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Little doubt remains of which football conference is truly the best. Will the SEC win an unprecedented fifth straight BCS title? Who will face off in Atlanta this December? Will another one of our own once again capture the prestigious Heisman Trophy? Talk about it all here.
This forum is for SEC Football talk only, not for recruiting, NFL, or non-SEC college football discussion. |  | | 
07-17-2009, 10:05 AM
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#1 (permalink)
| | Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Gainesville, FL Age: 21
Posts: 6,779 High Fives: 401 Given High Fives: 40 Reputation: Rep Power:  | |  Shanksta13's radio interview with Mississippi Sports This Morning Hey guys, figured I'd post this here for anyone interested. I was a guest on the Mississippi Sports This Morning radio show. Here's the transcript from the show: Quote: SEC Sports Hub makes radio debut on Mississippi Sports This Morning - SEC Sports Hub
SEC Sports Hub made our radio debut this morning, as Thomas Goldkamp was interviewed on the Mississippi Sports This Morning show on 620 AM WJDX in Jackson, Mississippi.
We talked with show host Doug Colson about a variety of different topics, ranging from Ole Miss and Mississippi State, to the conference as a whole.
We have the transcript from the interview available right here. Note that the questions and leads from the show are in bold and summarized.
Q. There seems to be a lot of hype this year for the Ole Miss Rebels, talk a little bit about the hype and whether or not it is deserved.
A. Well I think anytime you win nine games in a season you're going to have that kind of hype. You've got a second year coach in Houston Nutt, real good coach obviously, we saw that last year. And there's just a lot of talent on this roster. You look at the guys on that All-SEC team, there's just plenty of talent. I don't think Houston Nutt has ever had a team this deep or this talented. He's also got a great quarterback in Jevan Snead, and the key for him is just making sure you don't turn the ball over. Really, the sky is the limit for this Ole Miss team looking at the schedule.
Q. You mentioned the schedule. Ole Miss gets their bye week very early this year, do you think that makes it harder for the Rebels this season?
A. Yeah, there's no doubt about it. I think the fact that Ole Miss has two FCS on the schedule will kind of help to balance that out. When you're playing teams that really just aren't SEC caliber, you can stay healthier. I really think that will help Ole Miss keep that momentum going through the season.
Q. We've heard a lot about quarterback Jevan Snead. What is he capable of in this Ole Miss offense, and how will he do?
A. Well I think the sky is the limit for Snead. You talk to NFL scouts and they think he's a first round guy, he's got a great arm and a good head on his shoulders. What I'll be looking for from Snead this year is having the same kind of consistency that he had towards the end of last year, not turning the ball over, making smart throws, throwing the ball out of bounds when he's got pressure. If he continues to develop like that mentally, I think the mental aspect is really something that will help his prospects. Again, he's surrounded by great players. He's got Dexter McCluster, Shay Hodge, a talented stable of running backs. I really think he's got the potential to be a Top 10 pick in the NFL Draft in a few years.
Q. How do you think the Ole Miss Rebels fit into the SEC West picture this year, can the Rebels handle the expectations and maybe win the West?
A. Well a lot of people like to talk about Houston Nutt when he was at Arkansas not being able to live up to the expectations after he had a good season. I'm sick and tired of hearing about that, to be honest with you. I don't think people are giving Nutt enough credit for what he's done so far at Ole Miss and what he did at Arkansas. I think that he's never had a team this deep. If you look at the two deep, especially the two deep on defense, Ole Miss is just a very deep team. I think they have a chance to win the SEC West, I really do. They have two marquee matchups, against Alabama and LSU. I don't think Ole Miss can afford to lose both of those games. But the way the SEC West is shaping up this year, this could be a division where we're looking at a two loss team winning it. If Ole Miss can just avoid slipping up in games they're not supposed to lose, I think they have a great shot at winning the West this year.
