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It's Moving Day No. 2 on the blog network today, and the Aggies are following Missouri out the door into the SEC blog today. We introduced the Aggies to the SEC earlier, but now it's time to debate.

The Aggies' move to the SEC was more about having the program grow in brand-new soil, whereas Missouri's move was more about conference stability.

Will the Aggies thrive? SEC blogger Chris Low and Big 12 blogger David Ubben go head to head to find out.

Chris Low: OK, David, let's not tiptoe around. This is a big-boy conference in the SEC with big-boy stakes. I know everything is supposedly bigger in the state of Texas, but do the Aggies really know what they're getting themselves into? For one, they tend to play all four quarters in the SEC. Judging by what I saw from the Aggies last season, somebody might want to remind them that there is a second half. Come to think of it, that's not very hospitable of me. I take that back. But, honestly, how do you think the Aggies will handle the grind of this league?

David Ubben: Now, now, Chris, that's not very nice. The Aggies are ...

As one final tribute to Texas A&M, I elected to forfeit the second half of that sentence.

In the early running, Texas A&M's going to have a lot of issues. Losing the volume and quality of talent they did in 2011 will hurt, especially on offense, as the program moves into a league -- and, particularly, a division -- known for defense. Ryan Tannehill wasn't great last year, but his experience helped, and Jeff Fuller and Cyrus Gray are a pair of NFL players that don't roll around every year.

I like the talent on campus at A&M a lot, though. They're just going to be young for now. With what they have now, they'll get better and better, as long as Kevin Sumlin does well. Based on what we've seen from his career, I think he will.

Beyond these first three to four years, how well they progress will depend on recruiting. The Aggies think the SEC will be a big draw for Texas recruits who want to play in the best conference in college football. Being able to offer that could help them surpass Texas on the recruiting trail and on the field.

Are you buying that? I strongly lean toward no, but I could see it happening. What do you think? Is playing in the SEC going to be a draw for Texas kids? Why or why not?

CL: I absolutely think the SEC will be a draw for some Texas recruits who see it as a chance to stay in the state and still play their college football and also be able to do it against SEC competition. That's a pretty sweet proposition: Stay close to home in the football-crazed state of Texas and compete in the football-crazed SEC, which has a standing order with the sculptor who designs that crystal trophy every year for the BCS national champion.

There's also another side to this story. The boys in the SEC think their chances of going deep into the heart of Texas and landing elite prospects are better than ever with Texas A&M joining the league. Rival coaches can tell mamas and daddies (that's the way the Bear used to say it) that they'll be able to keep up with their sons just like they were in the Big 12 with the Aggies now part of the SEC family, although the recruiting atmosphere in this league isn't very family-oriented. Just ask Urban Meyer. He got so tired of the recruiting shenanigans in the SEC that he's now pulling his own in the Big Ten, according to some of his new brethren there.

That leads me to my next question: Has anybody informed the Aggies that the rules are a little different in the SEC? Unlike the Big 12, it's not the first team to 40 points that wins.

DU: For the record, the league changed those rules for Baylor-Washington in the Alamo Bowl. First to 60 wins now, but that's irrelevant news for the Aggies.

A&M's front seven's actually been really good these past two years, but this year, it was the secondary that let the team down. The Aggies led the nation with 51 sacks, but the team wasn't happy that it took a lot of risky blitzes to get those sacks. The defensive line wasn't the unit applying the pressure most often — it was linebackers and defensive backs. That meant a lot of big plays in the passing game; the Aggies ranked 109th nationally in pass defense, giving up more than 275 yards a game. Now, they won't see the same caliber of quarterbacks in the SEC, but we will see if the front seven can handle the power of teams in the SEC West, which, to their credit, do have a handful of quarterbacks with a lot of potential. Tyler Wilson's great now. AJ McCarron and Kiehl Frazier could be elite soon.

We'll see what new defensive coordinator Mark Snyder can fix.

On the flip side of the recruiting debate, how much do you think SEC teams will try and slide into Texas? Could we see some collateral damage in the Big 12? Will the SEC one day take over the world? I heard Nicolas Sarkozy already has a special security detail in place in case Mike Slive comes after him.

CL: I'm not sure about taking over the world. It's just college football that the SEC one day would like to own. Some might suggest it already does.

Arkansas and LSU will probably be helped the most in terms of going into Texas and getting players. Other schools in the SEC might be more apt to target players in the state of Texas and make a push for those select players, but I don't think you're going to suddenly see a mass of teams in the SEC setting up camp in Texas on the recruiting trail. There's no need to when you look at how bountiful the states of Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana and South Carolina are in most years.

You mention some of the quarterbacks in the Western Division. It's fair to say that this wasn't a quarterback's league this season, and I also realize that the Big 12 has produced some quarterbacks over the last few years who've put up Xbox-type numbers.

But my question for you: Is Texas A&M capable of playing the kind of defense it takes to win big in the SEC?

DU: I think so, eventually. They know they have to, which is huge. They've seen how teams succeed in the SEC, and it's with defense.

If you invest in something, especially with the resources A&M has, good things will happen. Don't forget, the Aggies defense was really, really good last year. The athletes are there. For A&M, it's about putting it together.

CL: With all due respect, "really, really good" on defense in the Big 12 is entirely different than being "really, really good" in the SEC on defense. The more I watch this conference, the more it's ingrained in me that you're never going to win at a high level unless you can run the ball, stop the run and consistently win the turnover battle. Everything else is window dressing. I understand that's not exactly rocket science, but being able to run the ball creates a mindset that positively impacts your entire team. The same goes for playing good run defense.

