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.

Georgia Bulldogs: Wherefore Art Thou, Rantavious Wooten?

Rantavious Wooten, the sleeper prospect of 2009, has been on the cusp of becoming something special since his arrival at Georgia. He didn't sign under as much fanfare as others in his signing day class—a group that included the likes of  Marlon Brown, Aaron Murray and Orson Charles—but he appeared to have as much, if not more, potential to break out early and make a big impact.

Coming out of Glades Central High School in Belle Glades, FL, Wooten did a little bit of everything. He rushed, he received, he passed, and he returned kicks. He was the type of player whom many felt could be a tremendous offensive weapon—if used in the right formations—as he offered enough versatility to be plugged and played just about anywhere on the football field.

He was going to be a welcome addition to a team which, at that time, was saying goodbye to two of it's biggest offensive weapons—Knowshon Moreno and Mohammed Massaquoi. The team needed a spark on offense and Wooten had the makings of being that guy—and, early on, he seemed poised to live up to his hype.

In Georgia's game against Arizona State, Wooten came down with two very nice catches, both of which were in key third down situations, showing a level of maturity that belied his true freshman status.  He went on to complete a modest season of 10 catches, 197 yards, and two touchdowns, but flashed enough brilliance to make 2010 look like a potentially huge season for him.

However, 2010 proved, instead, to be lackluster—both for him and the team—as his offensive numbers took a hit (7 catches, 41 yards, and 1 touchdown) due to a lack of playing time and a plethora of injuries ranging from a nagging hamstring—prior to the start of the year—to his knee and leg as the season wore on.

Even so, the time for this junior to make his move is now and at least one former Georgia player thinks he could be ready to make something happen. That said, a lot of how Wooten fairs this season will depend on what offensive coordinator, Mike Bobo, does with the playbook, and whether or not he chooses to, finally, start using the wealth of talent he's accumulated at the tight end position.

Ideally, Wooten's size and speed make him a perfect candidate as a third receiving option—slot him in and let him rip—that is where he is likely to do the most damage on the field. But, again, it's anyone's guess what Georgia's plan for Wooten will be at this stage, if any.

We'll all just have to wait and see if this former sleeper finally wakes up and becomes the player that many always thought he could be. 

Georgia Bulldogs: Wherefore Art Thou, Richard Samuel?

Photo Credit: Curtis Compton/AJC

A lot of names have been floated about where the position of linebacker is concerned. Georgia Bulldog fans have heard how newcomers Amarlo Herrera and Kent Turene—both 2011 signees—could be difference makers in the future,  how Alec Ogletree's switch from safety to inside linebacker could produce more big plays close to the ball, how Jarvis Jones is on track to be a monster, and how Christian Robinson is the new leader of the pack.

Much has been said about what coach Todd Grantham has in store for his revamped linebacking corps, but little has been mentioned about where Richard Samuel still fits in that picture—you remember him don't you?

Here's a quick recap of this former five-star (according to Rivals) athlete prospect out of Cass High School in Cartersville, GA: He inked with Georgia in 2008—as a 17-year old—and played backup to future NFL first-rounder, Knowshon Moreno, in his first season. By the start of 2009, he had leapfrogged Caleb King to be named the No. 1 tailback—many hailed him as a tough, hard-nosed, ball player with an uncanny ability to find holes and gain yards.

However, once the season began, the opposite proved to be true as it became apparent that Samuels' upright running style was hindering his ability to play consistently well at the position. So, by the end of 2009, he was out of the running back rotation and, by spring, he was being groomed for a switch to linebacker.

2010 saw a redshirt season, but there were rumblings that his performance on the scout team was becoming a thing of legend and it appeared that the switch agreed with him—and big things were  expected as 2011 neared.

So, what happened to all that hype? Is Samuel still in the mix to start at inside linebacker or has his slew of nagging injuries slowed his ability to develop?

You have to wonder if the coaching staff is still counting on him to be a key factor, especially when there hasn't been much heard or said about him over the last few months, and so much new talent appears to be making their way into the conversation.

As the spring game approaches, it will be interesting to see how Grantham rotates the linebackers—that may give us the first real bit of insight as to how Samuel will be used—until then, it's a guessing game.

