1.  Kentucky’s Moncell Allen bought into the fullback role after watching the HBO show “Hard Knocks.”

2.  UK’s season ticket sales in football were down 8% this season.

3.  South Carolina is still waiting for NCAA word on Jarriel King and Chris Culliver.

4.  Carolina linebacker Shaq Wilson might miss the entire season due to a severely pulled hamstring.

5.  Tennessee’s starting center was rushed to the hospital from practice yesterday afternoon, but it’s believed he’ll play on Saturday.

6.  Tennessee Practice Report, here.

7.  Derek Dooley isn’t interested in changing UT’s uniforms.

8.  Vandy safety Jay Fullam won’t back down after drawing two controversial penalties in the Commodores’ loss to Northwestern.

9.  Kicker Ryan Fowler says he won’t miss another extra point this season.

10.  Robbie Caldwell is standing behind his first-game bravado.

1.  Kentrell Lockett’s return at defensive end couldn’t come at a better time for Ole Miss’ defense.  (Well, maybe last week before the Jacksonville State loss… but you get the point.)

2.  Safety Fon Ingram was back at practice yesterday, too.

3.  Here’s some solid perspective on UM’s loss to Jacksonville State from a long-time Rebel-watcher.

4.  Dan Mullen says his offensive players have a much better understanding of his offense this year… and that that’s “a huge advantage.”

5.  A lot of eyes will be on Scott Field tomorrow night…

6.  And at least one prediction is in: Auburn 34, MSU 31.

7.  Florida’s Mike Pouncey — acting as a true leader — is taking full blame for Saturday’s bad offensive performance (though his errant snaps were only part of the problem).

8.  Gator quarterback John Brantley is avoiding talk radio, papers and the internet.

9.  Florida tumbled four spots in the AP Poll to #8 this week.

10.  Georgia Practice Report, here.

11.  This writer says the NCAA wouldn’t be taking so long on the AJ Green case if there weren’t reason to believe he violated rules.

1.  Alabama’s Trent Richardson isn’t giving up hope that backfield mate Mark Ingram might be back in action Saturday against Penn State.

2.  But Ingram wasn’t practicing for Bama yesterday.

3.  The Tide’s rebuilt defense will face a freshman quarterback for the Nittany Lions.

4.  Auburn tailback Michael Dyer wants folks to call him “Mike,” not Michael.

5.  Expect more blitzes from Auburn’s D as the season rolls forward.

6.  Playing tomorrow night on ESPN (at Mississippi State) could be a blessing or a curse for the Tigers.

7.  Arkansas’ rushing attack in Week One wasn’t good enough for Bobby Petrino’s tastes.

8.  Arkansas Practice Report, here.

9.  Hog special teamer and backup corner Seth Arumbrust is out for the year with a knee injury.

10.  LSU’s youth movement was little bumpy Saturday night in Atlanta.

11.  The Tigers might have to shuffle their offensive line… again.

12.  Patrick Peterson rolled up a school record 257 return yards for LSU against North Carolina.  (Where would the Tigers have been without that kind of special teams play?)

In his brief 18-month connection with Tennessee, Bryce Brown has produced more headlines than yards.  And the former #1 tailback prospect isn’t done yet.

Brown’s father, Arthur, told Knoxville radio host Jimmy Hyams today that he is planning legal action against the school due to UT’s decision not to release his son from his scholarship.

The elder Brown wants Bryce to play alongside his brother Arthur Jr. at Kansas State.  He says the move is being made due to family hardships.  For that reason, he’s unhappy with Tennessee’s stance that Brown can leave… but he’ll have to pay his own way at K-State this season.

“To me, UT is deliberately trying to hurt Bryce, and that’s not having the player’s best interest at heart.  I don’t think it’s fair and I don’t think it’s right.”

Brown’s father knows who he blames, too.  “I think Coach (Derek) Dooley took it personal and is being vindictive.”

Whether the Browns take Tennessee to court or not, one thing is already abundantly clear — nearly every person and every action connected to Lane Kiffin during his brief Knoxville tenure has come back to haunt the Vols in one way or another.

He is Gozer the Destroyer.  UT athletic director Mike Hamilton should call the Ghostbusters before he returns to Knoxville and topples the Sunsphere in his StayPuft Marshmallow Man form.

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Taking a page from Robbie Caldwell’s book, Tennessee coach Derek Dooley had a humorous response when asked if he’s worried that his Vols might be overconfident following their 50-0 win over UT-Martin.  UT faces Oregon (13.5 point favorites) at Neyland Stadium Saturday.

“Well, if they look at the film and they get overconfident, then we’ve got bigger problems.  We’ve got an intelligence issue to deal with.  I’d probably have to send them over to the Thornton (academic) Center for a little work.  If I’ve got to worry about (overconfidence) this week, we’ve got bigger issues than you guys could ever imagine.”

Not bad.  Add a drawl and some mention of turkey insemination and you’ve got a Caldwell line.

1.  Due to injuries, Tennessee’s first-year receivers will need to step up big against Oregon.

2.  When it comes to Oregon, UT knows the word is “speed.”  (And all this time I thought “Grease” is the word, is the word, is the word…)

3.  The knees of Vanderbilt tailbacks Warren Norman and Zac Stacy appear to be good-to-go for Saturday’s game with LSU.

4.  Robbie Caldwell says his players “ought to be pretty sharp” as Vandy students, so he wants them to knock off the dumb penalties.

