Practice? We're talking about practice!

With apologies to Allen Iverson, there's just something about turning on the computer and being confronted with reams of actual, honest to goodness, football news. It's like Chrismahanukwanzakah in August. A sampling:

Frank Beamer thinks we spied on his team before the Chick-Fil-A Bowl. I think a) Beamer's safeties bit on the play fake, b) his special teams aren't so special that they can't be suckered into a bad play once in a while and c) that his team has a very good chance to play for a national championship this season. But we're all entitled to our opinions. This is further proof that no more delusionally paranoid group of people trods the Earth than college football coaches. Except maybe Lindsey Lohan's personal assistants. Cocaine and a psycho boss will do that to ya.

Speaking of college coaches and cocaine, the Ole Ball Coach is threatening to take his ole ball and go home if University of South Carolina officials don't loosen up the academic standards they hold his danged ole recruits to. It's likely an idle threat, but he still has the South Carolina administration promising that they'll do a better job of having worse standards.

Spurrier's senior starting quarterback and others were suspended for the first day of practice for violating undisclosed team rules. I'm not saying South Carolina is on the verge of implosion or anything. They'll be better this year than they were last year. But I still believe all the pundits who made them a sexy pick to win the SEC East this year are overlooking some warts. When your starting quarterback and several other "team leaders" like Carlos Thomas and the Lindsey brothers are getting disciplined the first day out of the blocks, things can't be that rosy.

In UGA news, Bryan Evans pulled a hamstring on Sunday and is out of practice for the day. That's not a big problem. Corners and receivers pull hamstrings a lot in August because they run a lot and get fatigued in the heat. He'll sit for a day to a week and hopefully be fine.

The rumor coming out of this weekend was that Marcus Howard has put on some weight, which should allay some fears about his ability to play every down.

Speaking of weight issues, Coach Richt reports that Trinton Sturdivant is up to about 294 pounds, and the coaches and players have talked in the offseason about how strong he is. Even in a year with so much turnover and turmoil on the O-line, starting as a freshman is an accomplishment. The only thing more exciting is how good a guy who started at left tackle as a freshman could be by the time he's a junior.

In recruiting news, Georgia did not secure a commitment from either of the highly touted Norcross wide receivers who committed over the weekend. I had predicted Devonta Bolton would choose Florida when I heard he was deciding right on the heels of their "Friday Night Lights" football camp, which he had been slated to attend. I also know that Meyer has some sort of strange juju on wide receivers that forces them to ignore depth charts and arrive in Gaineville as if they were Richard Gere in The Mothman Phophecies.

If however I had checked out the TiderInsider Board I would have learned that Bolton cancelled his Florida trip, which of course would have put a serious cramp in my theory. Oh well. Saban and crew are getting a guy who will probably transition to the linebacker spot. Bolton's still very rough around the edges, but he has a lot of athletic ability. Saban won't have to play him in 2008, and I think it's a solid pickup for the Bammers. In related news, Tommy Tuberville is still recruiting high schools in Alabama, or so I've heard. The results this year have been less than stellar when compared to Saint Nick's Bama Salvation Travelling Tent Revival.

And on the 6th day, he signed some defensive tackles. And it was good.

Bolton's more heralded teammate Brice Butler picked USC. At this point, I really can't fault any young wide receiver who goes to play for Pete Carroll. It's guaranteed attention from NFL scouts. And southern California, which isn't a bad place to be no matter where you are on the depth chart. Good luck to both of them.

By now you've probably heard that Clemson commit A.J. Harmon was in Athens for practice on Sunday. I wouldn't read too much into this, yet. I think Harmon would sign with Clemson if signing day were tomorrow. But he's keeping his options open. Louisville isn't far from Athens, but it's far enough that you don't drive there on a Sunday afternoon for pure entertainment value. As I've said before, this one's not over just yet, especially if Tommy Bowden and crew underachive and get the old heave ho at season's end. Harmon wants to be seen in Athens just to let the coaches there (and elsewhere) know that he's still there.

That's enough news for now. Until later . . .

Go Dawgs!