• Hope it serves you better than it did them. I find this highly dubious, but the Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette's Michael Rothstein says he checked it out and the thing is legit: Steiner Sports Memorabilia is auctioning a "game-used" Notre Dame scoreboard, the "actual full size scoreboard ... [that] has looked down on Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana, since 1997." After literally overseeing one of the dimmest decades in Irish history, it needs a good home. (No dorm rooms, please.)

Typical cost of an average, full-size high school scoreboard: $10,000-$25,000. Opening bid on the ND board: $1,988. Suffice to say, the dealer's reserve has not been met, but the bidding is scheduled to remain open for almost two more months.

• Leave Big Tex to the Dark Seekers. We got to go! The Big 12 released its television schedule Monday, and as expected, the Red River Shootout between Oklahoma and Texas is set for another 11 a.m. kickoff in the Cotton Bowl. I'm not familiar with Dallas, but between the unseemly start times for the Shootout and the old 10:30 a.m. kicks for the Cotton Bowl on New Year's Day, I'm just assuming for future reference that Big D is basically like the zombie-infested, post-apocalyptic hellscape from "I Am Legend" after the sun goes down. If you're not done by 3:30 after the clocks change, the traffic just makes it that much easier for them.

Speaking of interstate, neutral site games, another one of these little gems has bitten the dust: Missouri and Illinois won't be renewing the "Arch Rivalry" in St. Louis after their date in 2010. At the same time, the season-opening "College Kickoff" game in Atlanta might be close to reaching a deal for that same date: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported Monday that Georgia is a strong possibility for the game against "a wide range of possible opponents" in '10, just a few days after the Raleigh News & Obeserver said North Carolina is trying to work out a deal to open the 2010 season against an SEC team in the Georgia Dome. Deduction: An intriguing Dawgs-Heels showdown can't be far away.

• The tedium of this prosecution shall set us free. Lawyers are supposed to say things like this, of course, but the attorney for Florida cornerback Janori Jenkins -- tased and charged with a pair of misdemeanors over the weekend -- insists his client will be absolved:

Gainesville attorney Huntley Johnson, who is representing Janoris Jenkins, said he believes his client did nothing wrong during the weekend skirmish and simply defended himself.

Johnson said he learned through an investigation that Jenkins tried to break up a fight and only struck back when someone grabbed his rope chain and tried to "choke him."

"At that moment, he wasn’t focused on listening to the cop telling him to desist young man," Johnson said.

Johnson believes Jenkins will receive deferred prosecution and possibly find the charges dropped after what he calls a "very minor incident."

In other SEC arrest news, Arkansas defensive tackle Lavunce Askew was charged with theft Saturday for allegedly stealing a laptop from a house where he and teammate Matt Marshall were hanging out Friday night/early Saturday morning. Police said Marshall also admitted to stealing an iPod Touch from the same residence, but avoided a charge because he drove back to the house the following morning and left it on the doorstep. It's a sordid tale that the Northwest Arkansas Times tells well.

Quickly ... Razorback quarterback Ryan Mallett broke a finger on his throwing hand while lifting weights. ... Well-travelled run-n-shoot innovator Mouse Davis is retiring as offensive coordinator of Portland State. ... Washington unveils minor uniform tweaks, including the return of traditional block numerals and white pants for road games. And both Washington and Washington State might be forging ahead on embattled stadium renovations. ... Ex-Texas DB Erick Jackson was cut from Michael Irvin's reality show. ... Head coach Dan Hawkins is assuming the role of wide receivers coach for Colorado while grooming ex-NFL cornerback Ashley Ambrose to take over in 2010. From the same article, the Colorado-Colorado State game will be back on Sunday this September for television purposes and senior Buff guard Devin Head is academically ineligible. ... Tulane just can't dig itself out of the hole. ... A level-headed argument in favor of continuing the West Virginia-Marshall series. ... Auburn coaches: The East Street Band of recruiting hype? ... Nebraska may go pay-per-view after networks passed on the Huskers' first two games. ... Former Syracuse and current Atlanta Falcons lineman Quinn Ojinnaka was arrested for simple battery after a fight with his wife over, uh, Facebook? And back in the 'Cuse, the whitewash of the Greg Robinson era continues. ... I assume Reggie Bush knows about this. ... And Tebow's mom paid for the tickets, alright? It was his mom.