The Biggest Gifts of 2008

With Christmas Eve upon us, everyone should be in a jolly good mood.

Gifts are under the tree, ready to be unwrapped either tonight or tomorrow, and the recipients can only wait to see what is in store for them.

Even though this is the season of giving, some of the biggest gifts of the year have already been revealed in the world of sports.

To refresh your memory, here are some of the biggest gifts given out in 2008:

Memphis handing Kansas the NCAA Title

In what was a close game for most of the second half, the Tigers took a seven point lead after a 10-2 run. With 2:12 remaining in the game, Memphis was up nine and has the Jayhawks on the brink.

Kansas would fight back with a run of their own after two Mario Chalmers' free throws cut the lead to four with 1:15 remaining in the game.

Then, the bottom fell out for Memphis. Chris Douglas-Roberts missed the front end of a bonus opportunity and then two more to bookend a Darrell Arthur jumper.

Derrick Rose then split a trip to the line with ten seconds left to give the Tigers a three point lead.

That disappeared once Mario Chalmers hit an incredible three to tie the game and send it to overtime, where Kansas would win running away.

Memphis missed four of their final five free throws and shot 63% from the line for the game while Kansas missed one from the charity stripe all day.

Lakers giving Game 4 to the Celtics at home

In one of the most anticipated Finals match-ups of the decade, the Lakers and Celtics were going to renew their storied rivalry.

After Boston had taken the first two at home, LA kept home court in Game 3.

Game 4 would start out in the Lakers favor as Los Angeles jumped out to 24-point lead and held an 18-point advantage at halftime.

The Celtics then came alive in the second half, finishing the third quarter on a 21-3 run while LA would garner one point over a seven minute span between the 3rd and 4th quarters. Boston would then finish the game on a 15-8 run to outscore the Lakers 57-33 in the second half. With the win, Boston took a commanding 3-1 lead in the series on their way to finishing off the Lakers in six for the franchise's 17th NBA Title.

New York Mets sending the Phillies to the playoffs for the second straight season

In 2007, the New York Mets had an epic collapse in September as the Philadelphia Phillies wound up taking the National League East on the last day of the season.

As September approached in 2008, the Mets were once again on top of the East with a month to go, this time with a two game lead.

By September 10th, the Mets had extended their lead to 3.5 games with only sixteen games remaining in the season.

Then, deja vu happened. The Phillies went on a tear, winning seven straight and then 13 of their final 16 games. The Mets went 7-10 over the same span, failing to win any of their final five series of the year.

Philadelphia would take the division lead for good on September 20th and clinched the division on the 27th. The Mets, for the second straight season, would be spending October at home after having a division lead late in the season.

The Phillies would ride their success all the way to the World Series title in 2008, the second in the Phillies history and first since 1980. Philadelphia finished the season and playoffs with 24-6 record.

Tom Brady and Tiger giving everyone else a chance

It has been years since two ACLs had a larger impact on the world of sports. No two shadows loom larger than Tiger Woods and Tom Brady's in their respective sports.

Tiger's injury left the golf world wide open, and no one took more advantage of his absence than Padraig Harrington.

After Tiger left for knee surgery, Harrington asserted himself to the top the sport, winning the British Open and PGA Championship to finish out the 2008 season. His stellar finish got him selected PGA Golfer of the Year, the first European player to win the award. The win ended Tiger's three year reign of the award.

Tom Brady wasted no time in ruining his season and the season of fantasy owners everywhere by going down with a knee injury in the first quarter of the season.

Now, Matt Cassell has stepped in for Brady and has led the Patriots all season. His numbers aren't Brady-like, but he still has New England with a chance to win the AFC East. Cassell is completing 63% of his passes for 3,615 yards and 21 touchdowns on the year. For a guy who hadn't started a game since high school, he hasn't done too shabby and will make a new team happy in 2009.

Denver giving the AFC West to San Diego

This hasn't happened yet, but it is definitely not out of the equation.

Denver has not been on fire this season, but their division has been horrible for most of the season. The Broncos have had chances in the past two seasons to clinch a playoff spot, but have lost back to back games to the Panthers and Bills.

San Diego, however, is a whole other story. The Chargers started the season with two hard losses in the final minute to the Panthers and Broncos. Just three weeks ago, they were 4-8 and looking at a long off season.

The past three weeks, San Diego has won divisional games against Oakland and Kansas City as well as a huge win in Tampa Bay last week. They are now 7-8 and are facing a chance at the playoffs with a home win over Denver.

Picks, Previews, and Prognostications: Bowl Edition

In the morning, the much awaited bowl season will officially begin.

Thirty-four bowls for sixty eight teams that will last for nineteen days to give all college football fans joy and happiness for one last time until, well, National Signing Day.

So, in true fashion, here comes a prediction for every single bowl, in order, with some previews tossed in here and there.

EagleBank Bowl, Washington, D.C.-Wake Forest 27, Navy 21

New Mexio Bowl, Albuquerque, NM-Fresno State 31, Colorado State 17

magicJack St. Petersburg Bowl, St. Petersburg, FL-South Florida 35, Memphis 10
With the Bulls playing just across town, against a team from C-USA no less, do you really believe the Tigers stand a chance? Basketball, this is a different story, but South Florida will run Memphis into the ground.

Pioneer Las Vegas Bowl, Las Vegas, NV-BYU 24, Arizona 21

R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl, New Orleans, LA-Troy 34, Southern Miss 28
Troy was very close to taking down LSU just a month ago. Don't expect the Trojans to have the same type of collapse against the Golden Eagles.

San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl, San Diego, CA-TCU 28, Boise State 27
In what may be the most anticipated game outside of the BCS Title game, TCU and Boise State, two Top 12 teams, are playing before Christmas. That is a shame in itself, but this game will be down to the wire and well worth watching.

Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl, Honolulu, HI-Hawaii 24, Notre Dame 13
Notre Dame has not won a bowl game in the BCS era. Hawaii is playing at home while the Domers are on vacation. Don't be surprised if the Irish, who only have one win over a winning team this season, extend their bowl streak to ten straight losses in the atmosphere of Aloha Stadium.

Motor City Bowl, Detroit, MI-Central Michigan 31, Florida Atlantic 17

Meineke Car Care Bowl, Charlotte, NC-North Carolina 28, West Virginia 24

Champs Sports Bowl, Orlando, FL-Florida State 35, Wisconsin 14

Emerald Bowl, San Francisco, CA-Cal 38, Miami 27
Miami managed to win some games this season without Robert Marve at QB. He will once again be missing for the bowl game, but Cal is a bit more of a different beast than those "preseason" teams.

Independence Bowl, Shreveport, LA-Louisiana Tech 24, Northern Illinois 13

Papajohns.com Bowl, Birmingham, AL-Rutgers 31, North Carolina State 28
If you want to see a game of two streaking teams, this is definitely one to watch. Both teams had quarterbacks emerge throughout the season, and now Rutger's Mike Teel and NC State's Russell Wilson will lead their teams into improbable bowl games after both teams started horrible.

Valero Alamo Bowl, San Antonio, TX-Missouri 24, Northwestern 21

Roady's Humanitarian Bowl, Boise, ID-Maryland 21, Nevada 14

Texas Bowl, Houston, TX-Western Michigan 27, Rice 24

Pacific Life Holiday Bowl, San Diego, CA-Oregon 48, Oklahoma State 44
If you want to see offense, this is your game. Oregon ran all over Oregon State in their final game of the season while Oklahoma State ran rampant across the Big XII this season. This game has the chance for both teams to combine for 100 points, but some defense should prevail at some point in this game. Punt prediction: Two total.

Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl, Fort Worth, TX-Air Force 24, Houston 20

Brut Sun Bowl, El Paso, TX-Oregon State 41, Pittsburgh 28

Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl, Nashville, TN-Boston College 24, Vanderbilt 17

Insight Bowl, Tempe, AZ-Kansas 28, Minnesota 20

Chick-fil-a Bowl, Atlanta, GA-Georgia Tech 31, LSU 28
Georgia Tech rose from the abyss this season. LSU fell into it. Look for Paul Johnson to cap his amazing first season by running all over LSU with the triple option.

Outback Bowl, Tampa, FL-South Carolina 17, Iowa 14

Capital One Bowl, Orlando, FL-Georgia 31, Michigan State 21
Knowshon Moreno and Javon Ringer will be the headlines for this game, but it will be interesting to see if Georgia can pull out a win in what might be their best chance for a 10-win season in the next three.

Konica Minolta Gator Bowl, Jacksonville, FL-Clemson 20, Nebraska 17

Rose Bowl Game presented by Citi, Pasadena, CA-USC 17, Penn State 10
USC has had the "best defense in the country" all season, but when you play Arizona St., Washington and WAZU, you should. That defense will be put to the test when the Spread HD hits the west coast.

