SEC Notebook

[cloverleaf]

SEC Rivalries

College football is about tradition...especially in the South. Below is a list of 20 most-played series in SEC football history.

1. Auburn/Georgia (117 games)
2. Miss St/Ole Miss (110)
3. Kentucky/Tennessee (109)
4. Tennessee/Vanderbilt (108)
5. LSU/Mississippi (107)
6. LSU/Ole Miss (102)
7. Alabama/Miss St. (98)
8. Alabama/Tennessee (96)
9. Florida/Georgia (91)
10. Ole Miss/Vanderbilt (88)
11. Auburn/Miss St. (87)
12. Kentucky/Vanderbilt (86)
13. Alabama/Vanderbilt (83)
13. Auburn/Florida (83)
15. Alabama/Auburn (78)
16. Alabama/LSU (77)
17. Georgia/Vanderbilt (74)
18. Arkansas/Texas AM (70)
19. Alabama/Georgia (66)
19. Georgia/South Carolina (66)
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Spring Game Attendance

1. Alabama (73,506)
2. Auburn (70,645)
3. Tennessee (68,548)
4. Georgia (46,073)
5. South Carolina (36,412)
6. Florida (35,834)
7. Kentucky (35,117)
8. Arkansas (30,000)
9. Missouri (23,121)
10. Miss State (21,710)
11. LSU (18,565)
12. Ole Miss (15,000)
13. Vanderbilt (8,400)
14. Texas A&M (No spring game)
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Top 10 Spring Game Attendance Nationally

1. Alabama (73,506)*
2. Penn State (72,000)
3. Auburn (70,645)*
4. Tennessee (68,548)*
5. Nebraska (61,772)
6. Ohio State (61,058)
7. Georgia (46,073)*
8. Oklahoma (43,500)
9. Florida (36,500)
10. South Carolina (36412)*
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Tip of the Day: Always bet the same amount on every game.

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[cloverleaf]

Florida

The Gators have no real areas of proven strength following last season's 4-8 season. They are coming off their first losing season since 1979 and ended a streak of 23 straight seasons in a bowl game. Florida needs some impact players on offense, where playmakers have been in short supply for sometime. Sophomore running back Kevin Taylor looks to build on a solid freshman campaign, while Gators hope sophomore wide receiver Demarcus Robinson and Ahmad Fulwood break out. On defense, All-SEC cornerback Vernon Hargreaves already is one of the nations best entering his second season. Pass rushing end Dante Fowler was unblockable during the spring coming off a sophomore season where he showed flashes of brilliance mixed with stretches of inconsistency. Players need to "cowboy up" or head coach Will Muschamp is in trouble. I believe they will!

Sidenote: Muschamp's record (22-16) is worse than former coach Ron Zook's (23-15) after three seasons. Zook was fired in 2004.
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Vanderbilt

Four starters return to an offensive line that could be one of Vandy's best in recent years. There is depth and speed at all linebacker positions. Quarterback, receivers and tight end are all areas of concerns, as are the placekickers and special teams unit that struggled during the spring. The Doars are coming off back-to-back nine win seasons and are aiming to make its fourth consecutive bowl appearance. Making a forth straight bowl game could prove difficult. This year's team will have a difficult time winning six games.
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Sidenote: This is the first time since 1964, Vince Dooley's first as head coach, that Georgia has seen an overhaul of its entire defensive coaching staff
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Tip of the Day: Never force a play for the sake of having action.

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[cloverleaf]

Recruiting Update

..Team.............Total........5star.........4star..........3star........other......National Rank
1. Alabama.........15...........2..............11..............2.............0...............1st
2. LSU................10..........2................1..............6..............1...............4th
3. Tennessee.......11..........0................5..............5..............1...............5th
4. Texas AM.........9...........0................7..............1..............1...............6th
5. Auburn...........12...........0...............5..............4...............3...............8th
6. Arkansas..........8...........0...............4...............4..............0...............12th
7. S. Carolina.......7............1..............3...............2...............1...............14th
8. Miss St............10..........0...............2...............6...............2..............17th
9. Georgia...........7............0...............4..............1................2..............19th
10. Florida...........7............0...............1...............6..............0...............23rd
11. Missouri.........7............0...............3...............3..............1...............25th
12. Kentucky.......7............0...............2...............4...............1..............27th
13. Ole Miss.........4...........0...............1................3..............0..............35th
14. Vanderbilt......2............0...............1...............1...............0..............60th

 

[MackDonald]

Gosh.....Florida ranked 10th in the SEC and 23rd nation-wide....an unusual position for the Gators. Could it be that a potential recruit is speculating that Muschamp will NOT be around for his 4-year tour....risky business for a "blue-chipper".

