Charlotte, U.S.A. — The Belk Bowl is thrilled to announce Country Music Awards’ 2011 Vocal Group of the Year, Lady Antebellum, will be the featured act at the 2012 Belk Bowl this coming December. The 11th annual Belk Bowl will kick off at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 27 at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C. and will feature a matchup of the Atlantic Coast Conference and the Big East Conference.

“Bowl games are always a lot of fun whether your favorite team is playing or not,” said Lady Antebellum. “This is going to be our New Year’s Eve pre-party celebration in Charlotte!” The group’s record breaking third disc “Own the Night” debuted at the No. 1 position on Billboard’s Top 200 chart in October 2011, becoming the biggest first week debut by a country artist last year.

The album has already produced two No. 1 singles—”Just a Kiss” and “We Owned the Night.” The band has now tallied six No. 1 hits since its debut in 2007. The current single, “Wanted You More”, is now being played on country radio stations and is making its ascent up the charts. The trio’s previous two albums, “Lady Antebellum” and “Need You Now”, have sold more than five million albums across the globe, spawned four No. 1 hits, scored six GRAMMYs and more than a dozen other awards.

The group received five nominations for the 2012 Academy Of Country Music Awards and won the Group of the Year award for the third straight year. Additionally, the group received a 2012 Grammy award for Country Album of the Year. Past wins include Vocal Group of the Year at the 45th Annual CMA Awards, Favorite Country Band, Duo or Group for the 2011 American Music Awards and being one of CMT’s five Artists of the Year for 2011.

“College football season is our favorite time of the year,” said the band members of Lady Antebellum. “When we’re out on tour, we make sure a TV is set up so we can all hang out and watch the Saturday games together.” This year’s FanFest event is free to the public and will begin at 1:00 p.m. with Lady Antebellum scheduled to begin their performance at 4:30 p.m.

Individual tickets for the 2012 Belk Bowl will go on sale in early October and will be available through TicketMaster and the participating schools. Fans can visit the official website, www.BelkBowl.com, for more information about the game and surrounding events.

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Fans who vehemently disputed that Alabama (12-1) did not deserve a rematch against LSU (13-1) were forced to eat their words after Monday night’s Allstate BCS National Championship.

The Crimson Tide’s November 5 9-6 home overtime loss to the Tigers in “The Game of the Century” was completely forgotten after an overwhelmingly dominating 21-0 victory, this time around in New Orleans. As a result, Alabama received 55 of the 60 first-place AP votes following their second title game victory in three years.

One first-place vote was given to #2 LSU, while third ranked Oklahoma State (12-1) earned a total of 4. Alabama head coach Nick Saban became only the 10^th coach to ever win three national titles – as well as the first to do so in the BCS era. “We didn’t do a lot different,” said Saban. “We did some things on offense formationally. Our offensive team did a great job. Defensively, we just played well, played the box. Our special teams did a great job.”

Four combined missed field goals by Jeremy Shelley and Cade Foster cost them the previous matchup, but Shelley’s 5-7 night brought about a lot more than just redemption on the biggest stage of all. However, at the end of the day, the ultra-stingy Alabama defense was the focal point.

“This defense is built on stopping them, and that’s what we did,” said Courtney Upshaw, who was named defensive MVP. “We wanted to come out and show the world we beat ourselves the first game. We wanted to come out and dominate from start to finish, and that’s what we did.”

Alabama unquestionably lived up to their billing as the number one defense in the country – surrendering just 53 passing yards to quarterback Jordan Jefferson, along with a measly 39 to him and his entire rushing unit. LSU didn’t even make it into ‘Bama territory or convert a 3^rd down until the final quarter. They went a meager 2-12 on 3^rd down and had just five first downs in comparison to Alabama’s 21.

The shutout was the most impressive accomplishment of all. Before this game, no team had ever been held scoreless in a BCS Bowl. One would have to look back 20 years to discover the last championship game shutout occurred – Miami over Nebraska in the 1992 Orange Bowl (pre-BCS).

Things got so ugly for the Tigers offense that questions arose as to whether or not head coach Les Miles would eventually pull Jefferson and go with Jarrett Lee instead; though, to the curiosity of many, he never did.

Miles eluded to Jefferson’s athletic ability against the super quick Alabama defense as the main reason for leaving him in. Lee’s one touchdown and seven interceptions in four career games against the Crimson Tide probably had something to do with the decision as well. Alabama went into the half with a 9-0 lead thanks to 23, 34, and 41 yard field goals from Shelley. His only miss prior to halftime came on a blocked 42 yard attempt early in the 2^nd.

LSU remained very much in the game even after C.J. Mosely intercepted a Jefferson shovel pass at the LSU 27 with the score 12-0 early in the 3^rd. The Tigers gave up nothing off the turnover following a 41 yard missed kick by Shelley. A career long 44 yard field goal by Shelley towards the end of the quarter made it a 15-0 game. LSU finally began to move the ball in the 4th, until a strip sack of Jefferson on 4^th and 18 gave Alabama starting position at midfield.

Senior, Trent Richardson’s 34 yard touchdown sprint down the left sideline made it a 3 possession game and ended LSU’s hopes with 4:36 remaining. But it was a sophomore who ironically led Alabama throughout. A.J. McCarron threw the ball much more than expected with 34 attempts. Twenty-three completions, 234 yards, and one Offensive MVP Award later, he became the first underclassman to ever win the BCS Championship.

Elite senior receiver and punt returner Marquis Maze would not return with a hamstring pull suffered on an early 1^st quarter return. Sophomore, Kevin Norwood and senior Darius Hanks stepped up though, combining for 136 yards on 9 receptions. And while offense may sell tickets, we learned once again that a relentless defense like this still wins championships. “The whole defense is the MVP,” said Upshaw in front of the crowd. “The whole defense. Roll Tide, baby. Roll Tide!”