So if I were offering any advice to the Aggies as they make the big jump, it would be to fortify their offensive backfield and recruit like crazy in the offensive and defensive lines. There's no such thing as too much depth in the SEC.

Having a little Texas flavor in the SEC is exciting. I know you're on record as saying the Aggies might struggle next season. But over time, I think they have what it takes to be an upper-echelon team in the SEC. Of course, that's the beauty of the SEC. So does everybody else in the league.

DU: Oh, there's no respect due when we're talking Big 12 defenses. The best in the SEC are on another stratosphere from the best in the Big 12.

Your game plan sounds like what I'd recommend, but it's easier said than done. Like Mizzou, A&M will have to start mining some of those junior colleges down south like the rest of the SEC West.

Generally, I'd agree with you on A&M's long-term prospects. The Aggies will win less than they did in the Big 12 ... which is to say not much. But they could put it together and have a huge year every now and then. I don't see them surpassing Texas as a program, but they're on their own now.

For some Aggies, that's enough. Next year, the Aggies will struggle, but watching them grow and try to build a new program will be fascinating.

1. “A Memorial for Joe” will honor the late Penn State coach Joe Paterno on Thursday, 29 years to the day that former Alabama coach Bear Bryant died only four weeks after his final game. The fact that both coaching icons died so soon after they left coaching has been noted time and again this week. The coincidences continue to pile up. Both Bryant and Paterno won their last victory against Illinois. Paterno’s last loss ever came to Alabama in September.
2. You can’t quibble with the success of Boise State coach Chris Petersen. The Broncos went 50-3 the last four seasons with Kellen Moore at quarterback, and is 73-6 overall. But now comes Petersen’s biggest test. According to PhilSteele.com, Boise State is dead last among FBS schools in returning starters with six. Depth is usually the last thing that mid-majors can count on. Then again, with the Big East on the horizon, we won’t be able to call Boise State a mid-major for much longer.
3. You know that a head coach has made it when he keeps winning even as his assistants depart. With that in mind, keep an eye on Wisconsin next fall. Head coach Bret Bielema is in the process of replacing six of his nine assistant coaches in this offseason. Offensive coordinator Paul Chryst became head coach at Pitt and took three coaches with him. Bielema may be young – he turned 42 this month – but he’s developing a coaching tree. Dave Doeren left his staff last year to become head coach at Northern Illinois.

When asked why he didn't retire from coaching, Joe Paterno often was reminded of his friend, rival and fellow coaching icon, Paul "Bear" Bryant.

Paterno looked up to Bryant and coached against him five times (four times as a head coach, once as an assistant). Their last meeting took place Oct. 9, 1982, when Paterno's third-ranked Penn State team faced Bryant's fourth-ranked Alabama squad at Legion Field, in Birmingham, Ala. Alabama won the game 42-21.

Barely two months later, on Dec. 15, Bryant, 69, announced his retirement from coaching. Two weeks later, Alabama beat Illinois in the Liberty Bowl in Bryant's final game, giving Bryant 323 career coaching wins, the most in Division I history.

On Jan. 26, 1983, Bryant died after being admitted to a hospital with chest pains. He was just 29 days removed from his final game.

Paterno was keenly aware of the short time Bryant lived without football. Like Bryant, Paterno also passed away not long after he stepped away from coaching.

Paterno's death on Sunday morning in State College, Pa., comes 84 days after he coached his final game at Penn State.

Like Bryant, Paterno's final game came against Illinois. Had Paterno been allowed to coach the remainder of the season -- and his health had allowed him to -- his final game would have taken place Jan. 2 in the TicketCity Bowl.

Paterno recorded his 324th career coaching win on Oct. 27, 2001, moving him past Bryant for the most victories among major college coaches.

Paterno coached 46 seasons at Penn State. Bryant spent 38 seasons as a head coach, the final 25 at Alabama.

Although Paterno's departure from coaching was more controversial than Bryant's, the parallels between the two men, even in their deaths, can't be denied.

The SEC went 6-3 in bowl games, and one of those losses was by LSU to Alabama in the Allstate BCS National Championship Game.

What did we learn in the postseason? Here’s a look:

1. The SEC rules: OK, most of us already knew this, but the SEC reasserted itself as the best conference in college football. There were a few blips. Georgia didn’t finish its game against Michigan State in the Outback Bowl, and a kickoff return for a touchdown sunk Vanderbilt against Cincinnati in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl. But when the bowl dust had cleared, four SEC teams were ranked in the top eight in the final USA Today coaches’ poll, and three teams were in the top five of both polls. Alabama was No. 1, LSU No. 2, Arkansas No. 5 and South Carolina No. 8. All four teams won at least 11 games, and Alabama, of course, won the big prize. The Crimson Tide made it six straight BCS national championships for the SEC, which has its clutches on college football like never before.

2. Saban reaches new heights: That argument about the two greatest coaches in SEC history is starting to become a genuine argument. Alabama’s Bear Bryant will always be a part of that conversation, but who’s No. 2? Steve Spurrier is a lock for the College Football Hall of Fame when he retires, and if you go way back, Gen. Robert Neyland deserves mention as well. But with his third national championship in 10 seasons as an SEC head coach, Nick Saban is quickly cementing a spot right up there alongside Bryant. The fact that Saban has done it at two places (Alabama and LSU) is what separates him. And keep in mind that LSU was 3-8 the season before he got there and Alabama was 6-7 the season before he arrived in Tuscaloosa. He’s building a mini-dynasty at Alabama, and it’s a run that easily could include a few more national titles.

