SB Nation - Georgia Bulldogs

Sprints Also Offered Vic Koenning Its Defensive Coordinator Job // 12.18.09

cocknfire — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 08:21:18 -0000

More photos » by Bradley Leeb - AP

Would you rather work for this man or Mark Richt?

VIC KOENNING / GEORGIA DC SEARCH

Joe Schad's Twitter says Georgia comes up short on another defensive coordinator choice
Vic Koenning is going to stay at Illinois. We think. Or at least he thinks, subject to the next time he changes his mind.

If not, it would make one whale of a press conference
Kind of like a wedding where the bride doesn't show up.

Hale about Koenning
A look at some of the maneuvering that preceded the apparent rejection of Georgia's offer.

OTHER NEWS

Complimenting what?
Boy Wonder talks about the NCAA inquiry during pre-bowl festivities in Atlanta.

The coaches traded compliments before Kiffin drew a laugh when asked by a fan what has been the biggest challenge of his first year as the Vols' coach.

Said a smiling Kiffin: "Following all the rules." ...

Tennessee has been found guilty of six secondary rules violations in Kiffin's first year, leading some to suggest rival schools are reporting the violations. Kiffin on Thursday tried to clarify his recent comment that he views such acts from other schools as a compliment.

Kiffin said he believes his staff is "operating at such a high level in what we're doing in recruiting ... I said I take that as a compliment if people are coming after us, OK?

"I took it as a compliment because I think people come after you when you're on top."

One wonders if he's actually oblivious to the fact that Tennessee is not on top. Being second in the SEC East through a tiebreaker when all your competition is 7-5 overall is not precisely an accomplishment.

Kippy Brown tabbed as WR coach for Tennessee

Six of our nine coaches have now come here from NFL teams.

Lane, given the success of NFL coaches in the college ranks, you might want to keep that to yourself.

Happy Birthday!
Lane Kiffin dismisses DB Brent Vinson on his birthday. It couldn't wait one day?

Les Miles sees no advantage in ESS EEE SEE SPEEEEEEEEEEEEEED!
He thinks Penn State is a pretty good team.

They’re physical, they have good team speed, they a 1,000-yard back and a defense that runs to the ball. In my opinion, they’d fare well in any conference.

You can take the coach out of the Big Ten ...

Auburn, Evanston officials make lamest sports bet ever
Weak.

Cagematch: Bob Knight vs. John Calipari
Knight:

"We’ve gotten into this situation where integrity is really lacking and that’s why I’m glad I’m not coaching," he said. "You see we’ve got a coach at Kentucky who put two schools on probation and he’s still coaching. I really don’t understand that."

Well, if you listen to UK and Memphis fans, the Tigers never ever really did anything that bad at all. In fairness, Cal's alleged involvement in the wrongdoing has been peripheral at worst.

I though playoffs were supposed to bring some variety to things
That's hard to argue when the same two teams will play each other for the fifth consecutive year in the Division III championship.

7-5 > 89-27: Lane Kiffin's Plan Apparently Involves Robbing Tennessee Volunteers Fans of Math Skills and Manners

T Kyle King — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 03:19:02 -0000

Last October, when the Georgia Bulldogs lost to the Tennessee Volunteers, I was strongly critical of the Red and Black for their poor performance against a team of questionable quality. This drew quite a bit of criticism from Big Orange fans who apparently missed my point, which I thought would have been made quite clear by the apportionment of my word count to particular subjects, but time passed, I gave the Vols their due (albeit only their due and no more), and the storm blew over . . . or so I thought.

Earlier today, I received the following e-mail from a member of the Vol faithful, whose name I have omitted but who confirms the correctness of the axiom "a fish rots from the head down" by being buttholier-than-thou:

Dear, Mr. King, I went back and read your article on the complete and utter ass whipping we gave your team in October. In case you don't remember, it was 45-19 and the renaissance of Jonathan Crompton began that day. If you will, let's revisit some gems from that article...

"the Vols are a terrible football team. Simply stated, they suck."

"They aren’t going to beat anyone all year who’s any good."

"They aren't going to look competent offensively against anyone that's the least bit decent."

And, my personal favorite, "They aren't going to a bowl game."

Wow, as the season has drawn to a close, you couldn't have been more wrong.

Lane Kiffin proved you so wrong. He proved he could coach, and made you look foolish.

Not only did we destroy Georgia, we beat South Carolina, Kentucky, and almost beat Alabama.

Your theory of Kiffin not being able to coach his own talent was proven wrong when he coached up much worse talent than he was given to start with.

To add insult to injury, he has made Georgia his playground by taking commitments from several key Georgia natives including Jawuan James who Richt and Co. wanted badly.

