NCAA Football FanHouse

Vandy Has One Hell of a Tough Row to Hoe

Ryan Ferguson — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 19:26:00 EST

Filed under: SEC, NCAA FB Coaching, Vanderbilt Football

I've made no secret of the fact that ~~we, the collective SEC FanHouse blogger contingent~~ I admire Vanderbilt. Despite being a small, privately-funded university with a heavy emphasis on academics, they field a football team which plays in the ultra-competitive Southeastern Conference. Vandy might not win a lot of games, but they're competitive against some of the nation's best teams in more than their fair share.

Frankly, they've got no business even making a game of it most of the time. Vanderbilt gets the leftover scraps when it comes to D-IA talent. Yet they routinely take powerhouse schools like Georgia, Florida, and Tennessee to the wire, and beyond.

Bobby Johnson is a superb coach who gets little recognition for his accomplishments. As much as I admire and respect this coach, I have to wonder if he'll ever get his team to a bowl game.

In 2005, the 'Dores had Jay Cutler, a first round NFL draft pick and consensus All-SEC quarterback. The Commodores came maddeningly close to postseason viability, but fell short -- losing, unbelievably, to Middle Tennessee just one month prior to taking the Gators to overtime in the Swamp.

In 2006, Chris Nickson showed a lot of promise, leading Vanderbilt to a "nominal" 4-win season which included an upset of No. 16 Georgia.

More heartbreak in 2007: 5 victories, just one win away from bowl eligibility, coming damn close with a 25-24 nailbiter against Tennessee. The Commodores lost to Kentucky and Georgia by a touchdown and field goal, respectively. Nickson's play suffered thanks to injury and inconsistency, and he lost the job to Mackenzi Adams midway through the season.

It could have been a banner year for Johnson and his kids. If Vandy could have pulled out just one of those close contests, they'd have been bowl eligible for the first time in over a quarter-century. They were so close. Again.

In 2008, the prediction for Vanderbilt fans, regrettably, is pain. Gone are WR Earl Everett, tailback Cassen Jackson-Garrison (594 yards, 5 TDs) and, oh, almost the entire offensive line. A 4-win season seems optimistic at best; bowl eligibility, a pipe dream.

If Johnson couldn't get it done last year, with a loaded -- relatively speaking -- team, how will he do it this year, or next, or any year? It's not an indictment of Johnson's coaching chops; just the brutal, cold, unforgiving nature of the Southeastern Conference.

Vandy Has One Hell of a Tough Row to Hoe originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Tue, 08 Jul 2008 19:26:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vandy Needs to Give Bobby Johnson a Raise

Charles Rich — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 23:52:00 EST

Filed under: Alabama Football, Florida Football, LSU Football, SEC, NCAA FB Coaching, Vanderbilt Football

Ridiculous. I realize Vandy is a private school and they provide a valuable service to the SEC in helping with the conference graduations rates. Still, if they aren't going to actually pay their football coach over $1 million dollars, there's a problem. Sylvester Croom just got his pay pushed into the seven figure zone. Now Bobby Johnson is the only SEC coach still earning a paltry 6 figure salary. Keep up.

Les Miles, LSU, $3,750,000
Nick Saban, Alabama, $3,750,000
Urban Meyer, Florida, $3,250,000
Bobby Petrino, Arkansas, $2,850,000
Mark Richt, Georgia, $2,800,000
Tommy Tuberville, Auburn, $2,800,000
Phillip Fulmer, Tennessee, $2,050,000
Steve Spurrier, South Carolina, $1,750,000
Sylvester Croom, Mississippi State, $1,700,000
Houston Nutt, Ole Miss, $1,700,000
Rich Brooks, Kentucky, $1,600,000
Bobby Johnson, Vanderbilt, $950,000

Then again, Johnson is the only SEC coach not to be automatically placed on a hot seat after a losing season.

Vandy Needs to Give Bobby Johnson a Raise originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 25 Jun 2008 23:52:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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This Year In Schadenfreude

Brian Cook — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Alabama Football, Louisville Football, Michigan Football, Notre Dame Football, UCLA Football, USC Football, Vanderbilt Football

scha·den·freu·de /???dn?fr??d?/
-noun

satisfaction or pleasure felt at someone else's misfortune.

[Origin: 1890-95; < G, equiv. to Schaden harm + Freude joy]

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, (C) Random House, Inc. 2006.

On This Week In Schadenfreude we explore the sputtering rage, gibbering condemnation, and resigned ennui of the college football fan who has recently undergone humiliating defeat. Because even in your darkest hour, someone else is suffering too, and probably worse than you. Unless you are a Michigan fan who has just finished watching the Appalachian State game.

It's been a bang-up year in the laugh-at-your rivals department. As a fan, there's nothing more painful than seeing your team's shot at the ever-elusive mythical national championship go out the window because you can't beat some pissant like Stanford or Arkansas or Oregon State or Appalachian State or ... well ... not Oklahoma. But still. There was a large swath of the season in which unranked teams had a winning record over the #2 team. The most enormous upset in college football history was topped, then topped again* within a month of Appalachian State's blocked field goal.

And we tried to cover it all at the Fanhouse, at least after the two week period at the beginning of the season during which I huddled on the floor and tried really hard not to die. In the interregnum between the season and the bowls, then, let's review the year in pointing and laughing. Because the Motor City Bowl just isn't that interesting. After the jump: This Year in Schadenfreude.

*(in point spread terms, at least)

MOST OUTLANDISH EXPECTATIONS

For: the message boarder, commenter, or blogger with the most preposterously disconnected sense of his team's place in the heirarchy of college football.

You're Vanderbilt. The last time you had a winning record was 1982. In the past ten years your team has a cumulative record of 30-83, good for 113th of 119 eligible teams over at Stassen. This year you're 5-6 and attempting to lock down the unjustifiable bowl bid to end all unjustifiable bowl bids against a pretty good Wake Forest team. You lose in fairly ugly fashion, but without your starting quarterback.

Is this your reaction?

OUTRAGE
Commodore Nation should be incensed right now. We didn't just get beat by Wake Forest, we got destroyed.

Did you post a "should Bobby Johnson be fired" poll? Or declare this season -- the team's second-best since 1999 -- "a huge disappointment from the start"?

No? Well, then, that's why you didn't win this award and the Vanderbilt Sports Line did.

TEAM SCHADENFREUDE

For the team that brought opposing fans the most joy this year. Roughly measured by frequency of appearances with special consideration for "Tears of Infinite Sadness" victories.

This was a tight one. Michigan entered the year with national championship hopes, then promptly lost to a I-AA team. They were then blown out of the water by Oregon and lost to to their primary rival for the sixth time in seven years. They're scheduled to be demolished on New Year's Day in one of the most lopsided bowl matchups of the year. In any normal year, they would be runaway winners in this category.

