DESTIN, Fla. – Alabama coach Nick Saban hasn’t held back from talking about his disdain for placing only conference champions in a four-team playoff. He’s very much for a four-team playoff, but he won’t go for one that alienates teams by only picking the top four conference champions.
The whole reason any of this playoff talk even started is because people outside of the game are passionate about seeing one in college football. To take away the chance for the four BEST teams to play makes no sense to Saban.
The whole reason any of this playoff talk even started is because people outside of the game are passionate about seeing one in college football. To take away the chance for the four BEST teams to play makes no sense to Saban.
SEC power will grow with four-team playoff
May, 30, 2012
5/30/12
1:03
PM ET
By
Edward Aschoff | ESPN.com
DESTIN, Fla. -- The idea of having a four-team playoff drifted into the 2012 SEC spring meetings and was met with a resounding "yes."
You would have been hard-pressed to find anyone toting an ounce of SEC pride who didn't like the idea of having the four best teams in the country playing for a chance to go to the national championship at season's end.
“I think the event is spectacular," LSU coach Les Miles said of a Final Four-like ending to the college football season. "Any play that is tournament-style and ends with a championship is preferred."
And one reason it's really preferred around these parts is that it'll give the SEC an even better shot at competing -- and winning -- more national championships. The conference dripping with power, confidence and championships stacked on championships wants more of those three things and believes it'll get them with this playoff model.
"If you take four teams that have won a conference championship, it will be a guarantee that only one of us could go," Georgia coach Mark Richt said. "If you had it the other way, we’d have a shot of two going. You can say it any way you want, but that’s kind of what everyone’s talking about. We also could be shut out in that scenario as well.”
Hence why Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany had been so outspoken about having a four-team playoff constructed purely of conference champions. He knew it would somewhat level the playing field with the mighty SEC. More chances for the SEC means fewer for the Big Ten -- and Delany wanted to ensure Alabama-LSU never happened again.
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Derick E. Hingle/US PresswireLSU coach Les Miles is among those who doesn't want a playoff restricted to conference champions.
But at the heart of this fight, the SEC is concerned with continuing its dominance. And coaches know that. Even if their school hasn't sniffed the BCS national championship game during its existence, they're still going to side with what benefits the league as a whole and generates a more powerful brand that it's attached to.
While Alabama coach Nick Saban called those clamoring for the conference champion mode "self-absorbed," the SEC is guilty of being a little self-absorbed as well.
"I'm not a fan of a four-team playoff if it only includes conference champions," Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze said. "That's a negative for our conference. Our conference has proven it's possible that we should have two teams in it. So, I'm not in favor of anything that rules us not having more than one team in [the playoff]."
Under Delany's original idea, Alabama wouldn't be coming off its second national title in three years. But it also means LSU might have its second under Miles. Yet Miles, who would have benefited from not facing Alabama in the last BCS national championship, is against the conference championship idea.
"I want to be the team that wins the conference, plays the best teams that they can play, sees the best team in the championship game and wins it for the championship," Miles said. "Simply put: We wanted to play the best team in the country when we got there. And doggone it, we did."
SEC coaches know that a four-team playoff (or really any playoff at all) gives this conference an even better shot at maintaining the league's supremacy at a steady rate. The SEC has won six consecutive titles and could very well win its seventh this season. But if a playoff does come -- and it could come as soon as 2014 -- the SEC wants to make sure it's covered and has the opportunity get into that playoff each and every year.
The SEC won't win national titles forever. The streak is bound to end sooner or later, but the day a playoff comes where multiple SEC teams have a chance to get in, real fear will manifest itself throughout the rest of the college football world.
"I think it needs to be the four best teams in the country," Florida coach Will Muschamp said. "I don’t think it needs to be the conference champions because in our league, we might have four of the best teams in the country.”
SEC hopes to have schedule format Friday
May, 30, 2012
5/30/12
1:02
PM ET
By
Edward Aschoff | ESPN.com
DESTIN, Fla. -- When SEC commissioner Mike Slive and the rest of the SEC elites leave the 2012 SEC spring meetings later this week, the hope is that there will be a concrete scheduling format for the 2013 football season and possibly beyond.
The addition of Missouri and Texas A&M means teams will have to play six divisional games instead of five, making things a little complicated.
Right now, it looks as though the most likely format, which could be set as early as Friday, will be a 6-1-1 model. That gives teams six divisional games, one permanent crossover game and rotating crossover. The rotating crossover no longer would be a traditional two-year home-and-home series. It simply would be a one-year rotation. It’s the same model that will be used for the 2012 season.
