Friday Roundup: The “Lack of Institutional Control” Edition

1 Week.

I don't get HBO. I haven't seen "Hard Knocks." But I live in the web of football memes, and I think I've got a pretty good notion of what it's about. And I'd just like to suggest that the same folks who make that make a new series: A Day in the Life of Robbie Caldwell - Every Day. Cheap production costs, year-round new episodes, and absolutely endless entertainment.

The Roundup

Eye Strain, Part Deux Hey, we're a week away from kickoff. You'd better do your research and get to know our opponents.

Um, don't forget about our guys either. I'm not sure if the fans or the players are less sure of who will be starting for the Irish this fall. UHND tries to help us all out a bit.

It's starting to seem like you can't spell 'Lack of Institutional Control' without 'UNC'" In fact, you cannot. Still, I haven't seen anything fall apart this quickly since the Soviet Union lost their own institutional control.

So... Do you have the "starters" run the show-team plays now? 9 Starters demoted to scout team.

Hey, speaking of the goings on at schools lacking institutional control... USC just scheduled a series with Texas. Or, more likely, Texas just scheduled a series with USC. In other words, Texas just went and scheduled a series with the Pac-10's premier program, regardless of a short term hiccup in that program's history. Stewart Mandel will giggle while he asks if Texas and USC might be conference foes by the time the games are played. I giggle and ask if Mandel will still get paid to analyze the world of college football when Texas is an independent program playing a world-class schedule when these games are played.

Okay, so now let's really talk about USC. They had yet another one of their championships revoked this week. And now a Georgia fan thinks Auburn should be the 2004 National Champs.

And they called it Music Television for a long time after the Music Died. ESPNews, which is really hard to type, ya see, because it's missing a "N" doesn't really have any more "ESPNews" in it.

Once again, Urban Meyer and I share an Experience. Both Urban Meyer and I now know what it's like to do something because current Florida S&C Coach (and former ND S&C Coach) Mickey Marotti has told us to do it. Though I'm sure the conversation between Meyer and Marotti was slightly longer and slightly more friendly than, "shut the hell up!" And so now Urban Meyer is still at Florida and I'm no longer laughing out loud in a Notre Dame weight room. I wonder how Meyer's heartburn or whatever is holding up after all the rumors about his program went and did some running in a rampant style this week.

Nothing's Ever Done Until It's Done. The BYU-to-WAC in all sports but Football was a done deal, except it wasn't, except it was. Is it? Not sure, but all-time-all-name former player (and member of BYU's 1984 championship team, Vai Sikahema, wishes it were.

Michigan would like to take their balls, head home, and play someone else, thanks. No. Really. Their AD said so on the radio yesterday. Maybe they plan to keep RichRod around longer than we expected, and wanna give the little guy a chance.

And I'm thinking Greece is exactly where I want to invest. Colorado is so cash strapped that they're actually having to extend their stay in the Big 12 because they can't afford the buyout. Things are looking pretty awful for Colorado financially. Dan Hawkins thinks the best way to improve that situation is for CU to give him a contract extension.

The Card Nobody Uses For The Bowl Game Nobody Watches. The Orange Bowl has a new sponsor in Discover Card. There's just something so appropriate about the OB getting a sponsorship from a credit card that was last used by anyone back when there were still people employed by Andersen Consulting.

The Beer

We're keeping things simple this weekend. It's nearly football season. The pumpkin ales are about to be widely available from everyone. So to sort of cleanse the palate, we're going with some Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. That's not to say this stuff is like water. We're just being very casual in our drinking this weekend and figure it calls for a casual "stand by" that wont distract and wont demand our attention while we try and bone up on our college football reading. This has been an absolutely nutty off-season, and every program has got a story to tell.