ESPN College Football

College Football Live's panel of experts discuss the upcoming season for the LSU Tigers.

We're putting spring behind us and looking toward the fall with our post-spring power rankings:

1. LSU: The Tigers had one of the best springs around. Things were quiet off the field, and the offense rallied behind quarterback Zach Mettenberger. Coach Les Miles was very impressed with Mettenberger's play and maturity, and expects LSU's offense to be more balanced with him under center. LSU can still use four or five running backs, as well. Defensively, the Tigers are stacked once again, especially up front with two potential first-rounders in ends Sam Montgomery and Barkevious Mingo. Questions surround the inexperienced linebackers, but Kevin Minter had a tremendous spring in the middle. On paper, LSU is equipped with the talent to make another title run, and gets Alabama at home this year.

2. Alabama: While the defending national champs saw a lot of "new" faces on defense this spring, coach Nick Saban left happy with where his players were -- but not satisfied. There is still work to be done, especially in the secondary, where the Tide must replace three starters. Dont'a Hightower and Courtney Upshaw are gone at linebacker, but the coaches were impressed with how Nico Johnson, C.J. Mosley and Adrian Hubbard played this spring. Some think Hubbard, a redshirt sophomore, could be Bama's top pass-rusher. Offensively, quarterback AJ McCarron is back, more mature and surrounded by a very veteran line. He has a group of younger receivers to throw to, but has at least four quality running backs. Alabama's road to repeating is tougher, with games at Arkansas and LSU.

3. South Carolina: A healthy Marcus Lattimore (knee) at RB makes South Carolina an even better contender for the SEC East crown. His status is uncertain, but the pieces around him are pretty impressive. Quarterback Connor Shaw had an impressive spring, and looks ready to be the passer coach Steve Spurrier wants him to be. The defense is once again stacked, especially up front with ends Jadeveon Clowney and Devin Taylor. There are questions in the secondary, with two new, young starters in Victor Hampton (cornerback) and Brison Williams (safety), while senior Akeem Auguste returns after missing last season with a foot injury. Still, Spurrier is chirping about his SEC counterparts, so you know he thinks he's got a good team this year.

4. Georgia: The Bulldogs should be higher on this list, but when you take into account the suspensions of four defensive starters at the beginning of the season, they slide a little. Georgia returns nine defensive starters, including one of the nation's best linebackers in Jarvis Jones, and some firepower on offense, led by veteran quarterback Aaron Murray, who could get some early Heisman love. It also sounds like enigmatic running back Isaiah Crowell is slowly turning things around. Yet again, the Bulldogs have a favorable SEC schedule, with no games against Alabama, Arkansas or LSU, so their road to the SEC championship is easier than South Carolina's, but keep an eye on that inexperienced offensive line.

5. Arkansas: If not for Bobby Petrino's embarrassing dismissal, the Razorbacks might be ranked higher. Offensively, it doesn't get much better than what Arkansas has. Tyler Wilson returns as arguably the league's best quarterback, and he'll get to work with one of the most complete backs around, Knile Davis, who is returning from a devastating ankle injury. An older and more improved offensive line returns, and so does a talented receiving corps led by Cobi Hamilton. But there are questions. How effective will interim coach John L. Smith be, especially if something goes wrong? Will Marquel Wade's suspension leak into the fall after his spring arrest? And will the defense improve and be more aggressive under new coordinator Paul Haynes? The good news is that Alabama and LSU play in Fayetteville this fall.

6. Florida: The chemistry is much better in Gainesville. Florida returns 10 starters from a defense that ranked eighth nationally in 2011. Matt Elam looks like a budding star at safety, and Florida's linebacking group is solid. Buck/defensive end Ronald Powell could be out after tearing his ACL this spring, but coach Will Muschamp recently said Powell is off crutches. Stud defensive tackle Dominique Easley is also walking fine after tearing his ACL in last year's season finale. The Gators have their third offensive coordinator in three years, and unproven sophomore quarterbacks Jacoby Brissett and Jeff Driskel are still battling. Florida has unproven running backs and receivers, but the offensive line toughened up tremendously.

7. Auburn: The Tigers welcomed two new coordinators, Scot Loeffler and Brian VanGorder, this spring, and by all accounts players were very receptive. Coach Gene Chizik is still dealing with a lot of youth, as close to 70 percent of his roster is made up of underclassmen. One of those underclassmen is quarterback Kiehl Frazier, who made strides as a passer this spring and seems to have the edge in the quarterback race with Clint Moseley, who missed some of the spring with a sore shoulder. The defensive line will be the team's strength, with end Dee Ford exploding this spring and Corey Lemonier returning. There is a lot of depth up front on defense, which will go a long way for the Tigers.

8. Missouri: Coach Gary Pinkel and his players have made it clear they aren't intimidated by the move to the SEC. These new Tigers return solid offensive firepower, but there has to be some concern about quarterback James Franklin, who missed most of the spring after having surgery on his throwing shoulder. Plus, Mizzou's backup QB could miss games this fall after his recent arrest, so the Tigers' offensive success will be riding on Franklin's health. The Tigers are replacing a few starters on both lines, but feel confident about both areas. Mizzou will face a Georgia team down a few defensive players in Week 2, but must travel to South Carolina, Florida, Tennessee and Texas A&M.

9. Tennessee: A lot is different in Knoxville, as the Vols welcomed seven new assistant coaches. Coach Derek Dooley insists the changes were for the best, but there's still going to be some adjusting to do this fall. The good news is that Tennessee returns a lot on both sides of the ball, starting with quarterback Tyler Bray and receivers Justin Hunter and Da'Rick Rogers. A healthy trio there makes Tennessee's passing game one of the best in the league. Questions remain on the offensive line and at running back, but improvements were made this spring. New defensive coordinator Sal Sunseri would like to run more 3-4 this fall, but players aren't totally comfortable, leaving some concerns.

