MrSEC.com » Kentucky

The Bowl Outlook With Two Weeks To Play

John — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:39:06 +0000

With two weeks to play, the SEC’s bowl picture is as blurry now as it was a month ago.

Florida and Alabama have been dominant and both have run away from the pack. On the other end of spectrum, Vanderbilt is the only SEC team already eliminated from the bowl picture.

The other nine teams in the league are still jockeying for position. With that in mind, here’s a breakdown of what each team has left between now and bowl bid time in two weeks:

School	Week 12 Opp.	Week 13 Opp.	SEC Title Game	Best Case Record	Worst Case Record
ALABAMA	Chattanooga	at Auburn	Florida	13-0	10-3
ARKANSAS	Miss. State	at LSU		8-4	6-6
AUBURN				8-4	7-5
FLORIDA	FIU	Fla. State	Alabama	13-0	10-3
GEORGIA	Kentucky	at Ga. Tech		8-4	6-6
KENTUCKY	at Georgia	Tennessee		8-4	6-6
LSU	at Ole Miss	Arkansas		10-2	8-4
MISS. STATE	at Arkansas	Ole Miss		6-6	4-8
OLE MISS	LSU	at Miss. State		9-3	7-5
S. CAROLINA		Clemson		7-5	6-6
TENNESSEE	Vanderbilt	at Kentucky		7-5	5-7
VANDERBILT	at Tennessee			3-9	2-10

We’ll dive into the prediction game at this point, but don’t go putting any money on these picks. My views are likely to change a whole lot come Sunday morning.

BCS Title Game (vs Texas)
ALABAMA, 13-0
Florida got the Tide last year, this year I’ll take Bama to exact revenge.

Sugar Bowl (vs TCU)
FLORIDA, 12-1
But I could see the SEC title game going the other way, too

Capital One Bowl (vs Penn State)
LSU, 9-3
The Capital One committee would love this matchup for attendance and TV purposes

Outback Bowl (vs Wisconsin)
Ole Miss, 8-4
I believe this is a year when the Outback will request a West Division team due to their better record

Cotton Bowl (vs Nebraska)
Tennessee, 7-5
When the Cotton Bowl goes with an East Division team, it’s usually Tennessee

Chick-fil-A Bowl (vs Clemson)
Auburn, 7-5
The Tigers played Clemson in this bowl just two years ago, but this one still seems to make sense from an attendance standpoint

Music City Bowl (vs North Carolina)
South Carolina, 7-5
How can the folks in Nashville pass up a game that was SUPPOSED to start next year’s schedule?

Liberty Bowl (vs East Carolina)
Georgia, 7-5
I think an upset Georgia fanbase will be seen as less likely to travel, thus the Dawgs fall all the way to the Liberty

Independence Bowl (vs Kansas State)
Arkansas, 7-5
It’s unlikely, but an Iowa State-Auburn matchup would be interesting here, wouldn’t it?

(UPDATE — I had a typo on my spreadsheet that has now been corrected… Arkansas is currently 6-4, not 5-7. Logic was right, record in table was wrong.)

Papajohns.com Bowl (vs West Virginia)
Kentucky, 6-6
At least the Wildcats will go somewhere south of Tennessee this year

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Afternoon Nuggets

John — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:48:36 +0000

1. Pat Dooley of The Gainesville Sun makes his weekend predictions here.

(Mr. Dooley takes his usual shots at Lane Kiffin and Georgia as well.)

2. Charles Hollis of The Birmingham News makes his predictions, too.

3. Geoff Calkins of The MCA has posted his picks for the weekend.

4. Tony Barnhart of The AJC has made his prognostications as well.

5. Finally, there is a chance that UGA VII will be laid to rest at Sanford Stadium in a private ceremony before tomorrow’s Kentucky game.

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Kentucky Headlines – 11/20/09

John — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:09:51 +0000

1. Kentucky has only seven more Kentuckians on its roster than Georgians… which makes tomorrow’s game special for a number of Wildcats.

2. UK’s offensive line will face a big challenge against Georgia’s D-line tomorrow.

3. To make matters worse, Randall Cobb will be a gametime decision due to a bruised shoulder.

4. In basketball news, freshman DeMarcus Cousins racked up 27 points and 18 rebounds to lead the Cats past Sam Houston State 102-92.

5. John Calipari said after the game, “This may be the worst defensive team I’ve had since 1988.”

6. Coach Cal also said, “I was so made a couple of times my head almost popped off.” And this… “I love my team, and we have a chance of being good. But we also have a chance of being bad if we don’t start changing some things.”

7. This writer believes UK needs more substance to go with their “wow” style.

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Harris Picks Tennessee

John — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 23:27:24 +0000

Tobias Harris, a consensus Top 10 recruit has signed with Tennesee over Kentucky, Louisville, Syracuse, Georgia Tech, Maryland and West Virginia.

The 6-8 power forward attended Big Blue Madness in Lexington last month. He also made a surprise stop in Knoxville on Tuesday night to watch the Volunteers defeat UNC-Asheville.

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Sports Illustrated’s Fan Survey Puts SEC On Top

John — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:36:29 +0000

SI.com asked college football fans across the nation to weigh in on a number of topics in a recent survey. The fans responded.

Not surprisingly, the SEC ranked #1 in terms of the best conference in the land. The rest of the overall results are interesting — for example, most fans say they follow recruiting either “casually” or “not at all.”

The answers of SEC fans have also been broken down. Some of those results are as follows:

1. What is your biggest conference rival?

23.5% said Alabama, 17.5% said Georgia, and 17.4% said Florida. On the other end of the spectrum, more fans consider Vanderbilt to be a rival of their team than either Kentucky or South Carolina.

2. What is your favorite stadium to visit in your team’s conference?

24.8% said Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, followed by Sanford Stadium in Athens, Neyland Stadium in Knoxville and The Swamp. (Sounds to me like a lot of fans voted for their own home stadium ’cause most folks do NOT want to go to Tiger Stadium or The Swamp.)

3. Which school has the rudest fans for visitors?

LSU fans got 32.2% of the vote. Florida was next at just 19.2% followed by Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia.

4. Which school has the most polite fans for visitors?

Vandy fans got the nod at 37.4% followed by Ole Miss, Kentucky and Georgia fans. (So Dawg fans are both rude AND polite?)

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Around The SEC This Afternoon

John — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:59:49 +0000

We’ve still got the Mississippi schools to cover in our team notes, but first, here are some columns and blurbs from across the league:

1. It’s sad that some Georgia fans turn the UGA campus into a trash dump for each home game.

2. Travis Haney of The Charleston Post & Courier writes that Tim Tebow isn’t deserving of the Heisman in his weekly weekend preview column.

3. It says a lot about the depth of the SEC that the league should be able to fill all 10 of its bowl slots this year.

4. According to this SEC notes column, this year marks the first time Florida has logged a perfect conference record since their 1996 national championship season.

5. This by-the-numbers SEC column reveals that Urban Meyer has passed Tennessee’s Robert Neyland as the leader in all-time conference winning percentage (for coaches with more than five years experience). Meyer has won 80% of his league games… Neyland won 78.7%.

I guess it’s safe to say his spread offense has worked, no?

6. The Music City Bowl thinks it will likely land either Georgia, Auburn or Tennessee from the SEC and either Miami, Florida State or North Carolina from the ACC.

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Lighten Up, Francis

John — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:37:14 +0000

Just a quick note for a few of you who are getting way too bent out of shape over the statistics we post on this site.

I like to post numbers you might not find elsewhere. We use the Yards Per Pass Attempt stat a lot because many math-geek football fans believe it’s a good gauge of an offense’s overall success.

We use our own offensive and defensive efficiency ratings to show you which SEC schools are the best at scoring points and the worst at allowing points. Yards don’t go on the scoreboard, points do… which is why we like these stats.

We track the number of plays an offense typically runs between turnovers. Flip it and we use the same technique to show you which defenses are the best at forcing turnovers.

And sometimes we just like to have a little fun. Our “Fife Factor” ratings are a goofy little attempt to show which teams tend to shoot themselves in the foot with turnovers, penalties and sacks.

It’s for your enjoyment.

But sadly, a few of you get angry over the numbers.

So here’s how you can tell if you’re taking some of our more off-the-wall stats too seriously:

* If you take the time to send me an email about how I’m “cheating” your favorite team… you’re taking these stats too seriously.

* If you use the word “numerator” in a post on our messageboard… you’re taking these stats too seriously.

* If you get angry when you look at one of our rankings… you’re taking these stats too seriously.

We’re not launching a rocket to the moon around here, we’re just trying to give you some outside-the-box, interesting, fun, oddball ways to look at the SEC’s football teams.

But for those of you who are mathematically inclined, I’m more than willing to let you put your money where my emailbox is. I’m good with free labor.

If you’d like to doctor up your own digits, feel free to send them to me in a spreadsheet. As long as I can verify the numbers — and I think the breakdown is interesting and unique — I’ll post it.

As for the vast majority of you who seem to like our stat analysis pieces… many thanks and we’ll be sure to keep them coming.

