Category: College Football

DESTIN, Fla. — Among the certainties this time of year in the Florida Gulf are seafood, surf and a passing rain shower each afternoon. At least there are some guarantees this week at the 2023 SEC spring meetings.

Just don’t ask about the biggest debate at Hilton Sandestin Beach Resort this side of grouper or sea bass for dinner.

SEC officials are inching closer to doing essentially nothing when it comes to deciding whether to start playing nine conference games beginning in 2024. For reasons large and small, SEC presidents are likely to stay at eight games Thursday when the issue is scheduled to be voted upon, CBS Sports has learned.

The SEC will most likely decide on a temporarily stay at eight games before reconsidering its options in a year or two.

It appears only five schools of the SEC’s 14 current members support a nine-game league slate: Florida, Georgia, LSU, Missouri and Texas A&M. A simple majority of eight schools is needed for a deciding vote in either direction.

Chief among the obstacles of adding an additional conference matchup is uncertainty whether ESPN will pay for a total of eight extra games in 2024, once Texas and Oklahoma join the league. Also being considered are the additional game’s impact on College Football Playoff contention, bowl eligibility and the bottom line.

Some schools would make eight figures in additional ticket revenue by playing an extra home game every other year as part of that nine-game schedule. Despite that windfall, a majority of programs question the benefit of playing a ninth game.

“The one that hit me: [The system is] not broke,” Arkansas coach Sam Pittman said. “Georgia has won it the last two years. Alabama before that.”

And LSU before that. In fact, the SEC has won 13 of the…

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How getting cut by eight teams made Tanney a better coach originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

If he hadn’t been released by the Chiefs, he never would have landed in Dallas and worked with Wade Wilson. And if he hadn’t been cut by the Cowboys, he never would have landed in Cleveland and gotten to work with Shane Steichen. And if the Browns didn’t release him, he never would have found himself in Tampa with Josh McCown.

And on and on.

And then off to Tennessee with offensive coordinator Jason Michael and quarterback Marcus Mariota and then to Buffalo with Greg Roman and then over to Indy with Andrew Luck and Matt Hasselbeck and then to the Giants with Pat Shurmur and Mike Shula and Eli Manning.

Every stop was a crash course in how to be a quarterback. Every city was an opportunity to learn a new scheme and a new way of looking at offensive football. Every coach and every quarterback he met along the way was a sounding board, someone to learn from.

And there were a lot of them.

Add it all up? And you have the Eagles’ new quarterbacks coach.

“I was with eight teams in nine years,” Alex Tanney said. “Twelve head coaches, 12 offensive coordinators, so just a little bit different perspective than some coaches. So many different philosophies, and seeing things in a different lens than others and just trying to share that experience with the guys in our room.”

Tanney’s playing career was long but uneventful. By the time he retired after nine seasons, he had thrown 15 passes, completing 11 for 100 yards and a touchdown to Dorial Green-Beckham of all people for the Titans against the Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium on the final day of the 2016 season.

But while he was bouncing around from team to team, the seeds were being planted for a much more impactful career.

He knew quickly his true calling was…

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USATSI

Every league is a copycat league these days, and that includes social media marketing. When three-star wide receiver recruit Ernest Campbell tweeted out a graphic touting Auburn’s proximity to Buc-ee’s, he had no idea what he was starting.

As part of their recruiting pitch to Campbell, Auburn wanted the young wideout to know that he would not be far from Buc-ee’s, a popular gas and convenience store chain throughout SEC country. Campbell grew up in Texas, where there are numerous Buc-ee’s locations, but Auburn is the only SEC town that the beaver calls home.

Campbell tweeted out the recruiting graphic that the Tigers sent him, and a number of other teams followed suit.

One of the first to jump on the trend was Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin, who noted that Oxford is the only SEC school with a nearby Chevron that sells chicken on a stick.

After that, it was a free-for-all. USF head coach Alex Golesh boasted about the on-campus Publix, Memphis bragged about the Bass Pro Shops pyramid, and South Carolina wanted recruits to know that they could get postgame meals at Waffle House and Bojangle’s. Even the MLB’s Seattle Mariners got in on the act.

USF Bulls

Memphis Tigers

South Carolina Gamecocks

Ohio Bobcats

Seattle Mariners

There have been many copycats, and there will likely be more. However, Auburn deserves credit for being first to the punch.

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Hugh Freeze inherited a roster that needed a massive injection of talent if the Auburn Tigers were going to compete in the SEC in his first year on the Plains.

Well, he went out and got the talent and on Thursday the Tigers were named a winner of the spring transfer portal by Ralph D. Russo of the Associated Press.

Auburn has brought in quarterback Payton Thorne (Michigan State) and wide receivers Shane Hooks (Jackson State), Caleb Burton (Ohio State) and Jyaire Shorter (North Texas) to fix a passing attack that was one of the worst in the SEC last season.

While Thorne struggled last season, Russo points out that his 19 touchdown passes were over double the nine that Auburn managed.

The Tigers also added offensive lineman Jaden Muskrat, who started for offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery at Tulsa last season.

It wasn’t just the offense that got reinforcements though, they added linebackers Jalen McLeod (App State) and Larry Nixon III (North Texas) and defensive end Stephen Sings V (Liberty) to shore up the front seven on defense.

McLeod and Sings are both expected to help rush the passer at the Jack linebacker spot as defensive coordinator Rob Roberts looks to create more “havoc” plays.

Nixon, who made 105 tackles last season, will help shore up the middle of the defense.

More Football!

