SB Nation - Arkansas Razorbacks

Independence Bowl Preview: Conclusions About the Georgia Bulldogs' and the Texas A&M Aggies' Common Opponents

T Kyle King — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 16:30:21 -0000

Just as Team Speed Kills compared the common opponents of the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Florida Gators prior to the SEC championship game, so too have I looked at the common opponents of the Georgia Bulldogs and the Texas A&M Aggies, which led to these conclusions about the two teams appearing in next Monday’s Independence Bowl:

Category	Georgia	Texas A&M	Difference
Points For	62	50	UGA +12
Points Against	65	83	UGA -18
Passing Yards	537	618	A&M +81
Rushing Yards	250	222	UGA +28
Total Yards	787	840	A&M +53
Passing Yds. All.	543	550	UGA -7
Rushing Yds. All.	249	332	UGA -83
Total Defense	792	882	UGA -90
Turnover Margin	-5	+1	A&M +6

If I’m reading that right, I think it means that, if Willie Martinez had elected to stick around for the Independence Bowl, he would have coached the best defense on the field for the second straight game. I’m not entirely certain my brain is prepared to process that possibility.

Georgia averaged 31 points per game against the admittedly small sample set of their two common opponents. The Arkansas Razorbacks and the Oklahoma St. Cowboys surrendered an average of 25 points per game to the Aggies, for a differential of two field goals (or a touchdown and a missed extra point, but let’s give Blair Walsh a little more credit than that, shall we?) per contest.

Defensively, the contrast was even more striking. The Bulldogs conceded 32.5 points per game to the Hogs and the Pokes, whereas Texas A&M gave up 41.5 points per game to that same pair of opponents. That’s a nine point swing in favor of the Red and Black.

On the whole, the respective Independence Bowl contestants performed similarly in the ground game, with the Georgians outgaining the Texans by an average of fourteen rushing yards per outing, but the Maroon and White were more effective through the air by 40.5 yards per contest, giving Texas A&M an overall edge in total offense of 26.5 yards per game.

Once again, though, the Bulldogs fielded the more stout defense of the two, enjoying a minuscule advantage of 3.5 fewer passing yards per game allowed and demonstrating fairly solid superiority against the running game by giving up 41.5 fewer rushing yards per contest. What the Aggies have taken over the top, the Red and Black have taken away in the trenches. That’s a tradeoff I’m willing to take, as giving up 45 fewer yards per outing could make a real difference, particularly if most of that extra yardage is denied the opposition in the running game.

The above chart lists nine categories, and I have to admit that I’m feeling pretty good after looking at the first eight of them, as Georgia comes out ahead in six of those. The final line of that statistical thumbnail sketch is as ominous as it is amazing, though; the Bulldogs outperformed the Aggies against the Razorbacks and the Cowboys in spite of a gap in turnover margin of---wait for it---three giveaways per game operating against the Classic City Canines.

Depending upon your point of view, that figure represents a hopeful indicator or a glaring warning. If the ‘Dawgs were able to do so well comparatively while shooting themselves in the foot so consistently---in contests, it should be noted, that both occurred in road games on distant fields in Fayetteville and Stillwater, while the Maroon and White hosted the Hogs and the Pokes in their home state---just imagine how well they could do if they simply kept their turnover margin even against Texas A&M.

The flipside of that factor is obvious, though. Against the South Carolina Gamecocks and the Arizona St. Sun Devils, the Red and Black had games well in hand before turning comfortable wins into nailbiters through their own miscues. The Aggies certainly are better than Arizona State and probably are better than the Palmetto State Poultry; Georgia has a decent shot at beating Texas A&M, but the ‘Dawgs can make it harder than it has to be if they have to beat both the Aggies and themselves . . . and, after spending Labor Day weekend in the Sooner State, I am not sanguine about the Classic City Canines’ prospects for crossing several state lines to play a Big 12 South opponent and emerging victorious if they handle the football as though their hands had been smeared with the proverbial sticks of butter.

If the Independence Bowl combatants’ respective contests against Arkansas and Oklahoma State are representative samples of their bodies of work, Georgia can run the ball a little better than Texas A&M and stop the run a good bit better than the Aggies. If the Bulldogs can control the line of scrimmage, the Maroon and White’s superior passing game may not matter . . . but that ugly "A&M +6" in the column representing the difference in turnover margin ought to be keeping Coach Richt up nights between now and Monday afternoon.

Can Georgia hang onto the football against Texas A&M? The answer to that question most likely is also the answer to the question, "Can Georgia win the Independence Bowl?" As this season has taught me to do, I am hoping for the affirmative yet anticipating the negative.

Go ‘Dawgs!

SEC Power Poll All-SEC Results

Gamecock Man — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 15:16:43 -0000

The results for some of the SEC Power Poll All-SEC Results are rolling in. Check out Team Speed Kills for more information and check out the mentioned blogs for roll outs:

Quarterback: Tim Tebow (Alligator Army)
Running Backs: Mark Ingram, Dexter McCluster (Roll Bama Roll)
Wide Receivers: A.J. Green, Shay Hodge (Hey Jenny Slater)
Defensive Line: Terrence Cody, Antonio Coleman, Carlos Dunlap, Justin Houston / Cliff Matthews (War Blog Eagle)
Linebackers: Rolando McClain, Eric Norwood, Rennie Curran (Leftover Hot Dog)
Defensive Backs: Eric Berry, Joe Haden, Javier Arenas, Mark Barron (Gate 21)

Independence Bowl Preview: How the Georgia Bulldogs and the Texas A&M Aggies Each Fared Against the Oklahoma State Cowboys

T Kyle King — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 04:04:32 -0000

As I noted previously, the days leading up to the SEC championship game saw Team Speed Kills comparing the Alabama Crimson Tide’s and the Florida Gators’ common opponents, which I have begun to do for the Independence Bowl participants, the Georgia Bulldogs and the Texas A&M Aggies (while conceding the admitted limitations inherent to such an endeavor).

