Offensive gurus don't take kindly to head coaches out-and-out shelving of their precious schemes. So it comes as no surprise that when queried about the difference from last year at Arkansas to this one, new Tulsa offensive Coordinator Gus Malzahn snippily states the obvious:
I think the biggest difference is that we're going to run the spread, no-huddle offense. Coach [Todd] Graham is 100 percent behind that philosophy and I am too," Malzahn said. "I think that's the biggest difference.
Here's looking at you, Houston Nutt.
Malzahn - at least publicly - has been classy about his tenure at and departure from Arkansas, but the fangs came out a little this week. Until now he's been deferential about Arkansas' reversion from his offense to a heavy ground attack, but safely ensconced in Tulsa with a friend as his boss, Malzahn has finally given some light to the philosophical disagreement between himself and coach Nutt. He later added "this is who I am as a coach."
Oddly, new Tulsa coach Todd Graham also subtly snipes at Major Applewhite, his offensive coordinator last year at Rice.
"I like going into meetings and there's no arguments over philosophy," Graham said. "We philosophically believe the same thing."
Arkansas Athletic Director Frank Broyles is expected to step down this week. His departure is yet another symbol of the passing of one of college football's greatest generations, the great coaches who presided over the game from 1960 or so until the mid to late 1970's. Broyles coached the Razorbacks from 1958 to 1976 helping them win a championship and competing nationally in a great era against powers like Alabama, USC, Notre Dame and Michigan.
Another giant of his time has left us in the mortal sense: Bo Schembechler. Schembechler coached Michigan from 1969 to 1989 becoming the face of the program until his death just before the Michigan/Ohio State game last year.
Among the magnificent but dead is Alabama's Bear Bryant (1958-1982) who retired at the end of the 1982 season and promptly checked out of mortal existence. Ohio State's Woody Hayes (1951-1978) hung around until his death in 1987. Nebraska's Bob Devaney (1962-1972) checked out in 1997 and USC's comedic John McKay (1960-1975) lasted a little longer, passing away in 2001.
All those giants left the coaching ranks long ago, but each stewarded elite programs for a decade or more. To this day most of them remain the standard for which current coaches aspire to at each of their programs. Schembechler's death and Broyles' departure signal the end of their collective direct involvement in the college game.
They are the ones who were the game's caretakes from the mid to late 1970's until the late 1980's, an era of great transition and upheaval due to parity measures such as scholarship limits, the completion of racial integration and the rapid and dramatic death of plodding, run-heavy conventional offenses such as USC's "Student Body Right/Student Body Left" approach.
We'll save that analysis for another day, another time. Until then it's one final embrace of perhaps college football's "greatest generation" of coaches. Thanks for the memories, fellas.
Few things awe people more than the act of speed. I sit here writing this while the Daytona 500 plays out on my television screen, cars ripping across asphalt at nearly 200 miles an hour. The main event at the Olympic games is the 100 meter dash. In college football, our fastest players have quite often been amongst the most celebrated.
Reggie Bush and Adrian Peterson came along and spent three seasons simply running right by defenders. They gave way to Ted Ginn who capped his career with a kick return touchdown that was Ohio State's lone highlight in January's BCS Championship Game.
But now that those guys are gone, who is left to fill the void as captivating speedster?
For players already on college rosters, Clemson has two of the zoom zoomiest around in receiver/returner Jacoby Ford and tailback CJ Spiller, both sophomores. There are other players out there yet to make their mark and we'll be on the lookout for them. One such burner is Jamere Holland, a redshirt freshman receiver at USC who clocked somewhere in the 10.3 range in the 100 meters in high school.
Florida sophomore receiver Percy Harvin is also a superb choice, weaving expertly through defenses any time he so much as has a step on a defender. West Virginia junior tailback Steve Slaton has excellent speed and is a worthy candidate. Junior Arkansas tailback and Heisman Trophy runner-up Darren McFadden is an obvious selection here. Finally, there is junior Texas tailback Jamaal Charles who ran somewhere in the 10.2 range in high school and owns several long touchdown runs to his name.
