If Texas A&M is voted in as a member of the Southeastern Conference and begins competing in football next fall, it appears that the league will have to figure out a way to squeeze 13 teams into its current divisional format.

Why keep divisions?  As we’ve already stated once today, in order to hold a championship game, the NCAA requires a league to have at least 12 teams split into divisions.  Unless the SEC wants to petition the NCAA to change that rule, there’s little chance of having one big free-for-all league.  In the current set-up, if you want a title game, your league has to be split into divisions.

If divisions are a must, would the SEC just place A&M in the West Division?  Makes sense.  But we can’t imagine West schools would like the idea of having a harder road to Atlanta than their neighbors in the East Division.  Also, under the SEC’s current scheduling format, schools play every other team in their own division.  Would the league force West Division teams to play more league games than East Division teams.  It’s hard to imagine anyone in the West signing off on that even for a year.

Eventually, if the league does go to 14 schools, you can expect a nine-game conference schedule to emerge.  Coaches would howl.  Those of us in the media would shout that no SEC team would ever win another national title.

We’ve lived through that scenario once before.  In 1992, when the SEC split into divisions, went from six conference games all the way to eight, and added an SEC title game, league coaches suffered a collective conniption.  (Correction: SEC coaches complained as the league went from six to seven games in 1988 and then from seven to eight in 1992.)

“There’s no way we’ll ever win again with such a brutal schedule!”

And Alabama promptly went undefeated and won the national title in Year One of the new set-up.  Matter of fact, in 19 seasons of eight-game, divisional play the SEC has won nine national crowns (handed out to five different schools).  In the 19 seasons prior to 1992, the SEC had won just four national titles (and three of those went to Alabama).  The SEC went 11 seasons without a title before the tougher set-up.  It’s since won nine in 19 years.  The tougher schedule gave the league more credibility.

At any rate, the SEC currently uses a 5-1-2 format.  Each school plays five divisional foes, one permanent foe from the other division, and two rotating foes from the other division.  If the league were to expand to 14 schools and bring in another Western team, Auburn would likely move to the East and that would require the league to go to a 6-2-1 format.  Doing so would enable the league to preserve some longtime rivalries — namely Alabama-Tennessee — that might otherwise disappear.  If, however, a team is added from the Eastern part of the US, the league could go to a nine-game schedule and use a friendlier 6-1-2 format.  It all depends on who School #14 turns out to be (if there is one).

To recap:

1.  It’s unlikely the league would do away with divisional play.

2.  It’s also unlikely that West Division schools would agree to put themselves at a disadvantage by adding a team to their side of the ledger.

So how can the SEC add Texas A&M to the 2012 football schedule?

The best possible fix might be a single “transition” year schedule for the Aggies.  The key would be finding eight league schools — four from the East and four from the West, if the league wanted to keep things balanced — that would be willing to schedule the Aggies in what would amount to “non-conference” conference games.  A&M would get a full schedule and full share of SEC money, but they wouldn’t be eligible for a trip to Atlanta for the SEC Championship Game.  They would, however, be eligible for an SEC-connected bowl trip.  (And, yes, new bowl contracts will have to be drawn up once the league expands, too.)

Arkansas already has Texas A&M on the books for their rivalry game in Arlington, Texas next year.  That means the league would need to find just three teams in the West and four in the East willing to schedule A&M.  Sounds easy enough.

But what about the non-conference foes already locked on to SEC schedules next fall?  The schools adding A&M in this scenario would each have to buyout one non-conference foe from next year’s schedule.  Would they be willing to do that for the good of the league?  Would the SEC office be willing to kick in the cash to cover seven buyouts (a figure that would probably total about $7 million)?

Also, most SEC schools play the majority of their non-conference games early, leaving one spot later in the season for a homecoming dud (in most cases).  Could A&M find seven SEC dance partners and make sure all those games fell in such a way that the Aggies would have 12 games spread neatly over the NCAA’s 13-week season?