10. Mississippi State: Quarterback Tyler Russell finally looks ready to take over as the guy in Starkville, and he'll have a veteran receiving corps to work with. However, that group still has a lot to prove, especially senior Chad Bumphis. The running game looks solid with LaDarius Perkins and Nick Griffin, and the offensive line got help from the junior college ranks. Defensively, there are a few holes to fill up front and in the secondary, but Johnthan Banks and Corey Broomfield are a solid cornerback tandem and linebacker is set with a few vets back, including stud Cameron Lawrence. Junior college defensive end Denico Autry has to perform early to help a line with a couple of holes.

11. Texas A&M: The Aggies have some holes to fill this year, but the offensive line will be a strength. Left tackle Luke Joeckel, a future first-rounder, leads a line that returns four starters. Star wide receiver Ryan Swope is back, and running back Christine Michael should be healthy (knee) this fall, but quarterback is an issue. Sophomore Jameill Showers has the edge right now, but like all of his competitors, he lacks experience. The defense will lean on linebackers Sean Porter, Steven Jenkins, Jonathan Stewart and converted end Damontre Moore, but the secondary has depth and experience issues, and the team will still be adjusting to a new staff led by coach Kevin Sumlin.

12. Vanderbilt: There is some solid offensive talent in Nashville, starting with running back Zac Stacy and receivers Jordan Matthews and Chris Boyd, but coach James Franklin is still waiting for quarterback Jordan Rodgers to be more consistent. The offensive line is very thin and could barely get through spring. The defense must replace a handful of starters and leaders, but Franklin felt better about guys like linebacker Chase Garnham, defensive end Walker May and cornerback Trey Wilson. Vandy's schedule will be tough this fall, and if that offensive line doesn't hold up, getting back to a bowl will be tough.

13. Kentucky: Coach Joker Phillips was pleased with how spring practice ended, especially when it came to finding offensive playmakers, like receivers Demarco Robinson and Daryl Collins. Quarterback Maxwell Smith had a solid spring, but struggled during the spring game, meaning the battle with Morgan Newton and freshman Patrick Towles should go into the fall. The offensive line is still trying to get by after losing three starters, and the Wildcats must replace six starters at linebacker and in the secondary. Given the Wildcats' schedule, they will need to sweep their nonconference games to be in bowl shape.

14. Ole Miss: The arrival of coach Hugh Freeze brought a lot of positive change to Ole Miss, especially off the field, but there are still a lot of concerns. There are depth issues at just about every position, especially running back and defensive tackle. Even one of the most experienced groups, the offensive line, has struggled mightily with picking up Freeze's spread offense and is the team's biggest weakness. Academic issues are also worrying Ole Miss' staff, and top running back Jeff Scott and cornerback/receiver Nickolas Brassell are in that group. Quarterback is still up for grabs, but progress was made on defense, especially in the secondary.

STILLWATER, Okla. -- Mike Gundy remembers what happened the last time Oklahoma State shook up the Bedlam rivalry.

Gundy was an assistant on Les Miles' staff back in 2001 when the Cowboys knocked off the defending national champion Sooners on their home field as four-touchdown underdogs. In 2002, Miles did it again, beating the No. 4 Sooners in Stillwater, 38-28. The Sooners' noisy neighbors to the north woke them up to a rivalry that would turn one-sided again very soon.

"The first two years I was here with Les and we beat them, they didn’t really consider us a factor. I obviously don’t have any proof of that, but I’m sure when they looked at their schedule, they were looking more at Texas and Nebraska and people like that. ... I don’t think their players every really paid much attention to us," Gundy said. "It’s been so one-sided here for the last 100 years, or however long; it's been a bigger factor for the fans than it was the players.

"That changed in 2003 up through now. They, in my opinion, were very aware of that game. Last year is only going to add to that."

Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops? Well, he strongly disagrees with that assessment.

"Everyone calls it a rivalry for all these years, now you’re saying it’s now become one? I don’t understand that. When wasn’t it a rivalry?" he said. "Like I didn’t need to last year? What year didn’t I need to win it?"

Valid points from Stoops, but the facts support Gundy's assumption. After the 2002 loss, the Sooners won next eight Bedlams battles. Only three of the eight wins were by single digits, even though a rising Oklahoma State program was ranked in five of the eight meetings.

Just like 2001 and 2002, Gundy says the Cowboys' emphatic 2011 win "throws fuel on the fire" of Bedlam, a Big 12 rivalry gaining fast on Red River as the Big 12's most nationally relevant game.

Last season, the balance of power in the state shifted. When receiver Isaiah Anderson goes home to Wichita Falls, Texas, he sees more orange than ever before. It's on car bumpers, the fronts of shirts and emblazoned across hats.

With a 44-10 Cowboys romp in Boone Pickens Stadium capped by a field storming, Oklahoma State announced its arrival.

"Oklahoma’s not the only team in Oklahoma anymore. They can’t call it the Sooner State," Anderson said.

This was no fluke win. It was no blip of an upset that put a late-season blemish on Oklahoma's record. This was two in-state rivals playing for everything, and Oklahoma State walked away as 34-point victors.

"I said it then: If not now, then when? When is that gonna happen?" offensive coordinator Todd Monken said. "We got them here, everything’s on the line, we’ve had a bye week, we’re playing good football. We’re healthy. They weren’t."

The Sooners had taken home seven Big 12 titles since 2000, and even with injuries to leading receiver Ryan Broyles and running back Dominique Whaley, they had positioned themselves for an eighth. Oklahoma State said, "No. This one's ours."

Oklahoma State had won games, sure. It had won bunches of them -- 29 in the past three seasons, including a school-record 11 in 2010. What it hadn't won? The big one.

"The bully is the bully until you beat up the bully," Monken said. "You can’t say you’ve arrived until you actually win it."

Fans mobbed players to celebrate as they ripped down the goalposts.

Middle-aged alums hopped the field's 8-foot wall and hugged players such as Justin Gilbert, who said he couldn't take a step without someone thanking him and his teammates.

In one night, Oklahoma State ended eight years of frustration.

