With the BCS Championship Game fast approaching, we wanted to once again provide you with our in-depth, by the numbers, can’t miss, never fails preview of OU versus UF.

We’ve got the whole thing worked out right down to the final score.

Click right here to check it out.

Everyone’s always so willing to run to extremes.

Auburn has hired four black assistants in the past few weeks and now a lot of media folks want to say, “see there’s no such thing as racism in college football.”

The real issue, as mentioned earlier today, is the lack of black HEAD coaches, of course.

And while a writer that I really like — Kevin Scarbinsky of The Birmingham News — sees Gene Chizik’s diverse hires as a reason to fire a shot at Charles Barkley, there’s a serious piece to this story that’s been forgotten.

While discussing the Barkley claims on ESPN.com, Mark Schlabach revealed that two SEC football coaches told him prior to Chizik’s hiring that Turner Gill would never get the Auburn job because he is married to a white woman.

So let’s throw the lightning rod Barkley out of the discussion.  Schlabach is pretty well respected among media types.  What about his claims?

Can they be disspelled because Chizik has hired four black assistants? 



Surely I’m not the first person to think that:

1) Auburn took a beating in the press (overblown as it was, if you ask me)

2) the school was basically called a racist institution by one of its most famous alums

3) that might not be too much of a help in recruiting black athletes

and 4) the best way to prove that the school is not racist is to hire black assistants to appeal to black players.

Well, now Mr. Schlabach’s revelations are being backed by a black coach who’s come out and said that he believes race is still a factor in hires and that his white wife is a drawback when it comes to landing a head coaching job.

That coach?  Florida defensive coordinator Charlie Strong. 

The guy is certainly qualified to move up.  He’s coached under national title-winners Steve Spurrier, Lou Holtz and Urban Meyer.

He’s at the right school, too.  Coach for a winner and usually you go to the top of the coaching list.  See: Dan Mullen, UF offensive coordinator who just got his first head coaching gig.  And he was able to stay in the SEC to get it.

According to Strong, he was passed over for a head coaching job at a Southern university in recent years.  (Not to mention the fact that no one came after him this year, though his young defense is a big reason UF is in the national title game.)

“Everybody always said I didn’t get that job because my wife is white,” Strong said yesterday.  “If you think about it, a coach is standing up there representing the university.  If you’re not strong enough to look through that (interracial marriage), then you have an issue.”

He went on to say that his wife “makes no calls and she plays no defense.”



There are some who say that flat-out overt racism is the reason that there are only seven black head coaches at 119 FBS schools.

Others would have you believe that racism is a thing of the past and has nothing to do with this.

Like most things in life, I believe the truth is somewhere in the middle.  And this issue won’t be going away until both of the above groups admit that there IS a problem, but it’s not as pure as “all whites hate all blacks.”

Until folks start to admit that, I can borrow only from Seinfeld.

Tony Barnhart of the AJC shares with us thoughts on five different SEC topics today… and here they are:



1)  The decisions by Rodney Garner and Stacy Searels to stay at Georgia tell you volumes about Mark Richt.
 
Mr. Barnhart goes so far as to tell unhappy fans who claim Richt is too much of a goody-goody to battle Urban Meyer and Nick Saban that “you don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.”



2)  It’s time to give Gene Chizik some credit for his hires.

Mr. Barnhart particularly likes the hire of Trooper Taylor and the fact that Chizik is hiring a diverse staff.  You can check my views on this subject right here.



3)  Tennessee will have the highest paid staff in college football.

You heard that right on this site back in late November.  Mr. Barnhart seems to think that Tennessee is way overpaying for their staff… and they might be, but their overall coaching salaries (including the head coach) will rank in the upper-middle of the conference.

Tennessee is simply slicing up the pie differently than their conference brethren. 



4)  If Florida beats Oklahoma, they won’t have to worry about sharing the national title with Texas… who had to come from behind to win in the last seconds against Ohio State.



5)  Tim Tebow’s comments are a non-issue.  Ditto for the comments from Oklahoma that are being overblown by a crazed media.

Fans in the Peach State aren’t happy with the way things unfolded for the Silver Britches this year, so Mark Richt’s assessment of the season might be surprising.

“As I reflect on the season, I’ve got to look at it, I’m trying to decide, but we might have done one of our better coaching jobs.  We might have, considering all the guys that went down and how we were trying to play ball.”

He went on to accurately point out that it took just one injury to their left tackle to submarine Alabama in the Sugar Bowl.

I’ve danced around this for a while now, but I think Richt and his staff are taking too much heat for a 10-3 season.

Bulldog fans wanted to believe the national media.  They want to see Richt win “the big one” (even though he has a pair of SEC titles already). 

But, the SEC media knew very well that Georgia over the course of the season just wouldn’t be up to Florida’s snuff.  There’s a good chance that no team is.

For the season, fans should be bothered that:

1)  The Bulldogs looked so bad in the first half against Alabama (though Bama jumped on most teams in the same fashion)

2)  That Florida took the Dawgs to the woodshed, but come on… deep down even Georgia fans knew the previous season’s touchdown celebration would have the Gators’ sky high

3)  That UGA flat-lined against Georgia Tech.  To me, that one was the biggest issue.

So I’ll agree with Richt that his staff actually did a pretty good job replacing 24 players and still managing to win 10 games in a year that Florida was the projected winner of the SEC.

Louisville has announced the hiring of former Tennessee secondary coach Larry Slade to join the defensive staff of Steve Kragthorpe.

This might come as a surprise to you… unless you read our note from back on December 30th.

The countdown and the build-up to Thursday’s BCS Championship Game is in full force.

