Friday Night Links: Should The NCAA Require Head Coaches Pay For Athlete's Sins?

1. The Palm Beach Post thinks a good way to "curb college football transgressions" is to pass the buck to the head coach and let him pay the cost to be the boss.

Why not make head coaches directly and financially responsible for maintaining integrity in their programs?

We're not just talking about lofty speeches and sweater vests anymore. That's window dressing, just as it is to suspend a rowdy running back two meaningless September games for driving drunk or smoking marijuana or getting tangled up in some nightclub brawl in the offseason.

Instead, dock the head coach a game-day paycheck when he and his staff and his army of mentors and tutors can't keep a star player under control. That would work all the excuses out of any major program's oversight system, and fast.

No more taking away scholarships for NCAA violations, either. That's a punishment that comes so tardy that it hurts athletes who weren't even at the school when the rules were being wrinkled. Extract a big fine from the head coach as an alternative, enough to cover an equal number of scholarships, and if he can't pay, allow him to take out a college loan. Hey, we're nothing if not humane.

2. Speaking of guys who are getting paid. Auburn head coach Gene Chizik just got a raise—think he sent a little of that cheese Cam's way (just kidding).

"We believe that we have the best coach in college football," Auburn athletics director Jay Jacobs said in a statement. "More importantly, coach Chizik is a great mentor to our student-athletes, he represents Auburn with class and integrity in all that he does, and he is an outstanding ambassador for Auburn University."

3. Some are already wondering if this will be the year that Boise State finally gets their shot at a BCS Championship. 

Despite starting ranked higher than Oregon and Auburn in the preseason polls, by the time the first BCS rankings came out on October 17, Oregon had passed the Broncos and the next week Auburn jumped to the top spot. Besides, TCU even passed them the week after Auburn did.

But that doesn’t mean the question of whether a non-AQ school will ever play for the national championship as long as the BCS is holding hostage running the college football postseason will go away. This preseason, Boise State is once again considered the non-AQ team that holds the best chance of upsetting college football elitists and hoisting that crystal football. 

(Note: The legitimacy of the BCS will not be proven should a non-AQ school ever win the national title, nor will BCS opponents let the issue rest. The problem is not necessarily that a non-AQ school has never played for the national championship, but rather that the BCS provides AQ schools much easier access to the national title game and the BCS bowl games, not to mention the revenue that comes with it.)

4.  The first official lines for the upcoming 2011 College Football season have been released and Georgia is listed at -6 against Boise State.

Per Miller via Payne, bettors are allowed to make a maximum of three bets of no more than $1,000 each before they must head to the end of the line. 

We’ll be speaking with some industry experts and will have a more thorough analysis on a few of these games this weekend, but for now, here are the Golden Nugget’s point spreads for some of the biggest games on the 2011 schedule…


Saturday, September 3, 2011

Boise State (-6) at Georgia (game to be played in Atlanta)

Oregon (-2*) at LSU (game to be played in Dallas)

5. Rivals writer, Olin Buchanan believes the Florida Gators have the roughest four-game stretch of any team in college football this season.

...Florida's October stretch may be the most difficult month faced by any team in the country, even with an open date before the Georgia game. Those four opponents were a combined 41-12 in 2009. Again, Auburn won't be as good, but Alabama and LSU are bona-fide national championship contenders and Georgia figures to be better.

6. In case you had not heard, Tim Tebow has written a book about his life and his faith. He's currently doing book signings about said book in Florida and—to no one's surprise—he's drawing massive crowds in his homestate. Well, at least in Orlando and Jacksonville. 

The local Wal-Mart officials deflected attempts for interviews, saying he was off limits before and during the event. Some customers looked on in amazement as fans started doing Gator chants in the middle of the store, hundreds dressed in blue Gator tops _ almost all with Tebow's No. 15 on it.

The parking lot was overflowing as fans streamed into the store. The of the line was in women's clothing, where an amazed shopper laughed in amazement as fans negotiated the huge line patiently as she tried to get to a blouse that interested her.

(on a side note, the author of this particular article needs more work with his editor. Jeez, what awful grammar and spelling in this little spiel).

Related articles

• Georgia Bulldogs: What If They Lose To Boise State? (theladysportswriter.blogspot.com)
• Boise State Meets With NCAA Committee On Infractions (sbnation.com)
• Auburn hikes Chizik's annual salary by $1.3M (sports.espn.go.com)

Will Muschamp: "I Certainly Can" Guarantee A Win Over Georgia

Well, well, well...those are what might qualify as fighting words if we were actually discussing a rivalry game (Georgia-Florida) that was not as lopsided as the one this match-up has become over the last two decades.

New Florida head coach, Will Muschamp, made certain to emphasize that any ties he had to the Georgia Bulldog nation as a former player and coach were no longer present in his mind in his new position as the head man at Florida. Said Muschamp, his loyalty is with whomever "signs my checks" and no one else.

You can't hate the guy for saying as much since he does have bills to pay, but the whole guaranteeing of a win thing has to stick in the craw of just about every Georgia fan who hates the color orange and has vivid memories of making those long, painful, trips back from Jacksonville after yet another Bulldog loss to the Gators.

The hope in 2011 is that the Dawgs can turn it around and start a new trend—a winning one.

After all, they will have one of the more experienced quarterbacks in the SEC—from a playbook knowledge aspect—and a defense that has nowhere to go but up in season two.

That said, there are also still plenty of questions at both running back and wide receiver, and now also the offensive line, where there is no certainty that a star will rise.

So, when a former Georgia player (who grew up attending Florida Gator games and, apparently, only came to Georgia because it was cost-efficient) starts making pronouncements that his team will be the better one on the field come October, you start to wonder just how scared the Bulldogs should be of their SEC East foe.

In the end, it's all just conjecture and grandstanding for the Florida Gator fanbase, but Muschamp has certainly given his alma mater even more reason to show up in Jacksonville—for all four quarters—in October.

