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Kevin Scarbinsky of AL.com recently suggested that an NFL roster comprised exclusively of Alabama and LSU players wouldn’t be a terrible idea.

As he points out, according to a listing on ESPN.com, there are 49 players from LSU in the NFL and 41 players from Alabama.

In reading that piece, I couldn’t help but think back to a conversation I had with former Alabama offensive line coach Joe Pendry just prior to the first Alabama-LSU game in 2011. Pendry retired following the 2010 season and had served as offensive coordinator for both the Carolina Panthers and Houston Texans in the NFL before joining Nick Saban at Alabama.

Realizing how much talent would be on the field that night at Bryant-Denny Stadium, especially on defense, I jokingly asked Pendry how anybody would score.

He estimated that somewhere around 18 to 20 of the 22 defensive starters would end up playing in the NFL.

Looking back, he was dead on.

Of the 22 defensive starters that night, 16 were selected in the NFL draft. Six other defensive players who played in the game were also drafted. That’s a total of 22 players. Two other players that went undrafted spent last season on NFL practice squads.

We’re talking high-round draft picks, too. Of the 22 who were drafted, 14 went in the top three rounds.

Moreover, as many as seven other defensive players from that game who are still in school are likely to be drafted in either 2014 or 2015. Among them: Linebackers Adrian Hubbard, C.J. Mosley and Trey DePriest and safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix of Alabama and tackles Anthony Johnson and Ego Ferguson and safety Craig Loston of LSU.

So, the final tally of defensive players from that game (some played on special teams) who were either drafted or have spent some time on an NFL roster will likely end up being 30-plus.

No wonder those two teams played eight quarters that year, and only one touchdown was scored between them.

Here’s a rundown of the draft picks from that game on defense:

ALABAMA

• S Mark Barron (1^st)
• CB Dre Kirkpatrick (1^st)
• LB Dont'a Hightower (1^st)
• CB Dee Milliner (1^st)
• LB Courtney Upshaw (2^nd)
• LB Nico Johnson (4^th)
• NG Josh Chapman (5^th)
• DE Quinton Dial (5^th)
• CB DeQuan Menzie (5^th)
• NG Jesse Williams (5^th)

LSU

• DT Michael Brockers (1^st)
• CB Morris Claiborne (1^st)
• DE Barkevious Mingo (1^st)
• S Eric Reid (1^st)
• LB Kevin Minter (2^nd)
• DT Bennie Logan (3^rd)
• CB Tyrann Mathieu (3^rd)
• DE Sam Montgomery (3^rd)
• S Brandon Taylor (3^rd)
• CB Ron Brooks (4^th)
• DE Lavar Edwards (5^th)
• CB Tharold Simon (5^th)

LSU's football team was due a quiet offseason, especially given how turbulent the last two have been.

But this one hasn't started off too well.

Leading rusher Jeremy Hill was arrested early Saturday morning and charged with simple battery following an incident at Reggie's, a bar near the LSU campus. He was jailed briefly and released after posting a $500 bond, according to booking records. Hill is accused of punching a 20-year-old man and was caught on video, according to police. A second attacker is still being sought after the victim said he lost consciousness.

LSU coach Les Miles was in New York City attending the NFL draft and has yet to comment. He dealt with the Tyrann Mathieu situation last summer when Mathieu was dismissed from the team after failing multiple drug tests. And then two years ago, there was the August bar brawl involving starting quarterback Jordan Jefferson that led to Jefferson being suspended for the first part of the season.

The Tigers had a school-record nine players taken in this year's NFL draft, but one of those, cornerback Tharold Simon, was arrested in his hometown two nights before he was drafted in the fifth round for public intimidation of a police officer, resisting an officer, a noise violation and obstruction of a roadway.

In Hill's case, being involved in an incident at a bar is not a huge deal in itself. It happens all the time with college students.

But his past potentially makes it a very big deal. If he's convicted, he could be in violation of his probation from pleading guilty to carnal knowledge of a juvenile in January of 2011. Hill originally signed with LSU in 2011, but didn't attend LSU that year after being arrested on charges of oral sexual battery involving a 14-year-old girl. He eventually pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of carnal knowledge of a juvenile and accepted a six-month suspended sentence with supervised probation for two years.

