1. I hate to start the day off with this, but it needs to be addressed. Two ex-Vanderbilt football players were convicted of rape Wednesday, and two more are still awaiting trial. It’s a black eye for the school, for the conference and for college football. The verdict likely gave some closure to the victim, but this is not going away anytime soon for the Commodores football program. Is it fair for head coach Derek Mason who took over after the incident occurred? No, but he’s the one who will have to deal with the consequences. One can only hope that the culture has changed under Mason's watch. And maybe all this will send a message to other student-athletes. Here’s to not having to address these types of issues as often in college football.
2. On a different note, we are officially one week from national signing day. Who’s ready? ESPNU will have wall-to-wall coverage next Wednesday with more than 15 live commitments and reporters on different college campuses across the country. There’s plenty of intrigue with six of the top 10 players in the ESPN 300 still uncommitted, and some believe Auburn, Florida and USC will make the most noise on signing day. The biggest name to watch will be five-star quarterback Kyler Murray, who is in the middle of a Lone Star recruiting battle for the ages. Will he stick with his current Texas A&M commitment or will he flip to the Longhorns and go play for head coach Charlie Strong? We’ll have to wait and see.
Around the SEC
A look at why the Tosh Lupoi hire makes sense on multiple levels for Alabama.
Film study: Auburn needs running mates for defensive tackle Montravius Adams inside.
Can ACL injuries be prevented? Georgia wide receiver Malcolm Mitchell is skeptical.
Two South Carolina wide receivers have decided to leave the football team.
Tweet of the day
I love recruiting FLORIDA! 8 more days! #HottyToddy
— Chris Kiffin (@Chris_Kiffin) January 27, 2015