Last month, new Arkansas coach Bret Bielema said that he and the Razorback program were in negotiations with old Southwest Conference rival Texas Tech for a home-and-home series.  While those games are still a possibility, the Hogs have gone ahead and locked in two contests with another old SWC foe.

The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported yesterday that TCU and Arkansas have agreed to a home-and-home series that will send the Razorbacks to Fort Worth in 2016.  The Horned Frogs will then visit Fayetteville in 2017.  Barring a bowl matchup in the coming seasons, the 2016 game will mark the first meeting between the squads since Arkansas left the Southwest Conference in 1991.

With Texas A&M is now in the same division with Arkansas.  TCU is already on the books for a pair of non-conference games.  And the Razorbacks are still working to lock in two games with Texas Tech.  It’s apparent that Bielema and staff have quickly come to understand just how important the state of Texas will be in their recruiting efforts moving forward.

As for the rest of us, who doesn’t like a matchup between the Hogs and Frogs?

The league office might not have released it’s new scheduling format yet, but SEC schools are still busy trying to put together future non-conference games.  Unfortunately, it’s a little like throwing darts in the dark at this point.

First, SEC schools are having to line up games not knowing for certain if they’ll be playing eight or nine league games.  While it’s expected SEC teams will continue to play eight conference games in the near future, commissioner Mike Slive said earlier this week that he’s still “open-minded” regarding a switch to a more lucrative nine-game slate.

Second, schools are having to guess the importance of overall strength of schedule in the new playoff environment.  Each time the new playoff selection committee is discussed, someone says that strength of schedule should be/will be emphasized.  But until the committee is put together and selection criteria is decided upon, no one really knows how important a tough non-conference schedule will be.

Finally, schools worried about strength of schedule are also having to predict the future.  As in how good teams will be two, three, or more years down the road.  In acknowledging scheduling talks between Arkansas and Texas Tech this week, new Razorbacks coach Bret Bielema expounded on this point:

“I’ve been engaged with that (Texas Tech) talk.  There has been a lot of hesitation since I’ve been here because we haven’t gotten the 2014 SEC schedule.  Until that kind of gets finalized and ’15 gets finalized, we can’t move forward, but there are a lot of interesting possibilities out there — some things that I know will excite our fanbase in more than one way…

When you’re projecting a couple of years out, you have to factor in what you believe (the opponent) can be.  The best thing is to try to take care of what services Arkansas best.  You take into account fan base, history and some things that would give flavor to your schedule you can’t find in the SEC.”

Arkansas and it’s old SWC rival Texas Tech are discussing a possible home-and-home series.  But as Bielema points out, it might be difficult to lock down any games until some of the smoke starts to clear from the current landscape.

When Tommy Tuberville surprised everyone by jumping the first train from Lubbock to Cincinnati last December, Texas Tech officials turned to one of their own when searching for a new head coach.  Kliff Kingsbury played at Tech under Mike Leach.  He still ranks near the top of all the Red Raider passing categories — yards, touchdowns, completions.  And now he’s being hailed as the savior of Texas Tech football.

Kingsbury had spent the previous five seasons working under Kevin Sumlin, first at Houston and then, last season, at Texas A&M.  In College Station he was offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, tutoring some fella named Johnny Manziel.

But Kingsbury’s new boss — Tech AD Kirby Hocutt — wants everyone to know where his new coach’s heart has always remained, telling CBSSports.com:

“Kliff was never an Aggie.  Ask him.”

Sounds like a little playful gig, but you can be sure some out there have taken offense.

Hocutt went on to say that Tech would “love to play A&M in every sport (but) nothing is in conversation right now.”  Asked why the schools aren’t talking, he added: “You’re not going to bait me there.  Hopefully someday those conversations can begin.”

One suspects Kingsbury would have no problem facing Texas A&M.  After all, he was never an Aggie.  Just ask him.

SEC Football

1. Biggest change LSU players are seeing with new offensive coordinator Cam Cameron? Tempo. Running back Jeremy Hill: “We got in a lot more plays than we do normally.”

2. With multiple players headed to the NFL, LSU needs to rebuild its defensive line.  In all, defensive coordinator John Chavis has to replace eight starters.  ”We’ve done this before.”

3. Tennessee practices for the first time in full pads.  What did defensive coordinator John Jancek think? “I think we’re a poor tackling team right now.”

4. Tennessee wide receivers coach Zach Azzani: “I have a bunch of guys that really have no foundation.”

5. With spring practice now underway this week at Arkansas, what does new Bret Bielema have to say about his team?  “They are open to coaching. They’re hungry. They are obsessed with doing things that we’re asking them to do, even if it is taxing or exhausting.”