Georgia Bulldogs: Sometimes, Perception Is Everything

Playing the "what if" game is always dangerous, but let's do it anyway—just for today—and rewind to Georgia's first championship season under Mark Richt.

It was 2002, and that David Greene led squad was pegged by many as the best team in the SEC, ending their regular season at 12-1 while securing their first SEC title in twenty-years.

The only thing standing between them and a BCS bid was a loss by either Ohio State or Miami.

Unfortunately for them, both teams won out and, eventually, played each other for a shot at the national title.

Now, fast forward to the here and now and ask yourself, if given today's college football landscape, you could see a scenario where a one-loss SEC team is overlooked in favor of an undefeated Big East one.

I'll go on the record and say it wouldn't happen—not today.

The media is securely on the SEC's bandwagon. Many sportswriters and pundits believe that even a two-loss SEC team is better than most any undefeated WAC, Big East, or Mountain West one.

However that wasn't the case in 2002 when Miami was still the media darling and considered, by many, to be unbeatable.

So when did the SEC become king?

Well, despite BCS Championships by Tennessee (1998) and LSU (2003), the shift officially began in 2006 when
Urban Meyer actively campaigned for his one-loss Gators to be extended a bid to the BCS title game based on the premise that their schedule was tougher.

He felt, and this appears to be the reigning sentiment even now where SEC teams are concerned, that there was no schedule more grueling than an SEC one.

He won the argument, much to Michigan's chagrin, and Florida played Ohio State for the national title.

The rest is history.

In 2007, LSU benefited from the same logic, as they were offered a spot in the BCS title game as a two-loss team—and won—giving further credence to the idea that the SEC is "the toughest conference in the nation".

Now, what if Georgia were given those same benefits in 2002?

It seems fair to argue that they would have leap frogged either Ohio State or Miami for a spot in the title game—undefeated records or not—and then who knows?

Now, I know what you're thinking, I'm taking a whole lot of license with this argument, and I probably am, but it has to make you think...just a little bit.

Of course, most would be quick to point out that even though you can't get 2002 back, you still have to justify the lapses since.

A loss to Tennessee in 2007 left room for LSU to make their move.

A bad loss to Alabama in 2008 negated Georgia again.

Add to that, attrition, injuries, coaching changes, and a rising level of competition, and the perception of your program, within the SEC, as a stand-alone product—particularly judged against the successes of LSU, Alabama, and Florida—becomes as much a factor as the play itself.

Coach Richt deserves responsibility for recruiting misses (the years he failed to close the borders and great talent got away) and being too loyal to both coaches and players (redshirting Knowson Moreno, keeping Willie Martinez for too long, and starting Joe Tereshinski over Matthew Stafford in 2006). By no means can Richt be let off the hook—and he isn't.

The only point here is to state that the perception of the SEC, since 2006, has played as much a role in the opportunities that have been granted as anything.

Sure, LSU and Tennessee won titles in 1998 and 2003, respectively, but ask anyone how many people—outside of Knoxville and Baton Rouge—thought they would?

The SEC was still playing second-fiddle to the Big 12 (Oklahoma), the Big East (Miami), and the ACC (Florida State/Virginia Tech) in those early BCS years—and the teams in those conferences were given far more respect.

Georgia's luck in 2002 might have been different had that team played in today's landscape.

Perception is everything, and sometimes, too, it's just bad timing.

What say you?

Georgia Bulldogs: Mark Richt Should Rethink His "No Staff Changes" Stance

2011 will be coach Richt's last season if he has another even close to this one. A 6-6 team is not what Georgia fans like to see, especially in what was supposed to be a "down" year in the SEC East.

At worst, most fans were hoping to see 9-3, but losses to Mississippi State, Colorado, and Florida have not set well with the fanbase and many are calling for blood.

So, when one glances a news article where their much-maligned leader is saying that he's not planning any staff changes, it has to leave you scratching your head a little bit.

First, let's get this bit of discourse out of the way, no one at this site is claiming to be an expert. No coaching experience has been had, and there is no reason for you, the reader, to believe that the opinion espoused here is any better or worse than that of the common, rational, fan.