Related articles

• Florida's Muschamp defends hiring Weis, spells out plan (cbssports.com)
• Dead to me. (blutarsky.wordpress.com)

SEC Football: Will Trent Richardson Be The Best Running Back in the SEC in 2011?

Mark Ingram is gone. He will no longer steal, dominate, or usurp the spotlight that many felt Trent Richardson should have had long ago. Richardson has been a spark plug for the Alabama Crimson Tide since the first time he touched the football in Tuscaloosa and, now that Ingram looks to recreate his star as a New Orleans Saint, Richardson finally has his opportunity to shine brightly for his team.

Is he ready to be 'The Man'?

Some fans and pundits question how well Richardson is capable of playing minus Ingram in the backfield.  After all, it was Ingram who spear-headed the Tide's 2009 SEC Championship against the Florida Gators—which led to them securing their first National Championship in more than a decade—so it was clear that Richardson will still running without the expectations of being both a No. 1 back or a former Heisman Trophy winner.

That said, Richardson did a fine job holding down the fort while Ingram sat with a knee injury and, at times, it was apparent that if he'd had more consistent touches per game, he might have been able to do a lot more damage on the ground (2010: 112 carries, 700 yards, 7 touchdowns, and 6.25 ypc average) than he actually did.

Bearing all that in mind, does that mean he's poised to breakout in 2011 and be the best running back in the SEC?

Perhaps, but the Alabama quarterback situation will bear watching in the early going as some are not factoring the loss of Greg McElroy into the equation—his experience and leadership will definitely change things offensively—and there will be a period of adjustment in the way the Tide's offense is executed as they get accustomed to a less experienced quarterback leading the way. 

While A.J. McCarron appeared to play well in spot duty last season, his spring performance wasn't enough to make coach Saban name him the outright starter for 2011—Saban has even intimated at playing two quarterbacks this season—so it's unclear what or how many quarterbacks will start under-center for the Tide this year.

Even more, the Tide will have to find a new set of hands in the passing game and while the offense was fairly balanced last season—passing only slightly more than they ran—a majority of those receptions went the way of Julio Jones, who is now gone, leaving Marquis Maze and Darius Hanks with big shoes to fill at the wide receiver position.

That level of uncertainty in the passing game means more pressure on Trent Richardson to make it happen early and often, at least at the start, as the Tide may need to lean on the run a lot more this year than last. And, given Richardson's propensity to play all-out on every down (recklessly at times) you feel a need to pray that Eddie Lacy is ready to get back to being a reliable No. 2 option.

Lacy had issues with ball security last season, but appears to be much improved—if his spring performance is any indication—and he could be poised for a statistically better 2011.

Richardson will need all of these things working in his favor if he is going to become the guy whom many feel has Heisman potential. There's no doubt he has the talent, the only question is if 2011 will finally be his time?

Related articles

• Is McCarron Already Over? Vote For Alabama's 2011 Starting Quarterback (sbnation.com)

Georgia Bulldogs Flashback: April 28, 1997 Sparked A Return To Glory

April 28, 1997 was a dreary, wet, and somewhat cold day in Athens, GA as the Georgia Bulldogs competed in the annual G-Day Game before a crowd of less than 10,000. Those faithful fans braved both the elements and low expectations to see what might be in store for the 1997 version of their football team—a team that was coming off a 5-6 season and hadn't completed a winning one since 1994.

To say that people weren't expecting much was an understatement—bowl eligibility would have been a nice surprise.

The game ended up being an entertaining one—at least from an offensive standpoint—as the Red team clobbered the Black team 41-10 in a contest which saw 100+ yard rushing efforts from both Robert Edwards and Patrick Pass.

Edwards looked much improved from 1996. A season in which he seemed to struggle with ball control and didn't produce as many yards or as much excitement as many felt he might (Hmmm, a running back with a fumbling issue who is seeking redemption after a disappointing season? I smell a trend here). Patrick Pass offered a nice counter to what was shaping up to be a fine rushing attack.

On defense, sophomore Champ Bailey took advantage of his phenomenal ball skills and wowed the crowd by grabbing two of the team's four interceptions. It was very clear after that performance that Bailey was a star and Donnan let it be known that Bailey would see both sides of the ball that season—offense and defense.

At quarterback, Mike Bobo held a slight edge over redshirt freshman Mike Usry, but it was by no means a comfortable one. Donnan felt that Bobo's experience would be his biggest asset and Bobo's play that day at least offered a glimmer of hope for what was to come (12 of 17, for 157 yards, and two scores), but the crowd ran hot and cold on him all day—cheering when he made big plays, but booing when he failed to capitalize on others.

Imagine that, Bobo was a polarizing figure even back then—very interesting.


Bobo's response to the boo birds was classic, said the embattled QB at the time "...I don't worry about the fans. They're not out there playing, they're not out there practicing with me every day like my teammates. I want to do well for my teammates and my coaches and that's it".


This Georgia team was aiming to be something special in 1997 as they finally seemed to be heading in the right direction under head coach Jim Donnan.


That season did end up being just what the doctor ordered for Donnan's Dawgs as the team ended the year with a record of 10-2, including a big SEC win over the Florida Gators (the team that demoralized them by 40 points the year before), a Top 10 finish in both the AP and Coaches Polls, and a comfortable Outback Bowl victory over Wisconsin (33-6). 

It was a season to remember in Athens. Here's hoping the same type of resurgence is in store for 2011.

Georgia Bulldogs Recruiting: 2012 ATH Prospect Josh Harvey-Clemons

Josh Harvey-Clemons is a 6'5", 205 lb, ATH (athlete) prospect out of Valdosta, GA. He has split time between both the wide receiver and outside linebacker positions at Lowndes County High School.

