Abuhoff Overlooked?

The Sports Network has released what it calls the Top 10 FCS defensive backs heading into the 2011 season and scanning the list of names I wondered if Dartmouth's Shawn Abuhoff would show up. When it didn't, I half-expected to see him in TSN's "Defensive backs on the cusp grouping," but he doesn't show up there, either.

A second-team All-Ivy pick as a sophomore, Abuhoff was chosen to the All-Ivy League first team defense as a junior when he finished second in the conference in passes defended and third in interceptions, including one he returned for a touchdown. The speedy Abuhoff, who certainly got opposing coaches' attention by returning three punts for a score last fall (best in the nation) and being named TSN's first-team All-America returner, might have been a victim of his own success. As his profile has risen opposing coaches have become more wary of throwing his way and he has had less opportunity to pile up the kind of numbers that preseason rankings so often lean on. But while websites and preseason magazines might overlook him, the word is that pro scouts have not, and his name will be one of those that is bandied about next year as a potential NFL draft pick.

Abuhoff, in case you were wondering, was seventh in the Ivy League in all-purpose running and tied for 19th in the conference in scoring last fall despite not playing a single snap on offense.

Check out an Abuhoff slide show here. (Head shot courtesy of Dartmouth)

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An Alert emailer poring over the Penn list of recruits noted that 17 of the incoming freshmen will be enrolled at the university's famed Wharton School. Wrote the emailer, who once starred for the Big Green: "What a great recruiting tool." No doubt. Going back a way, the Daily Pennsylvanian explored the relationshipship between sports and Wharton School in this 1996 article and in this somewhat more critical 2001 article.

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With Dartmouth installing lights at Memorial Field and considering playing a night game or two over the next few years it might want to consider some kind of promotional video. To that end, it is worth checking out the video Saturday Night at Colgate. On second thought, that would work for a Saturday afternoon game as well.

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Who are the highest paid college football coaches in the nation and how much do they make? Business Insider has a chart that shows why the rest of us might have made a poor choice of careers ;-). There are no Ivy League coaches (and no Ivy graduates, ie Joe Paterno) on the list.

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We'll be headed off to the Finger Lakes tomorrow morning in anticipation of Sunday's Ithaca College graduation, so blog posting might be interrupted by lack of access to the Internet. With hotel rooms booked up early, the Cornell neighbor opens up its dorms (at a relatively steep rate) for visitors, an interesting idea. No idea if our room will be wired.