aubiefifty

hey man i did not see this and posted in my articles thread. apologies but they seldom discuss articles on the threads

cam

athlonsports.com SEC Football 2023 Predictions Steven Lassan 13–17 minutes The path to a 2023 college football national championship and SEC title once again runs through Athens. After winning back-to-back CFB Playoff titles, coach Kirby Smart's squad isn't showing any signs of slowing down and has the next wave of reinforcements poised to fill any gaps left behind by standouts Stetson Bennett IV, Jalen Carter and Broderick Jones. But the Bulldogs will face resistance from Alabama and LSU in the SEC, with Tennessee up next from the East Division. The SEC boasts a strong middle class in '23, headlined by an improved Texas A&M squad, along with Kentucky, South Carolina, Arkansas, Ole Miss, Auburn and Mississippi State. Florida and Missouri should be fighting for a winning season and bowl trip, while Vanderbilt could take another step forward in its third year under coach Clark Lea. How does Athlon Sports project the SEC for 2023? Steven Lassan predicts and ranks all 14 teams in SEC for this fall: East Division 1. Georgia Repeating as national champion for the third year in a row won't be easy, but Georgia is the overwhelming favorite to win it all in '23. Although both sides of the ball lost key talent, it's hard to worry too much with a roster that's loaded with blue-chip talent. Coordinator Todd Monken will be missed, but Mike Bobo isn't expected to stray too far from the gameplan that transformed Georgia's offense into one of the best in the SEC. Carson Beck left spring practice as the frontrunner to replace Stetson Bennett at quarterback and has the nation's best tight end (Brock Bowers) at his disposal. The arrival of transfers Dominic Lovett (Missouri) and RaRa Thomas (Mississippi State) give the Bulldogs even more weapons at receiver. Coach Kirby Smart lost another wave of stars from a suffocating defense (Nolan Smith, Jalen Carter, Kelee Ringo and Christopher Smith), but don't expect this unit to miss a beat. The next group of standouts is ready to emerge, which includes lineman Mykel Williams, safety Malaki Starks and linebackers Jamon Dumas-Johnson and Smael Mondon. Related: College Football's Post-Spring Top 25 for 2023 2. Tennessee After posting double-digit wins for the first time since 2007, the next step for Tennessee is to close the gap to Georgia in the SEC East. That won't be easy this fall with quarterback Hendon Hooker and receivers Jalin Hyatt and Cedric Tillman topping the list of key departures. However, coach Josh Heupel's squad still has a good foundation in place, and the team's high-powered offense should be in good hands with either Joe Milton or Nico Iamaleava at the controls. Bru McCoy and Squirrel White should help to fill the void left behind by Hyatt and Tillman. Improving the defense was a priority after this unit gave up 29.1 points a game in '21, and coordinator Tim Banks has this unit going in the right direction after they held teams to 22.8 a contest last fall. However, similar to the offense, the defense has a few key personnel losses to overcome (end Byron Young and safety Trevon Flowers) that will test the ability to take another step forward. 3. Kentucky A sluggish offense (20.4 points a game) was primarily to blame for last year's regression to 7-6. But coach Mark Stoops wasted no time in fixing this unit, as he was able to lure former play-caller Liam Coen back to Lexington and landed Devin Leary as a transfer from NC State to replace Will Levis at quarterback. Leary is throwing to one of the SEC's top trios at receiver - Tayvion Robinson, Barion Brown and Dane Key - and there's optimism for the line to rebound after struggling mightily last fall thanks to a couple of transfers. Defense certainly wasn't the problem for Kentucky in '22, as this unit limited teams to 19.2 points a contest. Losing lineman Justin Rogers to transfer was a setback, but the linebacker unit should rank among the best in the SEC, and Stoops should effectively fill the voids to keep this group performing at a high level. Related: College Football 2023 Preseason All-America Team 4. South Carolina Shane Beamer's program has exceeded preseason expectations two years in a row and finished last season by knocking off a pair of highly-ranked teams in Tennessee and Clemson. If the Gamecocks are going to pick up where they left off, it starts with new play-caller Dowell Loggains putting more of the offensive controls in the hands of quarterback Spencer Rattler. Depth is thin at running back, so all-purpose threat Dakereon Joyner will have to shoulder some of the work on the ground. Juice Wells is one of the nation's top receivers, while Arkansas transfer Trey Knox could emerge as a big-time threat at tight end. The offensive line is a major concern going into the fall after Jaylen Nichols suffered a significant injury in the spring. Stopping the run (13th in the SEC last year) is an area in need of improvement for defensive signal-caller Clayton White. Also, the secondary must replace standout cornerback Cam Smith. Just as it was in '22, look for South Carolina's special teams to be an x-factor in close games. 5. Florida With quarterback Anthony Richardson off to the NFL, a Florida team that's in rebuild mode could be lucky just to get to a bowl in 2023. Second-year coach Billy Napier didn't inherit a program that could be fixed overnight, so this fall could be another struggle before a step forward in '24. Wisconsin transfer Graham Mertz had an uneven career in Madison but transferred to Gainesville for a fresh start and a chance to replace Richardson. The strength of the '23 offense resides in the backfield with Trevor Etienne and Montrell Johnson returning. Standout guard O'Cyrus Torrence will be missed in the trenches, and the Gators also need to identify a couple of playmakers to take some of the pressure off of Ricky Pearsall at receiver. New coordinator Austin Armstrong is tasked with improving a defense that ranked near the bottom of the SEC in yards per play allowed (5.92), points allowed (28.8) and struggled to stop the run (175.2 yards per contest). Only four starters are back, so similar to the '22 unit, this group could be a work in progress throughout the upcoming season. Related: SEC Football 2023 All-Conference Team 6. Missouri If coach Eli Drinkwitz and new play-caller Kirby Moore can elevate the offense (24.8 points a game last season), then Missouri could easily exceed this preseason prediction. That's largely due to a defense that was the biggest surprise in the conference last year, holding teams to 25.2 points a game behind new coordinator Blake Baker. With eight starters back, a strong foundation remains on this side of the ball, including cornerbacks Kris Abrams-Draine and Ennis Rakestraw and linebacker Ty'Ron Hopper. Reloading at end with Trajan Jeffcoat and Isaiah McGuire off to the NFL tops the list of concerns for Baker. Brady Cook missed spring practice due to shoulder surgery, but he's slated to return this fall as the No. 1 quarterback with Miami