Les Miles: Over-signing number is 'in play,' presidents favor action

Just ran into Les Miles in the lobby here. The LSU head football coach was already holding court with a trio of other reporters, so I quickly asked him if he had addressed roster management issues, and if he had to please repeat it.

“I said that there has to be an alligator handler in every class. In fact Troy has got the swamp people. We’ve got to make sure that we keep a quality contingent of free-spirited men around.”

And no, I’m not making that up. Miles was kidding, of course, apparently alluding to an earlier interview. He was nice enough to turn serious and provide an update on the controversial over-signing issue, a few minutes after the SEC coaches’ meeting had broken up.

“The number is certainly in play,” Miles said, referring to the proposed limit on 25 signees per class. The current limit is 28. “The chancellors and the presidents certainly have a strong opinion. The A.D.s and coaches (may feel) slightly different. I think it will come to a point where we decide on a policy. And I think the intent certainly is to make college football better.”

Miles was then asked if the minds of the chancellors and presidents could be changed.

“You know I don’t if that’s the focus in any way,” he said. “I think it’s more just really (finding) a good policy.”

Will SEC coaches pull the trigger on basketball changes?

There is real movement towards realignment to the structure of SEC men’s basketball. At least that’s if you believe Mark Fox and Billy Donovan.

The league is debating here whether to get rid of its division format, go to 18 games and change its schedule. And unlike last year, when tournament re-seeding was voted down, Fox expects there to be action.

“If I would have to guess, I would guess there’s a lot of momentum for change,” Fox said.

The Georgia head coach said he supports change.

“I think we have to look very hard at going away from being in divisions,” he said. “For the health of our league, I think we have to look at it.”

It’s unknown if there are enough votes among the 12 coaches to make that drastic a change. And even if they are, logistics then have to be worked out: Who would each team play every year, how would they rotate the schedule, and how would the tournament be seeded.

The schedule could be a really thorny issue, considering one team – Kentucky – brings in a lot of revenue wherever they play.

Donovan, the Florida head coach, had perhaps the day’s most interesting idea: Instead of seeding the SEC tournament by record, do it by RPI ranks. It would help encourage teams to schedule better, Donovan mused.

Donovan also referred so off-handedly to the schedule going to 18 games that it made you think it was almost a certainty. But he may have been misunderstood.

Re-seeding the SEC tournament still seems the most likely change to come out of these meetings. The vote last year against doing so was 6-6, but as Fox pointed out, “some of the coaches have changed.”

“It’s something we’ve talked about for a couple years,” Donovan said. “I don’t know if anybody feels that we’ve got it solved, here’s the solution to this.”

It’s still very possible that nothing much tangible will be passed. Coaches may prove resistant to change when they get in their meetings and have to pull the trigger on realignment.

But heading in, it does seem like the appetite is there to at least discuss big changes.

Live from Destin: Over-signing update

DESTIN, Fla. - The football coaches have closed the door and begun their meetings. I attempted to plant a listening device, but was thwarted at the last moment by the crack SEC staff.

Seriously, it’d be quite cool to be a fly on the wall there. I’m not sure how much consensus will be reached on the league’s most visible issue, over-signing. But I think it was summed up well by Arkansas’ Bobby Petrino when he met with the media beforehand:

Petrino stated bluntly that he over-signs and he thinks the issue is overblown, but commissioner Mike Slive wants something, so legislation will be pushed through.

"When you read what the commissioner wrote, there will probably be a change," Petrino said. "You can’t be stupid. When you see the head guy talking about it. ...

"I’m not sure they really understand it, but there will probably be a change. The people who criticize it. I’m not sure they really understand how you do it, why you do it, how you manage your roster and how you get to the 85."

At first, when Tennessee’s Derek Dooley spoke first to the media, it seemed Slive might have already arranged a consensus behind the scenes.

“That’s obviously been the big talk in the last couple of weeks. I think with any piece of legislation the first thing you have to be cautious of is not getting so caught up in the public outcry you over-legislate,” he said. “Here’s what I do know: Most of the complaints have been fair, it’s been because of some things that have been not so common.”

Then Dooley – who had come down publicly for over-signing before Destin, said he favored things in Slive’s package of proposals.

“It closes the loopholes, and still accounts for a little overage,” Dooley said.

There’s a difference between overage and excessive signing. … We just need to close the loopholes.”

So that sounded like a bit of potential consensus forming.

But then coaches like Auburn’s Gene Chizik, Arkansas’ Bobby Petrino and Mississippi’s Houston Nutt traipsed through, making clear they had no stomach for the proposal to limit signing classes to 25 players.

“I think the 28 (limit is) just right,” Nutt said. “Follow that rule, and you won’t have a problem with it.”

Chizik said the 28 limit hadn’t been given enough time to work, and was surprised the issue was even being discussed again.

“In my opinion it’s worked,” Chizik said. “In my opinion I’m very comfortable where it is now. For us to turn around a year late rand try to change it again, I have my doubts about us having given it enough time to see whether it’s worked or not.”

Then came Mark Richt, who didn’t appear comfortable being the outspoken voice against over-signing. He started out by saying he would just “listen to what everyone has to say” in the meetings.

“First of all, I think everyone should have a right to manage their numbers,” he said. “I think every university should be able to do that.”

Then he said over-signing would be okay if the players know in advance they would gray-shirt.

“If everyone knows that on the front end, then I don’t see anything wrong with that ethically,” Richt said. “But what I’ve said, if you sign five over, and you get to the moment of truth, and you have to tell two or three kids that thought they were coming in with everyone else, and then all of a sudden you spring the news, all of a sudden there’s no room, you’ve gotta come in in January, I don’t think that’s right.