FedEx Orange Bowl, Miami, FL-Cincinnati 23, Virginia Tech 20
Virginia Tech may have won the ACC, but what kind of feat is that exactly? About as impressive as winning the Big East. This should be a close game, but who would really want to watch it?

AT&T Cotton Bowl, Dallas, TX-Texas Tech 31, Ole Miss 20
Ole Miss may be Alabama's biggest threat in the SEC West next season, but the Rebels will have fits trying to cover Michael Crabtree and the rest of the Red Raider receiving core.

Autozone Liberty Bowl, Memphis, TN-Kentucky 24, East Carolina 20

Allstate Sugar Bowl, New Orleans, LA-Alabama 34, Utah 10
The Crimson Tide will be looking to finish off a phenomenal season against the undefeated Utes. Too bad the win won't look too great against a Utah team that beat two top twenty teams this season.

International Bowl, Toronto, Canada-Buffalo 30, UConn 27

Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, Glendale, AZ-Texas 24, Ohio State 10
Ohio State is once again in a BCS bowl. Ohio State will once again get run out of the building by a far superior team. At least the Big XII will finally get their turn with the Buckeyes.

GMAC Bowl, Mobile, AL-Tulsa 17, Ball State 13

FedEx BCS National Championship Game, Miami, FL-Oklahoma 31, Florida 30
Tim Tebow and Sam Bradford meet again, but this time on the field. Florida may have a great defense, and Oklahoma will be without Demarco Murray, but that won't be enough to stop the Sooners. Kudos to Florida to at least keeping them under sixty, at least.

Some News and Notes of Interest...

So, since the Ole Miss-Louisville game has become comical, on top of the fact that the blog has sat idle for a few days, I decided to pick things up a big with some news floating around the sports world that has sparked some interest.

• For starters, if you have not heard yet, the city of Birmingham won out the rights to host the Davis Cup first round match between the US and Switzerland. The Magic City beat out Las Vegas, San Antonio and Greenville, South Carolina for the rights to the three day event from March 6-8. The matches will be played at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex Arena. The rosters for the event will not be set until ten days prior, but odds are that American Andy Roddick and Swiss phenom Roger Federer will end up facing off on either Friday or Sunday.
• March will also be the month for the second World Baseball Classic, and the rosters for the respective countries are starting to take shape. Davey Johnson, manager of the 1986 World Series Champion Mets, will once again lead Team USA, who stumbled in the inaugural WBC in the second round and only went 3-3. Japan was the first country to win the event. Among those who have already committed to play for Team USA are Yankees' SS Derek Jeter, Red Sox 2B and AL MVP Dustin Pedroia, Angels' ace John Lackey, and Braves' 3B Chipper Jones and C Brian McCann. Prominent players who will suit up for other teams included Yankees' 3B Alex Rodriguez (Dominican Republic), Twins' 1B Justin Morneau (Canada) and Yankees' catcher Ivan Rodriguez (Puerto Rico). The WBC begins on March 3rd and runs through the championship game in Los Angeles on March 23rd.
• As has been expected for a few months now, Chick-fil-a will announce on Friday that Alabama will face 2008 ACC Champ Virginia Tech in the second annual Chick-fil-a College Kickoff in the Georgia Dome. The game is set for September 5th, 2009 and will be broadcast by ESPN or ABC. Both teams will begin their season with the game. Alabama was a part of the inaugural College Kickoff game as the Crimson Tide rolled over the Clemson Tigers 34-10 to begin their 2008 season.

Also, be sure to get out and vote for the Crimson Tide in two polls available right now. For starters, Nick Saban is up for the Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award. Below is a video profile of him and you can go to http://www.coachoftheyear.com/ to cast your vote by clicking on the banner below the video. Hurry up, though, as there are only four days left until voting ends.

Second, Rashad Johnson's interception against LSU has advanced in the Pontiac Game-Changing Performance of the Year competition. Each week, the list will be cut by four until a winner is determined, so be sure to vote for Rashad's play and get Alabama $100,000 towards scholarships.

That is all that has sparked my interest for now, plus the Rebels have made a game of things.

Don't forget to sign up for the ITNOT College Bowl Mania group on ESPN.com. You have until kickoff of the Eaglebank Bowl on Saturday morning to submit your picks.

Tomorrow, be on the look out for a full bowl preview and prediction post in preparation for an exciting Saturday in which four bowls will help ring in the bowl season.

Can You Out-Pick My Bowl Predictions? Take Your Chance.

Since everyone managed to make it through last weekend, we can all focus on the upcoming bowl season.

With the EagleBank Bowl on Saturday, the bowl season will officially begin, lasting all the way until January 8th and the National Championship Game.

So, instead of just making my picks for the bowls, like I did during the season, I'm extending the offer out to the loyal readers of "In the Nic of Time" t0 challenge your picks against mine for the bowl season.

Now, I don't want people sending me all sorts lists and what not, so I'm letting ESPN organize the entire thing.

All you have to do is go to ESPN.com and sign up for a ESPN.com Membership Account, totally free.

Once you have done this, go to the Fantasy tab on the main page and click on College Bowl Mania and sign up to participate.

I have created a private group titled "In the Nic of Time." Once you have found the group, use the password ITNOT to join the group and make your picks.

The group is based on confidence level in you picks, so not only will you select the winner (straight up, not against a spread), and then how confident you are in that team winning the game. Rank every bowl, 1-34.

So, go ahead and take you chances against me. The CW Sports Staff didn't do so well in November when we went head to head, so hopefully you can do a little better than them against me.

Seriously, Auburn, is THIS Your Splash?

After the "resignation" of Tommy Tuberville, the feeling of many Auburn fans was that the Tigers needed to make a "big splash" hire with their next head coach.

Names such as Turner Gill, Skip Holtz, and Will Muschamp floated around the Plains for days, but there was never any action.

One reaction from The Bunker message board on Auburnsports.com, the Tigers' Rivals' site, was quite upset yesterday morning about the lack of a hire.

"At this point in the coaching party, Auburn is the sloppy girl on the couch drunk dialing all the exes she can find in her cell phone."

Apparently she finally called the guy who wasn't quite over her yet.

On Saturday, the news broke that Gene Chizik, former Auburn defensive coordinator and Iowa State head coach, would be hired by Auburn to take over the football program.

Before we go into the reaction, let's look at the "splash factor" of Chizik compared to the other men mentioned above.

• Will Muschamp: Had he left his post at Texas to return to Auburn, this would have been a good rally for the Tigers. Muschamp's defense was one of the best in the Big XII this season and is still highly thought of in Auburn. He is a Tuberville protege and had some of the nastiest defenses in the SEC during his time. Not to mention he was 2-0 against both Alabama and Florida. Splash factor: Soaking the tanning sorority girls on the side of the pool, but attractive enough that they smile instead of yell.
• Turner Gill: The Buffalo coach took the job in New York as a man who had never heard of the university. Since his arrival, he has doubled the Bulls win total in FBS and won a conference championship. He will be guiding the Bulls to their first attended bowl game in school history and only the second invite in school history. To say he is one of the hottest coaches in college football would be an understatement. Splash factor: Big enough to make your friends jealous.
• Skip Holtz: After being the college football sweetheart of the early season at East Carolina, the Pirates were brought back down to earth. Nonetheless, Holtz's team beat Virginia Tech, the ACC Champ. The Holtz was a hot candidate for Syracuse, but reportedly pulled his name out of contention because Auburn came calling. Splash factor: As wet as you would be by standing in front of his father while he talked.
• Gene Chizik: Chizik has been at Iowa State for the past two seasons, his first head coaching job of his career. He has a Big XII and SEC Championship to his name as a defensive coordinator, but has not had that success as a head coach. After two seasons, Chizik is 5-19 as a head coach and was #3 on the coacheshotseat.com rankings before Auburn snatched him away from Iowa State. Splash factor: A faucet leak in a room of the house no one visits, so it drives up your water bill.

So what has the reaction be so far? Well, it hasn't been too good.

Alabama fans were enjoying the news all day, with the responses coming quick and painful for Auburn fans.

One facebook status read,"2007: 3-9 2008: 2-10 2009: War Damn Eagle!" Another responded to the hire with, "Gene Chizik: Cause five wins in one season are too many."

The Tigers' faithful couldn't look to their own for reassurance that things would be alright in the Loveliest Village, either.

For starters, none of the recruits know a thing about Chizik. Jamie Collins, an Athlete from Mississippi, was told of the hire and responded with, "I don't know him, I've never talked to him-I've never even heard of him."

When Collins learned of Chizik's record at Iowa State, his response wasn not inspiring. "That's not attractive," he said.

