It was the kind of decision that typically winds up permanently affixed to a coach’s bio.  Like Tom Osborne’s decision to go for two — and the win — against Miami (FL) in the Orange Bowl in January of ’84.  Like Les Miles’ decision to eschew a field goal, risk the clock running out and throw for the end zone against Auburn in 2007.

Faced with a bang-bang decision and a clock quickly working its way down to double zeroes in last December’s SEC Championship Game, Georgia coaches elected not to spike the football to stop the clock.  Instead Aaron Murray completed a pass short of the goal line on the game’s final play and Alabama secured the SEC title and a berth in the BCS Championship Game by protecting the final five yards of Georgia Dome turf.

Five months later, UGA offensive coordinator Mike Bobo now says the Dawgs were ready with one more call had the final seconds not evaporated.  Interestingly, that play would have come from Urban Meyer’s old playbook and not Georgia’s:

“We had actually gone back to, I don’t know what it was, it was one of the Florida-Alabama games, where Alabama had given up three red zone scores to Florida (2008 SEC Championship Game).  It was a play that Florida had actually ran against Alabama.  It was an empty set, and had two primary frontside, and a double-slant backside.  It was something from ’08 or ’09 that Tebow had completed against them.  Because I remember after that game, (Alabama defensive coordinator) Kirby (Smart) was talking about how, ‘We just couldn’t stop them in the red zone.’  So we just studied that hard…

We had some plans, we just didn’t have a chance to call those plays.”

Bobo, saying his team will have to learn to live with the end of the 2012 SEC title game, admitted that “I don’t think we’re ever gonna get over that game.”

You can find highlights of that game below:

SEC Football

1. The case of Georgia offensive lineman Kolton Houston is becoming a national story.

2. High expectations have arrived quickly at Texas A&M. Kevin Sumlin better be ready, writes Barrett Sallee.

3. Alabama’s current dynasty is the fourth best of the AP era, according to Braden Gall. Here are the top 25.

4. From Athlon Sports: Will LSU or Texas A&M finisher higher in the SEC West?

5. Tennessee’s recent hires show the importance of “familiarity and trust” for the program.

6. Georgia safety Tray Matthews is one of ten early enrollees to watch this fall.

SEC Basketball

7. Here’s an early projection for the upcoming SEC basketball season. (Andrew Wiggins’ decision pending)

SEC in the NFL

8. “The sky’s the limit” for Cam Newton with the Carolina Panthers, according to offensive coordinator coach Mike Shula.

9. Former Alabama offensive tackle D.J. Fluker is trying to embrace a leadership role with the San Diego Chargers.

10. Former SEC players Sam Montgomery and D.J. Swearinger are reunited in Houston after playing together in high school.

11. Tyler Bray is happy to have a shot with Kansas City after making “a lot of mistakes” during his time at Tennessee.

Extra

12. What if there were an NFL team made up of former Alabama and LSU players? Let’s look.

13. Let this be a lesson to other young players: former NFL WR Titus Young was arrested for the third time in a week.

SEC Football

1. Is Auburn still shopping for a transfer quarterback? “We’ve got two guys currently, we’ve got three coming in. We feel like all of them can play.”

2. The trial of  former Auburn player Dakota Mosley - who was prominent in ESPN’s coverage of failed synthetic marijuana tests – remains tentatively scheduled for June 10.

3. Auburn assistant coach Dameyune Craig is getting attention for his work on the recruiting trail. (Also see our SEC Recruiting Notebook from earlier today).

4. Nick Saban with an endorsement of a power conference schedule.  He likes what the Big Ten is doing – moving away from playing FCS schools.  “I’m for five conferences – everybody playing everybody in those five conferences.”

5. Jeff Schultz on the Alabama coach : ”When Saban speaks, everybody listens now.” Pat Forde: “There is no longer a viable excuse for the rich not to play a nine-game conference schedule.”

6. Saban updates spring practice injuries – including running back Derrick Henry.

7. Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel and his NFL critics.

8. Georgia offensive coordinator Mike Bobo is guarding against complacency.  ”I’m not the most popular guy with our offensive football team right now.”

