The Sunday Blog comes at you from I-95 (don’t worry, Robbie’s driving) after another Florida win in an improbable season:
1. Jim McElwain and Dabo Swinney had something in common. They were both trying to explain to the media how tough it is to win college football games. I get it, believe me. All you have to do is sit and watch a night of college football to understand that it’s not about style points over the course of a season. Florida was a lot better than South Carolina, but for this team to go on the road and have some adversity and find a way to win the game is all that matters. To be honest, it’s amazing how fall South Carolina has fallen in talent. The coaching staff just didn’t capitalize on those three straight 11-win seasons in terms of recruiting.
2. The SEC now has nine teams that are bowl eligible with two more who have a shot. Auburn should qualify this week when it faces Idaho while Missouri, after that emotional win over BYU, will still have to beat either Tennessee or Arkansas. Once again, Arkansas is the team nobody wants to play late in the year.
3. Meanwhile, there is Kentucky, which has seen another season fade down the stretch, The Wildcats had to beat Vandy to have a legitimate shot at going to a bowl but instead collapsed into a hot mess of disorganization and poor decisions. “You all can write what you want or whatever,” said UK coach Mark Stoops said. “I know I’ve got to make better decisions and put our team in a better position to be successful. That goes with the territory. But I’m not going anywhere. I’m going to go back to work.” There was so much enthusiasm around the program to start the season, but it’s gone now.
4. Another day, another job comes open. Todd Berry was fired at Louisiana-Monroe after another loss put the record at 1-9 this season. It’s just crazy how many jobs are open, including Missouri. I’m not sure how good that job is. It’s hard to recruit there and it really doesn’t feel like an SEC program. I tell you, Kirby Smart continues to see his stock rise. The big question with him is that he’s running Nick Saban’s defense and is doing it with the best athletes in the country. Can he build a program? Can he made the right decisions in the clutch? Someone will take a chance on Smart and he might turn out to be great. But I’m scarred by defensive coordinators as head coaches.
