Thoughts of the Day: June 17, 2022

A few thoughts to jump start your Friday morning:

ALL SIGNS POINT TO A VERY GOOD OFFENSIVE LINE

Both Lindy’s and Athlon project Florida’s offensive line as the 8th best in the SEC for 2022, which seems a bit curious when you consider the Gators have a collective 96 career starts and last year UF averaged 208.69 rushing yards per game (SEC best 5.48 per carry), averaged a respectable 7.9 per pass attempt and gave up only 14 sacks in 13 games, which was best in the SEC.

Alabama, for example, returns two starters on its offensive line, ranked third by Athlon. The Tide gave up 41 sacks last year, averaged 4.11 per carry and just 150 yards per game on the ground. Lindy’s ranks the Tennessee offensive line fifth, presumably because the Vols return four starters. Those guys gave up 44 sacks last year, dead last in the SEC.

I’m not going to predict the Gators will have the top offensive line in the league next year, but I do believe it will be one of the better lines in the league. With Rob Sale and Darnell Stapleton taking over for the departed John Hevesy, the line will be better coached for one thing. The addition of O’Cyrus Torrence – projected as a first team All-America by Lindy’s – at right guard gives UF an absolute beast on the right side. He also wears the tag of the league’s best pass blocker by the folks who rank these things at Lindy’s. He started 35 games at Louisiana.

After the spring, the line looks like this: LT Richard Gouraige (6-5, 310); LG Ethan White (6-5, 334) or Josh Braun (6-6, 345); C Kingsley Eguakun (6-4, 305); RG Torrence (6-5, 335) and RT Michael Tarquin (6-5, 301) or juco transfer Jordan Herman (6-8, 370).

Prepare to be pleasantly surprised by this bunch.

GATORS FINISH FIFTH IN THE DIRECTOR’S CUP STANDINGS

Winning the NCAA men’s and women’s track and field national championships vaulted the Gators into fifth place in the Learfield Division I Director’s Cup final standings. The Gators finish with 1130.75 points, the highest total for any SEC school and just 53.75 points behind fourth place Ohio State.

Florida’s finish was particularly amazing because the Gators scored no points for football or men’s basketball, plus soccer, a perennial scorer, had a losing season. The Gators won three national championships – all of them in track (women also won the indoor) – and finished NCAA runner-up in gymnastics.

Here are the top 25 finishers for 2022: 1. Texas; 2. Stanford; 3. Michigan; 4. Ohio State; 5. FLORIDA; 6. North Carolina; 7. Kentucky; 8. Arkansas; 9. Notre Dame; 10. Southern California; 11. Virginia; 12. Oklahoma; 13. Florida State; 14. North Carolina State; 15. Princeton; 16. Tennessee; 17. UCLA; 18. Duke; 19. Alabama; 20. LSU; 21. Georgia; 22. Wisconsin; 23. Arizona State; 24. California; 25. Oklahoma State.

Other notables: 26. Ole Miss; 30. Texas A&M; 33. Auburn; 24. South Carolina; 50. Miami; 57. Missouri; 66. UCF; 69. Vanderbilt; 75. Mississippi State; 108. South Florida; 114. Florida International; 144. North Florida; 146. Florida Gulf Coast; 181. Jacksonville; 209. Florida Atlantic; 225. (Tie) Stetson and Florida A&M.

GATORS WILL FACE MISSOURI FOR HOMECOMING

Missouri will be Florida’s Homecoming opponent on October 8. The Gators played Mizzou for Homecoming back in 2018 when the Tigers scored a 36-17 blowout win. Last season the Gators beat Vanderbilt, 42-0, on Homecoming.

TIMMY MANNING ENTERS TRANSFER PORTAL

Lefthanded pitcher Timmy Manning has entered the NCAA transfer portal, joining righthander Nick Pogue, catcher Mac Guscette and pitcher Karl Hartman. Manning had a 1-0 record with a 4.76 ERA. His shining moment came in the SEC Tournament when he held Texas A&M scoreless for five innings, giving up five hits and a walk while recording six strikeouts. Manning has two seasons of eligibility remaining.