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USC quarterback, Matt Barkley, has decided to don the Trojan red and yellow for one last season. On Thursday afternoon, the 21-year-old declared that he will not enroll in the 2012 NFL Draft, opting instead to return for his senior year in Los Angeles. Barkley broke the news in a nationally televised event held in the campus’ Heritage Hall with his family, girlfriend, head coach, the USC marching band, and many others in attendance.

When discussing the two options before him, he began by speaking optimistically of his future at the next level. “I am prepared to play quarterback in the NFL,” said Barkley. “It is my dream to play quarterback in the NFL – and I intend to make that dream a reality.” While this initially sounded like a young man that had decided to move on, Barkley would take everyone by surprise and suddenly go in the exact opposite direction.

“But, I know in my heart, that I have not yet finished my journey as a Trojan football player,” said Barkley. “Our USC football team has been through some tough times, and we have persevered. This 2012 team has some serious unfinished business to attend to, and I plan to play a part in it. I have firmly decided to forgo the 2012 NFL draft and finish that.”

The conclusion of that statement quickly brought about wild cheers along with a celebratory tune played by the band. For the first time in two years, the USC football program had good news for their loyal family. Sanctions handed down by the NCAA in 2010 banned the school’s bowl eligibility for the past two years. Barkley’s return will now give him the opportunity to lead the school to its first bowl since defeating Boston College in the 2009 Emerald Bowl.  With USC retaining most of its starters for next season, a national title run after this year’s 10-2 finish could be an inspiration as well.

Head coach, Lane Kiffin, was not shocked at all by Barkley’s announcement. Kiffin had paid Barkley a visit at his home the previous night, and his quarterback gave him a gold Christmas ornament. Displayed on the front of the ornament was a picture of the two embracing after this year’s victory over Colorado. After being told to turn it around, Kiffin found the words, “One More Year”, written on the back and immediately rejoiced.

Kiffin has tremendous respect for Barkley, knowing that most star athletes would not pass up the opportunity to begin making millions of guaranteed dollars and play professionally. “This is a special, special college student-athlete story,” said Kiffin. “To be a part of this story is unbelievable for all of us involved.”

Barkley had an outstanding junior year and was projected to be an early first round pick in the upcoming draft. In 2011, he threw for 3,528 yards along with 39 touchdowns and only 7 interceptions. Stanford’s Andrew Luck and Baylor’s Robert Griffin III were regarded as the only two quarterbacks that could have possibly been selected before him.

However, Barkley is not expected to hurt his draft stock at all by remaining in school. In fact, experts believe that he will be even more prepared for the 2013 NFL Draft and will actually be selected with the number one overall pick. Being a potential frontrunner for next year’s Heisman Trophy does not sound too bad either.

Barkley did not listen to those who believed that this was the wrong route to take. His ultimate goal is to help contribute to the winning tradition established by the historic USC program. All eyes will now effectively be on him in 2012 to see if he is successful in doing so, like those who occupied this prestigious position before him – current NFL quarterbacks, Mark Sanchez, Matt Leinart, and Carson Palmer.

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And now the countdown can finally begin. There was only one possible scenario where No.1  L.S.U. (13-0) wasn’t going to go to the B.C.S. national championship game in New Orleans. Experts believed they would have to be absolutely destroyed by 14^th ranked Georgia (10-3) in Saturday’s SEC title game.

Instead, L.S.U. won the game 42-10, clinching the team’s first conference championship since 2007. Most went with the assumption that a close loss would not keep the Tigers out of the championship game. However, a victory ensures that they will be playing their final game for the top prize.

Despite the lopsided final score, Georgia came to play in the first half, leading 10-0 early on with an outstanding defense. The Bulldogs did not allow L.S.U. any first downs, forcing seven consecutive three and outs. L.S.U. became the first SEC team since 2001 to not convert any first downs over the first 30 minutes of a game. Georgia manhandled them, allowing a mere 12 yards of total offense during that stretch.

But the Tigers received a spark from a familiar name toward the end of the first half. Cornerback Tyrann Mathieu returned a punt 62 yards for a touchdown with less than six minutes remaining in the second quarter to finally get L.S.U. on the board at 10-7.

The “Honey Badger” picked up where he left off last week against Arkansas, when he also returned a punt 92 yards for a touchdown. His efforts brought L.S.U. right back into the game. “My teammates love the name, and I think it depicts me on the field,” said Mathieu. “I just go with it. My teammates do a great job having my back. Anything I can do to help those guys, lift their spirits, I’ll do it.”

Receiver Tavarres King dropped a touchdown pass in the end zone on the opening drive. The Bulldogs then recovered an onside kick but received zero points from it. Freshman receiver Malcolm Mitchell dropped a pass inside the ten with nothing but green in front of him. Georgia then missed a 45-yard field goal attempt.

The Bulldogs also dropped an easy interception in the first half, while L.S.U. forced a turnover to start the second half after Aaron Murray fumbled on a scramble at his 26, becoming a touchdown with just two plays. Running back Kenny Hilliard ran it in from 15 yards out to give L.S.U. its first lead at 14-10.

Hilliard had three touchdowns – two rushing and one receiving. By the time he scored the third, the Tigers had pulled away at 28-10. L.S.U.’s defense gave up no points in the second half, becoming just as dominant as Georgia’s defense in the first half. Aaron Murray went just 16-40 with two interceptions and one touchdown, passing for 163 yards. The run game was progressively subdued as the team accumulated only 34 yards on the day.

Jordan Jefferson threw the ball 13 times and completed five passes for L.S.U., throwing for 30 yards and one touchdown. However, his ground attack made up for it completely, totaling 207 yards. Once again, L.S.U.’s ability to run and stop the run put the team unmistakably ahead of the competition.

