In the Nic of Time

The Starting Five: Michigan

2009-11-28T22:54:00.004-06:00

Five stats, facts and people you need to know while watching 'Bama against the Wolverines.

Alabama vs. Michigan

The Milk House, Orlando, FL

4pm CT

TV: ESPNU

Preventing fouls a must for Alabama. Just as I mentioned before the Florida State game that JaMychal Green had been great about staying out of foul trouble, he only managed to play 30 seconds in the final 10 minutes against the 'Noles because he was racking up the fouls instead of points. Sure, the officials seemed against him from the get go, including Doug Shows knowing Green had four when he called the final one on him with 4:45 remaining in the game. Alabama doesn't have the depth available to get in foul trouble on a nightly basis as they have so far in the Old Spice Classic. The same goes for tonight's game against Michigan, who has four guys of 6-10 or taller.
Ben Eblen looks to be a project. After being used early on as a second option at point guard, it seems as if Eblen will have to be molded for most of this season and see little time in tense and tight moments. In the past three games, Eblen has seen a total of 12 minutes in the past three games against Providence, Baylor, and FSU. The minutes seem to be going to Anthony Brock and Andrew Steele, most of them to Brock. Eblen showed he could get the ball up the floor quickly, but still doesn't have a grasp on the game yet. This may all change by the time the SEC schedule rolls around with only two of Alabama's next eight games coming against high major teams. There should be plenty of time for Eblen to learn in the next month, but will it be enough to help out this season?
Rebounding needs to be a priority. Alabama hasn't exactly struggled this season on the boards, but there should be a concerted effort to focus on rebounds Sunday. This does go hand-in-hand with keeping out of foul trouble, but it also means the perimeter players need to crash the lane. Alabama are going too many possessions with one shot chance, and in order to compete this season, that number will need to decrease. On the season, Alabama has been out-rebounded on the offensive boards. This may not be the Anthony Grant style (to crash the boards), but that would mean Alabama needs to make more shots fall.
Don't let Manny be Manny. To put it plainly, Manny Harris is a beast of a player. The 6-5 junior from Detroit already has a triple-double to his name this season and was just one rebound away on Friday from posting his second one. Harris has averaged 21 points, 9.5 rebounds and seven assists on the season. He has been a one man wrecking crew during the Old Spice Classic and there is no reason to believe that will change tonight. He has been lethal from outside and inside, driving and dishing. He will no doubt be the target of Senario Hillman, but the Tide must stay home and rotate quickly in their defense if they want to keep the game close against a ranked opponent. Laval Lucas-Perry, shooting near 50% from downtown this season, will have the Tide's attention all game long as well.
Alabama needs to play their game. Against Baylor, the Tide got the Bears to play their game. Against FSU, Alabama was the team adapting their style. In a game against Michigan, the Crimson Tide will need to play their way for 40 minutes even when Michigan goes on a run. The Wolverines have gone down early in both games so far and streaked back with a fierce rally both times. If Alabama gets ahead early, they will need to keep working to put UM away. If Michigan scores quickly, come down and set up the offense for a great shot. Even though Grant's offense aims to run the floor, a track meet with a top 15 team would not end well for the Crimson Tide. If Alabama rebounds well and continues their great defensive effort, they should find themselves in this game late with a chance to come away with the win.

The Starting Five: Florida State

2009-11-26T23:16:00.002-06:00

Five stats, facts and people you need to know for when you briefly change the channel from the Iron Bowl to watch the Tide take on the Seminoles.

Alabama vs. Florida State

The Milk House, Orlando, FL

4pm CT

TV: ESPN2

JaMychal Green having the season he needs. At the beginning of the season, Alabama's success was built on the if of whether JaMychal Green could have an All-SEC type season. So far, Green has delivered for the Tide. Through the first four games, Green has played up to his potential under head coach Anthony Grant. Green has two double-doubles on the year and is averaging 18 points and 8 rebounds per game. His 19 points in the first half against Baylor was important considering the size of the Bears. The biggest accomplishment for JaMychal this year, though, has been his ability to stay out of foul trouble. Thursday night, Green didn't have a foul the entire first half. Green must continue to stay out of foul trouble today against a Florida State team looking to advance.
Tony Mitchell's status in the air. With about seven minutes left in the game, Tony Mitchell took an elbow to the bridge of the nose and ended up on the media sideline after stumbling away from the play, bleeding profusely. Mitchell would return to the bench with what is believed to be 20 stitches between his eyes and a bandage over the cut, but never returned to the game. After the game, Mitchell was fine, and coach Grant joked with him about wearing a mask over his face until he is completely healed. Despite that little quip from Grant, it is still unknown if Mitchell will play this afternoon against Florida State. Alabama needs all the depth they can get, so don't expect if Grant does all he can to get Mitchell on the floor today.
Turnovers staying at a minimum. After compiling 45 turnovers in two exhibition games, the Crimson Tide only have 41 turnovers through four games, averaging to just over ten per game. Anthony Brock and Tony Mitchell have not turned the ball over this season so far.
Seminoles have some height as well. The Crimson Tide have already faced some tall competition this season, and this afternoon will be no different. Florida State boasts two sophomore sensations in 6-11 Xavier Gibson and 7-1 Solomon Alabi. Both of these guys are a presence in the lane on the defensive end, but they lack something that both Baylor and Cornell didn't have: strength. The Bears and Big Red were both stocky down low, but Florida State is all height and no size. The Crimson Tide should be able to push Alabi and Gibson around down low and potentially get them into foul trouble. Alabama must also keep a hand in the face of FSU's Delividas Dulkys. The sophomore hit back-to-back threes against Iona last night in what was a very ugly game and Bama has traditionally struggled with perimeter defense, but that issue seems to be dwindling.
Crimson Tide's resume could get a real boost. With two straight wins over the Big East and Big XII, Alabama could get their third straight victory over a BCS/high major conference if they can take down Florida State of the ACC. The season may only be in November, but these early season tournaments are prime time to build a tournament resume for March. With a win, Alabama would then have a chance for a second win against the Big East or knocking out another conference in the Big Ten depending on the Marquette/Michigan result. For a team who hasn't tasted the post-season in any aspect the past two years, the Crimson Tide could be looking at a situation where an 8-8 conference season would mean a tournament trip by the end of this week.

The Starting Five: Baylor

2009-11-26T09:33:00.003-06:00

Five stats, facts or people you need to know before the Tide tips on Turkey Day against the Bears.

Alabama vs. Baylor

The Milk House, Orlando, FL

5:30 CT

TV: ESPN 2

Brock back on the squad. After serving a two-game suspension for a violation of team rules, Anthony Brock is now back in good standing in the eyes of coach Anthony Grant. There are two thoughts about Brock coming back at this time: either what Brock did was not too detrimental to the team, or Grant needs all the depth he can find for the games in Orlando this week. It is easy to believe it could be a little bit of both, but to believe Brock will not be needed against some tough competition in the Old Spice Classic is thinking this team is much better than they actually are.
Eblen, Mitchell take a seat in crunch time. Despite having great games against Jackson State, Ben Eblen and Tony Mitchell, Alabama's two freshmen, only posted 17 minutes between them in the game against Providence. Mitchell exploded for 23 points against the Tigers, and Eblen dished out three assists in his time on the floor. Against the Friars, however, Eblen had his first turnovers of the season, and Mitchell only managed four points in ten minutes on the floor. Most people can agree Mitchell can help this season, but as much as I like Eblen, the jury is still out on him. These next three games will give a good indication about their playing time this season from this point forward.
Torrance accepting the senior role. With Anthony Brock not in the game, Mikhail Torrance was the only senior on the floor with Alabama battling Providence for a victory last Friday. Torrance took over at the end of the game, tallying six of Alabama's final eight points, including a steal and 3-4 from the free throw line. The Tide finished the game against the Friars on a 10-2 run, and obviously Mikhail was the main man behind this finish. In his final season, Torrance is averaging 50% from the field in 30 minutes of play for an average of 18.3 points per game this season. No doubt if he keeps this up, he will find himself on the All-SEC roster come March.
LaceDarius Dunn could doom the Tide. The Baylor Bears are in the midst of rebuilding their program after the scandal that rocked college basketball when player Patrick Dennehy was murdered by teammate Carlton Dotson in 2003. The Bears are on the rise under head coach Soctt Drew, who has managed to increase Baylor's win total from four in 2005 -06 to 24 last season and a trip to New York for the NIT Final. The Bears lost to Penn State in that game, but are looking for their second NCAA bid in three years this year. The Bears have two centers who top off at seven feet tall and are led by junior guard LaceDarius Dunn. So far this season, Dunn has averaged 25 points per game and shot 46% from behind the three-point line. He will most likely be the assignment of Senario Hillman for the Tide this evening.
Old Spice Classic a great test for Bama. With teams such as Michigan, Florida State and Xavier in this tournament, as well as opening with a Baylor squad who should make noise in the Big XII this year, the Crimson Tide are going to learn a lot about their team in the next four days. With a win tonight, Alabama would more than likely face Florida State on Friday, a team who has already lost to Florida this week. Both Baylor and FSU have players of seven feet, something that gave the Tide trouble against Cornell in the first game of the year. Rebounding and defense will be the key tonight against the Bears for Alabama, and as always, around the perimeter is key.

The Starting Five: Providence

2009-11-20T09:47:00.002-06:00

Five stats, facts and people you need to know before Alabama's game against the Friars.

Alabama vs. Providence
Tuscaloosa, AL, Coleman Coliseum
Tip Time: 7:00 pm CT

The Anthony Brock suspension. It was an unpleasant surprise on Tuesday night when word began making it around Coleman Coliseum that another Crimson Tide player would be unavailable, this time by suspension. As many people know by now, Anthony Brock has been suspended indefinitely for a violation of team rules and been told he can not participate in any basketball related activities. The loss of Brock now puts Alabama down to ten players, nine which have played so far this season. It also cuts down on the number of scoring options outside of 20 feet from the basket. The most disheartening part of Brock's suspension is the indefinite part. No one knows what he has done, and more importantly, with the Old Spice Classic next week and Purdue looming, Brock's presence or lack there of could be the difference for Alabama in some games.
Scoring off the bench. This season, it won't be a surprise to see Alabama's starting lineup fluctuate game to game, which means the scoring off of the bench this season could set a Crimson Tide record in that category. Through two games, Alabama has scored 75 points off of the bench, thus averaging 37.5 points from guys getting secondary minutes. With the Brock suspension, the starters have all been players who were at Alabama under Gottfried, means that...
Fresh faces making an impact. Anthony Grant's use of last year's recruiting class has been a huge difference so far this season. His rotation of Charvez Davis, Chris Hines, Tony Mitchell and Ben Eblen, Grant's first recruit, has allowed Alabama to succeed offensively so far this season. Davis hit 5 three's against Jackson State on Tuesday night, a good sign with Anthony Brock suspended. Tony Mitchell led the Tide with 23 points Tuesday plus two electric dunks. Hines has put up valuable minutes to give JaMychal Green and Justin Knox time to rest. Eblen has been a steady defender, ball handler, and gets the ball up the court quicker than any of the Tide guards, allowing more time for Alabama to run the offense. Eblen has also gone three games, one exhibition and two regular season, without a turnover, something that has definitely made Anthony Grant happy.
Providence a question mark. Under second year head coach Keno Davis, Providence graduated 67% of their scoring and rebounding from last year's team. Sharaud Curry is the leading returning scorer with 11.7 points per game and hit a team high 57 shots from beyond the arc last season. As for this year's team, the Friar's are being led in points by Marshon Brooks with 17 points per game and shooting 50% on the season. In the post, Sophomore Jamine Peterson is averaging 12 points and 11 rebounds so far. The returners are doing well carrying this team in some lackluster home games leading to this point, so how the Providence freshmen adapt to a road environment will be the biggest key for a Friar victory.
Pivotal game for Alabama on many fronts. Not only does the Crimson Tide need this win to move above .500 heading into a tough early season tournament next week, but the support and recognition of Alabama this season hinges on this game. For starters, defeating a Big East school, no matter where they may finish in conference, would be a feat to draw attention to the program. The Big East is currently 35-0 on the season, and Alabama would be known as "that team" to give the best conference in college basketball their first loss on the season. Also, support for this team would grow from its own fan base after most still don't recognize how good of a team Cornell will be this season. On top of all of this, Alabama would get the first win of a resume they could put forth to making any postseason tournament this season. The NCAAs may be a stretch, but for a team that has gone no where in two years, the NIT is a success.

The Starting Five: Jackson State

2009-11-17T17:07:00.004-06:00

Five stats, facts and people you need to know about the Tide's matchup with the Tigers.

Where was Mikhail Torrance? After starting both the exhibition games and being the new face, it seemed, of the Anthony Grant system this year, Torrance was not one of the starters against Cornell. Torrance still tallied 24 minutes in the game against the Big Red, but wasn't quickly taken out in the first half with two fouls. He played the entire second half without fouling, and the Crimson Tide's offensive production definitely improved. There is no doubt that Torrance will stay on the floor for most of the game, but the biggest puzzle is trying to figure out why he was not a starter.
From one conference favorite to another. After Cornell came in as the two-time defending Ivy League champ, and the favorite for a three-peat, Alabama welcomes in Jackson State, the preseason favorites in the SWAC. The Tigers finished just one game behind last year's conference winner Alabama State and are expected to have this season's player of the year in the SWAC on their team. Grant Maxey returns for his senior season after averaging 17 points and seven rebounds last year. The Tigers, just like Cornell, return the best rookie in the SWAC from last year in guard Rod Melvin. The SWAC is not on the same level as the Ivy League, and the experience is not as high as it was for the Big Red, so the chemistry will not be as prominent with Jackson State.
Perimeter defense is once again at a minimum for Alabama. After struggling all season last year against the three, Alabama once again struggled against a well-shooting squad in defending downtown. Cornell finished with a 55% clip from beyond the arc, including three straight to open up the second half. It was nothing new to see another team start off on a huge run to begin the second half, either. Both of these are cultural changes that Anthony Grant seems to still be up against and may not be able to change until late this year if at all. Grant will surely put a focus tonight on coming out strong out of the half as well as defending the outside as the Crimson Tide are still looking to find their groove from that range.
Turnovers worth the watch again. Alabama managed to only turn the ball over 13 times against Cornell, a huge improvement from the exhibition games, but tonight is worth watching to know if the first game was an aberration or if Alabama is getting better on that front. Conversely, the Crimson Tide scored 17 points off of the 14 turnovers they caused, including seven steals. Anthony Grant has already stated he wants to play 94 feet, and if the Crimson Tide can play in the press against an experienced team like Cornell, things bode well for Alabama down the road. Alabama changed it up between a man and a zone press, finding most success with the zone trap and hands up.
Another beatdown coming for the Tigers. The Crimson Tide and these set of Tigers have only played once before, a 2005 beating to the tune of 101-66. Alabama will probably not reach a hundred tonight, or this season, but a significant difference in the final scores should be expected. Alabama needs to have a strong defensive effort as they showed in the exhibition games in order to achieve this beatdown tonight. Giving up 45 points in the second half to Cornell was not a great accomplishment for this team, and it will not be something Alabama can afford to do this season after having a horrific track record these past three seasons in games in which they give up 40 points in one half. It will almost certainly spell doom if it comes in the first half, but the second half is still no better. Nonetheless, 40-point halves should not be an issue tonight for the Crimson Tide in what looks to be Anthony Grant's first victory as Tide coach.

The SEC's Image Problem is Worse Than Expected

2009-11-15T16:20:00.003-06:00

While attending the Alabama-Mississippi State game in Starkville on Saturday, there were two things I learned.

The first was clear to anyone in that stadium: Alabama played their most complete game of the season in a 31-3 rout of the Bulldogs.

The second couldn't be realized from the press box. Those on the field wouldn't discover it, either. You had to be sitting in the stands to figure this out.

The second thing I learned was that the image of the SEC is in worse trouble than it could have ever imagined.

Sure, there are irrational fans in every stadium and in every section of said stadium.

However, both calls on Saturday that were fifty-fifty went the way of Alabama.

Chad Bumphis stepped out of bounds. Mark Barron did catch that interception.

To those in the stands, of course, these did not stand well with the crowd, and that's understood, but the excuses were laughable.

"Of course he caught it. Its the conspiracy in action."

"The SEC is already airing commercials for undefeated vs. undefeated. They are protecting those teams."

One guy even went as far to blame me because I had "Alabama" across my chest, and told me and my girlfriend, "You're gonna get it when you play Florida. Oh yea, its coming."

Let it also be known that State has a huge inferiority complex to Alabama, but that's just a small dose of why their fans feel this way.

The majority of it is because of the actions of those who are on the field and the resulting articles from those in the press box.

The scrutiny on officials this year has been at an all-time high, due in part to their mistakes.

It also hasn't helped that the questionable calls have gone in favor of the top two teams, Alabama and Florida.

It is unfair to believe that these calls are being made on purpose in the age of replay, which makes any conspiracy theory or theory on a theory ridiculous.

At the same time, though, these calls need to be right. Having a lack of HD televisions in the booth is not the problem. Its the fact this keeps happening week after week.

As for those in the press box, they actually shoulder more of the blame for this.

Instead of choosing to write about great performances, spectacular plays and the implications of game results, they decide to harp on a missed call which, at times, doesn't affect the games outcome.

Best example is the column that Andy Staples wrote after the Alabama-Tennessee game. Even though this article denounces the idea of a conspiracy, it also fuels the concept by saying a flag should have been thrown when it wasn't.

Instead of talking about Terrance Cody's impressive blocks of Daniel Lincoln field goals, Staples spends most of the column talking about how the flag that should have been thrown but wasn't meant nothing but everything. Seems pointless, right?

None of the national media dared to take the stance to stand up for the officials. How dare humans make mistakes. No one took their side until Nick Saban went on a patented rant about what I just summarized in the first line of this paragraph.

Dan Mullen, Bobby Petrino, Lane Kiffin and Urban Meyer all managed to be reprimanded for their negative talk, even to the point that Mike Slive had to implement fines as metaphorical muzzles for his most prolific coaches.

Of course, Slive is the one to blame for all of this ultimately, according to Jim Dunaway. When I interviewed him a few weeks ago, he pointed to Slive making public apologies for his officials, essentially selling them out. This loaded the gun that has been going off every other week.

In other words, there is a long road for this issue being resolved, even if this is fixable.

Some people have been calling for NCAA officials, releasing conference ties, and hiding any chance of conspiracy theories even beginning.

As a commissioner who has been at the forefront of may movements in the past decade, Slive may need to head this one up as well just to save the image of his conference.

The Starting Five: Cornell

2009-11-14T02:55:00.002-06:00

Five Stats, Facts, or People you need to know heading into the game against the Big Red.

The Anthony Grant Era begins. After much anticipation, speculation, and deliberation, Coach Grant will finally put a product on the hardwood when it really means something on Saturday. It has been seven and a half months since Grant first landed in Tuscaloosa to a large crowd (by basketball standards) at the Tuscaloosa Airport. He has mentioned he wants an up-tempo style of play and a defense that covers 94 feet of the floor. The jury is a long ways out on the offense, but the defense seems to be working quite well so far. In two exhibition games against Montevallo and D-II power Augusta State, the Tide gave up an average of 54 points per game. Say what you want about the competition, but holding a team in Augusta State who shot 50% from the field last year to 55 points was a feat in itself.
Turnovers are going to haunt the Tide early. As I said, the jury is still out on the offense after two exhibition games. The points weren't too hard to come by in game one, but game two saw a struggle from the Crimson Tide on offense. Alabama has turned the ball over 45 times in two exhibition games while trying to learn the new offense. The Tide have thrown many errant passes as well as some that are ill advised in trying to play at a much faster pace. Mikhail Torrance said in the pre-season that the goal is to score 100 every time out. Right now that is not feasible, and the sooner the Crimson Tide figures this out, the better off they will be sooner.
JaMychal Green needs to show up in the first half. I have said numerous times in the pre-season that in order for Alabama to sniff any post season tournament, JaMychal Green must play at an All-SEC level this season. The second half of games, Green can be considered All-American at this point, but he doesn't show up on the stat sheet until the second frame of twenty. Green scored 30 points between the two exhibition games and 28 of those points came in the second half. He only missed one free throw in the exhibition games, going 10-11 from the charity stripe. Producing in the first half will be huge for Green and the Tide, but he must stay on the floor and out of foul trouble. Green sat early against Augusta State because of fouls, and he knows to do his best to avoid foul trouble since the Tide is not deep in the post this year.
Cornell is not your basic lower tier school. Many schools want to believe they are beginning the year off with an easy win, just something to set a foundation. The truth is, not every team can play Alcorn State to begin the year. There are going to be those teams, like Rider and Niagra, who will give you a run for your money. Cornell is beyond those squads. The Big Red are the two-time defending Ivy League champions. They are the first school other than Penn or Princeton to ever win back-to-back league titles. When breaking down their team, the question arises of where to start. You can start at senior guard Louis Dale, who has been the Ivy League Player of the Year for two years now. Or maybe last season's Rookie of the Year in Chris Wroblewski. How bout Cornell's most prolific three point shooter in school history Ryan Wittman. The list goes on and on for a team who returns eight of their top nine scorers from a year ago.
Don't be shocked by a Big Red victory. With everything that was mentioned about the Tide's woes and the Big Red's strengths, do not be surprised if the Crimson Tide drop their season opener for the second straight year. Cornell is going with a smaller lineup to try and combat the Crimson Tide's fast paced offense, but Alabama still plays a good half-court set when they choose to pass the ball inside. The Crimson Tide will not only force turnovers, but will give the ball away themselves. This game will come down to who can shoot the ball the best, and Cornell seems to be that team. It also doesn't hurt that the Big Red have a lineup laden with seniors who are full of experience in their current system.

Picks, Previews and Prognostications-Week 10

2009-11-07T09:14:00.003-06:00

After taking a week off along with the Crimson Tide last week, its back to the picks along with a new Gameday out by the Crimson White sports staff.

Speaking of Gameday, I am now 28-28 for the season, back at .500 yet again, in the CW picks for the year.

For as bad as I have been this year, I am content with where I am, but compared to the rest of the staff, someone is getting their ass whipped, and that someone is me.

Overall, I am 70-42 on the season, which is 62.5% on the year. Meh.

So today starts a new campaign: The Strive for 70. Week 10 is the first chance to head in that direction, and after what looks like an easy slate to pick this week, hopefully I will be there in just one week.

To the picks!

Navy @ Notre Dame-Fighting Irish

Virginia @ Miami-The U

*Florida State @ Clemson-Tigers (and blame FSU's ugly uniforms)

Oregon @ Stanford-Ducks

Northwestern @ Iowa-Hawkeyes survive again

*Duke @ North Carolina-Duke

*Oklahoma @ Nebraska-Boomer! Sooner!

*Oregon State @ Cal-Jahvid Best didn't get worse

*South Carolina @ Arkansas-Whoooo, Pig Suey!

*Ohio State @ Penn State-Joe Pa hands The Vest #3

*LSU @ Alabama-Yea, let's go to tha Georgia Dome!

Bama Basketball Ignorance at its Finest

2009-11-02T08:57:00.005-06:00

Waking up this morning at 7am to register for classes as a final semester Senior was bad enough, but thanks to Daylight Savings Time, it still felt like 8am, so all was well with the world.

That is, until I was alerted to an opinion column in today's Crimson White concerning basketball. You can read it here.

Considering my stature and overall over-the-top support of Alabama Basketball, I was excited to read said column.

I soon regretted having such aspirations for this column by Wesley Vaughn.

You see, many students who are avid basketball fans often feel slighted by the Crimson White's coverage of the team. I have had many students tell me that the CW revels in the team losing and can't write a decent article in support of the team.

Vaughn's slaughtering of anything and all basketball did not help.

For starters, his Facebook box says, "Sarcasm is my defense for not knowing anything." This actually explains everything.

(For those wondering how I know this? From his Facebook. Don't act like you haven't looked me up once in a while after some things I write. You are going straight to hell if you say you have never Facebook investigated a writer, football player, or potential blind date to your roommate's girlfriend's sorority formal.)

Now, before I destroy said column, I must point out the places that I agree with Mr. Vaughn.

I agree that "the basketball team has underwhelmed the past few years."

That's all.

For starters, the attempt at humor in this article is beyond poor. Having to explain jokes in parentheses takes away from said joke and in Vaughn's case, makes the joke worse than it actually was to begin with.

Wondering "why we put our faith in a man with two first names" before calling out John Kerry and calling Florida "soon-to-be-named the University of Tim Tebow" shows that you do, in fact, know nothing about Alabama Basketball.

Going further to say he (Grant) "should implement" an up-tempo style, that under Gottfried "the team lacked any style or scheme," and that this team "still lacks a center" just supports the fact I stated at the end of the last paragraph about you. (By the way, while I'm on it, note how parentheses are supposed to be used, Mr. Vaughn. Our coaches name is not meant to induce humor in that situation through clarification. Its JUST clarification.)

First off, if Vaughn did any research before his column, he would know that Grant has already stated this up-tempo style will be coming to Tuscaloosa. Second, Gottfried did have a scheme and it was called the UCLA high post. The reason it didn't work is because Richard Hendrix is not Bill Walton and Andy Katz told the entire country our offense during the Mani Invitational last season. Ok, who am I kidding, if the nine year-olds to my right at basketball games know what we are running, even John Brady could figure it out.

Ok, no he didn't. It was known by everyone already because the second play in Gottfried's playbook was to inbounds the ball over half court to [insert whichever former Alabama point guard who left Alabama early to get away from Gottfried].

Third, Vaughn obviously has no clue that a center in basketball is going the way of media on the floor in Coleman Coliseum. Very few teams still play with a true center anymore, and I am willing to be that Vaughn had no earthly idea that JaMychal Green was a five-star recruit who plays as Alabama's center. He certainly doesn't know that Green has gotten bigger since his freshman season last year since, well, he hasn't heard from Grant's first presser that he will in fact be using an up-tempo style.

Pressing forward beyond what most people I have talked to could stomach, Vaughn second-guesses the naming of the group openly.

Its obvious this self-proclaimed "sports fanatic" isn't enough of one to be on the UA Athletic email list to receive the instructions about how the name would be selected. Going with Crimson Chaos would be a permanent name. And relate more with basketball? Wouldn't a sports fanatic realize that the upgrades to Coleman are lipstick on a pig in a half-buried beer keg?

There is nothing to support what it should be called, Wesley. Your opinion is obviously far-fetched to begin with.

After all this shady, opinionated garbage, Vaughn takes the cake in his final claim. bviously, I have already sipped the Anthony Grant Kool-Aid (sugar-intense strawberry flavored, if you were wondering [Actually, Wesley, I didn't give a $#^t.]) Can you blame me though?He can only improve our over-shadowed and historically non-competitive program."

Are you kidding me?!?!?! Alabama has arguably the second-best history in the SEC when it comes to Basketball.

The Crimson Tide own the second-most SEC titles to Kentucky. Sure, Alabama hasn't made a final four while teams such as LSU, Florida, and Mississippi State have, but that's not all that matters.

Alabama has put plenty of players into the NBA over the past two decades, most coming before 2005.

According to Jeff Sagarin, who's computer poll is one of six in the BCS, has Alabama has the No. 43 All-Time program in college basketball, behind Kentucky, Arkansas and Tennessee (somehow), and ahead of Vanderbilt, Florida, Mississippi State, and UAB.

Alabama is a respectable basketball program, but many people, such as Wesley, have their heads too far up their rears to realize this.

I am glad that Mr. Vaughn is already sipping the Kool-Aid of coach Grant. Maybe he can learn what a jump shot is when he visits Coleman on Wednesday.

Top 25, Heisman favorites, and links: Week 9

2009-11-02T08:10:00.002-06:00

Ding dong, the golden boys are gone. If there is anyone reading this blog who didn't want USC to lose, thank you for searching me out through the interweb from what ever non-Southeastern city you may live in.

Oregon's detonation of USC's season, which took way to look to happen for how bad USC was this year, has finally brought what is right back into view: USC is not a one-loss team that can make the title game. The computers knew this, but it took another loss for the coaches and AP voters to realize this.

Besides that, both Texas and Iowa remained unbeaten after officials blew calls that would have changed the momentum in both of their games.

Iowa is lucky their endzones are painted black on their AstroPlay turf. Terrance Turner of Indiana had the ball in his grasp and dragged in his foot for a touchdown, but the black beads that pop out of AstroPlay turf could not be seen to confirm this against the black painted endzones, and Iowa then got a missed field goal to keep momentum after returning a fluke interception for an 86-yard touchdown.

Texas was just as lucky as Iowa. The Longhorns had the ball up 17-7 with just under two minutes until halftime. Texas was at their own 20, and on second down, Colt McCoy completed a pass to James Kirkendoll for four yards before he was stripped by Oklahoma State. Officials would not review the play themselves, so Coach Gundy took a timeout, in which he was told forward progress was awarded to Texas, thus they kept the ball. The 'Horns would then score before halftime, score a FG right after halftime, and then intercept Zac Robinson for six. In seven minutes, a game that could have been 17-14 at half, was 34-7 five minutes into the third. Huge game-changing missed call by the Big XII.

Enough of me going on about things I will repeat numerous times this week and on to the Top 25.

Top 25

Florida
Alabama
Texas
Cincinnati
TCU
Boise State
Oregon
LSU
Iowa
Penn State
Georgia Tech
Houston
Pittsburgh
Miami
Utah
USC
Ohio State
Oklahoma
Notre Dame
Arizona
Oklahoma State
Virginia Tech
South Florida
Wisconsin
BYU

Heisman Favorites

Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama
Tim Tebow, QB, Florida
Colt McCoy, QB, Texas
Jeremiah Masoli, QB, Oregon
Golden Tate, WR, Notre Dame

Links

College GameDay Final
College Football Overtime
Dennis Dodd explores whether or no Chip Kelly should bring back LeGarrett Blount.

Top 25, Heisman favorites, and links: Week 8

2009-10-26T14:50:00.002-05:00

It was a frightening weekend for many Top 25 teams, some for longer times than others, but many have moved on to fight another day unscathed. That is, except for Miami.

The Hurricanes lost their chance at a national championship after their great start, and are almost certainly out of the ACC Coastal race, after losing in OT to Clemson.

Meanwhile, Alabama and Iowa used last-second plays to keep their undefeated seasons alive as well as their chase for a place in Pasadena.

At the bottom of the poll, the revolving door of teams continue to jump in and out as more win and others lose.

For a look at this week's poll, take a gander below.

Top 25

Florida
Alabama
Texas
Cincinnati
Iowa
TCU
USC
Boise State
LSU
Penn State
Georgia Tech
Oklahoma State
Oregon
Virginia Tech
Houston
Pittsburgh
Miami
Ohio State
Utah
South Carolina
West Virginia
Oklahoma
Ole Miss
Arizona
Notre Dame

Heisman Favorites

Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama
Colt McCoy, QB, Texas
Tim Tebow, QB, Florida
Golden Tate, WR, Notre Dame
Ndamakong Suh, DT, Nebraska

Links

Tony Barnhart on CBSSports.com makes a good point that it doesn't matter how you when, it just matters if you win.
Stewart Mandel with the weekly College Football Overtime and already looking forward to USC visiting Oregon.
Gene Menez on SI.com still has Mark Ingram on top of his list, and I am glad he uses the support that he did. Great minds think alike.
Sports Illustrated has a College Football survey up on their site, and they want your input, so why not give it to them.
Pat Forde has a little column up on Terrance Cody after attending his first Bama-UT game on Saturday.
ESPN's College Gameday Final
On the Mark by Mark Schlabach
ESPN College Football Power Rankings
Bruce Feldman wraps up the week that was from last Saturday with a huge focus on Alabama's game against Tennessee (ESPN insiders only).

Picks, Previews and Prognostications-Week 8

2009-10-24T08:27:00.003-05:00

It has been a few weeks since time was available for not only a full picks, previews, and prognostications post, but its been two weeks since I even posted score predictions!

Who's a slacker? This guy is.

Nonetheless, I kept up with the CW picks at least, and I can say that it has been extremely ugly. Since the last post of PPnP, I've gone 7-14 in those games, so I am now 23-26 in CW picks. Ouch.

Overall, I am 61-38 on the year, at least finding some success in the games I pick on Rock n Jock each Wednesday night on 90.7 FM from 10-Midnight. Yes, that was a shameless plug.

So with time on my hands for the (4th) Saturday in October, here's what will hopefully happen this week and get me back in the the swing of things.