3. McCarron is coming: The Crimson Tide kept sophomore quarterback AJ McCarron under wraps this season. They shielded him from the media, wanting him to instead focus on everything that goes into quarterbacking the team. They also didn’t put a lot of the offensive burden on his shoulders. That is, until Monday night’s Allstate BCS National Championship Game. McCarron played with the confidence and poise of a fifth-year senior, and was the key to the Crimson Tide’s game plan. He came out throwing against LSU’s defense and finished 23-of-34 for 234 yards. It’s a great way for McCarron to go into this offseason. He will be the unquestioned leader of that offense next season and will be asked to do a lot more. The best news for Alabama fans is that he’s plenty capable. He’s the most physically gifted quarterback Saban has had at Alabama, and the whole experience of the national title game could be the springboard he needs to become one of the SEC’s elite quarterbacks the next two seasons.

4. Head Ball Coach is revived: Despite whether Steve Spurrier is second, third or fourth when you start ranking the best SEC head coaches of all time, he’s proved at South Carolina that there was plenty left in his tank. Spurrier, who turns 67 in April, clearly didn’t go to Columbia for one last taste of football before hitting the golf course full time. He went to win, and the Gamecocks are winning at unprecedented heights. Their 30-13 victory over Nebraska in the Capital One Bowl capped their first 11-win season in school history. They recorded their first top-10 finish in the polls in school history, and they’ve won nine or more games in back-to-back seasons for the first time in school history after making their first appearance in the SEC championship game in 2010. The "Head Ball Coach" should have a good team in 2012, too, so there could be more firsts on the way.

5. Arkansas’ seniors step up: What else can you say about Arkansas’ senior class and the way it set the tone for this team all season? Really, it’s a senior class that changed the course of Arkansas football. And in taking down Kansas State 29-16 in the AT&T Cotton Bowl, the Hogs’ seniors again led the way. Joe Adams had his fourth punt return for a touchdown this season. Jarius Wright caught his 12^th touchdown pass. Jerry Franklin led the team with eight total tackles, the fourth straight season in which he’s led the Hogs in tackles. Jake Bequette had two sacks. Tramain Thomas was his usual solid self, and Jerico Nelson had an interception and 61-yard return to seal the game. It’s a senior class that left an indelible mark on Arkansas football and a senior class that paved the way for the Hogs’ first 11-win season since 1971.

If Lane Kiffin keeps this up, he's in danger of becoming "coach Lane Kiffin," not "Lane @#%$@ Kiffin" or "%&@# Kiffin" or just "@#$%@," for short.

You say "Lane Kiffin" to a college football fan -- a football fan, really -- and you get many reactions. Most of the bad. Dude has some baggage. He's best known for off-field controversies in large part because he's not done much -- good or even bad -- on the field.

Off the field? Well, take your pick of controversies. Kiffin was involved in a coup at USC that led to legendary offensive coordinator Norm Chow getting pushed aside. Kiffin fell afoul of team owner Al Davis as the Oakland Raiders coach and was fired after 20 games. At Tennessee, he trashed talked most of the league, infuriating commissioner Mike Slive, got in trouble with the NCAA and bolted after just a single season for USC.

This is old news, of course. And Kiffin has mostly behaved and avoided controversy at USC.

But we were left with an important question: Can he coach?

An 8-5 finish in 2010 didn't reveal much. It was adequate but hardly impressive. A 7-3 start was greeted by mostly positive reviews, then he lost consecutive games to Notre Dame and Oregon State.

So that was the question in 2011. Hate Kiffin. Love Kiffin. But, again, can he coach?

The 38-35 win at Oregon on Saturday hinted that, yes, he can. That he might be growing into the job. That he's matured as a leader and motivator. At 9-2 and ranked 10th in the AP Poll as well as the ESPN.com Power Rankings, he's a win over rival UCLA away from what would unquestionably be considered a successful season: a "true" South Division championship, 10 wins, a top-10 ranking, a win over top-five team (Oregon) and wins over rivals Notre Dame and UCLA.

There's always been some substance to the Kiffin dislike, even beyond the off-field issues. For one, more than a few folks saw him as born with a silver coaching spoon in his mouth, a guy had successfully conned his way into big-time jobs before he deserved them or was ready.

When he got hired at USC in 2001, three years after graduating Fresno State, he'd never been a position coach -- anywhere. He got the job because his dad, Monte Kiffin, was Pete Carroll's defensive mentor. Four years after arriving, Chow was pushed aside for him -- just in time for Kiffin to coach the 2005 Trojans, one of the most talented offenses in college football history. After two seasons, at age 31, he was hired by the Raiders.

When that didn't work out he immediately got hired by Tennessee, an SEC power. One year later, he took over USC, among the top-five programs in the nation. All that after going 5-15 (Raiders) and 7-6 (Tennessee).

The point is there wasn't much you could finger to justify why so many seemingly smart people kept hiring Kiffin.

Until Saturday in Eugene, though the performance at Notre Dame in a 31-17 win was pretty darn good, too.

