Press Release from Clear Channel:

On Monday, February 15 Cincinnati sports radio brands will be realigned both on air and online.  All ESPN radio programming will be moved to WCKY-AM (1530), teaming the Mike and Mike Morning Show, which features Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic, with Mo Egger and local sports talk each afternoon. With this move, Cincinnati sports fans will enjoy popular drive time programming in one place on the 50,000 watt signal of “ESPN1530” and online at espn1530.com.

Along with the move of ESPN programming to the more powerful signal, the station will also broadcast Major League Baseball games, the MLB play-offs and World Series, NBA games and play-offs. It will continue to be the Cincinnati radio home to the University of Kentucky and the University of Louisville football and basketball broadcasts. ESPN1530 will also continue as the Home of the Cincinnati Bengals, carrying all Bengals’ broadcasts, pre-season, regular season and post-season.

Fox Sports Radio programming will now be heard fulltime on WSAI-AM (1360). Popular personalities, including Ohio native Dan Patrick, Jim Rome and Tony Bruno will all be heard on WSAI-AM (1360) as the station is rebranded as “Fox Sports1360.”

Online, one of the most visited websites in Cincinnati media, 1530homer.com will be rebranded as homer247.com. The new site will continue to be the go to website for all things sports and the lifestyle of a young male consumer. The very popular blogs of Lance McAlister, Mo Egger and Nick Brunker will continue on this rebranded website, along with breaking sports and lifestyle news.

“The most powerful brand in sports, ESPN, is now combined with the most popular afternoon drive sports talk show in the Cincinnati market,” said ESPN1530 program director Tony Bender. “Plus, some of the biggest events in sports will be combined in one place, on ESPN1530! New ratings research has shown the Mike and Mike Morning Show to be one of the top shows in the market each morning for male consumers. This move gives the sports’ fan access to Mike and Mike on a much more powerful signal,” concluded Bender.

The moves of the Fox Sports Radio and ESPN programming will take place beginning at 6am Monday, February 15, as the Mike and Mike Morning Show will be simulcast on both ESPN1530 and Fox Sports1360. At 10am the final switch of programming will take place.

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MY TAKE: This is a great move for Clear Channel and local sports radio listeners. "Mike & Mike In the Morning" is the best sports talk show on. While I personally watch it on ESPN2, it will now be nice to know that I have an option. In addition, I for one am getting tired of Jim Rome and his "have a take, don't suck" attitdue. "The Herd" with Colin Cowherd is more refreshing and thought provoked. The lost hour of programing (2p-3p) with the "Scott Van Pelt Show" seems like a wasteland, but in syndicated radio that is sometimes with what your left for. The real question becomes how long 1360 stays a sports station.

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The Big Ten (or 11 with Penn State) has been talking expansion for months, but the debate would be which school would be the best fit.

Should they add one team? Or would three make more sense?

After many scuffled at the talk of Texas fleeing the Big 12 to join Big Ten, it now appears like at least a possibility.

The Lawrence Journal-World out of Kansas reported today that a source with ties to the Big Ten said that while most people’s attention has been trained on the conference stealing Missouri, the Big Ten has engaged in “preliminary exchanges” with a much bigger fish from the Big 12.

“There have been preliminary exchanges between the Big Ten and Texas,” the source told the paper on Wednesday. “People will deny that, but it’s accurate.”

What would have seemed impossible just a few years back, has been changed by the Big Ten Network.

Per St. Louis Business Journal the Big 12 doled out $103 million in revenue during the academic year that ended June 30, 2008, according to the most recent Internal Revenue Service filings available. The conference disburses some of its money based on the number of television appearances each school makes. Texas led the way with $10.2 million.

The Big Ten, by comparison, passed along nearly $207 million to its members in 2008. Each member school received about $18.8 million. Accounting for a 12th school, the disbursements would still top $17 million each. That number is estimated to grow to more than $20 million this year, even accounting for a 12th school, as the Big Ten television revenue continues to increase from various rights agreements and its 51 percent ownership of the new Big Ten Network.

By adding the Longhorns the Big Ten would hit a homerun and Texas has already proved over and over that money talks.  It will be interesting to see how it all unfolds.

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Here are my top 10 wideouts enterting the draft...

1. Dez Bryant, Oklahoma St.
2. Damian Williams, USC 
3. Golden Tate, Notre Dame 
4. Brandon LaFell, Tennessee
5. Arrelious Benn, Illinois
6. Demaryius Thomas, Georgia Tech
7. Jeremy Williams, Tulane
8. Mardy Gilyard, Cincinnati
9. Dexter McCluster, Ole Miss
10. Jordan Shipley, Texas

Here are what others are saying...
--FootballFutures.com
--WalterFootball.com
--DraftDaddy.com

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Lance McAlister brought a good point on his blog regarding the potential expansion of the NCAA Tournament from 65 to 96. As you see most leagues place a much larger percentage of their teams into the tournament.

