We’ve had it all wrong.

Asked what Alabama has that Tennessee is lacking, Kennedy said he didn't see much difference in the programs. Kennedy said he can't wait to play in Neyland Stadium.

— Jimmy Hyams (@JimmyHyams) August 9, 2018

Not much difference = nine wins and a national title.  Cool story, brah.

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From Sports Illustrated:  “But to set the table for the 2018 college football season, we asked opposing coaches most familiar with the top 20 teams in SI’s preseason rankings for a more forthcoming breakdown of what makes each squad so good—and where each might be vulnerable.”

So?  Go on…

Georgia

Since [coach] Kirby Smart took over two years ago their scheme has looked a lot like Smart’s former team’s—but after a few strong recruiting classes, now their personnel is starting to look like Alabama’s, too. When we studied all our opponents, they were, by far, the most physical team, on both offense and defense. … Facing their running game is like being in a boxing match with someone who has a big, strong right hand: You know it’s coming and you’ve got to take it. Center Lamont Gaillard is probably the best in college football. They lost two good running backs in Nick Chubb and Sony Michel so D’Andre Swift will have to shoulder the load, but he could be a star. …

Quarterback Jake Fromm is smart, efficient and doesn’t make mistakes. He’ll be challenged more this season because the run game won’t be quite as dominant, but he’ll have a weapon in wide receiver Riley Ridley. He’s going to get one-on-one coverage because teams will stack the box, so Fromm will have some big-play opportunities. … They’re sound defensively—they don’t blitz you and do all of that exotic stuff. They just line up and say, Let’s play football. You’ve got to go mix it up to beat them.

Wait… where’s the vulnerable part?

College football, you can be so stupid sometimes.

Sources: LSU, Florida State agree to 2-game neutral site series. LSU & FSU agree to open 2022 season in New Orleans & 2023 in Orlando

— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) August 9, 2018

You’re playing neutral site games in your own backyards?  Obviously, there must be some serious five-dimensional chess play going on here, because for the life of me I can’t figure out why you wouldn’t play these games on a home-and-home basis.

Way to shit on your fans, in other words.

Envy and jealousy, welcome back, old friend edition

Seth Emerson, bringing superior snark in today’s Mailbag ($$):

That will be very interesting for the return of Jeremy Pruitt, who hopefully will visit his indoor facility at some point…

Billy Payne may have paid the money, but it’ll always be Jeremy Pruitt’s IPF.

Chicks love the deep ball, ctd.

That Jake Fromm… what are we gonna do with him?

Which SEC QBs throw the best deep ball?

Among returning QBs, here's how they stack up in terms of adjusted completion percentage. pic.twitter.com/wM8ixgBRJf

— CFB Film Room (@CFBFilmRoom) August 9, 2018

As long as the run threat remains credible (duh) and the offensive line continues to improve, I don’t expect Fromm’s gonna lose his place there.

Chomp, chomp? More like womp, womp.

After years and years of hearing Georgia hone its excuse making game, it’s more than a bit surreal for me to listen to what’s emanating from Gainesville these days.

Some Florida fans have voiced concern over the recruiting rankings. “I look at it this way: Tim Tebow was on everybody’s list. Dak Prescott wasn’t, and both were very successful quarterbacks,” @CoachDanMullen told me. “It’s going beyond that to find who really fits your program.” pic.twitter.com/b4zCbc058j

— Chris Low (@ClowESPN) August 8, 2018

The man is treading dangerously close to five-star hearts territory.  And he hasn’t even coached his first game yet.

Speaking selfishly, I could get used to this.

SOD gets cranky.

Media members, don’t you be telling Derek Dooley what he’s got to work with this season.

“But until we start having All-Americans, all-conference players, it doesn’t matter that you started. You might have started by default, because we didn’t get anybody better than you. It doesn’t mean you’re good.

“We clear on that? With the starting deal? Starting pissing me off.”

Derek Dooley wants you to know he can’t fail this season.  He can only be failed by his starters.  They’ll probably wind up pissing him off, too.

You’re blowing my mind, man.

Did you ever think you’d see the day when playing LSU on the road would be considered a trap game for the Dawgs?  According to Andy Staples, that day has arrived.

In the SEC, everyone seems to be penciling in a Georgia win at LSU on Oct. 13. This seems awfully presumptuous. LSU took out Auburn in Tiger Stadium last year and always seems to give Alabama a game—no matter how different the teams may be at the time—in Baton Rouge. That I’m calling this a trap game says a whole lot more about where the perception of LSU is right now than it does about Georgia. But with LSU playing Miami and Auburn early, the perception of the Tigers could change plenty before the week of that game rolls around.

I’m feeling a little weird right now.

Thursday morning buffet

A little of this, a little of that and pretty soon all the chafing dishes are full.

• If you’re a believer in narratives, ESPN’s Playoff Predictor has Georgia with the third best shot of being there this season.
• Today, in where are they now: Kevin Ramsey — yes, that Kevin Ramsey — is a college football head coach.
• Athlon rates Georgia’s offensive line as college football’s third best.
• With regard to the NCAA’s new basketball rules announced yesterday, I should have known better:  “Top officials with the NBA and USA Basketball were blindsided with timing and changes in the NCAA’s announcement of future rules surrounding pro basketball prospects, sources told ESPN.”
• Bill Connelly looks at receivers.
• Zach Smith sounds like a totally normal guy.
• SEC point differential since 2014 is just another indication of the different plane of existence ‘Bama has occupied.
• “A New Mexico State University study has found that more water is needed to keep artificial cool enough to safely play on during a hot summer day than what is needed to water Bermuda grass for a day.”  Science, bitchez.
• Georgia Tech “adjusts” its substance-abuse policy, although there’s no word on how that might affect a player arrested for his involvement in smuggling 90 pounds of weed.  (In fairness, Houston was reinstated to the team, so maybe there’s been no change in that regard.)
• Chip Towers wants to impress upon us that Deandre Baker’s status is shakier than we might expect:  “there’s no guarantee Baker’s status as a starting cornerback is guaranteed.”  You know it must be serious when a guaranty isn’t guaranteed.  Get this man an editor, stat!

Musical palate cleanser, triple option edition

Going to one of the shows of my dreams tonight — a three-biller at Chastain with Steve Earle, Lucinda Williams and Dwight Yoakam.  Tale about your potential sensory overload.

I’ve posted stuff from the two gentlemen before, so let’s give Lucinda her day in the MPC sun.  This is one that cuts my heart every time I listen to it, from her album of the same name, the achingly beautiful “Sweet Old World”.