National Signing Day Round Up

That special day when creepy old men get creepier is here. A 12-month process of salivating over the football ability of teenage boys culminates today, the first official day that these boys can sign a National Letter of Intent. How did your school do?

The Georgia Bulldogs are feeling pretty good right about now, as big-time running back Isaiah Crowell (Carver-Columbus) chose to stay at home. Crowell is the crowned jewel in a 25-member class that Dawg fans and coaches have dubbed the “Dream Team.” Georgia also picked up a big get when it landed Jay Rome of Valdosta. Rome is one of the nation’s top tight end recruits. Here’s a complete list of Georgia’s signees.

Minus the Dream Team moniker, the LSU Tigers have quietly brought in arguably the best class in the program’s history. Three of the biggest gets are already enrolled, including former Georgia quarterback Zach Mettenberger and Patterson, La. running back Kenny Hilliard.

Mettenberger was kicked off the team by Mark Richt two years ago, and signed with the Tigers out of junior college. A big kid with a bigger arm, expect him to compete for the starting quarterback job this spring and fall. With a new coordinator, Steve Kragthrope, in place, it wouldn’t shock anyone to see Mett wrest the offense away from incumbent Jordan Jefferson.

Hilliard is the nephew of former LSU and Saints running back Dalton Hilliard. At 5’11 225, he gives LSU yet another bruising tailback for the power rushing attack Les Miles loves.

Among the other standouts in this class are defensive end Anthony “Freak” Johnson, offensive tackle La’el Collins and wide receiver Jarvis Landry, each listed as 5-star players according to Rivals. Georgia may be claiming to have a Dream Team today, but in a couple years, LSU may look back at this group and call it the Ring Team.

Elsewhere in the recruiting world …

• The Auburn Tigers brought in a second-straight top-5 class, presumably with the freed up salary cap space from Cam Newton’s expiring contract. ESPN and Rivals list the Tigers at #2, while Scout has them at the top. The thing that stands out when looking at Auburn’s list of free agent signings is the impressive collection of beef up front. There are a handful of impressive offensive linemen who signed with Auburn today, including big-time tackles Christian Westerman (Chandler, Ariz./Hamilton HS) and Cyrus Kouandjio (Hyattsville, Md./DeMatha). Update – Kouandjio was thought to have signed earlier today, but is apparently still undecided.
• Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson doesn’t seem to put much stock in NSD, which is good because he didn’t bring in many headliners in his 22-member class. While in-state counterpart Mark Richt was beating his chest over its assemblage of talent, Johnson was understated, telling the AJC’s Michael Carveli: ““I think we addressed our needs and signed a very balanced, talented group. We are excited about this class and feel like we have a number of players who are not only quality players, but quality young men as well.”
• One of the players who Tech missed out on, Tre Jackson, ended up signing with Florida State. Jackson, a 6’4 300 lb. offensive lineman from Wayne County (Jesup) was once a Tech commitment, but instead will join a Seminoles class which ESPN ranks as the country’s best. Scout has the ‘Noles ranked 2nd and Rivals has them 3rd, though Rivals is known for being partial. It should shock no one that the recruiting service lists the Alabama Crimson Tide as the number one class.
• New Florida Gators head coach Will Muschamp did well to keep the program’s class intact after Urban Meyer left. (No word yet on how he is restoring the other meaning of the word class, however.) The headliner is quarterback Jeff Driskell.

State of the Blog

When I started this site exactly one year ago, I wasn’t sure what direction I wanted to go with it. I just knew that I wanted to provide Atlanta sports fans with the coverage of their teams that they deserve.

After a few months it soon morphed into pure Braves talk – “write what you know” and all that – with the occasional Hawks or Falcons update. I still love following the Hawks of course, but with a wealth of outlets – including but not limited to Brett LaGree’s oustanding work at Hoopinion – providing insightful game-by-game analysis, I started to enjoy reading about Atlanta basketball more than I did writing about it. There will still be Hawks talk aplenty, but I’m going to steer away from game recaps.

To the scarcity of Falcons updates, I owe both my lack of DirecTV’s absurdly expensive Sunday Ticket package – which forced me to turn to dubious and unreliable methods for watching the hometown team – and my increasing disenchantment with pro football. The reasons why I dislike the NFL more than I once did could span an entire series of blog posts, but for the sake of brevity I’ll just say that I prefer Saturdays to Sundays. I decided to focus more on college football last fall, specifically the SEC, and that will continue to be the case going forward.