Clemson @ Miami

The Tigers seem no better or worse this season under Dabo Swinney, but the talent level is not what it was last season. CJ Spiller is still on campus, but the defense doesn't seem as up to snuff as it was last season. Meanwhile, Miami is right in the think of the ACC Coastal race with Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech after all three teams went 1-1 against each other. None of those teams have faced Virginia yet, the team who leads the division at 2-0, but let's be real here. Virginia WILL go 0-3 vs. all those teams. The Hurricanes know what is at stake, and only having one loss, they feel they have a chance for more than just the ACC title. Miami 35, Clemson 17

*Penn State @ Michigan

It has been over 10 years since Joe Pa beat Michigan in the Big House, and the Nittany Lions have only won one of the past four games against the Big Blue. Both teams will be running a version of the spread offense, so there should be no surprises on offense by either team for the opposing defense. The difference in the game should be Daryll Clark, the Penn State quarterback. He has not let Penn State have a letdown so far this season in games they shouldn't have (Iowa is starting to look like the better team), and I don't expect this week to be any different. Tate Forcier has been consistent for Michigan, but he needs to go above and beyond that to keep the streak alive in Ann Arbor. Not happening. Penn State 24, Michigan 20

Iowa @ Michigan State

Iowa has just continued to get behind just to give their fans panic attacks as the game continues. In back to back weeks, the Hawkeyes have come back from 10-point deficits, not to mention a 9-point comeback in Happy Valley. Sparty almost had a huge letdown against Michigan, but won out in overtime. Iowa seems to be a much better team than Michigan so far, especially on defense, but one of these days, getting behind is going to bite them. Michigan State is too good for Iowa to look over them. Road team wins for the first time in ten meetings. Iowa 23, Michigan State 17

Oregon @ Washington

The Ducks have been on a tear since their opening night loss, going 5-0 over those games. They now travel to face Jake Locker and the sea of purple in Seattle where one Pac-10 power has already fallen this season. Coach Sark has turned the Huskies around in less than a year, but Jeremiah Masoli, even at half strength, will give the guys in purple fits. Oregon won't overlook Washington in preparation for a huge showdown with USC, potentially for the Pac-10 title, next week in Eugene. Oregon 27, Washington 14

*South Florida @ Pittsburgh

The Bulls gave Cincinnati a scare last Thursday, but the Bearcats took care of business despite Tony Pike coming out of the game. Now, South Florida is travelling up to Pittsburgh to play the Panthers in a pivotal Big East showdown for both teams. Pitt has yet to lose in conference this season and won't play Cincinnati until December 5th. South Florida is playing for bowl position in this game since they lost to Cinci. Winner of this game will be in great shape for a New Years Day bowl. Congrats, Pitt. Pittsburgh 21, USF 15

Texas @ Missouri

Missouri is on a two-game skid after choking away a lead against Nebraska in the matter of five minutes and then losing to Oklahoma State in Stillwater. There is still confidence in Missouri's offense to move the ball, but the past two games would not support that. Meanwhile, Texas is still rolling along despite no running game and a defense that has been doing well to keep opponent's to roughly 15 points a game, but the Big XII isn't what it used to be on offense this season. Anyway, Texas has a much better passing game than Nebraska, and the 'Huskers tore up the Mizzou secondary once things dried up in Columbia. Clear skies expected today in Tiger country. Texas 35, Missouri 14

*Oklahoma @ Kansas

The Sooners travel to Lawrence with Sam Bradford out yet again with a shoulder injury. Sure, Landry Jones has done well for OU, but the best QB in the game this afternoon will be Todd Reesing. The Sooners have only played a Robert Griffin-less in conference so far, so the Jayhawks are obviously a lot better than the Bears without their star. Oklahoma's season is already down the drain, and they will be unranked for the first time since 2005 after this week. Kansas 31, Oklahoma 27

Boston College @ Notre Dame

The Fighting Irish this season are still looking for their first win over a team with a winning record at the time they played. Boston College, being from the ACC, is as bi-polar as they come in college football. I talked about both of these teams earlier this week, and there is no clue how either of them will respond this Saturday. Jimmy Clausen is still looking for a high caliber win for his Heisman campaign. This game is far from it, and there is no game on their schedule until the final weekend against Stanford that could really act as a high profile game. Today, this game will come down to how Boston College plays, because Notre Dame has been consistent most of the season, playing each game within seven points outside of Nevada. That streak won't end today, but the inability to beat a team with a winning record will. Notre Dame 27, Boston College 24

*TCU @ BYU

The battle in Provo between the Cougars and Horned Frogs means a lot more in the Mountain West than it does nationally. If BYU wins, no matter what their fans think, voters will not forget the fact that the Cougars lost to a hapless Florida State team. TCU needs this win if they want to have a chance of passing Boise State in the BCS standings to gain that guaranteed automatic bid. Both of these teams should coast after this game, so winning today is even more important. TCU is known for strong defense, and BYU QB Max Hall will need to have a great day to lead the Cougs to victory. Too bad TCU will win this game and put themselves in position to pass the Broncos. TCU 24, BYU 14

Florida @ Mississippi State

The key stat of the week is obvious: Florida hasn't won in Starkville since 1986. Sure, its only been four times in that span of 23 years, but the fact still remains there seems to be a hex in Davis Wade Stadium. The Gators are 2-4 all-time there, and will be facing off against their former offensive coordinator Dan Mullen. Mullen has been with Meyer since the Bowling Green days, and Tebow has struggled without him this season. Florida is also without three defensive starters today on a defense that returned everyone on the two-deep depth chart but hasn't shown the same tenacity this season. No on knows Tebow better than Mullen, and sticking with my Rock n Jock pick, it will show up on Saturday. Mississippi State 28, Florida 27

*Arkansas @ Ole Miss

The Hogs have played well the past few weeks against Florida and Auburn, and should have won both of those games. Ole Miss has a great defense, and this is the game for Jevan Snead to get back on track for the Hogs. The problem with this may be that Arkansas' defense has become a strong point these past few weeks as well. Ryan Mallett should also have a field day IF Michael Smith can get things going on the ground for the boys from Fayetteville. The Rebels' season will continue downward as Arkansas will take a huge step in fulfilling my prediction of finishing in the top half of the SEC West this season. Arkansas 35, Ole Miss 24

*Auburn @ LSU

The battle of the Tigers in Baton Rouge is going to come down to when LSU is on offense and Auburn is on defense. Auburn's strong point used to be defense, but now those Tigers are 11th in the SEC this season. LSU is dead last in the SEC on offense and 112th in the nation with the football. Auburn is still hoping that Eltoro Freeman can get back on the field this week and need Antonio Coleman to get in the LSU backfield. The Bayou Bengals need Jordan Jefferson to step up in this game and hit his talented receivers to make plays against a suspect secondary. Once it is all said and done, LSU will begin their new streak of night games won at Tiger Stadium. LSU 24, Auburn 21

*Tennessee @ Alabama

In a battle of defenses, either team is going to need their respective team to score on that side of the ball. Mark Ingram should still have a big day, even against a very good Tennessee defense. Monte Kiffin should have plenty of surprises ready for Greg McElroy and continue his struggles. Special teams will be big for both teams as well, as neither team is over the hundred line in kickoff coverage, and talking to UT beat writer Wes Rucker earlier this week, he predicts an Alabama special teams touchdown. Paul Finebaum told me that Jonathan Crompton will spend more time on his back than a porn star (and he has the 'stache to match), and Alabama's defense should be the difference in this game. Alabama 24, Tennessee 6

Who is Tennessee, Anyways?

2009-10-23T17:19:00.002-05:00

The Volunteers come in to Tuscaloosa on a bit of a high note after destroying Tennessee in Knoxville two weeks ago, 45-19. Quarterback Jonathan Crompton, the perennial doormat of the SEC quarterback fraternity, threw for four touchdowns against what has been a suspect Georgia defense this season.

After an off week, the Vols confidence is still high knowing that Alabama is next on the schedule and anything can happen in a rivalry game.

The offense is totally centered around their running game, with senior Montario Hardesty and freshman Bryce Brown leading the offensive charge. Hardesty has the bulk of the carries, taking 125 balls for 672 yards and six touchdowns. The Vols use end-arounds with wide receivers Nu'Keese Richardson and Tauren Poole, who are averaging double-digits on their runs this season. Through the air, Crompton has thrown thirteen touchdowns, five of which came against Western Kentucky. In UT's other five games, Crompton has thrown for eight touchdowns to seven interceptions. He has also thrown for 1210 yards this year, and only one receiver has more than 200 yards this year.

Tennessee's defense is light years ahead of where their offense is currently. Monte Kiffin is now the mastermind behind the defense this season after John Chavis left for LSU in the off season. The Vols lost linebacker Nick Reviez for the season to injury, but he has still been a huge motivational tool from the sideline. The Tennessee secondary is stacked with freshman Janzen Jackson living up to potential and, of course, Eric Berry, who IS Tennessee football right now. Berry is only a junior, but is surely expected to go pro after this season. He only has one interception on the season, but many teams are well aware of where he is on the field at all time. Berry has been making an impact in other places, tallying 50 tackles so far.

On special teams, the Vols are also struggling on kickoff coverage, allowing two return touchdowns already this year as well, and rank 118th in FBS in kickoff coverage. It could be a very safe bet to believe one team will have a special teams touchdown on Saturday.

There is no question who is the coach of the Vols, none other than the Village Idiot, Lane Kiffin. After pronouncing that he was sorry at SEC Media Days for all the crap he caused when he was hired, Kiffin has not held back during the season. He makes his first trip to play "the best coached team in the league" on Saturday and can only hope that daddy can help out his offense when crunch time hits.

Pass or Fail-Week 7

2009-10-21T00:50:00.002-05:00

As the midpoint of the season has now passed, the best and the worst performers have been well documented each week.

Now that 2009 is on the back slope, the top performers are now due praise for their first-half impressions just as much as the goats are worthy of their ridicule.

Here are the mid-point winners and losers in what has been an unpredictable 2009.

Head of the Class-Mark Ingram wasn't a five-star? Explain yourself, Rivals. What Alabama running back Mark Ingram has done in the first half of the season has been nothing short of remarkable. In a backfield that came into the season by committee, Ingram has taken over roughly 75% of the carries for the Crimson Tide offense. Aside from setting his single game career high in rushing three separate times this season, Ingram has rushed for 905 yards, averaging 6.7 yards per carry, 11 total touchdowns, 30 runs of at least ten yards, and ten runs of at least twenty yards. Alabama plays a tough defense the next two weeks in Tennessee and LSU, and if Ingram can maintain a decent pace through those two games, he could coast his way to forcing voters to wait until the last minute after the SEC Championship Game before they cast their Heisman ballots.

Pass-There is football outside Boise in Potato country? The biggest story out of Idaho may no longer be the Broncos and the Smurf Turf, but possibly the Vandals out of Moscow (Moscow?) Idaho. The boys in brown and gold art sitting atop the WAC standings at 3-0 with cross-state rivals Boise State. Robb Akey is no doubt the leader for Coach of the Year, but after darlings Washington, Michigan and Miami have captured the country and fallen flat, the hopes of Vandals fans is that the same fate does not wait for them now that the rest of the country has caught on to their dirty little secret.

Fail-I hate to say I told you so, Florida fans, but I did. There was a reason I had Oklahoma as my pre-season #1 team over the Florida Gators, and it is starting to show. The explosion of the Gator attack has all but disappeared with Percy Harvin and Louis Murphy. Teams now focus on Aaron Hernandez and Riley Cooper during Tebow's passing attack, while the offense under Steve Addazio is leaning heavily upon the running game of Tebow, Demps and Moody. Under Dan Mullen last season, UF's offense was flying high. Now, the Gators struggle to put more than 23 points on the board against the SEC. There are six more games for Florida to regain their composure, or their season could get pretty long, pretty fast.

Pass-Remember when I hated the ACC? You know, like last week? Yea, about that....The ACC has quickly turned from one of the worst conferences in America in the first two weeks (they lost to two FCS teams in week one) to becoming the most competitive conference, internally, in college football. Virginia has gone from door mat to leading the Coastal Division all by themselves. Meanwhile, Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech and Miami are all now in a dead-lock with each other in second place in the same division, and North Carolina, who was supposed to take a step forward this season, is sitting behind Duke. Let's not forget the Atlantic Division that has every team with at least two losses already and the demise of Florida State. It may not get the amount of press as the top teams will for the rest of the year, but it is definitely the league to watch as it seems every other conference has one team head and shoulders above the rest.

Fail-Sam Bradford has destroyed Oklahoma's season single-handedly. It all started with BYU in week 1 when the reigning Heisman winner made me look like an idiot. Now, Oklahoma is sitting at 3-3, barely hanging on to a ranking at number 25, and Bradford is 1-2 this season as a start, getting injured twice. Oklahoma should have sent in for a redshirt after the loss to Miami despite the potential to win the Big XII. Now, Bradford seems to be out for the season, his announcement is coming shortly after post time, and his chance at an extra year is questionable. Now, Bob Stoops is looking at his worst season since his first year in Norman, and the weapons around Landry Jones seem to be dwindling come next year.

Pass-Would the person who had Iowa in the mid-season Big Ten undefeated team poll, please come claim your giant jackpot. The Hawkeyes beating Penn State was not exactly surprising, having beaten the Nittany Lions six of seven times this decade, but the continued success by coming back from double digit deficits in two straight games against Wisconsin and Michigan have Iowa in the top 10. The Hawkeyes have two road games left, this week against Michigan State and November 14th at Ohio State, standing in their way of an undefeated season. It may be a long shot, but the idea of winning the Big Ten and going to the Rose Bowl is certainly in their own hands.

Fail-Jeer, jeer to ol' Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish were expected to do great things this season, mostly because of their weak schedule. Well, they have taken advantage of the poor schedule, but have struggled to beat some of those weaker teams. Notre Dame four wins come against teams with a combined record of 12-15 and the two losses come against teams, Michigan and USC, who are 10-3. There is nothing special about Notre Dame any more, and the fact their schedule only has one remaining ranked team on it (Pittsburgh), the Irish could back their way into the BCS yet again, just to get their ass handed to them, yet again.

Epic Fail-Forget the NBA. The SEC are the ones who need replacement officials. In an unprecedented move today, the SEC suspended the officiating crew that has had an impact on both the Georgia/LSU and Arkansas/Florida games. The crew is out of work until the weekend of November 14 and may not get a bowl assignment. Sure, it may just be one crew, but the fact still remains that these men are doing this for a living, and they are having an impact on the games that make Gary Danielson salivate in joy, which is never a good thing. Mike Slive can only hope the office doesn't have to hand down another apology to another team in his league this season, or there could be some real issues to discuss come Destin next spring.

Top 25, Heisman favorites, and links: Week 7

2009-10-19T23:20:00.002-05:00

While many of the top teams struggled this weekend, all but one escaped unharmed.

The lone ranger to fall this week was Virginia Tech, whose second loss has now dropped them out of the national title race.

Also, Oklahoma seems to have now lost all redeeming qualities in their season, so the question rises once again as to whether or not Sam Bradford should hang it up and seek a redshirt. I think if he sits now and opts for surgery, he can get that year of eligibility back, but if he takes the field again, all hope will be lost.

Enough talk, now on to this week's rankings.

Top 25

Florida
Alabama
Texas
Cincinnati
Boise State
USC
Iowa
Penn State
LSU
TCU
Miami
Oklahoma State
Georgia Tech
Virginia Tech
Oregon
BYU
Ohio State
Missouri
Houston
Pittsburgh
Utah
South Carolina
West Virginia
Kansas
Texas Tech

Heisman Favorites

Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama
Tim Tebow, QB, Florida
Colt McCoy, QB, Texas
Tony Pike, QB, Cincinnati
Ndamakong Suh, DT, Nebraska

Links

The Mark Ingram for Heisman train is gaining a lot of steam. Just take a look at these people who have "Deuce-Deuce" atop their lists: Gene Menez and Stewart Mandel of SI.com, Bruce Feldman of ESPN.com, and the Orlando Sentinel.
Not only does Stewart Mandel have Ingram at the top of his Heisman list, he was just as underwhelmed by the performances from Florida and Texas as everyone else. Also on that list, Mark Schlabach.
The ESPN Power Rankings mirrored this week's AP poll and vaulted Alabama into the top spot.
Also from Schlabach, his weekly Monday treat of On the Mark from ESPN.
Tennessee attempted to wear their orange jerseys against Alabama, which I had predicted earlier in the season, just to have Mal Moore say no. Just another reason added to the list.

Top 25 and Heisman favorites, and links: Week 6

2009-10-12T21:13:00.003-05:00

If it seemed like there was a lack in updates last week........well, the blog took Fall Break as well.

Nonetheless, with Homecoming Week this week, the blog will come roaring back and into form just in time for the Gamecocks as well as basketball practice to begin this weekend!!!

Now, on to the changes to see in the Top 25 this week, and the SEC is starting to look like those other conferences it used to be head and shoulders above. With Georgia, Auburn, and Ole Miss all losing, the SEC now boasts only four top 25 teams, three of which are in the top ten.

Also, this time next week, the first BCS standings will be out, and there is a good preview below in the links section this week.

Top 25

Florida
Alabama
Texas
Virginia Tech
Boise State
USC
Cincinnati
Penn State
Ohio State
LSU
TCU
Miami
Oklahoma State
Nebraska
Oregon
Iowa
BYU
Kansas
Oklahoma
South Florida
South Carolina
Georgia Tech
Notre Dame
Missouri
Pittsburgh

Heisman Favorites (remember, in no particular order)

Tim Tebow, QB, Florida
Colt McCoy, QB, Texas
Tony Pike, QB, Cincinnati
Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama
Ndamakong Suh, DT, Nebraska

Links

On the Mark by Mark Schlabach (ESPN)
College Football Overtime by Stewart Mandel (Sports Illustrated)
Heisman Watch by Gene Menez aka Jon Gosselin (Sports Illustrated)
College Football Power Rankings (ESPN)
BCS Standings preview by Brad Edwards (ESPN)
College Gameday Final (ESPN)
Alabama vs. Florida seems a foregone conclusion to Chris Low (ESPN)

The Ultimate College Football/SEC Twitter Follow Friday

2009-10-09T15:00:00.002-05:00

For as much time as I spend tweeting, I also spend just as much time following all the newest information available nationally and especially in the SEC.

So who are all these people that I follow? Well, below is a good overview of who they are, broken down by national, Southeastern Conference, and then teams in the SEC.

Of course, I am constantly looking for people to follow, so if you have any good additions, let me know @ng11787. Until then, take a look at the list complied below.

College Football
@PeteThamelNYT-college sports reporter for the New York Times
@ESPN_BigEast-Brian Bennett, ESPN's Big East Blogger
@ESPN_Others-Graham Watson, ESPN's blogger for FBS Independent teams
@ESPN_Pac10-Ted Miller, ESPN's Pac-10 Blogger
@ESPN_BigTen- Adam Rittenberg, ESPN's Big Ten Blogger
@ESPN_ACC- Heather Dinich, ESPN's ACC Blogger
@ESPN_Big12-Tim Griffin, ESPN's Big XII Blogger
@AP_Top25-AP Top 25 poll, providing big news and the new poll each week.
@CBSSports-official twitter page of CBSSports.com
@SI_CoryMC-Sports Illustrated columnist/writer Cory McCartney
@chickfilabowl- Chick-fil-a Bowl and Chick-fil-a Kickoff Game
@GamedayFootball-official twitter page of the College Gameday crew
@ESPN_Now-official twitter page of ESPN press releases
@OregonFootball-official twitter page of the Oregon Ducks
@TimBrando- Sporting New Radio and CBS host Tim Brando
@DrSaturday-college football blogger who is always worth a read
@BCSFootball-official twitter page of BCS team news
@ESPN_CollegeFB-twitter page for all ESPN College Football bloggers
@BFeldmanESPN-ESPN national college football blogger Bruce Feldman
@Mark_Schlabach-ESPN national college football writer Mark Schlabach
@Andy_Staples-Sports Illustrated college football columnist Andy Staples
@edsbs-twitter page of college football blog Every Day Should Be Saturday
@philsteele042-official twitter page of preview mag extrodinaire Phil Steele
@ESPNU-official twitter page of ESPNU
@NCAAFootballMan-Orlando Sentinel's Matt Humphrey covers the country
@MusicCityBowl-official twitter page of the Music City Bowl
@UM_CoachRod-Michigan head football coach Rich Rodriguez
@schadjoe-ESPN analyst/ESPN Radio sideline reporter joe Schad
@PeteCarroll-twitter page of Southern Cal head football coach Pete Carroll
@Ivan_Maisel-ESPN national college football writer Ivan Maisel
@NDHFC-twitter page of Notre Dame head football coach Charlie Weis
@ESPNCFBLive-twitter page of ESPN's College Football Live television show
@collegehof-twitter page of the College Football Hall of Fame
@PapaJohns_Bowl-twitter page of the Papa John.com Bowl
@bcsbowl-twitter page of the Bowl Championship Series
@ATTCottonBowl-twitter page of the Cotton Bowl
@FiestaBowl-twitter page of the Fiesta Bowl
@SIMandel-Sports Illustarted college football columnist Stewart Mandel
@espn4d-ESPN college football and basketball columnist Pat Forde
@SI_24Seven-twitter feed of SI.com and Sports Illustrated
@MrCFB-Atlanta Journal-Constition columnist Tony Barnhart
@espn-twitter feed of all ESPN articles and stories

Southeastern Conference
@ESPN_SEC-twitter page of Chris Low, ESPN's SEC Blogger
@SEConESPN-all news concerning the SEC and ESPN deal
@SECSportsMan-news on all 12 institutions
@SECNetwork-0fficial twitter page of the SEC Network
@JOXRecruiting-covering all recruiting in the Southeast
@SECQuoteBox-Quotes from SEC coaches and players
@MoreSEConds-extra info and quotes around the SEC
@SECSportsUpdate-twitter page of the SEC offices
@dandbradio-Dunaway and Brown radio show out of Birmingham, AL
@finebaum-Paul Finebaum radio show out of Birmingham, AL

Alabama
@MTorrance2-Basketball guard Mikhail Torrance's twitter page
@wendellhudson-head women's basketball coach Wendell Hudson
@jhknox40-Basketball forward Justin Knox's twitter page
@jzenor-AP writer for the state of Alabama
@CStewartSports-twitter page of basketball/baseball announcer Chris Stewart
@UACoachMurphy-official twitter page of head softball coach Patrick Murphy
@AlabamaVB-twitter page of Alabama Volleyball/head coach Judy Green
@BOLWalsh-twitter page of BamaOnLine writer/reporter Christopher Walsh
@AlabamaHoops-official twitter page of Alabama Basketball
@ChaseGoodbread-Tuscaloosa News writer Chase Goodbread
@DrewSteele25-Basketball guard Andrew Steele's twitter page
@travisreier-twitter page of BamaOnLine writer Travis Reier
@Tide_Source-Birmingham News beat writer Don Kausler, Jr.
@AlabamaSoccer-official twitter page of Alabama Soccer
@Star2Tide-Football quarterback Star Jackson's twitter page
@BamaBeat-Mobile Press-Register beat writer Gentry Estes
@GVMcElroy-Football quarterback Greg McElroy's twitter page
@UA_Athletics-official twitter page of the Alabama Athletic Department
@shaneyoungblood-twitter page of BamaOnLine writer Shane Youngblood
@rollwiththetide-twitter page of the Alabama football coaching staff
@tommydeas-Tuscaloosa News reporter Tommy Deas
@InsideTheTide-instant news from all Alabama sites on all sports
@UACrimsonTide-instant news from all Alabama sites on all sports

Arkansas
@ArkRazorbacks-official twitter page of ArkansasRazorbacks.com
@johnpelphrey-official twitter page of head basketball coach John Pelphrey
@bmoore504-basketball forward Brandon Moore's twitter page
@Cfortson4-basketball forward Courtney Fortson's twitter page
@AR_Razorbacks-all news about Hogs sports
@NWARobbie-Northwest Arkansas sports writer Robbie Neiswanger
@NWAOnlineHogs-all news/stories from the Northwest Arkansas sports staff
@wholehogsports-news from staff at NWA Times and Arkansas Democrat Gazette

Auburn
@ausports-Follow all news about Auburn Athletics from multiple sites
@AUTigers-instant news from all Auburn sites on all sports.
@auburnbeat-Mobile Press-Register beat writer Evan Woodberry
@HABOTN-Montgomery Advertiser beat writer Jay Tate
@AUGoldMine-Birmingham News beat writer Charles Goldberg

Florida
@GatorZoneNews-Official twitter page for GatorZone.com
@osgators-Gator news from the Orlando Sentinel sports staff
@Florida_Gators-instant news from all Florida sites on all sports
@UFCoachBillyD-official twitter page of head basketball coach Billy Donovan
@CoachUrbanMeyer-official twitter page of head football coach Urban Meyer
@twstephens-Orlando Sentinel sports editor Tim Stephens

Georgia
@UGABulldogs-instant news from all Georgia sites on all sports
@DawgWire-constant updates on all UGA athletic teams
@abhsports-articles and news from the Athens Banner Herald sports staff
@redandblack-official twitter page of the student newspaper in Athens
@jeffowens95-Football Defensive Lineman Jeff Owens' twitter page
@GeorgiaDogs-official twitter page of the Georgia Athletic Department
@MarkRicht-official twitter page of head football coach Mark Richt

Kentucky
@UKAAWildcats-Official twitter page of the Kentucky Athletics Department
@wildcats-Louisville Courier-Journal beat writer Brett Dawson
@johnclayiv-Lexington Herald-Leader beat writer John Clay
@WildcatWire-instant news from all Kentucky sites for all sports
@UKCoachBrooks-official twitter page of head football coach Rich Brooks
@UKCoachCalipari-official twitter page of head basketball coach John Calipari

LSU
@LSUSportsNews-Twitter page of LSUSports.net
@LSUSports-twitter page of the official website of LSU Athletics
@LSUBeatTweet-Lafayette Daily Advertiser beat writer Glenn Guilbeau
@LSUCoachMiles-official twitter page of head football coach Les Miles

Mississippi State
@bradlocke-Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal beat writer Brad Locke
@mstateathletics-Official twitter page of mstateathletics.com
@RicksRowdiesMSU-twitter page of the Bulldogs basketball student section
@msuhoopsgregg-basketball media relations director Gregg Ellis
@CoachDanMullen-official twitter page of head football coach Dan Mullen
@kyleveazey-Jackson Clarion-Ledger beat writer Kyle Veazey

Ole Miss
@RebelCoachNutt-official twitter page of head football coach Houston Nutt
@davidbrandt-Jackson Clarion-Ledger beat writer
@OleMiss_Sports-staying up to date on all things Rebels Athletics
@UM_Rebels-instant news from all Ole Miss sites on all sports
@parrishalford-Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal beat writer Parrish Alford
@CoachAK-official twitter page of head basketball coach Andy Kennedy

South Carolina
@sethemerson-The State beat writer as well as gogamecocks.com
@Gamecocks-instant news from all South Carolina sites on all sports
@gamecocksblog-Charleston Post and Courier beat writer Travis Haney

Tennessee
@Tyler_Smith_1-Tyler Smith's twitter page
@Vols_Beat-Knoxville News Sentinel beat writer Austin Ward
@TennesseeVols-instand news from all Tennessee sites on all sports
@UTAthletics-official twitter page of the Tennessee Athletic Department
@mgrif32-GoVolsXtra reporter Mike Griffith
@johnadamskns-Knoxville News Sentinel columnist John Adams
@knsdavehooker-Knoxville News Sentinel reporter Dave Hooker
@wesrucker-Chattanooga Times Free Press beat writer Wes Rucker
@GoVolsXtra-coverage of Tennessee from the Knoxville News Sentinel
@Swiperboy-basketball guard Renaldo Woolridge's twitter page
@UTbasketVOLS-official twitter page of Tennessee basketball team
@berry14-football safety Eric Berry's twitter page
@CoachBrucePearl-official twitter page of head basketball coach Bruce Pearl
@LaneKiffinUT-official twitter page of head football coach Lane Kiffin

Vanderbilt
@vucommodores-Official tweets from Vanderbilt Athletics Department
@commodoresports-instant news from all Vanderbilt sites on all sports
@VandyMBB-twitter page of the Vanderbilt Basketball team

Pass or Fail-Week 5

2009-10-07T00:47:00.003-05:00

Almost halfway into the season, things are finally starting to take shape.

The best teams and players are now starting to hit their stride while all the pretenders are now falling by the wayside, and nothing was more evident this weekend than this separation taking place.

Head of the Class: Alabama missing a linebacker? Really? When Dont'a Hightower went down for Alabama, many fans were left wondering how how the Crimson Tide would cope without him. Enter Rolando McClain, who was the only 'Bama player who didn't switch positions after the injury, and managed to step up when Alabama needed him most. McClain helped quell an Alabama defense that gave up 133 rushing yards by coming up with 12 tackles and an interception against Kentucky. The Crimson Tide seem to be rotating around the linebackers for the rest of the season and will get Jerrell Harris back next week.

Pass: A.J. Green is a man among boys. With so many people discussing who is the better receiver between Green and Julio Jones, Green has separated himself as possibly the best receiver in the country now. After being a part of the destruction of the Arkansas secondary as well as the key figure in the Bulldogs win over Arizona State, Green once again rose to the occasion against LSU, hauling in five balls for 99 yards and a touchdown. In his past three games, Green has 20 catches for 389 yards and four touchdowns...plus a blocked kick. It is safe to say that Green will continue to be a force for Georgia no matter who is at quarterback.

Fail: No one can compete with the Almost Competitive Conference...because its just that bad. It was bad enough for the ACC to start the season, losing to two FCS teams and another high profile game. This weekend, it just got worse. For starters, Virginia Tech, fresh off of a mauling of Miami, couldn't put away a Duke team. Then, a North Carolina team who was looking to finally take a step forward this season, lost to Virginia, much to the ire of Cavalier fans who might now be stuck with Al Groh for yet another year. Finally, Florida State decided that enough is enough and had the trustees chairman publicly ask for the removal of Bobby Bowden at the end of the season. The ACC is slowly and quickly being passed up as the season progress, and if the rumors of Tuberville to Louisville do come true, the ACC may find themselves at number six in the BCS power rankings.

Pass: Nevada was 0-3 before Saturday? Nothing a trip to Vegas can't fix. When the Wolfpack travelled out to Las Vegas to take on UNLV, they had lost their first three games, two to BCS teams, and had no direction to their season. Enter the Rebels, who not only got doubled up on the scoreboard 63-28, but also on the stat sheet, as Nevada racked up 773 total yards, 559 of them on the ground, all the while having four turnovers in the game. UNLV managed only 70 yards on the ground themselves, but they did beat out the Wolfpack on one stat: the Rebs at least converted a fourth down.

Epic Fail: Celebrate good times (with 15 yard penalties). C'mon! For too long, there has been an uproar each time an officiating crew calls an excessive celebration penalty in the fourth quarter of a game. It happened to Vanderbilt in 2005, Washington in 2008, and now Georgia this year, resulting directly, or at least affecting, a losing outcome for all the teams previously mentioned. The subjectivity of this rule is what draws the most ire from pundits and public alike, and if the definition was changed to taunting, it would not be such a hindrance to most people. Jumping up and down and acting like a college kid during a touchdown is no big deal, and the sooner officials realize this, as well as Mike Slive, this will no longer be an issue. That is, unless a double-standard is upheld (Tim Tebow and Knowshon Moreno vs. John Parker Wilson).

Top 25 and Heisman favorites: Week 5

2009-10-05T14:24:00.002-05:00

Not much to shake out at the top, but there were plenty of Top 25 match ups this past weekend to cause a shake-up.

So, who falls where and who moves up in preparation of a big weekend ahead?

Florida
Texas
Alabama
Virginia Tech
Boise State
USC
LSU
Cincinnati
Ohio State
Penn State
TCU
Miami
Oklahoma State
Mississippi
BYU
Oregon
Iowa
Kansas
Missouri
Nebraska
Wisconsin
Oklahoma
Auburn
South Florida
South Carolina

Heisman Favorites

Tim Tebow, QB, Florida
Colt McCoy, QB, Texas
AJ Green, WR, Georgia
Tony Pike, QB, Cincinnati
Greg McElroy, QB, Alabama

Picks, Preview, and Prognostications-Week 5

2009-10-03T08:08:00.001-05:00

Hello week five with plenty of picks to salivate over and spend all afternoon enjoying on the couch as the Crimson Tide are on the road.

Last week, I continued on the road of domination, going 5-2 once again, putting me at 10-4 the past two weeks. On the season, I am now 16-12 in Crimson White picks and worked my way into being tied for third.

Overall, the record sits at 46-20 on the season, putting me at 70% on the season.

Of course, that needs to continue if I want to brag some more, so here is what will (hopefully) happen this weekend:

@Minnesota 28, Wisconsin 21

Penn State 35, @Illinois 20

*Washington 28, @Notre Dame 24

@Stanford 35, UCLA 30

*Michigan 30, @Michigan State 28

Arkansas 48, Texas A&M 45 (in Arlington, TX)

Ole Miss 24, @Vanderbilt 17

@Boston College 30, Florida State 20

Georgia Tech 35, Mississippi State 21

* @Tennessee 17, Auburn 14

* @Georgia 27, LSU 24

* @Cal 24, USC 23

*Oklahoma 28, Miami 24

*Alabama 38, @Kentucky 7

Who is Kentucky Anyway?

2009-10-03T07:54:00.002-05:00

The Wildcats are once again preparing for a top five team after playing the Florida Gators last week.

Kentucky coach Rich Brooks has already said that playing Alabama "will test our manhood" in front of the Big Blue Nation. Of course, Brooks just needs to wish that at least someone camping out in front of Memorial Coliseum for Big Blue Madness tickets shows up for the game.

On offense, Kentucky still has Mike Hartline at QB and no longer has to worry about Randall Cobb taking his job over as Cobb is now a full time wide out. The Wildcats are struggling to get things going on the offensive side of the ball to the point Rich Brooks has tweeted about it. The bad news for the Kentucky offense will be the missing link on the offensive line as RT Justin Jefferies will be out of the game. The trick for UK is going to be controlling the line and allow Hartline any time to make a play against the Crimson Tide.

On defense, Kentucky has been average for most of the season and took an absolute thrashing from Florida. Sure, Wyndham may have gotten a good hit on Tebow, but other than that, the Wildcats did nothing. Kentucky will also be in trouble in the secondary as Paul Warford will be out for the game, but Trevard Lindley is one of the better corners in the SEC. The only problem for Kentucky is that Alabama is no longer a one-trick pony on the outside. With so many options, the pressure will be on Kentucky to make all of the plays to even have a chance.

On special teams, Kentucky is replacing former kick returner Dicky Lyons, who was one of the good guys in the SEC. Also, Alabama has a history of long returns in Lexington, and Javier Arenas is itching to break one this season.