LSU coach Les Miles said he’d like the structure of future SEC schedules to be “definable,” and wouldn’t mind if the league re-examined how it chose permanent crossovers.
"Legitimately tell me about how you're picking crossover games,” Miles said at the spring meetings Tuesday. “Is it the best team in the East, the best team in the West, top three and top three? OK, if you guys want to do that, let's do that. It might change the matches, but if you want to say, 'Well, we really are going to seed the best teams versus the lesser teams,' well, OK, let's do that, but define the structure and let's stay with it.
“In my mind, here’s what happened: They added two teams this go-round, and very conceivably they could add another two. So let’s build a structure that’s desirable and helps build toward a champion.”
Slive said talks would become more detailed as the week continued, and while he wouldn’t go into detail about formats or permanent opponents, he did say he sensed that most of the schools wanted to keep their permanent crossover games.
Those games likely would be Alabama-Tennessee, Arkansas-Missouri, Auburn-Georgia, Florida-LSU, Kentucky-Mississippi State, Ole Miss-Vanderbilt and Texas A&M-South Carolina. However, there has been talk of the Florida-LSU series possibly not being renewed.
Missouri coach Gary Pinkel said he expects Arkansas to become Mizzou’s permanent crossover, which should help create a rivalry between the two schools.
"That's what I'm told is probably going to happen," Pinkel said. "To me, just tell me who our rival is, and then they'll be our rival. Obviously, we're adjacent to [Arkansas]. Obviously, we've been associated with [Texas A&M] for years. That's above me. Nobody has asked me for my opinion."
Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen and Ole Miss’ Hugh Freeze said they’d prefer to keep their schools' current permanent Eastern Division opponents -- Kentucky and Vanderbilt, respectively.
“Having that, it gives you a little bit of a rivalry,” Mullen said about playing Kentucky each year. “I do think in the last three years being there … you see that rivalry spill over. I know in basketball it is that way for everybody, but because we play them every year in football, because there’s that familiarity it spills into basketball, it spills into baseball.
“That works for us, and geographically it works for us as far as East teams go.”
Added Freeze: “I’d like to continue with Vandy. That’s been a healthy rivalry game. In recent pasts it’s been very equal, and it’s a good game for fans to watch. We’ve got a lot of people in Nashville, and we recruit that area, and it’s just good for us and good for them.”
CBSSports.com reported Tuesday that the SEC will create a model for the next 12 years, but Slive told reporters Tuesday that wasn’t necessarily the case.
"That's a long time," Slive said. "I'm not sure that's what we'll do."
What seems sure is that the league won’t go to a nine-game conference schedule. It essentially forces the conference champion to play 10 SEC games, and adding just one more to the regular season has drawn little interest from coaches.
“None at all,” Freeze said. “Not from me.”
The addition of Missouri and Texas A&M means teams will have to play six divisional games instead of five, making things a little complicated.
Right now, it looks as though the most likely format, which could be set as early as Friday, will be a 6-1-1 model. That gives teams six divisional games, one permanent crossover game and rotating crossover. The rotating crossover no longer would be a traditional two-year home-and-home series. It simply would be a one-year rotation. It’s the same model that will be used for the 2012 season.
LSU coach Les Miles said he’d like the structure of future SEC schedules to be “definable,” and wouldn’t mind if the league re-examined how it chose permanent crossovers.
"Legitimately tell me about how you're picking crossover games,” Miles said at the spring meetings Tuesday. “Is it the best team in the East, the best team in the West, top three and top three? OK, if you guys want to do that, let's do that. It might change the matches, but if you want to say, 'Well, we really are going to seed the best teams versus the lesser teams,' well, OK, let's do that, but define the structure and let's stay with it.
“In my mind, here’s what happened: They added two teams this go-round, and very conceivably they could add another two. So let’s build a structure that’s desirable and helps build toward a champion.”
Slive said talks would become more detailed as the week continued, and while he wouldn’t go into detail about formats or permanent opponents, he did say he sensed that most of the schools wanted to keep their permanent crossover games.
Those games likely would be Alabama-Tennessee, Arkansas-Missouri, Auburn-Georgia, Florida-LSU, Kentucky-Mississippi State, Ole Miss-Vanderbilt and Texas A&M-South Carolina. However, there has been talk of the Florida-LSU series possibly not being renewed.
Missouri coach Gary Pinkel said he expects Arkansas to become Mizzou’s permanent crossover, which should help create a rivalry between the two schools.
