This offseason has already turned into a season of hype for Texas A&M’s returning Heisman-winner, Johnny Manziel.  The shifty redshirt sophomore quarterback has become a staple of “SportsCenter” and an internet star.  Talkshows, trick shot passing videos, big game tickets… you name it and you’ve probably seen Manziel attached to it.

But one writer in the Lone Star State believes the Flutie-esque star needs to do a bit of improving on the field before he decides to jump early to the NFL next spring (something most expect him to do).  Kevin Sherrington of The Dallas Morning News writes:

“… it may be time to tap the brakes on Johnny Football’s rocketing career. Maybe no college football player ever has come so far, so fast.

For a guy who likes to run as much as he does, he needs to get bigger and stronger. He also needs to refine his passing, especially downfield. One of the reasons Ryan Swope’s blistering time in the 40 surprised so many at the combine was because he spent so much time catching shorter passes underneath. Manziel couldn’t find him deep. He improved over the course of the season, but it remains a work in progress, as it would with any college quarterback with only one year as a starter.

Tim Tebow has pretty much proved that you can’t make it in the NFL on legs alone. Manziel’s a better passer than Tebow already, but not as good as Robert Griffin III, who benefited greatly at Baylor from what was essentially his third year as a starter. Johnny Football no doubt could, too.”

Sherrington is correct, of course.  One tremendous college season does not a pro career make.  Plenty of “unstoppable” college QBs from Tebow to Vince Young have had trouble translating their talents from the amateur ranks to the professional.  So it would only make sense for Manziel to continue to hone his skills.  Wisely, he’ll spend part of his offseason working with quarterback guru George Whitfield Jr.  And on today’s Dan Patrick radio show Manziel suggested he might not be a lock to leave early.

As for his ability to improve his long ball skills, the benefits can go beyond the field.

Florida 31 – Vanderbilt 17

1. Jeff Driskel broke Tim Tebow’s single-game rushing record by a quarterback at Florida with 177 yards.

2. Florida overcame several injuries to beat Vanderbilt.

3. The Gators are winning games this season that they were losing a year ago.

4. Vanderbilt must be kicking itself over mistakes it made against Florida, writes David Climer.

Arkansas 49 – Kentucky 7

5. Arkansas dominated Kentucky in a game shorted by the weather.

6. Freshman Jonathan Williams backed up a prediction that he would score against Kentucky.

7. Arkansas is showing improvement with back-to-back wins in the SEC.

8. Kentucky is winless in the SEC with a 1-6 record. How can Joker Phillips survive this?

1.  Will Muschamp doesn’t want Jacoby Brissett or Jeff Driskel to worry about replacing Tim Tebow.  (Shouldn’t they be worried about replacing John Brantley, anyway?)

2.  Seven Georgia walk-ons have been put on scholarship… and two may wind up starting.

3.  At Kentucky, Maxwell Smith still appears to lead Morgan Newton for the starting quarterback job.

4.  Yesterday was Fan Day at South Carolina and, oh, how times have changed.

5.  This writer says Arkansas’ program should serve as a role model for Tennessee’s football team.

6.  Vanderbilt’s defense gets veteran leadership from Colt Nichter and Rob Lohr.

7.  Quarterback James Franklin is Missouri’s main man.

8.  Nick Saban is looking for special young players for his special teams units.

9.  Auburn’s defense is “on a good pace” under new coordinator Brian VanGorder.

10.  Tiger signee JaQuay Williams is still waiting for the NCAA to give him academic clearance.

11.  Arkansas coaches still haven’t decided when to let Knile Davis start taking hits.

12.  Zach Mettenberger put up some decent numbers during a weekend scrimmage at LSU.

13.  For the first time ever, Mississippi State’s assistant football coaches will make more than $2 million.  (To put that in perspective, former offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn made $1.3 million by his lonesome last year at Auburn.)

14.  After a quick bout of homesickness, defensive back Xavier Grindle returned to Starkville yesterday and MSU’s team yesterday.

15.  Co-defensive coordinator Dave Wommack says his squad has gotten a lot of turnovers in fall camp.  (So is that a plus for the defense or a minus for the offense?)

