March Madness and spring practice have come and gone. On the other side of a long, hot summer, Labor Day weekend will kick off another autumn of showdowns. Until then, here are some more books about the Autumn Spectacle, which will help to make the wait bearable.

SATURDAY RULES by Austin Murphy, 327 pages.

With the BCS, every year is different and every autumn Saturday is Showdown Saturday.   Somewhere, for someone, it all hangs in the balance – Today. No other sport has that now-or-never quality every week.

Austin Murphy, a long-time writer for Sports Illustrated, takes us on the roller-coaster ride that was autumn, 2006 - visiting some of the showdowns in the quest for bowl berths and the Crystal Ball. Remember Notre Dame at Georgia Tech, USC at Arkansas, Ohio State at Texas, Michigan at Notre Dame, Notre Dame at Michigan State, Florida at Auburn, Arizona State at USC, The World's Largest Cocktail Party, USC at Oregon State, UCLA at Notre Dame, Louisville at Rutgers, Michigan at Ohio State, Notre at Southern Cal, USC at UCLA and Arkansas vs. Florida in the SEC Championship game? Oh yeah. Then he's on to the bowl games, including the Rose, Sugar, Fiesta and the BCS National Championship Game.

And along the way, the author spices up the action with great accounts of fan-mania, along with behind-the-scenes descriptions and quotes from coaches and players. From the misfortunes of the Notre Dame Leprechaun at Michigan State, delirious Beaver fans storming the field in Corvallis, the Scarlet Knights lighting up the sky on the banks of the old Raritan, the "Hate Michigan Rally" in Columbus, the Gators Men’s bathroom during the USC-UCLA upset, then Bowlnanza with Boise State's Circus, Statue of Liberty and marriage proposal, to final Gator Glory in Glendale, and a whole lot more. Murphy delivers the '06 season with a riveting, rowdy style.  This book is a page-turner and confirms again what we already knew: in the autumn, Saturday Rules.

SOUTHERN FRIED FOOTBALL by Tony Barnhart with foreword by Keith Jackson, 233 pages.

If anyone knows college football in the south, it's Tony Barnhart. A veteran writer for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Georgia alum, he was born and bred in the heat and passion of Dixieland smashmouth. The result is an accounting that is dripping with jasmine, fried chicken, jambalaya and sweet tea - and laced with a deep affection for pigskin Saturdays below the Mason-Dixon Line.

The author traces and charts the origins, history, heroes and braggin' rights of each program – the players, coaches, great teams, great rivalries and radio announcers.  He also explores the rituals and happenings surrounding game day at each campus. From the barbeque ribs at Dreamland in Tuscaloosa, the downhill charge from Howard's Rock at Clemson, the tomahawk chop at Florida State, tailgating in the Grove at Ole Miss, “Rocky Top” at Tennessee, to the rolling of the trees at Auburn and much, much more. Barnhart captures the essence of the Autumn Spectacle - southern style.  Factual and entertaining, this book is a jewel - a must-read and an essential addition to the library of every enlightened fan. 

THE 100-YARD WAR by Greg Emmanuel, 282 pages.

College football rivalries are a huge part of every season. Every one is big, bringing expectations and emotions which defy all reason - and this one is as big as it gets. The Maize and Blue and the Scarlet and Gray; “Hail to the Victors” and “Buckeye Battle Cry”; the winged helmet and dotting the i. It’s Ohio State vs. Michigan - named by Sports Illustrated the “Greatest Rivalry of the 20^th Century.”

Emmanuel examines the roots of the rivalry, tracing its storied history starting with the first game in 1897, past the “Snow Bowl” of 1950, through the “10-year war” between Woody and Bo and up to the present day for the traditional campus mania surrounding the annual blood-letting.

The author explores the relentless bitterness and take-no-prisoners attitude between fans of the two schools – simmering in the off-season, and building to a screaming intensity as the game approaches. He also takes us through the rituals commemorating and celebrating the game, such as the “World’s Largest Pillow Fight” and “Mirror Lake Plunge” on the Ohio State campus, which happen because, “It’s Michigan week!”

We recently attended a Michigan-Ohio State game, where we found that everyone remotely involved – players, coaches, fans, media – openly embrace and celebrate this rivalry.  Emmanuel understands and captures it all in grand style. Informative and accurate, this is a great read.

SATURDAY SHRINES, College Football's Most Hallowed Grounds, Sporting News, with foreword by Keith Jackson, 223 pages.

It’s all about the stadiums of college football and the spectacle that fills and surrounds them. The Sporting News staff visits the venues that host the Autumn Spectacle every Saturday in the fall. The pages of this beautifully illustrated book carry us across the college football landscape, with info on each venue, such as the setting, the structure, fans, major renovations, magic moments, fast facts and 101 things that make a stadium special.

The authors select their best 40 stadiums (plus a bonus 15 and 6 that are now gone) in which to experience college football, and visit them with over 300 photos, which vividly illustrate the panorama of feast, celebration, color, pageantry and tradition framing the competition.

Information throughout is presented in summary, condensed fashion and the layout is nothing short of magnificent. Thumbing through the pages is sure to quicken the pulse, as you can almost hear the drum corps rumbling while the smoke drifts off the grills and the faithful claim their seats to bring home another glorious victory.  This book will have you counting the days ‘til they finally tee it up.  

NOTRE DAME GAME DAY by Todd Tucker with foreword by Lou Holtz, 176 pages.

This is a thoughtfully written “how to” book for anyone planning to make the pilgrimage to South Bend, Indiana for some pigskin glory in the shadow of Touchdown Jesus.

The Notre Dame experience is different. It includes simplicity, beauty, a spiritual presence, history, tradition, competition and a joyful, genuine aura that envelopes the entire weekend. Tucker provides the info you need to enjoy it all to the fullest.

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