Just under an hour ago, Collins decommitted from Auburn. "I'm decommitting from Auburn," said Collins. "I'm going to open things up and see what happens." Collins makes a total of seven decommits for the Auburn recruiting class since it was announced that Tuberville would not return in 2009.

The Auburn family reaction wasn't any better. Al Del Greco was quick and to the point. "No comment."

Cole Cubelic, a former Auburn lineman, was not very impressed with the hire.

"I have a lot of respect for the guy. But you look at his track record as a head coach and you have to scratch your head and wonder what Auburn was doing and why they think it's a good move."

Then, there was this response to Jacobs and Chizik returning to Auburn. Go to about the :35 second mark.

Quite the contrast to Nick Saban's arrival in Tuscaloosa just two short years ago.

And then there was former coach Pat Dye's reaction.

Dye called Chizik "a heck of a football coach, a solid guy. There's not a finer individual, character-wise."

Paul Clark of CycloneReport.com, Iowa State's Rivals' site, who has covered Chizik for the past two years, has a different view of Auburn's new coach.

Finally, now that we know who Auburn's coach his, let's look at the Tigers 2009 Schedule.

The Tigers play Ball State, West Virginia, Furman and Southern Miss out of conference, all at home. The Auburn SEC slate has the Tigers hosting Ole Miss, Alabama, Mississippi State, and Kentucky. They hit the road to take on Arkansas, Tennessee, Georgia, and LSU.

Ok, now lets look at it this way. Auburn just hired Gene Chizik, a 5-19 career coach, to annually play Les Miles, Bobby Petrino, Houston Nutt, Mark Richt, and Nick Saban.

But don't worry, Auburn fans, Steve Spurrier rotates on the schedule in 2010, and then Urban Meyer and the Gators in 2011.

That's right, in 2011, Auburn will face Alabama, Arkansas, Ole Miss, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, and LSU.

In the two years leading up to that schedule, Auburn can only hope Chizik has them at 5-19, and Jay Jacobs can only hope he has a job then as well.

How to Survive the "Worst Saturday of the Year"

Every Saturday since August 30th, college football has engulfed the lives of millions.

For the past 15 weekends, I personally have enjoyed many highs with the lows few and far between and hopefully so have you. However, with the conference championship games over with and still another week until the bowl games, there will be a sudden emptiness for the college football fan.

With the "Worst Saturday of the Year" almost upon us, how will those of us with seemingly nothing to live for survive the weekend and make it to bowl season?

Those of you who just answered that question with Christmas shopping, please exit the blog now and turn in your man card. Al Gore created the internet for us to use for Christmas shopping, so make use of it.

For the rest of you, here is a quick list of things avialable to at least get you to the next best thing to college football...NFL Sunday.

• Richmond vs. Northern Iowa, ESPN, 3 pm: The second semifinal of the FCS playoffs may not be as good as the James Madison-Montana game last night, but it is still college football and, more importantly, it's a post season done right. The winner of this game will get to face Montana in Chattanooga next Friday night for the FCS Championship.
• Memphis vs. Georgetown, CBS, 1 pm: A clash of two Top 25 teams in college basketball begins CBS' weekly coverage of the sport. The Hoyas are not as powerful as they were last season, but they are still in the ridiculously strong Big East, which is a big enough challenge for any team. Memphis is still stinging from last season's loss to Kansas in the National Title game, and even moreso from this season's only loss by the same fate against Xavier. Not to be funny, but this game will more than likely come down to free throws once again for the Tigers.
• ESPN/Football Writers Association of America All-American Team announcement, ABC, 4 pm: The organization with the longest continuous All-American selections will announce their team today at four, and the Crimson Tide is sure to have some guys selected to this team. It may not match the nation's best four that were selected to the American Coaches Football Association team, but there will surely be some Alabama Crimson in the mix.
• Texas A&M vs. Alabama, CSS, 7 pm: Before I go into this game, if you are in driving distance, COME to this game. The basketball teams any kind of support you can give, and this is the biggest game of the year. Texas A&M already has a victory over a "BCS" school with last weekend's win over Arizona, but this is the Aggies first true road test. The Crimson Tide can right the ship of what has been a rocky season so far with a win in this game, and it wouldn't hurt the Tide's NCAA Tournament resume, either.
• Heisman Trophy Presentation, ESPN, 7 pm: In what may be the closest vote in Heisman history, Sam Bradford, Colt McCoy, and Tim Teobw will all be in New York when the most recognizble statue in college football is presented tonight. Tebow is going for his second straight Heisman, something that has only been done once in the history of the award (Archie Griffin, 1974-75, Ohio State). Bradford and McCoy have the numbers this season, but the argument the past few days has started to slant in McCoy's favor.
• The Greatest Game Ever Played, ESPN, 8 pm: "The Greatest Game Ever Played" between the Colts (still in Baltimore) and the Giants in 1958 was more than just the NFL Championship for that season. This game features 15 future NFL Hall of Famers, including Johnny Unitas, Vince Lombardi, and Frank Gifford. The game, played in Yankee Stadium, went into overtime and was won by a Colts' one-yard plunge by Alan Ameche. The game is widely credited with the rise of the popularity of the NFL due to the fact it was the first NFL game broadcast across the nation on NBC. ESPN has remastered the game and will be playing it in color, a first for this game.

So, there you have it. Hopefully that is enough to get you through today and on to next week, when the bowls begin. If not, I hope you and your mom have fun shopping today.

"This game will come down to two or three plays..." and It Did

Sitting outside the Georgia Dome at the College Gameday set, those words were uttered by Kirk Herbstreit before he picked the Florida Gators to beat the Alabama Crimson Tide.

As it turns out, he was completely right.

After Florida 31, Alabama 20, fans from both teams are looking at two or three plays that made a difference in the game.

For Florida, those long passes down the sidelines were key for field position and getting points when they needed them the most.

Alabama overcame the fact that they let those plays happen, but too many other plays had a much bigger impact on the Alabama sidelines.

What if Javier Arenas had let that kickoff go out-of-bounds, resulting in an extra 36 yards for the Alabama offense?

What if John Parker Wilson had ran on 1st and Goal instead of throwing an almost intercepted pass?

What if Dont'a Hightower's fingers hadn't gotten caught in a facemask on 3rd and 5 and Alabama still leading?

The fact of the matter is, hindsight is 20/20.

There is nothing that can change the past, nothing that can correct those plays or decisions.

Nothing can fix the fact that Alabama couldn't put together their best game of the season when they needed it most.

Nothing can change Florida 31, Alabama 20.

Nothing, until December 5th, 2009.

701 Days. That's All It Took.

Processed (v.)- The act of Nick Saban destroying your coaching career to the point that you are no longer with your team.

As stated in the title, it has only been 701 days since Nick Saban was hired to take over the Alabama Crimson Tide.

That's all it has taken for Saban not only to turn the Tide, but to take back the state, to make his presence known once again in the SEC, and to get Alabama back in the national spotlight.

So how has everyone gotten here over the past 23 months? Here is a quick timeline to refresh your memory.