But -- as anyone commentator even vaguely associated with college football will tell you -- this was no normal year in college football. Michigan's week three opponent, Notre Dame, rolled into town with a record as shiny and winless as Michigan. The table was set for a pillow fight of epic proportions. The result:

Michigan was a national laughingstock for two weeks at the beginning of the season and a month and a half at the end of it; an eight-game win streak in between kind of put a damper on things. There was no such solace for 3-9 Notre Dame, whose only victories came against Stanford, Duke, and UCLA's third-string walkon quarterback and his five turnovers. Super Genius Charlie Weis turned in the nation's worst offense, and then he did this:

All the while Notre Dame fans had a hilarious internal debate as to whether Charlie was permanently retarded or just, like, temporarily retarded.

Amazingly, Michigan could have pulled this out at the last second if their coaching hire went as badly as it looked like the search process was going. The initiation of the Brady Hoke era or, even more insane, the appointment of Ron English as an interim head coach would have signaled a death knell for Michigan football in the short term. But then they hired Rich Rodriguez, which is awesome.

PONTIAC PROGRAM-CHANGING SCHADENFREUDE OF THE YEAR

For the most generally humiliating moment suffered.

Though Michigan narrowly escaped ignominious victory in the last category, there is no freakin' way they weasel out of this one.

This is the moment:

And this is the very essence of schadenfreude captured on film:

Sigh. Have I mentioned we hired Rich Rodriguez?

THE SCHADENFREUDE-MAN

For the player, coach, or other figure tangentially connected to college football who brings the most joy to opponents. Reggie Ball would have run this four years running.

Bobby Petrino took off for the worst idea ever -- Vick-free Atlanta Falcons head coaching -- but left behind Brian Brohm, Mario Urrutia, and the rest of a high powered offense that had seen the Cardinals surge into national championship contention. In came Steve Kragthorpe from Tulsa, and off came the wheels.

First, there was the ominous Middle Tennessee game, in which the Cardinals gave up 42 points but managed to win. This "winning" did not so much happen against Kentucky, prompting this:

Kragthorpe

He doesnt know what hes doing. He doesnt know how to prepare against the big teams. Way too many of the same mistakes. I never thought Id say this but...I miss Petrino

by GoCards5 on Sun Sep 16, 2007 at 02:15:18 AM EDT

Which is sort of like a 'Bama fan saying "I never thought I'd say this, but I miss Bear Bryant," but whatever. So it was bad. Then they lost to Syracuse. Result? Impossibly Emo Song Lyrics!

I am drowning
There is no sign of land
You are coming down with me
Hand in unlovable hand
And I hope you die
I hope we both die

Card Chronicle decided to switch up its mojo by instituting "Go Cards Baby" midway through the season. UL managed a win, but then lost to Utah 27-21. Result? Go Cards Baby abdication!

I'm dragging myself away from the computer now before I ramble on for pages (like I always do, hehe), but before I go I'd just like to assure you that it's not me, it's you. I'd rather date one of the Federline babies than serve as the sacrificial mojo for the Cincinnati game.

Please don't write or try to contact me in any way ever again.

By the end of the year we were all wondering if someone could really get fired after one year, feeling bad for Brian Brohm, and generally having a laugh at the expense of one caveman-named coach.

MOST EMO POST OF THE YEAR

For the post, be it blog or message board, that reminds you the most of this.

USC fans have had it good the past few years. And by good we mean "Scarlett Johannsson riding a unicorn wearing bacon lingerie" good. As long as we make it clear that it's Johannson in the bacon lingerie, not the unicorn. Ew.

Anyway, they still have it good, as for the fifty-sixth consecutive year they have won the Pac-10 and will go to the Rose Bowl, where they'll face a third-place Big Ten team they'll crush by 100 points. But earlier in the year, the #1 team in all the land, a juggernaut of expectation, ran up against a raggedy Stanford team starting their backup quarterback, a man named Tavita Pritchard. Johnathan Tu described Pritchard like so:

... an earnest young lesbian ceramics associate professor yearning to set the world of cutting edge pottery on fire. And I do not mean that Tavita Pritchard sounds like a lesbian who teaches ceramics; I mean that Tavita Pritchard is the kind of name you'd associate with someone who teaches the art of lesbian ceramics, probably at your local community college but there's always that opening at Santa Cruz.

So ... losing to this person is not so good. Tu, in the aftermath, had all sharp objects forcibly removed from his presence:

Someone just ran over my puppy
His name is Jim Harbaugh. Not my puppy. My puppy is named Bonestorm. Jim Harbaugh ran over Bonestorm, the greatest puppy in the history of college football.

I think I might just drive straight back to California tomorrow and eat In 'n Out until I don't feel feelings anymore. Everything is dark and hopeless and devoid of meaning. I want a chocolate vanilla milkshake very badly right now. And two sausage McMuffin with egg sandwiches for two dollars. And heroin.

And his team ended up going to the Rose Bowl!

BEST AND MOST TRAITOROUS DECISION TO TAPE YOUR CRAZY FRIEND AND STICK IT ON YOUTUBE

Word.

Friends, they have no mercy.

MOST LIKELY TO ACQUIRE RESTRAINING ORDER

For the blogger or message board poster with the most crippling obsession with hating his coach.

Can this go to anyone other than Bruins Nation? No. No, it cannot. BN's campaign against Karl Dorrell has been relentless and, finally, successful. As UCLA flailed its way to another .500-ish season, managing losses to Utah and Notre Dame along the way, BN slowly lost what little sanity it entered the year with. Typical slice of rhetoric:

There is not much else to say about this clown and his overpaid joker assistants. At this point of time we just cannot take these clowns seriously. These people are either bold faced liars or seasoned con artists who are ripping UCLA of millions of dollars.

Again if these clowns had any sense of dignity and integrity they would submit their mass resignations these week instead of passing the buck and making weak, pathetic shameful excuses.

When it became clear that Dorrell's tenure was coming to a close, BN turned its guns on a potential Dorrellian successor:

Walker needs to be exposed for what he is: an average assistant coach at best, who in the eyes of some desperate UCLA fans, who are willing to settle for anything to get rid of Dorrell, is a credible candidate for UCLA's next football coach.

Last night's game should end those stupid wishes.

I hope this is an Ed Wood "your stupid, stupid minds!" callback but kind of doubt it.

BEST USE OF EXCESSIVE CURSING

For the best &#*@ing post of the year.

There are two strong contenders here. A sanitized excerpt from the first, posted by Orson Swindle on EDSBS after Florida got stomped by Knowshon Moreno and Georgia:

Knowshon Moreno? [so far so good -ed] #$*&. Damn. God *#$@ing dammit. God #$*S#@*iing dammit. Holy #$&#$!$%*ing piss-#$*#$ing #$*(@#$*ing bull&*#$ $#%&#*@. Just $&#*ing god&*@ pisswad #$*#$ing Cleveland steamer *#$&!ing !&!$%-*#@ &*#$ing #*$&#*$&#ing #*#@head hellassed #$&!storm goddamn *#$%#@& #$&*wallah @#&*headed rectumweeping @!#$%*&ing #*&@master!

That is a lot of humorous cartoon substitution, my friends, and the original goes on and on and on afterwards. But though this post has a higher density of cursing than any other, it lacks a certain something. And that something is deep-seated anger. Orson's really going for comic effect here.

