With summer upon us and fall moving quickly — too quickly — toward us, we’re starting to get plenty of “fall preview” questions when we appear on radio talkshows across the Southeast.  Having answered the question, “What intrigues you about School X” umpteen times already, we thought it might be a good time to put all of the topics that most interest us together in one or two posts.

Below you’ll find our look at the SEC East and the seven questions — one per team — that we look forward to having answered in the fall…

Florida

Can offensive coordinator Brent Pease and head coach Will Muschamp put enough skill position talent around quarterback Jeff Driskel to make him successful?  Driskel showed flashes of dual-threat abilities last season, but the Gator offense continued to slump, just as has since Tim Tebow departed Gainesville.  It’s time some of those hotly-recruited tailbacks and receivers on the Gator roster stepped up and gave the Gator QB some help.  Driskel needs some help from someone.

Georgia

Can defensive coordinator Todd Grantham get enough out of a rebuilt defense for UGA to capture another East Division crown?  With so many parts returning on offense, it’s expected the Bulldogs will be able to put up points a’plenty.  But can they stop the league’s other teams from putting up points on them?  UGA ranked 4th in the SEC in scoring defense (against conference foes) last season.  To reach Atlanta again, Grantham and crew will probably need to have similar success… and his crew will feature a lot of new faces.

Kentucky

How will offensive coordinator Neal Brown’s “Air Raid” offense mesh with head coach Mark Stoops’ defensive background?  Stoops has talked about creating a Florida State-type strong defense in Lexington.  Brown’s throw-it-all-over system — a throwback to his days at UK under Hal Mumme — actually has Wildcat fans excited for football season.  Now, we don’t expect everything to come together in Year One, obviously, but will they start to come together at all?  Check the stats and you’ll find that pass-happy, up-tempo offenses are rarely paired with tough-as-nails defenses.  Maybe it’s because those defenses don’t get enough rest between series or perhaps it’s because there’s no smashmouth offense to go against in practice, but it’s rare to see a pass-first team sport a brickwall defense.  (Example: Bobby Petrino’s teams at Arkansas.)

Read the rest of this entry »

When NCAA President Mark Emmert and the voting body of NCAA presidents passed recruiting reform measures a few months back it was hailed as a long overdue move by fans and many in the media.  Unfortunately, most athletic directors and coaches — at least those not overseeing the richest of rich football programs — felt that the NCAA and its presidents had gone too far, too fast, without consulting any of the people who actually make their living on the front lines, where these rule changes would be felt.

As a result, those pages on recruiting that were ripped from the NCAA rule book — with Emmert playing the role of Mr. Keating from “Dead Poets Society” — were taped right back into the tome just a few months later.

So now Emmert is taking a different approach.  The always-under-fire prez announced this weekend that he will form a council of 10 athletic directors who will meet with him regularly.  Rather than leaving rule book changes to the college presidents, Emmert’s new council of ADs will weigh in and advise as well.

Emmert told The Wall Street Journal:

“It’s clear right now where the association has gone, it’s pushed the pendulum too far in one direction.  And it really has cut athletic directors out of the national discussion.”

That’s probably not a good thing considering the fact that colleges and universities set up the NCAA to govern, ya know, athletics.

Obviously, there will still be checks and balances.  The NCAA won’t — and shouldn’t — allow a pack of athletic directors to undermine overall academic concerns.  Most likely, the presidents will still have the final say on issues, with the new panel of ADs providing advice.

Ah, but the big question is: Which schools’ athletic directors will take part?

The NCAA must govern over — in football — the FBS subdivision, the FCS subdivision, Division II and Division III.  Will all four classifications be represented on Emmert’s panel or will there be a separate panel for each division?

If Emmert sets out to convene people from only the FBS level, smaller-budgeted schools will likely howl in protest.  Obviously, the five richest conferences of the FBS level (ACC, Big Ten, Big XII, Pac-12 and SEC) all have their own agendas.  Representative ADs from those leagues would likely push for full-cost-of-tuition scholarships and perhaps an entirely new subdivision at the top end of the Division I, above the FCS and even the FBS.

If Emmert decides to indeed include athletic directors from every level, expect the richest conferences to complain.  “Why should someone from Mount Union have a say in how Alabama, Texas and Ohio State run their programs and spend their money?”

Those scenarios — and there are many more — show once again just how impossible NCAA reform truly is.  And before anyone shouts, “Yeah, down with the NCAA,” please remember that no one’s come up with a better alternative yet.
Conferring with the ADs of the Round Table sounds good, but so did the idea of NCAA reform and wholesale changes to the NCAA’s rule book.  Obviously, the problems lie in the execution of these ideas, not the ideas themselves.
For that reason, we at MrSEC.com will temper our expectations for Emmert’s new team of athletic directors.

