MrSEC.com

TENNESSEE COMMIT CONSIDERING ARKANSAS, N.C. STATE

Josh Ward — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 15:39:53 +0000

Edwin Herbert is still committed to Tennessee, but he’s leaving his options open to other schools.

The defensive tackle from City College of San Francisco has scholarship offers from Arkansas and North Carolina State, and he plans to give both schools a chance.

“The whole thing that happened at Tennessee is sad,” Herbert said. “Right now I’m still verbally committed there, but my coach told me to keep my options open. So now schools are coming to talk to me. I’m giving everyone a clean slate, a fair shot.”

OFFENSIVE LINEMAN SCHEDULING VISITS

Josh Ward — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 15:37:00 +0000

Offensive lineman Quinton Washington from Timberland High School in St. Stephen, S.C., will take an official visit to North Carolina this weekend.

Washington has already visited Michigan and will likely visit South Carolina on Jan. 17, according to The State in Columbia.

Washington also plans to visit Clemson, and he’s considering Alabama, Tennessee, Miami and N.C. State for a fifth official visit.

DEFENSIVE END SETS VISIT FOR VANDERBILT

Josh Ward — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 15:30:24 +0000

Defensive end Justin Jones from Heritage High School in Conyers, Ga., has set an official visit for Vanderbilt, according to The State in Columbia.

Jones also plans to take an official visit to South Carolina. Jones has decommitted from Kentucky but is considering taking a visit to Kentucky.

TIGHT END CLEARS THINGS UP WITH TUBERVILLE

Josh Ward — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 15:24:28 +0000

Tight end Philip Lutzenkirchen has been one of Auburn’s concerned commitments.

Lutzenkirchen spoke to Auburn head coach Tommy Tuberville on Thursday about the Tigers’ future.

Lutzenkirchen felt better after the talk.

TENNESSEE COMMIT LIKES GEORGIA TECH

Josh Ward — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 15:20:37 +0000

Running back Toney Williams is still committed to Tennessee, but he likes Georgia Tech’s program.

Williams needs to know who the Vols will hire by next month because he plans to enroll in college in January.

Williams likes Georgia Tech, along with a few other schools.

MrSEC’S WEEKEND PREVIEW (NOW IN TEXT FORM!)

jimmy — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 15:00:58 +0000

(Note: This week’s preview webcast had some technical difficulties, so here are the text answers to our usual weekend preview questions.)

Which team is facing the toughest challenge this week?

Ole Miss is facing a better team in LSU, but I’m going with Tennessee. The Vols are going to Vanderbilt, and I’m not sure if the team has recovered emotionally from the firing of their coach, Phillip Fulmer

They were uninspired in their embarrassing loss against Wyoming two weeks ago. UT’s offense, statistically, is one of the five worst in college football. They’re going back to Jonathan Crompton at QB; he was benched as a starter for six games. And they’re going against a Vanderbilt team that is now bowl eligible and should be more relaxed.

Vanderbilt’s defense is ranked among the top 40 in scoring defense, pass defense and total defense, as well as interceptions and sacks. Vandy has held four opponents to less than 250 total yards and Tennessee averages only 267.

Vandy has beaten Tennessee just once since 1982, but the Commodores are a 3-point favorite. Vanderbilt beat Tennessee in 2005 and missed another win last year when a last-second field goal attempt hit the upright. So Vandy comes in confident against a UT offense that lost its confidence weeks ago. Tennessee’s defense is tied with Florida for fewest touchdowns allowed (13) but UT’s offense has scored the fewest touchdowns (17) in the SEC and this is UT’s lowest scoring team since 1964. Tennessee hopes to win a 13th consecutive game in Nashville.

Which team or coach most needs a win this weekend?

Sly Croom at Mississippi State. The Bulldogs (3-7) host Arkansas (4-6) which is still hopeful of becoming bowl eligible. I don’t think State will fire Croom after he was named SEC Coach of the Year last year, but State has a new AD and he might not feel as much loyalty to Croom.

On the heels of an 8-win season, the Bulldogs have wins over Southeastern Louisiana, Vanderbilt and MTSU. The offense is horrible, ranking last in the SEC in scoring and 10th in rushing.

If Croom stays, he’ll probably have to fire his good friend, offensive coordinator Woody McCorvey. Croom might balk at that suggestion. Interestingly, State, which won several games by scoring defensive touchdowns last year, is the only SEC team this season without a defensive score.

Which team is the most ripe to be upset?

LSU against Ole Miss. This is a highly intense rivalry that LSU has dominated of late, winning six in a row and seven of eight. But four of those games were decided by 3 or fewer points.

Ole Miss is bowl eligible, happy about the direction of the season and might want this game more. LSU has lost 3 games and isn’t happy about this season after winning the SEC and the national title. It’s tough to stay hungry coming off a national title. It’s even harder when your goals for a season are gone.

Plus, LSU has had QB issues much of this season. Jarrett Lee has had 7 of his 15 interceptions returned for touchdowns. And the Tigers were lucky to pull out a 40-31 win over Troy after tailing 31-3 with two minutes left in the third quarter.

Rebel QB Jevan Snead is #3 in the SEC in passing efficiency and LSU’s pass defense (206.3 yards per game) ranks 10th in the SEC. On the other hand, Ole Miss’ pass defense is last in the SEC.

And this is a CBS game in Baton Rouge . LSU is 5-6 in its last 11 CBS games at home and has a losing record in day games at Tiger Stadium since 1960. LSU has not lost a November game in regulation since 2002. That could change this Saturday.

What are you most interested in seeing this weekend?

Will Tennessee finally play Eric Berry both ways? Coach Phillip Fulmer revealed this week that Berry has had a season-long shoulder injury that kept the star safety from playing offense, but now he’s fine.

