ESPN College Football

We asked you on Tuesday to vote for the most hated coach in SEC history -- past or present.

We're all about the love here on the SEC blog, but this is after all "Hate Week" at ESPN.com. Seriously, this is all done in fun, and some of your responses were priceless.

Here's a sampling:

Drew in Greenville, S.C., writes: I don't think there is any doubt that Lane Kiffin is the clear winner (loser). The two glaring differences between Kiffin and all the other candidates is that he left the program in shambles and he didn't win anything. All the other coaches had success at their respective schools and Kiffin never sniffed success. With Kiffin at the helm, if felt like I was always having to defend my school's decision to hire that clown. Currently, Dooley may not be winning much, but at least I don't have to defend him for his lack of honor.

Darth Tripous writes: The most hated SEC coach has to be Lane Kiffin. My hope is that one day Alshon Jeffery will say to Kiffin, "Fill 'er up please."

Mike in Mandeville, La., writes: I'm down on Nick Saban, but not for the reasons most LSU dislike him. I just need to look at the last play of his tenure at LSU, the Iowa "Hail Mary." Saban was DB coach and that garbage could happen? Nicky was always pulling boneheaded stunts, only saved by the awesome talent he recruited. Anyone remember his annual inability to pick a starting QB? How about UAB 13 LSU 10? The 2000 Arkansas game he failed to use a time out to punt with the wind and ended up with a 3-yarder to start the 2nd quarter? How about 4th & inches at his own 27 during the 2001 SEC title game? The dog show from 2002 that started in Auburn and culminated in the Cotton Bowl loss to Texas? 2003 Florida? UGa 2004? Nick seems to have learned a great deal from the NFL, but the poor in-game calls that cost LSU from 2000-2004 will always have Lil' Nicky No. 1 on my dog list!

R.J. in Portland, Ore., writes: The biggest SEC villain is no doubt Nick (the dictator) Saban. He oversigns, ruthlessly cuts players, has hissy fits in front of the media and undermines them. Not to mention he compares losses to horrific tragedies such as Pearl Harbor and has a terrible personality. The guy is everything that is wrong with college football.

Jason in Athens, Ga., writes: By far, it's the "Evil Genius" now at South Carolina. Being a lifelong DAWG fan, I despised him when he was at Florida, when we could only pull out one win in the 90's (1997: behind Bobo and Edwards running the show). And now he has gotten the best of us the past few years for sure. But as much as I wish he would leave, I have respect for him because he is without a question one of the best college football coaches in history. Anyone who can win an ACC championship with Duke is a helluva ball coach.

Sam in Athens, Ga., writes: Spurrier is still the most hated coach in the SEC for his snide comments. Saban may be despised by Auburn fans, but the rest of the league recognizes he is simply the best coach in college football today.

Byrd in Houston, Texas writes: How can anyone beat out Tommy Tuberville for the most hated coach? Ole Miss hates him for leaving. Bama hates him for beating them more often than not. Auburn hates him for "losing" toward the end of his tenure. The rest of the SEC hates him. Close second: Jackie Sherrill.

Chris in Tampa, Fla., writes: It's Gene Chizik. He has a terrible record and a bought national title. But, somehow, he has the puppet Auburn fans dancing on his string.

Barry in Charleston, Tenn., writes: James Franklin is the coach I despise most. Dirty on the field and talks too much off it, especially for a program that has always been awful. I hope Candy's fans realize he won't be there once he gets a better offer from somewhere else.

Brian in Washington, D.C., writes: Saban. Period. Petrino would make the discussion if he still met the employment requirement. Without him, there is no argument.

Trevor writes: Gotta be Derek Dooley. He makes horrible remarks about Vanderbilt, has no originality, and let's face it, who really does like the orange pants? Even Johnny Majors still cringes at the thought of orange pants. Spurrier would be a close second.

Michael in Eden Prairie, Minn., writes: Pat Dye for sure. He was the one who turned my Gators into the NCAA in the early 1980s for paying players while the whole time doing it himself. Remember Eric Ramsey?

Realdawgsnocowbell writes: Does it have to be a head coach? How about Willie Martinez?