Georgia and Texas A&M had only two common opponents this season. Last night, we looked at the Arkansas Razorbacks. Tonight, we will examine how the Independence Bowl invitees each performed against the Oklahoma St. Cowboys:

Category	Georgia	Texas A&M
Game Number	1	5
Score	L 24-10	L 36-31
Passing Yards	162	273
Rushing Yards	95	109
Total Yards	257	382
Passing Yds. All.	135	279
Rushing Yds. All.	172	169
Total Defense	307	448
Third Downs	33.3% (4 of 12)	43.8% (7 of 16)
Third Down Defense	40.0% (6 of 15)	42.9% (6 of 14)
Turnover Margin	-3	Even

Once again, a cursory look at the statistics suggests that the outing in Shreveport very well could be defense-optional. Although the Bulldogs’ and the Aggies’ contests against the Razorbacks were more proximate in time than their respective games against the Pokes, Georgia’s and Texas A&M’s showdowns with Oklahoma State were more similar sorts of games.

The Cowboys held a three-point halftime lead on the Bulldogs in Stillwater on September 5 and they carried a one-point deficit into the locker room in College Station on October 10, which is about the difference you would figure, given that the Waddies were playing the former game at home and the latter on the road. Georgia and Texas A&M both trailed Oklahoma State by seven points at the end of three quarters.

Accordingly, it is unlikely that the game situations appreciably altered either squad’s approach, as both outings unfolded along similar lines. That being the case, the Aggies clearly made better adjustments against Oklahoma State in the final 45 minutes.

The Bulldogs led the Cowpokes 7-0 after one quarter of play, only to be outscored 24-3 the rest of the way. The Oklahomans led the Texans 7-0 after one quarter of play, only to be outscored 31-29 the rest of the way. Georgia began the autumn by receiving the opening kickoff in Boone Pickens Stadium and marching 80 yards in ten plays to score a touchdown on the season’s first drive. Joe Cox attempted just three passes, completing two of them, and the ‘Dawgs ran the ball on the other seven snaps. Richard Samuel (four rushes for 31 yards), Branden Smith (two rushes for nine yards), and Logan Gray (one rush for two yards) all contributed to the ground game on the initial series. It was a good start to 2009, but the game---the season, really---went straight downhill from there.

After forcing the Pokes to punt on their first possession, the Red and Black again were back in business; three snaps into their second series, the Athenians had picked up a first down on a pair of Richard Samuel rushes and an Oklahoma State penalty. Georgia’s next four plays were a trio of Joe Cox passes, two of which were broken up by Perrish Cox, and a Drew Butler punt.

The Bulldogs ran sixteen more plays in the balance of the first half. Nine of these were passes, of which four were incomplete and three of the other five picked up three or fewer yards. A Cowboy field goal with five seconds remaining until halftime staked Okie State to a 10-7 lead and Georgia never did more than threaten to climb back into the contest after that. Joe Cox finished with a 50 per cent completion rate for 162 yards and as many interceptions as touchdowns.

The ‘Dawgs trailed the Pokes by 50 yards of total offense, had fewer first downs, and held the ball for a little more than 26 minutes of clock time. The Aggies, by contrast, were a couple of minutes closer to even in time of possession and picked up five more first downs than their Big 12 South opponent in a loss. Texas A&M had little early success against Oklahoma State, as the Aggies ran the ball eight times in the opening quarter (discounting sacks) and never gained more than six feet on any of those rushes. The first five times Jerrod Johnson tried to pass, the results were completions of four and twelve yards to Uzoma Nwachukwu, a pair of incompletions, and a sack.

Trailing by a touchdown, Texas A&M came to life in the second stanza. An eight-play drive beginning in the first quarter and featuring two passes which together covered 42 yards of real estate went deep into Cowboy territory before Randy Bullock missed a 32-yard field goal that Sandra Bullock should have made. Undaunted, the Aggies launched touchdown drives of 57 and 51 yards, responded to the Pokes’ recovery of a Jerrod Johnson fumble at the Texans’ 37 yard line by picking off a Zac Robinson pass to reclaim possession, and drove 71 yards to the Oklahoma State one yard line before turning the ball over on downs just before intermission.

Again discounting sacks but including two-point conversion attempts, the Aggies ran the ball thirteen times in the second quarter, only twice gaining more than five yards in a single rushing attempt, but Texas A&M remained sufficiently dedicated to the run that it opened up the pass. With a balanced attack featuring 42 pass attempts and 41 rushing attempts, Jerrod Johnson threw for 273 yards, three touchdowns, and no picks.

If there is any encouragement to be taken from the Bulldogs’ and the Aggies’ comparable games against the Cowboys, it is this: Texas A&M played much better against Oklahoma State than Georgia did, but all the Maroon and White had to show for it was a more exciting loss. The Pokes beat the Aggies despite (1) playing at Kyle Field, (2) trailing in first downs, (3) offsetting their lone takeaway with a corresponding giveaway to even the turnover margin, and (4) incurring 118 yards’ worth of penalties to Texas A&M’s 30.

The Big 12 South battle went in favor of the visiting Okies because they outgained the hometown Texans by 60 yards on the ground and six yards through the air, averaging 11.2 yards per pass. Georgia was much more careless with the football than the Aggies, posting a minus-three turnover ratio against the Cowboys that would become disturbingly familiar to Bulldog fans over the course of the campaign, and the Classic City Canines partially offset the Pokes’ 106 penalty yards with 58 of their own.

