Just a quick note to apologize for today’s few and far between posts. 

Have you ever tried to type up a story while zipping through Atlanta on MARTA?  Me, neither.  But I can tell you it’s not easy.

Tunnels aren’t great for my Verizon Wireless card.

Today’s been a “Planes, Trains and Automobiles” type of day… starting off with traffic delays getting out of New York. 

I hope you’ll excuse our lack of updates today.  All will be back to normal tomorrow morning here at MrSEC.  Dozens of stories, dozens of links.  All the news you’ve come to expect from MrSEC every day.

Assuming I eventually make it home.

Everyone knows that defense wins championships in the SEC.  And a quick check of recent league statistics proves it to be true.  But did you know there was a pretty clear shift from offense to defense that took place about eight years ago?

Going back 15 seasons, we broke down each of the SEC champions from 1995 (Florida) right on up through last year (Alabama) in eight major statistical categories.  Here’s what we found, starting with the offensive numbers:


Scoring Offense
The SEC champ led the league in scoring offense 6 times in the last 15 years.  (Florida in 2008, 2000, 1996 and 1995, Auburn in 2004 and Georgia in 2002)

Rushing Offense
Only 2 of the past 15 SEC champions actually led the league in rushing.  That’s a surprisingly low number.  (Florida 2008 and Tennessee 1998)

Passing Offense
Again, only 2 SEC champs since 1995 have topped the league in this category.  And you have to go back a long way to find the last champ to do it.  (Florida in 1996 and 1995)

Total Offense
Only 3 teams in 15 years have led the league in total offense and lifted that round SEC sign in Atlanta.  (Florida in 2008, 1996 and 1995)

Scoring Defense
The SEC’s champion has led the league in points allowed 5 times in the past 15 years.  But all five teams have done so in the last 8 years.  (Alabama 2009, Florida 2008, Auburn 2004, LSU 2003, and Georgia 2002)

Rushing Defense
In the last 15 years, just 3 SEC champs have led the league in this category… but all have occurred in the last 7 years.  (Alabama 2009, Florida 2006, and LSU 2003)

Passing Defense
Want an interesting fact?  Try this one: No SEC champion since 1995 has led the conference in this category.  Got a so-so secondary?  You can win big anyway.

Total Defense
Of the last 15 champs, 3 have led the league in total yards allowed.  Again, all three instances have taken place in the last 7 years.  (Alabama 2009, LSU 2007 and 2003)


Conclusions

* You don’t have to a league-leading offense or defense to win the SEC.  Georgia (2005), LSU (2001), Alabama (1999) and Tennessee (1997) didn’t lead the SEC in any of the 8 main team categories.

* There was a shift from offense to defense right around 2002.  Since that time, only 5 champions have led the league in an offensive category.  However, 11 SEC champs have led the league in a defensive category in that same 8-year span.

* That’s a switch from the 1990s.  Not once between 1995 and 2001 did an SEC champion lead the league in one of the four major defensive categories.

* It’s not breaking news, of course, but even when you do a little simple math with the SEC Media Guide you find that defensive success is more important than offensive success in today’s SEC.

Predictions are fun.  And usually useless.

There’s no telling who’ll be hit with injuries at the worst possible time.  There’s no way to predict which games will be impacted by bad weather.  And it’s impossible to guess which game might change entirely based on an opening-kickoff fumble.

In other words, I wouldn’t go putting any money on the predictions you’re about to read.  But as we’re set to start the 2010 season tonight, here’s the current view from MrSEC.com:


Teams Most Likely To Reach Atlanta

1.  Alabama — The Tide won’t go undefeated this year, but it’s hard to imagine anyone in the West slipping past them in the standings.  The gap closes a little this year, but the Tide is still way out in front.

2.  Florida — The Gators will have new players on the field and new coaches on the sidelines.  They’ve also had a few issues with a particularly cocky and mouthy freshman class.  But the big question is can they replace Tim Tebow — meaning Tebow the team leader and Tebow the automatic-third-down-converter.  Odds are they’ve got the talent to win the division, but…

3.  Georgia — The Bulldogs have talent on offense.  They can insulate new quarterback Aaron Murray by putting veterans at every position around him.  On defense, it doesn’t seem possible that the Dawgs could be any worse than last season.  For those reasons, UGA is our current sleeper to reach Atlanta.


