NCAA Silly Season Continues... Friday Update...

Today we can add three Alabama players- Alabama running back Mark Ingram, defensive lineman Marcell Dareus and wide receiver Julio Jones say they're entering the NFL draft.

Linebacker Dont'a Hightower says he is returning to school.
Coach Nick Saban says each player made the right decision.

This adds to the total of: Arkansas QB Ryan Mallett
((HT: KTHV-TV Little Rock))


UCLA's Rahim Moore, and according to FOSG Kelin Johnson, the HQ is supposed to keep an eye on three UGA players- AJ Green, Justin Houston, and Brandon Boykin...

Oklahoma's Ryan Broyles is staying... which means the Sooners will, probably, be ranked Pre-season Number One

Newsok.com's Jenni Carlson and FOSG Berry Tramel discuss Monday's game for us instead...
((HT: Newsok.com))


Coaching Carousel: Pat Fitzgerald is NOT leaving Northwestern for Michigan and neither is Bo Pelini...

But Dan Mullen's staff takes a huge hit as Manny Diaz leaves Miss State and moves over to Texas to be DC for Mack Brown...
((HT KXAN-TV Austin))

Longhorns introduce DC Diaz: kxan.com

More when we know more...

2010 Iron Bowl: Survive And Advance

Walking towards Bryant-Denny Stadium on the Tuscaloosa campus, it seemed neither side wanted to acknowledge there was a game going on.

Alabama fans had a sense of dread as if they were getting their ass haded to them and staring at a three-loss (gasp) season at the end of Friday afternoon. Auburn fans were going into the game feeling that, since they were the underdog, they must be the underdog after all.

There wasn't any smack talk on the boulevard. There were just merchants trying to sell "Scam Newton" and "Got Laptops? Cam Does" t-shirts.

By the way, the HQ now has a few of those for Festivus gifts.
They were on special after the game...

But when you see Mark Ingram run for nine without being touched, when Julio Jones is left to run free in a two-deep zone as corners think safeties are there for support and vice versa, and when Darius Hanks catches a 15-yard fade that everyone could see was going to work, it a 21-0 lead that took all of 17 minutes to put on the board.

Full disclosure... I went as a civilian this year. TBH got tickets in the endzone and I went since I had never gone in that capacity. It was wet. It was cold. And I couldn't get a cell signal out to save my life.

And when the lead was that big for Alabama, TBH wondered if the beating was going to be worse than the one in Tommy Tuberville's last year- 36-zip.

But it wasn't...

I reminded her that her team had been a second-half team all year- all 32 games they've played in, they've trailed. There were a half-dozen games where the Tigers/Plainsmen/War Eagles had trailed in the fourth quarter and had escaped. They were also getting two defensive starters back after they had thrown punches in the UGA game and had to sit out the first half. All the depth you would have had in the first half would be there in the second half.

But the two marquee defensive plays in the first 30 minutes, the Nelson punchout and the Nick Fairley bench press/fumble recovery, kept the team hanging around. Emory Blake caught the TD pass in the first half with all the confidence his father had on some Sundays as a quarterback ((Remember "throw up a moon ball and hope someone in the same colored jersey runs under it?")).

They got the ball at the start of the second half, and made the most of it. Terrell Zachery was the lucky recipient of an overplay in the Bama secondary to make it 24-14, and all the yards that Greg McElroy threw for in the first-half (something short of eleventy-billion), didn't mean a thing.

He threw for thirty-something yards in the second half before he was suplexed by Tasharvin Bell in a way that would have made Chris Benoit proud. From that moment on, McElroy thought he was Scott Hunter and wanted his mommy.

Evidence below...
((HT: SEC on CBS/youtube))


Compare/Contrast...
Continue...
((HT: WWE/youtube))


McElroy didn't get to finish- that was left to AJ McCarron. And we found out why he was a redshirt freshman who signalled in plays instead of ran them. Especially after getting his ass slapped and his ears chewed in the Miss State game by Nick Saban.