"Hopefully, now in our players' minds and our fans’ minds, we’re not the whipping boy anymore," offensive lineman Jonathan Rush said. "We can play. It’s not like we have a curse that we’ll never win that game. Now we can believe. It’s doable."

It also booked its first trip to the BCS and, most importantly, won its first outright conference title.

"If we beat Iowa State and lost to OU, it’s not the same," Monken said, referencing a double-overtime loss to the Cyclones that cost OSU a shot at the national title but didn't deter its Big 12 title hopes. "Yeah, we might have gone on and played in the Sugar Bowl, but it wouldn’t have been the same because you didn’t win the league. You didn’t win the title. You can’t say, 'Hey, we’re conference champs.' And you did it against OU, who, let’s face it, has had the upper hand for years."

The Sooners had the upper hand on more than just Oklahoma State. OU and Texas combined to win 10 of the 15 Big 12 titles before last season. No one except the Sooners and Longhorns had won the former Big 12 South since Texas A&M in 1998.

Then, all of a sudden, the Big 12's Red River dominance came to an end.

"I think what that’s done is kind of broke the ice a little bit," Gundy said. "The people that follow football in this part of the country, I think they enjoyed watching Oklahoma State win this league, because of the dominance the other two schools have had."

It's no longer impossible to surpass Oklahoma and Texas. The road to the Big 12 title was easier in the former Big 12 North, but when the Big 12 eliminated divisions in 2011 after being trimmed to just 10 teams, concern arose that no one would be able to outperform OU or Texas over the course of a 12-game season.

A Big 12 North team could upset a team from the South in the Big 12 title game. Kansas State proved that with a mammoth upset in 2003. Colorado upset Texas in 2001. But outplay the Red River rivals for an entire season? Good luck with that.

A year later, Oklahoma State proved it can be done, and can be done emphatically. The Cowboys finished two games ahead of the Sooners after the Bedlam beatdown for state supremacy.

"Winning a BCS game in some way has changed all of their lives," Gundy said. "They just don’t know it. It certainly changed mine and the people that coach here and work in their organization. It did theirs, too. They just don’t know it yet."

LSU defensive coordinator John Chavis has proved over the last two decades that he's one of the finest defensive coordinators in college football.

He's now going to be paid like it.

Chavis, who won the Broyles Award as the top assistant coach in the country last season, is poised to get a new deal that will pay him an average of $1.1 million over the next three years. The contract is still being finalized and will go before the LSU Board of Supervisors for approval this summer.

Chavis was already earning $708,000 annually. But with the way assistant coaches' salaries are skyrocketing, he deserved to reach that million-dollar stratosphere as much as anybody. LSU needed somebody to come in and put a charge into that defense, and that's exactly what Chavis has done ever since arriving in 2009.

"I think what we've done on defense has established LSU as a very dominant mainstay of defensive football for three years," LSU coach Les Miles said. "I think this makes the statement that we will make a commitment to defensive play and excellent coaching, and I think that's exactly what we should do."

As good as the Tigers were last season on defense, they have a chance to be just as good -- and maybe even better -- in 2012.

Chavis isn't one to crave the spotlight. In fact, he runs from it. But he's been a perfect fit at LSU with his blue-collar, nose-to-the-grindstone approach, and the players there love playing for him.

He's extremely proud of what the Tigers accomplished last season, particularly on defense. But like most on the Bayou, it's hard for him to get past that last game.

"There's a hurt there that hasn't gone away, and to be honest with you, I don't know if it will go away," Chavis said earlier this spring. "What we've chosen to do is go back to work. Really, that's all you can do, and that's the way we're always going to operate."

LSU coach Les Miles won’t go as far as to say that there will be a retooling of the Tigers’ offense next season with Zach Mettenberger stepping in at quarterback.

But Miles stressed Tuesday that the Tigers will do what their players do best.

“We’ve always had the opportunity to throw,” Miles said. “Now, we may turn to those weapons more readily because this offense fits (Mettenberger’s) style of play more pointedly.”

Miles defended LSU’s passing game the past two seasons and even said that the Tigers threw it as efficiently as anybody in the country last season. The caveat there is that he said they didn’t have the opportunity to throw it much in the fourth quarter. And in reality, throwing the ball, period, was a struggle for Jordan Jefferson once he took over down the stretch last season.

The Tigers finished 10th in the SEC in passing offense last season with an average of 152.5 yards per game. But they finished second to Arkansas in pass efficiency with 21 touchdown passes and only five interceptions.

Miles is always going to emphasize the run, especially when you look at everybody returning up front for the Tigers and their deep stable of backs, but he also likes the added dimension that Mettenberger brings to the offense and the way Mettenberger matured as a quarterback this spring under the tutelage of Steve Kragthorpe.

“Zach has been through a lot in his short career and understands the need for leadership and making a difference,” Miles said. “He’s holding himself to a tall standard, as we are. I think our quarterback play will improve with each snap because of the way he’s approaching his role in our offense.”

COLUMBIA, S.C. -- Steve Spurrier knows there’s no going back, not after the most successful football season in South Carolina school history.

He’s even quoting noted American legal scholar Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. as the Gamecocks wrap up spring practice this Saturday with their spring game.

Man’s mind, once stretched by a new idea, never regains its original dimensions.

“Now, our people know we can win 11 games, and when we don’t, they’re going to be, ‘How come we’re not winning 11, Coach?’” Spurrier said in his familiar twang and wearing that equally familiar smirk. “That’s just the way it is.”

Here’s the best news for South Carolina fans: The Head Ball Coach thinks he has a pretty good ball team again with the kind of talent and leadership that it takes to at least be in the SEC championship conversation.

And history has shown that if you’re in the SEC championship conversation, you’re also in the national championship conversation.

“The best part is all the firsts, doing things that had never been done here,” said Spurrier, who’s entering his eighth season at South Carolina. “That’s why I’m here. That’s what is so much fun. We’d never even won in Knoxville before or won at the Swamp before.

