But with freshman wide receiver AJ Green already on campus, everyone's gotta be pumped about that.

Not only will he likely be ready to play for the national title contender this fall, he'll be learning under a pair of senior wideouts in Mohamed Massaquoi and Kenneth Harris.

Then again, they may be learning under him. Just watch.

No surprise with the winner -- It's Stanford's 14th consecutive Cup (it's been around for 15 years). And UCLA has finished runner-up for a third straight year. Pick it up, Bruins.

2007-08 U.S. Sports Academy Directors' Cup
Final Point Standings

1. Stanford 1461.00
2. UCLA 1182.00
3. Michigan 1161.50
4. Arizona State 1146.00
5. Texas 1129.50
6. Florida 1126.75
7. California 1120.00
8. LSU 1085.00
9. Penn State 1041.00
10. Georgia 1040.00
11. Ohio State 1034.75
12. Texas A&M 1031.00
13. Southern California 1011.25
14. North Carolina 978.50
15. Florida State 971.50
16. Tennessee 953.75
17. Virginia 869.00
18. Wisconsin 830.50
19. Duke 821.00
20. Auburn 761.50
21. Notre Dame 760.50
22. Washington 745.25
23. Oklahoma 714.00
24. Arkansas 697.00
25. Alabama 683.00
26. Oregon 680.75
27. Arizona 666.50
28. Minnesota 656.75
29. Michigan State 638.25
30. West Virginia 630.50

Schools Ranked in the Top-30 of All 15 Directors' Cup Point Standings (1994-2008)
Arizona
Arizona State
California
Florida
Georgia
Michigan
North Carolina
Ohio State
Penn State
Stanford
Tennessee
Texas
UCLA
USC
Virginia

Have I got an offer for you...

Brandon Holland, a Virginia Tech offensive lineman, has put his Chick-Fil-a bowl ring for sale on eBay.

If you're a Chick-Fil-a fan, like myself, or a Virginia Tech alum, like myself, this could be a cool gift.

Or if your last name is Holland, you can pass yourself off as a Virginia Tech football player, assuming you're in your 20s. Trust me, it might work. In college I went to the Sugar Bowl (Virginia Tech-Auburn in 2005). For Christmas, I had gotten a VT warmup jacket. I spent much of the week as a strong safety hanging out on Bourbon St. Pathetic, but it was a good time.

One thing: It might be tough if you're 45 and telling people you played in the 2006 Chick-fil-a bowl.

One last question: Is Brandon selling this ring to fill up his gas tank like the rest of us, or is he selling off anything that reminds him of that painful Dec. 30 loss to Georgia.

Check it out for yourself: Bowl ring

We follow recruiting, forecast depth charts, follow the prospect camp schedule, count down the days until Summer Session I, etc.

How do coaches spend the dog days of summer?

Much of the same: Recruiting, depth charts, host camps, count down, etc.

But they also have to keep the alum and boosters jazzed up. One way is booster camps. Many schools will host fantasy camps. For a heafty fund, you can arrive on campus, receive your jersey and be a _________ football player for two days and learn from Coach ________ _________.

And many schools will host a women's camp. Generally a one day affair, women will show up on campus to grind through a football boot camp.

While Michigan cancelled their men's fantasy camp, they did host a women's camp two weeks ago. The money went to charity, and the group raised $101,500 for cancer awareness, which is great.

But I just wanted to share a moment from the camp. This camper clearly got her money's worth:

The camera on the right wrist is an interesting technique. If the camera has a video option, it's not a bad way to track how you're doing with your hands in the trenches.

There's nothing going on. Bruce Feldman wrote an interesting piece about the top 10 "freaks" in college football, LSU's Trindon Holliday being one of them.

Otherwise, I'll leave you with this.

I will say that Clemson locking up Tommy Bowden until 2014 is a solid move.

And those coaches I told you that went to see the troops, I didn't give credit to all of them.

The full list:

Notre Dame's Charlie Weis, Auburn's Tommy Tuberville, Jack Siedlecki of Yale, Mark Richt of Georgia, and Randy Shannon of Miami (Fla.).

Classy.

I sure hope Kimbo Slice is making a lot of money in MMA.

Because he missed the NFL linebacker boat.

