US President Barak Obama Said "Osama bin Laden is Dead"

The mastermind of the worst terrorist attack on American soil is dead, U.S. President Barack Obama announced late Sunday night, almost 10 years after the attacks that killed more than 3,000 people.

Osama bin Laden -- the longtime leader of al Qaeda -- was killed by U.S. forces in a mansion outside the Pakistani capital of Islamabad along with other family members, a senior U.S. official told CNN.

U.S. officials have taken custody of bin Laden's body, Obama said. No Americans were harmed in the operation, he added.

U.S. diplomatic facilities around the world were placed on high alert following the announcement of bin Laden's death, a senior U.S. official said, and the U.S. State Department should be sending out a new "worldwide caution" for Americans shortly. Some fear al Qaeda supporters may try to retaliate against U.S. citizens or U.S. institutions.

Hundreds of people arrived at the White House late Sunday night and chanted, "USA! USA!" They then chanted, "Hey, hey, goodbye!" in reference to the demise of bin Laden and then spontaneously sang the national anthem.

"This welcome news is a credit to our intelligence efforts and brings to justice the architect of the attacks on our country that killed nearly 3,000 people on September 11, 2001," said Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, the ranking Republican on the Homeland Security Committee, in a statement issued Sunday night.

The news brought some relief to the grieving family members of those killed on 9/11.

"This is important news for us, and for the world. It cannot ease our pain, or bring back our loved ones," Gordon Felt, president of Families of Flight 93, said in a statement. "It does bring a measure of comfort that the mastermind of the September 11th tragedy and the face of global terror can no longer spread his evil."

The NFL Lockout: Will All The Whining End Today?

I've stayed away from any chatter regarding the NFL Lockout because a) it's hard to understand the issues between all the finger-pointing and whining, and b) no matter what anyone says, it all comes down to the money—the players want more, the owners want to give less.

From a fan standpoint, I can see where changes need to be made—starting with the NFL Draft. It's never made any sense to me that a rookie can come in and make millions as a top 10 pick, based solely on his potential and draft order. That seems monumentally unfair to those players who have actually proven their worth on the field of play and deserve better.

Second, the contract structures have always seemed shady—heavily back-loaded, with the signing bonus being the biggest talking point. Why not offer the bulk of the money in the first few years as opposed to the last few? Oh, that's right, that wouldn't be beneficial to the owners.

And lastly, speaking of those owners, not every franchise is blessed with a billion-dollar stadium, with a Lake Michigan sized big screen, yet many patrons are still subjected to ridiculously high ticket prices and sub-par stadium conditions. 

How about the owners start offering a better fan experience for all the money they're given—after all, without the fans, there likely wouldn't be much revenue to speak of.

Which leads me to this point, this issue effects the fans as much, if not more, than it does the players or the owners. It pisses me off that, in all this chatter, both sides are looking for sympathy from the fans in a situation where neither would be relevant if said fans weren't there to support their sport in the first place!

Good grief, get over yourselves!

Here's a question, someone answer it for me if you can, how many Fortune 500 companies are willing to completely open their financial portfolios up to their employees—even the lowest earning ones—and say, 'hey, we're going to base your salary off of these earnings—if that's okay with you'? In a business as money-driven and cutthroat as the NFL, why would players expect owners to be willing to do as much?

And speaking of said owners, I wouldn't go as far as Adrian Peterson and call them slave drivers, but they definitely don't have a problem pimping players for a hefty profit and that needs to stop. One hand washes the other, and if you [the owners] continue to treat your players like rented mules, they will eventually kick you in the gonads—just saying.

The hearing today might reopen the negotiation table, but the damage has already been done as far as I'm concerned. The NFL has likely lost a lot of fans, disillusioned a ton more, and made their profit-earning lives more difficult where ticket sales are concerned because, let's face it, in an economy where recreational money is at a premium, who is going to be willing to support a bunch of free-spending, prima donnas, with a me-complex?

People will come back to the sport once the lockout is over—no doubt about that—but they won't be nearly as enamored of it as they were before because, to put it simply, all these dollars won't have  amounted to much sense.

