HOOVER, Ala. – Bo Wallace came to SEC Media Days to talk about his upcoming senior season at Ole Miss. The quarterback returns as the SEC’s most accomplished passer (3,300+ yards and 18 touchdowns in 2013), and is expected to have another big year for the Rebels.
Yet it was his comments about the University of Tennessee that have caused quite the stir.
Forgive me for not having the exact quotes to publish – I wasn’t exactly expecting Bo Wallace to hammer home the final nail into the Lane Kiffin quarterback coffin. But hammer home he did. Wallace told the media assembled around his podium that Tennessee only came to watch him throw one time during his senior season at Giles County High School in Pulaski, TN – a mere 3 and ½ hour drive from Knoxville.
What ever became of that visit, Bo?
“That was it,” said Wallace.
Wallace wasn’t exactly a blue-chip signal caller coming out of high school, but for Kiffin to only visit him once (in a year that saw the former UT coach pick Matt Simms over Cam Newton for the second quarterback in the 2010 class) doesn’t exactly do any favors for Lane’s Tennessee legacy. Another visit or two may have proved beneficial. But I digress.
Wallace said that Tennessee was his favorite team growing up and that he always wanted to play there. He told reporters that it had been a dream of his to play in Neyland Stadium wearing the orange and white. He will get to play against the Vols this year when Tennessee travels to Oxford in mid-October.
You may be asking why this is such a big deal?
Bo Wallace isn’t Peyton Manning, I get that. But he is likely the top pure passing quarterback in the SEC for 2014, and given Tennessee’s recent struggles at the position it would have been nice to have a player of his quality under center.
I think Wallace’s statements can also put to bed this notion that Lane Kiffin is some kind of quarterback wizard. Kiffin told both Tajh Boyd (who won 32 games in three seasons Clemson) and Bryce Petty (4,200 yards and 32 touchdowns last season for Baylor) that they weren’t good enough – Weren’t. Good. Enough. – to play at Tennessee when he took over for the Vols in 2009.
Wallace was good enough in 2013 to return as the SEC’s leader in pass attempts, completions, yards and touchdowns in 2014.
When was the last time Tennessee had a guy that was good enough to do that, Lane? But, hey, maybe you really are a quarterback wizard. If so, here’s hoping you continue exercising that wizardry in T-town.
