Thursday, January 31, 2013

Do you believe these guys? LSU $202 million in debt!?


Tinker: I'm about to scream. Because I keep looking at the image of people dressed all up on my television, to only act like bad guys, hiding behind bull talk. Just what in the world are they doing, anyway? And who in the world are they trying to fool.

Because there is no secrets that we don't already know about. And all that they are doing is lying to themselves, and one another. I think that they should dress with the letter ( P ) for phony. And then ( W ) for wasting your time. Do you think that the age of the influence from television is on the decline. Will the people looking at TV finally get the real picture of what they are seeing?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqRNRw0eBIE

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Hi!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVkfDMiOYrU
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http://espn.go.com/college-football/



College Admissions

Lane Kiffin accepts several things: he's polarizing; he's made mistakes; he's to blame for USC's poor 2012 season. Gene Woj »Recruiting stakes are high InsiderPodcast: Ivan and Geno ListenPac-12 blog »
Richard Mackson/US Presswire
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http://espn.go.com/blog/playbook/dollars/post/_/id/2837/vols-financially-strapped-but-not-alone

Vols financially strapped but not alone

January, 29, 2013

By Kristi Dosh | ESPN.com

The financial health of University of Tennessee athletics looks grim on paper: $200 million in debt. A 2012 season that saw the worst football attendance since 1979. Just under $2 million in reserves.

Although it might sound like one of the SEC’s most storied programs is in a full collapse (SportsBusiness Journal points out the Vols’ $200 million in debt is the most in the SEC), the university’s financial status may not be that far out of line with other conference schools.

Comparing fiscal health between universities can be a tough task, as schools use vastly different procedures for financing and building new facilities. And every school has unique funding and expense circumstances.

For example, the University of Kentucky carries no outstanding debt or debt service on the facility where its teams play basketball. Rupp Arena is owned by the city, and the Wildcats pay rent and split revenue on parking and concessions instead. It’s a pretty good deal.

In addition, outstanding debt and debt service for athletic departments can fluctuate greatly from year to year. Just a year ago, Alabama and LSU carried more debt on their books than Tennessee. According to Alabama’s 2010-11 NCAA financial disclosure, it had outstanding debt of $207 million. LSU came in right behind at $202 million. Tennessee was third in the conference at $188 million. For the 2010-11 fiscal year, Tennessee was fifth when it came to annual debt service payments, behind Alabama, LSU, Georgia and Auburn.

The schools change positions in such rankings based on a few factors, with one being short-term financing that is later converted to long-term financing. This is the reason Tennessee saw its debt service payments jump from $7.7 million in 2010-11 to $13.5 million in 2011-12. According to the University of Florida’s University Athletic Association audited financials for the 2010-11 fiscal year, current debt payments of $6 million will balloon to $31 million in 2018.

Other factors when looking at the fiscal health of an athletic department:

•  How much a department must return to the university. Tennessee has returned $29 million the past five years under agreements from a previous administration, for example.

•  Tax expenses. Tennessee is in a unique position in relation to its SEC peers because it pays 9.25 percent in sales tax on tickets sold, and an additional 5 percent on tickets for football, and men’s and women’s basketball.

But no matter how it’s measured, amassed or counted, debt is money owed, and it has to be paid back.

Tennessee athletic director Dave Hart has asked Chancellor Jimmy Cheek for help.

“I asked him, would he consider when we’re done renegotiating the SEC [television] contract, could all the money stay in athletics, and he said, ‘Yes,’” said Hart. “Secondly, because we were in a football staff transition, I said, ‘Will you return some of that athletics money [currently committed under previous agreements to the university] so we can stabilize?’ and he agreed.”

Last year’s athletics budget shortage was covered by athletic reserves but depleted the fund to just $1.95 million.

“That was the biggest surprise to me, that our reserve had reached that level,” said Hart, who was hired 16 months ago. “In this conference, that’s unusual.”

The chancellor has agreed that funds of $7 million per year previously committed to the university will be suspended for three years, in an effort to rebuild the reserve fund.

Asked if any sports will have to be contracted in order to make ends meet, Hart said, “Absolutely not.”

Referring to the current situation as a “perfect storm” of financial events, Hart said, “We’ll be fine long-term -- no question in my mind.”

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http://sports.yahoo.com/news/sec-entry-yields-another-hefty-224956643--ncaaf.html

SEC entry yields another hefty gift for Mizzou

By ALAN SCHER ZAGIER (Associated Press) | The Associated Press

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) -- By all measures, Missouri endured a disappointing football debut in the Southeastern Conference, slogging through a 5-7 season in 2012 that disrupted a seven-year streak of bowl games under Coach Gary Pinkel.

Off the field, Mizzou's SEC-driven success has been far more noticeable. On Tuesday, school officials announced an $8.3 million gift from Don and Audrey Walsworth of Marceline to be used to improve and expand Memorial Stadium and also build a new clubhouse for the men's and women's golf teams at a private course in Columbia.

The donation follows a $30 million gift from the Kansas City Sports Trust in June - the second largest private gift of any kind in school history - and a $6.4 million anonymous athletics contribution in December.

''We have to have the facilities to attract men and women of SEC caliber,'' said Walsworth, an MU graduate, CEO of a northern Missouri publishing company and former chairman of the university's Board of Curators. ''We have kind of a grace period right now, but we're going to have to step up.''

Two of the Walsworths' three children played golf for Mizzou. A third, Don Walsworth Jr., was a Pac-10 golf champion as a Stanford University senior.

The school plans to add 6,000 seats to its football stadium, which now holds 71,004 fans. Eight SEC stadiums hold more than 80,000, with Bryant-Denny Stadium at Alabama and Tennessee's Neyland Stadium topping 100,000.

Missouri envisions a total of $200 million of athletic facility upgrades, funded in part by $72 million of debt financing through 30-year revenue bonds. The school hopes to recoup its entire investment through the sale of additional premium seats and football luxury boxes.

Also on Tuesday, Missouri athletics director Mike Alden offered his first public comments on reports that men's basketball coach Frank Haith could be charged with committing NCAA violations while at Miami.

CBSSports.com has reported that Haith, who spent seven mostly middling years at Miami before his surprise hire by Alden in 2011, will face charges of unethical conduct by the NCAA.

Two former Miami assistant coaches have been told they will also face unethical conduct charges as part of a two-year NCAA inquiry, two people familiar with the situation have told The Associated Press. They spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because neither the NCAA nor Miami has released the expected notice of allegations.