His speed, size, and ability to get to the ball make him an intriguing option for either offense or defense, but Georgia is looking to make him a defensive weapon, specifically at linebacker—where the Bulldogs are hoping to add more depth in 2012.

Harvey-Clemons is a dynamic edge rusher who uses his speed, size, and great instincts to get into the backfield and disrupt quarterback play. He plays with focus and discipline on the football field and has the ability to lay down those bone-jarring hits when given the opportunity. He's a force to be reckoned with on either side of the ball and should be very good at the next level—with the right coaching.

Currently, depending on what you read, Georgia is in the lead race for Harvey-Clemons as he has, apparently, developed a close relationship with Todd Grantham. That said, it's a long way to February, and Harvey-Clemons could just as likely end up at FSU—a school that has built up a very strong relationship with the Lowndes County coaches over the years (landing such players as Greg Reid and Telvin Smith)—or Florida (the first school to offer him)

Both the Seminoles and the Gators want to make Harvey-Clemons a wide receiver at the college level.

Either way, Harvey- Clemons is an exciting player to keep on your radar as the march towards Signing Day 2012' continues.

VIDEO FLASHBACK: Vince Dooley's Bulldogs Knock Off No. 1 Florida (1985)

Galen Hall's Florida Gators entered the game undefeated and ranked No. 1 in the nation for the first time in school history. The Gator's were coming off a big victory over No. 6 Auburn who, led by the swift feet of running back Bo Jackson, were poised to make a run at the SEC Championship that season—if not for an unfortunate hiccup against Tennessee in week three.

Despite the play of Florida quarterback Kerwin Bell, who racked up better then 400 yards passing on the day, the Gators had no answer for the Georgia Bulldog's defense as they held the Gators to three-points on the day while Georgia's offense, led by the legs of Keith Henderson and Tim Worley, found their groove on the ground.

Although Hall's Gators were neither bowl nor SEC Championship eligible, they ended the season 9-1-1 with Georgia being their only blemish.

It was a good win for the Bulldogs who finished the 1985 season with a 7-3-2 record—tying Arizona in the Sun Bowl.


Georgia vs. Florida 1985 The Aftermath by lanekiffinshow

Two big runs by Keith Henderson and Tim Worley helped power the Bulldogs to victory.


Georgia vs. Florida - 1985 by lanekiffinshow

Mark Ingram: "I'm A Complete, All-Around, Back"

Mark Ingram is a projected first-round pick—some are saying he could go as high as 15th to the Miami Dolphins—however, in this year's draft, anything is possible.

Ingram was the 2009 Heisman Trophy winner who helped lead the Alabama Crimson Tide to BCS Glory that same season. His standout performance against the Florida Gators in the 2009 SEC Championship showcased just how dominant a player he can be when he's healthy and running at his best. He would be a nice fit for the Dolphins at 15—assuming they select him—since both Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams could be gone via free agency.

Either way, if Ingram can stay healthy, he would be a nice addition to any team looking for a versatile back who can play every down.

(h/t sanfrancisco49ers)

Related articles

• 2011 NFL Draft: Do the Miami Dolphins Need Mark Ingram? (football.rawsignal.com)
• Alabama's Mark Ingram runs in the 4.5s at Combine (profootballtalk.nbcsports.com)

Georgia Bulldogs Football: Getting Back To Fourth-Quarter Dominance in 2011

There was a time when the Georgia Bulldogs knew how to 'Hunker Down' in the fourth-quarter. They knew how to G.A.T.A and make the other team play their game.

There was very little of that in 2010, and Georgia has got to get back to doing that if they expect to impose their will on the SEC in 2011.

The new strength regime at has expressed an understanding of this fact, and that bodes well for the future, but the end-result will come on the football field—we're left with questions until then.

That said, this post is less about continuing the conversation about the direction of the defense or the strength program,  than it is about recalling a time when that conversation wasn't necessary.

Below is another phenomenal video—courtesy of Patrick Garbin—(circa 1976) that shows the 'Junkyard Dawgs' (JYD) in action against the hated Florida Gators—back when Georgia owned the orange and blue—the game was a close affair through the first-half, but the JYD's showed up and shut Florida down in the second-half—yielding no points.

Their fourth-quarter dominance during that season—particularly in this game—was impressive and, given the lack of such dominance this past season, made this video all the more compelling to watch.

Enjoy:



(h/t apgarbin)

Major Applewhite: "...I Love The City of Austin"

Now that the Florida Gators have, reportedly, found their man in Will Muschamp, new speculation has arisen as to who he might bring along with him.

Major Applewhite, the current University of Texas running backs coach, and former offensive coordinator of the Alabama Crimson Tide, is rumored to be tagging along to take over the OC duties at Florida.

However, the possibility of Applewhite leaving Austin seems unlikely given his ties to the program (he once played under coach Brown) and the city of Austin.

Applewhite has long been on-the record as a full-blown Texas guy. He loves the city of Austin and has stated his desire to remain there for as long as possible.

Last season, Gentry Estes of the Mobile-Press Register sat down to interview Applewhite during BCS National Championship week. He asked Applehwhite some very candid questions about his decision to vacate Nick Saban's staff after just one season, his connection to Alabama, and his hopes for the future.

Here are just a few quotes from that interview:

On leaving Alabama for Texas after just one season:

"...I understood why I wanted to go back to the University of Texas. I graduated there. My wife had graduated there. I'd spent seven years there as a student, player and grad assistant. I was familiar with every coach on the staff. I love the city of Austin. I liked my time in Tuscaloosa, but I love living in Austin, Texas. I was familiar with the administration. I knew the environment a lot more. It was a more comfortable environment. My wife and I were wanting to start a family. Look, people are going to talk. I played quarterback, and people talked back then. It really doesn't bother me. ... When I was at Syracuse, I thought about getting back to Texas. When I was at Rice, I thought about getting back to Texas. When I was at Alabama, I thought about getting back to Texas. I love the place. It's my home."