16.  Texas A&M’s new quarterback is going to need some help from an improved Aggie defense.

UPDATE — The Lone Star State is now opening up to SEC schools thanks to A&M’s switch in conferences.

1. Isaiah Crowell and Alabama State: “There’s a fine line between acceptable and dangerous risks.”

2. Former Auburn running back Michael Dyer may never play at Arkansas State but he’s already had an impact at Gus Malzahn’s program.

3. Georgia coaches Mark Richt and Mark Fox: “The pair are unusually close, and talk often, whether it’s about their jobs or smaller stuff.”

4. The one player John L. Smith would most like to clone at Arkansas - it’s not who you think.

5. Why Arkansas at South Carolina is a top 10 game on the SEC schedule this fall.

6. With Mizzou and Texas A&M now in the fold, the focus shifts to improving the TV schedule, especially late in the season.

7. A new conference for the Tigers but an old rivalry still captures headlines.

8. What does Florida need to win the SEC East? “The Gators don’t need their quarterback to be Andrew Luck to win the division, but they need significant improvement over what they had there since Tim Tebow left town. ”

9. Kentucky defensive coordinator Rick Minter previews the 2012 defense.

10. Andy Staples on the value of a highly-prized recruit: “How many scholarships would Tim Tebow have been worth? Cam Newton? Ndamukong Suh? All players aren’t created equal. Some are worth far more than others.”

11. An upgrade to the gameday atmosphere is on schedule at South Carolina.

12. Ole Miss punter and former NCAA punting champion Tyler Campbell looks to regain his form.

13. The Dominican National Basketball Team is one win away from the Olympics.  John Calipari is their coach.

Extras 

14. The dangers of turning over your athletic department to a billionaire donor – T. Boone Pickens and Oklahoma State.

15. A new report on the Jerry Sandusky investigation could be made public next week – “expected to be tough on Paterno.”

16. The Big East remains the only Big Six conference without a high-profile bowl game tie.

17. A casualty of the Internet age – baseball card collecting is a dying hobby.

18. One million pushups in a year.

19. 100 things to eat in Memphis before you die.

File this one under: What’s he supposed to say?

At a Gator booster club gathering last night, Florida football coach Will Muschamp took up for the man who preceded him in Gainesville.  When a UF fan asked him about The Sporting News’ recent hit job on Urban Meyer — a Matt Hayes-penned piece claiming the coach lost control of the program, allowed drug use to take place, and played favorites when it came to discipline – the current Gator coach said of the former Gator coach:


“I think Urban Meyer did a great job at the University of Florida.  He won two conference championships.  He won two national championships.  And I don’t know how you can do that without discipline.  That’s my opinion.  I wasn’t here at that time, but I know that I am very proud to be part of a program that he was a part of, and he did a great job at Florida.”


Muschamp has said the right things about Meyer before.  Last year at SEC Media Days he said that Meyer had been “first class” and that he’d listened to his predecessor’s advice “more than anyone else.”

The closest he’s come to really saying anything that could even be slightly construed as negative toward Meyer’s regime was last October when he said UF lacked the players to install a power running game.

Facts, however, are facts.  Muschamp can talk all he likes about UF having discipline under Meyer, but when he booted star corner Janoris Jenkins after two quick pot arrests last spring, the player said he’d still be on the team if his old coach were still around.

So if Meyer had discipline, it’s safe to say — based on Jenkins’ comments — that Muschamp is trying to instill even more into the Florida program.

And while discipline issues can indeed destroy a team that needs a mix of chemistry and talent to win, an uber-talented team can win with thugs, miscreants and rule-breakers on the roster.  See: Miami Hurricanes, 1980-90s.  Many wins and titles.  Many arrests and embarrassments.

Florida had a once-in-a-generation talent in Tim Tebow surrounded by a fleet of 4- and 5-star prospects for four of Meyer’s six years in Gainesville.  But the success he had on the field with that player and that roster don’t prove by any stretch that the coach actually maintained discipline off the football field.

Steve Spurrier won a Heisman Trophy as a player at Florida.  He then returned to his alma mater and made the Gator program one of the top five jobs in America.

