For the moment, it appears he doesn’t want to talk about it.

After starting quarterback Ryan Perrilloux was suspended a third time (in the last 10 months) and will miss all of spring practice, Les Miles has said that he will not be discussing Perrilloux and his future with the team. My take on the matter has been clear. If he wants to send a clear message to his team about off-the-field issues, he needs to dismiss Perrilloux. Period. LSU football may not be recruiting the brightest student-athletics in the SEC but I assure you they’re smart enough to see the hypocrisy in the star quarterback being given a third opportunity to NOT screw up when many on the time would be given their walking papers the first time they were involved in a bar fight or indicated in a forgery ring.

For the moment, Miles is, at the very least, non-committal on what Perrilloux’s future with the team will be. Miles told reporters today:

“I am not going to spend a lot of time thinking and talking about [Perrilloux],” said Miles at a pre-spring practice news conference Wednesday. “I am focusing on the guys who are competing for a position on this team now. I’d appreciate if you don’t ask me any more questions about him.”

When pressed by reporters for answers, Miles decided to take the always-wise approach of talking down to the media and explaining what being a head coach means.

“My discipline is about team discipline,” Miles said. “My responsibility is to the program and the team and not to the media. You guys get no vote and no say about the suspension. In time, you’ll get to know stuff.“

I’m sure that the reporters present at that press conference are comforted by the fact that eventually, if Uncle Les says it’s ok, they’ll actually “get to know stuff.” If Miles doesn’t suspend Perrilloux, he is taking an awfully big chance on a guy that is a repeat offender and has never actually been a full-time starter for any length of time in the SEC. This thing could all go horribly wrong for The Hat if he keeps Perrilloux on this team and he either plays horribly and costs LSU ballgames, if he gets in trouble again or both. For the moment, it appears that famous cap hasn’t cut of all the oxygen to Miles’ brain.

“The reality of it is [Perrilloux] is no longer part of the team [at this time]. It’s a very serious issue.”

The key phrase in that sentence may be “at this time.” While Miles refused to talk to reporters about Perrilloux at any length, he did leave the door open for the quarterback’s return to the team.

“He broke team rules, and I really don’t want to spend a lot of time thinking and talking about him,” Miles said. “His responsibility is to do everything right and get back on this team. And I’ll focus on the guys that are competing for jobs on our team currently.”

In all fairness, Saturday’s night game, though won by Tennessee, wasn’t a convincing case that either team, regardless of their ranking, is America’s best. Memphis lost, Tennessee won but neither is better than UNC, UCLA or maybe even Georgetown. Memphis doesn’t need to watch film of last night’s home game to figure out why they’re no longer undefeated. All they have to do is look at their coach.

It was John Calipari who told everyone with a microphone or a note pad and a pen that he didn’t care about his team’s dismal performance from the free throw line. He insisted that his team would make free throws when it counted and last night, to the surprise of no one except their coach, they didn’t.

It was John Calipari that reportedly referenced the New England Patriots’ run at perfection and wanted to emulate that attitude all while allowing himself and his players to go on television and talk about a perfect season and what it meant. He allowed himself and his players to buy into their own hype. And Saturday night it caught up to them.

While the game had no shortage of emotions and energy, it wasn’t the marquee matchup that some of us had hoped for. From beginning to end, it was sloppy and turnover-ridden on both sides. I came away from last night’s game with the knowledge that neither of these teams will be the national champion at year’s end. Both teams have glaring inadequacies that shown through last night.

Tennessee is a pretty good team from the outside. They shoot well, Chris Lofton is a pretty clutch shooter from the perimeter but the team has no inside presence and would struggle to defend teams with strong postmen like North Carolina, UCLA, Georgetown and Indiana. They don’t rebound the ball well on offense or defense and don’t take care of the ball particularly well either. That could be a problem come tournament time where teams that do the little things well are rewarded with final fours and national championships.

Memphis’ issues are well-documented. They’re a tough team in transition but they can’t outrun everybody and their achilles’ heel, regardless of what their coach believes, is their free throw shooting. The Tigers went 7-15 from the charity stripe last night, including one trip to the line late in the game where Chris Douglas-Roberts missed the front end of a huge one-and-one opportunity that may or may not have costed them the game. The Tigers are also a poor shooting team, particularly from outside, despite what the beginning of last night’s game would indicate.

Tennessee should enjoy their ranking for the time being because I don’t see them getting through the rest of the regular season unscathed, let alone the SEC tournament.