• Jan. 3rd, 2007: Nick Saban is hired as the 26th head football coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide. In his opening press conference the following day, Saban said, "I know there's tremendous expectations here. I can tell you that, however you feel about it, I have even higher expectations for what we want to accomplish. I want to win every game we play."
• Feb. 7th, 2007: Saban signs a recruiting class that has his partial stamp on it. Kareem Jackson and Rolando McClain are the two stars of the class which is ranked 10th by Rivals.com.
• Apr. 21st, 2007: Over 100,000 people crowded Tuscaloosa to watch Nick Saban's team scrimmage in the annual A-Day Game. Fans were turned away at the gate as the largest crowd to ever watch a spring game assembled at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
• Sept. 1st, 2007: Nick Saban makes his debut as the head coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide in a rout of Western Carolina 52-6. The win was Saban's first college win since 2004.
• Sept. 15, 2007: Nick Saban gets his first SEC win at Alabama with a come from behind win against Arkansas 41-38. It was Alabama's first come from behind win in since the Dennis Franchonie era.
• Oct. 20, 2007: The Crimson Tide destroy the Tennessee Volunteers 41-17 in Tuscaloosa to reach 6-2 in Saban's first season. Alabama will enter November tied for first in the SEC West heading into Saban's first game against LSU.
• Nov. 3rd, 2007: LSU comes into Tuscaloosa and comes out with a win 41-34 over Alabama, sending the Crimson Tide into a tailspin to finish their season. Alabama would lose in consecutive weeks to Mississippi State, Louisiana-Monroe, and a sixth straight to Auburn. Alabama finishes the season 6-6, 3-5 in the SEC.
• Dec. 30, 2007: Alabama finishes their season in the Independence Bowl for the second straight season, beating Colorado 30-24. Alabama ends the season 7-6, only the second winning season over the previous five years for the Crimson Tide.
• Jan. 30th, 2008: Jim McElwain is hired by Nick Saban to be Alabama's new offensive coordinator. McElwain leaves Fresno State and simplifies Alabama's offense to avoid confusion for John Parker Wilson and company.
• Feb. 6th, 2008: Alabama puts the finishing touches on the consensus No. 1 recruiting class in the nation. Final 48 hour commitments from Mark Ingram and Julio Jones helped to propel the Tide above Notre Dame, Florida, and Ohio State.
• Apr. 12, 2008: Nick Saban's second A-Day Game doesn't sell out, but 72,000 people still come to watch the Crimson Tide practice. The new offense does just enough to get fans interested as to how this team may play this season.
• June 2008: The new freshman class reports to campus for the first time. Combined with a new senior leadership, the freshmen help the team find a new level to practice at, bringing intense competition to each practice.
• Aug. 30th, 2008: Nick Saban's second team hits the turf in the Georgia Dome against Clemson and blows out the Tigers, 34-10. Alabama jumps into the Top 25 while Clemson never fully recovers from their opening game beat down.
• Sept. 27th, 2008: Alabama takes their show on the road to Athens with an undefeated record for a Top 10 match up. The Crimson Tide runs away in the first half on national television en route to a 41-30 victory over the Bulldogs. Alabama vaults to a number two ranking, the highest since 2005.
• Oct. 13th, 2008: Tommy Bowden resigns at Clemson after a dismal start to what was thought to be an ACC championship season.
• Oct. 25th, 2008: Alabama goes into Neyland Stadium and overpowers the Vols, 29-9, to take the second straight game from Tennessee and Phil Fulmer to reach 8-0, the best start for a Nick Saban team. A week later, Phil Fulmer would resign as head coach, effective at the end of the season.
• Nov. 8th, 2008: Alabama reaches 10-0 after a wild, overtime win in Tiger Stadium against LSU, ending a November losing streak in the SEC dating back to 2005. The win was also the first against the Bayou Bengals since 2002.
• Nov. 29th, 2008: Alabama ends a six year skid against the Auburn Tigers with a 36-0 thrashing, ending Auburn's chances for a bowl. The win cemented Alabama's first undefeated regular season since 1994, the first 12-0 regular season in SEC history, and Nick Saban's first undefeated regular season of his career. The loss, the worst for Auburn since 1962, left doubt about Tommy Tuberville's job security.
• Dec. 3rd, 2008: Tommy Tuberville resigns as head coach of the Auburn Tigers.

Those are the important points which bring us to today's events. It is only a matter of time before we see what this means for both Alabama and Auburn. In the meantime, Alabama has a championship to play for.

The Iron Bowl, A Day Later: The View From Both Sides

After having one day to let the 36-0 beatdown of Auburn settle in, the feeling has not completely gone away.

At the same time, however, it feels as if nothing extreme happened yesterday. It basically feels like things are the way they should be once again.

That is, from the crimson and white side it feels that way. For those fans of the school on the east side of the state, yesterday was not a good day.

Here is a quick run down of how yesterday went down from a vantage point of both schools.

Auburn

The day started with high hopes for many Tiger fans.

Tuberville not only got off the bus holding up seven fingers, he managed to walk all the way into the stadium doing so.

That was about the last bit of joy CTT and company would feel for the day.

After Auburn went through their first fifteen planned plays on offense, the Tigers could hardly manage much else on the day.

On defense, the Tigers allowed over 200 yards on the ground and were on the field for too long thanks to an inept offense.

The lack of production allowed many Auburn fans to leave the stadium early enough to beat the traffic.

The president of Auburn's recruiting organization even left with seven minutes left...in the third quarter!!! Apparently, he wasn't a part of that "we" who believed in Auburn this week.

After the game, though, Antonio Coleman said it best for anyone who ever wondered how deep this rivalry runs.

When Coleman was asked if he had been a part of a worse loss than this one, he replied, "I can't imagine it. Probably a death in the family would be the closest thing to that."

Well, Auburn can quickly get over it, thankfully, because swimming and diving season has begun on the Plains.

However, it's gonna be a long 281 days until football returns to Jordan-Hare Stadium. That's plenty of time for duck hunting in Arkansas.

Alabama

After Auburn's A-Day game on March 29th, one of my friends from Auburn texted me saying that Alabama would demolish the Tigers this season. At that point, I laughed it off and said that we would see.

After sixty minutes of domination by the Tide on Saturday, it seems that he was right.

Alabama fans easily enjoyed every second of the latest Iron Bowl victory, the largest in 46 years and the third largest victory margin for Alabama in the history of the rivalry.

The Crimson Tide faithful were enjoying themselves so much at 29-0 heading to the fourth quarter that students were already starting to "wind it up" for Rammer Jammer.

Fifteen minutes and another touchdown later, About 83, 000 Alabama fans released 2,198 days of frustration on the Tigers.

After the game, Alabama fans, including myself, were relishing in Alabama's first undefeated season since 1994, the first 12-0 regular season in SEC history, and the first Iron Bowl win in six years. Students remained in the stadium for about 20 minutes after the game, taking pictures and celebrating with the players and celebrating with each other.

No, Auburn fans, that's not a gimmick of your classless finger holding, that's representative of where Alabama is in the state and in the nation.

What is Alabama Football?

This was an email I recieved this past week describing what Alabama Football really is:

It is Wallace Wade.
It is Bear Bryant.
It is Gene Stallings.
It is this man in charge.


It is not Bobby Bowden, Phil Fulmer or Dennis Franchione.
It is the Rose Bowl.
It is hearing Keith Jackson call an Alabama game.
It is watching George Teague running down Lamar Thomas in the 1993 Sugar Bowl then rewinding it and watching it again.

It is hearing the first notes of Sweet Home Alabama .
It is the desire to beat Auburn at any competitive event that exists.
It is a houndstooth hat.
It is being " Dixie 's Football Pride"
It is having enough pride to fight for your school but having enough class not to.
It is cheering the same amount for a first down on second and 6 as on fourth and 1.
It is watching Cornelius Bennett give Notre Dame quarterback Steve Beuerlein a concussion on that October day in Birmingham in 1986.

It is determining who you are going to date & marry by which team they swear allegiance to.
It is beating Florida in the SEC title when everyone said the game in "The Swamp" was a fluke.
It is watching The Bear on the jumbotron before a game in Bryant-Denny Stadium and almost seeing him leaning against the goalpost in the end zone.
It is right behind God and family.
It is spending a day at The Bryant Museum and still not seeing everything.
It is cool crisp autumn Saturdays where you can smell football in the air and feel it whenever there is a slight breeze.
It is watching The Bear get number 315 against Auburn .
It is watching The Bear get number 323 against Illinois .
It is hearing Paul Kennedy do the play-by-play when Van Tiffin kicked the 52-yard field goal against Auburn in 1985.

It is remembering the feeling of the upper deck at legion field rumbling due to feet stomping.
It is knowing how many days until the start of a season year round.
It is driving down Colonial Drive to see Bryant-Denny Stadium not the sorority girls.
It is getting chills up and down your entire body whenever you hear anything about the 1993 Sugar Bowl and the pride you feel because that night tradition ruled.
It is hearing The Bear's voice and having all the hair on the back of your neck stand straight up because you know no matter what he said, it was something special.
It is hearing The Million Dollar Band play "Yea Alabama " and knowing it just does not get any better.
It is imagining hearing Penn State Quarterback Chuck Fusina ask Alabama linebacker Barry Krauss "How close is it?" and hearing Krauss say "About an inch, you'd better pass" right before fourth down during The Goal Line Stand in the 1979 Sugar Bowl.

It is almost coming to tears whenever Alabama loses to Auburn or Tennessee .
It is The Kick. It is The Goal Line Stand. It is The Desperation Block.
It is purposely not wearing any clothes with the colors orange and blue.
It is the Third Saturday in October.
It is not needing an alarm clock on game days, you sit bolt upright in the bed long before the alarm goes off because you know that it is a gameday, you can sleep after the bowl game.
It is walking into a stadium and knowing Alabama will win the game no matter who they are playing because it is just the way it is supposed to be.
It is the saying "Offense wins games, Defense wins national titles."
It is the Bear Bryant 'A'.

It is getting to the stadium hours before the game just to be there.

It is walking into another team's stadium and having those fans hate you because you are from Alabama .

It is the pride that a father has when he brings his children to a game so they may cherish the tradition.