Nevertheless, a fairly decent defensive effort by the ‘Dawgs limited Oklahoma State to 6.1 yards per pass and held the Cowboys to a rushing effort (3.7 yards per carry) comparable to the 3.5 yards per running play they averaged against the Aggies. Carelessness with the football was a large part of what doomed the Red and Black in Stillwater, and that would become a familiar and infuriating theme of the season, but that fact offers at least some cause for hope, for this reason: Georgia has won the turnover battle in two of its last three games. If the SEC representative in Shreveport can find a way to hang onto the pigskin, the Athenians have a chance.

Go ‘Dawgs!

Independence Bowl Preview: How the Georgia Bulldogs and the Texas A&M Aggies Each Fared Against the Arkansas Razorbacks

T Kyle King — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 03:22:59 -0000

In the days leading up to the anticlimactic (yet deeply satisfying) SEC championship game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Florida Gators, Team Speed Kills did an outstanding job of comparing the two combatants by calling attention to the seven opponents common to them both. On a much less impressive level, and to a much more limited extent, I would like to subject the Independence Bowl contestants, the Georgia Bulldogs and the Texas A&M Aggies, to a similar analysis.

Georgia’s and Texas A&M’s schedules featured only a pair of shared teams, the first of which we will look at this evening. Here is how the Bulldogs and the Aggies stacked up against the Arkansas Razorbacks:

Category	Georgia	Texas A&M
Game Number	3	4
Score	W 52-41	L 47-19
Passing Yards	375	345
Rushing Yards	155	113
Total Yards	530	458
Passing Yds. All.	408	271
Rushing Yds. All.	77	163
Total Defense	485	434
Third Downs	38.5% (5 of 13)	38.9% (7 of 18)
Third Down Defense	21.4% (3 of 14)	41.7% (5 of 12)
Turnover Margin	-2	+1

I think I’ll start by going out on a limb here and declaring that the gridiron battle in Shreveport will not be a defensive struggle. Both the Bulldogs and the Aggies gave up a boatload of yards and more than 40 points to a Razorback offense currently ranked first in the SEC in scoring offense (37.3 points per game) and second in the league in total offense (439.3 yards per game).

Measured against Arkansas’s season-long figures, Georgia had more or less an average day against the Razorbacks in points permitted and Texas A&M had almost exactly an average day against the Hogs in yards allowed, but those numbers were padded by Arkansas’s dates with Division I-AA Missouri State, Eastern Michigan, and Troy. Those three opponents between them conceded 167 of the 448 points the Razorbacks have tallied this season. Against BCS conference opponents other than Georgia and Texas A&M, Arkansas averaged 27.6 points per outing, and only one team from an automatically qualifying league other than the Bulldogs and the Aggies gave up more than 20 points to the Hogs prior to November 7. Arkansas has a good offense, but that reality should not be allowed to mask the fact that neither Georgia nor Texas A&M sports a good defense. (That may be why Georgia’s entire defensive staff was fired and Texas A&M fans are debating whether to replace the Aggies’ defensive coordinator.)

That said, the two Independence Bowl invitees exhibited different strengths (or, perhaps more accurately, different weaknesses) against the Razorbacks. The Aggies surrendered more than twice as many rushing yards to the Hogs as the ‘Dawgs allowed, yet the Red and Black gave up more than a football field’s worth of yardage more than Texas A&M did through the air. To some extent, this is due to the different types of games the two teams played against Arkansas---Georgia engaged in a shootout with the Hogs while the Aggies had to play catch-up after trailing by 20 points at the break---but those statistics are not misleading: Ryan Mallett dropped back to pass five times on the Razorbacks’ first three drives against Texas A&M, and the results were three incompletions and two sacks.

On the opposite side of the ball, both Independence Bowl signal callers aired it out against Arkansas. The Aggies’ Jerrod Johnson connected with eight different receivers while going 30 of 58 for 345 yards and two touchdowns while the much more efficient Joe Cox (how often do you hear that phrase?) completed 18 of his 26 attempts for 375 yards and five TDs.

Georgia and Texas A&M succeeded in converting third downs at virtually identical rates against an Arkansas outfit ranked in the middle of the SEC in third-down conversions allowed (36.0%), but the Bulldogs’ third-down defense was markedly better against a Razorback unit that moves the chains 36.2 per cent of the time in such situations.

The red flags for the Red and Black are to be found on the lines labeled "passing yards allowed" and "total defense," although those numbers deserve a closer look. After taking a ten-point first-quarter lead, the Aggies gave up eight scores on a dozen Arkansas possessions, with six of those marches ending in touchdowns. The Hogs’ first three series of the contest ended in punts, after which the SEC West squad went on drives of 77, 38, 26, 73, 70, 63, and 73 yards, with an 85-yard Jerry Franklin fumble return for a touchdown thrown in for good measure. Only a second-quarter interception, a three-and-out to start the second half, a fourth-quarter fumble, and a kneeldown in the closing seconds prevented Arkansas from putting up points each time the Hogs touched the ball after their initial jitters.

The Bulldogs’ game against the Razorbacks in Fayetteville followed a very different pattern from that seen in the Aggies’ neutral site outing against Arkansas at Arlington seven days later. Instead of leaping out to an early lead, the ‘Dawgs were down 21-10 at the end of the opening period. Georgia mounted nine scoring drives, six of which covered at least 57 yards, and what happened to Mallett late in the game was even more bewildering.