We started 3 walk-ons, two on the the OL, and had a 1,200 yard rusher, with two walk-ons. Run that through your head. Your team's OL is too soft to even have one 1,000 yard rusher. Also, your team is one of the most penalized in the conference, if not the most. Meanwhile, Tennessee is one of the least penalized in the conference. But, hey, at least Mark Richt is a good guy.

Also, Kiffin turned the worst SEC quarterback in the last fifteen years into a guy who might get drafted. Yes, Crompton might get drafted. Not only that, we will miss him more than we will Eric Berry next year. Run that through your head for a second.

So, now that Georgia is the 3rd best team in the SEC, and possibly 4th (Would take USCe over Georgia everyday), what do you have to say 'bout Lane Kiffin?

Is he still a clown who won't win with the talent he's recruiting?

Don't even bring up the NCAA allegations because you are stupid if you think we'll actually get penalized.

So, the Lane Train keeps on rollin', and Georgia, well....I don't know what you would call Georgia's program. Slow motion, maybe? Stuck in mud? I don't know, I know Bud Foster played Mark Richt like a fiddle to get more money, and Kirby Smart turned down the job.

You'll have graduate assistants possibly calling plays in your bowl game, but hey, Mark Richt is a good man. Who cares about a football coach, right?

P.S. I wonder if Marlon Brown regrets his decision?

Frankly, I was a bit at a loss to know how to respond to that bilious screed, partly because I am a big believer in the idea of being magnanimous in victory and defiant in defeat, and partly because there is some serious cognitive dissonance going on there.

I mean, maybe we didn’t have a 1,000-yard rusher because we had, y’know, three running backs splitting time in the backfield? Just a thought. As for the gentleman’s willingness to take the South Carolina Gamecocks "over Georgia everyday," that choice would have served him well only on fourteen of the 62 days on which the Classic City Canines and the Palmetto State Poultry actually have met on the gridiron, including just one of the most recent eight. I’m not sure that even the most rabid South Carolina partisan would claim the ‘Dawgs were fourth in the Eastern Division behind the ‘Cocks, inasmuch as the two teams finished with identical overall records, Georgia had a better conference record, the Red and Black won the head-to-head meeting, and (arguably) the Big Chickens’ best win was over the Clemson Tigers, a team that lost twice to the Bulldogs’ most accomplished victim, the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Methinks my not-so-humble correspondent is getting a tad too much of his corn from a jar.

In the end, I sent back the following reply, from which my correspondent’s name once again has been omitted:

Dear ______,

Congratulations on the rich full life that leaves you feeling compelled to revisit two-month old blog posts in order to mine the nuggets which are conducive to your point but which were ancillary to mine. As ought to have been clear, the point of my posting was to criticize Georgia, not Tennessee, and the subsequent firings of three coaches indicate the correctness of my position.

However, I congratulate you on the rousing success of going 7-5 overall and 4-4 in SEC play. I am glad to know that some fans are pleased with their teams, as I am dejected over going 7-5 overall and 4-4 in SEC play. I guess that is the sort of perspective one gains from having won an SEC championship---two, as a matter of fact---in the 21st century.

I applaud your dedication to your belief that Lane Kiffin is a good coach and Mark Richt is a bad one despite the fact that Lane Kiffin's best season produced results identical to Mark Richt's worst one. Personally, I have always been constrained by reality, and I therefore am willing to change my views when given evidence upon the basis of which to do so. For instance, I routinely have recognized Tennessee fans as the classiest among the Bulldogs' annual rivals. Now that I have heard from you, I will know better than to repeat that mistaken sentiment.

We'll look forward to seeing you in Athens next October 9. Happy holidays!

T. Kyle King

I don’t know about you, but I was a bit more in the Christmas spirit after that exchange, for it reminded me that there is something worse than being 7-5 and knowing that means you’re not good; you could be 7-5, mistakenly believe that means you’re good, and be a jerk about it. The first step in the direction of getting better is admitting there’s a problem. The second step is not being a jackass while in the process of taking the subsequent requisite steps toward improvement.

Obviously, I was mistaken when stating that Tennessee was not going to a bowl game; the Volunteers are headed for the Chick-fil-A Bowl, and they deserved to receive a bid to the Outback Bowl. I do not know that I was particularly wrong about Jonathan Crompton, who ranked ninth in the league in pass efficiency rating in a year in which the SEC quarterback class was not strong, and I am far from fearful about the future prospects for an aerial attack coordinated by anyone named Kippy.

