Here's a few nuggets to get the spring wheels rolling

Spring practice used to be this sleepy offseason distraction. Spring games a rigged exercise in feel good. Hey, State U. always won, right?

For fans, a lazy afternoon sunburn for the pasty. For players, false hope for that fourth-string tailback.

Ah, but nothing stays innocent for long these days. It was only a matter of time until some suit figured out a way to squeeze a profit off these wholesome, mundane drills.

It makes skin-crawling sense, then, that something called MSL Sports and Entertainment has found a way to transform spring practice from a lawn-chair-and -beer activity to a corporate Woodstock. At 20 schools this spring MSL is separating money from wallets while at the same time applying defibrillators to failing music careers.

They call it the Gridiron Bash, a concert-carnival-interactive falderal surrounding the spring game. Might as well call it the Have No Shame Tour.

Hey, who doesn't want to pay $56 a head to see Alan Jackson play the night before the A-Day game at Alabama? Or see Good Charlotte at Maryland.

Good Charlotte? More like a mediocre Green Day.

You can imagine the smack going on between the Goo Goo Dolls and Counting Crows.

Dolls: "Dude, we played Kansas State."

Crows: "That's nothing, we got Colorado."

For a spring practice gig.

What's next, is Kelly Clarkson going to play Iowa?

Well, yes.

Getting lucky enough during your senior year to see Led Zeppelin on its comeback tour is a memory to last a lifetime. Seeing Fall Out Boy gravy train the Rutgers spring game is painful.

The goal of all groups is to play stadium shows, I guess, but the image of Joe Paterno introducing Fergie at Penn State begs Red Bull and Maalox to fall in as sponsors.

With downloadable music cutting into record sales maybe this is the only way for the modern artist to reach their audience. Or maybe modern culture has hit bottom.

In this corner of the end zone we've got a more traditional spring extravaganza (see below). Won't cost you a dime, just some notes, and twice as entertaining as Maroon 5. So give us back our lawn chair, cooler and leave the opening act to us: Twisting off the cap and taking a swig. That fourth-string tailback really looks like he has a shot.

Best spring battle

It has to be at USC where junior Mark Sanchez and Arkansas transfer Mitch Mustain will compete to replace John David Booty.

These are two all-everything high school guys going for the most prestigious quarterback job in college football. USC's quarterback owns the team, the town and, frequently, the Heisman so this is kind of a big deal.

Sanchez, a junior, was so-so as a starter while Booty was injured last season. Mustain became disgruntled at Arkansas, came to L.A. then tore it up as a scout teamer in 2007.

This could be the best Troy quarterback battle since little-known Matt Leinart won the job in 2003 spring practice.

Best spring viewing

Get that lawn chair and cooler to Texas Tech where the nation's best offense (and possibly Mike Leach's best team) is about to launch.

Leach has had M-80 offenses before, but to quote supermodel Derek Zoolander, this one is "really, really ridiculously good looking."

How many teams barely blink after losing a 100-catch receiver? That's the case in Lubbock where Danny Amendola is gone but All-American Michael Crabtree returns from a 134-catch freshman season.

Graham Harrell, one of 10 returning offensive starters, pitched it around 150 times more than the Big 12's runner-up in attempts: Heisman finalist Chase Daniel at Missouri. Texas Tech finished second in total offense, the sixth consecutive year the Red Raiders have been in the top six.

This could be scary especially with eight other starters returning on defense. In the final nine games of '07, coordinator Ruffin McNeill's defense was ranked near the top of in the Big 12. Even if the D improves on its Arena League heritage (one stop a game) just a little bit, the Red Raiders could live up to expectations.

Congratulations, now win

Two new head coaches. Thirteen new coordinators.

Win now has a whole new meaning in the SEC. The West Division alone will feature combined head coaching salaries of approximately of $15.6 million. Take away Sylvester Croom's $940,000 at Mississippi State and the other five coaches are averaging $2.93 million.

The pressure starts early and often for the newbies: Within 24 hours of resigning/being fired at Arkansas, Houston Nutt was the new head coach at Ole Miss.

Steve Spurrier has had two defensive coordinators since the end of the season.

Fresno State OC Jim McElwain moves over to replace Major Applewhite at Alabama. This is not a job for the faint of heart. McElwain will have to answer to Nick Saban and some rather demanding fans.

Applewhite took a title (assistant head coach), a "demotion" and a boat load of money in becoming the running backs coach at Texas.

Tommy Tuberville replaced both coordinators, going with veteran Tony Franklin on offense and Pittsburgh's Paul Rhoads on defense. Franklin already has installed the spread offense. The opening of a new Sizzler in Auburn hasn't caused as much excitement.

Most anticipated spring events

OK, it's only spring but fans at these schools can't wait to see …

• Emmanuel Moody debuting at Florida. Finally, a go-to tailback for Urban Meyer. The USC transfer should take the load off Percy Harvin and Tim Tebow. If all works out, Harvin can go back to concentrating on route-running and Tebow can be more pocket oriented.

• Alabama's celebrated recruiting class. Most of the class will show up in the fall. But this spring fans will be able to see receiver Chris Jackson, who was able to enroll early and should help a receiving corps that lost its core with its top three pass catchers. DJ Hall, Matt Caddell and Keith Brown all graduated taking 407 career catches with them. The real fun starts in August when receiver Julio Jones and the rest of a top recruiting class arrives on campus.

• If Bryant-Denny Stadium will be filled on April 12. Last year, they had to turn away fans after 92,000 filled Alabama's stadium to get a glimpse at the new coach. Who knows, with the shine worn off Bama might struggle to get 90,000.

• Bobby Petrino. In a 24-hour period Petrino went from coaching the Falcons to calling the Hogs where he immediately became the third-winningest active college coach (.820). But for how long?

