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Some advice as spring practice begins
Spring practice is upon us, a time when hope is eternal, no one is complaining about the BCS ratings and everyone remains undefeated. If I were a coach, I think I would enjoy spring ball more than any other time of the year. The weather is good. Teaching is the task at hand. And if I made it this far into the calendar year, that means I didn't get fired. Speaking of which, if I were ... ... Drew Henson, I'd play my senior season at Michigan. You can play third base for the Yankees for 15 years (provided you quit striking out so much). You only get to be a senior quarterback in the Big House -- and compete for a Heisman? -- once. That said, if Henson takes the money and leaves the Wolverines adrift, count on sophomore John Navarre to bail them out. Navarre started four games for Michigan last year as Henson recovered from a broken foot. Played well, too. ... Temple coach Bobby Wallace, I'd be nervous. The Owls are quietly trying to get the Big East Conference to reconsider its decision to boot Temple out of the league. The Big East has allowed the Owls to limp along for some time. But Temple has been an anathema to the TV schedulers, and no one outside the conference would agree to play the Owls. The Big East gets on TV because of its non-conference games. But as University of Miami president Tad Foote told me, "People just decided it was time. We didn't see any indication that it would get better." The funny thing is, Temple is going to be pretty salty this year. The Owls will have the third-best defense in the league after Miami and Virginia Tech. Options for the Owls? The Mid-American Conference won't discuss expansion before its league meeting in late May. And don't forget, Conference USA is one team short of having the 12 necessary for a playoff. ... a coach in the SEC West, I'd convince my team that it can win the division. Name one team that can't. ... trying to push for a 12-game season, I'd approve every request for a preseason charity game that comes across my desk, which is exactly what the NCAA has done. When 3-8 New Mexico State agrees to play at Louisville, that's not a special event. That's buying a victory. Everyone in Division I-A may play 12 games in 2002 and 2003, which NCAA regulations allow because there will be 14 Saturdays between Sept. 1 and Dec. 1. It will be fascinating to see the schools wean themselves off the money that a 12th game brings in when we return to 11 games in 2004. Once that toothpaste is squeezed out, it's going to be awfully hard to get it back into the tube. ... going to pick my Heisman finalists right now, I'd be absolutely stupid. But what the heck. Give me Oregon State RB Ken Simonton , Northwestern RB Damien Anderson , Miami QB Ken Dorsey and, here's my dark horse, USC QB Carson Palmer . Don't forget, Palmer has Norm Chow coaching him now. Chow turned N.C. State freshman Philip Rivers into a winning quarterback last fall. Before Rivers, Chow tutored hundreds of outstanding passers at BYU. ..... a Syracuse quarterback, I'd be concerned about coach Paul Pasqualoni's announcement that he's going to help coach me this season. Pasqualoni is a defensive coach. He used to coach linebackers, for heaven's sake. Does the name Mike DuBose ring a bell? The former Alabama defensive-line coach wouldn't stop meddling with his offense, and the Crimson Tide never recovered. DuBose used to say that as a defensive coach, he knew best what offenses needed to do. I ask you: Why hasn't my ability to eat a pecan pie in one sitting turned me into a good baker? It's just not fair. Sports Illustrated senior writer Ivan Maisel covers college football for the magazine and is a frequent contributor to CNNSI.com.
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