9. Tennessee secondary looks thin after the departure of cornerback Daniel Gray.

10. Some marquee non-conference matchups involving SEC teams.

Bob Stoops/SEC

11. David Climer on Bob Stoops’ comments regarding the SEC.  ”The Oklahoma coach is right.”  Top six SEC teams went 30-0 against the bottom eight in 2012.

12. Matt Hayes disagrees: “Last year, the Big 12 had one team in the top 10 of the final BCS regular season poll. The SEC had six.”

13. Joe Walljasper: “Look, we don’t judge the Jacksons on the merits of Rebbie and La Toya.”

14. MrSEC’s take  -  top to bottom –the SEC dominates everyone else come bowl season.

SEC Basketball

15. Long rumored – finally happening. Georgia assistant coach Kwanza Johnson leaving for a job with TCU. Bulldogs only getting Florida, Tennessee and Kentucky on the road next year.  Coach Mark Fox:  ”Those are our biggest draws, and we don’t have that at home, so that’s concerning,”

16. I count five former SEC players on this list of those invited to NBA combine.  One of them is former Mizzou point guard Phil Pressey.

17. The question that will be asked all year – Kentucky or Louisville?

18. Referees could be getting some leeway on players elbowing an opponent above the shoulders. Also some changes coming to the block/charge call.

Extras

19. Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany will be deposed in Ed O’Bannon lawsuit against NCAA.

20. . Concern over a toe was apparently the reason why former Alabama running back Eddie Lacy fell to late in the second round of the NFL draft.

21. Jeff Pearlman: “ Were it not for (Donald) Trump, (Tim) Tebow may very well have a job right now.” (If you’ve ever watched the ESPN documentary-  ”Small Potatoes: Who Killed The USFL?” – you’ll know why Pearlman’s comments make sense.)

How can the Georgia Bulldogs beat South Carolina this year?  By channeling their inner “Mean Machine” and drawing inspiration from Paul “Wrecking” Crewe, of course.  That’s the word from Georgia offensive coordinator Mike Bobo, asked Thursday night, how best to handle South Carolina star defensive lineman Jadeveon Clowney. But beyond the reference to the “The Longest Yard”, it’s clear the man in charge of Georgia’s offense is thinking about the potential havoc Clowney can wreak.

“I think we’re gonna do the ol’ Burt Reynolds-Longest Yard, not block and let (Aaron) Murray throw it.

“The guy’s gonna get his. We can’t throw the ball backwards if he’s about to sack us, and we’ve gotta hold on to the ball and not turn a bad play into a catastrophe. That’s what’s gotta happen. Because he’s a great player. He’s one of those guys you sit there and try to (decide): Can you do this, can you do that. … I don’t know. We gotta play hard, and realize that he’s gonna make some plays. And we’ll do some things to hopefully try to discourage him.

“And maybe he’ll change his mind, and maybe decide he’s gotta sit out and go pro. He’s a great player. He’s gonna make plays. But we’ve got good players too. And when we’ve got opportunities to make plays against them, we’ve gotta make plays.”

South Carolina has defeated Georgia three straight years.  ”We’ll be ready for that game. I promise you,” Bobo said.

SEC Football

1. Kentucky defensive back Ashely Lowery, injured in a car wreck over the weekend, is out of ICU and in a regular hospital room. Could be leaving soon. “We’re hoping by the end of the week.”

2. Seth Emerson imagines a nine-game SEC schedule for Georgia where the Bulldogs have only five games in Athens.  ”That would be hard for UGA to stomach.”

3. Mike Bianchi on Florida coach Will Muschamp: “Does Gator Nation realize how much in demand Muschamp is – and will be?”

4. Muschamp on Twitter – why do they call it a hashtag?

5. Kevin Sumlin on expectations for his A&M team.  ”This is a team that didn’t play in a BCS game. It’s a good place to start, but it’s not a good place to end.”

6. Dan Mullen on expectations at Mississippi State. “Eight wins is kind of a baseline for us…”

7. No tight end or primary H-back has caught more than 24 passes with Gus Malzahn as coach.

8. Ole Miss depth chart released – only members of top-10 recruiting class to show up are those already enrolled.

9. Former Arkansas quarterback Brandon Mitchell reportedly considering five schools -   South Florida, NC State, UAB, Louisiana Tech and Northwestern State. Some other schools being mentioned.

