SB Nation User Blog: Year2

Let the Bobby Johnson Speculation Commense

Year2 — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 22:56:38 -0000

Tommy Bowden has been fired at Clemson, something no one thought would happen back during the off season. Partly it was because the Tigers were everyone's ACC favorite, and partly because he just signed a new extension with a hefty buyout.

SB Nation alumnus Dr. Saturday has a fairly exhaustive rundown of the breaking news, and I put together a fairly exhaustive look at Bowden's record during the off season. Basically, it's been almost a decade and nothing has changed. It's a minor miracle he lasted this long.

So why do we care in the SEC? Because Vanderbilt head coach Bobby Johnson's name will be floating around a lot when it comes to this job. It already has, in fact, well before this week. He is a Clemson graduate, and with his team's hot start (four consecutive weeks ranked for the first time ever), his profile has been raised considerably.

I don't know enough about him to say whether he'd leave or not; you'll have to hit up our Commodore comrades around the net to find out. He seems like a great guy though, and if he gets a payday I will feel great for him. I will say though, it's rare to have your prospects of getting a bigger-name job go up the week after losing to Mississippi State, but that's where we are with him.

Another name being floated around is former Auburn defensive coordinator (and former Georgia safety before that) Will Muschamp, the guy who just helped engineer Texas' big win over Oklahoma. Either one, Johnson or Muschamp, would probably be an upgrade.

So Long, Tony Franklin

Year2 — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 23:06:37 -0000

Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville said speculation about dissension on his staff is just "Internet talk" and that the offensive coaches are committed to working with coordinator Tony Franklin to turn the season around...

Tuberville said Sunday that changes to the offensive staff were "not even talked about." He said Franklin works harder and is more disappointed than anyone about the offense's poor performance.

"He takes probably more blame than he should," Tuberville said.

-Evan Woodbury, The Auburn Beat, on October 5

"After evaluating where we are at this point of the season offensively, I felt it was in the best interest of the Auburn football program to make this change," Tuberville said. "I’m not satisfied with where we are and I am personally going to take a larger role with the offense the remainder of the season. We are going to work harder than ever to make sure we consistently improve as we move forward."

-Auburn University press release, via the Opelika-Auburn News on October 8

After just six games, Tony Franklin's second stint in the SEC has been extinguished. Not only did it come on the heels of an epic piece by Smart Football on how Auburn was not running the Tony Franklin System, it came just three days after the dreaded vote of confidence from the head coach.

There is much rejoicing in some sectors of the Auburn fandom, and some Gator fans, ever quick with the sarcastic wit, suggest the Tigers should take Dan Mullen. Please! [For the record, I am not in league with those folks. -Ed.]

An SEC Power Poll Voter from Auburnland, the Joe Cribbs Car Wash, suspects that Franklin's exit was inevitable. After all, J.C.C.W. explains, Franklin made sure everyone knew he had autonomy over the offense in the offseason, and Tuberville took that away after four games. I am reminded of the quote Jeremy Foley said the day he fired Ron Zook, "What should be done eventually must be done immediately."

A story from AuburnSports.com appears to validate the fine auto cleansing establishment's notion, as it quotes Franklin as saying, "I have no reason to stick around," as he took all of his books to his car.

So maybe it is the case as Doc Saturday says that his legacy on the Plains will be the 3-2 game against Mississippi State. In the end, I have a feeling that he was doomed from the beginning by a lack of talent at quarterback and a lack of full faith and support from everyone on the staff.

If anything, the spotlight on the Auburn offense has just gotten a lot brighter. I assume we will see a lot more power running and a lot more Kodi Burns. The catch is that everybody who's paying attention, opposing defensive coordinators included, will be assuming that too. Since both of those involve a whole lot more running plays, I have a feeling the Tigers will see a lot of loaded boxes from defenses who will dare Burns to beat them with his arm.

Where things go from here is anyone's guess. Auburn had been recruiting a lot of guys with spread offense backgrounds, but you figure that will change immediately. They also are now in the market for another offensive coordinator and finding a good one is not always easy, as they have figured out. Phil Fulmer's got their back on that one too.

Franklin probably is done for good in the SEC, but that's not to say he can't get another shot some place else among the BCS conferences like the spread lovin' Big 12. He'll have to put in some more time at the mid-major level for a few years of course, but his career is far from over.

