FanHouse John Chavis

Several months ago, I said one of the big questions of the 2009 SEC season was which of the new high-priced coordinators would make the biggest splash in the conference: John Chavis at LSU, Monte Kiffin at Tennessee or Gus Malzahn at Auburn.

Four weeks into the season, I think we can call this contest: It's Malzahn by a landslide.

While Kiffin has kept Tennessee in the top 10 on defense -- truthfully he didn't really have anywhere to take them -- Chavis has been serviceable at best for LSU. Arriving at Auburn, a team that averaged just 17.3 points per game in 2008, Malzahn revolutionized an offense that is now ranked No. 3 in the nation. So far this season, Auburn is averaging seven yards per play and 525 yards per game (nearly 200 more per game than last year, albeit not yet with the gauntlet of SEC defenses), and has scored 23 touchdowns.

As if that weren't enough the team is now averaging 45.25 points a game. By the fifth game this season, at Tennessee, Malzahn and Auburn stand a decent chance of putting up more points in 2009 than they did in the entire 2008 season.

With statistics like these, I think there's only one solution: Name Gus Malzhan the coach in waiting.

Here's the top lesson from Saturday: If you're a major program, never schedule a game you can lose as your season opener. Period. This should be a rule. Why? Because we fans sit around for nine months waiting for the college football season to return, and then, in one sixty minute game, the entire season is ruined. It's just not worth it. You roll out of bed the next morning and effectively the wildest dreams of the offseason, that your team could run the table and contend for a national championship, is over.

Ask Georgia fans what they feel like this morning. Ask Tennessee fans what the last two years prior to this season felt like losing the first game of the season in California. Losing the opening game counts as two losses, it makes you feel like complete crap. And don't even get me started with how good you feel if you win an opening game. You're a liar. You don't feel good, you just feel relieved. Nothing has changed about your season if you win a big opening game. You just get to dream for one week more. On to the ClayNation Starting 11.

It was a good win, but not good enough for LSU's expectations. In fact, Tigers coach Les Miles called LSU's road game at Washington Saturday night a "setup game." Call it a blind date that nearly went terribly wrong.

Miles pointed out how LSU traveled the farthest it has ever been -- 2,550 miles to Seattle -- for a football game. He cited how the opener was played in rain and mist. He reminded fans the Huskies didn't have any distractions -- classes weren't in session last week -- and they returned a talented, experienced quarterback in Jake Locker.

"But we prevailed," Miles said. "We're 1-0 and looking forward to the rest of the season."

Wednesday, the annual circus known as the SEC Media Days kicks off in Birmingham, Ala. As college football has become a year-round sport, the three media days down in Birmingham have become the official launch date for SEC football fans, a time when our region's football obsession officially begins anew. Even if, you know, it never actually dies. Last season then-Tennessee coach Phil Fulmer arrived and was immediately served with a subpoena in a lawsuit brought by my favorite people on Earth: disassociated Alabama boosters. Getting disassociated from the Alabama football program is like being the only guy in a prison who no one will share a table with.

This season, 25 radio stations will be broadcasting live from inside the event, and over 800 members of the media have been credentialed. It's like Woodstock for people who use the word, goll-durn. And we'll be there for the ride. Goll-durn.

As director of athletic training at Louisiana State University, Jack Marucci knows it's going to be a good day when the Tigers are on the field and not in his office. This time of year, Marucci also knows it's going to be a good day if Carlos Pena and Albert Pujols are swinging hot bats.

Check today's box scores - it's a very good day for Marucci.

Five of the top-10 major-league home run leaders this season have something in common -- they are using wooden bats hand-crafted by Marucci and his tiny company in Baton Rouge, La.

College Football Spring Storylines 2009 looks at the key developments and big news from spring ball.

Spring has begun for college football's mightiest conference, the SEC. The Florida Gators are the defending BCS champions and could field one of the best teams of the era next year. Several new faces have arrived elsewhere, from head coaches to quarterbacks. Some teams are tinkering, others facing wholesale changes. Others like Georgia and LSU can finally begin to implement fixes to what ailed them in a puzzling 2008.

Our SEC Spring Storyline will look like a countdown, beginning with the number four, same as the total number of BCS championships claimed by the SEC since 2004.