SEC Extra Points with Barrett Sallee: Treon Harris Starts, Lane Kiffin's Return
No Other Option
Desperate times call for desperate measures.
Florida head coach Will Muschamp announced during Wednesday's SEC coaches teleconference that true freshman quarterback Treon Harris will start against the Georgia Bulldogs in the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party on Nov. 1.
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"He has a knack for making plays and making some good things happen for our football team," Muschamp said. "We have struggled with production at the quarterback position, and that's been an issue for us along with some others. He's a guy who has a much better understanding moving forward."
At this point, Harris is the only option.
He was 8-of-12 last week against Missouri for 98 yards, one touchdown and one interception, and he provides much more of a home run threat than redshirt junior Jeff Driskel, which is a huge factor for an offense that lacks any semblance of a spark.
Driskel—who will have a role as a quarterback moving forward in some capacity—has thrown six touchdowns and 10 interceptions this season while completing just 53 percent of his passes.
With a bye week to prepare for the Bulldogs and Muschamp on thin ice, consider this a Hail Mary—one last shot for Muschamp to attempt to catch lightning in a bottle before packing up his office and moving on to a defensive coordinator role somewhere outside of the Gainesville city limits.
He's Baaaack
The Alabama-Tennessee rivalry doesn't carry the same national appeal as it used to due in part to Alabama's offensive coordinator's impact on the Tennessee program.
Lane Kiffin, current Tide coordinator and former Vols head coach in 2009, will make his return to Knoxville on Saturday in a game that's been circled on the calendar ever since Kiffin was hired by Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban in January 2014.
Tennessee's defense has been pretty good this year, giving up just 325.9 yards per game, but the combination of Alabama's offense getting right in Tuscaloosa last week and Kiffin looking to make a statement will create a homecoming celebration for the Tide offensive coordinator, who will be coaching from the sideline.
When asked if Kiffin is really concerned about his return to Knoxville, Saban downplayed it.
"Why would you say 'really'? I haven't heard much about it," Saban said on Wednesday. "I think the most important thing for us is that we need to focus on the game. The game's not about that. The game is about the players. Regardless of what fans think and fans do, I think our coaches are focused on what we're going to do in the game and how we're going to help our players play their best."
It's more of a distraction for Tennessee than it is for Kiffin and Alabama.
Alabama has a job to do.
After opening things up with 672 yards in a home win over Florida, Alabama went on the road and averaged just 311.5 over the next two games against Ole Miss and Arkansas. Last week at home, it lit it up once more with 602 yards.
The Tide are not going to make the same mistake again.
In uncharacteristic fashion, Kiffin will speak softly and carry a big stick.
Saban doesn't allow assistants to talk to the media except for one time in the summer and once before bowl games, so Kiffin will speak through quarterback Blake Sims, wide receiver Amari Cooper and running backs T.J. Yeldon and Derrick Henry.
It's going to get ugly.
Weathering the Storm
Georgia announced on Wednesday that it is seeking reinstatement for star running back Todd Gurley after the junior was suspended for the previous two games during an investigation into improper benefits.
"I want to thank the University, coaches, teammates and the Bulldog Nation for their patience and support," Gurley said in a statement emailed by Georgia. "I take full responsibility for the mistakes I made, and I can't thank the University, my coaches and teammates enough for supporting me throughout this process. I'm looking forward to getting back on the field with my teammates."
Like a good lawyer in court, Georgia wouldn't ask for reinstatement unless it already knows the answer, so expect Gurley back vs. Florida.
If that's the case, running back Nick Chubb deserves consideration for team MVP honors. All Chubb did in Gurley's absence was rush for 345 yards and three touchdowns in road wins at Missouri and in Little Rock over Arkansas.
Those two wins were statements for Georgia.
The defense forced six interceptions during that span after only picking off seven passes all of last season. The offense didn't miss a beat, Chubb got valuable carries and proved he can help keep Gurley fresh, and quarterback Hutson Mason settled down and didn't throw an interception after throwing three in the previous two games.
Gurley may get the Heisman Trophy hype, but Chubb deserves team MVP consideration. Without him, Georgia wouldn't be in control of its College Football Playoff destiny.
