John Clay's Sidelines

SEC links for Wednesday:

• Cecil Hurt: Like it or not, rule changes are coming
• Joe Medley: More motivation than agreement at Destin meetings
• The oversigning debate has begun at SEC Spring Meetings
• Oversigning has support among league coaches
• Number is “in play” on oversigning issue
• LSU’s Les Miles says a change is underway
• Alabama coach Nick Saban defends Ohio State’s Jim Tressel
• David Climer: Gordon Gee hurt Ohio State more than Vanderbilt
• John Adams: For once, it’s Big 10 football that creates the intrigue

Continue reading ‘SEC: Like it or not, rule changes are coming’

(AP photo)

SEC links for Friday:

- Tennessee holds off South Carolina 73-69, reports Mike Griffith of the Knoxville News-Sentinel. The Vols are now 8-7 in the SEC, with Kentucky coming to Knoxville on Sunday.

- Road games aren’t the problem for Tennessee, points out Mike Strange of the News-Sentinel. Tennessee finished 5-3 in SEC play on the road. The Vols are 3-4 at home.

- Tobias Harris scored a career-high 25 points in the Tennessee win, reports Patrick Brown of the Chattanooga Times Free Press. ”Tobias finished around the basket,” said UT coach Bruce Pearl afterward. “Tobias rebounded the ball in traffic. He was the only guy in there that had any kind of size – any kind of physical presence. That’s one of his best games. I played him at a lot of center. And as a freshman he’s a winner.”

- Shell-shocked Gamecocks can’t dig out of hole, writes Travis Haney of the Charleston Post and Courier. Sam Muldrow did score a career-high 24 points on his Senior Night for South Carolina.

- Auburn lost more than $600,000 on its BCS championship game appearance, reports Jon Solomon of the Birmingham News. That’s the dirty little secret about bowl games. For the teams, the game itself is not a money-making proposition.

- John Bond says the Cam Newton tape is a fake, reports Charles Goldberg of the Birmingham News. I’m not sure I care much about this, or know who to believe.

Continue reading ‘SEC: Tennessee tunes up for UK with win in Columbia’

(AP photo/Wade Payne)

SEC links for Thursday:

• Mike Griffith: Tennessee mashes Memphis 104-84 to get back on winning track.
• Mike Strange: Vols prove to be fully functional in win over cross-state Tigers.
• Mark Wiedmer: Did Vols solve all their problems in one night?
• Jason Smith: It was a rocky flop for Josh Pastner and Memphis.
• Randy Riggs: Mississippi State loses defensive coordinator Manny Diaz to Texas.
• Glenn Guilbeau: Les Miles distances himself from Michigan opening.
• Kyle Veazey: More turmoil for Mississippi State basketball as Beckham leaves.
• AP: Ole Miss tunes up for SEC play with 75-57 rout at SMU.
• AP: Cameron Newton says father will be at BCS title game.
• Josh Moon: Auburn trying to join 1957 team in history books.
• Chris Low: Auburn is casting the shadow this football season.
• Tommy Deas: Alabama assistant Sal Sunseri interviews for open Pitt job.
• Jeff Lockridge: Walk-ons filling the gap for Vanderbilt basketball.
• Rachel George: John Brantley’s family says quarterback hasn’t made decision.
• Mr. SEC: Want to win an SEC football game? Then take care of the football.

(AP photo/Dave Martin)

SEC links for Wednesday:

• Joe Schad of ESPN reports that both Cecil Newton and his son Cameron spoke of the pay-for-play plan.
• Cameron Newton is under fire again, writes Jay G. Tate of the Montgomery Advertiser.
• Kevin Scarbinsky of the Birmingham News on whether latest hit on Cameron Newton is a bomb or a dud.
• Gene Chizik says latest Newton allegations are pure garbage, reports John Zenor of the Associated Press.
• Urban Meyer claims he played no role in Cameron Newton stories, reports Pat Dooley of the Gainesville Sun.
• Slow down before knocking Newton, writes Rick Cleveland of the Clarion-Ledger.
• Unstoppable on the field, Newton is being assailed off it, writes Mark Wiedmer of the Chattanooga Times Free Press.
• Newton needs to reveal the truth about academic allegations at Florida, writes Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel.

