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NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Chris Marve’s first impression of his new coach wasn’t necessarily on the money.

Marve, Vanderbilt’s All-SEC linebacker, rode to the airport back in December with vice chancellor of university affairs and athletics David Williams to pick up James Franklin the day he was introduced as the Commodores’ head coach.

“He was so mild-mannered, almost laid back,” Marve recalled. “But when we got on the field this spring, it’s like he flipped a switch. He was on top of you every minute and every practice and didn’t let up.

“I was like, ‘This is the same guy?’ There’s an energy about him, an enthusiasm and the kind of charisma this program hasn’t had. The guys on this team responded, too, because nobody wants to go back to where we’ve been the last two years.”

Not that anybody at Vanderbilt needs to be reminded, but that would be 2-10 each of the past two seasons with only one SEC victory along the way.

That’s after the Commodores manufactured their first winning season in 26 years in 2008, which was capped by their first bowl victory in 53 years.

Bobby Johnson had proved that you could indeed win at Vanderbilt in this era, albeit for one season, but Johnson abruptly resigned just prior to the 2010 season.

Franklin, 39, is determined to prove you can win at Vanderbilt and continue winning.

It’s a daunting challenge, maybe the toughest job in all of college football when you consider Vanderbilt’s stringent academic requirements and the strength of the SEC, which has produced the last five national champions.

Franklin doesn’t flinch.

After all, Stanford has found a way to make it work in the Pac-10, and Northwestern has had its moments in the Big Ten.

“The reality is that you can take what they’ve done at Stanford and you can take what they’ve done at Northwestern, and you can take general philosophies and plans,” Franklin said. “But you better have a plan that’s specific to that institution you’re at, and Vanderbilt is a very unique institution. A lot of people say, ‘You’re in the SEC,’ and compare that to the Big Ten or compare it to the Pac-10,’ and people look at that as a negative. I look at it as a positive.

“We have a chance to attract student-athletes from all over the country who can say they have a chance to get a world-class education and play in the greatest football conference in America. So if you’re really as good as you think you are and you’re a guy who doesn’t want to settle in life and wants the best of everything, Vanderbilt’s the choice for you.

“You can spin it anyway you want. I’m an optimist, so I spin it from a positive perspective.”

One thing Franklin isn’t spinning is how much the Commodores need to upgrade their speed and depth at all positions if they’re going to compete in the SEC.

The lack of depth and experience in the offensive line is particularly frightening, but the Commodores do have 20 of their 22 starters from a year ago returning.

So it’s not like Franklin is inheriting a group of guys who’ve never played in this league.

They just haven’t won in this league, at least not on a consistent basis. But as senior defensive end Tim Fugger points out, there’s still a nucleus of players remaining -- quarterback Larry Smith, cornerback Casey Hayward, safety Sean Richardson, defensive tackle T.J. Greenstone, Marve and Fugger -- who were around for that 2008 season when the Commodores broke through to finish 7-6.

The trick is regaining that confidence and keeping it this time.

“The year we went to the Music City Bowl, we got all the way to No. 13 in the rankings and our confidence was really high,” Fugger said. “But then we hit a skid and kind of felt like it was the same old Vanderbilt and here we go again.

“It was the same way these past two seasons, but Coach Franklin and his staff have brought in so much energy and we’ve been working so hard that I think that confidence is finally coming back. You could see it in the way we practiced this spring. Practices have been a lot more competitive, and it’s been a real fun experience watching the turnaround.”

Franklin, previously the offensive coordinator at Maryland, realizes that he’s hardly the first new head coach to show up at Vanderbilt proclaiming that he has a vision to take the Commodores places in football they’ve never been in this league.

And down deep, Franklin doesn’t mind that there are so many doubters.

“To me, this is no different than the rest of my career,” he said. “You don’t get from East Stroudsburg, a Division II school in Pennsylvania, to being a head coach in the SEC by always taking the safe choice. We have a chance to do something really, really special, a way to differentiate ourselves.”

As far as what has or hasn’t been done in the past at Vanderbilt, Franklin offers a confident shrug.

