Jan 9, 2012; New Orleans, LA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide defensive back Dre Kirkpatrick (21) holds the BCS National Championship Trophy after his team defeated the LSU Tigers 21-0 at the Louisiana Superdome. Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports

The Alabama Crimson Tide football program has won the past two BCS National Championships. What comes with the championship win is a shiny Waterford Crystal football that carries a value of over $30,000. Unfortunately for the Crimson Tide, the trophy they earned for the 2011 BCS Championship was dropped during an event shortly after their win.

It wasn’t the greatest thing to ever happen, but the program made the most out of it and decided to sell the broken trophy at the university’s celebrity golf tournament. As you would expect, it brought in a ton of cash.

From Cecil Hurt of the Tuscaloosa News:

Alabama auctions off the broken 2011 BCS Champonship Trophy at its UA Celebrity Golf Tournament on Sunday. It brought a reported $105,000.

— Cecil Hurt (@CecilHurt) May 20, 2013

We don’t know if the largest chunk of the trophy was auctioned off or if it was a number of pieces. Considering the fact that the trophy shattered upon impact, you would have to believe there were a number of pieces auctioned off.

Great work by Alabama. As they say, when life gives you lemons, sell them for $105,000.

Jan 7, 2013; Miami, FL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban holds the Coaches Trophy after the 2013 BCS Championship game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Sun Life Stadium. Alabama won 42-14. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Florida Gators assistant Tim Davis recently took some shots at Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban by calling him “the devil himself” and it looks like his former boss caught wind of the comments. Saban was informed of Davis’ comments and he responded with disappointment for his former colleague because of the way he went after him.

“It really is a little terribly disappointing,” Saban said, via al.com. “I try to do right by the people that work for me. It’s a tough, demanding job. And at the same time, if anybody had an issue or problem with me, I would want them to just tell me. It’s just disappointing. If somebody has a problem with me, I’d appreciate it if they’d tell me. If I’m doing something to offend somebody, I’d certainly like to do whatever I have to do to fix it. It’s not our intention. It’s not what we try to do.

“We’re in a tough business. It’s very competitive. Sometimes you’ve got to demand that people do things that maybe they don’t want to do, but it’s not personal.”

Saban took the remarks from Davis personally, because they had a working relationship in the past with the Miami Dolphins and at Alabama.

Davis’ remarks wreaked of jealousy and they were unnecessary. I’m sure Gators head coach Will Muschamp won’t be too happy about the way his assistant went after a former co-worker and friend.

May 16, 2013; San Diego, CA, USA; Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel throws out the first pitch at the San Diego Padres game on Thursday night. Manziel recreated his famous touchdown that came against the Alabama Crimson Tide. Mandatory Photo Credit: USA Today Sports

Is there anything that Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Johnny Manziel can’t do? Johnny Football has been everywhere in the months following his Heisman Trophy win and his latest endeavor brought him to San Diego to throw out the first pitch at the San Diego Padres game. As you would expect, Manziel had to flaunt the Heisman logo on his sleeve, but that isn’t where the tributes to his 2012 season ended.

[RELATED: Johnny Manziel Hits Home Run During Batting Practice (Video)]

When Manziel walked out to the mound to give the first pitch of the game, he decided it would be a good time to recreate his fumble-to-touchdown play that helped lift the Aggies over the eventual national champion Alabama Crimson Tide.

And it was awesome.

Here is a GIF of Manziel’s first pitch, via SBNation:

It should not be overlooked that the catcher had an unbelievable behind the back catch that may have been the best part of this GIF.

Jan 7, 2013; Miami, FL, USA; BCS chief executive officer Bill Hancock (right) presents Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban with the Coaches Trophy after the 2013 BCS Championship game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Sun Life Stadium. Alabama won 42-14. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

The Alabama Crimson Tide continue to dominate the college football world. Last season, they were able to dominate the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on way to their second straight BCS National Championship victory. While the team is now focusing on winning their third-straight win, they can take a break to appreciate their win to close out last season.

Alabama wide receiver Kenny Bell took the time to share a photo of the team’s 2012 national championship rings. As you would expect, they are very flashy and feature the Alabama logo along with some images of the Coaches Trophy.

Here is what Bell shared with his followers:

..some new to my collection roll tide instagram.com/p/ZQvi3lxsEm/

— Kenny bell (@TheKennyBell7) May 13, 2013

Photo via Kenny Bell on Instagram

Not too shabby, right?

But I am sure you are all looking for additional angles of the ring, so we found those too. Paul W. Bryant Museum shared another photo of the rings on Twitter that featured multiple angles and an up close look at the championship jewelry.

Photo via Paul W. Bryant Museum on Twitter (@bryantmuseum)

What do you think of Alabama’s championship rings? Share your thoughts in the comments section and let us know if you think they will be adding another ring to the collection after this season.

[H/T: CBS Sports]

Dec 3, 2011; Atlanta, GA, USA; A general view of the SEC logo at mid-field after the 2011 SEC championship game between the LSU Tigers and Georgia Bulldogs at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

The Southeastern Conference is undoubtedly the top college football conference in the nation. While the league is discussing expanding to nine conference games, the non-conference schedules can often leave much to be desired. SEC teams routinely beat up on FCS schools, but the high-profile non-conference games will often get overlooked.

Down the road we may get an increase in top-notch non-conference games with the College Football Playoff, but the SEC teams are already starting to schedule some quality games out of their conference.

This year alone we have games like Florida vs. Miami, Georgia vs. Clemson and LSU vs. TCU on a neutral stage and that is just the tip of the iceberg for the SEC moving forward.