“But I never said anyone did that, I wasn’t accusing anybody of anything. I was just saying if everyone knows on the front end what’s going on, I don’t see anything wrong with that.”

Nick Saban spent his media session discussing other issues – the tornado, Jim Tressel, NCAA compliance issues – so he didn’t field anything on over-signing. But doubtless, the Alabama coach is talking about it behind the scenes.

We’ll see soon what comes out of all this. Stay tuned.

NCAA baseball regionals: UGA heads west, young men

The Georgia baseball team did indeed make the NCAA tournament, but it was apparently a close call, and it will rack up some mileage getting there.

The Bulldogs are headed for the Oregon State regional, in Corvallis, Ore. They were selected as a No. 3 seed, indicating they were one of the last at-large selections to the field.

Georgia's first-round opponent in the four-team, double-elimination regional is second-seeded Creighton.

The NCAA selection committee could have kept Georgia closer to home, with regionals at Clemson, Georgia Tech, Florida State or even North Carolina and Virginia. Instead, the Bulldogs head to the west coast, and not alone in that fate: Arkansas, another at-large selection out of the SEC, is headed to Arizona State.

But if you go by the RPI, Georgia got a pretty good draw: It's ranked ahead of Oregon State and Creighton in those rankings, according to Boydsworld.com. (Georgia 17, Creighton 29, Oregon State 31.)NC

SEC meetings: Five things to watch

We've posted a story over at Macon.com on the five things to watch at this week's league meetings in Destin, Fla. Here's the link.

A tease: One of those issues rhymes with "Dover-shining."

I'm headed on the road soon. (And just downloaded a bunch of music for the journey, including the soundtrack to "Juno." Yeah, I have questionable music tastes.)

Look in this space for coverage all week from Destin, including a round of coaching press conferences on Tuesday. But there should also be plenty of other stuff.

It'll be interesting to watch if something really substantive and meaningful comes out of the meetings on roster management. And while basketball realignment - perhaps eradicating division play - hasn't received as much attention, that really appears to be on the front-burner.

In the meantime, I hope everyone has a great Memorial Day.

Baseball update: Where will Georgia play? (Assuming it gets a bid)

The conventional wisdom says that Georgia all but clinched a spot in the NCAA tournament with its performance in the SEC tournament. So assuming the conventional wisdom isn’t wrong, where will the Bulldogs play next weekend?

The NCAA has announced the 16 regional sites. Five of them are from the ACC:
Georgia Tech, Clemson, North Carolina, Virginia and Florida State.

Those would be the most likely destinations if geography ends up being the main factor for Georgia’s placement. (Florida, South Carolina and Vanderbilt were the three picks from the SEC.)

Or the committee could send the Bulldogs to the Lone Star State, which has four regional hosts: Texas, Texas A&M, Rice and Texas Christian.

And if the Bulldogs are sent WAY far away, the possibilities are UCLA, Oregon State, Cal-State Fullerton and Arizona State.

Georgia is likely to be a No. 2 seed because of its RPI rank (16) and performance in the SEC. But given its record (31-30) it wouldn't be a shock to slip to a third seed. That's not too much of a difference, however, given it will be playing in the 2-3 seed game either way.

A pre-Destin look at over-signing

Here's my Sunday story on the SEC's "roster management" issue. That means over-signing, grayshirting, medical exemptions ... the whole kit and kaboodle. But I tended to focus on over-signing.

An excerpt:

At heart, the issue is how cut-throat college football must be. And there isn’t much common ground.

On one side, you have those who oppose doing “whatever it takes.” Florida president Bernie Machen, in a February letter to SI.com, ripped into grayshirting and medical exemptions. Georgia head coach Mark Richt has called pulling scholarships for numbers reasons “an awful thing to do.”

...

On the face of it, the math would indicate that the head coaches -- virtually all of the Western Division, plus Spurrier -- would out-vote Richt and his like-minded friends. But the athletics directors and presidents have the final say.

Slive doesn’t have a vote, but he has a view, as he pointed out, and it’s unlikely that he would put forth legislation without having a good idea of how it will fare.

While Slive won’t achieve any consensus among the coaches, he will try to get the administrators to agree on an overall plan. The easier task will be getting an agreement on the SEC overseeing medical exemptions; but further limiting signing classes and gray-shirting will be a tougher task.

I'll be in Destin this week and will provide updates on these and any other key issues.

The first of hundreds of preseason all-SEC lists

Phil Steele is out with a very early, and as usual comprehensive, preseason all-SEC team. And it has plenty of Georgia players on it.

Here's the link to the full list.

Five Georgia players make the first team:

QB Aaron Murray
TE Orson Charles
T Cordy Glenn
K Blair Walsh
P Drew Butler

Two make the second team:

C Ben Jones
PR Branden Smith (even though he hasn’t been given that job yet)

The third team:

DT DeAngelo Tyson (even though he’s moving to end)
LB Christian Robinson
CB Brandon Boykin
S Bacarri Rambo
KR Brandon Boykin

And the fourth team:

RB Isaiah Crowell (even though he hasn’t played a down yet)
WR Tavarres King
LB Cornelius Washington (even though he may not even start)

And yes, I used “even though” four times there. But it’s the preseason, you project, and you have some fun.

Seiler continues to defend Uga lineage

A lot of you have asked recently about the next Uga. Here's an update, and a bit more: Sonny Seiler reveals why it won't be Russ but could be his offspring, clears up the "inbreeding" misconceptions, addresses the Isaiah Crowell puppy story, and more in a story just posted:

ATHENS - Sonny Seiler has heard the comments and questions: Is there something wrong with the Uga line? Why not take the interim title off Russ? What about using that Isaiah Crowell puppy?

Seiler, whose family has been breeding the Georgia mascot for more than half a century, sought to answer a few of those queries and clear up some things.