Kevin Ferguson, better known as Kimbo Slice, stepped out of the YouTube world and entered the homes of America via CBS on Saturday night.

The 6'2, 240-pound monster gained notoriety by owning people on the streets of Miami. His brawls were captured by camera and posted on YouTube and ProElite scooped him up to anchor their fight cards. Saturday night I was fortunate enough to sit cage side to see Slice improve to 3-0 as a mixed martial artist.

I won't get into the Xs and Os of mixed martial arts, but you don't have to be an expert to see Slice is very green. Where I don't feel he would have been green is on the football field, however.

Slice has been listed as both 32 and 34, making him around the same age as Ray Lewis. Both Lewis and Slice have a few things in common, according to their bios:

1. Both Florida natives.
2. Both were standout defensive players in high school.
3. Both attended the University of Miami.

However, Slice didn't play football at UM -- he was there on an academic scholarship. Had it not been for Hurricane Andrew, which wiped out his senior season, Lewis and Slice could have been part of the same linebacking corps. Scary to think about.

Care to see what slice can do?

Strengths: Great form. Explosiveness. Follows throw. Tackles with the body. Finished the hit. Punisher. Solid anticipation of the route.

Weaknesses: Awareness -- could have intercepted the ball.

Here are some noteworthy headlines and notes that might interest you:

- Washington and LSU, two schools that have been playing football for almost 120 years, will meet for just the second time in 2009. Believe it or not, the Huskies have been playing football since 1889 and LSU since 1893. The 2009 contest will be in Washington and the home-and-home will be completed in 2012 in Baton Rouge.

- The University of Michigan is set for its NCAA-record 209th consecutive home crowd of 100,000-plus on Aug. 30 when the Wolverines open the year with Utah at Ann Arbor. The streak began with a 102,415 turnout on Nov. 8, 1975, for a Michigan-Purdue game. That's at least 20,900,000 people the last 33 years, right? That's a lot of people.

- Vanderbilt has unveiled a $50 million plan for athletics facility upgrades and additions. I've seen other places say it is as much as $60M. While I applaud the school for taking initiative to fix the facade of the program, it's not enough. That money spent needs to go to more than just steel and concrete. They need to use this to attract better talent. The Commodores haven't had a winning season in over a quarter of a century.

- Lastly, guys like Tommy Tuberville, Charlie Weis and Ron Zook are out visiting the troops overseas. Very cool.

In the spirit of Coaches on Campus, which will pick up next week, I wanted to link to something on the World Wide Web.

Rivals' Top 10 Coaches

Some notable omissions:

--Greg Schiano: May not have the body of work, yet.

--Steve Spurrier: Probably because he hasn't gotten South Carolina over the hump, yet.

--Nick Saban: Probably because not many outside of Tuscaloosa like him.

--Barry Alvarez: Oh yeah, not coaching.

--Mike Bellotti: You try recruiting kids to the state of Oregon. I guess having Nike behind you helps. But he's amassed a 106-52 record since 1995. Not bad, but not Top 10.

But I'm not here to write about LT. I'm writing about Nike.

They've unveiled a new line of shirts: Click here to see them.

They're awesome. If I was a SoCal alum, I'd buy 30 and take the sleeves off 15 of them.

But I'm not a USC alum.

And let me say that I'm bothered that there's a Purdue shirt.

Who's better is Purdue's better better than?

Northwestern?

Alright, I'm not going to hate on Purdue. But where's the justice? Ohio State? Michigan? Florida State?

Can I get a witness?

Quick, name three coaches who are the most excited in the country about the 2008 football season.

Did you say Bob Stoops, Urban Meyer, Jim Tressel?

No? You said Mark Richt, didn't you?

Well, those are the obvious choices. They'll likely be fronting Top 5 programs comes August. But there's one name out there I bet didn't cross your mind.

Rick Neuheisel.

UCLA believes it has found its man and that man couldn't be happier to be home. The former Arizona all-state prep baseball, basketball and football star, Bruins quarterback, Rose Bowl champion, UCLA assistant and USC law school alum is back in Los Angeles and feels he's fallen into his dream job.

Neuheisel stepped in after former college teammate Karl Dorrell was let go. In an eerie role reversal, Dorrell the receiver threw Neuheisel the quarterback a perfect ball by leaving behind a talented roster.