But the defensive adjustments made by Ted Roof and the staff were top notch in a season where there have been two ways Auburn had to win- come from behind and make Vegas mad, or outscore everyone and make Vegas money.

As all the Crimson people were leaving, it turned into a blue-and-orange celebration. All of the Bama fans were left with was a bunch of expletive-laden retorts on their way to a weekend's worth of sulk. For every win that the Tide thinks is "bought and paid for," all the Auburn fans had to do was point to a scoreboard. But it wouldn't be that simple, would it...???

It's a game where families are divided. It's a game where middle school principals wander over to former students on their way to concession stands and make fun of their allegiances. And, on the next play when things go south, the father of the student makes a point to race to the stairwell and offer an answer to the question previously posed.

None of it clean... for the next 365 days...

It's where Auburn fans sit next to Alabama fans and send their index fingers as close to their seatmates and second-guess their neighbor. It's a game where your color choice is looked at as nothing short of Goodwill-bought and there is never any Goodwill sold.

And the land where there is nothing short of a Paul Bryant Drive will make a point to reinforce that every coach on the staff should be drawn and quartered, after being shot and killed and not a moment before.

Monday will be a fun day... for half a state, anyway... because some coaches, probably, will...

Kirby Smart and Joe McElwain are looking for work...
And so is Nick Saban, but we aren't supposed to know that yet...

Right, Pawwwwlllll...??????

TWTW: The State Of Alabama Sweeps

((HT: WVTM-TV Birmingham))

Not that the first game was any surprise, as Alabama took out what frustrations they had left over from the LSU game out on Dan Mullen and Mississippi State 30-10.

MSU was ranked in the alphabet soup, not so much anymore...

Here's Chris Pollone's wrap from T-town...


Auburn, traditionally a slow starter this season, didn't disappoint either. TBH knew that there would be an inability to hear once a certain QB's name was mentioned for starting lineups.

We know this to be true since she got a cell signal out and some of the HQ listened to said intros from McKenzie, Tennessee...

They were down 21-7 before coming from behind to win 49-21 over the University of Georgia on the Plains. Having an experienced offensive line these days is HUGE!!!

Time for another visit from Don Hawes who didn't get the short end this week...

Oh No, Heisman Trophy Winner Mark Ingram Injures His Knee. Won't Play In Alabama's Season Opener

Things aren't starting off to good for Mark Ingram to repeat as the Heisman Trophy winner. Monday Ingram suffered an injury to his left knee in practice.

Ingram had an "arthroscopic procedure" performed on the injured knee Tuesday morning and won't be available for Alabama's season opener against San Jose State. Not sure of Ingram's' status after that.

Here's what Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban said in a statement released by Alabama media relations:

"Mark will definitely be out for this week's game against San Jose State and we will manage this on a week to week basis beyond this week. We will make every decision in the future based on what's best for Mark and his career as we consult with Dr. Cain and Dr. Andrews on his progress. This is not an injury that will affect Mark's future ability to make a full recovery in a relatively short time frame."

I can hear the collective "oh s&#t" coming from the state of Alabama. Don't worry, its San Jose State and Trent Richardson is a hell of a back-up.

More when we know it.

Photo Courtesy: Getty Images

Pre-Season All SEC Team

The Southeastern Conference released it's pre-season All-SEC team voted by the coaches and here they are:

FIRST‐TEAM
Offense

QB Ryan Mallett Arkansas 6‐6 238 Jr. Texarkana, Ark.
RB Mark Ingram Alabama 5‐10 215 Jr. Flint, Mich.
RB Derrick Locke Kentucky 5‐9 190 Sr. Hugo, Okla.
WR A.J. Green Georgia 6‐4 205 Jr. Summerville, S.C.
WR Julio Jones Alabama 6‐4 220 Jr. Foley, Ala.
TE D.J. Williams Arkansas 6‐2 251 Sr. Little Rock, Ark.
OL Clint Boling Georgia 6‐5 310 Sr. Alpharetta, Ga.
OL Carl Johnson Florida 6‐5 360 Sr. Durham, N.C.
OL Barrett Jones Alabama 6‐4 301 So. Memphis, Tenn.
OL Lee Ziemba Auburn 6‐8 391 Sr. Rogers, Ark.
C Mike Pouncey Florida 6‐4 310 Sr. Lakeland, Fla.