“My buddies all told me when I came here, ‘Steve, nobody’s won there. What makes you think you can? That’s really all I needed to hear.”

Spurrier, who’s just 10 wins away from becoming South Carolina’s all-time winningest coach, loves winning. What coach doesn’t? But what he thrives on are challenges.

The challenge of turning South Carolina into a contender was a monumental one and one that didn’t happen overnight.

In his first five seasons, he won more than seven games only once and lost at least five games all five seasons. The 2008 and 2009 seasons ended with ugly bowl losses to Iowa and Connecticut.

The 31-10 loss to Iowa in the Outback Bowl following the 2008 season was particularly troubling for Spurrier, who admits that he thought about walking away.

“I’m sitting there and wondering, ‘What am I doing here?'” Spurrier recalled.

But the Gamecocks were able to sign Stephon Gilmore for that next season, which opened the floodgates for some of the best prospects in the state to sign with South Carolina. Alshon Jeffery followed, and so did Marcus Lattimore and Jadeveon Clowney.

The result was a first-ever trip to the SEC championship game in 2010 and the school’s first-ever 11-win season a year ago. Along the way, the Gamecocks were 8-0 against Clemson, Florida, Georgia and Tennessee over the past two seasons.

Spurrier, who turns 67 this month, couldn’t be happier. He’s even back to his old Head Ball Coach ways and saying whatever’s on his mind.

A few examples:

His thoughts on the Georgia-South Carolina game moving from the second week of the season to the sixth week in 2012.

“I don’t know. I sort of always liked playing them that second game because you could always count on them having two or three key players suspended.”

His thoughts on Nick Saban and what he’s done at Alabama.

“He’s got a nice little gig going, a little bit like (John) Calipari. He tells guys, ‘Hey, three years from now, you’re going to be a first-round pick and go.’ If he wants to be the greatest coach or one of the greatest coaches in college football, to me, he has to go somewhere besides Alabama and win, because they’ve always won there at Alabama.”

His thoughts on who’s the best coach in the SEC.

“I think it’s Saban. He’s considered the best. Les Miles is considered one of the best, when you look at number of wins. I believe you’re as good as your record. You are whatever your record is. Don’t give me any excuses or that you can’t win at this place.”

His thoughts on Lorenzo Ward taking over as the Gamecocks’ defensive coordinator.

“I hope we’ll be a little sounder than we have been. Obviously, Ellis (Johnson) did a heck of a job here. But at times, we’d have some coverage breakdowns. I don’t know if we were doing too much or this guy was making mistakes. We got a lot better during the course of the year after we simplified some things.”

His thoughts on Will Muschamp’s challenge at Florida.

“I told Will that he had one of the hardest jobs in America because of what’s happened down there prior to him coming. I don’t know that they have that much greater a team than most others in the SEC now. They’re pretty good. But it’s a tough job because of what Urban (Meyer) has done and prior history. Those fans are expecting 10 to 12 wins every year. Our fans are going to expect nine to 11, which is fair, and that’s good. I hope our players expect it, too.”

His thoughts on when he might retire.

“I used to think 60. When I was 55, I’d say four or five more years. When I got to 60, I’d say four or five more. And when I got to 65, I started saying three or four more. I’ll tell you what. We had a good-looking quarterback come through on Junior Day, and I wrote him a letter and said, ‘If you come here, you might extend my coaching career two or three years.’ ”

His thoughts on going out on his terms.

“Let me ask you this: How many coaches do you know that have retired in the last 10 or 15 years, and I’m talking honestly retiring, guys who had a good job, were winning and stepped aside on their own? There aren’t many. They all got fired. Who would have ever thought that Bobby Bowden and Joe Paterno would have to get forced out? When I leave, they’re not going to pay me $4 million because I had another five years on the deal and got fired. I ain’t going to be one of those guys. I just have too much pride. That’s not going to happen.”

Les Miles fired shots, and Gunner Kiel took the high road. Miles, meanwhile, has continued to shoot his mouth off.

In an interview with CBSSports.com's Dennis Dodd, the LSU head coach continued to rip the Notre Dame freshman quarterback for decommitting from the Tigers at the 11th hour, saying Kiel lacks confidence and swagger.

"I'm not bitter. I'm glad he stayed there. I really mean it. Here's the truth: If you don't have some swagger to you and you can step into this stadium and be able to know the advantage that you're playing with the Tigers and you're leading the program that has some real weight and clout, then you really need to stay home with your brothers.

"I don't mean that [negatively]. I'm for him. He gets a chance to come in here and compete and start on a team that is a great team. I really meant what I said. I was talking more about the confidence and swagger. I was not demeaning. If he shows up, it means he has all those things … I mean it honestly, if it's more about family for him, if it's more being close to home … he would have never been successful as he needed to be. I mean it very respectfully …

"The guy we got now [Zach Mettenberger], he's a confident son of a buck. He's a throwin', tough kid. If he continues to develop and learn and grow as a leader, no question."

Miles, as everyone surely remembers, publicly questioned Kiel's leadership abilities at an LSU national signing day banquet. In his first and only meeting with reporters since then, Kiel complimented the coach and said he would only use those comments as fuel.

"You can't really control that," Kiel said March 24. "I did pull out at the last minute. I still have all the respect for LSU. Their fans definitely understood. LSU is a great place, but it wasn't the best fit for me. I'm a Midwest guy and I like to stay close. I'm just going to use that as fuel, but I'm not going to disrespect him in any way, shape or form. He's a great coach and they're a great team.

"But I feel great to be at Notre Dame. Love the place, love the guys, love the coaches, love the surroundings. It’s a great community, they're all welcoming, everyone is really nice. It's definitely the perfect fit for me."

LSU quarterbacks coach Steve Kragthorpe was at least understanding of Kiel's decision to spurn the Tigers and enroll at Notre Dame on Jan. 17.

"Gunner's a great kid. He comes from a very, very close-knit family. When it really comes down to it and time to get on the plane, he couldn't do it. We knew that was part of the recruiting process. I talked about it with him very candidly.

