SPRINGDALE – Fayetteville quarterback and Arkansas commit Brandon Allen won the Northwest Arkansas Touchdown Club Player of the Year award on Wednesday.

Allen beat out fellow finalists Shiloh Christian quarterback Kiehl Frazier and Springdale Har-Ber offensive tackle Brey Cook. It was the inaugural player of the year award given by the club, which is also in its first year.

“It’s just an honor,” Allen said. “To be in the running with guys like Kiehl Frazier and Brey Cook – those are some big names right there with a lot of scholarship offers. Those are probably the two biggest names in our class, so it’s a huge honor to be here with them.”

The trio headlined the state’s talented senior class all season and have more than 40 combined scholarship offers. Allen and Cook are verbally committed to Arkansas, while Frazier committed to Auburn earlier this year. Cook, a Scout.com 5-star prospect, will begin classes at the UA in January.

Allen became the first player from the state’s largest classification to pass for more than 10,000 yards in a career. The senior quarterbacked the Bulldogs to a Class 7A runner-up finish by passing for 3,419 yards and 38 touchdowns, and no interceptions in the regular season.

“That was our goal all year was to get to the state game,” Allen said. “To get there and come up short was heart-breaking, but we accomplished a lot this year.”

Allen was a unanimous selection for the award, which was presented by ARpreps.com.

Former Arkansas coach Danny Ford was the keynote speaker at the club’s final meet this year. For more on what Ford had to say, read Clay Henry’s State of the Hogs: Ford Unchanged.

For more visit WholeHogSports.com. You can follow Matt Jones on Twitter @NWAMatt.

This is a busy time of year, personally and professionally as well as athletically, and that set of circumstances lends itself to random half-formed thoughts. Sometimes, this causes me to make dated references and mathematical errors in the midst of instantaneous reactions; other times, it leads me to share a collection of nuggets such as these:

• It is no secret that I am no fan of the Heisman Trophy, but college football’s most overrated award occasionally lurches uncontrollably into the correct result by anointing the student-athlete who actually has a credible claim to being the most outstanding player in the sport that year. It appears this will be one of the years in which the Heisman Trophy actually goes to the person whose performance on the field merits the accolade. That being the case, why are we engaging in the pretense that there are four “finalists” for this award? LaMichael James, Andrew Luck, and Kellen Moore have front-row seats to see Cameron Newton win the award he deserves to win. The only drama will be whether he breaks O.J. Simpson’s record for biggest landslide victory in the Heisman Trophy balloting. Cam Newton is the most outstanding player in college football this year; his receipt, vel non, of this award will not make the foregoing statement any more or less true, but ESPN’s silly hyping of this sillier award is unseemly. Recognize the guy for his achievements, but cool it with the dog and pony show, all right, Worldwide Leader?
• An inconsequential math error in the final BCS standings has caused a bit of an uproar, resulting in descriptions of the situation as “dumbfounding,” questions whether the computer polls could “be intentionally manipulated,” and this claim by the fellow who caught the mistake: “The BCS owes us an entire system that is open, accountable and verifiable.” Why is this so? The deliberations of the NCAA Tournament selection committee are not open, accountable, and verifiable; neither are the deliberations of trial juries, grand juries, or the U.S. Supreme Court. Plenty of widely accepted and implicitly trusted results come to us from systems that lack openness, accountability, and verifiability from start to finish; in fact, rare is the system that provides those features throughout the process. Many perfectly reasonable college football fans dislike the BCS; I am one of them, in fact. The notion that we are “owe[d]” a wholly open system, though, is ludicrous, and the claim that we are entitled to any such thing is utterly hypocritical coming from anyone who does not make similar claims about much more important matters, or even about other NCAA-sanctioned sports. It was a minor math error that affected absolutely nothing. Fix it, forget it, and focus on the actual matter at issue.
• In games decided by seven or fewer points, Central Florida went 1-2 in 2010, whereas Georgia went 0-3. In games decided by ten or fewer points, Central Florida went 2-3, while Georgia went 1-3. In the last four Liberty Bowls, the SEC representative has beaten the Conference USA champion by eight or fewer points, as the margins have gotten closer year after year. Something’s got to give.
• Finally, friend of the blog Josh D. Weiss sent me some of his photographs from Tuesday night’s Georgia-Georgia Tech basketball game, three of which are visible below and the rest of which may be seen here:

Go ‘Dawgs!

Tough loss for the ‘Dores tonight who played valiantly in a tough road game. Though this game was within reach, this is hardly a “bad” loss. Missouri is a good team, and they just managed to get the last punch in. Congratulations to them on a battle well fought.

The resignation of Florida coach Urban Meyer on Wednesday came as a surprise to many, but not former Orlando Sentinel reporter Jeremy Fowler. Fowler covered the Gators for three years, including Meyer’s resignation last year that lasted 24 hours before he decided to return.

“You could tell that Urban was burned out last year,” Fowler said.

Meyer confronted Fowler last spring after Fowler used a quote from receiver Deonte Thompson that Meyer took exception to. Meyer apologized, and he and Fowler had a good working relationship before Fowler left the Sentinel in August.

“I understand where he’s coming from with the family angle,” said Fowler. “I think that aspect of his life was sincere.”

Play some tough D, shoot the ball with confidence and this game should be ours.

Let’s Go ‘Cats!!

I will admit it: When Arkansas found itself down 51 to 50 after leading by as many as 17 in the first half and by a dozen at intermission, I was convinced the Hogs were going to lose. Most of the second half was as ugly as all get out, but I think the Hogs showed something by gathering themselves to walk away with a nine-point victory.

The hero of the night was undoubtedly Delvon Johnson, who had 10 points, 12 rebounds and 8(!) blocked shots. It’s early yet, but I don’t know that I’ve seen a Hog player improve so dramatically since Nicky Davis seemingly came out of nowhere to become a rebounding and defensive machine in his senior season of 1998. Kudos to Delvon.

Julysses Nobles also deserves a special mention, as he finished with 19 points and really helped the Hogs build their big first-half lead.

The Hogs look pretty rough at times and halfway decent at times. All in all, about what I expected so far. They seem to have a good spirit about them, and the season is early yet. Here’s hoping some good times are in store during the rest of the year.

Tim Riordan over at SBNation’s Buffalo Bulls blog Bull Run recently challenged those of us on the network’s college football beat to vote for a series of awards analagous to college football’s cavalcade of postseason awards, including the Heisman, Bednarik, Doak Walker, etc. I thought it was a fabulous idea. I quickly and enthusiastically volunteered.

