lineman who will probably see playing time at goal line.  That's a compliment.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Now for some rumors and visits from recruits:

Kiffin came to USC and quickly began his first mission, to have the best recruiting class in the nation.  He kept all but one of the recruits intact, which is an incredible feat, and him and coach Orgeron are on a tear.  Markeith Ambles (WR) visited USC last weekend and from the quotes I've read, he's all USC.  Why should you get excited? This per scouting Director Greg Biggins:

Honestly, I would put Prater, Woods, Ambles as the top receivers in the nation in that order.

Like I said before, this year's linebacker class is thin, but that wont stop Kiffin from getting top linebacker in California, Josh Shirley.  Kiffin told him he will put him at WILL, which is his natural position. Shirley had a great visit to USC and Kiffin had an in-home visit with Lane yesterday, which he said "went great".  Most of the top linebackers are in the East and we have virtually no shot at any of them. Christian Jones (Top 5 outside linebacker) was going to visit USC this weekend.  But it appears that he's going to cancel. He has FSU written all over him, though.

Top lineman Seantrel Henderson is getting blitzed by Kiffin and Orgeron.  Lane Kiffin is probably talking with him at his house as we speak as his in-home visit is today.  Most scouts say Ohio State is the leader, but in recent days, they get a feel that it is USC.  Baxter and Henderson are close friends,they met last at the player of the year award ceremony and were teammates at the Army Bowl Game. Henderson's father, Sean, even got to say that they hung out with Baxter's parents.Henderson is regarded as the best player this year.

Chaz Green is not far from Henderson.  The second best lineman in the nation has been recruited hard by Florida in recent days, but is visiting USC this weekend and has USC "high" on his list.  Fans worry that Green wont join USC because of Henderson. Henderson plays left tackle, Green plays right. Get that cleared people.  Arie Kouandijo is also a regular 4-star lineman that will visit USC this weekend, if only our coaches will be this focused on the linebacker position.

As if we're not already stacked in the safety position, USC offered scholarships and are currently recruiting Latwan Anderson (S, Ohio) and Eddrick Loften (S, Texas), and Demar Dorsey (S, Flo).  Latwan Anderson is a top-five player in the state of Ohio, regarded as the best defensive-back.  He is currently committed to West Virginia, but told sources that USC is his "dream school". Watch his video, you will wish he commits.  Loften is a hard hitting, ball hawk safety.  He was recruited by Willi Mack Garza.  Demar Dorsey is the fastest safety in the nation.  A ball hawk that was clocked at 4.32 on his 40.  Both will be visiting this weekend.

Second rated tight-end Christian Thomas (Cali.) will also be visiting this weekend.  He has high-interest in USC and participated in the Under Armour Bowl Game.  If USC gets his signature, USC will have the top tight ends in the nation.  Like I've said, best offensive class in the nation.

Corner-back Nickell Robey is getting serious looks from Monte Kiffin.  He will officially visit USC this weekend. Robey is the top corner for the state of Georgia, the school he is currently committed to.  The Atlanta Journal Constitution blog said he wont be committing to Georgia and is open-game.

The drama with Dietrich Riley continues.  He said he will make a decision after signing day.  He's a safety that has a wide frame to add muscle.  He isn't the fastest safety but a hard hitter and has higher upside than most safeties. It's a USC-UCLA battle for Riley. 

Sean Parker is the most physical safety in the nation that has high-interest in USC.  Only problem is that Michigan wont quit on Parker and that is the school most scouts think he's leaning on.  Michigan - SC battle.

More to come...

Jim Weber, proprietor of Lost Lettermen, the site that allows you to rediscover your favorite college stars, has just completed his latest and perhaps greatest project.

It's a six-part series titled "Before They Were Coaches." Jim went back and researched the background of every current coach of a Bowl Championship Series team. As you can see, he found some priceless photos along the way.

Did you know that Nick Saban grew up pumping gas at his father's station? Saban, a 5-foot-9 defensive back, wanted to play at West Virginia, but was deemed too small. Instead, he went to Kent State and played for Don James, who went on to coach 18 seasons at Washington, where he is still known as the  "Dawgfather."

Mark Mangino never played college football. The 5-foot-9, 230-pound defensive tackle graduated from high school in 1974, then spent a year as a janitor. He eventually became an assistant for Jim Tressel at Youngstown State and drove ambulances on the side for extra cash.

Jim Leavitt was a Big 8 batting champion with a .386 average at Missouri.

Tom O'Brien served nine years in the Marines. He was an air traffic controller in California and Japan.

Brian Kelly dreamed of a career in politics.

