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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1. The football season waits no for one. While South Carolina awaits word from the NCAA, the team prepares to kickoff the 2010 season tonight.

2. What will the difference makers be when South Carolina meets Southern Miss tonight? Will the Gamecocks struggle against a team it has never faced?

3. Mike Bianchi asks: Who would win a football game between the Florida Gators and the UFL’s Florida Tuskers?

4. The defense will set the pace for the Gators this year. Expect the defensive line to play a bigger role.

5. Still no answer at Georgia on wide receiver A.J. Green’s status and coach Mark Richt doesn’t want to talk about it.

6. Just a few days away from football season and the big news out of Lexington – basketball coach John Calipari had a book signing last night.

7. The football Cats are focused on stopping Louisville’s spread offense.

8. Just how much time will Tennessee backup QB and true freshman Tyler Bray see on Saturday against U-T Martin?

9. There’s no crying in football. Just ask Vols defensive line coach Chuck Smith.

10. Wesley Johnson is an undersized redshirt freshman. He’s also Vanderbilt’s starting left offensive tackle – tasked with protecting the QB’s blind side.

11. The recovery begins for Mark Ingram. “He didn’t have a lot of swelling, which is a good sign,” said coach Nick Saban.

12. Alabama goes up against a San Jose St. team on Saturday night that’s short eight scholarships due to academic sanctions. They’ve never beaten an SEC team.

13. Auburn goes up against an Arkansas State team with five senior offensive linemen.

14. Now is the time for running back Michael Dyer and quarterback Cam Newton to show their stuff.

15. LSU offensive tackle Joseph Barksdale is becoming a leader for the Tigers while tight end DeAngelo Peterson will miss Saturday night’s game with a foot injury.

16. Ole Miss is better prepared to face Jacksonville State’s option this weekend thanks to Mississippi State.

17. Mississipi State coach Dan Mullen says a few freshmen will see action this weekend but none of them will start.

18. The Arkansas offensive line tries to find its groove.

19. Georgia is the winner of the “Fulmer Cup”

1. At Alabama, as you might imagine, the talk is all about the injured Mark Ingram.

2. Kevin Scarbinsky says when it comes to fans reaction, there’s a difference between positive and delusional.

3. Ruling Jeremiah Masoli ineligible was the right move, according to Clay Travis.  Wrong move says Tony Barnhart

4. Who does the best imitation of Les Miles?

5. LSU Fans are still waiting to see who will start at running back on Saturday night – Richard Murphy or Stevan Ridley.

6. Uncertainty at Arkansas over the starting running back position as well.

7. Twelve rookies on 2-deep.  Auburn releases its depth chart.

8. Auburn’s Daren Bates goes from free safety to starting outside linebacker.

9. Mississippi State linebacker K.J. Wright is trying to fill some big shoes this season.

10. Who will be the playmakers at Florida this season?

11. Florida’s starting line against Miami of Ohio on Saturday will feature four seniors and one junior.

12. New Georgia AD Greg McGarity expects every Georgia team to be “in the hunt” for titles.

13. Setting the expectations for a freshman QB.  Aaron Murray, don’t be a hero. But QB will be the big question for the Dawgs this year.

14. South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier is hinting that QB Stephen Garcia will get the start on Thursday night.

15. Kentucky’s Luke McDermott has gone from walk-on to starting defensive tackle.

16. The Cats will face new Louisville coach Charlie Strong and his spread offense on Saturday with QB Adam Froman at the helm.

17. Tennessee wide receiver Gerald Jones is healthy and ready to go.

18. Vols head coach Derek Dooley says he expects some surprises from the UT-Martin Skyhawks on Saturday.

19. Vanderbilt player Jamie Graham has played offense, defense and even some basketball for the Commodores.  Now he’s just a cornerback.

20. Vandy expects a crowd of about 35,000 for Saturday against Northwestern.

21. What are the best college programs this century?

When the 2010 SEC football season kicks off tomorrow night in Columbia, it will finally be time for some of the league’s teams and coaches to prove themselves.