Here is a look ahead at some of the most exciting non-conference match ups that we will be treated to in the coming years, via ESPN:

2013

• Georgia at Clemson
• LSU vs. TCU (Arlington, Texas)
• Mississippi State vs. Oklahoma State (Houston)
• Ole Miss at Texas
• Tennessee at Oregon
• Florida at Miami
• North Carolina at South Carolina

2014

• Ole Miss vs. Boise State (Atlanta)
• Clemson at Georgia
• Auburn at Kansas State
• Tennessee at Oklahoma

2015

• South Carolina vs. North Carolina (Charlotte)
• Oklahoma at Tennessee
• Arizona State at LSU
• Texas A&M vs. USC

2016

• Tennessee at Nebraska
• Texas A&M vs. USC
• Michigan State at Alabama

2017

• Nebraska at Tennessee
• Georgia Tech at Ole Miss
• Alabama at Michigan State

2018

• LSU at Oklahoma
• Texas A&M at Oregon
• Ole Miss at Georgia Tech

2019

• Oklahoma at LSU
• Oregon at Texas A&M

Which of the games are you looking forward to the most? Sound off in the comments section and share your thoughts.

NOTE: Annual match ups like Florida vs. Florida State and South Carolina vs. Clemson were not included in the listings to give us a wider variety of opponents.

Jan 5, 2013; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban speaks to the media during media day for the 2013 BCS Championship game at Sun Life Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

Conference realignment has often been a hot topic in college football, but it finally seems like things are beginning to settle down. While the realignment is settling down and everyone is preparing for the College Football Playoff, the idea lingers in the back of everyone’s mind of five power conferences who could break away from the NCAA.

Among the supports of that idea is Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban. Saban spoke with al.com to express his support of the five power conferences. 

“I’m for five conferences – everybody playing everybody in those five conferences,” Saban said via AL.com . “That’s what I’m for, so it might be 70 teams, and everybody’s got to play ‘em.”

That is an excellent idea.

If the five conferences would have 14 teams a piece, they could play a 13 game season within their respective conference. At the end of the “regular season,” the top two or four teams from each conference could come together for a playoff. This would allow a number of exciting match ups all season long and the thrilling playoff that college fans are hoping for.

A four-team playoff is an improvement, but it is going to leave a lot to be desired.

Another benefit from the power conferences is that it would eliminate any of the cupcake games from team’s schedules. Too often in college football there are teams who schedule FCS opponents and those who are clearly outmatched, which leads to unappealing games. By having the cream of the crop in a five conference schedule, we would get to see the top level match ups on a consistent basis.

This would be a win-win for all fans.

As for the SEC, Saban would approve of a ninth conference game in the meantime.

“Don’t they want to see good games and all that?” Saban said.

Much like the argument for five power conferences, the SEC would also benefit from adding conference games. They are without question the top conference in college football and the more that they play within the division the more entertaining it will be.

What do you think of the five power conferences and a ninth conference game for the SEC? Share your thoughts in the comments section and let us know if you think it is a good or bad idea.

Mar 22, 2013; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide head football coach Nick Saban speaks on behalf of all coaches after Bill Battle (not shown) is introduced as the athletic director for the Alabama Crimson Tide athletics department at the Mal M. Moore Athletic Building. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports

The SEC is without a doubt the power conference to end all power conferences in college football. There was some rumblings a few years ago that the Pac-12 may be the power conference of the future, but Nick Saban and his Alabama Crimson Tide have led the way in the SEC and have helped make it the football factory it is.

But Oklahoma Sooners head coach Bob Stoops doesn’t share that sentiment, and he called the notion that the SEC is the best conference in football, “propaganda”.

While there are schools like LSU and head coaches like Les Miles who are talented and have outstanding programs, it’s Alabama and Nicks Saban who are the ambassadors of the conference, and their message to Bob Stoops and the rest of college football is simple: I don’t care.

“I’ve got more important things to do than sit around and read what Bob Stoops has to say about anything,” Saban said, via Anniston Star reporter Mark Edwards.

Of course, Saban has a point in that he’s he head coach of the National Champions and he’s going for a third straight title while Bob Stoops and the Sooners haven’t been relevant for years, let alone the crippled Big 12 they’re apart of. Stoops calling out Saban and the SEC is laughable but it goes to show how serious college football is, even in the offseason.

Stoops’ “propaganda” remarks sounds like mid-season bulletin board material, but he’s making a fatal mistake. It’s one thing to tick off Nick Saban and Alabama but Stoops kind of got hung-ho and  just bashed an entire conference. So not only is the remark about Alabama, but it’s directed at Georgia, Florida, LSU, Texas A&M and everyone in between.

I believe the phrase is you bit off a little more than you can chew.

Jan 5, 2013; Miami FL, USA; A detailed view of the Coaches Trophy during media day for the BCS Championship game to be played between the Alabama Crimson Tide and Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Sun Life Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

The college football season is a few months away, but the analysis and predictions are already beginning to roll in for the 2013 season. The latest predictions give us a look at who may be matched up in the top BCS bowls. As you would expect, the Alabama Crimson Tide and Ohio State Buckeyes are the overwhelming favorites to make it to the BCS title game, but there are some very intriguing match ups in the remaining bowl games.

Here are the BCS bowl projections from Jerry Palm of CBS Sports:

BCS National Championship
Alabama Crimson Tide vs. Ohio State Buckeyes

Orange Bowl
Florida State Seminoles vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Sugar Bowl
Texas A&M Aggies vs. Clemson Tigers

Fiesta Bowl
Texas Longhorns vs. Louisville Cardinals

Rose Bowl
Nebraska Cornushkers vs. Stanford Cardinal

You can read Palm’s projections for all 35 bowl games here on CBS.com.

The Longhorns vs. Cardinals and Aggies vs. Tigers match ups would be especially intriguing. The high-powered offenses would light up the scoreboard and we would get a chance to see three of the nation’s top signal-callers in action — Teddy Bridgewater (Louisville), Tajh Boyd (Clemson) and Johnny Manziel (Texas A&M).