Say What?
Ole Miss is cruising right along as the No. 3 team in the nation, complete with an unblemished 7-0 record and one of the most ferocious defenses in the nation.
Next stop: Baton Rouge, where the Rebels are 3.5-point favorites over LSU, according to Odds Shark.
Wait...what?
This is the same LSU team that got run out of its own building by No. 1 Mississippi State, got stomped on the road by No. 5 Auburn and is woefully one-dimensional by necessity on offense due to quarterback issues, right?
How is that possible?
Playing in Death Valley at night counts for something, sure. But Mississippi State proved that isn't as much of a factor as it has been in years past when it topped the Tigers 34-29 in a game that wasn't nearly as close as the score indicated.
One way to explain it would be LSU's defense. The Tigers' weakness has been run defense, where they rank 10th in the SEC at 162.5 yards per game. Ole Miss can't really exploit that, though. The Rebels rank 11th in the SEC in rushing offense at 151.29 yards per game and haven't been able to run between the tackles very well at all, which could explain why the line is so low.
Those giant hotels in the southern Nevada desert didn't build themselves, and oddsmakers typically know what they're doing. That Ole Miss defense, though, will make quarterback Anthony Jennings' head spin and will lead the Rebs to another big win.
The Hunted
These are uncharted waters for the Mississippi State Bulldogs, who will play with the No. 1 ranking next to their name for the first time in program history when they kick off with Kentucky on Saturday afternoon.
Head coach Dan Mullen isn't concerned. He talked about the challenges his team now faces in quotes released by Mississippi State:
"This is the biggest game we have played of the season. I said the Auburn game was the biggest game ever played in the state of Mississippi. This game is bigger now. Now we are a team that has a target on our back. We have to go on the road in a hostile environment and play one of the hottest and most improved teams in college football.
"
It may be new for Mississippi State, but it's not for Mullen.
As Florida's offensive coordinator from 2005 to 2008, Mullen is well-versed on how to handle success. The Gators spent every week of the 2006 season in The Associated Press Top 10 and all but two in the Top 10 in 2008—both of which resulted in national titles for the Gators.
Mississippi State won't spend too much time patting itself on the back reading its press clippings. Nothing the Bulldogs will see from here on out will surprise Mullen, and a good team always takes on the personality of its coach.
Too Good to Sit
Auburn "Star" Justin Garrett had the hybrid linebacker/safety position locked down exiting spring 2013, but a foot injury opened the door for Robenson Therezie to take the job and run with it.
Midway through the 2014 season, Garrett is on the move to linebacker, where he will split time with middle linebacker Cassanova McKinzy and outside linebacker Kris Frost.
"You can't have Justin Garrett sitting on the sideline for 55 snaps," said defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson in quotes released by Auburn. "We're trying to find a way to get the best 11 on the field on any one play."
Garrett's increased role will help out an Auburn run defense that's already shown a tremendous amount of improvement this year. The Tigers rank sixth in the SEC in rushing yards allowed per game at 120.67 and fifth in yards per attempt at 3.34.
Auburn has that strong South Carolina rushing attack, led by Mike Davis, this week, Georgia looming in Athens on Nov. 15 and a trip to Tuscaloosa to play Alabama to wrap up the season.
Garrett coming into the mix at linebacker is the right move at the right time.
Quick Outs
- Johnny McCrary will start at quarterback for Vanderbilt against Missouri, according to Adam Sparks of The Tennessean, making him the fourth starting quarterback for the Commodores this year. Fourth time's the charm? McCrary has tremendous upside but needs the weapons around him to play well to solidify the job.
- South Carolina head coach Steve Spurrier and Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn have struck up a friendship since Malzahn was hired by Auburn prior to the 2013 season. The credit for that friendship goes to golf. Spurrier, Malzahn and Ole Miss head coach Hugh Freeze play a mini-tournament in Destin, Florida, in spring meetings every May, and bragging rights are on the line. "The first year, I lost," Spurrier said. "People think I win all the time. I won last year, though."
- Muschamp discussed the possibility of Gurley being back for the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party, saying, "We want to play people at their best. He'll be fresh, I imagine that."
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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