"That's what I'm told is probably going to happen," Pinkel said. "To me, just tell me who our rival is, and then they'll be our rival. Obviously, we're adjacent to [Arkansas]. Obviously, we've been associated with [Texas A&M] for years. That's above me. Nobody has asked me for my opinion."
Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen and Ole Miss’ Hugh Freeze said they’d prefer to keep their schools' current permanent Eastern Division opponents -- Kentucky and Vanderbilt, respectively.
“Having that, it gives you a little bit of a rivalry,” Mullen said about playing Kentucky each year. “I do think in the last three years being there … you see that rivalry spill over. I know in basketball it is that way for everybody, but because we play them every year in football, because there’s that familiarity it spills into basketball, it spills into baseball.
“That works for us, and geographically it works for us as far as East teams go.”
Added Freeze: “I’d like to continue with Vandy. That’s been a healthy rivalry game. In recent pasts it’s been very equal, and it’s a good game for fans to watch. We’ve got a lot of people in Nashville, and we recruit that area, and it’s just good for us and good for them.”
CBSSports.com reported Tuesday that the SEC will create a model for the next 12 years, but Slive told reporters Tuesday that wasn’t necessarily the case.
"That's a long time," Slive said. "I'm not sure that's what we'll do."
What seems sure is that the league won’t go to a nine-game conference schedule. It essentially forces the conference champion to play 10 SEC games, and adding just one more to the regular season has drawn little interest from coaches.
“None at all,” Freeze said. “Not from me.”
Kipp Adams of ESPN.com's DawgNation joined 680 The Fan on Wednesday morning to talk about the art of recruiting in 2012 with Chuck Dowdle on the Georgia Bulldog Roundtable. Athletic director Greg McGarity was also on to discuss college football playoffs and the latest regarding the pending contract extension for head coach Mark Richt.
Listen to the show here.
Listen to the show here.
DESTIN, Fla. -- The 2012 SEC spring meetings get under way on Tuesday at the Sandestin Hilton.
The SEC football coaches, men’s and women’s basketball coaches and athletic directors will meet over the next two days, while the presidents and chancellors arrive later in the week.
But there's more to this week in the Sunshine State than just checking out that white sand and the blue ocean. There's a little business that needs to be discussed.
The SEC football coaches, men’s and women’s basketball coaches and athletic directors will meet over the next two days, while the presidents and chancellors arrive later in the week.
But there's more to this week in the Sunshine State than just checking out that white sand and the blue ocean. There's a little business that needs to be discussed.
The annual SEC meetings are underway, so there was a lot for DawgNation’s Radi Nabulsi to talk about on ESPN’s Athens affiliate 960 The Ref on Tuesday morning. With playoffs and scheduling on the agenda, this year’s meetings should be very interesting. Some of the topics discussed in this podcast were:
- Did Georgia hire Daryl Jones just to land the nation’s top recruit, Robert Nkemdiche?
- What are the priority topics at the SEC meetings in Destin, Fla.?
- What is the future of the Georgia-Auburn series?
- What will recent Georgia commit Brandon Kublanow bring to the program?
Rossville, Ga. -- Less than three miles from the Tennessee border, coaches from Auburn and Tennessee watch as defensive back Vonn Bell (Rossville, Ga./Ridgeland) makes it look easy against his teammates during the school’s spring scrimmage. Three carries result in three spectacular touchdown plays for the 6-foot, 185-pound ESPN 150 athlete, who would also make his presence known on defense with a couple bone-jarring hits before letting the backups take over.
For Bell, who is coming off an All-State season in which he made 180 tackles, five interceptions, three forced fumbles and three recoveries for touchdowns on defense, as well as 37 rushes for 280 yards and five touchdowns, 31 catches for 487 yards and six touchdowns on offense, it was just another day at the office.
More than 15 programs made the trip in the last month to Rossville to evaluate Bell, who has done his best to return the favor, making trips to Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Georgia, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Tennessee, Texas and Vanderbilt this year. It is all part of a process that Bell and his parents take seriously.
For Bell, who is coming off an All-State season in which he made 180 tackles, five interceptions, three forced fumbles and three recoveries for touchdowns on defense, as well as 37 rushes for 280 yards and five touchdowns, 31 catches for 487 yards and six touchdowns on offense, it was just another day at the office.
More than 15 programs made the trip in the last month to Rossville to evaluate Bell, who has done his best to return the favor, making trips to Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Georgia, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Tennessee, Texas and Vanderbilt this year. It is all part of a process that Bell and his parents take seriously.
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ATHENS, Ga. -- Coaches and administrators have had this week’s SEC spring meetings circled for months, with hopes of resolving many of the logistical issues related to the league’s expanded membership.
