AJC > Sports > Blog > Archives > 2008 > March
March 2008
LSU’s Perrilloux a great player, but not a leader
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Nobody asked me but….
1. Ryan Perrilloux is a great player, but he is not a good leader. I was shocked—simply shocked—to learn that after his third suspension the LSU quarterback had been allowed to return to the team and just might get to play in Saturday’s spring game. Is there anyone out there who REALLY thought Perrilloux would not make it back into the program?
I’m really not criticizing coach Les Miles. He’s going the extra mile trying to salvage the career of a talented kid. But at what cost? Unless Perrilloux changes his ways, this is going to happen again and the headlines won’t be about LSU trying to defend its national championship. Coverage of Ryan Perrilloux’s “problems” will define this entire team.
Unless he changes, Perrilloux will never lead LSU to any kind of championship and the Tigers are certainly capable of winning the SEC West again. At this level, there is a lot more to playing quarterback than running and throwing. It’s called leadership. And right now, Perrilloux doesn’t have it.
2. Moody might not be the answer for Florida: We recently read in the Gainesville Sun that running back Emmanuel Moody, the transfer from Southern Cal, is having problems picking up Dan Mullen’s offense. That’s curious because Moody has been with the team an entire year while sitting out due to NCAA transfer rules. Here is what head coach Urban Meyer told the Gainesville Sun: “He’s a little bit behind. I didn’t think he’d be that far behind because he was here all fall, but it seems like everything is new and it shouldn’t be that way. But he’s a talented guy.” Meyer also said: It’s too early to say exactly what his role will be.” I’m not sure what all that means for Moody and Florida, but it can’t be good.
3. South Carolina made a good move with Eric Norwood: Norwood, from Acworth, was one of the SEC’s best defensive ends last season. But new defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson believes Norwood can do a lot more than rush the quarterback. So he’s moving Norwood to outside linebacker, which will give him a chance to make even more plays. As we’ve said before, spring practice is about identifying the best players at each position and getting your 11 best on the field at the same time.
4. The Joe Paterno situation is fixing to get ugly: I’ve written it many times. I’ve said it on TV and radio and in other public forums: After 56 years at Penn State—42 as head coach—Joe Paterno has earned the right to stay for as long as he wants. He is entering the final year of his contract and said the other day he’s doesn’t care if he gets a new deal or not. As much as I admire coach Paterno, he’s kidding himself if he thinks this situation will have no impact on recruiting. Unless this gets resolved by this summer, president Graham Spanier and athletics director Tim Curley are going to be pushed into a corner and forced to make a decision they don’t want to make.
5. We can do without the “family values” drama at Michigan: Michigan offensive lineman Justin Boren has decided to leave the school and transfer because, in his words, new coach Rich Rodriguez has eroded “the family values” of the program in just a few short months as head coach. Boren also told reporters that he was having a tough time adjusting to a new offensive system that required the linemen to run to the line of scrimmage on almost every play. Michigan hired Rodriguez because the powers that be liked his offensive system, which everyone knew would be an adjustment for the players. Players either like it or they don’t. If they don’t, they are free to transfer as quarterback Ryan Mallett did. It’s okay not to like the system. It’s okay not to like the coach. That makes sense. But please spare us the “family values” drama. What does that even mean?
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Fun Facts For a Free-Wheeling Friday
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It’s “Free-Wheeling Friday” again which means we don’t have to be entirely serious. Here is a bunch of stuff I stumbled on while looking for something else. Nothing heavy. They are just some fun facts for your consideration.
And yes, this is for the SEC fans. ACC fans, I’ll make it up to you on another blog.
Fun Fact No. 1
Reasonable (or unreasonable) people can disagree over whether of not the SEC is the strongest football conference in the country. But here is the rundown, by conference, of the 10 national champions since the BCS began in 1998:
SEC (4): Tennessee (1998); LSU (2003); Florida (2006); LSU (2007).
Big 12 (2): Oklahoma (2000); Texas (2005).
ACC (1): Florida State (1999).
Big East (1): Miami (2001).
Big Ten (1): Ohio State (2002).
Pac-10 (1): Southern Cal (2004).
Fun Fact. No. 2
Well, it’s really not a fact, but it is fun. Have you ever wondered what the football landscape would look like if Auburn had gotten a shot at the 2004 national championship, when the Tigers were 13-0? If Auburn had beaten Southern Cal or Oklahoma, the last five BCS national champions would be:
2003: LSU
2004: Auburn
2005: Texas
2006: Florida
2007: LSU
Is the SEC just lucky? Does the league just have better players and coaches? What explains this run of success? And will it continue?
Fun Fact No. 3
Here are the final attendance figures from the NCAA for the 2007 season. The SEC led in total attendance for the 27th consecutive year. The SEC also led in average attendance per game.
Conference—————Avg. attendance
SEC————————-75,139
Big Ten——————-71,158
Big 12———————60,419
Pac-10———————57,910
ACC————————-53,733
Big East——————41,455
Mountain West———-33,657
Catching up with Auburn’s Tony Franklin
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
With Auburn’s spring game set for Saturday, it seems like a good time to catch up with Tony Franklin, Auburn’s new offensive coordinator. Franklin, considered to be one of the gurus of the spread offense, joined Tommy Tuberville’s staff last December and began installing his system. The early results were good. He got enough of it in for Auburn to beat Clemson in the Chick-fil-A Bowl. Here are some of the highlights of our conversation:
Q. What is the biggest adjustment that players must make to your style of offense?
A. The biggest thing is the faster tempo. We want to go no huddle all the time and ours is supposed to be a fast no huddle. We want to be ready to snap the ball as soon as the official marks it ready for play. We don’t always do that, but we want the defense to believe that we might. Right now, when our guys think we’re going fast, we’re really only going at half the pace we want it to be. It takes at least a good solid month of doing it to get the pace as fast as we want it.
Q. You were able to start installing parts of your offense last December before the bowl game. How much did that help you this Spring?
A. It was huge. What it meant was that when spring practice came around, this offense was not totally unknown. This offense is like a good car you’re heard about but you don’t know if you really like it until you take a test drive. They enjoyed the practice and the fact that so many people were able to touch the ball on this offense. Then we were able to go out and run it against one of the best defenses around (in Clemson) in the bowl game. It gave us a great head start for spring practice.
Q. Who would be the perfect quarterback to run this offense?
A. If you could combine Patrick White (of West Virginia) and (former Kentucky star) Tim Couch you would have the perfect quarterback for this offense. In a perfect world, he has to be somebody like (49ers great) Steve Young. You want a guy who can run the ball 60 yards for a touchdown but who can also make all the throws. The problem is, the Good Lord only makes about one of those guys every 10 years. So you take the quarterbacks you have and concentrate on what they do best. If he’s a running quarterback, he needs to be able to throw it a little bit. If he’s a passer, he has to be able to run a little bit. If you can’t at least do a little of both, the offense is not as effective.
Q. You have settled on two quarterbacks-Kodi Burns and (JUCO transfer) Chris Todd-and have said you will not name a starter until fall practice. What are the strengths of these two guys?
A. Chris has a few things that he does really well. He’s got great arm strength but he hasn’t been able to show it this spring because of arm fatigue. That will get better this summer. He’s a coach’s son and he knows this offense. He’s run some type of it for five years. Kodi is just a great competitor. He’s a winner who has a great feel for the game as a runner. He’s not afraid of anything. He’s not a good thrower right now but I think he will be.”
