Tag: SEC Football News

Opinion: Why college football will still be great after realignment

Realignment can’t wreck the world’s greatest sport.

College football is in my estimation the greatest sport in the world. Recent moves will do nothing to change that.

It’s great for a number of reasons. The passion, competitive nature and fan involvement top that list. Despite all those positives many have responded to conference realignment with doom and gloom. Even so, it’s still college football and it’s still going to be the highlight of every Saturday in the fall.

Many view the fall of the Pac-12 as a catastrophe. The loss of major rivalries is cited as one of the worst consequences of the move. With all due respect to Stanford, Cal, Oregon State and Washington State, what great rivalry are we losing? For every rivalry lost there is seemingly an even greater rivalry gained.

In moving to the SEC, Texas reunites with two of its three biggest rivals in Texas A&M and Arkansas. Oklahoma adds A&M and Missouri to its premier games. In the Big 12, the Holy War between Utah and BYU is now a conference battle. Colorado joins its former Big 12 foes.

Through realignment we get Texas vs Georgia and Oklahoma vs Alabama on a consistent basis. We get USC vs Ohio State in conference play. As much animus as there is between Oregon and Washington and its in-state rivals, I am sure they would be more excited to play Michigan, Penn State, Wisconsin, Nebraska and Ohio State with frequency.

College football once named champions without deciding games on the field. You could watch two teams play in the championship and claim a title the next day. Now there’s a playoff with several representative teams.

Some would consider this season the end of our sport’s unique greatness. In reality, it’s only a bridge to more dominance on the biggest stage.

ESPN’s Tom Luginbill says Texas’ roster is way ahead of Oklahoma

“Right now, there is a vastly different roster profile. Texas is way ahead of where Oklahoma is talent-wise.”

Another reputable source is buying the Texas Longhorns’ roster this offseason. He doesn’t seem too high on what the Oklahoma Sooners have on their 2023 roster, however.

ESPN college football analyst Tom Luginbill shared his thoughts on the two rosters with Bobby Burton on his InsideTexas podcast “On Texas Football.” Luginbill said the following of the Longhorns and the Sooners for the upcoming season and beyond (starting at the 21:10 mark):

“Right now, there is a vastly different roster profile. Texas is way ahead of where Oklahoma is talent-wise. … Brent Venables knows what he has to have, too. And he knows he doesn’t have it right now at Oklahoma.”

The Oklahoma head coach certainly doesn’t have the roster he needs to win in the SEC yet. The lack of depth is apparent. While some are touting Oklahoma as a playoff contender and a Big 12 title favorite, the roster simply isn’t there.

As for its rival, many would suggest Texas always has the talent. The difference is, the Longhorns have a decided advantage in proven, developed talent in its 2023 squad. A direct comparison between the two rosters illustrates what Luginbill is addressing.

Texas has eight offensive linemen you can win with against premier competition. Oklahoma might have five. Texas has at least five receivers who can take over a game. At present, Oklahoma has two. Texas has four or five good, proven cornerbacks. Oklahoma has one if Woodi Washington isn’t matched up with a burner at receiver.

While the Sooners are very good at quarterback, running back, safety and linebacker, there are questions nearly everywhere else. It provides for an interesting matchup in the 2023 Red River game. We’ll see how each team fares.

Forecasting the best players Texas will face at every position in 2023

We predict the best player Texas will face at every position this season.

The Texas Longhorns’ 2023 schedule is loaded with talent across the board. The high end talent is mostly present at the top recruiting schools on the Longhorns schedule. Alabama, Oklahoma, TCU and Texas Tech present perhaps the most talented rosters.

Each opponent will present its own unique challenges. Rice and Wyoming probably present the least matchup concerns for Texas.

Outside of the above teams are solid players across the board. Iowa State, Kansas State and Kansas feature well-developed players with plenty of experience. Both Kansas schools are particularly good at quarterback, tight end and perhaps even at offensive line. The Wildcats certainly bring back a top three offensive line in the conference while Kansas has proven commodities up front.

Let’s look who will be the best players and position groups Texas will face in 2023.

Longhorns aren’t the SEC school in Texas trying to throw weight around

Texas A&M is the only SEC school from Texas that appears to be making demands.

An SEC school in the state of Texas is making demands, albeit not the school you might expect. Many anticipated Texas would try to control their future conference the way some claimed they bullied the Big 12.

In reality, it’s Texas A&M elevating its interests over SEC foes.

At the SEC’s spring meetings, Texas A&M athletic director Ross Bjork continued to insist the Aggies and Longhorns would first meet in College Station.

Bjork appears to be trying to seize any degree of control he can after the conference refused to honor his wishes to keep Texas out of the league. Bjork’s exact words were, “We want to be the only SEC program in the state of Texas.”

Clearly, his fellow league members did not feel the same way. Now, Bjork appears to be using the power of the media to insist Texas resumes the rivalry on the same campus it ended on in 2011. It seems strange that the Aggies want to play back-to-back home games in the rivalry, but we haven’t received word that Texas would play A&M twice in a row in Austin.

A&M’s petulance might help them skip a trip to Austin that is more than 10 years overdue, but it will come at a cost. What little respect they may have earned from the league might be lost after how the school handled Texas’ entry.

Texas A&M is certainly making demands, and might win this one. Nevertheless, the program’s influence is dwindling. For that reason, the Aggies are the only Texas team that the SEC has given a reality check. It’s likely there could be more of that for Bjork and company in the coming years.

Josh Pate: Texas is in better position to win SEC football title before Texas A&M

College football analyst thinks its more likely Texas wins the SEC before Texas A&M.

