Texas, you’re no fun.

You fell right over.

We won’t get to see Texas coach Charlie Strong and Texas quarterback Tyrone Swoopes testify in a trial involving former assistant coach Joe Wickline.

Oklahoma State has settled its lawsuit involving Wickline, a former assistant at the school. OSU filed a breach of contract suit against Wickline, citing a provision in his contract that said he had to be the primary playcaller at his next stop to avoid paying damages to the school.

Damn it.  This never would have happened if Steve Patterson was still on the job.

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In the immortal words of Ron Zook, “Sleep’s overrated.”

Just ask Kirby Smart.

On how much time he is spending daily on Georgia: “Five or six hours. I sleep about six hours so that leaves, what 10 or 12 (on Alabama)? This has changed everything,” Smart said, holding up his cellphone. He noted, “The bus ride over here to the stadium was 30 minutes,” enough time for phone calls.

Smart said Saban has been very accommodating and that he has been excused from recruiting or academic meetings since accepting the Georgia job.

That doesn’t mean he isn’t having any recruiting meetings these days.

I’ve got your sending off present right here.

If you want a “how much do we care?” measure for the outgoing staff, here’s something to consider:

The running back depth chart remained unchanged. Tae Crowder is third-string behind Sony Michel and Keith Marshall, and A.J. Turman is fourth-string. It would still be quite the surprise if Georgia decides to burn Crowder’s redshirt.

Yes, it would.

Barring a rash of unfortunate injuries, I don’t see McLendon and Brown electing to do that.  But it’s not like anyone could stop them if they wanted to, either.

Is the Gus Bus still under warranty?

This may be the most passive-aggressive vote of confidence I’ve ever seen an AD give his football coach.

Jay Jacobs on @openingdrive: "There's no excuse for going 6-6 at Auburn….There needs to be some consistency. … Gus can get that done."

— James Crepea (@JamesCrepea) December 29, 2015

I guess he could have said “had better” instead of “can”.

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UPDATE:  If this is true, I’m not sure Malzahn’s getting the message.

Richt isn't retaining Mark D'Onofrio. Could be a decent choice for Auburn DC since Roof is being reconsidered

— Robbie (@Robbie4AU) December 29, 2015

Recycling Ted Roof?  Seriously?

 

Maybe things are closer than we think.

A one-paragraph summary of what every college program aspires to:

Alabama has become the model by which all programs strive to emulate. Unfortunately for the rest of the country, they lack the resources that Nick Saban has at his disposal. Couple that with the ideal recruiting footprint, and you get back-to-back trips to the College Football Playoff. The pro personnel model, including an emphasis on four key areas (QB, OL, DL, secondary), has created a finely tuned machine for evaluation, player development and ultimately production.

That might explain why Alabama leads all schools in the number of former players named to this year’s NFL Pro Bowl, with five.  The funny thing is that Georgia, non-Process Georgia, is second on the list, with four.

Imagine the possibilities if Smart is successful in transferring what he’s learned in Tuscaloosa to Athens.

That time when Jake Coker’s mom laid into Jeremy Pruitt

Here’s a story:

To this day, Coker’s mother speaks candidly about how upset she was with Alabama’s recruitment. Spires said Alabama assistant coach Jeremy Pruitt recruited Coker behind the family’s back after he committed to Florida State, causing her to give an “ass chewing” to Pruitt.

“I called Jeremy and said, ‘Quit sneaking in the back door. Do you understand the word ‘commitment’?” Spires recalled. “Jeremy got a little uppity with me but it didn’t last very long. From a mother’s standpoint, he was wrong. I still think he was wrong. I called him on it. He kept calling me back and I said, ‘What are you a sucker for punishment because I’m not going to cut you any slack? I don’t like what you did.’ Football is such a big business. It’s really not fun. These are kids and sometimes they get distorted by people who really just want a commitment and you never know why.”

Spires said she had a few sessions with Saban — “Come to Jesus meetings,” as she described them — to discuss how Pruitt recruited Coker.

“I meant business because it got to be really traumatic,” Spires said. “Jake started wondering, ‘Did I make the right decision? What if, what if, what if?’ Jake made the decision to commit to Florida State and was totally comfortable with that. I put in my two bits with Jeremy, and by God, he goes to Florida State (to become defensive coordinator). I’m like, damn. So now he’s back at Alabama. It’s really kind of funny.”

That’s one word for it.

The December coaching shuffle

Here’s a quick tally of all the open coaching positions at schools without a change at head coach.

And here’s the list of the current coaching rosters at schools that did make such a change.

Does Georgia’s status seem that out of the ordinary?  Just wondering.

“That’s just the type of player I am…”

I don’t know about you, but if I were Bob Stoops, the last thing I’d want during the week leading up to my team’s CFP game is my starting quarterback trading shots with Gary Patterson, of all people.

On the other hand, if Baker Mayfield really plays better with a chip on his shoulder, then Stoops may need to thank this guy.

“I just had to run away from him because he plays around too much.”

Nick Chubb’s with his teammates in Jacksonville this week, but it doesn’t sound like it’s all fun and games for him.

As Georgia began its first on-site TaxSlayer Bowl practice at the University of North Florida’s football field Monday morning, one notable member of the program stayed in the training room beneath the bleachers to further his rehab.

Georgia running back Nick Chubb made the trip to Jacksonville to be with his team and continue his recovery from a mid-season serious knee injury.

I’ve heard a variety of stories on Chubb’s progress, although the one constant is that he’s working his ass off in rehab.  If anyone deserves a full recovery based on sheer effort, it’s Nick Chubb.

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UPDATE:  This sounds promising.

Georgia held its second on-site bowl practice on Tuesday, but the most intriguing sight came afterward, from a player who wasn’t participating.

Nick Chubb was walking without crutches or a boot, something that hasn’t been seen, at least by the media. As recently as two weeks ago at the team’s senior gala Chubb was using crutches. He did appear to be wearing a brace, but that was it.

The Clemson Way?

Jon Solomon does the math on the four CFP teams’ finances.  The money shot (see what I did there?) is this:

Clemson’s athletic department spent $73.5 million in 2013-14, while the other three CFP schools all exceeded $107 million for athletic expenses. Interestingly though, Clemson was No. 2 among the CFP teams in two key financial categories: salaries for football assistant coaches and support staff. In those measurements, the Tigers are closer to Alabama than they are to Michigan State and Oklahoma.  [Emphasis added.]

That’s a bang for the buck lesson it’s taken a long time for the suits in Butts-Mehre to grasp.