When Kevin Stallings put nearby Middle Tennessee State on the Commodores’ 2012 basketball slate, you can bet he didn’t expect for the Blue Raiders to come in boasting a 19-2 record and a perfect 8-0 mark in the Sun Belt Conference:


“It certainly looks like a tough game right now.  You can expect all of them to be tough, but Middle’s having a great year.  They have a very, very good team.  (Belmont coach) Rick Byrd told me early in the year when he played them after the first times, he said, ‘I’m telling you, they’re not really good for Middle or really good for their league.  They’re really good.’  They’ve certainly proven him to be 100% correct.”


Vandy and MTSU battle at Memorial Gym tomorrow afternoon.  The Commodores have won nine of their last 10 games and crushed Tennessee on Tuesday.

Earlier this week, Vanderbilt head coach Kevin Stallings made it clear that he’s not happy that East Division rival Kentucky won’t have to play a Thursday-Sunday turnaround for the second-straight year.  (Like the one Vandy faces against Alabama and MSU tonight and Saturday.)

Yesterday, we gave you our take — that ESPN and CBS will always beg to get Kentucky (especially when at home at Rupp) lined up with their best timeslots.  UK is the SEC’s flagship program and best TV draw.  If that means more Tuesday games and less Thursday games for the Cats then ESPN is likely A-OK with it… even if it means someone else will move into those Thursday slots.

Jeff Lockridge of The Tennessean took Stallings’ complaint to the SEC office and got this reply from Craig Pinkerton, the league’s director of media relations:


“The SEC’s athletics directors have established a set of parameters to follow when building the men’s basketball schedule.  These parameters are in place to ensure that the schedule is as equitable as possible and enables the SEC to fulfill its contractual obligations with television.  We make our best effort to balance out the Thursday-Saturday tandem among all of the teams.  Last year we began moving some Thursday games to Tuesday to alleviate some of the issues with the quick turnaround.  Now we are playing two games Tuesday night with an ESPNU game that leads inot the ESPN Super Tuesday matchup.

We try to get every team at least one game and no more than four games on Thursday night.  The key issues is avoiding teams playing on the road for both parts of a Thursday-Saturday tandem.”


The bottom line?  Scheduling isn’t as easy as some think.  Especially with television thrown into the mix.  If Vandy was happy about its schedule, another school would be upset with its slate.  There’s no way to please everyone.  (Especially fans who will always view their schedule as the toughest and some other school’s as the easiest.)

Finally, we believe Stallings would have made a better point if he’d pointed out that Auburn, LSU and Kentucky all avoided the Thursday-Saturday turnaround.  Instead, he just mentioned UK.

College football is a cold, cruel world to athletes.  If a school recruits you and signs you only to learn that your upside really isn’t as good as they initially thought… you’re adios’ed so fast your head spins.

Ah, but if you do all that you can for the school, find yourself unhappy, and want to transfer out… good luck getting clearance to do so.

That’s the lay of the land in this, the year of our Lord two-thousand-and-twelve.  And it’s the same all over.  Even at Vanderbilt.

Wait, what?  Even at Vanderbilt?

If there were any doubts that James Franklin is turning around the Commodores program, this next wee bit of controversy should put them to rest.

Following the Liberty Bowl, senior tight end Brandon Barden tweeted the following message:

“If you go to Vandy now, you seriously sign a ONE year scholarship #dirtygame #gladtomoveon”

Sour grapes from one disgruntled player in serious need of some gruntling?  Maybe.  But Franklin also told The Tennessean yesterday that a number of redshirt juniors have decided not to return for their senior years.

“A lot of guys walked for Senior Day and a large number of those guys decided (not to return),” Franklin said.  “That’s not based on our decision, but guys graduating and guys who haven’t been playing or not playing a significant role who are going to go get jobs or may go play at smaller schools.”

More players leaving means more spots are open on the VU roster.  And that means Franklin can better cash in on the positivity created during his first season in Nashville which ended with a 6-7 record and a bowl trip.

