ESPN College Football

Inspired by Florida's "#ComePlayWRFortheJoker" campaign, our recruiting writers looked at other ways schools can sell themselves on the trail. Here's a look at recruiting pitches for the SEC:

Alabama Crimson Tide
What they are selling: What's not to sell? Alabama is coming off back-to-back national championships, and the Crimson Tide had nine players taken in April's NFL draft, including three in the first round. For the critics who say you won't play early at UA, ask T.J. Yeldon and Amari Cooper how much they contributed as freshmen.

What they are missing: Although they won a national championship, the Tide didn't generate much pass rush last fall, and they had trouble containing freshman sensation Johnny Manziel. Also, they need to rebuild the offensive line, a unit that anchored the offense last year.

Arkansas Razorbacks
What they are selling: New head coach Bret Bielema runs a completely different offensive system than the previous two Arkansas coaches. The Razorbacks are selling an opportunity for freshmen to come in and earn playing time early in their careers.

What they are missing: The Razorbacks signed only one offensive lineman, Denver Kirkland, who was rated a four-star prospect or higher last year. In this run-heavy system, look for Arkansas to focus on landing talented players along the offensive line.

Auburn Tigers
What they are selling: It's a new regime for Auburn, but there's a familiar face running the show. New head coach Gus Malzahn knows the program from his days as offensive coordinator. He's already shown the ability to recruit, stealing ESPN 150 linebacker Tre Williams away from the Tide. There's a sense of excitement on The Plains again.

What they are missing: Malzahn filled out his first recruiting class with playmakers, but Auburn needs to build up front on the offensive and defensive lines. No matter what offense you run, if you want to win in the SEC, you need to be able to compete up in the trenches.

Florida Gators
What they are selling: With no proven wide receivers on the perimeter, Florida is attempting to sell early playing time at the position. A chance to play for one of the best defensive minds in college football in Will Muschamp is another selling point to defensive prospects.

What they are missing: Production on offense. After finishing 114th nationally in passing offense, it will be hard to sell playing time to wide receivers without an explosive passing game in place.

Georgia Bulldogs
What they are selling: Freshmen, if they're good enough, play early at Georgia. From running backs Todd Gurley and Keith Marshall to offensive tackle John Theus to defensive end Jordan Jenkins, several freshmen Bulldogs made major contributions on a team that was a few yards away from making the national championship game.

What they are missing: Georgia has brought in four top-12 recruiting classes in the last four years. Depth might become an issue for some recruits, but Georgia has certainly shown a willingness to play younger players.

Kentucky Wildcats
What they are selling: After finishing 2-10, Kentucky fired coach Joker Phillips. New head coach Mark Stoops is offering a fresh start and a chance to help build Kentucky in to a contender in the SEC East.

What they are missing: Plain and simple -- tradition. Sure, Kentucky is full of basketball tradition, but the success on the hardwood completely overshadows the football program. A record 50,831 fans attended the Wildcats' spring game, so the interest level is certainly headed in the right direction.

LSU Tigers
What they are selling: An unprecedented 10 underclassmen declared for the NFL draft. LSU is selling the opportunity, not only for early playing time because of the departures, but a chance to make it to the NFL in three years.

What they are missing: Because of all the departures, there are some holes on both sides of the ball. Depth is now an issue at running back and LSU will need to replace Eric Reid, Kevin Minter, defensive ends Sam Montgomery and Barkevious Mingo, defensive tackle Bennie Logan and linebacker Kevin Minter.

Ole Miss Rebels
What they are selling: Ole Miss landed the No. 5-ranked class in the country, including No. 1 overall player Robert Nkemdiche and No. 1 offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil. Look for Ole Miss to sell recruits on the opportunity to help build something special under head coach Hugh Freeze.

What they are missing: Freeze brought a creative and innovative offense to the SEC, but the defense is still a work in progress. Ole Miss finished 12th in the SEC in pass defense and will need to continue to build depth in order to compete for the SEC West championship.

Mississippi State Bulldogs
What they are selling: Only 11 of 22 starters return for a team that finished 8-5 last year. The Bulldogs offer recruits a chance to play early and play in the best division in college football.

What they are missing: Mississippi State returns its starting quarterback Tyler Russell, but who will he be throwing to? Last year's four leading receivers, including Chad Bumphis, are gone. Look for the Bulldogs to focus on offensive weapons in this recruiting class.

Missouri Tigers
What they are selling: The Tigers return 14 of 22 starters on a team that went 5-7 in its first year in the SEC East. Missouri runs a fun and innovative offense that is sure to attract recruits, and there is certainly an opportunity to play early.

What they are missing: The defensive line is probably the most critical area on any defense in the SEC, and the Tigers lost their best lineman in Sheldon Richardson. Mizzou must find a viable replacement for Richardson and linebackers Zaviar Gooden and Will Ebner.

South Carolina Gamecocks
What they are selling: The Gamecocks have been dominant on defense over the last few years, and a strong line is a big part of their success. South Carolina is selling an opportunity to be the next Jadeveon Clowney and be a part of one of the top defenses in the SEC.