Our other contender is Notre Dame blogger "Jay" from Blue Gray Sky, who understandably kind of lost his mind after the Navy game:

You stupid goddam idiot. I'm talking to you, #&*$head. You just cost us a chance to win the game. Where did you learn your trade, you stupid goddam idiot. You Bob-Davie-versus-Nebraska mother#*$er. What you are hired to do is to help us win. Not to #*@! US UP.

Less frequency, way more genuine frothing anger: winner.

"WOW... JUST WOW" OF THE YEAR

I probably owe Ryan Ferguson my first-born, as he brought this baby to my attention in the aftermath of the Iron Bowl:

i want to thank Saban for destroying my family.

My sons grandparents are auburn fans and we visit them only at deaths in the family. Well we Lost a 41 year old Auburn fan and preacher on Nov 11 2007. So we got together for the Funeral.the first time in two years because we are Bama fans. They ask us to come to their home for Christmas so we can help with the lost of their youngest son.

we agreed when we left their house my sons one is 24 one is 16 said if Auburn beats Alabama they never wanted to see them again. Guess what we lost and thanks to the sorry backs and Quarterback we have and the 4 million dollar coach we lost our family for good.

Thanks for destroying our hope our faith and family and the youth of Alabama's hopes forever. My 24 year old was going to transfer. this year if Bama Won but who wishes to play with a bunch of loser like the ones that take the field in Alabama,

Again: wow, just wow. Some things just can't be commented upon adequately.

This Year In Schadenfreude originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 19 Dec 2007 13:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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This Week In Schadenfreude: Cornelius Vanderbilt's Ghost Is Livid

Brian Cook — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 12:40:00 EST

Filed under: Alabama Football, Iowa Football, Michigan Football, Texas Football, Vanderbilt Football

scha·den·freu·de /???dn?fr??d?/
-noun

satisfaction or pleasure felt at someone else's misfortune.

[Origin: 1890-95; < G, equiv. to Schaden harm + Freude joy]

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, (C) Random House, Inc. 2006.

On This Week In Schadenfreude we explore the sputtering rage, gibbering condemnation, and resigned ennui of the college football fan who has recently undergone humiliating defeat. Because even in your darkest hour, someone else is suffering too, and probably worse than you. Unless you are a Michigan fan who has just finished watching the Appalachian State game.

LSU lost its shot at the national championship this week, losing to Arkansas in triple overtime. Normally this would make them a slam dunk for this week's Tears of Unfathomable Sadness, but you know what? This happens every week. Some team, MNC game bid in hand, gacks it up against a markedly inferior opponent (or, I suppose, a markedly uh ... ferior opponent if you're Kansas. No offense, Jayhawks) and sends their fans into a tailspin of recrimination.

It's still fun to watch, but it's getting to be old hat in this season of infinite improbability. Anyone who was even a little surprised that Arkansas ran past LSU just hasn't been paying attention. So, how about something completely different?

OUTRAGE
Commodore Nation should be incensed right now. We didn't just get beat by Wake Forest, we got destroyed.

Commodore Nation? No. Surely it couldn't be ... it is! Ladies and gentlemen, Vanderbilt (Vanderbilt? Vanderbilt!) is your Tears of Unfathomable Sadness victor this week.

Yes, the Vanderbilt Sports Line deviates from everyone's well-worn stereotypes of Vanderbilt fans-basically, that they are either Cornelius Vanderbilt himself or hottttt southern belles with no interest in anything except parasols and mint juleps-in shocking fashion. The post goes on in full-on rant mode. The highlight:

Please share your thoughts on what went wrong and where to go from here, and don't forget to vote in the "Should Bobby Johnson Be Fired?" poll.

Emphasis mine. Perhaps the greatest accomplishment in college football this year has been Bobby Johnson guiding Vandy to a 5-7 record without his starting quarterback and getting roasted for it. Remarkably, the commenters ("this was an absolute disgrace from the get-go", "this team threw in the towel", "this whole season is a huge disappointment") are in 100% agreement with the VSL rant. Go figure.

One last item before we move on. This comment may be the best thing anyone's said all year:

After holding season tickets for over 3 years, this was the first game I've ever walked out on... just infuriating.

Emphasis mine. Vandy fans: over three years of dedicated not walking out!

BIG TEN

The Big Ten has completed its season, but anyone looking for two fanbases spiraling out of control can just check out Iowa and Michigan. Unusually, fans of both schools are horrified at the idea Kirk Ferentz will be the next coach at Michigan. Black Heart, Gold Pants has the Iowa perspective:

This move makes no sense and would make nobody happy. While Iowa fans would be ambivalent upon his departure, we'd start getting awfully nostalgic when Ferentz is winning his old familiar 9 games in Ann Arbor and Mark Farley's putting the finishing touches on a 4-8 campaign.

Meanwhile, Shooting Blue's author made a list of the guys Michigan would have called if he was in charge and Tedford/Stoops/Miles was off the table:

1. Greg Schiano, Rutgers
2. Brian Kelly, Cincinnati
3. Chris Petersen, Boise State
4. Jim Leavitt, South Florida
5. Offensive Coordinator Du Jour
6. Defensive Coordinator Du Jour
7. Most Definitely not Kirk Ferentz
10. Probably not Kirk Ferentz
13. Maybe not Kirk Ferentz
15. Kirk Ferentz

You left off "6,120,100,103. Mike Debord."

PAC 10

Oregon. Yeah, a guy named "Leaf" is still quarterbacking Oregon. The result:

AtQ follows up with a post-apocalyptic entry:

It has sunk in that we have gone from the best team in college football to quite possibly the worst in two short weeks. And I'm not angry about it. There is nobody to blame. Its just really, really sad, to the point where watching the game last Saturday was just plain depressing. I don't blame the players. This isn't like last year; the players are giving 110%.

The result of a loss with no one to blame: malaise, lethargy, and depression. Is it any wonder anger is usually the order of the day amongst the jilted and disillusioned?

SEC

Alabama. Last week, the Capstone Report raged at everyone from the players to the old coach to the fans; this week Alabama lost to Auburn for the sixth straight time. This should be entertaining. Ready? Go!

Another season is gone. Another missed opportunity for excellence. This season should have been substantially better, but the malaise hanging over the Alabama program is more substantial than the malaise days of Jimmy Carter. This Alabama team underachieved not just because of lack of talent, but because a lack of character.

Perhaps the current 'Bama players should have eaten their greens. With 'Bama's bowl bid precarious and likely boring anyway, attention now turns to offseason pursuits like recruiting and watching "the disgraceful manner in which Tommy Tuberville is treating Auburn."

Meanwhile we've got a home-grown bit of schadenfreude here on the Fanhouse. Ryan Ferguson pointed out a new comment on his ULM-'Bama post. It was left after the Auburn game. It is magnificent:

i want to thank Saban for destroying my family.

My sons grandparents are auburn fans and we visit them only at deaths in the family. Well we Lost a 41 year old Auburn fan and preacher on Nov 11 2007. So we got together for the Funeral.the first time in two years because we are Bama fans. They ask us to come to their home for Christmas so we can help with the lost of their youngest son.

we agreed when we left their house my sons one is 24 one is 16 said if Auburn beats Alabama they never wanted to see them again. Guess what we lost and thanks to the sorry backs and Quarterback we have and the 4 million dollar coach we lost our family for good.

