Morning Links for August 15th

Good morning! Here are some links to get  your morning started!

1) Chris Low compares the 2010 Alabama team to the 2012 Alabama team and says the 2012  team is not going to rest on their laurels.

2) Alabama also reported 27 secondary rules violations in the athletic department. The football team committed 4 violations.

3) Ivan Maisel looks at USC and how they've prospered despite the NCAA sanctions.

4) According to sources, the Champions Bowl is either going to be in New Orleans or Arlington.

5) Dennis Dodd has 25 things to watch this college football season.

6) Bruce Feldman looks at the top ten freshmen coming into the season.

7) Gregg Doyel looks at the North Carolina academic cheating scandal and says it is time for a reckoning in Chapel Hill.

8) Mike Huguenin has been busy with his preseason countdown of all 124 FBS schools with #3 Alabama and ranking the top receiving corps in the nation. He also did a conference preview of the ACC to boot.

9) Texas is looking to return to glory in 2012.

10) Andy Staples looks at the Sabanization of college football.

11) Lars Anderson looks at the passion of the Alabama and Auburn fan bases.

12) Fox Sports preseason #1 team is the LSU Tigers.

13) Fox Sports analyst Charles Davis gives his preseason top 25 and has USC at #1.

Morning Links for August 14th

Computer issues seem to have been worked out so here we go with Morning Links!

1) Gene Wojciechowski is looking forward to the college football season so we can put this offseason behind us.

2) After the mini-scandal of USC Head Coach Lane Kiffin voting for USC when he said he wouldn't, he has decided to relinquish his vote in the USA Today Coaches' Poll.

3) Tyran Mathieu is mulling a return to LSU.

4) CBS Sports has released their preseason top 30 and the top three are the favorites to win the BCS.

5) Penn State has received an accreditation warning from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and may lose their accreditation.

6) Tony Barnhart says that not only is Tyran Mathieu to blame for his failures, but the system as well.

7) Bruce Feldman does a college football mail bag that talks about a very long longshot for Heisman.

8) Dennis Dodd looks at Terry Bowden's new job at Akron.

9) Mike Huguenin continues his preseason countdown of all 124 FBS schools with #7 Michigan State, #6 Michigan, #5 Oklahoma, and #4 Oregon. He also lists the top ten players in college football and top ten offensive backfields.

10) Stewart Mandel looks at five teams that could end the SEC's streak of BCS Championships.

11) Florida Head Coach Will Muschamp said that the first scrimmage was a positive one for the Gators.

12) Georgia began classes yesterday and starting quarterback Aaron Murray will begin graduate school.

13) Demarco Robinson looks to have more of an impact for the Kentucky Wildcats this year from his wide receiver position.

14) After watching the scrimmage film from Saturday, Tennessee Head Coach Derek Dooley is still impressed and feeling well after the Vols' first scrimmage.

15) Vandy's defensive coordinator Bob Shoop was not pleased with his defense after the Commodores' first scrimmage but feels they can fix the problems.

16) After looking at South Carolina's scrimmage, the Gamecocks have a lot to look forward to offensively this season.

17) Missouri's defense looked very good in their first scrimmage this past Saturday.

18) Auburn is having eligibility issues with current freshmen JaQuay Williams and  Jovon Robinson as well as having the NCAA investigating the recruitment of Reuben Foster.

19) Here are some scrimmage notes from Alabama's scrimmage this past Saturday.

20) Mississippi State Linebacker Deontae Skinner looks to improve on his performances from the 2011 season.

21) Ole Miss needs their receivers to step up if Hugh Freeze's offense is going to take hold this season in Oxford.

22) Texas A&M's receiving corps does not look to be missing the departed Ryan Swope after watching the first scrimmage.

23) Arkansas is going to be inexperienced at the safety position this season and the young players are having to learn on the job.

24) Departed LSU defender Tyran Mathieu will announce his decision on where he's transferring Wednesday and says the ESPN report of him trying to stay at LSU is false.

It's Been a Rough Day

It's been a rough day for me. My computer cord didn't work for the longest time and I'm just now charging up my laptop. Forgive me for not posting since Friday. It'll be better tomorrow I promise! Enjoy this video of Corgis.

The Jacob Bunn Show Appearance for August 10th

On today's show, Jacob Bunn and I discuss Mathieu's suspension, Petrino's apology, and more http://t.co/ZrkS0a9B

Morning Links for August 10th

Good Morning! I hoe you know that yesterday was 21 days away from the first games of the season! Here are links to get your morning started as well as a link to my Oklahoma column yesterday.

1) The Penn State Board of Trustees will ratify the consent decree on Sunday that binds them to the NCAA punishment handed down for the Sandusky scandal.

2) Lane Kiffin voted USC number one in the coaches' poll after saying he wouldn't do so to the media on multiple occasions.

3) Bobby Petrino appeared on ESPN yesterday and apologized for his behavior that led to Arkansas firing him.