“I’m excited for it to be over,” Georgia athletic director Greg McGarity joked about the how scheduling has become more complicated in adding Texas A&M and Missouri to the league. “How many times have we talked about it? We’ve talked about it in Phoenix, Nashville, New Orleans. We’ve gone through it and now’s where we can finally put it to rest for hopefully a 12-year period with football.”
If only that were the end of the wrangling.
“I’m excited for it to be over,” Georgia athletic director Greg McGarity joked about the how scheduling has become more complicated in adding Texas A&M and Missouri to the league. “How many times have we talked about it? We’ve talked about it in Phoenix, Nashville, New Orleans. We’ve gone through it and now’s where we can finally put it to rest for hopefully a 12-year period with football.”
If only that were the end of the wrangling.
ATHENS, Ga. -- Georgia’s baseball team will learn its NCAA tournament fate on Monday.
Thanks to wins against some of the nation’s highest-ranked teams, the Bulldogs (31-26, 14-15 SEC) still have an outside shot at an at-large regional bid, although they severely damaged their chances by losing their last four games -- the final two games of the regular season against a horrendous Alabama team and both games at the SEC tournament.
“We’ve got quality wins,” Georgia coach David Perno said. “We’ve beaten everybody at least once that we played. So it’s a situation where it’s out of our hands. I know we could’ve done a better job on our end. [We were] in control of it and right now it’s out of our hands.”
Thanks to wins against some of the nation’s highest-ranked teams, the Bulldogs (31-26, 14-15 SEC) still have an outside shot at an at-large regional bid, although they severely damaged their chances by losing their last four games -- the final two games of the regular season against a horrendous Alabama team and both games at the SEC tournament.
“We’ve got quality wins,” Georgia coach David Perno said. “We’ve beaten everybody at least once that we played. So it’s a situation where it’s out of our hands. I know we could’ve done a better job on our end. [We were] in control of it and right now it’s out of our hands.”
Solid recruiting boosts early top-5 ranking
May, 25, 2012
5/25/12
2:29
PM ET
By DawgNation staff | ESPN.com
Last week, ESPN college football writer Mark Schlabach dropped his third edition of the Way-Too-Early Preseason Top 25. Recruiting Nation decided to get together and take a look at how those top 25 teams are faring so far on the recruiting trails.
Fresh off a 10-win season, the University of Georgia, with nine starters returning from its Top 5 defense and a favorable schedule. comes in at No. 5 on the list. Check out how the Bulldogs, along with the rest of the list, are doing in filling their needs with the top prospects in the 2013 class.
Fresh off a 10-win season, the University of Georgia, with nine starters returning from its Top 5 defense and a favorable schedule. comes in at No. 5 on the list. Check out how the Bulldogs, along with the rest of the list, are doing in filling their needs with the top prospects in the 2013 class.
For a big, bruising running back, it doesn’t get much better than the University of Alabama. The Crimson Tide have produced two first-round backs in the last two years, and they have a stable of players in the backfield this year who could potentially get drafted.
That’s why Derrick Henry, a 6-foot-3, 240-pound athlete who’s set on playing running back, has taken interest in Alabama. Henry committed to Georgia last July, but UA has started to pick up its recruitment in recent weeks, and it’s hard to look past the Tide’s track record.
“It speaks for itself,” Henry said. “Mark [Ingram] and Trent [Richardson] both went in the first round. Mark won the Heisman for the first time for their school, and Trent brought home the Doak Walker Award. Mark had a pretty good year in the pros, and I’m sure Trent will do just as well.”
That’s why Derrick Henry, a 6-foot-3, 240-pound athlete who’s set on playing running back, has taken interest in Alabama. Henry committed to Georgia last July, but UA has started to pick up its recruitment in recent weeks, and it’s hard to look past the Tide’s track record.
“It speaks for itself,” Henry said. “Mark [Ingram] and Trent [Richardson] both went in the first round. Mark won the Heisman for the first time for their school, and Trent brought home the Doak Walker Award. Mark had a pretty good year in the pros, and I’m sure Trent will do just as well.”
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It has been a long trip for juco receiver Corey Smith (Scooba, Miss./East Mississippi C.C.), but he is nearing the day he can finally enroll at a Division I school.
Smith is at East Mississippi CC after switching from Grand Rapids CC in Michigan when the football program was shut down.
He will only have to play one season at East Mississippi, though, and he will enroll at a Division I program in January.
Smith is at East Mississippi CC after switching from Grand Rapids CC in Michigan when the football program was shut down.
