By Franz Beard
A few thoughts to jump start your Tuesday morning:
PAUL FINEBAUM ON THE STATE OF THE FLORIDA FOOTBALL PROGRAM
During his weekly Monday appearance on WJOX in Birmingham with Greg McElroy and Cole Cubelik, Paul Finebaum offered a not so flattering opinion of where the Florida football program is at the moment. Finebaum compares where Florida is today to where Alabama was in 2006, the year before Nick Saban rescued the program from a roller coaster that turned into freefall in the final year of Mike Shula.
Here is Finebaum’s assessment of the Gators:
“Alabama went through this period of 15 or 20 years when almost everything that could go wrong did go wrong. However, it didn’t stop the fans and Cole – you played during this era, and Greg, you were about to go to Alabama during this era – but no matter, like 2006, let’s go back to the year before you got there … you’re doing a show in June and in your heart of hearts you know Alabama is going to have a losing season or go 6-6, and you go to the [phone] lines and ‘Alabama is going to win a national championship.’
“That’s how Florida fans are. They cannot accept that they are really a mediocre program right now. They can’t accept that it’s been forever since they won a national championship or an SEC championship. All they can do is say, ‘We almost beat Alabama last year. We should have beaten them maybe the year before. We’ve been to a bunch of big-time games.’ I think that’s part of the problem.
“When you start talking about the Gators, let’s forget this weekend and what’s gone wrong down there. I would have said they got AR15, they’ve got a lot of skill players … they were this or they were that. You tend to give them way too much credit when realistically how can you put them anywhere above three or four in the SEC East after Georgia and Kentucky and Tennessee? … Tennessee has been their best friend, guys. Every time we think that Florida is about to slip they beat Tennessee early in the season, which they do pretty much every year and that keeps them going.”
SOMEBODY’S FIBBING: NOW JOHN RUIZ DISPUTES MICHAEL CASPINO
Sunday, it was the Gator Collective issuing a statement disputing California attorney Michael Caspino’s version of how Miami landed quarterback Jaden Rashada. Monday, Miami lawyer John Ruiz, who has been putting up big NIL bucks to help The Ewe, disputed Caspino’s version. Gator Collective attorney Darren Heitner, also issued a statement that denied Caspino’s allegations that the Gator Collective had negotiated with him regarding Rashada.
Ruiz said, “The report by on3.com is inaccurate as it relates to Jaden Rashada. I have never spoken to Mr. Caspino about Jaden Rashada. Mr. Caspino and I spoke about an unrelated player months ago and had a very professional and pleasant conversation. I respect him.”
Heitner said, “The Gator Collective has never even spoken with lawyer Michael Caspino about Jaden Rashada or any recruits.”
So, someone is telling a big fib here. Chances are it’s Caspino.
JIMBO FISHER ON FUTURE SEC SCHEDULING
When asked by Matt Hayes of Saturday Down South about his preference for future scheduling in the Southeastern Conference, Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher, perhaps unwittingly, made the strongest comment yet about why there is not going to be a super league of maybe 65-70 teams with no outside scheduling:
“I don’t mind 8 or 9 [games] but we need to play an [FCS] game. I came from that league of ball. A lot of great coaches did. How do those schools make budget? You have to trickle the wealth down. If you don’t and those schools have to fold up, where do those kids get to play and get an education.”
The Power 5 schools cannot ignore their Group of 5 and D1AA – the NCAA calls it FCS but I refuse – brethren that depend on paycheck games to meet their budgets but also because of the transfer portal. More and more players from the FCS and D1AA will be transferring to Power 5 schools to get their shot at the big time. By the same token, there will be players who will never see the field at a Power 5 school who can play at the lower levels so this is a door that has to remain open in both directions. It’s only going to stay open if the Group of 5 and D1AA schools can keep their football programs open for business.
This is one of the reasons SEC commissioner Greg Sankey has been pushing for a 12-team playoff because it would give at least one team from the Group of 5 its chance to play the role of Cinderella. Sankey knows what Jimbo is talking about since he was once the commish of the D1AA Southland Conference.
I still believe the better idea for games with D1AA schools is to play the games in the spring. Oh, we’ll hear that argument that players can get hurt. Well, players get hurt in the spring every year even before the spring game. Instead of some silly scrimmage in which nothing is really accomplished, play the D1AA team then. Instead of free admission to the spring game, sell tickets for games with D1AA opponents. What a concept. The D1AA team will benefit from playing the game in the spring because they don’t take their “will work for beer” beating during the regular season. The Power 5/Division I teams will benefit because coaches will get to see their players in a real game situation against someone other than the same guys that are seen every day in practice. If you lose, then it’s not an embarrassment like it would be in the fall. Anyone remember Georgia Southern in 2013?