It is the hit by Roman Harper in the 2005 against Tennessee that meant everything

It is beating LSU in Baton Rouge .
It is hearing the crunch as a linebacker dressed in crimson and white hits a running back dressed in orange and blue.
It is the pride you take in being every team's rival.
It is pulling for any team that is playing Auburn .
It is pulling for any team that is playing Tennessee .
It is singing Rammer Jammer period.
It is wishing both teams could lose when Auburn plays Tennessee .
It is knowing that the SEC Championship is a birthright.
It is being respected and feared at the same time.
It is holding up four fingers at the end of the third quarter.
It is not caring about a Heisman Trophy.
It is knowing what "Mama Called" means.
It is whipping Auburn 31-7 in Jordan-Hare Stadium when nobody picked you to win.
It is NOT "The Jungle".
It is The Catch.

It is having 21 Southeastern Conference Titles.
It is having 12 National Titles.
It is more than I can ever mention in this list.
It is class.
It is tradition.
It is Alabama Football.

Roll Tide!

College Basketball is Back with a Vengance!!!

Sitting in a dead Tuscaloosa on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, it was quite obvious what the night would entail: sports on television.

There were basically two choices from ESPN tonight: Basketball or Football.

Considering it is a Tuesday, I sided with basketball, and was not disappointed.

If you haven't noticed yet, this week and next week are full of great games, but tonight was a phenomenal night.

First, Notre Dame vs. Texas, number seven vs. eight, was an incredible game out in Maui. Despite AJ Abrams best effort, Notre Dame still came out on top and will face number one North Carolina tomorrow night.

For anyone wondering, that's must see TV. It's two top ten teams and two player of the year candidates going head to head tomorrow night with Tyler Hansbrough of UNC against Luke Harangody of the Irish.

The night cap, which actually just ended, was Syracuse vs. Kansas, a rematch of the 2003 National Championship Game. Syracuse managed to win in overtime in Kansas City over the Jayhawks. It was the first time since 1983 that Kansas lost in the regular season in Kansas City.

Between those two games, one major theme stood out: The Big East is going to be unbelievable.

If you don't believe me, just take a look at the BCS conferences' records against each other so far this season. Remember, the season just started November 14th.

• Big East 8-2
• ACC 5-2
• Big XII 2-2
• Big Ten 2-3
• SEC 1-4
• Pac-10 1-6

Overall, the Big East is 57-5 on the season. That equals a 92% win percentage to start the season, easily the best of the major six conferences. Even more impressive is their record against the other five conferences, as stated above.

Just a fair warning two weeks into the season: When the Big East gets ten teams into the Big Dance, don't say I didn't warn you. That would be a record for most entries from one conference, but the 2008-09 Big East may be the best conference ever.

Now, how bout we finally catch up with the Auburn "love" here?

After a week and a half of pictures, it's time to turn to a video for once.

Don't ask me how I came across this one, but i found it quite entertaining.

Who is the Heisman Frontrunner with Two Weeks Left?

After last Saturday's loss by Texas Tech, Graham Harrell lost his chance to all but lock up the Heisman Trophy.

The loss by the Red Raiders not only dropped Harrell out of the race, but has left a three way race for the most recognizable pose in sports.

Here is a quick look at the three quarterbacks left in the race:

Sam Bradford, Oklahoma

Season Stats: 238/349 (68%), 3710 yards, 42 TDs, 6 Ints, 4 rushing TDs
Production in team's loss: 28/39 (72%), 387 yards, 5 TDs, 2 Ints vs. Texas
Synopsis: Bradford has been very consistent this season as a true sophomore. He has thrown for multiple touchdowns in every game this season and has only had under 65% completion in two games. His 7:1 touchdown to interception ratio is very impressive.

Colt McCoy, Texas

Season Stats: 268/347 (77%), 3134 yards, 30 TDs, 7 Ints, 527 rushing yds, 8 rushing TDs
Production in team's loss: 20/34 (59%) 294 yards, 2 TDs, 1 Int vs. Texas Tech
Synopsis: McCoy has played about as well as anyone could have asked him this season. His lone game under 70% completion was in his team's only loss. His threat to run is a big help to keep his opponents honest.

Tim Tebow, Florida

Season Stats: 148/255 (66%), 2114 yards, 22 TDs, 2 Ints, 427 rushing yds, 11 rushing TDs
Production in team's loss: 24/38 (63%), 319 yards, 1 TD, 0 Ints, 2 rushing TDs
Synopsis: Tebow is the reigning Heisman winner, but has not had as impressive of a season this year as he did last year. He has been a big component in getting the Gators back on track, but his play before the loss was nothing to write home about. None the less, his 11:1 touchdown to interception ratio in unbelievable.

After looking at all three candidates, the clear leader, to me, is Sam Bradford. He has played the most consistent this season. Even when his percentage was down, he still managed to throw touchdowns. He has multiple touchdowns in every game, as previously stated, but has thrown for at least three in all but two games. Through eleven games, Bradford has five total touchdowns in five of those games. He has been an all around player for the Sooners this season and has done his part to keep them amongst the nation's elite.

Now, since the CW Sports Staff decided to pick the Ball St. vs. Western Michigan game this week, I have to give a prediction on a Tuesday.

Western Michigan @ Ball State

The Cardinals have done their part to their march to a perfect season and only have the Broncos left in their way. Ball State has survived a touch stretch in their past two games on the road, so a win at home to finish the year and head to the MAC Championship Game should be no problem. Ball State 28, Western Michigan 17

Now, how bout some more Auburn "love?"

I only managed two posts yesterday, so I owe you two today.

For starters, we will look at the magazine cover which Tommy Tuberville graced this season. We all know that coach Saban was on the cover of Forbes, but what about Tubby's cover?

So, Who is Oregon, Anyways?

The Alabama Crimson Tide are about six hours from tipoff for their first of three games in the Maui Invitational, where their first opponent is the Oregon Ducks.

Of course most of us are aware of Alabama's situation this season, but what about Alabama's first major conference foe of the season?

First off, the Ducks have six new members to their basketball team this season, good enough to have the No. 16 class in the country last year. The gem of the class is Michael Dunigan, a 6-9 center from Chicago.

Dunigan has started his first three games for the Ducks, averaging 13 points a game and eight rebounds. His real weakness, however, is the charity stripe, where he is only shooting 43% so far.

Both freshmen Matthew Humphrey and Garrett Sim have started at the guard position this season for Oregon and have seen substantial time on the floor, as well as Josh Crittle, however none of these three have proven to be a real scoring threat.

As for the returners for Oregon, there is a real dual threat from the Ducks' guards Tajuan Porter and LeKendric Longmire. Both players are averaging 15 points a game this season, but are extremely scary from behind the arc.

Longmire is 6-8 this season from downtown while Porter is shooting 43% from range so far. As a team, Oregon is shooting 42% from distance.

To pair with Dunigan in the frontcourt is sophomore Joevan Catron. Catron averages nine points and just over eight rebounds so far this year, as well as an impressive 80% from the free throw line this year. He is second on the team only to Porter (95%).

As a team, though, Oregon seems to be a fair match for the Crimson Tide. Aside from the impressive numbers from three point range, the Ducks shoot a decent 40% from the field as a team, but a sad 65% from the free throw line.

As for their season, Oregon is currently 2-1 with wins over Northern Colorado (66-64) and UC-Irvine (84-77) and an 82-79 loss to Oakland(MI) sandwiched in between.

Now, for match ups, look for Ron Steele to be assigned Porter whether Porter is at the one or two position. Senario Hillman will have the job of keeping Longmire away from the three point line. Green and Knox should alternate between guarding Dunigan and Catron, but the biggest goal for Alabama down low will be to get rebounds on either side of the floor. Alonzo Gee will be matched against either Humphrey or Sim, whoever gets the start, and should do his best to take advantage of their young age.

For a full breakdown of the entire tournament, Jay Bilas was kind enough to enlighten the masses with his knowledge.

Now time for everyone's favorite portion of the ITNOT blog during Iron Bowl week, its more Auburn "love."

Shout out two of three for the day will come to us from Tommy Tuberville's webcam. We all know Tubbs is such a lazy recruiter when compared to Saban, so you won't see his massive ears online. Instead, it will look something like this...

ITNOT Top 25 after Week 13

ITNOT Top 25

1. Alabama
2. Florida
3. Oklahoma
4. Texas
5. USC
6. Utah
7. Penn State
8. Texas Tech
9. Boise State
10. Ohio State
11. Georgia
12. Oklahoma State
13. TCU
14. Ball State
15. Missouri
16. Cincinnati
17. BYU
18. Oregon State
19. Georgia Tech
20. Oregon
21. Northwestern
22. Florida State
23. Michigan State
24. Ole Miss
25. West Virginia

Now, a long weekend led to no blog posts, so today, you, the dedicated reader, are due three helpings of Auburn "love." Here is numero uno...

