Mullen in at Mississippi State

It's being reported nearly everywhere, but apparently Florida OC Dan Mullen will be the new head guy in Starkville. This is about as good a hire as the Bulldogs could expect to make.

After being woeful on offense under Croom for 4 years, MSU AD Greg Byrne made it clear he wanted to bring a little pop to the offense. Looking at the numbers the Gators have put up with Mullen behind the wheel, it's easy to see why he was their choice. He's been with Urban Meyer for several years now and knows the conference well. His experience with recruiting top athletes to come to Utah will most likely serve him well as he now works to convince them to come to Starkville.

That leaves only Auburn resting squarely on the clock. It's embarrassing enough to fire a guy with Tuberville's track record at Auburn after one bad season and then boldface lie about like Auburn AD Jay Jacobs is doing, but it's even more damaging to the program to not have a replacement in yet. Tick Tock Mr. Jacobs.

Some links and thoughts on Championship Saturday

* Most of you have probably seen this, but if you haven't, the Orlando Sentinel has a look at how college football would be different if Tebow had chosen Alabama over Florida. The effects would have been far reaching, sure, but it's really just a fluff piece about Tebow.

* There's a good read in the Wall Street Journal about Southern football and its rise to prominence.

* Army's camo uniforms are awesome.

* It's hard not to root for Buffalo head coach Turner Gill. His post-game interview and subsequent man-hug with his AD after last night's shellacking of Testicle Tech Ball State are what the passion of college football is all about.

I can't imagine he's going to be at Buffalo much longer. The Bulls joined D1A in 1999 and were an underdog in every game for 7 years. They'd won 17 games in their first 9 seasons and are now MAC Champions. It's a remarkable feat what Gill accomplished in 3 seasons.

* I still don't agree with the Tuberville firing. I disagree more with how Auburn AD Jay Jacobs is handling it, claiming it was Tubby's choice and that Auburn paid the $5M+ buyout because they "felt it was the right thing to do".

That said, his firing will also resonate in Starkville. First off - Bulldog fans - there is absolutely no chance that Tommy Tuberville is you head coach next year. It's not going to happen. Secondly, it knocks the MSU job down another notch as Auburn will certainly have first choice over MSU. While getting rid of Croom was the right thing to do, it's not going to be easy to convince someone to move to Starkville to compete with Saban and Miles and Nutt and Petrino for recruits.

* The line for today's SEC Championship game has held steady at 10 points all week, so the money's been split pretty evenly. I think it's a fair line and if each team plays their game, it's about what the margin would be.

Thoughts from an eventful weekend in the SEC

* First things first: Love him or hate him, it was the end of an era as the final seconds ticked off the clock in Neyland Stadium Saturday night. While Fulmer was certainly an easy target, his record - particularly early in his tenure - speaks for itself.

That said, I'm not sold that Lane Kiffin is the right fit yet at a BCS school. He's assembling an impressive staff, but the SEC East is hardly the ideal scenario to learn the ropes.

* Though his 5-year performance certainly merited it, I'm surprised Mississippi State pulled the plug on the Croominator. While his hiring was certainly an intriguing story for a week or two, it was hard not to tire of the media adoration even as his teams failed miserably on the field, mostly due to his poor recruiting and strategizing. In his 5 years in Starkville the Bulldogs never ranked in the top 100 in total offense.

In his swan song Saturday in Oxford, the Bulldogs had 14 drives: 12 punts and 2 interceptions. The never had a drive of more than 14 yds. I'm not sure who the Bulldogs are going to be able to afford, but aside from being probation-free, the program is in no better shape than when Croom was hired.

* The dominating performance Saturday capped a remarkable 4-game run to close the season for Ole Miss. They've given up just 20 points over the last 4 games and set a school record with 11 sacks Friday afternoon. I wouldn't be surprised at all to see the Capital One Bowl select the streaking Rebels over the porous Georgia Bulldogs.

* Speaking of UGA, that was just ugly yesterday. The Bulldog offense certainly got the preseason memo about the talent level of this team. It seems though it never reached the defensive coaches. The 2008 'Dawgs are more reminiscent of 2007's Florida team than either program would want to admit.

* Tommy Tuberville will be the first to admit that he's the primary reason for Auburn's disappointing 5-win season this year. While it's certainly not the season he or Auburn fans, I'm not sure it merits a pink slip. His recent track record is significantly better than Fulmer or Croom's is. But with the ridiculous pressure he's under - particularly with Saban's success at Alabama, it wouldn't surprise me to see him end up somewhere next year. The Auburn fanbase isn't as fractured as Arkansas' was before Nutt left, but it's certainly within walking distance.

* I think LSU fans were a lot happier with "2-loss Les" than "5-Loss Les". It's ugly when you don't have a serviceable QB in this league.

* Spurrier can't be having any fun in Columbia. I gotta figure he's done after this season. The Gamecocks are 4 years into the Spurrier regime and there's been 4 5+ loss seasons. I can't imagine that's sitting well with the OBC's psyche.

* Going to be a helluvan SEC Championship Game Saturday afternoon. Mike Slive and his staff couldn't have asked for anything more.

Random Bits

* There were 4 SEC baseball stadiums named to Rivals Top 10 list, though it may not be the ones you thought it would be. The site offers this disclaimer:

LSU and South Carolina were omitted from our list because both schools have ballparks that still are under construction.

As for the ones that did make the list:

Baum Stadium – Arkansas
Baum Stadium is the palace of college baseball stadiums. Though many schools now are building new stadiums, they still are playing catch up with the Razorbacks. When Baum Stadium was erected in 1996, it was the class of college baseball. Not much has changed, as the capacity currently is 10,500 and luxury suites extend from the left-field foul pole to the right-field foul pole. Arkansas fans also pack the house rain or shine and provide a premier home-field advantage for their baseball program. Everyone aspires to have a facility like the University of Arkansas.

Polk-Dement Stadium -- Mississippi State
No school blows out a postseason party in a regional or super regional quite like Mississippi State. While the Bulldogs struggle to fill the stands until the weather warms up, Polk-Dement Stadium is an excellent venue to watch a game. In addition to a roomy grandstand, the Bulldogs also have what is called the "Left-Field Lounge", where patrons line the outfield wall with barbeque pits, coolers and whatever else they can get in their possession. The official capacity for the stadium, including outfield seating, is 15,000. Those that watched the Starkville super regional two seasons ago know exactly what the Bulldogs are about at Polk-Dement Stadium.

Oxford-University Stadium -- Ole Miss
Ole Miss has one of the hidden gems in college baseball. Though observers in the Southeastern part of the country know about the great atmosphere at Oxford-University Stadium, people nationally just now are getting a taste of what the Rebels are about. O-U Stadium holds about 3,500 spectators in the main grandstand, but thousands of fans often line the grassy areas down the left and right field lines and the outfield. In 2005, a record 10,119 fans were in attendance as the Rebels played Alabama. Ole Miss currently is in the midst of a renovation campaign that will increase grandstand seating.

Plainsman Park – Auburn
When the Tigers decided to renovate their facility in 1996, many schools, including Baylor, took notice of the project. Plainsman Park is one of the nation's best stadiums and has a wonderful façade to go with a cozy atmosphere. Plainsman Park has a capacity of 4,096 fans. However, the record attendance for a single-game was set in 2002, as 4,715 fans packed the stadium to watch Auburn play LSU. Recently, the Tigers have installed a new drainage system for the playing surface and a state-of-the-art strength and rehabilitation center. Auburn certainly is a trendsetter.

