SEC links for Tuesday:
Kevin Brockway of the Gainesville Sun: “If Florida’s frontline is the heavyweight heading into today’s showdown at the O’Connell Center, then Ohio State is the super heavyweight. Led by 255-pound senior forward Dallas Lauderdale and 6-foot-9, 280-pound freshman Jared Sullinger, Ohio State out-rebounded North Carolina A&T 60-22 in its season-opening 102-61 win. The Buckeyes grabbed 30 offensive rebounds. Lauderdale had all of Ohio State’s eight blocked shots.”
Mike Griffith of the Knoxville News-Sentinel: “The 24th-ranked Vols will need to win them against hungry, quality mid-major programs, beginning with Belmont tonight (TV: ESPNU, 9:30 p.m.). It’s the second game of a doubleheader at Thompson-Boling Arena. Arkansas State (0-1) and Missouri State (1-0) play in the opener at 7. The winners and losers of tonight’s games will meet Wednesday at 7 p.m. and 9:30. UT (1-0) will play in the 7 p.m. game regardless of tonight’s outcome.”
Clay Travis of AOL FanHouse: “Let’s get this out of the way early: Cam Newton is going to be ruled ineligible to play college football at some point. That ruling will mean that every game he participated would not count as an Auburn victory. This isn’t a question of if, it’s a question of when. It might take 10 days, it might take two years, but the ineligibility ruling is coming. No reasonable person can believe that Cecil Newton Sr. didn’t solicit funds from Mississippi State for his son to play football there.”
Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel: “Not anymore. Now when I think of Urban Meyer, I see a coach who is uncertain, shaky, wishy-washy. I see a man who cannot make up his mind about who he is, where he is headed and what his program is all about. His indecisiveness started last December when he resigned suddenly and reneged the very next day. Remember? He told everyone he was quitting because he wanted to spend more time with his family and then he made the decision to come back without consulting with his family.”
Cecil Hurt of the Tuscaloosa News: “Like its football counterparts, the University of Alabama men’s basketball team showed the ability to put together a dominating half in Monday night’s 79-60 win over Troy at Coleman Coliseum. Like most coaches, Anthony Grant wants to stretch that over two halves. The Crimson Tide opened up a 21-point lead in the first 17 minutes, then cruised to victory, displaying good defense and more offensive punch – at times – than it had shown in two exhibitions and one regular-season game.”
Alexis Stevens of the AJC: “It seems someone (OK, maybe a Georgia fan) set fire to toilet paper hanging from an oak tree at Toomer’s Corner, according to various media outlets. That’s the corner where Toomer’s Drugs — a century-old lunch counter and hangout for Auburn students, fans and alumni — is located and where the Auburn faithful toss tissue to celebrate just about anything. The Auburn fire chief told WTVM Channel 9 in Columbus that the flames were extinguished within about five minutes, and the large oak trees are fine.”
Glenn Guilbeau of the Shreveport Times: “The time to lobby is now for the LSU football team. “I’m not ready to lobby for my team at this point,” LSU coach Les Miles said last week on the heels of a monumental victory over No. 6 Alabama. “At some point in time, I will lobby very hard for the best team in the SEC. I promise you that. At some point in time, whoever that is, I will lobby hard.”
Kyle Veazey of the Clarion-Ledger: “Nutt, fresh off the second-worst Southeastern Conference loss of his career, gripped the lectern and, unprompted by any question, launched into a passionate, six-minute parade of positives – but not before some pointed pieces of perspective to fans and a frank assessment of what he inherited. The Rebels, 4-6 and 1-5 in the SEC after a 52-14 whipping at the hands of Tennessee last week, play fifth-ranked LSU (9-1, 5-1) Saturday at 2:30 p.m. in Tiger Stadium.”
John Clay’s Sidelines