The Razorback quarterback was on fire to start the second half against the Red and Black. Mallett completed eight of his first nine attempts and three of those passes went for 30 yards or more. Inside the five-minute mark in the third quarter, though, he was shut down, connecting on three of his last fourteen aerials for 36 yards. During that span, Mallett took a sack but did not guide a touchdown drive.

If the Bulldogs’ and the Aggies’ respective performances against the Hogs are any indication, there ought to be yards gained and points galore in Shreveport. Texas A&M probably is better against the pass and Georgia probably is better against the run, but neither plays much defense. The Big 12 South club has a greater propensity for takeaways yet the SEC East squad has a superior penchant for comebacks.

Of course, we are talking about a pretty small data set here, so we are not yet in a position to draw any ironclad conclusions. For that, we will need to turn to the other common opponent both Independence Bowl contestants share, the Oklahoma St. Cowboys.

Go ‘Dawgs!

SEC Power Poll All-SEC Team: Quarterbacks

mlmintampa — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 06:56:39 -0000

The SEC Power Poll will be releasing their All-SEC Team selections today on Team Speed Kills and on other SEC Power Poll member websites. Keep checking in throughout the day with Team Speed Kills for the next selections. Here are your SEC Power Poll All-SEC Quarterbacks;

Tim Tebow, Senior, Florida (six votes): The most memorable images of Tim Tebow this season might be him lying motionless on a field in Kentucky and being unable to control his emotions in Atlanta. In between, it was 2007 again for Tebow as he was the steady hand at the wheel. Tebow had 2413 yards passing and 18 touchdowns through the air. His 859 yards rushing were almost as much as a result of scrambling as they were designed plays. His 31 total touchdowns were more than necessary as Florida struggled to find two solid wide receivers and offensive tackles. Just as it was as a sophomore, Tebow was the first and last options for Florida. Whatever you think of Tebow, there will not just be a void left in Gainesville after Number 15 leaves; it will be across college football.

Ryan Mallett, Sophomore, Arkansas (five votes): Yes, Mallett is from Texarkana, so maybe Razorback fans had faith in the Michigan transfer that had come home. But Mallett's pinball numbers in Bobby Petrino's offense confirms that faith and makes the rest of the SEC think that Arky's rebuilding might be quicker than first thought. Mallett's 29 touchdowns (fifth nationally) led Arkansas to top-ten national finishes in scoring and passing offense. On a better team, Mallett might have been the top giant killer this season too; the Hogs were field goals away from defeating Florida and LSU on the road. In those two games, Mallett was 29-66, 451 yards, 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. It seems pedestrian, until you remember that this was the first year of Mallett in Petrino's system and he had 3422 yards this season. All signs point to Mallett being a force in the SEC.

Greg McElroy, Junior, Alabama (one vote): There was a point this season when people wondered if McElroy had the ability to lead Alabama back to the SEC Championship Game. That was before rallying the Tide against Auburn, throwing the winning touchdown to complete a 15-play, seven minute drive, as his Heisman winning running back sat on the bench in pain. If that wasn't enough, a week later, the mighty Gators couldn't stop McElroy from scrambling or hitting guys 15 yards upfield. Tebow might be more demonstrative and Mallett might be a freak of nature, but McElroy wins ballgames. He has won his last 29 games as a starter, going back to high school. He has the least touchdowns of the top-two vote getters (18 total to Mallett and Tebow's 31), but McElroy isn't asked to do as much as those two. The only numbers that matter to McElroy are 14 and 0.

Part I: Why the Big 12 Needs to Do Everything It Can to Keep Missouri

TB — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 12:00:15 -0000

This post will be the first in a two-part series discussing the ramifications of the recent talk that Missouri could move to the Big 10 in the not-too-distant future.

As you've no doubt heard, the Big 10 has announced that it will explore the possibility of adding a twelfth school in the next 12 to 18 months. For a conference that clings to the past like dress pants to your leg on a dry winter day, this was big news. For the rest of the college sports world, this is also big news, because Big 10 expansion would likely lead to a chain reaction with far-reaching effects.

If Notre Dame is interested this time after turning down the Big 10 in 1999, and if the Big 10 is over that little rejection, then it stands to reason that the Fighting Irish would be the most likely addition. The Big 10 wanted ND before, and I doubt enough has changed that they wouldn't want them now. We'll discuss the situation surrounding Notre Dame in Part II.

It's big news to the Big 12, too, because it has long been known that Missouri has more than a passing interest in the Big 10. After it became known this week that the Big 10 was looking to expand, Mizzou officials released a statement saying they hadn't been contacted, but would consider the situation if they were. It wasn't just Missouri officials who were discussing the possibility. Several of SB Nation's Big 10 blogs hypothesized on who would be added, with most concluding that Missouri was most likely a candidate, and some others concluding that the Tigers make the most sense.

Given that Big 10 expansion could be the first domino to fall in a long chain, this raises a lot of questions for Missouri and the rest of the Big 12. This post will be dedicated to discussing and trying to answer those questions. For the sake of keeping these posts to manageable length, we're going to assume that the Big 10 is only going to add one school. Also, we're going to limit the discussion as much as possible to the more measurable factors, like money and academic prestige, rather than amorphous concepts like "ties" and "nostalgia" and "fan sentiment."

And for those of you who are a little more uninformed about that conference that hugs the Great Lakes, the title "Big 10" is a misnomer, as the conference actually contains 11 teams; thus, adding one would get them to the magical 12 that would make divisional play and a cash-grab conference championship game possible.

1. Why would Missouri jump to the Big 10?

When I've discussed this issue with others this week -- and it has been a frequent topic of conversation for me -- this is always the first question I am asked. The truth is that Missouri would have a lot of good reasons to move to the Big 10.

