Conference Expansion: What Will Happen (Part II of II)

Note: Go back and read Part I to find out how we got here.

Now that news of Nebraska's move has come out, more sources from ESPN say that Colorado - a fellow member of Nebraska's in the Big XII - has officially decided to accept an invitation to join the Pac-10.

These are just the starting dominoes, folks. There is still a TON of movement left, and right here, right now on June 10, 2010, I'm going to tell you exactly how it's going to end up. School by school, each school will be accounted for, and this blog is going to make you the smartest person in the room when it comes to conference expansion and realignment.

The Pac-16 and the Big 16 Come To Life

It's already begun with the Big 10, and it won't stop with just Nebraska. Here is what the "Big 16" is going to look like in five years:

Big 16 Division 1: Minnesota, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Illinois, Northwestern
Big 16 Division 2: Indiana, Purdue, Michigan, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Cincinnati, Penn State

The Big 10 adds three Big XII members in this scenario. Missouri and Nebraska are no-brainers; these teams have been rumored to be connected with the Big Ten since expansion talk started, and they should come as no surprise. The other new teams are the ones that should raise the most eyebrows - Kansas, Notre Dame, and Cincinnati. This will be explained momentarily.

The Pac-10 has also made initial invitations to other schools, but here is what that conference (which I will call the Pac-16) will look like 5 years from now:

Pac-16 Division 1: Washington, Washington State, Oregon, Oregon State, Cal-Berkeley, Stanford, Southern California, UCLA
Pac-16 Division 2: Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech

This comes as no surprise as the beginnings of this have already begun to take shape. With Nebraska's move to the Big Ten (combined with Colorado's move to the Pac-10), the rest of the Big XII senses the beginning of the end of the conference. Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State will all accept their invitations to join the Pac-10, forming the new Pac-16 and substantially crippling the Big XII to the point where it is no longer a viable conference.

With the Big XII essentially dead, the rest of the conference that remains - Iowa State, Baylor, Kansas, Kansas State, and Missouri - start looking for new homes, and quickly. Missouri is at this point almost a sure thing to join the Big 10, who will be forced to expand to 16 rather than sticking at 12 teams to stay competitive with the new Pac-16 super-conference. With Missouri, the Big 10 now faces some tough choices. Teams like Iowa State and Baylor don't fit the Big 10 mold, and as a result I think they are left to find another conference. Kansas and Kansas State is a different case altogether.

Kansas and Kansas State: Friends or Foes

The big hangup between Kansas and Kansas State is their sentiment to stay together if at all possible. What will likely play out is that Kansas will get an invitation to the new Big 16, but Kansas State does not. The reasons Kansas gets an invitation and Kansas State doesn't are easy to understand: Kansas has a better athletic program, more potential revenue for the Big 16, and comes with a Missouri rivalry already in place. Although Kansas football isn't as strong as some other programs in the Big 16 - and without a doubt it's football money that is driving this entire realignment - the opportunities for them in other sports like basketball is too lucrative for the Big 16 to ignore.

With that invitation, the next question that follows is obvious - would Kansas leave Kansas State in the lurch and jump to join the Big 16 super-conference? When faced with a decision to join a super-conference assured of remaining among the nation's elite or staying with a school in your home state just because you share borders, I think it makes too much sense for Kansas to join the Big 16, and they will leave Kansas State to fend for themselves.

Kansas State joins Iowa State in a second-tier conference, like Conference USA or (more likely) the Mountain West.

Notre Dame Swallows A Bitter Pill - And None Too Soon

In case you've been keeping count, you will realize that the Big 16 only has 14 teams at this point. This is where Notre Dame comes into play. All along, the Golden Domers have maintained that they want to preserve their conference independence. For years, the Fighting Irish have valued their position as the exemption to the rule of college football, relying on their wealth (of tradition) and competitive national product as currency for television deals and BCS tie-ins. However, not even Knute Rockney can save Notre Dame from conference expansion.

If Notre Dame stays as an independent, they stand to lose as much as $8M a year in television revenue, and even more with potential bowl tie-ins and other forms of revenue. And that's just in football. For other sports, Notre Dame competes in the Big East Conference, the next target for the Big 16's expansion. If the Big East starts to crumble, the other major conferences left - the Atlantic Coast Conference and the Southeastern Conference - will undoubtedly scoop up the remainders (and this is reflected in the plans for those conference, to be addressed later).

Notre Dame is home to a lot of very intelligent people, not the least of which is athletic director Jack Swarbrick. He will see the writing on the wall with the Big East, and understand that in order to continue Notre Dame's tradition of excellence and competition of the highest order, he will make the tough decision to join the Big 16 and sustain Notre Dame's reputation as an elite college athletics power.

The Big East also starts to get nervous, as the Big 16 completes its population with Cincinnati, a program that is competitive in multiple sports including football and adds a natural rival for Ohio State. Cincinnati, arguably the Big East's best current football program remaining, signals the beginning of the end for the conference at the hands of the ACC and the SEC.

The ACC and the SEC Stand Off...Then Think Better Of It

With two super-conferences now fully formed, the ACC and SEC appear to be at odds with each other. By inhabiting similar geographical areas, it makes sense that they would be at each other's throats, ready to kill off the other one, right?

Wrong, and this is where conventional logic will come into play.

Logic states that the SEC - undoubtedly the stronger product on the football field - would have the upper hand in an expansion scenario; with a higher earning potential with a new TV deal (to be negotiated by the calculating commissioner Mike Slive) and an already superior on-the-field product, they should have their choice of ACC schools. However, geography will play a large role in the SEC's decision, and it might surprise you to find out that the SEC does not gain anything substantial from adding ACC schools.

Why The ACC Remains Intact, Despite Potential SEC Interest

The schools that the SEC would reportedly be interested in adding (according to multiple SEC sources) from the ACC are Florida State, Miami, Georgia Tech, and Clemson. However, there are multiple reasons why the SEC will think better of trying to add these four teams.

1. ACC's new TV deal. Not substantially worse than the SEC's similar deal with ESPN, and definitely not so bad that teams would be crawling over each other to leave the conference. ACC commissioner John Swofford will be quick to bring this up to anyone who tries to mention that the ACC is not viable, and there is almost assuredly a clause about expansion if that situation arises.

2. SEC's old TV deal. The way their deal with ESPN is currently set up, there is a clause about expansion (as Commissioner Silve pointed to a few weeks back) but chances are if the SEC were to expand to 16 teams they would want to re-up and change some terms of the agreement, which would probably cause ESPN to balk. Furthermore, it's not in ESPN's best interest to take away quality from money they just spent (see #1) to add to money they've spent as well; this isn't a case of re-appropriation for ESPN, but rather product dilution, something that those in Bristol, CT could advise the SEC against looking at the ACC for expansion options.

3. Academic emphasis. Being a part of the Association of American Universities counts for more than people think. Schools like Clemson and Florida State have benefited greatly from being a part of the ACC and the AAU. This is the main reason Miami actually remains a member of the ACC; their chancellor puts a huge emphasis on academic achievement, something that would suffer with SEC membership.

4. History. Clemson is an original member of the ACC, Georgia Tech might as well be, and FSU had the chance to join the SEC 20 years ago and decided not to. Leaving that to go to the SEC is certainly conceivable, but with the current system every one of those schools still plays their rival and benefits from being in a more complete conference. Being a part of those traditional ACC rivalries - particularly for Clemson and Georgia Tech - will go a long way to ensure the ACC remains together, and makes the SEC's job a lot harder to try to pry them away.

5. Fit. The SEC wants to add teams that will really boost the competitiveness of the league, and hypothetically they feel those teams are the four I've mentioned (FSU, Miami, Georgia Tech, and Clemson). They also feel like those teams would jump at the chance to join the mighty SEC. That attitude could turn off these teams - especially Georgia Tech and Clemson - who have been very happy with the ACC, and been happy with the lengths the league has gone through to make sure they are happy being in the conference. Again, this makes the SEC's job a lot harder when trying to add teams from the ACC.

6. New TV markets. Really this is the major reason that will cause the SEC to look outside the normally reported schools. The four schools in the ACC - if a part of the SEC - do not bring any new television markets for the SEC at all. That means little to no opportunity for additional television revenue for the SEC, and an even less likely scenario for the conference to renegotiate a newer, more lucrative television deal.

It is for these reasons that I believe the ACC and the SEC do not end up raiding each other, but rather focus on splitting up the rest of the Big East, which is already teetering on the brink of extinction itself.

The New ACC and SEC Become Realities, and the Big East Loses FBS Football Once and For All

With both the ACC and the SEC possessing a stable detente, both look to raid the remaining members of the Big East to become 16-team super-conferences.

ACC Atlantic Division: Boston College, Clemson, Connecticut, Florida State, Maryland, North Carolina State, Rutgers, Wake Forest
ACC Coastal Division: Dook, Georgia Tech, Miami, North Carolina, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Virginia, Virginia Tech

The ACC moves quickly to add Big East teams that fit their athletic and academic profile, and come away with a strong haul. Expanding with Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Syracuse, and Connecticut improve the league's competition in football and basketball, and geographically fit the conference footprint as well.