Rising / Falling

As we just noted, Georgia has a lot of pieces in place to compete in the East.  Florida is still the favorite and they’ll get the biggest dose of media scrutiny.  The Dawgs might thrive with lower expectations and an underdog mentality.  UGA is on the rise.

South Carolina looks to be the team set up for disaster.  What should be a good quarterback situation appears murky at the moment.  The Weslye Saunders/Whitney Hotel situation has been a distraction.  Mix in the fact that many people are raising expectations for the Cocks and this could be the perfect storm. 

All that said, if Carolina tops Georgia in Week Two, you can officially flush these last-minute preseason gut feelings.


Best Record For A New Coach

Joker Phillips beats out Derek Dooley and then Robbie Caldwell in this one.  Just look at the Wildcats’ schedule for the reason why.  Louisville, Akron, Western Kentucky and Charleston Southern make up the non-conference part of the slate.  Inside the SEC, UK will go to Ole Miss and Mississippi State and host Auburn.

Dooley’s Vols will face Oregon outside the conference and their SEC West games consist of visits from Alabama and Ole Miss and a road game at LSU.  Advantage Wildcats.

As for Caldwell, if Vandy wins 3 games, he’ll have done a solid job.  The roster is young.  The schedule is tough.  Things don’t look good for the ‘Dores.


Player of the Year on Offense

Ryan Mallett’s stats should be spectacular at year’s end.  As we’ve broken down previously, he’ll need to improve his performance in league games (specifically on the road), but coupling his arm with Bobby Petrino’s system is sure to produce more fireworks.


Player of the Year on Defense

Everyone seems to be going with Alabama’s Dont’a Hightower in this slot, but the edge here goes to LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson.  Both are tremendous players, but Peterson is likely to star in a league filled with great receivers.  He wins on degree of difficulty.


Who’s The Real #2 in the West

We like Georgia as the only real sleeper in the league behind Alabama and Florida.  Period.  But if someone said, “Pick someone from the West or else,” we’d study the teams’ non-division opponents and their matchups with each other:

Arkansas — at Georgia, at South Carolina, Vanderbilt, LSU, at Auburn

LSU — at Vanderbilt, at Florida, Tennessee, at Arkansas, at Auburn

Auburn — South Carolina, at Kentucky, Georgia, LSU and Arkansas

Scratch LSU from the list immediately.  That leaves a head-to-head race between dark horse darlings Auburn and Arkansas.  Auburn has the schedule advantage, but they also have more questions to answer — Is Malzahn’s offense for real?  Will the defense be better? 

We have to wonder about Arkansas’ defense, too, but we can be pretty sure that their offense will thrive.  For those reasons, we like the Hogs to finish #2 in the West.

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1. The football season waits no for one. While South Carolina awaits word from the NCAA, the team prepares to kickoff the 2010 season tonight.

2. What will the difference makers be when South Carolina meets Southern Miss tonight? Will the Gamecocks struggle against a team it has never faced?

3. Mike Bianchi asks: Who would win a football game between the Florida Gators and the UFL’s Florida Tuskers?

4. The defense will set the pace for the Gators this year. Expect the defensive line to play a bigger role.

5. Still no answer at Georgia on wide receiver A.J. Green’s status and coach Mark Richt doesn’t want to talk about it.

6. Just a few days away from football season and the big news out of Lexington – basketball coach John Calipari had a book signing last night.

7. The football Cats are focused on stopping Louisville’s spread offense.

8. Just how much time will Tennessee backup QB and true freshman Tyler Bray see on Saturday against U-T Martin?

9. There’s no crying in football. Just ask Vols defensive line coach Chuck Smith.

10. Wesley Johnson is an undersized redshirt freshman. He’s also Vanderbilt’s starting left offensive tackle – tasked with protecting the QB’s blind side.