Berry has expressed a desire to play offense, but he’s had just one snap all season. Vanderbilt has a talented 2-way player in DJ Moore, who had two touchdown catches and two interceptions against Kentucky.

Moore also returns punts and kickoffs and has five rushing attempts this season. Wouldn’t it be fun to see two of the SEC’s most dynamic athletes going both ways?

Do you agree with the top part of The MrSEC.com Power Poll?

1) Alabama
2) Florida
3) Georgia
4) LSU

If Alabama and Florida played, I’d be hard-pressed not to pick Florida. The Gators might be the hottest team in America.

But in a poll, you have to judge all the games, not the most recent games. And because Florida suffered a home loss to Ole Miss and Alabama is unbeaten, I rank the Crimson Tide over the Gators.

THE WEEKEND PICKS

jpatriot — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 14:52:23 +0000

It’s Friday and that means it’s time for your weekly wrap of picks, predictions and prognostications. And here they are…

Geoff Calkins of The Memphis Commercial-Appeal:

Tennessee 17, Vanderbilt 13 (last week he picked the Bye Week over UT)
LSU 28, Ole Miss 23
Mississippi State 17, Arkansas 16

Mike Strange of The Knoxville News Sentinel:

Vanderbilt 17, Tennessee 16
Florida 77, The Citadel 3
Arkansas 21, Mississippi State 16
LSU 35, Ole Miss 20

Tony Barnhart of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

Vanderbilt 17, Tennessee 14
LSU 24, Ole Miss 20
Florida 65, The Citadel 0

Pat Dooley of The Gainesville Sun:

Mississippi State 20, Arkansas 17
Vanderbilt 24, Tennessee 10
LSU 28, Ole Miss 16
Florida 49, The Citadel 10

CAROLINA FOOTBALL NEWS - 11/21/08

jpatriot — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 14:41:09 +0000

It’s an open date for Carolina tomorrow, so it shouldn’t surprise anyone that there’s very little coming out of Columbia today:

This notes column covers the Gamecocks’ injury status, their defense’s “Goon Squad” nickname, and the shelving of last week’s kickoff-throwback play that backfired horribly.

South Carolina is resuming their Tigerburn pep rally next week. The rally consists of burning a huge, student-built Tiger. Last year, the celebration was shelved after six Carolina students and one Clemson student were killed in a beach house fire.

FLORIDA FOOTBALL NEWS - 11/21/08

jpatriot — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 14:32:54 +0000

Here are the top stories from the Sunshine State today:

Percy Harvin has now gone two consecutive years averaging more than 11 yards per touch. Reggie Bush never did that.

Linebacker Brandon Spikes sounds like a really good kid. He says he “likes to be violent,” we presume on the football field. And he added this nugget, too: “You want to put a guy out and let the ambulance come and get him off the field.” Uh-huh. Wouldn’t it be something for Mr. Spikes to be carted off the field after someone laid his ass out? Won’t happen against The Citadel, of course.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, Tim Tebow has won The Disney Spirit Award as college football’s most inspirational figure.

Offensive lineman Jim Tartt might start tomorrow in his final game at The Swamp. Carl Johnson is still recovering from an MCL sprain.

Defensive coordinator Charlie Strong is pushing all the right buttons according to Urban Meyer. “He’s one of my close friends, but he’s also one of the best coordinators in the country. It’s not about the scheme, it’s more about getting guys ready to play. … That’s his strength, developing players.”

ARKANSAS FOOTBALL NEWS - 11/21/08

jpatriot — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 14:19:52 +0000

Here’s the news from Fayetteville this morning:

Mississippi State’s run game has been a disappointment this year, but it’s still a whole lot better than their passing game. And that’s why the Razorbacks’ goal tomorrow is to shut down the State ground attack.

That will require better tackling and a solid outing by the Hogs’ defensive line.

On offense, the question remains: Will Casey Dick start at quarterback or will his little brother, Nathan? Bobby Petrino’s not saying.

AUBURN FOOTBALL NEWS - 11/21/08

jpatriot — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 14:09:25 +0000

While Alabama waits in their corner for next week’s Iron Bowl, Auburn is doing the same to the south. Here are the headlines from The Plains:

This notes column reveals that quarterback Kodi Burns is a big fan of Auburn’s decision to huddle before plays. “It’s easier to huddle. You’ve got one guy giving the play and everybody looking at you and listening, as opposed to just looking at the sideline every play.”

Gabe McKenzie likes the fact that he’s been moved from defensive end back to tight end. “This is what I was born to do. I’ve done this all my life.”

McKenzie was switched to defense when former offensive coordinator Tony Franklin came in with his offense that required fast, ball-catching tight ends.

And this move is yet another step in completely and totally undoing everything that Franklin did. What an unbelievably horrible fit for Auburn. The other coaches obviously bought into NOTHING Franklin brought to the table because dang near every decision he made has now been undone.

And that makes Tommy Tuberville’s next choice for offensive coordinator the most important hire he’ll ever make. Evan Woodbery of The Mobile Press-Register seems to believe Tuberville can stay if he promises to make the right off-season moves. And thletic director Jay Jacobs will certainly want to know what his offensive plans are.

ALABAMA FOOTBALL NEWS - 11/21/08

jpatriot — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 13:58:17 +0000

Here’s the latest from Tuscaloosa, where Bama has an open date this weekend:

From high school rivals in Florida to teammates at Alabama… that’s the story of Javier Arenas and Marquis Johnson.

Alabama plays 5-6 Auburn in the Iron Bowl next week. Then they’ll play Florida in the SEC title game, possibly for a berth in the BCS national championship game. If you think the Florida game is bigger than the Auburn game, then you don’t understand Alabama football.

Mike Herndon of The Mobile Press-Register got Houston Nutt, Sylvester Croom, Phillip Fulmer, Les Miles and Bobby Petrino to compare Alabama to Auburn in preparation for next week’s Iron Bowl.

