John Clay's Sidelines

Tennessee quarterback Tyler Bray will miss six weeks with a broken thumb. (AP photo/Mark Humphrey)

SEC links for Monday:

• Poll without Florida schools for first time since 1982, reports Orlando Sentinel.
• Tennessee’s Bray breaks thumb, reports Knoxville News-Sentinel.
• Mullen avoids his quarterback issue, reports C-L’s Brandon Marcello.
• Muschamp will shake up Gators, reports Arnold Feliciano of Gainesville Sun.
• Don’t close your eyes on Arkansas, says Commercial Appeal’s Ron Higgins.
• The Hogs are the clear No. 3, writes Chris Low of espn.com.
• LSU aims to clean up its miscues, says Les East of The Advocate.
• Jon Solomon of Birmingham News asks what if Russell Wilson had chosen Auburn?
• Auburn searching for answers, reports Jay Tate of Montgomery Advertiser.
• Ole Miss a speed bump for Bama, reports Don Kausler of Birmingham News.
• Richt thinks Georgia is improving, reports Seth Emerson of Ledger-Enquirer.
• Bulldogs’ top receiver out, reports Chip Towers of AJC.

SEC links for Friday:

• Kragthorpe taking smaller role at LSU, reports Les East of The Advocate.
• LSU’s new leader knows passing game, writes Glenn Guilbeau of Times.
• Video of Les Miles’ announcement, from Times-Picayune.
• Georgia starts new era under clouds, writes Seth Emerson of Telegraph.
• Georgia submits report on Jarvis Jones, reports Emerson.
• Gators’ corner was facing marijuana charge, reports Sentinel’s Rachel George.
• Richt sees similarities between 2011 and 2002, reports Chip Towers of AJC.
• Bulldogs know they have depth issues, says Marc Weiszer of ABH.
• Jeffery back at practice for South Carolina, reports Travis Haney of P-C.
• Florida’s tower has safety in mind, reports Kevin Brockway of Gainesville Sun.

Continue reading ‘SEC: Kragthorpe will still have role with LSU offense’

Mike Slive (AP photo/Dave Martin)

SEC links for Thursday:

• SEC commissioner Mike Slive has too much to do to retire, writes Kevin Scarbinsky of the Birmingham News.
• Joe Medley of the Anniston Star writes that the SEC commissioner started off the proceedings with some big talk about academic reform and NCAA rules.
• Slive shows he wants to be out in front of the debate, says my H-L column.
• Slive wants to alter the landscape, writes Mark Schlabach of espn.com.
• The commish has ideas and they’re not stupid, says Gregg Doyel of CBS Sports.
• Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel argues that Ron Zook left Urban Meyer a better program at Florida than Meyer left Will Muschamp.
• Mark Bradley of the AJC doesn’t think Muschamp is the next Zook.
• South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier has his old swagger back after winning division title, writes Mike Herndon of the Mobile Press-Register.
• Spurrier knows that repeating won’t be easy, reports Jennifer Smith of the H-L.
• With former UK associate AD Scott Stricklin at the helm, Mississippi State pulls in a record $37.6 million in private donations, reports the AP.

Continue reading ‘SEC: Slive’s big ideas, Spurrier’s swagger and Gators’ chip’

(AP photo/Kerry Smith)

SEC links for Monday:

• Lady Vols beat Stanford in overtime, reports Dan Fleser of the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
• Mark Wiedmer of the Chattanooga Times Free Press thinks it’s time to renew the Tennessee-Connecticut rivalry.
• Keeping Dan Mullen could be the start of something great for Mississippi State, reports Brad Locke of the NE Mississippi Daily News.
• Tennessee men trying to find their focus, writes Wes Rucker of the Chattanooga Times Free Press.
• Jon Solomon of the Birmingham News says fans are permitted to avoid Auburn and Alabama basketball this season.
• Auburn returns to prepping for BCS title game, writes Jay G. Tate of the Montgomery Advertiser.
• Some Alabama football juniors have difficult decisions ahead, reports Michael Casagrande of the Anniston Star.

