Herb Hand is a good dude.

I don’t normally dish out praise for Auburn’s coaches, but today, I’ll make an exception.  And Hand is absolutely right about this:

Only a true scumbag would 'prank' a HS athlete w/a false scholarship offer-If that's you, you should reevaluate the priorities in your life.

— Herb Hand (@CoachHand) March 31, 2017

As sad a life as it probably is…

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Today, in lather, rinse, repeat

If I had a dollar for every time I’ve seen a header like this…

Every year, it’s something different.

Now they want the defensive linemen to lose weight.

War is hell (on the reserve fund).

Chip Towers issues a call to arms.

I’m sure you’ve seen and read a lot from us regarding the Georgia football facilities situation lately. The truth is, I don’t think any of us likes writing that much about it. But the reality is it’s a very big part of what’s happening right now, not just with the Bulldogs but throughout the SEC.

There has always been a bit of an ongoing facilities arms race going in the conference — and in college football in general — but it’s as though they’re waging World War III on that front these days. And while it could be argued it wasn’t engaged for a long time, UGA is fully engrossed at the moment…

Not coincidentally, Smart made sure to thank the TD Club members for all their financial contributions and encouraged them to continue to donate. Because, he said, Georgia needs to “keep the momentum going.”

And, you know, I used to scoff at such talk. But I don’t anymore. I’m starting to see the reality of the facility arms race that’s going on in college athletics. I don’t like it, but I know it to be the real deal these days…

Now for brevity’s sake, I’m not going to get into the argument about UGA currently having $77 million — at least — in unallocated funds sitting in its athletic reserves. I’ll just say based on the landscape I’m seeing, the Bulldogs need to break it out and start spending that cash like it’s going out of style! Georgia is, after all, a non-profit, or at least that’s what it says on the tax forms I’ve seen.

He goes on to say that’s not literally practical, but that McGarity can easily afford to reorient his thinking.

But I still don’t think Georgia is thinking big enough, especially with the financial climate such as it is. Athletic director Greg McGarity keeps talking about needing to hold fast to that hefty reserve fund in the case of a “rainy day.” But if 2007-10 weren’t rainy I don’t know what it is. And right now it is quite bright and sunny in the SEC.

Every time you turn around the SEC is backing up a dump truck of money and pouring it out on its “member institutions.” That’s to the tune of about $40 million a team this year, and $32 million last year. With that kind of income and the obvious unwavering support of its donors, Georgia could have easily built a basketball/gymnastics facility downtown or over on East Campus and plopped down a whole new baseball stadium somewhere…

… I see what South Carolina has done and Clemson has done and Florida is now doing. It’s not just the Alabamas of the world that are living large and spending lavishly anymore. Everybody is.

The Bulldogs better get on board — fully — or get left behind. It’s either that or you’re really going to be in for a rainy day. And based on the dearth of championships I’m seeing at the moment, it’s looking pretty cloudy in Athens.

I doubt you’d find a single UGA coach who would disagree with Towers’ sentiment.  In real life, though, I suspect all this boils down to in practical terms is a new message for Butts-Mehre to send donors as to why they need to pony up extra funds to make things happen.

First week report card

Because the press’ time observing practice is limited, I tend to take these early how-are-they-doing pieces with a grain of salt, but, still, it’s almost April and we’ve gotta grab on to something.

Marc Weiszer looks at the six early enrollees and takes a stab at how they’re progressing.  Of those, Gibbs, LeCount and Holloman look to be likely contributors, Fromm will obviously crack the two-deep (count me as someone still in the camp that believes the coaches would prefer to redshirt him to gain some class separation, though), Hayes has some adjusting to the SEC to do and Rice has a ways to go.

Dawgs247 has a look at what is billed as the top-12 performers in spring camp so far.  (Sorry, it’s presented as a slideshow.)  Holloman is the only early enrollee to appear on this list, but there are plenty of encouraging signs from players who need to step up this season, like Ledbetter, Jayson Stanley, Godwin (who’s put on some needed weight, evidently), and, of course, Eason.

Whether all of this is little more than happy talk remains to be seen, but a little encouragement before G-Day never hurts.

“… doofuses, goofballs and idiots.”

If this Arkansas legislator should be taken at his word, I would advise you not to make any sudden movements the next time you attend a college football game in that state.

In a bow to those who preferred the bill without these amendments, said he had been assured Razorback Stadium would have all the elements envisioned in State Police-approved security plans for “sensitive areas” granted exemptions from concealed carry accessibility. This would include security staff and magnetometers, he said. “There will also be sniper teams,” he said. He said he was reluctant to go into more detail. “I don’t want to tell potential terrorists and other bad guys more specifics.”

As long as opposing fans aren’t considered bad guys…

“He’s the one guy who has been rock solid.”

At least there’s one.

His height and weight numbers may not indicate a prototypical left tackle. But Isaiah Wynn is determined to prove he can be excel at the position in 2017.

Head coach Kirby Smart said Wynn, at 6-foot-2 and 305 pounds, has been the most consistent up front in his position group. Smart commended Wynn for his efforts and expressed confidence that, despite being smaller than preferred at left tackle, he will perform well at the spot.

“The book says he can’t play it but people do it all the time,” Smart said. “He’s a leader on our team and he’s got a chip on his shoulder that he wants to prove everybody wrong. I enjoy watching him compete out there.”

Wynn has plenty of experience at left tackle. In 2015, Wynn started the final five games of the season at the position and performed admirably against Auburn’s Carl Lawson and Penn State’s Carl Nassib. Nassib was selected in the third round of the 2016 NFL draft by the Cleveland Browns. Lawson is projected to go in the first or second round of the 2017 NFL draft.

Wynn earned a left tackle start against TCU in the Liberty Bowl but quickly moved back to left guard after the game’s first series.

As it stands now, Wynn appears set at left tackle.

No knock on Wynn, who’s busted ass and wants to play the position, but when will Georgia see the day it fields a prototypical left tackle?  It sure has been a while.

As far as only one position on the offensive line being settled, that’s hardly a surprise this early.  The real meat in the order isn’t showing up until the summer and the sorting out process I expect will last well into the season.

A condom-less G-Day

Instead of a musical act this year, we get a mic-ed up Steve Shaw as the head referee wearing a camera for the TV broadcast… um, wait a minute.  Wouldn’t that be a reason to stay home and watch the game on TV?

Mid-majors have feelings too, damn it.

Sun Belt Conference commissioner issues a statement to Arkansas about its new gun law.  It’s just as significant as Sankey’s was, minus the $40 million a year backing the University of Arkansas gets from the SEC.

There’s remorse… and then there’s Penn State.

Effing victims.

Penn State trustee Albert L. Lord said he is “running out of sympathy” for the “so-called” victims of former Nittany Lions assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky, according to an email sent to The Chronicle of Higher Education.

By the way, Lord is an alumni-elected trustee who’s currently seeking re-election.  Nice!