ESPN College Football

Time for links.

• A quick reaction to John L. Smith being hired at Arkansas.
• Smith could be a "perfect fit" for Arkansas' imperfect problem.
• SEC expansion could mean more SEC teams won't go bowling this season.
• The thing that made Nick Saban the proudest last year was how is Alabama team responded to the regular-season loss to LSU.
• Bo Jackson and some of his famous friends are on the road for Bo Bikes Bama.
• Robbie Andreu of the Gainesville Sun lists five reasons why Florida's offense will be better this fall.
• Marcus Caffey's quick feet are an asset on Kentucky's defense.
• Texas A&M's quarterbacks are understanding more as the final week of spring practice gets underway.
• Brandon Boykin will let his game film at Georgia speak for itself as NFL teams plan to draft.
• Former LSU wide receiver Rueben Randle will surely catch on in the NFL draft.
• Reserve cornerback Robert Steeples has decided to transfer from Missouri.
• Tennessee coach Derek Dooley sees upswing with his team after spring.

Auburn’s annual A-Day spring game Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium before a crowd of 43,427 was an offense versus defense scrimmage, and the offense wound up winning 36-27 based on a scoring format devised by the coaches.

The offense received points for touchdowns, field goals, plays of 15 yards or longer and consecutive first downs. The defense received points for touchdowns, turnovers, sacks and three-and-outs.

Auburn coach Gene Chizik downplayed the stats from the game, but sophomore quarterback Kiehl Frazier was named the offensive MVP, defensive end Dee Ford the defensive MVP and punter Steven Clark the special teams MVP.

The Auburn coaches were generally pleased with the way the Tigers ran the ball, and fullback Jay Prosch has been a huge addition to the running game. Prosch transferred in from Illinois and has been a one-man bulldozer in the way he’s cleared running lanes for the Auburn running backs.

The most impressive drive of the scrimmage came with Frazier at quarterback, and it covered 80 yards in 11 plays and consumed more than seven minutes. Corey Grant capped the drive with a 3-yard touchdown run.

Frazier finished 7-of-9 for 92 yards and showed off his ability to scramble around and make plays. Still, Chizik said the quarterback competition would extend into the summer. Clint Moseley was plagued by a sore throwing shoulder for much of the spring.

“We’re not ready to pull the trigger (on a decision) any time soon that I see,” Chizik said.

The best news for the defense was that it generated consistent pressure, led by Ford and LaDarius Owens. The Auburn defensive ends combined to produce five sacks.

"We have a couple of guys that have really stepped forward in rushing the passer. They're going to be difficult to block in certain situations off the edge," Chizik said.

You can get stats, photos and quotes from Auburn's spring game by going here.

Prior to the game, Auburn unveiled statues of its three Heisman Trophy winners -- Bo Jackson, Cam Newton and Pat Sullivan.

We have a real celebrity taking over ESPN's chat today.

Former Auburn great Bo Jackson will be live to answer all your questions at 4 p.m. ET. The Heisman-winning running back will stop by to talk about being a two-sport star, as well as his charity work.

From April 24-28, Jackson will ride 300 miles across the state of Alabama in his Bo Bikes Bama ride to raise money for the Governor's Emergency Relief Fund to help the victims of the state's deadly tornado outbreak in 2011. Jackson hopes to raise $1 million for his ride.

This might be showing my (young) age, but I once did a report on Jackson when I was in elementary school. And yes, I did get an A.

Stop by and chat it up with one of the SEC's best this afternoon, whether you're an Auburn fan or otherwise.

Auburn's A-Day festivities just got a little more exciting.

The school will unveil statues commemorating its three Heisman Trophy winners -- Pat Sullivan, Bo Jackson and Cam Newton -- in a ceremony prior to the Tigers' spring game on April 14.

The ceremony will take place on the east side of Jordan-Hare Stadium, where each statue will be permanently located. Fans will get a glimpse of the trio in person, too, as Sullivan, Jackson and Newton are scheduled to be in attendance for the event.

