Maybe its nothing...then again, maybe it is.

Nebraska athletic director Tom Osborne says he sees nothing inappropriate about a licensing agreement the university has with the father of starting quarterback Taylor Martinez.

Casey Martinez of Corona, Calif., owns an apparel company known as Corn Fed. He signed a contract with Nebraska in June 2007 that entitles Nebraska to a 10 percent royalty on Corn Fed products bearing the Huskers' logo. The Los Angeles Times first reported the agreement.

Nebraska offered Taylor Martinez a football scholarship in June 2008, and he signed his letter of intent in February 2009 without visiting another school.

NCAA spokesman Erik Christianson said the deal is not against the rules.

Osborne said he didn't understand how it could be perceived that the licensing agreement helped Nebraska land Taylor Martinez or be considered an ongoing extra benefit to him.

Hmmmm....

The NCAA says its ok.

But it sure does smell funny.

I liked this touch by Tom Osborne

"The arrangement was done before we even knew about Taylor Martinez or that we knew he was a football player," Osborne told The Associated Press on Thursday from San Diego, where the Huskers were playing in the Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl. "This hasn't changed anything. It would be really odd if we said that now that Taylor plays with Nebraska we can no longer do business with you. We're doing nothing that violates NCAA or university rules."

Sorry Tom, I just can't buy it. You're the same guy who basically swept Lawrence Phillips and his rap sheet under the rug, so your credibility in many peoples eyes is lacking.

Martinez's dad gets to make a buck off Nebraska (minus the licensing fee kicked back to Nebraska), his kid takes no other visits during his recruitment and that doesn't raise any eyebrows?

Maybe it's not an extra benefit, but it definitely looks fishy.

Here is Martinez's recruiting profile. What's missing?

How is the father of a recruit allowed to keep a merchandising deal with the ONLY school that is recruiting him?

I see this as no different than Tim Floyd hiring the dad of a recruit to get his commitment....

You do the math.

How about this...

Remember when Drean Rucker tragically passed away?

USC had to get special permission to do ANYTHING for the family but the NCAA said USC could not recruit Rucker's younger brother because the NCAA perceived it as an unfair advantage. So, 'SC can't recruit a dead recruits younger brother but Nebraska signed a merchandising agreement with Taylor Martinez's Dad?

I realize that you can't make a rule for everything but this didn't happen ten years ago, this happened just a couple of years ago when the NCAA was sharpening their knives...