John Clay's Sidelines

SEC links for Friday:

• Tennessee football players involved in brawl at bar, reports Wes Rucker of the Chattanooga Times Free Press.

• Tennessean columnist David Climer reports that Lane Kiffin has taken another jab at Tennessee.

• ESPN announces a $1.86 billion TV deal with ACC, reports Andrew Carter of the Orlando Sentinel.

• Championship coach Ray Tanner seeking a new deal at South Carolina, reports Joseph Person of The State.

• Person also counts the five SEC first-year football players most likely to make a splash.

• Ex-LSU star JaMarcus Russell must help himself before others can, writes Tommy Hicks of the Mobile Press-Register.

Continue reading ‘SEC: Tennessee players involved in bar brawl’

(The State photo/Gary Melendez)

SEC Links for Wednesday:

• South Carolina beats UCLA in 11 innings to win NCAA Baseball title, reports Neil White of The State.

• Ron Morris of The State writes that the Gamecocks’ national title is important for many different reasons.

• South Carolina bringing the title trophy back home, writes Travis Haney of the Charleston Post and Courier.

• David Climer of the Tennessean writes that Bryce Brown saga at UT bears Lane Kiffin’s fingerprints.

• Mr. SEC has the list of summer basketball commitments/signees.

• Tennessee basketball signees are impressive in summer league, reports Wes Rucker of the Chattanooga Times Free Press.

Continue reading ‘SEC: Gamecocks win national baseball title’

Ryan Mallett

SEC links for Thursday:

• Ex-Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin will start with two-year bowl ban and major scholarship reductions at USC, reports Gary Klein of the Los Angeles Times.
• Tennessee will play Pittsburgh in the SEC/Big East Invitational, reports Mike Griffith of the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
• Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett is on crutches, but still on track, says ESPN’s Chris Low.
• Both Rutgers and Seton Hall will play SEC teams, reports Brendan Prunty of the Newark Star-Ledger.
• Ole Miss football improves its APR scores and avoids penalty, reports David Brandt of the Clarion-Ledger.
• South Carolina linebacker is granted sixth year by NCAA, reports Joe Person of The State.
• South Carolina will face SEC’s toughest football schedule, says John Pennington of Mr. SEC.
• Alabama baseball names its starter for opening game of Super Regional, reports Gentry Estes of the Mobile Press-Register.
• Relievers throw Vanderbilt pitching rotation a curve, reports Jeff Lockridge of the Tennessean.
• Florida’s APR number pass with flying colors, reports Robbie Andreu of the Gainesville Sun.
• Georgia’s football APR numbers are second in SEC behind Vanderbilt, reports Marc Weiszer of the Athens Banner-Herald.

Jackie Sherill

SEC links for Wednesday:

• Evan Woodbery of the Mobile Press-Register reports that Auburn basketball has signed a Georgia point guard.

• Looks like Murphy Holloway will end up at South Carolina, reports Seth Emerson of The State.

• Kevin Scarbinsky of the Birmingham News writes that maybe the Big Ten won’t blow up the world after all.

• Ex-Mississippi State coach Jackie Sherrill is continuing to battle the NCAA, reports Kyle Veazey of the Clarion-Ledger.

• Pat Dooley of the Gainesville Sun remembers a friend and mentor in Jack Hairston.

• Lane Kiffin not worth his reported salary, writes Tennessean columnist David Climer.

Continue reading ‘SEC links: Murphy Holloway to end up at South Carolina’

SEC links for Thursday:

• Knoxville.com reports that ex-UT coach Lane Kiffin is being lampooned by Esquire magazine’s “Sexiest Woman Alive” contest.

• Mike Organ of the Tennessean reports that a Vanderbilt video of player throwing out a runner after breaking his kneecap has gone viral.

• Florida’s Alex Tyus is putting his name in NBA draft, reports Kevin Brockway of the Gainesville Sun.

• Robbie Andreu of the Sun writes on Florida’s true freshman quarterback, Trey Burton.

• Luke Stocker, a Kentucky native, is a Tennessee anchor, writes Wes Rucker in the Chattanooga Times Free Press.

Continue reading ‘SEC links: Is Lane Kiffin the sexiest woman alive?’

(AP photo/Tricia Spaulding)

SEC links for Friday:

• Kevin Brockway of the Gainesville Sun reports from Fayetteville on Florida’s victory over the Razorbacks.
• Chris Low of espn.com reports that Mississippi State acknowledges strip club visit.
• Dan Fleser of the Knoxville News-Sentinel reports from Athens on Lady Vols loss to Georgia.
• Ivan Maisel of espn.com names Urban Meyer the coach of the decade.
• David Climer of the Tennessean writes that Lane Kiffin was a good fit for bad SEC hire.
• Deadspin gets in on the Kiffin sewage plant story.
• Jeff Schultz of the AJC writes that if you don’t believe in Mark Fox, get out of the way.
• In the Mobile Press-Register, Tommy Hicks writes that Tim Tebow must prove himself again at the Senior Bowl.

Continue reading ‘SEC links: Georgia women take first place in SEC’

(AP photo)

SEC links for Thursday:

• In the Memphis Commercial Appeal, Ron Higgins reports on Ole Miss’ win over South Carolina.
• Lane Kiffin is still poking at Urban Meyer.
• Speaking of Meyer, Jeremy Fowler of Orlando Sentinel says Urban has slipped from view.
• Austin Ward of the Knoxville News-Sentinel writes that Derek Dooley goes with what works.
• Tim Tucker of the AJC writes that Georgia football is facing big changes.
• Jim Kleinpeter of the Times-Picayune on the LSU skid.
• Gary Laney of The Advocate on LSU’s fourth straight loss.
• AP report on Auburn’s win in Baton Rouge.
• David Brandt of the Clarion-Ledger on the Rebels win over Devan Downey and Co.

Continue reading ‘SEC links: Ole Miss downs Downey; Kiffin pokes at Meyer’

SEC links for Tuesday:

David Brandt of the Clarion-Ledger on Mississippi State losing its DC: “Mississippi State is in the market for a new defensive coordinator after Carl Torbush left the Bulldogs for the same job at Kansas under new coach Turner Gill. Torbush spent one season at Mississippi State and was the highest-paid assistant on the football staff with a one-year contract that paid $260,000.”

Marc Weiszer of the Athens Banner-Herald reports that Georgia can’t land Bud Foster: “Foster said Monday that he spoke to Georgia coach Mark Richt, but is staying in Blacksburg and will get a new deal for remaining the Hokies’ defensive coordinator. Foster said he also talked to Florida’s Urban Meyer and Florida State’s Jimbo Fisher about coordinator positions, but things got most serious with Georgia.”

Seth Emerson of The State reports on Darrin Horn’s extension: “It took all of one year for USC athletics director Eric Hyman to be convinced that men’s basketball coach Darrin Horn deserved a raise. Monday, Horn was approved for a two-year extension to 2015 and a $300,000 raise by the USC board of trustees.”

Gary Laney of The Advocate reports on LSU’s win over SLU: “LSU went to a small lineup Monday against Southeastern Louisiana. With the way Tasmin Mitchell was playing inside, it didn’t need to be any bigger.”

Continue reading ‘SEC links: Shopping for defensive coordinators’

(AP photo)

SEC links for Friday:

Kevin Brockway of the Gainesville Sun reports on Florida’s loss to Syracuse: “Before a split crowd of 9,353 Syracuse and Florida fans at the St. Pete Times Forum, Florida (8-1) suffered its first loss of the season. Familiar early season problems, turnovers and rebounding, caught up to the Gators. Florida committed 19 turnovers and were out-rebounded 43-31 against a more physical Syracuse frontline.”

Donna Ditota of the Syracuse Post-Standard on the Orange’s big win: “There were plenty of those for the Orange. SU shot 53 percent overall against Florida and 58 percent in the second half. Rick Jackson carried the offensive load for SU before intermission, when he scored 16 points – one short of his career high for an entire game.”

Austin Ward of the Knoxville News-Sentinel reports on Lane Kiffin’s defiance: “But Kiffin clearly isn’t running away from an investigation by one and doesn’t seem all that shaken by a report from the other. If anything he only seemed annoyed Thursday to have to answer questions about his recruiting practices again in his first public comments since an NCAA review of the Vols came to light this week.”

John Pennington of Mr. SEC on the Kiffin double-standard: “When you accuse another coach of cheating, everyone will look to see if you’re cheating. When you question another coach’s discipline, everyone will keep a close eye on your discipline. When you poke fun that another school isn’t playing its freshman receiver, everyone will write it up when your own freshman receiver complains about his playing time on Facebook.”

Continue reading ‘SEC links: Florida takes first loss; Kiffin takes a stand’

Monte Kiffin

SEC links for Happy Turkey Day:

• In the Knoxville News-Sentinel, Austin Ward reports that Tennessee wants to tame Kentucky’s wildcat.
• David Paschall of the Chattanooga Times Free Press writes on Lane and Monte Kiffin.
• Wes Rucker of the Times Free Press reports on the Tennessee kicker try-out.
• Writing for the Advocate, Adam Zagoria reports on LSU’s lopsided loss to Connecticut in the NIT.
• Kevin Scarbinsky of the Birmingham News writes that Auburn’s Ben Tate is making memories, while Bama’s Mark Ingram is making history.
• Also in the News, Ray Melick writes that Tate shouldn’t apologize for thinking he’s the best.
• Jay G. Tate of the Montgomery Advertiser reports that Auburn is eager to face Alabama defense.
• Mark Bradley of the AJC writes that Georgia fans tell Tech fans to shut up and deal.
• ESPN’s Chris Low breaks down the SEC quarterbacks.

• Continue reading ‘SEC links: Tennessee wants to stop UK’s wildcat’