Nobody will ever surpass CPB, the Bear, an unmatched Coach, and man for his era. I've been fortunate enough to have been a Bama fan since the early 1950's, from Coach Whitworth through Coach Saban. Coach Nick Saban a Dynasty maker and likewise unmatched Coach and man for his era, and hopefully for many more years! 2 men,, we've very been Blessed to have!

Nick Saban: No Longer In The Bear's Shadow-bamahammer

Report: Ole Miss QB signee Chad Kelly arresteg-sds





Ole Miss JUCO quarterback signee Chad Kelly was arrested early Sunday for punching a bouncer at a local nightclub in Buffalo, N.Y.
According to the Buffalo News, Kelly refused to exit Encore (a local nightclub), fought with bouncers and scuffled with police. He also hurled verbal threats involving his ‘AK-47 in my truck.’
Hugh Kellenberger @HKellenbergerCL Follow

Chad Kelly is accused of punching a bouncer, threatening to shoot into the club, and swinging and kicking at officers. Serious charges.


Kelly, nephew of Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly, faces multiple charges including third-degree assault, second-degree harassment, second-degree menacing, resisting arrest, fourth-degree criminal mischief and second-degree obstructing governmental administration.

Kelly was an Under Armour All-American in 2012 and signed with Clemson as a four-star recruit. He was dismissed by coach Dabo Swinney two days after the Tigers’ spring game last April.
“He has had a pattern of behavior that is not consistent with the values of our program,” Swinney said at the time. “I hope he will mature and grow from this and become the man and player I know he can be. I wish him nothing but the best in the future academically and athletically.”
He spent this season at East Mississippi Community College, leading EMCC to its third JUCO national championship in four years. He earned All-America status with 3,905 yards and 47 touchdowns and was considered the No. 1 JUCO quarterback in the country before signing with Ole Miss last week as a three-star prospect.
Kelly was expected to contend for the Rebels starting quarterback job in 2015 following the departure of current senior and three-year starter Bo Wallace.
This story will be updated when more details are released.
[HR][/HR] According to Clarion-Ledger reporter Hugh Kellenberger, Ole Miss head coach Hugh Freeze released a brief statement Sunday night regarding Kelly’s arrest.

Bowl ticket update: Which schools sold out, tickets left?-sds

Thinking of attending an SEC bowl game? Here’s a look at available tickets for each of the conference’s postseason games.

Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl: 1,126 tickets available
Razor Gator: Get-in price — $25; Most Expensive — $247
Ticket City: Get-in price — $16; Most Expensive — $226
AutoZone Liberty Bowl: 329 tickets available
Razor Gator: Get-in price — $15; Most Expensive — $180
Ticket City: Get-in price — $20; Most Expensive — $186
AdvoCare Texas Bowl: 2,012 tickets available
Razor Gator: Get-in price — $37; Most Expensive — $472
Ticket City: Get-in price — $45; Most Expensive — $450
Birmingham Bowl: 30 tickets available
Razor Gator: Get-in price — $94; Most Expensive — $180
Ticket City: Get-in price — $48; Most Expensive — $186
Independence Bowl: 140 tickets available
Razor Gator: Get-in price — $4; Most Expensive — $166
Ticket City: Get-in price — $32; Most Expensive — $161
TaxSlayer Bowl: 644 tickets available
Razor Gator: Get-in price — $15; Most Expensive — $284
Ticket City: Get-in price — $56; Most Expensive — $240
Sugar Bowl: 3,425 tickets available
Razor Gator: Get-in price — $171; Most Expensive — $999
Ticket City: Get-in price — $169; Most Expensive — $1,418
Peach Bowl: 2,364 tickets available
Razor Gator: Get-in price — $67; Most Expensive — $615
Ticket City: Get-in price — $60; Most Expensive — $366
Music City Bowl: 2,211 tickets available
Razor Gator: Get-in price — $18; Most Expensive — $304
Ticket City: Get-in price — $17; Most Expensive — $282
Orange Bowl: 5,503 tickets available
Razor Gator: Get-in price — $2; Most Expensive — $995
Ticket City: Get-in price — $1; Most Expensive — $961
Outback Bowl: 799 tickets available
Razor Gator: Get-in price — $79; Most Expensive — $362
Ticket City: Get-in price — $83; Most Expensive — $317
Belk Bowl: 629 tickets available
Razor Gator: Get-in price — $37; Most Expensive — $307
Ticket City: Get-in price — $42; Most Expensive — $319

Bret Bielema has earned raise at Arkansas-sds

Paging Jeff Long … give Bret Bielema and his staff raises. It’s warranted and is the next step in the building process.