Picks, Previews, and Prognostications, Rivalry Week Part I

As the season begins to wind down, the rivalries begin to heat up.

With that said, this week is week one of two continual rivalry weeks to end the college football season, and there are plenty to be played this weekend.

However, for starters, let's see how many rivalries you can correctly name. Thanks to ESPN, this has been made possible for week one and hopefully week two will have a similar poll.

First, though, I need to update my record against the rest of the CW pick'em staff.

Last week, I went 7-1 and would have been perfect had I actually had faith in Vandy. Instead, I tied for the best record of the week last week. After three weeks of picks, I am currently sitting at 20-4. The best CW staffer is 15-9.

Now, back to Rivalry Week Part I, where I will go unopposed considering there was no Gameday published in the Crimson White this week, but the blog needs something on it, so here it goes.

Tennessee @ Vanderbilt

The Commodores are going bowling for the first time since 1982 after las week's road win against Kentucky. Tennessee is coming off of an embarrassing loss to Wyoming for Homecoming and has seemingly given up on their season. Both teams still want to win this game and Tennessee is trying to avoid an eight loss season for the first time in school history. Here's to an orange snowman on Saturday. Vanderbilt 17, Tennessee 9

Florida State @ Maryland

The Terps and the Seminoles will clash in what is an elmination game for Florida State. An FSU loss ends their conference season at 4-4 while Maryland could finish no worse than 5-3. Maryland is undefeated at home this season, but is only 2-16 all-time against the Seminoles. Fear the Turtle, 'cause Saturday in College Park will mark win number three. Maryland 27, Florida State 17

Stanford @ Cal

The battle for the Stanford Axe will commence in Berkley on Saturday between two teams known for the greatest play in college football history. This season, however, the Bears seem to be the better team, but Stanford has shown their mettle are are battling for a bowl position. Cal would love nothing more than to keep their bitter rival from going bowling this season, and the Bears will be up to the task on Saturday. Cal 28, Stanford 17

Pittsburgh @ Cincinnati

The River City Rivalry (est. 2005, for what its worth) may go a long way to deciding the Big East after Cinci's consecutive road wins at West Virginia and Louisville. A Bearcats win would all but lock up the Big East considering Cincinnati's remaining Big East schedule would only comprise of coachless Syracuse. Pittsburgh would have a long way to go if they were to win this game, still having to face West Virginia (who will be out for revenge) and UConn. With a BCS bowl at stake, the Bearcats make the necessary moves at home to all but clinch the Big East. Cincinnati 35, Pittsburgh 27

Michigan @ Ohio State

Yes it's a rivalry, and an intesnse one at that, but who all are we kidding to believe Michigan has a chance this weekend? The Wolverines are in the midst of their worst season in school history and will be on the road at The Horseshoe. This is all after Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez took time out of his week this week to actually respond to the media. They are in your head, Rich, and soon Ohio State will be as well. Ohio State 42, Michigan 10

Michigan State @ Penn State

The battle for The Land Grant Trophy is also a battle for the Big Ten title. The Nittany Lions are thinking roses after putting together another stellar season for coach Joe Paterno, but Jevon Ringer and company stands in their way. Sparty will need an improbable Michigan victory to have a chance to go to Pasadena, but that won't even be a problem after Penn State and the Spread HD seal the Big Ten title. Penn State 24, Michigan State 14

BYU @ Utah

The annual Holy War between the Utes and Cougars may be the most important game in the history of the rivalry this season. Not only is the battle for the Beehive Boot for the Mountain West title, but Utah is playing for a spot in a BCS game. Both teams have battled TCU this season, with the Utes being the only team to come out on top in a wild game two weeks ago. The Utes will once again be at home and will have plenty of time to think about which BCS bowl they would like to participate in. Utah 21, BYU 17

Texas Tech @ Oklahoma

This may be the next best thing to a college football playoff. The Red Raiders and Sooners will clash in what could be the first of two "semifinal" games for the BCS. As I discussed earlier, a Sooners win would shake up the entire Big XII landscape with one week remaining, but if Graham Harrell and company finish the job Saturday, all should remain peaceful in the land of college football and Harrell would all but lock up the Heisman Trophy. So much for wishful thinking in Lubbock as we will watch the BCS implode once again. Oklahoma 38, Texas Tech 35

Other rivalries of note this weekend:
Minnesota 24, Iowa 20-Floyd of Rosedale
Northwestern 21, Illinois 17-Sweet Sioux Tomahawk
Purdue 30, Indiana 14-Old Oaken Bucket
Colorado State 20, Wyoming 10-Bronze Boot
Washington 24, Washington State 23-Apple Cup
Harvard 24, Yale 17-THE Game
LSU 35, Ole Miss 31

Now, as always for the next week, how 'bout some Auburn "love"?

This one pretty much speaks for itself...

Texas Needs The Most Help in Search of BCS Title Game.

With the impending Texas Tech-Oklahoma game this weekend (or as one of my friends keeps calling it, "Armageddon"), all eyes are once again on the Big XII South.

College Gameday will be in Norman on Saturday to kickoff the day's action and cause many sleepless Oklahoma fans to wait another eight hours until kickoff after Gameday signs off.

Anyways, all the talk of the game started to get me thinking on difference scenarios of how the Big XII South could play out and what kind of affect it will have on those still in the hunt for the divisional title.

After all of the thinking, Texas is the team that seems to be SOL.

Sure, I like Texas and it was one of my top three when choosing a college (I say that like other places had a chance), but the Longhorns need a lot of help in order to reach Kansas City.

For better understanding, here goes my thought process.

• Of the three teams still in the hunt for the Big XII South title, and more or less BCS Title Game berth, Texas has the weakest remaining schedule. The Longhorns finish with Texas A&M next Saturday as their final game. Oklahoma finishes with Oklahoma State in the annual Bedlam game and Texas Tech will finish with Baylor.
• I will start the thought process by saying if Texas Tech wins, all that is written below is a moot point. The Red Raiders win, they will clinch the Big XII South for the first time since the inception of the Big XII Title Game
• Now, if Oklahoma wins, the division will fall into a three way tie entering the final weekend of the season. Also, voters will have many questions to ask of themselves.

1. Does Oklahoma jump Texas even though the Longhorns won the head-to-head game?
2. How far does Texas Tech drop after losing to Oklahoma?
3. Where does Texas belong after beating Oklahoma, but losing to Texas Tech?

• You may ask why this all matters, but it is huge. Assuming all three teams win their final games, there would still be a tie at the top of the division. The final tie breaker in the Big XII is BCS rank. That means, if Oklahoma, Texas, and Texas Tech all finish 7-1 in the conference, the team with the highest BCS rank will go to the conference title game to face Missouri. That would be why schedule would come into play with the computers. For Oklahoma, a win Saturday should put them into the Big XII Championship Game. The Sooners have the most appealing final game and lost the earliest out of the three teams battling for the final spot.
• Now, if Oklahoma beats Texas Tech and then loses to Oklahoma State, Texas Tech will win the division by virtue of the head-to-head tiebreaker with Texas. In this case, Oklahoma would go from first to fourth in the span of a week.

So, after discussing all of that, what would Texas need to go to Kansas City?

First, they must exert revenge on Texas A&M next Saturday to still have any kind of shot should Oklahoma win tomorrow.

Second, their lead on Oklahoma in the computer polls must remain solid. As it stands this week, Texas' average computer ranking is 2.75, resulting in 0.93 BCS points. Oklahoma's average is 5.50 and 0.82 BCX points . With a Texas Tech loss, Texas' average should jump to a 1.75 and 0.97 BCS points, putting them second in the computer polls only behind Alabama. How much weight the computer's put on Oklahoma's win would dictate a lot in the BCS.

But as I said when I started this, if Texas Tech wins, all will be right with the world.

However, this is BCS era college football we are talking about, and nothing ever plays out the easy way.

Now, how bout some Auburn "love"?

Since I missed posting yesterday, today will once again bring a double dose of "love."

To start off today, we will take a look at Auburn sociology.

You know, the class where Auburn football players never show up and then get an A...

And remember Exhibit A, Carnell "Cadillac" Williams, whom the professor of the sociology class had never hear of...

And the impending scandal that pretty much made a Sociology Degree a joke?

Ok, so they were eventually cleared by "an internal investigation," but still 18 players and 97 hours is a lot.

Pass or Fail, Week of Nov. 19

With a good portion of the SEC off between last Saturday and this Saturday, the weekly Pass or Fail segment will expand a little this week to not only more major college football, but also a peek into basketball.

Head of the Class: Vanderbilt Commodores

For the first time since 1982, the Vanderbilt Commodores will be visiting the postseason.

