SEC Talk

Day two of the media interrogation of SEC football coaches featured Alabama’s Nick Saban, Georgia’s Mark Richt, Ole Miss’ Houston Nutt, and Florida’s Urban Meyer.

Oh, and just to get the elephant out of the room before we start, no coach has owned up to not voting Tim Tebow first team All-SEC. And Tebow, himself, said today that he doesn’t know… and that it doesn’t matter.

ALABAMA: Nick Saban made what is to me, the best and most true statement in college sports today. He was commenting on the media getting ready to pick their pre-season rankings.  “…it’s very difficult to predict what a bunch of adolescents are going to do, and we have over a hundred of ‘em on our team.” So he focuses on things he can control…. togetherness, work ethic, and responsibility.  Saban strongly believes that those things will, in the end, help his team develop into the best they can be. Greg McElroy will be starting under center this year, and Saban is happy with his development and leadership skills, but the O line is a big concern. No good having a good QB if he doesn’t have the time to get the ball off! On a lighter note, Saban has a small part in Blind Side, the Michael Oher story, which stars Sandra Bullock and Tim McGraw. He said the team has voted NOT to see the movie, since they don’t want to support any venture into the movie business!

GEORGIA: Mark Richt is entering his ninth season with the Bulldogs, the longest tenure of any current SEC coach at one school. His take on this season? Basically, this group of Dawgs better man up. Last year he felt the team relied so much on Knowshon Moreno, they expected the guy to carry the team on his shoulders. This year, no Moreno. Time to get with the program. Richt is high on his QB, Joe Cox, says he is a team leader in the eyes of his teammates, despite only starting one game in his career, and that was a couple of years ago.  Richt was evasive when asked if he would prefer that the UGA-Florida game be moved from a neutral (yeah, right) site in Jacksonville to a home and home scenario, saying he just wants to concentrate on winning the game. Richt addressed the brutal non-conference schedule the Dawgs have this year, starting with facing an Oklahoma State team predicted to be in the top 10, as the opening game in the Cowboys new stadium, saying that they may have a little bit more on their plate than they anticipated.

OLE MISS: Houston Nutt is in his second season at Mississippi with a 600 pound problem… or rather, the lack of 600 pounds with the departure of Michael Orr and Peria Jerry, both first team All-Americans. But he’s got a QB that will challenge Tebow for All-SEC honors in Jevan Snead, whom some see as the top pure QB in the conference.  Nutt also talked about the season changing win at Florida last season. Believe it or not, it had been 727 days since the Rebs had won an SEC game, and they were coming off a loss to Vandy. Yet they pulled the stunner, and the players started buying into the system that Nutt was putting in place. And don’t forget, Nutt has owned LSU the last couple of years.  It will be different this season, with Ole Miss becoming one of the hunted, not the hunter.

FLORIDA: Urban Meyer’s Gators have won two of the last three BCS titles, and have Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow back for his senior season. The depth at virtually every position is staggering. So how does he keep them all happy? By promoting competition within the ranks, along with a mentality of team first. Meyer also addressed whether Tebow will be under center more this year, with the NFL looming. His response was spot on… if it helps the team. He said bottom line, if you want Tebow to be under center, teach him and he’ll do it better than anyone. But at UF, it’s about winning the game, reaching goals as a team. That was personified by UF’s SEC title game win over Bama last year, when Florida roared back to take the game, arguably on the shoulders of Tebow. Oh, and here’s the irony. When asked where he would have played, had it not been Florida, Tebow’s reply was fast… Alabama, for (former head coach) Mike Shula.

Think about that scenario for a minute. Tebow at Bama, Shula probably still the head coach, no clue where Saban would have been.

Hmmm.

SEC Football Media Days began on Wednesday, featuring Mississippi State, Arkansas, Vanderbilt and Kentucky. Here are some quick notes from the press conferences:

ARKANSAS: Bobby Petrino believes that this year will be much better than last (typical coach-speak, huh?).  And, of course, it all began in the winter workouts in the weight room. (Get ready, you are going to hear this from pretty much every coach).  Petrino will be in his second season with the Hogs, meaning his system should be pretty much in place, and personnel should be much more to his liking. Petrino emphasized that QB Ryan Mallett, who transfered from Michigan and red-shirted last season, has dropped 25 pounds, is more mobile, giving the Razorbacks more options offensively. Mallett is viewed by the Arkansas faithful as the answer to the offensive struggles the team has had. Finally, Petrino laid to rest that rumor his Hogs were becoming a spread offensive team. While there will be elements of the spread, Petrino is sticking with a multiple set.