Here are the latest stories on links on the Gators’ big game:

In addition to a potential speed advantage, Florida also appears to hold the cards when it comes to special teams.  Return specialist Brandon James (who’s asked for an NFL draft projection) feels he and the Gators can make some plays on the Sooners.

Percy Harvin says his ankle is “about 90 percent.”  While his speed is fine, there are still some slight issues when it comes to making cuts.  He won’t take part in any contact drills prior to Thursday’s game.

Like a lot of Americans right now, Dan Mullen is juggling two jobs.  Of course, his jobs pay a lot better than most Americans.

Sidenote — How did juggling ever become a big deal?  Seriously.  I see juggling and I just wonder: Why?  Why did you waste time learning to do this?  Who was the first person to do this?  Who was the first person to pay to watch someone else juggle?

Back to business… Tim Tebow isn’t the only person that will play with a chip on his shoulder this week.  Oklahoma’s whole team is tired of having to defend their defense and their special teams (see above).

UF basketball coach Billy Donovan will be rooting for Florida on Thursday, obviously, but he won’t be “rooting against Bob Stoops.”  Donovan and Stoops are buddies from Stoops’ days in Gainesville.

When you talk about Tim Tebow, the conversation eventually turns to religion and faith.  Like it or not.

Finally, Pat Forde of ESPN.com writes that both Meyer and Stoops have no qualms about going for the jugular.  And that tendency to run it up has served both coaches well.

Pat Dooley of The Gainesville Sun asks which coach has the better legacy in Gainesville: Urban Meyer or Steve Spurrier?

Unfortunately, he then backs out and says it doesn’t matter who was better.  Florida fans should just enjoy what both men have brought them.

Okay, true enough.  Both men led Gator fans to celebrate on many, many occasions.

But just looking at the numbers — Meyer has a better winning percentage and with a win on Thursday will have one more national title than Spurrier — it’s pretty easy to make the call:

Spurrier has the better legacy. 

Wha?  How?  Why?

Spurrier actually BUILT the program.  Without Spurrier, there would be no Fun n’ Gun.  All that “it’s easy to recruit in Florida stuff” was never fully taken advantage of until Spurrier arrived.

If not for Spurrier, recruiting wouldn’t be as easy for Meyer.  Without Spurrier, Florida wouldn’t be the huge media draw that it is.  Heck, without Spurrier, Meyer probably wouldn’t be at Florida right now anyway.

Is there any doubt that Jeremy Foley was looking for a brash, cocky, run-it-up-on-you Spurrier-type when he targeted Meyer?

And would a Ron Zook or Galen Hall type of Florida program have lured Meyer right past his dream job in South Bend to The Swamp back in 2005?

Meyer has done a fantastic job and may go on to far surpass Spurrier’s many accomplishments in Gainesville. 

But Spurrier still gets the nod from me because he built the car that Meyer’s driving. 

Not literally… but you get the picture.

Here are the links and top stories from the SEC’s West Division on this Tuesday morning:

AU:  The big talk on The Plains is offense these days.  Guz Malzahn’s super-sonic spread is all the rage.  According to his quarterback at Tulsa, Tiger fans had better get ready to see a lot of speed.  “Everything we do is fast.”  Yep, sounds like a “smashmouth” offense to me.

AU:  Chizik’s latest hire is Trooper Taylor from Oklahoma State.  Taylor will be Auburn’s receivers coach and assistant head coach.  Taylor developed the reputation as one of the SEC’s best recruiters when he coached at Tennessee earlier this decade.  Rivals.com named him one of the nation’s Top 25 recruiters in 2005 and 2007.

Bama:  Kevin Steele — Alabama’s defensive head coach, but not their defensive coordinator — has accepted Clemson’s offer to become the Tigers’ defensive coordinator.  As we told you last week, Steels is a South Carolina native.

Bama:  The Tide’s basketball team isn’t off to the start they’d hoped (RPI-wise), but  a win over 12th ranked Clemson on the road tonight could cure a lot of ills.

Bama:  Ronald Steele, who called last year’s 87-61 home loss to the Tigers “embarrassing,” will be looking to even the score.

LSU:  Les Miles made the hiring of defensive coordinator John Chavis official yesterday.  “Obviously, he’s pursued excellence his entire career,” Miles said.  “He had a great defense this year with a team that was not a successful team, and that speaks to great morale.  It speaks to a team that is playing defense just to play defense.”

“I need someone who understands and knows what to expect, what we’re comfortable with in the type of defense we run here.  I want great defense.”  While considered an expert as an SEC coordinator, Chavis was not a key recruiter for Tennessee in recent years.  The move to a more fertile recruiting base like Louisiana should help make up for any shortcomings.

LSU:  Joining Chavis will be former South Carolina assistant Ron Cooper (coaching LSU’s secondary) and Brick Haley (who played for Chavis at Alabama A&M).  Haley will handle defensive line duties after years spent with the Chicago Bears, Mississippi State, Georgia Tech, Baylor, Clemson, Houston, Troy and Austin Peay.  Move much?

LSU:  6′6 guard Terry Martin will be back on the court when LSU battles Utah in Salt Lake City tonight.  Martin has been serving a four-game suspension.  His return is a positive, but I’m not sure just how much help he’ll be against Utah’s 7′2 center, Luke Nevill.

Ark:  John Pelphrey was happy with his team’s win over Oklahoma last week, but he sees Texas (tonight’s opponent, you can see it on ESPN2) as “a different animal.”  “In my personal opinion, I just think Texas is deeper, there more of them up front, they’re longer.”