With a 31-24 victory at Kentucky, the 'Dores are now 6-4 on the season and 4-3 in the SEC. With a win over Tennessee Saturday, Vanderbilt will have five conference wins for the first time since 1935. Vandy gets Tennessee in Nashville and will be looking at a much better bowl with seven victories on the season.

Pass: Alabama's Javier Arenas

Every week it seems there is an Alabama player in the pass column.

Well, for starters, this is a blog by an Alabama student who gets to watch their games in entirety each week, but Alabama is also undefeated.

This week's honor falls on the SEC Special Teams Player of the Week Javier Arenas who set a school record with 153 punt return yards against Mississippi State. Arenas also set the career school mark for punts returned for touchdowns with his fifth career return against the Bulldogs.

Fail: The Deep South's Oldest Rivarly

Not only did this game kick at 11:30 on regional television, being overlooked for Alabama-Mississippi State, but it wasn't suppose to be that great of a game. It wasn't that great of a game, but for other reasons.

Auburn has struggled all season, sure, but Georgia looked absolutely pathetic after their first field goal attempt was blocked by the Tigers. The game then turned into an absolute battle of ineptitude that the Bulldogs eventually won 17-13. Tuberville could have won the game had he kicked a field goal on previous drives in the fourth quarter, but opted for fourth down offensive attempts which failed.

Pass: Tennessee Basketball

If anyone was wondering who would win the SEC this season, look no further than Knoxville.

The Vols are simply too strong in a conference full of horribly underachieving teams and Florida. The Gators will provide the biggest competition to the Vols, but everything else should be easy sailing this season.

Bruce Pearl not only has some great returning players from last season, they also have Diaper Dandy Scotty Hopson, who will be posterizing an All-SEC player near you in the coming months.

Fail: SEC Basketball

I have been on this topic as late as yesterday, but last night didn't make any matters better.

Between Georgia's dominant one-point win over Eastern Michigan and Kentucky's 28-turnover beauty against North Carolina on national television. These games have UK at 0-2 and Georgia is 1-1 with a points differential on the season of -20.

SEC fans can at least hold on to the last few breaths of football season, and the jump straight into baseball.

Pass: ACC Football

They may not be the best or have any powerhouse team this season, but the ACC has been the most fun conference to watch this year.

Why you may ask?

Parity. Each week, a new team in the ACC joins the Top 25 just to go on the road and lose, fall out of the Top 25, win at home, and start the process over.

Each team has at least two losses right now. The only two teams who have yet to dropped a third game are Miami, who travels to Georgia Tech and North Carolina State to finish the season, and Maryland, who hosts Florida State and visits Boston College.

I'm going to make a quick prediction that each team in the ACC will finish with three losses, but anyone else who wants to take time out of their lives to sort out the tie breakers for these situations, knock yourself out.

Fail: Rich Rodriguez

It is bad enough to be the first man in Michigan history, the winningest program in college football history, to take the team to they historic low of eight losses in one season.

Things don't get better when you take time out of your schedule of coaching said program to respond to media members who are roasting you like chestnuts over an open fire.

Too bad that Rich Rod has already done that this week (Ohio State week for those of you who didn't know since ESPN is shoving that game down our throats for once) by telling media members to "Get a life" after multiple outlets have questioned his first season in Ann Arbor.

Rich, some quick advice, you are no longer the native son, so you might need to grow a spine...and fast.

Epic Fail: The Apple Cup

There are no two teams in FBS college football right now who are worse than Washington and Washington State.

The Huskies are currently 0-10 on the season. Ty Willingham has been fired already and are losing by the average score of 40-14.

The Cougars have benefitted from being able to look across the state and see Washington at 0-10 because WAZU is 1-10 themselves.

The only win for the Cougars came against FCS Portland State, who is currently 3-7 themselves. They have been shut out three out of their past four games and are limping to the finish line against Washington.

In other words, something has to give.

I would look for Washington State to come out on top for two reasons: They have the game at home and, sadly, they at least know how to win.

So, now with that out of the way, it is now time for the customary Auburn "love" that will be gracing this blog over the next week and a half.

For tonight, we are gonna hit the way back machine and go all the way back to...January of 2007. Basically, it was when Tubbs started shaking in his boots and was out to continue the downward spiral that is Auburn Football as we know it today.

Hate is a Strong Word, but I Really, Really Do Hate Auburn

Sure, it may seem a little harsh, but I had a chance to reflect on this Sunday night when a Mercer coach asked us, "Why do ya'll hate Auburn so much?"

Of course, the overwhelming answer is, "Why DON'T you hate Auburn?" but it also gave me a chance to think of why I do hate that Cow College across the state, and it was quite simple.

First, let's start with the school itself.

I can't make a trip down to Auburn without feeling like I am going to contract Gona-herpa-syphl-AIDS. Nothing about that campus can make you feel comfortable about touching a doorknob down there.

Second, their whole existence revolves around beating Alabama. No matter what sport it is, even their beloved swimming and diving, they could care less about anything but beating Bama.

That overwhelming sentiment is found obviously in their favorite joke that has been handed down by their parents. You've heard it, no doubt. The whole living off a dead Bear joke. They love that.

On top of that, they have a quote above their locker room that reads, "We have an opponent in this state that we work every day, 365 days a year, to dominate." Turns out, that's a Nick Saban quote. It is right next to a poster that has all the Iron Bowl victory scores from the Tuberville era that says, "Remember the Feeling" on it.

All of that just borders on obsession.

Third, I personally can't stand stupid people, and if you have to count down for every single cheer you do, you're stupid.

Enter Auburn, where every cheer starts with, "1,2,3.." and continues with created English words such as "Wegle" and the extremely intimidating phrase of "Kick'em in the butt, Big Blue." Apparently, they are also Michigan fans.

Fourth, the absolute classless nature of Auburn. If you don't know what I'm talking about right now, you must be playing dumb like you were about to start an Auburn cheer.

If you haven't noticed, Auburn fans enjoy their sole purpose in life so much, that they will count wins on their fingers. They enjoy their streak so much, it is their only crutch to stand on when they get in an argument.

But, on top of all that, the sheer use of the gesture is classless.

Don't believe me? Well, take a look around. Do you see teams like Ohio State, Georgia, or Oklahoma holding up their win streak numbers over Michigan, Georgia Tech, or Oklahoma State? No? You want to know why? Cause they have class and expect to win those games.

Anyways, as classless as it may be, it has to come from somewhere, and that somewhere is the top.

That's right, the last reason to hate Auburn is Tommy Tuberville, the epitome of classless. Go ahead and defend him all you want, Auburn fans, but this is the same guy who went "duck hunting" in Arkansas last season when he was obviously trying to get the head job, yet still told you he was an "Auburn man."

This is the same man who said he wouldn't leave Oxford except for in a pine box, then flew in a metal plane to Auburn.

This is the same guy who started the whole "Hold up your fingers, all my followers and simpletons."

But most recently, this is same man who showed the utmost disrespect for his opponent when he said, "We've never lost at Jordan-Hare West, and it ain't gonna start this year...I know they have the Messiah over there, but he might want to take that day off."

Yea, Tommy Tuberville is all class.

So, I know Mercer is well out of town, but there is enough of an explanation right there.

Now, as I said earlier today, I was a day behind on my Auburn "love," so today is a double dose, so here it goes.

Since I was discussing Auburn and their stupidity, here is one of the more classic examples of Auburn stupidity.

SEC Basketball is Worse Than Advertised, Screw ESPN, and the ITNOT Top 25

After having two days to stew on Alabama's opening game loss to Mercer, my outlook for this season is not getting too positive.

Sure, it's just one game, and things could easily turn around, but the lack of physicality and passion shown against Mercer is a big cause for concern.

This is on top of the fact Alabama could have one of the toughest non-conference schedules in the country this season for a team from a "BCS" conference. Alabama still has three games in Maui, Texas A&M, Georgia Tech, and at Clemson. That could easily be five more losses going off of the way Bama played on Sunday night.

But it is not just Alabama that was disappointing, it is the entire SEC. Just take a look around at the opening games for SEC teams this season:

• Kentucky lost to Virginia Military Institute 111-103 and gave up 57 points in the first half.
• Arkansas had to go to overtime to beat Southeastern Louisiana.
• Georgia, defending SEC Tournament Champion, had their own behinds handed to them on a silver platter by Loyola-Illinois 74-53.
• And, of course, Alabama looking absolutely uninspired against Mercer in a 72-69 loss.

Things are not going to get better soon for Kentucky, as they face the mighty North Carolina Tar Heels on ESPN tonight.

Speaking of ESPN, the Worldwide Leader in Sports has struck a deal with the BCS to get all BCS bowls, minus the Rose, and the BCS Championship Game starting in 2011 through 2014.