Days before the report's anticipated release, the Miami investigation took a dramatic turn last week when NCAA President Mark Emmert announced that former NCAA investigators improperly collaborated with lawyers for disgraced Hurricane booster Nevin Shapiro, a convicted felon. Shapiro has claimed he provided cash, cars, prostitutes and other impermissible benefits to dozens of Miami football players and other athletes between 2002 and 2010 with the knowledge of multiple coaches and athletics employees.

Alden said he discussed his concerns with Emmert on Monday at a winter meeting of athletic directors on Marco Island, Fla., as well as with a group of peers from Arizona, Illinois, North Carolina and Syracuse while on a 12-day tour of Nike manufacturing facilities in southeast Asia.

''I've never seen anything like that before in my tenure in college athletics,'' he said. ''So, I certainly think it raises lots of questions. I appreciate the fact that the NCAA has come up and they're addressing it. We'll kind of have to see how that plays out.''

''There's a significant amount of concern nationally relative to the integrity of the process and transparency,'' Alden added, emphasizing the impact of the NCAA's self-inquiry could be felt far beyond Coral Gables and Columbia.
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http://espn.go.com/espn/otl/story/_/id/8895337/jusge-rules-ncaa-athletes-legally-pursue-television-money

ESPN Outside The Lines

NCAA athletes can pursue TV money

Updated: January 30, 2013, 1:31 AM ET
By Tom Farrey | ESPN.com
NCAA Athletes Can Legally Pursue TV Money
Judge Claudia Wilken rejected the NCAA's motion that players in the antitrust suit should be precluded from advancing their lawsuit to claim a share of all television game revenues.Tags: Tom Farrey, College Sports, TV Revenue
In dismissing a motion by the NCAA to prevent football and men's basketball players from legally pursuing a cut of live broadcast revenues, a federal court judge Tuesday raised the stakes for the governing body of college sports as it defends its economic model.

Judge Claudia Wilken issued her ruling Tuesday, rejecting the NCAA's motion that players in the antitrust suit led by former UCLA star Ed O'Bannon should be precluded from advancing their lawsuit on procedural grounds.

"Now the (NCAA and its co-defendants) are facing potential liability in the billions of dollars instead of tens or hundreds of millions. It's a more accurate context for what the players deserve."
  -- Michael Hausfeld, interim lead counsel for plaintiffs
The NCAA had objected to the players amending their lawsuit last year to claim a share of all television game revenues, not just those from rebroadcasts.

"Now the (NCAA and its co-defendants) are facing potential liability that's based on the billions of dollars in revenue instead of tens or hundreds of millions," said Michael Hausfeld, interim lead counsel for the plaintiffs. "It's a more accurate context for what the players deserve."

Unlike NFL or NBA athletes, players lack a union or similar body to negotiate a share of revenues flowing from media and other licensing contracts. The NCAA does not legally treat athletes as employees, and players have not organized to represent their interests collectively.

The O'Bannon suit attacks that model through the means of class-action, the legal question now before Wilken. Former college stars such as Bill Russell and Oscar Robertson have joined O'Bannon on behalf of all Division I players in football and men's basketball, asking Wilken to declare that they are similarly situated and to certify the class.

Wilken on Tuesday set the hearing on that motion for June 20 and ordered the NCAA to make its arguments against class certification on the merits rather than procedural objections such as the one she just rejected. The NCAA was joined in that motion by its partner, Collegiate Licensing Company.

In a statement, NCAA general counsel Donald Remy characterized the ruling as a partial victory for the NCAA.

"Although our motion to strike was denied, the judge has signaled skepticism on plaintiff's class-certification motion and recognized the plaintiffs' radical change in their theory of the case," Remy said. "This is a step in the right direction toward allowing the NCAA to further demonstrate why this case is wrong on the law and that plaintiffs have failed to demonstrate that this case satisfies the criteria for class litigation."

The ruling was met with enthusiasm by Hausfeld, who leads a team that includes more than a dozen law firms that have invested more than $20 million in legal fees pursuing the lawsuit since 2009. The prospect of an award that recognizes live broadcast revenues helps support their efforts.

In the event that the plaintiffs prevail, Hausfeld has set up a mechanism for players to collect licensing revenues. The Former College Athletes Association (FCAA) would negotiate licenses with the NCAA, member colleges, video game and media companies, according to Jon King, a former Hausfeld LLC lawyer who worked on the case.

King disclosed the existence of the FCAA in a wrongful termination suit he filed against Hausfeld earlier this month. He was fired by Hausfeld for undisclosed reasons in October, after serving as one of the lead lawyers in developing the case for the plaintiffs.

Details about the FCAA are scant, but Hausfeld said it would not serve as a revenue stream for his firm. Overseeing formation of the FCAA are Sonny Vaccaro, an unpaid consultant who has worked with Hausfeld to build the anti-trust case; Ramogi Huma, president of the National College Players Association; and Ken Feinberg, a prominent Washington D.C. attorney who helped distribute nearly $7 billion to victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks and has run other major victim compensation efforts.

Wilken has set a jury trial on the matter, if it gets that far, for June 2014.
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http://www.dandydon.com/

Dandy Don's LSU Sports Report

With just one week until National Signing Day and the big Recruiting Bash, the question I've been getting the most lately is how I think this class will finish. LSU currently has 27 commitments and has room to take at least two more, if they so desire. There is also a strong possibility that one or two of the current commitments will not qualify (as is almost always the case), opening up another spot or two. However, one thing to keep in mind is that Louisiana will be loaded like never before for next year's class, and that could be reason enough for Coach Miles to be conservative with the remaining scholarships this year. As of today, here's my educated guess at where LSU stands with remaining targets for this class:

Duke Riley (LB, 6'1", 212, John Curtis) - 60%
Eddie Jackson (ATH, 6’1”, 180, Fort Lauderdale, FL) - 35%
Priest Willis (S, 6'2", 185, Tempe, AZ) - 35%
Cethan Carter (TE), 6'4", 235, Rummel. - 35%
Jamal Carter (S, 6'1", 190, Miami) - 30%
Tashawn Bower (DL, 6’5”, 250, Somerville, NJ) - 30%
Other (Someone not listed here) - 25%
Robert Nkemdiche (DE, 6'5", 265, Loganville, GA) - 15% 


A few notes on the list above: Eddie Jackson is reportedly making his decision this morning, and it appears to be a two-school race between Alabama and LSU. Duke Riley and Cethan Carter both currently hold greyshirt offers. I've been hearing a lot of rumblings lately about Riley getting a full offer soon if the numbers work out (and it appears that they will). Priest Willis committed to UCLA last week, but Coach Miles made an in-home visit Monday night and won’t give up until his paper is signed.

