Anchor Of Gold

ESPN's Keith Law opinion is the gold standard.

2012-05-18T01:50:04Z

ESPN's Keith Law opinion is the gold standard.

The SEC's Top QB-WR Combos: #1 - The Jordan Connection (ESPN INSIDER)

2012-05-17T15:10:09Z

The SEC's Top QB-WR Combos: #1 - The Jordan Connection (ESPN INSIDER)

"It might seem odd to put a Vanderbilt duo at the top of this list, especially since these two only worked together for about half of the 2011 season, but that half-season made quite an impact. Maybe the best way to illustrate this is by noting how their YPA totals would fare against the YPA figures posted by the top wide receiver prospects in the 2012 NFL draft.

The Rodgers/Matthews overall YPA total is higher than all but two of the wideouts in that article, and the vertical/stretch vertical figures compare nearly as favorably as the overall YPA.

...

This type of trust in making on-the-fly adjustments is not uncommon for quarterback/wide receiver combinations who have worked together for a long time, but it is very rare to see it happen this early. That bodes well for the Rodgers/Matthews combination's ability to claim the honor of being the best QB/WR tandem in the SEC in 2012."

Lafonte Thorogood transferring from Vanderbilt

2012-05-16T21:57:30Z

The Tennessean is now making it official: Lafonte Thorogood, possibly the most heralded name in the whirlwind 2011 James Franklin recruiting derby, is leaving the Commodores. Thorogood, who was described at the time by one knucklehead blogger as "the four-star recruit with the five-star name," started off as the future of the QB position for the 'Dores - but when Jordan Rodgers broke out big, Austyn Carta-Samuels transferred in from Wyoming, Josh Grady proved to be a deadly threat under center despite being listed at WR and Patton Robinette made the move from UNC at the last moment, the Virginia Beach product found himself at 5th on the depth chart. So he moved to RB, where he found himself stuck behind breakout star Zac Stacy, returning one-time SEC Freshman of the Year Warren Norman, changeup-back-extraordinare Jerrod Seymour, and the bright star of the 2012 class, Brian "Got Running Away From A Porsche Speed" Kimbrow - a lineup so deep that Wesley Tate moved to wideout at one point.

At this point, having redshirted, Thorogood has four years to play three pretty much anywhere in the country he likes; there's no indication that there are any strings tied to where he might transfer. There's nothing to indicate that he has been anything other than a fine player and student; it's merely a case of not enough chairs left when the music stops. But looking at the verbal of Johnathon McCrary on top of the Rodgers-ACS-Grady-Robinette lineup, I suspect LT still has ambitions of playing quarterback. And given that he was a four-star dual-threat-QB prospect, one can hardly blame him for seeking someplace where he can go under center.

Two thoughts here:

1) How much have things changed when we have so much depth at critical offensive positions that a four-star prospect is leaving Vanderbilt for playing time elsewhere?

2) No Vandy player who never played a down did more for this program than Lafonte Thorogood did, just by signing and coming here. The fact that a prospect that well-regarded would turn down an perennial BCS bowl contender in Virginia Tech to sign with the new regime at Vanderbilt was the shot heard 'round college football, and did more than all the inspiring press conferences to give James Franklin's new order a dose of instant credibility.

I'm glad he came. I hope wherever he winds up, he gets his shot and sets the world on fire (though I'd rather not see it across from our defense). No matter what, though, when they write the history of the Franklin era at Vanderbilt, you'll see the name Lafonte Thorogood. It may not seem like he did very much, but he did the most important thing: he believed in the future of Vanderbilt football. And for that, we owe him our thanks.

SEC Baseball Power Rankings - Week 8: South Carolina Claims the Top Spot as the Season Winds Down

2012-05-16T16:59:13Z

Another week in SEC play brings a new team to the top of our power rankings. South Carolina ascended to the number one spot in this week's rankings after some disappointing out-of-conference performances sunk their competitors. While the Gamecocks went just 1-1 in a weather shortened series against Georgia, Florida and Kentucky squandered solid SEC performances with big losses to Samford and Murray State, respectively.