But in an interview Friday, while driving back to Savannah after a UGA athletic board meeting, Seiler also spoke of how rough it has been to have two straight Uga mascot pass away suddenly. He also pointed out that the litter mates of Ugas VII and VIII are all healthy, so their deaths were not the result of breeding.

...

“Cancer is cancer. It hits people. It hits animals. In neither case was it hereditary,” said Seiler, who lives in Savannah and is a board member emeritus at UGA. “That puts down those soothsayers out there who say we need a new process of breeding.”

You can read the full story here.

A list of people who are smarter than me

Georgia has released the names of the 277 student-athletes (a term I don’t usually use, but will in this case) who earned a 3.0 or better grade point average during the spring semester.

You can read the full list here. But here are some of the names that stand out:

- Gerald Robinson, the starting point guard and third-leading scorer for the men’s basketball team.

- Jasmime James, women’s basketball starter and a second-team all-SEC pick.

- Derek Owens, the reserve cornerback who was academically ineligible for the Liberty Bowl but came back to attain a 3.0.

- Christian LeMay and Chris Conley, the two freshmen early enrollees for the football team.

- Other notable football players: Michael Bennett, Brandon Boykin, Drew Butler, Mike Gilliard, Jarvis Jones, Derrick Lott, Aaron Murray, Christian Robinson, Richard Samuel, Branden Smith, Garrison Smith and Trinton Sturdivant.

Murray was noted for having over a 3.5, and Butler for having a 4.0.

- Russell Henley, the senior golfer who in May became only the second amateur to ever win a Nationwide Tour event.

- Zach Cone and Kyle Farmer of the baseball team. Cone is the team's cleanup hitter, and Farmer is the team's second-leading hitter and tied for the team lead in home runs.

- Gymnast Kat Ding, a junior who won the NCAA bars title.

Georgia reported that 54 percent (or 277) of it's student-athletes posted a 3.0 or better. Nineteen had a 4.0, and another 118 were between 3.5 and 3.99.

Georgia-Florida tickets get more expensive

Starting in 2012, fans will have to fork over more for a ticket to what was formerly called the world’s largest outdoor cocktail party. And it could get more expensive in future years.

The UGA athletic board on Thursday approved a ticket hike for the 2012 season. Right now the tickets are $40 for regular stadium seating. They will increase to $60 for 2012.

But the board agreed to table (i.e., discuss later) tickete increases to $70 for 2014 and $75 for 2017.

The University of Florida athletic board had already approved the ticket pricing schedule for the 2012 game, and will discuss the 2014 and 2017 games at its meeting next month.

Georgia cited the ticket prices of other notable rivalry games as a reason for the hike:

Texas-Oklahoma: $110.00
Army-Navy: $115 club/$65.00 priority seating
Miami-Florida State: $70.00
Oregon-Oregon State: $78.00
Michigan-Ohio State: $70.00
Auburn-Alabama: $65.00

In other news, the board approved an additional $727,000 in funds for what it called “student-athlete welfare.” That includes the addition of two nutritionists, a sports psychologist, a training table and a mentor program.

The athletic association’s annual budget for the 2012 fiscal year will increase to $89,952,400. That’s about $5 million more than the current fiscal year budget. The school will be spending $2.66 million more in scholarships, and $1.4 million more in guarantees to non-conference football opponents.

Meanwhile, athletics director Greg McGarity told reporters covering the board meeting in St. Simons that head baseball coach David Perno will return in 2012.

Notes: Diamond Dogs lose, Taylor "graduates," Harrow commits elsewhere

Yours truly was away from the computer on Wednesday night, so I missed a chance to post a few items. Now after drinking a lot of water – let’s just say they might be a bit low on champagne in downtown Athens this morning – I can give you a catch-up:

- The Georgia baseball team opened play in the SEC tournament with a 10-0 loss to Vanderbilt. In fact the Bulldogs were held to just one hit, the first time since 2009 that's happened.

The loss puts the Bulldogs in an elimination game today against Auburn. The loser is not only headed home from Hoover, but their season is done. Georgia will need to win its next three games, at least, in order to be eligible for an NCAA tournament bid.

Sophomore left-hander Alex Wood (4-7, 4.80 ERA) will start for Georgia against junior right-hander Derk Vernadore (6-2, 3.75). The game will begin 30 minutes after the conclusion of the Arkansas-Mississippi State game, which begins at 10:30 a.m.

- There’s much better news for the baseball team: Jonathan Taylor has “graduated” from the in-patient program at the Shepherd Center to the “Day program.” That means Taylor, who suffered a serious neck injury earlier this year, will live next to the Shepherd Center in a connecting resident hall. He will continue rehab for the next four-to-six weeks.

“After rehab, he goes back to the residence hall and is on his own until the next day when he goes back for rehab,” team spokesman Christopher Lakos said. “They do this for their patients to help them get adjusted to being independent.”

- Ryan Harrow, a big recruiting target for the Georgia men’s basketball team, announced via Twitter that he was headed instead to Kentucky.

That’s a big disappointment for the Bulldogs, who thought they had a good chance at the N.C. State transfer. Harrow, a 6-foot-1 point guard, would have fit nicely in the lineup once he became eligible for the 2012-13 season.

Georgia could still end up adding another player to this year's class. Guard Kevin Ware, the former Tennessee signee from Rockdale County, has yet to announce his plans. But the Ware situation isn’t exactly clear-cut; he’s already backed out of another commitment, to Central Florida, and has yet to qualify academically.

- Finally, I had an item earlier on Mark Richt and his lake house being up for sale, downplaying the notion that it was somehow connected to his job security. Chip Towers at the AJC reached Richt later, and the coach relayed that he had decided to sell the house, which he built in 2009, out of a desire to feed the needy.