That’s not to say this space won’t ever feature any news or opinion about pro football, because the Falcons will still have a presence. I’ll cover topics like free-agency, the draft and other major personnel moves. But given the droning prominence of NFL discussion in the national media, I don’t feel the need to add my voice to the cacophony during the season. While I still love the Falcons and am excited about the current state of the franchise, unless I have something fresh to say I won’t be writing about them here. In respect to this site’s coverage of football, college will remain king. (And let’s face it, that’s just how it is in the south.)

As this blog ambles into its second year, I hope to continue to fill this space with a unique and heartfelt perspective on what it means to be a part of one of America’s most underrepresented fan bases. What you’ll find is a continued examination on just how crazy you have to be to keep cheering for these heartbreaking sons-a-bitches every year. To the many irrational homers, unapologetic apologists and rabid enthusiasts out there, I am writing on your behalf. I don’t wish to provide you a voice, but rather to echo your outcries to the rest of the world. The only goal I have for ctrlATLdel going forward is that it continues to provide the Internet with a glimpse of Atlanta’s distinct brand of fanaticism. The hope is to continue to provide timely and relevant viewpoints on Atlanta’s pro teams, as well as the variety of college programs which Atlanta residents support.

So yes, that will include a disproportionate amount of Braves talk, but only because no discussion of the Falcons or Hawks (or um, Thrashers) during a Georgia winter can be complete without the utterance of that one uplifting sentiment:

“It’s okay, spring training is right around the corner.”

SEC Picks: Week 9

Florida (4-2, 2-3 SEC) vs. Georgia (4-4, 3-3)

Our game of the week, and amazingly, one that still matters in the SEC race. Despite Georgia losing four straight earlier this year, and Florida currently riding a three-game losing streak of its own, the winner positions itself well in the SEC East, where South Carolina leads but has two difficult conference games ahead.

The Cocks should handle Tennessee at home this Saturday without much trouble, but the next two games are daunting. If the Gamecocks fail to clinch the division at home against 19th-ranked Arkansas the following week, we could be looking at must-win game for Steve Spurrier against his alma-mater on Nov. 13. Oh, and the game is in The Swamp. As this guy sees it, the East is far from wrapped up.

But which team is better positioned to jump back into the discussion? Georgia enters as the hotter team, having won three straight and scoring at least 40 in each of those contests. Florida’s offense bottomed out two weeks ago in a 10-7 home loss to Mississippi State, but they’ve since had a bye week to figure things out and will add RB/WR Chris Rainey back into the mix.

My gut tells me to follow the recent history of this rivalry and pick the Gators, who have won 10 of the last 12 meetings, but the Murray/Green cocktail will prove a bit stronger than Addazio on the rocks. Dawgs 37, Gators 34

#1 Auburn (8-0, 5-0) at Mississippi (3-4, 1-3)

Here’s the part where I heap praise on Cameron Newton and state how impressive his athletic achievements have been this season. Here, I’ll add some hyperbole illustrating both his jaw-dropping athleticism and physical prowess, and point out that the two attributes combine to make him the most unstoppable player in college football history.

Then, like the bitter LSU fan I am, kindly remind the rest of college football that the player you’re so willfully praising is a criminal. When he wins the Hesiman in two months, they should just give him the trophy Reggie gave back.

Now that my purple and gold grapes have reached the requisite level of sourness, here’s the part where I give you a prediction about Cam Newton’s next game. He continues to run roughshod through SEC defenses, doing his best Vince Young impression.

In the battle of QBs who like stolen electronics, Jeremiah Masoli will put up decent numbers himself, because apart from the undeniably monstrous Nick Fairley, the Auburn defense is not very good. Mr. Heistman 41, Rebels 31

Vanderbilt (2-5, 1-3) at #19 Arkansas (5-2, 2-2)

Yeesh, Vandy is awful. Want to know how awful? The Commies offense is ranked last in conference total offense, first downs gained, and points per game. The defense? Ninth in scoring, and 12th in rushing yards and total yards. Arkansas is banged up on offense, but quarterback Ryan Mallett (bruised throwing shoulder) will make the start. Greg Childs and Joe Adams are each nursing ankle injuries and it’s unclear how much either will play, if at all. But given how bad Vanderbilt is, the Razorbacks should roll with or without their top guns. ‘Backs 45, Commies 13

Tennessee (2-5, 0-4) at #20 south Carolina (5-2, 3-2)

Expect South Carolina’s Marcus Lattimore to have a huge game in this one, and for Tennessee’s winless SEC campaign to continue for another week. Could the Volunteers do the unthinkable, and pull a Detroit Lions on the SEC? They couldn’t possibly go winless, could they?