10. Tennessee defensive back Daniel Gray is transferring.

11. Georgia defensive coordinator Todd Grantham on Vanderbilt: “They compete and they’re very competitive.”

12. With the North Carolina game set for 2015 in Charlotte – here’s a look at South Carolina’s non-conference schedule for the next three seasons.

13. Opening weekend of the 2013 college football season features both South Carolina/North Carolina and Ole Miss/Vanderbilt on ESPN Thursday night.

14. ESPN’s Chris Low ranks the top 20 SEC prospects for the 2014 NFL draft.

SEC Athletic Department Revenues – (our breakdown from yesterday)

15. Alabama’s athletic department has now generated $100 million + in revenue for five straight years.

16. Auburn cracked the top 10 nationally – school record $105.9 million in 2012.

17. Not included in the numbers for Ole Miss - $11 million in contributions held at the Ole Miss Athletics Foundation.  School will change the way it reports next year.

SEC Basketball

18. Father of Trae Golden disputes notion of academic problems at Tennessee for his son – calls reports “totally inaccurate.”

19. Incoming freshman Darius Thompson expected to get first crack at replacing Golden.  Coach Cuonzo Martin:  ”We feel great about him.” Jordan McRae invited to Kevin Durant Skills Academy.

20. Making the case for a practice facility at Arkansas.

21. Georgia assistant coach Kwanza Johnson still weighing possible move to TCU.

22. Missouri will play in the Continental Tire Las Vegas Invitational in November.

Extras

23. NCAA Study: Gambling among men who play Division I sports fell from 58 percent to 50 percent from 2008 to 2012.

24. Claim: The players in those college football video games?  Oh, they’re real (and spectacular).

25. Does Tim Tebow have a future as a baseball player?

As we mentioned earlier today in another post, USA Today has completed a study of Division I athletic departments (public schools with public records), their income, their expenses, and the amount of monetary help they receive in the form of subsidies.  The numbers examined are from 2012, but — as we always mention in regards to these types of pieces — no two schools prepare their books the same way.  Due to the differences in accounting, this is not a pure apples-to-apples comparison.

Still, since USA Today has done the work for all of us — thanks! — we thought we’d show you their findings regarding the SEC’s public schools:

The disparity in numbers between Texas A&M and Missouri — still counting cash from their Big XII days — seems a bit odd, but you can double-check the numbers yourself via the second link above.

The SEC’s athletic directors are meeting in Jacksonville and permanent cross-division rivals are on the agenda
Suspended LSU RB Jeremy Hill now faces tougher probation restrictions following a recent arrest for simple battery
Georgia’s football team led the nation with 10 early enrollees this spring
Oddsmakers are making Georgia and South Carolina favorites to win the SEC East this wall with Alabama the favorite in the SEC West
Tennessee G Trae Golden was reportedly forced to transfer from the Vol basketball program due to “repeated plagiarism”
Georgia president Michael Adams predicts that the richest 65 schools will form their own division within the NCAA
Follow the SEC on the field and off at MrSEC.com or with a MrSEC iPhone, iPad, or Android app

SEC Football

1. SEC athletic directors are meeting Jacksonville.  Reports indicate no discussion of nine-game conference schedule for 2014.

2. LSU running back Jeremy Hill faces new probation restrictions - including a curfew.

3. Jeff Duncan: “Miles needs to make a statement here and a strong one.”  The MrSEC take from last week.

4. Georgia led the country with 10 early enrollees coming from high school this spring.  Counting JUCO and prep schools, Bulldogs had 13 early enrollees.

5. Recent history shows it tough for wide receivers to make an impact as freshman at Florida.

6. Auburn freshman quarterbacks Jeremy Johnson and Jason Smith are expected on campus next week.  Status of arrival date for JUCO transfer Nick Marshall still uncertain.

7. Coming out of spring practice, how does Auburn look at defensive tackle? With other SEC schools expanding stadiums, Jordan-Hare isn’t shrinking – it just feels that way.

8. Tennessee coach Butch Jones estimates he does three times the speaking engagements he did at Cincinnati.

9. Based on the early odds, South Carolina and Georgia look to be the favorites in the SEC East, Alabama the favorite in the West. Crimson Tide and Ohio State in BCS National Championship Game?