11. The recovery begins for Mark Ingram. “He didn’t have a lot of swelling, which is a good sign,” said coach Nick Saban.

12. Alabama goes up against a San Jose St. team on Saturday night that’s short eight scholarships due to academic sanctions. They’ve never beaten an SEC team.

13. Auburn goes up against an Arkansas State team with five senior offensive linemen.

14. Now is the time for running back Michael Dyer and quarterback Cam Newton to show their stuff.

15. LSU offensive tackle Joseph Barksdale is becoming a leader for the Tigers while tight end DeAngelo Peterson will miss Saturday night’s game with a foot injury.

16. Ole Miss is better prepared to face Jacksonville State’s option this weekend thanks to Mississippi State.

17. Mississipi State coach Dan Mullen says a few freshmen will see action this weekend but none of them will start.

18. The Arkansas offensive line tries to find its groove.

19. Georgia is the winner of the “Fulmer Cup”

Wanted to drop you a few final thoughts from New York following today’s unveiling of Nike’s 2010 Pro Combat uniforms:

1.  There’s no telling what Nike’s promotional budget is.  Dozens of bloggers and media types were flown to New York and put up at the Trump Soho.  Snazzy media packets were provided.  A rooftop lunch followed the event.  Bob Huggins, Michael Irvin and Chris Fowler provided the “big name” presence.  Obviously, Nike threw some serious cash toward promoting the Pro Combat unis which, in turn, they hope promotes the overall sales of Pro Combat gear to individual athletes of all ages.

2.  As I sat on a Manhattan rooftop eating a very nice lunch (billboard above said lunch shown at left), I couldn’t help but wonder what Bob Huggins was thinking.  I’m sure the money Nike puts in his pocket is pretty nice coin, but did he really want to be sitting in 90+ degree heat listening to a guy describe how Nike’s latest shoes were designed?

3.  The media world has changed and it’s not going back.  I’m not sure where it’s going, but it sure as heck ain’t going back.  The days of the mainstream media being the fastest way to spread a message are over.  Of the media Nike brought in, the vast majority were bloggers and internet peeps.  Buzz is no longer created in the mainstream press.  Buzz is created by the independents.  On the web.

4.  But just how independent are we when most in attendance had accepted a trip to New York on Nike’s dime?  This isn’t a real question of journalistic ethics, I don’t believe, because we’re covering football uniforms on sports sites.  We aren’t reporters taking kickbacks from political parties.  I came to give a non-expert’s opinion on new uniforms (final verdicts further down, by the way).  Also, I noticed that most of the bloggers in attendance were wearing the gear and team colors of the schools that their sites cover.  (In case you’re wondering, I wore a black shirt and a CSS visor.)  In the future, it seems that everyone will be able to go and get their news from sources who filter information specifically for the user.  Auburn fans will go get pro-Auburn news.  Kentucky fans will go get pro-Kentucky news.  We already have this in our political coverage, of course.  But to someone who runs a site dedicated to praising (or ripping) all 12 SEC schools equally, it’s a frightening scenario — Will people in the future want objective coverage?  Or will they simply seek out those who will tell them what they want to hear?

5.  Nike provided a fine trip for me.  And I had nothing against Nike coming into this, either, I might add.  I’ve worn their shoes since I was a boy.  Wore a pair to NYC, in fact.  But…

6.  I’m still not wild about this year’s Pro Combat unis.  As an SEC writer, I’m pleased to say that Alabama and Florida received perhaps the best looking new duds unveiled today.  On the other end of the spectrum was Virginia Tech.  The Hokies — by far — got the raw end of the stick with a uniform that features about 10 different shades of colors and an electronic motherboard design in its uniform numerals.  Really.  An electronic motherboard.  It’s awful.  Sorry, Nike.

7.  But thanks for the trip.  And thanks for not turning Alabama and Florida into Oregon. 

Oh, and I hope this coverage of your event is just what you wanted.  After all, you paid for it.

Here are the accessories — gloves, shoes, etc — that Alabama will wear in their game against Mississippi State. 

Click the headline for a bigger picture.

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For those who care, these are the accessories Florida will wear against Georgia.