Q. Can you see using both quarterbacks once the season starts?
A. I don’t think there is any doubt that two guys will play unless one just jumps out way ahead of the other this summer. I’ve told them both that. The good thing is that they like each other and they understand that this is not going to be about stats. It’s going to be about winning. Some games we may run 90 percent of the time. Some games we may throw 90 percent of the time. Usually, our offense works out to be about 50-50. But I’ve told our guys that if you’re worried about stats you need to go play in another league. It’s too hard to win the SEC to think about numbers.
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Shoud Pearl make more than Fulmer?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It’s Wednesday morning and we’re on the eve of the NCAA’s Sweet 16 that, for my money, usually gives us some of the very best basketball of the tournament. How does the Sweet 16 connect to a college football blog? It leads us into our five burning questions of the day:
1. Will Bruce Pearl soon make more money than Phillip Fulmer? My good friend David Climer of the Tennessean newspaper raises this issue today. The word started leaking out at the SEC Tournament that Pearl, who has two Sweet 16 appearances in his first three years at Tennessee, will be courted by Indiana for its opening at head coach. Pearl makes $1.3 million and is slated for automatic raises of $100,000 through 2013. What do you do if Indiana backs up the Brinks Truck in order to salvage the mess that has been made of that program? Climer says you pay the freight, whatever it is, to keep Pearl. I agree. Fulmer’s compensation is around $2 million per year. Paying Pearl more and the fallout that might come with it can’t be a factor in the decision.
2. Is Stephen Garcia done? Garcia, the star-crossed quarterback who STILL hasn’t gotten on the field for South Carolina, has been suspended AGAIN, this time for underage drinking. It is his third run-in with the law in 14 months. He is off the team until Aug. 15. So for the second straight spring he gets no meaningful work and no chance to get better. Coach Steve Spurrier says Garcia’s fate is in the university’s hands. This young man needs to go home to Florida and get his act together.
3. Is Freddie Fairchild finished? The Arkansas linebacker was arrested on Monday and charged with beating a woman and holding her against her will. IF the allegations turn out to be true….
Let me say this again: IF the allegations turn out to be true, then Fairchild should be done and banned from playing at any SEC school. This is a pet peeve of mine that comes from having a daughter. You get in a bar fight or get into some other tussle with the law, you deserve a chance to rehabilitate yourself. You hit a woman and it is proven in a court of law and you’re finished. You’re a coward and I don’t want you playing for me.
4. What’s the deal on Auburn’s quarterback? New OC Tony Franklin wanted to name a starter coming out of the spring but he can’t. That’s because Chris Todd, the junior college transfer, does not have full strength back in his throwing arm. Todd and Kodi Burns will take the rest of the snaps in the final days of spring practice and will probably be the only two guys who handle the position in Saturday’s spring game. This competition will be top story lines in the SEC when the teams come back in August. I believe both are going to play this fall and give opposing defensive coordinators a lot to think about.
5. Will James Wilson stay at Florida? Wilson is a classic example of why, when a player asks to be released from his scholarship, the head coach should not automatically say yes. Wilson had a couple of knee surgeries in his freshman season and couldn’t practice or play. He got down and wanted to transfer, somehow thinking that his problems would be solved by going to Wake Forest. Now Wake Forest is a great school coached by one of the best in the business (Jim Grobe). Florida’s Urban Meyer denied the request and asked that Wilson take another look at the Gators. Wilson showed up for spring practice and, if he stays, will be in a position to help Florida this fall. Sitting out two straight years is not going to help his situation. You need to stay put, young man.
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It’s already been a tough Spring
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
For some, spring practice is winding up. For others, it’s just getting started. But it’s already been a tough Spring for:
1. Stephen Garcia, QB, South Carolina: I am just about to conclude that Mr. Garcia really has no interest in playing college football. It’s hard to think differently after reading where he was caught for underage drinking, his third offense of the law since he got to campus 14 months ago. His first two offenses, both arrests, came within two weeks of one another. Coach Steve Spurrier placed Garcia on double secret probation and basically told him he was out of chances. Understand that this is not about the offense of underage drinking. Garcia is 20 years old. He graduated from high school early. The issue is being tone deaf to who you are and where you are. After two strikes, you have to be extra careful to protect the plate. There is no margin for error. Spurrier has an interesting decision to make.
2. Percy Harvin, WR, Florida: Harvin is one of the most finely tuned athletes in college football. But that is a double-edged sword. Harvin is hurt again (heel) and will likely miss the rest of the spring. That’s okay. Everybody knows what Harvin can do. He is working out trying to get stronger but his tendency to get hurt is something that coach Urban Meyer will always have to factor into his plans.
3. Auburn running backs: The Tigers have their spring game on Saturday and it comes just in the nick of time. Because of injuries, Auburn is down to one guy who has any experience, Lilburn’s Brad Lester. Hampton’s Mario Fannin, who looks to have an expanded role in Tony Franklin’s new spread offense, just had shoulder surgery. This is one reason some coaches have an early spring practice. It gives guys time to heal to get ready for August.
4. James Davis, RB, Clemson: Davis slightly injured his shoulder during a scrimmage last week and coach Tommy Bowden wisely told the rising senior from Atlanta that he should watch the rest of spring practice, which concludes on April 8. Davis and C.J. Spiller are going to be running behind a reworked offensive line and may take some shots early. They both need to be as healthy as possible.
5. Drew Weatherford, QB, Florida State: Weatherford dinged up his knee a little bit last Saturday in practice. He’ll be fine but may miss some snaps this week. That is actually good for Florida State because OC Jimbo Fisher needs to get more reps for backups Christian Ponder and D’Vontrey Richardson. Richardson, a redshirt sophomore from Leesburg, played baseball last spring but has given that up to work on football. Fisher has told me that he is going to give the young guys a chance to get in there and make some plays. No one has a lock on the job.
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Five ACC assistants who will make a difference
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Spring practice is where new coaches begin to have their impact on a program. Here are my top five new assistant coaches in the ACC who will have the greatest impact this spring:
1. Dave Wommack, defensive coordinator, Georgia Tech: It’s going to be strange not having Jon Tenuta up in the box driving opposing quarterbacks (and offensive coordinators) crazy. But Wommack is a 27-year veteran who knows what a good defense is supposed to look like. In the late 90s his defenses at Southern Mississippi were very good and put the Eagles in position to beat-or scare-a bunch of SEC teams. His 2000 defense at USM was No. 2 in the nation in total defense. He was let go at Arkansas in a staff shakeup by Houston Nutt in 2004. Steve Spurrier did not renew his contract at South Carolina in 2007. Now Wommack is a coordinator again with something to prove.
2. Bill Young, defensive coordinator, Miami: Miami’s defense finished seventh in the ACC and gave up 5.1 yards PER PLAY last season. Young was at Kansas in 2007 where the Jayhawks were No. 4 nationally in scoring defense (16.4 ppg). He has a reputation for getting the most out of his talent and turning average players into good players and good players into great players.
3. James Franklin, offensive coordinator, Maryland: Franklin earned a reputation as one of the best recruiters in the country when he was at Maryland from 2000-2004. But then he left and did a stint with the Green Bay Packers and then went to Kansas State, where he tutored a big time quarterback in Josh Freeman. Head coach Ralph Friedgen brought Franklin back and named him offensive coordinator and assistant head coach. This guy is sharp and will be a head coach sooner rather than later.
