Tom Dienhart, BTN.com Senior Writer, May 7, 2015

I about fell off my Barco lounger when I heard there will be three new bowls in 2015.

That will bring the bowl total to 42. So, if any poor souls out there are keeping track, that means 84 of 128 FCS schools-a whopping 66 percent–will play in a bowl. This entire postseason situation crossed the ?ridiculously insane? line years ago. I have an alternative. Let?s just let every FBS school schedule a 13th game-and only keep the College Football Playoff, OK?

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Old-time Iowa fans will like this story from Mike Hlas of the Cedar Rapids Gazette on how Hayden Fry and SMU have reconciled after 43 years.

?They fired me with a 7-4 record in 1972 and nearly all my team and a great coaching staff coming back,? Fry said this week by phone from his home in Mesquite, Nev.

?They fired me and never told me why. Now they?ve honored me.?

All is well now, Fry received SMU?s inaugural Legends Award, recognizing someone who made extraordinary contributions to the success and legacy of the school?s athletics program that fall outside the realm of athletic success. Fry?s overall record in 11 seasons at SMU was 49-66-1, which wasn?t terrible when you consider the private school had uphill battles against the powerhouses of Texas, Arkansas and Texas A&M in the Southwest Conference. His 1966 team was the only SMU club to win a SWC title in a 33-year period. But Fry may be best remembered for integrating the SWC. That?s bigger than any wins or conference titles.

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The national writers are all taking a stab at their ?Jim Harbaugh is awesome at Michigan? feature story. Here is a good one from the great Bruce Feldman of FOXSports.com.

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Earlier this spring, the equally great Dennis Dodd of CBSSports.com had a good Harbaugh piece, in case you missed it.

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If Penn State?s James Franklin wasn?t a football coach, what job would he have? I say a politician.

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This story poses an interesting question. Some may call it ?far-fetched.? But, maybe not. You ready? Here it goes: Is Illinois? Wes Lunt the best quarterback in the Big Ten?

The author crunches some numbers and comes up with nice story. A big key for Lunt, of course, will be staying on the field. Injury has been an issue.

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Yes, Maryland has had two running backs-Jacquille Veii and Albert Reid–transfer. No, the Terps? situation in the backfield is not in crisis mode.

Testudotimes.com points out the Terps have two solid running backs in Wes Brown and Brandon Ross, both of whom are veterans. Wes Brown and Brandon Ross combined for 189 carries, 773 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns in the 2014-15 season. They can and need to build on those numbers in 2015. The line must come together, however.

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Purdue will play Louisville in Lucas Oil Stadium to kick off the 2017 season. Interesting.

The Boilers also have a game at Missouri that year. Yikes.

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A nice pick up for Tim Miles? Nebraska hoops squad, which landed Louisville transfer Anton Gill. NU needs the talent.

Omaha.com notes that Gill chose the Huskers over Georgetown and East Carolina. The 6-3, 190-pound guard from Raleigh, N.C., will sit out 2015-16 and have two years of eligibility.

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Yogi Ferrell announced recently he will be back for his senior season at Indiana. That?s nice. He knows something big may be brewing in Bloomington. And he wants to be part of it.

"The (NBA) is always going to be one of my dreams," Ferrell said earlier this week. "I'm still going to pursue that dream, and I feel like that dream will still be there at the end of the day. … I can't really miss out on an opportunity here at Indiana."

I wonder if Ferrell would have returned to IU if he had been projected as a lottery pick? Oh, well. Doesn?t matter. Just enjoy. This team may win the Big Ten.

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About Tom Dienhart BTN.com senior writer Tom Dienhart is a veteran sports journalist who covers Big Ten football and men's basketball for BTN.com and BTN TV. Find him on Twitter and Facebook, read all of his work at btn.com/tomdienhart, and subscribe to his posts via RSS. Also, send questions to his weekly mailbag using the form below and read all of his previous answers in his reader mailbag section.

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