With conferences eagerly working to line up and lock in partnerships with bowls for the 2014-19 cycle, the slate of games for 2013 — the last year of the current cycle — was released by the Football Bowl Association yesterday.

The dates and times for the SEC’s games are as follows (all times Eastern):

Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl

Nashville, TN

Monday, 12/30, 3:15pm

SEC versus ACC

AdvoCare V100 Bowl

Shreveport, LA

Tuesday, 12/31, 12:30pm

SEC versus ACC

AutoZone Liberty Bowl

Memphis, TN

Tuesday, 12/31, 4:00pm

SEC versus Conference USA or AAC (old Big East)

Chick-fil-A Bowl

Atlanta, GA

Tuesday, 12/31, 8:00pm

SEC versus ACC

TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl

Jacksonville, FL

Wednesday, 1/1, 12:00pm

SEC versus Big Ten

Capital One Bowl

Orlando, FL

Wednesday, 1/1, 1:00pm

SEC versus Big Ten

Outback Bowl

Tampa, FL

Wednesday, 1/1, 1:00pm

SEC versus Big Ten

Allstate Sugar Bowl

New Orleans, LA

Thursday, 1/2, 8:30pm

SEC versus BCS qualifier

AT&T Cotton Bowl

Arlington, TX

Friday, 1/3, 7:30pm

SEC versus Big XII

BBVA Compass Bowl

Birmingham, AL

Saturday, 1/4, 1:00pm

SEC versus AAC (old Big East)

Ten bowl partners.  Three games against the ACC.  Three games against the Big Ten.  Not a single game outside the SEC footprint.

Our take?

For the love of all that’s holy, is there no way to shake things up a bit?  (Of course there is and we’ve talked about it before… but it’s not going to happen.)

Earlier this week, SI.com’s Stewart Mandel tried to piece together what the next cycle of bowl games might bring us.  His SEC projections were: Sugar, Capital One, Outback, Gator, Belk (in Charlotte), Music City, Meineke Car Care of Texas (in Houston) and then possibly the Liberty, AdvoCare v100, or the-bowl-soon-to-be-known-as-the-bowl-previously-known-as-the-BBVA Compass Bowl.  The SEC will also have an occasional path to the Orange Bowl in Miami Gardens.

That’s two new games on a regular basis.  The Belk Bowl is at least technically outside the SEC’s borders, though not by much.  Unfortunately, it will likely feature yet another SEC/ACC clash.

The Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas will probably be another matchup against the Big XII.  It would be played indoors at Reliant Stadium.

As for the carry-over games, the Sugar will match the SEC against the Big XII when not part of the College Football Playoff.  The Capital One will still be an SEC/Big Ten game.  Ditto the Outback Bowl.  The ACC and Big Ten will flip-flop sending teams to the Gator and Music City bowls to face the SEC.

Yawn.

Sorry, but that’s still pretty blah.  There’s not a single matchup with the Pac-12.  And unlike the Big Ten’s national bowl lineup — which will stretch from Yankee Stadium to Florida to San Diego — the SEC continues to stick within its own region come the holidays.

We get that shorter travel makes things easier on SEC fans, but couldn’t one long-distance bowl be added to the schedule?

It looks now like the ACC will be facing the Big Ten in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl.  Aren’t there some SEC fans out there who would have liked to see the SEC and Big Ten trade in the Gator Bowl for a cold-weather date in the house that replaced the House that Ruth Built?

And while Juarez, Mexico has gone from tourist destination to crime capital, fans staying on the US side of the border in El Paso might have enjoyed seeing an SEC squad face a Pac-12 team once a year.  Instead, the ACC will keep its slot against the Pac-12 in the Hyundai Sun Bowl.

The SEC knows how to make money and it knows how to win bowl games.  If only the league knew how to excite its fans come bowl season.  The same ol’ same ol’ just doesn’t get the job done.

If Johnny Manziel is college football’s must-watch player on offense in 2013, then South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney is college football’s must-watch player on defense.  But he himself will likely do nothing more than watch for the rest of USC’s spring practice.

Last week, Clowney suffered a minor neck sprain when he collided with one of his defensive teammates during a practice drill.  He was still sore yesterday and team doctors decided not to clear him for Tuesday’s work.

According to GamecockCentral.com — the Rivals site covering USC — Clowney “will probably remain in street clothes for the final three workouts, including Saturday afternoon’s spring game.”

“My back and neck are hurting me, but I should be ok coming out of spring ball and should come around,” Clowney said.  “We’ll have to see (about practice).  That’s up to the coaches.  It’s not really about being out here.  It’s about learning the playbook.  We put in some new stuff, so all I have to do is learn the play calls.  The rest of it, I’ll catch up on.”

Defensive coordinator Lorenzo Ward added: “His neck and back is still stiff.  Whether he goes another snap (this spring), I don’t care.”