 

[CoachCB]

Mack, agree it's risky but Muschamp is doing pretty good (so far) in the 2015 recruiting cycle. UF only has 7 commits. Only SC has 7 (or less) and is ranked higher. 3 of the commits are expected to get a 4th star from several of the services.

I'm shocked UF was able to convince Kurt Roper to leave Duke (as Muschamp could be a dead-man walking).

BTW, Muschamp's dad just passed away (cancer). He was a UNC grad and played CFB there.

 

[cloverleaf]

SEC Network

The SEC Network announced the schedule for the first four weeks of the season, and every team will host a game on the new network over that time period. The Network will debut on August 14, 24/7.

Thursday, Aug 28
Texas A&M @ South Carolina
Temple @ Vanderbilt

Saturday, Aug 30
Tenn-Martin @ Kentucky
Arkansas @ Auburn
So. Miss @ Miss State

Sunday, Aug 31
Utah State @ Tennessee

Saturday, Sept 6
Florida Atlantic @ Alabama
Arkansas St. @ Tennessee
Eastern Mich @ Florida
Nichols State @ Arkansas
Sam Houston @ LSU
Lamar @ Texas A&M

Saturday, Sept 13
Central Fla @ Missouri
Louisiana @ Ole Miss
Kentucky @ Florida

Saturday, Sept 20
Troy @ Georgia
TBA
TBA
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LSU

LSU paid a $100,000 exit fee to cancel a home-and-home series with North Carolina State in 2017 and 2020. The Tigers are playing Syracuse in 2015 and 2017 and prefer not playing more than one from a power conference. LSU has future dates with non-conference opponents Syracuse, Arizona State, UCLA and a yet to be determined dates against Oklahoma.
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Missouri

Former five-star recruit and top overall prospect of the 2012 class Dorial Green-Beckham is transferring to Eastern Illinois. The wide receiver was kicked off the team for multiple infractions. It is also being reported Missouri has not released Beckham yet.
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Alabama

In a recent interview, Alabama Athletic Director Bill Battle was asked his thoughts on the hiring of offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin. Battle said his first reaction wasn't positive. I talked to coach Saban about it. He ask me if I had ever met him and I said no. I had him in for a visit and was very impressed. I followed up and talked to several different people. I called USC athletic director Pat Haden. I talked to David Blackbird, who's the AD at Chattanooga. David was the compliance officer for football at Tennessee when Kiffen was there. They both told me that they thought he would be a good fit here, and I'm comfortable with that. Our players and coaches are impressed with how he's gone about things. I think he will be successful here.
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Tip of the Day: When you win it on Saturday, don't give it back on Sunday.

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[TyBounce]

I had an online chat with my cable company (charter) the other day concearning a billing issue and while i was chatting with them i asked for some information on the SEC network and ...lol... i then had to explain to the woman what the SEC network was , she was clueless and couldnt tell me anything. (she said she was in Virginia)

Several months ago when Fox sports debuted , they put Fox1 on basic cable but put Fox2 and 3 other new channels on the deluxe sports package and raised the rates $4.95 per month.

Has anyone heard from their cable or satellite provider if theres going to be a rate increase ?

 

[cloverleaf]

Ty, I also have Charter and can't seem to get any concrete answers regarding the SEC Network. My bill increased $49 dollars this month so I went to our local Charter office and told them I was changing over to AT&T Bundle and they dropped my cable bill back to where it was before the increase.

I'm sure any carrier will charge extra for the SEC Network....just don't know how much yet.

 

[TyBounce]

Ty, I also have Charter and can't seem to get any concrete answers regarding the SEC Network. My bill increased $49 dollars this month so I went to our local Charter office and told them I was changing over to AT&T Bundle and they dropped my cable bill back to where it was before the increase.

I'm sure any carrier will charge extra for the SEC Network....just don't know how much yet.

Thanks clover , i assume it will be shown somewhere in the 300's where the other deluxe sports channels are. ... at least this is a channel i'll watch , i havent even watched fox2 or the tennis channel they added. ... sure glad they raised my bill for that shit. lol

 

[cloverleaf]

Tennessee

The excitement level has certainly increased in Knoxville, and it looks like Butch Jones is building a strong foundation for his football team. The defense still has a lot of unknowns, and while it appears the offensive talent has increased, play at quarterback is key and that position is still a little unstable.
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Ole Miss

Coach Hugh Freeze didn't even think he'd be talking about bowl games until his third year. Well, he's entering his third year and has a team that many think could challenge for the SEC West title. Senior quarterback Bo Wallace will be starting his third season and his shoulder is finally healthy. The defense has a lot of potential, especially along the line.
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Alabama