Ark:  Whether Oklahoma underestimated Arkansas or not, you can bet that Texas won’t.

Ark:  On thing to watch tonight will be the battle between a pair of schoolyard buddies.  Freshman guards Varez Ward (Texas) and Courtney Fortson (Arkansas) were teammate through much of their youth.  Tonight they’ll step on the floor in different jerseys for the first time since they were in the seventh grade.

MSU:  Now THAT’s how you wrap up your non-conference schedule.  Rick Stansbury’s team Stansburied Western Kentucky 95-67 last night nailing a school record 14 three-pointers.  The Bulldogs are 10-5 heading into Saturday’s SEC opener with Arkansas.

MSU:  While things are on a positive tip for the Dogs right now, the same can’t be said for sophomore forward Kodi Augustus.  After playing early in the season, Augustus has disappeared from the rotation.  His coach won’t say anything more than “coach’s decision” and the young man is no longer available to the media.  Hmmm.

UM:  If Ole Miss wants to pull off a huge upset at Florida on Saturday, they’ll need to find another scorer to go along with David Huertas (20.1 ppg).

Kevin Scarbinsky of The Birmingham News has noticed that Auburn’s Gene Chizik has hired five coaches so far and four of them are black.

“Boy, is Charles Barkley going to be surprised, once he sobers up.”

Nice line, but while it’s a positive that Auburn is hiring minority candidates (if they’re also the most qualified candidates)… it still doesn’t address the big issue of why Turner Gill was not hired ahead of Chizik.

No one said Auburn wouldn’t hire black assistants.  Especially after the over-the-top grilling they took from ESPN and Barkley.

But assistants aren’t the face of the program.  The head coach is the face of the program.  He’s the key fundraiser.  He’s the guy that shakes the most hands.  He’s the guys that boosters most need to feel comfortable with.

Look, I’m not arguing against Mr. Scarbinsky.  I don’t believe Auburn passed on Gill simply because they don’t like “colored fellas.”

But his argument about assistants won’t hold water with the folks wondering why there are so few black HEAD coaches.

And if you think to some degree that Auburn’s big money boosters (people in their 50s and 60s who grew up in the, well, 50s and 60s) AREN’T more comfortable with a white man than a black man, you’re not being realistic about just how recent the 60s were in the American South.

The country has come a long, long way.  But we haven’t reached the end of the road yet.  And hiring assistants isn’t the same as hiring head coaches.

Many of the good folks down in Alabama have probably heard a whole lot of what I’m about to relate, but for those people around the SEC who are wondering what exactly went down with Andre Smith… here’s a thumbnail breakdown.

As you know, early in Sugar Bowl week, Nick Saban suspended his left tackle (who is also his best player) for concerns that he’d been in contact with agents.

Saban would not go into detail, only saying that the move was institutional and not an NCAA concern.

Smith has been mum for the most part. 

His attorney has said that the young man did not talk to any agents.

What his attorney didn’t say was that “no one from Smith’s family has spoken with any agents.”  That’s the rub according to sources who keep a watchful eye on the Bama program.

It is believed by many that one of Smith’s relatives, possibly an uncle who likes to think of himself as a pseudo-agent, contacted a number of possible representatives for Smith after the Auburn game.

The agents made their pitches to this family member.  That’s all fine and clear.  NCAA problems arise when papers get signed… not from talking.

It’s not believed that Smith, himself, spoke with any of the agents or that he signed any documents.

However, when his family chose an agent (or led the agents to believe a choice had been made), one of the agents who wasn’t chosen contacted Alabama and blew the whistle on what the family member was up to.

And that’s when Alabama got spooked. 

Remember back to the Antonio Langham case.  Langham signed a napkin during a Sugar Bowl trip in 1992 promising to deal with a specific agent when he turned pro.

In 1993, he played the entire season for the Tide.  Alabama football hasn’t been the same since. 

The Tide was forced to forfeit all of their victories in ‘93 and that one probation led to a spiral of mess-ups, screw-ups and cheat-ups.  The Langham situation brought more scrutiny to how the Tide did their football business… and that’s when the other stuff was exposed.

So, a decade-and-a-half later, Bama is finally back in the Sugar Bowl and they get word that their best player has some connection (through family) to agents.

Nothing was signed.  No money changed hands.  No gifts (we think) were received.

It was NOT necessary for Alabama to suspend Smith.  However, with the Langham situation in mind… like a frightening scarecrow warning them off… the Tide administration pulled a Barney Fife and nipped things in the bud.

Saban went along with the University’s decision and that was that.

Bama went on to lose big to Utah with John Parker Wilson getting pounded into the turf eight times.  In fact, Smith missed two games this past season and in those two games, Alabama gave up half their sacks for the year.

The loss could serve as a motivating factor for the Tide, however.  “Unfinished business” will be the new battle cry. 

And you can bet that Alabama players (and their families) will think twice about speaking with agents in the future.

The Alabama state attorney general is still looking into the case from a legal perspective.  Former Miami running back Melvin Bratton is the agent most rumored to be at the center of the investigation. 

Bama’s loss to Utah won’t help his situation, you wouldn’t think.

We’ll keep you updated as more develops, but I thought a solid little summary of the situation was in order at this point.

Here are the top stories and links around the SEC East today, with an eye on making it easier to identify schools at a quick glance:

USC:  As we told you yesterday, linebacker Eric Norwood has reversed field after telling reporters following the Outback Bowl that he would turn pro.  Turns out, NFL advisers projected him to be a second day pick.  Bet your rear that THAT was the biggest part of the decision.