SEC FOOTBALL/BASEBALL/BASKETBALL

Alabama: In the past Nick Saban has advocated a 9-game SEC schedule and eliminating games against D1AA opponents. So what has Alabama done? The Tide will be playing Easetrn Illinois in 2025 and Tennessee-Martin in 2028. Perhaps the Bama AD didn’t get the memo from Nick … Alabama will travel to Oklahoma in the SEC/Big 12 Basketball Challenge … The Tide has a game scheduled with Gonzaga in Birmingham on December 17.

Arkansas: Arkansas is expected to go with Connor Noland (7-5, 3.86 ERA) Saturday when they open College World Series Play with No. 2 Stanford … The Hogs will travel to Baylor in the SEC/Big 12 Basketball Challenge … Former Arkansas guard Jaxon Robinson is transferring to BYU.

Auburn: The Tigers (42-20) will start Joseph Gonzalez (7-3, 2.95 ERA) Saturday night against Ole Miss in the College World Series … First baseman Sonny DiChaira was named second team All-America by the NCWBA along with pitcher Blake Burkhalter … The Tigers will travel to West Virginia in the SEC/Big 12 Basketball Challenge … Auburn’s $92 million Football Performance Center is on track to be completed and open by September.

FLORIDA: The Gators will travel to Kansas State in the SEC/Big 12 Basketball Challenge.

Georgia: Georgia gave tight ends coach Todd Hartley a $200,000 raise. At $650,000 a year he is now the highest paid non-coordinator in college football … Relief pitcher Jack Gowen was named first team All-America by the NCWBA and starting pitcher Jonathan Cannon was named third team.

Kentucky: Kentucky will travel to Kansas in the SEC/Big 12 Basketball Challenge ...Relief pitcher Tyler Guilfoil was named first team All-America by the NCWBA.

LSU: Defensive lineman Soni Fanua, who had 27 tackles including 6.5 for loss last season, has entered the NCAA transfer portal … The Tigers will host Texas Tech in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge … Outfielder Dylan Crews was named first team All-America by the NCBWA. Third baseman Jacob Berry was named to the second team.

Mississippi State: The Bulldogs will host TCU in the SEC/Big 12 Basketball Challenge … Second baseman RJ Yeager was named third team All-America by the NCWBA.

Missouri: Iowa State will travel to Missouri in the SEC/Big 12 Basketball Challenge.

Ole Miss: The Rebels (37-22) are going with Dylan DeLucia (6-2) on the mound Saturday night against Auburn in the College World Series in Omaha … Senior slugger Tim Elko, who has hit 22 home runs this year, was selected third team All-America by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association. Pitcher Hunter Elliott (4-3) was selected Freshman All-America … Ole Miss pitchers are working on 20 consecutive scoreless innings … The Rebels are traveling to Oklahoma State in the SEC/Big 12 Basketball Challenge.

Tennessee: The Vols are hosting Texas in the SEC/Big 12 Basketball Challenge ... Perfect Game named UT baseball coach Tony Vitello National Coach of the Year … Named first team All-America by the NCBWA were outfielder Drew Gilbert, 3B Trey Lipscomb and starting pitchers Chase Burns and Chase Dollander. Making the second team were starting pitcher Drew Beam and relief pitcher Ben Joyce while outfielder Jason Hinchman was named third team.

Texas A&M: The Aggies (42-18), who open up the College World Series today (2 p.m.) with Oklahoma (43-22), are expected to start Nathan Dettmer (5-2, 4.75 ERA) … Outfielder Dylan Rock, who has hit 18 homers, was selected third team NCBWA All-America.

Vanderbilt: Outfielder Enrique Bradfield Jr. was named first team All-America by the NCBWA.

ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: It was suggested – tongue in cheek – by Rick Neuheisel Thursday morning on the Full Ride radio show that the College World Series would only be complete if Southeastern Conference commissioner Greg Sankey threw out the first ball. With half the CWS made up of SEC teams and future members Texas and Oklahoma also in Omaha, this year’s big event to close out the collegiate sports calendar year does give off the feel of SEC dominance. There is one team from the ACC (Notre Dame) and one from the Pac-12 (Stanford).

Of course, you could have said the same thing last weekend when Florida won both the men’s and women’s NCAA track and field championships. On the men’s side, five of the top six teams are either currently in the SEC or headed that way – 1. Florida; 2. Texas; 3. Tennessee; 5. Georgia; 6. LSU. The top six on the women’s side were 1. Florida; 2. Texas; 3. Kentucky; 4. LSU; 5. Texas A&M and 6. Arkansas.

SEC dominance is why Texas and Oklahoma chose to bolt from the Big 12. Money had something to do with it, but both Texas and Oklahoma know that if you’re competing against the best in nearly every sport, the money will be there. The SEC will be distributing $73 million or more per team when the new ESPN contract kicks in and that is without the additions of Texas and Oklahoma. Their arrival will be a further windfall for the league, escalating the yearly media rights payout to something in the $85-90 million a year per team range.

Experts have predicted the Big Ten will have a mega media rights deal. It was supposed to happen in May and yet it still hasn’t been announced. That isn’t to say it won’t happen, but perhaps the delay is an indicator that the big deal won’t be close to the $1 billion that has been suggested by several media elites.

No matter if the Big Ten exceeds expectations or falls short, one thing that is certain is the SEC and Big Ten will be the two richest leagues in the country. The Pac-12 doesn’t have a media rights deal and is coming off a $19 million distribution for the last fiscal year. The ACC hit $36 million for the first time ever, but the league is locked into a media deal with ESPN that won’t provide a substantial increase until it expires in 2036. So far, ESPN has shown no willingness to renegotiate. The Big 12 is curious. It just distributed $42.6 million to each of its 10 schools, but the league is living on borrowed time because Texas and Oklahoma will bolt. There are vindictive types in the league that want to exact every penny out of Texas and Oklahoma if they wish to leave prior to 2025 but that might prove to be a rather stupid stance to take. The smart thing for the Big 12 is to take something like $60 million in buyout money from Texas and Oklahoma to let them leave in 2024 (first year of the SEC/ESPN deal) in exchange for a media contract with ESPN. That would actually be the smart thing to do. Even without Texas and Oklahoma, the reconstituted Big 12 that includes Cincinnati, Houston, BYU and UCF will be not that far off from the top-to-bottom football abilities of the ACC and Pac-12.

The one thing the SEC’s current dominance should tell the Big Ten, ACC and Pac-12, however, is expand the College Football Playoff and do it rather quickly. The Big Ten is going to do well financially without their buddies from the Pac-12 and ACC, but commish Kevin Warren should make it a point not to piss off Sankey any more than he already has. The Pac-12 and ACC are going to be desperate for the money a 12-team playoff could provide – perhaps $150-200 million per year to each of the Power 5 conferences. The Big 12 needs the money too, but it is already in lockstep with the SEC, which, along with Notre Dame, will prevent The Alliance from stripping the Big 12 of its Power 5 status.

Sankey was more than willing to compromise on the 12-team expansion proposal but he’s grown increasingly irritated with the commissioners of the Big Ten, ACC and Pac-12. Sankey has more clout than anyone in college sports and he has the complete and undivided attention of the networks, who fully understand this basic concept: You can have a College Football Playoff without a team from the Big Ten, ACC or Pac-12. It’s been done before. But, you can’t and won’t have a playoff without the SEC.

So whether or not Kevin Warren, Jim Phillips (ACC) or George Kliavkoff (Pac-12) have figured it out yet, Sankey doesn’t need them but they need the SEC. Use the College World Series as your barometer. We’ll have one dandy CWS and that’s without a team from the Big Ten and only one each from the ACC and Pac-12. We didn’t need the ACC, Big Ten or Pac-12 to have a great NCAA track meet, either. The Alliance needs to think about it.