For SEC Coaches, It's Put Up or Shut Up Time

For some schools and fans, this will be a "put up or shut up" year in the SEC.  Let's look at the coaches, teams, and fanbases who will face such a situation.

Tennessee

Could Lane Kiffin have possibly come into this job with any more baggage? For him to then arrive and instantly be branded as the dumbest of all the new hires in college football certainly didn't help.

Calling one of the nation's best and cleanest coaches a cheater because you're too stupid to know the rules is bad enough, but to turn around and nearly get sanctioned for three NCAA rule violations yourself is just embarrassing.

Kiffin brings a miserable coaching resume to Tennessee. All he wants to do is trash talk everyone, everywhere, all the time.  When you're a Chihuahua in the SEC, don't try and bark like the big dogs. You have never walked the walk, so shut up already with the talk.

Clearly for Kiffin, it's put up or shut up time right now. For the school officials and fans who try and defend this hire, it's put up or shut up too. Most fans will not defend Kiffin for very long unless he brings successful changes soon.

I'm sure they'll shut up before the new "Mouth of the South" does.

LSU

LSU fans sure hate to hear how Les won with Saban's players. Given that the departure of most of Saban's players coincided with LSU having their worst season in many years, another bad season will likely make LSU fans eat their own words. It will also stop their ridiculous claims to Miles being as good as, if not better than, Saban.

For Miles, back-to-back great recruiting classes means that the fans are ready to see big improvements, both in play and in wins. Another bad season clearly puts Miles on the hot seat, so for him, this year is put up or shut up time.

Arkansas

Ok wonderboy, season one didn't go too well. You can only blame Houston Nutt (who by the way is doing extremely well at Ole Miss) so long for any remaining problems before everyone sees that your magic has dried up.

Fans may give you this year to continue rebuilding, but the school will not take kindly to missing a bowl game this season. Much is expected, but with less than a stellar recruiting class, perhaps the marquee talent has already seen the writing on the wall.

So Bobby, this year, it's time to put up or shut up.  Who's going to want you after you bomb at Arkansas? Are you getting the impression you just drove down your first one-way street?

Georgia

Hey Mark, how many more seasons do you think Georgia is going to keep accepting "We're making great strides" when the team's not actually winning anything?  Now you're going to have to win without some big play-makers. 

Though put up or shut up time may still be a season away, fans will not keep loving these "close, but no cigar" seasons.

Without Stafford and Moreno, we get to see how well you coach with less talent. If nothing ensues, then it's put up or shut up time for the Georgia fans who think Richt is in the "elite" ranks of SEC coaches.