To prove their skills.  To prove their talents.  To prove that offseason media hype has been justified.

Here’s what each school will need to prove heading into the year:


Alabama

The Crimson Tide needs to prove that success hasn’t gone to its head.  Sure the defense will need to be rebuilt.  And the special teams will feature a lot of new faces, too.  But it’s what between the ears that I’m concerned with.  Nick Saban preached chemistry throughout the summer.  Midway through fall camp his veterans had to explain to the newcomers what kind of effort and commitment is expected in Tuscaloosa.  Will Bama remain as hungry and as dedicated as 2009… or will this team try to rest on last year’s team’s laurels?


Arkansas

The secondary should be better.  Good thing.  The Razorbacks need to show that they have some semblance of a defense or else they’ll look like Louisville playing in the SEC.  The bigger issue, however, is Ryan Mallett’s accuracy.  He is being hailed as the best quarterback in the nation and the talent is most definitely there.  But if Mallett completes just 39% of the passes in SEC road games and just 51% of his passes in SEC games overall (matching last year’s performance), the Hogs won’t have the breakthrough season that most are predicting.  He has to prove that his accuracy and decision-making have improved.


Auburn

So Kirk Herbstreit believes Auburn will unseat Alabama and win the SEC West?  They might.  Their defense has some depth this year and Cameron Newton should be a better fit for the spread offense than anyone AU has had at quarterback the last two years.  But is Gus Malzahn’s offense really all it’s cracked up to be?  The Tigers averaged more than 35 points per game in their first two SEC games a year ago (both wins).  They then went 1-5 in their final six conference games and that scoring average plummeted to less than 21 points per contest.  Auburn needs to prove that Malzahn is a genius… and that all those high-paid defensive coordinators in this league didn’t already figure out his vulnerabilities.


Florida

New faces.  New coaches.  New health-first approach from Urban Meyer.  Florida has lots to prove, but replacing Tim Tebow is Issue #1.  John Brantley has to prove that he’s up to the task of leading the Gators through the air rather than via the ground.  And someone — anyone — will have to step up and be THE short-yardage attack for UF.  Florida has the talent, but they still have to prove to me that they can replace one of the most unique college football talents SEC fans had ever seen.


Georgia

UGA’s defense couldn’t be worse could it?  Three new coaches, a new coordinator and a new 3-4 system should make the Bulldogs’ more stingy on the defensive side of the ball.  Shouldn’t they?  2010 is the time to prove it.


Kentucky

Rich Brooks had the Wildcats moving in the right direction.  UK has become a regular bowl bid recipient in recent years.  Now new coach Joker Phillips has to prove that he can keep the momentum going.  If the Cats stay in that 6-7 win range and reach another bowl, folks in blue will feel good that the Cats at least won’t backslide post-Brooks.  If Phillips takes advantage of a favorable schedule and notches 8 or more wins (snapping losing streaks to Tennessee and/or Steve Spurrier in the process), he’ll be a hero.  Can he?


LSU

In Baton Rouge it’s time for Les Miles to prove that Ryan Perrilloux really was the cause for his last two so-so seasons.  Nine losses in two years will get you a raise in Lexington or Columbia.  On the Bayou it gets your rump in a sling.  It’s time for Miles to lead the Tigers back into the national picture and back into title contention in the SEC West.  He has two veteran quarterbacks who he signed and who he has now trained for two-plus years.  The Perrilloux defense has ended.  Time for Miles to prove that things really are OK on his watch.


Mississippi State

Dan Mullen is viewed as an up-and-comer.  Some folks have even picked the Bulldogs to go bowling in 2010.  But is Mullen more enthusiasm and pedigree than real coaching all-star?  2010 is the time for him to prove that he can start to build MSU’s offense into a truly dangerous attack.  He doesn’t have to lead the league in offense to win me over, he just needs to show that he’s making progress.  That shouldn’t be too much to ask for a guy who left Florida on the strength of his offensive resume.