Bill Lynch played football and basketball at Butler. He once "held" Larry Bird to 47 points.

You can access all of links in the series by clicking here. Otherwise, here are links to each of the conferences: Southeastern, Big Ten, Big East, Big 12, Atlantic Coast and Pacific 10.

Two other links to mention. In August, Jim tracked down the whereabouts of all the living Heisman winners and what became of the winners who are deceased. Go to that link by clicking here.

In September, Jim was a guest on one of our podcasts and told the story of how he came up with the idea for his terrific site. Click here to access that link.

Jim Weber, proprietor of Lost Lettermen, the site that allows you to rediscover your favorite college stars, has just completed his latest and perhaps greatest project.

It's a six-part series titled "Before They Were Coaches." Jim went back and researched the background of every current coach of a Bowl Championship Series team. As you can see, he found some priceless photos along the way.

Did you know that Nick Saban grew up pumping gas at his father's station? Saban, a 5-foot-9 defensive back, wanted to play at West Virginia, but was deemed too small. Instead, he went to Kent State and played for Don James, who went on to coach 18 seasons at Washington, where he is still known as the  "Dawgfather."

Mark Mangino never played college football. The 5-foot-9, 230-pound defensive tackle graduated from high school in 1974, then spent a year as a janitor. He eventually became an assistant for Jim Tressel at Youngstown State and drove ambulances on the side for extra cash.

Jim Leavitt was a Big 8 batting champion with a .386 average at Missouri.

Tom O'Brien served nine years in the Marines. He was an air traffic controller in California and Japan.

Brian Kelly dreamed of a career in politics.

Bill Lynch played football and basketball at Butler. He once "held" Larry Bird to 47 points.

You can access all of links in the series by clicking here. Otherwise, here are links to each of the conferences: Southeastern, Big Ten, Big East, Big 12, Atlantic Coast and Pacific 10.

Two other links to mention. In August, Jim tracked down the whereabouts of all the living Heisman winners and what became of the winners who are deceased. Go to that link by clicking here.

In September, Jim was a guest on one of our podcasts and told the story of how he came up with the idea for his terrific site. Click here to access that link.

1. Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama–56 (9)

2. Jimmy Clausen, QB, Notre Dame–26 (1)

3. Colt McCoy, QB, Texas–25

4. Tim Tebow, QB, Florida–23 (1)

5. Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska–15 (1)

6. Golden Tate, WR, Notre Dame–10 (1)

Case Keenum, QB, Houston–10

8. Jacquizz Rodgers, RB, Oregon State–8

Kellen Moore, QB, Boise State–8

10. Eric Berry, DB, Tennessee–4

Others receiving votes: Noel Devine, RB, West Virginia–3; C.J Spiller, RB, Clemson–2; Ryan Williams, RB, Va. Tech–2; Zac Robinson, QB, Oklahoma State–1; Dion Lewis, RB, Pittsburgh–1; Matt Barkley, QB, USC–1

About the Poll
 
The HeismanPundit.com Heisman Poll is made up of 13 Heisman voters from across the country. They vote for five players each week. Tabulations are made on a 5-4-3-2-1 basis, with five points awarded for a first-place vote, four points for a second-place vote and so on.  Last year’s final Heismanpundit poll was the most accurate in the country, picking five of the top six finishers in the Heisman vote, including the winner.

Members of the panel include: Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel, Teddy Greenstein and Brian Hamilton of the Chicago Tribune, Olin Buchanan and Tom Dienhart of Rivals.com, Jenni Carlson of The Oklahoman, Bruce Feldman of ESPN.com, J.B. Morris of ESPN the Magazine, Austin Murphy, B.J. Schecter and Stewart Mandel of Sports Illustrated, plus Dick Weiss of the New York Daily News. 

Chris Huston of HeismanPundit.com coordinates and also votes in the poll.
 
HP’s Thoughts
 
Mark Ingram has taken a commanding lead in the race and he should stay there for at least another week as Alabama uses a bye in preparation for LSU on Nov. 7.    It appears Tim Tebow’s quest for a second Heisman is in major jeopardy unless he can turn things around soon.  In the meantime, Colt McCoy and Jimmy Clausen have gained ground and one of them should emerge as the quarterback alternative to Ingram.  October has been a rough month for most of the Heisman field and, as a result, it looks like this race could go down to the wire.
 
Heisman Game of the Week
 
No. 3 Texas at No. 13 Oklahoma State–Preseason favorite McCoy had a strong outing against Missouri last week and might be back on track after a rather erratic first half of the season.  The Cowboys are the last ranked team on the Texas schedule, so it’s vital that McCoy play well–Heisman voters will be watching.   It’s also a golden opportunity for McCoy to whittle away at Ingram’s lead while ‘Bama is on that bye week.

