NCAA Football FanHouse

Jerrell Powe May Finally Be Coming to a Football Field Near You

Brian Cook — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 09:53:00 EST

Back in 2004, Jerrell Powe was a heavily recruited planetoid defensive tackle from Mississippi. A five-star recruit, Powe was a much ballyhooed addition to Ole Miss' 2005 recruiting class... and 2006 class. And 2007. And 2008.

You see, Powe is one of those unfortunate souls who, while blessed with enough size to survive a head-on collision with a Honda Civic with only a thigh bruise and a vague desire for almond boneless chicken, simply can't get right in the NCAA's eyes.

As his Scout profile laconically noted back when Powe was a baby-faced highschooler:

Powe has not yet qualified academically for freshman eligibility.

Understatement of the year, that. Four years on, Powe is still struggling towards eligibility. Powe spent 2005 at a prep school and 2006 wandering in the desert before finally getting some sort of wavier and attending classes at Ole Miss last year. Hypothetically, he should be eligible this fall.

Buried in an article that tries to spin an SEC rule change that would allow more kids like Powe to try their hand at college -- irrelevant for him since he already got in -- as a positive for his chances is a brief summary of his current status:

"We think this paves the way that should Jerrell meet the NCAA's academic requirements, he would also be allowed to play by the SEC at the commissioner's discretion," [Ole Miss AD Pete] Boone said.

Not sure why this rule change means the SEC won't deny a hypothetically-eligible Powe his hard-earned playing time, which would seem purely cruel, but there you go. Maybe we'll finally get to see the Loch Ness monster of football recruiting.

(Via EDSBS.)

Jerrell Powe May Finally Be Coming to a Football Field Near You originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sun, 15 Jun 2008 09:53:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ed Orgeron Lands a Job

Mark Hasty — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 11:15:00 EST

Filed under: Saints, Mississippi Football, SEC, NCAA FB Coaching, NFL Coaching, New Orleans

Stop crying, Colonel Reb. A day after we all discovered former Alabama and Texas A&M coach Dennis Franchione thinks he might be out of options, there's good news for a coach who got the gate after the last college football season. Ed Orgeron, the famously incomprehensible former coach at Ole Miss, has been hired to coach the New Orleans Saints' defensive line.

Orgeron may have washed out in Oxford, but don't forget, he built Southern Cal's tremendous d-lines in the early part of this decade. A coach might fail as a head coach but still prove to be a tremendously useful assistant. It's a good move for the Saints, since Coach O is a son of Louisiana and probably was courted by more prestigious teams.

The only down side is that, as a d-line coach for the Saints, Orgeron won't be giving many press conferences, meaning that someday we'll have to explain the Coach O song to people who have never heard the man speak. Oh, cruel fate, why dost thou mock us so?

Ed Orgeron Lands a Job originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 28 Jan 2008 11:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Houston Nutt Out at Arkansas, In at Ole Miss?

Andy Katzer — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 22:50:00 EST

Filed under: Mississippi Football, SEC, Arkansas Football, NCAA FB Coaching

Finally, the speculation can end. It is official now: as of Monday night, the constantly-embattled, often-criticized, sometimes-insane Houston Nutt is no longer the head coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks. That much we've seen coming for some time now, though not many of us would have imagined Arkansas actually asking Nutt to stay and offering him a new contract in the $2.4 million range -- and Nutt turning down said contract to walk away from the school -- but that's what ESPN.com is reporting.

Meanwhile, the Memphis Commercial Appeal is reporting that Nutt is already in negotiations to become the next head coach at Ole Miss (replacing the newly fired Ed Orgeron), and that a deal could be announced "early this week." The Jackson (MS) Clarion Ledger also cites "several sources at Ole Miss" as saying Nutt is the frontrunner for the Rebels' job, with an announcement possibly coming Tuesday. Both papers say Rick Neuheisel has been considered for the Ole Miss opening, but that Nutt is their man. Should things fall through in Oxford, Rivals.com lists Nutt as a candidate for Georgia Tech's and Baylor's openings as well.

The interesting thing about Nutt to Ole Miss is that in his farewell news conference, Nutt spoke about how much he loved Arkansas and how it was his "dream job." That's not hard to believe, seeing as how Nutt is a native Arkansan. But should Nutt actually become the Rebels head coach (and what a smooth transition for Ole Miss fans from the wackiness of Coach O to the wackiness of Nutt), he'll have to face his former school every year.

As for the Arkansas opening, rumor and speculation have another Arkansas alum, Butch Davis, as the Razorbacks' top target, but can they get him out of Chapel Hill now that he's signed a new contract?

Houston Nutt Out at Arkansas, In at Ole Miss? originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 26 Nov 2007 22:50:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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College Football Songbook: Don't Let That Door Hit You In The Ass

John Radcliff — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Mississippi Football, Nebraska Football, Texas A&M Football, NCAA FB Coaching, FanHouse TV

The College Football Songbook is a weekly feature in which we'll be making as much fun as humanly possible of the most embarrassing moments in college football. Through words, music, and related video we'll leave a lasting memory implanted on the brains of the vanquished that they are not soon to forget.

It's everyone's favorite time of year, when coaches drop like flies mere days after getting the dreaded vote of confidence from the administration. I'm actually going to miss Ed Orgeron. But still, you let the program down, you gets the pink slip. Just don't let that door hit you in the ass.

Hat Tips:

Special hat tip as always to Pete Holiday for putting the video together.

art.com
getty images
answers.com
huskerpedia.com
Clarion Ledger
Ramblinracket.com
Southerngent.org
ESPN.com

College Football Songbook: Don't Let That Door Hit You In The Ass originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 26 Nov 2007 12:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Yo Yo Yo You're Fired, Coach O

Ryan Ferguson — Sat, 24 Nov 2007 12:29:00 EST

Filed under: Mississippi Football, SEC, NCAA FB Rumors, NCAA FB Coaching

ESPN's Bruce Feldman is now running with a story on Ole Miss head coach Ed Orgeron, saying that "Coach O" has been fired after three seasons in Oxford.

Feldman's article doesn't quote a source (as of 12:20 PM ET), and nothing official has yet been announced by the Ole Miss Athletic Department, but in all likelihood Orgeron's failure to win a single SEC game in his third year directly led to his firing.

What's odd is that Ole Miss announced weeks ago that Orgeron would return for a fourth season as head coach of the Rebels. I'm guessing that Ole Miss' 4th-quarter collapse, in which they allowed Mississippi State to score 17 unanswered points to win, might have changed the A.D.'s mind.

Not sure what college football bloggers everywhere are going to do without "Yo yo yo yo yo, yo yo footbaw." It's gonna be a long off-season.

Yo Yo Yo You're Fired, Coach O originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 24 Nov 2007 12:29:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Croom Engineers Late Comeback to Cap Magical Season

Ryan Ferguson — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 16:07:00 EST

Filed under: Mississippi Football, SEC, Mississippi State Football

How 'bout them Bulldogs?

