Thoughts of the Day: October 19, 2021

A few thoughts to jump start your Tuesday morning: THINKING OUT LOUD ON A TUESDAY 1. The second half of the LSU game made it perfectly clear …: For the Gators to stand any chance of a 5-0 or 4-1 finish to the regular season Anthony Richardson has to be the starting quarterback. That doesn’t mean Emory Jones can’t get some playing time as the change of pace guy, but the Florida offense takes it up a notch when Richardson is in the game because he (a) can make throws that EJ only dreams of making and (b) he has that burst that can turn five yards into 40. He’s going to make mistakes. Count on it, but the potential of a big play easily outweighs the potential for negatives and right now the Gators need that spark. He is the future.

2. Perhaps my eyes are deceiving me but … : I am not seeing a tremendous amount of leadership on this team. I don’t see someone like a Van Jefferson or Jon Greenard who led both by example and vocally. I think the Gators have some hard working kids who give a good example, but I don’t see someone on the team who makes everyone else want to seek and destroy whatever gets in their way. Great teams have great leaders. Even teams with average talent can achieve great things if they have great leaders. I don’t see leadership on this UF team.

3. I’ve never been one to tell a coach what to do, however … : I think Dan Mullen has reached a fork in the road with defensive coordinator Todd Grantham, whose sell-by date I believe has expired. In the last couple of days I’ve been hearing that Grantham’s problems center around schemes that are just too complicated and his refusal to simplify things. I wonder how tough it would have been to load up the box against LSU and dare the Tigers to run the ball? This is more than just the LSU game, however. It’s two years of the same old, same old. I think if Mullen doesn’t make this change he will pay a severe price.

4. Will the buyouts keep LSU from swinging for the fences … : They say that football in the SEC is like a license to print money, but when you consider LSU is paying Ed Orgeron $17.1 million to go lay on the beach and drink Turbodog beer, will LSU be willing to spend another $15-20 million (or more) in another buyout to hire one of the coaches on its wish list? At the top of everybody’s list is Jimbo Fisher, who has no buyout but he signed a 10-year extension worth $90 million to stay in Aggieland and he says he’s quite happy there. Who could blame him for sticking with an administration that loves him that much? Next on the list is Mel Tucker. It will only take $19,284,375 to lure him away from Michigan State. Mario Cristobal? His Oregon buyout is a mere $15,030,000 although he has a get out of jail free card if he wants to go home to Miami. Would Lane Kiffin leave Ole Miss? Under Mississippi State law he can only have a four-year contract, so at the end of this year only three remain. He’s making $5 million a year. No buyout details are available although Ole Miss people say it’s substantial. Like $10 million or more substantial? Someone suggested Dabo Swinney Monday. His buyout at Clemson is a mere $47,500,000.

OVER, UNDER, AROUND AND THROUGH THE SEC

Alabama (6-1, 3-1 SEC): Through seven games, Bryce Young is completing 69.6 percent of his passes for 2,082 yards (9.3 per attempt) and 24 touchdowns (only three interceptions).

Arkansas (4-3, 1-3 SEC): Safety Jason Catalon has had surgery to repair a torn labrum and will be lost for the rest of the season.

Auburn (5-2, 2-1 SEC): With a bye week, Bryan Harsin’s goal for the Tigers is to get everybody healthy for the October 30 game with Ole Miss.

Georgia (7-0, 5-0 SEC): Georgia continues to lead the nation in total defense, giving up 207.1 yards per game. At that pace, the Bulldogs will have the lowest yield per game since the 2011 Alabama defense that gave up 183.6 per game.

Kentucky (6-1, 4-1 SEC): On Kentucky Sports Radio, HBC Mark Stoops said Georgia has “arguably the best front seven I’ve ever seen.”

LSU (4-3, 2-2 SEC): Wide receiver Koy Moore (5-71 in 2021, 22-177 in 2020) has entered the NCAA transfer portal.

Mississippi State (3-3, 1-2 SEC): QB Will Rogers suffered a joint sprain in his shoulder in the loss to Alabama. He’s listed day-to-day.

Missouri (3-4, 0-3 SEC): After Mizzou’s loss to Texas A&M, HBC Eli Drinkwitz said, “Before we can win a championship we have to keep from beating ourselves.”

Ole Miss (5-1, 2-1 SEC): Ole Miss plays LSU Saturday but could be without quarterback Matt Corral, who took a beating in leading the Rebels to a 31-26 win over Tennessee. “Hopefully, he will play but we’re not sure right now,” HBC Lane Kiffin said Monday.

South Carolina (4-3, 1-3 SEC): Zeb Noland, who came off the bench to engineer the game-winning drive against Vanderbilt, will be the starting QB at Texas A&M.

Tennessee (4-3, 2-2 SEC): Quarterback Hendon Hooker’s status for Saturday’s game at Alabama is up in the air. “His status for this week, we’ll find out as we go through,” HBC Josh Heupel said.

Texas A&M (5-2, 2-2 SEC): Despite a 35-14 win over Missouri, HBC Jimbo Fisher said, “I was disappointed because we could’ve knocked them out right before half and had an opportunity to.”

Vanderbilt (2-5, 0-3 SEC): Quarterback Ken Seals is listed as week-to-week.

