Morning Six Pack: August 23, 2012

One week tonight, we raise our classes as the 2012 college football season kicks off. Here are six college football stories from around the country.

Stars not a big deal for Tide players

Alabama head coach Nick Saban seems to grab four- and five-star prospects on the recruiting trail at about the same rate sportswriters gobble up free food. But not everybody who lands in the starting lineup is a big-time recruit.

Rice loses tackle for season

College report: UH stages mock game; Rice loses tackle for season John Poehlmann, who entered preseason camp as the backup at right tackle, will miss all season with an ankle injury.

Dooley, Vols confident

Dooley has 10 returning starters on offense and seven on defense. Whereas the past saw confidence and positivity preached on uneasy footing, there's now a foundation when optimism is extolled.

LSU football coach Les Miles says Mo Isom is 'a very strong applicant' at kicker

Decision on former soccer player could come Thursday or Friday.

Montee Ball gets honored

Despite tumultuous offseason, Ball named a Badger co-captain.

Quotable:

"There's a whole myth about balance, and it's really stupid. The notion that you hand it to one guy half the time, and then you throw it to two other guys the other half of the time, and maybe you connect, maybe you don't. There's nothing balanced about it. There's two skill positions left out.

"Balance, whether you run it or throw it, is getting contribution from all the skill positions. Ours is a balanced offense. The wishbone is a balanced offense. Some I-tailback offense, it may be a great offense, it may be great for the team that they play for, where you're giving it to the back 40 times. There's nothing balanced about it. It doesn't even add up to balance. We try to be balanced based on contributions by all the skill positions."

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