Depending on when you see this, Tennessee is either going to be or is the pick of the SEC Media to win the SEC's East. This is fun! Embrace the expectations with trepidation. Quite simply, the SEC is brutal at picking winners in the conference they are paid to cover. Perhaps they are too close to the forest to see the trees. Whatever the reason, you're almost better off being picked 2nd in either division when you consider the past several years. This doesn't even take into the SEC's dismal record of picking the eventual league champion in the divisional era (post 1992).

SEC Media Through The Years:

2015
Media Picked Bama Vs Georgia
Actual Finish: Bama Vs Florida

2014
Media Picked Bama Vs South Carolina
Actual Finish Bama Vs Mizzou

2013
Media Picked Bama Vs Georgia
Actual Finish Aub Vs Mizzou

2012
Media Picked LSU Vs Georgia
Actual Finish Bama Vs Georgia

2011
Media Picked Bama Vs South Carolina
Actual Finish LSU Vs Georgia

2010
Media Picked Bama Vs Florida
Actual Finish Aub Vs South Carolina



There you have it. So far in this decade the SEC's media has failed to pick the exact title game. In the six years in question, 12 teams were selected with only 3 teams (all Bama) being picked correctly from either division. This almost has me wishing the league media was feeling loving toward Georgia or Florida.


Again, only one time in 6 years has the SEC media nailed the winner of the East. In all fairness to the SEC media, the East has been a jumbled mess for several years.

Since the SEC split into divisions in 1992, the league's media has been wrong on the predicted champion 18 times. That's brutal.






I'm buying the over on Tennessee @ 9.5. Link


Question of the day....Now that the picks are in, I'm going to give you a vote. Hypothetically I'm your football genie today and I will grant you one wish. You can either wish for a win in 2016 over Florida or Alabama. Which win would be more important to you. After Saban's conduct yesterday it sure would be refreshing to beat him in Neyland Stadium. Can you imagine what Knoxville would feel like post-game if this came to pass? By the same token, how many years are we going to play Florida's girlfriend until we get a ring? It's a tough question. Think it over and we'll discuss today.



Great story on the mix of Bob Shoop and UT's talent. Look out SEC. Link



Conclusions Drawn From Finebaum-Saban Tiff:

1. Finebaum still has a big league fastball. 2. I wish he would use it more. I miss the old Paul. 3. Nick Saban would never work in the NFL. He's not man enough. 4. It's been so long since Saban has been challenged he choked. 5. SEC Network is beyond reverential to Saban. 6. Bama runs this league as it always has. 7. Cam Robinson is a fine young man that was set up by the po po.


When you know your program is over (Missouri):

1. Your FB Coach is answering hypotheticals about player protests. 2. Your Hoops Coach is a guy most hoops fans couldn't identify by sport. 3. Your AD leaves you after 1 yr for a place in ruins. 4. You're geographically displaced beyond comprehension. 5. Well, the Mizzou experiment was lots of fun while it lasted.

As a back story a source in the college sports industry told me that Baylor offered their job to multiple guys before Mizzou's FIRST YEAR ATHLETICS DIRECTOR finally bit. If you're a Mizzou fan, what do you have to look forward to. Their university and sports are ruined for the next several years. They are a living exhibit of the importance of competent leadership. Giving into those players while allowing that mess to get beyond out of control will knock them back decades as a university. Could you imagine if this would've gone down here? Sad!










Thank goodness for Saban/Beliema. Those guys actually presented the media with stories worth covering yesterday in Birmingham. I'm starting to really appreciate Beliema. He flat out doesn't care what you think. This is kind of refreshing. I disagreed with much of what he said yesterday concerning discipline issues, yet I love his refreshing candor.


BTW, Saban has it all figured out. He called the officers in the Robinson deal 'LSU fans'. Even though the arresting officer 'hates' LSU. Oh well. The all-knowing Nick is wrong. Link


Was Mark Stoops doing a comedy routine yesterday? He said his team is ready to take the next step. What does that mean? Link



British Open Time!!!

Here are some odds/prop bets. This is fun stuff. Link



T Mail:



They should take that Paterno statue, drag it onto Old Main and smelt into small coins minted with the faces of all the boys that Sandusky destroyed with his aberrance. The coins should be sent in sets to each and every player that called for the restoration of Paterno's statue on that campus. Therefore each of these coach worshipping players can take a piece of the legacy of their god with them. If you tell me Paterno didn't know, then I say let's go searching for Nicole Brown Simpson's killer. Joe chose wins over saving lives. Disgraceful.


Final Thought: The next time you call someone courageous, think about Zaevion Dobson. It was great to see Steph Curry presenting the 'Arthur Ashe Courage Award' to Zaevion Dobson's family at last night's ESPY's.

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