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It's time for The Mailbag, presented by Art Hays of Soteby's International Realty, Edition 254.
I asked for your questions. You delivered. So here we go...
From Rebel077: Who do you feel confident about the Rebs landing in the portal?
Confident? I don't think it works that way. It's too unpredictable. You can have a guy pretty lined up and then it all falls apart because another program makes a huge offer. I think things look good for Christopher Paul Jr., the linebacker from Arkansas, but until it's done, it's not done.
From TheBigReb15: With the playoff schedule changing next year, how do you see it effecting coaching changes? For example, let’s say Florida opens up around Thanksgiving and Ole Miss makes the playoff. Can Florida wait until December 23ish to name a coach or do you think the playoffs would essentially eliminate Kiffin in that scenario?
No, schools can't wait that long to make a hire. The early period is too important and the portal window is too vital to wait that long. As it pertains to Kiffin, that's a hypothetical that I don't know enough about to dive into. I have no idea if Kiffin would be of interest to Florida in that scenario or if he would even have any degree of interest in UF.
From chattreb: You have correctly mentioned the playoff committee dodged Armageddon until this year. Yes, this was bad, but I argue that controversy is not new to the selection process going back to the bowls, the BCS onto the 4 team playoff. I think this will pass, especially if Georgia boat races FSU in the Orange Bowl, and the fact that we will be at 12 teams next year. Now what I find as the most ironic twist in this is Jim Phillips scathing comments towards the committee when he is one of the people who is most responsible for FSU not making the playoffs yesterday. Your thoughts?
I won't make any judgements based off of what happens in the Orange Bowl. If FSU is checked out, I won't hold that against it. They will have opt-outs they otherwise wouldn't have had.
I do agree with you about Phillips. The alliance delayed the playoff and ultimately hurt Florida State badly.
From Champ87: I have a theory that one main reason FSU got left out of the playoffs. Had they been in the final four then the Orange Bowl was required to take Louisville as the next highest ranked ACC school, and they didn’t want them. Which was good for OM cause they got the Peach. Do you think there is way more “good ole boy” handshakes and back door deals that allow the other NY6 bowls to have a say in what actually happened?
I think what happened was the committee wanted an SEC team. Period. And the Cotton and Peach, in my opinion, wanted SEC teams.
From jchmcl09: It appears that multiple College QBs are entering the Transfer Portal which one assumes means they won't play in a Bowl game. Caleb Williams is opting out for the NFL.Don't you think that many of the coaches with teams in lesser Bowl Games are OK with that in that they can now play the guy they expect to start next year and give him valuable experience in a contested game.I would think that a team like Tennessee would thank Joe Milton for his service and start Nico Lamaleava. There are numerous examples throughout the country where this could happen.It is really the same situation as MLB teams that are out of the playoff running in early September who call up younger guys and put them into the lineup for experience.
Yes, absolutely. It's an opportunity for young players to get real-game experience from prep to the game. It's very similar to a September call-up for a MLB player. That's a great analogy.
From OneStopReb: Was it just me or was the Peach Bowl bid a surprise? Seems like the feeling was all week that Ole Miss was Citrus Bowl bound, unless the Cotton Bowl execs could pull some proverbial strings—-I know personally I was very surprised when they unveiled the announcement especially since it was right after the Cotton Bowl teams were revealed. Also — were you surprised the SEC got teams in the Playoff and 3 NY6 Bowls in addition?
It was definitely a surprise. I first heard it was a possibility late Sunday morning and basically ignored that. Everything sounded like Citrus. I think once Peach got to make some decisions, their desire for an SEC team was a factor, but no one will ever admit that. And no, I'm never surprised when the SEC flexes its considerable muscles.
From TX via TN Rebel: What metrics make you place Mizzou in front of OM in your weekly rankings?
Nothing complicated. I just think Missouri is better up front on both sides and would win the game on a neutral site. It's just my opinion. It's not something I feel strongly about. You could talk me out of it, but I'd likely be thinking about something else 30 seconds into the conversation. We'll never know, so it doesn't matter.
From robert90: Is there a chance you could interview/podcast a former player that left early for the NFL draft and 2 or 3 years later are out of football? I would be curious to hear them answer the question of if they had it to do over again, would they have stayed in college another year? Someone like Jerrion Ealy or Snoop Conner. Or someone like Chance Campbell (Who has had bad luck with injuries). It is something I wonder about when you hear players who are a real long shot to ever make an NFL roster, leave school early. Thanks in advance.
Yeah, that's a great idea. Chance told me privately he left early because he wanted to try the NFL while he was healthy. He felt he owed that to himself.
From TentSetuh: How much coordination is there between coaching staffs and collectives? Who is deciding how much the collectives should offer these guys, and at what point in the process?
They couldn't be more intertwined. The coaches tell the collectives what to try to do.
From jmbonelli: What are your power rankings on coaches in football and basketball in the SEC?
I don't like power rankings on coaches, because it's comparing apples to hand grenades in some cases. In football, for example, am I building a team or a program? What are my resources? Expectations? I mean, Saban is the best there's ever been, but the league has a lot of very good coaches. In basketball, there are multiple coaches who I think are elite at what they do, but they're very different. I'm a big fan of Beard, Pearl, Williams and Golden as program builders. I think Musselman's team-building skills are elite, sort of like Kiffin in football. I could go on and on, but ranking them 1-14 sort of feels impossible and ridiculously unfair.
