(UPDATED at 1:04 p.m.)

Promising defensive lineman commits to Clemson

Dorell Scott, a highly regarded defensive tackle from Columbia, S.C., has committed to Clemson. He sounds like a good one.

And here's a recruiting update on receiver Phillip Morris from Timmonsville, S.C.

And here's another commitment: huge offensive lineman Barry Richardson from Mt. Pleasant, S.C.

WE'RE NO. 7: Frequent Tigerpundit reader Larry Bailey, who resides in Texas, has forwarded a link to a preseason football poll in the Austin American-Statesman that ranks Clemson No. 7. Check it out. (And thanks, Larry!)

NEW UNIS IN WORKS? Clemson coach Tommy Bowden says he's considering some new uniform combinations for next season. Here's a hint:

"I like those Denver (Broncos) uniforms," Bowden said. "Those blue ones with the orange stripes look pretty good."

Stay tuned.

RIPPING CHARLOTTE: As a native Charlottean, I'm surprisingly non-insulted by this ridiculous column from the Philadelphia Daily News. (Sorry, you'll have to register to read it.) Tom Sorenson has responded appropriately.

You always see this crap around the time of a major sporting event. But just remember the source.

It's from Philadelphia. Phila-freakin'-delphia! No major city in the country gets picked on more than the City of Brotherly Love. Or so richly deserves it.

Bob Uecker once said, "They have Easter egg hunts in Philadelphia, and if the kids don't find the eggs, they get booed."

This is a city whose fans are so vile that, in the words of a former Philly sportswriter, they'd "boo Christ for dropping the cross."

Howard Ogden once described the city this way: "Philadelphia: all the filth and corruption of a big city; all the pettiness and insularity of a small town."

That sounds about right.

ACC AIN'T THAT GREAT: Here's a contrarian view on the rising fortunes of ACC football from Richmond Times-Dispatch columnist Bob Lipper. Here's his summation of the 2003 season:

It didn't raise much of a ruckus in 2003. Its 22-14 record against nonconference opponents was padded with four wins against I-AA softies and others against the likes of Eastern Michigan, Middle Tennessee, Rice and Troy State. Even with its bowl blitz, it still finished 2-7 against teams ranked in the AP's final Top 25 and was the only major league without a top-10 occupant.

The SEC and Big Ten, it ain't.

Lipper also says that the league will truly come into its own in 2004 if Virginia, Maryland and Clemson have great seasons. Otherwise, expect Miami and Florida State to dominate the league.