4) Alabama freshman wide receiver Chris Black is going to have shoulder surgery and be out 3 to 4 months.

5) The Tennessee Volunteers are going on a road trip for the next week to Milligan College as the football team moves into their new offices and operations into the new football training center.

6) ESPN continues counting down their preseason top 25 with #10-6.

7) Washington running back Deontae Cooper tore his ACL for the third time and has still not played a game at the collegiate level.

8) Clemson athletic director Terry Don Phillips will be stepping down at the end of July 2013. Phillips has been one of Dabo Swinney's biggest supporter.

9) Dennis Dodd continues his previews of all conferences by looking at the independents. While he mainly focuses on the Notre Dame quarterback race, he does look at BYU, Army, and Navy.

10) Penn State tight end Dakota Royer has decided to give up football but still get his degree from Penn State.

11) UCLA head coach Jim Mora, Jr. is having to say that his comments about murders near campus are not a shot a USC.

12) CBS Sports is breaking down the contenders for the BCS title and look at LSU and FSU.

13) A Florida high school coach is questioning the recruiting tactics of Alabama since Darius Paige transferred to an Alabama high school.

14) Mike Huguenin continues his preseason countdown of all 124 FBS schools with #8 South Carolina and #7 Michigan State.

15) Oklahoma State defensive tackle Christian Littlehead has been charged with assault and a warrant has been issued for his arrest.

16) At the start of this season, there will be 28 new head coaches at the 124 FBS schools.

17) Sports Illustrated has released their preseason All-American team and there are no real shocks on it.

18) Andy Staples looks at 15 impact freshmen this year in the FBS.

19) Fox Sports continues their preseason countdown with #2 Oklahoma.

20) James Franklin is turning heads nationally with his successful recruiting at Vanderbilt.

21) Steve Greenberg does a mailbag and tackles multiple topics including a prediction for the Alabama/Michigan game.

22) Jacob Bunn previews LSU and Alabama this week on his website.

23) While the Florida quarterback battle is getting most of the attention, the battle for the starting corner back positions is just as competitive.

24) Georgia's running back depth chart looks to be set after the morning practice yesterday.

25) Missouri has sold out their season tickets for the first time in school history. It's looking as if the move to the SEC is going to pay off big dividends.

26) Kentucky's freshman quarterback Patrick Towles is causing quite a quandary for head coach Joker Phillips. Should Joker burn Towles redshirt or should he let Towles sit while Joke struggles to keep his job?

27) Brian VanGorder says that the Auburn defense is starting to improve and grasp his new system.

28) Josh Robinson looks to act like a bowling ball for Mississippi State this year when he gets the ball.

29) Dehendrent Collins has been moved to the Husky position and is using his speed to help out the Rebels' defense.

Preseason Countdown: #4 Oklahoma

The Oklahoma Sooners under head coach Bob Stoops are a perennial contender for the Big XII title as well as the BCS title. Big Game Bob has taken Oklahoma to the BCS title game in 2000, 2003, 2004, and 2008 though he has only won the title once in 2000. Oklahoma was doing well last year until an unexpected losses to Texas Tech and Baylor knocked them out of the BCS Title hunt. After big play wide receiver Ryan Broyles tore his ACL against Texas A&M, the Oklahoma offense did not look like it's usual dominant self. This year Oklahoma looks to rally behind returning quarterback Landry Jones and a new and improved defense under Mike Stoops. The talent is there for the Sooners to have a big year, but they will have to overcome some early injuries to reach their potential.

Oklahoma returns 6 starers on an offense that ranked 5th in total offense, 50th in rushing offense, and 5th in passing offense. Landry Jones has a chance to to cement his legacy at Oklahoma if he can lead the Sooners to a BCS title. Jones threw the ball for 4,463 yards on 355 of 562 passing attempts with 15 interceptions and 29 touchdowns. He is the career passing leader at Oklahoma and has the 2nd, 3rd, and 8th greatest passing seasons in Oklahoma history as well as having seven of the top ten passing games in Oklahoma history. Jones only lacks a Heisman trophy and a BCS title. He will be handing the ball off occasionally to returning starting running back Dominique Whaley. Whaley rushed for 627 yards on 113 carries and 9 touchdowns last year in the 7 games he played before he broke his ankle. Whaley has looked impressive so far in camp and should be ready to resume his starting role. If Whaley goes down again, Roy Finch will be there to replace him like he did last year. Finch ran for 261 yards in the four games he started for Whaley. The Sooners will still need to find a big play receiver this year and have several candidates. Kenny Stills and Jaz Reynolds return as starters this year and freshmen Trey Metoyer starred in the Oklahoma spring game this year. Stills had 61 receptions for 849 yards and 8 touchdowns last season while Reynolds had 41 receptions for 715 yards and 5 touchdowns last year. Metoyer had 6 receptions for 72 yards in the spring game. The Penn State wide receiver Justin Brown is also transferring to Oklahoma this year and could be the big play threat they need. The Sooners will start Brannon Green at tight end. Green is a JUCO transfer and looks to be a big play tight end. The Oklahoma Sooners looked to have a solid offensive line coming into the 2012 season but after center Ben Habern decided to call it quits after having lingering neck issues after having two vertebrae fused and right guard Tyler Evans tearing his ACL, the Sooners only have two returning starters on their offensive line. The left side of the line will have both Gabe Ikard back at guard and Lane Johnson back at tackle. Bronson Irwin looks to be the new right guard and true freshman Ty Darlington looks to be the new center. Daryl Williams looks to be the starting right tackle at the moment. If this offensive line can come together to protect Landry Jones and Trey Metoyer becomes a big play receiver like Ryan Broyles, this offense could put up amazing numbers.

