Alabama Crimson Tide: Ohio State Buckeyes
The team I wanted to see face Alabama last season in the BCS National Championship was Oregon. It's the matchup the entire country wanted to see.
No offense, Notre Dame fans, but seeing that high-octane Oregon offense go up against Alabama's defense would have made for much better theater than what we ended up getting in South Florida in January.
Wouldn't it be great if you could play college football matchmaker and turn some of these dream match-ups into realities during the season?
We've come up with five such matchups and want you to select which one would be the most attractive by voting in our SportsNation poll.
Alabama versus Oregon is one of the choices. Who knows? Maybe we'll finally get to see the Ducks and Tide square off in the final BCS National Championship before we go to a playoff in 2014.
Think Florida versus Ohio State would stir a few emotions with Urban Meyer taking on his old team? It would be the battle of Meyer's two dream jobs. Come to think of it, is it possible to have two dream jobs? In Meyer's world, you can.
I realize that Texas athletic director DeLoss Dodds, in all of his arrogance, said recently that Texas gets to decide when Texas and Texas A&M play again. Ask anybody in that state, and it can't be soon enough. Surely we'll see those two old rivals playing again sooner rather than later.
Here's one for you: South Carolina and Steve Spurrier going up against Lane Kiffin and the West Coast version of USC. Spurrier's not the biggest Kiffin fan. Then again, who in the SEC is? Something says the buildup to that game could be as entertaining as the game itself.
Finally, LSU and Notre Dame played 10 times between 1970 and 2006 and are all knotted up, 5-5. It's time to break the tie. Talk about two of the best fight songs in all of college sports and two programs steeped in tradition.
Well, you have the rundown. Tell us which matchup you'd most like to see, and we'll go over results next week.
No offense, Notre Dame fans, but seeing that high-octane Oregon offense go up against Alabama's defense would have made for much better theater than what we ended up getting in South Florida in January.
We've come up with five such matchups and want you to select which one would be the most attractive by voting in our SportsNation poll.
Alabama versus Oregon is one of the choices. Who knows? Maybe we'll finally get to see the Ducks and Tide square off in the final BCS National Championship before we go to a playoff in 2014.
Think Florida versus Ohio State would stir a few emotions with Urban Meyer taking on his old team? It would be the battle of Meyer's two dream jobs. Come to think of it, is it possible to have two dream jobs? In Meyer's world, you can.
I realize that Texas athletic director DeLoss Dodds, in all of his arrogance, said recently that Texas gets to decide when Texas and Texas A&M play again. Ask anybody in that state, and it can't be soon enough. Surely we'll see those two old rivals playing again sooner rather than later.
Here's one for you: South Carolina and Steve Spurrier going up against Lane Kiffin and the West Coast version of USC. Spurrier's not the biggest Kiffin fan. Then again, who in the SEC is? Something says the buildup to that game could be as entertaining as the game itself.
Finally, LSU and Notre Dame played 10 times between 1970 and 2006 and are all knotted up, 5-5. It's time to break the tie. Talk about two of the best fight songs in all of college sports and two programs steeped in tradition.
Well, you have the rundown. Tell us which matchup you'd most like to see, and we'll go over results next week.
OT Damian Prince slims down, speeds up 
April, 23, 2013
Apr 23
11:00
AM ET
By
Mitch Sherman | ESPN.com
ASHBURN, Va. -- At an event that featured three of the top 11 defensive prospects in the ESPN 150, third-rated offensive tackle Damian Prince of Forestville (Md.) Bishop McNamara impressed every bit as much as any of them Sunday at the Nike Football Training Camp outside of Washington, D.C.
Prince showed off a slimmed down frame -- he’s lost more than 30 pounds, he said, to reach about 285 -- and dominated in blocking drills against a stout group of defensive linemen.
Prince, No. 33 in the ESPN 150, put himself in position to rise over the upcoming months.
Prince showed off a slimmed down frame -- he’s lost more than 30 pounds, he said, to reach about 285 -- and dominated in blocking drills against a stout group of defensive linemen.
Prince, No. 33 in the ESPN 150, put himself in position to rise over the upcoming months.
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MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- The Nike Football Training Camp circuit stayed in the southeast on Sunday, stopping at the Memphis University School for an event that, to the surprise of no one, featured solid line play. No doubt, it’s a staple in this part of the country. In fact, coaches praised the participants for play as strong in the trenches as they’ve seen at any Nike camp this spring.
Mitch Sherman of Recruiting Nation attended the event. Here’s what he learned:
Youth has been served
While a strong contingent of upperclassmen dominated the positional MVP honors, a few 14- and 15-year-old prospects shared time in the spotlight. Notably, linebacker Dylan Moses of Baton Rouge, La., showed no hesitation in facing players four years his senior. Moses, an eighth-grader set to begin high school at LSU Laboratory School in the fall, added an offer on Saturday from Ole Miss to a list that already featured Alabama and LSU. Running back Gabe Angel, a freshman at Lebanon (Tenn.) Wilson Central, performed well on Sunday after recently adding Ole Miss, Vanderbilt and Tennessee to a Mississippi State offer he received last year. Another 2016 prospect, receiver Harry Ballard of Florissant (Mo.) McCluer North, showed well, too.