Player to Watch

Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska–It’s been 18 seasons since a defensive tackle finished among the top five in the Heisman vote.  That player was Steve Emtman of Washington.  Suh has a chance to join him in that elite group if he keeps playing like he has been.  Suh is amazingly active for an interior player, leading the Cornhuskers (or tying for the lead) in 10 defensive categories, including tackles (44), tackles for loss (10), sacks (4), pass breakups (7), interceptions (1) and blocked field goals (2).

This Week in Heisman History
 
Unbeaten Ole Miss held a 3-0 lead over unbeaten LSU five minutes into the fourth quarter on Halloween night, 1959.  A Jake Gibbs punt was fielded at the LSU 11-yard line by Tiger halfback Billy Cannon, who proceeded to wiggle his way through numerous tacklers en route to a miraculous 89-yard return for a touchdown.  The score turned out to be the difference in LSU’s classic 7-3 victory and it clinched Cannon’s eventual Heisman triumph.

Over the past few weeks on our regular installment of the "JoeSportsFan Show", we teased the fact that big news was coming down the podcasting pipeline here on JoeSportsFan.com. Yesterday, you saw the initiation of this news as our own Patrick Imig and Jason Major debuted their first weekly show entitled, "The Steel Cage".

Today, we're happy to announce a partnership of sorts with respected cohorts that will deliver complementary content to our own internal lineup. Without further ado, we're pleased to unveil the "JoeSportsFan Radio Network".

“The media people that we talked to they were all sort of afraid for their jobs because they feel like they’re going to get cut out. Chad was actually on that panel and he said he wants to cut the middle man out because he’s been portrayed in a certain way…

I think the role of the media initially was to cover the game. Whether you’re supposed to tell what happened, but I think over time the media got so much power and they start to give their own opinions, their personal opinions. Now…the media has to reinvent themselves. You got to use social media…

You can’t be afraid of the athletes Tweeting or using their blogs or Facebook, you know whatever. You just gotta use it. You got to find a way to reinvent yourselves because it’s not just the newspapers anymore. Everybody’s online. Everybody’s on their cell phones. You just got to use that and incorporate it into your own story.”

“We really try to let the guys know hey it’s cool to have fun, it’s cool to put yourself out there, but - you know - it’s public…

But then there’s guys that don’t care. There’s guys that I played with that I follow on Twitter that I’m like, ‘Why are you saying that? Why are you talking like that?’ But its really, its how they are...

This is your public image…”

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Go here to see the top quarterbacks for 2009

1. Jahvid Best, Cal–The most exciting back in the country.  Gained 1,580 yards, scored 15 TDs, averaged 8 yards per carry…and was dinged up for much of the year.  If he stays healthy, he may surpass 2,000 and have a shot at the Heisman.

2. LeGarrette Blount, Oregon–Big, bruising back with surprising athleticism.  Gained 1,002 yards, scored 17 TDs and averaged 7.3 yards per carry last year while splitting time with Jeremiah Johnson.  Now that Johnson is gone, look for Blount to have a monster season.

3. Noel Devine, West Virginia–Lightning-quick waterbug who should come into his own as a junior.  Had 1,289 yards as a sophomore and should top that easily as he’ll become the main cog in the WVU offense.

4. Evan Royster, Penn State–Had an excellent sophomore campaign with 1,236 yards and 12 TDs while averaging 6.5 yards per carry.  Strong, shifty and consistent runner who follows his blocks well.

5. Michael Smith, Arkansas–The SEC’s best back, he’ll be even more effective in year two under Bobby Petrino.  A talented smurf who gained over 1,000 yards despite injuries in 2008. 

6.  Jacquizz Rodgers, Oregon State–Was on his way to maybe 1,600 yards as a frosh, but only had 4 carries in his last three games due to injury and finished with1,253.  A low-to-the-ground runner with great instincts and eyes in the back of his head. 

7. Kendall Hunter, Oklahoma State–Nifty darter whose only drawback is his lack of true downtown speed.  A relentless back who gets better as the game goes on.  Rushed for 1,555 yards as a sophomore.

8. Chris Brown, Oklahoma–A touchdown machine, he had 1,220 yards and 20 scores last year while sharing carries with DeMarco Murray.  I expect he’ll get more carries this year as the fragile Murray will need to be managed a bit.

9. Stafon Johnson, USC–If he had the backfield to himself, he’d be a Heisman candidate, but USC’s most consistent runner must share carries with a bevy of other talented backs.  Excellent goal-line instincts. 