10. Andy Staples of SI has his post-spring Top 25.  Six of the top 13 teams are in the SEC, seven of the top 25.   Alabama No. 1, Texas A&M No. 2.

11. Alabama today or Nebraska of the 1990′s?  Former Cornhusker Tommy Frazier weighs in.

12.  The SEC Network doesn’t change the recruiting philosophy at Alabama.  Nick Saban: “We have a standard for what type of player we are looking for.”

13. New documentary film focuses on former Arkansas quarterback Mitch Mustain.

SEC Basketball

14. Trae Golden’s departure from Tennessee wasn’t his decision. He was reportedly forced to leave school over “repeated plagiarism.”

15. Cuonzo Martin on whether the Vols will add a point guard to their signing class. “We have some pretty good leads and we’ll see.”

16. NCAA meeting on possible rule changes to basketball.  Don’t expect a shorter shot clock.

17. Former Ole Miss star Murphy Holloway waived by the Baltimore Ravens.  ”Back to the hardwood…” Could be headed to Europe to play basketball.

Extras

18. In addition to Mississippi State and South Florida, former Penn State quarterback Steven Bench also considering North Carolina State.

19. “NCAA rules aren’t going to stop money from changing hands when there is this much value being discussed.”

20. Does a Sugar Bowl win over Florida make Louisville overrated?

Florida State linebacker signee Matthew Thomas from Booker T. Washington High School in Miami is seeking a release from his national letter of intent.

Thomas, ranked the nation’s No. 2 outside linebacker in the 2013 class by Rivals, signed with Florida State on Feb. 6. He had originally planned to sign with Southern California but ultimately chose Florida State after his mother refused to sign off on USC.

“We couldn’t agree, but it’s my mom, I just did what I had to do,” Thomas told Noles247.com at the time.

Thomas has since changed his mind. He told the Miami Herald he recently informed Florida State’s coaching staff that he would like a release so he can sign with Georgia or USC.

Thomas said Florida State’s coaches don’t want to release him and plan to visit Miami soon to try to convince him to stick with the Seminoles. If Thomas chooses to attend another school without a release from Florida State, he would have to sit out one full academic year that would count against his five-year window of eligibility.

Thomas told the Herald he wants out of his letter of intent because he prefers to attend a college outside the state of Florida.

“I’ve been in Miami all my life,” he said. “Georgia needs linebackers. It’s a big program. I have family in Georgia. USC, growing up I never thought I would have an opportunity that big. I just want to go have fun and play football.”

Thomas’ situation is the reason I wrote last week that high-profile players should avoid signing a national letter of intent. The letter does very little to help athletes while providing all the power to schools.

A school isn’t even required to guarantee the athlete a spot on the team when he signs the letter of intent. It just agrees to provide financial aid to the athlete.

Thomas could have signed a financial aid agreement with Florida State while leaving himself the flexibility to attend another school. Instead, his future is in the hands of coaches who have the authority to penalize him if he doesn’t attend Florida State.

Any schools out there looking to nab another quarterback before the 2013 season can turn their eyes to Happy Valley.  And try to get in line in front of Mississippi State, apparently.

Former Penn State quarterback Steven Bench is looking to leave the Nittany Lions program after a season spent mainly on the bench last year.  Bench’s pass attempt total in 2013: eight.  According to the QB — who thanks to PSU’s NCAA penalties can transfer and play immediately — he wants “a shot to compete for playing time where I go to school next.”  Late last week it was reportedly that that next school just might be Mississippi State.

Bench admitted that multiple reports of “mutual interest” between him and Dan Mullen’s program were correct.  ESPN reports that he’s also considering South Florida.  But he’s putting the word out loudly and clearly that he’s open to talking with anyone:

“I’m not against being away from home even though with the reports out there that I’m deciding between schools closer than say, Penn State from where I am in Georgia.  At this point I want everyone to know I’m open to any school and any situation.  That sounds like a cliche but it’s the truth…

If we were to take the academics out of the equation and talk about on the field, I’m going to my new school to play football.  Not watch football being played.”

Bench was rated a three-star dual-threat quarterback prospect by Rivals.com coming out of high school.  At Mississippi State, the starting quarterback is junior Tyler Russell.  His backup is redshirt freshman Dak Prescott, who missed spring practice after having surgery to repair a ligament in his big toe.