Related articles

• What You Need To Know About Today's HUGE NFL Lockout Hearing (businessinsider.com)
• NFL, union take conflict to courtroom (cnn.com)
• The NFL Lockout: Where Are We Now and What It Means for Business (businessinsider.com)
• NFL Lockout Would Send Sports Fans To The Internet And Church (sbnation.com)

Mark Richt: "We Didn't Win The Fourth Quarter"

During a Thursday presser, some of which can be heard here via UGASports.com ($$$), Mark Richt discussed a few of the things that went wrong with the team last season, and what he feels needs to happen to not see a repeat of it again in 2011. Said Richt,

"...we all gotta be pulling in the same direction, and we all gotta be believing, and we all gotta get better at doing the things that will help us win the fourth quarter, really. I mean it's...we gotta, we have to finish well,  ya know? I think that's the main thing that we did not do. Six out of seven games I believe we were within a touchdown in the fourth quarter...and we didn't win the fourth quarter. That was our biggest problem—really."

In short, finish the drill.

There were many things that went into Georgia's inability to finish well in 2010—hopefully most of that will be remedied with the institution of a new strength program—but the attitudes on and off the field were in need of tweaking as well. There were too many alpha dogs trying to mark their territory, in my opinion, and that made for a team that didn't have the type of continuity or effort that we would have liked to see late in games last season.

All signs this off-season point to a team with a renewed interest in playing football for Georgia—not just at Georgia—and if that ends up being the truth, 6-7 will be a footnote for Mark Richt and not just the kink in the chain that led to his departure.

Related articles

• You get what you pay for. (blutarsky.wordpress.com)

It's Nice To See Jared Lorenzen Is Still Keepin' It Real...Real Big

Back in the day when the Georgia Bulldogs played the Kentucky Wildcats—post Tim couch, pre Andre Woodson—they had the displeasure of going up against Jared Lorenzen (AKA, pillsbury throwboy and the round mound of touchdown). He had a big arm, attached to a big body, and most Georgia players found his cushy mid-section was quite the bouncy house as they often just ricocheted right off him.

Well, Lorenzen is still finding an avenue for his God-given talents as a member of the Northern Kentucky River Monsters of the Ultimate Indoor Football League (UIFL), and while he's not nearly as dangerous now as he was back when he played at the University of Kentucky, he's certainly keeping that figure right where he wants it.

Here's a shot of Mr. Lorenzen as he looks today at a svelte 6'5", 290 (photo courtesy of NationofBlue.com):

Jared should seriously consider moving his talents to the offensive line. Wow...that's one biiiiigggggg dude.

Keep doin' your thang, Jared—nobody does it better.

Clint Boling on Georgia: "We Just Didn't Really Play Up To Our Potential"

Former offensive lineman, Clint Boling, was recently interviewed during a media session at the NFL combine—taking place this week in Indianapolis—and when he was asked to explain how a team  that came into the 2010 season so talented ends up 6-7, he had the following to say,

(h/t Jay Adams)



So, basically, Clint had no more of an idea what went wrong than the rest of us.

He mentioned A.J.'s absence and pointed to their inability to meet their "potential", but it didn't look to me like he really had much of a clue what happened in 2010—honestly, he didn't look comfortable answering the question at all. To me that screams loss of control.

The offensive line was by far the most heralded unit on the 2010 squad and, if nothing else, they were expected to remain as effective last season as they appeared to be at the end of 2009. The fact that they were as wildly inconsistent as they were says, to me at least, that there was a definite problem with the message coming from the coaching staff. None of these guys were on the same page and the play on the field suffered as a result.

Hopefully that "disconnect" won't be an issue in 2011.

Forbes Writer Calls For Removal of College Football From ALL Universities

Let me be the first to say that I am an avid college football fan and I wouldn't trade my Saturday afternoons between August and December for anything. I love the sport and see no inherent issue in that fact.

However, Steven Salzberg (a contributing blogger for Forbes) feels college football is driving academia to its death:

"...The culture of football in American universities is completely out of control. It is undermining our education system and hurting our competitiveness in technology, science, and engineering. If we keep it up, the U.S. will eventually be little more than the big, dumb jock on the world stage—good for entertainment on the weekend, but not taken seriously otherwise.

Too harsh? I don’t think so. I think we need to eliminate football entirely from our universities if we want to maintain our pre-eminent position as the world’s scientific and technological leader."