The Oklahoma defense was not as good as they are used to in Norman last year. The team finished ranked 55th in total defense, 43rd in rushing defense, and 79th in passing defense. These numbers will need to improve if they wish to compete in the Big XII. Luckily, Mike Stoops is back in mix as defensive coordinator and brings his intensity to Norman. The Sooners will return 7 starters on defense. The defensive line returns 2 starters with tackles Casey Walker and Jamarkus McFarland. Walker had 17 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, and 1 sack last year while McFarland had 21 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and half a sack last year. The defensive ends will see new starters David King and R.J. Washington. King had 31 tackles last year, 4 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, and a fumble return for a touchdown. Washington had 16 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, and 5 sacks last year. The linebacking corps returns two starters with Will linebacker Corey Nelson and Mike linebacker Tom Wort. Nelson had 59 tackles last year along with 8.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks. Wort had 71 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, 2 interceptions, and 1 fumble returned for a touchdown. The Sam linebacker will be played by Joseph Ibiloye who recorded 18 tackles and 1 tackle for loss last year. The secondary will feature 3 returning starters in corner backs Aaron Colvin and Demontre Hurst and free safety Tony Jefferson. Colvin led the team in tackles last year with 84 and also added 4.5 tackles for loss and half a sack. Hurst had 55 tackles 4 tackles for loss, 1 interception, 11 pass broken up, and 2 fumble recoveries with one returned for a touchdown. Jefferson led the team in interceptions last year with 4 and also had 74 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, and 4.5 sacks. Strong safety Javon Harris will be the new starter in the group and he registered 47 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, and 3 interceptions last year. The Sooners have the pieces to make a very good defense this year and with Mike Stoops putting them together, they can be vastly improved from last year.

The Sooners schedule this year has several difficult games on it. The Sooners open up the season at UTEP before a bye week. Then the Sooners play Kansas State on September 22 before having another bye week. The Sooners then engage in 9 straight games starting at Texas Tech October 6th. The Red River Rivalry takes place on October 13th before the Sooners return home for back to back games against Kansas and Notre Dame. The Sooners then go to Iowa State on November 3rd before coming home to play Baylor. The Big XII game of the year will occur on November 17th when Oklahoma goes to West Virginia. The Sooners then return home to play Oklahoma State before finally finishing the season on December 1st at TCU. Looking at the schedule you can see at least 5 losable games in Texas, Notre Dame, West Virginia, Oklahoma State, and TCU. But I think the Sooners will lose only one game and that will be either too Texas or West Virginia. I think the Sooners will be 11-1 and primed to move into one of the two BCS slots should the SEC Champion or Pac 12 Champion have a late season loss. I think the Sooners will return to form this year and be in contention for the BCS Title.

Morning Links for August 9th

Good morning! Here are some links to get your Wednesday going!

1) Urban Meyer says that he is going to be a more relaxed coach this time around at Ohio State.

2) ESPN continues their preseason power poll with #15-11 today.

3) NCAA has yet to say anything about the scandal at North Carolina. The school had severe academic fraud going with their athletes that led to an NCAA investigation but nothing has come of it yet.

4) West Virginia and head coach Dana Holgorsen have agreed to a six-year extension that will have him earning $2.3 million this year and raises in increments over the remainder of the contract.

5) Dennis Dodd says that Montee Ball better be honest with the police over his assault because Wisconsin's BCS hopes rest on his shoulders.

6) Chip Patterson previews the ACC and talks about the need for a big win on the national stage.

7) Michigan's offensive coordinator Al Borges plans to have the next man up philosophy with their running back after the suspension of Fitzgerald Toussaint.

8) FSU freshman running back Mario Pender will miss the 2012 season with a groin injury that will require surgery.

9) The Big East is looking at the Pac 12 Deputy Commissioner for their vacant commissioner position.

10) Several Colorado players were involved with an air gun fight that ended with the police pulling them over and holding them at gun point. The fall out has linebacker Jermaine Clark kicked off the team and receivers Jeffrey Thomas and DeVaughn Thornton were suspended for the first two games.

11) Silas Redd is fitting in well at USC despite only being their for two practices. Matt Barkley has said that USC is ratcheting up the intensity of practices recently since they have a postseason to play for.