We wanted to examine next year’s schedules to determine which schools might best be able to finagle their schedules.  So we grabbed this year’s SEC Media Guide.  Usually one can find the current year’s schedules as well as upcoming year’s schedules right there in the guide.

But…

This year the SEC has not officially released its schools’ 2012 schedules yet.  Not in its media guide.  Not on its website.  Not on its schools’ websites.

In addition, every 10 years the SEC re-examines — and possibly re-works — the schedule rotation for non-division games.  This is the final season of the current 10-year rotation.  But to date the SEC hasn’t announced a new rotation of non-division foes either.

Why is all this interesting?  Because Texas A&M and the SEC have said that the Aggies first made contact with Mike Slive in late-July.  Yet the SEC has — for some reason — not released its 2012 schedules or even set its non-divisional rotations.

Again, it’s pretty standard for the SEC schedule to be put to bed early enough that it’s listed in all of the media guides and on all of the league’s websites by mid-July.  But that’s not the case this year.

Why it’s almost as though league officials knew that something might change.

Now, do we find it odd that in a year when the SEC looks to be bringing in a new school, the league has coincidentally been historically slow in its schedule-setting?  Uh, yeah.  We do.  (We’re sure the SEC will provide a perfectly good explanation for the delay, however.)

We also believe that it’s likely the league is — and has been — prepared to take the path of least resistance with regards to A&M’s 2012 schedule.  And that’s most likely an eight-game SEC schedule for A&M that doesn’t figure into the league’s standings at all.  For a year.  And that’s if the SEC doesn’t surprise us all with the announcement of a 14th school (or 15th or 16th) in the next few days.

After 2012, however, all bets are off.  Whatever the league does schedule-wise next season — with presumably a 13-school conference — will not be perfect.  It will be makeshift.  It will be a case of making lemonade out of lemons.  Or chicken salad… well, you get the picture.

If the SEC doesn’t have School #14 lined up for entry by the 2013 football season, then Slive’s office will have a bigger problem on its hands.  At that point, A&M will surely want a shot at Atlanta.  At that point, current league schools surely won’t want to play in a division that has seven teams when the other has but six.

For a 13-team 2012, there appears to be a solution.  Beyond that, who knows?

Good thing the SEC just happened to take such an unusually long time to announce its 2012 schedule.

There are two kinds of denials in this world:

1.  The non-denial denial.  You know that one.  “I love it here and I’m focused on the future,” is what Coach X says right before he leaves for a better job.  “We haven’t talked to that conference and we like our current home,” is what sharp school administrators say when asked about realignment rumors.  Comments like that keep all options open.

2.  The flat-out denial.  There’s no getting around this one.  There’s no room for debate.  It’s a hardcore “no.”  And the flat-out denial is what Virginia Tech officials keep using with regards to SEC chatter.

Earlier this week, a writer for The Roanoke Times claimed that after talking to “the most influential Virginia Tech person” he knew, he had decided that Hokie brass might listen to an offer from the SEC after all.  (And this is not to knock on Doug Doughty who may wind up being correct.)

But over the next 24-36 hours, his story spawned a wave of “Virginia Tech is starting to show interest” stories.

This morning, we pointed out — again – that Tech AD Jim Weaver had already gone on the record as saying he would expect his school to “politely decline” an SEC offer.  Three weeks ago he said the ACC is simply a better fit for Tech.

Well, now the flat-out denials are getting even stronger.  In reaction to the “Tech’s showing interest” stories, a spokesman for Virginia Tech’s school president said the following in an email to The Norfolk Daily-Press:

“Total poppycock.  How many times do we have to say it?  If one of these rumor mongers, would be willing to cite their ‘multiple sources,’ it might lend some credence.  Frankly, we’re tired of other people telling us what our future is.

We are not interested.  Nothing has changed.  My president will not dignify wild speculation.  Our last statement (from August 12th) still stands.  Bottom line: this is not on our radar screen.”