That said, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that there are some gross issues lurking in the ranks of Georgia's football program. First, and most importantly, the strength and conditioning program is sub-par. The defensive line was sucking wind on Saturday night against Tech—by halftime.

If the team had to play in overtime, how many of you have faith the defense could have held? Even more, how many of you were actually worried when you saw Washaun Ealey go in for the score with time left on the clock?

Just saying.

Even more, everyone in the SEC knows Georgia's defensive and offensive lines are a joke. Just check this little bit of commentary offered by Florida's players following their overtime win in jacksonville. :

Florida's offensive players really enjoyed installing the no-huddle up-tempo offense during the bye week because they knew if they ran it correctly that the Georgia defense would be overwhelmed. 

And they really, really enjoyed watching the Bulldogs struggling in the fourth quarter.

"It's fun seeing 300-pound linemen wheezing for air and you're fine," offensive lineman Carl Johnson said. "The D-line, they're wheezing and you're like, 'He's tired. He's tired.'"

Johnson took particular pleasure in talking some trash during the game.

"When 31 [defensive end Demarcus Dobbs] got hurt, I was pointing [and saying], 'He's tired. He's not really hurt.' He was just tired and faked an injury to get out of there, stop the clock. If he didn't, we were on the ball, ready to go again, they were gassed."

It's one of the few times that an offensive lineman can get in some digs about being in better shape, and Johnson said he savored that feeling.

"You feel like you own them a little bit," Johnson said. "'You're blown, you're tired, you're gasping. I'm fine.' It's fun."

Freshman H-back Trey Burton said he could tell pretty quickly the defense was going to be gasping in the fourth quarter.

"The first quarter, they were done," Burton said. "They were about to tap out after a while."

Wow...talk about embarrassing.

Coach Dave Van Halanger might be a phenomenal man of character, and he might be one of coach Richt's closest friends, but he's done a poor job of making these players into athletes. They're soft, badly conditioned, and incapable of playing a full 60 minutes at game speed.
 
It's time for him to go and Richt needs to make that happen.

As for a second guy, look no further than Bryan McClendon.

Take a look at these stats posted by EC Dawg of The Leather Helmet Blog (another site all Bulldog fans should have bookmarked), Georgia's running game was worse this season (ranked 71st overall) than in 2009 (ranked 54th overall)—something ain't right, folks.

To be fair, 2009's lapse was understandable. Knowshon Moreno was gone and McClendon was walking into a group of backs who had 1) no SEC experience (Richard Samuel and Washaun Ealey), 2) trouble staying healthy (Caleb King), and 3) were incapable of taking the pounding (Carlton Thomas). Still, he managed to get decent production out of that bunch.

However, 2010 was supposed to be the year of the back at Georgia, with both King and Ealey returning to aide the young Aaron Murray in his acclimation to the starting quarterback role. Instead, both guys struggled to find the groove they showed at the tailend of 2009 and, even worse, both became inept at holding onto the football—that's just a gross lack of fundamentals.

McClendon might make a fine assistant one day, and there is no doubt that he is a darn good recruiter, but two-years as a grad assistant did not make him qualified to move into the position of full-time running backs coach. He's in over his head, and Richt should find someone with more experience to take over the job.

2011 will be coach Richt's last season if he can't get this ship turned around and, as nice a guy as he is, he needs to realize that being a good man only takes you so far. Unfortunately for him and his throng of supporters, the "what have you done for me lately" culture of college football is working against him.

It's time that he start finishing the drill as a head coach, and that means making the tough decisions about who's presence is most hurting his staff and letting them go—Finish The Drill, Coach.

Finish.The.Drill.

Georgia Bulldogs Football: Has Mark Richt Stopped Expecting "Perfection" from His Team—Self?

This post may seem odd given the fact that the Georgia Bulldogs are coming off a 55-7 drubbing of the Idaho State Bengals. After all, a win is a win, Georgia did what they were expected to do by pounding an inferior opponent.

However, before we go talking about what Georgia has to do to beat Auburn, something that many fans (on both sides) don't feel the Bulldogs are capable of doing this weekend, we should answer the simple question of whether or not coach Richt has stopped expecting perfection from his players?

There was a time when anything less was unacceptable to him.

