Today’s comments at the Russell Athletic Bowl press conference — and this is Adrian Colbert — ought to sound a touch familiar. Last week, Miami coach Mark Richt confessed he does not approve of players skipping bowl games to focus on the draft.

“Football is the greatest team sport there is, and I think until the season is over, you should be with your team, really and truly,” he said. “You can take out whether I want a guy to stay to help us win and all that. Football is the greatest game. It’s the greatest game because it’s a team game. Everybody is counting on each other.”

Teammates for all three players, as well as the head coaches at Stanford and LSU, have publicly supported the running backs. Jim Grobe, Baylor’s acting coach who benched Linwood for a poor attitude this season, pointed out the Bears have two capable replacements.

However, Richt isn’t convinced of the sincerity of the support.

“I bet their teammates are like, ‘I understand. I understand.’ Maybe face to face,” Richt said. “But I bet you when they lay their head on the pillow, they’re like, ‘Why is that guy doing that? We’re a team. We paid the price together.’ It’s sad.”