So much for worrying about sitting in Seat 37F

Corch Meyers resigns – really resigns this time – and the media’s tone changes noticeably.

Better work on your intimidating gestures, Coach Muschamp.

That didn’t take long.

Tony Barnhart’s already picking Florida to win the SEC East next season, even though Muschamp hasn’t even assembled a staff yet.

… The problem at Florida last season was not talent. It was a lack of focus and a lack of leadership. The team was not focused because too many leaders had left and there was never a coherent offensive strategy. Muschamp can fix the leadership issue…

Funny, last April he wasn’t bothered that much by those leaders leaving.

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The nobility of Cecil Newton’s struggle

I really thought I was done with Camgate (unless the NCAA suddenly decided to issue a new ruling, I suppose), but this Dan Wetzel piece is so appalling that I can’t help myself.  This is truly car-wreck-on-the-side-of-the-highway quality writing:

… Was he wrong to demand more from the establishment that had plenty to give? Was he misguided to look at the charade and say not this time, not with my son?

Is letting Cam play for “free” in the face of rampant profiteering really better than asking for some of the action?

It would’ve been easier, sure. Would’ve it been right? If your son was an actor, would you let him star in a Disney movie for free because Disney said so?

I mean, seriously, “not this time, not with my son?” Has Wetzel lost sight of who was pimping whom?

Jimmy Sexton’s wet dream

I’m still wrapping my head around two pieces of data I was exposed to last night, Auburn’s counter-proposal to Gus Malzahn…

I'm told $1.2m. Turned VU down once, VU came back RT @jthom15: @jimdunaway: what's your estimate of the counter offer made by AU to Malzahn?

— Jim Dunaway (@jimdunaway) December 13, 2010

… which was supposedly substantial enough for Malzahn to turn down Vandy’s first offer, and then the confirmation from the Washington Post that Vandy went all in as a response to Auburn’s raise.

… Vanderbilt had reportedly offered Malzahn a contract that would pay him close to $3 million per year. He has verbally accepted the job, the source said, but had yet to sign a contract.

Sure, if I were Malzahn, I’d wait and see how badly Auburn wants to hang on to my services.  If their first offer was Monte Kiffin-type money, who knows what they’re ready to throw out now?  Play my cards right and maybe they’ll name me co-head coach, with a salary to match.

Okay, maybe that’s a slight exaggeration.  But if the above is real, that offer to make him the second highest paid coaching assistant in the country, along with Vanderbilt’s numbers (which would pay Malzahn much more than his current boss is making), should tell you that we’re moving into a period that seems destined to fulfill all the crazy promise of what the new TV money would bring to the SEC when we saw what was spent on Kiffin’s and Chizik’s staffs as they were assembled a couple of seasons ago.

The irony that Auburn may be victimized by the same spendthrift philosophy it helped put in motion shouldn’t be lost on anyone.

How crazy has it gotten?  Consider:

• As I said, Auburn’s offered Malzahn the kind of money to stay that sounded stratospheric when it was paid to Monte Kiffin.  But at least in Kiffin’s case, you could (sort of) justify it by pointing to his résumé and noting that he took a pay cut to leave the NFL.  Malzahn is five years removed from Springdale High.
• If Vandy wins the bidding war, the head coach in Nashville will be making about a third more than the head coach in Knoxville.  In fact, at around $3 million per year, Malzahn will be in the top four or five best paid coaches in the SEC.  Which means he’ll likely be in the top fifteen nationally.
• New coaching hires at Florida and Vanderbilt being compared to each other.  Let that one percolate in your brain for a minute.  Along with the fact that some will judge the Commodores to have made the better hire.

If Vandy’s a serious player now, the sky really is the limit on coaching compensation in the SEC.  On second thought, forget my header.  If you’re Jimmy Sexton, that’s better than sex.

Monday morning buffet

Rise and shine, campers… and don’t freeze your asses off this morning.

• Michael Elkon takes a look at the strength of schedule for the teams in the title game over the past 12 years.
• Is there a valid antitrust claim to make against the BCS?
• ESPN had a very good year with college football.
• 1324 comments on a post entitled “An Alabama Fan’s Guide to Hating Auburn ” may not seem that crazy to you, except that the post appeared on an Oregon blog.  Those people just don’t like each other.
• Zack at Lost Angeles writes in a non-arrogant way about his two-time brush with cancer.
• Did Will Muschamp leave Texas because Mack Brown’s concerned about his legacy?
• Speaking of Muschamp, Ivan Maisel notes that Bob Stoops got a nice double play out of his hire:  Stoops demonstrates to the world how happy he is at Oklahoma and his biggest rival takes a hit.
• In case you missed it in all the coaching news out there, Hawaii dealt another body blow to the WAC by announcing its departure for the Mountain West Conference.