As a young man of 40 years, coming from an environment (Florida State) where winning meant everything, coach Richt didn't like to settle for average seasons. He wanted national championships, division titles, and Top 25 finishes—every year.

That's what he preached and that's what he felt his team could do if they executed perfectly each and every week.

Are those standards still present now?

Let's take a little walk down memory lane, shall we? The time and place, July 2001, Birmingham, AL—SEC Media Days. Coach Richt was in his first season as the Georgia Bulldogs head coach and he chose Curt McGill, Georgia's starting center, as one of the team's representatives.

McGill, green to the nuances of handling such a large media contingency, was open and honest about the differences between his former coach, Jim Donnan, and the new guy—Mark Richt.

The most interesting parts reveal some startling similarities between the Jim Donnan of 2000 and the
perception some now hold of Mark Richt:

"In the past, you'd get to know how a coach was going to be and how far you had to go for him,'' McGill said... I felt guys rested on their laurels a little bit thinking, 'I played a lot last year, I won't have to push myself hard because I'll be guaranteed a spot next year.' With new coaches, that all changed."

He said Richt expects more out of his players than Donnan ever did.

Hmm...where have we seen that sense of entitlement before? It's definitely reared it's ugly head several times in the last few years (refusal to sit Bryan Evans, redshirting Knowshon Moreno, keeping Aaron Murray on the bench in light of Joe Cox's struggles, etc.).

At some point, coach Richt seemed more intent on giving the veterans their time to shine—regardless to better alternatives—rather than rolling the dice on the guy who was performing at a higher level.

Another interesting tidbit from the interview was in regards to how important it was that the team be accountable on every play. Coach Richt expected "perfection" and he required hard work and concentration from every man on the football field:

The example McGill used was running "perfect plays" that they must now run every day in practice.
   "We do them over and do them over until we get them right, which is a big key,'' McGill said. "I felt like last year if something went wrong our concentration would slip and the other team would take advantage of it. These new coaches saw that on film and are drilling that in our heads."
   McGill said the attitude has changed from being self-centered to a team concept. He said he saw it take place with the off-season mat drills, which he called "the toughest thing I've ever done in my life.
   "If one person messes up, the whole group goes back, and then you kind of get on each other,'' McGill said. "You say, 'You can't slack off or we're going to do it again.' I guess that carries over to the game [emphasis added]. If they get a penalty or mess up a play, that hurts everybody. That's the whole idea."

Imagine that, a team where accountability and responsibility are part of the team mentality.

Has Mark Richt's philosophy changed or has everyone else in the SEC gotten that much better?

Perhaps it's both and the effect of that transition is a team that struggles to make it to bowl contention and a coach whom some feel has lost his winning touch over the last three-years.

Either way, at present, this is still a team that is searching for answers about who they are and who they can be.

Their next chance to show the world what they are made of comes this Saturday against the Auburn Tigers. And, despite what many believe, they have the talent, the coaching, and the ability to win this game—they just need a little more perfection.

Laurence Maroney Traded To The Denver Broncos—Should Knowshon Moreno Be Worried?

The New England Patriots finally gave up on Laurence Maroney. The 25-year old back who, once was thought to be full of untapped potential, was traded to the Denver Broncos—reuniting with former Patriots offensive coordinator, Josh McDaniels.

Maroney was drafted in the first-round of the 2006 NFL Draft out of the University of Minnesota. Although he was never a full-time starter for the Gophers, he still managed to collect three consecutive 1,000 yard seasons—sharing time with Marion Barber.

When New England selected him No. 21st overall, it was clear that he was going to be there back of the future. Corey Dillon was getting older and they needed a guy who had both the size and the skill-set to make the transition into their offense. Maroney fit the bill as he was not only an explosive runner with above-average field vision, but a strong back who was capable of moving the pile and churning out the hard yards.

That said, he also came into the league with a red flag attached because he was routinely beset by injuries in college—despite receiving minimal carries. The Pats felt the reward outweighed the risk, however, and rolled the dice.

Today, that risk became expendable as the Patriots seem more than willing to ride the veteran legs of Fred Taylor this season—using Green-Ellis and Faulk to spell him when needed.

