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)

Friday Links: Could Russell Wilson Land At South Carolina?

Russell Wilson has become a hot name on message boards across the land as college football fans from the southeast to the mid-west try to figure out where this former N.C. State quarterback will land next season.

Wilson did big things for the Wolfpack in 2010, nearly leading them to an ACC Championship before falling short in the final week, but his need to be a two-sport man has tired head coach Tom O'Brien and forced him to go in a different direction for the betterment of his team—not sure how you get much better than Russell Wilson (308/526 for 3,546 yards, 28 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions. 144 carries for 422 yards and 9 touchdowns*) but whatevs—so Wilson is saddled with the decision of where he will play next year.

Since he has already completed his coursework at N.C. State, he is free to transfer—according to NCAA transfer rules—to any school he pleases so long as he enrolls as their graduate program offers studies in something N.C. State does not (see Jeremiah Masoli).

So, now, every SEC team in need of a veteran quarterback, with the skill-set of Wilson, is chomping at the bit to see if they can be the chosen one. Auburn has been a hot name in the fray, as has Ole Miss, but Olin Buchanan (senior writer for Rivals.com) seems to feel that South Carolina is the best fit for Wilson given "proximity and opportunity". 

It does make sense to place Wilson as a Gamecock given how much talent they return and Spurrier's current quarterback troubles, but if South Carolina is where he wants to be (keep in mind Wilson is from Virginia), then he could just as easily land in Clemson. Better still, doesn't Penn State need a quarterback?

At this point no one knows where Wilson will land but it certainly is interesting to see a guy who no one gave two-cents about four-years ago, suddenly become one of the hottest commodities in college football—oh and did I mention he was a 2* prospect out of high school?

It just goes to show you, it's all about coaching and development. 

2. A deaf college football fan is suing the University of Kentucky for not offering closed-captioning on their scoreboard.

3. Brad Nessler used his noggin and left E$PN for a network that actually knows something about football.

4. Russell Wilson to the Pac-10?

5. Gus Malzahn explains why Cam Newton will be a success at the pro level—that sure would make Gus look like a genius if he did, wouldn't it?

6. Big Ten Commisioner, Jim Delany, isn't worried about Nebraska fitting into the conference come July 1.

7. I guess Boise State isn't used to cheating.

8. Some intellectuals at the University of Massachusetts are a bit peeved about a plan to move football into Division I FCS—one called the move a "profoundly stupid" idea.

9. New Florida coach, Will Muschamp, is making big money to make big things happen in Gainesville.

10. Knowshon Moreno could see a lot more touches this season.

Related articles

• Stunner: Russell Wilson given release by N.C. State (collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com)
• Russell Wilson's potential dance partners (blutarsky.wordpress.com)
• '95-percent' certainty Russell Wilson plays in '11 (collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com)

*Stats offered courtesy of cfbstats.com.

ESPN CFB Live's Preseason Top 25: Poking Fun At A Way Too Early List

Late last week E$PN released it's pre-season Top 25 for the 2011 college football season. It didn't seem fair to mock it then, but now that I've had some time to think it over, I am willing to mock it now. Try and take this "analysis" for what it's worth, huh? I mean after all, there's no way those guys at E$PN actually expected anyone to take them seriously anyhow, right?

1. Oklahoma: Okay, since they bring back so many guys and are playing in a league where it's basically them or Texas, I can see them getting the nod here. On the other hand, despite the message the annual spring game may have sent, the Sooners will have a time replacing the departed DeMarco Murray.

2. Alabama: Seriously? Didn't they lose a gang of people? I know the Tide are always supposed to Roll but, damn, can we keep it real? Trent Richardson is a stud, but he's never been that stud minus Mark Ingram. Julio Jones was a presence, when healthy, is there some other guy ready to step into that big-bodied role? Not to mention you no longer have a seasoned quarterback—ummm, to put them at No. 2 seems like too much.

3. Oregon: They should be No. 2...hell, they should be No. 1.

4. LSU: Is Jordan Jefferson still their best quarterback? I don't care how good their defense was last season—and keep in mind that was WITH Patrick Peterson—if Jefferson doesn't stop decapitating their offense, they won't get very far.

5. Boise State: I get it, until they get their backsides handed to them by a BCS team, everyone loves the Broncos. Fair enough.

6. Florida State: I sure hope they don't start getting the big head. This seems a bit high for a team that no longer has an experienced quarterback.

7. Stanford: If Jim Harbaugh was still the head coach, they would be a lot higher than this in my opinion.

8. South Carolina: It's allllllll about Marcus Lattimore. Where his legs go, so goes the South Carolina offense. Now, if they could just figure out what to do at quarterback.