Sylvester Croom has put together a hell of a season in Starkville. A hell of a season.

Down 14-0 against in-state rival Ole Miss, Mississippi State put together 17 unanswered points, all in the 4th quarter, to win. Adam Carlson hit a career-long 48-yarder with 0:12 remaining to seal the deal.

Mississippi State has now gone from winning 9 games in 3 years to winning 7 -- perhaps 8 if they win their bowl game -- in a single season.

The Bulldogs have a nice set of quality wins this season. They beat Auburn at home, #14 Kentucky in Lexington, and #22 Alabama. Their victory over Ole Miss in the Egg Bowl caps a magical season for Croom, the SEC Coach of the Year, and Mississippi State fans everywhere.

Croom Engineers Late Comeback to Cap Magical Season originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Fri, 23 Nov 2007 16:07:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ole Miss Players: Those Pillows and Clock Radios Are Not Yours

Ryan Ferguson — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 16:16:00 EST

Filed under: Mississippi Football, SEC, NCAA FB Scandal

Which word in this news article jumps out to you?

Mississippi put 20 players on probation Sunday after they twice stole items from hotels.

Hint: it starts with a T and ends with an E.

A news release said the players have paid for the items, which included radios and pillows. Ole Miss coach Ed Orgeron said in the release that the players will be on probation indefinitely.

Officials said the items stolen cost between $15 and $40.

"Any actions similar to this will result in more severe penalties which may include dismissal from the team," Orgeron said in the release.

Well, that's a relief. Glad to know that Coach O takes this little "widespread petty theft" problem seriously enough to threaten eventual dismissal if it doesn't stop pronto... or at least doesn't continue past one or two additional instances.

A complete spectroanalysis confirms that -- aw, hell, who are we fooling here? We all know this is just an excuse to yo-yo-yo-yo-yo-footbaw.

Ole Miss Players: Those Pillows and Clock Radios Are Not Yours originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 19 Nov 2007 16:16:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SEC Confirms Call; Whining Continues

Pete Holiday — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 10:09:00 EST

Filed under: Alabama Football, Mississippi Football, SEC

It's time to break out the FanHouse Cry-baby! During their weekly officiating review, SEC officials took another look at the call that essentially ended the game in Oxford, Mississippi on Saturday. They confirmed the call from the replay booth, pointing out something that most people already knew: Shay Hodge ran out of bounds on his own and Lionell Mitchell did not touch the ball first.

If you thought the SEC's last word on the subject would quiet most of the whiners, though, you're delusional. What's truly interesting, though, is who is still whining.

Coach Orgeron, predictably, is still upset:

"I'm sick, but I have to deal with it," Orgeron said. "There's nothing I can do about it. It's very, very unfair. This is not about me. It's about my team. We should've been allowed to play that last 7 seconds and let the best team win."

The translation: "We should've been allowed to ignore the rules to win." Nice try, Coach. Another way to win is to stop a team from scoring 10 unanswered points in the fourth quarter when you've got the lead. Maybe try that one next time.

More of a surprise, the Ole Miss Athletic Director Pete Boone showed up at Orgeron's weekly press conference specifically to chime in with the chorus of whiners:

"With regard to the call at the end of the game, after further review of the Ole Miss SEC replay decision-making process, we have clear and convincing evidence that it's not fool-proof," . . . "I think our system is good. But there will be mistakes that are made, and I agree with Coach O that in this case a mistake was made. There's not any recourse that will come about, and we will move on. But at the same time it is very heart-wrenching and frustrating, not for Coach O, and not for me, and really not for our fans, but for those players who didn't get the opportunity to finish the game."

It's far past time to move on and maybe, just maybe, the players should've "finished the game" earlier in the fourth quarter.

Sylvester Croom didn't want the griping to go on without him, though, and invokes the big program conspiracy theory:

Mississippi State coach Sylvester Croom said Monday the more successful programs get gets a lot of calls in their favor. Croom, a former Alabama center and assistant coach, said he noticed it while playing for the Tide and he has noticed it even more while coaching against his alma mater.

Sure thing, coach. I've said it before and I'll say it again: Show me a man who claims his team was beaten by the officials, and I'll show you a loser.

If Orgeron and his players don't get their heads out of last Saturday and start trying to find a way to win this Saturday, they're going to have a real hard time beating Arkansas.

SEC Confirms Call; Whining Continues originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Tue, 16 Oct 2007 10:09:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Did Ole Miss Get Robbed?

Pete Holiday — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 10:59:00 EST

Filed under: Alabama Football, Mississippi Football, SEC, NCAA FB Fans

Talk on the internets this week, at least the little corner of it inhabited by Ole Miss fans, is the game-ending call that Shay Hodge was an ineligible receiver when he touched the football. During the game, most people thought it was a close call, maybe too close to call at the end of a game. After the game, Rebel fans were livid, showering the field in trash (including f-me pumps) and accosting Alabama coaches. But now that the dust has settled, what's the verdict?

Ole Miss fans, pretty much universally from what I've seen, have become more fervent in their belief that they got hosed. Alabama fans the opposite. So who's right? Photos and video after the jump.

It's really, really easy to make this play look "inconclusive". Have a look at this YouTube video from Ole Miss fan 'tygbro':

He gets the rules right, but then shows a bunch of photos taken after the relevant portion of the play. He also shows some videos, but we don't get any slow-mo or frame stoppages. Let's take a look at some of the claims being made by some of the louder Ole Miss fans.

1. The Play Wasn't Reviewable
According to the 2007 NCAA Football Rules, that's simply not the case. Rule 12 governs replays. Section 3 of that rule lists the types of reviewable plays. Article 2 of that section deals with pass plays, look at (a) and (b):

a. A pass ruled complete, incomplete or intercepted anywhere in the field
of play or an end zone.

b. A legal forward pass touched by an ineligible receiver.

2. The Refs Can't Add Penalties After The Fact
Going back to the rules, Rule 12, Section 3, Article 3 contains a few examples of this not being the case. The examples include 12 men on the field and touching a kick before it's gone 10 yards.

So those are the easy ones. The next two are a little more difficult.

3. Hodge Was Pushed Out By Mitchell (and there wasn't conclusive evidence otherwise)
Per the NCAA Rules, an eligible receiver who is pushed out of bounds may regain eligibility if he immediately returns to the field of play. This is not the case when he leaves the field of play under his own power.

First of all, Hodge did not have position on Mitchell. For most (if not all) of his route, he was behind Mitchell. Further, when he went out of bounds, both players were looking for the ball and Mitchell's back was to Hodge. To say that Mitchell "pushed" Hodge out of bounds is clearly false. All of this is readily apparent on replay.