Thanks for destroying our hope our faith and family and the youth of Alabama's hopes forever. My 24 year old was going to transfer. this year if Bama Won but who wishes to play with a bunch of loser like the ones that take the field in Alabama,

(A couple paragraph breaks added for clarity.) I ... wow. Wow. I want more of this. Someone find this guy and have him replace Mark May. Please.

BIG EAST

Syracuse got hammered by Cincinnati last week, bringing their season to its merciful end. But that won't stop the pain in upstate New York: Greg Robinson is likely to return as head coach. Whereas other flailing outfits have cut bait (see: Texas A&M, Nebraska, Ole Miss) as soon as the regular season ended, Syracuse did not cut Robinson. The implication is clear. The happiness level is about what you might expect.

From Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician:

All in all, if they do indeed officially bring Greg back it will likely be 70% over money and 30% over not wanting to look bad for canning Robinson after only three years. Still, Syracuse firing Robinson wouldn't look bad at all in the current market and would be overshadowed by Ole Miss' and Nebraska's firings anyway. So you can probably blame the person who signed Greg to that contract for forcing Daryl Gross to keep him another year.

Oh wait, that WAS Gross.

Perhaps we've been going about this all wrong after all.

Orange 44's Matt Glaude takes a look at the decision that hypothetically still faces the Orangemen, noticing that hey, this Robinson guy sure seems to lose a lot of games, and that makes children cry, and why does the Syracuse athletic department hate children?

BIG TWELVE

Anyone in Kansas who's the slightest bit upset at Mark Mangino (other than buffet owners-fat joke say what ZING!) needs to be shot into space.

But the natives are getting ever so slightly restless at Texas. Losing to a moribund A&M program about to cut its coach loose will do that to you. Burnt Orange Nation in the aftermath:

Texas football is mediocre this year. It was Alamo Bowl mediocre last year.

Your defensive coordinator(s) just got slaughtered by a pedestrian Aggie offense. Your offensive coordinator proved his critics right with another dud. Also against a pedestrian Aggie unit.

Losses to OU and A&M in the same season. Two in a row to the Aggies; six of eight to OU.

I have to admit to liking this version of the Big 12 much better than the early 90s version when you watched (or, in my case, did not watch because some Big Ten game was on ABC) the Red River Shootout and that was the whole season, but I can see how Texas and Oklahoma fans might prefer the old days.

ACC

Miami has featured here the past couple weeks as the 'Canes got annexed by Virginia, but this week it's similarly disappointing instate rivals Florida State that got housed. Chant Rant previews Tim Tebow's Heisman acceptance speech:

"I want to thank my family, coaches and teammates. But in particular, I want to thank FSU. They made a pretty darn good quarterback look like a superhero with amazing supernatural super powers. I couldn't have done it without them."

Meanwhile, Scalp 'Em-um, yikes on the blog name-surveys the damage:

In an effort to improve the well executed defensive strategy of Won't Somebody Please Tackle Somebody came the suggestion from the couch "Maybe we can play Preston Parker on defense."

I don't know who Preston Parker is, but I do know that when you're looking for a defensive savior he probably shouldn't share a name with some kid playing polo at Eton.

This Week In Schadenfreude: Cornelius Vanderbilt's Ghost Is Livid originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 26 Nov 2007 12:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The ACC/SEC Challenge Of November 24, 2007 (And The Winner Is...)

Ian Cohen — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 21:07:00 EST

Filed under: Clemson Football, ACC, SEC, BCS, South Carolina Football, Vanderbilt Football, Wake Forest Football

The ACC gets called a lot of things as far as being a football conference, but "executioner" is most certainly not one of the most oft-used appellations. But as of this past Saturday, that's where they stood as two of its teams stood in the way of their SEC equivalents' dreams. South Carolina had fallen off with a velocity that suggests that maybe the earth is flat after all and was looking to salvage a disappointing season with a scalp against a bitter rival. And as far as Vanderbilt goes, they stood on the precipice of having their bowl bid equation fail once again. You know the math: a couple of OOC gimmes, some wins against the Mississippi schools, and odd upset here and there, voila- 6 wins and a possible postseason berth for the first time in over two decades.

Perhaps it was a minor slap on the wrist for the SEC advocates' incessant superiority complex, but Clemson and Wake Forest managed to get the job done, bolstering their bowl profiles and all but relegating USC and Vandy to December couch potatoes. Clemson, on the strength of Mark Buchholz's game-winning field goal, bested the Gamecocks by the score of 23-20 and Wake had a subtly dominating performance against the Commodores that resulted in a 31-14 victory. South Carolina, now possessing a victory that likely robs UGA of a shot of a national championship has lost five in a row and stands in grave danger of missing the bowl season altogether. Meanwhile, Vanderbilt has performed in a manner that suggests that they could likely sniff at breaking their 23-year itch in 2008, but against possible Nebraska coaching candidate Jim Grobe, they appeared overmatched.

While the Tigers appear headed to either a Gator Bowl or Chick Fil-A Bowl appearance, Wake is a primo candidate for the Meineke Car Care Bowl...which has to constitute the most overlooked 8-4 season from a school with less than 4,000 enrolled undergrads.

The ACC/SEC Challenge Of November 24, 2007 (And The Winner Is...) originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sun, 25 Nov 2007 21:07:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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You Probably Didn't Watch Tennessee-Vandy, But You Missed One Hell of a Game

Ryan Ferguson — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 16:32:00 EST

Filed under: Tennessee Football, SEC, Vanderbilt Football

Anyone actually watch that thing start to finish?

Not you, Tennessee fans. Or you, Vandy fans.

(scans crowd, notes lack of upraised hands)

Didn't think so. The game wasn't exactly easy to watch. If you're an ESPN Gameplan subscriber not living in a blackout area, you could have grabbed it, but with games like Michigan-Ohio State running, it was hard to pay much attention, wasn't it?

Well, you missed a great game. First, you missed Vanderbilt, a perennial SEC doormat, building up a 24-9 lead against their hated in-state rival heading into the 4th quarter.

Then you missed one of Tennessee's greatest, and perhaps most significant, comebacks of the Fulmer era, scoring 16 unanswered points to take a 25-24 victory.

Significance Factor 1: it kept Tennessee in the driver's seat for a berth in the SEC Championship game. Had they lost, Georgia would have represented the East.

Significance Factor 2: Phil Fulmer probably keeps his job if he wins the division, which as unthinkable as it sounded weeks ago, now seems quite likely unless Kentucky can pull the upset.

Enjoy the highlights.

(Vandy fans: sorry about the lack of quarters 2-3. Apparently this Vol fan didn't think much of your 3 quarters' worth of domination. And, uh, sorry about whole "losing a game you had in hand" thing. God must love torturing you guys.)