The Trojans had effective plans on both sides of the ball against the Ducks, which got them a 38-14 lead. Sure, Oregon stormed back but Oregon does that. And, sure, if that 37-yard field goal to tie the game on the final play of regulation had been good, most money would have been on the Ducks in overtime.

Details and what might have beens. The W is what matters.

With no hope for a conference or national title or even the postseason, Kiffin has the Trojans playing their best football. They started slowly against a weak schedule but have steadily improved. He's kept the team motivated and focused, even though he's got plenty of underclassmen eyeballing the NFL.

Now, of course, comes the tough part: Losing 30 scholarships over three years will challenge the Trojans as they try to remain competitive at the top of the conference. We'll see how Kiffin and USC weather circumstances that would try Bear Bryant.

Still, Kiffin has started to push back against his critics with evidence of his skill. All the snarking about his past is backgrounded by his present, by what he created last weekend and this season.

But, Lane, make sure you take care of UCLA on Saturday. Don't make me come back next week with a "Never Mind."

1. The LSU-Alabama rivalry didn’t exist until after Charley McClendon became the Tigers’ head coach in 1962. McClendon had played for Tide coach Bear Bryant at Kentucky, so they agreed to play annually, beginning in 1964. Bryant dominated his disciple, going 14-2 against him. (Since Bryant’s death, the gap has disappeared; Alabama leads, 14-13-1.) But Bryant thought so much of McClendon that when the Bear considered leaving for the Miami Dolphins in 1969, he recommended McClendon as a possible successor.

2. Let’s see: West Virginia filed a lawsuit against the Big East Conference in order to get out of staying in the league for 27 months, as it is contractually required, before it leaves for the Big 12. West Virginia filed the suit in a West Virginia county district court to be heard by a judge who is elected to the bench. Talk about home games -- this is the judicial equivalent of West Virginia bringing an FCS opponent into Milan Puskar Stadium to absorb a beating. If the league countersues, you can bet it will be in a different court.

3. The journey of Oklahoma tailback Dominique Whaley from transfer to walk-on to starter to out for the season (broken ankle) took one more improbable turn Monday. Sooners coach Bob Stoops announced that Whaley will go on scholarship in December. Stoops can’t give Whaley the free ride before then because NCAA rules demand that a coach submit a list of scholarship players before the season. The policy prevents coaches from using the scholarship as an incentive -- or punishment -- once games begin.

1. Penn State coach Joe Paterno got blindsided at practice Sunday and suffered the sort of injuries you would expect an 84-year-old coach to get when a college football player nails him. Adam Rittenberg wonders if Paterno should remain on the sideline. Hey, the university president tried to convince Paterno to resign a few years ago and failed. Who exactly is going to tell Paterno to leave the sideline? Not me.

2. The NCAA Presidential Summit begins Tuesday in Indianapolis buoyed by the hope that they will begin to develop reforms that will bring the NCAA Manual out of the 1990s, if not entirely up to date. Hope, however, shouldn't be confused with the reality that making difficult choices is not easy, especially when there are so many of them. If the summit ends with any direction at all headed toward reform, it will be a success.

3. It is heartening to see that Tennessee defensive back Janzen Jackson met with the media on Monday. Jackson missed spring practice in order to deal with what he described as "some personal issues and a lot of family problems." Arizona wide receiver Juron Criner also recently returned to his team after dealing with family issues. Kudos to Vols coach Derek Dooley and Wildcats coach Mike Stoops for their enlightened attitudes. Can you imagine the response of a Bear Bryant or a Woody Hayes to such a need? The old days weren't necessarily better.

Before his famed stint with the New York Sack Exchange in the NFL, Marty Lyons was a dominant force on Alabama’s defensive line in the late 1970s.

A consensus All-American as a senior in 1978, Lyons helped lead the Crimson Tide to their next-to-last national championship under the legendary Paul W. “Bear” Bryant. Lyons was a defensive captain that season and recorded 119 total tackles, including 15 for loss. He was named the SEC's defensive player of the year.

Lyons, who was also a two-time All-SEC selection, becomes the 23^rd Alabama player or coach to be selected into the College Football Hall of Fame. He was 31-5 during his career at Alabama and a member of two SEC championship teams.

In the hearts and minds of Alabama fans, Lyons will forever be remembered for his part in one of the most famous goal-line stands in college football history. The stand was punctuated by Barry Krauss’ fourth-down stop of Penn State’s Mike Guman just inches from the goal line, preserving Alabama’s 14-7 win over Penn State in the 1979 Sugar Bowl to capture the national title.

During the timeout just prior to the fourth-down play, Penn State quarterback Chuck Fusina walked over to see how much the Nittany Lions needed for a touchdown. The ball was inside the 1. Fusina looked over to Lyons and asked Lyons what he thought Penn State should do.

Lyons shot back, “You better pass.”

A member of Alabama’s Team of the Century, Lyons had perhaps his best game in the 1978 Iron Bowl when he collected 16 tackles, including three sacks, in a 34-16 win over Auburn.

Lyons was a first-round pick of the New York Jets in the 1979 draft and played all 11 seasons with the Jets. He's also the founder of the Marty Lyons Foundation, which for nearly 30 years has fulfilled special wishes for children diagnosed with a life-threatening or terminal illness.

SALT LAKE CITY -- Circle the date in red: UCLA at Utah on Nov. 12. The Norm Chow-Rick Neuheisel showdown. Emotions will be high as two coaches seek vindication after their failed marriage in Westwood. These guys, clearly, don't like each other.

At least that would be the fun, grudge-match angle.