Ole Miss

The Jeremiah Masoli situation muddies the water on the UM front.  Not knowing whether or not he’ll win his NCAA appeal (though it’s very doubtful), I’ll simply say that Houston Nutt needs to prove that he can keep his team together.  The Rebels have lost playmakers and stars across the board.  Kentrell Lockett is now out for the opener.  Plus Masoli’s odd situation.  Nutt will have to do some of his best coaching to keep his team together mentally or else this could be a big step backwards in Oxford.


South Carolina

This one’s easy.  It’s time for Steve Spurrier to prove that he knows how to handle quarterbacks.  That hasn’t happened in a long, long while.  Rather than supporting a veteran QB in Stephen Garcia, Spurrier chose the tough love approach.  He’s made freshman Connor Shaw a real option.  If his quarterbacks struggle and spend 2010 looking over their shoulders it will be business as usual in Columbia.  If they play well and USC wins more than 7 games, it will prove to me that Spurrier does indeed know how to handle passers.  But for now, he currently ranks behind someone who was as shaky as Lane Kiffin.  (Do you think Spurrier would have stood behind Jonathan Crompton and eventually turned him into an NFL draft pick last year at Tennessee… or would he have started his quarterback merry-go-round?  You know the answer.  And it’s no compliment to pale in comparison to Kiffin.)


Tennessee

With a depleted roster and a brutal schedule, Derek Dooley won’t have to prove much to me as a coach in 2010.  I’ll start judging the guy for real in late 2011.  No, this season it’s time for Dooley to prove that he can recruit.  He was hired in part because of his role serving as Nick Saban’s recruiting coordinator at LSU.  He landed a hot class in a very bad situation as soon as he grabbed the Vols’ job last February.  But he’s spent a lot of time since talking about recruiting “5-star people” rather than 5-star players.  UT’s class ranks near the bottom of the SEC currently.  The Vols need an infusion of talent to rebuild.  It’s time for Dooley to prove that he’s the man to get that done.


Vanderbilt

Like Dooley, Caldwell inherits a mess at Vanderbilt.  Depth issues, injuries, no real quarterback to speak of.  Under those circumstances, Caldwell will be asked to prove that he’s truly an SEC-caliber coach.  Not to me, mind you, but to his bosses at Vandy.  Despite the word “interim” being dropped from his title, there are many in Nashville who still believe Caldwell is getting a one-year tryout for the head coach’s job.  So quite clearly, Caldwell needs to prove that he can hold his team together and at least eek out a few victories along the way.  No easy assignment looking at Vandy’s roster.

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If you’re an SEC football fan — and not someone who wears red and blue and loves Ole Miss — I’m guessing you applauded the NCAA’s stance on Jeremiah Masoli yesterday.

The governing body ruled that even though Masoli’s actions fit within the boundaries of its graduate-school-get-a-waiver rule, his off-field behavior was too naughty to ignore.

“The waiver exists to provide relief to student-athletes who transfer for academic reasons to pursue graduate studies, not to avoid disciplinary measures at the previous university.”

Makes sense, of course.  I see the NCAA’s point.  Only they’ve decided to be activist judges on this one.  They decided Masoli’s fate based on the spirit of the law rather than the letter of the law.

The NCAA’s comments raise three questions in my mind:

1.  Will the NCAA now get involved and prevent coaches all over the country from taking on players who have been dismissed by other schools?  If they do not want players who have happened to graduate to get second chances, it would only make sense that non-graduates should be held to the same rule.  In other words, will the NCAA now prevent someone like former Georgia quarterback Zach Mettenberger from playing at another school?  Whether he goes juco first or not, Mettenberger was dismissed by UGA and he intends to play elsewhere.

2.  If the waiver is designed for academic purposes first — not athletic purposes — will the NCAA rule in that manner in future cases?  Greg Paulus transferred from Duke’s basketball team to Syracuse in order to play football in his final post-graduate year.  Are we really to believe that he would have gone to Syracuse had a football offer NOT been on the table?

