I love college football. You can all caps that emotive verb if you’d like: I LOVE it. When I’m on the sideline home or road and I see the teams come out of the tunnel with the band and the students and the vibe and AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH! Love it.

So on days like today — National Signing Day — I get all fired up to see whose headed to UB Stadium and the Big House, who’ll be an Aztec or a Spartan. Yep, I get all fired up for about 10 minutes.

Sure the kids committing on ESPN have a significant chance of being major impact players at Bama, Ohio State and FSU, but the larger truth remains that these major networks  know less about these kids prospects than you’d think, in particular if you’re a fan of a non-BCS program. Examine UB’s best scored prospects from UB from 2008-10:

77: CB Carlos Lammons (09), RB James Potts (10)

76: C Rick Perez (09), WR Cordero Dixon (10)

74: DT Matt Hornbuckle (09), OT Jeremy Johnson (09), QB Alex Zordich (10)

72: DT Joel Wilson (08), OLB Dalonte Wallace (08)

71: ILB Dustin Tait (08), S Okoye Houston (10)

By my count, only six of those players wore the blue and white in front of me. Half or less of that number started a game. Granted there’s still time for those classes, but the fact is that those names either come from pedigree schools, families or states. They are getting love because of who is recruiting them and maybe even how they look in the one game versus high school players. This all goes without saying the hijinx we’ve seen involving recruiting “coordinators” at high schools who are essentially guys looking for finder’s fees (You don’t have to picture Stringer Bell and Avon Barksdale standing above a high school gym, but you may if it pleases you).

Compare those 70+ numbers to these commits who received a rating of 40 from ESPN: QB Zach Maynard (08), DE Steven Means (08), OG Graham Whinery (08), LB Khalil Mack (09), OG Jasen Carlsen (10), Colby Way (10).

So when you see that UB signed a 76 OT from Michigan that was sought after by San Diego State, Michigan State and Army, that truly could be a legit boon for the Bulls (and here’s hoping Robert Riche is just that!). But it’s also just as likely that 45-rated OT Dan Collura from Dematha will go beast mode for the Bulls.

The point is even ESPN hasn’t reached a point where it can afford to pay “scouts” to really look into the majority of big-time prospects. Heck, Branden Oliver is shaping up to be UB’s best offensive threat ever and was “just” a 65. Mack may already be infringing on Davonte Shannon’s claims on the defensive side of the ball, and he was a 40.

Signing Day is great. It gives us college ball in February… but that’s about it. Bring on Spring ball, and then the Bulls at Georgia in about a half-year’s time.

Email: nick@fcbuffalo.org

Extra credit: examples of good scouting!

One of my musical heroes once sang that, “If patience started a band, I’d be her biggest fan.” I never truly understood that Elliott Smith lyric until the past few months of waiting and waiting for a new project to be proper and ready. When WECK dumped me for Billy Ocean in July 2011, I figured it was time for the tough to get going and that I would launch myself back into radio at whatever level they’d have me. I met with a number of people in media before taking a job with the Sahlen family in a field I love: soccer.

Anyone in media can tell you that it’s near impossible to avoid the itch to stay in the game. While I’ll certainly be popping my voice around radio at times, I realized that life had given me the opportunity to give something unique a whirl.

I was fortunate enough to learn I had a bunch of “fans” at Buffalo.com. With a home studio raring to go, I asked them if they’d like to host a podcast on their site while I was between talk homes. With a pretty swell employer like Sahlen’s, I could very well be out of radio for a while, so why not hang out at a site that clearly has a nice long shelf-life ahead of itself?

When Ben Kirst, Sean Radlich and others at Buffalo.com were into that idea, I thought, “Why not go big?” I called up some of my best friends and asked if they wanted to give a podcast network a go. There are so many terribly talented people in the area who deserve to have their voices heard. Will it sound like traditional radio? Probably not. Will some shows be an acquired taste? For sure. I know mine is as acquired as Gary Sheffield.

I’ll be unloading info often before our February 1st launch date, but here are some things I can tell you:

• I will record a minimum of three Buffalo-related podcasts per week with additional specialty casts as certain licenses and guests become available to me.
• Our Consumers Beverages’ sponsored “Craft Beer Talk” will make the move to Audio Buffalo, as well my cousin’s “Hip-Hop Talk Show.”
• Some of Buffalo’s coolest blogs will be trying their hands behind the mic or moving their ‘casts in our general direction. More on this to come.
• Additional hosts are coming over to do weekly shows, but I’ll save those announcements for later this week or weekend.
• Our site was designed by creative mad man, Matt Coleman. Please patronize him at colemanworks.net.

Email: nick@fcbuffalo.org or audiobuffalo@gmail.com with any questions.

Caption: "FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THINGS HOLY WOULD YOU PLEASE TELL SOMEONE ELSE BESIDES YOU AND THOMAS HOW TO BE GOOD AT HOCKEY!?!?!?!?!!??"

1) This is my least favorite Sabres team of all-time.

