FanHouse Clemson

At the University of Maryland, where I started teaching a course last semester, the university president just before last Christmas announced that the campus would have to implement a furlough plan -- unpaid leave -- this year because of budget cutbacks from the state due to the economic downturn. Maryland wasn't alone.

Arizona State implemented furloughs. Utah State did the same for all of its 2,995 employees the second week of last month. That followed layoffs at Clemson. Small schools like John Carroll University in Cleveland aren't immune as it, too, forced unpaid vacations on employees.

Before March was mad, the ACC was already basketball crazy.

Since 1955, the granddaddy of all conference tournaments has put one heck of an exclamation point on the end of the season, the twist ending to an Oscar-worthy film. Even in an era when six bids out of the league are as routine as Billy Packer ripping apart mid-majors or Mike Krzyewski having a colorful conversation with the referees, the ACC tournament still matters.

And in 2009, the ACC tournament has a to-do list the size of Barack Obama's.

If you wanted to play a parlay on Miami and Clemson road-grading Duke and Wake Forest the kind of clubbings usually reserved for the Knicks or Andy Kennedy's cab rides, you probably would've had to look far, far down your betting slip.

Think somewhere in the area of Alex Rodriguez autographing a copy of Joe Torre's new book and Alex Rodriguez shacking up with a woman whose age is less than his homer totals.

And then keep looking down.

Long ago, this stopped being merely a streak.

Streaks are what happens when you defy the odds long enough to become noticeable. A NFL team wins seven in a row. That's a streak. You flip a coin and get heads half a dozen times consecutively. That's a streak. Alex Rodriguez dates a woman whose age is lower than a Tiger Woods golf score? Even once, that too is a streak.

But long ago, this became less skid and more law of nature, something Newton scribbled about between the bit about apples and equal and opposition reactions.

Last week, Brian Grummell posted about the Clemson Academic Advisory Review Committee deciding whether football recruits would be allowed to attend Clemson after being offered scholarships. About how there was a conflict between the athletic and academic goals and philosophies of the school. And more importantly, how Clemson fans and alum were taking the news as they found out about the Review Committee. Especially after some good recruits suddenly were turned away just before signing day.

It seems the Review Committee now finds itself heading for its own evaluation.

The issue took center stage last week when Tigers recruits receiver Dwight Jones and tailback Jo Jo Cox were denied admission by the school's Athletic Advisory Review Committee. Since then, Tigers fans have lit up phone lines on sports talk shows and filled Internet message boards critical of the decision.

Clemson may decide to keep the admissions process the same or make modifications, [Clemson President James F.] Barker said. His only goal will be maintaining academic integrity while "not putting Clemson at a competitive disadvantage," he said.

Clemson Football Coach Tommy Bowden has not directly criticized the Review Committee or said much about it in general. but he seems happy about the review of the Review Committee.

"I have confidence that the university administration understands the importance of recruiting on a level playing field," Bowden said in a statement. "And that we will be able to recruit on a level playing field in the future."

A cynic would suggest President Barker is looking for a way to make sure the football (and maybe the basketball program) can recruit with a freer hand, while still placating the academic emphasis. Especially since it was his "vision" to have the school be a top-20 athletic and academic institution.

In an ideal world, athletic departments and the colleges they represent would be blissful partners. But we don't live in an ideal world and sometimes their missions clash. A football team may want to sign a great athlete with barely passing grades and admissions wants to put the kibosh on that one. And another one. And puts up a fight about two other kids.

That's how it goes at many school, particularly ones with great athletic traditions.

Enter Clemson.

The Tigernet's Mickey Plyler wrote a blog entry titled "The Truth" yesterday documenting the evolution of Clemson's academic and athletic departments. I pause when I write evolution because it reads more like the deterioration of cooperation and trust between the two parties.

The scourge of the decommit has been on the rise in college football recruiting for years now, but I think it'll be hard to top this particular reversal. South Carolina WR prospect Markish Jones has been a Clemson commit for a while now, but some academic issues brought his scholarship status into question (or Clemson was using that as a smokescreen in the hopes of spending his scholarship on someone else). Jones publicly started wavering, considering Florida State.

However, this morning Jones had one of those irritating self-glorification press conferences wherein he announced he was going to Clemson, signed a letter of intent... and then never faxed it. An hour later:

According to Broome head coach Quay Farr, wide receiver Markish Jones has changed his mind and will sign with Florida State today. Shortly before 10, Farr said Jones, after signing with Clemson at a 9 a.m. ceremony, changed his mind and didn't send in the LOI. Instead, he is signing a letter of intent with Florida State and preparing to fax it in.

As you can see, this bizarre saga has officially warranted the Fanhouse Duck of Inexplicability.

Per the request of our fine editors at AOL corporate, us NCAA Football types at the FanHouse were asked to list 2007 "impact recruits". Seeing as how National Letter of Intent Day (aka Signing Day) is tomorrow, this request is timely.

What defines impact? A John Madden-like BOOM ? Nahhh.

The instructions from our bosses are intentionally vague which I like. So what follows are the first five of ten impact recruits. My main criteria is to name players people will be talking about. So while some recruits may be better or more interesting, these are ten guys who will get noticed.

• John Chiles, Athlete (Texas) - Chiles played quarterback, running back ... pretty much everything in high school. He's fast, has ball skills and makes plays. Colt McCoy probably has the quarterback position locked down for a few years so look for the Texas staff to creatively find ways to get the ball in his hands. Video.

• Chris Galippo, Linebacker (USC) - Galippo was last seen making somewhere in the neighborhood of 12 tackles at the US Army High School All America game in January. He's already college size (6'-3"/235 pounds) with speed and the ability to play inside, outside or even defensive end. Oozes leadership as he doggedly helped recruit several future teammates. Video.

• Ryan Miller, Offensive Tackle (Colorado) - Had offers from literally everyone of significance, but chose the hometown Buffaloes. Should be able to make an Andre Smith-like impact on an otherwise modestly talented Colorado line.

• Terrance Toliver, Wide Receiver (LSU or Florida) - Toliver is expected to be the next great "big and athletic" receiver in the mold of Dwayne Jarrett and Charles Rogers. Runs fast, has a big body, can make plays in the air, he can do a lot of things and should have a fantastic college career. Video.

• Willy Korn, Quarterback (Clemson) - Korn saw his stock drop a bit over the course of the fall but he's got a chance to start next year for Clemson. Korn can scramble as well as throw the ball. With Clemson's tremendous backfield his burden will be lightened. Could be leading one of the country's best offenses from the word go. People will definitely be talking about him if he wins the job and plays well early. Video.

Coming up: Impact National Recruits Part II

Well, in case you haven't noticed, the holidays have slowed things down around here. Us Clemson folk tend to do the family and friends thing around Christmas time which leaves little time for blogging...

But I digress.

Clemson takes on the Wildcats of Kentucky tomorrow in the "Some stupid advertiser's name goes here" Music City Bowl. Kickoff is at 1PM--eastern standard time. The game is in Nashville, Tennessee making it a Noon kickoff locally.

I'll refrain from the the usually "Keys to Victory" for this one ... that would just be too easy. Ya know, run the ball well, don't turn the ball over, etc.

Instead, I'll give a nice "Go Tigers!" and wish the boys well--especially those seniors playing in their last game as a Clemson student-athlete.

Oh ... and just like every other week, I'll predict a Tiger victory. Clemson 31, Kentucky 24. The Tiger running game will be too much for a Kentucky defense that allows 189 yards per game on the ground.