3.  And what if a coach is simply a jerk?  We never think of those things, but what if a player receives an unfair dismissal from a coach?  Is that coach’s ban going to be upheld by the NCAA, too.

These would be the questions that I would ask were I representing Ole Miss in their appeal of Masoli’s case.

While I understand the move, it sets an odd precedent.  Masoli might have gotten into trouble at Oregon and might be viewed as a criminal (though his crimes are less serious than some SEC football players), but behavior isn’t spelled out in the NCAA’s rulebook.  Nowhere does it say a player can’t transfer from school to school after being disciplined.

Other thoughts:

* If the non-UM fans out there who are happy with this ruling had the same situation playing out at their school they would be screaming (as UM fans are) that the NCAA is an unfair organization.  Whether it is or not.

* Masoli isn’t barred from going to school at Ole Miss, just from playing football in 2010.  He can play in 2011 if he’s still enrolled in Oxford.  It’s doubtful that will happen, of course, because Masoli transferred to play football — just like Paulus.

* Think Houston Nutt wishes he had given Nathan Stanley and Randall Mackey all of the snaps in fall camp now?

Back on August 19th, I began a post with the following sentence:

“To hell with tradition.”

I wrote that because, as I put it then, Alabama “is allowing Nike to Nik-ify their uniforms for one game this season.”

Nike, you see, is producing another set of Pro Combat uniforms for a select number of schools in 2010.  They unveiled the first batch of futuristic unis last season with Florida (white helmets, spirograph stripes on the shoulders) and LSU (old gold rather than new gold) taking part in the one-game project. 

Florida will be back for a second year and Alabama is jumping onboard this season, too.

Nick Saban has since said that the changes to Bama’s unis will be small and in keeping with the school’s tradition.  In relaying that news, I pointed out just what type of hideous designs — in my opinion — Nike has rolled out for Oregon and Virginia Tech in past years.

Well, five days later, I received a very friendly invitation from Nike to attend the official unveiling of the new Pro Combat uniforms in New York City.


“Hi John, I know you picked up the news that Alabama and Florida will be wearing new uniforms from Nike this season — would you be interested in joining us in New York when we reveal the uniforms on September 1?  University personnel, former players and Nike designers will be on hand to discuss the design and performance benefit elements.

“Nike can provide travel accomodations for you to New York — we can cover the cost of your flight and hotel if you are interested.  The event begins at 10am on Wednesday so we suggest you arrive in NYC by Tuesday evening.  You are welcome to stay through Wednesday evening or you can fly out immediately after the event.”


My first thought was as follows:  What about journalistic integrity?

My second thought was:  Are you kidding me, we’re talking about uniforms and this is a free trip to New York on Nike’s dime just to publicize their new uni designs… only an idiot would turn this down so hush up the integrity talk and get your butt on a plane.

My third thought:  Wow, our site is really growing these days.

Thoughts Two and Three stuck.  Thought One was flushed from my mind.  This isn’t a coach taking me to dinner so I’ll write nice things about his program.  This is just me covering a uniform unveiling in New York.  How much credibility do I have as a fashionista in the first place?


So I’ll be bringing you a live blog from the proceedings in New York tomorrow.  Former Gator Jack Youngblood will be representing Florida and Marty Lyons will be on hand for Alabama.

I told Nike that it’s doubtful that I’ll be won over by their new designs simply because I am a traditionalist.  They said that was understood and that they’re not counting on some quid pro quo.

You can find out tomorrow morning what I really think about the uniforms right here on MrSEC.com.  And whether I like the unis or not, I’m guessing you’ll read some kind words about Nike… the company.

While I’m out, Mike Mitchell will banging out the daily headlines and Josh Ward will keep on keeping on at our Recruiting page.  We’ll also have some new, exclusive content (predictions and such) popping up on the site over the next two days.

But for now, I’m off to Atlanta — you can catch us previewing the SEC season with the guys from “SportsNite” on CSS tonight at 6pm ET — and then on to New York.

Gotta go work on my plans.


