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.The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Nearly a third of Southeastern Conference coaches enter the season with questions about their futures and potential make-or-break seasons looming over their programs.Charlotte Hornets Jerseys Online .Kevin Sumlin and Gus Malzahn, offensive whizzes who have coached Heisman Trophy-winning quarterbacks, are facing pressure to return to the top half of the SEC West standings.LSU begins the season ranked No. 5, with Les Miles hoping to ride Leonard Fournette back into SEC and national title contention after barely holding onto his job last season. Kentuckys Mark Stoops and Vanderbilts Derek Mason also may need to show some progress to hang on to their jobs.The good news for the coaches is that its opening week, where they can start control what happens to them going forward on the field instead of dealing with questions off it. Of course, the flip side is the intensity of the scrutiny will increase with poor performances.We have pegged our loyalties to LSU and were going to coach like weve always coached, Miles said. Im going to bust my tail, put the best team on the field that is possible, which at LSU is a damn good football team. And Im not going to look behind. Im not going to let anyone on the perimeter distract me.Miles appears to have a team that could challenge No. 1 Alabama in the Western Division a year after a three-game skid put his job in jeopardy. Hes lost at least three SEC games in each of the past three seasons but also led LSU to a pair of national championship games.Ending a five-game losing streak to Nick Sabans Crimson Tide would help wipe out any lingering questions of his security.Malzahn and Sumlin, meanwhile, had great success in their debut seasons with dual-threat quarterbacks but have each posted two straight mediocre records including struggles within the league. They open with big challenges even before they can even start trying to climb up the typically loaded SEC West.Auburn faces No. 2 Clemson and Texas A&M plays No. 16 UCLA. If the season should really unravel, it would cost Texas A&M $15 million to fire Sumlin; Auburn would owe Malzahn $9 million.Malzahn has won just six SEC games combined the past two seasons after debuting with an SEC title and national championship game berth in 2013. Hes facing some heat after going 7-6 in a season when Auburn opened as a popular pick to win the league.Last year obviously we were disappointed with the ways things turned out, Malzahn said. If youre a competitor, you want to do something about it. Our teams kind of had a chip on their shoulder in the offseason, which I think is good.Sumlin got off to a great start, too. His Johnny Manziel-led inaugural team finished 11-2, followed by 9-4. The last two teams have won eight games apiece but also finished sixth and tied for fifth in the ultra-competitive West after going 3-5 and 4-4. The Aggies have opened both those seasons with five straight wins.Weve got to figure out whats going on in the back half, I guess, Sumlin said. Weve spent a lot of time in the offseason talking about what were doing well and what were not doing well, and try to stay ahead of the curve on what we do well and then address some things on the back end.He may have found one answer in quarterback Trevor Knight, a graduate transfer from Oklahoma who arrives after two highly touted passers transferred.Vanderbilts Mason is 7-17 in two seasons after the Commodores had made three straight bowl games for the first time in school history. That includes just two SEC wins, but he has eight returning starters on each side of the ball.Were playing with a big chip on our shoulder, Mason said. We understand exactly where were at.Kentuckys Stoops has downplayed talk about this being a pivotal season or possibly being on the hot seat, and Kentucky would owe him the remaining $12 million on his contract if hes fired. Plus, Stoops has won five games each of the past two seasons, flirting with bowl trips and dramatically improving from his 2-10 debut.You get more comfortable at what youre doing and going into the fourth year as a head coach, he said. I better be better than I was year one, right?