As always, click the headline for a closer look.

Click the headline for a bigger view… and yes, that’s Bama legend Marty Lyons beside the photo.

Click the headline for a bigger view.

Irony: Michael Irvin just said that when he looks at Miami’s green helmet he thinks “money.”

We’ll see if the NCAA follows up on recent allegations from a convicted conman who says The U has been breaking rules for a decade.

An interesting choice of words by Irvin — who is going way off script and stealing the show in the process.

Former Gator great Errict Rhett (who rocked in an NFL fantasy league for me a decade ago):

“The gator was the primary source of inspiration for this uniform.”

A gator-skin pattern is featured just about everywhere on the new unis…but it’s not too “in your face.”

Florida will wear their Pro Combat unis against Georgia in Jacksonville. 

Early verdict — Much better than last year.  The new unis look more like what Florida fans are used to.  This is not an Oregonian move.  The gator-skin pattern, while used all over the uni, is not overpowering.  It’s an accent type o’ thing.

The other schools weren’t so lucky, but Florida and Alabama got — dare I say — “subdued” new Nike unis?

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Former Tide great Marty Lyons:

“Tradition is no small thing at Alabama.”

The Tide will wear the Pro Combat uni on November 13th versus Mississippi State.

The white numbers on Bama’s uniforms will feature a light houndstooth pattern.  Ditto the white stripe on the helmet (really the only change to the helmet).  Bama’s unis will also feature an American flag on the jersey because the jersey will be worn two days after Veterans’ Day.

Two stripes down the pant legs… but not the traditional stripes that Bama fans are used to.

Early verdict — Not bad.  Like Texas last year, Bama’s Pro Combat unis aren’t too far from the norm.  If Bama had to jazz up their unis for a week, this isn’t a bad way to do it.

Photos coming soon.

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* Chris Fowler of ESPN is emceeing the event for Nike.

* “This is where college football and fashion converge.”

* Early look at unis:

Alabama’s is traditional.  Large stripe on pants.  Very recognizable.

Florida’s is better than last year’s version.  Except for a Gator-scale pattern on the orange helmet.  Oy, vey.

* Photos coming soon…

* Nike explaining that Pro Combat unis are more lightweight and more durable.  “At every position it’s about speed.”  Believe it or not, the new Nike uniforms were developed to increase speed.

Just looking through the reps who’ll be on hand for the other schools planning to wear Pro Combat gear in 2010 I noticed two names.

Bob Huggins is listed as being on hand for West Virginia.  Michael Irvin is the Miami rep.

Suddenly the after-party just got a lot more interesting.

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1. At Alabama, as you might imagine, the talk is all about the injured Mark Ingram.

2. Kevin Scarbinsky says when it comes to fans reaction, there’s a difference between positive and delusional.

3. Ruling Jeremiah Masoli ineligible was the right move, according to Clay Travis.  Wrong move says Tony Barnhart

4. Who does the best imitation of Les Miles?

5. LSU Fans are still waiting to see who will start at running back on Saturday night – Richard Murphy or Stevan Ridley.

6. Uncertainty at Arkansas over the starting running back position as well.

7. Twelve rookies on 2-deep.  Auburn releases its depth chart.

8. Auburn’s Daren Bates goes from free safety to starting outside linebacker.

9. Mississippi State linebacker K.J. Wright is trying to fill some big shoes this season.

10. Who will be the playmakers at Florida this season?

11. Florida’s starting line against Miami of Ohio on Saturday will feature four seniors and one junior.

12. New Georgia AD Greg McGarity expects every Georgia team to be “in the hunt” for titles.

13. Setting the expectations for a freshman QB.  Aaron Murray, don’t be a hero. But QB will be the big question for the Dawgs this year.

14. South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier is hinting that QB Stephen Garcia will get the start on Thursday night.

15. Kentucky’s Luke McDermott has gone from walk-on to starting defensive tackle.

16. The Cats will face new Louisville coach Charlie Strong and his spread offense on Saturday with QB Adam Froman at the helm.