To do…

1.  Get key to house-sitter.

2.  Pack my laptop.

3.  Pack my favorite pair of Nike shoes…

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1.  Freshmen dot the Florida depth chart.

2.  Jeff Demps believes his Olympic-class speed will be a good thing on kick returns.

3.  Mike Pouncey says UF’s freshman class responded “like men” to his critical rant last week.

4.  Here’s an update on Urban Meyer’s health.

5.  Carolina receiver Tori Gurley is poised to have a big season in Columbia.

6.  An outgoing USC beatwriter believes the Gamecocks will start their season 3-0 (with a win over Georgia to boot).

7.  A former Carolina player says he and his teammates found a loophole to help get around the NCAA’s extra benefits rules.

8.  Gerald Williams move from defensive end to defensive tackle was a depth chart surprise at Tennessee.  (Gerald, not Dan, he mutters to himself after correcting his mistake.)

9.  Derek Dooley isn’t taking UT-Martin lightly.

10.  UT’s upperclassmen have learned to roll with the changes.  Not unlike REO Speedwagon (one of my least favorite bands ever, I might add).

11.  Vol basketballer Kenny Hall isn’t letting a sore foot slow him down.

12.  Vandy’s Warren Norman had minimal swelling around his knee on Monday… meaning that he might play Saturday (just about 10 days after arthroscopic surgery).

13.  Robbie Caldwell says he’ll have to try to stay calm “because I got pretty emotional before a game as a position coach.”

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1.  Ole Miss is still waiting for an NCAA waiver for Jeremiah Masoli.  Houston Nutt believes he’ll learn something today or tomorrow “at the latest.”

2.  If he’s cleared, this writer believes Masoli will be the Rebels’ starter.

3.  But his snaps have been dwindling in practice.

4.  Is Chris Relf definitely MSU’s starting quarterback?  Is he hurt?  Is he healthy?  Inquiring minds want to know.

5.  This writer thinks Relf will play Saturday against Memphis.

6.  Dan Mullen may hand out some suspensions before Saturday’s game.

7.  Georgia’s depth chart is still in flux.

8.  UGA has sold out its opener… which means the school’s sell-out streak is entering its 10th season.

9.  New AD Greg McGarity is already at work in Athens.

10.  Kentucky will be starting a walk-on at defensive tackle on Saturday.

11.  UK players want the trophy from the Kentucky-Louisville game to remain in Lexington.

12.  There are no jitters for Joker Phillips.  Yet.

13.  The one that got away: John Calipari couldn’t lure DeAndre Daniels into joining Kentucky this year.  He’ll instead start college next year.

14.  CBS analyst Gary Danielson doesn’t believe an SEC team will go undefeated in 2010.  (I believe he’s right.)

1.  Nick Saban says his team is taking San Jose State seriously.

2.  Speaking of Saban, Paul Finebaum says the coach deserves his statue in Tuscaloosa.

3.  Outside linebacker Chavis Williams will be a surprise starter for Bama on Saturday.

4.  The Tide is still waiting for an NCAA verdict on Marcell Dareus.

5.  Auburn defensive coordinator will have a lot more players at his disposal this season.

6.  The Tigers are full of optimism this fall.

7.  Bobby Petrino hasn’t decided on a starter at running back yet.

8.  Arkansas’ coach says he wants his defense to be “dominant” in the Hogs’ first two games.

9.  Jordan Jefferson will be LSU’s starting quarterback, but Jarrett Lee might see action, too.

10.  There’s some youth dotting the Tigers’ 2010 depth chart.

11.  Offensive coordinator Gary Crowton will remain in the coaches’ booth this fall.

Dennis Dodd of CBSSports.com has posted a 2010 preview piece titled: “25 Things to Watch: Football saves us after Summer of Sleaze.”

His piece contains references to a lot more than just “25 things,” as you can see for yourself by clicking here.  Among his many bulletpoints are some SEC-related items:

* You have to like Alabama’s chances of winning another national title…

* Unless they get the big head (due in part to Nick Saban allowing ESPN and movie crews to document his squad).