• Joe Paterno's last spring practice? Penn State president Graham Spanier is armed with a five-year extension which translates to power over the aging Joe. Trustees reportedly wouldn't stand in the way if Spanier makes a power play to oust Paterno who turns 82 in December.

A lot of folks think JoePa has run out of clout and this could be his last season -– the only question being: Will he go quietly or kicking and screaming?

You've got to root for …

• Louisville quarterback Hunter Cantwell. His mom beat breast cancer. He waited patiently for three years (four career starts) to take over for Brian Brohm. Now they're his Cardinals as a senior.

• Miami quarterback Robert Marve. The former high school blue chipper endured a horrific car accident last summer that left him banged up. He's healthy at just the right time. Miami badly needs consistent quarterback play having missed a bowl for the first time since 1997.

• Kentucky. The most accomplished senior class in school history is, well, history. There are few things worse than rebuilding inside the SEC.

• Wisconsin, if you're sick of the Ohio State-Michigan choke hold on the Big Ten. Coach Bret Bielema is a decent guy. Unfortunately, the schedule maker screwed him. The Badgers become the first Big Ten team in history to open Big Ten play with Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State.

Oklahoma departures

For a team that is rated a preseason No. 1 by some, Oklahoma sure does have a lot of work to do this spring.

The combined loss of receiver Malcolm Kelly, defensive back Reggie Smith and linebacker Curtis Lofton to the NFL Draft means Bob Stoops is going to have to work some extra Sooner Magic.

Lofton, an All-American, was the biggest surprise. OU is scrambling trying to get often-injured junior Ryan Reynolds ready to move from outside to middle linebacker. Reynolds has had two knee surgeries his career and has played extensively, but given the history of middle linebackers under Stoops he has quite a legacy to live up to.

Ben Olson just got himself into an NFL camp

That's one impact of UCLA hiring Rick Neuheisel. The charismatic, but flawed, coach starts his first season without a proven quarterback.

Both Patrick Cowan and Ben Olson have been either inconsistent or injured most of their careers. Bet on Olson, the one-time five-star recruit, who will benefit from the teachings of Neuheisel and offensive coordinator Norm Chow.

At least he's got a good reason

It's understandable that Ryan Mallett transferred from Michigan to Arkansas.

Rich Rodriguez's spread option offense isn't conducive to the rising sophomore, a big tall guy who is most comfortable operating from under center. But it is kind of weird that Mallett is petitioning for immediate eligibility at Arkansas because he is a big tall guy who is most comfortable operating from under center.

In other words, Mallett is seeking to be eligible this fall (without sitting out a year) because he doesn't like Rodriguez's offense.

"If they had maintained the same style of offense, Ryan would have never transferred," Debbie Mallett told the Northwest Arkansas Times.

You can see him in spring practice but don't expect Mallett to win his case. If he does, the result would fundamentally change the transfer rules.

The next soul of Rutgers

The casting call is out to determine who will take over for Ray Rice at Rutgers.

Without him, Rutgers might still be stuck in the dark ages. Rice led the Scarlet Knights to the brink of a BCS bowl in 2006, finished third nationally in rushing in 2007 and became the 13th I-A player to rush for 2,000 yards.

Not to offend Pete Townsend, but who's next?

• Jourdan Brooks, a 240-pounder who redshirted last season. Coach Greg Schiano has compared him to Penn State's Curtis Enis.

• Sophomore Kordell Young missed most of 2007 with an ACL.

• Mason Robinson, another sophomore, is a former state 100-meter champion.

• Redshirt freshman Joe Martinek is New Jersey's all-time prep leading rusher having broken Knowshon Moreno's career record.

Offensive minds what to know

Notre Dame's Charlie Weis isn't the only mastermind to give up play-calling.

In shaking up the staff, Cal's Jeff Tedford hired Frank Cignetti from the 49ers (where he was quarterbacks coach) and handed him the offensive playbook. Cignetti has quite a challenge. The Bears dropped from 12th to 50th in total offense and are losing several playmakers.

Something had to be done. Cal started 5-0 and was ranked No. 2 before losing six of its last seven. Cignetti brings 19 years of college and NFL experience.

Tedford and Weis are still considered two of the top offensive minds in the game. But after coaching their teams to combined 10-15 records, both coaches admitted they needed to spend more time on the defensive side of the ball.

How do you screw this up?

There have been worse situations than the one Bill Stewart is walking into at West Virginia.

Rich Rodriguez's replacement is taking over a squad coming off its' third-straight 11 win season. Only USC has a better record over the past three seasons than West Virginia (33-5). Eight starters return on offense including Heisman-quality quarterback Pat White.

Five spring (and beyond) questions

• Will Illinois' Juice Williams become a better thrower? The running game is there. Thanks in part to Williams, Illinois led the Big Ten in rushing, but to get to the next level the quarterback must become a serviceable thrower.

• Will Ryan Perrilloux be back any time soon at LSU?

• How much time do these hot seat coaches have left?: Ty Willingham, Kirk Ferentz, Greg Robinson, Randy Shannon, Ron Prince and Steve Kragthorpe. Their teams were a combined 28-45 last season.

• What's next at Michigan? Rodriguez is embroiled in a lawsuit. Could that be a distraction going into his first season in Ann Arbor? Michigan is a borderline top 25 team that figures to go through the dreaded transition phase with or without Terrelle Pryor. The Wolverines are really thin at quarterback where every starter since 1989 has at least made it into an NFL camp.

• Bo Pelini has the resume, the energy and the staff but is Nebraska in trouble in the near term? It goes into next season as No. 3 (at best) in the Big 12 North. Kansas and Missouri haven't slowed down and Colorado is improving.