transfer Jake Garcia pushing for time. Receiver Luther Burden is primed for a breakout season after a solid freshman campaign. But in addition to getting more out of Cook or Garcia at quarterback, Missouri needs improved play in the trenches to exceed last year's six wins. 7. Vanderbilt The Commodores just missed a bowl in coach Clark Lea's second year at the helm. Getting to six wins and the postseason will hinge on just how far quarterback A.J. Swann can develop after a promising freshman year, as well as continuing to improve up front in the trenches. Standout running back Ray Davis transferred to Kentucky, but the Commodores are set at receiver thanks to the return of Jayden McGowan and Will Sheppard. Vanderbilt's defense has ranked last in the SEC in points allowed in each of the last two seasons and surrendered nearly 40 points a contest (39.8) in conference action last fall. Seven starters are back, but Anfernee Orji's departure to the NFL is a big loss. West Division 1. Alabama It's a toss up between Alabama and LSU at the top of the SEC West. With the game in Tuscaloosa next fall, a slight edge goes to the Crimson Tide at No. 1. But coach Nick Saban's team also possesses more question marks than usual, so this won't be an easy path to the SEC title game. The post-spring arrival of Notre Dame transfer Tyler Buchner adds to a quarterback battle featuring Jalen Milroe and Ty Simpson. Until the offense stabilizes behind a new QB and play-caller Tommy Rees, expect this unit to lean heavily on a deep stable of backs and a solid line featuring preseason All-American JC Latham at tackle. The defense has a new play-caller (Kevin Steele) and must replace standout linebacker Will Anderson and a couple of key cogs in the secondary. Talent isn't the issue for Saban's team. How fast does this all come together? Related: College Football's Post-Spring Top 25 for 2023 2. LSU There's very little separation between LSU and Alabama in Athlon's SEC predictions for '23. The Bayou Bengals have to travel to Tuscaloosa to take on the Crimson Tide, but it wouldn't be a surprise to see coach Brian Kelly's team follow up last year's division title with another one this fall. Quarterback Jayden Daniels should be more comfortable in his second season in Kelly's scheme, and the offensive line should emerge as a strength after struggling in '22. Led by Malik Nabers and tight end Mason Taylor, the Tigers have one of the SEC's top receiving corps. A defense that limited offenses to 22.5 points a game last season will be even better up front with the return of Maason Smith from a knee injury that cost him most of last year. Also, linebacker Harold Perkins is poised to cause even more havoc as a sophomore. For the second season in a row, the secondary is undergoing a massive overhaul. But thanks to a couple of key transfer additions, LSU should eventually find the right mix on the back end. Related: SEC Football 2023 All-Conference Team 3. Texas A&M The Aggies started '22 as a preseason top-10 team but slumped to a disappointing 5-7 record as one of the nation's biggest underachievers. However, if the hire of former Arkansas head coach Bobby Petrino to take offensive play-calling duties from coach Jimbo Fisher works out, this team could rebound quickly into the top 25. Petrino inherits a rising star at quarterback in Conner Weigman, along with a trio of receivers - Ainias Smith, Evan Stewart and Moose Muhammad III - that's as good as any team in the SEC. Five-star freshman Rueben Owens will help fill the void left by Devon Achane at running back. In addition to the overall development (and better play-calling) by Petrino, the Aggies need the offensive line to improve after an uneven '22 campaign. Texas A&M's young defense struggled to stop the run (14th in the SEC) last year but still limited teams to 21.2 points a game. Talent isn't the issue, and with another season to development, that youth and inexperience should turn into production (and a better defense). Related: College Football 2023 Preseason All-America Team 4. Ole Miss After a 7-0 start, the Rebels fizzled down the stretch with a 1-5 finish last season. Coach Lane Kiffin hopes another strong class of transfers on both sides of the ball, combined with the arrival of new defensive coordinator Pete Golding, helps this program reach the next level in '23. After a good start, the Rebels regressed defensively last year and allowed over 30 points a game from November through the bowl loss at Texas Tech. Jaxson Dart had a solid debut in Oxford last fall, but Kiffin and the offensive staff brought in transfers Spencer Sanders (Oklahoma State) and Walker Howard (LSU) to push him this offseason. Dart held off a challenge in the spring, but the battle resumes in the fall. Quinshon Judkins returns as one of the nation's top running backs after a standout freshman campaign, and the additions of Tre Harris (Louisiana Tech) and Zakhari Franklin (UTSA) solidified a thin receiving corps. 5. Arkansas With quarterback KJ Jefferson and running back Rocket Sanders returning, scoring points won't be a problem for Arkansas. However, the Razorbacks need to make massive improvement on defense to challenge for a spot in the top three of the SEC West. New coordinator Travis Williams and coach Sam Pittman hit the portal hard for help, bringing in over 10 players to improve a unit that allowed 30.6 points a contest last year. New offensive coordinator Dan Enos also has to navigate some turnover along the line and at receiver, but Jefferson's return should help to ease the transition at those spots. Related: 5 College Football Teams Poised to Rebound in 2023 6. Mississippi State New coach Zach Arnett put his own stamp on the program this offseason by hiring Kevin Barbay as the team's new play-caller and indicating a shift away from the Air Raid attack. The Bulldogs are likely to aim for a little more balance under Barbay, but make no mistake: The offense still runs through quarterback Will Rogers. Arnett handed the defensive signal-calling duties to Matt Brock and little is expected to change from a unit that held teams to 23.1 points per contest last year. Led by Jett Johnson and Nathaniel Watson, Mississippi State's linebacker unit should rank among the best in the SEC. Related: Which New Coach is Poised for the Most Success in 2023? 7. Auburn The SEC West is brutal, but expect a much-improved Auburn team under first-year coach Hugh Freeze. Transfer portal usage is a big reason why the Tigers should at least make a bowl in Freeze's debut. Auburn's haul ranks among the best in the nation, which includes three potential starters on a thin offensive line, a starting quarterback (Payton Thorne) and help at receiver and on defense. Jumpstarting a sluggish passing attack and offense (24.8 points a game) is a priority for Freeze and coordinator Philip Montgomery. And on defense, new play-caller Ron Roberts has a solid secondary to build around, but the Tigers have to improve versus the run (172.7 yards a game allowed in '22). SEC Championship: Georgia over Alabama Podcast: Complete Top 25 Breakdown and Rankings Debate

