Tom Dienhart, BTN.com Senior Writer, May 14, 2015

This isn?t great news: Michigan CB Blake Countess will transfer and play his fifth season elsewhere. Mlive.com notes that Countess becomes the sixth player to transfer from Michigan's program since Brady Hoke's firing.

Countess' departure from the program comes two days after Michigan formally announced the addition of Stanford graduate transfer Wayne Lyons, a 6-foot-1 corner who is expected to compete for a starting job opposite presumed starter Jourdan Lewis this fall.

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Speaking of departures, Michigan State recently saw WR Andre Sims, Jr. bolt.

Mlive.com says Sims was a projected reserve and an experienced option in the return game. The well-respected Sims will be missed in the locker room, but MSU should be able to adjust on the field provided fellow return man/receiver Macgarrett Kings Jr. avoids further off-field complications and remains in good standing.

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Yes, Bo Pelini was canned by Nebraska. But the fact the school still will pay him $128,009 per month for the next 46 months isn?t so bad for him.

?At this point, all parties are glad to have this resolved,? said David Witty, NU?s senior associate athletic director, marketing and communications. ?Everyone can now go forward in their endeavors.?
All told, the Nebraska buyout will cover almost $6.54 million for Pelini, who was fired Nov. 30 after seven seasons as the Huskers? head coach, according to Omaha.com.

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Sports on Earth has a list of ?breakout? teams for 2015. And Penn State is on it along with Michigan.

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Jake Rudock is eager to see what he can at Michigan after transferring from Iowa. So am I.

No doubt, learning from Jim Harbaugh is a nice bonus. Rudock was a two-year starter who had a Big Ten-low five interceptions and 61.7 completion percentage in 2014.

"That kind of happened, all of the sudden, the way it kind of went down, and I never really expected to be leaving Iowa," Rudock told the Detroit Free Press.

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What are the top storylines for the 2015 college grid season? Two guys from SI tell us in this video. It goes without saying the arrival of You Know Who at Michigan is a biggie.

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Doug Lesmerises of Cleveland.com has an interesting piece on what Braxton Miller could learn from Terrelle Pryor and Tim Tebow trying to save their careers.

Miller should take it all in, look at both Pryor and Tebow, understand how difficult it is to be an NFL quarterback, and keep all his options open. To that end, Bruce Feldman of FOXSports.com takes a good look at spread quarterbacks and their transition to the NFL.

Asked last week for his reaction to the negative comments regarding Baylor's system, spread offenses and how they develop QBs for the NFL, Bears coach Art Briles told FOX Sports: "The word I'd use is it's unknowledgeable — (that's) what I'd say when (they) look at spread offenses. It certainly didn't hurt (his protégé at Houston) Kevin Kolb, who was the Eagles' first pick in the draft in 2007, or RGIII (Robert Griffin III) going second overall, and it didn't seem to bother (Oregon's Marcus) Mariota this year.

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Count Rutgers coach Kyle Flood among those who have turned down Jim Harbaugh?s invite to attend Michigan camps.

The Detroit News reported last week that five other Big Ten coaches - Maryland's Randy Edsall, Illinois' Tim Beckman, Iowa's Kirk Ferentz, Purdue's Darrell Hazell and Indiana's Kevin Wilson - also declined Harbaugh's invitation, while an Ohio State media relations official called Urban Meyer's attendance "doubtful."

Wisconsin's Paul Chryst, Northwestern's Pat Fitzgerald, Nebraska's Mike Riley and Minnesota's Jerry Kill are undecided, according to the report. Media relations officials at Michigan State and Penn State refused to pursue the issue with Mark Dantonio and James Franklin, respectively.

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Purdue coach Matt Painter has benefitted from grad transfers. In fact, he recently landed one and got a big lift from Jon Octeus last year. But Painter is in favor of modifying the rule.

"They allow guys to come after they've graduated, but they come into a two-year master's program and you can only pay for one year," Painter said to JConline.com. "It makes no practical sense. Allow them to come here for one year and play, and then whether they go play professionally or they stay here, whenever they decide to do it, pay for it so they can get their masters.

"… (Paying for one year) makes it a basketball rule - no ands, ifs or buts. They've just got to modify it, and I think it will work."

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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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