You know who likes the idea of having a head-coach-in-waiting? Nick Saban.

What is a coach worth? Millions and millions of dollars. Saban’s yearly salary of around $4 million seems a bargain when you take into consideration his team has caused a greater demand for tickets, which will lead to a stadium expansion, which will bring in about $9 million annually when it’s completed.

(By the way, how many Auburn fans perked up and how many Alabama fans puckered up when they saw that wad of cash, wondering if a story had broken about Bama cheating again? I’m guessing a bunch.)

GEORGIA FOOTBALL NEWS - 11/21/08

jpatriot — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 13:31:06 +0000

Here are a few items from Athens today as Georgia prepares for a weekend off:

We told you yesterday that Mark Richt isn’t ready to hire a coach-in-waiting replacement for himself just yet. Here’s a bit more on the idea of programs naming successors, as seen through the eyes of Richt.

Despite the 18 season-ending injuries, the brutal schedule, the four-game road trip and the fact that Georgia will finish EXACTLY where the SEC media predicted they would finish… national media types are calling the Bulldogs a major disappointment. And they’re wrong. They wildly overestimated UGA’s chances this year while Southern writers who cover the SEC did not. The disappointment? The national media who chose to ignore Georgia’s ridiculous schedule.

Cornerback Ramarcus Brown has revitalized his career at the tailend of his career in the silver britches.

KENTUCKY FOOTBALL NEWS - 11/21/08

jpatriot — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 13:16:40 +0000

Not much out of Lexington today, which isn’t unusual considering Kentucky has an open date tomorrow. Here’s what in the news:

UK held a scrimmage involving their freshmen and redshirt freshmen yesterday. Defensive end Collins Ukwu was one of the stars.

Rich Brooks is in the running for a national Coach of the Year award. Defensive line coach Rick Petri is up for a national defensive line coach award… naturally.

Former Auburn offensive coordinator (and Kentucky assistant under Hal Mumme) Tony Franklin says his mid-season firing at Auburn was nowhere near as bad as his departure from Lexington (of which he wrote a tell-all book). “This was just football and personalities, just normal, everyday coaching stuff. This (Auburn) doesn’t have the ugly, bad feeling in my mouth like what happened at Kentucky.”

This is a pretty interesting column from Mark Story of The Lexington Herald-Leader.

LSU FOOTBALL NEWS - 11/21/08

jpatriot — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 13:04:53 +0000

Here’s today’s news from Baton Rouge:

Les Miles believes his team will be plenty focused for Ole Miss tomorrow. “That team beat Florida in Gainesville. Our team understands what that means.”

The key tomorrow? Turnovers. In their four losses, Ole Miss has turned the ball over three or more times. In their six wins, the Rebels have had two or fewer turnovers. Pretty simple. More than two turnovers on Saturday and the Rebels will lose. This stuff’s easy to break down.

Jevan Snead is playing better football these days. With 17 touchdown passes, he’s been one of the SEC’s best playmakers, but in the Rebels’ three-game winning streak, he’s also protected the football. He’s thrown just one interception in UM’s last three games.

Freshman running back and Louisiana native Brandon Bolden has emerged as one of Houston Nutt’s best weapons.

When LSU fans honor the 1958 national championship team tomorrow, they’ll be paying homage to the team that served as the foundation for the Tiger football program you see today.

OLE MISS FOOTBALL NEWS - 11/21/08

jpatriot — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 12:52:19 +0000

Here are the top stories from Oxford this morning:

If you’re looking for a reason behind Ole Miss’ three-game winning streak… look no further than the improved Rebel defense. UM is 13th in the nation in rush defense, and while their pass defense has looked shaky at times, this week they will face LSU’s Jarrett Lee, who’s thrown seven interceptions that have been returned for scores.

According to Houston Nutt, Ole Miss will trot into Tiger Stadium wearing red jerseys tomorrow.

All season, Nutt has spoken of trying to create a new winning attitude in Oxford. The Rebels’ winning streak might have done the trick. “It’s that dose of medicine. It’s that winning breeds confidence. It’s contagious. That’s the dose that we’ve been talking about that’s been needed so badly.”

MSU FOOTBALL NEWS - 11/21/08

jpatriot — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 12:43:58 +0000

Here’s the news from Starkville heading into tomorrow’s game with Arkansas:

According to Sylvester Croom, you might see two new freshmen on the field for the Bulldogs tomorrow. Tailback Wade Bonner is “definitely” in the MSU plans, while quarterback Chris Relf will get in only if “game situations” allow it.

Croom has not liked what he’s seen from this year’s ground attack. “If anything’s been disappointing to me about the offense, more than anything else this year, has been our lack of an ability to consistently run the football as well as I’d like to. Nobody practices the run game more than we have.”

Delmon Robinson will return kickoffs tomorrow, rather than Derek Pegues.

KELLY HAS BEEN ON UT A-D’S RADAR FOR A WHILE

jpatriot — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 12:25:09 +0000

The rumors continue to grow louder and louder that Cincinnati coach Brian Kelly could be the man to replace Tennessee coach Phillip Fulmer.

The UC coach is not a last-second addition to the coaching list, either. As a matter of fact, he’s been watched by UT for some time, according to a source close to the program.

Athletic Director Mike Hamilton has alluded in the past to having a list of names in his desk drawer in case of emergency… football coaches, basketball coaches, etc. Sort of a “you never know” list that 99% of athletic directors keep.

Turns out, one of the names that we can assume has been on that list is Kelly’s.

More than a year ago, when a Cincinnati football game appeared on a television monitor at Neyland Stadium, Hamilton told the people around him all about Kelly’s accomplishments. He detailed Kelly’s record at Central Michigan and Grand Valley State.

“He seemed to really like him,” said the source. “And this was before Tennessee turned the season around last year.”

Now, does this mean that Kelly is the leader in the clubhouse and will be the next UT head coach? Of course not.