Defense

DL Marcell Dareus Alabama 6‐4 306 Jr. Birmingham, Ala.
DL Jerrell Powe Ole Miss 6‐2 320 Sr. Waynesboro, Miss.
DL Cliff Matthews South Carolina 6‐4 260 Sr. Cheraw, S.C.
LB Josh Bynes Auburn 6‐2 235 Sr. Lauderdale Lakes, Fla.
LB Dont’a Hightower Alabama 6‐4 258 So. Lewisburg, Tenn.
LB Chris Marve Vanderbilt 6‐0 232 Jr. Memphis, Tenn.
LB Kelvin Sheppard LSU 6‐3 239 Sr. Stone Mountain, Ga.
DB Mark Barron Alabama 6‐2 210 Jr. Mobile, Ala.
DB Patrick Peterson LSU 6‐1 211 Jr. Pompano Beach, Fla.
DB Stephon Gilmore South Carolina 6‐1 188 So. Rock Hill, S.C.
DB Janoris Jenkins Florida 5‐11 186 Jr. Pahokee, Fla.

Special Teams

PK Blair Walsh Georgia 5‐10 191 Jr. Boca Raton, Fla.
P Drew Butler Georgia 6‐2 207 Jr. Duluth, Ga.
RS Warren Norman Vanderbilt 5‐10 192 So. Stone Mountain, Ga.
AP Randall Cobb Kentucky 5‐11 186 Jr. Alcoa, Tenn.

SECOND‐TEAM
Offense

QB Greg McElroy Alabama 6‐3 225 Sr. Southland, Texas
RB Jeff Demps Florida 5‐8 184 Jr. Winter Garden, Fla.
RB Trent Richardson Alabama 5‐11 220 So. Pensacola, Fla.
WR Darvin Adams Auburn 6‐3 185 Jr. Kennesaw, Ga.
WR Alshon Jeffery South Carolina 6‐4 237 So. St. Matthews, S.C.
TE Luke Stocker Tennessee 6‐6 253 Sr. Berea, Ky.
OL James Carpenter Alabama 6‐5 300 Sr. Augusta, Ga.
OL DeMarcus Love Arkansas 6‐5 315 Sr. Lancaster, Texas
OL Derek Sherrod Miss. State 6‐6 305 Sr. Columbus, Miss.
OL *Cordy Glenn Georgia 6‐5 330 Jr. Riverdale, Ga.
OL *Joseph Barksdale LSU 6‐5 315 Sr. Detroit, Mich.
C Ryan Pugh Auburn 6‐4 297 Sr. Hoover, Ala.

Defense

DL Pernell McPhee Miss. State 6‐4 285 Sr. Pahokee, Fla.
DL Drake Nevis LSU 6‐1 292 Sr. Marrero, La.
DL *DeQuin Evans Kentucky 6‐3 256 Sr. Long Beach, Calif.
DL *Chris Walker Tennessee 6‐3 245 Sr. Memphis, Tenn.
DL * Ladi Ajiboye South Carolina 6‐2 278 Sr. Riverdale, Ga.
LB Jerry Franklin Arkansas 6‐1 241 Jr. Marion, Ark.
LB A.J. Jones Florida 6‐1 226 Sr. Tampa, Fla.
LB Craig Stevens Auburn 6‐3 229 Sr. Tallahassee, Fla.
LB K.J. Wright Miss. State 6‐4 250 Sr. Olive Branch, Miss.
DB Ahmad Black Florida 5‐9 189 Sr. Lakeland, Fla.
DB Chris Culliver South Carolina 6‐1 197 Sr. Garner, N.C.
DB Will Hill Florida 6‐1 204 Jr. West Orange, N.J.
DB Neiko Thorpe Auburn 6‐2 186 Jr. Tucker, Ga.