SEC East: Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisville, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, West Virginia
SEC West: Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Baylor, Louisiana State, Mississippi, Mississippi State, South Florida

The SEC gains natural rivals for both Kentucky and Florida, as well as expanding their footprint into Texas with Baylor and West Virginia with WVU. Their product in football is enhanced with all four of these teams, while Louisville, West Virginia, and Baylor also substantially improve the basketball product of the SEC.

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And so, after much deliberation and explanation, you now know how this entire college realignment process will turn out. You are now one of the experts in college expansion, and can dazzle your friends with your depth of knowledge into this complex and ever-evolving situation.

And it's all thanks to Hail To The Brightest Star Of All. Don't forget that. Pawn these ideas off as your own, but then direct your audience to this blog...that of course, agrees with you and your infinite wisdom about college realignment.

Conference Expansion: How We Got Here (Part I of II)

News broke on ESPN and OrangeBloods.com that Nebraska is officially moving to the Big Ten Conference, and that the Big XII Conference is in danger of folding. If you're late to this story (or have recently returned from a trip to Neptune), let's recap how we got here:

December 2009: The Big Ten officially announces that they will investigate expansion options to move from 11 to 12 teams.

February-March 2010: Notre Dame rebuffs the idea that they would relinquish their independent status to join the Big Ten.

March-April 2010: Texas politely decides that joining the Big Ten would not be in their best interests.

June 4th, 2010: Amongst swirling reports, the Big XII commissioner Dan Beebe issues ultimatums to member institutions Nebraska and Missouri to decide whether they want to remain in the Big XII or move to the Big 10.

June 6th, 2010: Reports surface that the Pac-10 will also actively investigate conference expansion, but invitations would go to current Big XII teams Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, and Colorado.

June 7th, 2010: The Pac-10 announces that their commissioner Larry Scott has been authorized to offer as many invitations as he deems necessary to improve the conference.

June 9th, 2010: Nebraska reportedly accepts an offer to join the Big 10 Conference. A concurrent report runs that Texas officials claim "The Big XII is dead."

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So that's where we are now. Where will we end up? I'll tell you in Part II.

FIFA World Cup Crash Course (In Less Than 500 Words)

1. It’s the FIFA World Cup. Not the World Cup, not the Cup, not “that soccer tournament”. This is the biggest sporting event in the world, so know what it’s called. If you need to abbreviate it, call it “the tournament”. Being elitist is the first step to sounding like you know what you’re talking about.

2. The FIFA World Cup is in South Africa this year. This is important because it’s the first time a major sporting event of this magnitude has been on the African continent. Know that “Soccer City” – the primary venue for the tournament in Johannesburg – was not built from scratch (originally FNB Stadium, capacity 80,000), seats 94,700, and was the site of a 1990 Nelson Mandela rally after he was released from prison.

3. Nobody likes the official ball. Adidas developed this year’s FIFA World Cup ball, called “Jabulani” (Zulu for “rejoice”). If you like Adidas gear, then you like the ball. If you’re more of a Nike person, the ball is an abomination. Embrace that idea quickly. (Bonus points for mentioning that you think the altitude in Jo’burg will affect the flight pattern of the ball despite the supposed improvements to aerodynamics, and that it was developed in conjunction with Loughborough University in the UK.)

4. Watch Argentina any chance you can get. If you’ve watched ESPN’s SportsCenter the last 18 months, there has been one soccer player who has consistently gotten coverage – Argentinean midfielder Lionel (pronounced LEE-on-EL) Messi. The game’s best player, he is incredibly creative and fluid with the ball, and can score goals seemingly at will.

5. The United States is your team to surprise everyone. While the Yanks are becoming a vogue pick to do well in this year’s FIFA World Cup, picking them to get to the quarterfinals is bold. Do it. They have a good blend of talent and athleticism, and their runner-up finish in the 2009 Confederations Cup (held in South Africa, won by Brazil, US beat Spain 2-0, read two-NIL, not zero) doesn’t make this as risky a pick as you might initially think. Midfielder Landon Donovan is the guy you should know. (Bonus points if you can successfully mention that the US actually finished 3rd in the 1930 FIFA World Cup, won by Uruguay.)

6. PICKS: England (and forward Wayne Rooney) as your dark horse to win it all, and Germany (and key F Miroslav Klose, who fills in for injured captain Michael Ballack) makes a run. Portugal (with F Christiano Ronaldo) will disappoint, as will Italy (and top goalkeeper Buffon, pronounced boo-FON).

7. Winner: Spain. There have only been six countries to win the World Cup (Uruguay, Brazil, England, West Germany, France, Italy). Spain is not one of them, but they’re the most talented team from top to bottom, have one of the best players in the entire tournament in feminine-looking forward Fernando Torres, and they’ve placed a ton of emphasis on winning the FIFA World Cup in 2010.

NFL Mock Draft

A little more than 24 hours away from draft time, so here is my one – and surprisingly only – mock draft for 2010. Enjoy!

1. Rams – Sam Bradford, QB Oklahoma.
Analysis: This has been essentially set in stone since the Rams released QB Marc Bulger. For a team once holding the moniker “The Greatest Show on Turf”, St. Louis has been anything but; they ranked 29th in total offense in 2009, and that was despite RB Steven Jackson ranking second in the league for rushing yards with 1,416. Bradford has tremendous accuracy and proved he has fully recovered from a scary shoulder injury at the beginning of last season. He has great leadership potential, elite size for the quarterback position, and is the true embodiment of what teams are looking for when they say “franchise quarterback”. Bradford is the complete package, and deserves to go first overall based on his body of work and raw potential.

2. Lions – Ndamukong Suh, DT Nebraska.
Analysis: If you ask me, Suh has the natural ability to be the best defensive tackle since Warren Sapp, and is the best overall player in the 2010 Draft. He has the explosiveness and strength in the prototypical 4-3 DT that you look for, and a recent ESPN Sport Science study measured Suh’s hitting force to be equivalent to a freight train – literally. Even though the Lions actually won a game last year, they still ranked dead last in total defense and passing defense, and 25th in rushing defense.

3. Buccaneers – Gerald McCoy, DT Oklahoma.
Analysis: McCoy could have been a top-5 pick last year (along with his Sooner teammate Bradford), but chose to come back for his senior season where he had 32 tackles and 6 sacks from his DT position. There are some who say McCoy could be considered a better prospect than Ndamukong Suh based on McCoy’s NFL Combine performance in February. The Bucs went with a youth movement last year, and it showed: they were ranked last in rushing defense and 27th in total defense.

4. Redskins – Russell Okung, OT Oklahoma State.
Analysis: The first of a deep offensive line class goes 4th overall to Washington, and Okung is considered to be the best of that deep class. For someone who models his game after Conrad Dobler, one of the dirtiest players in NFL history, he will bring that nastiness to the “Hogs” tradition Redskin fans hold so dear. I always say the person who is happiest with the offensive line pick is the quarterback, and new acquisition QB Donovan McNabb will love having Okung protect his blind side. This pick also makes sense with the ‘Skins trying to replace the recently-retired Chris Samuels.

5. Chiefs – Eric Berry, S Tennessee.
Analysis: Despite owning a perennial top-5 selection in the draft, the Chiefs have not improved substantially in almost a decade. This past year, they brought in former Patriots genius Scott Pioli to be their general manager, and traded for former Patriot Matt Cassell to be their starting quarterback. While those moves have paid off to some degree, this team still has a long way to go before they can be considered competitive again. Some people think drafting a safety this high is risky, but Berry has shown throughout his career to be a smart ball-hawking player, totaling 14 career INTs and 241 tackles.

6. Seahawks – Bryan Bulaga, OT Iowa.
Analysis: New regimes are always tricky to gauge, as Pete Carroll takes over for the departed Mike Holmgren. This team needs a variety of things, but for a long time those needs have not included left tackle because of future Hall of Fame player Walter Jones. However, Jones is aging rapidly and this team needs a future stalwart on the line, so the rugged mauler Bulaga is the choice. He reminds me of current Browns tackle Joe Thomas; he has great feet and lateral agility, can get vertical in a hurry to block at the second level, and uses his hands well to set up his blocks and stop the rush.

7. Browns – Joe Haden, CB Florida.
Analysis: Usually I would make a joke here about how the Browns need everything, but in this case it’s actually true; they got rid of both QBs on their roster with any starting experience, and brought in former Carolina Panther Jake Delhomme who threw 18 interceptions in 12 games in 2009. Under normal circumstances, I would have Cleveland selecting Notre Dame QB Jimmy Clausen, but new GM Mike Holmgren has said he doesn’t like Clausen enough to draft him 7th overall. Enter Haden, who had 3 sacks along with his 4 INTs and 57 tackles in 2009. He will look to improve Cleveland’s 29th-ranked passing defense from last season.

8. Raiders – Anthony Davis, OT Rutgers.
Analysis: Inevitably this will be a pick that makes everyone scratch their heads a little bit, but to me Anthony Davis would actually be the sanest pick that Raider-in-charge Al Davis could make. There is a train of thought that has Notre Dame QB Jimmy Clausen coming to Oakland, but having two top-10 draft picks at QB on your roster is financial suicide, and even Al Davis can see that. Coming out of Rutgers, Anthony Davis has some great physical tools – maybe the best at OT in the entire draft – but he lacks the discipline and technique to be truly great at this point in his career. That makes him perfect for Oakland at 8th overall.

