Tag: SEC football

SEC extends suspension of in-person athletic activities

The SEC announced that it has extended its suspension of all in-person athletic activities through at least May 31st due to coronavirus.

On Friday, the SEC announced that it has extended its suspension of all in-person athletic activities through at least May 31st.

Originally, the league had suspended all activities through April 15th.

Here is the statement that the conference issued on Friday:

The Southeastern Conference today announced that all in-person athletics activities, including team and individual practices, meetings and other organized gatherings, whether voluntary or required, as well as camps and coaches clinics, will be suspended through at least May 31, based on public health advisories related to continuing developments associated with the coronavirus (COVID-19).

The SEC had previously announced that in-person athletics activities were suspended through April 15.

In addition, virtual film review that does not include physical activity is permissible. Effective April 6, activity of this nature will be expanded to four (4) hours per week consistent with an NCAA rule waiver and NCAA legislation, an increase from the previously permissible maximum of two (2) hours per week. Any such activity must be scheduled in accordance with the institution’s established Time Management Policy and must not interfere with required class time for online instruction.

SEC member institutions will continue to provide their student-athletes with care and support to meet needs in areas including academics, medical care, mental health and wellness, nutrition and housing as needed.

Five Nutty Predictions That Just Might Be Right: 20 for 2020 Offseason Topics No. 2

20 for 2020: 20 key college football offseason topics: 5 nutty, out there predictions that just might turn out to be right.

20 for 2020: 20 key college football offseason topics, No. 2: 5 nutty, out there predictions that just might turn out to be right.

– Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak

20 for 2020 Offseason Topics 
20. Best Teams To Not Make CFP
19: Teams That Will Rebound Big
18. Teams That Will Fall Back
17: Every Power 5 Team’s Letdown Game
16. Top 5 Instant Impact New Head Coaches
15. 2nd Year Coaches Who’ll Be Better
14. Power 5 Hot Seat Coach Rankings
13. Key Transfers You Forgot About
12. Five Big Power 5 Upset Alerts
11. Great Players About To Go Nuclear
10. Group of 5 Teams In New Year’s Six Chase
9. Power 5 Sleeper Teams
8. Most Interesting Quarterback Battles
7. 5 Teams That Might Disappoint
6. 5 Teams That Might Surprise
5. Group of Five Conference Ranking
4. Power 5 Conference Ranking
3. Top Non-Obvious Heisman Candidates
1. NEXT: The College Football Playoff call

We’ll keep on doing what we do whether or not there’s a season, but all thoughts go out to those suffering and struggling, and to all the health care workers battling above and beyond the call. Please … stay safe.

Welcome once again to the annual three-true-outcome piece.

With these offseason big-swing cuts, I either walk, strike out – usually in painfully embarrassing fashion – or hit a towering home run.

Last year, for example, I struck out big-time with the call that Texas A&M would beat Clemson on the way to being a big thing, and whiffed harder on the idea that Michigan would win the Big Ten championship.

I’ll take the K on the call that Urban Meyer would be the next USC head coach, but it was on a borderline pitch off the edge of the plate. I lined out by saying Oklahoma would get to the CFP and end up playing for the national title, but I cleared the fence by calling that either Clemson or Alabama would miss out on the College Football Playoff.

So you get the idea.

Oh, I’ll miss massively on a few of these, but …

Get ready for 1977 World Series Game 6 Reggie Jackson.

5. There will be college football in 2020, but …

It will depend on how we all get through what’s potentially coming.

If the optics of playing a fun game are too awful five months from now, then it’s an absolute and hard no on a season. However, if the country wants and needs any sort of a morale boost/diversion, and the mood is there for football …

Football will figure something out.

It might not be a full season, but – obviously this is I’m-not-a-doctor-or-specialist speculation – if it’s possible 4-to-6 months from now, the NCAA will 1) procure enough easy tests with quick results to ensure that no infected player or coach goes on the field, and 2) will get creative enough with the timing and scheduling to have college football in some form.

CFN in 60: 5 Nutty College Football Predictions Video
[jwplayer ajZXlQIR]

Knock out two other key elements from the equation.

First, until there’s a vaccine, just forget about the idea of any fans being in the stands until 2021, and even that’s a maybe.

There are too many parts that athletic directors and the NCAA can’t control, and squishing together tens of thousands of people together in a stadium is an easy – but painful – part of the logistics that can be eliminated.

Also, don’t assume for a second that player preparedness has anything to do with this. Whether or not the guys are in shape is on them, the coaches, and the programs.

The NCAA might relax the time restrictions and practice limit rules, but if there’s a way to get players on the field playing college football in front of TV cameras, it’s going to happen.

