Penn State CB King to skip senior year, enter NFL draft
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) -- Penn State cornerback Justin King will skip his senior season and enter the NFL draft.
The announcement ended an agonizing decision process for the junior, his stepfather, Terry Smith, said Sunday night.
"It was extremely difficult for him. Penn State is fond in Justin's heart and our family's heart," Smith, a former Nittany Lions receiver, said in a phone interview. "He felt it was just the right time."
One of the country's most sought-after high school prospects, King arrived at Penn State in 2005 as part of a heralded recruiting class that included receiver Derrick Williams. Their play as freshmen helped coach Joe Paterno revive a sagging program with a Big Ten title and a win in the Orange Bowl.
After playing offense and defense his freshman year, King played exclusively at cornerback the next two seasons. He regularly matched up against the opponents' top receiver, and his speed often had opposing quarterbacks looking to throw away from his side of the field.
But receivers found more success this year against him, and tackling at times was a concern. King also was bothered much of the year by a sore shoulder.
King finished 2007 with 49 tackles and two interceptions.
He completed his degree in three years, because he academically enrolled at Penn State in the spring of 2005. Graduating before leaving for the NFL was important to King, defensive coordinator Tom Bradley said.
"I know he was torn back and forth, back and forth," Bradley said. "He's always going to be a Penn State guy. We're proud of him."
Smith told Fight on State, which first reported King's departure, that the NFL advisory committee has said the cornerback could be a second- or third-round pick.
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Buckeyes are head cases after another lopsided loss in BCS title game
NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- Sometimes a coach needs a couch more than a whistle.
That may be the conundrum for Ohio State's Jim Tressel as he tries to rebuild his Buckeyes' tattered psyches heading into the 2008 season.
The Buckeyes lost most of their stars from a top-ranked team that had been battered 41-14 by Florida in last year's BCS championship. Still, Tressel reconfigured the personnel and the Buckeyes flicked aside a soft schedule to return to the biggest game of them all.
It was a remarkable achievement.
However, Monday night's devastating 38-24 loss to LSU may require a longer recovery period.
Following the loss, wide receiver Brian Hartline hinted at that when he said: "Personally, I feel it was a great season for us. First off, to have the opportunity -- whether we deserved it or not -- to come back to the national championship game is always an honor. You know, we don't vote for us."
That phrase "whether we deserved it or not" shows the Buckeyes have just about hit rock bottom in terms of confidence.
It goes without saying, the national perspective today is the Buckeyes did not belong in the game and they obviously aren't competitive with the top teams in the land, or at least the ones from the Southeastern Conference. They sank from No.1 to No. 5 in the final Associated Press rankings.
So, while Tressel works at filling out his two-deep roster this spring, he might also want to wheel out a couch so he can analyze his players' damaged self-worth.
Because, until he can get their heads back in the game, it may not matter how much talent they put on the field.
Yes, there will be plenty of talent, even if several players migrate early to the NFL.
Here's a harrowing thought for all those Buckeyes detractors out there: This team has good enough players to make it back to a third consecutive title game.
That might be even more daunting to Ohio State fans, who have had their hopes trashed each of the last two seasons. Maybe they're getting tired of the big hype and the little payoff.
"I'm not too worried about what other people's perceptions are," quarterback Todd Boeckman said in the quiet locker room. "We have to go out there and play our game. We didn't make the plays when we had to and that's disappointing to us. We just have to look forward to next year and hopefully bounce back."
There were only two senior starters on offense (fullback Dionte Johnson, tackle Kirk Barton), and one on defense (linebacker Larry Grant) against LSU. All three are replaceable.
The Buckeyes may take a bigger than expected hit from early departures.
An educated guess is that three stalwarts on defense -- All-American linebacker James Laurinaitis, cornerback Malcolm Jenkins and Big Ten defender of the year Vernon Gholston -- will put their names in the NFL hopper.
Ohio State could also lose others such as offensive lineman Alex Boone, receivers Hartline and/or Brian Robiskie, linebacker Marcus Freeman or even punter A.J. Trapasso.
No matter. Tailback Chris "Beanie" Wells, who broke Archie Griffin's Ohio State sophomore rushing record with 1,609 yards in 2007, is back. That's a good start.