"When I was playing at West Texas State, my dad [Dave] was coaching at Oregon State. My son's at Idaho State. I have one in Chicago. I walked him [Kiel] through what it was going to be like. He woke up Sunday morning and was getting ready to go to the plane and said he couldn't do it. I was disappointed he didn't come because I wanted to coach him. I really liked their family. I think they're wonderful people. The best way to describe it is, I understand."

Recruits flip. Happens all the time. Notre Dame, which has been on both ends of the deal this past recruiting cycle, knows this better than anyone. Fans can get nasty during the process, and high school kids often do themselves few favors by speaking before they are ready.

But comments like Miles' do little to quell the vitriol that lunatics from every fan base often spew. Kiel, in his only interview since arriving at Notre Dame, came off as nothing but a class act, a young kid who was genuinely overwhelmed by the recruiting process and was happy to have it over, at peace with his decision to enroll at Notre Dame.

Why a 59-year-old "big boy" like Miles can't feel the same way is sad.

STILLWATER, Okla. -- We've only scratched the surface of my notebook after my visit to Stillwater on Wednesday. Lots, lots, lots more to come. Here's a few spare thoughts, notes and quotes from my day with the reigning Big 12 champs.

• You've heard enough about Oklahoma State's QBs for today (Part 1, Part 2), with more to come on that trio, but whoever wins the job won't be short for targets. Receiver Josh Stewart's made the biggest improvement this offseason, but Tracy Moore has come on strong on the outside, too. Inside, you really do have to watch out for Blake Jackson. I regret not putting him on my "Top Newcomers in the Big 12" list from earlier this week. He's playing inside, but he's basically a tight end, and was the best of the junior college ranks last year. He's also a man. He's a huge target with great, great hands. Look for him to get some run on the goal line, but in this offense, he may actually be my frontrunner for Big 12 Newcomer of the Year. I'd almost guarantee him getting a high volume of touches, and he's going to be tough to bring down at 6-foot-3, 238 pounds. He's every bit of that, too. "He's a big body guy and has really good hands. If it's in the general area of him, he's going to catch it," quarterback J.W. Walsh said. "He's got really good leaping ability and great ball skills."
• Speaking of newcomers, you don't hear as much hype around him, but defensive coordinator Bill Young is hopeful that Calvin Barnett can have a big impact on the defensive line. Plenty of folks were after the one-time OSU commit, turned Arkansas signee, turned juco All-American, turned Cowboy signee. The 6-foot-2, 300-pounder has big-time potential, but he has to pick up the speed of the game and focus on technique. OSU's defense may ultimately depend on strength at the defensive tackle spot. "He's a very talented guy, he's really strong and powerful. Weight coaches have raved about what he's done in the weight room," said Young. "He's a big guy who can run and change direction. We're fortunate to have him." Big impact? "We're hoping he can," Young said.
• Fired Ole Miss coach Houston Nutt, an Oklahoma State alum, was back on OSU's campus on Wednesday visiting with the coaching staff. Colorado coach Jon Embree also showed up unannounced earlier this spring to meet with Gundy, who granted the request.
• Oklahoma State's corners and running backs are both having great springs, as expected. Those two spots might be the biggest strength on the team. OSU has a great case as the Big 12's best set of running backs, and is second to only Texas at cornerback.
• Defensively, Mike Gundy feels like this year's team is the most talented and deepest of any team he's had dating all the way back to even when Gundy was an assistant under Les Miles.
• Oklahoma State may be hurt the most of anyone with the new rule changes in special teams. Kickoffs have been moved up to the 35-yard line and touchbacks are now brought out to the 25-yard line. That negates two huge advantages OSU has had the past two season. Quinn Sharp boomed 61 touchbacks last season. No other kicker had more than 40. Meanwhile, Justin Gilbert is one of the most dynamic return men in the league, but he'll have fewer opportunities. He says he'll still plan on taking it out when he gets a chance, but he'll have to dial it back some and take the unselfish route a whole lot more. Sad to see that. He's electrifying.
• Oklahoma State moved safety Daytawion Lowe to nickel back and Lavocheya Cooper is holding down the free safety spot. The void at strong safety will be filled by committee, Young said. Zack Craig will be part of it, as and Shamiel Gary and Deion Imade will get a shot, too. "The good thing about is we have all the backups back," Young said.
• OSU is missing center Evan Epstein this week. He's out with pneumonia.
• Former OSU lineman Levy Adcock showed up briefly to Oklahoma State' facilities on Wednesday. I can confirm he's shaved his mullet.

BATON ROUGE, La. -- LSU’s Tyrann Mathieu emerged as one of college football’s biggest stars last season.

As a rule, stars are typically branded with nicknames, and Mathieu had a catchy one -- the Honey Badger.

He also had a knack for making game-changing plays and made enough of them that he earned a trip to New York City as a Heisman Trophy finalist, not to mention consensus All-America honors, in leading the Tigers to a 13-1 record and BCS runner-up finish.

But when Mathieu reflects on what was truly a remarkable sophomore season, he uses words like “humbled” and “disappointment” and “hungry.”

He just wishes he could have done more, specifically in that 21-0 loss to Alabama in the BCS National Championship Game. Even in the first game against Alabama, a 9-6 overtime win by LSU, Mathieu concedes he wasn’t at his best.

“My job is making plays for this team, and I didn’t do it in that last game,” said Mathieu, who in 25 career games has created a staggering 14 turnovers. “It’s definitely motivation and something I’ve carried with me. There are a lot of people out there who have talked specifically about both of those games (against Alabama) and me not making plays in those two games.

“So, yes, it’s motivation, but I really didn’t need anybody to talk about what I didn’t do in those two games to motivate me. I already know, and I’ll be a better player next year because of it.”

Mathieu’s teammates say he’s being too hard on himself. Had it not been for him, the Tigers probably wouldn’t have been in New Orleans in the first place.