The keys for Kentucky in this game is starting fast and just pray for the best. The Wildcats have never played back-to-back teams ranked this high, and Coach Brooks has been very impressed in preparing for Alabama. He will get his chance to view the Tide in person Saturday morning while he fans continue to wait for basketball practice tickets.

Pass or Fail-Week 4

2009-09-30T14:44:00.002-05:00

When four top ten teams, lose, there are plenty of fails to hit on during the week. The passes are what become difficult.

Sure, it may be easy to look at the underdogs in those games, but that would just be a boring post.

Anyway, here is this week's Pass or Fail.

Head of the Class: Run, Brandon, Run!!! This was way under the radar, but very much worth recognition. Kansas State kick return man Brandon Banks went off on Tennessee Tech on Saturday to make many team's fans feel better about their kickoff coverage. Banks had two kickoff returns on the afternoon, one after the Golden Eagles tying touchdown in the first quarter and another after halftime, both of which resulted in touchdowns. Banks went 91 yards on the first one, and tacked on an extra three feet for the second one, finishing with 183 kickoff return yards in the game. Banks is only the 12th man in NCAA history to return two kickoffs to the house in a single game.

Pass: Alabama's Defense is ferocious. While I sat watching Alabama in a 0-0 tie with Arkansas halfway through the second quarter almost, it finally donned on me that I should be happy it was still that way. Once Alabama got ahead, it was all but over because of the Crimson Tide's crushing defense. The Crimson Tide are second nationally in overall defense and rushing defense and eighth in passing defense. There have been few teams who have perennially had a stellar defense, but Alabama always seems to be in the top ten nationally in defense year in and year out. Of course, Alabama's swarming defense meant that...

Fail: Arkansas' air traffic controller took a week off. Ryan Mallett was looking like one of the best quarterbacks in the SEC before his trip to Tuscaloosa, which resulting in a 12-35 afternoon, full of miscommunication, drops, and overthrows. The Razorbacks were held to their lowest offensive output of the season by far. Mallett will be a great QB this year, no doubt, and few defenses will be able to attack him like Alabama did, but Saturday was the worst he will look all season.

Pass: Iowa does it again. It would be one thing to say that Iowa just has Penn State's number, which finishing this decade 7-1 against the Nittany Lions would suggest such a thing, but this weekend was different. This was barely even a game as Iowa managed to dominate the game once things settled down. The Hawkeyes put up 21 unanswered points in Happy Valley in front of a very excited and hyped crowd who was all clad in white. Which leads me to believe...

Fail: White outs only erase any home team hope. Besides Penn State's debacle on national television and in front of the Gameday crew (and resulting in Iowa's ridiculous vaulting into the 13th spot in the AP), but Florida State continued the bi-polar world tour by laying an egg at home during a white out against South Florida....excuse me, a Matt Grothe-less South Florida team. Sure, both victors in these situations are still undefeated, but to lose in the fashion that both Florida State and Penn State bit the dust is really no excuse for ranked teams at full strength.

Pass: Oregon decides to punch back. (Ok, I promise, last LeGarrette Blount-Oregon-punch reference of the season[maybe]) After their dismal display to begin the season, the Oregon Ducks are now 3-1 after their Saturday thrashing of the Cal Bears, who were a little to zealous looking ahead to their match against USC this Saturday. Jahvid Best, who had been in my Heisman top five since the pre-season, fell flat on his face against what was perceived to only be a mediocre Oregon defense. Instead, the Ducks are starting to look better and better (as Boise State score more and more) and the noise of Autzen Stadium got to the Golden Bears.

Fail: Finders Keepers is the law in Texas, apparently. I know smaller schools enjoy rushing the field, even if they are the ranked team and beating a team that the polls say they should. However, you rush the field and take the goal posts (potentially) only. That is, unless you go to Houston. The Cougars are still looking for three helmets after Saturday's late win over Texas Tech incited a riot on the field. The program is not going to press charges as long as the helmets are returned, but it seems like someone enjoys their souvenirs a little too much.

Epic Fail: Remember when Ole Miss wasn't Ole Miss? Oh you're 60? Eh, still doesn't make a difference. There is something to be said about the only team in the SEC West who has still yet to make a trip to Atlanta, and once again, this year doesn't look to be the year. The Rebels lost their 6th straight SEC opener Thursday against South Carolina after being universally ranked too high based on one win last year. Ole Miss fell a ridiculous 17 spots in the polls after the loss and now look like a team bound for a return to mediocrity. The Rebs have not put a single half of consistent football together, much less beaten anyone worth writing home about. Sure, you can make the excuse for the boys from Oxford that they only played one Saturday game in September, but that doesn't excuse them from not showing up in the first half against Memphis or SE Louisiana. Who cares, they are gonna go 12-0 in the tailgate this season anyway.

Top 25, Heisman favorites, and links: Week 4

2009-09-29T19:17:00.002-05:00

Another week in, another FOUR top ten teams take a tumble. (Go ahead, say five times fast before you move on)

The continued losing of the "best teams" is making putting together a top 25 harder and harder, especially with nine teams who are still unbeaten sitting outside the rankings done by the big boys.

So, after week four, who are the top 25 teams in the land by my standards?

Florida
Texas
Alabama
Virginia Tech
Boise State
Oklahoma
LSU
USC
Cincinnati
Ohio State
Penn State
TCU
Houston
Penn State
Oklahoma State
Mississippi
BYU
North Carolina
Miami
Cal
Georgia
Missouri
Michigan
Iowa
Kansas

Heisman Favorites

First off, and I am doing this out of spite and hilarity, but take a look at who Jon Goesslin from SI.com has as the number two player in America. You will laugh.

Tim Tebow, QB, Florida
Colt McCoy, QB, Texas
Greg McElroy, QB, Alabama
Dez Bryant, WR, Oklahoma State
AJ Green, WR, Georgia

Links

You want Power Rankings, I'll give you Power Rankings. Here is Andy Staples from SI, who was in Tuscaloosa on Saturday, and the whole ESPN crew.
Since this week got started a little late, here is the Forde-Yard Dash, one of my favorite reads each week.
Mark Schlabach of ESPN.com's weekly column, On the Mark, with a look at who to bet on and bet against for the next two months.
Stewart Mandel of SI.com looks at this season long and hard as a possible repeat of 2007.

Picks, Previews and Prognostications: Week 4

2009-09-26T11:00:00.002-05:00

Here is yet another weeks worth of picks, but not much prognostications again this week with a heavy load of school work to precede Saturday.

Last week, I managed to get above .500 at 11-10 after a 5-2 weekend last Saturday. I am still dead last against the CW staff, but I am at least tied for that honor this week.

Overall, I am now 35-17 after three weeks, which is not a bad after a quarter of the season is over. Now its time for this weeks picks.

@ Penn State 34, Iowa 20

@Wisconsin 30, Michigan State 27

Notre Dame 31, Purdue 14

*Cal 35, @Oregon 31

*TCU 24, @Clemson 20

Pitt 20, @NC State 10

*North Carolina 24, @Georgia Tech 10

@Georgia 35, Arizona State 24

* @Stanford 28, Washington 27

* @Houston 45, Texas Tech 42

Florida 45, @Kentucky 21

LSU 35, @Mississippi State 17

* @Virginia Tech 20, Miami 17

* @Alabama 35, Arkansas 17

Who is Arkansas, anyway?

2009-09-26T09:17:00.002-05:00

To say that Arkansas has a legitimate offense would be a huge understatement for Alabama's first SEC opponent.

The Hogs have really opened things up through the air since the arrival of Bobby Petrino last year. This season, the Hogs have the number one air attack with Ryan Mallett flinging the ball around the field.

Arkansas has plenty of targets this year despite the injuries to London Crawford and Lucas Miller. Sophomore receivers Joe Adams, Jarius Wright, and Greg Childs have all stepped up this year, not to mention returning leading receiver DJ Williams, the tight end.

With so many options, Mallett could have a field day in the pocket if the offensive line holds with three juniors. The OL must also get holes against Alabama's tough front seven to give Michael Smith room to run if he does enter the game enough. The expectations out of Fayetteville are that Ronnie Wingo and Knile Davis will get their share of carries against the Crimson Tide on Saturday.

On Defense, Arkansas is once again less than stellar. Sure, this team can put up the points, but the defense can give them up just as quickly. The early loss of Isaac Madison in the secondary has hurt, but the fact still remains he may not make much difference. Georgia went over the top time after time against the Hogs, so the return of Julio Jones and the arm of Greg McElroy spreading it out to over ten receivers so far this season may feast on Arkansas.

On Special Teams, Alabama is the key no matter how you look at it. The Hogs don't have a legit kickoff or punt return specialist, but the Bama coverage will dictate how many yards and points the Hogs have in the game from the specialist.

The coaches are both the "experts" in their own realm, Saban and defense and Petrino and offense. Saban got the best of him last season, and there is a good chance Saban will get him again and force Mallett to throw underneath in this game. Alabama will just find the open receiver in this game, and if they can do that well, the Crimson Tide will be fine.

Wright, Adams, Childs

Pass or Fail-Week 3

2009-09-23T19:15:00.003-05:00

Every week, there are those performances that make us all stand in awe at the television, and then there are those that cause the spinach dip to fly off the coffee table.

Every week, each of those performances are complied here on the blog, offering a chance to relive those great moments and those not so great moments when you were cleaning the dip off the dog.

Week three saw a lot out of quarterbacks, and then a few coaches ready to make excuses.

Head of the Class: Jacory Harris is on fiah!!! The Hurricanes have blown through two ranked opponents this season with two still to go, but most of the credit in these games can be attributed to Miami quarterback Jacory Harris who was 20/25 for 270 yards and three touchdowns against the Yellow Jackets last Thursday night. On the year, Harris is 31/59 with five touchdowns and has paced the Miami offense with consistent play. He will face a tough test this week in Blacksburg against Virginia Tech, and the results will reflect largely on him, his team, and his Heisman hopes.

Pass: The one Rich Rod let slip away. The heading isn't a shot at Michigan, especially with Tate Forcier playing as well as he is right now, but it is more so that Ryan Mallett is that damn good. The Razorbacks quarterback has shown why he was such a highly recruited signal caller against Georgia, duplicating his fall scrimmage number of five passing touchdowns and 408 yards through the air. Mallett has yet to throw an interception this season, but will face an Alabama defense this week that is looking to add to their minuscule total of one on the season....that is, if his bullet of a ball can be caught by a defensive back without breaking their hand.

Fail: Oregon apparently has some green besides what they wear. For as much as the extremist fan talks about doing such a thing as this, Oregon fan Tony Seminary actually followed through with the threat of asking for his money back and got a $439 check signed by head coach Chip Kelly after Seminary complained about the Ducks performance in Boise on opening night. I personally don't believe Kelly should have paid the man half a G because his team got outplayed by a better team. If anything, Seminary should be charged more money for staying past the undercard to watch LeGarrette Blount go MMA on a Bronco.

Pass: Speaking of pass, that's all Landry Jones did. Who needs Sam Bradford when the moustache-wearing, gun-slinging Jones is out there throwing for a school record six touchdowns in Oklahoma's lopsided 45-0 win over Tulsa on Saturday. At a school that has plenty of history and a great run of recent quarterbacks (Jason White before Bradford), none of them could take advantage of a weaker team as much as Jones did. Jones may have one more game to shine before Bradford takes back over as the reigning Heisman winner began throwing once again earlier this week. All Sooner fans can take a deep breath knowing that not all is lost once Sam bolts for the money at the end of the year.

Fail: Blue Raider Football is for real! It was not so much a surprise to see Middle Tennessee State beat up on Memphis last week, but the fact the boys from Murfreesboro went up to College Park, Maryland and toppled the turtles is saying something....about Maryland and the ACC. The league is slowly fading into the dark depths of the BCS as an obscure league with no nationally prominent team. Sure, Virginia Tech and Miami are still up in the rankings, but both of those teams will surely end up with two loses at least once again this season. I know, I praised Miami not forty lines ago, but Virginia Tech and Oklahoma loom in the distance.

Pass: The legend of Greg McElroy continues to grow. It was impressive enough to watch Greg McElroy and the historic Crimson No. 12 grow up in the second half against Virginia Tech. Then he went all Ron Steele on us and broke a school record in only his second game as a starter. Saturday, G-Mac broke yet another record while going 13-15 in his half against North Texas. Starting with the second half against Virginia Tech, McElroy has completed 40 of 51 passes to 12 different receivers. McElroy has completed 66% of his passes this season, and if that trend continues, McElroy may emerge as Alabama's most legitimate Heisman contender in the school's history. Sure, it is early, but McElroy has it going right now.

Fail: USC's Christmas comes early this year...again. Watching the Trojans lose a game they shouldn't year after year has become commonplace in college football, but this is the second straight year Troy has been razed in the third week of the season. This season's loss came at the hands of the Washington Huskies, who, after losing every game last season, now have a winning streak after taking down the Trojans. There was a reason why I placed USC at No. 10 in the pre-season, and this game proved it all. New quarterback coming in (Matt Barkeley missing is no excuse), no go-to receiver, and replacing a lot on defense, including their entire linebacking core. Every now and then, teams like USC still have to rebuild, and this year is a rebuilding year...maybe. For all we know, the dynasty could be over.

Epic Fail: Urban Cryer is alive and kicking!!! There is only one thing that could beat USC falling on their face, and that would be Florida head coach Urban Meyer making an excuse a day about how Tennessee kept things close against the Gators on Saturday. Saturday night into Sunday, the first excuse emerged that UF was without three receivers. Sunday, apparently everyone in Gainesville came down with the flu. Monday, it became Florida's game plan to match the Vols idea to play conservative cause Lane Kiffin had chose not to win the game. All in all, Urban is finally realizing that Florida isn't the same team they were last year. Just as I mentioned about USC, Florida faces the issue of not having a go-to receiver this season, and it showed against the boys from Knoxville. The eye test is being applied, and it is now widely known that Florida is very vulnerable.

Top 25, Heisman favorites, and links: Week 3

2009-09-21T11:13:00.002-05:00

Another week, another top five team goes down.

USC had their annual letdown against Washington this week, a team that won all of ZERO games in 2008. The Huskies are now 2-1 and are tied for the lead in the Pac-10 with perennial power....Stanford?

Nonetheless, the reasoning for me placing USC at No. 10 in the pre-season was shown this weekend for the entire nation to see: Replacing your starting QB, for the first time in a long time there is no go-to receiver for the Trojans, they are replacing all but three starters on defense, and their lost both their coordinators.

Sure, you can pass off USC as a "reloading" team, but some deficits are just too deep.

ITNOT Top 25-Week 3

Florida
Texas
Alabama
Penn State
Cal
LSU
Boise State
Oklahoma
Mississippi
USC
Ohio State
Miami
TCU
Cincinnati
Oklahoma State
North Carolina
BYU
Houston
Georgia
Michigan
Missouri
Kansas
Nebraska
Washington
Florida State

Heisman Favorites

Tim Tebow, QB, Florida
Colt McCoy, QB, Texas
Jahvid Best, RB, Cal
Jacory Harris, QB, Miami
Daryl Clark, QB, Penn State

Links

The Game Day Final recap from ESPN.com takes a look at how underwhelming Florida and Texas have looked so far this season, and list Alabama and Cal as two teams to keep an eye on as the season progresses.
Pete Thamel of the New York Times has an opposing look at the top two teams and how their QB situations make them better than everyone else in the country.
Stewart Mandel's Monday gem called College Football Overtime is up once again, and he takes a look at the rise of Miami and Cal after their Emerald Bowl battle last December.
ESPN.com's Power Rankings for this week have gotten a little cozy at the top, with Alabama just one point behind Texas in the overall poll, but the Crimson Tide did get a first-place vote from Bruce Feldman, who hinted at that on twitter this weekend.
Dennis Dodd, though I can't stand his writing, makes a good point about how USC may no longer be the USC of four or five years ago after receiving so much praise and publicity from the media.
With the focus on Arkansas this weekend, here are articles on the Hogs' need to bounce back this week and the display put on by their young receivers with two key guys missing against Georgia.

Picks, Previews, and Prognostications-Week 2

2009-09-19T08:41:00.002-05:00

So, a busy week mixed with a horribly boring previous week in college football led to me not updating Wednesday and Thursday, but I shall continue the the picks, because I can't live with my last week.

I went 8-8 last week to move to 24-14 on the year, but went 2-5 in CW picks, moving me to 6-8 on the year, and dead last in that category.

So what went wrong? Well, I lost four of those games by a combined 11 points, and then the Standford let down by 7 points as well. Ironically, the two games I picked correctly were Alabama.....and Auburn.

So, now on to this week, where there is more conference action on the docket, so here what (hopefully) will happen this week.

34 @Iowa, 21 Arizona

27 @Clemson, 24 Boston College

40 Utah, 30 @Oregon

45 Cincinnati, 42 @Oregon State

30 @North Carolina, 23 East Carolina

45 Cal, 27 @Minnesota

*20 @Virginia Tech, 17 Nebraska

45 @Texas, 38 Texas Tech

*31 @Arkansas, 27 Georgia

*48 @Auburn, 45 West Virginia

*24 Mississippi State, 14 @Vanderbilt

*35 @BYU, 17 Florida State

*31 @Florida, 7 Tennessee

* 35 @Alabama, 3 North Texas

Pass or Fail-Week 2

2009-09-16T15:35:00.002-05:00

After week two of college football, there really was not much going on worth noting.

If this week's Pass or Fail seems shorter than normal, that's because it actually is.

Head of the Class: Auburn can run the ball, again. The Tigers finally look like a team that might have a chance to go to a bowl. The Tigers are second in the country in offense thanks in large part to their ground game that went nuts on Mississippi State last Saturday. The Tigers are averaging 345 yards on the ground between Ben Tate and Onterio McCalebb, who are both averaging 6.9 yards per carry so far this season. Gus Malzhan has been doing well in his first two games, but Auburn doesn't face a defensive-minded team until they make their way to Knoxville October 3rd.

Pass: Huge Underdogs take the lead. Both Wyoming and Florida International were not expected to give their week two opponents a scare. Both teams were leading their top five opponent in games they would go on to lose by a combined score of 81-24. The Cowboys led Texas 10-6 in the second quarter, and were only down 13-10 at half, but Texas had an onslaught of 35 unanswered points. FIU led Alabama after a second-quarter TD to make it 14-13. The Crimson Tide responded with 27 unanswered points of their own en route to their second victory of the season. The small leads by both of these teams can only lead confidence for both squads as the season continues.

Fail: Week Two Scheduling down right sucks. You wonder why this blog is a day late and a dollar short? There was no game worth watching except USC-Ohio State, and even that game seemed ho-hum despite the way it ended. Many teams were playing pansy teams and what conference match-ups there were, they didn't garner any real attention. In a word: yawn.

Pass: Notre Dame/Michigan was mildly entertaining. Michigan looks to actually be able to challenge for eight wins and possibly second place in the Big Ten after the win over the Irish and a mild conference in their way. Tate Forcier is going to be a household name by the end of the season and could reach Tim Tebow status if the Wolverines can come away with a stellar season in 2009.

Fail: Colorado looks extremely rocky. The Buffs lost to in-state rival Colorado State last week, and then laid a huge egg in the middle of Ohio as Toledo ran, passed, and all out plowed right over Dan Hawkins' team. It seems more likely that Dan Hawkins will not survive the season and will have to leave his son to suffer on Boulder for the next two years.

Pass: College Football is so hot right now. As if the news on last Monday that FSU-Miami was the 2nd highest rated game to be seen on ESPN, it was found out that OSU/USC was the highest rated game, including bowls, in ESPN history. If this continues for the duration of the season, it wouldn't be surprising to see 2009 match-ups taking the top five spots of all-time on ESPN.

Fail: Oklahoma State was not ready for Prime Time. Give credit to Houston here, but the Cowboys had a huge let down against the Cougars on Saturday. Houston seemed to have control during most of the game, and T. Boone Pickens cannot be to pleased to be 1-1 in his brand new money pit. The Big XII isn't too pleased either with their teams from the Panhandle State as both of those teams have lost while being in the top five this year.

Epic Fail: Will there be such thing as a conference race this year? When you look at the BCS conferences this season, only the ACC seems to have a legitimate race. Sure, the Big XII North might have something, but lets face it: Florida will play Alabama in Atlanta, Texas will win the Big XII, Penn State will run through the Big Ten, USC will once again play for the Roses, and Cincinnati is going to hurt some teams in the Big East. No other team in any of those teams conferences/divisions have not shown any promise, and the old adage is the biggest improvements come between weeks one and two. The most intriguing conference may in fact be the Mountain West, with BYU and TCU looking like they could both crash the BCS, and the question of if Utah can recover. Other than that, once again: yawn.

Top 25, Heisman favorites, and links: Week 2

2009-09-14T00:55:00.004-05:00

Two weeks in, and things are seemingly starting to take shape.

Two top five teams have already gone down this season, both from the Big XII, and parity might be starting to take shape in college football.

This week, eyes will be on BYU once again as they host Florida State just to see if this Cougar team is legit.

ITNOT Top 25-Week 2

Florida
Texas
Penn St.
Alabama
USC
BYU
Cal
Oklahoma
Ohio State
LSU
Boise St.
Mississippi
Oklahoma St.
TCU
Virginia Tech
Georgia Tech
Cincinnati
Miami
North Carolina
Pittsburgh
Houston
Nebraska
Kansas
Michigan
Georgia

Heisman Trophy Favorites-Week 2

Tim Tebow, Florida, QB

Colt McCoy, Texas, QB

Jahvid Best, Cal, RB

Daryl Clark, Penn St., QB

Picks, Previews and Pronostications: Week 2

2009-09-11T09:53:00.002-05:00

With week two already underway thanks to Georgia Tech's victory over Clemson last night, it is time to turn the attention to Saturday.

After one week, I am 18-6 on games that I picked to pick, but only 4-3 in games picked by the CW staff, which is actually good enough for tied for second right now.

As for the ESPN college football Pick'em group, I am currently third in the group of ten that actually filled out their sheets this week. Don't forget, it is never too late to join the group, and for those of you in the group, be sure to make out your picks.

This week, there are only 16 games worth picking as conference play begins and only two games capture a national interest.

BYU @ Tulane

I watched Tulane on television last Friday night, and Tulsa was mopping the floor of the Superdome in front of the 100 or so fans that decided their life didn't suck enough. BYU, of course, is coming off the victory over Oklahoma. The Cougars have not had a win this big in quite some time, there will be a bit of a let down, but the Green Wave are just awful, so any letdown short of eight turnovers is enough for a BYU victory. BYU 31, Tulane 6

TCU @ Virginia

The Horned Frogs travel up to Charlottesville where Al Groh still has a job after losing to William and Mary last week. Groh has long been on the hot seat since he started leading the Cavaliers, and TCU has long had a stout defense. They were the only one of two teams last season to hold Oklahoma under 45 points in a single game. The Frogs are beginning their season this week and visit Clemson in two weeks. After this week, though, TCU will be 1-0 against the ACC this season. TCU 27, Virginia 7

*Stanford @Wake Forest

You have to credit Wake Forest for starting off their season against two BCS OOC teams, but at some point you would have thought the Demon Deacons would fear going 0-2 in these games. Both Baylor and Stanford have improved since this schedule was made about five to seven years ago, and Wake has already been up and back down in that time as well. Of course, Baylor had Robert Griffin in their corner last week, while Stanford only has Tavita Pritchard flinging the ball around for them. Nonetheless, the Cardinal took care of business in Pullman last week, and nothing would kick off Jim Harbaugh's third season and a drive for a bowl better than heading back to Stanford for the home opener already 2-0. Look for the boys in red to do so after this weekend. Stanford 28, Wake Forest 17

North Carolina @ Connecticut

In a battle between two up and coming programs, the Tar Heels would seem to have the edge in this game in Storrs. UNC has a legitimate chance to win their division in the ACC while UConn is in the midst of a wide open Big East race. In name, this may look like a close game, and the Huskies being at home may keep it that way for three quarters, but North Carolina should have no problem here moving to 2-0. North Carolina 35, Connecticut 21

Syracuse @ Penn State

Two high profile quarterbacks take the field in Happy Valley on Saturday, one being a Heisman candidate, the other being a former point guard. The main storyline in this game is Daryl Clark vs. Greg Paulus, but other than that, this game has no real national appeal. The Paulus watch will be going on all season, and they did well against their first Big Ten opponent, but the Nittany Lions are not Minnesota. Penn State 42, Syracuse 10

Air Force @ Minnesota

Speaking of the Golden Gophers, they open their new outdoor stadium with a game against the Air Force's multi-faceted running game. The Falcons had an easy time against Nicholls State, but Minnesota is still a BCS team despite their lowly stature in the Big Ten. This game should be more difficult for Air Force, but Minnesota will open their new stadium with a loss. Air Force 30, Minnesota 20

Purdue @ Oregon

The Blount-less Ducks take the field for the first time since the post-game flare up in Boise. Purdue looked a lot more impressive than people expected against Toledo, running away with a game that many experts thought would be close till the end. Now, a senior laden Boilermakers squad travels to Eugene and are looking to kick a duck while he's down. This game looks full speed ahead for Purdue. Purdue 24, Oregon 10

Fresno State @ Wisconsin

Since Bret Bielema arrived in Madison, the Badgers have gotten progressively worse. After a 12-1 first season, Wisconsin is just 16-10 in the past two seasons. Fresno State is a perennial mid-major team that is ready to beat anyone. The Bulldogs should be able to overcome the wild crowd at Camp Randall Stadium and come out of there with a victory against a Wisconsin team that struggled against Northern Illinois last week. Fresno State 20, Wisconsin 13

Troy @ Florida

Two years ago when Troy went down to Gainesville, the game was never really in doubt, but the Trojans kept it closer than expected by keeping the game within thirty. This season, Florida is a lot stronger, and this looks to be one of the weaker teams under Larry Blakeney. The Gators will finally get a decent game next week against Tennessee, but until then, it should be more of the same Tim Tebow for 30 minutes, followed by John Brantley for the next thirty. Florida 56, Troy 13

*Mississippi State @ Auburn

The game that started the demise for Tommy Tuberville will look to get a few more runs on the board this year after a 3-2 game last season. Auburn scored all five runs, err, points last year with a field goal and allowing a safety. Both teams are looking to run a more excitable offense this season, so another five point showing should not be in the future. Guz Malzhan wants Auburn to get to the 90 play plateau this season, while Dan Mullen's spread is still taking shape in Starkville. Eyes will be on two freshman as Chad Bumphis of State and Onterio McCalebb for the Tigers look to steal the show for both teams. The game should be close, but Auburn's experience will overtake MSU by the end of the game. Auburn 14, Mississippi State 10

*South Carolina @ Georgia

Two horrific offenses from week one will square off in Athens in what is traditionally a defensive battle. Both Mark Richt and Steve Spurrier need this win, but the Bulldogs can't afford to start the season 0-2 and facing a trip to a much improved Arkansas team next week. Neither offense showed much promise in game one, and South Carolina's defense is still quite nasty. Stephen Garcia is better than Joe Cox with a shoulder injury, and AJ Green can't defeat that gap alone. South Carolina 13, Georgia 9

Vanderbilt @ LSU

The talk all week has been about LSU's horrific defensive showing against Washington last weekend in Seattle. John Chavis is trying to revamp a defense that had to answer to two heads last season and giving up 450+ yards to a team that hasn't won a game in 2o months is not a good start. Sure, Vandy is still Vandy in a sense, but if the 'Dores are allowed to hang around after one quarter, the game will get very interesting, very quickly. Despite LSU's defensive issues, the Tigers still have the best 1-2 punch at receiver with Toliver and LaFell, and that is enough to get them over the top in this game. LSU 27, Vanderbilt 17

*UCLA @ Tennessee

Tennessee is looking for revenge against UCLA after the 27-24 overtime loss last season in Los Angeles which began the Phil Fulmer farewell tour. I called that game to be the beginning of the end for Fulmer, and it turned out to be. This year, Lane Kiffin could get a huge jump start if the Vols can take down the Bruins. Tennessee has the advantage on defense not only with Eric Berry, but also a young UCLA offensive line and redshirt freshman quarterback. The game might be ugly on offense, but Tennessee should dominate this game on the field, even if it doesn't look that way on the scoreboard. Tennessee 28, UCLA 20

*Notre Dame @ Michigan

A game that looked like a nightmare just two weeks ago has now turned into must see TV after both Notre Dame and Michigan disposed of what were perceived to be difficult mid major game by a combined score of 66-7. The Domers posted a shut out and Michigan took control early against Western Michigan. Now, they face off in the Big House on national television and the victor is in prime position to return to national prominence. Tate Forcier started great for the Big Blue last week, but Jimmy Clausen's confidence is a high as any Clausen has been in 15 years. Notre Dame should come out with a win and a top 15 ranking to boot. Notre Dame 23, Michigan 14

*USC @ Ohio State

The game for which all eyes will be feasted on is hosting College Gameday this weekend in Columbus. Pete Carroll and the Trojans dismantled the Big Ten image once again last year in a 35-3 mauling at the Coliseum. This year, Carson Palmer is salivating at the idea of watching the Buckeyes take it on the chin again. However, Ohio State does have Terrelle Pryor on their side and will not be facing a triple-option attack Saturday. Matt Barkley makes his first start on the road and second overall in front of 100,000 screaming fans in scarlet. It is quite the intimidating place to visit, and Ohio State should play ball and clock control and tire out USC's young defense. Ohio State 24, USC 21

*Florida International @ Alabama

Alabama is looking to avoid the second straight second game letdown as they take on Florida International Saturday. FIU is not as daunting of a task as Tulane was last season in this spot on the schedule, but the Crimson Tide can't afford to sleep on the Golden Panthers. T.Y. Hilton is an all-everything man for FIU, and he will be coming at the Alabama defense and special teams from all angles. Besides that, the Crimson Tide may rack up 200 rushing yards again this week against a very green defensive line from FIU. Mark Ingram shouldn't see the second half, and Trent Richardson is going to have his chance to shine Saturday. Alabama 45, Florida International 7

Links to picks

Who is Florida International, anyway?

2009-09-10T17:01:00.003-05:00

For all intended purposes, the Golden Panthers of Florida International are the first cupcake on the schedule. I can safely say that cause I am a firm believer that Nick Saban does not read this blog (or any blog for that matter.)

The Panthers are coming out of the Sun Belt conference and will be kicking off their season this Saturday against the Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa.

FIU has only been playing football since 2002 and are 21-59 in their seven-year history. The school has never had a winning season, but have won five games on three occasions, including last season's 5-7 effort. An overtime loss to Florida Atlantic in the next to last weekend of the season was the only thing short of keeping the school from a .500 record.

The Panthers have played in Tuscaloosa before back in 2006 when Mike Shula led the Crimson Tide to a 38-3 victory, the only meeting in the series.

As for this year's Panthers squad, they return 16 starters from last season, 10 of which are on offense.

On offense, the Panthers are a predominantly passing team, having their air attack more than double the yards churned out on the ground in 2008. Quarterback Paul McCall only completed 52% of his passes last season, but did throw 15 touchdowns to nine interceptions. His favorite target is T.Y. Hilton, who as a freshman had 1,000 yards receiving and seven touchdowns. He will be the focus of the Alabama defense even though FIU's top five receivers return this season, including all of their touchdown receptions from last year.

On defense, Florida International is quite vulnerable both on the ground and through the air. The Panthers gave up an average of four yards per carry last season and allowed for an average of 60% of pass attempts to be completed. Despite these stats, they still have some players. Linebacker Scott Bryant was the team leader in tackles (89) and tackles for loss (7) from a year ago and he returns for his final season in Miami. Lurking in the secondary is Anthony Gaitor, a first team All-Sun Belt last season. Gaitor led the team in interceptions (5) and pass break-ups (11) last season and will be a focus on locating him on the line before each passing play. The Tide should expect a break on the four-man defensive front as FIU is replacing three defensive linemen this season.

On special teams, Hilton is once again the man for the Panthers. Last season he averaged 23 yards per kickoff return and 15 yards per punt return. He also had a touchdown from each position. For kicks, FIU will rely on Dustin Rivest, who has only hit 19-35 for his career with a long of 43. Rivest will also be taking over the punting duties this season.

For Alabama, the game plan seems pretty simple: run the ball down their throats, play sound defensively, get out without getting hurt. If the Crimson Tide can do this, Saturday will be a successful 60 minutes.

Are You ready for Hawai'i 2006, Part Two on Saturday?

2009-09-09T09:11:00.006-05:00

As it has been documented since July, and should be well known by now through countless e-mails, the number of gates available to students for Saturday's home opener at Bryant-Denny Stadium has gone from six to one.

The reason, of course, is because of the new expansion in the South end zone of the stadium that is set to open next fall and raise Bryant-Denny's capacity over 100,000 fans.

Yes, it is a good thing that the stadium is expanding. Along with more seats for season ticket holders, there will also be expanded seating for the students as well as a means for encompassing all sound within the walls of Bryant-Denny to make it an even more difficult stadium to play inside.

Here is the problem, though: the student section size has not decreased from last year, but the number of gates has.

There are still going to be 15,000 students trying to get into the game through one gate, and there is no doubt this will cause a problem that has been seen before.

I take you back to my first game as a student: Alabama vs. Hawaii, September 2nd, 2006. The first game with the newly expanded North end zone and the first game in which card readers are to be used at the student gates.

This game alone was the reason as to why gates now open two and a half hours before game time. At this time, there were only two hours for students to enter.

The University had said that test runs were positive and that there should be no problems...except there were.

Readers failed, lines backed up, and before you knew it, at least 2,000 students missed a bulk of the first quarter and many more missed kick off. Lines were back to the graveyard on Bryant Drive at every gate and were moving at half the speed of snail.