Richt said he was inspired after reading a book by Richard Stearns, “The Hole in our Gospel.”

“I was actually compelled to do this much earlier,” Richt told the AJC. “I made the decision to do it a while ago but I didn’t want to do it during the season or during recruiting because I knew it would be blown out of proportion. But it’s been on my heart for a long time, so we’re just going ahead and doing it.”

Have $2 million to spare? Richt's lake house available

This isn’t a major thing, but in the dog days of the offseason everything may seem that way. So I thought I’d pass this on.

The web site SportsbyBrooks has posted an item about Mark Richt putting his house on Lake Hartwell up for sale. Richt just purchased the house a couple years ago, and is now asking $1.99 million for it.

Brooks (a UGA graduate) writes:

Normally I don’t subscribe to a coach putting a home up for sale as a sign of anything, but in this case, it might be applicable. …

Richt doesn’t strike me as a guy out to flip houses, so I think it’s reasonable to surmise that last year’s 6-7 record - and the subsequent outcry emanating from Athens - may have something to do with the coach making over his real estate portfolio.

UGA spokesman Claude Felton shrugged off the report, indicating that Richt’s desire to sell the house was a fairly open secret.

“He’s actually been thinking about doing that for a couple months, I do know that,” Felton said.

Richt and his family still have their main house in Athens, so the lake house is more of a retreat. Plus, lots of other coaches keep lake houses far from home; Frank Beamer (Virginia Tech) and Ralph Friedgen (formerly of Maryland) both have houses on Lake Oconee. And obviously they don’t live close by.

So even if Richt were worried about his job – and he probably is – if he really loved the lake home, I would guess he’d be keeping it either way. Selling it is probably more about money, and less about his future.

Of course, given the current housing market, good luck to Richt selling it anytime soon.

Zero hour, of sorts, for the Diamond Dogs

If the Georgia baseball team is done playing by Thursday or Friday, then it's done playing.

If the Bulldogs are still playing by the weekend, they'll likely be playing next week too.

That's pretty much how it breaks down, according to the experts, as the SEC tournament begins Wednesday in Hoover, Ala.

Georgia is 28-28 entering the tournament, and plays Vanderbilt in the first round. The Bulldogs need to be over .500 to be eligible for an NCAA bid, so they need at least three wins this week, or else their season is over.

Here's my preview of Georgia's tournament chances. The key quote from Baseball America analyst Aaron Fitt:

“If they (win three games), I think they will get in, on the strength of their SEC record and their challenging nonconference schedule,” Fitt said. “The committee has made a point to emphasize nonconference strength of schedule under chairman Tim Weiser’s leadership.”

Here's the immediate schedule for Georgia:

Wednesday: vs. Vanderbilt, 9:30 p.m. (approximately)

Thursday: (if wins first round) vs. Auburn-South Carolina winner, 8:30 p.m. (approximately) .... (if loses first round) vs. Auburn-South Carolina loser, 1 p.m. (approximately)

APR scoresheet: Good marks for Georgia

It’s okay if you hear ‘APR’ and think your credit card rate is about to be jacked up. I’ve been following the NCAA’s Academic Progress Rate for all seven years of its existence, and I still do the same thing.

The good news for Georgia fans, and the people associated with its athletic programs, is they probably have more to worry about from their credit cards than the NCAA’s APR.

In the date released on Tuesday, Georgia’s teams are in good shape, and don’t appear close to any penalties.

Georgia’s scores in football and men’s basketball are both slightly up, and appear to be safely away from any potential penalties.

The football team’s rate was 976, which was 30 points higher than the national average for the sport. By comparison, Arkansas and Tennessee are tied for the worst multi-year score in the SEC, at 937. (Thanks to Andrew Gribble of the Knoxville News-Sentinel for that nugget.)

The lowest score for any Georgia team was the men’s basketball team, at 946 – but that’s still well beyond the current cut-off (925) where penalties begin. The four-year average nationally for men’s basketball is 945. And the score for the 2009-10 season was 965, so head coach Mark Fox's team would seem on track to improve its score next year.

The Bulldog women’s basketball team nearly registered a perfect score, coming in at 995.

The Georgia baseball team came in at 952, seven points below the national average. The men’s golf team had a perfect score, while women’s cross country had a 995.

The APR score is a four-year rolling score, with two main components: It measures whether a player was in good academic standings (i.e., eligible) and stayed in school. A player flunking out of school results in a dreaded 0-for-2.

If a team’s score is below 925, it receives a public notice, and further sub-par years can result in penalties. If the score is below 900, what are called “historical penalties” – losses of scholarships, postseason bans, etc. – will kick in.

This year's figures measure the players who competed in the four years prior to the just-completed one: In other words, the 2006-07 season through the 2009-2010 season.

Here’s a link to the NCAA’s report on its web site.

Official depth chart released: A few mild surprises

We've all had our stabs at what the Georgia football team's position ranking might be at this point, and now the coaches have offered up theirs as well. Here's a link to the official depth chart, released on Monday afternoon.

A few notes after a quick scan of the chart:

- Caleb King is listed first at tailback, which is no shock, but then it gets interesting: Carlton Thomas is second, followed by spring walk-on sensation Brandon Harton, and THEN Ken Malcome.

So put the brakes on the Malcome train, at least for a bit. And bottom line, this position is Isaiah Crowell's for the taking if he doesn't blow it.

- Bruce Figgins is listed first at fullback, over Zander Ogletree. Figgins just switched there from tight end before spring practice. The third fullback is walk-on Dustin Royston.