VANDERBILT: Coach Bobby Johnson started off by alluding to the Vandy schedule, which runs 12 straight weeks with no off dates… OUCH! But all is not doom and gloom for the Commodores, because there is experience at QB… none that jumps up and says, “I’m your starter, coach” but guys that all saw action, giving Johnson some options at the position. Vandy features both  veteran offensive and defensive lines, after slogging through with a lot of newbies last year. VU is coming off it’s first bowl game since 1982, a 16-14 win in the Music City Bowl. It was amazingly only the fourth bowl game in history for Vandy (2-1-1 in bowl games, 1955, 1974, 1982, 2008). I say amazingly, because there was a time when Vandy was the class of the south… granted that was 90 or so years ago and there weren’t nearly as many bowls. I just had figured there were a few more in there than that. Finally, Johnson commented that while last year was strong, it wasn’t about garnering respect nationally or even within the conference, it’s about improving the program.

MISSISSIPPI STATE: Dan Mullen, entering his first season at MSU, got a laugh by telling the room of media that he was only going to Twitter or Facebook his answers, “so I can be the cutting edge young coach up here.” He talked about the excitement around the program, and how much he is enjoying his time there. He also mentioned that the team recorded one of it’s highest grade point averages recently… not sure that is a good sign, when a coach is talking about GPA’s instead of football… Anyway, Mullen says MSU will be running what he calls a “multiple” spread offense. He said it will be a spread option, spread passing, spread running… you get the idea.  Mullen installed Florida’s spread while the OC at UF. Still no word on who will be at QB for the Bulldogs (there’s a lot of that going on in the SEC this year). Mullen says he is waiting for a leader to step forward. It’s worth remembering that Mullen served as Urban Meyer’s assistant at Bowling Green, Utah and Florida, where he was the offensive coordinator for the Gators. He actually got quite emotional when speaking about his relationship with Tim Tebow.  Circle October 24 on your calendar. That’s when Mullen will take his Bulldogs into Gainesville to face the defending champs… and Tebow.

KENTUCKY: The last coach to appear on Wednesday was Kentucky’s Rich Brooks, who is riding a pretty popular tide of excitement in the Bluegrass State. Granted, no one will mistake him for John Calipari, but lots of Wildcat fans who have managed to avoid Commonwealth Stadium for years are now vying for tickets. I mean, face it. The Cats have won three bowl games in a row!  Brooks also opened on a lighter note, saying, “I’ll bet you’re glad this day is over. I’ll be last. That’s where we get picked every year, so kind of appropriate, I guess.”  While the Cats have lost a ton on defense, Brooks commented that the team’s recent successes have meant success in the recruiting wars, which has increased depth at every position. Randall Cobb will continue to keep defenses guessing by lining up at QB now and then, in what UK refers to as the “Wildcat” package (original, huh?). In the biggest surprise to me, turns out Brooks is quite the Twitterer. He says he loves it, uses it a lot, and his kids love it because they can keep track of him. Hmmm…

ONE FINAL NOTE: The hunt is on for the one coach in the SEC who did not vote for Tim Tebow as first team All-SEC. Each coach is being asked the same question, in the eternal search for the one who didn’t.

Wonder if all the coaches will be honest?

I hate summer.

I mean, the weather is nice and all, but for someone who loves college sports, summer is an eternity.

And when you write about college sports, summer is eternity x infinity.

I’ve been waiting to start my football outlook because injuries and grades are going to weed out a few key players here and there. Plus, two a days are just around the corner, and several teams just have too many questions for me to go out on a limb now with what would turn into an uninformed guess.

And don’t forget, Wednesday the SEC Media Days for football get underway in Hoover, Alabama. The drama may be unbearable:

Will Lane Kiffin and Urban Meyer kiss and make up?