What do you think of the predictions and what games are you looking forward to seeing the most if they would come to fruition? Sound off in the comments section and share your thoughts.

Jan 7, 2013; Miami, FL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban holds the Coaches Trophy after the 2013 BCS Championship game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Sun Life Stadium. Alabama won 42-14. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

It should come as exactly no surprise that the Alabama Crimson Tide are the odds-on favorites to win the BCS National Championship for the third consecutive year. Following spring ball, the odds makers have unveiled their very early list of betting odds for the upcoming year and Nick Saban’s squad topped the list.

Coming in second was the Ohio State Buckeyes, who went undefeated just a season ago, but were ineligible for the postseason.

The Oregon Ducks are near the top of the list, despite the loss of Chip Kelly, and a number of teams in the SEC follow — what else would you expect?

Here is the complete list of odds for the 2013 BCS title, via Bovada.lv:

• Alabama 3/1
• Ohio State 13/2
• Oregon 7/1
• Texas A&M 8/1
• Georgia 16/1
• Stanford 16/1
• LSU 18/1
• Florida 20/1
• Louisville 22/1
• Clemson 25/1
• Florida State 28/1
• Miami 28/1
• Notre Dame 28/1
• South Carolina 28/1
• Michigan 33/1
• Oklahoma State 33/1
• Texas 33/1
• Nebraska 50/1
• Oklahoma 50/1
• UCLA 50/1
• USC 50/1
• TCU 66/1
• Wisconsin 66/1
• Boise State 100/1
• Michigan State 100/1
• Oregon State 100/1
• Mississippi 125/1
• North Carolina 150/1
• Northwestern 150/1
• Virginia Tech 150/1
• Washington 150/1
• Auburn 200/1
• BYU 200/1
• California 200/1
• Cincinnati 200/1
• Georgia Tech 200/1
• Kansas State 200/1
• Mississippi State 200/1
• Pittsburgh 200/1
• Rutgers 200/1
• Arizona 250/1
• Arkansas 250/1
• Iowa 250/1
• Tennessee 250/1
• Missouri 300/1
• West Virginia 300/1
• Boston College 500/1
• South Florida 500/1

Apr 15, 2013; Washington, D.C., USA; United States president Barack Obama poses for photographs with the BCS College Football Champions Alabama Crimson Tide team at the White House. Flanking the President are Alabama coach Nick Saban (left) and quarterback A. J. McCarron. Mandatory Credit: H.Darr Beiser-USA TODAY Sports Mandatory Credit: H.Darr Beiser-USA TODAY Sports

Thanks to the wonderful world of social media, we get to overanalyze photos that are taken everywhere and get the opportunity for some incredible photobombs to surface. There have been a number of great photobombs throughout the years, but the one that occurred at the Alabama graduation is priceless.

Alabama grad Bradley Harris was posing innocently to enjoy his big day, when Crimson Tide head football coach Nick Saban stood up in the background and dropped the photobomb.

Instead of the photo never surfacing, Harris did what any reasonable human being does these days when he went to social media to share the photo with all of his followers on Twitter.

Here is the message that Harris shared on his Twitter account:

Photo bomb twitter.com/bradleyrharris…

— Bradley Harris (@bradleyrharris) May 5, 2013

And here is the photo:

Photo via Bradley Harris on Twitter (@bradleyrharris)

God bless the Internet. And, Nick Saban, well done.

Jan 8, 2013; Fort Lauderdale FL, USA; The coaches trophy which was awarded to the Alabama Crimson Tide was on display during head coach Nick Saban winning coach press conference at Harbor Beach Marriott Resort

We are still a few months away from the start of the 2013 college football season, but there is still plenty of interest leading up to the start of the new year.

With the excitement constantly growing as we get closer to a college football world that will include the formerly evasive playoff system, we decided to put together our own pre-season top ten rankings to give the readers an idea of what teams to watch moving forward and who could be a potential national title contender.

Who are the teams to watch out for in 2013?

Without further introduction, here is a look at our pre-season top ten.

JUST MISSED: LSU Tigers, South Carolina Gamecocks

Jan 19, 2013; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Cheerleader fly a flag celebrating back to back National Championship wins outside Bryant Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports

The college football season is still a few months away, but that hasn’t stopped excitement from building as we look ahead to the week one match ups. Out of the six opening weekend games, only two have spreads that are less than a touchdown — LSU is six-point favorites over TCU, while Georgia is a two-point favorite over Clemson.

Opening weekend’s biggest spread goes to the game with your defending national champions. 

The Alabama Crimson Tide will start their run at a potential three-peat against the Virginia Tech Hokies in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game in Atlanta, Georgia. The game is set for Saturday, August 31, and it should come as no surprise that the Crimson Tide are big time favorites over the opposition.

Alabama opens as 22-point favorites.

Virginia Tech cornerback Antone Exum previously said that the Hokies will beat Alabama in the season opener, so we will have to see whether his medically induced delirious comments are accurate or whether the odds makers lopsided spread is more appropriate.

We have to side with the odds makers on this one.

Here is the complete set of opening weekend odds from 5 Dimes:

Thursday, Aug. 29
North Carolina at South Carolina (-14.5)
USC at Hawaii (+19)

Saturday, Aug. 31
Alabama vs. Virginia Tech (+22) (Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game in Atlanta, Ga.)
LSU vs. TCU (+6) (Cowboys Classic in Arlington, Tx.)
Georgia at Clemson (-2)

Monday, Sept. 2
Florida State at Pittsburgh (+8.5)

Jan 19, 2013; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback AJ McCarron (10) acknowledges the crowd on his way to the National Championship celebration. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports

Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback AJ McCarron and Texas A&M Aggies star Johnny Manziel are in the beginning stages of a bromance after meeting during the Super Bowl in New Orleans. Now, the two signal-callers are planning on taking their relationship to the next level by heading off on a beach vacation… together.

