Ameer Abdullah Doesn't Have Nice Things To Say About Tennessee

Do you know who Ameer Abdullah is? He wasn't on the national radar during the recruiting season, but he did sign with a major Division I school—the Nebraska Cornhuskers—on signing day.

He received a nice slew of offers, including several from SEC schools, but it's his comments about his visit to Tennessee that will likely raise a few eyebrows—especially given the more positive, toned down, atmosphere perceived to be in place under coach Dooley.

Check out the question, and corresponding answer, given by Abdullah during an interview by Rivals.com writer, Mike Matya:

What was the worst moment during the recruiting process?

"Probably when I visited Tennessee. The guys down there… I really didn't want to surround myself with."

Ouch! What's up with that?

You have to admit that was a curious statement to make about a school with a first-class guy as it's head coach.

I'd be interested to know how Abdullah spent his time in Knoxville and with whom, exactly, he spent it.

Ironically, Abdullah's best moment in the recruiting process came courtesy of Tennessee's eastern division rival, Georgia. Abdullah witnessed former star receiver, A.J. Green, in action during his visit to Auburn:

What was your favorite moment during the recruiting process?

"Probably when I visited Auburn and they played Georgia. I saw A.J. Green in action and he caught 211 (yards) on them. That game and seeing him play was the highlight for me."

(sigh)...A.J. did have that effect on people, didn't he? But, I digress.

Honestly, Abdullah's pronouncement should come as a surprise to the Knoxville contingent as it was only a handful of months ago that he was singing a much different tune following an official visit in November.

Said Abdullah, at that time, "I didn’t know much about Tennessee. I learned they have a very huge fan base no matter how the season is going. I met with Tauren Poole, he’s a real cool guy and he was my host. I really like Tennessee."

Uh-huh, just another example of how the recruiting game can be a kick in the head.

Big 12 Rumor: Did Nebraska's Taylor Martinez Leave The Team?

Twitter is hopping with another wild rumor, this one regarding Big 12 quarterback, Taylor Martinez—Nebraska's talented redshirt freshman.

No idea how this, unconfirmed, rumor began, but there is heavy speculation that the public undressing head coach Bo Pelini gave Martinez on the sidelines, during last night's 9-6 loss to Texas A&M, could have something to do with a decision to jump ship:



Honestly, the validity of the story seems questionable.

Why would Martinez risk another year of eligibility and his high profile position at a major school— a school headed to the even bigger spotlight of the Big Ten—just because his feelings got hurt on the sidelines?

That said, some feel that Pelini's less than hospitable demeanor could be the biggest factor and one of the main reasons why if this rumor turns out to be true, Pelini's could possibly be shown the door as well. 

Whatever the case, no one in Lincoln is ready to see a blossoming star exit stage left on a promising college football career at Nebraska.

College Football: The Texas Longhorns Get Swept Away by The Cyclones

Someone forgot to tell the Texas Longhorns that the season didn't end with their victory over Nebraska, because they apparently didn't realize that.

The Iowa State Cyclones, led by a determined Austen Arnaud and a defense with a major chip on its shoulder, marched into Austin, TX with a seven-game losing streak to Mack Brown and his Longhorns.

However, by the end of the day, they were floating out of Texas Memorial Stadium with a helmet full of pride, and a solid 'w' to give to the supporters waiting for them in Ames, IA.

It was clear early that Garrett Gilbert and the rest of his teammates left their pride, their game, and their execution in Nebraska, because the team that showed up to play football today looked unprepared and unimpressed.

At the half, the Longhorns had three-points to show for their mediocre efforts.

By contrast, Iowa State came to play. On their second possession of the game, Arnaud led the team 80-yards downfield for a touchdown.

Two possessions later, the Cyclones added another six via the ground game—in-between the touchdowns, the Cyclones' defense kept the Longhorns off-balance, frustrated, and confused as they bullied, pushed, and punked for three quarters—including several denials in the redzone.

Before Texas finally figured out what was happening, the was game over.

It was a good win for Austen Arnaud and the Cyclones. The talented quarterback has played with a lot of heart over the years, but he's seen his fair share of losses.

For the Texas Longhorns, and Garrett Gilbert, it's just another bad loss on a season that, after last week, seemed to be turning a corner—just another Saturday in college football.

College Football: Who Is The Best Dual-Threat QB in The BCS This Season?

