Ranking SEC Coaches....from Saturday Down South

The SEC is in search of its eighth straight BCS National Championship in 2013. While they have some dominant and dynamic players, they also have some nasty coaching staffs, the best the country has to offer.

College football is much different than the NFL. College demands a top coaching staff that can make in-game decisions and recruit lights out, while the NFL is all about the dynamic quarterback.

Let’s get it…
1. Alabama

Head coach: Nick Saban
Coordinators: OC Doug Nussmeier, DC Kirby Smart
Buzz: Three national championships in the past four seasons speak for themselves. Does it speak to the chasm between the No. 1 and No. 2 coaching staffs? You bet it does. Defensive coordinator Kirby Smart has guided the Tide to only allow 11.75 points per game in five years. Doug Nussmeier’s 2012 offense averaged the most points in the Saban era, with 38.71 per game. And we haven’t even started talking about veterans Bobby Williams, Chris Rumph, Mario Cristobal or Burton Burns yet. This staff is loaded, much like the roster.
2. South Carolina

Head coach: Steve Spurrier
Coordinators: OC Steve Spurrier, DC Lorenzo Ward
Buzz: Several worried that when Ellis Johnson left Carolina the defense would take a step back. But in fact, it didn’t skip a beat with Lorenzo Ward. Steve Spurrier guides the offense and does the main play calling, because he’s incredible and enjoys running it up on Georgia, among other teams. The Gamecocks’ nitty-gritty, hit-you-in-the-mouth offense and defense are not something we are not used to seeing from Spurrier, nor do we expect it. Deke Adams becomes the Gamecocks’ only new coach in 2013, taking over the defensive line. QB coach GA Mangus is an up-and-coming offensive mind.
3. LSU

Head coach: Les Miles
Coordinators: OC Cam Cameron, DC John Chavis
Buzz: Whether you think Les Miles is an underachiever or not, his coaching staff is stacked. Cam Cameron takes over the offense and brings QB and NFL experience with him, while John Chavis continues to excel as the defensive coordinator. Chavis’ defense has allowed 15.74 points per game since 2009. I also love running backs coach Frank Wilson as a coach and a recruiter, and defensive backs coach Corey Raymond is a great teacher, too.
4. Georgia

Head coach: Mark Richt
Coordinators: OC Mike Bobo, DC Todd Grantham
Buzz: Georgia’s offense under Mike Bobo is always criticized, but he shut mouths in 2012, as the offense averaged 37.79 points per game. Todd Grantham gets a lot of ink for being a great coordinator, but his defenses have virtually performed the same as Willie Martinez’s. Grantham’s defenses have given up 20.73 points per game, while Martinez’s gave up 20.92 per game. Maybe new defensive line coach Chris Wilson will get the defensive front to maximize its capability, something that was criticized under Rodney Garner.
5. Texas A&M

Head coach: Kevin Sumlin
Coordinators: Co-OC Jake Spavital, Co-OC Clarence McKinney, DC Mark Snyder
Buzz: Kevin Sumlin lost the hottest assistant coach in the country in Kliff Kingsbury, and he turned right around and hired the next Kliff Kinsbury, Jake Spavital. Everyone thought TAMU’s defense would be terrible in 2012, but Mark Snyder made everyone believers. If you’re still not convinced of Clarence McKinney after he called the Cotton Bowl plays, you need to check your pulse. I love Sumlin, but I love his staff more. The Aggies have four new coaches for 2013.
6. Florida

Head coach: Will Muschamp
Coordinators: OC Brent Pease, DC DJ Durkin
Buzz: You can say Florida wasn’t that great in 2012 and wonder how they won 11 games, but you’re wasting your time. This staff is very strong, even with the loss of Dan Quinn to the NFL. Brent Pease’s offense isn’t sexy, but he lines up with so many formations it makes coaches’ heads swim. DJ Durkin replaces Quinn, and he’s been groomed for this position, while leading arguably the top special teams unit in the country. The addition of WR coach Joker Phillips and DL coach Brad Lawing were two of the best off-season coaching hires for any staff.
7. Vanderbilt