Those midweek losses had previously held Carolina back, but they've proven in recent weeks that they can win games no matter the level of pressure. South Carolina has gone 11-2 over the past month to get within half a game of conference-leading Kentucky in the standings. Meanwhile, LSU and Florida both still have chances to earn a share of the regular season title with big weekends to close out their regular seasons.

However, this final weekend also has big repercussions for teams outside of the top four. Vanderbilt and Ole Miss will battle in Nashville in a series that has significant implications for both teams. Vandy needs a series win to help lock down a NCAA at-large bid after a dismal 7-15 start to their season. Mississippi needs a big showing against the resurgent Commodores to help make their case for hosting a NCAA Tournament Regional.

Auburn will also be playing for an at-large bid, but they'll have a much tougher task in front of them than the 'Dores. The Tigers will host #3 Florida before heading to the SEC Tournament. If this week's current standings hold true, then they'd have to face the Gators once more to open up their bracket in Hoover. Auburn is already firmly on the at-large bubble, and a poor showing to finish their SEC season could end up stopping their season dead in its tracks.

Alabama and Tennessee will both play their final games of the season this week, as both have been eliminated from the postseason. They'll each get a chance to play spoiler with showdowns against Georgia and Arkansas looming. Both the Bulldogs and the Razorbacks have run through up and down seasons in 2012, and they'll need to polish off their lower-ranked opponents in order to put themselves in a favorable seed next week in Hoover.

So how does the SEC look after two months of conference play? The rankings are after the jump...

Disclaimer: spots 5-9 are all pretty much equal right now. Ole Miss has thrown up some duds this season, but has also beaten Florida and Arkansas while remaining competitive throughout their season. As a result, they earned the top spot amongst a group of teams that have been equal parts brilliant and disappointing in SEC play.

Mississippi State should be higher than eighth, but who do you drop beneath them? A Vanderbilt team that has won three straight series, including two wins over top 10 teams? An Arkansas team that had avoided any embarrassing series losses until this week against Auburn?

Additionally, Georgia fell into the ninth spot by default. A 1-1 split with South Carolina didn't show us enough to make a strong move up the rankings, but know that the Bulldogs could have been ranked in the top half of the league and it would have made as much sense as their spot in ninth. The middle ground of the SEC is just loaded with supremely talented, but flawed, teams in 2012.