But when Urban Meyer hoisted his second BCS crystal football in 2008, there were some who said the Gators newest coach had surpassed the older coach.

George Diaz of The Orlando Sentinel says a bit more time has proven that that was just not the case:


“Even now, as head coach at South Carolina, Spurrier channels the profile of the Perfect Gator: A blend of cockiness and charisma.  A man who embraces all the darts and arrows.  A man who loves to pile on, just because.  What’s not to love?

This is why Spurrier — years after leaving — will forever be king of Florida football, while Urban Meyer is a bit like the emperor with no clothes.

Sure the two national titles are fancy ornaments on his resume, but Meyer’s legacy will forever be tarnished by the rest of his “accomplishments.”  In simpler terms, he was nothing more than a hired mercenary who did his job, got sloppy, bored and disinterested, and helped dismantle a program he helped rebuild into a national power.”


Too strong?  Not in my view.  Spurrier tapped into the recruiting base of the Sunshine State like no other coach in Gator history.  His personality — as well as his play-calling — gained the UF program national recognition.

All that has come since — whether it was won by Meyer or will be won by Muschamp — can be traced back to the moment Spurrier took a good Florida program often bathed in scandal and made it a great football program with a clean record.

While Meyer won, he didn’t leave things in as good of order as he found it.  Tim Tebow — as we’ve written many times — was a once in a generation type of player who happened to pass through on his watch.  And scandals and arrests and drama and turmoil returned to Gainesville on Meyer’s watch as well.

Meyer has one more national title than Spurrier, but without Spurrier first laying the foundation, it’s doubtful Meyer would have accomplished nearly as much as he did in the roughneck SEC.

In a very short period of time, Gus Malzahn has built a reputation for being one of the nation’s top offensive gurus.  His rapid-fire attack helped fast-track him from the high school ranks all the way to the SEC as a coordinator.  And last year he became a top head coaching candidate as his Auburn offense rolled to a BCS title.

But just how unstoppable is his offense in reality? 

Below are Auburn’s offensive rankings in four main categories in 2009, 2010 and 2011.  We look only at the Tigers’ results against SEC foes (SEC rank in parentheses):

Think Cam Newton made a difference for Malzahn?  Across the board, Auburn was better last year than in either of the offensive coordinators’ other two seasons on The Plains.

The Tigers rushed for 86 more yards per game.  They passed for 15 more yards per game .  They rolled up 101 more yards per game overall.  And they scored 15 points per game more with Newton than without.  Two touchdowns a game can make a heckuva difference in a squad’s final record.

Not all of that is Malzahn’s fault, of course.  Urban Meyer looked better with Tim Tebow, too.  Special players make special coaches.

And that is our overall point.  Without a special quarterback, Malzahn appears to know how to run the football well, but his teams score at a middle-of-the-pack pace in the SEC.

As a head coach away from the SEC and its brutal defenses — say at North Carolina in the so-so ACC — Malzahn may set the world on fire.  But inside his current conference, it appears Auburn’s OC needs a very special, dual threat quarterback to make his offense truly hum.

Malzahn’s a good offensive coordinator, but genius?  We’ll need to see some more big numbers before we go that far.

The Georgia Bulldogs got the best of the Florida Gators on Saturday in Jacksonville.  They did again the next day in Denver – at least when it came to the performances of the two quarterbacks.

Matthew Stafford (Georgia) and the Detroit Lions blew out Tim Tebow (Florida) and the Denver Broncos 45-10 at Sports Authority Field Sunday afternoon.

Stafford completed 21-of-30 passes for 267 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions.  Quarterback rating – a Sunday best 130.8

Tebow finished the game 18-of-39 for 172 yards, one TD, one interception and a quarterback rating of 56.8.

QB rating or scoreboard totals – Stafford won convincingly.  For the struggling Tebow, the inevitable questions are being raised.

“How long,” wonders Denver Post columnist Dave Kreiger, “before Bronco fans and Tebow fans part company?”

“It’s not his fault,” said Detroit Lions linebacker Stephen Tulloch in regards to Tebow’s struggling performance. “It’s the media that gives him hype. Obviously, he’s a young player.  He has a lot of learning to do.  Taking nothing from him, he’s a great player, he just has to find his niche as an NFL quarterback and I think he’ll be able to do so in due time.”