Maybe Hamilton can list the accomplishments of every Big East coach.

But it sure sounds like Hamilton’s been keeping up with Kelly for a while. And it’s certain that no search firm had to tell him of Kelly’s career path.

Kelly might not be the leader, but he’s been on Hamilton’s radar for at least a year now.

TENNESSEE FOOTBALL NEWS - 11/21/08

jpatriot — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 12:14:24 +0000

Here are the main headlines from Knoxville today:

Three of the last four UT-Vanderbilt games have been decided by less than a touchdown. And for the first time in recent memory, Vandy might actually have more fans in the stands than Tennessee.

Why has this Tennessee team been so bad? Just look at the numbers. The Vols’ are ranked 7th out of 119 FBS teams in defense. They are ranked 115th in offense. Not too hard to figure our the problem area, huh?

Montario Hardesty will start at tailback for the UT on Saturday. Arian Foster will also get some playing time. Foster has been hampered by a thigh bruise.

Phillip Fulmer grew up in middle Tennessee, considered playing at Vanderbilt and wound up coaching there before returning to Tennessee nearly 30 years ago. He has a good deal of respect for the Vandy program.

VANDERBILT FOOTBALL NEWS - 11/21/08

jpatriot — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 11:59:39 +0000

We’ll start the day in Nashville as we often do (the papers in Tennessee post their stories earlier than anyone else in the conference):

The job that Bobby Johnson has done at Vanderbilt has gained him national attention and put his name on several schools’ coaching lists. Johnson, however, said yesterday that he simply arrived at Vandy at a time when the administration began to emphasize football. Maybe so, but that doesn’t take away from what Johnson has accomplished.

Vanderbilt would probably prefer to go bowling somewhere out of town, but reps from both the university and the Music City Bowl have said they would have no problem pairing up next month. What a treat for long-suffering Vandy fans. “Take a left at the Pancake Pantry and head downtown.”

With a healthy receiver corps, cornerback DJ Moore might not have to play as much offense as he did at Kentucky. Of course, his two touchdowns against the Cats would have me looking for more ways to get him on offense.

CLEMSON COMMIT SCHEDULING VISITS

Josh Ward — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 15:25:44 +0000

Clemson commit J.K. Jay is looking at all his options.

The offensive lineman from Greenville, S.C., already plans to take official visits to Clemson and Georgia.

He will likely visit a few other schools as well.

LSU AMONG DEFENSIVE END’S FINAL TWO

Josh Ward — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 15:00:58 +0000

Defensive end Dyron Dye from Seminole High School in Sanford, Fla., has trimmed his list of schools to two.

Dye told InsideTheU.com that he plans to choose between LSU and Miami.

“It is down to crunch time and I know from what I have seen that I am down to two and anything can happen, but I am down to LSU and Miami,” Dye told the Web site. ”They are my top two leaders and we have a month and a half and anything can happen and anything can change from now until then.”

MISSISSIPPI STATE ADDS TO BASKETBALL CLASS

Josh Ward — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 14:59:07 +0000

Mississippi State has signed basketball guard Shaunessy Smith from Noxubee County High School.

Smith waited until Wednesday to sign because it was his birthday.

MrSEC.COM POWER POLL - PRESENTED BY FOOTBALLSPEAKERS.COM

jpatriot — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 14:49:46 +0000

The votes are in for our MrSEC.com Power Poll - presented by FootballSpeakers.com.

The voters in the poll are:

David Bazzell, former Arkansas linebacker

Chris Doering, former Florida receiver

Will Overstreet, former Tennessee defensive end

Tyler Watts, former Alabama quarterback

Stan White, former Auburn quarterback

Jimmy Hyams and John Pennington from this very website.

Check out how tight the races are for the best and worst slot in the conference. One vote could flip-flop Alabama and Florida at the top… and Tennessee and Mississippi State continue to slug it out for “absolute worst” status.

Here’s the full poll (complete with the number of total votes in parenthesis…the lower the total, the better the tally):

1. Alabama (10)
2. Florida (11)
3. Georgia (21)
4. LSU (29)
5. South Carolina (40)
6. Ole Miss (41)
7. Vanderbilt (45)
8. Kentucky (55)
9. Arkansas (64)
10. Auburn (70)
11t. Mississippi State (80)
11t. Tennessee (80)

ACE REPORTER: ANOTHER REASON TO DISLIKE SABAN

jpatriot — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 14:44:47 +0000

Alabama’s Nick Saban has been called a dictator and a devil.

Both are accurate. He has total control over his program and he’s a devil of a coach - and that’s a compliment.

Those are two reasons his team is 10-0 and ranked No. 1 in the nation.

LSU coach Les Miles allegedly called Saban the devil, although Miles denies saying that. Miles surely has been frustrated by so many people saying he’s won with Saban’s talent. He’ll be even more frustrated when Saban starts stealing recruits out of the Bayou State.

Saban is not all that popular as a coach. Maybe it’s his ability to recruit. Maybe it’s his $4 million salary. Maybe it’s his fast lane to success. He’s raising the bar for his colleagues, which can’t help his popularity.

When Florida coach Steve Spurrier was asked why, in four years, he hasn’t had nearly the success Saban is having in his second year at Alabama, Spurrier smirked: “Poor coaching, I guess.”

Saban has upped the time line for rebuilding a program. He inherited a team with mediocre talent and has them challenging for the national championship in Year Two.

He’s having what Georgia coach Mark Richt would call one of those “magical” second seasons.

Richt had one, leading Georgia to a 13-1 record and an SEC championship in his second season.

Meyer won the national title in his second season at Florida and went undefeated in his second year at Utah.

Gene Stallings went 11-1 in his second year at Alabama. Dennis Franchione won 10 games in his second year at the Capstone.

Ken Hatfield won 10 games in his second year at Arkansas.

