Today On Rocky Top: Stronger Tennessee Levels SEC Playing Field & More

September 29, 2012; Athens, GA, USA; Tennessee Volunteers running back Marlin Lane (15) is tackled by Georgia Bulldogs cornerback Sanders Commings (19) in the game at Sanford Stadium. The Bulldogs won 51-44. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Shirey-USA TODAY Sports

From Go Vols Xtra

"In case you’ve missed it while on the royal baby watch, there has been considerable hand-wringing over inequities in the SEC football schedule.“I’d have to say,’’ LSU coach Les Miles said last week at SEC Media Days, “there’s a repeated scheduling advantage and disadvantage for certain teams in this conference based on tradition and traditional matchups.’’Steve Spurrier couldn’t resist chiming in, noting the paths Alabama and Georgia took to the 2012 SEC championship game:“Alabama didn’t play the top three teams in the East and Georgia did not play the three top teams in the West. Scheduling does make a difference.’’You know who could resolve this travesty of justice and level the playing field?"

From The Tennessean

"Chamique Holdsclaw, the centerpiece ofTennessee’s three straight women’s basketball championships from 1996-98, is spending a couple of days this week at a youth basketball camp.She admits that it’s by the “grace and mercy” of God — as well as an Atlanta judge — that she’s able to do so.Holdsclaw was arrested in November after police said she fired a shot into a car belonging to former girlfriend Jennifer Lacy and also used a bat to smash the car’s windows. Holdsclaw pleaded guilty last month to aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony and was sentenced to three years’ probation and 120 hours of community service."

From Go Vols Xtra

"ESPN impounded half the SEC football coaches on Tuesday, dressing up the seizure as a “car wash.”Butch Jones made the trip, ducking into a morning charter flight bound for Bristol, Conn. According to the ever-watchful eye of social media, he and his University of Tennessee entourage, including son, Alex, left Knoxville at 7:20 a.m.Arriving on ESPN’s campus, Jones was joined by Arkansas coach Bret Bielema, Auburn’s Gus Malzahn, Florida’s Will Muschamp, South Carolina’s Steve Spurrier and Kentucky’s Mark Stoops. One imagines them looking at each other and collectively saying, “Why are we together again?”The six just traversed SEC Media Days last week — a three-day circus functioning as a feeding frenzy for ESPN. As did the SEC’s eight other coaches, who all likewise traveled to Bristol on Monday."

From Nooga.com

"As of late Monday morning it’s been close to 24 hours without Tennessee receiving another football commitment for the class of 2014.Consider it a drought.That’s how frenzied recruiting has been recently for UT and coach Butch Jones, who snagged six commitments in an eight-day span starting on July 14 and ending Sunday afternoon.It was an impressive bunch, too. Going by Rivals.com rankings, there were five four-star commitments –  safety Cortez McDowell, receiver Eric Lauderdale, receiver Dominique Booth, safety RaShaan Gaulden and linebacker Kevin Mouhon. That’s not to discount three-star offensive lineman Ray Raulerson, who, from a needs perspective, might’ve been the biggest get of the bunch."

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