The Razorbacks’ second-year head coach has cleaned up a program ran amuck by former coaches Bobby Petrino and John L. Smith, and has backed the off-field success up with late-season, on-field heroics getting his team to a bowl game a year earlier than anticipated.
Your head coach has already expressed he likes continuity on staff. It’s one of the reasons he left Wisconsin and took the Arkansas job.
Continuity comes with money, and being competitive in the ever-climbing arms race.
Entering the 2014 season, Bielema was the sixth-highest paid head coach in the SEC.
A number of coaches have since been given raises. Hugh Freeze joined the $4 million club, while his in-state counterpart Dan Mullen is expected to earn a hefty raise following a 10-win campaign.
Bielema brings in $3.2 million annually, while his staff of nine assistants earned a reported $3 million during the 2013-14 season.
If Long is as smart as he appears, those figures will increase this offseason.

Cleaned up program

From day one, Bielema has exerted his vision for his program. He’s dismissed numerous players, some of whom held key roles on the field. Bielema has gotten players to buy in, and has disciplined those who put self before team.
He announced last week sophomore running back and kick returner Korliss Marshall would not return to the program due to one too many transgressions. Bielema suspended defensive backs Rohan Gaines and Carroll Washington for the Texas Bowl. Washington’s a senior, thus ending his career as a Razorback. Gaines is the quarterback of the secondary, and while he can return next season, Bielema implied that’s not a guarantee.
Junior tailback Jonathan Williams made a celebration gesture after scoring a touchdown in the season finale against Missouri. The Razorbacks’ CEO subsequently sat Williams down and explained that he’s a Hog first.
It’s those types of decisions, not always easy ones, that lay the foundation for long-term success within football programs.
It’s those types of decisions that had been forsaken under previous regimes, and though Arkansas was successful for a short time, the fall down was rapid and messy.

On-field success

Sure, the wins came slowly under Bielema for the first season-and-a-half. However, the Razorbacks made strides during 2014 with results beginning to come to fruition during the final month of the regular season.
There was the 17-0 shutout of then-No. 17 LSU as the Hogs reclaimed the Golden Boot. There was the 30-0 rout of then-No. 8 Ole Miss, capping the first back-to-back shutouts of conference opponents since Arkansas joined the SEC in 1992.
As good as those wins were, they validated previous outings of the season.
Arkansas probably impressed opponents in its losses this season more than any other team in the country.
Consider the Hogs lost three games by a combined 14 points. In each of the games, Bielema’s team held leads or was tied in the second half. A frantic fourth-quarter and overtime comeback won it for Texas A&M in Dallas. A botched extra point cost the Hogs against Alabama. A plethora of missed opportunities served as a roadblock against then-No. 1 Mississippi State in Starkville.
In each of those wins, pundits saw improvement in Arkansas. Perhaps belief began to waver as the Razorbacks just couldn’t find ways to win ballgames. Not outside the walls of the program, however.
Bielema kept preaching to his team, and his players continued to buy in, perhaps only due to the leadership of guys such as senior defensive end Trey Flowers.
Then came the wins, and along with it, the validation that its performances in those three losses was a matter of bad luck and not a lack of talent.

Continuity

Bielema had trouble retaining assistant coaches at Wisconsin due to the inability to be competitive in the landscape of assistant pay.
He came to Arkansas seeking more resources with which to pay his assistant coaches, and his wish was granted. The $3 million doled out by Arkansas in 2013 was the most in school history. Still, Bielema was able to retain his entire staff last offseason, and he’s in position to keep everyone again this offseason.
Continuity such as that not only benefits the on-field performance, but impacts recruiting and the culture Bielema is sowing inside the Arkansas football program.
Bielema has been successful in the most important areas, and Long recognizes such.
Let’s just hope he does the right thing and gives him a raise.