9. Bills – Trent Williams, OT Oklahoma State.
Analysis: Convention thinks that the Bills are the likely destination for QB Jimmy Clausen, but that is not set in stone. Chances are new GM Buddy Nix and head coach Chan Gailey will stick with what they have at QB for now and get a QB later in this draft to groom as an eventual replacement. The Bills need offensive line help ever since they traded Jason Peters to Philadelphia, and Williams has the physical tools necessary for success at tackle. He still needs a little work with his hands and gets beat from time to time, but there is no question about his potential to be a quality tackle in the NFL.

10. Jaguars – C.J. Spiller, RB Clemson.
Analysis: The consensus in Jacksonville is that Spiller is exactly what their offense needs – a change of pace back who can contribute in a variety of settings. Everyone knows about Spiller and his speed, but what makes him a complete player is his ability to be an asset in pass protection and to catch the ball out of the backfield. Pairing him with Maurice Jones-Drew gives the Jags’ offense two dynamic weapons at RB to use in a variety of packages.

11. Broncos – Dez Bryant, WR Oklahoma State
12. Dolphins – Rolando McClain, LB Alabama
13. 49ers – Jimmy Clausen, QB Notre Dame
14. Seahawks – Jason Pierre-Paul, DE/OLB South Florida
15. Giants – Sean Weatherspoon, LB Missouri
16. Titans – Derrick Morgan, DE/OLB Georgia Tech
17. 49ers – Earl Thomas, S Texas
18. Steelers – Kyle Wilson, CB Boise State
19. Falcons – Brandon Graham, DE/OLB Michigan
20. Texans – Dan Williams, DT Tennessee
21. Bengals – Taylor Mays, S Southern California
22. Patriots – Jermaine Gresham, TE Oklahoma
23. Packers – Bruce Campbell, OT Maryland
24. Eagles – Maurkice Pouncey, OL Florida
25. Ravens – Sergio Kindle, DE/OLB Texas
26. Cardinals – Everson Griffin, DE Southern California
27. Cowboys – Demaryius Thomas, WR Georgia Tech
28. Chargers – Kareem Jackson, CB Alabama
29. Jets – Jerry Hughes, OLB Texas Christian
30. Vikings – Charles Brown, OT Southern California
31. Colts – Devin McCourty, CB Rutgers
32. Saints – Carlos Dunlap, DE Florida

New NCAA Rule: Foul Play, or Just Plain Foul?

Saw this a few days ago, and felt like I needed to weigh in on these proposed rule changes by the NCAA Rules Committee. Read the article (it's not very long), and then read the commentary below.

I understand the reason for these proposed rule changes by the NCAA.

Really, I do.

Obviously I have no beef with the concussion rulings; those are extremely important measures that are primarily in place to protect the athletes from life-threatening injury. My alma mater - the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill - does a ton of concussion research every year, and only recently have the NFL and the NCAA started to really pay attention. These changes are long overdue and I commend the NCAA for taking concussions more seriously.

However, I don't agree with the changes regarding taunting or celebrations at all. College athletes are 17-23 year old men who like to go out in their spare time, drink, party, and engage in various forms of debauchery when they're not in class or not at practice. In a game-time environment, especially for games on big stages (national championships, major bowl games, heated conference battles, and especially emotional rivalry contests), keeping your emotions in check is very difficult to do.

But overall, despite some people saying that these kinds of antics are unnecessary or bad for the game, I personally love it when a team or player is willing to take the 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalty (which exists purely for this reason) to make themselves look like idiots.

I can't get enough of it.

It's like watching a train wreck. Or a monster truck rally. Or a frat guy arm wrestle a biker. You know what's going to happen...but you can't turn away. And you want to watch it over...and over...and over again.

Look at these clips:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z59Fdco4Yuo (Georgia runs onto the field after going up 7-0 on Florida in 2007)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dylEaycn5Qc&feature=PlayList&p=382B1C63C11151D0&index=8 (Start at 1:58, taken from ESPN's documentary "The U")

Can you honestly tell me that those are not entertaining to watch? Or at the very least, interesting? The ESPN documentary "The U" - which coincidentally, if you haven't watched it...get off your ass and watch it because it's fantastic - was one of the most interesting and entertaining things to watch purely from the standpoint that you were watching a bunch of amateur athletes push the boundaries of amateurism - both on and off the field.

It seems as though the NCAA is purposefully trying to take everything fun out of the game, including and certainly not limited to any amount of personal expression, be that a Bible verse on eye black or the beginnings of a sure touchdown celebration at the 15 yard line. Robbing college athletes of the fun and exciting passion they play with is exactly what will ruin the sport...and where's the fun in that?

I'm all for governing college football and keeping it "family-friendly". The NCAA is concerned for a variety of reasons - competitive equality, game delays, bad publicity, and potential injuries to name a few - at the antics of some players and teams, but let's be honest - this is EXACTLY why the 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalty exists. The NCAA has already caught a TON of flack for this, especially in the wake of this incident:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ap6Kn0dkbyY&feature=related (Washington and BYU, 2008)

Why open yourself up for more criticism? To protect the sanctity of the game? To "maintain the game's image"? To "reflect the ideals of the NCAA"?

What ideals are those? The quest to make every NCAA athlete an emotionless robot? The desire to eliminate any potential opportunities for the NCAA to look bad? The stubborn adherence by the NCAA to antiquated and impossible standards?

Like it or not, college football - and college sports in general - thrive on raw, pure, unadulterated emotion. And when adults get in the way, that emotion is lost. Let these amateur athletes represent themselves the way they want to.

College sports will be better for it.

Associated Content Feed

Since this blog doesn't pay bills, I've decided to also start publishing stuff on Associated Content. Some of it will be H2TheBSOfA original material, some of it will be otherwise, but check it out at the link below.

Bradley Miller's Associated Content

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UNC Helmet Reaction and Further Developments

I've been getting a lot of positive reactions about the new UNC helmet that I introduced last week, and it appears as though this may not be the only uniform news to be released this year. (I mean, c'mon - did you REALLY think they were going to make a gunmetal-colored helmet and NOT have some other cool stuff to go with it?)


Rumors are swirling that in addition to the helmet pictured in last week's entry entitled "Shocking UNC Developments", there will also be another helmet, similar to the helmets used from 1963-1966 (as shown in the picture to the right), as well as newly designed uniforms.

The new uniform combinations are really exciting for two reasons; one, they will be made to match the Pro Combat helmets, and two, there is speculation that there will be new regular game-day uniforms, as well as special Pro Combat uniforms that compliment the new leaked helmet.

Needless to say, these uniforms are going to cause a LOT of press and a lot of opinions across the board. The UNC traditionalists (like a few of you out there in the blogosphere) will cringe at the sight of these new uniforms, and will clamor for the days where traditional colors - and traditional colors only - be worn for every game, rather than this new take on a timeless classic. Others will say that change is good, that UNC needs something to stand out, and that the ultimate goal for these uniforms - to use up journalist ink and impress recruits - has already been achieved.

Regardless of where you stand on this subject, I think it's safe to say that everyone who follows UNC football is anxious to see what these things are going to look like.

Shocking UNC Developments

All right, the breaking news for UNC in the last 48 hours:

1. The men's basketball team, without a leader or consistent scoring, is going nowhere but down - and quickly.
2. The women's basketball team is also falling quickly, losing their last three games after starting 18-3.

And of course...

3. Football season is still six months away.

There are a number of things to be excited about with UNC football - returning 20 starters from last year's team, the new recruiting class coming in, spring practice culminating with the televised spring game on ESPN - but nothing is as exciting as the season opener against LSU on September 4th. (If you missed my schedule analysis after it was released, you can find it by following the link here.)

The ACC-SEC Season Kickoff Event at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia has been a pretty cool thing...if you're in the SEC and you want a good win. The last two years, Alabama has come in to the Georgia Dome ready to play and with something to prove, and they did so at the expense of Clemson and Virginia Tech, two very good ACC teams who will contend for conference crowns. This year promises to be an equally exciting match up, with both LSU and UNC expected to compete in their respective conferences for a shot at league titles.

However, even with all this excitement, this is not the "most" exciting news to come out of Carolina that is football-related in the last 48 hours.

The most exciting revelation concerning the LSU game is the now-leaked picture of possible new UNC helmets to be used for the game, furnished by Nike and their new Pro Combat line of uniforms. If you haven't seen the picture, you're not alone - photos have cropped up on the Internet, only to be removed hours later. This is a very well-kept secret, and something UNC does NOT want to have leaked out until they announce it.

Too bad.

Here are my initial reactions. I personally think the helmet looks good, but I hate the lighting in this picture because it makes the helmet look like someone ripped off a Tampa Bay Buccaneers decal and slapped on the UNC logo. I think the more "true" color of the helmet is at the bottom of the picture , where the helmet appears to be a more dark silver/gunmetal color. This would make sense, considering that is the motif that Nike is typically going for with these uniforms (see TCU's if you want a better representation of what I'm talking about), but one of UNC's official colors is, in fact, metallic silver - or Pantone 877 to be exact. (NOTE: You can see the official Pantone colors for UNC below. Carolina Blue (P278), Carolina Deep Blue (P282), Carolina Silver (P429), and Carolina Metallic Silver (P877) are all recognized as official colors by the University, as well as white.) If the helmet is more of a silver color, then I think it has the potential to look very cool. You can be sure that EVERYONE will be talking about these uniforms for the next few months, and with the right uniform combination (and of course a win) UNC will definitely make a statement on the national stage.

