If you haven’t been watching SEC basketball lately, now is the time to tune in. With the season hitting its stretch run, every game is important and full of action.

Take Auburn, for example. Every game the Tigers play is exciting. Their past 3 games (at Arkansas, vs. LSU and vs. Alabama) have all gone to overtime. LSU is also constantly in tight games.

It’s going to be a fun finish between Auburn, LSU and Kentucky for the regular-season title. Then, in Nashville for the SEC Tournament, literally anything could happen. Should be fun!

Anyway, here are your questions for this week’s Mailbag:

@SChinni12:

What 2 things should college football add from the XFL? Also, what 2 ideas are good, but need to be tweaked for the college game?

First and foremost, I absolutely love the transparency when it comes to replay review. We need that in college football as soon as humanly possible.

I also like the idea of only 2 timeouts per half. It keeps the game moving and really forces coaches to use the timeouts smartly. No wasting a timeout with 10 minutes left in the first quarter because you’re about to take a delay of game. I hate that.

As for the ideas that are almost there, but still need to be tweaked, I have a couple of favorites. First, I love that the XFL has 1-, 2- and 3-point conversions. But, I don’t like that you can’t also kick an extra point. If we were bringing it to the college game, I’d love to see options for both.

Like, let’s say you have a great kicker. Give him a normal (17 yards) extra point for 1 point, a 35-yard try for 2 points and a 50-yard kick for 3 points. Then, keep the same rules for players on the field that the XFL has. One point for a 2-yard scrimmage play, 2 points for a 5-yard conversion and 3 points for a 10-yard conversion. Teams like Alabama that can’t seem to find a reliable kicker might go for the offensive play conversion more often.

The other rule I think is almost there, but not quite, is the kickoff rule. I applaud the XFL for trying something different by having players line up much closer to where the kickoff will actually be caught, but I think there has to be a better way still. We’ll see what happens if the XFL returns for a second season.

@MichaelJtr8:

With the NBA Dunk Contest coming up this weekend, who would you want to see in an SEC dunk contest?

I love that idea and wish we could actually make it happen during the SEC Tournament. First and foremost, we’d need Georgia freshman Anthony Edwards to headline the event. Here’s his dunk resume:

Enough said.

Next, I’m going to give Arkansas guard Jalen Harris a spot in the contest simply because I can’t stop watching this spin move he did against Auburn that led to a dunk:

This video from 2018 guarantees Mississippi State forward Reggie Perry a spot in our dunk contest, too:

As SEC Dunk Contest czar, I’m going to make this a 4-person contest. For the fourth spot, I’d have Vanderbilt guard Saben Lee. He manages to throw down a surprising number of highlight-reel slams:

There you have it. I’d put money on Edwards and Perry advancing to the final and then I’d probably pick Edwards to win it all.

@OG_KG1:

Can Kentucky football capitalize on their unprecedented fan/administrative support and win the East?

I love the job that Mark Stoops has done in Lexington. He has made Kentucky fans care about football and is at the point where he has his team competitive on a yearly basis.

That said, no, Kentucky will not win the SEC East in 2020. There are too many question marks on offense, as QB Terry Wilson will be returning from a torn ACL. Oftentimes, it takes a full season for a player to start trusting his knee again and be back at 100%.

Then, you have to factor in that do-it-all QB/WR Lynn Bowden Jr. is heading to the NFL. If he was coming back, I’d say the Wildcats would have a chance. However, when the 2020 season kicks off, I once again think the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party rivalry between Florida and Georgia is going to decide the East.

Kentucky still has some catching up to do to reach the level of the Gators and Bulldogs.

Robert:

Just finished cleaning out my room. Found rookie cards for Barry Sanders, Deion Sanders, Emmitt Smith, Troy Aikman, Andre Rison, Junior Seau, Derrick Thomas, Steve Atwater, Cortez Kennedy, Bill Romanowski, Todd Marinovich and Eric Bieniemy. Which sells for the most money?

I’d go with Barry Sanders here. He was probably the most-exciting player to watch of the ones you mentioned above and had arguably the best career. Yes Emmitt Smith holds the rushing records, but he played longer than Sanders.

For the guys with SEC ties, I think this is a good year to have a Steve Atwater rookie card, as the former Arkansas great was just elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Meanwhile, former Alabama LB Derrick Thomas remains incredibly popular in Tuscaloosa. Sadly, he died in 2000, but he is still talked about as one of the greatest linebackers in college football history.

No matter how you slice it, that’s quite a haul of rookie cards. Now, I need to remember to take a look through my old card collection next time I’m at my parents’ house.

Have a question for next week’s Mailbag? Tweet at us using #SDSMailbag or email me at ASpencer@SaturdayDownSouth.com.