SEC Coaches' Candid Quotes On Conference Rivals

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Each year we ask college football coaches to tell us what they really think about the other teams in their conference. But we don't want the cliche'd press conference platitudes, so we ask them to give us their quotes off-the-record and anonymously. Here are this year's quotes in alphabetical order for each team in the SEC.

What SEC Coaches Are Saying About: Alabama
"You have to give (Nick) Saban credit: Other than a stinker at South Carolina, they nearly ran the table again. LSU and Auburn were lucky to beat them, and Alabama finally put it all together in the bowl game, by just annihilating Michigan State."

"They only have to replace four starters on offense, but three of those have been so huge to the program’s success — quarterback Greg McElroy, running back Mark Ingram and wide receiver Julio Jones."

"I know Ingram won the Heisman and Jones had the capability of scoring every time he touched the football, but I think the one they’ll miss the most out of those three is McElroy. The kid was brilliant and just a flat-out winner. He might not have been the strongest, fastest or have the best arm, but he was such a tremendous leader."

"Trent Richardson and Eddie Lacy will be just as productive, or more, than Ingram. Also Marquis Maze will fill in nicely for Jones."

"If the offense struggles, the defense should be able to bail them out. They return nearly everyone, including linebacker Dont’a Hightower."

"Their secondary could be one of the nation’s best units with the entire group back intact."

"Even with only 14 seniors, I still would not be surprised if them or LSU ends up playing for the national title."

"They have so much talent. Nick has done such a great job stockpiling talent there. It’s amazing how many good players they have."

What SEC Coaches Are Saying About: Arkansas
"Obviously the big guy, (Ryan) Mallett is gone on offense. Tyler Wilson is slated to be the replacement and was impressive in limited action last year. He had a monster game against Auburn (332 yards, four touchdowns), so he’s proven he’s quite capable of directing the offense. The schedule sets up nicely for him to build his confidence (opening with three home games against Missouri State, New Mexico and Troy) before a killer back-to-back stretch against Alabama and Texas A&M."

"They’ve had a lot of good backs in the past few years, but no one seized the job until Davis last year. He was great."

"The defense has slowly improved under (Bobby) Petrino and coordinator Willy Robinson and should be as strong or better this fall. It was a weakness a few years ago. Not so much anymore."

"Defensive end Jake Bequette is one of the best in the league, and tackle Byran Jones is a solid force up front."

"I think last year they responded very well to the pressure of being a dark horse to win the league, losing only to Alabama and Auburn. This year with the expectations not as high, I think the Razorbacks will jump up and surprise some people as long as Wilson can be consistent at quarterback.”

What SEC Coaches Are Saying About: Auburn
"No Cam Newton, no Nick Fairley and no chance for the Tigers to repeat as SEC or national champions. How far down the standings will the Tigers plummet?"

"Newton was obviously ‘the team’ last season and even with all the controversy surrounding him and (his father Cecil), he still carried that team on his back and never faltered even with a tremendous amount of pressure on him on and off the field. I think that, as much as his physical skills, are what Auburn will miss the most."

"It looks like they’re unsettled at quarterback, but one possibility could be a highly touted incoming freshman (Kiehl Frazier) from Arkansas. I don’t know how successful in this league you can be with a freshman quarterback, but Auburn might find out real quick."

"(Gus) Malzahn will always get his quarterback to play well, but no one will do what Newton did for them."

"Whoever replaces Newton better be elusive, because the right tackle (Brandon Mosley) is the only returning starter on the offensive line."

"Running back Michael Dyer gave a glimpse of his big-play ability in the BCS title game."

"Fairley will be a huge loss, but the Tigers also have several other holes to fill on defense."

"(Gene) Chizik shocked the world last year winning the national title. We’ll see how it works this time around."

"It will be interesting to see how they handle themselves this year. They are the defending national champs but expectations are low. Not a ton of pressure on them.”

What SEC Coaches Are Saying About: Florida
“Jeremy Foley is widely considered among the top ADs to work for in the nation, but the common theme among coaches I’ve talked to in the SEC wonders if Will Muschamp’s hiring will be a Billy Donovan hiring for Foley or a Ron Zook-type of hire? Muschamp is widely respected within the coaching ranks, but having his first head coaching job at a place like Florida is going to be tough."

"Charlie Weis’ hiring as offensive coordinator is interesting to say the least. He can X-and-O with anyone, but I don’t think Florida has the Jimmys and the Joes to win the SEC this year."

"Besides losing (Urban) Meyer, the Gators also lost 23 seniors. That will be tough to do in one season."

