Headlinin': Minnesota's next coach may have a little Captain in him

Making the morning rounds.

• "I'd like to thank the administration and all the problem drinkers out there for this opportunity." Minnesota president Bob Bruininks, an avowed agnostic on liquor sales in on-campus TCF Bank Stadium, said Thursday he plans to push the state legislature to eliminate alcohol restrictions in a bid to increase revenue – some of which could be used to hire the Gophers' new coach, among other improvements that Bruininks hopes "would solve some of our problems in keeping our program more competitive." (Freshly fired coach Tim Brewster is happy to hear it, I'm sure, along with Bruininks' willingness to "stretch" for a big name in Brewster's old chair.)

The prez admitted the zero-tolerance policy "did have economic consequences" for an athletic department that reaped profits for decades on alcohol sales in the Metrodome, and expects a reversal to be worth $1.5 million a year. As for the potential social consequences of lifting the ban, even if it's only in premium seating, that's just a risk they're willing to take. [St. Paul Pioneer Press, MyFox Twin Cities]

• Trojan spread? USC, longtime bastion of the balanced, two-back, "pro style" offense, may be forced to adopt the spread next year, if only because the Trojans don't have the numbers to do anything else. "Look at what we have," said coach Lane Kiffin. "We have a bunch of really good receivers and backs and tight ends, and we don’t even have a fullback on our roster that's on scholarship two months from now. ... You look at our roster, who’s playing fullback in the spring?" Not that quarterback Matt Barkley needs a lot of help with his numbers in the current system, especially after last Saturday's five-touchdown barrage against Cal, but if lean times mean more passing, by god, he's willing to suck it up. [Orange County Register, L.A. Daily News]

• Game on, bro. Speaking of big passing stats, Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett has been officially cleared of the concussion symptoms that knocked him out of last week's loss at Auburn and will start Saturday against Ole Miss – and Ole Miss' 96th-ranked pass defense, which has yielded more than 900 yards and eight touchdown passes over the last three games. [Arkansas Democrat-Gazette]

• Now they tell us. Texas fans will be thrilled to learn that the Big 12 has overturned the controversial tiebreaker rule that lifted rival Oklahoma into the conference championship game – and therefore into the BCS Championship Game – over the Longhorns and Texas Tech in the Great Three-Way Tie of 2008. The new procedures would have pulled Texas from the quagmire instead. Did I say "thrilled"? I meant kind of disgusted. [Dallas Morning News]

• Fashion for LeGrande. A local retailer run by a former Rutgers mascot has received permission from the university to begin selling t-shirts to raise money for Eric LeGrande, the Scarlet Knight lineman who was paralyzed from the neck down last week against Army. There's no LeGrande jersey, but the shirts will feature his number, 52, and one will accentuate his initials, EL, in the word "Believe." You can contact the store here. [Newark Star-Ledger]

Quickly... Maryland lineman Pete DeSouza, a starter at right tackle, suffered "serious" but non life-threatening injuries Thursday when his scooter collided with another vehicle. ... Oklahoma receiver DeJuan Miller is out for the rest of the season with a knee injury. ... Redshirt freshman Michael Box is taking over as UConn's starting quarterback, and may not complete a pass against Louisville. ... Confessed pay-for-play agent Josh Luchs is officially decertified by the NFL. ... Gary Patterson downplays the concussion spat between the coach and a TCU team doctor. ... And Butch Davis is still polling better than almost any politician this election season.

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Matt Hinton is on Twitter: Follow him @DrSaturday.

Source: http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/blog/dr_saturday/post/Headlinin-Minnesota-s-next-coach-may-have-a-li?urn=ncaaf-279164

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