Special Teams

PK Caleb Sturgis Florida 5‐10 192 Jr. St. Augustine, Fla.
P Chas Henry Florida 6‐3 222 Jr. Dallas, Ga.
RS Brandon Boykin Georgia 5‐10 183 Jr. Fayetteville, Ga.
AP Chris Rainey Florida 5‐9 176 Jr. Lakeland, Fla.

Heisman Trophy: Give It To Gerhart

John Cappelletti is the answer to a trivia question. He is the last white running back to win the Heisman Trophy. Cappelletti won it in 1973.

That might and should change Saturday because Stanford's Toby Gerhart has the numbers to carry the stiff arm trophy home with him. All Gerhart did was lead the nation in rushing with 1,736 yards (by the way, Utah State's Louie Giamonna was the last white running back to lead the nation in rushing in 1974) and was the NCAA leader in scoring with 26 touchdowns.

What's impressive to me is that Gerhart took the typical physical punishment a running back endures during a 12 game regular season was injury proof. Sure Gerhart had some bumps and bruises but didn't go soft, he just kept on running. Case in point, Gerhart's last 4 games of the season. Even beat up he averaged 29 carries 185.5 yards per game rushing. His Stanford teammates can count on him everytime.

What's going to kill Gerhart's chances is that Stanford didn't appear on TV that much except when the Cardinal defeated Notre Dame where Gerhart had 205 yards rushing and 3 touchdowns. However, that was 2 weeks ago and probably off voters radar screens.

Plus the guy is a hell of a student at Stanford if you care of such things. My guess is that it doesn't apply.

I beleive Mark Ingram will win it though his numbers come up short to Gerhart's however, Ingram received quite a bit of national TV exposure plus his team, the Alabama Crimson Tide, is playing for the BCS National Championship. Gerhart's Stanford team is heading out to the West Texas town of El Paso Sun Bowl bound.

If I had a vote, it would be Toby Gerhart. Come on, give it to the guy who deserves it and wasn't over hyped and on TV all the time.

Here's a Toby Gerhart highlight reel: Thanks Youtube.com

Photo Courtesy: Larry Iversen/The San Francicsco Chronicle

TWTW: Alabama Not Concerned With The "Chosen One," Take SEC Title 32-13

((HT: WBRC-TV/MyFoxAl.com))

Those of us at OSG HQ still have Mark Ingram not winning the posing trophy for college football greatness... his three scores may help his case from this game...

But the victory against Florida in the SEC Championship Game should help him with some more southern voters in yet another fractured voting season.

Number 2 Alabama clocked top-ranked Florida 32-13 at the Georgia Dome, and are now preparing for their first shot at a national title since 1992.

They'll be playing Texas in Pasadena- barely...

Here's the return of the Tide to Tuscaloosa (or some airport nearby that has a long enough runway to land the team charters), thanks to our friends at Fox6...

It's raw video. That's a TV term that means you're watching video that was just put there to be there in its entirety- no editing was involved at all...

Jones and Ingram stlll eligible

The NCAA ruled today that Alabama Football Players Julio Jones and Mark Ingram are still eligible to play football this season. The players, got into a bit of trouble when reports surfaced about the two of them accepting a free fishing trip courtesy of a 56 year old businessman from Athens, Alabama.

Here is the whole story from Al.com.

((Julio Jones Photo//Courtesy: The Birmingham News))

Apparently, the players can make things right by paying back the man from Athens. The whole thing seemed a bit weird, but hey, what do we know? The Crimson Tide open there season Saturday night in Atlanta versus the Virginia Tech Hokies.