6. Former Arkansas running back Knile Davis on the impact of Bobby Petrino’s departure: “There was no order when Bobby left.”

7. South Carolina quarterback Dylan Thompson on coach Steve Spurrier: “He demands perfection and isn’t going to stop until he gets what he wants.”

8. Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen says he’ll have his staff completed when the Bulldogs start spring practice on March 21.

9. Biggest spring practice question at Vanderbilt? “Can redshirt freshman Patton Robinette leapfrog senior Austyn Carta-Samuels for the Vanderbilt starting quarterback job?”

10. Coach James Franklin: “We have a chance to be close to 300 pounds across the offensive line and four deep at defensive tackle. We haven’t had that before.”

11. Looks like Johnny Manziel is enjoying spring break. Is Manziel more like Manti Te’o than we may think? “Manziel revels in his newfound role as the country’s biggest troll.”

12. Texas Tech would like to renew a rivalry with the Aggies.  Texas Tech athletic director Kirby Hocutt: “We would welcome the opportunity to play Texas A&M in every sport.”

13. SEC Media Days schedule set - July 16-18.

SEC Basketball

14. LSU vs. Florida starts the ball rolling this afternoon in Nashville.  Florida won the first round 74-52 back in January but Tigers playing well lately – 10-5 in their last 15 games.

15. It’s Tennessee vs. Alabama in the rubber match this afternoon in Nashville.  Keep your eye on rebounds – Tennessee has had 15 more in each of the first two games. Does a win over Alabama make Tennessee bubble-proof?

16. Vanderbilt gets Kentucky again tonight - sixth time in two years these two teams have met. John Calipari:  ”We’ve got a challenge. This is going to be a really hard game for us.”

17. Ole Miss faces Missouri tonight.  With two sub-200 RPI losses, Rebels desperately need a win to keep any NCAA Tournament hopes alive.

18. What to do with Missouri? “Short of winning the SEC tourney, Mizzou will be a complicated team to seed.”

19. Tough call for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope – stay or leave or NBA?  Projects as late first-round or second-round pick.

20. A first-year coach in Frank Martin but fourth straight losing season at South Carolina.  Where do the Gamecocks go from here?

22. Stat on SEC basketball: From 1997 to 2008, the SEC averaged 5.7 NCAA Tournament bids per season. Now, the SEC won’t have more than five bids for the fifth straight year.

23.  What to expect from this year’s NCAA Tournament?  Buckle up for a wild ride.

Ole Miss guard Marshall Henderson is fast becoming the league’s most liked (in Oxford) and most disliked (everywhere else) star.  With his scowls, trash talk, and in-game celebrations, the juco transfer from Utah — who was the SEC’s Player of the Week last week — is simply doing what he’s already done before.  Three years ago The Las Vegas Sun called Henderson “The Mountain West’s newest villain” for his antics.

That “villain” was quick to run his mouth before and after last night’s game with Tennessee (even if he self-imposed an in-game gag order):

“We’ll beat (Tennessee) 10 times out of 10.  We still feel like we’re a little disrespected.  That’s why we think Tennessee was talking so much, because they’re Tennessee and we’re Ole Miss.  We’ve been in the (NCAA) Tournament, what, eight times out of 103 years?  Who are we to have a target on our back?  We still don’t feel like we have a target on our back still, except for the fact people think they shouldn’t lose to Ole Miss.”

First, if Tennessee’s players were talking, they should learn to pipe down.  Henderson has dropped 60 points on the Volunteers in two Ole Miss wins this month.

Second, did we mention that Henderson backs up his talk with his play?  He’s averaging 19.4 points per game on the season and he can sink three-pointers from all over the court.

Third, did we mention Henderson is a polarizing figure?  He made waves at Utah.  Then he transferred to Texas Tech, never played and transferred to a junior college before landing at Ole Miss.  From his gums to his gestures, Henderson gets under the skin of UM opponents and their fans.  And if he were wearing Mississippi State maroon, Rebel fans would view him as Public Enemy #1 rather than as a well-meaning, confident, demonstrative youth.

Love him or hate him, Henderson is the SEC’s most interesting player in a down, drab year for basketball.

And he also shot a scowl at the back of Bobby Knight’s head during last night’s broadcast.  So he’s got that going for him.

SEC Football

1.  Someone’s put together a pretty slick infographic for Alabama’s BCS title game win over Notre Dame.

2.  This writer believes kids have a right to do some waffling when it comes to their commitments.  (Agreed… so long as it’s not just done for attention in this made-for-ESPN age.)

3.  New AD Eric Hyman is reviewing Kevin Sumlin’s first year at Texas A&M and it could mean some more greenbacks for the coach.