On why he didn't take the job at Houston (he was a candidate at one point but, reportedly, withdrew his name from consideration):

"Yes. I mean, I had an opportunity to go interview at Houston for a head job. It's amazing how the rumors can go a thousand different directions, but I was either going to take a job at Texas or I was going to stay at Alabama. It's that simple."

On his connection to Alabama:

"...Having been named after Major Ogilive, being an Alabama fan, you've got Coach Bryant's poster in your room, and you're wildly familiar with the expectations at Alabama. When I went to Texas from high school as a player, you notice those same things in a different part of the country. It's just a different state."

If a bet had to be made, one might place it on Applewhite staying put and taking advantage of the possibilities that a re-organizing of the staff could mean for him—possible move to QB coach? Too soon for an offensive coordinator's position?

Either way, there could be as many reasons for Applewhite to remain in the city he adores, at the school he loves, than there is for him to return to the SEC. Don't pencil him in just yet.

Will Muschamp To Replace Urban Meyer As Head Coach At Florida

Mack Brown won't have to worry about Will Muschamp's shadow any longer. The longtime defensive assistant is returning to the SEC.

The former Georgia Bulldog alumnus will step into the big shoes of Urban Meyer to coach at his alma mater's most hated division rival—the Florida Gators.

The hire is a great 'get' for Florida athletic director, Jeremy Foley, as Muschamp's name has been on the short list of many big jobs over the last several years and his ability to develop great defenses is well-known—particularly in the south where he worked at both Auburn and LSU.

That said, his arrival in Gainesville will come as a surprise to the many who believed that Bob Stoops was already signed, sealed, and about to be delivered. As early as this morning, Stoops was the man whom many felt was AD, Jeremy Foley's first choice—not Dan Mullen (Mississippi St) or Bobby Petrino (Arkansas).

Stoops would later deny the story as rumor, and it wasn't long before Muschamp's name was replacing Stoops' as the newest possibility.

The one sticking point appeared to be his desire to leave the Texas Longhorns. Many felt he was the heir apparent to Mack Brown's position—whenever the popular coach decided to hang up his headset—if he were patient. Muschamp was named head-coach-in-waiting in 2008 and was being paid handsomely for his defensive services ($900,000/year).

However, after the Longhorns finished the 2010 season with a 5-7 and without a bowl bid, being in Austin might have become a lot more heated than in recent years—especially given the heavy backslide the defense took this year.

Whatever the reason for Muschamp's decision to leave, if you're a Florida fan, you have to feel very good about the success he's had in the SEC—particularly in molding defenses.

Urban Meyer pulled in the top ranked defensive unit in the country last season and now Muschamp will have the opportunity to mold those players into the top-tier talent they are destined to become. He's a guy who will be fierce on the recruiting trail, phenomenal on the sidelines, and has just enough SEC experience to make something happen almost as soon as he touches ground.

That said, what's Texas to do next? They've lost both their defensive coordinator and their, assumed, next head coach. Is Muschamp's exit the beginning of some major changes in Austin or is this just a great assistant making his move sooner, rather than later?

In either case, it will be interesting to see what happens next in Austin. As for Florida, it's simply business as usual.

Related articles

• AP Source: Muschamp to Be Head Coach at Florida (nytimes.com)
• Florida Gators hires Texas defensive coordinator Will Muschamp (sports.espn.go.com)

Friday Snapshot: Gene Chizik As Possible Candidate for UF Job?

Obviously, the fine fans of Auburn University are drinking the Gene Chizik kool-aid—their press included. There is at least one journalist who believes the Florida Gators should consider hiring the, once ridiculed, coach for their football coaching vacancy. That's an interesting thought considering that most people aren't buying his success.

If you remove the talents of Cam Newton from Auburn this season, how many of you really believe that would a) be undefeated, b) on their way to a BCS National Title berth, or c) have a player worthy of Heisman consideration?...Yeah, didn't think so.

Gene Chizik didn't become a genius overnight. He struck gold with Cam Newton and Cam Newton excelled under the offensive scheme of Gus Malzahn. Sure, the stellar play of Michael Dyer, Nick Fairley, and Michael Dyer didn't hurt, but let's not be naive about Newton's impact on this team.

And, for those of you who don't buy the 'one-player-can-make-a-difference' argument, just look at how far the Gators have gone minus Tim Tebow. Even better, what would Ohio State have been without Maurice Clarett—in his one season? Georgia without Herschel in 1980?

Certainly, none of those players led their team to a national title every year, but they definitely placed them in the conversation.

Chizik is still Chizik. Until he duplicates this feat minus Cam Newton, to many, he will still be the guy that Auburn fans booed at the airport.

-And, speaking of misguided expectations, what is all this chatter about Mark Richt being under pressure to win the East now that Meyer is gone? Seriously, in what universe should THAT be an expectation?

While it's understandable that Georgia fans should expect better of this team in year two of the 3-4 defense, under the leadership of Aaron Murray, and minus the anchor that was Dave Van Halanger, it's a mighty big leap to take for any one to start believing Georgia is heading to the SEC Championship Game in 2011.

For one, South Carolina has proven it is better with Marcus Lattimore. He''ll be in season two—stronger and more experienced—will Georgia have an answer for him? Secondly, if both A.J. Green and Justin Houston make their expected exits for the NFL, who will take their places?

Rantavious Wooten, Tavarres King, and Marlon Brown have been flashing their "potential" for years, will they suddenly be able to fulfill it?

Will the running backs be better than this season? And, before you answer that, consider the fact that both Shaun Chapas (one heckuva a lead blocker), and Fred Munzenmaier are both graduating.

That said, there may need to be more tempered enthusiasm in the Bulldog Nation. By no means is an SEC Championship impossible, but the expectation of one is a dangerous proposition this early in the game.

