College football took a backseat this weekend to other momentous sports moments (and we’re referring, of course, to Lorena Ochoa winning the Women’s British Open), but there were some happenings around the nation. They’re here in the roundup.

The Jim Harbaugh Quote Machine continues to crank out good copy. The latest?

“The most important goal is to earn the right to show we can beat ‘SC. We need to earn that.”

Well, that and earn the right to not lose to UC-Davis.

Big news from the “other” USC, as Gamecocks coach Steve Spurrier ripped his own university. He even hinted that he may leave Columbia if he encounters any more problems with getting his players admitted.

“As long as I’m the coach here, we’re going to take guys that qualify,” Spurrier said. “If not, then I have to go somewhere else because I can’t tell a young man, ‘You’re coming to school here,’ he qualifies, and not do that. And we did that this year.”

He says he had to apologize to two recruits who signed with South Carolina last winter but were denied academic entry.

“In my opinion, I still believe we made a mistake… Hopefully, I truly believe this is the last year this is going to happen, because I can’t operate like that. I can’t operate misleading young men.”

Well, Ball Coach, you clearly misled them into believing they were signing with an SEC title contender, so why stop now?

And forget USC-Notre Dame, we could have just witnessed the beginning of the new defining intersectional college football rivalry: those natural rivals, Wyoming and Syracuse. Just listen to Wyoming coach Joe Glenn discuss the Orange(men):

“I’ve got a new favorite team this season,” Glenn quipped. “Anybody who beats Syracuse.” Glenn cracked a few jokes at the expense of Syracuse, and he’s anything-but-pleased with the cancellation of the return game in a home-and-home series the Cowboys signed with the Orange. “They leave a hole in our 2009 schedule, so if you want to wish bad luck on somebody this year, wish bad luck on Syracuse,” Glenn said. “They signed a contract to come to Laramie and play, and they didn’t honor it so I’m putting all kinds of voodoo on them.”

If you’re starting a garage band and are looking for a name, you could do a whole lot worse than ‘Joe Glenn’s Voodoo.’

From the ‘He’ll have a busy time at Confession’ department: Notre Dame nose tackle/defensive end Derrell Hand was arrested on Thursday for allegedly propositioning a prostitute. But you can understand how this could happen, considering, as the South Bend Tribune writes, “he had not seen action during his first two seasons at ND.”

Former Buckeyes speedster—and lone BCS title game bright spot—Ted Ginn Jr. hasn’t played a down for the Miami Dolphins, but LeBron James has already signed his buddy to a marketing contract. Ginn said, “To do this, not so much for money but to maybe get on a Sprite commercial with LeBron or anything, that’d be fun.” You know what else would be fun? If you don’t turn out like LeBron’s other Buckeye buddy, Maurice Clarett.

The Sea of Red will be missing a little blue this fall. The Lincoln Police Department is looking at cutting civil services to meet its budget, and that could mean fewer police downtown on Nebraska football game days. It shouldn’t be a big problem, though, considering that Lawrence Phillips hasn’t been in town for several years.

His troubles apparently behind him, former prized QB recruit Ryan Perrilloux has been reinstated by LSU coach Les Miles. And Low-Key Lester sounds thrilled:

“It’s hard for me to represent welcoming him back. It’s tough for me to say.”

Wow, we can feel the love from here. Clearly Miles holds Perrilloux in about as high regard as he holds Nick Saban and USC’s conference schedule. So welcome home, Ryan.

Ohio State offensive tackle Kirk Barton is a character: he wasn’t afraid to say in 2004 that Troy Smith should start over Justin Zwick, or to crack open a bottle of champagne and a victory stogie in the locker room after the Buckeyes beat Michigan. And when he leaves Columbus he’ll be looking to channel that personality into the perfect outlet: sports radio.

“I’ve listened to Jim Rome since I was in seventh grade,” Barton said. “I love sports talk radio. Not to sound too corny, but you know how guys go to fantasy camps? They go to Notre Dame or go be with the Boston Red Sox and pay like five grand to get to be a Red Sox player? That’s kind of what I’m like. Kids were listening to Britney Spears and Puff Daddy growing up. I listened to Dan Patrick and Jim Rome. Then I get in front of you guys, and I have to remember I’m Jim Tressel, not Jim Rome. I have to channel him.”

That’s not to say that Coach Sweatervest isn’t, in his own special way, an entertaining and electrifying persona.

After allegedly wielding an AK-47 following a nightclub scuffle in downtown Gainesville, Florida offensive lineman Ronnie Wilson has been given probation. Probation, huh? Apparently you don’t do jail time in Alachua County unless you’re wielding a shoulder-mounted missile launcher or a hand grenade… or you’re not a football player for the defending national champs.

And speaking of discipline problems… Texas has experienced its own spate of offseason arrests and behavior issues. The comprehensive Longhorn blog Burnt Orange Nation does what so many team- and university-devoted blogs don’t: it actually admits that the school has a problem. The ‘Nation calls for Mack Brown and his staff to exercise tighter discipline and to nip the problem in the (increasingly large) bud. That’s a refreshing and accurate take, and something we could use more of in places like Gainesville and, frankly, central Los Angeles.

But hey, it could be worse: at least you’re not a high profile Catholic university that prides itself on its moral fiber but just saw your defensive end busted for allegedly soliciting a hooker.

We’ll end today’s roundup with another annual sign that college football season is just around the corner: ESPN’s Mark Schlabach just unveiled his “What’s hot (and not) for 2007″ column. At the top of the “Hot” list is USC, and here are Schlabach’s reasons why:

Heisman Trophy candidate John David Booty. Prep All-America running backs stacked up like club sandwiches. The best defense in the country. And of course, the Song Girls. Maybe Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh wasn’t exaggerating when he called the Trojans the best team in college football — ever.

And we’re not exaggering when we say that we can’t wait for the season to get here.

Twenty four days and counting…