First, Big 10 athletics are much more lucrative than Big 12 athletics for the conference's member institutions. It's hard to know exactly how much money the Big 10 distributes to its member institutions each year because it doesn't release official figures, but we can at least get an estimate. This article from the Sports Business Journal shows that in 2006-07, the Big 10 distributed $154 million to its schools, or $14 million per school, because the Big 10 shares all athletic revenue equally. Obviously, that was two years ago, and did not include revenue from the Big 10 Network, which this article indicates was $6.1 million this year. As such, it doesn't seem like a stretch to believe Stewart Mandel when he estimates that the conference will distribute more than $22 million per school next season. Adjusting those numbers for the addition of a twelfth school, the conference would have distributed almost $12 million per school in 2006-07, and would distribute a little more than $20 million this year.

Now, compare that to Missouri and the Big 12. Last year, the Big 12 distributed $103 million to its schools, which would be $8.6 million per school if all revenue was shared equally. However, half of the Big 12's TV money is split based on number of TV appearances -- the more often you're on TV, the more money you get -- so Texas received $10.2 million, while Missouri took home $8.4 million. It's projected that the Big 12 will distribute $130 million to its schools for 2008-09, which would be $10.8 million per school if it was all distributed evenly. Specific school breakdowns were not available for this year's projected income, but if we keep the percentages the same, we can roughly estimate that Texas would receive $12.9 million, while Missouri would receive $10.6 million.

As you can see, Missouri would have at least 10 million reasons per year to leave the Big 12, and that's just if we're talking about revenue. However, there's more. The Big 10 is as much an academic conference as it is an athletic one. The academic arm of the Big 10, also known as the Committee on Institutional Cooperation ("CIC"), includes all of the athletic Big 10 schools, plus the University of Chicago, one of the most highly respected academic institutions in the country. From what I can tell, the CIC basically coordinates the activities of its member institutions. As I read the Big 10 blogs this week, it seemed to me that the CIC helps with coordinating research and providing unique academic opportunities to students at its member institutions, among other things. Make no mistake, for a school that is serious about "prestigious" academics, the CIC is a big deal. Missouri is just such an institution.

With that, I think we have provided enough information on why a school like Missouri, if offered membership in the Big 10, would give it more than passing consideration.

2. Does the Big 10 really want Missouri?

Obviously, I can't really answer this. Other than the Big 10 presidents, athletic directors, and conference commissioner Jim Delany, nobody has any idea at this point whether the Big 10 wants Missouri. As mentioned above, if the past is any indication, Notre Dame is probably the first target. It's not like there aren't other options, as schools such as Pitt, Syracuse, Rutgers, Maryland, and even other Big 12 schools such as Iowa State and Nebraska, have been mentioned. I'm not focusing on NU and ISU because a) I don't think they're particularly likely to be invited, and b) I don't think their loss would hurt the Big 12 as much as Missouri's would. More on that later.

SB Nation's blogs are managed by regular fans of each school who follow that school closely. Usually, they have a pretty good knowledge of what is going on in their school and conference. As such, I think it's illustrative that every Big 10 blog on SB Nation that I have seen discussing this issue considers Missouri a potential target. Some even consider them the obvious target. While the Big 10 has never expressed formal interest in MU, nor extended them an official invitation, there has been a long-standing belief among some Tigers that the Big 10 was the way to go, if an invitation ever materialized.

Taking everything into account, and being mindful that I have zero inside information, it would seem like Missouri would be near the top of any list of schools targeted for expansion.

3. What would happen to the Big 12 if Missouri did leave?

Among some fanbases in the conference, the answer seems to be "Who cares? We'll get someone else." Because Missouri has never been a dominant school in any sport, it's understandable that some take that approach. However, there's a lot more to this equation than prowess on the gridiron or hardcourt.

I bet every Big 12 fan can instantly name the largest state in this conference by population. Obviously, it's Texas and its 24 million residents. But I bet a lot of people would have to take a moment to answer the question "What is the second most-populous state in the Big 12?" The answer is Missouri and its six million inhabitants. The Show-Me State also contains the conference's best TV markets after Houston, Dallas and Denver, with St. Louis (No. 21 nationally) and Kansas City (No. 31).

In other words, if we lost Missouri, we would be out a state of six million people and a top-25 media market. St. Louis would cease to have any Big 12 identity, and Kansas City's identity as a Big 8/Big 12 town would be weakened, though KU commands a larger presence in KC than Mizzou.

Now, all that discussion of population and TV ignores the fact that, if the Big 12 desired to continue on, it would need to fill Mizzou's void with another school. Again, for the sake of brevity (yeah, right), we're going to assume that Mizzou's departure would not cause Texas to go independent, Colorado to jump to the Pac-10, and any of a million other scenarios that could happen.

The list of replacements for Missouri is not particularly enticing. In this area, I think we need to look primarily at schools that currently reside in conferences that do not receive an automatic BCS berth, as schools in other automatic-qualifier conferences are unlikely to jump to the Big 12 due to money and/or geography. Here's the list of possible replacements, along with a few pros and cons to each:

TCU: On the plus side, they've had a very good football program the last few years. But that's about all they have going for them. Texas Christian is a school of only 8,000 students in Fort Worth that couldn't even sell out its 40,000 seat stadium this year as its team made a run to the Fiesta Bowl. The basketball programs would be afterthoughts in the Big 12. Most importantly, it delivers nothing new in the way of a TV market. The Dallas/Fort Worth market is already owned by the Big 12, between Texas, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Baylor, and assorted alumni of other Big 12 schools.

Houston: Similar to TCU, the Coogs are on an upswing in football currently. While the men's basketball team is no powerhouse, they would be competent in the Big 12, and by "competent" I mean "they wouldn't lose by 25 in every game." Also, UH is a public university that's looking to reach Tier 1 status and might actually give us a little more penetration in the Houston TV market, a market that is divided between the Big 12 and the SEC, although I'm guessing we already have a pretty good hold on this market between UT and TAMU. However, Robertson Stadium at UH holds only 30,000, which would be by far the smallest stadium in the Big 12. Fan support at UH hasn't been great the last few years, even as the team improved. Also, I've heard that, as long as Tom Penders is the basketball coach at UH, Texas will adamantly oppose adding Houston to the Big 12.

Colorado State: With due respect to my good friend JSchwarz, absolutely not. The Rams are a middling MWC team in football and generally finish toward the bottom in basketball. As long as Colorado is in the conference, we have a solid footing in the Denver TV market, so CSU brings little TV attraction. Fort Collins is a nice town, but even that's not enough to make me interested in Colorado State.

Arkansas: I'll break my own rule that we won't discuss other automatic-qualifier-conference schools to acknowledge that there is a rampant Internet rumor that Arkansas is fed up with the SEC and might be interested in moving to the Big 12. Monetarily, it wouldn't make much sense, as the SEC distributed $135 million last year to its schools, meaning the average payout was $11.25 million. I have a hard time believing the Razorbacks would rank any higher than Missouri in the Big 12's distribution chain, meaning they'd be taking a $3 million paycut per year just based on last year's numbers. With the SEC's new TV deal, the league distribution is sure to increase going forward at a higher rate than the Big 12. The money difference isn't as big as it would be for Missouri, though, so maybe the pull of old rivalries with Texas and Texas A&M could pull the Hogs to the Big 12.

Now, would Arkansas adequately replace Missouri? Not really. The best TV market Arkansas delivers is Little Rock-Pine Bluff, which is only 56th nationally. In terms of overall population, Arkansas ranks just ahead of Kansas with 2.9 million residents. I like Fayetteville, and would enjoy road trips there, but Arkansas would be a downgrade for this conference compared to Missouri.

Utah: Now, we're getting to the schools that bring something to the table with respect to TV markets. Salt Lake City would be a comparable market to Kansas City. In overall population, Utah would again rank right there with Kansas, with about 2.8 million citizens. The Utes won a BCS bowl game last year and field a basketball team that would be competent in the Big 12. Now, that all ignores the giant elephant in the corner: geography. We already kind of consider Colorado "out there" in the Big 12, so I'm not sure what we'd think of Utah. It would be a real drain on travel costs to send the volleyball, women's basketball, baseball, and other non-revenue-generating sports out there. Again, the overriding point is that we would be better served to just keep Missouri rather than consider whether we could make Utah work.

BYU: See Utah.

Memphis: Like Utah/BYU, this would be a new TV market to the Big 12, although not quite as attractive as Salt Lake City, because Memphis is the No. 48 market in the country. Memphis isn't very good at football, and we don't know how they'll fare in basketball without John Calipari, but the basketball team already boasts somewhat of a national following. Again, the geography isn't great, bringing up the same concerns discussed with respect to Utah, but if we were to lose Missouri, it would be worth taking a look at these Tigers.

New Mexico: I'm sure some are laughing, but this would actually make as much sense as anyone else on this list. Geographically, it's a better fit than Utah/BYU. It brings in a top-50 TV market in Albuquerque-Santa Fe (No. 44). Athletically, the Lobos are nothing special, but they wouldn't be any worse than Baylor.

4. Could the Big 10 be interested in other Big 12 schools?

Sure. Nebraska and Iowa State probably technically fit the Big 10's academic profile, as both are members of the AAU and are fairly large state schools. It's not too far out in left field to think that the Big 10 may be interested in Texas, as just about any conference would welcome the TV sets the Longhorns control. However, I'm not going to discuss these at any length, because there are glaring reasons why the Big 10 may not be interested in these schools. First, Nebraska and Iowa State bring nothing to the table in terms of TV markets. Des Moines (No. 71) is the best TV market in Iowa, and I'm sure the Hawkeyes already deliver that one pretty well. Omaha ranks slightly lower at No. 76, and Nebraska is the smallest state in the Big 12 by population with about 1.8 million residents. I know the Huskers have somewhat of a national following, but those fans aren't sufficiently concentrated anywhere to deliver another TV market.

With respect to Texas, geography concerns and regional pride really get in the way. Austin is pretty far south in Texas, and in case you had forgotten, Texas is really big. It's a long way from Austin to all those other "Not Texas" states, especially Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan. Even with a mammoth budget, that's still a drain on travel costs for the non-revenue sports. Again, I wouldn't rule out Texas, but this would be such a leap for such a conservative conference that I'll wait to discuss this at greater length until I hear more concrete talk that the Big 10 is interested in the Longhorns.

Thus concludes Part I. Stay tuned for Part II, where we'll discuss Notre Dame, what the Big 12 can and should do to try and keep Missouri, whether this is a conspiracy by the Big 10, the amorphous concepts like "ties" and "nostalgia" and "fan sentiment," and what this could mean for K-State.

Rebel Roundup - 12/18/09

The Ghost of Jay Cutler — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 14:56:25 -0000

More photos » by Paul Sakuma - AP

Seriously, has there been a better college linebacker than Patrick Willis in the past ten years? What?! Who said "James Laurinaitis"?! Get that shit out of here.

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All-Decade Team: Vote for the best linebacker | Dr. Saturday
Dr. Saturday is compiling the greatest linebackers of the past ten years. Amongst the ten choices is Patrick Willis. Go now and vote for him. Be a good Rebel. Do it.

All-Decade Team | Sports Illustrated
SI, on the other hand, has released their all-decade team. Naturally, Patrick Willis occupies one of the linebacker slots. Get it, PWillie.

Top-Ten College Games from the 2000's | Sports Illustrated
Also from SI are the ten greatest games of the past ten years. On the list is the seven overtime loss to Arkansas from November 3, 2001. Of course, that game was just another victory by the Predestined and Glorious Arkansas Razorbacks (praise be to Broyles) over the lowly Old Piss Webels, a pissant "Mississippi school." At least, that's what the batshit Arkansas narrative would have you believe. (Houston Nutt has not lost to Bobby Petrino.)(This is somehow the work of Ed Orgeron.)(Whatever.)

Rookie Watch: Week 14 | ESPN dot com
Michael Oher is, according the the Woldwide Leader in Sports, the greatest rookie in the league right now.

You could make a case for (Oher) being the offensive rookie of the year. He is one of the best pure right tackles in the NFL and should garner Pro Bowl consideration. He is going to dominate for many years to come at either right or left tackle.

Speaking of, we haven't seen a "Rebel In The Pros" segment in a while, One Man to Beat. Just an observation.

Pay to Party in the Grove? | NEMS360 dot com
Yes, the university administration is tossing the idea of charging for the premium spots in the Grove (i.e., along the Walk of Champions). I think the comments thread is as good a spot as any for a discussion on this so go ahead and leave your thoughts.

SEC Power Poll All-SEC Team Ballot

The Ghost of Jay Cutler — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 22:56:05 -0000

More photos » by Rogelio V. Solis - AP

FILE - In this Oct. 10, 2009, file photo, Alabama running back Mark Ingram (22) runs past Mississippi defenders for a second quarter 36- yard touchdown run during an NCAA college football game in Oxford, Miss. Ingram won the Heisman Trophy on Saturday, Dec. 12, 2009. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

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No frills or arguments here, just the ballot. It's pretty straightforward and will be compiled amongst the other blogs ballots to reach an SEC blogosphere All-SEC squad. Comment and criticize our selections, please.

QB - Ryan Mallett, Arkansas

HB - Mark Ingram, Alabama

HB - Dexter McCluster, Ole Miss

FB - Tim Tebow (lololololololol), Florida

WR - Shay Hodge, Ole Miss

WR - AJ Green, Georgia

TE - Colin Peek, Alabama

OL - Ciron Black, LSU

OL - Michael Johnson, Alabama

OL - Mike Pouncey, Florida

OL - James Carpenter, Alabama

OL - Maurkice Pouncey, Florida

DE - Carlos Dunlap, Florida

DE - Antonio Coleman, Auburn

DT - Terrence Cody, Alabama

DT - Jerrell Powe, Ole Miss (why the hell not?)

LB - Eric Norwood, South Carolina

LB - Rolando McClain, Alabama

LB - Brandon Spikes, Florida

S - Eric Berry, Tennessee

S - Chad Jones, LSU

CB - Joe Haden, Florida

CB - Patrick Peterson, LSU

K - Leigh Tiffin, Alabama

P - Drew Butler, Georgia

RET - Javier Arenas, Alabama

SEC 2000-10: The Best Game -- Arkansas 71, Kentucky 63 | 7 OT (2003)

cocknfire — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 15:57:52 -0000

More photos » by Mary Ann Chastain - AP

Rich Brooks was probably not happy to stay up past midnight to lose.

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TUESDAY: What a Decade It's Been; Mike Price's Trip to Pensacola

WEDNESDAY: The Zook Experiment; Georgia Hires Mark Richt

No one expected much of a game when the Kentucky Wildcats met the Arkansas Razorbacks on Nov. 1, 2003. Both teams were about .500, Arkansas at 4-3 and Kentucky at 4-4. UK's victories came against Murray State, Indiana, Ohio and Mississippi State -- in other words, their schedule was more difficult back then than it is now. Arkansas had lost three straight to Auburn, Florida and Ole Miss after winning its first four games. A dramatic win against Texas seemed like a long time ago as the Hogs traveled to Lexington.

It didn't look like much of a game at halftime, either. Arkansas had a 21-7 lead, with Kentucky's lone touchdown having come on a blocked punt. But Kentucky outscored Arkansas 17-3 in the second half to force overtime.

What followed made the contest one of the most exciting and exhausting games in college football.

What followed, specifically? Just 86 points in seven overtimes that pushed the game near the five-hour mark and kept Rich Brooks up far past his bedtime. (Even Houston Nutt probably needed a very small dose of caffeine to stay awake for the whole thing.)

Arkansas scored first in the first overtime; Kentucky responded. The Cats then scored to start the second extra period; Arkansas answered. Back and forth they went. When Arkansas settled for a field goal in the third overtime, Kentucky also had to kick for three points. In the fifth overtime, the Razorbacks failed to convert the required two-point coversion; so did Kentucky.

"We had ample opportunities to win the game," Rich Brooks said. No kidding.

Finally, late in the seventh overtime with Arkansas leading 71-63, Jared Lorenzen fumbled and Arkansas Tony Bua recovered the ball to end the game.

By then, the two teams had combined for 1,111 yards and 58 first downs on 202 offensive plays. DeCori Birmingham alone carried the ball 40 times for 196 yards and 2 TDs for Arkansas. Nine players had at least one passing, rushing or receiving touchdown.

The win sparked a monthlong winning streak for Arkansas that wouldn't end until a 55-24 loss to LSU on Nov. 28. (The other teams were a mediocre South Carolina, New Mexico State and Mississippi State.) A 27-14 win against Missouri in the Independence Bowl wrapped up a 9-4 season.