4. Entire Duke staff: After years of struggling, Duke has finally decided that it wants to get back in the football business. They have not only invested in head coach David Cutcliffe, they have stepped up and paid the money necessary to hire a very good staff. When Cutcliffe was interviewing for the job, he told Duke that he wanted $2 million for his staff, which is more than a lot of SEC schools pay now. And he got it. There are a bunch of guys on this staff who can recruit. Jim Collins worked for Steve Spurrier at Duke and then went to Florida. Matt Luke was recruiting coordinator at Tennessee. Kurt Roper also came from Tennessee. Zac Roper worked for Cutcliffe at Ole Miss and then spent some time at Cornell. As recruiting coordinator he’ll understand the academic pool in which Duke will recruit. Marion Hobby, the defensive coordinator, played at Tennessee and has NFL experience.
5. Everett Withers, defensive coordinator, North Carolina: He’s only 44 but has a very impressive resume that includes stops at Texas, the Tennessee Titans and the New Orleans Saints. Everywhere that Withers has coached, the team has gotten better. He is a North Carolina native who played at Appalachian State and has a reputation for developing players. The Tar Heels were No. 43 nationally in scoring defense last season, giving up 24.5 points per game. Withers will make them better.
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In D.C. they love Paul Johnson
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Washington, D.C.—It’s “Free-wheeling Friday” again, which means we just might veer off the topic of college football. But you’re free to do the same. If you’re got something you need to get off your chest today, then let ‘er rip. Here are just a few things that are on my mind this morning.
I’m up in Washington, D.C. after watching Georgia play in the NCAA Tournament on Thursday. I’ve run into several Navy people who want to know how Paul Johnson is doing at Georgia Tech. All I can tell you is that the Navy people love this guy. They are grateful for what he did for the program and have no doubt that he is going to be successful at Georgia Tech. They find it funny when people say that Johnson’s option offense can’t succeed at this level of football. Bottom line, they said: People should quit trying to pigeon hole Paul Johnson. He is a ball coach and knows how to win. He always has.
I’m headed back to Atlanta today after watching Georgia lose to Xavier. There is no doubt in my mind that for 30 minutes Georgia was the better team. But Xavier finally wore Georgia down in the last 10 minutes. The only thing that struck me as strange is the fact that Sundiata Gaines, one of the best penetrating guards in college basketball, played 38 minutes and NEVER got to the free throw line. I don’t’ know. I’m just asking.
I hung around Thursday night at the Verizon Center and watched as Belmont, a No. 15 seed, almost beat second-seeded Duke before losing 71-70. I thought the Blue Devils might lose to the Bruins in this NCAA Tournament, but not the Bruins from Belmont. Belmont’s kids played toe-to-toe with Duke and never backed down. Rick Byrd, the Belmont coach, is the son of veteran sportswriter Ben Byrd of the Knoxville Journal. He really had his team prepared. How big an upset would it have been if Belmont had won? Since the tournament went to 64 teams in 1985, the No. 15 seed is 4-88 against the No. 2 seed. It would have been one of the biggest upsets in the history of the tournament. But if you were watching the game, it didn’t look like an upset. Belmont was not playing like a 15 seed. And Duke sure wasn’t playing like a 2.
I heard that Coach Bob Knight wants to expand the men’s basketball tournament field from 65 to 128 teams. It would add only one round to the tournament. But it would also greatlyexpand the number of bad games in the first round. We got a bunch of stinkers yesterday. Kent State had only 10 points at halftime and lost 71-58. Baylor couldn’t guard my mother. The Bears didn’t even pretend to play defense as Purdue ripped through them 90-79. UCLA beat Mississippi Valley 70-29. There were 16 games yesterday and only three were decided by less than double digits. If you expanded the tournament to 128, that means all of the 32 teams that are now in the NIT plus all of the 16 teams in the new College Basketball Invitational (whose idea was that?) would be in the Big Dance and the bracket still would not be filled. Why mess with one of the most successful sports properties in the world?
The endless litany of football players getting in trouble this time of year pretty much has me numb. But this is a big one. Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer has dismissed running back Brandon Ore from the team. Ore was a rising senior and, I believed, was going to have a huge year for the Hokies if he stayed healthy. But there was always an undercurrent about this kid when you talked to the coaches. They didn’t want to throw him under the bus in a public way but it was clear that Ore was a problem child. When a guy gets to be a redshirt senior and he’s still not committed to being a good player, you have to let him go for the good of the team.
One last thought:
Please say a prayer for the family of Central Florida football player Ereck Plancher. The 19-year-old receiver from Naples collapsed and later died after a series of conditioning drills earlier this week. The cause of his death is not yet known. It will take weeks to determine. I know that George O’Leary, the head coach at UCF, is having a very tough time with this one. He comes across as gruff sometimes, but he has always cared a lot about his players. Our condolences go to the family and the UCF community.
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A tough road ahead for Terrelle Pryor
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Washington, D.C.-I’m up here today getting ready to cover the Cinderella Georgia Bulldogs in the NCAA Tournament. All you Dawg people out there should know that your team is getting a lot of love from the national media. It is well deserved.
I told a friend of mine yesterday that what we saw over the weekend with Georgia is the best part of what I do for a living. Amid all the deadlines, travel, and aggravations that come with any job, every now and then you get to see something really special. And what the Georgia basketball team did was something I’ll always remember.
One of the disturbing parts of the job, at least from my perspective, has become the excesses of the recruiting process. Which brings us to Terrelle Pryor.
The quarterback from Jeannette, Pa., signed with Ohio State yesterday and the hoopla over this recruitment has made “American Idol” look like a church social. Pryor had a press conference in February to announce that he had NOT made a decision. And while the decision was pending there was media everywhere. He got into a scuffle during one of his basketball games and it was a national story.
And it is not going to get any better now that Pryor has made a decision.
I talked to someone very close to the Ohio State football program yesterday and he was very concerned about the road ahead for young Mr. Pryor. The adjustment to college is not going to be an easy one after you’ve been told for so long that you are the greatest player in the history of mankind.
The hope, this Ohio State person told me, is that the school can help Pryor adjust and handle his surroundings the way basketball star Greg Oden did. I got some chances to talk to Oden during his one season at Ohio State. He was a good kid who was able to handle the hype. But he also knew that he would have to handle it for only one year and he would be off to the NBA.
The problem that is ahead for Pryor is that there will come a time when the fantasy world in which he has lived for so long will collide with the real world of big time college football. The players who are already in the Ohio State camp, who have played in two straight BCS championship games, are not going to throw a party upon his arrival. They are going to test him. They are going to test him a lot. The ability to hold a press conference does not give you the ability to make the right read and make the right throw on a third and six against Michigan.
And when the 2008 season starts and Terrelle Pryor is not the starting quarterback, how does he handle that? What if Pryor can’t make the adjustment and coach Jim Tressel decides to redshirt him? How does he handle that?
Bottom line: The adults in this process are doing a disservice to Pryor and very talented kids like him. I don’t know his family situation but a parent should never allow their 18-year-old child to have a press conference. I don’t know who the principal is at Jeannette High School. But that press conference should never take place on school property. I understand the head football coach was not crazy about any of this. He’s got to be forceful as well.
And the media. Don’t get me started on that. Our excesses are off the charts.
Bottom line: I hope young Mr. Pryor has a wonderful college football career, gets his degree and becomes a productive citizen. I hope he makes millions of dollars in the NFL. I hope every good thing comes his way.
But today I have a very bad feeling about Terrelle Pryor and his future. I sure hope I’m wrong.
Am I wrong? Is there something about this process that troubles you? Do you see a happy ending to this story?
Please let me know.