“We’re either going to Key West or Cancun and will hang out with our other friends,” McCarron said, via USA TODAY Sports. “Me and him, we don’t ever let that (football talk) bother us. He’s a good friend of mine, and he’s a funny dude.”

There little getaway will apparently take place in May.

It is interesting because this further shows that rivalries on the field of play do not carry on off the field in today’s age of sports. In the past, two rival quarterbacks going on a beach vacation together may have been frowned upon, but nowadays it is the norm.

Thanks to social media and the availability of everyone, players like to connect and spend time with their peers.

For McCarron and Manziel, this is no different.

This is just two college guys getting together to enjoy themselves. As long as no one that shouldn’t be paying for the trip is taking care of expenses (you know the NCAA is watching), there should be no issue with the trip.

The real question is whether or not Katherine Webb will be joining the pair on the beach:

GIF via The Big Lead

Dec 3, 2011; Atlanta, GA, USA; Detail view of the SEC logo before the 2011 SEC championship game between the LSU Tigers and the Georgia Bulldogs at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

We continue to hear that the Southeastern Conference is the most dominating in college football and we can see that with their string of BCS National Championship victories. But just how good is the SEC? All you need to do is look at the 2013 NFL Draft results.

For the past few years, the Southeastern Conference has dominated the draft from top to bottom, but this year it is more evident than ever.

After three rounds of draft selections, the SEC has an unbelievable thirty-two draft picks. Yes, 32 of the first 97 picks in the 2013 NFL Draft came from the best conference in college football. Just to put that in perspective, that is an entire round of players drafted from one conference. That is dominance.

This just goes to show that if you want to improve your skills on the field in your college career and you want to have a legitimate shot at making it to the next level, performing in the SEC prepares you the most and gives you the best shot at success.

Here are the thirty-two players from the Southeastern Conference that were drafted in the first-three rounds (alphabetical order by last name):

• Johnthan Banks, cornerback, Mississippi State — Tampa Bay Buccaneers — Round 2
• Jon Bostic, linebacker, Florida — Chicago Bears — Round 2
• Knile Davis, running back, Arkansas — Kansas City Chiefs — Round 3
• Matt Elam, safety, Florida — Baltimore Ravens — Round 1
• Sharrif Floyd, defensive tackle, Florida — Minnesota Vikings — Round 1
• DJ Fluker, offensive tackle, Alabama — San Diego Chargers — Round 1
• Zavier Gooden, linebacker, Missouri — Tennessee Titans — Round 3
• Justin Hunter, wide receiver, Tennessee — Tennessee Titans — Round 2
• John Jenkins, defensive tackle, Georgia — New Orleans Saints — Round 3
• Luke Joeckel, offensive tackle, Texas A&M — Jacksonville Jaguars — Round 1
• Jarvis Jones, linebacker, Georgia — Pittsburgh Steelers — Round 1
• Eddie Lacy, running back, Alabama — Green Bay Packers — Round 2
• Corey Lemonier, defensive end, Auburn — San Francisco 49ers — Round 3
• Bennie Logan, defensive tackle, LSU — Philadelphia Eagles — Round 3
• Tyrann Mathieu, defensive back, LSU — Arizona Cardinals — Round 3
• Christine Michael, running back, Texas A&M — Seattle Seahawks — Round 2
• Dee Milliner, cornerback, Alabama — New York Jets — Round 1
• Barkevious Mingo, outside linebacker, LSU — Cleveland Browns — Round 1
• Kevin Minter, linebacker, LSU — Arizona Cardinals — Round 2
• Sam Montgomery, defensive end, LSU — Houston Texans — Round 3
• Damontre Moore, defensive end, Texas A&M — New York Giants — Round 3
• Alec Ogletree, linebacker, Georgia — St. Louis Rams — Round 1
• Cordarrelle Patterson, wide receiver, Tennessee — Minnesota Vikings — Round 1
• Jordan Reed, tight end, Florida — Washington Redskins — Round 3
• Eric Reid, safety, LSU — San Francisco 49ers — Round 1
• Sheldon Richardson, defensive tackle, Missouri — New York Jets — Round 1
• Darius Slay, cornerback, Mississippi State — Detroit Lions — Round 2
• DJ Swearinger, safety, South Carolina — Houston Texans — Round 2
• Dallas Thomas, offensive tackle, Tennessee — Miami Dolphins — Round 3
• Larry Warford, guard, Kentucky — Detroit Lions — Round 3
• Chance Warmack, guard, Alabama — Tennessee Titans — Round 1
• Shawn Williams, safety, Georgia — Cincinnati Bengals — Round 3

Congratulations to all of the young men who had their dream come true over the first two days of the draft. There are still many more to come.

Dec 1, 2012; Atlanta, GA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide offensive linesman D.J. Fluker (76) celebrates winning the 2012 SEC Championship game against the Georgia Bulldogs at the Georgia Dome. Alabama won 32-28. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Shirey-USA TODAY Sports

The NFL Draft season is coming to an end, but that doesn’t mean all eyes aren’t still locked on the top prospects in the class. One of those prospects, Alabama Crimson Tide offensive lineman DJ Fluker, is in the headlines for a tweet he made and then deleted before the old “I was hacked” defense.

Fluker tweeted about accepting money from agents during his time at Alabama.

Photo via Twitter

Immediately after the tweet (pictured right) surfaced, Fluker deleted it and then his agent came running to his defense.

“We know who did this,” said Fluker’s agent Deryk Gilmore. “This is totally fiction, but I’m waiting to get some proof. I’ve been on the phone with Twitter.”