What they are missing: Hard to believe, but head coach Steve Spurrier needs help at wide receiver. The Gamecocks signed only one wide receiver in their 2013 class. They have young bodies, but not much depth or production from the returning group.

Tennessee Volunteers
What they are selling: A fresh start under new head coach Butch Jones. Since 2011, Tennessee has finished with the No. 13, 21 and 29 recruiting classes in the country. There plenty of holes to fill, and any incoming freshman will have plenty of opportunities to earn a starting spot.

What they are missing: Tennessee lost wide receivers Justin Hunter and Cordarrelle Patterson to the NFL draft and must replace their production on the outside. The Volunteers are also thin in the secondary and will look to recruiting to plug some key holes on defense.

Texas A&M Aggies
What they are selling: There is a lot to sell a recruit on at Texas A&M right now. An explosive offense which led the SEC in total offense by more than 100 yards a game, Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel and a team that went into Tuscaloosa and handed Alabama its only loss last season.

What they are missing: There are still some holes to fill on defense. The Aggies finished with the No. 8-ranked defense in the SEC and the No. 10-ranked pass defense in the league. They also need to replace talented defensive end Damontre Moore, who is now in the NFL.

Vanderbilt Commodores
What they are selling: Head coach James Franklin has taken Vanderbilt to a bowl in two consecutive years, and the Commodores are bringing in a solid recruiting class. Selling recruits on an opportunity to play at Vanderbilt during one of the best eras in the school's football history is enticing to high school recruits.

What they are missing: Vanderbilt is not yet on par with other SEC schools as far as facilities. The Commodores, though, are certainly headed in the right direction. A new indoor practice facility is being constructed, and stadium renovations are in the planning stages.

The team I wanted to see face Alabama last season in the BCS National Championship was Oregon. It's the matchup the entire country wanted to see.

No offense, Notre Dame fans, but seeing that high-octane Oregon offense go up against Alabama's defense would have made for much better theater than what we ended up getting in South Florida in January.

Wouldn't it be great if you could play college football matchmaker and turn some of these dream match-ups into realities during the season?

We've come up with five such matchups and want you to select which one would be the most attractive by voting in our SportsNation poll.

Alabama versus Oregon is one of the choices. Who knows? Maybe we'll finally get to see the Ducks and Tide square off in the final BCS National Championship before we go to a playoff in 2014.

Think Florida versus Ohio State would stir a few emotions with Urban Meyer taking on his old team? It would be the battle of Meyer's two dream jobs. Come to think of it, is it possible to have two dream jobs? In Meyer's world, you can.

I realize that Texas athletic director DeLoss Dodds, in all of his arrogance, said recently that Texas gets to decide when Texas and Texas A&M play again. Ask anybody in that state, and it can't be soon enough. Surely we'll see those two old rivals playing again sooner rather than later.

Here's one for you: South Carolina and Steve Spurrier going up against Lane Kiffin and the West Coast version of USC. Spurrier's not the biggest Kiffin fan. Then again, who in the SEC is? Something says the buildup to that game could be as entertaining as the game itself.

Finally, LSU and Notre Dame played 10 times between 1970 and 2006 and are all knotted up, 5-5. It's time to break the tie. Talk about two of the best fight songs in all of college sports and two programs steeped in tradition.

Well, you have the rundown. Tell us which matchup you'd most like to see, and we'll go over results next week.

He was known as "Danny Wonderful" to the Florida fans, and his career with the Gators was nothing short of wonderful.

Quarterback Danny Wuerffel, who won the 1996 Heisman Trophy and holds the SEC career record with 114 touchdown passes, was selected Tuesday as part of the 2013 College Football Hall of Fame class.

Kentucky end Steve Meilinger, nominated by the Veterans Committee, will also go into the College Football Hall of Fame as part of the 2013 class. Meilinger, who played for Bear Bryant at Kentucky, was a first-team All-American in 1952 and 1953.

Wuerffel finished his career with 10,875 passing yards (fifth all-time in the SEC) and led the Gators to the 1996 national championship. He was equally accomplished in the classroom and was chosen as the 1995 and 1996 Verizon Academic All-American of the Year. He also received the Draddy Trophy as a senior as the nation's premier scholar-athlete, becoming the only Heisman Trophy recipient in history to receive the Draddy Trophy.

During Wuerffel's four years as Florida's quarterback, the Gators won the SEC championship all four seasons from 1993-96. He threw 74 touchdown passes his last two seasons in Steve Spurrier's Fun 'n' Gun offense, which revolutionized the SEC.

It's no secret that Spurrier can be hard on his quarterbacks. But good luck in trying to get the Head Ball Coach to say anything that's not glowing about Wuerffel, who's as good a guy as he was a passer in college.

Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley said it best in telling The Gainesville Sun's Robbie Andreu, "He is one of the best ever to put on a Gator uniform and will be always remembered as such. He will be remembered just as much, if not more, for the type of individual he is. He is truly a great person."

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Jeff Driskel is entering his second season as Florida’s starting quarterback, and that comes with expectations.

The bar was set somewhat low in 2012, because Driskel and Jacoby Brissett were sophomores who had seen minimal playing time in 2011 -- and neither was very good when they did get on the field. Driskel did have some very good moments in his first season as a starter, but he also had some terrible ones, too.

