MrSEC.com » Vanderbilt

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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Vandy Headlines – 11/20/09

John — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:29:10 +0000

1. Quarterback Mackenzi Adams said Monte Kiffin’s current defense “is pretty much completely different” from the John Chavis defenses of previous years.

2. As we told you during the SEC coaches’ teleconference, Bobby Johnson said of Tennessee: “They play extremely hard. They play with a lot of pride, and I think that’s a huge step up from last year in general attitude.”

3. Tomorrow’s game will feature a number of players from Tennessee’s Smyrna High School.

4. Vandy’s lineup isn’t even close to the one that started the Commodores’ season opener.

5. In basketball news, whne AJ Ogilvy takes on St. Mary’s tonight, he’ll know the school and its personnel.

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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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Vandy Headlines – 11/19/09

John — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:48:08 +0000

1. Adding final injury to insult (and yes, that’s how I mean it), cornerback Myron Lewis has suffered a torn meniscus in his knee and will be out for the Tennessee game. (Linebacker Patrick Benoist might not play, either.)

What an unbelievable run of injuries for the Commodores this year.

2. If Vandy can slow Tennessee’s run game, they’ll then blitz away at Jonathan Crompton.

3. This writer believes Vandy can beat UT if their offense finds a way to move the ball and if the Vols turn in “another no-show by the Tennessee D.”

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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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Bobby Johnson Teleconference 11/18/09

John — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:39:46 +0000

* Vandy had “an excellent practice yesterday.” “We’re ready to go.”

* Warren Norman’s season has “been pretty special.” Norman has a knack for finding holes which fits well with the type of runs Vandy calls. “We’re very pleased with how he’s played and I think he’ll just get better and better.”

* Mackenzi Adams “played very well” in the first half against Kentucky, partly because the ‘Dores’ offensive line played better. In second half, Adams started “rushing throws and missing some open people” because he wasn’t as well protected.

* The question of the week will be about helmets popping off, apparently. “We do cringe” when helmets pop off. “You just got to makes sure that your helmet fits perfectly.”

* Linebacker Chris Marve “has got a lot of energy and plays extremely hard.” Marve plays through pain and does all the things you’d expect “from a great linebacker.” His effort is the key to his success.

* Tennessee plays “extremely hard” which is “a huge step up from last year’s general attitude.” Jonathan Crompton has done “a fantastic job” of improving from last year. “Defensively they’ve had one bad game.” “They’re gonna have a run game that we’re gonna have to contend with and also their play-action passing game is one of the best in the conference.

* The keys to beating Tennessee will be 1) keep the ball away from them, 2) stay in manageable third down situations, and 3) stop the run.

* The fact that Vandy has had some success at Neyland Stadium won’t make much difference once the game starts.

* Inconsistent receiver play and injuries on the offensive line have hurt Vandy all season.

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Vandy Headlines – 11/18/09

John — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:09:20 +0000

1. A lack of depth and a lack of offense have led this year’s Vandy squad to look a lot like Bobby Johnson’s first VU team back in 2002.

2. According to this notes column, the Commodores haven’t been able to stop the SEC’s best running backs this year. Saturday they’ll face another one in UT’s Montario Hardesty.

3. In roundball news, here’s more from Kevin Stallings on Monday night’s win over David Lipscomb.

4. Outside shooting doesn’t figure to be a problem for the ‘Dores this year.

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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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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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Vandy Headlines – 11/17/09

John — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:37:32 +0000

1. This notes column covers Vandy’s declining run defense and yet another big injury to their defensive unit.

2. On the basketball front, Vanderbilt struggled against David Lipscomb before pulling away to win 95-73. (And for those not in the know, David Lipscomb is a school, not a person.)

3. AJ Ogilvy joined Will Perdue last night as the only Commodores in history to score 1,000 points and block 100 shots in a career.

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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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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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Vanderbilt Headlines – 11/16/09

John — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 15:25:40 +0000

1. The Commodores are in the midst of their first seven-game losing streak since 2003.

2. In basketball news, a roster packed with returnees has raised expectations for Vandy.

3. Kevin Stallings thinks his “guys should have a much greater understanding of what the other guy’s getting ready to do.”

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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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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)

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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Vandy Headlines – 11/13/09

John — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 16:36:50 +0000

1. According to this notes column, cornerback Myron Lewis might miss the Kentucky game due to the blurred vision caused by a corneal ulcer. Yeesh.