- The starting offensive line is the way Mark Richt listed it a couple weeks back. The backup spots are a bit more interesting:

After the departure of A.J. Harmon, Austin Long is now the top backup at right tackle, while walk-on Hugh Williams is the top backup at left tackle. Yup, getting a bit thin there. ... Kolton Houston is the top backup at left guard, while Brent Benedict is the top backup at right guard. I suspect new offensive line coach Will Friend isn't done moving players around.

- Sanders Commings remains at cornerback, at least according to the depth chart. In fact Branden Smith is listed as the top backup to Brandon Boykin. I'm not sure whether to read something into that or not. But it does seem quite interesting.

- Shawn Williams enters the summer as the starter at strong safety, with Jakar Hamilton the backup to Bacarri Rambo at free safety. But that's a very tenuous hold on the position for Williams.

- There are no surprises in the front seven. Richard Samuel is the top backup to Alec Ogletree at one inside linebacker spot. Abry Jones is the starter at end opposite DeAngelo Tyson.

- No surprise that Huston Mason is listed as the top backup to Aaron Murray, with Christian LeMay third. I still think it's likely that Mason plays this season and LeMay redshirts, but I wouldn't rule out Mason taking the redshirt.

- Marlon Brown retains his hold on the No. 2 receiver spot, with Michael Bennett and Israel Troupe listed behind him. Rantavious Wooten and then Chris Conley are behind Tavarres King.

Of course, all of this is quite temporary. The recruits who will vie for playing time right away include John Jenkins (nose tackle), Crowell (tailback), Malcolm Mitchell (receiver), Ray Drew (outside linebacker) Damian Swann (cornerback), Corey Moore (safety) and Nick Marshall (cornerback). And the way that offensive line looks, I wouldn't rule out Zach DeBell, Watts Dantzler, Hunter Long and David Andrews playing right away.

Former UGA assistant Pyburn passes away

Here's some sad news from UGA on Monday morning:

ATHENS - Former University of Georgia assistant football coach Jim Pyburn died Saturday night in Jasper, Ala., after a long illness.

The father of former Georgia quarterback Jeff Pyburn (1976-79), Jim Pyburn coached defensive line, linebackers, and secondary from 1964-79 under UGA head coach Vince Dooley.

Born November 1, 1932, in Fairfield, Ala., Pyburn played football and baseball at Birmingham¹s Ensley High School before he became one of the greatest ends in Auburn University history. As a senior was named third team All-American and received more votes on the All-SEC team than any other player. He also was an outstanding baseball player leading the SEC in hitting with a .432 average in 1953 as a third baseman and outfielder.

The following year he signed a pro baseball contract with the Baltimore Orioles where he played in 158 major league games between 1955 and O57. After three years, he left baseball for a coaching career.

He was inducted into the State of Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 2000. Jeff Pyburn is currently a practicing attorney in Phoenix, Ariz.

Funeral arrangements are incomplete.

Destin could get interesting

Here's my interview with SEC commissioner Mike Slive, conducted earlier this week. The biggest news, that Slive and the league will push over-signing legislation, was posted earlier.

But as you can tell by reading the Q-and-A, there will be plenty of issues discussed at the upcoming league meetings in Destin, Fla. Here's what stood out to me:

- The over-signing "package", as Slive referred to it, will be the most fascinating to watch. Georgia and Florida appear to be out-numbered by the Western Division coaches, and South Carolina, in wanting to stiffen rules. But you have to remember, the presidents are the ones who actually vote for it. So if enough Western Division presidents are willing to over-rule their coaches (and perhaps athletics directors), there might be some teeth behind whatever is passed.

If anything does end up getting passed. But I have to think Slive has done a good bit of head-counting, so the question is what exactly the commish will propose.

- The men's basketball division and tournament setup will get some serious examination this year. The Western coaches vetoed tournament re-seeding last year, but there appear to be more votes for it this year. That could become effective right away if agreed upon, Slive told me. And beyond 2012, the commissioner said, the divisions could be eliminated altogether, or the conference schedule could be changed.

- Slive has backed off being a public (but not vocal) proponent of the plus-one system as an alternative to the BCS. This isn't surprising considering his league has won the past five BCS titles, as he pointed out. (One would argue, however, that the SEC would probably benefit under any system.)

- I don't imagine that the words "Cam Newton" will be mentioned prominently. But considering it was the major story of the past year, I thought it worth asking Slive about. You can read his responses in the story.

- One issue that hasn't received much attention, but appears on the front-burner for the SEC, is seven-on-seven football camps. People in college football are concerned that it's creeping too close to the importance of AAU coaches in basketball recruiting. We'll see what the league and others do about it.

Mailbag: Football schedules, transfers, baseball, movie re-makes and more

It may be the dog days of May, but there's still a lot on the minds of Georgia fans. So here's the latest in our popular installment, known as the reader asks a thoughtful and intelligent question, and Mr. Blog Man answers to the best of his ability.

Which tends not to be much.

Onward and upward.

Yesterday on Sicemdawgs.com they listed future non conference opponents. Listed for 2020 & 2021 was Ohio State. I have not heard any announcement about this, have you? Thanks,
- Joe

Yep, this came out the week leading up to the Liberty Bowl. Here’s my story from then.

Incidentally, I haven’t been able to post this, but UGA says that Clemson will be the opener for the 2013 and 2014 seasons. While they agreed to resume the series awhile ago, they only recently moved the schedule around to make it the opener each season. The 2013 game is in Clemson, and then the Tigers come to Georgia the next year.

Worst remakes? How about:
The Day The Earth Stood Still (It goes without saying, any film with Keanu Reeves is garbage)
Rollerball
The Longest Yard
I could go on.
Seriously tho: info on the next UGA would be appreciated.
Any update on the baseball team's post-season prospects?
- Joeski

The baseball team got a big win on Thursday night, beating Vanderbilt, which is ranked No. 7 nationally by Baseball America. Georgia is now 28-26 overall and 16-12 in the SEC. If the Bulldogs can pull off one more win either Friday or Saturday, they probably enter the SEC tournament in good shape. If Vandy wins the next two, Georgia will have a lot of work to do in Hoover; It’s hard to see the NCAA committee picking an at-large team with a record of .500 or worse.

