Morning Six Pack: September 7, 2012

Beer and football are proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy. Enjoy these six college football stories from around the country.

Auburn’s Robenson Therezie moves from defensive back to… running back?

Head scratcher (subscription required).

Gators-Aggies SEC Opener Features a Lot of Firsts

This game has been on the schedule for months, but still, all of it does seem a little strange. Florida at Texas A&M. The Southeastern Conference opener for both schools. The Gators’ first trip to Kyle Field and their first game in the Lone Star State in 30 years.

Will FSU beat 70.5 point spread?

To all the Florida State fans out there. Get ready to lay the lumber friend. Can the Seminoles exceed the biggest betting spread ever?

Saban shocked at Crimson Tide fans

Alabama coach Nick Saban admonished Crimson Tide fans Thursday night for not selling out Saturday's game against Western Kentucky.

Pitt QB Tino Sunseri did at least one thing right in a game where so many things went wrong

Pittsburgh quarterback Tino Sunseri hasn't had a lot of positive plays this season — especially in Thursday's game against Cincinnati — but he did make an incredibly athletic (and risky) play to set up the Panthers for a potential score.

Quotable:

Those who argue against athletics-based cost of attendance scholarships also overlook their potential to address a big issue in college sports: third party influence.  It is well-known that agents, runners, and other third parties looking to gain influence with student-athletes often offer them money or other gifts.  Take the recent case of Kansas State’s Jamar Samuels.  Samuels was suspended the day that K-State played Syracuse in this year’s NCAA men’s basketball tournament.  His crime was accepting $200 from his former AAU coach.  Samuels allegedly needed the money for food.  The suspension forced Samuels to miss the last game of his college career.  Samuels likely would not have needed the money if he had received a full cost of attendance scholarship.

There are probably hundreds, if not thousands, of transactions like this occurring every year between third-parties and student-athletes.  Taking money from third parties is very tempting to those student-athletes whose families do not have the means to provide them with money for personal expenses.  Full cost of attendance scholarships won’t end third-party influence, but they will help.

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