Today I have continued revealing my list of Top Louisiana Prospects for the Class of 2014 by backing up a bit and revealing numbers 51-60. I was going to keep counting down the final three since I had already posted numbers 4-50, but to tell you the truth I'm still a bit undecided as to how to order my final three. Those of you who follow recruiting closely can probably guess who the top three will be just by process of elimination. I'm also debating whether to stop at 60 or go on and list 70, 75 or maybe even 100. I've got a total of 132 prospects on my list counting those that will be listed as “Honorable Mention” or “Best of the Rest.” Click here to see the current list-in-progress. Read more...http://www.dandydon.com/ 

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http://lsufootball.net/

LSU Football - Geaux Tigers!!!

Times Picayune LSU expected to receive commitment from John Curtis linebacker Duke Riley

ESPN Radio Audio (9 min): Les Miles on recruiting process, college offenses influence on NFL

Times Picayune Tevin Lawson weighing LSU grayshirt, other options

FOX 8 Sports Video (2 min, 23 sec): Francois and Taylor hope for Super Bowl glory
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http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-total-access/0ap2000000132016/The-Bayou-Effect

The Bayou Effect 0

Published: Jan. 28, 2013 at 06:55 p.m. | 4,477 Views

03:51 – One in every 74,000 residents of Louisiana plays in the NFL, the highest per capita of any state. Brian Unger traveled to the small town of Boutte, La. (pop. 3,000) to investigate why the Bayou region sends players to the league at such an astonishing rate.
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For the old-timers.
Previous Decade  ·   Football History Home   ·  Next Decade

LSU Football History 1960 - 1969

SeasonCoachRecordBowl GameFinal Ranking
1960Paul Dietzel5-4-1  (2-3-1)

1961Paul Dietzel10-1  (6-0)Orange Bowl4
1962 Charles McClendon9-1-1  (5-1)Cotton Bowl7
1963Charles McClendon7-4  (4-2)Bluebonnet Bowl
1964Charles McClendon8-2-1  (4-2-1)Sugar Bowl7
1965 Charles McClendon8-3  (3-3)Cotton Bowl8
1966Charles McClendon5-4-1  (3-3)

1967Charles McClendon7-3-1  (3-2-1)Sugar Bowl
1968 Charles McClendon8-3  (4-2)Peach Bowl19
1969Charles McClendon9-1  (4-1)
10

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For the New-Timers.
LSU Tigers (Southeastern Conference) (2005–present)
2005 LSU 11-2 7–1 1st (West) W Chick-fil-A 10 10
2006 LSU 11–2 6–2 T-2nd (West) W Sugar 3 3
2007 LSU 12–2 6–2 1st (West) W BCS NCG 1 1
2008 LSU 8-5 3-5 3rd (West) W Chick-fil-A

2009 LSU 9-4 5-3 2nd (West) L Capital One 17 17
2010 LSU 11–2 6–2 T-2nd (West) W Cotton 8 8
2011 LSU 13-1 8–0 1st (West) L BCS NCG 2 2
2012 LSU 10-3 6–2 T–2nd (West) L Chick-fil-A 7 9
LSU: 84–21 47–17
Total: 113–42
      National championship         Conference title         Conference division title
Indicates BCS bowl, Bowl Alliance or Bowl Coalition game. #Rankings from final Coaches' Poll.
°Rankings from final AP Poll.

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The year that brought Les Miles down; I remember that night well:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnS9M03F-fA
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Who's kidding who!?
http://espn.go.com/blog/sec/post/_/id/59912/poll-who-will-finish-with-the-top-class

SEC Blog

Poll: Who will finish with the top class?

January, 30, 2013

By Edward Aschoff | ESPN.com
We are a week away from national signing day and the SEC is yet again cleaning up in the recruiting game. Five teams -- Florida, Alabama, Texas A&M, LSU and Georgia -- currently rank within the top 10 of the ESPN's RecruitingNation class rankings.

Florida and Alabama sit atop the rankings, but who will be No. 1 once signing day has come and gone? Well, we're asking our faithful readers to take a stab at peering into their crystal ball.

SportsNation
Which of these schools will have the best recruiting class?
  • 41%
  • 19%
  • 10%
  • 4%
  • 26%
Discuss (Total votes: 2,392)
The Gators have 26 total commitments, with eleven of those pledges being ESPN 150 members and 15 ranking inside the ESPN 300. Florida is still looking to close its class with a few big names, and the Gators are still in the running for a few ESPN 150 members, like defensive tackle defensive tackle Montravius Adams cornerbacks Jalen Ramsey and Mackensie Alexander, and defensive end Elijah Daniel. Top tackle Laremy Tunsil from right down the road in Lake City, Fla., seems like a long shot, but he's still on the Gators' radar. One-time Gator commit and ESPN 150 linebacker Quinton Powell could get back into Florida's fold as well.

Alabama has 22 commitments, with 10 ESPN 150 members and 14 ESPN 300 members. Tunsil is seriously considering the Crimson Tide, while former Auburn defensive tackle commit Dee Liner, who is the No. 4 defensive tackle in the country, is now thought to be a heavy lean to Alabama. Top defensive tackle Eddie Vanderdoes is set to visit Alabama this weekend, and Tide coaches are also looking to snatch ESPN 150 safety Antonio Conner of Batesville, Miss., away from the state of Mississippi. Alabama is still after Mississippi State defensive end commit Chris Jones (ESPN 150) and top inside linebacker Reuben Foster, who was once committed to Alabama.Read more...http://espn.go.com/blog/sec/post/_/id/59912/poll-who-will-finish-with-the-top-class

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Wednesday, January 30, 2013

When is enough ever enough in Washington DC?


Tinker:

Watch out for who you voted into our government. Or suffer the sad consequences.

When you live and work in Washington DC you can makeup any reason for surviving. Change, or not enforce laws of the US constitution. In order for you to not go to jail, keep your job, and virtually, and literally stay politically alive. Out here in the American streets stretchered out from boarder to boarder however, not so much. The citizen living in the US are simply living under a different standard. We cannot start printing more money, when we run out.

The American Revolution started as a tax revolt. against the English king. It is not remarkable that a man might protest a 50% to 60% tax rate. That means he has to work that much harder to succeed in our society today. When is enough, ever enough in Washington DC?

You have a problem America. People running your government has run up a multiply trillion dollar debt. And the politicians working in Washington DC want more of your money. The Federal reserve bank is keeping up with the Americas government debt, by printing more and more dollars. That will go on until the very end. Your social economical limits is not a heaven that lives in all eternity. Only our lord know about that place.