Head coach: James Franklin
Coordinators: OC John Donovan, DC Bob Shoop
Buzz: Vanderbilt’s staff is very underrated. I’m a James Franklin believer, and he and his staff have transformed the Commodores in just two seasons. John Donovan has had success with the offense, but defensive coordinator Bob Shoop may be one of the most underrated coaches in the country. The Dores’ defense finished fifth in the league in total defense in 2012. And offensive line coach Herb Hand is a master chef, just another reason to like this staff. This is the only SEC staff that remained 100 percent intact for 2013.
8. Arkansas

Head coach: Bret Bielema
Coordinators: OC Jim Chaney, DC Chris Ash
Buzz: Granted, Arkansas’ staff has yet to coach or win an SEC game together, but on paper, this staff is talented and experienced. Chris Ash had good defenses at Wisconsin, and Randy Shannon coaches the linebackers. Former Tennessee offensive coordinator Jim Chaney takes over the offense, and it’ll be an interesting gel between Bielema, who’s very pro-style minded, and Chaney, who has a very throw-it-around-the-yard style. But the best position coach may be offensive line coach Sam Pittman, who led the Vols to have the fewest sacks in the SEC last season.
9. Ole Miss

Head coach: Hugh Freeze
Coordinators: Co-OC Dan Werner, Co-OC Matt Luke, DC Dave Wommack
Buzz: Hats off to Hugh Freeze and his staff. They can coach, and they can recruit. The 2-10 to 7-6 turnaround was fun to watch, and you can tell the players have really bought into the staff and believe in them. The only new staffer Freeze hired was cornerbacks coach Jason Jones for Wesley McGriff, who left for the New Orleans Saints. The offensive duties split between Dan Werner and Matt Luke, while Dave Wommack heads up the defense. We’ll see what Year 2 brings.
10. Auburn

Head coach: Gus Malzahn
Coordinators: OC Rhett Lashlee, DC Ellis Johnson
Buzz: I love the makeup of this coaching staff. Gus Malzahn tabbed one of his protégé’s Rhett Lashlee from Arkansas State, and seasoned veteran Ellis Johnson takes over the defense. Dameyune Craig, Melvin Smith, Charlie Harbison and Rodney Garner were massive hires for Malzahn, and we’ve already seen the dividends paid through recruiting. Now, let’s see how good they can be on the field.
11. Missouri

Head coach: Gary Pinkel
Coordinators: OC Josh Henson, DC Dave Steckel
Buzz: Gary Pinkel tabbed co-O-line coach Josh Henson to take over for David Yost, and Dave Steckel continues coordinating an underrated defense. Pinkel has won 90 games at Missouri, and we’ll see what kind of adjustments he and his staff make in 2013. Defensive line coach Craig Kuligowski and running backs coach Brian Jones have been with Pinkel since he started in 2001.
12. Mississippi State

Head coach: Dan Mullen
Coordinators: OC Les Koenning, DC Geoff Collins
Buzz: Dan Mullen has six staffers who have been with him since 2009, namely offensive coordinator Les Koenning. Koenning’s offense was boring and average down the 2012 stretch and needs a revival, while Geoff Collins takes over the defense in his first season as the official coordinator. Former Florida and LSU receiver coach Billy Gonzalez joins the staff for 2013, replacing Tim Brewster.
13. Tennessee

Head coach: Butch Jones
Coordinators: OC Mike Bajakian, DC John Jancek
Buzz: Butch Jones brings a winning resume to Knoxville. Mike Bajakian takes over an offense that lost star talent but has a strong O-line. The defense will get better just by John Jancek putting them in the correct formation, as he switches the 3-4 for a 4-3 scheme. Outside of defensive backs coach Willie Martinez, who used to be the defensive coordinator for Georgia, you may not recognize many other names.
14. Kentucky

Head coach: Mark Stoops
Coordinators: OC Neal Brown, DC DJ Eliot
Buzz: Stoops’ signature hire was offensive coordinator Neal Brown. Brown’s spread-‘em-out and throw-it-around Air Raid is difficult to prepare for, and it will give teams trouble this season. Stoops brought DJ Eliot with him from FSU to coach his defense as a first-year coordinator. The staff isn’t proven, but they’ve proven they can recruit and get talent in a short amount of time

Second Show In The Archives

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Riley Cooper and Tim Tebow

Good to see them together. And, I am hopeful that Riley can put this behind him. Second chances everyone....

