Super Bowl XLIV Most Watched TV Event EVER With 106.5 Milli
Surpasses "Goodbye & Amen" Episode
For 27 years M*A*S*H finale was the most watched TV event until last nights Super Bowl XLVI dethroned it. The previous record was of 106.0 million for the finale in 1983.
The Saints 31-17 win over the Colts in Super Bowl XLIV drew a 45.0 national rating and 106.5 million viewers on CBS Sunday night, up 7% in ratings and 8% in viewership from Pittsburgh Steelers/Arizona Cardinals on NBC last year (42.0, 98.7 mil), and up 4% and 9%, respectively, from New York Giants/New England Patriots on FOX in ‘08 (43.1, 97.4 mil).
Additionally, the 45.0 rating is the highest for any television program since Dallas Cowboys/Pittsburgh Steelers drew a 46.0 in 1996.
To put the numbers in perspective, the Super Bowl drew over 70 million more viewers than the top non-NFL sporting event of the past 12 months — the Texas/Alabama BCS National Championship Game (30.8 mil).
This is the third-straight year the Super Bowl has drawn record viewership, and the fifth-straight year that viewership for the game has increased. Just five years ago, Super Bowl XXXIX drew only 86.1 million viewers on FOX. From 1999-05, the Super Bowl drew less than 90 million viewers each year.
The record for the Super Bowl is the capper to a highly successful season for the NFL. The regular season was the most-viewed since 1990 (16.6 mil), the Wild Card round was the most-viewed since ‘95 (29.9 mil), the Divisional Round was the most-viewed since ‘94 (33.0 mil), and the Conference Championship games were the most-viewed since ‘82 (52.9 mil).
You Need To Sign A College Football Player Tomorrow, Come To TEXAS
Texas Leads The Way
That’s right with national signing day being tomorrow, the state that colleges across the country to come invade the most for its talents is Texas. The number of players the Lone Star State produces is staggering.
Of the 12,853 players on Division 1A rosters last season, 1,714 came from Texas. Dallas and Houston produced one-fourth of all the Big 12 players. Texas bred players make up 42 percent of the roster of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. The least productive states in the country North Dakota and Maine, each had a single native player on 2009 rosters.
So when your scanning your favorite college team tomorrow and seeing how they rank in the recruiting, make sure you see some Texas players on the roster. Hell, even a Texas reject like former Southlake Carroll quarterback Greg McElroy can make a difference, just ask Alabama.
Alabama To Display BCS Trophy At Wal-Marts
The Dollar General Must Have Been Booked
That does say Wal-Mart and there is an s on that meaning plural. The University of Alabama is going to display its new national championship football trophy at a Walmart Supercenter in Tuscaloosa and another Walmart store in Gardendale.
Fans will be able to get their picture taken with the actual Coaches Trophy that was presented after the BCS win over Texas. The $30,000 trophy is topped with a football made of Waterford Crystal.
I guess the Dollar General’s in Tuscaloosa where already booked.
BCS National Championship Game Draws 30 Milli Viewers
Like Rudy J Said *Asterisk*
For the second straight year, overnight ratings increased for college football’s national championship game.
Alabama’s win over Texas in the BCS National Championship Game drew an 17.2 overnight rating and 30.8 million viewerson ABC Thursday night, up 7% from a 17.0 for Florida/Oklahoma last year, and up 17% from a 15.6 for LSU/Ohio St. in ‘08 both of which aired on FOX.
The 17.2 overnight is the highest for the BCS National Championship Game since the Florida/Ohio St. BCS title game drew a 19.1 in ‘07. The 30.8 million viewers is the most for a college football game since the 2006 title game between Texas and USC (35.6 mil), and the second-most ever for the a national championship game in the BCS era.
Additionally, the 17.2 is the highest overnight rating for any sporting event on ABC since Super Bowl XL in 2006. As well the 30.8 million viewers tops every single regular season NFL game during the 2009-10 season including Brett Favre’s return to Lambeau Field 29.8 million.
To put the numbers in perspective, the 17.2 overnight tops every Major League Baseball game since 2006, every NBA game since 1996 and every college basketball game since at least ‘94.
The game gave ABC its highest rated Thursday night since 1995.
Locally, the game drew a 67.4 rating in Birmingham, AL, and a 47.8 in Austin, TX. Elsewhere, the game drew a 37.2 in San Antonio, a 33.4 in Nashville, a 31.3 in Dallas, and a 29.9 in Atlanta.
Dick Saban Takes Jug To Face
“Gatorade Baths” are so played out, even if a Gatorade jug slams into Dick Saban’s face, it’s time we throwing trophies at coaches faces to show how much you really appreciate their love and hard work they put you through.
