News and Tidbits: Alabama football, basketball and other SEC drama

Check out the latest news and tidbits on Alabama football and basketball, Tide NFL players, Ole Miss sanctions and other SEC drama.

In an unfortunate off week for Alabama football, there is still plenty to interest Crimson Tide fans. Alabama football waits while Alabama basketball rolls. Elsewhere in the SEC, there is an abundance of drama.

The coaching carousel continues for Arkansas, Texas A&M and Tennessee. The Aggies appear to be close to pulling in Jimbo Fisher, the Hogs appear to be waiting on Gus. Tennessee appears to have no clue how to hire a coach.

Ole Miss has a new coach and Friday morning the NCAA case conclusion from the multi-year investigation into Ole Miss football will go public.

Ole Miss and NCAA Penalties

There will be no parties in The Grove Friday morning. Some insiders believe the Ole Miss decision to elevate interim coach Matt Luke indicates an expectation of additional, strong NCAA sanctions. The final penalties will be made public Friday morning. The NCAA charged Ole Miss with 21 football violations, 15 of which were Level I, meaning most serious infractions.

The most potentially debilitative claim in the long and protracted case was the testimony by Mississippi State player Leo Lewis. ESPN’s Mark Schlabach reported on the Lewis allegations,

"Mississippi State linebacker Leo Lewis, who told NCAA investigators that he received between $13,000 and $15,600 from an Ole Miss booster while the Rebels were recruiting him."

Ole Miss has already self-imposed a loss of 11 scholarships and forfeited about $8 million in SEC revenue, plus a 2017 bowl ban. Outside Oxford, MS no one believes the self-imposed penalties will satisfy the NCAA.

ICYMI: Ole Miss really does not want to pay the Fiddler

No one wants to coach Tennessee

So many coaches have passed on the Vols job we have lost count. For the next couple of decades, this saga will be a case study taught in Sports Management classrooms on how not to hire a coach. The once great Tennessee Vols, college football brand has been so tarnished, a full recovery is in doubt.

Al.com writer, Michael Casagrande summed it up with this tweet.

Will Kevin Sumlin turn down the Vols? If he does, do the Vols turn to Les Miles? We don’t know the answers and it appears no one in Knoxville does either.

Gene Stallings has the answer for the CFB Playoff

Tide 102.9, Ryan Fowler had a great interview with Gene Stallings this week. Click on the link for a full listen. Stallings is one of a few beloved elder statesmen in the world of college football. When asked to comment on how the committee makes Playoff decisions, Stallings spoke bluntly.

In summary, the Stallings’ strongly stated proposal to improve the CFB Playoff selection system is to fundamentally change the committee members. Stalling does not believe college Presidents and AD’s should serve on the committee. He also doesn’t believe former coaches who are not in the College Football Hall of Fame or did not win a national championship should be on the committee.

Stallings spoke highly of former committee member Tom Osborne but his comments no doubt were disturbing to current committee members and former coaches, Bobby Johnson, Frank Beamer, Tyrone Willingham and Jeff Bower.

Former Tiders tearing up the NFL

NFL followers cannot keep from noticing the dominant play of former Alabama football players in the NFL.

ICYMI: NFL Blitz and Julio Jones

Strong arguments can be made that former Tiders Julio Jones and Landon Collins are the best at their position in the NFL. In addition, Mark Ingram is having a great year in New Orleans. This week, Reuben Foster, whose play before November was limited by an injury, was named the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Month for November. On Nov. 5th, against Arizona, Foster made 14 tackles.

A Way-Too-Early Basketball RPI

Admittedly, RPI numbers are misleading until the number of games played reaches the teens. Around 15-18 games, RPI starts to have a large enough sample to start becoming accurate. Until then it is still fun to follow.

Current RPI’s for Alabama basketball and its out-of-conference opponents, based on live-rpi.com,

• Alabama – No. 4
• Rhode Island – No. 11
• Louisana Tech – No. 21
• UT Arlington – No. 26
• Minnesota – No. 49
• UCF – No. 55
• Lipscomb – No. 68
• Mercer – No. 70
• Memphis – No. 90
• BYU – No. 91
• Texas – No. 113
• Oklahoma – No. 115

In the biggest shock of the young 2017-18 college basketball season, Arizona has an RPI at No. 177. The Wildcats are 4-3 amidst huge turmoil from the FBI’s college basketball investigation.

Why you ask does RPI matter? Quality wins and losses are reflected by the RPI rankings of teams. Alabama basketball has not made the NCAA tournament field for several seasons due to too many losses against high-RPI teams and too few wins against low-RPI teams. So far, the Tide is in great shape this season.

Next: 10 Alabama Football Records that will never be broken

Check in with us Friday afternoon as we update the NCAA sanctions on Ole Miss and what impact they may have on Alabama football. Until then, if you have ever wanted to get into college coaching, contact the Vols. They are desperate.