Florida and FSU athletes avoid a pretty amazing number of police charges

An ESPN investigation of 10 major schools concluded Florida and Florida State athletes avoided charges far more than non-athletes at their own schools, and perhaps more than athletes at other schools.

Between 2009 and 2014, ESPN found Florida had 80 football and men’s basketball players named in police reports, more than any of the other schools. But 56 percent of the time, they did not face prosecution, compared to 28 percent for “a comparison set of cases involving college-age males in Gainesville.”

ESPN found 70 percent of incidents involving FSU athletes were not prosecuted, the highest percentage for any school studied, and higher than the 50 percent for “a sample of crimes involving college-age males in Tallahassee.”

Alligator Army has analysis, calling the report, “fairly good journalism, if perhaps an investigation in search of a conclusion more shocking than the one it reaches.”

Both schools have been criticized recently, Florida for discipline during Urban Meyer’s time and Florida State for its handling of allegations against Jameis Winston.

Not all Georgias. Georgia is a country in Eurasia that has a national soccer team. Georgia is a U.S. state that has a college with a pretty good athletics program. They are not the same thing, despite this amusing ESPN graphic.

Alabama’s NFL team. At points in 2012, all 11 of Alabama’s offensive players were future NFL players. And it’s worth noting the Tide’s offense that year wasn’t as strong as its defense.

NC State, ACC dark horse? Bill Connelly says maybe, if the Wolfpack fix these issues.

Talkin’ Harbaugh. Jim Harbaugh has been the talk of college football, and as it turns out, the rest of the Big Ten coaches are pretty hyped about him, in a conference-solidarity kind of way.

‘The Big Ten Conference has the best coaches in America,’ (Michigan State head coach Mark) Dantonio said. ‘If there’s an opportunity that arises to hire someone else, we’re going to hire somebody who’s a very, very good football coach.’

Expansion lolz. It’s been five years since realignment rumors had Texas leaving for the Pac-10. Major realignment did happen, but not to quite that level, so now is as good a time as any to look back at that time Texas “saved” the Big 12.

After losing Missouri, the Big 12 added West Virginia. Some might consider West Virginia a loser in conference expansion, based solely on geography, but the Mountaineers might have found a better cultural fit.

SEC non-conference opponent or unaccredited university? Take the quiz!

Crootin’. Weekends are big times for recruiting. Here were some of this weekend’s winners:

Triple threat. 400-pound Baylor tight end LaQuan McGowan is both a receiver and a lineman. Now he’s a pitcher, too?