I stand by the position that a team didn’t beat anyone good when that team’s victims were Western Kentucky (0-12 in the Sun Belt), Ohio (9-4 in the MAC), Georgia (7-5), South Carolina (7-5), Memphis (2-10 in Conference USA), Vanderbilt (2-10), and Kentucky (7-5), because I think beating someone good involves defeating at least one BCS conference opponent with a winning percentage over .583, but your mileage may vary. If the guy who wrote to me is made upbeat by a record that has me declaring the doom of all that is right and good, who am I to tell him he shouldn’t be willing to settle for the mediocrity for which I will not stand? To each his own, I suppose.

Go ‘Dawgs!

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)

Browse more photos »

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

Fortune Teller: 2009 Bowl Predictions (Part 1)

Brian @ BCI — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 17:16:14 -0000

For the third straight year, we preview the upcoming college football postseason. Here are our picks for bowls 1-17, which takes you from the New Mexico Bowl in Albuquerque to El Paso, Texas for the Sun Bowl.

Leave your thoughts on any of the first 17 matchups below.

New Mexico (December 19)

Matchup: Fresno State (8-4) vs. Wyoming (6-6)
The Line: Fresno State -11.5

The Lead: Wyoming makes only its second trip to a bowl this decade while Fresno State makes its 9th bowl appearance in the last 10 years. Fresno State returns to New Mexico for the second straight year (losing to Colorado State 40-35 last year).

Brian Pick: Fresno State -11.5
Jeff Pick: Wyoming +11.5

St. Petersburg presented by Beef ‘O’ Brady’s (December 19)

Matchup: UCF (8-4) vs. Rutgers (8-4)
The Line: Rutgers -2.5

The Lead: Rutgers just making a bowl game game is no longer exciting for their players and fans who had higher hopes coming into this season than to finish 3-4 in the Big East. UCF meanwhile will be playing less than three hours from their campus and should be thrilled to be there.

Jeff Pick: UCF +2.5
Brian Pick: Rutgers -2.5

R + L Carrier New Orleans (December 20)

Matchup: Southern Miss (7-5) vs. Middle Tennessee (9-3)
The Line: Southern Miss -3.5

The Lead: Southern Miss returns to the New Orleans Bowl for the second straight year. Last year, Southern Miss blocked a field goal in overtime to defeat Troy 30-27 in one of the more entertaining 2008 bowl games. Middle Tennessee State is one of the hottest teams in the country, having won 6 straight and reaching the 9 win plateau for the first time since joining Division I-A in 1999. Southern Miss has a perfect 3-0 record in the New Orleans Bowl.

Brian Pick: Southern Miss -3.5
Jeff Pick: Southern Miss -3.5

MAACO Las Vegas (December 22)

Matchup: Oregon State (8-4) vs. BYU (10-2)
The Line: Oregon State -2.5

The Lead: BYU was on top of the world after beating Oklahoma to start the season. Oregon State was on top of the college football world in the final Thursday night of the season when playing Oregon for the Pac-10 title. Things didn't work out as either team had hoped from those points on though and they both fell to the pre-Christmas Las Vegas Bowl. Oregon State has plenty to prove though as they attempt to beat BYU, TCU and Boise State in the next 11 months and serve as the non-BCS school killer.

Jeff Pick: Oregon State -2.5
Brian Pick: Oregon State -2.5

San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia (December 23)

Matchup: Utah (9-3) vs. California (8-4)
The Line: California -3

The Lead: With BC losing to Vanderbilt last season, Utah now owns the longest active winning streak in bowl games, having won their last 8 games including last year’s Sugar Bowl over Alabama. Cal is riding a seven game streak for bowl apperances, the longest in school history.

Brian Pick: Utah +3
Jeff Pick: Utah +3

Sheraton Hawaii (December 24)

Matchup: Nevada (8-4) vs. SMU (7-5)
The Line: Nevada -15

The Lead: This game features a very good WAC team against a very good C-USA team but does that mean that they are actually good teams? It's tough to say. Neither team has a very impressive win this season and both seemed to lose all their games when they had opportunities to prove themselves. Will anyone watch the Christmas Eve game in Hawaii? Other than Brian?

Jeff Pick: SMU +15
Brian Pick: Nevada -15

Little Caesars (December 26)

Matchup: Marshall (6-6) vs. Ohio (9-4)
The Line: Ohio -2.5

The Lead: This game renews a rivalry game between the two schools located only 80 miles apart. Ohio and Marshall used to compete in the Battle for the Bell which is set to be renewed in 2010. Ohio leads the all-time series 29-17-6, however Marshall has won 8 of the last 10 matchups between the two geographic neighbors.

Brian Pick: Ohio -2.5
Jeff Pick: Ohio -2.5

Meineke Car Care (December 26)

Matchup: Pittsburgh (9-3) vs. North Carolina (8-4)
The Line: Pittsburgh -3

The Lead: What a disappointing finish to the season for Pittsburgh. Pitt lost to their backyard brawl rival West Virginia before losing to Cincinnati in a de-facto Big East Championship game. The Panthers led the entire game against Cincinnati but could not finish so now instead of the Orange Bowl they get a trip to Charlotte to play North Carolina in a "road" bowl game. Good luck getting your team fired up for this one, Dave!

Jeff Pick: North Carolina +3
Brian Pick: Pittsburgh -3

Emerald (December 26)

Matchup: Boston College (8-4) vs. USC (8-4)
The Line: USC -9

The Lead: The 8-4 Eagles travel to San Francisco for the second time this decade to take on the 8-4 USC Trojans. This is the first time in seven years that USC hasn’t played in a BCS bowl game (5 Rose Bowls, 2 Orange Bowls). Good news for the Eagles is the last time Pete Carroll found himself in a non-BCS bowl game, the Trojans lost 10-6 to Utah in the Las Vegas Bowl. You don't think we would pick against BC now, do you?

Brian Pick: Boston College +9
Jeff Pick: Boston College +9

Gaylor Hotels Music City (December 27)

Matchup: Kentucky (7-5) vs. Clemson (8-5)
The Line: Clemson -7.5

The Lead: If Boston College's 2008 performance in the Music City Bowl is any indication of how Clemson might play this year after the disappointing ACC Championship Game, it's is going to be tough to watch for Tiger fans. But after losing to South Carolina, the ACC really doesn't need Clemson, or any of its top programs, to lose to mediocre SEC teams. Clemson ticket sales for the bowl have been soft but hopefully Dabo can rally this team to victory.

Jeff Pick: Kentucky +7.5
Brian Pick: Clemson -7.5

AdvoCare V100 Independence (December 28)

Matchup: Texas A&M (6-6) vs. Georgia (7-5)
The Line: Georgia -7

The Lead: Georgia wraps up an otherwise disappointing, up-and-down season in Shreveport, Louisiana. For every quality win for UGA, there seemed to be an equally puzzling loss this year. Defeat Arkansas, get crushed at Tennessee. Defeat Auburn, lose to Kentucky at home, come back and defeat in-state rival Georgia Tech. Texas A&M has had a similar up-and-down season, but seemingly backed into the postseason having lost 3 of their last 4 games.

Brian Pick: Georgia -7
Jeff Pick: Georgia -7

EagleBank (December 29)

Matchup: UCLA (6-6) vs. Temple (9-3)
The Line: UCLA -4

The Lead: UCLA had to wait to see the result of the Army-Navy game before getting officially invited to this bowl game. In the bowl's second season, I don't imagine that their will be much hype this year compared to last year's geographically favorable matchup of Wake Forest vs. Navy. Look for Temple to surprise some people and possibly knock off a BCS school in this one.

Jeff Pick: Temple +4
Brian Pick: Temple +4

Champs Sports (December 29)

Matchup: Miami (Fla.) (9-3) vs. Wisconsin (9-3)
The Line: Miami -3

The Lead: This year’s Champs Sports Bowl is a matchup of 9-3 ranked teams. Both teams are coming off strong finishes, each winning 4 of their final 5 games. Wisconsin finished the season with a 51-10 drubbing of Hawaii on the road, while Miami took care of USF 31-10. Miami is 2-0 all-time in the Champs Sports Bowl. Wisconsin played in Orlando last season, losing to Florida State 42-13. This is the last year the Big 10 will be represented in this bowl as the Big East will send a team to face an ACC opponent starting next season.

Brian Pick: Miami -3
Jeff Pick: Miami -3

Roady’s Humanitarian (December 30)

Matchup: Bowling Green (8-5) vs. Idaho (7-5)
The Line: Idaho +1.5

The Lead: Another game that might set an attendance record this season but not the kind of record that you want to be setting if you are putting this bowl together. Boise fans might already be on their way to the Fiesta Bowl so even getting a few locals to come out for this game will be difficult. Bowling Green has a pretty good WR, and Idaho plays home games in a dome. That's all I have for this one.

Jeff Pick: Bowling Green -1.5
Brian Pick: Idaho +1.5

Pacific Life Holiday (December 30)

Matchup: Arizona (8-4) vs. Nebraska (9-4)
The Line: Arizona -1.5

The Lead: Arizona - having defeated the Trojans 21-17 to move to 6-3 in conference - will represent the Pac-10 as its #2 team in the Holiday Bowl. Nebraska won the Big 12 North, finishing the season at 9-4, 6-2 in conference. The Cornhuskers are coming off a heartbreaking 13-12 loss to Texas in the Big 12 Championship Game.