From BAUER1: Who are our next commitments in the 24 class?
I really don't know. I'm just trying to grind through each day. That's going to come across as a cop-out, but I can't win predicting commitments. I can only lose.
From hays3: Who wins the natty and if it’s Bama any chance Saban retires and rides off into the sunset? This is maybe his best coaching job yet and things get much different next year (although it’s hard to argue Bama won’t always be in). Just looking for your thought/guess. Different note. Who ends with a better record; my Wolves or your Thunder and why? TIA.
I'm expecting an Alabama-Texas rematch and I won't be shocked if the Tide does it. It would seem to be a perfect jumping-off spot for Saban and that rumor will percolate, but he doesn't look like a guy eager to check out. Yes, he's softened, but there's no reason to believe he's anywhere close to losing his edge. This has been a remarkable coaching job.
From seminole817: Have you ever seen an NBA game where there is a 30-0 run in the 4th quarter and that team loses? WTH? And how much do you think Lively improves Dallas. Looked like he had his best game so far. Love that guy.
No, that was wild. I went from thinking OKC was going to run away with it to thinking, "Oh, my God. Dallas can't be stopped," to being wowed by the Thunder's resilience. Likely was a steal for the Mavericks. He really complements that team. That was a fun game to watch.
From Jose AguaFresca: If this has been asked & answered please excuse me asking again. If you don’t to put your thoughts in writing (yet) I understand. What is your take on the Oher/Tuohy saga. Did Oher burn through all his money? It is my opinion Oher spent multi-generational wealth in less than a decade and is now listening to the wrong people and burning the people that helped him get to college. Am I way off base? Did the Tuohy’s take this much advantage of Oher? Thank you in advance, I’ll hang up & listen.
I really don't know. I suspect there's a truth to be found in the middle. I never did get the warm and fuzzies from Oher and the same can be said for Touhy, if I'm honest. I suspect Oher blew through his money and is looking for a pay day, but I could be dead wrong.
From North Tampa Rebel: Obviously Beard is having a great start. Kermit also had a great first season then could never get back to that level. Are you seeing anything similar or different in the two inaugural seasons?
The biggest difference is Davis inherited Terence Davis, Shuler and Tyree, along with a decent supporting cast. They got hot early and hung on. He had a couple of talented freshmen on that team too. Beard's first team isn't as talented, but they're finding ways to win and proving to be pretty gritty. Adversity is on the way, however, and it'll be interesting to see how they handle that.
From themattyhowell: Obviously NIL has changed the landscape of recruiting, roster management, and college football as a whole. How long do you think it is before colleges begin hiring NFL front office guys to work with collectives to build rosters based on budgets and analytics creating a pseudo-GM role specifically for football?
I think in some ways that's already happened, but the power dynamic is different. At least for now, the final decisions are made by the head coach, not the GM. If that power dynamic changed at the college level, that would be a fascinating transition. At the college level, the coach is the face of the program. At the pro level, the players are.
From CountingReb: Alfredo or Marinara? Angel Hair or Fettuccine?
Marinara. Healthier and more versatile. I prefer fettuccine. I like the thickness (that's what she said; I know, I know.)
From Levi275: What’s the actual ROI on NIL for those that are donating to collectives? Is it just the pride of a win on Saturday? Surely the P&L of their business isn’t being improved by a HS commit or even a starter endorsing their product. I find the notion that we should have a regulation on NIL income to be bizarre, when NIL actually exists in other sports and there is no cap on what can be earned in off the field endorsements.
Great question. My guess is the return is emotional more than anything, with rare exceptions, but I could be completely wrong. I'm guessing Realtree, for example, has seen real ROI, but I'm not sure regular people buy a product simply because the company gives to a particular collective.
From Little Mike Strojny: That Memphis game was another really fun. Is Beard the one to finally make Ole Miss Basketball relevant?
I think so. If he can't, no one can.
From Wichita Reb: A couple questions here, you’ve covered Ole miss sports through some real valleys, just from a pure coverage standpoint is it pretty fun covering ole miss atheliticsThese days? Can you think of another 3 year period where all 3 big sports have been having this much success? Last question, watching Chris Beard in game, post game and all his marketing stuff the word Elite just keeps coming to mind. Is he one of the more impressive coaches you’ve covered in your career? Hope my question makes sense. Thanks for all you do and Merry Christmas to you and your family
I really don't allow myself to think like that, for if I handle my job one way when it's "fun," how will I handle it when it's "not fun." I strive for a more consistent approach, for better or worse.
I'd have to think back to the height of the Freeze era. Baseball was obviously going good and Kennedy had some success then, but no, a national title in baseball, two NY6 bowls in three years and Beard's hiring is pretty heady stuff.
Yes, he's elite. He's very impressive. He is a star.
From wasshanah: With the portal being open what is the next highest paid position after QB and what are the ballpark numbers you’re hearing for that position?
Wide receivers are getting big numbers. So are edge rushers, cornerbacks and perimeter offensive linemen. I don't know that there's a consensus number at any of those spots, but there are plenty of guys who will land at new homes making $500,000 per year or more, per multiple sources.