2. Vandy has run the ball well against non-conference foes. Not so well against SEC defenses. No surprise there.

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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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Vandy Headlines – 11/12/09

John — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 15:29:03 +0000

1. Vandy’s defenders are gearing up to try and stop Kentucky’s Mr. Everything, Randall Cobb.

2. In basketball news, Vandy signed three players yesterday as part of the early signing period.

3. Included in that bunch is 6-9 forward Rod Odom who flipped from Arizona to the Commodores last week.

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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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Bobby Johnson Teleconference 11/11/09

John — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:42:04 +0000

Notes from Bobby Johnson’s teleconference:

* Vandy is playing their 11th straight game “and it’s been wearing on us pretty good.” VU had a good practice yesterday.

* Johnson got a good look at Warren Norman in one of his camps. “Did we expect him to be this good, this early? Probably not. … He’s had a fantastic year.”

* Warren says he never returned a kick for a touchdown in high school. He’s brought back three this year. Johnson said Vandy’s special teams coach has tweaked the ‘Dores return scheme each week to find Norman opportunities.

* There was a long question about players who are in graduate school. Sorry, but I don’t care about the question (don’t think Johnson did, either).

* Asked what makes Florida’s kick coverage good, Johnson said they’ve got big, fast players. He also pointed out that “you don’t return one every week.”

* “Adam Smotherman has done a tremendous job on the defensive line for us.” Being healthy has helped him.

* Johnson said his team is still motivated.

* Argh… two-sport athletes… blah, blah, blah. “We haven’t had too many over the years.” Football and baseball is the easiest sports to mix together.

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Vandy Headlines – 11/11/09

John — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:19:50 +0000

1. John Cole looks forward to getting a shot at his home state Kentucky Wildcats this weekend. Vandy’s leading receiver was a Somerset Briar Jumper… which might be my favorite sports nickname ever.

2. Defensive tackle Greg Billinger is quietly having a good year for the ‘Dores.

3. This writer believes the SEC needs to listen to Bobby Johnson when he talks about the league’s new gag order for coaches.

4. In basketball news, VU dumped Alabama-Huntsville 91-56 last night.

5. Kevin Stallings was happy with the Commodores’ first live action.

6. The outside shooting of freshman John Jenkins was a positive.

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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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Vandy Headlines – 11/10/09

John — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:07:44 +0000

1. Last year, Vandy was able to score when it got in the red zone. This year — when it does get there — the Commodore offense can’t convert.

2. If VU doesn’t beat Kentucky or Tennessee in their remaining two games, these ‘Dores will be the first since 2002 to go winless in conference play.

3. Bobby Johnson feels that coaches should be allowed to disagree with calls as long as they’re respectful.

“Obviously, if you just abuse somebody, you have to take some kind of action. But I think we ought to have the opportunity to say, ‘I disagree with a call,’ and not be fined. You can’t say, ‘Well, I think he did it on purpose,’ or, ‘I think it’s a conspiracy.’ But if I think it was a bad call, I ought to be able to say it was a bad call. I guess I can’t.”

I agree with Johnson. But because Bobby Petrino, Dan Mullen and Lane Kiffin did cross the line, Mike Slive brought out the big bat. Which means everything is silenced.

As I wrote last week, the commissioner needs to put out a memo of clarification explaining exactly what is and isn’t kosher when it comes to discussing officials’ calls and how each different type of transgression will be punished.

4. In basketball news, AJ Ogilvy will be trying to get his timing back when Vandy plays Alabama-Huntsville tomorrow night.

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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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SEC Stats: Offensive Scoring Efficiency, Week Ten

John — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 20:40:20 +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 give 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	School	Total Off. Plays	Total TDs Scored	Plays/TD
1	Arkansas	392	20	19.60
2	Georgia	359	18	19.94
3	Tennessee	324	15	21.60
4	Florida	458	18	25.44
5	Auburn	432	16	27.00
6	Kentucky	340	12	28.33
7	Alabama	398	13	30.61
8	LSU	372	12	31.00
9	Miss. State	339	10	33.90
10	Ole Miss	350	9	38.88
11	S. Carolina	479	12	39.91
12	Vanderbilt	386	3	128.66

Observations:

* Bobby Petrino has turned Arkansas into a high-powered offense just as he was hired to do.

* Fans calling for Mike Bobo’s head at Georgia might want to zip it. The UGA offense scores a touchdown once every 20 plays against SEC defenses.

* The job Tennessee’s Lane Kiffin has done with Jonathan Crompton and a makeshift offensive line is amazing.

* For all the talk of Florida’s disappointing offense, there are only three better in the SEC.

