Nuttin' But Net: Houston Scores At Ole Miss

  One year after getting chased away from Arkansas, Houston Nutt has already earned a contract extension at Ole Miss. His 8-4 rookie season with the Rebels persuaded the school to lock him up through 2012, the maximum allowed by state law.

   The SEC is an unusual conference in that coaches routinely go from one school to another, sometimes with stops in between. So when jobs open up, rumors swirl about who in the family is getting hired. With Auburn, several SEC coaches have been mentioned, Nutt included. (Also, Bobby Petrino and Steve Spurrier, both unlikely transfers.)

   Mike Leach appears to be staying at Texas Tech, so the Tigers' wish list is being whittled by outside forces.

   Who do you think gets the Auburn gig?

   Of course, Tommy Tuberville is being linked to Mississippi State. Whoever winds up there will bring new coordinators, with both of the Bulldogs' headed for Clemson.

   Should Missy State look at Tuberville? If not, who? 

Rebels Are The Right Team For Cotton Bowl

   Even though Ole Miss roughed up LSU a week ago, you had to wonder if the SEC was sending its most qualified available team to the Cotton Bowl. Even in decline, the Tigers seemed more Dallas-ready than the Rebels.

   Never mind. With Ole Miss mauling Mississippi State on Friday, followed by the Tigers' collapse at Arkansas, it's clear that the Rebels are headed to the proper post-season destination. And LSU should be headed to a bottom-feeder bowl.

   LSU lost its last four league games. The only wins during that stretch were against Tulane and Troy, the latter a comeback from a 31-3 deficit.

   Quarterback problems haunted LSU all season, but this one falls on the defense. The Razorbacks' QB brotherhood of Nathan and Casey Dick rang up 31 points on the Tigers' defense.

   Anybody for Houston Nutt as coach of the year?

   What does that make Les Miles -- bust of the year?

Rebel Swell: Ole Miss Cottons To Big Bowl

The Cotton Bowl is no longer a top-tier postseason game. Still, Ole Miss could not have aspired higher at the dawn of the season.
Now, having stomped on a fallen-and-can't-get-up LSU on Saturday, the Rebels likely will be pickin' Cotton if they handle Mississippi State. Their resume is enhanced by the upset over Florida.
Could you have imagined Ole Miss excelling so quickly under first-year coach Houston Nutt?
Missy State's win over Arkansas reduces the SEC's bowl contenders to nine. Auburn gets the axe if it bows to Alabama.
The Kentucky-Vanderbilt loser will dip to 6-6 but, with bowl berths as plentiful as BCS bashers, probably will squeeze in before the door closes. The Commodores, who took two steps back in a beatdown from Tennessee, would be less than appealing because they would have gone 2-6 after a 4-0 start.
Where do you see your favorite team headed for the holidays?

Take A Breath, SEC Fans -- But Not A Deep One

   It's SEC lite this weekend, with only four games, none of any magnitude. But the three conference matchups carry fetching subplots and all, if the betting public knows its stuff, are anticipated to be close.

   --Vanderbilt, which has beaten Tennessee once in the last quarter-century, ranks as a three-point favorite. In between game-planning, Phil Fulmer has placed calls to colleagues for advice on his next coaching move. Here's some advice: Beat the Commodores and salvage a speck of football dignity from the season.

   Is this Vandy's year to start balancing out this one-sided rivalry?

  --LSU, not long ago in the national title discussion, is a mere three-point fave at home against resurgent Ole Miss. The Tigers' resurrection from near-death against Troy was impressive but it verified that LSU, with spotty QB play and an inconsistent defense, is second tier this year.

   Inconceivable at the start of the season, can the Rebels give LSU a run for the money?

   --Arkansas picked itself up after a dreadful start and is somehow a road favorite in the SEC, if only against Mississippi State (and by one point). Bobby Petrino has steered this young team into position for to contend next year in the SEC West. Well, for third place, maybe.

   Who wins this one?

Rating Non-League Schedules: And The Toughest Goes To ...

   With blather about BCS rankings soon to reach a crescendo, much of the debate deals with teams' schedules outside of their league. The degree of difficulty can be a make-or-break for school vying for big bowls.

   Though the season is far from over, many SEC schools have concluded their non-league agenda. So, let's rate each member's outside-the-family games, from easiest to hardest.

   12.) Kentucky: Louisville (good), Middle Tennessee (OK), Western Kentucky (just out of Division 1, formerly known as 1-AA), AA), Norfolk State (Division I). Too many creampuffs.

   11.) LSU: Troy (decent), Tulane (not), North Texas (maybe the weakest on the top level), Appalachian State (Div. 1, but a good one). Not a single stiff test in the bunch.

  10.) Alabama: Clemson (overrated at start of season), Tulane and Western Kentucky (see above), Arkansas State (weak). Sure miss the Bama-Southern Cal classics.