This team is motivated by last season's disappointing final two games. The defense lost valuable leadership and talent, but a hungry, talented bunch lurks on that side of the ball. Bama could be waiting on its starting quarterback. Florida State transfer Jacob Coker (6-5, 240) from Mobile, Ala., will join the Tide this summer and compete for the starting job. Coker played at the same high school that three year starter A.J. McCarron was from and was recruited by Saban out of high school. If the spring game was any indication, the Tide certainly needs him. The good news is that a wealth of offensive talent returns.
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Georgia

The defense as a whole has a lot to work on, but the offense shouldn't miss a beat. Record setting four year starter Aaron Murray might be gone, but 5th year senior Hudson Mason looks ready to step in after an impressive spring. Mason will have a ton of talent to work with including Heisman candidate Todd Gurley at running back and good depth at receiver.
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Tip of the Day: Don't go over board by playing too many games.

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[USC_TheReal]

Really, REALLY looking forward to the UGA-Clemson game. Clemmy fans around these parts are big and proud and planning on beating Georgia's ass. I'm looking forward to a full game from a healthy Gurley and then we'll see how loud and proud they are about their DL. Gurley is a beast, love watching him run.

 

[linebets]

I have Uverse, have had it for a long time. It doesnt seem like they are passing the buck on the SEC network... at least not yet. Maybe when it actually turns on it will be different, but I am locked in for a year so I will just call back and bitch and moan until they drop it again.

 

[cloverleaf]

Quarterbacks

The SEC might not be known as a quarterback league, but with Manziel being taken in the first round last night, it marks the ninth time in the last twelve years that an SEC quarterback has been taken in the first round. The SEC school that has produced the most drafted quarterbacks, at least over the last forty years is LSU. The Tigers have had eight quarterbacks drafted since 1990 and ten since 1970. Zack Mettenberger will be the 11th. Not far behind is Alabama, which has had eight quarterbacks drafted since 1970. A.J. McCarron will make the ninth when he is drafted today or tomorrow. On the flipside, the last Mississippi State quarterback to be drafted, period, was Dave Marler in 1979. That's the longest such drought in the conference.

First Round Picks Since 1970:

2014 Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M
2011 Cam Newton, Auburn (1st overall)
2010 Tim Tebow, Florida
2009 Matthew Stafford, Georgia (1st overall)
2007 Jamarcus Russell, LSU (1st overall)
2006 Jay Cutler, Vanderbilt
2005 Jason Campell, Auburn
2004 Eli Manning, Ole Miss (1st overall)
2003 Rex Grossman, Florida
1999 Tim Couch, Kentucky (1st overall)
1998 Peyton Manning, Tennessee (1st overall)
1994 Heath Shuler, Tennessee
1973 Bert Jones, LSU
1972 John Reaves, Florida
1971 Archie Manning, Ole Miss

*Kudos to the Archie Manning family...3 first round selections...with two being the first overall pick. Damn Strong!!

 

[USC_TheReal]

Conference breakdown of first round:
SEC - 11
AAC - 5
B10 - 4
ACC - 4
P12 - 3
B12 - 2
MAC - 2
Ind - 1

Once again, SEC cleaned up.

 

[cloverleaf]

SEC Draft

The SEC has topped all conferences in the number of players picked in each of the past eight drafts. This year, the SEC led the way with 49 selections, the runner-up was the ACC with 42 selected. Last year, the margin was much wider. The SEC set a record with 63 drafted players, more than double the 30 from runner-up ACC. The last time the SEC was not the top conference in the draft was 2006, when the Big Ten had 41 and the SEC 37.

The SEC had 29 offensive players, 19 defensive players and one specialist drafted in 2014. By position, the SEC had 4 quarterbacks, 5 running backs, 8 wide receivers, 1 tight end, 11 offensive linemen, 10 defensive linemen, 4 linebackers, 5 defensive backs and 1 place kicker.

Sidenote: The SEC had 34 players taken in the first two rounds (16 first and 18 second).

Sidenote: When Jadeveon Clowney was take first overall in this year's draft, he became the 18th SEC player to be selected with the first pick.

Sidenote: Of the 98 underclassman who declared for the draft, 36 went undrafted. Nine of the 38 were from the SEC.

 

[CoachCB]

CL, did you see the UVA TE that just transferred to UF. Great pick up for Florida. That was a very weak position in UF's offense. The kid made 40+ catches on that terrible UVA team last year. He's eligible immediately w/ 1 year left. Should be a big help to Kurt Roper's offense.