John in Baton Rouge, La., writes: There have been many coaches in the SEC that are so much fun to hate. For me, though it's none other than Phil Fulmer. Of all his accomplishments and successes, the first thing that comes to my mind is a particular game played Sept. 26, 2005. It was an extremely hot Monday night after Hurricane Rita. It was my freshman year at LSU and my first time in the student section. With the community recently rocked by two hurricanes, everyone was excited to have a game to watch in Tiger Stadium. Sadly, we squandered a 21-point lead and fell in overtime. I remember clearly the sight of Gerald Riggs scoring the winning touchdown and the moment of dead silence that came over the crowd as we realized what had just happened. Tennessee then planted their flag at midfield and Coach Fulmer in his post game interview said that Rick Clausen was now the greatest story in America . It wasn't the greatest story in America. The greatest story in America at the moment had just been ruined. Ever since, Fulmer has been the coach that I loved to root against!

Jordan in Birmingham, Ala., writes: Without a doubt, the most hated coach to ever come through the SEC is Phillip Fulmer! Roll Tide!

Arkansas coach John L. Smith said three players who were suspended indefinitely after being arrested this month for burglary are currently not part of the team or enrolled in summer school.

Receivers Marquel Wade and Maudrecus Humphrey, and tight end Andrew Peterson were arrested May 12 and have been charged with felony residential burglary. According to arrest reports, the three stole textbooks, DVDs, laptops and more than $4,800 in cash from a university dormitory.

Hearings are set for June 15.

"It's a felony and it's a serious, serious thing," Smith said. "They're not a part of this football team until this thing gets cleared up, or they never (will) be a part.

"If they can't correct it, then you have to correct it for them; that's the way it is going to be. It's in the legal channels, and we're just going to have to wait and see if they can correct the issue."

Smith, who was given a 10-month contract after taking over for Bobby Petrino, might have the interim tag next to his name, but he's making sure his players know just how much power he truly has. And he's using it appropriately.

Of the three players suspended, Wade was expected to make the biggest impact in Arkansas' offense this fall. The Razorbacks lost three NFL wide receivers, but having Wade and potential All-SEC performer Cobi Hamilton back meant the passing game wasn't expected to take much of a step back at all.

While Wade only caught eight passes for 62 yards, the coaches tabbed him as one of the more dynamic receivers on this roster. He's speedy and slippery, and is a very nice complement to Hamilton in the offense. Last fall, he was primarily used in the return game, but Arkansas' offense is certainly better with him in the lineup, and Smith knows that. But he also knows he has to send a message that this sort of behavior won't be tolerated, and he won't be taken advantage of.

Kudos to Smith.

Three other Arkansas players have been arrested since March, and Smith has made it clear to the team that this off-field silliness just won't fly under his watch.

"We tried to explain to them what's going to be accepted and what's not going to be accepted, and what are going to be the consequences," he said. "We're going to demand that they do the right things.

"If (the message) hasn't got across, it certainly will before it's all said and done."

When you start selecting coaching villains, so much of it gets back to who's doing the selecting.

For instance, in the realm of the Alabama Football Nation, good luck in finding somebody who doesn't revere Nick Saban. Of course, the folks in and around the 334 area code in that state probably haven't spent a lot of time posing for pictures with Saban's statue at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Steve Spurrier is one of the most refreshing and funny figures in all of college football. That is, unless your team has been on the wrong end of one of his zingers after he's beaten you a bunch of times in a row.

Something says Urban Meyer isn't as popular these days in Florida as he was in 2008 when he was putting the finishing touches on the Gators' second national championship in three years.

And would anybody in the SEC stop to lend a hand to Lane Kiffin if he were broken down on the side of the road? Alshon Jeffery might pump his gas for him, but that's a story for another day.

Anyway, you get the idea.

Now it's on you, the fans, to tell us via our SportsNation poll who gets the top prize as the SEC's most hated coach -- past or present.

We've come up with five choices.

We'll review the results later this week.

Coaching villains are supposed to rip the hearts out of opposing fan bases. They’re supposed to send chills down the spines of those dressed in the wrong garb. They’re supposed to wreck the enemy.

It isn’t supposed to be the other way around.

But there are always exceptions, and this year Arkansas happened to be on the wrong end of the unfortunate situation in which Bobby Petrino took that infamous joy ride on April 1.

That day started a chain of deceitful events that sent Arkansas’ hero into the leagues of the villainous.

After pulling Arkansas from the depths of inconsistency, he might have cost the Razorbacks the ultimate prize by thinking of only himself while committing a laundry list of mistakes that cost him his job.

Less than three months after guiding Arkansas to its first 11-win season in nearly four decades, and being a little more than a year removed from the program’s first BCS bowl berth, Petrino was fired months before he could really do anything with a team he felt might have been his best in Fayetteville.

When he veered off a highway on his motorcycle near the town of Crosses in Madison County, Ark., to kick off April, his superstar status in Fayetteville slowly began to crumble.