USC:  Safeties coach Ron Cooper is on his way to LSU.  “They got something special going there,” he said… which by default makes it sound as though USC doesn’t have something special going on.  “This was a wonderful opportunity that came up,” Steve Spurrier said.  “We wish Ron the best.  He did a lot of good things here — good recruiter, good family guy.” 

That sounds nice, but according to Joe Person of The State, he’s heard the Cooper was “encouraged to look for another position.”  Cooper will make around $300,000 a year in Baton Rouge (up from the $175,000 he made at Carolina).  He also has a multi-year contract, something he didn’t have with the Gamecocks.  Better program, more money, longer contract… that’s called landing on one’s feet.

USC:  Just days after upsetting #19 Baylor on the road, the Gamecocks whipped Wofford 78-61 last night in Columbia.  Darrin Horn’s team now heads into SEC play at 11-2 and toting some confidence.

UT:  Bruce Pearl is wondering if his team is tough enough for the schedule they have in front of them.  “Our lack of toughness has been exposed so obviously we’re trying to step up.  We’re not denying it and we’re not hiding behind it.”

UT:  Georgia recruiting coordinator and defensive line coach Rodney Garner turned down more money in Knoxville to stay in Athens.  UT had offered him a chance to coach defense (moving Ed Orgeron from D-line to linebackers to make room for him), but Garner wasn’t swayed.

Vandy:  Bobby Johnson is happy with the recruiting class he’s put together so far… but Rivals.com says it’s just 67th in the country and dead last in the SEC. 

Sidenote — We put this on the homepage simply as a reminder that you can follow recruiting news from ALL around the SEC every day on our Recruiting page.

Vandy:  Say goodbye to Jamie Graham football player… and hello to Jamie Graham basketball player.

UK:  Looking at the ups and downs of UK hoops, Mark Story of The Lexington Herald-Leader believes Cat fans have reason for hope.  Yeah, it’s called a mediocre conference in which Tennessee, Florida, Kentucky, and Alabama are the favorites.

UK:  Billy Gillispie’s team didn’t leave Louisville with a confidence boost, but they might have learned some valuable lessons.

UGA:  Rodney Garner says the biggest draw to Tennessee was the opportunity to work with Monte Kiffin (who flew to Athens on Sunday for a surprise visit).  That said, “Just like Monte was a major attraction for me there, coach (Mark) Richt is a major attraction for me here.  Just the opportunity to work for him as always is just tremendous.”

“I’m going to be honest with you, I love the community and I love the institution, but I work for a great man and that’s the main reason I stayed.”  Strong stuff.

UGA:  The NFL, Mark Richt and Georgia fans are all waiting for word on what Matthew Stafford and Knowshon Moreno are going to do.  But Richt isn’t pressuring them for a quick decision.

UGA:  Interesting note for you — Only two SEC coaches are among the nation’s active leaders in bowl wins: Steve Spurrier (7) and Richt (6).  Richt has only been a coach for eight years.  Folks can be mad after this season if they like, but Richt is putting some gaudy numbers in Athens.

UGA:  The Bulldogs may be playing at Georgia Tech tonight (the same arena in which they won the tornado-struck SEC Tournament in March), but this year’s Dawgs sure aren’t playing like they did at the end of last season.

Georgia defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator Rodney Garner has turned down a job at Tennessee and will remain in Athens for 2009.

Garner, a former Vol assistant in the ’90s, is considered one of the leading recruiters in the SEC.  He has already turned down overtures from Auburn, his alma mater, earlier this off-season.

This is a big “keep” for Mark Richt.  With a disappointing season so close in the rearview mirror, losing a top aide and recruiter would have been a bad bit of icing on an already sour cake.

For Tennessee, it shows that they apparently can’t buy everyone… just most.

Garner stated his preference for coaching on the defensive side of the ball as part of his reason for staying at Georgia.  Tennessee was offering a role on offense.

You can read the full predictions by clicking here, but this is the list of five predictions ESPN.com’s Chris Low has made for the 2009 SEC football season:

1)  Tim Tebow will come back

2)  The breakthrough team in 2009 will be Ole Miss

3)  Julio Jones and AJ Green will become the top receivers in the country

4)  Steve Spurrier will walk away from Carolina after next season

5)  LSU will get back to their attacking style of defense

The SEC’s leader in sacks in 2008 will be back in Garnet and Black in 2009.

Linebacker Eric Norwood has changed his mind and now says he will return to South Carolina next year and put the NFL on-hold for a year.

“I’ve been looking at some of the guys from last year who increased their draft stock by returning.  So I changed my mind.  I like the security that returning to school will provide.”

Gamecock fans will love this news.  Hopefully Norwood will keep his eyes on the college game for the entire 2009 season and not start thinking about the NFL midway through next season as some of his current teammates did this year.

Consider it a perk of playing for the national title.  Florida’s going to get special treatment this week with their own wall of links each morning.

Here are the top stories and issues surround UF’s showdown with Oklahoma on Thursday:

We told you earlier today that OU cornerback Dominique Franks had said that Tim Tebow would have been the fourth-best quarterback in the Big 12.  But did you know Franks was responding to a Tebow comment that he was looking forward to facing a Big 12 defense?  You’re not seeing much about that one in the national press.

Offensive tackle Phil Trautwein got a big tattoo after the Gators’ BCS title in 2006.  Now he wants another tat.

Coaches at Florida are expected to fit Urban Meyer’s system, not the other way around.  That’s why most folks in Gainesville are expecting a smooth transition from Dan Mullen to Steve Addazio.

Speaking of coaches, Tebow is a big fan of Scot Loeffler who is expected to be named UF’s next quarterbacks coach.  But he won’t say if he’ll be playing for him next year or not.

