Friday Notebook: Wet Footballs, Dez Bryant & Top Coaches

By JOHN P. WISE
One Great Season

EUGENE, Oregon -- After deleting some vulgar comments left below the video I posted of Oregon coach Chip Kelly welcoming USC quarterback Matt Barkley to Autzen Stadium, I noticed a couple of funny comments that did not need to be deleted:

+ 666TheScarecro666 said, "Barkley's gonna piss his pants on Saturday."

+ MJaxsun25 said, "Barkley has been running his mouth and showing his ignorance. Everyone in College Football knows that Autzen Stadium is the loudest stadium in the Country. It set the record. 127.2 decibels. Bring it Barkley."

Other notes for a Friday:

+ I can't remember a weather forecast having the kind of an impact on a game that Saturday's probably will here in Eugene. Most reports I've heard indicate rain during the morning and early afternoon, but the wet weather should move on by kickoff at 5 p.m. PT. And while one would think a wet game would slow down USC's athletes, I think it would actually do more harm to Oregon, whose smaller quarterback Jeremiah Masoli, could have trouble gripping and throwing a damp football. So if the rain passes, the Ducks' chances are improved.

+ I hope Virginia Tech's coaching staff can restore running back Ryan Williams' confidence. The talented freshman has surpassed all expectations filling in as the No. 1 back for the Hokies this year, but his late fumble last night led to North Carolina's game-winning field goal as time expired. Williams has a bright future ahead, and I hope he runs for 200 yards on Nov. 5 at East Carolina.

+ Dez Bryant did not violate any rules with his association with Deion Sanders, but because the NCAA has so many rules, Bryant thought he broke one of them, so he lied to cover a up a dinner he had at the former football star's home. Can you blame him?

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IMAGES: Dez Bryant Gallery

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By all means, punish him, but the NCAA got this wrong like it so often does. If part of its mission is to help its student-athletes, suspend him for two or three games, but not for one full year. It continues to amaze me how out of touch the rich, old, white men in suits are when it comes to doling out discipline. Bryant will get the last laugh, however, when he gets drafted among the top 12 picks in next spring's draft. All the NCAA ensured was that it lost some star power for about eight games this season, including Saturday's huge, nationally televised game against Texas in Stillwater.

+ I've reached out to some friends, fellow writers and athletic department people, asking them to rank their top 10 coaches. I'll have a full story on this next week, but you might be surprised to learn that Les Miles and Jim Tressel aren't getting a whole lot of love.

+ Another story I'll push out next week is a Q&A I had on the phone yesterday with Florida strength and conditioning coach Mickey Marotti. He said it's not Brandon Spikes who rules the weight room in Gainesville. I'll tell you who does in a few days.

Dez Bryant Not Ineligible For This Photo Gallery

By JOHN P. WISE
One Great Season

BATON ROUGE, La. -- Oklahoma State star wideout Dez Bryant, whose name was sprinkled onto some preseason Heisman lists, was ruled ineligible for violating an NCAA rule, the university announced Wednesday.

The school also said it has already begun to file an appeal on Bryant's behalf.

Bryant developed a relationship with former NFL star Deion Sanders, and lied when asked to disclose specific details of any interaction between the two.

"This incident does not involve anyone associated with the OSU football or athletic department staffs, any employee of the university, alumni, donors, or any third-party affiliated with OSU," read a statement issued by the school and cited by The Tulsa World. "OSU is taking this step because Bryant failed to openly disclose to the NCAA the full details of his interaction with a former NFL player not affiliated with OSU."

Bryant also was quoted in the statement.

"I made a mistake by not being entirely truthful when meeting with the NCAA," he said. "I sincerely regret my mistake and apologize to my teammates, coaches, OSU fans and the NCAA."

Added coach Mike Gundy: "We are certainly disappointed, but we are moving forward as we would with any challenge during the season."

In four games for the No. 15 Cowboys (3-1), Bryant has 17 catches for 323 yards and four touchdowns. Two of those touchdowns came in the season opener against Georgia, pictures of which can be seen in a gallery of Dez Bryant pictures right here.

Zac Robinson Says Passing Game Deeper Than Dez

By JOHN P. WISE
One Great Season

STILLWATER, Okla. -- Zac Robinson, with his mop-top hanging just above those Adrian Grenier Hollywood blues, told reporters at Monday's media luncheon that his team is deeper and more mature than it was last year, so it's time to turn those close losses they couldn't finish last year into victories in 2009.

Plenty of preseason attention has gone to Robinson, his star wideout Dez Bryant and fellow stud Kendall Hunter at running back. But Robinson said the passing offense goes beyond Bryant, that there's a virtual entourage of receivers from which he'll be able to choose when SEC power Georgia visits Boone Pickens Stadium Saturday.