Saturday Down South Podcast

(0:00) BUTCH JONES TO ALABAMA AT PRO DAY -Nick Saban wouldn’t confirm it. -If you could have three wishes granted for Butch Jones’ time in Tuscaloosa, what would they be? 
 (11:00) ED ORGERON SAYS LSU DOESN’T HAVE A FIRST-TEAM QUARTERBACK -Uhhhhh…duh  -Myles Brennan and Lowell Narcisse competing for the starting job -Fun LSU QB stats -The last time an LSU QB… -Threw for 20 touchdown passes… -Threw for 3,000 yards… -The last time LSU scored 25 points against Alabama… 
 (17:47) KYLE SHURMUR THE NEXT JAY CUTLER? -Cutler working with the Vanderbilt QB this spring -Shurmur actually had a comparable 2017 to Cutler’s final season at Vandy -Shurmur said he’s not focused on the NFL yet, knows he has to win games to make that happen -No you don’t -Cutler never even led Vandy to a bowl game -Cutler 6-3, 231 pounds; Shurmur 6-4, 227 pounds (24:33) SEC INJURY UPDATES FOR NCAA TOURNAMENT -Kentucky’s Jarred Vanderbilt wants to play on an injured ankle, Calipari not so sure -Alabama’s Donta Hall, concussion in SEC Tourney, 50-50 for VT in opener Thursday -Mizzou’s Jordan Barnett…DWI arrest, will not play on Friday vs. Florida State -Do these change your opinions of how far these teams can go? 
 (32:18) LOL -Peter Burns puts Nick Fitzgerald at No. 7 on SEC QB draft rankings -Crying laughing emoji 9 times -Put Jarrett Stidham at No. 1 -I know why people still hate on Nick Fitzgerald -Jalen Hurts throws on an Auburn jersey, turns around, national championship trophy in backpack -Video after losing bet with Charles Barkley 
 (41:00) IT MIGHT MEAN TOO MUCH (the NCAA keeping the SEC down, that is)

The NCAA Tourney is here, and the guys are joined by resident hoops expert Adam Spencer to break it all down. From the championship picks to the likely first-round upsets, they have you covered. Which SEC team has the hardest path in the tourney? Who got fairly seeded and who did the selection committee get wrong? Also, who could be the biggest letdown? We all have some fun filling out our brackets, but who are the worst people in every bracket group? All this and more on this week’s pod.

It’s time for your football fix in the middle of basketball season, and the guys have you covered: COMBINE SZN (00:00) -Donte Jackson fails to break John Ross’ record, still puts up 4.32 -Tony Brown curses on live television, guy wrongly made him stop his 40 -Davin Bellamy says Georgia didn’t prepare for someone who could throw -Lamar Jackson says he’s a quarterback, doesn’t run the 40 -Josh Allen threw a ball really far in shorts 
 BUTCH JONES TO ALABAMA/BILLBOARD COMES DOWN (13:36) -Tennessee fans were fired up to see that billboard in Neyland Stadium come down 
 THE LANE TRAIN (19:38) -Says he looks at assistant coach’s wives to evaluate if they’re good recruiters or not -James Franklin said basically that same thing back at Vanderbilt 
 SPRING FOOTBALL UPDATE (26:32) -Nick Saban said he’s open to the idea of playing both quarterbacks -Tennessee adds grad transfer quarterback Keller Chryst from Tennessee -Vols have 3 scholarship QBs now -He’ll graduate from Stanford in June, join the team over the summer -KJ Costello was going to be the starter -Once a higher-rated recruit out of California than Sam Darnold -Started 7 games in 2017, 8 TDs, 4 INTs, 54 percent accuracy -South Carolina WR Chad Terrell tore his ACL -Caught 3 passes for 20 yards -Will Muschamp said he’s expected to be back for the fall…? 
 RETURN OF THE MAC (33:43) -That’s just every time we talk about Jim McElwain from now on -Antonio Callaway said he felt he was the reason that McElwain was fired YOU MAD, BRO? (37:47) -Florida passes a bill that allows for UCF “national champions” license plate -Jimbo Fisher was given a fake championship of his own IT MIGHT MEAN TOO MUCH (41:16) -Bo Scarbrough asked if God is an Auburn fan “I said no, I definitely don’t think he is.” 
 -5-star review READ (45:23) -Joshua Barnhardt wrote: “The only SEC podcast where Rick James is still alive, has a Josh Allen hand size fetish,  and can’t find two guys born south of the Mason-Dixon Line to host! They bring the heat on hard-hitting topics in the SEC, like what craziness A&M quarterbacks are up to now, how our Lord and Savior Tim Tebow is going to save baseball, and how Nick Saban is really everybody’s Valentine. This podcast rocks. Love the show.”