 

[cloverleaf]

Ole Miss

Sophomore Robert Nkemiche was the nation's number one recruit as a defensive end. He move to tackle toward the end of the season and had eight tackles and a sack in his last two games. Defensive end C.J. Johnson should lift last year's subpar pass rush with help on the other side from Fadol Brown, one of two FBS transfers expected to fill key roles. Brown played at FIU two years ago. That's when Anthony Alford was a quarterback at Southern Miss. Alford's an Ole Miss safety and is considered the team' most athletic player. There is experience at corner with senior Senquez Golson and junior Mike Hilton, and solid depth behind them in athletic Derrick Jones and JUCO transfer Tee Shepard, once a Notre Dame signee. Senior free safety Cody Prewitt is a returning All-American, while sophomore Tony Conner is a rising star at the Huskie position in the Rebels' 4-2-5 scheme. With increased depth and more experience returning, much is being expected from the defense.

Sophomore offensive tackle Austin Goison has decided to leave Ole Miss and transfer to Auburn in order to be closer to his sick grandparents. Goison is from Prattville, Alabama which is a short drive from the Auburn campus. Goison played in 12 games last season at right guard. During spring practice, he was moved to right tackle and came out of spring drills as number one on the depth chart. Coming out of high school, he was rated the #3 offensive tackle by ESPN and was named US Army All-American. Tough loss for the Rebels and nice pick-up for Auburn.

Three Ole Miss players who were not drafted in the recent NFL draft have signed free agent contracts. Offensive tackle Pierce Burton signed with Minnesota, linebacker Emmanuel McCray signed with St. Louis, while running back Jeff Scott agreed to terms with Cincinnati.

Sidenote: Should be fun to watch 6-3, 300 pound Rebel quarterback Jeremy Liggins in goal line and short yardage situations this season. The kid can really move and will be a load when needing a yard or two.
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Tip of the Day: Don't be afraid to go "against" the line move.

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[cloverleaf]

Arkansas

Bret Bielema had a nice record at Wisconsin (68-24) but he rarely made a splash in recruiting during his tenure there. Over the last five years, the Badgers' averaged recruiting rank according to Rivals was 53rd nationally and ninth in the Big Ten. Bielema is in a different league now and will have to improve recruiting at Arkansas or he won't be around long. To improve recruiting, Bielema plans to place a greater emphasis on recruiting the states of Georgia and Florida. In Georgia, the Razorbacks plan to increase the number of assistants recruiting from one to three.
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Auburn

Jovon Robinson, the top JUCO college running back in the country has committed to the Tigers. Robinson ran for 2,387 yards and 34 touchdowns last season at Georgia Military College and was named NJCAA Offensive Player of the Year. The 5-star prospect becomes the 14th commitment to Auburn's 2015 recruiting class that ranks third nationally according to Rivals. Robinson will graduate in December and be an early enrollee.
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Alabama

The Crimson Tide is on the lookout for a non-conference neutral site game for 2016, and there should be one announced soon. Penn State backed out of the game that was planned a while back. My sources tell me the Tide will play Southern Cal to open the 2016 season in Arlington, Texas. Alabama will open the 2015 season against Wisconsin in Jerry's playpen.

New Orleans has signed Bama safety Vinnie Sunseri to a four year contract. Sunseri, a safety and special team standout hurt his knee and had to undergo surgery during the 2013 season. He had one more year remaining but declared early and was selected in the 5th round. Guarantee you the kid makes the team because of his play on special teams. One of the best I've seen at Alabama in years.
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Georgia

When is the last time Georgia has gone through an offseason without some type of conflict? The secondary seems to be in transition this off season. In the past week, the Dogs have seen cornerback Shag Wiggins transfer and Brendan Langley moved from CB to receiver. That comes a couple months after safety Josh Harvey-Clemons was kicked off the team.
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Missouri

Tiger reserve quarterback Trent Hosick has decided to transfer to BYU. Hosick a 6-1, 225 pound redshirt freshman was listed third on the depth chart coming out of spring practice. He was a four star recruit coming out of high school.
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Tip of the Day: Research is key. Always do your homework and used good judgment.

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Georgia

 

[groundhog11]

clover: what are your thoughts on the wvu/bama game in atlanta? are you going? i view this game similar to the colo st/bama game last year....i give wvu 0% chance of winning. i had my line at 24.5, so i wasnt too far off...

i really think wvu will have a better defense this year...had a ton of injuries last yr....off is decent, but with having the worst qb in football, i think it makes us have a terrible off. i look for wvu to try and run the ball more this year.

 

[cloverleaf]

GH11, to be honest, I haven't really looked at West Virginia to know what to expect from them. The Mounties better have a good defensive line and backers cause Bama will pound the ball on them. Alabama has three running backs that would start for most schools and all are over 200 pounds. T.J. Yelton goes 220, Derick Henry 240 and Kenyan Drake 210.

Bama's defense will be top tier again and difficult to score on.

I agree Alabama will win but will be breaking in a new quarterback...we shall see.

Thanks Bud...........