With the regular season finally over, the popular consensus is L.S.U. and Alabama have established themselves as the best two teams in the nation. The only question that still remains is whether or not the BCS will vote two teams from the same conference to play each other for the national title.

“I would certainly understand if college football decides it should be two SEC teams playing for the national championship. It’s a very special conference with very special teams,” said L.S.U. coach Les Miles.

We’ll just have to wait and see.

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The Clemson Tigers dominated the Virginia Tech Hokies in the second half Saturday night, winning the ACC Championship game 38-10. The victory clinched Clemson its first ACC title since 1991, along with its first ever BCS bowl game bid, and its first trip to the Orange Bowl in 30 years.

“There have been a lot of walls built up around this program over the last 20 years and we knocked them down tonight,” said head coach Dabo Swinney. Clemson took the field ranked just twentieth in the BCS in comparison to Virginia Tech’s number five standing. However, the Tigers had great confidence in their chances after already defeating the Hokies earlier this season.

That confidence grew even stronger early in the game after Clemson recovered a Logan Thomas fumble on Virginia Tech’s first possession. The Tigers’ defense was desperate for a turnover, as this was the first one forced over the last four games. The ball was recovered at the Virginia Tech 24.

Clemson was unable to move the ball on the first two plays, but Tajh Boyd began the scoring with a 3^rd and 10 touchdown pass to tight end Dwayne Allen. After the teams exchanged punts Virginia Tech responded with less than a minute remaining in the first. Thomas led a 77 yard drive that ended with a 45 yard touchdown pass to receiver D.J. Coles to tie the game at seven.

But that would be Thomas’ only touchdown toss on a night where he struggled considerably. He may have thrown for 274 yards, but he also threw two interceptions on just 22-44 passing. Virginia Tech struggled on the ground as well. Running backs David Wilson and Josh Oglesby combined for just 54 yards rushing on 17 carries. Thomas’ two yards on 12 carries gave the team a total of only 56 for the entire four quarters.

The teams went into the half tied at 10 after the Hokies took advantage of a roughing the passer penalty late in the second quarter. The call kept their drive alive, allowing them to eventually make a 42 yard field goal with one second remaining. A trip to Miami for a spot in the Orange Bowl would come down to just 30 minutes of football.

Clemson came out of the half looking like a completely different team, clinching the berth with ease. The Tigers took a 17-10 lead early in the third quarter after Boyd finished off a drive with another touchdown pass to Allen. It was his second touchdown pass of three on the evening.

The sophomore quarterback went 20-29 with 240 yards passing on the evening, while also tallying an additional 28 yards on the ground. Boyd’s final touchdown pass was a 53 yard throw to star receiver Sammy Watkins on their next possession, giving Clemson a 24-10 lead.

Logan Thomas and the Hokies had no answers for Clemson’s defense, which completely took over in the second half. Virginia Tech’s final stand came late in the third quarter trailing 31-10 following an Andre Ellington 29 yard touchdown run. They moved the ball to the Clemson 30, but failed to convert on 4^th and 2 after a drop.

Boyd added one more touchdown for good measure, giving his team touchdowns on their first four possessions of the second half. And although he had a great game, Clemson’s 38 points would not have been possible without an outstanding ground attack. Andre Ellington ran for 125 yards on 20 attempts, and the team ran for 217 yards total.

Most teams would be proud of an 11-2 season, but Virginia Tech knows that they let an automatic BCS bid slip away in the second half. “It was one of those games where things didn’t happen right,” said head coach Frank Beamer. Meanwhile, Swinney and his Tigers will finally return to the Orange Bowl – a national stage where they can return their program back to glory.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to announce that I’m taking my Clemson talents to South Beach, baby.”

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LSU Tramples Arkansas; 41-17

Jordan Jefferson passed for 208 yards and rushed for 53 more as his two touchdowns helped lift LSU to a 41-17 decimation of the Arkansas Razorbacks, Friday night. Kenny Hilliard rushed for 102 yards and a touchdown, and Michael Ford added in another 96, as No. 1 LSU (12-0, 8-0 SEC) further solidified their standing as the most dominant team in college football.

The Razorbacks (10-2, 6-2 SEC) took an early 14-point lead, taking a recovered fumble to the house early in the first quarter. But that resilient, grind-it-out LSU offense never cracked, sticking to the running game and pounding Arkansas’ defense into the dirt. The Tigers scored three touchdowns, gave up an Arkansas field goal, and then capped the game off scoring three more unanswered touchdowns.

LSU looks towards facing No. 14 Georgia in the SEC Championship Game next Saturday, and will likely be voted into the BCS Championship Game regardless of the outcome.

Oregon Routs Oregon State, Clinches Pac-12 Championship Game

After a relatively slow start, the Oregon Ducks picked up steam, putting up big numbers in their routing of state, Pac-12 rival Oregon State Beavers on Saturday.

Darron Thomas ran the show, passing for 305 yards and four touchdowns. Electrifying freshman, De’Anthony Thomas, also kept the Oregon offense rolling, hauling in 10 receptions for 86 yards and a touchdown, and adding in 71 yards on the ground, as the No. 9 Ducks (10-2, 8-1 Pac-12) rolled over division rival Oregon State to solidify home field advantage in the Pac-12 Championship Game vs. UCLA next Saturday.

LaMichael James rushed for 142 yards and a touchdown through three quarters, but left the game early with what looked like a hyper-extended left elbow.

Alabama Cruises Past Auburn

Auburn didn’t even stand a chance. Trent Richardson destroyed the Tigers’ defense, stomping all over them for 203 yards on the ground, and the Alabama Crimson Tide sailed over rival Auburn in a 42-14 smack down in this year’s Iron Bowl.