Unless he decides his Auburn experience is book-worthy like his Kentucky tenure was. Then, all bets are off. Stay tuned.

Ole Miss' Climb

Year2 — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 00:50:06 -0000

This has been a season of highs and lows in Oxford, Mississippi so far. The team has looked an awful lot better than last season's squad, the one that went 0-8 in conference play. It has also missed some opportunities.

Week 1: They put a smackdown on Memphis, 40-24. UP.

Week 2: They lose a heartbreaker to Wake Forest, 30-28. DOWN.

Week 3: They skate by I-AA Samford 34-10. UP.

Week 4: They lose a heartbreaker to Vandy, 23-17. DOWN.

Week 5: They score the big one, winning at Florida 31-30. UP.

Week 6: They turn Chris Smelley into SEC Offensive Player of the Week in a 31-24 loss. DOWN.

Though the season has taken them back down once again, it's important to remember where they've come from.

Six of their nine losses last season were by double digits. It has been four years since they last won two consecutive games within the same season. In the four seasons after Eli Manning graduated, the Rebels had just four conference wins. The best of them came against a 6-5 South Carolina team in 2004.

The huge win over Florida was the sort of game that Ole Miss could pull off under David Cutcliffe, but couldn't quite do under Ed Orgeron. Close losses didn't doom Coach O of course, but the sheer volume of them under his watch did.

The sheer volume of his voice was perhaps the most impressive thing about him.

Now the Houston Nutt regime is in town, as we all know. He is known for being a colorful guy, never afraid to let his emotions out. He is also the man responsible for keeping the SEC West from being ruled by the trifecta of Alabama, Auburn, and LSU the same way the East has been ruled by Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee.

I am not an Ole Miss fan, nor have I ever been to Oxford, so I can't give you any inside insight on the sentiment there now or in the past. I do know that the Rebels have not been nationally relevant consistently since the Vaught era, with the Cutcliffe-Manning collaboration being the brightest point of interest in the past decade or two.

Given that fact, it doesn't surprise me to read that Nutt is working hard to change the mindset in his new program. Unless the Rebels have a 6th-year senior I am not aware of, no one on that team has experienced a winning season on the collegiate level. I can't imagine it's an easy task.

Nutt, a guy who strikes me as an incurable optimist, is probably the right guy for the job though. Not only is he brimming with enthusiasm, but he has shown his coaching chops by winning the West on three occasions. Saban or Miles he's not, but he's sure no Orgeron either.

Beating Alabama or LSU is probably asking a bit much, but I would have told you the same thing about beating Florida three weeks ago. The Arkansas game, Louisiana-Monroe game, and the Egg Bowl are all more than winnable, and I like their chances of doing well against Auburn too. Going 3-1 in those games is definitely doable, and it likely puts the Rebels in their first bowl game since the Cotton Bowl after the 2003 season.

Things are looking good beyond this season too. Every offensive player with more than 10 touches should be back except for senior WR Mike Wallace, and freshman RB Brandon Bolden leads the team in rushing. The defense will be fine too as long as no one jumps to the pros early (I'm looking at you, Greg Hardy).

It's difficult to climb from a 3-9 season to great success on one year. Everyone's darling Vanderbilt did win five games last year, so they started from a better foundation record-wise for this season than Ole Miss did. Vandy has also had several years of continuity under one guy whereas the Rebels are on their third coach in five years.

If Nutt can keep himself out of any drama like what happened with all the Springdale nonsense in 2006, he should have no problem guiding the Rebels to bowls consistently and every so often competing for a division title. He has also shown over his career a willingness to make changes, a lack of which led Ole Miss to show Cutcliffe the door.

A good showing against Alabama and a win over Arkansas should confirm this season is on the right track. The Rebels' climb will take longer than just one season, but at least they are climbing once again.

Les Miles Not Sleeping on Florida

Year2 — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 06:56:53 -0000

There is unrest in Gator Nation. It mostly surrounds the offense, an entity that Gator fans have rarely if ever been satisfied with in the post-Spurrier era. Whether it is nitpicking or outright disdain, some folks are pretty upset.

To all those who are not happy: Les Miles thinks you're crazy.