But what is the right uniform combination? Well, that much has actually NOT been leaked out. I don't think we will see the official color sequence until gameday, but judging from the helmet and other Nike Pro Combat gear it looks as though the uniform will likely be some derivative of the trademark Carolina blue, with more "deep blue" and silver than we've ever seen on a UNC uniform.

And before everyone comes on here asking when all of this is going to be released - stop. I am not a University official, nor do I have any connection within the UNC program (in fact, within a few hours of this being posted, I will probably be contacted to remove the picture of the helmet by UNC, whereupon I will of course oblige and take it down). I have no idea when all of this is going to come to light, but I can tell you this -

I'm very excited to see what comes next for the UNC football program. These uniforms symbolize what is about to happen in Chapel Hill...and I can't wait.

Schedule/Golson Reactions

I hope you guys had a restful week; I know after all the hard work it took to cover National Signing Day a week ago that I was spent. But there were three things that happened in between now and when I last blogged about National Signing Day -

1. I blogged briefly about the UNC-Dook rivalry, which you can find here.

2. The 2010 UNC football schedule was released.

3. UNC picked up a MAJOR football recruit for the class of 2011.

Since you don't need my reaction to my own blog post (that sounded redundant even in my head), I will react to the other two items.



The football schedule was finally released last Thursday (February 5th, 2010), and I can honestly say that I LOVE how the schedule turned out for the Heels. You can find the official UNC release here, but here it is:

Sept. 4 LSU (Atlanta, GA)
Sept. 11 BYE
Sept. 18 Georgia Tech (Chapel Hill, NC)
Sept. 25 Rutgers (Piscataway, NJ)
Oct. 2 East Carolina (Chapel Hill, NC)
Oct. 9 Clemson (Chapel Hill, NC)
Oct. 16 Virginia (Charlottesville, VA)
Oct. 23 Miami (Miami Gardens, FL)
Oct. 30 William & Mary (Chapel Hill, NC)
Nov. 6 Florida State (Tallahassee, FL)
Nov. 13 Virginia Tech (Chapel Hill, NC)
Nov. 20 NC State (Chapel Hill, NC)
Nov. 27 Dook (Durham, NC)

First things first. The game against LSU could quite possibly be the biggest game for this UNC program since the Notre Dame game in 2008, and may be even more important in terms of taking the next step as a nationally recognized football program. If Carolina wins that game, you can almost guarantee that they will go into that (very) early bye week pumped and ready for the rest of the season.

The Georgia Tech game comes at the absolute BEST time for the Heels - right after a bye week. With 2 weeks to prepare for the unique Georgia Tech option attack, the defense should be more than ready to do battle with the Yellow Jackets, who lost 28-7 the last time these two teams met in Chapel Hill.

After two games against Rutgers and East Carolina, this team will face its next biggest opponent in Clemson, who the Heels haven't faced since a 2006 blowout in Death Valley, where the Tigers easily won 52-7 (and should have been 52-0, but the Heels were the beneficiaries of a blown call on a Cameron Sexton scramble towards the end zone). This year, both of these teams are expected to compete for their division crowns, and I don't think anyone would be truly surprised to see both of these teams end up in Charlotte for the ACC title game later in the season.

Two away games back-to-back are always tough, but when you look at who they are against, the Heels should be a little more concerned than usual. Traveling to UVA has not gone well for Carolina, who hasn't won in Scott Stadium since 1981, and since that time has won a total of seven times against the Cavaliers. This is a rivalry game, but a game that UNC should circle even if it wasn't; these are the types of games that UNC must win to be considered legitimate ACC title contenders.

The Heels also travel to Miami the following week. Since Miami's inclusion into the ACC in 2004, the Heels have lost to the Hurricanes only twice, and haven't lost since former UM head coach Butch Davis arrived in Chapel Hill, though the last three games have been close (33-27, 28-24, 33-24). Carolina will be tested by an always athletic and tough Miami team.

After an intriguing game against FCS opponent William & Mary (who beat Virginia last season and now has former UNC QB Mike Paulus on the roster), the Heels face their toughest stretch of the season - at Florida State, against Virginia Tech, against NC State, and at Dook. All four of these teams played UNC very tough last season, and the Heels went 2-2 against this quartet in 2009.

FSU will be among the favorites to win the league next year, but under new head coach Jimbo Fisher there may be some growing pains. By the time these two teams meet in November, everyone will know exactly what these two teams are about, and will be in for a great game. The Heels have not beaten the Seminoles since 2001.

Virginia Tech will come into Chapel Hill angry about last season's loss, but the Heels will be ready to play. The last few years this game has been extremely close, but until last year the Hokies had always come out on top. This game could very well determine who wins the Coastal division.

There are only a few things that Coach Davis has not been able to accomplish in UNC since his arrival in 2007, but one of them is winning against rival NC State. 2007 and 2009 both yielded close losses, but the 2008 drubbing to the tune of 41-10 still riles up Tar Heel fans. There will be no excuses for this UNC team against the Wolfpack this year.

Last year's Dook game was extremely physical, and resulted in a variety of penalties on both sides as the Heels slopped to a 19-6 victory. This year probably won't be any different, but the Blue Devils have improved under coach David Cutcliffe and if the Heels aren't careful they could lose to Dook for the first time since 2003. The Battle for the Victory Bell is also once again the final game of the season, whereas last year the NC State game culminated the Heels' schedule.

Overall, this schedule could not have been laid out better for the Heels. The biggest coup is getting Georgia Tech after a bye week, and getting both them and Clemson early in the season. If the Heels start the season 4-0 coming into that Clemson game, they could be a top-10 ranked team if they beat the Tigers, and have a great shot of winning 10 games the rest of the season. I'll be very excited to watch Carolina battle it out in 2010, and this schedule is one of the best that UNC has had in the last few years.

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And now for something completely different.

Last Friday, Myrtle Beach High School held a press conference. Their star quarterback, 5'11 Everett Golson, was going to announce who he was going to play football for in 2011. However, most everyone in the room knew where he was going to go - and he didn't disappoint.

"I've made my decision to verbally commit to North Carolina," Golson said.

You can view the video of Golson's commitment here. (You will have to turn up the volume to hear everything he says; he's a very soft-spoken guy.)


There's no denying his talent (3558 passing yards, 47 TDs, 3 INTs as a junior) and his playmaking ability (see highlights on YouTube), and Golson becomes the 3rd highly-regarded quarterback to commit to Carolina since Butch Davis' arrival (Mike Paulus and current redshirt freshman Bryn Renner are the other two). With Golson on board, the Heels strike early and with authority for the recruiting class of 2011, and with a guy who grew up a lifelong Tar Heel fan. It's always great when you can add to your recruiting class so early, but when it's a quarterback - especially one as talented as Golson - it acts as a magnet for other recruits; great football players want to play with other great football players, and Golson is one of those guys who people love to be on a team with. With both Junior Days (maybe a blog on what a Junior Day is coming shortly), a ton of unofficial visits, and the nationally-televised Spring Game still to come, UNC and Golson will have many opportunities to build this recruiting class up and make it one of the best in Tar Heel history.

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Stay tuned, everyone...I'm currently working on a blog that has some major news for the Tar Heel athletic program attached to it, so stay tuned.

UNC-Dook Tonight

Normally, I would have a much longer write-up on a topic this important. This is the most intense rivalry in college sports, after all. Dook and North Carolina - two teams that absolutely hate each other, and hold nothing back during athletic contests.

To write an entry worthy of this rivalry is nearly impossible. I am nowhere near loquacious or patient enough to attempt such a feat, so I will leave you with this.

Fuck Dook. Fuck everything they stand for. Fuck everything they've been associated with. Fuck Laettener, Redick, Williams, Battier, and Langdon. Fuck Wojo. Fuck Chris Collins. And especially fuck Coach K.

This is UNC-Dook. There is no love lost, no mutual respect, no moral victories. There is only hate.

Go Heels, and go to hell Dook.

Reaction to Butch Davis' Press Conference

After (finally) being able to watch the press conference, read the transcript, and think on the class for a few hours, I think this class is really the completion of the rebuilding project that Coach Davis inherited when he arrived to Chapel Hill. This class, while certainly more "balanced" as Davis described it, also represents the commitment to speed and skill that the Miami dynasty was built on in the 1990s and early 2000s.

This is also a prime indication of the coaching staff sticking with their strategy and not going for players they didn't feel comfortable with. A lot of the players who are now future UNC student-athletes came to summer camps at UNC, competed in front of the staff, and impressed them enough to earn scholarship offers. It seems to be an increasingly more prevalent trend with Coach Davis as he builds this UNC program - he knows what he's looking for, and isn't afraid to offer a kid who he thinks will help this program, whether they are rated as a 5-star prospect or a 1-star prospect. It's a little harrowing for recruitniks to see a bunch of players who are VERY much under the radar as a part of the class (guys like Quinton Alton, Carlos Gray, and Nick Appel come to mind), but in the end Davis has shown that he can not only identify talented players, but he can develop these players as well, which is equally important if not moreso.