10. Jonathan Dwyer, Georgia Tech–Upright power back with good straight-line speed for his size.  Thrives in Paul Johnson’s scheme. 

Honorable Mention: 

C.J. Spiller, Clemson–Ultra-fast back (10.22 100m) who will get a chance to prove he can carry the full-time load now that James Davis is gone.

Toby Gerhart, Stanford–A bruising Nagurski-like bruiser who symbolizes Stanford’s new, blue-collar persona under Jim Harbaugh.

Armando Allen, Notre Dame–One of the better all-purpose backs in college football, he had 50 catches to go with 585 rushing yards and was also effective on kickoffs.

MiQuale Lewis, Ball State–Diminutive runner who rushed for 1,736 yards and scored 22 TDs.  As underrated as they come.

Joe McKnight, USC–If he ever gets his act together, McKnight could be one of the best backs in the country.  He can do it all.

New Breakout Stars on the Scene

Rodney Stewart, Colorado–It was Stewart, not the highly-touted Darrell Scott, who showed the most potential as a freshman for the Buffs last year.  I think he’ll turn into one of the most productive runners in the Big 12 this season. 

John Clay, Wisconsin–The next in a long line of star Badger backs.  Should lead the Big Ten in rushing.

Caleb King, Georgia–I’ve always liked King’s physical ability and if he puts the mental side of his game together, he could be a star.

Jermaine Thomas, Florida State–Was very good for a true frosh.  Could be scary good as a sophomore.

Mark Ingram, Alabama–With Coffee gone, he’ll have a chance to be the Tide’s workhorse (assuming he holds off a challenge from incoming frosh Trent Richardson).

Athletic departments are having to deal with budget issues as well, but according to a study earlier this year by Bloomberg, athletic directors appear to be prospering even in challenging times.

There are now 10 athletic directors who are paid more than $500,000 a year. Florida's Jeremy Foley leads the pack with a salary of nearly $1 million. Kansas' Lew Perkins pulls down $900,000 and Wisconsin's Barry Alvarez is paid $750,000.

Brett McMurphy of the Tampa Tribune compared the salaries to athletic department budgets. Perkins was the highest-paid athletic director in the Bowl Championship Series based on the percentage of his salary compared with the school's athletic department budget, which is $57.8 million.

Next was South Florida's Doug Woolard, right, who has an annual salary of $421,950 in a department with a budget of $34.7 million, second-lowest among Big East schools. Foley has the third-highest percentage, followed by Illinois' Ron Guenther and Georgia Tech's Dan Radakovich.

Bloomberg notes that most athletic directors enjoy other perks, such as country club memberships, cars and spousal travel to athletic events.

One surprising find was the salary of Nebraska's Tom Osborne. The former Cornhusker coach makes $261,000, which is third-lowest among athletic directors at BCS schools. Only the salaries of Mississippi State's Greg Byrne ($175,000) and West Virginia's Ed Pastilong ($240,750) were lower.

Outgoing Oregon athletic director Pat Kilkenny donates all but
$25,884 of his salary back to the school, according to Bloomberg.

A look at the average athletic director salaries by conference.

Team needs: Quarterback, receiver, cornerback

Dream scenario: The Jets went into the offseason with numerous positional needs to address, and they got around to all but two of them through free agency. The leftovers are biggies: quarterback and receiver.

	Jody Gomez/US Presswire
	The Jets could use help at QB, but will one of the top three prospects, such as former Trojan Mark Sanchez, be available at No. 17?

Brett Favre retired, leaving a three-way competition among Kellen Clemens, Brett Ratliff and Erik Ainge. They have a combined eight NFL starts. Many observers considered receiver an area the Jets needed to improve even before veteran Laveranues Coles negotiated his way off the team.

The Jets hold only six draft picks, the fewest among AFC East teams. Unless they make a trade, their first crack is at No. 17, and they'll have to wait until No. 52 to go again.

If the Jets want to take a quarterback, most draft evaluators insist they'll need to get one of the top three: Georgia's Matthew Stafford, Southern California's Mark Sanchez or Kansas State's Josh Freeman.

There's a significant drop-off after that trio, and there are no guarantees any will be there at No. 17. The Jets might have to swing a deal to elbow ahead in the draft order. Next up is West Virginia's Pat White, who likely will be drafted as a receiver. Nate Davis of Ball State is considered the fourth-best passer, and he still might be available in the third or fourth round.

If the Jets want to go receiver, Texas Tech's Michael Crabtree and Missouri's Jeremy Maclin will be long gone at No. 17. If the Jets can come away with Maryland's Darrius Heyward-Bey or North Carolina's Hakeem Nicks, they will be filling a significant need.