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Looking out for Caleb King, four others
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Five players I’m watching in the SEC this spring:
1. Caleb King, RB, Georgia: Since we know what Knowshon Moreno can do, now we find out if Mr. King is ready for prime time. I’ve seen enough film on King to know that he can run the ball. Frankly, that’s the easy part of being a college running back. What we don’t know is how quickly he will pick up the protection packages. You can’t put a young running back on the field if you aren’t sure he can pick up the changes in protections made by the quarterback at the line of scrimmage. It will get your quarterback killed. OC Mike Bobo is a good teacher and King should pick it up pretty quickly. But that will determine how much he gets on the field in 2008.
2. Emmanuel Moody, RB, Florida: With Tim Tebow, the Heisman Trophy winner, and WR Percy Harvin back, this could be the only missing piece to making the Gators one of the best offenses in the country. Moody, who ran for 459 yards as a freshman at Southern Cal two years ago, sat out last season. The Texas native was highly recruited but found himself on a depth chart with 10 great backs. This spring we’ll start finding out if he’s the real deal. If he is, the Gators will give Georgia all they can handle in 2008.
3. Javan Snead, QB, Ole Miss: Snead started at Texas but lost the quarterback competition to Colt McCoy. So he transferred to Ole Miss and sat out last season. One of the hallmarks of the short Ed Orgeron era was exceedingly poor play at quarterback. Snead should prove himself to be the guy in Oxford this spring. But head coach Houston Nutt and new OC Kent Austin must figure out how much they can turn Snead loose in this league as a rookie.
4. Ricky Jean-Francois, DT, LSU: It’s hard to replace a player like Glenn Dorsey, one of the best DTs to ever play in the SEC. But Ricky Jean-Francois will be closer to Dorsey’s talent level than most folks think. He had to sit out all of last season after being suspended for academic dishonesty. He became eligible for the SEC championship game against Tennessee last December and was then named the defensive MVP in the BCS championship. If this guy turns out to be as good as I think he is, LSU will have enough players to win the SEC West again.
5. Trevard Lindley, CB, Kentucky: Coach Rich Brooks doesn’t hype players but he’s told me more than once that Lindley, from Hiram, is one of the best cover corners in college football. I watched him play in person three times last year. He’s not flashy. He just makes a lot of plays. He’s a lock down cover corner, supports the run well, and makes the big play when needed. I’m just watching this spring to make sure he doesn’t get hurt. I’m sure Brooks will make sure that doesn’t happen.
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Watching Tech’s Nesbitt, four others
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Yes, we’re getting ready to crank up March Madness, but there is always time to keep an eye on spring ball. Here are five players I’m going to keep track of this spring in the ACC because if they get better, their teams will be better come this season:
1. Josh Nesbitt, QB, Georgia Tech: In the interest of full disclosure, you need to know that one reason I’m watching Josh is that he played at my old high school (Greene County). The other reason is that Nesbitt, who averaged 6.4 yards each of the 53 times he ran the ball as a freshman, has the physical tools to run Paul Johnson’s offense very effectively. But Nesbitt has to learn the offense and win the job against Calvin Booker, the Auburn transfer. I know this about Johnson. The guy who makes the fewest mistakes and the best decisions is going to play. It’s all about production for Georgia Tech’s coach.
2. Aaron Kelly, WR, Clemson: Running backs James Davis and C.J. Spiller get a lot of ink but this guy is as good at his position as anybody in the country. After 77 catches in his first two seasons at Clemson, the Marietta native exploded for a school record 88 catches in 2007. With 165 career catches, he only needs 52 more to become the ACC’s all-time leader. Kelly has a chance to have a monster year in 2008.
3. Thaddeus Lewis, QB, Duke: Lewis has thrown for 4,564 yards in 23 career starts, which is the fourth highest total for a sophomore in ACC history. But he only completed 55.3 percent of his passes for 21 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. I say “only” because new head coach David Cutcliffe likes his quarterbacks to be up near the 60 percent mark with only single digits in interceptions.
4. Riley Skinner, QB, Wake Forest: Skinner led the Deacons to an ACC championship as a freshman and came back to help the Deacons post a 9-4 record in 2007. Last season he completed 72.4 percent of his passes but he threw too many interceptions (13). If this guy can learn to protect the ball just a little better he has a chance to be very good. He has completed 69.5 percent of his career passes. The ACC career record is 67 percent held by Virginia’s Matt Schaub. Skinner could break that record.
5. Brian Toal, LB, Boston College: In 2006 Toal was as good as any linebacker in country. He even carried the ball on goal line situations and scored six touchdowns. But shoulder problems forced Toal to undergo surgery and he was forced to sit out the entire 2007 season. Now he’s back for this senior year.
Les Miles cashes in; Damon Evans counts his blessings
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It’s a Monday morning, Georgia has just won the SEC basketball tournament, and the college football world never ceases to entertain us. Let us count the ways:
1. Who says there is no sense of humor in college football? Les Miles’ new contract says he must be no worse than the third highest-paid coach in college football. LSU officials decided to resolve the issue by making him the highest paid coach in the SEC by paying him exactly $1,000 more than Nick Saban’s $3.75 million at Alabama. So unless something changes, Miles will always make more than Saban as long as he’s at LSU. Given the obvious tension between those two men, that move was a clear poke in the ribs to Saban and had to make for a fun weekend in the football offices in Tuscaloosa.
2. Think Damon Evans is counting his blessings today? Last Thursday, the Georgia athletics director was preparing to look for a new men’s basketball coach. But four improbable victories wrapped around a tornado gave Georgia an SEC championship, an NCAA Tournament berth, and saves Evans the unpleasant task of firing Dennis Felton. Evans is also fortunate to have Mark Richt as his head football coach. Richt will never complain that the highest-paid coaches in the league make about a million more per season. But if this Georgia season turns out the way a lot of people hope, Evans needs to be ready to give Richt another bump.
3. Stop the presses: Terrelle Pryor will sign this week. Mr. Pryor, who has been hailed as the greatest quarterback in the history of organized football, will finally decide which school he will honor by signing this week. We must assume that he is going to have a press conference where he will trot out several different hats, create tension in the room, and then put one of the hats on. That’s entertainment.
Guys, I’m really not picking on Pryor. I’m making a point about the process. It’s silly to fawn over a high school athlete, no matter how talented he is, to this degree. It’s also not healthy for the kid. I hope Terrelle Pryor has a wonderful college career, no matter where he goes. I just get the uneasy feeling that after this much hype it is not going to turn out well. Hope I’m wrong.
4. No deadline for Joe Pa: Still no word on the future of Penn State coach Joe Paterno. The 81-year-old Paterno is entering the final year of his contract and Penn State has a decision to make. Either: a) give him a contract extension (not likely), b) say that this will be his final season and announce a succession plan, probably with assistant Tom Bradley, or c) announce that this will be Joe Pa’s last season and conduct a national search for his replacement. Penn State says there is no sense of urgency. Well, there actually is if the school wants to recruit in May.
5. Rich Rodriguez goes to court: On April 3 a judge will hear arguments in West Virginia’s lawsuit against former coach Rich Rodriguez. West Virginia says Rodriguez owes them $4 million, which was the buyout figure in his contract when he suddenly left for Michigan. Rodriguez says that West Virginia reneged on some verbal promises and therefore the buyout clause in the contract is not enforceable. Here is what the legal people I know tell me: The way the law is set up, the burden of proof will fall on Rodriguez to show that he does not owe the money. So he will have to prove that he did not damage West Virginia to the tune of $4 million when he left. To do that he will have to get complete access to all financial records of the private foundation that supports West Virginia athletics. No one wants to open that door. Expect the case to be settled.