Now that Driskel has had a year in coordinator Brent Pease’s system, has improved his ability to read coverages and change the pass protections when needed, and the left side of the offensive line has been upgraded, Driskel should be better. That’s what UF coach Will Muschamp is hoping, anyway.

If the past is an accurate indicator, then Driskel will be. Most of UF’s recent quarterbacks were better in their second season as a starter than they were in their first season. Here’s a look:

Shane Matthews

1990: Completed 239 of 328 passes (60.6 percent) for 2,962 yards with 23 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He was a consensus All-SEC first-team pick and was the league’s player of the year after posting four of the top 10 single-game passing totals in SEC history.

1991: Completed 218 of 361 passes (60.4 percent) for 3,130 yards with 28 touchdowns and 18 interceptions. He was a consensus All-SEC first-team pick and was the league’s Player of the Year again -- becoming just the fifth player in SEC history to earn that honor twice. He set 14 school and five SEC records.

Matthews was certainly better in his second season, which was also coach Steve Spurrier’s second season in Gainesville. Spurrier and Matthews shredded the SEC and established the Gators as a program that would annually compete for the national championship.

Danny Wuerffel

1993: Completed 159 of 273 passes (58.2 percent) for 2,230 yards and 22 touchdowns with 10 interceptions. The 22 touchdowns were an NCAA freshman record. He threw for at least three touchdowns in four of his seven starts and set a school record by throwing for at least three touchdowns in four consecutive starts.

1994: Completed 132 of 212 (62.3 percent) passes for 1,734 yards and 18 touchdowns with nine interceptions. He had a streak of 67 consecutive passes without an interception and led UF to the second of their four consecutive SEC titles. He set three Sugar Bowl records, tied another and set two UF bowl game records in the Gators’ loss to FSU.

Wuerffel split time each season with Terry Dean but was the Gators’ leading passer both years. The experience he gained turned out to be invaluable and set the state for his monster seasons in 1995 and 1996, which ended with him winning the Heisman Trophy and the Gators winning the school’s first national championship.

Rex Grossman

2000: Completed 131 of 212 passes (61.8 percent) for 1,866 yards and 21 touchdowns with seven interceptions. Grossman rotated with Jesse Palmer and Brock Berlin early in the season but eventually won the starting job and started eight games as a redshirt freshman, earning Freshman All-American honors. Grossman was the first freshman to win SEC Championship Game MVP honors.

2001: Completed 259 of 395 passes (65.6 percent) for 3,896 yards and 34 touchdowns with 12 interceptions. The 3,896 yards is still a school single-season record and is second on the SEC’s single-season list. Grossman finished second in the Heisman Trophy balloting and was a first-team All-American and The Associated Press’ Offensive Player of the Year.

Grossman’s second season as the starter was one of the best in SEC history. He should have won the Heisman Trophy in 2001 and certainly would have been the favorite to win it in 2002 had Spurrier not left for the NFL's Washington Redskins.

Chris Leak

2003: Completed 190 of 320 passes (59.4 percent) for 2,435 yards and 16 touchdowns with 11 interceptions. After rotating with Gavin Dickey and Ingle Martin in the season’s first four games, Leak was given the starting job and led the Gators to a 21-20 come-from-behind victory over Kentucky.

2004: Completed 238 of 399 passes (59.4 percent) for 3,197 yards and 29 touchdowns with 12 interceptions. Leak averaged 277 yards per game in the last seven games of the season. He threw six touchdown passes against South Carolina, which tied Wuerffel’s school record for most touchdown passes in an SEC game.

Leak had more success in his second season as a starter, which came in Larry Fedora’s first and only season as the Gators’ offensive coordinator. Ed Zaunbrecher was the coordinator in 2002-03. Leak and UF’s offense struggled in 2005 in the transition to Urban Meyer’s spread-option offense, but he led the Gators to the 2006 national title.

Tim Tebow

2007: Completed 234 of 317 passes (68.5 percent) for 3,132 yards and 32 touchdowns with six interceptions and ran for 895 yards and 23 touchdowns. Tebow was the first sophomore to win the Heisman Trophy. He also claimed the Maxwell and Davey O’Brien awards, was The Associated Press’ Offensive Player of the Year, and was a consensus first-team All-American. He became the first player in NCAA history to rush and pass for at least 20 touchdowns.

2008: Completed 192 of 298 passes (64.4 percent) for 2,746 yards and 30 touchdowns with four interceptions and ran for 673 yards and 12 touchdowns. Tebow was a Heisman finalist and won the Maxwell and Manning awards. He also repeated as The Associated Press Offensive Player of the Year. He had a school-record streak of 230 consecutive passes without an interception.

Tebow’s first year as a starter is hard to top, but he came pretty darn close in his second season to equaling what he did in 2007. More importantly, Tebow led the Gators to the program’s third national title in 2008. Tebow will go down as one of the greatest players in college football history. When his career finished, he either tied or owned five NCAA, 13 SEC and 27 school records.

John Brantley

2010: Completed 200 of 329 passes (60.8 percent) for 2,062 yards and nine touchdowns with 10 interceptions. Brantley started every game, but rotated at times with Trey Burton and Jordan Reed.