How ’bout them apples?  (For the record, that statement of the 12th said that Tech had no interest in discussing a move to another conference.)

Look, if a person giving a non-denial denial changes his mind, he’s got wiggle room.  If a person giving a flat-out denial changes his mind, he’s a liar.  And here’s betting Tech doesn’t have big-league liars working as its AD and its presidential spokesman.

It’s time to scratch Virginia Tech from the wish list, people.  Also, judging by the fact that campuses from Missouri to Florida State to West Virginia are unusually leak-free at the moment, it continues to look like Mike Slive seriously over stated his league’s attractiveness when he said in July that he could get “to 16 teams in 15 minutes.”

If he does so, a whole lot of jaws are going to drop… because, for now, even reaching 14 schools seems to be a bit of a stretch.

Stay tuned…

From Day One of all this Texas A&M hubbub, our Southeastern Conference sources have told MrSEC.com that if the league were to add a 13th school, it will need to grab a 14th, too.  Other sources have said much the same thing to outlets ranging from CBSSports.com to The New York Times.

Now, the folks at OutkickTheCoverage.com said early on that the SEC would be okay with adding A&M as a stand-alone 13th school (and we’ll credit them if that turns out to be the case).  We disagreed with that assertion because we had been told the complete opposite.  And many respected Southern writers who have their own SEC sources have told us that they, too, have heard a totally opposite story.

Enter Thomas O’Toole of USA Today who writes today that “conference and league school officials, requesting anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation, have said they would be comfortable with 13 teams.”

Last season, the Alabama administration had a hissy fit — and rightly so — over the fact that the Tide had to play six league opponents that were coming off open dates.  But now we’re supposed to believe that six West Division schools are onboard with the idea of having a 1-in-7 shot at Atlanta while their East Division neighbors enjoy 1-in-6 odds?  All to add a school that business analysts and ex-TV executives now say won’t add very much value to the league’s media contracts anyway?

Sorry, we’re not buying.  Not the idea that the SEC is welcoming A&M with no incentive.  And not the idea that the SEC is comfortable sitting at 13 schools.  It may have to for a year — because there’s apparently been less interest than anticipated from schools that were expected to want to join Team Slive — but we don’t see the league surviving long-term as a 13-school entity.

And before you ask, the NCAA requires conferences to field two divisions of six teams or more in order to hold a league championship game.  It’s possible the SEC could petition the NCAA to waive that rule, but it seems far-fetched — at this point — to be talking about one, grand 13-school league without divisional play.

There’s no question that Mike Slive and the SEC can still pull a total shocker of a move for School 14.  But judging by the silence and lack of leaks from potential members — the SEC is always quiet — it doesn’t appear as though the SEC is quite as sexy as it might have thought a month ago.

For that reason, a 13-team football season might be a necessity next year.  But we still don’t believe SEC officials are “comfortable” with the idea of a 13-school league in the long run.

Welcome to a world of fast food, information at our fingertips, and instant gratification.  In such a world, every sporting event is the biggest, most important, most career-defining game ever played.

Until, of course, the next one.

Coming off a 6-7 season, Mark Richt needs to rebound at Georgia or he could be out of a job come December.  Some fans are pointing to the Dawgs’ first two games — Boise State and South Carolina — as the ultimate test of Richt’s ability to lead the Georgia program.

Richt doesn’t necessarily see it that way:

“Well is it as big of a buildup for an opening game as we’ve had, because of who we’re playing and where we’re playing and maybe a little bit of the uniform issue and all that kind of thing.  There is an awful lot of hype going into this ballgame compared to maybe some other opening games.

