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Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

As angry fans and bitter media members spend time opining about the out-of-control nature of high school recruits, another story comes up that reminds us these big-time athletes are still just kids. Matthew Thomas, a 2013 Florida State signee, is now trying to get out of his letter of intent and released from his scholarship, so he can go elsewhere. As Thomas told the Miami Herald:

Thomas' story has not changed; he was iffy about signing with the Seminoles and, after trying to come around on the idea, his heart still is not in Tallahassee. If there is a finger to be pointed, it should not be aimed at the attention-starved athletes, as so many fans and media claim. No, the issue is the same one we've seen play out with other athletes: the parents.

In the two most recent signing periods, four of the sport's most high-profile recruits have had their decisions impacted in a big way by their parental figures. Josh Harvey-Clemons and Alex Collins both ended up at their schools of choice, Georgia and Arkansas, respectively, but not without having to fight for that right.

Meanwhile, Gunner Kiel and Matthew Thomas did not get to sign where they truly wanted. Kiel, who is now at Cincinnati, spent a season close to home at Notre Dame, where his mom wanted him. Now, after a year spent in a situation not to his liking, Kiel is on to another school hoping things get better after sitting out another season.

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Scott Halleran/Getty Images

As April comes to a close and May starts the walk into the summer season for college football, both Texas A&M and Notre Dame released news regarding their stadiums.

The Aggies, as Yahoo! pointed out, are looking to be the latest school to break the 100,000-seat barrier. According to USA Today, Notre Dame is exploring the possibility of growing its stadium as well.

The expansion creep is a very real thing, as schools all over the country are looking into revamping their stadiums, adding seats and trying to better their facilities. Everyone is running the race to have the best, and in some cases, the biggest.

However, it must be noted that not all expansions are created equal. In the cases of Notre Dame and Texas A&M, that is clearly true.

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A little less than a month ago, the guy most folks consider to be the best NFL quarterback prospect for the 2014 draft wrapped up spring ball, and no one seemed to notice. There was no Sports Illustrated cover or big expose on the player some expect to challenge Jadeveon Clowney for the top draft spot come next spring.

And, while his head coach might not mind the lack of Johnny Football-like scrutiny, the football world has to make sure that Louisville's Teddy Bridgewater gets his due.

Quietly, patiently, Charlie Strong has grown his Louisville program. He took it from the mess that Steve Kragthorpe left, to a team that throttled the Florida Gators in the Sugar Bowl. The most notable part of the transition has been the steady improvement of Bridgewater.

While offseason attention has been focused on Texas A&M's Johnny Manziel, South Carolina's Clowney and even Alabama's AJ McCarron and Ohio State's Braxton Miller, Louisville's signal-caller has been off the radar.

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It’s the elephant in the room, an empty room.

As the champagne for the College Football Playoff is put on ice, the focus has already shifted to the future of the future. Forget about the four teams that will soon battle it out once the postseason finishes its final dress rehearsal in 2013.

What about eight teams? Or how about we just cut to the chase and make it 16?

This isn’t just a growing sentiment among bracket junkies craving more action. This feeling of inevitable growth already has backing from those who will soon give it a test drive.

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Joe Robbins/Getty Images

When the new rules proposals came down, we at Your Best 11 tipped our cap to Mark Emmert and the NCAA for making the right call in acknowledging that they could not legislate an equal playing field into existence. 

Having already made the decision to table the proposal that would have allowed earlier prospect contacts, eliminated restrictions on who can recruit and removed the limits on printed materials, the NCAA decided to also shut down the unlimited contact proposal.

Well, to be fair to the NCAA, the governing body of collegiate sports did not actually change its stance on its new recruiting rule that would have allowed unlimited contact with prospects. Rather, it was forced to table the measure because the Division I Board of Directors received the 75 override requests necessary to suspend the new rule's implementation.

As the NCAA announced Thursday, the push to eliminate restrictions on contact between coaches and prospects will have to wait until it is reviewed, in conjunction with the other suspended rules. Board chairman  Nathan Hatch stated that they need to "make sure all the pieces of the recruiting model work together to make the most effective change in the culture."