Pat Forde's Intriguing Top Ten 25 College Quarterback List....Hmm, No Driskel

1. Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M. If you don't know why he tops this list, you may want to start following curling instead of football.

2. A.J. McCarron, Alabama. Has a chance to go where no quarterback has gone before, being the starting QB on three straight national titlists. McCarron has often been at his best in the past two BCS championship games, and was highly clutch in the winning drive at LSU last year. He also comes with a girlfriend who made Brent Musberger foam at the mouth on national TV, and a chest tattoo that even Birdman Andersen would find impressive. The only player in America who makes him look dull is Manziel.

3. Braxton Miller, Ohio State. Which starting quarterback has the longest active winning streak in the country? This guy. The Buckeyes went 12-0 last year and have a chance to add 14 more consecutive victories this season – if Miller continues his improvement in the user-friendly Urban Meyer spread offense. The dual-threat junior has nearly 5,300 yards total offense in two seasons, with plenty more to come this year.

Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, should be a top Heisman contender. (AP)4. Teddy Bridgewater, Louisville. Can a guy from a middling league playing a weak schedule actually win theHeisman Trophy? Bridgewater has a chance. Probably the most pro-ready QB in the country, Teddy Ballgamehas both the tangibles (accuracy, velocity, athletic ability) and the intangibles (great under pressure, physical toughness, leadership ability). If only he had a marquee opponent for a potential Heisman Moment – but an undefeated season and big stats may offset that disadvantage.

5. Tommy Rees, Notre Dame. He's been all over the map with coach Brian Kelly: starter, bench jockey, suspended, reinstated, expendable spare part, irreplaceable relief pitcher. Now, after the academic dismissal of starter Everett Golson, Rees returns to the starting job for his senior year and takes over a team with a solid chance of replicating last year's success – if he comes through. Rees has to be ready right away, because the front half of the Notre Dame schedule is loaded.

6. Marcus Mariota, Oregon. Teammate Kenjon Barner finished in the Heisman voting top 10 last year, but Mariota might have been the more indispensible Duck. He threw for 32 touchdowns and just six interceptions, and ran for 752 yards and five more TDs. Mariota gets a new head coach this year but a familiar face in promoted offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich. Expect the pyrotechnic Oregon offense to remain the same, and Mariota to be its leading man.

7. Zach Mettenberger, LSU. The Tigers might have been a quarterback away from national title contention last year – and Mettenberger was that quarterback. Hugely touted coming out of junior college, he has the size and arm strength of an NFL QB but often looked bewildered when facing the speed and complexity of SEC defenses last year. But there was the flash of hope when Mettenberger lit up Alabama, and if new offensive coordinator Cam Cameron can build on that then LSU will again have a chance to win the SEC West.

8. Aaron Murray, Georgia. Murray came back for a fifth season in part to get the bitter taste of the SEC championship game defeat out of his mouth, after the Bulldogs came up five yards and five seconds short of upsetting kingpin Alabama. For a four-year starter, Murray has endured plenty of ups and downs with the Georgia faithful, including the knuckleheads who egged his house after the Bulldogs lost to South Carolina last year. Murray has his best-ever supporting cast on offense now; can it translate into an SEC title?

9. Tajh Boyd, Clemson. Another guy who turned down the pros for a shot at greater college glory. Boyd and the Tigers get Georgia and ACC rival Florida State in Death Valley, giving them a chance to produce a body of work heading into November that has the team in national title contention and Boyd a Heisman front-runner.

10. Casey Pachall, TCU. Last we saw Pachall in game action, he was leading the Horned Frogs to a 4-0 start last year. Then came a DUI, a season suspension, a stint in a substance-abuse clinic and a 7-6 record for the team left behind. Pachall says he has come back wiser and more mature, and he figures to be TCU's starting quarterback when the Horned Frogs open against LSU in Arlington. If Pachall handles this second chance well, it will be one of the better stories of 2013.