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Kentucky Headlines – 11/19/09

John — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:04:57 +0000

1. Kentucky hasn’t won at Georgia since 1977, but the Dawgs won’t have AJ Green and the Cats are 6-7 in their last 13 SEC road games.

That’s yet another reason for fans to get off Rich Brooks’ back.

2. Georgia hasn’t put up a lot of yards this year, but “Georgia’s still Georgia.”

3. And Kentucky could possibly be without Randall Cobb.

4. Linebacker Sam Maxwell has gone from backup to star.

5. On the basketball front, it sounds like John Calipari is growing tired of his team’s play. “Our execution stinks right now. It stinks because everybody’s trying to get theirs.”

6. Outside-shooter Darnell Dodson is in Calipari’s doghouse.

7. Meanwhile, Darius Miller seems to be a good fit for UK’s new dribble-drive offense.

8. At least one Sam Houston State player is looking forward to facing Kentucky tonight.

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What To Watch And SEC Picks

John — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:22:42 +0000

ESPN.com’s Chris Low has posted his weekly “what to watch” column as we head into the next-to-last week of SEC action.

He’s also posted his predictions for this weekend’s games.

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Some Burning Questions From Tony Barnhart

John — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:11:20 +0000

Each Thursday, the much-respected Tony Barnhart of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution posts a list of his “burning questions” as we head into the weekend.

Today, he covers the following:

1. Can Georgia handle a little be of praise?

2. Can LSU get excited, or even interested, enough to win at Ole Miss?

3. Why is Alabama playing Chattanooga and why is Florida playing FIU?

4. Is Tennessee going to bounce back against Vanderbilt?

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Rich Brooks Teleconference 11/18/09

John — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:53:29 +0000

* UK played the last 30 minutes at Vandy about as well as they could possibly play.

* UK is a little more beat up this week. Randall Cobb did not finish practice today and is questionable for Saturday’s game with Georgia. Micah Johnson did not practice, either, but he should be ready to practice tomorrow.

* Brooks caught the end of Georgia’s game with Auburn on television and was impressed.

* If Cobb gets healthy late in the week he will play.

* Asked about Georgia’s defensive line, Brooks said they give you all sorts of problems. “They get such a good push with those tackles” in the pass game and they stuff the run well, too.

* Morgan Newton will start at quarterback again for the Cats.

* This year’s “there’s more of a jumbled pack” in the SEC this year when it comes to bowl selections.

* Brooks said that its clear the depth is better at Kentucky considering all of the injuries UK has lost this season. UK hasn’t fallen off due to injuries “as we would have in previous years.”

* If Cobb can’t go Saturday because of his shoulder injury, UK will have to find someone new to return kicks, return punts, hold on kicks, and run the WildCobb spread formation. Cobb is also the Cats’ leading receiver. “Other than that…” Brooks joked.

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Kentucky Headlines – 11/18/09

John — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:20:43 +0000

1. Joker Phillips’ receivers are a big reason UK’s running game has been successful.

2. Kentucky will be trying to keep Georgia from clinching second place in the SEC East.

3. In basketball news, this writer likes that John Calipari LIKED the fact that UK got a wake-up call from Miami (Ohio).

4. There’s more to the Cats’ offense than just the dribble-drive.

5. Miami (Ohio) lit up the Wildcats from three-point range.

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SEC Stats: Ball Security, Defensive Thievery And Turnover Margin

John — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 05:13:09 +0000

There aren’t many things in football that are more important than turnovers. They can stop drives. They can kickstart (or deflate) a team emotionally. And they can provide the turning point in a game.

For that reason, we actually look at turnovers using three different measures.

The first, is the old standard: turnover margin. Below you’ll see each team’s turnover margin as well as their current record.

Turnover Margin

Rank	School (Record)	Takeaways	Giveaways	Margin
1	Arkansas (6-4)	23	11	+12
2	Alabama (10-0)	20	10	+10
3	LSU (8-2)	17	8	+9
4	Florida (10-0)	20	13	+7
5	Tennessee (5-5)	20	16	+4
6	Vanderbilt (2-9)	18	15	+3
7	Auburn (7-4)	19	17	+2
8	Kentucky (6-4)	16	17	-1
9	S. Carolina (6-5)	13	17	-4
10	Miss. State (4-6)	19	26	-7
11	Ole Miss (7-3)	14	22	-8
12	Georgia (6-4)	8	22	-14

Observations:

* The four conference teams who have a +7 turnover margin or better are a combined 34-6.

* It’s amazing that Georgia has a -14 turnover margin yet still holds a 6-4 record.

Next, we wanted to determine which offenses did the best of holding onto the football. Our plan? Divide the total number of offensive snaps by the total number of giveaways. We call this stat Ball Security.

Ball Security

Rank	School (Record)	Off. Plays	Giveaways	Plays/Turnover
1	LSU (8-2)	595	8	74.37
2	Alabama (10-0)	674	10	67.40
3	Arkansas (6-4)	643	11	58.45
4	Florida (10-0)	664	13	51.07
5	Vanderbilt (2-9)	735	15	49.00
6	Auburn (7-4)	783	17	46.05
7	S. Carolina (6-5)	731	17	43.00
8	Tennessee (5-5)	677	16	42.31
9	Kentucky (6-4)	688	17	40.47
10	Ole Miss (7-3)	680	22	30.90
11	Georgia (6-4)	593	22	26.95
12	Miss. State (4-6)	680	26	26.15

Observations:

* The LSU offense hasn’t exactly been a juggernaut this year, but they have taken care of the football. Through 10 games, the Tigers have turned it over just 8 times. That’s a turnover once every 74.37 plays. Gary Crowton can at least be proud of that fact.

* As with Turnover Margin, the top four teams in Ball Security are a combined 34-6.

* How good might Ole Miss and Georgia have been if they hadn’t turned the ball over so much? The Rebels turn it over once every 30.90 plays yet are still 7-3. The Dawgs give it away once every 26.95 plays, but they’re 6-4.

Finally, we wanted to find out which SEC defenses are the best at forcing turnovers. As you might have guessed, we divided the total number of snaps a defense has run by the total number of takeaways they have forced. We call this one Defensive Thievery.

Defensive Thievery

Rank	School (Record)	Def. Plays	Takeways	Plays/Turnover
1	Florida (10-0)	593	20	29.65
2	Arkansas (6-4)	686	23	29.82
3	Alabama (10-0)	618	20	30.90
4	Tennessee (5-5)	656	20	32.80
5	Miss. State (4-6)	669	19	35.21
6	Auburn (7-4)	763	19	40.15
7	LSU (8-2)	694	17	40.82
8	Kentucky (6-4)	654	16	40.87
9	Vanderbilt (2-9)	771	18	42.83
10	Ole Miss (7-3)	660	14	47.14
11	S. Carolina (6-5)	697	13	53.61
12	Georgia (6-4)	654	8	81.75

Observations:

* Florida and Alabama rank in the top four in the conference in each of the three turnover stats that we track. No wonder they’re undefeated and headed for a showdown in Atlanta.

* Arkansas’ defense has given up a lot of yards and a lot of points this year. How bad might thing have been if the Razorbacks hadn’t forced a turnover once every 29.82 plays?

* Ditto for 4-6 Mississippi State and 5-5 Tennessee. Without forced takeaways, you have to think that both teams would be even farther down the SEC’s standings.

* Georgia takes the ball from its opponents just once every 81.75 plays. That’s less than one takeaway per game (with the average snap count being between 60 and 65). In fact, South Carolina ranks 11th in the Defensive Thievery yet they force a turnover in about 30 fewer plays than the Bulldogs.

(Notes — These statistics DO include numbers from all games, not just in-conference battles. If you see a typo, please email me. It’s late and my eyes are going.)

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SEC Stats: The Fife Factor, Week Eleven

John — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 04:24:26 +0000

Those of you who’ve followed this site all year know that I like to bring you stats that you just don’t find anywhere else.

Like the one below.

Coaches often tell their teams that they can’t afford to beat themselves. Well I wanted to see which SEC squads did the best job of avoiding self-inflicted wounds, so I came up with what we at MrSEC.com call The Fife Factor.

Penalties, turnovers on offense, and sacks are all killers. They are the equivalent of Barney Fife shooting himself in the foot.

Therefore, to arrive at The Fife Factor for each team, we tally up all of a team’s penalties, giveaways and sacks allowed. We then calculate the total number of snaps run by a team on offense and defense. We take that number, divide it by the total miscues, and arrive at our Fife Factor.

Without further ado, below are the SEC’s teams ranked from best to worst according to their proclivity for screwing up.

