Rivalries are a part of what makes sports great. Barkley-The English language. Arsenal-Tottenham. Bears-Packers. Ravens-Steelers. Already I have offended people by not including their favorite rivalry. As posted in the first article in this series, however, each post will contain some new rivalries in the introduction, so feel free to make a suggestion in the comments or tweet @southbounddown or @jcrichardson12 (still not great with “the twitter”) with your suggestions.
Recommended Musial Accompaniment: DJ Khaled-All I do is Win
If you have been following along with this series, you can skip to the voting portion. I have continued to include the following for first-time readers of this series. It is especially important to fans of programs that have not yet been mentioned or are being mentioned for the first time.
Originally I intended for this to be strictly SEC Football rivalries and coaches. Fortunately I realized my folly. If I were to limit this series to only SEC games, some great rivalries would get left out. Additionally, the SEC East would be done a huge disservice.
Many SEC West teams have the (dis)advantage of having one of their biggest rivals be not only in the same division, but also in-state (Alabama-Auburn, Ole Miss-Mississippi State). Many teams in the SEC East, however, have one of their biggest rivalries with an in-state team that is not a part of the SEC (Georgia-Georgia Tech, Florida-Florida State, South Carolina-Clemson, Kentucky-Louisville…it counts).
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I also thought the wording of the questions was key. “Who would you rather have take over your program right now” eliminates coaches who may not be in the game very much longer. “Who would you rather have for one season” negates recruiting expertise to an extent. So it was settled that the question would be “Who would you rather have for the next 4 years?” That encompasses coaching and recruiting. It implies that the coach cannot retire after one season.
If you have a preference, you already know which way you are going to vote. The introductions and overview here will be kept at a minimum.
So without further ado, let us introduce our new contestants for our ‘Rivalry Coaches’ series . . .
Yes…it is a rivalry….kind of…check it out.
The Venue: Somewhere in Tennessee
Butch Jones:
*cue announcer voice* Fighting out of the Orange and White corner and running through a “T” of Volunteer football players…he’s been pumped up by almost every analyst with a microphone…they say his training (recruiting) is about to pay off with a serious run…he’ll use any method he can to win…he will go for big hits offensively and hope his D can withstand his opponent’s attack…his dream is for he and his program to be called ‘beasts of the east’ … but he has a long way to go to get there…his parents must have known he would one day be an SEC coach with a name like that…his supporters say this is his time…his haters think he’s the next Dooley-do nothing…. …BBBUUUUUUUUUUUUUTTTCCHHH “THHHHEEE TIIIMMMMEEEE ISSS NOOOOWWWW” JJOOOOOONNNNEEESSS
Derek Mason:
*throat clear, cue announcer voice* Fighting out of the Black and Gold corner and being escorted by two Commodores with bags over their head holding the Vanderbilt anchor…he entered the big leagues after a sizzling run through the minors…but so far he has more than just cooled…he competes like that same anchor is tied to his ankle…he has recruited some elite contributors (recruits) but cannot seem to fill his staff with enough quality pieces…his supporters are the crickets you hear in the silence…his haters cannot wait for him to be gone …. DDDDDDDEEEERRRREEEEKKKKK “HEEEERRREEE TOOOOODDAAAAYYY GGOOONNNNNNEEE TOOMMMOORRROOOWWW” MAAAAASSSSOOOOONNNN
Take your pick. Share with friends. Make sure your coach comes out on top. Results for round 2 purposes will be taken a week after the publish date (8/28/2015). The poll will remain open and like LL Cool J said, “Don’t Call it a Comeback”
For more on SEC Rivalries, check out Barrett Sallee’s article: ‘SEC Football: Ranking the Conference’s Best Rivalries’
More from Southbound and Down
- Texas A&M vs. Auburn: Line, Prediction, TV Channel & Live Stream for SEC Football
- 3 Up’s, 3 Down’s from Georgia’s 24-14 Win Over South Carolina
- Ole Miss Football: Looking back at the Rebels career of Zedrick Woods
- Alabama vs. Ole Miss: Line, Prediction, TV Channel & Live Stream for SEC Football
- “Horns Down” will not be a Penalty in the SEC