John Clay's Sidelines

SEC links for Friday:

(AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)

Ray Melick of the Birmingham News writes that not even Tim Tebow can make it cool to do the right thing: ” Last Sunday night, preparing to do ‘The Zone’ on ABC 33/40 with Mike Raita and guest co-host Charles Barkley, Raita asked the question, ‘Has Tim Tebow made it cool to do the right thing?’ Barkley quickly answered, ‘No. First of all, there’s a lot of guys doing the right thing. But it’s a lot easier to follow the bad guy.’”

Geoff Calkins of the Memphis Commercial Appeal writes that there is a playoff feel at the Georgia Dome: “Florida is fabulous. Alabama is fabulous. They’ll meet Saturday at the Georgia Dome, and the country will be riveted, and what a shame we can’t have games like this every year. Or, that we choose not to. That’s a better way to put it. We could have games like this every year if college football had a real playoff.”

Pat Dooley of the Gainesville Sun says title game is tough to pick: “I have said all along this is a coin-flip game, two teams that are very similar even if they go about doing things in different ways. The loss of Carlos Dunlap has to hurt Florida, but the Gators will not lose this game because of his absence. If they lose, it will be because Alabama is better this year.”

Tommy Deas of the Tuscaloosa News reports that Mark Ingram is on the mend: “Ingram said, hip injury aside, he has felt more refreshed after games lately than he did early in the season, when the workload led to Sundays where he mostly just tried to recover and work out soreness from the previous day’s game. ‘I’m doing great,’ he said. ‘My body feels great. I feel real good to be honest with you.’”

(AP photo/Butch Dill)

For the AJC, Tony Barnhart offers five burning questions on the SEC title game: “5. Is this Alabama team better than the one that played Florida a year ago? Yes and I think it is significantly better. The offensive line may not be quite as good but the line last season was one of the best that Alabama has ever had. This offensive line had to replace three starters and has improved as the season went along.”

Dave Hooker of the Knoxville News-Sentinel reports that Monte Kiffin wants better results from his defense: “Still, Kiffin lamented losing the two middle linebackers who started before Lathers: Nick Reveiz and Savion Frazier, both lost to season-ending knee injuries. The Vols won’t get either back in time for bowl practice but they will have a team refreshed by nearly a week off after Saturday’s overtime win at Kentucky.”

Hooker also reports that a Tennessee assistant is likely headed to LSU: “Tennessee receivers coach Frank Wilson has been offered a position on LSU’s coaching staff according to a source close to the hiring process. Wilson would replace a position vacated by Larry Porter, who coached running backs and special teams at LSU before accepting the head coaching position at Memphis last Sunday.”

Mike Morris of the AJC reports on a Georgia player arrested twice in one week: “Robinson was arrested for underage possession of alcohol early Monday after police responded to a call about glass breaking in the East Village parking deck. The taillights of student Armita Didehvar’s car were smashed.”