2011: Completed 144 of 240 passes (60.0 percent) for 2,044 yards and 11 touchdowns with seven interceptions. Brantley suffered an ankle injury against Alabama and missed the next two games. He also left the FSU game with a concussion.

Brantley’s numbers were roughly the same in 2011 as they were in 2010, but in fewer games. Brantley had different head coaches and offensive coordinators in successive seasons, plus he didn’t have anything close to the same weapons around him that the previous quarterbacks did.

South Carolina Gamecocks

2012 record: 11-2
2012 conference record: 6-2 (third, Eastern Division)
Returning starters: Offense: 7; Defense: 5; kicker/punter: 1

Top returners

QB Connor Shaw, QB Dylan Thompson, RB Mike Davis, WR Bruce Ellington, OT Brandon Shell, DE Jadeveon Clowney, DT Kelcy Quarles, CB Victor Hampton, CB Jimmy Legree

Key losses

RB Marcus Lattimore, WR Ace Sanders, C T.J. Johnson, DE Delvin Taylor, LB Shaq Wilson, LB Reginald Bowens, Spur DeVonte Holloman, S D.J. Swearinger

2012 statistical leaders (*returners)

Rushing: Marcus Lattimore (662 yards)
Passing: Connor Shaw* (1,956 yards)
Receiving: Bruce Ellington* (600 yards)
Tackles: Shaq Wilson (86)
Sacks: Jadeveon Clowney* (13)
Interceptions: Jimmy Legree* and DeVonte Holloman (3)

Spring answers

1. Lattimore’s replacement: It wasn’t going to be easy to replace Marcus Lattimore at the running back spot, but rising sophomore Mike Davis did a heck of a job showing that he has what it takes to be the No. 1 guy at that spot this fall. He left the spring as the starter and during his limited time in the spring game he rushed for 40 yards on two carries, including a 25-yard touchdown. He has all the talent to be a big-time back.

2. Good problem at QB: With Connor Shaw out this spring because of foot surgery, Dylan Thompson took more steps forward in his development. Coach Steve Spurrier has made it clear that there isn’t a quarterback controversy, and that Shaw is the starter, but he has a good problem on his hands with two very quality quarterbacks on his roster. Thompson prepared like the starter this fall and should be more than ready if Shaw goes down again this fall.

3. Clowney’s focus: With “The Hit” taking the world by storm and all of that Heisman hype bombarding South Carolina’s best player, Jadeveon Clowney took everything in stride. He didn’t flinch and talked more about the improvements he’d like to make before fall practice arrives. Clowney is a man on a mission this year (he also might be faster) and he took the proper steps this spring to make sure he's still on track to accomplish his goals for 2013.

Fall questions

1. Receiving help: Ace Sanders’ surprising exit left no seniors at receiver and a big hole to fill. Bruce Ellington is back, which certainly helps, but he’ll need assistance this fall. Rising sophomore Shaq Roland arrived with a ton of hype last year, but didn’t live up to his billing. He made good strides this spring, but he’ll still have to prove himself all over again this fall. The coaches are also hoping Damiere Byrd can turn into a consistent deep threat. Throw in Nick Jones and a couple more youngsters and there are bodies to work with but not a lot of experience.

2. Finding that Spur: Losing DaVonte Holloman was a big hit to this defense. The hybrid linebacker/safety spot is a big piece to what the Gamecocks do on this side of the ball, and defensive coordinator Lorenzo Ward doesn’t have a ton of confidence in the position right now. Junior Sharrod Golightly and redshirt freshman Jordan Diggs battled for the spot this spring, with Golightly having a slight lead heading into the offseason. He’s primarily played special teams at South Carolina.

3. New faces at LB/DB: The Gamecocks will have a lot of new faces to work with at linebacker and in the secondary. They have to replace their entire two-deep at linebacker along with D.J. Swearinger and Akeem Auguste in the secondary. Cornerback Victor Hampton looked like a potential first-round pick at times to coaches this summer and linebackers Kaiwan Lewis and Kelvin Rainey made good strides, but both are learning and there should be growing pains this fall from both positions.

TGIF! Now get that fancy Kentucky Derby attire ready!

• Athlon Sports lists the top 50 running backs during the BCS era.
• Jon Solomon of Al.com takes a look at what sort of content the new SEC Network will have.
• Alabama coach Nick Saban talks new SEC Network and his support for a nine-game conference schedule.
• Auburn president Jay Gogue is "disappointed" in negative reports about Auburn, but he's satisfied with his school's response.
• Florida coach Will Muschamp is pleased with Jeff Driskel's offseason progress.
• Georgia coach Mark Richt and athletic director Greg McGarity say that the new SEC Network will help on the recruiting trail.
• LSU athletic director Joe Alleva says playing in Houston is a priority for the Tigers.
• Athlon Sports wonders if Missouri will get back to a bowl game in 2013.
• Jared McGriff-Culver, who was often overlooked as Missouri's fullback, gets a chance with the Oakland Raiders.
• Here's a look at Ole Miss' defensive ends after spring.
• South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier renews his call to pay college athletes.
• Big offensive lineman Orlando "Zeus" Brown from Suwanee, Ga., commits to Tennessee.
• Texas A&M continues to reap the benefits of its move to the SEC.