Some early impressions of Spring Ball
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Spring practice is almost in full swing. We’re just 48 hours from Selection Sunday in basketball. What better time than for another “Free-Wheeling” Friday. I’ll be at the SEC Tournament all day blogging. If you have time, jump over there for some hoops.
Here are a few impressions of spring practice to date:
1. Brinkley won’t do much this spring: I talked to some South Carolina people at the Georgia Dome yesterday and they tell me that linebacker Jasper Brinkley (from Thomson) is up to about 270 and that it is all muscle. Brinkley’s injury last season began the downhill slide of the South Carolina defense. With Ellis Johnson coming in at DC, don’t expect Jasper to do a whole this spring. Everybody knows what he can do. In a related matter, cornerback Carlos Thomas, who has 20 starts over the past three seasons, is really in coach Steve Spurrier’s doghouse. He has been suspended and may have a tough time getting back in the good graces of the HBC.
2. McElwain preaches toughness: Jim McElwain, the new Alabama offensive coordinator, is trying to bring a new sense of toughness to that unit. Some people may wonder about the wisdom of that. I don’t. Writer Rick Bragg, who now teaches at Alabama, said that every game in the SEC “is like a knife fight in a ditch.” If you want to win in the fourth quarter in this league, it’s usually about physical and mental toughness and not talent. Talent puts you in position to win in the SEC. But physical and mental toughness under pressure actually wins the game. When David Cutcliffe came back to Tennessee two years ago, he told me his biggest challenge was not X’s and O’s, but instilling a high level of discipline and toughness into his unit. That is what McElwain is trying to do.
3. Auburn’s two-headed quarterback: I am intrigued with what Auburn may do at the quarterback position under new OC Tony Franklin. It’s clear that the spread, run by sophomore Kodi Burns, is going to be the base offense. And Burns, I should mention, can throw it a little better than most folks think. But I believe Franklin hopes that Chris Todd, the JUCO transfer who started at Texas Tech, could really put a wrinkle into things that will make it hard for defenses to prepare. Under the base offense, the defense gets spread horizontally. Then Todd could come in and get the ball down the field and spread the defense vertically. That’s a lot of work in one week for an opposing defensive coordinator.
4. Mallett will sit in 2008: Former Michigan quarterback Ryan Mallett is asking the NCAA to waive its transfer rule in order to be eligible this season at Arkansas. I reached out to some Arkansas folks and they said they don’t know when the ruling will come down. Mallett will not get a waiver. The NCAA does sometimes waive the rule that requires a player to sit out a year after transferring to a Division I-A school. Tennessee basketball player Tyler Smith got a waiver because his father had cancer. Mallett wants a waiver because his new coach, Rich Rodriguez, runs a different offensive system than the one Mallett enjoys. Not quite the same thing.
5. Get Berry the ball: I read where Tennessee coach Phillip Fulmer is finally going to consider getting cornerback Eric Berry involved in the offense. The Vols have to do this and here’s why. Berry is Tennessee’s version of Champ Bailey, the Georgia cornerback who is among the most gifted athletes to ever play for the Bulldogs. Georgia found different ways to get the ball into Bailey’s hands on offense and he won a couple of games for Jim Donnan on his athletic ability alone. Defenses were terrified every time Bailey came onto the field for offense and had to spend a lot of time planning for the handful of plays in which he would be involved. A lot of times Bailey would just be a decoy that would allow Georgia to run something else. Berry is just too talented to be on one side of the ball. Is there a risk of injury? Of course. But if Berry wants to do it, that would be a risk worth taking.
New faces in new places in the SEC
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A lot of SEC coaches are going to be wearing nametags during spring ball. By my count, nine of the 12 teams have at least one new coordinator and four schools have replaced both. Here is rundown of the new faces in the new places.
SEC EAST
Florida (1): Dan McCarney comes in as assistant head coach for defense, replacing co-defensive coordinator Greg Mattison, who took a job with the Baltimore Ravens. Charlie Strong is the defensive coordinator. Dan Mullen remains as offensive coordinator.
Georgia (0): Georgia had to replace tight ends coach Dave Johnson with John Lilly, but OC Mike Bobo and DC Willie Martinez are back.
Kentucky (0): Joker Phillips has had the extra duties of “head coach in waiting” added to his title as OC. Steve Brown is back as DC.
South Carolina (1): Steve Spurrier originally hired Brian Van Gorder as his defensive coordinator when Tyrone Nix left for Ole Miss. Van Gorder then bolted to the NFL and Spurrier hired Ellis Johnson, a former DC at Alabama and Mississippi State. The head ball coach will continue to call his own plays.
Tennessee: (1) The Volunteers have four new coaches, all on the offensive side of the ball. Dave Clawson, who turned Richmond into a I-AA title contender, takes over at OC, replacing David Cutcliffe. The Vols also added a very good recruiter in RB coach Stan Drayton, who was at Florida. John Chavis remains as DC.
Vanderbilt (0): Bobby Johnson has one of the best staffs around. Ted Cain is back as OC and Bruce Fowler is back at DC.
SEC WEST
Alabama (2): Major Applewhite went to Texas and Jim McElwain replaces him as offensive coordinator. Defensive coordinator Kevin Steele was promoted to head defensive coach and Kirby Smart, the former Georgia defensive back, was promoted to defensive coordinator.
Arkansas (2): Bobby Petrino retained a couple of assistants from the old staff and hired his brother, Paul, as offensive coordinator. Ellis Johnson left Mississippi State and took the job as defensive coordinator, but left after a short time to go to South Carolina. Willy Robinson, a former DC with the San Francisco 49ers, is the new Hogs’ DC.
Auburn (2): Ron Borges is out as OC and has been replaced by Tony Franklin, a guru of the spread offense. Franklin began installing the offense last December. When Will Muschamp bolted for Texas, Paul Rhoads left Pittsburgh to take the DC job at Auburn.
LSU (1): Bo Pelini, the Tigers’ old DC, was so good that it took two men to replace him. Doug Mallory and Bradley Dale Peveto were promoted from within and made co-coordinators. Gary Crowton returns as OC.
Ole Miss (2): New coach Houston Nutt has put together a pretty good staff. Kent Austin, the former Rebels quarterback, returns to Oxford as OC. He knows the spread, but Nutt wants to run the ball. Ole Miss got a big coup in hiring Tyrone Nix as DC. Nix, who played at Southern Miss, is a great coach and knows the state as well as anyone.
Miss. State (1): When Ellis Johnson left for Arkansas, secondary coach Charlie Harbison was promoted to defensive coordinator. Louis Campbell, who was on the Arkansas staff as an administrative assistant, was hired as linebackers coach. Woody McCorvey is back as offensive coordinator.
No tears for Ray Ray
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
One of the things you learn after being in this business a while is that stories are rarely as simple as they appear.
Take the case of Clemson’s Ray Ray McElrathbey.
The Atlanta native was one of the feel good stories of college football in 2006 when, as a scholarship player at Clemson, he took on the additional task of raising his little brother Fahmarr, who was 11 at the time. Clemson petitioned the NCAA to make an exception its extra benefits rule in order to set up a trust fund to take care of Fahmarr. That trust fund reportedly has over $100,000 in it. Fahmarr has also received care from the families of assistant coaches.
McElrathbey has been on athletic scholarship for three years and has played very little because of injuries. He is scheduled to graduate this summer, a notable achievement for which he deserves all of the praise in the world.
