We know that universities spend an inordinate amount of money on their revenue athletic programs, on things like ridiculous salaries for football coaches, stadium renovations, and state-of-the-art practice facilities. But now schools are dumping more and more money into tutoring and other “academic services” for athletes. Many programs are spending well over $1 million per year on such things, further calling into question the “student” part of student-athlete.

In other words, not only are you now getting a free education, but you’re also getting free help to accomplish what normal students are expected to do on their own. And tutoring means different things to different people. At the University of Minnesota, it once meant actually writing papers for players. At many public universities now, your tax money is going to fund elaborate facilities solely designed to help athletes with their classwork. Are BCS athletic departments turning into diploma mills?

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Here’s some Earth-Shattering Breaking News of Monumental Proportions for you: Less than 24 hours after his team’s horrendous 45-0 loss to Mississippi in the “most lopsided Egg Bowl in 37 years”, Sylvester Croom is stepping down from his head coaching position at Mississippi State. Guess Mississippi State fans can take something positive out of the loss.

(C’mon, Sylvester! Turn that frown upside-down!)

Croom, who five years ago got inducted into the race relations history books by becoming the SEC’s first black head football coach, leaves behind him a legacy of, well, not being very good. Let’s take a look at his five-year reign after the jump.

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I’m still in recovery mode from the UCLA-Tennessee game yesterday. Between the broiling temps before and during the game, the pregame and stadium-smuggled booze, and the four-hour game itself, I was positively toast late last night. As it should be.

(SbB Girl Alex with Tennessee Defensive Coaching Staff)

The highlight of the game for me was actually having 50-yard line seats (21st row) for the first time in my life, something for which I can thank My Boy Barry:

(50-yard line seats? By now you prob know the reason why)

Those seats had me squarely inside a blue-veined artery of the UCLA alum section, so I’m happy to report that I wasn’t bothered by undo noise or impaired sight lines, at least until the Bruins’ late-game comeback.

(Only thing more overexposed than this pic? The Vols’ secondary)

The thing that most struck me about the game was the lack of adjusts made by the UT defensive coaching staff in the second half. It was clear what Norm Chow’s strategy was with Kevin Craft after his diarrhea-inducing first half performance: throw nothing but quick, short passes.

In the final two quarters, I don’t think Kraft looked off his primary intended receiver once. So with that the case, why didn’t the Vols defensive backs and linebackers start to jump the routes? (Think the CHiPs on Labor Day weekend.)

As an alumnus of the Univ. of Georgia, I’d like to issue an enthusiastic salute to those Knoxvillians who saw fit to give Phil Fulmer a seven-year contract extension last July. Now I’ll know just who to call about getting those elusive Sunday, late-December Chik-Fil-A sandwiches.

My biggest disappointment at the Rose Bowl last night?

How could the Vols not bring the real Smokey? At least I didn’t see him at the game last night.

No wonder he can afford to hire a stand in!

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