A bloody face or a concussion is so much better than the played out “Gatorade Baths”.
Primetime College Football: BCS National Championship Game
TALENT
The best two teams in the land collide in the Rose Bowl in Pasadena for the 4th actual BCS National Championship game, the game was first played at the conclusion of the 1998 college football season to form the Bowl Championship Series however beginning with the 2006 season, the BCS National Championship Game became a separate event. The top-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide of the SEC and the second-ranked Texas Longhorns from the BIG 12 each come into the game undefeated at 13-0 with hopes to be crowned National Champion.
Alabama is no stranger to the big stage, as the Crimson Tide will be playing for their 13th national title this week. The team’s last national title came back in 1992. Likewise, Nick Saban is very familiar with the pressures of the big game, leading LSU to the national championship in 2003 and now back in just his third season at the helm in Tuscaloosa. Alabama has earned an NCAA-best 57th bowl berth and are 31-22-3 in postseason play overall.
Mack Brown is also seeking a second national title, winning his first just four years ago with the Longhorns. Texas sporting a perfect 13-0 mark to this point, including winning the Big 12 title with a 13-12 dramatic decision against Nebraska in the conference championship game. Texas ranks second in NCAA Bowl appearances, playing in its 49th bowl game and is 25-21-3 in prior postseason affairs.
There wasn’t much that Texas couldn’t do with the football this season and the result was ranking third in the nation in scoring at 40 ppg. The team was able to rush for 152.7 yards per game on 4.1 yards per carry, but the real strength was in a passing attack that netted 279.7 yards per game.
It certainly helps to have one of college football’s greatest leaders under center in senior All-American Colt McCoy. The all-time leader in career wins, McCoy had yet another stellar campaign this season, completing a ridiculous 70.5 percent of his passes, for 3,512 yards, with 27 TDs. The Heisman finalist was certainly aided by fellow ALL-SGE-NCAA Football Team member wideout Jordan Shipley, who has hauled in 106 passes, for 1,363 yards and 11 TDs. The ground game plays second-fiddle in Austin, but rushers like Tre Newton 5.0 ypc, 6 TDs and Cody Johnson 4.0 ypc, 12 TDs know how to make the most of their opportunities.
As good as McCoy and company have been this year, the Texas defense may have actually played a more critical role in landing the Longhorns in the title game. Among the national leaders in just about every facet of defensive play, Texas finished up ranked 1st in rush defense 62.2 ypg, 3rd in total defense 251.1 ypg and 8th in scoring defense 15 ppg. In addition, this big play unit racked up 41 sacks, 24 interceptions and 11 fumble recoveries.
There are playmakers at every position on the defense. Up front, Texas relies heavily on the push upfield by ends Sam Acho 57 tackles, 13 TFLs, 9 sacks, 4 fumble recoveries and Sergio Kindle 62 tackles, 18 TFLs, 3 sacks and tackle Lamarr Houston 58 tackles, 20 TFLs, 7 sacks. Rodderick Muckelroy has a team-high 96 tackles, 11 TFLs, 2 sacks, one INT highlights the play in the LB corps, while ALL-SGE-NCAA Football Team member safety Earl Thomas has 71 tackles, 5 TFLs, 8 INTs while Blake Gideon has 56 tackles, 5 INTs are ball hawks in the secondary.
The Longhorns use the pass to soften things up for the run, while Alabama uses the run to set up the pass. Sophomore Mark Ingram is the main reason for success on offense for Alabama as he rushed for 1,542 yards and 15 TDs making things easier for quarterback Greg McElroy to manage the passing game and throw for 2,450 yards, with 17 TDs against 4 interceptions. Wideouts Julio Jones had 42 receptions, for 573 yards, 4 TDs and Marquis Maze 30 receptions, for 519 yards, two TDs are the main options on the outside.
The Alabama defens is lead by ALL-SGE-NCAA Football Team member Rolando McClain who led the team in tackles this season 101, with 12.5 TFLs, 4 sacks and 2 INTs. Fellow LB Eryk Anders had 59 tackles, 12.5 TFLs, 5 sacks, one INT. Up front, the team looks to Marcell Dareus 32 tackles, 9 TFLs, 6.5 sacks and Terrence Cody 25 tackles, 6 TFLs. The secondary was lead by ALL-SGE-NCAA Football Team member Javier Arenas 66 tackles 12.TFL 5 sacks and 3 INTs he also gets the help of Mark Barron 70 tackles, seven INTs.