5.  It looks like Chris Relf will be the running quarterback and Tyler Russell the passing quarterback at Mississippi State.  (Russell was the SEC’s Freshman of the Week.)

6.  Ah, but who’ll be taking the most snaps in a tight game?

7.  Auburn’s Cameron Newton — who will face the Bulldogs Saturday in Starkville — had a hard time turning down MSU and old coach Dan Mullen.

8.  Ole Miss is trying to regroup from Saturday’s painful loss to Jacksonville State.

9.  The “definite” return of defensive end Kentrell Lockett should help this weekend against Tulane.

1.  Auburn’s offense is a lot better heading to Starkville in 2010 than it was in 2008 (when it won 3-2 at MSU).

2.  Freshman tailback Michael Dyer looked like the real deal in the Tigers’ opener.

2.  Suspended AU linebacker Craig Stevens tweeted last night that he will be back “very soon.”

4.  Alabama’s been dealing with some ankle injuries in practice.

5.  Bobby Petrino was pleased with the effort of his defense versus Tennessee Tech.

6.  Folks in the Natural State are already breaking down Heisman candidates’ performances.

7.  Les Miles did a good job of dancing around questions about some controversial calls in LSU’s close win over North Carolina.

8.  Running back Stevan Ridley had a good night… except for a pair of fumbles.

9.  A broken ankle will force starting guard Will Blackwell to miss at least six weeks and LSU to rebuild its already rebuilt O-line.

This morning I seem to have mowed over a yellow jackets’ nest when I made the following observations:

1.  Boise State’s team is as good as any team in the country (as based on their big game success in recent years).

2.  That includes this year’s SEC squads.

3.  Boise State — if undefeated — deserves BCS title game consideration.

4.  But because they don’t face a tough schedule week-in and week-out, they shouldn’t get a BCS title berth over a one-loss team from a major BCS conference.

Nevermind the last point, I’ve gotten feedback only on the first three points, naturally.  (I learned long ago that folks see only what they want to see).  Most of the emails I’ve received have consisted largely of this fact:

2005:  Georgia 48, Boise State 13

True enough.  And here’s another fact:

2007:  Louisiana-Monroe 21, Alabama 14.

I think we can all agree, based on results, that both Boise State and Alabama have improved in the past few seasons. 

The Broncos have recently knocked off Oklahoma, Oregon and Virginia Tech.  How many SEC programs could accomplish that feat in a three- or four-year span?  Alabama?  Florida?  That’s about it, folks.  I don’t see the LSUs, Tennessee, or Arkansas’ of the past few seasons scoring that trifecta.

Playing off of that, I was asked on a radio show this morning if Boise State could compete in the SEC.  Yes, I believe they could.  This year, I think they’d be right in the mix with Alabama and Florida.  That doesn’t mean they would go undefeated, but I would favor the Broncos over all but three 2010 SEC squads (Georgia being a “pick ‘em” in my mind.)

We’ll get a better gauge on Boise State versus the SEC when they face Ole Miss in Oxford for next year’s season-opener.  And to all those who’ve suggested to me that the Broncos are “scared to play SEC teams,” why is it Boise has to come south to play Georgia and Mississippi?  I don’t see Florida, Alabama, LSU, Auburn or Tennessee heading to the blue turf out west.

I find it interesting that any kind of tip of the cap to Boise State is viewed by many SEC fans as an insult to their beloved league. 

Reality check — The SEC plays the best football in the country.  The SEC doesn’t play the only football in the country.

Boise State is darn good.  They’ve shown that again and again when given the chance.  They deserve the national coverage they receive. 

But as I stated this morning, even an undefeated Boise State team wouldn’t deserve a BCS title bid over a once-beaten BCS conference team.

Those two thoughts aren’t mutually exclusive.

Twenty-five years ago, not every college football game could be found on television.  Most coaches didn’t make six-figure (or seven-figure) salaries.  There was no sportstalk radio.  There were no internet messageboards.

Today, all of those things have changed and that might explain why three SEC coaches (and really five) are getting dragged over the coals following Week One of the season.  Week One!


Head coach — Houston Nutt at Ole Miss.

Paul Finebaum of The Mobile Press-Register writes that Saturday’s loss to Jacksonville State has turned Nutt into a joke.  “Can you ever mention his name without breaking out laughing?”

Finebaum goes so far as to compare Nutt’s loss to Lloyd Carr’s defeat at the hands of Appalachian State… a loss that sped up his forced retirement.  “Will the same happen to Ole Miss?” Finebaum wonders.

If Ole Miss rebounds to go 8-4, then no.  If Ole Miss falls apart and finishes 4-8, also no.  Nutt and the Rebels stepped in it Saturday, but Week One is a bit early to start talking about dismissals.


Defensive Coordinator — Ted Roof at Auburn

Kevin Scarbinsky of The Birmingham News is having to come to the defense of the much-maligned Roof, whose own defense allowed 26 points and 300+ yards passing to Arkansas State last weekend.  That after a “disappointing” 2009 season (in which Roof had zero depth to work with).

Scarbinsky sought the opinion of former Tiger coach Pat Dye… and Dye was happy to give it in regards to Roof.  “You damn sure couldn’t grade him based on last year.  We lined up with two linebackers that played every snap.  At the present time, I think we’re better on defense with a chance to get a lot better.”

Tell it to the fans on the messageboards, Coach.


Offensive Coordinator — Steve Addazio of Florida

Like Scarbinsky, Pat Dooley of The Gainesville Sun is trying to cool some of the hot air blowing in the direction of Addazio.  Aside from talk radio and messageboards, some boob has gone and launched a firesteveaddazio.com website.