Having now completed my ballot, I am reminded of the sage wisdom imparted to me as a teenager by the father of a good friend. This gentleman had fought against the Viet Cong alongside U.S. servicemen only to see his country overrun just the same. He then fled to America with his family but brought along a saying which he learned under far, far more harrowing conditions than the casting of a blogger award ballot. It is this: “The brave ones always die first.”

This ballot was, indeed, a killer. Seriously, have you ever tried to figure out who the best linebacker in the country is? The best punter? What about tight ends?There are hundreds of the S.O.B.’s running around out there on the college football landscape. Depending on the system, they have wildly varied responsibilities. And then, once I figure out who I’m voting for I just know that I’m going to get hit with the statistics I didn’t consider, the clutch performances I didn’t see, and the human interest stories that should have tugged at my heart strings.

It’s a gargantuan task. So, rather than cast a half-assed ballot for every category, I’ve cast a ballot in those categories about which I feel pretty strongly. In no particular order, here are my 2010 College Football Blogger Award choices:

Blogger Biletnikoff (best wide receiver): A.J. Green, Georgia. I’m a self-avowed homer, but it feels particularly good to make a homer pick that I find incredibly easy to defend. Unlike A.J. Green. Green did not make the 1^st Team SEC list according to either the coaches or the conference media, I would assume because many of the voters looked only at the receiving numbers and said (and I’m quoting here) “Derp, not as many yards as Jones and Jeffery, derp de derp!” By my count, I watched Julio Jones play 7 games this season. Ditto for Alshon Jeffery. Neither demonstrated the ability to be absolutely uncoverable quite like Green. In the 8 games he’s played this season he’s averaged north of 95 yards and 1 TD per game, all the while catching passes from a first year starting quarterback. Honorable mention: Justin Blackmon, Oklahoma State.

Blogger Butkus (best linebacker): Justin Houston, Georgia. Again, homer pick. But Justin Houston finds himself playing the linebacker position for the first time in his football career and has responded with 10 sacks and just single-handedly won a rivalry game to get his team to bowl eligibility. The primary job of the outside linebacker in Grantham’s 3-4 is to create havoc. Nobody does that better than Justin Houston, who will soon be doing just that on Sundays. Honorable mention: Kelvin Sheppard, LSU.

Blogger Coach Award (best coach): Frank Beamer, Virginia Tech. How could I select a coach who began the season by losing a close one to Boise State and then going 0-for-James Madison? Because he’s 10-0 since then, including getting over the hump against Florida State. Chip Kelly and Gene Chizik have obviously done great things to get their teams to the BCS title game. But to make an academic analogy, those guys have helped already bright kids become the valedictorian. Beamer tutored Charlie Sheen’s nephew from Two and a Half Men and got him admitted to Northwestern. He has no Cam Newton, no Lamichael James. He has an above average quarterback, a decent running game, some bailing wire and an ACC title. After the first two weeks of the season I never would have forecast that. The ACC is not the best conference in college football. But Beamer managed to take a team that could have packed it in after only two games to the Orange Bowl. Honorable mention: Dan Mullen, Mississippi State.

Blogger Bednarik (best defensive player): Patrick Peterson, LSU. I enjoy watching Peterson play football as much as any other player in college football. He’s fluid in coverage, willing to come up and play vicious run support, and is even a danger on special teams. Peterson is a really special player who hasn’t gotten the credit he deserves.

Blogger Maxwell (best offensive player): Kellen Moore, Boise State. Moore’s numbers this season throwing the ball were video game quality:  3405 yards passing, a 71.5% completion percentage, and 33 touchdowns versus only 5 interceptions. Perhaps most  impressive was Moore’s consistency. He never complted less than 60% of his passes in a game this season, and his low number (60.5%) came in the first game of the season against Virginia Tech, a game in which he threw 3 touchdowns and zero interceptions. There’s simply better passer in college football right now, and I have trouble envisioning any secondary containing him next season as a senior. Here’s hoping I’m proven wrong about Moore’s abilities next year in the Georgia Dome, but I somehow doubt that will happen.

Blogger Heisman (self-explanatory): Not Cam Newton. I don’t know how to say this other than to say it: I find the notion that Cecil Newton would require $180,000 for his son to attend Mississippi State but allow him to attend Auburn for free laughable, to the point that anyone who believes this to have been the case is either deluding himself (as I would if these kind of allegations were levelled against Aaron Murray, for example) or simply not very bright. Cameron Newton’s services were bought and paid for. Not by anyone employed by Auburn, but by someone willing to spend a lot of money to get a very good football player to attend Auburn.

Spare me the “Cam didn’t know” spiel. As an attorney I’m a big believer in the principle of “agency.” That is, when you choose to allow someone to represent you in an enterprise with the hope that you’ll benefit from it, you must also accept the responsibility when your agent acts to your detriment. Cam Newton was an adult during his second round of recruiting. He chose to allow his father input in that process. His father pimped out his services. I have no doubt that Cameron Newton will win the Heisman Trophy. I also have no doubt that he will eventually have to give that award back. Other than that, I abstain.

Your thoughts on these and Bull Run’s other postseason awards are, as always, appreciated in the comments.

Go ‘Dawgs!

As Skulls reported earlier, Urban Meyer has retired from the University of Florida. Meyer cites his desire to spend more time with his family as his motivation. Meyer, of course, resigned last season only to retake his post a few days later, and there will be some speculation that that’s what he plans to do again. This time, though, it sounds like he’s for real; Gators AD Jeremy Foley had this to say on that note:

“It’s so much different that it was a year ago,’’ Foley said. “He went through some tremendous issues a year ago. But I see his face now and I see the peacefulness. He’s totally at peace with the decision. He certainly has given every fiber of his body to this university. I’ve seen it every day. The results speak for themselves, but to get those results, how do they happen? That guy has given everything he had to this university.

“It was just time. He wants to spend more time with his family. He’s got daughters who play college volleyball; he’s got a son who is growing up. Urban loves his family. When all is said and done, he loves us, he loves the Gators, he loves football, he loves his players, but his world revolves around his family. I think more than anything else that was the impetus for this.’’

That doesn’t sound like an AD who thinks there’s much of a chance that his coach is going to do a 180, and, at any rate, you have to think that Foley wouldn’t be inclined to put up with a Favre routine if that’s indeed what Meyer has in mind.

What does the resignation of the coach at the SEC East’s premier program mean for Carolina? In the short term, I think it’s a good thing. Florida and Foley will compete for an elite coaching prospect, but as with all regime changes, there will be a transitional period for Meyer’s successor. Players will leave, this season’s recruiting class will take a hit, and, depending on the new hire, schematic changes will take time to implement. With Carolina poised to make another run at Atlanta next season, a weakened Florida may have a tough road to hoe in Columbia next fall.

