Sunday SEC Final: Louisville 32 – Kentucky 14
Saturday SEC Scores: Georgia 45 – Buffalo 23
Florida 27 – Bowling Green 14
Missouri 62- Southeastern Louisiana 10
Mississippi State 56 – Jackson State 9
Clemson 26 – Auburn 19
Arkansas 49 – Jacksonville State 24
Ole Miss 49 – Central Arkansas 27
LSU 41 – North Texas 14
Alabama 41- Michigan 14
Friday: Tennessee 35 – North Carolina State 21
Thursday: South Carolina 17 – Vanderbilt 13
For SEC news, opinion and analysis, go to MrSEC.com and follow us on Twitter at Twitter.com/MrSEC

Call this the “no line” rundown. Fans will be watching these games – Vegas won’t.

Southeastern Louisiana at Missouri

1. After surgery and rehab on his shoulder, Mizzou quarterback James Franklin is anxious to get into the swing of things: “Once I get that first hit, it will put some of that doubt, some of those worries to the side.”

2. Missouri defensive coordinator Dave Steckel: ”They better be focused on Southeastern Louisiana. There’s not a damned thing they can do about it the week after…”

Central Arkansas at Ole Miss

3. Hugh Freeze makes his debut as the 37th football coach in Ole Miss history. ”I learned about the passion of the Ole Miss people when I came to the Grove as a child…”

4. What does Freeze expect of his Rebels team this year? “Your guess is probably as good as mine. I really don’t know. ”

Jackson State at Mississippi State

5. Dan Mullen on his opponent:  ”I know they have an experienced team. They expect to win a championship this year.”

6. Mullen on different looks you might see from this year’s Bulldogs: “You might see more five wide receivers this year.”

Jacksonville State at Arkansas

7. The Razorbacks face a former Arkansas coach – Jack Crowe – and a former Georgia Bulldog running back – Washaun Ealy.

8. This will be John L. Smith’s first game as a head coach since 2006.  ”I”m fired up.”

SEC East Football

1. Why does the status of  safety Bacarri Rambo and linebacker Alec Ogletree remain unannounced at Georgia? “You’ve got competitive issues that are at the forefront.”

2. The Georgia team motto: ““Our team. Our time. No regrets.”

3. South Carolina wide receiver Shaq Roland, SEC Freshman of the Year?

4. Gamecocks defensive coordinator Lorenzo Ward: “I think we’re ahead of where we were a year ago.”

5. Previewing the Vanderbilt offense and defense.

6. Florida offensive coordinator Brent Pease likes both of his quarterbacks: “They’re good.”

7. “Being QB1 at UF is a big deal. Serious business.”

8.Defensive coordinator Sal Sunseri and a whole host of assistants will make their Tennessee coaching debuts on Friday. Sunseri: “We’ve done our homework.”

9. Tennessee “an SEC powerhouse”?

10. Breakout season for Kentucky wide receiver Gene McCaskill? A visit from John Calipari.

11. The Wildcats aren’t worried about freshman punter Landon Foster. ““He’s been put under pressure, between natural pressure and created pressure and everything else we could do to him.”

12. Missouri will make a decision on its starting kicker Thursday.

13. Like a lot of Gulf Coast teams, the Tigers first opponent, Southeastern Louisiana, is having to deal with Hurricane Isaac.

 SEC West Football

14. Kevin Sumlin would have been the first Texas A&M coach not to open at home in 40 years – but that’s all changed due to Hurricane Isaac.

15. With their opener cancelled, the focus for Texas A&M turns to Florida.  Quarterback Johnny Manziel: ”First game of the year (at) home against Florida, what more could you ask for?”

16. “Of all the coaches of all the teams in all the world, none should be more stoked for Saturday than Gene Chizik.”

17. Discipline issues the focus of Chizik’s weekly news conference. Breaking down Auburn’s depth chart.

18. Freshman Jalen Mills is the replacement for Tyrann Mathieu.  Teammate Eric Reid: “”He’s confident, but at the same time he’s always trying to get better.”

19. Senior walk-on Kelly Johnson and JUCO transfer cornerback Deion Blue are starters at Alabama.

20. Crimson Tide strategy to stop Michigan’s Denard Robinson?  ”Just try to throw everything we’ve got at him.”

21. Wall Street Journal: How Saban Turned The Tide.

22. How many carries for Arkansas running back Knile Davis for in the opener? “That will just kind of be something we play by ear..”