This concerns mainly Crowell but I guess could be directed at all the incoming recruits. Are they (Crowell) studying the playbook and learning the offense/defense? If so, are there any kind of tests or conversations being held between the recruits and the coaches that would allow the staff to decipher how well the recruits are or aren't picking up the offense/defense?
Thanks,
Trae

The short answer is no, the coaches are not allowed to have contact with the recruits over the summer. But during contact between signing day and the end of spring, I’m sure the coaches were passing along whatever information they felt they need. But there are no summer quizzes or anything.

Any last minute JUCO/walkons to help w/ O-line? Oh, my vote is for Psycho remake...
- Oreo Drama (via Twitter)

The only possible last-minute recruit for this upcoming season is Denzel Nkemdiche, who is a cornerback. Nkemdiche’s brother Robert, a defensive lineman, is currently projected as one of the nation’s top overall prospects for the 2013 class.

I wouldn’t rule out a walk-on or two, but at this point it wouldn’t really be any help for the 2011 season, other than being another body for the scout team.

Good call on the Psycho remake. That had Vince Vaughn – when he was first becoming a hot name – totally miscast. And I love Vince Vaughn, but him saying “Helloooooo, mother” … Uh, no.

Other than the generic "We're training for football now, not the Olympics" and scrapping the mat drills, have you been able to ascertain some specific examples of how the S&C program differs under Coach T? Are there really that many changes from a training standpoint, or is it a matter of getting the players to be more dedicated, or both?
- Regular Guy

I’ll refer you first to my story in January, where some specifics are mentioned. Otherwise, Tereshinski wanted to keep things relatively close to the vest. But from what we’ve gleaned from the players and other staff members, the thrust of changes are: a) conditioning, i.e. playing as well in the fourth quarter as they are in the first, b) nutrition, c) making sure everyone shows up and lifts, rather than coming and going as they please.

As I’ve said before – and frankly, as Tereshinski has said – it’s all going to sound great now. But the true judgment going to be made fairly until well into the season.

Any updates on the new scoreboard? Has construction started yet?
- Aubrey

UGA spokesman Claude Felton said this week that it’s still expected to be ready for the opener (vs. South Carolina), and it’s being built on the same support that currently exists.

Any word on where Ealey is headed?
- Katepy

Not as of this moment. My friend Gentry Estes at Georgia247sports.com was the only reporter to be able to reach him, the day after the transfer was announced, and Ealey told him he didn’t have any schools targeted yet. It’ll be interesting to see whether he ends up dropping a level or transfers to another FBS school.

Which Coach's wife do you think will win the swimsuit competition in Destin ?
- Robert K. Burnham

Oh boy … Don’t get me in trouble here.

The Wire or Sopranos?
Hottest Jim Halpert girl: Katy, Karen, or Pam
Better Office supporting character: Creed or Todd Packer
Shelly Long or Kirstie Alley?
Willy's, Moe's, Barbaredo's, Chipotle's, or Qdoba?
Why won't Nike make our silver britches actually silver again? Why the washed out grey?
- Matt

The Wire … by a nose. Both great series, along with The West Wing the three best dramas of the 2000s.
I’ve always liked Pam. I don’t even remember Katy.
Creed is the best supporting character, period. So much so that I didn’t like him as even the temporary boss in this year’s finale. Some of the best moments in “The Office” are the five-second snippets with a reveal about Creed: “Yes, I run a fake ID operation.”
Kirstie Alley … “Cheers” was one of the rare shows that got better every season. I would argue that about “Seinfeld” too, but I’m in the minority on that one.
“Moe’” … I haven’t been to any of those other options except Barbaredo’s. But I’ve been a Moe’s man since my days in Albany; nothing better after a morning of tackle football than going to Moe’s, grabbing about 5,000 calories worth of Mexican food, and not moving for the next five hours.

Nike would make the silver again if Georgia asked nicely. It just prefers the grey at the moment.

Do you think any of the incoming freshman will end up starting in the secondary?
- PI0we

End up starting, yes. Begin the year in the starting lineup, probably not. Corey Moore at safety would be my best bet to possibly do both, and at a minimum I expect him to be in the rotation against Boise State and South Carolina. The cornerbacks who could also play right away are Damian Swann and Nick Marshall, and depending how that position shakes out either could at least be the nickel back by midseason.

There certainly seems to be more folks transferring out this year than usual. Does this appear to be mostly related to playing time (or lack thereof), grades, chemistry or some combination of all three? Have you heard anything about the next UGA?
- Paul

No one is saying it on the record, but A.J. Harmon’s academics almost certainly had an impact on his transfer. As for the rest, I think it’s fair to say Washaun Ealey’s departure was mutual, and probably with a push from Georgia. You need only look at Richt’s public comments on Ealey leading up to it to make that assumption. Marcus Dowtin’s transfer is almost the exact scenario as Ealey. Logan Gray and Nick Williams each wanted a chance at more playing time, and apparently weren’t that happy on the team.

It is a lot more transfers, compared to previous years, but as I wrote before, team chemistry has become a talking point for the returning players; Christian Robinson, Ben Jones and others have intimated that some “cancers” are gone.

Of course, losing tends to create cancers, and winning tends to fix chemistry issues. So it’s yet to be seen if the cancer issue was a cause, or result, of last year’s record.

All quiet on the Uga front. Obviously the Seiler family is trying to be very careful about its next choice. Although I’m sure they were the last couple times, and sadly illnesses like that just kind of come out of nowhere.