Dooley basis his argument on the fact that Gator fans have awfully short memories.  “Just remember this — Steve Addazio held your program together during a crisis.  He held together the best recruiting class in the nation when the head coach was too ill to be a major factor and other coaches were negative recruiting.”

He concludes: “Like I said, you owe Addazio a debt of gratitude.  You at least owe him more than one game this season before you starting carving him up.”


Meanwhile, Vanderbilt’s Robbie Caldwell is being second-guessed for his decision to keep chasing a missed extra point with failed two-point conversion attempts in a close loss to Northwestern.

And in Baton Rouge, many are treating Les Miles’ victory over undermanned North Carolina is being treated like a loss.

In Miles’ case, at least the bad blood has been brewing.  There’s a track record to view in his case.  When it comes to Nutt, Roof, Addazio and Caldwell, there have been either:

1.  Good results so far

2.  No results to speak of

or  3.  Results skewed by a lack of depth

In other words, a few hotheads out there might want to put down their phones and log off their websites for at least a few more weeks… before they start looking for tall trees and short ropes.

1.  Will Georgia have AJ Green for Saturday’s game with South Carolina?  The Dawgs are still waiting for an NCAA verdict.

2.  Did Carolina quarterback Stephen Garcia just have a “breakthrough” game?

(Has the Joker gotten the last laugh at the expense of the Dynamic Duo?)

3.  The Gamecocks’ defense has depth concerns due to injuries and NCAA issues.

4.  As Kentucky prepares for a visit from Western Kentucky, Jacksonville State’s win over Ole Miss has their attention.

5.  New UK play-caller Randy Sanders is getting praise for Saturday’s effort.

6.  In case you were wondering… Mike Bianchi of The Orlando Sentinel says Florida has the most spoiled fanbase in the nation.

7.  Mike Pouncey and John Brantley have been working overtime to fix their problem with shotgun snaps.

8.  Urban Meyer is glad his team has a sense of urgency.

Boise State’s exciting come from behind victory over Top 10 Virginia Tech last night should prove to everyone once and for all that, yes, the Broncos are as good as anyone in the country.

In the past few seasons the Broncos have handled Oklahoma in a BCS bowl, an Oregon team that went to the Rose Bowl and now fellow national title contender Virginia Tech.  So if you’re still one of those people who rolls his eyes when he mutters Boise State’s name, just know that anyone with an iota of football knowledge is rolling their eyes at the fact your eyes are being rolled.

When I say that Boise State has now proven itself to a be a top program, make no mistake, I very much mean that on any given night, the Broncos could indeed knock off the very best the SEC has to offer.

Before you start firing off the emails, let me make a couple of points. 

Gator fans, do you really believe Florida would have beaten Chris Peterson’s team with that Keystone Kops routine they displayed on Saturday?  Just be glad you were facing Miami of Ohio and not the Broncos (or anyone else with an offense).

And Bama fans, I have but two syllables for you: “U” and “tah.” 

Forget the star rankings on Signing Day, the Boise States, TCUs and Utahs of the world can compete with the big boys these days.  And as a result they should be in the national title picture when they go undefeated.

But…

They also should be graded down for facing a week strength of schedule.  And I believe that will happen to the Broncos this year, even if they run the table.  Even with a win over Virginia Tech.

In the SEC, teams like Alabama and Florida have to survive not only clashes with other Top 10 teams, but also week-in-week-out battles with good programs.  Boise State has knocked off a Top 10 team and they’ll face Top 25ish Oregon State, too.  After that?  There’s no one on the Broncos’ schedule that should be a real concern.

For comparison, let’s take a look at Florida’s national title winner from just two years ago.  The Gators proved themselves to be the best team in the country at year’s end.  They knocked off all of the highly-ranked teams they faced.  But they lost a game at home to Ole Miss, a team that snapped a long SEC losing streak with that surprising victory. 

Now let’s talk Alabama.  Last year, the Tide went undefeated in the SEC.  But there wasn’t a Bama fan alive who wasn’t sweating as Tennessee (which finished 7-6) lined up for a potential game-winning field in the final seconds in Tuscaloosa… only to have the kick blocked.

The point is this: Boise State is every bit as good as the Alabamas and Floridas of the world.  If they finish undefeated, they should merit title consideration because on a neutral field they might just beat one of those squads head-to-head.  Ditto Ohio State, Oklahoma, Texas, Nebraska, etc.

But if the final slot in the BCS title game comes down to an undefeated Boise State squad and a once-beaten team from an SEC, Big 12, or Big Ten, the Broncos should be left on the outside looking in.

In the best of the BCS leagues, title contenders not only have to win their big games, but they have to win the “small” ones, too.  And the small ones in the SEC, Big 12 and Big Ten are a lot more challenging than the small ones in the WAC.

Kudos to Boise State for their win last night.  It should put to bed any thoughts that Peterson’s program isn’t 100% for real.  But at the end of the day, BSU’s overall schedule still needs to be part of the equation.  When that schedule is factored in, a Broncos team that might be the best in America still must be graded down.

Hey, I know it’s Labor Day and most of you won’t be reading these notes until you’re back in the office Tuesday morning.  (I’d suggest you scroll down and read our Week One News and Views, too.) 

With that in mind, we’ll provide you with just a few headlines from around the league before we head out for hot dogs and burgers our own selves.