In the long run, though, this might not be good. Florida was starting to struggle under Meyer, and no Carolina fan can say the he would have minded if the current Gators staff stayed in place. The short list at Florida, it seems, is Bob Stoops and Dan Mullen. Either one will bring a staff that’s superior to what the 2010 Gators had, and I have no doubt that they’re capable of carrying on the winning tradition in Gainesville. That’s bad news for Carolina, of course. Will the Gators get either of these guys? Stoops may be a stretch, but I don’t think he’s out of reach. Stoops has UF ties, and word over the past few years has been that he feels his program in Norman has become stagnant. Like his mentor Steve Spurrier, Stoops is the kind of guy who believes ten years in one place is enough. If the Gators can’t get Stoops, though, I have a hard time believing Mississippi St. can convince Mullen to stick around.

In news that was overshadowed by Urban Meyer’s second resignation (Urban, you attention whore!), it was announced today that Steve Spurrier was voted SEC Coach of the Year by the league’s coaches. The award marks a major vindication for Spurrier. Lots of folks, including yours truly, have increasingly questioned Coach Spurrier over the past three years. However, Spurrier made history this year with the program’s third nine-win season and first-ever berth in the SEC Championship Game. With that, he restaked his claim as one of the game’s premier coaches.

We’ll have occasion to talk more about Spurrier’s legacy in due time. For now, while I think we can all agree that Spurrier deserves major accolades for his accomplishments this season, the question is, did he deserve this award? Auburn fans, undoubtedly, will say the award should go to Gene Chizik. What do you think?

Urban Meyer’s sudden decision to leave the Florida football program stunned a lot of people butnone so as Gators punter Chas Henry.

Chas Henry

Henry, who was at Disney Wednesday as part of the Home Depot College Football Awards show which the senior is up for the Ray Guy Award, talked to media about his coach and his thoughts on Meyer’s departure.

Henry: “It’s a family decision. I have complete understanding and respect for it. You have to take care of yourself and take care of your family.”

Henry: “This year he was a lot more relaxed a lot more like he was kind of getting back into it again. I was very shocked. I did not see this coming at all. Last year, I could kind of see it. He looks a little drained He doesn’t look like himself. Like the Urban Meyer who recruited me four years ago.”

Although UK Coach John Calipari expressed as recently as Tuesday his reservations about returning to the Maui Invitational, Director of Athletics Mitch Barnhart gushed about the experience the fan base had in Hawaii Thanksgiving week.

“You literally had people talking to you, ‘I planned for four years to come’ and ‘We cashed in all our Frequent Flyer miles to come back,’ ” Barnhart said.

He noted that UK fans travel far and wide to watch the Wildcats play.

But when asked if the trip to Maui held a special place in a fan’s itinerary, Barnhart’s eyes widened and he said with a smile, “I think they really enjoyed that (trip to Maui) based on what they said. They REALLY enjoyed that.”

Dubbing UK’s appearance in the BBVA Compass Bowl as “Operation Thank You,” Director of Athletics Mitch Barnhart said the school hoped its fans would buy tickets to give children, military veterans and senior citizens in the Birmingham area.

Barnhart acknowledged that tickets sales might not be brisk for the Jan. 8 bowl in which Kentucky plays Pittsburgh.

“The date’s a little more difficult” when compared to UK’s bowl trips the past four years. “We’ve sold a few thousand tickets so far, which is good.”

“Operation Thank You” was intended to “show the players this is not about them,” Barnhart said. “This is about the (Birmingham) community.”

One woman recently bought 40 tickets for an organization named “Wounded Warriors.”

In previous bowls, UK might have thought game organizers should grateful to have Kentucky’s team, Barnhart said. “This time, it’s a privilege to be there.”

Winning will be important, too, Barnhart said. A bowl victory makes the off-season “immensely better,” he said.

John Pelphrey, one of UK’s “Unforgettables,” embraced his Arkansas team’s 71-62 victory over Seton Hall Wednesday night.

Asked if he could blockout this return to his home state, Pelphrey said, “I’d like to sit here and tell you I don’t think about it. But when you walk into the building, moments of time flash back.”

Pelphrey called the game in Freedom Hall “very humbling.”

And, he added, “the task at hand becomes even more valuable to me. I want to do well. This was the first win in state (for Pelphrey) as a head coach.”

A moment later, Pelphrey added, “It’s not about me. I had my time and my day.”

University of Kentucky Director of Athletics Mitch Barnhart said the men’s basketball program should continue the tradition of playing a game in Louisville each season.

“We want to continue to play over here,” Barnhart said before the Cats played Notre Dame. He noted the many alumni that live in the Louisville area and the potentially rich recruiting ground.

Earlier this week, the Kentucky State Fair Board said it paid between $10,000 and $12,000 to re-paint the Freedom Hall court blue. Spokesman Edward Brown said part of the reason was to try to entice UK to play more than one regular-season game in Freedom Hall each season.

“I haven’t had that conversation,” Barnhart said with a smile. ” . . . We do have an arena back in Lexington. We have to make sure we play enough games there.”

UK owed it to the students and city of Lexington play its home games in Rupp Arena, he said.

Last season, UK Coach John Calipari floated the idea of playing several games in Louisville as a recruiting tool. At the time, Barnhart said flatly that one game in Louisville each season was enough.

When asked if he still believed that, Barnhart said, “I think that’s probably accurate.”

But Barnhart seemed a bit more open to the idea of more than one game, if only because he did not want to rule out any possibility.

“I don’t want to pin ourselves in a corner,” he said.

Kentucky’s men’s basketball program will continue to play an annual game in Louisville if athletic…

ESPN.com’s SEC blogger has consulted his tea leaves, or perhaps a few sources actually in the know (it isn’t entirely clear from his post what he’s basing this on), and says that Bobby Petrino is on Florida’s short list of candidates to replace Urban Meyer.

Says Low:

In his third season at Arkansas, he has the Hogs in a BCS bowl game for the first time in school history. He’s one of the top offensive minds in the game and was on Foley’s radar when Meyer was hired back in 2005. Giving Petrino the keys to Florida’s recruiting machine could be scary for the rest of the SEC. He does have a sizeable buyout, more than $3 million if he leaves before the end of this year. 

Hopefully Hog fans will be able to not go completely insane in the days ahead. We have our doubts though. In fact, we just obtained footage of one frequent message boarder reacting to Low’s report:

Ok folks so here’s the deal.