It’s SEC Tournament week in St. Louis, and the guys are here to break it down. On the line to help them is SDS’s own Joe Cox (not the Georgia quarterback), who is our resident SEC basketball expert, as well as a long-time Kentucky insider. We start off with the wide open SEC (0:00) and who has the best chance to come out of it, including comparing the preseason odds to win the SEC with the current tournament odds (8:13). Joe then joins the show (13:08) to share his expertise, and discuss if this Kentucky team will ever find their way. He also dishes on why UK’s potential matchup with Mizzou could be huge for the overall tournament. Michael Porter was supposed to be the star of the SEC this season, but he’s played just two minutes. Can he come back in time to make a difference for Mizzou before it’s too late? (19:39) What should we make of Auburn (22:42) as they started off hot but have hit a patch of bad luck? And can Alabama rebound and keep their tournament hopes alive behind Collin Sexton (24:31)? That and much more from Joe. Now that the top dogs are out of the way, which lower seeded team has a shot to win it all? Which bubble team helps their case, and which bubbles are most likely to burst? The guys make predictions (31:16).

It’s spring practice season in the SEC, but the news cycle is full of ridiculousness off the field. First off, Butch Jones is talking about coming to Bama, which has gotten many Bammers like Marler pretty mad. Is Saban trying for the first-ever sweep of the national championship and championship of life? (0:00) It’s time to talk spring football, as the guys talk about expectations and players to watch from teams across the league. (10:27) And of course, along with that come some cliche spring football headlines (21:11), which trick writers and fans alike into having higher expectations every year. The guys share their favorite classics that will no doubt make an appearance in 2018. In a strange move, Texas A&M Nick Starkel made a lip-sync video in hopes of meeting Justin Bieber. First he wore a lucky Bieber shirt during games, now he’s spending his spring break trying to meet the Biebs. Is he fangirling too hard? (28:52) Plus, it’s everyone’s favorite time: Combine SZN (39:00)! Who will make the All-Shorts team? Who could break the 40 record? Everyone’s favorite drunkle Tim Brewster is back at it again with the tweets, but now he’s getting rested by one of his former players, Jalen Ramsey(48:35.) And surprise, Colin Cowherd (54:29) said something wild, but this time it was a dubious claim that a certain SEC team could be facing sanctions. Connor share's his thoughts on this vague claim.

It’s a surprisingly busy week in SEC football news, as the guys break down some coaching changes, including Jim McElwain joining Jim Harbaugh at Michigan (00:46), and Alabama picking up the legendary Coach Cool (Craig Kuligowski) of Mizzou fame (9:11). Speaking of people changing jobs, former Alabama QB AJ McCarron is now free from the Bengals’ pit of misery and he can finally get a chance to start (16:20). For some reason, Connor decided to celebrate this by writing him a poem, so…enjoy that (19:42). The big “can’t unhear” moment of the weekend was Fergie’s National Anthem at the NBA All-Star game (26:31). It that moment was so bad it caused the guys to reflect on when they had Fergied something, in hilarious fashion. The Mets GM has hinted that Tim Tebow could see time in the Majors this season, should fans be excited or enraged? Chris is certainly enraged (36:32). Also, the SDS Twitter account’s mentions have been in shambles over Will Ogburn’s article suggesting that Nick Fitzgerald could finish his career as the best rushing QB in SEC history (43:39). But what would it mean if Fitz broke the record? Finally, former FSU assistant Tim Brewster has brought his trolling ways to the SEC as he suggested that the Big 12 has lost its luster with Texas recruits (43:39). Here’s to hopefully many more years of SEC Twitter fingers to come!