Slick ride.  Nice trips.  Pricey tickets to top sporting events.

If your parents have money, it stands to reason that you might have a few more shiny toys and behind-the-red-rope opportunities than the next guy.  And as it turns out, Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel comes from a family with plenty of cash to burn.

When the quarterback’s front-row seats to an NBA game became a national topic of conversation last December, Manziel tweeted that he’s bought himself “a little birthday present” with his own cash.

When it made national news that he was tooling around college station in a Mercedes-Benz back in March, “his folks have cash” was the quick response from Aggie fans.

Manziel’s parents do have cash and Manziel does like to spend it.  Nothing unusual about that.  Not every college kid has family money to blow, but they all like to spend whatever they have.  Hey, I’ve been there.

Manziel’s high-profile, celebrity lifestyle has even forced A&M’s compliance staff to work overtime to make sure their star player isn’t stepping across any NCAA boundaries.  In April, the Heisman-winner sounded altogether sick and tired of having to answer those compliance workers’ questions:

“They keep sending me questionnaires like, ‘How did I got to the Spurs game?’  Even though I’ve been going to Spurs games since I moved to Kerrville when I was in seventh grade.  A good family friend who we’ve known since before I every thought of playing college football has a suite there.  We’re going to go to the suite and we’re just gonna watch the game.  I know (Spurs’ star) Tony Parker on a personal level and if I go down to say hello, I’m not doing anything wrong.

They keep sending me questionnaires asking me who’s funding the trip?  Who’s doing this?  Every time I respond back, ‘ME, ME and ME’ in capital letters.  Hey, I don’t mean to sound rude, but this is stuff I’ve always done, and I know you’re just doing your job, but it gets to you every now and again.”

Enough so that you eventually announce you’re giving up Twitter.  Only to get back on Twitter.  And tweet the following this weekend:

“Bull**** like tonight is a reason why I can’t wait to leave college station…whenever it may be”

From the outside looking in, it appears that Manziel — like all those other college kids out there — has yet to learn that there’s a price for everything.

I got my first job while I was still in school.  I made a whopping $17,000 that year.  Yet I lived rather comfortably thanks to the magic of credit cards.  Eventually, I learned that while money and credit can be thrown around for fun… there will be a price to pay at some point.  Sometimes I’d blow cash on wants and not have enough to pay for my needs.  Then I’d turn to the card, take care of the needs only to have to deal with an ever-growing bill at the first of the next month.

Everything comes with a price.  It can be a monetary price — as I and many young kids have learned — or the price could be a loss of anonymity — as Manziel is finding out.

Not many 20-somethings get invited onto the late-night talkshow circuit, hang with sports stars at ballgames, or pal around with pop icons.  Manziel gets to and, quite naturally, wants to.

But there’s a cost.

Read the rest of this entry »

SEC Football

1. Here’s more on the simple battery charge for Florida linebacker Antonio Morrison, a projected starter.

2. Pat Dooley has seven keys to success for Florida’s football team.

3. In case you missed it: Johnny Manziel tweeted he “can’t wait to leave College Station” during the weekend.

4. South Carolina wide receiver Damiere Byrd is among the nation’s fastest players, writes Chris Huston.

5. Former Vol Eric Berry on Tennessee coach Butch Jones: “He’s trying to do things the right way.”

6. Bruce Feldman discusses Kevin Sumlin’s future at Texas A&M as well as the recruiting surge of Kentucky and Tennessee.

SEC Basketball

7. Florida guard Michael Frazier II is a finalist for the USA 19-under basketball team.

8. So is Tennessee forward Jarnell Stokes, who is among the 16 finalists.

Extra

9. AL.com continues its series on college football hits and safety concerns.

10. Alabama and Georgia picked up quarterback commitments during the weekend.

11. Here’s a national view of the USA 19-under basketball team.

12. Athlon Sports has released its Big Ten All-Conference team.

13. The fallout continues at Penn State following the trial of former coach Jerry Sandusky.

14. The San Antonio Spurs are one win away from winning their fifth NBA title.

15. This Jay-Z commercial during the NBA finals has received a lot of attention.

According to a tweet posted minutes ago, Florida linebacker Antonio Morrison was arrested last night.

#GPD arrested #UF LB Antonio Morrison last night after he punched a nightclub bouncer in #Gainesville. He was charged with Simple Battery.