NCAA football: 68 of 119 play in bowl games, 57%
NBA: 16 of 30, 53.3%
NFL: 12 of 32, 37.5%
MLB: 8 of 30, 26.6%
NCAA basketball: 65 of 347, 18.7%
NCAA basketball (if expanded to 96): 96 of 347, 27.6%

One good thing an expansion would do is eliminate the play in game. Or would it create another 16 freaking play-in games.

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Here's a pretty good read on Brian Kelly's impact in South Bend...

With two of the most prolific passers in Notre Dame history in Brady Quinn and Jimmy Clausen, the Irish finished in the top half of the nation in time of possession in four of the five seasons under Weis.

In 2006, the Irish went 9-3 and were third in the country in time of possession at 32:51. Last season, they were 12th at 31:55.

Cincinnati, with its quick-strike offense, was dead last in the nation in time of possession in 2009 at 25:46, just as Kelly was in 2006 at Central Michigan. Despite that, the Bearcats (12-1) were fourth in the nation in scoring at 38.6 points a game. The Irish (6-6) were 32nd at 30.1 points a game.

Kelly isn't bothered by the lack of ball control.

MORE (ESPN.com)

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from NBCSports.com:

Helped themselves - Mardy Gilyard, WR/KR, Cincinnati
Though Gilyard did not dominate at Mobile, he showed he has the athleticism and explosiveness to be a playmaker in the NFL. Throughout practice, he had no trouble getting separation from defenders and displayed the agility to change directions in a flash. He also looked good as a returner. He dropped some passes during the week, raising concerns about his hands. But he caught the ball well in the game — as he did in games all season — and flashed his knack for making big plays. He had a big return and pulled in a 32-yard TD pass on an over-the-shoulder catch. Though some may still have concerns about his hands, we hear Gilyard has locked up a spot between picks 20 and 45.

Hurt themselves - Sean Canfield, QB, Oregon State
After struggling throughout the week, Canfield did not step up in the game. In practice, he showed a slow throwing motion and struggled to get enough zip on his passes, which floated and tended to dip and die in front of receivers. In the game, he also looked slow and deliberate. Defenders were able to read him and make plays on the ball. After arriving in Mobile with a chance to be a third-round pick if he shined, Canfield has probably fallen into sixth- or seventh-round territory.

COMPLETE ARTICLE

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from NFL.com:

STOCK UP
Tony Pike, Cincinnati, QB
It's way too early to judge Pike's ability to grasp a pro offense, but based on his performance during his initial practice, it is apparent that he has the arm strength to make all of the throws on the next level. He showed good touch on his intermediate and deep balls, but still needs to improve his consistency and accuracy from the pocket. While some of his struggles can be attributed to him adjusting to take snaps from under center, Pike's upside has to be encouraging for teams hoping that he can make a quick transition from a spread offensive system to a conventional pro-style scheme.

STOCK DOWN
Mardy Gilyard, Cincinnati, WR
The "do-it-all" playmaker earned rave reviews throughout the season due to his dependable hands and game-changing ability. However, he had his struggles holding onto the ball during his first practice, and didn't look like a prototypical No.1 receiver. To his credit, Gilyard did flash some explosiveness with the ball in his hands, but he has to show more consistency as a pass catcher to remain among the elite receivers in this year's draft class.

COMPLTE ARTICLE

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Freaking hilarious Lane Kiffin tribute from YouTube:

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SI.com recently ranked the top college football hires this off-season:

Notre Dame (Brian Kelly, Cincinnati head coach): A
It seems like the most ideal match imaginable, with the school landing its first choice (for once). Kelly is Irish-Catholic, charismatic, a proven winner and practitioner of a brand of offense that's both exciting and simpler than Charlie Weis' NFL schemes. If Notre Dame fails to return to glory this time, Domers will have a hard time claiming the school hired the wrong guy.

Cincinnati (Butch Jones, Central Michigan head coach): A-
The formula worked once already. Cincinnati AD Mike Thomas replaced Kelly with the guy who replaced him at CMU three years earlier. Jones, 42, a longtime Kelly protégé who also worked under Rich Rodriguez at West Virginia, won two MAC titles in three years and has all the makings of a star. The only possible downside: He, too, will likely move upward if successful.

Kentucky (Joker Phillips, UK offensive coordinator): B+
Retired coach Rich Brooks named Phillips, 46, his successor two years ago, and the move proved prophetic. The Wildcats are enjoying a rare era of stability (four straight bowl trips), and Phillips' ascension assures continuity from the Brooks era. The Kentucky native has already helped elevate the program's talent level. Now he gets the chance to lead those players.

