Thoughts of the Day: September 29, 2021

A few thoughts to jump start your Tuesday morning: THESE THINGS HAVE ME THINKING ON A TUESDAY

1. What’s this? You mean there is a chance Hevesy actually can coach a lick?: Cole Cubelic, a former Auburn center/team captain who is now a broadcast analyst for the SEC Network and host of a radio show out of Birmingham with former Alabama QB Greg McElroy, rates the top five offensive lines in the SEC this way: (1) Florida; (2) Ole Miss; (3) Arkansas; (4) Georgia; (5) Missouri. This is rather interesting because geniuses like Phil Steele rated the SEC O-lines like this preseason: (1) Alabama; (2) Georgia; (3) LSU; (4, tie) Auburn, Ole Miss and South Carolina; (7, tie) Florida and Texas A&M. Nationally, Steele had Florida ranked 37th, trailing the likes of (14) Clemson; (18) UAB; (21) Arizona State; (27) Georgia State; and (32) Florida State.

Through four games, the Gators are third nationally in rushing offense (322.5 yards per game; 7.46 per carry); ninth in total offense (540.8 yards per game; 7.48 per play) and tied with seven other teams for seventh in sacks allowed (3 after four games and all on the QB).

You don’t put up numbers like that if your offensive line isn’t performing at a very high level. Far too many people have been quick to criticize O-line coach John Hevesy the last two years without taking into account that the Gators had record setting pass offenses. If the QB doesn’t have time to throw, you don’t set records. This year, Hevesy’s O-line is grinding away and battering opponents to a pulp. Just ask Alabama, whose front seven is supposed to consist of six future first rounders. The Gators thoroughly whipped them for 258 rushing yard and despite bringing the house regularly throughout the game, managed only one hit on Emory Jones, two other QB hurries and one sack. Nobody dominates the Alabama front seven but the Gators did.

There is a distinct possibility that perhaps Hevesy not only knows how to coach but he can coach quite well. You can fault him for not bringing in 5-star offensive line recruits if you wish, but you can’t fault his coaching.

2. Keyontae and some other basketball info: Per Mike White yesterday, Keyontae Johnson still hasn’t been medically cleared to play basketball again. He does some shooting but can’t play although he does continue to have a role as a student coach.

Some other basketball info picked up through the grapevine:

The transfers: Myreon Jones is a bombs away 3-point shooter with range who probably will lead the team in scoring. Brandon McKissic is a pure point who plays exceptional defense. Phlandrous Fleming Jr. plays bigger than his 6-4, 210 pounds. He will score a lot on garbage and thanks to his defense. C.J. Felder plays really good defense in the paint and rebounds well, but is still trying to figure things out offensively.

The rookie: Kowacie Reeves needs to put on weight and has a lot of bad high school habits that have to be broken. He was accustomed to being the center of the offense in high school and the taker of every big shot. At some point he will figure out he’s one of five who play together.

Defensively: The Gators figure to be better, particularly with their perimeter defense and their quickness, in large part due to the transfers.

Offensively: There isn’t anyone like Tre Mann capable of getting his own shot so this team is going to have to excel at passing the basketball.

3. Can Arkansas burst the Georgia bubble?: They are all but celebrating another one of those fabulous near national championships in Poodlesville, but really, who have they played? Is Georgia that good or are the teams they have played that bad? Here are Georgia’s four wins and the total offense ranking (nationally) of the four victims: Clemson 122, UAB 80, South Carolina 115, Vanderbilt 123. Is it because Georgia’s No. 1 defense is so good that those four teams stink offensively or are they simply offensive bottom feeders? Now Georgia’s defense has a lot of talent, but how would that defense stack up against a team with a clue when it comes to moving the football and putting points on the board? Georgia is favored by 18.5 points against Arkansas but if QB KJ Jefferson and stud WR Treylon Burks are healthy, Georgia could find itself in a white knuckler.

