Sports

Per ESPN

Word from the Gators coach is that he’s feeling better and will probably be coaching come spring. This news is just the latest in what has been a very odd month or so for Coach Meyer.

First came news that, after a tearful breakdown in front of his family, he was resigning for health reasons. Then came word the resignation was being toned down to a “leave of absence” (after Gators’ AD realized he couldn’t replace a guy like Meyer).

While the Gators have named an interim head coach during Meyer’s “leave,” Urban hasn’t gone anywhere. According to published reports, he is still active in the recruiting process including contacting recruits.

So, was Meyer’s “leave of absence”/resignation legit? Or, was it a cheap ploy to grab headlines and motivate his players before the Sugar Bowl?

Hello and thanks for logging on to WUOG! I’m Robert Inskip and I’ll be taking care of our Live Blog coverage for the Dawgs and Vols. Tip off is at 5:00. The game is a sellout so you can just follow along with me…the next best thing! After picking up a huge win over then #20 Georgia Tech on the 5^th, the Dawgs have dropped three straight SEC contests – at #3 Kentucky, vs. #21 Ole Miss, and at Mississippi State. The most recent was perhaps the most painful, as the Dawgs held a double-digit lead at halftime over the Mississippi State Dawgs.

The Vols, meanwhile, have climbed all the way up to #8 in the rankings in what has been quite an emotional month for the program. On New Years Day, a gun and drug related arrest occurred that led head coach Bruce Pearl to dismiss start guard Tyler Smith from the program, and suspend three other players. On the court, however, the Vols have reeled off seven straight wins, including a win over then top-ranked Kansas. Oh yeah and some guy named Kiffin left. So it’s been quite an emotional roller coaster for Vols fans. But at least Knox County is a safer place now and they’ve got a top 10 basketball team.

It’s nice to feel a buzz back here in Stegeman. Let’s hope the Dawgs can deliver. Just saw Mark Richt walk in. Word is Matt Stafford got tickets as well. On a more depressing note there is a fair number of neon orange clad people seating behind me in the upper level. This of course is another reason the Dawgs need to deliver – so I don’t have to have “Rocky Top” drilled into my brain all evening.

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Tyler Smith in happier times

Its certainly been a rocky year on Rocky Top. Tennessee’s basketball program is 15-2 and ranked No. 8 in the country, but the road to the top ten has not been without bumps. On New Years Day, star player Tyler Smith and three others were arrested for drug and gun charges. Smith has been dismissed from the team and center Brian Williams remains suspended for this game. Cameron Tatum and Melvin Goins have returned to practice, but neither has seen court time since their return from suspension.

Georgia fans should be well aware of the damage legal woes can inflict on a basketball program. Over the past handful of seasons, the Bulldogs have seen more than their fair share of players brought in on an assortment of charges. Tennessee, however, doesn’t seem too distracted by the goings on off-campus. Since the incident, the Vols have been unstoppable, amassing a seven game winning streak that they take into Stegeman Coliseum tonight.

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