Oh boy, where to begin? Let's state the obvious here, first: playing, watching, attending, or following college football is a choice. No one is forced to pledge their allegiance to any one team and the mere notion that the sports' presence at a university plays a significant role in the dumbing down of our society is, at best, an irresponsible inference.

The educational system is a wreck all by itself—what with the standardized testing models made necessary by the presence of "No Child Left Behind—and removing college football won't change that one bit.

Quite honestly, if Salzberg's hope is to see the United States "...maintain our pre-eminent position as the world’s scientific and technological leader" then his efforts to make that change should start much earlier than college. He should encourage more reform at the elementary, middle, and high school levels first—as that is where his message is likely to be the most useful.

Mr. Salzberg goes on to imply that,

"...If football disappeared, we could get our entertainment from another sport, as we do every year after the football season ends. But if we stop producing scientists, other countries will make the discoveries that solve the technological, medical, and engineering problems of the future, and that form the basis for great civilizations."

Let me just say that there's a certain amount of ignorance that goes into such a statement because it seems to suggest that sports fans are not unlike drones—sitting around waiting to be entertained by whatever option is presented them.

As a college football fan I say, with confidence, that I don't enjoy all sports with the same passion as I do college football. So, to say that eliminating it is okay because, well, I (and countless others) could just find some other sport to follow is a touch insulting.

Even more, who's to say that simply by ridding society of college football, more scientists would be produced? That seems like a big jump to make. Is he really willing to stand behind the notion that the only reason college students aren't able to reach their maximum potential is because college football exists?

If that's his aim, he's reaching.

Quite honestly, the more I read his points, the more his rant seemed aimed at his current employer—the University of Maryland, than anything else,

"The football-industrial complex has too much power over our universities. Nothing else can explain how we spend so much money and time on football, which contributes almost nothing to students’ education, while academic departments are cutting faculty and staff. The culture of football worship has gotten so out of control that I think the only solution is to get rid of it entirely."

College football is the cash cow at many universities and, regrettably, that means that some academic departments are forced to play second-fiddle to the athletic department. Is that wrong? Perhaps, but those same dollars are often used to upgrade facilities, build better buildings, and pay for programs meant to enhance the academic experience of the student body (via study abroad programs, guest professors, etc.) as well—whether those individuals follow football or not.

Are all universities using their money in an even-handed way? Of course not, but the college football fan isn't writing or cashing those checks, and it's up to each university's president to advocate that the monies earned be divvied up in  such a way that it both sustains their athletic programs and uplifts the academic ones.

If that fails to happen, that's not the fault of college football, it's fans, or the athletes that play the sport.

In the end, Mr. Salzberg's ire and concern are coming from a good place, but his anger is misdirected and his message needs tweaking.

You can read his entire article here.

Isaiah Crowell's Signing Day Moment Was One For The Dawgs (VIDEO)

The little pup at the end was a nice move by Crowell. Let's hope he's got more tricks up his sleeve once he gets on the football field next season.



Not to be completely outdone, his Carver-Columbus teammate, Gabe Wright, caused a stir as well when he revealed Auburn as his school of choice by putting on a hat that said "Nick Who?"...he clarified that he meant Fairley, not Saban—nice save there, Gabe.

National Signing Day: It's Less About The Signature Than The Spotlight

College football recruiting used to be about the team. It used to be about each school's football program, and how well their coaching staff went about finding, and signing the best players the high school ranks had to offer.

The schools were in the spotlight, and the prospects were just a bunch of names on a big board—hanging in some coach's office—the importance of those names had little to no meaning to the everyday fan until said player showcased his talents on the football field.

College football didn't have the luxury of sending out key members of their staff to recruit a particular player. That was something schools with big money did—schools that many coaches considered as "cheaters" for doing so.

You see, during the 1950's, few schools had a recruiting budget and there was no place on the staff for a "recruiting coordinator" or talent scout. There was no Rivals, Maxpreps, or Scout around to offer up their evaluations. It was a fairly new concept back then to do so and very few schools had any idea where to start.

Sure there were guys who knew how to analyze talent—and they did it well—but, for the most part,  their talents were only valuable to those who were looking for an edge over their opponents and were willing to pay to get it.

Nowadays, the everyday college fan finds himself paying a premium to keep up with every little item on a prospect they, prior to that point, probably had never heard of and they will likely know as much as any analyst about how good that particular will be.