12) Everett Golson and Andrew Hendrix have emerged as the competitors for the vacant Notre Dame quarterback position.

13) Ohio State is using a lot of their younger players in their one and two deep according to Urban Meyer.

14) Holly Anderson looks at the ten biggest holes to fill this year in college football.

15) Stewart Mandel does his first college football mailbag of the season and says Bama and LSU could flip flop with an Alabama win.

16) Fox Sports looks at the biggest quarterback replacements this year for college football.

17) Fox Sports continues their preseason countdown with #3 Oregon.

18) Missouri coach Gary Pinkel kicked out some coeds from Faurot Field who were running stairs fearing they would distract the team during practice.

19) The quarterback battle continues at Florida and Robbie Andreu ponders what happens when they finally name a starter.

20) Georgia had their first scrimmage yesterday and here are the stats from it .

21) Kentucky's freshman punter Landon Foster is in a battle for the starting job and Jennifer Smith profiles him.

22) Sal Sunseri has started comparing some of the Tennessee linebackers he has inherited are, "Alabama like," linebackers.

23) Vanderbilt's advantage on kickoff coverage may be negated by the new kickoff rules.

24) South Carolina defensive tackle Kelcy Quarles looks to step up his defensive production on the pass rush.

25) Matt Scalici has a great podcast on the first week of Auburn practice and the Alabama defensive competitions.

26) Charles Goldberg attended the Auburn scrimmage and still doesn't know who the starting quarterback is going to be.

27) Alabama offensive tackle Cyrus Kouandjio is fully healed and looking to have a big impact on the offensive line.

28) Ole Miss is looking to two JUCO transfers to help make their defense better.

29) Mississippi State will play several freshmen this year that will hopefully help the Bulldogs contend in the West.

30) Texas A&M linebacker Jonathan Stewart says he and his fellow linebackers are ready for the SEC competition.

31) LSU assistant coach Steve Kragthorpe talks about his battle with Parkinson's Disease and his second year of coaching with this disease.

32) The Arkansas News has four notes for you from Arkansas' preseason camp in their four downs section.

Morning Links for August 8th

Good morning! Here are some links to get your morning started and a link to my conference preview for the Pac 12.

1) Former Penn State players are appealing to the NCAA to try and reverse the sanctions against the university.

2) Penn State has lost two of their top recruits since the sanctions have come down.

3) Penn State has decided to make some subtle changes to the uniforms for this upcoming season.

4) ESPN is doing their preseason top 25 and list teams 25-16 today.

5) Bruce Feldman previews the Pac 12 and says Oregon and USC still rule the roost.

6) Dennis Dodd looks at the progress the Pac 12 has made under new commissioner Larry Scott and asks, "Does the Pac 12 want to be the SEC or beat the SEC?"

7) Tony Barnhart interviewed Marcus Lattimore and the running back is itching to get back on the playing field.

8) Bovada has listed the over/under for college football team wins for several of the big schools and whether or not they'll be in a BCS Bowl.

9) Mike Huguenin continues on counting down the 124 FBS schools with #10 Wisconsin and #9 FSU.

10) South Carolina backup quarterback Tanner McEvoy has decided to transfer after his arrest in North Carolina.

11) Sports Illustrated looks at some programs that could become the next Boise State.

12) Urban Meyer addressed the media and said that the Buckeyes won't settle for average this year.

13) Landry Jones is looking to lead Oklahoma to glory this year and have another excellent year.

14) Injured Duke Receiver Blair Holliday spoke with the coaching staff via phone Tuesday. Holliday is recovering from a jet ski accident on July 4th that gave him a traumatic brain injury.

15) Dorial Green-Beckham is trying to stay humble in the spotlight for the Missouri Tigers.

16) Jon Halapio is taking on the leadership role for the Florida offense this year. This honor was given to him by head coach Will Muschamp.

17) Jarvis Jones wants to seize the moment this year for the Georgia Bulldogs.

18) Steve Spurrier looks to move Jedeveon Clowney all over the field this year.

19) 8 fifth-year seniors want to become the building blocks for Tennessee's future success.

20) Kentucky's freshmen wide receivers are catching on quickly and impressing head coach Joker Phillips.

21) Vanderbilt head coach James Franklin was not happy with his team's first full-pad practice on Tuesday.

22) Auburn's wide receivers are on the learning curve as they adapt to Scot Loeffler's offense.

23) Alabama's secondary is getting special attention from head coach Nick Saban as they try to match last year's successful group.

24) Ole Miss freshman defensive lineman Temario Strong was granted clearance by the NCAA Clearinghouse and can begin practicing with the team yesterday.

25) Mississippi State head coach Dan Mullen recognizes that to be competitive in the SEC, you need to have great offensive and defensive lines.

26) Texas A&M freshman center Mike Matthews looks to join his brother Jake on the Aggie offensive line.