It’s expected Carolina will use its veterans only briefly during Saturday’s spring game, seizing the opportunity to focus on younger players instead.

Clowney’s profile was lifted into the stratosphere thanks in part to a remarkable play against Michigan in last year’s Outback Bowl.  The play was subsequently featured on ESPN somewhere north of a million times.

Clowney was an All-American last year and is expected to be the top pick in the NFL draft next spring.  There has even been talk of him being a Heisman Trophy candidate.

Earlier this year some debated whether the junior should even play this fall and risk injury.  Well, sure enough, he didn’t make it through spring practice without an injury.  But at least the injury is not believed to be a serious one.

Northwestern defeated Mississippi State 34-20 in the Gator Bowl on Tuesday
South Carolina defeated Michigan 33-28 in the Outback Bowl on Tuesday
Georgia defeated Nebraska 45-31 in the Capital One Bowl on Tuesday
Louisville defeated Florida 33-23 in the Sugar Bowl Wednesday
Georgia LB Alec Ogletree will turn pro early after a 13-tackle performance in the Bulldogs’ bowl game
Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin says he’s in no rush to hire a new offensive coordinator
New Arkansas linebackers coach Randy Shannon says the staff Bret Bielema has assembled “is going to be unbelievable.”
Florida receivers coach Bush Hamdan is leaving for a spot on Arkansas State’s staff
Tennessee DL Daniel McCullers will stay in Knoxville for his senior season
Alabama C Barrett Jones was back from an injury at practice on Tuesday
Memphis basketball coach Josh Pastner says he will no longer schedule Tennessee
Follow the Southeastern Conference every day on MrSEC.com

South Carolina RB Shon Carson is back from a wrist injury and will play in the Outback Bowl versus Michigan
Georgia is arriving in Orlando today for next week’s Capital One Bowl versus Nebraska
LSU is arriving in Atlanta today for next week’s Chick-fil-A Bowl versus Clemson
Florida expects to lose money on its Sugar Bowl trip this year
Vanderbilt coach James Franklin on playing in Nashville’s Music City Bowl: “The only bad bowl is the one you’re not playing in.”
Auburn has hired cornerbacks coach Melvin Smith from Mississippi State
Follow the SEC all year long at MrSEC.com

SEC Football

1. LSU linebacker Kevin Minter named team MVP.

2. 6,000 seat, $85 million expansion going on at Tiger Stadium.  Capacity at LSU will increase to just short of 100,000 at the start of the 2014 season.

3. With Drew Alleman’s days drawing to a close, James Hairston looks to be the next in line as kicker at LSU.

4. If your nickname is the Crimson Tide, why does an elephant mascot roam the sidelines?

5. Focus shifts today at Mississippi State – bowl game against Northwestern is two weeks from tomorrow.

6. Nick Griffin’s injury at MSU will give redshirt freshman running back Josh Robinson more opportunities.

7. With three weeks to prepare for the bowl game against Pittsburgh, Hugh Freeze will spend time this week focusing on his younger players.

8. Nearly 21,000 tickets have been sold through Ole Miss for the BBVA Compass Bowl.

9. South Carolina has three less Michigan players to worry about for the Outback Bowl.  Starting cornerback J.T. Floyd, the punter and a backup linebacker all suspended by coach Brady Hoke.

10. After playing both ways this year at Georgia, Malcolm Mitchell would love to focus on one side of the ball: “If I had to pick between offense and defense, one or the other, I’m going to pick offense just because I love doing it.”

11. Georgia players choose whiffle ball.

12. Tennessee junior tackle Ja’Wuan James says he’ll return for his senior year. “Blessed to have another year…”

13. Florida’s Sugar Bowl opponent, Louisville, slashing some ticket prices to the game thanks to the local pizza baron.

14. With Josh Henson the new offensive coordinator at Missouri – a look at how much previous experience every OC in the SEC has.

SEC Basketball

15. At the end of the first and second halves Saturday night against Arizona, Florida was outscored 15-0.

16. Missouri finally gets to see what Oregon transfer Jabari Brown can do tonight against South Carolina State. Frank Haith: “We’ve got to understand, here’s a guy that hasn’t played in a year and will be playing (tonight) for the first time in a long time.” Illinois-Missouri on Saturday one of Andy Katz’ “must watch” games this week.

17. Auburn’s legitimate center duo?

18. Vanderbilt tries to make it three in a row tonight against Cornell. Dai-Jon Parker will make his season debut after serving a 10-game suspension.