— Ben Tobias (@GPDBenTobias) June 16, 2013

Morrison is projected as the Gators’ starting middle linebacker this fall. One of his signature plays last year was a hit on Florida State quarterback EJ Manuel that caused him to fumble and help Florida win the game. (H/T Bruce Feldman)

SEC Football

1. What do you get when you combine NFL tactics with high school recruits?  At Tennessee, it means the green light to hire as many as 18 student workers to help with the recruiting process.

2. Reason for hope at Tennessee in 2013? The offensive line.

3. Kentucky has done better in football against Louisville since Mitch Barnhart arrived than it did before he became the A.D.

4. The investigation into the Howard’s Rock incident at Clemson has South Carolina fans wondering about the motivation. “I hope that true fans can make this a peaceful and respectful rivalry again.”

5. Kevin Sumlins’ father recalls Texas A&M’s victory over Alabama last year.  “You didn’t believe what you had just seen.”

6. Does Georgia have the toughest non-conference schedule in the SEC this year?

7. What impact will sophomore safety Quintavius Burdette have at Ole Miss this year?

College Football

8. College football quietly used a panel last season that reviewed hits to the head and recommended to conferences what punishment should be handed out. Suspension recommended for Quinton Dial hit on Aaron Murray in SEC Championship Game.

9. Proposed college football bowl in Montgomery would be the third for the state of Alabama.

SEC Basketball

10. From Rick Pitino to John Calipari, the focus at Kentucky has shifted from style of play to a players-first program.

11. If a movie about the former Tennessee coach is ever made, what about Seth Rogan in the lead role for the Bruce Pearl story?

Extras

12. Conference confusion.  Did you know Johns Hopkins was a member of the Big Ten (lacrosse only)?

13. Gift or theft? Did Russian President Vladimar Putin steal New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft’s Super Bowl ring?

Once again, Johnny Manziel finds himself making news and it has nothing to do with football.  This time, it’s our old friend Twitter and a reported tweet that Manziel apparently sent out in frustration early this morning.

Bull**** like tonight is a reason why I can’t wait to leave college station…whenever it may be (screenshot here)

That tweet quickly disappeared from Manziel’s feed and was followed up by this one.

Don’t ever forget that I love A&M with all of my heart, but please please walk a day in my shoes

— Johnny Manziel (@JManziel2) June 16, 2013

 

Manziel has taken a break from Twitter in the past only to come back to the social network. But will he return to College Station following his sophomore year or head to the NFL?

1. 5 Years Of Penalties: How Flags Fly In Each SEC Stadium

2. 5 Years Of Penalties: Which Teams Get More Flags On The Road Than At Home?

3. Ole Miss, Mississippi State: Masters Of Cupcakery…Georgia, Vanderbilt: SEC’s Toughest Schedulers

4. SEC Commitment Comparison

5. 6 Of Top 8 Favorites To Win BCS Title Reside In SEC

6. SEC Recruiting Notebook: Academics A Focus Of Nation’s Top Recruit

SEC Football

1. Georgia freshman cornerback Reggie Wilkerson is out for the season after undergoing knee surgery Friday.  Will have a second surgery to reconstruct the ACL.

2. A pink uniform for Mississippi State?

3. Line from a new song by an Alabama musician: ”Nick Saban and Jesus, yeah, that’s our guys.”

4. Freshman quarterback Ryan Buchanan will have a chance to compete for the No. 2 job at Ole Miss.

5. Former Tennessee safety Eric Berry on Butch Jones:  ”I love the guy and what he stands for.”

Football Safety Issues

6. Major agenda item at the athletic directors convention this week in Orlando - head-trauma and concussion concerns

7. Pro Football Hall of Famer Lem Barney: ”I can see in the next 10 to maybe 20 years, society will alleviate football altogether.”

SEC/College News

8. T-shirt spotted at the College World Series - “Mississippi State Rebels.”

9. Auburn hires Oklahoma’s baseball coach. Sunny Golloway had 14 NCAA Regional appearances in 15 years at OU.

10. What kind of impact has changing the bats made on college baseball?  Composite batting average this year of .274 lowest since 1975.

11. State of the athletic programs at Tennessee?  Plenty of room for improvement.

12 .If the NCAA wins the Ed O’Bannon lawsuit - it may seek to recover millions of dollars in legal expenses.

13. What’s at stake in the O’Bannon case? “The current model of college sports.”

SEC Basketball

14. Jerome Seagears time at Auburn lasted a month.  He’s returning to Rutgers.

15. Kentucky commitment Karl Towns wants to play for the Dominican national team.

Extras

16. TV sideline reporters made their debut at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville back in 1974 as part of the coverage of the Tennessee-UCLA game.