Texas has never lost to Alabama in the all-time series, sporting a 7-0-1 record in eight previous meetings. However, this is the first time these two teams have met on the gridiron since the 1982 Cotton Bowl, a 14-12 win for Texas.
PICK: University of Texas Longhorns
ESPN Hires USC’s Pete Carroll
Jerk Move
ESPN has hired USC head coach Pete Carroll to serve as an analyst for the BCS Championship Game. Carroll will also appear on College Gameday, a few SportsCenters and of course all of ESPN coverage of the Texas-Alabama game at the Rose Bowl.
This is the first season since Carroll intial year with the Trojans he has not coached in a BCS Bowl game and it will allow him to explore such adventures. Carroll and the Trojans are coming off 24-13 victory of Boston College in the Emerald Bowl. He will offer his insight on the pressure of playing in a National Championship Game and at the Rose Bowl, as well as coaching against Texas coach Mack Brown.
Carroll will appear on the ESPN set at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on the evening editions of SportsCenter Wednesday, Jan. 6; a special one-hour College GameDay Thursday, Jan. 7 at 7 p.m.; National Championship pre-game and halftime shows on ABC beginning at 8 p.m.; and for ESPN’s SportsCenter post-game coverage following the game.
University Of Alabama Lowers Admissions So Athletes Can Play
Big Al Wants To Win
The Associated Press did a review nearly all of the 120 schools in college football on their admissions data submitted to the NCAA found that blue chip athletes attending some of the countries major schools allowed admission requirement waived or altered so they could play football.
That doesn’t come as a surprise but what is that it’s found in every major conference and the review identified at least 27 schools where athletes were at least 10 times more likely to benefit from special admission programs than students in the general population.
That group includes Alabama where 19 football players got in as part of a special admissions program from 2004 to 2006, the most recent years available in the NCAA report. While
Texas was one of 7 schools that reported no use of special admissions but the Longhorns did acknowledged that athletic recruits overall are less prepared where the average SAT score for a freshman football player from 2003 to 2005 was 945 – or 320 points lower than the typical first-year student’s score on the entrance exam.
In all, 77 of the 92 universities that provided information reported using special admissions waivers to land athletes and other students with particular talents.
2009 ALL-SGE-NCAA FOOTBALL Team
Est. 2009
The 2009 regular season of NCAA football has ended and Sports Grind Entertainment is handing out it’s first ever All-SGE-NCAA Football Team. The 2009 All-SGE-NCAA Football Team takes in several factors and wins and losses is not one of them but such factors as on the field performance, consistency, detrimental to the team and rivalry or big game impact. Off the field issues are not even considered.
2009 ALL-SGE-NCAA FOOTBALL Team:
OFFENSE
- Quarterback – Jimmy Clausen, Notre Dame Fighting Irish: It’s easy to blame the struggles of the Fighting Irish upon Clausen but when you pass for 425 times and only throw 4 interceptions all year as well only being sack sacked 24 times, there’s not much blame that can be put on his arm. Clausen finished the season completing 289 passes for 3,722 yards and 28 touchdowns with a passer rating of 161.4 in a non run and shoot type offense.
- Running Back – Toby Gerhart, Stanford Cardinal: Gerhart complied the best season in all of college football for running backs with 1,736 yards and 26 touchdowns although his yards per carry where just average at 5.6.
- Running Back – LaMichael James, Oregon Ducks: The freshman James served as a backup to senior LaGarretteBlount in the opening week against Boise State and only carried the ball twice. After Blount’s suspension his carries improved to nine times against Purdue and settled in on a steady dose of at least 15 there after. The freshman stepped up to average 6.9 yards per carry and 1,476 yards on only 215 carries and no fumbles. James ended the season with 14 rushing touchdowns.
- Offensive Tackle – Russell Okung, Oklahoma State Cowboys: Okung is a four year letterman that stands at 6-5 and 300 pounds. Okung has quick feet that has allowed him to have 127 knockdown blocks and 58 pancakes. In his 836 snaps he has only allowed one sack.
- Offensive Tackle – Ciron Black, Louisiana State Tigers: Black is a four year letterman that stands at 6-5 and 325 pounds. Black has started 52 consecutive games at left tackle and had over 70 knockdowns this season.
- Guard – Rodney Hudson, Florida State Seminoles: Hudson is a three year letterman and is a quick 6-2 285 pounds. Hudson did not allow a sack all season and was only penalized twice.
- Guard – Mike Iupati, Idaho Vandals: Iupati is a four year letterman and is 6-6 330 pounds. Iupati is a massive man at the guard spot however is not that light on his feet.
