More Easterbrook: Tie athlete's grades to university success

Even if you don't read the rest of the column, take a look at this important concept which Easterbrook and others have pushed for more than a decade: Tie the university's scholarships, championships, and money into their athletes' graduation rates. Here's a segment on how the football championship would be affected (and the whole column is linked here):

ESPN Grade Projects The Final Four:Entrants in the initial College Football Playoff will be announced Sunday. Perhaps the selection committee will pause to give lip service to education, but the choices will be all about which teams generate the best sports entertainment -- as if NCAA football were an NFL junior league, rather than an aspect of college.

Of course, that's what many people think. ButESPN Grade takes the NCAA and the Power 5 at their word and ranks the top teams as if players were actual student-athletes. ESPN Grade says the final four should be:

1. 1. Alabama
2. 2. TCU
3. 3. Oregon
4. 4. Ohio State

ESPN Grade adds the Associated Press and USA Today rankings with a sort of the top programs by graduation rate, giving each the same weight. So Alabama is 1 + 1 + 7 = 9, the best ranking. TCU is 4 + 4+ 4 = 12. Oregon is 3 + 3 + 13 = 19. Ohio State 6 + 6 + 8 = 20. Florida State drops out of the picture at 2 + 2 + 21 = 25. Mississippi State plummets at 10 + 10 + 18 = 38.