John Clay's Sidelines

Pat Summitt and assistant Holly Warlick coach UT to win over Auburn. (AP photo)

SEC links for Monday:

• Florida looks to make Gator Bowl statement today, says Robbie Andreu of Sun.
• Gators have more to gain, writes Rachel George of Orlando Sentinel.
• Gator Bowl wants to move up ladder, writes Gary Smits of Times-Union.
• Tennessee women top Auburn in SEC opener, reports AP’s John Zenor.
• LSU women cruise past Ole Miss, reports AP.
• Virginia visits LSU men tonight, reports Chris Abshire of Times-Picayune.
• Tennessee men look to keep streak going, reports Mike Griffith of KNS.
• Richt has Dogs on right path, says David Paschall of Times Free Press.
• Richt says Dogs knocking on greatness’ door, writes AJC’s Mark Bradley.

SEC links for Wednesday:

• Schools seeking to override rule for multi-year scholarships, reports AP.
• Ex-IU commit Kiel pledges to LSU, reports Jim Kleinpeter of Times-Picayune.
• Georgia scrapes by Winthrop, reports Chris Starrs of Banner-Herald.
• State faces tough test from Baylor, reports Brad Locke of Daily Journal.
• UT saving money by missing bowl, reports Megan Boehnke of News-Sentinel.
• Rodgers road to bowl full of twists, reports Greg Sullivan of Tennessean.
• Chizik simplifies Auburn’s defense, reports Joel Erickson of Ledger-Enquirer.
• Will Auburn give Frazier a longer look in bowl? asks News’ Charles Goldberg.
• Auburn needs to end year like it began, writes Joe Medley of Anniston Star.
• Crowell under weather for first practice, reports Chip Towers of AJC.

Tennessee AD Dave Hart. (AP photo/Wade Payne)

SEC links for Friday:

• UT athletic boss says loss to UK was unacceptable, reports Andrew Gribble of KNS.
• Harvey Updyke goes fundraising, reports Jeff Schultz of the AJC.
• LSU just good enough to beat UC-Irvine, reports Scott Hotard of The Advocate.
• Florida-Texas A&M preview of next year’s SEC, reports Rachel George of Orlando Sentinel.
• Florida struggling from foul line, writes Mike Hodge for Gainesville Sun.
• New Arkansas DC will make nearly $500,000, reports Chris Bahn of Arkansas 360.
• Georgia motivated by last year’s bowl loss, reports Ledger-Enquirer’s Seth Emerson.
• Georgia’s bowl tickets outselling Michigan, reports Marc Weiszer of ABH.
• What’s magic number for Richt contract? asks Mark Bradley of AJC.
• Chizik returning to his roots, reports Charles Bennett of Anniston Star.
• Slay playing big role for MSU, writes Brandon Marcello of C-L.
• LSU returns to full-speed practice, reports Glenn Guilbeau of Shreveport News.

Larry Munson (UGA photo)

A sad day for the SEC as the league loses two, one a legend, the other far too young.

Long-time Georgia play-by-play announcer Larry Munson passed away Sunday night from complications associated with pneumonia. Munson was 89. As Mark Bradley nails it in the AJC, “From property being destroyed on St. Simons after Belue-to-Scott to the Knoxville noses broken by the hobnailed boot, the Munson sense of imagery was a gale force unto itself. Nobody else sounded like him. Nobody else would choose the words he chose. The first time I heard Munson doing a Georgia game, I thought I had, by some trick of the ionosphere, tuned into some ham radioman having a nervous breakdown. The more I listened to the great man, the more I realized my first impression wasn’t far wrong, and I mean that in the best possible way.”