"If you find any weaknesses, tell me," Miles said at his weekly media luncheon Monday. "They don't have any weaknesses. Being ranked (No. 11) is underselling them some. It will be our strengths against their strengths."

Maybe this is just gamesmanship garbage, some token respect to keep the bulletin boards clear in Gainesville. Oops, too late for that. Hmm, or maybe it's just a coach talking in vague platitudes about an opponent he's not looked closely at.

"Tim Tebow plays pretty darn well," Miles said. "It doesn't seem like he's struggling to me. When something doesn't go well, somebody has to take the blame. Usually, it's the quarterback. Tebow is more well-rounded than last year. He understands the game more. He's better when the chips are down. He's making better decisions."

Oh, well now I don't know about that one either. It sounds like he's looked at a bit of Florida game tape and seen that Tebow is well on his way to becoming a game manager, even if he is a work in progress sometimes.

There is a caricature in the public domain of Les Miles being a reckless, empty hat who gets by on sheer force of will, testosterone, and dumb luck. After observing him for more than three seasons in Baton Rouge, however, I know that's not true. He's not an idiot skating by on his predecessor's talent harvest; he's a great football coach, plain and simple.

Great football coaches know the dangers of underestimating a big road opponent the week of the game. I believe he meant what he said because Florida still has a high capacity for playing well, even if the Gators have not put it all together for parts of the season.

So no, Les Miles is not listening to the perpetual complaining from Gator fans that Urban Meyer calls the Florida Nonsense, Ron Zook called the Noise in the System, and what Steve Spurrier cited as one of the reasons he chose to leave when he did. He plans on preparing for this one as though it's a battle of two top ten teams.

We'll find out in Gainesville just how well prepared both teams are for this matchup, one of the best annual SEC games of the past few seasons.

The East Strikes Back

Year2 — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 01:32:21 -0000

A week after the SEC West went 3-0 in inter-division play, the other side has struck back.

The East went 3-1 against the West, with the only loss being Kentucky's close loss at Alabama, 17-14. Florida pulled away late to defeat Arkansas 38-7, South Carolina held on to defeat Ole Miss 31-24, and Vanderbilt edged Auburn 14-13 in a thriller in Nashville.

On the season the divisions are tied up at four wins apiece, adding Vandy's win over Ole Miss to the results of these most recent two weeks. Next week features two games between the divisions, with LSU visiting Florida and Vanderbilt visiting Mississippi State.

As a follow up to the bit on road teams' early success, home teams were 2-2 on the day in conference play. Alabama and Vanderbilt won at home; Florida and South Carolina won on the road.

In Florida's and Alabama's cases, the team that should have won got the W. It appears the other two games were between relatively even teams. For the season, the home team is 2-2 in such tossups.

Last Minute News and Notes

Year2 — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 12:42:16 -0000

Nick Stephens is your new starter at quarterback for the Vols. One of the more interesting phenomena of the off season was that as time went on, more and more people talked themselves into Jonathan Crompton being a potential star. So much for that.

Stephens' recruiting profile is here, if you'd like to find out where he came from. In-depth coverage can be found over at Rocky Top Talk.

SB Nation's Vanderbilt blog Conquer and Prevail managed to score interviews with Kirk Herbstreit and Lee Corso. Before you ask, the answer is yes, I'm jealous.

I think it's awesome that GameDay is at Vanderbilt this week. They easily could have gone to Ohio State-Wisconsin despite the Badgers' loss and no one would have batted an eye. Given the school's history though, it's not likely we'll see many more 4-0 Commodore squads in the future. This could be their last, best chance to have Vandy host it, and they took it.

It goes to show that they are true fans and want to go everywhere if they can. I'm expecting some good signs because a) it's Vanderbilt, so there's some sharp people on that campus, and b) they've had plenty of time to think of them while waiting for Chris, Lee, and Kirk to finally come.

Chris Brown of Smart Football isn't sure what Auburn is running of offense, but it sure isn't Tony Franklin's system. The biggest tell? The Tigers don't look a thing like Hal Mumme-era Kentucky. This is a great read if you were wondering what was going on in the Loveliest Village on the Plains.

For information on some of the changes Auburn is making this week, hit up Track 'Em Tigers.

