Aiding and abetting

So Urban Meyer is going to help his old buddy Kyle Whittingham out by giving him the inside poop on Alabama.  That’s right kindly of him.

Exactly what are the inner mysteries of playing the Tide, anyway?  Kyle, let me help you out here, buddy.   I’ll keep it simple:

1. On defense, do what it takes to stuff the run and cover Julio Jones with at least four defensive backs.
2. On offense, ‘Bama’s defense is top notch, but if your quarterback is as good as Tebow, no problema.  He’s not?  That’s a problem.
3. On special teams, make sure your kickoff specialist aims for the sidelines.

There you go.  You can thank me later.  By the way, if Saban reacts by indeed giving Stoops the poop on Florida and lets it leak that he did… that would be teh awesome.

Anything can happen if you cut your hair.

This has a certain the-inmates-are-running-the-asylum feel to it:

A kinder, gentler coach. Gamecocks linebacker Eric Norwood had an interesting reaction when asked about Spurrier’s comments that he plans to be more encouraging and positive to his players.

“That’s cool with me. He can be however he wants to be,” Norwood said. “He can be the meanest guy in the world or the nicest guy. It doesn’t matter to me. It’s all coaching.”

Quarterback Stephen Garcia said last week that one of the topics discussed at a players-only meeting was the concern that coaches were too harsh on players.

Stephen Garcia, team spokesman.  Spur Dog is losing it, I’m afraid.

Tuesday morning buffet line

A few random, yet choice, nuggets for your reading enjoyment this morning:

• In case you’ve been jonesing for them, Vegas odds on the bowl games are out.  Georgia is an 8.5 point favorite in Orlando.
• This is ballsy:  ask UCLA to arrange a stopover on your recruiting flight so that you can meet with Notre Dame on another school’s dime. (h/t The Wiz of Odds)
• So the SEC media names Julio Jones SEC freshman of the year, but puts A. J. Green on the first team SEC squad ahead of Jones.  Way to split the baby there, guys.  By the way, for another take on the media choices – one that’s sure to piss you off thoroughly if you’re a Georgia fan – check out this post.
• I know this is nothing more than a formality, but please, God.
• I wondered if something was bothering Brannan Southerland after he came back this season from injury.  Evidently, there is.
• It looks like the Zooker is losing his primo recruiter.  There goes the DC pipeline.
• Word.
• Christmas dinner at the Grohs is likely to be a trifle awkward this year.
• Hey, if you can’t have a fair playoff because of computers, the next best solution is to have a playoff of the computers.

Mumme Poll, Week 15

All good things must come to an end, and so it is with our last regular season rankings.  Although we lost one more balloteer, (NOTE:  see update) at least we outlasted Hal Mumme’s career at New Mexico State.

MUMME POLL – WEEK 15 RANKINGS

T1.    Florida (37)

T1.    Oklahoma (37)

T1.    Texas (37)

4.      Alabama (36)

5.      Southern Cal (26)

6.      Penn State (6)

7.      Utah (4)

8.      Texas Tech (2)

9.      Ohio State

10.    Boise State

11.    Oklahoma State

12.    TCU

13.    Georgia Tech

14.    Cincinnati

15.    Virginia Tech

16.    Oregon

17.    Mississippi

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COMMENTS:

• There’s something very satisfying about dodging the whole Texas-Oklahoma debate.
• For the first time all year, every team receiving top five consideration appeared on all of our ballots.
• Ohio State finished out on all of the ballots, but with no top five support.
• Even though neither played this past week, Georgia Tech got considerably more love from us and TCU received less.  I have no idea why.
• We sure respect ‘Bama, don’t we?
• There’s a very clear consensus on the top ten teams, again.  Boise State was only left off three ballots.
• Blog posts about the Mumme Poll can be found at:  The Hobnail Boot; Picture Me Rollin; Runaround Sue’s; Thinking Bulldog; A Bulldog in Exile; Hunker Down Dawg.

Finally, an administrative note or two.  Just to answer a few questions I received this week, yes, I intend to have a final ballot after all the bowl games are played.  I’ll have a post up soon on that.  I also will have a post up looking back on how this worked and asking for your comments and suggestions about how you thought it went and how it could be improved.

I had a blast doing this, and judging from many of the e-mails I’ve received, those who participated had fun, too.  Thanks to all of you who voted.

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UPDATE: For some inexplicable reason, one voter’s ballot didn’t show up in my e-mail box at the time it was sent.   The final ballot has been amended to reflect his vote.

Maybe he’ll major in criminal justice.

I don’t know what surprises me more, that Houston Nutt is willing to take a flyer on Jamar Hornsby, or that three other schools were also “heavily recruiting” him and offered.

Or that I’m surprised in the first place by this.

By the way, if you’re looking for a morning chuckle, you could do worse than to read this um, explanation, of what really went down with that whole credit card thing (hint:  it wasn’t a credit card “per se“), according to an Ole Miss website.  Blogger, please.

(h/t The Joe Cribbs Car Wash)