It's been a long time since the BCS saw three quarterbacks who were able to dominate the game, with their arms and their legs, the way Denard Robinson, Cam Newton, and Taylor Martinez have this season.

Patrick White, of West Virginia, was a product of the very system that Rich Rodriguez brought to Michigan. The very one that Denard Robinson is excelling in today. However, not even White was as impressive as Robinson has been through his first six games of the year.

So far, the sophomore has compiled 991 yards on 119 carries (19.83 avg)—that includes two 200 yard games. As a matter of fact, prior to his being stymied by a motivated Michigan State team, there seemed to be no team in the country capable of slowing him down.

While he tends to rely on his legs more than his arms, he has been very proficient in the passing game as well—completing nearly 68 percent of his attempts and passing for more than 1200+ yards and 8 touchdowns.

He's been superhuman on the football field and he is the biggest reason why the Wolverines are 5-1:



Taylor Martinez is the starting quarterback for the Nebraska Cornhuskers. He hasn't gotten nearly as much publicity or love as Robinson, but he's no less impressive.

Martinez has a little over half the rushing attempts of Robinson (68), but has already accumulated 737 yards on the ground (10.84 avg) and scored 12 times.

As a passer, there is still plenty of work to be done. Where Robinson is more efficient with his passes, Martinez has been prone to making careless mistakes while trying to do too much. That has led to as many interceptions as it has touchdowns, and partially explains his reliance on his legs to get the job done when his arm would be more than sufficient.

Nebraska is currently ranked in the top 10 of the AP Poll and there are high hopes that with Texas, seemingly, in a rebuilding year, it will come down to Oklahoma and Nebraska for the Big 12 title.

Martinez also has the luxury of additional offensive playmakers to compliment his game—both Rex Burkhead and Roy Helu provide a fierce ground attack. Then there's that tough Nebraska defense to help keep the other team from making his job too difficult.
 


Cam Newton has been a dream player for Auburn this year. Not only has he proven to be clutch over the last six weeks—averting losses to Mississippi State, South Carolina, Clemson, and Kentucky via last minute heroics—but he's remained cool in each of the four pressure-cooker situations he's faced.

It is clear that the offense will live and die with Newton's play. He's Auburn's ace-in-the-hole because he will either beat you early or break your heart late.

The true test of his mettle will come in the next few weeks of the season, where he will be forced to take on a Ryan Mallett-led Arkansas, a luck-led LSU, and a pride-led Georgia...all before meeting up with Alabama in the Iron Bowl.

That said, he still has much to prove about how good he truly is, but there are no doubts about his talent.


So, who's the best of the three. Well, considering the overall level of competition, you have to give the edge to Newton. Martinez hasn't really been tested against an upper-level defense, and Robinson's showing against Michigan State proves that there are limits to what he can do—if a sufficient challenge is mounted.

Who's the best in your mind? Who's done the most for his team this season?

Ohio State vs Michigan: Does The Big Ten Realignment Tarnish Their Rivalry?

The Big Ten announced its new alignment following the addition of the Nebraska Cornhuskers in 2011, and Michigan and Ohio State will be placed in seperate divisions. Will that make the annual season-ending battle against these two traditional powers less interesting?

Honestly, the one thing that made this match-up so crucial was the fact that it meant something—a trip to the Rose Bowl in many cases. Now, the Big Ten will not only maintain the rivalry in-season, but offer it the possibility of happening twice in one season via the conference championship game.

How is this a good thing?

Granted, right now, Michigan doesn't seem to pose any threat of giving Ohio State a run for its money— this year or the next. But, the Wolverines will not be down forever, they will eventually get rid of the stain that is Rich Rodriguez and this rivalry will return to its former glory. When that happens, how much juice will it have if neither team is playing for anything of importance—nationally?

It hurts both Michigan and Ohio State on a national level because no one outside of those who reside in Columbus or Ann Arbor will be able to get excited to see the two teams play—especially if they feel it will happen more than once.  It will cease to be must-see tv for a large segment of college football fans who love not only the rivalry itself, but what it stood for.

Here is what ESPN's Andy Katz had to say about the realignment:



Beyond this, though, the real losers are the Big Ten basketball fans—wow. 

This alignment essentially gives Michigan State a red carpet to March Madness every year while giving the finger to the fans of Penn State, Illinois, Purdue, and Indiana. No doubt the fans of those programs are staging a silent protest as we speak—just another reminder that college football rules the checkbook.