Kentucky lost its remaining three games against Vanderbilt, Georgia and Tennessee to finish the year 4-8. It was the first of three losing seasons for Brooks in Lexington before a resurgence that will include Kentucky's fourth bowl game later this month.

Could Big Ten Expansion Force the SEC to Bring In a New School?

T Kyle King — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 18:15:09 -0000

Big Ten expansion talk is all the rage, even here in SEC country, and, while the Notre Dame Fighting Irish remain atop the list despite being obviously unattainable and the Pittsburgh Panthers make the most sense, much attention is being paid to the apparently interested Missouri Tigers, with respect to whom Big Ten aficionados not only have an idea, they have a plan.

Let’s say, for the sake of argument, that happens. Short of the Golden Domers climbing down from their high horse (which isn’t going to happen now that the arrival of Brian Kelly has ensured Notre Dame’s inevitable return to ~~relevance~~ ~~competence~~ dominance), conference expansion is a zero-sum game; if the Big Ten increases from eleven teams to twelve by poaching Mizzou, the Big 12 decreases from twelve teams to eleven. The Big 12 is going to need a new team.

Maybe it’s just the traditionalist in me, but it seems to me that there can be only one choice for Big 12 expansion should Missouri bolt for browner pastures. The Arkansas Razorbacks have a longstanding rivalry with the Texas Longhorns, currently have a series going with the Texas A&M Aggies, and have deep Southwest Conference roots. Turnabout is fair play, so a Big Ten that includes Missouri could mean a Southeastern Conference sans Arkansas.

If the first domino falls, the line could topple all the way to the SEC’s doorstep, raising the question . . . where would the SEC turn if it had to replace the Hogs? The options, it would seem, are these, in no particular order:

Louisville Cardinals: U. of L. shares an in-state rivalry with the Kentucky Wildcats and just hired longtime SEC defensive coordinator Charlie Strong. The ‘Ville would bolster the league’s basketball reputation but the Cardinals have been only intermittently good at football. Still, as a current member of an automatic BCS-qualifying conference, Louisville would have to get a look, although it’s too bad the Cards would be brought in to replace Arkansas, because a series between Bobby "Pignocchio" Petrino’s current and former schools would be fun to watch.

South Florida Bulls: I’m not saying they deserve it, but any number of SEC coaches would love another annual opportunity to travel to the recruiting hotbed of the Sunshine State. Tampa is an attractive market and USF has been consistently respectable (albeit no more than that) since making the jump to the Big East. You’d have to think the Florida Gators would scream and howl at having to add an in-state conference rival to their existing slate, though. This brings us to . . .

Florida St. Seminoles: Let’s not mince words here. If you were an SEC football fan in 1991, you thought Bobby Bowden ducked the SEC in order to pad FSU’s schedule with ACC games. It’s time to atone for that gutless decision now that the Jimbo Fisher era is underway. This would make great sense for the Gators, whose season-ender against the ‘Noles would count as a conference game, although it likely would increase the pressure on the Saurians to schedule the Miami Hurricanes more frequently. Regular trips to Tallahassee by the Georgia Bulldogs would please the conspiracy theorists among the Red and Black fan base, who would wonder regularly whether Mark Richt would just stay put once he got back to his old stomping grounds. While we’re on the subject of in-state out-of-conference rivals, I suppose I should mention . . .

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets: I would be 100 per cent opposed to this idea, but you’d have to admit it makes sense. The Engineers played in the SEC for many years and were a part of some of the league’s great rivalries at one time. The Ramblin’ Wreck left the conference at the tail end of the Bobby Dodd era and had their efforts to rejoin the league rebuffed, so both sides might be lukewarm on a reconciliation. After both of this year’s ACC division champions fell to middling SEC East outfits that came into their battles for local bragging rights sporting 6-5 ledgers, it’s doubtful whether the Orange Bowl-bound Golden Tornado would want to trade a shot at a big-money bowl in the soft ACC for a lower spot in the league pecking order. In theory, Georgia Tech could enjoy home town advantage in an SEC championship game, but, honestly, that’s not much of a risk.

Clemson Tigers: Admittedly, I’m biased, but this option makes the most sense to me. The Country Gentlemen are comfortably within the SEC’s geographic footprint and share longstanding rivalries with the ‘Dawgs and the South Carolina Gamecocks. The Fort Hill Felines also share a common heritage with several other SEC schools which would make league games intriguing: Walter Riggs and John Heisman established strong ties between Clemson and the Auburn Tigers; the Alabama Crimson Tide have produced numerous coaches for the Orange and Purple, including Frank Howard, Danny Ford, and current skipper Dabo Swinney; Charley Pell landed both Clemson and Florida on probation; the LSU Tigers could host the Country Gentlemen in Death Valley before traveling to face them in Death Valley. Culturally, the Tiger faithful are a much more comfortable fit with the rabid fans of the Southeastern Conference than with the Big Ten wannabes of the Atlantic Coast Conference and an SEC association certainly wouldn’t hurt the proud Clemson baseball program. Should we be willing to trade the Razorbacks for the Tigers? Ken Hatfield certainly was, and he was an Arkansas alum.

If it were up to me, the Big Ten would add Missouri, the Big 12 would add Arkansas, the SEC would add Clemson, and the ACC would . . . actually, I don’t care what the ACC does. I say let’s ship the Hogs back to their old stomping grounds, move the Tennessee Volunteers over from the SEC East to the SEC West (where the Vols properly belong, given their natural rivalries with Alabama and Auburn), add Clemson to the SEC East, and have at it.

Go ‘Dawgs!