27) LSU had media day yesterday and the Honey Badger laid low.

28) Arkansas had their first scrimmage yesterday and Tyler Wilson and the passing offense looked very good.

Conference Previews: Pac 12

The Pac 12 is a conference on the rise. They last had an appearance in the BCS Championship Game in 2010 when Oregon fell on a last second field goal to Auburn. The last BCS Title for the Pac 12 was in 2004 when USC walloped Oklahoma 55-19. The Pac 12 is 10-7 overall in the BCS bowls though USC did have to forfeit their 2004 victory in the BCS Championship Game. The Pac 12 looks to be a very strong conference this year with two legitimate BCS contenders in USC and Oregon. Here are seven things to watch for in the Pac 12 this year.

Rising Star of the Pac 12: Jordan Wynn is the rising star of the Pac 12. After suffering a season-ending shoulder injury against Washington, Wynn has been working hard to return to form. Wynn was the first true freshman starter for Utah since freshmen were granted four years of eligibility. He was granted a medical redshirt for the 2011 season and did not lose any eligibility for his injury. Wynn has a career record of 13-6 as well as throwing for 4,390 yards, 31 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions. He should be able to lead the Utes to a great season and have them competing for the Pac 12 South title.

Fading Star of the Pac 12: The fading star of the Pac 12 has to be the Stanford Cardinal. After losing their star head coach at the end of the 2010 season and Andrew Luck at the end of this past season, the Cardinal are going to be hurting on offense. Stanford does return 9 of their top 10 tacklers from last year on defense but the quarterback situation looks to be in question as they continue on with camp. After going to back-to-back BCS Bowls, the Cardinal will be lucky to even make a bowl this year.

Best Conference Game of the Pac 12: The best conference game of the Pac 12 has to be on November 3rd, when Oregon visits USC. USC cost Oregon a shot at the BCS Championship Game last year by going into Autzen Stadium and upsetting the Ducks. This year has even more at stake than last year as both teams are gunning for a BCS Championship Game appearance. There is even a chance that both of the squads could meet a second time in the Pac 12 Championship Game if the chips fall right. Look to see an offensive display unlike any other in the nation when these two squads get together.

Best Non-Conference Game of the Pac 12:The best non-conference game of the Pac 12 this year is when Notre Dame comes to play USC on November 24th. Washington's trip to LSU on September 8th could be a good game, but the more competitive game looks to be Notre Dame at USC. Last year, the game went down to the wire with USC pulling it out late. Notre Dame was on the USC 1 yard line when Dayne Crist fumbled the ball and USC safety Jawanza Sterling returned it 80 yards. Look for Notre Dame to be nursing this grudge and wanting to be the spoiler to the USC party this year.

Surprise Team of the Pac 12: The surprise team of the Pac 12 is Washington State. After suffering through five consecutive losing seasons, look for Mike Leach to implement his offense and turn around the Cougars' fortune. Mike Leach never suffered a losing record while the head coach of Texas Tech and his system has been shown to work in a place where it was hard to recruit blue chip talent. Leach has a favorable schedule this year with a good chance to finish above .500. Look for the Cougars to become relevant again in the Pac 12 for the first time since the Mike Price era.

Dark Horse Conference Champion: The dark horse conference champion of the Pac 12 is Utah. Utah has a lot coming back from last year's squad with 9 starters retuning on offense and 7 starters returning on defense. The Utes have a healthy Jordan Wynn and an understanding of the competition they'll face in the Pac 12. If Utah would have hit one of three missed field goals against Colorado last year, the Utes would have been the Pac 12 South Champion. Look for the Utes to give USC all they can handle when the Trojans come to visit Rice-Eccles Stadium on Thursday, October 4th. The Utes will definitely finish in double digit wins this year.

Predicted Conference Championship Game: It's really hard not to go chalk here but Oregon and USC look so good on paper you just can't. I think that the loser of the first game will be thirsty for vengeance and win the second game. I like USC to beat Oregon and head to the BCS Championship Game.

Morning Links for August 7th

Good morning! Here are some links to get your morning started plus a link to my SEC West preview of Ole Miss from yesterday.

1) The Penn State Board of Trustees are filing an appeal with the NCAA saying that their president could not sign the consent decree without the board's approval.

2) Silas Redd had his first practice with USC Monday and he said that his time at Penn State was great but he's a Trojan now.

3) Oklahoma has lost another starting offensive lineman as guard Tyler Evans has torn his ACL.

4) Ole Miss' Rover Charles Sawyer will be out 4-6 weeks with a torn quad.

5) Tony Barnhart has the top ten story lines entering the 2012 college football season.

6) Chris Huston looks at the ten leading Heisman candidates as we start the 2012 season. Huston also says that due to Sammy Watkins' suspension, he is all but out of the Heisman race.

7) Dennis Dodd previews the Big XII and wants people to not sleep on Oklahoma.

8) Wisconsin is hoping that running back Montee Ball will be ready for the opener September 1st against Northern Iowa.