sports.yahoo.com Athlon Sports drops its preseason SEC outlook. Where’s Auburn? Taylor Jones 9–11 minutes Auburn fans have plenty of hope heading into the 2023 season. Hugh Freeze has brought in new ideas and a revamped roster thanks to the transfer portal. Is it enough for publications across the country to start giving Auburn higher expectations than in recent years? At least one has not bought into the hype. Athlon Sports recently released its preseason SEC outlook, which includes a prediction of the SEC standings. The Auburn Tigers are dead last. Low expectations are a good thing for Auburn. The Tigers will have plenty of fresh, new faces on both sides of the ball, and it will give Freeze and staff time to build momentum without possible scrutiny. Here’s how Athlon Sports is projecting the SEC West to shake out this season. Alabama Alabama’s success in 2023 will hinge on quarterback play. Jalen Milroe, Ty Simpson and Notre Dame transfer Tyler Buchner will compete for the starting job. The winning candidate will not only be tasked with getting Alabama back into the College Football Playoff, but will have to lead the Tide to wins over LSU and the inevitable matchup with Georgia at the SEC championship. Athlon Sports’ take: It’s a toss-up between Alabama and LSU at the top of the SEC West. With the game in Tuscaloosa next fall, a slight edge goes to the Crimson Tide at No. 1. But coach Nick Saban’s team also possesses more question marks than usual, so this will not be an easy path to the SEC title game. The post-spring arrival of Notre Dame transfer Tyler Buchner adds to a quarterback battle featuring Jalen Milroe and Ty Simpson. Until the offense stabilizes behind a new QB and play-caller Tommy Rees, expect this unit to lean heavily on a deep stable of backs and a solid line featuring preseason All-American JC Latham at tackle. The defense has a new play-caller (Kevin Steele) and must replace standout linebacker Will Anderson and a couple of key cogs in the secondary. Talent isn’t the issue for Saban’s team. How fast does this all come together? For more news on Alabama football, visit Roll Tide Wire. LSU Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports LSU surprised the college football world in 2022 by upsetting Alabama on its way to an SEC West championship. The Tigers return a great roster, with their only roadblock being a road trip to Tuscaloosa in November. If LSU can escape Bryant-Denny Stadium with a victory, expect them to cruise into Atlanta. Athlon Sports’ take: There’s very little separation between LSU and Alabama in Athlon’s SEC predictions for ’23. The Bayou Bengals have to travel to Tuscaloosa to take on the Crimson Tide, but it wouldn’t be a surprise to see coach Brian Kelly’s team follow up last year’s division title with another one this fall. Quarterback Jayden Daniels should be more comfortable in his second season in Kelly’s scheme, and the offensive line should emerge as a strength after struggling in ’22. Led by Malik Nabers and tight end Mason Taylor, the Tigers have one of the SEC’s top receiving corps. A defense that limited offenses to 22.5 points a game last season will be even better up front with the return of Maason Smith from a knee injury that cost him most of last year. Also, linebacker Harold Perkins is poised to cause even more havoc as a sophomore. For the second season in a row, the secondary is undergoing a massive overhaul. But thanks to a couple of key transfer additions, LSU should eventually find the right mix on the back end. For more LSU football news, check out LSU Tigers Wire. Texas A&M Texas A&M is third in Athlon Sports’ preseason predictions. Are they worthy of it? The Aggies found success in the early days of its transition to the SEC but have yet to win 10 games under head coach Jimbo Fisher. Who knows? Maybe this will be the year that Texas A&M gets it done, but are they better than Ole Miss or even Arkansas? Athlon Sports take: The Aggies started ’22 as a preseason top-10 team but slumped to a 5-7 record as one of the nation’s biggest underachievers. However, if the hire of former Arkansas head coach Bobby Petrino to take offensive play-calling duties from coach Jimbo Fisher works out, this team could rebound quickly into the top 25. Petrino inherits a rising star at quarterback in Conner Weigman, along with a trio of receivers — Ainias Smith, Evan Stewart and Moose Muhammad III — that’s as good as any team in the SEC. Five-star freshman Rueben Owens will help fill the void left by Devon Achane at running back. In addition to the overall development (and better play-calling) by Petrino, the Aggies need the offensive line to improve after an uneven ’22 campaign. Texas A&M’s young defense struggled to stop the run (14th in the SEC) last year but still limited teams to 21.2 points a game. Talent isn’t the issue, and with another season to development, that youth and inexperience should turn into production (and a better defense). For more news on Texas A&M football, visit Aggies Wire. Ole Miss Placing the Rebels ahead of Texas A&M appears to be a stretch, but there are several reasons this prediction makes sense. The Aggies have been waiting to win 10 games since Jimbo Fisher took over the program in 2018. Ole Miss also has the tendency of losing games when it matters most. Athlon Sports’ take: After a 7-0 start, the Rebels fizzled down the stretch with a 1-5 finish last season. Coach Lane Kiffin hopes another strong class of transfers on both sides of the ball, combined with the arrival of new defensive coordinator Pete Golding, helps this program reach the next level in ’23. After a good start, the Rebels regressed defensively last year and allowed over 30 points a game from November through the bowl loss at Texas Tech. Jaxson Dart had a solid debut in Oxford last fall, but Kiffin and the offensive staff brought in transfers Spencer Sanders (Oklahoma State) and Walker Howard (LSU) to push him this offseason. Dart held off a challenge in the spring, but the battle resumes in the fall. Quinshon Judkins returns as one of the nation’s top running backs after a standout freshman campaign, and the additions of Tre Harris (Louisiana Tech) and Zakhari Franklin (UTSA) solidified a thin receiving corps. Arkansas Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports After winning nine games in 2021, the Razorbacks had a letdown season in 2022 by winning just seven. Arkansas has plenty of talent to get to 10 wins, and may rise to the No. 3 spot in the west by the end of the season. Athlon Sports’ take: With quarterback KJ Jefferson and running back Rocket Sanders returning, scoring points will not be a problem for Arkansas. However, the Razorbacks need to make massive improvements on defense to challenge for a spot in the top three of the SEC West. New coordinator Travis Williams and coach Sam Pittman hit the portal hard for help, bringing in more than 10 players to improve a unit that allowed 30.6 points a contest last year. New offensive coordinator Dan Enos has to navigate some turnover along the line and at receiver, but Jefferson’s return should help to ease the transition at those spots. For more on Arkansas football, check out Razorbacks Wire. Mississippi State Mississippi State is one of two teams that will sport a new head coach in 2023. Zach Arnett takes his first head coaching job this season following the unfortunate passing of Mike Leach in December. The Bulldogs may have a new offensive scheme to mix in with an inexperienced head coach. Finishing sixth or seventh in the SEC while earning a bowl bid seems right for Mississippi State, but don’t expect too much more. Athlon Sports’ take: New coach Zach Arnett put his own stamp on the program this offseason by hiring Kevin Barbay as the team’s new play-caller and indicating a shift away from the Air Raid attack. The Bulldogs are likely to aim for a little more balance under Barbay, but make no mistake: The offense still runs through quarterback Will Rogers. Arnett handed the defensive signal-calling duties to Matt Brock and little is expected to change from a unit that held teams to 23.1 points per contest last year. Led by Jett Johnson and Nathaniel Watson, Mississippi State’s linebacker unit should rank among the best in the SEC. Auburn Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports Auburn slid to a 5-7 record last season, which led to the dismissal of Bryan Harsin. Now, Hugh Freeze has taken over and revamped the roster. There’s plenty of talent on The Plains, but a smooth transition period is needed for the Tigers to compete for the SEC crown. Depending on how quickly the transition happens, Auburn could realistically finish between three and seven in the SEC standings by the season’s end. Athlon Sports’ take: The SEC West is brutal, but expect a much-improved Auburn team under first-year coach Hugh Freeze. Transfer portal usage is a big reason why the Tigers should at least make a bowl in Freeze’s debut. Auburn’s haul ranks among the best in the nation, which includes three potential starters on a thin offensive line, a starting quarterback (Payton Thorne) and help at receiver and on defense. Jump-starting a sluggish passing attack and offense (24.8 points a game) is a priority for Freeze and coordinator Philip Montgomery. And on defense, new play-caller Ron Roberts has a solid secondary to build around, but the Tigers have to improve versus the run (172.7 yards a game allowed in ’22). Story originally appeared on Auburn Wire