Further, Hodge took no fewer than five steps on the white line, even if he was pushed out of bounds, he didn't return to the field of play immediately, he continued running out of bounds to try to gain position on Mitchell.

4. Mitchell Touched the Ball First (and there wasn't conclusive evidence otherwise)
This is an easy conclusion to jump to, given the fact that (as noted above) Mitchell had position on the ball in front of Hodge. Unfortunately for Rebel fans, Hodge (by running out of bounds) gained enough position to leap over Mitchell and make first contact with the ball. This is readily apparent by going frame-by-frame through the replay. Observe the two relevant frames (Images from TideFans.com):

As the frames above clearly show, one frame before the ball touches a player, Hodge has Mitchell completely covered up and his hands are in front of Mitchell's. Frame B2 shows the ball on Hodge's hand and Mitchell had not yet reached to take the ball from him.

Was it a close call? Sure, but it was the correct one, and this is precisely what instant replay is supposed to be used for. Claims that replay shouldn't be used when the game is on the line are silly, if it can't be used then, why use it at all? It's easy to disagree with the call (especially if it went against your team) but there is plenty of evidence to support the Replay Official's decision.

So, was Ole Miss robbed? Absolutely, 100% without a doubt. They were robbed at the end of the first half when Glen Coffee dropped the ball but was ruled down (rendering the play unreviewable). The call reversal at the end of the game, however, was perfectly reasonable.

Did Ole Miss Get Robbed? originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 15 Oct 2007 10:59:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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You've Gotta Love Ole Miss QB Seth Adams

Ryan Ferguson — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 13:51:00 EST

Filed under: Alabama Football, Mississippi Football, SEC

Isn't this the kind of Rudy-ish, college football underdog story we love in this sport?

Ole Miss' quarterback, Seth Adams, is a walk-on. He beat out scholarship incumbent Brent Schaeffer for the starting job over the summer. He's been a definitive upgrade at the position for the Rebs, and combined with the powerful running of BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Ole Miss now fields a competent offense.

So far in the first half against Alabama, Adams is 7-11 for 75 yards and a TD. In the early part of the telecast it was revealed that he was up for most of last night vomiting, sick with some sort of virus, and took two IVs prior to the game today. Despite that he's still playing like a warrior, leading with poise and making great reads and throws to keep the ball moving.

Now if Ole Miss can just find some defense, they'll really have something.

Pssst, SEC fans: the Mississippi teams aren't a joke this year.

You've Gotta Love Ole Miss QB Seth Adams originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 13 Oct 2007 13:51:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SEC Hot Seat Check

Andy Katzer — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 20:40:00 EST

Filed under: Auburn Football, Mississippi Football, Tennessee Football, SEC, Arkansas Football, NCAA FB Coaching, The Word, Mississippi State Football

(BTW: Totally ignoring firecoachnicksaban.com because... well because you people are just nuts)

Back in August, Fanhouse tabbed three SEC coaches in danger of losing their jobs during or after this season. And with the season nearly 1/3 of the way over(!), some have cooled off, while others are squarely in the frying pan. So, it's time to check those coaches' status thus far. I see three levels of heat on the seat of these guys:

1. Hog-roasting, doughnut-glaze-melting heat of a million angry fans: Houston Nutt and Phil Fulmer. Nutt is kind of obvious: he was in trouble before the season (trouble that was completely avoidable), and that was coming off an SEC West title. Dropping games to Alabama and Ken-freakin'-tucky hasn't cooled anything. Plus, he's bat-crap crazy. As for Fulmer, in August I wrote "barring complete and total disaster, Fulmer will be the head coach at Tennessee for awhile, probably as long as he wants it." Yeah, well... the 39-point loss to Florida might not qualify as complete and total disaster, but it's as close to it as Fulmer's been outside of the Season of Which We Do Not Speak. For the first time in his career, Fulmer has lost a significant portion of the fan base and needs some quality wins this year to re-cement his spot on Rocky Top.

2. YAWWEALMOSBEAFLAWDA,YSITSTILLSOHAWTYAW: Ed Orgeron, natch. Ole Miss fans might be encouraged that the Rebs managed to hang with Florida for four quarters on Saturday. After all, the Gators were fresh off their drubbing of Tennessee and being hyped as actually better than last year's national championship team. On the other hand, Rebel faithful might be dismayed that their team threw absolutely everything they had at Florida, were obviously more prepared for the game than the Gators, and still lost. If the seminal win for Coach O wasn't going to come Saturday, it might not come at all.

3. Uncomfortable like an Opelika outdoor wedding in mid-August heat: Sylvester Croom and Tommy Tuberville. Interestingly at a crossroads, these two coaches met in early September and by virtue of MSU's win over Auburn, heat came off Croom and was applied to Tubbs. At this point, I wouldn't expect either of these guys to lose their jobs; despite a rough opener State is a little better than expected, and Auburn's just going through some growing pains. Still, Tuberville is the leader in the clubhouse as this year's candidate to get "Croomed."

SEC Hot Seat Check originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 26 Sep 2007 20:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Why Did the Gators Struggle Against Ole Miss?

Ryan Ferguson — Sun, 23 Sep 2007 11:48:00 EST

Filed under: Florida Football, Mississippi Football, SEC

A 6-point win over one of the SEC's worst teams isn't much to crow about for the Gators, but they'll have an opportunity to improve with 4 Ws in the win column. Road wins in the SEC are always tough... but it shouldn't have been this tough.

What went wrong in Oxford? Here are five reasons.

1. This is the Defense Everyone Expected

Which is to say, not very good. Senior free safety Kyle Jackson's attempt to impersonate Reggie Nelson failed when the Rebs' Shay Hodge went airborne to catch a pass on Florida's 10-yard line. Jackson ended up whiffing completely, taking himself out of the play and giving Hodge an easy gallop into the end zone. Senior strong safety Tony Joiner didn't impress either, taking bad angles and allowing Ole Miss' WRs to get behind him on multiple plays. Aside from the marginal senior safeties, who don't really have an excuse, the Gators defense looked every bit as youthful and inexperienced as advertised.

After the Gators' romp over Tennessee, many wondered if perhaps this defense was among the best in the SEC. 390 Rebel yards later, the answer is: no. They're fast, they're talented, and they'll get better. But right now, expect every game to be a shootout. For reasons unknown, the defense's performance in the Tennessee game was an aberration.

2. Penalties, Penalties, Penalties

The attack of the yellow flag was prevalent on Saturday. The Gators suffered 14 penalties for 127 yards, which helped keep Ole Miss in the game. Most annoying: false starts and holding calls. Come on guys, get it together. The defense might be young, but the offense has plenty of experience on the line.

3. First Road Game for Half the Team

Florida is an extremely young team. The vast majority of starters are either freshmen or sophomores. Florida head coach Urban Meyer was vocal throughout the week leading up to the game regarding his concern about this first road trip for so many members of his team. At the time, most Gator fans wrote it off as coach-speak. But it now appears obvious that his concern was sincere and well-founded. The Gators seemed rather flat, especially on defense, from the first snap. Perhaps the Tennessee game wasn't fully out of their system?