Now Clemson and coach Tommy Bowden have made a difficult decision for the good of the program. Ray Ray can remain at Clemson and pursue another degree as a graduate assistant coach but not as a player with a football scholarship. McElrathbey has been promised financial aid by athletics director Terry Don Phillips if he chooses that option. If McElrathbey, who has two years of eligibility remaining, wants to play somewhere else, Clemson will help him find a new school. But the Tigers are four deep with quality tailbacks. McElrathbey is not going to get on the field.
Bowden has been portrayed as this cold, unfeeling person who is cutting Ray Ray loose simply because Clemson needed the scholarship. It’s an entertaining narrative that pushes all the emotional hot buttons. But it just isn’t that simple.
The fact is that McElrathbey has been known to have issues with the coaching staff and was less than consistent when it came to attending team functions. The time had come for a change in the relationship for the good of the entire team. Bowden is not going to say anything publicly because he doesn’t want to embarrass the kid. So he’ll take the heat.
George O’Leary told me a long time ago that coaches have to be willing to tell players things they don’t want to hear. If a player is not going to get on the field, he needs to know that and needs to be given some options. Then it is up to the player to choose the right option for him.
The easiest thing to do would have been to keep McElrathbey on a football scholarship. No fuss. No muss. No controversy. But it would not have been the best thing for the Clemson football program as a whole.
In the real world, people have to make tough decisions that are going to be unpopular. This is one of those.
Where five ACC teams need to get better
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Here are five ACC teams and the areas where they need to improve this spring:
1. Clemson: With the departure of Darren McFadden and Felix Jones at Arkansas, Clemson now has the best running back tandem in the country in James Davis and C.J. Spiller. But the Tigers also have to replace four starters on the offensive line who combined for 87 career starts. Left tackle Barry Richardson started 45 games for Clemson. The Tigers also have to find two new starting linebackers to replace Tremaine Billie (29 starts) and Nick Watkins (37 start).
2. Virginia Tech: There was not a better pair of linebackers in the country last season than Vince Hall (48 career starts) and Xavier Adibi (40 starts). They are both gone along with five other starters on a Hokie defense that ranked No. 4 in the nation (296.9 ypg) last season. We like brothers Orion (DE) and Cam (LB) Harris, but DC Bud Foster has to find some guys this spring who are ready to play.
3. N.C. State: The Wolfpack must find a quarterback who doesn’t throw it to the other guy. N.C. State was second to Boston College in passing offense (245.7 ypg) last season but the Wolfpack had only 14 touchdown passes against 23 interceptions, more than any team in the ACC. The problem is that N.C. State’s best quarterback is going to be true freshman Mike Glennon, and he won’t arrive until August. If the running game improves (ranked No. 110 nationally at 89.2 ypg) because Toney Baker and Jamelle Eugene are finally healthy again, that will take some pressure off last year’s starter, Daniel Evans (13 int, 12 TD in 2007.)
4. Florida State: While everybody is talking about the offense, DC Mickey Andrews must find a few good men to supplement his defense this spring. Losing juniors Gene Hayes (LB) and Letroy Guiton (DT) to the NFL hurts. Florida State will also be without seven players on defense for the first three games because of academic suspension. Bottom line, some guys are going to have to step up and this spring and show they are ready to play at a high level.
5. Miami: There is absolutely no reason that Miami should be 10th in the ACC in scoring defense (26.0 ppg). Six starters return on that defense but DE Calais Campbell (24 career starts) and safety Kenny Phillips (32 career starts) are not among them. In fact, three of the defensive front four are gone. Head coach Randy Shannon brought in Bill Young from Kansas as the new defensive coordinator in an effort to shore up that unit.
Where five SEC teams need to get better
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Spring football is about two things: 1) Trying to identify your best 40-50 football players who you can count on in a game and 2) trying to improve as a team in the areas where you had problems the season before.
Here are five SEC teams and the areas where they need to get better this spring:
1. South Carolina: One of the fundamental rules in the SEC is that you will not be successful over the long haul unless you can run the ball on offense and stop the run on defense. South Carolina collapsed down the stretch last season because the Gamecocks finished last in the SEC in rushing offense (113.7 ypg) and last in rushing defense (209.3 ypg). Steve Spurrier has said his quarterback will run a little more to keep the defenses honest. New defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson will have a busy spring.
2. LSU: When defensive coordinator Bo Pelini left to become the head coach at Nebraska, Les Miles promoted from within. He did that in order to hire Joe Robinson as his special teams coach. Robinson has built a very impressive resume as a special teams coach at Southern Miss, Central Florida, and Arizona. Despite the obvious talent on the LSU roster, the Tigers were 10th in kickoff returns (19.7 avg.), 11th in punt returns (5.9 avg.) and seventh in kickoff coverage (19.9 average on returns).
3. Florida: The Gators knew they were going to be young in the secondary in 2007 and by the final third of the season their opponents had figured it out. Florida finished dead last in the SEC in pass defense giving up 258.5 yards per game. Opponents completed 59.4 percent of their passes against Florida last season. Dan McCarney, the former Iowa State head coach who built a very good defense at South Florida, arrives as co-defensive coordinator (with Charlie Strong) and Job 1 is to get this problem fixed.
4. Tennessee: If the Volunteers throw two passes to the right people, they could have very easily beaten LSU for the SEC championship. What makes that amazing is that in 2007 Tennessee finished 11th in total defense (403.3 ypg), 10th in scoring defense (27,3 ppg), 9th in rushing defense (164.6 ypg), and 11th in passing defense (238.6 ypg). I thought head coach Phillip Fulmer would shake up his defensive staff a little bit. He didn’t. With offensive coordinator David Cutcliffe and QB Erik Ainge gone, chances are that Tennessee won’t score as many points (32.5 ppg in 2007). The defense has to get better.
5. Auburn: There is a reason why Tommy Tuberville pushed Al Borges out the door and brought in Tony Franklin as his new offensive coordinator. Auburn was ninth in the SEC in scoring offense (24.2 ppg) and 10th in total offense (335.2 ypg). Franklin is a guru of the spread offense, which forces the defense to cover the entire field. Last season Auburn had seven games that were decided by seven points or less. The Tigers won four of them. Auburn needs to score more points to give its defense a bigger margin for error.
Spring ball: Breaking down the SEC West
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Let’s close out our week by breaking down the SEC West for Spring Football 2008.
ALABAMA
Last season: 7-6; beat Colorado (30-24) in Independence Bowl.
Starters returning: Offense 9, defense 6.
Top story lines: Jim McElwain takes over as offensive coordinator and has to find a way to breathe some life into a unit that really struggled down the stretch in 2007. It won’t be easy without receivers, DJ Hall, Matt Caddell and Keith Brown; the defense simply didn’t have enough athletes to play the way coach Nick Saban wanted to play last season. Look for Saban to put younger, but more talented, players in positions to succeed this spring. It’s hard to get a true picture of Alabama until its No. 1 recruiting class—featuring WR Julio Jones—arrives this summer. Quarterback John Parker Wilson (18 TD, 12 INT in 2007) has his third offensive coordinator in as many seasons. He needs to get better this spring or risk losing some playing time in the fall.
ARKANSAS
Last season: 8-5; lost to Missouri 38-7 in Cotton Bowl.
Starters returning: Offense 5, defense 6.
