Around the Dog Park: Watch out, the Feds are coming for college athletics recruiting

General G5 Football

• Several Underdogs made an appearance in Spencer Hall’s vaunted “Top Whatever” ranking.
• Not a direct impact to football here but it’s a safe bet that this case will eventually impact college football programs. The Department of Justice is launching a case against both college basketball staffers as well as sporting apparel executives for bribery and corruption. Ten people have already been arrested. This is going to be a huge story.
• East Carolina, Coastal Carolina, and UTEP are among the five biggest underachievers in college football when compared against their preseason S&P+ projections. Also in the linked article: college football running backs that are carrying the biggest load, the biggest overachievers in college football thus far, special teams gunner of the year watch list, and more.

AAC

• Here are three things we learned in the American last week. Most notably, Houston has a quarterback battle on their hands in Week 5.
• UCF running back Jawon Hamilton will miss the rest of the season after undergoing surgery.

Conference USA

• UTSA’s defensive line absolutely overwhelmed Texas State in the I-35 Showdown last week. Here’s a great video breakdown of how the Roadrunners were able to move the line of scrimmage into the Texas State backfield.
• Things are going absolutely swimmingly for Lane Kiffin at FAU as no one seems to have any idea who will start under center in the Owls’ next game.
• Look, we all know things are ugly in Charlotte but the sad truth is that their season could turn even further south in the following weeks.
• There might not be a team in college football more deserving of their bye week than ODU. The Monarchs have been rocked by injury so far this year.
• Awesome move by UAB to wear the names of patients at a childrens’ hospital just one block away from campus on the backs of their Blazer jerseys.
• UNT reserve quarterback Devlin Isadore is no longer on the Mean Green’s roster.
• Jeffery Wilson, Josiah Tauaefa, Joe Brown, and Trevor Moore are your C-USA players of the week.

Sun Belt

• Our three things we learned from the Sun Belt article includes one important conclusion: Louisiana-Lafayette has the worst defense in college football.
• How’s this for juicy? Audio from Willie Fritz’s departing speech to his former Georgia Southern squad has leaked. Sounds like the target on GS athletic director Tom Kleinein will only grow larger.
• After a stagnant week three, we finally have some major shake ups in our Sun Belt power rankings.
• ULM quarterback Caleb Evans was named Sun Belt offensive player of the week. So much for that quarterback battle.
• New Mexico State’s Shamad Lomax earned Sun Belt defensive player of the week honors after raking in three interceptions against UTEP.