Epic Iron Bowl = Epic Front Pages

Yesterdays Iron Bowl between Alabama and Auburn was epic and today the papers in the state are just as classic. I just have a question did that really happen yesterday.

The good and bad of the NY Times

While the New York Times hit a home fun with its college football preview stories today, it was not with its issues. The historic paper messed up photos with Heisman Trophy candidates Yeldon, Miller and Boyd. But it did hit a home run with its preview of South Carolina star defensive end Jadeveon Clowney and its story about ESPN controlling scheduling. 

The Bad: Messing up photos with Yeldon, Miller, and Boyd

The Good: Awesome graphic 

One of the biggest recruits in program history: Blacknall commits to Rutgers

Rutgers might not be moving the Big 10 till next year, but it appears that its already paying off.

On Saturday Saeed Blacknall, a wr from Manalapan, committed to Rutgers. The best thing is that Rutgers beat national powers like LSU, Alabama, and Ohio State for the explosive four-star pass catcher. Its a great day to be Rutgers season ticket holder.

Greg Schiano had Anthony Davis, Blacknall is Kyle Flood's Davis. A highly recruited instate player that he was able to keep at RU.

Cover Story: Selection Sunday

Selection Sunday is one of the most stressful days for a college basketball program and this years was no different. A couple of years ago, we posted front pages from around the country detailing Selection Sunday, today we revisit that idea.

College Football: The Cover Story 2011

The start of the College Football season is right around the corner. So here is a look at all of the preseason magazines from the Sporting News. Note that TP is still on the cover of the Ohio State one, very interesting.

OTWT Draft Predictions

Everyone does it so why not OTWT, so here is our Top 10 NFL Mock Draft:

1. Carolina (2-14): Cam Newton, QB, Auburn

2. Denver (4-12):  Marcell Dareus, DT, Alabama

3. Buffalo (4-12): Von Miller, DE, Texas A&M

4. Cincinnati (4-12): AJ Green, WR, Georgia

5. Arizona (5-11): Patrick Peterson, DB, LSU

6. Cleveland (5-11): Julio Jones, WR, Alabama

7. San Francisco (6-10): Blaine Gabbert, QB, Missouri

8. Tennessee (6-10): Jake Locker, QB, Washington

9. Dallas (6-10): Tyron Smith, OL, USC

10. Washington (6-10): Robert Quinn, DE, North Carolina

Just win more games and you will get in

Stop Crying Seth and win more

So the bracket of 68 has been made and now everyone is complaining about one thing or the other. For one they have nothing to complain about. I hear so "experts" complaining about VCU and UAB getting in over Colorado, 'Bama, and Va Tech.

In a year where college basketball has be down and the level of play has been terrible, no one has a right to complain about not getting in. Colorado could have won more games, 'Bama don't get beat by St. Peters, and Va Tech just stop.

My real problem here is with Seth Greenberg and Va Tech. Every year, hours after the selections committee has made its pick, Seth Greenberg is on TV talking about his team got shafted and this year is no different. The show is getting kind of old. Hey Seth how about going out and winning a couple of more games and stop leaving it up to the committee. You play in the ACC and have chances for big wins and maybe you should take advantage of it.

So in the end no one has anything to complain about, the teams that where left out should have done one thing and they would not have to worry about anything, Just win more games and take it out of the hands of the committee.

South Carolina's State Holiday

Yesterday was a big day in South Carolina as Jadevon Clowney, the number one high school football player in the country announced that he was going to be a Gamecock. The story was such a big deal that it was shown all over and it played a huge part in the front pages of three major state newspapers. Wow who ever said recruiting was not a big deal has never been to the south, its a season in its self.

A View from the North on the Iron Bowl

I consider myself to be very knowledgeable and passionate about college football, but in my wildest dreams I have never experience the passion of the game like I have this week. During the last week, I have been listening to the Paul Finebaum Radio Network for my college football talk on the way home from work and boy has it opened it my eyes to the hate in the Auburn/Alabama rivalry. For the last couple of days, the radio has been fantastic with the lunatics on both sides of the game yelling at each other.

Having a show like Finebaum's, which is based in Alabama, allows people like me to see the other side of college football and the passion that two very loyal fan basis have. The passion is fantastic, as a Rutgers season ticket holder, I wish that the Knights would have another group to fight like this. This game defines the state of Alabama and its residents. When you are born in that state you are born on a side of the rivalry. During this week on the program, people have been talking about classic Iron Bowl games, and making fun of the others teams boosters, ex-coaches, and former ADs.

The passion for the game is spelled out by former Auburn David Housel speech a bunch of years back, which I heard on Tuesday's Finebaum show.

With no pro sports in the state, this is the only thing they have and I would like to thank XM for allowing people who live in the northeast to see what the rivalry is like through Finebaum's show.

Monster Saturday = Monster Waist Line

The biggest day of the college football can mean one thing eating too much. Georgia/South Carolina, Ohio State/Miami, Florida State/Oklahoma and Alabama/Penn State are great games to watch and eat with.
With all of these games a lot of food is sure to follow. Doritos, cookies, pizza rolls, buffalo tenders and other assorted junk. All of them found the bottom of my tummy.
So the day is ending and boy is my stomach full. Thank god their is one day on the schedule like this, if there was another I would have to get a couple of pairs of bigger pants.
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

SEC Football = Paid Content

For the last couple of years people in the newspapers industry have debated how to get people pay for content on the web. Maybe the Southeastern Conference has the answer. The State, the state newspapers of South Carolina, announced Thursday that they would be charging people for access to their cover of University of South Carolina sports.

"In the coming days, we will begin charging a modest membership fee to access a new and improved GoGamecocks.com web site. Memberships will be available for $50 per year (less than 14 cents per day) or $10 per month,'' according to the story.  

The State is the not the first newspapers to move toward paid content with its sports coverage. Last year, the Tuscaloosa News made the Tide Sports Extra a paid site. The site covers University of Alabama sports including the defending BCS National Champions. The company charges almost $60 a year or $10 a month for access to their site.

With this moving being made could more sports departments around the country do the same thing, especially in the SEC territories, where football coverage is king. Maybe hard news will not make the right amount of the money on the net, but sports on the other hand might be the one to drive it. Sites like ESPN have even turned to paid content, their Insider section, to balance their Internet books and it seems to be a success. So maybe the newspapers in the SEC towns will do this first and the rest of the country will follow, its just a thought.

Cover Story: College Football Previews

In less then  a week, the first games of the college football season will be over. In honor of that here are the various college football previews magazines from all over from Sports Illustrated to The Sporting News to Phil Steele

Happy National Signing Day

To all of the recruiting geeks out there Happy National Signing Day. Its like our Christmas. Do well today and national championship are sure to follow just look at Florida and Alabama.

Wow Sports Illustrated might have gotten it right

While the rest of the world is focused on Tiger and his running around, Sports Illustrated did the right thing and put the right story on the cover of their magazine. Sometimes SI falls short of expectations, but this week they hit the nail right on the head.

The Tiger Woods story is not a sports story its more a national gossip story, now if Tiger heads to The Masters and blows a three shot lead with four to play, that is a huge story, but really what sports fan cares if he is hooking up with a waffle house waitress in every city.

Questions that need to be answered in college basketball

The preview mags are out and people are starting to talk about the college basketball. There are a ton of stories lines and questions that need to be answered. Here are just a couple that OTWT has thought up.

• People talk about Carolina being a top five type of team. They are going to be so young, I just can't see it. I will get a first hand look at Carolina on Nov. 19 and then give a full report.
• How much trouble will Coach Cal get Kentucky in. There has already been issues with uber recruit John Wall. Look at Cal's record at UMass and Memphis, he always leaves a mess.
• Super recruiting class always don't lead to great thing. Like a Seton Hall during the early 90's. This is a warning to Kentucky fans.
• Could Kansas be this years North Carolina. I think so
• With all of the talk of Kentucky, Kansas, and Michigan State; Some people are forgetting about Villanova. Jay Wright has the program moving in the right direction. A great recruiting class and great returning guards usually lead to great things.
• How long will it take for before an assistant at FIU accuses Isiah Thomas of doing something wrong. Maybe after the North Carolina game.
• Sean Miller, Arizona and Anthony Grant, Alabama will be success in their new spots, while Mark Fox, Georgia will not get the job done because of lack of SEC ties.
• Texas freshman Avery Bradley will have the biggest impact of any freshman in America. With him at the point, Texas has a shot to be at the Final Four.
• My Final Four before the season even tips off: Kansas, Texas, Villanova, Michigan State.

Only Time Will Tell Bowl Predictions

After an ok regular season, soon bowl season will here. Here is Only Time Will Tell officials predictions for the bowl season.

BCS Bowl Games

Rose Bowl Game Presented by Citi: Penn State vs. USC: USC
FedEx Orange: Cincinnati vs. Virginia Tech:Cincy
Allstate Sugar: Utah vs. Alabama: Alabama
Tostitos Fiesta: Ohio State vs. Texas: Texas
FedEx BCS National Championship Game: Florida vs. Oklahoma: Florida

Other Bowl Games

EagleBank: Wake Forest vs. Navy:Navy
New Mexico: Colorado State vs. Fresno State: Fresno State
magicJack St. Petersburg: Memphis vs. South Florida: South Florida
Pioneer Las Vegas: BYU vs. Arizona: BYU
R+L Carriers New Orleans: Southern Miss vs. Troy: Troy
San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia: Boise State vs. TCU: Boise State
Sheraton Hawaii: Hawaii vs. Notre Dame: Notre Dame
Motor City:Florida Atlantic vs. Central Michigan: Central Michigan
Meineke Car Care:West Virginia vs. North Carolina: North Carolina
Champs Sports: Wisconsin vs. Florida State: Wisconsin
Emerald: Miami (Fla.) vs. California: Miami
Independence: Northern Illinois vs. Louisiana Tech: Louisiana Tech
Papajohns.com:NC State vs. Rutgers: Rutgers
Valero Alamo: Missouri vs. Northwestern: Missouri
Roady's Humanitarian:Maryland vs. Nevada: Nevada
Texas:Rice vs. Western Michigan: Rice
Pacific Life Holiday: Oklahoma State vs. Oregon: Okie State
Bell Helicopter Armed Forces: Houston vs. Air Force: Houston
Brut Sun: Oregon State vs. Pittsburgh: Pitt
Gaylord Hotels Music City: Boston College vs. Vanderbilt: Vandy
Insight: Kansas vs. Minnesota: Kansas
Chick-fil-A: LSU vs. Georgia Tech: LSU
Outback: South Carolina vs. Iowa: South Carolina
Capital One: Georgia vs. Michigan State: Georgia
Konica Minolta Gator: Clemson vs. Nebraska: Clemson
AT&T Cotton: Ole Miss vs. Texas Tech: Texas Tech
AutoZone Liberty: Kentucky vs. East Carolina: East Carolina
International: Buffalo vs. Connecticut: Buffalo
GMAC: Tulsa vs. Ball State: Ball State

Best non-BCS game: Holiday Bowl, look out scoreboard.
World non-BCS game: Liberty Bowl
Player to use bowl game to start next season Heisman Trophy campaign: Zac Robinson, QB, Okie State.

It's almost here

With the midway point of the college football season here, that can mean its only a matter of weeks before college basketball teams start practicing. Here is a look at the covers for the different Sporting News College Basketball Previews.

Arizona Region

LA Region

Pacific Northwest Region

SEC Region

Chicago Region

Michigan Region

Texas Region

Oklahoma Region

DC Region

Pittsburgh Region

Tobacco Road Region

Kentucky Region

An ode to a Hob Nailed Boot

For the last three decades Georgia fans have been treated to one of the best announcers in the country, Larry Munson. But this Saturday will be the first time since the late 60's that Munson will not call a game between the hedges.

A bunch of years ago, my girlfriend, who is now my wife, made the trip down to see our friend at UGA for the Auburn game and before the game Munson was out front of the stadium signing schedule posters. So we all went up to get our posters signed and I told Larry to sign my poster and he put the wrong name, but I did not care. It was great to be able to talk to a legend like that and to see the people telling classic Munson story was also great.

So when people are watching the game Saturday night between UGA and 'Bama, take a minute to remember the man that gave us the classic phrase "Hob Nailed Boot.'' His voice made you feel like you were sitting right next to him.

Here are some of Munson's famous phrases:

• Buck back. Third down on the 8. In trouble. Got a block behind him. Going to throw on the run. Complete to the 25, to the 30. Lindsay Scott 35, 40. Lindsay Scott 45, 50, 45, 40. Run Lindsay! Twenty-five, 20, 15, 10, 5. Lindsay Scott! Lindsay Scott! Lindsay Scott! Well, I don't believe it. 92 yards and Lindsay really got in a footrace, I broke my chair, I came right through a chair, a metal STEEL chair...Do you know what is gonna happen here tonight? And up at St. Simons, Jekyll Island, and all those places, where all those Dawg people have got those condominiums for four days...MAN, is there gonna be some property destroyed tonight!" - calling wide receiver Lindsay Scott's 92-yard touchdown reception from quarterback Buck Belue against Florida in 1980.
• "So we'll try to kick one a hundred thousand miles. We're holding it on our own 49-and-a-half ... gonna try to kick it sixty yards plus a foot-and-a-half ... and Butler kicked a long one ... a long one ... Oh my God! Oh my God! ... The stadium is worse than bonkers! I can't believe what he did! This is ungodly!" - calling Kevin Butler's field goal in the final seconds to win over Clemson in 1984.
• "Look at the sugar falling out of the sky!" - at the end of the Auburn game in 1982
• "We just stepped on their face with a hob-nailed boot and broke their nose! We just crushed their face!" - calling Georgia's last-second win over Tennessee in 2001

A video tribute to Munson

SEC Coaches South Park 2008

The coaches of the SEC are back acting like South Park characters, just like they were last year. Thanks to VolNation for this one.

The New Breed

With college football teams reporting for practice all over the country, there is always talk about which true freshman will make the biggest impact during the season. After watching countless hours of tapes and games, thanks to Fox College Sports, the Only Time Will Tell Scouting Department has developed a list of freshman that will make the biggest impact this year.

1. Julio Jones, WR, Alabama

2. Darrell Scott, RB, Colorado

3. A.J. Green, WR, Georgia

4. DaQuan Bowers, DE, Clemson

5.Marcus Forston, DT, Miami

Video of someones Top Ten Freshman for the upcoming season