17. Tennessee wide receiver Gerald Jones is healthy and ready to go.

18. Vols head coach Derek Dooley says he expects some surprises from the UT-Martin Skyhawks on Saturday.

19. Vanderbilt player Jamie Graham has played offense, defense and even some basketball for the Commodores.  Now he’s just a cornerback.

20. Vandy expects a crowd of about 35,000 for Saturday against Northwestern.

21. What are the best college programs this century?

A small studio seating maybe a hundred or so.  Bloggers from across the country.  Upbeat music on the sound system.  And breathless anticipation.

Okay, I made up the last part. 

Still, the unveiling of Nike’s new Pro Combat uniforms has drawn plenty of interest.  Many of the media/bloggers on hand are snapping photos (like the one in this post) of the under gear that’s already on display.

Marty Lyons will be on hand to represent Alabama today.  Errict Rhett — not Jack Youngblood — will carry the banner for Florida.  Both will speak later.

As we wait for the stragglers to filter in, let me just make a couple of other notes:

* I’ve been to NYC on several occasions.  In the late ’90s I was in to do some promo work with Matt Lauer and Katie Couric.  In the early 2000s, I was in to do some promo stuff with Dan Rather.  (Could someone help me pick up those names I just dropped?)  But this is my first trip into the city post-9/11.  Driving in last night, the skyline — minus the Trade Centers — just wasn’t the same.  Great city, but there will always be a hole in that skyline.

* The Trump Soho is 8 parts decadence and 2 parts Star Trek.  I’ve stayed in some nice hotels… it’s the nicest.  NYC has issues with bed bugs at the moment, but if the Trump had them — and I’m sure they don’t — they’d probably be the kind you’d LIKE to get.  “More champagne?” queried the bed bug.

* Tip to Nike.  If you tell someone who’s arriving after midnight that you’ll have a car/driver for him at the airport — Just do it.

More as the uniforms are unveiled…

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When the 2010 SEC football season kicks off tomorrow night in Columbia, it will finally be time for some of the league’s teams and coaches to prove themselves.

To prove their skills.  To prove their talents.  To prove that offseason media hype has been justified.

Here’s what each school will need to prove heading into the year:


Alabama

The Crimson Tide needs to prove that success hasn’t gone to its head.  Sure the defense will need to be rebuilt.  And the special teams will feature a lot of new faces, too.  But it’s what between the ears that I’m concerned with.  Nick Saban preached chemistry throughout the summer.  Midway through fall camp his veterans had to explain to the newcomers what kind of effort and commitment is expected in Tuscaloosa.  Will Bama remain as hungry and as dedicated as 2009… or will this team try to rest on last year’s team’s laurels?


Arkansas

The secondary should be better.  Good thing.  The Razorbacks need to show that they have some semblance of a defense or else they’ll look like Louisville playing in the SEC.  The bigger issue, however, is Ryan Mallett’s accuracy.  He is being hailed as the best quarterback in the nation and the talent is most definitely there.  But if Mallett completes just 39% of the passes in SEC road games and just 51% of his passes in SEC games overall (matching last year’s performance), the Hogs won’t have the breakthrough season that most are predicting.  He has to prove that his accuracy and decision-making have improved.


Auburn

So Kirk Herbstreit believes Auburn will unseat Alabama and win the SEC West?  They might.  Their defense has some depth this year and Cameron Newton should be a better fit for the spread offense than anyone AU has had at quarterback the last two years.  But is Gus Malzahn’s offense really all it’s cracked up to be?  The Tigers averaged more than 35 points per game in their first two SEC games a year ago (both wins).  They then went 1-5 in their final six conference games and that scoring average plummeted to less than 21 points per contest.  Auburn needs to prove that Malzahn is a genius… and that all those high-paid defensive coordinators in this league didn’t already figure out his vulnerabilities.


Florida

New faces.  New coaches.  New health-first approach from Urban Meyer.  Florida has lots to prove, but replacing Tim Tebow is Issue #1.  John Brantley has to prove that he’s up to the task of leading the Gators through the air rather than via the ground.  And someone — anyone — will have to step up and be THE short-yardage attack for UF.  Florida has the talent, but they still have to prove to me that they can replace one of the most unique college football talents SEC fans had ever seen.