Cam Newton listed as No. 2 quarterback of the 2000s according to ESPN

Where Auburn, rest of the SEC rank in ESPN’s post-spring SP+ ranking

Former Auburn QB finds new home within the ACC

Local DL target Malik Blocton projected to Auburn

Five Tigers named to Athlon Sports All-SEC preseason team

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow JD on Twitter @jdmccarthy15.

Story originally appeared on Auburn Wire

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Getty Images

Georgia wide receiver Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint was arrested Tuesday on reckless driving and speeding charges. He was booked by the Athens-Clarke County Police Department and posted bond less than one hour later, according to The Athletic.

Rosemy-Jacksaint is the fourth Bulldogs player to be arrested on a driving-related charge this offseason and fifth since the start of the 2022 season.

Defensive tackle Jalen Carter was arrested March 1 ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft Combine and charged with reckless driving and street racing. The charges stemmed from a January incident involving team staffer Chandler LeCroy, who crashed her vehicle and died in the alleged street race, as did Bulldogs offensive lineman Devin Willock.

Carter pled no contest to charges and was given 12 months probation, a $1,000 fine, 80 hours of community service and was required to complete a stand-mandated defensive driving course. 

Willock’s father filed a $40 million wrongful death lawsuit against the Georgia Athletic Association related to the deadly crash. The lawsuit alleges Carter had a “pattern of excessive speeding” as the player was previously previously cited for driving nearly 90 mph in a 45 mph zone on an Atlanta highway.

Linebacker Jason Dumas-Johnson was arrested for racing and reckless driving just five days before the incident that killed Willock, and wide receiver De’Nylon Morrissette was arrested on multiple driving-related charges, including a DUI, earlier this month.

Last fall, defensive…

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Four-star defensive lineman LJ McCray announced his top-11 schools on Saturday.

Tennessee, Auburn, Georgia, Florida, Georgia Tech, Penn State, LSU, Miami, Clemson, Florida State and Alabama are McCray’s top-11 schools.

The 6-foot-6.5, 260-pound defensive lineman is from Mainland High School in Daytona Beach, Florida.

McCray is the No. 94 overall prospect in the class of 2024. He ranks as the No. 12 defensive lineman and No. 15 player in Florida, according to On3 Sports industry rankings.

He finished his junior season with 44 tackles, 17 tackles for a loss, three sacks and two fumble recoveries. McCray also played on offense, recording 14 receptions, 159 receiving yards and two touchdowns.

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More Recruiting!

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No. 1 2024 Oklahoma prospect includes Vols in top-10 schools

No. 2 wide receiver in South Carolina sets visit to Tennessee

No. 1 in-state linebacker schedules official visit to Tennessee

Quarterback Deuce Knight details Tennessee visit, player development from Vols’ staff

Story originally appeared on Vols Wire

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USC athletic director Mike Bohn suddenly resigned from his position Friday, effectively immediately. Bohn over the last four years has helped lead a turnaround for the Trojans, hiring head football coach Lincoln Riley and negotiating the program’s move from the Pac-12 to Big Ten beginning July 1, 2024.

Though Bohn cited health concerns as part of his departure, four former or current USC employees recently raised concerns about Bohn’s management during a recent top-to-bottom review of the athletic department conducted by an external firm, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The Trojans retained Gina Maistro Smith, a Philadelphia-based attorney from Cozen O’Connor, to conduct that review.

“In our singular pursuit of excellence, I am committed to ensuring we have the right leadership in place to achieve our goals,” said USC president Carol L. Folt in a Friday statement. As part of that commitment and as we prepare to move to the Big Ten, we conducted a thorough review of the athletics department, including its operations, culture, and strategy. Having built a strong foundation over the last few years, now is the time for new direction grounded in our values and in expertise needed to fulfill our aspirational vision for Trojan athletics.”

Bohn leaves the USC job after previously departing from the same role at Cincinnati to take the job out West. His ability to poach Riley, the highly regarded Oklahoma coach, allowed him to put his stamp on the athletic department. He also played a significant role in USC and nearby rival UCLA departing the Pac-12 for the Big Ten, a move that will come to fruition in about 13 months.

“In moving on, it is important now that I focus on being present with my treasured family, addressing ongoing health…

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Today is the last day that you’ll have woken up and there will be triple digits days left until college football fully returns.   Week Zero is highlighted by Notre Dame and Navy in Dublin, Ireland this year and it’s now just 100 days away.

We’ll be counting down the days until kickoff all summer long sometimes various and entirely random number connections throughout.

In honor of it being 100 days we thought a good way to mark the occasion would be to look back at Lou Holtz’s time at Notre Dame.

Why?  Well he did have 100 career wins as Notre Dame’s head football coach which trailed only Knute Rockne when he left the program following the 1996 season.

Holtz of course guided Notre Dame to the 1988 national championship and hopefully before too much longer he’ll not be the last coach to lead the Irish to a title.  We all know about the title but here are a handful of other notes from Holtz’s time at Notre Dame to look back on as we countdown the days to the season opener.

Best 5-6 team ever?

Jonathan Daniel /Allsport

Lou Holtz’s first game as Notre Dame’s head coach was a thriller at Notre Dame Stadium in which the Irish gave No. 3 Michigan everything they wanted and more in a 24-23 Wolverines victory.  Notre Dame would finish just 5-6 that year but five of those losses were by a combined 14 points.  A season ending upset at USC after trailing by three possessions helped set the tone for a return to prominence a year later.

1987 Turnaround and Tim Brown’s Heisman

Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Thanks to the electric Tim Brown, Notre Dame started the 1987 season with a bang by winning at Michigan and starting the year 8-1.  Brown ran away with the Heisman Trophy but the Irish faded down the stretch dropping their final two regular season games at Penn State and Miami before falling to Texas A&M in the…

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