Which two teams to play in SECCG

#81
#81
Gee whiz, Buckeyes have outspoken prez


July 17, 2006 by rmelick@bhamnews.com.

When former Vanderbilt Chancellor Gordon Gee was introduced as the new president of Ohio State University last week, it had the feel of an athletic version of "Mr. Smith Goes To Washington."
That is, if Mr. Smith was going back to Washington after having been voted out of office once for being a fiscal conservative in an era of government big spending.


Faithful followers of NCAA reform recognize Gee as the man best known for having done away with Vanderbilt's athletic department, placing the operation of big-time intercollegiate athletics under the auspices of the university's Department of Student Life.


While that move may have been as much about cutting costs at Vanderbilt as it was making an athletic reform statement, it made Gee a hero among those who believe football, in particular, has become the tail that wags the collegiate dog.

And it is a reputation Gee took advantage of. He became an outspoken critic of academic abuses in college athletics, supporting the idea of tying athletic scholarships to graduation rates.
He's spoken out against the escalating costs of doing NCAA business, publicly pointing out that while he was the highest paid university president in the country, earning an estimated $1.2 million a year according to a survey done by the Chronicle of Higher Education, he was still making only one-fourth the money of the highest paid college football coach in the country.

We all know who he was referring to, don't we?

Now Gee, who was Ohio State's president from 1990 to 1997, is going back to Columbus to oversee a university whose athletic department's budget is the largest in the country, over $100 million a year.
Some wonder if this might be the equivalent of putting the rooster in charge of the fox den; of having Newt Gingrich manage Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign; of asking Phyllis Schlafly to take over NOW.

Mike Cleary, the executive director of the National Association for Collegiate Directors of Athletics, was quoted, "When it comes to intercollegiate athletics, Dr. Gee's just a loose cannon."

In silencing Florida President Bernie Machen's move for a playoff, Gee said, "We've been consistent all along that we're trying to bring some semblance of integrity and some semblance of balance into what we're doing, and this moves in exactly the wrong direction.

"This is a slippery slope toward us finally just throwing in the towel and saying what we're about is fielding football teams and we have a university on the side, and I'm just not in favor of that."

In an interview with the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Gee added, "I am a great believer in intercollegiate athletics. I think it's broken. ..."

Which sounds great when you're the chancellor at Vanderbilt. But at Ohio State, where dotting the "i" at a football game is considered one of the highest honors the school can bestow?

The podium from which Gee will speak at Ohio State is much larger than the one he had at Vanderbilt, and has the chance to carry far more weight.

But then, the fervor that is Buckeye athletics is much greater, too.

And many on both sides of the athletic reform movement are anxious to see whether Gee loses his voice, or simply changes his tune.

Ray Melick's column appears Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Write him at rmelick@bhamnews.com.


© 2007 The Birmingham News
 
#82
#82
Im just curious but, why did u make a thread asking our opinions on the SECCG and if some one predicts something that doesn't include LSU u laugh at it?.....Les Miles isn't that great of a coach and I can see the Tigers blowing the Auburn game and possible the Bama game. and now is my prediction

Alabama/LSU/Auburn vs Tennessee/Florida

the one's in bold are the ones i see most likely
 
#83
#83
Volsfan895 said:
Im just curious but, why did u make a thread asking our opinions on the SECCG and if some one predicts something that doesn't include LSU u laugh at it?.....
Click to expand...

The original poster is a woman. Haven't you ever noticed that they don't REALLY want to hear answers to any of the questions they ask...?
 
#93
#93
I'll go out on a limb and pick UGA over Auburn for the 2007 SEC Championship.

The real question is which team will survive prosperity, LSU or Auburn.

Both of these tigers have a long history of self inflicted wounds. Never be afraid to hand a tiger a 45 'cause they have a propensity of shooting themselves in the foot.

If UGA is gonna make it pass the mighty Gators, then 2007 is it. While the Bulldogs defense matures enough to withstand the onslaught, expect a host of RBs to ground up the turf and Caleb King will be your SEC rookie of the year.

That leaves you the Volunteers of UTK. When these solders have a target on their chest, the first shot will be like nailing a deer in the headlights... while they try to recover, you can bet they'll never hear the second shot clean their clock.

USC and Vandy will be the surprise teams that knock the kings from their hill. While potential is good, it won't be enough to survive the gauntlet known as the SEC East.
 
#94
#94
Noah.Dreams said:
That leaves you the Volunteers of UTK. When these solders have a target on their chest, the first shot will be like nailing a deer in the headlights... while they try to recover, you can bet they'll never hear the second shot clean their clock.
Click to expand...

And this is supposed to mean?
 
#98
#98
winner of the Auburn/LSU and UT/UF games will play each other in the championship game.

LMAO @ UGA...their defense will not be as good and I'm still not sold on Stafford
 
#99
#99
Bulldogs racking up the points down at the police station. Other then that, let's wait for the season.
 
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