The Jumbo Package: 08-23-10

Stadium expansion may help young Tide kickers | TideSports.com

File this one in the "we'll take all the help we can get" category; by closing in the south end zone the stadium was effectively "bowled," blocking wind that previously came through unabated.  How big of a help will that be?  Leigh Tiffin has some thoughts:

"I think it will help those guys and make a difference for them," said Leigh Tiffin, UA’s former three-year starter who knows as well as anyone what kicking at Bryant-Denny pre-expansion was like. "I would say about 70 percent of the impact the wind has on kickers is psychological, more than physical. But if it changes the way you think, it can change the way you kick, and cost you some accuracy. If it’s just a breeze out there, that’s not a problem. You kick right through it and don’t even let it affect you. But if it’s 10, 15 miles an hour or more, it’s something you have to compensate for."

Dareus not missing a beat despite shaky NCAA status | Dothan Eagle

I think we're all expecting Dareus to play this season considering he hasn't missed a single practice and has worked exclusively with the first spring thus far.  I mean, if the staff had the slightest inkling that he may have to sit any games then those reps would be going to whoever would be taking his place.  But the ruling hasn't come down, and there's blessedly little in the way of info on what is actually going on.  Saban is still doing his usual comment while saying nothing routine:

"The investigation has been done," Saban said. "The NCAA will make a decision. We respect the way they handled this whole investigation. Our compliance department has done a fabulous job."

If it's any comfort, Dareus doesn't seem too worried about it:

"Marcell really hasn’t shown a lot of signs of a guy that’s not focused on the right things when it comes to what he needs to do to be a good football player individually," Saban said.

"But he’s also been pretty selfless in trying to influence and impact especially the other guys in his group.  I think his example has been good, and he’s played fairly well."

In the SEC, the most pressure-packed conference in nation, losing is not an option | NYDailyNews.com

Where would us dumb ol' boys be without yankees to teach us about your misplaced priorities?

The SEC has made seven coaching changes in the past two years alone. Five of those coaches - including Phil Fulmer, who coached Tennessee to its only national championship in 1998; and Tommy Tuberville, who coached Auburn to a perfect 13-0 record in 2004 - were dismissed. A sixth, Bobby Johnson of Vanderbilt, retired out of the blue in June, two years after the Commodores broke down decades-long barriers, winning their first bowl game in 53 years to punctuate a 7-6 season.

"Football is not life, but it's a way of life and it consumes your life," Johnson admitted, citing a personal decision. "You only have so many years to live and you want to see a different way."

Out-of-state recruiting ban crippled UK football | KentuckySports.com

Last, but not least, I answered a few questions for Team Speed Kills here.