Of course, the changes were made and everything went smoothly from then on out.

Now, here we are again with the University saying that everything should run smoothly Saturday, but lets take a look into what they are expecting to happen.

The University expects there to be a line when gates open two and a half hours to kickoff. They also expect you to wait in line anywhere from an hour to an hour and a half.

In 150 minutes, the University expects to move roughly 14,000 students through one gate with eight card readers. Let me do this math for you.

14,000 students, divided by eight card readers equals 1,750 students per reader.

Those 1,750 students divided by 2.5 hours equals approximately 700 students per hour are expected to pass through each reader.

Seven hundred students per hour boils down to 11.6666..... per minute, meaning one student every five seconds will enter the stadium from each reader.

Anyone who has been to an Alabama football game as a student knows this is not fathomable.

So, where is the SGA in helping getting the students more gates as to where they will be able to get to see the game at a school where football is king? They are in compliance with the University.

The SGA actually had a meeting tonight at six to discuss any questions you may have about the procedure.

Didn't know about it? Well they tweeted about it, so how could you not. It's not like they didn't put an ad in the Crimson White. Oh, wait, they DID NOT put an ad in the Crimson White.

This shouldn't surprise anyone considering this is the same organization who's president promised the campus to be fully wireless in 2007 or said we would have ticket stubs for students who want them when we went to paperless tickets in 2008.

All I can say is I struggle to get Internet consistently when trying to broadcast Alabama Soccer by the Rec Center and I have no documentation that I witnessed Alabama destroy Auburn last November. Thanks, R.B. and Cason, you did oh so well.

So, Steven Oliver, I ask of you, when this system fails on Saturday, please meet with the University and get the students a second gate. It can't be that hard to do with your power.

*****************************UPDATE*******************************

After posting this blog, and my subsequent rant on Rock and Jock last night, I have been informed nicely by two SGA members that the issue has been taken up with the University and that the Athletic Department will not listen to the SGA about potential problems this system may have on Saturday. The Athletic Department fully believes in this system and will not change it unless they view it as absolutely necessary. I would like to apologize to the SGA for my comments above and thank them for their attempt to resolve the manner with the University. Hopefully there can be a better system put in place by Arkansas.

Pass or Fail-Week 1

2009-09-08T19:01:00.001-05:00

Before I get into this week's Pass or Fail, I wanted to point out my newest endeavor: Lexycasting.

The idea behind Lexycasting is having someone reporting on a program with a 2-3 minute broadcast that can be contacted via your cell phone.

Each week, I will have a post up after reviewing the previous week's game early in the week, any mid-week news, a 2-minute drill prep post for Saturday's game, and then at least a post game post, if not some at half or during the game.

Want to know how to access it? It's simple. Just dial 1-888-622-2413 and just follow along to listen to the post.

Now, on to what this post is really about, and that's the first week in college football.

After one week, it should be quite obvious who gets the Epic Fail of the week, but what about the other fails and passes after a long weekend of college football?

Head of the Class: Notre Dame and Michigan create a match-up worth watching. I was very skeptical this past week about how Notre Dame and Michigan would perform after Rich Rodriguez's lawsuits and Charlie Weis' billboards, but both teams stepped it up and showed out. Notre Dame jumped on Nevada early and then pounded 21 points on the scoreboard in the 2nd quarter to cruise past the Wolfpack 35-0. Michigan did the same to Western Michigan, in what I had figured to be a close game, and disposed of the Broncos 31-7. Now, the two teams meet in Ann Arbor this week in what has become must see TV the way both teams performed in week one.

Pass: Daryll Clark goes off. If anyone was looking for a potential Heisman candidate at the QB position to take Sam Bradford's place, Daryll Clark made a great case against Akron on Saturday. Clark threw for 353 yards on 29 of 40 passing, all career highs, and connected for three touchdowns as the Nittany Lions rolled 31-7 over the Zips. Clark should not face a QB at his level all season, even Terrelle Pryor from Ohio State. The biggest issue for Penn State this year is playing for twelve consecutive weeks and having the final two off as other teams continue to play and improve their strength of schedule.

Fail: Navy blows it. Ohio State is one of those teams that can get caught looking ahead sometimes. Last season before playing USC, the Buckeyes struggled against Ohio before heading to the west coast to get walloped. This year, the Midshipmen brought their triple-option to Columbus and decided to wreck havoc on Scarlet and Gray. Navy had pulled within two points after a touchdown with 2:23 brought up the necessity to go for two. The Middies decided to pass on the play, and Ohio State LB Brian Rolle intercepted the attempt and ran it all the way back to give OSU two points and double the lead which they would hold on to. Navy was in shock after potentially having the chance to start the season off right, but couldn't make the plays when it counts.

Pass: Florida State and Miami turn back the clock. The question everyone was asking after this game was if both of these teams are finally back. The jury is still out on that, but the game between Miami and Florida State in Tallahassee Monday night was one for the ages. Not only did this game include questionable quarterbacks shining when it counted, but it also had one of the greatest endings in the series history. In usual fashion, FSU ended up on the losing end of an epic finish, but both teams showed great improvement, it seemed, from last year's debacle of an ACC season.

Fail: Those other 10 ACC teams face plant week one. Speaking of the ACC, FSU/Miami did a lot to save face for the conference after their Thursday and Saturday debuts. Thursday night, NC State managed to drop any ball worth a damn in their 7-3 loss to South Carolina. The weekend saw two losses to FCS teams (Virginia to William and Mary, Duke to Richmond), Wake lost to Baylor at home, and that was followed with two Saturday night losses on national television (Virginia Tech to Alabama, Maryland to Cal) in which both of the ACC teams looked overwhelmed for most of the game. Many analysts still believe that the Big East is the bottom of the barrel when it comes to BCS conference, but the ACC may deserve a look this season. The one saving grace may be the battle between Georgia Tech and North Carolina for the Coastal division title, and even that won't be enough to garner national attention and exposure.

Pass: Hello, my name is Joe Webb. If you don't know who Joe Webb is, it is about time you started to take notice. Webb is the starting QB for the UAB Blazers and will be the only reason why they may have a shot at a bowl this season. The Blazers have won only nine games over the past three seasons, but Webb may be the answer to their struggles. Here is what his first half against Rice looked like: scoring run of 15 yards, scoring run of 71 yards, touchdown pass of nine yards, touchdown pass of 22 yards. Webb finished the game with 194 rushing yards on 20 carries and 221 passing yards going 12 for 15. In other words, UAB had 516 total yards in the game, Webb accounted for 415 of them.

Fail: Lane Kiffin becomes the Mike Shula of UT football in one game. The Vols managed not only to beat Western Kentucky, but dismantled them and any dreams they had of enjoying their trip to Knoxville. Sure, Tennessee was going to win this game anyways, but for some reason, points 50-56 were aided by the arm of none other than starting QB Jonathan Crompton. The new starting QB for the Big Orange finished with five touchdown passes because he was still in the game with ten minutes left on the clock. Apparently the Village Idiot does not realize that another deer in headlights has done this before with bad results. You all remember Mike Shula's win over Florida in 2005 and Western Carolina in 2004 when the largest component of Alabama's offense went down for the season in those games. Now, I am not hoping this happens to Tennessee, nor do I expect them to get up by that much again this season, but it should be put in Kiffin's ear that bad things do happen to stupid people.

Epic Fail: This Blount actually does the hitting. Last Thursday morning, no one outside of Eugene, Oregon really knew who LaGarrette Blount was. Twenty-four hours later, his one-hit wonder on Byron Hout was seen on every episode of Sportscenter ten times an hour. Blount apparently didn't take too kindly to the words that Hout had told him after slapping his shoulder pads. Next thing you know, Boise State coach Chris Petersen is restraining Hout for the thoughts he expressed, but in fact ended up being the second bully who holds up the little freshman while the bigger guy knocks him out before both of them run off with his lunch money. Blount not only bounced away from the punch as if he just drilled a three to tie a NBA playoff game, he then proceeded to attack the fans in a manner that would have made Ron Artest proud. For his actions, Blount has been suspended for the season, and rightfully so.

Top 25, Heisman favorites, and links: Week 1

2009-09-07T23:13:00.003-05:00

So week one is finally in the books, so I can post the first top 25 now that the week is over with.

There were some shockers, both good and bad, as well as a bad injury to my pre-season #1 team.

So now with the weekend over, where does everyone sit? Take a look for yourself.

ITNOT Top 25-Week 1

Florida
Texas
Penn St.
Alabama
Ohio State
USC
Oklahoma State
Oklahoma
BYU
Cal
LSU
Boise State
Mississippi
TCU
Virginia Tech
Georgia Tech
North Carolina
Cincinnati
Pittsburgh
Miami
Oregon State
Nebraska
Kansas
Florida State
Missouri

Heisman Trophy Favorites-Week 1

Tim Tebow, QB, Florida
Colt McCoy, QB, Texas
Darrell Clark, QB, Penn St.
Jahvid Best, RB, Cal
Jonathan Dwyer, RB, Georgia Tech

Links

Jon Solomon of the Birmingham News reviews week one before today and has an interesting team in his #1 spot of his top ten.
Stewart Mandel's new weekly Monday column, College Football Overtime, touches on BYU, Boise, and a lot of other tidbits from week one.
Mark Schlabach goes into detail as to why Alabama was able to pull out their week one win against Virginia Tech in Atlanta.
Its only week one, and ESPN already has their bowl projections out for all the world to see. Mark Schlabach and Bruce Feldman agree on some bowls, but differ on some BCS matchups.
Here is the Gameday recap from this weekend, with links to each ESPN conference bloggers thoughts for what stood out to them.
Ivan Maisel of ESPN has his three-point stance blog updated from this weekend touching on LSU, Iowa, and Liberty. You can expect to see something about Miami on Tuesday I'm sure.
Cory McCartney of SI.com has a few tidbits as to why Alabama beat Virginia Tech from his point of view in the Dome.
With Missouri not skipping a beat at the quarterback position, Stewart Mandel takes a look at other QBs across the country who had a great debut weekend.

Picks, Previews and Pronostications: Week 1

2009-09-03T12:39:00.006-05:00

College Football has officially started back, and not without some opening night jaw splitting moments. (too soon? nah)

The South Carolina/NC State game did not go as I had planned, meaning that the Wolfpack wide receivers need to learn how to put two hands on the football.

Boise did pull out a win for me in the second game, and Oregon looks to be in for a long season. There are very few teams that I will probably pick for Oregon to beat this season.

If you didn't catch the 140 character predictions last night, here is what they were:

*South Carolina @ NC State

the Gamecocks D is still expected to be stout, but Russell Shepard is a beast compared to Stephen Garcia. Close gm: 21-20 Wolfpk

*Oregon @ Boise State

Masoli is a good QB, and the Ducks are gonna be good in the Pac-10, but I think the smurf turf holds strong this yr: 38-34 Boise

So after one night, I am 1-1 on the season, which isn't a bad start considering how hard those two games were to pick.

Now, with everyone else starting Saturday, it is time to get into the meat of the schedule.

Of course, each week, the 8 games selected by the Crimson White Sports Staff will be the eight major ones I select, but I will also try to cover the SEC and any other major games not picked by the staff. You would think as their sports blogger they would want my input, but sometimes logic just doesn't make sense.

Also, you will see my picks from the ESPN.com College Football Pick'em here as well. If you still want to get in on the group and not miss a week, head over the ESPN.com, and find your way to the Fantasy home page. From there, click on the College Pick'em logo, and enter into the competition by searching for the ITNOT Pick'em group and enter the group password: ITNOT. There you will be able to challenge not only me but other readers of the blog.

It would also be interesting if the sports staff would step up and join in as well, but once again, wishful thinking from that group.

So here we go with picks for Week 1.

Minnesota @ Syracuse

The Gophers will have to wait another week to open their outdoor paradise and will spend yet another game inside in the Carrier Dome. Doug Marrone will be making is head coaching debut on Saturday with Greg Paulus as his quarterback. As great of a story I think Paulus will be this season, I have to go with Adam Weber under center for Minne. Minnesota 24, Syracuse 17

Baylor @ Wake Forest

Baylor has been making some great strides the past few years, including climbing out of the basement last season in the ever steep hill that is the Big XII South. Robert Griffin may be the most underrated QB in the BCS, and Wake Forest is having to replace all but four defensive starters on their team. Art Briles returned 16 starters and gets the Demon Deacons at home this year in Waco. I like the Bears. Baylor 27, Wake Forest 24

Stanford @ Washington State

As if WAZU going 2-11 last season wasn't enough, they have to open this year against the team expected to make the biggest strides in the Pac-10 this season in Stanford. The Cardinal have a great recruiting class on the way, and Jim Harbaugh is the best coach they have had there in quite some time. The only way to go is up for the Cougars after getting beat by the Cardinal 58-0 last year. They will score this year, but not much, leaving Stanford to lead the Pac-1o for two weeks. Stanford 35, Washington State 7

*Maryland @ Cal

Cal was very highly touted last year going into College Park, and then had the fear of the turtle enacted upon them in an embarrassing 35-27 game that no where resembled the score. This year, the Terps have to fly to the Left Coast to take on the Bears in Berkeley. Cal still has the sour taste in their mouths and a Pac-1o title on their minds, so expect this one to get ugly early. Cal 38, Maryland 20

Navy @ Ohio State

Ohio State is focused on USC, but no amount of focus is going to deter them from the task at hand of Navy. The Midshipmen still run the triple option, which will definitely give Ohio State's defense fits, but Terrell Pryor is a one-man wrecking crew and won't let the Buckeyes have their national title hopes smashed before a clash with the Trojans. Ohio State, 24, Navy 10

San Jose State @ USC

Just like Ohio State, USC is looking forward to their matchup with the Buckeyes in Columbus next Saturday, but the beat up Trojans must take care of business at home first against the Spartans. Matt Barkley will become the first USC QB to start as a true freshman on Saturday, but his first loss will wait for him for at least one more week. USC 38, San Jose State 13

Missouri vs. Illinois in St. Louis

Last year's game faced Chase Daniel up against Juice Williams in a shootout that the Tigers ended up winning 52-42. This year, Juice is back, Daniel is not. In fact, neither are the Tigers top three receivers from last season. Missouri is facing a tough task with only nine returning starters going up against an Ilini team that is ready for revenge and for their first win against Mizzou in their last five chances. They get it. Illinois 28, Missouri 21

*Miami @ Florida State

In a game that used to be very hyped, no one is even bothering to take a notice of this game on Monday Night. Sure, ESPN will carry it, but the empty seats in the corners of Doak will tell the tale of how hard this rivalry has fallen. When it kicks off, Miami is no where to be found in the polls, and Florida State is #18 just because someone has to win that division. The Hurricanes return more players, but the talent gap is still visible between the two schools. Seminoles at home. Florida State 27, Miami 17

*BYU vs. Oklahoma in Dallas

The first college game in the Palace that Jerry Built will pit the Sooners and Cougars together. Max Hall vs. Sam Bradford will be the biggest competition to watch in this game, but Oklahoma still has plenty coming back on the opposite side of the ball around the reigning Heisman winner. The Sooners held Florida to 24 points in the National Title game last year, and BYU doesn't pose as much of a threat in what should be a very crimson clad crowd. Oklahoma 45, BYU 30

Western Michigan @ Michigan

Tate Forcier will be the starter amongst the three Michigan QBs who will play in Saturday's opener in the newly renovated Big House. Western Michigan brings in the better and more experience QB in the match-up as Tim Hiller leads the Broncos from Kalamazoo to Ann Arbor. The Wolverines have struggled the past two seasons against non-BCS opponents, losing to Appalachian State in 2007 and Utah in 2008. Rich Rodriguez has had a tough couple of weeks, and there is a good chance that will carry on to the field. This could be a high scoring game as only eight defensive starters return between the two teams. Michigan has lost multiple OOC games the past two years. Might as well make it three. Western Michigan 31, Michigan 30

Nevada @ Notre Dame

The Golden Domers are still riding the high of the Hawaii Bowl mauling they handed out, and Jimmy Clausen's unfounded arrogance still reigns over South Bend. Nevada will give the Irish a run for their money, but the Wolfpack have never beaten a BCS team in a season opener in their last 13 tries. Make that 14 after Saturday. Notre Dame 38, Nevada 17

LSU @ Washington

After going winless in 2008, the Huskies decided they had seen enough of Tyrone Willingham and went to USC and raided the cabinet, picking out Steve Sarkisian to lead the team in Seattle this year. LSU is looking to rebound from their worst season since Nick Saban's first year in 2000. The Tigers are hungry to gain back their national respect, and a good place to start is on national television against a team with no confidence. LSU 48, Washington 10

Ole Miss @ Memphis

This may look like a road game on paper, but Oxford to Memphis is only about an hour drive, and for this Rebel team, you can be sure that some red will be scatter amongst the throngs of blue to be there for both teams. Ole Miss has made quick work of the Tigers recently, and with Jevan Snead taking snaps this year, it is going to be a long game for Memphis. Ole Miss 41, Memphis 7

Western Carolina @ Vanderbilt

Vanderbilt is looking to go to back-to-back bowls for the first time in school history this season, and playing the Catamounts is going to lead to an easy victory for the 'Dores on Saturday at home. It is about time Vandy was the one doing the plowing instead of getting plowed. Vanderbilt 40, Western Carolina 10

Western Kentucky @ Tennessee

The Lane Kiffin era begins with the newest member of the FBS coming to town. Western Kentucky will bring their small contingent of fans to watch their first official game in Division I-A, leading to their first official loss. No amount of ineptitude on offense will slow down the Vols in this one. Tennessee 34, Western Kentucky 3

Charleston Southern @ Florida

Will they or won't they? That is the question surrounding Florida and their 73-point favorite line in the game against FCS cupcake Charleston Southern. Tim Tebow will probably see the bench before halftime as Urban Meyer will hand over the check himself after the game with a sly little smile and his pride that much more built up. Florida 63, Charleston Southern 7

Louisiana Tech @ Auburn

The Tigers begin the Gene Chizik era with a very losable game at home. The Louisiana Tech Bulldogs, coached by the former Georgia coaching great Vince Dooley's son, Derek, will have his team ready to go and attempt to improve on their 8-5 record from last season with 16 starters returning. Last year the Bulldogs got their first win against an SEC team when they beat Mississippi State. Chris Todd will do his best to make sure that Auburn isn't team #2. Sometimes your best isn't good enough. Louisiana Tech 21, Auburn 17

Miami, OH vs. Kentucky in Cincinnati

Kentucky is constantly picked last in the SEC East, but coach Rich Brooks always finds a way to improve his team. After three straight years in a bowl game, the Wildcats are looking for their fourth straight and a school record. Miami, OH no longer has Big Ben, so their one chance was about five years ago. Kentucky 31, Miami, OH 13

Missouri State @ Arkansas

Arkansas will begin year two under Bobby Petrino ready to do some damage with Michael Smith back and the addition of Ryan Mallet in the backfield. This game will be a walk in the park, even for the Hogs porous defense. At least three touchdowns for Mallett. Arakansas 42, Missouri State 14

Jackson State @ Mississippi State

Dan Mullen begins his head coaching career against Jackson State. The Bulldogs have had their largest ticket sales in school history this summer, and Mullen should have a rowdy crowd ready for the in-state opponent. Mississippi State 28, Jackson State 10

*Georgia @ Oklahoma State

One of two marquee games for the SEC this first week includes Georgia breaking in a new quarterback while Oklahoma State breaks in their stadium expansion. The Cowboys are looking to make some noise this year in the Big XII South with the lethal combination of QB Zac Robinson, WR Dez Bryant, and RB Kendall Hunter. Georgia has given up 30+ points 11 times in the past four seasons. Saturday will be the 12th time. Oklahoma State 35, Georgia 31

*Alabama vs. Virginia Tech in Atlanta

The Crimson Tide begin their season in Atlanta for the second straight year, but the coaching ability on the opposing sideline has greatly increased. Virginia Tech has as just a vaunted a defense as Alabama, and the established quarterback, but Alabama brings back nine defensive starters against a team without their best running back available. Special teams will play a role in this game, but Alabama might actually hold the edge in the category. With all of that said, the game won't be a blow out, but there will be a measured difference in ability between the Tide and the Hokies. Alabama 24, Virginia Tech 10

Links

The Orlando Sentinel Sports Staff, all ten of them, let you know who they think has the edge this weekend. And yes, they all picked Florida.
Chris Low of ESPN.com breaks down week one in the SEC.
The CBS Sports "experts" make their picks for the first week of the season, even though none of these guys I would really trust.
Tony Barnhart puts his faith in both major conference teams from the state of Georgia for this weekend.
Stewart Mandel, quite possibly my favorite writer and go-to guy online, has his thoughts on the upcoming weekend.
Charles Hollis of the Birmingham News lays out his picks and has one of the SEC teams in the state losing on Saturday.
Cory McCartney of SI.com picks Alabama/VT as his game of the week in his thorough breakdown of the Chick-fil-a Kickoff Game.

Who is Virginia Tech, anyway?

2009-09-03T12:39:00.005-05:00

There has been plenty of time this off season to dissect and investigate anything and everything about the Hokies leading up to Saturday's kickoff in Atlanta.

They are lead by head coach Frank Beamer who will be kicking off his 23rd season in Blacksburg on September 5th.

Virginia Tech is coming off a 10-4 season which included an ACC title as well as Orange Bowl victory over Big East champ Cincinnati, 20-7.

On offense, the Hokies return nine starters, including junior Tyrod Taylor. Taylor is supposed to be much improved from the 99-173 quarterback he was a year ago, throwing for only 1,036 yards, and had a 1:3.5 touchdown to interception ratio.

The biggest question mark for Virginia Tech is definitely their passing game heading into the Chick-fil-a Kickoff Classic, but there is also the question of who will replace Darren Evans in the backfield for VT.

Evans, a 1200-yard rusher last season as a freshman, is out for the season with an ACL tear. The rest of their backfield has been beat up this pre-season as well, but it looks as if Ryan Williams, who was redshirted last season, is going to get the nod to start.

On Defense, the Hokies have the same vaunted reputation as the Crimson Tide. They return seven starters from their defense, but are replacing two of their linebackers in their 4-3 defense and must replace their top two tacklers from last season.

Their defensive line is definitely not an issue, as Jason Worilds returns after an eight sack, 10.5 tackles for loss season a year ago. You can bet to hear his name a lot and see his number six jersey chasing Greg McElroy this Saturday.

As for special teams, the Hokies pride themselves on "Beamer Ball," which means, as the man put it himself, "Anyone on the field at anytime can score for us." This reaches not only from their special teams, which struggled last season by giving up three punts for touchdowns, way about their standards, but to their defense, where every position on the field has scored at some point during Beamer's tenure.

Look for the Hokies to blitz hard on punts and kicks, as well as break some seams on their returns if Alabama gives them the slightest bit of room.

For the intangibles, the Hokies are a lowly 1-10 versus the Crimson Tide, but won the last meeting in 1998 at the Music City Bowl. Alabama played miserably in that 38-7 loss to the boys from Blacksburg that afternoon.

Not only is the head-to-head record in Alabama's favor, but so is the fact that Beamer is just 5-24 against Top 10 teams in his 23 years at Virginia Tech, as well as 9-12 at neutral sites.

The Hokies have also been talking a little smack so far. Williams has already called the Bama game his "break-out" game to the country, and OL Sergio Render has said he thinks center Beau Warren can handle Terrance Cody all by his lonesome.

Nonetheless, it will be an interesting game to watch come Saturday night in Atlanta.

Links

Here is the ESPN GameDay Kickoff which is posted every Thursday by Chris Fowler. This week it highlights all things important in week one, meaning the five or so games that are actually worth watching.
Sports Illustrated has their predictions for the entire season up and running with all their college football typing-heads giving their two cents for the season.

Does College Football Really Need an Exhibition Game?

2009-09-02T08:54:00.003-05:00

A few weeks ago, Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez spoke out in favor of college football adding an exhibition game to the schedule.

"If there was one rule to change in Division I college football, they would allow you to have a exhibition or preseason game against somebody else. We're the only level (without one.)"

Sure, most people would think this is because he hadn't, and still hasn't, picked a starter from one of his three quarterbacks he says will all play on Saturday against Western Michigan. Or it could be he just wants to work his team of sissies even more than he already does, but the idea seemed to have fallen on deaf ears until yesterday.

That is when Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer spoke up about adding an exhibition game to the college football schedule.

Beamer had the same sentiments as Rodriguez did, including wanting the chance to "get some of the things out of the way that come up in that first ball game."

While this seems like a good idea to begin with, the ability to start off in a game that doesn't count, there are a few problems with it.

First, how would a team feel if injuries happened in that exhibition game? It is bad enough Virginia Tech has lost start running back Darren Evans for the season in practice, but how would that go over if he tore his ACL in an exhibition game?

Teams already lose players in scrimmages. USC has averaged losing one starter per scrimmage so far this preseason without playing one real snap. Would creating an exhibition really make them feel any better when a player got hurt?

Speaking of USC, and this goes for many other teams across the Bowl Subdivision, they already have an "exhibition game" the first week of the season.

The Trojans open up their season with San Jose State, one of the better choices for week one cupcakes, before their big game in Columbus with Ohio State. The Buckeyes open the year with Navy.

In the SEC alone, teams are playing Jackson State, Western Carolina, Charleston Southern, and Memphis, just to name a few, in week one as a warm-up game for the better teams on the schedule.

Finally, should anyone really be surprised that Virginia Tech and Michigan are asking for exhibition games?

If there are any two teams in college football who just down right suck out of the gate, it's these two.

Remember 2007 for Michigan. Most people would consider Appalachian State an exhibition game, and Michigan lost to them at home. Last year, Michigan lost to Toledo at home to begin the year. Toledo is at least a Bowl Subdivision squad, but no where near the BCS.

As for Beamer's Boys, they are only 4-2 in their last five season openers, including last year's loss to East Carolina at home on ESPN.

In 2007, the had to rely on a fourth quarter punt block to take down the Pirates in Blacksburg. After that game, LSU put a boot up their "you know whats" in Baton Rouge on national prime time television.

So the question still remains, is an exhibition game really necessary? Well, Rodriguez did have one good thing to say in his rant on the subject.

"Imagine the crowd we'd have at the Big House if we had a spring game against somebody here."

A home-and-home scrimmage in the spring does not sound like a bad idea.

Nonetheless, I would still want to play Michigan.

College Football Pass or Fail: Offseason Recap

2009-09-01T12:28:00.003-05:00

Day two of game week only means four more days until Alabama and Virginia Tech kick off in Atlanta, and only two more until South Carolina/NC State and Oregon/Boise State.

Of course, the path to these games takes all off-season to prepare for, and some things went better for some teams than others.

Sure, there will be some hits and misses here, but this is the gist of things from the off-season that will have the greatest impact in 2009.

Head of the Class: Heisman hype is here! Even though not one game has yet to kickoff, it is pretty safe to say the Heisman trophy of 2009 will go to one position, and one of three men who play it. Short of Best running for 1500 yards or Dez, Julio or AJ going for 1200 and 15 TDs, Tim Tebow, Sam Bradford, or Colt McCoy will come away with the bronze this December. Never in the history of college football have two Heisman winners returned for a season, and surprisingly, neither of them have a legit leg up on the other two vying for the title. None the less, this season should be a real treat for college football fans watching these guys battle it out, and to see if anyone can actually challenge them for a spot in New York.

Pass: Minnesota moving outside this year. The Golden Gophers will now have a new home at the TCF Bank Stadium. The new digs include a horseshoe style stadium with two levels located just outside of town on Minneapolis plus a very soccer-esque look of colored seats with the school name spelled out in the seats. The weather may not be a factor for the first game against Air Force, but once Illinois comes calling November 7th, the snow and cold might sway the play of the Ilini in that game.

Fail: Credentials are out of control. After the incident with a blogger and Tim Tebow at SEC Media Days, I have to call into question who the SEC and other conferences allow to their Media Days and other events. Personally, I don't view an individual blogger as a member of the media. If the blogger is connected to a respected site or newspaper, sure, let them in. In other words, I have more credentials than the crack addict who asked Tebow if he has used his Heisman trophy as a seduction tool. With this precedent, don't be surprised if in three years the SEC is getting requests from people on Facebook with 1,000 friends or Twitter with 500 followers. The SEC needs a stricter policy before the circus that hits Hoover every July gets even more out of hand.

Pass: Everybody, say hello to Western Kentucky. Yes, yes, team number 120 becomes official this year as the Hilltoppers join the Sun Belt conference as a part of the Bowl Subdivision. After two years in a relative purgatory, Big Red and Co. have ascended into the realm of the big boys. Their initial prize, opening at Neyland Stadium.

Fail: Oh yea, that Kiffin guy may have finally shut up. Maybe. Speaking of Neyland, one man who made more headlines than his team did was Lane Kiffin. The Vols did a good job of recruiting under Kiffin in his first go-around, but the Village Idiot had plenty to say about his guys, his opponents and his opponents guys. Around Media Days, he had finally toned things down a bit, but the man still needs to learn one important lesson in life: even if you are nervous, you must breathe.

Pass: New Rules!!! As usual, the Rules Committee has decided that college football isn't restricted enough, so they came up with new rules once again. For the first time in almost four years, they didn't touch the clock, which is probably why this is a pass rather than a fail. The two major additions are as follows: First, teams are now allowed to play through the whistle on a play deemed an incomplete pass. What this means is that if the ruling on the field is overturned to a fumble, and the defense recovers, the defense will get the ball. Second, the road teams will now be allowed to wear dark colors as long as they do not clash with the home team's jerseys. In other words, don't be shocked if the Village Idiot goes into Gainesville on September 19th wearing orange.

Fail: Watch lists going off of school rather than skill. Before reading this, take a look at the Davey O'Brien Award watch list for the best quarterback in college football. Now, here is what I see wrong with this picture: Ryan Mallett and Aaron Corp have never started a college football game. EVER. Hell, Aaron Corp lost his starting job, yet still made this list. Josh Nesbitt of Georgia Tech had 123 ATTEMPTS last season, only completing 54 of them for a 44% completion rating, and he is on the list. Tyrod Taylor threw for 1036 yards last season and made this list. My problem with this list, as well as others done before the season, is how are guys who perform well suppose to make it into the running? What if Joe Cox or Greg McElroy light up defenses this year? What should they do about Crompton if he decides to finally play like a man? What about if Matt Barkley or Russell Shepard lead their team to the National Title game? Why even have a watch list to begin with? Each individual award is better off waiting for the season to play out a bit, just like the BCS, and then unveiling their semifinalists for all the world to see. But then again, this is college football, logic doesn't exist.

Epic Fail: Florida State vs. Miami, tickets STILL available. Only ten years ago, it was one of the most vicious, talked about rivalries in college football. Now, it can't even fill a stadium. Labor Day evening used to be known for this game, now its just there. With Randy Shannon struggling to right the Hurricanes ship, and Florida State making more news off the field than on, no one really cares about this game. In all actuality, Miami could start an 0-4 season at this game, and I wouldn't put it past them.

Links

My weekly Tuesday favorite is no other than Pat Forde's "Forde Yard-Dash." It covers forty national topics in the span of the column for each week of the season. To kick things off, he looks as to why this season will be a special one in the minds of college football fans. Forde's twitter is @espn4d.
Want to know the best games to watch for this season? Well, Mark Schlabach has taken time out of his day to lay out the schedule for every week of the season, and you can bet there are potential upsets every week of the season. His twitter is @Mark_Schlabach.
One man who knows and loves college football is Tony Barnhart, columnist for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He has a blog that runs every day in the AJC, and today's is on coach Saban's new contract and how Alabama has him at a bargain. His twitter is @MrCFB.
From the Sporting News' Matt Hayes, here is a look at why Atlanta has become the new college football hot spot for premiere games to begin the season and why the city may be pushing these marquee games year after year. The twitter for all things Sporting News is @sninsider.
Sports Illustrated's Andy Staples began his new blog for the site on college football today called In the Trenches, and today he has already gotten a post up about his attempt to secure the records from coaches voting in the ESPN/USAToday poll. His twitter is @Andy_Staples.
I know football is now only two days away, but anyone who knows me knows that basketball is as much of a draw as football. In other words, here is the preview of the SEC for this season from espn.com, with Alabama being mentioned only when Anthony Grant is mentioned as well.

Top 25, Heisman favorites, and links: Pre-season

2009-08-31T08:08:00.003-05:00

Well, Ladies and Gentlemen, it is now officially game week.

And with game week comes the return of the daily grind of In the Nic of Time, starting with the weekly Monday edition with the Top 25, Heisman trophy favorites, and as many links as you have time for.

Something I want to get is the pulse of students on campus or readers of the blog, so if you want to have your say in the weekly Monday Top 25, just send me an email at jngulas@gmail.com and I will send you a reminder every Sunday morning.

Also, want to play college pick'em with me and some of the other readers? Join the ESPN.com College Pick'em group. It's easy. Just search for the group "ITNOT Pick'em" and put in the password ITNOT. Just like that, you are in.

Now, let's get to the substance of the blog.

ITNOT's pre-season Top 25

Oklahoma
Florida
Texas
Penn. St.
Alabama
LSU
Ohio State
Mississippi
Oklahoma St.
USC
Virginia Tech
Georgia
Cal
TCU
Boise St.
BYU
Illinois
Florida State
North Carolina
Georgia Tech
Iowa
Pittsburgh
Oregon State
Nebraska
Kansas

Heisman trophy favorites entering the season

Tim Tebow, QB, Florida
Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma
Colt McCoy, QB, Texas
Jahvis Best, RB, Cal
Jonathan Dwyer, RB, Georgia Tech
Dez Bryant, WR, Oklahoma State

Links

Once the season gets going, Monday will be the busiest day for links, but this first week, it might seem pretty even every day.

