Category Archives: Breaking News

The SEC Has Been Granted The Right To Make Their Own Rules

In an attempt to keep some of big conferences from breaking away, the NCAA will be giving 5 conferences (SEC, ACC, BIG 10, BIG XII, PAC-12) the right to rule themselves. With the SEC being one of those conferences, it will give SEC commissioner Mike Slive and company, the power to start paying players and giving more to recruits, Slive announced today that this this is an opportunity for historic change in college athletics. …

Under the  new legislative autonomy. , the SEC will clear the way for sports powerhouses like Alabama and Georgia to pay their athletes a few thousand dollars more than what the current scholarship rules allow, loosen restrictions against agents and advisers, and revamp recruiting rules to ease contact with top prospects. The top 64 schools in the richest five leagues (the ACC, Big 12, Big Ten, SEC and Pac-12) plus Notre Dame can submit their own legislation by Oct. 1 and have it enacted at the January 2015 NCAA convention in Washington, D.C. Several presidents said Thursday that the full cost-of-attendance stipends, which could be worth between $2,000 and $5,000 per player, likely would be the first item taken up. The NCAA approved those stipends three years ago, but legislation was halted when the full membership voted it down. Four-year scholarship guarantees are expected to be on the early agenda, as well.

Vols WR Cody Blanc Out For The Year

Tennessee Vols coach Butch Jones announced on Tuesday, that receiver Cody Blanc had torn an achilles tendon and will be out for the year. Cody had hurt the Achilles during workouts last Friday. Cody had played in 21 games for the vols in 2 years and was expected to be more implented into the passing game this year. If not the passing game, then he was for sure going to be on the specials team where he was pretty good last year. His only real highlight came last year when he had a 43 yard reception against Alabama.

Cody was a 3 star player out of high school and was a hometown guy in Knoxville. With him being gone for the season, coach Jones will have to change up the depth chart at receiver and find another special team talent to fill Cody’s spot. With returning starters like WR Marquez North, WR Pig Howard, Cody was sure to be 3rd or 4th on the depth chart. It has not been released yet how long it will take him to rehab the injury. 

The Vols first game will be against the Utah State Aggies on Aug 31st. I’m sure coach Jones is thinking, lets just stay healthy.

 

 

 

South Carolina Reporting 22 Infractions of NCAA Rules

South Carolina has took the liberty to self report 22 infractions. They are all mainly minor infractions with one being as simple as ‘ impermissible iced decorations’. A couple of them were a  little more severe. One was were a recruit took a picture with a current NFL player that played for the Gamecocks. The other is were a recruit took a picture wearing a unnamed Gamecock’s jersey and posted it on twitter. There  is also a few were coaches were sending impermissible text messages to recruits.

These kinds of infractions are very common in the college football recruiting world and has got the NCAA rethinking if they need to change some of them. In  today’s modern world, it’s very easy to commit these simple infractions. I’m sure the old ball coach (Steve Spurrier)  is already trying to come with some crazy saying to get us all to laugh at this. It is unreported what the NCAA will do about this if not anything at all.

  The Gamecocks began football practice on Friday night. They open the season Aug. 28 at home against Texas A&M. 

Alabama Quarterback Battle Brewing

With AJ McCarron and his now wife Katherine Webb now living in Cincinnati, Alabama fans were left to wonder just who their next QB would be in the Saban era. While some have jumped to the conclusion that graduate transfer Jacob Coker (transferred from FSU) will be handed the starting job, Nick Saban has said otherwise. Saban gave non-committal answers to the press about his quarterbacks, even going as far as to say he hadn’t seen them throw the ball very much yet. While that’s hard to believe from a control freak like Saban, it is very believable that the quarterback race is wide open as the new SEC season approaches.

Along with Coker, two other names can be thrown into the ring in this boiling QB battle. Senior Blake Sims who has been a backup for the tide the past two seasons, and redshirt freshman Cooper Bateman (solid name).

While Bateman is considered to be a longshot to win the job, both Sims and Coker have a legitimate shot to be the face of the Alabama offense this year as they try to climb to the top of the mountain again. In fact the two have been battling so tightly and the race is so close that Saban even said he has considered running some sort of a two quarterback system at the start of the year.

Here is what Saban had to say about that possibility:

“It’s not something that I would hope would happen. Is it something that I can totally rule out? Not really because I think the skill set of Blake Sims can create problems for a defense. If we wanted to utilize him to do that in some kind of way, I guess you could say that we could possibly have a two-quarterback system.”

