Late in Saturday's game against Vanderbilt, Tennessee's Dennis Rogan appeared to intercept a pass in the end zone. Only a questionable pass interference call was made. Vanderbilt received a first and goal and eventually kicked a field goal on the series. Lane Kiffin commented on the call in his post-game by telling Commissioner Slive he appreciated the call. Not content with that statement, the next morning Kiffin appeared on the Lane Kiffin Show alongside Vol announcer Bob Kesling and this was the transcript of their discussion of that play:
Kesling: This is third and goal.
Kiffin: [Heavy Sigh]
Kesling: The ball looks like it's intercepted.
Kiffin: The ball is intercepted. I thought that was a great call by the ref throwing the pass interference there. I'm sure that we were at fault.
FanHouse writer John Walters is living in South Bend, Ind., during one of the most pivotal seasons in Notre Dame history. Check back daily for his dispatches on the Irish.
SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- The numbers are fluid, but if you search stories on the web for the past two weeks you will find that no head coach, with the exception of Florida's Urban Meyer, is written about more than Charlie Weis. And if you were to eliminate the stories that pertain to Meyer possibly leaving the Brigadoon that is Gainesville for the "Deadliest Catch" climes of South Bend, then Weis may be number one.
Nick Saban. Mack Brown. Brian Kelly. The Patterson/Petersen duo, Gary and Chris. None of them have had even half the stories being written about them that Weis does even though all five of them have guided their teams to undefeated seasons thus far. Weis' team, as you know, is but 6-4.
In 1985 Bo Jackson won the Heisman Trophy by rushing for 1,657 yards and 15 touchdowns. Twenty-four years later, no SEC running back has won the award again. Not Emmitt Smith, not Darren McFadden, not Knowshon Moreno, not Jamal Lewis, not Fred Taylor, not Garrison Hearst not Terrell Davis -- okay, he wasn't that good in college. None of them. And it's not like there hasn't been an awful lot of talented player, by my review of first-round draft picks, the SEC has had 15 running backs taken in the first round since Bo Jackson won the Heisman.
For over a generation, Jackson has stood alone. But now, in the absence of any overwhelming favorite, Alabama running back Mark Ingram seems to be atop many Heisman lists. Is it justified? How do his numbers stack up compared to past winners? And what do those past winners at running back -- there have only been seven since Bo Jackson in 1985 -- tell us about the current state of college football. Proceed, fearless reader.
Okay, Greg McElroy admits he overreacted and his feelings were hurt.
It was two Saturdays ago, following Alabama's dramatic victory over LSU, when McElroy vented that people, including teammates, had lost faith in him as the Crimson Tide's starting quarterback. Two days later, McElroy apologized if his postgame comments offended anyone and he further explained that getting mad was not the way to getting better.
McElroy was certainly better in Alabama's 31-3 victory over Mississippi State last Saturday, silencing critics with a solid performance he intends to build on as the undefeated Crimson Tide (10-0, 7-0 SEC) continues its march towards the SEC Championship Game in Atlanta.
Midway through the Ole Miss-Tennessee game on Saturday, a highlight package of Archie Manning's playing days at Ole Miss came on the jumbotron. Ole Miss fans, up to that point cheering their biggest win of the season, went quiet. The man behind me muttered softy to himself, "Them were the days."
As Archie ran around on the field making play after play, it occurred to me, not for the first time, how amazing it is that he sired not one, but two, Super Bowl winning quarterbacks. By the time the cameras found his youngest son, Eli, in a suite, I was still attempting to contemplate how amazing the fact was. By Sunday, after Peyton Manning led his Colts to 21 points in the final 12 minutes of a victory over the Patriots, there could be no doubt: Archie Manning's sperm is one of the greatest national treasures in our country.
Right up there with Abraham Lincoln, the flag outside Fort McHenry that inspired Francis Scott Key to jot down "The Star Spangled Banner" and Dorothy's ruby red slippers. That's why I'm making a humble suggestion to the Smithsonian Museum of American History, Archie's sperm should be an exhibit. (Lets see you do that, exhibit on late 19th century wheat threshers.) Otherwise, the museum is worth nothing.
It's that silly time of year again. There are so many significant teams among the big boys of college football, but there are just two slots on Jan. 7 in Pasadena, Calif., for that title game of the Bowl Championship Series. So the voice of the older Jim Mora is screaming in my subconscious.
It doesn't get any better, or older, than this for these two schools. Known as the Deep South's Oldest Rivalry, the series began in 1892 and is the seventh-most played in the country. The mutual disdain has been passed down through the generations, and the 113th meeting Saturday isn't expected to be any different.
"Everybody has their team," Georgia coach Mark Richt said.
As the fourth quarter of CBS's coverage of Alabama-LSU went to commercial break, the cameras caught something extraordinary, an Alabama fan giving the cliched and overused four finger slogan. Okay, nothing extraordinary about that, but, this is when a bit of the Southern Gothic came into your living room, the man only had four fingers, he was missing a pinkie! So he gave the four finger sign utilizing his thumb.
My jaw literally dropped. Judging by everyone's reaction on Twitter, I wasn't the only one. The most shocking thing, of course, is that the fan gave up the pinkie to Nick Saban, wielding a machete, as part of the pregame speech. Good to see they got the bleeding stopped.
But, of course, this moment of four-finger jubilation wasn't the only thing that caught my attention. We've got Alabama, LSU, Notre Dame, Oregon, Cincinnati, and a groom who made it rain at this wedding reception and caused a 40-person brawl. Plus, we learn that 5 yards in Alabama math actually means 5.5 yards.
One announced his decision with plenty of fanfare, while the other quietly committed. Either way, college football fans in Alabama couldn't be more pleased with their weekend.
Michael Dyer, rated the No. 3 running back in the country by Rivals.com, got the party started on Friday when he publicly committed to Auburn moments after accepting an invitation to play in the Under Armour All-America game. Keenan Allen, the ninth-ranked prospect in the country, followed on Saturday when he confirmed his commitment to Alabama on the same day the Crimson Tide clinched the SEC West title.
Meanwhile, the country's No. 1 recruit in the class of 2010 -- mammoth offensive tackle Seantrel Henderson (pictured) -- is scheduled to visit USC later this month.
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Just when it appeared as if third-ranked Alabama was destined to lose yet another home game to LSU, ending the decade O-fer in five tries, the Crimson Tide looked to familiar faces to save the day.
NCAA Football 
Late in Saturday's game against Vanderbilt, Tennessee's Dennis Rogan appeared to intercept a pass in the end zone. Only a questionable pass interference call was made. Vanderbilt received a first and goal and eventually kicked a field goal on the series. Lane Kiffin commented on the call in his post-game by telling Commissioner Slive he appreciated the call. Not content with that statement, the next morning Kiffin appeared on the Lane Kiffin Show alongside Vol announcer Bob Kesling and this was the transcript of their discussion of that play:
Okay, 
Midway through the Ole Miss-
Georgia vs. 
As the fourth quarter of CBS's coverage of Alabama-LSU went to commercial break, the cameras caught something extraordinary, an Alabama fan giving the cliched and overused four finger slogan. Okay, nothing extraordinary about that, but, this is when a bit of the Southern Gothic came into your living room, the man only had four fingers, he was missing a pinkie! So he gave the four finger sign utilizing his thumb.
One announced his decision with plenty of fanfare, while the other quietly committed. Either way, college football fans in Alabama couldn't be more pleased with their weekend.