Two questions: 1. With Malcolm Mitchell being regarded as the #1 CB recruit in the country by some, why are we considering moving him to WR (I know depth is an issue at WR but still...), and 2. Have you seen the tapes on RB Keith Marshall? If this kid is a lock to come to UGA then it seems to me that the Crowell era may not last long as this kid looks faster than any RB I have ever seen on tape.
- Atlien

1. Mitchell’s move to receiver is more than being considered, it’s happening. Richt has explained that they recruited him as a cornerback, but around signing day Mitchell “decided” he preferred receiver. And if he can play the position it’s probably a good call; the team has a bigger need at receiver. You mention depth, my concern would be stardom: Tavarres King can be one at receiver, but who else?

2. Whoa, whoa, whoa … I’m sure Marshall is good, but let’s wait for him to actually commit before we start declaring him the starter over a guy who some people still refuse to declare the starter because HE hasn’t played yet. I’m sure Georgia fans would be pleased with a tandem of Crowell and Marshall for at least two years, if it comes to that, and if they’re even close to as good as hyped.

Reading another blog, I saw an interesting topic of Richt and the no huddle offense. It stated that SEC officials were required to hold the ball 12-14 seconds (I think) in between plays in order for the officials to get set. This rule took any option away for Richt to run a no huddle, which he did at FSU. I am just curious since this rule is now gone, why has Richt not taken advantage of this, or will this be seen this year. Seems like an advantage to me.
- DawgWood

First off, I don’t remember that rule. Not saying it wasn’t in place, but that seems like something I’d remember.

The one thing with the no-huddle is that it used to be innovative, but it’s been around for so long that defensive coordinators are used to scheming against it now. They use it so much in high school now that even defensive players are more used to it. But you’re right, that on a down-by-down basis in the heat of the moment, it can still be an advantage – as long as the offensive coaches are good calling plays in 10 seconds, and the players are good at executing said plays in that little time. If it were that easy, EVERYBODY would run a no-huddle, without exception.

Come on Seth, Clash of the Titans is so bad it is awesome. How can you dislike any movie with such quotable lines as "Haha, I'm a god!," "The eye! The EYE!," and of course, "Release the Kraken!" Buy some Kraken spiced rum, have some friends over, drink it whenever the kraken is mentioned in the movie, and then once you are done, watch "Taken," another 90 minutes of awesome.
- Sam

I thought “Taken” was pretty good. Not Oscar-worthy, but not terrible. Were you putting that on par with “Clash of the Titans”? I hope not.

Any idea where we stand with the recruitment of John Theus? Seems like with all the attrition along the O-line Georgia should be at the top of his list. I've read comparisons to Tony Boselli with this kid, and I'm sure Aaron Murray would like the sound of that as well. Think you can pick the elder Theus' brain for some kind of indication where his kid brother may be leaning?
- Stuart

The expectation is that Georgia and Florida are the leaders for Theus, whom Scout.com ranks the nation’s No. 4 overall prospect for the 2012 class. I’m sure Georgia will do everything it can (legally, one would hope) to nab him.

Interestingly, I’d have to get clarification on this, but I don’t think I’d actually be able to talk to the elder Theus – Nate – about his younger brother once he’s a member of the team. It would be considered an NCAA violation. (Which doesn’t affect reporters, we wouldn’t be penalized, but Georgia wouldn’t be crazy about racking up secondaries so we can get pithy recruiting quotes.)

Seth, my son's preschool graduation ceremony is tonight, the same night Coach Richt is coming to town. Could you ask him if he will drop by the ceremony after his Carpets of Dalton commercial taping so I can ask him a few questions? Thanks.
- Will

Sorry, I assume I’m too late for this, since it was Thursday night. But here’s my question: A few ruffians broke into my apartment and beat me up – it was a case of mistaken identity – and messed up my carpet, which really tied the room together. Could he please grab another one while he’s at one of those commercial tapings? Thanks.

I'm going to go on record and bet that the new boss on the Office is going to be Andy Bernard, the 'Nard dog (Ed Helms). I think all the people they're wheeling out are just a distraction, although, I would love to see James Spader creepify up the place. Thoughts/predictions?
- Brandon

The season finale left the boss question in doubt, but I’m starting to come around on your Andy Bernard prediction. He might be a better fit – in terms of the show, not the office. James Spader was great on Thursday night too, but they wouldn’t be able to sustain that for the rest of the show.

Any chance of Yoculan coming out of retirement?
How can I make $200k by not showing results or making improvements at my job? Sorry, Seth, I think I answered my own question here. I need to become a UGA RB coach.
Why do players who get suspended for unspecified violations of team rules? Why not put the violations out there in public? If someone didn't go to class, missed a meeting, failed a drug test, etc. why not just put it out there in public?
Why do different schools have varying penalties for infractions? Is it true that I read that you can have 5 failed drug tests at Florida before you are kicked off the team? Shouldn't the SEC mandate standards so everyone is using the same measuring stick?
- Riskadvisor

That’s a lot of questions. Let’s see how I can do:
Suzanne Yoculan seems very happy in her current role.

Bryan McClendon was instrumental in the recruiting of Isaiah Crowell, and – according to UGA – was pursued by at least one other school. That’s why he got the raise.

Schools are able to use the “violation of team rules” thing with proclivity because of things like HIPPA and academic privacy laws. I’m not saying they hide behind it … well, they do. That creates an interesting question of how much does the public need to know. Do you need to know why Player A was suspended or booted off the team, or do you just need to know that he’s suspended, or gone?

The SEC wouldn’t be able to set a standard, for the same reasons listed above, re: HIPPA.