   9.) Ole Miss: Wake Forest (underachiever), Memphis (OK), Louisiana-Monroe (weak), Samford (Div. 1). The Deacons turned out not to be Demons.

   8.) Mississippi State: Georgia Tech (very good), Middle Tennessee (see above), Lousiana Tech (weak), Southeast Louisiana (Div. 1). Big drop-off after the Yellow Jackets.

   7.) Tennessee: UCLA (relative softie in BCS), Northern Illinois (OK), UAB and Wyoming (both pushovers). If not for these, Phil Fulmer might be gone already.

   6.) South Carolina: Clemson (disappointing), North Carolina State (ACC punching bag), UAB (weak), Wofford (Div. 1). Credit to Gamecocks for its par of ACC foes.

   5.) Auburn: West Virginia (very good), Southern Miss (weak), Louisiana-Monroe (weak), Tennessee-Martin (Div. 1). Big drop-off after the Mountaineers.

  4.) Georgia: Georgia Tech (very good), Arizona State (disappointing), Central Michigan (decent), Georgia Southern (Div. 1). When season kicked off, Bulldogs might have been No. 1.

   3.) Vanderbilt: Duke (ascending), Wake Forest (see above), Miami Ohio (weak), Rice (weaker). Credit to Commodores for two ACC schools, though one (Duke) unexpectedly tough.

   2.) Florida: Florida State and Miami (getting better), Hawaii (rebuilding), The Citadel (Div. 1). Two in-state rivalries always puts the Gators near the front.

   1.) Arkansas: Texas (doesn't get harder than this), unbeaten Tulsa (surprise!), Louisiana-Monroe (see above), Western Illinois (Div. 1). Splitting your non-league games is not good.

   Thoughts on the list? Have we overrated anyone? Underrated?

   Overall, it seems as if the SEC has gone soft. Hard to blame schools, given that the league schedule is such a gauntlet. Still, challenging non-conference matchups are few and far between.

   Agree? Or should SEC teams go the easy route?

 

   

A Nutt Job At Ole Miss

    The media build-up to the Ole Miss-Arkansas game was supposed to make us feel sorry for Houston Nutt, who was chased out of Arkansas last season and replaced by the scurrilous Bobby Petrino.

   Not that any neutral fan should pull for Petrino, seeing as how his handling of the midseason abandonment of the Atlanta Falcons is an unforgivable sin.

   But let's not pity Nutt, who signed on Ole Miss' dotted line about the same day he received a hefty buyout from the Razorbacks. Nutt hit the lottery, and he did leave the Razorbacks' cupboard all but bare.

   Who among all you non-Rebels and non-Razorbacks hoped would win this game?

   Having said that, Nutt has made Ole Miss competitive this season -- and likely headed for a bowl.

   Still, nearly all head coaches wear out their welcome. No need to pity them when they get paid a princely sum to move on.

   By the way, any Petrino defenders out there?

   

     

Bobby P-Nutt Angle Enlivens Ole Miss vs. Arkansas

   Though both lost Saturday, Bobby Petrino at Arkansas and Houston Nutt of Ole Miss have their squads on the upswing. The Razorbacks led Kentucky until collapsing at the end, one week following its upset of Auburn. The Rebels scared the beejesus out of Alabama, two weeks after dunking Florida.

   Until then, the game's only theme was Nutt returning to Arkansas, where he fled after last season. At stake now for the winner is the designation of "SEC Team Not To Be Taken Lightly."

   How will the Arkansas contingent welcome home Nutt? Did he depart on good or bad terms?

   

   

      

An Upset Special (Maybe)

   I don't look for an upsetting Saturday in the SEC. But no weekend ever fully plays to form, so let's look for a potential you-gotta-be-kidding-me outcome.

   In four of the five games, the home team is favored by at least a touchdown.

   Ole Miss over Alabama (favored by 12)? Nah. The Crimson Tide healed from a bye week, and the Rebels won't catch anyone by surprise again after ambushing Florida.

   Vanderbilt over Georgia (favored by 10 1/2)? The Commodores might feel insulted at being Georgia's homecoming foe for the 21st time, but that alone won't wake up a dormant offense. 

    Mississippi State over Tennessee (favored by 7 1/2)? Could be. But I sense the Volunteers rallying 'round the round-ish Philip Fulmer and winning one that they should.

   Arkansas over Kentucky (favored by 12 1/2)? Now we're talking. The young Razorbacks grew up at Auburn, and you know how kids can be affected by growth spurts. The Wildcats often fade this time of year when injuries compromise their depth, and they've suffered some biggies of late.

   Which game do you feel an upset coming?

   As for LSU-South Carolina, the visiting Tigers are 2 1/2-point favorites. I see them rebounding from the shameful game at Florida. The Gamecocks, who have won four straight but not in wow fashion.

   How do you call this one?  