9) Maryland unveiled their uniforms for the 2012 season. Wisconsin also unveiled their special uniforms for the Nebraska game. Wisconsin will have the W uniform while Nebraska will have the N uniform.

10) Matt Hinton is previewing the contenders for the BCS this year and starts with Alabama.

11) Mike Huguenin continues his preseason countdown of all 124 FBS teams with #11 Arkansas.

12) Eric Adelson was at the first Penn State practice and Head Coach Bill O'Brien said that his team's first responsibility is to the children.

13) Michigan's head coach Brady Hoke has not given a timetable for the return of running back Fitzgerald Toussaint and defensive end Frank Clark.

14) Doug Nussmeier is fitting in nicely at Alabama according to John Zenor.

15) Stewart Mandel takes a look at Joe Tessitore and his knack for crazy finishes happening during his broadcast.

16) Andy Staples takes a look at how television has sparked change in college football.

17) Steve Eubanks ranks the best five stadiums in the SEC.

18) Will Muschamp likes the Gators' chemistry as they continue practicing.

19) Georgia had their first full pads practice yesterday and had their first issue of their injury/illness report.

20) Kentucky has returned more than 2,000 tickets for the Governor's Cup game at Louisville.

21) Tennessee offensive tackle Antonio Richardson looks to be the next great left tackle.

22) Vanderbilt linebacker Archibald Barnes plans to be a big time player this year for the Commodores defense.

23) Missouri is continuing to have injuries on their offensive line and having redshirt and true freshmen fill in.

24) Brian VanGorder is instilling a new defense and a new attitude for the maligned Auburn defense.

25) Don Kausler takes a look at Bama corner back Deion Belue.

26) Dak Prescott is prepping as if he will be the starting quarterback as he tries to overtake Tyler Russell for Mississippi State.

27) Ole Miss is still having trouble adjusting to Hugh Freeze's new offense.

28) Texas A&M returned to practice Monday after taking off Sunday. Robert Cessna has the update from practice.

29) LSU's Tharold Simon is looking to improve his interception total from last year.

30) Steve Spurrier is confident in Connor Shaw as his starting quarterback.

31) Arkansas linebacker Tenarius Wright was shaken up after a collision with running back Knile Davis yesterday at practice.

SEC West Preview: Ole Miss

The Ole Miss Rebels suffered a very rough season in 2011 and went 2-10. Houston Nutt was fired and Hugh Freeze was brought in from Arkansas State to try and turn around the program. Ole Miss had been to back-to-back Cotton Bowls in 2008 and 2009 before suffering consecutive losing seasons. Hugh Freeze brings in a new energy to the program that has the Rebels and their fans excited for the new season. While the Rebels may still have a losing record, they look to be more competitive in 2012.

Ole Miss returns 8 starters on an offense that ranked 114th in total offense, 83rd in rushing offense, and 107th in passing offense. The Rebels used 3 quarterbacks last year but the starter this year should be either Barry Brunetti or Bo Wallace. Wallace is a junior college transfer and Brunetti played in 5 games last year passing for 19 of 35 for 144 yards. Brunetti also ran for 110 yards. The Rebels have moved last year's starting quarterback Randall Mackey to running back this year where he will join Jeff Scott for playing time. Mackey ran for 180 yards last year and 1 touchdown while Scott ran for 529 yards on 116 carries for an average of 4.6 yards a carry and 6 touchdowns. The wide receiving corps for the Rebels will feature plenty of experience. All three projected starters had some starting experience from last year. The biggest blow for Ole Miss though is the most experienced wide receiver Collins Moore has a torn labrum that is going to keep him out an undisclosed period of time. So right now the starting wide receivers look to be Philander Moore, Ja-Mes Logan, and Donte Moncrief. Philander Moore had 5 receptions for 14 yards last with no touchdowns. Moncrief was the leading receiver with 31 receptions for 454 yards and 4 touchdowns while Logan 20 receptions for 274 yards. The tight end battle will see Ferbia Allen and Jamal Mosley split time. Allen had 6 receptions for 69 yards and Mosley had 12 receptions for 166 yards and 1 touchdown. The offensive line returns two starters in center Evan Swindall and left guard Aaron Morris. The right tackle position is up for grabs in a battle between Patrick Junen and Pierce Burton.  The left tackle position looks to be Emmanuel McCray's to lose and the right guard position looks to have A.J. Hawkins as the starter. The Ole Miss offense should improve under Hugh Freeze dramatically. Freeze had Arkansas State in the top 25 in total offense and passing offense so look for the Rebels to throw the ball way more than they did last year. The Rebels should be improved on offense this year though Freeze's system will be tested by some of the best defenses in the nation.