I am willing to bake a pan of my brownies and ship them to you.  Since I don’t usually make you this offer, you might guess there is a bit of a catch.  I’m not going to make a pan of brownies for each and every one of you.  I’m only making 1 pan of brownies here.  So that means y’all are going to have to work for it. 

I’m using the term “work” pretty loosely here.  In order to have a shot at the brownies – you have to help out that sweet little boy that needs a Service Dog.  Yep – you’ve got to contribute to A Dog for Deeds.  Then you have to tell me about it – so here’s how you do that – either use your Dawg Sports screen name when you donate, or let me know in the comments below.  I don’t care how much you donated, or how often you donate – the only requirement here is that you donate.  Donate .50 if that’s all you can do – fine by me.

I’ll put everyone’s name in a hat and then contact the winner for an address.  Brownies will come straight from my kitchen to your mouth. 

I admit to stealing the contest idea from Real Salt Lake and you may or may not think their prizes are better – but hey – you still get a shot at a pan of brownies.

So hurry up and donate and let’s get a very special dog for a very special boy.

Vanderbilt at Missouri Live-Blog

Urban Meyer’s sudden decision to leave the Florida football program stunned a lot of people but none so as Gators punter Chas Henry.

Henry, who was at Disney Wednesday as part of the Home Depot College Football Awards show which the senior is up for the Ray Guy Award, talked to media about his coach and his thoughts on Meyer’s departure.

Henry: “It’s a family decision. I have complete understanding and respect for it. You have to take care of yourself and take care of your family.”

Henry: “This year he was a lot more relaxed a lot more like he was kind of getting back into it again. I was very shocked. I did not see this coming at all. Last year, I could kind of see it. He looks a little drained He doesn’t look like himself. Like the Urban Meyer who recruited me four years ago.”

I just ran into Patrick Whitmer, the public address announcer at Rupp Arena for Kentucky home games. He will be doing the P.A. duties in Freedom Hall tonight when UK plays Notre Dame and Arkansas faces Seton Hall.

Whitmer said that organizers of the SEC-Big East Invitational told him to be neutral in his announcements. So there will be no references to “The greatest tradition in the history of college basketball!!!!!!” Nor will Whitmer exclaim, “Three by Knight!!!!!!”

What a mouthful.

Anyway, I will be attending the Big East/SEC Invitational tonight in Rupp Arena West Freedom Hall here in Louisville as the Arkansas Razorbacks take on the Seton Hall Pirates in the first game, and the Kentucky Wildcats battle the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the nightcap.

Naturally, this open game thread may be used for either game if you like, as I plan on posting it in time for both, but the real game of interest to us Kentucky fans is the nightcap.  Here are the particulars, via UKAthletics.com:

Notre Dame @ Kentucky
Game Notes	Kentucky Game Notes | Notre Dame Game Notes
Date & Time	Weds., Dec. 8, 9:30 p.m. ET
Coverage	TV: ESPN Radio: BBSN GameTracker Online Audio Text Updates
Location	Freedom Hall Louisville, Ky.

After an unpleasant visit to the North Carolina Tar Heels last weekend on Tobacco Road, the chastened ‘Cats of Kentucky need to rediscover the winner’s circle versus the Little Green Leprechauns of Notre Dame.

The South Bend Celtics have known nothing but victory so far this season, but the competition hasn’t been up to the quality of the Bluegrass State Felines.  That’s going to result in a culture clash, where a seasoned Notre Dame bumps up against the youngest, quickest, most athletic team they’ve seen this year.

Here’s what I hope to see:

• A track meet.  Notre Dame is playing at a lower pace than last year, and Kentucky needs to find a way to get this game as up-tempo as they can, consistent with their thin bench.  Speaking of the bench, we need
• Another bench player.  Last weekend, the Wildcats managed to play only six Wildcats as many as ten minutes.  In as much foul trouble as Kentucky has been in so far, we need to have at least eight playing ten minutes or more.
• Better defensive pressure.  UK did not put enough pressure on Carolina’s turnover-prone guards, and that’s a big reason why we lost.
• Less fouling.  UK has to find a way to play better defense without a prodigious number of whistles.
• Keep lighting it up.  Good shooting cures a lot of ills.

Here’s what I don’t want to see:

• Notre Dame dominating the offensive glass.  That’s a sure loser for UK.  Kentucky needs to continue to be competitive there.
• A parade to the free throw line for Notre Dame.  That’s how the Tar Heels won.
• Lack of defensive intensity.  That’s how the Connecticut Huskies won.
• Lack of Terrence Jones.  That’s also how the Tar Heels won.

Let’s get this done.  Go ‘Cats!

You’ll have to pardon me if I’m a little bit gun shy here; I bid a respectful farewell to Urban Meyer last December, after all, and he made me regret that show of decency . . . repeatedly. This time around, therefore, I come to bury Coach Meyer (metaphorically, of course), not to praise him.

In case you’ve been under a rock since around 2:30 this afternoon, Urban Meyer has resigned as the head coach of the Florida Gators. Yes, again, although it sounds a lot more real this time. Last year, Coach Meyer made his decision in the midst of a health scare, which can cause anyone to react erratically; this year, he seems to have realized the toll coaching has taken on him and responded appropriately after careful consideration. Going 7-5 will do that to a guy.

Jeremy Foley spoke of Urban Meyer as a guy who wanted to spend more time with the family that he loved. I could be crass and roll my eyes at such a statement after the infamous reversal following the “I got my daddy back!” exclamation of a year ago, but, if, after putting football ahead of faith, family, and health last December, Urban Meyer has re-ordered his priorities this Christmas, I say good for him, and better late than never.

This all could have ended very, very badly. After being taken to the hospital at the end of a pressure-packed 2009 season, Urban Meyer quit abruptly before reversing course just as quickly, and that decision ultimately could have sent his health into a downward spiral that concluded in a tragic denouement. Fortunately, if belatedly, he saw the light before allowing that to happen, and all we can do is wish Urban Meyer well. 2010 was his worst season as a head coach, but it did little to diminish the extraordinarily successful career preceding that disappointing, but not more than merely disappointing, ending.

Now it is time to look to the future.

I agree with Year2 that Dan Mullen will succeed Urban Meyer in Gainesville and Gus Malzahn will succeed Dan Mullen in Starkville. While Kirby Smart could prove to be the wild card that reshuffles the deck in that scenario, I strongly suspect that Jeremy Foley will be making a trip to Jacksonville to entice Coach Mullen back into the Florida fold while Coach Meyer’s former offensive coordinator is in town for the perhaps presciently named Gator Bowl.