"(Quarterback) John Brantley should benefit most from Weis’ pro-style attack. He was horrendous last year, trying to run the spread. If he doesn’t perform, I’ve heard a lot of good things about early enrollee Jeff Driskel. He could get a shot back there as well, but it’s tough for a freshman in this league."

"It will be interesting to see if they can finally run the ball with Weis in charge. They did a lot of great things under Meyer, but run the ball with a more traditional running back wasn’t one of them."

"They weren’t very good last year, but still had a chance to win the (SEC) East if they could have beaten South Carolina. But they couldn’t get it done."

What SEC Coaches Are Saying About: Georgia
“While it was unfortunate, I really think the whole fiasco with A.J. Green’s suspension for selling his jersey took the wind out of Georgia. He sat those first four games and before they knew it they started 1–4. They did manage to put together a few wins to get bowl-eligible, but another loss to rival Florida and to UCF in the Liberty Bowl is not good for Mark Richt’s job security."

"Incoming freshman running back Isaiah Crowell is a stud, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see him in the mix for playing time."

"I really like Aaron Murray at quarterback, and he’ll be even better with another year of experience."

"Murray will have to find another go-to receiver. In addition to Green, they also lose Kris Durham. I’d expect him to look for (tight end) Orson Charles more this year."

"Defensively, I think they were a work in process with a new defensive staff in place. Having had a year to adjust to defensive coordinator Todd Grantham’s 3-4, the Bulldogs should be somewhat improved, but I don’t think they have enough to compete for the SEC East title, and Georgia alums are not going to like to hear that."

What SEC Coaches Are Saying About: Kentucky
"Joker (Phillips) did a nice job in his first season as head coach, getting Kentucky to a bowl game. His second season might be somewhat tougher, especially since he has to replace Randall Cobb and Derrick Locke. Cobb was one of the nation’s top wideouts and just a spectacular all-around threat. I, for one, am glad that I don’t have to face him again. People don’t understand how good that guy was."

"The quarterback (Mike Hartline) also is gone, so I don’t know where they’re going to get their offense from. Hartline really came on last year. He wasn’t very good early in his career, but he was pretty solid as a senior. "The good news is they are strong up front (returning four offensive line starters). Guards Larry Warford and Stuart Hines are the anchors on that unit."

"The defense is loaded and returns virtually intact. Linebacker Danny Trevathan and safety Winston Guy are as good as anyone in the SEC. They could play for anyone."

"Rick Minter, the former Cincinnati coach, was named co-defensive coordinator. Word is he’ll look to implement a 3-4 defense."

"The key for Kentucky is a three-game stretch against Florida, LSU and South Carolina. If they could steal one of those games, I think they could have a special season. If not, they could be fighting to get to a bowl."

"They need some skill guys to emerge. They have had playmakers over the past few years, but I don’t see anyone who really scares you — at least not yet."

What SEC Coaches Are Saying About: LSU
"Les (Miles) is loaded this year. He’s got the majority of his team back, and I think either LSU or Alabama, whoever survives the SEC West, will play for the national title and make it six national championships in a row for our league. Whether it’s LSU or not may depend on what happens at quarterback. Jordan Jefferson certainly has had his moments, but Miles has opened it up and made his quarterback derby a three-man competition between Jefferson, Jarrett Lee and Zach Mettenberger. Mettenberger is the most intriguing. That kid is a hoss."

"(Cornerback and return specialist) Patrick Peterson is gone, but they have so many athletes back there he won’t be missed a great deal — and yes, I know how strange that sounds."

"Miles has been, let’s just say, very fortunate in the past, such as against Florida with the bounce-pass fake field goal and against Alabama with some late trick plays. Somehow, someway everything always seems to go Miles’ way. If that continues I don’t see many people stopping the Tigers."

"They are loaded. Everyone knows that. But they still scare me because Jefferson is inconsistent at quarterback. Now, he played well down the stretch, but if he is the guy, do you trust him to win you a national title?"

What SEC Coaches Are Saying About: Mississippi State
"I thought they were one of the nation’s most underrated teams last season. Just look at their four losses — Auburn, LSU, Alabama and Arkansas. And they probably should have beaten Auburn. Then the way they ended the season by simply destroying Michigan (52–14) in the Gator Bowl. Wow. I was very, very impressed with Dan Mullen’s second season to say the least and how much progress they made from his 2009 debut. And the scary thing is: This year might be even better."

"Chris Relf is back at quarterback and Vick Ballard at running back. Those two seniors will provide tremendous leadership."

"Relf has really turned into a good player. I was not impressed with him a few years ago. It looked they wanted to go with (Tyler Russell), but Relf just played too well."