Georgia

UGA’s defense couldn’t be worse could it?  Three new coaches, a new coordinator and a new 3-4 system should make the Bulldogs’ more stingy on the defensive side of the ball.  Shouldn’t they?  2010 is the time to prove it.


Kentucky

Rich Brooks had the Wildcats moving in the right direction.  UK has become a regular bowl bid recipient in recent years.  Now new coach Joker Phillips has to prove that he can keep the momentum going.  If the Cats stay in that 6-7 win range and reach another bowl, folks in blue will feel good that the Cats at least won’t backslide post-Brooks.  If Phillips takes advantage of a favorable schedule and notches 8 or more wins (snapping losing streaks to Tennessee and/or Steve Spurrier in the process), he’ll be a hero.  Can he?


LSU

In Baton Rouge it’s time for Les Miles to prove that Ryan Perrilloux really was the cause for his last two so-so seasons.  Nine losses in two years will get you a raise in Lexington or Columbia.  On the Bayou it gets your rump in a sling.  It’s time for Miles to lead the Tigers back into the national picture and back into title contention in the SEC West.  He has two veteran quarterbacks who he signed and who he has now trained for two-plus years.  The Perrilloux defense has ended.  Time for Miles to prove that things really are OK on his watch.


Mississippi State

Dan Mullen is viewed as an up-and-comer.  Some folks have even picked the Bulldogs to go bowling in 2010.  But is Mullen more enthusiasm and pedigree than real coaching all-star?  2010 is the time for him to prove that he can start to build MSU’s offense into a truly dangerous attack.  He doesn’t have to lead the league in offense to win me over, he just needs to show that he’s making progress.  That shouldn’t be too much to ask for a guy who left Florida on the strength of his offensive resume.


Ole Miss

The Jeremiah Masoli situation muddies the water on the UM front.  Not knowing whether or not he’ll win his NCAA appeal (though it’s very doubtful), I’ll simply say that Houston Nutt needs to prove that he can keep his team together.  The Rebels have lost playmakers and stars across the board.  Kentrell Lockett is now out for the opener.  Plus Masoli’s odd situation.  Nutt will have to do some of his best coaching to keep his team together mentally or else this could be a big step backwards in Oxford.


South Carolina

This one’s easy.  It’s time for Steve Spurrier to prove that he knows how to handle quarterbacks.  That hasn’t happened in a long, long while.  Rather than supporting a veteran QB in Stephen Garcia, Spurrier chose the tough love approach.  He’s made freshman Connor Shaw a real option.  If his quarterbacks struggle and spend 2010 looking over their shoulders it will be business as usual in Columbia.  If they play well and USC wins more than 7 games, it will prove to me that Spurrier does indeed know how to handle passers.  But for now, he currently ranks behind someone who was as shaky as Lane Kiffin.  (Do you think Spurrier would have stood behind Jonathan Crompton and eventually turned him into an NFL draft pick last year at Tennessee… or would he have started his quarterback merry-go-round?  You know the answer.  And it’s no compliment to pale in comparison to Kiffin.)


Tennessee

With a depleted roster and a brutal schedule, Derek Dooley won’t have to prove much to me as a coach in 2010.  I’ll start judging the guy for real in late 2011.  No, this season it’s time for Dooley to prove that he can recruit.  He was hired in part because of his role serving as Nick Saban’s recruiting coordinator at LSU.  He landed a hot class in a very bad situation as soon as he grabbed the Vols’ job last February.  But he’s spent a lot of time since talking about recruiting “5-star people” rather than 5-star players.  UT’s class ranks near the bottom of the SEC currently.  The Vols need an infusion of talent to rebuild.  It’s time for Dooley to prove that he’s the man to get that done.