23. Razorbacks offensive coordinator Paul Petrino is shifting from the press box to the field.

24. Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze on Randall Mackey: “He’s one of my favorite kids on the team.”

SEC/College News

25. So who would make up college football’s playoff selection committee ? ”You want me to make a list of people who are going to get their houses burned down?”

26. Dennis Dodd: “College football turns 143 this season and it’s hard find a reason why the SEC shouldn’t win its 142nd national championship in a row.”

27. ESPN’s preseason All-SEC team.

28. There are depth chart surprises around the SEC.

29. A list of breakout college football coaches includes Alabama’s Kirby Smart.

30. When it comes to college football, “Alabama is the center of the college football universe.”

31. Six unforgettable openers in college football.

SEC Basketball

32. SEC basketball tournament in Kansas City?  Not likely because the Big 12 has first dibs on the Sprint Center.

33. Mississippi State freshman Fred Thomas is having foot surgery – not expected to impact his status this fall.

LSU cornerback Ronnie Vinson is in the process of leaving the Tiger football program, according to his high school coach.  His destination?  Southeastern Louisiana.

“The paperwork is in the formalized process, but he’s been in the process the past couple of weeks,” Nelson Stewart said. “I think for him, it’s the best fit. He doesn’t have to wait, and they have a scheme that he’s comfortable with.”

Stewart says Vinson is leaving LSU on good terms and suggested that playing time was the key to his ex-player’s decision.  ”They’ve just got so much talent in their secondary (at LSU).”

Hopefully they’ll have enough to offset the loss of the former 4-star signee.

Another Georgia cornerback is in trouble with Johnny Law today.  Starting corner Branden Smith was arrested early this morning in Alabama for possession of pot.  Smith was pulled over for following too closely and for not having a tag light, but the police officer found a “baseball-size package of marijuana” when he looked in the back seat.

UGA’s other starting cornerback — Sanders Commings — has already been suspended for the Dawgs’ first two games next season following a January arrest for striking a woman outside a downtown Athens club.  Two other freshmen who were slotted for the secondary have been dismissed from the team and another player — Jordan Love — who was expected to get some playing time in nickel and dime packages has transferred away.  (Sounds like Smith was getting ready for the nickel or dime bag packages.  Rimshot.)

Due to depth issues, Georgia was already toying with moving Malcolm Mitchell from receiver to corner.

The Bulldogs open the 2012 season at home against Buffalo before traveling to Missouri to serve as the Tigers’ first-ever SEC opponent.  Mizzou is expected to debut top receiver prospect Dorial Green-Beckham the week before against Southeastern Louisiana.

If Mark Richt can’t manufacture some corners quick, Green-Beckham’s SEC debut could be a good one.


UPDATE — Richt announced today that Mitchell will indeed be a cornerback this spring.  He was the Dawgs top receiver last season.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen in the fall whether he’ll go exclusively defensive back or not yet, but you can’t be in both meetings at the same time,” the coach said.  “Early on, we’re going to have to have him help at corner.”

Which is a classic case of robbing Peter to pay Paul.

The final tumbler has finally clicked into place and Missouri has a completed 2012 football schedule.  The Tigers announced this morning that Syracuse will visit Columbia on November 17th — the next-to-last weekend of the season.

Goodbye, Kansas.  Hello, Syracuse.

The Tigers will face a challenging schedule this fall and not just because they’re jumping into the SEC.  In addition to facing Georgia, South Carolina, Vanderbilt, Alabama, Kentucky, Florida, Tennessee and Texas A&M from their own league, Mizzou will also host BCS-level nonconference games against the aforementioned Orange and the Sun Devils of Arizona State.

Southeastern Louisiana and Central Florida will fill out the slate.

“This is a schedule that Tiger fans can be excited about,” Gary Pinkel said via press release.  “And we’re very fortunate to be able to put such a quality group of opponents together given the challenging timetable we were faced with.”

1.  Florida’s defensive coaching staff will remain in place next year as Will Muschamp looks for continuity.

2.  The hoops Gators will face rival Florida State tonight.

3.  Some Georgia footballers are still mulling their NFL options.

4.  This writer says Kentucky’s lack of talent is the problem, not the football coaches on staff.

5.  Joker Phillips says he feels good about the Cats’ chances in 2012.

6.  John Calipari’s team will host Loyola (MD) in a matinee today.

7.  South Carolina bombed Southeastern Louisiana 62-43 last night in Columbia.

8.  Connor Shaw’s ability to run zone read plays helped save Carolina’s football season.

9.  Renaldo Woolridge’s surprising 17-point effort against UNC-Asheville could give Tennessee’s opponents something new to consider.