One of the favorites of some football fans is the vaunted, and in my opinion, overrated, helmet schedule. So for those of you who want one for the SEC, here ya go.
Since Ian Rapaport left for the Boston Herald, The Birmingham News has now hired Don Kausler, Jr. to replace him. His latest this morning is on Tide punter P.J. Fitzgerald's opinion that Alabama is ready for Beamer Ball. He also reported that Alabama will be in white once again for the Chick-fil-a Kickoff on Saturday. His twitter is @Tide_Source.
Gentry Estes has been on the Bama Beat for a few years now, and has five questions heading into the final week of practice before Virginia Tech. His twitter is @BamaBeat.
Stewart Mandel, one of my favorite links during the week, now has a Monday column called College Football Overtime to go along with his Wednesday mailbag. His twitter is @SIMandel.
Andy Staples of Sports Illustrated has a blueprint on how to stop Tim Tebow, and who knows if anyone can follow it to perfection. His twitter is @andy_staples.
Ivan Maisel of ESPN.com will be producing his Three-point Stance blog on a more regular basis this year, and his latest talks about Nick Saban's contract extension at Alabama. His twitter is @Ivan_Maisel.
Chris Low is the official blogger for ESPN.com on the SEC, and he will have regular updates every day and always has lunchtime links that cover the conference. In his latest post, however, deals with his visit to Steve Spurrier and the Gamecocks, who kickoff the college football season on Thursday. His twitter is @ESPN_SEC.
SECsports.com has debuted a new website today with more stats and information than ever before. Their twitter is @SECSportsUpdate.
One of the best places for any and all SEC information is the Orlando Sentinel, who have an article covering what would be 10 surprising upsets of this college football season. The sports editor is Tim Stephens, and his twitter is @twstephens.
Finally, and this goes for any day, if you want to go to one place that has even more links here for the entire conference, hit up dandbradio.com, the official website of the Dunaway and Brown show in Birmingham. Their twitter is @dandbradio.

Of course, if you want to know when the next blog is available, you can follow me on twitter as well, @ng11787. Along with blog updates, I will have re-tweets of pertinent stories, break downs of my Wednesday radio show on 90.7 FM, the Capstone in Tuscaloosa, and any random musings you may find entertaining throughout the day.

Be sure to check back tomorrow as I will go through the first Pass or Fail of the College Football season, covering what happened during the off-season.

It has been a long eight months, but it will be good to get back into the swing of things this week.

Alabama Basketball Schedule and Quick Analysis

2009-08-20T12:28:00.004-05:00

With the release today of the entire SEC Basketball schedule, it gave a nice hint as to what to expect from Anthony Grant's first team at The Capstone.

At first glance, the schedule has a nice feel of out of conference teams, with two Big XII and one Big Ten team assured for the schedule, and the probability of at least one more major basketball conference team in the Old Spice Classic.

The SEC schedule plays out decently, but five the last eight games of the season are on the road.

The toughest stretch from first glance looks to be the two weeks from the end of January into February where Alabama will play three out of four on the road.

The Crimson Tide will travel to Auburn, Ole Miss and Kentucky in this stretch with the only home "relief" being a game against Florida. The last three games of the stretch are played in a six-day span, but Alabama will only have one game over the next eleven days after that.

Hopefully Coach Grant and his staff will have the full schedule set soon.

Below is an organized schedule of the Crimson Tide's 2009-10 games that are known to this point.

Old Spice Classic in Orlando, FL
Thur. Nov. 26th vs. Baylor 6:30 ET/ 5:30 CT ESPN 2
Fri. Nov. 27th Florida State/Iona
Sun. Nov. 29th TBA
bracket link

Wed. Dec. 2nd North Florida 8/7
Sat. Dec. 12th Purdue 4/3 ESPN2
Sat. Dec. 19th Kansas State in Moblie, AL
Dec./Jan. @ Georgia Tech*

SEC Schedule

Sat. Jan. 9th @ LSU 5/4 FSN
Wed. Jan. 13th Vanderbilt 9/8 CSS
Sat. Jan. 16th @ Arkansas 1:30 / 12:30 SEC Network
Tues. Jan. 19th Tennessee 7/6 ESPN
Sat. Jan. 23rd Mississippi State 12 noon/11 CBS
Wed. Jan. 27th LSU 8/7 SEC Network
Sat. Jan. 30th @ Auburn 4/3 SEC Network

Thur. Feb. 4th Florida 7/6 ESPNU
Sat. Feb. 6th @ Ole Miss 6/5 FSN
Tues. Feb. 9th @ Kentucky 9/8 ESPNU
Sat. Feb. 13th Arkansas 4/3 SEC Network
Sat. Feb. 20th @ Georgia 4/3 SEC Network
Wed. Feb. 24th @ Mississippi State 9/8 CSS
Sat. Feb. 27th Ole Miss 2/1 ESPN2 and ESPN360.com

Wed. Mar. 3rd @ South Carolina 7/6 ESPNU
Sat. Mar. 6th Auburn 1:30 / 12:30 SEC Network

Thur.-Sun. Mar. 11th-14th SEC Tournament in Nashville, TN SEC Network, ABC

*-Anticipated match-up as a return game for last year's visit to Coleman by Georgia Tech.

View from the Stands: August 20th, 2009

2009-08-20T09:11:00.002-05:00

What's the best part about waking up the morning after your weekly sports talk show?

Discovering that everything you would have rather talked about happened while you were asleep.

Nothing like having to wait another week to rant and rave about these topics, but this is what print media is for!!!

Coach Cal, the Magician. Once again, a team coached by John Calapari is apparently having to vacate wins. The Memphis Tigers team from 2007-08 is looking to give up their record 38 victories and a Final Four appearance for violation of NCAA rules concerning the SAT score of Derrick Rose. If this is how the axe falls, Coach Cal will be the first coach to have two Final Four appearances scratched from the record books after he took UMass to the 1996 Final Four. Calipari has yet to be mentioned in either instance, but the fact he coached both teams leaves little to be discovered. He may not directly be involved, but let's face it, he was there both times. Meanwhile, the sunshine pump was working overtime in Lexington this morning. Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear called Calipari, "An upstanding guy. I really don't foresee any problems." Sadly, Calipari will escape with no punishment from this incident, but once again leaving his players and school in question in a cloud of dust to worry about their own problems while he moves on to bigger and better things. Just remember this, Eric Bledsoe, the highly touted recruit from Alabama, had trouble with his classroom scores before being cleared by the NCAA to play this year. Not sayin', just sayin'.
The streak has come to an end. Alabama linebacker Courtney Upshaw managed to blow Alabama's cover of saying that Nick Saban players don't get arrested by managing to commit misdemeanor domestic violence at 1:25 am. Two things here: First, good run, Alabama. It has been over a year since Jimmy Johns stole the headlines and put the sandwich company in the black. Since then, Florida has had the same guy arrested twice, Tennessee players have smoked dope in the car, and Mark Richt's clean program has lost its shine. Fulmer Cup points for all!!! Second, not only is Upshaw in the tank for 12 hours, meaning the earliest he can pay his $500 bond is 1:25 this afternoon, but he is missing the first day of his Tuesday/Thursday schedule. Now, I'm not up on my university's policy, but I know some places drop you if you miss on the first day. Congrats, Courtney, hope the doghouse is just as nice as the indoor facility.
Plaxico ain't signing with anyone!!! Instead, Plaxico Burress will be taking Michael Vick's spot on the Mean Machine roster when he heads to the slammer for two years after pleading guilty this morning to a weapons charge in New York City. The DA of NYC said that Burress was going to jail by any means necessary a couple of weeks ago, and today he got his wish. Plax will now be sentenced on September 22. It is pretty safe to say that his playing days are over. Burress is 32 years old and will surely face a sentence from Roger God-dell once he is released. Plax's best bet: get buddy-buddy with Tony Dungy and the NRA. If only he had been smart and done this in Florida where the penal system is practically as strict as a game of Monopoly.

Back in Tuscaloosa! What's new to talk about?

2009-08-17T14:23:00.002-05:00

After two weeks off to pack, move and generally get settled down again in Tuscaloosa, I figured now would be a good time to get back in the swing of things with the blog since kickoff is less than three weeks away.

So, after being in Tuscaloosa for a week, here are the things that have stood out so far, and things to have a head's up for:

Football practice has started back up. Of course, most people probably knew this by now with last Saturday being the first scrimmage. There is little use for me to do practice updates considering 1) only twenty minutes of practice is open to the public and 2) There are guys here, here, and here who do a better job and know what to look out for on the field. Also, there will be practice updates available in the Crimson White when circulation begins for the Fall semester on Wednesday.
Coleman Coliseum looks exactly the same. When the report came out about the seating change at Coleman, I had figured that there would be some inkling as to what it would look like already. No such luck. There are no risers, the old band location is still without new seating, and this project has yet to even be started. There are two months until practice begins and roughly two and a half before the first game. That would be some quick work for a scoreboard.
Construction at Bryant-Denny is taking shape. Sure, it won't be ready before 2010, but the South End Zone construction is starting to go upwards. Who knows if it will reach high enough where this kind of scare could occur once again, but it also brings about an dilemma for students. The University has confirmed that there will only be one gate for students to enter in to football games for in 2009. That's right, one. I will definitely have more on this from my own opinion in the coming weeks as well as if anything changes.

So besides that, I also have some news of my own.

I will be one of the three hosts on 90.7-FM, The Capstone's weekly sports show, Rock n' Jock. The show will air weekly on Wednesdays from 10-midnight. It will be preceded by another staple of the sports staff, The Student Section from 8-10. Both shows will cover all things Alabama, and I will try to incorporate a national flavor to the show as well.

Second, I will be the radio and Internet voice for the Alabama women's soccer team. They will play mostly Fridays and Sundays at the Alabama Soccer Complex on the west side of campus by the Rec Center. If you want to listen in, just tune to 90.7-FM on most weeks unless we are predicated by Volleyball, who start back next weekend. Soccer begins their regular season on Friday at home against UAB.

Also, I have finalized what to expect from me as far as posts during the football season. Each post will be up by noon each day so my dozen or so loyal readers will know when to check in for the latest.

Monday: Top 25, Heisman list, and links
Tuesday: Pass or Fail
Wednesday: Opinion column plus what to expect on the radio later
Thursday: Who is (insert team) anyway?
Friday: Picks, Previews, and Prognostications.

That is the same line-up I tried to follow during the short time I posted last football season, but be on the look out for each of these during the week. Also, don't be surprised if a few random posts or View from the Stands pop in during the week or on weekends to discuss other things besides Bama football.

This pattern will start in the week leading up to the Virginia Tech game, so be on the look out for my pre-season top 25 August 31st.

Until then, I will tide people over with the best in the SEC series I promised about a month ago. Be on the look out for the first post in the series in the next day or two.

What are some differences to expect in Coleman this year?

2009-07-29T20:55:00.003-05:00

Sure, today marks 38 days until Alabama will kick things off against Virginia Tech in Atlanta, but anyone that knows me knows I like me some basketball.

Today, as season ticket holders are starting to get their order forms, the forms were accompanied by the new seating chart for Coleman Coliseum, which looked like this

It is not the clearest image, as it was scanned in on BamaOnLine.com, but I will explain.

The Media has now been moved from the floor and will now take up the bottom third of Section O. Their seats have now been replaced with season ticket holders, so there will now be fans on the floor on the sidelines.

Also, the students will now have seats under both baskets. The students will keep their regular student seating under the visitors basket, but will gain 125 seats under the basket by the Alabama bench.

Under the visitors basket, the students will remain on the retractable seating, but students will be on risers under the home basket. If the seating under the home basket does not fill up with students, it will be opened up in some capacity to the public.

The band will also be moving and in their spot by the students will be more seating implemented. In my talk with a member of Events Management, he did not specify where the band will be moving.

It may seem like the students are gaining a lot of seating here, but in fact they will also be losing some seating in some areas that have long belonged to them, such as the area in the middle of Section S, which will now go to season ticket holders.

Overall, the changes benefit the students. There will now be 175 floor seats available to students, so non-conference games should allow every student at these games to have a spot on the floor, depending on the level of excitement for the team this year.

This also brings some atmosphere into Coleman, which has a huge abyss of air in it. With students on the floor, this should get some more students involved and passionate about basketball as they will now be making a larger impact.

Those are just the seating changes for what will be one of many improvements for the basketball arena, including a new center-court scoreboard.

What was learned at SEC Media Days?

2009-07-27T09:00:00.002-05:00

This past week were three good days at the Wynfrey Hotel in Hoover, AL for the SEC Media Days.

Over 920 media members, some fully credentialed, others who weren't, were all present to grill 36 players and coaches who are all ready to hit the field for the upcoming season.

Below are all the important things, some more than others, to take away from the three days.

The SEC made a better deal than Howie Mandel could cook up. The new deal that the SEC, CBS and ESPN have created could not have come at a better time. Just as the economy takes a down turn, the SEC will begin their 15-year deal with ESPN to create an SEC conglomerate. Starting this fall, SEC teams will have at least 11 of their 12 regular season games televised on ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPNU, ESPN360.com, and the newly created SEC Network. The SEC Network will air at the same time as the old Jefferson Pilot/Lincoln Financial/Raycom Sports game and on the same channels. The SEC on ESPN will even have its own logo. Besides all the perks for football, a total of an average of 365 SEC sporting events will be on the ESPN family of networks each year for the next 15 years. On top of all this, the SEC Network will be shown to more than half of the country's households, including the cities of New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Pittsburgh and Phoenix.
Ryan Mallett, the best QB in the country? According to Razorback Tight End DJ Williams, Ryan Mallett is the real deal. Mallett, the transfer from Michigan and projected starter for the Hogs, has shown out at practice and has the strongest arm in the country, says Williams. He "ripped the sticky stuff right off them (receiving gloves)." Coach Petrino adds support to Williams claim, saying the one thing that Mallett can do "is throw the deep ball."
How far can Vandy really go? Says coach Bobby Johnson, "the sky is the limit." The Commodores are coming off a bowl victory and are looking to get to their second straight bowl game for the first time in school history. The 'Dores will have a chance to mirror their bowl trip from last season with Miss. St. and Kentucky at home as well as easy road games with Army and Rice. This is quite impressive for a school who nixed their Athletic Department within the last ten years.
Dan Mullen has brought technology to central Mississippi!!! The self-proclaimed "only undefeated coach in the SEC" is a twitter fiend. Mullen was tweeting all around the Wynfrey, even updating his status as he got on stage and simply put, "I am on stage." "I am only going to answer questions through Twitter or Facebook so I can be the cutting-edge new coach." Mullen said to the media when he had his first chance. After my trip there last January where it seemed like religion was a foreign concept, technology is a welcomed site to Starkville, a destination Mullen wants to make "one of the hardest destinations in the league." Starkville has a 55,000-seat stadium, second smallest in the SEC, but they do have a gigantic video screen.
Georgia: the only team who thinks the SEC isn't tough enough. The Bulldogs not only play in the SEC, but they decided to make the rounds in the non-conference this season. As always, the Dawgs have their Good Ol' Fashion Hate game with Georgia Tech, in Atlanta this year, but UGA also visits Stillwater to open the season and hosts Arizona State. Coach Mark Richt says the Bulldogs "may have bit off more than we should have," and also says the boys from Athens may look into using some Wildcat offensive plays. As for the schedule, don't worry, Georgia fans. The Bulldogs should have an easy time at Homecoming with Tennessee Tech.
Only at Alabama can Saban think a top 5 defense sucks. No team draws a crowd at SEC Media Days like Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide, but the leading man in Crimson had something rather shocking to say about his top five defense from a year ago. Saban said of his defense that "those guys need to take it to another level." Another level? If the Crimson Tide defense does in fact have another level, what exactly would that be? Holding nine teams instead of seven to 10 points or fewer? Become the top team in every defensive category? Can they just start with improving the pass defense?
I have a new found respect for Mr. Timothy Tebow. As it is obviously known by now, Tim Tebow was asked the question that most people wanted to know the answer to but were not going to pursue...until "that guy" came along. "That guy" was Clay Travis, a blogger for aol.com's FanHouse. Travis asked Tebow if he was saving himself for marriage as if he wrote for People magazine. Tebow laughed at the question and then, like a true professional, answered the question. Tebow then kept his cool as the rest of the media started to squirm in their seats. The fact that Clay Travis got credentials to SEC Media Days irks me. He is not associated with any newspaper, radio station or television outlet. He is a blogger...that's it. If that is all it takes to get credentials for SEC Media Days, why didn't I try to get some? Hell, I am at least associated with a newspaper. Nonetheless, the fact that Tim Tebow answered the question and kept his cool and laughed it off made me realize that it is not a front: Tim Tebow is the real deal. Sure, there is reason to despise him when he beats your team or for going to Florida (he admitted his second choice was Mike Shula and Alabama even without being asked about it). However, the way he can handle himself is definitely something to admire.
When recruiting the "right guy" is masking why you can't get the best guy. Gene Chizik, the mayo jar of SEC coaches, explained his recruiting philosophy the same way in which Tommy Tuberville did near the end of his tenure: "When we go to recruit, we go to recruit the right guy for Auburn." That is one of those great coach speak lines, along with "we will evaluate him at game time" or "our off-season workouts have been the toughest during my time with ________." Saying you get the top guy for the school is a roundabout way of saying you can't really compete for the best. Chizik remained stone faced during his entire interview with the print media, and was not very happy over the Tebow-gate scandal. Gene eventually admitted he did vote for Tebow, but he was not happy about having to come out about his private vote.
Steve Spurrier lost his spine around the 18th green, and apparently Jevan Snead really sucks. By the time Friday rolled around, many people had pegged The Ol' Ball Coach as the culprit for not voting for Tim Tebow. Speculation was, in fact, correct, but Spurrier went a different route than many people had expected from him. Instead of standing up for his vote, Spurrier buckled and threw his Director of Football Operations under the bus. Spurrier went as far to not only apologize, but also to change his vote within the SEC offices. That's right for people doing the math out there, there are now four unanimous 1st team All-SEC members. Spurrier apologized for three minutes at the podium for not actually casting the vote, opening a new can of worms about the coaches poll, 1/3 of the BCS formula. Also emerging from this fiasco is the idea that Jevan Snead is not worth the hype, apparently. This kid has surpassed Sam Bradford as the potential #1 pick in next April's draft (now starting on a Thursday night), but can't get a single vote for 1st team All-SEC. I think that might weigh on his mind for this season.
Lester doesn't realize that LSU is often expected to finish second. As always, Les Miles is an interesting interview, and should be an interesting tweeter during the season. The Hat said that eight wins and a bowl was not enough for last season. He also said, we're never expected to be second. Not at LSU." Apparently he didn't see the media predictions for this year and last year. LSU was picked second in the SEC West both times. He is also forgetting that the Tigas did so bad that they were actually third in the West when the dust settled last year. Sure, LSU has come to be known as a sleeping giant over the past seven years, but as history goes, the Bayou Bengals from Baton Rouge are not that historical power. One name comes to mind: Gerry Dinardo.
Ed Orgeron: the best recruiter in the land. That is what Lane Kiffin wants you to believe. Surprisingly, The Village Idiot was rather engaging during his time in front of the print media, but he also needs to learn that oxygen is necessary to life. "I can't imagine there is a better recruiter out there than Ed," said Kiffin of one of his high profile assistant coaches. Sure, Coach O did a great job to recruit in Oxford...and just flat fell on his face with all of the talent he had amassed. Off the field, though, I can see that recruiting promise Kiffin speaks of. I mean, who wouldn't want a Hummer after seeing this beauty?

SEC Media Predictions

East

Florida
Georgia
South Carolina
Tennessee
Vanderbilt
Kentucky

West

Alabama
LSU
Ole Miss
Arkansas
Auburn
Mississippi State

View from the Stands: July 21, 2009

2009-07-21T09:18:00.018-05:00

Cyber Cat Fight!!! Getcha popcorn ready! For this to be the off-season, there has sure been a lot of talk about the Florida Gators. Not only what they do on the field, but what their coach may do off of it. It all started two weeks ago when Paul Finebaum started his month long "let's upset the rest of the SEC" tour. First stop, Gainesville (He has since stopped in Oxford and today dropped by Athens). In the first article, Finebaum claimed off of a lip quiver that Meyer is headed to play like a champion in 2010, complete with a beatdown of Army in Yankee Stadium. Said column led to hysteria amongst Gator followers who were outraged that someone would write such a thing. One of those purveyors of jorts would be Gregg Doyel. Never heard of him? Probably a good reason. He writes for cbssports.com, easily third on the totem poll behind SI.com and ESPN.com. Doyel took two weeks to get his panties in a wad and respond to Finebaum's column with the best form of hypocritical spew I have ever seen. Doyel himself is one of those people, like Finebaum, who add fuel to fire for the sake of readership. Doyel goes on to say that Finebaum had no source to write his column. Apparently Doyel doesn't realize what his blogging is as well. It's called an OPINION column, Gregg. Apparently the shine on your head deadened some brain cells the last time you looked in the mirror. Doyel also goes on to call Finebaum and South Carolina head coach Steve Spurrier "idiots"through his envy of Finebaum being utterly more successful and Spurrier for still having a job. Finally, Doyel complains about all the blogs and newspapers supporting Finebaum's claims, but in the same blog writes about the column and even provides the link. Who exactly is the idiot here? Nonetheless, it will be interesting to see if the Mouth of the South meets up with the man who believes MMA should become the single most popular sport in America (and we wonder what's wrong with our country [I'm elaborating on that as well in a bit]) come tomorrow in Hoover.
When Stimulus Packages fail, turn to fixing sports-the motto of the US Government. Once Congress decided that an economic downturn in not a good reason to convene, but the mess that is the BCS was, we should have known that some old crocks were running out of real ideas. So, once the BCS was put on the stand like a bulked-up baseball player, it was only a matter of time before more sports were on the way. Don't worry about curing cancer or pollution in the air or the fact that we are involved in some kind of war, let's now waste mroe tax payer money and take on the age limit question in the NBA. Sure, I am not a fan of the one-and-done policy in the NBA. I think it tarnishes the college game and has a negative effect on the level of competition. The NBA is the only league besides the NFL that has a restriction on high school kids and the only league that does not require at least two years of college before they can turn pro once they enter school. What this creates is a bad situation for all, as kids are forced into school for a year and teams are never allowed to create a chemistry. This problem was sure to take care of itself when the new collective bargaining agreement was up in two years, but Congress wants to tackle it now. I ask you in all seriousness, what has ever come from a Congressional hearing concerning sports? Perjury, lying, misremembering, and an all out failure to pass or complete anything is all I can remember. So, here is to you, Representative Steve Cohen, and your desire to waste more time and money on something that affects about 5,000 teens a year. I just hope you complement them for not drinking or smoking before they get discovered for a DUI in college.
Coach Grant wants defense. Lots and lots of defense. New Alabama basketball coach Anthony Grant was in Huntsville this past weekend and went into his coaching philosophy a little bit. Grant talked about playing defense, a thought that has been lost on Alabama nine of the past ten seasons, in the same way that Duke does in the half-court. Grant, however, wants to stretch it full court. He wants to have a press that will force other teams to play 94 feet. For those who don't remember, the last time Alabama played defense, they won the SEC. I am not saying that will happen this year, but the SEC is not exactly a league defined by offense (ACC) or defense (Big Ten), so the Crimson Tide will be able to run with the teams that ran circles around them the past few years and run on the teams who still play in the half-court. In other words, Grant is the perfect compromise for those people who wanted Mike Anderson and those who wanted a Nick Saban-type hire for the basketball program.

Review the Preview: Phil Steele

2009-07-18T09:16:00.004-05:00

The final day of the college football preview magazines comes with news that Nick Saban will be on the front of Sports Illustrated's first SEC Preview. He will grace the cover of his own issue, as will Urban Meyer, Houston Nutt, and Lane Kiffin.

I will tackle the SEC previews closer to the season, but with SEC Media Days in just five days, I will finish the national previews with the best out of the bunch: Phil Steele.

No other preview mag has as much information and goes as in depth as Phil Steele, and it is traditionally the most accurate in the country.

As with the rest of the preview magazines, I will look at what's to like, what's not to like, and the always fun "what are they smoking?!?"

What's to like

The in-depth nature of the magazine. There is so much cramped into the over 300 pages of this preview. It is insanely accurate for each team and truly is, as it says on the cover, "The book the experts cannot do without."

Mid-Major QBs. Everyone knows who the QB cover boys are this year, but there are plenty of great QBs at the lower ranks this year to grab your attention. Case Keenum at Houston, Dan LeFevour at Central Michigan and Max Hall at BYU are all quarterbacks for teams who are in good contention for their respective conference championships.

SEC as toughest conference. Phil Steele does have the Big XII at #2, but he is not buying into the hype just yet that the Big XII has caught the SEC.

Illinois as his most improved team prediction. Senior quarterback. Favorable schedule. The Ilini have a good chance to be bowl eligible this year as the Fighting Zookers will look to follow Juice Williams and a slate of easy road game (@Indiana, @Purdue).

What's not to like

Georgia Tech at #10 on surprise team. The Yellow Jackets have, arguably, the best RB in the country with Jonathan Dwyer and beat Georgia last season. What is exactly surprising about all of that?

Clemson to win the ACC Atlantic over FSU. The Tigers are replacing their QB and top WRs, but have their entire OL coming back, which has proven to be a key. However, I think the NCAA investigation is going to get Bobby Bowden to start coaching for the first time in ten years and the Seminoles will make a run.

What are they smoking?!?

Rutgers winning the Big East?! Sure, the Big East is now a wild card with Cincinnati having to completely regroup, but West Virginia and Pitt are both formidable this season. The Scarlet Knights have a lot of wood to chop this year to win the Big East, but every difficult game is at home.
Notre Dame at #7?! Ok, they may have an easy schedule and one that lines up against horrifically weak teams and tough games at home, but I can tell you one reason why the Fighting Irish won't be in the top ten: Jimmy Clausen.

Top Ten

Florida
Texas
USC
Oklahoma
Penn St.
Ole Miss
Notre Dame
Alabama
Cal
Ohio St.

Review the Preview: Athlon

2009-07-16T21:29:00.002-05:00

Day four of the week long review of college football preview magazines is here, and today I take a look into what Athlon has to offer up on the 2009 college football season.

As always, there is what's to like, what's not to like, and the always fun "what are they smoking?!?" section.

What's to like

Baylor 5th in Big XII South. I may not have been paying that much attention in the other magazines, but this is the first time I have seen Baylor out of the cellar. Could be a big year in Waco.
Vanderbilt 4th in SEC East. That is a bold prediction, as most have expected the 'Dores to fall back into oblivion this season. Apparently the folks at Athlon believe the boys from Nashville can start a bowl streak.

What's not to like

Oregon #4 best QB unit. I find this quite hard to believe as this program had QBs dropping like flies just last pre-season, and now they have the best QBs in the country behind Florida, Oklahoma and Texas?
Rolondo McClain and Rennie Curran 3rd team AA. It is not so bad that these two are so far down the totem pole, it's that South Carolina LB Eric Norwood has come out of no where in the previous preview magazines and taken a spot on the 2nd team.
The absolutely yawner this preview magazine has on a national level. The regional ones have at least some substance, but there is very little in the way of something to differentiate this mag from the rest. Very disappointing.

What are they smoking?!?

Nothing, apparently, just taking a nice dose of Tylenol PM, because this preview mag is a good one to read when you can't fall asleep.

Top Ten

Florida
Oklahoma
Texas
USC
Ohio State
Alabama
Penn St.
Virginia Tech
Oklahoma State
Ole Miss

Review the Preview: Lindy's

2009-07-15T22:00:00.005-05:00

Middle of the week, and the review of each college football preview magazine is still going strong.

Today, we look at the Lindy's preview with the what's to like, what's not to like and "what are they smoking?!?" categories.

What's to like

Their top five non-conference games. USC/OSU, Bama/VT, UGA/Ok. St., OU/The U, Oregon/Boise St. What is not to like about those three games, even if three of them are the first week of the season?
SEC West round robin makes the top 12 conference games. Surprisingly enough, Alabama vs. Ole Miss is ranked the highest of the three between those two and LSU.
Article titled "Lame Kiffin." That is just hysterical, especially matched with the picture of Kiffin trying to look serious. You just can't take a 12-year old serious, can you, Al Davis? The Village Idiot strikes again!
North Carolina in the Top 25. This isn't a cheapie, either. The Tar Heels are #19 and one of three teams from the ACC in the top 25. Is there a resurgence of the ACC coming this year?
Julio Jones as an All-American. Second team, but the fact that he is getting this respect is enough. Dez Bryant is getting all the love for taking the place of Michael Crabtree this season, but the race is wide open.
1/3 of top Offensive Linemen hail from the SEC. Sure, we all know how powerful the defense is in this conference, but the offensive line is what drives the offense and could spell an improvement in this area this season for the SEC.
Javier Arenas as best punt returner. It is about time I found a magazine that said this.The NCAA active leader in return yards for a last year, a single game, and a career is returning and looking to build on his Alabama record 6 return TDs.
Big Ten image control weekend is Sept. 12th. Five OOC games, including ND/Michigan and USC/Ohio State could salvage the conference's bruises...or could make things even worse if Fresno St., Iowa St., and Air Force pull the upsets.
Appalachian State #1 in FCS. It should be be this way in every publication, but let's just say it hasn't been. Armani Edwards is returning and is the best QB outside of FBS/Division I-A since Steve McNair.

What's not to like

The remaining seven on the top 12 OOC games. I know that some teams are not scheduling great games (coughOleMisscough), but some of these are a stretch. If you did not make a bowl last year, I find it hard for you to be considering "best" in anything besides the best of the worst. Seriously, #11 is UCLA @ UT. Quarterback trouble, ftw!
Dennis Dodd wrote the Lame Kiffin article. That is the reason why I am not going any further than the title.
Eric Berry as #2 safety. Taylor Mays of USC is at #1, but I find it hard to argue against Berry's ability and USC's defense isn't exactly solid.
SEC's toughest to bring down. Julio Jones? Charles Scott? Tim Tebow? Nope, try Dexter McCluster at Ole Miss. Apparently said WR is harder to take down than the conference's best player, hardest runner, and strongest receiver.

What are they smoking?!?

Nebraska in the Top 25?! The Cornhuskers are coming off a bowl win, which is crazy in its own right for the Nebraska of today, but Lindy's believe this team could win the Big XII North? Sure, the division sucks and rivals the Big East as a whole, but still, the Black Shirts are not back yet. Experience (only 8 returning starters) will get to them.
Rolondo McClain as the #8 NFL prospect...in the SEC?! NFL scouts have been on Rolo's tail since he graduated high school. One big year was apparently enough for Brandon Spikes to jump him, but to have McClain as the #8 prospect in the SEC is ridiculous.

Top Ten

Florida
Texas
Oklahoma
USC
Virginia Tech
LSU
Alabama
Ohio State
Ole Miss
Oklahoma State

Why Birmingham's domed stadium should be spelled with two 'O's

2009-07-15T09:46:00.004-05:00

Yesterday was a historic day for the city of Birmingham.

The eight member Birmingham City Council voted 6-1 to go forward with the building of the proposed dome stadium in downtown Birmingham to be a part of the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex.

The project will receive $666,000 a month (an omen in its own right, if you ask me) from the city of Birmingham, rounding out to around $8 million a year. The completion is expected to happen within the next five years with a groundbreaking ceremony next Tuesday at 5 pm.

Sure, the election part of this project is historic considering the city of Birmingham has been trying for years to secure the building of a dome (remember MAPS, Birmingham natives?). However, here is what will truly make this day historic: completing the project, and there is no reason to expect this to happen.

For starters, Jefferson County cannot be expected to help out in any way. The county is in huge debt still from their sewer problems and are leaning more towards bankruptcy than someone bailing the city out.

Second, does anyone remember the Birmingham Entertainment District that was promised to the city?

Yea, back in 2007, the city signed on with Performa Entertainment, Inc. from Memphis, TN to build up the area. The district was suppose to have shops, hotels and nightlife spots. Even an SEC Store was proposed to fill the area.

Performa supposedly had 60% of the shops and locations filled as well as having the financing in place.

The group was suppose to have all finances in place by March 2008 when construction could begin on "The Forge."

John Elkington, the man from Performa who has headed the project for Birmingham, was so confident last summer, even though groundbreaking was three months late, that the district was going to get built within a year that he gave out countdown clocks to the BJCC board.

His clock now says 16 days to completion.

His contract has been cancelled.

We are still waiting for ground to be broken.

Despite this failure, mayor Larry Langford believes whole-heartedly this project will be a success and says there is interest from the MLS to potentially move a franchise here.

The dome is slated to have 57,000 seats and can be expanded up to 70,000, an extensive size for a soccer team in the United States. Sure, the Seattle and New England franchises play in their respective city's NFL stadium, but only open part of the venue for seating.

That is just the first problem for a proposed soccer franchise.

Out of the 18 franchises who will be a part of the MLS in 2011, only seven will be playing on FieldTurf, the expected surface of the dome, and none of the franchises play in a closed-air facility. Vancouver's team will be playing in a dome, but with a retractable roof.

IF the city of Birmingham can overcome that obstacle, they will have to face the most formidable of their opponents: Interest.

I have said before that if Hoover built a 20-25 thousand seat stadium and drew a MLS team, it could thrive, but can the city of Birmingham bring in the families from suburbia to watch soccer?

Hardly anyone ventures near Legion Field anymore, partly because of the surroundings of the stadium. The proposed site of the dome isn't much better, but individual investors are trying to revive downtown.

Even if Birmingham can miraculously overcome all of those obstacles, it will be hard to view this structure as anything but a money pit.

Not only will the structure be competing with the complex it is attached to, but just think of what would be in the dome.