* ESPN has their first Bracketology up for the 2008-09 season and Lunardi projects just 5 SEC teams to dance this year:

Florida (2-seed)
Tennessee (4-seed)
Kentucky (8-seed)
Alabama (11-seed)
LSU (13-seed)

I’ll throw out that Ole Miss will make the tournament in the form of an 8-10 seed as well. They’ve been on the bubble the last two seasons and will pull it through this year. Lunardi projected them back in April in his first post-tourney Bracketology listing, so I’m not sure why they dropped.

Hard to believe the season kicks off in earnest this weekend. I’ll get a preview up sometime next week.

2008 Vanderbilt = 2007 Mississippi State?

Hats off to Bobby Johnson and Vanderbilt making their first visit to the Top 25 in 24 years. The Commodores have run out to a 4-0 start and have a handful of winnable games left on their schedule. Barring a collapse, they'll be bowling for the first time since the Reagan administration.

Looking at how they're winning though, it's hard not to be reminded of Mississippi State last year. They're getting little production from their offense but riding special teams play and an opportunistic defense to one improbable win after another.

Take last night for an example. In their conference road opener in Oxford, the 'Dores returned an INT for a TD, forced 5 other turnovers, and walked out with a 23-17 win despite mustering only 202 yards of total offense. Last year in their conference road opener, MSU went to Auburn, completed just 5 passes, amassed just 213 total yards but returned an INT for a TD, forced 4 other TOs, and walked out with a 19-14 win.

This 'Dores team is built the same way. They're off to a better start than MSU was last year - LSU buried MSU on ESPN to open the season - and the Bulldogs never cracked the Top 25 like Vandy has. What remains to be seen is if they can duplicate the season-long success. Looking down the line, only the Florida and Georgia games seem impossible.

With East Carolina losing yesterday, Vandy has assumed the role of the Nation's Darling and Bobby Johnson is the unquestioned Coach of the Year. What a story it will be if the 'Dores can keep it up.

Rivals Top 100 NFL Draft Prospects

Yesterday, Rivals put up their early look at the NFL Draft Top 100 prospects. Needless to say, the SEC was well represented, landing 28 players on the list, including the top 3 spots. The wealth is spread out amongst the league as 10 teams land at least one player in the Top 100 and 7 teams have multiple players listed.

Given the SEC’s success churning out 1st round draft picks over last decade though, this should hardly be a surprise. It’s interesting to see the differences between Rivals and ESPN’s 2009 mock draft 1st round.

LSU leads the way with 6 players, followed by Florida with 5, Georgia with 4, Tennessee and Alabama with 3, Arkansas and Ole Miss with 2, and Auburn, South Carolina, and Mississippi State with 1 a piece. Here’s a look at the players and what Rivals has to say about each.

* indicates underclassmen

1. Michael Oher, OT, Ole Miss
Oher has a rare blend of size, athleticism and girth. He entered the 2008 NFL draft, then pulled out a few days later even though he was considered a first-round pick. New coach Houston Nutt is glad he stayed. This time around, Oher – now a senior – could be the first player taken in the draft. He is No. 1 on the Rivals.com list of the top 100 pro prospects and could be the second consecutive offensive tackle chosen No. 1 overall; the Miami Dolphins took Michigan's Jake Long with the No. 1 pick earlier this year.

2. Andre Smith *, OT, Alabama
A massive tackle with great feet, in the mold of former first-round pick Shawn Andrews.

3. Matthew Stafford *, QB, Georgia
The most natural pocket passer in the nation. He has a skill set similar to Carson Palmer's.

12. Knowshon Moreno *, RB, Georgia
He is the most "natural" running back in the nation, with a combination of vision, quickness and balance. He has a good burst and a second gear.

16. Jonathan Luigs, C, Arkansas
The best center prospect we have seen in the past five years.

18. Ricky Jean-Francois *, DT, LSU
Was the quickest and most disruptive LSU defensive lineman in the national championship game last season and, yes, that includes Glenn Dorsey.

20. Jermaine Cunningham *, DE, Florida
A compact, powerful end with speed, power and change-of-direction skill on the edge.

22. Herman Johnson, G, LSU
He's an amazing physical specimen at 6 feet 8 and 360 pounds who can move and re-direct in space. He's fluid and agile for a man his size.

23. Percy Harvin *, WR, Florida
An explosive athlete in space who can make a play any time he has the ball.

31. Tim Tebow *, QB, Florida
A dual run/pass threat who has all the intangibles. He can buy time in the pocket but needs to learn to read defenses more consistently in the passing game.

32. Geno Atkins *, DT, Georgia
Another explosive SEC three-technique defensive tackle. He will get a lot more attention from opposing linemen with the season-ending injury to Bulldogs DT Jeff Owens.

35. Derek Pegues, FS, Mississippi State
He is built and runs like a corner, but is a ballhawk as a safety.

36. Rico McCoy *, LB, Tennessee
Undersized but has the most impressive fluidity and range of any linebacker in the draft. He should really rise up draft boards.

39. Ciron Black *, OT, LSU
Displays a compact stance and moves well laterally. He can re-direct and has the quickness to reach the corner.

47. Greg Hardy *, DE, Ole Miss
His long limbs and speed make him difficult to block. He has the quickness to beat tackles outside or inside off the snap.

48. Brandon Spikes *, LB, Florida
A powerful linebacker who showcases good instincts inside, and does a nice job stacking and shedding versus the run.

53. Louis Murphy, WR, Florida
Showcases great deep speed and is a constant vertical threat. Is a raw route runner and lacks consistent hands.

57. Jamon Meredith, OT, South Carolina
A smooth tackle who can handle speed off the edge. He is coordinated re-directing but needs to improve his technique.

58. Antoine Caldwell, C, Alabama
Has a great combination of power and athleticism. He is natural in space and gets a good push as an in-line run blocker.

64. Dannell Ellerbe, LB, Georgia
A sideline-to-sideline athlete who has a nose for the ball and makes plays all over the field.

68. Sen'Derrick Marks *, DT, Auburn
A big-bodied tackle who can eat up space on the inside, and shows the power to push the pocket and anchor versus the double-team.

69. Mitch Petrus, G, Arkansas
Ideal for a zone-blocking scheme. He displays great feet and body control, and can really get out to the second level.

72. Darry Beckwith, LB, LSU
Has a big, strong frame and is powerful attacking downhill. He has the athleticism to run sideline-to-sideline.
A strider who is sudden out of his breaks and does well going up and attacking the ball.

75. Anthony Parker, G, Tennessee
He's thickly built, with a compact frame. Has smooth lateral mobility and a strong punch, showcases good body control and never over-extends.

78. Keiland Williams *, RB, LSU
Dynamic with the ball in his hands, but lacks the girth and instincts to be successful between the tackles.

82. Tyson Jackson, DE, LSU
Possesses great size, length and suddenness off the edge. He needs to play with more power and more of a mean streak.

94. Arian Foster, RB, Tennessee
Possesses great size and quickness through the tackles, but tries to run like a scatback too often and doesn't lower his head and drive for tough yards.

100. Terrence Cody *, DT, Alabama
Displays amazing athleticism for a man who weighs 370 pounds. He could really soar up draft boards with a strong season.

2008 SEC West Predictions

Every team in the West has questions this year - How will Auburn do running the spread for a full season? What kind of production will LSU get from its QBs? Will Alabama greatly improve in year 2 under Nick Saban? Can Houston Nutt win in Oxford with the talent Orgeron left him? How will Mississippi State score this year? How will Bobby Petrino do with inferior talent?