The Fife Factor

Rank	School	Off. Plays	Def. Plays	Penalties	Giveaways	Sacks Allowed	Total Miscues	Total Plays	Miscues/Play
1	Alabama	674	618	54	10	9	73	1292	17.69
2	Tennessee	677	656	50	16	11	77	1333	17.31
3	Vanderbilt	735	771	52	15	22	89	1506	16.92
4	Kentucky	688	654	56	17	12	85	1342	15.78
5	Auburn	783	763	77	17	15	109	1546	14.18
6	Miss St	680	660	58	26	14	98	1340	13.67
7	LSU	595	694	60	8	27	95	1289	13.56
8	Ole Miss	680	669	65	22	13	100	1349	13.49
9	Arkansas	643	686	75	11	20	106	1329	12.53
10	Florida	664	593	64	13	24	101	1257	12.44
11	SCarolina	731	697	69	17	33	119	1428	12.00
12	Georgia	593	654	79	22	11	112	1247	11.13

Observations:

* It’s no surprise that Alabama has been the most disciplined team in the conference this year. The Tide shoots itself in the foot (does a “Tide” have a foot?) just once every 17.69 plays.

* It IS a surprise that Florida ranks just 10th in the league in The Fife Factor. The Gators commit too many penalties and allow too many sacks for an undefeated football team. I suppose that shows just how athletically superior UF is to most teams. They can commit a miscue once every 12.44 plays and still win every game they play. But what will happen when a team that often hurts itself faces a team like Alabama — that doesn’t hurt itself — in the SEC title game?

* Tennessee, Vanderbilt and Kentucky are a combined 13-18, but those teams do not beat themselves. Coaches (and fans) always like to say “we just beat ourselves today,” but in the case of these teams, it’s not true. These are disciplined football teams. In all three cases, injuries have played a role in losses, but not a flurry of self-inflicted wounds.

* Teams that DO beat themselves? Georgia and South Carolina. The Bulldogs have committed more penalties than any team in the league and only Mississippi State has turned the ball over more often than the Dawgs. If you don’t have Tim Tebow and a suffocating defense, it’s hard to win that way. As for Carolina, a league-leading 33 sacks allowed have greatly slowed down Steve Spurrier’s offense.

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How Hot Is Brooks’ Seat At UK? Source Says “Not Very”

John — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 03:44:37 +0000

According to Ray Glier of The AJC, Rich Brooks is on the hot seat in Lexington. Heck, even Brooks admits it:

“They put some ‘Ditch Rich’ bumper stickers on their cars. They say I’m too old and I gotta go, that they need a better coach. They’re howling. We lost to #1 Florida, #3 Alabama and South Carolina, then Mississippi State. Some of them want me out of here.”

Ah, but should they?

Traditionally, Kentucky is a program that nearly matches Vanderbilt in SEC futility.

Consider:

* UK has a 24-game losing streak to Tennessee

* The Cats have lost 23 in a row to Florida

* Georgia has beaten Kentucky 21 of the last 24 times they’ve played

* The Wildcats are 0-for-Spurrier all-time and have lost 10 in a row to South Carolina

* This year UK beat Auburn for the first time in 12 tries dating back to 1966

* Kentucky’s holds just a two-game advantage over Vandy in their head-to-head history (40-38-4).

Brooks has overcome that history. UK is now bowl eligible for the fourth consecutive season. The anti-Brooks faction doesn’t seem to care. Those folks would most likely point to two “yeah, buts.”

Yeah, but it’s not as hard to reach a bowl game today as it was 20 years ago, which is true.

And…

Yeah, but Brooks has feasted on weak non-conference opponents, not SEC foes. True again.

Looking at the bowl seasons of 2006, 2007, 2008 as well as the now bowl-eligible season of 2009, you’ll see that the list of Cat victories isn’t exactly stellar.

In those four seasons, UK has recorded wins over:

Texas State, Ole Miss, Central Michigan, Mississippi State (2), Georgia, Vanderbilt (3), Louisiana-Monroe (2), Clemson, Eastern Kentucky (2), Kent State, Louisville (3), Arkansas (2), Florida Atlantic, LSU, Florida State, Norfolk State, MTSU, Western Kentucky, East Carolina, Miami (Ohio), and Auburn.

I can see why some Kentucky fans are grumbling. I can see it, but I don’t agree with it.

Brooks has made UK football better. No, he hasn’t turned the program into a contender in the SEC East, but he has improved the situation in Lexington considerably.

There was a time when Kentucky couldn’t sniff a bowl game… much less be invited to one every year for four years.

There was a time when UK couldn’t beat a Florida State or a Clemson even in a down year for those schools.

There are few victories in the school’s history that rank alongside the Cats’ 2007 win over #1 LSU.

Brooks has also taken control of in-state rivalry with Louisville.

And on those rare occasions when Kentucky has had success in their history, NCAA investigators have often showed up quickly to shut down the party. Brooks hasn’t landed the school on probation as Fran Curci and Hal Mumme did.

Brooks deserves to go out on his own terms. And according to what one source very close to the UK football program tells me, that’s what’s likely to happen.

Kentucky athletic director Mitch Barnhart understands what Brooks has accomplished and he won’t be pulling any plugs at the end of this season even if the Cats finish 6-6 with losses to Georgia and Tennessee.

Also, while the talkshow and bumper sticker crowd is upset, the main UK boosters (who wouldn’t dare put bumper stickers on their Audis) aren’t complaining too loudly.

So would Brooks walk away on his own if his team stumbles down the stretch?

I’m told no. In fact, in my source’s opinion, Brooks would be more likely to step aside if UK ends on a high note.

Joker Phillips is the Big Blue’s coach-in-waiting. It is believed Brooks wants to hand him the reins after a good season, not after a disappointing one.

Therefore it’s likely that Brooks will be back on the Commonwealth Stadium sidelines next year at the age of 69.

And any Kentucky fan with a sense of the school’s football history should be just fine with that.

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Lunchtime Links

John — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 17:15:44 +0000

1. It looks like the SEC will land 10 teams in bowl games… and here’s a guess as to where they’ll finish.

2. This writer tries to predict where the SEC’s teams will land this bowl season.

3. Here’s another look at possible SEC bowl matchups.

4. The BCS has created a new role for an “executive director.” Yeah, now the system will work.

5. Consistently, there’s no columnist in the SEC who is a bigger homer than this guy. Entertaining writer, but by far the man most anxious to praise the hometown team, players, coaches, etc.

And in case you missed them this morning and last night, here are a few more links from right here at MrSEC:

1. Not using Dexter McCluster more hurt Jevan Snead and hurt Ole Miss’ chances for finishing in the Top 10.

2. Alabama and Florida are crushing the competition in our analysis of SEC Pure Defensive Efficiency.

3. Georgia has passed Arkansas at the top of our SEC Pure Offensive Efficiency rankings.

4. There are still a lot of questions, rumors and disinformation swirling around the arrest of three Tennessee freshmen last week.

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Kentucky Headlines – 11/17/09

John — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:26:44 +0000

1. Kentucky’s players are happy to be bowl eligible, but they now want to line-up a better bowl. “We want to get out of Tennessee.”

2. Reaching six wins for the fourth straight year, the Cats didn’t celebrate as much on Saturday as they have in previous seasons.

3. In basketball news, John Wall’s last second jumper pulled out a 72-70 win for the Wildcats over Miami (Ohio) last night.

4. Wall showed brilliance (and a few faults) in his college debut. (Also, John Calipari says he was “ecstatic” to see his team fall behind by 18.)

5. DeMarcus Cousins says “John is legit. Everything you hear is legit.”

6. Meanwhile, Calipari wants Cousins to enjoy himself more on the court.

7. Kentucky already got a first-place vote in the first AP Poll of the basketball season.

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Morning News And Views

John — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:04:13 +0000

1. LSU expects Jordan Jefferson to be back under center against Ole Miss this weekend.

2. Andy Staples of SI.com explores where dismissed Vols Nu’Keese Richardson and Mike Edwards might land, reminds folks of Urban Meyer’s forgiving nature, and points a finger at Terry Bowden who’s built a strong team at North Alabama using other programs’ castoffs.

3. Some SEC assistants are being talked about in connection with head coaching vacancies. In fact, Tennessee’s Eddie Gran has ALREADY spoken with Memphis about their opening.

4. Here’s who’s hot and who’s not in the SEC.

5. Tony Barnhart of The AJC believes it’s time to add a new human poll to the BCS.

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Wall Debuts, Saves Kentucky In The Process

John — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:54:03 +0000

John Calipari has been saying that the first concern for his team is to gain confidence in his new system. The wins will come.

Last night it looked like Kentucky fans might have to take that message to heart. The Wildcats trailed Miami (Ohio) by 18 points in the first half and were locked in a back-and-forth duel down the stretch.

The RedHawks tied the game at 70-70 with just six seconds to play on a deep, deep three-pointer… but that’s when freshman John Wall took over.

The player who is already expected to be the national player of the year and the first pick in next year’s NBA draft caught the inbounds pass, zipped up court and calmly nailed a pull-up jumper from 15 feet out as with 0.5 seconds left.

Cats win 72-20. Rupp Arena goes nuts. Wall announces his presence on the college basketball scene.

“John Wall catching it and going, I loved it,” Calipari said.

No doubt Kentucky fans loved it, too. One game down and Wall has 19 points, five rebounds and a last-second game-winner. Not a bad debut at all.