4. Why is Arkansas so dangerous?: Take a moment to ponder what linebacker Grant Morgan had to say about how Sam Pittman has changed the football culture at Arkansas. “For us to have believed in Coach Pittman and the guys on this team, we’ll believe anything now.” Morgan is an All-SEC type who made 111 tackles last year in 10 games. Morgan, Bumper Pool and Hayden Henry don’t get the publicity of the linebackers at Alabama and Georgia, but they’re every bit as good and they play for a defensive coordinator who coaches with a three-ton chip on his shoulder. That defense believes. The whole team believes. Arkansas doesn’t have all the 5-stars like they have at Georgia, but the Razorbacks are talented enough to go into Athens and win.

5. Can Lane Kiffin be the first former Saban assistant to beat the boss?: Alabama gave up 647 yards (268 rushing, 379 passing) and 48 points last year in beating Ole Miss by 15 points. I’m not convinced that Alabama is better this year than last year’s national championship team on either side of the football. Ole Miss might be better offensively than last year and there is no question the defense is vastly improved. Lane Kiffin showed last year that he’s not at all intimidated by Nick Saban, but that was in Oxford. This year the game is in Tuscaloosa and Alabama is a 14.5-point favorite. Alabama hung 63 points on Southern Miss last week while Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss had a week off to plot a devious offensive plan. Once Florida got over the initial shock of a bad first quarter, the Gators dominated Alabama for 40 minutes. Can Lane Kiffin get the Rebels to come out swinging and put the pressure on Alabama from the start?

6. How low will things go at Florida State and Miami?: Florida State is 0-4 , the worst start for an FSU team since the 1974 team that lost its first eight. The Seminoles won’t go oh-fer eight because in game seven they play UMass. Miami is 2-2 with wins over Appalachian State and Central Connecticut State, blowout losses to Alabama and Michigan State. The Hurricanes might very well be underdogs in seven of their eight remaining games. The only one they are certain to be favored is Florida State on November 13. The fan bases at both FSU and The Ewe are in an uproar, calling for both Mike Norvel (FSU) and Manny Diaz (Miami) to be fired. That’s highly improbable because both athletic departments are in such bad financial shape after the COVID season of 2020 that they can’t spare the cash it would take for buyouts and new hires. They aren’t getting much help from the ACC, whose lame media contract makes it the financial bottom feeder among the Power Five conferences. So they’re going to sink or swim with these coaches, the fan bases be damned. The hope is that by ignoring the fans and sticking with the coaches recruits will be impressed by the show of loyalty. Both Miami and FSU are in deep holes and neither one has the cash to make a quick fix so things might get worse – much worse – before they get better.

7. I’m convinced these teams aren’t that good: Oklahoma, Oregon, Penn State, Iowa, Cincinnati, Notre Dame and Michigan are all 4-0. Quick now. Tell me which of those seven teams you think would be much more than a 6-6 or 7-5 team in the Southeastern Conference? Oklahoma has three wins over mediocre Division I teams by a combined 13 points. Oregon plays in the Pac-12. Enough said there. Penn State’s signature win is over Auburn, which should have lost to Georgia State. Iowa’s offense is 122nd in the nation. Cincinnati’s big win is over an Indiana team that got its doors blown off by Iowa. Notre Dame’s offensive line is a sieve. Isn’t Michigan still coached by Jim Harbaugh?

8. Is Clemson about to go into a downward spiral?: If you’re talking about the 2021 season, the answer is possibly. If you’re talking about Clemson over the long haul, then the answer is no. Clemson is 2-2 this season and with the way the offense is playing (ranked 121st nationally) the only gimme on the schedule is the dumpster fire known as UConn. An 8-4 record might be viewed as an accomplishment but view this as a speed bump. Clemson loses only eight scholarship players on its three-deep and Dabo Swinney has recruited very well. If Clemson were in the SEC, it might take more than just this season to bounce back, but we can’t forget this is the Almost Competitive (or Always Clemson) Conference.

