Chomp.

Dan Mullen, throwing shade.

Dan Mullen not surprised Florida hired his AD, throws this in, "We've won more games than Florida over the last six seasons."

— Dave Matter (@Dave_Matter) September 28, 2016

Well played, sir.

Top to bottom

You know, you’d think if the SEC was really all that deep as a conference, there would be a little more diversity in this stat.

Only 7 of the 48 SEC Championship Game slots have gone to anyone but the 6 teams that have won the game (Ala, AU, UF, UGA, LSU, Tenn),

— David Wunderlich (@Year2) September 28, 2016

Aiming high

This is ambitious.

If Orgeron doesn’t earn the job, sources tell FootballScoop that LSU’s committee believes they can and should land a home run. “Their sights are on national championship caliber, proven head coaches,” a source with knowledge told FootballScoop this morning. During the initial, exploratory phase, we are told to expect LSU, through representatives, to gauge the interest of some of the top coaches in college football, including Nick Saban, Urban Meyer, Bob Stoops, Jimbo Fisher and Tom Herman. Right or wrong, sources tell FootballScoop that LSU believes they will be able to attract a coach of that caliber.

Although the finances of LSU always seem to be changing, I have no reason to believe the powers that be at LSU will struggle to obtain whatever funding they need to attract the right coach. A source we spoke with this morning didn’t bat an eye when saying “Money will not be an issue here. Donors are ready to take care of a championship caliber coach appropriately.”

The state of Louisiana is going broke, but throwing tens of millions of dollars at a football coach doesn’t seem to be an issue.  Getting one of those names to come, though, may be a different story.

In a coaching search, prospective coaches want to know who their boss truly will be. There is no question that Tom Jurich is calling the shots at Louisville. No question that Gene Smith calls them at Ohio State. No question that Bill Moos does the same at Washington State. At LSU, there are a lot of folks who are involved. Yes, sources tell FootballScoop LSU has already arranged a “committee” to lead the process in this search. LSU leadership apparently doesn’t trust Joe Alleva to get on a plane, go have dinner with their target, evaluate him and make the offer / seal the deal as necessary.

Maybe they can use Greg McGarity’s search firm.

SEC Power Poll, Week 4

A little more clarity comes every week, right?  Geez, the SEC East is pretty much living down to expectations now.

1. Alabama.  Ole Man River just keeps rolling on.
2. Texas A&M.  Hey, these guys might be pretty good, y’all.
3. Tennessee.  Give ’em credit; once the Vols got rolling, Florida had no answer.  And if they beat Georgia, that’ll probably be enough of a cushion to let them weather the storm of facing nos. one and two in the coming weeks.
4. Ole Miss.  Remember the days when it was the other teams that called off the dogs after being up 45-0?
5. Florida.  Fifth?  Eh, I guess so.
6. Arkansas.  Back to earth, with a thud.
7. Auburn.  Winning with defense and a field goal kicker… when did Gus morph into Tuberville?
8. LSU.  Was there a more fitting way for Les Miles to go than mismanaging the clock in a loss?
9. Mississippi State.  Really didn’t do anything special in beating UMass, but I figure they deserve the benefit of the doubt for being in the West.
10. Georgia.  I wonder how many other P5 teams are 3-1 with a minus-20 in point differential.
11. Missouri.  I bet the Tigers are feeling pretty bummed about that Georgia loss right now.
12. Kentucky.  Look who climbed out of the cellar!
13. South Carolina.  With that loss to Kentucky, the chances for bowl eligibility have been reduced to somewhere between slim and none.  And you know the old joke about slim.
14. Vanderbilt.  Bowl eligibility?  What’s that?

Wednesday morning buffet

Eat, eat…

• “The top ten most talented teams in the country last year were Alabama, Ohio State, USC, Notre Dame, Florida State, LSU, Auburn, Georgia, Texas, and Michigan.”
• You know the old joke about someone being so incompetent he could screw up a one-car funeral?  That would be Rutgers’ AD.
• According to his dad, Pennsylvania’s D’Andre Swift was really impressed by the G-Day crowd:  “To be able to walk into the stadium and be a part of it and walk down and watch the guys coming through the ‘DawgWalk’ and see all the tradition that Georgia has was just remarkable. I’ve never seen how a town shuts down for a game. That city is a college football town, and everybody embraces that tradition and the football program fully. That, to me, was just remarkable about Georgia in every way.”  If you were there, take a bow.
• The ACC is already trying to figure out what to do if Clemson, FSU and Louisville all wind up 11-1.
• Good point in this post — if Missouri is an improved team in the SEC East, don’t forget that Florida and Tennessee both have yet to play the Tigers.
• Hugh Freeze notes one difference between Kirby Smart’s defenses at Alabama and Georgia:  “He’s playing a lot more odd front. I’m sure he’s adjusting to what he thinks is best for his team. It’s been different from what we expect from them, but the results are well for him.”
• Cool game management, Clay Helton.  You’re lucky Stanford didn’t have a two-point trick play up its sleeve.

SEC replay news gives me writer’s block.

I mean, there’s a Penn Wagers joke somewhere in this, but for the life of me, I can’t come up with it.

SEC Power Poll, Week 3

Another week, a (slightly) larger sample size.

1. Alabama.  When the Tide was down by 21 late in the first half, did you think it was more likely Saban’s team would lose, or that the lead would shrink by two touchdowns before the teams went to the locker room at halftime?
2. Texas A&M.  That makes three solid wins in a row for the Aggies.
3. Florida.  I know Del Rio is hurt, but the Gator defense is giving up less than five points per game, which is best in the country.
4. Tennessee.  Eleven fumbles, one lost is the story of the Vols in 2016 so far.
5. Arkansas.  Cupcake win.  Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
6. Ole Miss.  The best first quarter team in the country.
7. Georgia.  So, would Missouri be a one-point favorite over Nicholls?
8. LSU.  Up by 20 in the first half to Mississippi State, win by three… sounds about right.
9. Mississippi State.  Down by 20 in the first half to LSU, lose by three… sounds about right.
10. Missouri.  The first thing an inexperienced team has to learn is how to close out a game.
11. Auburn.  I think we just figured out where the hottest seat in the conference is located.
12. South Carolina.  With Kentucky up next, the ‘Cocks have a good shot at winning three of their first four games.  Can they win three of the eight remaining after that?
13. Vanderbilt.  Geez, I don’t know what’s worse — giving up 511 yards, or only scoring seven points on a Ted Roof defense.
14. Kentucky.  122nd in scoring defense is no way to go through an SEC season, son.