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SEC Stats: Defensive Scoring Efficiency, Week Eleven

John — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:42:50 +0000

To go along with our offensive pure efficiency rankings, here’s our weekly update on each team’s defensive scoring efficiency.

As usual, we track only in-conference games to avoid skewing the numbers with stronger/weaker non-conference schedules.

To determine which defenses force opponents to work the hardest to score touchdowns, we tally up all of the defensive snaps run by each SEC squad, divide that number by the total number of rushing/passing TDs they have allowed, which gives us a simple plays-per-touchdown allowed ratio.

Below are the numbers for each SEC defense through Week Eleven.

Pure Defensive Efficiency

Rank	Last Week’s Rank	School	Total Def. Plays	Total TDs Allowed	Plays/TD Allowed
1	3	Alabama	462	6	77.00
2	2	Florida	458	8	57.25
3	5	LSU	404	10	40.40
4	4	Ole Miss	394	10	39.40
5	1	Tennessee	407	11	37.00
6	6	Vanderbilt	494	18	27.44
7	8	SCarolina	504	20	25.20
8	7	Miss St	397	17	23.35
9	10	Georgia	479	22	21.77
10	11	Kentucky	386	18	21.44
11	9	Auburn	480	24	20.00
12	12	Arkansas	403	21	19.19

Observations:

* Teams have run 920 offensive plays against Alabama and Florida. Of those 920 plays, 14 have resulted in touchdowns. In other words, .015% of all offensive snaps run against the Tide and Gators end up in the end zone. The SEC Championship Game in Atlanta will BE the national championship game.

* Ole Miss continues to be the best defense in the SEC that no one talks about. Even without Greg Hardy, their defensive line dominated against Tennessee.

* In one game, Dexter McCluster and the Rebels dropped Tennessee from the best defense in the conference to the fifth-best defense in the conference.

* Vandy’s defense gets no help from its offense, but the Commodores are still in the middle of the league in pure defensive efficiency.

* In the last few weeks, Georgia has climbed from the league’s cellar all the way to 9th in defensive efficiency. Don’t get too excited, they’re still giving up a touchdown once every 21.77 snaps (about three per game).

* Arkansas’ offense is great. Their defense stinks. This weekend’s game with Mississippi State will be closer than you might expect.

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SEC Stats: Offensive Scoring Efficiency, Week Eleven

John — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:18:52 +0000

Every week we tabulate the efficiency numbers for each SEC offense based solely on their performance against other SEC teams. That way nothing is skewed by a game with a Furman, a Western Kentucky, or even a Virginia Tech.

The stat itself is pretty simple: total offensive plays run… divided by the total number of passing/rushing touchdowns scored. That gives us a “pure” plays-per-touchdown grade for each school.

Below you’ll find those numbers as they stand through this past weekend’s action.

Pure Offensive Efficiency

Rank	Last Week’s Rank	School	Total Off. Plays	Total TDs Scored	Plays/TD
1	2	Georgia	414	22	18.81
2	1	Arkansas	392	20	19.60
3	3	Tennessee	386	17	22.70
4	4	Florida	522	21	24.85
5	7	Alabama	456	17	26.82
6	6	Kentucky	413	15	27.53
7	5	Auburn	498	18	27.66
8	10	Ole Miss	420	15	28.00
9	8	LSU	372	12	31.00
10	11	SCarolina	545	14	38.92
11	9	Miss St	396	10	39.60
12	12	Vanderbilt	444	4	111.00

Observations:

* Once again, I want to make something very clear: Any Georgia fan calling for a cleaning of the proverbial house that includes the dismissal of offensive coordinator Mike Bobo… needs to have his head examined. The Dawgs’ offense — despite having to replace a first-round NFL quarterback and a first-round NFL tailback — are scoring more easily in SEC games than any other team in the league. Cry about the defense. Scream about the losses to Florida and Tennessee, but pipe down when it comes to criticizing the SEC’s most efficient offense.

* Too bad Troy isn’t in the SEC or Ryan Mallett and Bobby Petrino’s offense would still be on top of our standings.

* Tennessee’s loss at Ole Miss had more to do with their defense than their offense.

* Florida’s not dominant. Florida wins ugly. Florida doesn’t have a quick-strike offense. Whatever. The Gators score more easily than all but three other SEC teams. All in the nation’s toughest defensive conference. Facts are facts.

* Greg McElroy, meet Julio Jones. Julio Jones, meet Greg McElroy. Alabama, meet the Top 5 in SEC pure offensive efficiency.

* Just me, or is anyone else surprised to see Kentucky still in the middle of the pack on offense? It seems like they should be ranked lower. Four guys taking snaps on the season, yet Joker Phillips’ gang is still able to move the ball.

* Even after a six touchdown explosion against Tennessee, Ole Miss still ranks 8th in efficiency. Ya shoulda given Dexter McCluster the ball sooner, Coach Nutt.

* I’m not sure which offense has been more disappointing: LSU’s or South Carolina’s.

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SEC Commitment Comparison – 11/16/09

John — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 18:41:01 +0000

It’s Monday, which means it’s time to check our updated commitment Big Board for the SEC.

Only three schools received commitments last week (Arkansas, Auburn and Tennessee) so there’s not been a lot of movement up and down the chart.

Tennessee has moved up into a second-place tie with Alabama… and Auburn has widened their lead over Georgia and Florida.

As always, we use the Rivals.com rankings and assign one point for every star Rivals’ hands out. We also give 0-star athletes a 1-point value because we’re bleeding-heart softies.

Without further ado, here’s how things look less than 12 weeks from National Signing Day:

School	Commits	5-stars	4-stars	3-stars	2-stars	1- and 0-stars	Total Points	Avg. Points
LSU	23	0	15	8	0	0	84	3.65
Alabama	22	2	10	8	2	0	78	3.54
Tennessee	22	0	12	10	0	0	78	3.54
Auburn	21	1	8	11	1	0	72	3.42
Georgia	18	1	9	8	0	0	65	3.61
Florida	17	1	11	5	0	0	64	3.76
Vanderbilt	21	0	0	19	2	0	61	2.90
SCarolina	19	0	3	12	1	3	53	2.78
Arkansas	15	0	1	12	1	1	43	2.86
Kentucky	16	0	0	9	3	4	37	2.31
Miss St	14	0	2	8	0	4	36	2.57
Ole Miss	11	0	2	9	0	0	35	3.18

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Lunchtime Bites

John — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:14:27 +0000

Just a few more quick news items. We’ll dig into some recruiting updates shortly.

1. The SEC has named its Players of the Week for Week 11 of the season.

2. This year’s stat sheets prove that championship teams play great defense.

3. Here’s another excellent weekend wrap column from Paul Gattis of The Huntsville Times.

4. Chris Low of ESPN.com lists the players who’ve played their way into star status this season.

5. And who doesn’t love SEC power rankings?

6. Finally, in basketball news, Arkansas’ Rotnei Clarke (51 points versus Alcorn State) and Kentucky’s Eric Bledsoe (24 points in his debut game) have been named the SEC’s Player of the Week and Freshman of the Week respectively.

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Kentucky Headlines – 11/16/09

John — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:15:52 +0000

1. Quarterback Mike Hartline will have knee surgery and miss the rest of UK’s regular season.

2. In basketball news, John Wall makes his official debut tonight against Miami of Ohio.

3. That means Cat fans will finally see the freshman backcourt of their dreams.

4. Darius Miller lacks confidence when shooting.

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SEC Schedule And TV Listings For Week Twelve

John — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:24:13 +0000

Each Monday we like to be the first guys on the block to bring you the television schedule and updated odds for the following weekend’s SEC action.

That way, you can print out the schedule, lose it sometime during the week, and then come back to print it out again… thus driving up our pageviews.

So here are this weekend’s games, where you can see them and what the oddsmakers think of them. All times are Eastern.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21ST

Mississippi State at Arkansas
12:21pm
ESPN Regional Syndicated Package
Arkansas -10.5

Chattanooga at Alabama
12:21pm
ESPN Regional Syndicated Package
No Line

Florida International at Florida
12:30pm
Pay-Per-View
No Line

LSU at Ole Miss
3:30pm
CBS
Ole Miss -3

Vanderbilt at Tennessee
7:00pm
ESPNU
Tennessee -17

Kentucky at Georgia
7:45pm
ESPN2
Georgia -7.5

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Top O’ The Morning News

John — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 13:22:21 +0000

1. The top eight slots in the BCS standings remain the same this week.

2. Lane Kiffin isn’t calling it a suspension, but the three players arrested last week are barred from all team activities while the coach continues to gather information.

3. Chris Low of ESPN.com tells you what he learned this weekend…

4. And he makes his bowl predictions for the SEC.

5. Stewart Mandel of SI.com wraps the weekend action and talks Alabama, Florida, LSU’s offense, and Dexter McCluster in the process.