* Florida remains the fastest team in the country.

* Les Miles and Mark Richt’s seats are “smoldering,” but they’re not yet “burning.”

* The SEC is the best conference.

* Alabama has the nation’s longest winning streak — 14 (along with Boise State).  And Vandy has one of the nation’s longest losing streaks — 8.

* If the Big Ten expands to add Rutgers and Maryland the SEC might act.  “All-out war is still on the horizon on the expansion front.”

* Week Two will be a huge weekend in the SEC: Penn State/Alabama, Oregon/Tennessee, South Florida/Florida, Georgia/South Carolina.

* And Dodd also takes a shot at Ole Miss and the entire SEC for rolling out the welcome wagon for Jeremiah Masoli.

“The SEC doesn’t look good as its image as a football-inclined league (at the expense of academics) is enhanced.  Ole Miss looks worse.  Notice that Vanderbilt, which we all know could use some quarterback help, didn’t, as far as we know, contact Masoli.  Neither did Kansas, another school in desperate need of a quarterback.

“But at this school, in this league, there is always room for Jeremiah Masolis.”

Just two days from the start of the real 2010 football season, what better time to check in on silly season — recruiting?

As usual, we’ve taken the star rankings provided by Rivals.com and put together our own comparison of the commitments corralled by SEC programs so far.  Each Rivals’ star is worth one point in our world.  Plus we give even 0-star recruits a point.  Hey, we’re nice guys.

So without further ado, below are the current SEC commitment hauls as ranked by total points.  Beneath that is a ranking of schools according to Average Points Per Player just so you can get an idea for the type of athletes each school is landing.

And remember, National Signing Day is just 22 weeks from tomorrow.

Observations:

* Houston Nutt’s new recruiting strategy is paying early dividends.  In the past a slow starter and strong closer, this year Nutt and staff are as active as anyone on the early commitment front.  Question is: Can they protect their own commitments as well as they’ve raided others’ in years past? 

* Only Tennessee and Vanderbilt have fewer commitments than Florida, but that’s not unusual for the Gators.  When you can sit back and be picky, why not sit back and be picky?  As you’ll see below, UF ranks second only to Alabama in terms of quality of commitments.  They’re cherry-picking.  Pure and simple.

* Speaking of Tennessee, ranking between Mississippi State and Vanderbilt on a recruiting chart isn’t what Vol fans are used to.  Derek Dooley has said many times that star rankings don’t matter to him and that certainly appears to be the case at the moment.  If these types of numbers hold up, Dooley will need to prove that he has a keen eye and a penchant for developing players.

* Recruiting rankings aren’t scientific.  And it’s still only August.  But I’m guessing those facts still don’t make Arkansas or South Carolina fans feel better about their current classes.  In terms of quality, USC ranks ahead of only Vandy.  Arkansas is ahead of Kentucky, Carolina and Vandy, but the Hogs still lag behind Mississippi State and a less-productive-than-normal Tennessee.

* Gene Chizik may close strong once February rolls around, but I’m guessing I’m not the only one wondering if the NCAA’s recent decision to nix the Tiger Prowl might’ve let a little air out of Auburn’s recruiting tires.  Both literally and figuratively.

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There are a lot of rumblings coming from the north that the grandest rivalry in college sports is about to undergo a serious change.  But before the Big Ten moves the Ohio State-Michigan football game from the third Saturday in November to the middle of the season, commissioner Jim Delany should put in a call to Mike Slive.

First things first, I’m a southern guy.  I work for a site called “MrSEC” for gosh sakes.  But I can tell you this without hesitation: The single greatest college football rivalry in America is Ohio State versus Michigan.  We’re talking pure hate, people.  And before I get notes from Iron Bowlers, just remember, OSU and Michigan have similar resumes.  Auburn fans might not like to hear it, but the Tigers are looked down upon by Alabama fans because they simply don’t have as much national clout or history as the Crimson Tide.  (That doesn’t mean they can’t earn that kind of clout in the future… blah, blah, blah.)