There is no denying Coach Mullen’s credentials—I believe he should have been named the SEC Coach of the Year, given what he did with what he had—but it is hard to believe that anyone could be more successful than Coach Meyer was. Granted, it was hard to believe when Urban Meyer was hired at Florida that anyone could be more successful there than Steve Spurrier had been, but the recent resurgence of the Florida State program makes this a tough time for the Sunshine State Saurians to be in transition. The Gators could take a step back, however slight; given the fact that six of the last nine series meetings in the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party have been decided by margins of seven or fewer points, a slight step back by Florida may be all the steps back we need.

If all goes according to Year2’s sensible prediction, that will send the SEC’s hottest coaching commodity, 2010 Broyles Award winner Gus Malzahn, to Mississippi State. If, as many suspect, Coach Malzahn is the true power behind Gene Chizik’s throne, the most exceptional autumn in Auburn history could be followed by the winter of the Tigers’ discontent, as Cameron Newton goes pro, the architect of the Plainsmen’s impressive offensive attack bolts for cowbell country, and the NCAA investigation continues. One small step back for Florida could be one giant leap to the rear for Auburn.

In short, it is too early yet to know for sure, but there is the distinct possibility that two of Georgia’s three biggest rivals are about to get worse . . . and Mark Richt is 9-1 all-time against the third. Skeptics have asked, somewhat sensibly, how the Bulldogs will be better in 2011. To that reasonable inquiry, I now respond simply: we don’t have to be better, as long as everybody else is worse.

We send our best wishes to the Meyers, congratulating Urban Meyer on a stellar career and hoping this Christmas season brings joy to his family and him as they begin this new chapter of their lives together. As we bid Urban Meyer farewell, though, we in Bulldog Nation should look ahead to a future that now appears just a tiny bit brighter . . . and we should appreciate the fact that it may not be entirely coincidental, after all, that Santa Claus wears red and black.

Go ‘Dawgs!

Urban Meyer Steps Down (Again)

Meyer, 46, informed Florida Athletic Director Jeremy Foley over the weekend that he was contemplating resigning and the two finalized the plan Tuesday. Meyer told the Gators of his decision during a team meeting earlier this afternoon. UF has scheduled a press conference for 6 p.m. at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium where Meyer and Foley will address the media.

Meyer will remain Florida’s head coach through the Outback Bowl in Tampa on New Year’s Day.

Urban Meyer stepping down as Florida’s coach, sources tell FanHouse. Press conference this evening to announce decision

Urban Meyer Steps Down As Florida Gators’ Head Coach

Urban Meyer stepped down as Florida head coach Wednesday after six years with the Gators. (Orlando Sentinel photo)

The UF release announcing Urban Meyer’s resignation:

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Urban Meyer is stepping down as head coach of the University of Florida football team, Athletics Director Jeremy Foley announced Wednesday afternoon.

Meyer captured two National Championships in his six years at Florida
(2006 and 2008), two Southeastern Conference Championships (2006 and 2008), three SEC Eastern Division crowns (2006, 2008 and 2009) and led UF to six-straight January bowl games, including three BCS bowl games.
He was named Sporting News and Sports Illustrated “Coach of the Decade” in December of 2009.

“I have been a Division I football coach for the last 25 years and, during that time, my primary focus has been making a difference in the lives of the young men I have been so fortunate to have coached and building championship programs,” Meyer said.  “At this time in my life, however, I fully grasp the sacrifices my 24/7 profession has demanded of me, and I know it is time to put my focus on my family and life away from the field.  The decision to step down was a difficult one.  But, after spending more than two decades motivating and celebrating the young men I’ve been so proud to coach, I relish the opportunity to cheer for my three terrific kids as they compete in their own respective sports.  I know how fortunate I am to be in a position to make this choice and to have a family that is as loving and supportive as my amazing wife and children have always been. My family has shared both the commitment and the sacrifice required to coach at this level for so long and I would not have enjoyed the success I have had without their support.”

Meyer will coach his last game for UF in the Gators’ Outback Bowl matchup vs. Penn State on January 1st in Tampa, Fla.

Meyer continued, “I am enormously grateful to the University of Florida and our tremendous fans for giving me the incredible opportunity to lead the Gator football program.  The support provided by school president Bernie Machen and athletics director Jeremy Foley has been an invaluable part of all that we have been able to accomplish over the last six years.”

“I have exceptional regard for my coaching staff who has always shared my passionate commitment to winning and to guiding the development of the young men of Florida football.  Most importantly, I will be forever grateful to the student-athletes I have had the honor to coach and from whom I have learned so much.  I will profoundly miss coming to campus every day to coach this team, but I will always be a Gator at heart, and I am confident that the program will continue to reflect the highest ideals of the University of Florida and collegiate sports.”

“It’s been an honor and privilege to have Urban Meyer be our football coach for six years,” said Foley. “The championships, the mentoring of young men and his commitment to the University of Florida have indeed been special. As good of a coach as he is, he’s a better person and a great friend. He has given everything he has to this institution and we are grateful for the experiences. It a chapter in our history that is closing, but I know Urban wants to remain involved with the University and the Gainesville community. He absolutely loves the Gators.”

“As I have said many times, Urban Meyer’s integrity and commitment to his players and the University of Florida are beyond reproach,” said Machen.  “He leaves an outstanding legacy, on the field and in the classroom.  I know that all Gators wish nothing but the best for Coach Meyer as we recognize his extraordinary achievements with a great sense of pride and appreciation.”

He became the first coach in the history of the Football Bowl Subdivision to post consecutive 13-win seasons (2008 and 2009) and he is the only coach to post three 13-win seasons in a four-year span.

He was the first coach in the nation to win two Bowl Championship Series National Championships and is one of only two coaches in the history of the SEC to win two outright National Championships.

The three-time National Coach of the Year is currently the nation’s active winningest coach with 10 seasons or more, posting 103 victories against just 23 losses for a .817 winning percentage in his 10 seasons.
He reached 100 wins in just 118 games, the second-fastest number of games to reach the century mark since 1945. Overall, only five coaches reached the 100-win mark quicker than Meyer.

Meyer’s six-year record at Florida is 64-15 (.810), including a school-record stretch of 22-straight consecutive wins, the fourth-longest streak by an SEC team and the longest in the conference in 15 years. His teams also put together streak of 16-consecutive wins in SEC games, the second-longest streak in school history. Meyer was
17-2 (.895) against UF’s traditional rivals (Tennessee, Georgia, Florida State and Miami). Among active coaches, Meyer has been the only head coach to put together three 13-win seasons.

Meyer, 46, holds a 36-12 (.750) mark in SEC play at Florida, which is the fourth-best SEC winning percentage among head coaches who spent five years or more in the conference.

