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I'm having some Fred MacMurray in "Double Indemnity" visions. The Oklahoma State Athletic Department will be taking out $10 million insurance policies on 25 of its alumni/donors.

OSU's "Gift of a Lifetime" program involves selected alums in a broad age spread who have qualified for $10 million individual life insurance policies and agreed to name Cowboy Athletics the beneficiary. Cowboy Athletics is paying the premiums. So far, 25 alums have qualified for the program, which is a form of testamentary giving.

Oklahoma State will pay $20 million in premiums on the 25 alums. Sort of. They borrowed the money to pay the premiums. The members of the Deathwatch class of 2007 all are between the age of 65 and 85 (and presumably white and male) and passed a physical (meaning the insurer is not the same company that Ed McMahon pitches on daytime cable).

Already other schools are inquiring about how the program works, so expect this tactic to spread. I'm sure the official names for other programs will be equally versed in double speak in how they title a program that encourages their fans to literally die for their school. I do think the Penn State program called, "Just try and outlive Joe Paterno" is a winner.

Other views on the Cowboy Deadpool:

The Wizard of Odds: Pickens Again at Center of Controversy
Every Day Should Be Saturday: T. Boone Pickens Bets on Death, Sweet Death

This one's been whispered about for a few days but is now semi-official. Broyles announced his plans to step down as Arkansas' Athletic Director before a meeting room packed with friends like football coach Houston Nutt, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and the school's basketball and track coaches.

There has been a push of late to nudge Broyles out of the athletic department after the whole Springdale Five situation went national and the upper management at Arkansas was made to look equal parts arrogant, callous and incapable of fulfilling promises and obligations. That's very one-sided of course but two of the main players have left in quarterback Mitch Mustain and receiver Damian Williams.

In the wake of the scandal Arkansas also lost out on the state's top three recruits this year.

There is talk that Broyles will remain at Arkansas in some sort of advisory position but for several days now whispers had increased about people within the school bureaucracy pushing for his departure.

Broyles famously had run-ins with former basketball coach Nolan Richardson, did not retain Lou Holtz as a football coach past 1983 and most recently presided over the Springdale Five mess.

Broyles' coaching legacy is far more secure. He led the Razorbacks to a national championship in 1964 and was cordial with both Alabama coach Bear Bryant and USC coach John McKay during their epic tenures through the 1960's and 1970's. He coached the Hogs from 1958 until 1976 and compiled a 144-58-5 record and just two losing seasons.

Update: Former Arkansas basketball coach Nolan Richardson speaks out.

College football's governing body informed Oklahoma this week that their compliance kinda messed up in about as many words.

The NCAA alleges Oklahoma failed to adequately monitor the employment of several athletes, including some football players who worked during the academic year.

Well no freaking duh. Either the NCAA was just being thorough or it moves about as fast as a glacier. The story broke in August and it's now February.

Either way, Oklahoma and everyone else in college football already realizes the nature of the alleged violation. Oklahoma responded swiftly in booting quarterback Rhett Bomar and offensive lineman J.D. Quinn off the team after it was learned they were involved in a cash for fake work scheme at a nearby auto dealership.

How much of this is Oklahoma's actual fault is anybody's guess but the Sooners did respond quickly and that has to be given some weight at their hearing before the NCAA in April. I'm more apt to blame the players, as Bomar was twice arrested during his short Sooner stay for underage drinking, once while at an NBA game.

All of this and more is what is troublesome about college football's offseason. What passes for news this week is mostly a series of allegations against big time programs for recruiting improprieties and the rehasing of old gaffes whose expiration date passed long ago.

When's spring ball? Please tell me it's tomorrow somewhere, anywhere. Is there a college football team in Alaska we can follow for a few weeks? Can USC or Florida assemble a skeleton squad and barnstorm? Where is the real news? Aaaaargh.