GATORS FINISH NO. 21 IN FINAL D1BASEBALL POLL
The final top 25: 1. Ole Miss 42-23; 2. Oklahoma 45-24; 3. Texas A&M 44-20; 4. Arkansas 46-21; 5. Stanford 47-18; 6. Notre Dame 41-17; 7. Auburn 43-22; 8. Texas 47-22; 9. Tennessee 57-9; 10. Oregon State 48-18; 11. Virginia Tech 45-14; 12. Louisville 42-21-1; 13. East Carolina 46-21; 14. North Carolina 42-22; 15. Southern Miss 47-19; 16. UConn 50-16; 17. Oklahoma State 42-22; 18. Maryland 48-14; 19. Texas State 47-14; 20. Miami 40-20; 21. FLORIDA 42-24; 22. UCLA 40-24; 23. TCU 38-22; 24. Texas Tech 39-22; 25. LSU 40-22
SEC BASEBALL
Alabama: Seven players are in the transfer portal including third baseman Zane Denton (.263, 13 HR, 48 RBI). The lone incoming transfer so far is UAB reliever Aidan Moza (2-2, 4.41 ERA, 3 saves).
Arkansas: Five Razorbacks are in the transfer portal, none of them a significant loss. The Hogs did score a major transfer in outfielder Jared Wegner (.348, 11 HR, 52 RBI) from Creighton.
Auburn: So far there are two in the transfer portal, none significant. The Tigers have two significant incoming transfers, righthanded pitcher Jonathan Brand (from Miami OH, 8-2, 1.40 ERA), a second team All-American, and Kent State outfielder Justin Kirby (323, 15 HR, 45 RBI), a first team All-MAC selection.
FLORIDA: Seven are in the transfer portal including pitchers Nick Pogue (to Ole Miss, 4-3, 4.81 ERA) and Timmy Manning (1-0, 4.76 ERA), catcher Mac Guscette (238, 5 HR, 18 RBI) and first baseman Kris Armstrong (.230, 2 HR, 10 RBI). The Gators have two significant incoming transfers outfielder Colby Thomas (from Mercer, .323, 17 HR, 45 RBI) and second baseman Dale Thomas (from Coastal Carolina, .284, 13 HR, 49 RBI).
Georgia: Georgia has four outgoing transfers, none significant.
Kentucky: Two players are leaving the program. Among the four who are transferring in are Western Kentucky righthander Mason Vinyard (2-2, 4.26 ERA), Longwood first baseman Hunter Gilliam (.281, 13 HR, 43 RBI) and Charleston Southern outfielder Ryan Waldschmidt (.310, 9 HR, 43 RBI).
LSU: LSU is hiring Minnesota Twins pitching coach Wes Johnson to replace Jason Kelly, who left to become the head coach at Washington … The Tigers have lost nine in the portal, none of them significant. There are four incoming transfers including North Carolina State outfielder Tommy White (.362, 27 HR, 74 RBI), Vanderbilt righthanded pitcher Christian Little (1-2, 3.72 ERA), All-Big East righthander from Creighton Dylan Tebrake (8-2, 2.71 ERA) and Baylor shortstop Jack Pineda (.300, 7 HR, 35 RBI).
Mississippi State: Ten players have transferred out. Four are transferring in including Memphis righthander Nathan Dohm (7-1, 3.56 ERA) and Samford outfielder Colton Ledbetter (.318, 16 HR, 57 RBI).
Missouri: Of the 15 players who have transferred out, the biggest loss is first baseman Torin Montgomery (365, 7 HR, 49 RBI).
Ole Miss: Ole Miss is the landing spot for Florida righthanded pitcher Nick Pogue (4-3, 4.81 ERA). Four players have transferred out.
South Carolina: This is a revolving door as seven have transferred out and six have transferred in including three from Clemson. Infielder Christopher Veach (from Presbyterian, 322, 2 HR, 11 RBI) is a good pickup as is Memphis outfielder Jacob Compton (.291, 11 HR, 55 RBI). The Gamecocks also have an experienced long reliever coming in from California, Nicholas Proctor (4-1, 4.11 ERA, 1 save).
Tennessee: So far no one has announced he’s leaving the program. The one pickup is Kansas shortstop Walter Ahuna III (.357, 8 HR, 48 RBI), a first team All-Big 12 selection.
Texas A&M: The Aggies have five in the portal. They have added four including Southern Cal righty Carson Lambert (6-3, 3.46 ERA) and Cincinnati catcher Joe Powell (.326, 5 HR, 26 RBI).
Vanderbilt: The Commodores are losing 17 players in the portal of which three are significant – shortstop Carter Young (.207, 7 HR, 26 RBI), righthander Christian Little (to LSU, 1-2, 3.72 ERA) and outfielder Isaiah Thomas (.305, 13 HR, 40 RBI in 2021), who went into the portal in January and sat out 2022.
ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: Trinity Thomas made the final three for the annual Honda Award, the winner of which is declared the top female athlete in all of college sports every year. Oklahoma softball legend Jocelyn Alo and South Carolina’s basketball player of the year Aliya Boston made the podium with Trinity with Boston surprisingly announced as the winner. From my personal perspective, having seen all three perform this year, I would have had Trinity and Alo neck-and-neck for the top spot but that’s just my opinion. I would have had Trinity in the top spot because she had 12 perfect 10s and posted one of the highest all-around scores in history to win the event at the NCAA championships. Her 2022 was one of the most remarkable seasons in NCAA gymnastics history.
An hour before they announced the finalists for the Honda Award, Trinity Thomas let it be known she will take advantage of her COVID year of eligibility (2020) to return for one last season with the Gators next year. She was the 2022 NCAA gymnast of the year and the winner of the Honda Award for gymnastics. It might be difficult to top the season she had this year, but there is a teensy matter of unfinished business: The Gators lost the national championship to Oklahoma by a tenth of a point. With Thomas back to anchor a Florida lineup that might be one of the greatest ever assembled on the collegiate stage, the Gators will be favored to win the national title that has eluded them since they went back-to-back-to-back from 2013-15.
Expect an announcement any day now that All-Americans Leah Clapper and Nya Reed will also take advantage of their COVID years, adding to a lineup that will feature former world championships all-around gold medalist Morgan Hurd (injured in 2022), former world championships all-around silver medalist Leanne Wong, former US national team members Riley McCusker and Sloane Blakely, incoming freshman and former world championships all-around bronze medalist Kayla DiCello and Georgia transfer and former US national team member Victoria Nguyen.
A few thoughts to jump start your Tuesday morning:
PAUL FINEBAUM ON THE STATE OF THE FLORIDA FOOTBALL PROGRAM
During his weekly Monday appearance on WJOX in Birmingham with Greg McElroy and Cole Cubelik, Paul Finebaum offered a not so flattering opinion of where the Florida football program is at the moment. Finebaum compares where Florida is today to where Alabama was in 2006, the year before Nick Saban rescued the program from a roller coaster that turned into freefall in the final year of Mike Shula.
Here is Finebaum’s assessment of the Gators:
“Alabama went through this period of 15 or 20 years when almost everything that could go wrong did go wrong. However, it didn’t stop the fans and Cole – you played during this era, and Greg, you were about to go to Alabama during this era – but no matter, like 2006, let’s go back to the year before you got there … you’re doing a show in June and in your heart of hearts you know Alabama is going to have a losing season or go 6-6, and you go to the [phone] lines and ‘Alabama is going to win a national championship.’
“That’s how Florida fans are. They cannot accept that they are really a mediocre program right now. They can’t accept that it’s been forever since they won a national championship or an SEC championship. All they can do is say, ‘We almost beat Alabama last year. We should have beaten them maybe the year before. We’ve been to a bunch of big-time games.’ I think that’s part of the problem.
“When you start talking about the Gators, let’s forget this weekend and what’s gone wrong down there. I would have said they got AR15, they’ve got a lot of skill players … they were this or they were that. You tend to give them way too much credit when realistically how can you put them anywhere above three or four in the SEC East after Georgia and Kentucky and Tennessee? … Tennessee has been their best friend, guys. Every time we think that Florida is about to slip they beat Tennessee early in the season, which they do pretty much every year and that keeps them going.”
SOMEBODY’S FIBBING: NOW JOHN RUIZ DISPUTES MICHAEL CASPINO
Sunday, it was the Gator Collective issuing a statement disputing California attorney Michael Caspino’s version of how Miami landed quarterback Jaden Rashada. Monday, Miami lawyer John Ruiz, who has been putting up big NIL bucks to help The Ewe, disputed Caspino’s version. Gator Collective attorney Darren Heitner, also issued a statement that denied Caspino’s allegations that the Gator Collective had negotiated with him regarding Rashada.