“I’ll tell you, of course, this wasn’t him. It was bullshit, and it’s a shame. And anyone who believes it was him and wants to believe the worst, you go ahead and do it.

“I mean, my company has an outstanding reputation. This kid, we didn’t even give him a guarantee to sign with us. We gave him nothing. My whole point is that for all the people who are out there saying the worst, let them believe the worst.”

Then, Fluker’s agent tried to put things in perspective.

“I don’t care about it, man,” he said. “We’ve got people getting blown up in Boston. Bigger things.

“Come on now. This was a kid who was in Hurricane Katarina, who’s been poor all his life, who’s done everything the right way. He could have done everything the wrong way, OK? Let’s root for this kid. Let’s not beat him up.”

Oh, okay.

Tragedies don’t mean that people will avoid making bone-headed tweets, but we do respect where Fluker has come from.

In the end, it won’t matter whether or not Fluker accepted money from agents in college. He will soon be a very rich man playing on an NFL field. Alabama, on the other hand, should prepare for an investigation from the NCAA.

November 3, 2012; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide defensive back Dee Milliner (28) against the LSU Tigers during a game at Tiger Stadium. Alabama defeated LSU 21-17. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

The NFL Draft is just a week away, but it appears as though some teams are engaging in an age old tactic to get a guy they want to fall within reach of their pick. Earlier on Monday afternoon it was reported that Alabama Crimson Tide cornerback Dee Milliner may not be ready for camp thanks to a medical report that questioned his medical history. But according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, this is apparently a ruse to get Milliner to potentially fall out of the top 10 and into the laps of teams drooling over the prospect of drafting him.

Several league sources believe the reports are a smear campaign to devalue Milliner before the draft.”Teams have known about these surgeries all along,” a source said. “They haven’t been a secret and this is not a big issue.”

This report directly contradicts a similar report from ESPN’s Chris Mortensen, who fired back on The Mort Report saying this isn’t “misinformation” which is being released to try and force Milliner out of the top 10.

“There is some concern out there about Milliner and his medical history,” Mortensen said. “And it’s not misinformation, not trying to make a guy fall down [the draft] because all teams have this same information.”

According to Milliner himself, who spoke with the Plain Dealer, the cornerback is recovering from surgery but he’s expected to be fully ready to enter training camp for whoever ends up drafting him.

Reports also circulated Monday that Milliner might not be ready for training camp because of the labrum repair. He told The Plain Dealer last week that he “should be full strength for training camp or sometime in August at the latest.”

The bottom line is, whether Milliner is injured or not likely won’t hurt his draft status with potential suitors. Milliner is without a doubt the best defensive back prospect in his class, and teams know what they’re getting in him. Smear campaign or not, expect Milliner to be selected no later than sixth overall to the Browns and if he slips past Cleveland, he won’t fall much further before someone takes him or trades up to select him.

(H/T; Deadspin)

D.J. Fluker came mighty close to a colossal screw up on Tuesday morning. The NFL Draft is right around the corner, but players still have ample time to mess up their potential draft status by doing and saying stupid things. Sam Montgomery already fell victim to the latter, stating that he took easy games off while at LSU. Now a fellow SEC lineman is in potentially hot water after a late night tweet sent short lived shockwaves though the sports world.

Alabama tackle D.J. Fluker, a first-round prospect, tweeted early Tuesday morning that he accepted payment while playing with the Crimson Tide. This is obviously a direct violation of NCAA rules and would result in serious sanctions against Alabama. But almost as soon as it was tweeted, the message was deleted and Fluker’s agent issued a statement saying his client had been hacked, and we should all ignore the tweet that was sent out.

To all followers of @djfluker76 his account has been hacked. We will rue activate his account after the draft.

— Deryk Gilmore (@DerykGilmore) April 23, 2013

It’s probably best to give Fluker the benefit of the doubt in this situation. Not only would it be one of the stupidest things a person could do, the tweet didn’t jive with everything else the supposed real D.J. Fluker had been tweeting up until then. No less than an hour before the tweet, Fluker spelled ‘what’ the right way and there has been no instances of misspelling the word prior to the bogus tweet.

And as far as the hacked tweet starting an investigation into Alabama’s recruiting practices just to make sure nothing’s going on, you forget that the NCAA would investigate itself before it investigated Alabama for anything. It’s the NCAA, when did it start being mistaken for a legitimate organization?

Fluker’s tweet, whether it was real or not — and it’s almost certain it was just a hacked tweet — wouldn’t have effected his standing with NFL teams a whole lot, as much like the NCAA, teams could care less if an Alabama player took money to play at the university.

Oct 20, 2012; Knoxville, TN, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide defensive back Dee Milliner (28) during warm up prior to the game against the Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports

Alabama’s Dee Milliner has gone from the consensus No. 1 cornerback in the 2013 NFL Draft class to a player that could slide out of the top ten. The clean bill of health for Houston’s D.J. Hayden shot him back up draft boards, while Milliner’s shoulder injury continues to cause concerns for teams around the league.

According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, Milliner may not even be ready for training camp.

The 6-foot, 201-pound cornerback had surgery in March, but the draft schedule has stopped him from rehabbing to the level he needs to be.

“We haven’t been able to do the rehab like I want to because I’ve been going to different teams,” Milliner said, via Jeff McLane. “But once the draft is over, I’ll be able to start to rehab it and try to get back on track.”

Milliner was already to see his name slide out of the top ten and this news could do more damage to Milliner’s stock.

It is very likely that Milliner could still be on the board when the Miami Dolphins are on the clock at pick No. 12. If that is the case, the personnel men in South Beach could be very happy men. Of course, they could prefer taking Hayden, so we will have to wait and see.

The draft will sort itself all out in just a few days.