You Probably Didn't Watch Tennessee-Vandy, But You Missed One Hell of a Game originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 19 Nov 2007 16:32:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Miracle Comeback Might Have Saved Phil Fulmer's Job

Ryan Ferguson — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 19:24:00 EST

Filed under: Tennessee Football, SEC, NCAA FB Coaching, The Word, Vanderbilt Football

Phil Fulmer likes to keep things interesting. By cleverly allowing Vanderbilt to build a 15 point lead going into the 4th quarter, the Vols' head coach had the Commodores right where he wanted them: prematurely celebrating a win over their hated in-state rival.

Vandy head coach Bobby Johnson realized that he'd fallen into a trap, but it was too late. Tennessee scored 16 unsanswered points in the 4th-quarter to win 25-24.

Vandy actually had a chance to win the game after Tennessee took their single-digit lead. DJ Moore returned the ensuing kickoff 55 yards, but with :30 remaining, Bryan Hahnfeldt's 49-yard field goal attempt breezed just outside the left upright. Ain't it always the way with Vanderbilt?

The Vols' resurgence has been amazing. Since their awful 1-2 start to the season, Fulmer and co. have won seven of their last eight games. Only Kentucky now stands in the way of an SEC East title and a date with LSU in the Georgia Dome.

Tennessee probably can't beat Bayou Bengals, although stranger things (by far!) have happened this season. Still, just having the opportunity to return to the SEC Championship Game has to feel great for Vol fans. If the Vols beat the Wildcats next weekend, Phil Fulmer might have earned himself a ticket off the coaching hotseat.

Miracle Comeback Might Have Saved Phil Fulmer's Job originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 17 Nov 2007 19:24:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tebow Shines in Gators' Blowout of Vandy

Ryan Ferguson — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 16:29:00 EST

Filed under: Florida Football, SEC, Vanderbilt Football

The Gators completely rolled Vanderbilt in the Swamp, 49-22. In a surprise performance -- bordering on shocking, really -- Florida's defense played well, holding the Commodores to 254 total yards and 22 points.

Once again, Tim Tebow was the shining star of this show. The sophomore quarterback threw for 281 yards, completing 22 of 27 passes for 3 TDs and 1 INT, and also rushed for 2 additional TDs on the ground. He now holds the record for number of rushing TDs for an SEC quarterback in a single season.

Tebow's favorite target? Percy Harvin. Urban Meyer stated after Florida's loss to Georgia that he wanted Harvin to have more touches, and he delivered as promised: Harvin had 11 carries and 9 catches, gaining 223 combined yards for 2 TDs.

This definitely wasn't Vandy's day. Although they're only two weeks removed from the biggest upset in school history, knocking off former #6 South Carolina 17-6 in Columbia, the Commodores never seemed to find any rhythm on offense. Defensively, they were helpless against Florida's balanced attack, allowing 490 total yards.

A bowl still lingers as a possible objective for Vanderbilt. They're now 5-4 overall with games against Kentucky, Tennessee, and Wake Forest remaining. One win out of three gives Vandy their first bowl berth in over a quarter century.

Florida, meanwhile, is likely playing for a January bowl at this point. An SEC title isn't statistically impossible, but is highly unlikely.

Tebow Shines in Gators' Blowout of Vandy originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 03 Nov 2007 16:29:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spurrier: Vandy Was a 'Great Team'

Ryan Ferguson — Sun, 21 Oct 2007 19:02:00 EST

Filed under: SEC, South Carolina Football, Vanderbilt Football

From Gamecocks Online, Steve Spurrier's comments after losing to Vanderbilt, 17-6:

"This should not be a shock to our team. This should not be a shock. Hopefully it will straighten them out. They sure did lose to a great team."

... really? You really mean that? You told me they could really go, Coach, but I... click clack? What's that supp-- uh, bye.

The #6 team in the country losing to unranked Vanderbilt should be surprising, at least. Shouldn't it? Losing to a team which was pounded by Auburn 35-7, lost to a very weak Georgia team by a sliver, and showed up for a game on the Cocks' own turf, bringing a 1-3 SEC record with them? Yeah, that should be a shock.

Brandon from Garnet and Black Attack did not respond well to the Head Ball Coach's post-game sandbagging session. He writes:

A great team? No. A good team? Doubtful. An average team, a team that's finally one you have to pay attention to in the SEC? Yes.

I can only hope that Spurrier was putting on a show for the pollsters. His team was the "good team" on the field -- their homefield, no less -- Saturday. Maybe not a great team, but a good team. And they lost to an average or (maybe) above-average team.

So give Vanderbilt credit for the upset. But don't cheapen yourself by saying the Commodores are world-beaters.

Brandon blames the loss on the following factors: Offense, quarterback play, and offensive line. Could there be a silver lining here? Let's see how Brandon grades out the Gamecocks' overall performance:

GRADE: F. No excuse. No excuse. If there was a "G," they'd get that.

So much for that.

The Cool Chicken, another fun-to-read South Carolina blog, says "There is a first time" for everything:

In the three years that Steve Spurrier has been the football coach at the University of South Carolina, I have never once questioned him. Sure we have lost games but up until this point, it has been the fault of others. Poor execution by the team, not enough talent, bad bounces and other game related happenings that caused the team to fall short.

The loss yesterday to Vanderbilt however, falls squarely on the offensive genius' shoulders. For the first time, Coach Spurrier did not put us in a position to win the game. For the first time, Coach Spurrier made a decision before the game began that doomed our chances of competing. That decision was to rotate quarterbacks.

Me, personally, I blame the Steve Spurrier Dress-Up doll piece that ran in The State. Maybe the Ol' Ball Coach was just reminding everybody just who rules the roost in Columbia.

Spurrier: Vandy Was a 'Great Team' originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sun, 21 Oct 2007 19:02:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SEC Stock Tips: Buys and Sells

Ryan Ferguson — Sun, 21 Oct 2007 10:40:00 EST

Filed under: Auburn Football, Florida Football, Georgia Football, LSU Football, SEC, South Carolina Football, Vanderbilt Football

Ahem.

I'm not quite sure how to put into words what an amazing season 2007 has been in terms of upsets, close games, and instant classics. We're in uncharted territory here, folks. We've never seen a season like this, at least not in the modern era, and we might never see it again.

The SEC race is still wide open; oddly enough, only two SEC teams ride on the one-loss coach, and one of them is Alabama. Alabama... who just torched the SEC East's former leader, Tennessee. Yes! Alabama... who lost to 4-3 FSU... who just lost to Miami in a game not many people cared about and even fewer watched.

Yeah, figure that one out. It goes without saying that we'll start our trading day in Tuscaloosa, AL:

Buying: Alabama and Nick Saban. 41-17 over the rival who's owned you most of the last decade-point five has got ta stir echoes of past old greatness for Bama fans. We've seen what can be accomplished by this team when their quarterback has his act together. Also: Alabama was short five players, incuding starters on the OL, and it didn't phase them a bit.

Selling: Tennessee's defense, Phil Fulmer, and DC John Chavis. The Vols didn't have what it takes to win on this particular day, but the defensive unit helped Bama's offense -- and JP Wilson in particular -- sparkle. They allowed 17 second half points to get stacked on top of a 24-17 halftime lead. This is one of the worst defenses Tennessee fans have ever had to suffer. It begs the question: does this team give up when they face a two-possession deficit in the 3rd quarter?

