Plans change. Things go awry, but a handful of the players who have already verbaled to Pitt are making plans to enroll early.

DT Tyrique Jarrett, TE Scott Orndoff, DE Shakir Soto, RB Corey Clement and now QB Tra’von Chapman have all indicated that they will be enrolled and taking classes at Pitt come January 2013.

Jarrett was actually a 2012 signee, but grades have him doing prep school — and apparently doing well.

The other four are presently the top ranked players in Chryst’s first recruiting class.

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I believe there are people in the University of Pittsburgh Athletic Department, and in the school’s administration that read this site regularly. I try not to give too much advice, but…

Next July, when Pitt makes the move into the ACC. No videos. No “cute” gimmicks. Just a simple, understated splash page on the website to say, “Pitt is in the ACC.”

Why? No one is ever as clever as they think they are. Texas A&M drove that point home with this… this… thing.

This surfaced last night, and was immediate subject to such derision, that A&M pulled it around midnight central time. But it was too late. Having learned from the loss of TCU’s “Call Me, Maybe” video, it was quickly copied and survives to the everlasting shame of Texas A&M.

I’m trying to imagine what WVU has done for their move to the Big 12. Presumably it involves burning something.

Over the weekend, it was conference moving day. Teams officially switched conferences.

Temple is halfway there. In for Big East football in 2012. Everything else in 2013. VCU is in the A-10. Mizzou and Texas A&M to the SEC. And of course, TCU and WVU to the Big 12. Hoopies are happy to be in the Big 12. Especially instead of the ACC. They’re happy, dammit!

That’s a reminder that in one year, it will be another big moving day. Sure Boise State waited until the very last minute to formally tell the Mountain West that they would be splitting time in the Big West and Big East next year. You have the assorted C-USA teams moving from their place on Oriental Avenue to slightly more expensive property on St. Charles Place.

And of course, Pitt and Syracuse will make their move to the ACC.

Whether there will be any other new expansiopocolypse moves by this time next year remains to be seen. Lately, the only surprise is if there isn’t a move made.

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Just a few more pieces on Tra’von Chapman and his verbal to Pitt.

I was a little surprised when I looked at Chapman’s background that he had only played one season at Kent Roosevelt, but the moving was football related. Just not for Chapman. His dad, Thad Jemison, became the WR coach at KSU last year. He was a former Ohio St. WR. Guess that means dad won’t be in the stands for many games.

Having a father involved in coaching football explains why Chapman responded so well to QB Coach Brooks Bollinger actually critiquing him during a camp.

“[Bollinger] really coached me up at the camp and I liked his criticism. He helped me with some pointers, and I liked that he wanted me to be at my best,” Chapman said. “But really, my comfort level with the entire staff and the fact that I know they want what is best for me academically and athletically made it feel like home for me, so I knew it was my best choice. The bottom line is I could trust those guys the most and that’s important to me.”

While Chapman as a QB is a bit raw as you would expect from a high school QB. He is well polished on the cliches needed for interviews. You can see that in the above quote where he hit the traditional buzz words. “Comfort level ” and “feel like home.”

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In totally untimely news, Joe Paterno finds himself in hot water due to the inability of the PSU administration to actually discuss things face to face over coffee instead of sharing their thoughts in an email.

Damn, this gives the PSU faithful another target to point fingers of blame at other than Paterno… “If it wasn’t for computer technology Joe wouldn’t be in trouble!”  As if they need any more basis for rationalization that is.  Here is my favorite from a PSU poster.

“Even if true this doesn’t establish “cover up” as the motive.  I think its quite likely that they wanted to help an old loyal friend, to get him professional help in the belief that it would halt the conduct without destroying his life and reputation.  Obviously, that was a bad decision and very misplaced.  But making a horribly wrong decision isn’t the same as covering up a scandal to protect the football program.”

Allll righty then…!!!

Maybe Paterno is glad he’s dead so that he doesn’t actually have to face the public and tell the truth, something that he’s proven he can’t be counted on to do in the past.

In case anyone has been in a coma these last three days a series of emails between the AD Curley and the President Spanier have been quoted in CNN articles (and now by AP stringers) that show “Joe” (Paterno) was complicit in not alerting the authorities back in 2001 after the four principals had gotten McQueary’s report of the shower incident.

If you’ve the stomach for it here are a few excerpts:

“…then Vice President for Finance and Business Affairs Gary Schultz developed a three-part plan to talk with Sandusky; contact the Second Mile — the youth charity Sandusky founded; and inform child welfare authorities.”  and “But that plan was put on hold, the report stated, Feb. 27, when Schultz received an e-mailed reply from Athletic Director Tim Curley — apparently after a discussion with head football coach Joe Paterno — in which Curley suggests talking with Sandusky directly before alerting any outside authorities.”

What happened then is the most damning as far as Paterno is concerned…

In an email from Schultz to Spanier came this.  “After giving it more thought and talking it over with Joe yesterday, I am uncomfortable with what we agreed were the next steps,” CNN quoted Curley as saying in an email. Curley indicated, according to the report, that he planned to talk with Sandusky and also contact The Second Mile, but not necessarily the child welfare office if Sandusky cooperated and got professional help.

Cooperated and got professional help. Oy Vey, Goot Gott In Himmel!

This brings up the question if Sandusky was confronted and agreed to those stipulations.  If so, and if I were the DA, I’d want the name of that therapist who didn’t alert authorities that Sandusky remained a ‘danger to others’.  But you know that never happened and that PSU didn’t give a damn if it did.  They just wanted silence at all costs.

Then this bombshell which, to me, is the most sickening insight into these men’s minds when Spanier wrote “I am supportive,” Spanier emailed Curley, according to the e-mails obtained by CNN. “The only downside for us if the message isn’t heard and acted upon, and then we become vulnerable for not having reported it.”

“the only downside…then we become vulnerable…”  

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