19.  This list of college hoops’ most overpaid coaches features three names from the SEC.

Extra

20. A North Alabama player’s racist tweet aimed at President Obama last night -he’s no longer on the team.

Wondering what the lines are for the SEC’s bowl games this holiday season?  Here’s an updated look and, yes, the Vegas bookmakers know full well that betters will be plunking down big cash on SEC teams based on their reputation.  That’s why every single team from Mike Slive’s league opened as a favorite:

Music City Bowl in Nashville – Monday, Dec. 31st

Vanderbilt vs NC State

Opened:  VU -5

Current:  VU -7 (moved up a half-point this week)

Chik-fil-A Bowl in Atlanta – Monday, Dec. 31st

LSU vs Clemson

Opened:  LSU -3

Current:  LSU -4 (no change this week)

Gator Bowl in Jacksonville – New Year’s Day

Mississippi State vs Northwestern

Opened:  MSU -2

Current:  MSU -2 (no change this week)

Outback Bowl in Tampa – New Year’s Day

South Carolina vs Michigan

Opened:  USC -4.5

Current:  USC -5 (no change this week)

Capital One Bowl in Orlando – New Year’s Day

Georgia vs Nebraska

Opened:  UGA -8.5

Current:  UGA -10 (no change this week)

Sugar Bowl in New Orleans – Wednesday, Jan. 2nd

Florida vs Louisville

Opened:  UF -15

Current:  UF -13.5 (moved down a half-point)

Cotton Bowl in Arlington – Friday, Jan. 4th

Texas A&M vs Oklahoma

Opened:  A&M -3

Current:  A&M -4.5 (no change this week)

BBVA Compass Bowl in Birmingham – Saturday, Jan. 5th

Ole Miss vs Pittsburgh

Opened:  UM -2

Current:  UM -3.5 (no change this week)

BCS Championship Game – Monday, Jan. 7th

Alabama vs Notre Dame

Opened:  UA -9.5

Current:  UA -10 (moved up a half-point)

Nine bowl games – still nine SEC favorites, three of them double-digits. The first SEC bowl games kickoff two weeks from Monday.

BCS National Championship - Alabama vs. Notre Dame

Sugar Bowl - Florida vs. Louisville where the Gators will face their former defensive coordinator in Cardinals coach Charlie Strong

Capital One Bowl – Georgia vs. Nebraska

Chik-Fil-A Bowl - LSU vs. Clemson

Cotton Bowl - Texas A&M vs. Oklahoma in a matchup of old Big 12 rivals. Big 12 coaches tried to maneuver Oklahoma into a BCS bowl game without success.

Outback Bowl – South Carolina vs. Michigan.

Music City Bowl – Vanderbilt vs. North Carolina State (Vanderbilt also announced that James Franklin is getting a contract extension).

Gator Bowl – Mississippi State vs. Northwestern.

BBVA Compass Bowl - Ole Miss vs. Pittsburgh

Jerry Palm — the computer guru/numbers-cruncher who made a name for himself ranking college basketball teams — has posted his predictions for this season’s bowl matchups.  You might want to hold off on ordering tickets with the season still a month away and all, but for a late-summer read, eh, it’s worth a look.

In chronological order, here’s how Palm expects things to shake out for the SEC’s team this season (the comments after each game are mine):

Music City Bowl, 12/31 (SEC #7 vs ACC #6): Missouri vs Georgia Tech (A so-so first year for Mizzou.)

Liberty Bowl, 12/31 (SEC #8 or #9 vs C-USA #1): Tennessee vs Houston (Enough to save Derek Dooley?)

Chick-fil-A Bowl, 12/31 (SEC #5 vs ACC #2): South Carolina vs Virginia Tech (A disappointment for the Cocks?)

Capital One Bowl, 1/1 (SEC #2 vs Big Ten #2): Georgia vs Michigan State (A rematch from last year and another reason we don’t like automatic tie-ins.)

Gator Bowl, 1/1 (SEC #6 vs Big Ten #4 or #5): Mississippi State vs Iowa (Pretty good expectations for the Bulldogs.)

Outback Bowl, 1/1 (SEC #3 or #4 vs Big Ten #3): Florida vs Nebraska (Will Muschamp makes some progress.)

Sugar Bowl, 1/2 (SEC champ or At-large BCS bid vs At-large BCS team): Alabama vs Louisville (Bama fans still remember the name of Browning Nagle.)

Cotton Bowl, 1/4 (SEC #3 or #4 vs Big 12 #2): Arkansas vs Oklahoma State (Good, but probably not good enough to land John L. Smith the full-time gig.)

BBVA Compass Bowl, 1/5 (SEC #8 or #9 vs Big East #5 or a C-USA fill-in): Auburn vs Cincinnati (Folks would start to have their doubts about Gene Chizik.)

BCS Championship Game, 1/7 (BCS #1 vs BCS #2): LSU vs Southern Cal (Tiger fans won’t have to wonder if Les Miles will play Jarrett Lee.)

The squads Palm doesn’t envision going bowling: Kentucky, Ole Miss, Texas A&M and Vanderbilt.