1. Auburn
Tuberville has established Auburn as one of the most consistent programs in America, but he shook things up last year after the Iron Bowl to implement the spread offense. They return nearly everyone on offense, so the transition should be a smooth one, but how it holds up for 12+ games remains to be seen. With all their tough games (except Alabama) at home, Auburn should win the West.

Best Case Scenario:
Kodi Burns steps in and plays like he's capable, the defense is strong, the Iron Bowl domination continues, and they end the season in the Sugar Bowl.

Worst Case Scenario:
The offense sputters like it did early last season, the Tigers are embarrassed on national TV by West Virginia, the Iron Bowl trophy goes back to Tuscaloosa, and AU finishes the season in Shreveport

2. LSU
The defending BCS Champs will have a very different look this season with so many key departures from last season. They'll still field one of the top OLs and DLs in the SEC -thus the country - and have their typical stable of talented RBs. Now it's just a question of who's going to be under center. With road games at Auburn, Florida, and South Carolina in a 4-game stretch, it's hard to see the Bayou Bengals repeating as division champs.

Best Case Scenario
Steady QB play couple with trench-dominating lines lead LSU back to the BCS

Worst Case Scenario
Les Miles' magic 8-ball coaching decisions don't pan out like they did nearly every single time last year, QB play is sketchy, and the tough schedule proves too much and LSU winds up in Nashville

3. Alabama
Year 2 of the Nick Saban era begins with the Tide still sporting more talent than last year's team, a nice tandem of RBs and one of the most experienced QBs in the league. The Tide should be better this season and should will finish with back-to-back winning seasons for the second time since 1996. It's certainly not outside the realm of possibility that the Tide could compete for the West, but road games at UGA, Tennessee, and LSU make it unlikely.

Best Case Scenario
Knocking off perennially overrated Clemson to open the season, finally beating Auburn, and facing UF in the SEC Championship Game

Worst Case Scenario
Bookend blowout losses to the season, ending up in the Papajohns.com Bowl or equivalent because Shreveport doesn't want them again

4. Ole Miss
After 3 of the worst non-Vandy years in recent SEC memory, Ole Miss fired Ed Orgeron and brought in Houston Nutt. Orgeron left plenty of talent for Nutt to work with, though much of it unproven, particularly in the offensive backfield. With a manageable schedule, the Rebels could be bowling by season's end, though that's certainly no guarantee. Nutt's teams always seems to knock off someone they're not supposed, but by the same token, he often drops the inexplicable games too.

Best Case Scenario
If everyone buys into the system and performs like they're capable, the Rebels could win 7-8 games this year and wind up in Memphis for the Liberty Bowl

Worst Case Scenario
QB Snead doesn't live up to hype, critical depth shortages at key positions prove disastrous, and the Golden Egg stays in Starkville while the Rebels endure a 5th straight season with no bowl game.

5. Mississippi State
While the Bulldogs were a great story last year, the reality was they were - perhaps - the worst 8-win team in SEC history. A stout, opportunistic defense paved the way for the team as the offense was inept at best. It's tough to see them duplicating that kind of success this season without scoring more points, but all signs indicate that's an unlikelihood. A soft schedule probably means a bowl game though.

Best Case Scenario
The offense improves while the defense stays strong and the Bullies catch a few more lucky breaks and wind up in a 2nd straight bowl game

Worst Case Scenario
The offense performs like it did in the Spring Game, the defense wears down from overuse and all the positive vibes from last season are long forgotten in an ugly year

6. Arkansas
Everything that can be said about the Arkansas coaching situation has been, so I'll leave it alone. The bottom line is that Petrino is stepping into a less-than-ideal situation talent-wise. He returns an experienced QB in Casey Dick, but is that really a good thing? Petrino may very well win at Arkansas, but it's not going to be this season.

Best Case Scenario
Even with all the lucky breaks this side of the moon, anything better than 6-6 is a pipe dream

Worst Case Scenario
If the more talented team wins every game played, the Hogs will win no more than 4 games

Not too much going on these days...

Other than what seems to be a twice-weekly occurrence of players being booted off teams, all's quiet for now. Well, except for Urban Meyer. Most of you have probably heard about this...

Simply calling Tim Tebow the best quarterback in college football apparently isn't enough. Gators coach Urban Meyer told a Miami audience that Tebow ''is the greatest player of our era.''

Tebow certainly has the potential to be the greatest player of this era, but I think it's premature to bestow that honor on him just yet. The MNC ring as a freshman and the Heisman as a sophomore put him in a class by himself, but he's got at least one year in college. SEC coaching staffs have had another full offseason to work on defensive schemes to slow him down. And, there are plenty of defenders across the SEC who will take a little extra joy popping the defending Heisman winner.

* ESPN loves to make up new statistics and shove them down our throats - OPS anyone? Their latest is to come up with (in their mind) the definitive way to measure the prestige of all college basketball programs since 1984-85, the year the tourney went to its current format. They've listed #s 41-50 here and #s 51-300 here.

I love the reasoning ESPN gives as to how these numbers are indisputable:

Normally when you see these rankings, they are the "expert" opinion of one or more people whose knowledge (and sanity) usually is questioned by those who disagree. But with ESPN's Prestige Rankings, there is no such argument. We let the numbers do the talking. We assigned point values for certain successes (win a national title, earn 25 points) and failures (get your program banned from the NCAA tournament, lose three points), put all the seasons through our big calculator and came up with the No. 1 program (and the No. 300 program) of the past 24 seasons.

But I digress.

So far, 8 of the SEC's 12 schools have shown up...
41. LSU
T-86. Mississippi State
T-90. Auburn
T-96. Vanderbilt
99. Tennessee
T-105. Georgia
T-185. South Carolina
T-192. Mississippi

...which leaves Kentucky, Florida, Arkansas, and Alabama. Without taking the time to do the math, It'll be interesting to see if UF or UK comes out on top for the SEC. Each has 2 championships and a title game loss. I'd imagine Alabama will be in the next group, Florida in the 20s, and Arkansas somewhere in the teens. Even with mediocre play lately you gotta figure UK is in the Top 10.

In the end though, it's just another excuse for ESPN to fawn over ACC basketball. Once the top 10 is unveiled Friday, you can count on Duke Vitale to show up on Sportscenter and go crazy for Dook and UNC.

*UPDATE: 7/22*As expected, Alabama shows up at #35. More than any other SEC team, Alabama had the most opportunity to be higher than they are. While Florida had some painful early exits in recent years, the Tide made it routine in the late 80s/early 90s.
*UPDATE: 7/23*Florida checks in at #21
*UPDATE: 7/24*Arkansas shows up at #15
*UPDATE: 7/25*>Kentucky ranks #4, based almost entirely on Pitino's utter dominance of the SEC when he there.

* Next time you think you're doing well at the gym, try not to think of UT OL Jacques McClendon and how he benched 645 pounds. And no that's not a typo...

* Fairly interesting read on BleacherReport today: 30 Fearless Predictions for the 2008 season

* Off topic, but if you haven't see The Dark Knight yet, what are you waiting for? Christopher Nolan's Batman franchise is what all other superhero franchises wish they were. Superman Returns was mediocre at best and, after Spiderman 3, that franchise is dead. Iron Man was good, but Batman Begins and The Dark Knight are in a league of their own when it comes to Superhero movies.