The Ole Miss defense will return 8 starters on a unit that ranked 90th in total defense, 112th in rushing defense, and 22nd in passing defense. The defensive line returns two starters in defensive end C.J. Johnson and nose tackle Uriah Grant. Johnson had 32 tackles, 4 tackles for loss and 1 sack while Grant had 22 tackles, 2 tackles for loss and 1 sack. Bryon Bennete looks to start at the defensive tackle position and Gerald Rivers looks to be the other defensive end. Bennett had 15 tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss while Rivers had 13 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, and 2 sacks. The linebacking corps returns  2 starters with Serderius Bryant at the stinger position and Mike Marry at the Mike position. Bryant had 61 tackles and 2 tackles for loss while Marry was the leading tackler with 81 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, and 2 sacks. The secondary returns 4 starters with Aaron Garbutt at the husky position, Wesley Pendleton at one corner back, Cody Prewitt at strong safety, and Charles Sawyer at rover. Sawyer was recently injured though with a torn quad that will keep him out four to six weeks. Sawyer's replacement should be either Trae Elston or Quintavius Burdette. Garbutt had 51 tackles and 3 tackles for loss while Pendleton had 19 tackles. Prewitt did not register any tackles last year but did have 1 interception. Senquez Golson looks to be at the other corner position. Golson had 16 tackles and 1 interception last year. The Ole Miss defense will need to improve greatly against the run if they are going to be better this year. They have the tools to do so but they are going to suffer from growing pains.

Ole Miss' schedule this year is very difficult. They start off the year with FCS school Central Arkansas at home before taking on UTEP and Texas at home. After a trip to Tulane, the Rebels go to Alabama. After the Alabama game, the Rebels are home for back to back home games against Texas A&M and Auburn. The Rebels then go to Arkansas and Georgia before coming home for Vanderbilt. The final two games of the year have Ole Miss at LSU and home for the Egg Bowl against Mississippi State. I think Ole Miss is going to have a rough year record wise but they should be an improved team. I see the Rebels winning against Central Arkansas, UTEP, and Tulane but other than that I don't see any wins on the schedule for the Rebels. It will be another rough years for the Rebels but look for Hugh Freeze to get the Rebels back on the right path. 

Morning Links for August 6th

1) Clemson's Sammy Watkins will be suspended for the first two games of the season. This suspension is a result of his drug arrest.

2) TCU's Casey Pachall will not face any discipline from the team after admitting to police that he used marijuana and failed a drug test. Pachall has completed a drug counselling program mandated by the university.

3) According to the police, Montee Ball was at a fight the night before he was assaulted by five men.

4) Dennis Dodd has a Big Ten preview and says that Wisconsin will stand at center stage.

5) Mike Huguenin continues on with his preseason countdown with #14 Texas, #13 Virginia Tech, and #12 Georgia.

6) Penn State wide receiver Justin Brown is leaving Penn State and transferring to an unknown school. Brown is the 9th player to transfer since the NCAA sanctions have been handed down.

7) Texas quarterbacks David Ash and Case McCoy are looking forward to the competition to determine the starter.

8) Nick Saban doesn't like the preseason predictions and feel that they, "Hijack the game."

9) Duron Carter has transferred from Alabama to Florida Atlantic and is awaiting clearance from the NCAA.

10) Missouri's highly recruited freshman receiver Dorial Green-Beckham is looking forward to the season starting.

11) Notre Dame will have 3 quarterbacks battling for the starting job as Tommy Rees sits out the first game due to suspension.

12) Penn State will host a Blue Out to show solidarity for the victims of sexual abuse for the Temple game. This will be their second Blue Out.

13) Nebraska's quarterback Taylor Martinez has the BCS Title as the goal for the Huskers this year.

14) Matt Murschel writes about the new bowl guidelines for the 2012 season.

15) The Gainesville Sun continues breaking down the Florida roster position by position with the linebackers.

16) Georgia's assistant head coach Rodney Garner sits down with Chip Towers of the AJC to talk Georgia football, the Penn State scandal, and recruiting character.

17) The Kentucky quarterback position is up for grabs as the Wildcats continue camp. John Clay looks at all the candidates for the job.

18) Evan Woodbery of the Knoxville News Sentinel has observations from Tennessee's practice last night.

19) Vanderbilt had a large group of fans show up to support the Commodores yesterday at fan day despite the rain.

20) Marcus Lattimore is back and looking to show his maturity and healthy knee off for the Gamecocks.

21) Freshman quarterback Jonathan Wallace is impressing the coaches in the first week of Auburn's camp.

My Appearance on the Jacob Bunn Show on August 3rd

Here is my latest appearance on the Bunn Sports Show.

Morning Links for August 3rd

Good morning! Here are the links for today and we are now 27 days away from the first games kicking off and because of that it's a mega-sized morning links!

1) The USA Todays Coaches' Poll came out yesterday and LSU is #1 and Alabama is #2. USC was voted #3 but this poll was voted on before Silas Redd transferred.

2) Bret Bielema says that Montee Ball will not be ready for camp after suffering a concussion from a street fight.

3) ESPN has released their class rankings for the 2013 recruiting class and USC is still #1.