Will Houston Nutt drop to his knees and thank the heavens that he is out of Arkansas?

Will Bobby Petrino stay in Arkansas, or quit mid-season?

Will Steve Spurrier announce he is retiring at the end of the season to join the PGA Seniors Tour?

Will Auburn OC Trooper Taylor chest bump anyone?

With fall practice just a couple of weeks away, and fans already chomping at the bit, the dog days of summer take on a new meaning. Every day several SEC coaches send out notes on Twitter, with a countdown in days, hours and minutes until kickoff.

(for the record, I am the most well-informed blogger on weather at SEC schools, as each coach also seems to feel the need to post a local weather report.)

Starting tomorrow, I’ll have updates on SEC Media Days, including quotes from select players and coaches. Next week we’ll start our team by team preview, ending with my predictions. Feel free to chime in with your own thoughts and opinions… after all, this is SEC Sports TALK, not SEC Sport LISTEN!

It was an odd time to make such a statement, but Urban Meyer had had enough. Almost as soon as he stepped off the plane from a family vacation in the Bahamas, he was hit with “the” question.

Seems Paul Finebaum, that annoying stellar reporter out of Alabama, had said that Meyer was leaving after this season for Notre Dame. Done deal.

The Florida Gators head coach was at the 15th annual Bob Dooley Invitational, which benefits STOP! Children’s Cancer. He was there to kick off the event, and midway through his opening remarks he turned to Bob Dooley, asked to make a statement, then said:

“Here’s a quote for you — I’m not going to Notre Dame.”

Later, he reiterated his position:

“I’m not going to Notre Dame. Ever. I’m going to be the coach at Florida for a long time, as long as they want me.”

He turned to several reporters in attendance, and told them to print it.

Good for him. And I hope he is true to his word… and something tells me he will be.

Sure, a few months back Meyer referred to Notre Dame as his dream job. He was an assistant coach there, and has long been the object of affection for backers of the Irish. Notre Dame likes to bill itself as the Nation’s University. The football program plays as an independent, yet benefits from its own television contract with NBC and its own side deal with the BCS (as long as the Irish finish in the top eight in BCS rankings, the school gets a bid to a BCS bowl).

But it’s doubtful Meyer could replicate the success he is having at Florida in South Bend. Much tougher academic standards, along with no free passes for athletes to gain admission to the University, are a brutal mix. Speaking of brutal, the winters in South Bend aren’t going to lure many recruits. Florida is fertile recruiting ground, and Meyer has sunk his teeth into it. He’s won two of the last three national championships.

Oh, sure. I remember Nick “I’m not going to Alabama” Saban. But there wasn’t a soul alive who didn’t think that Saban’s ego would take him where the money was. Meyer, on the other hand, seems to be a perfect fit for Florida, and vice versa.

And remember, in 2004 Meyer turned down the Irish flat to take the Florida job.

So I have a feeling that Gator fans can relax… and the rest of the SEC is in for a long season.

Tennessee has gotten a double whammy over the past few days.  First, senior Austin Rogers tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during voluntary summer workouts and is lost for the year. Now it appears junior Denarius Moore may miss most, if not all, of hte upcoming season. Moore, the Vols best at going deep, has a broken bone in his left foot and will be out eight to 12 weeks.

The case for Rogers is the toughest pill to swallow. Since he has already used a redshirt year, the knee injury could effectively end his collegiate career. He will most likely petition the NCAA for a sixth year of eligibility, but those are few and far between.

IN OTHER NEWS:

Raycom’s award winning series Football Saturdays in the South returns to television this Saturday. The series features six one-hour episodes and is hosted by Tim Brando. The first episode will feature UT’s blue tick coon hound mascot Smokey. Episode two will highlight the voice of Georgia football, Larry Munson, along with Auburn’s eagle. Episode four will profile Tennessee’s Lane Kiffin, and episode five will feature Tim Tebow and Jevan Snead among other players.

Two Ole Miss football players avoided serious injury in a car accident over the weekend. Defensive end Greg Hardy and running back Dexter McCluster hit a car that pulled out in front of them. Hardy reinjured his right foot and is in a walking boot for 5-7 days. The car the players were in caught fire, but both escaped what could have been a much worse situation.

