SEC Football

1.  Auburn’s Jaylon Denson emerged this spring as a versatile threat in the X receiver spot.

2.  LSU is going on a building spree including an expansion of Tiger Stadium.  “We don’t want to change the character of the stadium, just restore it.”

3.  In case you couldn’t tell that it’s May, here’s some insight into Ole Miss’ long-snapping situation.

4.  Will Texas A&M match last season’s win total — 11 — in 2013?

5.  Georgia coaches apparently want to see more from offensive tackle John Theus before naming him as a starter.

6.  Missouri is ready to turn things around after a disappointing 2012 campaing.  “We’re used to winning around here.”

Extras

7.  Tony Barnhart on Nick Saban/Devil kerfuffle: “Coaches speaking to booster clubs are like politicians giving their weekly stump speech to their base.”

8.  Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott made $3.1 million in 2011, more than both Jim Delany and Mike Slive.

9.  The ACC basketball tournament at Madison Square Garden?  “We’ll be playing there.  It’s just a matter of getting all the legal ramifications worked out.”

10.  All the talk of college athletics being ready for an openly gay player?  It apparently doesn’t apply at Baylor.

SEC Football

1. Former Tennessee defensive end and coach Chuck Smith has been working with Auburn linemen in order to help revive the Tigers pass rush.

2. The biggest surprise on Auburn’s post-spring depth chart? Slot receiver.

3. Biggest question at Arkansas this fall?  Backup quarterback.

4. Nick Saban on being inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame: “In the future, I’m going to be more committed in order to justify the honor you’ve given to me tonight.”

5. Clemson AD Dan Radakovich on what he learned from Saban at LSU.  ”With all the distractions around him, Nick stays focused on the things that are important for him and his program.”

6. Young LSU fans get to camp out at Tiger Stadium.

7. The SEC and the NFL draft – uptick can be explained by Alabama and LSU. “They have been pipelining athletes to the NFL far beyond what they’ve ever been able to do previously.”

8. South Carolina an 8.5 point favorite in the opener against North Carolina, Mississippi State a 6.5 point underdog vs Oklahoma State. Spreads for Week 1 are out.

SEC/College News

9. In Michael Adams’  16 years as president of the university, athletic department revenues at Georgia have climbed from $25.7 million to $92.1 milion. Barbara Dooley still upset how her husband was treated: “In my opinion, he has never said anything positive about Vince Dooley’s ability as the athletic director…I take personal offense to that.”

10. Mike Bianchi on linebacker Matthew Thomas who wants out of his commitment to Florida State and reportedly transfer to Georgia or Southern Cal.   “What sort of life lesson is Thomas learning if his first exposure to the adult world is the message that it’s OK to break promises and walk out on commitments?”

SEC Basketball

11. Alabama reportedly agreeing to a series with UCLA.

12. When Andrew Wiggins announced he was going to Kansas, fans started melting down on Twitter.  ”In 140 characters or less, they hoped he’d tear ACLs, be consumed by fire or die in a plane crash.”

Extras

13. O.J. Simpson planning a college speaking tour after he gets out of prison.

14. Questions surrounding Seton Hall’s softball coach -”Is this a coach out of control or overly sensitive players and parents?”

1. UT Fires Administrator; Report Connects Administrator To Ex-Hoopster Golden

2. Florida Hires Ex-QB Leak As Quality Control Coach

3. Kansas’ Weis Backs Stoops’ Criticism Of SEC

4. Big Ten Leaders Continue To Say All The Right Things About Scheduling; Is The SEC Listening?

5. SEC Network Launching As More People Demanding A La Carte Programming

6. SEC Recruiting Notebook: SEC Schools Won’t Give Up On Watson

SEC Football

1. More than 3,500 people have signed an online petition supporting suspended Georgia player Kolton Houston.  The offensive lineman has been banned since testing positive for the steroid Nandrolone as a freshman.

2.Vanderbilt coach James Franklin received more than $1.8 million in compensation in 2011.

3. Tennessee coach Butch Jones: “I think the thing that separates our fan base from a lot of other fan bases is we’re very knowledgeable.”

4. Quarterback Wes Lunt is leaving Oklahoma State but the school won’t let him go to Tennessee or Vanderbilt.

5. Alabama coach Nick Saban part of the 2013 class inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame. Saban’s donated items include binders and handwritten notes – “6 seconds of hell.”

6. Mike Bianchi:  Everybody knows Nick Saban is not really the devil. Urban Meyer is.

7. Will Leitch: “Do not call Nick Saban ‘Satan.’ He will be very disappointed. He also might eat your soul.”

8. Auburn awaits the arrival of newcomers at the safety position.  Until they arrive – “the picture at both safety spots is a little bit murky.”