"Rick's a good guy," Chow said. "There's no bad feelings." And Neuheisel has repeatedly said the same about Chow.

Now, we're not going to smooth over this. Chow, by any measure one of the best offensive minds in the history of college football, didn't succeed at UCLA. The Bruins offense mostly stunk during his three-year tenure. Not all the blame belongs to Chow. Not all the blame belongs to Neuheisel, an offensive-minded head coach who isn't the hands-off sort. Not all the blame falls on the middling talent. What is clear is that Neuheisel cleaned house at UCLA this offseason, and Chow ended up at Utah. And the Chow-Neuheisel separation was a laborious process that required weeks to finalize.

But the endgame is this: Chow ended up at Utah, his alma mater, and with a head coach, Kyle Whittingham, whom he knows well. His marching orders are to remake the Utes offense in his preferred image: pro-style, West Coast (you know: the scheme he developed during his quarter century coaching at BYU).

Whittingham and Chow both say they connected over Tim Davis, whom Whittingham was considering -- and eventually hired -- as his new offensive line coach. Davis had coached with Chow at USC. So Whittingham made inquiries and that conversation led to a, "So, Norm, how are things in Westwood?"

Not so good, said Chow. Whittingham sensed an opportunity.

"Was I looking to make a change?" Whittingham said. "No, not necessarily. But never would I pass up an opportunity to make ourselves better."

Said Chow, "He knew he wanted to change to a more power, down-hill running game."

It took more than a month to cross the Ts and dot the Is, but here is Chow, weaning the Utes away from their spread offense a year after he was charged -- with some discomfort -- with teaching the Bruins the Nevada pistol.

Chow, seven practices into his new job, seems to like what he sees, even though his starting quarterback, Jordan Wynn, can't throw due to shoulder surgery. Wynn, apparently, has shown Chow plenty without throwing a pass.

"Just sitting in meetings with him, it's extremely obvious he's very bright," Chow said. "To me the key element for a quarterback is you've got to be smart. He gets it all."

Chow likes his receivers, believes his offensive line is solid and thinks new additions, Harvey Langi and John White, will be able to get the job done at running back. He likes the Utes intangibles, too.

"Kyle has done a terrific job of preparing them to practice," Chow said.

As for Chow's players, they still seem a little in awe of him. Said Wynn "I honestly didn't expect him to come here. I was like, 'I'll believe it when I actually see him here in Utah gear.' But it happened. It's a great honor to play for him."

Added offensive tackle Tony Bergstrom, "I was waiting for them to say, 'We're bringing back Paul "Bear" Bryant, getting the coaching dream team together.'"

Of course, the adulation won't last if the Utes don't score points. It seemed like Neuheisel enlisted a "dream team" when he had Chow and defensive coordinator DeWayne Walker on his 2008 staff. No dreams came of that, unless you're talking about some nightmarish games.

By the time, the UCLA heads to Salt Lake City for a Pac-12 South Division clash, it's likely the newness of Chow will have worn off and the point-production will be what matters.

Chow seems amused knowing that reporters will be eager to play up the perceived emotions of the matchup. Recall that he went through the same routine when the Bruins played USC, where he made beautiful music with Pete Carroll until those two went all Lennon and McCartney and fell out.

This is not, as Chow said, his "first rodeo."

"The minute the game starts, those become just guys in a different jersey," Chow said. "You guys can worry about that."

1. As the Associated Press reported, the salaries that Florida will pay Will Muschamp and his staff add up to about $1 million less than what Urban Meyer and his staff received in 2010. I asked Gator athletic director Jeremy Foley: what happens to that seven-figure windfall? “I’ve got my agent negotiating,” Foley joked. As it turns out, nothing happens. “It just goes into the general operating budget. It will be used for whatever. It’s hard to say it will used for more bats.” Ho hum. Just another Gator million.

2. The coaching profession is full of very talented men who never catch a break. Then there’s Ryan Walters, who became secondary coach at Arizona only three years after he served as captain of the Colorado Buffaloes. Walters, 25, had been a graduate assistant for Mike Stoops. Walters took the opening that Duane Akina left when he returned to Texas after only a few weeks in Tucson. Walters may be a good coach. Sometimes, it’s better to be lucky than good.

3. Dude Hennessey played for Bear Bryant at Kentucky. He took a 30 percent pay cut from his Louisville high school to work for Bryant at Alabama in 1960. It paid off. Hennessey served as an assistant on four of Bryant’s national championship teams. He became a fixture in the athletic department, a storyteller who kept the coach’s legend alive through anecdote, mimicry and sheer adoration. Hennessy died Wednesday at age 81.

1. Miami wide receiver Leonard Hankerson concluded his All-ACC season with the most outstanding offensive player award in the Senior Bowl on Saturday. Not that Hankerson’s five catches for 100 yards and a touchdown were out of character; he caught 72 passes for 1,156 yards and 13 touchdowns this season. But it underscores the mystery that was the Hurricanes under Randy Shannon. The talent didn’t produce the wins anyone thought it would.

2. Overworked players aren’t exactly unprecedented in the history of college football. Bear Bryant’s Junction Boys immediately come to mind. So what triggered the syndrome that sent 13 Iowa players to the hospital last week? Did they really work out that much harder than they ever have? Than anyone ever has? Could it have been something in their diet? A supplement? The university may hide behind privacy concerns. But providing answers would be a public service.