- Center – J.D. Walton, Baylor Bears: Walton comes in at 6-3 305 pounds and was the only bright spot for Baylor this year. Walton finished his career with 36 consecutive starts after transferring from Arizona State in 2006. He anchored an offensive line that generated 2,349 rushing yards the most at Baylor since 1981, as well as 29 rushing touchdowns.
- Tight end – Dennis Pitta, Brigham Young Cougars: Pitta entered the 2009 season as one of the best receiving tight ends in the country and his 2009 season did nothing to change that. Pitta lead all tight ends this year in receiving yards with 784 and receiving yards per game 65.33 in a pass first offense. This season Pitta became BYU’s all-time leader in total receptions and also the NCAA career leader in tight end receiving yards. In 12 games Pitta recorded 57 receptions and 7 touchdowns.
- Wide Receiver – Jordan Shipley, Texas Longhorns: Shipley didn’t catch the most touchdowns, yards or the most passes but did finish in the top 10 in all of the categories while being Colt McCoy’s bailout receiver. Shipley finished 106 catches for third in the country, 1,363 yards for fifth and 11 touchdowns tying him for eight. Shipley’s biggest reception came on the final drive to keep Texas undefeated season alive in the Big 12 Championship game against Nebraska.
- Wide Receiver – Danario Alexander, Missouri Tigers: Alexander ranked second in receptions with 107 and had 5 games of collecting double digit receptions, while still finishing with an average of 15.4 yards per catch. Alexander ranked first in the country with 1,644 yards and scored 15 touchdowns. Alexanders shinning moment came against rival Kansas when he caught 15 passes for 233 yards and a touchdown to help in the 41-39 victory.
- Kicker – Kai Forbath, California Los Angeles, Bruins: Forbath was 22 of 23 on extra points, his only miss did not have an impact on the Bruins beating San Diego State 33-14. Forbath was 26 of 29 on his field goal attempts resulting in a 89.7 percentage. His 3 misses on the year all came from distances of 50 yards (51, 52, 51) or more, 2 of the 3 came in wins. He lead the Bruins with 100 points on a team that had trouble all year to move the ball. Forbath finished 8-8 (20-29 yards), 11-11 (30-39 yards), 4-4 (40-49 yards), 3-6 (50+ yards).
DEFENSE
- Defensive End – Brandon Graham, Michigan Wolverines: Graham led the nation in tackles for loss with 26 and recorded 10.5 sacks. He recorded 64 tackles as 42 where solo while contributing 2 pass blocks, 2 forced fumbles and 1 fumble recovery. Graham wasn’t finished wrecking havoc on the defensive line as he blocked 2 kicks and returned 1 for a touchdown.
- Defensive End – Derrick Morgan, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets: Morgan finished the season with 52 tackles 37 of them where solo. Morgan ranked among the national leaders in sacks at 12.5 and 2 forced fumbles on the year. Adding to his stats that helped Georgia Tech reach the ACC Championship game was 18 tackles for a loss.
- Defensive Tackle – Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska Cornhuskers: If you have followed SGE, your well of the love affair there is for Suh. However, his performance on the field justifies his selection. Suh recorded 82 tackles and 47 of them where solo. Suh racked up 12 sacks and 19.5 tackles for a loss on the season. Suh finished the year with 10 block passes and 3 blocked kicks. Only to serve as a reminder was his performance in the Big 12 Championship game of 12 tackles, 10 of them solo and accumulating 4 sacks.
- Defensive Tackle – Adrian Clayborn, Iowa Hawkeyes: Clayborns performance was over shadowed all season by the infused media hype of Alabama’s Terrence Cody. Clayborn terrorized the Big Ten all season long as Cody did in the SEC but out performed Cody on an individual basis. Clayborn finished the season with 61 total tackles, 27 of them solo and 18 tackles for a loss. He gave the Hawkeyes 9 sacks, 2 pass deflections and forcing 4 fumbles while blocking 1 kick in comparison to Cody’s 25 tackles, 11 of them for solo and 0 sacks.
- Linebacker – Rolando McClain, Alabama Crimson Tide: McClain was all over the field this year for Alabama creating 101 tackles, 4 sacks, 2 interceptions, 3 pass deflections and forcing 1 fumble while leading the nations number 2 defense. His performance against in state rival Auburn was his shinning moment of the season has he did everything to insure a Bama’s perfect season.
- Linebacker – Greg Jones, Michigan State Spartans: Jones was third in the country in tackles with a 140. Jones reached double-figure tackles 8 times this season while also sacking opposing quarterbacks 9 times.