Louisville (Charlie Strong, Florida defensive coordinator): A+
Strong's call to the head coaching ranks was long overdue, and Louisville is a great fit. While the Cardinals had a great run of high-powered offenses under John L. Smith and Bobby Petrino, Strong, a renowned defensive whiz, could prove a great equalizer in the Big East, where there are so few top-level defenses. He should be able to recruit well and turn things around in a hurry.

COMPLETE REPORT CARD

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SI.com projected next year's top 25 in college football:

1. Alabama
2. Boise State

3. Ohio State
Now that the Buckeyes have cast the BCS bowl gorilla from their backs, it's time to work on Ohio State's personal King Kong -- the BCS title game. The Buckeyes have the talent. They have experience at key positions. Their only problem? The 2010 Big Ten will be deeper than it's been in years.

4. Texas
5. Iowa
6. Oregon
7. TCU
8. Georgia Tech
9. Virginia Tech
10. Wisconsin

19. Cincinnati
Losing coach Brian Kelly, quarterback Tony Pike and receiver Mardy Gilyard certainly hurts the Bearcats, but don't expect them to fall off the face of the earth. We already know quarterback Zach Collaros can play, and we already know coach Butch Jones can follow Kelly successfully. Cincy should still compete for the Big East title.

COMPLETE TOP 25

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Just 14 months after taking the job and just three weeks away from signing day, Lane Kiffin suddenly stepped down as the head coach at Tennessee to assume the same position at USC.

It happened quickly after Pete Carroll surprisingly left the Trojans earlier this week to coach the Seattle Seahawks.  When Jaguars’ head coach and USC alum Jack Del Rio opted to stay in the NFL, Kiffin became the Trojans’ top choice.

"This was not an easy decision," Kiffin, 34, said in a hastily called press conference. "It's something that happened very quick, a decision that myself and my family made. We've been here 14 months, the support has been unbelievable here, and I really believe this is probably the only place I would have left here to go was to go to Southern Cal.

"There's so many people to thank, so I'm just going to generically say I'm very thankful to all the Tennessee people for the way they welcomed myself and our family."

****
While I understand the business part of college football and why Kiffin left, I can’t justify the way he handled himself.  What exactly has he accomplished? The way he handled the situation was poor and after staying just 14 months in Knoxville the whole thing just feels so dirty. Maybe both Kiffin and USC will get what they deserve – NCCA probabtion!

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You may not like the Crimson Tide, but you are going to love these 'Bama girls...

MORE PICS (TotalProSports.com)

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The Alabama Crimson Tide defeated the Texas Longhorns 37-21 in one of the most bizarre and ugly national championship games I ever watched.

Texas quarterback Colt McCoy, who returned for his senior year just for this minute, was forced out of the game in the Longhorn’s very first series.  Already a large underdog, Texas had the wind taken from its sail right out of the gate.

Freshman Garrett Gilbert was thrown into the heat of the action and struggled mightily through the first half before settling down to lead a Longhorns’ rally against a Crimson Tide team that had already assumed victory when they headed to the locker room.

Despite the misfortunate injury and the speculation that accompanies it, Alabama clearly still earned the championship. 

Still, how bad does it suck for McCoy? In his past two games he nearly cost his team a chance to even play in this game by not paying attention to the clock, watched as his Heisman hopes went down the drain and now gets robbed at the shot at championship he had worked so hard for.

Mark Ingram, the Heisman trophy winner, was awarded the game's Offensive MVP award. Defensive MVP honors went to Marcell Dareus who knocked Colt McCoy out of the game and returned an interception for a touchdown.

Nick Saban became the only coach to win two BCS Championships at two different schools. He led LSU to the title in 2003.

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Regardless of what happened in Thursday's Texas-Alabama game, the BCS committe once again is going to have a unamious national championship, leaving little controversy. With TV ratings for all of the bowl games soaring why in the world would they mess with it? They won't, but they should.

It is not that the college football games aren't good, its the fact they could be that much better. What makes March Madness so special? If we want to just put Kentucky, Kansas and Texas in the Final Four now we could, but that would ruin the fun.

The problem is nobody has suggested any alternative that makes sense.

AN ALTERNATIVE THAT MIGHT WORK (BleacherReport.com)

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from FoxSports.com:

The scariest part of the epic mismatch between Florida and Cincinnati on Friday night was not Tim Tebow’s record-setting numbers in the final game of his brilliant career. It was the overmatched, overwhelmed Bearcats having come within one second of playing in the BCS Championship game rather than the Allstate Sugar Bowl.

That’s right. The team that Tebow strafed for 482 passing yards with 31 completions on 35 attempts was thisclose to turning the title matchup into a sham.

Cincinnati finished third in the final regular-season BCS standings behind Alabama and Texas. If the Longhorns had lost to Nebraska in the Big 12 championship game, the Bearcats probably would have moved up to No. 2 and would be preparing to play the Crimson Tide in a winner-takes-all game in Pasadena on Jan. 7.

What a horrifying thought.

COMPLETE ARTILCE

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