Making the morning rounds.
? I have to know: Is Gary Patterson's defense really that good? Ohio State president Gordon Gee has kind of a lot going on these days, but he still found the time Tuesday to appear in the Ohio Legislature for a public apology to a group of Toledo nuns. Last November, Gee infamously dismissed BCS insurgents Boise State and TCU for inflating their records against "the Little Sisters of the Poor," a comment that had already invoked at least two public apologies and a conciliatory letter from Gee to the same nuns, as well as a mocking billboard campaign from the other side after TCU's Rose Bowl win over Wisconsin.
Apparently, Gee had no idea at the time that the "Little Sisters of the Poor" is an actual global order devoted to caring for the elderly, though he found out soon enough. "I am delighted about the fact that Sister Cecilia [Sartorius] and I have now developed a wonderful relationship," said Gee, who plans to visit the Toledo Sisters on Aug. 17. "I understand her work and value it deeply." [WBNS-10TV]
? Yoink! On the recruiting trail, hyped Lakewood, Ohio, offensive tackle Kyle Kalis, a one-time Ohio State commitment rated by Rivals as the No. 18 overall prospect in the entire 2012 class, told MGoBlog that he's canceled a planned visit to Columbus this weekend to take a visit to Michigan instead. The decision comes in the wake of fellow Ohioan Tom Strobel's somewhat surprising commitment to the Wolverines earlier this month, and apparently as a direct result of it.
"It's pretty much for the past few months I've become really good friends with Tom Strobel and he said I would love it up there, he fell in love with it," Kalis told MGoBlog, adding that he's also friends with another Wolverine target from Ohio, Chris Wormley, who's also expected to be in Ann Arbor this weekend. "Tom was up there last weekend and he was talking about me with the coaches, they were joking around saying we could be roommates." [MGoBlog]
? Nothing to see here. Ohio State has formally suspended an internal investigation into players' car purchases after the purchases were cleared in a 65-page report issued Tuesday by the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Even if OSU doesn't believe there was anything shady in the transactions, its decision to drop the probe is somewhat of a surprise considering a) It's trying to demonstrate to the NCAA that it's doing all it can to cooperate and clean house in the face of major allegations, and b) The BMV report addressed Ohio law, not NCAA rules, which (technically) could have still been violated. [Associated Press]
Non-Buckeye news is below the jump, I swear...
? Never let me go. The new order may be properly entrenched in Oxford, but that isn't stopping a group of Ole Miss fans from launching an eight-city tour across Central and South Mississippi to support the Rasputin of traditional mascots, Colonel Reb. The deposed Colonel is practically a ghost at this point, having been banned from official events back in 2003 and formally replaced last year by "Rebel," a preppy black bear, but the politics of his demise ensures he can still draw a crowd for the foreseeable future. "Colonel Reb is the tried and true mascot at Ole Miss, no matter how hard the administration tries to force a Louisiana Black Bear on students, alumni and fans," said Kellie Norton, student chairman of the Colonel Reb Foundation. "We must continue to promote and preserve the Colonel, so one day sensible leadership at Ole Miss will recognize his historic and important role as both a mascot and logo." [The Sun Herald]
? Nothing if not consistent. Barely a week after he was dismissed from South Carolina for an undisclosed violation of team rules, redshirt freshman cornerback Victor Hampton has been reinstated to the team after a meeting with coach Steve Spurrier ? reportedly on the condition that Hampton's parents sign a contract with guidelines for his return. Hampton, a former top-100 recruit and one of the gems of the Gamecocks' signing class in 2010, has a history of legal issues prior to arriving in Columbia, and was once dismissed from his high school team in Florida prior to his senior year.
But he hasn't run afoul of the law as a Gamecock, and Spurrier has already established a clear precedent for second chances ? and third, and fourth, and fifth ?�with his tolerance for quarterback Stephen Garcia. [Sporting News, WISTV-10]
Quickly… Suspended cornerback Cliff Harris is a no-show for Oregon's first "voluntary" workout of the summer. … An Ohio State castoff heads home to Pitt. ... Oklahoma State begins the next phase of its construction boom in August. … Dan Mullen is OK with giving players "some spending money." … Even during a lockout, Adrian Peterson can't make his own football camp in Norman. … And yes, an actual production company has acquired the rights to "The Willie Lyles Story."
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Matt Hinton is on Twitter: Follow him @DrSaturday.
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