Jan 19, 2013; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide captain Chance Warmack reacts as he is introduced at the National Championship celebration outside Bryant Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports

Widely regarded as one of the most dominant offensive lineman in college football during the 2012 season, Chance Warmack will likely hear his name on the first night of Thursday’s NFL Draft.

At 6-foot-3 and 320 pounds, Warmack’s combination of size, toughness and athleticism led NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock to call him the best player he’d seen on tape this year.

As he prepares for the biggest week of his life, Warmack took some time with our Chris Boyle to talk about his college success, the weeks leading up to the draft and his appetite for football, life and Taco Bell.

Chris Boyle: What’s the build-up going into draft week been like for you?

Chance Warmack: It’s just taking one step at a time and going through the process. I’ve had a chance to meet a lot of different people, different coache, GMs and a few players. I’ve just been asking questions and getting a feel for the NFL.

They’ve all made their own impression in their own way. Each team I’ve had an opportunity to meet with has shown me something a little bit different – like how the operate their organization. I like everything that I’ve seen so far.

Boyle: You’re going to be attending the NFL Draft live in New York City. Have you ever been to New York before?

Warmack: Only on a visit to see the Jets and the Giants.

Boyle: Have you ever gone into the city?

Warmack: I was only in Manhattan for a few hours when we went to Delfrisco’s to eat with the Giants. That was a good experience to have. That was my first time in New York.

Boyle: You had a great college career at Alabama – winning three championships, being named a consensus All-American – was that how you expected your time in Tuscaloosa to be?

Warmack: I committed to Alabama because they offered me [a scholarship] first. They took a chance on me. I didn’t really know going in how much success we were going to have. My main focus was to just get better, one step at a time, and eventually starting.

I never thought I’d go out and win a national championship, let alone three. You never know what can happen – you just work hard and hope for the best. That’s what happened.

Boyle: For a moment this season, it looked like you may not have the chance to defend your title when Texas A&M came into Tuscaloosa and earned the upset. What was the mood in the locker room after that game, and how were you able to rally after it?

Warmack: Nobody expected us to lose. I don’t think any of us expected to lose that game, especially after the win against LSU. But, in the game of football, everybody loses and everybody wins sometimes. It was the same feeling I had last year when we lost to LSU; you just have to rebound very quickly, look at your mistakes on film and make the changes the following weekend – correct them and move on. There’s nothing you could do about that loss but try to correct your mistakes.

Boyle: When Oregon and Kansas State both lost on the same night and put your team back in the top two, did you know from that point on that it was your title to take?

Jan 7, 2013; Miami, FL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide guard Chance Warmack (65) in action against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the 2013 BCS Championship game at Sun Life Stadium. Alabama won 42-14. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Warmack: Our coach always tells us that if we stay focused and stay straight and take care of the things we need to do, that everything will work out. The year before, when we lost to LSU, we believed in what he said but, at the same time, there was doubt. The following year, we already knew what our mindset was regardless of what the wins and losses were. Regardless of who’s in front of us, we knew it would all work out for us.

Boyle: In addition to meeting with the Jets and Giants, you also met with the Tennessee Titans. Are there any other teams you met with, and which teams left you feeling best about your chances to be drafted?

Warmack: I didn’t with any other teams, besides the Titans. I wanted to start my visits at an appropriate time because my pro day wasn’t late but it could have been a lot earlier than that. I had time to speak with teams. Every team pretty much showed the same level of interest. Nobody’s stood out more than the other.

Boyle: I read that you said playing under Mike Munchak and Bruce Matthews would ‘be like a dream come true’ for you. What have you talked to them about in meeting with them?

Warmack: Just the feeling of speaking with a staff who played my position, I think anybody would love to have that opportunity. With me, they represented the whole organization and the benefits they could give me as a player on the rise. I’m a young player and I feel like in order to be the best, you’ve got to learn from the best. They both played my position for a long time in the NFL.

Boyle: Mike Mayock of the NFL Network said that you were the best player he’d seen on tape this season. That said, what do those words mean to you? And what kinds of questions or criticisms do scouts have for you?

Warmack: That’s a great honor, man. I wasn’t really thinking in my head, ‘I’ve got to do this to become the best player on film,’ but I just did my job day in and day out, week in and week out. I did what my coaches asked me to do, and I did it to the best of my abilities.

Nothing too much has really come up with the scouts. I’ve been in a pretty good situation. I’m really blessed to be in the situation I’m in because the offense that Alabama ran was a pro-style offense. Most of the time, coaches want to know how much you already know and what they’ll have to consider teaching you in their offense. The pro-style offense is similar to most teams in the NFL. It probably won’t be too hard to understand. The concepts are pretty much the same for guards. It’s just a little different.

Boyle: How do you respond to the general opinion that guards should not be top picks in the first round of the NFL Draft?

Warmack: Personally, I love having a chip on my shoulder. The game is constantly changing. Everybody says the NFL is a passing league, but in order to get that passing game going, you can’t be a one-trick pony. You better run the ball some time. I feel like if you have great guards at your disposal you can establish the line of scrimmage and get the running game going.

I feel like guard is a really important position where you can establish the line of scrimmage and give your quarterback time to pass the ball as well.

Boyle: You started a trend in Tuscaloosa, Warmackin, which caught on in Tuscaloosa. How did this start and were you surprised at how it became so popular?

Warmack: It started my junior year. We were playing Florida in Gainesville, and it was really hot. I needed to get a breeze, so I just lifted my jersey up a little bit. I just kept it like that for the rest of the season, and it kind of caught on. It took off from there.

I have an Instragram called @Warmackin, and people take pictures and post them on there. I post pictures all the time and talk a little bit. I know you can’t do it in the NFL but hopefully I can get some endorsements and work on that.