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Stephen Dunn/Getty Images

College football's power brokers still can't decide how to form the selection committee for the new College Football Playoff. Do they follow in basketball's footsteps? Do they stock it with former players and coaches?

So, here at Your Best 11, we've decided to build our own selection committee for the powers that be. We'll pick our special blend of personnel to figure out who deserves to be in not just the top four spots with a shot to play for the national championship on the line, but also the four other major bowls on the landscape.

Britton Banowsky, Karl Benson, Jon Steinbrecher and Mike Aresco. That's right, first up on our list are the commissioners from four of the five non-power conferences. The Mountain West, a conference that has had plenty of success in getting to BCS bowls, sits this one out, as the other four parties get to champion for the "little guy" and even out the bickering of the big boys.

Banowsky, from Conference USA, just saw his league go through a brutal period of reconstruction, leaving him with, come 2014, a far-flung group of teams ranging from the Southwest to Florida and West Virginia. teams from the Southwest through West Virginia. The Southwest ties are strong with Banowsky, who worked in the SWC and the Big 12 before taking the reins of Conference USA. 

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I missed last Thursday, folks, I was doing some little thing with the NFL draft, my apologies. It was just, you know, 15 hours of live streaming video talking about all the picks. Nothing big or anything. Anyway, I'm back and ready for action. You all have questions, I have a lot of bottled up rage from not being in the South last week and, also, football answers.

Gah, this is a tough one. The Clemson defense was not very good last year, even though it allowed the third-fewest points in the ACC. Giving up 25 a game is not the hallmark of a quality defense, but Clemson is going into Year 2 with defensive coordinator Brent Venables, and that's a big plus.

After a year of learning his scheme, understanding some of the principles that he is looking to employ and going from knowing assignments to comprehending the scheme, I think they will get better. After finishing right in the middle of the ACC in total defense, I think they can get to the top quarter of the league this season. 

That also depends on health, most notably Tony Steward, the former 5-star linebacker recruit. He's a kid who's been itching to get back on the field and will provide an instant upgrade if he can play for the Tigers this year.

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CBS Sports' Dennis Dodd reported late Wednesday that the Coaches' Poll was here to stay, as college football moves into the next postseason era. Grant Teaff, the executive director of the American Football Coaches Association, and his gang have decided they could not leave well enough alone.

Whether you like the playoff or you don't, this is a bad move for the game.

We talked about it at Your Best 11 in June of last year. We talked about it again in August after the Lane Kiffin fiasco. Then we hit on Grant Teaff's rebuttal to the Kiffin fiasco, again reminding folks why the Coaches' Poll does not work. Once again, it was brought up in August, when Chip Kelly made the clear point about why the Coaches' Poll is not to be trusted. 

In other words, if you've followed along, we have been over this, folks.

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Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

There are several points in the offseason that signify movement, a reminder that a new season is on the horizon.

Spring football, which has concluded for just about everyone, is one of those markers. Conference media days—which have become a sound bite-packed summer tradition right before camps—are another.

An additional strange but celebrated milestone comes courtesy of the oddsmakers. When the brightest, faceless college football minds begin to release point spreads for the season ahead, you can sense the season isn’t far away. That moment, which has arrived earlier each year with the increasing presence of online sportsbooks, is upon us yet again. 

Actual point spreads have been posted, four months in advance of the 2013 college football season. This is not a drill and those are indeed sirens you can hear going off in the distance.

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Kelly Lambert

The Big Ten is doing it. The Pac-12 is thinking about not doing it anymore. The ACC decided it isn't going to do it. The SEC is still debating it. The "it" is, of course, going to a nine-game conference schedule. Before they all go too far, everyone should have their finger on the pause button.

For fans, media and even just casual observers of the game, moving to nine makes perfect sense. It results in more games between quality opponents, more chances to play that cross-divisional rival and, more importantly, fewer games against Directional State University.

There's better competition on the field and a more enjoyable experience in the stands.

However, if you are the teams and conferences involved here, the best move is to leave yourself a little wiggle room. The entire landscape of the sport is about to change, and instead of making decisions before the College Football Playoff selection committee is assembled or the selection criteria is created, hold your proverbial horses.