We’ve talked before about how weird and creepy college athletics recruiting is, these grown men – some of them millionaries many times over – bending over backwards to impress high school kids, and fans rabidly following it every step of the way. After the jump, a story illustrating exactly this.

The best assorted links from across the web (and what you should watch on TV tonight) for Wednesday, February 15th. If you’d like to see something on SportsGrid, send it to tips@sportsgrid.com. After the jump, our starting five.

Jerry Sandusky had a pre-trial hearing this morning, the creepiest aspect of which was that he couldn’t stop smiling. After that hearing, Sandusky stepped up to a podium and gave a statement to assembled reporters.

Jerry Sandusky was in a Bellefonte, Pa. court today, for a pre-trial hearing about the possible use of an out-of-county jury and modifications to his bail — neighbors don’t want him to be allowed to leave the house and stand on his porch, while his defense wants his grandkids to be able to come over and see him.

And as the prosecution and defense team made their arguments to Judge John M. Cleland, something strange started happening: Jerry Sandusky couldn’t stop smiling.

The best assorted links from across the web (and what you should watch on TV tonight) for Thursday, February 9. This edition brought to you by the ridiculous amounts of money people spend during the Super Bowl. If you’d like to see something on SportsGrid, send it to tips@sportsgrid.com. SportsNation poll screencap via Reddit. After the jump, our starting five.

We’re just one week removed from national signing day for high school prospects, and you know what that means: time to start looking forward to next year’s signing day! Today, to help you do just that, Rivals released its initial list of the top 100 players in the high school class of 2013. As we were looking over this list, though, something jumped out at us even more than these players’ talents: their names. 10 doozies after the jump.

The recruitment of star Columbus, In. quarterback Gunner Kiel was one of the most unpredictable of the class of 2012. First, he committed to Indiana. Then, he de-committed and opted for LSU. Then, suddenly, he was enrolled at Notre Dame. LSU coach Les Miles wasn’t thrilled about that last part.

College football allegiances, particularly in the Southeast, have very specific boundaries. Like, very specific — travel too far south in Florida wearing Gator blue, and you might find yourself surrounded by Hurricanes fans. And if you offer up a “Roll Tide” too far east in Alabama, you’ll get a sideways glance from all of the Tigers around — and then you’ll probably get your car keyed up. Yes, America takes its football allegiances, and the domains of those allegiances, very seriously.

Earlier, we delved into how into the entire spectacle of college football (and any sport, for that matter) recruiting is pretty creepy from a fan perspective. Well, now imagine how into it the coaches get.

In addition to signing day, Colorado coach Jon Embree now has something else to worry about: his fourth-leading tackler, Will Pericak, getting arrested on suspicion of physical harassment and trespassing. Pericak allegedly got “heavily intoxicated,” refused to leave a bar, gave the bartender at that bar a chest-bump…oh, and also set the contents of bucket in that bar on fire. The police report said Pericak told them, “I haven’t done anything illegal.” They didn’t seem to agree. [Busted Coverage]