So after listening and reading, it seems as if this class is exactly what the staff was looking for. They would have liked to have had Casey Turner as a part of this class obviously, but other than that I don't think they were very disappointed in the way this class turned out at all. And if Coach Davis is excited about the class, then I think you have something special.

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Well, this is really the culmination of H2TheBSOfA's coverage of National Signing Day 2010. It's been a pleasure bringing all of the news and information to you, and hopefully I'll be able to do it next year.

We will go back to our regularly scheduled blogging atmosphere...just as soon as I pass the hell out and get some much deserved rest. Go Heels, and thanks again for being a part of Hail To The Brightest Star Of All's 2010 National Signing Day coverage.

Quick Things

- Seantrel Henderson has committed to USC. That closes out a big-time class for Lane Kiffin as he begins his first season in Los Angeles as the head coach.

I am watching the taped press conference of Butch Davis post-NSD right now, having already read the transcript. I hope to get something to you guys right after I'm finished watching it, hopefully by 7:30 tonight. I appreciate the patience (if you're still out there), so keep it here, and I'll be sure the make the analysis worth your while.

Keeping Up With The National News

- Demar Dorsey commits to Michigan. He immediately becomes one of the Wolverines' most athletic and dynamic weapons on that side of the ball.
- Chaz Green and Christian Green, teammates from Catholic in Tampa, Florida, choose polar opposite schools - Chaz to Florida, Christian to Florida State.
- Deitrich Riley commits to UCLA. The Bruins have quietly put together a very good class, and with the adjustment to Lane Kiffin this year they might sneak up and get a win against cross-town rival USC.
- Seantrel Henderson will announce at 5:30 PM EST today. He is expected to choose between USC, Ohio State, Florida, and Miami.

Patience for Press Conference Reaction

Hey everyone, quick FYI.

The feed for the press conference was not the greatest, and unfortunately I was not able to watch live. There will be a replay available, as well as a written transcript, so when those become available I will read and react.

Coach Butch Davis Press Conference Scheduled for 3:15 PM

UNC head football coach Butch Davis will hold his National Signing Day press conference at 3:15 PM from the 5th floor of the Kenan Football Center. Watch it at TarHeelBlue.com and come right back here for reaction and analysis.

Grading the Tar Heel 2010 Recruiting Class

According to a variety of sources, the UNC class is complete. With that, here is my grade for the 2010 football recruiting class.

Overall Grade: B-.

This is a very solid class. The largest needs coming into this class were along both the offensive line and defensive line, and this class delivered with 10 line prospects. OT James Hurst is the gem of the class, while DT Brandon Willis and DE Kareem Martin are key additions to this team.

Other than the lines, the defensive secondary, wide receiver, and linebacker positions were all adequately addressed with playmakers blessed with size and speed. The tight end position gained a tall, versatile option in Sean Fitzpatrick, and UNC landed a quality RB prospect in Florida athlete Giovanni Bernard.

However, given what was available to the Heels at the beginning, there leaves a lot to be desired with this class. First and foremost, this class needed elite talent at both safety and running back; arguably, neither of those positions were addressed effectively.

Secondly, UNC also lost out on a plethora of very talented players at a variety of positions. In no particular order:

- S Keenan Allen (5*)
- S Ed Reynolds (3*)
- DB A.J. Marshall (3*)
- DB Christian Bryant (4*)
- S Latwan Anderson (4*)
- S David Amerson (3*)
- RB Josh Snead (3*)
- RB Marcus Lattimore (5*)
- RB Casey Turner (3*)
- RB Lucky Radley (3*)
- RB Brandon Gainer (3*)
- DL Gabe King (4*)
- DE Chris McClain (4*)
- DE Alfy Hill (4*)
- WR Markeith Ambles (4*)
- DE Ego Ferguson (4*)
- DT Jeff Whitaker (4*)
- DT Shariff Floyd (5*)
- LB Khari Fortt (5*)
- LB Jeff Luc (5*)
- TE Alex Smith (3*)
- QB Jake Heaps (5*)
- RB Storm Johnson (4*)

All of these guys at one point were considering the Tar Heels, but UNC couldn't close on any of them. That's a lot of talent going elsewhere.

So overall, this class has its definite quality and a good quantity; UNC has 20 available scholarships, and 21 players committed. However, there is an overwhelming feeling of "what might have been" for the 2010 class, and that feeling has been present almost from the very beginning.

More National and ACC Notes

- Top offensive tackle Seantrel Henderson will decide between USC, Ohio State, Minnesota, and a few other programs.
- Premier safety Demar Dorsey, who decommitted from Florida earlier last week, will decide today. Florida State is one of the favorites.
- Tampa (FL) Catholic High School has a pair of national recruits, offensive tackle Chaz Green and athlete Christian Green who will decide later today.
- Safety Deitrich Riley is also deciding today between USC, LSU, Notre Dame, and Tennessee.

ACC classes are largely done. Here's the way they shape up nationally according to Scout.com:

10. Florida State (23 commits)
16. Miami (28 commits)
23. Clemson (22 commits)
31. North Carolina (21 commits)
35. Virginia Tech (21 commits)
39. Georgia Tech (18 commits)
40. NC State (20 commits)
42. Maryland (21 commits)
43. Boston College (21 commits)
60. Wake Forest (18 commits)
65. Virginia (18 commits)
66. Dook (20 commits)

Overall Impressions With The UNC Class

For all intents and purposes, and barring some VAST unforeseen circumstance, the UNC class is largely complete. Here's a recap of all the players who committed:

DL Quinton Alton
OL Nick Appel
RB Giovanni Bernard
OL Russell Bodine
DB Tre Boston
DB D.J. Bunn
LB P.J. Clyburn
ATH Ethan Farmer
WR Brenden Felder
TE Sean Fitzpatrick
DT Carlos Gray
OT James Hurst
DE Tim Jackson
OT T.J. Leifheit
LB Ty Linton
LB Darius Lipford
DE Kareem Martin
DB Jabari Price
WR Sean Tapley
WR Reggie Wilkins
DT Brandon Willis

Right now, without any further commitments, the way this class will be ranked is fairly positive. 31st nationally by Scout.com, 30th nationally by Rivals.com, and 25th nationally by ESPN.com. The Heels addressed major needs along both the offensive and defensive lines, signing 10 total linemen in this class. Linebacker, defensive back, and wide receiver were also thoroughly and adequately addressed, with three prospects each at those positions. The class was filled out by two additional offensive threats, one at TE (Fitzpatrick) and one at RB (Bernard).

This class has the potential to be a very good one before they graduate from UNC. Many of these players have been described as "home run hitters," or guys who can make big plays from wherever they are on the field. Having guys like that in a class gives it an extra edge, and the possibility to be a very special part of the program.

Congratulations to all of these players on fantastic high school careers, and from one former Tar Heel, I wish all of them nothing but the best as they continue their careers at the University of North Carolina.

Standstill

It appears as thought the Heels are likely done for the day. There is always the possibility of picking up another player or two for this 2010 class, but for right now the class looks to be pretty much finished.

I'll keep you guys abreast of what's happening as it happens, but right now there is not that much to report.

NLI ALERT: ETHAN FARMER, DT

NLI ALERT: Ethan Farmer, Defensive Tackle

An hour later, Ethan Famer has sent in his LOI to UNC, confirming that he will be a Tar Heel.

Farmer is an athletic, stocky defensive tackle, standing at 6'2 and about 270 pounds. He is accomplished as a tight end at the high school level, demonstrating a great ability to get out in space and into his route, reaching up with his hands to catch the football and has good speed. But as a defensive tackle, his quickness and power are what really catches your eye; he gets off the ball quickly, defeats his blocker, and gets to the ball carrier in a hurry with great ferocity.

“I came close to committing there earlier (in January) but stopped myself," said Farmer. "I just decided to finish taking my trips. The coaches are great, I like everything about them.”

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That's 21 NLIs, but stay tuned for some late possibilities, right here on H2TheBSOfA.

Slower Now

Definitely a much slower pace now that the majority of the NLIs have come in. Now it's a "wait-and-see" game for the Heels, largely for a few different players who could play running back and make up for the Casey Turner surprise.

If there is news I will definitely keep you guys informed as it happens.

National and ACC Notes

So far no real major surprises on the national stage.

One commitment of note that may raise some eyebrows is Sean Parker, a top-10 safety prospect who went to Washington over USC and others. Another is safety Keenan Allen, who left Alabama at the alter to go to Cal. Allen is a consensus top-10 prospect, so his decommitment was a big deal when it initially happened, but Cal as the destination could be a little surprising to some.

As far as the ACC is concerned, Florida State looks to be running away with the #1 class in the conference. Tons of defensive talent already in this class just added another one in Christian Jones, a 4-star OLB from Winter Park, Florida.

Miami is solidly in second, but their class is equally impressive, headlined by running backs Storm Johnson and Eduardo Clements.

Clemson, North Carolina, and Virginia Tech round out the top 5, but there are still a ton of players out there who have not yet decided. Anything can happen on National Signing Day, so stay tuned to H2TheBSOfA for all the updates.

NLI ALERT: DARIUS LIPFORD, OLB

NLI ALERT: Darius Lipford, Linebacker

The latest NLI to come in to the Kenan Football Center is Darius Lipford's, a linebacker prospect from Lenoir, North Carolina.