"We’ve got some really good players. I’m hopeful, as we say in the coaching world, some difference makers will emerge. The guys that can elicit victory where it might not have been otherwise," Neuheisel said. "Recruiting is the lifeblood of any program. It’s critical we go out and get the guys that can compete with the very best on our schedule."

The former Washington and Colorado coach is no stranger to competing with the best. His 2000 Washington team will always be able to call itself Pac-10 and Rose Bowl Champions, something Neuheisel -- who earned those honors as a player, as well -- aims to do again.

This time around, he's armed with knowledge gained after two years with the Baltimore Ravens. As quarterbacks coach, he worked with Steve McNair to lead Baltimore to a 13-3 mark. The next season he served as offensive coordinator, a role he found rewarding.

"I think there’s a lot. The thing you have to be careful about is how much," Neuheisel said of what he could bring to the college game. "The difference between college and pro football is that in college you don’t need to have as much. Coaches can be like car mechanics, where they keep tinkering away and tinkering away to the point where they get away from what makes a good football team. But I came away with a lot of schemes, some of which I’ll implement."

Despite being armed with new knowledge and a solid talent base, Neuheisel has had some early speed bumps and faces hurdles out of the gate.

First, UCLA’s offense has been anything but stellar in recent memory.

"We kind of studied the numbers ..." Neuheisel said. "I have full confidence [offensive coordinator, hired by Neuheisel] Norm Chow is capable of putting together an efficient and effective offense ... You know, it wasn’t too long ago that the UCLA defense was statistically terrible. When [defensive coordinator, still on staff] DeWayne Walker stepped in, it was turned around."

But Neuheisel knows it's not an overnight process: "One thing I have learned is patience. If we’re not a finished product right away, we’ll get there. We can’t get so caught up right now, that we lose sight of where we want to be."

And those speed bumps? At the end of spring, he lost his two experienced quarterbacks -- Ben Olsen and Patrick Cowan -- to injury, in the same practice. Cowan is out for the 2008 season with a knee, but Neuheisel said he expects Olsen to return after a successful foot surgery and rehab. If not, he’s not worried.

"It’s very heartbreaking we lost Patrick Cowan for the season. But you know it’s a very old story in college football that someone steps up, someone usually unexpected. Of the remaining quarterbacks in the program, someone has to rise to the occasion," Neuheisel said. "Whether it’s Kevin Craft, Chris Forcier, Osaar Rasshan or even a freshman. They have to see this as an opportunity. They have to see they have the magic that the quarterback needs to have. When UCLA really got rolling in recent memory is when Cade McNown came in as a freshman quarterback and took over. Who knows who the next Cade McNown is. Eventually someone’s gotta step up."

The names on the depth chart can also look to their mentor. Neuheisel was a walk-on who worked his way to becoming a Rose Bowl MVP. But the coach won't use his story to inspire anyone.

"They all want to play, which is a good place to start …" Neuheisel said. "The question is: Whose name is on the back of the jersey? The good news is the front will say UCLA."

It's statements like that which truly highlight Neuheisel's excitement to be back in Southern California. But what excites him most?

"It’s wearing blue and gold again. It’s been a while to wear the colors that feel most natural. It’ll be special when we step into the Rose Bowl for our first game, but only for a few moments before I realize it’s Tennessee on the other sideline."

In the mean time, I figured I would put up a picture of one of the hottest names in college football.

I've actually met Andrews two times. I'm sure she remembers.

For a while, rumors had it she was romantically linked to David Wright of the Mets. She put those rumors to bed by saying they're "good friends."

However, let's let our imaginations run wild and assume they were together for a little while.

If true, it would make a lot of sense for Erin to drop me a line. Here's why:

1. David Wright and I are both products of Southeast Virginia.

2. David Wright and I both grew up playing baseball.

3. David Wright and I are only 13 months apart in age (he being the elder).

4. David Wright and I both live in New York.

5. David Wright is good at baseball. I happen to be a very solid leadoff hitter for the Newsroom Team in the Newsday softball league.

Basically I'm a poor man's David Wright. I am a poor David Wright.

That's all.

Two weeks ago, I made the prediction that Michigan would win a national title by 2011, something I'm sticking to.