What We Learned, No. 5: QB Dilemmas Solved? Maybe

   Chris Smelley and and the Gamecocks lacerated Ole Miss for 405 yards and 31 points even though Rebels defensive coordinator Tyrone Nix was on South Carolina's staff last year. What should have been an inside edge became an outright clinic by USC and, perhaps finally, a halt to Steve Spurrier's season-long quarterback merry-go-round. Spurrier made the proper call in switching from Stephen Garcia to Smelley in midweek.

   Are you Gamecocks all on board with Smelley?

   Too early to tell at Tennessee, given that the Volunteers begged only 13 points off Northern Illinois in a narrow win. First-time starter Nick Stephens was steady in place of Jon Crompton, but he must crank it up against Georgia this week. 

   Do you think Stephens is the guy for the Vols?

   The Bulldogs enjoyed a week off, allowing running back Knowshon Moreno and others to heal. which makes it doubly tough for Tennessee, its season teetering on the brink.

   What's your take on the UT-GA tilt?

   

Make Up Your Mind, Steve

   Steve Spurrier is notorious for changing quarterbacks from one week to the next. Now he's gone beyond that, apparently pulling a switcheroo in mid-week.

   After listing Stephen Garcia as the starter Saturday at Ole Miss, the South Carolina coach has reverted to Chris Smelley. Garcia, the people's choice, evidently did not dazzle in practices. Good thing the Gamecocks boast the nation's No. 1 defense.

   Oxford figures to be rockin', what with the Rebs back home after stunning Florida. Ole Miss, a few snaps away from being 5-0 instead of 3-2, is aiming for third place in the SEC West.

   

    

2nd Weekend Lesson: What Was Meyer Thinking?

   Here's what I saw of Urban Meyer on Florida's last possession in their 31-30 loss to Ole Miss, if the TV guys calling the game were correct on their details:

   --Needing only to pick up about 20 yards for a winning field goal, he calls for home-run passes on first and second downs that fall incomplete, putting the Gators in an unenviable third-and-long;

   --After a 9-yard run, with the ball placed inches from the first-down marker by the officials, Meyer appeals the spot -- which, after video review, got the ball placed back a yard;

   --With a third-stringer at left guard and no running back behind him, Meyer calls the blatantly obvious play -- a Tim Tebow keeper to the right side. Because there was no disguising it, Tebow is stuffed.

   And Meyer coaches the Gators out of a possible win.

   Am I being unfair here? Did you agree with the play-calling?

   AP poll voters demoted the Gators to No. 12, USA Today's to No. 13. Obviously, Florida is superior to teams ranked higher, but the punishment fits the crime of losing to the Rebels.

   Where do you rate the Gators?

     

   

An SEC Six-Pack

   Vanderbilt made it an even half-dozen in the AP Top 25 rankings today by emerging at No. 21.  A 23-17 win over Ole Miss assured the Commodores their first 4-0 start since 1984.

   Same as for LSU, the loss of a starting quarterback (Chris Nickson) to injury did not spell doom. Mackenzi Adams came to the rescue.

   Vandy, 2-0 in the league with an earlier win over South Carolina, speaks to the power of the SEC. When your traditional 98-pound weakling cracks the polls, you can further lay claim to the nation's primo conference.

   How good are the 'Dores? Can they make one of the Big Five sweat? We'll have to wait until Oct. 4 against Auburn. 

SEC QBs: After The Big Two, Then Who?

   For as high and mighty a league as the SEC, its quarterbacks, top to bottom, comprise an unimpressive lot.

   Yeah, you've got Tim Tebow (Florida) and Matthew Stafford (Georgia), a pair of sure-fire pros. But after them . . . 

   WHO DO YA LOVE?: Kentucky and South Carolina have yet to throw their support behind one man. The Wildcats are doubling up with Mike Hartline and Randall Cobb; the Gamecocks have a threesome in Chris Smelley, Tommy Beecher and Stephen Garcia. Auburn chose Chris Todd over just last week, but Todd cannot feel too secure after the Tigers scored but three points.

   AND YOU ARE . . . ?: Andrew Hatch (LSU), Jevan Snead (Ole Miss) and Jonathan Crompton (Tennessee) are first-time starters still feeling their way around. None has yet to show any Tebow-ish or Stafford-ish skills.

   WINNER BY DEFAULT?: Chris Nickson (Vanderbilt) was demoted last season before resurfacing this year. Wesley Carroll (Mississippi State) started all but four games in '07 and leads a tepid MSU offense.

   BEST OF THE REST?: Casey Dick (Arkansas) has rung up decent numbers against two softies but is about to run smack-dab into a four-game stretch of frightening defenses. John Parker Wilson (Alabama) has shows a steady hand at Alabama, but that hand usually gives the ball to running backs.

   Tebow and Stafford and 10 (or more) take-'em-or-leave-'ems. That's how I see it.

   Who would you take, the Gator or the Bulldog. Beyond those two, who'd be your next pick?