It’s the season of love in the SEC, and that means it’s #comebackszn for Johnny Manziel (00:00). Where will he play next? Is there a worse mentor than Josh McCown, or a better place to fail than Cleveland? In an ultimate power move, Dan Mullen threw some shade at Georgia (10:39) for wins that McElwain earned. This is either the beginning of a great rivalry between two coaches, or the biggest running joke for years to come. Let’s take a two-car ride on the Lane Train (17:25), as Lane Kiffin used Lane Johnson’s comments about the Patriots to continue his trolling of Alabama. This man is made for the offseason. In honor of Valentine’s Day, we give out valentines to SEC coaches (24:37) because they’ve been responsible for more emotional roller coasters than most of our exes. SEC attendance is down (34:42), so who should we blame? Is it the millennials, the crystal-clear broadcast quality, or the increasing comfiness of sofas across America? Maybe it’s just because a couple teams can’t make a bowl and their fans don’t want to watch them lose. Also, in It Might Mean Too Much, Albert Haynesworth has made the news for the wrong reasons again, this time for getting thrown out of his son’s basketball game. Let’s check in on how his life has gone since retirement.

It’s National Signing Day, the last gasp of football before the long, cold offseason. The guys break down Georgia’s historic day and what it’s like to be an Alabama fan after years of being told “If you’re not first, you’re last” (0:00). This NSD was one for the ages, including the mic drop by Jacob Copeland’s mom (6:22), and several decisions that went against Tennessee in the most hilarious way possible(10:07) – did the trash can on the sideline curse them forever? We learned something else on NSD: Herm Edwards is a national treasure (16:34). We look forward to explaining the rules of college football to him as he accidentally shows up late for Friday games. Then, our incredibly qualified guest Corey Long joins the show for some real recruiting topics like who is the biggest winner, loser, most college-ready player, and most likely bust (20:15). After that, the guys play a game show where they try to guess the star ratings of famous SEC players(41:20). It’s harder than you might think. Also, something that may have gotten lost in the shuffle – a ton of official college football accounts got briefly shut down (52:18). What’s the deal with that? Finally, LSU is going to get these jokes for losing Patrick Surtain, who was pretty much a lock to come to Baton Rouge (55:17).

The latest episode of the Recruitin’ Down South once again features SDS recruiting insider Corey Long -- @CoreyLong on Twitter. We discuss the importance of official visits and why schools aim to get the last official visit with key targets and what National Signing Day will look like following the first ever early signing period. Corey then gives his predictions for some of the highest ranked uncommitted prospects left on the board for SEC programs.

Are y'all tired of Josh Allen from Wyoming getting overhyped despite being painfully average? So are we. The guys tackle that (00:00) and much more on today's pod. The XFL is back, and we couldn't be more excited(12:38). What rules need to be implemented? Who would you draft first? Transfer rules are currently set up to let coaches leave their players high and dry. Should players be able to transfer when a coach leaves (31:07)? Plus bad SEC tattoos(36:48), why National Signing Day has become Hanukkah instead of Christmas (44:12), and is Nick Saban the best 60+ dancer in America (51:20)?

The SDS Podcast is back and better than ever with new hosts Connor O'Gara and Chris Marler. Join the guys as they fight offseason boredom with their top 50 moments of last season. The list(starts at 4:00) focuses on moments that shaped the college football world. They disagree on a few things, including Feleipe Franks' hail mary pass setting the stage for mediocrity in the SEC. The guys share their hottest takes for 2018 (20:30). Could Jalen Hurts be a kicker? What about Les Miles – is he a better actor than a coach at this point? Speaking of Les Miles, now that his acting career is taking off, which classic movies would he have been better in (30:30)? Also, there's some Nick Cage trivia in there if you're into that. Who is the best in-game coach in football right now, Saban or Belichick (41:00)? If you had one game with equal rosters, who would you choose? Also, the guys talk about Rich Rodriguez and the interesting position he's put Arizona football in (46:20). Connor calls this segment Bad News Bear(cats) but you definitely shouldn't. You know what else you shouldn't do? Put your wife and mistress on the same sideline. Finally, they close out the show with their favorite segment: It Just Means Too Much, this time on Mekhi Brown (51:30).