Could the SEC have 10 Bowl Teams in 2008-09?

ESPN's Mark Schlabach believes that 10 SEC teams will be bowling at the end of the 2008 season. He predicts:

*Georgia vs Ohio State in the National Title Game
(Oh goody, tOSU vs the SEC in a bowl game... How exciting!)
*Auburn vs Texas Tech in the Sugar Bowl
(Would be interesting to see the contrast of styles)
*Ole Miss vs Houston in the Liberty Bowl
(OM from 0-8 in conference to a respectable bowl?)
*LSU vs Texas in the Cotton Bowl
(I'm sure Cotton Bowl officials are praying for this matchup)
*Florida vs Illinois in the Capital One Bowl
(Gee, I wonder what the appeal of this matchup is)
*Tennessee vs Penn State in the Outback Bowl
(Don't these two play every year somewhere in Florida?)
*Alabama vs Virginia Tech in the Chick-Fil-A Bowl
(Word is they'll move the Chick-Fil-A Bowl to Shreveport to make the transition easier on the Tide players)
*South Carolina vs Miami in the Music City Bowl
(Not the bowl game Gamecock fans have in mind for this year)
*Kentucky vs Rutgers in the Papajohns.com Bowl
(I'll be surprised if UK is in any bowl game this year)
*Mississippi State vs Oklahoma State in the Independence Bowl
(See above notes)

Why you should love every college football team

The guys over at Cake Rocks the Party have put together a list of reasons to pull for every team in the country. Some are quite funny, some not so much. But in a college-football starved region of the country, it’s certainly worth a read.

For those interested only in the SEC teams, here ya go:

78. Vanderbilt: Here’s the thing about Vanderbilt. They always seem to have one or two good pro prospects, even if it is a lot more academic than athletic at Vandy. This year’s big prospect is Thomas Welch.

63. Kentucky: Now we all know about the magic quarterbacking that Andre Woodson perpetrated. But did you know that Curtis Pulley actually beat him out? It’s true! So maybe Andre Woodson went all Batman in the Summer of 2006. But by this analogy? Curtis Pulley is Wolverine. That’s all good sir.

54. Arkansas: We may get an opportunity to see if Bobby Petrino is nothing more than a licensed asshole. If Casey Dick (a.k.a. the Swiftboat Quarterback for Truth)** can become a good passer? Then Bobby Petrino is the truth in the college ranks.

53. Ole Miss: Good news for Michael Oher! The subject of The Blind Side finally has someone legitimate that needs his…blind side…protected in Jevan Snead. Sure, it’s year one of the Houston Nutt Oxford Era? But they have an offense and a defense of experience! Huzzah? Sure!

46. Mississippi State: Hey, did you know the African-American can coach college football? By the lack of black faces, you may not have noticed. But it’s true! And you know what else? They can take a small town in Mississippi and send them to Bowl Game excitement! I wonder why more Athletic Directors don’t consider going down this road?

27. South Carolina: I’m not too proud to be lazy, I’m going to crack wise on the comedy that is somebody with the last name of Smelley, especially when he plays for the Gamecocks. And during my time as a game show gadabout I asked for a smelley gamecock.

24. Tennessee: In a world with Percy Harvin, Tim Tebow, Knowshon Moreno, Matt Stafford, and even Michael Oher’s got some juice behind his name. It’s hard out there for an Arian Foster. He’s just a solid back from a school with a good pedigree. Maybe if he gets arrested, he’ll get the hype he needs

20. Alabama: The Saban is the devil. The Devil is a good recruiter. Julio Jones will be playing Sam to Nick Saban’s Ray Wise. All John Parker Wilson has to do is make a virgin sacrifice at the opening frat party where some white dude’s sporting Blackface. Yes, the one on Water Street.

13. Auburn: Can a system that allowed Troy to take down Brad Smith’s Mizzou or Zac Robinson’s Oklahoma State work in the big time? Auburn hired Tony Franklin to find out. It ruled for the Peach Bowl, but what happens when all the offensive players are new fish? That’s just intrigue.

7. LSU: Now, you and I love Glenn Dorsey. But here’s the thing. The Bayou Bengal’s D-Line may not lose the smooth now that Dorsey’s gone. Tyson Jackson’s a force, and Ricky Jean-Francois may be just one touch higher caliber than Glenn Dorsey. If they can avoid the shootout noid? They’ll be mighty.

6. Florida: Umm, is it all right if I go for the photo and move on? Percy Harvin’s awesome pass-catching skills say it is.

1. Georgia: If you want one off the Knowshon Moreno-Matt Stafford path? There is a sleeper of potential emergence, if you believe that freshman defenders only grow? Then you need to feat your eyes on Rennie Curran. If not? I heard that Knowshon’s got a good shot of getting the Heisman.

Ron Polk is not a happy camper

You know how sometimes, after somebody's been around for awhile and has accomplished a few things, he starts to get something of an inflated opinion of himself and his place in the pecking order?

Well that's about where now former Mississippi State baseball coach Ron Polk is these days.

Since announcing his retirement earlier in the season, Polk openly and vocally campaigned for Tommy Raffo, who was on his staff. He felt Raffo was ready for the job and would ensure a smooth transition. Instead, incoming AD Greg Byrne opted for (now former) Kentucky head coach John Cohen. Despite Cohen's recent run of success - including an 18-0 start to this season, albeit against weak competition - Polk is miffed and making all sorts of threats.

Here's a sampling of the grumblings from Polk: (emphasis is mine)

"Now he's got me on the war path and all I can do is hurt him," Polk said of Byrne in a phone interview with The Associated Press from Athens, Ga., where he is watching Georgia play North Carolina State in an NCAA super regional. "I'm going to do everything I can to make his life miserable."

He's also working hard to disassociate himself from the baseball program that he built. FTA:

In addition to taking his name off the stadium, Polk said he will personally take down the banners that display his name and number. He also will use his influence to scuttle a number of support programs, such as the foster parent program and the Dugout Club. And he's taking Mississippi State athletics out of his will.

You have to respect Polk for the jobs he's done at MSU through the years. He's one of the most decorated college baseball coaches in history and his accomplishments speak for themselves.

That said, he's way off base here. While he may have thought Raffo was a better coaching candidate - and he might be - that's not the way his boss saw it. No childish temper tantrums like the ones he's already thrown - and apparently will continue to throw - are going to change that fact.

He's said that as long as Byrne is there, he won't support MSU athletics and they may not use his name on the Stadium. Taking his name off the field in Starkville means he thinks it was an honor for the stadium to bear his name... not the other way around. Threatening to urge Bullpen Club members to withhold donations will do nothing but hurt the program he dedicated the majority of his adult life to. It's going to hurt the returning and incoming players he has recruited. And to what end? He's really just coming off as an angry old man who is having difficulty adjusting to not being in a position of authority anymore.

His best move now would to be to drop the shenanigans, put his name back on the stadium and fade quietly into the sunset. If he doesn't want to support Cohen - who, by the way, is a former MSU player as well - then he doesn't have to. What he doesn't need to disrespect the loyal MSU fans that love their baseball program.

Memorial Day Linkage

* Fox Sports has a good read up about the rivalry between Stafford and Tebow – who not surprisingly are the only SEC QBs listed in Rivals top 25 QBs in the country. You can argue until you’re blue in the face about which one is better, but the simple fact is each of them is perfect for the system they are in. No way Stafford could operate UF’s spread offense and no way Tebow thrives in a drop back, pro-style offense. Both figure to be in the spotlight all season long and their November 1 showdown – don’t call it a Cocktail Party – will undoubtedly be one of the biggest games of the regular season.