SEC/College News

9. Paid $1.2 million in his role as athletic director in 2011, Vanderbilt’s David Williams among the top five highest-paid ADs.

10. Former Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe received nearly $4.9 million in compensation and severance in 2011.

11. Andy Staples: In the past five years, the ACC has had more players drafted into the NFL (160) than any conference except the SEC (229).

SEC Basketball

12. Tennessee center Yemi Makanjuola reportedly transferring to UNC-Wilmington,

13. Vanderbilt forward Sheldon Jeter has decided to transfer. Beaver Falls, Pa. native wants to play closer to home. Averaged 5.5 points and 3.4 rebounds as a freshman.

Extras

14. Can Orb be the first Triple Crown winner since 1978?

15. Cam Newton’s fluctuating Q Score.

SEC Football

1. Vanderbilt coach James Franklin makes it clear he’s no fan of going to a 9-game SEC schedule: “If it ain’t broke, don’t try to fix it…Who’s going to play Oregon or Ohio State out of conference now?”

2. Tennessee A.D. Dave Hart on coach Butch Jones: “He’s passionate, he’s genuine and I think he’s off to a very, very good start in terms of galvanizing our fan base.”

3. Can Kentucky’s 2013 offense compare to the 1997 Air Raid offense of Hal Mumme?

4. Incoming Ole Miss freshman Robert Nkemdiche: “It is nearly inconceivable that an 18-year-old can have the build of a rookie in the NFL, but Nkemdiche does.”

5. Johnny Manziel: “The best summer anyone’s ever had continues, and it’s not even summer yet.” More here on his day in San Diego including a personalized jersey with a Heisman Trophy Patch.

6. Nick Saban on preparing for Manziel: ”I think that’s an ongoing process around here.” Aggies with most offensive and defensive snaps in the SEC.

7. 2014 draft-eligible SEC cornerbacks to keep your on this fall. Past five NFL drafts – SEC with 229 picks – Big 12 with 136.

8. Auburn right tackle Avery Young on playing in a hurry-up, no-huddle offense.  ”I’ve seen how it goes when playing against a team that’s not used to it.”

9. Gus Malzhan “has had seven different starting quarterbacks in seven years at the college level.”

10. Thanks to U.S. Open tennis shifting to ESPN, we could see more early SEC games on CBS starting in 2015.

Perspective on Nick Saban’s Week

11. 111 NFL players coached or recruited by Nick Saban - 33 of them at Alabama.

12. Robbie Andreu on Tim Davis’ comments regarding Saban: “Those being critical of his “devil” quote need to relax and understand that he was only kidding.”

13. Duane Rankin: “Davis’ comments are going to serve as motivation for Alabama, too.”

14. David Climer: (Saban) “gave him a job at two different levels of football. How about a little appreciation here?

15. MrSEC: “One man’s dream boss can be another man’s nightmare.”

NCAA News

16. ACC coaches want the coaches’ poll to be part of playoff criteria.

17. ACC TV Network? “ACC is able to proudly proclaim it has the most population (107 million) and most TV households (38 million) within its 10-state footprint of any conference.”

18. USC A.D. Pat Haden made $2.2 million in 2011 - second among athletic directors only to Vanderbilt’s David Williams (who held multiple titles that year). USC coach Lane Kiffin made $2.6 million that year - father Monte made $1.8 million.

19. Matt Hayes on Pat Fitzgerald’s Big Ten team:  ”Northwestern was the only Big Ten team to beat the mighty SEC in a bowl game, the program’s first bowl victory since 1949.”

20. Georgia Tech and the strangest recruiting Photoshops of them all.

SEC  Basketball

21. Is 45-year old Coleman Coliseum a long-term venue for Alabama?  A.D. Bill Battle: ”Right now, I think the answer’s yes… if we outgrow Coleman, we’ll address that when that time comes, but we’ve got a ways to go before we get there.”

22. Auburn’s Tony Barbee may have the hottest seat of any coach in college basketball this year.

23. Kevin Stallings may add an assistant at Vanderbilt.

24. Why the next six weeks may determine if former Missouri guard Phil Pressey will have an NBA career.

Extras

25. Former Alabama cornerback Dee Milliner fires his agent for not being drafted in the top five.

First things first… football and basketball are two completely different sports.

Basketball coaches usually wrap up their own non-conference schedules just months ahead of their next season.

In football — with much more money on the table — athletic directors handle the non-conference scheduling.  Typically any “big” games are lined up at least a year or two in advance.  Aside from neutral site money games (Atlanta, Arlington, Houston, etc), most all games between BCS-level foes are scheduled three, four, five or more years in advance.

For that reason, it’s much easier to pull off a two-conference “challenge” type event on the hardwood than it is on the gridiron.  There are only 12 football games per season (as opposed to 27-30 regular-season basketball games).  Each one of those 12 games has an enormous impact on an athletic department’s year-end revenue.  And with a playoff on the way, the top-tier games on a school’s schedule will have to locked down for strength of schedule purposes.

All that said, in recent months, with conference realignment talk filling cyberspace and the airwaves, talk of conference challenges and scheduling alliances has still generated more talk than ever among football fans… and between actual conferences.

The Big XII admitted that it had had talks with the ACC about such a scheduling partnership.  Then — just as we suggested on this site — it was learned that some talks between the Big XII and the SEC had occurred as well.

Just this week news broke that the Mountain West and Pac-12 are exploring a possible scheduling deal.  That’s the same Pac-12 that had initially reached such an agreement with the Big Ten.

And what do all of those alliances — Big XII/ACC, Big XII/SEC, MWC/Pac-12, Pac-12/Big Ten — have in common?

Not one of them has actually gone from theory to reality.  Not one.  But they sure look neat on paper, don’t they?

On this site, before John Swofford pulled a grant of rights agreement out of his hat, we suggested that the SEC could help save the ACC — if it wanted to — by agreeing to a scheduling alliance with that league.  The ACC was looking for extra cash — cash that ESPN is now stepping in to provide in an effort to halt further realignment — and a series of neutral site games against SEC squads all branded under a corporate sponsor’s logo would have been worth some nice cash for both the SEC and the ACC.

An ACC/SEC partnership would make sense in non-financial ways, too.  Already Florida/Florida State, Georgia/Georgia Tech and South Carolina/Clemson meet annually.  With Louisville set to join the ACC, the Kentucky/Louisville game would become the fourth built-in tilt between the leagues.  Vanderbilt and Wake Forest just wrapped up a series of games suggesting those two schools could form a fifth partnership.  If those five games remained/became annual events it would leave nine schools from each league — not counting part-time ACC member Notre Dame — to match up on a rotating basis.  The best matchups could be moved to NFL stadiums in Atlanta or Nashville or Charlotte or Washington or Pittsburgh.  ESPN would love it.  In-season “bowl” games.

Just as a random example, imagine the following as one season’s lineup of games:

Not every game would be a winner but even the worst games would beat matchups with FCS squads.  And again, the above is just an example.  (Please, look at the possibilities and don’t get hung up on who we matched with whom and where… this isn’t about the specifics).

In the above scenario there would be a battle between two corps of cadets.  A new border battle.  Extreme North versus extreme South.  A David Cutcliffe Bowl.  Plus some good games between traditionally strong programs.

Slap an AT&T logo on all of them, give them to ESPN (potentially for its SEC and ACC networks) and let everyone rake in the cash.

But that’s just one option for an SEC scheduling alliance.

We also suggested that with the ACC reaching out to the Big XII for a series of games, the SEC could damage Swofford’s league’s chances of survival — if it wanted to — by stealing their dates, so to speak.  Sources claim the Big XII and SEC had some discussions at some level about the possibility of an alliance.  The two leagues have already broken new ground with their co-ownership of the Sugar Bowl.  They’ve also just officially announced a basketball challenge.  If two leagues appear to be getting chummy at the moment, it’s the SEC and the Big XII (ironic considering the moves of Missouri and Texas A&M).

In theory — there’s that word again — the four existing SEC/ACC rivalries could be left intact with the 10 remaining SEC teams lining up games with the 10 squads from the Big XII.

Imagine this draw as a possible slate of games:

Under that plan you’d have Nick Saban coaching against his home state school.  Mike Gundy would face the team whose job he didn’t take.  There would a We-Hate-Tommy-Tuberville Bowl.  There would also be showdown between Bears and Black Bears.  (Sorry, Rebel fans.  It had to be done).

Throw a Dr. Pepper logo on that “SEC/Big XII Challenge” and split the games between ESPN and FOX depending on each game’s location.  Money, money, money for all.

Now, again, not all of those games would be home runs.  They would, however, be infinitely more interesting than the total strikeouts that are Florida versus Georgia Southern, Arkansas versus Samford, Tennessee versus Austin Peay, etc.

So if scheduling alliances look so good on paper, what’s the problem?

Read the rest of this entry »

Asked about former assistant — and current Florida offensive line coach — Tim Davis referring to him as “the devil himself,” Alabama’s Nick Saban said last night that he was disappointed in his old employee’s choice of words:

“It really is a little terribly disappointing…

I try to do right by the people that work for me.  It’s a tough demanding job.  And at the same time, if anybody had an issue or problem with me, I would want them to just tell me…

Twice.  On two occasions.  It’s just disappointing.  If somebody has a problem with me, I’d appreciate it if they’d tell me.  If I’m doing something to offend somebody, I’d certainly like to do whatever I have to do to fix it.  It’s not our intention.  It’s not what we try to do.

We’re in a tough business.  It’s very competitive.  Sometimes you’ve got to demand that people do things that maybe they don’t want to do, but it’s not personal…

I know it’s not representative of Will Muschamp and the University of Florida and the way they do things.  I know that because I’m close enough to Will to know that.”

I’m not sure I’ve ever heard someone say something is a “little terribly” anything, but the coach’s meaning is clear.  And the “twice” remark was a reference to the fact that Vanderbilt coach James Franklin called Saban “Nicky Satan” at a high school’s awards banquet back in January.  Franklin later apologized and said he was joking, though Saban apparently hasn’t forgotten the matter.

Alabama’s coach has a reputation for a being both a tough boss and a cold fish.  Even Muschamp’s parents have talked about how their son “got crosswise” with “that son of a bitch” while serving on Saban’s staff in the NFL.

At the same time, Kirby Smart and others have stayed in Saban’s employ and enjoyed great success as a result.  If Smart is hating life on Alabama’s staff he’s doing a good job of hiding it.  Jobs come open each December, yet he has stayed put in Tuscaloosa, as have many others.

Obviously, one man’s dream boss can be another man’s nightmare.

In this case, Davis should have kept his nightmare to himself.  A public figure calling another public figure the devil or Satan — even if it’s in jest — is going to draw a national spotlight.  That spotlight is now shining brightly on Davis, Muschamp and the Florida football program.

At some point — probably today — Davis will likely cough up the obligatory apology (which most people will immediately peg as being insincere).

And if he doesn’t apologize, the silence will be louder and more telling than even his initial “devil” comment.

Quarterback Deshaun Watson‘s recruitment has stayed the same since he committed to Clemson more than 15 months ago.

He continues to say he’s solid to the Tigers while more and more schools keep recruiting him.

The latest school is Alabama. The Crimson Tide offered Watson a scholarship last week, joining a list that includes Auburn, Georgia, Tennessee, Florida State, Ohio State, Oregon and Southern California.

Watson, who’s ranked the nation’s No. 1 quarterback by Rivals.com, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution he’s used to all the attention from other schools.

“I can’t tell them to stop coming by here,” he said. “They can still come by and check out another player on my team but still watch me. You know, I can’t ever tell a school not to recruit me because it’s an honor and a privilege for them to throw me a full ride offer and (tell) me to come play at the school and get a free education.”

Watson, who attends Gainesville (Ga.) High School, has entertained the idea of visiting other schools. He told ESPN RecruitingNation last month that he would take all five official visits this fall but has since softened on the idea. Instead, he told the AJC he has a list of “fallback schools” in case the status of his commitment to Clemson changes.

“For me, it would be Auburn, Georgia, Ohio State, Alabama, USC and Oregon,” Watson said.

Georgia is intriguing. The home-state school has shown strong interest in Watson, who’s the only quarterback in the 2014 class to receive a scholarship offer from the Bulldogs.

“They have let it be known that I am their guy for 2014 and the only quarterback they plan to go after,” Watson told ESPN. “Mike Bobo and Mark Richt said they want a local guy to take over their offense and lead them to a national championship.”

Georgia will be looking for a new starting quarterback in 2014 after senior Aaron Murray departs. Alabama will be as well with AJ McCarron entering his senior year in Tuscaloosa.

Auburn has a group of quarterbacks set to return in 2014 but no one has set himself apart from the others. That opportunity for early playing time, which Clemson can also offer as Tajh Boyd enters his final year in college, will be the sales pitch from several schools recruiting Watson.

He can expect to hear more from those schools between now and the day he finally steps on a college campus. As Gainesville coach Bruce Miller told the AJC, “every school” is interested in Watson. And he doesn’t seem bothered by the attention.

“That’s going to keep on happening,” Watson said.

Leslie eligible for LSU

Wide receiver Quantavius Leslie received good news this week when he learned he will be eligible to play at LSU this fall, according to the New Orleans Times-Picayune.

Read the rest of this entry »

Given the opportunity yesterday to place a headstone above the grave of conference realignment, Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany passed.  “Dead is a strong word” he said when asked about further conference expansion.

That shouldn’t scare anyone.  It’s a “forever” question and a lot can change in a day, a year, 10 years or 20 years.  To say expansion is stone-cold dead means it’s forever dead and that’s not going to be the case…. even though the ACC appears stable at the moment.  Also, Big East, er, American Athletic Conference schools don’t appear to be attractive enough for the Big Ten or others to come calling right now.  But Delany says his league still has its eyes open and when it moves, it will likely move east:

“I can’t speak for others, but we’ve been focused on making a home in a new region (with Rutgers and Maryland), making new members feel at home in this region.  Everything we’ll do competitively and in television and in bowls is to bring, as quickly as we can, a level of comfort.  The Eastern corridor is… the richest corridor in the world from the standpoint of financial institutions, political institutions, media institutions, and we’re new to it.  So if we can build relationships, make friend and be impactful and relevant over time, that’s the goal.

We’re not going to be changing the world, but we are looking forward to doing everything we can to build a presence in that place.”

Whether a conference can thrive as a two-region entity remains to be seen.  And while Delany is correct about the advantages to be found on the Atlantic Seaboard, those advantages haven’t helped the ACC or Big East very much.  The former has been picked clean of its best athletic programs and totally rebranded while the latter now ranks as the poorest league cash-wise among the five remaining major conferences.

Of course, ACC and Big East schools haven’t matched Big Ten schools in terms of size — where 50,000 students on a campus isn’t unheard of — and, therefore, in terms of alumni.  Delany pointed out yesterday that the Big Ten has 1.2 million alumni living between Northern Virginia and New York.  Not bad for a conference that’s not even located in the area.

Delany also said that his league is planning to open up a second conference office — probably in New York — to serve the East Coast.  All for Rutgers, Maryland, and maybe Penn State?

Expansion isn’t dead.  It’s resting.  And at some point — hopefully several years down the pike — it will awake and rise again.  When that happens, it’s clear in which direction the Big Ten will start looking.  If it sees that it can make it as a two-region league.

SEC Football

1. Gator Bowl close to finalizing TV contract with ESPN.  Wants to maintain SEC affiliation as “anchor team” with opponents coming from multiple conferences.

2. Former Ole Miss quarterback Tom Luke joining Hugh Freeze’s staff as director of player development. Mel Kiper on Ole Miss quarterback Bo Wallace: “Wallace can play.”

3. Can Brandon Allen handle the starting quarterback job at Arkansas?  ”Hard to say.”

4. Athlon Sports previews LSU.  How many games will the Tigers win in 2013?

5. When LSU faces TCU, they won’t see Big 12 defense player of the year Devonte Fields – suspended for first two games of the year.

6. And while we’re on LSU, what about Mike the Tiger? ”There are only about 34 universities in the U.S. that have live mascots, and LSU is the only university in the U.S. with a live tiger living on campus.”

7. With Mike Gillislee and his 1,000 yards gone at Florida, it’s running back Matt Jones turn to step for the Gators. Joker Phillips - master of photoshop?

8. Auburn defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson on his cornerbacks: “I think at any position you need a little bit of depth and rotation in this league, so we don’t want two corners. We want four corners…”

9. Former Wyoming punter Tim Gleeson says he plans to enroll at Tennessee. Australian native averaged 43 yards a punt as a freshman in 2012.

10. Former Vols cornerback Daniel Gray headed to Utah State.

11. Inspired by Tennessee recruits, Kentucky recruits launch their own Twitter account.

12. Tony Barnhart:  Five Things We Learned about the SEC this Spring.

SEC Basketball

13. Two Las Vegas sports books have Kentucky as the favorite to win it all next season. UK is 5-1, Florida is 15-1.

14. During yesterday’s news conference, where he discussed “chasing perfection,” Kentucky coach John Calipari also gave his take on all 13 players expected to be on his team next season.

15. LSU guard Malik Morgan has reportedly asked for his release after one season.

16. Former Rutgers point guard Jerome Seagears has officially transferred to Auburn.  He’ll petition the NCAA for immediate eligibility.

17. Former Florida point guard Braxton Ogbueze has transferred to Charlotte.

Extras

18. Why is Notre Dame dropping Michigan from its football schedule? “The math is pretty simple for us.”

19. Andy Staples: “When the wealthiest schools inevitably form their own NCAA division, the schools of the ACC will be part of that group.”

20. Here’s the prelude to a fight involving a Colorado lineman: “According to the report, Lewis, who is 6-foot-6 and 250 pounds, estimated that he had six glasses of wine, 10 beers and six shots.”

21. In just over two weeks, a million hands of legal, online poker have been dealt in the United States.

22. The 19 best sports moments from “The Office.”