The Front Row with JASON ELLIOTT June 11, 2011

I will be more than happy to admit when I'm wrong.

Come to think of it, I've been wrong a lot in my lifetime when it comes to sports.

But there's one thing I'm 100 percent sure of - there will be football this fall.

SOMEWHERE BETWEEN listening to the Ohio State scandal and the NFL lockout talks on ESPN, I've often found myself fumbling for the mute button, and continue to hope a season will start for someone in August.

On Monday, the BCS committee finally decided to strip the USC football team of its national title in 2004, thus erasing the championship season of Reggie Bush from the record books.

Does this mean that Oklahoma, which lost that game 55-19, should be awarded a national title? Absolutely not.

Maybe ESPN Classic will take the game out of the rotation for its New Year's week onslaught of coverage, but that, too, is also unlikely.

When Ohio State coach Jim Tressel quit on the Buckeyes, instead of facing his suspension, quarterback Terrelle Pryor followed him out the door less than two weeks later.

Pryor also turned down a chance to play in the Canadian Football League earlier this week, and will instead focus on his playing career in the NFL.

That is, if they can settle their lockout and a team wants to take a chance on a quarterback that may be a backup at best for most teams.

AS THE news continues to get worse from the NFL and college ranks, there is a light at the end of this tunnel.

At least no lockout or player tattoo scandals will affect the high school ranks.

Don't get me wrong, I'd love to see professional football anytime, but if that is not an option this year, the local high school scene may be just as compelling.

With Coeur d'Alene High attempting to defend a state title with a tough early season schedule, those games should be a good indication of how the season could go.

Lake City, Post Falls and Lewiston will play each other twice, with only one counting in the 5A Inland Empire League standings.

Not that either game will be lacking for intensity, but playing a team twice in a season won't hurt in this case.

Games will be entertaining, fun to watch, and likely come down to the final moments.

But the best part of the those games will be, they will get played.

No sports car scandals, no athletic directors locking players off the fields - and come Aug. 26, there will be kickoff somewhere in North Idaho.

Hopefully the 32 NFL cities around the nation won't be too far behind.

Jason Elliott is a sports writer for the Coeur d'Alene Press. He can be reached by telephone at 664-8176, Ext. 2020 or via email at [email protected].