Getting Cut Down To Size! SEC Warns LSU -- Nobody's Bigger Than The League.
Graphic by AI
Well, this shouldn’t happen but one never knows...
The SEC has just reminded LSU, Lane Kiffin and everybody else in college football who owns the biggest hammer in the room.
In an amended federal lawsuit filed Tuesday, the conference is seeking legal authority to expel LSU from the league. Nobody expects the SEC presidents and chancellors to drop that nuclear bomb when they meet Thursday, but don’t miss the message:
The SEC isn’t bluffing.
At stake is the conference’s right to enforce its own rules without a member school thumbing its nose, lawyering up and daring Commissioner Greg Sankey to do something about it.
Now Sankey and the league have done something about it.
The filing cites Section 3.1.5 of the SEC Constitution and Bylaws, which grants the presidents and chancellors sweeping authority over conference affairs, including the power to terminate a member institution.
LSU has declined comment. Probably wise.
This isn’t just another courtroom squabble. It’s a public warning shot from Birmingham: You may have trophies, tradition and Tiger Stadium rocking on Saturday night, but nobody is bigger than the SEC.
Not even LSU.
In other SEC business: CFP leaders were meeting Tuesday and could decide to trigger a 30-day negotiation window with ESPN, signaling their greatest interest yet in a 24-team field that could begin as soon as the 2027 season, sources said. If the CFP opens the window, it doesn’t guarantee a 24-team field next season, but it begins a discussion with the sole rights holder to determine what the value of it would be.
Later Tuesday Heather Dinich reported that the CFP issued the following statement; "The CFP has decided to move forward in its evaluation of potential Playoff expansion to 24 teams by beginning a media rights discussion with ESPN. This does not represent a decision or commitment to expand, but rather an opportunity to engage with ESPN and gather additional information to help determine a path forward.”
Whatever that means.
Philo Looks Like Bell. Can He Ring Like One?
His smart decisions with the football remind me of an old No. 9 who once played quarterback for Florida.
Jon Sumrall liked what he saw from Aaron Philo, and he wasn’t alone.
UAA Photo
Aaron Philo Off to a Fast Start
The redshirt sophomore transfer from Georgia Tech was about as impressive as any Florida quarterback making his debut as a starter since Shane Matthews in 1990.
“I thought he made really good decisions with the football,” Sumrall said. “He operated at a high level, communicated with confidence and led. It wasn’t perfect, but he played clean football.”
That pretty much covers it.
And don’t hang the interception on Philo. The ball was catchable and should have been a completion.
Philo showed poise, command and just enough wheels to keep the defense honest. He knew when to throw it, when to tuck it and when to take what the defense gave him.
The deep ball to TJ Abrams was a beauty. So was the comeback throw to Dallas Wilson.
So what’s not to like?
Well, maybe that cheesy little mustache, which looks like it came out of a dime-store disguise kit.
“Looks like Kerwin Bell,” Shane Matthews said.
Philo wears Kerwin’s old No. 12 but there’s more than that familiar about him. Maybe it’s the mustache. Maybe it’s the swagger. Maybe it’s the way he handles the football without treating it like a live hand grenade.
He looks a little like Kerwin. He carries himself a little like Kerwin.
Now comes the million-dollar question:
Can he play like Kerwin Bell?
If the answer is yes, Florida may have found itself a quarterback.
UAA Photo
Former Gator quarterback Kerwin Bell, now the head coach at Western Carolina.
Which Alabama Win Was Bigger?
I also had a conversation with Shane Matthews about Florida’s victories at Alabama in 1963 and 1990.
Which one mattered more? We didn’t agree.
After that I did the prudent, modern-day thing.
I asked artificial intelligence.
Here’s what the machine spit out:
Florida’s Bigger Win: 1963 or 1990?
The 1963 victory was the greater upset, but the 1990 victory was more important to the future of Florida football.
Ray Graves’ 1963 Gators marched into Tuscaloosa as 17-point underdogs and stunned third-ranked Alabama, 10-6. The Crimson Tide had Joe Namath at quarterback. Paul “Bear” Bryant had never lost at Denny Stadium. Alabama was celebrating homecoming.
And Florida walked in, kicked over the punch bowl and ruined the party.
That victory announced that the Gators could stand toe-to-toe with the SEC’s established powers, even though Florida eventually finished 6-3-1.
But Steve Spurrier’s 17-13 victory at Alabama in 1990 changed the direction of the entire program.
It came in Spurrier’s first SEC game as Florida’s head coach and gave his players proof that his passing offense, aggressive style and championship expectations could work against the league’s traditional royalty.
Florida finished 9-2 with the SEC’s best conference record, although NCAA probation kept the Gators from officially claiming the championship.
Spurrier later called it the most important victory his Florida staff achieved because “it was the start of all the championships.”
That says it all.
The 1963 game showed Florida could beat the big boys.
The 1990 game convinced Florida it was about to become one of them.
Naturally, as a card-carrying old stick in the mud, I’ve got to stand up for the 1963 victory. Spurrier was only a freshman and wasn’t eligible to play. The next year, Florida should have beaten Alabama again, only to lose on a last-minute field goal.
I was there for both games. Saw them with my own eyes.
So my heart still leans toward 1963.
But I understand why the 1990 victory gets the nod. It didn’t just win a football game. It changed the way Florida saw itself and the way the rest of the SEC saw Florida.
This is one of those rare cases where two things can be true at the same time.
And I take nothing away from Shane Matthews, who brilliantly quarterbacked that 1990 victory. I just want to make sure we don’t lose those glorious moments of the past under a pile of dusty record books.
Us old guys have to stick up for old things once in a while.
Otherwise, the youngsters might try to rewrite them.
New Coach And New President:Thank You, Thank You!
I sincerely appreciate all the kind words about the resurrection of the Gator Bait cheer.
And thank you again to President Stuart Bell.
As for the haters, anytime somebody changes something and then gets forced to change it back, there’s going to be some grumbling.
Let them grumble.
We’ll smile, wave and take the W.
What’s next?
Will the politically correct crowd decide it’s improper to use the word “Boys” in “We Are the Boys”?
Don’t laugh. Somebody is probably already drafting the complaint.
Meanwhile, check out the link below and place your order. Hopefully, you’ll have your Gator Bait gear in time for Ole Miss:
Check the link below.
I just ordered mine at the full rate. Order now and hopefully you’ll have it in time for Ole Miss
As my late friend Jack Hairston used to say, “it comes as no surprise to this reporter that…”
“Florida is NOT ranked in the Week 2 AP Poll.
"The Gators, with 83 votes, are the second team out of the poll behind Boise State (86). No. 25 Virginia received 89 votes.”
Don’t hold your breath, but do hang on.
Matter of fact, as my cohort Franz Beard points out, Florida was tied for 25th in the coaches poll.
Another very well written and deeply appreciated piece Buddy. Thank you.....