Nutt likes new attitude at Ole Miss : govolsxtra.com

HOOVER, Ala. — It’s nice to be loved again.

Last year at SEC Football Media Days, Houston Nutt reflected on a tormented offseason. Phone records made public. Affairs alleged. High-profile players leaving. Parents of high-profile players taking potshots. Coordinators quitting.

But that was Arkansas.

Thursday, Nutt stood on the same stage and talked about the re-energizing outpouring of support once he abandoned the Razorback soap opera in favor of Ole Miss.

Nutt was hired shortly after Mississippi dumped Ed Orgeron following a third consecutive miserable season.

“I’m proud that they wanted us in their family,’’ Nutt said. “They see something there.

“What’s more important, the players feel the same way. You can see that by their attitude.’’

Of the league’s 12 coaches, Nutt joins Steve Spurrier, Nick Saban and Tommy Tuberville in having switched from one league school to another. He did so after 10 years at Arkansas.

“I’m very excited to be the head coach at Ole Miss University,’’ he said, not quite getting the name right.

“We’ve had a good transition. It seems like we’ve been there a long time already.’’

He’s not well acquainted with his successor at Arkansas, Bobby Petrino. They were on opposite sidelines once, when Nutt was head coach at Boise State and Petrino a coordinator at Utah State.

They’ll square off across the field again on Oct. 25, when Nutt leads the Rebels into Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville.

“You can’t help think about it,’’ he said. “You grew up in Arkansas. You thought at one time you’d be there for life.

“You can’t help but think what it’s going to be like coming in from the visitors’ side.’’

He’s No Playboy: Ever wholesome Florida quarterback Tim Tebow declined to appear on Playboy magazine’s annual All-America team, following the example of his 1996 counterpart, Danny Wuerffel.

Playboy then selected West Virginia’s Pat White. Ole Miss offense tackle Michael Oher said he enjoyed participating in the recent photo shoot in Phoenix.

Saban Quotes Hanks: Alabama coach Nick Saban refused to take umbrage with LSU coach Les Miles’ crack to a booster club that LSU’s win over Alabama wasn’t that big of a deal since another team from the state (Louisiana-Monroe) also beat Alabama last fall.

“He told the truth,’’ Saban said. “He told it like it was.

“We need to earn it. That’s what Tom Hanks told Private Ryan (in the movie “Saving Private Ryan”) on the bridge after 12 guys got killed getting him of there. Tom Hanks says, ‘Earn this.’ ’’

Grasp And Release: The facemask penalty is different for 2008.

The 5-yard facemask penalty has been eliminated. Any flag for the infraction will be a 15-yard walk-off.

However, Rogers Redding, supervisor of SEC officiating, said merely grasping the facemask and releasing it will no longer result in any penalty.

“Grabbing and releasing or not twisting is not going to be a foul,’’ Redding said. “It will be a foul if the player grabs the facemask, twists it, turns it or pulls it. That’s a safety issue.’’

A horse-collar tackle will also result in a penalty, Redding said.

Purple With That Gold: LSU’s Trindon Holliday hoped to make the U.S. Olympic team in the 100 meters but did not do so.

“Good news and bad news,’’ said Miles. “We would have loved seeing him compete for our country, but that means he’s back in the fold for football.’’

Culture Shock: Tennessee tailback Arian Foster was asked were there any similarities between San Diego, his hometown, and Knoxville.

“No,’’ Foster said quickly.

After thinking for a second, he added, “The sun comes up in the East.’’