Quite the NFL draft for the SEC ...

• Athlon Sports ranks 25 SEC running backs for 2013.
• LSU is in discussions to play Wisconsin in football.
• At 68, South Carolina's Steve Spurrier is still in the game because of family and success.
• AJ McCarron and Johnny Manziel are competitors on the field, but are friends off of it.
• Tennessee's Butch Jones is having a lot of success getting highly ranked commitments in 2013.
• Former Florida linebacker Lerentee McCray is out to prove himself with the Denver Broncos.
• The Cincinnati Bengals like Georgia's "no-nonsense" guys.
• Former Arkansas running back Knile Davis is ready to run in Kansas City.
• A recruiting pipeline to Ohio is key to Kentucky football.
• Texas A&M kicker Taylor Bertolet should have more fun as a sophomore.
• Zac Stacy finds a perfect fit with the St. Louis Rams.
• Aaron Brenner of the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer takes a look at what we learned about Auburn's defensive line, linebackers and defensive backs this spring.

South Carolina’s Steve Spurrier isn’t ready to proclaim Jadeveon Clowney as the Heisman Trophy front-runner in 2013, but it sounds like Clowney will have the Head Ball Coach’s support.

Spurrier, as the Heisman Trophy winner in 1966, gets a vote and said he had Clowney on his ballot last year. Clowney finished sixth.

“I generally vote for some player on my team,” Spurrier said. “I just feel like I should, so he got one of my votes last year.

“It’s hard for a defensive player to do a whole lot. He had the big hit against Michigan, and other than that, their offensive tackle blocked him pretty well. When you’ve got a couple of guys blocking one guy, it’s hard to take over a ballgame.”

LSU coach Les Miles said Wednesday it’s time to do away with permanent cross-divisional opponents in the SEC.

“A key piece for any conference is to allow equal access for any champion,” said Miles, who suggested that a computer should be utilized to select a rotation of two cross-divisional opponents for each team in the league.

Currently, everybody has one permanent cross-divisional opponent and one rotating cross-divisional opponent. LSU and Florida face each other every year as permanent opponents, and Miles said that hurts the Tigers.

For example, LSU faces Florida and Georgia from the East in 2013. Meanwhile, neither Alabama nor Texas A&M face Florida or Georgia next season.

South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier said if the SEC wants to be fair, it will do away with permanent cross-divisional foes. The Head Ball Coach didn’t stop there, either.

“Tennessee’s got Alabama, who’s been the best team the last three or four years, and that’s not fair for Tennessee to have to play those guys every year,” Spurrier said. “But I don’t know. Heck, that’s just sort of the way it is. The coaches … we don’t make the rules. We just try to coach our teams the best we can.

“Nobody said it’s supposed to be fair anyway. Have you ever heard any commissioner or anybody say it’s supposed to be fair? They’d make the recruiting rules more fair. Right now, it seems like the same team gets all the top players every year in recruiting. We just need to go play whoever they tell us to play and do the best we can, and things will work out hopefully.”

Florida coach Will Muschamp said he understands the arguments on both sides of the cross-divisional opponents issue, but would rather leave it up to SEC commissioner Mike Slive to make that decision.

Muschamp did say Florida would be opposed to any scheduling model that would include nine conference games, because the Gators face Florida State every year out of conference.

Alabama coach Nick Saban favors a plan that would allow a player to face every school in the league at least once during his career.

“I think it makes it more league-oriented to play more cross-divisional games,” Saban said.

How to go about doing that is the tricky part.

Saban said playing two cross-divisional foes every year and eliminating the permanent foe would be one way, but he also pointed out that going to nine conference games would also allow teams the opportunity to play more cross-divisional games. That way, the Alabama-Tennessee and Auburn-Georgia rivalries would survive on a yearly basis.

Arkansas’ Bret Bielema, who will be making his debut in the SEC next season after coming over from Wisconsin, leans to the side of status quo.

“I’m a big believer of if it’s not broke, don’t fix it,” Bielema said. “The SEC has won seven straight national championships, but the world in 2014 changes a little bit (with the playoff).”

My buddy at The Sporting News, Matt Hayes, has unveiled his annual ranking of all 125 FBS head coaches, and similar to the one Athlon Sports did a week ago, Alabama's Nick Saban is No. 1.

Big surprise, huh?

Hayes also has South Carolina's Steve Spurrier (and rightfully so) in the top 10 at No. 6. Spurrier is the second SEC coach on the list. Of particular note, Hayes predicts that Spurrier will break through and win an SEC championship at South Carolina. The Gamecocks have won 11 games each of the past two seasons, and I'm in the same boat as Hayes. I think there's a greater chance Spurrier will win an SEC title before he's finished at South Carolina than there is that he won't.

The third SEC coach on Hayes' list is LSU's Les Miles, who's No. 9 overall.

That's significantly higher than Miles was ranked by Athlon Sports, which had Miles No. 7 among SEC coaches.

Again, all this does is reinforce my argument that ranking head coaches is about as subjective as it gets. What matters most -- sheer results, coaching ability or recruiting and developing talent?

Below is a rundown of where Hayes has all 14 SEC head coaches in his rankings. Note that a pair of former SEC head coaches -- Ohio State's Urban Meyer and Western Kentucky's Bobby Petrino -- are both ranked highly. Meyer is No. 2 and Petrino No. 20. Another former SEC head coach, USC's Lane Kiffin, checks in at No. 43. Ten current SEC head coaches are ranked ahead of Kiffin, who's entering his fourth season at USC.

• No. 1 -- Nick Saban, Alabama
• No. 6 -- Steve Spurrier, South Carolina
• No. 9 -- Les Miles, LSU
• No. 12 -- Mark Richt, Georgia
• No. 15 -- Bret Bielema, Arkansas
• No. 18 -- Kevin Sumlin, Texas A&M
• No. 24 -- Will Muschamp, Florida
• No. 30 -- James Franklin, Vanderbilt
• No. 35 -- Butch Jones, Tennessee
• No. 37 -- Hugh Freeze, Ole Miss
• No. 52 -- Gary Pinkel, Missouri
• No. 55 -- Gus Malzahn, Auburn
• No. 61 -- Dan Mullen, Mississippi State
• No. 90 -- Mark Stoops, Kentucky

You could ask 20 different people to rank the best coaches in the SEC 1 through 14, and you might get 20 different lists.

It's hard to imagine that anyone wouldn't have Alabama's Nick Saban in the top spot. When you win three out of the last four national championships, you're doing a lot of things right. Even those fans who detest Alabama would have a hard time not putting Saban No. 1.

After that, it's a crap shoot, and the other thing to remember is that a coach ranked near the top right now could plummet two or three years from now. It changes in a hurry in this league.

Athlon Sports has ranked all 125 FBS head coaches, and Saban not surprisingly was No. 1. Ohio State's Urban Meyer was No. 2 and Kansas State's Bill Snyder No. 3.

There were five SEC head coaches in the top 20, which again isn't surprising.

What is surprising is that LSU's Les Miles wasn't one of them.

South Carolina's Steve Spurrier was the second SEC coach on the list at No. 5 overall. Georgia's Mark Richt was No. 11, Texas A&M's Kevin Sumlin No. 16 and Vanderbilt's James Franklin No. 17.

And where's Miles?

Try No. 24 nationally ... and seventh in the SEC.

Mississippi State's Dan Mullen was ranked just ahead of Miles at No. 23, and new Arkansas coach Bret Bielema was right behind Miles at No. 25.

Nobody's arguing that Miles isn't quirky and downright strange at times. There have been some well-documented clock management issues on his watch and the giant egg the Tigers laid offensively in the 2011 BCS National Championship Game.

But doesn't winning 11 or more games in five of your eight seasons in the toughest conference in the country count for something? One of the supposed knocks on Miles is that he has great talent. That's always been one of my favorites.

In the realm of college football, nothing is more important than acquiring talent and developing that talent.

Wimp Sanderson, the former Alabama basketball coach, used to always have a classic comeback any time somebody would try and temper his success with the argument that he always had great players.

"You oughta get you some because they sure make coaching a lot easier," Sanderson would say.

Some critics dismiss Miles' success by saying anyone could win big at a place like LSU with its resources, tradition and fertile recruiting grounds. Without a doubt, LSU is one of the top coaching jobs in all of college football. I'd also point out, however, that from 1989-99, the Tigers had just three winning seasons. Miles, by contrast, has won 10 or more in six of his eight seasons.

I wouldn't necessarily have Miles in my top 3 coaches in the SEC, but he'd certainly be in my top 5.

Here's a look at how Athlon Sports ranked the SEC head coaches:

1. Nick Saban, Alabama
2. Steve Spurrier, South Carolina
3. Mark Richt, Georgia
4. Kevin Sumlin, Texas A&M
5. James Franklin, Vanderbilt
6. Dan Mullen, Mississippi State
7. Les Miles, LSU
8. Bret Bielema, Arkansas
9. Hugh Freeze, Ole Miss
10. Will Muschamp, Florida
11. Butch Jones, Tennessee
12. Gary Pinkel, Missouri
13. Gus Malzahn, Auburn
14. Mark Stoops, Kentucky

Who's too high, and who's too low? Let us know, and we'll re-visit this topic later in the week.

Anish Shroff and Matt Stinchcomb recap South Carolina's spring football game.

Now that Barkevious Mingo and Sam Montgomery are both pointing toward NFL careers, LSU needs to find some more pass-rushers.

Junior Jermauria Rasco has been waiting his turn, and he showed Thursday during the Tigers’ second scrimmage of the spring that he has everything it takes to be a force off the edge. Rasco led the defense with three sacks in his best outing of the spring.

Two of his sacks came during the two-minute drill against the No. 1 offense. His final sack came in a fourth-and-long situation, and would have sealed the deal had it been a real game.

“Rasco had a nice day. He continues to improve with practice,” said LSU coach Les Miles, adding that safety Craig Loston also had a big scrimmage.

Offensively, Miles was disappointed with some of the sloppy mistakes, in particular bobbled snaps, penalties and cadence issues. The Tigers are breaking in a new center. Junior Elliott Porter and freshman Ethan Pocic are getting most of the snaps at center, but senior Josh Williford is also working some there.

“I can tell you this, in the next six practices, we’ll get a lot of center-quarterback exchanges,” said Miles, who said the burden fell on both the centers and quarterbacks.

Senior quarterback Zach Mettenberger again had solid passing numbers in the closed scrimmage. He finished 21-of-35 for 247 yards, a touchdown and an interception. LSU’s newest running back, Terrence Magee, had his second straight impressive scrimmage with 76 yards on seven carries, including an 11-yard touchdown run.

The Tigers like Magee’s speed. He played sparingly at receiver last season, but has shown this spring that he’s very comfortable catching the ball out of the backfield and gives them a speed option that will be important in Cam Cameron’s offense.

For more on LSU’s scrimmage, read here and here. The Tigers will be off next week for spring break. Their spring game is scheduled for April 20.

SOUTH CAROLINA

The Gamecocks ended their practice Thursday with a scrimmage that focused primarily on the younger players.

Freshman quarterback Connor Mitch was 9-of-11 for 78 yards and threw the game's only touchdown, a 5-yard pass to Shamier Jeffery -- the younger brother of former South Carolina star receiver Alshon Jeffery.

Coach Steve Spurrier wasn't thrilled with the way his offensive line played, and in vintage Spurrier fashion, delivered a few zingers. He got tired of seeing the defensive front-seven spending much of the scrimmage in the offensive backfield, although the Gamecocks' defensive line should be a load for anybody to block next season.

"The offensive line has got to learn how to block," Spurrier said. "They're pretty good at everything except blocking. Unfortunately, that's all we ask them to do. So, if we can block a little better, we'll be in good shape."

The Gamecocks' running game was limited to 36 yards on 20 carries. The top two running backs, Mike Davis and Brandon Wilds, only combined for five carries. Spurrier challenged right tackle Brandon Shell to take his game to another level next season. Shell started nine games last season as a redshirt fresman and earned Freshman All-America honors.

The South Carolina staff likes the progress sophomore receiver Shaq Roland has shown this spring. He caught three passes for 40 yards Thursday, and is getting better fundamentally after sort of being lost last season as a true freshman.

Defensively, coordinator Lorenzo Ward liked the way his guys ran to the ball and said he would again use his "Rabbits" package next season with ends Jadeveon Clowney and Chaz Sutton sliding inside on passing downs. Redshirt freshman Darius English and sophomore Mason Harris have worked as the ends in the "Rabbits" set, and Ward said Thursday that Harris looks quicker and faster than he did a year ago.

For more on South Carolina's scrimmage, read here and here.

OK, I know I didn’t cover all of the memorable SEC upsets from the last 30 to 35 years in my earlier post.

And, yes, I’ve already heard from some of you about those that weren’t included.

So as promised -- and hoping that there are a few more compelling upsets to come in the NCAA tournament -- below are several more upsets involving SEC teams that fans have either tried to keep alive all these years or do their best to forget.

I’ve also included non-conference games and bowl games in this batch, and they’re listed chronologically.

Texas A&M 29, Alabama 24 (2012): The Aggies were a 13-point underdog on the road against the No. 1 Crimson Tide, and Johnny Football delivered the performance that won him the Heisman Trophy.

South Carolina 35, Alabama 21 (2010): The No. 1 Crimson Tide had their 19-game winning streak snapped before a raucous crowd at Williams-Brice Stadium. Steve Spurrier said afterward that his Gamecocks played close to perfection on offense. Naturally, South Carolina lost the next week at Kentucky.

Jacksonville State 49, Ole Miss 48, 2 OTs (2010): Ole Miss, coming off a nine-win season, opened the 2010 season by blowing a 21-point halftime lead and losing at home to the FCS Gamecocks.

Vanderbilt 17, South Carolina 6 (2007): The Gamecocks debuted at No. 6 that week in the first BCS standings, but were stunned at home by the Commodores. It was one of two SEC wins that season for Vanderbilt.

Kentucky 43, LSU 37, 3 OTs (2007): Braxton Kelly's stop of Charles Scott on fourth-and-2 in the third overtime preserved Kentucky's biggest win in decades and sent the No. 1 Tigers packing even though they rebounded to win the national title that season.

Auburn 20, Florida 17 (2007): Wes Byrum kicked a 43-yard field goal as time expired to end an 11-game winning streak for the defending national champion Gators and hand Urban Meyer his first loss in the Swamp.

Vanderbilt 24, Georgia 22 (2006): Bryant Hahnfeldt kicked a 33-yard field goal with seven seconds left to cap a game-winning 65-yard drive for the Commodores, whose only other wins that season were over Duke, Tennessee State and Temple.

Mississippi State 38, Florida 31 (2004): It’s an upset Ron Zook remembers all too well. It cost him his job.

Auburn 23, Florida 20 (2001): The No. 1 Gators were a three-touchdown favorite and had won their first five games by a 244-45 margin. The unranked Tigers, though, sent Jordan-Hare Stadium into a frenzy when Damon Duval booted the game-winning 44-yard field goal with 10 seconds to play.