* At least someone’s being honest. Big East commissioner admits it: The BCS is about the almighty dollar, NOT what the fans want.

* I wish the media would leave Ryan Perrilloux alone and just let him disappear into obscurity in Jacksonville, AL. He’s a bad apple who just happens to be a remarkable athletic talent. It became obvious from the circus surrounding his recruitment that all Ryan Perrilloux cared about was Ryan Perrilloux. Now he’s taken the Herschel Walker way out, saying he’s been diagnosed with OCD, thus (apparently) giving him license to act like he did because he was restless. I don’t buy it for a second. Just because he wasn’t playing on gameday as much as Flynn and Russell doesn’t mean he wasn’t actively participating in drills at practice.

* Another testament to the strength of the SEC: 4 coaches rank among Rivals’ Top 10 College Football Coaches

* The good news for the Crimson Tide: Gee is officially coming back. The bad news: So is Mark Gottfried.

* CBS Sportsline rated the Hot Seat for all 120+ coaches in D1 football. By his estimation, the SEC coach on the hottest seat is Vandy’s Bobby Johnson. Vandy’s in for a rough season this year with so many key losses, but Johnson has had Vandy consistently competitive the last few seasons, which is more than previous coaches can say.

USC’s Spurrier is on the 2nd hottest seat in the conference, which makes more sense. The Gamecocks’ epic collapse last season was due in large part to key defensive injuries, but the USC brass didn’t bring Spurrier in to go to middling bowls. I don’t think they’d actually fire Spurrier, but I doubt that they’re especially pleased with the results he’s delivered so far in his tenure. If Stephen Garcia continues to run amok though, it will be interesting to see how the USC fans react if the Gamecocks finish 6-6 this season.

* Droopy-looking Pete Fiutak takes a crack at predicting all the bowls, including the BCS games for next season. So go ahead and book your hotel rooms.

* Thanks to anonymous reader for this one... NEPatriotsdraft.com lists 7 guys from the SEC as "Players to Watch" for the 2009 NFL Draft. No real surprises as it's Florida's Tim Tebow, Percy Harvin, and Brandon Spikes, Georgia's Matthew Stafford and Knowshon Moreno, Ole Miss' Michael Oher and LSU's Tyson Jackson.

* And for those of you into YouTube and pop culture phenomena, take a gander at Weezer's new video for "Pork and Beans"

Links for a Friday

I've been out of the Blogosphere for a while, but I've still come across some interesting reads while on the road with work and family...

* Rivals has a look at the upcoming rules changes for the 2008-09 college basketball season, including emphasis on palming and illegal screening

* Former Baylor head basketball coach Dave Bliss is one of the biggest scumbags on the planet. How this asshat is not in jail for what he did at Baylor is beyond me. It is tragic that he is allowed anywhere near a basketball court. It is despicable that Athletes in Action would even consider hiring this guy. What a disgrace.

* ESPN's got a variety of interesting football reads up here and here and here and here.

In the first one, Mark Schlabach takes a look at the 25 biggest stories to come out of the Spring. Not surprisingly, 7 relate to SEC teams (The dismissals of Ryan "McLovin'" Perriloux and Michael "Big Gun" Brown, Ryan Mallet not being allowed to be destroyed by SEC defenses until next season, Chris Rainey's emergence at Florida, Jevan Snead's emergence at Ole Miss, and Stephen "How 'Bout Another One?" Garcia's continued run-ins with the Columbia PD) as well as former SEC QB (and precious snowflake) Mitch Mustain not winning the starting job at USC. The countdown is on until Beck Campbell makes a fool of herself again.

In the other 3, they break down the SEC by team by division, but offer no predictions on final standings.

* Meanwhile, Mike Organ at the Shreveport Times does predict final standings. While there's no big shockers in the way of final placement of the teams, he does predict 6-6 records for both Vandy and Kentucky. With what each team lost, there is no way either of those teams finish with more than 2 wins in conference. 6-6 would be nothing short of a miracle and would put either Bobby Johnson or Rich Brooks in the lead for SEC Coach of the Year. The 'Dores and the 'Cats will be fortunate to win 10 games between them.

A little bit of everything

Fox Sports has 20 burning questions about the 2008 college football season, including a few involving the SEC.

#5- Which teams will be the most disappointing?
Alabama- not quite there yet, but the fans are getting impatient. It takes time to build a great team.

I can’t imagine this will be the case anywhere outside of Tuscaloosa. I know the Tide won the recruiting national championship (and have the shirts to prove it), but few outside the Tide Nation really expect a whole lot out of that team this year. They’re certainly headed in the right direction under Saban, but they finished 7-6 and won the Indy Bowl last year. What expectations do they have that they’ll be so disappointed this year?

#6- Which BCS teams will be the sleepers this year?
SEC- Mississippi State

I think the Bulldogs will be closer to disappointing than the Tide will be. MSU is coming off an 8-win season and a bowl win. Seeing as how they were (quite possibly) the worst 8-win SEC team in history last season, their luck will most likely run out this season. Their abysmal offense was just that in their 6-0 (in OT) spring game. They get Vandy and Kentucky at home in conference, but no way they approach last year’s success.

8- Which BCS conference will prove to be the strongest?
yada...yada...yada...But this year looks like it will be the year of the Big 12.
The SEC will drop off a little bit this year. Kentucky doesn't have 'Dre, Tenn. doesn't have Ainge, Vandy is Vandy, Mississippi State is very mediocre, Mississippi and Arkansas have new coaches, Alabama has had strong recruiting classes, but still isn't there yet and South Carolina has so many question marks, you pretty much have to peg them as a .500 team. Auburn, Florida, Georgia and LSU are the big dawgs. The rest are puppies.

She’s right and wrong here. I’ll give her that Kentucky will be worse this year, MSU is mediocre and that Vandy is Vandy. I think the Hogs will struggle this year rebuilding under Petrino. But that’s where our agreement stops. Why is Tennessee disqualified because Ainge is gone? No way they win the East again this year, but the Vols are hardly a “puppy” as she claims.

Alabama will most likely improve over last season and they suffered a few painfully close losses. Ole Miss has a chance to be one of the most improved teams in the country under Houston Nutt. South Carolina was one of the top teams in the country before they suffered a collapse for the record books.

Sure, the SEC will be weaker than last year. Kentucky and Mississippi State won’t make bowl games this year after notching bowl wins last year, but Ole Miss and South Carolina could replace them if the cards fall right. I don’t think the SEC is ready to pass that torch off just yet..

12- Which new first year coach will have the most success?
You have to go with Bobby Petrino. …if the Hogs come out of this season with a winning record, then that will have been a huge success.

I guess that depends on your definition of the word success. If Petrino guides Arkansas to a 7-5 record and Houston Nutt does the same thing for Ole Miss, who’s had more success? My guess is that – at season’s end - Rebel fans are happier with Nutt than Hog fans are with Petrino.

