The month leading up to the start of the college football season is supposed to be a placid time — the quiet before the storm, if you will.

Unfortunately, with the dismissal of receiver Pat Patterson, Raymond Cotton’s decision to transfer and the Masoli saga, July was anything but calm.

In the last day or so, with Masoli’s decision to transfer to Ole Miss (as well as coach Houston Nutt‘s decision to accept the former Oregon QB), several articles have been published across the country regarding everything from the quarterback’s past to Nutt’s decision to bring Masoli on.

Below is a rundown of all things regarding Masoli’s transfer to Ole Miss:

—Prior to Masoli opting to playing in Oxford, I wrote a column asking if he was worth the risk and how much bargaining you, as fans, might have to do to be OK with it. At the end of the day, is winning what matters most? How much of a role should character factor into things?

—HERE is Sports Illustrated’s “The untold story of Jeremiah Masoli’s past, downfall at Oregon” by Michael McKnight. The article, like the headline suggests, gives an in-depth look at Masoli’s past. Perhaps Masoli really has been in the wrong place at the wrong time more than once — you decide.

—And then, over the weekend, Masoli decided Ole Miss was where he wanted to play his final year of college football.

—And HERE is Stewart Mandel’s article SI.com that was an attempt to balance their Masoli coverage. Mandel’s article has caught a lot of flack (and, surprise, some praise from Arkansas fans) for calling Nutt a dirty coach. Earlier this week, EAGLE sports editor John Davis caught up with Mandel to talk about his column and why he chose to use the word ‘dirty.’ HERE is JD’s blog post regarding the phone interview.

—HERE is Mr. SEC’s view of the whole Masoli situation. He takes a bit of a different stance than SI’s Mandel does.

Below is a segment ESPN did prior to Oregon’s loss to The Ohio State in last year’s Rose Bowl:

And lastly, below is a highlight reel from Masoli’s 2009 season. It’s pretty easy to see why Oregon fans loved him and why he was considered a Heisman Trophy contender.

 (August 4, 2010)