1.  ESPN’s “College Gameday” will be in Tuscaloosa this weekend for Alabama-Penn State.

2.  Nearly a quarter of Arkansas State’s plays went for eight yards or more against Auburn.  Uh-oh.

3.  Auburn has a short week as they prepare for an ESPN Thursday nighter at Mississippi State.

4.  Bobby Petrino is just fine with the fact that Ryan Mallett is “a willing runner.”

5.  LSU players are bemoaning the fact that they “didn’t finish the game” against North Carolina.

6.  LSU’s offense looked inconsistent on Saturday… just like last year.

7.  Jacksonville State’s Jack Crowe — congratuations to him, by the way — says he believes Ole Miss needs to stabilize its quarterback situation.

8.  Saturday’s loss was the first big black eye for the Rebels under Houston Nutt (aside from the Jeremiah Masoli situation, I suppose).

9.  MSU has turned its attention from Memphis to Auburn.

10.  For the regular readers here, you know that there are some writers we link to more than others.  In recent weeks, there’s been a whole lotta movement on the SEC front.  Seth Emerson went from covering Carolina to Georgia.  Joe Person and Gentry Estes have left local SEC papers.  David Brandt, too.  Now Kyle Veazey is moving from Ole Miss coverage to Mississippi State and Brandon Marcello is taking his place, giving up his Arkansas beat.  Matt Jones is moving from one Razorback pub to another.  Good luck to all these guys as they start their new beats. 

11.  Urban Meyer says this will be a “critical” week of practice for his Gators.

12.  This writer says there are still issues at Georgia and he’s not ready to call Aaron Murray’s performance steady (as I did) either.

13.  There are still NCAA issues hanging over the South Carolina-Georgia game.  (Namely: Who can play and who can’t?)

14.  Steve Spurrier believes the 10 players cleared right before kickoff Thursday will be cleared to play this week, too.

15.  Joker Phillips and Mike Hartline silenced their doubters (for a while) in Kentucky’s opening day win.

16.  Phillips will try to teach his team how to salt away a victory when it has the chance.

17.  The players on Tennessee’s defense know that the bar will be raised when Oregon visits on Saturday.

18.  The Vols will be without their top receiver and they might be without a staring O-lineman, too.

19.  Robbie Caldwell is being second-guessed (already) for attempting two two-point conversion tries in Saturday’s loss to Northwestern.  (Welcome to the SEC.)

20.  A very questionable call hurt the Commodores’ chances, too.  (Bad calls happen in every game to every team.  No crying.)

Now get out there and enjoy your Labor Day.

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Each Monday of the regular season we’ll provide a quick wrap of news and views following the previous weekend’s SEC action.  Here’s the first edition:


The Scores

Alabama 48, San Jose State 3
Arkansas 44, Tennessee Tech 3
Auburn 52, Arkansas State 26
Florida 34, Miami (Oh) 12
Georgia 55, Louisiana-Lafayette 7
Kentucky 23, Louisville 16
LSU 30, North Carolina 24
Mississippi State 49, Memphis 7
South Carolina 41, Southern Miss 13 (Thursday)
Tennessee 50, UT-Martin 0
Jacksonville State 49, Ole Miss 48
Northwestern 23, Vanderbilt 21


The SEC Hot List

1.  Alabama
2.  Georgia
3.  Florida
4.  South Carolina
5.  Arkansas
6.  LSU
7.  Auburn
8.  Kentucky
9.  Tennessee
10.  Mississippi State
11.  Ole Miss
12.  Vanderbilt


Rising And Falling

1.  Arkansas receiver Joe Adams — rising
2.  Auburn quarterback Cameron Newton — rising
3.  Florida’s makeshift offensive line — falling
4.  LSU multi-threat weapon Russell Shepard — rising
5.  Ole Miss’ defense — falling
6.  Mississippi State quarterback Tyler Russell — rising


The Views

* It was expected that Alabama would be a bit more explosive on offense in 2010 while the new defense jelled.  Explosive and wide open were certainly the keywords coming out of Saturday’s game with San Jose State.  Bama ran a little Wildcat, a little Pistol, and Jim McElwain had Greg McElroy throwing the ball deep (with long TD passes to Marquiz Maze and Julio Jones).  As we’ll say with most of these opening day opponents — it was only San Jose State.  But Bama fans have reason to believe the offense really will be more dynamic in 2010. 

* The big story in Fayetteville: 3 points.  I don’t care about the offensive numbers at Arkansas.  The Hogs will score points a plenty this year (44 versus Tennessee Tech) and Ryan Mallett proved last year that he can dissect non-conference foes (21 of 24 for 301 yards, 3 touchdowns and a pick on Saturday).  So that wasn’t the story.  The story was the defense.  The Razorbacks’ D allowed just 187 yards of offense to TTU and that’s a massive improvement over last year.  Whether they were playing Tennessee Tech or Johnson’s Barber College, Arkansas’ defense needed to show some signs of strengthening.  It did.

* Cameron Newton came up big in his debut for Auburn.  Try 171 yards rushing and 186 yards passing against Arkansas State big.  For the first time in three years, AU fans will see an actual dual threat quarterback leading their team’s spread offense.  How good was Newton?  Here’s what Arkansas State’s coach said after the game: “I don’t know if I have seen an individual performance better than Cam Newton’s.  He is the best player I have ever seen live.”  (On the downside, Auburn’s defense gave up 323 passing yards.  Not a good sign.)