20- Who will win the Heisman?
Tim Tebow of Florida is the obvious front-runner. But there are some others who will make a strong case; RB Noel Devine of West Virginia, QB Pat White of West Virginia, QB Chase Daniel of Mizzou, RB Beanie Wells of OSU, QB Sam Bradford of Oklahoma, RB Knowshon Moreno of Georgia, WR Michael Crabtree of Texas Tech, U Jeremy Maclin of Mizzou, QB Max Hall of BYU, and RB Joe McKnight of USC. Sleepers: PJ Hill of Wisconsin, WR/RB Percy Harvin of Florida and QB Colt McCoy of Texas.
My three way-too-early early picks are Knowshon Moreno (Georgia), Sam Bradford (Oklahoma) and Chase Daniel (Mizzou)

Of course Tebow is the frontrunner. How could he not be with a collection of YouTube videos like he has?

As usual it’s a wide open race. Look for tOSU’s Chris Wells to get a lot of pub down the stretch as the Buckeyes roll through the directional school equivalents in the Big10+1. You can count on Homer Herbie to begin the season long fawning in July or August, whenever he and Corso start getting their worthless mugs on TV on a daily basis.

19- Can LSU repeat?
Heck yeah! A few things have to happen, but the odds are good they can repeat. If Miles can get his QB situation under control, then this could be a special year for the Tigers. Their schedule is what dreams are made of. They play eight games at home, and four on the road, including at Auburn, at Florida and at Arkansas to close out their campaign. If they don't slip up at South Carolina and beat Georgia in Death Valley, they have a solid shot at being undefeated. The Georgia game is the big question mark in terms of them being undefeated, but they can still win the division crown since Georgia is in the SEC East, and LSU is in the West. Playing in any BCS bowl is not an unrealistic expectation for the defending champs, and neither is getting to the Big Dance.

The Tigers certainly have as good a shot as anyone. Their non-conference schedule is a joke, so no worries there. No way they survive undefeated, but if they have just 1 loss and win the SEC Championship Game, no way they don’t deserve a hot to defend their title. Of course, that’ll all depend on QB play and whether or not Perilloux is even on the team this August...

Bracketology 2009

Now that the 2007-08 college basketball season is days behind us, it's obviously high time to release predictions for next year's tournament. Regardless of how silly it is to try and predict next year's bracket in April, it should be a better Dance for the SEC in '09. This year, only Tennessee advanced to the Sweet 16, where they were schooled by a deeper, better Louisville team. Arkansas and Mississippi State advanced to the 2nd round, but were sacrificial lambs to 1-seeds.

According to Joe Lunardi, 6 teams will make the Tourney next season. He sees:
Florida: 3-seed
Mississippi State: 6-seed
Kentucky: 6-seed
Ole Miss: 8-seed
Tennessee: 9-seed
Alabama: 11-seed

While I'm no Bracketologist, the only ones I would agree with are Florida as a 3 and Ole Miss as a 9. They both made it to the NIT semi-finals before bowing out and will look to build on that success. The big question mark for UF will be the inside play, but my feeling is that Speights will be back. With the talent in this year's draft, I don't think he'll be projected high enough to justify leaving early. Even if he does hire an agent, the Gators have enough talent everywhere else to be a real threat next year.

As for the Rebels, they've been a win or two away from a Dance bid in both years under Andy Kennedy. No question their success next year relies on the development - or recruitment - of some big bodies, but, like the Gators, have a young, immensely talented backcourt returning for next season. I think the Rebels break through next year, though it may very well be in the form of a dreaded 8/9 game.

As for the others, here's why I question the seedings (or even inclusion):

Mississippi State: Who knows how this team will look next year? All-SEC big man Charles Rhodes is gone for sure, as is PG Ben Hansbrough, who had some big scoring games for the Bulldogs this season. Most importantly though is the coming decision by Jamont Gordon - the best player in conference this past season - to either stay in Starkville for one more season or go pro. The recruiting class has taken a blow with previous MSU commitment Scotty Hopson signing with Tennessee. (as an aside, in the last 13 months, MSU has lost 3 players to transfer - the Delk twins and Hansbrough - and had Hopson renege on his commitment to them. Bulldog fans - what's going on there? Anything to be concerned about?)

Kentucky: Sure, Patrick Patterson will (by all accounts) be back and presumably better, but who else is going to score... or handle the ball for that matter. Gone are Joe Crawford and Ramel Bradley, who combined for more than 34ppg between the two of them). Gillespie is a decent enough coach and the 'Cats have a good class coming in, but I think they're 2 years away before really being back. I think a 6-seed may be asking too much.

Tennessee: With all the success Bruce Pearl has had everywhere he's coached, what makes Lunardi think that UT will plummet down to a 9 seed next season? Even with losing JaJuan Smith and Chris Lofton, the Vols are loaded with talent and are bringing in one of the nation's top recruiting classes. While I doubt the Vols are a 2-seed next year, I think a 3-5 seed is much more likely than a 9.

Alabama: I guess he's assuming that Richard Hendrix comes back. If he does, I could possibly see this happening, but they'll still have Mark Gottfried as a coach and they'll be pinning their hopes on Ronald Steele, who, when he was healthy a few years ago, was as explosive a PG as there was in conference. But it's been a while since he's played a college game, and he's even testing the draft waters, though don't look for that to come to fruition.

My Darkhorse: I wouldn't be shocked if LSU ended up dancing next season. Now that they've gotten rid of Brady, they have a chance to be competitive every game. Losing Randolph is a big blow obviously, but there's a wealth of talent that will be in place next season in Baton Rouge and new HC Trent Johnson seems to have a knack for getting the most out of his players.

A look at the SEC's Pairings in the Big Dance

Been away from the interwebs for the past few days, but I'm back now. But what a weekend in Atlanta. And, after back to back one-and-done performances, it's safe to - at least for now - it's no longer Catlanta. My SEC Tourney bracket was way off as I backed the wrong 6-seed making a run.

As far as dance bids go, it's nice to see the league get 6 teams in, but none of the 6 got a favorable draw... at all. UT is easily the cream of the crop in the conference this year, but they're (somehow) paired with UNC, which garnered the #1 overall seed, meaning - in the committee's eyes - UT was the weakest of the 2 seeds. I understand the Vols being behind Texas, as the Longhorns won head to head, and possibly Georgetown, but Dook? The dookies again got about 2 seeds higher than they deserved, but when you have your own personal spokesperson on the World Wide Leader, that sort of stuff happens.

Overall, not a great March in store for SEC teams. Inexperience and bad matchups will be the undoing of most teams in conference, as the SEC will place just one team in the Sweet 16 and none in the Elite 8. Here are some initial thoughts about the SEC's chances.

EAST REGIONAL
#8 seed Arkansas: The Hogs are drew a favorable 1st round game against an Indiana team that has been in disarray since Kelvin "Can you hear me now?" Sampson was fired for being a dumbass. IU squandered a real shot a deep run, as they've got one of the top freshman guard int he country (Eric Gordon) and one of the top post guys (DJ White) as well. These guys were cruising before the poop hit the fan. Now, it's hard to see them being organized and focused enough to beat this Arkansas team. Next would be the Tarheels, and even though I feel that Tyler Hansbrough is the most overrated, overhyped college basketball player in years, Arkansas doesn't have much of a chance here. The Hogs will be 1-1.

#2 seed Tennessee: The Vols were done no favors. Not only did they end up in UNC's region, they're going to play a very good mid major team in the 2nd round, then a Rick Pitino-coached Louisville team in the Sweet 16. South Alabama (I think they upset Butler) will be playing in their home state and - having played Vandy and Ole Miss to the wire and beaten Mississippi State - will not be afraid of the Vols. Then, the matchup with tournament master Rick Pitino comes up. During the regular season, I'd give the Vols the advantage, but in March, give me Rick Pitino (or Tom Izzo) over any other coach in the country. I think the Cardinals clip the Vols in Charlotte. The Vols will be 2-1.