The latest episode of the Recruitin’ Down South podcast features SDS’ own Corey Long (on Twitter @CoreyLong). Corey was in Orlando for the Under Armour All-American game and we wanted to discuss his thoughts on several of the prospects either headed to the SEC or currently being recruited by SEC programs. The surprise of the event was MVP RB Maurice Washington, he broke several records in the game and earned himself the attention of a few SEC programs coming out of the event. We also discussed Emory Jones and why he could start in Gainesville next season. Another interesting prospect from the game was Auburn QB signee Joey Gatewood. How does he fit in at Auburn and is his future at another position? One of the top uncommitted prospects to watch from the event was Jacob Copeland. What could he bring to the college game with Alabama, Florida and Tennessee all in pursuit? Quay Walker may be committed to Alabama but it appears he’s more likely to sign with Tennessee or Georgia. Fellow Alabama signee Jordan Davis and Georgia signee Brenton Cox stood out during the game to Long. He shares some thoughts on each. We close out discussing two U.S. Army All Americans in American Heritage teammates Patrick Surtain Jr. and Tyson Campbell. Long has incredible things to say about each uncommitted prospect. He also touched on what it says about Georgia should Kirby Smart and company reach into South Florida and steal Campbell away from Miami.

Two-time Oklahoma All-American linebacker Brian Bosworth, AKA "The Boz" joined host Connor O'Gara on the SDS podcast. The two talked about what the downfall was for Bosworth's Sooners in the Rose Bowl and what he thinks about that Georgia defense. Bosworth also talked about how his swagger was different than Baker Mayfield's, as well as which defense has the advantage on Monday night. And what's the final score for the all-SEC title game? Bosworth gave his thoughts on that. Bosworth joined the SDS podcast on behalf of Panini America, which is the exclusive trading card partner of Alabama, Georgia, Oklahoma and Clemson, as well as more than 200 other schools. Brian is in Atlanta for the College Football Playoff National Championship, where he’ll be signing autographs for fans at the Panini booth at Playoff Fan Central on Sunday, and signing cards on Facebook Live through the Panini America page.

On the latest edition of Recruitin’ Down South we talked to recruiting reporter Andrew Bone (@AndrewJBone on Twitter) of Bama Insider the Alabama Rivals affiliate. We wanted to get his thoughts on the early signing day period and where the Tide will focus their attention in recruiting as we barrel toward the tradition signing period in February. Among the topics discussed on this episode: How is Alabama currently trending with Under Armour All-American and current commit Quay Walker? Could he flip to another SEC program? Bone suggest there’s some negative recruiting going on there. Will Alabama sign QB James Foster? How badly will they pursue the Alabama native? Where do things stand with five-star Patrick Surtain Jr.? Can Alabama lure him away from LSU? What about his teammate Tyson Campbell, where do the Tide stand with him? How does Jeremy Pruitt leaving affect Alabama’s 2018 recruiting class? Could Tennessee take advantage there? Has Kirby Smart surpassed Nick Saban on the recruiting trail? Why did five-star 2019 RB Trey Sanders decommit from Alabama? Can the Tide get back in with him? We couldn’t talk to Andrew without getting his thoughts on the upcoming title game and how many Alabama fans he expects to see inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Monday night.

Ahead of the Playoff showdowns on New Year's Day, Heisman Trophy winner and current ESPN/SEC Network analyst Tim Tebow joined the show to break it all down. Tebow and SDS senior national columnist Connor O'Gara talked about all things Playoff, including the keys to victory for Alabama and Georgia. Tebow also shared his thoughts on the public perception of Heisman Trophy winner Baker Mayfield, as well as some additional thoughts on the Benny Snell ejection that had Tebow fired up on Friday. Tebow joined the SDS Podcast on behalf of the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team. Ahead of the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, Tebow teamed up with Allstate All Hands In movement to refresh the APEX Youth Center, which is a drop-in center for at-risk youth committed to improving young lives through education, technology and the arts. For more information on Allstate's efforts in the community, fans can visit espn.com/Allstate.