In 1956, the University of Florida was the only school in the State of Florida to utilize a full-time recruiter on it's staff.

Fast-forward to 2010, and not only is recruiting a full-time endeavor on just about every Division I football staff, but it's something that is thought to be the very definition of success and/or futility for any given program.

So, the best thing a coach can hope to do is land the best of the best. There isn't a coach worth his millions that doesn't want to be the envy of every other Division I program in America come signing day when he trots out his Top 10 class and it is for this very reason that an 18-year old kid can hold a team, it's fanbase, and it's coaches in the balance.

If he chooses to go to school 'X', then the media, publicity, and leftover spotlight given to schools 'Y' and 'Z' could be enough to bring other big-time recruits their way—particularly if the school is not on the same level, exposure wise, as school 'X'.

The same holds true of the prospect himself. The greater his flamboyance, the larger his legend, the more scrutinized he will become once he hits the field.

Just look at the fate of former University of Miami linebacker, Willie Williams. His path to destruction started with something very innocent—a blog. He was given the unfortunate opportunity to share with the college football world exactly the kinds of perks a blue-chip recruit is awarded.

He relayed experiences of expensive lobster dinners and campus co-eds. The items seemed funny at the time. However, after he signed on the dotted line, he was found to be less a comedian than a comedy of errors.

He bounced around to five different schools before landing in the NAIA—a far cry from the powerhouse of the then, Larry Coker-led, Miami Hurricanes. Needless to say, he never lived up to what his premature coronation promised.

The only thing he ever accomplished in Division I football happened as a result of his recruiting tales. The NCAA enacted new laws to keep such pandering from ever happening again—at least where the public could see it.

Another such example is Ryan Perriloux. The Bayou Boy Wonder with the all-world talent and game-changing athletic ability. The day he de-committed from the Texas Longhorns, it seemed the UT faithful saw their dreams of a national championship float away.

However, all Perriloux ended up doing at LSU was squandering his opportunities. He was eventually kicked off the team and left many wondering what might have been if he had just been able to handle the expectations of the next level. 

Talent evaluation isn't always an exact science. Some kids might be athletically gifted, but mentally incapable of handling the pressure of being touted as a blue-chip talent. That is why for every success story you can find, there is another story with less of an positive outcome.

Somewhere along the way, we have forgotten that these are teenage boys, not men. The elevation of the high school game via televised game broadcasts, prep magazines, and national rankings has made it possible to start scrutinizing kids at 14 and 15-years of age.

Can you imagine being barely out of middle-school and someone is already asking for your allegiances? Your autograph?

Better still, you are 18-years old and involved in the social networking scene afforded us all by the presence of such sites as Facebook and Twitter, and your friend numbers go from a couple hundred to a couple thousand within a week of your name hitting a college team's message board.

It's an unusual position to put an adolescent in when he's barely able to understand the rules, much less the risks. 

Most of us will never know the glitz and glamour that a blue-chip recruit feels when all eyes are on him. We won't be able to understand what it feels like to stand in front of a crowd of a thousand or more people—knowing that they are hanging on our every word—and make a decision that will impact us for the rest of our career.

Think about that, just for a moment, how many times have you seen a kid immortalized for choosing the home team but crucified for spurning the others? How does it feel to know a whole state now hates you because you did what was best for you?

Granted, the prospects milk the spotlight too. Many of them take full advantage of this, likely, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. They play the hat game, send the mixed messages, and play it coy with the media. Many of them love the attention and make the most of it. 

That said, when does it become too much? Where does the hype train stop? Who should be held accountable for the Willie Williams' and Ryan Perriloux's of the world? Someone has to be, right?

Where does the buck actually stop? When is enough truly enough?

Related articles

• Largest National High School Football Combine Camp Announces Expansion and 2011 Combine Schedule (prweb.com)

Aaron Rodgers on Cancer Patient: "I Didn't See Her, I Didn't Sign For Her"

 Everyone seems to be jumping on Aaron Rodgers for the following incident,



that "diss" started a firestorm of negative publicity that painted Rodgers as just the type of villain most fans have no problem rooting against.

The sentiments raged from the mild, "How dare he just brush past her like that" to the not-so-mild, "He's a jerk!" But the overwhelming opinion was the same, 'Aaron Rodgers is not a nice man'.