Boyle: As an offensive lineman, how gratifying is it to see people follow your example?

Warmack: It’s a wonderful feeling, man, to get that support. It’s symbolizing being comfortable in your own skin. Young guys come up to me saying that they’re going to do it next year.

Boyle: Are you going to continue to keep comfortable in the NFL and bring the Warmackin trend with you?

Warmack: Yeah, if they don’t fine me too much. You’ll definitely see me at some red carpet events with my shirt rolled up.

Boyle: In winning the National Championship, you got a chance to meet President Barack Obama. What was that experience like for you?

Warmack: Obama’s an inspirational person to everybody. This was my third time meeting him and shaking hands with him. It was an incredible opportunity to even shake hands with the man. Not a lot of people get that opportunity. To be a part of a team that’s had so much success and to be around great people, that’s a wonderful feeling.

Boyle: I hear you have a love for music as well and that you’ve tried your hand at producing?

Warmack: I’ve been making music since I was like 13 years old. That’s kind of what I do when I’m at home alone. I can’t play an instrument or anything like that, but I have a good sound for music. My grandma has been playing the piano since she could walk. I listened to her play music ever since I was little. I like making music with my program. It’s not easy to do – you have to read, there’s a lot of instructions involved in learning how to do that. I always love being around music, and hopefully, I can take it a step further after football.

Boyle: Who are your personal favorites as far as music is concerned?

Warmack: I like all types of music, but my favorite artist would be Kanye West. He just has a wide variety of different sounds. I’m always trying to find something different. I don’t like listening to the same thing over and over and over. If anything sounds different, I’m with it.

Boyle: I’m also told you’re a big eater. Where do you like to eat most?

Warmack: I like Taco Bell. Taco Bell’s my favorite place to go, man.

Boyle: Oh, that’s trouble right there.

Warmack: Oh yeah, that’s my favorite spot.

Boyle: So when you roll through the drive-thru at Taco Bell, what’s an average order for Chance Warmack?

Warmack: I might get that 12-box. You ever heard of that?

Boyle: Yes, I have.

Warmack: I eat that all by myself. I can clean that out pretty quick.

Fans of Warmack’s new team will want to see him clean out defensive linemen pretty quickly, too.

Mar 22, 2013; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide head football coach Nick Saban speaks on behalf of all coaches after Bill Battle (not shown) is introduced as the athletic director for the Alabama Crimson Tide athletics department at the Mal M. Moore Athletic Building. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports

Spring games are often used around the nation to get a glimpse of your roster and see how players will be able to perform in game situations. For the Alabama Crimson Tide, they already know they have a team that is capable of playing at a high level and winning a national championship, but their spring game did not go as planned. In fact, it left head coach Nick Saban very unhappy.

Alabama’s offense was plagued by turnover after turnover.

Starting quarterback AJ McCarron threw two interceptions during the game and had a third called back. Back up quarterbacks Blake Sims and Cooper Batemen each launched two interceptions of their own. It isn’t the type of performance that gives your coach confidence as you are preparing for a three-peat.

“The biggest thing I was concerned about was how the team would go out there and what would be their energy, their enthusiasm, and their attention to detail,” Saban said in quotes that were distributed by the university. “I don’t think that there were enough guys that answered that question in a positive way to my liking. But I’m never satisfied.

“We’re not there yet. That’s why we have all these practices, that’s why we have all the work we need to do.”

To be fair to Alabama, it is just an exhibition game.

Players are constantly coming in and out of the game and it is hard to get into any sort of rhythm. McCarron summed up the performance perfectly with his quote.

He said, “This is like playing in an all-star game. You don’t get in a rhythm. It’s not a real game, but it’s fun to go out there and try to make plays happen, and do some trick plays.”

While the turnover filled spring game isn’t what Saban and the Alabama fans would have liked to see, there is no reason for anyone to panic. There is still plenty of time to prepare for the upcoming season and there is no reason to believe the Crimson Tide won’t be a mainstay atop the college football rankings.

Jan 5, 2013; San Antonio, TX, USA; East running back Derrick Henry (2) reacts after a touchdown run against the West during U.S. Army All-American Bowl high school football game at the Alamodome. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports

Highly-touted Alabama Crimson Tide recruit Derrick Henry will be out for the team’s A-Day after suffering a broken tibia on Saturday during a scrimmage, his high school coach told AL.com on Tuesday. The five-star running back was expected to play a big role in the Alabama back field with sophomore T.J. Yeldon, but the injury will derail his preparation.

While the broken tibia will keep Henry out of Alabama’s spring game, his high school coach Bobby Ramsay believes the talented back can return ahead of schedule.

“He got tackled and he said his foot got rolled under a defender,” Ramsay said, via AL.com. “It’s just one of those things. He was discouraged when I talked to him, but supposedly he was having a breakout day.

“I can see a situation with him and the shape he’s in and the way he works that if they say three months, I put it at two to two-and-a-half to when he’s really back. I told him, ‘Man, if you’re going to be injured, there’s no better place to be hurt. They’ll get you back.’”

The 6-foot-3, 238 pound Henry came to Tuscaloosa back in January, and he was impressing his teammates during workouts and practices — even drawing comparisons to former Alabama star back Trent Richardson.

While Henry will not be participating in the Alabama spring game this Saturday in Bryant-Denny Stadium, Crimson Tide fans should be encouraged by the flashes of brilliance he has shown during his brief time on the field. Whenever he is able to return to action, Henry has the makings of a star and should be able to contribute immediately.