9. Oklahoma State: That's right, there is another team in Oklahoma. How old is Brandon Weeden now? I swear that kid should be retired.

10. Ohio State: Hahahahahahahahahaha....talk to me when they aren't under threat of probation. That team is a hot mess.

11. Texas A&M: For real, they're this good?

12. Arkansas: It's nice they feel this way about the Hogs...too bad the rest of the SEC doesn't.

13. Nebraska: As long as Pelini isn't making his quarterback cry like a baby, they might do alright in the Big Ten this season.

14. Wisconsin: Call me when they start running the score up on GOOD teams. That's when I'll start taking them more seriously.

15. TCU: No Andy Dalton? No way.

16. Michigan State: I don't see lightning striking twice here.

17. Notre Dame: Notre who?

18. Florida: Blah. Blah. Blah. *in mocking voice* "they have Will Muschamp, they've got Charlie Weis, they're gonna shock the world with their new pro-style offense"...yeah, yeah, yeah.

19. Virginia Tech: Does the Beamer train ever not get the E$PN love?

20. Texas: So, you lose a lot of people on your coveted staff and STILL manage to be a Top 25 team? Oh, and about that losing (non-bowl qualifying) season you just finished, are you really THAT much better then 2010?

21. Mississippi State: Fool me once. Shame on you. Fool me twice....

22. Auburn: Not even Nick Saban is convinced you can do it all again.

23. Missouri: Isn't your best player in the NFL Draft already?

24. West Virginia: You only have Pitt to worry about, you should be good every year.

25. Arizona State: As soon as your offense can consistently match up with your defense, then you just might be some kind of special.

Georgia Bulldogs: Fran Tarkenton Says It's A "Disturbing Time" At Georgia

Fran Tarkenton recently had plenty to say about the direction he feels his alma mater is headed under the guidance of head coach, Mark Richt, and it's clear that he's not impressed.

During a recent radio interview, Tarkenton unleashed hell on Richt and made it very clear that he thinks a change is overdue in Athens. The entirety of the interview can be heard here, but here are just a few of the highlights—with my commentary, of course.

When asked about his overall impression of the program, Tarkenton had this to say,

"We don’t want to look at the signs.  There are always signs out there that show us that we've got impending disaster, be it the financial crisis or the Georgia crisis or the Florida crisis or what.  We knew something before the Florida crisis didn’t we?  The guy, he had a meltdown.  His mojo was down and he recognized it, they recognized it and he got out.  They bring a great coach in Will Muschamp in, they bring in the top offensive coordinator in the world, Charlie Weis, and they are in the SEC, and here we are at Georgia. 

For the last three years our program has been god-awful.  Our schedule, we play two sisters of the poor every year.  We play Kentucky and Vanderbilt that aren’t true SEC teams and then we play Georgia Tech that is not going to have the talent we have.  That is five times we play every year that we are much better than our opponents—doesn’t mean we're gonna win em' all."

While it seems unfair to dismiss the evolution of Kentucky football, Tarkenton isn't saying anything that any other SEC fan wouldn't say—teams expect to beat Vanderbilt and Kentucky every year. Those are supposed to be wins, regardless to how hard either of those teams fight on the football field. Most years, Georgia should come out on top of that match-up. Yet, we have come to view those games as potential losses—is that okay?

Tarkenton also had this to say about Richt's statement that he was now "freed up" for giving more of his attention to the game of football,

"...What has he been doing for nine years? I have never heard of any college, high school, professional coach that ever said that I was not able to spend enough time on football.  I had other issues."

I must admit, I had a similar response. Although I was more focused on what that statement meant in regards to 2010. It's a valid question to ask and Tarkenton lays it on as to why he felt it was a poor choice of words coming from Richt,

"...it sounds like a cop-out!  It sounds like I'm not going to take responsibility.  I have other things.  We hire people to be football coaches.  We pay him and others millions of dollars to be football coaches not to be administrators.  He didn’t do a very good job there...Mark and everybody is a wonderful guy and he is a wonderful guy.  He is a good Christian guy.  He wants to be a missionary.  He goes on missions.  That is a wonderful thing but do you know the religion of Nick Saban?  Or Gus Malzahn?  Or Chip Kelly playing for the national championship?  I don’t think we care what their religion.  We hire them to be football coaches.  If we are hiring religious instructors, let’s go to the Campbell School of Theology over here in Decatur and get some of their people to come and coach our football team."

Ouch, Fran, tell us how you really feel.

Richt is both praised and persecuted for being the kind of coach who seems more passionate about spreading his beliefs than coaching his football players. How many times have you heard he's "too nice" to win a championship? Too soft? Too passive? Too...much not like Nick Saban or Urban Meyer?