- Linebacker – Eric Norwood, South Carolina Gamecocks: Norwood had 71 tackles on the season and 11.5 that where for a loss as well as having 7 sacks on the season. His sack and tackle for a loss totals pushed him to become the all-time leader for South Carolina in both categories. Norwood leads the team with 2 interceptions and 3 blocked kicks. He also finished the year with 3 pass breakups and a fumble recovery.
- Cornerback – Javier Arenas, Alabama Crimson Tide: Arenas recorded 65 tackles, 42 of them solo. Arenas made himself very acquainted with quarterbacks sack them 5 times and intercepting them 3 times. He made his presence felt all over the field in a 12-10 nail biting win against Tennessee with 13 tackles and 1 sack. Arenas even pulls double duty on special team recording more than a 1,000 return yards this season and has scoring 1 touchdown.
- Cornerback – Joe Haden, Florida Gators: Haden recorded 57 tackles, 45 of them solo while no playing in the game against Georgia. Haden had his best game against South Carolina when he recorded 10 tackles, 9 of them solo, and pulling down 1 interception plus sacking the quarterback once ion 24-14 win. He finished the year with 3 sacks and 4 interceptions while deflection 8 passes.
- Safety – Eric Berry, Tennessee Volunteers: Berry is one of the hardest hitting defensive players in the country. He finished his season 83 tackles including 6 for lost yardage and deflected 9 passes while pulling down 2 interceptions and recovering 2 fumbles.
- Safety – Earl Thomas, Texas Longhorns: Thomas is one of college football true rising stars, outside of Ndamukong Suh he could have had the best college football season. Thomas recorded 57 tackles, 1 sack and 10 pass deflections in his sophomore year. He also grabbed 8 interceptions while taking 2 of them back for touchdowns, one for 92 yards in a win against Colorado. Thomas registered better games but came up big with an interception to stop Oklahoma in the fourth quarter of their final possession to preserve a 16-13 win.
- Punter – Matt Reagan, Memphis Tigers: Reagan ranked third nationally in averaging 45.5 yards per punt but also pulled double duty as the teams place kicker. His average was 3.3 yards behind Georgia’s Drew Butler and only 0.3 East Carolina’s Matt Dodge. Reagan punted on an average of 5 times a game for an actual total of 63 times and for 2,868 yards, again pulling double duty as the teams kicker.
- All-Purpose – C.J. Spiller, Clemson Tigers: Spiller was the most exciting football player in 2009, having his hands in every facet of the offensive side of the ball. He rushed 201 times for 1,145 yards and 11 touchdowns as well catching the ball 33 times for 445 yards and 4 touchdowns. Spiller was also the return man on kickoffs and punts, returning 21 times for 708 yards and 4 touchdowns on kickoffs with a long of 96 yards. His returns 13 punts for a total of 210 yards and 1 touchdown with a long of 77 yards. Spiller had a dominating performance in the ACC Championship game against Georgia Tech with 233 rushing yards and 4 touchdowns.
- Head Coach – June Jones, Southern Methodist Mustangs: This was by far the hardest decisions, either to go with a coach that hadn’t lost like Gary Patterson, Brian Kelly, Mack Brown, Nick Saban or Chris Peterson or to a coach that turned around a program like Al Golden, Danny Pearman, Randy Shannon or Jones. Jones came to a program that had back to back 1-11 seasons to finish 7-6 and lead the Mustangs to their first bowl, Hawaii Bowl, since 1984. The program lives infamy of its two-year death penalty in 1987-88 but since then the 1997 team is the only one to finish above .500, 6-5, until this year. Jones had the Mustangs finish 6-2 in Conference USA and within one game of playing in the championship game.
Alabama Lawyer Wants Trial Postponed So He Can Attend National Championship Game
Click To Re-size To Read
An Alabama lawyer has filed a motion for a trial set for January 4th 2010 to be postponed so he can attend the BCS National Championship Game against Texas in Pasadena California.
What makes this awesome is in the motion it clearly states that some of the witness are trying to acquire tickets and the Honorable Jim Lloyd has children in the area and plans on visiting them in California to “celebrate the game and the Tide’s success”.
Oh but the story gets better as the plaintiffs have opposed the motion of the trial being moved because they are fans of “the other great team (Auburn) in this state who did not make the playoffs”. A sidebar is that one of the other attorneys on the case is a former SGA President at Auburn.
To top it all off it even ends with a ROLL TIDE!! and a claim from his secretary, who attended Auburn, feels that he should attend the championship game to see the Longhorns be defeated.
Thank you Jon B. Berry for the laugh.