So, what's next for Maroney? The Denver Broncos already have a feature back in second year man,
Knowshon Moreno. Does this mean that his job is suddenly in jeopardy? After all, Moreno did struggle towards the end of last season—both with ball protection and injuries—and he's yet to be pushed by any other backs on the roster.

Could the the acquisition of Maroney light a fire under the talented young running back?

Some might say that Maroney isn't good enough to be anything more than a reliable second option to Moreno—his injury history makes him a question mark at best. However, Maroney is nothing if not a team player and, he has the veteran attitude that McDaniels wants to foster in his young locker room.

For Maroney, his departure from New England was met with surprise and a bit of sadness because he was truly hoping to get back to his 2007 form again soon. Now he will have to prove himself worthy someplace else.

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• Laurence Maroney was traded from the New England Patriots to the Denver Broncos (sports.espn.go.com)

Georgia Recruiting Nugget: Could James Wilder End Up A Bulldog?

James Wilder is an outstanding athlete out of Plant High School in Tampa, FL. He's also considered one of the top recruiting prospects in the nation. Every Division I school in the country wants to get their hands on him and he's received over 90 offers thus far.

That said, he's narrowed his options to five lucky suitors: Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Georgia Tech, and Alabama and every last one of them is dead serious about landing him. However, most of them want him on the defensive side of the ball and he's already made it clear that he wants to play running back—period.

Now everyone is scrambling to accommodate his wishes, saying that they will let him play whatever position he chooses—he's skeptical.

As such, he has taken a cautious approach to his recruitment and is now evaluating each school not only based on fit but on their honesty with him as well. 

Does Georgia have a shot at landing this, widely considered, Florida Gator lean?

Well, there are a few reasons to believe in miracles, just look at what Wilder has said about the type of school he wants to attend and how those things could work to Georgia's advantage:

"I want to trust the coaching staff that I play for and trusting the coaches is actually the biggest part of my decision...so if I don’t trust the coaching staff, then I am definitely not choosing that school."

Coach Richt is a straight-shooter. His reputation is built on the very foundation that Wilder craves most—honesty.

It is a rare occasion that a prospect is ever heard to have said that he was misled or lied to by the Georgia coaching staff. It's a safe bet that Wilder—who will be in Athens on Thursday and Friday—will appreciate the candor that Richt and his staff are sure to convey.

"I am now researching a lot of schools to see which ones have used big backs to carry the ball for them in the past and things like that."


The Bulldogs know a little something about using a big back to carry the football.
Current starters, Caleb King and Washaun Ealey are both 5-foot-11 and 200+ pounds. Former stars, Knowshon Moreno and Musa Smith were also 5-foot-10, or better, and also played at the 200+ mark.
Wilder is 6-foot-2, 215 lbs, of solid muscle.

If he's looking for a school that is willing to give him a shot at running back, then Georgia would be as good a place as any. After all, Richard Samuel, who is built similarly, was given the starting nod last season.

The experiment with Samuel ultimately failed as his place will be on the defensive side of the ball but, the fact remains, Georgia isn't opposed to using a big guy at tailback—never has been.

"I want to play in an offense that a big back like me fits into the best."

Despite the fact that Wilder is considered to be Florida lean, there are few schools in the SEC who feature their back better than Georgia and Alabama. If he's looking to play early and often at the position of his choice, then Georgia is a good fit—period.

However, that said, Wilder may still find resistance to his decision as he grades out well as a defensive player and, in my very humble opinion, I think he'd be a beast on defense—the guy is some kind of fierce coming off the edge and would be a monster at OLB or DE—particularly in Georgia's 3-4 scheme.

Just my two cents.

Wilder has two ex-teammates who already call Athens home. Both Aaron Murray and Orson Charles are rising sophomores at Georgia and, according to Chip Towers at the AJC, both have been campaigning heavily for Wilder to join them next season. 

Over the weekend the trio spent a lot of time together in Athens, hanging out at the local restaurants and around town, and you can bet that both guys had his ear when discussing the possibility of him choosing Georgia over his home state Gators.

Furthermore, the recent departure of Dontavius Jackson has shortened the depth chart at tailback, making the possibility of playing early at that spot an even bigger possibility.

Nabbing him seems like a long shot but, the same was said of Orson Charles, so, anythings possible.

Below, some highlight of Wilder playing both offense and defense: