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By Ronald Sitton
NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (Dec. 7) -- Miles will move to Michigan. Nutt will be fired. Tuberville, Bowden and Grobe will become Arkansas' next football coach.
The media's more-or-less unwritten creed not to print lies, rumors or innuendo seems quaint in the world of the 24-hour blogosphere, especially in the sports arena. Why wait when you can speculate and be the first to tell the world know what's going to happen?
In some circles, that's called prognosticating and seems best left to a different type of medium, i.e. the psychic. The public expects psychics to get it right about half the time by sheer blind luck. The public does not lose control of its emotions when the psychic's wrong, because psychics are expected to screw it up, much like the weatherman. That's not casting any blame, just noting that no one knows the future and despite having all the available variables, the best the public can expect rests on an educated guess.
But this isn't about that kind of medium.
Due to the transitory nature of news, the public expects printed publications (i.e. newspapers, magazines) to be more reliable than broadcast publications (i.e. radio, television). When people talk, they're expected to frame information to their benefit regardless of audience, providing one reason for the longevity of politicians and attorneys.
Not to imply broadcast publications cannot be trusted, but once something is printed, the public takes that information as fact regardless of its veracity. That causes most print publications to spend hours verifying information before going to press. When the information isn't verified, ala Jayson Blair or "Dewey defeats Truman," the public seldom hesitates to heap coals on the head of the offending publication.
Why? Because the public uses media to plan lives. How can it make decisions about things that really matter when the decision is based on lies, rumors or innuendo? It cannot.
Problems arise due to the nature of the newest press, the Internet, which allows anybody to pretend they're a journalist. Sure, the public can find good information on the Internet, but that information sits side-by-side on the Information Superhighway with a lot of lies, rumors and innuendo. To further complicate the situation, items on the Internet LOOK like something printed, leading the public to expect fact, expect verification, expect to use said information to choose as wisely as possible when living.
That's why the public turns to respected news outlets to get information about the day's events. For the most part, reliable information can be found at respected news outlets on the Web. Yet on the Internet, the most-respected media outlets have conglomerated resources to produce Web sites containing both printed information, i.e. articles, and broadcast information through podcasts. That mixture should make the public wary, but the public infatuation with its semi-new toy does not imply the public reads the instruction manual to determine how to operate it.
The nature of politics leads the public to take things with a grain of salt. The same can be said of weather forecasts, yet the public understands it's only a forecast. But when it comes to news, publications normally do not print information until after the fact, when the truth can better be ascertained.
But what happens when the respected outlet focuses on sports journalism? The public faces psychics without a license.
The major sports publications, i.e. ESPN and Sports Illustrated, feed the public with its daily fix of scores and changes in the scene. They predict the outcomes of games and report injuries, which the public accepts as many use that information to place wagers in hopes of a holiday payday. When personnel moves occur, they soliloquize on the possible benefits and/or detriments to the involved teams. Once again, the public finds this acceptable as half the fun of sports is every team has a shot at a championship when the records are 0-0 at the beginning of the season.
What's unacceptable is the continuous predictions of where coaches or players may go. These rumors, lies and innuendo not only hurt the publications' reputations, especially when the predictions go awry, but also hurt the teams or programs involved.
It's hard enough to get prepared to play an upcoming opponent without worrying about the coach's future. It's nearly impossible to keep recruits, the lifeline of college athletics, in the fold when there's a coaching change, let alone when "commitments" do not mean anything to athletes who want someone to "show me the money" in some shape, form or fashion.
So why doesn't the public castigate the sports journalist(s) who throw egg in the face of storied programs by noting the inability to immediately find a new leader (e.g. Alabama, Michigan, Arkansas to name a recent few)? After all, these writers contribute to the calamity by ignoring the golden rule of news, i.e. report what's happened, not what you think may happen. (Of course, I'm the pot calling the kettle black.)
Maybe it's due to the public needing the drama providing by the daily sports beat, i.e. not a physical but a mental need. Especially in the Southeast Conference, people nearly live and die depending on their team's fortunes. I'd call the public crazy for accepting mediocrity and acting as if the next hire is akin to the second coming of the Lord.
But then again, I never claimed sanity as one of my best assets.
Prediction: Arkansas beats Alabama, but gets slaughtered by LSU, which loses to the Sabinator. Three-way tie for first. Alabama goes to SEC Championship for being absent the longest, wins the Sugar Bowl. Arkansas loses the Rose Bowl. LSU beats USC for National Championship. Miles goes home to Michigan. Nutt tempted by LSU?
My Two Cents
By Ron Sitton
NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark., July 24 - I rehashed my routine this morning: e-mail, networking, sports, news, work.
I've read where people who start reading the sports section in their daily newspaper are likelier to die young than people who start with the comics. I'm sure there's a test that will indicate I'll die sooner because of my routine, but today I don't really care. I need coffee. I finished another stage in a long-overdue project last night, so today I'm catching up with my SEC sports addiction.
I start reading about the Razorbacks ... scratch that, restart. I go to a "Razorback" site, Razorback Central, and they're talking about the Tulsa Golden Hurricane. I could care less about Gus Malzahn and what he's installing at Tulsa (although I did find it intriguing yesterday while reading GoVolsXtra.com that Slick Shelley left Tennessee to transfer to Tulsa). Malzahn is last year's news. What about the Hogs?
OK, NBA player Mike Miller says John Pelphrey's going to win big. And Patrick Beverly has apparently made the world his oyster with his play as a member of Team USA’s Under-19 silver-medal winning basketball team. Great. Basketball. Why should I care about basketball in the middle of summer?
Oh, a few nuggets from the Hill. Thankfully, Dennis Nutt's brain is not currently bleeding. I'm sure his replacement, Tim Horton, is thankful for his guaranteed $165K over two years. That's it on the football front. So I go to SI and ESPN. I read about D. Nutt in the college section, but it's not sexy enough to compete with "Hound Dog" Vick on the front page.
Next, I check on my alma mater to find they've banned smoking in Neyland Stadium. Why should that interest me as much as anything about the Hogs or Vols? So I read every available John Adams column at GoVolsXtra. Adams seems to be into praising the SEC this year, e.g. in one column he says SEC quarterbacks must be pretty good when one backup quarterback is a Heisman Trophy candidate. By the way, that would be Darren McFadden, who occasionally quarterbacks in the "Wildcat" formation.
Another column notes that Houston Nutt will probably jet from the criticism to a surprisingly attentive open market. I'm sure Nutt could get another job, but I don't believe he wants another job. Arkansas is his dream job. The criticisms and soap operas may be a sad part of that, but if he wins another 10 without Mustain and Malzahn, the Razorback Nation will shut up for awhile.
I decide to read every Paul Finebaum column available to find the 'Bama faithful believe Nick Saban will deliver in year one. On the other hand, Tommy Tuberville won't hand him the Iron Bowl. Since LSU's Les Miles plans to beat up everybody in red, I guess 'Bama and the Hogs just got bulletin-board material for the summer.
Everybody's giving kudos to Urban Meyer for winning a national title with Ron Zook's recruits. I wonder if he'll get slammed if he doesn't win with his own to the degree Miles gets slammed for not winning enough with Saban's recruits. I even read about Terry Bowden's imminent return to coaching and the ACC's horrible track record against major conferences.
I realize this is the major down-time for sports as we're heading into the "dog-days of summer" -- not an intentional reference to Vick - but now's the time for conjecture. Who's going to be the next Boise State? Can the SEC West beat the SEC East? I know. I know. Everyone's happy because their team remains undefeated through August.
But I'm sick of this lovefest. I've spent the whole day reading and I'm ready for football. Now if it'd only get started.
My Two Cents
by Ron Sitton
Danny Nutt resigned from the University of Arkansas today due to re-occurring bleeding in his brain stem. Arkansas moved quickly to hire Tim Horton, a former Hog receiver, though former Miami coach Larry Coker was also mentioned as a possible replacement.
Though I'm all for using the family tree to fill a position quickly if needed, it seems likely that a lot of experienced running back coaches would salivate at the opportunity to coach Heisman-trophy runner-up Darren McFadden and backfield mates Felix Jones and Peyton Hillis.
I wonder if Horton will be half the recruiter that Danny Nutt is, considering D. Nutt brought the current stable of hosses into the program, as well as Cedric Cobbs and the as-yet unknown Michael Smith and Van Stumon. It also makes me question if Camden Fairview running back De'Anthony Curtis (5-10, 209 lbs., 4. 41 in the 40) will keep his oral pledge.
Just when it seems that Arkansas may become known as Tailback U. in the SEC, another bombshell drops in Fayettenam.
by Paul Rockne
It's Championship Weekend for Southeastern Conference football – and for several other leagues as well – with the surprising Arkansas Razorbacks representing the Western Division and the not-so-surprising Eastern Division champion Florida Gators going head-to-head for the SEC title Saturday in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.
The Hogs and Gators would figure to grab all the football headlines this week … but they didn't as the Alabama Crimson Tide captured the media attention - almost pushing the SEC championship game into the background except in Arkansas and Florida – by abruptly firing head coach Mike Shula and announcing a nationwide search for a new coach.
The word "again" belongs at the end of the last sentence. The slap-in-the-face firing of Shula brings the Alabama football program back around to where it has been all too often in recent years – in a search for another head football coach. Tide Athletic Director Mal Moore is currently engaging in his fourth search for a new coach in his tenure.
Shula may have deserved being fired but the feeling from here is that, considering the mess he inherited with Dennis Franchoine's sudden departure for greener pastures, the Mike Price debacle and NCAA probation, he deserved at least another year. With the losses this year being as close as they were, many oh-so-close to being a victory, the odds were good that the Tide could/would have produced another 10-win season in '07.
Shula was, obviously, both disappointed and surprised when Moore made the Sunday night call. After all, Shula had done what he had been hired to do – clean up the Alabama image. He never embarrassed the university on or off the field. There were no drunken nights along the T-Town strip, no accusations from secretaries, no rumors of affairs or any other improprieties. He worked hard, recruited hard and gave the best he had for four years.
On the other hand, long-time Bama fans couldn't have been surprised at Shula's fate. After all, Shula went 0-4 against Auburn. Bill Curry was fired as the Bama head coach for not being able to beat Auburn – and his overall record was much better than Shula's. When Bear Bryant was being interviewed for the head coaching job in Tuscaloosa, the first question asked of him was: "Do you think you can beat Auburn?" Despite the loss to Mississippi State and the mediocre record this year, if Bama had beaten Auburn in the '06 Iron Bowl, Shula would still be captain of the Tide football fortunes.
But whether Shula should or shouldn't have been let go is not as important as how he was treated. The slap-in-the-face manner in which the whole affair was handled will make it harder to find and hire a good replacement – in fact, only another Bama grad or former player should even consider taking the job.
Some big-time names have been named as possible replacements for Shula – Steve Spurrier, Nick Saben, Rich Rodriguez, Bobby Patrino, Paul Johnson, Jim Grobe, Houston Nutt – but most have been quick to deny any interest in the job. That could be how they really feel or just part of playing the game. But if they have been watching events closely as they unfold, the above-mentioned coaches who are all successful in their present positions with their present teams will think twice – or more – times before they sign on the dotted line with the University of Alabama.
The powers that be at Alabama waited until late Sunday to hand Shula his walking papers and made Shula look like a naïve fool in the process. After twisting in the wind for eight days following the Iron Bowl loss, the former Tide QB and son of one of the winningest coaches in NFL history, told his players and assistant coaches at an early Sunday evening meetinig not to believe the rumors of his impending demise and to get their minds on the upcoming bowl game. Less than two hours later, he was gone.
That insult, that slap in the face, should serve as a warning to candidates in the present coaching search. If the way Moore and Company treated Shula is the way it treats one of its own, how will they treat an outsider with no ties to the Bama family?
Perhaps Alabama's only hope is a second resurrection - Bear Bryant coming back for a second go. But who knows? In these days of instant gratification and lack of patience, Tide fans might not even give Bear a break.
Oh yes – the SEC Championship Game. It will be played Saturday (today) at 5 p.m. in the Georgia Dome. Florida is a 3-point favorite. The two teams have met just six times before, with the Gators holding a 5-1 edge. It will be the fourth SEC title game matching two teams ranked in the top 10.
This weekend's championship college football TV schedule kicked off Friday night with the Conference USA title game, in which Houston defeated Southern Mississippi.:
Saturday's championship week lineup is as follows:
Connecticut at Louisville, 11 a.m. (WCSS)
ACC Championship Game, Georgia Tech vs. Wake Forest., noon (ESPN)
Army vs. Navy, 1:330 p.m. (ABC)
Division II title game, Delta State vs. North Alabama, 1:30 p.m. (CSS)
Stanford at California, 2 p.m. (FSNS)
Southern Cal at UCLA, 2:30 p.m. (ABC)
SEC Championship Game, Arkansas vs. Florida, 5 p.m. (CBS)
Troy at FIU, 6 p.m. (CSS)
Rutgers at West Virginia, 6:45 p.m. (ESPN)
Big 12 Championship Game, Nebraska vs. Oklahoma, 7 p.m. (ABC)
Editor's Note: A controversy rages in Alabama over whether to continue calling the Alabama-Auburn game the "Iron Bowl."
Over at Tuscaloosa News columnist Tommy Stevenson's new blog, he's asking the question.
We raised the issue last year in this story, which should tell you where we come down on the subject: It ain't "The Iron Bowl" no more.
What do you think? Sign in below and give us your comments. Onto the story...
by Paul Rockne
It's Traditional Rivalry Week for Southeastern Conference football.
 | Photo by Glynn Wilson | | Funny, when Paul "Bear" Bryant was alive, it was hard to get a picture of him where you could see his eyes, especially on the football field. Now, with the sun behind Bryant-Denny Stadium, it's hard to get a photo of his new statue with his eyes in the picture... |
There are three of these throw-out-the-record-books games, in which the outcome is the be-all and end-all for rabid fans, on tap this weekend - headed by the Iron Bowl, which annually pits Alabama against Auburn.
In the state of Alabama, polls have shown that over the years some three-fourths of the population - young and old, women and men - watch the Bama-AU battle if it is offered on TV. This year it is being carried live on CBS (not a good omen for Alabama, which has fared poorly on that particular network in the past few years).
Outside of Alabamians, few football fans in the other 49 states will be tuned into CBS Saturday because they will be tuned into the big No. 1 Ohio State vs. No. 2 Michigan game over on ABC that will determine the Big Ten title and put the winner into the BCS national championship game.
The Tide-War Eagle game is more important than life or death to a good number of the teams' fans. While it doesn't quite mean that much to the teams and players - winning or losing won't mean a winning or losing season for either and a win won't put either into the Western Division title game - it does have it's importance to both.
For Alabama, it will mean stopping a four-game losing streak to Auburn. A Bama win would also be big in that it would be the first-ever for the Tide in Tuscaloosa. Right now Auburn owns a five-game winning streak in T-Town, owns the Alabama home field. Add to that the fact that, so far, Bama Coach Mike Shula is 0-for against Auburn. No coach can last for long at Alabama if he can't beat Auburn - and Shula knows that.
A win for Auburn would erase the two losses this season and send the Tigers a-bowling with a good taste in their mouths. It would also be win No. 10 for the season for Coach Tommy Tuberville's team. And it would probably mean a new version of the “Fear the Thumb” T-shirts that AU unveiled after last year's Iron Bowl triumph.
People outside Alabama have a hard time understanding exactly why the "Iron Bowl," if we should still call it that, is such a big deal (although ESPN announcers have been debating among themselves if it is or isn't the nation's fiercest rivalry, thus giving the game more national attention).
Remember, this is a series that was put on hold for 41 years over a dispute - following a tie game - over a referee and per diem money paid to players to travel. Alabama owns a 38-31-1 edge in the series, with the lone deadlock coming in that final game before the 41-year break. There have been 22 shutouts in the series (meaning a close, low-scoring game benefits the Tide?), while Auburn owns a 4-1 record in one-point games in the series (meaning a close game is a good omen for AU?).
One final historical fact does seem to lean the Tide's way. This is the eighth time since the series was rekindled in 1948 that both teams come into the Iron Bowl off losses. Alabama holds a 5-2 edge in games that followed the double losses.
The other two other rivalry games set for Saturday include Ole Miss (3-7, 1-5) at No. 9 LSU (8-2, 4-2) and No. 22 Tennessee (7-3, 3-3) at Vanderbilt (4-7, 1-6). The schedule also includes one big non-rivalry matchup - No. 5 Arkansas (9-1, 6-0) at Mississippi State (3-7, 1-5). Arkansas can clinch the Western Division crown with a win over the Bulldogs, or a win over LSU next week.
Other league games on tap this week include a trio of cremepuffs with the SEC taking on two Sun Belt Conference squads and one Divison 1-AA team: No. 3 Florida (9-1) will get no computer points for its national title game bid with a win this week. The Gators host Division 1-AA Western Carolina (2-8). South Carolina (5-5) looks pretty assured of getting that sixth win to become bowl eligible as the Gamecocks host Middle Tennessee (7-3). Kentucky (6-4) will be at home against Louisiana-Monroe (2-7).
Saturday's weekend TV football lineup, other than pay-for-view is as follows:
Miami at Virginia, 11 a.m. (WB)
Yale at Harvard, 11 a.m. (WGN)
Iowa at Minnesota, 11 a.m. (CSS)
Maryland at Boston College, 11 a.m. (ESPN)
Michigan St. at Penn St., 11 a.m. (ESPN2)
Buffalo at Wisconsin, 11 a.m. (ESPNU)
Oklahoma at Baylor,11 a.m. (FSNS)
Tennessee at Vanderbilt, 11:30 a.m. (Lincoln Financial)
Charleston Southern at Coastal Carolina, 12:30 p.m. (SS)
Army at Notre Dame, 1:30 p.m. (NBC)
Michigan at Ohio State, 2:30 p.m. (ABC)
Auburn at Alabama, 2:30 p.m. (CBS)
Alcorn St. at Jackson St., 2:30 p.m. (CSS)
Kansas St. at Kansas, 2:30 p.m. (FSNS)
Bethune Cookman at Florida A&M, 2:30 p.m. (ESPNU)
San Diego St. at TCU, 3 p.m. (VS)
Arkansas St. at Troy, 6 p.m. (CSS)
Washington at Washington St., 6 p.m. (FSNS)
Virginia Tech at Wake Forest, 6 p.m. (ESPN2)
South Florida at Louisville, 6 p.m. (ESPNU)
Rutgers at Cincinnati, 6:45 p.m. (ESPN)
California at Southern Cal, 7 p.m. (ABC)
UCLA at Arizona St., 9:15 p.m. (FSNS)
The return of the king … a different kind of homecoming … the oldie-but-goodie hit song, “The Boys (make that “boy”) Are Back in Town” … all could be the theme for the SEC Game of the Week in this, the second week of November, 2006.
Steve Spurrier, the ex-Florida Gator head coach who brought the national championship trophy to Gainesville in 1996 and built a dynasty on the way to the title, returns to The Swamp Saturday, bringing his South Carolina Gamecocks in to face Urban Myer’s version of the Gators.
This game has more story lines than a national election. Spurrier is the winningest coach in the SEC, with a 95-21 record at Florida and now South Carolina. His name stands atop a list of legends. No. 2 is Tennessee’s Gen. Robert Neyland. No. 3 is Alabama’s Frank Thomas, followed in fourth place by Alabama’s (and Kentucky’s) Paul Bear Bryant.
Spurrier, who won a Heisman Trophy while playing for Florida, will be making his third trip to Gainesville this season and he is only hoping the third trip will be as pleasant an experience for him as the first two. Spurrier attended a reunion for the ’96 national title team in early September and then later in the month came back to be inducted into the Florida Ring of Honor.
Another question Saturday in Gainesville is can Spurrier keep his winning streak alive in Florida-South Carolina games? Spurrier has never been on the losing sideline of a Gator-Gamecock matchup. He posted a 10-0 record at Florida against South Carolina and is 1-0 at S.C. vs. the Gators. Spurrier’s Gamecocks beat Meyer’s Gators last season in Columbia, S.C. – the first and only time Florida has lost to S.C.
And while the storyline being watched by most is that of Meyer trying to escape the shadow of Spurrier’s legend at Florida, there are some real-time storylines as well. Spurrier bringing his 5-4 Gamecocks into Florida hoping for a win that will make his team bowl eligible and send South Carolina bowling for a second year in row. Meyer has his 8-1 Gators in the national championship mix, ranked No. 6 in AP and No. 4 on the BCS list.
Other league games on tap this week include: Georgia (6-4, 3-4) at Auburn (9-1, 5-10), Vanderbilt (4-6, 1-5) at Kentucky (5-4, 3-3), Tennessee (7-2, 3-2) at Arkansas (8-1, 5-0), Alabama (6-4, 2-4) at LSU (7-2, 3-2).
This week’s college football TV schedule kicks off tonight with Texas El-Paso at UAB live from Legion Field in Birmingham, Ala., at 7 p.m. on ESPN2. Saturday’s weekend TV lineup, other than pay-for-view is as follows:
N.C. St. at Clemson, 11 a.m. (WB)
Samford at Jacksonville St., 11 a.m. (CSS)
Wisconsin at Iowa, 11 a.m. (ESPN)
Cincinnati at W. Virginia, 11 a.m. (ESPN2)
Minnesota at Michigan St., 11 a.m. (ESPNU)
Georgia at Auburn, 11:30 a.m. (Lincoln Financial)
Baylor at Okla. St.,11:30 a.m. (FSNS)
Miami at Maryland, 2:30 p.m. (ABC)
South Carolina at Florida, 2:30 p.m. (CBS)
Michigan at Indiana, 2:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Texas Tech at Oklahoma, 6 p.m. (FSNS)
Tennessee at Arkansas, 6 p.m. (ESPN2)
Duke at Boston College, 6 p.m. (ESPNU)
Alabama at LSU, 6:45 p.m. (ESPN)
Wake Forest at FSU , 7 p.m. (ABC)
The SEC spotlight falls on Tennessee Saturday, where the Vols (No. 8 in the national polls) will entertain No. l 3 LSU in the only matchup of ranked teams on the SEC slate this weekend.