While I don’t believe that will actually happen (if you have two quarterbacks, you have zero), it speaks volumes to just how neck and neck these two are coming down the stretch into August.

Blake Sims seemed to be headed towards becoming the lead man as last year ended and AJ departed to the NFL, but Coker coming in shook up the plans. At 6’5 Coker is the prototypical QB and could fill the shoes of Mccarron quite nicely if given the shot, and would give Alabama a similar look and style on offense as we have seen the past few regimes under center. Sims on the other hand presents an entirely different set of skills under center and can wreak havoc on a defense from inside or outside of the pocket with the ball in his hands. With the speed of SEC defenders, Sims’ play making ability and use of his legs when plays break down can become increasingly valuable and as the game evolves, the mobile QB becomes increasingly more effective as well. Don’t forget, Saban badly wanted Jameis Winston, a guy who has a huge arm but also posses the ability to make something out of nothing and throws on the run at a high level.

Both Coker and Sims have proven they can handle the reins of the Tide offense and will have an excellent safety valve to lean on in the backfield with junior running back TJ Yeldon lining up beside them. Along with Yeldon, Kenyan Drake will also be featured in the ever star studded running game that we have become used to seeing from a Nick Saban led team. As the season inches closer and closer, so does the quarterback race, and with reviews raving for both players, Saban will have one of the most difficult decisions he has ever made on his hands when choosing his new leader as he aims to further cement his legacy with another championship year.

The Tide will open their season against the West Virginia Mountaineers in the Georgia dome on August 30th.

 

Could Florida State QB Jameis Winston Being Under Investigation Alter Heisman Voting?

According to TMZ Sports, standout redshirt freshman QB Jameis Winston is involved in an investigation for felony sexual assault. Winston is being accused of a raping a woman on December 7, 2012. The victim alleges that the sexual assault happened with the use of “force”, and drinking was involved before the occurrence. The police report states that the motive for the alleged assault was for “sexual gratification”. Winston’s attorney Timothy Jansen continues to maintain that his client has not committed a crime saying that he gave affirmations from two different eyewitnesses that he said will “completely exonerate my client.”

TMZ Sports reports that the police report states that on December 7, 2012 someone had called the authorities at 4:01 AM, and once they arrived at an apartment physical evidence was taken as well as photos were taken of the alleged victim’s injuries. In addition, the cops have interviewed Winston and the police report describes him as “muscular” and having a “polite” demeanor.

According to ESPN,

“Last week, Tallahassee police released a heavily redacted

two-page incident report that does not mention Winston by

name but says an assault took place between 1:30 a.m. and

2 a.m. on Dec. 7. It describes the suspect as being between

5-foot-9 and 5-11. Winston is listed by Florida State at 6-4.”

The investigation is continuing. Could an unresolved investigation alter the minds of the Heisman voters? If so, SEC Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel would be the frontrunner.

Information from ESPN and TMZ was used in this article.

Read more: https://www.tmz.com/2013/11/13/jameis-winston-florida-state-quarterback-investigated-sexual-assault/#ixzz2lEAmMxn6

Clowney’s Misstep

Jadeveon Clowney spoke to the media after the South Carolina Gamecocks’ practice Tuesday, and announced that he was questionable for Saturday’s game against Arkansas with a sprain near his ribs. Clowney told reporters that his last minute decision to sit out of the Gamecock’s game last Saturday was a “miscommunication” between the training staff, himself, and head coach Steve Spurrier. “I should’ve handled it different, but it was a miscommunication. They responded to me going back and telling them what was going on and they realized the injury was more serious than they thought,” Clowney stated. After his late decision to sit out right before kickoff, heaps of questions arose of if he was really injured or sitting our for personal reasons.

The South Carolina team’s best player insists that he will be back on the field when he is healthy and coach says it is alright. Head coach Steve Spurrier addressed the media and stated “I just want to clear the air that Jadeveon — all those No. 7 jerseys and all the money he has made for our school — he has been a tremendous, important player. Every Gamecock, including me, the coaches and everybody else, we need to be appreciative that he chose South Carolina. He could have gone anywhere in the country. He is a big reason we have had those seasons. He is trying to do all he can to get ready to play.” Spurrier stood up for his team’s best player and assured all Gamecock fans that Clowney will be back on the field as soon as he is healthy. As for the miscommunication before the Arkansas game head coach said that the staff and himself handled it poorly, “This was a situation that he had something that was really bothering him and hopefully it will be taken care of real soon…He is hurt. If he doesn’t play another down every Gamecock should be thankful he is here.”