-Some fans will go to any lengths to support their team. Ron Pettichord, a guy who says he's not really a "die-hard [Oregon] Ducks fan" has decided to postpone his heart surgery so that he can be sure to take in the BCS National Title game.

Not for nothing, but, that's what they made DVR's for, right? Seriously...some people.

-

Related articles

• Auburn's Cam Newton: I've done nothing wrong (sportingnews.com)

Urban Meyer Resigns—Can We Believe Him This Time?

There are multiple reports that Urban Meyer will step down following the Florida Gators bowl game—a press conference is scheduled for later on this evening.

Does anyone else get the feeling that Meyer is just having another attack? Honestly, why bother stepping down now? The best time to have done so was last season, after his star quarterback graduated.

Now, once again, he looks suspect in doing so just as recruits are being contacted and, possibly, shored up—leaving his team and the Gators' football program in a lurch.

This, of course, assumes that he will actually follow through with his decision this time—forgive the skepticism, but I'll believe it when I see it.

That said, it's amazing what a mediocre season will do to a guy.

Urban probably isn't used to being questioned, doubted, criticized, or placed under the media microscope in a negative manner. He's been college football's golden boy for so long that the only spotlight he's used to having exists in the positive sphere.

Now, suddenly, people are saying he's lost his winning edge and is guilty of showing too much loyalty to his assistant coach (i.e. Steve Adazzio). Couple that with multiple losses to teams he's dominated (Mississippi State, South Carolina, and Florida State) and you have to wonder if he feels he's done all he can do at Florida.

Honestly, it was only a matter of time before Meyer's winning ways turned into rebuilding ones. You can't lose top-tier talent and assistant coaches each year and expect to maintain the same level of excellence. It's a ridiculous proposition to present to a guy—even Meyer.

On the flip side, another question does come to mind, is he simply tired of the college grind and ready to see what he can do at the next level. Could the NFL be calling? After all, there are plenty of teams that could use his talents and he won't have to look far to find one in particular—Denver.

Tim Tebow will likely be meeting a new quarterbacks coach/offensive coordinator in the near future. Would Meyer be interested?

Whatever the case may be, Florida is once again looking for answers, and it will be very interesting to see who AD Jeremy Foley finds to fill this gigantic void.

That said, if this simply turns out to be another hoax, you can bet not many will find Meyer's indecision comical or professional—unless of course their name is Brett Favre. In which case, this is just the beginning of the rollercoaster ride.

Related articles

• Urban Meyer steps down as Florida Gators football coach (sportingnews.com)
• Urban Meyer stepping down at Florida Gators (sports.espn.go.com)
• Urban Meyer Resigns As Gators Head Coach (newyork.cbslocal.com)

Florida State Whups Up On Florida As N.C. State Coughs Up The Atlantic

Just one year removed from the changing of the guard in Tallahassee, the Jimbo Fisher era has begun with a trip to the ACC Championship game in December—after a little help from Maryland.

The Seminoles would have been plenty satisfied with a win over the Florida Gators. Urban Meyer has gotten the better of this series over the last six years—winning six-straight. So, there was plenty of motivation entering this game, even without knowing what was happening in College Park.

The game itself got off to an inauspicious start as Florida took the lead early on a 20-yard toss by John Brantley to Robert Clark—7-3 Gators. For at least a half-minute it seemed the Florida dominance would continue. However, what wasn't known was that this would be the last time Florida would sniff the end zone.

Florida State regrouped and started to remember that they were, at least today, the better team on the football field. They had no need to feel intimidated by this Tim Tebow-less team, with it's Charlie Strong-less defense, and it's total lack of consistency at quarterback—three guys, Urban, really?

The Seminoles went on to score 21-points in the second quarter and never looked back, winning the game 31-7, and reclaiming the state of Florida's swagger—at least for this year.

Even better, the epic collapse of the, Russell Wilson led, North Carolina State Wolfpack in their game against Maryland, assured the Noles' a spot in the ACC Championship Game.

It was a good night for Jimbo Fisher and his young football team. Somewhere you have to wonder if Bobby Bowden is smiling—just a thought.

Georgia Bulldogs Football: Revisiting 2002's Game Against The Auburn Tigers

On November 16, 2002, the Georgia Bulldogs still had plenty riding on a win over their oldest rival—the Auburn Tigers. Georgia came into the game ranked No. 7 in the nation, with the SEC's best redzone defense, and a hungry second-year coach in Mark Richt.

The team was facing a red hot Auburn team who, with names like Jason Campbell, Ronnie Brown, Karlos Dansby, and Travaris Robinson, were not lacking in the talent department.

Their potent offense was ranked first in the conference and the Tigers led the league with 28 rushing touchdowns.

Add to that, Auburn was carrying the bragging rights in the series—riding high on a three-game winning streak entering the game.

The Tigers were also ranked 24th in the nation and had, eight times prior, played spoiler to Georgia's bid for an SEC title. They felt confident that they could do so again—despite the fact Georgia was favored by two points.

The Bulldogs had endured a crushing loss to the Florida Gators in the two weeks prior, ending their shot at an undefeated season, but that made their resolve to win this game that much stronger because a loss would place their fate in South Carolina's hands.  They didn't want to see their first chance at an SEC title slip away based on a tie-breaker that failed to go their way.

The game turned out to be one for the ages.

Despite the shoddy performance of Auburn quarterback, Jason Campbell, who had two first half interceptions, the Tigers led 14-3 at the half—due in large part to the hard running of Ronnie Brown and a Georgia offense that couldn't seem to get out of their own way.

However after an ankle injury to Auburn's Ronnie Brown, the defense seemed to find it's groove against the Tigers running game. Even more, the offense started finding some success against Auburn's secondary. The combination of the two translated into 14 points for the Bulldogs in the third quarter.