Percy Harvin might not be 100% (is he ever?), but barring a setback, you can expect to see him play against Oklahoma.

With all the talk of Tebow and Harvin, it’s easy to forget wide receiver Louis Murphy.

Ron Higgins of The Memphis Commercial-Appeal believes Oklahoma will have a hard time keeping up with Florida’s team speed.

Tommy Hicks of The Mobile Press-Register thinks the Gators hold the speed advantage, too.

Florida back-up quarterback Cam Newton, facing charges of stealing a fellow student’s laptop, will transfer to a Texas junior college.

Here are some notes from Miami including Tebow’s trouble with motion sickness and the strong recovery by the Pouncey twins’ step-father… who’d lost his leg in an accident more than a month ago.

Not to go all “Match Game” on you, but the SEC is sooooo bad, the league doesn’t even have a team ranked in top blank of the RPI.

If you said “top 20,” you’d be right.

There are a number of different wannabe RPI rankings out there… none are the official “double secret” NCAA RPI rankings, but many of them come close.

One is provided by RealTimeRPI.com.  In it, things look pretty bleak for the SEC right now:

Tennessee is the league’s toughest team and they’re only ranked #21 in this morning’s listings.

Here’s the full rundown:

21.  Tennessee
45.  Florida
66.  Arkansas
75.  Kentucky
76.  Vanderbilt
84.  Ole Miss
100.  Auburn
106.  South Carolina
118.  LSU
181.  Mississippi State
198.  Alabama
217.  Georgia

Don’t expect those RPI rankings to climb too much when conference play begins.  You don’t raise your rating by beating bad clubs… and that’s what the SEC is currently full of.

Perhaps the SEC will get the benefit of the doubt in March, but I wouldn’t bank on it.  This looks like a four-bid league to me right now.

Tony Barnhart of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution understands just how whacky the current bowl system is.  Today he writes that by week’s end no less than FOUR TEAMS can lay claim to a piece of the 2008 national championship:

The Oklahoma/Florida winner, Texas, Southern Cal and Utah can all make compelling cases.

And before you go mocking Utah, take a look at their resume (and what they’ve done in recent years).

David Climer of The Tennessean did… and he’s giving the Utes his backing for #1.

Here’s the news from the Eastern side of the SEC today (we’ll give the BCS title-chasin’ Florida Gators their own section this week), complete with links to the big stories:

The biggest news in the East Division is the recruiting battle being waged by Georgia and Tennessee over… an ace recruiter.  Rodney Garner, current Georgia defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator has been targeted by Lane Kiffin as the next piece to his “super staff.”  Garner, who coached at UT in the 90s, was expected to make a decision yesterday, but that has now changed.

Tennessee has offered Garner about $400,000 (a $150,000 or so raise over his Georgia salary).  That’s not a surprise, UT is spending their US dollars like they’re Confederate script.  (If you read MrSEC, then you knew this would be the case a month ago.)

So why didn’t the decision come yesterday?  Mark Richt and Garner were in talks last night to keep the star recruiter in Athens.  UGA athletic director Damon Evans had this to say about boosting Garner’s salary: “We’ll do what’s appropriate for Georgia.  There’s always going to be other schools out there — the market changes constantly in this business — and we can make sure that we do what’s appropriate.”

Back to Tennessee for a second, on the basketball front forward Tyler Smith is taking the blame for the Vols’ 92-85 loss at Kansas over the weekend… despite the fact he scored 21 points and grabbed nine rebounds.

Academically ineligible freshman Daniel West has decided to go ahead and enroll at Tennessee and pay out of state tuition for a year… to solidify his role as a Vol point guard next season.

And now back to Georgia, where the AJC’s Mark Bradley writes that things are far from quiet on the Bulldogs’ football front.

All the Kentucky fans looking for a signature win by Billy Gillispie and Patrick Patterson will have to wait a little longer following Louisville’s last-second 74-71 victory over the Cats yesterday.

John Clay of The Lexington Herald-Leader writes that the classic rivalry delivered a classic game.

On the negative side, Kentucky still couldn’t find a third scording option after Jodie Meeks and Patrick Patterson.  But on the postive side, UK’s players weren’t buying into any talk of moral victories.

Coming off a surprise Gamecock win at #19 Baylor this weekend, The State in Columbia provides a quick preview of tonight’s Carolina game with Wofford.

When the football future is as murky as it is in Columbia, I figured it would be okay to link to this day-old column in which Joe Person of The State provides the five biggest questions facing the Gamecocks in 2009.

Not to be outdone, this Travis Haney of The Charleston Post and Courier gives you his version of the five biggest questions facing Carolina.

Here are the big stories and top links for this Monday morning in the SEC West:

Folks in Alabama have already turned their eyes toward the fall of ‘09.  Following the Tide’s Sugar Bowl loss to Utah, the team will certainly have motivation.  Bama supposedly has a stable of capable quarterbacks to go with that motivation… but you saw how new quarterbacks did in the SEC this year. 

Left tackle Andre Smith, suspended from the Sugar Bowl, is indeed heading to the NFL, but his lawyer says he’s made no contact with a sports agent.  Alabama and the NCAA say there was no violation of an NCAA rule.  Smith’s agent says that should be proof that his client didn’t speak with an agent.  So what happened that led Nick Saban to suspend Smith?

Ray Melick of The Birmingham News writes something that I completely agree with today: bowl games don’t “prove” very much, they’re exhibition games played a month after the season, and half the match-ups are fruity.  Good column… you should read it.