I don’t personally think the season is riding on this one game.  It’s really not.  It’s a game that we absolutely want to win.  It’s a game that we expect to win.  We talk a lot about winning the Eastern Division because that is the one thing we can control.  This really doesn’t have a bearing on the Southeastern Conference race, so it really doesn’t get in the way of that goal.  But what I do think it’s going to do is give us a pretty good feel of what we’re made of right away.  I think it’s also going to be a great teacher of what it’s going to take to win in our league down the road.  So I think it’s very positive that we’re playing the game.  I certainly want to win it.  I think it could create some really good momentum from that.  But I don’t think everything is riding in the balance.”

Obviously, Richt is correct.  If the Dawgs beat Boise State and then lose to South Carolina next Saturday, no Georgia fan will be talking about what went on in the Georgia Dome against the Broncos.  Likewise, if UGA loses Saturday night but rebounds with a win over Carolina, the folks in red and black will be woofing about SEC championship possibilities.

We all want instant answers these days.  Wondering about a coach’s overall ability?  Let’s judge him on his next game.  But that’s all just hype and nonsense.  Richt should and will be judged by AD Greg McGarity and the most-powerful Georgia boosters at the end of his season.

After all, for all the talk of UGA’s toughest games being one and two on this year’s schedule, I seem to recall Auburn and Florida giving the Dawgs some trouble down through the years.  And even if Georgia loses its first two games, running the table and reaching Atlanta would silence a whole lot of September critics.

So the season is most certainly not riding on the Georgia-Boise State game.  It only seems like it is.

1. South Carolina’s improved facilities should help the team on the field. They benefit recruiting, too.

2. Georgia commit Collin Barber has been suspended after being charged with destruction of mailboxes.

3. There has been plenty of movement with the Rivals 250 list for the 2012 class.

4. Max Preps has updated its list of the top 25 recruiting classes in the country for 2012.

5. Highly-touted offensive lineman Avery Walls is high on the Florida Gators.

6. Florida and Vanderbilt are two of the favorites for tight end/athlete Kevin Jones.

7. You can find plenty of info in Jamie Newberg’s latest Southeast recruiting notebook.

8. WR Ahmad Fulwood can’t signed until 2013, but he’s already receiving plenty of attention.

Earlier this week, Florida quarterback John Brantley said that his sore back is fine and that he’s A-OK to start for the Gators on Saturday.  Now Will Muschamp is saying the same thing:


“John’s had a good week, and I’m really pleased with his progress.  He’s responded well to the treatments and the different things we’ve done.  We’ve got an outstanding medical staff here.”


Luckily for the Gators and Brantley, it’s not likely the Florida Atlantic pass rush will be putting much pressure on the senior Saturday night.  Of course, if FAU can get heat on the Gator signal-caller, that’ll be bad news for Muschamp’s squad on a number of levels.

1.  Charlie Weis is happy with his co-starters at tailback…

2.  But he knows his new Florida offense will have to prove itself Saturday against Florida Atlantic.

3.  Here is a list of keys to the Gators’ season.

4.  Despite the UF-FSU rivalry, Will Muschamp and Jimbo Fisher are keeping their shared beach house.

5.  Georgia’s Aaron Murray says hotshot freshman tailback Isaiah Crowell is “every bit as advertised.”

6.  UGA will be focused on shutting down Boise State quarterback Kellen Moore on Saturday.

7.  Murray would like to fashion his own game after the Broncos’ Heisman-candidate signal-caller.

8.  Linebacker Danny Trevathan is a team leader for Kentucky.

9.  Here’s a look at how the Wildcats match up with Western Kentucky.

10.  As Joker Phillips enters his second season as UK’s coach, this writer points out that second seasons have been a mixed bag for previous Cat coaches.

11.  This scribe says freshman defensive end Jadeveon Clowney is even better than expected.

12.  Steve Spurrier will play two quarterbacks on Saturday and he says the competition has made Stephen Garcia and Connor Shaw better.

13.  Third-string quarterback Andrew Clifford was knocked unconscious and will miss up to three weeks after a mo-ped accident.  (When did this scooter craze begin on college campuses?  Man, I feel old.)