The Florida secondary is once again trying to prove itself after some critical breakdowns helped enable Ole Miss to win the game last week. Defensive Coordinator Charlie Strong says that the defensive line getting more pressure on the quarterback is an essential part of that equation.

On the heart-warming side of things, DT Brandon Antwine is making the trip to Fayetteville. He went through a debilitating back injury last year that caused many of the muscles in his back to deteriorate completely. Many thought it was going to end his career, but he fought through it and is available to play. Amazing.

Road Sweet Road

Year2 — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 03:40:27 -0000

via Flickr user Beyond Baroque

A story that has been getting some play around the country this week in some areas is the curious state of SEC home field advantage. Or lack thereof, as the case may be. Among intra-conference games, SEC road teams are 8-3 on this young season.

I've heard a few theories thrown around. I am a Charlotte resident, and the local afternoon sports talk host is Mark Packer (son of legendary curmudgeon/basketball announcer Billy Packer), a big college football nut who has Kirk Herbstreit on every week. The two of them discussed the idea that so many people grow up in the South hearing about the tough venues in the SEC that it doesn't matter to them anymore. They expect rowdy crowds, and have somehow developed a resistance to them.

Houston Nutt, engineer of both a road win and a home loss, says that there are fewer distractions on the road. He finds that being away from the hubbub and ticket requests makes it easier to focus.

Here's another thought though: maybe it's just a weird scheduling quirk. Hit the jump to look at all the conference games so far to help decide for yourself.

(Home teams in all CAPS)

Week 2

VANDERBILT d. South Carolina, 24-17: It seemed fluky at the time, but not nearly as much now.

Week 3

Georgia d. SOUTH CAROLINA ,14-7: The better team won, but the home team gave them everything they could handle. A hard-fought road victory.

Auburn d. MISSISSIPPI STATE, 3-2: The game that launched a thousand baseball score jokes. The better team won, but it did so in about the ugliest fashion possible.

Week 4

Alabama d. ARKANSAS, 49-14: The hands-down better team won hands down.

Vanderbilt d. OLE MISS, 23-17: It's difficult to say conclusively whether the Commodores or Rebels are the better team so far, though Ole Miss is more talented. Vandy was fortunate to pull out this road contest after gaining just 202 yards of offense.

Florida d. TENNESSEE, 30-6: The better team won, plain and simple.

Louisiana State d. AUBURN, 26-21: The better team won this in a close and thrilling fashion.

Week 5

Ole Miss d. FLORIDA, 31-30: The Rebels make just enough big plays to offset a slew of pedestrian ones in a classic trap game loss for the Gators.

Alabama d. GEORGIA, 41-30: Not as close as the score indicates. Throw out your preseason bias; right now, it looks like Alabama is the better team.

LOUISIANA STATE d. Mississippi State, 34-24: The better team won, though the Bulldogs were friskier than most imagined they'd be.

AUBURN d. Tennessee, 14-12: The real losers were the people who had to suffer through watching this punt fest. Auburn is the better team though.

Overall

It appears that in eight of the 11 intra-conference games, the better team won. In two others (Vandy versus SC, Vandy versus Ole Miss) I'm not fully sure whether the best team won because I'm not sure how good Vanderbilt is yet. Florida lost to a lesser team in a trap game after beating a rival convincingly.

As it turns out, it probably was a scheduling quirk that caused the road teams to feast early. The better teams by and large are winning games regardless of location, and many of the lesser home teams have put up good fights.

It's not time to write off home field advantage in the conference just yet.

Gustav Watch

Year2 — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 12:58:19 -0000

Gustav Watch

Keep an eye on Gustav; looks like he's going to become a bad mutha' (shut yo' mouth!) and he's headed your general direction.

This is a link to the official National Hurricane Center five-day forecast track and as we all know, these things are pretty unpredictable. Just because one update says it's not coming for you doesn't mean the next one won't.

This link will work for all future updates, which come every three hours.

Video of Schnellenberger dissing Texas

Year2 — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 03:46:38 -0000

Video of Schnellenberger dissing Texas

Not only does he call the Horns soft, he says their passes are "dinky." Found via Dr. Saturday.

Fulmer's Record Broken Down

Year2 — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 03:19:20 -0000

Fulmer's Record Broken Down

Fulmer's record broken down by site and quality of opponent. Done for his entire tenure, and done again split between '92-98 and '99-07.