Auburn football is keying in on Kensley Faustin Zac Blackerby ~3 minutes Kensley Faustin has tape that jumps out at you. His natural ability to pursue and high-point the football is elite when watching his 2022 tape. Primarily playing in the middle of the field at safety and nickel, Faustin showed off his ability to blanket receivers and force quarterbacks to make perfect throws in order for them to earn a completion. When the throw wasn't perfect, Faustin was great at getting a hand on the football. Recruiting expert Brian Smith joined Locked On Auburn to talk about Faustin and Auburn's chances with recruiting him. "He could be a safety or a corner. He can really run. He's just a raw kid, but that's what South Florida is famous for," Smith said. "Naples is about as far south as you go before you hit the ocean. He's a great kid too, and he's not somebody that's shy about competition. He will not have a difficult time adjusting to the Southeastern Conference. If he played at a different high school in a more populated area of Florida, he would probably be ranked a lot higher. With that being stated, I have full confidence that he can play in the SEC West. That's really all you need to know." Listed at 5-foot-10, 170-pounds, Faustin isn't the biggest defensive back on Auburn's radar but Smith isn't concerned about what he can offer defensively. "If you're going to play man coverage and just play bump all the time, you know, you can put him at nickel, you can do different things with him, but he's an explosive kid," Smith said. "So I'm not really worried about it. Yeah. Kids get hurt more often if they're smaller, but that's part of it at defensive back, man, you got to roll the dice with kids that have the hips and he can move." Faustin is expected to visit Auburn this weekend and will spend a lot of time with defensive back coaches Wesley McGriff and Zac Etheridge.

