That didn’t take long.

Ole Miss wideout Patrick Patterson is out. While players get kicked off teams all the time, (particularly if they somehow associate with Chip Kelly), Patterson is a fascinating scenario.

PP was the number four ranked WR coming out of high school according to Rivals back in 2009 and eventually picked Ole Miss over Alabama. Perhaps the date and more specifically the swift drop off are more surprising than anything. Patterson made little impact as a frosh (12 catches, 180 yards, 1 touchdown), but there was no doubt the kid had some serious skills.

Things didn’t start well for the youngster as he was suspended for a game, then suspended from the team back in January. His latest and last strike is still unknown other than it was a “violation of team rules.” In a lot of cases, these situations include alcohol, hot chicks, cops, and weed. I’m just sayin’…

You typically see touted guys fall off the wagon a few years in, perhaps because things didn’t go their way. It’s rare to see someone with such obvious talent exhaust their welcome this early on. Houston Nutt isn’t the kind of guy that turns away from 6’2″, 200 lb receivers even if they come with baggage.

I’ll be looking to see where Patterson ends up, but I can’t see I’ll be routing for him. Patterson isn’t the only one that wasted away his talent (there’s a LONG line for that), but he had a tremendous opportunity and blew it on multiple occasions.

Somehow, however, I don’t think we’ve heard the last of PP. People need good receivers don’t cha know.

While sifting through my normal blog routine, I came across an interesting read by Richard Cirminello on Collegefootballnews.com. This ambitious piece took a look at Rutgers, who Cirminello believed could be on the verge of a BCS berth. On the surface this might seem like a bit of a stretch, but the Big East isn’t exactly stock-piled with young talent or dominant teams.

I’ve been a fan of both Rutgers and Greg Schiano for quite sometime and have been waiting for them to take this next step. In many senses they have, but they haven’t made the quantum leap that many East-coast folk have been hoping.

Rutgers, however, still has their coach and are now pulling in recruits. Let’s not forget that they had OT Anthony Davis leave early to go to the NFL. While this leaves a big (literally) gap in the o-line, it does help legitimize the team and the staff for big-time recruits. Think the Calipari formula on a much lesser scale, with less strippers, dollars, etc. They also saw corner back Devin McCourty go high, which adds to this growing buzz.

The 2010 season opens with cupcakes Norfolk State and Florida International. After a bye week, the Scarlet Knights get North Carolina at home which could be a game with HUGE implications. Other noteworthy games in their schedule include a late-October trip to Pittsburgh along with trips to Cincinnati and West Virginia. While Pitt should still be a very formidable squad, the other two could very well take a step back. As a whole, they have a lot of wins, some very winnable games, and a few that will be toughies on the 2010 docket. The young core of future stars should be up for the challenge, however.

Sophomore WR Mohamed Sanu is going to be a national star. This guy does everything, and Schiano relied on him a tremendous amount as a freshmen. Sanu was a surprising get for Schiano an co. and lived up to high expectations as he ended with close to 700 receiving yard and ran for close to 350. I was also unbelievably impressed with his comfort level and sheer athleticism that he showcased with operating out of the wildcat. On top of all of this, he played a huge role on special teams in all aspects of the game – including blocks. If you don’t know about this kid already, make a point to watch him next year.

Cue up the rap, we got Sanu Highlights

Another youngin to keep an eye on is the QB 1, sophomore Tom Savage. Savage played extensively as a frosh and showcased everything you’d expect from a recruit of his stature. Huge arm, great tools, and inconsistent at times – hence the wildcat. Still, there’s no doubt he’s going to get better and people love what they see from him so far.

The defense as a whole should be good. The defensive line has some superb athletes that could be great with some more seasoning. As Cirminello showcased, defensive end Jonathon Freeny is a guy that could be fantastic, and they also have some young personel outside of the front-4 that could step up.

To me, the Big East is ripe for the taking. Pittsburgh has some great talent on offense but is very much a beatable squad. Teams like Louisville, USF, and Syracuse aren’t poised to take giant steps forward. The rest of the Big east will likely be down this year except perhaps for a UCONN team who I do like. Departures of some premier talent along with head coach Brian Kelly make this an interesting season. Especially if you’re a team with a ton of young talent.

A 10-win season is something I think the Scarlet Knights not only can accomplish, but will accomplish. They’ll likely lose to UNC, have a toughie at Pitt, but can win one and even both of these games. The only thing that could prevent them from this is their offensive line, which is the obvious hole on this team. I trust that Schiano will make this his pet project, and believe that even without Davis the big boys will take a step forward.

I like what I see, and even bigger, I don’t like what the rest of the Big East has to offer.

The first rule about Big 12 Club is you don’t talk about Big 12 Club. Newb.

Tommy Tuberville now the coach of Texas Tech and in his first year in the Big 12, didn’t get the memo. And now, the Big 12 and more specifically the Big 12 head honcho Dan Beebe is pist.

Tuberville was critical of the Big 12 in a radio interview and his comments about the future or lack thereof of the conference were well covered. In this interview, Tuberville also managed to sneak in some comments about how he believes a lack of leadership is impacting the conference in a negative way. Cough, cough, enter Dan Beebe who misses being talked about.

Beebe responded by saying his comments “were unfortunate, and contrary to the very strong feelings of unity expressed publicly and privately by the Big 12 Board of Directors and athletic directors.”

He then did threw up two giant Hook ‘em Horns, revealed a tee shirt that said “Colt McCoy is my Homeboy” and smoked a hundred-dollar bill.

After gathering himself, he then offered up this on deciding to punish Tuberville. “In deciding to reprimand Coach Tuberville, I took into account that this is a first-time offense and that he has committed to adhere to the rules and contribute to strengthen the conference. If not for these factors, a more significant penalty would be assessed, and will be if there are any future violations.”

First and foremost, Tuberville is saying things that the entire nation is thinking. The financial disparities that led to the near Big 12 crumble are not gone, and on top of that, universities now have grudges and are feeling more self-protecting than ever. Texas and Oklahoma are still the hot chicks and the other schools are still sloppy seconds. Dan Beebe is the captain of this dysfunctional ship and he now must protect what he’s worked hard (or at least duck-taped) to keep together.

Beebe was more or less pinpointed in these comments, but I’m surprised he’s brought these words full circle. Commenting and defending the now 10-team Big 12 only makes the situation seem more doomed.

What kind of punishment do you give a coach like Tuberville for saying something like this? Money, duh, but do these comments warrant a giant fine? This obviously doesn’t sit well with Beebe, and I can see why. You cannot have coaches in your conference badmouth you or your league, but he shouldn’t treat this like a serious infraction. It’s personal for Beebe, which never comes off well no matter how diplomatic he can portray himself going forward.

The entire Texas Tech connection is also fascinating, and Mike Leech is probably face deep in a bag of Jalapeno Crunchers and about 19 Bud Ice’s clapping at his successor’s shaky vocal start. Although Tuberville will likely provide us with little to no off-field entertainment from here on out, at least he’s given us this tidbit at Beebe’s expense.

Tuberville isn’t stupid, in fact, he’s sharp as a tack, so he’ll be a good solider from here on out. I imagine that these comments will seize to exist for a while and then resurface when other prominent minds and pockets feel the need to act on these feeling (for real this time) once again.

Dan Beebe on the other hand will likely assure us all it’s okay for a full year or more. Umm, excuse me while I quietly pack my things and exit out the back door.