* Doing radio shows in the state of Florida, I picked up over the summer a feeling in the Sunshine State that the Gators might actually be better this year without Tim Tebow.  The theory seemed to go like this: “Now the Gators can be a team and not just a one-star squad.”  Well I bet UF fans wish they’d had Superman on Saturday.  The offensive line play (and botched snaps) should improve when three offensive line return to the lineup.  But there ARE real issues in Gainesville.  I’m a “believe it when I see it” kind of guy and when it comes to running backs and receivers these last two years, I haven’t seen it.  One long Jeff Demps run might be enough to subdue Miami of Ohio, but it’ll likely take a little more ground production than that to win in the SEC.

* It was only Louisiana-Lafayette (told ya we’d say that a bunch), but Aaron Murray looked confident and steady as UGA’s new starting quarterback.  With so little depth behind them, though, he’ll want to go easy on the rushing attempts (4 carries, 21 yards, 1 TD).  Georgia fans can also be happy with the fact the Dawgs turned the ball over only once.  That’s an improvement over last year.  (We’ll learn a lot more about their rebuilt defense next week.)

* Derrick Locke and Randall Cobb will need to carry Kentucky this year.  Their big plays led the way for the Cats to get past Louisville on Saturday.  No surprise there.  But if Mike Hartline can continue to play safe, smart and solid football (17 of 26, 217 yards, 0 TD and 0 interceptions), UK could jump up and bite someone they’re not supposed to in 2010.

* If Les Miles fails at LSU, he will officially be Gilligan.  Both are extremely lucky.  Sure Gilligan was trapped on an island, but just how many chances did he have to successfully escape?  Everyone from actors to surfers to cosmonauts landed on that island.  That’s luck, even if he wasted it.  Well Miles lucked into a terrific gig left to him by Nick Saban, saw a number of longshot gambles pay off in 2007, and was even lucky enough to be voted into the BCS title game with two losses.  On Saturday he was lucky again.  Facing a make-or-break season, Miles’ Tigers got to kick off the season against a depleted North Carolina squad that was missing more bodies than the graveyards around Frankenstein’s castle.  The result: a nailbiter of a 30-24 win.  Anyone want to suggest Carolina would NOT have won that game had they been at full strength?  Miles is lucky alright.  And he’ll need to take advantage of it this year… or else he’ll have blown as many lucky breaks as Gilligan.  (Sidenote — both are known for their oversized hats, too.)

* What happened to Ole Miss’ defense?  Houston Nutt called the Rebels’ loss to Jacksonville State the worst of his career.  No doubt.  But no one in Oxford should be too surprised.  Nutt is a fine coach.  He puts together two or three good seasons (never great, but good) and then falls back to the five- or six-win plateau for a year or two.  Then he’ll put up some more eight- or nine-win years before dropping off again.  Rinse, repeat.  It’s a pattern.  Ole Miss fans should have known what they were getting when they hired him.  You can bet Arkansas fans did.  Good coach, not great, with very days sprinkled in on occasion. 

* Right now, Mississippi State fans have to feel better about their program’s direction than Ole Miss fans.  Dan Mullen has created excitement in Starkville.  He’s cocky (perhaps a little too cocky at times) and he’s improved MSU’s recruiting.  The Bulldogs whipped a better Ole Miss squad in last year’s Egg Bowl.  They opened this season by taking care of business with Memphis and they appear to have found a quarterback in Tyler Russell (13 of 16, 256 yards, 4 touchdowns, 0 picks).  It’s early and a lot of things can change, but it’s hard not to take the big picture view that State’s program is on the rise while Ole Miss is headed for one of Nutt’s patented dips.

* We covered South Carolina’s impressive debut on Friday.  No need to rehash it here.  Suffice to say we’ll be tuned in when Carolina and Georgia kick things off on Saturday.  If Florida can’t get things together, the Cocks and Dawgs could be playing for a trip to Atlanta.

* Tennessee whipped up on a completely undermanned UT-Martin squad Saturday night.  The 50-0 win will no doubt convince some followers that the Vols won’t be as hampered by depth issues (72 scholarship players) as folks in the media have been saying.  We’ll know more this time next week after Derek Dooley’s Vols have hosted Oregon.  (The Ducks rolled New Mexico 72-0 on Saturday.)  While it’s way too soon to jump on UT’s bandwagon, the Vols deserve credit for the following: When a boxer schedules a bout with a tomato can, he’s supposed to knock him out.  The Vols knocked out the tomato can known as UT-Martin.

* Surprise: Vanderbilt put up 432 yards of total offense.  Surprise: Quarterback Larry Smith completed 19 of 33 passes for 240 yards.  Compared to last year, those are Manning/Brady/Brees-type numbers for Vandy’s quarterback and offense.  But unbelievably… it didn’t matter.  The kicking game killed the Commodores.  VU missed an extra point, a field goal (albeit a long one) and a pair of two-point conversions (necessitated by the missed extra point).  And that why is Vandy remains Vandy.  Kudos to Robbie Caldwell, however, for finding some offense.


Final Thought

Don’t write off Florida just yet.  The Gators do have problems (as we mentioned earlier), but they also have way too much talent on their roster to not be battling for the SEC East title when they face Georgia in Jacksonville later this fall.

1. Florida 34 – Miami of Ohio 12

“Bad News” Gators overcome sloppy start.

Two starters suspended.

George Diaz: Improv comedy at its worst.

2. Georgia 55 – La. Lafayette 7

Even without A.J. Green, Bulldogs dominate Ragin’ Cajuns.