Lipford has all the size and speed you look for in a linebacker prospect at the college level: 6'3, 200, 4.6 speed...he is the complete package. And a lot of coaches thought so; it was rumored that Clemson was coming on strong for Lipford and might steal him away at the last minute. Lipford was committed to arch-rival Dook, but softened then changed his commitment to UNC in November.

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20 NLIs, and the class is pretty full at this point. There are still a few players left who could sign with the Heels, so stay tuned to H2TheBSOfA to get all the information as it happens.

VERBAL ALERT: ETHAN FARMER, DT

VERBAL ALERT: Ethan Farmer, Defensive Tackle

This is a big get for the Heels. It closes out in-state recruiting on a high note, but more importantly DT was a major need for the Heels coming into this class, and Farmer has been high on the staff's board all year.

Stay tuned for his NLI when it comes in...

Class Capsule

Another quick FYI -

Keep refreshing this page to see who has joined the Tar Heel class so far.

Note: THB Coverage Starts

FYI - Head to TarHeelBlue.com to watch Signing Day Live from the Kenan Football Center.

News Updates

- Sean Tapley commits to UNC (as has been announced on here earlier today)
- Casey Turner, a running back the staff was confident they would receive an NLI from today, has spurned Carolina for Rutgers
- Ethan Farmer, a defensive tackle prospect, postponed his announcement from 9:30 to 10 AM

We'll see where Farmer goes, and who the staff takes to replace Turner, who they were VERY surprised to lose.

NLI ALERT: SEAN TAPLEY, WR

NLI ALERT: Sean Tapley, Wide Receiver

In a whirlwind of events, Tapley has gone from Gamecock to Tar Heel in the span of about 20 minutes. It's official with his NLI coming through the fax machine.

Tapley is one of those guys who plays bigger than his frame. He has good size at 6'1, but has the ability to reach up with his hands and make a big catch. He has decent speed, but the thing Tapley does best is move the chains; he uses his size and technique to get inside the defensive backs and makes himself a big target for the quarterback.

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19 NLIs, and coverage on ESPNU and TarHeelBlue hasn't even started yet. Aren't you glad you tuned in to H2TheBSOfA? Keep it here...I'll be here all day.

NLI ALERT: REGGIE WILKINS, WR

NLI ALERT: Reggie Wilkins, Wide Receiver

Wilkins committed, then de-committed, then re-committed. But it's official now - he will be a Tar Heel after sending in his NLI.

Wilkins is the second WR to commit to the Heels today, and the in-state prospect was definitely highly sought by primarily two schools - UNC, and their rival NC State. Wilkins played quarterback for his high school team, but at 5'10 projects as a slot receiver who has the quickness to elude tacklers. He is also expected to compete as a returner as well.

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That's NLI #18, but there are still a few more left to come...including one that has already been announced verbally today. Stay tuned for the next one coming up right now on H2TheBSOfA.

NLI ALERT: CARLOS GRAY, DT

NLI ALERT: Carlos Gray, Defensive Tackle

A lot of teams were interested in Gray, but did not offer him. UNC did, and Gray just faxed in his NLI.

Gray is largely an unknown; an un-evaluated prospect, Gray was not initially pursued because of academic issues. However, Gray recently became academically eligible and committed to the Heels, who were upfront with Gray from the beginning about where he fit with the Tar Heel program.

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That's kind of a surprise commitment, but not really. 17 NLIs, but two more just rolled in...

Quick Stories

A few things that have happened already today:

- WR Markeith Ambles, a 4-star prospect, picked Southern Cal over UNC and Tennessee this morning
- DT Terry Talbot, a 4-star player, signed his NLI for Michigan, spurning the Heels
- RB Brandon Gainer, a 3-star student-athlete, surprised and picked Kentucky over UCF and UNC

There were a flurry of verbal announcements at 9:30, and I'll let you guys know who they were and where they decided to go right here on H2TheBSOfA.

VERBAL ALERT: SEAN TAPLEY, WR

VERBAL ALERT: Sean Tapley, Wide Receiver

This is breaking news...Sean Tapley, a 3-star receiver who had been committed to South Carolina coming into National Signing Day, has switched his commitment and joined the 2010 Tar Heel class.

Stay tuned for his NLI annoucement...

UNC's Early Enrollees

Since this blog is unashamedly run by a UNC Tar Heels fan, I figure it's only best to give a quick UNC primer on the 2010 Tar Heel Football Recruiting Class.

The Heels have already enrolled 5 members of this year's class, who are on campus and taking class as we speak. They are:

- Offensive tackle James Hurst
- Offensive tackle T.J. Leifheit
- Tight end Sean Fitzpatrick
- Defensive tackle Brandon Willis
- Defensive back D.J. Bunn

James Hurst is arguably the best player in the UNC class. Ranked as one of the top five best offensive tackles in the country, Hurst committed to UNC in September and never wavered. He played his high school ball in Plainfield, Indiana.

T.J. Leifheit is UNC's highest-ranked commitment from inside the state of North Carolina, where he played at Hoggard High School in Wilmington. Standing at 6'7 and over 300 pounds, Leifheit has the size and ability to contribute early.

Sean Fitzpatrick comes to UNC by way of Pittsford-Mendon High School in Pittsford, New York. A tall target at 6'6, Fitzpatrick played multiple positions in high school, including quarterback, receiver, and tight end.

Brandon Willis has the pedigree to be a dominating defensive linemen before his career in Chapel Hill is finished. A product of Byrnes High School in Duncan, South Carolina, Willis had committed to Tennessee but switched after Lane Kiffin left for Southern California.

D.J. Bunn originally committed to the Tar Heels for the Class of 2009, but academic issues prevented him from coming to Chapel Hill right out of Smithfield-Selma High School in Smithfield, North Carolina. After spending a semester at Hargrave Military Academy in Virginia, Bunn qualified and enrolled in classes this past January.

Want to know more about these and other future Tar Heel stars as they commit? Tune into Signing Day Live on TarHeelBlue.com, featuring live coverage from inside the Kenan Football Center in Chapel Hill.

And stay tuned to H2TheBSOfA...updates will be coming fast and furious once Signing Day Live gets fully underway. There will be "NLI Alerts" for every recruit who sends in their National Letter of Intent to the Kenan Football Center fax machine, as well as commentary on how some of the top classes in the ACC and around the country are shaping up.

NLI ALERT: QUINTON ALTON, DL

NLI ALERT: Quinton Alton, Defensive Lineman

After playing only one year of high school football, Alton impressed enough people to get some strong interest across the Southeast. However, only the Heels offered him a full scholarship, and two days after that offer Alton has sent his NLI into the Kenan Football Center.

Alton is a big man - 6'6, 260 - and dominated in his senior year. The funny thing is - that was his first year of football. What makes Alton so special is his athleticism; a basketball player for the majority of his high school career, his lateral quickness makes him a quality athlete along the defensive line, and with his size the staff could be looking at him to move inside to defensive tackle.

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The class is quickly filling up with 16 NLIs. Let's see who else is sending in their NLI to Chapel Hill.

Excited for Today

Hey everyone.

Just wanted to say that I'm looking forward to continuing to bring you up-to-the-minute updates on H2TheBSOfA about UNC, the ACC, and national recruiting news. I'll be monitoring a variety of sources simultaneously, and all of you who need your news and need it now will be getting it right here as the day goes on.

Coming right up is a summary of the early enrollees for the UNC 2010 recruiting class. These are guys who have already enrolled at Chapel Hill and have been working out and going to class with the rest of the team. The advantages of early enrollment are simple to understand - the sooner you get started, the more ready you will be for real-time, in-game action, so having players of this caliber already on campus will give them a head start both in the classroom as well as on the football field.

That write-up is on the way, as well as updates regarding the Tar Heels, the rest of the ACC, and major national news from the top recruits and the top recruiting classes. So keep it locked on H2TheBSOfA for the rest of the day, and keep refreshing to get the latest entries.

NLI ALERT: TY LINTON, OLB

NLI ALERT: Ty Linton, Linebacker

The second verbal commitment to the Tar Heels is one of the last verbal commitments to actually send in his NLI. Ty Linton, an outside linebacker prospect from Charlotte Christian School in Charlotte, North Carolina is officially a Tar Heel.

Linton is a 3-star prospect, but don't let the conservative ranking fool you. Linton has great size for the position at 6'2, 215, and is a very good athlete. Linton is also a baseball star in high school, and he said that played a big part in where he wanted to go.

“It’s close to home, the coaching staff is unbelievable, it gives me the option of being a two-sport athlete, and you can’t beat the academics. It’s an all-around university. It fits my qualities. All a long I felt like I was pretty comfortable. They didn’t rush me too much. It feels like everything fits together baseball-wise and football-wise. I didn’t feel like I was pressured to make any decision. I just felt like it was the place for me.”

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That's 15 NLIs out of 18 verbal commitments coming into National Signing Day, but this class still has a few spots open for an NSD verbal commitment, so stay tuned to H2TheBSOfA for the latest.

NLI ALERT: KAREEM JACKSON, DE

NLI ALERT: Kareem Jackson, Defensive End

One of the fastest risers in the state of North Carolina was Kareem Martin, a 6'6 defensive end from Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina. Now he's officially a Tar Heel, sending in his NLI just before 9 AM.