Sullivan won the award in 1971, Jackson in 1985 and Newton in 2010.

Newton is coming off his rookie season in the NFL with the Carolina Panthers, in which he set a rookie NFL record for 4,051 passing yards and was named the named the Offensive Rookie of the Year by The Associated Press.

Today's installment of our "Yards To Glory" project features touchdown plays from 80 to 61 yards.

Once again, there's a distinct SEC flavor.

Here's a look:

79. Dunn Deal
Warrick Dunn silences crowd at The Swamp
Nov. 11, 1993: In front of what was then the largest crowd (85,507) to witness a football game (professional or college) in the state of Florida, and facing third-and-10 from Florida State's 21, freshman Warrick Dunn, who was a second option for quarterback Charlie Ward on the play, silenced The Swamp when his 79-yard catch-and-run put the Seminoles up 33-21 over Florida late in a win that propelled the Noles into the national championship.
-- Edward Aschoff

77. Johnny On The Spot
Johnny Rodgers' punt return leads to national title
Jan. 1, 1972: Defending champion Nebraska entered the game undefeated staring across at No. 2 Alabama and Bear Bryant, carrying an 11-0 record. This one was over quickly, though, courtesy of a Johnny Rodgers 77-yard punt return on the final play of the first quarter that put Nebraska up 14-0 on the way to a 38-6 win for a national title. The Huskers led 28-0 at the half after adding 14 points in the second quarter.
-- David Ubben

75. Tommie Boy
Tommie Frazier breaks tackles and Florida spirits
Jan. 2, 1996: Tommie Frazier's stampede through Florida epitomized Nebraska's physical mauling of the Gators in a Fiesta Bowl matchup that doubled as a de facto title game. It was a simple option right at the end of the third quarter, with Frazier keeping and cutting upfield. He encountered roughly half the Florida defense, but the Cornhuskers quarterback kept his legs driving and broke free for 75 yards. On TV, Jim Nantz sounded as though he'd given up on the play until Frazier suddenly and incomprehensibly was in the clear. "How many tackles can one man break?" Nantz shouted.
-- Pat Forde

71. Bo Knows
Bo Jackson powers Auburn to SEC title
Dec. 3, 1983: A year after leading Auburn to a victory over rival Alabama with a last-minute touchdown run in the Iron Bowl, Tigers running back Bo Jackson ran for 256 yards and two touchdowns in a 23-20 win over the Crimson Tide in 1983. Alabama, in its first season under coach Ray Perkins, took a 20-16 lead late in the second half. But then Jackson scored on a 71-yard touchdown run, giving the Tigers their first SEC title since 1957 and a Sugar Bowl appearance.
-- Mark Schlabach

61. Southern Comfort
Johnny Mack Brown seals Alabama win in Rose Bowl
Jan. 1, 1926: Alabama wasn't the first or even third choice for the 1926 Rose Bowl, and even after Alabama accepted the invitation, many thought bringing a team from the South would hurt the game's tradition. Alabama trailed Washington 12-0 at halftime but scored three touchdowns in the third quarter. Pooley Hubert's 61-yard touchdown pass to Johnny Mack Brown cemented Alabama's 20-19 victory and is considered by some to be the play that elevated Southern football.
-- Edward Aschoff

It's time for a blogger debate! And it doesn't get much better than when we match the SEC and Pac-10.

Our topic: No. 1 Oregon and No. 2 Auburn. Who's better and why?

Both are unbeaten, and if the season ended today, they'd play for the national title.

We've got lots of football left, and probably many more plot twists in the hunt for the national title, but there's no reason we can't engage in a hypothetical, is there?

So the Pac-10 blog -- Ted Miller -- and the SEC blog -- Chris Low -- have decided to meet for some civilized debate on Auburn versus Oregon.

Ted Miller: Chris, since things are so quiet in the sleepy SEC, I think we should spice things up with a Pac-10-SEC blogger debate! It seems like a long time since we last had a debate between our two conferences. How’d that one go? Let’s see I championed Taylor Mays and you celebrated Eric Berry. Wait. Why did I bring that up?

