SEC mediocrity helping Vols?

Submitted by R. Neal on Sun, 2007/11/18 - 9:50am

How screwed up is SEC football that UT has to come back from a 16 point deficit to beat Vanderbilt to tie for the SEC East lead?

And Georgia has to struggle to get past Kentucky to stay in the hunt? And Kentucky's only big win was against SEC West leader LSU, and that was LSU's only loss?

And now Tennessee also has to get by Kentucky, who could be the spoiler?

I don't usually follow this stuff, but this all just sounds crazy. I guess there's an "anything can happen" element that keeps it interesting?

Topics:

Sports

R. Neal's blog

vote

85 scholarship rule. The

Submitted by metulj on Sun, 2007/11/18 - 11:13am.

85 scholarship rule. The NCAA (and CBT) will say it is because of the desire for all programs to have big-time football, but it's really about the rich schools not being able to bogart the talent anymore. Hell, Nebraska, back in the day, would give scholarships (and do ANYTHING) to kids and then let them ride the bench for 5 years to keep them away from the rest of the Big 8/12.

True happiness is knowing you are a hypocrite. -- Ivor Cutler

What Toby says. Parity is

Submitted by tennesseevalues... on Sun, 2007/11/18 - 11:42am.

What Toby says. Parity is arriving in the SEC and college football in general.

SEC hell

Submitted by cafkia on Sun, 2007/11/18 - 12:11pm.

It is the NCAA Bubba. Want proof? Six words. Troy State, Appalachian State, Florida Southern.

CAFKIA

-----------------------------------------------------------

It is impossible to defeat an ignorant man in argument.
- William G. McAdoo

Louisiana Monroe gives it on

Submitted by jbr on Sun, 2007/11/18 - 12:58pm.

Louisiana Monroe gives it on chin to Bama

It is the NCAA Bubba. Want

Submitted by Andy Axel on Sun, 2007/11/18 - 2:09pm.

It is the NCAA Bubba. Want proof? Six words.

I'll give you another word: Kansas.

Serious contender for the BCS championship???

Coach Mangino's record with the Jayhawks was 25-35 up until this year.

____________________________

"Respect mah authoritah!" - Fred Cartman Thompson

GO VOLS!!

Submitted by bill young on Sun, 2007/11/18 - 3:34pm.

We b a beer barrel away from Hotlanta!

The last win 4 the Cats was in '84..when Randy Sanders was an all everything QB @ Morristown East High.Sanders played & coached @ UT..until being dumped in '05..scapegoated for 5-6 season.

Ole Randy is coachin UK QBs now...bet you he wants a piece of the Big Orange pie & cookin up a plan to turn the Vol D into left-over turkey in a Blue samitch.

No, I agree with you Toby

Submitted by CBT on Sun, 2007/11/18 - 9:53pm.

No, I agree with you Toby (though many schools like MTSU, Rutgers and others want to move up, play in bigger games, get on TV, go to bowl games and share in the bigger TV revenue). But, what we're seeing is primarily driven by the 85 scholarship rule. Big schools have to be selective and some kids don't work out.

Some good players are also missed in recruiting. Who did Jay Cutler and Earl Bennett get scholarship offers from? Both played for Vandy. One's an NFL starting QB and the other an all-SEC performer. Better yet, look at Dallas QB Tony Romo. He played at Eastern Illinois. There are hundreds of examples.

And, some talented players are now taking a look at some schools because they know they'll get playing time and be 'the man'. A big fish in a small pond.

Back 20 years ago the big schools had the budget to fund 110+ scholarships and 'weed out' ones who didn't pan out. Small schools didn't have that luxury. No more. It is changing college football.

Go Warhawks!...hehe.