SEC Football Q&A: Would Kevin Sumlin and Dan Mullen Be Targets for Florida?
Things just got interesting.
During Week 5, the SEC East took center stage. We learned a lot about the lesser division in the SEC when Georgia survived a scare from Tennessee and South Carolina was upset at home by Missouri. All the while, Florida head coach Will Muschamp was sitting back in his office watching Tennessee's furious charge back to make a game with the Bulldogs thinking, "Uh-oh."
In Week 6, it's the SEC West show, with No. 3 Alabama traveling to No. 11 Ole Miss, No. 5 Auburn hosting No. 15 LSU and No. 6 Texas A&M going on the road to No. 12 Mississippi State.
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Let's wrap up some of Week 5's biggest questions and look forward to Week 6 in this week's SEC Q&A.
I touched on Mississippi State head coach Dan Mullen's job status after his team upset LSU two weeks ago and how it relates to a potential opening at Florida.
In years past, I'd say it's a possibility. Now, not so much.
Mullen is winning his way with his players and is making a comparable salary to Muschamp. Unless Florida athletics director Jeremy Foley starts throwing stacks of cash at Mullen, why would Mullen give up precious job security in Starkville if his team is competitive in the division?
To win now?
He's already on the brink of that with Mississippi State, and doing so in Starkville will buy him much more longevity than it would in Gainesville. For proof, look back to 2012, when Muschamp's Gators finished with an 11-2 record and were in the discussion for the BCS title during the final week of the regular season.
Texas A&M head coach Kevin Sumlin won't happen, either, even if Foley backs up a Brinks truck to his front door. He's in a much better situation in College Station.
He's making $5 million per season and has a $5 million buyout if he leaves before 2016, according to Kate Hairopoulos of The Dallas Morning News. He's in a talent-rich state that he's been tearing up on the recruiting trail, and that's only going to get more pronounced as younger players further associate Texas A&M with the SEC.
Why leave that gig—with his in-state rival struggling—for Florida, a team whose in-state rival just won the national championship? There's no compelling reason for Sumlin to do that unless there's something going on behind the scenes, and there's nothing to suggest that there is at this point.
Clemson offensive coordinator Chad Morris or—gasp—Alabama offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin would be much more realistic options.
No, of course not.
The future looks bright at running back even if Todd Gurley leaves early—which he will and should—thanks to freshmen running backs Nick Chubb and Sony Michel. The offense is still loaded with potential playmakers, and the defense should certainly progress once first-year defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt gets his guys in the program to join the veterans, who will benefit from more time in the system.
Plus, the future looks bright.
The Bulldogs currently boast the nation's second-best recruiting class in the 247Sports composite index, and it could get better, according to 247Sports' Rusty Mansell.
Sure, Tennessee looks like it's going to be a force in the coming years. Other than that, though, where's the power coming from?
South Carolina essentially has the same problems and potential as the Bulldogs minus the stable of running back replacements. Florida is a hot mess that could be going through a coaching change in the coming months. Kentucky is on the rise but certainly has a few steps to make. Missouri has been good but inconsistent this year. Vandy is Vandy.
No, the door for Georgia isn't closed.
In fact, it's just as open as it has ever been, if not open wider.
It's hard to say where it'd finish because we can't determine a hypothetical SEC East schedule for the Hogs midseason.
I would, however, put them at the top of the division if we were doing simple divisional power rankings.
I had Missouri in that spot following last week's action (see above), and it has obvious and multiple flaws. The defense gave up nearly 500 yards to Indiana in a home loss last week, and the offense could only manage 280 yards Saturday in a win over South Carolina. That Gamecocks defense currently ranks last in the SEC in yards per game (440.0) and yards per play (6.27) even with Missouri's futile effort factored in.
Georgia's pass defense is more of a punch line than a power, Tennessee's offensive line looks like it's bullfighting rather than pass-blocking at times, and Florida is a mess on both sides of the ball.
Arkansas leads the SEC in rushing (316.6 YPG) and is efficient in the passing game (148.76), and its defense has been average. An average defense coupled with a dominant rushing attack and efficiency in the passing game is more than any other team in the East can say.
The East is a hot mess right now, and Arkansas is certainly more dependable and reliable than the teams at the top of the division this year.
Barrett Sallee is the Lead SEC college football writer and video analyst for Bleacher Report as well as a co-host of the CFB Hangover on Bleacher Report Radio (Sundays, 9-11 a.m. ET) on Sirius 93, XM 208.
Quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. All stats are courtesy of cfbstats.com, and all recruiting information is courtesy of 247Sports. Follow Barrett on Twitter @BarrettSallee.
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