"The one unknown is how the team will respond to the departure of defensive coordinator Manny Diaz to Texas. Chris Wilson and Geoff Collins will share the duties, and they’ll enjoy coaching defensive tackles Fletcher Cox and Josh Boyd."

"(Receiver) Chad Bumphis is a good player. They don’t throw the ball a ton, so we don’t see a lot of him, but the guy can make plays."

"I think another bowl game is a certainty for the Bulldogs. If people sleep on them, they’re going to be in for a rude awakening."

What SEC Coaches Are Saying About: Ole Miss
"There was so much hype and hope with the addition of (quarterback) Jeremiah Masoli — and then that first game happened. I really think that overtime loss to Jacksonville State in the season-opener just killed their season. Maybe they were never going to be better than 4–8, but they had no big-time victories."

"Their best player is running back Brandon Bolden. I also like (Jeff) Scott. He was really good last year as a freshman. He’s fast. Good player."

"Who replaces Masoli at quarterback is a big unknown, but Houston Nutt brought in Dolphins assistant David Lee as offensive coordinator and Oklahoma State assistant Gunter Brewer (as passing game coordinator). That should give the offense a boost from last season. I’d expect to see more Wildcat this year."

"It sounds like Randall Mackey was the guy in the spring. That will be a tough decision for the staff."

"The defense remains a question mark. They were just good enough to get you beat last season. Losing (D.T.) Shackelford (to a torn ACL) is a tough blow. He’s a hard-nosed player."

"What’s in store this season? They could improve slightly, but it looks like another sub.-500 season."

"Who are they going to be better than in the SEC West? No one. They have some talent, but the West is so good now."

What SEC Coaches Are Saying About: South Carolina
"The soap opera that is Stephen Garcia’s career took another turn (when he was suspended in the spring). I know (Steve) Spurrier has got to be fuming about this latest episode. It will be interesting to see if this causes a distraction within the team."

"Connor Shaw is a capable backup and has pushed Garcia in the past. The offense should be just fine with tailback Marcus Lattimore and wide receiver Alshon Jeffery. Both of those guys are among the best in the country. Lattimore is such a beast and Jeffery is a spectacular talent."

"As much as turnovers killed them last year, the defense got lit up in their losses. They need to be more consistent on that side of the ball and should be this fall."

"They were good last year, but it wasn’t a great year for the division. They picked a good year to be good. They were in the middle of the pack statistically (seventh in total offense and seventh in total defense). Again, don’t want to take anything away from them, because it’s hard to get to Atlanta, but they weren’t a great team."

"The secondary is solid with several starters back."

"The biggest question is how will they deal with these huge expectations and also will Garcia be there to lead the way?"

What SEC Coaches Are Saying About: Tennessee
"Well, you can say one thing about Derek Dooley’s debut season with Tennessee: It certainly wasn’t boring. I thought he did a tremendous job, and if not for some wacky endings against LSU and North Carolina, the Volunteers would have had a solid eight-win season. To be able to rebound strong from a dismal 2–6 start showed a lot of character from the Vols. Although I can understand some people attributing their last four-game winning streak (against Memphis, Ole Miss, Vanderbilt and Kentucky) to an easy schedule, but it still was an impressive turnaround."

"Quarterback Tyler Bray keyed the strong finish as a freshman and should improve from last season. Tauren Poole is a serviceable option at tailback, and the Vols’ offensive line should be better. They have a lot of guys back."

"They’ve got some really good young receivers. Justin Hunter is a stud. They will miss Denarius Moore and Gerald Jones, but with guys like Hunter and Da’Rick Rogers, they still have plenty of weapons for Bray."

"The defensive front seven has to be rebuilt, but the secondary returns three starters (cornerbacks Marsalis Teague and Prentiss Waggner and safety Brent Brewer so they’ve got a decent chance to return to a bowl game."

"They are getting better, but still not ready to challenge the top teams in the division. Maybe in 2012. But not yet."

"Keeping (defensive coordinator) Justin Wilcox was big. You need to keep continuity with your coordinators."

What SEC Coaches Are Saying About: Vanderbilt
"James Franklin steps into a great position in his first year as coach. No matter what he does should be a big improvement, and the Commodores should be improved. They have nearly their entire team back, and Franklin has infused the program with a winning attitude. That may sound funny at Vanderbilt, but from what I’ve heard their kids are buying into it."

"Franklin comes in with a reputation as a good recruiter, and he did a good job with his first class. Got some pretty good players, especially at the quarterback position."