Brian Pick: Arizona -1.5
Jeff Pick: Nebraska +1.5

Bell Helicopter Armed Forces (December 31)

Matchup: Houston (10-3) vs. Air Force (7-5)
The Line: Houston -4.5

The Lead: The mighty Houston Cougars who knocked off Oklahoma State at home are only 4.5 point favorites against Air Force? Oh right, we later found out that Oklahoma State was not nearly as good as anyone thought the would be and failed to make a push for a BCS bowl by nearly losing to Colorado and then getting destroyed by Oklahoma to end the season. Air Force had another nice season but only managed a 1-5 record against bowl bound teams this season.

Jeff Pick: Air Force +4.5
Brian Pick: Houston -4.5

Brut Sun (December 31)

Matchup: Oklahoma (7-5) vs. Stanford (8-4)
The Line: Oklahoma -8

The Lead: This should be an intriguing matchup between the unstoppable force (Heisman runner-up Toby Gerhart and the 15th ranked Stanford Cardinal offense) and the immovable object (Oklahoma's 7th ranked defense). Oklahoma has had an otherwise disappointing season, that is, up until they put a 27-0 hurtin' on in-state rival Oklahoma State in Bedlam. Stanford may or may not be playing without the services of starting freshman quarterback Andrew Luck.

Brian Pick: Stanford +8
Jeff Pick: Oklahoma -8

College Football Rivalries Extend Into the Courtroom; It's As It Should Be

T Kyle King — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 23:00:22 -0000

It should go without saying that two of my great loves in life are football and the law, so I am particularly fond of intersections between the two.

There was a time when the leaves of absence I annually filed with the courts in which I had cases pending carved out the days immediately before and after the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party, and gave as the reason for my unavailability the fact that I would be "traveling to Jacksonville, Florida, for the purpose of watching the Georgia Bulldogs win a football game." I believe University of Georgia alumni who spend significant amounts of time in courtrooms are "trial attorneys," on account of the offending last five letters of "litigator."

Consequently, I was pleased to read Holly's recent posting regarding a motion for continuance filed by Alabama fans and opposed by Auburn fans with respect to a trial in the Yellowhammer State which conflicts with the national championship game.

Were I the judge in this case, I would rule in favor of the Crimson Tide faithful before gazing down upon the Tiger fans from the bench and saying, "I hold you in contempt." If the partisans of the Plainsmen expressed incredulity that I had determined them to be so out of order as to be sanctioned, I would clarify: "Oh, no, I don't mean you're in contempt of court. I just don't like you Auburn people!"

For what it's worth, I'm sure that fans of Alabama's national championship game opponent would be just fine with this motion.

Go 'Dawgs!

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!

SEC 2000-10: Georgia Hires Mark Richt (2000)

cocknfire — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 18:00:26 -0000

More photos » by John Amis - AP

Mark Richt, seen hear in his 'evil' attire, made the decade a success for Georgia.

Browse more photos »

We've had some opportunities over the years, but when I found out that I was a possible candidate for this job, it was the very first time that I got really excited and eager about the possibility of making a move. ... It's a place where we feel like, not only is it going to be a perfect place to raise our family, but we think it's a place that we can win at the very highest level and a place that's very committed to being a great football progam and is a great football program.

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

EARLIER TODAY: The Zook Experiment

"This job" was the head coaching position at Georgia, and the man speaking was Mark Richt. Many Georgia fans shared Richt's enthusiasm about his taking the job, mostly because it meant the end of an 11-year period supervised by Ray Goff and Jim Donnan. Anyone with more football acumen than Elmo would have been warmly received after what UGA had endured beginning in 1989.

For a time, that enthusiasm seemed to be well-founded and overwhelming. At least until this year, when the first cracks -- however small -- began showing in the support for Richt since he took the job after the 2000 season.

Richt appears to have bought time to turn things around after firing three coaches largely blamed for the defensive and special teams disasters that caused many of the Dawgs' problems in 2009. But with the grumbling coming from some portions of the fan base, it's easy to forget just how much Richt has achieved at Georgia.

Those accomplishments include:

2 SEC Championships
3 SEC East titles
6 seasons of 10 or more wins
8 straight seasons (2001-08) ranked in the Top 25 in one or both polls
0 losing records in the SEC

Richt's record in his nine seasons at Georgia is 89-27 overall, 50-22 in the SEC.

His tenure at Georgia has permanently rearranged the top of the Eastern Division. Before 2002, only Florida and Tennessee had ever represented the East in the SEC Championship Game; Georgia remains the only team outside of those two to go to Atlanta. But there is one thing Richt set as a possible goal back in that 2000 press conference that has remained elusive.

The national championship is not necessarily something you can guarantee year in and year out if you have the very best players. It takes a little bit of luck. I think we will know what it takes to put the work into it and to prepare for it. I think it won't be long before we have a chance at taking a run at it.

It depends on your definition of "a run at it." In 2002, Georgia was No. 5 and 8-0 in late October before losing to Florida in the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party -- back when they still officially called it the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party. The Dawgs would be ranked No. 4 in the polls after winning the SEC Championship and No. 3 at the end of the season, but were never in the Top 2 in either poll or the BCS standings.

Many Georgia fans were outraged in 2007 when LSU went from No. 5 to No. 2 in the polls and from No. 7 to No. 2 in the BCS standings after winning the SEC Championship Game, passing the Dawgs. Never mind that Georgia hadn't played in Atlanta because it lost to a 6-6 South Carolina and got demolished by the Tennessee team that did play LSU in the Georgia Dome. UGA was ranked No. 2 in the final poll.

But 2008 was supposed to be "the year" according to many preseason pundits, including your humble correspondent. The Dawgs began the season ranked No. 1, gradually moved down to No. 3 and then exited the Top 10 after a 41-30 waxing against Alabama. They would return before a loss to Florida ended the Dawgs' days in the Top 10 for good; Georgia ended the season No. 13.

Despite all that, Richt made the decade a rousing success for Georgia. Whether he can meet that standard next season could determine how much of the next decade he will spend in Athens.

Food Chain: Eagles' Biggest Wins of the Decade

Brian @ BCI — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 15:48:08 -0000

Because everyone else is getting all decade nostalgic on us. A look at back at the decade that was Boston College athletics from children of the decade (BC's Class of 2004).

Food Chain: Eagles' Biggest Wins of the Decade

We consider these 8 Eagle victories and each rank our top 5 biggest Ws of the decade.

December 28, 2001: Boston College 20, #16 Georgia 16 (Music City Bowl)

In his final collegiate game, William Green ran for 149 yards on 35 carries as the Eagles upset the No. 16 ranked Georgia Bulldogs in the 2001 Music City Bowl. The victory snapped a 21 game losing streak against ranked teams for the Eagles. Despite throwing for a mere 109 yards on 9-of-25 passing, Eagles QB Brian St. Pierre helped lead the Eagles on the game-winning drive, finding Dedrick Dewalt for a 22 yard game to the Bulldogs 10. Green scampered 7 yards into the endzone, giving the Eagles the 20-16 victory.

November 2, 2002: Boston College 14, #4 Notre Dame 7

Notre Dame turned the ball over five times including two interceptions from backup QB Pat Dillingham as the Eagles escaped South Bend with a 14-7 victory over the No. 4 ranked Irish. Notre Dame dominated the game statistically, outgaining BC 357-184 and holding a 22-9 edge in first downs. The loss knocked the Irish out of the ranks of the undefeated and ended any hope of a National Championship. It was the Eagles' first win over a Top 25 team in over 9 years.

September 24, 2005: Boston College 16, Clemson 13 (OT)

For every curious loss, there are games where you are left baffled as to how the Eagles managed to pull out the victory. BC didn't score for the final 41 minutes of this game after taking a 10-0 lead in the fourth quarter. A 1-yard touchdown run by backup QB Matt Ryan in overtime gave the Eagles the 16-13 victory over the Clemson Tigers, their first win as a member of the ACC. Andre Callendar rushed for 116 yards on 22 carries in the victory.

September 9, 2006: Boston College 34, #18 Clemson 33 (2OT)

The Eagles came back from 10-0, 17-7 and 24-17 deficits to force overtime against Clemson in the 2006 ACC opener. Return man Jeff Smith had a huge day, returning a kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown. He added returns of 45, 39 and 29 yards on the day, and his 213 return yards were one shy of a BC school record. JoLonn Dunbar blocked a Clemson PAT in the second overtime to give the Eagles a 34-33 victory. It was the first victory for BC coach Tom O'Brien over a ranked opponent in his 10 seasons in Chestnut Hill.

October 12, 2006: Boston College 22, #22 Virginia Tech 3

Steve Aponavicius came out of the stands to connect on two field goals (36 and 20 yards) and two PATs to send the Eagles past #22 Virginia Tech 22-3. Matt Ryan threw for 174 yards on 16-of-29 passes including two touchdowns to WR Kevin Challenger. The Eagles' defense had a huge day, holding the Virginia Tech offense to 3 points. It was the first time since the 1998 Gator Bowl that Virginia Tech had failed to score a touchdown.

October 25, 2007: #2 Boston College 14, #8 Virginia Tech 10

After being shutout nearly the entire game, Matt Ryan engineered two touchdown drives in the final 4 minutes, 16 seconds, to lead #2 BC to a 14-10 victory over the 8th ranked Virginia Tech Hokies. Ryan found Andre Callendar in the end zone with 0:11 left to secure the win. The win pushed BC's record to 8-0 and gave the Hokies the second loss on the year, essentially eliminating them from National Championship contention. This was BC's third win over Virginia Tech on Thursday night. Up until then, no other team had managed to knock off the Hokies on Thursday night (14-3).

November 17, 2007: #18 Boston College 20, #15 Clemson 17

Matt Ryan engineered yet another fourth quarter comeback as the Eagles defeated Clemson 20-17. The win gave the 9-2 Eagles their first ACC Atlantic Division Championship and a spot in the title game opposite Virginia Tech. Ryan hooked up with Rich Gunnell on a 43-yard touchdown pass with 1:46 to play to give the Eagles a 20-17 lead. On the ensuing drive, Clemson QB Cullen Harper nearly found wide receiver Aaron Kelly in the end zone for the victory. After a timely sack by Roderick Rollins - pushing the Tigers back 7 yards - Clemson kicker Clay Bucholtz's 54 yard attempt to tie fell well short, and the Eagles celebrated an Atlantic Division title in Death Valley.

November 15, 2008: Boston College 27, #19 Florida State 17

It was homecoming for Montel Harris as he rushed for 121 yards and a touchdown as the Eagles defeated Florida State 27-17. The win kept the Eagles' hopes of winning a second straight Atlantic Division title alive. BC's defense held the Seminoles to 79 yards rushing and frustrated Seminole QB Christian Ponder all day (3 interceptions). Ponder threw a costly interception to Marty Bowman who returned in 87 yards for the touchdown. The win pushed the Eagles record to 7-3 and jump started a string of three consecutive ACC Atlantic victories to give the Eagles their second straight division title.

Brian’s Food Chain:

5. December 28, 2001: Boston College 20, #16 Georgia 16 (Music City Bowl) - Not many college football experts gave us a chance in this game but the Eagles came away with the big victory over a ranked Georgia team. This game really kick-started BC's bowl winning streak this decade.

4. September 9, 2006: Boston College 34, #18 Clemson 33 (2OT) - First ACC of 2006 win in one of the most dramatic games of the decade

3. November 2, 2002: Boston College 14, #4 Notre Dame 7 - The sweetest of Eagles’ victories over the Irish this decade

2. November 17, 2007: #18 Boston College 20, #15 Clemson 17 - late Matt Ryan heroics clinched the Eagles first ACC Atlantic Division title

1. October 25, 2007: #2 Boston College 14, #8 Virginia Tech 10 - Matt Ryan’s final two touchdown drives make this arguably the best college football game I have ever attended

Jeff's Food Chain:

5. October 12, 2006: Boston College 22, #22 Virginia Tech 3 - Steve Aponanvicius comes out of the stands

4. November 15, 2008: Boston College 27, #19 Florida State 17 - First ever win in an ABC primetime game and was the key win to get us back to the ACC Championship Game

T1. October 25, 2007: #2 Boston College 14, #8 Virginia Tech 10 - Worst game ever attended to best in a matter of minutes

T1. November 17, 2007: #18 Boston College 20, #15 Clemson 17 - Going to the 'Ship

T1. November 2, 2002: Boston College 14, #4 Notre Dame 7 - BC beat the Irish with their green jerseys

All-SEC Ballot: Draft

Gamecock Man — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 00:04:08 -0000

The SEC Power Poll is hosting an All-SEC poll. Here is a draft that reflects my first impressions--let me know what you think, and we may revise a bit if necessary.

Offense

QB: Ryan Mallett (Arkansas Razorbacks)

RB: Mark Ingram (Alabama Crimson Tide)

RB: Dexter McCluster (Ole Miss Rebels)

OG: Mike Johnson (Alabama Crimson Tide)

OG: Mike Pouncey (Florida Gators)

OT: Ciron Black (LSU Tigers)

OT: John Jerry (Ole Miss Rebels)

C: Maurkice Pouncey (Florida Gators)

TE: Aaron Hernandez (Florida Gators)

WR: A.J. Green (Georgia Bulldogs)

WR: Shay Hodge (Ole Miss Rebels)

Defense

DE: Cliff Matthews (South Carolina Gamecocks)