~~Buying:~~ Holding: Les Miles. We've already had a polite discussion on the possible size of Miles' brain and 'nads, and the inter-relationship thereof. I've decided that Miles got very, very lucky. We could just as easily be discussing LSU's dashed title hopes this morning after Miles' inexplicable late game maneuverings and decision-making. Better to be lucky than good, so they say, but we don't buy and sell based on luck; so for now, hold.

Selling: Auburn. That's not to say this isn't a good team. Tuberville's a great coach, the defense is the real deal, and Brandon Cox has come alive ever since he was benched. They probably should have beaten LSU on the bayou. But their SEC hopes have been weakened dramatically. Now that they've lost head-to-head with their divisional rival, they'll have to pray for a miracle... and they'll also have to shift uncomfortably in their seats as they root for their most-hated foe (Alabama) to defeat the Tigers.

Buying: Florida. The Gators beat Kentucky -- easily the SEC East's second best team -- in a thriller which also announced that Tim Tebow's Heisman candidacy isn't just a 'sophomoric' oddity. The hulking QB threw for 256 yards and four TDs, while also pounding out 78 yards and a rushing TD on the ground in a turnover-free effort. The stats, while impressive, don't tell the entire story; Tebow made big plays whenever it was required of him, didn't throw a single bad pass and directed the Gator offense to victory. I think Tebow has announced that he's the front-runner for college football's most prestigious award.

Selling: South Carolina. A loss to... Vandy? Huh? Nobody saw that one coming. And the way they lost was shocking. The Gamecocks could only manage 6 points against Vanderbilt's 'vaunted' defense... the same team that Auburn trounced 35-7 just two weeks ago. Spurrier played musical quarterbacks throughout the game, but neither redshirt freshman Chris Smelley nor senior Blake Mitchell could make anything happen with the ball in their hands. But you've gotta love Steve Spurrier in his post-game pressers. When asked what he was going to do now, Spurrier said: "Well, we can't trade 'em. So I guess we have to coach 'em."

Buying: Vanderbilt. The last time the Commodores beat a No. 6 team? 1937. Congrats, Vanderbilt fans! Also buying: Bobby Johnson. I'm telling you: Johnson is one of the best coaches in the SEC. Yes, I know his record sucks. But look at how competitive his teams are and how they never quit. To be competitive at Vandy is the equivalent of absolute ownership of the MAC, WAC, and ACC. Johnson would be a great fit at a school like, oh, I don't know... Arkansas. Or Texas A&M. Or Nebraska.

Selling: Mark Richt. Yeah, I know the Dawgs sat idle this weekend. But Richt's comments after losing big to Tennessee two weeks ago still feel like salt in an open wound to Georgia fans: he "wasn't surprised" that Tennessee's line handled his the way that they did. It's even more relevant now that Alabama just destroyed the Vols. Buck up, coach! This is the SEC! Keep playing the role of milquetoast to the hilt and your team's gonna lose a lot of games. On the plus side, they do get to use this bye-week to rest and prepare for Florida in the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party.

SEC Stock Tips: Buys and Sells originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sun, 21 Oct 2007 10:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cocks Not So Cocky After Vandy Loss

Brian Grummell — Sat, 20 Oct 2007 15:45:00 EST

Filed under: SEC, South Carolina Football, Vanderbilt Football

Yeah so raise your hand if you saw this one coming?

So Vanderbilt went wire-to-wire in beating South Carolina today. The score was 17-0 after the first quarter . . . then didn't really change the rest of the way. South Carolina got as close as 17-6 at the end of the first half but that was it for the rest of the game.

The Commodores' defense showed up in a big way, limiting South Carolina to an afternoon of punts and turnovers. That's been the story all year for South Carolina's offense, described as "putrid" last week by coach Steve Spurrier. So much for that mad scientist rep, eh? His quarterbacks were sacked seven times as they spent all afternoon facing a 17-point deficit.

Reserve quarterback MacKenzie Adams stole the show for Vanderbilt in rushing for 90 yards and moving the chains enough the rest of the game to limit the Gamecocks' possessions.

And so just like that, down goes another supposed top-10 team in this crazy college football season.

Cocks Not So Cocky After Vandy Loss originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 20 Oct 2007 15:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Old School: Vanderbilt Defined in 81 Yards

Andy Katzer — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 23:45:00 EST

Filed under: SEC, NCAA FB Video, Vanderbilt Football

"Old School" is the College Football FanHouse's irregular look back at the rich history of college football, usually through the medium of embeddable flash video. Check out the Old School archive for more famous plays and infamous hair.

I've always felt that this one play sums up everything anyone needs to know about Vanderbilt football. It's former Commie punter Bill Marinangel pulling a fast one on Alabama and peeling off an 81-yard fake punt run for a touchdown in 1996 (also made Old-School worthy by the antiquated espn2 logo and bottom line scoreboard that takes up like 1/3 of the screen):

Okay, so cool play, but what makes it so inherently "Vanderbilt"? First, it gave the 'Dores false hope of beating Alabama (a team they regularly scare but rarely beat) before losing the game 36-26. Also, it's a very intelligent play -- Marinangel took advantage of what Bama gave him -- and you expect intelligence out of Vandy players if nothing else.

But more than anything is the fact that this play still stands as the longest run from scrimmage in Vanderbilt history. That's right, Vandy's greatest run didn't even come from a running back; it came from the punter. And nothing quite says "Show Your Gold!" like spending Saturday hoping the punter will do something to amaze you.

Old School: Vanderbilt Defined in 81 Yards originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 17 Oct 2007 23:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tide Runs Over Vandy

Pete Holiday — Sun, 09 Sep 2007 17:15:00 EST

Filed under: Alabama Football, SEC, Vanderbilt Football

Things in Nashville Saturday did not go quite as expected. Most obviously, Alabama won convincingly, both on the scoreboard and on the field. Many expected it to be a much closer game, with Nickson and Bennett taking over the ballgame and turning it into something of a shoot-out.

Nickson had a poor showing, ending up completing barely a quarter of his 18 passes for only 67 yards, one pick, and no touchdowns. His backup, Mackenzi Adams, had a much better day, but still nothing to write home about. Earl Bennett was good, but far from great, and had a couple of key miscues (including a pass interference call on the first play of the game that negated a huge gain). Alabama didn't look quite like most people expected, either.

For starters, John Parker Wilson, the highly regarded Junior quarterback, had an abysmal showing. Poor decisions and badly thrown balls plagued the offense. Wilson missed a number of wide-open deep balls, threw an interception (it easily could've been three), and didn't manage to throw a single touchdown pass. What's more, the offensive line -- previously thought to be a weak spot for Alabama -- actually looked pretty good, and the Tide's stable of running backs looked spectacular (especially Freshman Terry Grant).