"They have some pretty good players on defense. The linebacker (Chris Marve) is really good. Been around forever. And the cornerback (Casey) Hayward is outstanding. Been a starter since his sophomore year and really locks people up. I like Sean Richardson, the big safety, too."

"Vanderbilt will never out-talent anyone in the SEC, but I think you’ll see some real progress this fall and even next year. They’ve got a young bunch. They’re not going to challenge for the SEC East title, but they might jump up and surprise someone."

"The running backs are pretty good, especially Warren Norman, but they don’t have anybody on the outside who scares you. That makes them much easier to play against."

Arkansas on the road

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Lose the game; win the SEC Media Days

Send the buffet-grazing, WiFi-crashing media horde home from Hoover, the winner of the SEC Media Days has been found — Vanderbilt's interim head coach Robbie Caldwell.

Pat Forde of ESPN declared it the best press conference in SEC history. And, as we all know, if it's the best in the SEC then it's the best in the ENTIRE NATION!

With a thick Southern drawl, he spoke about ...

• On his anonymity: "I can still walk in places and nobody knows me. Last night I was opening the door for people and they gave me a tip. I thought, hey, that's great. How can you get it any better than that?"

• On his anonymity, even among his peers: "I got to see Coach Spurrier today, Coach Richt. They have no idea who I am."

• On continuing Johnson's ban on cussin': "You know, I'm no angel, that's for certain. ... But, you know, it's just a sign of limited vocabulary sometimes. I know y'all can't tell it, but I do have an education."

• On growing up in a small town: "My first hourly paying job was on the turkey farm. I don't know if I could tell you what my job was, but I was on the inseminating crew. That's a fact. I worked my way to the top. That's a fact, man. If you don't believe it, call Nicolas. Of course, I think they're defunct now. Best job I ever had, got paid by the hour for the first time. That was about '68, '69. That's what we did every afternoon."

Highlights

Full transcript

The post that causes Matt to punch a wall

SmartFootball.com on Gus Malzahn ...

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/blog/dr_saturday/post/Deconstructing-Auburn-s-Malzahn-at-the-gates-a?urn=ncaaf,193416

Five Things

This week's Five Things (aka Things I Think I Think) is brought to you by ...




1. The wailing and gnashing of teeth you heard last Saturday was from Arkansas fans. Seems Alabama knows how to play some defense, and therefore shut down Ryan Mallet (aka the only SEC QB less mobile than a potted plant).

But it's odd there was such a commotion over that loss.

Did anybody really think Arkansas had a shot at beating Bama? And by "anybody" I mean "rational-thinking people who don't drink whatever flavor Kool-Aid is being served by the homers on the hill."

Arkansas is 1-2, with a lousy defense. An A&M team that loaded up on cupcakes so sweet it'd put every person in Cowboys Stadium into a diabetic coma looms on Saturday. Beat the Aggies and Arkansas is back on track for a 7-5 season and minor bowl game. Of course, given that defense, anything is possible ... including a loss Saturday.

2. The key to South Carolina's victory against Ole Miss ... The Nay-cha Boy!



3. Well, it is the medical term for it ...



4. Recurring Items

The SportsJournalists.com Top 25 is here.

The Pammy Award chronicles are here and your announcing schedule is here.

5. M8B Prediction

Will Arkansas (pick 'em) beat A&M at Jethro Jones' boondoggle of a stadium?



(Views expressed by the Magic 8 Ball do not necessarily reflect the views of this blog, the blog owner nor this post's author. Advice from the M8B is for entertainment purposes only and not for actual wagering ... even though the Magic 8 Ball is 4-2 this season.)

In which Auburn fans admit it

Timing is everything

Dec. 2: Colonial Bank (and CEO Bobby Lowder) gets a $550 million bailout from the U.S. government.

http://www.bizjournals.com/birmingham/stories/2008/12/01/daily12.html


Dec. 3: Auburn football coach Tommy Tuberville is fired.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=3742934

Coincidence? I think not.

Nice tackle

Shameless pimping

No, Peppas, not everybody thinks Arkansas will win 7 games this season ...

Hogs Won't Go Bowling

Bonus Super Bowl prediction included.

The FWAA's Super 16 poll is out

USC is No. 1. Arkansas comes in as "Also receiving votes" at 20 behind Rutgers, FSU and Penn State.


http://www.sportswriters.net/fwaa/news/2007/poll070827.html

McFadden's Uphill Climb to the Heisman

Looking at McFadden he is, to most all of us, a Heisman winner.

We all have our own methods of predicting our favorite football teams upcoming regular season record. 7-5? 9-3? 12-0? Personally I predict 9-3 for the Arkansas Razorbacks with losses to Ole Miss, Tennessee and LSU.