Another BCS title loss to another SEC team for Ohio State.

I think the gameball from last night’s BCS title game  has to go to LSU offensive coordinator Gary Crowton. I’ve been very critical of the Tigers’ offense all season long, calling it bland and boring but great playcalling paired with near-perfect execution nullified the nation’s top defense. As a note to Ohio State coach, Jim Tressel may want to start recruiting cornerbacks that can tackle and defend the run — and the pass while they’re at it. Never in my life have I seen a team so unable to defend the option. Hats off to Ohio State defensive end Vernon Gholston who played the option perfectly everytime LSU ran it. His assignment is the quarterback and everytime out he forced the pitch but no one was home to take the pitchman and it resulted in at least a five yard gain every time out.

LSU’s won by doing the little things right. They didn’t commit bone-headed penalties, didn’t turn the ball over and converted, consistently, on third down and that’s how you win big games.

Offensively, Todd Boeckman looked confused and lost all night and the blitz packages Bo Pelini was calling weren’t all that complex. I feel for Jim Tressel, whom I believe to be one of the classiest coaches in all of college football, because I sensed that he wanted to go downfield but the lack of speed on the outside and Boeckman’s spotty accuracy prohibited him from doing so and testing Craig Steltz’s replacement at safety in coverage. One things for sure after last night, Brian Robieski, Brian Hartline and Todd Boeckman better think twice before declaring themselves eligible for the NFL Draft.

As far as whether or not this game solidifies, once again, the SEC’s dominance, I’m not nearly as sold on that as everyone else appears to be. I think that the top three teams in the SEC (see: Georgia, LSU, Tennessee.. sorry Florida) are  as good as any in America but their middle of the pack teams (see: Auburn, Alabama, Kentucky, Arkansas, South Carolina) are certainly no better than the middle of the pack teams in the Pac 10 and Big 12.

I do think this game was a crippling blow to Big Ten football however. As a Big Ten alum, today hurts a little bit, losing to the SEC — again — but the conference isn’t where it should be and I attribute that primarily to poor non-conference scheduling by the elite teams in the conference. Michigan shouldn’t be scheduling Appalachian State (and probably won’t again after what happened this year), Ohio State shouldn’t be scheduling Youngstown State, Penn State shouldn’t be scheduling Florida International and Temple. To be considered the best, you have to play and beat the best and the Big Ten’s elite teams didn’t play the best until the end of the season. Conference commish Jim Delany would do well to get in the ear’s of the conference’s athletic directors and urge them to play tougher non-conference games for the betterment of the Big Ten as a whole. Getting stomped, repeatedly, on national television isn’t good for a conference with a new television network and it certainly isn’t going to help recruiting nationally.

For the LSU fans, enjoy your championship because this team is about to hemorrhage a Gator-esque number of players, particularly on defense. Check out the starting seniors this team is losing:
Ali Highsmith, Early Doucet, Matt Flynn, Craig Steltz, Jacob Hester, Jonathan Zenon, Chevis Jackson, Kirston Pittman, Glenn Dorsey.

Enjoy it while you can.

So far, I am batting two-for-two on my picks today. Central Florida and Central Michigan both won pretty big but my loyalty to Boston College may cost me as Sean Glennon just threw a touchdown pass to put the Hokies on top with about seven minutes left in the game. We will see if Matt Ryan can break Hokie hearts two times in a single season.

Tennessee just scored quickly while sporting what I can only describe as dreamsicle-colored uniforms.

UPDATE - 3:34 Lightning will not strike twice for Boston College as Matt Ryan throws a heartbreaking interception deep in Virginia Tech territory with two minutes left. The Eagles got the ball back with 30 seconds left but Xavier Adibi picked off a batted ball and took it to the house for six. The Bottom Line on Championship Saturday, 2-1.

UPDATE - 6:41 Well I could be wrong but LSU looks like they have survived a pre-game full of rumors that their coach is leaving to win the SEC Championship. I wonder where, in the spectrum of hated athletes at Tennessee, Erik Ainge falls after basically losing the ballgame for the Vols tonight. Twice, Ainge failed to read the defenders before throwing the ball and twice the Tigers defense made him pay. For me, this loss goes back to what I believed early this season about Tennessee – they have absolutely zero big play possibilities on that offense, opting instead to nickel and dime their way down the field and tonight two of those plays really cost them the conference championship. Ainge just has to see Daryl Beckwith underneath on that last interception. That turnover is inexcusable. The Bottom Line on Championship Saturday, 3-1.