Since the SEC’s inception in 1933, no coach had begun his SEC career faster than Meyer. With his 2009 win over Arkansas, Meyer collected his 50th win as an SEC head coach, reaching that mark in just 59 games. That tied Frank Thomas of Alabama for the fastest to achieve 50 wins as an SEC head coach.

In 2008, Meyer accomplished the unprecedented feat of knocking off the BCS No. 1-ranked team in consecutive games, downing Alabama in the SEC Championship Game before dispatching Oklahoma in the BCS National Championship Game. Add in the 2007 BCS National Championship Game victory over Ohio State, and Meyer is the only coach to have defeated three BCS No. 1-ranked teams in his career.

Meyer owns a 58-7 (.892) record at home in his career, including a 36-5
(.878) mark in The Swamp. Meyer was 11-4 (.733) against top-10 teams at UF and his Gator teams were ranked at one point in 89-consecutive polls, including 67 weeks in the top 10 and 16 weeks at No. 1.

There have been 26 Gators selected in the NFL Draft under Meyer, including a nation’s-best nine in 2007 and 2009. Seven Gators have been first-round draft picks under Meyer and UF has had at least one first-round pick in each of the last four years. A school-record tying three Gators were chosen in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft.
Overall, Meyer has coached 81 players who have signed NFL contracts.

Eighty-six of his players have graduated at UF and another nine are scheduled to graduate on Saturday. Two of those 86 student-athletes were named among UF’s Outstanding Senior Leaders on campus (Chris Leak,
2006 and Tim Tebow, 2009). One hundred and thirty one of his student athletes were named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll at Florida, including a league-record 37 in 2008. More than 37 percent of his scholarship players earned above a 3.0 GPA in the Spring of 2009 and Tebow won the William V. Campbell Trophy last year, also known as the Academic Heisman.

Meyer is one of two active coaches to win a pair of outright national championships (2006 and 2008), coach a Heisman Trophy winner (Tebow) and coach a first-overall draft pick in the NFL Draft (Alex Smith).

Meyer also connected with the fans, student body and The Gator Nation.
He initiated the Gator Walk, a pre-game tradition that had the players enter the stadium through a tunnel of enthusiastic and vibrant fans two hours before kickoff. He began the tradition of players signing the school fight song to the student section at the conclusion of home games. Meyer invited former players back with open arms and had Captains’ Legacy Weekend – inviting all former UF captains back for Homecoming weekend.

Meyer also spearheaded the plans for a $28-million expansion of the football facility which features an expanded weight room, new football offices and the Bill Heavener Football Complex. The state-of-the art building pays tribute to Florida’s proud tradition, championships and all-time great players.

In addition to his on the field accomplishments, Meyer has also championed efforts in community service in Gainesville.

Meyer recently spearheaded a local effort to feed needy families in the local community with St. Augustine’s Catholic Church. Meyer’s donation and 50-plus members of the football team bagged food and goods that would last a week during the Thanksgiving Holiday.

A new initiative beginning in 2009, UF football players performed more than 400 hours of community service each year, as each student-athlete attended at least two Goodwill Gator events per semester.

In the spring of 2009, the “Swamp Field Trip” was available to local middle schools as a reward for their students who achieved good grades, were involved in community service, had major improvements, etc.
The students had the opportunity to speak with a group of players and had a special tour of the football facility given by the players.

The UF football team held the inaugural Gator Charity Challenge in August of 2008 at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in front of approximately 1,800 people. The fundraiser featured the 2008 Gators challenging each other in a series of strength competitions to raise funds and awareness for six charities that were selected by the football program and are affiliated with Shands, a University partner. The charities were the American Cancer Society, American Diabetes Association, American Heart Association, Children’s Miracle Network, March of Dimes and the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. The Gator Charity Challenge was held in association with Uplifting Athletes.

In the spring of 2008, Meyer initiated a mentor program for young at-risk males. Working with the African-American Accountability Alliance of Alachua County task force, the program BLAQUE (Bold Leaders, Achieving Quality, Unity and Excellence) was developed. The program partnered 15 area middle school children with a Gator football player and a community leader. The goal is to affect change in the lives of at-risk black youth.

In the spring of 2005 and 2006, Meyer worked closely with student-body leaders on campus on a community service initiative surrounding the annual Orange and Blue Spring Game. Student leaders sold Orange and Blue spirit bands prior to the Spring Game with proceeds benefiting the Children’s Miracle Network. Fans that purchased the bands were then asked to assist members of the UF coaching staff and football team in the planning of more than 400 crape myrtle trees on Radio Road on campus.

Meyer’s goodwill efforts have extended beyond his football family.
Inspired by Tebow’s missionary work, Meyer and his family spent time in the Dominican Republic on a missionary trip in June of 2008.

Meyer has mentored 10 coaches who have gone on to become Division I head coaches. Six of the seven served as coordinators under Meyer. In 2003, Gregg Brandon succeeded Meyer as head coach at Bowling Green, while 2005 saw Kyle Whittingham take over for Meyer at Utah. Also in 2005, Mike Sanford took the reins at UNLV. Tim Beckman was named head coach at Toledo in December of 2008. This season was Dan Mullen’s second as head coach at Mississippi State following his time as offensive coordinator at UF. Former Florida defensive coordinator Charlie Strong was hired as the head coach at the University of Louisville in December of 2009. John “Doc” Holliday, an assistant for UF in 2005 and 2006, was named head coach at Marshall last December and, most recently, former defensive line coach Dan McCarney was named the head coach at North Texas.

Meyer came to UF from Utah, where Meyer closed out his stint in Salt Lake City with 16 consecutive wins. He began his UF career with four-straight wins to extend his head coaching winning streak to 20 games. With its post-season bid to the Fiesta Bowl, Utah made history by becoming the first school from a non-Bowl Championship Series conference to earn a berth in a BCS Bowl. Utah finished as the outright 2004 Mountain West Conference champion to become the only back-to-back outright winners in the league’s history.

Meyer began his head coaching career at Bowling Green in 2001, where he engineered the top turnaround in NCAA Division I-A football, showing a six-win improvement from the previous season. The Falcons rebounded from a 2-9 record to post their first winning season since 1994 with an 8-3 finish.

Meyer’s 17-6 (.739) record at Bowling Green included a 5-0 mark against BCS teams and two wins over ranked opponents.

Meyer apprenticed at Ohio State (1986-87), Illinois State (1988-89), Colorado State (1990-95) and Notre Dame (1996-2000) before getting the head job at Bowling Green. The Ashtabula, Ohio, native learned the coaching trade from the likes of Sonny Lubick, Lou Holtz, Earle Bruce and Bob Davie.

