May you all be blessed and prosperous in this upcoming new year.

10 Things

1. Every year is the year…that our team will be successful, for some it’s a national title for others it’s a conference title, but regardless of their previous record from the year before.  This is the year that we win it all.  This theory holds true for most fans of SEC programs……….well maybe not for Vandy and Ole Miss, but for everyone else.

2. Every coach is expendable.  There is no such thing as a safe coaching job.  Regardless of pass performance every coach has one foot out the door.  Not even a national title will secure your spot.  Every coach is at least 2 seasons away from being fired.  A couple of bad seasons and back to back lost to the rival and everyone will want your head.  Be careful Nick, the village is stocked with pitch forks and torches.

3. Tradition is priceless.  There is no price on tradition.  Whether it’s the Tiger Walk or the Hog Call it must be carried out effectively.  Any deviation or even the slightest change by a coach or an administrator may cause a major uproar in the fan base.

4. No such thing as football season.  Football is a year-round sport.  It dominates the local sports pages during the so-called off season just as much as it does while the games are being played.  After the bowl games, fans are curious, they want updates, they want to know what adjustments will be made.  Who’s new and who’s making an impact.  Even to the point where other sports have to take a backseat even when they’re in the prime of their season.  Example, the average Bama fan probably doesn’t know who is the starting Power Forward for the basketball team but can tell you the name of the 3^rd string RB, his weight, his height, his G.P.A. and his hometown.  Freaky!?!?!?

5. Nobody likes Tennessee and it’s just not Alabama either.  I think they’re the most hated program outside of the Knoxville city limits.  Is it because of some of the actions taken in the past by the head coach?  Can’t say for sure, but I do know this. Nobody wants to see them be successful.

6. Every game is a big game.  Just look at ticket sales, regardless of current standings every game is a big game.  Too many times have we seen top ranked teams in the SEC lose the week before their highly anticipated matchup.  Every team has the potential to beat you.  So there is no such thing as a sure win in the SEC.

7. There is no excuse for losing homecoming.  Unless you’ve scheduled a conference rival, there is basically no excuse to lose your homecoming game.  Some fans and big time alumni wait the whole year to go to homecoming and have no intentions of watching their alma mater lose to an unranked, supposedly inferior program.  It is inexcusable and for some coaches it was unforgiveable.  Trust me it’s better to lose to the 5^th ranked team than losing to the 75^th ranked team.

8. The SEC is the best conference in NCAA Div. I-A football.  Week in and week out it dominates the top 25 rankings with their number of teams. With the tough schedule, each team, well not all, has the potential to be a top ranked team.  Too bad that we end up knocking each other out of contention for the national title.  In my eyes, the 5^th best team in the SEC could be the #1 team in another conference.

9. Unofficial Rivalries do exist.  As we all know, Auburn has a long standing rival with Alabama but if not more, wants to beat the stew out of Georgia.  The same way with UA.  They want to beat Auburn but they hate the Volunteers with an unbridled passion.

10.  And last but not least, nobody likes Tennessee. (I don’t think I can stress that enough.) 

Every University, if they don’t already have him, is looking for the guy.  They’re looking for the coach that will bring they’re program awards, championships, and status or in some cases help their school regain they’re past reputation of being a top Div. I program.  But really, how good are head coaches?  How much credit should they get? And how much effort and worth should a university put in to recruiting a head coach?  Is any coach worth millions of dollars?  Out of all the stats in college football the success of a head coach is judged by only two, and they are (1)number of championships and (2)Wins and Losses.  What I’ve learned is that when a coach is losing they get all of the blame and when a coach is winning they get too much of the credit, which also plays in to the public opinion of that coach.  But if you look underneath the top layer of the program you will see the hidden truth.  You will see the head coach as no more than a manager or a facilitator of everything.  Just like a government official, a head coach is just as good or bad as his assistants and coordinators.  The offensive and defensive coordinators are the brain trust of the head coach and are just as vital to his success or failure.  They themselves can make or break a coach.  They not only call the plays, but they do research, study film, and coordinate it all together to give their team the best chance to succeed.  And if they succeed, nine time out of ten, only the head coach will get the big pay day. They are responsible for game plans and packages, but too often they get little or no credit for winning games.  Every now and then you have your head coaches that are offensive minded and like to call their own plays but those coaches rarely succeed due to  having to pull double duty.  In my eyes a head coach is nothing more than a manager of  players, coaches, personalities, and philosophies who puts it all together to try to come up with a winning system.  He is a good picker of talent and character and knows how to get the best out of everyone involved in the program.  But…………..how good is he when he doesn’t call the plays or create or has little knowledge about the system the offensive or defensive coordinator is running?  How good is he then and how much is he really worth?

Ahhh, it’s that time of year.  The regular season is now over, the Heisman Trophy has been given out, and it’s now time for the NCAA to go bowling.  Yes, Bowl Games folks.  I really enjoy this time of year.  I get to see schools from different conferences, who wouldn’t normally schedule or even get the opportunity to play each other, face off for a cash prize and some big time bragging rights.  In the past, bowl games were reserved for the top programs.  It was reserved for the teams who played well week in and week out and managed to end the season with a respectable record.  But it seems that now a days the NCAA is willing to give any corporation with enough money the opportunity to host a bowl game.  In my eyes this is tainting the entire bowl system, which was designed to showcase the best, but now has been watered down with sub-par mediocre teams.  Teams that finished their season with 6 wins and 6 losses (.500 pct).  I truly believer that a team with less than 7 wins SHOULD NOT be invited anywhere but back to the film room to figure out what mistakes were made.  Six wins simply means that you beat the teams that you  were suppose to beat.  It means that you beat the Western Kentucky’s, North Texas’, and Duke’s of Div. I football and maybe two more division opponents.  Six wins shouldn’t warrant an invitation to a bowl game let alone a pay day for winning the bowl game.  Yes, I’m aware that UA has been invited to a bowl game despite it’s 6-6 record, but still……..are they deserving of an invitation?  I’m just saying……who really wants to see Colorado, Maryland, Oklahoma State, UCLA, Nevada, and Cal showcased in a bowl game when they performed poorly in the regular season.  Just my thoughts, nothing more.  Let me know what you think.

I felt all along it was his for the taking whether or not the voters would see it that way, I was unsure.  In the end they looked past him being an underclassmen and gave it to the guy most deserving.  The other candidates are incredible in their own right but no one put a complete season together like Tebow.  Daniels emerged much too late to be in serious consideration, Brennan sat out quite a few quarters, and Mcfadden had a lull in the middle of the season.  Tebow was steady throughout, even in their losses.  You knew what was coming at you and you were supposed to stop him.  Most couldn’t.  The guy is an absolute beast and all this praise is coming from someone that is not a Tebow fan but I have to give credit where credit is due.  He is an exceptional athlete and person.  He’s grounded, humble, and well spoken.  It’s really hard to not like that guy.  That’s probably going to be the knock against him.  He is so likeable and perfect that he comes across fake.  You know you remember the kid in high school that had everything.  Nice car, athletic, money, girls clamouring over him, good grades, teachers loved him, great parents, homecoming king, etc……..he is that guy.  Except that he really lives the things he says and is grateful for everything he has in life.  Not to many 20 years olds have that level of maturity.  Now, the only question that remains is not will he win back to back Heismans but how in the hell does the self proclaimed virgin stay that way in Gainesville?  That is the amazing part.