As Jacksonville State went through its second practice of the spring this past Monday, Rodriguez looked as if the next game was Saturday and not in the fall. He was every bit as focused and intense as he was in the heart of the season. So were his players.

Mark Edwards' opinion: New Alabama football coach Kalen DeBoer won the press conference Saturday, and here's betting he'll win more than a few football games, too.

Monday's Rose Bowl left us wondering how in the world Alabama didn’t win it, but also wondering how in the world they were even in it in the first place. The Tide never could eliminate the critical, basic mistakes that haunted them all year.

I keep hearing all this talk about misinformation on the Internet, so I decided to do something about it. Some fetching bits of trivia have popped up in my social media feeds, but I decided maybe I should fact check them.

Typically, we call this cupcake week because neither Alabama nor Auburn play anybody terribly difficult the week before their annual showdown. Neither school is playing a true cupcake, however, as somebody snuck a little sand into the batter.

With the JSU fan base wondering if Zion Webb should be benched, the seventh-year quarterback produced a career high 364 total yards in a 20-17 win over CUSA preseason favorite Western Kentucky. Afterward, Webb said, "Keep doubting."

Jacksonville State got a big benefit from playing on ESPN the past three weeks, but there was still a cost to playing four games in 18 days. We saw that compact schedule catch up to the Gamecocks on Tuesday night.

So, who will be Jax State's starting quarterback next week when the Gamecocks play at Coastal Carolina: longtime starter Zion Webb, or Logan Smothers, who shined Saturday when he replaced an ill Webb behind center?

Let's change UTEP to the University of Texas El Intercepted Passo, as they served as the heal on a day made to celebrate Jacksonville State's official debut in the FBS. The Gamecocks won 17-14, and a former walk-on made the saving play.

As we analyze Saturday's scrimmage, keep in mind we're playing something of a guessing game. A shift to FBS and C-USA is responsible for that. My bet is that even Rich Rod and his staff aren't exactly certain yet how this team will respond to the change.

New JSU coach Derek Schroeder is clear about how he wants to build his program: "We've got some really good people here. That was by design. Those kids who couldn't make it at another team because they had an attitude, we didn't look at those kids."

Wellborn's Jeff Smith on why he's still eager in his 27th year as a head coach: "Look, is it easy all the time? Lord, no. It's not. But, you know what? If I'm making a positive difference in some of these young men's lives, that's why I'm doing it."

When asked at Wednesday's SEC Media Days session about the age gap between him and new offensive coordinator Tommy Rees, who is 31, Alabama coach Nick Saban said, "I still feel like I'm 39."

It won't be an instant fix, and new Auburn coach Hugh Freeze indicated that Tuesday afternoon when he took his turn in front of the reporters at SEC Media Days in Nashville but the transfer portal has given the Tigers an immediate boost.

Every town has a center — not just geometrically, but socially.

Did the Air Force officials responsible for finalizing the permanent home of Space Command get sucked into a deep space black hole, never to be seen or heard from again?