A.J. McCarron picked up 184 passing yards and three touchdowns, but kudos went to Alabama’s stingy SEC defense. The No. 2 Crimson Tide (11-1, 7-1 SEC) held Auburn (7-5, 4-4 SEC) to 140 yards of total offense, limiting their electrifying running back, Michael Dyer, to a menial 48 yards through four quarters.

Houston Dismantles Tulsa, Remains Undefeated

Case Keenum continued to plead his case for Heisman candidacy, picking apart the Tulsa secondary for 457 yards (33-47) and five touchdowns in Houston’s 48-16 rout of the Golden Hurricane, Friday afternoon.

Keenum hit eight different receivers, including Patrick Edwards, who was on the receiving end of four touchdown passes and 187 yards worth of receptions and yards after the catch.

No. 6 Houston (12-0, 8-0 C-USA) will take on No. 24 Southern Mississippi in the Conference USA Championship Game next week, where the Cougars will look to expand on what has already been a golden season.

Wisconsin Smashes Penn State, Clinches Big Ten Championship Game

Montee Ball further padded his Heisman resume, adding in 156 yards and four touchdowns as the Wisconsin Badgers burrowed through Big Ten rival Penn State, 45-7 blowout. Russell Wilson picked up 186 passing yards and two touchdowns, and No. 15 Wisconsin (10-2, 6-2 Big Ten) solidified their position in the Big Ten Championship Game next week against No. 13 Michigan State.

Justin Tucker Saves the Day, Texas Squeezes Out Over Texas A&M.

Justin Tucker knocked down a clutch 40-yard field goal with time expiring, and the Texas Longhorns barely came out victorious over state, Big-12 rival, Texas A&M, squeezing out a 27-25 road win for all of the chips.

Led by QB Ryan Tannehill, A&M had marched down the field and scored on the Longhorn secondary, leaving just under two minutes for Texas to mount a game-winning drive. But Case McCoy would not be denied, scrambling to the A&M 23-yard line for a 25-yard pickup that would move Tucker into field goal position and seal the deal for the Longhorns.

Georgia Coasts Past Rival Georgia Tech, Clinches SEC Championship Game

Aaron Murray was the crutch for Georgia, passing for 252 yards and all four of his team’s touchdowns, and the No. 14 Bulldogs (10-2, 7-1 SEC) got the win over rival Georgia Tech in the “Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate” game on Saturday.

Though they allowed 243 yards on the ground, the Georgia defense forced two interceptions and held Georgia Tech to 112 passing yards. Georgia can only hope to improve on their rush defense, as they’ll have to take on a run-heavy No. 1 LSU in the SEC Championship Game next week.

Virginia Tech Zips UVA, 38-0

The score tells it all. David Wilson rushed for 153 yards and two touchdowns, and Virginia Tech completely dominated rival Virginia, leaving them scoreless through four quarters. Tech’s defense picked off UVA QB Michael Rocco twice, and No. 5 Virginia Tech (11-1, 7-1 ACC) smashed their division rival while advancing to the ACC Championship Game against No. 20 Clemson, next week.

Baylor Outscores Texas Tech, 66-42

Heisman hopeful, Robert Griffin III, looked on from the sidelines after suffering a concussion in the second quarter. But the damage had already been done. RG3 reached the endzone three times in the first half (once in the air, twice on the ground), and second string quarterback Nick Florence added in two more passing touchdowns as No. 17 Baylor advanced to 8-3 (5-3 Big-12)  in their win over rival Texas Tech.

Terrance Ganaway trampled over the Tech defense, rushing for 246 yards and two touchdowns and the Baylor Bears moved on to the Big-12 Championship Game vs. No. 22 Texas next week.

Andrew Luck Picks Apart Notre Dame, Stanford Wins; 28-14

Andrew Luck proved why he’s the best QB in college football, completing 20 of his 30 pass attempts for 233 yards and four touchdowns, leading the Stanford Cardinal to a two-touchdown victory over the Fighting Irish.

Stepfan Taylor rushed for 118 yards on 20 carries, and the No. 4 Cardinal (11-1, 8-1 Pac-12) recorded their eleventh win of the season. They won’t, however, play in the Pac-12 Championship game because they lost the tiebreaker to Oregon earlier in the season.

South Carolina State Defeats Clemson

Connor Shaw did it all, passing for 210 yards and three touchdowns and rushing for 107 yards and another touchdown, as he led his South Carolina State Gamecocks to their tenth win of the season.

Kenny Miles also added in 71 rushing yards, but it was Shaw’s picture-perfect performance that got South Carolina State (10-2, 6-2 SEC) the win over Clemson, Saturday night.

Oklahoma Comfortably Crushes Iowa State.

After upsetting a perfect Oklahoma State the week before, Iowa State looked to make Oklahoma their next victim. The Sooners were not on board. Though Landry Jones was picked off twice, he still decimated the Iowa State defense for 256 yards. Blake Bell picked up two rushing touchdowns, but the MVP award would go to kicker, Michael Hunnicutt, who knocked down four field goals (20, 28, 37 & 21) and gave the Oklahoma Sooners (9-2, 6-2 Big-12) some desperately needed points.

Boise State Spreads Out Wyoming. Broncos Win; 36-14

At the helm of one of the nation’s most potent offenses, Kellen Moore stood tall, delivering three touchdown strikes and 279 passing yards in Boise State’s tenth win (10-1, 5-1 MWC) of the season.

Doug Martin rushed for 153 yards and two touchdowns, and the Bronco defense picked off Wisconsin QB, Brett Smith twice, as No. 7 Boise State advanced to the Midwest Conference Championship Game vs. New Mexico next week.

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The state of Alabama is easily one of the most passionate in the country about its football. But those that live there must choose a side, as they lack their own NFL team. They will forever love either the Alabama Crimson Tide or the Auburn Tigers, and when the two universities met at Auburn on Saturday for the 76^th Iron Bowl, those who selected Alabama received year-long bragging rights following a 42-14 victory.

But there was far more than just bragging rights at stake for both ends coming into this matchup. For #2 ranked Alabama (11-1) and its fans this game was all about avenging last year’s heartbreaking 28-27 loss to then #1 ranked Auburn after blowing a 24-point lead.

Despite being ranked just 24^th in the BCS this time around, the Tigers (7-5) and their faithful supporters were still basking in the glory of the monumental comeback behind eventual Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Cam Newton, in what turned out to be an undefeated national championship season.

Alabama, who also won the national title in 2009, aimed to make another bid at the championship game with a win, but defeating them and completely destroying those aspirations would make a challenging 2011 season all worthwhile for Auburn.

Auburn did not appear fazed from the outset, as their stadium erupted after they forced Alabama into a three and out on the game’s opening drive.

But Alabama remained as composed as they have been all year long, as they were able to also get their defense off the field in just three plays on the opposition’s first possession; setting the tone for another dominating performance by their top-ranked defensive unit.

The Crimson Tide then proceeded to open up the scoring shortly after with an 81 yard drive that concluded with quarterback A.J. McCarron’s first touchdown pass of three on the night – a 41 yard flea flicker to sophomore receiver Kenny Ball. McCarron was extremely efficient, completing 18 of 23 passes going for 184 yards.

Alabama seemed to be in cruise control after scoring another touchdown on a 35 yard reception by tight end Brad Smelley. They were having their way offensively and allowed only one Auburn first down throughout the entire first half.

But the Tigers managed to get on the board and cut the lead to 14-7 after recovering a fumble by McCarron in the end zone.

However this was only one blip by the Crimson Tide, who didn’t really have any at all. They added on another 10 points and went into halftime leading 24-7.

Auburn needed a major spark to begin the second half and received just that when junior Onterio McCalebb ran back the opening kick 83 yards for a touchdown. They felt hopeful, as they were right back in the game at 24-14.

“We knew we had to execute,” McCalebb said. “Once I saw the hole, I hit it, and after that, I knew nobody could catch me.”

But unfortunately for the Tigers, Alabama’s defense allowed only 140 total yards of offense, gave up just nine first downs, and surrendered zero points on defense. Without any more points off turnovers or special teams, Auburn was unable to score for the remainder of the contest.

The Crimson Tide ran away with the game in the second half, adding a field goal, a 35 yard interception return touchdown from defensive back Dee Milliner, a two point conversion, and a 15 yard touchdown run late by Jalston Fowler.

Senior running back and Heisman Trophy candidate Trent Richardson had a career game, making a five yard touchdown reception, running for 203 yards on 27 carries, also breaking off a 57 yarder in the process. It was also the ninth 100 yard rushing game of the year for him, tying him for the team record with 2009 Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram.

“Anytime you got No. 3 (Richardson) in your backfield, a team’s going to challenge you, but it’s nothing I haven’t seen all year,” said McCarron.

The game was clearly controlled by Alabama from start to finish, and now they’ll wait to see if the BCS will give them a birth in the national title game in New Orleans this January. Auburn, who took a step back this year, will still play in a bowl game, although it will not be of the BCS variety.

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Silence fell upon the entire Clemson sidelines as NC State continued to pour unanswered points onto the scoreboard. Without WR, playmaker, and possible Heisman candidate, Sammy Watkins, No. 7 Clemson’s offense was stagnant, and State’s defense was smothering.

Scoring their first touchdown with 1:12 remaining in the fourth quarter, Clemson felt the effects of Watkins absence, who had suffered an upper body injury when playing Wake Forest last week. Unranked North Carolina State sacked QB Tajh Boyd five times, picked him off twice, and recovered two forced fumbles in their routing of the Tigers Saturday night.

Coming off of a one-TD, three-interception performance last week,  State QB Mike Glennon pulled a complete 180. Playing a nearly perfect game, Glennon hit eight different receivers for 253 yards and 3 touchdowns, hitting four of them for three or more receptions. There were no interceptions.

The Wolfpack also had a combined  145 yards on the ground, led by James Washington’s 86-yard performance, but their ability to contain a Watkins-less, Clemson offense overloaded Coach Dabo Swinney’s play calling.  With a team who averaged 170.5 rushing yards per game coming in tonight, Clemson was held to a miserable 34 yards on the ground. As for the Tigers’ aerial attack, Boyd did complete 21 of 34 passes for 238 yards, but he failed to get the ball into the endzone and turned the ball over twice.

State also managed to keep the Clemson offense off the field, winning the possession battle by a margin of just about 13 minutes. State CB David Amerson recorded his eleventh interception tonight, six more than any other team in college football and three away from tying an NCAA record.

The now 9-2 Clemson Tigers will likely take a huge hit in the BCS standing, since losing to a non-Top 25 team normally results in a drop of ten or more rankings. Things do not get any better as they end the season with a road game against the No. 12 South Carolina Gamecocks.

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Louisiana State showed why they are ranked No. 1 in the NCAA on Saturday, beating Western Kentucky 42-9 at home to continue their undefeated record. LSU quarterback Jordan Jefferson helped move the ball downfield for scoring chances, throwing for 168 yards on eight catches, and scoring one touchdown.

Rueben Randle was the main target for Jefferson, making three catches for a total of 76 yards and one touchdown. Running back Alfred Blue was also a big part of the Tigers’ offense, gaining 119 yards on nine carries and two touchdowns. Western Kentucky put up a great fight throughout the game, with quarterback Kawaun Jakes only throwing one interception on 24 attempts that gained 97 yards.