The city of Birmingham only has one sports team: the Birmingham Barons, and baseball isn't going in that dome.

Say the city does get an MLS team, they play about 17 homes games, plus about three exhibitions, so an MLS team will occupy 20 days.

Add PapaJohns.com Bowl, SWAC Championship, and Magic City Classic for a total of 23.

UAB football for six days puts the total at 29.

Throw in six concerts booked at the BJCC Arena over the next ten months that could potentially need the dome and it goes to 35.

Just for entertainment purposes, we will say either the OVC, C-USA, or SEC will use the dome for their conference basketball tournament, and say it lasts five days, so that puts the total day use at 40 days out of the year. Generously.

Take away the MLS franchise, and the dome is being used once every two and a half weeks.

Larry Langford has always said, whether its concerning the Olympics or any other project, "Why not Birmingham?"

If you need a reason, just pick something from above.

Review the Preview: The Sporting News

2009-07-14T09:41:00.003-05:00

For day two of the week long series of reviews of the national preview magazines, the blog moves on to look at the Sporting News.

Once again, I will look at the things I like, things I don't like, and the infamous "What are they smoking?!?" category.

What's to like

Best Big XII mascot: Ralphie the Buffalo. Nothing beats a live mascot, and although I am partial to Bevo, he doesn't have the charisma of Ralphie.
SEC's best fans: Alabama. Can anyone really dispute that?

What's not to like

Ryan Mallet on the front cover. Mallet has yet to throw a single pass for the Razorbacks, but he is gracing the cover of said preview magazine. Here are the list of his credentials: signed with USC, couldn't beat out the biggest flop in this year's NFL Draft, transferred to Arkansas.
No 2008 schedules on team preview pages. Sure, they may have the offensive and defensive coordinators listed, but I want to know how this team fared last season.
Once again, Brandon James 1st team AA PR. Javy is all the way down on 3rd team. Apparently stats and performance mean nothing when compared with the name on the FRONT of the uniform.
No SEC players on 1st team AA defensive line. Terrance Cody and Greg Hardy at least show up on the 2nd team, but Auburn's Antonio Coleman is no where to be found on any team. I'm on page 13 and this mag is losing credibility fast.
Clemson 4th in ACC Atlantic. CJ Spiller is still on the roster, and Dabo Swinney did a great job after Tommy Bowden stepped down last season, resurrecting the Tigers season and managed to win the rivalry game with South Carolina.
Pitt rated as an A- team. Two problems with this: 1) VT and FSU are both rated as A- teams as well and 2) Pitt is not even in the Top 25, but an A- team?
Penn St. has six guys on the All-Big Ten team, Ohio State has one, but the Buckeyes are picked to win the league...again. This is one wacky magazine.
Top NFL prospect in Big XII: Sergio Kindle, LB, Texas. Sam Bradford would have been the #1 pick this season, but wouldn't be next year?
Magazine ends without bowl predictions all in one place. Wow, this was a waste of money.

What are they smoking?!?

Alabama will be just as good as last year, but get jumped by two teams? The fearless forecast says that LSU will be back and better than Alabama and Ole Miss will win ten games. The SEC is going to be good, no doubt, but to say that both Ole Miss and LSU will just Bama is a bit of a stretch.

Top Ten

Florida
Texas
Oklahoma
USC
Ole Miss
Virginia Tech
Oregon
LSU
Ohio State
Oklahoma State

Review the Preview: Yahoo! Sports/Rivals.com

2009-07-13T20:04:00.002-05:00

With SEC Media Days beginning next week, I figured this week would be the best to go through the five preview magazines out right now: "Yahoo!/Rivals.com, Athlon, Lindy's, Phil Steele, and Sporting News.

From each magazine, I will touch on the things I like about them, things I don't like, and then the things that come from the "What are they smoking?!?" category.

T0 start off the week, I will start with the magazine I picked up this morning: Yahoo and Rivals.

What's to like

Rivals listed Mark Ingram as one of their five breakout players for the 2009 season. "Ingram won't need gaping holes; he can create some one his own. He'll get more chances with the football and his numbers will likely soar."
Auburn in the PapaJohns.com Bowl. Nothing will improve the quality of the game like the addition of the SEC, plus a more prime spot after New Year's Day, but if the Tigers make it to Birmingham, Legion Field might be able to pay for a face lift of that game's ticket sales alone.
BCS predictions. USC vs. Ohio State, part deux, Alabama vs. Penn St, the prelude, Oklahoma vs. Boise St., the rematch, and Florida vs. Texas for all the marbles.
Big East team to surprise: UConn. The Huskies have played some tough games over the past year or two, and they should be in good shape to emerge with Louisville down and USF predicted by Rivals to be a team to disappoint.
Vandy will beat a ranked team. What's not to like about that prediction? Everyone loves to cheer for the 'Dores when they aren't playing their team.
Team to surprise in SEC: Alabama. Rivals picks the Crimson Tide to win the West, but apparently they view that as a surprise.
Troy at #65. The Trojans have long been a hard out, and should have put away LSU in Baton Rouge last year. Every other year, Troy is due for an upset of a major team. Florida and Arkansas, you have been warned. Not to mention the battle of the mid-majors in Alabama will be a blood bath for the Blazers.
Western Kentucky is #118. The team which has spent the past two seasons moving up to the Bowl Subdivision is not considered the worst in the country. Glad to know the Hilltoppers are moving up in the world.

What's not to like

Prediction that no Big Ten QB will throw for 3,000 yards. Juice Williams was the only one in the league to do so last season. Pryor is in year two at OSU and Daryll Clark should be good to lead Penn St. They may be right, but I would like to think one of those two will reach the 3,000 yard plateau.
Jeff Tedford on the hot seat. Rivals goes on to point out the Bears have not had a losing season during his tenure after having five straight before his arrival in 2002. Not to mention Cal is predicted to finish second on conference behind USC. What merits the hot seat out of that? If he is truly on the hot seat, he may finally bolt to another job.
Brandon James as best PR in SEC. This will not be the last time you hear me gripe about people putting Brandon James ahead of Javier Arenas. There will be an entire blog on this topic in the future.
Florida's WR options when talking repeat. Rivals lists TE Aaron Hernandez as the potential leader for receptions, and that is not great to hear for a national title contender. It is even worse when considering Tebow's pro prospectus, because if he doesn't have the outside options, Florida will become more predictable (if that is even possible).
Oregon State outside the Top 25. Sure, they are at 26, but the Beavers were one game away from winning the Pac-10 last season. The non-conference schedule is much softer with no Penn St. or Utah, but conference rotation has Beavers on the road for five this season, including USC, Cal, Arizona St, and, most importantly, Oregon.
Auburn at #52. I agree that the Tigers will probably have a tough go this year, but behind Kentucky, Minnesota, Michigan and Wisconsin nationally? Not that bad.
Alabama's OOC opponent's rankings. Tulane is at 116. North Texas is at 120. Let's not forget that Alabama plays these two back-to-back weeks after starting with #6 VT.

What are they smoking?!?

Jimmy Clausen listed as a Heisman candidate, and not in the dark horse section.
Notre Dame undefeated heading into game vs. USC. Sure, their schedule is quite easy, but this is still not a great team by no stretch of the imagination.
Penn State outside of the Top Ten? Nittany Lions went 11-1 last year in regular season, and they host Ohio State this year. Schedule sets up much friendlier with that single change and no real depth in the Big Ten.
Nebraska in front of North Carolina?! UNC is on the verge of surprising the ACC, and Nebraska have not earned back their black shirts. Nebraska's sked is favorable with no Texas or Oklahoma State and hosting Oklahoma, but the Heels under Butch Davis must avoid the late season meltdown.

Top Ten

Florida
Texas
USC
Oklahoma
Alabama
Virginia Tech
Ohio State
LSU
Boise State
Oklahoma State

A friendly conversation over the twittosphere

2009-07-09T08:02:00.002-05:00

There is one simple way to know that you are starved for college football.

The answer: arguing over twitter as to why Bama will/won't finish third in the SEC West while college football is 56 days away and Bama football is 58 days out.

Such was the case last night when I had an opposition to Lisa Horne's prediction of the SEC West which looked, and remains, like this:

LSU
Ole Miss
Bama
Arkansas
Auburn
Miss St

Before we get any further, let me introduce Lisa. She is a writer for FoxSports.com, a member of the Football Writers of America Association, and former colleague when I was writing on bleacherreport.com before I got this gig and decided not to multi-task.

So once she asked the opened question of what SEC fans thought of her predictions, I had to stand up for the Crimson Tide, and that's when all the fun started.

Below is a transcript of last night's discussion, 140 characters at a time.

Me-@LisaHorne When defense wins championships, you have the best defense in the West 3rd? Bama did more with less on offense numerous times.

Lisa-@ng11787 The best D got hammered by Florida and Utah. Plus, they lost their career passing leader in JPW.

Lisa-I cannot believe LSU -- even with a killer schedule -- won't win the West. I like their schedule...it's got teeth.

Me-@LisaHorne And when do those teams appear on the schedule? Bama had best rush D in SEC and return 9. Tebow hit perfect spot in SECCG...

Me-@LisaHorne ...and that game was down to a few plays. On offense, G-Mac is already better than JPW and Julio is one year better + Trent @ RB

Lisa-@ng11787 The Bama v Utah game was down to a few plays? The Utes owned the Bama's O-line. OWNED them.

Me-@LisaHorne Never said Utah, I said UF. I was at that Utah game and it was an all around feeling that Bama was gonna run over them. Too cocky

Lisa-@ng11787 You didn't say Florida, but OK. Two BIGGEST games of the year and Bama lost. 2 in a row. I'm just saying'. Why diff this year?

Me-@LisaHorne The ... was a continuation. We aren't talking post season over who will win the Westn its the regular season, and Bama went 12-0

Lisa-@ng11787 As far as down 2 a few plays-yeah, maybe. Like if USC had gone 3 more inches, they would've beat Texas. USC LOST...I don't do IFs.

Lisa-Here's my theory on great football teams: they may get beat, but it's never a blow-out. Good teams can be blown out. Not great ones.

Lisa-@ng11787 No doubt the WKU,Tulane & Arkansas State cupcakes helped that 12-0 mark...those are 3 gimmees. TY Bama has Va Tech. Not a cupcake!

Me-@LisaHorne Nice twist to avoid the @UGA, @LSU plus rivalries @UT and vs. AU in the argument. Not to mention over Ole Miss as well.

Lisa-@ng11787 I actually think LSU Tigers will win the SEC period and go to BCS Rose Bowl National Championship game. (You may quote me)

Me-@LisaHorne Let's hear how Jefferson or Shepard will lead their offense with no WR+a suspect secondary with Snead, Cox, Tebow n G-Mac 2 play

Lisa-@ng11787 Alabama lost their two biggest games. That is fact. Great teams don't lose big games, and they don't get blown out in a BCS Bowl.

Me-@LisaHorne Once again, not the point of the argument here, we are talking regular season, and Bama went 12-0 and beat all teams they play TY

Lisa-@ng11787 You're bringing up Tenn. and Auburn, both 5-7 teams, as big wins? Tennessee lost to Wyoming, Auburn beat Miss St 3-2. Come now.

Me-@LisaHorne Rivalry games, anything can happen. Any other explaination as to why your West fav LSU lost to Ark past two seasons?

Lisa-@ng11787 LY I said Georgia and Alabama were pretenders....I know you remember that. They were. I stand by my LSU projection. QB issue solved

Lisa-@ng11787 Regular season MEANS NOTHING if you can't win your conference or BCS Bowl. See New England Patriots for proof.

Me-@LisaHorne But you are using post season games as your argument as to why Bama won't win the SEC West, and have yet to touch on anything 09

Lisa-@ng11787 I am basing my projections on LSU finally getting it together in their last game (38-2 over Ga. Tech) while Bama folded.

Lisa-@ng11787 I'm saying if u couldn't win it w/ Coffee & Wilson LY, how are u going to do better w/ less experienced O-Line TY? Va Tech is good

Me-@LisaHorne So LSU pick is based off a thrashing of a mediocre ACC team after losing 3 of 4 to end reg season? That's all last year.

Lisa-@ng11787 LSU lost talent LY, like Bama did TY. That's kinda my whole point...LSU suffered last season, and I think Bama will this season.

Me-@LisaHorne Trent is expected to start and coaches say G-Mac is better than JPW and bigger passing threat means more Julio, plus that defense

Me-@LisaHorne ...and Bama beat that same LSU team on the road LY with their most mistake ridden game in RS. One game can't make the next season

(btw, for anyone who may have been wondering: yes, this is the reason why my girlfriend no longer gets my tweets sent to her phone. Ok, continue...)

Lisa-@ng11787 You brought up Georgia as one of the big games that Bama won, but when LSU beat the team (Ga Tech) that beat Ga, they are mediocre.

Me-@LisaHorne Are we seriously gonna use the same logic that would have a 3 yr old trade a penny for a $100 bill (1 for 1) in CFB. Oh wait, BCS

Lisa-@ng11787 Ok ...well last year they said Bama was the best team in the country, and I disagreed. I don't trust coaches, I trust my eyes.

Me-@LisaHorne I never thought we were until we beat UF, and we didn't, but I stand by thought our D has a chance to be the best in nation TY

Lisa-@ng11787 Last comment...I argued with you LY that Bama was maybe top ten team, but not NC worthy. They weren't. Lets not start this up again

Lisa-@ng11787 I wish you nothing but the best. Bama fans are great. Va Tech will be a good test. (for the record, I'll take Va Tech and the pts)

Me-@LisaHorne Works for me. I'll take us, of course. VT traditionally starts slow. Hope the fam and chia pet are doing well.

Lisa-@ng11787 chia pet has been properly memorialized. Good luck! Would love to see some really happy Bama fans!

So that was that. Surprisingly, we managed to go through the entire conversation without even bringing up Ole Miss as a contender in this race, which the Sporting News would slap me for, judging by their rankings.

Nonetheless, I am sure this is not the last college football discussion Lisa and I will have before the season, but I will assure you, they will all be as spirited.

By the way, if anyone cared, here are Lisa's East predictions:

Florida
Georgia
Tennessee
South Carolina
Vandy
Kentucky

What I've missed and what's ahead.

2009-07-07T09:51:00.003-05:00

So after a month off in June, it's time to get back to the blog.

Between my own personal need of a break and some other things that were necessary to put before writing, the break turned into a month long without me even noticing it.

During this break, here is what I have missed, and its just a nice little refresher for everyone:

The Braves used their "16 games to define the season," as I had dubbed it on Twitter, to pull within two games of the Phillies, before dropping three games, in real life and in the standings, over the past four days. You can read below about Tommy Hanson's call up and his strong opening run for Rookie of the Year, and would have been best pitcher in the NL still if 1) Tim Lincecum didn't start destroying teams and 2) if the Braves hadn't blown his last start. Thanks, bullpen.
Before Alabama even kicks off in 2009, the 2010 schedule is already together. The schedule includes out-of-conference games with San Jose St., Penn. St., Duke, and Georgia State. Every game but Duke will be at home, but the Blue Devils have yet to announce whether or not Alabama will travel to Durham or only to Atlanta for a "home" game for Duke in the Georgia Dome based on their high alumni count in the Atlanta metro area. As for conference games, Alabama will host, Florida, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, and Auburn and travel to Arkansas, South Carolina, Tennessee, and LSU. Of course, dates aren't set in stone, but just based on typical Bama schedules, you can expect Arkansas to be the first SEC game and road trip, more than likely followed by Florida at home, trip to South Carolina, home with Ole Miss, to Tennessee, to LSU, Miss. St. at home and Auburn at home. Its a bit rougher than this year's schedule, for sure.
Not to be overlooked, especially by me, is what has leaked out about this year's basketball schedule for the Crimson Tide. Coach Anthony Grant has hinted at a game with VCU, but nothing has gone beyond rumor with that game yet. What we do know is that Alabama will be in Orlando for the Old Spice tournament right after Thanksgiving, Mobile for the Coors Classic against Kansas State, and I have found a rumor that Alabama will get a visit from Purdue on Dec. 12th in Coleman Coliseum. Even if the Boilermaker rumor doesn't hold water, Alabama's non-conference basketball schedule already looks better than last year.

So that is what I missed over the past month, but here is what to come in the next month:

In preparation for football season, I will start a "Best of the SEC" series based on my experiences on all twelve of the campuses of the SEC. They will cover basketball and football as well as general things concerning the trips and looks from Fayetteville to Columbia.
SEC Media Days are approaching in the next few weeks, and I will be dissecting what each and every coach and player has to say and what it may mean as far as their outlook of the upcoming season.
For anyone who hasn't noticed, four of the pre-season football magazines are on news stands, and I will go through and pick them apart. Sports Illustrated's preview will come around in August, so I will catch up with that one then.
SEC Basketball coaches should be releasing non-conference schedules in the next month, according to the twitter pages of Billy Donovan and Bruce Pearl. I will look at what's out there for these teams as well as how Alabama stacks up if the schedule comes out this month.

If anything else catches my eye, I'll stick it up here as well. Don't be surprised if there is a response to this coming in the next day or two.

It's time to get back to work and back in shape. Football is less than two months away!!!

Why Tommy Hanson is the Best Pitcher in Baseball right now. No, seriously.

2009-06-29T09:28:00.004-05:00

Since the beginning of the season, I have screamed for his call-up.

When Jo-Jo Reyes was called up ahead of him, I just screamed.

Now after seeing him in person, I am convinced: Tommy Hanson is the real deal.

And, at this moment, he is the best pitcher in all of baseball. Believe it.

Through his first six starts of his career, here are Hanson's stats:

4-0, 2.48 ERA, 29 IP, 24 H, .222 Opps. BA, 9 R, 8 ER, 3 HR

Hanson is the first Brave to start 4-0 in his career since Chuck James did in 2006, and that's not a good omen, but here is the good news:

Hanson has not given up a HR since his first start against Milwaukee when he gave up three.
Hanson has not allowed an earned run in the last 20 2/3 innings, spanning games over the Reds, Yankees, and Red Sox (all wins).
Hanson allowed a combined six hits to the loaded Yankee and Red Sox line-ups, a .150 BA.
Hanson is the 4th rookie pitcher in the past ten years to pull off wins against the Sox and Yanks in consecutive starts, but the first NL pitcher to do so.

So, that's plenty to make him possibly the best rookie pitcher in the National League, and maybe even the front runner for NL Rookie of the Year, but here is why he is the best pitcher in all of baseball right now.

Over the past 30 days, or Hanson's career, there are 12 pitchers who have amassed four wins or more. Here is where Hanson stands amongst those pitchers.

Aaron Cook leads with five wins, but one loss. Hanson is one of three starters to be 4-0 over this span.
He is fifth over this stretch with a 2.48 ERA.
Hanson is tied for first in runs allowed and all by himself in hits allowed.
He is fourth in HR allowed.
The Braves are 5-0 when he starts, but only 9-12 since his call-up.

Through all these stats, there is only one pitcher who can compete with Hanson, and that is Josh Beckett in this stretch, so at the worst, Hanson is currently the best pitcher in the National League.

Such a step down for a rookie pitcher to only be the best in his league.

And if you were wondering how rare it is to beat the Yankees and Red Sox in the same season, here is the list of pitchers who have done it so far this year: Scott Kazmir (TB), Matt Palmer (LAA), Kerry Wood, Carl Pavano (CLE), Tommy Hanson (ATL). Boston and New York have had 13 common opponents so far this year.

With the National League and American League East facing off this year in Interleague play, nine pitchers got their chance against the Yanks and Sox, but only Hanson beat, and shut down, both of them. Three pitchers lost to both teams.

With much left of this season, and a decrepit offense behind him, Hanson could easily fall off the map, but being a rookie could potentially work in his favor until around the end of August. That's when teams like the Mets, Phillies, and Marlins will start to see him for a second time, and that unknown factor would have vanished.

For now, though, Hanson is well on his way to becoming the ace of the Atlanta staff, and if you have been following me on Twitter, you would know that I have started the Tommy Hanson bandwagon.

Feel free to climb on before it's too late.

View From the Stands-June 7th, 2009

2009-06-07T10:05:00.001-05:00

It's about Damn Time!: For years, many SEC basketball fans have wondered how Rick Stansbury could recruit to Starkville. There was the location, the lack of available help from football, and then "there is no where to practice" according to Ben Hansbrough, Tyler's younger brother, who transferred from the school. There have been many accusations, especially from Alabama fans, of Stansbury paying his players, paying off churches to get players to State, and even the idea that he was bringing in players who never graduated high school. Now, the NCAA is getting involved for the first time. This past recruiting season, a kid by the name of Renardo Sidney out of Los Angeles had these finalists for his signature: UCLA, USC...Mississippi State. Sidney eventually signed with the Bulldogs after his scholarship offers were rescinded by USC and UCLA. The NCAA now wants to look into the family's bank and housing records while Renardo attended Fairfax High School in the Los Angeles area. Once again, its about damn time someone looked into $tansbury's recruiting.

That other New York team "got what he said I don't have": For those who did not take notice, the New York Mets got swept, yes, swept, by the Pittsburgh Pirates earlier this week in a three-game set in the Three Rivers city. Carols Beltran, not to be taken as a loser (despite his career beginning in Kansas City) was none to thrilled with his team's performance, and wasn't impressed with the opponents. "To come in here in Pittsburgh and get swept, I feel embarrassed," Beltran said. "I know they're a big-league ball club, but we are better than them." He says this while, as he noted, his team got swept. After three chances and you come up 0-3, I don't think you are correct But hey, he should be used to having teams being better than him since, as I noted, he started with the Royals. Adam LaRoche of the Pirates responded by saying Beltran had "zero class and zero professionalism." Beltran, before Saturday's game against the Nationals, he responded (mistake #1) to LaRoche, repeating his comments and went on to use excellent English to disagree with the class comment, saying, "I don't agree with him. I got class and what he said I don't got. I got all what he said I don't have." (mistake #2) By responding, that's not really showing class. It doesn't come across very good when you say these comments before losing 7-1 to the worst team in baseball (mistake #3). It's ok, it's not like the Mets have blown back-to-back September leads in the NL East and missed the playoffs both years.

The Village Idiot Strikes Again!: If Lane Kiffin isn't in the news, its not a news day. ESPN's Outside the Lines did a report on Kiffin, covering all of his talking, accusing, and downright stupidity. Take a look at it below.

Besides Ed Orgeron calling him "ahead of his time,"(Yaw, yaw!), Kiffin once again committed a recruiting violation in the report. Near the end of the report, Kiffin is seen meeting with a recruit, the recruit's father, and an assistant coach. It is against NCAA rules to meet with a prospect while in the presence of the media, and of course, just as the report talks about his five previous secondary violations, he commits another. It is bad enough this guy has been given the ability to coach, especially in the SEC, but considering he will be at Tennessee, it just proves that God has a sense of humor.

Big Problems with Big Cat Weekend

2009-05-31T19:16:00.005-05:00

This past week at the SEC Coaches Meetings in Destin, FL, SEC commissioner Mike Slive told all coaches to stop their bickering in the media and to abide by the rules of the SEC put forth in 2004 that all complaints be made direct to the SEC offices in Birmingham.

This weekend, Auburn gave the other 11 coaches a nice test to see which method they will choose to use in the coming week.

This weekend, Auburn set up a recruiting weekend entitled "Big Cat Weekend", a weekend that was invitation only for the top prospects of the class of 2010.

The idea was to have as many members of the class who are interesting in Auburn to come and hang out on campus for a weekend to get to know the coaches and get to know each other.

Among those in attendance were Lache Seastruck, the top prospect out of Texas and a Rivals top ten, Marcus Lattimore, the top prospect out of South Carolina and a Rivals top ten, and Khairi Fortt, the top player out of Connecticut.

All of these players had to find a way into Auburn on their own as this was an unofficial visit weekend, also meaning that no official tours were given, no organized parties were had with Auburn overseeing or participating, and no violations were had. Right.

That's what the Tigers want you to believe, but there are already plenty of people who are calling foul.

First, on a personal level, I find it hard to believe that all three of the recruits mentioned above would come down voluntarily while still in school, especially while Lattimore and Seastruck have finals starting tomorrow. As a student, I wouldn't be "hanging out" with other people five states away when I have tests determining my admittance to this school in a year hang in the balance.

Second, these recruits participated in pie and watermelon eating contests, yet didn't pay for a single thing, receiving free stuff all day long. That would be considered an extra benefit for the recruits. During unofficial visits on football Saturdays, visiting recruits must pay to eat before the game. Something tells me these recruits didn't bring lunch money or an entrant's fee.

Finally, the cream of the crop for the trip, was the night cap at Toomer's Corner.

Go ahead and get comfortable for all the things that happened during this "celebration."

To prepare yourself, take a look at videos provided by the Opelika-Auburn News and Auburnsports.com, the Auburn Rivals site.

(Disclaimer: The Auburnsports.com link needs a Rivals screen name to view. Also, the video was originally four minutes long, but after noticing violations, the Rivals crew has shrunk it to two minutes, twenty seconds.)

First off, both of these videos show the recruits being introduced to the crowd at Toomer's Corner. This is a violation of NCAA Rule 13.10.6.

13.10.6 Introduction of Prospective Student-Athlete. An institution may not introduce a visiting prospective student-athlete at a function (e.g., the institution’s sports award banquet or an intercollegiate athletics contest) that is attended by media representatives or open to the general public. Violations of this bylaw do not affect a prospective student-athlete’s eligibility and are considered institutional violations per Constitution 2.8.1. (Revised: 1/14/97)

In both videos, you can hear the name of prominent recruits announced as they throw toilet paper over the trees in front of the crowd on Toomer's Corner. The announcement is being made by members of the Auburn recruiting team, Tigerettes/Tiger Hosts, who assist during unofficial and official visits and their services must be requested by the athletic department.

If the T/Th services were requested, that would imply an organized event was happening at Toomer's Corner, and with the president, vice president and treasurer of the group all present, it doesn't seem voluntary. (Foreground, blue and orange shirt, and to his left, blue shirt)

Second, the event itself is was a simulation of a game-day atmosphere, another secondary violation in itself.

13.7.3 Activities During Unofficial Visit.An institution may not arrange miscellaneous, personalized recruiting aids (e.g., personalized jerseys, personalized audio/visual scoreboard presentations) and may not permit a prospective student-athlete to engage in any game-day simulations (e.g., running onto the field with the team during pregame introductions) during an unofficial visit. Personalized recruiting aids include any decorative items and special additions to any location the prospective student-athlete will visit (e.g., hotel room, locker room, coach’s office, conference room, arena) regardless of whether or not the items include the prospective student-athlete’s name or picture. (Adopted: 8/5/04, Revised: 5/14/05, 4/27/06)

Sure, the student body at Auburn has rolled the Corner after the election of President Obama, but it has long been known the true reason for rolling Toomer's Corner: when Auburn Football wins, you head straight for Toomer's.

Not only are, the recruits obviously present at this "impromptu" celebration, but one even forgot to take off his official Auburn name tag.

We can thank Auburnsports.com for this picture (and many more) and the blurring of his name tag, but that would be Fortt, the linebacker from Connecticut. Too bad Brian Matthews and the rest of the crew there at The Bunker forgot to edit the pictures before putting them up the first time. A huge picture of Fortt graced the front of the website on Sunday with the name tag in clear sight and a huge roll of Charmin in the other hand.

If any more evidence for an organized activity is needed, besides promotion on three Auburn message boards plus police crowd and traffic control, how bout this guy.

Why yes, boys and girls, that would be Aubie, the Auburn mascot. Do we really believe that the same tiger I have actually gotten in an altercation with (great day) just walks around campus looking for fun?

In all actuality, to request the services of Aubie at any function, it must be applied for and processed through Auburn University. I'm sure that could be done quickly on a Saturday night to get him there for the "spur of the moment" get together.

(Personally, the worst discovery out of all of this for Auburn is that their quarterback of choice, Kodi Burns, throws like a seven year-old girl. Just check out the Auburnsports.com video)

With first the Tiger Prowl, and now Big Cat Weekend, one has to wonder if this is all a part of the new "extreme recruiting" tactics that Auburn is employing.

Last week at the L'Arche Football dinner in Mobile, that was the phrase Gus Malzhan used to describe these bright ideas the new coaching staff have come up with.

Too bad they couldn't shut the recruits' mouths from making extreme comments.

Seastrunk can be heard in the O-A News video as saying, "Nick Saban is S.O.L." and openly sending salutations to Saban in the Auburnsports.com vid.

Its ok, Lache, you can just admit that you are upset that Saban isn't going to offer you a scholarship to play for a team you have seriously considered. Its also funny that his interest in Auburn has been lowered from "High" to "Medium" now that the week has begun. We forgive you, Lache, everybody makes mistakes.

Now that Auburn's second "extreme recruiting" act is over, the next thing to look for seems to be coming in July, while we also wait to see if this produces any recruits.

Between the Prowl and Big Cat Weekend, Auburn has not gotten one commitment and currently sits last in the SEC with four to date. If the Tigers can't produce any recruits from all of this, it will continue to be all laughs with no one taking Auburn seriously.

Capstonereport.com was used to assist in this blog.

Review: Kobe Doin' Work

2009-05-26T12:56:00.004-05:00

After a week and a half of trying to track down the documentary on failed recording attempts on DVR (check the Lebron piece as to why that has happened), I finally discovered a slot where I could watch Kobe Doin' Work, the documentary by Spike Lee with 30 cameras supposedly living the life of Kobe Bryant on the court in a game against the Spurs from the 2007-08 season.

Kobe was mic'd for the game, and every possible angle was taken of Kobe while he roamed the court being played over a commentary of Kobe of what is going on, how things should have been done, and why things happened the way they did...all because of him.

Before I get too far into this "documentary," I need to say that this was the first piece by Spike Lee that I have ever seen.

Excuse me, the file in the back of my head just reminded me that it is not a piece, but in fact a "joint" by Spike Lee.

(I'm sorry, but when I think of the word "joint," I don't think of a film or project. I think of two things: 1) that thing in LeBron's wrist and elbow that allows him to take jump shots from forty feet with better accuracy than I have while shooting a lay-up and 2) the favorite afternoon relaxing agent of the Josh H. [Howard and Heyfelt] high club. That is a joint.)

After seeing this "documentary," it was the last piece by Spike Lee that I will ever watch.

I have always wondered why he was such an acclaimed director when I had never had the urge to see his work or much less heard of much of his work, and then Kobe Doin' Work made me understand why.

You may keep wondering why I continue to put documentary in quotations, and here is why, as I posted on twitter yesterday while watching:

There is a difference between a commentary and a documentary. Someone should alert such a "great" filmmaker as Spike Lee of the difference.

The entire piece entails Kobe talking over him playing a game. That's it. It is like watching your favorite movie, though Kobe is hardly my favorite, with the producers and actors speaking over the entire thing telling you what is going and happening.

That is not a documentary, that is a commentary. Kobe Doin' Work is a full blown, over-hyped commentary.

Personally, if I was ESPN, I would be embarrassed to have my name on it.

No one cares what is going through Kobe's head. Well, actually, we found out six years ago what goes through Kobe's head, so we don't need to touch on that.

One positive of the film would be the inside access to the halftime locker room. It was the kind of access that even Ahmad Rashad couldn't even pull during his prime.

You got to see Phil Jackson, the master of Zen, go through game film at halftime discussing potential changes in play on offense and defense for the second half. You heard different players give their input about what changed they want to make. In a sentence, it was way more exciting than my high school locker room at halftime.

Other than that, Kobe Doin' Work was a waste of time that actually made me realize I was missing the Jon & Kate Plus 8 marathon on TLC.

Yes, I will admit I watch that show (along with Charlie Manuel and the "Flyin Hawaiian," Shane Victorino), and yes, if I hadn't told myself I was going to watch the entire thing, I would have changed the channel about ten minutes in.

If for some reason you are up late and notice that this commentary is on, but you realize you haven't seen Billy Madison in about five years, side with Adam Sandler, every time.

Cavs are not out, but may be in trouble

2009-05-25T08:43:00.002-05:00

Depending on what side you are on determines your view on how Games 1 and 2 have gone for Cleveland or Orlando in the Eastern Conference Finals.

For Cleveland, the Cavs allowed the Magic to even be in the series by have collapses of 16 and 23 at home leading to two lucky shots by Orlando.

For Orlando, Cleveland shouldn't even be in the series because the Magic won Game 1 outright and the Cavs got lucky in Game 2.

Either way, the series was tied at one heading into last night's game, and in what was a debacle (for more than one reason, I'll get to it) of a basketball game, the Magic pulled out a 99-89 win to go up 2-1 against the Cavs in the series.

In a game that saw 86 free throw attempts and 94 two-point jumpers, the officials were all that could be talked about after the game.

First off, has anyone besides me noticed that Joey Crawford has called every game in these playoffs where the officiating is ultimately questioned at the end of a game? It surely isn't a coincidence, yet David Stern continues to let him work the postseason.

Need convincing? Go watch Dwight Howard's sixth foul on LeBron's three. Look in the bottom right corner for that bald man slightly resembling a male body part and see when he raises his hand for a foul. If your answer is before the shot, you would be correct.

And this can't be called "protection of LeBron" because he is just playing the game. Orlando fans can complain all they want about that, but the fact remains, Cavs fans have a point that their boys had an extra ten fouls called on them, and that isn't end game inflation.

When you have horrid officials, you over-react on fouls, because they are bad enough to blow the play dead at the flail of the arm. James knew that was his best bet last night to keep the Cavs in the game.

Speaking of Cleveland, the Cavs looked "turrible, just turrible" last night.

