Ole Miss/NCAA
NCAA.com ranks top five loudest college football stadiums and two are in the SEC | al.com
Per the NCAA video: "Some call it Death Valley. We call it Deaf Valley. LSU, the most frightening place for a team to play, especially if you are unfortunate enough to be scheduled for a night game." The report cites the infamous Earthquake Game between Auburn and LSU on Oct. 8 1988, when the winning touchdown in the fourth quarter resulted in the celebration registering on the Richter scale. LSU won 7-6.
No argument here, as Death Valley is known by most SEC fans as the loudest in the league. It bothers me though that BDS is never on this list. Goes to show that simply adding seats doesn't make a stadium louder. I wonder if this is due to the design or just that our fans simply aren't that loud?
Big Ten's Jim Delany: Let football, basketball players skip college and go pro (poll) | al.com
"Maybe in football and basketball, it would work better if more kids had a chance to go directly into the professional ranks," Delany told ESPN.com. "If they're not comfortable and want to monetize, let the minor leagues flourish. Train at IMG, get agents to invest in your body, get agents to invest in your likeness, and establish it on your own. But don't come here and say, 'We want to be paid $25,000 or $50,000.' Go to the D-League and get it, go to the NBA and get it, go to the NFL and get it. Don't ask us what we've been doing.
"If an athlete wants to professionalize themselves, professionalize themselves. We've been training kids for professional sports. I argue it's the color, I argue it's the institution. If you think it's about you, then talk to John Havlicek about that, you've got to talk to Michael Jordan about that. These brands have been built over 100 years."
We've had this argument many times before but I'll state my opinion here, again:
For football, once a player reaches the ability to enter the NFL draft (three years post high school) and decides to return to school for their RS Junior or Senior year, that player should be allowed to make an income off their likeness (outside of the NCAA or school's use). Allow them to sign autographs, sign endorsement deals, sign with an agent etc. The player has proven their worthiness and should be able to make money off their own hard work.
How is this not a good plan?
Youngstown State coach Eric Wolford had a different take this week during his weekly press conference when a phone rang on the podium he was standing behind. First, he tried to answer it. Then... "(Alabama) Coach (Nick) Saban would body slam you right now," Wolford joked. "That would not be good, would it?"
start around the 14:30 mark
Ole Miss freshmen living up to the hype - College Football Nation Blog - ESPN
"They are the most humble, hungry, grounded kids. They’re just really, solid good kids, and all they want to know is, ‘Coach, what can I do better? How can I work harder? That’s all of them, from Robert Nkemdiche all the way down to the other freshmen. We’re just very blessed that that’s the case, and then to get the performance we’re getting on the field from them is pretty remarkable."
Ole Miss Football: Playing "Dixie" At SEC Games Isn't Racist — It's Southern Culture
With a history as traditional and rich as that of the South, it is no surprise that Confederate culture remains prevalent and has even made its way into the arena of college football. This prevalence of Southern culture can be demonstrated by the fact that the University of Mississippi's (more commonly known as Ole Miss's) band, the Pride of the South, plays the Confederacy's unofficial national anthem, "Dixie," when the Rebels score a big play.
I don't have a problem with this but I could see how this song would and probably should send shivers down the spine of anyone from the African American or black community. Nearly every SEC school has a connection to the Civil War and denying this relationship would be silly. However, denying the pains of slavery that rise up at the mere thought of the Civil War is plain blind ignorance..
We have to find a way to honor the past but also respecting the present.
Statistical Preview: Ole Miss Rebels vs. Alabama Crimson Tide - Red Cup Rebellion
All in all, I do see the Rebels beating the spread in this one. The line has been as high as 16.5, but if the Rebs can limit big plays, this could come down to a one-touchdown game.
For Ole Miss to pull the upset and win they must:
Win 1st down
Limit Turnovers
Tempo-Tempo-Tempo
Agree with this 100%. Limiting Ole Miss on 1st down will be the key to the game.
Alabama
Alabama notebook: Howard makes impact early in his career | The Montgomery Advertiser
"He grew up a bunch in the Texas A&M game — and he had to," quarterback AJ McCarron said. "Third down and 12 or 15, or whatever it was, and we completed the pass to him late in the game, kind of sealed the deal. He’s done an excellent job for us. Just got to keep progressing, can’t take any steps back." Howard is a 6-foot-6, 237-pounder who can move well. His size makes it difficult for anyone to cover him.
I expect to see a healthy dose of Vogler and Howard on Saturday. The Ole Miss LB's are solid but can they cover Howard in space? Can anyone cover Howard in space?
Is Alabama Vs. LSU Now A Bigger Rivalry Than Michigan Vs. Ohio State? - Forbes
this year’s match-up between Big Ten Conference rivals is not even the biggest college football rivalry of the year. According to a study conducted by TicketCity, that honor goes to an anticipated battle between the Alabama Crimson Tide and LSU Tigers scheduled for November 9 at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
If Alabama gets past Ole Miss this Saturday the West will come down to Nov. 9th. Hope for the best.
Nick Saban on Alabama leadership: 'Sheep need to have a dog get 'em home to the barn' | al.com
Before that, Saban had a message that applies to a broader audience. "I think the big thing we need, everyone needs, is a lot of positive energy and to be excited about the opportunity that this team has," Saban said with increasing volume. "That everybody has been overwhelmed by expectations, aight. But this is a different team. This is a new team. They have to create their own identity with what they do and how they play, their own personality, their own chemistry. They need to be supported. "And everybody doesn't just need to sit around and say 'Wow, what's wrong with these guys?' Well, these guys need to develop, they need a lot of positive energy around them. We need to acknowledge when they do it right and give them positive reinforcement for it so that we can be positive, we go, we can develop, we can be excited about the challenges we have in the future."
I believe Saban is speaking directly to the fans, and not the team, here. We have allowed expectations to rise to an unhealthy level (What a shocker, right?). 3 in 4 has now become "Win a national title every year". While this isn't a bad goal to have, the idea of a team being able to win a championship every year is asinine.
Something that has been rolling around my head all week is, "Maybe this team just isn't good enough to win a championship." That is blaspheme to any Bama fan but it may just be true. And you know what, if they aren't, that is OK.
The Crimson White | Read between the lines
"I don’t know if there is an exact answer except having the athletes," Kellenberger said. "I don’t know if there is really a schematic thing you do. Every move a defense makes, there is an adjustment that Ole Miss can make that it has proven it can execute. So really it’s stopping the read-option, and when teams have done it, it’s been about beating their linemen at the line of scrimmage.
Jtad said as much on this week's podcast. The key to the game will be our D-line limiting the read-option, especially on 1st down. That is easier said than done but I felt they handled VT's read-option well and limited A&M's success early on in the game.
The Crimson White | Home season opener draws largest student section crowd since 2008
More than 90% of the student section was filled in Saturday's home game against Colorado State. Every week after a home football game, The Crimson White
SUCK IT OLD PEOPLE