Anyway, our topic is Oregon and Auburn: Who’s better and why.

This is a potential national title game between the No. 1 Ducks and No. 2 Tigers, who are both unbeaten and feature Heisman Trophy candidates leading high-powered offenses.

You get first blood. Tell me about Auburn. It seems like it wasn’t too long ago that Jay Jacobs was getting hounded for hiring Gene Chizik. Guessing that’s died down a wee-bit.

Chris Low: No doubt, Ted. I wonder where that obnoxious guy is now, the one yelling at Jacobs as he was leaving the airport after finalizing the deal with Chizik? Maybe Jacobs knew what he was doing after all. The guy with the 5-19 record at Iowa State has done all right by himself on the Plains. He has a Heisman Trophy-caliber quarterback and the SEC's leading rusher in Cam Newton, a 6-foot-6, 250-pound freak of nature who runs like Bo Jackson and also has an NFL arm. Keep your eyes, too, on freshman running back Mike Dyer, who they haven't had to lean on much this season, but is oozing with talent and has fresh legs for this stretch run. The Tigers' defensive numbers are nothing to write home about, but they do have the kind of dominant interior defensive lineman, Nick Fairley, who can take over games. Georgia coach Mark Richt said Fairley's the closest thing he's seen to Warren Sapp. Auburn's calling card defensively has been making plays at key times in the fourth quarter. The Tigers have been a serviceable defense through three quarters this season, but they've been a championship-caliber defense in the fourth quarter -- which is why they're 10-0.

So tell me about Oregon?

Ted Miller: Speaking of coaches: How about Oregon’s Chip Kelly? How could he possibly expect to top winning the Pac-10 and playing in the Rose Bowl his first season? How about contending for a national title in his second? The Ducks, however, expected to be here when the 2009 season ended because just about everybody was coming back from the Pac-10 champions. That is until a guy you are now familiar with -- quarterback Jeremiah Masoli -- got caught up in some off-field issues and eventual got himself booted from the team. That seemingly left a void behind center, but sophomore Darron Thomas has not only filled Masoli’s shoes, he’s gone up a few sizes: He’s 15th in the nation in passing efficiency and 21st in the nation in total yardage. Meanwhile, speedy running back LaMichael James is the top Heisman alternative to your guy, Newton. As for the defense, it’s like the offense: Extremely fast. It ranks 13th in the nation in scoring defense and it has forced 28 turnovers, second-most in the nation. Folks often underestimate the Ducks' defense because it gives up some yards -- it ranks 29th in the nation in total defense -- but that’s because the offense scores so quickly: The nation’s No. 1 offense ranks 115th in the nation in time of possession. But the Ducks only give up 4.45 yards per play. Our factoid of the day is that number would rank No. 1 in ... wait for it ... the SEC!

Obviously, we're talking about two very good teams that have done impressive things on their way to remaining unbeaten. I know we both have Oregon ahead of Auburn in our power rankings, but give me the case for Auburn.

Chris Low: Ted, I think what separates Auburn is Newton. Nobody has been able to stop him. If you commit to taking away the run, he's proved he can beat people throwing the ball. And if you come after him and/or don't have enough people in the box, he's been magic running the ball. Keep in mind, too, that we're not talking about a 220-pound guy running the ball. We're talking about a 250-pound guy who's physical, tough and doesn't run out of bounds. In the red zone, he's the great equalizer, because he gains 3 yards when he falls forward and has the size and the strength to push the pile. On top of it all, he's always a threat to throw the ball. Similar to Oregon, Auburn doesn't flinch if somebody puts 30-plus points on the board, because the Tigers' mentality is that they're going to score 50. Their offensive coordinator, Gus Malzahn, will make you defend everything -- reverses, throwback passes, passes to the backs, even passes to Newton. He caught a touchdown pass two weeks ago against Ole Miss. The Tigers also play at a tempo on offense that has opposing defenses gasping for air in the fourth quarter. But when they have to, they can put teams away and finish games by running the ball. They're fourth nationally (one spot ahead of Oregon) this week in rushing offense with an average of 307.2 yards per game. Auburn's top four rushers -- Newton, Dyer, Onterio McCalebb and Mario Fannin -- are all averaging at least 6.4 yards per carry. Do the Ducks have any answers for that running game?

