Alabama

Cyrus Jones Jr. always strives to test his football skills against the best, from playing up an age group in Pop Warner to playing for No. 1 Gilman. It will be no different in college. Jones is headed to No. 2 Alabama, which has appeared in and won more bowl games than any other program. Jones announced his commitment to a national television audience at Thursday night's Under Armour All-America game in St. Petersburg, Fla., during which he returned an interception for a touchdown.

I've had it with this useless, ongoing charade to "save Europe. " It's time to get serious and consider jailing and impeaching some of these European Union member leaders for requisite incentive. Last week's EU show was pathetic. It made me throw a pack of gummy bears at my television screen. You'd think these European leaders were actually in a position to save others when they can't even save themselves as their own countries drown in debt. As every trained water rescuer knows, when faced with a thrashing, flailing potential drowning victim who's trying to pull you under water as you attempt to save his life, you don't let him grab hold of you. Instead, you push him away and assume the defensive "reverse-and-ready" position until you can safely approach him from under water, lift him up and swim both of you to safety.

It's fitting only 0.0086 ended up separating No. 3 Oklahoma State from No. 2 Alabama in the final Bowl Championship Series standings. This is the year everything got 0.0086'd. It was never accurate to say before Sunday that LSU and Alabama were "clearly" the two best teams in the country. You had to wait until the final BCS standings to determine that Alabama against Oklahoma State ended up a statistical draw. Had one BCS computer flipped and a few more voters considered Oklahoma State's case, we'd be getting an entirely more festive bowl season.

Let's face it: there's too much new music in a year for any one human being to digest. "2011 Gems" is a December feature on Midnight Sun where I highlight some of the tracks that might have flown under your radar. First up is Jackie Chain's smooth tribute to his Southern rap lifestyle. The song is full of curse words so if that's not your thing, move right along. Jackie Chain, "Parked Outside (feat. Big K.R.I.T. and Bun B)" When I spoke with ST 2 Lettaz of G-Side last month, we talked about Alabama and how everyone has to drive around to get to anything.

Gilman's Cyrus Jones will top off his Thanksgiving weekend with a trip one of the biggest football games in the country featuring two teams competing for his talents - Alabama and Auburn. Jones has whittled his college list from more than 40 offers to five: Alabama, Auburn, Maryland, Virginia Tech and West Virginia. This trip to Auburn is his final official visit, and he said he will announce his decision before Christmas. Originally, Jones said he would announce his decision at the Under Armour All-America game in January, but he doesn't want to wait that long.

It's hard to argue with being in balmy Puerto Rico on a November day, but here is what Maryland encountered after busing from its beachfront hotel and casino to the coliseum: a loaded, hungry Alabama team that dominated the boards in a 62-42 rout of the inexperienced, poor-shooting Terps. It may have been 85 degrees in San Juan, but Maryland guards -- pressed full court early by the 16th-ranked Crimson Tide -- were icy cold in the first of three Terps game at the Puerto Rico Tip-Off.

Three games in four days? It's the sort of compressed schedule that some teams play in the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament in March. But this isn't March, and it sure isn't Greensboro, N.C., site of last year's ACC tourney. It's San Juan, scene of the Puerto Rico Tip-Off. As Maryland worked out Wednesday at the ultra-modern Coliseo De Puerto Rico, it was a humid 80 degrees and the team had checked in the day before at a downtown beachfront hotel. Surrounded by palm trees and inviting diversions, the Terps face their first major test under new coach Mark Turgeon.

An LSU-Alabama rematch isn't far-fetched. With losses by Boise State and Stanford, Oklahoma State is the only team standing in the way, and its Dec. 3 matchup against Oklahoma is key to an all-SEC BCS national championship game. Don't count out Oregon, Oklahoma or Arkansas either. The scenarios would require Stephen Hawking to break down, but losses by Oklahoma State, LSU and Alabama would make the BCS very interesting. Georgia could be peaking at the right time.

The season's almost over and no one is close to figuring it out. The television rating for Saturday night's game between Louisiana State and Alabama, a spectacular 11.9, was almost three points higher than the winning team scored. Was it overhype, great defense, both, or what? The best offensive play at Bryant-Denny Stadium was the 73-yard punt in the fourth quarter by LSU's Brad Wing, out of his own end zone, that helped push the game into overtime. LSU solidified its lock on No. 1 in Sunday's Bowl Championship Series standings on the merits of a performance that left both coaches somewhat perplexed.

"The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. " -- Matthew 9:37 Good news. The jobs crisis is over. You read that correctly. There is plenty work available for downsized, furloughed and involuntarily separated laborers whose inability to land jobs in a rugged economy has driven the unemployment rate past 9 percent. You probably didn't hear about it in your lamestream media, but the problem has indeed been solved -- and it didn't take some fancy pants economic stimulus package to get 'er done, either.