2) Derek Roy and Drew Stafford are playing as if they are in one of the dreams in “Nightmare on Elm Street” and there is no plausible way they are escaping hockey doom on any given play.

3) When Jhonas Enroth looks that far out-of-it, you have to wonder whether an actual brick wall could keep a sub-3.00 GAA behind this line-up.

1) Question: Thomas Vanek and Jason Pominville account for what percentage of the reason the Buffalo Sabres aren’t the leading candidate for the No. 1 overall pick in the NHL Draft? (If you’re looking for an answer, I’ll hazard a guess of 79.4 percent)

2) It would be excellent if this happened more than twice a year: 3) The Sabres were short-handed for six minutes in the second period, which is an awful long time, and survived it thanks to some crack killing and some Leaf wilting.

Email: nick@fcbuffalo.org

The news that the Buffalo Bills have hired UB Bulls defensive coordinator William Inge to be their new assistant defensive line coach under Dave Wannstedt is bittersweet for me. For one thing, Inge was not only a good coach for my alma mater but a good person to be around. On the other hand, the only professional football team I really care about got better today.

Make no mistake, Inge is a tremendous game-planner. While UB’s defense did not always have the depth and/or talent to take care of business during games, Inge’s set-up was near flawless on several occasions. Consider:

– The Bulls flat-out controlled NIU’s remarkable QB hybrid Chandler Harnish just one week after Harnish passed for 203 and ran for 229 in the same game. Buffalo lost by one in a game where they not only threw two interceptions and fumbled thrice but missed a game-tying extra point attempt with 14 seconds left in the contest.

– This number is a lot higher because the Bulls had big problems against the run, but Inge coached the unit to the No. 36 ranking in pass defense despite graduating three players to NFL camps out of his secondary: Domonic Cook, Davonte Shannon and Josh Thomas (in itself an accolade, if only for one season).

– Inge’s reputation was earned. The Cincinnati unit he coached (LBs coach) yielded four NFL drafted players in 2009, while his seasons at San Diego State (Freddy Keiaho) and Colorado (Jordon Dixon) were also notable for various positives.

Pun intended, I’m bullish on Inge, but replacing him is a mighty task for UB head coach Jeff Quinn. I’m positive that current Bulls DL coach Jappy Oliver and cornerbacks Ernest Jones will get a look at the gig, but Quinn may also go outside the halls of UB Stadium. Regardless, the Bills got better today and the Bulls have a new, huge question mark.

Email: nick@fcbuffalo.org

1) Hockey can be a cruel game, as evidenced by the quick whistle before Ville Leino could tap home a possible loose puck that cost Buffalo a regulation win.

2) Yes, Jhonas Enroth was again beaten high-glove again, but he allowed one goal over 60 minutes and made some fantastic saves (When you can’t score more than a goal on home ice against a team that’s three points ahead of you in the playoff race, you don’t deserve to be ahead of said team).

3) In a tale of the polar opposites that exist with two young kids, Tyler Myers did nice work at both ends of the rink while Luke Adam made it an even nine games without a point.

Email: nick@fcbuffalo.org

So, I’m supposed to be furious about this… … but okay with this? Yeesh. I know we’re all envious of the club Boston’s got but anyone offended by short Brad Marchand getting too low needs to hate hip checking, too. Marchand does not go at Salo’s knees, which is supposed to be what constitutes clipping, right? I’m sure the NHL is preparing the white-out for the annual midseason rulebook change.

Email: nick@fcbuffalo.org

1) It’s no surprise that Lindy Ruff keeps trying to prop up Ryan Miller — who again was ordinary-at-best tonight — because the only way to consistently win hockey games without good center play is with an A-plus goaltender.

2) Really, you can’t even adopt the “Where’s the leadership?” line because Thomas Vanek and Jason Pominville continue to produce on the ice with quick counter goals when it matters.

3) This team needs a No. 1 center or better goaltending, which means we could be reaching the end of the “Ryan’s infallible as the clear No. 1″ era (yes, even with Lindy Ruff), because Darcy only makes trades that floss other GMs.

Email: nick@fcbuffalo.org

Had to laugh as I checked Twitter before leaving work for the night only to see a Tweet from Marshawn Lynch that is sure to be removed once his agent finds out or his mom gets home from Bingo.

Precious. It appears one of the most unpleasant people I’ve ever covered is still living the dream of blissful ignorance. Yes, Marshawn, given your porcelain record, we’re sure it’s a case straight out of the “Doing 55 in a 54″ playbook and not something similar to carrying firearms in a illegally-tinted vehicle without license plates. Tell us more, Felony Mode.

(Certainly police abuse and/or discrimination is nothing to laugh about, but MarshawnLynch doesn’t exactly inspire images of innocence nor honesty) Email: nick@fcbuffalo.org

I was asked to write a long-form article in the vein of my “Big Picture Posts” for a non-sports publication on what it means to be a Buffalo sports fan. This is what came out (starting on Page 32). My friends at Block Club Magazine are doing a wonderful job, so pickup a hard copy and patronize their advertisers.

Cheers,

-N