Continue reading ‘SEC: Legendary Larry Munson passes at 89′

SEC links for Friday:

• SEC predictions not getting Auburn down
• Auburn football keeps winning while others keep wondering
• Rumors keep swirling around Auburn
• Chizik is going to have to keep hearing the stories
• There are some harsh realities with NCAA’s no-man’s land
• Chizik cool under fire at SEC Media Days
• One columnist thought Chizik was chairman of the bored

Continue reading ‘SEC: Rumors continue to follow Auburn football’

South Carolina's new football uniforms (AP photo)

SEC links for Friday:

• NCAA visits Baton Rouge to have a chat with LSU about Willie Lyles, reports Glenn Guilbeau of the Shreveport Times. “LSU defensive line coach Brick Haley was with Lyles at Clear Springs High in League City, Texas, in the spring of 2010, according to a Foxsports.com report. Linebacker Trevon Randle of Clear Springs High signed with LSU last February,” writes Guilbeau.
• Gene Chizik pushed the wrong button at the wrong time with the NCAA, says Jon Solomon of the Birmingham News. The Auburn coach asked the NCAA why it had not announced it was finished with its investigation into the school’s football program. The NCAA said it wasn’t finished.
• Joe Medley of the Anniston Star writes that Chizik’s comments strain the relationship between Auburn and the NCAA. Medley says it was “off-field gaffe to rival any Les Miles on-field fumble.”
• Arkansas had the most selections on this year’s coaches’ pre-season All-SEC teams, says Mr. SEC. There were 14 Razorbacks chosen. Kentucky was next-to-last with three. Tennessee was last with just two picks.

Continue reading ‘SEC: NCAA pays Baton Rouge a visit to talk about Lyles’

Mark Richt (AP photo)

SEC links for Wednesday:

- Georgia coach Mark Richt is a supporter of the non-kickoff idea for college football, reports David Paschall of the Chattanooga Times Free Press.

- Marc Weiszer of the Athens Banner-Herald writes that Georgia is pumped for its difficult 2011 start in football.

- The Bulldogs are dealing with raised expectations, writes Seth Emerson of the Macon Telegraph.

- Compliance is a major issue for the NCAA, reports Matt Murschel of the Orlando Sentinel.

- Ex-Alabama star Robert Horry’s 17-year-old daughter dies of rare disorder, reports Don Kausler of the Birmingham News.

Continue reading ‘SEC: Mark Richt in favor of eliminating kickoffs’

Dan Werner

SEC links:

• Former Florida Gator basketball player Dan Werner offered a plea deal, reports Rachel George of the Orlando Sentinel.
• Georgia and Georgia Tech are battling over hoops prospect, reports Michael Carvell of the AJC.
• Stephen Garcia has a chance at being back at South Carolina, writes Travis Haney of the Charleston Post and Courier.
• Arkansas’ Marshawn Powell undergoes surgery on left foot, reports Robbie Neiswanger of the Arkansas News.
• LSU to unveil bronze statue of Shaquille O’Neal, reports Jim Kleinpeter of the Times-Picayune.
• Auburn’s Gene Chizik has a book on the horizon, reports Charles Goldberg of the Birmingham News.
• Auburn AD says he’s confident in Cam Newton case, reports John Zenor of the Associated Press.

Continue reading ‘SEC: Werner offered plea; Garcia may be back at USC’

(AP photo/Wade Payne)

SEC links for Wednesday:

• Tennessee loses its third straight, this time to Kevin O’Neill and Southern Cal, reports Mike Griffith of the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
• Tennessee left looking for answers, writes Mike Strange of the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
• Vols see their skid extended, writes Wes Rucker of the Chattanooga Times Free Press.
• Renardo Sidney suspended by Mississippi State, reports Brandon Marcello of the Clarion-Ledger.
• Three-point barrage helps Alabama beat Lipscomb 71-51, reports Tommy Deas of the Tuscaloosa News.
• Frankie Sullivan leads Auburn past USC-Upstate 68-54, reports Evan Woodbery of the Mobile Press-Register.
• Vanderbilt heats up to beat Middle Tennessee, writes Tom Kraeger for the Tennessean.

Continue reading ‘SEC: Tennessee basketball is free falling’

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’