Among incoming recruits, many people have made comparisons between Louisiana's Joe McKnight (a USC signee) and Reggie Bush, but McKnight is probably a step slower with a personal best of 10.71. There are some reports of him having clocked a 10.4, but I have yet to find anything legitimate and official backing that up. He's definitely a playmaker but I'm not sure he's quite in that class of guy who simply runs right by college defenders as Peterson and Bush and Ginn were able to do.
My nominee among this year's incoming freshmen to fill the speed vacuum would be tailback Jahvid Best, a 10.41 runner who has signed with California.
Noble reader: now that you've seen my list, I ask you now who else should be under consideration as an impact player with awe-inspiring speed? Feel free to leave a comment below.
This one's been whispered about for a few days but is now semi-official. Broyles announced his plans to step down as Arkansas' Athletic Director before a meeting room packed with friends like football coach Houston Nutt, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and the school's basketball and track coaches.
There has been a push of late to nudge Broyles out of the athletic department after the whole Springdale Five situation went national and the upper management at Arkansas was made to look equal parts arrogant, callous and incapable of fulfilling promises and obligations. That's very one-sided of course but two of the main players have left in quarterback Mitch Mustain and receiver Damian Williams.
There is talk that Broyles will remain at Arkansas in some sort of advisory position but for several days now whispers had increased about people within the school bureaucracy pushing for his departure.
Broyles famously had run-ins with former basketball coach Nolan Richardson, did not retain Lou Holtz as a football coach past 1983 and most recently presided over the Springdale Five mess.
Broyles' coaching legacy is far more secure. He led the Razorbacks to a national championship in 1964 and was cordial with both Alabama coach Bear Bryant and USC coach John McKay during their epic tenures through the 1960's and 1970's. He coached the Hogs from 1958 until 1976 and compiled a 144-58-5 record and just two losing seasons.
Nothing's been formally announced, but signs seem to indicate that ballyhooed former Arkansas quarterback Mitch Mustain is strongly considering transferring to USC.
He visits USC this week and has already been briefed in specifics what his situation will be like.
Arkansas quarterback Mitch Mustain arrives shortly and there won't be any misunderstandings, especially after he is on the verge of transferring after one season.
"We've laid it out to him," a source said. "Plain and simple. We aren't sugarcoating anything."
Doesn't sound like USC is making any promises or guarantees.
With that out of the way, we should soon see whether or not he ends up in Los Angeles. I'm guessing both parties learned a few lessons from his Arkansas experience and the consequences of unfulfilled guarantees. Mustain's former high school and Arkansas teammate Damian Williams also recently transferred to USC.
As a transfer he would have to sit a year before regaining eligibility as a redshirt sophomore in 2008. At that point John David Booty will have graduated and his competition will be redshirt junior Mark Sanchez and this year's recruit Aaron Corp who would be a redshirt freshman or a true sophomore.
Continuing our moment of idle speculation here, this interesting trivia should be noted: if Mustain indeed transfers to USC, the Trojans will have signed each of the last four Parade Magazine All America Players of the Year. They are tailback Joe McKnight (who shares the award this year with Notre Dame-bound quarterback Jimmy Clausen), Mustain, quarterback Mark Sanchez and offensive lineman Jeff Byers.
Mustain famously ran for a touchdown after completing a 41-yard pass against USC in his first collegiate appearance last year.
First things first. I no longer have a dog in this BCS hunt. My Auburn Tigers have been eliminated. With that said, I'm still hot over this BCS process. Just as Auburn was bent over in 2004, it appears likely that the winner of the Florida-Arkansas contest will face the same fate.
Many in the South believe that Arkansas is the best team in the conference and will win the SEC Championship on December 2nd. I don't share that feeling. I believe that Florida is a better team and will be even faster on artificial turf. Something tells me that Urban Meyer is a better big game coach. Time will tell.
Regardless of who wins, it appears that the winner will settle for the consolation prize, the bronze medal game if you will. The idea that a one loss SEC Champion will be left out is just as incredible as it was in 2004 when Auburn went undefeated.