Gene Chizik is filling out his coaching staff… and Mike Gundy at Oklahoma State probably isn’t too happy about it.  Not only has Chizik added former Iowa State assistant Jay Boulware (special teams) to his staff, he’s also hired Curtis Luper (running backs) from Oklahoma State and is wooing OSU’s Trooper Taylor, too.

Luper said he’s working hard to recruit Taylor to The Plains.  “He’s a phenomenal man.  He’s a great recruiter, great coach, great person, I could go on and on.”

John Pelphrey has been named The Northwest Arkansas Times’ Men’s Collegiate Coach of the Year.  That ranks just below the Nobel prize and the Oscar in terms of awards and honors.  Why did Pelphrey win?  He’s bringing passion back to Razorback hoops.

Indeed Hog fans are loving their team’s blue-collar work ethic.  Whether diving for loose balls will be enough to upset #8 Texas is anyone’s guess.  After seeing what the young Razorbacks did to Oklahoma, Texas’ Rick Barnes is taking UA seriously.

Garrett Temple and the LSU Tigers took their defense to new heights on Saturday night.  Against Southeastern Louisiana.  Baby steps, I guess.  Baby steps.

Ole Miss is hoping to build off of a Cotton Bowl win, a Top 15 ranking and a 9-4 record next year.  But with key losses across the board, Houston Nutt will have to do some solid recruiting in the next month.

Mississippi State’s 17-point win over Houston this weekend was a step in the right direction.  A win over Western Kentucky tonight would also help to boost the Bulldogs’ current RPI which is hovering way down in the 180s.

MSU’s RPI hole is so deep — and the SEC is so down — that Kyle Veazey of The Jackson Clarion Ledger is already thinking an SEC Tournament title might be MSU’s best shot at the NCAA tourney in March.

While I’m still putting together notes from SEC points East and West, I thought I’d link you to an interesting story by Stewart Mandel over at SI.com.

A couple of weeks ago, much to my chagrin, I penned a piece explaining why I don’t think we’ll be able to reach a playoff for college football anytime soon.

Unfortunately, money seems to be in the way.

But the following is at least a little positive for playoff fans: the tv ratings for the three BCS bowls played so far are way down overall.

The Orange Bowl drew only a 6.1 rating for Cincinnati and Virginia Tech.  That’s a new low for a BCS bowl.  The Champs Sports Bowl (Florida State vs. Wisconsin) drew a similar audience.

The Sugar Bowl between Alabama and Utah did just a 7.8 rating.  That’s an increase over Georgia/Hawaii last year, but still very low.

The Rose Bowl did it’s usual 12ish rating.

The drop in ratings ties directly to the creation of a fifth BCS game (the BCS Championship Game was taken out of a bowl and made its own game) in order to appease the small, non-BCS conference schools who were threatening legal action.

Will falling ratings lead to a playoff?  Not anytime soon.  ESPN has already spent $500 million on the BCS package for four upcoming years… so the decline in ratings (and ad revenue) is their problem.

But if the BCS ratings continue to drop — for ALL the BCS bowls — then you might seen a monetary advantage in moving from the bowl system to a playoff system.

Just don’t count it.  I’m guessing the ratings for the BCS’ big games (OSU/Texas, USC/Penn State, and Florida/Oklahoma this year) will continue to do well for years to come.

We’ll cover more news from Florida over the next couple of hours, but I did want to link everyone to a few BCS Championship Game-related stories right off the bat today.

(Sidenote — Is there a worse day of the year than the Monday after New Year’s?  The holidays are over, the skies are gray (unless you’re in California) and the office is calling.  Ugh.  I hate he Monday after New Year’s.  Hate it.)

According to ESPN’s Chris Low, the “fireworks” are already beginning down in Miami.  Oklahoma cornerback Dominique Franks lobbed a couple of shots at Florida quarterback Tim Tebwo yesterday.

Stewart Mandel of SI.com goes into even more detail.  “I’d say he’d proabably be about the fourth-best quarterback in our conference,” Franks said.  “I really think with those three guys, it’s a lot harder to prepare for those guys.  We’re coming in and facing Tebow, and he wants to run the ball a lot more.  He’s predominantly a running quarterback.”

Actually, Mr. Tebow is rated #4 in the nation as a passer.

Oklahoma’s Bob Stoops didn’t sound too happy about the hubbub.  “You guys lead young guys into a lot of questions.  We know (Tebow’s) a great player.  We have great respect for him.  That speaks for himself.  He’s an exceptional guy and we know that.”

Too late, Coach.  Those quotes are already on the Gator bulletin boards.  Stoops should also know that Tebow tends to play his best when he’s got a chip on his shoulder. 

So we’ll see if OU’s 98th ranked pass defense can make good on your Franks’ comments.

Mark Schlabach of ESPN.com believes that Urban Meyer might someday follow his “dream” to Notre Dame, but he’s already writing what will probably be a long legacy at Florida.

One great player — even a lineman — an make a difference

I believe one player can make the difference in a game, if it’s a great quarterback, running back, receiver or defensive player.
           
But I didn’t believe an offensive lineman could make that much difference - until now.
           
I don’t know if Alabama would have beaten unbeaten Utah if left tackle Andre Smith had played (he was suspended for alleged improper relations with an agent). But I would have liked the Crimson Tide’s chances in the Sugar Bowl.
           
With Smith, maybe Alabama moves the ball better early and doesn’t fall behind 21-0 in the first quarter. With Smith, maybe Alabama runs the ball more effectively - Glen Coffee and Mark Ingram combined for 62 yards on 21 carries for a team that averaged 196.5 on the ground during the season. Counting sacks, Bama netted 31 rushing yards
           
With Smith, there’s no doubt in my mind Tide quarterback John Parker Wilson wouldn’t have been sacked eight times. Alabama allowed 17 sacks all season.
           