The Longhorns' fortunes will rest largely on the arm of QB David Ash. (Getty Images)11. David Ash, Texas. One of the biggest reasons behind the Longhorns' slide from elite status has been their slide in quarterback production from the Vince Young-Colt McCoy days. Some of that falls on Ash, who has been pretty good but rarely great over the past two years. If Ash can make the good-to-great leap this season, with a full complement of experienced backs, receivers and linemen around him, Texas may rise back into the top Ten. At least.

12. Devin Gardner, Michigan. The Denard Robinson Era is finally over, and while it was a lot of fun, it ultimately was a limited venture. That's why the Wolverines began transitioning to Gardner last season and will hand him complete control of a more versatile and balanced offense this season. Gardner's polished passing skills should mesh well with the preferred offense of coordinator Al Borges. There is a lot of youth surrounding Gardner, but it helps to have All-America left tackle Taylor Lewan watching his back.

13. Blake Bell, Oklahoma. Can the 6-foot-6, 263-pound Belldozer evolve from short-yardage novelty act to fulltime quarterback? That's the key question for a Sooners offense that spent most of the previous four years with Landry Jones calling signals. Bell hasn't proven he can throw and hasn't been guaranteed the starting job just yet, but if he gets it, he should surpass Logan Thomas of Virginia Tech as the World's Largest Starting Quarterback.

14. Jameis Winston, Florida State. The Seminoles' championship aspirations rest largely on the shoulders of a quarterback who has not yet played a down as a collegian. Winston was breathlessly recruited out of Hueytown, Ala., turning down the SEC for Tallahassee, and, after a redshirt season, is ready to join a long line of star QBs at Florida State. But he needs to be good immediately, especially since backup QB Clint Trickett bailed for the starting job at West Virginia.

15. Jacob Karam, Memphis. You may wonder why a pretty good quarterback from a 4-8 team is on this list. Watch this video clip and you'll understand why.

16. TBD, USC. No pressure, kids, but whoever starts at quarterback for the Trojans may hold the key to Lane Kiffin's job security. It could be sophomore Cody Kessler, who had the superior spring, or it could be sophomore Max Wittek, who has the superior physical gifts. Wittek was thrown into the fire against Notre Dame last year after the injury to Matt Barkley, and showcased some dazzling physical talent. But his Sun Bowl performance against Georgia Tech was pretty much a disaster, so the job opened up. And remains open.

17. Clint Chelf, Oklahoma State. He is living proof that perseverance can pay off in sports. Chelf entered spring 2012 as the likely starter and wound up third string by kickoff last September. But when the two guys ahead of him got hurt, Chelf finally got the call in the last month of the season and took over the job. Original 2012 starter Wes Lunt transferred and backup J.W. Walsh returned to backup status. Chelf is, at last, the man this August in Stillwater.

Taylor Martinez hopes to improve upon the 23 TDs he threw last season for Nebraska. (Getty Images)

18. Taylor Martinez, Nebraska. It only seems like Martinez has been quarterbacking the Cornhuskers since the Osborne Era. His fourth and final year as the starting QB in Lincoln gives us one more chance to debate whether T-Magic is a good enough passer to win a Big Ten championship, or a slightly different Denard Robinson. Martinez improved his accuracy appreciably last year and threw a career-high 23 touchdowns – equaling the total from his first two years combined. But he also threw a career-high 12 interceptions and was sacked a career-high 34 times.

19. Brett Hundley, UCLA. He was one of the revelations of 2012, emerging as a redshirt freshman to throw for more than 300 yards in three of his first four games – including an upset of Nebraska. By the time Hundley was done, he'd thrown for 3,740 yards and 29 touchdowns, leading the Bruins to their most victories in seven seasons. With the loss of star running back Johnathan Franklin and several experienced receivers, even more will be on his shoulders this year.