Tebow was sacked seven times on the day, including one time by Tulloch who struck the “Tebowing” pose afterwards.

Lions tight end Tony Scheffler also mimicked the one- knee prayer following a second-quarter touchdown.

A story earlier in the week at NFL.com had hyped the game as Good (Tebow) vs. Evil (Ndamukong Suh of the Lions).

But as news Detroit News columnist John Niyo wrote after the game, “this was simply good vs. bad. The Lions are a good team.  The Broncos are a bad team.”

Broncos coach John Fox initially refused to commit to Tebow as his starting quarterback next week against Oakland but has apparently changed his mind – for now.

“For this week, yes.” Fox said when asked about it today, in a less than ringing endorsement, amid calls for Tebow to perhaps consider another position or the Broncos to consider dumping him following this season.

As for Stafford’s performance, Mike O’Hara reminds us that the Lions haven’t had a Pro Bowl quarterback in 40 years – Greg Landry back in 1971.  But that drought should end this year.

Speaking of impressive quarterbacks, Eli Manning (Ole Miss) and Cam Newton (Auburn) continue to shine while their teams move in opposite directions.

Manning threw for 349 yards and two touchdowns as the Giants moved to 5-2 with a come-from-behind 20-17 victory over Miami.

“Eli made some big plays,” said Giants coach Tom Coughlin.  “Obviously he threw the ball a lot today. No turnovers, no interceptions, and he made plays when we had to have them. Once again, he did a very good job.”

Newton threw three touchdown passes for Carolina but the Panthers came up short three points short against the Minnesota Vikings when a last-minute field goal attempt missed.

The Panthers dropped to 2-5 but the Carolina rookie drew praise from the opposing coach.

“(Newton’s) a terrific athlete,” said Vikings coach Leslie Frazier, who also started a rookie quarterback in Christian Ponder. “He’s a guy who has a great head on his shoulders and really understands football. He knows how to make plays and he has a great future in the National Football League.”

Arian Foster (Tennessee) had his third 100-yard rushing game of the season Sunday, carrying the ball  33 times for 112 yards in the Houston Texans 24-14 win over Jacksonville.

Foster and teammate Ben Tate (Auburn) have combined to rush for 1,040 yards in the first eight weeks of the season.

Finally, Marcell Dareus’ (Alabama) move from defensive end to nose tackle paid off in a big way for the Buffalo Bills Sunday.  Buffalo shutout Washington 23-0 and the Bills defensive line dominated.

Buffalo had nine sacks – Dareus was credited with 2 ½.  His teammate – linebacker Chris Kelsay was impressed.

“He’s a force to be reckoned with,” Kelsay said. “He’s got a number of years ahead of him playing like that. We’re fortunate that he’s on our side.”

The nine sacks by Buffalo’s defense were the second-most in team history.

Six NFL quarterbacks got their first start under center in Week 7 of the NFL schedule.

John Beck started in place of Rex Grossman (Florida) for the Washington Redskins – and lost 33-20.

Kyle Boller lasted just over one-half against the Kansas City Chiefs – as the Raiders were shutout 28-0.

A.J. Feeley started for the injured Sam Bradford as St. Louis traveled to Dallas – and were blown out 34-7.

Charlie Whitehurst took place under center for Seattle just in time for the snoozefest in Cleveland – as the Browns beat the Seahawawks 6-3.

Rookie Christian Ponder, the Vikings first round-pick, had to face the World Champion Green Bay Packers in his first start – and got beat 33-27.

Returning to his home state, Tim Tebow (Florida) led the Denver Broncos into Miami – and won 18-15 in overtime.

Six 2011 debuts – one only win.  And what an improbably victory it was.

”Weirdest Home Game Ever,” read part of a Miami Herald headline.

Tebow’s start coupled with Dolphins honoring the 2008 National Champion Florida Gators at halftime produced the following spectacle, as noted by columnist Greg Cote.

It “meant half of the crowd was cheering for the opponent’s quarterback.  It also meant the other half of the crowd (including many University of Miami fans) were booing the halftime ceremony honoring the Gators.