Because I can assure you. That the guilty who are stealing that money will not, and cannot stop. Committing the deceitful money crimes that has gone on for generations. Now what are you going to do. Because if you don't stop them. They will not stop?

Your children, and their children financial well being is now dependent on your choice
that you make now, today. About who runs your US government.
The very rich in your society have body guards. You do not. What are you going to do now?
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http://www.wwltv.com/sports/Saints-to-workout-Chad-Jones-188835521.html

Sunshine Media

Saints to workout Chad Jones

Saints to workout Chad Jones

by WWLTV.com

Posted on January 29, 2013 at 8:50 AM

WWLTV.com
Email: webteam@wwltv.com | Twitter: @WWLTV


NEW ORLEANS -- The New Orleans Saints are bringing Chad Jones in for a workout Wednesday.

Jones, a New Orleans native, was severely injured in a car accident in New Orleans in 2010, suffering multiple fractures to his left leg. Both his tibia and fibula were shattered, and his arteries and nerves were left exposed. 

The crash occurred after Jones, a standout athlete at LSU in football and baseball, was drafted by the New York Giants in the third round and signed with the team.
Since the accident, Jones has been rehabilitating hoping for a chance to play professional football. The Giants waived Jones after he failed a physical in May.
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http://cfn.scout.com/2/1261947.html

College Football News

2013 CFN Pre-Preseason Rankings
Alabama RB T.J. Yeldon
Alabama RB T.J. Yeldon

By Staff
CollegeFootballNews.com
Posted Jan 29, 2013



The first look at the rankings for the 2013 college football season.

CFN 2013 First Look Rankings

The Top Ten


2013 CFN First Look Rankings
The Top 10 | 11-20 | 21-30 | 31-40 | 41-50 | 51-60 | 61-70
- 71-80 | 81-90 | 91-100 | 101-110 | 111-120 | The Bottom 6

Past CFN First Look Rankings  2012 | 2011

CFN 2013 Pre-Preseason Rankings By Conference
- ACC | Big East | Big Ten | Big 12 | C-USA | Ind
- MAC | Mountain West | Pac-12 | SEC | Sun Belt | WAC
- Based On Opinion ... CFN 2012 FINAL Rankings, Top  25

- Follow us or contact us on Twitter ... ColFootballNews 

It might seem way too early, but considering the returning starters and all the other factors before Signing Day and spring ball, where does everyone stand? Here's CFN's first look at all the teams for 2013. The First Look Ranking is based on how good the teams appear to be at the moment.


1. Alabama (13-1)


Remember, 2012 was supposed to be a rebuilding year. There are certainly holes to fill, and there were some hiccups late in the season, but the talent is in place and the expectations will be there for a third straight national title and a fourth in five years. While others will be able to make the case for being the No. 1 team in the country, it’ll be hard to argue for anyone else but the defending national champion for the top spot.


The big concern right away will be on offensive line that has to replace center Barrett Jones, guard Chance Warmack and right tackle D.J. Fluker, but will revolve around all-star left tackle Cyrus Kouandijo and guard Anthony Steen. There are several good prospects ready to step in, but it’ll be a lot to ask of the line to dominate like it did in key moments like it has over the last few years.


BCS championship game star running back Eddie Lacy is off early to the NFL, but electrifying super-soph T.J. Yeldon will lead a loaded stable, helped by a great recruiting class coming in. AJ McCarron is a crusty veteran, and he’ll be front and center in the Heisman race with Amari Cooper and a strong group of receivers returning.


Defensively, it’s Alabama. It had to overcome massive losses last year and still finished up No. 1 in the nation in total defense, run defense and scoring defense. Top corner Dee Milliner is gone, but the rest of the secondary will be more than fine. The return of Trey DePriest, C.J. Mosley, Adrian Hubbard and Xzavier Dickson form a tremendous linebacking quarter working behind a retooled front three that loses nose tackle Jesse Williams and end Damion Square. Again, it’s Alabama. There are more top prospects ready to step up.


2. Oregon (12-1)


There’s no excuse for the Ducks to not be in the national title chase. Mark Helfrich inherits a heater from Chip Kelly with 16 starters back and enough pop and explosion to keep the league’s No. 1 offense rolling. How great was the 2012 season? Outside of the overtime loss to Stanford, every other game was a double-digit win. The pressure will be on for Helfrich to take the team to yet another level.


Eight starters return to the high-octane offense, and that doesn’t count De’Anthony Thomas and Byron Marshall taking over at running back for Kenjon Barner. Quarterback Marcus Mariota is a superstar in the making, and while the running game will still take center stage, the passing attack should do even more with all the receivers back. Two starters are gone on the line, but tackles Tyler Johnstone and Jake Fisher are good young blockers who should grow into all-stars.


The defense gets everyone back in a strong secondary that finished 15th in the nation in pass efficiency defense. Ifo Ekpre-Olomu is a rising star at one corner, while safeties Brian Jackson and Erick Dargan are good tacklers to work around. End Dion Jordan and linebackers Kiki Alonso and Michael Clay have to be replaced, but the team’s best pass rusher, 6-6, 292-pound end Taylor Hart, will hold things down on one side, while Ricky Heimuli is a rock on the inside.


3. Florida (11-1)



It’s lost in the storylines now, but last year at this time there were question marks about whether or not Will Muschamp could actually coach and the team was seen as a bit of an underachiever considering all the talent that Urban Meyer had amassed. The 11-1 season with dominant wins over South Carolina and Florida State on a run that came really, really close to finishing with a trip to the BCS championship came from out of left field, but all anyone will remember this offseason will be the Sugar Bowl clunker to Louisville.


There wasn’t a massive loss of talent early to the next level, but a lot of work needs to be done for a passing game that finished dead last in the SEC thanks to a line that couldn’t keep Jeff Driskel upright. Three starters are back up front, but battering ram running back Mike Gillislee is gone and Driskel has to be far better with almost all the key targets returning.


The defense that finished second in the nation in pass efficiency D and fifth overall in yards allowed and scoring gets seven starters back, hoping for everyone to stay healthy to fill in the gaps up front. The linebacking corps will be fast and athletic, but the bulk is gone with the graduation of Jonathan Bostic, and while losing All-America safety Matt Elam will be a problem, Loucheiz Purifoy will be one of the nation’s top corners and several options ready to step into the safety roles. Punter Kyle Christy will be in the All-America mix, but kicker Caleb Sturgis is gone.