4) Dennis Dodd previews the SEC and tells college football fans to expect more domination from the SEC. He also says that George O'Leary and the UCF President should lose their jobs over the recent scandal.

5) Bill O'Brien said that he would not recruit Penn State players if he was a coach at another school. This comes after the Penn State kicker Anthony Fera said he was transferring to Texas.

6) Oklahoma State's starting left tackle Michael Bowie has been dismissed for violating team rules.

7) The Arkansas State Trooper who dumped the marijuana during the Michael Dyer traffic stop has been fired.

8) Suspended Michigan defensive end Frank Clark waived his right to a preliminary hearing and will go to court on September 11th. He is still suspended from the team.

9) Mike Huguenin continues his preseason countdown of all 124 FBS teams with #15 West Virginia.

10) Montee Ball refuted the claim that he was assaulted in retaliation for an earlier fight.

11) The Second Mile is calling off an internal investigation because they're about to go out of business after the Sandusky scandal.

12) Georgia right tackle Kolton Houston will continue to be suspended for a positive drug test. The positive results stems from a steroid  he took after shoulder surgery two years ago.

13) Stewart Mandel sits down with USC quarterback Matt Barkley. I highly suggest reading this piece.

14) The NCAA may be adopting harsher punishments for schools that severely violate NCAA rules.

15) Kirk Ferentz is now the Big Ten coach with the longest tenure and Jesse Temple chronicles that journey.

16) Florida quarterbacks Jacoby Brisset and Jeff Driskel are squaring off to win the starting job and the Gainesville Sun is your source for the battle.

17) South Carolina opens practice today and all eyes will be fixed on the legs of Marcus Lattimore.

18) Jeff Schultz looks at the difficulty Georgia will have in replacing Isaiah Crowell.

19) Derek Dooley says that he wants his players to, "Feel comfortable beinguncomfortable."

20) It's Jordan Rogers show to run at Vanderbilt according to David Climer.

21) Kentucky offensive coordinator Randy Sanders is expecting more from his offense after a disappointing 2011.

22) Big name recruit Dorial Green-Beckham took the field for the first time yesterday and all eyes are going to watch this freshman.

23) Alabama starts their first practice today and Nick Saban wants to make sure that his team, "Will get addicted to success."

24) Auburn's tailback race is starting to shape up and Onterrio McCalebb and Tre Mason look to replace the departed Michael Dyer.

25) Dan Mullen says that retention from the spring is the key for Mississippi State as they enter practice.

26) Ole Miss is awaiting the clearance of two key freshmen for academic issues as they begin today.

27) The Times-Picayune has a multitude of links on LSU.

28) Arkansas held their first practice yesterday and it was hot.

29) Texas A&M open up practice today and they think their conditioning will help them win the games they lost last year.

Morning Links for August 2nd

Good morning! Here are some morning links to get your day going!

1) Wisconsin star running back Montee Ball was assaulted by 5 men Tuesday night and may have suffered a concussion.

2) Daniel Rodriguez, a Purple Heart recipient, fulfills his promise to a fallen comrade by walking on the Clemson football team.

3) Jerry Sandusky has told his lawyer that he is upset with the sanctions handed down to Penn State.

4) Penn State linebacker Khairi Fortt will transfer to Cal.

5) Oklahoma's center Ben Habern is walking away from the game of football after having offseason neck surgery that fused two vertebrae.

6) Tony Barnhart has a column in which he writes 5 things about the ACC and says that September is put up or shut up month.

7) Auburn quarterback Zeke Pike has decided to transfer. With Clint Moseley still recovering from shoulder issues, it looks like Kiehl Frazier has all but locked up the starting job.

8) Mike Huguenin continues counting down all 124 FBS schools with #16 Clemson.

9) Les Miles confirmed that Penn State quarterback Rob Bolden is transferring to LSU.

10) Stewart Mandel has a mailbag and says that USC is a force because of Lane Kiffin.

11) Birmingham News columnist Charles Hollis predicts Alabama and Auburn's records for the upcoming season.

12) The Alabama Board of Trustees approved a new 34,000 square foot athletic training facility for all student athletes. It will cost $9.6 million to build.

13) Robbie Andreu of the Gainesville Sun lists 5 priorities for the Gators as they head into camp.

14) Chip Towers of the AJC offers the 5 priorities for Georgia as they head into camp.

15) Mike Strange lists 5 things to watch for as the Vols open camp.

16) Vanderbilt has switched radio stations in Nashville to 1510 AM for men's football and basketball.

17) Dave Matter looks at 5 questions for the Missouri Tigers as they head into camp.

18) Hugh Kellenberger previews Ole Miss as they head into camp.

19) Brandon Marcello previews Mississippi State as they open up camp.

20) Jim Kleinpeter talks about LSU as they head into camp and Les Miles says the Tigers can handle the hype and expectations.

21) Arkansas players spoke with the media about the upcoming season and dealing with the high expectations.