This means that the BCS bowls for the 2010 season will be broadcast on ESPN.

Sure, this may seem like a proud day for Disney, considering they now hold every BCS game thanks to ABC's contract with the Rose Bowl, but lets look into what this now means for fans.

The argument for people who use antenna's is almost moot considering the Digital Transition that will take place in February of next year, but there are still those people who have gone and bought HD antennas.

Because ESPN is not broadcast as a basic local channel with a national affiliate, Joe Schmo will not be able to watch the national championship game or any other bowl game before New Year's Day for that matter.

This move is just the latest for the growing monopoly that is ESPN/Disney. Not only do they now have television deals with every BCS conference and the BCS itself, they have that huge deal with the SEC starting next season, they get the NBA playoffs and Finals on ABC, Monday Night Football, and an average of three baseball games a week plus playoffs.

In other words, if Hockey hadn't bit the dust for a year, ESPN would hold rights to every major sport. O yes, not to mention the US Open will now move to ESPN as well.

Anyways, it is time for this week's Top 25, which does not see much change near the top.

ITNOT Top 25

1. Alabama
2. Texas Tech
3. Florida
4. Oklahoma
5. Texas
6. USC
7. Penn State
8. Utah
9. Boise State
10. Ohio State
11. Georgia
12. Oklahoma State
13. TCU
14. Ball State
15. Missouri
16. Michigan State
17. LSU
18. BYU
19. Virginia Tech
20. Pittsburgh
21. North Carolina
22. Cincinnati
23. Oregon State
24. Maryland
25. Northwestern

But wait, there is bonus over the next two weeks!!!!

In honor of the Iron Bowl in 11 days, 2 hours, and 30 minutes (yes, I am counting), I will show my absolute love to the Cow College across the state everyday in some way, shape, form, or fashion. Since I missed yesterday, I will give an extra one today.

Auburn fans are so confident in beating Alabama this season that the Huntsville Auburn club went as far as to cancel their annual Beat Bama Party this year. Don't believe me? Just take a look for yourself.

Nick Saban gets fired up!!!

If you haven't heard what Nick Saban had to say last night about this week's game against Mississippi State, you may want to take a listen.

Coach Saban got on a roll last night about those who are viewing Mississippi State as a pushover team.

Just a heads up to those of you who may not know:

• We have lost two straight to State.
• We haven't scored an offensive TD against State in 186 minutes of football.
• Our two campuses are the closest of any in the SEC.
• O yea, in case you forgot, their head coach played for The Bear.
• Finally, they have the most annoying cheer in the SEC. (BTW, the correct cheer is "State sucks, State sucks." They will love you for it.)

So, now that you know that, I'll let the man say his peace about this game.

So yea, all you students who don't show up to the game until kickoff or are not planning on coming at all, this is not the State team you are used to from when you were in high school.

This team is a bit better than what you may think, and this game is extremely important for this season.

The ITNOT Top 25, Heisman List, and Quick Links

So, after returning from Baton Rouge and New Orleans, it took a little time to recuperate (and get some school work done), so the blog suffered a bit, but today will be posts for miles, ranging from SEC Pass or Fail to some thoughts on basketball, but first, its time for the ITNOT Top 25 and Heisman lists.

ITNOT Top 25

1. Alabama
2. Texas Tech
3. Florida
4. Oklahoma
5. Texas
6. USC
7. Penn State
8. Utah
9. Boise State
10. Ohio State
11. Georgia
12. Oklahoma State
13. Missouri
14. TCU
15. Ball State
16. TCU
17. Michigan State
18. North Carolina
19. LSU
20. BYU
21. Virginia Tech
22. Florida State
23. Pittsburgh
24. South Carolina
25. Wake Forest

Heisman Top 5

1. Graham Harrell, QB, Texas Tech
2. Michael Crabtree, WR, Texas Tech
3. Colt McCoy, QB, Texas
4. Tim Tebow, QB, Florida
5. Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma

Generalized Links

• ESPN.com: Forde Yard Dash, On the Mark, and plenty of new stuff from Chris Low
• Weekly Mailbag from Stewart Mandel at SI.com
• Week 12 Expert Picks from CBS sports

Picks, Previews, and Prognostications, Week Eleven

Hello everyone from New Orleans, Louisiana, where we are celebrating the 21st birthday of, well, me.

Twenty-one years ago, I was born about five minutes before Alabama-LSU in 1987. The Tide won that game in Baton Rouge, 22-10.

Of course, I would love for that to happen again this year, but we will see how I feel about that game later in this post after a review of last week and then other predictions for this week's games as selected by the CW Sports staff.

Last week, I managed to go 6-2 in the head to head competition with the CW Sports staff. The best any one of them could do was 5-3, and only one of them could muster that.

My seven times "Not so fast" on the Georgia Tech-FSU game plus my pick of Texas Tech over Texas helped to push me over the top.

So, what is there for this week? Well, I am already 1-0 after last night's grand comeback by Utah to beat TCU and remain unbeaten, but here are the other games.

Oklahoma State @ Texas Tech

The Red Raiders are looking to avoid a let down after a big victory over Texas last week. Oklahoma State is trying to remain in the Big XII South race with a win. Both teams still have a chance to make it to Kansas City to represent the South with a three-way tie, but Texas Tech can eliminate the Pokes all together with a win.

Texas Tech 45, Oklahoma State 41

California @ USC

As I pointed out earlier in the week, USC hasn't played anyone of meirt in their last four games, but the Golden Bears from Berkley are currently ranked in the Top 25. USC no doubt has a great offense as usual, but is their defense as good as advertised. The Bears will give the Trojans a run for their money, but USC is too strong in the Pac-1 to be challenged at home.

USC 35, Cal 14

Ohio State @ Northwestern

The Wildcats are looking at a bowl berth for the first time since 2005 and their fourth this decade, more than doubling their total bowl berths before the year 2000. Ohio State is still in the running for a Rose Bowl berth or even a Big Ten title if they can continue to win and get a Penn State loss. Northwestern may have home field advantage in this game, but that doesn't mean much when your stadium only holds 50,000 fans. A healthy Chris Wells will help the Buckeyes come out on top.

Ohio State 28, Northwestern 10

Georgia Tech @ North Carolina

Both Georgia Tech and North Carolina already have two losses in the ACC Coastal Division, just like three other teams, so a loss could be detrimental to any championship aspirations. Georgia Tech played a great game last week against Florida State and have won eight of the last nine against North Carolina. The Tar Heels can secure their first winning season since 2001 with a victory, and this should be the case on Saturday.

North Carolina 28, Georgia Tech 27

Cincinnati @ West Virginia

The Bearcats are currently tied for second in the Big East with Pittsburgh. Both teams are trailing the Mountaineers of West Virginia. Those three teams have yet to play each other until this weekend. WVU is starting to hit their stride after a big win over Auburn and are currently 5-0 at home this season. Make that 6-0 after Saturday.

West Virginia 38, Cincinnati 17

Arkansas @ South Carolina

Is their seriously nothing better this weekend to pick? Apparently not. I will make this one easy: Best defense in the SEC against the worst defense in the SEC. Sure, South Carolina may not have the greatest offense, but they are on enough of a roll right now that Michael Smith and company will not change that pattern as the Gamecocks celebrate Senior Day in Columbia.

South Carolina 24, Arkansas 10

Alabama @ LSU

The Crimson Tide are currently 60 minutes from clinching their first SEC West title since 1999. LSU fans have waited 675 days for Nick Saban to return to Baton Rouge as the coach of the Crimson Tide. Alabama is #1 in the country for the first time in almost three decades, and the question will be how they handle the pressure. The Tide will handle the pressure just fine because Nick Saban preaches one game at a time.

Alabama 24, LSU 14

So, we know what I think, but what previews and predictions are out there from other people around the country?

• Here is the Top 25 Overview from ESPN.com
• Christ Low, the SEC Blogger, has his things to watch for this weekend as well as his predictions for this week's games.
• Bruce Feldman of ESPN.com takes a look over the entire college football landscape for Week 11.
• Chris Fowler previews this weekend by looking at Florida's BCS Title chances, Barack Obama's change for college football, as well as a look at LSU-Bama (of course).
• Dennis Dodd of CBSSports.com blabs on and on about every little thing in college football this weekend and guess what game he also comments on?
• CBS' video preview of the Bama-LSU game is right here.
• The CBS "experts" make their picks for this weekend here.
• Steward Mandel of SI.com, as normal, offers his thoughts on this week's games as well.

Finally, to head into the weekend at full force, there must be a story on John Parker Wilson. With Alabama's success this season, Wilson has been a favorite subject of many articles, and SI.com's Andy Staples now takes his turn on JPW.