4. LSU (10-3)


Is the team getting anyone back? Barkevious Mingo, Sam Montgomery, Bennie Logan, Eric Reid, Kevin Minter, Tharold Simon, Brad Wing, Spencer Ware and Michael Ford are all bolting early to the NFL, and that doesn’t even count Tyrann Mathieu, who was at least back at the school. Of course, LSU loses players to the big league on a regular basis and still comes back roaring. This year isn’t an exception.


The line struggled in pass protection after needing to do some major reshuffling and retooling, but the payoff should come with guards Trai Turner and La’el Collins, and tackle Vadal Alexander, all experienced and ready to roll. The running back corps might have lost Ware and Ford, but that’s partly because the writing was on the wall that Jeremy Hill and Kenny Hilliard were going to handle the workload. Of course, all the focus will be on Zach Mettenberger and whether or not he can be more consistent and more efficient after spending 2012 trying to find his way.


The defense suffered the biggest hit in lost talent, but safety Craig Loston is a talented player to start with. The secondary is a revolving door of top-shelf playmakers with more where Reid, Simon, Mathieu, Patrick Peterson and Morris Claiborne came from. However, the entire front four needs to be replaced and linebacker Tajh Jones has to shine after spending most of last year with academic problems.


5. Texas A&M (11-2)


Get ready to handle the bull’s-eye. The Aggies snuck up on the college football world in 2012 with a thrilling team led by a transcendent quarterback, and after coming within eight points of being unbeaten, even more will be expected. Johnny Manziel will have to carry the burden of trying to be Johnny Repeat, and Kevin Sumlin will have to play down rumor after rumor that he’s destined to go to the NFL. With a loaded recruiting class coming in, and with a ton of talent to build around, it’s time to have more fun.


Of course, the team will revolve around Manziel, but he loses a several key targets led by Ryan Swope. Fortunately, Mike Evans is one of the nation’s brightest young receiving stars. Losing star tackle Luke Joeckel hurts, but it’s not unexpected, while getting back Jake Matthews for another season before starring in the NFL was a nice surprise. Ben Malena is an unsung back who should shine behind the slightly retooled front five.


The defense that’s been so great at getting into the backfield over the last few seasons has to replace pass rushing terror Damontre Moore and linebacker Sean Porter, but the secondary appears able to reload despite losing corner Dustin Harris and safety Steven Terrell. Steven Jenkins needs to come up with a big year for a linebacking corps that needs some work. Punter Ryan Epperson has to be replaced after coming up with a terrific year.


6. Texas (9-4)



Is this the year the Longhorns finally start playing up to their talent level? 2012 wasn’t as bad as it’s being made out to be, but 9-4 doesn’t cut it at a place where BCS appearances are considered the norm. It was an inconsistent year, but that could change with so much returning talent.


Defensive tackle Brandon Moore is the only starter taking off early to the NFL, but losing end Alex Okafor and safety Kenny Vaccaro will be a problem. On the plus side, the linebacking corps should be among the fastest and most athletic in the country, but it would be nice if the defensive front could be stronger against the run – it’s going to be an offseason of position battles on the line.


Is David Ash really going to be the starting quarterback, or is Case McCoy – who was reinstated after violating team rules – ready to make a big move in spring ball? In all, depending on the formation, ten starters are back on offense including all five starters up front and a deep and devastating stable of running backs with Johnathan Gray, Malcolm Brown and Joe Bergeron in the rotation. All the top receivers are back for a passing game that should be among the nation’s most efficient. Throw in the expected healthy return of former Penn State kicker/punter Anthony Fera, and Texas is loaded. Again.


7. Georgia (12-2)


Last year, most of the excitement was about a Dream Team of a defense. Years of recruiting, with a few key transfers, jacked up the expectations for the Dawgs, and the started to come together as the season went on, allowing 14 points or fewer in each of the last five regular season games before the SEC championship. This time around, it’s all about the offense.


Ten starters are back on O, helped mostly by the return of quarterback Aaron Murray, who’ll be on the short list of Heisman candidates. All five starters are back on a line that got stronger as the season went on, and it should be far stronger in pass protection. Todd Gurley and Keith Marshall form, arguably, the nation’s most dangerous rushing tandem, and while the loss of Tavarres King from the receiving corps might seem like a big deal, Malcolm Mitchell looks like the next big thing.


The defense has to replace John Jenkins on the nose, linebackers Jarvis Jones and Alec Ogletree, and four other starters including three in the secondary. Five of the top six tacklers are gone meaning linebacker Amarlo Herrera and corner Damian Swann are going to have to be the new stars. The Dawgs always find top replacements, but as long as the D can hold serve so the offense can do its thing, everything should be fine.


8. South Carolina (11-2)


It’s hard to believe that it’s not all that long ago when South Carolina was an irrelevant also-ran in the SEC race. Is this the year it finally all comes together and Steve Spurrier has the team that’s able to win the national title? It’s going to be tough considering the Gamecocks have to undergo a bit of an overhaul. Even so, the defense should continue to rock and the offense should be just good enough to get by.


End Jadeveon Clowney will be the national star of the 2013 season as he tries to solidify his place in the top five of the 2014 NFL draft. He won’t have Devin Taylor on the other side taking away some of the heat, but Kelcy Quarles is a strong interior presence and Gerald Dixon Jr. has the size to step in and produce. The linebacking corps has to start from scratch, and two starters are gone from a terrific secondary. Fortunately, Jimmy Legree appears ready to take on a bigger role.


The offense gets seven starters back, but it has to figure out what it wants to be. Marcus Lattimore was lost halfway through the 2012 season and bolted for the NFL, and now a back has to emerge with Kenny Miles done. The quarterback situation will be front and center after Spurrier rotated his passers in the bowl win over Michigan. Connor Shaw has the mobility and the experience, and Dylan Thompson showed that he could produce when called on. They’ll get to work behind a line that welcomes back four starters, but had problems in pass protection, and they’ll need Bruce Ellington to do even more for the receiving corps with all-around playmaker Ace Sanders leaving for the NFL.


9. Louisville (11-2)


Let the hype begin for the defending Sugar Bowl champions, who’ll spend the offseason basking in the praise after thumping Florida in one of the shockers of the bowl season. Can the team start to dominate in regular season play like it did against the Gators? There were too many close calls against too many mediocre teams, but that could quickly change.



The defense has the potential to be dominant with ten starters returning, only losing corner Adrian Bushell. Linebacker Preston Brown should be a lock for all-star honors, while he end trio of Marcus Smith, Lorenzo Mauldin and Delontrez Mount should be devastating at times.