Florida's Percy Harvin also could be available, but what makes him so valuable is his versatility. The Jets might have trouble getting Harvin and Leon Washington on the field at the same time.

Plan B: Another possibility is cornerback. Although the Jets have bolstered their secondary with Lito Sheppard and Donald Strickland, the Jets could snag another for the future. Ohio State's Malcolm Jenkins could slip to them, but probably not. Illinois' Vontae Davis might be a reach at No. 17.

If Louisiana State defensive end Tyson Jackson somehow slides, the Jets should be thrilled. Jackson projects as a stellar 3-4 run-stopper.

Scouts Inc. take: "As the offseason has shown, they're a very defensive-minded, decision-making group right now. But their offensive needs are glaring. They need to find a passing game. They need to find at least one receiver, preferably a No. 1-type guy because Jerricho Cotchery is not a No. 1, but if Sanchez is there, you've got to pounce on him. If he starts to fall, maybe you even make a package to move up and grab him." -- Matt Williamson

Who has final say: General manager Mike Tannenbaum and rookie head coach Rex Ryan will work in concert.

Now On the Clock: San Diego Chargers, March 31.

Previous On the Clock: Chicago Bears. The team-by-team series.

Of the “pre-preseason” top 25s that have been issued in the past couple months, there seems to be a consensus that the Florida Gators, who lose Percy Harvin going into '09 but retain nearly everyone else of note, will once again be the team to beat; Texas and Oklahoma are also expected to return as powerhouses. Below that, though, the selections range from the brave to the downright silly. Among the most inexplicable:

•Tony Barnhart (Atlanta Journal-Constitution) was the first out of the gate, throwing up a top 25 literally the same night as the BCS National Championship Game, and it shows. Barnhart has Alabama in the top five despite the fact that they lose their starting QB (and were less than a week removed from getting punked by Utah), Oklahoma State at #7, Florida State at #12, and Vanderbilt at #25. I realize you're an SEC guy, but jeez, Tony. He also provided an object lesson in the dangers of sticking your neck out too early by putting Pittsburgh at #10 based on “running back LeSean McCoy and seven starters on defense coming back”; McCoy declared for the NFL draft less than a week later.

•Dennis Dodd (CBS Sports) shared Barnhart's optimism for Alabama (#4) and pumped Kansas at #14, saying “any team with quarterback Todd Reesing is capable of anything.” Anything except for winning the Big 12 North, evidently.

•Matt Hayes (The Sporting News) will see your Notre Dame optimism and raise you: He's got the Irish at #11 based on “the confidence QB Jimmy Clausen gained from his play at Hawaii.” Yes, there's nothing like beating up on the nation's 88th-ranked pass-efficiency defense in a bowl game to mold a player into a leader. Hayes also has Ole Miss at #5 and Auburn at #24, which would make him one of exactly four people in the country who think Auburn will be better with Gene Chizik than they were with Tommy Tuberville (and the other three are Gene Chizik, Jay Jacobs, and Jay Gogue).

•Stewart Mandel (SI.com), like Hayes, has Ole Miss at #5, and like Barnhart he gets burned by early personnel assumptions gone wrong: He puts Oklahoma State at #6, explaining that “nearly every key player is back” on the Cowboy offense, but three of OSU's top four receivers left the program for one reason or another within a month of Mandel posting his list. He's also got Florida State at #18.

•Jon Wilner (San Jose Mercury News) says he updated his list on January 21, which makes one wonder what his original rankings looked like. He's got Florida State at #7 and Oklahoma State at #6, saying he actually dropped the Cowboys because he's “now counting [the Oklahoma game] as a loss for OSU.” The Sooners, last seen piling 61 points on the Cowboys, are grateful for your generosity, sir. Wilner also thinks Pitt and West Virginia will be better without LeSean McCoy and Pat White, respectively — he's got both in his top 25 despite the fact that neither team cracked the final coaches' poll of 2008.

•College Football News is buying into the ACC big-time in '09: They've got North Carolina at #9, Georgia Tech at #11, and Clemson at #15. And based on their color-coding system, CFN thinks Miami “should be worse” than they were last year, yet they've still got the Hurricanes, 7-6 and unranked at the end of 2008, at #19 on their list. Strangely, the one ACC team to get downgraded relative to last season is the defending conference champions — Virginia Tech winds up just one slot ahead of the 'Canes.

•Mark Schlabach (ESPN.com) has also revised an earlier list, but he's still got Alabama at #4 despite openly conceding what huge losses John Parker Wilson and Andre Smith will be; he's also got Notre Dame at #22.