By the start of the fourth, the score was 21-17 and, for a time, that looked like it would be the last points either side would score.

The Tigers defense got tighter in the fourth, forcing a fumble by Michael Johnson and an interception by David Greene. Luckily for coach Richt, his defense was equal to the task as they kept the Tigers from mounting any moves either.

So, after multiple stalled drives on both sides, it came down to one more Bulldog possession to either win it or go home.

A 40-yard completion to Fred Gibson placed the Bulldogs within field goal range, but at 21-17, they needed six, not three—it was the endzone or game over.

Three straight incompletions by Greene, coupled with a five yard penalty, meant Georgia was now facing 4th and 15 on the Auburn 20. For many, the game was all but over, and Georgia's shot at their first SEC Championship in 20 years was done—finished.

Then came an unforeseen miracle...it's name 70-x Takeoff AKA David Greene to Michael Johnson:



Georgia would win the game, secure a spot in the SEC Championship game, and finish their dream season by giving Georgia fans their first SEC Championship since Vince Dooley and Herschel Walker roamed the sidelines together. 

This weekend, the Georgia Bulldogs of 2010 have an opportunity to play spoiler and, even though the stakes won't be quite as high as they were in 2002, it would be nice to see a little magic from these Dawgs on Saturday, wouldn't it?

Cam-Gate: It's All One Big Conspiracy Courtesy of...Urban Meyer?

This has turned into quite the soap opera.

Today, Urban Meyer, the head coach of the Florida Gators was forced to make an outright denial of claims that he is the man behind the leaked academic cheating information that has been alleged against Cam Newton.

Said Meyer, "For anyone to think that I or anyone on our staff may have leaked information about private student records to the media doesn't know us very well. It's a ridiculous claim and simply not true."

(forgive us, Urban, but when you play miscreants like Chris Rainey, people are bound to question your ethics at some point—just putting that out there).

The reason for the big hub bub, a FoxSports.com article written by the, oft-wrong, Thayer Evans who states that an unnamed source relayed a story that makes Cam Newton look like a less than honorable character. Making matters worse Newton's own father won't even vouch for him on the claim, saying only "I wasn’t there...I cannot confirm or deny. At a time like this, I’m taking a defensive posture."


Well, isn't that just peachy?


Then came this tweet from Bill "Bubba" Bussey of the, Alabama-based,  Rick and Bubba Show, tweet:

He later would recant the tweet saying that it "did not come from the source I thought it did" and asking that people just dismiss it as "rumor". Well, that's all fine and good, but, why bother stating something like that if you don't have it properly sourced?

Just saying.


In other news, Gregg Doyel is no longer welcome at any Gator tailgate parties after writing this inflammatory piece that all but outright accuses the University of Florida for being the catalyst behind all of Cam Newton's recent problems.

Says Doyel,

"...this smear job now has escalated to the point where Florida isn't even pretending to stay out of it. It's no coincidence that Bond's "information"—which he shared almost 10 months ago with Mississippi State—is coming out now that Florida has fallen by the wayside while Auburn has surged to No. 2 in the BCS. Even before the latest academic allegations came out, Meyer was said to be in the middle of the Bond-Newton saga."

Ouch...guess Doyel isn't worried about what Meyer can do to him—he should have a chat with Jeremy Fowler. 

Either way, this whole thing gets funnier by the minute—at least for those who could give a flip about Florida or Urban Meyer. It's like watching a train wreck...in slow motion...and HD.

Wonder if any one will come through the wreckage with their reputations intact?

As for Meyer, well, aside from denying culpability, he's getting his team ready to play the Gamecocks this Saturday. A team that, should they beat them, will grant them an easy trip to play Cam Newton and Auburn in Atlanta for the SEC Championship.

Hey, wait a minute...ya think...nah, never mind. 

Georgia Bulldogs Football: Jeez, You'd Think Todd Grantham Choked Urban Meyer

Okay, we've officially heard enough about the whole Todd Grantham "choke" signal to Florida Gator kicker, Chas Henry. So, this post won't lengthen the controversy any further by rehashing the whole furor and analyzing it to death.

That said, you have to ask yourself the question: why is everyone so mad? Seriously, why the hate and lashing of Georgia's defensive coordinator for being in the moment and expressing what everyone else was secretly thinking: "miss it, dammit, miss it". It seems like a whole lot of nothing and if some Florida network had not decided to share it with the world, would we know? Would we care?

No doubt there are many coaches who are as animated as Grantham and, no doubt there are many of them who have, in the heat of the moment, said or made a gesture towards the other side that no one cared for but, unless you were there, you likely didn't know about it.

The funny thing about all of this is everytime Georgia plays Florida now, people are looking for some way to stick Georgia with some kind of negative. If it's not dancing in the end zone, then it's allegations of a dirty player (Washaun Ealey) provoking eye-gouges from defensive players.

No one seemed all that upset when Urban Meyer took multiple timeouts at the end of the blowout game in 2007 or, as "The Senator" points out, did the Gator chomp toward Georgia Bulldog fans as he ran off the field this past Saturday.

Get over yourselves!

Was what Todd Grantham did wrong? Yes, he should be more careful how he expresses some of his emotions. However, to act like he actually did choke somebody on the field is comical—he was caught up in the moment and made a mistake—period.

Honestly, you can't please the haters. Either they are jumping on Mark Richt for not having enough emotion or not enough—go figure.

Related articles

• Todd Grantham, Chas Henry, and the Controversy at the End of the Georgia-Florida Game (dawgsports.com)
• Georgia assistant seems to give Gators choke sign (washingtonpost.com)
• Richt says Grantham not proud of gesture (seattletimes.nwsource.com)

Georgia Bulldogs Football: 10 Things You Need To Know About The Florida Gators

There is little you can tell a Georgia fan about this match-up with the Florida Gators that they don't already know.