Of course, the headliner will be Teddy Bridgewater, one of the nation’s most accurate and efficient passers who gets a full offseason to heal up after being beaten and battered late last year. The line is a slight concern with center Mario Benavides and left tackle Alex Kupper gone, but it’s a rising group with good talents to build around. The receiving corps should be the best in the Big East, while running back Jeremy Wright will be in for a good season to balance things out.


10. Ohio State (12-0)


Will the Buckeyes be able to build on their great first season under Urban Meyer, or will they pull a USC and struggle under the weight of lofty expectations? It’s possible for neither to happen – the program is still at least a year away from truly starting to rock and roll again with Meyer’s phenomenal recruiting classes needing time to jell.


The offense won’t have much of a problem moving the ball with the return of quarterback Braxton Miller, who’ll finally starting getting his due Heisman consideration, along with eight other starters. Four seniors will start up front, and Carlos Hyde is back to help Miller carry the mail, but the key to the attack might be the improvement of the receiving corps needing Devin Smith and Corey Brown to do even more. Safety valve tight end Jake Stoneburner is gone.


The defense that had consistency problems has to hope for several young players to step up and shine on the line with all four starters gone including John Simon, Nathan Williams and tackle Johnathan Hankins, who left early for the NFL. Linebacker Ryan Shazier is destined for All-America honors, and Bradley Roby is a rising star at corner but the D as a whole might take a wee step back before making a giant leap forward in 2014.


2013 CFN First Look Rankings
The Top 10 | 11-20 | 21-30 | 31-40 | 41-50 | 51-60 | 61-70
- 71-80 | 81-90 | 91-100 | 101-110 | 111-120 | The Bottom 6
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http://lsufootball.net/
LSU Football - Geaux Tigers!!!

Times & Democrat, SC New NCAA rules will alter football recruiting tactics

College Football News Inside the Legends Poll: How it works

Macon Telegraph Football has to change, or risk losing much of the next generation's talent base

NCAA News NCAA hopes sports science center helps with safety

Sports Illustrated The zany story of two self ordained sports science entrepreneurs
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http://espn.go.com/blog/sec/post/_/id/59888/winning-in-the-fourth-quarter-in-the-sec

SEC Blog

Winning in the fourth quarter in the SEC

January, 29, 2013

By Chris Low | ESPN.com

Before we put the 2012 season to rest for good and start looking ahead to 2013, it’s always worthwhile to go back and see why some teams were successful and others weren’t.
A good place to start is the fourth quarter.

Not surprisingly, Alabama was the SEC’s best team in the fourth quarter last season, outscoring opponents 76-28 in league games.

Kentucky, also not surprisingly, was the SEC’s worst team in the fourth quarter. The Wildcats, who were winless in league play, were outscored by a 53-7 margin.

Auburn, which also went 0-8 in the SEC, failed to score a fourth-quarter touchdown in eight league contests. The Tigers were outscored by a 45-3 margin.

Here’s how all 14 teams ranked in the fourth quarter (and any overtime periods) in league play:

1. Alabama: 76-28 (plus-48)
2. Florida: 61-20 (plus-41)
3. LSU: 61-38 (plus-23)
4. Georgia: 45-24 (plus-21)
5. Texas A&M: 64-50 (plus-14)
6. Mississippi State: 58-45 (plus-13)
7. Vanderbilt: 41-39 (plus-2)
8. South Carolina: 47-55 (minus-8)
9. Missouri: 69-78 (minus-9)
10. Tennessee: 62-78 (minus-16)
11. Arkansas: 34-51 (minus-17)
12. Ole Miss: 47-71 (minus-24)
13. Auburn: 3-45 (minus-42)
14. Kentucky: 7-53 (minus-46)
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Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Fair?


Tinker:

 Fair? The very meaning seem empty of truth these days.
How can we get fairness out of a treachery filled environment like this.
Where people keep stepping into the lower bowels of humanity. Spreading terror.

What kind of confession can we hope to hear from the trusted people,
who censor out how, what, when, and where,
for their own purpose.

As if god is not there.

Lying is the new art form of people pretending to know true wisdom.
Where all of us are
weighted down into a paralyzed moment in time.
Where no one person can change the way people have built this society.
Over entire lifetimes.
generations after generations

Structured like a sinful complication maze that no one can escape
We are stuck into a quicksand pulling us all under
ground.
Both the innocent and the damned
Much like the television shows that we look at,
day, after day.

Prayer is for real the only way out now.
That the lord might save us all in spite of ourselves?

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http://www.dandydon.com/

Dandy Don's LSU Sports Report

With only eight days remaining until National Signing Day, Tiger Fans will be eagerly eyeing the recruiting trail. I have confirmed that LSU is continuing to pursue Priest Willis and that Coach Les Miles made an in-home visit him yesterday. I think it’ll be hard for LSU to flip Willis from UCLA, but I fully expect LSU to pursue him until the very end as safety remains the biggest position of need in this year's class

According to reports, LSU’s most high-profile target, Robert Nkemdiche, has cancelled his scheduled visit to LSU and is set to commit to Ole Miss. As most of you know, Nkemdiche’s brother, Denzel, plays linebacker for the Rebels and his mother would very much like to have her boys on the same team. Make no mistake about it, Nkemdiche is a big target for LSU, but the good news is that LSU already has three outstanding defensive end prospects in this year’s class including Kendell Beckwith, Michael Patterson, Frank Herron, and Lewis Neal.

At this point, the other remaining Tiger targets that everyone is monitoring are Tashawn Bower, Eddie Jackson, Jamal Carter, Duke Riley, and Cethan Carter, but I would not be surprised at all to see another name or two surface between now and NSD.

In other football recruiting news, today I have continued revealing my list of Top Louisiana Prospects for the Class of 2014 by posting numbers four and five. One thing is certainly clear - Louisiana is loaded for 2014. The even better news is that LSU is in very good shape with many of the top prospects. I look for the 2014 signing class to be one of LSU's best ever. To check out my running list-in-progress, which currently includes numbers 6-50 and a brief description of each, please click here.

4. Speedy Noil (WR, 5'10", 175, Edna Karr)
5. Jacory Washington (6'5", 220, Westlake)


Read more...http://www.dandydon.com/
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http://www.lsureveille.com/sports/football/article_e62a7bae-69a9-11e2-9979-001a4bcf6878.html

The Reveille

Football: Jacory Washington embraces switch to tight end

Junior recruit making the transition to tight end
Posted on January 28, 2013
Shawn Demeritt
“There’s going to be a little different curve for him because he’s traditionally played wideout, and he’s going to have to learn to block defensive ends like Florida and Alabama have.”
Jacory Washington

Jacory Washington


The transition from high school competition to the college game is a difficult one for any football recruit.