MIDWEST REGIONAL
#4 seed Vanderbilt: As good as Vandy was during the season - particularly at home - they're not built for tournament success. They rely to much on jump shots and don't play very good defense. A cold night from the floor and they don't have anything to fall back on. AJ Ogilvy - though a big body - doesn't play aggressively around the rim, and while it may not cost them against Siena, it will be their undoing against Clemson in the 2nd round. Clemson will pound them inside for 40 minutes and send the 'Dores home. Vandy goes 1-1.

SOUTH REGIONAL
#8 seed Mississippi State: As well as the Bulldogs played in conference, I expected them to be seeded higher than an 8 seed, probably a 6 seed. Shows how little the selection committee though of the conference this year. They'll take on the Oregon Ducks in round 1, which will be an interesting matchup. My gut tells me that MSU wins fairly easily in the first round as the Ducks have no inside matchup for Rhodes and Varnado. But then comes the Memphis Tigers, assuming the entire team isn't wearing prison sweats by then. MSU matches up well with Memphis and if the Bulldogs had a little steadier PG play, I'd think they stood a good chance of knocking off the Shelby County Penal League champs, but as it stands, I see the Tigers winning. MSU goes 1-1.

#11 seed Kentucky: A lot of griping nationally - and from fellow SEC fans - that UK got in despite a horrendous non-conference schedule. The 'Cats battled injuries and learning a new system before gelling in SEC play. Any team that wins 12 SEC games is NCAA-worthy. Period. Even without PatPat, I think they matchup well with Marquette, who can be a one-man show sometimes. I see the 'Cats exacting revenge for the Elite 8 upset a few years back, then being hammered by Stanford. No way the 'Cats play with a well-disciplined team that has that much size in the middle. UK goes 1-1.

WEST REGIONAL
#14 seed Georgia: One day, I'll figure out how in the world UGA won as many conference games in the SEC Tourney as they did all season long. The sad part is that they stand NO chance of being able to duplicate that magic in Washington, DC. The 'Dawgs are a remarkable story as it stands now, but come Thursday, they'll be the first SEC team knocked out of the Dance. UGA goes 0-1.

SEC football teams: Middle Eastern versions

This has been circulating on the message boards today, but it's worth posting...

ALABAMA:
Saudi Arabia - Once a proud country but wrecked by infighting and surrounded by enemies on all sides...Syria and Iraq have dominated them for years...very superstitious about the number 6...accomplishes a lot in the spring - offers very little in the fall.

ARKANSAS:
Palestinian territories - No one worries a lot about them unless they can be of some use (like winning a battle once in a while against Iran that shakes up the standings).

AUBURN:
Syria - Capable of dominating anyone in the region at anytime (just ask Al Qaeda). Syria and Iraq routinely expose Saudi Arabia for what they really are. Has terrorized mortal enemies for 6 years - not to mention 7 of the last 8...the Saudi's desperately want to enter peace talks (because talk is about all they do these days).

FLORIDA:
Al Qaeda - Evil infidels. Formed around 1990 but likes to speak as if they are the cradle of civilization.

GEORGIA:
Kuwait - You hear alot of talk about riches and potential...but still very vulnerable to Iraq and many others...Kuwait now plays LOUD rap music at all their battles.

KENTUCKY:
Morocco - Not really part of the Middle East. Has other interests besides fighting (or playing football).

LSU:
Iran - New money...current superpower in the region but it will all come crashing down...mainly because they have a functioning retard as their leader.

OLE MISS:
Afghanistan - Has very little going for it (but their chicks are pretty cool).

MISSISSIPPI STATE:
Qatar - Where the hell is Qatar?

SOUTH CAROLINA:
Libya - Has a charismatic ruler but is a desolate nation. Their leader can rattle his sword here and there but that's about it.

TENNESSEE:
Iraq - Has good history but the country has been tanking lately...should rebound in the near future...loves having a good laugh with Syria.

VANDERBILT:
Israel - Leave them alone please. What have they ever done to you?

New Basketball Rankings (Jan. 21) + Links

SSDD. Another week has come and gone and the same 3 SEC teams are ranked. There is a difference in the ARV column as Arkansas is no longer receiving votes after losing 2 games against the worst 2 teams in the SEC East. Mississippi State, once just an underachieving afterthought, has ridden the strength of a 4-0 in conference to pick up a handful of votes. While it's unlikely they're ranked before season's end, they are playing to their potential now.

With the rash of upsets over the weekend, the Memphis Tigers are the new #1 team in the country. They're a mid-major school who scheduled a bunch of big games at home, took advantage of a young UConn team early, fell bass-ackwards into an OT win against USC, and will now feast on the D3-equivalent schools that make up C-USA. What a joke.



* Interesting read on the semi-decline of the SEC this year in basketball
* A look at the NCAA tourney hope of the SEC teams
* Little man Terry Bowden took time off from campaigning for coaching jobs to throw together some alpha-numeric characters and spaces to form this mumbo-jumbo of a column
* And how dare you or anyone call yourself a fan of your team until you show this kind of lunacy dedication...


* While Eddie Murphy will most likely win a Razzie or two for Norbit, kudos to his soothsaying abilities...

Random Basketball Thoughts (1/17)

Even a mere 3 games into conference play, the heat has definitely been turned up to a different level. The story to this point has been Mississippi State – who struggled mightily in the non-conference portion of their schedule – has come out like gangbusters, rolling to a 3-0 start in league play. They haven’t played an upper-tier SEC team yet, but they’ve handled business against LSU, UGA, and a Kentucky team that has a losing record 15 games into the season. Jarvis Varnado has quickly become a household name with his high-flying act. His big-man triple double (10p, 12r, 10b) against UK on ESPN Tuesday night was impressive.

In-state rival Ole Miss is apparently determined to give its fan base heart attacks each and every game. Through 3 games, the Rebels are 2-1 including a 2pt loss, a 3pt win, and a 2pt win. They battled #6 Tennessee to the waning moments before losing that game and built up big 2nd half leads on both LSU and Florida before having to hang on down the stretch. Still, the job Andy Kennedy has done there is nothing short of remarkable and as those freshmen continue to mature, they may be a tough out come March.

Other Random Thoughts
*If the countdown clock for John Brady wasn’t on before last night, it’s certainly on now. LSU – up 22-7 at one point – lost at the PMAC last night to an Auburn team with only a handful of scholarship players available. Again, if he survives the full SEC season, I’ll be surprised.

*That said, Mark Gottfried may be joining him in the unemployment line if Alabama doesn't figure out how to win at some point soon.

*Arkansas’ loss to South Carolina at home is absolutely inexcusable. Stan Heath was shown the door in part because he couldn’t win on the road, but his teams normally did a good job of protecting the home floor. This year’s club has in-state losses now to a 9-8 South Carolina team and a 9-6 Appalachian State team whose 2nd best win is over an 8-8 College of Charleston team.

*Kentucky's win over Vandy to open conference play may have been an aberration. While it was easily their best win of the year, they outrebounded Vanderbilt 42-21 and it still took them 2 OTs to knock of the 'Dores. No way it should take you 10 extra minutes of basketball to beat someone you outrebound 2-1.

*The SEC West is already separating the good from the bad from the ugly. Alabama and LSU are already 0-3 in conference and Auburn is 1-2. MSU, Arkansas, and Ole Miss should benefit greatly from getting 2 games a piece with those 3.