10.  So much for Lafayette having the nation’s sixth best 3-point shooting team… Vanderbilt nailed 15 threes in an 89-58 rout of the Leopards last evening.

11.  James Franklin is giving his Commodores some time off from Liberty Bowl practice.

12.  Several Alabama football players are weighing their NFL options.

13.  Anthony Grant’s basketball team — after losing three of four — pounded Oklahoma State 69-52 in Birmingham last night.

14.  Auburn’s roundball squad will have a busy stay in Hawaii this week.

15.  Gene Chizik says there’s a “good possibility” he won’t hire new coordinators until after the Chick-fil-A Bowl.

16.  Arkansas tailback Knile Davis is getting closer to 100%, but that doesn’t mean he’ll play in the Cotton Bowl. 

17.  The Razorback basketball team will be looking for a pre-Christmas win against Louisiana Tech tonight.

18.  In case you haven’t learned by now — and we at MrSEC.com have — never bet against Les Miles.

19.  With a win over North Texas tonight, LSU can run its win streak to six games.

20.  After Murphy Holloway went down with an ankle injury — x-rays today — Ole Miss fell at MTSU 68-56. 

21.  The loss is a blow to the Rebels’ NCAA Tournament resume… which means it’s likely a blow to Andy Kennedy’s job security as well.

22.  True freshman Rodney Hood will lead Mississippi State against Northwestern State in Jackson tonight.

23.  The NCAA says it looked at precedent before ruling to suspend MSU transfer Kristers Zeidaks for a year-plus.

24.  Rick Stansbury says Renardo Sidney is showing signs that he’s “getting better” in terms of playing shape.

1.  This writer says college athletes need to think before they tweet.  (Because college kids are well known for thinking before they act.)

2.  Former Mississippi State mascot Tatonka Gold — better known as Bully XX — was euthanized yesterday.  (Not as much fanfare as when an Uga passes, no?)

3.  Louisiana Tech will pay $300,000 to back out of game with MSU.  That leaves State looking for another FBS foe to add to its 2012 schedule.

3.  Freshman defensive back Senquez Golson will be attending summer school at Ole Miss as promised.

4.  Has the “cycle of mediocrity” runs its course in Oxford?

5.  Looks like former UM quarterback Nathan Stanley — repeatedly pushed aside in favor of transfers — will himself transfer to Southeastern Louisiana.

It looks like two former Mississippi State basketball players are well on their way to restarting their careers elsewhere.

Two weeks ago, junior forward Elgin Bailey left the MSU program following a televised fistfight with teammate Renardo Sidney during a trip to Hawaii for a holiday tournament.  He is already enrolled at Southeastern Louisiana.

At about the same time as Bailey’s departure, sophomore guard Twany Beckham announced that he was leaving Starkville, too.  Beckham was spotted yesterday attending practice at Kentucky.  The Louisville native started the first five games of the season at point guard for the Bulldogs.

Both players will have to sit out a year before playing at their new schools.

1.  Alabama faces an uncertain future in 2011…

2.  Did we say “uncertain?”  We meant bright.

3.  Alabama will host Toledo tonight at Coleman Coliseum.

4.  Oregon was the first to arrive in Arizona for the BCS title game.

5.  Auburn (and the Ducks) are taking a business-like approach to the title game.  (As opposed to just partying up and ignoring the game?)

6.  Bobby Petrino and Jim Tressel met the media one last time this morning.

7.  Willy Robinson led the Razorbacks’ defense to a 50-spot jump in the national rankings this year.

8.  LSU players were awed by Cowboys Stadium at first sight.

9.  Junior corner Patrick Peterson says he’s made no NFL decision yet.

10.  Virginia topped the LSU basketball team 65-50 yesterday.

11.  Dan Mullen says it’s now time for Mississippi State to go from good to great.

12.  Rick Stansbury says he’s close to handing out penalties to Renardo Sidney and Elgin Bailey for their in-the-stands fistfight in Hawaii.

13.  Ole Miss had to come from behind to beat Southeastern Louisiana 69-58 yesterday.

14.  Andy Kennedy said the whole game was played at Southeast Louisiana’s pace.