“You heard chants of “Te-bow!” and chants of “Te-bow sucks!”- sometime a simultaneous dual.”

The game itself wasn’t much of a dual for the first three-and-a-half quarters.  Miami led 15-0 and Tebow looked bad.  Really bad.

“Through almost 55 minutes of football at Sun Life Stadium, Tebow looked like he might not even survive his debut as a starter this season,” wrote columnist Israel Gutierrez.

“He was so bad, the Twitter universe was overwhelmed with jokes about his inaccuracy, his awkwardness in the pocket, his random 360-degree spins and how obvious it was that the Denver coaching staff had little-to-no-trust in him as a passer.”

On the last two drives of regulation, Tebow began earning their trust.

The Broncos quarterback threw two touchdown passes in 2:44 and tied the game by running in a two-point conversion with 17 seconds left.

Denver kicker Matt Prater kicked a 52-yard field goal in overtime and the Broncos walked out a winner.

The Denver Post, citing Elias Sports Bureau figures, notes that no team since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970 had ever been down by as many as 15 points with less than three minutes remaining and won.

Behold.  The Miracle in Miami.

“It’s my fault that we were in that (15-0) situation in the first place.  I just have to play better in the first three quarters so we don’t have to make that comeback in the fourth,” said Tebow after the game.

Just how bad was Tebow before the final drives of regulation?  The Broncos QB had completed just 4-of-14 passes for 40 yards.  But in the end, Tebow and the Broncos got exactly what they wanted – a win in Miami.

“He’s a guy that as long as there’s time on the clock, he’s going to give us a chance to win,” said John Elway after the game.  “Those are the things you can’t coach.”

For other “Tim-Tastic” coverage, check out the roundup at ProFootballtalk.com.

The Dolphins meltdown has plenty in the media speculating about the future of head coach Tony Sparano.  As part of the Florida Gators celebration, Urban Meyer was in the stadium Sunday and spent time talking with Dolphins owner Stephen Ross in the second half.

Before the game, Ross was photographed with one arm around Meyer and the other around Don Shula.

The Miami Herald says a coaching change with the Dolphins is coming and that Meyer seemed to impress Ross.  But the paper says that if Meyer ever returns to coaching, it will likely be at the collegiate level but later added that “Meyer seemed to join the conversation Sunday.”

Some other SEC-related news from around the league:

Cam Newton (Auburn) and Carolina won for the second time this season while the QB tied a rookie record. The Panthers beat Washington 33-20 as Newton rushed for his seventh touchdown this season – tying a rookie record for most rushing scores for a quarterback since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger.

“The kid is a pretty Ferrari,” said Washington cornerback DeAngelo Hall.  “He can run. He can throw.  He’s got the entire package. He’s going to a be a player in this league for a long time.”

Newton completed 18-of-23 passes for 256 yards and one touchdown.

Jay Cutler (Vanderbilt) wasn’t great on Sunday, but good enough to win as Chicago beat Tampa Bay in London.  Cutler was 17-32 with one touchdown and two interceptions in the game.  Afterwards, he refused to blame the long-distance travel.

“You know, the travel and all that had nothing to do with the football game,” Cutler said. “We could have gotten here yesterday. It’s a matter of going out and executing, limiting turnovers. That’s what wins football games, not getting here a week early or three days. It has nothing to do with it.”

The Houston Texans had not one but two former SEC running backs cross the 100-yard mark on Sunday.

Both Arian Foster (Tennessee) and Ben Tate (Auburn) crossed the century mark as the Texans blasted the Tennessee Titans 41-7.  Foster wound 115 yards rushing while Tate finished with 104.

“When I go out there and see him get a touchdown or break a run, I start going nuts on the sideline because I want to do the same thing,” Tate said. “When I get my chance, I’m definitely trying to outdo him.”

For the season, Tate is the Texans leading rusher with 466 yards.  Foster is second with 420.

Rookie Mark Ingram (Alabama) and the Saints had their way with the Indianapolis Colts Sunday night – winning 62-7.  Ingram appeared to be on track for his first 100-yard game of his career but was sidelined by a fourth quarter injury.  He finished with 91 yards on 14 carries.