OK, so it's not the biggest limb in the world, but I feel it's sturdy because Rich Rodriguez is taking little time in making an impact up in Ann Arbor.

It'd take a near miracle to win it this season, but the light is already shining for the future.

The high school class of 2009 has yet to finish its junior year, but Rodriguez has already locked up two zone read prototype quarterbacks, and could possibly add a third to the fold.

Texas product Shavodrick Beaver and Virginia native Kevin Newsome are two of the top 2009 prospects at the quarterback position. Barely able to operate a motor vehicle, both are built as big, if not bigger, than West Virginia quarterback Pat White.

And rumors are swirling that Michigan prep product Keith Nichol could return to his home state after his Oklahoma experiment was foiled by Sam Bradford. Nichol was one of the top dual-threat prospects in the class of 2007. Scouts noted Nichol's strengths as vision and running ability. Hello spread offense.

Nichol hasn't decided on his next stop yet, but if it's Ann Arbor, we could have a log jam.

But there's something that these guys need to remember, as quarterbacks.

Based on recent history, here's what these guys can expect when they get to Michigan.

(All numbers are rank in the country in stated category)

And Pat White is already being projected as a wide receiver.

Food for thought, if you're ready to showcase your arm.

But if you're in it for the championship, might be worth slugging it out with those other guys.

Submit your questions while you can. And, yes, I will ask about the misfortune of the Bruins' QBs in spring ball.

In addition to making me look bad this season, Dennis Franchione flipped College Station upside down and left Texas A&M’s football program in a state of emergency.

The former coach recruited a ton of talent to play on Kyle Field and this Web space predicted the Aggies to win the Big 12 with their stable of offensive weapons.

Instead, they flopped to a 7-6 record, showing little toughness and often forgetting football includes playing defense.

In addition to ticking everyone off with mediocre football, Franchione raked the program over the bad press coals with stunts like the “booster newsletter” that earned him, I mean his Web site, over $37,000.

A&M decided to clean its hands of Franchione and bring in Mike Sherman from the Houston Texans. While Sherman is a stranger to running a college football program, he’s no foreigner to the A&M football program. That said, leading the Aggies won’t be that foreign a task to Sherman, who served as both general manager and head coach in Green Bay.

Purely from a personality standpoint, Sherman is the perfect hire. The Aggies have to restore their great tradition of pure football and winning and Sherman is the right man to front this movement. He’s all business and has a great appreciation for what Texas A&M football was. After all, he’s been there.

“It’s kind of like going full circle,” Sherman said. “This is my third time, so there’s a lot of familiarity, but a lot of new things, as well.”

That makes sense, considering he hasn’t coached in College Station, or on the college ranks, since 1996. After over a decade in the pros, Sherman is having to adjust to the changes that come with the college game.

“The numbers that you deal with when you get your whole squad together is 130 players and in the National Football League you had 53 with about eight practice squad players,” Sherman said. “And then the issues you deal with are so different, obviously. The academic part of things, the maturity aspects, trying to get guys to be more accountable – most of the guys in the National Football League have achieved success in those areas as far as accountability and doing your job the right way. The kids here are just learning, so you’re teaching them those things.”

Sherman served as the GM and head coach in Green Bay -- experience should weather that change rather well. Sherman acknowledged the similarities between the roles of GM and head coach at A&M, citing everything from recruiting to administrative duties.

“The transition is always a difficult time. When you take something over like I did, and like other people have done, the sooner people jump in the boat, the sooner the trust factor comes your way as a leader of the football team and the sooner you can make progress.”

Progress is what Sherman is hoping to achieve right away. A&M went 32-28 under Franchione in five seasons – far below the program’s standards. Taking over at such a fragile time, Sherman knew he had to earn the trust of his new players immediately.

“What I did was I say to the players, ‘Hey, you don’t know me very well, we don’t have a relationship, but I’m going to ask you to trust me from the get-go. Give me a leap of faith and trust that I’m going to make good decisions and lead us in the right direction. If you do that, then we’ll get to where we need to be faster. And through that time, hopefully we’ll develop a relationship that will validate everything. And if I disappoint you and you can’t trust me, so be it. But hopefully that will not be the case. Understand that I have this football team and your best interests at heart and let us move forward.’ ”