Looking Ahead

Although it's still far too early to be judgmental, it's hard to argue with the claim that Shula had John Parker Wilson looking better than Saban has so far. Saban and Wilson have exactly one week to figure something out, as Arkansas will not be nearly as forgiving of a one-dimensional offense as Vanderbilt was on Saturday. There are still a lot of questions to answer, but one thing is clear: Nick Saban's Tide is not letting lesser teams hang around, and that's nothing but good news for the Tide. Step one to getting back on top is winning the games you're supposed to win, and doing so comfortably.

Vandy's bowl hopes are all but dead. They need five more wins to get to bowl eligibility. If Nickson and Bennett heat up, Ole Miss next weekend shouldn't be a problem. Eastern Michigan is a no-brainer. Then things start to get hairy. A run of Auburn, Georgia, and South Carolina will likely turn out to be three losses for the 'Dores. They also have Florida and Tennessee, both of whom should win easily. That leaves Vanderbilt scrambling to beat Miami (Ohio), Wake Forest, and Kentucky to get into a bowl game. None of which will be easy games. Don't be surprised if Vandy's eliminated from the post season by the first week in November and end the season at 3-9.

Tide Runs Over Vandy originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sun, 09 Sep 2007 17:15:00 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: Most Overrated

Ryan Ferguson — Sun, 05 Aug 2007 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Auburn Football, Florida Football, LSU Football, Tennessee Football, SEC, Vanderbilt Football

Overrated? The SEC? Never!

Calling a given player 'overrated' is a tricky thing. 'Overrated' does not imply good, nor does it imply bad. Overrated simply means, in our eyes, that too much hype/speculation/what have you surrounds the shimmering aura of this college football player. And we're going to put a stop to that nefarious practice by taking an objective look... right now. Here are the SEC's "Most Overrated" Players. A tough job, mind you, because this conference is filled with outstanding players.

1. Earl Bennett, Vanderbilt

I love Vanderbilt. I've been quoted as saying as much here at FanHouse for the past eon or so, and they're easily my second favorite team in the SEC after my beloved Gators. I don't love them because they win championships, or for that matter even that they win a few games. I love them because they're a fiercely competitive team that never gives up no matter how far down they may be, and because they give everyone they play a tough game despite Vandy's difficulty in landing premiere players.

So why would I tag WR Earl Bennett as an "overrated" player? In 2006 he had 1146 receiving yards and six TDs. That's a damn good year for an SEC player.

But I think he's overrated, which as the abstract above clearly explains, does not mean he's a marginal player. I think he's quite good, but not 1st-team All-SEC (which is where he was voted by SEC coaches in the pre-season.)

When you look at Bennett's production in 2006, the majority of his yards and TDs come via lesser teams. Against Tennessee State, Duke, Ole Miss, and Kentucky (all of which field horrendous defenses) he racked up 664 yards, over half of his year total, and 3 of his 6 TDs. Against Michigan, Alabama, and Arkansas, and Tennessee he only managed 150 combined yards and one TD.

Oddly enough, one of Bennett's better games was against the Gators in Nashville, where he racked up 157 yards and a TD. However, that yardage came primarily in the second half, when the Gator defense opened the umbrella while they tried to nurse a 25-6 lead in the 4th quarter. That doesn't disqualify Bennett's results, of course, but it's a heck of a lot easier to catch passes when you're going up against deep zone coverage. Good, but not great: Earl Bennett.

2. Jonathan Hefney, Tennessee

Hefney's a player who 'emerged' last year as a junior after languishing as somewhat of an anonymous DB in years prior. He had five INTs in 2006 and was also one of the leading tacklers for the Vols. The 5' 9" CB is another pre-season All-SEC player and has also been projected as a first-round draft pick by NFL Draft Scout.

So what's the beef? First of all, for a CB Hefney could stand to be a bit faster. He runs nearly a 4.5 forty-yard dash. Second, like Bennett, most of his production comes against lesser teams. 2 of his INTs came from Marshall and Memphis and a third comes from Vanderbilt.

Jonathan Hefney is a solid player, but I would be very surprised if he's drafted in the first round. I think he'll be strong for Tennessee in '06, but is not a first-team All-SEC'er.

3. Brandon Cox, Auburn

In the SEC, a quarterback is either on an upward trend or he's stagnating and getting worse. For the past two years I've failed to understand the hype about Brandon Cox. In 2005, his first year as a starter, he fared reasonably well, throwing for 2300 yards and completing 57.8% of his passes. He also threw 15 TDs and 8 INTs. But in 2006, due in part to injury, he managed fewer total yards, threw one less TD and one extra INT. His QB rating actually went up to 138 from 132, but that was primarily as a result of a higher YPA.

For once, SEC coaches agree with me because despite being one of only three senior quarterbacks in the conference, he did not earn any All-SEC honors.

Brandon Cox was sacked an ungodly 34 times in '06, up quite a bit from the 20 he suffered in 2005, but all too many of those sacks came as a result of holding onto the ball too long.

I believe Brandon Cox is a good quarterback; but the SEC is filled with those. To come out ahead in this conference, you'll need to bring a gold standard player to the position. To expect greatness out of Cox in '07 just doesn't seem reasonable given his past production. Look for another outstanding year from the Tigers, but Cox's presence under center isn't going to be a catalyst.

4. Matt Flynn, LSU

If you didn't know the name going in, and I told you that an SEC powerhouse was going to start a guy who went 12-20 for 133 total yards in '06 for 2 TDs and 1 INT, would you be excited about the next great quarterback to emerge in the SEC?

If you're an LSU fan, yes, you would, because you'd know it was none other than Matt Flynn, QB for the #2 ranked LSU Tigers.

Don't get me wrong. I like Flynn. I think he'll do a fine job and has all the potential to be a great quarterback. But Flynn's single claim to fame came from his play in relief of an injured Jamarcus Russell against Miami in the 2005 Peach Bowl -- that's looking back one hell of a long way in the rear-view mirror. He's good enough to make FanHouse's Top 5 SEC quarterbacks but he'll have to prove he's the real deal out on the field. Can he? Yes, but for now he's overrated.

5. Brandon Spikes, Florida

Spikes will attempt to replace the irreplaceable Brandon Siler from the '06 championship squad. As a reserve freshman LB in 2006 he ranked 13th in tackles, making 9 solo and 6 assisted. He did start one game for Florida: against the Div. I-AA (excuse me, FCS) Western Carolina Catamounts. You'd think he would have had a field day against the Ligers, but the Gators' defensive line cleaned up most of WCU's mess before he had a chance to make many tackles.

Spikes is a physical specimen. At 6' 4" and 235 lbs., his style of play and overall physicality remind me of Channing Crowder (who was notable because he liked to wrestle wild hogs to stay in shape.) But as of today, Spikes is largely untested and has not made a big impact in his limited playing action. Despite that, head coach Urban Meyer is looking to Spikes to be a leader on defense.

The jury is out on this one. As a Florida fan I have high expectations for Spikes. As a dispassionate AOL FanHouse SEC blogger, I say the expectations are currently set a bit higher than reality should allow. Therefore, he's overrated.