sports.yahoo.com Florida football in 3-way fight for 5-star Magnolia State EDGE Adam Dubbin ~2 minutes Billy Napier and the Florida Gators are still in the mix for one of the top edge defenders in the 2024 recruiting cycle despite a hyped-up recent official visit with a Southeastern Conference rival. Five-star prospect (per 24Sports) Jamonta Waller out of Picayune (Mississippi) Memorial paid a visit to the Auburn Tigers last weekend and came away impressed with Hugh Freeze’s program in the early goings. However, the Plainsmen are among the top three schools on the 6-foot-2-inch, 225-pound defender’s preferred programs list according to 247Sports — which also includes the Penn State Nittany Lions. That said, the Gators have been rising meteorically for the rising high school senior’s signature. “They hit me up every day, Coach Armstrong, Coach Mike Peterson, they came to my school like three times and made it know I’m the No. 1 priority for the Florida Gators” Waller said. He’ll take his official the weekend of June 16. “That’s going to be a huge visit too, I’m ready to get back over there.” Waller is rated at four stars and ranked No. 102 overall and No. at his position nationally according to the 247Sports composite while the On3 industry ranking also rates him at four stars and ranks him at Nos. 81 and 7, respectively. The Magnolia State product has one crystal ball projection from 247Sports for the Ole Miss Rebels and On3’s Recruiting Prediciton Machine agrees, giving them a 77% chance of landing him. Auburn, the Georgia Bulldogs and Florida follow behind, respectively, at 4.3%, 3.7% and 3.1%. Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions. Story originally appeared on Gators Wire

tennessean.com 15 SEC football games I want to see on 2024 schedule aside from obvious rivalries | Toppmeyer Blake Toppmeyer The SEC office gets to play matchmaker for the 2024 season, in exchange for league presidents and chancellors voting to retain an eight-game conference football schedule. Divisions will be gone, replaced by a unified 16-team SEC with Oklahoma and Texas aboard. The SEC will be mindful of rivalries and competitive balance when concocting conference schedules. Otherwise, it’s blank slate. The SEC might embrace a nine conference games as soon as 2025, but if the eight-game format persists long-term, each team will be paired with one annual rival and rotate through seven other SEC opponents. So, let’s get those earmarked rivalry pairings out of the way and assume that these games will be ticketed for 2024: Alabama-Auburn, Ole Miss-Mississippi State, Oklahoma-Texas, Arkansas-Missouri, Florida-Georgia, LSU-Texas A&M, Tennessee-Vanderbilt and Kentucky-South Carolina. TOPPMEYER:The SEC's most visible star is not a quarterback. She plays women's basketball SEC FOOTBALL:Kirby Smart explains why placing second in SEC football will become a trap SPORTS IN POLITICS:When Mr. Saban goes to Washington ... Aside from those eight pairings, here are 15 matchups I’d like to see assigned for 2024. 1. Texas-Texas A&M A no-brainer. You don’t welcome Texas into the league and then delay this rivalry renewal until 2025. You do it in Year 1, you do it during Thanksgiving week, and you earmark the Aggies as hosts. They have squatter’s rights, after all, having joined the SEC in 2012. 2. Alabama-Georgia One upside to eliminating divisions is the creation of more frequent matchups like this one. Georgia’s 2021 team raised eyebrows by beating Alabama in the national championship. The Bulldogs repeating as national champs proved SEC supremacy had changed hands. But a Georgia victory inside Bryant-Denny Stadium, where Alabama hasn’t lost since 2019, would be a haymaker. 3. Auburn-Florida When the SEC in 2003 reduced the number of permanent interdivision rivals from two to one, that interrupted this series. These rivals played at least once per year from 1945-2002. Many fans would like to see the rivalry restored annually. That’s not going to happen, but scheduling the game in ’24 is feasible. 4. Florida-LSU Division play interrupted some rivalry series. (See above.) Divisions also helped foment new rivalries, with few more heated than this one. The all-time series is 33-33-3. I’ll never say no to another clash of these bitter – and often evenly matched – foes. 5. Georgia-Oklahoma Storied college football blueblood, meet the juggernaut currently atop the sport. These programs have met just one time – ever. Matchups like these have me looking forward to a 16-team SEC. 6. Alabama-Tennessee This series mostly has been a snoozer since Nick Saban arrived at Alabama, but the scene inside Neyland Stadium this past Third Saturday in October served as a reminder of how good this rivalry can be when both teams are punching in the same weight class. 7. Alabama-LSU Saban groaned about the SEC earmarking Auburn, LSU and Tennessee as Alabama’s rivals in the nine-game schedule proposal that failed to gain approval. Pitting Alabama against AU, LSU and UT within an eight-game model in 2024 would illustrate that Saban is a legendary coach, but not the SEC’s overlord. 8. Ole Miss-Tennessee When Lane Kiffin last stood before Vols fans, someone threw a golf ball at him inside a stadium that had spiraled into cacophony. Best to schedule this game for Oxford, then. Getting struck by a red Solo cup that survived the Grove doesn't pack the same thwack as a Strata Super Range ball. 9. Arkansas-Oklahoma Arkansas’ campus is 25 miles from the Oklahoma border, but these teams nonetheless lack much history. They’ve met three times in bowl games, but their last regular-season meeting came in 1926. Get to changing that. This matchup could become one of the best new rivalries created by this expansion. 10. Florida-Ole Miss ‘You'll never see a team play harder than we will the rest of the season. God bless.’ If Lane Kiffin’s Rebels beat Billy Napier’s Gators, Ole Miss might want Kiffin to promise he’s not Florida’s heir apparent. 11. Missouri-Texas DeLoss Dodds quit his post almost a decade ago, but the former Texas athletics director’s barb about Missouri still irks Tigers fans. After Missouri left the Big 12 for the SEC, Dodds tried to massage Texas’ mediocre 2012 season by saying the Longhorns’ bad seasons were better than Missouri’s good ones. In the 10 seasons since Dodds' comment, Texas is 69-56. Missouri is 70-56. Settle this on the field. 12. Arkansas-Texas Can we reassemble the Southwest Conference? No? The SEC is nearly halfway there. Texas will join Arkansas and Texas A&M as former SWC members. Arkansas fans of a certain age still consider the Longhorns a prime rival. I have a feeling a lot of SEC fan bases will come to view Texas as a rival. 13. South Carolina-Tennessee If you weren’t paying attention, you might have missed this becoming one of the SEC’s better lowkey rivalries. The fan bases of these teams have a way of getting under each other’s skin. The teams have a way of playing close games. The series is split 9-9 in the past 18 matchups. 14. Auburn-Mississippi State Mississippi State is 6-5 against Auburn since 2012. In other news, AU fired Gene Chizik, Gus Malzahn and Bryan Harsin. Forget the Iron Bowl for a moment. Hugh Freeze first needs to elevate Auburn past MSU. 15. Texas-Vanderbilt An old Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association “rivalry” renewed. That’ll get the juices flowing. But, seriously, nothing would humble the Longhorns’ Texas-sized ego like a loss to Vanderbilt in their SEC debut. That would never happen … right? Blake Toppmeyer is an SEC Columnist for the USA TODAY Network. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter @btoppmeyer. If you enjoy Blake’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it. Also, check out his podcast, SEC Football Unfiltered, or access exclusive columns via the SEC Unfiltered.