A complete rundown of the SEC’s pass-catchers in 2014-sds

The SEC lost an astounding number of superstar quarterbacks following the 2013 season, from Johnny Manziel to A.J. McCarron, Zach Mettenberger to Aaron Murray.
However, the departures of those quarterbacks hardly impacted the conference’s pass-catchers. A whopping 232 different SEC players caught at least one pass in 2014, the exact same number of players to catch a pass in 2013.
LSU beat writer Ross Dellenger looked into how many wide receivers caught passes for each SEC team this season, and found there to be a wide variety in the number of traditional wideouts catching passes for each team:
@DellengerAdv Follow

#LSU had 4 receivers catch passes this season. Fewest in the #SEC. A&M 12 UG 11 UT 10 UF, UK, OM 9 MU, MSU, VU, AU 8 ARK, UA 7 SC 6 LSU 4
4:59 PM - 19 Dec 2014


For what it’s worth, Texas A&M had the SEC’s best passing offense in 2014, while LSU had the conference’s worst.

In looking at the numbers from Dellenger’s tweet, 116 different SEC wideouts caught passes in 2014, representing exactly half the conference’s pass-catchers this season.
So who else was catching passes in the SEC this year? We at SDS tried to answer that very question. Let’s start with a breakdown of the different pass-catchers from all 14 SEC teams in 2014:
Although Texas A&M had more true wide receivers catch passes than any other team in the SEC, it had just the third-most total pass-catchers in the conference. The team with the most different players with at least one catch was Georgia, which boasted 21 different pass-catchers in 2014.
However, those 21 different receivers didn’t help the Bulldogs torch opponents through the air, as the Dawgs finished ninth in the conference with just 199 passing yards per game.
Tennessee had 19 different pass-catchers but finished with the SEC’s eighth-best passing offense, and A&M tied with Alabama and Ole Miss at 18 pass-catchers this season. The Aggies, Rebels and Tide all ranked in the top 4 in the SEC in passing offense this season.
LSU not only posted the SEC’s worst passing offense in 2014 with the fewest true wideouts catching passes, but it was also the only team in the SEC on which the wideouts didn’t lead the team in receiving. The Tigers had four true receivers catch passes against six different pass-catching tailbacks.
Only one SEC team had more backs catch a pass this season — Georgia, which boasted seven backs with a catch.
The SEC’s 14 teams also completed passes to 13 different non-skill players on offense, including three players who don’t play on offense at all. Six different SEC quarterbacks caught passes this season, including two different quarterbacks on Auburn’s roster alone.
Of those six quarterbacks to catch a pass, two of them (Mississippi State’s Dak Prescott and South Carolina’s Dylan Thompson) scored touchdowns. Prescott and Thompson were also the SEC’s only quarterbacks with multiple catches this season.
Four different offensive linemen also got into the action as pass-catchers in 2014, as did three different defensive backs. Those seven players combined to catch 12 passes, including two for touchdowns.

UF receives major donation in step toward competing with SEC facilities-sds

Athletic director Jeremy Foley has always said he’s not interested in joining a facilities arms race with other SEC schools. He doesn’t believe facilities have played into Florida’s success or deterred the Gators from achieving it.