His defensive touchdown against Oregon in the season opener swung that game. His punt return for a touchdown completely changed the complexion of the Arkansas game in the regular-season finale, and his punt return for a touchdown a week later against Georgia in the SEC championship game woke up a stagnant LSU offense and sent the Tigers on their way to 42-10 rout.

“It wasn’t only Tyrann in that last game. It was everybody, the team as a whole,” said LSU safety Eric Reid, who tied Mathieu for the team lead with 76 tackles last season.

“We know there were a bunch of plays that we could have made that would have helped the team. I know it hurts Tyrann that a couple of passes got caught on him, but that game wasn’t on him. It was on all of us. He’s extremely motivated to get his technique down, and I can’t wait to see what he does this year.”

One of the things Mathieu zeroed in on this spring was being better in man-to-man coverage. The Tigers used him as a rover in their nickel package, and that was his forte.

He has incredible instincts and is always around the ball as evidenced by his six forced fumbles and five fumble recoveries last season. He also intercepted two passes.

“All the great players have physical attributes,” Mathieu said. “But the really great ones can play the game in their heads.”

Along those lines, Mathieu has spent even more time in the film room this offseason. As instinctive as he is on the field, he wants to be equally prepared in 2012. He also wants to shoot down one of the few knocks against him, which is that he’s just so-so in man coverage.

“You’re not going to be able to be all over the field every game with the scheme some offenses run,” Mathieu said. “But you’ve still got to make plays at your position, and that’s my focus. If I’m at cornerback, I want to lock my man down. If I’m at nickel, I just want to roam the field and make some plays.

“I want to be great, and where I play, that means being a lock-down cornerback. And with me being 5-9, it gives me even more fire to go out there and prove a lot of people wrong.”

Mathieu said he played right around 180 pounds last season, but finished the spring closer to 190. Of course, he hits like he weighs 250. He also battled through an ankle injury the last few weeks of spring, but was seeing things on the field better than ever.

“The game was kind of slow for me my freshman year and even slower my sophomore year,” Mathieu said. “But, now, I anticipate plays even better, know the down and distances and know what to expect.

“I’m just taking all that in, all the experiences I’ve had, and getting in extra film study and getting even more familiar with the game mentally.”

Mathieu is also getting used to his celebrity status. Even in media interviews, he’s a lot more comfortable and willing to discuss what makes the Honey Badger tick.

He says his one-game suspension last season for reportedly testing positive for synthetic marijuana was something that he learned from and something he wished he could undo.

“It humbles you, because you know you have a responsibility to a lot of people, and I let those people down, especially my teammates,” Mathieu said.

That’s a big part of his motivation going forward. He knows how close LSU was to something special last season, and so do his teammates.

Mathieu said it was difficult to describe the sense of purpose that permeated the practice field this spring.

“That last game got to everybody,” he said. “You could definitely see it in our offense. Those guys were throwing the ball all over the field, and the receivers, even in perfect coverage, were still coming down with the ball. I know those guys took that last game to heart, but the defense also took it to heart. We didn’t play our best game, either.

“We’re all going into next season with that game in the back of our minds. It hasn’t gone away, and I don’t know if it will. I just know that we don’t want to ever have that feeling again.”

Travis Haney debuted this week on ESPN.com, and his first piece looks at potential impact newcomers this spring .

Not surprisingly, Notre Dame quarterback Gunner Kiel makes the five-man list.

To date, there has been more chatter about Kiel's winding road to South Bend -- first Indiana, then LSU, then Notre Dame -- than his potential impact in 2012. Expect the focus to gradually shift, though, toward the January enrollee's ability.

Where does he stand in relation to other suitors such as Tommy Rees and Andrew Hendrix? Impossible to say this early, but Kiel is at least in the conversation, and that's saying something. Perhaps it says as much about the Irish's need for an emergent quarterback as anything else (only five teams threw more INTs in 2011 than the Fighting Irish).

It takes maturity to play as a freshman, clearly. Kiel passed one of his first tests on that front: When quizzed by reporters for the first time since enrolling, he did not jab back at LSU coach Les Miles after a spurned Miles had questioned Kiel's leadership potential. Instead, Kiel said the comments would be used as motivation.

Kiel is the only quarterback on Haney's list.

BATON ROUGE, La. -- LSU held its last practice of the spring Thursday prior to Saturday's spring game, and coach Les Miles opened up the practice to the students.

Following practice, the students were invited inside to the indoor practice facility, where they had a meet-and-greet with the players and coaches.

It's Miles' way of reaching out to the student body, and the students' chance to get an up-close view of the team.

Just like the LSU team that went 13-1 last season, this team certainly passes the look test.

Most of the attention this spring has been on quarterback Zach Mettenberger, and specifically, the Tigers' passing game. Miles said Thursday there's no doubt in his mind that LSU will throw the ball much more efficiently in 2012, and a lot of that has to do with the way everybody on offense has rallied around Mettenberger, entering his junior season.

"He plays the game the way I want all of my players to play it," Miles said. "I enjoy his attitude. He's bringing the passing game to life, and he wants to compete on every single play. He doesn't mind stirring the pot, either."

Already this spring, Mettenberger went after defensive tackle Josh Downs in a scrimmage after Mettenberger felt there had been a late hit, and several in the LSU program said Mettenberger delivered the kind of tackle that even defensive coordinator John Chavis admitted was impressive.

Speaking of Chavis, he's losing two first-rounders off last season's defense. Both cornerback Morris Claiborne and defensive tackle Michael Brockers elected to give up their senior seasons to enter the NFL draft.

They will certainly be missed, but Chavis isn't exactly fretting.

In a lot of ways, he thinks the Tigers will be even faster on defense in 2012. They're two-deep at every position in the defensive line, and even though Brockers is gone, Chavis thinks junior tackle Bennie Logan was one of the more underrated defenders on the team last season. Chavis said sophomore tackle Ego Ferguson had also made a big jump.