Vanderbilt

Like Dooley, Caldwell inherits a mess at Vanderbilt.  Depth issues, injuries, no real quarterback to speak of.  Under those circumstances, Caldwell will be asked to prove that he’s truly an SEC-caliber coach.  Not to me, mind you, but to his bosses at Vandy.  Despite the word “interim” being dropped from his title, there are many in Nashville who still believe Caldwell is getting a one-year tryout for the head coach’s job.  So quite clearly, Caldwell needs to prove that he can hold his team together and at least eek out a few victories along the way.  No easy assignment looking at Vandy’s roster.

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If you’re an SEC football fan — and not someone who wears red and blue and loves Ole Miss — I’m guessing you applauded the NCAA’s stance on Jeremiah Masoli yesterday.

The governing body ruled that even though Masoli’s actions fit within the boundaries of its graduate-school-get-a-waiver rule, his off-field behavior was too naughty to ignore.

“The waiver exists to provide relief to student-athletes who transfer for academic reasons to pursue graduate studies, not to avoid disciplinary measures at the previous university.”

Makes sense, of course.  I see the NCAA’s point.  Only they’ve decided to be activist judges on this one.  They decided Masoli’s fate based on the spirit of the law rather than the letter of the law.

The NCAA’s comments raise three questions in my mind:

1.  Will the NCAA now get involved and prevent coaches all over the country from taking on players who have been dismissed by other schools?  If they do not want players who have happened to graduate to get second chances, it would only make sense that non-graduates should be held to the same rule.  In other words, will the NCAA now prevent someone like former Georgia quarterback Zach Mettenberger from playing at another school?  Whether he goes juco first or not, Mettenberger was dismissed by UGA and he intends to play elsewhere.

2.  If the waiver is designed for academic purposes first — not athletic purposes — will the NCAA rule in that manner in future cases?  Greg Paulus transferred from Duke’s basketball team to Syracuse in order to play football in his final post-graduate year.  Are we really to believe that he would have gone to Syracuse had a football offer NOT been on the table?

3.  And what if a coach is simply a jerk?  We never think of those things, but what if a player receives an unfair dismissal from a coach?  Is that coach’s ban going to be upheld by the NCAA, too.

These would be the questions that I would ask were I representing Ole Miss in their appeal of Masoli’s case.

While I understand the move, it sets an odd precedent.  Masoli might have gotten into trouble at Oregon and might be viewed as a criminal (though his crimes are less serious than some SEC football players), but behavior isn’t spelled out in the NCAA’s rulebook.  Nowhere does it say a player can’t transfer from school to school after being disciplined.

Other thoughts:

* If the non-UM fans out there who are happy with this ruling had the same situation playing out at their school they would be screaming (as UM fans are) that the NCAA is an unfair organization.  Whether it is or not.

* Masoli isn’t barred from going to school at Ole Miss, just from playing football in 2010.  He can play in 2011 if he’s still enrolled in Oxford.  It’s doubtful that will happen, of course, because Masoli transferred to play football — just like Paulus.

* Think Houston Nutt wishes he had given Nathan Stanley and Randall Mackey all of the snaps in fall camp now?

OXFORD, Miss. — Ole Miss appealed an NCAA waiver decision Tuesday that would restrict Jeremiah Masoli from playing football for the Rebels until 2011.

(more)

South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier said Tuesday that suspended senior tight end Weslye Saunders would not play in the Gamecocks’ opener Thursday night against Southern Miss.

“He’s not on the team. He won’t play Thursday,” Spurrier said.

(ESPN)

(Travis Haney/twitter)

Tennessee had to wait longer than it expected. But it finally appears to have received the good news it’s been waiting for from the NCAA Eligibility Center.
(more)

Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram will miss Alabama’s opener this Saturday against San Jose State after undergoing surgery on Tuesday morning to repair knee damage.
(more)

Back on August 19th, I began a post with the following sentence:

“To hell with tradition.”

I wrote that because, as I put it then, Alabama “is allowing Nike to Nik-ify their uniforms for one game this season.”

Nike, you see, is producing another set of Pro Combat uniforms for a select number of schools in 2010.  They unveiled the first batch of futuristic unis last season with Florida (white helmets, spirograph stripes on the shoulders) and LSU (old gold rather than new gold) taking part in the one-game project. 