2008 SEC Basketball Preview

While the conference is down this year as a whole, the SEC is the only conference with 2 undefeated teams – Ole Miss and Vanderbilt. The divisional battles should be highly entertaining as well. Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Ole Miss, and Arkansas appear to be the class of the SEC, but Mississippi State has been playing much better as of late.

Conference play tips off Tuesday night when the Gators travel to Tuscaloosa. The rest of the league gets started Wednesday night. Here’s a look at how conference play will shake out 16 games from now…

SEC EAST
1. Tennessee – they were the preseason pick of nearly everyone to win the East – as well as the conference – and they’ve done nothing to make me think they won’t. Their one loss is to a very good Texas team that’s better than anyone the Vols will face in conference. They’ll need preseason All-America Chris Lofton to snap out of his shooting slump (34.4% from the floor, 33% on 3s) to live up to their preseason hype, but they have talent to do so. The conference’s best shot at a Final Four Team.
Significant Wins: West Virginia(N), @Xavier, Gonzaga(N)
Bad Losses: None

2. Vanderbilt – Coming off a season in which they were denied an Elite 8 berth by a curious no-travelling call on Georgetown’s Jeff Green, no one knew what to make of the ‘Dores’ chances this year, particular with the graduation of top scorer Derrick Byars. Those questions have been answered and more. Led by Senior Shan Foster and true freshman Andrew Olgilvy (ranked 1st and 2nd in scoring in the conference), The ‘Dores are one of just 6 undefeated teams left in the nation. It remains to be seen if they have the talent to take down the Vols in the East, but they’ll certainly be ranked and dancing at year’s end.
Significant Wins: South Alabama, @DePaul, UMass
Bad Losses: None

3. Florida – The 2-time defending national champs are nowhere near where they were the last 2 seasons. But who would be losing what they lost last year? They play a bunch of talented – but very young – guys who will have their ups and downs this season. This was obvious in blowout losses at home to Florida State and on the road against Ohio State. HC Donovan knows his way around the conference though, and while they’ll take their lumps at time this season, they’ll certainly be back among the nation’s elite next season. True freshman Nick Calathes (15ppg, 6apg, 5rpg) is a true star in the making.
Significant Wins: None
Bad Losses: Combined 100 pts in losses to Florida State and @Ohio State

4. Kentucky – Not what the Big Blue Nation had in mind when Billy Gillispie to be the savior of the program. He has not gelled with the holdouts from Tubby Smith’s tenure and UK has compiled a list of embarrassing losses to prove it. There’s even a song about it. Fortunately for the ‘Cats, the bottom of the SEC East borders on wretched, and there’s still enough talent the team to finish 4th in the division. Freshman Patrick Patterson (17ppg, 8rpg, 2 apg) has been the lone bright spot for UK this season.
Significant Wins: None
Bad Losses: Gardner-Webb, San Diego, blowout loss to IU

5. South Carolina – Cincinnati’s firing of Bobby Huggins paid immediate dividend for Ole Miss, as the Rebels snagged Bearcats’ interim coach Andy Kennedy, who promptly led the Rebels to a division title and SEC Coach of the year. The Gamecocks are benefitting this year as UC transfer Devan Downey has become USC’s go-to guy in his first year in Columbia. He’s leading the Gamecocks in scoring, assists, and steals and ranks in the top 6 in the SEC each of those categories. The Gamecocks though will be without the nation’s leading 3 point shooter (Brandis Raley-Ross, knee injury) for the first couple of weeks of January and will struggle against teams with solid inside players.
Significant Wins: @Providence
Bad Losses: UNC-Asheville

6. Georgia – What was set to be a breakout season for HC Dennis Felton and the ‘Dawgs has turned into a nightmare. Mike Mercer and Takais Brown, leading scorers from last season, were kicked off the team before the season started, and now 7’0 freshman Rashaad Singleton has quit the team in search of more PT at another school. While they still have quality players in Sundiata Gaines and Billy Humphrey, they don’t have the depth to compete over a 16-game schedule.
Significant Wins: Wake Forest
Bad Losses:ETSU

SEC WEST
1. Arkansas - While Ole Miss may be the only ranked (and undefeated) team in the SEC West, the Hogs return basically their entire team from last season’s NCAA tourney berth. They’ve been up and down in the early season, but their core players have been through the rigors of the SEC before and that should give them the advantage over the young Rebels down the stretch. Patrick Beverly, Darrian Townes, Sonny Weems lead a balanced Razorback attack.
Significant Wins: Missouri, Baylor
Bad Losses:Appalachian State

2. Ole Miss – What else can you say about Andy Kennedy? The upstart Rebels enter conference play undefeated and ranked #15 in the country. They’re big in the middle, getting solid play and a lot of minutes from 3 senior big men, including All-SEC performer Dwayne Curtis. Their guards are very young though, which may spell trouble down the line. Sophomore SG Eniel Polynice missed a triple double by 1 assist earlier this season, so he represents the Rebs’ best all-around threat. While they enter conference play as the West favorite, their youth and inexperience may cost them critical games and drop them to 2nd in the West.
Significant Wins: New Mexico, Clemson, South Alabama
Bad Losses: None

3. Mississippi State – This was supposed to be a big season for the ‘Dawgs, but it hasn’t panned out that way. At least not yet. Losing the Delk brothers before the season hurt their depth and may have contributed to some of their early season stumbles. G/F Jamont Gordon is one the best players in the conference and is an all-around threat, so more effective when not handling the ball. He’s putting up great stats (17.5 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 4.6 apg) so far and will key to the Bulldogs making a run at defending their SEC West title. MSU is good enough to finish in the top half of the SEC West, but not the top 2.
Significant Wins: Missouri
Bad Losses: Miami (OH)

4. Alabama – Richard Hendrix is the SEC Player of the Year so far. He’s averaging 19 ppg, 10.1 rpg, 2 bpg, and is shooting 63.2% despite facing double- and triple-teams every time he touches the ball. He and teammate Alonzo Gee rank 1st and 2nd in the conference in rebounding, and – along with sharpshooter Mykal Riley – form a dangerous scoring combination. Unfortunately, they’re playing without Ronald Steele, their All-SEC PG. The lack of a steady ball handler will spell doom in close games, particularly on the road. Those losses will drop the Tide to 4th in the West.
Significant Wins: None
Bad Losses: Belmont, 26-pt home loss to Clemson

5. Auburn – Prior to the season, Auburn looked like they could be this year’s surprise team. They had basically their entire team back from last season and a manageable schedule. That was to put to rest with a bad loss to Tulane to open the season and the humbling blowout to West Virginia. Now, with Korvotney Barber out for a month, the Tigers will be without the nation’s leading FG% guy for the first several games of conference. That spells trouble.
Significant Wins: None
Bad Losses: 29-pt loss to WVU, 23-pt loss to Xavier at home

6. LSU – Unfortunately for LSU HC John Brady, tonight’s BCS Championship game marks the end of LSU’s football season. Until baseball starts up, all eyes will be on him and his team, which has been just this side of abysmal this season. While the schedule has been tough, the blowout losses are mounting. And with All-SEC forward Tasmin Mitchell on the shelf for the season with an ankle injury, things will be very ugly on the bayou this basketball season. If – and that’s a big IF – Brady survives the season, I can't see him surviving more than a few days after the SEC Tourney ends.
Significant Wins: None
Bad Losses: 20-pt loss @Wichita State, @Tulane, 26-pt loss @Texas A&M