I’m back from vacation and into the countdown until kickoff… I can’t believe we are under two months!

Sports Illustrated ran an article by Sen. Orrin Hatch, entitled Leveling the Playing Field, that made me take a different look at the whole topic.

Before reading the article, I had mixed emotions about the whole Bowl Championship Series. Most of my ire was directed at Notre Dame, because I feel like it gets a pass. If ND is in the top eight of the BCS standings, the Irish get an automatic bid. No other team gets that honor.

But when it comes to a true championship, I go back and forth. I like the bowls, that there is some pride on the line. But since the inception of the BCS system, the secondary bowls have a much shabbier feel to them. Nothing to play for anymore.

And the gap between the last regular season game (or conference championship) is an eternity, meaning that there could be 35-40 days between games for the top two teams. And that’s when I start thinking a playoff would work. Heck, the players are out of school at that point, what’s another 3-4 weeks?

Then I read Sen. Hatch’s op-ed piece, and got a whole different take on the situation.

Sen. Hatch sites the Sherman Antitrust Act (don’t glaze over yet!), which prohibits contracts that exclude others from competition. And while the Act was written with business in mind, few would argue that college football has morphed into big business.

But the most compelling argument in my mind was when Sen. Hatch talked about the difference in payouts between the “elite” BCS conferences and the other conferences.  In particular, he notes that every team from a BCS conference gets a huge payout… whether they win a game or not. Teams from other conferences get a much lower payout.  He notes that:

“under the BCS formula the Mountain West received $9.8 million—roughly half of what the three bigger conferences got. And despite having the nation’s only other undefeated team, Boise State, the Western Athletic Conference received just $3.2 million in BCS revenue.”

This has ramifications well beyond the football field. We aren’t talking the difference between I-A and I-AA (I know, I know… Football Bowl Subdivision and Football Championship Subdivision… I hate that). We are talking teams in the same subdivision not getting equal payouts, which guarantees unequal budgets for recruiting, facilities and coaching salaries. In other words, it keeps the playing field horrifically uneven.

And it goes deeper. Football budgets often help pay for other sports. So the disparity in payouts keeps the smaller conferences from being able to keep up with the Jones’… or the Florida’s.

To read the full article from Sports Illustrated, click HERE, or go to http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1157360/index.htm

First of all, if you are reading this on the Fourth of July… well, you need to get outside and grill some burgers!

Now, in the meantime:

Every day my inbox is flooded with announcements of this or that Southeastern Conference school landing a huge recruit for the 2010 football class.  And I continue to be amazed by the amount of media coverage. I mean, its front page stuff, but I don’t get it.

I could understand a few lines, but headlines?

I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again… these commitments aren’t worth the paper they aren’t signed on yet! Signing day for the 2010 class is FEBRUARY 3, 2010!

These kids all end up taking more visits, and often end up changing their minds… and that’s ok.

I understand coaches want the early commit from players, but when they bank on those commits too much, the coaches and universities end up getting screwed.

Way back in 1999, quarterback Chris Simms, son of Hall of Famer Phil Simms, announced he was attending the University of Tennessee. So Head Coach Phillip Fulmer backed off recruiting other quarterbacks and focused on other positions. Then, days before signing day, he de-committed and signed with Texas.

Many experts think that was the beginning of the end for Tennessee and Phillip Fulmer, as the program ended up with no strong QB for years.

So what’s a coach to do? Well, there’s an old saying in sports — run through the tape and play through the whistle. Be glad you got the commitment, but keep pressing the pedal to the floor.

STELLAR YEAR FOR THE SEC

Following LSU’s dramatic title win in the College World Series, the Southeastern Conference is closing one of its most successful seasons. The SEC posted five national champions and five runner’s up during the 2008-2009 academic year.

National Championships came in football (Florida), men’s swimming and diving (Auburn), women’s indoor track & field (Tennessee), gymnastics (Georgia) and LSU (baseball). Runner’s up came from men’s golf (Arkansas), gymnastics (Alabama), softball (Florida), women’s swimming and diving (Georgia) and men’s indoor track & field (Florida).

The SEC has 179 team national championships in its 76 years of existence, including 63 since 2000. The only sports that haven’t won titles this decade are women’s cross country, volleyball, soccer and softball.

Not too shabby, huh?

NBA DRAFT

No SEC player was selected in the first round of Thursday’s NBA draft… no surprise there. A trio of guards went in the second round, led by Kentucky’s Jodie Meeks (41st pick, Milwaukee Bucks), LSU’s Marcus Thornton (43rd pick, Miami Heat - traded to New Orleans Hornets), and Florida’s Nick Calathes (45th pick, Minnesota Timberwolves).

HITTING THE BOOKS

The SEC didn’t only score wins on the field this year, but led all conferences in student-athletes recognized as ESPN The Magazine Academic All-Americans. Fifteen earned 1st team honors, 14 were named 2nd team, while 12 earned 3rd team recognition.

SEC Student-Athletes Earning CoSIDA Academic All-America Team Recognition
[NOTE: Listed in alphabetical order by last name
* - Sport does not have its own team, listed as At-Large Team by CoSIDA]

Listed in alphabetical order by last name
* indicates sport at-large selection, as sport does not have its own team

1st Team (15)
Mallory Blackwelder, Kentucky, *Women’s Golf, Versailles, Ky.
Sarah Bowman, Tennessee, Women’s Track & Field, Warrenton, Va.
Lisa Caprioglio, Georgia, *Women’s Swimming & Diving, Highlands Ranch, Col.
Kevin Greer, Alabama, *Men’s Swimming & Diving, Sylacauga, Ala.
Lillian Hammond, Tennessee, Softball, Chattanooga, Tenn.
Kristina Hilberth, Florida, Softball, Dunedin, Fla.
Tim Masthay, Kentucky, Football, Murray, Ky.
Courtney Kupets, Georgia, *Gymnastics, Athens, Ga.
Blakely Mattern, South Carolina, Women’s Soccer, Simpsonville, S.C.
Charlotte Morgan, Alabama, Softball, Moreno Valley, Calif.
Stacey Nelson, Florida, Softball, Los Alamitos, Calif.
Kassi Price, Alabama, *Gymnastics, Plantation, Fla.
Katie Stripling, Arkansas, Women’s Track & Field, Jonesboro, Ark.
Tim Tebow, Florida, Football, Jacksonville, Fla.
Phoebe Wright, Tennessee , Women’s Track & Field, Signal Mountain, Tenn.

2nd Team (14)
Amanda Alexander, Tennessee, Women’s Track & Field, Nashville, Tenn.
Sam Arthur, South Carolina, Men’s Soccer, Roswell, Ga.
Kelsey Bowers, Florida, Volleyball, Gainesville, Fla.
Chelsea Bramlett, Mississippi State , Softball, Cordova, Tenn.
Tara Diebold, Arkansas, Women’s Track & Field, Branson, Mo.
Chad Hagerty, Kentucky, Men’s Soccer, Louisville, Ky.
Tiffany Huff, Tennessee, Softball, Saugus, Calif.
Jenn Johnson, Auburn, Women’s Soccer, Loganville, Ga.
Ben Jones, Auburn, Baseball, Decatur, Ala.
Dan Mazzaferro, Auburn, * Men’s Swimming & Diving, Cheshire, Conn.
Blake Strode, Arkansas, *Men’s Tennis, St. Louis, Mo.
Grace Taylor, Georgia, *Gymnastics, Aiken, S.C.
Bram Ten Berge, Ole Miss, *Men’s Tennis, Maarssen, Netherlands
Dorian Ulrey, Arkansas, Men’s Track & Field, Port Byron, Ill.

3rd Team (12)
Sammie Jo Bailey, Mississippi State, Softball, Lithonia, Ga.
Denise Bargiachi, Arkansas, Women’s Track & Field, Memphis, Tenn.
Stephanie Brombacher, Florida, Softball, Pembroke Pines, Fla.
Clark Burckle, Florida, *Men’s Swimming & Diving, Louisville, Ky.
Rabun Fox, LSU, Track & Field, Houma, La.
Ali Gardiner, Florida, Softball, Waccabuc, N.Y.
Elliott Haynie, South Carolina, Men’s Track & Field, Atlanta, Ga.
Jen Lapicki, Tennessee, Softball, Oldwick, N.J.
Curt McGill, South Carolina, Men’s Track & Field, Spartanburg, S.C.
Lee Ellis Moore, Ole Miss, Men’s Track & Field, Cordova, Tenn.
Ashton Payne, South Carolina, Softball, Richmond, Va.
Christina Wirth, Vanderbilt, Women’s Basketball, Mesa, Ariz.

What a game!

After 10 innings in Game 1 of the Championship Round of the College World Series (that’s a mouthful!), LSU and Texas are still battling it out in what is looking like a classic battle of two titans. The game is knotted up 6-6.

Five solo homers by Texas looked to be the headline going into the top of the 9th, when LSU’s 2nd baseman D.J. Lemahieu hit a two run double with two outs, tying the game and eventually sending it into extra innings.

Texas junior designated hitter Russell Moldenhauer has two solo homers in the game, and the seven solo homers between both teams is a new CWS record.

And already the game, now in the 11th, is the longest game in College World Series finals history.

The Tigers are threatening in the top of the 11th, with men on first and third, but there are two outs. Both runners reached by walks.

The thing both coaches have to watch out for is burning through too many pitchers… this is only game one of a best two out of three series.

OK, I’m going back to the game. It’s on ESPN, so turn it on!

Arkansas (41-23) and LSU (53-16) will face each other for the second time in the College World Series Friday at 2 p.m. ET. The game will be televised on ESPN2.

LSU won the first matchup on Monday by a score of 9-1. During the regular season, the Tigers took two out of three games from the Hogs.

If LSU wins, it will advance to the Championship Series, getting underway Monday at 6 p.m. ET. If Arkansas wins, the two teams will battle again on Saturday at either 1 p.m. or 6 p.m., with the winner advancing to the Championship Series.

LSU has been on fire, winning 12 straight games. Top-ranked in three out of four polls, and the 3rd seed nationally, the Tigers are coming off three days of rest. Arkansas has had to battle through the losers’ bracket, defeating Virginia 4-3 in 12 innings on Wednesday to earn the right to face LSU.

In the other bracket, Arizona St. (51-13) will face Texas (48-14-1), an elimination game for the Sun Devils. That game is at 7 p.m. ET. ASU advanced to the game by defeating North Carolina 12-5 on Thursday.

Both Arkansas and LSU advanced into the Winner’s Bracket at the College World Series, Arkansas with a 10-6 upset of Cal State Fullerton, and LSU with a 9-5 win over Virginia.

But only one SEC team will remain in the Winner’s Bracket after tonight’s games.

Top-ranked LSU and #7 Arkansas will face off against each other at 6 pm CDT, meaning one team will advance in the Winner’s Bracket and the other will be forced to try to work it’s way out of the Loser’s side.

The two teams met in a three game series earlier this year, with the Tigers taking the series 2-1. The Razorbacks won game one by a score of 11-4, but LSU battled back to take games two and three by scores of 5-0 and 4-3.

LSU will start senior right hander Louis Coleman in tonight’s game. Coleman has a record of 13-2, with an ERA of 2.74 in 115 innings pitched. He gave up 19 walks while striking out a whopping 125 batters.

Arkansas will counter with sophomore righty Brett Eibner, 5-4 with a 4.61 ERA in 70.1 innings pitched. Eibner gave up 33 walks while striking out 66.

Tonight’s game, like all College World Series games, will be televised on ESPN.

IN OTHER SEC NEWS:

The NCAA’s Track & Field Championships, held in Fayetteville, Arkansas, ended this weekend. Here are the final results for SEC Schools:

WOMEN’S RESULTS:
LSU - 6th
Florida - 9th
Tennessee - 10th
Auburn - 25th
Arkansas - 29th
South Carolina - 40th
Mississippi - 70th (tie)
Mississippi St. - 70th (tie)

MEN’S RESULTS:
Florida - 2nd
LSU - 5th
South Carolina - 6th
Arkansas - 9th
LSU - 11th
Auburn - 12th
Kentucky - 15th
Mississippi St. - 17th
Tennessee - 58th
Alabama - 62nd

The NCAA College World Series is officially underway, and in the first game we got a huge upset.

Unseeded Arkansas topped #2 national seed Cal State Fullerton by a final score of 10-6. Entering the ninth inning, UA held a 10-5 lead, the biggest deficit for CS-Fullerton this season. The Titans managed one run in the ninth, but were unable to catch up to the Hogs and will now have to attempt to work their way out of the loser’s bracket.

The Hogs opened the game with two runs in the first off Titans pitcher Noe Ramirez. In the top of the third, UA’s Zach Cox hit a 2-run homer to add to the score, but the Titans answered back with two runs in the bottom of the inning, ending the third at 4-2 Hogs.

But most of the damage was done in the fifth inning, when Arkansas extended it’s lead to 9-2, led by Andy Wilkins’ 3-run homer. Arkansas finished it’s scoring off in the top of the eighth on a Wilkins single.

There was a bit of controversy in the bottom of the eighth when CSF’s Gary Brown was obviously hit by a pitch on the elbow pad, but as he started to take his base the home plate umpire called him back and called ball three.

LSU takes the field at 7 p.m. to take on Virginia. Catch the game on ESPN.

CWS NOTES:

This marks the 17th consecutive year that the SEC has been represented in the CWS, but the conference hasn’t won a title since LSU’s in 2000.

Arkansas and LSU will both play their opening games of the College World Series (CWS) on Saturday, June 13.

Arkansas takes the field first, facing Cal State Fullerton in a 1 pm matchup. LSU will see action later that night, facing Virginia at 6 pm. (All times are CDT).

Both games will be televised by ESPN.

The Razorbacks and Tigers will both see action again on Monday, June 15, either through the winner’s or loser’s bracket bracket in the double-elimination tournament format.

IN OTHER NEWS:

Junior Mike Minor, LHP out of Vanderbilt, was taken 7th overall in the first round of the MLB draft, by the Atlanta Braves. The SEC’s only other first round pick was Junior Jared Mitchell, OF, out of LSU, who was taken 23rd overall by the Chicago White Sox. Mitchell is a two sport star for the Tigers, also playing wide receiver on the LSU football team.

Through 27 rounds of the Major League Baseball Draft, 55 SEC players had been drafted. Florida leads with nine draftees, followed by Georgia and Mississippi (7 each), LSU (6), Vanderbilt (5), Alabama, Arkansas and Tennessee (4 each), Auburn and Kentucky (3 each), South Carolina (2) and Mississippi State (1)

LSU’s Tasmin Mitchell has withdrawn his name from the NBA draft. Mitchell, who averaged 16.3 ppg and 7.2 rpg last season, will be a 5th-year senior in 2009-2010. He shot 52.2% from the field last year.

The NCAA Track and Field Championships began Wednesday in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The site was hit with some foul weather, causing delays in competition on Day 1 of the four day competition.

Most SEC schools are advertising single game tickets now available for purchase. Kind of surprising, since so many of these schools never had to advertise in the past, but it looks like the economy is catching up with athletic departments, too

The little mess between former UK head coach Billy Gillispie and the University of Kentucky got even more interesting… and messy… today.

UK has answered Gillispie’s lawsuit with one of their own — countersuing Billy G. and claiming they don’t owe him a penny since he never signed a contract.

You may remember that while Gillispie never signed a contract, he was working under a “Memorandum of Understanding” that had the terms to be included in the seven year deal. But no official contract was ever signed.

While Gillispie accuses the University of “fraud and breach of contract” in his firing, the University counters by claiming that UK went to Gillispie with six different versions of a contract, which he never signed. UK states that Gillispie disagreed with language in the contract, including what would constitute grounds for dismissal without pay.

Seems like not signing a contract would come under those grounds, huh?

IN OTHER NEWS:

The NCAA Baseball Super Regionals get underway today with three SEC teams seeing action. Arkansas takes on Florida State at noon (ESPN), Ole Miss faces Virginia at 1 pm (ESPN2), and LSU battles Rice at 6 pm (ESPN). All times are Eastern. All games are also covered on XM Radio.