Murray and new-look Bulldogs grow in blowout.

Defense responds to Grantham.

3. Kentucky 23 – Louisville 16

Joker gets his first win.

Cats got the win Joker needed.

Mike Hartline’s successful return.

4. Arkansas 44 – Tennessee Tech 3

Ryan Mallett and the Razorbacks roll.

Good start for Razorbacks’ defense.

5. Alabama 48 – San Jose State 3

Top-ranked Tide does everything well in opener.

Julio Jones involved early and often.

Kevin Scarbinsky: One down – 13 to go.

6. Auburn 52 – Arkansas State 26

608 yards of offense for the Tigers.

Cam Newton makes it look easy.

Jon Solomon: Just another roller-coaster ride at Auburn.

7. Mississippi State 49 – Memphis 7

Whether it’s Chris Relf or Tyler Russell at QB, Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen can’t go wrong.

Bulldogs hit on all cylinders in routing Memphis.

8. Tennessee 50 – Tennessee-Martin 0

Defense gets its wish – a shutout.

The Derek Dooley era begins.

9. Northwestern 23 – Vanderbilt 21

Mistakes prove costly for Commodores.

Controversy in opener – Vandy fans shower refs with liquids.

10. LSU 30 – North Carolina 24

Tigers hold off North Carolina rally.

LSU finds the Tar Heels backups tough.

Jacksonville State 49 – Ole Miss 48 (2OT)

Two-OT stunner – Rebels can’t seal the deal at home

Houston Nutt: “Worst loss I’ve ever had”

Ole Miss QB Nathan Stanley: Rebels “let up” after halftime

The Sunday Morning hangover

A “game changer” for JSU

All is not lost for Ole Miss

Can a conference that has won four consecutive titles (let’s throw the mythical Auburn ’04 team in there since we’re all things SEC) and has the #1 and #3 ranked teams heading into 2010 actually be down? Six conference teams in the top-25 and be down? Yes, I believe the conference as a whole has been down the last two years, but the expanding collection of hardware has deservedly kept the league’s lofty status as the supreme football conference in the country intact.

But after reading all the opinions and analysis about how top heavy 2010 will be one name comes to mind: Dolly Parton. Experts rave about the two teams up top (Alabama and Florida), but seemingly ignore everything else. Well, experts, Dolly Parton’s old, Tim Tebow’s on a mission with unicorns in Denver and Florida isn’t going to Atlanta this year.

Read the rest of this entry »

1. Lyons Talks Bama Uniforms

2. SEC Commitment Comparison

3. LSU Offers Mettenberger; How Is This Different Than Masoli’s Situation?

4. Why So Serious?  UK’s Coach Wants To Reach The Next Level

5. Chickillo Likes Vols Assistant

1. Miami of Ohio at Florida

A new era begins in Gator football

Let’s see what Santa Urban has brought us this year.

2. Louisiana-Lafayette at Georgia

New attractions abound today at Sanford Stadium.

Five keys to a Bulldogs victory.

Another arrest at Georgia. No more excuses.

3. Jacksonville State at Ole Miss

Ole Miss gets two pieces of good news before their season opener.

Jacksonville State is the favorite to win its conference.

4. Kentucky at Louisville

Two new coaches try to win their first game

The rivalry ingredients to make a spicy stew.

5. Tennessee Tech at Arkansas

Easy to laugh about Bobby Petrino’s first season at Arkansas but it was no joking matter.

Tennessee Tech gets a $450,000 payday for tonight’s game.

6. San Jose State at Alabama

Doesn’t matter who you are playing, you still get opening game jitters.

Any doubt who has all the advantages?

In 81 years, Bryant-Denny stadium has seen eight major renovations.

7. Arkansas State at Auburn

Cam Newton has become the face of Auburn football

The Auburn Tigers are aiming high in Gene Chizik’s second season

The Tigers are 14-0 all-time against Sun Belt opponents.

8. Memphis at Mississippi State

Junior QB Chris Relf leads the Bulldogs tonight.

The Bulldogs are tired of talking and ready to play.

9. Tennessee-Martin at Tennessee

How will new Vols coach Derek Dooley run the sideline at Neyland Stadium?

Tennessee’s defensive line is impressed with Tennessee’s offensive line.

10. Northwestern at Vanderbilt

Northwestern wins. Why can’t Vandy?

These two teams haven’t face each other since 1952.

11. LSU vs North Carolina

Les Miles: “There’s a little juice involved in opening the season in the Georgia Dome and on national television.”

LSU is 7-1 at the Georgia Dome

North Carolina will be without 13 players tonight.

A new addition to the Mr.SEC team, please allow me to briefly set the stage… The fantastic work done by the guys running this site, bringing you news from every southern outpost, has become a daily stop for many of you. Whether it’s between (or during) meetings at work, a last check on the phone before calling it a day, or skirting a few responsibilities on the home front, this site has become HQ for all-things SEC Monday-Friday. My assignment is to lure you back here on Saturday for your SEC fix in Tyler’s Take. I’m going to “take on” a subject or two and highlight the marquee SEC games with a bit of commentary for you each weekend.  Enjoy it or hate it, here we go…

Well, ESPN, as a football fan, you almost made me wish it was February again. After months of anticipation our season opens with Lou Holtz and Mark May without his transition lenses!? Outside of picking my jaw up off the floor after an Alabama player sporting “Bama Bangs” delivered a dead-on impersonation of a Nick Saban tirade, I learned exactly ONE thing during the entire 30 minute kick-off special: My hearing wasn’t severely damaged in the off-season as I first thought; my ears just weren’t in shape for Lou Holtz. So, to start off the season with a bang, I salute you John Saunders for rescuing this “special.”

