Jumbo Package: Don’t Panic — Nate Oats isn’t going anywhere.

Let’s start with the first bit of rumor-mongering out there.

Yesterday, Duke legend Coach K hung up the Hugo Boss suit and Black No. 1 hair dye. We’ll leave it to others to assess the formidable legacy that the hard driving Krzyzewski (<— I copied and pasted that spelling, BTW) leaves behind. It will be universally positive, with some notable asterisks that are even spun off as positives, I’m sure.

But, the far more interesting proposition is who Duke would turn to? The speculation didn’t last long — #sauces almost immediately and uniformly broke news that long-time assistant Jon Scheyer would be taking over the program.

How firm is this? Vegas didn’t even put odds on the board for the next man up in Durham. And when even Vegas won’t take your money, it’s airtight.

I don’t think anyone seriously believed that Coach Oats would be a major candidate, but there’s one thing for sure in the SEC: When you’ve got a hot coach, it will cost you a lot more to keep him, no matter how spurious the rumors may be or how recent the extension or how much you’re already shelling out. And any uncertainty would have gotten the pocketbooks in Tuscaloosa openings.

As you know, dear reader, Jimmy Sexton is the only man that remains undefeated in these parts. Although, Oats’ agent, Rick Smith, may very well be vying to get in that income bracket soon.

So, relax.

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Alabama Rowing, which made its first-ever NCAA appearance this year (and finished 13th in Nationals), received a very nice honor yesterday. Coach Glenn Putyrae and his staff were named the South Region’s best staff (there’s no single COTY in Crew).

Congratulations to everyone on Alabama Rowing.

#BoatSchool

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Two Alabama legends are making an appearance on this year’s College Football Hall of Fame ballot — Shaun Alexander and Sylvester Croom. Sly Croom is an interesting case, because he is being nominated for his playing career, not necessarily for a lifetime achievement award or a trailblazer honor. He won the Jacobs Blocking Trophy and was an All-American one season, and he bounced around at a few positions. But he is perhaps more known for the coaching he did after he left the Capstone.

We’ll have our ballot out later this week, but I did vote for one of the Crimson Tide luminaries for the 2021 Class.

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Eddie Flakes!

Bears Safety / Human Field Position Eraser Eddie Jackson has come out with his own line of breakfast cereal.

No, that’s not a joke:

All proceeds will go to Jackson’s charity, Remain to Reach. Eddie’s foundation does some very good, and unfortunately necessary, work, BTW: “the Remain to Reach Foundation aims to inspire and provide resources to at-risk youth who have found themselves in trouble with the law at a young age.”

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Tuscaloosa native and Ole Miss Linebacker Jacquez Jones has entered the quitter hole. Had this happened a year or so ago, he may have had a hometown suitor. But Alabama’s roster has a metaphorical gun to its head as it is. By our last count, Alabama is sitting at 88 players. So, look for Jones to take his talents elsewhere (and, you know, Texas A&M, Tennessee, and Mizzou could both use some LBs, TBH.)

Speaking of UT. I got a notification on my phone yesterday morning that honestly made me chortle aloud.

Just three days after receiving the commit of a lightly-regarded 3-star JUCO DB, the Volunteers lost him. Torrence immediately decommited and has opened his recruitment back up. Josh Heupel is apparently selling land in a leper colony. He can’t keep players in Knoxville...not even ones who allegedly wanted to be there with him.

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Where does the 2022 NSD Class stand 36 hours after the end of the dead period? Numbers-wise, it’s low — just six players.

But two of those are five-stars.

#BamaProblems.

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Plenty of people have noted all of the problems that inhere in giving everyone a blank extra year following COVID. But, very few people have brought up the biggest losers in all of this.

High school kids.

Wake Forest Dave Clawson hammers home what this will mean for high school kids. Every player on a roster who stays will either get “encouraged to pursue other alternatives” or, more likely, offers will be rescinded to incoming players.

It’s impossible to know how many of those players return, which makes building future recruiting classes an untenable puzzle.

“How do you recruit?” Clawson asks. “In theory you have no scholarships, and so what’s going to happen is the schools that are unethical are going to recruit a whole freshman class and then cut those kids loose if they have seniors that want to come back, and the people who are ethical when these kids don’t come back, they’re going to be playing with 72 scholarships, potentially. The roster management is really tricky.”

I had not even thought about that.

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This is almost certainly bad news, given the timing. And, if history is the best indicator, the LSU Tigers could have a visit from the NCAA Fairy very soon.

LSU announced Wednesday evening that its parted ways with offensive line coach James Cregg, head coach Ed Orgeron announced in a release. The program will begin an immediate search for his replacement just two days before official visitors are set to arrive in Baton Rouge.

CB texted us yesterday with this tidbit: this comes just days before the Tigers are entrertaining two blue chip offensive linemen.

Again, you hate to see it.

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Finally, in today’s curation of cool and odd competitions, I give you...the National Cattle Auctioneering Championships.

Honestly, it’s a lot more fascinating than you would think. Check it out.