Top story lines: First-year coach Bobby Petrino would have an easier job if running backs Darren McFadden (the Heisman runner-up in 2006 and 2007) and Felix Jones had returned for their senior seasons. Both are going pro and now Petrino and company have a lot of work to do…Part of Petrino’s immediate problem-the lack of a consistent quarterback-could be solved if the NCAA grants Michigan transfer Ryan Mallett a waiver to play immediately. Don’t expect that to happen. Petrino will recruit well at Arkansas and he’ll need some help from this incoming class. But the Hogs are going to go through some growing pains in 2008 as Petrino establishes his program.
AUBURN
Last season: 9-4; beat Clemson 23-20 (OT) in Chick-fil-A Bowl.
Starters returning: Offense 7, defense 6.
Top story lines: Auburn has a new offensive coordinator (Tony Franklin) and a new defensive coordinator (Paul Rhoads); Franklin got a leg up on installing the spread offense by joining the staff last December… Spring practice started on Feb. 24 and there have already been some casualties. QB Chris Todd, a junior college transfer who started his career at Texas Tech, has come up with a sore shoulder (but no structural damage), leaving the door wide open for Kodi Burns to lock down the job; looks like DE Sen’Derrick Marks will be moving to DT; also look for TB Mario Fannin (from Hampton) to blossom in Franklin’s spread offense because of his ability to run and catch the ball. It will be interesting to see how the Auburn defense plays after the departure of DC Will Muschamp to Texas.
LSU
Last season: 12-2; beat Tennessee (21-14) in SEC championship game; beat Ohio State (38-24) in BCS championship game.
Starters returning: Offense 7, defense 4.
Top story lines: LSU began the spring without quarterback Ryan Perrilloux, who was suspended for the third time in 10 months for violating team rules. Perrilloux’s status for the future is uncertain; There was good news when DE Kirston Pittman was granted a sixth year of eligibility by the NCAA. He will team will DE Tyson Jackson and DT Ricky Jean-Francois, the defensive MVP of the BCS championship game, to give LSU one of the best defensive lines in the country despite the loss of all-world DT Glenn Dorsey. LSU may have lost the best senior class in school history, but the Tigers are still the team to beat in the SEC West.
OLE MISS
Last season: 3-9.
Starters returning: Offense 7, defense 9.
Top story lines: Houston Nutt takes over as the new head coach of the Rebels. If a couple of things fall into place, Ole Miss may be pretty competitive in 2008. QB Javan Snead, a transfer from Texas, is finally eligible. If Snead is as good as advertised and if RB signee Enrique Davis (Hargrave Military Academy) is the real deal, new offensive coordinator Kent Austin has a chance. Davis won’t get to Oxford until this summer. Despite the shortcomings of the previous coaching staff, they left some good athletes in Oxford. Given a new challenge, Nutt could make Ole Miss a tough out in 2008.
MISSISSIPPI STATE
Last season: 8-5; beat Central Florida (10-3) in Liberty Bowl.
Starters returning: Offense 7, defense 8.
Top story lines: Last season’s 8-5 team was built on defense but this spring coach Sylvester Croom has to find replacements for two quality ends, Titus Brown and Avery Hannibal; on offense sophomore quarterback Wesley Carroll came a long way in 2007 but needs to improve; Mississippi State will be able to run the ball with two very good backs (Anthony Dixon, Christian Ducre) and three returning starters on the offensive line. After building for three seasons, coach Sylvester Croom had the breakthrough year in 2007. Don’t expect this program to take a step back.
Spring Ball: Breaking down the SEC East
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Let’s break down the SEC East as Spring ball gets into full swing.
FLORIDA
Last season: 9-4; lost to Michigan (41-35) in Capital One Bowl.
Starters returning: Offense 8, defense 9.
Top story lines: Dan Carney takes over as co-defensive coordinator (along with Charlie Strong). The secondary has to get better this spring. They have some building blocks in sophomores Major Wright at safety and Joe Haden at corner; this spring will be spent finding a running option other than QB Tim Tebow. Southern Cal transfer Emmanuel Moody has the ability to be an SEC-caliber back as does Mon Williams, who missed the entire 2007 season after a knee injury suffered in spring practice last year.
GEORGIA
Last season: 11-2; beat Hawaii 41-10 in Sugar Bowl.
Starters returning: Offense 8, defense 9.
Top story lines: Georgia has to find a big-play defensive end to replace Marcus Howard but there is a lot of talent in the Bulldog camp; somebody has to emerge as the No. 2 tailback behind Knowshon Moreno. Redshirt freshman Caleb King has the reputation, now he has to prove he has the ability; the young offensive line made great strides last season under coach Stacy Searels. This spring they need to improve even more; Matthew Stafford has as much talent as any quarterback in the country. Now he has to listen to OC Mike Bobo and learn how to play the position at the highest level.
KENTUCKY
Last season: 8-5; beat Florida State (35-28) in Music City Bowl.
Starters returning: Offense 5, defense 8.
Top story lines: Some of the best skill players in school history are gone including QB Andre Woodson, RB Rafael Little, TE Jacob Tamme, and WR Keenan Burton. The quarterback race will be between Curtis Pulley and Mike Hartline; it looks like this team will be built around a pretty good defense that features CB Trevard Lindley of Hiram, who is the most underrated defensive back in the SEC. Kentucky is a team that enters spring practice with a lot more confidence.
SOUTH CAROLINA
Last season: 6-6.
Starters returning: Offense 6, defense 10.
Top story lines: Steve Spurrier needs to do a couple of things this spring. 1) Find a quarterback; 2) find more ways to get the ball into the hands of WR Kenny McKinley (of Mableton). Look for South Carolina’s quarterback to run a little more this season. That gives an edge to redshirt freshman Stephen Garcia; new defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson welcomes 10 returning starters including LB Jasper Brinkley of Thomasville, who was lost for the season after suffering a knee injury on Sept. 22 against LSU. South Carolina’s run defense was never the same after Brinkley’s injury. Don’t expect Brinkley to do too much during the spring; Spurrier has suspended CB Carlos Thomas (from College Park) indefinitely for violating team rules. His status for the fall is uncertain.
TENNESSEE
Last season: 10-4; lost to LSU (21-14) in SEC championship game; beat Wisconsin (21-17) in Outback Bowl.
Starters returning: Offense 8, defense 6.
Top story lines: Dave Clawson takes over for David Cutcliffe as offensive coordinator. Clawson must find a quarterback and it appears that junior Jonathon Crompton will be the guy. Crompton has plenty of talent around him including four starters on the offensive line, RB Arian Foster, and a very good group of wide receivers; But the problem that must be addressed in the spring is a Tennessee defense that finished 11th in the SEC in total defense (403.3 ypg) last season. That unit needs to improve if the Volunteers hope to keep pace with Georgia and Florida in the SEC East come fall. A big-time linebacker has to step up to take the place of Jarod Mayo.
VANDERBILT
Last season: 5-7.
Starters returning: Offense 3, defense 6.
Top story lines: The Commodores lost three SEC games to Georgia (20-17), Kentucky (27-20), and Tennessee (25-24) by a total of 11 points last season. A lot of the talent that made up that very competitive team is gone. The entire offensive line has to be replaced. So does Earl Bennett, the career receptions leader in SEC history; Mackenzi Adams took over at quarterback last season and must use this spring to become more consistent.
Friday: The SEC West.
Breaking down the ACC Coastal
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Let’s take a moment to break down the ACC Coastal as spring ball cranks up. The SEC East will be on Thursday and the SEC West on Friday.
DUKE
Last season: 1-11.
Starters returning: Offense 7, defense 10.