Mark Ingram Steals Heisman From SGE Winner
University of Alabama Crimson Tides Mark Ingram won the 75th Heisman Trophy by 28 votes over the best running back in the country Stanford University Cardinal Toby Gerhart.
Gerhart was already named the Sports Grind Entertainment’s 2009 Heisman Trophy winner and given the Doak Walker Award because he rushed for 1,736 to lead the Division I-A in rushing and carried the ball 5.6 yards per carry while finishing the season with 26 rushing touchdowns.
If you happen to disagree with this post, go ahead and feel free to join on as an author on Sports Grind Entertainment’s website to voice your opinions.
Ndamukong Suh Wins The Lombardi Award
it gross but im in love with a dt
I’m not really in the game to make posts about every college football award, I’m not trying to diminish them it’s just I don’t have the time. I instead choose to devote my time to the granddaddy award the Heisman Trophy but I have a love affair with Ndamukong Suh of the University of Nebraska. I sound like a broken record in running off my praise for the guy but when you haven’t seen a player on his level of beasting since John Henderson, a good eight to nine years, there’s good reason to be excited.
Suh picked up another honor, outside of my afair, by taking home the Rotary Lombardi Award as the nation’s top lineman. But in picking up the trophy, he took some time away from the celebration to apologize to fellow Lombardi Award finalist Jerry Hughes of TCU for not knocking off Texas in the Big 12 Championship game on Saturday.
Terrance Cody of University of Alabama, he a good player but we that kind of talent almost yearly er Glenn Dorsey of LSU but compares nowhere near to Suh, for stealing his shine all year.
I think I had to send you a reminder.
Mark Ingram’s Case For The Heisman Trophy
It’s a run for the Heisman Trophy and the winner will be declared on Saturday so for every day this week a finalist will get to make there case via video highlight. Today is Wednesday and the honor goes to University of Alabama Crimson Tide’s Mark Ingram. But why is Ingram on the number 2 team in the country playing in the fourth quarter of a game with an outcome of 24-3 with seven minutes left?
Monday – Tim Tebow
Tuesday- Ndamukong Suh
Wednesday – Mark Ingram
WTF: Tim Tebow
Quit Crying
OMG! You won 2 BCS National Championships, your name was linked to the Heisman Trophy during your career, the alumni of the University of Florida will forever use you as a measuring stick for all that come after but you go out crying? Not just crying but crying in a blowout!
It’s not like the game was close and your Gator career all sudden came to a close at the hands of a Doug Flutie hail mary or the leg of Hunter Lawrence on a field goal, your Gators where done in and done up by the University of Alabama Crimson Tide way back in the third quarter.
A Leg Of Faith
Texas Two Step
Congratulations to Mack Brown and the University of Texas Longhorns players as well as fans for the Longhorns winning the Big 12 championship against the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers 13-12 in Jerry’s World on the leg of Boerne’s Hunter Lawrence. That leg will go down in Texas infamy.
Colt McCoy and the Longhorns will now play the University of Alabama Crimson Tide for the BCS National Championship on Thursday, January 7th on ABC at 7 pm CST, it will be called by Brent Musburger and Kirk Herbstreit.
Way to put the state of Texas on your leg Hunter Lawrence.
UPDATE:Florida Gets Burned In SEC Champ Game
Congratulations to the University of Alabama Crimson Tide players for making Florida Gator’s quarterback Tim Tebow cry last night and in honor of such achievement here is the sequel everyone has been waiting for.
Florida Gets Burned In SEC Championship Game
Congratulations to the University of Alabama Crimson Tide players and their fans as they become the first entree into the BCS National Championship Game by kicking the crap out of the University of Florida in the SEC Championship.
My 2009 Heisman Trophy Finalist
And The Winner Is?
The decision for my Heisman Trophy finalist’s is already set. I understand that there is another week of college football left before but since not every conference sets out to play a conference championship game I won’t need an extra week.
Quarterback Colt McCoy of the University of Texas Longhorns and running back Toby Gerhart of Stanford University Cardinal.
McCoy could have walked away with the award in 2008 but was bested by a record setting season from Oklahoma University Sooners quarterback Sam Bradford. McCoy’s numbers do not match is 2008 numbers but are not that far behind.
He has completed again over 71% of his passes and threw for 3,328 yards down 531 yards from last years performance. McCoy’s touchdowns are also down from 34 to 27. Aside from the stats being very similar McCoy has had to rely heavy on senior leadership due to a lack of a running game for most of the season. The numbers tell me one thing but my eyes have also shown me a player with will and drive to not see his chances of playing in the BCS National Championship game be stopped. That’s what excellence is about.
