The SEC Media Days are in full flux-complete with a visiting Heisman Trophy replica–and that means that the spotlight on Arkansas running back Darren McFadden is in full force.

The USA Today reveals that McFadden used to wear dresses to school.

At times, McFadden would raid his grandmother’s closet, and who knows where else, and wear the most hideous looking outfits he could find to school. “He has the ugliest legs ever,” Henson says. “He would wear these dresses with tennis shoes, and after a while the teachers would get used to it. He just loves to make people laugh.”

The prospect of D-Mac in drag would certainly separate McFadden from the other Heisman contenders this season. Suggested slogan: Strike a pose in panty hose.

This has to be most bizarre topic in recent Heisman history, but whatever gets attention, right? Er, I suppose.

In keeping with the costume theme, the Atlanta Journal-Contsitution mentions how McFadden dressed up as a clown last Halloween.

Get this: The biggest, baddest, most intimidating, pain-inflicting running back to come through the SEC in some time walked around campus last Halloween in a clown costume.

“A big one,” McFadden said.

Guess he’s just adding to the circus atmosphere of college football. And around Fayetteville, Ark., the Ringling Brothers theme has been playing ever since the Hogs dropped their last three games to end last season.

John Pruett of the Huntsville Times gets a little carried away, placing McFadden in a position that–trust me–he doesn’t want to be in.

Seldom in the long history of the Heisman Trophy balloting has there been a more clear-cut preseason favorite to run away – no pun intended – with college football’s most prestigious individual award. Barring an injury or some other unforeseen misfortune, most of the experts believe the swift, powerful 6-foot-2, 215-pound junior tailback from North Little Rock will win in a landslide.

No, they don’t.

More clown talk from the Biloxi Herald, the Memphis Commercial Appeal note that McFadden was the only SEC player to speak from the coaches podium, the Macon News has McFadden saying that all the offseason attention on Houston Nutt has brought Arkansas together closer as a team and the Northeast Daily Journal has McFadden reflecting on publicity and the Heisman.

“Being a frontrunner is just a great feeling for me,” he said.

As I said in an earlier post, McFadden should try to avoid the front runner tag. Though it can help, it can also hurt, as the front runner is given more scrutiny than anyone else in the Heisman race. Every loss is magnified. Since no one expects Arkansas to go undefeated, being the designated front runner carries a bit of a risk for McFadden.

The upside, of course, is that if he delivers, then he really can run away with the trophy.

Talking ’bout the Heisman

Tommy, that is, according to Tom Dienhart.

Probably true, but I think that if he can hang around until Will Korn and C.J. Spiller mature, then things are going to be looking pretty good at Clemson.

No second amendment rights for Miami players under new coach Randy Shannon.

The word is out about the new attitude at Florida State.

Players are being asked to do more–to keep their lockers clean for one thing. Chuck Amato is no doubt making sure the trash is emptied and the toilets scrubbed as well.

Soon after spring practice began in April, several Seminoles found eviction notices in their lockers. The pink slips told the players to pack their equipment and move to the cramped and nondescript visitors’ locker room, which is a long walk from the home locker room.

It was the work of Amato, who coached with Bowden from 1982 to 1999 and is a stickler for a neat cubby. He says the shoes go in the back and the shoulder pads need to be straight. The helmet belongs on the right side, the towel on the left.

After three missteps, the offender has to dress in the visitors’ locker room for one week. Amato has been doing this for many years, and he said players rarely reached the third strike. Then he found this Florida State team.

“We had a bunch of them get evicted this spring,” Amato said Monday in a telephone interview. “And then we had a couple that came back, and then got evicted again. But then you started to see the attitude change. And I don’t mean the attitude was bad, but you could see it get better.”

I suppose such attention to detail can’t hurt, but I’m not sure it will make a huge difference. I’m just surprised that we haven’t seen propaganda about the new attitude in the off-season conditioning program. Something along the lines of “Last year, only 15 Seminoles could bench 400 pounds. This year, there are 25 who can.” That is usually par for the course in these type of ‘turnaround’ stories.

Still, this blog hopes that Bowden can come up with a good season to cap off an incredible career. Maybe he can win 10 and ride off into the sunset.

78 and still going…

Who knew? Apparently, he’s become a real cottage industry.

Some of the greatest hits:

And this beauty:

Then there’s Miles doing Patton:

Let ‘er Rip!

Finally, there is his interview last night on ESPN, where he at last is put on the spot for his comments about the Pac-10 and USC:

ESPN is out with its top 150 high school players from the class of 2008.

No, it’s never too early to talk recruiting. Forget about this year’s team. Let’s talk about guys who may or may not contribute to the team three years from now.

But I digress…

ESPN’s No. 1 player is a wide receiver from Foley, Ala., named Julio Jones.

I am skeptical, however, that any player in this class can be as good as this guy.

Jones may be the next Randy Moss, but I’d rather have the next Vince Young, thank you very much.

…is up.

It has nine parts.

Check it out!

Big ups to reader Tom for sending it in.