One can't help but wonder what Arkansas' regular season record and ranking at the time of the Heisman vote will do to Darren's chances of taking home the most coveted individual trophy in all of college sports. Let's take a look at how others have fared over the years with respect to record.

Below you will find the last 20 Heisman trophy winners dating back to 1987.

Heisman Winners and Poll Ranking at the time of the Heisman Vote (in parentheses):

2006 Troy Smith Ohio State QB (1) Lost BCSCG
2005 Reggie Bush Southern California RB (1) Lost BCSCG
2004 Matt Leinart Southern California QB (1) Lost in NC game
2003 Jason White Oklahoma QB (1) Lost in NC game
2002 Carson Palmer Southern California QB (3) Won Orange Bowl
2001 Eric Crouch Nebraska QB (1) Lost in NC game
2000 Chris Weinke Florida State QB (1) Won Nat'l Championship
1999 Ron Dayne Wisconsin RB (5) 9-2 record at vote, B10 runner-up, Won Orange Bowl
1998 Ricky Williams Texas RB (16) 8-3 record at vote, B12S runner-up, Won Cotton Bowl - 1997 Charles Woodson Michigan DB/WR (5) 9-2 record at vote, B10 runner-up, Won Rose Bowl
1996 Danny Wuerffel Florida QB (1) Won Nat'l Championship
1995 Eddie George Ohio State RB (4) 10-1 record at vote, Big10 runner-up, Lost Citrus Bowl
1994 Rashaan Salaam Colorado RB (4) 9-1-1 record at vote, Big12 runner-up, Won Fiesta Bowl
1993 Charlie Ward Florida State QB (1) Won Nat'l Championship
1992 Gino Torretta Miami QB (2) Lost Sugar Bowl (to NC Alabama)
1991 Desmond Howard Michigan WR (1) 10-1-0 record at vote, Lost Rose Bowl (to NC Washington)
1990 Ty Detmer Brigham Young QB (10) 10-2-0 record at vote, Lost Holiday Bowl
1989 Andre Ware Houston QB (Top 15) 8-2 record at vote, offense scored 589 points...5 games over 60 pts (95 v SMU)
1988 Barry Sanders Oklahoma State RB (14) 9-2 record at vote, Won Holiday Bowl - Rushed for 2,628, 37 TD's on 344 attempts
1987 Tim Brown Notre Dame WR (Top 20) 8-3 record at vote, Lost Cotton Bowl

• Of the last 11 Heisman winners, 7 have played in the National Championship game.
• 1998 is the most recent year a Heisman winner's team finished outside of the top 5 (Williams)

For the 5 winners of the 20 listed who played for teams outside of the Top 5 in National Polls, the achievements for their respective winning years should be noted. Each is very impressive and likely a NCAA record setting year in either rushing or passing.

Lower ranked Heisman winner notes:

Williams notes: Ricky Williams gained 2,124 yards with 27 touchdowns on 361 carries (5.9 avg) on his way to securing the Heisman trophy in 1998. Williams set NCAA records with two 300-yard rushing performances - 668 rushing yards & 11 touchdowns during the two-game span. Williams became the NCAA career rushing leader in 1998 with 6,279 yards. He also broke the NCAA Division 1A career rushing touchdowns and career scoring records in 1998 with 73 TD's and 452 points respectively. Both records have since fallen (Dayne/Prentice)

Detmer notes: Ty Detmer won the Heisman trophy in his Jr. season. Detmer passed for 5,188 yards and 41 touchdowns in 12 regular season games, and finished the year with 42 NCAA records. His final career statistics were 1,530 pass attempts; 958 completions, 15,031 passing yards, 121 touchdown passes and 14,665 yards of total offense.

Ware notes: Andre Ware won the Heisman trophy in his Jr. season. Ware threw for 4,699 yards, 46 touchdowns and set 26 NCAA records during his Heisman season. Ware led the Houston Cougars as they scored 95 points against SMU. Lost to the Arkansas Razorbacks.

Sanders notes: In 1988, Sanders rushed for 2,628 and 37 TD's on 344 attempts. Barry set 34 NCAA records during his Heisman campaign.

Brown notes: During his Heisman season, Brown caught 34 passes for 846 yards, returned 34 punts for 401 yards, rushed for 144 yards, and gained 456 yards on 23 kickoff returns. Tim scored 8 touchdowns.

So ... will 8 - 4 or even 9 - 3 be enough for Darren McFadden to win the Heisman this season?

It doesn't look promising.