First Half Thoughts: Read the rest of this entry »

1.  Vandy’s Robbie Caldwell is nervous… and ready for battle.

2.  Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald has nothing but praise – of course — for Vandy’s players.

3.  Tennessee’s Derek Dooley knows that UT-Martin was in a dogfight with Auburn just two years ago.

4.  Neyland Stadium will look like a brand new building for tomorrow night’s opener.

5.  South Carolina rolled Southern Miss right out of Columbia last night.  Very impressive performance.

6.  Marcus Lattimore showed the promise the Gamecock fans were hoping for.

7.  Here’s a bit more on the NCAA issues USC faced right up until kickoff.

8.  Bobby Petrino believes nicknames matter at Arkansas.

9.  Arkansas Practice Report, here.

10.  This writer says the Hogs aren’t this year’s “Ole Miss,” Auburn is.

11.  LSU hopes tomorrow’s “showcase” game in Atlanta will help with recruiting.

Sidenote — Former Tiger Eddie Kennison will host an interactive Q&A session with fans at the Allstate Tailgate Tour from 5 to 6pm in the Georgia World Congress Center before the game.  (Wow, it’s almost like I was goaded into mentioning that fact.)

12.  UNC’s Butch Davis was on LSU’s short list as coach… twice.

13.  The NCAA hasn’t forgotten about LSU’s issues revolving around fired assistant DJ McCarthy and former player Akiem Hicks. 

14.  When it comes to big money athletic departments, Florida is aces according to The New York Times.

1.  For the fourth straight year, Alabama will have at least one player suspended for NCAA rules violations.

2.  Freshman linebacker CJ Mosley could have an immediate impact (as a backup) with the Tide.

3.  Mark Ingram says the guys on Bama’s offense “want to be the best in school history.”

4.  Auburn will use its young defensive linemen earlier and more often than its young offensive linemen.

5.  Arkansas State’s offense will have some similarities to Auburn’s tomorrow.

6.  Left tackle Lee Ziemba is working to create more leverage for himself when engaging defenders.

7.  This writer says that Dan Mullen is facing a “must-win game” against Memphis.  Year Two, Game One, Must Win?  A little hyperbole never hurt anyone.

8.  Making matters tough for Mullen is the fact that Memphis has a new coach… and therefore the element of surprise is in their favor.

9.  Chris Relf will get the start at quarterback tomorrow but Tyler Russell could see first-half action, too.

10.  The SEC will hand down bell-related monetary fines to MSU at end of the season, not on a week-to-week basis.  “The bell tolls for thee, Grossbard.”

11.  Whether starting defensive end Kentrell Lockett will return to Ole Miss — after heart issues last Saturday — is up in the air at this point.

12.  The Rebels will need to fill the sizable void left by his absence.

13.  Hosuton Nutt says Randall Mackey will get plenty of snaps at quarterback behind Nathan Stanley tomorrow.

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1.  Urban Meyer says his team is ready for gameday.

2.  Sophomore Jon Bostic will likely start at middle linebacker for the Gators tomorrow.

3.  Receiver Frankie Hammond will be suspended from UF’s game with Miami (Ohio) due to his offseason DUI charge.

4.  Georgia has some absences on offense heading into its opener with Louisiana-Lafayette.

5.  Jeff Schultz of The AJC believes UGA should sit AJ Green if the NCAA has any questions about his eligibility.

6.  Georgia Practice Report, here.

7.  Home field advantage hasn’t meant a lot in the Kentucky-Louisville football series.

8.  Quarterback Mike Hartline wants to go from game manager to game changer.

9.  Defensive coordinator Steve Brown thinks his unit’s struggles against spread offenses have been overblown.

10.  Tony Barnhart of The AJC makes his weekend predictions here.

Just a quick note to apologize for today’s few and far between posts. 

Have you ever tried to type up a story while zipping through Atlanta on MARTA?  Me, neither.  But I can tell you it’s not easy.

Tunnels aren’t great for my Verizon Wireless card.

Today’s been a “Planes, Trains and Automobiles” type of day… starting off with traffic delays getting out of New York. 

I hope you’ll excuse our lack of updates today.  All will be back to normal tomorrow morning here at MrSEC.  Dozens of stories, dozens of links.  All the news you’ve come to expect from MrSEC every day.

Assuming I eventually make it home.

Everyone knows that defense wins championships in the SEC.  And a quick check of recent league statistics proves it to be true.  But did you know there was a pretty clear shift from offense to defense that took place about eight years ago?

Going back 15 seasons, we broke down each of the SEC champions from 1995 (Florida) right on up through last year (Alabama) in eight major statistical categories.  Here’s what we found, starting with the offensive numbers:


Scoring Offense
The SEC champ led the league in scoring offense 6 times in the last 15 years.  (Florida in 2008, 2000, 1996 and 1995, Auburn in 2004 and Georgia in 2002)

Rushing Offense
Only 2 of the past 15 SEC champions actually led the league in rushing.  That’s a surprisingly low number.  (Florida 2008 and Tennessee 1998)

Passing Offense
Again, only 2 SEC champs since 1995 have topped the league in this category.  And you have to go back a long way to find the last champ to do it.  (Florida in 1996 and 1995)

Total Offense
Only 3 teams in 15 years have led the league in total offense and lifted that round SEC sign in Atlanta.  (Florida in 2008, 1996 and 1995)

Scoring Defense
The SEC’s champion has led the league in points allowed 5 times in the past 15 years.  But all five teams have done so in the last 8 years.  (Alabama 2009, Florida 2008, Auburn 2004, LSU 2003, and Georgia 2002)

Rushing Defense
In the last 15 years, just 3 SEC champs have led the league in this category… but all have occurred in the last 7 years.  (Alabama 2009, Florida 2006, and LSU 2003)

Passing Defense
Want an interesting fact?  Try this one: No SEC champion since 1995 has led the conference in this category.  Got a so-so secondary?  You can win big anyway.