4. Tim Tebow is Still Learning

Despite putting up Heisman-like numbers (427 yards of total offense and 4 TDs? Holy... ) in Oxford, there were times that Tim Tebow looked far more mortal than we've seen in his first three games. Tebow flat out missed on several of his throws -- some were short passes -- and seemed to lock in on Percy Harvin, his favorite target, despite a bevy of speedy receivers buzzing around in the defensive backfield. I also think the lack of Riley Cooper and Bubba Caldwell really slowed down the Gator offense on this day. The trio of Cooper, Caldwell, and Harvin catch the majority of Tebow's passes, so to have 2 of the 3 sitting on the bench seemed to give Tebow a case of laser-lockin on #1. WR David Nelson dropped a couple of passes which probably further inclined Tebow to go back to Harvin. In short, this was not a bad day for Tebow -- he won this game for the Gators and did it with gaudy stats. But as a pocket-passer, he is still a diamond in the rough. Which is hardly a surprise given the fact that this is his first SEC road game as a starter.

5. Ole Miss Came Ready to Play

At the highest level of collegiate athletics, the demarcation between 'great' and 'good' is slim. It's a half step here, a 4.4 instead of a 4.5 there, a level of total focus vs. 80% focus.

The Rebels wanted to win this game, and in the second half they started to believe they could win it. Florida seemed a half-step slower than normal in their first road game. Ole Miss elevated their play while Florida didn't quite play to their normal expectations, and the result was a game that was far closer than anyone expected.

In short, this game is a valuable learning experience for Florida as they prepare for Auburn next weekend.

Why Did the Gators Struggle Against Ole Miss? originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sun, 23 Sep 2007 11:48:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ole Miss Scares Bejeezus out of Florida

Ryan Ferguson — Sat, 22 Sep 2007 18:30:00 EST

Filed under: Florida Football, Mississippi Football, SEC

The Mississippi Curse nearly worked its magic on the Gators yet again. Winless in their previous three outings in the Magnolia State, Florida had to rely on the magic of Tim Tebow to earn a 30-24 victory.

This was a game of great quarterbacks. Ole Miss' Seth Adams is a walk-on? YGTBSM. He was 18/31 for 302 yards, 2 TDs and 1 INT. His 71-yard bomb to speedster Mike Wallace, followed by a pass for a 2-point conversion, brought the Rebels to within 3 with one quarter to play.

But the Gators held on. After Tebow led them down the field for another field goal, Ole Miss had one final opportunity to score. On 4th and 11, the Rebs failed to convert a fake punt attempt. Florida proceeded to eat up the clock with to preserve the win.

But the story of the game, beyond the fact that the Gators showed their first sign of weakness this season, has to be Tim Tebow. Little Timmy destroyed a 30-year school record for quarterback rushing yards, moving the ball one and a half football fields with his feet. His line? Sick: 20/34 for 261 yards passing, 2 TDs, 0 INTs; and 166 rushing for 2 more TDs. That's 427 yards from one player -- accounting for the vast majority of the Gators' 507 total yards.

What do SEC fans take from this?

1) Maybe Tennessee was worse than we thought? Or maybe Ole Miss is better? Maybe it's just the State of Mississipi curse?

2) As LSU continues in the 4th quarter (at the time of this writing) beatdown of South Carolina, they're still the team to beat in the SEC.

3) Tebow's stats are so absurdly good, and so far ahead of any other SEC quarterback, that he is clearly in the running for All-SEC, All America, and Heisman consideration.

4) Florida's head coach said it best in his post game press conference: "I'm just anxious to get on the plane and get the hell out of here," Meyer said.

Ole Miss Scares Bejeezus out of Florida originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 22 Sep 2007 18:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rebels Hanging With Gators by Doing What Vols Couldn't

Andy Katzer — Sat, 22 Sep 2007 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: Florida Football, Mississippi Football, SEC

Looks like Ole Miss learned a few lessons from the beatdown Tennessee took last weekend in Gainesville. It's only halftime, and the Rebs are still down 14-6 , but they're in a game with Florida largely due to some pretty good tackling and a decent running game. BenJarvus Geen-Elis has 38 yards on eight carries (4.8 per) -- which might not sound like great shakes, but it's two more yards than Tennessee has gained against Florida on the ground over the last two years total.

Seth Adams is also having a good game for Ole Miss, 9 of 15 for 103 yards. But Tim Tebow is once again stealing the show with 136 yards passing, another 64 rushing, and both of Florida's touchdowns. Oddities in this game have included a hidden ball play by Ole Miss and a strange occurrence at the end of the half where, with two seconds remaining, Tebow coulnd't ground the ball before the clock ran out.

The lesson that Ole Miss apparently didn't learn from the Vols last week -- and the one that will ultimately cost them -- is that you can't beat Florida by kicking field goals. The Orgeron and Co. will wish they had TD on those field goal drives in the second half.

Rebels Hanging With Gators by Doing What Vols Couldn't originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 22 Sep 2007 14:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ole Miss Fans: Hyped for Florida Game?

Ryan Ferguson — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 23:00:00 EST

Filed under: Florida Football, Mississippi Football, SEC

Big, big game in Oxford for Ole Miss fans. The defending national champions, Florida, is riding into town with a #3 ranking. Just how excited are the locals? Judging by Rebelsports.net's front page...

... not very. Seems the annual Fall Baseball Pro Scout Day is bigger news than Coach O's Rebs taking on the Gators.

Which is a shame, because the state of Mississippi has not been kind to Florida. Since 1994, they've not logged a single win there. They've lost their last three games in Oxford and Starkville, including the infamous 2004 loss which cost Ron Zook his job.

So Ole Miss has that going for them, despite being 23 point underdogs.

Baseball Pro Scout Day? That's just wrong.

Ole Miss Fans: Hyped for Florida Game? originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Fri, 21 Sep 2007 23:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ole Miss' Brent Schaeffer Moved to Wide Receiver

Ryan Ferguson — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 00:57:00 EST

Filed under: Mississippi Football, SEC

The Brent Schaeffer era in Oxford, MS was short and not-so-sweet. Schaeffer's first season at Ole Miss was rough and tumble, and his first full off-season didn't go so well either. Walk-on QB Seth Adams has beaten Schaeffer for the starting job, and Mississippi OC Dan Werner confirmed on Wednesday that Schaeffer is now a wide receiver for the Rebs.

From SportingNews.com:

Former Mississippi starting quarterback Brent Schaeffer has been moved to wide receiver, offensive coordinator Dan Werner said Wednesday.

The move clears the way for Seth Adams to take over as the Rebels' starting quarterback. Adams, Schaeffer and Michael Herrick have been competing for the job since the start of preseason practice last week.