UPDATE - 7:45 If you like two teams just blowing each other up, I hope you are watching the Big 12 Championship right now. Missouri and Oklahoma have been trading blows for most of the first quarter and the winner of this game could turn out to be the team with the most starters still conscious. I like the way Oklahoma is playing on defense. Nothing that Missouri has tried on offense so far has been even remotely successful. We could be in for a good one. Oh and for the record, Missouri wide receiver Jeremy Maclin is as fast as any player I have seen this year. He is so explosive. If Mizzou wins this game, it will be on the legs of Jeremy Maclin.

UPDATE - 8:16 Oklahoma just came up huge on third and goal from the 2 and forced another Missouri field goal. Mizzou has gotten some questionable pass interference calls on third down on two scoring drive so far and this game really reinforces my belief that I could never be a head coach. When a referee throws a flag for defense pass interference well after the play (as was the case on both of those pass interference calls), I would likely strike said referee with the nearest blunt object. Apparently, this is not acceptable in the coaching profession, something about assault with a deadly weapon makes some athletic departments squeamish.

UPDATE - 8:22 Is it just me or does Missouri quarterback Chase Daniel look like Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger after a horrible beekeeping accident?

UPDATE - 9:44 Pitt has West Virginia on the ropes but the officials appear to be keeping West Virginia in the game. Two bad holding calls and a no-call on obvious pass interference call has Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt fuming. Pitt has outplayed West Virginia the game and it would be a shame to see them robbed of the upset because of poor officiating but so far that appears to be the case. Elsewhere, Oklahoma scored a big touchdown to take the lead again against Missouri.

UPDATE - 9:51 All Pitt needs is a first down to pull off an enormous upset after Pat White soars the ball over the head of his receiver on 4th and long. The officials continue to be atrocious after flagging a Pitt corner for unnecessary celebration for doing absolutely nothing. ESPN announcer Mike Patrick accurately said the officials were sucking the joy out of the game. Oklahoma goes up 14 after an interception by Oklahoma linebacker Curtis Lofton lead to a Sam Bradford touchdown pass. Chase Daniel is really beginning to show his frustration. I think the BCS may need to find two new teams for its championship when the night is over.

UPDATE - 9:56 See ya, West Virginia. Pitt has done it and the Mountaineers are out of the national championship after dropping to the Panthers, a 28-point underdog, at home.

UPDATE - 10:45 Adios, Mizzou. What Oklahoma proved tonight was that Missouri was a complete fraud as the number 1 team in the country and  that Chase Daniel never belonged in the Heisman conversation with McFadden and Tebow (I would argue that McFadden does not belong in that conversation either). Oklahoma hit him early and often and Daniel folded like a cheap card table. I will give Daniel a pass on the game-changing interception, he did throw behind tight end Martin Rucker but it is hard to blame a quarterback for an interception off a deflected pass. So where does that leave us now? Presumably, Ohio State is in but who is number 2? Is it Georgia? Is it the famous undefeated-in-regulation Tigers of Louisiana State? Is it the recently resurgent Trojans? I have no idea. My hunch is that we will see Georgia in there, given that they are number four in the BCS standings at this moment but with this system, it is anyone’s guess. I will agree with Kirk Herbstreit when he said that its a shame that Mizzou will not get into a BCS bowl and Kansas will given that the Jayhawks never had to play Oklahoma. I hope that Kansas and Hawaii get put in the same bowl so I can completely avoid having to watch both teams altogether. If all of the great games today are proof of anything, it is that nothing — and I mean nothing NFL execs — beats college football.

Is LSU overrated? That was a question posed to the ESPN talking heads prior to kickoff in last night’s game between the Bayou Bengals and the fighting Crooms of Mississippi State in Starkville. And after last night’s game, one would have to say that based solely on last night and nothing else, the answer to that question is yes. Forget the score. Everything you need to know about LSU and how good they may or may not be can be found in the first quarter and a half of that game. You know, the part where, despite Michael Henig’s two bonehead turnovers, the Tigers managed to muster only a field goal. I heard some talk in postgame that maybe offensive coordinator Gary Crowton was trying not to tip his hand, trying not to give Virginia Tech too much to look at leading up to the season’s best nonconference game next weekend in Baton Rouge. But come on. You mean to tell me in the first half, the Tigers barely managed to score 17 points off four Henig interceptions on purpose? No way. Defensively, LSU is an absolute nightmare. Glenn Dorsey is every bit as good as advertised and Tyson Jackson looks better because he plays with Dorsey, who is hands-down the best defensive lineman in America. Jonathan Zenon and Chevis Jackson may be the best pair of corners in college football and Craig Steltz looked like a dominant safety last night but offensively, there are big question marks starting with the unit’s ability to sustain a drive and score in the red zone. You have to be concerned about that if you’re Les Miles given that this team has to find a way to score points against Virginia Tech next week and Virginia Tech’s defense is a lot tougher than Mississippi State’s. LSU really leaned on the defense for most of the first half but against a better opponent, they may not be able to lean that long. One thing became unmistakably clear last night: LSU isn’t ready for USC. They may not even be ready for Alabama.