As you probably read earlier, Kentucky has signed on to tip off the college basketball season in…

Here’s a chart comparing John Wall’s first seven games at Kentucky to Brandon Knight’s first seven games at UK. If you remember, Wall sat out Kentucky’s first game last year as part of his punishment for receiving extra benefits while an amateur. You will also notice, that Wall played 13 more minutes than Knight to this point, but took 23 fewer shots. Wall had 30 more assists, but two fewer turnovers than Knight at this point. And Brandon has had a harder time getting to the foul line. Wall had taken nearly twice as many free throws by this point. That’s the main reason why Wall had scored 11 more points.

Update: Now official, as Florida has issued a release.

Brett McMurphy of AOL FanHouse is reporting that Urban Meyer is stepping down as Florida’s football coach.

He says there will be a press conference tonight.

Gator Updates claims there will be a press conference at 5 p.m.

Get ready for the Charlie Strong to Florida rumors. The Louisville coach was defensive coordinator at UF before finally getting his head coaching shot at U of L. Ironically, Strong was named co-Big East Coach of the Year today with UConn’s Randy Edsall.

More of John Calipari’s meeting with the media yesterday to talk about tonight’s game with Notre Dame.

Urban Meyer Resigns

CFN: SEC Bloggers’ All-Conference Team

Mr.SEC.com has a great recap on the state of play in the Vanderbilt coaching search. The search for a new head football coach run by Vice Chancellor Williams has been a model from which future searches will be run in college (if Williams ever decides to run a seminar, I’d recommend Tennessee’s Athletic Director Mike Hamilton attend. Biddle and Climer can chip in for the registration fee). According to the Mr. SEC report and Jeff Lockridge’s Tennessean piece in yesterday’s paper, the remaining candidates are: Tulsa Coach Todd Graham, Nebraska offensive coordinator Shawn Watson, Maryland offensive coordinator James Franklin, Michigan State offensive coordinator Don Treadwell and Wisconsin defensive coordinator Dave Doeren. Of these 5 supposed candidates, only 1 is a head coach, 3 are offensive coordinators, and 1 is a defensive coordinator. Notably, 2 of the candidates come from the Big Ten, with 1 from the ACC, Big 12 (although soon to be member of the Big 10), and C-USA. The SEC does not have a representative according to the lists that are out there. According to Mr. SEC there are still people in Nashville who say Randy Shannon might not be completely off the list at this point, although FootballScoop.com says: “[Kentucky Head Coach] Joker Phillips is interested in hiring Randy Shannon to run the Kentucky defense.”

Florida coach Urban Meyer agreed to a six-year, $24-million contract after winning a second national title. (Orlando Sentinel photo)

It should come as no surprise that when USA Today released its list of FBS coaches’ salaries, that Florida’s Urban Meyer was near the top. Only three coaches – Alabama’s Nick Saban, Texas’ Mack Brown and Oklahoma’s Bob Stoops – make more than Meyer.

Florida released the details of Meyer’s contract, which he signed on Oct. 1, 2009, last week. Here’s where Meyer falls in the SEC.

Kentucky leads the series with Notre Dame 41-18. The Cats have a 23-9 record against the Irish at Freedom Hall. In fact, Notre Dame has lost 10 straight games in the building, including the last seven against Lousiville.

Notre Dame’s last win at Freedom Hall came on Dec. 27, 1980 when Digger Phelps’ team beat Joe B. Hall’s Cats 67-61.

Three of the last four games Notre Dame has played at Freedom Hall have gone into overtime. Last year, Mike Brey’s club lost 91-89 to Louisville in double overtime. In 2009, Louisville beat Notre Dame 87-73 in overtime. In 2006, Louisville beat the Irish 89-86 in overtime.

Here are the last 15 meetings between the Cats and the Irish:

Go here to check out my comprehensive preview of tonights renewal of one of UK’s oldest rivalries.

Go ‘Cats!

Tonight, the Kentucky Wildcats take on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in my home town of Louisville at the former home of the Louisville Cardinals (and now Rupp Arena West), Freedom Hall.  Of course, yours truly and the missus will be at the event enjoying the evening.  For that reason, Ken will be doing the postmortem tonight.

Those of us who have been around a few years (some may read as “old”) remember the day when there was a genuine rivalry between Kentucky and Notre Dame.  For those of you who don’t remember that rivalry, I’d like to refresh your memory by referring you here and here.  Those two links are to Jon Scott’s site, BigBlueNation.net, which have not just one but two rivalry pages about Notre Dame.

Let’s take a look at how these two teams compare, record wise, this year:

Kentucky, so far, has played a much, much tougher schedule including more games away from home.  But the Irish have defeated their only RPI top 50 opponent, while Kentucky has lost 2 of their three games versus the RPI top 50, but does have one big win versus the highly ranked Washington Huskies.

Moving on to roster changes, let’s see what has happened to the Notre Dame roster between last year and this:

Of course, we all are aware of the loss of Luke Harangody, who led the Irish in scoring and rebounding for a couple of years, but also notable is Tory Jackson, who was the straw that stirred the Irish cocktail last year, dishing out over 5 assists per game.

Not much to say here.  Eric Atkins was a Rivals.com 4* recruit out of high school and is playing major reserve minutes in his first year, even starting one game.

Unlike Kentucky, Notre Dame’s roster is chock full of juniors and seniors, and that fact will matter against Kentucky.  The Irish are not as talented, but they are vastly more experienced and every single one of these players with the exception of the freshmen have been playing in coach Mike Brey’s system for years.

The Four Factors to Winning

The Four Factors for this game look like this:

As you can see, this chart favors Notre Dame, slightly.  They get to the line more often and rebound the ball offensively better than Kentucky, at least when we consider the numbers strictly.  Kentucky shoots a little better and both teams take good care of the ball

What this chart does not tell you is that ND has done all it’s damage versus weak teams.  The toughest team Notre Dame has played was the Wisconsin Badgers on a neutral floor, and they won that low-scoring affair 58-51.  Notre Dame did also beat a pretty good Georgia Bulldogs team on a neutral court in overtime, so if you want a pretty good idea of where this team is, look at that particular game.  That game was a foul fest heavily in favor of the Fighting Irish, just like the UNC-Kentucky game was.  The Dawgs’ athleticism forced the Irish into 20% turnovers, an uncharacteristically high number for the normally circumspect Irish.

Overall Game Analysis

This game pits solid, mature Division I players against NBA-talented freshmen, something Kentucky will see a lot this year.  Mike Brey’s squad is a solid offensive club with mostly the same strengths and weaknesses as Kentucky, except that UK is stronger defensively.