Thirty-seven percent shooting, 19% from behind the arc, and 15 turnovers leading to 21 Orlando points. (Let's not forget that Cleveland out-rebounded Orlando, and any time you do that, you should win, unless, you shoot like the Cavs did last night)

In Games 1 and 2, a performance like this could be attributed to Orlando's defense, but in Game 3, Cleveland had just as many open shots as Orlando did, but just couldn't hit.

This does not fall completely on Mo Williams, who has been James' Robin all season long. The truth is, Mo plays better as a straight up point guard, not a 1/2 hybrid.

At Alabama, Mo had this luxury to be able to play point guard straight up.

As point guard, Mo lead the Crimson Tide to a regular season SEC Title in 2001-02 as a freshman.

He was third on the team with points because he had reliable men down low (Erwin Dudley, Kenny Walker) and shooters on the outside with him (Terrance Meade, Rod Grizzard). The Tide also had a reliable bench (Antoine Pettway, Earnest Shelton) and role players (Reggie Rambo, Demetrius Smith).

Which team does that sound like in this series?

That is just one contributing factor as to why the Cavs are in trouble. They don't have Pippen, Kukoc, and Rodman.

Other factors are a reliable two and three, a physical presence down low, and a lineup with five people who aren't afraid to shoot.

Almost all of those must be fixed in the off-season while preparing for next year. However, there are two very important factors that can still save the series for Cleveland if they begin to show this in Game 4, and this apparently can't be seen through the Magical Blue shades.

First, it is staying home on defense.

The Cavs focus on Dwight Howard so much that the Magic have all the time in the world to move the ball around the perimeter. If the Cavs stay home, the game slows down and plays at their pace.

Instead, when one guy drives, one Cav slides over to help and two more cover up Howard, leaving the outside unattended. This is a lack of defensive trust by the Cavs, who have ridden their defense to this point.

Let Dwight Howard be. Between Big Z, Varajeo, and Ben Wallace (who should be on DH to begin with), Cleveland has 18 fouls to give. Even if he makes the shots, put Howard on the line to minimize the three-point shooting.

Second, consistency. Anyone who doesn't go by LeBron hasn't played with this during the series.

Just look at the box scores. The number of Cavs in double figures has dropped over the series, from five to four to three last night. Only LeBron, Delonte West and Mo scored in double figures the entire series, and it has taken an ungodly amount of shots to reach that point, especially last night.

Being down 2-1 in this series after last night's showing is encouraging, but it is also troublesome.

If the shooting improves, Cleveland will return home with the series tied at two.

If the shooting remains the same, LeBron will score forty for the fourth time this season on the Magic, but will go down 3-1 heading home and facing an improbable climb.

We are all Witnesses

2009-05-23T09:27:00.004-05:00

Let me go ahead and preface this blog this way: I am a Cavs fan. I'm not supporting them just for the series, the season, or just because I think they will in the title.

I have been following this team for the past three seasons, through LeBron's first playoff appearance, the loss to the Spurs, and, most importantly, the trade for Mo Williams.

This also means I think LeBron definitely should have been MVP, that he will not be going anywhere in 2010 because players go to die and tattoo their temples in NYC (this week's SI cover supports my thoughts), and that Anderson Varajao could be let go to free up cap space if the Cavs drafted Psycho-T (similar style games).

Finally, it means that in about 12 years, I will be back into the shadows with my team, ready to celebrate just making the playoffs once again.

This is all to clear the air for one premise: I am not a bandwagon fan. I have certain feelings for bandwagon fans which I will express once my readership goes back up from the teens to the dozens during the school year. In a basic premise, you pick a team, and you ride that team until it drives you six feet under.

So, of course, the shot from LeBron James last night to tie the Eastern Conference Finals at one a piece sent me into a frenzy. Of course, it is no fun to just go into my feelings of the shot, because a game-winning three to win by one means you had to be down two before it happened.

In other words, I will start with about fifty seconds left in the game.

(Disclaimer: I am doing all of this off of memory because I couldn't get my DVR to work, so I just watched the shot five times over the hour that it was available to me. It would have been easier for me to work it if two things had been in my favor: 1) My house did not have a universal remote that I have still yet to fully figure out how to function and 2) If the DVR wasn't loaded down with Desperate Housewives and Prison Break and had enough room for me to stick the final minute and reaction on there, I would.)

48.7 seconds left: Hedo Turkoglu just hit a three to bring the Magic even at 93.

It was one of those beautiful plays you hardly ever see in the NBA, but it was against my team. The ball movement, the concentration on Dwight Howard, and the fact that Hedo was as as open as a Waffle House at 3 a.m.

It is one of those shots where you see where the ball ends up, and just put your head down. Marv let me know it was in, I didn't need to see it, I just knew it was in.

However, I did bring my head up in time to see Hedo start nodding and acting like he was the master of the universe (great job to have, btw). Here are two reasons why I can't stand him and it just made that moment more horrific than it was:

First, he is Turkish. I'm Greek. If you brush up on your Eastern European history, or if you have ever seen My Big Fat Greek Wedding, you would understand. The Turks took the Greeks land, including Constantinople (it's not Istanbul, damn it!), and didn't give it back until about two hundred years ago.

Second, he never closes his mouth. Never. It is like Pau Gasol...only worse. Hedo just has this dazed look in his eye and then has more of a wide opening. Gasol has more of a vertical opening, but it never closes, even when he talks. It is like there is an invisible string attached to his massive beak that runs to his top lip. Not to mention, Gasol just looks dumb, not dazed. Hedo at least just looks high and in need of some Cheesy Poofs. Cavs Timeout.

30.9 seconds left: LeBron puts the Cavs in the le... wait NO! NO! He did not travel!

I sat in wonderment at this horrific site of someone actually having the testicular fortitude to call a travel on LeBron James. It is just one of those things that you don't do, like kissing your cousin or picking a side in any Auburn/Tennessee match-up.

Upon hearing that whistle, I was sure that LeBron had gotten the lead, and the foul to go up three with only thirty to play. Instead, LeBron "walked," the Magic had the ball, but Cleveland still got the important 2-1 deal at the end of the game.

Even if this play didn't count, it was still LeBron going at Dwight Howard for points late in the game. We know it can be done. Mo Williams has done it, LeBron will do it, the Orlando Magic didn't feel like doing it in Game Two. Orlando ball.

13.7 seconds left: Are you freaking kidding me, Sasha? You foul, great job.

The entire possession I was screaming at the tv, "Don't foul. Don't foul." It was only last week when I finally understood that five fouls before the final two minutes meant the bonus (I prefer college sports, anyway), but I knew for sure that under two minutes after two fouls, the other team shoots.

The Cavs had a foul to give, but with only 30 seconds left, I knew the implications if they did. The Magic would take six or seven seconds to get across half court, plus Cleveland would have another chance with the ball...if they didn't foul.

Once it got under about twenty seconds, I started screaming louder, and then Sasha Pavlovic did his best impression of Kenyon Martin in WCF Game One. Reach across while the dazed Turk drives to the hoop and get called for a foul.

Mike, please call a timeout so I can draw some ruby red lips on the side of Sasha's neck and insult his mother. It would make me feel accomplished. Orlando ball, shot clock off (damn it!).

1.0 second left: My biggest enemy sinks a shot to go up two.

Leave it to the damn dirty Turk to sink a game-winning shot to put the Cavs in a 2-0 hole. It is bad enough when they call him "Mr. 4th Quarter," because let's face it, he can't hit a shot before three minutes left in the fourth. And even then, he is, at best, a thirty percent shooter, but tonight, he makes both of them. What the hell.

It was bad enough that Sasha Pavlovic had the foul on him before the shot, it was worse that he didn't leave his feet during the shot. Even moreso, LeBron didn't rotate over to help. The worst part: Pavlovic shares a first name with that other Sasha from Los Angeles. That is a worse curse than the Billy Goat curse on the Cubs. See, this is why you don't mess with the Greeks!

During the commercial break, I'm thinking it's over. We are down 0-2. I am already thinking that a repeat of Detroit '07 will be necessary to make it to the Finals. I look like a Bama fan during Shula's first season at The Capstone: distraught, hopeless, and just watching it all fall apart. I'm thinking who will get the ball, and then I slap myself and know who will get the ball. Ron Jeremy knows who is getting the ball. The real Ron Jeremy even knows who is getting the ball.

Coming back from the break, the crowd looks distraught, wondering how this is happening. A 23-point lead gone as if it was suppose to happen this way. This was worse than the Lakers meltdown in last year's Finals. The Cavs had the lead in the 4th Quarter by double digits at one point. Now, they are down two, with LeBron getting the ball, more than likely a lob to the basket.

Let's be real here, though, if Mo is talking with LeBron coming back from the break, that means Mo is throwing the ball in. Did Mike Brown not see what happens when your Muggsy Bogues impersonator throws the ball in, much less a lob to the basket? Anyway, here it goes. Cleveland ball.

0.0 seconds left: HOLY CRAP!!!!! DID LEBRON REALLY JUST HIT THAT!?!?!?!? WE WIN!!!!!

Even a day later, I can't describe that shot. It took forever for that shot to go in. Everything around me was silent. My computer, the crowd, my sister, nothing was being said as the ball travelled through the air. Then, the ball hits the back of the rim, the front of the rim, down.

My personal reaction almost destroyed my laptop. If you know my history with laptops, I would not have gotten a new one. In other words, I sat up and almost stood up in one motion, but gently put down my laptop on the table, and continued my screaming while I was jumping and fist pumping around the living room.

Now, here is the level of excitement that shot created. To compare, the Braves beat the Blue Jays and Roy Halladay, no less, 1-0 last night. The final play involved the tying run being 90 feet away while Martin Prado bobbles the final out before beating the runner by half a step. My emotional attachment to the Atlanta Braves is stronger than any team I cheer for, and that win only got me to sit up and one fist pump.

To compare, I can only think of three moments in sports that have gotten that kind of reaction from me: Vince Young's 4th down run to beat USC for the national title in January 2006, Matt Caddell's catch to beat Arkansas in September 2007, and "The Shot that Saved Lives" in March 2008..That's it.

It beat the Braves winning the World Series in October 1995, then again I was only 7, the 1999 SEC Championship, Money's Cotton Bowl field goal, Ron Steele beating Georgia, and watching any LSU or Auburn loss.

LeBron didn't expect to make that shot. No one expected to make that shot. He only has one buzzer-beater of memory, why would he be expected to make it?

I had one friend who actually did predict it, only because he was about to get his head chopped off for sending a Facebook chat with only the words, "that sucks..." (Rule number one about me and sports: If my team is losing by a lot or by a last-second happening, don't mess with me until I mess with someone else. It is a quick way to get extremely insulted.)

After watching that shot another one hundred times this morning, that buzzer while the ball is in mid flight just prolongs the shot. It is the midpoint of the shot, the precursor to unforgettable greatness. The lane was wide open for the lob to LeBron, but the dazed Turk wouldn't let him near the basket. Instead, High-as-a-kite Hedo is now a part of my desktop background, and I wouldn't have it any other way. This, once again, is why you don't mess with the Greeks!

Instead of being down 2-0, the Cavs have now tied the series. Craig Ehlo can once again show his face in Cleveland, and if it is in his ability, will probably sing the national anthem at the beginning of Game Five. The big issue now is earning a split in Orlando, at best.

It is a taller task than you would expect considering the Magic have the best match-ups against Cleveland, however, if Dwight Howard disappears on the offensive end again, it may not be as bad as it is perceived.

View from the Stands-May 5, 2009

2009-05-05T21:07:00.003-05:00

Is there enough going on in the sports world as it stands? NBA and NHL playoffs, MLB in full swing, and news flying from all places concerning UEFA, WTA, horse racing and NFL.

It is easy to lose something in the big blur of news at this time, so I'm here to round up everything for your easy viewing.

Hey Birmingham, Larry Langford did something right! It has been about a year and a half since Larry Langford took office in Birmingham. During that time, he has managed to propose a new Fair Park, demolish the Birmingham International Raceway, re-pave about 27 miles of downtown streets for the Davis Cup, and, the icing, proposing the Olympics for 2020 in Birmingham. However, today news broke that the Birmingham City Council has approved funds to refurbish Rickwood Field and build a Negro Baseball Leagues museum. The museum will house information about players such as Jackie Robinson, Willie Mays, and Satchel Paige from their years playing for teams like the Birmingham Black Barons. Rickwood Field, the oldest stadium in America, housed all of these players, including others such as Babe Ruth, Frank Thomas, and Reggie Jackson. Who knows, maybe La-La will be able to see it before he is carted off the jail.
Serena Williams makes Stephen A. Smith look humble. Some rankings are purely speculative, such as polls in college sports or power rankings on ESPN or SI. Others, such as the WTA world rankings, are based on performance. So when Serena Williams was dropped from No. 1 for the first time in years for Dinara Safina, it surprised some folks. However, Serena swears that she is still the world's number one player. "We all know who the real number one is," Williams said last week. Yea, we do, and its Safina, not you. She didn't lose to the No. 100 player in the world in the first round a few weeks ago. Maybe that Aneres tennis skirt, which showcases all of the muscles I never knew existed, could loosen up your game and get you back to number one if you gave it the chance. When you finally decide to let LeBron James be the most muscular sports figure in sleeveless attire, we might revisit this argument.
Did you hear, A-Rod took steroids. OMG. Thanks to Selena Roberts, this is now back in the news, along with pitch tipping, use in high school, and many other lives of Alex. Her new book, The Many Lives of Alex Rodriguez, hit shelves a week early on Monday to let everyone know all the latest gossip about the world's best baseball player. Apparently passing notes is now taboo and it was too long to put on the local message board. It is one thing if this book had any new information, but Roberts is just jumping on the hot topic for a quick buck, just like the Stanky Legg and Snuggies. Congrats, you are just a step above prostitution, Selena, how does it feel?
Brett Favre is retired, so we know what that means. Late last week, Favre asked the Jets to release him from the retired vets list, so the team from New York granted this wish. Then, he hired a trainer, but answered any questions about coming back with an emphatic "No." So, of course that means that him and Brad Childress will be meeting later this week to discuss possibilities. Brett is flying up to Minnesota later this week, where he will discuss replacing Larry(Tarvaris Jackson), Moe(Sage Rosenfels), or Curly(Gus Frerotte) on the current Vikings roster. No matter what, if Brett does come back, he will be a step up, no matter who used to be number one on the charts. It would also be the first Vikings QB who wouldn't make you laugh when you heard their name.

Braves off to rough start in season-defining stretch

2009-05-05T10:39:00.002-05:00

When looking at the season schedule for the Atlanta Braves back in February, there was a stretch of games that stuck out to me.

It wasn't the amount of away games or who the opponents were, but how many games the Bravos would be playing over a period of time.

The answer: 43 games in 45 days.

With as much as people complain about how long baseball season is and all their off days, the Braves stretches of 13, 17, and 14 games all in a row was surprising to me.

About half the majors has a stretch like this over the season, the worst this year being the Tampa Bay Rays string of 53 games in 55 days.

But what makes this stretch so important for Atlanta?

As it currently stands, Atlanta is still on the outside looking in as far as the National League East race is concerned, especially with quite possibly the toughest division in baseball standing in their way. If the Braves want any chance in the division, they must be able to respond during this stretch.

Second, 27 of the games are at home, meaning Atlanta will have fewer games at home down the stretch. Most of the games aren't against divisional opponents, but any wins at this point are important for a playoff push. Yes, even in May.

Third, the disabled list. Garrett Anderson, who will be returning to the lineup tonight against the Mets, has been on the 15-day DL suffering from a calf and quad injury. This has prevented him from platooning in left field with Matt Diaz as originally planned. On Friday, Brian McCann is expected to return from his eye troubles. Both of these players have been replaced by good minor league players in Brandon Jones and David Ross (Ross has been quite impressive), but nothing can take the place of All-Star talent.

If McCann and Anderson can contribute over the next five weeks, the Braves will likely be in great shape heading into the last four weeks before everyone converges on St. Louis for All-Star 2009. Most of the games between now and July 13th are non-divisional, making it a great chance for Atlanta to gain some ground in this stretch.

If the Braves cannot come out of this stretch with a better than .500 record, the season could be shot. The NL East looks tougher than last season, as the Florida Marlins are now serious contenders in the division, adding to the severity as mentioned in point one. If the Braves are still struggling at the end of this streak, they could be done by the break.

The Braves only have nine home games out of their final 31 before the All-Star Break, and those games include the Red Sox, Yankees, and defending champion Phillies. Easy enough to say, they won't be easy.

For Atlanta, the stretch has begun with a 1-3 record. If there is any hope for baseball past October 4th, 11-32 over this string of games is not the way to do it.

So what's new with Alabama Basketball?

2009-04-29T11:53:00.002-05:00

About a month has passed since Anthony Grant touched down in Tuscaloosa and was introduced as the new head basketball coach of the Crimson Tide.

It has been a busy month for the newest addition to the Alabama family, so here is a quick look back at what has transpired so far.

Of course, with the hiring of Nick Saban, plus the demands Mal Moore has placed on the program, the salary of Anthony Grant was very anticipated to be known publicly.

For those who missed it, Grant will be paid $1.83 million over the next seven years to coach the Crimson Tide. After three years, the contract must be negotiated to talk extensions or renegotiate the deal.

The contract also has incentives similar to Nick Saban's contract, such as for SEC ($25,000) and national ($50,000) coach of the year honors. Grant's base salary from the University also tops the head football coaches by about $20,000.

The salary, already almost double what former coach Mark Gottfried was making, puts Grant fifteenth nationally and fourth in the conference, behind John Calipari, his mentor,Billy Donovan, and Bruce Pearl.

During this month, Grant has been focused on two things: building his staff and recruiting.

Grant finalized his staff this past week after taking much time to pull it together.

He decided to keep Antoine Pettway, former Bama player and assistant to Mark Gottfried, on the bench while adding Dan Hipsher, Grant's college coach, and John Brannen, a former Grant assistant at VCU, to the mix.

The new director of basketball operations, Tony Pujol, was also on Grant's staff at VCU.

On the recruiting front, Grant said from the onset that he wanted to add another point guard to the team, and he had one available scholarship in order to do so.

Many fans in the Birmingham are expected Grant to go after Eric Bledsoe from Parker High School, but the odds on Bledsoe qualifying for college are bleak, with one source saying that he will not make it at all.

Grant looked elsewhere and pulled in his first commitment today, Ben Eblen, a former VCU commit, out of Florida. Eblen now solidifies Alabama's newest class of players for the 2009-10 season. As of this point, Eblen has not signed his letter of intent, but has until May 20th to do so.

Even in this first month, there have already been some parts of the schedule released, including Alabama's inclusion in the Old Spice Classic in Orlando, FL from November 26th-29th. The Crimson Tide will join teams such as Marquette, Michigan, Florida State, Xavier and Baylor in the eight-team field.

Alabama also owes a return trip to Georgia Tech after the Yellow Jackets came to Tuscaloosa last year. There is also speculation that a home and home series with VCU is in the works, a former clause in Grant's contract with the Rams.

The final piece to the puzzle, which I must get asked this once a day, is what the new name will be of the student section.

Well, here is where we currently stand: the group still does not have a new name. We have hopes to meet with coach Grant before the end of school or shortly after to discuss names and discover one we can agree on.

If you have any suggestions, let us hear about them so we can throw them into the pile.

View from the Stands: April 27, 2009

2009-04-27T20:45:00.002-05:00

Now that I have one final out of the way and have some time on my hands, I think it is fitting that I take a look around and see what is going once again. Time for another view from the stands!

Is this what Rich Rod had in mind? After a tumultuous first off-season between him, the fans and the media, Rich Rodriguez' second off-season does not look any better right now. Today, news broke that Steven Threet was transferring to Arizona State to continue his football career. The departure of Threet, who started eight games last season as a redshirt freshman, seems to leave the starter's position for Nick Sheridan, who started the other four games for the Wolverines. Sheridan finished last season with 618 yards in eight appearances with two touchdowns against five interceptions. Michigan will once again be facing a tough year under Rich Rod, who is still trying to find footing in Ann Arbor. It will be interesting to discover how long he lasts in Ann Arbor, because at this rate, he may not get his chance to go 0-4 against Ohio State.

Is your fence sturdy enough to restrict your car? By now, most people have seen the horrific crash from yesterday's race at Talladega. Carl Edwards' car was sent flying on the final lap of the Aaron's 499. The crash is all that anyone can talk about today, completely forgetting who won the race. Edwards had some very harsh and controversial comments after the race, saying "We'll race like this until we kill somebody. Then (Nascar) will change it." Edwards talked about those comments and the experience on ESPN's First Take this morning.

In watching the crash for two days now, the fence did its job by keeping the car on the track...this time. If Edwards got a few feet higher, the fence may not have held his car, and who knows how many people would have died. It normally takes a death to force change, but this was close enough that something should come of it.

Michigan State wants to take on all comers! That is the feeling today after the Spartans announced they have reached a deal with the West Virgina Mountaineers for 20014-15, the Alabama Crimson Tide 16-17, and extending their series with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish through 2025. For those of you doing the math, that means kids who have yet to step foot in a school hall will be playing for the Irish and Sparty in that final game of this contract. Besides that point, this creates great schedule opportunities for Alabama and Michigan State. For the Crimson Tide, they will be playing four games against Big Ten teams over the next eight seasons, including games in Happy Valley and East Lansing. For Michigan State, they will play Alabama and Notre Dame in 2016-17. The Spartans will easily have the hardest non-conference schedule in both of those season, but they at least scheduled it where only one of those games will be on the road each year.

Hey, Detroit, remember the last time the King visited?

2009-04-23T13:24:00.003-05:00

The date was May 31st, 2007. It was just a regular playoff Thursday in the history of the NBA...unless your name was LeBron James.

That would be the night in which LeBron established himself as a true force to be reckoned with for the next twelve years in the NBA, scoring 48 points, including every Cavalier point in both overtimes and 29 of the team's final 30, to lead Cleveland to a 109-107 victory at The Palace of Auburn Hills in Detroit.

Here is a quick refresher for those of you who may have forgotten.

Friday will mark the first time in the postseason that King James will return to the court he made his that night in May two years ago. Since that game, all LeBron has done is build up his legacy, taking the Cavaliers to their first NBA finals, win a league scoring title, and post 14 triple-doubles. Not bad for a guy who has yet to reach age 25.

That game against Detroit is one of many Cleveland has had in recent history, and it may have been the last one with any meaning.

If you look at the playoff history of Cleveland with LeBron, Detroit is the most common opponent, along with the Wizards, meeting three out of the past four seasons each. The Cavs have a 9-6 record against Detroit in the current four-year run of trips to the second season. The Cavs have a 1-1 record in the previous two series.

In those 15 games against Detroit, Lebron has led the team in scoring in 12 of them, including every victory over the Pistons. He averages 27.1 points per game.9.1 rebounds, and 7.2 assists against them. All three numbers are just above or below his career playoff average and trounce his career averages.

While LeBron and Co. have fought the Pistons hard over the years, two more wins this year could spell the definite end of Detroit's reign in the East as well as the Central Division.

Sure, this years edition of the team from Motown can't hold a candle to the teams from season's past(the Denver Nuggets are thrilled to have Chauncey Billups), but the Cavs can become the first team to keep Detroit from the Eastern Conference Finals in seven years.

The meaning of these match-ups between the Cavs and Pistons is dwindling because Detroit, as well as Boston, have many prime players over 30(Detroit-Rasheed Wallace, Allen Iverson, Richard Hamilton and Antonio McDyess,Tayshaun Prince turning 30 next season. Boston-Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, Stephon Marbury), while the Cavaliers are reaching their prime with LeBron James, Daniel Gibson, Mo Williams, Delonte West, and Anderson Varejao all 26 and under.

Sure, age is just a number, but the Pistons are starting to ware down, and Boston may only have a year or two left with their current line-up. Cleveland, if the front office is smart, can secure LeBron and his supporting cast for another six or seven years come next off-season, building up what could be the third consecutive Central Division dynasty from the Eastern Conference.

That is scenario is still a year away, but for now Lebron is a Cav, and come tomorrow evening, he will return to the court he was king of during crunch time two years ago.

Early season surprises signal 2009 as a memorable one for Major League Baseball

2009-04-20T19:15:00.005-05:00

Through two weeks of the major league baseball season, there is already a sense that this year is going to be different than any other season previous.

Sure, it is easy to say that in a sport that has over 130 years of history, but all it takes is to look at what has already happened through two weeks.

Last week alone, three different players hit for the cycle: Orlando Hudson of the Dodgers, Ian Kinsler of the Rangers, and Jason Kubel of the Twins. In Major League history, there have been a total of 260 cycles, the first occurring in 1885. That is an average of two cycles hit PER SEASON since the first cycle was recorded by Dave Orr for the Giants. We just had three in one week.

In just two weeks, there have been four pitchers who have taken a no-hitter into the seventh inning or later, but none of them have completed the feat yet. The no-hitter is just as rare as a cycle, but no pitcher has been able to finish a team off hit-less.

The other side of pitching has also reared its ugly head so far this season. Chen Ming-Wang after three starts, currently has a 34.50 ERA. He is 0-3 right now and has only pitched six innings total on the season. He has allowed 23 hits and earned runs. In order to get his ERA down to 4.08, his career ERA number, Wang must pitch 48 straight scoreless innings. He won't get that chance on Friday, as the Yankees have already said they will bypass his start against the Red Sox this weekend.

The 2009 season has seen the best and worst starts by a team since the 2003 season.

The Florida Marlins, currently sitting at 11-1, are off to the best start since the San Francisco Giants started 13-1 that year, making a march for 100 wins and a division title. The Marlins are currently on track for 143 wins against 13 losses. In the same division, the Washington Nationals are currently 1-10, the worst start since the 2003 Tigers started 1-17 on their way to a 43-119 record. The Nats and Fish played last weekend in Washington, with Florida obviously taking all three games. Florida couldn't lose, even when they tried, and Washington couldn't win despite their best efforts.

These are just some of the story lines to watch as this season enters week three and the Marlins are working on that magic number of 142. Of course, in baseball, anything can change in a week, and the odds of that happening are always quite high.

Braves, Marlins hot starts lead to early season pivotal series

2009-04-14T10:15:00.002-05:00

The Major League Baseball season may only be a week old, but both the Braves and Marlins are off to the best starts in baseball at 5-1.

Heading into week two, Atlanta and Florida meet in Turner Field for not only the best record in baseball, but also the lead in the National League East.

Not only are neither of these teams expected to win the division, neither are expected to even make the playoffs, but their early starts have many experts reconsidering both teams.

For the Marlins, many believe they may have the best young staff in baseball. This group of pitchers, averaging out at an age of 24, is currently 4-1 on the season and a 2.71 ERA through six starts. However, odds are you would not recognize one in the street, much less their names.

For the Marlins, still without a division title but two World Series titles, the pitching staff is not their brightest stars. That would belong to the best young infield in baseball of Hanley Ramiriez and Dan Uggla. Both players already have All-Star appearances under their belts and are the glue in the middle of the Florida order.

Expand to include the entire Marlins infield, bringing in Jorge Cantu and Emilio Bonifacio from the corners, and this quartet has accounted for all but one of the Fish's home runs on the season and driving in 27 of the team's 36 RBIs this season. It also doesn't hurt that this group is hitting .367 to begin the young season.

Across the diamond this week, the Braves are off to a not too shabby start themselves.

The Braves starting rotation, with three new additions this season, are 4-0 with a 3.06 ERA and are bit more recognizable, especially with Derek Lowe dominating opposing batters with a 0.82 ERA in two starts.

While the Marlins would rely mostly on their pitching staff for a rise to the top, the Braves will likely go as far as their offense will take them.

The Braves are leading the National League in average, slugging percentage and extra base hits so far this season, all while only playing six games while most of the league have played seven or eight games. Out of the everyday starters for Atlanta, five of them have an on-base percentage over .400 and seven of the eight are over .345. Easy enough to say when players get on base, it is a lot easier to score.

So, as these two teams prepare to battle for the early division lead, there is still the notion that no matter the outcome of the series, both teams will still have 153 games to sort out their seasons. However, the winner of the series will no doubt send a message to the rest of the division that their team will be around all year long to battle for the division title.

Some Ticket Gripers should settle down before writing.

2009-04-08T15:49:00.003-05:00

Picking up today's Crimson White, I wasn't too surprised to see coverage of season ticket sales on the front page. It is the most reliable perennial story on campus, and every year, someone has something to say.

Most of the time, it's the same recycled stuff from the previous years, but there is always a few new things that stick out in the opinions of those on campus.

First, I'll start with the most repetitive complaint: Give the students more tickets.

I will begin this by saying that until four or five years ago, there was no complaint over students not getting tickets. Everyone who wanted tickets, got them.

In 2006, the student section expanded, as did the stadium.

Next year, the student section is expanding once again. Of course, if any of the four people who wrote to the paper would have paid attention, they would have known this to be happening in 2010.

One opinion suggested to take away tickets from season ticket holders to give them to students because "students will on day graduate and become alumnae, and a happy student makes a happy alumnus."

Sure, let's just forget the 10,000-person waiting list for tickets. Don't worry about the people who make it possible to gain two million dollars per home game. They won't be angry at all.

Another opinion even went as far to call out the athletic department to spend some money for the fans. Does this guy not notice the cranes and missing scoreboard at Bryant-Denny Stadium? The expansion is for the fans.

Speaking of students talking before researching, one person wrote in saying, "students should be reprimanded for letting them (their tickets) go unused or selling to make profits." This same person also said, "if one needs to sell a ticket, they should never charge over face value."

Ok, first, if you had read the page when you registered, it says that after 3 games of non-use, the student's tickets will be pulled and that student will not get the chance to order tickets next season. If one person upgrades their ticket thrice, they will not get post season tickets.

Now, this person has apparently never bought tickets to road games. If no one should sell tickets for a profit, then my Georgia ticket wouldn't have cost me $225 and my SEC Championship game would not have been $325. If someone wants to sell their tickets, it is not their fault that you don't have what they want.

Its supply and demand. This guy is obviously not a business major.

This same writer even went as far to use the laughable idea that "it is also indisputable that some were given priority ticketing, or at the very least notified of a faster way to finish this process."

Ok, let me stop laughing at this before I go on.

First, I am your average rising senior with no connections on this campus. I had my tickets by 7:05 am. I logged in just as everyone else did, waited in the waiting room, and got in.

Second, the one making this claim comes as close to contradicting himself as possible by revealing he is on the SGA ticketing committee. I'm sorry, but if anyone would know the loopholes, it would be someone not only in the SGA, but also on the ticketing committee.

Finally, my favorite opinion of the day had one final gem, complaining that friends could get tickets for other people once they were in.

Sounds like this guys needs some better friends, first off, and second, he obviously doesn't care enough about Alabama Football. I called people like crazy last season once my computer wouldn't let me in last season and I had to get three other people tickets this year because they couldn't get in.

Now, I'm not going to say the ticket purchasing process is golden, cause it is far from it, but I have a few thoughts myself.

First, if we are going to continue to purchase tickets in this way, why not use Ticketmaster or Stub Hub to control the purchasing. They have large enough servers to handle all the traffic that would appease everyone and keep people in line.

Second, I agree with Jesse that we should adopt the LSU system. I support more than just football on this campus, and I was not happy when I had to go somewhere else to get my SEC Championship Game tickets. This would bring more students to Volleyball and Baseball games as well as let me and then other twenty people who still supported basketball this entire season be in good shape for next year.

Third, if people on this campus care about football enough, you would think they would trek to Coleman Coliseum week after week to swipe for their ticket if need be. So, why not do that.

Monday through Wednesday, those who got tickets come to pick their tickets up. Those who don't have tickets can swipe to get in a lottery for those that are not picked up. Wednesday night, those who win the lotto will receive an e-mail informing them about this. Thursday night, they can pick up their tickets at Coleman. It may be a hassle, but it will keep tickets in the hands of those who use them and want them.

Anything that happens, it will definitely be an upgrade from the current system. For me, though, I will just enjoy being able to sleep in one more morning next April when tickets go on sale.

Riding the Carousel: Hey Bama, you wanted the Nick Saban of basketball? You got him.

2009-04-03T16:00:00.003-05:00

It was a widely held opinion amongst Alabama basketball fans that the Crimson Tide administration should do just as they did with football when finding a new head basketball coach.

They wanted a high profile, quality coach who was the best out there for the taking.

Names such as Tom Izzo, Mike Anderson, Frank Haith, and Oliver Prunell were thrown around during the two month gap between Mark Gottfried's resignation and the new hiring, but one name was always in the running.

That name was Anthony Grant.

He was the first name thrown out on day one, and he was the man selected for the job.

He didn't have the Final Four experience of Izzo, or the local pull and pedigree of Anderson, but he is that "Nick Saban" hire.

For starters, if Nick Saban approves of the pick, you know he must be worth it. Grant and Saban met during Grant's tour of campus before his hiring, and Saban liked what he heard.

Grant has even said he is "a Nick Saban fan" and that he loves college football, so he is definitely in the right place.

Second, he talks like Nick Saban. He has that feel and look to him that when you are around him, you know he is a basketball coach. Go take a look at the picture on rolltide.com of Grant talking to the remaining players. He looks like a coach without even trying.

Listening to him speak, he has that commitment that Saban does as well to improving a program and was bred to put academics ahead of athletics.

Not only is Grant constantly thinking basketball, but he even uses Nick Saban phrases, mentioning he repeatedly uses Saban's line before LSU's 2003 National Championship game, "play to the identity that we've created all year," and he ended his speech at the Tuscaloosa Airport with the token Saban word...A'ight.

Third, he does everything methodically. A week after being introduced as head coach, he is still discovering who will be a part of his staff. He even sat on the job offer for two days in order to consider all parts of the offer before taking the job.