4.  Kliff Kingsbury is taking Aggie linebackers coach Matt Wallerstedt with him to Texas Tech as the Red Raiders’ new defensive coordinator.

5.  New assistant Steve Stripling will be Tennessee’s sixth defensive line in as many years.

6.  Here they are – the most memorable moments of the 2012 SEC football season.

SEC Basketball

7.  The SEC has named its Players of the Week.

8.  There were a number of ugly records set during Arkansas’ 56-33 win over Vanderbilt on Saturday.

9.  Once more depth is an issue for the LSU basketball program…

10.  But the Tigers “aren’t concerned” about their recent shooting woes.

11.  Mississippi State “got a monkey off (their) backs” with a road win on Saturday.

12.  Ole Miss is a different team with a different chemistry this year.

13.  Tennessee freshman Armani Moore is angling for more playing time.

14.  Vanderbilt could be without leading scorer Kedren Johnson tomorrow against Ole Miss due to a partial dislocation of his shoulder.

Extras

15.  Four NFL teams have made a run at Jon Gruden.  (Has any coach ever aided his resume more without actually coaching?)

16.  Expect “shameful” coaches’ salaries to keep right on rising.  (Got to keep on rising.)

17.  The Sporting News ranked four SEC stories among the 10 worst for the 2012 college football season.  (Question: How can a kid being paralyzed on the field rank as less horrible than the Bobby Petrino scandal?  Ridiculous.)

18.  The Big Ten might just rename its Legends and Leaders divisions.  (Two years too late.)

Former South Florida quarterback commitment Asiantii Woulard is scheduled to visit Kentucky on Jan. 11.

Woulard is prepared to commit to the Wildcats, according to his father.

“If he likes what he sees on his visit, I think he’ll be ready to commit to Kentucky,” Michael Woulard told VaughtsViews.com.

Asiantii Woulard, who attends Winter Park (Fla.) High School, has been impressed by new Kentucky offensive coordinator Neal Brown. He joined head coach Mark Stoops after serving as Texas Tech’s offensive coordinator from 2010-12.

“We really liked the new offensive coordinator,” Michael Woulard said. “We looked at the Texas Tech offense a lot and knew (Asiantii) would like to run that offense. He is wanting to be more of a pro-style quarterback, but he’ll do whatever fits with the team.

“He has talked to Coach Brown several times and I have talked to coach Brown. We really like him.”

Woulard would join quarterback Reese Phillips from Signal Mountain (Tenn.) High School in the class of 2013. Phillips is scheduled to enroll in classes at Kentucky for the spring semester next week.

Offensive lineman Devonte Danzey from Hutchinson (Kan.) Community College has signed with Auburn.

Danzey also considered Baylor and Texas Tech. It was Danzey who told the story of Tommy Tuberville abruptly leaving dinner while hosting official visitors at Texas Tech on Dec. 7. Tuberville was announced as Cincinnati’s new head coach the following day.

Danzey is the second junior college prospect to sign with newly-hired Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn, joining running back Cameron Artis-Payne.

Former Tennessee wide receiver Da’Rick Rogers will bypass his senior season at Tenneessee Tech to enter NFL draft
Texas A&M offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury leaving to become head coach at Texas Tech
Former Tennessee offensive coordinator Jim Chaney is taking the same position at Arkansas
Both South Carolina RB Marcus Lattimore and Arkansas RB Knile Davis are leaving school early, declaring for 2013 NFL draft
Alabama QB AJ McCarron will return for his senior year
Georgia QB Aaron Murray said his NFL decision will come after the Capital One Bowl
Mississippi State running back Nick Griffin has torn his ACL, will miss Gator Bowl
Nine of the top 11 highest-rated ESPN college football markets were in states with SEC schools – Birmingham 1, Knoxville 3, Nashville 9, Memphis 10
Follow SEC news every day at MrSEC.com and on Twitter at Twitter.com/mrsec

New Arkansas coach Bret Bielema will bring defensive coordinator Chris Ash with him from Wisconsin
LSU coach Les Miles is the most popular college football coach… on Twitter
Texas A&M offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury remains a frontrunner for the head coaching job at Texas Tech, his alma mater
South Carolina RB Marcus Lattimore is expected to announce his plans to turn pro this afternoon
Draft analyst Mel Kiper says Georgia QB Aaron Murray and Tennessee QB Tyler Bray could both use another year in college
Arkansas RB Knile Davis is expected to leave early for the NFL
Sources say the SEC, Big Ten, Big XII, ACC and Pac-12 will earn an average of $75 million per year more than smaller conference in new playoff revenue
Rumors continue to tie Alabama coach Nick Saban to the Cleveland Browns, but there appears to be little substance to the talk
Keep up with all the news from around the SEC each day on MrSEC.com