Really great job by our callers yesterday on the show as to the tack Butch Jones should've employed at his stop on Tennessee's day at SEC Media Week in Birmingham. Jones of course didn't come out strong against Florida as many advocated yesterday on the show. The good news is that he has plenty of time to still do just that. One particular call the resonated with me dated back to 1994 when Jimmy Johnson on his own volition picked the phone up and called a Dallas radio show on the eve of the Cowboys/49ers NFC Title Game. Off the top of my head yesterday I recalled that it was actually Randy Galloway's radio show on WBAP. I've always been a radio freak and remember Randy's show quite well. He was absolutely irreverent and a force in that market. It was perfect venue for Johnson to stop in and do his magic. Twenty years later this looks like an absolute master stroke. The reason this resonates today is that Tennessee is coming through the wilderness and they've been building toward this year much like the Cowboys were back then. Johnson felt in his heart that his team was better just like Butch has to know that Tennessee is better than Florida.


I really think he needs to come out before the Florida game this year and announce that Tennessee is taking no prisoners in this game. He needs to come out and call the shot. As one of my callers said yesterday, the passive approach of media appeasement toward Florida hasn't worked here across several regimes. The only coach to not bow down and kiss the Gator's tail is Lane Kiffin. And his team gave a great account for itself in his lone season here. I love the idea of at some point prior to that game Butch Jones planting in the media that Florida is in for a long day and a loss when they come to Neyland Stadium. I realize it's not his style but the roof would absolutely blow off this place if he went there with some strong rhetoric and galvanized this fan base. What's the difference if he talks it up and it backfires? A 12 straight loss to those clowns would be a 12 straight loss. Why not fire all the bullets? Do it Butch!



As for Media Days, Butch Jones played it straight down the middle. Link


Butch has a new slogan...'Own it.'








I spent Monday's show with Beano lining out the results in the league for the teams that matter. We went game by game in our first ever B&B Pickapalooza. We picked EVERY game in the SEC on the air for the teams that matter. If we're right, it's going to be a really fun year here and a rather long one at Auburn, Athens and Gainesville.

2016 SEC FOOTBALL PREDICTIONS

EAST:        RECORD     SEC LOSSES

             SEC; ALL

Tennessee    6-2; 10-2  Bama; @A&M

Florida      5-3; 8-4   @TN; LSU; @Ark

Georgia      5-3; 9-3   @Miss; TN; Fla (Jax)

Kentucky     3-5; 5-7   @Fla; @Bama; MS; Ga; @TN

S Carolina   2-6; 5-7   @MS; @Ky; A&M; Ga; TN; @Fla

Missouri     1-7; 4-8                

Vandy        0-8; 2-10  Name it..Claim it

 

 WEST:       RECORD     SEC LOSSES

             SEC; ALL

LSU          6-1; 11-1  @Ark

Alabama      6-1; 11-1  @LSU

Ole Miss     6-2; 9-3   Bama; @LSU

Miss State   5-3; 8-4   @LSU; @Bama; @Ole Miss

Arkansas     4-4; 7-5   A&M; Bama; OM; @MissSt

Texas A&M    3-5; 6-6   @Aub; @Bam; @St; OM, LSU

Auburn       2-6; 5-7   LSU; @MS; Ak; @OM; @Ga; @Ba

We both project Tennessee and LSU in the SEC Title Game.

I was asked an interesting question on the air yesterday. What if Tennessee goes 11-2 with a win in the SEC Title Game? Would the Vols qualify for a National Playoff with 2 losses? That's a great question. My sense is that any champion from the SEC with two or less losses should be guaranteed a spot in the National Playoff for the immediate future. The Football in this league is just that great.


The power of the league notwithstanding, I do think it's going to be a bumpy ride for the SEC out of conference.


Here are some interesting, intersectional matchups that could help determine how the league is viewed. I'm going to place the games I feel the SEC will win in bold print. That leaves a lot of losses for the SEC to endure. Check out the graphic below.

Week One:
Bama Vs USC (in Arlington)
Auburn Vs Clemson (@Auburn)
Georgia Vs North Carolina (@Atlanta)
LSU Vs Wisconsin (@Green Bay)
Missouri Vs WVU (@Morgantown)
A&M Vs UCLA (@College Station)

Week Two:
Tennessee Vs Va Tech (@Bristol)
Arkansas Vs TCU (@Ft Worth)

Week Three:
South Car Vs ECU (@Columbia)

Week Eight:
Miss State Vs BYU (@Provo)

Week 13
Florida Vs FSU (@Tallahassee)
South Car Vs Clemson (@Clemson)


I count 12 interesting non-league games involving SEC teams. Of those 12 games, I have the SEC winning only 4 games. That's a whole lot of losing. Why is this important? Well, it's kind of fun around here to care again about the strength of the league if we have designs on a playoff berth. It's refreshing to even have to consider such matters. If Tennessee loses two games and wins the SEC Title Game, will they be a playoff team? We better hope the SEC can win more than 4 of the 12 games above. I get the sense that many around college football already suffer from SEC fatigue. It would be our luck around here for college football to exact it's revenge on the league in this the Geophysical Year of The Vols.













Grant Ramey of KNS reported that Butch had 19 Butchisms in 27 minutes yesterday. Fun stuff.


Smart. Link


If you can find 19 players in the SEC better than Josh Dobbs, more power to you. Link


Great to see Butch give Pat Summitt some love yesterday. Link


Nice to see with somebody else in the SEC embarrass themselves. Miss State is an embarrassment over the Jeffery Simmons deal. Link



BTW, here's the back story on Jimmy Johnson's calling of the shot in the 1994 Cowboys/49ers NFC Title Game. Link


USC football games are going to look like airport security check points. Link


This is a GREAT idea. Protect the kids. Link


Saban is so likeable. Link

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