DE: Antonio Coleman (Auburn Tigers)

DT: Terrence Cody (Alabama Crimson Tide)

DT: Malcolm Sheppard (Arkansas Razorbacks)

LB: Eric Norwood (South Carolina Gamecocks)

LB: Rolando McClain (Alabama Crimson Tide)

LB: Rennie Curran (Georgia Bulldogs)

CB: Javier Arenas (Alabama Crimson Tide)

CB: Patrick Peterson (LSU Tigers)

S: Eric Berry (Tennessee Volunteers)

S: Joe Haden (Florida Gators)

Special Teams

PK: Blair Walsh (Georgia Bulldogs)

P: Drew Butler (Georgia Bulldogs)

RS: Javier Arenas (Alabama Crimson Tide)

You've got some explaining to do...

Many of these choices go without questions; nobody, for instance, will disagree with me about Mark Ingram, Rolando McClain, or Eric Berry. However, I do have a few bones to pick with conventional wisdom. Here's how I see such cases:

Ryan Mallett / Tim Tebow

As most people around here know, I'm a pretty big Tebow fan. The guy has had a great career, and although his sanctimonious, humble-but-really-not attitude can get to you sometimes, overall I don't have too many problems with him as a media phenomenon. It is what is. However, while I've been as guilty as anyone when it comes to giving Tebow confidence by inertia, I've come to believe it has to stop somewhere: Mallett was just better this year.

By the way, Ryan, if you're reading this, go to the NFL.

Dexter McCluster / Anthony Dixon

OK. I believe Anthony Dixon had a better year than McCluster at RB. However, I also believe that McCluster was one of the best and most valuable players in the SEC. I'm talking about on a par with Tebow, Ingram, you name it. So, I think we have to get him on the list somewhere. This is where I'm putting him. Unfortunately for him, McCluster was probably never used in the right way enough; this guy really was a minor Reggie-Bush-like talent.

Cliff Matthews / Carlos Dunlap

Dunlap is a jackass that showed his true colors when he signed with Florida instead of Sou...wait, when he drunkenly fell asleep at the wheel before the biggest SECCG ever. He failed his team. Despite his talent, that failure will always make him worse than Matthews in my mind.

Rennie Curran / Brandon Spikes

What can I say? I know it's surprising to see an UGA player on the defensive first team, but I think Curran is a great player. That might have something to do with his success against USC, but whatever. If this guy had a halfway decent DC, he'd be the talk of the nation. Spikes is a great player, but he's also a cog in a machine to some degree.

Well, that's a wrap on this draft. Let me know what you think.

Erk Update: To the Veterans Committee We Go!

T Kyle King — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 22:00:20 -0000

As you know, Erk Russell’s nomination to the College Football Hall of Fame was received by the National Football Foundation prior to the December 11 deadline. Out of an abundance of caution, I asked the Foundation’s special projects director to e-mail me to confirm that the package had been received.

She was kind enough to notify me that the nomination had arrived, and she added that Coach Russell already had been nominated and she would add the materials I submitted to his file. This caught me by surprise. Over the course of the last week, I have corresponded with Rosemary Carter from Georgia Southern’s athletics media relations office; Georgia sports information director Claude Felton; Ric Mandes, the co-author of Erk’s autobiography and a longtime friend of Coach Russell’s; Erk’s son, Jay Russell; Dr. David "Bucky" Wagner, the former Georgia Southern athletic director; and Statesboro Herald sports editor Matt Yogus, none of whom gave even the slightest hint of being aware that Coach Russell’s name already had been submitted. I was not told, and I did not ask, who else had nominated Coach Russell for the Hall.

Although the Foundation’s special projects director noted that Coach Russell fell short of the Hall’s requirement that a head coach serve for at least ten years, she indicated that Erk was being considered by the Hall’s Veterans Committee.

The College Football Hall of Fame Veterans Committee functions much like the committee of that same name overseeing admission to Cooperstown, examining special cases that otherwise might have slipped through the cracks.

The names of the members of the Veterans Committee are not released publicly, for fear that they will be bombarded with solicitations, but the Committee is chaired by Jack Lengyel, the longtime coach and athletic administrator who was played by Matthew McConaughey in the movie "We Are Marshall."

The Veterans Committee meets annually in early April to consider cases such as Erk Russell’s which involve special circumstances. Frankly, while this is not the ordinary avenue for getting a candidate into the Hall of Fame, I suspect it is the route that stands the best chance of success, as the decisionmakers will be looking at the overall worthiness of the nominee rather than focusing on predetermined criteria which serve an important gatekeeping function yet sometimes backfire in situations like this one.

Stay tuned.

GATA!