OVER, UNDER, AROUND AND THROUGH THE SEC

Alabama (4-0, 2-0 SEC): Former Alabama quarterback turned ESPN broadcast analyst and radio show host Greg McElroy doesn’t think Saturday’s matchup with 12th-ranked Ole Miss will be close for the No. 1 ranked Crimson Tide. “I’d be surprised if it wasn’t by two TDs or so,” McElroy told Paul Finebaum.

Arkansas (4-0, 1-0 SEC): On McElroy and Cubelic in the morning, HBC Sam Pittman explained why his defensive coordinator (Barry Odom) is getting such phenomenal results from his players: “The greatest thing about it, Cole, is that he can be multiple and the greatest asset he has is that his players are in there just waiting for him to say, ‘All right, this is what we’re going to do in the game plan.’ So the belief that he has earned from the defensive kids in this is what we’re gonna do is phenomenal.”

Auburn (3-1): Former Auburn offensive coordinator Tony Franklin didn’t mince words when reacting to Bryan Harsin firing his wide receivers coach. “The best coached group on the field for offense was your receivers,” Franklin said. “You’re basically firing your receivers coach because your offensive line sucks. Your offensive line is bad.”

Georgia (4-0, 2-0 SEC): Tight end Darnell Washington and defensive back Tykee Smith are practicing full speed and expected to play against Arkansas.

Kentucky (4-0, 2-0 SEC): The six Kentucky players who were arrested for burglary during the summer had all charges dropped. All six are practicing and will be available against Florida Saturday evening. The two significant players in the bunch are nickelback Vito Tisdale and backup right guard RJ Adams.

LSU (3-1, 1-0 SEC): After averaging only 80 yards per game on the ground (122nd nationally) through four games, Coach Oeaux said Tuesday, “We’ve got a lot of work to do” and added the Tigers have to have “better production on first down to where it’s second-and-5, second-and-3.”

Mississippi State (2-2, 0-1 SEC): The Bulldogs have lost the last two games by a combined six points. In each game, they’ve fumbled the ball away on the opening drive and the miscue was converted into a touchdown.

Missouri (2-2, 0-1 SEC): The Tigers rank dead last in the SEC in total defense (454.5 yards per game), but HBC Eli Drinkwitz says, “I’m not going to hit the panic button.”

Ole Miss (3-0): Quarterback Matt Corral says Ole Miss is focused on “how we handle each practice individually. We’re worried about today. We’re not worried about Alabama even though they are a great team and they are the best team we’re going to face this year. We’re not worried about them right now. We’re worried about having the best practice that we can today.”

South Carolina (2-2, 0-2 SEC): “We are 2-2, it’s still September, the sky is not falling,” says HBC Shane Beamer. “We have to play better. We have to coach better.”

Tennessee (2-2, 0-1 SEC): Running back Tiyon Williams on facing a Missouri defense that is worst in the SEC Saturday: “We’re going to have some fun.”

Texas A&M (3-1, 0-1 SEC): Regarding an offense that struggled in every phase in the loss last week to Arkansas, HBC Jimbo Fisher said, “We need to get cleaned up.”

Vanderbilt (1-3, 0-1 SEC): Tight end Ben Bresnahan, sidelined with an injury the last three weeks, is fully recovered and expected to play Saturday against UConn.

ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: After a Monday article in The Alligator that went into detail about the toxic culture of fired women’s basketball coach Cam Newbauer, a press conference was called where UF athletic director Scott Stricklin addressed the accusations. Newbauer was fired not long after he got a 3-year contract extension that was financially minimalized and included warnings that he needed to clean up his program.

Stricklin said that if he had known sooner about all the dirt he would have never given an extension.

“Had I been aware of everything at the time he resigned that I knew when we made the contract extension, I never would have done the contract extension,” Stricklin said. “I thought things were moving in a certain direction. Obviously, we weren’t. We didn’t pick up signs and clues. We’ve got to figure out going forward how to get better at that and make sure we know what’s going on.”

Stricklin will get a mulligan on this black eye on his athletic program, but he needs to make sure he knows what’s going on in every UF sport to ensure nothing like this ever happens again.