The final three games for the Nazi Vols: Ole Miss, at Vandy, Kentucky. Derek Dooley should be able to avoid the oh-fer, but he’ll be lucky to finish better than 2-6 in his first year.  ‘Cocks 28, Vols 10

Kentucky (4-4, 1-4) at #21 Mississippi State (6-2, 2-2)

* A correction before I preview this game, last week I erroneously stated that Mississippi State for having to schedule UAB on the road. That game was played in Starkville.

This is probably one of the better games in the conference this weekend, which should tell you just how bizarre this season has been. Kentucky has lost four of its last five, but they’ve been competitive in all but one of them — a Sept. 25 blowout at the hands of Florida.

This match-up is all about Kentucky’s O, which is one of the league’s best, going up against a stingy Bulldog defense which is only surrendering 17 points per game, good for 3rd in the league. Kentucky quarterback Mike Hartline has been lighting it up lately, throwing for 349 and 353 yards in his last two games with eight touchdown passes.

Dan Mullen has brought his State bunch a long way in his second year, but they aren’t yet at the level where they win every game they’re supposed to. I like Kentucky in a mild upset. ‘Cats 24, Bulldogs 21

Last Week: 5-1 Season: 29-10

SEC Picks, Week 7

 

Auburn's supersized quarterback is leading the SEC in rushing and QB efficiency. (Andy Lyons/Getty)

 

Another week, another huge match-up in the wild SEC West. The Game of the Week pits #12 Arkansas (4-1, 1-1 SEC) against #7 Auburn (6-0, 3-0). This is the fifth straight week that the G.O.W. has featured at least one team from the West division. With Tennessee and Georgia down, and Arkansas, Auburn and LSU back on their feet, it’s fair to say that the balance of power in the Southeastern Conference has shifted to the schools in the Central Time Zone.

Talkin’ College: Week 5 Picks

"At least our coach has a nice tan." (AP Photo/Jim Lytle

Oh, Georgia. Coming off of an embarrassing showing in Starkville, it’s safe to say that the wheels are officially off for Mark Richt’s program. But hey, at least AJ Green is coming back, right? Mark Bradley did his best to assuage the fears of Bulldog nation, as he’s known to do, but even his best sugarcoating can’t cover up the fact that Richt is 2-7 in his last nine conference games.

Talkin’ College: South Carolina-Auburn Pivotal for Both Teams

(A weekly series in which we examine the upcoming weekend of SEC football.)

South Carolina's hopes are tied to the erratic play of Stephen Garcia. (AP Photo/Rich Glickstein)

Game of the Week: #12 South Carolina (3-0, 1-0) vs. #17 Auburn    (3-0, 1-0)

This is a huge game for both programs. Whichever team wins immediately emerges as the favorite to supplant the top team in its respective division. If the Gamecocks win, it confirms that they have finally gotten over the hump with Spurrier. And if Auburn wins, it sends a message to the rest of the SEC West that they are once again contenders.

(Pardon me for not being impressed so far, it’s gonna take a lot more than an overtime win against an ACC team. and a three point win over Mississippi State.) I think Auburn wins because of the crowd.  I’ve seen a lot of improvement in Gamecocks signal-caller Stephen Garcia, but I can’t see him pulling off a victory in one of the conference’s toughest places to visit. Tigers 28, ‘Cocks 24

Talkin’ College

Find this guy easy to hate? Me too.

The big news in the SEC this week is Florida running back Chris Rainey’s arrest on stalking charges, after the junior threatened to kill his ex-girlfriend via text message. (Unless there is an alternative interpretation for a message which simply reads “time to die, bitch.”)

If you’re scoring at home, that brings the felony count to seven for Urban Meyer recruits while he’s been at Florida, and the number of total arrests is now 30.