“As you look around our facilities, we’re not into bells and whistles,” Foley said back in November. “We’re always looking to upgrade our facilities, but we’re not getting into an arms race.”
However, it’s no secret that the Gators’ facilities, despite being one of the more prestigious programs in the SEC, are behind much of there conference brethren.
Even former head coach Will Muschamp acknowledged this in his press conference with Auburn last week.
On the recruiting trail all the kids that would come to Florida and come to Auburn, they’d tell me how nice the housing was here, so that’s good to be on this side of it now,” Muschamp said. “I’m excited about that.”
Fortunately for the Gators, the program received a major anonymous donation late last week. Thanks to a $12.5 million donation, the school will construct a state-of-the-art academic area for Florida’s student athletes. The $12.5 million donation is the single-largest donation in school history. In addition to matching gifts, $25 million in all will be put toward this project.
This is the second big facilities upgrade for the Gators in recent weeks for its athletic program. The school is planning on constructing an indoor practice facility that will be ready by the commencement of the 2015 regular season. Florida is one two SEC schools without an IPF and it has cost the Gators valuable practice time over the years.
But these two latest developments are big steps forward for the Gators. As schools like Alabama and Texas A&M complete their facilities with amenities that resemble more of a five-star hotel than a locker room, the Gators can’t afford not to make improvements to their facilities.
Not only do recruits love the perks of facilities like they have at Alabama or Texas A&M, schools like that have also out-performed the Gators on the field. And with Florida looking to regain its momentum on the recruiting trail on its journey to return back to SEC prominence, facility upgrades like these two the Gators have committed to will go a long way in doing that.
So while Foley is on record saying he doesn’t want to get in an arms race, this $12.5 million donation speaks volumes for the university and it may be the first step in the school working to reclaim it’s spot atop the SEC.

Five current reserves who could break through in 2015-sds

“Next man up” — those three words are at the foundation of college football at the Division I level.

Every year key players suffer injuries or run out of years of eligibility, forcing a team to revert to its bench for its “next man up.” There are star players on every team who were once unknown backups, following college football’s own “circle of life” on their way to amateur superstardom.
As the 2014 season winds to a close with this year’s crop of bowl games, we’ve already begun looking ahead to who might be part of the next class of stars in the SEC in 2015. Here are five candidates who played modest roles for their teams in 2014 but could be considered leaders at this time next year.

OTARO ALAKA, LB, TEXAS A&M

Alaka spent the first half of the season stashed on the Aggies bench, sitting out a Week 1 win over South Carolina and recording just five total tackles in A&M’s next six games. However, he finally broke into the lineup late in the year and recorded 21 tackles, 3.0 tackles for loss and two forced fumbles. He’s expected to be a full-time starter next year on an Aggie defense that left plenty of room for improvement in 2015. Depending on how A&M hires as its next defensive coordinator, Alaka could assert himself as one of the playmakers at the heart of the Aggies defense, both as a sound tackler in run defense and as an explosive pass-rusher in obvious passing situations.

DA’SHAWN HAND, DL, ALABAMA

A former five-star recruit from the class of 2014, Hand spent most of his freshman season as a situational defensive linemen on the third-line of Alabama’s depth chart. He recorded just seven tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss and 2.0 sacks in 2014, but could emerge as a much more impactful defensive lineman in 2015. The Tide won’t lose many impact players along its defensive line following its playoff run this January, but Hand will have had a year to get bigger, stronger and smarter on the football field. Even if he only sees a couple more snaps per game, he’ll be a much better player on those snaps and could become the best third-string playmaker in the SEC. Defensive linemen rarely post numbers to match their effectiveness unless they rack up a high sack total, but Hand could emerge as one of the most disruptive linemen in the conference as part of a loaded position group in 2015.

JOSH MALONE, WR, TENNESSEE

Malone was regarded as one of the 10 best players in the high school class of 2014, and he stepped in right away and contributed to a Tennessee offense heavily dependent on young, inexperienced playmakers this season. He caught 22 passes for 227 yards and a touchdown, but was fifth on the team in both catches and yards. With the Vols quarterback situation seemingly set around Joshua Dobbs, Malone could gain a rapport with his new signal caller this offseason that could benefit both he and the UT offense next season. Malone contributed to the offense in 2014, but he was far from an impact starter. That could change next year as both he and the offense trend positively into a pivotal offseason in Knoxville.

WILL REDMOND, DB, MISSISSIPPI STATE

Redmond served as Mississippi State’s third cornerback in 2014 behind starters Jamerson Love and Taveze Calhoun, but he’s expected to break into the starting lineup next season following the departure of Love (a senior) after this year’s Orange Bowl. At times last season Redmond looked like the Bulldogs most talented defensive back, leading the team with three interceptions despite seeing inconsistent playing time as the nickel corner. The former JUCO transfer also added five pass breakups (sixth on the team) to go along with 46 tackles and a pair of tackles for loss. Redmond has great instincts in coverage and is more aggressive in pursuing ball-carriers than most defensive backs. As a full-time starter he has all the makings of a player set to blossom into a star in 2015.

