Arkansas: Pretty good, thank you very much. For those who thought Arkansas' baseball success (and, no, I'm not calling them "Diamond Hogs") was a result at least in part of their weak schedule -- have at you!
Arkansas just held on for an 8-7 win over No. 1 Arizona State in front of a school-record crowd of 11,014 at Baum Stadium. With the win, Arkansas takes the two-game series sweep over the No. 1 team in the land, according to two of the national polls.
The Hogs knocked off ASU 7-3 last night.
Both Wednesday's win and Tuesday's victory were come-from-behind efforts, but a win is a win is a win, and they play all nine innings -- usually, anyway -- for a reason.
Who is this a big problem for? Western Division favorite LSU. Any illusion that catching up with Arkansas was just a matter of time is now officially gone. The Bayou Bengals have a fight on their hands.
Other baseball: Mississippi State edges Southern Miss ... Tennessee can has offense!!! (Yes, it's Lipscomb, but they were a tourney team last year. Also -- huge for Tennessee -- Lipscomb's players breathe, and the Vols have struggled with teams like that this year.) ... Georgia splits a doubleheader with Winthrop ... The Gamecocks finish off a 2-1 record against rival Clemson with a loss ... Kentucky loses on a balk. (Q: How do you know it's not your year?) Oddly enough, it was a fitting end for the game ... Florida, Ole Miss, LSU and Auburn all defeat overmatched foes ...
Grant: $1.8 million a year. Most of that is a "talent fee." This according to a memorandum of understanding.
It's not a full contract yet, but it tells almost everything you might want to know.
Try telling that to Kentucky fans.
Meanwhile, your humble correspondent might have spoken too soon when he said the SEC coaching rumors are over. Darrin Horn is now a potential candidate at Xavier, though it's confusing as to why he would take the job. Except the whole "going to the NCAA tournament" thing. Oh, and the uncertain future of Devan Downey.
Calipa-recruiting. One star is already on the way, and a lot of Rivals' VHTs (can I used that for basketball?) are at least considering the Wildcats now. All of this adds to the buzz around Big Blue that has SI calling them a "wild card" in 2009-10. A look at this past year's players and their shot selection, for those of you interested in the past.
Jerrell Powe might actually play. After a 37-year battle to get on the team in the first place, Jerrell Powe is performing well enough that coaches are likely to move him to the first-team defense soon. In all seriousnes, you have to admire Powe's determination, and pity the league's QBs if he replicates it on the field.
For his part, Demetrice Morely seems equally determined to not play.
Some guys make up their playing time. Former Wildcat (sniff sniff) Dicky Lyons Jr. talks to A Sea of Blue.
ASOB: Did you just run onto the field?
Lyons: "I needed to talk to Joker (Phillips, UK"s offensive coordinator) but he was up in the press box. So I made something up, and went into the game ... I thought that if the other receiver scored, that I might not ever see the field. After that I kind of steamrolled my spot on the team."
You gotta love the kid. Best of luck to him in the NFL, assuming the scouts are smart enough to draft him and he doesn't talk to the wrong women on Facebook.
Who said the law is boring? Says a presumably unbiased attorney about the anti-BCS antitrust suit:
Basically what you're watching is a three-round bout with the Utah attorney general. The first round of anti-trust is press releases and political grandstanding and people with spears hopping up and down. The second round is the trial court and third round is the court of appeals.
Whoever's left standing at the end of the third round wins. It would be unusual for the attorney general to be standing at the end of the third round.
Somehow, I have a hard time picturing Mike Slive wielding a spear.
Put an * next to that 2008* Big XII Championship story. Looks like Texas will no longer claim its nonexistent title. (HT: EDSBS) Alabama, over to you.
Wind Sprints. Quincy Carter joins the indoor football craze ... Ole Miss fans don't want your love ... Is Gene Chizik the next Captain Queeg, or Woody Hayes? With these whipper-snappers nowadays, does it matter? ... The World Cup in South Carolina. Yeah, that would work ... Don't cry for Bobby Bowden, Argentina, says And the Valley Shook ... Maybe cry for Pat Summitt, though, whose team is out of the Top 25 ...