Martin was always looking for the school that could offer him a well-rounded college experience, and he thinks he found that in UNC. “Throughout this process, I’ve been trying to find a school that can give me the best fit as far as academics, football, and environment. I really liked the coaching staff at UNC. Coach [John] Blake, Coach [Ken] Browning, and Coach [Butch] Davis are doing an outstanding job of recruiting. They really have their team on the rise and they’ll be contending for ACC, and even national, championships in the future.”

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That's 14 NLIs, and most of the activity for the day is pretty much done. There are only a few outstanding NLIs that the staff is expecting from verbal commitments, but there will be a few surprises today (I mean, what would National Signing Day be without a few surprises?), so keep it trained right here on H2TheBSOfA.

NLI ALERT: TIM JACKSON DE

NLI ALERT: Tim Jackson, Defensive End

One of the more recent verbal commitments for the Tar Heels just sent in his NLI. Tim Jackson, a good sized defensive end from St. Petersburg, Florida becomes the newest member of the Tar Heel 2010 class.

More of a pure pass rusher at this point in his career, Jackson has tremendous athleticism for a defensive end. At 6'4 he has the height required to contribute right away, and with a variety of moves at the line of scrimmage he could end up being a freshman contributor.

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That's 13 NLIs, and another one just rolled in...stay tuned to H2TheBSOfA to find out who it is.

Welcome to National Signing Day 2010

This is the day that REAL college football junkies get excited for every year. Sure, there's the start of the college football season, the rivalry games, and the BCS National Championship Game, but today - TODAY is where programs are built, championships won and lost, and coaches fired or...well, not fired.


Yes, today is National Signing Day, where 99.5% of all high school football recruits will sign their National Letters of Intent to play college football at their chosen institution. It's a day where there are clear winners, crushed losers, and a few mega-surprises that keep everyone on the edge of their seats. National Signing Day is, for all intents and purposes, the sporting world's equivalent of "Engaged and Underage" - tons of kids in over their heads making the best decisions they know how about their future. It's reality TV gold...but in a much less sickeningly desperate kind of way.

Recruiting has gotten a LOT more attention over the last few years because of sites like Scout.com or Rivals.com, but the guy who started it all was Tom Lemming, who now currently works for CBS Sports and MaxPreps (he had worked for ESPN for decades before leaving for CBS). Lemming has been scouting players since 1978 (that's over 30 years of sweaty jock straps, frequent flier miles, and notepaper and pencils), and his Prep Football Report has become "the" recruiting resource for coaches and recruitniks alike. Lemming may be the Godfather of recruiting, but now it's easier than ever to look at players' film on the Internet (oftentimes YouTube will have at least some kind of amateur footage for free for people to watch), make your own assessment, and then follow that player's recruitment through a series of media outlets (Twitter, Skype, and Facebook have revolutionized the recruiting process...if you don't believe me, watch this ESPN video).

However, here's the bottom line for today. Today is the day where you will see thousands of high school kids sign a piece of paper dictating where they will play college football next season. It may sound cheesy, but futures of both student-athletes and football programs are shaped today. However, the indomitable (and SEC biased) Pat Forde actually has the best take on National Signing Day in his recent ESPN piece:

"The question isn't how good a recruiting class is in February; it's how good the class is from September to January two, three and four years from now. Which means that the following factors matter far more than how many stars have been assigned to each player's name: How hard are they going to work? How well will they fit with their program? How well will they be coached? How much will they grow up? And how toxic are the effects of excessive hype and hero worship on the highest-rated recruits in the nation?"

So maybe National Signing Day isn't what we all thought it was...

...or maybe it's the first time Pat Forde has ever been right about anything.

Either way, I know I'll be glued to my computer and the television watching to see all these high school kids make the biggest decision of their lives and choose the school where they will play college football next season. Just without any wedding rings and over-bearing parents involved.

Okay, maybe just without the rings.

NLI ALERT: P.J. CLYBURN OLB

NLI ALERT: P.J. Clyburn, Linebacker

The hits came almost simultaneously just 5 minutes ago, and the first of two NLIs that arrived within 30 seconds of each other was P.J. Clyburn, a 6'1 linebacker/safety combination player from West Iredell High School in Statesville, North Carolina.

Clyburn is the total package at linebacker. He is a hard hitter who fills the hole quickly, but also has no qualms about dropping off in coverage and making big plays on defense by forcing turnovers. He projects as an outside linebacker in college, but played a rover position in high school due to his superior athleticism.

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More NLIs are rolling in, and I can barely keep up. Clyburn's letter made 12 NLIs already this morning, but more to come...right now!

NLI ALERT: RUSSELL BODINE, OL

NLI ALERT: Russell Bodine, Offensive Lineman

The 10th-ranked center in this year's class has sent in his NLI. Russell Bodine makes it official as he becomes a Tar Heel at 8:43 this morning.

Bodine has great size for an interior lineman, standing at 6'4 and weighing a svelte 280 pounds. With all that size and potential, he had a lot of interest from around the country, but committed to Carolina very early on in the process in June of 2009. Why so early?

“Honestly, I was just ready for the whole recruiting process to be over,” Bodine said. “… I never felt anything was going to change my mind about North Carolina. It’s a well rounded school – an up-and-coming football program, great academics, and a beautiful campus.”

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That is 11 NLIs and the final offensive lineman that had committed to UNC prior to today, and that offensive line class is one of the best in the country. Hopefully the rest of the class will be as impressive when the day is all said and done.

NLI ALERT: BRANDON FELDER, WR

NLI ALERT: Brandon Felder, Wide Receiver

The Heels are into double digits with their NLIs, and have five just in the last half an hour. The most recent one is Brandon Felder, a 5'10 wide receiver from Gateway High School in Monroeville, Pennsylvania.

The story with Felder can be summed up in one word: speed, speed, speed. Clocked at 4.37 in the 40-yard dash, Felder is perfect for the slot receiver role that John Shoop loves to throw to in his offense. Felder is also a prime candidate to start from day one as a kick and punt returner, somewhere the Heels desperately need big plays from after losing Brandon Tate to the NFL prior to last season.

Felder committed early on in the process, and never wavered despite interest from Boston College and a late push by Notre Dame. “I’ve been solid with North Carolina throughout the whole process,” Felder said. “I just have that relationship with them and no one can ever change that… A lot of schools have contacted Coach Terry [Smith], but he’s been helping me out with [informing them I’m firm].”

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So again, that's 10 NLIs all together for the Heels already this morning. Great start to the day so far, but not a lot of surprises, positive or negative. We'll definitely see if that changes, and keep it on H2TheBSOfA for immediate coverage.

NLI ALERT: GIOVANNI BERNARD, RB

NLI ALERT: Giovanni Bernard, Running Back

Largely considered to be the second-best recruit in this UNC class behind early enrollee and high school All-American James Hurst (more on Hurst and the rest of the early enrollment class later on today), running back Giovanni Bernard has sent in his NLI to the Tar Heels.

Bernard, a 4-star back from power Saint Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, has had a very interesting recruitment in the last few weeks. He had committed to play for Charlie Weis at Notre Dame, only to discover once the season was over that Weis was not going to be retained by the school. When Brian Kelly brought his spread offense from Cincinnati with him to South Bend, Bernard opened up his recruitment, but always seemed focused on the Tar Heels. “Really it was just something that I had in my head and I was just like '[UNC] is right for me,'” Bernard said.

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Bernard makes 9 NLIs for the Tar Heels at this point in the morning, and you can guarantee that more are definitely on the way. Keep it locked on H2TheBSOfA for breaking news and analysis all day on National Signing Day.

NLI ALERT: JABARI PRICE, DB

NLI ALERT: Jabari Price, Defensive Back

The NLIs are coming in fast and furious to start the day to day as the Heels get their third letter of the day. Jabari Price, a 3-star defensive back from Pompano Beach, Florida has sent in his paperwork to the Kenan Football Center this morning.

A common theme with many of these Tar Heel commitments has been that they were originally committed elsewhere, then something happens to make them re-evaluate their decisions. Price was no exception; originally committed to coach Tim Brewster and the Minnesota Gophers, Price still took a visit to Chapel Hill in October and loved what the Heels had to offer. And with a 4.0 high school GPA, it's easy to understand what drew Price to Chapel Hill. “[UNC] has the perfect balance of academics and football,” Price said. “Most schools have football with no academics or academics with no football. It’s basically an advantage for North Carolina over other schools.”

Price has good size at cornerback (5'11, 170), and has great leaping ability, displaying the ability to fight for the ball in the air. He will definitely be a valuable player for the Tar Heels on defense.

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That's now 8 commitments for the Tar Heels so far today. Coach Davis is definitely on the fast track getting these guys to have their NLIs in early on.

The National Letter of Intent

So I'm sure a lot of you guys are wondering - what is a National Letter of Intent? Why is it important? What does it mean?

According to the NCAA website, the NLI is "a binding agreement between a prospective student-athlete and an institution in which the institution agrees to provide a prospective student-athlete who is admitted to the institution and is eligible for financial aid under NCAA rules athletics aid for one academic year in exchange for the prospective student-athlete's agreement to attend the institution for one academic year."

In English, an NLI is a contract between a student-athlete and a university that binds the student-athlete to attend the university for one year in exchange for a year's worth of full tuition, provided the student-athlete is eligible to receive such financial assistance. It sounds complicated, but the form is actually a really simple, two-page document that gets faxed in (welcome back to the 1990s, everyone) to the school, and is signed by the student-athlete.

