Posted by Tom Fornelli

Is J. Darin Darst crazy? Plenty of emailers seem to think so, and that's just one of the topics discussed on the latest episode of The Doddcast. Dennis Dodd joins Darst and Adam Aizer to talk about the latest news in the movement toward a college football playoff, and discuss Temple's move/return to the Big East.

The boys can't escape March Madness, either, as some college basketball talk makes its way into the episode as well.

To listen, click below, pop the podcast player out in a new window, or download the mp3. And remember that all of the CBSSports.com College Football Podcasts can be downloaded for FREE from the iTunes Store. Enjoy:



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Posted by Chip Patterson

Spring football is in the air, and with our Spring Practice Primers the Eye On College Football Blog gets you up to speed on what to look for on campuses around the country this spring. Today we look at Cincinnati.

Spring Practice Started: Thursday, March 1

Spring Game: Saturday, April 14

Three Things To Look For:

1. Munchie Legaux's encore. Junior quarterback Munchie Legaux had a chance to get comfortable under center in 2011, appearing in seven games and starting in the final three. When Zach Collaros went down with an ankle injury that kept him out for the remainder of the regular season, Legaux stepped in to help the Bearcats claim a share of the Big East title. At times, Legaux was brilliant on the field. He used his athleticism and creativity to keep plays alive, throwing for 749 yards and adding 185 on the ground. But there were also four interceptions in the last four games, and a 47.4 completion percentage on the season. Spring practice will be Legaux's first chance since then to prove he is ready for permanent starting job. Head coach Butch Jones has named Legaux the first-stringer to start workouts, but has described the competition as "wide open."

2. Looking for defensive playmakers. Even after Zach Collaros' ankle injury, the Bearcats' defense helped keep them in games by holding the opposition from reaching the end zone. Cincinnati ranked third in the Big East and No. 20 nationally in scoring defense, allowing just 20.3 points per game. A big part in their defensive success came from fantastic individual playmaking from All-Big East talent like linebacker JK Schaffer and defensive tackle Derek Wolfe. The Bearcats actually allowed an average of 356.4 yards per game, but thanks to playmaking and a Top 10 turnover margin (0.92/game) they were able to step up when it counts. Schaffer and Wolfe are gone now, and the unit will need more playmakers in 2012 to avoid paying the penalty for 300+ yards allowed per game.

3. Butch Jones back under the microscope. Jones' first two seasons as the Bearcats' head coach encompassed the entire spectrum of success. His arrival was accompanied with a drop from back-to-back conference titles to 4-8. The Big East free-fall had Cincinnati fans panicking until Jones delivered a 10-win season and share of the 2011 Big East title. The need for reloading talent is strong now as it has been since Brian Kelly's tenure, and the onus begins to fall on Jones now that "his guys" are starting to hit the field.

Catch up on all the latest Spring Practice Primers and Spring Game dates at our Spring Practice Home

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Posted by Tom Fornelli

Linebacker Jordan Whiting is going home.

The Ohio State linebacker announced via Twitter on Thursday morning that he would be transferring from Ohio State to Louisville to finish his college career. Whiting is from Louisville.



Whiting, a sophomore, only had 1 tackle for Ohio State in 2011 and found himself buried on the depth chart at linebacker. Obviously, given this recent development, he doesn't foresee those circumstances changing under the new regime in Columbus.

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Posted by Chip Patterson

Former Miami Hurricane Glenn Sharpe has been arrested on murder charges in Georgia, according to a local report.

CBS Miami is reporting that Sharpe, 28, is accused of killing Christopher Galloway on Feb. 2 at his home near Stone Mountain, Ga.. Members of the DeKalb County Sheriff's office arrested Sharpe on Thursday at his Lawrenceville home without incident.

Sharpe was named the Brian Piccolo Award winner by the ACC in 2006 after overcoming two serious injuries to make his way back to the field, but is best known for his play in the 2003 BCS National Championship Game. Sharpe was involved in the controversial pass interference call in overtime that gave Ohio State the opportunity to defeat Miami 31-24 in the second overtime.

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Posted by Chip Patterson

CBSSports.com's Brett McMurphy and Dennis Dodd have been reporting from the BCS meetings this week in Dallas, as many of the decision-makers in college football debate the best postseason format for the sport.

The 11 conference commissioners, Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick, two BCS officials and a BCS attorney have begun discussing the possibility of a plus-one format to determine the BCS National Champion. The current BCS contract ends after the 2013-14 season, allowing for a new format beginning with the 2014 regular season.

On Friday, Brett McMurphy joined Tim Brando to discuss the momentum behind the BCS plus-one format.



For more from Brett on the BCS meetings, check out his blog, McMurphy's Law.