Gerhart may have burst onto the scene to the casual observer but he has been putting up numbers that date back to high school, as Gerhart is third in high school footballs all-time rushing leaders.
He has rushed for 1,736 yards and produced 26 touchdowns and even in his lone passing attempt threw for a touchdown pass. His remarkable 5.6 yards per carry average is more surprising when you consider they all have come behind freshman quarterback Andrew Luck. If McCoy is about will and determination then I’m not sure I have the words to describe Gerhart’s running style.
Even though Gerhart has stunning numbers, it’s his fight for every yard that impresses the eyes and make him a must see. One hit really does nothing, two hits might slow him down but a third and fourth hit is what is really needed to take him down.
You can make arguments for Boise State University Broncos quarterback Kellen Moore, University of Alabama Crimson Tide’s running back Mark Ingram or even University of Florida Gator’s quarterback Tim Tebow but I’ve made the argument for the two I believe deserve the trophy.
So who do I think will win between McCoy and Gerhart? I’ll tell you December 11th the night before the ceremony.
Primetime College Football: Tide vs Bulldogs
TALENT
Alabama has already clinched a spot in the SEC title game, but there’s still a lot at stake over the final weeks of the regular season. The Crimson Tide look to stay on track toward reaching their goal of playing in the BCS title game in southern California when they visit Mississippi State.
Alabama (9-0, 6-0) secured a second straight SEC West title after a 24-15 victory over LSU last Saturday. The Tide will face top-ranked Florida in the conference championship on Dec. 5 in Atlanta with the results having possible implications on the national title game.
With hype already building toward his team’s matchup with Florida, coach Nick Saban is trying to keep his team focused on the three remaining regular season games, even though the Tide will likely be big favorites.
After visiting Mississippi State (4-5, 2-3), Alabama takes on Chattanooga, then visits longtime rival Auburn in the annual Iron Bowl.
The Tide are fourth in the nation in yards allowed per game (242.2) and sixth in scoring defense (11.8). They held the ninth-ranked Tigers to 253 yards of offense and outscored them 14-0 in the fourth quarter to rally from a 15-10 deficit. Alabama also tallied another three sacks to give them a conference-leading 25 for the season.
While the performance by Alabama’s defense was typical, Saban was especially pleased with the effort on offense. Alabama finished with 452 yards – its most in six games. Quarterback Greg McElroy threw for 276 yards and two touchdowns while Mark Ingram rushed for 144 yards on 22 carries. McElroy hadn’t thrown a touchdown in his previous three games, averaging 119.7 yards in those contests.
While McElroy is coming off one of his best performances of the year, Alabama and Mississippi State have relied primarily on the run this season thanks to two of the conference’s best backs. Ingram is the SEC’s leading rusher at 127.6 yards per game, while Anthony Dixon is second with 125.1. Dixon is tied for with Florida’s Tim Tebow for the conference lead with nine rushing touchdowns, one more than Ingram.
Dixon rushed for a school-record 252 yards and two touchdowns in the Bulldogs’ 31-24 victory over Kentucky on Oct. 31. He has six touchdowns in the last four games, but figures to have a much tougher time putting up yards against an Alabama defense that allows just 68.2 yards per game on the ground.
Mississippi State is coming off a bye following its win over the Wildcats. The Bulldogs had a season-high 493 yards of offense in their last game, including 348 rushing.
Saturday is the fourth game this season against a ranked opponent for Mississippi State, which has remained competitive despite losing the previous three. The Bulldogs fell to Florida 29-19 on Oct. 24 in a game that was tied in the fourth quarter.
Alabama needs no reminder of how tough Mississippi State can be. The Tide beat the Bulldogs 32-7 last year after two straight losses to them. In the last meeting at Starkville in 2007, Alabama managed four field goals in a 17-12 loss.
PICK: University of Alabama Crimson Tide
Nick Saban Has His Players Cheat
"I'm not going to be the Alabama coach"
Alabama coach Nick Saban says he won’t allow his kickers to cheat anymore by using tape to spot field goals and extra points.
South Carolina Steve Spurrier pointed out that Alabama’s Leigh Tiffin used white tape to spot kicks in last week’s game. Spurrier reported it to the Southeastern Conference and the conference said that what Tiffin did was against the rules. Saban is acting like he didn’t know Tiffin was using the tape.
“We certainly don’t want our players to do anything that’s illegal,” Saban said. “It is a 5-yard penalty if you do anything to enhance the spot. We’ve done some research on it, and over half the teams in the league do something with it.
