The SEC coaches meetings rolled into Destin, Fla., this week, and Lane Kiffin washed ashore.
You know Kiffin, the man who brought a Molotov cocktail to the SEC tea party, the guy who coaches like tickets have to be sold for the latest WWE event. You halfway expect for him to enter press conferences wearing orange tights, grab the mike, scream invectives at his rivals, then spike the microphone, kiss his biceps, and leave without taking questions. Kiffin coaches college football like Vince McMahon helms the WWE, it's all about creating a buzz.
But like recent offseasons, there's talk that Brett Favre is mulling a comeback, even though, at this point, everybody just wants him to go away. (I mean, seriously, when Peter Kingwrites in his MMQB column that "I know you're sick of this story. We all are...", it might be time for Favre to permanently retire to the ole fishin' pond.)
As we watched the Al Davis vs. Lane Kiffin saga unfold in Oakland over the past two seasons, it was difficult to not feel some sort sympathy for Kiffin.
After all, he was a young, up-and-coming head coach that seemed to be trapped in the firm grasp of Davis' lair, having little to no control over what was actually going on with the football team he was, supposedly, coaching.
Last year there was an enormous blowup in the blogosphere about whether or not Nick Saban's massive over-signing was ethical or not. A few months, one Jimmy Johns nose-candy arrest, and a half-dozen suspicious medical scholarships later, and Saban managed to cram his class in and even had scholarships left over.
This year Alabama is recruiting within reason, but it's another SEC coach messing with the kids he's in charge of: Steve Spurrier. First, he's told senior non-starters to GTFO:
As Denver Broncos owner Pat Bowlen embarks on his first coaching search since hiring Mike Shanahan in 1995, one name is generating more buzz than all others: Bob Stoops.
Yes, Stoops, the head coach at Oklahoma who will lead the Sooners into the national title game on Thursday, appears to be a candidate for the Broncos job. Or at least, Bowlen wants him to be a candidate. The Denver Post reports that Bowlen has tried to contact Stoops, but it's not clear whether Stoops is willing to listen. Although the folks in Oklahoma might be getting worried, would Stoops see the Broncos job as a step up?
I'm not so sure. When I was at the NFL scouting combine last year, I heard a few coaches marveling at the $6 million Stoops was scheduled to make in 2008. I'm not sure that Bowlen -- who still owes Shanahan $20 million over the next three years -- would give Stoops much more money than he's already making. And I'm not sure that Stoops wants to leave Oklahoma, where he has total control over everything, for the NFL, where coaches just don't have the same level of authority.
The only reason for Stoops to leave Oklahoma for the NFL is if he just thinks he's accomplished everything he wants to accomplish in college football, and feels it's time to find a new challenge. But before he makes that leap, he should give his old buddy Steve Spurrier a call.
As Denver Broncos owner Pat Bowlen embarks on his first coaching search since hiring Mike Shanahan in 1995, one name is generating more buzz than all others: Bob Stoops.
Yes, Stoops, the head coach at Oklahoma who will lead the Sooners into the national title game on Thursday, appears to be a candidate for the Broncos job. Or at least, Bowlen wants him to be a candidate. The Denver Post reports that Bowlen has tried to contact Stoops, but it's not clear whether Stoops is willing to listen. Although the folks in Oklahoma might be getting worried, would Stoops see the Broncos job as a step up?
I'm not so sure. When I was at the NFL scouting combine last year, I heard a few coaches marveling at the $6 million Stoops was scheduled to make in 2008. I'm not sure that Bowlen -- who still owes Shanahan $20 million over the next three years -- would give Stoops much more money than he's already making. And I'm not sure that Stoops wants to leave Oklahoma, where he has total control over everything, for the NFL, where coaches just don't have the same level of authority.
The only reason for Stoops to leave Oklahoma for the NFL is if he just thinks he's accomplished everything he wants to accomplish in college football, and feels it's time to find a new challenge. But before he makes that leap, he should give his old buddy Steve Spurrier a call.
Lane Kiffin, the new, hip, happening Tennessee Volunteers head coach, got an early welcome to the world of the SEC from one of its elder statesmen recently, as Ye Olde Ball Coach, Steve Spurrier, decided to point out that young Lane had spoken with recruits before he was actually introduced as head coach of the Vols.
The South Carolina coach, who had a history of taking verbal jabs at Kiffin's predecessor, Phillip Fulmer, questioned whether Kiffin broke NCAA recruiting rules by contacting Tennessee recruits before he was cleared to do so.
Jarvis Giles, a running back recruit from Gaither High School in Tampa, Fla., told several media outlets that Kiffin contacted him early Sunday morning - a day before he was scheduled to be introduced as the Vols' new coach.
Spurrier noted that he didn't retake the recruiting test until after he was introduced as the Gamecocks' new coach and joked that Kiffin might have called Giles as "an interested observer.''
That's the beauty of the OBC -- he manages to make a joke out of a pretty serious allegation, simply by using his charming Southern demeanor. And obviously Kiffin is covering up any potential wrong doing by pointing out that he took the test before his hire was actually announced; whether or not he acted in accordance with the rules seems irrelevant unless there's a dated test that can prove him otherwise.