Furthermore, it would be difficult to bring up a lot of the recent history between these two teams without conjuring up words like: "endzone celebration", "eye-gouging" and "time-out".

That said, if you want to see and read about that, trust this, there will be more than one blog or news outlet that can gladly regurgitate that information for you.

No, the point of this article, as with the ones that have come before it, is to give you the 10 points that matter about this week's match-up, because, quite frankly, the only thing that matters to a majority of Georgia Bulldog fans is that their team comes out with the win—for a change.

Everything else is just petty fan-baiting.

That said, here are the 10 things you need to know about the Florida Gators:
 
1. Their pass defense is exceptional.

The stellar combination of Ahmad Black, Jeremy Brown, Janoris Jenkins, and Jonathan Bostic has been reason numero uno for the Gators stingy pass defense this season (165.0 ypg). They've already snatched 13 interceptions, and the talented duo of Jenkins and Brown has made sure that wide receivers know who's boss where protecting their respective islands are concerned (10 passes defensed between the two of them).

2. Trey Burton is a definite weapon. 

There is some talk going around that Urban Meyer has tweaked his stagnant offense tweaked during the bye week and you can bet that Burton will find his way onto the field this week. He's a tough runner with a propensity for finding space where there is none, and his attitude is infectious to those on the field and in the stands.

For the Georgia defense, a unit that gave up multiple third downs against Kentucky last week (in key situations), Burton could become a factor if left unattended. 

3. Their pass rush isn't there just yet. 

Last season, the Gators led the SEC in sacks (39). They're defensive front was quick, experienced, and aggressive in getting into the backfield. However, this season, minus Carlos Dunlap or Jermaine Cunningham, the Gators front four have struggled to get the push off the edge they're used to.

So far, this season, neither Jaye Howard nor Duke Lemmens have been able to dominate as well as they had hoped—between the two of them, they have 4.5 sacks this year.

4. Chas Henry has been money-in-the-bank. 

Henry has been solid for the Gators during the month of October, posting a 53.18 punt average—to lead the nation.

That said, the punt return unit has been dreadful during that same stretch, yielding an average of 20.50 yards per return.

5. The offense has been sloppy. 

That's not news to most as the Gators woeful offensive play has been well-documented. That said, the month of October has been particularly unkind to the team as they have a -2.00 turnover margin, thanks in large part to the three fumbles and five interceptions they've lost.

By contrast, they were +2.00 a mere month ago.

Keeping that in mind, you have to wonder if the team has really regressed all that much or if they've just been on a run of bad luck—fortunes can turn quickly in the SEC.

6.  Chris Rainey's return is relevant.

Part of the reason for the Gators offensive futility is the continued absence of a solid rushing attack. Rainey has not played since week two of the season. While he may be a bit rusty upon his return, he will also be well-rested and ready to run all over and through any defense that stands in his way.

As good as Georgia's run defense has been, they need to be wary of a guy with "something to prove" after being suspended for better than half the season.

7.  John Brantley is neither as bad, nor as good as he seems. 

Brantley didn't become a mediocre quarterback overnight, but it was unfair to expect him to take over the Gator offense and not experience some growing pains. The offense is one that, honestly, is not well-suited to his pocket-passing ability, and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that point out.

Understanding that, Meyer will take the steps necessary to be sure that Brantley now has more plays that enhance his skill set. If he does, Brantley has the ability to pick apart a secondary and
given Georgia's inconsistencies in that particular area this year, his potential is a factor that doesn't need to be overlooked heading into this game.

8. They are susceptible to the run. 

543-yards.

That's the amount of ground the Gators gave up, total, to Alabama, LSU, and Mississippi State–all losses.

In their four wins, they gave up a total of 376-yards (244 of which came during week two vs. South Florida).
 
9. Who's their "go-to" guy?

Last year, the Gators were chock-full of guys whose numbers were ready to be called: Riley Cooper, Aaron Hernandez, Brandon James, David Nelson, etc. This year the question isn't whose number will they call but, rather, is any one going to be ready when they do?

Deonte Thompson hasn't produced as well as expected, but how much of that has to do with him and how much has to do with the stalled offense is just one of the questions Meyer is looking for an answer to at the moment.

10. It's Florida. 

Listen, we can gloss over Georgia's record but, when it comes down to it, Georgia Bulldog fans, coaches, and players want this game—bad. It doesn't matter how poor the Gators are playing right now, that has never mattered in the past, Florida has beaten Georgia at their best and their worst—players be damned.

That said, the game on Saturday is still going to be a tough one. Thinking otherwise is just foolish. 

Georgia Bulldogs Football: The Secondary Needs To Tighten Up Before Facing Florida

As Georgia fans bask in the glory that is a satisfying three-game winning streak, it seems only fitting to throw some water on those flames of confidence by mentioning one teeny, tiny, miniscule, little detail: the secondary did not play well last night.

For all the domination the front seven seemed to exact on the young, inexperienced, offensive line of the Kentucky Wildcats, the secondary still managed to give up way too many big plays on third-and-long, and there were far too many occasions of receivers getting behind Georgia's defensive backs for big gainers after the catch.

There was no excuse for the 353-yards that was given up to Mike Hartline—minus Derrick Locke and with little help from Randall Cobb.

Chris Matthews and La'Rod King absolutely killed Georgia. Combined, the two tallied 7 catches, 171-yards, and 3 touchdowns. That's too much freedom for comfort, and Georgia is going to have to address that problem—Vance Cuff, in particular, looks like he may need more coverage help.

Cuff was caught lunging on more than one occasion as a Kentucky receiver was able to get behind him for a catch and score. Cuff, obviously, was in need of more help from the safeties because, on an island, he was burned all day.

That said, it seems fair to mention that Kentucky has a plethora of talent at wide receiver, most of them big, most of them physical, but Georgia has to find a way to maximize the skills of their defensive backs when facing a more physical receiver. This is not a new issue, Georgia has had problems with big receivers all season.