Just like anyone who has been caught cheating to suddenly start pointing fingers at others, so I’m not buying that he didn’t know Tiffin was using tape to spot kicks.
The NCAA rule states that “no material or device shall be used to improve or degrade the playing surface or other conditions and give one player or team an advantage.” No penalties can be imposed after the game for an infraction, SEC spokesman Charles Bloom said.
Primetime College Football: Cocks vs Tide
TALENT
Last week Alabama’s (6-0, 3-0 SEC) 22-3 victory over Mississippi the Crimson Tide forced quarterback Jevan Snead to throw four interceptions and held Ole Miss to 72 rushing yards.
Sophomore running back Mark Ingram, meanwhile, had a career-best 172 yards and scored the game’s only touchdown on a 36-yard run with 55 seconds left before halftime. Leigh Tiffin added a career-high five field goals.
Alabama, took sole command in the SEC West as rival Auburn fell at Arkansas and LSU lost to Florida. If Alabama wins the division, it could face the top-ranked Gators in the conference championship game Dec. 5 in Atlanta with a BCS title bid on the line.
Last season, coach Nick Saban led the Crimson Tide to their first undefeated regular season since 1994. Heading into the SEC title game with the No. 1 ranking, the Tide fell 31-20 to then-No. 2 Florida as the Gators went on to claim the national title. Alabama followed with a 31-17 loss to undefeated Utah in the Sugar Bowl.
The Crimson Tide will first have to stop a South Carolina team that’s searching for its fifth straight victory, which would tie the longest single-season run in Steve Spurrier’s four-plus seasons at the school.
The Gamecocks (5-1, 2-1) won six in a row from Nov. 18, 2006-Sept. 15, 2007. They began 6-1 in 2007 but followed with five straight losses and finished last season with three consecutive defeats following a 7-3 start.
They’ll try to write a different ending this time, but need a better performance than last week’s 28-26 win over visiting Kentucky. South Carolina trailed by three at halftime, but used freshman Alshon Jeffery’s third touchdown catch and quarterback Stephen Garcia’s 1-yard run to hold on for a victory.
That plan could be the same as in a 16-10 home win over Mississippi on Sept. 24, which snapped a 28-year drought against Top 5 teams. In that game, the Gamecocks relied on their defense, currently ranked 15th in the country, to hold the Rebels to three points in the first 45 minutes while their offense scored 10 in the third quarter to help them pull away.
However, South Carolina will face Alabama’s 17th-ranked offense (444.7 yards per game) that’s 12th in the country with an average of 37 points. The Crimson Tide also boast the nation’s No. 2 defense (220.5 yards) and are eighth nationally in allowing 12.5 points per game.
Alabama is 5-2 against ranked teams since the beginning of last season and won at Virginia Tech 34-24 in its season opener Sept. 5.
Spurrier has faced the Crimson Tide once with South Carolina, a 37-14 home loss on Sept. 17, 2005. Alabama leads the series 11-2, including a 8-1 mark in its home state.
The Gamecocks’ only win in Tuscaloosa was 20-3 on Oct. 2, 2004.
PICK: University of Alabama Crimson Tide
Primetime College Football: Tide vs Hokies
TALENT
The University of Alabama conclusion to it’s football season was a major disappointment for Nick Saban’s team. The Crimson Tide hopes to start erasing those memories by getting off to a good start Saturday night at the Georgia Dome, where Virginia Tech looks to justify the highest preseason ranking in school history.
Sophomore receiver Julio Jones is the Tide’s biggest star, but their focal point remains a defense which was third in the nation overall (263.5 yards per game) and seventh in scoring (14.3 points per game) last season. Eight starters return to the defensive side of the ball, including tackle Terrence Cody and linebacker Rolando McClain who are both All-Americans. Corner back Javier Arenas anchors the secondary. Defensive end starter Brandon Deaderick was shot in the arm Monday during a robbery attempt, an injury that leaves his playing status in question..
Virginia Tech (10-4) also will be missing a key player, Hokies tailback Darren Evans is lost for the season. The sophomore, who ran for 1,265 yards and 11 touchdowns last season, tore his ACL in preseason practice. Red-shirt freshman Ryan Williams is expected to start in the backfield.
Head coach Frank Beamer can take solace in the fact that, unlike Alabama, which will hand the reins to first-year starter Greg McElroy, his team can turn to an experienced quarterback in junior Tyrod Taylor. He threw two touchdown passes in 173 attempts last season but ran for seven scores. The Hokies are also backed by the best defensive coordinator in all of college football Bud Foster.
PICK: University of Alabama Crimson Tide