* Auburn seems to be getting things back in order on The Plains.

* Credit Rich Brooks, Joker Phillips and Randy Sanders for getting as much out of UK’s offense as they have. The Cats have had four different players take snaps this year.

* Alabama’s offense might start to climb if they keep feeding Julio Jones the ball.

* Is the Ole Miss offense the most disappointing in the conference?

* Or is it South Carolina’s?

* I didn’t expect much from Vandy’s offense, but injuries have made the Commodore attack historically bad. Vandy scores an offensive touchdown just once every 128.66 plays. That’s about once every two games. (Yet they scored three touchdowns in a single game against Top 10 Georgia Tech… which tells you a little something about the strength of SEC defenses.)

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SEC Commitment Comparison – 11/9/09

John — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 19:36:40 +0000

We’ve had some shifts on our commitment Big Board this week, but no one can knock LSU out of the top spot.

As we do just about every week, we’ve taken the latest commitment lists and player rankings from Rivals.com and created our own comparison chart.

Below you’ll find each SEC schools total number of commitments broken down by their star ratings from the Rivals’ scouts. We assign a point to each star (and we also count 0-star players as being worth a point) and then tally the total number of points per team.

We rank the schools based on their current point total, but we also average out their commitments in order to provide you with an average player grade… so you can gauge what type of talent each school is collecting.

Enjoy.

School	Commits	5-stars	4-stars	3-stars	2-stars	1- or 0-stars	Total Points	Avg. Commit
LSU	23	0	15	8	0	0	84	3.65
Alabama	22	2	10	8	2	0	78	3.54
Tennessee	21	0	11	10	0	0	74	3.52
Auburn	20	1	7	11	1	0	68	3.40
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	14	0	1	11	1	1	40	2.85
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

And for those of you too lazy to list this out for yourselves, here’s how the SEC schools rank based upon their average commitment’s rating:

School	Average Committment Rating
Florida	3.76
LSU	3.65
Georgia	3.61
Alabama	3.54
Tennessee	3.52
Auburn	3.40
Ole Miss	3.18
Vanderbilt	2.90
Arkansas	2.85
SCarolina	2.78
Miss St	2.57
Kentucky	2.31

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Lunchtime Extras

John — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:16:55 +0000

1. Here’s the full list of the SEC’s Players of the Week.

2. David Climer of The Tennessean writes that the “Grassy Knollers” will be crying again after Patrick Peterson’s non-interception on Saturday.

3. Ray Melick of The Birmingham News doesn’t believe in any officiating conspiracy, but he is concerned that refs are becoming slow on the trigger because they’ve come under so much scrutiny. (Would you want to be an official these days?)

4. Paul Gattis of The Huntsville Times has penned his always excellent weekend recap column.

5. Doug Segrest of The Birmingham News has posted a weekend wrap-up as well. (Could Phillip Fulmer be heading to Memphis to take over for the recently-fired Tommy West? Only if he’s crazy.)

6. Could Tommy Tuberville be a candidate at Memphis? (See what I said about Fulmer.)

7. Finally, here are Chris Low of ESPN.com’s SEC power rankings.

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Vandy Headlines – 11/9/09

John — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 14:51:47 +0000

1. Kentucky could have more healthy bodies and the motivation of playing for a bowl bid when they face Vandy on Saturday.

2. Against Florida, Warren Norman set the SEC record for the most kickoff return yardage in a season… and he’s still got two games left to play.

3. Asked if his defense had earned some respect with its performance against Florida, Bobby Johnson said: “Respectability for whom? I don’t really care. Just the people in our dressing room and our university is all I care about. I don’t care what other people think about us.”

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SEC Schedule And TV Listings For Week Eleven

John — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 13:49:16 +0000

As always, we begin Monday by bringing you the television schedule for this weekend’s games AND the current lines from Vegas.

All times are Eastern.

Here are the matchups for Week Eleven:

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 14TH

Tennessee at Ole Miss
12:00pm
CBS
Ole Miss -3

Kentucky at Vanderbilt
12:21pm
ESPN Regional Syndicated Package
Kentucky -3

Florida at South Carolina
3:30pm
CBS
Florida -15

Louisiana Tech at LSU
7:00pm
ESPNU
LSU -24

Alabama at Mississippi State
7:00pm
ESPN
Alabama -12.5

Auburn at Georgia
7:00pm
ESPN2
Georgia -4.5

Troy at Arkansas
7:30pm
CSS
Arkansas -14.5

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