Alshon Jeffery of South Carolina (7 receptions for 103-yards), Greg Childs of Arkansas (3 receptions for 82-yards), and Justin Hunter of Tennessee (4 receptions for 110-yards) all had some of their biggest games of the season against Georgia.

Florida may be reeling right now, but the Bulldogs don't need to give the Gators any glaring holes to trample through. Remember, the Bulldogs were on a four-game losing streak of their own before finally getting back on track—don't underestimate the motivation of Urban Meyer where his Florida Gators are concerned.

This is a match-up where the "better" team isn't necessarily the one that wins.

The secondary needs to find a better way of working together to contain both the receivers and the quarterback. Last night, Mike Hartline found too many easy passing lanes to throw the ball through and that's not what you'd like to see. Granted, Hartline is a much better quarterback this season than he has been in years past, but consistency must be found somehow if Georgia intends to finish strong.

Has The Red River Rivalry Lost Its Luster?—The Lady's Friday Links (10/1)

There isn't going to be a match-up between Colt McCoy and Sam Bradford (there barely was one to speak of last season). The days of Adrian Peterson and Ricky Williams have gone to the wayside. Vince Young ran his way into the record books and out of Austin, what seems like, an eon ago. What you have left are two teams with marginal stars and questionable marketing appeal—unless you live in Norman or Austin. So, it seems valid to ask the question: Is the 2010 version of the Red River Rivalry really all that big of a deal?

Appalachian State University is thinking about leaving the FCS for the FBS ranks. Apparently, after beating Michigan a few years back, and running all over the teams in their own league, they feel pretty good about their chances of being successful. Good for them. That said, the last legitimate FBS team they faced was LSU in 2008—that didn't exactly go well (41-13).

Trey Burton had one very big game against the Kentucky Wildcats and, already, people are comparing him to No. 15 (former Gator QB, Tim Tebow). Easy media hounds, this kid hasn't proven anything yet—except that he can run it in against a mediocre SEC defense. Give him some time to do something bigger before you go raising that pedestal to unreachable heights.

The Big Ten is done expanding...unless Notre Dame comes calling, then they might be open to changing that stance.

That move that Boise State made to become a part of the Mountain West is looking more and more like a moot point. Utah already exited to the Pac-10, BYU is looking for it's indepence, and now TCU is considering jumping to the Big East—hmmm, seems to me, Boise should have just stayed where it was—the Mountain West is looking more and more like the WAC to me.

Ole Miss will play South Alabama in 2017...wow, talk about your compelling match-ups.  Of course, the way Ole Miss is trending, SOuth Alabama could actually be the better team by that time—just saying.

At 4-0 now, some national media are starting to jump on the NC State bandwagon. That likely means they will now fold like a house of cards and become irrelevant by Monday—starting with a loss to
Virginia Tech on Saturday. Hope not, but, this is certainly not a good sign.

Is it time to place a cap on bowl invitations?

Are the Florida Gators bait for or baiting the Alabama Crimson Tide this week?

Coach Mark Richt has ties to Colorado.

Cool video of the week:

This is a little outside of the sports realm, but, my brother is trying his hand at film making. The video below is the third in a web series he created, along with a buddy, called "The Idea Men". Give it a look, and, if you like what you see, check out the first two eps at their YouTube site—BasementBoysPictures

Okay, that's my shameless plug for the week :)

Steve Spurrier Advised Richt To Take UNC Job—The Lady's Friday Links (9/10)

Before Mark Richt was hired as the head coach of the Georgia Bulldogs, he was simply a Florida State assistant with an important career-decision to make. So, what did he do, he asked a fellow Florida native for his opinion—that fellow native's name was Steve Spurrier.

Spurrier, who was coaching the Florida Gators at the time, advised Richt to take the North Carolina job. Luckily, for Bulldog fans and Mark Richt, he decided to pass on Spurriers advice.

Speaking of Steve Spurrier, he's got problems of his own. The NCAA (an organization that has been busy spreading its goodwill this offseason) has alerted the South Carolina football program that it's next stop will be Columbia.

Auburn managed to hold off the Mississippi State Bulldogs on Thursday night as they escaped Starkville with a 17-14 win. That said, Cameron Newton has a ton of work to do in selling the play action—he's going to fool absolutely no one this season.

The Alabama Crimson Tide are, of course, the favorites to win the game over Penn State this weekend. Joe Paterno doesn't seem intimidated by the prospect of entering Tuscaloosa, with a true freshman quarterback, and an unproven set of linebackers. I guess he knows something that Nick Saban doesn't—*shrugs*.

Florida Gator center, Mike Pouncey, is doing all he can to fix his center-to-quarterback exchange issues—including asking the good Lord for help.

According to this article, 40 percent of the ten loudest college football stadiums reside in the Big Ten—30 percent are in the SEC (Florida's Ben Hill Griffin pops in at No. 1).

Former UNC Tarheel football player, Chris Hawkins, says he's "not an agent". Somehow I doubt the fans who cheer for the Georgia Bulldogs will give a damn.

Bill King echoes the sentiment of many when discussing the A.J. Green situation: A.J. was wrong, but the NCAA is being a bit too harsh.  

Another author who is critical of preseason polls and the unfair advantage they give to the big boys—preaching to the choir, my man.


As if the Oregon Ducks didn't look good enough last week—winning 72-0—now they get back their star running back to boot. LaMichael James is done serving his suspension and will be with the team on Saturday when they square off against the Vols in Knoxville.

Videos: Interesting commentary and plays from the last week

Dan Patrick does his Lou Holtz impersonation...pretty funny:



Lou Holtz does his Lou Holtz schtick—not nearly as entertaining. Dr. Lou?...More like, Dr. Poo.



The Tim Tebow love train rolls on: