College Football

[Wayne SW/MO]

The school doesn't lose out on any of the funds that way and it's purely beneficial.

I wouldn't agree with that. The reason for program is to get athletes, no matter what their economic status is a college education. With the heavy practice schedules, classroom time, and home work many have trouble keeping their grades up and especially getting a degree. It's not hard to see that going south in a hurry and the players making a pass at school for a couple of years, failing and then sitting out another year before heading to the NFL.

[stlfisher]

Here is a different take on the Oklahoma State deal...

http://newsok.com/oklahoma-state-tales-from-a-les-miles-walkon/article/3881699

[Feathers and Fins]

Here is the issue I have, it is not so much in other college sports but football. Because of NFL regulations it forces the kids to go to school or be of "age" that is horse crap pure and simple! A GOOD Baseball or Basketball player could be scooped up and go pro fast. The schools are making MILLIONS off football and with the NFL Rules actually takes at minimum 3 to 4 years of their monetary gain out of their career.

I say let them make money on endorsements or bobble heads or whatever if they can. If the grades suffer then kick them out.

[Guest]

The OSU scandal is an insight into what most bigtime programs do behind the scenes.

Im sure Alabama has its share of recruiting belles that close the deal on top recruits,

[ozark trout fisher]

Missouri continues to look very solid. Franklin had a rough first half but rebounded as well as anyone could reasonably expect. The offense is one of the elite in the country at this point and the defense at least slowed down a very good IU offense. This is a good team, at least at the moment.

You never know, but suddenly those predictions (like mine) of a 7-5 type season are looking pretty conservative. No one in the SEC east is even close to invincible. That's all I'm saying. We need to beat Arkansas State next week. If we get that done then Vandy is a huge, huge game for the program. Beat ASU and Vandy to start 5-0 and you are likely talking about a top 20 national ranking and contention for a major bowl. We can (and likely will) make a bowl with a loss to Vandy but you are probably talking 7-5 at best. Still, need to take it one week and a time and not forget about Arkansas State. A loss there would probably derail the season and any momentum we have.

Still, 8-9 wins seem pretty likely if this team stays healthy and doesn't get complacent. Though Mizzou almost always finds a way to break your heart when your hopes get up. Not just in football, but in pretty much every sport. In other words, beware of Arkansas State this weekend coming off a big road win.

[Wayne SW/MO]

Can't agree F&F. If the NFL wants to change the rules and allow high school grads, or whatever immediately that would be fine. You and I both know they aren't because kids coming out of high school haven had the advantages of professional grooming making them both trained mentally for the big league and even more important physically. They especially need the professional physical conditioning to allow them to survive against professional well conditioned athletes. Footballs different, there's no foul in it when someone runs over you at full speed. The NCAA doesn't hold the athletes hostage, the NFL does.

College ball is like boot camp, you don't get paid much, but you do get a lot of live saving conditioning and instruction.