This is Slyvester Croom’s last year in Starkville and last night solidified that. What I don’t understand about Mississippi State’s gameplan last night is why they abandoned the run. The most effective and sustained drives of last night’s game for MSU came when they handed sophomore Tony Dixon the ball and let him break tackles and make plays. Given two quick, stupid interceptions, why in the world would you trust Michael Henig to continue throwing the ball? Especially in the rain?!? It defies logic. You have to wonder if the Mississippi State coaching staff looked up at the scoreboard at the end of the first quarter, saw the score and panicked. But make no mistake, Henig is the reason Mississippi State lost that ballgame last night. You cannot throw four interceptions in the first half against any college football team, let alone the second best team in the country, and expect to win or even compete in games. It was always a bad situation in Starkville for Slyvester Croom but Michael Henig really sealed his coach’s fate last night. Getting shutout at home on national television is never good for job security.

So can we stop talking about Major League Soccer now? Is it officially alright to bury soccer’s hope for pop culture and mainstream sports acceptance once and for all? It looks like David Beckham won’t play this season for the Los Angeles Galaxy and somehow life goes on in American sports. The reality is that Beckham did more for soccer in America off the pitch than anything he did on it. Dancing with the Stars has a better chance of getting on Sportscenter than the MLS does during the NFL and college football seasons and with or without Beckham, I’m not sure the MLS ever really had a chance. Americans sports fans have figured out what they like and what they don’t like and professional soccer has made a home in that latter category.

American basketball is back. If you hadn’t heard the U.S. basketball team has been getting medieval on the competition at the FIBA Americas tournament in Las Vegas. The team is trying to secure its bid for the ‘08 summer games in Beijing and if last night’s game was any indication, they’re a lock. The Americans throttled defending gold medalists Argentina last night and has put the rest of the world on notice. With a starting five that consists of LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Carmelo Anthony, Jason Kidd and Dwight Howard, you have to feel pretty good about your chances of a return to the glory days of The Dream Team. The truth is that this team hasn’t even been threatened in this tournament and you have to wonder if maybe Coach K wasn’t onto something when he made the players sign on for a multi-year commitment to the team and to U.S.A. basketball. The chemistry on the team is great and relatively ego-free (these are NBA players we’re talking about — let’s keep a little perspective) and you have to wonder if there’s a team in the world that can play with Team U.S.A. the way they’re playing now. We could see a return to gold in 2008.

A rare sight in these parts: a baseball post. It takes stones for a rookie in pinstripes to throw at a Red Sox (upon review, it wasn’t really all that ballsy, the game was at Yankee Stadium after all). But I think Joba Chamberlain’s missiles over the head of Kevin Youkilis really speak to a larger problem in baseball. Throwing at people and bean ball needs to become a thing of the past in the game before someone gets killed. I know there are codes of etiquette and unwritten rules and all of that but isn’t that why baseball is becoming an afterthought once football season starts? All the nonsense rules and strategy that make the game drag on for mind-numbing hours is lost on modern America. Me, I prefer for my rules to be written and all of the nonsense machismo of pitchers that never have to go to the plate putting one between someone’s shoulder blades is fit for the squared circle and not for the diamond. Chamberlain’s tough guy act in the Bronx yesterday didn’t threaten anyone, they didn’t come close to making contact with Youkilis’ skull but is that what it’s going to take for Major League Baseball to wake up and knock off the goonery? I guess I shouldn’t be all that surprised. As a nation and as a culture, we are way more reactive than proactive and what’s going on at Virginia Tech is a perfect example of that. Maybe Major League Baseball could be ahead of the curve for once but given its track record for nipping problems in the Bud (pun intended), I wouldn’t bet on it.

