On the recruiting trail

I was interviewing our offensive player of the year today (our paper has a thing called 'The All-Heartland Team,' which profiles a POY and runs down other standouts in each sport, each season), who happened to be a stud running back for one of our local schools.

I was talking to him about his college plans, asking him where he was planning to go.

"Anywhere they like to run the ball," he said. "Florida, Auburn, Oregon ..."

I stopped him dead in his tracks. "Dude, you need to go to Oregon State, man. Don't go to Oregon."

Not sure if it will change his mind, or even if the kid is D-I material (I can see him catching on somewhere), but I'll be damned if he goes to Oregon without hearing my opinion on the matter.

Mike Riley, you're welcome.