Continue reading ‘SEC: Even more Cameron Newton allegations’

SEC links for Tuesday:

• Thayer Evans of Fox Sports reports that Cameron Newton left Florida after an academic cheating scandal.
• Kevin Scarbinsky of the Birmingham News says there are holes in earlier Newton scandal story.
• Tennessee basketball loses to Indianapolis in exhibition basketball game, reports Mike Griffith of the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
• Alabama basketball has to go double overtime to beat Alabama-Huntsville in an exhibition game, reports Cecil Hurt of the Tuscaloosa News.
• Mark Bradley of the AJC writes that Georgia and Mark Richt return to Auburn, but nothing is the same.
• Florida has totally transformed, writes Robbie Andreu of the Gainesville Sun.
• Ron Morris of The State writes on the five most important games in South Carolina’s history.
• Steve Spurrier says it’s time for some changes, writes Travis Haney of the Charleston Post and Courier.
• Les Miles has become must-see TV, writes Chris Low of espn.com.
• Alabama football looking to bounce back after loss to LSU, writes Michael Casagrande of the Anniston Star.

SEC links for Friday:

• Former Mississippi State player says cash was sought for Cameron Newton, reports espn.com.
• Newton’s father says story is unfounded, reports Charles Goldberg of the Birmingham News.
• Father denies close ties to agent representative, reports Jay G. Tate of the Montgomery Advertiser.
• Thayer Evans of Fox Sports writes that voters shouldn’t give Newton the Heisman Trophy.
• LSU’s Les Miles puts a new twist on communication, writes Tommy Deas of the Tuscaloosa News.
• Tennessee basketball player Josh Bone fractures wrist, reports Mike Griffith of the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
• Rotating quarterbacks a new wrinkle in Florida system, reports Edward Aschoff of the Gainesville Sun.
• Tight end Orson Charles is Georgia’s newest star, writes David Paschall of the Chattanooga Times Free Press.
• Bulldogs plan to change their scheduling philosophy, writes Roger Clarkson of the Athens Banner-Herald.
• Ole Miss defense has not played all that well, writes Kyle Veazey of the Clarion-Ledger.

SEC links for Wednesday:

Brandon Marcello of the Clarion-Ledger: “(Nick) Bell, 20, died at the University of Alabama-Birmingham Hospital a day after undergoing emergency surgery. The redshirt sophomore was diagnosed with a form of skin cancer after a tumor was removed from his brain on Oct. 1. He had recovered enough by Oct. 23 to attend the Bulldogs’ home victory over UAB, but last week he learned the cancer had spread, said family friend Moreland Smith.”

Brad Locke of the NE Mississippi Daily Journal: “This is not a subject that you normally have to deal with on a college beat. I’m covering young men in their physical primes, their futures wide open before them. Less than two months ago, the 20-year-old Bell was a key part of MSU’s defensive line, rotating at the right end spot, making tackles and making an impact.”

Tim Tucker of the AJC: “Georgia defensive coordinator Todd Grantham, caught on camera making a choking gesture toward Florida’s kicker near the end of last Saturday’s game, expressed regret about the incident Tuesday. “As a competitor, sometimes you get caught up in the heat of the moment,” Grantham said. “I wish the situation hadn’t happened. It was a tough, hard-fought game. They won it, and I’m ready to move forward and finish out the year strong.”

Mark Bradley of the AJC: “I know, I know. In Richt’s first five seasons he took Georgia to the SEC title game three times, which Donnan didn’t manage once, and won it twice. In those five seasons Richt bought the kind of good will Donnan never could. But Georgia, which has the same president now as then, has had essentially the same record the past five years as in Donnan’s tenure, and it has had many more off-the-field embarrassments.”