20. Jordan Lynch, Northern Illinois. The only returning player who averaged more yards per game in total offense last season is Johnny Football. The MAC version, Jordan Football, was just short of 5,000 yards running and passing last season, leading the Huskies to a previously inconceivable BCS bowl berth. Lynch's limitations were exposed in that game by Florida State, but he still will be very difficult for less-talented defenses to contain in 2013.

21. Kain Colter, Northwestern. There is no diva in Colter, who willingly – and sometimes voluntarily – gave up snaps last year to better passer Trevor Siemian. That's how Colter wound up seeing time at wide receiver, catching 16 passes. He also ran for nearly 900 yards and 12 touchdowns. If the passing is improved (872 yards, eight touchdowns, four interceptions, 68 percent accuracy), Colter might get almost every snap at QB this time around.

22. Derek Carr, Fresno State. He's emerged from the shadow of big brother David, the former Fresno star and No. 1 overall NFL draft pick. Last year Carr was one of nine FBS quarterbacks to throw for more than 4,000 yards, leading the Bulldogs to a nine-win season. With another season like that from Carr, Fresno will have a say in who wins the Mountain West.

23. Connor Shaw, South Carolina. Playing quarterback for Steve Spurrier means you're always one play away from the doghouse. However, Spurrier has consistently said that Shaw is his starter on what might be the Head Ball Coach's most prolific passing team in nine years at the school. Shaw has endured injuries and demotions with aplomb and should be poised for a big senior season.

24. Kevin Hogan, Stanford. His late-season emergence as a freshman saved Stanford's 2012 season, helping lead the Cardinal to a BCS championship game-ruining upset of Oregon in Eugene and to a Rose Bowl victory. With the loss of 1,500-yard rusher Stepfan Taylor and the Cardinal's top three receivers, Hogan will have to be even better as a sophomore.

25. Tyler Tettleton, Ohio. Son of former big-league catcher Mickey Tettleton earned his own place in the spotlight by leading the Bobcats to a season-opening upset of Penn State, on the way to a 9-4 record and a romp in the Independence Bowl. Tettleton will get the chance for a second straight opening-weekend statement victory when Ohio faces Louisville Sept. 1.

Just missed the list: Taylor Kelly, Arizona State; Joe Southwick, Boise State; Logan Thomas, Virginia Tech; Chuckie Keeton, Utah State; Clint Trickett, West Virginia; Jeff Driskel, Florida; Garrett Gilbert, SMU; Rakeem Cato, Marshall; Stephen Morris, Miami; Bryn Renner, North Carolina; Brendon Kay, Cincinnati; Keith Price, Washington.

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Riley Cooper...I Hope He Gets Second Chance

I found this article on NFL.com and it really hits home with me. I am on the same accord as Mike Pouncey. He just made a terrible mistake. I really don't think racism and bigotry is the problem for Riley...

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Riley Cooper has been excused from team activities after it became clear that his presence would be a divisive one in the wake of a racially insensitive comment he made at a Kenny Chesney concert.

Miami Dolphins center Mike Pouncey is now coming to the defense of his former Florida Gators teammate.

"I spent three years in college with him. I feel bad for him. That's not Riley Cooper," Pouncey told NFL.com's Jeff Darlington on Friday. "I know him. I know his family. I wasn't offended by it because I know him. It's just an ugly situation, and I really feel bad for him. I'll reach out to him eventually -- but I want things to die down. I don't want to be one of those guys trying to give him advice."

Pouncey can sympathize with Cooper after the controversy ignited by the "Free Hernandez" hats that he and his twin brother, Maurkice, donned in support of another troubled former Florida teammate.

"I know what he's going through right now. ... One mistake can really hurt," Pouncey explained. "I know he's disgusted with himself -- and I just hope he gets through it. It feels like the lowest point of your career. You're thinking, 'I can't believe I'm that guy who made that mistake.' You don't want to be that guy."

The support from Pouncey, former teammate Cullen Jenkins and current Eagles teammates Michael Vick and Jason Avant suggests the larger problem with Cooper might be shattering the intoxication barrier as opposed to outright bigotry.