So is Boeckman, shaky in the title game but solid during the season, almost all the line and kicker Ryan Pretorius. On defense, the front wall (including promising end Cameron Heyward), is back, as will be the secondary.
One advantage the Buckeyes had in 2007 -- an extremely weak schedule -- might not be there in 2008.
They still play some patsies, opening with Youngstown State and Ohio, and later playing Troy and several Big Ten teams that are down. The road schedule, though, includes tests at Wisconsin, Michigan State and Illinois, with the headline-grabber coming on Sept. 13 when Ohio State travels to mighty Southern Cal.
"If we can get a win there, we're going to turn some heads," safety Kurt Coleman said. "People probably aren't going to give us a shot out there, but we have a great team coming back."
The game with the Trojans will be an early check on how well Tressel has done at playing shrink.
"We'll figure out how we're going to use this to help us down the road," Tressel said after the LSU loss.
Good luck with that. The players are obviously hurting.
"It's disappointing for our fans. I wish I could put them all in one room and apologize to them," Hartline said. "I think they know how we feel. We tried to play hard for them."
That should give Tressel some idea of what he's up against.
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved
Wells hangs on to the ball and becomes a star for Buckeyes
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Promise doesn't equal production. That's something Ohio State's Chris "Beanie" Wells has learned during his brief college career.
One of the nation's most acclaimed recruits when he came to campus 18 months ago, Wells had to put all that potential in his hip pocket and prove himself before blossoming into a sophomore star for the top-ranked Buckeyes.
"What has Beanie Wells meant?" coach Jim Tressel said. "Oh, man. We wouldn't be right here ... if it weren't for Beanie Wells."
Where the Buckeyes are is 11-1 and headed for a date with LSU in the Bowl Championship Series national title game on Jan. 7 at the Louisiana Superdome.
Wells, a bit player a year ago when the Buckeyes made it to the title game, inherited the tailback job when Antonio Pittman decided to give up his senior season to make himself available for the NFL draft.
No one doubted that Wells could be a great back. After all, he was considered one of the top rushers in the nation during his days at Akron's Garfield High School, where he rushed for 1,939 yards as a junior and 2,134 more his senior year, while totaling 47 touchdowns.
With the size (6-foot-1, 230 pounds) and speed (a 4.5-second 40-yard dash) to run both inside and out, he was precisely the kind of back that thrives in Tressel's multiple offense.
But the problem was that Wells had been erratic in his first season with the Buckeyes. One minute he was pounding downfield for crucial yards in a short-yardage situation, and the next he was coughing up the ball.
Wells rushed for 576 yards and picked up 5.6 yards a carry, but he also lost four fumbles -- some of which put the Buckeyes in dire straits. During one four-game stretch, he turned the ball over three times, resulting in a lengthy trip to the bench during the Illinois game.
So even though that raw promise was there going into the 2007 season, no one knew which Wells would show up: the runner or the fumbler.
After 12 games, it's clear what the answer is. An All-Big Ten selection, Wells has piled up 1,463 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns. He already has two of the top 10 rushing games ever at Ohio State, which is saying something at a school that has churned out Heisman winning-running backs Archie Griffin, Eddie George, Les Horvath, Vic Janowicz and Howard "Hopalong" Cassady in addition to NFL stars like John Brockington, Robert Smith and Keith Byars.
Wells owned the state of Michigan this season, first going for 221 yards and a touchdown in a tight 24-17 win against Michigan State on Oct. 20.
"I didn't know if he was going to play; that's how bad he was hobbling," Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio said after seeing Wells in pregame warmups. "But once he got loosened up, I guess it kicked in, and he played very well."
Wells then endeared himself forever to Buckeyes fans by rumbling for 222 yards and both scores in a 14-3 victory over rival Michigan on Nov. 17.
Most importantly, despite taking some vicious hits and carrying more times than he ever had before, Wells held onto the football like he was embracing a partner on "Dancing With The Stars."
"We lose Antonio Pittman and we gained Beanie Wells," offensive tackle Kirk Barton said. "He's as good as anyone."
When the regular season ended, Wells was selected as the Buckeyes' most valuable player.
"It's great that my teammates voted me that award," he said. "It's a tremendous honor. I was surprised. I was really surprised by that."