Apr 15, 2013; Washington, D.C., USA; United States president Barack Obama poses for photographs with the BCS College Football Champions Alabama Crimson Tide team at the White House. Flanking the President are Alabama coach Nick Saban (left) and quarterback A. J. McCarron. Mandatory Credit: H.Darr Beiser-USA TODAY Sports Mandatory Credit: H.Darr Beiser-USA TODAY Sports

After having their initial trip to the White House delayed, the Alabama Crimson Tide football team made a visit to Washington D.C. to meet up with president Barack Obama. It was their third trip to the White House in four years, and President Obama plans to be seeing the team again before his time in office comes to an end.

“Since I’ll be around for four more football seasons, I expect I just might see these guys again before I leave,” joked Obama.

Alabama defeated the Notre Dame Fighting Irish back in January to win the BCS national championship by a score of 42-14. With last season now in the rear view mirror, the Crimson Tide will look ahead to the 2013 campaign and look to complete a three-peat. With AJ McCarron returning and Nick Saban running the show, there is no reason to believe Alabama won’t once again be at the top of the college football world.

You can watch video of the Crimson Tide’s visit to the White House and President Obama giving his address:

Jan 19, 2013; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide athletic director Mal Moore (left) and University President Dr Judy Bonner on their way to the National Championship celebration. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports

Former University of Alabama athletic director Mal Moore stepped down from his position ten days before his death at age 73 because of ongoing pulmonary issues. Because of Moore’s death, he was never able to serve his role as special assistant to university president Judy Bonner.

While Moore never got to serve that role, he has been honored posthumously with emeritus status, according to al.com.

Per the al.com report:

The resolution adopted by the trustees stated, in part, that Moore “made an indelible mark on one of the nation’s most storied athletic programs and generating devotion from the university community” and that Moore’s “vision was to make all Crimson Tide athletic teams and student-athletes nationally competitive at the highest level and under his leadership, the athletic department experienced unprecedented success both athletically and academically.”

The board passed the motion at their meeting on Friday. They described Moore as ”a towering figure in intercollegiate athletics.”

During his time at the University of Alabama, Moore was a part of ten national championships. In the 2011-12 season, the university captured an all-time high four national titles from their sports program.

Moore will be missed, but the university has done everything to ensure he will never be forgotten.

Jan 3, 2013; Fort Lauderdale FL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide running back Eddie Lacy (42) during a press conference for the 2013 BCS National Championship game at Harbor Beach Marriott Resort. Mandatory Photo Credit: USA Today Sports

Alabama running back Eddie Lacy finally worked out for NFL scouts on Thursday morning at the second Crimson Tide Pro Day, and there have been multiple reports about his performance. Most of the initial reports focused on Lacy’s 40-yard dash time which most agree came in around a 4.60.

While the 40 time is what we all expected, the concerns that surfaced were about Lacy’s conditioning leading in to the workout.

Lacy has been dealing with nagging injury issues, but he was hoping to erase all of the concerns about his injury with the workout. Unfortunately, Lacy reportedly appeared out of shape during positional drills and struggled to get through the entire session.

Here are some of the interesting tweets from Bucky Brooks’ timeline:

Lacy flashed outstanding talent as a rubber and receiver, but lack of stamina is definitely a concern. Struggled the entire workout w/wind

— Bucky Brooks (@BuckyBrooks) April 11, 2013

He posted a 32.5 vertical and 9-7 broad jump & clocked a 4.44 short shuttle. Disappointing positional workout. Out of shape.Unable to finish

— Bucky Brooks (@BuckyBrooks) April 11, 2013

The lack of conditioning exhibited today will lead some coaches and scouts to question his work ethic. Concerns must be addressed in Mtgs

— Bucky Brooks (@BuckyBrooks) April 11, 2013

If the report from Brooks is true, it could be a troubling issue for NFL teams to consider.

Sure, Lacy was injured, but he has been preparing for this day and should have been ready to go. You can understand the point that Lacy was limited in his training because of the hamstring issues, but at this point scouts are losing their patience with excuses.

Of course, it is important to note that this is just one report and teams will judge Lacy’s workout on their own terms. But if multiple teams saw what Brooks noticed, Lacy’s first-round hopes could be on life support.

Jan 7, 2013; Miami, FL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide running back Eddie Lacy (42) gets by Notre Dame Fighting Irish linebacker Manti Te’o. Mandatory Photo Credit: USA Today Sports

NFL scouts were starting to get frustrated with former Alabama Crimson Tide running back Eddie Lacy, because he had yet to run for them during the draft process. On Thursday, Lacy finally ran, and it proved to be worth the wait.

There was concern that Lacy could have been delaying running the 40-yard dash because of his lack of long speed, but he erased any doubts during his Pro Day workout in Tuscaloosa with the kind of times that we all expected pre-injury.

According to Mark Edwards of the Anniston (Ala.) Star, Lacy ran a pair of unofficial 4.4 second 40-yard dashes.

Lacy runs the 40 again. We have 4.4 again. Unofficially.

— Mark Edwards (@MarkSportsStar) April 11, 2013

Of course, there were other stop watches in attendance that had slightly slower times, which seem more accurate.

On @seniorbowl watch, Eddie Lacy ran 4.58/4.62. Position drills now.

— Senior Bowl (@seniorbowl) April 11, 2013

The 4.4′s would be phenomenal times for Lacy, but the 4.60 average on the Senior Bowl clocks appears to be closer to how Lacy plays on tape. It’s good to see that his speed on the track translates on the film to football speed and it looks like his hamstring is now healed.

It wouldn’t be out of the question to see Lacy jump back in to the first-round discussion.

Lacy is a powerful back at 5-foot-11, 231-pounds. When you add the speed, he has the makings of an every down back in the league. The speed concerns are now gone and there are a number of teams that could consider him with their top pick.

A few teams to watch are the Pittsburgh Steelers, Cincinnati Bengals and Green Bay Packers.

We will find out where Lacy lands when the 2013 NFL Draft kicks off on April 25.