The game is a big one for Tennessee (3-1 in league play, 7-1 overall) because the Vols are one of the many one-loss teams still hoping to run the table the rest of the way and somehow make it to the BCS title game. Teams with two losses, like LSU (2-2, 6-2) are already out of that discussion.
That said, Saturday’s tussle is very important to the Bayou Bengals as well. Fair or not, there’s a feeling around Baton Rouge that this week’s trip to Tennessee is a defining moment for the LSU program, it’s quarterback and head coach.
The questions haunt LSU: Can QB JaMarcus Russell win the big road game? Can Tiger head coach Les Miles overcome the stigma that fans have attached to him – a coach who took Nick Saban’s leftover talent and then underachieved with it?
Russell, a junior from Williamson High in Mobile, has great numberfs for the season – 135-for-194 in passing for 1,190 yards and 15 touchdowns. He has thrown just four interceptions in the 194 attempts – however, all four of the picks came in the two games the Tigers lost, to Auburn and Florida.
The game, on paper, looks to be an entertaining offensive showcase. LSU and Tennessee rank first and second, respectively, in scoring in the SEC. Tennessee, behind QB Erik Ainge, leads the SEC in passing offense and total offense, with LSU’s Russell right behind him in second place. LSU and Tennessee are two of the 12 teams in the nation converting on at least one-half of their third-down conversions. And if the Vols are trailing heading into the fourth quarter, they certainly shouldn’t panic. Tennessee has overcome fourth-period deficits in each of its past three games to win.
Other league games on tap this week include Arkansas State (5-3) at No. 6 Auburn (8-1, 5-1), Mississippi State (2-7, 0-5) at Alabama (6-3, 2-3), Florida (7-1, 5-1) at Vanderbilt (4-5, 1-4), Georgia (6-3, 3-3) at Kentucky (4-4, 2-3), Northwestern State (4-4) at Ole Miss (2-7, 1-5) and Arkansas (7-1, 4-0) at South Carolina (5-3, 3-3).
This week’s college football TV schedule kicks off tonight with an armed services special - Air Force at Army - at 7 p.m. on ESPN2. Saturday’s weekend TV lineup, other than pay-for-view is as follows:
Missouri at Nebraska, 11 a.m. (ABC)
Virginia at FSU, 11 a.m. (WB)
Wofford at Georgia Southern, 11 a.m. (CSS)
Baylor at Texas Tech, 11 a.m. (FSNS)
Maryland at Clemson, 11 a.m. (ESPN2)
Ball St. at Michigan, 11 a.m. (ESPNU)
Miss. St. at Alabama, 11:30 a.m. (Lincoln Financial)
North Carolina at Notre Dame,1:30 a.m. (NBC)
TCU at UNLV, 2 p.m. (VS)
LSU at Tennessee, 2:30 p.m. (CBS)
Kansas St. at Colorado, 2:30 p.m. (FSNS)
Ohio St. at Illinois, 2:30 p.m. (ESPN2)
Purdue at Michigan St., 2:30 p.m. (ESPNU)
Washington at Oregon, 2:30 p.m. (TBS)
La. Lafayette at Troy, 6 p.m. (CSS)
Southern Cal. at Stanford , 6 p.m. (FSNS)
Oklahoma St. at Texas, 6 p.m. (TBS)
Boston College at Wake Forest, 6 p.m. (ESPN2)
Georgia Tech at N.C., 6 p.m. (ESPNU)
Arkansas at S.C., 6:45 p.m. (ESPN)
Virginia Tech at Miami, 7 p.m. (ABC)
Sunday’s ESPN game at 7 p.m. will feature Southern Miss at Memphis.
On a somewhat soft SEC grid schedule this weekend, there are two top games, while the rest of the lineup falls into the interesting-only-if-you-are-a-fan-of-the-school category. The two big games are No. 9 Florida (6-1 overall, 4-1 in league play) at Georgia (6-2, 3-2) and No. 8 Tennessee (6-1, 2-1) at South Carolina (5-2, 3-2).
Most of the pre-game talk in Jacksonville, Fla., where the Florida-Georgia game has been played every season since 1926, has been about the nickname of the game rather than the game itself. In an attempt to spin the reputations of their schools and fans, the University of Georgia and the University of Florida requested the networks broadcasting Saturday’s battle for the Eastern Division lead not to use the games famous moniker – the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party. Amazingly, CBS and ESPN caved, promising their announcers would refrain from using the nickname and, apparently, to ignore or not mention the copious drinking going on at the famous and prolific tailgate parties prior, during and after the game.
The question at the Tennessee at South Carolina game is: Can Steve Spurrier make it two in a row? Before Spurrier arrived and the Vols lost to the Gamecocks last year, Tennessee owned South Carolina, having won all 12 of their meetings since S.C. joined the SEC. The matchup between the Vols’ pass-happy offense and the Cocks’ tough defense will be interesting to watch. Tennessee, behind AB Erik Ainge, ranks eighth nationally in passing offense, while S.C.’s secondary ranks eighth nationally in passing defense.
Other league games on tap this week include No. 7 Auburn (7-1, 4-1) at Ole Miss (2-6, 1-4), Florida International (0-7) at Alabama (5-3, 2-3), Vanderbilt (3-5) at Duke (0-7), Kentucky (3-4, 1-3) at Mississippi State (2-6, 0-4) and La.-Monroe (1-6) at Arkansas (6-1).
