SEC Extra Points with Barrett Sallee: Fans Should Like Nick Saban's Rant
Saban Steps Up
Everybody loves a good press-conference rant, and Alabama coach Nick Saban provided one on Monday, going off on fans and critics who are disappointed over Alabama's 14-13 win over Arkansas last weekend, via Kevin Scarbinsky of AL.com:
"I was just happy to see our players be happy about playing a game and winning. And it really, sort of, if you want to know the truth about it, pisses me off when I talk to people that have this expectation like they're disappointed that we only won the game 14-13 and the way we played. Really. That's frustrating. You wanna talk about something that's frustrating? That's frustrating. To me. For our players. Who played with a lot of heart in the game.
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.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Good for Saban.
He has every right to defend his players and team from critics with unrealistic expectations. Any road win in the SEC is a good win, and while his team—particularly his special teams unit—was a little sloppy in Fayetteville, it overcame adversity on the field and got a very important win.
What's the problem?
There isn't one.
Star wide receiver Amari Cooper suffered and fought through a shoulder injury in the game, which was played in rainy conditions. Going conservative, in that situation, isn't the worst idea ever.
Has Alabama's success since 2008 created an expectation of excellence? Absolutely. Like every other team in the country, though, Alabama has a roster full of 18-to-22-year-old young men who make mistakes, get rattled and figure out ways to rebound.
When they do rebound, they shouldn't be criticized. They should be complimented.
No Other Option
Florida quarterback Treon Harris was in line to start last week at home vs. LSU, but a five-day investigation into a sexual assault allegation—which was later recanted—cost him a week of practice, film-room work and the game vs. the Tigers.
Harris is back now, and according to head coach Will Muschamp, he and redshirt junior Jeff Driskel will both see time during the game.
"They both will play this week, and we'll work through the week, and we'll see how things go and we'll see how it goes from there," Muschamp said via press release. "Right now, Jeff [Driskel] will probably start, but they're both going to play."
This is how it should be done, given the circumstances.
I wrote on Saturday that it's up to Harris to save Muschamp's job, but in order for that to happen, it needs to be handled responsibly. Starting Driskel and working Harris in is the responsible thing to do.
Starting Driskel and inserting Harris early allows Muschamp to get them both into the flow from the beginning and then go with whoever is more productive—which likely will be Harris based on Driskel's struggles throughout his career.
If Muschamp were to start Harris, he struggles and then the team goes back to Driskel, it'd be a panic move. It'd hurt more than help the team and, in turn, hurt Muschamp's job stability.
It'll be Harris' job soon enough, most likely by halftime against Missouri this weekend.
High Praise From the Top Bulldog
Mississippi State quarterback Dak Prescott has gone from Heisman Trophy dark horse to contender to front-runner in a matter of five weeks and is a big reason why his Bulldogs are ranked No. 1 in both the AP Top 25 and USA Today football coaches polls for the first time ever.
Prescott has averaged 246.3 passing yards and 96 rushing yards per game while scoring 23 total touchdowns through six games.
To athletics director Scott Stricklin, Prescott's leadership skills and the relationship he has with his teammates are even more impressive, as Stricklin told Bleacher Report:
"He's a special individual. I've been at this for over 25 years in college athletics, he's one of the most unique individuals who I've ever been around. He's so mature for his age and respectful. On top of that, he has such natural leadership abilities. On top of that, he's a heck of a football player. Take the football piece away, and he's still a great guy to have in the program and a part of the University. I've never been around any student-athlete quite like him.
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If Prescott and the Bulldogs keep this up, he'll be in New York City representing his team, his school and his family as a Heisman finalist.
Gurley Watch...Continues
Georgia is still working with the NCAA to figure out star running back Todd Gurley's status for this weekend, as the school's investigation into whether Gurley accepted money for autographs enters its second week.
With Gurley in limbo, Georgia is again preparing for life without him, as the Bulldogs travel to Little Rock for a game with the Arkansas Razorbacks this weekend.
After the team first said that former running back J.J. Green wouldn't need to move from safety back to the offensive side, Seth Emerson of The Telegraph reports Green has moved back to running back this week in practice.
Is that a sign of Gurley's status? Maybe, maybe not. It is, though, a sign that Georgia needs bodies at running back.
Freshman Nick Chubb had 42 touches last week in the 34-0 win over Missouri, which earned him SEC Freshman of the Week honors. Since the Gurley news broke last Thursday evening, he was really the only option.
With a full week to prepare for life without Gurley—should that be the case—head coach Mark Richt has some time to piece together some depth.
Green finished second on the team in rushing last season with 384 yards and three touchdowns, and he will provide an insurance policy along with Brendan Douglas behind Chubb this week if Gurley can't go.
Richt and offensive coordinator Mike Bobo didn't have time to sort the situation out last week. They do now, and moving Green back to offense is a smart move.
Quick Outs
- When is the proper time to refer to Kentucky as an SEC East contender? If the Wildcats beat LSU in Death Valley—yes, even a down LSU team—that would signify the proper time. The SEC West hasn't lost to a team outside of the SEC West yet this year, and if Kentucky is the team that breaks that streak, that would qualify as a statement win.
- The Robert Nkemdiche picture fiasco was ridiculous this week. First and foremost, opposing fans holding pictures of players as ransom and posting them during game week in a direct attempt to get them in trouble is a concerning practice. Let's not make that a trend. Secondly, Ole Miss' policy doesn't require suspension on the first offense and all signs point to this being new territory for Nkemdiche. Unless we find out otherwise, the story should end here.
- Tennessee running back Jalen Hurd is banged up but will play against Ole Miss on Saturday, according to Matt Slovin of The Tennessean. The Vols need him, because the last thing quarterback Justin Worley needs is that Ole Miss front four pinning its ears back and coming after the quarterback with no threat of the running game.
- Auburn is changing the way it is evaluating quarterback Nick Marshall, according to Joel A. Erickson of AL.com. That's a good thing. Marshall is a big-play quarterback on the ground and through the air, so why force him to be something he's not by making him throw shorter and intermediate routes? If Marshall is himself, Auburn will be fine.
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.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
