A day of super hope -- and hype

Super Tuesday was the day politicians duked it out in battleground states.

Super Wednesday was the day high school football players, many not old enough to vote, preened before friends and ESPNU cameras, played to sold-out gymnasiums and pledged allegiance to the college car flag.

You think any of this goes to their helmets?

Wednesday was the day the biggest signing-day story was a non-signing day story, with the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review first reporting that prized home-state quarterback Terrelle Pryor had not yet made up his mind, leaving suitors Ohio State, Michigan and perhaps Penn State to dangle for at least a few more days.

Imagine a high school senior being able to keep a real senior, 81-year-old Joe Paterno, on the edge of his rocker.

Wednesday was the day UCLA didn't have to pretend things went well and maybe USC did?

This entire hot dog-and-pony show was televised, non-stop, by grown-ups.

Some of these hat-switch kids are destined to be college and pro stars; some will flop. Some will get homesick, some will transfer to smaller schools. Some will end up in supermarkets, cleaning up spills on Aisle 4.

But every February, National Signing Day, they are hometown heroes with limitless futures.

Wednesday was the day the nation's top running back prospect, Darrell Scott, from Ventura St. Bonaventure High, spurned both local schools and Texas, which had him all set to replace NFL-bound Jamaal Charles. Scott, instead, picked Colorado.

"[Coach] Dan Hawkins has a vision," Scott said on ESPNU, "and I want to be part of that vision that he has."

Colorado finished 6-7 last year but, as you may remember Hawkins famously stating last year, they are not playing intramurals up in Boulder, "It's Division I football!"

Wednesday was the day Alabama finally beat Auburn.

Goodness no, it wasn't an actual football game -- Auburn has won six straight of those. Alabama fans, though, can rejoice because many recruiting services had the Crimson Tide rolling over its archrival on recruiting day.

"Auburn got raided by Alabama," said Allen Wallace, national recruiting editor for Scout.com and publisher of SuperPrep magazine. "Auburn got humiliated in the state. Tiger fans can say whatever they want, that winning is all that counts. But the truth of the matter was the gantlet was laid down here."