This week’s college football TV schedule kicks off tonight with Texas El-Paso at Tulsa at 7 p.m. on ESPN. Saturday’s weekend TV lineup, other than pay-for-view is as follows:
Oklahoma at Missouri, 11 a.m. (ABC)
Notre Dame at Navy, 11 a.m. (CBS)
N.C. State at Virginia, 11 a.m. (WB)
Michigan St. at Indiana, 11 a.m. (CSS)
Northwestern at Michigan, 11 a.m. (ESPN)
Illinois at Wisconsin, 11 a.m. (ESPN2)
Northern Ill. at Iowa , 11 a.m. (ESPNU)
Auburn at Ole Miss,11:30 a.m. (JEFFERSON PILOT)
BYU at Air Force, 1 p.m. (VS)
Miami at Georgia Tech, 2:30 p.m. (ABC)
Georgia at Florida, 2:30 p.m. (CBS)
North Texas at Troy, 2:30 p.m. (CSS)
Southern Cal at Oregon, 2:30 p.m. (FSNS)
Wake Forest at N.C., 2:30 p.m. (ESPNU)
Texas at Texas Tech, 6 p.m. (TBS)
Florida St. at Maryland, 6 p.m. (ESPN2)
La.-Monroe at Arkansas, 6 p.m. (ESPNU)
Tennessee at South Carolina, 6:45 p.m. (ESPN)
The SEC spotlight will shine on Rocky Top this weekend as 5-2 (2-2 in league games) Alabama invades No. 7 (or 8 depending on which poll you like) Tennessee (5-1, 1-1).
Overall, it’s a ho-hum lineup for SEC teams, with no other league team facing a ranked opponent. But there’s enough intensity, rivalry and drama in the game in Knoxville for an entertaining Saturday.
The Tide and Vols first locked horns on Nov. 18, 1901, and after four quarters of play, nothing had been decided with that first meeting ending in a 0-0 tie and 2,000 fans on the field at Tuscaloosa fighting. The two teams have met on the third Saturday in October every year since 1928 except 1943 during World War II.
The game has always served as a measuring stick for the two teams. Legendary Tennessee coach Gen. Bob Neyland, for whom the stadium in which the game will be played Saturday is named, always said the stiffest test for his team was when it played Alabama. Bama’s Coach Bear Bryant said, “We never know what kind of team we have until we play Tennessee.”
That is the case this year with both teams coming into the game with winning records but many question marks. The rap on Alabama is that it wins against creampuff opponents but can’t beat quality foes. Tennessee has been erratic, looking good for parts of games and bad in others.
Tennessee comes into the game ranked eighth nationally in passing offense and Vol QB Erik Ainge’s passer efficiency rating leads the SEC and ranks seventh in the nation.
One interesting statistical anomaly that will be interesting to see how it plays out will come when Alabama gets a first down inside the Vol 20. Alabama has been miserable in red zone situations this year, having to settle for a field goal most of the time and often not making them. But Tennessee is just as futile in defending the red zone. Vol opponents have scored all 13 times they’ve reached the red zone – nine TDs, four field goals.
While everyone expects Tennessee to mount an aerial attack, the question is will Alabama go to its running game to try and melt the clock, shorten the game and keep the potent Tennessee offense off the field? Or will the Tide lean on its passing game to move the ball. Bama QB John Parker Wilson has racked up seven-straight 200-yard-plus passing games.
Other league games on tap this week include Tulane (2-4) at No. 8 Auburn, Ole Miss (2-5) at No. 15 Arkansas (5-1), Mississippi State (2-5) at Georgia (5-2), South Carolina (4-2) at Vanderbilt (3-4) and Fresno State (1-5) at No. 14 LSU (5-2).
This week’s college football TV schedule kicks off tonight, Friday, with
West Virginia at Connecticut at 7 p.m. on ESPN. Saturday’s weekend TV lineup, other than pay-for-view is as follows:
Texas at Nebraska, 11 a.m. (ABC)
North Carolina St. at Maryland, 11 a.m. (WB)
Michigan State at Northwestern, 11 a.m. (CSS)
Wisconsin at Purdue, 11 a.m. (ESPN)
Illinois at Penn State, 11 a.m. (ESPN2)
Indiana at Ohio State, 11 a.m. (ESPNU)
UCLA at Notre Dame, 1:30 p.m. (NBC)
Boston College at FSU, 2:30 p.m. (ABC)
Alabama at Tennessee, 2:30 p.m. (CBS)
Tennessee State at Jacksonville State, 2:30 p.m. (CSS)
Washington at California, 2:30 p.m. (FSN)
TCU at Army, 2:30 p.m. (ESPNU)
North Texas at Arkansas St., 6 p.m. (CSS)
Colorado at Oklahoma, 6 p.m. (FSN)
Rutgers at Pitt, 6 p.m. (ESPN2)
Southern Miss at Virginia Tech, 6 p.m. (ESPNU)
Georgia Tech at Clemson, 6:45 p.m. (ESPN)
Fresno State at LSU, 8 p.m. (ESPN2)
by Paul Rockne
For the second weekend in a row, the SEC spotlight will be shining on the undefeated Florida Gators (6-0, 4-0 in SEC), ranked No. 2 in the land after their win over LSU last Saturday. The “gator bait” this Saturday (6:45 p.m. on ESPN) will be provided courtesy of the Auburn Tigers (5-1, 3-1).
It should be interesting with both team ranked in the Top 25 – Florida taking over the No. 2 spot vacated by Auburn when it was upset by Arkansas last week. The Tigers fell to No. 11. The Gators will be wanting to prove they deserve their new lofty ranking and to stay in the hunt for the national championship. Auburn will be desperate to keep from dropping even lower on the college football ladder and knowing an upset win would increase its stock several fold.
Auburn’s run defense was decimated by Arkansas last week and the Gators had to have been paying attention. This could mean those watching will see more of freshman quarterback Tim Tebow. Senior QB Chris Leak is the starter and acknowledged leader on the Florida squad, but Tebow has proven to be a potent weapon running the ball. When it is a third – or fourth – and short situation, the Gators bring in Tebow to run for the first down. And he always comes through. For the season, Tebow is just 10-for-14 passing for a meger 152 yards – Leak is 101-for-156 for 1,395 yards and 14 touchdowns. On the ground however, Tebow has run 41 times for 228 yards and three touchdowns.