Top story lines: The David Cutcliffe era begins at Duke and inquiring minds want to know: Can Cutcliffe, who had five winning seasons at Ole Miss, make an immediate impact? The former OC at Tennessee has already put his offensive linemen on a diet. He wants his first team to be quicker; Thaddeus Lewis has thrown for 4,564 yards in first two years at quarterback. Now Lewis will learn how to really play the position from the man who groomed the last two Super Bowl MVPs.
GEORGIA TECH
Last season: 7-6; lost to Fresno State (40-28) in the Humanitarian Bowl.
Starters returning: Offense 6, defense 4.
Top story lines: First-year head coach Paul Johnson adapts his option offense, which led the nation in rushing last season at Navy, to ACC talent; the first order of business is finding a quarterback. Josh Nesbitt and Calvin Booker are the likely candidates; The offense will have growing pains but will be fine. The real concern is on defense, where the Jackets will be without DC Jon Tenuta, who has gone on to Notre Dame. New DC Dave Wommack will begin with only four returning starters.
MIAMI
Last season: 5-7.
Starters returning: Offense 4, defense 6.
Top story lines: The Hurricanes hit rock bottom last season under first-year coach Randy Shannon, but there is reason for optimism. Shannon has put together two great recruiting classes and those players will begin making an impact sooner rather than later; Miami has to find a quarterback. Redshirt freshman Robert Marve will finally get his chance; there us much work to do on defense, where DE Calais Campbell and S Kenny Phillips are gone.
NORTH CAROLINA
Last season: 4-8.
Starters returning: Offense 10, defense 8.
Top story lines: Quarterback T.J. Yates of Marietta, who had a huge season (2,655 yards passing) as a redshirt freshman in 2007, will sit out spring practice as he recovers from shoulder surgery; new defensive coordinator Everett Withers will be working with a young defense (five returning sophomore starters) that needs to get better in the spring; there is reason for optimism in Chapel Hill. With an extremely young team, North Carolina lost six games by seven points or fewer in 2007.
VIRGINIA
Last season: 9-4; lost to Texas Tech 31-28 in the Gator Bowl.
Starters returning: Offense 6, defense 5.
Top story lines: It has not been a good off-season for head coach Al Groh. Starting quarterback Jameel Sewell is not enrolled in school this semester, reportedly due to academic problems, and is not expected to play this fall. That leaves the door open for sophomore Peter Lalich, who completed 57.4 percent of his passes as a backup last season; Jeffrey Fitzgerald, who was supposed to take over at DE for All-America Chris Long, dropped out of school. Mike London, Virginia’s defensive coordinator, left to become the head coach at Richmond. On the positive front Virginia welcomes back WR Kevin Ogletree, a big time player who miss all of 2007 with an injury.
VIRGINIA TECH
Last season: 11-3; beat Boston College (30-16) in ACC championship game; lost to Kansas (24-21) in Orange Bowl.
Starters returning: Offense 7, defense 6.
Top story lines: With the departures of linebackers Xavier Adibi and Vince Hall along with five other defensive starters, DC Bud Foster is going to have a busy spring; Virginia Tech must also replace three of four starters on the defensive line; Virginia Tech will continue to tinker with the two-quarterback system of Sean Glennon and Tyrod Taylor that worked at the end of the 2007 season. The good news is that the offensive line, which was a weakness last season, should be a strength in 2008. That can only be good news for senior RB Brandon Ore, who should have a big year.
Breaking down the ACC Atlantic
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
For the next four days we’re going to break down each team in the ACC and SEC going into spring practice. Today: The ACC Atlantic.
BOSTON COLLEGE
Last season: 11-3, lost to Virginia Tech 30-16 in ACC championship game; beat Michigan State 24-21 in Champs Sports Bowl.
Starters returning: Offense 6, defense 7.
Top story lines: Job No. 1 in spring back is finding a quarterback to replace the great Matt Ryan. Chris Crane and JUCO transfer Codi Boek will lead the competition; Return of LB Brian Toal, who missed all of 2006 season with an injury.
CLEMSON
Last season: 9-4; lost to Auburn 23-20 (OT) in Chick-fil-A Bowl.
Starters returning: Offense 7, defense 8.
Top story lines: Running backs James Davis and C.J. Spiller return, but the Tigers have to find three new starters on the offensive line; two linebackers must step up to replace Nick Watkins and Tremaine Billie.
FLORIDA STATE
Last season: 7-6, lost to Kentucky 35-28 in Music City Bowl.
Starters returning: Offense 8, defense 7.
Top story lines: This will be the second year under offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher, who has been named the head coach in waiting; QB Drew Weatherford will be challenged for his starting job by Christian Ponder.
MARYLAND
Last season: 6-7, lost to Oregon State 24-21 in Emerald Bowl.
Starters returning: Offense 9, defense 5.
Top story lines: Head coach Ralph Friedgen has given up calling the plays and will turn the offense over to new coordinator James Franklin; The Terps lost six starters on defense who combined for 148 career starts.
N.C. STATE
Last season: 5-7.
Starters returning: Offense 6, defense 4.
Top story lines: This will be the second spring under coach Tom O’Brien; running back Toney Baker, who missed all but one game last season because of injury, is back and is expected to have a big year; QB Daniel Evans will be challenged for his job.
WAKE FOREST
Last season: 9-4, beat Connecticut 24-10 in Meinke Car Care Bowl.
Starters returning: Offense 6, defense 9.
Top story lines: There is some work to do on the offensive line as three starters plus the tight end are gone; Wake Forest must also find a big-play receiver to replace Kenneth Moore, who caught 98 passes (ACC record) last season.
Wednesday: The ACC Coastal.
Georgia’s “national championship” schedule
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It’s funny how you stumble onto things when you’re actually looking for something else. I was doing my spring football research the other day when I came across this.
If you are a Georgia fan and you believe that coaching is very important in college football, here is evidence that backs up your claim that Georgia will have the toughest schedule in the nation in 2008. With national championship talk in the air as Georgia starts spring practice today, here are a few things to consider.
The SEC has five head coaches who have won national championships:
Alabama’s Nick Saban (at LSU in 2003)
Florida’s Urban Meyer (at Florida in 2006)
LSU’s Les Miles (at LSU in 2007)
South Carolina’s Steve Spurrier (at Florida in 1996)
Tennessee’s Phillip Fulmer (at Tennessee in 1998)
Only one team in America has to face all five of those coaches this season and that’s Georgia: at South Carolina (Sept. 13), Alabama (Sept. 27), Tennessee (Oct. 11), at LSU (Oct. 25), Florida in Jacksonville (Nov. 1).
If you look at the non-conference schedule it gets even better for Georgia. The Bulldogs play at Arizona State on Sept. 20. The Sun Devils, who were 10-3 last season, are coached by Dennis Erickson, who won two national championships at Miami (1989, 1991).
If you go to the lower divisions, there are two more coaches who have won national titles. The Bulldogs host Georgia Southern in the opener (Aug. 30) and Eagles coach Chris Hatcher won a Division II national championship in 2004 at Valdosta State.
Paul Johnson, the new head coach at Georgia Tech (Nov. 29), won two Division I-AA national championships at Georgia Southern in 1999 and 2000.
So that’s eight games against teams whose coach has won some kind of national championship.
And just for fun, you can throw in Auburn’s Tommy Tuberville who had a 13-0 team in 2004 that didn’t get a sniff at the national championship.
The point is this: I don’t know what Georgia is going to be paying Mark Richt this season (and he’s due for a raise), but he is going to earn every penny of it. And if Georgia goes 13-0 against that schedule, their ain’t no doubt they’ll be in Miami for the BCS championship.
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