You've seen Mel Kiper Jr.'s second-round mock draft so we thought we'd throw another one at you before tonight's festivities begin. This time, we're taking a look at Scouts Inc.'s predictions for the second round.

Kiper had eight SEC players projected to go in the second around, while Scouts Inc. has nine, including former LSU cornerback Tyrann Mathieu.

Here's a look at Scouts Inc.'s second-round predictions for SEC players:

No. 34: Justin Hunter, WR, Tennessee (San Francisco 49ers)

No. 37: Eddie Lacy, RB, Alabama (Cincinnati Bengals)

No. 43: Damontre Moore, DE, Texas A&M (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

No. 45: John Jenkins, DT, Georgia (San Diego Chargers)

No. 48: D.J. Swearinger, S, South Carolina (Pittsburgh Steelers)

No. 49: Kevin Minter, ILB, LSU (New York Giants)

No. 51: Johnthan Banks, CB, Mississippi State (Washington Redskins)

No. 53: Tyrann Mathieu, CB, LSU (Cincinnati Bengals)

No. 61: Jesse Williams, DT, Alabama (San Francisco 49ers)

Former LSU cornerback Tyrann Mathieu is disputing a USA Today Sports report that has a quote attributed to him from an unnamed NFL assistant coach about failed drug tests.

The assistant coach told USA Today that Mathieu was asked how many drug tests he failed in college and that he replied that he "quit counting at 10."

Mathieu contacted LSU Friday and disputed the report:

"It is irresponsible and shows a lack of integrity for anyone to disclose medical information regardless of how it was gathered. I would expect that conversations regarding my drug testing history during the course of my medical treatment would be private. LSU has a strong drug testing program and LSU went to great lengths to help me in my treatment and recovery. I understand that many people enjoy reading about the negative side of sports, but to publish those second-hand comments without being given a chance to address that comment prior to the publication of the article is irresponsible."

This could also be quite an ordeal for LSU if Mathieu did in fact fail more than 10 drug tests. LSU athletic director Joe Alleva acted quickly and defended LSU's substance abuse program:

"LSU has a strong substance abuse program that tries to identify and assist in the treatment and long term recovery process of drug use and abuse, and it is a program we would put up against any in the country. Once a substance abuse problem is identified, LSU is diligent in tracking those individuals over extended periods of time with frequent testing and engages them in meaningful opportunities for support through counseling and substance abuse treatment."

Mathieu's history of substance abuse has NFL teams apprehensive about drafting him, but he did sound sincere at February's NFL combine when he talked about about how he had changed his lifestyle through rehab. However, this certainly isn't something Mathieu needed a week before the NFL draft. Whether it's true or not, some NFL teams could still be concerned about the prospects of drafting Mathieu.

We are getting even closer to this month's NFL draft, so get ready for yet another mock draft.

This time, ESPN NFL draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. is at it again, but has added a second-round mock as well in his Mock Draft 4.0 . Kiper projects that 21 former SEC players will be taken within the first two rounds, including what would be a record 13 in the first round.

Eleven players were drafted out of the SEC in the 2007 draft, and the record for the most taken from one conference in the first round belongs to the ACC, which had 12 taken in 2006.

Texas A&M offensive tackle Luke Joeckel is still projected to be taken No. 1 overall by the Kansas City Chiefs.

Here's a look at where Kiper has SEC players in the first two rounds:

FIRST ROUND

No. 1: Luke Joeckel, OT, Texas A&M (Kansas City Chiefs)
No. 3: Sharrif Floyd, DT, Florida (Oakland Raiders)
No. 5: Dee Milliner, CB, Alabama (Detroit Lions)
No. 9: Barkevious Mingo, DE, LSU (New York Jets)
No. 10: Chance Warmack, OG, Alabama (Tennessee Titans)
No. 12: D.J. Fluker, OT, Alabama (Miami Dolphins)
No. 14: Sheldon Richardson, DT, Missouri (Carolina Panthers)
No. 15: Jarvis Jones, OLB, Georgia (New Orleans Saints)
No. 21: Alec Ogletree, ILB, Georgia (Cincinnati Bengals)
No. 23: Cordarrelle Patterson, WR, Tennessee (Minnesota Vikings)
No. 25: Kevin Minter, ILB, LSU (Minnesota Vikings)
No. 26: Eddie Lacy, RB, Alabama (Green Bay Packers)
No. 29: Justin Hunter, WR, Tennessee (New England Patriots)