Seth,
Is it bad that the only reason i want the NFL labor talks to be resolved is for my fantasy football league?
- I. Lee

I sort of feel the same way, but I suspect by the time September rolls around I would miss the games themselves too. So would A.J. Green, Justin Houston, Akeem Dent and company, all of whom were counting on paychecks of a certain amount.

1.) So now that we have hit the Debt Ceiling, how long do you give us until our Government implodes.

2.) Since there are only 8 scholarship O-linemen left on the roster (and 3 of them coming off major injuries) which Freshman do you think will see the most playing time this year?
- Clinton

1. Some would argue that happened long ago.

2. David Andrews has a good shot at being the backup center and one of the backup guards. They’re still going to try to redshirt as many of the others as possible – Zach DeBell, Watts Dantzler, Hunter Long and Xzavier Ward – but you’re right, they may have no choice but to play one or two. There’s also Nathan Theus, projected as a long snapper.

Not living close to Athens, or GA for that matter, it is difficult to keep up with the Diamond Dawgs. Can you give us a one pager on our squad? Do we have any studs?
Thanks,
- Kevin

Well, I don’t know that I can give you one page. Honestly, I have to admit to being a bit delinquent in covering the team this year; I only covered the home opener, and wrote a preview before the season. I know the blog posts have been sporadic. I apologize to anyone coming here for that, but frankly being a one-man bureau in Athens means I have to pick and choose my spots.

As for the Diamond Dogs, I mentioned their NCAA situation above. Junior Michael Palazzone (9-3, 3.17 ERA) has been the staff ace and a big reason the team has turned it around this year. Sophomore Kyle Farmer (.316, 7 HR, 51 RBI) has been the team’s top hitter, although junior Levi Hyams leads the team with a .341 batting average.

But do you own a European Men's Carry-All (I think so)?
And given your USC experience, what's your view on Garcia: unnecessary distraction going into a season where they should be SEC East favorites relying on a stud RB, WR and Defense OR a pivotal player worth giving yet another chance and ruining whatever shred of credibility Spurrier had left regarding player discipline?
- Jeff from Milton

First off no, I definitely do NOT own a fanny pack. Although now that you mention it, wouldn’t it be great if people like Rodney Garner, Ben Jones and DeAngelo Tyson started wearing them? Or is that just me?

I’ll give Spurrier a bit of a break on player discipline; obviously he’s picked and chosen here and there, but so do a lot of coaches. The dirty (but open) secret is that there are different rules for players based on their ability on the field. Georgia will kick walk-ons off the team for the same penalty that will draw starters a one-game suspension. And there are specific examples for that, which I won’t bring up but you can easily research.

But as it pertains to Garcia, there’s no doubt if he weren’t the starting quarterback he would’ve been gone long ago. South Carolina is about to give him his FIFTH chance now. That’s ridiculous. The only defense is that each discretion has been pretty minor. But the consistent (and public) rule-breaking just doesn’t reflect well on Garcia or his team.

Have you been around Coach Olivadotti much? I was excited when he was first hired after reading up on him but have not heard much since then. Just checking out his bio on georgiadogs.com still has him in a Redskins shirt and it made me wonder if he was even on campus at this time.
- Deryll

I’ve spoken to Olivadotti a bit, including about traffic patterns in northern Virginia. (He lived in my native Washington for the past 11 years.) He comes off as a very laid-back, soft-spoken guy, not at all like the hard-bitten son of a coach you’d expect. That doesn’t mean he won’t get after some of his players.

And I’m sure he’ll have a picture with a Bulldogs shirt on by the time the season starts.

Hoops scheduling update: Cincinnati joins the list

Another blank has been filled in on the Georgia men’s basketball team’s schedule for next season: Cincinnati will visit on Dec. 2, as part of the SEC-Big East challenge.

The matchup was announced Thursday along with the other 11 games. The challenge used to be just four teams, but it has expanded to 12 to accommodate every SEC team. (That still leaves out teams from the Big East, which at last check had expanded to 97 members. … Just kidding. For now.)

This will be the first-ever meeting between Georgia and Cincinnati in men's basketball.

According to UGA, the Bulldogs currently have contracts for two non-conference games – Mercer and Furman – along with the College Basketball Experience tournament. The latter is a 16-team event, with Georgia hosting one of the first-round pods against teams yet to be announced. The possible opponents for the CBE’s final two games, in Kansas City, include Notre Dame, Missouri and California.

Georgia is also committed to road games at Xavier and Colorado, return games for trips last year, as well as the annual Georgia Tech game, which will be in Athens this year.

Interestingly, the Los Angeles Times reported last month that Georgia and Southern California had scheduled a home-and-home, with the Bulldogs visiting LA first. But head coach Mark Fox said last week that there isn’t a signed contract for that game. (USC also said it couldn’t confirm the game yet.)

In any event, Fox said he’s still trying to arrange a challenging schedule, as he did last season. But with the losses of Trey (or Howard) Thompkins and Travis Leslie, Fox didn’t come out and say it, but not every game is specifically targeted with the NCAA tournament resume’ in mind. He did mention wanting the young team to “grow up on the job.”

As it is, with Colorado, the CBE Classic and Georgia Tech, that’s a minimum of four games against power-conference teams, plus Xavier, a perennial NCAA team.

Here’s the full SEC-Big East challenge schedule:

Thursday, Dec. 1
Georgetown at Alabama
Providence at South Carolina
St. John’s at Kentucky
Ole Miss at DePaul

Friday, Dec. 2
Auburn at Seton Hall
Florida at Syracuse
Cincinnati at Georgia
Vanderbilt at Louisville

Saturday, Dec. 3
Arkansas at Connecticut
West Virginia at Mississippi State
LSU at Rutgers
Pittsburgh at Tennessee