First, there was the lie about being alone on his Harley-Davidson. Petrino, 51, later admitted (just before the police report was made public) that someone was with him -- 25-year-old Jessica Dorrell, whom Petrino helped hire to work in the football department.

Petrino, a married father of four, then admitted to carrying on an inappropriate relationship with Dorrell, which he said took place for more than a year. It was later discovered that Petrino had given Dorrell $20,000 in cash and shared more than 4,300 text messages and nearly 300 phone calls with her.

Nine days later, athletic director Jeff Long dismissed Petrino, putting the dignity of the university ahead of winning football games.

But the damage to Arkansas’ program had already been done. Not only was shame brought to it, but the offensive genius responsible for getting Arkansas toward the top of the SEC West was gone. Arkansas’ leader had become consumed with power, arrogance and that destructive feeling of invincibility.

If the accident itself didn’t reveal just how conceited Petrino was, all that electronic communication he had with Dorrell (on his work phone no less) certainly did. He didn’t become a villain just for his physical actions; he became one because he put himself before his team.

He embarrassed himself, his university, the team, his boss and his family when he took that joy ride, but this wasn’t the first time Petrino shook a team with a humiliating exit. His arrival at Arkansas didn’t come without controversy, either, as he walked out on the Atlanta Falcons with three games remaining during his first year in 2007.

At least he left a note.

He almost scurried away from Louisville before his first year was finished when he secretly met with Auburn about its not-yet-vacant head-coaching job, where Petrino’s former boss, Tommy Tuberville, was still employed. Not to mention more supposedly secret discussions with Florida, LSU, Notre Dame and Ole Miss in 2004.

There’s that wonderful quote in "The Dark Knight" -- “You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain.” -- that pretty much sums up Petrino’s last few stops.

But like Petrino’s previous places of employment, Arkansas will move on. It’ll grow and find new leadership under interim coach John L. Smith. Players have vowed to complete the journey Petrino started. They will rise up, while Petrino’s character continues to fall.

We're once again taking an early look at the 2012 college football season and colleague Mark Schlabach yet again provides us with a few talking points. On Friday, he unleashed his Way-Too-Early To0-Early 2012 Top 25 and it has six SEC teams in it:

1. LSU
2. USC
3. Alabama
4. Oregon
5. Georgia
6. Oklahoma
7. FSU
8. West Virginia
9. Michigan
10. South Carolina
11. Michigan State
12. Stanford
13. Arkansas
14. TCU
15. Wisconsin
16. Clemson
17. Ohio State
18. Kansas State
19. Texas
20. Florida
21. Washington
22. Oklahoma State
23. Virginia Tech
24. Nebraska
25. Georgia Tech

Some thoughts:

• LSU and Alabama are ranked where I'd have them. Both look like they'll once again be two of the most talented teams in the country this fall. It seems hard to believe that LSU's offensive won't be better and more balanced with juco transfer Zach Mettenberger taking over at quarterback. LSU's defense has a couple of holes to fill, but it doesn't look like that will be too hard for the Tigers. Alabama should also see an offensive boost in the passing game with an older AJ McCarron and coach Nick Saban is making sure this year's defense doesn't go the way of the 2010 group.
• Georgia has the schedule to make it back to Atlanta and that team that Mark Richt has isn't too bad either. But suspensions to four defensive starters to begin the season is a concern, especially with a trip to Missouri coming in Week 2. Quarterback Aaron Murray said this spring that despite the distractions that have come with the suspensions, this team is still very focused on its goals, but the pressure will surely be on the Dawgs in 2012.
• South Carolina should probably be a little higher, but with Marcus Lattimore coming off of that knee injury, it's tough to know what this team will do this fall. The defense returns a handful of talent, while quarterback Connor Shaw picked up where he left off last season, which is a good thing for the Gamecocks' offense. South Carolina does face LSU and Arkansas this season, meaning the Gamecocks will have to at least split those to challenge Georgia for the East title.
• The loss of Bobby Petrino has Arkansas trending down a bit, but if players rally the way they said they would under interim coach John L. Smith, the Razorbacks will be dangerous this fall. The offense is still loaded, led by quarterback Tyler Wilson and running back Knile Davis, and new defensive coordinator Paul Haynes should help Arkansas have a more aggressive defense. There will still be questions surrounding this team with Petrino out and Smith in, but the Razorbacks are still very confident and don't anticipate taking steps back. Having Alabama and LSU at home this year will play in the Hogs' favor as well.
• The Gators saw improvements on and off the field this spring and coach Will Muschamp is much happier now than he was a year ago. I think Florida is a little high on this list, but an improved offensive line and more confidence in Gainesville could go a long way for the Gators. While Muschamp was happy with the strides made on the field, he was even more pleased with the chemistry of his team. Players are stepping up as leaders and buying into the program more. Muschamp is in charge of a tougher team this fall, but will play his first two SEC games on the road this year.