Werner said in an article at www.djournal.com that Schaeffer's move was voluntary.

Ed Orgeron is no doubt kicking himself soundly for naming Schaeffer a starter before he even set foot on campus last season.

Good luck to both Schaeffer and Adams in their new roles with the Rebels.

Ole Miss' Brent Schaeffer Moved to Wide Receiver originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Thu, 09 Aug 2007 00:57:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SEC Football Preview '07: The Dregs

Ryan Ferguson — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 11:41:00 EST

Filed under: Mississippi Football, SEC, NCAA FB Fans, NCAA FB Coaching, Mississippi State Football, Vanderbilt Football

In the SEC, the "Dregs" are programs which historically haven't been able to compete with the conference superpowers. Things don't change much in this category -- except, perhaps, for South Carolina, a team which under Steve Spurrier has become increasingly competitive. There won't be too many surprises in this preview.

Ole Miss Rebels

Last year: 4-8 overall, 2-6 SEC

WHY THEY'LL WIN: Let's give Coach "O", now in his third year as head coach at Ole Miss, a chance to work with his recruits, which now make up the majority of the team. Let's also give Brent Schaeffer a chance to become the SEC's most improved quarterback. With a year of SEC starts under his belt, Schaeffer's performance in '07 might be a complete 180 from his last outing. Of course, since Ole Miss ranked 110th nationally in passing efficiency last season, it'd be disturbing if they didn't improve significantly in this department. Schaeffer will have the advantage of four returning starters on the offensive line and a good running back in BenJarvus Green-Ellis, who should make the pre-season All-SEC "Best Name" team.

WHY THEY WON'T: Mississippi suffers from one of the poorest athletic budgets in the SEC as well as a yearly conference slate which includes Alabama, LSU, Auburn, and Arkansas. In '07 they also pick up a road game in Athens against Georgia and have defending national champion Florida visiting the Rebs in Oxford. Out of eight conference opponents, six will be ranked in the Top 20, and two start the season in the Top 5. Ole Miss won't win any of those games, but could still win five games this year if they take care of their OOC line-up, plus beat Vanderbilt and Mississippi State.

PROGNOSIS: Some are calling for Ed Orgeron's Rebels to make a bowl game in 2007. I'm not sharing their optimism. This is a team which should hope to become more competitive against top-flight competition, and grit out some close wins against lower-tier SEC teams. Winning six games seems extremely unlikely but it should be set as a goal for the Rebs. Look for 3-5 wins in 2007.

Vanderbilt Commodores

Last year: 4-8 overall, 1-7 SEC

WHY THEY'LL WIN: Chris Nickson's first year as an SEC QB went pretty well as football things go in Nashville. He threw for 250+ yards in three of his four final games in '06 and has a stud WR, Earl Bennett, ready to catch his passes and make big plays. He's also a legitimate dual-threat option. In an amazing stroke of luck (or maybe it's careful planning by head coach Bobby Johnson), Vandy will start five seniors on the O-Line in 2007. That's not to say that Nickson will have a great line to protect him, but chances are it will be better than what Vandy has fielded in recent years.

WHY THEY WON'T: Vandy is a team which is snakebitten by fortune. They haven't enjoyed a winning season since 1982. The SEC East is more brutal than ever, with three national championship coaches (Urban Meyer, Phil Fulmer, Steve Spurrier) smashing their heads against one another. One can't overlook Georgia's Mark Richt, who never seems to get much publicity but is winning an SEC title every time you turn your head. On top of that, In '07 Kentucky appears to be making a serious bid for breaking into the East's "Big 3" club. Left at the bottom of the pile you have lowly Vanderbilt. Vandy steadily improves under Bobby Johnson, who I think is one of the best coaches in the SEC if not the nation despite his W-L record. But they're just too far behind the Floridas, Tennessees, LSUs and Auburns to catch up... especially in 2007, which is the most competitive conference field in memory. Sorry, 'Dores.

PROGNOSIS: Richmond. Eastern Michigan. Miami (OH). These are the games that Vandy must win to even have a chance to compete for a bowl bid. Their most winnable conference games are against Ole Miss, who'll come to play in Nashville, Kentucky, and vs. last year's ACC champion, Wake Forest. I think they have a chance to go 2-1 in that series but will likely only win one. That will add to Vandy's lore of perennial loser, which stinks because I think this team is far better than their record shows. Their schedule is positively ridiculous and a 5 win season with competitive losses to balance out the sheet is reason to hold your head high if you're a Vandy fan.

Mississippi State Bulldogs

Last year: 3-9 overall, 1-7 SEC

WHY THEY'LL WIN: It pains me to say it, but they probably won't. QB Michael Henig will need to stay healthy, which is no small order, just for Mississippi State to be able to put up a fight. They start the season in depressing fashion, taking on #2 LSU, although at least the game will be played in Starkville rather than Baton Rouge (where last year the Dogs lost 48-17.) Winnable games are Tulane (whom the Dogs lost to last year), Gardner-Webb, UAB, and Mississippi. For Croom's kids to bat .500 they'd have to beat, at minimum, South Carolina and Kentucky, which is doubtful. Then they'd have to be the beneficiary of a miracle by beating Arkansas, Tennessee, West Virginia, or Alabama.

WHY THEY WON'T: Must we really count the ways? The one thing the Dogs had going for them, as it were, was a decent SEC-quality defense in '06, headed up by LB Quinton Culberson. Most of the defensive line and LB starters are gone, and it's unlikely the Henig-led offense will improve enough to make up the difference. In case you can't tell, I'm trying to be kind, here.

PROGNOSIS: Three wins would be nominal, four very good, and five extraordinary. Anything beyond that will require a massive suspension of disbelief, because it just ain't happenin'.

Sylvester Croom is a fine human being, doing things right and running a clean program at Mississippi State. He's on the hot seat, and it will only get hotter after the '07 season, but I expect we'll see Croom the Crooner at least through 2008. MSU fans can't expect Croom to work miracles with what he's got to work with.

This Conference Is Nuts, Man

The "Dregs" of the SEC comprise precisely three teams.

Three. Out of twelve.

Once upon a time, you had three "good" teams in the SEC East: Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee. Now there are five: add in Kentucky and South Carolina.

And once upon a time out in the SEC West, you had Alabama... and no one else. Although LSU is now a national power, it wasn't so as recently as the nineties, and Auburn's rise under Tuberville is also relatively recent. In the modern SEC West, LSU and Auburn via for domination, Alabama is trying to make a comeback with their megapaid coach, and Arkansas is bringing their Heisman candidate back to defend their division tite.

Life is rough for the teams on the bottom. Life is also rough for the teams on top.

Literally any one of the nine teams outside of the "Dregs" category has a legitimate shot at winning an SEC title. Sure, some more than others; Kentucky and South Carolina, for example, are definitely facing longer odds than the conference superpowers. But it wouldn't shock me one bit to see any of those teams come out on top.

