Gator chomp gets rolled by Tide. Alabama wins SEC for first time since 1992.
 
By Rafael Garcia
Sr. Contributing Writer Football Reporters Online
Southeast Region
 
Alabama 32 Florida 13
All season long this was the match up everyone wanted. No other team in the conference looked like they would compete so the best were at it Saturday in Atlanta. There were story lines like the next to last game in the career of AT&Tebow. Could Mark Ingram make his case for the Heisman? Would Greg McElroy start quick or work from behind? Which one of these defenses would step up when it mattered most? There could be a host of other questions but these were the burning ones. AT&Tebow has had a collegiate career that will be talked about for years to come. He has built so much respect from his peers that it appeared like he was almost untouchable. In the SEC championship game Alabama made sure he was touched plenty. He had been able to dodge every bullet and come out a winner for so long he knew no other way. That was until he lined up against an Alabama team that was playing for so much more than an SEC or BCS title. They were playing to be kings of the mountain again. They were playing for a coach that took this job with one thing in mind. That was to bring this program back to national prominence and to another national championship. Anything less would be complete failure for a coach some don’t like but can’t help respect. Coach Nick Saban took a lot of heat when he left Baton Rouge for the southern hospitality of Alabama. This was one that the Tide have been working on since the last one in 1992. So Tebow did his best to keep his team in the game but a drive in the first quarter stalled and ended in a field goal. When he hit David Nelson from 23 yards to make it 12-10 that was just answered by Ingram a minute later when he ran in from three. That scoring run would be all the Tide would need and Tebow would fall short on his last try in this conference of champions. He would finish 20-35 for 247 yards with an interception as well as the touchdown pass. He would finish the way he did not plan when he decided to come back for his senior year to get this SEC title as well as the BCS trophy. Now it’s on to the NFL and see if he can find a place among the big boys of the sport he loves so much. Mark Ingram came into the season well known by the SEC but still had questions to answer. What he did Saturday was put his stake in that Heisman argument running for 113 yards on 28 carries. He did his most damage where it hurt the Gators the most, in the red zone. He would have touchdown runs of seven, three and one yard. He kept the Gator defense off balance all day, as they could not contain him. He ran left and right as well as off-tackle. He gave his quarterback the time to throw the football and make his own case too. McElroy had never lost a start before this one and he put on an MVP performance going 12-18 for 239 yards and no interceptions. He needed to start quickly with Ingram running the ball well to be effective. So with his running game giving him 251 yards he was able to hurt Florida. He hit his receivers when he needed and was accurate in doing so. His timely passing and determination gave him the MVP and maybe a bright future to look forward to. The last question was about defense and Alabama flat out shut down the bite of the Gators. They were held to 13 first downs and 88 yards rushing. Bama held the ball for almost 40 minutes and the Florida offense was just 4-11 on third down conversions. When the Gators were trying to threaten Javier Arenas picked Tebow off and the game was done. It was as dominating a performance as you could get in this epic. Two teams on a collision course from opening day, and now only one was left standing. So it is the Tide of Alabama that moves on the BCS game against Colt McCoy and the Longhorns. It will be a game, but in the end I have to stick by what I have said all year, the SEC is king of the college football world and when it’s all said and done the Tide of Alabama will sit on top as BCS champions.

AFTER A CLOSE ACC FINISH, GEORGIA TECH’S HEADED TO THE ORANGE BOWL

By Rafael Garcia
Sr. Contributing Writer
Southeast Region and
William Queen
Contributing Writer
 
Winning a 39-34 thriller over Atlantic champs Clemson, the Yellow Jackets are enjoying their first conference title in 19 years and their first BCS bid in school history. This game was perhaps a little too close for comfort, as Georgia Tech just simply didn’t have an answer for versatile phenomenon CJ Spiller. Receiving the ACC player of the year award, the Yellow Jackets knew coming in that it wouldn’t be easy slowing Spiller down. With 20 carries for 233 yards and four touchdowns, Spiller may have had the best performance of his career Saturday night vs. the Yellow Jackets. Scoring in every quarter of the game, Spiller had 65,000 fans wondering just how he did it. It seemed that every time Georgia Tech would methodically drive down the field, Spiller would have an answer. First drive of the game, Spiller scored on a three-yard run. Then, scoring three straight times (one touchdown and two field goals), Georgia Tech looked to be running away with the game. However, Spiller answered at the last possible second with a 41-yard run with just under three minutes left in the half. At the start of the third quarter, I was paying most of my attention to the kicker. Because while Spiller was exciting and suspenseful to watch, Georgia Tech kicker Scott Blair had scored 10 of their 16 points thus far and was secretly proving to be a valuable weapon. However, quarter back Josh Nesbitt managed to convert those field goals into touchdowns, accounting for both a rushing and passing score in the third quarter. Up by 13 heading into the fourth, Clemson made its last, desperate attempt at pulling off the game. And given the ball with 1:20 to go, and given freshman quarterback Kyle Parker’s success this year, they had a shot. A holding penalty and a string of incompletions later the Tigers were forced into a clutch fourth and two situation. In then end, defensive end Derrick Morgan showed the nation why he’s considered one of the best linemen in the country, tackling Parker for no gain.  Looking ahead, Georgia Tech will be facing off against Iowa in the Orange Bowl, a very intriguing match-up if you ask me. Earlier in the season, Iowa was one of the undefeated “BCS buster” teams and looked to make a run at the national championship. But after back-to-back Big ten losses vs. Northwestern and Ohio State, Iowa’s very fortunate to be sitting where they are now. And really, looking back on their schedule, Iowa’s only signature win all season was Penn State. So, considering that most of Iowa’s wins were thrilling comebacks, I think this will be perhaps the biggest test for the Hawkeye’s thus far. Allowing only 15 points per game, Iowa has a very tough defense. But then again, they allowed 42 points to 83rd ranked offense Indiana and the only team they shut-out is the 98th ranked offense in Minnesota. Looking in on rush defense, Iowa is the 32nd ranked rush defense and has played a few tough running games in Wisconsin and Ohio State. However, no Wisconsin or Ohio State running attack would match up even close to the magnitude of Georgia Tech’s. Ranked second in the nation in rushing yards; this will be the match-up of the game.
Some quick stats; Iowa averages 23 PPG and allows 15 PPG, as Georgia Tech averages 35 PPG and allows 24 PPG. For a prediction, I say Georgia Tech pulls out a exhilarating 27-24 win in OT.