COUNTDOWN TO FIRING DAY: WEEK SIX Extinct Species List Les Miles, Kansas Randy Edsall, UConn Clay Helton, Southern Cal Chad Lunsford, Georgia Southern

Ed Orgeron, LSU

Nick Rolovich, Washington State

On Life Support Walt Bell, UMass: Now that the euphoria of winning the UConn game is over, Bell takes UMass to Florida State, the place where he was the offensive coordinator before he had a brain dead moment when he became the head coach at UMass, a place where coaching careers go to die.

Tom Arth, Akron: The Zips probably celebrated that win over Bowling Green too long and too hard because they got whacked by Miami of Ohio. This week they get to lose to Buffalo.

Butch Davis, Florida International: Since this isn’t the NFL with a waiver wire there were no good football players for Butch to add to his team during open date week. The Panthers have bad players, bad facilities and no budget. His salary is more than $1 million, but his buyout is only $45,582. FIU could make that in one weekend with a couple of car washes and a bake sale.

Marcus Arroyo, UNLV: He was on the verge of doing the unthinkable by winning a game when he regained consciousness and helped UNLV snatch defeat from the jaws of victory against Utah State. So far, Arroyo is off to an 0-12 start as a head ball coach (0-6 last year, 0-6 this year).

Scott Frost, Nebraska: The Fighting Frosts did what the Fighting Frosts do against Minnesota, which is to say they turned a perfectly winnable game into another by the hair of their chinny-chin-chins loss. The Frosties could be and should be 8-0, but instead they’re 3-5. If he survives it’s only because he has a $20 million buyout.

Endangered Species List Scot Loeffler, Bowling Green: He’s 2-5 and that shocker of a win against Minnesota is a fading dot in the rearview by now. Only one of the last five is winnable. If he’s coaching at BG next year it’s because they can’t afford the $1+ million it will take to ask him to take his business elsewhere.

Dino Babers, Syracuse: The Orange are 3-4 with the four losses by a combined 19 points including three in a row by a field goal. They probably will give him another year thinking that next year those close calls will become wins. His buyout is 50 percent of what he would be owed through 2024, which would be about $5.25 million.

Chip Kelly, UCLA: UCLA is 5-2 and in the hunt for the Pac-12 South title with Oregon and Utah next on the schedule. If he wins those two and then whacks Southern Cal on November 20, he will have a job next year. His buyout is $9 million, which UCLA can’t afford but that never stopped them from doing something stupid.

Seth Littrell, North Texas: The Not So Mean Green have given up 196 points in their five losses. Obviously, Littrell hasn’t mastered football math which means you have to have more PF (points for) than PA (points against). They’re paying him $1.8 million, which is way too much for a coach who is all but assured of a fourth losing season in six years on the job.

Phil Montgomery, Tulsa: Just when you’re ready to throw in the towel and say no mas, the Phighting Phils do their Hulk Hogan shaking hand rising from the mat routine. They’ve won two (count ‘em) in a row and could go bowling with three wins in their last five. Whodathunkit?

Steve Addazio, Colorado State: This same team that lost to a D1AA team and to Vandy in its first two, has scared the bejabbers out of Iowa on the road while winning three of its last four. Three more wins and a $5 million buyout will keep Steverino gainfully employed one more year.

Justin Wilcox, California: The Bears are 1-5. The only win is over D1AA Sacramento. The five losses are by a combined 35 points. He is paid $3.6 million, has a $16 million buyout and gets to live in a state with a 13.3 percent state income tax. He might want them to fire him, but they don’t have $16 million to spare.

Manny Diaz, Miami: It might take another two games for the higher ups at The Ewe to get serious about the future for Manny. By then, the Hurricanes will be 2-6 and it will be time to decide whether Manny gets one more year or they pony up the $8 million they will need to buy him out.

Jeff Scott, South Florida: USF fans shouldn’t get their hopes up, but they are playing Shirley Temple Saturday. Yes, Shirley Temple did beat Memphis and nobody has yet to figure out how that happened, but the Owls’ three losses are by a combined 121 points. So, there’s a chance the Bulls could actually beat a Division I team.

Justin Fuente, Virginia Tech: The Hokies are 3-3 and should be 5-1. Of the six remaining games, five are winnable. He could get away with a 4-2 finish as long as Virginia is one of the four. Otherwise, they might be holding demolition derbies with all money raised going to pay the $10 million it will take to buy him out.

Checking for a pulse Ken Niumatalolo, Navy: Navy is now 1-5 and on pace for its second straight losing season. Niumatalolo has been at Navy 14 years. He’s not going anywhere. This year. Next year? Maybe.

ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: This is pure weirdness. Washington State football coach Nick Rolovich has been pink slipped and it didn’t have anything to do with wins and losses (Cougars are 4-3) but with the state mandate that all state employees are vaccinated. Rolovich requested an exemption on religious grounds and was refused. Apparently, Washington is not going to pay the $9 million buyout owed Rolovich. I would imagine Rolovich has a battery of lawyers ready to assist with what is likely to be one massive lawsuit that could ultimately wind up in the United States Supreme Court. I’m aware that the Christian Science Church and the Reformed Church (Protestant) are generally opposed to vaccines but leave it up to the individual. I’m not aware of any denomination forbidding vaccination, however. The Supreme Court upheld Muhammad Ali’s refusal to serve in the military on religious grounds. Is refusing a vaccine on religious grounds the same as refusing to serve in the military?