This has not been the season for Jadeveon Clowney that anyone predicted. Clowney is coming off an impressive 2012 season recording 52 tackles, with 40 of them being solo, and 13 sacks. Last season he gained accolades for his hit on Michigan running back Vincent Smith in the Outback Bowl. The video of Clowney completely trucking the running back, forcing the fumble and keeping the game alive for the Gamecocks went viral. As a result of his notable season last year, Clowney began the season as one of the Heisman hopefuls, but has only recorded 12 tackles and 2 sacks according to Cfbstats. Clowney assures that all is well. “When I get back healthy, I’m going to play and do my job and take care of business on the field.”

Information from The Associated Press, ESPN, The Bleacher Report, USAtoday and sbnation was used in this article.

Alabama strength coach placed on leave

Alabama assistant strength and conditioning coach Corey Harris has been put on administrative leave after providing benefits to safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, ESPN confirmed on Thursday.

Clinton-Dix was given a loan less than $500 from Harris over the summer, which he repaid Harris before the season started. Head coach Nick Saban has suspended Clinton-Dix indefinitely for a violation of team rules.

The loan would constitute a violation of NCAA bylaw 16.11.2.2, which says, “an institutional employee or representative of the institution’s athletics interests may not provide a student-athlete with extra benefits or services, including, but not limited to … a loan of money.”

Sources close to ESPN said Clinton-Dix was the only player who was involved.

Clinton-Dix will miss the upcoming game against Georgia State and is expected to return within the month.

“When guys get suspended, I never, ever say what it’s for, so I’m not going there, so don’t ask me,” Saban told reporters Wednesday. “It’s the way I’ve always handled this — every guy. They do right, they wouldn’t be getting suspended. And I don’t know for how long this will be, so don’t ask me that either.”

Now with Clinton-Dix gone, who will fill his shoes? It will either be Landon Collins or Geno Smith. Collins was a five-star safety coming out of high school and has seen a lot of action at cornerback this year. Smith hasn’t seen too much playing time this year due to being arrested for driving under the influence before the season started.

Saban is all about team discipline, he won’t put up with no crap. These kids have it made there at Alabama. They need to get their acts together and stay out of trouble if they want a shot at another title.

Former Bulldog, Charger Paul Oliver found dead

Former Georgia Bulldog and San Diego Charger safety Paul Oliver has died at the age of 29, according to UT San Diego.

“We appreciate all the thoughts and prayers,” the Oliver family said in a statement. “We request privacy in the wake of this tragic loss.”

Oliver was a huge standout at the University of Georgia after being ranked as the number one safety in high school. He was selected in the fourth round of the 2007 draft. Oliver went on to sign with the Chargers where he played 57 games with 11 starts from 2008-11. He recorded 96 tackles and four interceptions during his career in San Diego.

“It’s heartbreaking for me personally, for our staff, for the Bulldog Nation I’m sure, and obviously for his family,” Georgia coach Mark Richt said, according to the Athens Banner-Herald.

Although his death is not yet confirmed, according to the San Diego Union Tribune’s Kevin Acee: “Former Charger Paul Oliver is dead at 29. Committed suicide … A good dude. Always enjoyed talking to him. Dang, this is sad.”

Oliver was far too young to leave this world. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends.

Dominique Easley suffers right knee injury

Florida DT Dominique Easley said earlier Wednesday that he could miss the rest of the season after injuring his right knee in practice.

Easley posted on his Twitter that he was done for the year; “Gatornation thank you for all of 4 yrs of sticking with me but god has something else planned for and have no worries #believe.”

However, head coach Will Muschamp reported that Easley’s right knee was only “tweaked” during a non-contact drill during Tuesday’s practice. Muschamp said “we think he’ll be fine. We just need more information right now.”

Through the first four games, Easley has recorded four quarterback hurries and two tackles for a loss. He suffered from a anterior cruciate ligament tear in his left knee back in 2011.

If the news is true, this will be a huge blow for the Gators. Easley will be the second starter in less than a week who will miss the rest of the season. Quarterback Jeff Driskel fractured his right fibula last weekend in the victory over Tennessee.

The Gators will travel this Saturday to take on Kentucky at 7pm.