From ESPN …
On Missouri at Tennessee
JOE TESSITORE: This Missouri team has won nine straight road games. That is the longest streak in school history going all the way back to 1980. Think about what this says about Gary Pinkel and about Mizzou over the past two years.
MARCUS SPEARS (on Gary Pinkel): The system he has in place is a system and a formula for winning. We don’t talk about him as much as we talk about these other teams. Missouri seems to always be there at the end of the year, and this is another year where this team is relevant in November. We can’t help but talk about them now since they have the opportunity to play in the SEC Championship.
TIM TEBOW (on Gary Pinkel): We don’t talk about Gary Pinkel enough and the job he does getting his team ready to play, especially on the road.
PAUL FINEBAUM: Missouri hasn’t moved the respect meter enough. I think we would respect them more, but they lost to Indiana, one of the worst teams in the Big 10. Members of the media and the fans can’t get over that.
PAUL FINEBAUM: This Tennessee season is already a success in my eyes. The energy on this campus and what Butch Jones has done has impressed me. I think this is the hottest program in the SEC. In two years, this program will be playing in Atlanta for the SEC Championship.
Tennessee coach Butch Jones on the remainder of the season:
BUTCH JONES (on player suspension): It hasn’t impacted our preparation for Mizzou. We talk about the “next man in” and it is an opportunity for some other individuals to really step up and assert themselves. We have had a very good week of preparation and we will have a great challenge against Missouri tonight.
BUTCH JONES (on player development): It is all about trust and our core value, which we talk about every day, and that is family. We are all accountable for each other and as you can see here today, there is something special going on in Knoxville. This team is going to be intact for many years, and we are excited about the future. You can feel the positive energy going on here.
BUTCH JONES (on pressures of winning): You play the game for one reason, and that is to win. It is all a mindset.
BUTCH JONES (on Joshua Dobbs): He has great consistency and performance. He works exceptionally hard and our players believe in him. He continues to improve and get better and better.
On Ole Miss at Arkansas
PAUL FINEBAUM: There is no question that today is the swing week for Ole Miss. If they lose today then limp into Oxford next week for the Egg Bowl and lose that game, then I think it’s all over. This was poised to be the greatest year in Ole Miss history and right now it is on the brink.
MARCUS SPEARS: We have talked about Arkansas all season and we have seen how close they’ve come to beating some really powerful teams in the SEC and in this country. Ole Miss has their hands full tonight and they need to play their best football in order to beat Arkansas, because I am pretty sure they are feeling good after that LSU victory.
TIM TEBOW: It’s not just that Arkansas broke through last week and got a win – this team is really good.
JOE TESSITORE: I think this is a fascinating matchup considering that Arkansas has had that moment where they no longer have to talk about their 17-game losing streak.
MARCUS SPEARS: Even though Arkansas hasn’t won a lot of games, they have been competitive in every game this season.
TIM TEBOW: I love the way Arkansas’ defense is playing. Even though they have lost a lot of big games, they aren’t demoralized. They are inspired.
MARCUS SPEARS: Ole Miss makes a lot of plays. They create turnovers. I think they are better suited for an east and west team as opposed to a north and south team, and I think that is what Arkansas is going to do. This type of football doesn’t bode well for the Ole Miss defense. Arkansas is committed to wearing teams down for four quarters and keeping themselves in games.
TIM TEBOW: Arkansas has played six top-ten teams this year. That is a brutal schedule and they were finally able to get over the hump with LSU. I expect them to play a great game today.
On playing nine –game SEC Schedule:
TIM TEBOW: As a college football fan, I would like to see SEC teams play more non-conference games but your body breaks down throughout a season. It is hard to sustain it physically. Would I want to go play a Texas or USC? Sure. But is it better for your body or your team? I think it’s probably better to recover.
MARCUS SPEARS: The perception of this conference is that they are the big, bad bullies on the street and let’s try to get them out. Other coaches are always taking jabs at these teams. If we go to nine games we really don’t give our teams a great chance at being there at the end of the year. I am not afraid to say it – the SEC is the best conference in the country and if you force these guys to play one extra game it really takes a toll.
Alabama Head Coach Nick Saban
NICK SABAN: The question that I raised to our team is “are we playing to win a game or playing to be champions?” In this stage of college football, everyone is being evaluated every time they play. We don’t want to lose focus.
NICK SABAN (On areas of growth): Probably the chemistry of the team and the competitive character of the team. Our ability to make plays when we need to make them. We haven’t been the most consistent performers, but when we have had to make plays we’ve been able to make them and make them big.
