Spring Meetings: Schedule news, and the bottom line.

News just in from Friday’s SEC Spring Meetings voting: The 6-1-1 scheduling has – at last and despite Les Miles and Steve Spurrier’s call for something different – passed as expected. The format will mean that the Auburn vs Georgia rivalry will continue, along with Alabama vs Tennessee and (unfortunately for Miles), LSU vs Florida. Arkansas vs Missouri will be a new rivalry, as will Vanderbilt vs Ole Miss, Mississippi State vs Kentucky, and Texas A&M vs South Carolina. Florida AD Jeremy told reporters at the event that the vote was “not unanimous”, which sadly means that they’ll be arguing about the scheduling stuff next year, too. THE BOTTOM LINE: This is a good thing. The SEC NEEDS those traditional rivalries

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Slive: “We’re pretty much there” on scheduling

Despite the griping of the coaches, the SEC is close to getting some finality regarding a scheduling deal, Commissioner Mike Slive has told the SEC’s website. “I anticipate that by Friday afternoon, we will have a format,” he said. Coaches have been vigorous in their ideas of what they want varying to non-division games to count for nothing (Steve Spurrier and Les Miles), to no permanent non-division rival (Miles, who’s anxious on avoiding Florida year in, year out, despite the rivalry going on for 41 years), to a 6-1-1 deal. “There are pros and cons for every format,” Slive said. “I was impressed with the thoughtfulness that the football coaches brought to the meeting today.”  “It’s not easy,” Slive said.

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Spring Meetings: SEC coaches vote in $300-per-game stipend

The SEC coaches might have just done something that could change the course of college football. This tweet came from Scott Hood at Gamecock Central: Scott Hood ‏@ScottHood63 In case you missed it, Steve Spurrier told me last night the SEC coaches unanimously approved giving FB players $300 per game for expenses. This isn’t just big news. This is massive news. This could mean that players are at least paid for playing – taking back some of the money that schools, clothing companies and other parties (yes, even college football blogs!) so happily take from them year in, year out. Hood played this down slightly, saying it probably wouldn’t get through the Athletic Directors and Presidents: Scott Hood ‏@ScottHood63: The key question, though,

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Spring Meetings: While you’re waiting…

While you’re waiting for all the news to come out of today’s SEC Spring Meetings, we’ve got some stuff for you to read (some of it’s a little old, so you’ll have to excuse us): 1) What’s a bigger dump – College Station, TX or Gainseville, FL? Kevin Sumlin and Will Muschamp have their comments, hilariously discussed by Outkick The Coverage. 2) Michael Felder (In The Bleachers) and Barrett Sallee (Bleacher Report) arguing over whether high-profile recruit Robert Nkemdiche will go to LSU or Alabama.  We think he’ll go to Georgia, because of his uncle and the chance to start pretty much straight away. 3) Alex Ferguson (ViewfromAmerica) put together a Storify piece about Steve Spurrier being awesome at his

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Tiger running scared? Miles not happy about Florida as permanent rival

The biggest news of the SEC Spring Meetings happened right at the end when news came out that LSU and Florida would be paired together for the forseeable future as ‘permanent’ SEC rivals as part of the new 6-1-1 scheduling. One coach was happy about this. One coach was not. LSU’s Les Miles was the one NOT wearing the smile. He said at his press conference in Destin (according to the Palm Beach Post): “This is all based on some vague tradition that is not considering that you’re adding teams to the conference. Tell me about the tradition of the conference when you add teams to it. He added: “I mean, Florida isn’t even a nearby state. This tradition of rivalry

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Recruiting News: DB picks USC

Ali Groves could have gone to Florida. Or to Vanderbilt. Or to Missouri. But instead, the Stephenson High defensive back chose Steve Spurrier and the University of South Carolina for his football career. The biggest issue for him may be a neck fracture, which kept him out for most of the 2011 season. Having said that, he was cleared to play in December – rather like a certain SEC alum we all know – so should be fine come September. Palmetto Sports said that linebacker Brandon Golson of Georgia Military Junior College may also come to Columbia as soon as this week. It must be noted that Groves wasn’t offered by his two homestate universities – UGA or Georgia Tech

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Tuesday Spring Meetings: Spurrier, the 6-1-1, and other stories

It’s been a busy first day at the SEC Spring Meetings with everybody getting to find out how they felt about a play-off. Everyone wants a four-team play-off, and in particular the four-best teams in the country. But Steve Spurrier said that actually, the winners of the East and West should be decided ONLY on their records in their divisions. He said: “We’ve lost seven games in the last two years, and five of them are to Auburn and Arkansas. We were pretty good against them other guys, I guess.” Nice way to talk about your divisional rivals, Steve. In that world, LSU would have played South Carolina in Atlanta for the SEC Championship, by the way. Mark Richt, Georgia’s

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SEC Spring Meetings: James Franklin interview

While Nick : and Les Miles were expected to battle it out for a National Championship in 2011, Mark Richt and Steve Spurrier were expected to battle it out for the SEC East, James Franklin and his Vanderbilt team were expected to be their inspiring, yet toothless selves. But the Commodores had a sensational season by their standards, finishing 6-6 and getting bowl eligible (they lost 31-24 in a heartbreaker in the Liberty Bowl). Franklin, looking resplendent in white shirt and chinos (he looked like one of the cast of the OC), took the interview with the SEC’s Buzz Baker: The 2011 season: The UConn win at the start of the season was critical to us – UConn were a

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SEC Spring Meetings: Ole Miss’ Hugh Freeze talks!

Hugh Freeze isn’t new to the SEC but he’s new to the head coaching business. But he’s come to familiar waters – Oxford, Mississippi – to take over the new head coaching job. Anyway, he talked to SEC TV’s Buzz Baker. Here are some good excerpts of his conversation: On coming back to Ole Miss: It’s been an exciting ride for my family. I feel honored and blessed to be a part of Rebel Nation. The Blind Side (Freeze was the high school coach of one Michael Oher, Baltimore Ravens offensive linesman and big-time recruit who eventually came to Ole Miss): Our recruiting team has really used the film to recruit. It’s a great thing to have behind us. Michael Oher

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SEC Spring Meetings:Nick Saban on entitlement, titles and schedules

Nick Saban sat down with Buzz Baker to talk about things at the University of Alabama, and he made sure that he delivered more than just an interview… Here are some of his best quotes: On Entitlement: There was a lot of entitlement in 2010 after we won in 2009 and we played badly. In 2012, the team we have now the entitlement is less but the schedule is tougher. But entitlement is a human condition. With it, you focus on what you’ve done and the holiday that you’re entitled to rather than focus on what makes you successful. The LSU game: I’m proud of the way they managed losing the first LSU game. We knew that we didn’t execute

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