Continue reading ‘SEC: Lady Vols win; Mullen’s magic at Mississippi St’

Pittsburgh coach Jamie Dixon. His team meets Tennessee today. (AP photo)

SEC links for Saturday:

• Vols ready for Big East battle, reports Mike Griffith of the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
• Vanderbilt targets Gus Malzahn, reports Jeff Lockridge of the Tennessean.
• Auburn OC has job options, writes Jon Solomon of the Birmingham News.
• Hesiman could be a runaway, says Matt Hinton of Yahoo Sports.
• Media shouldn’t be Heisman story, writes Dan Wolken of the Commercial Appeal.
• Meyer a coaching cop-out, writes Mike Bianchi of Orlando Sentinel.
• It’s a pressure-packed job, writes Gene Wojciechowski of espn.com.
• Florida’s Foley keeps low profile, says Edward Aschoff of Gainesville Sun.
• Dan Mullen in rumor-deflecting mode right now, writes David Brandt of the AP.
• Successor speculation all around UF, writes Jason Lieser of Palm Beach Post.

Continue reading ‘Tennessee ready for Pitt; Vandy targets Gus Malzahn’

SEC links and news for Friday:

GRUDEN TO BE A GATOR? – Adam West of the Gainesville Sun reports that Jon Gruden met with Florida officials on Thursday. But David Jones of Florida Today seems to think that Gruden is out of the race. The ex-Bucs coach says he likes what he’s doing on ESPN’s Monday Night Football. I like it, too.

MULLEN THE MAN? – Dan Mullen reiterates he’s happy at Mississippi State, reports Brandon Marcello of the Clarion-Ledger. In fact, Mullen said all the attention regarding the Florida and Miami jobs is a little annoying. And Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel says Florida should bypass the Mississippi State coach, writing, “He looks like he should be. He talks like he should be. He has the Urbanator bloodlines. And, yes, he has what Mississippi State athletic director Scott Stricklin calls the “it factor.” But there’s one thing he doesn’t have: A track record of success that should be a prerequisite for the Florida job.”

MORE MEYER FALLOUT – An old competitor, Phil Fulmer, says he admires Meyer’s courage to step down, reports Andrew Gribble of the Knoxville News-Sentinel. “”His family is important, his health is important,” said Fulmer, who was presented with The Knoxville Award by the Senior Citizens Home Assistance Service at the Convention Center on Thursday. “I think it’s just a huge statement that the pressure coaches nowadays are under. Good for him to have the courage to step down and do the things that are important to him.”

Meanwhile, Jason Lieser of the Palm Beach Post reports that Meyer will still be around to help at Florida.

The AJC’s Tony Barhart says that even if you are a Gator-hater, there’s no joy in Meyer’s departure. Plus, Matt Hinton of Yahoo Sports on the Gators that time will forget.

Continue reading ‘Gruden and Gators; Mullen’s plans; Newton news’

(AP Photo/Stephen Morton)

SEC links for Thursday:

• Jeremy Foley ready to work quietly and quickly, reports Robbie Andreu of the Gainesville Sun.
• The Meyer ride was fun while it lasted, writes Pat Dooley of the Gainesville Sun.
• Meyer stepping down is the best thing for the Gators, writes Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel.
• Chris Low of espn.com looks at who might be on Florida’s short list.
• If Florida wants Mullen, Mississippi State won’t be able to match bid, writes Rick Cleveland of the Clarion-Ledger.
• Vanderbilt basketball throws away a chance at an upset at Missouri, writes R.B. Fallstrom of the AP.
• Pat Forde of espn.com says we should wait 24 hours to make sure Meyer means it.
• Could Petrino be a potential candidate? asks Robbie Neiswanger of the Arkansas News.
• Urban Meyer’s departure puts family first, writes Joe Biddle of the Tennessean.
• John Adams of the Knoxville News-Sentinel thinks a hatred of losing drove Meyer from coaching.

Continue reading ‘Reaction to Meyer decision, and who’s on UF short list’

(H-L photo/Mark Cornelison)

Trying something different this morning, combining Big Blue Links and SEC links into one package.