Running back Keshawn Simpson and Bobby Rainey moved the ball downfield for the Hilltoppers, gaining 121 yards on 33 rushing attempts. LSU was the first to score ten minutes into the first quarter with a 59-yard pass from Jordan Jefferson to Rueben Randle. The Hilltoppers were able to move the ball downfield late in the first quarter to tie up the game with the help from a two-yard rushing touchdown from Keshawn Simpson.

The Tigers were the only ones to score in the second quarter, with running back Kenny Hilliard scoring a touchdown with three minutes left, giving LSU the 14-7 lead going into the second half. LSU scored yet again seven minutes into the second half, with Hilliard running in another touchdown after a progression of plays that moved 71 yards in seven plays.

The final points scored for Western Kentucky were done on a safety that happened with five minutes left in the quarter, making the score 21-9. However, LSU’s Alfred Blue ran down the middle on a 45-yard touchdown play two minutes after the safety, putting the nail in the coffin for any opportunity of the Hilltoppers coming back.

The final quarter began with Blue running in another touchdown for LSU after a series of plays that had the ball move 47 yards in five plays.  The Tigers did not stop going for more points until there were five minutes left in the game, when replacement quarterback Jarrett Lee threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Kadron Boone which secured the victory.

No. 1 LSU (10-0) will travel to face Ole Miss next Saturday, while Western Kentucky (5-5) will travel to face the University of North Texas.

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After a dramatic week behind the scenes inside the football team, Penn State was unable to come up with a home victory against Nebraska, losing 17-14. The Cornhuskers’ running game carried the team to victory with Rex Burkhead and Ameer Abdullah rushing for a total of 127 yards and two touchdowns.

Quarterback Taylor Martinez helped get the ball down the field, throwing for 144 yards on 13 catches with no interceptions. Penn State running back Stephfon Green got the only two touchdowns for his team, while quarterback Matt McGloin moved the ball downfield 192 yards on 16 catches.

With no offensive action in the first quarter, the Cornhuskers were the first to make a change on the scoreboard with a 41-yard field goal by Brett Maher five minutes into the second quarter, and a 2-yard rushing touchdown from Ameer Abdullah in the final minute of the half.

Nebraska scored yet again in the early minutes of the third quarter with Rex Burkhead rushing 14 yards for a touchdown, making the score 17-0. However, Penn state showed signs of life later on in the third quarter with Stephfon Green running five yards for a touchdown that brought them ten points away from the lead going into the final quarter.

After several pushes for more points, the Nittany Lions were able to bring themselves three points away from tying up the game with Green rushing for another touchdown late in the fourth quarter.

Penn State was able to get the ball back in the final minute of the game.  However, in the final seconds and after several Hail Mary attempts, the Nittany Lions were unable to get the ball down the field to get the final points that they needed. In the end, Nebraska won the game 17-14.

This game was the first Penn State has played since the firing of their head coach, Joe Paterno, who had been coaching the Nittany Lions since 1966. He holds the record for the most Division 1-A wins with 409 and the most bowl wins with 24 in his career. The Nebraska Cornhuskers (8-2) travel to face the Michigan Wolverines next Saturday, while the Penn State Nittany Lions (8-2) travel to face Ohio State.

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Turnovers was the name of the game as the No. 8 Oregon Ducks forced three Washington turnovers in their 34-17 road win Sunday night.

LaMichael James had yet another star-studded performance, rushing for 156 yards and a touchdown—his most since his 239-yard explosion vs. California in early October. Freshman De’Anthony Thomas and Kenjon Barner also put in a touchdown apiece, but it was Eddie Pleasant, Oregon’s senior Safety, who picked off quarterback Keith Price twice and, ultimately, put the Ducks in a winning situation.

“This is a big time win for us,” said James. “Coming into this atmosphere, hostile crowd, they wanted to win.” Oregon’s Darr0n Thomas passed for 169 yards and a touchdown, completing 13-of-29 attempts and hitting five different receivers. But the easiest part is over.

Next week, Oregon faces Andrew Luck and conference rival, No. 4 Stanford Cardinal. They’ll be sure to have their hands full, as Luck will spread the Duck defense further than they can handle. If the Ducks can summon the strength to overcome their Pac-12 rival, they might find themselves in the running for a BCS bid later on in the season.

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Despite the Ducks being down both star RB LaMichael James and QB Darron Thomas — essentially the crutch of the Oregon offense — the team, short-handed and all, managed to completely dismantle the Colorado Buffaloes Saturday afternoon.

Led by junior RB Kenjon Barner and backup QB Bryan Bennett, the Ducks high-octane offense lit up the Colorado defense for five touchdowns and carried Oregon to a 45-2 road win over the Buffaloes. Barner picked the Buffaloes defense apart on the ground, rushing for 115 yards and two touchdowns on 10 carries.

Freshman Tra Carson also made the most of some touches, hauling in 80 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries. When it came to the passing game, variety was definitely the spice of the Oregon air attack. Bennett hit eight different receivers, completing 11 out of 20 pass attempts for 156 yards and two touchdowns.

Star freshman De’Anthony Thomas had yet another stellar performance, rushing for 50 yards on four rushes, and finishing with two receptions for 18 yards and a touchdown. As for the Buffaloes, the only highlight of their day was a safety in the third quarter. The Ducks held the Colorado offense scoreless the entire game, allowing only 133 passing yards and 133 yards on the ground.

They even forced a pick-six in the second quarter when LB Michael Clay picked off Tyler Hansen for a 32-yard defensive touchdown. Oregon (6-1) looks forward to yet another blowout victory at home when they face off against Washington State next week.

As for Colorado (1-7), their future doesn’t seem any brighter, as they’ll be facing off against a 5-2 Arizona State team next week, followed by a date with the powerhouse USC Trojans the week after.

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Silence fell upon the Michigan State crowd as the officials conferred over the game’s final play. And the referees, in the biggest call of the night, finally got it right.