Q. Talk a little bit about the general outlook of the SEC West.
A. Obviously, you've got the three teams that everyone's talking about: Alabama, LSU and Ole Miss. I really don't think we're going to see a fourth team that's going to sneak up. Obviously, Arkansas has got a lot of potential, but I think they're still a year away from competing for the West defensively. So I think we're looking at those three teams fighting it out. I think the team that comes out on top is probably the team that doesn't lose a game they're not supposed to.
Q. You mentioned Arkansas. A lot of people think they're going to be playing one of the toughest schedules in the nation with Florida rotating onto the schedule.
It's absolutely brutal. Having to play Florida and the top three teams in the West is just going to be brutal for them. Now, they have a lot of talent, and I think they have the offense to shock any one of those teams, but I think overall that's just going to take a toll on their health. I don't think defensively they're at a place yet where they're going to be able to compete for the division.
Q. Switching gears a little bit, let's talk about Mississippi State and how things look with first year head coach Dan Mullen.
Well, I think if you look at the roster, there's not a whole lot of top notch talent. When you look at the roster, there's not nearly as much talent as he had at Florida, I think pretty much anyone would agree with that. Now, that said, he does have a couple of playmakers on offense and he needs to get them involved. I'll be real curious to see Tyson Lee, how he develops this year. He's a good athlete, he's quick, and I think Dan Mullen spreading the field, that will really play to his strengths behind an offensive line that has a couple of question marks. I think really for Mullen, just getting his feet wet in the SEC West is going to be interesting. It's going to be exciting for Mississippi State fans. Mullen is going to put an offense on the field that is exciting and is something they didn't really see under Croom.
Q. Speaking of Mullen spreading the ball out and running a much different style than Croom, is there any way a power running back like Anthony Dixon fits into his scheme?
A. I think there certainly is. You'll hear a lot of people criticizing Urban Meyer and the Florida Gators for not really using a big running back in their system. But when you look at it, you talk about the Florida Gators being one of the most explosive offenses in the country, they simply didn't really need it. When you've got Tim Tebow at quarterback, you don't really need a big, bruising running back. Now, I think the situation is a lot different at Mississippi State, where I think Dan Mullen realizes that Dixon is one of his best players. He probably doesn't have quite as much talent at receiver as he did at Florida. Mullen is a smart guy, he knows that you've got to rely on your best players to go out there and make the plays for you. I think, like I said, spreading out the field, Mullen is going to try to do that a lot. And I think that kind of gives big backs an easier time getting through the middle.
Q. One of Mississippi State's most talented recruits is quarterback Tyler Russell. Mullen did a pretty good job going out and getting some good prospects. Do you think he'll use Russell in the same way he used Tebow a few years ago, as a second option at quarterback?
A. I'm not sure if he's going to do exactly the same thing. I think Tyler Russell is definitely going to see the field this season, he's just too good of a talent to sit on the bench, especially if Lee ends up struggling. But you're right, Dan Mullen did a pretty good job going out and getting some recruits. I think wide receiver Chad Bumphis was a huge pickup for the Bulldogs, he could be the go-to guy right away. As far as Russell running a different package, I'm not sure he's going to do that. I think he'll be given the same kind of plays that Lee is looking at, knowing that at some point, Mullen might need him to step in as the starting quarterback.
Q. Again, switching gears a little bit, what do you think the SEC East looks like next season? Florida seems to be the clear favorite in that division.
A. I think, like you said, Florida is clearly a notch above everyone else right now, but I don't think the gap is quite as big as people are making it out to be. Obviously when you return 22 players on defense and a Heisman winning quarterback, you're going to be a good team. The Gators do have some questions on the offensive line, they lost three starters there and their top two wide receivers. This is not a team that is going to come out and just keep on rolling. I think they're going to struggle a little bit offensively in the first couple games, but I do think they're the cream of the crop.
I think people are really overlooking Georgia in the East, after they were ranked preseason number one last year and kind of faded off the map. They're still a very good team. They had four guys on the offensive line go down with injuries last year, and they'll be getting those guys back, so they essentially have 10 guys with starting experience. They've got a bunch of running backs that can play and a senior quarterback in Joe Cox. I really think this Georgia team compares to the 2005 Georgia team that surprised everyone with first year starter D.J. Shockley.
I think South Carolina and Tennessee are probably right there next in line. I think Tennessee just has too much talent to not be right there on that next tier. South Carolina has got a lot of young players, but they're pretty talented and obviously any time you've got Steve Spurrier on the sidelines you're going to be competitive. Of course, Vanderbilt and Kentucky are both looking as good as ever. Kentucky has been to three straight bowl games and done really well. I think the East is going to be a really tough division again. I do think it shakes down to Florida and Georgia in the end, and that game in Jacksonville is probably going to decide the East.
Q. Lane Kiffin has made a lot of headlines with some of his comments since taking the Tennessee job. Does that make some of these games like Florida vs. Tennessee, Alabama vs. Tennessee, some of the biggest games in the SEC this year?
A. I don't know, the media likes to play up Kiffin. He's said a few things that have ruffled some feathers. But when you play in the SEC, every game is tough. I do know that there is some stuff floating around the net, Urban Meyer has some bulletin board material up in the locker room from Kiffin, so that's certainly a game that's circled on Florida's calendar. Any time you get a guy that's a new guy, hasn't really proven anything in the SEC, says some stuff about coaches in the SEC that have been around, had some success, won National Championships, I think there's going to be some intensity there. Now, as far as them being the "marquee" games in the SEC, I'm not sure if you want to call them that. I think media-wise, they're probably a lot bigger than they will be as far as having a big impact on the field. I'm not sure I see Tennessee being a team that's going to shape the course of the SEC race.
Q. There's a lot of talk in the offseason surrounding Tim Tebow and how Florida is looking to tweak his mechanics somewhat. Are we going to see a different Tim Tebow this year?
A. People talk about tweaking Tim Tebow, but in the end it comes down to Tebow being a ball player. Tim Tebow is going to get the job done. He's going to run it if that's what's available. They talked about tweaking his throwing motion two years ago, when he had a nick in his shoulder. They worked that out. I don't see it making a huge difference in his playing style. We may see him under center a little bit more, but Florida is going to do what it takes to win first. His goal is a National Championship, I don't think the Heisman is really anywhere on his mind. I don't think the tweaking will have a real big effect on Tebow next year. I think you'll see just about the same quarterback that has led the Gators the past two years.
Q. Talk about your site a little bit. We ran across it a few weeks ago and really enjoy it.
We're online, you can find us at secsportshub.com. We are basically an SEC sports news site, we try to keep up with all the news around the conference. Obviously, we're more SEC centered, so we probably don't have as much detailed information on each team as you can find on some of the other team sites. But we do try to keep a good perspective on the conference as a whole. We find that a lot of our biggest fans are people that are actually interested in what's going on around the SEC, if you want the scoop on other teams around the league. We also have a great message board. Our fans are very good about keeping it real, without all the flaming and trolling that goes on some other places.
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Follow me on Twitter at GatorsGoldkamp for all breaking Florida Gators sports news (GatorBait.net - Rivals.com).
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07-17-2009, 10:12 AM
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#2 (permalink)
| | Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Gaineville, FL
Posts: 512 High Fives: 132 Given High Fives: 77 Reputation: Rep Power: | | | That's awesome man. | | | | | | |
07-17-2009, 10:17 AM
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#3 (permalink)
| | Super Moderator (Best Poster 2007) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Baton Rouge
Posts: 18,651 High Fives: 2,780 Given High Fives: 1,528 Reputation: Rep Power: | | | Outstanding, Shank. You were knowledgeable, articulate, and diplomatic. Very nicely done. |  On the Bayou
The Night Time is the Right Time
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