3. Greetings from the Short Attention Span Club. Remember how much grief the ACC took for going 1-9 against the other AQ conferences in the first three weeks of the season? The league went 8-5 the rest of the way by sprinting to the finish line. From Thanksgiving weekend through the bowls, the league went 4-2 against the big, bad SEC. That almost makes up for the combined 0-6 against the Big Ten, Big 12 and Pac-10.

You really want to get Nick Saban steamed?

Hit him with a good dose of everything that’s out there concerning this Alabama team’s pursuit of history.

All the chatter about defending the national championship, extending streaks and generally accomplishing things that haven’t been done at Alabama since Bear Bryant was roaming the sideline is enough to trigger a full-blown explosion from Saban.

The ultimate live-in-the-moment guy, Saban is affixed only on this preseason camp. More specifically, the next practice of preseason camp.

To him, the bigger picture is finding a way to get better on special teams or solidifying roles in his young and inexperienced secondary.

But chasing history?

That’s for the rest of us to discuss.

“Every season stands on its own, and it doesn’t matter if you’ve just won the national championship or lost two games in a row just like we did two years ago [to end the 2008 season[,” Saban said. “Every season is different. Every team is different. The only thing this team will be remembered for is what we do this season.”

True enough, but another season like last year would also take this group to the doorstep of SEC immortality.

There hasn’t been a repeat BCS national champion since the BCS era began in 1998. Southern California was voted No. 1 in the final Associated Press poll in 2003, but Saban’s LSU Tigers won the BCS national championship that season. The Trojans came back to win the BCS national title that next season.

The last team to win outright national championships in back-to-back seasons was Nebraska in 1994 and 1995.

And from an SEC perspective, nobody in this league has repeated as champion since Tennessee did it in 1997 and 1998.

“None of that means anything right now,” said junior running back Mark Ingram, who made a little history himself last season in becoming the first Alabama player to win the Heisman Trophy.

“The way we got to where we are is taking it one game and one practice at a time, and that’s not going to change just because we won a title. There’s nothing we’ve done to this point that’s going to help us this year.”

Ingram was still in high school the last time Alabama lost an SEC regular-season game. The Crimson Tide have reeled off 16 in a row. The record is 27 in a row, held by ... Alabama.

Bryant’s teams in the late 1970s went three straight seasons without an SEC loss of any kind. Alabama won its final four SEC games during the 1976 season and didn’t lose again to a league foe until Mississippi State upset the No. 1-ranked Crimson Tide 6-3 on Nov. 1, 1980, in Jackson, Miss.

That loss ended a 28-game winning streak overall by Alabama, a streak that saw the Crimson Tide win the AP national championship in 1978 and the outright national title in 1979.

That 28-game streak is tied for the longest overall in SEC history. Alabama also won 28 in a row stretching from the final 10 games of the 1991 season through the first five games of the 1993 season, although those wins in 1993 were later vacated by NCAA sanctions.

Alabama has gone two seasons in a row now without any regular-season losses, the first time that’s happened at the Capstone since 1973 and 1974.

Only once in SEC history has a team gone three straight seasons without a regular-season loss of any kind, and that was Tennessee under Gen. Robert Neyland during the 1938, 1939 and 1940 seasons.

“One of the things you learn in this program is not to get caught up in looking down the road,” sophomore linebacker Dont’a Hightower said. “That’s when you get sidetracked.

“We’ll keep our eyes on what’s right in front of us.”

You asked for it. Well, you get it.

As ESPN.com continues with its countdown of the 50 most-painful outcomes in college football history, I've come up with the most agonizing loss for each SEC team. Some of these games have already been featured in the House of Pain countdown, and some may still be yet to come.

This is going to be painful for some of you, but here goes:

ALABAMA

Notre Dame 24, Alabama 23 (Sugar Bowl); Dec. 31, 1973: It was perhaps the most hyped game in Alabama's storied history with two coaching giants -- Bear Bryant and Ara Parseghian -- going head-to-head in a classic duel. But the No. 1-ranked Crimson Tide lost a heartbreaker, ending their perfect season. They had already won the UPI national championship, but the Irish vaulted to No. 1 in the AP poll.

ARKANSAS

Texas 15, Arkansas 14; Dec. 6, 1969: It was dubbed the 'Game of the Century." Texas was No. 1 and Arkansas No. 2. President Richard Nixon was in the stands that night at Razorback Stadium, and the Hogs built a 14-0 lead. But the Longhorns rallied with quarterback James Street completing an improbable 44-yard pass to tight end Randy Peschel on a fourth-and-3 play to set up the winning touchdown. Street, a wishbone quarterback, had only thrown 80 passes all season.

AUBURN

Alabama 25, Auburn 23; Nov. 30, 1985: In Bo Jackson's final SEC game, Alabama's Van Tiffin kicked a 52-yard field goal with six seconds left to send the No. 7-ranked Tigers reeling in the 50th Iron Bowl. The Crimson Tide streaked downfield with no timeouts remaining and less than a minute on the clock to get in field goal range. There were four lead changes in the fourth quarter alone.

FLORIDA

Georgia 27, Florida 10; Nov. 5, 1966: The Gators, led by senior quarterback Steve Spurrier, were ranked No. 7 nationally and unbeaten, but were no match for arch-rival Georgia that day in Jacksonville. The Gators' SEC championship hopes were derailed, and they had to wait until 1991 to win their first SEC title, Spurrier's second year as coach at his alma mater. Spurrier still hasn't forgiven the Bulldogs.