He will only have to play one season at East Mississippi, though, and he will enroll at a Division I program in January.
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PLANT CITY, Fla. -- With several college coaches on hand to watch Armwood take on Plant City in a spring jamboree Thursday night, four-star wide receiver and ESPN 150 member Alvin Bailey (Seffner, Fla./Armwood) proved that he is one of the top receivers in the Southeast.
Bailey, who has committed to play in the Under Armor All-America Game next January, totaled three receptions for 73 yards, including a 25-yard touchdown catch, despite playing just more than one quarter. Thursday's game was scheduled to go for one half but was cut short because of lightning in the surrounding area.
Florida offensive coordinator Brent Pease and defensive backs coach Travaris Robinson were on hand to watch Bailey and his teammate Leon McQuay III. The Gators have three wide receiver commits and have yet to offer a scholarship to Bailey. Ranked as the No. 49 prospect in the country, Bailey says it may be too late for Florida to get back in the picture -- even if they do offer.
Bailey, who has committed to play in the Under Armor All-America Game next January, totaled three receptions for 73 yards, including a 25-yard touchdown catch, despite playing just more than one quarter. Thursday's game was scheduled to go for one half but was cut short because of lightning in the surrounding area.
Florida offensive coordinator Brent Pease and defensive backs coach Travaris Robinson were on hand to watch Bailey and his teammate Leon McQuay III. The Gators have three wide receiver commits and have yet to offer a scholarship to Bailey. Ranked as the No. 49 prospect in the country, Bailey says it may be too late for Florida to get back in the picture -- even if they do offer.
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GREENSBORO, Ga. -- The future of the University of Georgia-affiliated Nationwide Tour golf event remains unsettled according to UGA president Michael Adams.
Earlier this month, the UGA Golf Course hosted the Stadion Classic at UGA for the third year in a three-year contract. Now the university must determine whether it makes financial sense to re-sign as a tournament host with the satellite golf tour.
“There are three moving parts: We are a moving part, the tour itself is a moving part and our major sponsor. We are in discussions with all of those groups right now and we hope to have that worked out,” Adams said at the UGA Athletic Association’s annual board of directors meeting on Thursday.
Earlier this month, the UGA Golf Course hosted the Stadion Classic at UGA for the third year in a three-year contract. Now the university must determine whether it makes financial sense to re-sign as a tournament host with the satellite golf tour.
“There are three moving parts: We are a moving part, the tour itself is a moving part and our major sponsor. We are in discussions with all of those groups right now and we hope to have that worked out,” Adams said at the UGA Athletic Association’s annual board of directors meeting on Thursday.
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GREENSBORO, Ga. -- Georgia athletic director Greg McGarity proposed more than $1 million in renovations to Foley Field in a presentation before the UGA Athletic Association Board of Directors on Thursday. He revealed after the board meeting that baseball coach David Perno will be around to see those renovations.
Although Perno’s Bulldogs (31-26, 14-15 SEC) are at risk of missing the NCAA tournament after losing their last four games -- the last two of the regular season at hapless Alabama and both games in the SEC tournament -- McGarity confirmed that he wants Perno to remain as Georgia’s coach.
“We’ll sit down at the end of the season,” McGarity said. “Dave will be back next year. It’s not even an issue.”
Although Perno’s Bulldogs (31-26, 14-15 SEC) are at risk of missing the NCAA tournament after losing their last four games -- the last two of the regular season at hapless Alabama and both games in the SEC tournament -- McGarity confirmed that he wants Perno to remain as Georgia’s coach.
“We’ll sit down at the end of the season,” McGarity said. “Dave will be back next year. It’s not even an issue.”
ABOUT THIS BLOG
David Ching
David Ching came to ESPN.com in 2011 after six years covering UGA for the Columbus (Ga.) Ledger-Enquirer and Athens (Ga.) Banner-Herald. He lives in Athens. Email him at davidchingespn@gmail.com.
Radi Nabulsi
Radi Nabulsi joined ESPN.com in 2011 after covering the University of Georgia for Rivals.com for four years and for the UGA Athletic Association since 1993. Nabulsi is a graduate of the University of Georgia's Grady College of Journalism and lives in Athens. He can be reached at radinabulsiespn@gmail.com.
Kipp Adams
Kipp Adams joined ESPN.com in 2011 after covering University of Georgia football and basketball recruiting for five years at Rivals.com. He lives in Sandy Springs, Ga., and enjoys spending time with his two sons. He can be reached at kippadamsespn@gmail.com.