Chavis really likes the way Kevin Minter and Tahj Jones have answered the call at linebacker, even though Jones has been out recently with turf toe.

"It's the best Kevin Minter has played since he's been here," Chavis said. "He really looks like an SEC linebacker and is playing like an SEC linebacker."

Two redshirt freshmen making big moves in the secondary this spring have been Jalen Collins at cornerback and Micah Eugene at safety. Chavis likes Collins' size and length. He's 6-foot-1 and 184 pounds, which gives the Tigers a pair of bigger corners. Tharold Simon is 6-3 and 187 pounds.

Chavis said Craig Loston was also playing well at safety until a foot/toe injury slowed him.

"Loston was really grasping things, but with him out, it's given us a chance to work several other kids," Chavis said. "Ever since Eugene got a chance to jump in there and work with the first unit, he got a lot of people's attention really quick. He's still learning the position, but he has a chance to be a really good safety for us."

Chavis said junior Tyrann Mathieu would continue to play both the cornerback and nickel back roles.

"We'll have some young kids that aren't here on campus yet that will come in and help us, too," Chavis said. "We like this class, and the linebacker group has a chance to be special. They have to come in here and do it, but we like the kids we signed there."

Here's a quick recap of some of the scrimmages over the weekend:

VANDERBILT

Second-year coach James Franklin thinks the Commodores are "light years ahead" of where they were this time a year ago because they're more confident in what they're doing from an installation standpoint.

It looks like a couple of position moves are already paying off for Vanderbilt. Former quarterbacks Kris Kentera and Josh Grady both made their share of big plays -- Kentera at H-back and Grady at receiver. Kentera had catches of 48 and 24 yards. Grady had a diving catch that resulted in a first down.

There were no touchdowns scored in the scrimmage, which was the Commodores' first of the spring, but the offense was able to move the ball.

One of the more underrated defenders in the league last season was defensive end Tim Fugger. Now that he's gone, the Commodores need a finisher to emerge. Junior Walker May looks like he might be the guy. Franklin has been impressed with the way May has worked in the offseason, and the same goes for junior safety Kenny Ladler. The other guy who made his presence felt on defense in Saturday's scrimmage was sophomore tackle Barron Dixon, who had a couple of sacks.

Here's a report on the scrimmage from Vanderbilt's official web site.

SOUTH CAROLINA

The Gamecocks held their first scrimmage of the spring on Saturday, and it didn't take their defensive line long to assert itself. Sophomore end Jadeveon Clowney was a force and wrecked several plays. Another good sign for the Gamecocks was how active sophomore tackle Kelcy Quarles was in the scrimmage. Similar to what they did last year with Melvin Ingram, the Gamecocks moved Clowney inside some on passing situations, and he routinely was able to get pressure.

Connor Shaw threw a 34-yard touchdown pass to K.J. Brent. South Carolina, which is looking for receiving help now that Alshon Jeffery is gone, was down a couple of receivers for the scrimmage. Damiere Byrd was running track. Shamier Jeffery, Alshon's younger brother, sat out the scrimmage after twisting his knee Friday in practice.

South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier said that senior tailback Kenny Miles would be back with the team next season. Miles, one of Marcus Lattimore's backups, had been contemplating a transfer. Also, Bruce Ellington was at the scrimmage, but has yet to decide whether he will play football or basketball next season. There's a chance he will try to play both again.

For a report on South Carolina's scrimmage, go to the Gamecocks' official website.

LSU

Junior quarterback Zach Mettenberger continued his strong spring by completing 16 of 27 passes for 177 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions.

"We threw the ball pretty well," LSU coach Les Miles said. "We had really good balance. I think we're competing in the passing game very well. I think Mettenberger's a real leader there and enjoys his role."

Miles also liked the Tigers' balance on offense in Saturday's closed scrimmage. He said they rushed for 287 yards and passed for 278 yards. Spencer Ware led all rushers with 90 yards on 12 carries, but freshman Jeremy Hill also had an impressive outing with 56 yards on 10 carries. Miles said he would still like to see Hill lose a little weight, but added that he thought Hill would be ready in the fall and doesn't anticipate the freshman redshirting.

Junior Michael Ford, who led LSU in rushing last season with 756 yards, has a minor knee injury and will be held out the remainder of the spring. The Tigers will play their spring game this coming Saturday.

Miles said the way LSU ran the ball was more a reflection of the Tigers' strength at running back than anything they didn't do on defense. Cornerback Tyrann Mathieu and linebacker Tahj Jones sat out the scrimmage.

LSU's official website has a report on Saturday's scrimmage.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Just because Gunner Kiel should still be in high school right now does not mean he is absolved from the tantrums each of his current teammates have received at one point or another.

"I don't think I've gotten the full, full red-face look yet," Kiel quipped Saturday of coach Brian Kelly during his first meeting with reporters since enrolling at Notre Dame.

"It's not really yelling. He's just been coaching me more," Kiel said. "Whenever he yells it's for a reason: You know you've done something wrong, you know it. He's just there to help you. So he's a really good coach and I feel really honored to play for him."

Kiel came to the conclusion that Kelly and Notre Dame were the right fit for him after a dizzying recruitment that saw the Columbus East (Ind.) quarterback switch his allegiance from Indiana to LSU before showing up on Notre Dame's campus and enrolling Jan. 17, prompting Tigers coach Les Miles to publicly question Kiel's leadership abilities at a national signing day banquet.

"You can't really control that," Kiel said. "I did pull out at the last minute. I still have all the respect for LSU. Their fans definitely understood. LSU is a great place, but it wasn't the best fit for me. I'm a Midwest guy and I like to stay close. I'm just going to use that as fuel, but I'm not going to disrespect him in any way, shape or form. He's a great coach and they're a great team.

"But I feel great to be at Notre Dame. Love the place, love the guys, love the coaches, love the surroundings. It’s a great community, they're all welcoming, everyone is really nice. It's definitely the perfect fit for me."