But like every other football coach on the face of the planet, Franklin is shocked by the suggestion that he might have encouraged some of his players to look elsewhere.

“I would put our record of what we’ve done this year and what our athletic department and university have done for a long time against anybody.  Most new coaches come in and there’s all kinds of new turnover in the program.  I find (Barden’s twee) really interesting.

When you have 105 guys on a team and you’ve just suffered a tough loss, here’s going to be some things said.  There are decisions made where guys don’t know the whole story behind it.  It’s like I told the team, I have no problem with them coming in and talking to me and I’ll explain it to them.”

Our take?  Franklin has Vandy in a position where it can act like other big-time football programs.  And if a coach — any coach — can run off a few guys to open up more slots on signing day, he’s going to do it.

That doesn’t make it right, of course.  But Franklin’s not doing anything at VU that isn’t being done elsewhere.  The surprising part is that he’s got Vandy in this position after just one season.

James Franklin — perhaps the least-heralded hire of all the coaching moves in America last offseason — has Vanderbilt going bowling in his first year.  His fiery demeanor has also brought attention to VU (and himself) from across the SEC.  The Commodores might not be world-beaters at 6-6, but they sure aren’t a laughing stock any longer.

As a reward for Franklin’s success, Vanderbilt is working on an extension for its new coach.  Some Nashville outlets quote vice chancellor of athletics David Williams as saying a deal is already in place.  Other Nashville sites quote Williams as saying “We’re trying to work on something.”

While the school is planning to make a bigger commitment to its coach in terms of salary and security, Vandy is not yet ready to fork over cash for an indoor practice facility that Franklin has campaigned for.

“We hope to have something and keep working and see what we can do,” Williams said.  “Right now we’re not in a position to move anything on that.  But we’re going to be working real hard to do all of the things we can do and need to do.”

Franklin has also made it pretty clear throughout the season that attendance at Vanderbilt Stadium has disappointed him.  Williams told The Tennessean yesterday that VU fans will need to help the school hang on to its successful, young coach.


“We’re fighting now in a situation of bowl picking… trying to get different bowl people to understand the value of having Vanderbilt in their bowl.  And one of the questions is, ‘Well, will a lot of people come?’

Those are all sort of things that need to be part of this equation.  I can do a lot and Vanderbilt can do a lot, but I can’t come over to your house and pick you up and make you sit in the stands or make you go to one of the bowl sites.

I think Coach has proved himself.  He’s a good football coach.  He’s a good person.  He’s a good part of this community.  Vanderbilt is prepared to step up and support that.

I just think we all have to stand up and support it and basically show the rest of the world, and more importantly show all of our coaches, we’re going to support you and fill up the place and travel with you.”


While Franklin deserves much of the credit for the Commodores’ success this year, the work of Bobby Johnson should not be forgotten.  Johnson made VU competitive during his reign and actually took the Dores to their first bowl since 1982 in 2008.  (The current VU senior class is the first in school history to reach two bowl games during a career.)

Johnson’s team slipped to 2-10 in his final season and Robbie Caldwell matched that record last year.  But Johnson had been stockpiling players for the future.  Franklin inherited a team with 28 redshirt juniors and seniors.  Think about that.  That’s a lot of guys that Johnson put on the shelf to age while he battled with a thinner roster.  Toss in nine more true juniors and true seniors and it’s clear Franklin has been working with a roster of men, not boys.  Johnson deserves some credit for that.

Vanderbilt will spend New Year’s Eve either in Nashville at the Music City Bowl or in Memphis at the Liberty Bowl.  We suspect the Music City will select MSU in hopes of bringing more fans to town.  That would leave the Liberty to deal with what would likely be a small Vandy turnout in Memphis.  On the flipside, VU players would at least get to go to a bowl outside of town.  In ’08, Vandy played in the Music City Bowl.

Now here’s one you don’t see everyday…

Vanderbilt sophomore safety Andre Simmons has been arrested and charged with felony counts of burglary and robbery.  He has also been suspended indefinitely from James Franklin’s team.