1. Key to success at Arkansas this fall?  Stop the run.

2. Best battle at quarterback for Alabama?  Backup to AJ McCarron.

3. Auburn coach Gene Chizik is impressed with redshirt freshman linebacker Kris Frost.

4. What cornerback Dehendret Collins means to Ole Miss this fall.

5. Why the next few years of Florida basketball could be very good. 2013 class gets a No. 1 ranking.

6. Former South Carolina and current Texas A&M AD Eric Hyman on the challenges he faced in his old job: “I’ve talked to other athletic directors, and they don’t have some of the challenges that we have here.”

NCAA and Penn State

7. LSU coach Les Miles: ”As unfortunate as the sanctions are, I think we’re all in support. He needed to make a statement and he did.”

8. Stewart Mandel: “Justice has been served, assuming your idea of justice for rape victims is to deprive a school of its next four Outback Bowl invitations.”

9. Jeff Schultz:  ”NCAA president Mark Emmert acted swiftly and justly. “

10. Gene Frenette: “Not one coach or player currently at Penn State had anything to do with the coverup of Sandusky, a convicted felon, abusing so many young boys while serving as Paterno’s defensive coordinator.”

11. Roundup of quotes and reaction.

12. With transfer rules relaxed – expect a feeding frenzy: “I get the feeling that the likes of Ohio State’s Urban Meyer and Michigan’s Brady Hoke have already perused PSU’s roster and commenced a game of “need it… got it… need it… need it… got it…”

13. What happens when BOTH teams vacate a football game?

Yesterday we noted that the Football Bowl Association had finalized its 2012-13 schedule of postseason games.  We provided you with a link to the master list as well.

But a few of you asked for an SEC-only breakdown of the games, so below are the contests that feature SEC tie-ins (including the BCS Championship Game which has basically become an additional SEC bowl).

We include day, date and time as well as broadcast network and the opponent’s conference affiliation.  Print it, save it, post it on the fridge:

Friday 12/28, 2:00pm ET on ESPN — AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl

SEC vs ACC

Monday 12/31, 12:00pm ET on ESPN — Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl

SEC vs ACC

Monday 12/31, 3:30pm ET on ESPN — AutoZone Liberty Bowl

SEC vs C-USA

Monday 12/31, 7:30pm ET on ESPN — Chick-fil-A Bowl

SEC vs ACC

Tuesday 1/1, 12:00pm ET on ESPN2 — TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl

SEC vs Big Ten

Tuesday 1/1, 1:00pm ET either ESPN or ABC — Capital One Bowl

SEC vs Big Ten

Tuesday 1/1, 1:00pm ET either ESPN or ABC — Outback Bowl

SEC vs Big Ten

Tuesday 1/1, 8:30pm ET on ESPN — Allstate Sugar Bowl

SEC vs BCS Foe

Friday 1/4, 8:00pm ET on Fox — AT&T Cotton Bowl

SEC vs Big 12

Saturday 1/5, 1:00pm ET on ESPN — BBVA Compass Bowl

SEC vs Big East

Monday 1/7, 8:30pm ET on ESPN — Discover BCS National Championship Game

SEC? vs SEC? (Hey, it happened last year.)

Thoughts:

* As a new bowl day dawns in 2014, here’s hoping the SEC can dump a game against the ACC and pick up a game with the Pac-12.  All the SEC’s existing bowl tie-ins go bye-bye in two more years.  So movement/change is possible/likely.

* The SEC and Big 12 will launch the “Champions” Bowl in 2014 either as a stand-alone event or as a re-branded, rebuilt Sugar or Cotton Bowl.  When the playoff was first rubber-stamped, most believed that a merger was in the offing, probably with Jerry Jones’ Cowboys Stadium-based Cotton Bowl.  Since then, however, it’s looking increasingly like the conferences will indeed create the game on their own and bid it out to a different city each year.  Stay tuned.

* If the SEC and Big 12 want to partner up on another bowl game, St. Louis makes a heckuva lot of sense and there’s no question that city’s sports commission wants in on the bowl action.  If not the Big 12, then The Gateway to the West would serve as a good meeting ground for the SEC versus Pac-12 game we suggested above.

* The rationale behind the SEC and Big Ten scheduling three games opposite each other on New Year’s Day is obvious.  It’s called “roadblocking” in the television industry and it creates the impression that both leagues own New Year’s Day.  No matter where you flip from noon to 3pm ET, you’re probably going to see SEC and Big Ten teams.  But that doesn’t make it any better for the fans of those leagues who have to decide which game to watch, while missing out on two others.

* Here’s hoping the trend of non-BCS bowls being played between New Year’s Day and the BCS title game — I’m looking at you AT&T Cotton and BBVA Compass — will die out with the new playoff.  That’s probably not likely to happen, but here’s hoping.