Is the SEC too top-heavy?
Dr. Saturday does a great breakdown of the likelihood that Alabama and Florida will be the SEC division champions again next year -- this is where we remind you again that previews begin next week -- and raises an interesting question in the process: Is the SEC too top-heavy right now?
Another Gator-Tide showdown in Atlanta looks again like the inevitable conclusion from the preseason prognostoscenti, and it's hard to argue otherwise on paper, even if the "duopoly" at the top stands to further erode the league's formerly prized reputation for extreme parity -- already at a low ebb after a pair of division races in '09 that were more or less foregone conclusions by midseason.
This is perhaps painting with too broad a brush -- LSU and Auburn were among the teams that endangered Alabama's undefeated season, Arkansas lost to Florida in part after some controversial calls and even subpar teams like South Carolina and Mississippi State had hard-fought losses to one or both. The challenge for this year is not necessarily to keep Alabama or Florida from making Atlanta -- though I think either is far from a foregone conclusion. But if they both reach the Georgia Dome without a loss again this year, perhaps it's time to admit that the SEC is the Big Ten with champions who actually win BCS title games.
You're not going to make him attempt a jump-pass first?
This is a bit early.
Tebow is, at best, third on Denver's depth chart at QB. But the 25th pick of the first round still had the best-selling rookie jersey since the NFL started keeping track in 2006. Thirty percent of the orders came from Florida.
The Broncos were tops in the league in merchandise sales on NFLShop.com in April after ranking 10th for the year ending March 31 -- and without any other Denver player's jersey in the top 25.
First of all, you can't blame Florida fans for bailing on at least two of the state's teams to buy Broncos jerseys -- would you continue to hope for Tampa Bay to return to its Super Bowl winning form or for the Jaguars to ever get to the Super Bowl in the first place?
But shouldn't you wait until he's likely to be active in a game some time this season before investing in a jersey? Just a thought.
Shouldn't you, like, graduate from college before having a road named after you?
Not if you're Mark Ingram, proving that Alabama fans are not the only ones who get carried away by the Tide's success. (HT: Roll Bama Roll -- and I should add here: Well played, sirs. Well played.)
Another dollar, another 7-6 season
Assistant coaches at South Carolina will rake in an additional 17.5 percent this year. If the Gamecocks ever do when an SEC East title, the pay raises will dwarf the GDP of some nations.
What is an audio tweet?
Your humble correspondent tries to keep up with social media -- but audio tweets? Oh, and Kentucky head coach and noted humanitarian John Calipari doesn't want more money in his lifetime extension.
"I said I didn't want the compensation to change," Calipari said, relaying his conversation with UK Athletics Director Mitch Barnhart, in an audio tweet on Lexy.com. "I'm doing fine."
A portrait of sacrifice, that one.
Too bad for Auburn only the real wins count ... and Georgia is just as bad as we thought
War Blog Eagle crunches the Pythagorean numbers on SEC baseball teams and comes to some interesting conclusions, including that LSU really is a mediocre team.
How do you motivate a quarterback?
The State uses Steve Spurrier's efforts to get through to Stephen Garcia as the starting point for an interesting piece on motivating athletes.
So ... the Big Ten still can't win the BCS?
Rock M Nation wraps up one of the best conference expansion series yet -- what if Missouri were in the Big Ten or Big 15 (which would, of course, have sixteen teams)?