(@AkronAeros)

I don't know about you, but when I think about Jim Tressel, my first thought is of minor-league baseball.

In some creative marketing the Akron Aeros minor league team is giving away 1,000 bobblehead dolls of Tressel, the former Ohio State football coach, before Saturday's game.

It is University of Akron night at the ballpark. Tressel didn't play college ball at Akron. He was a graduate assistant coach there in the mid-1970s while getting his master's degree. He works there now as a vice president of strategic engagement. If he ever played baseball, we don't know anything about it (although he did help woo free agent Nick Swisher to the Indians, so maybe that counts).

So there is some connection, but still a bit of a stretch to have a Tressel bobblehead giveaway related to the University of Akron at a baseball game.

(USA Today Sports Images)

Former Florida State quarterback Clint Trickett has found a new home.

Trickett announced via Twitter that he was going to finish his education and eligibility at West Virginia, making him the most experienced quarterback on the Mountaineers roster.

It's official, I will finish my academic/athletic career at WVU. This is a dream come true to be playin for the state I love. #CountryRoads

— Clint Trickett (@ClintTrickett9) May 1, 2013

Trickett will graduate from Florida State, be eligible for the 2013 season and have two years of eligibility remaining.

West Virginia quarterbacks Paul Millard, Ford Childress and Chavas Rawlins have been competing to replace Geno Smith, who was picked in the second round of the NFL draft last weekend. Millard has the most experience of the three. In two seasons he’s completed 16-of-34 passes for 211 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions. Millard and Childress actually split reps this spring.

Trickett spent three seasons with the 'Noles, and completed 66 of 106 passes for 947 yards, seven touchdowns and four

(USA Today Sports Images)Florida State is losing its fastest receiver before he ever gets a chance to put his speed on display for the Seminoles football team.

Freshman Marvin Bracy decided to leave Florida State and become a professional sprinter, according to Rivals site Warchant.com.

Bracy missed last season because of a hamstring injury, but was named the 'Noles offensive scout team player of the year.

He did run track for Florida State this spring and ran 6.54 in the indoor 60 meter dash in February. The time was the fastest in the nation and seventh fastest in the world.

Bracy, who was a four-star recruit, was a possibility at receiver, running back and in the return game for the Noles.

Despite Bracy’s speed and upside, Florida State will be fine with an experienced receiving corps returning. The ‘Noles return four of their top five receivers from a year ago.

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There has to be some kind of standard for giving out rings, or the whole thing becomes kind of weird.

A national championship? Go crazy. Nobody is arguing the significance of that.

Conference championships? Sure. We're getting into a little murkier ground, however. A NFL team isn't going to give out AFC North division title rings. But for a Big 12 football championship, we can see it. But that's the line. Anything less and you might as well start handing out rings for participation, like certificates at a third-grade spelling bee.

And that's why the sudden trend of divisional championship rings is odd.

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This has not been a pleasant offseason for Pitt and coach Paul Chryst.

First, they lost talented running back Rushel Shell after a very promising freshman season, when he decided he wanted to transfer.

Then, there were legal troubles.

Three Pitt players were in a house when police and SWAT members made a massive drug bust last week. Three players were detained and mailed an arrest summons for using or possessing drug paraphernalia. They were suspended immediately, and now two of those players have been dismissed.

Tight end Drew Carswell was a key reserve last year, with 13 catches, 163 yards and two touchdowns. Linebacker Eric Williams started 11 games at strongside linebacker, and had 52 tackles and an interception. Both would have been juniors in the fall, but both have been kicked off the team. The third player involved in the incident, defensive tackle Khaynin Mosley-Smith, remains indefinitely suspended.

Also, quarterback Tra'Von Chapman, formerly a four-star recruit, was suspended indefinitely. The Associated Press said he was arrested in

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May 1 is roughly the midpoint of the college football offseason. It has been almost four months since the last game, and it will be almost four months before the opening games kick off.

But we get tiny snippets of news that make us feel a little closer to the season openers, which gives us the warm and fuzzies. And especially so when the news is that point spreads for the first week games have been released.

It's true, you can actually gamble on college football games in Nevada. And considering the bookmakers want to make as much money as possible, and know some people are so desperate for action they'll bet on anything, they'll hang a line on games like Bowling Green-Tulsa in the middle of spring.

So, if you're in a state outside of Nevada, for your entertainment purposes only here are the first college football spreads of the season.

These were posted at the gambling site 5Dimes, and we saw them over on the Kegs 'N Eggs blog:

North Carolina at South Carolina (-14.5)
USC (-19) at Hawaii
Tulsa (-4) at Bowling Green
Virginia Tech at Alabama (-22)
LSU (-6.5) vs. TCU
Georgia at Clemson (-2)
Florida State (-8.5) at Pitt

So there you have it. One thing stands out, and that's Alabama

AJ McCarron is finally getting his moment in the spotlight.

(USA Today Sports Images)Even though Alabama’s quarterback won his second consecutive national title, it’s been Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel that has made the headlines for his appearances at NBA games and the Super Bowl.

But during Sunday’s NASCAR Aaron's 499 at Talladega Speedway, all eyes will be on McCarron as he drives the pace car and leads the Sprint Cup race for the first lap.

Gotta admit, that’s a pretty cool deal, especially for a guy like McCarron who grew up a NASCAR fan.

Michael Waltrip's No. 55 Aaron's Toyota will honor Alabama’s national title with a special themed car that notes back-to-back championships and says “Roll Tide” on the back.

This will be the fourth consecutive year Aaron’s has sponsored a car representing a national champion from the state of Alabama. It created Alabama-themed cars for the 2009, 2011 and now, 2012 championship teams and the 2010 Auburn national champions.

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This offseason we will count down various topics from Monday through Friday, bringing you the top five of the important and definitely some not so important issues in college football. It's the Doc Five, every week until we will thankfully have actual games to discuss.

PLAYERS WITH THE MOST TO LOSE OR GAIN BEFORE 2014 DRAFT

NO. 4, JAKE MATTHEWS AND ANTHONY BARR

This list could have gone 10 or 20 deep, so yes, sticking Jake Matthews and Anthony Barr together at the fourth spot is cheating a bit.

But, they did take similar risks this offseason.

Matthews could have come out after a very good season at Texas A&M and been a high first-round pick, even in a draft full of good offensive tackles. Barr was dominant at times at outside linebacker for UCLA last year, and he would have been a high pick, too. There were a lot of pass rushers selected high with less production than Barr had last season.

[Also: AJ McCarron and Johnny Manziel to vacation together]

But both came back and can work on their games, in different ways.

For Matthews, this is his chance to play left tackle. He was at right tackle last year, but that's because the Aggies had a pretty good left tackle already, Luke Joeckel. He went second overall in the draft.

Matthews had a few reasons for coming back. He wanted to play with his younger brother Mike, a sophomore. He thought Texas A&M has a chance at a special 2013 season, and he might be right. It's also an important year because if he struggles on the left side, it will hurt his