It makes for great football every Saturday, but it also makes the pursuit of another SEC team playing in a national championship game ever so much harder. Never let it be said that this conference isn't deep, because from top to bottom there's no question that there are more top teams in the SEC than any league in the country. Enjoy the SEC season, folks!

SEC Football Preview '07: The Dregs originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 06 Aug 2007 11:41:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SEC Football Preview '07: The Schedule

Ryan Ferguson — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 06:15:00 EST

Filed under: Alabama Football, Auburn Football, Florida Football, Georgia Football, LSU Football, Mississippi Football, Tennessee Football, SEC, Arkansas Football, South Carolina Football, Kentucky Football, Mississippi State Football, Vanderbilt Football

Now we look at the best, worst, and weirdest aspects of the 2007 SEC schedule.

Best schedule: LSU

What's the "best" schedule look like? Is it the most exciting? It is the hardest? Actually, we're going to go with "most favorable." And there's no question LSU wins in this department. With their out-of-conference matchup against Virginia Tech in the second week of the season -- played at night in Baton Rouge -- the Tigers have an opportunity for a fast start. Knocking off Virginia Tech would be an early feather in the cap for LSU. (Actually, let's avoid that metaphor -- Les Miles' baseball cap is already huge.)

LSU gets South Carolina, Florida, Auburn and Arkansas at home in 2007, and they're all scheduled to start at 8:00PM (note: the Arky kickoff is still TBA). Night games in Death Valley are about as fun as pulling fingernails with pliers for opponents unlucky enough to get this draw. Barring early losses, LSU will be favored to win every one of those games.

Their toughest away matchup will be @ Alabama where they face their new arch-nemesis and former head coach, Nick Saban. They'll also play @ Kentucky, @ Mississippi State, and @ Tulane -- and that's it.

This is a far cry from an easy schedule. LSU will be facing a minimum of five Top 20 teams, possibly as many as seven, and the road to the BCS National Championship game will be long, hard, and require luck as well as talent, skill, and hard work. But in the SEC, this is as good as it gets. Tiger fans will be disappointed with anything less than appearance in the title game.

Worst Schedule: Tennessee & South Carolina

Call it the worst/toughest schedule if you like, but it's also one of the most exciting. Tennessee starts their season, as they did last year, against Cal. Difference is, this time they'll be playing in Berkeley at the historic Memorial Stadium... and no doubt the Golden Bears are anxious to atone for their 35-18 whipping at the hands of the Vols in 2006.

After their visit to the west coast, the Vols will enjoy a brief respite, going against Southern Miss at home on September 8th. Then they hit the road again, traveling to the dreaded Swamp in Gainesville, where the Gators have enjoyed a 2-0 edge on the Rocky Top boys since Urban Meyer took over the helm in 2005. The Vols' road campaign will include @ Mississippi State, where Fulmer sweats through a potential (though unlikely) Crooming, @ Alabama (blood rivalry since Fulmer snitched on Bama for NCAA violations), and @ Kentucky, which will not be a pushover in 2007.

We give the nod to the Vols for their rocky road trip, but we'll also salute South Carolina for their pot-hole filled path to a possible SEC championship. Spurrier's Gamecocks' first two SEC matchups are @ Georgia and @ LSU. After taking on Mississippi State (no danger of a Crooming here!) and Kentucky, they travel to North Carolina, which could be a most interesting matchup now that Butch Davis holds the reins of the Tarheel football program. USCe, as I affectionately call them, then butt heads with the Vols @ Tennessee, and face Darren McFadden and his Razorbacks @ Arkansas. South Carolina does draw Florida at home, but the Gators will start the season as a Top 5 team and will likely arrive as a Top 10 or better team. Finally, South Carolina's annual grudge match with Clemson will be played in Columbia.

That's downright scary for both the Vols and the Visors, er, I mean, the Gamecocks.

Best Game: Alabama vs. FSU, September 29

Kudos to athletic directors Mal Moore and Dave Hart for making this happen. This promises to be one of the most anticipated games of the season for both teams. FSU will take on the Tide in Jacksonville, a neutral turf that should, in theory, favor the Seminoles. But Alabama's fans travel impressively, so expect to see at least as many crimson shirts as you do garnet and gold. Both the Tide and the 'Noles are football superpowers, although Alabama has more of a traditional edge while FSU is known for their strong run in 90s. Both teams are attempting a renaissance of sorts; both bring in new coaching staffs and new offensive philosophies. It's anyone's guess, at this point, who will be favored by the time the teams kick off. It's an SEC vs. ACC pride match, so expect to see most if not all SEC fans avidly rooting on the Tuscaloosa squad.

Personally speaking, I can't wait to see how Nick Saban matches up against one of the all-time coaching legends, Bobby Bowden. Also intriguing is that Jimbo Fisher, now the 'Noles' OC, came from LSU, where he worked for Saban before Les Miles took over in '05.

It's been 33 years since the Tide last played Florida State. FSU is 0-2-1 against Alabama, the tie coming in 1967, 37-37 in Birmingham, Alabama. FSU was the visiting team in all three games.

Weirdest Game: Oklahoma State @ Georgia, September 1st

This isn't terribly weird, I suppose, but you have a good Big XII team taking on a good SEC team to open the season, which isn't typical.

Georgia has played Oklahoma State twice before, in 1946 and 1947. They won both games, but Oklahoma State wasn't particularly good either year, winning only 3 games in '46 and 3 more in '47.

Maybe Georgia can shake a few million extra bucks out of OSU mega-alum Boone Pickens for some athletic facilities improvements while they're at it. Why not? Like Jerry Jones, Pickens apparently "just loves college football." (Psst: early pick, Georgia by a field goal.)

Taking On the Out-of-Conference Scheduling Criticisms

It's the first thing you hear out of the mouth of an anti-SEC'er: teams who play in the Southeastern Conference won't schedule tough out of conference games.

As someone who writes about and follows SEC and college football on a daily basis, I challenge that criticism on several levels.

For one, there's the old standby: the teams in the SEC are so good, that scheduling tough OOC opponents is tantamount to insanity for teams that wish to make a serious push for a national championship game bid.

There are six SEC teams ranked in the USA Today's Coaching Poll Top 20. Two are in the Top 5 (LSU, Florida), and three are in the Top 15 (Georgia, Auburn, Tennessee) while Arkansas comes in at #20. By comparison the Pac-10 has 3 teams (USC, Cal, and UCLA) in the same set and the Big Ten has 4. When you have that many top teams pounding at each other week in and week out, bringing in Top 20 opponents from out of conference just isn't necessary. The strength of schedule needed to make a run for a BCS bowl is there.