After successfully making it back from my car without suffering heat stroke, I’m ready to post today’s line. But first this thought on Facebook. Today I added several applications to my page including the virtual book shelf, CD rack and magazine rack. I think this is a cool idea but I can’t help but wonder if, as Facebook users, we are not better off if the old facebook. You know the one where you couldn’t have an application on your profile that allowed you to poop on your friends or throw food or engage in vampire/werewolf/zombie secretarian warfare. The site might be less effective at curbing your office boredom but would be a whole heck of a lot faster.

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No, seriously…

Is that a monkey under your hat or are you just happy to see me?

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ESPN’s Pat Forde says quarterbacks have a lot to prove in ‘07.

Washington Post piece on Indiana football as they begin practice after the death of Coach Hep.

Brady Quinn finally signs with the Browns.

ESPN’s Mark Schlabach looks at what’s hot and what’s not in 2007.

Fanhouse sizes up the Big 12

• Impact freshmen
• Key position battles
• Five best players
• Most underrated players
• Most overrated players

Fanhouse lists SEC’s five best players not named McFadden.
Marshawn Lynch has been impressive so far at Bills camp.

Larry Bird and Jermaine O’Neal claim they’re on the same page.

Michigan State’s starting quarterback thinks the Spartans will be way better than .500 this year.

Tennessee’s leading rusher has been suspended indefinitely.

Braves legend Dale Murphy says Barry Bonds is a terrible example for kids.

Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer might be a little crazy.

Danica Patrick snipes at Dan Wheldon… again. Danica, just win a race. Just one and then maybe the rest of the sports world will take you seriously. Until then, Wheldon’s assessment of your ridiculous temper tantrums seem pretty spot on.  

Some in Niners camp are worried second-year tight end (and draft day weeper) Vernon Davis is becoming the second-coming of T.O.

Reggie Miller is considering a comeback… with the Boston Celtics. As a Pacer fan, I was happy to see Reggie go when he did. He couldn’t play defefnse, was inconsistent from beyond the arc and was a shell of the player he was in his prime when he finally called it quits. But if I were in the building when Reg makes his return to Indy, I’d boo him out of the building. What about a little loyalty for a fanbase that stood by you and worshipped you when you stank on ice? And now you’re going to comeback for one last grab at a ring and you think the Celts have the best chance of taking you there with Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce? Shameless.

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Well-rounded news…

Rosario Dawson has opted out of a role written for her by Kevin Smith.

Coming soon to a theatre near you.. a Meerkat Manor movie?

Could Kristen Bell be joining the cast of Lost?

VH1 is streaming the new Matt Nathanson record, ‘Some Mad Hope‘

Slate Magazine reviews the new Scott Baio reality show, which I enjoy without shame.

The editor of the page one editor Orange County Register is awesome.

Forbes looks at the top ten cities for foodies.

An update on the Newseum in Washington, DC.

Kevin Smith to direct a Super Max movie.

Another J.J. Abrams mystery project? How much more J.J. Abrams-related mystery is one person expected to handle? 

Project Runway season 1 winner fires back at New York Magazine article, particularly the part about him being homeless.

Entertainment Weekly catalogs the best movie endings of all-time.

EW’s Lost expert Doc Jensen dismisses some Lost rumors and myths in the show’s post-season 3 hiatus.

Ohio State University wants its students to rat on each other.

With the start of college football season less than two weeks away, I’ve decided to take a look at who I think are the best players in the conference at their respective positions. Today, it’s the SEC’s signal-callers.

1. Andre Woodson - Kentucky

Woodson’s play last season was really the catalyst of the Wildcats’ Cinderella 8-4 season. It seems like every college football writer in America has drank the Kool-Aid on Woodson and it might be possible to say that the senior quarterback is overrated by no fault of his own. Simply put, there wasn’t a better quarterback in the country, perhaps in the nation, last year than Andre Woodson. The numbers really speak for themselves — 31 TDs, 7 INTs, a 63 percent completion percentage and more than 3,500 yards passing. There’s a reason everyone is drinking the Kool-Aid — Woodson’s the real deal.

2. Erik Ainge - Tennessee

What a difference a year makes. After deciding it might be wise to listen to much-heralded quarterback guru David Cutcliffe, Ainge exploded in ‘06 with 2,989 yards, 19 TDs to 9 INTs and a 67 completion percentage. Ainge will have to rely on his relatively inexperienced receivers to step up and become go-to options given the departure of Jayson Swain and Robert Meachem. I think given the system he plays in, Ainge will emerge as one of the most consistent and accurate, though unspectacular, passers in the conference.