Even in recruiting, Grant seems to be Saban-esque. He has already hit the recruiting trial, talking to the best remaining uncommitted prospect in Eric Bledsoe, and will take a shot at DeMarcus Cousins when he is officially out of his letter of intent to Memphis.

Grant knows too many kids are leaving the state for other schools, and he will do his best to put a fence around the borders for a second sport.

So, for all of you who are complaining about not going after Mike Anderson at all or not extending the search for a while, you will learn to love Anthony Grant.

Just face it, Alabama got it right.

Riding the Carousel: Will Calipari fit the mold in Kentucky?

2009-04-02T10:00:00.001-05:00

It has been called the Notre Dame of college basketball. The passion of the fans can only, possibly, be compared to that of Alabama Football fans. It is the winningest program in the history of college basketball.

Of course, I am talking about Kentucky.

Thirteen Final Fours, 50 NCAA Tournament Appearances, Seven National Championships. The most storied program in the SEC, by far, and argubly in the country.

It is no wonder when this coaching position comes open, that people take notice. Two years ago, the Big Blue had trouble securing the coach they wanted and in effect settled for Billy Gillespie, who never fully accepted the role as a high profile public figure in Kentucky, according to Kentucky Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart.

The Wildcats were determined to get it right this time around, and in their mind, they have.

Enter John Calipari, keeping the blue but moving to the Northeast to undertake the position of head coach of the Commonwealth.

Of course, based on record, experience, and performance, Calipari is a no-brainer for this job, but will he fit the job?

According to Pat Forde of ESPN, he sees some possible risks that Kentucky has taken.

Calipari has a past with the NCAA, and so does Kentucky.

Calipari has made a Final Four at each of his stops, but his trip from UMass has been erased by the NCAA because of violations he committed when recruiting for the Minutemen.

Kentucky has been in trouble with the NCAA in every decade except for the 1990's concerning recruiting violations, but it has never cost them tremendously.

With these two now together, it raises the question of whether or not history will repeat itself during Coach Cal's tenure in Lexington.

Apart from Forde's only concern, he believes that Calipari will fit the mold. He thinks Kentucky needs a coach with an attitude and some swagger, and John Calipari is just that. He has a confindence about him that can be sensed by recruits as well as the media. He can handle any question asked of him, and he always does it with a smile.

He is already a media darling in Lexington, but he is no longer in Memphis or in a mid-major conference. This is the SEC, a power six conference, and maybe THE basketball program at the college level. How he handles his first loss and first tournament exit, it will tell a lot about how the pressure is getting to him, or not.

Personally, my own concern is whether or not Calipari will destroy the class of Kentucky basketball.

The Wildcats have always been a classy program, and the "thugs" of Memphis have been well documented in their actions, especially in Alabama with games against UAB. There is the notion that Calipari recruited in that fashion because of his location in Memphis, but it will be interesting to see if that holds true. He may still recruit in the same way, but different kinds of players go to Kentucky than Memphis, and which ones he accepts in Lexington will determine the off-the-court feel of his teams.

After two rounds, what have we learned?

2009-03-22T20:37:00.002-05:00

With two rounds in the books, and the Sweet Sixteen set in stone, it is time to look back at the weekend that was in the NCAA Tournament.

Forty-eight teams have already headed home, leaving four cities to host four teams each.

Before we get to those eight games coming up later in the week, what was revealed to us, the participating, crying-because-our-brackets-are-crap (1oth and 11th out of 12 in my own pool) public over the past four days?

The ACC was not worth a flying flip this year. I don't know how many ACC teams you had in your Sweet Sixteen, but I had five in one of my brackets. For starters, the Almost Competitive Conference went 3-4 in round one, with all four losses coming as the higher seed. Only North Carolina and Duke remain, barely, after Maryland got ran by a strong Memphis team. This was the number conference in RPI entering the tournament, yet the number four conference, the Big East, has five teams heading into the second weekend. Doesn't the RPI weigh heavily into who does and doesn't make the tournament?
The SEC really did suck this year. After a 1-3 showing in the first weekend, the SEC doesn't have a team in the Sweet Sixteen for the first time in twenty years. After talk began trying to blame the media for putting the SEC in a hole to begin the season, the regular season champ couldn't beat the fifth best team in the Big XII. The other two teams lost to the regular season champs of the Pac-1o and ACC, but the SEC got what it deserved this season.
Can someone please give me some madness?!?!?! Out of the remaining sixteen teams, the top twelve schools still remain, and 14 of the top 16 are still alive. Of the two teams seemingly out of place, one is a five seed, the other a twelve, but from a power conference benefiting from a first round upset. Out of the first 32 games, only 10 saw "upsets" according to seeding. Half of those games were 8/9 and 7/10 games, and another three were 5/12 games. We all know to look for a twelve to upset a five, but this year was too easy to pick. In other words, the only real upsets were Cleveland State dominating Wake Forest, and Dayton ousting West Virginia. Sure, you may have picked the Flyers, but WVU has been to the second weekend three of the last four years before their first round exit. Sure, last year only saw eight seeded upsets, but there was a 10 and two 12's in the Sweet Sixteen before all top seeds made it to the Final Four for the first time ever. In other words, I want some real madness next year, not just a tease.

So, looking at next weekend, there is no reason not to believe all one seeds will advance to the round of eight once again, but their opponents will be fun. During the week, be on the lookout for some musings on the Alabama coaching search and how other openings and possible firings impact the search.

It's time to fill out those Brackets!!!

2009-03-16T10:57:00.003-05:00

With Spring Break now in full swing, that only means one thing: Championship Week is over and March Madness is about to officially begin.

At least, that's what it means to me. I don't know about those of you just getting up at two in the afternoon and are reading this blog half buzzed, but Spring Break for me since high school has fallen right in the middle of the NCAA Tournament.

First off, a congratulations to Alabama State for being the only school from the state to make the "tournament." I say it that way because Morehead State could knock them out of the true field in the play-in game on Tuesday.

Anyways, over the next three days, everyone in America (at least, it should be everyone in America) will be filling out their brackets. The same questions will arise as they always do: Will all the number one seeds make it to the Final Four? Who will be this year's Cinderella? Who is my 12/5 upset?

While some of us will take hours to fill out the brackets, others have used a more simple approach over the years. So, for anyone looking to just get it done and hit the Natty Lights again, here are some simple alternatives to filling out your bracket.

Mascot Challenge. This one may take a little work, but it is quite enjoyable and informative to do. What you do is take the mascot of both teams and ask yourself, "Who would win in a fight?" Of course, the inanimate objects always lose out in the first round, that is, unless you are Purdue, then you steamroll right into the Final Four...that is if Duke and the Power of Sin don't stand in your way. The only downside to this bracket is that Duke almost always wins being the Blue Devils, but whenever Mississippi Valley State makes the field of 65, you at least know your championship game.

Mascot Popularity Contest. This is similar to the first one, but it depends even more on the person filling it out. Once again, match up the two mascots of the two teams, and then just pick your favorite. Sadly enough, there was a girl at my high school who did this and lead our pool up until the Final Four. She thought the Bruins were cute. Nonetheless, there is some stability to stand on if you choose to fill out a bracket in this fashion.

Color Favoritism. This is what most sorority girls will relegate to if they know nothing about basketball. Here's how the conversation will go:

Girl: Hey, babe, what are BYU's colors?
Boy: Blue and White.
Girl: Ok, and what about Texas A squiggly M?
Boy: Who?
Girl: You know, that school that the football coach you told me not to like went to?
Boy: Oh, Texas A&M. Yea, they are Maroon and White.
Girl: Ok, well I'm going with Utah State cause our colors are blue and white, too. Hehe.
Boy: What? Are you nuts? BYU comes from a crap conference who somehow got as many bids as the SEC, and you are picking them over an A&M team from the Big 12 and who has made the tourney the last five seasons?
Girl: Hmp. That wasn't nice at all. Where are my Ugh boots, I'm leaving.

Once again, take all the way to the Final Four and pick a winner.

What's in a name? This one is so easy, even Stephen Hill could do it. Just pick which school name sounds more appealing to you. Every now and then, you will run into an Akron vs. Gonzaga that will make you think, but remember, King James is from Akron, and the Trash 'Stache went to Gonzaga. That will make things a lot easier.

Geographical Proximity. Once again, easy. Pick anywhere in the U.S., and then pick your winners by how close they are to that city. Fargo, North Dakota is out for this year as North Dakota State is making their first appearance ever in the tournament.

So, now you have some help in filling out your brackets so they all don't end with UConn or North Carolina winning all five that you fill out.

To give you a platform to participate in some bracket fun, In the Nic of Time is once again sponsoring its own group on ESPN.com for college sports fun. To get into the group, click on Tournament Challenge and search for the group In the Nic of Time. The password is ITNOT, and then go crazy in filling out your brackets.

I will have previews of all four regions first-round match-ups up before they all tip, so continue to check back all week for those.

Conference Tournament Saturday with live blogging all afternoon!!!!

2009-03-14T10:42:00.054-05:00

That's right, since I am going to be a waste of human existence until around three this afternoon, I thought I would make the most of it and post some thoughts on today's action.

10:41 am- Memphis is already out to an 8-0 lead on Tulsa in the C-USA Title game. The Tigers are in all white, and by "all white," I mean "making half of you reading this look tan" white. Gus Johnson is also calling the game, so I'm sure he will have some fantastic line throughout this game.

10:46- The American East conference is another conference where the regular season champion hosts the tournament, so Binghamton is playing UMBC in wherever Binghamton is...and there is an Oompa-Loompa in the crowd?!?!?

10:49- The Bearcats, that's Binghamton for those of you who don't know, just finished the half on a 7-0 run thanks in part to officiating that makes Mike Stewart and Anthony Jordan look like Tony Greene.

10: 57- Gus Johnson just informed the viewing audience that David Barrett, the man behind the NCAA Championship song, "One Shining Moment," has lost his battle with cancer. For anyone who enjoys basketball, that is definitely some somber news.

11:02- This happened last night, apparently, but it is why I follow ESPN headlines on Twitter. Apparently the Utah State mascot ripped the moustache off of the New Mexico State mascot during their game last night. Turns out, the USU mascot did it as a dare for one hundred dollars and he did get his money. You can't make this stuff up.

11:07- Tulsa is making a run on Memphis right now, only down six with about five minutes left in the first half. The Golden Hurricanes need this game to get into the tournament, according to Joe Lunardi of ESPN. Lunardi, even though I think he is a bumbling idiot who uses extreme facial expressions when he gets in front of a camera, has Tulsa at the bottom of his "next four out" distinction.

11:14- So, having sat through the AEC final, I have discovered where these two teams are. Binghamton is in New York, and UMBC is University of Maryland, Baltimore County. I will say that even though Binghamton believes a bearcat should be green (just look at their mid-court logo), they can definitely represent with the student population in a whiteout by the home
crowd. Just a little cheap if you ask me.

11:22- Just watching this Memphis/Tulsa game is confusing me a bit. Apparently the Golden Hurricanes have a player by the name of Ben Uzoh. Being greek, everything I hear Uzoh's name, I think of that licorice drink that will knock you on your butt. Hey, its my blog and you chose to read it, so get over it.

11:25- Clock malfunction in Memphis brings out the best of Gus Johnson. "He dribbled so fast that the clock operator was amazed." Classic. Memphis up eight at half.

11:31- For those of you who don't know who Gus Johnson is and why I could possibly be excited for him to be calling Memphis/Tulsa, here is a small example as to why you want his games come next week.

11:38- While watching UMBC head coach Randy Monroe go ballistic on the sidelines in New York, I have just been told that Ty Lawson will be out for the Tar Heels game today against Florida State. Binghamton's lead is only six, and that half court logo still looks hideous and something that a full moon would bring about.

11:41- Binghamton's band just played the Jeopardy theme during a UMBC timeout. Classic.

11: 51- Block by Tulsa followed by a Gus Johnson, "And he said. 'Get that out of here!' Hahaha." Seriously, you pray for this man to do a game on your CBS affiliate next week.

11:57- Binghamton is about forty seconds away from their first NCAA tournament bid in school history. Making their free throws down the stretch has given them a ten point lead with 29 seconds left. A stout defensive effort by the Bearcats also secureed their lead has UMBC will not score a point in the final five minutes of the game. Binghamton 61, UMBC 51. And the court floods with white clad fans.

12:00pm- Memphis is now up sixteen in their search for a number one seed come next week. With the losses of UConn, Pitt, and Oklahoma on Thursday, the door was open for more than one top seed potentially. Sure, Memphis plays in Conference USA, but you can't deny their ability to dominate in conference (60 straight wins) and have quality OOC wins. I think they should be a number one seed for sure.

12:03- I would like to thank ESPN for blacking out the SEC semifinals in the area, forcing me to watch Raycom for both games this afternoon. I will be able to get through MSU/LSU with Tim Brando calling the game, but having to watch Auburn play Tennessee with crappy announcers, that game will be painful. Interesting crew for the game with Rick Crawford, Teddy Valentine, and the deplorable Mike Stewart.

12:09- Memphis now up 22 on Tulsa with under eight minutes to play. If the Tigers can't secure a number one seed with this game, it is either time to change conferences or time for John Callipari to change schools (hint, hint, nudge, nudge, wink wink), just leave the thugs in Tennessee.

12:15- With just seven minutes left in the game, Tulsa only has 30 points so far. Their season low is 44, which they achieved twice against Illinois and Oklahoma. Memphis is on a mission for the number one seed.

12:23- State up five on LSU after a minute long possession. Apparently LSU can't block out against five bench Bulldogs. Doesn't bode well for the Bayou Bengals.

12:28- Memphis holds Tulsa to just 39 points in the game, taking the C-USA title 64-39, on their way to yet another NCAA Tournament. Ticket number two of the day.

12:35- Jarvis Varnado already has 10 points against LSU, partly why the Bulldgos have a two-point lead currently. Big Ten and ACC action just about to being as well.

12:41- Florida State out of the gate fast for the Seminoles against UNC, scoring six points in the first minute of play in Atlanta.

12:50- Michigan State and Ohio State are off to a quick start, but Big Ten standards at least, putting 14 points on the board in the first four minutes, with the Spartans up two.

12:52- State is up two on LSU at halftime, 31-29. Jarvis Varnado has 13 points already, but is just 3-8 from the free throw line. SEC Player of the Year Marcus Thorton only has eight points, but he shouldn't have been POTY in the first place.

12:59- Ohio State and Michigan State are on pace for around 60 points each for the day, which is unheard of in the Big Ten. Apparently a tournament spot up for grabs means this game might actually keep me awake for once.

1:03- After starting the game on fire, the Seminoles have gone Andre 3000 ice cold as North Carolina is slowly expanding a lead. FSU is already in the bonus with nine minutes left in the half. O wait, they just scored again. And again! This is why you have to post these things quickly. Tar Heels up three.

1:05- Meanwhile, Michigan State's bid for a number one seed is taking a big hit right now as Ohio State is up seven with nine minutes before halftime. For the time being, though, Izzo and Mata are fighting over a two or three based on foot position. This is allowed, but not checking for goal tending in a game-winning situation...nope, can't do that. Rules Committee!!!!

1:19- This is where multiple TVs would come in handy. That, or if I actually didn't have a vested interest in the UNC game. State and LSU are back on the floor, and the Bulldogs still have a one-point lead on LSU. Ohio State is still up on Michigan State, and UNC is still holding on against FSU. Three regular season champion teams are on the floor right now.

1:22- Wayne Ellington has been carrying North Carolina before Hansbrough's first field goal. If you want to see how the high post is suppose to be run, just watch the ACC semifinal on ESPN right now.

1:24- Michigan State making up ground, but William Buford just shut the Spartan supporters with a runner to stop a 12-5 run by the crew from East Lansing.

1:26- Once again, I need three TVs. UNC's lead has shrunk to 32-29 at halftime in the Georgia Dome.

1:29- State is starting to pull ahead at Trent Johnson wants a timeout to stop a 7-0 run over the last four minutes and a 13-4 run over the past 6:14. The Bulldogs are starting to feel it, but the Tigers aren't going to go away easily. 47-41 State.

1:32- Ohio State is up by five at halftime on Michigan State, putting two of the three regular season champions behind currently. Great day for basketball, but local sportscasters calling out viewers on the #4 station in the DMA can really put a damper on it.

1:44- The ACC and Big Ten are back on, but I can't take my eyes off of the LSU-Mississippi State battle going on right now. Both teams are playing half court basketball and very fundemental.

1:50- LSU is starting to get frustrated, with four players playing with four fouls, including Marcus Thorton. State is now up eight once again with just under four to play. BTW, Jarvis Varnado is a frickin beast down low with seven blocks on the day.

1:51- Peaks on the other games, and Ohio State is looking for their first win over Sparty this year in three tries, currently up seven after the first four minutes of the half. In the ACC, Florida State has surged out of the half to a 42-38 lead, opening up the half on a 13-6 run.

1:55- The concern is starting to mount not only for LSU, but for many bubble teams around the country. Mississippi State is now up 12 and obviously LSU is in trouble. The Tigers are now without Marcus Thorton for the rest of the game after just fouling out and Delwan Graham just got a technical as well. Trent Johnson has thrown in the towel, so the Tigers will enter the NCAA Tournament after losing three of their last four games. Not the direction you want to be heading.

2:03- State is about to wrap things up against LSU, moving on to the finals tomorrow against Tennessee or Auburn. Jarvis Varnado finishes with 19 points, seven rebounds and seven blocks as the Bulldogs win 67-57. Time to check up on other conferences.

2:06- While one MSU celebrates, another is on the ropes. Ohio State is now out to a 54-41 lead in their Big Ten semifinal. Both teams are already in the tournament, says Joe Lunardi, but Ohio State is definitely working to improve their seeding.

2:08- UNC is in a familiar position, trailing with ten minutes left in the game in the ACC Tournament. After coming back to beat Virginia Tech yesterday, North Carolina will have to do the same today to overcome FSU as the Seminoles have a five-point lead which is quickly shrinking.

2:16- UNC still can't ovecome the FSU lead, but the Tarl Heels are only down two. Meanwhile, Ohio State is controlling Michigan State, dominating by 16 points with just under eight to play. It is now safe to say that Michigan State is out of the number one seed conversation.

2:23- Wayne Ellington just had a steal and lay up to pull UNC within two, but they still can't completely overcome the FSU lead as Toney Douglas is keeping the Seminoles ahead with 25 points so far in this game. Two Hansbrough free throws bring the Heels within two again.

2:27- Michigan State is trying to make a surge, but Ohio State isn't letting it happen, making their free throws to keep the Spartans from shrinking the lead the single digits. Meanwhile, Tyler Hansbrough has four fouls with five minutes to play.

2:32- As Auburn and Tennessee are about to tip, I am reminded of how much of an absolute pain in the you know what the Tennessee band director is. Homeboy can never let the other band get a note in song-wise without having his band squak and squeak over them.

2:39- Danny Green has just tied the game, pulling UNC even with just under two minutes to go.

2:40- Ohio State is still leading Michigan State, holding the Spartans at bay still. The Buckeyes are up 14 with 2:24 left to play.

2:44- Florida State is off to the ACC Championship game after knocking off UNC and holding the Tar Heels scoreless in the final minute. The Seminoles will face the Duke/Maryland winner. North Carolina's loss makes regular season champions from the Big 6 conferences 0-2 on the day, while Michigan State puts it to 0-3 as Ohio State finishes with 48 points in the second half and the Buckeyes win 82-70.

2:50- Auburn and Tennessee are in a battle right now, with these Tigers up one on the Vols. While I am still reeling from my ACC pick and second favorite team going down, but the fact that Rasheem Barrett "The Carrot" is in orange sleeves again, I can somewhat smile.

2:57- Tennessee is starting to make a move on Auburn, pulling ahead by eight after Tennessee gets away with a travel call. O wait, Anthony Jordan is doing this game, so its not something out of the ordinary for a missed call to happen.

3:00- Ugh. Now I have to be productive, but sadly the last post is to the tune of that ridiculous battle hymn of the Daisy Orange, also known as Rocky Top. I'm just waiting for another tornado this year. Ok, too harsh, but I'm glad I don't have to sit through two teams in orange.

Alabama Basketball's total meltdown

2009-03-13T21:08:00.002-05:00

Before we delve into tonight's "game," I want to take a look back to a year ago tonight.

It was around this time last year that I was sitting on the floor of the Georgia Dome, watching the roof flap violently, the lights and scaffolding shake, and the side of the Dome blown open.

One year ago, Alabama was playing Mississippi State in the very same time slot as they played in tonight, but no one was told of the severe weather outside the Georgia Dome or the fact a tornado formed right on top of the Dome.

As I mentioned earlier this week, Mykal Riley's shot to send it to overtime not only saved my life, but about 15,000 others as well. You can see me jumping around like an idiot (nothing new with me at a basketball game) at around the 13-second mark off to the left.

Once the game was back underway, Alabama went on to lose the game, but who knows what would have happened had the game been uninterrupted.

Tonight, though, the Crimson Tide showed very little fight and looked like a team who didn't want to show up to the gym for the game.

The game did not reflect an Alabama team who wanted to move on and fight for a postseason spot. It was more like a try-out tape for Extreme Makeover: Alabama edition for the next head coach.

Everything that had gone wrong over the course of the season reared its ugly head once again tonight, and the Crimson Tide once again looked like a team running around with its head chopped off.

So, to Mr. Potential Head Coach, here are all the things you need to work on once you get on the job...

Blocking Out. Alabama has been decent this season at rebounding, coming in at second in the league with 39 rebounds per game, but their rebounding margin was only plus two this year. The Crimson Tide were also second in offensive rebounds per game. Tonight, though, Alabama got out-rebounded by ten and allowed four more offensive rebounds than they pull down themselves. All season long, Alabama has hardly put a body on the opposing team, and it really showed tonight.
Help Defense. Tonight, Alabama scored 62 points compared to Tennessee's 86. The Vols had 60 points in the paint. In other words, Alabama could only muster two more points total than what they allowed from within a five foot range. That comes from the previous point of blocking out, but also Alabama has got to play help defense. The Tide are really bad at watching the other team drive instead of rotating over to have their teammate's back. This has to change if a coaching change will have any affect.
Fast Break Performance. This applies to both sides of the ball. On offense, the Crimson Tide need to run the floor a bit more. Alabama has their moments in the open court, but too often those moments come off of individual steals. Alabama hardly runs the floor with multiple guys and almost never has more than ten points in fast break situations. On defense, Alabama never manages to get back to defend in fast break situations. Teams get out on a break easily on Alabama and have for some time.
Assist-to-Turnover ratio. This is a stat where you want to be above a one-to-one ratio, but just under is nothing to fret about. To be eleventh in conference and have a point-seven assist to turnover ratio is horrid. Tonight, Alabama had 18 turnovers compared to only four assists. For those keeping score at home, that is a .22 assist to turnover ratio. Ouch. Bruce Pearl said after the game that Alabama is difficult to guard because of how they can create in one-on-one situations, but this is a team sport. Alabama should be moving on offense, a totally different rant in itself, instead of clearing, sitting, and watching as one guy tries to carry the team.
Three-point shooting. This is why Anthony Brock was brought to Tuscaloosa, but he always isn't on, and he can't do it by himself. Alabama shot 21-percent from downtown tonight, and that is never a good number. Once again, the Tide is eleventh on the season in this category, shooting just over 31-percent for the year. These are just like free throws, which was another problem but has been worked on. With practice, this percentage could improve, but this will also require the players to want to get better in this regard.

With this many gaps, a transformation will obviously not come overnight in the 2009-10 season.

There are plenty of things this team can improve on, and whoever takes over for next season will be sure of this after watching tonight's game. All I can ask as a fan is pick two and beat the horse to death until there is a noticeable change in the Crimson Tide for next year.

What must Alabama do for a postseason berth of any kind?

2009-03-11T21:00:00.001-05:00

According to a blog from Ian Rapaport posted just a short time ago, the Alabama Crimson Tide Men's Basketball team would accept a bid to the National Invitation Tournament if one was extended their way.

For what seemed like a wasted season, the Crimson Tide have a legitimate shot to be playing past the SEC Tournament this weekend, and they can thank their efforts over the past two weeks for this chance.

With a double-overtime victory over Mississippi State and road wins against Ole Miss and Tennessee, Alabama has strung together four wins in their final five games and finished 7-9 in the SEC.

The most important victory, based solely on its placement on the calendar, was the Tennessee game.

Heading into the final week, I said Alabama needed a win over Auburn or Tennessee to have a chance at the NIT, and could pretty much secure a spot with a win over both.

After the loss to Auburn, the win over Tennessee kept postseason hopes alive. The Crimson Tide enter their game Thursday night against Vanderbilt in Tampa, FL with the chance to make a statement for postseason contention.

Alabama played Vanderbilt very close in their game this season in Nashville, losing by a slim margin of 79-74. Anthony Brock had 15 points to lead the Tide as Senario Hillman and Alonzo Gee had 11 points each, both below their season averages. For the Commodores, A.J. Ogilvy and Jermaine Beal both had 20 points to lead all scorers.

If the Crimson Tide can get past the "Dores, another game with Tennessee faces this team in a tournament that is wide open for anyone to win.

If Alabama can handle the Vols, not only should it be enough for an NIT bid, but a third game with Auburn is very likely. A win there and a berth in the championship game wil wait for the Tide, along with LSU, who should emerge from the opposide of the bracker. If the Tide can get to this point, it will for sure get an NIT bid, which is quite a reward for this team, and a win in this situation sends Alabama to the Big Dance.

For now, though, the Tide is focused on game number one, and most importantly, keeping their hot streak alive to be able to play come next week.

The growing story of Anthony Brock

2009-03-10T11:40:00.002-05:00

While sitting in Fresh Food yesterday for lunch, I was watching Sportscenter on one of the televisions in the area. Much to my surprise, considering how little air time the SEC has been getting in basketball this year, I noticed "Alabama/Tennessee" on the rundown for stories coming up next. I didn't get a chance to watch the game on Sunday because I was on my way to the Davis Cup in Birmingham, but was able to listen to the game, so I knew what happened.

Once the highlights came up, almost every person in the area looked up at the screen, as if they knew I was in the area and wanted to say, "See, this school does care about basketball."

Nonetheless, Anthony Brock's 30-foot bank shot to sink Tennessee came on the screen. A table full of guys to my left started chuckling in disbelief, so they obviously watched the game Sunday. What really bothered me was some Sally Sorority-girl behind me who uttered the phrase, "Oh my gosh!! Wait, who was that?"

All I could do was laugh and shake my head.

I'm not saying that I attend every sport on campus religiously (I missed out on volleyball this year, sadly), but to not know an athlete on one of the major sports teams at your school is a bit harsh.

So, for Sally, and probably a good bit of everyone else, this is the growing story of Anthony Brock.

Brock, a 5' 9" junior guard from Little Rock, Arkansas, transferred to Alabama last year from Itawamba Community College. Since you can't possibly know where that is unless you are from that area (or have a cousin who's boyfriend attended there) it's close to Tupelo, Mississippi.

When Brock committed, I got to hear all about him from the boyfriend. He was a star at ICC, scoring over 1,000 points in his two seasons at the school. What really made me excited was his 47 percent clip from downtown, something that Alabama severely needed help with. It also didn't hurt that the last JUCO transfer from Arkansas saved my life last March in Atlanta.

As much as I was excited to get Brock to Tuscaloosa, I was just as disappointed when he didn't see much playing time early on this season. In the second game of the season, he dropped 13 on FAMU, making all of his shots, including three from behind the arc. Over the next fifteen games, though, Brock saw action in only three of them. During that time, Alabama shot 27 percent from three-point range, but Brock never saw the floor.

Since Brock has been implemented back into the rotation, Alabama has seen a dramatic increase in it's three point production. In the past 13 games, Alabama has shot 39 percent from three. During this time, Brock has gone 18-40 from range, good enough for 45 percent accuracy.

When Brock is on, it is time to watch out. Against Vanderbilt, a gym where Alabama has traditionally played poorly, Brock brought his best game to date, going for 15 points and making five of his six shots from three-point range.

Against Ole Miss, Brock, once again began to feel it, making five of six once again plus a career high 17 points to propel Alabama to its first road win in its last 20 attempts.

The Ole Miss game is also where the magic began. In Oxford, I had the privilege to sit near some of Brock's family friends from the area and I learned of his grandmother's death during the game. I was already a fan of his, but to see him go out and perform in that game like he did made it that much more special. After that game, his brother drove him back to Arkansas to be with his family.

Then, against Tennessee, Brock had to be driven all night by his cousin to Knoxville after his grandmother's funeral went long and he missed his flight.

That is when the real magic happened for Bama's newest star.

And that is just the story so far. Brock still has one more year at the Capstone with the Crimson Tide, and it is a pretty safe bet that most people know who he is now.

The Blog has reached 5-0!!!

2009-03-03T19:50:00.001-06:00

So, post number fifty, or "fi-ty" if you want, was this week. It has taken a while to get here, but being a student, you know things eventually get done, right?

Nonetheless, in celebration of this occasion, I felt the need for a top ten list.

No, this is not something stupid, but rather entertaining, as I know every sports fan has a favorite one of these.

What is it, you may ask? Coaching rants.

This has been on my mind as my big 5-0 post, but Jim Calhoun made it that much easier to do this topic with his gem from a week ago.

Is it good enough for the list...I don't think so. It may eventually make its way on up, but not as of right now.

Number 10: Herm Edwards has coached his fair share of NFL teams. He knows that the purpose of the game is to win, even though he may not do it much, but he makes it well known to the New York Media that he is in on this clue.

Number 9: Jim Mora has had his fair share of blow-ups, but nothing competes with what may be the most notable coaching rant of the past twenty years. This one is from his years with the Colts, pre-Manning and pre-Dungy, so the playoffs weren't exactly handed to the team at this point.

Number 8: John Chaney is one of the most respected coaches in college basketball...at least before his "Goon" incident, but when he has a problem with one of John Calipari's UMass players, he doesn't wait to take it up with the league the next day, he goes straight to the man himself in the middle of his press conference.

Number 7: Just like Herm Edwards, Dennis Green has made his way around the league. He is often remembered for his time with the Vikings...or that time he found out the Bears were who he thought they were while coaching the Cardinals.

Number 6: Without Dan Hawkins, Boise State would be a lonely little school in Idaho with its only possible distinction being its Smurf Turf. Hawkins took his success at Boise State to land a job at Colorado. At either school though, Hawkins was well aware that he was coaching Division I football, and not intramurals.

Number 5: If anyone knows this rant before they see it, they are well versed in their coaching explosions. Very rarely do you see a women's basketball coach get riled up. Geno and Pat had a little spat a few years ago, but that has no comparison to the explosion Michigan head coach Kevin Borseth had after a Wolverine loss.

Number 4: No coaching rant list is complete without at least one mentioning of Bob Knight. No one coach in the history of the game of basketball has had as many incidents as Knight had, and he can fill a top ten list all by himself. My personal favorite is his Game face rant, but nothing compares to Knight's explanation of his favorite word in the English language. Here's a hint, it rhymes with duck.

Number 3: It is very rare that any minor league baseball coach gets any recognition for work that he may do. Every now and then, one will get a chance in the majors. For Mississippi Braves manager Phillip Wellman, that day in The Show doesn't look to be in his future after his tyrant that would have made Lou Pinella give a standing ovation.

Number 2: This is often number one on many lists, but I just don't think it deserves my top spot. Hal McRae was none too pleased after a Kansas City Royals game in 1993 when a reported asked him a stupid question. Now, Nick Saban can berate the media pretty well, but he has yet to throw papers or a telephone at a reporter.

Number 1: This rant is hardly a year old, but very few can even attempt to compare to it. Most of the rants have come after stupid questions or out of frustration after a loss, but this coach actually won the game before he went on his historical rant. The rant was actually over an article attacking a kid for "doing the right thing." One thing is certain after Mike Gundy's soapbox moment: He's a man, he's 40.

Auburn's Coming to Town...and Their Bringing a Trophy with Them

2009-03-02T20:14:00.005-06:00

It has been over a year since the Auburn Basketball team visited Tuscaloosa and left to the tune of a 97-77 beat down at the hands of the Crimson Tide. If you don't remember what happened in that game, here is just a quick reminder...

Yea, that is Senario Hillman showing Auburn who's boss. Auburn has since won two over Alabama, but this will be their first trip back to Tuscaloosa in that time frame.

Alabama is coming off their first three-game SEC winning streak since beating LSU, South Carolina and Mississippi State in 2007. The win on Saturday over Ole Miss ended a 19-game losing streak on the road in SEC play for the Crimson Tide (It's 19, not 18, check the archives of rolltide.com).

Auburn is on their own hot streak, winning seven of their last eight games. The Tigers have won eight conference games for the first time since 2002-03 and will be going for their first winning conference record since 1999-2000.

At halftime of this game, though, will probably be why most people attend this game.

For the first time in six years, the Alabama Crimson Tide Football team will take the court to be presented with the ODK-Foy Sportsmanship Trophy. For those of you that don't know, its the traveling trophy associated with the Iron Bowl. For six years it has sat in Auburn, but the case is already empty on The Plains, meaning the trophy should already be in town.

Ain't it pretty? For those of you that don't remember, or if you are from out of state, that beautiful symbol of 36-0 used to be kept in the Ferg for all to see, but who knows where it will rest for the next year on campus.

Even though it might be tempting to leave at halftime, this game will still be worth staying for. Not because it's Auburn, and not just because this team is coming together after a trying beginning of the season, but for three guys who have been through a lot over the past four years: Alonzo Gee, Brandon Hollinger, and Greg Cage.

All three will be presented before the game for Senior Night and will be playing their last regular season game in Coleman Coliseum on Tuesday.

All the fun begins at 8pm, but Coleman is sure to fill up for once, so getting to the coliseum when the gates open is probably a good idea.