The No. 16 Michigan State Spartans, after fighting against all odds, used up all of their rosary beads and prayer power in a last-second Hail Mary pass that decided the game, upsetting their conference rivals and giving the No. 6 Wisconsin Badgers their first loss of the season, Saturday night.

With the game tied at 31 and  four seconds left in the fourth quarter, Spartans’ QB Kirk Collins rolled to the right and launched a 44-yard bomb to the end zone. After popping out of one receiver’s hands, the ball shot right into former QB turned WR Keith Nichol’s arms where he fought two Wisconsin defenders and just barely crossed the plane for a game-winning touchdown pass that would be enshrined into Michigan State history.

The Spartans, after going down 14-0 in the first quarter, went on a rampage in the second, scoring 23 unanswered points before the half. But after giving up two scores in  the fourth, it would take a miracle for Michigan State to avoid the dreaded overtime bout. And a miracle they received.

Collins led the charge for the Spartans, completing 22-of-31 passes for 290 and three touchdowns; none of which were more important than the last-second heave for the win. And his main target, B.J. Cunningham, finished with six receptions for 102 yards. But it would be Keith Nichol, who went reception-less for the first 59 minutes and 56 seconds, that would make the biggest reception of the game.

Badgers’ QB Russel Wilson also had a decent night, going 14-of-21 for 223 yards, but he matched his touchdowns with interceptions, finishing with two in both columns. RB Montee Ball had a great night with 115 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries, but it would be the Michigan State Spartans who came out on top in the end.

The Spartans’ defense was one of the deciding factors of the game, as their ability to force turnovers proved to be a nightmare for the Badgers’ offense and Special Teams. The Michigan State defense blocked both a punt and field goal, the punt being recovered in the endzone for a Spartan touchdown.

These two teams look to see each other in the near future, as part two to this epic battle will metabolize itself in the form of the first ever Big Ten Conference Championship. Both tied at 6-1 for the best in the Big 10, the Badgers and Spartans will likely meet again in December, where we will be blessed, yet again, with a high-scoring, high-energy fight to the death.

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As we enter the sixth week of the collegiate football season, Heisman Trophy talk is ramping up. The Heisman Trophy is given to the best college athlete and is determined by wins and in most cases by ESPN highlights. It isn’t easy to rank players but the following individuals stand out among the pack for their top-notch performances:

Kellen Moore: There are many familiar faces in college football, none more familiar to college fans than Kellen Moore; a player who seems as if he has been around forever and continues to play at a high level.  He plays the game with such ease that it looks easy out there for him.

Moore is a prolific senior quarterback who has been in the Heisman talks for the last 3 years. He took a step back last week against Nevada, a game where the usually efficient quarterback threw 2 interceptions and completed only 57 percent of his passes.

Robert Griffin III: This junior is an unlikely player to receive the Heisman but his stats and play thus far stand above most of the other candidates.  The gifted Quarterback from Baylor has played lights out against lesser competition, at some point throwing more touchdowns than incompletions.

Right now, Griffin is at 18 touchdowns.  Last week he played an inspiring games against Kansas State in which he had 5 touchdowns.  His team lost in the end due to an untimely interception which does not help his chances to strike that Heisman pose at season’s end.

Trent Richardson: During week 5 against Florida State, Trent Richardson showed up and racked up 181 yards with 2 touchdowns.  His totals for the young season is 622 yards with 10 touchdowns, living up to the preseason hype that placed him on the cover of Sports Illustrated.

After sharing carries with the 2009 Heisman winner Mark Ingram, Trent is finally the guy in Alabama. Next weekend at Vanderbilt he looks to surpass his totals for last year and improve upon his chances to follow Mark Ingram in winning a Heisman.

Russell Wilson: The rise and play of Wilson has been unexpected.  The senior transfer with a year of eligibility is just what Wisconsin needed to balance out their tremendous run game.  He has been electrifying all the while being very accurate. His transition to becoming the leader for his team has been seamless and impressive.

Last week against Nebraska, Wilson threw for 255 yards and 2 touchdowns, running for another touchdown as well.  Wilson has amassed over 1300 yards so far and 1 interception with a 75 percent completion rate.

Andrew Luck: There has been a lot of talk about Luck over the past 3 years. Last year he was expected to be the number 1 pick in the NFL draft.  Of course, he chose to stay an extra year and is now attempting to win a National Championship and maybe a Heisman Trophy as well.

He has lived up to the hype so far and is looking like the best player in college football.  The talent on his team is considerably less than the others on this list (aside from Griffin), but Luck continues to deliver.  Last week Luck threw for 227 yards and 3 touchdowns and what’s even more impressive, is the news that broke this week about him calling his own plays the majority of the game.

That rarely happens, even in the NFL.  Luck is being described as Payton Manning Jr., high praise for the young signal caller.

Other players to be mentioned, as we try to predict the future winner of the Heisman, include Lamdry Jones, Marcus Lattimore, Tyrann Mathieu and Denard Robinson.

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The Big 12 Conference is apparently falling apart at the seams. Oklahoma University, Oklahoma State University, and surprise defector Texas are all entertaining the possibility of leaving the conference. Sources close to the situation say that Oklahoma and Oklahoma State are both in serious pursuit of joining the newly formed Pac 12.

Texas is currently working to save the Big 12 going so far as to fly UT officials to Norman, Oklahoma last weekend to try to convince Oklahoma to stay in the Big 12. However UT officials have begun informal exploratory talks with Pac 12 officials to join as well.

This news comes right on the heels of the SEC announcing that they will admit Texas A&M, another Big 12 team, conditionally next season barring any legal ramifications with A&M leaving. This would bring the SEC to 13 teams, and reports say the SEC wants to include a 14^th team to equally split the division lines of East and West.