3. Matt Flynn - LSU

Some would claim Flynn’s appearance at the 3 spot is a little high for a quarterback that didn’t play a whole lot in 2006. It’s important to remember that going into 2006, there was a quarterback competition in Baton Rouge between Flynn and Jamarcus Russell highlighted after the way Flynn lit up Miami in the ‘05 Peach Bowl en route to becoming the game’s offensive MVP. LSU is now Matt Flynn’s team and he has to find a way to step out of Russell’s shadow. And he will. While Flynn may not have the cannon arm and effortless throwing motion that the big fella from Mobile had, he does have a mobility and a presense in the pocket that will give the Tigers the ability to run packages and plays that they were not able to given Russell’s limited mobility. When you factor in the weapons LSU has on offense (especially Early Doucet), you have to figure Flynn is poised for a breakout year.

4. Brandon Cox - Auburn

When it’s all said and done, the senior from Trussville, Ala. might be the most underrated passer in the SEC. This year, all eyes are on Cox and the Tigers offense is only going to go as far as their quarterback can take them. However, Cox’s health will be a big piece in that puzzle. Having been sacked 34 times last year, the Tigers’ offensive line will have to do a better job of protecting their quarterback and Cox will have to learn to be a more accurate and efficient passer coming off a season where he completed just 60 percent of his passes. I put Cox in the same category as Ainge: consistent but unspectacular.

5. Matthew Stafford - Georgia

The first true freshman to start at Georgia since Eric Zeier certainly took him lumps last year. Having played in all 13 games in ‘06, Stafford comes into ‘07 with a tremendous upside that has Bulldog fans eying a return to glory (and hopefully a win against those pesky Gators). One thing Stafford must improve is letting the game come to him and not forcing the ball into tight spaces. Too many times last season, the true freshman forced a pass that led to a turnover though those instances became fewer as the season wore on. Still Stafford must improve from an ‘06 season in which he threw 13 interceptions and just 7 touchdowns and completed only 52 percent of his passes. There’s a lot riding on Matthew Stafford this season, I just wonder if he’s ready.

6.Tim Tebow - Florida

With Chris Leak gone, Tim Tebow will have to prove that he’s an actual quarterback in 2007 and not a weird H-back/quarterback hybrid. Tebow appears this low on the list because I don’t feel like anyone saw enough of him as a true quarterback to make an accurate assessment of his ability to consistently run an offense every down and he may not do it this year either. Meyer said he would like to have an offense that features two quarterbacks as he did last year (which I think is insane). Still, all Tebow needs to do is get the ball in the hands of Percy Harvin and let him “do what he do.” Tebow could very well appear at the top of this list next year but first he must prove that he is a quarterback and not a novelty.

7. John Parker Wilson - Alabama

The measure of a good quarterback is how he performs under pressure. John Parker Wilson wasn’t very good under pressure last season. Wilson didn’t show up in the big games and played like a middle-of-the-pack quarterback in ‘06, throwing 17 TDs on way to 10 INTs. Frankly, I’m not expecting much more in ‘07. Though he spent much of last season running for his life, Wilson did show that though he wasn’t great with the game on the line, he did hold up to punishment and was an effective scrambler. Returning all five starters from last year’s line, he may have to do the same this year. Parker must improve and quickly or I believe Nick Saban will begin looking around his sideline for a replacement.

8. Chris Nickson - Vanderbilt

Whether or not this is the year that Vanderbilt breaks its bowl-less drought will rest heavily on the shoulders of junior quarterback Chris Nickson.  Nickson had a little bit of a breakout year in his first year as a starter, throwing for more than 2,000 yards but his accuracy was spotty (52 percent completion percentage) and he struggled to hit open receivers. Still Nickson is an exciting quarterback to watch, very elusive, a threat to run every time he drops back (accounted for 694 rushing yards last season) and he’s got one of the SEC’s best receivers in Earl Bennett lining up wide. Nickson could, and needs, to take a big step forward this year.

9. Blake Mitchell - South Carolina

I’ve gotta be honest. It’s really difficult for me to get over the fact that Blake Mitchell wears that goofy facemask and has a tribal armband tattoo but that not withstanding he’s a decent enough quarterback. Last year, he had a lot of ups and downs. Played very well at times, played horribly at times. Got arrested at times. You know, the usual. Still one can’t help but wonder if Mitchell is just keeping the seat warm for true freshman Stephen Garcia, if he can stay out of handcuffs long enough to buckle his chinstrap. For the time being though, it appears the job is Mitchell’s to lose. He will have to improve his decision making and accuracy and will have to do so behind a relatively inexperience offensive line that is struggling to find cohesion.