Ole Miss is surging
Mitch Sherman of Recruiting Nation attended the event. Here’s what he learned:
Youth has been served
While a strong contingent of upperclassmen dominated the positional MVP honors, a few 14- and 15-year-old prospects shared time in the spotlight. Notably, linebacker Dylan Moses of Baton Rouge, La., showed no hesitation in facing players four years his senior. Moses, an eighth-grader set to begin high school at LSU Laboratory School in the fall, added an offer on Saturday from Ole Miss to a list that already featured Alabama and LSU. Running back Gabe Angel, a freshman at Lebanon (Tenn.) Wilson Central, performed well on Sunday after recently adding Ole Miss, Vanderbilt and Tennessee to a Mississippi State offer he received last year. Another 2016 prospect, receiver Harry Ballard of Florissant (Mo.) McCluer North, showed well, too.
Ole Miss is surging
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Numbers to know from signing day
February, 7, 2013
Feb 7
11:36
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By Mackenzie Kraemer | ESPN.com
1 – Alabama’s class rank. Every year that head coach Nick Saban has had a full season to recruit (since 2008), the Crimson Tide have had a top-three class. No other school has even had a top-10 class each of the past six years. Alabama received commitments from three of the top-10 running backs, plus Derrick Henry (No. 9 in ESPN 300, No. 1 Athlete), the leading rusher in high school football history.
3 – Number of Ole Miss’s recruits ranked in the top 20 of the ESPN 300. Since ESPN recruiting rankings were introduced in 2006, Ole Miss had never had a single top-20 recruit. Head coach Hugh Freeze received letters of intent from two of the top five recruits, including the top ranked player in the ESPN 300, DE Robert Nkemdiche.
7 – Number of players since November who have decommitted from USC, and all were in the ESPN 300. USC’s class was ranked No. 1 for more than three months between July and November, but now it's ranked 14th. Two of those decommits, Eldridge Massington (No. 172 in ESPN 300, No. 21 WR) and Kylie Fitts (No. 86 in ESPN 300, No. 8 DE) flipped their commitments to rival UCLA. The Bruins finished the day with the 12th-ranked class, the first time since 2006 they finished ahead of their crosstown rival.
BRADENTON, Fla. -- Five-star cornerback prospect Vernon Hargreaves III (Tampa, Fla./Wharton) won defensive MVP of the IMG Madden 7-on-7 National Championship tournament on Sunday after Team Tampa beat Max Ex Blue 28-17 to win the tournament.
The 5-foot-11, 185-pound athlete had several interceptions over the course of the two-day tournament, including one against Michigan quarterback commit Shane Morris in the championship game.
As for recruiting, the talented corner who has more than 50 scholarship offers said three schools are starting to stand out to him.
The 5-foot-11, 185-pound athlete had several interceptions over the course of the two-day tournament, including one against Michigan quarterback commit Shane Morris in the championship game.
As for recruiting, the talented corner who has more than 50 scholarship offers said three schools are starting to stand out to him.
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Five-star WR likely headed out of state
February, 13, 2012
2/13/12
11:17
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By
Derek Tyson | ESPN.com
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Five-star wide receiver prospect Ahmad Fulwood (Jacksonville, Fla./Bishop Kenny) will be one of the most highly recruited prospects in the state of Florida for the 2013 class, but he is likely headed out of state to play college football.
Fulwood lists Clemson, Alabama, USC, Arkansas, Georgia, Ohio State and Notre Dame as schools that he is most interested. The 6-foot-4, 200-pound receiver said that out of those schools, he likely will visit Georgia, Clemson, Ohio State and possibly USC this spring.
Noticeably missing are in-state schools Florida, Florida State and Miami. Fulwood said he is likely to leave the state to attend college. Fulwood, who is from New Jersey, said there is no particular reason he wants to leave the state.
Fulwood lists Clemson, Alabama, USC, Arkansas, Georgia, Ohio State and Notre Dame as schools that he is most interested. The 6-foot-4, 200-pound receiver said that out of those schools, he likely will visit Georgia, Clemson, Ohio State and possibly USC this spring.
Noticeably missing are in-state schools Florida, Florida State and Miami. Fulwood said he is likely to leave the state to attend college. Fulwood, who is from New Jersey, said there is no particular reason he wants to leave the state.
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ABOUT TIDE NATION
Greg Ostendorf
Greg Ostendorf joined ESPN.com in 2012 after covering University of Alabama football and basketball recruiting at the Tuscaloosa News and Rivals.com. Ostendorf graduated from the University of Alabama and currently resides in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Email him at gsostendorf.espn@gmail.com.
Alex Scarborough
Alex Scarborough joined ESPN.com in 2012 after covering University of Alabama athletics and high school football for The Tuscaloosa News. He currently resides in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Email him at alexscarborough.espn@gmail.com.