6. Matt Hayes of The Sporting News doesn’t believe Florida should be #1.

And a recruiting story on the homepage to remind you to check out Josh Ward’s Recruiting page…

7. Brian McLaughlin of The Sporting News writes that Auburn’s making a splash on the recruiting trail.

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Randall Cobb sparks Kentucky offense

admin — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 12:42:13 +0000

Former Alcoa star and all-purpose back Randall Cobb ran 14 times out of the formation and burned Vanderbilt for big gains several times in Kentucky’s 24-13 victory.
(more)

Vanderbilt loses seventh in a row

admin — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 12:41:05 +0000

Randall Cobb ran for two touchdowns, Derrick Locke rushed for a career-high 144 yards and a touchdown, and Kentucky beat Vanderbilt 24-13 Saturday to become bowl eligible for a school record fourth straight year.
(more)

Cats handle Morehead in impressive debut

admin — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 12:37:36 +0000

Sip the champagne. Puff on the cigars. Check for a hotel room at the Final Four.

Well, scratch that third one … for now.

The John Calipari era began in grand style Friday night as Kentucky’s talented youngsters thoroughly whipped a veteran Morehead State team 75-59. But it wasn’t that grand.

(more)

Home finale inspires Vanderbilt seniors

admin — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 12:32:06 +0000

As part of Senior Day, Vanderbilt will honor 24 players before its game with Kentucky.
(more)

It Ain’t The Refs, It’s You

John — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 19:02:37 +0000

If you read this site, then you know I don’t believe in a league-sponsored conspiracy that’s driving officials to favor unbeaten Alabama and Florida over everyone else in the conference.

As a matter of fact, I’ve also made it clear that I don’t believe officiating is any worse now than it’s ever been.

In my view, the only difference between today’s officiating and that of 25 years ago is the way we now watch said officiating.

We have technology that wasn’t available years ago: more televised games, more cameras and angles at games, more highlight shows to air views from those games, more and better slow-motion technology, freeze-frame/zoom-in technology, even home DVRs that allow us to slow down, freeze and reverse any play we like right from our very own La-Z-Boy.

Combine those technologies with an explosion of social media and Stewart Mandel of SI.com writes that fans now have the power to “impact the game like never.”

And personally, I don’t think that’s a good thing.

So if you’re a Twitterer or a YouTuber or just someone who believes every photo or video you see posted on those sites, this article is one you need to read.

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Afternoon Grab Bag

John — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 17:00:41 +0000

1. Pat Dooley of The Gainesville Sun looks around the conference and finds that conspiracy theories are ruining the season.

2. Adam West of The Gainesville Sun wonders if Tennessee assistant Ed Orgeron is a man athletes can look up to.

3. Troy’s Larry Blakeney continues to try and clear up stories that he predicted a Trojan win over Arkansas before the season.

4. Jeff Schultz of The AJC has made his predictions for this weekend’s games.

5. Tony Barnhart of The AJC has done likewise right here.

6. One Georgia fan / media member wishes that Mark Richt would lose his cool like Nick Saban on occasion.

7. Charles Hollis of The Birmingham News has posted his picks for this weekend’s action.

8. Geoff Calkins of The MCA looks at the arrest situation at Tennessee before going into his weekend predictions.

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Kentucky Headlines – 11/13/09

John — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:58:59 +0000

1. Kentucky will have to be wary of Vandy’s super return man Warren Norman.

2. Linebacker Sam Maxwell has turned into a playmaker on the Wildcat defense.

3. Derrick Locke, Trevard Lindley and Randall Cobb are all expected to play tomorrow.

4. Rich Brooks will decide on his starting quarterback at gametime.

5. In basketball news, John Calipari said the goal tonight is for progress… not necessarily a win over Morehead State.

6. Tonight’s game will pit UK’s talent against Morehead State’s experience.

7. There’s no way in Hell that Kentucky suffers a Billy-Gillispie-like loss tonight. Is there?

8. Eric Bledsoe’s sprained ankle shouldn’t keep him out of tonight’s game.

9. Bledsoe will be at the controls tonight as John Wall sits out due to an NCAA suspension.

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“The Blind Side” Shows High Expectations Of The SEC

John — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 18:25:40 +0000

I was talking to a friend last night about the latest trailer for “The Blind Side.” As most of you know by now the movie covers the rags-to-riches story of former Ole Miss left tackle Michael Oher.

Since the movie covers his recruitment to Oxford, the filmmakers hired a number of actual coaches to portray themselves in cameo roles.

As I ran through the list of coaches in the film for my buddy I realized something. Everybody has moved around since 2005.

Get this list of coaches who were chasing Oher the spring and appear in the film:

Lou Holtz — South Carolina (now starring as the goofy “Dr. Lou” on ESPN)

Phillip Fulmer — Tennessee (ousted last year and currently out of coaching)

Tommy Tuberville — Auburn (ousted last year and currently out of coaching)

Ed Orgeron — Ole Miss (ousted after 2007 and currently the assistant head coach at Tennessee)

Nick Saban — LSU (left LSU for the NFL and has now come back to Alabama)

Houston Nutt — Arkansas (driven out of Arkansas after 2007, he’s now at Ole Miss)

Not one of the coaches in the film holds the same job he had less than five years ago.

That’s a pretty good reflection of some pretty high fan expectations in the Southeastern Conference.

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Around The SEC This Afternoon

John — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 18:16:24 +0000

1. Dwight Collins of The Gainesville Sun writes that SEC teams still have a lot to play for in the season’s final weeks.

2. Travis Haney of The Charleston Post & Courier talks about the battles for better bowls in his weekend preview column.

3. Ron Higgins of The Memphis Commercial-Appeal is hoping for some turmoil in the SEC this offseason.

4. David Paschall of The Chattanooga Times Free Press has made his picks for this weekend’s games.

5. ESPN.com’s Chris Low has done the same here.

6. And he’s listed what fans need to watch for this weekend.

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CBS Ratings Through The Roof For SEC Football

John — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 18:03:49 +0000

CBS has announced that their college football ratings are the highest they have been in the 13 years since “The Eye” got back into the college gridiron business.

Not surprisingly, the network’s SEC package is also the top-rated college football deal in the nation.

Through the first 10 weeks of the season, ratings are up 29% over last year.

Fans across America might complain about the SEC and call it overrated, but on Saturday afternoons, they certainly flock to it.

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Kentucky Headlines – 11/12/09

John — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 16:44:49 +0000

1. In a show of improved depth, Kentucky’s reserves have helped the Cats to their current 5-4 record.

2. Ridge Wilson is trying to bounce back from a fourth-degree assault charge that was brought against him back in September.

3. In basketball news, UK’s opening opponent Morehead State was an NCAA team last year.

4. ESPN’s Jay Bilas says defense — not the dribble-drive offense — will be the key for Kentucky this year.

5. And ESPN’s Dick Vitale says Patrick Patterson needs to be “more assertive.”

6. Patterson’s offseason conditioning work came under the tutelage of a man known as “Hell’s Trainer.”

7. The December 5th matchup with North Carolina at Rupp Arena has sold out.

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Slive Vows To Make SEC Officiating The Best

John — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 13:09:24 +0000

The Associated Press reports that SEC commissioner Mike Slive plans to work on the league’s officiating woes when the season is over.

Asked about a year of controversial calls, suspended officiating crews and coaches going over the line in their complaints, Slive said:

“Has it been difficult? Yes. Has it been painful? Yes. But this league has been a great league for 76 years. There have been different issues at different times. I fully understand the disappointment the fans feel when something happens that impacts their team.

“My job is to try to keep some perspective, to work for the best interest of the conference, at least as I see it. I’ve done that for eight years, and I’ll do that as long as I’m here.”

Slive also said he will meet with coordinator of officials Rogers Redding after the season and assess the causes of officiating mistakes “and make sure that we have the best officiating in the country.”

As for our own poll on the topic of officiating, I congratulate 86% of you for using your noggins.

39% of you believe SEC officiating is worse than ever. (I disagree, but this one’s certainly debatable.)

37% of you right-minded individuals feel that officiating is not worse, we just have more TV angles and DVRs to dissect calls.

10% of you feel that officiating is not worse, but the game is faster and it’s tougher to call.

As for the 14% of you “truly believe” officials are cheating on orders from the SEC… read this piece on why a conspiracy is absolutely impossible and unnecessary to boot.

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Morning Headlines From Across The SEC

John — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 12:33:16 +0000

1. Ole Miss and Tennessee are two teams going in different directions… even when it comes to luck. Rebel defensive end Greg Hardy will be out of Saturday’s game AND for the rest of the season with a broken wrist.

2. A writer for FoxSports.com says that Steve Spurrier has now become irrelevant.

3. Saturday’s game will be a special one for Spurrier and Tim Tebow.

4. Tebow is still leading most of the Heisman polls.

5. Tony Barnhart of The AJC has posted his burning questions for the weekend:

* Does Spurrier have an upset left in him?

* Can Jonathan Crompton keep it going?

* How badly does Georgia need to beat Auburn?

* Is there any chance Alabama comes out flat against Mississippi State?