The injury was to his heel and Saints coach Sean Payton said after the game that x-rays were negative.

A few other injuries of notes:

Earnest Graham (Florida) Percy Harvin (Florida), Matthew Stafford (Georgia), Darren McFadden (Arkansas), and Mohamed Massaquoi (Georgia) all left the field on Sunday with various injuries for their respective teams.

Stafford was scheduled to have an MRI Monday for an injured leg, McFadden was believed to have sprained his foot, Harvin aggrevated a rib injury, Massaquoi suffered a head injury after getting hit following an incomplete pass over the middle and Graham reportedly suffered a torn Achilles tendon.

 The Oakland Raiders Jason Campbell (Auburn) suffered a broken collarbone Sunday but the quarterback says he could return to action as soon as six weeks.   An earlier report had Campbell out for the season.

“I’m having surgery today. It was a tough break,” Campbell said. “I’m going to stay positive. If everything goes right I could be back in six weeks.”

The Raiders are now 4-2 on the season after beating Cleveland 24-17.  Campbell went down with the injury in the second quarter.

With the trade deadline on Tuesday, what are the Raiders to do?

“If I was in at quarterback,” Darren McFadden (Arkansas) joshed Sunday, “we probably would have thrown for 600 yards, and the running backs would have been mad at me.”

A more serious option for Oakland could be Denver’s Kyle Orton, suddenly out of a job now that Tim Tebow (Florida) is now the Broncos starting quarterback.

Filling in for an injured LaGarrette Blount, Tampa Bay running back Earnest Graham (Florida) made the most of it Sunday, rushing for 109 yards in the Bucs 26-20 victory over New Orleans.  It marked Graham’s first 100-yard game since 2008.

“That Earnest Graham kid is a pretty good player,” said cornerback Ronde Barbee

Jay Cutler (Vanderbilt) had a special message for someone last night.

“Tell him I said (bleep) you,” was picked up by the cameras as Cutler moved to the line of scrimmage.

The subject of Cutler’s line was unknown but speculation has centered on Chicago Bears offensive coordinator Mike Martz, known for taking his time calling plays which in turns leads to blowing multiple timeouts.

Cutler threw for 267 yards, connecting on 21-of-31 passes and two touchdowns as the Bears routed the Minnesota Vikings 39-10.

The Bears quarterback, who’s taking a beating this season from defensive lines, was sacked by the Vikings only once.

Chicago has changed its play-calling to help the offensive line.

‘It was a group effort,’’ Cutler said. ‘‘We’re all trying to manage what we can do on the football field. If we are smart about it, do the things we did [Sunday], more than likely we’re going to be successful.’’

A few other SEC-related notes from around the league:

Peyton Hillis (Arkansas) suffered a hamstring injured early in the Browns loss to the Raiders and underwent an MRI today.  Coach Pat Shurmer says Hillis is not being shopped prior to Tuesday’s trade deadline. Hillis rushed for 14 yards on six carries Sunday.

The New York Giants are 4-2 and lead the NFC East after the victory on Sunday against the Buffalo Bills.  Eli Manning (Ole Miss) threw for 292 yards on 31 throws and coach Tom Couglin praised his quarterback after the game.  He “played very, very well,” said Coughlin.

Matthew Stafford (Georgia) threw for 293 yards and two touchdowns but struggled in the red zone as the Lions lost for the first time this season.  Stafford was only 4-of-10 in the red zone as San Francisco beat the Lions 25-19.

“We threw the ball a lot tonight, and sometimes that’s going to happen,” said Stafford.  “They played a lot of man underneath coverage, so you know your completion percentage isn’t going to be as high. Guys did a great job catching the ball for me.  We just didn’t do enough and make enough plays to win the game”

The Lions loss was overshadowed by fireworks after the game between the head coaches as Lions coach Jim Schwartz took exception to the celebration and post-game handshake from San Francisco coach Jim Harbaugh.

The NFL announced that neither coach will be fined.

“On Detroit-SF coach incident, fortunately, there was no fighting and thus no basis for a fine,” NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said. “However, both coaches told Ray Anderson today that their post-game conduct was wrong and will not happen again.”