10. Casey Dick - Arkansas

Arkansas fans should get very used to this image. With the best pair of running backs, arguably, in the country lining up behind him, Arkansas QB Casey Dick will be handing the ball off — a lot. Consider this, Dick threw the ball just 132 times despite the fact that he played in all but 4 of the Razorbacks’ games last season. Dick will be the Arkansas version of Trent Dilfer, if and when he is asked to throw the ball, he needs to make the most of his opportunities and be an efficient and accurate passer. No one is asking  him to be Vince Young and win games on his own. Thankfully.
11. Seth Adams - Ole Miss

I firmly believe that Adams, a former walkon, will beat out last year’s starter Brent Schaeffer for the starting job at some point in this season. Though not as athletic as his counterpart Schaeffer, Adams has exponentially better decision making and accuracy. The Rebels offense will miss Schaeffer’s athleticism but not his erratic play in the pocket. Adams will not be asked to do much, mostly hand the ball to BenJarvus Green-Ellis but must show that he does not have the penchant for throwing poor interceptions that Schaeffer has.

12. Michael Henig - Miss. State

Given that he had the build of a place kicker, it’s not surprising that Mississippi State quarterback Michael Henig missed time in 2006 after breaking his collarbone. Well Henig has beefed up some and is ready for his junior year. Henig will need to become a little better at eluding the run and not taking rushers head on. In other words, get down. Accuracy is, of course, a concern for any quarterback but especially for a quarterback who completed just 43 percent of his passes last year (as Henig did). Let’s be honest though, this team is going to be putrid and will be lucky to win one conference game.

We are oh-so-close to the beginning of college football and eventually the start of the NFL season and I personally can’t wait. There is nothing better for me than waiting around on a Saturday night for a big game in the SEC or Big Ten under the lights. Can’t wait.

__________

No, seriously…

This guy really did attend the Ray Charles Driving Academy.

Canadian airline loses a very important piece of luggage.

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Jermaine O’Neal backs off his trade demand/ The Indianapolis Star’s Bob Kravitz.

Packers rookie running back Brandon Jackson is impressing everyone in Green Bay.

The NFL Network to make games pay-per-view?

Joe Paterno says the Big Ten needs to reinstate the bye week.

Michigan defensive coordinator Ron English isn’t concerned about all the holes he must fill.

Urban Meyer may not redshirt freshman QB John Brantley after all.

Texas QB Colt McCoy is ready to go after impressive freshman season.

Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis still pretending that freshman Jimmy Clausen won’t start for the Irish.

Cal QB inexplicably dyes his hair various shades of blue.

USC’s trio of tailbacks coming on strong.

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Well-rounded news… 

New iMacs to look like the iPhone?

A nice piece in the LA Times on the trend of artists playing entire albums at live gigs.

Steve Allen to sell his portion of DreamWorks.

A poignant cartoon by Mike Luckovich of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution today as flight delays hit a 13-year-high.

Harold Perrineau talks to Entertainment Weekly about returning to Lost.

A Top Chef bracket that beats the pants off ESPN’s stupid “Who’s Now?”

PopCandy’s breakdown of Lollapalooza.

It might take more than some snazzy new jerseys for the South Carolina Gamecocks to be a threat in the SEC East in ‘06.

Forget that head coach Steve Spurrier’s squad returns 16 of 22 starters on offense and defense and is coming off what many believe to be South Carolina’s best recruiting class ever, the Gamecocks still have some unresolved issues at some key positions and have a treacherous road schedule.

After struggling against Georgia and Mississippi State at the beginning of 2006, senior quarterback Blake Mitchell got the hook in favor of the more athletic Syvelle Newton who helped the Gamecocks win four of the next six games. After being arrested following a brawl at a near-campus bar (the charges were subsequently dropped and Mitchell served a one-game suspension), Mitchell was re-inserted into the lineup following a near miraculous comeback at Arkansas and would throw four TDs in the Gamecocks win in the Liberty Bowl. Despite a less-than-spectacular showing in the Garnet and Black game (13-39, 150 yards), it appears the QB job is once again Mitchell’s to lose. Expect the backup position job to be a three-horse race between Chris Smelley, Tommy Beecher and jailbird freshman Stephen Garcia.