Some of Wells' biggest games came when he was hurting. An ankle injury has been bothering him all season. His limp has been noticeable at times as he comes to the sideline after taking a hit. On top of that, he wore a brace on his left hand in the days leading up to the Michigan game because of a broken bone near the thumb. He will likely need surgery after the title game.
"As a running back that's something you have to expect," he said of all the bumps and bruises. "You're going to get beat up week in and week out."
Wells prefers to be known as Beanie. He was a skinny kid and his older brother Ray compared him to a string bean. The nickname stuck, even though he has a chiseled physique these days.
Wells said he's looking forward to visiting New Orleans for the first time. He's heard a lot about the city and he wants to see the French Quarter and some of the damage wrought by Hurricane Katrina.
Oh, and he wants to experience one other thing in the Big Easy.
"Becoming a national champion," he said. "That's about it."
Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press
Cincinnati signs Kelly to 5-year deal
CINCINNATI (Ticker) - Cincinnati and football coach Brian Kelly agreed to terms on a new five-year contract on Monday.
Under terms of the agreement, the remaining four years on Kelly's current contract will be voided and he will receive a guaranteed salary between $1.2 million and $1.35 million over the next five years.
The contract, which also included performance-based incentives, is pending approval by the Board of Trustees.
"What Brian has done for the UC program in such a short time has been tremendous, not only for the university but the entire Cincinnati community," Cincinnati athletic director Mike Thomas said. "In just over a year, he has built the foundation of a championship program and the expectation of a perennial top-20 team."
Cincinnati will end its season against Southern Mississippi (7-5) on Saturday in the Papajohns.com Bowl. A win over the Golden Eagles would give the Bearcats their second 10-win season in school history.
"This agreement represents the furthering of the commitment to build a championship program at the University of Cincinnati," Kelly said. "This would not have been possible without the leadership and vision of (school president) Dr. Nancy Zimpher and the hard work of Mike Thomas and his ability to bring together private support from people who see the value of taking ownership in the program."
Copyright 2007 PA SportsTicker. All Rights Reserved
Irvin wants a fresh start
Coffeyville (Kan.) Coffeyville C.C. three-star corner Blair Irvin looked to have re-affirmed his commitment to Auburn after taking a visit for the Iron Bowl.
But something in the back of his head told him that he needed to take an official visit to West Virginia this past weekend.
It was a decision he's didn't regret.
The 5-foot-11, 185-pound cornerback that's ranked by Rivals.com as the No. 47 player in the junior college ranks has decided that his future isn't in the SEC, but it's in the Big East.
"I don't think Auburn is where I'm going anymore," Irvin said. "My family wants me down there, but I don't think so. I expect to go to West Virginia. As of right now I'm committed to West Virginia. I'm still not 100 percent. But I'm pretty sure I'm going to West Virginia."
Irvin said he had a low-key official visit to WVU and the Mountaineers didn't put any pressure on him to commit. He said by the time he left on Sunday, he had a good feeling about where he belonged.
"We looked around at the academics and talked to the academic person," Irvin said. "We hung out at the hotel and tried to go out with my host for a little while. We didn't do anything because of the loss. I told my host that I understood that after taking that loss I probably wouldn't want to do anything either. I ended up talking to him about the team, and I asked him about the coaches and things I needed to know from a players point of view."
Irvin said he spent some time talking with WVU coach Rich Rodriguez, and he made it clear to Irvin that he could be a big part of the Mountaineer team right away.
"We just talked about how I could be a big help to his program coming up right now," he said. "He wanted me to be a part of the Mountaineer family, especially with them losing cornerbacks. Basically he told me everything I needed to hear for a player coming out of junior college.
"It's just a great opportunity for me to get away from my family. Not that it's a bad thing to be near my family, but they want me to stay down south. I'm about to get married, and so I have to get my fiancé's opinion. I have to do what's best for my 5-month-old son."
And that clean break sounds like something he really wants.
"I want to get out of here," he said. "I don't want to stay in Coffeyville anymore. I'm ready to get out and start somewhere new with my family."
Irvin, who has three years to play two seasons on the next level, had also taken an official visit to Kansas State on Nov. 16 and had offers from Auburn, Kansas State, West Virginia and Louisiana Tech.
He originally signed with LSU in the class of 2002 out of Patterson, La. He played AAA and AA baseball with the Marlins and Devil Rays before deciding to come back to football in 2006.