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Doug Gillet is the proprietor of Hey Jenny Slater and a regular contributor to Dr. Saturday.

1. Chris Wells, Ohio State–Things are getting tricky when it comes to analyzing Wells’ chance at the Heisman. At this point, there are a ton of variables in play. First off, he is hurt. Second, most of us don’t know how healthy he will be against USC on Saturday. Third, he has gained a slight advantage in that a loss to USC could be seen as the result of his being hurt, thus increasing his perceived worth to his team. Fourth, a win over USC with Wells making a minimal contribution could hurt his perceived worth to his team (they still won even though he was hurt? He must not be that important). Fifth, he could potentially have a Willis Reed type of moment, gutting out a winning touchdown, for instance, while not necessarily performing well in the overall game due to being hobbled. Thus a premium would be placed on his guttiness in the clutch. Last, he could just end up being a complete non-factor, but I think he now has a built in excuse and so won’t be dramatically penalized by the voters for it. So, you see all the ways to look at it? The fact that there are so many possibilities is a testament to the high stakes of the game this Saturday vs. USC. Unless Wells and Ohio State have a total meltdown, I believe he is unlikely to be eliminated from the race by virtue of his injury.

That’s because after USC, the Buckeyes will move on to the Big Ten schedule and, assuming he is healthy, Beanie will pile up a ton of yardage. Even if he has a rough game against the Trojans, he is likely to come back and put up 1,700-plus yards, which would at least make him a legitimate candidate, especially if the Buckeyes are undefeated or headed for the BCS title game once again.

Last week: Injured. Season: 13 carries, 111 yards, 8.5 ypc, 1 TD

2. Chase Daniel, Missouri–Daniel is moving closer to taking the lead in the Heisman Watch. He’s been exemplary so far and the Tigers have played well. What more can you ask for? If Wells stumbles against USC, he’ll be the front runner for the Heisman.

Then, all he has to do is keep winning. No small task.

Last week: 16 of 17, 245 yards, 3 TDs, 1 int. Season: 42 of 62, 568 yards, 6 TDs, 1 int., 9 carries, 46 yards

3. Mark Sanchez, USC–Sanchez is a shaky No. 3 right now. Let’s face it, he’s had one game. But the Ohio State game is such a high-profile affair, he is in a unique situation to capitalize. After Saturday, he could be out of the race, or sitting at the top.

Just a couple of the benefits/pitfalls to being the quarterback for the No. 1 team.

Last week: Off Season: 26 of 35, 338 yards, 3 TDs, 1 int.

4. Colt McCoy, Texas–McCoy is quietly off to a nice start for the Longhorns, but he will stay a few slots back in the race until the Oklahoma and Missouri games play out. Those two games could go a long way in determining this year’s winner.

Last week: 20 of 29, 282 yards, 4 TDs, 1 int Season: 44 of 58, 504 yards, 7 TDs, 1 int, 17 carries, 108 yards, 1 TD

5. Matt Stafford, Georgia–Stafford looks to be maturing as a quarterback and is off to his best start yet. There will be no shortage of big games for him to show his stuff. For now, he’s a candidate as long as UGA is undefeated.

Last week: 18 of 28, 213 yards, 2 TDs, 0 ints. Season: 31 of 49, 488 yards, 4 TDs, 0 ints.

6. Percy Harvin, Florida–Harvin came back against Miami, but didn’t set the world on fire. He’s got one more week to show his stuff, or else the clock will run out on his Heisman hopes.

Last week/Season: 5 carries, 27 yards, 1 TD, 1 catch, 12 yards

7. Stafon Johnson, USC–Johnson had minimal impact against Virginia, but he’s got this big game against Ohio State to do his thing. While USC seems determined to make all its tailbacks happy, it will go with the hot hand when necessary. If Johnson does not break out against OSU, he’s off this list for good.

Last week: Off Season: 9 carries, 28 yards, 1 TD

8. Pat White, West Virginia–White is hanging by a thread in the race after his WVU team lost to East Carolina, 24-3. He was shut down for the most part and it looks like WVU is really missing Coach Rod. Unless the Mountaineers run the table the rest of the way, White won’t have a shot.

Last week: 11 of 18, 72 yards, 0 TDs, 0 ints, 97 yards on 20 carries. Season: 36 of 51 for 280 yards, 5 TDs, 1 int., 29 carries, 160 yards, 0 TDs.

Dropped Out: Graham Harrell–For Harrell to have a shot at winning, he had to break NCAA records for yards and TDs in a season. With just 3 TDs in two games, that looks unlikely right now.