It’s been over a decade since the Texas A&M Aggies left the Big 12. The program is still yet to appear in an SEC title game in football. Next year’s SEC entrance for the Longhorns begs the question, will Texas or Texas A&M win an SEC title first?

SEC podcaster Michael Bratton and national college football analyst Josh Pate explored that question in Bratton’s podcast. Texas A&M fans won’t like Pate’s answer.

“I think Texas is in a better position. … I don’t know that there are offensive minds in the country that I have more respect for than Steve Sarkisian.”

Pate cites marked improvement in the trenches as reason to believe in the Longhorns. He also views the quarterback and wide receiver positions as places where Texas will not lack for the foreseeable future. Pate notes that if starting quarterback Quinn Ewers goes down, Maalik Murphy appears ready to step in and win for the team.

As for Texas A&M, the 2022 season functioned as a wet blanket on the momentum its historic recruiting class kindled. The team’s inability to win consistently with superior talent was noted as cause for concern.

“If you have bigger, faster, stronger players, you should never have cold streaks. A game should never be put in that questionable a position in the fourth quarter (with a noticeable talent advantage). Texas A&M should have been able to do that last year. They should have been able to do it the last few years, and they haven’t been.”

Pate fairly notes that Texas could be in the same position as A&M if it isn’t able to capitalize with wins this season. And while there’s plenty of reason to doubt the Aggies, new offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino had the Aggies offense rolling in the spring. The 2023 season will reveal plenty in regard to which team has the upper hand moving forward.

Kirby Smart offers tremendous praise of Nick Saban

Georgia’s Kirby Smart expresses tremendous praise for Alabama’s Nick Saban!

Kirby Smart worked for [autotag]Nick Saban[/autotag] for more than 10 seasons at various places and has become one of the most successful head coaches in college football at the University of Georgia. After delivering back-to-back national championships for the Bulldogs, some believe Smart has surpassed Saban as the premier coach in the sport.

Coach Smart joined “The Paul Finebaum Show” and offered immense praise for coach Saban and his impact on the game of college football.

“Nick’s been tremendous for our sport when you think about nobody has moved the college football game more than he has,” Smart said. “He has done a tremendous job at changing the game. The SEC is the premier place, primarily because he started bringing national championships there when he was at LSU. So he’s done a lot for this game.”

It’s very clear coach Smart has great admiration for coach Saban and likely views him as not only a mentor but a friend. The Alabama-Georgia rivalry may be heated between the fan bases, but the two head coaches share nothing but respect and appreciation.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Stacey Blackwood on Twitter @Blackwood89.

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REPORT: Familiar name has emerged as a potential candidate for Alabama’s DC opening

Kevin Steele has reportedly emerged as a candidate for the Alabama DC opening.

Alabama’s defensive coordinator opening has created a lot of headlines over the last couple of weeks and it now appears that a new yet familiar name has emerged as a contender for the job.

Kevin Steele, Miami’s current defensive coordinator has reportedly become one of Nick Saban’s primary targets for the opening.

Steele has a ton of experience as a college coach, especially in the SEC and even in Tuscaloosa with coach Saban and the Crimson Tide.

Steele has spent a total of four seasons with Saban at Alabama including being the Tide’s defensive coordinator in 2007. Steele has also been the defensive coordinator at LSU and Auburn.

While on the surface this may not appear to be a “homerun hire” Steele has a ton of experience and is well-respected in the coaching world.

I think it is also important to remember that coach Saban recently hired an up-and-coming defensive coach Austin Armstrong to his staff last month and Steele could simply be coming in to help groom him.

No official hire has been made but Roll Tide Wire will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as they become available.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Stacey Blackwood on Twitter @Blackwood89.

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SEC East recruiting class rankings after early signing period

How does the SEC East rank nationally in the class of 2023 recruiting cycle? Georgia has the top class in the division again.

The Georgia Bulldogs and head coach Kirby Smart have the second-ranked recruiting class in the country. Georgia looks like it is in the driver’s seat to win the SEC East again in 2023.

Georgia isn’t the only SEC East team that is doing work on the recruiting trail. Josh Heupel and Tennessee are bringing in a lot of talent and currently have a top-ten recruiting class.

How does the rest of the division rank in the class of 2023 recruiting cycle (rankings per 247Sports)?

10 best SEC players in the transfer portal

Who are the 10 best SEC players in the NCAA transfer portal?

The SEC is the most talented conference in the country. That much is not up for debate. The SEC consistently has the most players drafted of any conference and the best recruiting classes.

Alabama and Georgia recently have had the two most talented rosters in college football.

However, the current environment of college means more and more talented players from the SEC will enter the transfer portal. Last season, Georgia’s Jermaine Burton, LSU’s Eli Ricks, Missouri’s Mekhi Wingo and Alabama’s Drew Sanders were among the conference’s top players to transfer.

Here are the 10 best SEC players in the NCAA transfer portal:

Nine Georgia Bulldogs make AP All-SEC team

What Georgia Bulldogs made the AP All-SEC team and how did Kirby Smart finish in coach of the year voting?

Nine Georgia Bulldogs had made the Associated Press All-SEC team. Georgia’s talented roster helped propel the Bulldogs to their first SEC championship win since 2017.

Georgia will play Ohio State in the College Football Playoff. The Dawgs finished with the most players (five) on the AP All-SEC first team of any program in the conference.

What Georgia Bulldogs made the AP All-SEC team and how did Kirby Smart finish in coach of the year voting?