Mississippi State 47, Florida 35 (2000): The No. 3 Gators had their 72-game winning streak against unranked teams snapped in Starkville as the Bulldogs rolled up 351 yards on the ground.

Arkansas 28, Tennessee 24 (1999): The Vols were No. 3 and pointing toward a run at a second straight national title, but Clint Stoerner and the Hogs exacted revenge from the heartbreaking loss the year before in Knoxville when Stoerner stumbled and fumbled. When it was over, the Hogs’ fans tore down the goalposts and paraded them up and down Dickson Street.

Georgia 20, Auburn 16 (1986): It was a bitter home loss for the No. 8 Tigers and cost them a share of the SEC championship. It’s a game that’s probably best remembered for the water cannons at Jordan-Hare Stadium being turned onto the Georgia fans while they celebrated on the field after the game.

Miami (Ohio) 21, LSU 12 (1986): The eventual SEC-champion and Sugar Bowl-bound Tigers opened the season by taking down No. 7 Texas A&M and rose to No. 8 in the polls. The very next week, they were ambushed at home by Miami (Ohio).

Tennessee 38, Auburn 20 (1985): The Vols knocked eventual Heisman Trophy winner Bo Jackson out of the game and blistered the No. 1 Tigers in Knoxville behind four touchdown passes from Tony Robinson.

Georgia 10, Texas 9 (1984): The Bulldogs capped the 1983 season by upsetting No. 2 Texas in the Cotton Bowl and knocking the previously unbeaten Longhorns out of the national title picture. Vince Dooley said that Texas defense was one of the best he’s ever seen.

Tulane 31, LSU 28 (1982): It’s the last time Tulane has beaten LSU, which was ranked No. 7 entering the game and would go on to play in the Orange Bowl that season.

Georgia Tech 24, Alabama 21 (1981): This ranks right up there with some of the more improbable upsets in history involving SEC teams. Alabama was ranked No. 2, but managed to lose in Birmingham to a Georgia Tech team that finished 1-10 that season -- the lone win coming over the Tide.

It’s been Dylan Thompson's show this spring at quarterback for South Carolina, and he’s been the picture of consistency.

He’s making quick decisions, throwing the ball on time and throwing it where it’s supposed to go.

In short, he looks like a returning starter who’s been on the big stage in the SEC.

But anybody who thinks there’s a quarterback controversy brewing at South Carolina doesn’t really know Thompson, or Connor Shaw, for that matter.

Shaw, who’s out this spring while recovering from foot surgery, is 17-3 as the Gamecocks’ starter. And when Shaw has gone down with an injury, Thompson has always been there to deliver.

He filled in the whole way against Clemson last season when Shaw was sidelined and passed for 310 yards and three touchdowns in the 27-17 win over the Tigers. Shaw returned for the Outback Bowl, but was injured late. Thompson calmly trotted onto the field and threw the game-winning 32-yard touchdown pass to Bruce Ellington with 11 seconds to play.

In Steve Spurrier’s world, playing two quarterbacks isn’t a bad thing, especially when they’re both proven winners.

“They both deserve to play, and I’d say we’ll end up needing them both next season,” Spurrier said.

However it shakes out, Thompson said he and Shaw are both on the same page.

They just want to win.

“Me and Connor have a great relationship,” Thompson said. “We're different in the way we play the game and think a little bit differently, but we push each other. He's a great leader, and we're good friends. Sometimes it’s crazy how people try to make it into a controversy and twist it into something that it's not. I think it’s been awesome because we can learn from each other."

Even though Shaw hasn't been playing this spring, he's been there every step of the way.

“We talk about every play, the three of us along with (quarterbacks) coach (G.A.) Mangus, and what each of us sees," Thompson said. "We work together. That’s the way it is, and it’s been that way. Connor buys into the team, not who’s going to be the quarterback of the team, and I do, too.

“We just happen to play the same position.”

Shaw will be a senior next season, and Thompson will be a fourth-year junior. So there is some separation.

But the only future Thompson can see is 2013 and doing his part to get the Gamecocks back to the SEC championship game. Even though they’ve won 11 games each of the past two seasons, their only trip to Atlanta in school history came in 2010.

“I think we’re really close, and I also think going through that stretch we had last year (Georgia, at LSU and at Florida) taught us a lot about the kind of mental toughness it takes to win a championship in this league,” Thompson said. “You can’t look at it as having to get through several games in a row. If you do, with the teams you play in this league, it will drive you crazy. It really is one game at a time.”

Spurrier has been impressed with Thompson’s ability to see and pick up on things at the line of scrimmage. That’s been a big emphasis this offseason and spring.

Thompson, who's more of a pocket passer than Shaw, can already tell a huge difference from where he was a year ago at this time.

“That’s what is so great about playing for coach Spurrier and coach Mangus, having an answer for every single defense and every single blitz you see,” Thompson said. “I feel like I’m getting there. But until I get to the point where I can say, ‘OK, here’s the protection and here’s the play,’ and know from natural instincts what to do, then I’m not there yet.

“That’s where I want to be by the end of the spring.”