Remember last month’s somewhat incredible story about fired Kansas State football coach Ron Prince’s double-secret $3.2 million buyout agreement? It raised a few eyebrows but mostly resulted in a couple chuckles at the expense of the supposedly rogue former athletic director who inked the deal, and that was it. The university claimed that it was a one-off bizarro agreement, and everyone went back to ignoring the ag school in the middle of the Sunflower State.

(KSU Vice-Chancellor for Financial Affairs, Slappy McEnron)

Today, however, all hell is breaking loose out in the Little Apple (that’s Manhattan, Kansas, if you’re unfamiliar with the hip Kansas lingo) with the release of a confidential university audit performed over recent months and just made public in the past day or two. As it turns out, Ron Prince’s little side bet with former AD Bob Krause is just business as usual for a university that possibly committed some serious financial fraud.

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• Kim Kardashian tosses the pigskin while showing some skin of her own:

• Hilary Rhoda, the marvelous model in Mark Sanchez’s GQ photoshoot, is apparently dating the Jets QB.

• A lawyer who’s previously represented many Denver Broncos players is now defending those responsible in Darrent Williams’ shooting death.

• Eric Naposki: From NFL linebacker to murderer of a millionaire.

• NASCAR suspends Carl Long for 12 races & fines his crew chief $200,000 for using an engine that was too big.

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Unless you live in Kansas or harbor a severe masochistic streak, you’d be forgiven for not following Kansas State football the past few years, as the once-proud program went from Big XII powerhouse to laughingstock in the matter of a few short years under comically inept head coach Ron Prince.

(You stay classy, Ron Prince.)

Over the past 24 hours, however, the Kansas State Wildcats have stormed back into the consciousness of college football fans in a way they never could on the field, with a whopping tale of intrigue involving deposed coach Prince, secret backroom deals, illegal contracts, shell companies, shady boosters, and the firing of former athletic director Bob Krause.

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What’s tougher than Big 12 defenses? Well, a lot of things, judging by the stats compiled by a number of Big 12 South quarterbacks this season. Chief among them, however, is the prospect of facing air-tight child abuse charges, exactly the scenario that former Kansas State running back Leon Patton is staring right in the face after a Friday arraignment.

(Patton’s grip on his son was looser than his grip on the ball.)

According to the ASSOCIATED PRESS, Patton will face the charge in court on Jan. 26 after police determined that Patton “unlawfully and feloniously and intentionally shook,” a two-month old infant July 15 at his Manhattan, Kansas house. That infant just so happens to be his son.

Evidently Patton just never got the whole, “Don’t shake babies!” message, which is pretty inexcusable. It’s not exactly a hard message to get through one’s skull.

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If you think Christmas with your family is awkward, imagine what it’s going to be like at Virginia coach Al Groh’s house. After all, nothing says “Happy Holidays” quite like having to fire one of your sons. And that’s just what the DAILY PROGRESS says has happened: Groh has given his son, Cavalier offensive coordinator Mike, the axe along with two other assistants.

Talk about a Grinch. Receiving a pink slip for Christmas is hardly a Red Rider BB gun - in fact, I suspect Mike would have rather received a set of pink bunny pajamas than that.

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You know, there might be something to be said for college football coaches getting out of Dodge right away after “deciding” not to come back next year. Saturday was not kind to the lame duck coach, especially poor Phil Fulmer, who is fading off into the sunset in shockingly dismal fashion.

(Don’t worry, Phil, it’s almost over)

Remember when Tennessee’s loss to UCLA in the season opener was considered an upset? The Vols somehow managed to sink to a new low this week, while Washington is still 0-for-the-season and Kansas State lost their fourth in a row. But it’s Tennessee’s loss that is sending shockwaves through the college football world.

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In terms of people I wouldn’t mind seeing be forced to eat a slice of Broken Glass cake and wash it down with a big, ice cold glass of battery acid, child abusers are right at the top. Especially now that I have a daughter. So it’s with seething eyes that I read on RIVALS.COM that Kansas State running back Leon Patton was arrested on Thursday and charged with child abuse, with the alleged victim being his four-month-old son.

Wildcats head coach Ron Prince has already reacted swiftly, kicking Patton off of the team. According to KAKE-TV in Wichita, Patton has already been indefinitely suspended from the team after pleading no contest in July to charges relating to the theft of two video games from a Wal-Mart and unpaid tickets. Based on the nature of the charges now against him, I’m going to go out on a limb and assume that the games weren’t kid’s games like Pokemon.

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• DEADSPIN happily informs us that the “Boom Goes The Dynamite” guy has found himself a real life sports reporting job.

• WITH LEATHER will happily rain on the Olympic beach volleyball parade.

• BLOG OF HILARITY finds USC WR Vidal Hazelton going the Vince Young/Jeff Reed route in having some shirtless fun with his buddies.

• MR. IRRELEVANT finds a classic Redskins hog hat that’s the tops.

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