Rank	LW	Team	Record	Analysis
The Old Guard (and Kentucky)
1)	2)	South Carolina	38-13 (17-9)	The Gamecocks haven't lost a series in SEC play since falling to Florida back in March. They'll likely have to prove that they can handle the Gators next week in Hoover, but first their streak will be tested by LSU.
2)	3)	Florida	38-15 (16-11)	Despite being fourth in the standings, Florida is regarded by many as the SEC's top team right now. It was a tight race between them and South Carolina for the top spot in these rankings, so consider them 1b if that makes any difference. The Gators look destined for a national seed and have the ammunition on both sides of the ball to make a return trip to the national championship game this June.
3)	4)	Kentucky	41-12 (18-9)	The 'Cats did what they were supposed to do with a three-game sweep of Alabama. Then, they followed that up with a 7-3 loss to Murray State - a team that is 8-16 in the OVC. That's probably not the omen that this team was looking for as they fight to hang on to the SEC's regular season crown.
4)	1)	LSU	40-13 (17-10)	Couldn't close the door on a resurgent Vanderbilt squad on Senior Day at Alex Box Stadium. They can regain their lost ground by going to Columbia and beating South Carolina. It's a tall task, but a big run through the next two weeks could end up putting the Tigers in the top four when it comes to national seeds in the NCAA Tournament.
At This Point in Time, 5-9 Are Interchangeable, So Don't Get Too Mad or Excited
5)	8)	Ole Miss	34-19 (14-13)	Ole Miss takes the fifth spot by default. The Rebels are talented but their resume is a bit lacking. They've only got four series wins in SEC play, and half of those came against bottom-dwelling Alabama and Tennessee. While wins over Arkansas and Florida are impressive, they'll have to put in some more work if they want to be the fifth SEC team to host postseason baseball.
6)	5)	Arkansas	36-17 (13-14)	Those losses to Auburn hurt. It looked like the 'Hogs had turned a corner when they took two of three from Florida, but a 2-4 record over the past two weeks of conference play has re-raised some of the questions that followed this team earlier in the season. Can they regain their composure as the postseason looms?
7)	9)	Vanderbilt	26-25 (13-14)	Vandy has won just once on Friday this season, but the Commodores seem to thrive when playing from behind. They are 12-6 on Saturday and Sunday and that mark has them a weekend sweep away from qualifying for the NCAA Tournament.
8)	6)	Mississippi St.	31-21 (13-14)	Offense failed them this week, as they went 1-3 behind a paltry one run per game average. Chris Stratton took his first loss of the season on Friday against Florida, but he's still got the SEC Pitcher of the Year honors directly in his sights.
9)	7)	Georgia	30-22 (13-13)	Weather cut Georgia's opportunity to upset South Carolina short. However, based on the rest of their season, the narrative suggests that they would have battled hard before just falling short on Sunday. The Bulldogs can hang with anyone in the country, but they have a knack for coming up on the wrong end of close games.
Clinging to the Bubble
10)	10)	Auburn	29-24 (12-15)	Vandy's surge knocked them onto the wrong side of the selection committee's ledger despite an upset win over Arkansas last weekend. The Tigers have been a Jekyll and Hyde team all season, and no one really knows how they'll respond to the final two weeks of their season. Will they be the team that beat Ole Miss and LSU? Or will they be the guys who got swept by lowly Alabama?
The Alabama Zone.
11)	11)	Tennessee	24-28 (8-19)	After a 20-10 start to their season, the Volunteers are just 4-18 since April 6th. That's probably not how first year coach Dave Serrano pictured things ending.
12)	12)	Alabama	19-33 (7-20)	There's still time to mess up Georgia's season. It's been an awful year, but if the Tide can ruin things for both Auburn and the Bulldogs it's got to provide some consolation for their departing seniors…right?

Vanderbilt Baseball and the NCAA Tournament: Why You Need to Be at Hawkins Field This Weekend

2012-05-15T16:09:22Z

It may not be something we get to say often, but Vanderbilt fans are spoiled. Tim Corbin made us that way.

Corbin's leadership has created a franchise at Hawkins Field, a known commodity that operates and excels at the highest level of college athletics. He brought life to a moribund branch of Vanderbilt athletics, turning an afterthought into a staple of ESPN's NCAA baseball broadcasts. His methods of bringing northern recruits to the south has paid dividends and turned West End into a haven for baseball junkies and casual fans alike.

Before Corbin's arrival, Vanderbilt had been to three NCAA Tournaments in school history. In nine years as head coach, Corbin has taken this team to seven. His tenure has included two SEC Championships as well as a final four appearance in the College World Series. In no short order, Vanderbilt has developed into a national power in less than a decade.

The work that the Vanderbilt baseball staff and players have done to raise the profile of their university is nothing less than impressive. Now, the team needs its fans more than ever. Vandy boosters have had the opportunity to watch their club mature right before their eyes. After a slow start that seemed to doom the team's streak of NCAA appearances, the 'Dores have regained their composure to make a run at Omaha once again. Big wins this weekend could reasonable lock down a seventh straight trip to the NCAA Regionals.

The team took a tough road to get here. This 2012 Diamond 'Dore team faced the task of replacing 12 players that were drafted by MLB teams, including their entire weekend rotation and the heart of their batting lineup. Still, an influx of talented young players thanks to Corbin's deep recruiting veins was expected to keep this team afloat.

Unfortunately, the team learned early on that a rebuilding club and a killer schedule don't mix. Vandy started off the season 1-7 and 7-15 against an out-of-conference murderer's row that included top 25 teams Stanford, Oregon, and San Diego. Things only got more difficult when the 'Dores opened up conference play in a league that holds four of the country's top ten teams in any given week.