If the Vote were Held Today

1. Tim Tebow

2. Chase Daniel

3. Chris Wells

4. Knowshon Moreno

5. Mark Sanchez

6. Pat White

7. Graham Harrell

8. Jahvid Best

9. Matt Stafford

10. Percy Harvin

1.  Chris Wells, Ohio State–Wells holds on to the top spot this week, as we’re taking his word that his foot is going to be okay.  He most likely will miss the Ohio game this weekend, but that shouldn’t affect his Heisman chances too much, as there is a precedent for Heisman winners missing early-season games (namely Charles White and Bo Jackson).  It will, however, increase the stakes for the huge matchup the following Saturday at No. 1 USC.  He must do well (100+ yards) in a Buckeye win, or go crazy (180+ yards) in a close Buckeye loss, to solidify his status as the Heisman frontrunner.

Last week:    13 carries, 111 yards, 8.5 ypc, 1 TD against Youngstown State

2. Chase Daniel, Missouri–Daniel got off to a great start to his season with a nice performance in an exciting win over a ranked Illinois squad.   It’s pretty clear that Daniel is going to have the numbers needed to win the Heisman, barring injury.  If he can lead his team to the Big 12 title, then he should finish no worse than second and could even win the trophy.  The next three weeks Mizzou plays three cupcakes, so Daniel can pad his stats before a potentially high-profile game against Nebraska on Oct 4.

Last week:  26 of 45 for 323 yards, 3 TDs, 1 int against No. 20 Illinois

3. Pat White, West Virginia–I wrote in my Heisman Preview that White would need to step it up in the passing game to make a serious Heisman run and he did just that in week one.  By season’s end, no one will remember that his 5 TD passes came against lowly Villanova–they will just be part of his statistical total.   He is already 1/4 of the way to having 20 TD passes on the season, which should impress voters who think he is just a glorified running back.  White got a bit of a gift this weekend when WVU’s next opponent, East Carolina, beat Virginia Tech.  He can now showcase his abilities in a game that some people might actually care about, before getting a chance to hog the spotlight on Sept. 18 (Thursday night) at Colorado.

Last week: 25 of 33 for 208 yards, 5 TDs, 0 ints against Villanova

4.  Mark Sanchez, USC–It seems exruciatingly early to already be touting a USC quarterback for the Heisman, but there it is.  Sanchez benefitted, believe it or not, from the attention created by his dislocated knee cap in the weeks prior to USC’s game against Virginia.  Suddenly, he became the subject of increased speculation, which made him more of a known quantity.  He was able to reward that speculation and attention with an outstanding game against the Cavaliers.  He is a potential boom-bust candidate.  As long as USC is doing well and he is doing well, he’s going to hover near the top of this list.  But, should his team falter, he will bear the brunt of the blame.  The Ohio State game will determine his Heisman future.  Should he do well in a USC win, then he will zoom into the top two or three and become one of the main contenders.  If the Trojans lose, then he can start working on his resume for a run at the Heisman in 2009.

Last week: 26 of 35, 338 yards, 3 TDs, 1 int against Virginia

5. Colt McCoy, Texas–Don’t look now, but McCoy looks to be back and better than ever.  What has largely gone unnoticed over the past year is how effective a runner the Texas QB has become.  For now, he will be helped by the fact that Texas is below the radar, as he can perform without too much pressure until the matchup with Oklahoma on Oct. 11.  By then, McCoy could be on his way to a remarkable season and people will just be starting to realize it.  If McCoy can help slay OU and Mizzou in back-to-back weeks, he’ll have as good a case for the Heisman as anyone in this race.

Last week:  24 of 29, 222 yards, 3 TDs, 0 Ints, 12 carries, 103 yards, 1 TD against FAU.

6. Matt Stafford, Georgia–Is Stafford finally ready to break out as a passer?  Will Mark Richt let him put up the numbers he needs to compete for the Heisman?  Looks like it so far.  But Stafford won’t have a chance to break into the top five of this list until he survives the gauntlet of South Carolina, Arizona State and Alabama that begins in a couple weeks.

Last week: 13 of 21, 275 yards, 2 TDs, 0 Ints against Georgia Southern.

7.  Percy Harvin, Florida–Harvin is hanging on a bit in this race.  He missed the Gators’ first game against Hawaii and is slated to play against Miami this Saturday.  But how healthy is he, really?  We won’t know until we see him play.  One thing is for sure:  He probably needs to explode against Miami to get back in the thick of the Heisman hunt.  A lackluster game, or another DNP could mean his chances for the Heisman have gone bye bye.