Total Defense
Of the last 15 champs, 3 have led the league in total yards allowed.  Again, all three instances have taken place in the last 7 years.  (Alabama 2009, LSU 2007 and 2003)


Conclusions

* You don’t have to a league-leading offense or defense to win the SEC.  Georgia (2005), LSU (2001), Alabama (1999) and Tennessee (1997) didn’t lead the SEC in any of the 8 main team categories.

* There was a shift from offense to defense right around 2002.  Since that time, only 5 champions have led the league in an offensive category.  However, 11 SEC champs have led the league in a defensive category in that same 8-year span.

* That’s a switch from the 1990s.  Not once between 1995 and 2001 did an SEC champion lead the league in one of the four major defensive categories.

* It’s not breaking news, of course, but even when you do a little simple math with the SEC Media Guide you find that defensive success is more important than offensive success in today’s SEC.

Predictions are fun.  And usually useless.

There’s no telling who’ll be hit with injuries at the worst possible time.  There’s no way to predict which games will be impacted by bad weather.  And it’s impossible to guess which game might change entirely based on an opening-kickoff fumble.

In other words, I wouldn’t go putting any money on the predictions you’re about to read.  But as we’re set to start the 2010 season tonight, here’s the current view from MrSEC.com:


Teams Most Likely To Reach Atlanta

1.  Alabama — The Tide won’t go undefeated this year, but it’s hard to imagine anyone in the West slipping past them in the standings.  The gap closes a little this year, but the Tide is still way out in front.

2.  Florida — The Gators will have new players on the field and new coaches on the sidelines.  They’ve also had a few issues with a particularly cocky and mouthy freshman class.  But the big question is can they replace Tim Tebow — meaning Tebow the team leader and Tebow the automatic-third-down-converter.  Odds are they’ve got the talent to win the division, but…

3.  Georgia — The Bulldogs have talent on offense.  They can insulate new quarterback Aaron Murray by putting veterans at every position around him.  On defense, it doesn’t seem possible that the Dawgs could be any worse than last season.  For those reasons, UGA is our current sleeper to reach Atlanta.


Rising / Falling

As we just noted, Georgia has a lot of pieces in place to compete in the East.  Florida is still the favorite and they’ll get the biggest dose of media scrutiny.  The Dawgs might thrive with lower expectations and an underdog mentality.  UGA is on the rise.

South Carolina looks to be the team set up for disaster.  What should be a good quarterback situation appears murky at the moment.  The Weslye Saunders/Whitney Hotel situation has been a distraction.  Mix in the fact that many people are raising expectations for the Cocks and this could be the perfect storm. 

All that said, if Carolina tops Georgia in Week Two, you can officially flush these last-minute preseason gut feelings.


Best Record For A New Coach

Joker Phillips beats out Derek Dooley and then Robbie Caldwell in this one.  Just look at the Wildcats’ schedule for the reason why.  Louisville, Akron, Western Kentucky and Charleston Southern make up the non-conference part of the slate.  Inside the SEC, UK will go to Ole Miss and Mississippi State and host Auburn.

Dooley’s Vols will face Oregon outside the conference and their SEC West games consist of visits from Alabama and Ole Miss and a road game at LSU.  Advantage Wildcats.

As for Caldwell, if Vandy wins 3 games, he’ll have done a solid job.  The roster is young.  The schedule is tough.  Things don’t look good for the ‘Dores.


Player of the Year on Offense

Ryan Mallett’s stats should be spectacular at year’s end.  As we’ve broken down previously, he’ll need to improve his performance in league games (specifically on the road), but coupling his arm with Bobby Petrino’s system is sure to produce more fireworks.


Player of the Year on Defense

Everyone seems to be going with Alabama’s Dont’a Hightower in this slot, but the edge here goes to LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson.  Both are tremendous players, but Peterson is likely to star in a league filled with great receivers.  He wins on degree of difficulty.


Who’s The Real #2 in the West

We like Georgia as the only real sleeper in the league behind Alabama and Florida.  Period.  But if someone said, “Pick someone from the West or else,” we’d study the teams’ non-division opponents and their matchups with each other:

Arkansas — at Georgia, at South Carolina, Vanderbilt, LSU, at Auburn

LSU — at Vanderbilt, at Florida, Tennessee, at Arkansas, at Auburn

Auburn — South Carolina, at Kentucky, Georgia, LSU and Arkansas

Scratch LSU from the list immediately.  That leaves a head-to-head race between dark horse darlings Auburn and Arkansas.  Auburn has the schedule advantage, but they also have more questions to answer — Is Malzahn’s offense for real?  Will the defense be better? 

We have to wonder about Arkansas’ defense, too, but we can be pretty sure that their offense will thrive.  For those reasons, we like the Hogs to finish #2 in the West.

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