Arkansas coach Houston Nutt made Tommy Tuberville his bitch for three hours Saturday afternoon. And it wasn't pretty to watch. While Auburn and its fans were worrying about the BCS, Nutt and his Razorback team were preparing for the coup of a lifetime. The results were impressive and mind-boggling all at the same time.
Most Auburn people (including this writer) ignored the warning signs. The lackluster first half performance against Buffalo was shrugged off as a letdown after the LSU win. Barely holding on against South Carolina last week was dismissed as a solid road win against a Steve Spurrier coached team.
The fact is, Auburn is not as good as it was a month ago. This team has not gotten better every week, which is a mark of a true champion. Offensive coordinator Al Borges said after the LSU game that he thought his unit would get better every week like the one in 2004 did. He believed a tough win against what was thought to be the best defense in the conference at the time would pay dividends down the road. Both of those assumptions proved to be untrue.
This week's Auburn-Arkansas game has a number of good subplots to watch. Regardless of the score, when these two teams get together it's always a physical battle. With Florida waiting in the wings a week from Saturday, Auburn must get the job done and stay healthy at the same time. That might be asking a lot. When watching on Saturday look for these things:
Arkansas has only given up four sacks all season. Their offensive line is huge. Razorback quarterback Mitch Mustain doesn't have near the mobility of South Carolina's Syvelle Newton. Look for defensive coordinator Will Muschamp to blitz early and often. Look for that sack total to increase like the Dow Jones this week.
Darren McFadden is the best running back Auburn will face all year. And he's the fastest. This guy loves to run around the ends. It's imperative that Auburn shut down the outside and force him to the middle. The success they have doing this will go a long way in determining the outcome of the game.
Watch back-up center Jason Bosley closely - especially early. Bosley is stepping in for the injured Joe Cope and Arkansas will be keying on him from the start. Tommy Tuberville and Al Borges have spent all week hyping him and praising his work ethic and intelligence. On Saturday it will probably come down to brute strength.
Suspended linebacker Kevin Sears should see considerable action this week. It will be interesting to see how the long layoff has affected him. He will be vital to the defense's success as the year progresses and depth becomes more of an issue. Let's hope he picks up where he left off last season.
Jonathan Wilhite returns to his corner position and not a second too soon. South Carolina exploited his absence last week and Auburn is a different team when he's in the line-up. Many thought he would play last week, but was held out. The word is, he's 100% and ready to go. With Wilhite back, look for the blitzing Muschamp to return.
Can the running game stay on track? This is the time of year when Kenny Irons usually kicks it into high gear. With the Tiger receivers showing some life last week, that should open up the run more for Irons. Let's hope that Ben Tate also gets some carries. It looks like he's the real deal.
When Arkansas visits Auburn on Saturday all eyes will be on Razorback freshman quarterback Mitch Mustain. The Springdale, Arkansas native was a Parade Magazine All-American and its Player of the Year in 2005. He was at the top of every recruiting analysis list. Arkansas coach Houston Nutt laid it all on the line in luring Mustain to Fayetteville. He even went so far as to hire Mustain's high school coach as the Razorbacks new offensive coordinator.
Whether or not that was a stupid move remains to be seen. But Nutt has gone from the toast of college football, even turning down the Nebraska job, to just trying to hold on in Arkansas. No one's fortunes have dropped quite as fast as Nutts. He knows that Mustain will either make or break his career.
Mustain got the starting job after coming in late against USC and driving the team the length of the field to score. Never-mind, that the game was already a blowout and most of the USC defensive starters were on the bench resting. Since then he has guided them to three straight victories. A win at Auburn would make him the first freshman Razorback quarterback to win four consecutive games. Mitch, I wouldn't hold my breath.
In victories over Utah State, Vanderbilt and Alabama, his results have been mixed. Despite winning the Alabama game two weeks ago, Mustain was terrible; going 7 for 22 for 97 yards, 1 touchdown and three interceptions. A performance like that this weekend will get you beat by four touchdowns.
