Yes! Christmas vacation starts today for me!  I remember back in the day how Christmas vacation lasted way longer than just a week, but I’ll take what I can get.  Back in the day I used only a couple of crib sheets and you’ll be seeing one today.  The news is not as light as I would like but I’m forging on.  Bowl season and the holiday season is upon us so it’s time to celebrate!  On with the crib sheet!

• Texas wide receiver Darius White isn’t happy with the PT he’s getting so he’s transferring.
• Turner Gill found a job real quick.  He’s your new FCS division Liberty head coach.  You know, after his stint at Buffalo and Kansas, he could use a quiet time somewhere else to build his chops back up.
• Speaking of head coaches, Oklahoma State’s Mike Gundy won the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year award.  He beat out my boy Bill Snyder 2.0.  Billy did get a bunch of COTY awards so it’s nice to see the love to spread around the  Big 12.  Meanwhile, LSU’s Les Miles wins the AP Coach of the Year.
• Ugh, another national campaign from a lobbying group to get college football playoffs.  The “We Want A Playoff Now” kicked off last week with former congress types running the circus.  The politicians need to stay out of this.  I gave in to the whole playoff thing earlier this year, as much as I hate it.  It’s not going to take congress.  It’s going to come from some smart guy who manages to jack up the profits from the games to an even higher number.
• Meanwhile, the NCAA put the brakes on the bumping the $2,000 increase for cost of living for student athletes.  Enough schools complained about the rising cost (125) to influence the NCAA.  I get it.  The smaller schools can’t afford the extra cost.  But you’ll just see agents and players working closer now because of this.
• Is Paul Rhoads a lifer in Iowa State?  The 10 year contract extension he just got seems to indicate that.  I’m not totally on board.  If he somehow gets a consistent bowl improvement from his team, someone’s gotta be knocking at his door.  The prospect for more cash is just too big.
• Daniel ‘Rudy’ Ruettiger has been charged with fraud by the SEC.  He founded a sports drink with his name on it but it stunk.  So he conspired with other people to inflate the price and the SEC caught him on it.  Doh!  I remember seeing this guy talk in my high school one time.  He seemed like a nice fellow.  I guess he made some bad decision.  It’s not like you can live off one play in college football forever.
• Congratulations to Pittsburgh State, who won the Division II football title over Wayne State.  You have to remember that there are plenty of local successful football teams around the Kansas City area not named Kansas State.
• You know, the Orange Bowl couldn’t have been so blind as to not expect complaints from health groups when they signed a deal with a Florida cigar company.  So now there’s some press about groups complaining how it would improperly influence kids to smoke cigars.  I’m not sure how much the Orange Bowl will pay attention to it.
•  Ohio State will lose some more scholarships and be banned from a bowl next year as the NCAA announced more penalties against the Buckeyes for their rules violations.  They were eligible for the death penalty.  I guess the NCAA went light on them.
• Craig James IS going to run for Senate here in Texas.  I say good luck and hopefully good riddance to his appearances on sports television.  If he wins, which I doubt, we know that his baby boy Adam has a job locked up there without trying.