i singe people because i am fire. and i hate stupid answers and stupid people. and some mof you never learn. how many years before you changed your mind about trump? 6? 7?

how much you sending him salty?

news.yahoo.com Harry Litman 5–6 minutes Former President Trump has been indicted on federal charges related to his retention of classified documents. (Evan Vucci / Associated Press) In one sense, it was breathtaking: the first ever indictment of a former president by the Department of Justice he once oversaw — and therefore the most important federal charge in U.S. history. In another, it was expected. Once Donald Trump had received a formal target letter from the department, his fate was effectively sealed. But that was only the latest in a series of recent signs that charges were inevitable. The months and years of questions about whether the Biden administration should or would indict the 45th and would-be next president — and whether the department would stay its hand for politics, the good of the republic or some other reason — were settled when Atty. Gen. Merrick Garland appointed Jack Smith special counsel. From that point on, the investigation of the former president's retention of classified documents has followed the well-worn path that the federal government would tread for any defendant accused of behavior anywhere close to as brazen as Trump's over the last two years. Smith pursued the case as he would have any other, and that led ineluctably to today’s indictment. Almost as unavoidably, it will also lead to the department urging a court to impose significant prison time on the former president if he is convicted. Trump's last chance to try to bargain for less grave charges came and went in his lawyers’ last meeting with Justice officials on Monday. Now he is in the unenviable position of any other defendant charged with serious crimes. The relocation of the unprecedented case from Washington, D.C., to Florida was less expected but likely to make the case that much stronger. Although it may sound like a procedural detail, a defendant has a constitutionally guaranteed right to be tried where a crime was allegedly committed. So a venue mistake could result in consequences as serious as a case being thrown out with no opportunity for retrial. So the department made the strategic call that the case should proceed in the Southern District of Florida, which includes Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate and the scene of his allegedly illegal record retention. And though we learned only this week of much of the activity there, it appears as if a grand jury has been sitting in Florida for several weeks. That's more than long enough for it to absorb previous testimony in the case, which the department could provide by briefing jurors on what happened in the capital. The location also has the effect of underscoring the most damning aspect of the case for Trump. His knowingly taking documents from the White House was almost certainly criminal; his brazen and quintessentially Trumpian refusal to return them, even to the point of lying to the government and involving others in the concealment, was worse. Indeed, the reported seven-count indictment includes charges of a conspiracy to obstruct justice, according to the New York Times, which means the department will allege that Trump did not act alone. The identity of one or more co-conspirators is one of the most important details we could learn when the indictment is unsealed. It also apparently includes an unexpected charge of witness tampering, possibly involving Trump's loyal valet Walt Nauta, who reportedly lied to FBI agents about the presence of sensitive documents, only to fess up during a subsequent questioning. He may turn out to be a cooperating witness. Another critical point is that the department reportedly included the almost astonishingly serious charge of violating the Espionage Act, compounding the severity of the case and the sense of national betrayal. The venue does heighten the risk that an ardently pro-Trump juror will simply refuse to convict him on any grounds. But the justice system has already produced another indictment of the ex-president, in New York, and an unfavorable civil verdict in the E. Jean Carroll case. With the venue issue put to rest, and with courts in the Florida district known for moving fairly quickly, a trial is likely to unfold sooner. It’s even possible that Trump will be convicted by a federal jury before the 2024 election, for which he remains the overwhelmingly favored front-runner for the Republican nomination, though his appeals would probably continue. The Department of Justice has shown the necessary steeliness and dedication to make history in undertaking this prosecution of a former president. And with Smith still investigating Trump's even more outrageous misconduct on and before Jan. 6, 2021, this first such prosecution may well not be the last. Starting as soon as next week, meanwhile, Smith's deputies will take their places at the table near the jury box and announce their appearance on behalf of the people in United States vs. Trump. Whatever else happens in the coming months, it's a proud moment and a banner achievement for the rule of law in this country. Harry Litman is the host of the “Talking Feds” podcast. @harrylitman This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