GEORGIA

Penn State 27, Georgia 23 (Sugar Bowl); Jan. 1, 1983: The No. 1-ranked Bulldogs were on the doorstep of a second national championship and unblemished season in three years, but fell behind 20-3 to the Nittany Lions and could never catch up. Heisman Trophy winner Herschel Walker played his final game for the Bulldogs and didn't have a run that was longer than 12 yards. In the 36 games that Walker played for Georgia, the Bulldogs lost only three times.

KENTUCKY

Tennessee 7, Kentucky 0; Nov. 25, 1950: Bear Bryant's No. 3-ranked Wildcats lost a chance at an undefeated season and outright national championship in the regular-season finale, dropping a heartbreaking 7-0 decision to the Vols after a winter storm hit Knoxville and dumped 10 inches of snow on the ground the morning of the game. The loss stung even more after Kentucky went on to defeat No. 1-ranked Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl and snap the Sooners' 31-game winning streak.

LSU

Tennessee 14, LSU 13; Nov. 7, 1959: One week after Billy Cannon's historic punt return for a touchdown to beat Ole Miss on Halloween night, No. 1-ranked LSU was upset at Tennessee when Cannon was stopped at the goal line on a two-point conversion attempt in the fourth quarter. Cannon claims to this day that he got in. The loss ended the Tigers' 19-game winning streak and their hopes of a second consecutive national championship.

MISSISSIPPI STATE

Tennessee 24, Mississippi State 14; Dec. 5, 1998: It's the closest the Bulldogs have come to winning an SEC championship in the modern era. They led No. 1-ranked Tennessee 14-10 late in the fourth quarter in what remains Mississippi State's only trip to the SEC championship game. But the Vols got a pair of touchdown passes from Tee Martin 28 seconds apart to escape and go on to win the national championship that season.

OLE MISS

LSU 7, Ole Miss 3; Oct. 31, 1959: Billy Cannon's Halloween magic on an 89-yard punt return for a touchdown spoiled what could have been one of the greatest seasons in Ole Miss history. It's the only game the Rebels lost all season, and they only gave up 21 points in 11 games. They wound up beating LSU in a Sugar Bowl rematch, but lost out on a chance to win the outright national championship when they couldn't get Cannon on the ground two months earlier.

SOUTH CAROLINA

Navy 38, South Carolina 21; Nov. 17, 1984: If ever there was proof that the "Chicken Curse" really exists, it's that dreary November day in Annapolis, Md., 26 years ago. The No. 2-ranked Gamecocks were unbeaten and on their way to playing for a national championship, but were inexplicably upset by a Navy team that finished 4-6-1 that season. The Gamecocks had a chance earlier in the week to lock in a Sugar Bowl berth (win or lose) if they would commit, but they were holding out for the Orange Bowl. They wound up tumbling to the Gator Bowl and were beaten by Oklahoma State.

TENNESSEE

LSU 31, Tennessee 20; Dec. 8, 2001: Tennessee's program hasn't been the same since. The Vols were coming off an epic win over Florida in a game that was moved to the end of the season because of the 9/11 terrorist attacks and were all set to face Miami in the Rose Bowl and play for their second national championship in four years. But they couldn't get past LSU in the SEC championship game. The Tigers rallied from 10 points down and won despite losing their starting quarterback and starting running back to injuries during the game.

VANDERBILT

Tennessee 20, Vanderbilt 17; Dec. 1, 1973: Leading No. 19-ranked Tennessee 17-13 with less than two minutes left in rain-soaked Neyland Stadium, Vanderbilt punter Barry Burton, an eventual All-American at tight end, dropped the snap. The Vols recovered inside the 40 and scored the winning touchdown in the waning seconds. The Commodores, under first-year coach Steve Sloan, missed out on their chance to become bowl eligible for the first time in 18 years and finished 5-6.

In keeping with the spirit of the World Cup, my ESPN.com colleague, Ivan Maisel, has a piece on famous ties in college football history.

Hard to believe that it’s been 15 years since the tie was replaced by overtime in college football. It’s certainly changed strategy at the end of games. Coaches typically play for overtime now and kick the extra point instead of going for the two-point conversion and the win.

Ties involving a pair of SEC teams are featured in Maisel’s piece -- Auburn’s 16-16 tie with Syracuse in the 1988 Sugar Bowl and Florida’s 31-31 tie with Florida State in 1994.

A few more come to mind:

• In fact, in that same season Auburn played Syracuse to a 16-16 tie in the bowl game, the Tigers tied Tennessee 20-20 earlier that year in Knoxville.

• The only blemish on Ole Miss’ 1960 record was a 6-6 tie with LSU in late October in Oxford. The Rebels finished 10-0-1, winning the SEC championship, and were also voted national champions by the Football Writers Association of America.

• Auburn tied Georgia Tech 7-7 in 1958, which was the only blemish on the Tigers’ record that season. The Tigers went into that game ranked No. 2 nationally and had won 17 straight games.

• Alabama and David “Deuce” Palmer rallied to tie Tennessee 17-17 in 1993 in a battle of Top-10 teams. Palmer scored on a two-point conversion in the final seconds to forge the tie, which was later forfeited because of NCAA sanctions against the Crimson Tide.