On Auburn
TIM TEBOW (on areas of improvement before the Iron Bowl): I think it’s defense, especially the run. They are tenth in the SEC in defensive efficiency.
MARCUS SPEARS: We have had Auburn in this situation where they have been able to score a lot of points in games. Sometimes a great offense can hide a bad defense. Against Georgia, Auburn struggled to get moving and they only scored once in nine possessions and their defense was overexposed by being on the field for too long. The offense needs to get back to scoring fast and striking people early.
PAUL FINEBAUM (on pressure of defense staff): Fans are looking for someone to blame, and they have chosen Ellis Johnson. You can only stop that by winning.
On the Firing of Florida coach Will Muschamp
TIM TEBOW: They are dealing with a lot of high character people, led by Jeremey Foley, one of the best athletic directors in the country. Everyone really likes Will Muschamp – he handles everything with a lot of class and character and integrity, but at the end of the day, he just didn’t get enough wins. Will Muschamp is going to be ok. He is going to be one of the highest paid defensive coordinators and the University of Florida is going to go find a new head coach.
MARCUS SPEARS: I think it becomes a question of who is available. I think for Florida and the current stance of the SEC, they will want a coach who is established and has a system and a track record of winning football games. If you are not competitive in this league by year two or three, you see what happens – you won’t be around for a long time.
PAUL FINEBAUM: We have heard everyone from Mike Shanahan, the former Super Bowl coach from Denver, to Bob Stoops. But right now, I don’t think anyone knows because Jeremy Foley isn’t talking.
TIM TEBOW: Florida is a very attractive place to go. The two most important things for the next head coach is to implement an offensive system and recruit.
MARCUS SPEARS (on Will Muschamp becoming a defensive coordinator): Defense wins championships. Florida’s defense has been in the top-ten since he has been there. He has a successful defensive scheme. He puts guys in positions to make plays. He hasn’t always had the best players at every position, but he has figured out ways to make guys maximize their potential and talent. I think a lot of colleges and universities will want his services.
TIM TEBOW: I think Will Muschamp is smart and will so somewhere that will give him the path to get another head coaching job. I think he will be in the SEC, but I don’t think he will be at one of the higher echelon programs like Auburn.
On Vanderbilt at Mississippi State
TIM TEBOW: Mississippi State needs to stay in the top-four for the playoff. Mississippi State has 14 first-half turnovers. That is the third most in the country. They need to come out hot, get their best players out of the game and get ready for the Egg Bowl next week.
On Georgia running back Nick Chubb
TIM TEBOW: Nick Chubb has stepped up. He is going to fight for everything and he wears defenders down.
MARCUS SPEARS: I think Nick Chubb adds a dimension that makes defensive coordinators stay up at night trying to figure out what to do.
On playoff
TIM TEBOW (on both Mississippi State and Alabama making playoff): I think it is going to be tough. I think Ohio State could make a run; if they embarrass Wisconsin in the championship game and J.T. Barrett is up for the Heisman, they will have a lot of momentum. It will be interesting to see if the committee looks at Mississippi State playing a much tougher schedule versus an Ohio State, who could win their conference. Which one is more important?
MARCUS SPEARS: Look at the body of work from Mississippi State. When it is decision-making time, the committee is going to take a look at team’s whole season. The most important thing that could happen for Mississippi State is for Ole Miss to dominate against Arkansas and then they [Mississippi State] have a convincing win in the Egg Bowl. That gives the committee no choice but to take Mississippi State as a top-four team in the country.
PAUL FINEBAUM: The national media is going to jump on the Ohio State bandwagon. If Ohio State looks good I think there will be a big shift and this committee is going to be influenced.
TIM TEBOW: If you look at who had a better loss, there is no question – Mississippi State lost to the number one team in the country by five points at Alabama. Ohio State lost in double digits at home versus Virginia Tech, a very average team. The question is: has Ohio State gotten that much better throughout the season?
Mississippi Head Coach Dan Mullen
DAN MULLEN: We need to focus on how we are going to play coming off a loss. Our guys have been playing with unbelievable confidence and they have got to play with that swagger if they want to get back on top. It’s going to be one of the biggest challenges for our guys so far.
DAN MULLEN (on Dak Prescott): He is not going to play conservative. He is going to go after people and move our offense and put points on the board for us.
Christopher Walsh has covered Alabama football since 2004 and is the author of 19 books. In his free time, he writes about college football.