17. 80-year Vince Dooley goes sky-diving with his grandson.

The ante has been raised and it didn’t take long.  Texas A&M AD Eric Hyman told a group of boosters Thursday night, “What do the moon and Texas A&M have in common? They both control the Tide.” By Friday, “We Control The Tide” had made its way to a t-shirt, courtesy of Aggieland Outfitters.

Texas A&M will host Alabama on September 14th. Will there be bigger buzz for a game all year than this one? What will we see more of during the telecast – shots of Katherine Webb or people wearing these shirts?   (H/T USA Today)

SEC Football

1. Possible season-ending injury for Georgia freshman cornerback Reggie Wilkerson. Reportedly undergoing ACL surgery today.

2. Two Missouri freshman players treated and released with minor injuries following a car accident in which they were passengers. Tackle Chris Freeman has left the team for personal reasons.

3. Auburn assistant Scott Fountain on H-Back Jay Prosch: “Since I’ve been in coach Malzahn’s offense for four or five years, he’s the best I’ve seen in the system.”

4. Danny Sheridan has Alabama as his favorite to win another national title but he does have a question for Nick Saban:  ”Why don’t you ever play two quarterbacks?’

5. What about the Alabama schedule? The toughest part of the season comes in November.

6. One take on Tennessee’s prospects: “Back-to-back September visits to Oregon and Florida will be an early reminder how far the Vols have fallen since their last SEC East title in 2007.”

7. David Climer on Tennessee: “More and more, we are finding that Dooley fixated on the minutia of his job while failing to grasp the big picture.”

8. John Adams: What’s next? An advertising campaign promoting UT as “The Vanderbilt of East Tennessee”?

9. What impact will  freshman wide receiver Quincy Adeboyeje and sophomore wideout Cody Core have on Ole Miss this year?

10. Meet Les Miles and his family.  ”Father’s Day is a joy at our house.”

 SEC/College News

11. First Toomer’s Oaks at Auburn and now Howard’s Rock at Clemson.  When will this college football crime spree end?

12. Alabama fraternity gave up property to the University.  Now the Alabama athletic department is helping to pay for a new fraternity house.

13. Ed O’Bannon lawsuit could be headed to a trial by next year at this time.

14. Lousville as a preseason No. 1?

15. Preseason basketball scrimmage costs an Old Dominion guard an entire season.

SEC Basketball

16. Vanderbilt coach Kevin Stallings blocked Sheldon Jeter from transferring to just one school - Pitt. He can still attend Pitt – but would have to pay his own way for a year.

17. Missouri coach Frank Haith meets with the NCAA Committee on Infractions – timeframe on report release could be anywhere from six weeks to four months.

18. Tennessee’s Derek Reese will play on  Puerto Rico’s national team.

19. Kentucky assistant Orlando Antigua will coach the Dominican Republic national team. John Calipari stepped down from the role last year.

20. Bring back the jump ball.  One man’s five-step plan to rescue college basketball includes eliminating the alternate possession rule.

Extras

21. A parking spot a block from AT&T Park in San Francisco sells for $82,000.

22. ESPN’s Bill Simmons not happy with ESPN.

23. Bonnie and Clyde at 33,000 feet. “So, what do I wear to a hijacking?”

24. The rapper from Antioch, Tennessee who loved Waffle House too much.

Between now and National Signing Day 2014 there are 33 Wednesdays on the calendar.  Between now and National Signing Day there’s a helluva lot that can change.

Still, better to have momentum at this time of year than not.  And there are plenty of SEC teams — some that might surprise you — that have some strong momentum at this point.

Below you’ll find an updated overview of how the SEC’s football programs are performing out on the recruiting trail as we hit mid-June and race toward a new football season.  As usual, we’ve used the star ratings provided by Rivals.com as our launch point.  For each star Rivals assigns, we award a point.  Except we also give 0-star recruits — those kids who haven’t even been graded yet — a point.  Hey, we’re nice guys.

We’ll once again examine the SEC’s commitment lists in three ways, grading each according to quantity, quality, and high-caliber talent.  We start with quantity…

Now we turn our attention to quality, ranking each program according to the average number of points per committed player…

Next we look at high-caliber talent, only counting those commitments worth four or five points…

Finally, we provide an overall MrSEC.com ranking for all 14 schools by assigning points to each school for its placement on the three charts above.  The fewer the points (meaning the higher the finish in a category) the better.  Also, we’ll discuss each program’s work to date at the end of this story…

Read the rest of this entry »