Can we get the real "story" about why Hofstra ditched it's Football Program?

By Dr. BIll Chachkes-Managing Partner/Executive Editor-Football Reporters Online
It first came to our attention Friday morning that we weren't the only ones on Long Island scratching our heads as to why there would be no more College Football played at Hofstra University. I had been on the CAA Media Conference all Thursday afternoon where Tom Yeager had given his statement as "the Commish" of the conference. As nice a man as he Is, It didn't seem like he was all that broken up about this or felt the need to do too much damage control. He probably didn't know anything on Saturday the 21st of November, as the Pride were taking It to The Minutemen of U Mass.(Final Score of The Pride's last game in recorded history-52-38 Hofstra, and It wasn't even as close as the score Indicated!)

I am usually on one of two Long Island Railroad trains In the morning each weekday. On each train I have "regular" cronies I stand with on the platform and ride Into penn station with. We always talk football, weather it's of the pro variety or about local college programs like Hofstra & Stonybrook. It wasn't easy to answer my travel friends questions regarding the announcements of the day before. "So why did Hofstra Kill off Football?" one of them asked me. I still can't figure out why either, except that there Is an 800 pound university president In the house, and he stole the presents out from under the tree, or menorah.

Then I get an E-mail this past weekend about an Alum who Is also a former player and he wants answers. So through an e-mail I get connected to Brad Gerstman, a former Prosecutor who Is now a partner at Gotham Government Relations. It seems he Isn't the only one. About 40 other former Hofstra football players who are now successful businessmen want answers as to why this was done. Why was Hofstra Football taken out back and shot?

"We are requesting restitution of the football program" said Mr. Gerstman. "Mr. Rabinowitz and the board of trustees are caretakers of the university, not it's owners" Indeed, Hofstra may well be a private university, but it receives Public funding from the state of New York, as well as the generosity of alumni like Mr. Gerstman and many other former players. Some of them are current or former NFL players. These men want answers, and they deserve to get them.

So fast forward to yesterday, and I'm at a press conference at the Public House on Manhattan's east side. "It just seems like this was done under the cover of darkness" said  Chris Colozizielro, class of 1991, who took the podium after Gerstman. "Why would you want to shut down a program that has produced NFL players like Wayne Cherbet. Marques Colston, and Willie Colon?" he asked. I can't see the reason behind that either. Sure, we all understand the reality of the current economic times. But the university Isn't hurting so much for money, as It wanted to "re-allocate" funding to give scholarships to 'the needy," and to help get the medical school up and running. So none of the football players were needy? Someone should have gone over the hardships the freshman Running Back Miguel Maysonet had been through while attending Riverhead H.S. He was only the MVP of the 2009 Outback Steakhouse H.S. All Star Game, which by the way, Is played at Shuart Stadium, Where the Pride would have been playing their 2010 season If someone hadn't stolen their program by re-allocating funds.

In fact, as recently as a month ago, the alumni fundraisers were still looking for donations to the program. Coaches were out recruiting as recently as last Monday. "No options were ever discussed" the press conference went on. "We clearly understood that this president does not support athletics"

"Every college understands the value of a football program." Except for this one. Jon Camera from the class of 1995 also spoke. "We gave whatever we could financially whenever we were asked" "as well as mentoring current students."
So we see that this fight Is far from over. We may never get all the answers either, but this is another story that we will "Dig Deeper" Into.

Mostly I feel bad for the Maysonet's, the Steve Probst's, and the Joe Sidaris's of the team. All three could still have promising careers at the next level. But they won't be known for having played  In Hempstead, but rather for having transferred somewhere else.

I also feel for Coach Dave Cohen. There are a few quality men in this business, but few could be thought of as your second(or only) Father. Dave Cohen Is that man. If I had ever gotten to play college football, I'd have wanted my coach to be like Cohen.