news.yahoo.com FBI agent who testified for Republicans was suspended over leaked sensitive information Ryan Nobles 5–6 minutes WASHINGTON — Garret O’Boyle, an FBI agent who was presented in a public hearing by House Republicans as a whistleblower, was suspended by the bureau because internal investigators had concluded that he leaked sensitive investigative information to the right-wing group Project Veritas, according to a bureau official. House Democrats now accuse O'Boyle of lying to the committee and are referring the matter to Attorney General Merrick Garland, according to a letter obtained by NBC News. Lawmakers learned about the reason for O'Boyle's suspension, which was previously unreported, in testimony that Jennifer Moore, the FBI’s executive assistant director for human resources, provided to the House Judiciary Committee's Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government. Parts of her testimony are included in a letter top Democrats on the Judiciary and Weaponization panels wrote to Garland, alleging that O’Boyle lied to the committee about leaking information before he was suspended. In the letter, Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., and Del. Stacey Plaskett, D-Virgin Islands, detail several instances when O'Boyle, in interviews with committee staff and in the panel’s public hearing, denied that he had leaked FBI information to the media. - ADVERTISEMENT - O’Boyle testified that he made Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, who chairs the Weaponization subcommittee, aware of his suspension and had provided him with the letter informing him of the FBI’s decision. O’Boyle described the charge as nothing more than an allegation and claimed that he never provided anyone outside the agency with nonpublic information before he was suspended. Democrats argue in their letter to Garland that Moore’s testimony directly contradicts O’Boyle’s claim. She provided the committee with several examples of when nonpublic information ended up in the public domain and explained how the internal investigation determined O’Boyle was responsible, according to their letter to Garland. Moore pointed to an interview Project Veritas conducted with an anonymous subject referred to as an "FBI whistleblower." She said the agency was able to determine O’Boyle was that subject. According to his suspension letter, which is included in the Democrats’ letter to Garland, O’Boyle was suspended by the FBI last Sept. 23. The interview in question was posted by Project Veritas on May 12 last year. In addition to the interview, Moore said, the bureau's investigation revealed that O’Boyle had also removed sensitive information from FBI computers and provided it to Project Veritas without authorization. Some of the information shared with the right-wing site was part of an active criminal investigation, she told the committee. There was an urgency to locate who was leaking the information because of the risk it presented, she said, according to the letter. “There was a level of urgency because of the identity of the individual, and it appeared that he was still accessing case files and information that he wasn’t authorized to have access to and disclosing it because we had seen information obviously in public forums,” she testified, according to the letter. Nadler and Plaskett believe that the inconsistencies in O’Boyle’s statements constitute a crime. In their letter, they ask Garland to examine if O'Boyle is guilty of lying to Congress and perjury. In response to the letter, a spokesperson for O’Boyle told NBC News that O’Boyle denies any claim that he lied about his suspension to the committee or that he leaked sensitive information to any media outlet. Republicans pointed to a portion of the transcript that was not included in the Democrats’ letter. In that section, Moore declined to say if the bureau still believes O’Doyle was the subject of the Project Veritas interview, saying she could not discuss the investigation. “Democrats are so desperate to distract from Justice Department wrongdoing that they’re willing to embarrass themselves with frivolous attacks on brave FBI whistleblowers,” Russell Dye, a spokesperson for the Weaponization subcommittee, said in a statement. “Garret O’Boyle is a proud veteran and experienced law-enforcement officer who has served our nation with honor and distinction. His only crime was speaking out about FBI abuses, and because he exercised his conscience, shameless Democrats now seek to smear his name.” O'Boyle testified before the Weaponization subcommittee last month at a hearing focused on alleged anticonservative bias at the FBI. He testified alongside two other self-proclaimed FBI whistleblowers whose security clearances were suspended because their conduct in Jan. 6 cases brought into question their allegiance to the U.S., a bureau official wrote to Congress. A Justice Department spokesperson confirmed receipt of Nadler and Plaskett’s letter but declined to comment. A spokesperson for Project Veritas did not immediately respond to a request for comment. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com

you are the guy got all mad about tubs when the nation and even his own brother called him racist. and you have yet to finish that convo soat................

less than two hours after he sent out emails , etc, to beg for more money. lol and people cannot see through this........