[lawrence-related id=509983]

Remember, the NBA, NHL, NCAA, and – even with a little more time – MLB were caught totally flat-footed. The NFL and college football powers-that-be have at least four months to come up with a way to do what they do.

It might take draconian measures – like sequestering and quarantining the players once they have negative tests – and/or it might take daily checkups, but if there’s any possible way to have football before the end of the year, it’ll happen.

Now, assuming that is all true in some way …

NEXT: No. 4 Nutty Offseason Prediction

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5

College Football Power Five Conference Rankings: 20 for 2020 Offseason Topics No. 4

College football top 2020 offseason topics. How do the Power Five conferences – ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12, SEC – rank in the offseason?

[jwplayer cIhQ5UVQ]

20 key offseason topics for 2020: No. 4. How do the college football Power Five conferences – ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12, SEC – rank in the offseason?

– Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak

20 for 2020 Offseason Topics 
20. Best Teams To Not Make CFP
19: Teams That Will Rebound Big
18. Teams That Will Fall Back
17: Every Power 5 Team’s Letdown Game
16. Top 5 Instant Impact New Head Coaches
15. 2nd Year Coaches Who’ll Be Better
14. Power 5 Hot Seat Coach Rankings
13. Key Transfers You Forgot About
12. Five Big Power 5 Upset Alerts
11. Great Players About To Go Nuclear
10. Group of 5 Teams In New Year’s Six Chase
9. Power 5 Sleeper Teams
8. Most Interesting Quarterback Battles
7. 5 Teams That Might Disappoint
6. 5 Teams That Might Surprise
5. Group of Five Conference Ranking

“My conference is better than your conference.”

It’s an occasionally annoying and seemingly pointless fan fight when it comes to league bragging rights, but it sort of matters. It makes a difference when it comes to getting respect and credit in the College Football Playoff rankings, and it certainly matters when it comes to just getting into the big post-season games.

Clemson could certainly have hung in any league over the last few years, but it makes a massive difference to have been in the ACC instead of the SEC West or Big Ten East.

Despite the absence of spring football to rely on, here’s how the Power Five conferences – ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 and SEC – rank in the offseason.

We’ll do the deep dives into all the teams over the next several weeks, but or now …

5. Big 12

Again, why is the Best Conference argument important? What would’ve happened last season if Baylor had beaten Oklahoma in the Big 12 Championship?

The Bears would’ve earned the right for the fourth spot in the College Football Playoff, but would the committee have liked a two-loss Oregon after winning a seemingly stronger Pac-12 title?

To take this even further, what would’ve happened if Alabama had pulled off the win over Auburn to finish 11-1? Would being Alabama with its one loss coming to a fantastic LSU team have been enough to get in over a 12-1 Big 12 Champion?

Going into this season – in whatever form it takes – the Big 12 should be okay, but it’s missing a nasty midsection.

With just ten teams in the league, if just three of them are down, that’s a big chunk that drags everything else down. Kansas should be better in Year Two under Les Miles, but it’s still going to be a fight to be anything but near the bottom of the standings.

[lawrence-related id=506662]

Four Big 12 teams failed to win half of their games last season. Four didn’t do it in 2018, and three failed to do so in 2017 – but Texas Tech went bowling, and the league fattened up on Baylor and Kansas teams that finished 1-11. To keep this going, five teams finished with losing records in 2016, and four ended up as losers in 2015.

The point?

The odds are overwhelming that 40% of the Big 12 is going to be mediocre-to-awful.

Oklahoma and Texas will be outstanding, someone will rise up and by the Baylor of last year – TCU and West Virginia are the main candidates – and at least two other teams will get bowl eligible and be dangerous.

The conference race should be fun, and there will be a whole lot of tight battles, but there’s just not enough overall beef.

NEXT: No. 4 Offseason Power Five Conference

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5

ESPN’s Booger McFarland names elite SEC coaches

ESPN’s Booger McFarland talks which SEC coaches are in elite status. Did Georgia football HC Kirby Smart make the cut?

While on the Paul Finebaum show, ESPN analyst Booger McFarland was asked about the job that Dan Mullen is doing at Florida.

In response, he said that Mullen deserves to be considered as one of the league’s elite coaches and then went on to name other SEC coaches who he’d put in that top-tier.

McFarland included Nick Saban, Kirby Smart, Ed Orgeron and Mullen as the coaches who are at the top of the conference at the moment.

“I think if I had to rank the top four right now,” McFarland said, “I would go Saban, and in some order, you can sway me in this order — it would be Saban, it would be Kirby, it would be Ed and it will be Dan Mullen, and I think there’s a line of delineation right there and then there’s a second-tier.”