---AP Sports Writers Teresa Walker, David Brandt and Gary Graves contributed to this report. Cheap Nike Hornets Jerseys . Tevez, who has had conflicts with coaches in the past, has not been called up since Sabella was named coach in 2011. Argentina boasts Lionel Messi, Gonzalo Higuain, Sergio Aguero, Ezequiel Lavezzi and Angel Di Maria. Wholesale Charlotte Hornets Jerseys . The quest begins with what is supposed to be an easy one, although Germany has traditionally been a stubborn opponent to Canadian teams at international tournaments. http://www.cheaphornetsjerseys.us/ . Philadelphia is 2-0 against the Senators this season and scored five goals in each victory. The Flyers recorded a 5-0 win in Ottawa on Nov. 12 and then earned a 5-2 home decision on Nov. 19. The Flyers have claimed three straight and four of the last five encounters with the Sens overall and Philly has won two in a row and three of its past four tests in Canadas capital city. TORONTO -- MVP: Most Versatile Pitcher.The humble workhorse in a wipeout bullpen, Andrew Miller was selected American League Championship Series MVP after his latest splendid performance in relief helped the Cleveland Indians win their first pennant since 1997.Miller tossed 2? scoreless innings in a 3-0 victory Wednesday over Toronto, capping a five-game series in which the lanky left-hander overpowered the dangerous?Blue Jays.He struck out 14 of the 26 Toronto batters he faced over four games -- an ALCS record for a reliever. Miller gave up three hits in 7? shutout innings and earned a four-out save in Game 3.At this point of the year, you just find a way. Thats all that matters. Its about winning, Miller said. I would have given up 100 runs if we won 101-100. Thats all that matters is were going to the World Series, and thats a special experience and I cant wait.After capturing their sixth pennant, thanks in large part to Miller, the Indians are four wins from their first championship since 1948.Miller became just the fourth reliever ever to win the award, joining Dennis Eckersley (1988), Mariano Rivera (2003) and Koji Uehara (2013).Miller was acquired from the New York Yankees for a package of prospects in a July 31 trade, and Cleveland had an interesting idea of how to use him. Rather than restricting him to a closer role or using him only in the eighth inning, the Indians have been flexible with Miller -- especially in the postseason.Its so fun to be a part of this team, Miller said. I really enjoyed my time with the Yankees. Its tough when you leave a comfort zone and a place that you like and people that you like. But I knew I was coming to a team that had won a lot and had expectations to win more.Now, whenever the Indians have a lead in the middle innings, the 6-foot-7 lefty begins looming large in the bullpen -- and Miller time is near.With that nasty slider and a sizzling fastball he spots to both sides of the plate, he struck out 21 of 41 batters during the AL playoffs. He has allowed a mere six hits over 20 scoreless innings in his postseason career.Drafted sixth overall by Detroit?out of North Carolina in 2006, Miller was part of the blockbuster deall that sent Miguel Cabrera from the Marlins to the Tigers after the 2007 season. Cheap Charlotte Hornets Jerseys. Miller made 66 starts in the majors but never fulfilled his promise until switching to the bullpen. His first full season as a reliever -- with Boston?in 2012 -- provided a hint of what was possible.Miller posted a 3.35 ERA in 53 appearances that year, and the following season he dominated hitters with 48 strikeouts in 30? innings.After stops with Baltimore?and the Yankees, Miller ended up in Cleveland, and the Indians had an unorthodox plan for his usage.When they were upstairs in their meetings about the trade talks and they were talking about Andrew, they were actually talking -- and I was in there listening and doing some talking -- just about how he would fit into a bullpen and how you could leverage him, just like we are now, manager Terry Francona said recently. So the thought was alive before we got him. We envisioned using him like we are.There are plenty of other important contributors in the Cleveland bullpen, particularly closer Cody Allen, who had 32 saves during the regular season and hasnt allowed a run in the postseason.In fact, Indians relievers racked up 22 innings in the ALCS -- the same amount as their starters.But its Miller who strikes the most fear in opposing hitters after he whiffed a whopping 14.9 per nine innings this season while going 10-1 with a 1.45 ERA and 12 saves.In the playoff opener against Boston, Miller entered in the fifth inning and pitched into the seventh. That set the tone for an October in which Miller could be available pretty much any time the Indians need him.Miller has tossed 11? shutout innings in six postseason appearances. Its a workload that might not be sustainable in the regular season, but with off days built into the playoff schedule, this approach has served the Indians well.All that matters are outs. All that matters are wins. It honestly does not matter how we get there, Miller said. And I think top to bottom, this team believes in that.The Associated Press contributed to this report.? Wholesale Throwback Jerseys Wholesale Black NFL Jerseys China Jerseys Wholesale NFL HoodiesWholesale NFL T-shirts Cheap Jerseys Throwback Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic ' ' '
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