Auburn’s home record against the Gators is 24-8-1 and the Tigers have won eight of the past nine meetings. But Florida will be out for revenge for the last defeat on the Plains. In 2001, homestanding Auburn upset then ranked No. 1 Florida 23-20.
Another trend seemingly in Auburn’s favor – the last time Florida was No. 2, also in 2001, in the AP poll, it lost its next game to Tennessee.
Continue reading "College Football Preview: Auburn As Gator Bait?" »
by Paul Rockne
When two of the top 10 teams in the nation, both undefeated, go head to head, it’s always a big game and that’s the case this Saturday night in Gainesville, Fla. In what is the showcase game of the SEC this week and one of the top games nationally as well, No. 9 LSU invades The Swamp to take on Coach Urban Meyers’ No. 5 Florida Gators.
LSU will be trying to beat Florida three straight seasons for the first time since 1980 and it will be counting on a stingy defense to get the job done. The Bayou Tigers are ranked No 1 in total defense and No. 2 in scoring defense – in the nation as well as the SEC.
Those ranking should be challenged by the Gators. Florida ranks first in the SEC in total offense, led by quarterback Chris Leak, who is now executing Meyer’s spread option offense with high efficiency.
LSU’s game plan will be to do what it did last year – put a hurtin’ on Leak, thus crippling the Gator offense. The Tigers came close to completely shutting Leak down in last year’s 21-17 LSU victory, sacking him four times and harassing him into an 11-for-30 passing day for a career-low 106 yards.
LSU has also vowed to be a little more air-minded on offense. With its offense somewhat limited in early games by Coach Les Miles’ stubbornness about running the ball regardless of the situation, the 7-3 loss to Auburn changed some minds – including Miles.
Miles said earlier this week that while it was a painful and costly way to learn, LSU had learned its lesson and it was a learning experience that will pay dividends down the road – in other words, if you’ve got a quarterback like JaMarcus Russell (who hails from Mobile), use him.
Another big game this week in the SEC pits No. 13 Tennessee against No. 10 Georgia in Athens. This game will keep Tennessee in the East Division picture with a win or eliminate the Vols early with a loss. Some good news for Tennessee: the Vols lead the series 7-5 when both teams are ranked in the top 25.
Alabama should easily improve to 4-2 Saturday as the Tide hosts inept Duke. The Tide is such a big favorite that the game is not on TV except for pay-for-view. Bama is a 28 point favorite.
This week’s college football TV schedule kicks off tonight, Friday, with Louisville vs. Middle Tennessee at 7 p.m. on ESPN2). Saturday’s weekend TV lineup, other than pay-for-view is as follows:
Arkansas at Auburn, 11 a.m. (CBS)
Clemson at Wake Forest, 11 a.m. (ESPN)
Purdue at Iowa, 11 a.m. (ESPNU)
Texas A&M at Kansas, 11:30 a.m. (FOXSS)
VMI at Army, 11:30 a.m. (ESPNCLASSIC)
Stanford at Notre Dame, 1:30 p.m. (NBC)
Washington at Southern Cal, 2:30 pp.m. (FOXSS)
Texas at Oklahoma, 2:30 p.m. (ABC)
LSU at Florida, 2:30 p.m. (CBS)
Bowling Green at Ohio State, 2:20 p.m. (CSS)
Maryland at Georgia Tech, 2:30 p.m. (ESPNU)
Michigan State at Michigan, 3:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Furman at Coastal Carolina, 6 p.m. (CSS)
South Carolina at Kentucky, 6 p.m. (ESPN2)
Central Michigan at Toledo, 6 p.m. (ESPNU)
Missouri at Texas Tech, 6 p.m. (TBS)
Tennessee at Georgia, 6:45 p.m. (ESPN)
Oregon at California, 7 p.m. (ABC)
By Paul Rockne
The most interesting game on this weekend’s SEC college football schedule has probably already been played – Thursday night when Auburn escaped the trap set by Steve Spurrier in Columbia, S.C.
No. 2-ranked Auburn managed to eek out a 24-17 lead over Spurrier’s Gamecocks, but needed some luck to do it. The luck came in the form of an onsides kick that the Tigers used to regain possession of the ball after scoring a field goal on a nine-minute drive to open the third quarter.
Auburn had held a slim 14-10 lead at the halftime intermission, with South Carolina claiming the momentum by scoring at the end of the half. After the opening drive in the second half produced just 3 points, AU’s Coach Tommy Tuberville must have figured his defense would have a hard time stopping the Gamecocks and felt a 17-10 lead was not sufficient.
The gamble was a big one and paid off big, with the War Eagles holding the ball for the rest of the third quarter and scoring their third TD on the first play of the fourth period.
South Carolina proved Tuberville’s fears correct by mounting two drives in the fourth period, the first one ending in a touchdown that moved the score to 24-17 and the second one ending with an Auburn interception in the end zone with seconds to play in the game.
South Carolina may have lost the game, but the Gamecocks served notice to the rest of their opponents. Spurrier’s magic is working and South Carolina showed that it will be able to move the ball against any opponent. And its defense held the Auburn offense in check most of the time. Carolina ended up with more yards, more plays and more first downs than the Tigers.
The next biggest game of the weekend has to be today’s CBS matchup between Alabama and Florida (2:30 p.m.)