Last Week:  DNP

8. Stafon Johnson, USC–Johnson is the most likely USC back to gain the yards needed to challenge for the Heisman.  However, it seems apparent that USC is sticking with its tailback by committee approach.  Unless Johnson can get untracked in a big way against Ohio State, he’ll drop from this list.

Last week:  9 carries, 28 yards, 1 TD against Virginia

9. Graham Harrell, Texas Tech–Harrell had his typical day against Eastern Washington.  But until people stop yawning at his 500-yard passing games, he’s just a fringe candidate waiting for an opportunity.

Last week:  43 of 58, 536 yards, 2 TDs, 1 int

* * *

If the vote were held today

1. Tim Tebow

2. Chase Daniel

3. Pat White

4. Chris Wells

5. Mark Sanchez

6. Knowshon Moreno

7. Graham Harrell

8. James Laurinaitis

9. Colt McCoy

10. Sam Bradford

ESPN College GameDay Appearances By School

Rank School Shows
1. Florida 28
2. Ohio State 22
3t. Florida State 21
3t. Michigan 21
5t. Notre Dame 18
5t. Oklahoma 18
7t. Tennessee 17
7t. Miami (Fla.) 17
9. Nebraska 15
10. Southern Cal 14

Note: The list takes into account that Corso and the gang roll into Gainesville this weekend for Steve Spurrier's favorite matchup.

Interesting that LSU, Georgia, Texas, West Virginia, and other traditional powers don't make the list. I guess that just goes to show how dominate Nebraska, FSU, and Miami were in days gone by.

Comment on Top 10 ESPN GameDay appearances ranked by team...

Unlike a lot of Heisman watches, my preseason list is intended to determine which players have the best chance of actually winning the trophy at season’s end. If a player does not have a realistic shot at winning the Heisman, he is not on this list.

Therefore, the following ranking is NOT a prediction of the eventual order of the voting (so calm down Gator fans), but a gauge of the strengths of each of the top candidates based on The Ten Heismandments. Other players who are not on this list will get votes and finish high in the race but won’t win.  I will put out top 10 updates predicting the order of the vote from time to time, but this is not one of those times.

I can say with extreme confidence that the Heisman winner will come from the following group of players. THESE ARE THE GUYS WITH THE BEST CHANCE! Here we go:

1. Chris ‘Beanie’ Wells, Jr., RB., Ohio State–A perfect candidate. A top talent from a traditional power that will compete for a national title. Has the schedule and the name recognition to run away with this. His stiff arm could be more famous than the trophy’s by season’s end.

2. Chase Daniel, Sr., QB, Missouri–Outside of Tim Tebow, he’s the top returning vote getter from last season. Well-known quarterback playing in an exciting offense and an emerging program. Will put up big numbers once again and could win the Heisman if the Tigers make a serious title run.

3. Patrick White, Sr., QB, West Virginia–Might end up as one of the biggest winners in college football history. Dangerous runner who could win the Heisman if he can up his passing stats and lead his team to yet another 11-win season.

4. Stafon Johnson, Jr., RB, USC–The last seven USC tailbacks to top 1,400 rushing yards at some point in their careers have either won the Heisman or finished second in the voting. Johnson looks like he may break out from a crowded running back corps and have that kind of year.

5. Percy Harvin, Jr., WR/RB, Florida–Can do-it-all when healthy. He’ll benefit from Tebow’s exposure and the explosiveness of the Gators offense. If he gets 1,000 rushing and 1,000 receiving, look out.

6. Colt McCoy, Jr., QB, Texas–If he can regain his freshman year form, he could be a top contender. Has added more rushing yards to his repertoire, but must cut down on his interceptions.

7. Keiland Williams, Jr., RB, LSU–With the LSU quarterback position unsettled, look for the Tigers to lean on Williams in the early going. That could mean a hot start and a chance to emerge as a serious Heisman candidate.

8. Graham Harrell, Sr., QB, Texas Tech–To have a chance at the Heisman, he basically has to break every single-season passing record in existence while leading TTU to the Big 12 title and beyond. If anyone can do it….

9. Matt Stafford, Jr., QB, Georgia–A top pro prospect who has yet to put it together for a whole season. Plays in a system that doesn’t produce big numbers, but could still get attention based on his team’s success.

10. Marlon Lucky, Sr., RB, Nebraska–Once upon a time, the Nebraska I-back was a shoo-in Heisman contender. But Lucky won’t get a single vote unless Nebraska somehow revives under Bo Pelini. If that happens, Lucky will probably be seen as one of the main reasons why. And Heisman voters may take notice.