Chantastic news!

I had to check the calendar to make sure it wasn’t April 1st.

Ted Roof named Georgia Tech's DC. “He’s one of the most respected football coaches in the nation," Paul Johnson said.

— Brett McMurphy (@McMurphyESPN) January 9, 2013

You may remember Roof from such hits as Georgia 45, Auburn 7.

Mark Bradley’s column ought to be a hoot.

“You’ve got to keep up with the Joneses.”

I don’t know about you, but the first thought that came to mind while reading this story was that Nick Saban has already assigned three of his best people to the job of gaming the new system.

My second thought was that Greg McGarity will sit back, watch how it goes in Tuscaloosa for a year or so and then copy what he likes on the cheap.

My third thought is that Georgia will still be luckier than most places as to that.  Haves rule; have-nots drool.

SOD fallout

Deion Bonner is persona non grata at Tennessee.

Defensive linemen Trent Taylor and Omari Phillips and defensive back Deion Bonner won’t be part of the program moving forward, according to UT spokesperson Jimmy Stanton.

Phillips and Taylor both stopped attending practices last year to focus on academics, then-coach Derek Dooley said at the time. Bonner was suspended for an undisclosed violation of team rules in November. Taylor and Phillips are listed as inactive students in the university directory. Bonner is still listed as an enrolled student, but if he returns to UT, it won’t be as a member of the football team.

It’s the collateral damage that’s always the saddest part of these stories.  But remember that when one door closes, Alabama State’s door opens.

On a related note, given proximity and Garner migrating to Auburn, how likely is it that we’ll see more Carver Columbus alumni distinguishing themselves on the Plains going forward?

It’s January 13, 2020. Do you know where your playoff game is?

College football’s new playoff rotation results in the longest football seasons ever.

I guess Bill Hancock’s gonna have to find a new talking point about academics.

Back-to-back smack

Food for thought from John Pennington:

Nick Saban is now a legend and Alabama is back to being its dynastic self.  Both are piling up BCS crystal footballs like they’re auditioning for “Hoarders.”  Yet there’s one thing Saban hasn’t done.  There’s one thing Alabama hasn’t done.

That’s win back-to-back Southeastern Conference titles.

Think about it.  Saban has won a BCS crown in four of his last eight seasons as a college coach.  He and Alabama have now won back-to-back national titles.  But they haven’t repeated as SEC champs during that run.  No one has since Tennessee won the league in consecutive years in 1997 and 1998.

Again, think about that.  It’s literally easier to win the BCS championship than it is the SEC championship.

Does that mean Fulmer was a better coach than Saban?

This should make for some great cocktail party talk the next time Slive and Delany get together.

Musburger gets it on: the game sucked, but the girlfriend was hot.

A brief primer on the other story from the title game, in the form of five questions:

• Was Katherine Webb’s presence at the title game noteworthy?  As an Auburn student rooting for her Alabama quarterback boyfriend, sure.
• Was there anything wrong with commenting on Webb’s appearance?  She’s a former Miss Alabama.  It’s kind of hard not to notice.  Herbstreit’s “A J’s doing some things right” comment struck the correct, brief and witty tone about that.
• Was Musburger’s commentary too pervy?  Put it this way:  spoken while knocking back a couple of cold ones with the guys in private, nobody cares.  It’s just typical horndog talk.  But coming from a 70-something dispensing love advice to the teenaged forlorn during a football broadcast heard by millions, yeah, it was cringeworthy.
• Given ESPN’s firing of Ron Franklin for a couple of sexist comments, was the network a bit hypocritical issuing this lame-ass apology for Musburger’s comments?  Do I really even need to answer that question?
• Was this inevitable?  Sadly, yes.

As for this, just shoot me.

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UPDATE:  Mr. Conventional Wisdom gets the penultimate observation…

I still don't get Musburger controversy. If Katherine Webb doesn't have a problem with Brent why should anyone else? Brent is good guy.

— Tony Barnhart (@MrCFB) January 9, 2013

… but it’s Josh Kendall for the win.

You mean Katherine Webb is not upset at Musburger for increasing her name recognition at least 100 fold? I'm shocked.

— Josh Kendall (@JoshatTheState) January 9, 2013