The better part of all this is that right away, we have a heated coaching rivalry between two SEC would-be powerhouses, not to mention the makings of a super awesome visor war.
After the Gamecocks suffered their latest loss under Steve Spurrier -- this being the worst defeat ever suffered by the Visored One -- rumors have begun to circulate that Steve Spurrier could retire after this season.
We're hearing increasing chatter from our NFL sources that South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier will retire after the 2008 season.
Spurrier, 63, was thought to be leaning heavily toward retirement before Saturday's 56-6 debacle against Florida. It's unknown whether the 50-point loss will affect Spurrier's thought processes.
We've also heard that Spurrier is upset that South Carolina officials aren't inclined to give the head coaching job to his son, Steve Spurrier, Jr.
CFT also references an article in which a recruit suggests that he might choose Clemson over South Carolina because he "has a feeling" that Spurrier might retire soon.
FanHouse Gut FeelingTM: Not happening.Spurrier is nothing if not a man of his word, and he's said more than once this season that he believes he has another 4-5 years of coaching left -- and that South Carolina is his "last gig." Still, it'd be hard to blame Spurrier if he chose to start focusing more on his golf rather than college football. Since his departure from Florida in 2001, he's gone 12-20 in the NFL and 28-20 at South Carolina, losing more SEC games than he's won (15-17). If anything the SEC has become even more competitive since Spurrier's return; 5 Southeastern Conference teams found themselves ranked among the Top 10 in the early part of the college football season .
Regardless, Steve Spurrier is still the Ole' Ball Coach and is a living legend. South Carolina might be a "hill too far", but we believe Spurrier will continue the fight -- at least for now.
Prop Bets for the College Football Junkie is a weekly post that cares not for your silly point spreads. If you have the money and the gumption, we'll lay down a weekly gauntlet of propositions that'll take you from the penthouse to the outhouse faster than you can guess the number of times Lee Corso will say "not so fast my friend." As always, this is for entertainment purposes only.
$ With the celebration that you all know is coming in the Worlds Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party Florida vs. Georgia game this weekend, we give you a multiple choice wager. Over/under on the following dances being performed:
-Funky Chickens +/-1. You know that's how Urban Rolls... -Solja Boys +/-20. -Worms +/-2. Come on, you know one or two guys that break this out at the worst possible moment. -Sprinklers +/-1, because some things just can't end soon enough.
$ Number of employed cart drivers if they leave their cart in the back of the end zone, +/-0. It seems like an easy bet, but I want to remind you that the house gets all pushes.
$ Phil Fulmer is most definitely on the hot seat, and heading to South Carolina this weekend to face off with his old pal Steve Spurrier. This is probably the first prop bet I've done that is most likely alive and kicking somewhere in Vegas. But we give you the straight up bet that Fulmer will be fired after this weekend.
God bless you, Week 3. Finally, it's time for football with outcomes less predictable than Al Davis' wardrobe or what happens when you leave PJ Hill alone with a Twinkie. Here's 10 games to watch other than Ohio State-USC.
Kansas vs. South Florida, Friday 8PM Why We're Watching: Velour. Please, Mark Mangino, bring back the velour. We'll plant a velour tree, write velour ballads and pray to a velour god who wears gold chains and sleeps on a circular bed (Which is probably James Caan).
Then there's the football, as two previously not-ready-for-primetime teams meet on national television in a game that's as much about this season as a dipstick on the state of two climbing programs. Quarterbacks Matt Grothe andTodd Reesing are the constants from last year's teams, but both the Bulls and Jayhawks have to prove that they've successfully rebuilt key areas of their teams. South Florida lost two four-year starters at cornerback to the NFL draft and replaced them with Jerome Murphy and Tyller Roberts, two players with two career starts entering the season. Kansas lost its leading rusher and its leading receiver, but seems to have no problem filling the holes with Brandon Anderson-styled powerback Angus Quigley and an array of receivers (Reesing has completed passes to 11 different players).
But the matchup of the game will be South Florida's George Selvie against red-shirt freshman lineman Jeff Spikes. Selvie led the nation in sacks last year, but hasn't had the chance to so much as touch a quarterback inappropriately this season. He's due, which should alone send a shiver down Bulls' fans like they just hired Isiah Thomas to run the team. And if that doesn't strike enough fear, consider this: When he was a kid, George Selvie had a Buick fall on his head. If you think that doesn't make you an unstoppable badass, ponder it some more with the entire Wisconsin offensive line sitting on your head to add to the realism.
If South Florida wins, they likely won't play another ranked team this season until they meet West Virginia in December. [ Ed. Note -- The Bulls edged out Kansas on a dramatic last-second field goal. ]
The SEC coaches meetings rolled into Destin, Fla., this week, and Lane Kiffin washed ashore. 
In February, the Vikings sent a fourth-round pick to the Texans, and in return, 
As we watched the 
Last year there was an enormous blowup in the blogosphere about whether or not Nick Saban's 
As Denver Broncos owner 
After the Gamecocks suffered their latest loss under Steve Spurrier -- this being the worst defeat ever suffered by the Visored One -- rumors have begun to circulate that Steve Spurrier could retire after this season.
