Feldman, Part II, recruiting, Neuheisel

How about another serving of college football?

Today the Black and Gold Truth shares the second part of our conversation with Bruce Feldman of ESPN.com's Insider.

Yesterday, we discussed general topics relating to Colorado, the Big 12 and nationally. Now, we'll warm up with a couple more national topics before high diving into his books and recruiting and all the insightful stories that he has and is writing about.

BGT: Bruce, why does it seem like over recent years that power programs are winning national titles -- either at schools that went so long without doing so or had never won one. Places that come to mind are: Michigan, Ohio State, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Florida (twice now), Florida State, LSU, and USC. How are they getting it done, or making it happen again?

Feldman: One of the biggest things is they have money. Schools with big, big boosters, big fan bases. You can pay (USC coach) Pete Carroll $ 3 million but look at how much money that LSU is paying their coordinators -- $ 400,ooo apiece. That's almost as much as a Mid-American Conference staff gets and you're paying that just to coordinators.

USC doesn't have great facilities. It is like an arm's race and I think the schools with the big history are able to build that up.

BGT: Is this good for college football, where money determines success to such a large extent?

Feldman: I talked to some guy who played at Auburn in the 40s and he made a great point -- 'to be honest, why is football so big in the South, especially in Alabama, you look at all the rankings of everything that is important in our society and our state is last or second to last -- in education, per-capita income and all these other factors. Well, we need something to brag on.

'Football became that thing. That became something for people in the South to beat their chests about and because of that, I think that's why you still have people from Alabama, Tennessee and other parts thinking we're good at this. This is where we belong.'

BGT: Bruce, can you share some details about your book "Cane Mutiny: How the Miami Hurricanes Overturned the Football Establishment?" What was the genesis of that book?

Feldman: I had talked to some literary agents who had approached me who wanted to get a better sense about how Miami was able to constantly crank out no. 1 draft picks and win all these games despite Texas, Notre Dame and Michigan supposedly always being no. 1 in the signing classes every February.

I broadened it to take a step back and look at how Miami ushered in this new era, maybe you can call it the 'thugging' of college athletics where they brought this swagger to the field.

BGT: You're currently working on another book that details recruiting and how a school starts, works and finalizes that process. What about your research has been most enlightening, most powerful?

Feldman: The idea of the book was how a program goes from a thousand names on a board a year out and how they get it to 25 -- all the factors that go into it. I was going to be there every step of the way.

Ed Orgeron, the head coach at Ole Miss, was someone I had known for a while going back to his days at USC when he was the recruiting coordinator, when he was considered the best recruiter in the country. I was able to get access with Ole Miss, which is something that is very difficult.

BGT: What do you get to see from being around Orgeron?

Feldman: In the offseason, he's in there at 5:30 in the morning, watching high school evaluation tape after tape after tape.

He's kind of an unusual guy. I've never been around anyone who works so hard, goes so hard. He's in there at 5:30 in the morning, he goes through a couple cups of coffee, a Diet Coke, two cans of Red Bull and your heart starts beating faster just watching it. It's draining to be around it so much because they do go about it so hard.

BGT: How does the process start?

Feldman: They have this war room with 15 guys and a bunch of charts and lists and boards. You see them target a guy (at a position), and they have a fall-back guy and they're going to be up against a couple other powerhouse programs.

Then, when Oklahoma has their Rhett Bomar mess, now all of a sudden Oklahoma jumped into the mix for this kid. So, it becomes this soap opera. It's literally 24 hours a day.

BGT: What would the common fan not understand about what goes on in the process?

Feldman: The whole staff writes two letters to a recruit, his mom, his dad, every day.

You see on a Rivals.com or Scout.com where a certain guy is evaluated and what goes into it. It's more than a 40-time. You can watch subtle things, and we go into it in the book, where you're watching a lineman and you can pick up tips on what translates (to college) and doesn't.

There are high-profile guys that USC has gotten where Oregron talks openly about where they missed on them, where he realized the big mistake once the kid got to school. Now you look for that trait when you watch the films.

The other half of that is you look online and see a kid and they'll say he's 6-foot-2, 230 pounds, runs a 4.55 and his GPA is 2.9 when in reality he's 6-foot, 221 pounds, runs a 4.95 and his GPA is 1.8 and he has no core classes.

BGT: How can that be, Bruce? How does that misinformation come about?

Feldman: I think it comes out because the kinds talk to recruiting websites and you're kind of at the mercy of what the kid is saying.

What the school gets is transcripts. What the kid says, I feel, half the time and what the school really shows, you're talking about two different things. It was eye-opening to me.

I think the academic side of things is what fans have no access to or no idea what's lurking there.

They might ask, 'why did my school not recruit that kid that hard?' Well, maybe your school knew they couldn't touch him.

BGT: When is the book going to hit the shelves and the internet?

Feldman: My deadline is March and the book will be ready before next season.

BGT: The BGT will post some fascinating recruiting stories over the next week that Bruce shared with me. Look for them daily.

On the court

Kansas gave up some points, a lot more than they usually do, but still won at home over Missouri, 80-77, behind freshman guard Sherron Collins' career-high 23 points.

The Jayhawks did make the Tigers work for what they got, forcing them into 40 percent shooting for the game.

Brandon Rush added 16 for KU while Matt Lawrence had 19 for Missouri.

BGT: The Jayhawks blow out Oklahoma State, barely win at Iowa State, barely win at home against the Tigers. What do you make of them? Are they as good as their record (16-2, 3-0 Big 12)? Probably not but who cares now when the wins keep adding up. Defense and toughness will take you a long way, even if you are always living on the edge.

Moving on up

Rick Neuheisel has been promoted to offensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens, getting glowing reviews from head coach Brian Billick.

BGT: The way he left CU was disappointing and angered many. What happened at Washington is up for debate. Neuheisel has been humbled for his arrogant ways and has patiently worked himself back to the point where he can now get attention as a coordinator to return to the sidelines as a head coach.