For all intent purposes, this is his first real road game. The first road game at Vanderbilt doesn't count. Everyone knows that the visitor brings more fans than the Commodores. Mustain says that there is no pressure on him this week. Silly boy.
"We have nothing to lose this game per se," Mustain said. "They are expected to win. People are expecting us to get beat by them. So you just come out and have fun with it. If anything, just enjoy the crowd." Those are the true words of a freshman. He wins at Vanderbilt and now he's ready to "enjoy the crowd".
Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville addressed the media Tuesday morning after a two hour workout in preparation for this Saturday's SEC Western Division showdown with Arkansas. He says he's looking forward to this weekend's match up.
"Arkansas is a very good football team. The Razorbacks are much improved each week, and well coached. I really enjoy this game, being from Arkansas, but Houston (Nutt) and I have been friends for a long time and it's always an excellent game. After you play this game each year, you look back and you can point out four or five plays that usually decided the game. It's always a fun game. It is hard fought and the players respect each other and get after it," said Tuberville.
Below is a transcript of Coach Tuberville's comments courtesy of the Auburn Athletic Department...
Opening Statement ... "It was a good practice today. You can tell the guys were back into it. It was good to have a couple of days off last week and then start with the game plan on Sunday, take a day off and then get back to work today. We have to get a few more guys who are still getting their legs back after the first few weeks so they are not quite as sore. We are getting close to the middle of the season, so you can expect to see guys dragging a little bit, but it is good that we have had a couple of days off.
"Last year was a tale of two halves. They won the first half and we won the second half. Fortunately, we scored a few more points than they did. This year, they have started a new quarterback for the last few weeks. They are much improved. They have one of the better running backs in the country. They are a very athletic football team. If you were to define this Arkansas football team, it would be by saying `very athletic' on both sides. They have a lot of good football players with a lot of speed, typical for an SEC football team. You can tell the improvement and how hard they are being coached over the last few weeks after the opening loss to USC.
"We have to, obviously, go against another team this week that is undefeated in the Western Division. It will be a big Western Division game. Our guys are excited about playing. It is good to be home in Jordan-Hare Stadium for the next few weeks. We took care of business on the road, as you have to do if you want a chance to get to Atlanta. It wasn't pretty, but sometimes you have to win like that. Now, we are back home and trying to improve and get better each week as a team."
Offensive gurus don't take kindly to head coaches out-and-out shelving of their precious schemes. So it comes as no surprise that when queried about the difference from last year at Arkansas to this one, new Tulsa offensive Coordinator Gus Malzahn snippily states the obvious:
Arkansas Athletic Director 
First things first. I no longer have a dog in this BCS hunt. My Auburn Tigers have been eliminated. With that said, I'm still hot over this BCS process. Just as Auburn was bent over in 2004, it appears likely that the winner of the Florida-Arkansas contest will face the same fate.
Arkansas coach Houston Nutt made Tommy Tuberville his bitch for three hours Saturday afternoon. And it wasn't pretty to watch. While Auburn and its fans were worrying about the BCS, Nutt and his Razorback team were preparing for the coup of a lifetime. The results were impressive and mind-boggling all at the same time. 
This week's Auburn-Arkansas game has a number of good subplots to watch. Regardless of the score, when these two teams get together it's always a physical battle. With Florida waiting in the wings a week from Saturday, Auburn must get the job done and stay healthy at the same time. That might be asking a lot. When watching on Saturday look for these things:
When Arkansas visits Auburn on Saturday all eyes will be on Razorback freshman quarterback Mitch Mustain. The Springdale, Arkansas native was a Parade Magazine All-American and its Player of the Year in 2005. He was at the top of every recruiting analysis list. Arkansas coach Houston Nutt laid it all on the line in luring Mustain to Fayetteville. He even went so far as to hire Mustain's high school coach as the Razorbacks new offensive coordinator.
Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville addressed the media Tuesday morning after a two hour workout in preparation for this Saturday's SEC Western Division showdown with Arkansas. He says he's looking forward to this weekend's match up. 
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