We have had it the past two days in Memphis.  Bridges and Overpasses have been fun!

I think it will be interesting.  After A & M went into tuscaloosa and upset bama, now bama has to go to college station.  Also, I have heard Ohio St. schedule is easy next year so look for them to be in a position to go to the National Championship game, although we all know how Big 10 stacks up to the SEC. 

Those guys know nothing.  Until you play week in and week out in the SEC, no one understands the speed difference.  ND plays Big 10 football and we have seen how that stacks up against good SEC teams.

I haven't wondered how they do it.  I have joked and said they are using HGH, but who knows.  They just look so much bigger than anyone else.  Ever great school has a good S & C program, so I don't get the difference in how bama looks vs how other teams look.

I thought they sounded great.

They put on a GREAT concert. 

1. Bama
2. A&M
3. Ohio State
4. Oregon
5. LSU

The violation itself didn't cause Pearl to be black listed.  It was the fact he lied to the NCAA about it when confronted about it.  I really think if he had just said , yes, that was at my house, that it would have been a minor violation at best.  Nothing to the extent of post season ban or a firing offense.

I'm talking about the rule-bending that goes on in NCAA recruiting. The involvement of shady characters like World Wide Wes, the fringe role played by corporations like Nike (and FedEx), these ludicrous ESPN All-Access shows that are glorified recruiting tools. I could go on and on.

Unlike a lot of SEC fans, I don't think Calipari engages in blatantly illegal recruiting tactics, but he's a master of taking advantage of these grey areas. I'm convinced the NCAA will eventually crack down on it if Calipari is at UK for an extended period of time. It's just a matter of how long it takes them to do so. Any amount of time is too long. I mean, we live in a world where Bruce Pearl can be blacklisted from coaching for violations stemming from having a recruit at his home who is one year younger than the rules allow, yet the NCAA refuses to classify World Wide Wes an agent . . . a world where the NCAA can use a manufactured "bump" violation to further its case against a coach like Pearl yet allows ESPN to give unsigned recruits like the Harrison twins big play on the All-Access Kentucky show despite it being a rules violation for a school to publicize unsigned recruits.

On either side of college basketball are organizations rife with corruption -- the AAU on one side and the NBA on the other. That corruption is spilling over into college ball at an alarming rate right now, and that acceleration is largely due to one program. I've said it before and I'll say it again: I don't care how many national championships he wins or how many players he sends to the NBA, John Calipari represents everything that is wrong with college basketball.

Again, I don't understand all the love for Mullin.  The dude has a losing SEC record, a barely .500 overall record and his schedule each year has UK as the permanent oppt, along with 4 cupcakes in non-conference.  That is 5 wins built in every year with just an avg team.

You have to make your moves in this business when you are one of the hot names. If you don't, your star fades.

EXACTLY!  Case in point is the Cal coach that just got fired.  His name was hot several years back but he decided to stay at Cal where the ceiling was limited.  How did that turn out for him??

Honestly, if Strong does stay at U of L, I just don't see why.  He has the opportunity to coach in the best conference in America compared to the Big East / ACC which both won't be around too much longer if the conference expansion keeps happening.

The longer it drags the worse the perception is. UK, Auburn and Arkansas are done, we're still screwing around

Totally disagree.  Everyone in the country has said that UT is the top job opening this year.  With that said, Arkansas, UK, and Auburn hired people that weren't even on our A and B list.  I don't see the bad perception of this.

I am surprised Malzahn wants to go back to AU while the NCAA is sniffing around.

I wouldn't call it a homerun hire.  He plays Big 10 ball, which we have seen does not work in the SEC.  Not only that, but I don't think he is that great of a recruiter and at Arkansas, you have to be good at recruiting because they are just like TN.

Another interesting thing is his name hadn't been mentioned in the media and all the sudden it comes out of left field.  It is funny how every school has "insiders" but then they don't know jack about what is actually happening.

He also saw a progam at FSU that was spiraling downward like a flaming turd but Bobby was too powerful to fire.  I don't dismiss the thought that ADs don't want a coach more powerful than they are....Hard to tell your coach to make needed changes when the coach just goes to the board members and has the AD fired.  I dont get the feeling....nor do any of the rumors indicate that Hart wants or is sold on JG.  Only the fans and boosters have made it publically known that they want JG.  Of course we are all speculating at this point but I think if Hart wanted JG, he would have at least met with the man by now, he has had plenty of time to meet with him and all indications are a meeting was cancelled yesterday.  Nothing here to make me think Hart wants JG.  

You nor anyone else knows if Hart has talked to JG or not.  Do you really think Hart is going to tell media members who he has or hasn't talked to.  You also don't know if they have met or not.  Hart knows what he is doing.  He hasn't said if he does or doesn't want JG...you are just assuming because nothing is out there that that means he isn't interested.

I think Hart doesnt want Gruden...I think JG threatens his power and would be too big for Hart to handle.

Totally disagree with this statement.  If Hart hired JG, and JG turned out to be a great hire, then Hart is set for life.  Hart has nothing to gain but to try and hit a homerun with this hire.  Also, Hart was at FSU and Bama, he knows what it takes at a high profile school.

Every time the Gruden-to-UT hysteria seems to reach a fever pitch, something happens to douse the flames. I've been on record for the past week as saying that it isn't Gruden and I've also discredited the theory about the media being used -- willingly or unintentionally -- to spread misinformation.

But isn't it awfully convenient that after days and days of the media being unable to get their hands on ANYTHING useful relating to this coaching search, Hyams and Hubbs both stumble upon this story about Gruden calling it off AT THE SAME TIME? These guys have been at it long enough that their source pools overlap tremendously. So maybe it's something as innocent as the right guy started talking at the right time. But it smells kinda fishy. Smells like maybe some info was leaked intentionally. If so, who does that help?

Agree on this totally.  Look, I want to believe badly about Gruden, but I am taking the stance of believe it when I see it.  However, it does seem "odd" that for two people that has been out of the loop on this that they suddenly have knowledge about something and they both reported it about the same time.

I see words like "think" and "would be". Synonymous with speculation. The facts are that Franklin HAS improved the Vandy team in his second year to where they could get 9 wins. Something UT fans have not experienced since 2007. And he is out recruiting us right now. So do I think he can keep vandy middle of the pack? Yeah, based on what he has done, I don't just think it, I can it's a very good probablity he can.... but he won't because he likely gets a better offer soon and takes it, and makes someone even better than that. Like it or not, he is a rising star in college coaching.

OK how about these facts....Vandy didn't beat a single team with a winning record.  Their best win was to a 6 - 6 Ole Miss team.  Vandy's 5 SEC wins came from 3 coaches that just got fired, and another that is rumored to be on his way out.  Again, let him prove it against the normal strength of the SEC.  Beat a team with a winning record and then I will agree he can coach.

I also agree with Lyn that he is an ass.  He literally got into fights with several assistant coaches on other teams last year.

I'm intrigued by Franklin. Not sold on him, but I wouldn't be heartbroken if Tennessee hired him. My hope would be that he would settle down. Winning isn't necessarily everything. I thought Kiffin did a pretty good job at UT, but I was tired of his B.S. even before it became apparent that he was a cheater. Take away the rules violations and Franklin is Kiffin all over again.

When I look at Franklin, I see a coach who, as Volznut said, took Vandy from its position as a perennial doormat to a middle-of-the-pack SEC team. And he did it in a couple of seasons. The dude can obviously coach.

I disagree that he is all that as a coach and agree with Lyn.  He is a one hit wonder.  Do you honestly think that he can keep Vandy a middle of the pack SEC team?  Do you honestly think with how bad Auburn, UT, and Missouri were that he can keep that going?  When those 3 teams are just average, not good, Vandy would be 2 - 6 in the SEC and 5 to 6 win team.  He benefitted from his schedule being watered down.  Against quality competition, he still got his doors blown off.

They haven't even fired their current coach yet and people are already saying Gruden is the new coach.....I highly doubt that.  Plus the NFL has a rule that you must interview a minority candidate.

[Too many people make way to big of a deal about PEOPLES personal lives.......................................I am not making excuses, just not my buisness......................could give less than 2 shizzles about who he is having sex with..........................................JMHO]

He is obviously a smart coach(unlike the one we just fired), I have not too much problem with his affair(personal life, not my buisness.....between him and the wife), the issue to me is trying to cover up and about the accident, and they way he has left Louisville and Atlanta............................................................
Too many people make way to big of a deal about PEOPLES personal lives.......................................I am not making excuses, just not my buisness......................could give less than 2 shizzles about who he is having sex with..........................................JMHO

 

Again, it has nothing to do with the affair.  he didn't get fired because of that.  He got fired because he lied to his boss, broke state law by hiring the woman, and broke the affirmative action policy, not to mention opening Arkansas to federal lawsuits.

I love to hear the people that say, it was only an affair and he doesn't have to be a choir boy.  However, what some of you fail to realize that not only was it an affair, he broke STATE LAW by hiring the girl.  Not only that, but he violated the affirmative action policy in place.  He opened Arkansas to alot of federal law suits.  Do you want that for UT?  Besides the affair, he has proven he will lie and cheat and only cares about himself and no one else. 

Now let's talk X's and O's.  Does the guy score alot of point, sure.  However, he has never put a great defense on the field.  You do understand that points puts butts in the seats, but defense wins championships?  Look at what his "great" teams did when they faced a team with a defense.  He lost to Bama and LSU EVERY TIME...and it wasn't even close.  So are you prepared to lose to Bama and UF every year from here on out....I sure am not!

There is no way I believe our next coach is that scumbag.  Not only does it go against everything Hart said we needed as a head coach, but I truly believe he has been black balled in the SEC due to his behavior. 

IMO that would be a great move for Franklin. I don't like the guy, but he can coach the game of football. Arky could return to the realm of relevance very quickly if he repeats his performance at Vandy. Then Vandy would go back to being Vandy again.

Is Franklin that good of a coach or did he get lucky with a watered down SEC schedule.  This year they are 5 - 3 in the SEC.  However, look at those five wins:  UT and Auburn or are at their lowest points in history, Missouri who is trying to learn how to compete in the SEC and when they played them Missouri was using their back-up QB, UK who is UK and also at one of their lowest points in history, and Ole Miss who is rebuilding.  The best win out of that group is Ole Miss.  I am still not convinced he is that great of a coach.

Another example of when you are at a school with a ceiling, when your name comes up, you jump at a better school with more history.  Back a few years ago, Tedford was the next big coach.  He didn't leave CAL when he could and now he is fired.

If Gruden is hired, it's hard to imagine him as more than a short-term fix. If he's successful within 2-4 years, the NFL will throw unbelievably large wads of cash his way.  Of course, even a short-term fix is better than no fix.

I want to believe so badly.  I agree that there is alot of smoke.  Most of the time it is one person hearing something, but this time, a ton of people keep talking about it.  Also, like Jeff said, if Gruden was comfortable in his current position and not interested, why not come out and put it to bed and issue the comment of he doesn't have any interest?

Also, I disagree with Flea, if he is our coach, why would he only be here for 2 - 4 years?  The thing is he has won a super bowl in the NFL and 2 AFC titles.  What is left to prove in the NFL?  Also, the dude is loaded, so I can't see this being all about cash and the NFL throwing a ton of money at him.  If he builds a national championship team at UT, he would go down as one of the best coaches of all time....an NCAA champion and an NFL champion...not many could say that at all.

I always thought that eposide was so funny.  I don't see how the actors kept straight faces!