The Jumbo Package │05.29.14

CECIL HURT: Drama aplenty as Tide handles NCAA pressure | TuscaloosaNews.com

Perhaps the emblematic win of the match — if not the week — came from freshman phenom Robby Shelton. Standing on the tee at No. 13, in a match that was crucial for Alabama’s hopes, he was two down to Oklahoma State’s Zach Olsen. By No. 15, he was all square. Olsen played inspired golf, but no amount of inspiration could overcome the unflappable Shelton, who closed out the match and — paired with Bobby Wyatt’s earlier win — put Alabama in a strong position. “The pressure was unbelievable,” Shelton admitted. “I was shaking on some of those putts.”

Beating LSU and then Oklahoma St to win Bama Golf's second championship in two years makes me...

Alabama Set to Open Women's College World Series Against Oklahoma - ROLLTIDE.COM

SERIES HISTORY VS. OKLAHOMA

Alabama and Oklahoma have met nine times in program history, with the Tide holding a 6-3 edge in the all-time series. The two teams’ first meeting was just the second game in Alabmaa history, as the Sooners shut out the Tide 12-0 in six innings on Feb. 15, 1997. Alabama would even the series in the next matchup, defeating Oklahoma 6-1 on Feb. 22, 2002 at the NFCA Leadoff Classic. The first meeting in posteason play would come in 2003, as Oklahoma knocked Alabama out of the Women’s College World Series with a 6-3 win in extra innings. Alabama would win the next two meetings before the two teams met in the 2012 national championship series, where Alabama took two out of three games to win its first national championship.

Alabama is tested; KSU is red-hot | TuscaloosaNews.com

Is it better to have a struggling team that's battle tested, or would you want a red-hot team that has feasted on lesser competition? We'll find out which polar opposite wins on Friday.

Kennesaw State couldn't enter this weekend's NCAA regional with more momentum, winning 23 of its last 24 games. Alabama, on the other hand, comes in reeling. But few teams in the country have been tested as stringently as the Crimson Tide, which grinded through the Southeastern Conference gauntlet on the way to the nation's ninth toughest schedule.

Kennesaw State has beaten up on bottom-feeders, sporting the 102nd-ranked strength of schedule and just four wins against teams among the top 50 of the RPI.

Florida State's Jimbo Fisher on quarterback Jacob Coker: 'He'll do a great job at Alabama' | AL.com

So just how close was the competition between Coker and Winston? "

(Jameis) was a little more consistent at times," Fisher said. "Overall, it was a great competition. It came down to the end, and you had to pick a guy. You had to make a decision. It was extremely close. Both have a lot of the same traits, a lot of the same qualities, but there could only be one winner at that particular time. When Jameis got in, he played extremely well." 

This has been a consistent theme from the FSU staff dating back to Spring 2013. Coker seemingly pushed Jameis to the very start of the season and some actually thought he had won the job. The difference was that Jameis just turned on a different switch in scrimmages and like Jimbo noted above, Coker was at times inconsistent. 

Cyrus Kouandjio says 'little man syndrome' must be a good thing | AL.com

Speaking Wednesday on "The Jim Rome Show," a program syndicated nationally by CBS Sports Radio, Kouandjio said: "I don't even know what little man syndrome means, but whatever that syndrome is, I guess it's good because he's got like four or five national championships now. So I would want little man syndrome, whatever that is."

Steelers drop UAB tackle, pick up Alabama defensive back | AL.com

Released by the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, former Alabama cornerback Deion Belue was picked up by the Pittsburgh Steelers on Wednesday. In a corresponding move, the Steelers released former UAB offensive tackle Kaycee Ike two days into OTAs.

Good for Belue and as always, #OppressUAB

SEC armed with alternate plan for signing day | TuscaloosaNews.com

“There is appreciation for maintaining the recruiting calendar as it currently exists. There is also an understanding that there is an interest emerging to implement an early signing date at the national level,” he said. “So in the interest of trying to discuss the model that might be most efficient, most effective, what has been the focus is an early signing date that would be on Monday following Thanksgiving.

“There is one caveat. The only senior prospect able to sign a national letter of intent early would be an individual who’s essentially a firm commitment. That evaluation would be made through those prospects not taking an official visit to any institution. If an individual wants to take official visits they would wait until the normal signing period.”

So, if I'm reading this correctly, only seniors who are firmly commitment would be allowed to sign early. So we won't be seeing juniors sign well before they ready or seniors being pressured into signing because of "limited spots available". (though the later still could happen I suppose) This is basically meant for the guys who are 100% sold on a team and who have no plans at all on looking elsewhere.

I like it, though more than likely, we won't see it enacted any time soon, if ever.

SEC proceeds cautiously on early signing period | Macon.com

“We will continue to encourage our colleagues in the CCA to retain the current model,” Slive said, referring to the Collegiate Commissioners Association, which would vote on the matter next month.

In fact, Slive said he doesn’t know if the early signing period is on the CCA meeting agenda, adding, “I hope it’s not.” The CCA is a body consisting of the men and women who lead the football-playing conferences in FBS and FCS.

Twice before, the CCA has voted down an early signing period, and each time the SEC was against it. While the SEC is still against it, this time it senses more support nationally for an early signing period. “We’re not predicting the future.There is an understanding that there is mounting interest in an early signing date,” SEC associate commissioner Greg Sankey said. “And there’s a need to identify a workable model that respects the current recruiting calendar. And I think in many ways it’s worked well, and I think that’s what our coaches would say.”