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Posted by Chip Patterson

The NCAA announced on Friday the approval of rules changes in college football, including moving the kick off from the 30-yard line to the 35.

While the ball will be kicked from the 35, players on the kicking team can't line up for the play behind the 30-yard line. According to the NCAA, this is intended to limit the running start kicking teams used to have during the play.

Also, touchbacks on free kicks (kickoffs and punts after a safety) will be moved to the 25-yard line instead of the 20. Touchbacks on all other plays will remain at the 20-yard line. According to the Football Rules Committee, this change is meant to encourage more touchbacks from the receiving team.

These changes are a result from examining NCAA data that showed injuries occur more often on kickoffs than in any other phase of the game. By encouraging touchbacks they will limit the amount of times the play is used, especially as higher scoring (see: Big 12) has resulted in more kickoffs.

Another rule change announced Friday could end up affecting games, possibly even more so than the kickoff rules. According to the NCAA, if a player loses his helmet on the play - facemasks and fouls don't count - he must sit out the next play.

Here is the wording from the NCAA release:

Another new rule that goes into effect next season is if a player loses his helmet (other than as the result of a foul by the opponent, such as a facemask), it will be treated like an injury. The player must leave the game and is not allowed to participate for the next play.

Current injury timeout rules guard against using this rule to gain an advantage from stopping the clock. Additionally, if a player loses his helmet, he must not continue to participate in the play, in order to protect him from injury.

If a quarterback or running back loses his helmet late in the fourth quarter of a close game, you can bet coaches will be screaming for flags. Sometimes helmets just pop off, and there could be cases where there is no threat of injury. Regardless, that player must sit out the next play.

Two more adjustments announced on Friday:

The rules panel also approved new wording in the football rules book regarding blocking below the waist. Offensive players in the tackle box at the snap who are not in motion are allowed to block below the waist legally without restriction. All other players are restricted from blocking below the waist with a few exceptions (for example, straight-ahead blocks).

There will also be a new rule prohibiting players from leaping over blockers in an attempt to block a punt. Receiving-team players trying to jump over a shield-blocking scheme has become popular for teams in punt formation. Receiving-team players try to defeat this scheme by rushing into the backfield to block a punt. In some cases, these players are contacted and end up flipping in the air and landing on their head or shoulders.

 
At the core, all of these changes are meant with the intent of improving player safety. As more medical research reveals dangerous aspects of the sport, changes such as these will be necessary to keep football thriving.

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Posted by Chip Patterson

With both the ACC and Big East still trying to work out last minute complications in the 2012 regular season schedule, the league's have needed member schools to make some adjustments. Miami and South Florida have announced a change in their scheduled meeting for 2012, from Nov. 24 to Nov. 17.

The in-state battle has been moved "in order to accommodate the conference scheduling needs of both programs," according to the official release. The 2012 meeting at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens is the second to last scheduled meeting in the series. The Hurricanes will travel to Tampa to face the Bulls on Nov. 30, 2013. Miami currently leads the series 3-1, but the pair have split the last two meetings - both decided by a field goal.

The ACC and Big East are both accustomed to releasing their regular season football schedules by this point in the calendar year. The ACC has been working around the challenges presented by by both West Virginia's cancellation with Florida State, and Georgia Tech's rearranging in order to kick off the season with a Labor Day showdown against Virginia Tech.

According to CBSSports.com's Brett McMurphy, the Big East is close to adding Temple as their eighth team for 2012. If this rescheduling has been done to accommodate both conferences, that would suggest that the ACC and Big East are nearing a conclusion to this headache of a process.

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Posted by Chip Patterson

Pittsburgh head coach Paul Chryst has been busy filling out his first coaching staff, as the Panthers near the opening of spring practice. Over the weekend Chryst announced a realignment on the offensive side, but still needs to fill the positions of quarterbacks coach and running backs coach. According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, former Wisconsin quarterback Brooks Bollinger will likely be named the Panthers' quarterbacks coach for 2012.

Bollinger started four years at Wisconsin, finishing his career in 2003 with a 30-12 record and three bowl victories. As a redshirt freshman, Bollinger was in the backfield with Heisman Trophy winner Ron Dayne when the Badgers won the 2001 Rose Bowl. Bollinger still holds the Badgers' school rushing record for a quarterback, collecting 1,767 yards and 26 touchdowns.

Chryst was never Bollinger's offensive coordinator at Wisconsin, but served as tight ends coach in 2002 when he was the starter. Bollinger is currently serving as head coach at Hill Murray High School in St. Paul, Minn..

According to the Post-Gazette, Bollinger is expected to be named quarterbacks coach in the next few days "barring any last minute snags or changes."

Pittsburgh starts Spring Practice on March 15, check out the full schedule of Spring Practice Dates

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