Ruiz said, “The report by on3.com is inaccurate as it relates to Jaden Rashada. I have never spoken to Mr. Caspino about Jaden Rashada. Mr. Caspino and I spoke about an unrelated player months ago and had a very professional and pleasant conversation. I respect him.”
Heitner said, “The Gator Collective has never even spoken with lawyer Michael Caspino about Jaden Rashada or any recruits.”
So, someone is telling a big fib here. Chances are it’s Caspino.
JIMBO FISHER ON FUTURE SEC SCHEDULING
When asked by Matt Hayes of Saturday Down South about his preference for future scheduling in the Southeastern Conference, Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher, perhaps unwittingly, made the strongest comment yet about why there is not going to be a super league of maybe 65-70 teams with no outside scheduling:
“I don’t mind 8 or 9 [games] but we need to play an [FCS] game. I came from that league of ball. A lot of great coaches did. How do those schools make budget? You have to trickle the wealth down. If you don’t and those schools have to fold up, where do those kids get to play and get an education.”
The Power 5 schools cannot ignore their Group of 5 and D1AA – the NCAA calls it FCS but I refuse – brethren that depend on paycheck games to meet their budgets but also because of the transfer portal. More and more players from the FCS and D1AA will be transferring to Power 5 schools to get their shot at the big time. By the same token, there will be players who will never see the field at a Power 5 school who can play at the lower levels so this is a door that has to remain open in both directions. It’s only going to stay open if the Group of 5 and D1AA schools can keep their football programs open for business.
This is one of the reasons SEC commissioner Greg Sankey has been pushing for a 12-team playoff because it would give at least one team from the Group of 5 its chance to play the role of Cinderella. Sankey knows what Jimbo is talking about since he was once the commish of the D1AA Southland Conference.
I still believe the better idea for games with D1AA schools is to play the games in the spring. Oh, we’ll hear that argument that players can get hurt. Well, players get hurt in the spring every year even before the spring game. Instead of some silly scrimmage in which nothing is really accomplished, play the D1AA team then. Instead of free admission to the spring game, sell tickets for games with D1AA opponents. What a concept. The D1AA team will benefit from playing the game in the spring because they don’t take their “will work for beer” beating during the regular season. The Power 5/Division I teams will benefit because coaches will get to see their players in a real game situation against someone other than the same guys that are seen every day in practice. If you lose, then it’s not an embarrassment like it would be in the fall. Anyone remember Georgia Southern in 2013?
GATORS FINISH NO. 21 IN FINAL D1BASEBALL POLL
The final top 25: 1. Ole Miss 42-23; 2. Oklahoma 45-24; 3. Texas A&M 44-20; 4. Arkansas 46-21; 5. Stanford 47-18; 6. Notre Dame 41-17; 7. Auburn 43-22; 8. Texas 47-22; 9. Tennessee 57-9; 10. Oregon State 48-18; 11. Virginia Tech 45-14; 12. Louisville 42-21-1; 13. East Carolina 46-21; 14. North Carolina 42-22; 15. Southern Miss 47-19; 16. UConn 50-16; 17. Oklahoma State 42-22; 18. Maryland 48-14; 19. Texas State 47-14; 20. Miami 40-20; 21. FLORIDA 42-24; 22. UCLA 40-24; 23. TCU 38-22; 24. Texas Tech 39-22; 25. LSU 40-22
SEC BASEBALL
Alabama: Seven players are in the transfer portal including third baseman Zane Denton (.263, 13 HR, 48 RBI). The lone incoming transfer so far is UAB reliever Aidan Moza (2-2, 4.41 ERA, 3 saves).
Arkansas: Five Razorbacks are in the transfer portal, none of them a significant loss. The Hogs did score a major transfer in outfielder Jared Wegner (.348, 11 HR, 52 RBI) from Creighton.
Auburn: So far there are two in the transfer portal, none significant. The Tigers have two significant incoming transfers, righthanded pitcher Jonathan Brand (from Miami OH, 8-2, 1.40 ERA), a second team All-American, and Kent State outfielder Justin Kirby (323, 15 HR, 45 RBI), a first team All-MAC selection.
FLORIDA: Seven are in the transfer portal including pitchers Nick Pogue (to Ole Miss, 4-3, 4.81 ERA) and Timmy Manning (1-0, 4.76 ERA), catcher Mac Guscette (238, 5 HR, 18 RBI) and first baseman Kris Armstrong (.230, 2 HR, 10 RBI). The Gators have two significant incoming transfers outfielder Colby Thomas (from Mercer, .323, 17 HR, 45 RBI) and second baseman Dale Thomas (from Coastal Carolina, .284, 13 HR, 49 RBI).
Georgia: Georgia has four outgoing transfers, none significant.
Kentucky: Two players are leaving the program. Among the four who are transferring in are Western Kentucky righthander Mason Vinyard (2-2, 4.26 ERA), Longwood first baseman Hunter Gilliam (.281, 13 HR, 43 RBI) and Charleston Southern outfielder Ryan Waldschmidt (.310, 9 HR, 43 RBI).
LSU: LSU is hiring Minnesota Twins pitching coach Wes Johnson to replace Jason Kelly, who left to become the head coach at Washington … The Tigers have lost nine in the portal, none of them significant. There are four incoming transfers including North Carolina State outfielder Tommy White (.362, 27 HR, 74 RBI), Vanderbilt righthanded pitcher Christian Little (1-2, 3.72 ERA), All-Big East righthander from Creighton Dylan Tebrake (8-2, 2.71 ERA) and Baylor shortstop Jack Pineda (.300, 7 HR, 35 RBI).
Mississippi State: Ten players have transferred out. Four are transferring in including Memphis righthander Nathan Dohm (7-1, 3.56 ERA) and Samford outfielder Colton Ledbetter (.318, 16 HR, 57 RBI).
Missouri: Of the 15 players who have transferred out, the biggest loss is first baseman Torin Montgomery (365, 7 HR, 49 RBI).
Ole Miss: Ole Miss is the landing spot for Florida righthanded pitcher Nick Pogue (4-3, 4.81 ERA). Four players have transferred out.
South Carolina: This is a revolving door as seven have transferred out and six have transferred in including three from Clemson. Infielder Christopher Veach (from Presbyterian, 322, 2 HR, 11 RBI) is a good pickup as is Memphis outfielder Jacob Compton (.291, 11 HR, 55 RBI). The Gamecocks also have an experienced long reliever coming in from California, Nicholas Proctor (4-1, 4.11 ERA, 1 save).
Tennessee: So far no one has announced he’s leaving the program. The one pickup is Kansas shortstop Walter Ahuna III (.357, 8 HR, 48 RBI), a first team All-Big 12 selection.
Texas A&M: The Aggies have five in the portal. They have added four including Southern Cal righty Carson Lambert (6-3, 3.46 ERA) and Cincinnati catcher Joe Powell (.326, 5 HR, 26 RBI).
Vanderbilt: The Commodores are losing 17 players in the portal of which three are significant – shortstop Carter Young (.207, 7 HR, 26 RBI), righthander Christian Little (to LSU, 1-2, 3.72 ERA) and outfielder Isaiah Thomas (.305, 13 HR, 40 RBI in 2021), who went into the portal in January and sat out 2022.
ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: Trinity Thomas made the final three for the annual Honda Award, the winner of which is declared the top female athlete in all of college sports every year. Oklahoma softball legend Jocelyn Alo and South Carolina’s basketball player of the year Aliya Boston made the podium with Trinity with Boston surprisingly announced as the winner. From my personal perspective, having seen all three perform this year, I would have had Trinity and Alo neck-and-neck for the top spot but that’s just my opinion. I would have had Trinity in the top spot because she had 12 perfect 10s and posted one of the highest all-around scores in history to win the event at the NCAA championships. Her 2022 was one of the most remarkable seasons in NCAA gymnastics history.
An hour before they announced the finalists for the Honda Award, Trinity Thomas let it be known she will take advantage of her COVID year of eligibility (2020) to return for one last season with the Gators next year. She was the 2022 NCAA gymnast of the year and the winner of the Honda Award for gymnastics. It might be difficult to top the season she had this year, but there is a teensy matter of unfinished business: The Gators lost the national championship to Oklahoma by a tenth of a point. With Thomas back to anchor a Florida lineup that might be one of the greatest ever assembled on the collegiate stage, the Gators will be favored to win the national title that has eluded them since they went back-to-back-to-back from 2013-15.
Expect an announcement any day now that All-Americans Leah Clapper and Nya Reed will also take advantage of their COVID years, adding to a lineup that will feature former world championships all-around gold medalist Morgan Hurd (injured in 2022), former world championships all-around silver medalist Leanne Wong, former US national team members Riley McCusker and Sloane Blakely, incoming freshman and former world championships all-around bronze medalist Kayla DiCello and Georgia transfer and former US national team member Victoria Nguyen.