SEC Football Preview '07: Most Overrated originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sun, 05 Aug 2007 12:00:00 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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SEC Football Preview '07: 2006 Recap

Ryan Ferguson — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 11:50:00 EST

August. It's the last month you're allowed to cast a longing glance back, to replay those DVR/Tivo'd bowl games, and to reflect upon last season. Lo, where to begin? Looking back on a weird and wonderful 2006 campaign which saw the SEC climb to BCS heights, it's hard not to count the conference's blessings and ignore its warts.

At the end of the day, almost everything about the SEC's 2006 season was a surprise. LSU was the biggest, most athletic, and talented team in the conference, yet they lost to both Auburn and Florida, finished third in their division, and were forced to settle for thumping Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl. Arkansas won 10 straight but lost their last 3, never fielding a fully serviceable and ready-to-play quarterback, but providing plenty of soap opera entertainment throughout. Tennessee lost by a single digit to the Gators in Knoxville which ended up, as usual, casting an early pall on the loser of the grudge match. Kentucky won seven regular season games and capped their resurgent season with a rare bowl victory. After winning 10 games in the previous year, Alabama tanked in '06, dumped its fifth straight to Auburn, which led to Mal Moore dumping Mike Shula as a result. And the Gators eeked their way uglily (yes, I'm inventing a word) through a one-loss season for a chance to win a national championship. They made the most of that opportunity, by the way.

Let's look back and recap the superlatives of the 2006 season.

Most Ridiculous Moment

The challenge here, of course, is identifying precisely which moment in Fayetteville, Arkansas stands out the most. Sure, you have all of Houston Nutt's zany witticisms and gameday antics, but '06 stands alone as one of the most turbulent periods in the Nutt era. Even before Text-gate, before the news reporter and post-season scandal, you had Nutt yanking a promising freshman QB (Mitch Mustain) to replace him with a nominally useless Casey Dick. You had the Springdale Five and the Mamas and Papas coming to talk with 'Daddy Warbucks' Frank Broyles about all the blocking, but the lack of catching, that their speedy sons were doing. Of course, former high school coordinator Gus Malzahn was reined back in after being cut loose for only a few games to run his spread offense. And don't forget the Razorbacks losing to Wisconsin in the Capital One Bowl, 17-14, despite outrushing the Badgers 232 yards to -5. Now that is ridiculous! Lost in all the madness? That Arkansas won 10 games in addition to the SEC West. Nutt will have to do at least that much again in '07 to keep his job.

Honorable mentions go to Coach Ed Orgeron at Ole Miss for generally being ridiculous at all times, and of course LSU's Les Miles for his big honking hat (and mouth.)

Most Disappointing

We'll go with South Carolina. Steve Spurrier's 'Cocks came tantalizingly close to beating Florida (17-16), Arkansas (26-20), Tennessee (31-24) and Auburn (24-17) yet could only manage a 3-5 conference record. For a guy like Steve Spurrier, that's enough to make you doff your visor and fing your clipboard. Although the Cocks did finish with an 8-5 overall record, they couldn't find any consistency. At times things looked shaky against Houston in the Liberty Bowl -- the Gamecocks didn't exactly ring up "SEC Defense" points as they gave up 527 yards to a C-USA team -- but they did leave with a bowl win and are poised to improve in '07.

Most disappointing player? Check the "Biggest Fraud" section.

Most Improved

When you take a 3-8 record and convert it into 8-5 with a bowl victory, you easily come out on top in this category. Welcome to the club, Kentucky, it's nice to have you: with a 4-4 SEC record and a win over Clemson in the Music City Bowl, Kentucky has climbed to the top of the middle-of-the-pack SEC East bulge. Kentucky had the best quarterback in the conference last year in Andre Woodson; they bring him back in '07 with a potent offense, and the chance for another post-season appearance. (Pssst: the problem? A defense that's, well, challenged is the nicest way we can say it.)

Will Kentucky win as many games in '07? The schedule's tougher, but the team's better. We'll say there's a 50/50 chance they'll match their '06 record.

Biggest Fraud

Ahem. Brent Schaeffer. The former Vol quarterback departed the SEC after smacking a fellow student around in '04, and attended the College of the Sequoias to keep his arm and speedy feet in shape. He returned to the SEC at the invitation of Ole Miss, where Coach 'O' named him the starter before he ever set foot on campus. Did he live up to the hype? Not so much: he completed only 47% of his passes and threw more INTs (10) than TDs (9) resulting in a miserable 100.75 QB rating.

To be fair to the kid, he stepped back into SEC play with almost no opportunity to catch up with the playbook; he attended summer classes at his JUCO and barely made it onto campus in time for Fall practice. With a year under his belt, he might look better in '07. However, early word is that walk-on QB Seth Adams is giving Schaeffer a serious run for his money in pre-season practice. If Schaeffer doesn't start against Memphis on September 1st, his career will essentially be finished.

Best Player

With his strong performance in the Sugar Bowl and his subsequent #1 overall draft position, it's tempting to name Jamarcus Russell. But meltdowns against Florida and Auburn will keep the Big Fella a notch lower on the totem pole.

Fingering Darren McFadden as the best player in the SEC seems unavoidable when you consider his stats and the fact that he was injured for a good portion of the season. He didn't play against USC and was injured in the Hogs' game against Florida in the SEC Championship game, but still managed to rack up 1,647 rushing yards and 14 TDs on the ground. He also passed for three more touchdowns out of the Hogs' "Wildcat" formation. McFadden came in second in Heisman voting (take that, Brady Quinn, you self-aggrandizing bastard!) and is the leading candidate for college football's most prestigious player award in '07.

SEC Football Preview '07: 2006 Recap originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Fri, 03 Aug 2007 11:50:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Unanimity Advanced: McFadden Leads Coaches Pre-Season All-SEC Team

Andy Katzer — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 23:05:00 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

If the SEC coaches were only going to unanimously vote one player as first-team preseason All-SEC, it's only fitting that Arkansas' Darren McFadden, Humanity Advanced, would be the one they picked. It's the third year in a row that just one SEC player was chosen as a unanimous selection (Ole Miss LB Patrick Willis in '06 and Auburn OL Marcus McNeil in '05), so it is a trend, though I wouldn't have been surprised to see some other guys picked on all of the ballots, like LSU DT Glenn Dorsey or Kentucky TE Jacob Tamme.

Though McFadden's unanimous pick was predictable, there were a couple of oddities within the teams. For example, Vanderbilt had as many first-team selections (three) as Tennessee and more than anybody else but LSU (five); maybe there is reason for optimism in Nashville. South Carolina's Ryan Succop was named second-team punter and kicker, and no third team punter was named. Only Georgia didn't have a player picked on the first-team offense or defense, though Bandon Coutu was the first-team kicker.

Florida speed demon Percy Harvin, a key to Florida's national championship last year, was relegated to the third team... though I can't imagine most coaches in the league passing up Harvin if given the chance to have him this year. Also, most teams in the SEC rely on offensive sets that use more than two receivers, shouldn't there be more than two slots for WRs on the All-SEC team?

Unanimity Advanced: McFadden Leads Coaches Pre-Season All-SEC Team originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Fri, 20 Jul 2007 23:05:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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