“We want to study our history and have respect for our history,” Franklin said. “I have tremendous respect for the coaches that came before me here, but I also have the mentality that that part of Vanderbilt football -- although we respect it and appreciate the former players that have been here -- that’s done. That’s over. All the negative memories we’ve had in the past are gone.

“It’s a new day, and because of this administration’s support, we’re able to do things that are going to allow us to get where we want to go.”

» Predictions: ACC | Big 12 | Big East | Big Ten | Pac-10 | SEC | Non-AQ

Go ahead and throw me in the SEC’s Eastern Division.

That’s about where I belong with my mediocre record for picking games to this point.

I might have to pull an Urban Meyer and do an extensive self evaluation to see where it’s going wrong. Then again, I’m not ready to say I’m struggling as much as the Florida offense.

At least, not yet.

Anyway (as the Head Ball Coach would say), I was 4-2 last week and am now 43-13 (.768) for the season. I missed Kentucky’s win over South Carolina and Mississippi State’s win over Florida.

I need to start taking more chances if I’m going to get back to that .800 plateau. The tricky part is knowing when to take those chances. Where's Les Miles when you need him?

To get some of that Miles karma working this week, I had my hat sitting directly on top of my head in Miles-esque fashion when I made my picks. I can assure you there is a sincere want to achieve victory this week, but I will hold in abeyance any braggadocios chatter about what my record will be once we cease competition.

Here goes:

Auburn 28, LSU 24: This one was perhaps the toughest of the season so far to call. LSU is terrific on defense. Auburn is terrific on offense. Both teams have made a ton of clutch plays to get to this point. In the end, I just don’t see LSU being able to score enough points to keep up with Auburn, which has been a juggernaut in the fourth quarter this season. They're already stocking up on toilet paper at Toomer's Corner.

Alabama 27, Tennessee 10: It’s not the Third Saturday in October this year, and it hasn’t been much of a rivalry since Nick Saban arrived in Tuscaloosa. The Crimson Tide have won three in a row, although Terrence Cody’s blocked field goal saved them last season. Cody won’t be around to save them this season. But it won’t matter. The Vols simply don’t have the horses and will be fortunate to even keep it close.

Georgia 35, Kentucky 31: The last time Georgia ventured up to the Bluegrass, it was a track meet with the two teams combining for 80 points. This one has that same feel. The Bulldogs are a different offense with A.J. Green in the lineup, and the Wildcats have playmakers all over the field. Kentucky has been awfully resilient this season, but Georgia looks like it’s hitting its stride at just the right time and finally starting to put it all together.

Arkansas 38, Ole Miss 28: The Houston Nutt Bowl III doesn’t have quite the drama the first two did. It’s sort of become old hat now, although I’m not sure Nutt and Arkansas’ Bobby Petrino are exactly pen pals. Nutt has yet to lose to the Hogs since he left, but this will be the best Arkansas team he’s faced. In the end, the Rebels won’t be able to slow down the Hogs defensively.

South Carolina 28, Vanderbilt 17: The Commodores have been hard on the Head Ball Coach. In fact, Bobby Johnson sort of owned him these past couple of years. Johnson’s retired now and playing golf, and the onus is on Robbie Caldwell to figure out a way to get this game into the fourth quarter. The Gamecocks are still smarting from their loss at Kentucky last week, but they’ll find a way to snap their seven-game SEC road losing streak.

Mississippi State 31, UAB 14: There’s a lot of momentum right now in the Mississippi State program. The Bulldogs are playing well, playing with confidence and getting a little national love with their first appearance in the Top 25 polls in nine years. They get a chance to run their winning streak to five straight games Saturday. There might be a little bit of an emotional letdown coming off such a big win, but not enough to lose this game.