Fielding the best pair of running backs not named McFadden and Jones, South Carolina’s running game will serve as a nice compliment to their shaky passing game, which will be without record-breaking receiver Sidney Rice, who opted out early for the NFL.  Junior Kenny McKinley will likely be Mitchell’s go-to-receiver but the passing game will need Larry Freeman, Freddie Brown or Mike West to develop into scoring threats to be an effective compliment to their relatively solid ground game.

Despite the hole left by the departure of Sidney Rice, no unit has more to prove than the Gamecocks O-Line and no unit is perhaps more important.  To put it bluntly, it is the line’s performance that will determine what kind of offense Spurrier can run. After being “steamrolled” in the spring game, it appears the line has a long way to go and Spurrier may have to play it safe and keep Mitchell upright rather than going 5 wide, empty backfield and chucking the ball all over the field.

The defensive line returns first-team freshman All-America Eric Norwood, who led the team in sacks last season but lose Casper Brinkley who joins his twin brother Jasper at linebacker. With a rotation of hungry young players, the defensive line could turn into one of the best in the conference.  Returning a pretty solid core of starts from last season (including some new additions) the South Carolina defense looks as if they can hang with some of the conference’s best offenses. And they’ll have to. With road tilts against Tennessee, LSU and Arkansas.

Coming off an eight-win season last year, Gamecock fans could be expecting Spurrier to finally push them over the edge and into an SEC east title. But it’s not going to happen this year. Regardless of the fact that they play Georgia, LSU, Tennessee and Arkansas on the road (three of which they couldn’t beat last season at home). Look for this to be a transition year, one in which some of Spurrier’s recruits from the ‘06 class get some playing time and mature. Expect to see more than one quarterback, my guess is that Blake Mitchell will struggle and won’t last the whole year and will get pulled, probably in favor of Smelley.

Bottom Line Prediction: 7-5. You can never count a Steve Spurrier coached-team out of any game and it wouldn’t surprise me if the Gamecocks gave the Gators all they can handle in Columbia on Nov. 10, ditto for Georgia on the road in week 2. Best case scenario for this team is 8-4. Anything better and you’re betting that they will beat one or more of the following teams: LSU, Tennesee, Florida or Arkansas. Not likely

If BenJarvus Green-Ellis is to make it through the 2007 season, the Ole Miss athletic training staff may want to consider wrapping the Rebels leading rusher (and former Hoosier) in Nerf.

Green-Ellis carried the ball 234 times last season and is expected to receive the same amount of carries this year, as offensive coordinator Dan Werner will look to control the ball with the running game and grind out some wins. At quarterback it appears to be a three-horse race between seniors Brent Schaeffer and Seth Adams and redshirt freshman Michael Herrick. Unfortunately for the Rebs, their most talented quarterback, Texas transfer Jevan Snead, will be sitting out this season after transferring. Though Schaeffer is hands-down the most athletic of the three, he lacks the consistency that head coach Ed Orgeron would like to have in his signal-caller. My guess is that it will likely be Schaeffer for the first part of the season and if he starts to circle the drain its a toss-up between Adams and Herrick.  If Ole Miss is to be competitive this season, it will need to develop more offensive weapons than Green-Ellis. The Rebels finished last in the conference in total yards and scoring last season (261.5 ypg, 15.7 ppg) and will need to develop other offensive threats, particularly at wideout where sophomores Dexter McCluster and Marshay Green return after impressive ‘07 campaigns. Whoever Orgeron starts at quarterback will have the benefit of starting behind a line that is returning four starters from last year’s unit, including All-SEC second-teamer Michael Oher at left tackle and sophomore right guard John Jerry who received freshman All-America honors last season.

Teams will be scoring on the Ole Miss defense at will. The defensive line is a trainwreck despite the improvement of sophomore end Marcus Tillman during the spring. The Rebs will never be able to match the production or the talent of linebacker Patrick Willis, who was drafted in the first round of May’s NFL draft and the team is practically starting over at corner and safety as junior Jamarca Sanford moves back to safety after a season at Will linebacker.

With so many holes to fill, the Rebs could use some early season non-conference wins.. but they won’t get any this season. They open the season at Memphis before hosting Big 12 favorite Missouri. Their first forseeable win isn’t until week 5 when Ole Miss hosts Louisiana Tech on Homecoming in Oxford.

Bottom Line Prediction:  2-7. This is a tough conference for programs that are rebuilding and the Rebels play an absolutely monstrous schedule including non-conference clashes with Memphis and Missouri. Three wins is probably the best-case scenario for this team if they can squeak out a victory in Starkville in the Egg Bowl.