It's a common refrain and the voices singing it have grown louder and louder over the last three-years.

To top it off, Tarkenton had this to say about Richt's inability to make changes in the strength program until now,

"...Every person, every scout, all of the combine people that train/workout all of these college athletes have told me for the last five or six years, the Georgia football players are not in anywhere near the condition that the rest of the players from all of the other schools, they didn’t say they ranked second or third, they say they ranked dead last.  Why couldn’t this coach recognize that before now?  Before disaster happens?"  

Again, good question. One that most attribute to loyalty and not ignorance. Either way, it's a problem that Richt has proven to have—in spades—and one that isn't likely to change in 2011.

It's probably safe to assume that we won't be seeing Tarkenton on the sidelines of a Georgia football game anytime soon, but you have to admit, his questions and statements have validity—even if they lack a bit of tact.

What say you?

Georgia Football: Are Expectations For 2011 Already Too High?

Once Urban Meyer stepped down at Florida, coach Richt became target 'numero uno' for where the SEC East will trend in 2011. Bloggers and sports journalists alike let it be known that Richt now has zero excuses for not winning the SEC East next season.

Well, let this site be one of the first to say that Urban Meyer's resignation means nothing beyond having a new coach to hate in Gainesville—hello, Will.

Aside from that, Georgia has as much chance of winning the East as South Carolina or Tennessee. All three teams have the ability to beat each other and all of them are likely to be as good, if not better, than they were in 2010—particularly Tennessee. So, it seems premature to start anointing Georgia based on a hunch when there are still a plethora of questions to be answered.

Let's jump into a few:

1. Will the 3-4 be better?

Todd Grantham needs a nose—bad.

Kwame Geathers is the man whom many feel has the size and talent to step into that role in 2011. However, can he sustain the focus and the conditioning necessary to be successful over the course of a season?

If not, does Georgia have enough faith in Mike Thornton (a player who has loads of talent, but is too small for the position) to entrust him with the most important role in the defensive scheme?

As of now, Grantham is hoping to sign one true nose in the 2011 class—possibly out of the JUCO ranks—but that is not etched in stone. 

Even more, if the Bulldogs can find the right man for the job, who will take over the space that Justin Houston leaves if he opts for the NFL? 19.5 tackles for loss and 11 sacks is a hard thing to replace—who can step into that role? Will T.J. Stripling be ready?

2. Who will step up at running back?

Neither Caleb King, nor Washaun Ealey performed consistently enough to feel confident about them in 2011.

Ealey rebounded a bit after the Kentucky game, but his early season struggles with ball protection, coupled with his behavioral issues off the field, haven't given much reason for the Dawg faithful to feel good about him going forward. Add to that, Caleb King has yet to realize his potential either.

The once, highly-touted, in-state prospect has been, for the most part, a disappointment. He's shown flashes of greatness, but nothing sustained.

Georgia will need a back who can be productive and consistent next season—particularly with A.J. Green likely gone—if Aaron Murray is to continue his rise.

3. Will another wide receiver step up?

Marlon Brown, Israel Troupe, Rantavious Wooten, and Tavarres King have all shown their capabilities at one time. However, none have fulfilled their promise.

Murray will be looking for new targets next season, and he will look to one of the above-mentioned four to bring their A-game to the field—will they FINALLY do so? If they don't, there won't be much dimension to the passing game and you can't expect Orson Charles to do it all.

This is definitely a scary area of concern entering 2011—Georgia is going to be painfully thin—as there is no clear-cut playmaker amongst those who are likely to remain.  

4. Will the changes in strength and conditioning be a key factor?

Georgia lost a lot of games on line play this season. Neither the offensive or defensive lines were tough enough, strong enough, or conditioned enough to be a factor during the fourth quarter. New strength coach, Joe Tereshinski, has assured the Bulldog faithful that this will not be the case in the future—hope to heck he's right.

The new staff should be in place by spring and it will be interesting to see the direction this program goes in post Van Halanger.

5. How will recruiting pan out?

If Mark Richt closes with the class he's gunning for (Jay Rome, Ray Drew, Damian Swann, Isaiah Crowell, Xzavier Dickson, etc.), then Georgia has a real good shot at making noise next season. But, if they get only half of those guys—and one of them isn't named 'Isaiah Crowell'—forget it.

The 2011 class will have just as much of an impact on next season goes as anything else. The Dawgs have to close strong and they have to get the blue chips on their list if they expect to do well in 2011—period.

Conclusion:

Don't for one second get comfortable believing that Georgia is about to run all over the East next year. There are simply too many factors that need to come together before that has a chance of happening.

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)