Making the rounds in the SEC on a Tuesday:

• Georgia coach Mark Richt understands why "everybody's bent out of shape."
• The Gators aren't worried about payback this weekend. They're worried more about getting better.
• Ole Miss' Brandon Bolden answers the call for the Rebels.
• Kentucky coach Joker Phillips remains confident despite the lopsided loss to Florida.
• Paul Finebaum of The Mobile Press-Register writes that Alabama-Florida is college football's most important rivalry.
• It's been a slow start for him, but Alabama defensive end Marcell Dareus is still looking to make a big impact.
• Auburn tight end Philip Lutzenkirchen emerges from the shadows in the Tigers' win over South Carolina.
• Retirement suits former Vanderbilt coach Bobby Johnson just fine.
• Questions linger in the aftermath of South Carolina's defensive meltdown against Auburn.

Ever wondered what the emotion of a locker room is like after a big win?

Here's a clip from the Vanderbilt locker room that lets you inside following the Commodores' 28-14 victory over Ole Miss last Saturday to snap their 10-game SEC losing streak. It's a reminder that every game in this conference means something to somebody, and to see how this team has rallied around first-year coach Robbie Caldwell is really neat.

He got his first game ball in 34 years of coaching.

Not only that. But guess who was one of the first people to greet the team when the Commodores arrived back at the McGugin Center on Saturday night?

Former coach Bobby Johnson was there along with his wife, Catherine.

A check of what's making headlines in the SEC:

• Tony Barnhart of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution checks in with one of the SEC's true living legends -- Larry Munson.
• NCAA investigators will return to South Carolina's campus this week to ask more questions, reports Joe Person of The State newspaper.
• Auburn's 290-pound running back, Ladarious Phillips, is "a grown man."
• Auburn linebacker Eltoro Freeman says he's ready for a bounce-back season.
• After a tough freshman season that included a fourth-degree assault charge, Kentucky's Ridge Wilson is ready to make a run at the starting strong side linebacker job.
• Sophomore Devin Jones is working his way into the Mississippi State defensive tackle mix.
• With one scrimmage in the books, Matt Simms remains at the top of Tennessee's depth chart at quarterback.
• Former Tennessee star Eric Berry is renovating the park he grew up playing at in Southside Atlanta.
• Vanderbilt gets a visit from former coach Bobby Johnson, who says new coach Robbie Caldwell doesn't need his advice.
• LSU coach Les Miles defends the "grayshirt" rule and says it's "not a bad thing" for a player to be asked to delay his enrollment to comply with NCAA roster limits.

Schedule: Practice starts Friday at 7 p.m. ET. The first day in full pads is Tuesday (Aug. 10).

What’s new: Bobby Johnson decided he’d had enough of football a few weeks before the start of preseason practice, and veteran offensive line coach Robbie Caldwell was chosen to succeed him. Caldwell was initially named the interim coach, but Vanderbilt officials have since removed the interim tag. Caldwell brought in former Tulsa offensive coordinator Herb Hand to take Caldwell’s place as offensive line coach. Before he retired, Johnson had already announced that quarterbacks coach Jimmy Kiser would call all of the offensive plays this season after sharing that role with Ted Cain, who remains on the staff as tight ends coach and special teams coordinator. Mike Pelton is in his first season as defensive ends coach.

Sidelined: Senior offensive guard Chris Aaron will not return because of an inner ear problem.

Key battle: The Commodores are set at two of their linebacker positions with Chris Marve in the middle and John Stokes at one outside spot. If Triston Strong is healthy, he could be the starter at the weak side spot, but will have to fend off challenges from Dexter Daniels, DeAndre Jones and Archibald Barnes.

New on the scene: Redshirt freshman Wesley Tate joins an already talented running back stable that includes Warren Norman and Zac Stacy. Redshirt freshman Wesley Johnson is in line to be one of the starters at offensive tackle, and the same goes for redshirt freshman Jay Fullam at free safety. Redshirt freshman defensive end Walker May had a strong spring and will provide pass-rushing help. The Commodores are looking for all the help they can get at receiver, which is where redshirt freshman Brady Brown and true freshmen Chris Boyd and Jordan Matthews come in.

Breaking out: Junior tight end Brandon Barden has All-SEC potential. He led the nation two years ago in catches by a freshman tight end. If he avoids the key drops, he could develop into the Commodores’ top receiving threat this season.

Don’t forget about: Jamie Graham has played a little bit of everywhere during his career. He even played on the Commodores’ basketball team at one point, but looks like he’s settled in on the defensive side of the ball at cornerback where he’s the front-runner to be a starter opposite Casey Hayward.

All eyes on: Junior quarterback Larry Smith. The Commodores have to get better play out of the quarterback position after completing just 48.3 percent of their passes last season. It goes much deeper than just throwing the ball, too. Vanderbilt needs a leader at quarterback, whether it’s Smith, junior college newcomer Jordan Rodgers or senior Jared Funk.

Quoting: “You have to earn everything you get in this league. We saw that last year. It can get away from you in a hurry. The only way to get it pointed back in the right direction is to go to work every day, and that’s what we’ve done.” -- Vanderbilt linebacker Chris Marve

Robbie Caldwell is one of the most unassuming guys you’re ever going to meet in coaching.

So when he says he’s not really looking at the big picture, he means it.

The big picture for him is whatever’s next on his to-do list.

“I went from lining the field to being a head coach in the SEC. I’m spinning like a top,” joked Caldwell, who found out a week ago that he’d be the one leading Vanderbilt’s football team this season following Bobby Johnson’s abrupt retirement.

His down-home humor is legendary to those who know him best. Having grown up in Pageland, S.C., Caldwell can hold court with the best of them.

He’s also been one of the more respected offensive line coaches in the business and one of the more underrated recruiters in the SEC.

Now, he gets his shot as a head coach, even though he didn't see it coming as recently as two weeks ago, and has never allowed himself to be consumed by the thought of one day running a program of his own.

And who cares that he has an interim label attached?

“I’ve always been appreciative of every job I’ve had, whether it was working on the turkey farm, pouring concrete or driving a tractor,” Caldwell said. “I thought that was the greatest job in the world when I was driving that tractor.

“It’s the same way here. We’re going to take it one day at a time, but you honestly can’t help but think about things you would love to accomplish and get done here. We’re going to be realists, but you’ve got to be a little bit of a dreamer, too.”

Caldwell understands there are no guarantees for him or his staff past this season, but he also points out that the current Vanderbilt chancellor, Nicholas Zeppos, also once wore the interim tag.

“Vanderbilt has done right by us in every way, and that’s why I’ve stayed here as long as I have … because they’re people of integrity,” said Caldwell, who was wooed unsuccessfully by Lou Holtz and more recently Steve Spurrier to return home to South Carolina and coach on the Gamecocks’ staff.

(Read full post)

VANDERBILT

Key stretch: Northwestern (Sept. 4), LSU (Sept. 11), at Ole Miss (Sept. 18), at Connecticut (Oct. 2).

Analysis: The new-look Commodores under the tutelage of interim coach Robbie Caldwell, who takes over for the retired Bobby Johnson, will be tested right away. Vanderbilt’s first four opponents played in bowl games a year ago, beginning with Northwestern. The Commodores need something good to happen early in the season to build a little momentum and help restore some confidence. The onus is going to be on the offense to score some points. There was far too much pressure on the defense a year ago to keep teams under 20 points if the Commodores were going to have any chance to win. The one big difference in this schedule is that Vanderbilt does get a bye week prior to its trip to Connecticut. The Commodores played 12 straight weeks a year ago without a bye.

Prediction: Northwestern lost several key players from last season’s Outback Bowl team, and getting the Wildcats at home gives the Commodores a chance to kick off the season the right way. Again, it gets back to having a pulse on offense. Johnson said during his retirement press conference that the Commodores already had a good plan in place for Northwestern. Whatever happens in the opener, winning at LSU that next week is probably too much to ask. And then comes a trip the next week to Ole Miss before the bye. The Commodores need to avoid going into that Connecticut game 0-3, because an 0-4 start would almost certainly ensure another long season in Nashville. Here's betting they manage a win somewhere in that opening four-game stretch.

With the start of SEC media days bearing down on us, here's some of what's happening around the league:

• If South Carolina tight end Weslye Saunders or any player on the team has had improper dealings with an agent, Steve Spurrier says, "We're not going to look the other way like possibly Southern California did."
• Tommy Hicks of The Mobile Press-Register writes that fans better get ready for a fine whine at SEC media days.
• Is Vanderbilt's Bobby Johnson being let off the hook because he's a "good guy?" Bob McClellan in his Sports in the 615 column thinks so.
• Receiver Donte Moncrief, one of the top prospects in the state of Mississippi, has committed to Ole Miss for the 2011 class. Moncrief is rated as the country's No. 49 receiver prospect by ESPN.
• Rich Brooks might be retired, but he still has Kentucky on his mind.
• Georgia picks up two more verbal commitments for the 2011 class, including offensive tackle Zach DeBell of Tarpon Springs, Fla.
• LSU has suspended starting fullback Dominique Allen for violating team rules.

Filling in for C-low today ...

• There's at least one person who doesn't think Mark Richt deserves to be on the hot seat this season, and it's Vince Dooley.
• LSU reserve fullback Dominique Allen has been suspended indefinitely for violating team rules.
• Vanderbilt's players deserved better than what they got from Bobby Johnson, writes Steve Irvine.
• Nick Saban was saddened by Johnson's retirement and said he did a "fantastic job" there, even if "the overall record doesn't indicate it." Was that a compliment?
• Saban was at his best on Thursday at a coaching clinic where he had a crowd of high school coaches "mesmerized."
• No, no, not that James Wilder. The fake one!
• There was a lot of optimism surrounding Mississippi State on Thursday, and Dan Mullen's high expectations are a big reason why.
• Ole Miss running back Rodney Scott was arrested and charged with disturbing the peace.
• Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett is amused by all the fuss over his foot.

Slow news week in the SEC (riiiiight).

• Bobby Johnson leaves Vanderbilt with a blueprint of how to succeed, colleague Chris Low writes. Both Vanderbilt and the SEC lose out with Johnson's retirement, Tony Barnhart writes in The Atlanta Journal Constitution.
• More on Johnson's shocking retirement and what's next for Vanderbilt here and here and here and here.
• The SEC West looks like the loaded half of the league entering 2010, Andrea Adelson writes in the Orlando Sentinel.
• A Knoxville police report says Tennessee recruit Da'Rick Rogers assaulted a man in last week's bar brawl. New Vols coach Derek Dooley maintains that the program's culture will change.
• Two-a-days are a thing of the past at Georgia, Tim Tucker writes in The Atlanta Journal Constitution. In case you missed it, Bulldogs backup running back Dontavius Jackson is transferring following his arrest.
• Some good Auburn nuggets from The Birmingham News' Charles Goldberg.
• Kentucky's hiring of assistant Greg Nord is now official, reuniting Nord with head coach Joker Phillips, Chip Cosby writes in the Lexington Herald-Leader.
• South Carolina recruit Brandon Golson is heading to prep school, Joseph Person writes in The State.
• The plan to expand Mississippi State's Scott Field remains hazy, Kyle Veazey writes in The (Jackson) Clarion-Ledger.
• Several SEC nuggets can be found in Stewart Mandel's latest mailbag at SI.com.
• Alabama finally loses -- in the ESPYs, Don Kausler Jr. writes in The Birmingham News.
• Florida's John Brantley has some big shoes to fill in Gainesville, Pat Dooley writes at Athlon Sports.

As private a person as Bobby Johnson is, he’s even more loyal.

So when you step back and survey his abrupt retirement Wednesday as Vanderbilt’s head football coach, the timing shouldn’t be all that shocking.

Granted, the news caught just about everybody off guard because it was a tightly kept secret that Johnson was even pondering retirement.

But by doing it now, he ensures that his staff stays intact for this season, and as it turns out, that veteran offensive line coach Robbie Caldwell gets a shot to lead the program as interim head coach.

Besides, as Johnson points out, there’s never an ideal time for a head coach to step down.

“I guess a lot of people think I’m crazy for walking away from this job right now,” Johnson told ESPN.com. “But it was the right thing for me and (wife) Catherine, the right thing for the program, the right thing for everybody.

“I know people have a lot of questions about why now and why I didn’t just retire after the season. Football commands every second of your life in the season, and if you’re thinking about retiring at the end of the season, I don’t see any way you’re going to have the right mindset to give it everything you’ve got. I don’t think I could have looked the players in the eye.

“So just trying to make it through one more season so I could retire didn’t make sense to me.”

Johnson acknowledged that the decision by Vanderbilt vice chancellor David Williams to make Caldwell the interim head coach was pivotal in his decision to step away now. Johnson is extremely close to his coaches, and several of them go back more than 30 years when they were all at Furman together under Dick Sheridan.

“It sure made my decision a whole lot easier,” Johnson said. “These guys (his staff) deserve it and have worked tirelessly. We have come a long way, and that’s because of some really, really hard work on their part. I’m glad they’re going to have an opportunity to see this thing through, and I think they’ll make it better.”

Johnson, who turned 59 earlier this year, conceded that last season wore on him. The Commodores were beset with injuries and suffered through their first winless season in the SEC since his debut season at Vanderbilt in 2002.

But Johnson said he didn’t exit the 2009 season with retirement necessarily on his mind. Rather, it sort of evolved as he and his wife discussed their future.

It was a little more than a month ago that Johnson said he seriously started thinking about walking away from football, and the urge to go in a different direction with his life only grew stronger after he and his wife went on vacation.

Johnson said he made his “final, final decision” to retire a couple of days ago after several conversations with Williams, who tried to talk Johnson out of retiring and even offered to sweeten Johnson’s deal if he stayed.

But this was a life decision that went much deeper than money for Johnson, who also had the option of announcing his retirement now and coaching this final season.

“That was discussed, but everybody came to the same conclusion, that I wouldn’t be too good doing it that way,” Johnson said. “You talk about the ultimate lame-duck situation. That would have been it.”

Johnson had wanted to tell his players and coaches before the press conference Wednesday, but the story began to leak out that morning.

He also understands how some fans might think his retiring three weeks before the start of preseason practice puts the program in a tough position, but he doesn’t see it as a detriment.

“If I had left right after last season, we probably would have lost more recruits,” Johnson said. “Right now, our guys are so far ahead of the game and have a preliminary game plan for Northwestern and are ready to go. The players will have to make a little bit of an adjustment to Robbie as head coach, but Robbie and I are pretty similar in our philosophies.”

As for Johnson’s legacy at Vanderbilt, raising the level of expectations at a place that’s been a perennial doormat in the SEC will be right up there. But so will providing the Commodores a blueprint on how to truly be competitive in this league.

Yes, his overall record at Vanderbilt might have been 29-66, but go back and look at all the games the Commodores were in over the last few seasons in the fourth quarter.

That’s not to mention beating Auburn, Georgia, South Carolina and Tennessee within the last five seasons, and in most cases, breaking long losing streaks to those teams along the way.

The 2008 season will go down as one of the best in Vanderbilt history. The Commodores won their first bowl game in 53 years, beating Boston College in the Music City Bowl. They beat three nationally ranked teams that season.

“From where we were in 2002 to now is night and day,” Johnson said. “I think we’ve proven it can be done at Vanderbilt. The only thing we’re lacking is consistency.”

Johnson still isn’t sure what he’s going to do with all of his free time. His wife loves to travel, so there’s your first hint.

“She’s sacrificed a lot over the last 34 years, so it’s time for me to pay her back a little bit,” Johnson said. “We have an opportunity to do some things, and we’re going to take it.”

He’ll still keep up with the Commodores and won’t completely give up football, although he vows not to sit around and watch eight or nine football games every weekend.

“It’s going to be strange, no doubt about it,” Johnson said. “I know I’ll miss it.”

Almost as much as Vanderbilt (and the entire SEC) will miss Johnson.

He ran his program with a touch of class, honesty and dignity that ought to be a model for everybody in college athletics.

One of the classiest guys you're ever going to meet in college sports is stepping down.

Vanderbilt has called a 2 p.m. ET press conference Wednesday to announce that Bobby Johnson is stepping down as head football coach and to discuss where the Commodores go from here. It sounds like Johnson's resignation will be immediate and that he won't coach this season.

Here's the ESPN.com news story on the sudden turn of events.

At this point, there's nothing solid on why Johnson is resigning. I talked with him last month, and he spoke at length about this season and his team and was genuinely excited about some of the younger players in the program.

The two names that I hear as the strongest possibilities to replace Johnson on an interim basis are assistant head coach for the defense Bruce Fowler and assistant head coach/offensive line coach Robbie Caldwell.

Obviously, Johnson's career record at Vanderbilt wasn't pretty (29-66), but he'd upgraded the program in a number of different ways: from leading the charge to upgrade the facilities, to upgrading the talent level in the program, to closing the gap on the field with the rest of the league. Under his watch, the Commodores were no longer thought of as a "sure thing" by the rest of the conference.

Winning a bowl game in 2008 was huge, but so was beating Auburn, Tennessee, South Carolina and Georgia. The Commodores gained everybody's respect in the league in the way they played and the way they competed under Johnson. Over and above the big wins, there were countless other near-misses where Vanderbilt played above its talent level.

The past season was disappointing for everybody surrounding the program. Coming off such a high the year before, the Commodores suffered through a winless season in the SEC, the first time that had happened since Johnson's first year in Nashville.

A weak offense was the problem, and really, the Commodores weren't very good on offense the year before when they won the bowl game. They just covered up their deficiencies by playing solid defense and being opportunistic. They created a ton of turnovers that year.

Even though his final season at Vanderbilt was a disappointing one, Johnson can walk away knowing that he left the program in a lot better shape than he found it.

In keeping with our theme of how to best evaluate a head coach, one of the many impressive records that Florida’s Urban Meyer has compiled is his 14-1 mark against the Gators’ three traditional rivals -- Florida State, Georgia and Tennessee.

How does that compare to the rest of the SEC coaches?

Granted, the definition of “traditional rivals” may vary among fans, and some schools have rivals that are more clearly defined than others.

But in general, they are the three schools on your schedule every year that the fans most want to beat and the three schools that the head coach at that school needs to beat more often than they beat him if he wants to keep his job very long.

Here’s a look around the league. Kentucky’s Joker Phillips and Tennessee’s Derek Dooley are not included since this will be their first season:

• Alabama’s Nick Saban is 7-2 (.777) against Auburn, LSU and Tennessee.
• Arkansas’ Bobby Petrino is 1-5 (.166) against Alabama, LSU and Ole Miss.
• Auburn’s Gene Chizik is 0-3 (.000) against Alabama, Georgia and LSU.
• Georgia’s Mark Richt is 15-12 (.555) against Florida, Georgia Tech and Tennessee.
• LSU’s Les Miles is 8-7 (.533) against Alabama, Florida and Ole Miss.
• Mississippi State’s Dan Mullen is 1-2 (.333) against Alabama, Auburn and Ole Miss.
• Ole Miss’ Houston Nutt is 3-3 (.500) against Alabama, LSU and Mississippi State.
• South Carolina’s Steve Spurrier is 5-10 (.333) against Clemson, Georgia and Tennessee.
• Vanderbilt’s Bobby Johnson is 5-19 (.208) against Kentucky, South Carolina and Tennessee.

One of the best ways to evaluate a coach is to look at his record against nationally ranked teams.

Five of the 12 coaches in the SEC have winning records against Top 25 foes at their current schools.

Here's a complete rundown:

• Urban Meyer, Florida -- 19-6 (.760)
• Nick Saban, Alabama -- 11-5 (.688)
• Houston Nutt, Ole Miss -- 5-3 (.625)
• Les Miles, LSU -- 18-11 (.621)
• Mark Richt, Georgia -- 29-19 (.604)
• Gene Chizik, Auburn -- 1-2 (.333)
• Steve Spurrier, South Carolina -- 7-15 (.318)
• Bobby Petrino, Arkansas -- 3-7 (.300)
• Dan Mullen, Mississippi State -- 1-4 (.200)
• Bobby Johnson, Vanderbilt -- 5-24 (.172)
• Derek Dooley, Tennessee -- 0-0 (.000)
• Joker Phillips, Kentucky -- 0-0 (.000)