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Afternoon Headlines

John — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 18:53:31 +0000

1. Jon Solomon of The Birmingham News believes the SEC should spend more money on officiating.

2. Tony Barnhart of The AJC thinks Mike Slive should give coaches SOME opportunity to voice displeasure with officials’ calls when asked about them.

3. The Music City Bowl will be closely watching this weekend’s Auburn-Georgia and Mississippi-Tennessee games.

4. Mark McCarter of The Huntsville Times caught up with suspended ref Marc Curles.

5. And in case you missed it yesterday, here’s a little something for the conspiracy nuts in our midst.

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Kentucky Headlines – 11/11/09

John — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 18:01:57 +0000

1. It’s still “wait and see” with Mike Hartline’s knee.

2. Regardless of who starts at quarterback Saturday, Joker Phillips says UK will be ready to bring in the backup if needed.

3. The Cats will be up early for Saturday’s game at Vandy, but they’ll face a later than usual start time for their game with Georgia next week.

4. In basketball news, UK might not have to face one of Morehead State’s key players in their opener on Friday. Like it’s going to matter.

5. The man who invented the dribble-drive offense says it’s all about attacking.

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Rich Brooks Teleconference 11/11/09

John — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:55:00 +0000

Notes from Rich Brooks’ teleconference:

* “We’re gonna be a little healthier than we’ve been in recent weeks.” Derrick Locke and Randall Cobb will be ready to play against Vandy. Quarterback Mike Hartline has also been taking meaningful snaps in practice this week, too.

* Brooks said he’s never had a year where he’s had to use four players to take snaps.

* Brooks said Morgan Newton’s play bodes well for the future. He also says that this year’s injury issues have shown how much more depth UK has now than they did a few years ago.

* Mike Hartline will regain his starting spot when he’s ready. “Today’s practice was better than yesterday for him.”

* Brooks said that Dan Mullen’s offense is “quite different” than Florida’s offense. One run game is built around the running backs, the other is built around the quarterback.

* Brooks recounted the story of how UK’s track coaches brought Locke to his attention. The “speed and explosion” that he brings to the field make him one of the best multi-purpose backs in the league.

* Asked about two-sport athletes, Brooks said it’s important for young players to get a lot of reps. He also said it’s tough when track wants a guy to drop weight and football wants him to add weight.

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Morning Grab Bag

John — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 13:20:26 +0000

1. Pat Forde of ESPN.com has been busy. He’s posted a basketball column looking back at the past decade in college hoops…

2. And he’s uploaded his weekly football column, as well. This week it features talk of Georgia and Steve Spurrier.

3. Ivan Maisel of ESPN.com writes that Lane Kiffin is “exactly right” when it comes to his views on coaching salaries.

4. Here are the salaries of the SEC’s head coaches according to USA Today.

5. Ditto on the combined salaries of SEC’s assistant coaching staffs.

6. Finally, here’s the national view on the five basketball suspensions Arkansas handed down yesterday.

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A Little Something For The Conspiracy Nuts

John — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 21:50:54 +0000

I don’t know about you, but I’ve had just about enough of conspiracy nuts claiming that the SEC is cheating to aid Alabama and Florida.

A little bit of logic pretty much squashes that idea like a bug, but Lord knows logic and fandom don’t often mix. And don’t even get me started on the sports-entertainment media.

So, having heard just about enough from a horde of fans and media scalawags who are trying to drive ratings, pageviews and paper sales by pushing the conspiracy theory, here are twelve of my own observations regarding this past weekend’s “scandal” and the overall idea of Them Cheatin’ Refs.

1. “It was clearly an interception!“

I’m sorry, but if Patrick Peterson’s feet were “clearly” inbounds we wouldn’t have needed 10 replays, a freeze frame and a zoom-in to try to determine if he really DID have his feet inbounds. It was a close play. Personally, I thought — based on a high angle view from behind the play — that Peterson did get his right foot inbounds with control of the ball.

But I don’t know that I would have overturned the call on the field based on one angle shot from half-a-stadium away.

According to SEC coordinator of officials Rogers Redding, “The instant replay rule is if you don’t have clear, 100 percent, absolute proof that the call on the field is incorrect, then you let it stand.”

Interestingly, the worst violation of this principle I’ve seen all year occurred in the Ole Miss-Auburn game when a Rebel interception was overturned despite a lack of clear visual evidence.

Was that call just human error in the interpretation or was there a conspiracy to help Auburn topple Ole Miss?

I’ll go with human error.

2. I keep hearing — even from ESPN’s Michael Wilbon — that the SEC and Mike Slive are cheating and that this latest replay ruling proves it.

One small issue: Earlier in the same game, on Alabama’s first drive, a glitch in the replay system prevented officials from reviewing an Alabama pass that had been ruled incomplete.

The system was down. The incompletion stood. Tough luck, Bama.

Now, I haven’t heard Wilbon or any other sportstalk hosts bring this point up. Have you?

You know why? ‘Cause it doesn’t fit their buffoonish conspiracy theory.

“You mean the replay system worked AGAINST Alabama in the very same game? Well, there’s no fun in that, let’s not mention it.”

Disgusting.

3. The numbers don’t support the theory.

If the league was trying to help Alabama and Florida, would the Gators (6th) and Tide (5th) really rank in the top half of the league in terms of penalty yardage? Officials trying to help those teams could take a little bit better care of them than that, couldn’t they?

And why do they also rank 5th (Alabama) and 6th (Florida) in the number of penalties called against their opponents. For all the moaning, you’d expect that their opponents would have been penalized more than other teams’ opponents.

If the officials have been told to aid the Tide and the Gators they really aren’t doing a very good job of it based on — ya know — facts.

4. “SEC officiating is the worst its ever been!”

I’m guessing it’s not. But allow me to make a comparison to show you what I believe to be the real issue:

November 7, 2009

a. Peterson makes what might have been an interception for LSU

b. Two officials — in the right positions, but blocked by players — confer and do what they’re taught to do… they rule the pass incomplete because they did not see it.

c. The play moves to the replay booth upstairs.

d. While the replay official looks at his replays, home viewers are treated to more angles, more replays, super slow-motion replays, one freeze frame and the use of zoom-in technology.

e. The replay official does not overturn the call on the field.

f. ESPN’s “SportsCenter” and other national highlight shows run the replays over and over again and discuss the “blown” call.

g. LSU fans rush to the internet to post stories, clips, photos and breakdowns of the play in question.

h. The 24-hour sports channels beat the drum for incompetence and/or cheating.

Okay, now let’s say the exact same play took place during a game 35 years ago:

November 7, 1974

a. Peterson makes what might have been an interception for LSU

b. Two officials — in the right positions, but blocked by players — confer and do what they’re taught to do… they rule the pass incomplete because they did not see it.

c. The next play is run and the game goes on.

See what happened there?

The difference isn’t in the officiating, it’s in how we view the officiating. We now have technology that gives us every view of every human error in a game. Whether it’s the mistake of a player or an official.

In 1974, most games were NOT on television. Those that were didn’t feature 10 cameras and super slow-motion replays. There were no national highlight shows, there were no sports talkshows and there was no internet.

Questionable call? You moved on to the next snap.

These days, any goofball can post his own crackpot theory about a controversial call and fans eager to believe that their team wuz robbed can buy into it.

Want proof? Do a web search for 9/11 conspiracies. You’ll find thousands of clowns who believe the US government actually staged the World Trade Center attacks.

If folks are nutty enough to buy that load of garbage, it’s no wonder that some crazed fans are willing to believe that their school is the victim of cheating officials.

5. Officiating will not improve.

I keep hearing talkshow callers plead for the SEC to better train their officials. I’ve got news for them: the SEC is doing the best job they can in training and grading officials. In fact, I’m guessing you won’t find a better trained group of officials in any other conference.

So don’t expect to see better officiating next year.

People are now LOOKING for blown calls and “proof” of cheating. Once that starts, they see what they want to see.

Consider Nostradamus. You could read his ramblings for years and years and never pick up on a single prediction before it occurs. But, if you’re looking for something specific, you’ll find it.

“He wrote the word ‘Hister’ and that has to mean ‘Hitler!’ And if I pair it with something he wrote 50 pages earlier, it PROVES that he predicted World War II!”

Yeah, sure it does.

Let me make it even simpler for you. Consider “Three’s Company.”

Each week Mr. Roper would be cleaning a pipe or fixing a window when he’d inevitably overhear Chrissy tell Jack to “Put it in.”

Mr. Roper always assumed that the folks in that apartment were messing around, so to him, “put it in” could mean just one thing.

Twenty minutes later, after a few commercials, Mr. Roper would realize that Chrissy had actually told Jack to put a head of lettuce in the refrigerator. Ah, the hilarity!

Well, conspiracy theorists are the Mr. Ropers of the sports world. They KNOW that refs are cheating. Therefore, any call that doesn’t go their team’s way becomes proof that the fix is in.

So don’t expect officiating to get better next year. Perception is reality. And people will continue to perceive that officiating is crummy.

(I won’t even discuss the fact that technology will continue to improve and continue to expose normal human errors.)

6. Wilbon is an irresponsible tool.

When you host a television show that requires you to talk about 20 national topics per day in a 30-minute time period, you can’t possibly know a whole lot about every topic.

You might know a little about each topic, but there’s no way you can have enough inside knowledge to go on national television and accuse the Southeastern Conference and its commissioner — who works for the 12 member institutions — of fixing games for the benefit of just two of those schools.

That’s pathetic. And if Wilbon made his recent comments just to get ratings, well, then it’s safe to say Wilbon has sold his journalistic soul.

7. Speaking of journalism, why isn’t someone like Wilbon digging into this conspiracy story?

Whoever uncovers the “truth” about the SEC’s conspiracy will become a very rich person overnight. We’re talking books and TV appearances, real Woodward and Bernstein stuff. Can you say, “Pulitzer?”

If the SEC is fixing games, that’s a full-blown scandal.

The NCAA would dig into it. Congress would dig into it. How would Orrin Hatch feel about Utah getting shut out of the BCS title game by a tainted SEC champ?

For those reasons, there should be dozens of reporters and journalists digging around the league offices in Birmingham right now.

So how come we’ve not heard or seen any concrete evidence of the commissioner’s plot?

8. It shouldn’t be too hard to break this story.

When celebrities have affairs, it now makes national news. When Keifer Sutherland drunkenly jumps into a hotel Christmas tree, it’s captured by cellphone cameras and turned into national news.

Nothing is secret anymore. Nothing.

The Nixon White House couldn’t even keep a secret among the president’s inner circle and that was nearly 40 years ago, before the information boom.

You mean to tell me that Watergate, the Pentagon Papers, Iran-Contra, and Monica Lewinsky couldn’t be covered up by the most powerful people in the country, but Slive and his band of thievin’ refs CAN keep a secret?

Think about it. All of the SEC’s officiating crews would have to be in on the conspiracy. And Slive would have had to tell them to — nudge, nudge, wink, wink — take care of Alabama and Florida.

Then throw in Redding, the coordinator of officials.

You’re talking about 50+ people being in on the plot.

Do you really think that many people could keep a secret so big?

9. “What about NBA ref Tim Donaghy?”

What about him? Some people look at the disgraced former NBA ref who went to jail for fixing games as part of a gambling scheme and say, “He can’t be the only one!”

I look at Donaghy and say his story is proof that other officials AREN’T fixing games.

People can’t keep these types of things quiet. The officials have to be quiet. The gamblers have to be quiet. The people they tell to bet on the games have to be quiet.

That many people aren’t capable of being quiet. That’s how Donaghy wound up in jail. Somebody always talks.

10. What is the league prepared to do about snitches?

So let’s say Slive really did tell all of his officials to take care of Alabama and Florida. Those officials would now OWN the Southeastern Conference.

If just one of those refs went public, the SEC would be finished. Slive would be ousted and disgraced. Television contracts would most certainly be nixed, drying up the rivers of cash that currently flow toward each of the SEC’s member institutions.

Lawmakers would get involved. The NCAA would get involved. One whistle-blower would no doubt bring the curtains down on the nation’s best conference.

Realizing that, what would Slive be willing to do with a loose-lipped ref?

Would he and the league pay him millions to stay silent?

Or would the league have the ref in question rubbed out “Capricorn One” style?

Those would be just about the only two options available to protect the league.

Pay him.

Or kill him.

Does that sound like Slive to you?

11. Which brings us to the SEC crew that was suspended.

The SEC suspended one officiating crew last month for poor calls made during the Georgia-LSU and Arkansas-Florida games.

That crew — if you believe the conspiracy theorists — was instructed by the league office to help Florida get past Arkansas.

In other words, that crew (or at least some members of that crew) had to have been in on the fix.

So just what have Slive and the SEC given them to insure their silence? These men have now been punished publicly in front of the nation. Their names have been seen everywhere from this site to ESPN.

What’s the price for national embarrassment? What do you have to pay someone whose name you’ve now made public… who you’ve now opened up to personal threats and attacks?

If the conspiracy loons are correct, Marc Curles’ crew must be pretty rich right about now. ‘Cause someone has to be buying their silence. There’s no way they would just take one for the team.

12. “The league wants two teams in BCS bowls!”

This is my personal favorite. This is the crux of the conspiracy idea:

The SEC — being the greedy scum that they are — decided to cheat their way into dual BCS bids.

Wilbon suggested this on ESPN. Conspiracy theorists believe it’s the reason that Alabama HAD to beat LSU on Saturday.

Unfortunately, it’s a ridiculous premise.

Florida is #1 and undefeated. Going into Saturday’s game, LSU had one loss and was ranked #9 while Alabama was undefeated and ranked #3.

The refs took care of Bama to help guarantee an undefeated matchup of UF-UA in the SEC Championship Game… thus making it a lock that the SEC would get two teams in BCS bowls, right?

Florida (for example) 13-0 = BCS Championship Game
Alabama 12-1 = Sugar Bowl

But here’s the rub. If LSU had beaten Alabama, both schools would have one loss right now. LSU, which rose to #8 with their LOSS to Alabama, would have most certainly catapulted past TCU in the BCS standings to #3.

Assuming that everyone wins out — which is the basis of the conspiracy theory — #1 Florida (12-0) would have faced #3 LSU (11-1) in the SEC title game.

Alabama would be sitting at 11-1 at season’s end.

So, if Florida beat LSU in the title game, you could expect to see this:

Florida 13-0 = BCS Championship Game
Alabama 11-1 = Sugar Bowl

And if LSU upset Florida:

LSU 12-1 = BCS Championship Game
Florida 12-1 = Sugar Bowl

You see, the SEC was going to have TWO TEAMS IN BCS BOWLS ANYWAY.

Then why would Slive and the SEC work so hard and risk so much to cheat LSU and help Alabama?

They wouldn’t. They know that the league always gets two teams into the BCS.

Here’s what’s happened since the BCS went to a five-bowl schedule three seasons ago:

2006
Florida = BCS Championship Game
LSU = Sugar Bowl

2007
LSU = BCS Championship Game
Georgia = Sugar Bowl

2008
Florida = BCS Championship Game
Alabama = Sugar Bowl

And the league would have been on track to once again land two more teams in the BCS this year. Even if LSU had upset Alabama.

Alright, conspiracy buffs, so do you really believe that the SEC was risking its very future in order to secure… nothing?

That’s absurd.

Bottom line, if you believe Slive and the league have told SEC officials and refs to aid Alabama and Florida, you’re nuts.

Period.

You’re crazy.

Read points 1 through 12 again. If that doesn’t work, hit yourself over the head with a brick.

And, yes, that goes for ESPN’s Wilbon, too.

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Jobs Fulmer And Tuberville Might Be Eyeing

John — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 17:07:26 +0000

Phillip Fulmer and Tommy Tuberville want to coach again. They’ve made that perfectly clear on numerous occasions.

Fulmer, 59, has said he doesn’t want to go to a program that’s in need of a big rebuilding job. Tuberville, 55, has said he’s “a gun for hire,” but rest assured, he’s not interested in a cellar-dweller program, either.

So where might these guys end up? Tuberville’s name has popped up just about everywhere. Fulmer’s… not so much. In his favor, however, is the fact that not everyone can snap up Tuberville and Brian Kelly.

So which jobs look to be coming open? Here are a few of the guys on hot seats right now (with current record in parenthesis):

Dennis Erickson, Arizona State (4-5) – I don’t believe Erickson will be fired, but you never know. ASU has had some success in the past and served as a launching pad for John Cooper 20 years ago. I just can’t picture State reaching a deal with Tuberville or Fulmer. Those coaches don’t have enough recruiting ties to California… where ASU has to go for talent.

Al Groh, Virginia (3-6) – Groh is a dead man walking and Fulmer has mentioned to acquaintances that Virginia might be a possible next stop. I don’t think Tuberville would head to Charlottesville, so Fulmer might be on the Cavaliers’ radar. He’d have to go head-to-head in the same division with old buddy David Cutcliffe if he did land this gig.

Dan Hawkins, Colorado (3-6) – The Buffs aren’t what they used to be under Bill McCartney in the late 80s and early 90s. But they do play in the weaker of the two Big 12 divisions. Fulmer was probably angling for this job when he said earlier this season that he has a house in Wyoming and loves the West. Not sure if Tuberville would want to head West, but I’m guessing he’d high on Colorado’s wish list.

Steve Kragthorpe, Louisville (3-6) – Kragthorpe took over a team that had lost a lot of seniors when Bobby Petrino jetted to the Falcons. Still, fans (donors) don’t like excuses. The Cardinals have taken a big step backwards, but they have had success previously under both Howard Schnellenberger and Petrino. You can win at Louisville and the Big East is a breeze. I’ve been told Tuberville would be high on the Cardinals’ list (despite wild rumors that they would make a run at uber-expensive Jon Gruden). Fulmer would probably kill for this gig.