The team that the SEC think fits the 14th spot perfectly happens to be Missouri, another Big 12 team. With Nebraska leaving for the Big Ten and Colorado for the Pac 12 last year, the Big 12 only has 10 teams at the moment, and these new potential moves could cripple the Big 12 down to 5 teams.

The five teams left would be Kansas, Kansas State, Iowa State, Baylor, and Texas Tech who would form a hypothetical Subpar 5 Conference. None of these universities could garner the huge national media attention needed to keep a conference together. A small exception could be Kansas and Kansas State for their basketball programs, but neither have the marketability of college football.

If UT, OU and OK State all make a run for the Pac 12 this could cause more repercussions on that Subpar 5 Conference. The Pac 12 would have a total of 15 teams and leave them looking for the last puzzle piece to become a 16 team super conference. That 16^th team would most likely be Texas Tech, as they were involved earlier this year in a 4 team deal to bring UT, OU, OK State and Texas Tech to the then Pac-10.

The deal fell apart as the universities opted to stay in the Big 12, but it seems now as if the deal could happen, just a year late. With only 4 teams, the Big 12 would be incapable of surviving, heading towards sure dissolution. This crumbling would invoke a feeding frenzy as the remaining major conferences Big Ten, SEC, and ACC  swoop in and try to get at least two of the remaining teams to form their own super conference.

Landing two of these teams could bring the ACC to 16 teams, as an article on the New York Times website states. Officials from the ACC are currently in talks with Pittsburgh and Syracuse to join their conference. There is seemingly nothing that can stop this giant realignment. The possible roadblock of the recent TV deal signings by UT and the Pac 12 can easily be solved.

The Longhorn Network would get reduced into the Pac-16 as a downsized regional network, joining the six regional networks that already exist within the conference. Even if UT refuses an invitation, the Pac 12 would drop their offer to Texas Tech and extend two new offers to Kansas and Kansas State still leaving the Big 12 with only 4 teams.

Anyway this shakes out, it seems as though college football is inevitably moving towards the era of super conferences. An idea that could make all college football fans happy; the entrance of super conferences brings about talk of a playoff system and the eventual demise of the flawed BCS system.

There would have to be more realignment and the death of a few conferences, but that’s not more absurd than what’s currently taking place. It was once said that you have to break a few eggs to make an omelet, as long as the egg is the BCS, bring on the super conferences.
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The NCAA—a governing body of rules and regulations for college sports, has again been tarnished by its flawed system of vigilance. Unsurprisingly, imprudent judgment, a term that can be so easily entwined with college sports, has again led to scandal. This scandal, like all the previous before, will surely set off a firestorm of questions pertaining to how the NCAA can successfully regulate and prevent such prevalent illegality within college sports. This time the scandal that has besmirched college sports involves the football program of Ohio State.

Over the past two weeks, allegations accusing the Ohio State football program of committing NCAA infractions have been swirling sports media airwaves across the county.  These alleged NCAA infractions stem from 2010 allegations, which have, emerged more fully in the past two weeks. The 2010 allegations accused Ohio State’s star quarterback Terrelle Pryor and other Buckeyes’, of dealing memorabilia to a tattoo parlor in Columbus Ohio in exchange for money. The tattoo parlor was inadvertently linked to a federal drug trafficking investigation. The incident was looked into during an 11-day investigation, during which, Pryor and four other players were slapped with a 5 game suspension for the start of next season. At the time of the investigation, Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith who must be eating his words right now, stated, “there are no other NCAA violations around this case”.  The re-emergence of these violations, come on the heels of an anonymous former friend of Pryor’s being mentioned as a source in a report by ESPN’s Tom Farrey and Justin Gubar; the report, accuses Pryor of receiving large sums of money for memorabilia signings back in 2009-2010. As Farrey and Gubar write in their article, the former friend said the signings for cash, “occurred a minimum of 35 to 40 times, netting Pryor anywhere from $20,000 to $40,000 that year”. The former friend also referenced how much the Ohio State quarterback was paid for each signing, telling Farrey and Gubar “Pryor was paid $500 to $1,000 each time he signed mini football helmets and other gear for a Columbus businessman and freelance photographer, Dennis Talbott”.  In addition to giving explicit details about the signings for cash, the former friend also provided transparency of Pryor’s relationship with the Columbus community, saying he would receive, “thousands of dollars in free food at local restaurants and convenience stores, free drinks at bars and free tattoos”. The former friend, also mentioned Pryor having, “access to free loaner cars from local dealerships”.

Unfortunately for Ohio State, in the midst of these allegations, the football program has already lost head coach Jim Tressel, who has been alleged with covering up these incidents’ of signings for cash and who’s resignation last week, marks the loss of not only fan favorite in Columbus Ohio, but also sparks questions about how the team will do moving forward. Also sparking questions about the team moving forward is the decision of Terrelle Pryor, not to return to Ohio State University for his senior season. Tressel and Pryor will surely be missed in the Buckeye state, as both have been a huge part of the Ohio State football teams success; Tressel has a staggering winning percentage of .828, while Pryor has an equally astounding winning record of 31-4 while a at Ohio State.

News of NCAA infractions get reported so frequently; they really should not surprise anyone anymore. Week after week these stories come out and they don’t seem be coming to a halt anytime soon. The following questions need to be answered; what should be done, in order to thwart the omnipresence of illegality within college sports? Secondly, if the omnipresence of illegality can’t be addressed acutely enough, then might it be best for the rules to change? There are countless examples of College sports teams that have Blemishes, when it comes to NCAA infractions committed.  Most of the infraction within college sports involves a paper trail of money going to college players. NCAA rules specifically prohibit players from soliciting money or signing contracts in order to receive money. Despite this, college players have not thought twice about leaving money on the table, even if they are offered it illegally. One-day people in charge of college sports will hopefully realize, that the floodgate of scandals will not cease until players get paid their lump sum of money.

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