Ted Miller: That’s what’s so interesting about this as a potential national title game match -- there’s an odd familiarity that both teams will have with each other despite never crossing paths. My guess is Malzahn and Kelly already have studied each other, just in terms of mutual admiration. And both defenses will be familiar with up-tempo, no-huddle, spread-option offenses that can power you and finesse you and throw downfield. Further, the Ducks have played against a number of big, fast, capable quarterbacks with NFL futures: Washington’s Jake Locker, Ohio State’s Terrelle Pryor and Stanford’s Andrew Luck. The results have been mixed. Last year, Luck and Pryor got them. Luck beat the Ducks with uncanny downfield accuracy, which is why he’ll go No. 1 in this spring’s NFL draft. Pryor shocked them with the best passing game of his career in the Rose Bowl. Locker missed this year’s game, but he’s never had much luck against Oregon. In general, Oregon has a good run defense: Opponents are averaging 3.38 yards per rush. But the Ducks are undersized. A physical Stanford team had some success, rushing for 177 yards. But one thing about Oregon on both sides of the ball: It is masterful with halftime adjustments. They shutout Stanford, owners of the nation’s No. 5 scoring offense, in the second half, and have given up just 48 points in the second half this year -- just seven in the fourth quarter!

Obviously, two very good teams that have done impressive things on their way to remaining unbeaten. I know we both have Oregon ahead of Auburn in our power rankings, but give me the case for Auburn if it played Oregon in the national title game. How do you see it going?

Chris Low: Well, if that happens, the first thing we all better make sure we have is a calculator. That and make sure there's no danger of a power surge to the scoreboard. You're right about Oregon. Nobody in the country has been better in the second half. The Ducks' ability to score points in bunches is amazing, but the Tigers are equally adept at going on head-spinning scoring sprees. Just ask Arkansas, which saw Auburn roll up 28 points in the fourth quarter in Xbox-like fashion. I have no doubt that an Auburn-Oregon matchup would be played in the 40s. I think the difference, though, would be Auburn's ability to put the breaks on the track meet and run the football in the fourth quarter, especially with Newton being so good at converting on third down. So I'm going Auburn 45, Oregon 41 in a game that rates up there with the Texas-USC classic to decide the 2005 national title.

Ted Miller: That's clearly something we can all agree on: This likely would be a highly entertaining, offensively driven national title game if these two teams manage to get themselves there. Further, I think, after never getting a USC-SEC title game, folks on both coasts would enjoy an SEC-Pac-10 matchup. No trash-talking there, right? And I do see a clear advantage for Auburn: It has been tested. It's played five games decided by eight points or fewer, and three decided by a field goal. The Ducks closest game? An 11-point win at Arizona State. But that's also why I'd pick Oregon in this one. Oregon beat the No. 6 team in the nation, Stanford, by 21 points. It shut Andrew Luck out in the second half. And I look at all of Auburn's close games: Mississippi State, Clemson, South Carolina, Kentucky and LSU, and think: None of them would be within 10 points of the Ducks. Maybe LSU, because any game Les Miles touches is surprising. And I think Vegas would agree with me. So if we ended up with an Oregon-Auburn national title game, my guess is the Tigers would go TD for TD with the Ducks in the first half, then the Ducks would pour it on late for a 50-35 win. But I reserve the right to change my mind, particularly because I think the Tigers' toughest test -- Alabama -- is ahead.

Moreover, both teams should be advised: You probably should get to the Jan. 10 date in Glendale before you start trash-talking each other. At least before you use your best stuff.

Bo knows a special player when he sees one, and the most iconic football player in Auburn history has been enthralled by what he’s seen out of Cam Newton this season and the No. 1 Tigers.

“I haven’t seen one like him, not at quarterback,” Bo Jackson said earlier this week, fresh off a hunting trip.

Obviously, Jackson is royalty at Auburn. For that matter, he’s royalty in the SEC.

In my time of watching SEC football, which goes back to the late 1970s, Jackson would be in my holy trinity along with Herschel Walker and Peyton Manning as the three best players I’ve seen in this league.

So when Bo speaks, I listen, and something tells me they’re listening on the Plains, too.

He’s marveled as much as anybody this season at what Newton has done to SEC defenses.

But over and above that, Jackson is a fan of where this entire Auburn program is headed.

“From an Auburn football player, it’s been a very, very long time since I’ve been this excited about Auburn football,” Jackson said. “I actually don’t watch football and don’t watch baseball, but I watch Auburn football.

“This is one of those years when I couldn’t wait for the season. It was the same way last year. I couldn’t wait for the season to start, not because of what has happened, but because I knew the people that are running the show down there now care more about the players than just what they do on the football field. When you have that and the performance they’re getting, this is the kind of season you get.”

Jackson, who won the Heisman Trophy in 1985, is on record as saying that he’s voting for Newton.

And while Newton is clearly the front-runner right now nationally with his 14 rushing touchdowns and 13 passing touchdowns, Jackson said the only trophy on Newton’s mind is a national championship trophy.

“I’m quite sure Cam Newton would tell you the same thing,” Jackson said. “He’d rather win a team accolade than an individual accolade. That’s the type of kid he is.”

Jackson was also on board with the hiring of Gene Chizik from the beginning and liked his pedigree.

“He was on the staff here when we went unbeaten in 2004 and then went to Texas and helped them win a national championship,” Jackson said. “From there, he went to Iowa State to coach a football team that was little to none. At Iowa State, they drew more for a wrestling match than they did for a football game, so he really didn’t have too much to work with.

“But he’s fit right in at Auburn, and as I said, it’s been a long time since I’ve felt this good about the football team.”

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.

Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low

Remember those old "Bo Knows" Nike commercials starring Bo Jackson, where he was doing everything from driving a race car, to playing basketball, to playing golf?

Well, it looks like we have a new candidate from the SEC if Nike wants to launch a similar ad campaign down the road.

Alabama running back Mark Ingram told reporters this week that he once shot a 69 while qualifying for a golf tournament as an eighth-grader. He also said he's rolled a 248 in bowling.

I want this guy on my team in the next "Superstars" competition.

Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low

Here's a look at the SportsNation results from Alabama Day in College Football Live's "50 States Tour" and my take on whether or not I agree:

1. Which team was the best in state history?

SportsNation results (29,093 votes)

• 1992 Alabama, 13-0, national championship: 37 percent

• 2004 Auburn, 13-0, SEC championship: 30 percent

• 1979 Alabama, 12-0, national championship: 29 percent

• 1978 Alabama, 11-1, national championship: 2 percent

• 1957 Auburn, 10-0, national championship: 2 percent

My take: Agree

It's hard to pick against that 1992 team, which featured one of the most ferocious defenses the SEC has ever seen. I can still see John Copeland and Eric Curry coming off the edge and so do most quarterbacks who had the unfortunate task of trying to pass against them. My biggest question, though, is where is the 1961 Alabama team on this list? You want to talk about a dominant defense, the Crimson Tide finished 11-0 on their way to Bear Bryant's first national championship and never allowed more than seven points in a game. Included were six shutouts, including five in a row heading into the 10-3 win over Arkansas in the Sugar Bowl.

2. Which player is the best in state history?

SportsNation results (26,765 votes)

• Bo Jackson, Auburn: 55 percent

• Joe Namath, Alabama: 29 percent

• Derrick Thomas, Alabama: 11 percent

• Cornelius Bennett, Alabama: 5 percent

• Pat Sullivan, Auburn: 1 percent

My take: Agree

Jackson is perhaps the most well-rounded athlete to ever come through the SEC and rivals Herschel Walker as the best running back in league history. But, geez, how is Alabama offensive tackle John Hannah not on this list? For that matter, where's Bart Starr, Don Hutson and Ozzie Newsome? 

3. Which coach is the best in state history?

SportsNation results (26,343 votes)

• Paul "Bear" Bryant, Alabama: 85 percent

• Pat Dye, Auburn: 7 percent

• Shug Jordan, Auburn: 5 percent

• Frank Thomas, Alabama: 2 percent

• Gene Stallings, Alabama: 1 percent

My take: Agree

Talk about a slam-dunk. Asking who the best football coach is in Alabama state history is like asking who's the world's best golfer right now. Bear Bryant is, was and always will be the standard for college football coaches. His legacy will endure. Even though he's been dead for more than 25 years, he remains the face of football in the SEC.

Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low

The latest headlines from around the SEC:

• Columnist Ray Melick of The Birmingham News writes that there's seemingly no end to all the things "Bo Knows."

• Here's an early look at the 2009 preseason All-SEC team thanks to Consensus Draft Services.

• Tony Barnhart of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution takes a look at what we don't know yet about the SEC West race.

• Want to represent former Alabama offensive tackle Andre Smith? Sounds like agents are battling to negotiate what's sure to be a sweet contract. 

• Former Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville finds a new gig -- talking SEC football on the Web.

Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low

A glance at what others are saying and writing about SEC football:

• Tim Tebow and Danny Wuerffel are both former Heisman Trophy winners at Florida, but they're bound by their Christian faith.

• Thanks to Charles Goldberg of The Birmingham News, here's some video of Bo Jackson's commencement speech at Auburn last Saturday.

• Tim Tucker of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has some leftovers from Georgia coach Mark Richt's speaking engagement in Columbus, Ga., last week.

• There were no real surprises on Arkansas' post-spring depth chart, Nate Allen of The Northwest Arkansas Times writes.

• Former Alabama quarterback John Parker Wilson is just hoping for a chance with the Atlanta Falcons.

Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low

Did you see that Auburn icon Vincent "Bo" Jackson will deliver the commencement address at his alma mater's graduation ceremonies this Saturday?

The whole thing's a pretty neat deal.

Jackson beat a stuttering problem as a child to become a hugely successful motivational speaker. Of course, as a multi-sport athlete, he has few peers ... if any.

And for the Auburn graduates this semester, they get to hear from one of the greatest football players in SEC history.

Jackson returned to Auburn to get his degree in 1995, following up on a promise he made to his mother before she died of cancer in 1992.

If I were picking one former football player at every other SEC school (somebody who's still living) who I'd want to hear deliver the commencement address, here's the lineup I'd choose:

• Alabama: Ozzie Newsome
• Arkansas: Lance Alworth
• Florida: Steve Spurrier
• Georgia: Herschel Walker
• Kentucky: Babe Parilli
• LSU: Billy Cannon
• Mississippi State: D.D. Lewis
• Ole Miss: Archie Manning
• South Carolina: George Rogers
• Tennessee: Peyton Manning
• Vanderbilt: Earl Bennett

Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low

The Eastern Division was hard enough. Now, onto the Western Division.

I could have picked 10 or 12 for Alabama. Maybe the Crimson Tide should have two Mount Rushmores.

Anyway, here goes and thanks again for all your help. I'm sure there will be no second-guessing, right?

ALABAMA

Bear Bryant: Bryant is revered as much today in Alabama as he was when he was winning six national championships.

Lee Roy Jordan: Bryant referred to Jordan as the "finest player he ever coached."

Joe Namath: Broadway Joe was called the "greatest athlete I ever coached" by Bryant.

Ozzie Newsome: The quintessential tight end, Newsome was one of the most complete players to play for Bryant.

Just missed the cut: Cornelius Bennett, John Hannah, Don Hutson, Ken Stabler, Derrick Thomas, Frank Thomas.

ARKANSAS

Lance Alworth: The first athlete at Arkansas to letter in three different sports in the same year.