Greg McMakin, Hawaii (3-6) – The run and gun and fun of June Jones’ offense is a distant memory. McMakin’s gay slur is not. Would Tubs head to Hawaii? No way. But would Fulmer consider taking a final gig in paradise? The expectations aren’t high and there are a lot worse places to live. Then again, there’s no way UH could pay Tuberville or Fulmer what they would want. No chance on this one.

Mike Sherman, Texas A&M (5-4) – I don’t think that Sherman will be blown up after just his second year, but Aggie fans don’t like falling so far behind arch-rival Texas. I was told by a friend of Fulmer that this school would be high on his list. A&M would also figure to be a perfect fit for Tuberville, who was the defensive coordinator in College Station in 1994.

Charlie Weis, Notre Dame (6-3) – This job has Brian Kelly written all over it. I can’t imagine Urban Meyer would leave Florida for a school that has the fan expectations of UF but the academic requirements of Stanford. Irish fans can’t accept the fact that unless they drop their academic standards, their days of being a national power are over. I don’t see Tuberville getting a sniff from South Bend, much less a 59-year-old Fulmer.

Paul Wulff, Washington State (1-8) – Tuberville won’t head to the Palouse. Would Fulmer? He’s said he doesn’t want to go to a rebuilder, but he also has that place out in Wyoming. I can’t picture it. This one might go to yet another Pete Carroll assistant.

Best bets right now:

Tuberville

1. Louisville
2. Texas A&M
3. Colorado

Fulmer

1. Virginia
2. One of the above three jobs that Tuberville might turn down

(UPDATE — Maryland, which was initially mentioned as a possible landing spot for Fulmer, has a coach-in-waiting on staff in offensive coordinator James Franklin. And I’m sure their fans are happy to be turning a so-so program over to someone who is already on the staff.)

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A Smorgasbord Of News And Notes

John — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:31:09 +0000

1. Paul Finebaum of The Mobile Press-Register is the latest writer to talk about conspiracy theories and SEC officiating. I know, you’re as shocked as I am. Finebaum? Who’da thunk it?

2. Mark McCarter of The Huntsville Times tackles the SEC’s replay procedure from an ex-official’s perspective. A good read.

3. USA Today has conducted a study of college football coaches wages and found — first — that contracts aren’t all about money…

4. And second that the money coaches do make is pretty much recession-proof.

5. Pat Dooley of The Gainesville Sun chimes in on the officials, too.

6. Tony Barnhart of The AJC believes Alabama will face Texas in the BCS title game while Florida will face Cincinnati in the Sugar Bowl.

7. Ron Higgins of The MCA wonders if South Carolina is getting what it paid for with Steve Spurrier.

8. ESPN announcer Ron Franklin — who doesn’t often call SEC games anymore — says the SEC has “the best commissioner… and nobody is close.”

9. On the basketball front, Gary Parrish of CBSSports.com thinks the SEC will get five teams into this season’s NCAA tourney (Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi State, Ole Miss and South Carolina) while Vandy and Florida will be on the fence.

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Kentucky Headlines – 11/10/09

John — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:16:42 +0000

1. Rich Brooks is trying to tell folks that Vandy won’t be as easy as they might think. (The Cats hold just a 39-38-4 edge all-time in the series… which is telling about the history of UK football.)

2. Defensive tackle Corey Peters believes Vanderbilt can be dangerous because “they have really nothing to lose.”

3. Mark Story of The Lexington Herald-Leader thinks Morgan Newton should get the start on Saturday… and Mike Hartline should only be used if needed.

4. In basketball news, Patrick Patterson dreams of being an outside gunner.

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Memphis Has As Much Chance Of Landing Fulmer Or Tuberville…

John — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 13:25:32 +0000

Laughably, there have been rumors swirling that Phillip Fulmer and Tommy Tuberville will be candidates for the open Memphis head coaching job.

Well, they’re candidates for that job in the same way that Jennifer Aniston is a candidate to be my wife.

Memphis and I might be all for it, but Fulmer, Tuberville and Aniston would probably have different feelings altogether.

(”Fulmer, Tuberville and Aniston would probably have different feelings.” Sorry, I loved “Airplane.”)

I can’t imagine Fulmer taking a job that’s inferior to Lane Kiffin’s… in the same state as Kiffin.

And Tuberville will have his choice of some of the best jobs in America. The hottest candidates this offseason will be Brian Kelly from Cincinnati and Coach Tubs.

In addition, you can bet that both ex-SEC coaches were listening when Tommy West stepped to the mic during his own ouster yesterday. The topic: the lack of money Memphis spends on football and the school’s poor facilities.

“I couldn’t say (this) as a coach, but it’s too painful,” West said. “It’s too painful for coaches, for players, for people, for fans. Put something in it or do away with it, one or the other.

“History will continue to repeat itself, folks, if they don’t do something about it. Whoever they hire, our fans need to demand one of two things. You have to demand you give him an equal stick to fight with within our conference. You’ve got to give him an equal playing field.”

In response, the powers-that-be at Memphis simply talked about looking for a new coach. They didn’t talk about spending anything more on their football program.

Trust me, Tuberville isn’t desperate. And Fulmer isn’t THAT desperate. Both know what Memphis football is all about. So don’t go believing any rumors you hear about those two being candidates at Memphis.

Unless they’ve lost their ever-lovin’ minds.

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Miles And Saban Talk About Officials… But In A Good Way

John — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 13:06:05 +0000

Les Miles said yesterday that he has spoken with Mike Slive and SEC coordinator of officials Rogers Redding and that he accepts their explanation of why a play was ruled an incomplete pass, not an interception.

“I know these officials are trying. They are doing everything they can to get it right. The final score is the final score. The officials are working hard to get it right. If I felt differently, I would say so.”

But he’d be fined for it. So who knows what he might have said in the emotional moments right after the game?

“I know the officials could not see the play,” Miles continued. “They were in great position. One official could not see the play because he couldn’t see through the back of Patrick Peterson. The only other official who could see the play, was on the other boundary.

“He couldn’t see through one of our players. So, it goes to replay. If it’s not irrefutable, there’s no reversal. The replay man is given instruction to defend and defer to the call on the field.”

Wow. I’ve never been overly impressed with Miles as an in-game strategist, but he just won me over a little bit by acting like an adult. He could have easily said, “no comment,” let everyone know what he was thinking by doing so, and still avoided a fine.

But he didn’t. He explained the situation to his fanbase and defended the officials in the process. Kudos.

Nick Saban also spoke up for the SEC’s officials.

“If I was an official and I was making what I made officiating because I love the game and I love doing it, and I was getting criticized by the media — including our announcers on TV — like these guys are getting criticized, I’d step back and say, ‘I think I’ll go to the lake this weekend. You can have this.’ That’s what I’d do.”

That’s what I’d do, too.

I’ll have more on the LSU/Alabama brouhaha and the latest stir about SEC officials a little later today.

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SEC Stats: Defensive Scoring Efficiency, Week Ten

John — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 20:54:17 +0000

To go along with our offensive rankings, here’s our weekly check of the defensive scoring efficiency of each SEC defense.

As usual, we track only in-conference games to avoid skewing the numbers with stronger/weaker non-conference schedules.

To determine which defenses force opponents to work the hardest to score touchdowns, we tally up all of the defensive snaps run by each SEC squad, divide that number by the total number of rushing/passing TDs they have allowed, which gives us a simple plays-per-touchdown allowed ratio.

Below are the numbers for each SEC defense through Week Ten.

Pure Defensive Efficiency

Rank	School	Total Def. Plays	Total TDs Allowed	Plays/TD Allowed
1	Tennessee	337	5	67.40
2	Florida	392	6	65.33
3	Alabama	339	6	56.50
4	Ole Miss	332	8	41.50
5	LSU	404	10	40.40
6	Vanderbilt	421	15	28.06
7	Miss. State	339	13	26.07
8	S. Carolina	440	17	25.88
9	Auburn	425	20	21.25
10	Georgia	413	20	20.65
11	Kentucky	328	17	19.29
12	Arkansas	403	21	19.19

Observations:

* Tennessee’s Monte Kiffin has been worth the money. He’s led an injury-riddled defense to the top of the SEC.

* Florida and Alabama flip-flop in this category just about every week. Clearly, there are three great defenses in the SEC this year: Tennessee, Florida and Bama.

* Ole Miss has quietly put together one of the SEC’s toughest defenses to score against. Kudos to Tyrone Nix for doing so… even if he’s done so under the radar.

* LSU isn’t dominant, but they’re darn good.

* It’s surprising that Vandy’s defense can still put up as much fight as it does considering the lack of help it gets from the ‘Dore offense.

* South Carolina’s defense — which has dealt with injuries and suspensions all year — continues to fall down this chart.

* Just looking at the numbers, I have a feeling this week’s Auburn-Georgia game is going to be a scorefest.

* It’s time for Bobby Petrino to start recruiting some SEC caliber defenders to go with his top-ranked offense. You can’t give up a touchdown every 19 plays in SEC games and expect to have a very good record.

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