Jeff Lockridge of The Tennessean provides the details:


“According to a Davidson County affidavit, two black males — one armed with a handgun — entered Lupton Hall on Tuesday and took $5,000 from a safe in the room of Zachary Abelman, a sophomore forward on the school’s club ice hockey team.  A fight ensued and Abelman was struck in the head with the gun.

One suspect ran out with the money while Simmons, 19, stayed behind to keep Abelman in the room.  Once Simmons left, he was chased by Abelman and others to the Terrace Place Garage.  Metro Police were called and took Simmons into custody there.”


If were to list all of the ways in which Simmons’ alleged actions were stupid this post would be 15 paragraphs long.

Incredible.

James Franklin has quickly turned around the in-game fortunes of the Vanderbilt football team.  Now he needs to do something about VU’s postgame reputation.

Last week, Franklin himself took offense to a Georgia player’s taunts and wound up in a heated postgame exchange with UGA defensive coordinator Todd Grantham.  On Saturday, Vanderbilt dissed the US Military Academy with its postgame behavior.  Today the school issued an apology that read in part:


“We at Vanderbilt University would like to publicly offer our sincere apology for the events that occurred at the conclusion of our recent football game.  While our football team performed our alma mater with our fans and band, the Black Knights, their band and cheerleaders, as well as their fans, stood at attention and honored us as would a worthy foe.  However, after we were finished and the Black Knights began to perform their alma mater, our football team left the field and our loud speaker blasted music that had the result of drowning out the performing of your alma mater.

While there was no intention to be disrespectful, this was wrong and was a huge mistake on our part.  There is no excuse for this oversight; we were just wrong and we are truly sorry.”


A nice touch by the Commodore brass to offer a public mea culpa.

The University of Missouri board of curators is scheduled to begin a press conference with reporters as soon as their final closed session meeting wraps up.  That meeting has already run longer than expected.

As any SEC-related announcement is made, we’ll let you know right here.

* The presser was tentatively scheduled for 12:30pm ET.  It’s now 1:15pm.  Still we wait.

* And still waiting.  An MU backdrop is not being put up in the media room.

* AD Mike Alden is scheduled to be on hand for the presser.

* Unanimous resolution: Chancellor Brady Deaton has authority to engage in contract talks with other conferences.  

* Missouri also wants to look at continuing to play football and basketball games in Kansas City.  (Why offer to play games in KC if you aren’t leaving that area and those area rivals?)

* 2 + 2 = SEC

* Deaton wouldn’t speak specifically about leaving Big 12 or joining SEC, but things wouldn’t have gotten this far if the SEC and Missouri hadn’t already nailed things down.

* This is almost the exact timeline that Texas A&M followed when entering the SEC.

* MU reps are working hard to not say too much — due to legal concerns — but it certainly looks as though Mizzou and the SEC are going to start speeding up the process.

* “No timeline” set but MU expects things to move “expeditiously.”

* “This is a very complex transaction to consider.”  “We have to exercise our fiduciary duty.”  By giving Deaton the the right to cut a new contract, MU is all but announcing they’re leaving the Big 12.

* Missouri anticipates any move it makes taking place before next season.


1:54 — That’s it for now.  Mizzou is heading toward the SEC and the chancellor now has the ability to act on his own without having to run back and forth for board approval.  The next stop — from what was suggested today — will be an announcement that Missouri has reached an agreement with the SEC or it has decided to stay.  There will be no “What do we need to do to leave the Big 12?” step as there was in Texas A&M’s case.

We continue to believe that Missouri’s move to the SEC will be completed by mid- to late-next week.

We’ll have reaction on the site later this afternoon.

Vanderbilt is expected to have a Top 10-caliber hoops team this season.  Vanderbilt is expected to challenge Kentucky and Florida for the SEC championship.  But Vanderbilt has an early-season problem on its hands.

Senior center Festus Ezeli has been suspended for the first six games of the season for accepting improper benefits from a Vanderbilt alum.  Ezeli had a meal — egads! — and a hotel room paid for by the VU fan while he was visiting friends this summer.

“I am very sorry and would never want to jeopardize my college career over such a petty thing as a meal or a hotel room,” the 6-11 big man said in a press release.  “I would have been able to afford those things myself.  I have always tried to do the right thing; I should have known better and am embarrassed that my mistake could affect my team.”

Vanderbilt officials reported the violation to the SEC and the NCAA in early August.

“Festus Ezeli is a good, honest student-athlete that accepted an act of kindness from a Vanderbilt alum and now faces the consequences,” said vice chancellor of athletics David Williams.  “We have a very good compliance education process in place and this incident shows how easily someone can fall astray, even with the best intentions.  We discovered this matter, reported it promptly and cooperated fully with the NCAA and its process and well abide by its conclusion.”

This story will no doubt leave NCAA-haters — and they are legion — outraged.  “A meal and a hotel room,” they’ll shout.

While we agree this seems to be “a petty thing,” the NCAA must draw a line somewhere.  When dealing with thousands of athletes across the country, it’s easier to just nix any kind of extra benefit altogether.  If the NCAA went about it any other way, there would be debates about what the cut-off point should be:

Four meals are okay, but five are too many?

Dinner at McDonald’s is okay, but dinner at a top-dollar restaurant is not?

A weekend hotel stay is okay, but three nights is too many?

So the NCAA drew the line and Ezeli stepped over it.  At least he’ll be back before conference play starts.  Of course, any early season losses the Commodores suffer as a result of his the center’s absence could impact the team’s RPI — and thus seeding — come March.

Vanderbilt vice chancellor of athletics David Williams recently sat down for a lengthy chat on SEC expansion with Jeff Lockridge of The Tennessean.  His comments are quite interesting as he discusses the impact of expansion on VU, the (absurd) idea that Vandy might be ousted from the league, and what the league would look for in a 14th school.  (The gist of his answer: there are too many variables to list and he believes the league might spend “a couple of years” with 13 schools.)

He was also asked if the conference shuffle is strictly about getting into new markets for TV purposes.  His response:


“Anytime somebody is going to expand in this day and age, if they can see an upside in TV revenue or TVs being turned on, that will certainly be a consideration of it.  But there are other reasons.  The Big Ten needed a 12th team.  The Pac-10, I think, was a little concerned that they were sort of isolated on that West Coast, and how do we sort of expand and make some noise?  The Big 12 looks like they’re going to try to just throw some times in to stay in business.  Texas A&M comes to us and says, ‘We’d like to come to your conference.  We don’t want to be in the Big 12 anymore.’  And we may see an opportunity to expand or protect our brand.  The ACC obviously gets some television stuff up in the Northeast, but in the same time (they think) this may help us solidify our conference.

Sometimes, if I’m at 10 (schools in a conference) and someone is looking to take me to eight, maybe my best defense is to go on the offense and to go to 12.”


The full interview can be found here.  Good stuff.

Two weeks into the season, it’s gotta be time to reveal some rankings and report cards, right?  Right.

CBSSports.com’s Brett McMurphy has given grades to the 24 new FBS coaches in the country.  At the top of the list with an A+ grade is… Vanderbilt’s James Franklin:


“Franklin had never been a head coach at any level until this year and so far, so good.  He’s already matched Vanderbilt’s win total each of the past two years with a 2-0 start.  With remaining games against Ole Miss, Army, Kentucky and Wake Forest, Franklin might just be able to squeeze out the Commodores’ first bowl berth since 2008.”


The question is: When will Nashvillians start turning out to watch Franklin’s team play?  The new coach has already said his team deserves support for it’s 2-0 start.  (Which makes us wonder what he’ll be thinking a year or two into the job, because Vandy fans rarely turn out for football.)

Another question: How do Ole Miss and Kentucky fans like being drawn up as potential Vandy victims?