But as the schedule got tougher, so did the Commodores. Vanderbilt slowly turned things around as the offense woke up and the defense bowed up in the field. Things started gradually with a series win over Georgia. Then the team gave South Carolina and Mississippi State all they could handle in close losses. Finally, things all came together with victories over top-10 teams Kentucky and LSU, kicking off a three-week series winning streak and putting the team over .500 for the first time all season.

However, there's still work to be done.

Vanderbilt's season is on the line this weekend against Ole Miss. A sweep guarantees this team a winning record and a likely bid in Corbin's seventh straight NCAA Tournament. Anything less than two victories leaves the Commodores with plenty of work to do in the SEC Tournament. Suddenly, a relatively low-profile showdown with the Rebels has become the most important series of the season. Fortunately, it's happening at Hawkins Field.

This series is about the future as much as it is about this year. Vanderbilt fans know first hand the value of experience when it comes to tournament baseball. Corbin's team only made it to Omaha after 16 postseason games in the previous three years. Double-elimination brackets are won by equal parts skill and composure. This team has proven that the level of talent is there. However, composure has been a missing link throughout the season.

That hangs an ominous shadow over the remainder of this season, but playoff experience would do wonders for a young team heading into 2013. No one in Vanderbilt's pitching rotation has ever started a NCAA Tournament game. Approximately half of the team's starting lineup at the plate can say the same. That's an understandable thing when you've got a team full of freshmen and first-year starters, but a detriment for a team filled with returning players.

That second scenario is one that the Commodores can avoid with a big weekend against Ole Miss. Vanderbilt can earn invaluable experience while keeping the team's postseason streak alive with a big weekend at home. Ole Miss will present a significant challenge. The Rebels are currently ranked 25th in BaseballAmerica's poll and they're stil jockeying for the opportunity to host a Regional back in Oxford. Still, Corbin's team has conquered tougher challenges this season. They'll need to make Mississippi the fourth entry in the list of ranked teams they have beaten in series play this year in order to take another step towards finishing their turnaround.

Vandy baseball is on the precipice of an impressive comeback. They'll have the opportunity to lock down a NCAA Tournament bid with a big performance this weekend. That will start this Thursday at the Hawk, but the 'Dores will have to overcome empty dorms and a weeknight start to pack the stadium that has become the heart of baseball in Tennessee. That's a big burden for a modest fanbase to carry, but the black and gold should be out in force for all three games this weekend. After all, we may be spoiled, but we're still loyal.

A Weekend Affair: Vanderbilt Springs Over .500 With Weekend Wins at #4 LSU

2012-05-14T15:28:07Z

It took three months, but Vanderbilt is finally starting to look like the top 10 program that many pundits thought they could be during the preseason.

Vanderbilt needed some big wins this week to put themselves in contention for a spot in the NCAA Tournament. However, matchups with #22 Louisville and #4 LSU made the Diamond 'Dores a hearty underdog on the field. The Vanderbilt team that was pressed into action against Stanford back in February would have crumbled against those odds. The newly matured Commodores shone this time around.

Vandy posted their most significant victories of the season when they needed them the most, being Louisville at home and taking a key series at LSU to improve to 26-25 on the season. They succeeded where Florida, Ole Miss, Arkansas, and Mississippi State had failed to topple the West-leading Tigers with a dramatic 10th-inning win on Sunday. The Commodores' pitching, a major problem for this team earlier in the year, came up huge to lock Vandy in to a spot in the SEC Tournament. The team allowed just 10 total runs in their four games this week.

The wins were a major boost for a team that has slowly rounded into form this season. Vanderbilt looked to have been hitting their stride weeks earlier, but a series loss to Alabama was a significant setback in the team's quest for a winning record and eligibility for the NCAA Tournament. The team was forced to come up big against top-10 squads like Kentucky and LSU, and they were able to rumble through each series with meaningful victories. With the wins, Vanderbilt has placed themselves on the happy side of the tournament bubble - for now.