SECOND ROUND

No. 34: Matt Elam, S, Florida (San Francisco 49ers)
No. 44: D.J. Swearinger, S, South Carolina (Carolina Panthers)
No. 48: Cornelius Washington, OLB, Georgia (Pittsburgh Steelers)
No. 50: Jesse Williams, DT, Alabama (Chicago Bears)
No. 53: Johnthan Banks, CB, Mississippi State (Cincinnati Bengals)
No. 57: John Jenkins, DT, Georgia (Houston Texans)
No. 58: Damontre Moore, DE, Texas A&M (Denver Broncos)
No. 59: Tyrann Mathieu, CB, LSU (New England Patriots)

• Alabama leads the way with five players projected to go within the first two rounds.
• Moore has really seen his draft stock fall since his dismal showing at the NFL combine in February. He went from a top-five pick to out of the first round. Now, he's projected to go 58th to the Broncos. LSU defensive end Sam Montgomery, who was viewed as a first-round pick before last season, has also seen his stock plummet.
• Swearinger is rising up the draft charts. His impressive workouts this spring and keen field instinct make him a very attractive prospect to teams looking for a ball hawk in the second round. While Swearinger is moving upward, LSU safety Eric Reid is falling. Another projected first-rounder before last season, Kiper doesn't even have him in the first two rounds, despite a solid workout at the combine.
• Mathieu looked to have played himself out of the first couple of rounds because of his off-field issues, but after impressing scouts this spring, he's back in the good graces of the draft. He might not be an every-down cover corner, but there's no denying Mathieu's athleticism and game-changing ability.

Our Thursday stroll around the SEC:

• Auburn is putting the mental scars of 2012 behind and moving forward under Gus Malzahn.
• Auburn's Kris Frost is ready to fly.
• Texas A&M's Johnny Manziel is up to 210 pounds.
• Deion Belue embraces the leadership role in Alabama's secondary.
• Tennessee's Butch Jones agrees to speak at an in-state event to counter Nick Saban's appearance in the state of Tennessee a few days later.
• The grind of spring practice is both frustrating and fulfilling for Kentucky, writes John Clay of The Lexington Herald-Leader.
• Ole Miss' D.T. Shackelford is "ready to roll" after a two-year absence from football.
• Mississippi State puts on the pads.
• Arkansas offensive coordinator Jim Chaney meets the media.
• Former LSU star Tyrann Mathieu hit bottom twice before rebounding, writes Glenn Guilbeau of Gannett Louisiana News.
• Florida coach Will Muschamp breaks down the Gators' spring so far.
• Georgia's Ray Drew laughs off "bust" talk.

DawgNation
From David Ching : Cornelius Washington had a relatively quiet senior season at Georgia, but after a star turn at the NFL combine, the defensive end is making the most of his soaring draft stock.

More from Ching : With 10 starters returning, it was no surprise to see the defense dominating during Georgia’s first scrimmage of the spring.

GatorNation
From Michael DiRocco: Trip Thurman’s injury is the latest malady to befall Florida’s offensive line and suddenly the Gators are facing some big problems this spring.

GeauxTigerNation
From Gary Laney: With 28 participants, headlined by Tyrann Mathieu and Barkevious Mingo, LSU's pro day is a must-watch event.

More from Laney : 2015 CB Xavier Lewis might have had a rough day at Sunday's National Underclassmen 5-star Challenge, but he's not letting that slow down a recruitment that has several SEC schools, including LSU, showing interest

TideNation
From Alex Scarborough: Football is a copycat game, and with all their success, nobody is being imitated more than the Crimson Tide.

Tuesday brought us the final day of the NFL combine and even more speed, as defensive backs showcased their stuff in Indianapolis.

Alabama cornerback Dee Milliner arrived at the combine as the top-rated defensive back in this year's NFL draft, but had an up-and-down day. He had an impressive official 40-yard dash time of 4.37 seconds, which was the second-fastest 40 time of the day, but he struggled during drills -- dropping a handful of balls. Milliner also had a 36-inch vertical jump and a 122-inch broad jump. He's probably still the top-rated corner in this year's draft with his 40 time and it doesn't sound like his field drills will knock him out of that top spot.

Mississippi State cornerback Darius Slay made some good noise as well after he won the 40 battle, sporting a time of 4.36. That sort of time will certainly help his draft stock, especially after his name was buried a bit heading into the combine. He also had 14 reps of the 225-pound bench press, registered a 35.5-inch vertical and claimed 124 inches in the broad jump.

While Slay helped himself in Indy, teammate Johnthan Banks didn't. He might have won the Thorpe Award, as the nation's best defensive back, but Banks didn't have a good day at the combine. He ran an unflattering 4.61 in the 40 and struggled during field work. He had just 10 bench reps, but sported a 34-inch vertical and a 125-inch broad jump. Banks will have a chance to make up for Tuesday at Mississippi State's pro day.

When it came to showcasing some real strength, Georgia safety Shawn Williams topped all SEC defensive backs with his 25 bench reps. That number ranked third among defensive backs at the combine. He was also one of the fastest safeties out there with his 4.46 in the 40. He also had a 36-inch vertical. Williams really helped himself out with all that strength and speed he showed.

LSU safety Eric Reid also impressed when it came to speed and strength. He tied for the best vertical jump of the day with a height of 40.5 inches and he also tied for the top broad jump (134 inches). Reid also ran a 4.53 40 and did 17 reps on bench.

Florida safety Matt Elam had a big drop in field drills, but he turned some heads with his 4.54 40 time and he was able to get 17 reps on the bench. The 5-foot-10 Elam also registered a 35.5-inch vertical.

The other big story of the day revolved around the performance of former LSU cornerback Tyrann Mathieu. A lot of questions surrounded the Honey Badger, who was dismissed from LSU's team before the 2012 season, but he looked like he was in pretty good shape during Tuesday's workouts. While he tied for last with just four reps on bench, Mathieu was very impressive during field drills, showed good speed with his 4.50 in the 40, and registered a 34-inch vertical and a 117-inch broad jump.

Mathieu might have a lot of past off-field issues, but there's no doubt that he's a ballplayer, and Tuesday certainly helped him as far as the draft is concerned.

You can read about all the defensive back performances during the final day of the combine here.

The SEC leads the way with 79 players invited to the 2013 NFL combine.

LSU has 13 players on that list, which includes cornerback Tyrann Mathieu, and that ties the Tigers with Florida State for the most nationally. A year ago, the SEC sent 52 players to the NFL combine.

The only SEC school not sending anybody to the NFL combine this year is Ole Miss.

The combine runs Feb. 20-26 at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Here's a team-by-team breakdown in the SEC:

LSU (13)

• DE Lavar Edwards
• OT Chris Faulk
• RB Michael Ford
• DL Bennie Logan
• OL P.J. Lonergan
• CB Tyrann Mathieu
• DE Barkevious Mingo
• LB Kevin Minter
• DE Sam Montgomery
• S Eric Reid
• CB Tharold Simon
• RB Spencer Ware
• P Brad Wing

GEORGIA (11)

• WR Marlon Brown
• CB Sanders Commings
• DT Kwame Geathers
• DT John Jenkins
• DL Abry Jones
• LB Jarvis Jones
• WR Tavarres King
• LB Alec Ogletree
• S Bacarri Rambo
• LB Cornelius Washington
• S Shawn Williams

ALABAMA (10)

• DL Quinton Dial
• OT D.J. Fluker
• LB Nico Johnson
• OL Barrett Jones
• RB Eddie Lacy
• S Robert Lester
• CB Dee Milliner
• DL Damion Square
• OL Chance Warmack
• DL Jesse Williams

FLORIDA (10)

• LB Jon Bostic
• S Matt Elam
• DB Josh Evans
• DT Sharrif Floyd
• RB Mike Gillislee
• LB Jelani Jenkins
• LB Lerentee McCray
• OT Xavier Nixon
• TE Jordan Reed
• PK Caleb Sturgis

SOUTH CAROLINA (7)

• TE Justice Cunningham
• LB DeVonte Holloman
• OL T.J. Johnson
• RB Marcus Lattimore
• WR Ace Sanders
• S D.J. Swearinger
• DE Devin Taylor

ARKANSAS (6)

• OL Alvin Bailey
• P Dylan Breeding
• RB Knile Davis
• TE Chris Gragg
• WR Cobi Hamilton
• QB Tyler Wilson

TEXAS A&M (6)

• OT Luke Joeckel
• RB Christine Michael
• DL Damontre Moore
• LB Sean Porter
• LB Jonathan Stewart
• WR Ryan Swope

TENNESSEE (5)

• QB Tyler Bray
• WR Justin Hunter
• WR Cordarrelle Patterson
• TE Mychal Rivera
• OL Dallas Thomas

AUBURN (3)

• DE Corey Lemonier
• TE Philip Lutzenkirchen
• RB Onterio McCalebb

MISSISSIPPI STATE (3)

• CB Johnthan Banks
• DL Josh Boyd
• CB Darius Slay

MISSOURI (3)

• LB Zaviar Gooden
• WR T.J. Moe
• DL Sheldon Richardson

KENTUCKY (1)

• OL Larry Warford

VANDERBILT (1)

• RB Zac Stacy

Checking on what's making news around the SEC:

• Florida hires defensive line coach Brad Lawing away from South Carolina.
• Looking closer at Georgia's recruiting board.
• Former Georgia running back Ken Malcome is headed to Southern Illinois.
• Tennessee's 2012 signing class has dwindled, but those who've remained could have a big role.
• Missouri lands a commitment from defensive tackle Josh Augusta of Peoria, Ill. Augusta is ranked as the No. 16 defensive tackle prospect in the country by ESPN.
• Reuben Foster talks about his official visit to Alabama and schedules his final official for Auburn.
• Bret Bielema's staff brings accolades to Arkansas.
• Lance Thompson is glad to be back home at Alabama.
• Joker Phillips has every right to try and lure top Kentucky recruit Ryan Timmons to Florida, writes Mark Story of The Lexington Herald-Leader.
• Brandon Marcello of The Jackson Clarion-Ledger has a wide-ranging interview with Mississippi State athletic director Scott Stricklin.
• Former LSU star Tyrann Mathieu says he's looking forward to being a "football player."
• Mathieu wishes he could have been on the field for those final minutes against Alabama.

Les Miles isn’t sweating the mass exodus, so maybe everybody in Tigerland shouldn’t be sweating the 10 underclassmen leaving early for the NFL draft.

That number swells to 11 if you count Tyrann Mathieu, but Mathieu didn’t play this past season for LSU after being dismissed and had no chance of returning in 2013.

To put LSU’s 10 early NFL draft entrants into perspective, the entire SEC had 11 in 2012.

Then again, the SEC saw that number climb to 33 this year.

And, yes, there were a number of head-scratchers. That's always the case.

Players leave early for all sorts of reasons. Most of the time, they’re simply ready to take their shot at the NFL. Sometimes, they land in the doghouse and really don’t have much choice. Others listen to the wrong people and get bad advice.

There’s a reason LSU has been one of the elite programs in college football the past few years. The Tigers have recruited and developed players about as well as anyone.

The sobering reality for everybody else in the SEC is that nobody has done it as well as Alabama, and the Tigers and Crimson Tide just happen to reside in the same division.

So it’s understandable that fans on all sides would see 10 underclassmen leaving early in one year and wonder if LSU was about to hit one of those embankments that all elite programs fear. The cyclical nature of college football, particularly in the SEC, is a fact of life.

The other obvious question: Is there something amiss in LSU’s program right now that’s driving players away? After all, we hear constantly how players love playing for Miles, but we don’t see a lot of those guys hanging around for another chance at that coveted crystal trophy.

Those guys do exist, although they’re getting rarer.

AJ McCarron and C.J. Mosley chose to stay at Alabama for another season. So did Jake Matthews at Texas A&M, Aaron Murray at Georgia and Jordan Matthews at Vanderbilt.

In LSU’s case, most of the guys who are leaving already knew coming into this past season that this would likely be their farewell.

Go back to that star-studded 2009 signing class by LSU that was ranked No. 1 in the country by ESPN. Six of the players leaving early were in that class -- defensive ends Sam Montgomery and Barkevious Mingo, defensive tackle Bennie Logan, linebacker Kevin Minter, offensive tackle Chris Faulk and running back Michael Ford.

All six of those players redshirted their first season, meaning this was their fourth year in the program.

Mingo and Montgomery are both projected as top-20 picks, while Minter and Logan both have a chance to slip into the latter part of the first round.

Ford probably saw the writing on the wall with the emergence of Jeremy Hill at running back this season, and Faulk had already missed most of this past season with an injury. He wasn’t willing to risk coming back to school and being injured again.

That 2009 signing class also included cornerback Morris Claiborne, defensive tackle Michael Brockers and receiver Rueben Randle, all of whom left early last year and were taken in the first two rounds. Claiborne and Brockers were both top-15 picks.

The Tigers’ 2010 signing class was ranked No. 8 nationally and included safety Eric Reid, cornerback Tharold Simon, running back Spencer Ware, not to mention Mathieu.

It was pretty much a given prior to this season that Reid was coming out. He’s rated as one of the top safeties in the draft. Simon has all the measurables and will probably help himself in workouts, while Ware had seen his role on LSU’s team reduced ever since his suspension in 2011 after reportedly testing positive for synthetic marijuana.

Even for a program that rakes in the talent the way LSU does, losing 10 players early in one year is bound to have an effect. The Tigers will be forced to depend on a lot of young players next season, and several others will have to step up their roles considerably.

Miles has built a strong enough foundation that LSU isn’t going to all of a sudden drop off the radar. But losing so many good players at once will make it that much more difficult to climb out from under Alabama’s growing shadow, and that’s not what anybody wants to hear on the Bayou.

Miles knows how the game works, though, and he also knows that it’s never a bad thing to be sending so many players to the NFL, or at least in the direction of the NFL. When you're recruiting in the waters that LSU does, the overriding question that just about every one of those recruits has is: How can you help me get to the NFL?

“I like the state of the program,” Miles told The Baton Rouge Advocate. “I like the fact that we send guys to the NFL early and recruit guys with the potential to go to the NFL early.”

Something says that cycle's not going to end any time soon at LSU and that the Tigers aren't going to lose their membership in college football's upper class.

The deadline for underclassmen to declare for the NFL draft is today.

Unofficially, 32 SEC underclassmen -- counting former LSU cornerback Tyrann Mathieu -- have filed paperwork to enter April’s draft. The NFL will put out an official list later this week.

How does that number compare to last year? It nearly triples the 12 underclassmen in the SEC who left early to enter the 2012 NFL draft. Of the 12 who came out early last year, seven went in the first round and two others in the second round.

Here’s a school-by-school rundown of the SEC underclassmen who’ve declared early for the draft this year:

ALABAMA

• OT D.J. Fluker
• RB Eddie Lacy
• CB Dee Milliner

ARKANSAS

• OG Alvin Bailey
• RB Knile Davis

AUBURN

• DE Corey Lemonier

FLORIDA

• S Matt Elam
• DT Sharrif Floyd
• LB Jelani Jenkins
• TE Jordan Reed

GEORGIA

• DT Kwame Geathers
• OLB Jarvis Jones
• LB Alec Ogletree

LSU

• OT Chris Faulk
• RB Michael Ford
• DT Bennie Logan
• CB Tyrann Mathieu
• DE Barkevious Mingo
• LB Kevin Minter
• DE Sam Montgomery
• S Eric Reid
• CB Tharold Simon
• RB Spencer Ware
• P Brad Wing

MISSOURI

• DT Sheldon Richardson

SOUTH CAROLINA

• RB Marcus Lattimore

TENNESSEE

• QB Tyler Bray
• WR Justin Hunter
• WR Cordarrelle Patterson
• DE Darrington Sentimore

TEXAS A&M

• OT Luke Joeckel
• DE Damontre Moore

Below are some of the players in the SEC who considered a jump to the NFL, but elected to stay in school for their senior seasons:

• DE Dominique Easley, Florida
• OLB Adrian Hubbard, Alabama
• OG Gabe Jackson, Mississippi State
• OT Ja'Wuan James, Tennessee
• S Craig Loston, LSU
• OT Jake Matthews, Texas A&M
• WR Jordan Matthews, Vanderbilt
• QB AJ McCarron, Alabama
• DT Daniel McCullers, Tennessee
• LB C.J. Mosley, Alabama
• QB Aaron Murray, Georgia
• WR Ace Sanders, South Carolina

Tyrann Mathieu talks with Joe Schad about missing this season, abusing himself and his use of marijuana.

Another day passes, and the SEC coaching drama continues.

According to a report by AL.com, Auburn interviewed Louisville coach Charlie Strong this week to fill its head coaching vacancy. The report also stated that the "conversation took place in the last two days with someone representing Auburn."

Strong, who has gone 23-15 in three seasons at Louisville, including 9-2 this season, denied the report. With a win against Rutgers on Thursday, Louisville can win a share of the Big East title.

Auburn is searching for a new head coach after Gene Chizik was fired following a 3-9 season.

Strong certainly isn't a stranger to the SEC. He has 20 years of experience in the league as an assistant. He was South Carolina's defensive coordinator from 1999-2001, and served as Florida's defensive coordinator from 2003-2009.

Strong has also proved to be a tremendous recruiter in the southeast, especially in South Florida. With Strong's SEC experience and the recruiting success he's had in SEC territory, it seemed inevitable that he'd be linked to at least one of the SEC openings.

Manziel up for Walter Camp award

The accolades just keep coming for Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel. The redshirt freshman is college football's new Heisman front-runner and is now one of five finalists for the Walter Camp player of the year award.

Manziel is second in the SEC with 3,419 passing yards, and has tossed 24 touchdowns to eight interceptions. He also leads the SEC with 1,181 rushing yards and 19 rushing touchdowns. His 4,600 yards of total offense is a new SEC record.

The other finalists for the award are Kansas State quarterback Collin Klein, Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o, USC wide receiver Marqise Lee and Oregon running back Kenjon Barner.

Honey Badger going pro

Former LSU cornerback Tyrann Mathieu has decided to enter April's NFL draft, according to a source close to Mathieu.

Mathieu, also known as the Honey Badger for his ravenous playmaking ability, was a Heisman trophy finalist last season, but was dismissed from LSU's football team over the summer for reportedly failing a drug test. He later entered a drug rehabilitation center in Houston before returning to LSU as a student.

His plan was to eventually work his way back onto LSU's football team, but his arrest last month for possession of marijuana all but ended that goal.

Now it's clear that the Honey Badger's college football days are officially over.

Checking out the SEC links on a Friday.

• Athlon Sports takes a look at 12 statistical highlights from the Alabama-LSU game.
• Alabama's offensive line continues to collect accolades and stir the debate.
• Situational splits tell big stories in the Alabama-LSU game.
• Texas Tech coach Tommy Tuberville talks about how to win at a place like Arkansas.
• Joel Erickson of AL.com writes that Auburn should have gone to Jonathan Wallace at quarterback earlier.
• Undefeated Florida teams have fared well after first losses.
• Georgia safety Bacarri Rambo is returning to last year's form.
• Kentucky wide receiver J.D. Harmon is a receiver in defensive back's clothing.
• LSU quarterback Zach Mettenberger has a big fan in the Alabama camp.
• Former LSU cornerback Tyrann Mathieu speaks to a Florida high school football team.
• Mississippi State defensive coordinator Chris Wilson and Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin renew old rivalry this weekend.
• Missouri running back Kendial Lawrence gives the Tigers a different look on offense.
• Ole Miss and Georgia are playing the confidence game this Saturday.
• Tennessee cornerbacks coach Derrick Ansley is facing his alma mater this weekend when the Vols take on Troy.
• Texas A&M wide receiver Ryan Swope helps set the tone for the Aggies.