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.

Does anybody really remember spring awards? They don’t hand out any hardware for what goes on in March and April.

Nonetheless, we’re still going to honor the highs and the lows of the spring in the SEC:

Best performance: How sharp was Arkansas quarterback Tyler Wilson this spring? The Hogs’ offensive coordinator, Paul Petrino, said if anybody had a better spring than Wilson, then he was Superman. In four major scrimmages, including Arkansas’ spring game, Wilson threw 16 touchdown passes and completed 75.5 percent of his passes. He threw for 467 yards and three touchdowns in the spring game on 31-of-41 passing, and 404 of those yards came in the first half.

Best performance by a true freshman: They’re churning out great running backs these days at Alabama. T.J. Yeldon looks like he’s going to be the next one. He was sensational in the Crimson Tide’s A-Day spring game with 179 rushing/receiving yards, including a 50-yard touchdown after catching a short pass, breaking a tackle and then outrunning everybody to the end zone. He certainly caught Nick Saban’s attention this spring. At 6-foot-2 and 216 pounds, Yeldon can run inside and outside. He catches the ball well, and as Saban noted, is one of those guys who can do everything.

Best explanation: Seven assistant coaches left Tennessee’s staff following last season, and coach Derek Dooley was still hiring replacements just a couple of weeks prior to the start of spring practice. While conceding that it was rare to lose that many assistant coaches in one year, Dooley wasn’t bemoaning the mass exodus. Rather, he said it was a “correction” and equated it to a company starting up and fixing all of the things you don’t get right in the beginning. Then again, maybe all those coaches bolting were doing a little fixing of their own. Dooley clearly needs to show progress in Year 3 if he’s going to be around for Year 4, and the coaches who left made lateral moves.

Best Evel Knievel impersonation: Even though Bobby Petrino’s motorcycle didn’t land at the bottom of Snake River Canyon, it did end up in a roadside ditch -- busting the lid wide open on Petrino’s affair with football staffer Jessica Dorrell. This was a relationship that Petrino wasn’t forthcoming about to Arkansas athletic director Jeff Long. Petrino lost a job that paid him $3.56 million a year. Arkansas lost its head coach, and we’ll find out this fall what all the Hogs might have lost as they attempt to break through in the Western Division race.

Best no-show: Duron Carter wins in a landslide. There have been more questions about this guy, and he’s yet to take a snap for Alabama. No wonder Nick Saban gets riled up every time he’s quizzed about Carter, who was suspended all spring and is obviously not Mr. Accountability in terms of doing everything he needs to do to be a part of Alabama’s team.

Best quote: Steve Spurrier is starting to sound more and more like Spurrier, circa 1996. When asked what he thought about the Georgia game moving from Week 2 to Week 6 this season, he cracked, “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.”

Best comeback: Back surgery curtailed what looked to be a promising season for Auburn defensive end Dee Ford last year. This spring, he was back as good as new and heads into the fall as one of Auburn’s starters at end along with Corey Lemonier. The Ford-Lemonier combo coming off the edge won’t be a lot of fun for opposing offensive tackles. Speaking of the offensive line, Missouri left tackle Elvis Fisher was granted a sixth year of eligibility and progressed faster than anybody thought he would this spring after tearing the patellar tendon in his left knee prior to last season.

Best spring awakening: LSU went into the spring looking for a middle linebacker, and junior Kevin Minter responded by playing some of the best football he’s played since arriving on campus, according to LSU defensive coordinator John Chavis. South Carolina defensive tackle Byron Jerideau also had a stellar spring and is big enough and athletic enough to wreak some serious havoc. The former junior college transfer didn’t have the impact the Gamecocks had hoped for his first two seasons, but could be poised for a big senior season. Spurrier quipped, “I told him, ‘I hope you’re going to be known for something besides hitting me with the Gatorade bucket after a big win.’ He’s the one who grabs the bucket first, to get his picture in the paper.”

Best position move: Malcolm Mitchell was Georgia’s best deep threat at receiver last season and one of the more impressive true freshmen in the league. But he spent his time at cornerback this spring and looked like a natural. That’s where he’ll play in the fall, although he’ll still get a few snaps on offense. The Bulldogs needed help at cornerback, and defensive coordinator Todd Grantham felt all along that Mitchell could be a difference-maker back there. The truth is that he’s a difference-maker anywhere you put him.