After some quick research, the actual NLI form is unfortunately not available for download unless you are a member institution of the NCAA (and although I am an institution, I cannot access an "official" NLI...or maybe it's because I belong in an institution...but I digress).

However, I have come across a link that has the actual text of the National Letter of Intent. It can be found here for you to read at your leisure (it's really not that bad; it looks like a complex legal document, but if a former law student like me can get through it, anyone can).

So, starting at 8:00 AM this morning, high school athletes from all over began signing and faxing these documents to the schools of their choice. This is (a representation of) the document that allows these gifted athletes a chance to compete at the highest amateur level of sport, and what causes giant press conferences like the one held yesterday for Marcus Lattimore, a nationally recruited running back from South Carolina. According to a media report by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the church where Lattimore held his conference was:

"... expecting a massive turnout this evening at Silver Hill Memorial United Methodist Church in Spartanburg, S.C...The church sent out warnings Monday to come early because it can hold only 600 people and it has far fewer parking places than that. Doors open at 3 p.m. It is said that all of South Carolina will be tuning in." Lattimore ended up committing to the University of South Carolina in Columbia, South Carolina.

You see, a little two-page document can hold thousands of people captive, and is largely the reason why National Signing Day is such a big deal.

So, as coverage of NSD continues here on H2TheBSOfA, whenever you see an "NLI Alert"...now you know a little bit more about what is going on.

NLI ALERT: TRE BOSTON, DB

NLI ALERT: Tre Boston, Defensive Back

Again, these guys are wasting NO time this morning as Tre Boston, a 3-star defensive back from Florida sends in his NLI at 8:04 AM. Aren't you guys glad I'm awake for this?

Boston has a very impressive bulid (6'1, 175) for a defensive back, but it's his 4.43 speed that Coach Davis is most excited about. Having that combination in the defensive backfield is a fantastic luxury that the Heels haven't always had, but Boston will be bringing his lengthy frame to Chapel Hill.

Boston had originally committed to Cincinnati, but when head coach Brian Kelly left to go to Notre Dame, Boston re-opened his recruitment and visited Chapel Hill, which he credits as the turning point in his decision. "Going up to see what UNC had to offer was probably one of the best things that I could have done. I ended up taking that and loving UNC and everything it had to offer. The education I’m going to get there will take me far in life.”

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UNC now has 7 NLI commitments with this class, and many more are coming by the end of the day. So keep it locked to H2TheBSOfA today on National Signing Day for all the breaking NLI Alerts and more features about the Tar Heels, the ACC, and the national recruiting scene.

NLI ALERT: NICK APPEL, OT

NLI ALERT: Nick Appel, Offensive Tackle

NLIs can be sent in starting at 8 AM this morning, and Nick Appel wasted no time in sending in his paperwork to Chapel Hill. He's under the radar for sure (rated as a 2-star offensive tackle by Scout.com), but he says that will not bother him. “I know I’m under the radar, but I’ve always put my best foot forward and worked hard,” Appel said. “I can’t make any promise as far as what I can do and what can’t do. But I’m going to try my best and work hard in the weight room. I’ve been told by coaches as long as I keep doing that I’ll be fine.”

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So the Heels are on the board already this morning, and I'm not even all the way through my morning coffee. At the rate this is going, I'll be highly caffeinated all day long.

Reason For Starting 1 Hour Early On NSD

Hey everyone, and Happy National Signing Day!

I know I said I'd start at 9, and then edited to start at 8. The reason behind that is some information I came across that directly affected UNC recruiting. If things come back positive (i.e. a UNC commitment), you know I'll be bringing it to you right here on H2TheBSOfA.

Therefore, I am here wide awake (...okay, just awake) at 8 AM ready to get National Signing Day started! I'm ready to get things going, and I'm going to bring you guys some great stuff today.

- Analysis of every Tar Heel commitment as they send in their NLIs (that's National Letters of Intent, for those of you who DON'T speak recruiting)
- A look at the actual form that recruits are filling out...yes, the NLI itself
- My take on National Signing Day
- A brief article about the Tar Heel early enrollees
- And a whole lot more!

I have also set up the blog so you will be able to see all the posts I put up from today on one page, so you can scroll down to see what you may have missed.

So let's get this thing started, and once again -

Happy National Signing Day!

UNC National Signing Day

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EDIT: COVERAGE WILL BEGIN AT 8 AM TOMORROW, NOT 9 AM. Be sure to plan your entire day accordingly. That is all. -BDM

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Don't want to pay for recruiting services to tell you what is going on? Really like reading this blog? Then you're in luck.

All day tomorrow I will be covering National Signing Day right here on the blog. If you want a quick update on the top national recruits, as well as a special focus on UNC Football recruiting, then keep H2TheBSOfA on "refresh" and stay abreast of all the day's activities.

I'll start coverage at 9 AM with my Introduction to NSD blog entry, and we'll keep it going until right after Coach Butch Davis' press conference at 3:15.

See you tomorrow...and don't forget to watch along at TarHeelBlue.com for their special Signing Day Live coverage from the Kenan Football Center in Chapel Hill. Click the link below to follow THB's coverage.



http://tarheelblue.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/012210aac.html

Snow in the South

So there are always two BIG weather stories in America: fires in California, and snow south of the Mason-Dixon Line. It never fails; those will ALWAYS make headline news across the country. I don't know what it is, but people are obsessed with how Southerners deal with the white stuff.

And it's because Southerners deal with snow POORLY.

Like REALLY poorly.

First of all, if you're running low on bread and milk prior to the snow coming, you are shit out of luck. There won't be any at the grocery store. Harris Teeter will not save you. All the wheat and dairy products within 100 miles have all been bought up by people who SWEAR that somehow there is a concoction made out of bread and milk that will enclose your house in a force field-like bubble, preventing the snow from ever reaching the ground. Furthermore, if by some act of God that snow DOES in fact fall at your house, using boiling hot milk and bread will in fact cause the snow to melt faster than the Wicked Witch of the West in a swimming pool.

Why bread and milk? If you lose power, the milk goes bad...unless you stick it in the snow, in which case your plan has failed; it's almost as though you WANT it to snow so that way milk doesn't go bad. It makes no sense. Why not buy peanut butter? Or chocolate? Or Lance crackers? People prepare for snow in the South as though it's a NUCLEAR winter, and not just half-an-inch-of-snow winter.

The funniest thing ever is to drive around before the snow actually comes. It doesn't matter if it's going to be barely a dusting, or an 8-inch dump (as was the case this weekend); if you drive on roads in the South prior to the snowfall, there will always be salt on the roads. NEWS FLASH - salt on the roads BEFORE the snow falls does nothing to keep the roads from icing. Absolutely nothing. The entire reason you put salt on the roads is to melt ice that ALREADY EXISTS. When no ice is present, salt on the road is as useful as more Twilight movies - which is to say, not at all useful.

Then the snow falls. Here's where it gets interesting, folks.

If school is in session at the first sign of snow, the entire school shuts down. Kids are sent home to be with their families in the waning moments of civilization as we know it, and hopefully they all arrive safely before the Apocalypse. Employees leave work early to avoid getting "snowed in" at work...because all the bread and milk is at home. It's as though the world stops to watch a beautiful death in the making - as though none of us can escape the impending doom that is but a brief snow flurry.

Once the snow is down, forget trying to go anywhere apparently. That 1-inch embankment will prevent you from leaving your house for at least 48 hours. If you are among the brave souls to leave your house, you will need all the basic tools necessary to survive in the wild winter wasteland -

1. Chains on your tires. This is not a joke; people in the South put chains on their tires. This is a standard operating procedure - if you live in the Arctic.

2. Cinder blocks in your trunk. For the added traction in the snow and ice. All 1/2 inch of it.

3. Six layers of clothes and three days worth of food. In case you can never return home EVER AGAIN.

4. A friend or family member. Never underestimate the value of the buddy system in the snow; you never know when you actually will need them to help you push your car out of a 1-inch snow drift or if you need to eat them in case you get stuck FOREVER.

Watching people leave their houses during the snow is one of the most ridiculous things to witness in the South. You would swear they were going on a three-month expedition to Antarctica, and were saying their last good-byes to everyone they know.

Furthermore, actually watching them drive is a real treat as well - unless you're within 20 feet of them. Then it's just dangerous. There are two types of drivers in the snow below the Mason-Dixon Line: there are those that drive 5 miles per hour, and those that continue to drive 5 miles per hour ABOVE the normal speed limit. Both are equally dangerous, and equally annoying. Consequently, if you listen to the radio, you will hear about over 20 accidents within a 5 mile stretch of highway...with less than an inch of snow on the ground (this is not a joke; this actually happened on I-40 when I was at UNC-Chapel Hill as a student).

So, if you're making a list of things to do before you die, here are some of the things you should have on there:

1. Go to New York City at Christmas time.

2. Build your own house.

3. Watch the Weather Channel for 24 hours straight as they give live coverage of the season's first snowfall in North Carolina, and make fun of all the poor imbeciles who can't figure out how to get out of a fishtail at 5 miles an hour.

Snow in the South is more fun to watch than the circus, the Harlem Globetrotters, and Britney Spears' relationship pattern COMBINED.

Seriously.