Doug Segrest of the Birmingham News: “Seemingly overnight, defense has gone out the window and the SEC has become an outdoor version of the Arena Football League. Auburn scored 65 points against Arkansas and 51 at Ole Miss. Kentucky averaged nearly 33 points in a four-game span — and lost three times. Even the best-regarded defenses in the league have been chewed up and spit out. South Carolina put 35 points on the board against defending national champion Alabama. LSU did everything but raise a white flag in surrendering 440 yards on the ground to Auburn, including 217 to quarterback Cam Newton.”

Continue reading ‘SEC: A death at MSU; Grantham’s choke sign’

(AP photo/Wade Payne)

SEC links for Tuesday:

• Reality is a bummer for Tennessee fans, writes John Adams of the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
• After seven years together, Nick Saban and Derek Dooley face off Saturday, reports Chase Goodbread of the Tuscaloosa News.
• Alabama players are feeling their SEC schedule, writes Michael Casagrande of the Anniston Star.
• Les Miles calls Auburn quarterback Cameron Newton “one of a kind,” reports Evan Woodbery of the Mobile Press-Register.
• LSU is sticking with its two-quarterback system, writes Scott Rabalais of The Advocate.
• Urban Meyer is missing Dan Mullen, writes Rick Cleveland of the Clarion-Ledger.
• Mullen has Mississippi State on the fast track, writes Chris Low of espn.com.
• The fall of the Gators starts with Urban Meyer, writes George Diaz of the Orlando Sentinel.
• It’s back to the drawing board for South Carolina, reports Travis Haney of the Charleston Post and Courier.
• Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett is improving, reports Robbie Neiswanger of the Arkansas News.

SEC links for Tuesday:

• Billy Donovan talks about Florida basketball’s high expectations for this season, reports Andy Marks of the Gainesville Sun.
• Les Miles and Stephen Garcia will meet in SEC title game, says Clay Travis of AOL FanHouse.
• Arkansas worried about its offensive misfires, reports Robbie Neiswanger of the Arkansas News.
• Caleb King’s status unclear at Georgia after arrest, reports Tim Tucker of the AJC.
• Mullen and Meyer yield to conflicting self interests, reports Brandon Marcello of the Clarion-Ledger.
• John Adams of the Knoxville News-Sentinel thinks SEC could still be in the mix for national title.
• Julio Jones undergoes surgery on broken hand, reports A. Stacy Long of the Montgomery Advertiser.
• Alabama trying to figure out what happened to its running game, writes Chase Goodbread of the Tuscaloosa News.
• Vanderbilt offense has been slow to start, reports Jeff Lockridge of the Tennessean.
• Two-quarterback system working at LSU, writes Randy Rosetta of The Advocate.

SEC links for Thursday:

• Somehow, LSU’s Les Miles always avoids being hit by that bus, says EDSBS. (Another great LSUfreek video.)
• Mark Bradley of the AJC looks at the numbers to see where it all went wrong for Mark Richt.
• Pat Dooley of the Gainesville Sun writes that Gator Nation is grumbling, but it could be worse.
• Vanderbilt coach is lifting weights to lose weight, reports Mike Organ of the Tennessean.
• South Carolina’s Alshon Jeffery is likely to test the Tide, reports Chase Goodbread of the Tuscaloosa News.
• Mississippi State offense is showing efficiency, writes Brad Locke of the NE Mississippi Daily News.
• Defense is Justin Wilcox’s work in progress at Tennessee, writes Mike Strange of the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
• Nick Saban’s victims list is mounting, writes David Paschall of the Chattanooga Times Free Press.
• LSU offensive coordinator Gary Crowton may change his position on Saturday, writes Randy Rosetta of The Advocate.
• Arkansas defensive end hoping for a big day in Dallas, reports Robbie Neiswanger of the Arkansas News.