Six degrees of (Kirby Smart) separation

More and more, it seems like all coaching roads lead to Kirbs.

FootballScoop reports Georgia is looking at a former teammate of Smart’s to fill the open staff position.

Ford founded the academy in 2006 which, according to its website, has placed over 400 clients with college programs, earning $40 million in scholarship money. iDareU lists 24 NFL players as former clients, including former Alabama safety Minkah Fitzpatrick and former Clemson cornerback AJ Terrell…

… Ford played defensive back at Georgia alongside Kirby Smart and spent 2019 as a Bill Walsh Minority Fellow with the Cleveland Browns.

Ford has interviewed with multiple members of the Georgia staff including Dan Lanning and Kirby sources share. An interesting note, we are also told Will Muschamp sat in on one of the Zoom calls.

Meanwhile, FootballScoop also says the Portal Master™ has filled Florida’s need for a defensive backs coach.  Again, there’s a Smart connection.

Sources on Friday told FootballScoop that Mullen has moved to pluck Jules Montinar away from the University of South Florida staff to work with the Gators’ defensive backs…

In Montinar, an Eastern Kentucky graduate who began his career at West Virginia, the Gators are getting a coach who has worked under both Nick Saban and Kirby Smart at Alabama as a graduate assistant, as well as an up-and-coming young coach who also worked at Purdue, Texas State and was a defensive analyst for Smart’s Georgia Bulldogs in 2019 before he joined Scott’s debut staff at USF.

I presume his first assignment will be to teach the defensive backs not to throw opponents’ shoes.

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Two words: a simple narrative

Is Georgia a contender to make this season’s CFP field?  Heather Dinich boils it down:

4. Georgia Bulldogs

Statement game: Sept. 4 vs. Clemson. This is the kind of win that can help Georgia finish in the top four even if it doesn’t win the SEC. If Georgia can manage to win the East, but loses in the SEC championship game, a win against the ACC champs could go a long way in the committee meeting room.

Reason for optimism: Continuity on offense. One of the biggest differences for Georgia in the second half of the season was the offensive progress with JT Daniels at quarterback in the final four games. He completed 67% of his passes for 1,231 yards with 10 touchdowns and two picks during that span, and Daniels will have eight projected starters returning around him.

Cause for concern: A loss to Clemson. No, the Bulldogs won’t be eliminated from the CFP with a season-opening loss to what should be a top-five team, but it would change the picture and put enormous pressure on Georgia to win the SEC.

Storyline to watch: Can Kirby Smart put it all together to win it all? He has won the SEC. He has made it to the national championship, only to lose to Alabama in overtime on Jan. 8, 2018. Georgia has a schedule conducive to returning to the SEC championship game. On paper, Georgia is in a better position than Florida, and the Bulldogs don’t have to worry about a regular-season trip to Tuscaloosa. It seems inevitable, though, that the path to winning a national title will go through Alabama. If they meet in the SEC championship game, can Smart find a way to beat his old boss?

I hate to say it, but that’s pretty much it.  It’s quite likely Georgia is going to face Clemson and Alabama along the way, and if the Dawgs want a shot at the playoffs, it’s at least going to have to split those two games.

Which of the two seems more feasible to you?

“… a roster that looks far more like cellar-dweller than contender.”

Inject this shit directly into my veins.

It’s difficult to wholly capture the disaster that is this week for Tennessee football, so let’s narrow the focus to the roster. No matter who is hired as Tennessee’s full-time head coach – Kevin Steele, hired only on Jan. 12, is serving in the interim role – the roster is in shambles. Tennessee entered the 2020 season ranked 15th nationally in the 247Sports Team Talent Composite rankings, the same place it did when the program hired Pruitt. Whoever takes over the job will inherit nothing close to that.

With a quintet of five-stars on the roster, Tennessee ranked fifth nationally in total five-stars for the 2020 season. That distinction is about to end.

Trey Smith is headed to the NFL Draft. Wanya Morris, who opted to leave on Jan. 13, has transferred to Oklahoma. Senior Aubrey Solomon has yet to announce his 2021 plans. If he leaves, only Cade Mays and Darnell Wright would remain on the roster as five-stars, and I wouldn’t consider Wright a lock to remain in Knoxville.

The best-case scenario for Tennessee is a trio of five-stars. The worst is one, which would slot the Vols behind a program like South Carolina.

Real issues arise with the four-star group. The Vols started the 2020 season with 31 four-star players. Transfers and NFL departures have almost cut that number by a third. The Vols are down to just 23 four-star players on their roster – only one of which actually went to the NFL or graduated.

It should be said that Tennessee is set to add eight four-star prospects in the 2021 class. But even that demands perspective as Alabama, Texas A&M, Georgia and LSU bring in at least 15 such players. The top-tier SEC programs will be playing in another stratosphere come next season.

The raw talent numbers are bad. The on-field impact might be worse.

By that, he means (1) the Vols lose two of their three leading tacklers; (2) their three leaders in tackles for loss; (3) more than 50% of their 2020 interceptions; (4) 70% of their 2020 passing yardage; and (5) Gray’s team-leading 772 rushing yards and Ty Chandler’s 456 yards and four touchdowns.

You hate to see it.

My 2020 Florida highlight clip

You know, a friend of mine mentioned this moment to me the other day, and upon reflection, I’m not sure we’ve given it the fair consideration it’s due.

Wilson’s display of stupidity is awesome, of course, but what really makes the whole thing is the referee’s “20 yards down the field” touch.  Chef’s kiss, baby.

The serpent that eats its own tail

It all comes ’round again:

Basilio: And I quote: When Pruitt was fired Lane Kiffin sent texts to two prominent boosters at Tennessee and told them “I’m ready to come home”. #Vols GAWWWW! pic.twitter.com/ADdf7O4RdN

— 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗼 (@mahabrando) January 21, 2021

Now, do I think this could happen?  Honestly, and to my great disappointment, no, I don’t think Danny White is that stupid.

But in a world where the football gods have been capricious, to say the least, and Clay Travis exists, I can’t say the chances are zero.  You know what they say about hope being the best of things…

Musical palate cleanser, rock on, dudes edition

From 1978, enjoy this muscular version of Steely Dan, performing “Reelin’ in the Years”:

Skunk Baxter could friggin’ wail on guitar.