Irvin is a mid-term junior college graduate. He'll be able to sign with West Virginia on Dec. 19th, the first-day that mid-term juco prospects can sign a national letter of intent.
Copyright 2007 Rivals.com. All Rights Reserved.
Bowden agrees to extension amid reports he talked with Arkansas
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) -- Clemson coach Tommy Bowden didn't have to leave for Arkansas to find the security he wanted.
Bowden agreed to a four-year extension Tuesday that, if he stays until the end, would keep him with the Tigers longer than any coach but the program's celebrated patriarch, Frank Howard.
"I fully intended when I came here nine years ago to make this my last stop," Bowden said.
Bowden's new contract would take him through 2014 with only Howard's 30-season tenure at Clemson (1940-69) longer.
Other details of the deal were not released, pending review by a university trustees' committee. Amid reports Bowden was wooed by Arkansas, athletic director Terry Don Phillips says the coach's new financial package moves him among the highest-paid coaches in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Bowden, 69-41 since taking over at Clemson in December of 1998, said he was never offered the Arkansas job by the new athletic director -- and Bowden's friend -- Jeff Long and always felt confident he and Phillips would settle contract talks that began Nov. 25, a day after Clemson (9-3) defeated archrival South Carolina, 23-21.
It was Bowden's seventh win in nine tries against the Tigers' rival. It also took some of the sting away from a 20-17 loss at home to Boston College that cost the Tigers a shot at the ACC title game.
Clemson last won the ACC in 1991.
"Yeah, we're a little bit frustrated in this area," Phillips said. The AD returned from New York where he was attending ceremonies honoring the induction of former Clemson great, linebacker Jeff Davis into the College Football Hall of Fame.
"We're in the best position in a long time to make that move to the upper level," Phillips said.
Bowden pledged the Tigers would continue competing for ACC and national crowns. The team's gone 8-4, 8-5 and 9-3 the past three seasons, the longest streak of seasons with eight or more wins since 1986-91.
Bowden last had his contract amended in 2003 when he saved his job with a four-game win streak that included his first victory in the "Bowden Bowl" over his father Bobby's Florida State team, a landmark 63-17 win over South Carolina and a victory against Tennessee in the Peach Bowl.
That time, Bowden didn't not ask for a raise, just a substantial, two-way buyout that proved the loyalty of both sides.
Phillips would not detail the new buyout. He said it was based on what the ACC's best-paid coaches have in their deals.
This past Sunday after Clemson accepted a bid to the Chick-fil-A Bowl to play Auburn, Bowden told reporters he wanted to stay at Clemson "as long as they want me."
Then came the reports about Bowden's flirtation with Arkansas, seeking a new coach since Houston Nutt left last month.
Long called Phillips last week to ask permission to speak with the football coach. "We certainly understand it's a competitive world out there," Phillips said. "But our bottom line was accomplished."
Bowden was pleased he had the confidence of the athletic department and the university's administration.
"Anytime you sign a new contract, you feel a little better," Bowden said. "It's kind of like Christmas. You keep the gift all year, but when you open it up, it's always a little nicer."
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Steve Spurrier spotted on Duke's campus
DURHAM, N.C. (AP) -- A familiar name from Duke's football past was on campus Wednesday: Steve Spurrier.
The South Carolina coach was at Cameron Indoor Stadium meeting with athletic director Joe Alleva, two days after the Blue Devils fired coach Ted Roof.
The News & Observer of Raleigh reported that Spurrier was seen shaking hands with the AD as they left Duke's primary athletic facility at around 3:20 p.m.
A school spokesman told The Associated Press the two are old friends. Earlier this week, Alleva said he planned to consult with Spurrier during his search for a replacement for Roof, who went 6-45 in four-plus seasons leading the Blue Devils.
Spurrier was 20-13-1 from 1987-89 at Duke, leading the school to its most recent Atlantic Coast Conference title in 1989 before leaving for his alma mater, Florida. He often speaks of his fondness for Duke, voting the Blue Devils No. 25 on his preseason ballot in the coaches' Top 25 as a thank you for his first chance to become a head coach.
Alleva said he would like to hire someone with major college head coaching experience within a month to rebuild a Duke program that hasn't won an ACC game since 2004.
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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