SEC Extra Points with Barrett Sallee: Kyler Murray Saga Heats Up Sumlin's Seat

If the temperature of Texas A&M head coach Kevin Sumlin's seat was "medium" when the season ended, it blew right past "hot" and leveled off at "scorching" over the last couple of weeks.

Why?

On top of major questions with the offense, Sumlin appears to have lost control of the program.

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The offense suffered a massive nosedive when highly touted dual-threat quarterback Kenny Hill tanked in October 2014, and the same thing happened in October 2015 with 247 Sports' top-rated pro-style passer Kyle Allen. Then, 5-star dual-threat quarterback Kyler Murray didn't look like he was ready for the big stage in place of Allen.

Hill and Allen both transferred, and it looks like Murray is following them.

According to Billy Liucci of TexAgs.com, Murray—a legend in Texas after winning three straight state titles and not losing a game as a starter for Allen High School—will transfer from Texas A&M after contemplating his future over the last couple of days.

Sumlin is simply out of excuses.

As if offensive downturns in consecutive seasons weren't concerning enough for a head coach who has a track record for building dynamic offenses, the inability to simply keep high-profile quarterbacks happy makes this the most important offseason in Sumlin's career.

As Bomani Jones of ESPN Radio noted on Twitter, things are getting a little dicey for Sumlin:

Not only does Texas A&M need to contend for the SEC West title in 2016, but the Aggies offense also has to develop as a whole.

It's not like quarterback is the only problem. True freshman Christian Kirk was the Aggies' leading receiver this year, and he was a star from day one. Other wide receivers, such as Speedy Noil and Ricky Seals-Jones, haven't progressed much at all in College Station, the talented offensive line was underwhelming all year long, and there wasn't much threat of the running game in 2015 from Tra Carson or James White.

It's as if talented players arrive in College Station and immediately throw it into neutral.

Luckily for Sumlin, Kirk was already going at a higher speed than everybody else and saved the season. But there's way too many stars on that roster to struggle the way the Aggies have.

This is on Sumlin. He better get control and contend for the SEC West in November 2016, otherwise next offseason could be even longer than the one that's currently shaping up.

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In Limbo

The status of Ole Miss star defensive tackle Robert Nkemdiche is very much up in the air after the junior from Grayson, Georgia, crawled out of a fourth-story window at a hotel in Atlanta, fell, was taken to the hospital and was charged with possession of marijuana, according to Edward Aschoff of ESPN.com.

Nkemdiche issued a statement on the incident, according to Chase Parham of RebelGrove.com, but head coach Hugh Freeze hasn't ruled on his status for the Allstate Sugar Bowl showdown with Oklahoma State:

Ole Miss' substance-abuse policy doesn't trigger an automatic suspension on a player's first offense, but it does trigger a suspension of 10 percent of the season on a second offense. It is unclear whether Nkemdiche has one strike against him.

Let's be honest, though. He has to be suspended. If for nothing else serious fault in judgment.

Nkemdiche isn't the first player to get popped for marijuana, and he won't be the last. But climbing out of the window of a hotel in the middle of Buckhead with people all around? That can't fly, and Freeze shouldn't let it fly.

It's actually a great opportunity for Freeze to make a statement on what should and shouldn't be acceptable for his program moving forward. Nkemdiche has been in the headlines all week, and if Freeze holds him out for Ole Miss' first Sugar Bowl since 1970, it will send a message to the younger players on the team that judgment matters, even for high-profile players on the verge of NFL stardom.

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Opportunity on the Horizon

It's up in the air which staff members will coach for Georgia in the TaxSlayer Bowl against Penn State as they receive offers, but the one sure thing is that interim head coach Bryan McClendon isn't going anywhere for the time being.

The wide receivers coach and former Bulldog views this month as the opportunity of a lifetime, and he intends to use it as one of the top bullet points on his resume no matter where the coaching carousel takes him after the game.

"To look at anything beyond this bowl game, to be honest with you, is kind of difficult to do right now," he said in quotes emailed by Georgia. "Will it help in the grand sense of things? I think it could. To be put in this position definitely helps you understand and have a better appreciation for the guy in this position, for sure.

"To be able to be here and to experience the week-long experience coming up here in Jacksonville with the team and all that is something that I have dreamed about since I was a kid," McClendon explained.

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What could that future hold? 

McClendon isn't limiting himself to head coaching opportunities and could remain with the Bulldogs.

"It’s kind of all about the kids," he said when asked about his future at Georgia. "It’s been about the kids. That stuff will take care of itself a little later on, but right now everything is just geared toward this bowl game, getting the team ready for the bowl game so we can go out there and have a good showing."

If he sticks around as an assistant, it would be huge for Georgia and new head coach Kirby Smart.

He has played a part in luring several high-profile players to Athens over the years, according to his 247Sports profile, including running backs Isaiah Crowell, Sony Michel, Keith Marshall and Todd Gurley, linebacker Lorenzo Carter, wide receiver Isaiah McKenzie and linebacker Natrez Patrick.

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Audition?

Auburn inside linebackers coach Lance Thompson will step in for former defensive coordinator Will Muschamp for the Tigers' Birmingham Bowl matchup with Memphis, according to Brandon Marcello of AL.com, after Florida State defensive coordinator Charles Kelly reportedly turned down the full-time job last week.

It might be considered a month-long job interview for Thompson, who has expressed interest in the full-time gig, according to Marcello.

While Thompson wouldn't exactly draw headlines, it wouldn't be the worst idea for head coach Gus Malzahn to take the interim tag off his current title.

His year at Auburn, combined with his time with Alabama head coach Nick Saban at both Alabama and LSU and his three years at Tennessee from 2009-11, has given him vast experience with the SEC recruiting landscape. He's credited by 247Sports as either a primary or secondary recruiter for Julio Jones, Jonathan Allen, Rashaan Evans, Mark Barron, ArDarius Stewart and more.

It became clear during "Buck" Carl Lawson's absence that personnel is still a problem on the Plains, and not disrupting the recruiting plan should be a consideration.

Thompson was UCF's defensive coordinator from 2004-2006, and his defense held opponents to just 398.1 yards per game during his final season in Orlando. That figure should work in Auburn, assuming that the offense becomes more consistent and gives the defense a little bigger margin for error.

Thompson is familiar with the system Muschamp had in place and wouldn't change much for the Tigers.

A Big Award for the Crimson Tide Big Men

The work of an offensive line typically gets overlooked during awards season, but the game has been changed.

The Joe Moore Foundation for Teamwork handed out the inaugural Joe Moore Award on Wednesday to the nation's best offensive line unit. In a surprise presentation, the Alabama starting offensive line has taken home the honors and...well...a massive trophy:

"Like a lot of offensive lines, our guys worked hard all year long, battled through adversity and improved every week," Crimson Tide offensive line coach Mario Cristobal said in an emailed statement. "This offensive line plays the position the right way, with toughness, teamwork and a relentless focus on being dominant on every snap."

This offensive line will also get quite a workout lifting that massive trophy into place on the crowded Alabama trophy shelf.

But let's be honest; an award given to an entire offensive line unit should be that big.

Quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Statistics are courtesy of cfbstats.com, and recruiting information is courtesy of 247Sports.

Barrett Sallee is the lead SEC college football writer and national college football video analyst for Bleacher Report as well as a host on Bleacher Report Radio on SiriusXM 83. Follow Barrett on Twitter @BarrettSallee.