Game 0: Vanderbilt 3, Louisville 2 - The Commodores came from behind to dispatch cross-league rival Louisville on Tuesday and reach .500 for the first time all season. Vandy trailed 2-1 late in the game, but a two-out single by Mike Yastrzemski scored Vince Conde in the seventh, and Conrad Gregor scored on a wild pitch one inning later to give the 'Dores all the runs they'd need. Kevin Ziomek, Drew VerHagen, and Brian Miller combined to limit the Cardinals to just four hits on the night. The two teams made their rivalry official this year with the "Battle for the Barrel," and Vandy earned the right to keep the whiskey barrel trophy in Nashville until the two teams meet again next season.

Game 1: LSU 2, Vanderbilt 1 - T.J. Pecoraro stood out in a complete game performance, but it wasn't enough as the 'Dores fell in a pitchers' duel to kick off the weekend series. Kevin Gausman fanned 11 Vandy batters in a performance befitting an ace to earn the win. Mike Yastrzemski had the team's lone RBI, once again singling home Conde. Pecoraro allowed just six baserunners over eight innings, constituting his best outing of the season so far.

More game recaps and AoG's prestigious awards are after the jump...

Game 2: Vanderbilt 6, LSU 3 - Vandy rebounded on Saturday to even the series behind Anthony Gomez's four hits and a strong showing on the mound. LSU looked to rally late in the game, putting the tying run at the plate in the eighth inning, but Will Clinard was effective in relief to lock down his third save of the season. Sam Selman's first weekend start in SEC play had its ups and downs. The junior allowed just one run over five innings, but also walked four batters and had a wild pitch over that stretch. However, his otherwise solid start and Kevin Ziomek's fine bullpen work on Sunday should keep the hard-throwing lefty in the rotation for the time being.

Game 3: Vanderbilt 5, LSU 4 (10 innings) - If Vanderbilt makes a deep run in the NCAA Tournament, this will be the moment that fans remember as the turning point for this team. The Commodores trailed 4-3 in the ninth inning after stranding runners on base throughout the game, but Yastrzemski's leadoff homer sent the game into extra frames. It again looked like the team had wasted an opportunity when two bunt attempts failed to capitalize on Connor Harrell's leadoff triple in the 10th, but Tony Kemp's two-out single ended up bringing home the game-winner and pushing Vandy over .500 on the season. It was a big win for a team that needed a rallying point heading into the final stretch of their season.

The Henry Rowengartner Hot-Ice Excellence in Pitching Award Goes to...

T.J. Pecoraro. Pecoraro finally delivered the performance that Vandy fans had been waiting for after the talented pitcher's freshman year was cut short by an arm injury. The sophomore was impressive on Friday, allowing just five hits over eight innings against a talented LSU lineup. Unfortunately, Pecoraro was saddled with a hard-luck loss thanks to Kevin Gausman's brilliance on the other end, but that start was a ray of hope for a pitching staff that has been searching for an ace all season.

The Clu Haywood "How's your wife and my kids?" Destroyer of Pitchers Award Goes to...

Mike Yastrzemski. Yaz only had three RBI all weekend, but all three were huge for the Commodores. His RBI single tied things up late in the game against Louisville on Tuesday. Then, on Friday, another RBI single gave the 'Dores their only run against Kevin Gausman. Finally, his 9th-inning homer on Sunday sent the game to extra innings and gave Vandy the chance to snatch a series victory from the jaws of defeat. Yaz drank the clutch juice this weekend, and he provided an invaluable veteran presence at the plate for the Commodores as a result.

And the Valley Shook Breaks Down This Weekend's Vandy/LSU Matchup

2012-05-11T15:41:29Z

And the Valley Shook Breaks Down This Weekend's Vandy/LSU Matchup

PodKATT over at And the Valley Shook has a preview of this weekend's baseball showdown between Vanderbilt and LSU. The article features a Q&A with yours truly where we talk about Connor Harrell, Vanderbilt's momentum, and the postseason. Check it out if you're looking for insight into one of Vanderbilt's biggest series of the season.