OSU-Michigan is a battle of equals.  The Iron Bowl can be viewed as Auburn’s battle FOR equality and respect. 

North Carolina-Duke deserves consideration as a great rivalry, too, but let’s face it, that’s basketball.  Those teams could play three times in one season (more if the NCAA tournament bracket fell just right).  That doesn’t compare to a one-time, winner-take-all battle for bragging rights.

In addition, Michigan-OSU has a longer history.  With major media centers nearby, it’s had more than 100 years to cultivate a national following.

I lived in Columbus, Ohio for three years and seeing an OSU-Michigan game (in the spitting snow, no less) won me over.  The show outside the stadium was as rich as the one inside.  From the dotting of the “i” in The Horseshoe to the Mardi Gras-esque show outside (beads and all), nothing compares.

So for the Big Ten to even consider moving the sports’ grand game is ludicrous.  For tradition’s sake alone it should be left at season’s end.  But there’s another obvious reason not to move it:  The chance of Michigan and OSU meeting in back to back weeks is ridiculously slim.

Instead of The Third Saturday in November, let’s consider The Third Saturday in October.  Traditionally speaking, Alabama and Tennessee are the SEC’s two winningest programs.  They have battled one another in the middle of the SEC regular season for decades.  Yet after nearly 20 years of SEC Championship Games the Tide and Vols have never met in Atlanta.  Not once.

And what of the south’s oldest rivalry?  Georgia and Auburn have both been to the SEC title game on multiple occasions.  But they’ve never faced off against each other.

What about two of the SEC’s three most-recent national titlists?  LSU and Florida meet every regular season, but despite their dominance in recent years, they’ve never held a rematch in Atlanta.

The idea of moving the Ohio State-Michigan game is a bad one.  The idea of moving that game in order to prevent the two schools from meeting twice (once in the regular season finale and then in a Big Ten Championship Game) is worse.  Moving the game shows no grasp of history and tradition.  Moving it to avoid a possible rematch shows no knowledge of what’s already played out in the very league that the Big Ten is hoping to copy.

Look to the SEC, Big Ten.  Call Mike Slive, Jim Delany.  Don’t toss away a yearly spectacle in an attempt to protect yourself against a rematch that will most likely rarely (if ever) come.

You can be sure the SEC would never do something so shortsighted.

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My hat’s off to Brandon Marcello of The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.  (And no, that’s not because it was a Florida hat.)

Marcello’s work appears regularly on the site via his “Slophouse” blog and that’s despite the fact that most of his paper’s writings are hidden away from the public as part of his employer’s pay-to-read plan.  (The State in Columbia, South Carolina is going in that direction, too… so don’t expect a lot links to them in the future, either.)

At any rate, Marcello contacted 12 SEC football beatwriters and polled them for their views on the 2010 season.  You can read the hows and whys at his site by clicking here… but here are some of the more interesting predictions and viewpoints:

East Champ:  Florida

West Champ:  Alabama

Overall Champ:  Alabama

Best Offense:  Arkansas (followed distantly by Alabama and Auburn)

Best Defense:  Alabama (followed closely by Florida)

Best Defensive Player:  Patrick Peterson, CB, LSU

Best Offensive Player:  Ryan Mallett, QB, Arkansas

Best Overall Player:  Ryan Mallett, QB Arkansas

Best Coach:  Nick Saban in an 11-1 runaway over Urban Meyer

Best Coaching Staff:  Alabama in a 10-2 runaway vote over… Auburn?

Reading through a preview of Thursday’s Southern Miss-South Carolina game, I spotted a quote that I thought SEC fans might find interesting.

Asked about the Gamecocks’ defense, Southern Miss offensive coordinator Blake Anderson had this to say:  “I’ve played in a lot of early SEC games at some of the other places I’ve been.  There’s guys look like they did.  Their corners are built like safeties, safeties are built like linebackers and their defensive linemen are just enormous.”

Granted, this is a coach who is talking up his opponent, but still, it’s an interesting non-BCS view of the size of SEC athletes.