Frank Broyles: An iconic figure in the state, Broyles spent 50 years at Arkansas as either head football coach or athletic director.

Darren McFadden: Two-time Doak Walker Award winner is one of the SEC's best backs of the last quarter century.

Billy Ray Smith Jr.: Followed in his father's footsteps and became a two-time All-America defensive end in 1981-82.

Just missed the cut: Gary Anderson, Brandon Burlsworth, Dan Hampton, Ken Hatfield, Lou Holtz.

AUBURN

Pat Dye: As coach, he won 99 games and four SEC titles. As athletic director, he brought the Alabama game to Auburn.

Bo Jackson: The 1985 Heisman Trophy winner remains the greatest all-around athlete the SEC has ever seen.

Ralph "Shug" Jordan: Auburn's stadium bears his name. He won 176 games in 25 years, including the 1957 national championship.

Pat Sullivan: Two-time SEC Player of the Year who became Auburn's first Heisman Trophy winner in 1971.

Just missed the cut: Terry Beasley, Tucker Frederickson, Tracy Rocker, Tommy Tuberville, Carnell "Cadillac" Williams.

LSU

Billy Cannon: A true SEC legend and LSU's greatest player, Cannon won the Heisman Trophy in 1959.

Tommy Casanova: Played offense, defense and returned kicks and was a three-time All-American from 1969-71.

Glenn Dorsey: The most decorated defender in LSU history, Dorsey led the Tigers to the 2007 national championship.

Charles McClendon: LSU's winningest coach with 137 wins and 13 bowl appearances from 1962-79.

Just missed the cut: Paul Dietzel, Kevin Faulk, Dalton Hilliard, Bert Jones, Nick Saban.

MISSISSIPPI STATE

Johnie Cooks: The Bulldogs' greatest defender and a force on some of their best teams. The No. 2 pick in the 1982 NFL draft.

D.D. Lewis: A member of the College Hall of Fame, Lewis was a two-time All-SEC linebacker in 1966-67.

Jackie Sherrill: The winningest coach in Mississippi State history, Sherrill took the Bulldogs to the SEC title game in 1998.

Jackie Parker: An All-America quarterback in 1953 and a two-time SEC Most Valuable Player.

Just missed the cut: John Bond, Jack Cristal, Sylvester Croom, Eric Moulds, Tom "Shorty" McWilliams.

OLE MISS

Archie Manning: The very definition of an icon. The speed limit on Ole Miss' campus is 18 mph to commemorate his jersey number.

Eli Manning: The youngest Manning followed his dad to Ole Miss and became the most prolific passer in school history.

Chucky Mullins: Ole Miss players pass his monument before every game, and many touch his head on the way to the field.

John Vaught: In 24 years as Ole Miss' coach, he made the Rebels a fixture in the national polls and won six SEC titles.

Just missed the cut: Charlie Conerly, Jake Gibbs, Frank "Bruiser" Kinard, Barney Poole, Patrick Willis.

Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low

The states' best Mount Rushmores will be unveiled starting Monday night on SportsCenter.

In keeping with that theme, I thought I'd put together my SEC football Mount Rushmore. Here goes and let me know where I got it right and where I got it wrong. You always do:

Bear Bryant: A unanimous choice by everybody, I would think. To me, Bryant is the face of SEC football. He won six national championships at Alabama and also led Kentucky to some of its greatest success.

Herschel Walker: When I think of great SEC players, Walker is always the first one that comes to mind. Has it really been almost 30 years ago that he burst onto the scene at Georgia with those "big thighs?"

Steve Spurrier: Already in the College Hall of Fame as a player and a lock to also be enshrined as a coach when he retires. The Head Ball Coach changed the way they played football in the SEC in the 1990s on his way to winning six SEC titles.

Bo Jackson: In my lifetime, I can't imagine that I'll ever see an athlete as freakishly good as Jackson. He was the epitome of what a running back should be -- big, powerful and fast. Mention the name "Bo" around the SEC, and they know exactly who you're talking about.