Best quarterback battle: Spring came and went without a few starting jobs being settled around the league, but it’s a dead heat at Florida between sophomores Jacoby Brissett and Jeff Driskel. Coach Will Muschamp feels like he can win with both players, which is a pretty good indication that both Brissett and Driskel will end up playing in the fall for the Gators. For the time being, Muschamp is content to let it play out this summer and on into preseason practice. Whoever emerges as the best leader over these next three months is going to end up winning the job.

Three Arkansas football players were arrested Saturday and charged with burglarizing dorm rooms.

University police arrested wide receivers Marquel Wade and Maudrecus Humphrey, and tight end Andrew Peterson after security video showed the players allegedly walked into rooms where items had been taken. The police report valued the stolen property, including computers and textbooks, at almost $5,000.

Arkansas coach John L. Smith indefinitely suspended the three:

"We have high standards for our student-athletes, and I expect them to conduct themselves appropriately. Poor conduct and misbehavior will not be tolerated and is not what we expect from the University of Arkansas football program."

The video that police viewed showed the three players walking the hallways, checking doors and entering rooms inside the dormitory. Police said a witness saw Peterson and Humphrey opening doors, and that another witness identified Peterson as having been in her room.

Some of the stolen items were recovered from a bookstore near campus and in Peterson's room. The report also said a store clerk identified the three as regularly selling used items.

Wade was charged with a felony count of burglary, while Humphrey and Peterson were both charged with nine felony counts of burglary.

Since March, six Arkansas players have been arrested, making 2012 even harder for the football program. Stack those arrests on top of Bobby Petrino's embarrassing exit, and this has been far from the start that Arkansas wanted.

Before the Petrino situation rocked the program, the Razorbacks were expected to be a team that contended for the SEC championship and maybe even the national championship. Since then, the road to multiple title for Arkansas seems to be a little muddier.

Saturday's arrests certainly don't help. Wade only caught eight passes for 62 yards in 2011, but the expectations are for him to be a major contributor in the passing game, especially with the departure of receivers Joe Adams, Greg Childs and Jarius Wright. Wade was also dynamic in the return game, averaging 25.6 yards per kickoff return and returning one kick 85 yards for a touchdown.

Smith was brought in to make the transition to the season easier for players after Petrino's firing. The thought was that this team would be lost if an outsider was brought in, so athletic director Jeff Long went with a very familiar face in Smith, who spent the past three seasons as Arkansas' special teams coach.

This isn't exactly rallying around your new coach. It's having no regard for him or your team. This incident is something a new coach doesn't want to deal with and shouldn't have to deal with. Obviously, Smith will have to see how things play out legally, but losing a player like Wade could put a wrench in Arkansas' plans this fall.

So once again, this team is left trying to pick itself up after yet another boneheaded incident that's brought more embarrassment. Players will no doubt say the right things and scold the wrongdoers, but this act has to be tiring in Fayetteville.

If this team really wants to show that its success isn't going to be all about the coach, it has to make sure the players are more focused going forward. Six arrests doesn't mean players have gotten out of hand, but it isn't a great number to have on your spring résumé. They also stand as more distractions.

And Arkansas doesn't need anymore distractions going forward.

For a few thousand dollars, you could own a piece of controversial Arkansas football history.

The website Copart.com is selling the motorcycle that former Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino wrecked on April 1. That was the day that started the firestorm that eventually led to athletic director Jeff Long firing Petrino after the coach withheld information about an affair that he carried on with a football employee he hired, Jessica Dorrell. Dorrell was with Petrino when he wrecked.

According to Arkansassports360.com, it was confirmed Wednesday morning that the motorcycle, which is named "Hawg Wild" and has a current bid price of more than $3,000, is the one from Petrino's crash. The closing bid date is set for May 30.

The website's report also said that the motorcycle is being sold on behalf of an insurance company.

The listing says the motorcycle has a repair cost of $18,481 for front-end damage.

We all know the truth behind spring games. We know they aren't really games. We know that they are more of a dog and pony show.

Fans might say they're interested in seeing their respective defenses play well, but it's obvious that offense wins over fans. And there's nothing wrong with that. A 6-3 spring game is a real yawner. The last glorified practice/scrimmage of the spring should be about entertainment, not progress!

Well, the SEC announced the spring game totals from this year and it sounds like fans are still pretty interested in checking out these "games," as a total of 446,752 fans showed up for them this spring. That's an average of 31,989 a game.

Even with two more teams, the SEC still didn't break its record of 455,232 (37,936 average) set in 2009. Still, fans aren't really tiring of spring games.

While Alabama's numbers were down from last year's record of 92,310, the Crimson Tide led the SEC with 78,526 making it out for the Golden Flake A-Day Spring Game. That number was good enough for the fifth-largest in school history. Only Ohio State, which now has Urban Meyer at the helm, had more people this spring, with a nation-best 81,112.

The most impressive number had to be at Arkansas, though. Days after the whole Bobby Petrino scandal exploded, Razorback Nation came out in full force with a record crowd of 45,250. That ranked second in the SEC and fifth nationally. The Hog faithful had every reason to sit at home after the embarrassment its former coach brought to the program, but that didn't happen. Fans didn't penalize the players for a coach's follies, and for that, we salute you.

Auburn, Florida, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Tennessee and Texas A&M all dipped in attendance, while Georgia, Kentucky, LSU, Missouri, South Carolina and Vanderbilt saw improvement.

Here's a look at each SEC team's spring game attendance this year:

• Alabama: 78,526
• Arkansas: 45,250
• Auburn: 43,427
• Florida: 38,100
• Georgia: 44,117
• Kentucky: 4,500
• LSU: 33,000
• Ole Miss: 25,000
• Mississippi State: 22,604
• Missouri: 18,614
• South Carolina: 34,513
• Tennessee: 35,421
• Texas A&M: 15,000
• Vanderbilt: 8,500

The Sports Business Journal Daily also came out with a list of spring game attendance numbers around the country. Feel free to stack up SEC teams with the rest of those in college football.

John L. Smith has been a risk-taker his whole life whether he was jumping out of planes at 14,000 feet or running with the bulls in Spain.

But he doesn’t view his latest venture as a huge gamble, at least not in the realm of college football coaching.

He hates any hardship he has caused his alma mater, Weber State, by walking out four months after taking the job. But he simply couldn’t ignore the call of his former colleagues and players at Arkansas, who had been passionately recruiting him to come back and help keep a season of hope from dissipating into a plume of motorcycle exhaust.

“I doubt I would have come back had I not heard from those coaches and if those texts from players had not started rolling in,” Smith said. “I think it maybe hit some of the assistants prior to hitting me. They reached out and said, ‘Coach, get your butt back here.’”

And while only the 2012 season is guaranteed for Smith at Arkansas, the potential reward was well worth the risk.

Besides, he said there’s no such thing as absolute security in college football coaching.

“It’s no different than any coaching contract in America, so it’s not that big a gamble,” said Smith, who signed a 10-month deal. “You either produce or you get shown the door. That’s the way it is, and that’s the way it is in this profession.

“What’s different here than Nick Saban’s contract? If they want him out, they’re going to open the door for him, too.”

The door Smith hopes to open for the Hogs is one they’ve been knocking on the past two years.

They won 11 games last season, finishing No. 5 nationally, and played in their first-ever BCS bowl game in 2010. But they’re also just 1-5 against Western Division heavyweights Alabama and LSU the past three seasons.

They get both teams in Fayetteville in 2012.

“We are a good football team. Now, we’re going to have to accept the challenge to become a great football team,” Smith said. “Maybe it’s a break here or there. Maybe it’s our ability to stay healthy.

“We’re going to need some help along the way, and we’re going to have to produce some breaks for ourselves. But it’s not unreasonable to think that we can win a national championship.”

Smith, who has 18 years of experience as a head coach, is confident the system is already in place at Arkansas. The same goes for the talent.

His role over these next several months is making sure it all meshes together.

“I’m going to be a different guy than Bobby [Petrino] because that’s what I am,” Smith said. “I’m going to rely on the assistants and going to delegate to the assistants and demand that they follow through with the delegation.”

Smith has been hammered in the national media for leaving Weber State high and dry. But he said nobody advised him against returning to Arkansas.

“Not a soul, although it’s not like I went out and took a poll,” Smith cracked.

He didn’t need to. His big boss, wife Diana, told him he’d be crazy not to jump on this opportunity at this juncture in his career.

“The one person who told me to do it is the one I listen to,” Smith said.

The real gamble would have been not heeding her advice.

John L. Smith might not have given his introductory press conference as Arkansas’ interim coach Tuesday without stern advice from his wife, Diana.

“She said, ‘Here’s the deal. You’re going back to people that love you and back to a team that is a good football team and you have a chance to fight for a national championship,’" Smith said. “She said, ‘You’ve done this your entire life and this might be the only chance you have left.’ So she said, ‘You’re going back!’ And here I am.”

The man known for his offseason skydiving endeavors and running with the bulls in Pamplona actually needed a little extra push.

So after struggling with the decision to leave Weber State, his alma mater, just four months after accepting the head-coaching job, Smith, 63, decided to get in touch with Arkansas athletic director Jeff Long shortly after Long fired Bobby Petrino on April 10. From there, it was a match made in 10-month heaven.

“Today, I firmly believe we’ve hired a coach that will serve in the best interest of our student-athletes and the university, both in the upcoming season and in helping us shape the long-term future of our program,” Long said just before he introduced Smith. “There’s no question it’s the best decision for this team, for the 2012 season.”

And that’s exactly what Smith is in Fayetteville for -- this team.

Long made it clear that this hire was made on an interim basis because it will create a better time frame for “attracting candidates we would expect for one of the nation’s premier college football head-coaching positions.”

Arkansas brought in Smith, who coached special teams for the Razorbacks for the past three years and has worked with eight Arkansas assistants, in order to keep this team together. This was a very comfortable hire for Long, and it showed with just how comfortable Smith was when he referred to stud running back Knile Davis as “Ka-Nile” at his presser.

You don’t intentionally botch a star’s name without having some clout.

This hire was made to keep from losing this team if an outsider arrived. This hire was made to bring a familiar face to a team that didn’t want change to interfere with all the talent it had.

This hire was made to win now and worry about the future along the way.

“Our expectations here are still the same,” Smith said. “Nothing’s going to slow down. In fact, we’re going to speed up. Our expectations are that were going to go ahead and we’re going to battle and we’re going to fight for a national title.

“Let’s make it a special year.”

Smith will look to make it a special year by avoiding much change. He isn’t looking to completely take over Arkansas’ program. He’ll have veto power, but as he put it, he’ll let his “coordinators coordinate.”

He’ll work with the defense and special teams, but he’ll let offensive coordinator Paul Petrino and the other offensive coaches do their jobs without much interference.

No need to get in the way of a team filled with offensive fun and Heisman Trophy candidates like Davis and quarterback Tyler Wilson.

Smith sees himself as “a mentor,” “an adviser,” and “a minor decision-maker.

“I have all the confidence in the world in what’s going to take place and I know these coaches,” he said. “… We have good coaches and I’m not going to goof them up.”

Smith’s 40 years of coaching experience, including 18 as a head coach, were certainly factors in Long’s decision, but the fact that Smith is familiar and knows what will be expected in such a short amount of time was exactly what Long wanted and felt his program needed.

However, there is uncertainty. Most of lies in what will happen in 2013. It doesn’t sound like Long is looking at Smith as a long-term option, but Smith didn’t rule out that he might throw his hat in the ring if he succeeds this fall. But recruits will likely be a little stumped as well.

What exactly will coaches tell recruits? Will any of the coaches on this current staff be there next year? What will change if/when another coach comes in?

There isn’t much Smith or any of his coaches can say, but Smith assures he’ll sell the school, the program and the coaches, all in that order.

“We’re going to do everything that we can do to sell every guy that we think can play -- every player out there -- to come out, take a look at this institution,” Smith said. “… This is a top-10 program. Program, not individual. So that’s the way that we’re going to approach it.”

And a winning season should definitely help. There’s no question about it, but the first sign of danger could turn recruits off, making things rather awkward. Things could also get awkward if this experiment doesn’t work. Not getting to 10 wins could reek of failure because Smith was brought in to win now -- not in 11 months.

There certainly is risk in this hire, but players and administrators are convinced this was the right decision, so they hope those around them will jump on board. Smith made it clear that this program can't proceed further without its fans, like the record 45,250 who showed up for the spring game.

“We just have to continue on,” he said. “Let’s get more excited. Let’s lock it up together and trudge on. We have to make it a special season. We have to embrace the adversity -- I said we’re going to be better because of it -- and we’re moving on.

“Fans, come on out.”

Oh, they will … ready for wins.

Not surprisingly, former Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino supported the hiring of his longtime mentor, John L. Smith, to come in and coach the Hogs for the 2012 season.

Petrino and Smith coached together at four different stops, and Petrino brought Smith to Arkansas in 2009 to coach special teams and outside linebackers.

Petrino's statement, which was released through his agent, Russ Campbell, read:

"I think Jeff Long made a great hire. While there were several outstanding internal candidates, John L. brings a lot of head coaching experience to the table that will help Arkansas transition. He will unify the staff, the team and the Razorback fan base. I wish Coach Smith, his staff and the Arkansas football team the very best."

The Arkansas players pledged solidarity two weeks ago when their head coach, Bobby Petrino, was sent packing.

Their message to Hog fans everywhere was that they would stay the course.

That’s essentially what Arkansas athletic director Jeff Long did Monday in bringing back Petrino mentor and former Arkansas assistant John L. Smith to see the Hogs through the 2012 season.

It might not be a big splash nationally. Then again, who does make a big-splash hire in late April in college football?

More importantly, the Hogs weren’t looking to make a splash. They were looking for stability, and that’s what the 63-year-old Smith brings to an Arkansas program that seemingly has most of the pieces in place to break through and win its first SEC championship next season.

Smith knows the Arkansas program. He knows the players. He knows this staff. He knows what needs to happen if the Hogs are going to indeed make a run next season.

Petrino brought Smith aboard in 2009 to oversee special teams and coach outside linebackers. But Smith was much more than just an assistant coach to Petrino, who had previously worked with Smith at Louisville, Utah State and Idaho.

Petrino used Smith as a sounding board for an assortment of things, and Smith was never one to hold back.

It’s also noteworthy to remember that Smith approached Arkansas about this gig. Yes, he will have his detractors about leaving Weber State high and dry, but he also viewed this as his last chance to do something really special in coaching.

He doesn’t need a crash course when it comes to the Hogs’ personnel. He’s also worked with eight of the nine coaches on the staff, and there won’t be any transition this preseason in terms of putting in new offensive or defensive systems.

Smith is smart enough to realize that he has a veteran staff in place, and he’s going to let his coaches coach.

Sure, he’ll be the one making the big decisions. He’ll decide when it’s time to gamble on fourth down, and he’ll make the final call on personnel issues.

But he’s not going to tinker just to be tinkering, and because of that, the collective sigh you heard coming out of the Arkansas locker room late Monday afternoon reverberated throughout the SEC.

There’s a reason star running back Knile Davis tweeted, “The happiest day of my life.”

The Hogs’ players didn’t want change. They didn’t want an outsider coming in and tearing up the staff and putting in a new system they’d have to learn in one preseason camp.

They wanted this staff to remain intact, and they wanted one of their own to be put in charge.

Even though Smith had been gone for a few months, he qualifies as one of their own.

He was right there with Tyler Wilson, Tenarius Wright and Davis as they fought to push this program out of mediocrity and into the national limelight the past three years.

Like the players on this team, Smith has a lot invested in making Arkansas football more than just a temporary resident of the SEC’s penthouse.

Plus, you know he has to be hungry for one more shot after the way his last head-coaching stint ended. He was fired at Michigan State following the 2006 season. That’s after being named Big Ten Coach of the Year his first season in East Lansing. The Spartans were 8-5 that 2003 season, but Smith never won more than five games in any of his next three and he was ousted after going 22-26 in four seasons.

Smith had some talented teams at both Michigan State and Louisville, but it’s hard to imagine either of those teams being more talented than the one he’ll put on the field this fall, especially on offense.

At Michigan State, Smith was renowned for his emotional outbursts. His halftime meltdown in the 2005 Ohio State game was epic. As he stormed off the field, Smith fumed, “The kids are playing their tails off and the coaches are screwing it up.”

Never boring, Smith has climbed a 19,340-foot peak on Mount Kilimanjaro. He’s skydived from a Cessna at 14,000 feet, and he’s run with the bulls in Pamplona, Spain.

But now comes the challenge he’s been waiting on his entire life.

Rescuing this coming football season and bringing an SEC and/or national championship to Arkansas would reduce all those other feats to mere footnotes, and in the process, make that ill-fated motorcycle ride back on April 1 seem like a bad dream.

My favorite moment of the John L. Smith era at Weber State -- all 4½ months of it -- was the crock pot full of alma mater nonsense he served during his introductory news conference.

It was passionate. It was poignant. And as it turned out, it was crap.

"No. 1, I've always had a place in my heart for Weber State," said Smith that December day in Ogden, Utah. "You do that naturally. That's your school, that's where you graduated from, so that fondness, that love is always with you. And again, to come back to run your own program as a head coach again is crucial for me. This hopefully can serve as an opportunity for me to give back something to the university."

Smith gave something back to Weber State. It's called a kick to the groin.

For the rest of Gene Wojciechowski's column, click here.