For Jacory Washington, that transition has a more challenging curve.

The Rivals four-star recruit and ESPN watchlist member began making the move from wide receiver to tight end toward the end of his junior season, and now LSU is looking for him to man the position in a few years.

Washington, a class of 2014 recruit out of Westlake High School in Westlake, La., will be joining the Tigers in two years after committing to the program in January, but he’ll have some bulking up to do if he wants to live up to LSU’s expectations.

“The players [in the Southeastern Conference] are bigger, they’re faster and they’re stronger,” said Shawn Demeritt, Washington’s coach at Westlake. “There’s a learning curve for every kid. That’s just part of it. There’s going to be a little different curve for him because he’s traditionally played wideout, and he’s going to have to learn to block defensive ends like Florida and Alabama have.”

Throughout most of his career, Washington has found himself lining up against opposing defensive backs as a wide receiver. 

“He’s just kind of grown into a tight end body,” Demeritt said. “The last two games of the year, he started playing a little more tight end and started putting his hand down and started playing on the ball. He had 35 catches and seven touchdowns [as a wide receiver and tight end], and he’s going to be in a very similar situation next year.”

To properly make the transition to an SEC-caliber tight end, Washington will have to pack on the pounds. Washington currently stands at roughly 220 pounds. For comparison, two of the top receiving tight ends in the SEC last season, Florida’s Jordan Reed and Tennessee’s Mychal Rivera, weighed in at 243 and 244 pounds, respectively.

Demeritt said he doesn’t expect the recruit to grow much taller, but he is looking for the receiver to tilt the scale in the coming years.

“He’s mainly going to grow in terms of weight from here on out,” Demeritt said. “I’m expecting him to be at about 228 [pounds] by next season. When he gets to college, I expect him to be around 235 [pounds]. With all the weight training and nutrition programs they have [at LSU], he could easily weigh in at around 245 pounds his freshman year.”

That bodes well for the Tigers, and Washington appears to have the proper attitude to complete the transformation. 

Demeritt said Washington is easily coached, as the recruit also excels at basketball and is a member of the Westlake track team.

The Westlake coach boasted about the recruit’s personality, noting that Washington is the perfect person to take the next big step to the college level after his senior season.

“He’s a pretty laidback type of guy,” Demeritt said.
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http://sports.yahoo.com/news/ncaa-hopes-sports-science-center-002915142--ncaaf.html
Yahoo! sports

NCAA hopes sports science center helps with safety

By MICHAEL MAROT (AP Sports Writer) | The Associated Press


INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- The NCAA says it is committed to ensuring the safety of all college athletes and plans to open a national sports science institute to make playing sports safer.

The comments came in a statement emailed to The Associated Press on Monday night, the day after President Barack Obama acknowledged that if he had a son, he would have to think about letting him play football. The NCAA did not specifically address Obama's comments about football, choosing instead to address the broader issue.

''Student-athlete safety is one of our foundational principles,'' the statement read. ''Throughout its history, the association and its member institutions and conferences have specifically addressed the prevention of student-athlete injuries through a combination of playing rules, equipment requirements, medical best practices and policies.''

But now the governing body is taking a bold new step - starting the NCAA's Sports Science Institute, which will be run by Dr. Brian Hainline, a neurologist with extensive sports medicine expertise. He was hired as the NCAA's first chief medical officer in October so he could lead the center.

''In an effort to identify solutions and opportunities to ensure student-athlete health and safety, the NCAA will continue to lead extensive outreach and collaboration with the medical, scientific and athletics communities,'' the NCAA said. ''This Institute will function as a national resource to provide safety, health and medical expertise and research for coaches, medical staff, and athletics administrators, including a national task force for collegiate football safety.''

This isn't the first time college football has come under fire from an American president.

In 1905, with violence on the rise, President Theodore Roosevelt asked football coaches from Harvard, Princeton and Yale to visit the White House. There, he encouraged them to reform the game, and that winter, they created the organization that became the NCAA and legalized the forward pass.

The change worked.

Within two decades, the popularity of college football was so great it led to the formation of a pro league that would be renamed the National Football League in 1922.

Now, Obama is weighing in.

''I think that those of us who love the sport are going to have to wrestle with the fact that it will probably change gradually to try to reduce some of the violence,'' Obama told The New Republic.

''In some cases, that may make it a little bit less exciting, but it will be a whole lot better for the players, and those of us who are fans maybe won't have to examine our consciences quite as much.''

College football, however, drew some of Obama's greatest criticism.

''The NFL players have a union, they're grown men, they can make some of these decisions on their own, and most of them are well-compensated for the violence they do to their bodies,'' Obama said. ''You read some of these stories about college players who undergo some of these same problems with concussions and so forth and then have nothing to fall back on. That's something that I'd like to see the NCAA think about.''

The recent emphasis has been on concussion awareness.

Some schools, such as Indiana and Virginia Tech, have used sensors inside players' helmets to measure the impact of hits to a player's head. Both the NFL and the NCAA have instituted stricter policies about allowing players to return from concussions, and both the NFL and NCAA have been named in concussion-related lawsuits.

The movement has even trickled down to youth football.

USA Football, an organization backed by the NFL, has introduced the Heads Up program - an online educational program for parents, youth coaches and commissioners that teaches proper tackling techniques they hope will lead to fewer concussions. In March, USA Football, which is based in Indianapolis, plans to bring more than 20 current and former coaches to Indy to help train a group of ''master trainers'' that will help more than 100 youth leagues across the nation.

Some players at the Super Bowl said they had no problem letting their sons play football. Count former NFL offensive lineman Tony Boselli among that group. He responded to Obama's comments on Twitter, by writing: ''Interesting, I do have boys and I am thinking long & hard about them getting near politics. No problem them playing football.''

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http://espn.go.com/college-football/

The Relationship Game

Ace recruiters like Tosh Lupoi know the importance of building relationships. That could change in the wake of new rules. Max Olson »Recruiting pipelines InsiderHead coaches on the trail InsiderMore »
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Tinker Town Tiger: College football schedules really don't matter to the sports news media today. Because they think that god himself is not there. Fairness to them is now out of the modern day question.
Are you looking at them. That is what truly matters to them. College football, Politics, law & order, what does that matter? And if the higher institutions of learning can't play along. That is just to bad?
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http://espn.go.com/blog/ncfnation/post/_/id/76499/congressmen-want-psu-scholarships-back

College Football Nation Blog

Congressmen want PSU scholarships back

January, 28, 2013

By Brian Bennett | ESPN.c

The NCAA is facing more political pressure to lessen its unprecedented sanctions against Penn State.