yahoo.com Trump: I have been indicted in classified documents case David Knowles·Senior EditorThu, June 8, 2023 at 7:14 PM CDT 6–7 minutes Donald Trump at a campaign event in Waco, Texas, March 25. (Evan Vucci/AP) Former President Donald Trump announced on Thursday evening that his attorneys had been informed that he had been indicted by the federal government for alleged crimes stemming from his handling of classified documents after leaving the White House in early 2021. “The corrupt Biden Administration has informed my attorneys that I have been Indicted, seemingly over the Boxes Hoax,” Trump wrote on his social media website, Truth Social, adding, “I have been summoned to appear at the Federal Courthouse in Miami on Tuesday, at 3 PM. I never thought it possible that such a thing could happen to a former President of the United States.” Reuters, ABC News and the Associated Press confirmed that Trump had been indicted on seven criminal counts in relation to his handling of the documents, his second indictment in as many months. The National Archives and the FBI sought to retrieve the classified documents before issuing a subpoena last spring for their return. Possible Espionage Act charge Among the charges that will be made public Tuesday, Trump will be accused of violating the Espionage Act, according to reporting from the New York Times. The act prohibits the unauthorized possession of national defense-related documents and makes special mention of those that are "willfully retained" despite government efforts to retain them. If convicted on that charge alone, Trump, 76, could face a sentence of 10 years behind bars. Justice Department stays mum Attorney General Merrick Garland. (Nathan Howard/AP) The Justice Department did not issue a statement about the latest indictment or the specific charges it would contain, the AP reported. Two people familiar with the case but who are not authorized to speak publicly about it, confirmed to the outlet that prosecutors had contacted Trump's lawyers on Thursday to inform them of the indictment. Read more from Yahoo News: Who is Jack Smith, the special counsel Garland appointed to investigate Investigation's climax There were plenty of signs over the past few weeks that special counsel Jack Smith's investigation into Trump's handling of the documents was reaching its conclusion. In the last few days, Trump received a letter by Smith's office informing him that he was a target of a criminal investigation, a sign that an indictment was all but guaranteed. On Monday, Trump’s lawyers were spotted in Washington prior to a meeting at the Department of Justice, where they sought to persuade officials not to charge the former president with any crimes stemming from the investigation. Politically motivated? President Biden at the White House on Thursday. (Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP) While Trump sought to frame the indictments as politically motivated, President Biden was asked Thursday why Americans should have faith that the Justice Department was acting in accordance with the law. “Because you’ll notice I have never once, not one single time, suggested to the Justice Department what they should do or not do, relative to bringing a charge or not bringing a charge. I’m honest,” Biden responded. What Trump’s GOP rivals have said about another possible indictment Prior to the indictment, some of Trump's Republican rivals for the GOP presidential nomination weighed in on the possibility of a second round of criminal charges against the former president. Trump's former vice president, Mike Pence, who announced his own presidential candidacy on Wednesday, said in an interview that he hoped that the DOJ would not indict Trump. "I would hope the Department of Justice did not move forward. Not because I know the facts, but simply because I think after years where we’ve seen a politicization of the Justice Department is to undermine confidence in equal treatment of the law,” Pence said on the campaign trail in Iowa. But Pence issued somewhat contradictory statements on a possible Trump indictment, stating that “no one’s above the law.” Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said he would wait to see what the charges against Trump consisted of, but made clear that Trump had himself to blame if he was charged for his mishandling of the documents. “The problem with all of this is that it’s self-inflicted. In the end, I don’t know that the government even knew that Joe Biden had those documents or not,” Christie, a former U.S. attorney, told Fox News, drawing a distinction between a Justice Department investigation into classified documents found at Biden’s home. “They did know Donald Trump did and in fact asked voluntarily for them for over a year and a quarter and got them back in dribs and drabs.” Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson was more succinct, saying Trump should “step aside” if indicted in the documents case. Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., said the DOJ was guilty of weaponizing its investigation and that the “the determining factor for the 2024 election should be the voters,” ABC News reported. Will the indictment hurt Trump? Former President Donald Trump at ta campaign event in Des Moines, Iowa, June 1. (Charlie Neibergall/AP) While an April Yahoo News/YouGov poll taken after Trump's first indictment in New York on charges stemming form his alleged hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels show that Trump had solidified his support among Republican voters, it remains to be seen how a second indictment will play out with his party. Trump wasted little time in using the news of his latest indictment to try to boost his standing. "This is indeed a DARK DAY for the United States of America. We are a Country in serious and rapid Decline, but together we will Make America Great Again!" he wrote on Truth Social. His campaign also jumped into action, seeking to fundraise off the latest news. Donald Trump, after announcing his indictment on his social media platform, emailed a statement at 7:41 pm. It took him two more minutes, until 7:43 pm, to start using the indictment to raise money from supporters. pic.twitter.com/IW3pwHuMZs — Chris Brennan (@ByChrisBrennan) June 8, 2023

there are two threads about thisw just on smack. we need to merge them or something.

this is awesome! i love old gibsons and they have a warm sound. tow of my old band mates are guitar luthiers. in fact if anyone is in anniston they opened a vintage guitar and equipment store on noble street. they are awesome and are extremely popular. they are also on facebook. july1st they are having a huge party closing the street off and having bands and solo artists playing all nigh up i think until eight or ten. and it is free and they will be having give aways. and around the corner at Zinn park they are having some shindig so it is more fun if you get bored and want to walk around some.

so you voted for a crook and bang on others with smears when they have not been arrested? lol i know it hurts your soul and make no mistake i am laughing my azz off at you. and you boy donald is not through yet. oh and you forgot the republicans that are turning their backs on trump. maybe you should try it. say what ya want you would love trump if he wore dresses and wanted a trans op..............but hey have a great evening.

one of my old bands used to do this...............grins

i thought you repukes were all about corruption right? seems like you guys are only against it when it is the other guys right? i wonder what david thinks?

you sir are an idiot. never cry to me about how mean i am. you were kissing this mans behind for years and you were not alone. you guys embarrassed yourselves. hell people with half a brain tried to warn you guys but you just did not listen. but you guys never do until it blows up in your face. i can feel your butthurt and i love it.

i want to see chris and trump both get into it. they have already started but the debates will be epic..............