Vanderbilt Football 2012: Warren Norman Looks to Rise Back to Prominence

2012-05-10T16:42:59Z

In 2010, we heralded Warren Norman as the best running back in the state of Tennessee. Now, after two injury-riddled seasons, the elusive do-everything back will have the chance to back up our bold claims.

Norman has faded into the background as a forgotten man over the course of Zac Stacy's breakout season, but that doesn't mean that he's not dangerous. The SEC's all-time leader in all-purpose yards is finally healthy and looking to make his mark on a rising Commodore team. Norman was cleared for spring practices earlier this April, and while he didn't play in the spring game due to health concerns, there's plenty of optimism surrounding his return to Dudley Field this August.

The redshirt junior made an immediate impact upon his arrival at Vanderbilt. Despite a relatively unheralded high school career, Norman's first game in black and gold ended with 105 rushing yards and two touchdowns. He finished the season with a 4.9 yard-per-carry average and led the team with 783 yards, the most of any Commodore since Kwane Doster in 2002. More importantly, his 1,941 all-purpose yards set team and conference records. There were games, notably in a 13-16 loss to Army, where Norman wasn't just featured on offense - he was the team's offense.

Then, the injuries hit. He missed five games at the end of 2010 due to a dislocated wrist. His 2011 was erased entirely due to a lingering knee injury. Norman attempted to rehab through the pain and was often listed as a member of the team's depth chart, but didn't play a snap last season. This extensive rehab process held him out of much of Vandy's spring work.

In that meantime, Norman has gone from being the best back in the Volunteer State to not even being the best back on his own team. Vanderbilt fans dealt with the frustration of seeing Norman's name on the depth chart each Wednesday and continually being told that the junior was "at about 80-90%." Every week teased the promise of his return, but as Norman rehabbed, Stacy slid into his role. By the time Stacy was putting up 100-yard efforts against SEC foes, Coach Franklin and his staff quietly announced that they were shutting Vandy's former SEC Freshman of the Year down for a redshirt season.

The Commodores won six games without Norman thanks to James Franklin's cultural resurgence on Natchez Trace. It's difficult to gauge just how much better this team would have been with him. Vanderbilt squandered several close games last season where an extra gear on offense could have been the difference between victory and defeat. Notably, games against Arkansas, Tennessee, and Florida could have benefitted from Norman's experience in the backfield and on special teams.

The other side of the story is Stacy's emergence as a revelation at tailback. For the first two years of their careers at Vanderbilt Norman was 1A and Stacy was 1B at tailback. The two combined to create a solid platoon, but their running game wasn't as effective as Stacy's was as a singular presence in 2011. Much of this could be attributed to an improved passing game - it's no coincidence that Vanderbilt's running game improved when Jordan Rodgers took over for Larry Smith - but you can't discount the passion and strength that Stacy brought to the team as their lead back.

Stacy will likely bring that intensity back to the lineup in 2012 as the first name on the depth chart, but he'll have an even more effective change-of-pace guy behind him in Norman. Jerron Seymour filled in admirably in the tailback rotation in 2011, but he'll cede carries to the more established Norman in the coming year.

So what will Warren Norman's role be as he returns to the lineup this season? That's a question that gives James Franklin a happy problem to solve. Norman's versatility and Stacy's emergence at tailback should give the team free rein to unleash the redshirt junior on special teams, where he had three return touchdowns as a freshman. He'll also fit in to Stacy's old role as 1B on the RB chart, giving the 'Dores a running attack that, when healthy, will rank amongst the best in the SEC.

Last season proved that the team's success does not hinge on the health of one of their biggest performers. However, it's clear that Warren Norman's presence will make this team better. He brings an elusive athlete to the backfield and an explosive option to Vanderbilt's special teams. While he'll have an uphill battle to reclaim his starting spot, there's no doubt that he's a valuable rotation member at RB when he's healthy. For James Franklin and his staff, that trick will be getting him through a 12-game season for the first time in his career.