• Alabama went unbeaten in conference play to win the 1981 SEC championship, but lost two games that season and tied one. The tie was to Southern Miss, 13-13, at Legion Field in Birmingham. That next season, Bear Bryant’s last at Alabama, Southern Miss beat Alabama 38-29 in Bryant’s final game at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

• LSU and Alabama played to a 14-14 tie in 1985 in Baton Rouge, which cost the Tigers a share of the SEC championship. LSU had a chance to win the game, but missed a 24-yard field goal with five seconds to play.

• Colorado and Tennessee played to a 31-31 tie to open the 1990 season in the Pigskin Classic in Anaheim, Calif. The Buffaloes went on to win the Associated Press national championship that season.

• In 1979, Charlie Pell’s first season at Florida, the Gators played Georgia Tech to a 7-7 tie in Gainesville. The reason that tie was significant was that it marked the only game all season the Gators didn’t lose. They finished 0-10-1.

• Georgia and Clemson battled to a 16-16 tie the second game of the season in 1983. The Bulldogs rallied from a 16-6 deficit and tied the game with 38 seconds to play on Kevin Butler’s 31-yard field goal. The game ended in bizarre fashion. Clemson’s Donald Igwebuike tried a 68-yard field goal in the final seconds that was no good, leaving a second on the clock. Butler then tried one from 66 yards for the Bulldogs that was also short.

We’ve spent so much time looking back this week. Why not look ahead?

The SEC won five national championships last decade. Any reason to believe that dominance won’t continue?

One thing we’ve come to know about the SEC is that change is inevitable. And when the winds of change blow through this conference, they blow fast and often times without warning.

Here are 10 things to watch for next decade in the SEC:

1. At least two more national titles for Alabama: Repeating might be tough, but Nick Saban will add to Alabama’s already crowded trophy case next decade. You can count on that. Saban’s as close as it gets to a guarantee in college football. He recruits like a madman. He’s just as good at developing players. He runs his program like a Fortune 500 company, and the only thing he thinks about is the next challenge and what it takes to get there.

2. Crowds at Saban’s statue: Alabama athletic director Mal Moore has already said they plan to construct a statue of Saban to go along with the Crimson Tide’s other national championship-winning coaches at the Walk of Champions. Bear Bryant’s statue will continue to draw the largest crowds. But as the titles mount next decade at the Capstone, look for the crowds gathered around Saban’s statue to give the Bear’s statue a run for its money.

3. Another title for Meyer: The Gators might slip some next season, but they’re not going far. Check out their commitment list for the 2010 class. Urban Meyer will take most of his leave of absence following signing day. Look for him to coach a maximum of four more seasons and then break away for good. But in those four seasons, the Gators will win a third national title on his watch.

4. The Six Million Dollar Man: Saban and Meyer are already raking in $4 million per year, but somebody next decade will hit the $6 million plateau. Maybe it’s the guy that replaces Meyer. Maybe it’s Meyer. Maybe it’s Saban. Maybe it’s a coach at another school in the league. If you haven’t noticed, there’s an arms race going on in college football, and there’s no end in sight.

5. Coaching change at LSU: Either Les Miles is going to get out while he can, or he’s going to be forced out sometime in the next two or three years. Miles’ first three seasons on the Bayou set the bar so high that he won’t be able to get away with too many more four- and five-loss seasons. The 2010 season is critical for him if he’s going to get back into good graces with the LSU faithful. He lost a lot of support this season, especially with how poorly the offense performed.

6. NCAA violations to follow Kiffin: He left an NCAA cloud hovering over Tennessee’s program before bolting for Southern California, which has its own NCAA issues. Don’t be surprised if the NCAA finds a few things “Lane Violation” didn’t do exactly by the book during his 14-month pillage at Tennessee that follow him to the West Coast.

7. Kentucky ends drought against Tennessee: The Wildcats have come oh so close the last few seasons to ending their drought against the Vols, which is now at 25 games and counting. Tennessee survived in overtime this season in Lexington and needed four overtimes in 2007 to prevail. All things come to an end. Mercifully for Kentucky, that includes a losing streak that goes all the way back before anybody on its current roster was even born.

8. The Gamecocks break out: If any group of fans deserve a breakout season, it’s the long-suffering South Carolina fans. They’ve put up with mediocrity for 100-plus years. And, yet, they’re always there in force supporting their Gamecocks. Somewhere in this next decade, there’s a nine- or 10-win season hovering. Perhaps it’s next season. The Eastern Division race will be as wide open as ever. Wouldn’t that be something? The Head Ball Coach giving South Carolina its first ever East title and then jettisoning to the golf course full time.

9. Phillip Fulmer returning as Tennessee’s athletic director: Don’t laugh. It could happen … and maybe sooner than anybody thinks. Current athletic director Mike Hamilton, who fired Fulmer, lost a lot of his footing thanks to the whole Lane Kiffin debacle. New coach Derek Dooley faces a pretty major rebuilding project in more ways than one. Many times when things like this happen at a football-crazed school, athletic directors don’t survive. See Steve Pederson at Nebraska.

10. Vanderbilt to have another winning season: It’s hard to have a lot of confidence after the way this past season went for Vanderbilt, which ended up going winless in the SEC. But the Commodores will have another winning season under Bobby Johnson. The offense will improve. Of course, it can’t get any worse, and the Commodores will have another one of those seasons where they don’t have the crippling injuries that plagued them this season. Johnson is too good a coach, and he’s surrounded by an excellent staff. The work they did in 2008 in getting the Commodores to seven wins wasn’t a mirage. They’ll do it again.