Kirk Herbstreit just now on radio about NCAA: "Good or bad, just get Miami some answers.''

ESPN College GameDay analyst Kirk Herbstreit, speaking to Joe Rose on 560 WQAM, was adamant about the frustration those connected to the University of Miami must feel regarding the NCAA situation that still has not been resolved after two-and-a-half years.

Herbstreit said the first thing he thought of was Miami when he heard the news yesterday about the NCAA gradually returning football scholarships to Penn State in relation to the Jerry Sandusky child molestation scandal.

"Miami was the first thing I thought about yesterday when I heard that news,'' Herbstreit said. "They have not only penalized Penn State, but circled back and reduced that penalty before we get anything on Miami. The only thing I can think of is because the NCAA fumbled the ball on the entire investigation with Miami and publicly admitted that, I've got to believe they've got to go all the way back and start basically from scratch in certain aspects of the investigation.

"I don't have anything to do with the NCAA; I never talk to anybody from the NCAA, so I don't have any idea. I wish I had some answers of, 'Hey, by November we're going to find out, but I don't know anything. I'm as frustrated by it. All I can do is just applaud the effort from the university, what they're doing, the direction that they're heading with Al Golden.

I don't know if people outside of the Miami Hurricane community really appreciate the challenges that Al Golden and his staff face week in and week out -- not just during the season but more importantly in the offseason when you're recruiting, when you're trying to recruit to unknown. The direction of your program, the penalties you may have to deal with and you're sitting here trying to talk a 17- or 18-year-old to come and play for you while Florida State and Florida and others, they don't have to worry about that.

"It's a shame, it really is. I just hope there are some answers. Good or bad, just get Miami some answers so they can move past this and move into another chapter of their program.''

SUSAN MILLER DEGNAN