Florida will be back for a second year and Alabama is jumping onboard this season, too.

Nick Saban has since said that the changes to Bama’s unis will be small and in keeping with the school’s tradition.  In relaying that news, I pointed out just what type of hideous designs — in my opinion — Nike has rolled out for Oregon and Virginia Tech in past years.

Well, five days later, I received a very friendly invitation from Nike to attend the official unveiling of the new Pro Combat uniforms in New York City.


“Hi John, I know you picked up the news that Alabama and Florida will be wearing new uniforms from Nike this season — would you be interested in joining us in New York when we reveal the uniforms on September 1?  University personnel, former players and Nike designers will be on hand to discuss the design and performance benefit elements.

“Nike can provide travel accomodations for you to New York — we can cover the cost of your flight and hotel if you are interested.  The event begins at 10am on Wednesday so we suggest you arrive in NYC by Tuesday evening.  You are welcome to stay through Wednesday evening or you can fly out immediately after the event.”


My first thought was as follows:  What about journalistic integrity?

My second thought was:  Are you kidding me, we’re talking about uniforms and this is a free trip to New York on Nike’s dime just to publicize their new uni designs… only an idiot would turn this down so hush up the integrity talk and get your butt on a plane.

My third thought:  Wow, our site is really growing these days.

Thoughts Two and Three stuck.  Thought One was flushed from my mind.  This isn’t a coach taking me to dinner so I’ll write nice things about his program.  This is just me covering a uniform unveiling in New York.  How much credibility do I have as a fashionista in the first place?


So I’ll be bringing you a live blog from the proceedings in New York tomorrow.  Former Gator Jack Youngblood will be representing Florida and Marty Lyons will be on hand for Alabama.

I told Nike that it’s doubtful that I’ll be won over by their new designs simply because I am a traditionalist.  They said that was understood and that they’re not counting on some quid pro quo.

You can find out tomorrow morning what I really think about the uniforms right here on MrSEC.com.  And whether I like the unis or not, I’m guessing you’ll read some kind words about Nike… the company.

While I’m out, Mike Mitchell will banging out the daily headlines and Josh Ward will keep on keeping on at our Recruiting page.  We’ll also have some new, exclusive content (predictions and such) popping up on the site over the next two days.

But for now, I’m off to Atlanta — you can catch us previewing the SEC season with the guys from “SportsNite” on CSS tonight at 6pm ET — and then on to New York.

Gotta go work on my plans.


To do…

1.  Get key to house-sitter.

2.  Pack my laptop.

3.  Pack my favorite pair of Nike shoes…

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The Charleston Post & Courier reports that the NCAA could rule as early as today with regards to The Whitney Hotel situation in Columbia.

According to the paper, “minor suspensions, one or two games, are the expectation.”  Those might be minor in length, but not in importance.  Carolina opens the season Thursday against a solid Southern Miss squad before facing Georgia in their SEC opener.

Considering USC’s history of stretch-run fades, a slow start wouldn’t bode well for the Gamecocks.

The players expected to receive the harshest penalties — according to The State – are tight end Weslye Saunders (no surprise there) and defensive backs Akeem Auguste and CC Whitlock.

Carolina coaches have begun preparing for the possibility that Saunders will be ruled ineligible for the entire season.  Saunders was the Cocks’ third-leading receiver last year, but he’s never quite lived up to the hype that surrounds him.  On the field, anyway.

When he signed with Florida last year, receiver Andre Debose was hailed as the replacement for Percy Harvin.  Unfortunately an injury cut short his 2009 season before it ever got started.

Leading up to 2010, once again, Debose has been the odds-on favorite to play the Percy position in the Gator offense.  But that’s just not in Urban Meyer’s plan.

Debose has been moved from that slot receiver position to a wide receiver slot.  In fact, he’s listed at the same spot as #1 wideout Deonte Thompson.

Chris Rainey will be the man who takes over in the slot.  Jeff Demps could also see time at the position.  And Debose might eventually move back inside when receiver Stephen Alli returns to practice.

But for now at least, Rainey is “the new Percy,” not Debose.