THE SCOOP
Over the summer, Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops made some interesting comments about the strength of the SEC.
Stoops questioned the overall dominance of the SEC during a booster club event. Stoops brought up the conference’s “bottom six” and how little they have added to the conference’s overall success.
Stoops’ Sooners (10-2) earned a date with Alabama (11-1) in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 2 in New Orleans.
So during the Sugar Bowl conference call, a reporter asked Stoops about his remarks.
“Well, I’m not playing the bottom half,” Stoops said. “If the SEC is Alabama, there’s nothing to talk about, right? If you want to say the SEC is Alabama, then sure. They’re the ones that won all the national championships or most of them. Now if you want to play the bottom half, that’s a different story. But we’re not playing the bottom half, are we?”
LSU UPDATE
LSU will play Iowa in the Outback Bowl, prompting coach Les Miles to address the loss of Zach Mettenberger and the promotion of freshman Anthony Jennings of Marietta High to the starting quarterback job.
“The good news is that the quarterback has been preparing all along,” Miles said. “We’re not in a position that we have to change a lot. We will run our offense just the way it is. That will benefit (Jennings) because that is what he has been doing the entire year anyways. It will be fun. I think our guys will enjoy supporting Mettenberger by supporting the new quarterback. Surround the new QB by making sure you are in the spot for the routes. His preparation will go in a very comfortable and directed way.
“There is no long-term significant damage to (Mettenberger’s) knee. It appears to be a simple repair. I think it is a little harder to predict before the surgery. I think it is the kind of injury, in a short amount of time in the grand scheme of things, he will be ready to play (next year in the NFL).”
ALABAMA AWARDS
At the Crimson Tide’s annual banquet Sunday, several players from Georgia were honored: Kenyan Drake (Hillgrove High) was among those who made significant contributions but got little recognition; Geno Smith (St. Pius X High) was among those with a commitment to academic excellence; and Xzavier Dickson (Griffin High) was among those honored for strength and conditioning work. Linebacker C.J. Mosley, selected the team’s MVP, was presented the Butkus Award as the outstanding linebacker in the country by Dick Butkus himself.
EARLY ODDS
Before the season started, the odds that FSU would win the BCS title was 40-1. Auburn? 1,000-1.
HE SAID IT
"I was in the SEC for a long time, I coached there for 15 years and I remember when the SEC couldn't crack (the BCS). In the '90s, it was Florida State and Miami and the SEC was always fighting to get somebody in. … It's very unique that it's the SEC, which is dominating now, and FSU, which was in the first three national championships. It's kind of funny that it did come full circle like that." — Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher.
Compiled by Ray Cox
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