But in '07 the SEC has seemingly gone out of its way to bring top matchups to the college football fan. Two time national champion FSU (#21) will play two SEC teams in '07. Virginia Tech (#9), Missouri, West Virginia (#6), Oklahoma State, North Carolina, Clemson, Louisville (#11), and Cal (#12) round out the top-tier OOC slate.

The fact is, the SEC is tough both inside and out. It will be a miracle if any team in the conference survives their schedule unscathed. But if anyone has the best chance, it's LSU.

SEC Football Preview '07: The Schedule originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 06 Aug 2007 06:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SEC Football Preview '07: The Hot Seat

Andy Katzer — Sun, 05 Aug 2007 13:20:00 EST

Filed under: Alabama Football, Auburn Football, Florida Football, Georgia Football, LSU Football, Mississippi Football, Tennessee Football, SEC, Arkansas Football, South Carolina Football, NCAA FB Coaching, Kentucky Football, Mississippi State Football, Vanderbilt Football

(Image via Georgia Sports Blog and Kit Kitchens)

Being a coach in the SEC can be lucrative (just ask any coach at Alabama). But because of the insanely high expectations each fan base has for its team, it can also be a pressure cooker (just ask any former coach at Alabama). Coaching in the SEC is kind of like being a salesman in Glengarry Glen Ross: first place, an SEC championship; second place, a set of steak knives; third place, you're fired.

Alright, so maybe third place isn't grounds for immediate dismissal, but it makes the barbecue circuit in the spring a little more uncomfortable. More than half the coaches in the league have been with their teams for less than five years, so turnover isn't unusual. Before we take a look at coaches who need to impress this fall to remain on their respective sidelines, let's be clear about who most likely isn't worried about losing his job anytime soon.

1. Urban Meyer -- current king of college football
2. Nick Saban -- even if he's not Bear Reincarnate, Bama's got a lot of money tied up in him.
3. Steve Spurrier -- If you can charge $100/year for access to your website, you've got job security. Click clack.
4. Tommy Tuberville -- Steadily maintains one of the best programs in the SEC this decade.
5. Mark Richt -- see also Tommy Tuberville
6. Les Miles -- Goofy hat, goofier comments, but wins.

Surprisingly, Bobby Johnson still isn't on the hot seat. He's managed to do something that nobody else has done since George McIntyre in the early 80s: hold the Vandy job for more than five years. And whether or not he also becomes the first coach to lead the 'Dores to a bowl since McIntyre, he's well-liked in Nashville and should be around for awhile. Also, Rich Brooks has gone from fans wearing "Rich Brooks Farewell Tour" t-shirts to writing songs about him, and could take the 'Cats to back-to-back bowl games for only the third time in 25 years.

So which of the four remaining coaches are on the hot seat? After the jump...

1. Houston Nutt, Arkansas

If you didn't follow the soap opera that was Houston Nutt's offseason (the Springdale Five, Gus Malzahn, Mitch Mustain's transfer, phone records, lawsuits... good lord, the room is spinning), then I recommend Orson's Las Cronicas de Boss Hawg to get you caught up.

Between las cronicas (which are in every way hilarious), and the recent illness of Nutt's assistant coach and brother Danny (which is in no way anything but tragic), I'm surprised Nutt has made it this far. High drama and winning can be entertaining, but drama and losing = get out of town. He's got Darren McFadden and Felix Jones to help him this year, but it might not be enough to save his job.

2. Sylvester Croom, Mississippi State

Much was made about Croom being the first black head coach in the SEC when he was hired four years ago. But a 9-25 record later, it wouldn't matter if he was green with pink polka dots. There's only so much losing a fan base will put up with, and Bulldog fans are about at their limit with Sly.

In the Croom era, State has beaten Florida and Alabama, but they've also lost to Tulane and I-AA Maine, as well as being blown out by nearly every team in the conference at least once. MSU's first four SEC games are against LSU, Auburn, South Carolina, and Tennessee, and if they don't win at least one of them, Croom might be out the door.

3. Ed Orgeron, Mississippi

For comedy's sake, I hope Orgeron stays around a few more years. But that whole "wildboys" thing hasn't worked out yet, and the program's savior at quarterback, Tennessee castoff and JUCO transfer Brent Schaffer, probably won't even be the starter this year. Orgeron is a good recruiter, but that doesn't mean wins. Just ask Ron Zook.

What about Fulmer?

There's been a lot of talk this offseason about Phil Fulmer being on the hot seat in Knoxville, as pointed out by Fanhouse's Ryan Ferguson. As a Vol fan myself, I can confirm that there has been a lot of grumbling about Tennessee's lack of an SEC championship in the last eight years. And of course, as the head coach, Fulmer gets the brunt of the criticism.

But I can also confirm that there was grumbling during UT's great runs in the 90s (why can't we beat Florida? why can't we win by 40 points instead of 20?) and Fulmer survived that. The other thing Fulmer has going for his is deep-pocketed boosters that like him. So barring complete and total disaster, Fulmer will be the head coach at Tennessee for awhile, probably as long as he wants it.

SEC Football Preview '07: The Hot Seat originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sun, 05 Aug 2007 13:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SEC Football Preview '07: Big Shoes to Fill

Andy Katzer — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 14:30:00 EST

Even if it seems like Simeon Castille is in his seventh year at Alabama or Jacob Tamme played tight end when Tim Couch was at Kentucky, the truth is that college rosters are almost always in flux. It's the reason pundits make such a big deal about returning starters -- though I've never figured out why returning starters is such a good thing if they all stunk the year before, but I digress -- since the window to play in college is so short, getting guys with experience back is a luxury.

Like Bruce Ciskie and his Big Ten preview, I could have written this whole post about one team: Florida. In fact, I could have just written it about Florida's defense, which had seven players (Jarvis Moss, Reggie Nelson, Ray McDonald, Marcus Thomas, Joe Cohen, Ryan Smith, and Brandon Siler) drafted last April. And of course there are other big losses that nearly every team has to recoup.

But instead, I felt it better to spread the love around and look at the really big shoes that need filling, and the shoes which, if filled properly, could help their teams compete for a SEC championship. It starts with some of the biggest shoes -- both literally and figuratively -- that a quarterback could leave behind...

1. Matt Flynn, QB, LSU (JaMarcus Russell)

JaMarcus Russell showed up in Baton Rouge with all the trappings of a highly-touted recruit -- the recruiting service stars, the high-school all-American status, and the kind of arm that offensive coordinators drool over. Plus, he's freakin' huge. Russell's mere appearance on a football field is daunting, and I can only imagine what flashed through the minds of SEC defensive lineman when they got to Russell in the backfield and realized "that dude's as big as me." Russell jumped right in and showed what he could do, starting four games as a freshman and most of his sophomore year (when he wasn't hurt). Last year, he completed 68% of his passes for over 3,000 yards and 28 touchdowns, led LSU to an 11-2 record including a Sugar Bowl win over Notre Dame, and was the number one NFL draft pick in April.