Well, today on The Dan Patrick Show, Aaron Rodgers explained what really happened in that moment that he was seen walking past Jan—that's the name of the woman dressed in the all-pink Green Bay Packers gear. In short, he said the following, "I've met Jan on previous occasions...as the video shows, I didn't see her. I didn't sign for her. It turned into something I didn't really expect."

Jan, has also come out in defense of Rodgers and stated that he has signed a number of items for her on multiple occasions and she's unhappy that she has been made a pawn in this negative media slant.

So, it seems to be much ado about nothing according to both parties.

Related articles

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Georgia Wide Receiver, A.J. Green, Is Ready To Play Some Football (VIDEO)

The Georgia Bulldogs have been without A.J. Green for the last four weeks. Many thought he would return to a team that was 4-0, at best, and 3-1, at worst. There were few who believed he would make his debut on a team that was 1-3 and reeling from one of the most embarrassing losses in a very long time.

However, Green is undeterred by the record or the circumstance. After sitting on the sidelines, watching the offense sputter minus his play making hands, he is simply ready to suit up in his signature No. 8 jersey and play a little Georgia Bulldog football.

Fans are hungry for something to feel good about and, for the first time in a month, A.J. brings the hope of something better—at least for the moment.

Green is ready to play—saying he still feels he has a lot to "prove" to those out there who might still be questioning his overall legitimacy as a player. (h/t wnegtv)

Ray Lewis: Tell Em' Why You Mad, Son!

Saw this vid on ESPN News and just knew it needed to be on this blog for the day. So, thank you YouTube for being a go-to point for all things video and thank you WNST Baltimore for uploading it for public consumption.

Ray Lewis, a future Hall of Famer—without question—decides that he wasn't going to be "politically correct" about the Ravens loss to the Bengals on Sunday. On the contrary, he was going to try and keep it "real". His take on the game, the referees gave it away by calling two pansy-ass calls on the Bengals for what they deemed to be rough hits on Bengals QB Carson Palmer.

The NFL has done a stellar job of trying their best to protect offensive players from the big hitters, like Lewis. They have instituted all types of rules that tell a defender how he can hit a guy, where he can tackle him, how much distance he has to give him in a particular situation, etc. However, what the NFL has not done is take into account that it's just as much the job of the defender to stop points from being put on the board as it is the offensive players job to put said points on the board.

Where's the balance and, Ray makes a valid point, where's the call for instant replay on defensive plays that come into question? Clearly, there's a need for some type of review process to keep defenders from getting hosed as well.

Anyway, I like Ray's honesty, but he needs to direct some of that anger to his own quarterback as well—the refs didn't make Flacco  throw those four picks.

College Football Preseason: Ten Big Questions for The Top Ten Teams

Phil Steele is a well-respected college football sportswriter and analyst. His college football preseason magazine is often one of the most highly-anticipated sports publications of the year. He's nothing if not thorough and he tends to be one of the more spot-on prognosticators in the industry.

That said, when he released his Top 25 in late May, quite a few people were interested in what he had to say. He drew both praise and disdain for going out on a limb to pick Oklahoma as his No. 1, but you had to respect his logic in doing so because, well...he's Phil Steele.

However, since that time, a lot has happened in the world of college football and that Top 10 that seemed to make sense in May isn't looking nearly as air-tight in August. This article is a brief, and I do mean brief, look at the potential weakness of each team Phil Steele listed in his Top 10.

I'll leave the further discussion of said "weaknesses" to you, the reader, because I consider us all to be savvy enough to make a quick, smart, and balanced analysis. Plus, it's always nice to see a different point of view.

As always, I ask that you be respectful of each other and allow for intelligent discussion—thanks in advance for the look. Much appreciated.

10. Oregon Ducks

The obvious place to begin would be at quarterback, right? After all the Ducks lost a possible Heisman contender in Jeremiah Masoli—leaving two inexperienced guys fighting for the right to lead the Ducks back to the promised land.

However, a closer look at the Ducks QB situation and you have to feel like either Nate Costa or Darron Thomas can come in and perform—Chip Kelly knows how to find a good quarterback. The Ducks should be fine at signal-caller as long as Costa can stay healthy and Thomas can stay poised.

So, if there is one weakness that can be found, it would have to be located on the defensive line where the Ducks lost stud defensive end, Will Tukuafu. Can the team repeat the success they had as a unit in 2010 minus one of their best leaders?

Tukuafu's loss isn't a deal breaker but it's definitely something to consider, especially where line chemistry is concerned—can the Ducks keep it together, stay healthy, and remain focused enough to carry their 2009 success into 2010?

9. Miami Hurricanes

 The Hurricanes come into 2010 with a lot of expectations. However, one look at their first road trip of the season—to Columbus to play Ohio State—and you have to wonder if those expectations shouldn't be tempered just a little bit.

The Canes' are loaded with talent, both in the secondary and on the defensive line—despite what their ACC sack totals will tell you—and I don't suspect they will have much of a problem finding a capable back for Jacory Harris to hand the ball off to.

That said, the fact that the offensive line lost two major cogs in Jason Fox (OT) and A.J. Trump (C) is a concern. Harris was already on the ground way too much last season and if fans are looking for him to take the next step in his development, it would help if he weren't running for his life.

Can the Canes' find capable replacements on the offensive line in time to make those title dreams come true in Miami?

8. USC

USC has been taken through the ringer this offseason. From the departure of Pete Carroll to the quasi-erasure of Reggie Bush from their history books, the program has seen better days.

However, just because they won't be eligible for the postseason for a couple years, doesn't mean they can't offer a preview of what might be coming in the future—make no mistake, there is still plenty of talent at USC.

The only true weakness on this team is its secondary. Taylor Mays is gone and the only guy with any significant starting time in the outfield is Shareece Wright. Will the lack of experience in the secondary become a major factor for the Trojans in a pass-happy conference like the Pac-10?

7. Florida

The Gators are not without talent. Tebow may be gone, but John Brantley promises a new approach to the Gator offensive attack—one that will present more balance on the field than the SEC has seen from the Swamp since the departure of Chris Leak.

You could arbitrarily pick a spot and say it could pose a problem for the Gators, but then you'd remember they still have a ton of talent bringing up the rear.

For instance, they lost Brandon Spikes at linebacker, right? Well,big deal, they have plenty more horses in that stable. Joe Haden will be a tough act to follow, but if there is one thing the Gators can find, it's a speedy defensive back to patrol the outfield. Brandon James will be missed on special teams, but I'm pretty sure someone can both catch the ball and run it really fast when the time comes.

So, in honesty, the one weakness, if you are hard-pressed to find one, has to be at wide receiver, where the only significant experience that returns comes with Deonte Thompson—both Aaron Hernandez (TE) and Riley Cooper (WR) are gone.

Will Brantley have enough targets to compliment his talented arm in 2010?

6. Boise State

The Broncos have everything on their side right now, schedule (although that match-up with Virginia Tech could make or break their season), experience (they return 20 starters), coaching (there are few better than Chris Petersen), and expectation (they finally have the respect and the ear of the BCS).

However, what they don't have is an experienced starter returning at the left tackle position. The position that, arguably, is the most important guy on the offensive line. Last season, Nate Potter performed the job very well but he has moved to guard to make way for redshirt freshman, Charles Leno.

Leno may be all that the coaches want him to be, but he hasn't started a game yet, and he will be expected to protect the blindside of the teams most treasured commodity—can he do it?

5.  Nebraska

The Big Red Machine came within an eyelash of winning the Big XII outright last season. Now, with Texas nearly in their rear view, they will look to leave said conference with a bang, not a whimper—hopefully at the Longhorns expense.

In order to do so, they will first need to address their offensive inconsistency. That task will start with the quarterback position where the Cornhuskers seemed to find both joy and pain with Lee at the helm last season.

Nebraska will be fine without Suh, despite what many think, and they have plenty of talent on both sides of the ball to make another appearance at the Big 12 Championship game in 2010. But, if they want to go further, they will need to bring their offense up to the same level as their defense.

Can Lee or Green take the next step and make Nebraska's final season in the Big XII a triumphant one?

4. TCU

The Horned Frogs have long been an under-appreciated, fiercely talented, and consistently steady performer in the Mountain West. All they do is win football games and produce some of the best NFL prospects in the nation—two last season alone in both Darryl Washington and Jerry Hughes.

However, their loss to Boise State in last year's Fiesta Bowl left a bad taste in the mouths of the TCU faithful who figured their program was finally going to get its moment in the sun. Well, that was then.

It's a new year and, even with some key personnel losses on defense, the team still looks poised to make another run at BCS glory if they can address the holes created in the secondary when both Rafael Priest and Nick Sanders departed.

Will the loss of veteran leadership in the secondary be a sore spot for the Frogs this season?


3. Alabama

What can you say about the Crimson Tide? They have one of the best offensive lines in the conference, one of the best running back tandems in the country, and one of the best coaches—in the nation. Nuff said.

They are worthy of all the accolades and the camera-clicks they are getting at the moment and Nick Saban's crew can expect more of the same until their first loss of the season is a reality—pimpin' ain't easy, right?

Well, for all the talent and experience offered by the offense and the defense, there is at least one glaring weakness to speak of—special teams. The Tide lost Leigh Tiffin (K), P.J. Fitzgerald (P), and uber return man, Javier Arenas.

It doesn't matter what your stance is on the importance of the special teams unit, I can say without question, a game can be won or lost in the SEC with one swing of the leg or one badly returned ball.

Can the Tide reload there as well or will the lack of experience on special teams come back to haunt them in a tight game this season?


2. Ohio State

Big things are expected from the Buckeyes this year. Few would place a bet against Jim Tressel's crew in the Big Ten—except maybe Iowa, but that's another story.

However, if the Buckeyes expect to return to another National Title berth, they will need to address the inconsistency of their offensive line. There is just too much experience in that unit for them to play as poorly in 2010 as they did last season.

If they can't do better than that, it won't matter how nifty Terrelle Pryor is, things could get ugly for the Buckeyes in a hurry. 

Can the offensive line grow into the behemoth that many expect it should be already?


1. Oklahoma

Steele rattled a few cages when he chose to exalt Oklahoma to No. 1 over defending champion Alabama and, the heavily loaded, Ohio State. Heck, he rattled cages simply by choosing not to place the Texas longhorns anywhere near his Top 10—the horror.

However, the logic was sound enough that most could at least understand how he might have come to his conclusion.

The Sooners are pretty solid in most areas but the lack of experience at the corner spot could cause some hiccups along the way. Stoops lost two high-quality playmakers in both Domonique Franks and Brian Jackson. He'll need to insert two new able-bodied players at that spot in order to keep the heat off his talented safeties.

Will the Sooners be able to tighten their secondary up in time to be ready for the air attack of the Big 12?

(This article appears courtesy of The Lady Sportswriter)

The Georgia Bulldogs Have Two Commits in Rivals Initial Top 100

Rivals, one of the nations premier scouting services has released it's Top 100 recruiting rankings for 2011 and the Georgia Bulldogs have snagged two of their players in Christian LeMay (QB) and Sterling Bailey (DE, pictured at right).  LeMay is listed at No. 65 while Bailey slots in at No. 82.

Rivals is considered one of the more reputable and consistent sources of prospect information in the country and the evaluation process used in sizing up prospects is often said to be more intensive than that of other services. That said, if a prospect receives a five-star rating, you can be certain that he didn't come by it easily.

So far, the list has ten guys who were awarded a five-star distinction and, surprisingly, none of them are named Ray Drew (No. 15), Isaiah Crowell (No. 17), or Jay Rome (No. 40)—all Georgia targets—all of whom were given four-star ratings. 

Even still, if Georgia were able to haul in 6-10 of the guys on the list, and there is a possibility that will happen, then they would assuredly have a Top 10 class in 2011; no question. That fact is not lost on Mark Richt's staff, I am sure, as they have been out recruiting hard this offseason. The message to  prospects has been that they can be a part of Georgia's "Dream Team" next year if they decide to sign with the team.

For their part, those prospects who have already given their early commitment, are offering their assistance on the recruiting trail and hope to sway other top players towards Georgia's direction. The final result, it is hoped, would be a No. 1 recruiting class in the nation for 2011. That would definitely ease some of the pain still felt from 2010's National Signing Day which was the lowest ranked class of Mark Richt's tenure.

In the meantime, Georgia continues to secure early commitments from some solid prospects—they have nine so far.

Here is the link to the Rivals Top 100.