Continue reading "SEC Preview" »
Editor's Note: Due to the dwindling quality of online news coverage that makes it easy for readers to scan and find out about upcoming events, we are launching this new feature for football season 2006. Each Friday, we will carry a column from a legendary Southern sports writer who wishes to write under a pen name here to prevent career problems at the corporate news organization he is affiliated with. Do you ever find yourself just trying to find an easy place online to find out what games are coming up, what time the games start, and what television network will be carrying them? Then check back in here every Friday afternoon or Saturday morning and we'll have it for you. It's easy to print out. Just hit the print button in your Web browser.
It's Not A Big Game Weekend, Unless You Are A Tide Or Hog Fan
by Paul Rockne
After a big week of big games in college football last weekend, this week’s schedule is a letdown. Not that there aren’t a few interesting matchups … especially if you are an Alabama or Arkansas fan, for instance, but the meaningful meetings on the college gridiron are few and far between.
On the Southern scene, the Crimson Tide will travel to Arkansas for what is always an important meeting of these two similarly-clad teams (often, it is hard for viewers on TV to tell which team is which because their colors match up so well).
“This game usually always decides a lot about your year,” said the Hogs’ head coach, Houston Nutt, last week. And he’s right. Historically, the winner of the early-season meeting between the Tide and Hogs will battle for the SEC West title, while the loser is relegated to the second rung of the standings.
And while the Alabama-Arkansas game doesn’t have the glamour of last week’s West matchup between Auburn and LSU, it could produce the same type of glued-to-the-screen drama. The cumulative score while these two division rivals have been splitting their last eight games at 4-4 has been just as even … Alabama 191, Arkansas 191.
And with both teams having trouble scoring points while playing solid, for the most part, defense in their first three games, it looks to be another defensive slugfest like last week’s AU-LSU headliner.
The similarities between the two teams this season are uncanny. Both sport close conference opening wins over Vanderbilt and a win over an early-season creampuff. The main difference is that while Bama was opening its season with a close win over Hawaii, the Hogs were being beaten badly by Southern Cal.
Part of both teams’ offensive problems stem from the fact they each have new starters at quarterback - Bama going with sophomore John Parker Wilson and Arkansas with true freshman Mitch Mustain.
Arkansas (2-1 overall, 1-0 SEC) has been named the pre-game favorite, by a narrow 2-and-a-half-point margin over the still unbeaten (3-0, 1-0) Crimson Tide.
The Bama-Arkansas game is the main CBS game for the weekend - highlighting the weak week’s schedule - with game time set for 2:30 p.m. After an absence from the TV lineup in two of the first three weeks of the season, Bama will be on national TV for two weeks in a row. CBS has announced it will broadcast the Alabama at Florida game from Gainesville next Saturday at 2:30 p.m.
No. 2 ranked Auburn (3-0) will not be on the tube anywhere - not even pay for view - as they host the University of Buffalo Saturday.
Speaking of the War Eagles, Auburn fans have been saying “all the way to Glendale (site of this year’s BCS national championship game)” since last week’s win over LSU. The thinking is that now all Auburn has to do is to win out to make it to the title contest.
But Auburn, as well as anyone, knows that winning out is not enough - not if more than two teams make it through the year unbeaten. And this could be one of those years.
After three weeks of the 2006 college season, 29 teams are still on the unbeaten list. The include, by conference: SEC - Alabama, Auburn, Georgia and Florida; ACC – Boston College, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest; Big East - Louisville, Rutgers, West Virginia and South Florida; Big Ten – Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Purdue and Wisconsin; Big 12 - Kansas State, Missouri, Oklahoma State and Texas A&M; Conference USA - Houston; Mountain West – TCU; Pac-10 – Arizona State, Oregon, Southern Cal and UCLA; Western Athletic - Boise State; Independent - Navy.
This week’s college football TV schedule kicks off tonight, Friday, with Northwestern at Nevada at 7 p.m. on ESPN2). Saturday’s weekend TV lineup, other than pay-for-view is as follows:
Wisconsin at Michigan, 11 a.m., ESPN
Minnesota at Purdue, 11 a.m., ESPN2
Cincinnati at Virginia Tech, 11 a.m.
North Carolina at Clemson, 11 a.m., ESPNU
Iowa at Illinois, 11 a.m., CSS
Louisville at Kansas State, 11 a.m., FOXSS
Colorado at Georgia, 11:30 p.m., WJCT
Alabama at Arkansas, 2:20 p.m., CBS
Penn State at Ohio State, 2:30 p.m., ABC
Arizona State at California, 2:30 p.m. FOXSS
Connecticut at Indiana, 2:30 p.m., CSS
Rice at FSU, 2w:30 p.m., ESPNU
West Virginia at East Carolina, 3:30 p.m., ESPN2
Western Carolina at Furman, 6 p.m., CSS
South Florida at Kansazs, 6 p.m., FOXSS
Miami (Ohio) at Syracuse, 6 p.m., WAPNU
UCLA at Washington, 6 p.m., TBS
Kentucky at Florida, 6:45 p.m., ESPN
Boston College at North Carolina State, 7 p.m., ESPN2
Notre Dame at Michigan, 7 p.m., ABC
The biggest game on the grid schedule this week will not be played on Saturday and it will not be a college game either. This week’s big game will the first game played in New Orleans’ Super Dome since Hurricane Katrina. After playing a whole season on the road, the Saints return to the Dome in triumphant fashion for what is actually an important division win. Coming to town is arch-rival Atlanta and the game Monday (7:30 p.m. on ESPN) will be for first place with both teams sitting at 2-0.
The Sunday NFL television schedule has Carolina vs. Tampa Bay at noon (FOX), Jacksonville at Indianapolis at noon (CBS), New York Giants at Seattle (3:15 p.m. FOX) and Denver at New England (7 p.m. NBC).
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