Most of Utah’s sacks came from the left tackle spot vacated by Smith.
           
With Utah ahead 28-17 in the fourth quarter and Alabama forced to throw, the Tide was unable to protect against the Utes’ smaller but quicker defensive front.
           
No SEC team dominated Alabama’s offensive line the way Utah’s did.
           
It didn’t help that Smith’s replacement, Mike Johnson, suffered a first-half injury, causing the Tide to shuffle its blockers. For most of the game, only two Tide linemen played their regular position.
           
If not for Wilson’s mobility, the sack total could have been 15 as Wilson eluded rushers and scrambled out of trouble repeatedly.
           
This isn’t to take away from the win by Utah, a team which deserves to be ranked in the top five. It just emphasizes the significance of losing one great player - even if it is an offensive lineman.
 


Chavis likes LSU tradition, talent
 
One reason former Tennessee defensive coordinator John Chavis took the job at LSU over Clemson is his feeling that the Baton Rouge Tigers have a better shot at winning a national championship.
           
LSU has won two national titles since 2003.
           
Clemson hasn’t won one since 1981 and hasn’t won an ACC title since 1990.
           
But I think there are three other factors that contributed to Chavis’ decision.
           
One, no SEC team has had as much defensive line talent since 2000 as LSU. In fact, only Southern Cal rivals LSU for producing defensive linemen this decade.
           
Consider these guys: Jarvis and Howard Green, Marcus Spears, Claude Wroten, Chad Lavalais, Glenn Dorsey, Kyle Williams, Markeise Hill, Charles Alexander, Tyson Jackson,  Ricky Jean-Francois, Marlon Favorite, Rahim Alem, Al Woods and Kirston Pittman, to name more than a few.
           
Secondly, Chavis’ familiarity with the SEC. He knows the other coaches, he knows the personnel, he knows the schemes. The transition to LSU will be more seamless than the move to Clemson.
           
Thirdly, I believe Chavis has a strong desire to prove to the Tennessee administration it made a mistake by firing Phillip Fulmer and the entire defensive staff. Chavis has a long memory, and he would like nothing better than to whip the Vols in Neyland Stadium or Tiger Stadium or the Georgia Dome.
 


Bowl results aren’t defining 
                      
The results of bowl games are not THE defining moment for determining the strength of a conference.
           
If that were the case, the Pac-10 would clearly be the nation’s best conference after going 5-0 in bowls, Conference USA would rival the Big 12 and SEC for second best, the Big East (3-2) would be better than the ACC (4-6) and the Big Ten (1-5) would be a no better than the WAC.
           
However, bowl games can be an indicator.
           
And from all indications, the SEC - 6-9 against BCS non-conference opponents in the regular season — has gained a measure of respect.
           
The SEC was 5-2 heading into the national championship game between Florida and Oklahoma. It beat a one-loss team from the Big 12, the Conference USA champion, a team that played for the ACC title and a 14th-ranked team from the ACC.
           
Thanks to huge breaks, Vanderbilt beat Boston College and Kentucky upset East Carolina. Vandy got eight first downs and needed a muffed punt for a touchdown to snap the Eagles’ nation’s best eight-game bowl win streak. Kentucky returned a kickoff for a score, then got a game-winning fumble recovery return.
           
LSU and Ole Miss thoroughly outplayed Georgia Tech and Texas Tech, respectively. And underdog Utah took it to Alabama.
           
I’ve felt this season that many SEC offenses were inferior and that SEC defenses were overrated due to playing against poor offenses.
           
To a degree, the bowl numbers bear that out.
           
Only one SEC team had more than 331 total yards - Ole Miss piled up 515 against Texas Tech. And only two SEC teams exceeded their regular season scoring average - Ole Miss with 47 points (40 by the offense) and LSU with 38 (31 by the offense).
           
Vandy’s offense had 200 yards, eight first downs and nine points. Kentucky’s offense scored 12 points. South Carolina had a field goal until a meaningless touchdown in the final minutes.
           
In the seven bowls, SEC offenses averaged 314.3 yards while allowing 346.3 yards per game. SEC offenses scored 21 points per game while defenses allowed 19.1 points.            

And four SEC offenses scored no more than 12 points in a bowl game.
           
Still, the SEC’s 5-2 mark (2-0 against the ACC) is a solid showing.
            

 
How long will Spurrier remain at SC?
 
By far, South Carolina turned in the worst performance by an SEC team in a bowl.
           
The Gamecocks were disinterested and noncompetitive in a 31-10 loss to Iowa, which recorded the Big Ten’s only bowl victory.
           
Two of Steve Spurrier’s players - Captain Munnerlyn and Eric Norwood - declared for the NFL the day of the game. I wonder if they declared at halftime. And, leading tackler Emmanuel Cook was academically ineligible while tight end Jared Cook looked in like November he had his eye on the NFL, not Florida or Clemson.
           
I wouldn’t call that a revolt against Spurrier, but it’s evident he doesn’t command the respect of the Gamecocks the way he did the Gators. And do you really think Spurrier is thrilled about coaching quarterback Stephen Garcia next season?
           
South Carolina’s offense doesn’t figure to be any better next year, considering the personnel losses. And the defense loses at least six key players.
           
If Spurrier doesn’t win at least eight games next season, he might get frustrated to the point of stepping down.
           
In four years in Columbia, he’s 28-22. That’s not his idea of fun. And he’s done nothing to add to a rather empty trophy case - except win a minor bowl game.

New Auburn head coach Gene Chizik may just landed his biggest recruit of 2009. All-SEC defensive end Antonio Coleman announced Saturday that he would…
(more)

Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin is targeting another highly touted recruiter for his coaching staff.
Georgia assistant coach and recruiting coordinator Rodney Garner spent much of Saturday in Knoxville interviewing with Kiffin.
Garner, 42, did not immediately return a call seeking comment, however his interest is in joining UT’s staff is thought to be legitimate.
(more)

TUSCALOOSA - Alabama left tackle Andre Smith announced his intention to declare for the NFL Draft late Saturday night. (more)

NEW ORLEANS — The small contingent of Utah fans chanted “No. 1, No. 1″ as Brian Johnson stood bobbing back and forth on the podium erected on the Superdome field, his fingers held aloft in a “U.”

Four years ago, Johnson, then a freshman, watched as Alex Smith led the original BCS busters to an unprecedented Fiesta Bowl win. But if Smith and Co. had thrown a stone at college football’s elite, this David instead casted a boulder as No. 7 Utah (13-0) dominated No. 4 Alabama 31-17. (more)

Said it before. Time to say it again.

The ball’s dropped on a New Year, but one thing hasn’t changed.

Alabama is not back.

Not all the way.

Not yet.

Not after Utah 31, Alabama 17. (more)

NEW ORLEANS — The 2008 season may still be remembered as the one that marked the turnaround for the University of Alabama football program. But this week in New Orleans will evoke other memories. (more)

MEMPHIS — The middle of the season might not have been what Kentucky football wanted — the mere six victories, the SEC East cellar, the frustrating losses and the flop of a regular-season finish.

But you have to admit, the bookends were pretty darn good. Especially when the year ended the way it began. (more)

MEMPHIS — The University of Kentucky knew it would need a big lift from its defense in order to win the AutoZone Liberty Bowl against East Carolina.

The Wildcat defenders played the first half like their minds were still on Beale Street. But when the game was on the line, they won the game not only once, but twice. (more)

DALLAS — It was the highest-scoring game in Cotton Bowl history.
(more)

DALLAS

Jevan Snead had seen the ESPN crawl on his television for weeks. Everybody and his dog liked Texas Tech in the 73rd Cotton Bowl. The Ole Miss Rebels were a live underdog on Friday afternoon, sure, but it seems lots of folks thought the Rebels might want to lay down and play dead.
(more)

The courtship of Ed Orgeron was rather intriguing.

The former Ole Miss head coach was not only the object of Tennessee’s desire, but LSU coach Les Miles threw an all-out blitz on his former coaching rival.

Tennessee won out.

Here’s how it unfolded.

Orgeron, defensive line coach for the New Orleans Saints, had talked with Lane Kiffin for more than a month about joining Kiffin at Tennessee - even before Kiffin was officially hired. The two had coached together previously at Southern Cal.

While Orgeron said he enjoyed his one season as an NFL assistant, he said he wants to be a college head coach again, so he entertained offers from both LSU and Tennessee.

Orgeron went to Destin, Florida, for a few days and told each program he would make a decision by January 1st. When Lane Kiffin felt he was losing the battle, Lane and his father, Monte Kiffin, UT’s newly hired defensive coordinator, flew to Destin and knocked on Orgeron’s condo door.

The Kiffins convinced Orgeron to take the Tennessee job and offered him $650,000, about $50,000 more than LSU had offered.

When LSU coach Les Miles heard Orgeron was taking the Tennessee job as assistant head coach and recruiting coordinator, Miles drove to New Orleans after LSU’s win in the Chick-fil-A bowl and offered Orgeron a whopping $900,000.

Orgeron declined, saying he had given Tennessee and Kiffin his word that he would join the Vols’ staff.

Thus, Orgeron turned down $250,000 to go to Knoxville.

LSU recently hired former Tennessee defensive coordinator John Chavis to run its defense. You’ve got to wonder how Chavis, who will make about $500,000, feels about Miles offering Orgeron some $400,000 more than Chavis’ salary.

You’ve also got to wonder if Chavis was on board with Orgeron joining the LSU staff.

And you have to wonder if Orgeron preferred working under Monte Kiffin as defensive coordinator as opposed to Chavis.  That’s what Orgeron’s friend Bobby Hebert told Louisiana reporters.

Bill Johnson, former Denver Broncos’ defensive line coach, is considered a strong candidate for the defensive line job at LSU. Johnson has coached at Miami and Texas A&M, among others.

Also, LSU is interested in hiring Vance Joseph as secondary coach. Joseph, who played at Colorado but is a New Orleans native, is secondary coach for the 49ers.

At Tennessee, Lane Kiffin has hired five coaches: his dad, Orgeron, David Reaves, Jim Chaney and James Cregg.

Asked if running backs coach Stan Drayton would remain on the staff, Kiffin was non-committal, saying only that Drayton is being considered for a permanent position. Drayton would be the only holdover retained from Tennessee’s staff under Phillip Fulmer.

UT is looking for a running backs coach, a secondary coach, a receivers coach and a special teams coach.
           
If Tennessee’s assistant staff salaries total about $4 million as expected, that would be more than double last year’s pay of $1.92 million.

However, when you consider Lane Kiffin’s salary of $2 million and Fulmer projected to make $2.75 million in 2009, the total payouts for staffs will differ by about $1 million.

The assistant pool under Fulmer was expected to rise to about $2.2 million, and with Fulmer’s pay hike, the total would be about $5 million.

Kiffin and his nine assistants are expected to make about $6 million.