Dark Side continues its weekly ranking of this year’s shadiest football programs.

1. Georgia
Last week: #1

The Bulldogs retain their position atop the poll as a result of their off-season sins, which included bar and party fights, concealed weapons, hospital vandalism, the molesting of a pregnant woman, and public intoxication and urination.

2. Bowling Green
Last week: #3

In the first week of the season, Bowling Green added the arrest of three football players for the unauthorized use of a credit card to an already impressive off-season resume that included legal run-ins for seven members of the Falcons’ football team resulting in charges including felony drug trafficking, aggravated burglary and underage consumption of alcohol.

3. Penn State
Last week: #8

Penn State claimed a position in the top 5 this week when JoePa suspended three players after police found marijuana in their apartment.  The Penn State head coach also dismissed Willie Harriot for an unrelated incident.  The Nitanny Lions’ off-season included JoePa’s dismissal of Chris Baker and Phil Taylor and former wide receiver Chris Bell’s pleading guilty to “making terroristic threats.” Linebacker Navorro Bowman also contributed a disorderly conduct charge after helping the dismissed Taylor beat up a Philadelphia man.

4. Oklahoma
Last week: #2

Freshman defensive end Frank Alexander and freshman basketball player Ray Willis were stabbed outside a Norman night club after last week’s Chattanooga game.  Off-season color was added to the program when former top recruit Josh Jarboe was arrested for bringing a gun to his Georgia high school. Jarboe’s was later dismissed from the team after a homemade Youtube video dedicated to his “find bitch Sonya” surfaced.  The team also suffered off-season embarrassment in lineman Phil Loadholt’s DUI and Sooner legend Jamelle Holieway’s continuing legal troubles.

5. Ohio State
Last week: #4

Coach Jim Tressel punished defensive tackle Doug Worthington by sitting him three whole quarters for his July DUI arrest. Highly touted recruit Eugene Clifford was arrested and dismissed for a Cincinnati bar fight in the off-season.  Former Ohio State defensive end Jason Simmons was also sentenced for the sexual battery of a 14-year-old girl.

6. Arkansas
Last week: #3

The Razorback off-season included a pair of DUIs from linebacker Freddy Burton and wide receiver Marques Wade, the arrest of running back Brandon Barnett, and linebacker Wendal Davis punching through the window of a car that had bumped his scooter.

7. New Mexico
Last week: #6

The Lobos three years of probation for two former coaches committing academic fraud will keep the Lobos relevant in the shady top 10 long after the college football season has made them irrelevant for all other power rankings

8. Louisville
Last week: #7

Dismissed Louisville wide receiver JaJuan Spillman was arrested and pleaded guilty to drug and weapons charges following a July 3 arrest only one month after pleading guilty to marijuana possession charges stemming from a 2007 arrest. Quarterback Matt Simms put his own affection for cheeba on display posing for an ill-advised photo that earned him a four-game suspension.

9. Texas
Last week: #9

The drunken driving arrest of starting defensive tackle Lamarr Houston hours after the team’s win over Florida Atlantic brought the spotlight back on a team that’s had seven arrests since 2006.

10. The State of Florida

Miami had the most first-week suspension with seven and former Hurricane Kenny Kelly was arrested in the off-season and charged with multiple felonies for dealing reefer to high school kids.  Florida added Ronnie Wilson back to the program while former players are still making the news for unauthorized credit card use and drug and weapons charges.  Florida State handed Preston Parker a two-game suspension in the off-season for his drug and weapons charges.  Thus, while Florida proved they were still the dominant football program on the field by pounding Miami last weekend, the state of Florida’s off-field issues crown is still up for grabs.

Dishonorable mention: Virginia, Alabama, Kentucky, Tennessee, Iowa, Arizona

Dark Side Front Page