The Associated Press reports that Pennsylvania congressmen Charles Dent and Glenn Thompson co-authored a letter to NCAA president Mark Emmert asking that the 40 football scholarships taken away from the Nittany Lions be restored. The scholarship reductions were part of the heavy sanctions Emmert levied against Penn State for the Jerry Sandusky scandal.


Dent and Thompson argued in the letter that the loss of scholarships only deny opportunities and do nothing to punish those associated with the scandal.


"I want to make it clear to the NCAA who they are really hurting with this scholarship reduction," Dent said in the letter. "It’s not Jerry Sandusky and it’s not the University. They are hurting young people who are completely innocent of anything relating to the Sandusky situation and who through no fault of their own are being denied a chance to get a great education.”


This latest action comes on the heels of a federal lawsuit filed by Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett, who is seeking to overturn the NCAA sanctions. And, of course, the NCAA is under fire for how it botched the Miami investigation, announcing last week that an enforcement officer acted improperly and forcing the organization to investigate itself. The NCAA might not look too popular in many courtrooms these days.


Will any of these things wind up lessening Penn State's burden? It's very difficult to say. We must note that the school itself is not a part of these proceedings and agreed not to appeal when university leaders signed the consent decree accepting the penalties. So this is entirely externally driven, and there's no doubt that politics are playing a major role here.

Emmert seized unprecedented power to levy the sanctions against the Nittany Lions, so it's hard to see him giving in now. Then again, his power may be fading after a series of missteps. We've never seen anything like the penalties handed out to Penn State before. Who's to say we won't be surprised again in this case?


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http://espn.go.com/blog/sec/post/_/id/59861/florida-alabama-top-recruiting-rankings

SEC Blog

Florida, Alabama top recruiting rankings

January, 28, 2013

By Chris Low | ESPN.com

We're a little more than a week away from national signing day, and the latest team recruiting rankings by ESPN are dominated by SEC schools.


There are still several highly rated uncommitted prospects that could impact the final rankings, and there are always going to be those prospects who change their mind at the last minute.


But right now, ESPN has Florida's class ranked No. 1 nationally and Alabama's class ranked No. 2.


Texas A&M is No. 6, LSU No. 7 and Georgia No. 9 to give the SEC five teams in the top 10.


One of the fastest rising schools in the rankings is Ole Miss at No. 13. The Rebels are thought to be the leader for defensive end Robert Nkemdiche, the country's No. 1 overall prospect, while five-star offensive tackle prospect Laremy Tunsil is now giving the Rebels strong consideration after visiting Ole Miss last weekend.


Auburn moved up a spot to No. 15 after flipping ESPN 300 receivers Tony Stevens from Texas A&M and Dominic Walker from Nebraska.


Here's the latest rundown of the SEC schools ranked in ESPN's top 40

  • 1. Florida
  • 2. Alabama
  • 6. Texas A&M
  • 7. LSU
  • 9. Georgia
  • 13. Ole Miss
  • 15. Auburn
  • 17. South Carolina
  • 21. Vanderbilt
  • 27. Mississippi State
  • 33. Tennessee
  • 36. Missouri
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http://espn.go.com/blog/sec/post/_/id/59857/trivia-time-for-spurrier-gamecocks

SEC Blog

Trivia time for Spurrier, Gamecocks

January, 28, 2013

By Chris Low | ESPN.com

As long as Steve Spurrier is around, South Carolina is always going to be relevant.


That’s one of the perks when Spurrier is your coach.


He’s the quintessential newsmaker, as we were again reminded of this past weekend. Spurrier played a little trivia with media members at halftime of the Gamecocks’ basketball game and wanted to know if anybody could name the four teams (from BCS conferences) who’d won 11 or more games each of the past two years.


The answer: Alabama, Oregon, Stanford and … South Carolina.


A couple of media members answered correctly, and Spurrier rewarded them each with $100 from his own pocket.


I need to make sure I get in on that action the next time I’m in Columbia. Maybe we can set up our own little SEC-based Trivial Pursuit game.


First question: How many SEC schools have won 11 or more games in three straight seasons since the league expanded and split into divisions in 1992?

The answer: Only one. LSU did it in 2005-2007. The Tigers won 11 in 2005, 11 in 2006 and 12 in 2007.

Not even Alabama has had three straight 11-win seasons under Nick Saban, and Florida didn’t do it, either, under Urban Meyer. For that matter, Spurrier didn’t win 11 in three straight seasons at Florida during his first tour through the league when he led the Gators to four straight SEC championships from 1993-96.


“For South Carolina to be in the same neighborhood with (Alabama, Oregon and Stanford), that’s sort of neat,” Spurrier said. “Certainly, we’re fired up about what we’ve been able to do the last couple of years as far as total wins.


“We need to start winning some more Eastern Division championships, and hopefully, an SEC [championship] someday soon.”


Spurrier doesn’t need any history lessons on how difficult it is to continue winning at the rate the Gamecocks have the last two seasons, especially given the fact that South Carolina had never won more than 10 games in a season until 2011.


“We know we’ve got to scrap, fight and claw and win close games,” said Spurrier, who was quick to point out that the Gamecocks weren’t going to out-talent two-time defending national champion Alabama.


“We don't have four or five first-round picks like Alabama, and we're not going to out-recruit Alabama. So we've got to play well. We've got to play smart, disciplined and really take advantage of all of our chances and all that stuff if we're going to continue winning 11 games."

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They are not kidding?

http://espn.go.com/blog/playbook/trending/post/_/id/13583/new-orleans-is-ready-for-super-bowl-week

New Orleans is ready for Super Bowl week

By Bill Speros | Special to ESPN.com

LSU is losing 10 underclassmen to the NFL draft. What are your thoughts on the Tigers in 2013?

“Our recruiting continues to be tremendous. We’ve just finalized Les Miles' new contract extension [which will pay him $4.3 million annually, up from $3.751 million through 2019]. One of the hardest things in sports is taking over for a legend -- and Nick [Saban] was a legend. Under Miles' period, LSU moved up to second in the SEC behind Vanderbilt in graduation rate of players. The players love the guy. Do we all have our moments when his quirks come out and leave us scratching our heads? Yes. But he has a kind of quirkiness people like in Louisiana. He's a character. He's very good with parents and players, and he’s very good with their academic requirements.”

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