14.  Tennessee didn’t react well to simulated crowd noise at practice today.

15.  Derek Dooley believes UT’s ground game will be better this season.

16.  The Vols’ defensive linemen are focused on pressure first, then sacks.

17.  Over the last 10 years, no school has been more disappointing rankings-wise than Tennessee.

18.  Vanderbilt has a pair of big-play cornerbacks.

19.  James Franklin is trying to make sure his team doesn’t take Elon — yes, Elon — lightly.

Derek Dooley needs some breakout stars on defense.  The majority of the starters in Tennessee’s front seven are either young, inexperienced or both.

Enter true freshman linebacker Curt Maggitt (rhymes with “legit”), who has been the talk of UT’s preseason camp.  Even the Vols’ head coach is glowing in his praise:


“Curt is off the charts (in terms of character).  Everything indicated that he was going to be a very good player for us and he’s really shown a real high level of maturity, a high level of professionalism and a high level of understanding of what we’re doing.  We’re glad we have him.”


Maggitt will be making his first career start Saturday evening against Montana.

Meanwhile, the second-year coach is having to do some damage control after nixing his mother’s regular appearances on Paul Finebaum’s nationally-syndicated radio show.  The fear amongst some media members is that the “you never know what she’s gonna say next” Barbara Dooley is being banned from making all media appearances.  Not so says her son:


“For 43 years, I’ve never been able to get my mom not to do something she wanted to do, so why would it start now?  Nobody has banned Barbara Dooley from the airwaves, and nobody has banned her from speaking.  People will still get their Barbara Dooley fix.”


You can’t really blame Dooley on this one.  What coach would want a parent saying something in the media that might eventually cause him unnecessary headaches?  Just ask Will Muschamp about that one.

With a day in court probably months away, the attorneys involved in the case of the Baton Rouge bar brawl are taking their arguments into the court of public opinion.

According to The New Orleans Times-Picayune, Michael Beinvenu — the attorney for the four injured victims in the fight — claims that there was no “fight” at all. 


“They didn’t throw a punch; they didn’t do anything to provoke it.  It was an attack by 10-15 people who have yet to be identified but who need to be identified for justice to be served in the case.

These other two individuals, (Josh) Johns and (Jordan) Jefferson, had something to do with the Andrew Lowery part of it.  Take it for what it’s worth.”


Lowery is the Marine who witnesses say was kicked in the head and face.

Ah, but Lewis Unglesby — the attorney for Jefferson — has questioned the Baton Rouge Police Department’s handling of the case and he has said that Jefferson is simply a victim of his own celebrity.


“It should have been nothing.  If you’re going to charge people, you give a whole bunch of misdemeanor summons and you figure it out later.  That’s what they would have done if his name was Jordan Jones.  This is all about his status.

The whole thing is ridiculous.  I can’t say it loud enough, hard enough, mean enough, straight enough.  There are fistfights at college bars every week.  Dozens.  I know every lawyer in Baton Rouge and no one has ever represented anybody who got into a fight in a bar charged with second degree battery.”


Uh, well, that could be because most run-of-the-mill college bar fights don’t leave people with broken bones, fractured teeth, fractured vertebrae and concussions.

Jefferson and Johns are innocent until proven guilty.  They deserve a good defense.  And the “aw, it was just a little ol’ bar fight” defense doesn’t qualify.

Tailback Mike Blakely let it be known in July that he would not be able to play for Auburn this season.  Gene Chizik, however, said the door wasnt’ completely closed on Blakely.

The 5-9 running back initially signed with Florida in February, had a change of heart, got a full release from Will Muschamp in May, and then transferred to The Plains.  He never practiced with the Gators.

But as it turns out, Blakely was right all along.  The NCAA has denied Auburn’s appeal and the running back will have to sit out a transfer year… even though he was only on Florida’s roster for a few months.

“He’s going to have a great year this year helping us win,” Gene Chizik said.  Chizik was referring to Blakely’s planned role on the Tigers’ scout team.