But one thing they do a lot better than Kentucky is get to the line and shoot free throws.  As we all know by now, that is the most efficient way to score in basketball, and Kentucky must find a way to minimize the impact of that statistic, either by getting a high percentage of offensive rebounds, or shooting a very high eFG%.

One of the things we have seen so far this year from John Calipari is that he is not pressuring as much on defense as he did last year, and consequently, UK is not producing turnovers at a very high rate.  Notre Dame does not really pressure much on defense, being more of a club that tries to beat you with offensive efficiency. 

It will be instructive to see if Calipari tries to attack Notre Dame’s ballhandling like Georgia did.  It didn’t quite work out for Georgia, and with Kentucky’s thin bench, I don’t think I’d bet on that approach.

Overall, Kentucky will have to win this basketball game by doing what it has done all season — taking care of the ball, doing a good job on the offensive glass, and hitting shots. Kentucky is an improving defensive club, and if they continue to improve, it will mean good things versus the Irish.

FootballScoop.com is reporting that Furman likely plans to hire either Robbie Caldwell or Bruce Fowler as head coach. VSLNation wishes both former Commodore coaches the best.

USA Today has comprehensive report on just exactly what college football coaches made in 2010.

I’ve broken it down SEC coaches by total compensation, by cost of each win, and by cost of each SEC win.

We were told this might be a possiblity.  If Wannstedt coaches the bowl game, which he has reportedly been given the opportunity to do, his team will most likely be pumped to send him out a winner.

If I should ever get on Jeopardy and the category of Arkansas Bowl Trivia pops up on the screen, haha, like I am sure that is going to happen, I think I would run through it rather successfully given how much time I’ve spent thinking about this subject, its dark record of failure, its bright few moments of glory.  Unfortunately, I could say, “What is a loss, Alex?” more than a few times. But today I want to concentrate on wins. Gotta start that positive mojo going for the Sugar Bowl. So take a look at this trivia question, think about it, vote your best guess, and then look in the comment section for the answer.

The Commodores face their toughest match-up of the year tonight when they take on the Missouri Tigers at the Zou (which is an awesome nickname for their arena, by the way). The game is at 9/8 CST and will be shown on ESPNU.

Liveblog: Kentucky-Notre Dame basketball

Big Blue Links for Wednesday:

• Will experience be enough for Notre Dame against Kentucky? asks Tim Noie of the South Bend Tribune.
• Noie gives five reasons why Notre Dame has climbed quickly.
• UK men still adjusting to college terrain, writes Jerry Tipton of the Herald-Leader.
• Freedom Hall colors itself blue, writes Tipton.
• DeAndre Liggins finally hitting his stride at Kentucky, writes Brian Hamilton of the Chicago Tribune.
• My column says the Cats seem to go as Terrence Jones goes.
• Notre Dame trying to boost its resume, writes Tony Krausz of the Ft. Wayne Journal Gazette.
• Kentucky basketball daily-double is a winner for Louisville, says Eric Crawford of the Courier-Journal.
• Wildcat Coal Lodge to be smaller, more expensive, reports Cheryl Truman of the Herald-Leader.
• Joker Phillips continues reshaping his coaching staff, reports Chip Cosby of the Herald-Leader.

• Larry Vaught of the Danville Advocate-Messenger looks at possible UK staff replacements.
• Pittsburgh leaves Dave Wannstedt out in the cold, writes Matt Hinton of Yahoo Sports.
• Wannstedt resigns, but will stay at Pitt, reports Paul Ziese of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
• Jennifer Smith of the H-L reports on the UK women’s rout of Tennessee Tech.
• Calipari says team will get better, reports Will Graves of the AP.
• Veteran Notre Dame a big challenge for the Cats, writes Brett Dawson of the Courier-Journal.
• B.W. Jones of the Kentucky Kernel profiles UK strength coach Rock Oliver.
• Basketball team learning to battle through adversity, writes Eric Lindsey of Cat Scratches.
• Doron Lamb is a good fit for the Cats, says Luke Winn of sportsillustrated.com.
• Kentucky marks its territory in Louisville, says Diamond Leung of espn.com.
• North Carolina game was a wake-up call for Terrence Jones, writes Aaron Smith of the Kentucky Kernel.
• Kentucky trounces Tennessee Tech, reports T.J. Walker of the Kernel.
• Joker Phillips shaking things up, says Kent Spencer of WTVQ.
• Terrence Jones wants to change, says Alan Cutler of WLEX-TV.
• Antoine Walker joins the Idaho Stampede, reports All Kentucky Hoops.
• A Sea of Blue looks at the possible form of the Enes Kanter appeal.
• Josh Harris talks with Bleed Blue Kentucky.
• Straitpinkie previews Kentucky vs. Notre Dame.
• Todd Kirby of Nation of Blue wonders whatever happened to Michael Chandler?
• Wildcat Blue Nation previews the enemy that is Notre Dame.

(AP photo/David Goldman)

SEC links for Wednesday:

• Three-pointer gives Georgia win over Georgia Tech, reports Carroll Rogers of the AJC.
• Ware makes seven threes in win over Yellow Jackets, writes Roger Clarkson of the Athens Banner-Herald.
• Bulldogs’ win big help to hoped-for breakthrough season, writes Seth Emerson of the Macon Telegraph.
• Arkansas prepared for Seton Hall tonight at Freedom Hall, writes Robbie Neiswanger of the Arkansas News.
• Jeff Lockridge of the Tennessean reports that Vanderbilt faces a tough road test tonight at Missouri.
• Tennessee is set to welcome transfer Jeronne Maymon, reports Wes Rucker of the Chattanooga Times Free Press.
• Rachel George of the Orlando Sentinel compares Cameron Newton’s season with Tim Tebow’s Heisman season.
• Cecil Newton should be barred from the Heisman Trophy ceremony, writes Kevin Scarbinsky of the Birmingham News.
• BCS title game won’t feature much defense, writes Joe Medley of the Anniston Star.

• John Adams of the Knoxville News-Sentinel writes that Tennessee suffers from a lack of acclaim, but not promise.
• Gene Stallings humbled by Hall of Fame induction, reports Don Kausler, Jr. of the Birmingham News.
• Lobbying effort helped deliver Gator Bowl bid to Mississippi State, reports Brad Locke of the NE Mississippi Daily Journal.
• Gator made the simple choice by picking MSU, writes David Miller of the Columbus Dispatch.
• Georgia native eager to face Georgia in Liberty Bowl, writes Iliana Limon of the Orlando Sentinel.