Harsh weather when Kiel arrived to Notre Dame led to confusion for the newcomer, who said he got lost going to classes on his first day amidst the snow-covered campus. An unusually warm start to spring practices this week, however, has been refreshing as he dives he into his college academic work and a four-man quarterback race.

"It's completely different from high school," Kiel said. "And knowing, like for me, my high school just had spring break this week, so knowing I had to go to school and get up early and work out was like, 'Dang.' But it feels good to be here. To be a part of this team is very special to me and it turned out for the best for sure."

Kiel said he has been able to block out the distractions surrounding his recruitment and eventual choice of the Irish, as he hopes to beat out three others for the starting quarterback job this fall.

Such are expectations with a prospect rated as the top player in his state and No. 3 quarterback in the nation by ESPNU.

"Things got pretty hectic with recruiting," Kiel said. "But I had a great supporting cast behind me. My family was always there for me, my friends. Staying close definitely meant a lot. Of course I want my family to come and watch me play. And knowing that I can go home on the weekends, I can get away from something crazy. If I have a rough week, I can go home on a weekend and recharge my batteries. I thought that was definitely huge for me."

Right now, though, he is just happy to be at Notre Dame, roughly four hours from home, with the whirlwind recruitment process now in the rearview mirror.

"For me, I struggled with recruiting," Kiel said. "I put so much stress on myself and overanalyzed everything that I kept pushing back my decision, and I just kept freaking out whenever I wanted to get into something. Whenever I would settle, I would just have one foot in instead of jumping in. I would just freak out at the last minute, I guess. So I just stressed myself out and got overwhelmed a little bit."

The pads went on in Baton Rouge, La., as LSU's football team participated in its fourth spring practice Tuesday.

“I liked practice today,” coach Les Miles said. “We are getting better. I like the improvement that some of our young offense and defensive linemen are making. I think we threw the ball extremely well today considering how early we are in spring. It was a good, physical practice. We started well and finished on a good note.”

The guy throwing the ball the best this spring is new starting quarterback Zach Mettenberger. So far, he has really impressed his head coach with both his passing ability and his leadership skills. That's certainly a good thing, considering how much both of those areas were criticized when Jordan Jefferson was under center for the Tigers last season.

“He has command of the huddle and it appears that he has anticipation as to where the ball is going,” Miles said. “He’s throwing it pretty well.”

Miles also complimented the play of sophomore offensive lineman Elliott Porter, who worked out at center.

“I liked the way he practiced today,” Miles said. “He got better today and he continues to improve. I think he will challenge for playing time.”

The Tigers return a solid, veteran line in 2012, but it never hurts to have depth up front. Depth helped LSU out in 2011 when top lineman Josh Dworaczyk went down with a season-ending injury last year. T-Bob Hebert started the season off in Dworaczyk's spot at left guard, but Will Blackwell eventually moved there and had an All-American season.

LSU also moved pieces around when center P.J. Lonergan went down with an ankle injury halfway through the season. LSU had seven different offensive linemen make starts last season.

Miles also talked about the on-going tryout at kicker, where former LSU women’s soccer keeper Mo Isom stole all the headlines. Miles said there isn't a timetable on making a decision about the kicking participants, including Isom, but he won't hesitate to use her if he feels she can be a real asset for the Tigers.

“If she gave us an opportunity and an advantage, we will certainly consider that,” he said. “There has to be an advantage to the team.

"The good thing about this is that she’s an athlete. She’s been through a team before and she understands commitment. I would have much less reservations with her than I would with any number of other people who frankly didn’t know what they were getting in to.”

If she makes LSU's team, she would be the first female football player in school history. However, she'd have some tough competition this fall with rising senior Drew Alleman returning. He is coming off the most accurate season by an LSU kicker in school history, after hitting 16-of-18 field goals and 62-of-63 extra points in 2011.

The tryouts for placekicker will continue Thursday. For more information on Isom and her tryout with the Tigers, check out what GeauxTigerNation's David Helman wrote about her Tuesday.

LSU will take Wednesday off before returning to practice on Thursday. The Tigers will wrap up their first full week of spring practice Saturday and are scheduled to practice three times a week for the next three weeks.

Did you see over the weekend where Bobby Bowden said he thinks the SEC might be too strong for Alabama to sustain its current level of success long term?

Bowden made his comments during the ceremonies to honor Alabama coach Nick Saban with the Bobby Bowden National Collegiate Coach of the Year Award, the second time Saban has won the award in the past three years.

"You've got too many good teams," Bowden said. "I don't know how you keep winning in that league. It only takes one slip-up and you're out."

Alabama has won two of the past three national championships, and has also won 10 or more games each of the past four seasons. That's the longest active streak in the SEC.

In fact, nobody else in the league has an active streak longer than two consecutive years when it comes to winning 10 or more games.

Arkansas and LSU have both won 10 or more games each of the past two seasons, and that's it.

So I'd say Bowden is on to something. Anybody who's been around this league long enough knows how quickly it can change, and that's not to say that Alabama is about to hit a down cycle.

But even for some of the best teams over the past 20 years, stringing together 10 wins every year has been rare.

Under Steve Spurrier, Florida won 10 or more games for six straight seasons from 1993-98. That's the longest such streak since the league expanded in 1992 and split into divisions.

Georgia did it for four straight seasons from 2002-05, and Tennessee also won 10 or more games from 1995-98.

Even LSU, with all of its success the past decade or so, has never had more than three straight seasons of 10 wins or more since the 1992 expansion. During Saban's five seasons at LSU, the Tigers never won 10 or more games in back-to-back seasons. They won 11 or more in 2005, 2006 and 2007 under Les Miles and remain the only SEC team to win 11 or more games for three straight seasons since the 1992 expansion.

Florida won 48 games in four seasons under Urban Meyer from 2006-09, but the Gators never went more than two straight seasons under Meyer with 10-plus wins.

The moral of the story is that racking up double-digit wins in this league and doing it year after year is the exception and not the rule.

The Crimson Tide might well continue on their torrid pace, but the odds (and history) are against them.