Sorry Gus Malzahn and Auburn, Booger does not think you’ve done enough to be included in that top-tier of coaches. Three 8-5 seasons, one 7-6 year and one at 9-4 just will not cut it.

Also left off the list is former national championship winning coach Jimbo Fisher (Texas A&M) and Kentucky’s Mark Stoops, who has recently turned the Wildcats program into a headache for some of the league’s top contenders.

2020 NFL draft: Ke’Shawn Vaughn scouting report

Everything NFL draft fans need to know about Vanderbilt running back prospect Ke’Shawn Vaughn

Ke’Shawn Vaughn | RB | Vanderbilt

Elevator Pitch

Vaughn can be menacing with his physical style of running and he is tough to bring down. He won’t outrun you but he is likely to out punish you if given the opportunity to square his shoulders. A back up running back at the NFL level most likely.

Vitals

Height | 5-10

Weight | 214

Class | RS Senior

College Stats

College Bio

Combine Profile

Strengths

Vaughn is built like a punishing back and that is how he likes to play his game. When he takes contact, Vaughn has a knack for getting positive yards after the initial hit. He doesn’t give up on runs. He is able to maintain balance through contact. His ability to keep balance through contact is one of his best traits that will make scouts smile when watching him play.

Getting Vaughn going in the redzone and in plus territory is a way that he wins. He has the attitude and demeanor to win with determination to go along with his ability to run through contact. Near the pylon, Vaughn uses that to find the endzone more often than not. He isn’t a back to dance around, Vaughn sticks his foot in the ground and gets north and south.

Weaknesses

With his play style, Vaughn is likely going to be taken off the field in passing situations. He is just not dynamic as a pass catcher. It doesn’t help that he is limited athletically due to tight hips. He is wound tight and doesn’t have much fluidity that the elite backs in this class have.

Vaughn won’t be a back who will get to the second and third levels of a defense based on his straight line speed. He just doesn’t possess that second and third gear that he can get to. Teams won’t have problems catching him in pursuit, bringing him down after catching him is another question.

He will likely be a liability on passing downs due to his inability to be a sufficient blocker for the quarterback. This is a learned trait that he can work with. Teams will need to focus on his development in order to make him more than just a two down back at the NFL level.

Projection: Day 3

[vertical-gallery id=615330]

Greg Sankey is “optimistic about playing the 2020 football season”

On Wednesday, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey had a media conference call in which he addressed many questions

This week, the SEC had to make many hard decisions including cancelling all regular-season conference and non-conference competitions, all remaining SEC championship events, spring football games, and pro days. They also noted that other athletics activities, including team and individual practices, meetings and other organized gatherings, whether required or voluntary, remain suspended through at least April 15.

On Wednesday, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey had a media conference call in which he addressed many questions, especially regarding the 2020 college football season.

Regarding the 2020 football season, here is what Sankey had to say when asked about the season started in September:

“That’s my focus. I’m a half-full perspective kind of a person so I have optimism. We have taken measures as have our colleague conferences. At this time, if I read those health leaders, they say we are going to have a period of time and we’ll see what happens with the growth of these cases and we’ll make decisions down the road.”

Sankey also addressed the issue of spring practice:

“I’m confident that, if we’re not able to practice further this spring, I’m confident we’ll be seeking opportunities to be sure our teams are adequately prepared heading into the season.” The public health realities will dictate how that would look.

I’m not going to be overly optimistic about the return to practice. We haven’t fully closed that opportunity but I think practically that window is pretty narrow.”

Clearly, there are still decisions that have to be made. Although spring practices may not happen, Sankey is confident the 2020 season will happen as planned.

Roll Tide Wire will keep you updated with the latest.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

SEC Football Basketball School Rankings: Hoops and Helmets 2019-2020

Which SEC schools had the best and worst years in the two major sports – football and men’s basketball?

[jwplayer eniJo7Qb]

Which SEC schools had the best and worst years in the two major sports – football and men’s basketball? Which fan bases got the glory, and which ones didn’t have any fun?

Contact @PeteFiutak

On the field and court – whose fans had the most fun?

Of course every school has sports outside of the big two that matter and generate revenue, but when it comes to what athletic departments need, it’s really all about college football and men’s basketball.

Which SEC schools had the best and worst seasons?

Here’s how these rankings work.

1) The top-ranked schools with teams that went to a bowl game and would’ve played in the NCAA Tournament.

2) The next group had stronger football seasons and were okay in basketball. The superstar basketball schools get credit, but football is football, especially in the SEC. Football is the bigger revenue generator.

3) One or the other. Usually there’s a disparity with one good season in one sport an a clunker in the other. It’s sort of a catch-all before …

4) The disasters. No bowl game, there wouldn’t have been a trip to the NCAA Tournament, no fun.

The worst-to-best SEC schools in 2019-2020 in college football and college basketball …

SEC Hoops and Helmets: Losers In Both Sports

These schools suffered the indignity of failing to come up with a winning season in either of the two major sports. The fans didn’t get to have any fun.

14. Vanderbilt

Football: 3-9 overall, 1-7 in conference, 7th in SEC East

Basketball: 11-21 overall, 3-15 in conference, 14th in SEC

How Were The Football/Basketball Seasons? The football team never got anything going. There was a close win over a sleepy Missouri team, and that was about it with no offense and blowout loss after blowout loss.

Football was bad, but basketball was worse. At least the Commodores didn’t finish dead last in the conference in football. The hoops side finally won two SEC game in the final three, but overall it lost 17 of its last 20 games.

13. Ole Miss

Football: 4-8 overall, 2-6 in conference, 6th in SEC West

Basketball: 15-17 overall, 6-12 in conference, 12th in SEC

How Were The Football/Basketball Seasons? The basketball team started out well and crashed badly. Just when there was a chance to pivot – at 13-11 on a three-game winning streak – it all went wrong with six losses in the final eight games.

While the bad football season led to landing Lane Kiffin, getting there was rough. Losing five games in the last six was rough enough, but the way it dropped the Egg Bowl at Mississippi State – the peeing dog antics and missed extra point – made it uglier.

NEXT: SEC Hoops and Helmets: Okay In One Sport, Not The Other

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4

SEC dominating the NFL Combine once again

The Georgia Bulldogs alone had more NFL Combine invites than the entire Sun Belt conference.

The SEC is the king conference of NCAA football and in the NFL. No other conference has more players go to the NFL. That’s set to happen once again in the 2020 NFL Draft.

The disparity between the SEC and other conferences is concerning. The SEC has more than triple the amount of NFL Combine participants when compared to the Big 12:

Yes, the SEC has four more teams than the Big 12, it has 64 more NFL combine participants. In fact, the SEC has one less participant than the next two conferences combine (Big Ten and Pac-12).

The SEC has dominated college football the past couple of decades and has no sign of slowing down. The SEC recruits the best of any conference and converts this talent into NFL prospects as good as other conferences.

Look for the SEC to dominate the 2020 NFL Draft once again. The Georgia Bulldogs alone had more NFL Combine invites than the entire Sun Belt conference.

The SEC’s NFL Draft dominance isn’t anything new:

[lawrence-auto-related count=1]

4-star 2021 recruit gives shoutout to the Dawgs

4-star 2021 DT recruit Marcus Bradley out of Maryland gives shoutout to Georgia football via twitter this Sunday.

For the second time in only three years, Kirby Smart has locked down the number 1 ranked recruiting class in all of college football.

Although the majority of the 2020 recruiting class is finalized, that hasn’t slowed down Smart’s drive one bit for the future.

Highly sought after 4-star defensive tackle Marcus Bradley gave a big shoutout to the Bulldogs on Sunday.

It is still very early in the recruiting process for Bradley, who has his senior year of high school in front of him.  The 6’3″ 270 lb junior out of Gaithersburg, Maryland is an absolute nightmare for quarterbacks.

You can watch Bradley’s junior season highlights right here.

Bradley has heavy early interest from Virginia and Ohio State and now seems to have added Georgia to the top of his wishlist.  Bradley would be a huge start to the 2021 recruiting class for the Dawgs, which seems to already be in full swing.

Georgia football finishes with No. 1 recruiting class for second time in three years

Georgia football finishes with the #1 ranked recruiting class in all of college football for the second time in three years.

This Wednesday at 11:42 a.m., 247Sports called it quits in the recruiting battle mayhem.

Via Twitter, they officially crowned the Georgia Bulldogs as the #1 recruiting class in all of college football for the second time in just three years.

The Dawgs have 4 5-stars, 15 4-stars and 6 3-stars ready to go for the 2020-2021 season this coming fall.

The SEC has 9 of the top 25 recruiting classes, along with six teams in the top 8.  It is safe to say that with the exception of Clemson and Ohio State, the SEC swept the recruiting frenzy with the Dawgs leading the charge.

From the looks of it, Kirby Smart is fed up with falling short late in the season.  Since the arrival of Kirby the Dawgs have been having more success than they’ve had in decades, but it doesn’t seem to be enough for Smart and his staff.

Click here for a list of all Georgia’s signees, commits and transfers.

It’s a GREAT day to be a Georgia Bulldog.