Terry Bowden won his first 20 games at Auburn and Tommy Tuberville and Pat Dye won nine in their second season on the Plains.

Spurrier won 10 games and the SEC title his second year at Florida.

At LSU, Saban won the SEC in his second season and Les Miles won 11 games and the Sugar Bowl in his second season.

Lou Holtz went from 0-11 to 8-4 at South Carolina.

There is something special about second seasons for SEC coaches.

But nobody has done a more special job than Saban. Miles inherited more talent at LSU. And Meyer inherited much more talent at Florida.

As one Alabama fan told me: “I knew he was good, but I had no idea he was this good.”

Just one more reason for Saban’s coaching colleagues to dislike him.


LSU’s Season Not A Surprise

It should come as no surprise that LSU has struggled to a 7-3 record and was unable to repeat as West Division champions.

That’s the norm, rather than the exception, for defending national champions.

Not since Nebraska in 1994-95 have we seen a team repeat as #1. And in the SEC, five of the last six national championships lost at least three games the next season.

Alabama won the national championship in 1992 but went 9-3-1 the next season and was forced to forfeit every win but one due to playing an ineligible player.

Florida went 10-2 and finished second in the East after winning the title in 1996.

Tennessee went 9-3 and failed to win the East after taking the 1998 crown.

LSU won it all in 2003, then went 9-3 the next season.

Florida was the national champ in 2006, then went 9-4 with a Heisman Trophy winning quarterback.

It’s worth noting that Florida in 1997 and Tennessee in 1999 finished in the top 10 of the Associated Press poll. The other three were ranked in the top 20 and this year’s LSU team won’t crack the top 10.

Meyer has a good idea why last year’s Gators lost three SEC games and fell to Michigan in the Capital One Bowl.

“We had some entitlement issues with guys who had no impact on the national championship,” Meyer said. “We had a lot of confusion about work ethic and accountability.”

A lack of both proved harmful to Florida ’s efforts to repeat.

“I’m glad that issued has been cleared up,” Meyer said.

In essence, Florida wasn’t as hungry in 2007 as it was in 2006. That’s natural. A coach might not like it, but that’s human nature.

It’s hard to tell how much better LSU would be with deposed quarterback Ryan Perrilloux. He might have been the difference against a Georgia or an Alabama.

Then again, LSU might not have been as hungry.

Still, LSU could win more games this season than Saban did after his 2003 title.

That would at least give Les Miles one feather in his cap against Saban.

Georgia Defense Hard To Defend

A team many picked to finish #1 is #10 in the SEC in scoring defense. Georgia has allowed 23.8 points per game, with Alabama (41 points), LSU (38), Kentucky (38) and Florida (49) jacking up those numbers.

Georgia finished SEC play 6-2 but outscored opponents 215-214. The 214 points is the most allowed in SEC play although Kentucky, LSU and Arkansas could surpass that total. Kentucky (210) has one SEC game left, LSU (192) two and Arkansas (187) two.

Sometimes scoring defense can be misleading. For example, LSU quarterback Jarrett Lee has thrown seven interceptions that have been returned for touchdowns. Special teams scores can also skew actual numbers.

Perhaps a better barometer of defense is total yards allowed. Georgia ranks sixth in the SEC and 24th in the nation. No SEC team has allowed more touchdowns and the average yards per play against the Bulldogs is 5.0 — tied for eighth in the SEC.

By any standard, Georgia’s defense has been disappointing. But the Dawgs still have a chance to match last season’s 11-2 record. Last year’s team finished No. 2 in the nation. This year’s team won’t crack the top six.


Extra Points

Kentucky went from #1 in the nation in scoring defense to #36 in four weeks. The banged up Wildcats surrendered 63 to Florida, 42 to Georgia and 31 to Vanderbilt

South Carolina went from #1 in the SEC in total defense to #4 after giving up 520 yards to Florida.

LSU’s 37 points in the last 16.5 minutes against Troy was more than the Tigers had scored in six games.

While new clock rules have cut the average number of plays in an SEC game to about 135, LSU (80 snaps) and Troy (89) combined for 169 in a game that lasted 3 hours, 48 minutes and was not televised. The teams combined for 113 pass attempts and 58 incompletions.

Auburn (107), Tennessee (115) and Mississippi State (116) rank among the 12 lowest scoring teams in the nation. Six SEC teams rank 72 or lower. Only Florida is among the top 25.

South Carolina, Auburn, Kentucky, Mississippi State, Tennessee and Vanderbilt rank no higher than 96 in the nation in total offense. No SEC team ranks among the top 20.

Six SEC teams average more than 150 rushing yards per game and all are bowl eligible. Kentucky (eighth) and South Carolina (12th) are the two exceptions.

Four SEC teams rank in the top 10 in total defense and 11 rank among the top 41.

Only two SEC teams rank among the top 55 in pass offense. Seven SEC teams average less than 180 passing yards per game and rank no higher than 94th.

SEC teams have returned nine punts for touchdowns and five kickoffs for touchdowns.

AROUND THE SEC, THE BOWL WORLD AND THE BCS

jpatriot — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 14:34:26 +0000

Here are some tidbits and hot items from across the SEC landscape on this Thursday morning:

2008 has been The Year of The Interception in the Southeastern Conference. There were 17 picks returned for touchdowns all last season by SEC teams (that includes bowl games). Already, there have been 19 by SEC defensive backs.

So, does that tell you that the SEC’s DBs are top notch? Or does it have more to do with some ratty quarterback play in the league this year? In my view, the corners and safeties are good, but I can’t ever remember a worse year for QBs in the SEC. I’ll put it on bad signal-callers.

We mentioned this on the site last week, but here’s some more detail on how this year’s troubled economy might wipe out a few of the bowls from December’s overcrowded line-up in the future.