BIG ENES — Breaking news, the ruling on the Enes Kanter case could come today. Wait, or tomorrow. Wait, or Sunday. Or maybe we’ll get it from WikiLeaks. Seriously, it could come today.

• Jerry Tipton reports that the Enes Kanter decision could come down at any time.
• It’s wait, wait, wait on Kanter, writes Matt May of the Cats Pause.
• Alan Cutler of WLEX-TV says UK players are just as anxious as everyone else.
• Wildcat Blue Nation chimes in on the Kanter factor.
• Kentucky Sports Radio is trying to use its law degree to figure out what might happen with Kanter, but seriously, what does the law have to do with the NCAA?

LOOKING AHEAD TO THE HEELS — Thursday was UK’s preview day for Saturday’s game with North Carolina. Usually, the pre-game interviews are done the day before, but the Cats are leaving early today for Carolina, so everything was moved up.

• North Carolina will test UK’s road readiness, writes Jerry Tipton of the H-L.
• Doron Lamb says Saturday’s game will be the biggest of his life, reports Brett Dawson of the Courier-Journal.
• The Cats are still working on communication with a trip to the Dean Dome coming, writes Hal Morris of the Danville Advocate-Messenger.
• Kentucky doesn’t want to be North Carolina’s breakthrough game, writes Eric Lindsey of Cat Scratches.
• Darius Miller thinks UK can find some thrills in Chapel Hill, says Wildcat-Den.
• Click here here for a transcript of UK’s press conference quotes from yesterday.
• Ryan Clark of the Kentucky Enquirer blogs on Kanter and North Carolina.
• Opposing Views looks at the Cats-Carolina matchup.

TERRENCE JONES — Can he feel the love? Eamonn Brennan of espn.com ranks the UK guard/forward as the nation’s best freshman in November.

• The Jones-Barnes matchup is an intriguing one Saturday, writes Aaron Smith of the Kentucky Kernel.
• A Sea of Blue says UK fans should enjoy Jones, but root for Brandon Knight.

Continue reading ‘Enes, Heels, Newton, UK volleyball, open practices’

SEC links for Thursday:

• Central Florida upsets Florida 57-54, reports Iliana Limon of the Orlando Sentinel.
• Vanderbilt roles over Western Kentucky 82-62, reports Bryan Mullen of the Tennessean.
• Selective shooting key to Arkansas’ 84-74 win over Oklahoma, reports Chris Bahn for Arkansas Sports 360.
• NCAA rules that Cameron Newton did not know about scheme, reports Jay G. Tate of the Montgomery Advertiser.
• Kevin Scarbinsky of the Birmingham News says the NCAA got it right on Cameron Newton ruling.
• Dan Mullen reportedly on Miami’s short list, reports Brandon Marcello of the Clarion-Ledger.
• South Carolina wants to get Lattimore going in rematch, writes Travis Haney of the Charleston Post and Courier.
• Alabama basketball knocks off South Alabama, reports Cecil Hurt of the Tuscaloosa News.
• Houston Nutt is facing some tough off-season decisions at Ole Miss, writes Parrish Alford of the NE Mississippi Daily Journal.
• The plan to fix the football Gators, according to Robbie Andreu of the Gainesville Sun.

SEC links for Wednesday:

• No excuse for Auburn this time, writes Kevin Scarbinsky of the Birmingham News.
• This is a least-expected SEC final, reports David Paschall of the Chattanooga Times Free Press.
• Mark Bradley of the AJC likes South Carolina to pull the upset in title game.
• Stephen Garcia is sporting a sling, but should be fine, reports the Charleston Post and Courier.
• Alabama staff helped choose controversial songs, reports Tommy Deas of the Tuscaloosa News.
• MSU coach Dan Mullen denies job speculation, reports Brandon Marcello of the Clarion-Ledger.
• Matt Jones of the NW Arkansas News handicaps Arkansas’ bowl possibilities.
• Tennessee basketball whips Middle Tennessee, reports Mike Griffith of the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
• Miami holds off Ole Miss rally, reports Manny Navarro of the Miami Herald.
• Billy Donovan ready to square off with former assistant, reports David Jones of Florida Today.