And as if that's not a big enough act for Matt Flynn to follow, LSU is expected to contend for SEC and national championships this fall. But no pressure, right?

The good news is that Flynn has experience. He was offensive MVP of LSU's 2005 Peach Bowl win over Miami and has played sporadically (and pretty well) throughout his career. The other thing Flynn's got going for him is a solid brick wall of an offensive line in front of him, silly-fast running backs to hand off to, and wide receivers like Early Doucet catching his passes. The bad news is that the #2 quarterback is always one of the most popular guys with the fans, but Flynn won't be that guy anymore. He'll need to handle the pressure of being the man as well as he handled Miami in that '05 bowl game.

2. Tim Tebow, QB, Florida (Chris Leak)

Tebow is already used to the celebrity of being a star at Florida, and he had plenty of meaningful playing time in the Gators' national championship run last fall. So how exactly is he filling Leak's shoes?

Chris Leak, despite being called a "shockingly inaccurate passer" recently by a Chicago Sun-Times writer at the Bear's training camp, was a stunningly efficient college quarterback in his four years in Gainesville. Leak left Florida as the school's all-time leading passer (11,213 yards) despite carrying the label of "not a good fit" for Urban Meyer's offense the last two years. In their national championship season, Leak led the Gators' offense with help from Tim Tebow. Now Tebow's role with Urban Myer's offense should change dramatically this fall.

Unless Meyer plans on changing the way college football is played -- and he well might be -- Tebow has to stop being the moose in shotgun who bulldozes left 90% of the time he has the ball and start showing the ability to sit in the pocket and throw 25-30 times a game if needed. He's got to be a manager and get his team in the right play at the line of scrimmage. And he's got to play in places like Baton Rouge and Columbia, SC, without losing his cool when things go wrong.

The pressure is on from both fans (UF alum and Fanhouse blogger Ryan Ferguson named Tebow -- who has never started an SEC game -- the #2 quarterback in the conference) and coaches (Urban Meyer declared Tebow "ready to go play quarterback at Florida" at the end of spring practice).

3. Tennessee's Wide Receivers (R. Meachem, J. Swain, B. Smith)

According to the Tennessean, when Erik Ainge was asked at SEC Media Days how the wide receivers at Tennessee would play this year, he responded by saying that the tight ends are really good. In other words, he doesn't know. And he's the quarterback.

The truth is that nobody knows what UT's receiving corps will look like. The only known is that when Robert Meachem, Jayson Swain, and Bret Smith departed Knoxville, they took their 159 catches, 2439 yards, and 22 touchdowns from 2006 with them. The returning wide outs have a total of 31 career catches among them. And David Cutcliffe plans on running a no-huddle offense this fall. Yikes. So who (besides the tight ends) is going to catch passes this fall for Tennessee?

Potential group #1 is the veterans, who really aren't that veteran. Juniors Lucas Taylor and Josh Briscoe are the "old guard" by now, and both have been largely dismissed as pass droppers/fumblers by a large portion of Vol fans. Sophomore Quintin Hancock is gaining a reputation as a great practice player, and fellow soph Austin Rogers is considered a possession receiver. In fact, according to Fulmer:

"I know those guys that we got will be in the right place and they'll catch the ball," UT Coach Phillip Fulmer said. "The difference is there's no Robert Meachem out there. We have to find some dynamics so when we get press coverage, we can make people pay."

... which is a nice way of saying "all we've got is possession receivers."

The dynamic Fulmer is looking for might have to come from group #2: the freshmen. Well, three freshman (Gerald Jones, Brent Vinson, and Ahmad Paige) and a JUCO-transfer junior (Kenny O'Neal), all of whom come with the trappings of high-school all-America yadda yadda and around-4.4 speed. All of them are fast and had moves at the level they came from, but whether or not that translates to being playmakers in college ball could make the difference between Tennessee being a SEC contender and a Music City bowl candidate.

4. Kenny McKinley, WR, South Carolina (Sidney Rice)

South Carolina is everybody's dark horse to compete for the SEC championship this fall, and Spurrier himself declared the Gamecocks ready to compete for a conference title at SEC media days. And with good reason: they've got an improved defense, a veteran quarterback in Blake Mitchell, and quality running backs with Corey Boyd and Mike Davis. All they need to ignite Spurrier's Cock 'n Fire offense is a big-play wide receiver.

D'oh.

Sidney Rice opted for the NFL over another year in Columbia, which means Carolina has to replace his 72 catches, 1090 yards, and 10 TDs. Fortunately they have Kenny McKinley, who had over 800 yards and five touchdowns of his own last year, as well as having a higher per-catch average than Rice did.
Unfortunately, one reason for McKinley's success was that defenses had to focus on Rice. Now McKinley has to fill that role for someone else, most likely JUCO transfer Larry Freeman. Spurrier also signed a ton of highly-ranked freshman receivers who could help out, guys like Chris Culliver, Jason Barnes, Joseph Hills, and Dion LeCorn.

Like Tennessee, Carolina will need another receiver to step up for the team to contend this year.

5. King Dunlap, OL, Auburn (Ben Grubbs)

There's not a lot of stats I can throw at you for offensive linemen, but Ben Grubbs was an all-SEC lineman last year and the Ravens' first-round draft pick. He was also pretty well recognized as the leader of Auburn's offensive line, which also lost fellow all-SEC guard Tim Duckworth as well as center Joe Cope and tackle Jonathan Palmer.

Now Dunlap (though he plays tackle and Grubbs played guard) will be filling the shoes of Grubbs as the leader of Auburn's offensive front. Dunlap is by far the most experienced of Auburn's linemen -- meaning he's started more than four games. The rest of the line is put together with guys who have started sporadically or otherwise seen a little action. How fast they come together will largely determine how the Tigers' season goes... something Tommy Tubberville hasn't had to worry about recently.

The line will also feature Tyrone Green (who is actually taking Grubbs's position), Leon Hart (who was the high school all-America type as a recruit) and possibly true freshman Lee Ziemba (the task of playing one of football's most physically demanding positions as a true frosh? no, thanks).

Honorable Mention

Malcom Shepard, DE, Arkansas (Jamaal Anderson): Don't expect Shepard to replace Anderson's 13.5 sacks from last year, but he shouldn't have to if the rest of the defensive line plays as well as they did in 2006.

Tony Fein, LB, Ole Miss (Patrick Willis): Fien and the other Rebel linebackers have to replace SEC defensive player of the year Willis' 137 tackles. If that's not enough, Ole Miss also lost it's second leading tackler, LB Rory Johnson (94 tackles). Good luck.

Tripp Chandler, TE, Georgia (Martrez Milner): UGA has been "Tight End U" of late, Chandler tries to keep it going when he returns from suspension.

SEC Football Preview '07: Big Shoes to Fill originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Fri, 03 Aug 2007 14:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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