And Tony Barnhart of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has some questions heading into this weekend’s action:

1) Did anyone see the Will Muschamp thing coming at Texas? (Muschamp, of course, played at Georgia and has coached at both Auburn and LSU.)

2) What is the over/under on points for Florida versus The Citadel.

3) Does Ole Miss have a shot at LSU? (Absolutely. Did anyone see LSU’s game with Troy last week?)

CAROLINA FOOTBALL NEWS - 11/20/08

jpatriot — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 14:23:50 +0000

The news out of Columbia revolves around two things on an almost daily basis — Steve Spurrier and quarterbacks. Ditto today:

The ol’ ballcoach has made his decision on who’ll run the Gamecocks’ offense against Clemson next week. “Chris Smelley’s probably going to play most of it. Stephen (Garcia) is just not ready. But maybe there’s a spot for him. Maybe he’s better with about 8-10 plays instead of 25 or 30.”

So what does Spurrier have against Garcia? Just yesterday we reported told you that Spurrier had joked that Garcia might drive him out of coaching.

Joe Person of The State looks at what Spurrier has said about Garcia (left) and believes that the coach is tired of the player missing occasional classes, workouts and other team activities. And if that’s the case, good for Spurrier.

“He needs a lot of training, a lot of developing as they call it,” Spurrier said of Garcia yesterday. “When a quarterback goes to the NFL they used to say it takes him three to four years to get ready to play. But in college, since you only have four years of eligibility, you should be ready in three, maybe. So we’ll see if we can get him ready for next year.”

Regardless of the quarterback situation, Spurrier’s long-term goal remains the same: get the Gamecocks to the SEC Championship Game in Atlanta someday.

GEORGIA FOOTBALL NEWS - 11/20/08

jpatriot — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 14:07:46 +0000

Here are the top stories from Athens this morning:

Want to beat Georgia Tech? Gotta stop their triple-option attack. And that’s what Georgia’s been working on in practice this week.

Mark Richt remembers running some option when he played quarterback in his freshman yeat at Miami. Well, according to Richt, it was really tailback Ottis Anderson that ran the option. Funny story.

Richt also thinks it might be a tad early for Georgia to hire a “coach-in-waiting” to work behind him, a la Texas, Florida State, Kentucky and Purdue. “Maybe when I’m 55 or 60, if I make it that long.”

Fans might not appreciate it, but it’s really amazing that Richt and Georgia have accomplished what they’ve accomplished this season. Last year, the Dawgs lost two games in a season in which they had two players suffer season-ending injuries. So far this season, they’ve again lost but two games… but they’ve had 18 players suffer season-ending injuries.

Linebacker Rennie Curran is on pace to lead the Bulldogs in tackling this season.

And finally, Georgia president Michael Adams is in full agreement with President-elect Barack Obama when it comes to a college football playoff. “What he said (on ‘60 Minutes’) was identical to what I said last January.”

FLORIDA FOOTBALL NEWS - 11/20/08

jpatriot — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 13:49:40 +0000

Here’s what’s making headlines in the Sunshine State today:

Florida’s players and coaches say they’ll be up for The Citadel on Saturday. They say they have to keep their focus up. But cornerback Joe Haden also said the Bulldogs won’t score 21 points. “They’re not going to do that at all. We’re not worried about that.” So while the Gators say they’re taking The Citadel seriously, quotes like that seem to prove otherwise. Of course, it really won’t matter one iota on Saturday.

Looking at the fact that The Citadel is a bad, FCS-level team… and the fact that UF has outscored their last six opponents 101-0 in the first quarter… this game will probably be over five minutes after it starts.

Big plays have helped the Gators roll up huge offensive numbers the past few weeks. When it comes to big plays, that’s the name of receiver/running back Percy Harvin’s game.

There’s a Gator who’s seen his role change this year, who’s gotten less spotlight than a year ago. And yet Florida wouldn’t be in the national championship picture without fullback Kestahn Moore.

Pat Dooley of The Gainesville Sun believes that Tim Tebow has a lot more competition for the Heisman Trophy this year than he did last year.

It sounds like Tebow won’t be getting Steve Spurrier’s Heisman vote this year. “Tebow has so many guys around here, he only throws 15 balls a game. Of course, he’ll run for two or three. He’s certainly a tremendous athlete… I sort of feel the Oklahoma-Texas quarterbacks might have an edge because they are throwing so much over there.”

MSU FOOTBALL NEWS - 11/20/08

jpatriot — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 13:33:12 +0000

There’s only one thing folks in Starkville are talking about today and that’s motivation.

This time last year, MSU was in the running for a bowl game, trying to put the finishing touches on an eight-win season. But with a losing record guaranteed, a bowl bid out of the question, the 2008 squad is having to look for other motivations.

“It’s going to be real important that we finish strong here and continue to prepare well,” said Sylvester Croom. “With two games left, two big ballgames, conference opponents, people in the SEC West that we play every other year. It’s real important that we finish strong, and I know our kids will do that.”

OLE MISS FOOTBALL NEWS - 11/20/08

jpatriot — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 13:27:54 +0000

Several quick stories from Oxford today:

First, when it comes to bowl games, Ole Miss could wind up in any one of the following: Chick-fil-A, Cotton, Independence, Liberty, Music City, Papajohns.com, Capital One (not likely) or Outback (not likely, either).

The Rebels might have caught a break by playing at Tiger Stadium in the daylight hours, but Houston Nutt’s team is still preparing for a loud, hostile LSU crowd.

Ole Miss has seen a lot of improvement on special teams and kick coverage this season.

Rebel players who hail from the state of Louisiana will be super-charged for this weekend’s rivalry game.

KENTUCKY FOOTBALL NEWS - 11/20/08

jpatriot — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 13:15:17 +0000

Here’s the news coming out of Lexington today:

Cat fans need to pay close attention to how Vanderbilt finishes up the season, because the Commodores are now a leg up on Kentucky in the bowl pecking order. Currently, it looks like UK will be headed to the Liberty Bowl, but yet another season-ending loss to Tennessee could force the Big Blue back to Nashville and a third straight Music City Bowl.

With defensive end Jeremy Jarmon out against the Vols next week, Rich Brooks will need for Nii Adjei Oninku to step up. And yes, it does look like I just pushed a bunch of random buttons on my keyboard.

There’s a similarity between Kentucky’s football and basketball teams. Both lost the quarterback/point guard that was expected to lead the team. For Brooks, that was Chris Pulley who had to be dismissed due to multiple off-the-field transgressions.

ARKANSAS FOOTBALL NEWS - 11/20/08

jpatriot — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 13:05:20 +0000

And the Fayetteville news goes a little something like this…

Arkansas has been spending more practice time on tackling the past couple of weeks, but the Hogs’ problems begin with their mentality. “It’s just a matter of carrying over (from practice to games) and wanting to be the guy, be the hammer, and make sure we are physical with everything we do in all aspects,” said defensive coordinator Willy Robinson (left).

Those issues aren’t just on the defensive side of the ball. Offensive tackle Ray Dominguez said “we need to get our physicality back” in regards to the whole team.

For more on the quarterback battle between Casey and Nathan Dick, we turn to… their mother, Mary Ellen Dick. “They did compete against each other (growing up), but never fought against each other. And there’s a difference there.”

Arkansas is a healthier football team heading into this weekend’s game with Mississippi State.

And finally, Wally Hall of The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette writes that Arkansas made the right call on Bobby Petrino. And UA fans only have to look as far as Knoxville and Clemson to realize it.

LSU FOOTBALL NEWS - 11/20/08

jpatriot — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 12:48:58 +0000

Bowl bids are in the news down in Baton Rouge today:

Saturday’s game between LSU and Ole Miss could be a play-in game for the Cotton Bowl.

The loser of Saturday’s contest could wind up in Atlanta for the Chick-fil-A Bowl.

LSU will honor it’s 1958 national championship team on Saturday at Tiger Stadium. It will also be Senior Day for the Tigers. But contrary to what his teammates might say, sixth year senior defensive end Kirston Pittman won’t be involved in both ceremonies.

Houston Nutt will be trying to snap a six-game losing streak to LSU this weekend. “The first question I had here on my first day was about LSU, so I think that tells you what our fans think about this game. There’s a lot of tradition there. Of course, we’ve got to do a better job on our part of keeping that rivalry going.”

AUBURN FOOTBALL NEWS - 11/20/08

jpatriot — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 12:34:26 +0000

What’s up in Auburn today? Here’s what’s up in Auburn today:

As always at the end of the year, Tommy Tuberville moved his team’s practice yesterday into Jordan-Hare Stadium because “it gives you more of a game sensation.” If they wanted a game sensation they should have asked some students to come in and boo.

Defensive back Walter McFadden says his roommate, corner Jerraud Powers, talks about the Alabama game year-round. “Every day he’s yelling about Alabama.” And what does he yell? “You really don’t want to know,” he said with a laugh.

Next Saturday’s game with the Tide could be defensive end Antonio Coleman’s final game for Auburn, if he decides to turn pro at season’s end.

Mario Fannin may have had a great game for the Tigers last week versus Georgia, but this week, he’s back to being one part of a three-man rotation.

And last, here are the game notes for Auburn’s open date. Still don’t know how you can have game notes for a bye week.

ALABAMA FOOTBALL NEWS - 11/20/08

jpatriot — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 12:21:02 +0000

As Alabama rests up for next weekend’s Auburn game, here are the stories that are making headlines in the Heart of Dixie:

Offensive coordinator Jim McElwain has quietly turned the Tide’s offense in a short yardage, clock-grinding, punch-you-in-the-mouth machine.

Senior receiver Will Oakley tore up his shoulder/collarbone in a fall down a flight of stairs. (???) Having had surgery on the injury, it’s questionable whether or not he can recover in time for Bama’s bowl game.

From a Punt, Pass and Kick star to the University of Alabama. That was the path for Tide punter PJ Fitzgerald.

Nick Saban is in favor of a four-team playoff.

Finally, here are the game notes for Bama’s open date. Game notes for an open date?

TENNESSEE FOOTBALL NEWS - 11/20/08

jpatriot — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 11:52:19 +0000

Here’s the latest from East Tennessee this morning:

Athletic director Mike Hamilton said yesterday that Tennessee is hoping to have their new coach in place by early-to-mid-December. He also said, “We’re trying to win the Southeastern Conference, not the press conference.” Just my take, but if you’re hoping to beat Urban Meyer and Nick Saban on the field and in recruiting, it’ll probably take a “press conference winner” to get the job done.

This columnist believes it’s time for UT to at least tell fans who they’re NOT interested in hiring.

As for this Saturday’s game, back-from-exile quarterback Jonathan Crompton says his goals are to have fun and win the Vols’ last two games. (Hanging out with blondes is also a way to have fun.) UT also plans to play BJ Coleman at some point against Vandy.

This notes column reveals that tailbacks Arian Foster and Montario Hardesty are expected to play on Saturday and that the Vols have had a good week of practice so far.

While Tennessee’s struggles have been much publicized, defensive coordinator John Chavis believes folks should be paying attention to what Vanderbilt has done well. “I think that staff does as good a job of coaching as anyone in this league. They are a hard-nosed, physical football team and they like to play that way. That reflects their coaching. They prepare them that way.”

VANDERBILT FOOTBALL NEWS - 11/20/08

jpatriot — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 11:30:02 +0000

Here’s what’s making news in Music City, USA today:

The key to Vanderbilt’s success in 2008 has been it’s defense. Four times this season Vandy has given up less than 250 yards in a game.

Yeah, but this weekend they have to face Tennessee and quarterback Jonathan Crompton, who coaches feel is the answer to offensive coordinator Dave Clawson’s question: “What is the best way to win the football game?” Vandy’s D plus Crompton and UT’s struggles… barring a complete Vol turnaround, this could be game #5 in which Vandy allows less than 250 yards.

This notes column reveals that Vanderbilt has entered a partnership with a sports travel company that will allow Commodore fans to get a quick jump on holiday plans, once Vandy’s bowl bid becomes a reality.

A CORNUCOPIA OF NEWS, TIDBITS AND BLURBS FROM AROUND THE SEC AND THE BCS

jpatriot — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 15:55:47 +0000

Just wanted to catch you up on some random notes/observations columns from around the South today. Here are a few that kept my attention:

Mark McCarter of The Huntsville Times finds that the Big 12 and the SEC have a lot in common on and off the field.

Tony Barnhart of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes that the BCS is creating strange bedfellows in terms of who’ll be pulling for who in the weeks ahead. And don’t rule out the “Doomsday” scenario for the BCS.

A Big 12 tie-breaker could ultimately decide who Bama/Florida will play in a potential BCS title game, and, therefore the national championship itself.

College football’s decision to put the BCS bowls on ESPN (cable) and not on an over-the-air network starting in 2011 could leave millions of fans out in the cold when it comes to dialing up the season’s biggest games.

Here are five things that SEC fans should be keeping an eye on in the weeks ahead.

The race for bowl games is heating up around the league… and there’s still no telling where most of the SEC’s teams will wind up. But here are all the possibilities.

CAROLINA FOOTBALL NEWS - 11/19/08 (SPURRIERS SAYS HE’S NOT GOING ANYWHERE)

jpatriot — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 15:01:26 +0000

From Columbia, we start with word on the ol’ ballcoach and a certain rumor making the rounds that he’s thinking about retiring:

Steve Spurrier says the rumors are false. He’s not ready to retire. He’s not upset with the USC administration for not making his son the coach-in-waiting.

“Who out there’s retiring? They can’t even get Joe Paterno to retire. Bobby Bowden. Somebody said the other day, ‘How can coaches retire? Them make too much money to retire.’

But I do enjoy it and we do have a chance here, I’m convinced of that. Not the way we played the other night. But hopefully that was just a bad, bad thing that happened.”

He also worked in a shot at one of his quarterbacks during his press conference. “I won’t coach into my 70s, that’s for sure. I’m in my early-60s right now. But I feel good, in good health and all that. I’ll tell you what now: It’s not a lot of fun coaching (Stephen) Garcia, though. That might send you out of here. But it’s a challenge, and we’ll go from there.”

Nice. What do you think Garcia’s parents think about comments like that?

With comments like that is it any wonder that Chris Smelley is looking like he might be the starter against Clemson next weekend?

(Joe Person of The State isn’t buying the rumors, either, by the way.)

What should Carolina fans wish for: a possible Outback Bowl bid against a Big 10 team or a possible Peach Bowl bid against North Carolina or Bobby Bowden’s Florida State Seminoles?

Here’s a fact you might have missed: South Carolina has secured their fifth consecutive non-losing season. That’s the first time that’s happened in Columbia since 1928-1934. Good Lord, they’ve been bad.

AUBURN FOOTBALL NEWS - 11/19/08

jpatriot — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 14:45:39 +0000

Here’s the news from Auburn, where the Tigers are also facing an open date on their schedule:

Tommy Tuberville says he’ll use the bye week to work on his team, not prep for Alabama. “We’re going to go back to fundamentals and try to have shorter, crisper practices.”

The Tigers will continue to rotate their running backs.

More bad news on the injury front for Auburn. Tight end Tommy Trott is done for the season with a torn ACL. “He’s played very well for us and is one of the leaders of our offense,” said Tuberville.

The injury to Trott, and others, may force Tuberville (or whoever is coaching Auburn next year) to push back the start of spring practice. Yes, the AU team is that banged up. Another reason, if you ask me, why Tuberville should return to The Plains next year IF he wants to.

ALABAMA FOOTBALL NEWS - 11/19/08

jpatriot — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 14:26:22 +0000

Not much coming out of Tuscaloosa during this open date week, but here’s what we’ve found:

Don’t be shocked if defensive tackle Terrence Cody is used again on offense, as an enormous blocker in goal line situations.

Center Antoine Caldwell and left tackle Andre Smith have drawn heavy praise from a former Tide All-American center… Mississippi State’s Sylvester Croom. Croom thinks they “rank right up there with the best Alabama has ever had.” That’s saying something.

Tide punter PJ Fitzgerald has gained in confidence, and it’s showed in his 42-yards-per-punt average… up from 38 yards-per-punt during his freshman and sophomore seasons.

Defensive end Bobby Greenwood is one of just nine scholarship seniors on Alabama’s roster. According to Nick Saban, he’s made the most of his final season.

GEORGIA FOOTBALL NEWS - 11/19/08

jpatriot — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 14:07:59 +0000

Here’s the latest news from Athens this morning:

Georgia has an open date this weekend before their season finale against Georgia Tech next Saturday. But during the open date, for the first time in a long time, the Dawgs’ offensive line is not the biggest question mark/worry/concern for UGA fans. Despite all the injuries, and there were a LOT of injuries, the O-line has held up pretty dang well.

Matthew Stafford and Knowshon Moreno say they haven’t given any thought to turning pro yet, but some Georgia fans are taking no chances. DontGoDawgs.com is taking messages from Bulldog fans who want to urge the dynamic duo to stick around for another season.

One columnist is already speculating about who will be the breakout stars for Georgia next year if Stafford and Moreno do go to the NFL.

One guy who says he’ll definitely be back next year is defensive tackle Geno Atkins. “My mom wants me to come back and I want to come back and leave UGA with a degree and my mom wants to walk out on Senior Night.”