ROC THOMAS, RB, AUBURN

A five-star prospect from the high school class of 2014, Thomas was hardly used as a freshman in Auburn’s explosive spread offense. He ran for just 214 yards in 11 games last season and only ran for at least 20 yards in a game five times. However, upon the departure of senior tailback Cameron Artis-Payne, Thomas could be next in line in the Tigers backfield. Gus Malzahn has had no trouble turning Tre Mason and Artis-Payne into superstars as the focal points of his spread rushing attack, and if Thomas follows in their footsteps he’ll be a lock to rush for 1,000 yards while also impacting games as a receiver. With a little help from Malzahn’s offense, Thomas could be regarded as one of the most dynamic playmakers in the SEC by this time next year.

SEC Debate: Toughest player to replace for 2015-sds

Personnel changes are a harsh truth in football, some more meaningful than others.
We asked a few member of our editorial staff for their thoughts on potential player exits this season and who would be the toughest to replace for their respective teams in 2015.

WHAT PLAYER WILL BE TOUGHEST TO REPLACE IN 2015?

Christopher Smith (@csmithSDS): Dak Prescott

This assumes Prescott heads for the NFL, but he sounded very interested in doing just that earlier this season. If Prescott exits, along with a number of defensive personnel losses, the Bulldogs could take a pretty big tumble without the all-conference quarterback. A bowl win could very well propel Mississippi State to a Top 5 finish in the polls. With Alabama, Auburn, LSU, Arkansas, Ole Miss and Texas A&M all looking competitive for 2015, it’s possible — maybe even likely — a Prescott-less Bulldogs team could finish worse than fifth in the SEC West.
Drew Laing (@DLaingSDS): Dylan Thompson

Although Thompson wasn’t the best quarterback in the SEC, South Carolina simply has no experience behind him. Wide receiver Pharoh Cooper had as many passing attempts as the backup quarterback did combined during 2014 (8). So in 2015, South Carolina will go from one of the program’s most productive quarterbacks in a single season to who knows what. The lack of options behind Thompson has led some fans to speculate whether Cooper would make for a better option at QB in 2015. Never a good sign.
Jason Hall (@JasonHallSDS): Amari Cooper, Blake Sims

I think it’s Alabama. When you lose seniors like Amari Cooper and Blake Sims, it’s going to be a tall task to find an immediate replacement. The jury is still out on Jacob Coker, who was expected to beat out Sims for the starting job. We’ll have to see whether he is the right fit for the Tide’s offense. With Cooper, Alabama looks to replace the conference’ top player. But it doesn’t end there. The Tide also needs to account for it’s second and third leading wideouts in DeAndrew White and Christion Jones. The Tide, who consistently ranks in the top 5 for recruiting, should have enough talent to win next season. However, it will be a major task replacing it’s best offensive players.
Ethan Levine (@EthanLevineSDS): Blake Sims
I sense that fans and media members expect Jacob Coker to step in as Alabama’s quarterback and pick up right where Sims left off. And he might. He’s had a year to watch and learn, and he’s been among the most touted quarterback prospects of the last five years since he began his college career. But there’s a reason Sims edged Coker for the starting job this season, and there’s a reason we’ve hardly seen Coker since the start of the year. Lane Kiffin obviously saw something in Sims that let him know Sims could take his offense to new heights, and he was right. It doesn’t appear as if he sees that same quality in Coker, at least not yet, and Alabama’s offense stands to regress early next season with Sims gone and Coker under center.
Brett Weisband (@WeisbandSDS): Nick Marshall
Jeremy Johnson might be very good next year, but he’s not going to be Nick Marshall. Johnson is more of a natural pocket passer, which will remove the very dangerous dynamic that Marshall brought to the field. Gus Malzahn will no doubt be able to adapt his game plans, but things are going to look different on the Plains without Marshall’s game-breaking running ability. Taking away the threat of Marshall running will allow teams to key on the running back option in the zone-read. Auburn may have to become more of a vertical offense when it loses the key component to its rushing attack.

Yawn...

Winston cleared in conduct hearing-sbnation