SonoftheSouth

Well, that Auburn prediction didn't age very well, did it?

"Sankey told reporters in Destin, Florida, that the league will re-evaluate moving to a 9-game schedule in 2025." In other words: ESPN, show us the money, and we'll move to a 9 game schedule." They will, and we will.

Another consideration for 9 games hasn't been discussed here: rivalries. With Texas and Oklahoma coming aboard, the SEC will take the opportunity to do away with divisions. I wish they wouldn't, but scheduling will dictate that they do. With a 1-7 rotation, Auburn could play Alabama or Georgia each year, but not both. Alabama could play Auburn every year, but not LSU or Ole Miss. The same is true for every other team. A 3-6 schedule preserves more traditional rivalry games. As for the claim that the schools will decide, those days are over. The schools will do what they're told. A&M was promised Texas would never come aboard. Then they were told to sit down and shut up when they complained about it. Florida will be told the same if future expansion offers the chance to poach Florida State. You can bet ESPN will come up with more money if that becomes the only obstacle. They'll pay extra to guarantee Georgia-Auburn, Bama-LSU, A&M-Texas, and all the rest every year instead of every other. As for the fear that the extra game will cost us playoff spots, there will soon be 12 of those instead of only 4. Three losses won't keep a deserving team out. Fewer teams in meaningless lower bowls? In this opt-out age, who cares? Some of those games need to go, anyway. More playoff money to share, plus more regular season TV money, will more than offset the loss of a couple of low-level bowl games.

That's a great job of not tipping your hand. But the reality is, Greg Sankey won't make that decision, ESPN and it's TV dollars will. So a 9 game schedule it will be.

I know that other than the bubble teams, the coaches don't care all that much about this tournament, being more worried about not wearing down their pitchers ahead of next week's NCAA regionals. But it's made for some good TV this week, with several interesting games so far, and the coverage on the SEC Network has been good.

If I remember right, Black was the last commitment of the '22 recruiting class, and ended up being the key piece to last year's team. He's one of the most complete players I've seen. Because of Smith's injury, we'll never know what we might have had there, but he showed flashes. Best wishes to them both. Time to reload.

Ronnie's all fired up over the "Eagles" thing. Take it easy, Ron, take it easy, Don't let the sound of your own wheels drive you crazy . . .

"“Timeline-wise it didn’t work. Traditionally, I went 3 times when I was at Alabama and it was right after the game. That didn’t happen.” Kirby's right. I found a site that listed every trip of every championship team from every sport to the White House starting in about 1997. The college football champs always went in February, March, or occasionally April, except for 2010 when Auburn's trip got delayed to June because of that massive Alabama tornado. There's no excuse for the White House waiting this long to send the invite. The NFL draft has come and gone, at least 10 players are now under contract to pro teams, and yes, recruiting is now forefront. Let's take the politics out of it. It's simple incompetence on the part of the same White House that has screwed up just about everything it has touched or ignored.

I went through the history of college football teams visiting the White House. Traditionally, that happened in March, sometimes in February, sometimes in April. In 2010, Auburn's visit got pushed back to June because of the tornado that hit Auburn. It's now May. The NFL draft has come and gone. Ten former members of the Georgia championship team are now employees of various NFL teams. The championship team, as it existed back in January, no longer exists. The fault for this lies squarely with Joe Biden's White House.

A perfect metaphor indeed. Three starters out, and pitchers dropping left and right. But we have won 4 straight conference games. So there's that, at least.

It's a big social event wrapped around a horse race. It's where all the big money people go in their thousand dollar outfits to see and be seen.

Looks like the new coordinators are making quite a recruiting impact.

Davonte Davis - 6'4" Nick Smith Jr. - 6'5" Ricky Council IV - 6'6" Anthony Black - 6'7" Just wanted to clear up your little misconception.

I'm sure the NBA draft workouts will provide some clarity. I wouldn't say he's not an elite athlete, but he sure isn't an elite basketball player yet. I think the lack of time during the tournament was due to subpar defense. And you're right about his status as a shooter. If he proves us wrong in the NBA, I'll be happy for him.

Whether Arkansas is elite or not can be argued. What can't be argued is that Arkansas has done at least one thing right: they've driven Moronico nuts. 25 posts and counting.

1991. Number 1 UNLV vs. no. 2 Arkansas in Fayetteville. UNLV put it away in the 2nd half. As Larry Johnson ran past the Razorback bench, he yelled at Nolan Richardson "you need to get some men out there." Nolan tells that story often, and credits the fuel it lit with stacking his team with the men who won the tournament in '94. I think last night was Eric Musselman's Larry Johnson moment.

Since college football is moving more and more toward the NFL model, why not turn discipline over to the league and take it out of the coaches' hands? I know, this is the same SEC that can't put high quality officials on the field, but still . . .

I've been following Razorback basketball ever since Eddie Sutton showed up in 1974. I was 11. This team today played more fiercely in the second half than any Arkansas team I've ever seen. I am as stunned as Kansas, just way more happy. Wow.

"Basketball changed from checkers to football to freestyle to star promotion and now it’s in a phase of indefinite identity." I never thought of it that way, but insightful observation there. But there's no doubt that Princeton plays chess. We got them in the 1st round in 1990 and Nolan Richardson said he hated to have to play them. Sure enough, they gave us a scare, 68-64. They still play pretty much the same way they did back then. But I think Mizzou will move on.

Ha! Beat me to it.

Glad the Hogs got the win, but hey Muss: could you please, please tell your guys to stop trying to throw 60 foot passes to stationary teammates? Or at least just have them hand the ball to the nearest opponent to save the wear and tear on their arms.

Illinois will be close either way, but I agree with you if we get to Kansas. If the defensive lapses don't get us, foul trouble or poor shooting probably will. And close against Illinois worries me too. This team is different than the last two; when games were tight at the end, I always felt like we were going to pull it out and we usually did. That hasn't been the case this year.

Good start for the new coaches. Still a long way to go. 24th in the country probably puts us 5th or 6th in the SEC West.

What's controversial about it? It's clear the ball was still on its way up when he swatted it. This is how replays are supposed to work.

Well, I thought that was drool. Turns out, you just told on yourself.

Speaking of lineups, it wouldn't be hard to pick Moronico out of one. Just go with the dumbest looking one, the one with drool on his chin.

Neither of my parents were whotes. What is that, some inbred Alabama Indian tribe?

Uh, yeah. As if Auburn isn't further south than Fayetteville. Northwest Arkansas is more Midwest than southern, but Moronico has no idea. Speaking of no idea - just who is Wendell Green, and why should Arkansas fans care? Apparently he's a legend in his own mind, like Moronico.

What’s Arky done? For starters, Pittman and Musselman have both won games as Arkansas coaches. How many games has Freeze won at Auburn so far?

My point, which you're apparently incapable of understanding, is that Alabama on Saturday wasn't the first, or probably first of a couple of dozen, schools to do that little routine, and that Tim Rupert might not know what it's supposed to simulate. Nowhere did I suggest it wasn't tone deaf to do it. Now, does that help you get it, you fooking moron?