Missouri Tiger's New Look

Missouri unveiled its new football uniforms over the weekend. The Tigers are headed to the Southeastern Conference and wanted to celebrate the new beginning with a new look.

The new look is contemporary styling of course. Gone is the block “M” on the helmets. A large, mean-looking Tiger is now the showcase of the helmets. The Nike uniforms feature uniforms shirts in gold, white and black. I don’t see a huge difference in the old uniform tops just the more modern look. The pants are pretty standard looking.

Missouri said that recruits are interested in uniform styles. I guess they want to think they are “styling” as the youth say. Does dressing for success include the style of college football uniforms? I hope college kids are smarter to select a school based on more than who has the coolest uniforms.

But in the grand scheme of things, Missouri has more challenges moving to the SEC than looking good in its uniforms. I can think of three easily: Alabama, Auburn and LSU. I don’t care how the Tigers look if they cannot become competitive with a talented SEC.

Missouri wants to keep people from saying it looked good in defeat. That will be a tall order in the SEC.

Texas A&M Moves Forward

The Southeast Conference officially welcomed Texas A&M to its league over the weekend. The Aggies will compete in the SEC beginning next season.

Although some Big 12 Conference members were threatening to sue A&M for leaving their group, one knew this thing would eventually become settled. The football marriage had ended and the Aggies already claimed another lover.

But A&M now must survive its final year in the Big 12. The Aggies are officially the most marked team in the league. Few teams will have difficulty becoming inspired for their game with the Aggies. For a reference point, see Nebraska and Colorado (two other departed members) last year.

I will miss the Aggies in the Big 12. They compete well in the two sports (football and men’s basketball) people closely follow. And even if A&M won’t admit it, I’m sure they will miss the rivalries in the conference especially with the Texas schools.

But things in college sports are in a flux and it is going to become hard to hang on to the good ‘ole days. A&M believes it will move up in the college sports world. The real question begs whether the Aggies will meet the great challenge or wished they stayed with the status quo.

Why the Negative Talk About Georgia's Richt?

The pinks slips for college football coaches are already in the mail. Minnesota and North Texas are looking and others will be issuing their own pink slips.

And apparently people aren’t happy with Mark Richt at Georgia. That puzzles me.

Here’s a guy with a 93-31 record in his 10th season in Athens. He has guided the Bulldogs to nine straight bowl victories. He teams usually compete well in the rugged Southeast Conference.

But this year has been a struggle. The Bulldogs are 3-4 overall and 2-3 in the conference. Plus, Georgia has had a number of off the field issues with players. Some say Richt has lost control. There is still time to right the ship on both accounts however.

My problem is that the discontent appears focused on one season.

Richt hasn’t all of a sudden forgotten how to coach. He is still a great leader of young men.

Sometimes a team will record a bad season. Sometimes players get into trouble. That happens when you have a group of 110 teens and 20-some-year-olds.

Richt is a good football coach and a better man. He has a proven body of work. Georgia fans need to lighten up and stay the course.

Georgia could do a whole lot worse with a new football coach.

What do you think of the Georgia situation?

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HOUSEKEEPING--In a previous blog, I connected coach Skip Holtz still with East Carolina. I forget that he moved to South Florida. Sorry for the error.