SEC Preview and Predictions Week 9

Eastern Michigan @ Arky- Arkansas rolls, no doubt in my mind. Mallet goes off and the Hogs get back on the winning side.

Tulane @ LSU- This will be the last meeting between these two school as the Tigers would like to go beat up on someone else. Tigers roll and win as they get prepared for next weeks showdown at Alabama.

School located in Atlanta @ Vandy- Vandy has been down right awful on offense. With key injuries to major talent, it will be tough to win. School located in Atlanta wins again.

Miss. St @ Kentucky- This one will come down to the wire and the loser will have a hard time recovering from this one. The Wildcats get Micah Johnson back and look for more of Randall Cobb in the Wildcat formation. Cats win.

Ole Miss @ Auburn- Auburn has stumbled big time in SEC play as they have lost their past three games after winning the first five. Look for the Ole Miss Defense to play hard like they have all year and for Snead to get the ball rolling. Rebels win going away.

South Carolina @ Tenneesee- Lane Kiffin again will have to put up or shut up as he is remembered for saying that a SC commit would be pumping gas if he went there....real classy you freaking turd. Both teams have great defenses but their offenses have looked sluggish at times. I like Garcia better than Crapton. So Cocks pick up the W and Spurrier is familiar with winning at Tenneesee.

UGA vs Florida- In order for UGA to have any shot at winning this, the offense has to come out firing on all cylinders. People maybe falling in love with Alabama's D but UF has the #1 overall. Gators have a two-man rotation at every defensive position, that's why I think there better than Bama. UGA will hang in there with their own D but Cox and King have to play the game of their lives. As crazy as it sounds and you can rag me all you want but I'm picking UGA. Somehow, someway they get it done.


Another week in, have a great weekend, Happy Halloween and Go Dawgs!

WLOCP

Its that time of year where Halloween has arrived, cool air has taken place and the annual WLOCP is upon us. I have to abbrivate due to the NCAA not calling it by that name anymore. Anywho, Georgia and Florida will meet once agian and this time their is no contraversy(for now) that follows it. We all know what has happend the past two meetings where in 2007 UGA rushed the field after scoring on the opening drive. Which in turn made Urban Meyer write a book and describe in third person how he was going to get revenge. The Gators just clowned the Dawgs last year and after the second quarter the game was pretty much won for UF. This year Florida comes in still ranked #1 despite playing some suspect football but lets not fool ourselves, Tebow is still around and for the proclaimed gator fans who say there tired of him? Let go of the crack pipe. UGA has had two weeks to prepare for this game which last time that happend, UGA rolled to a 42-30 "Gator Stomp" victory. However, the Dawgs are not quite the team they were back in '07. Its been an up and down year for the Dawgs with shaky play coming from about every position. Its hard to say what team will show up for this one. I do think they will come out with confidence and emotion but that can only take you so far. It should be another close game for both squads with two or three plays that will decide the outcome as it always has. Hopefully, their will be barking all night long on the Landing.

Illegal procedures

This is an interesting article I thought I would share from Steve Patterson of UGAsports.com..enjoy!



I blame it all on Mark Richt and the Georgia Bulldogs. After all, it is they, I believe, who angered Zebrus, the Greek God of Refs so much that teams in the Southeastern Conference are still paying for the Dawgs' celebration in Jacksonville in 2007. Many believed that penance had been paid when yellow flags rained down and the Dawgs drowned in a sea of points a year after the sin, but we now know that it was just the beginning.

Richt has a discussion with the officials in the 2008 Georgia-Florida game.Since the moment A.J. Green was called for excessive celebration in the final minutes of the LSU game, suspicious eyes have been on SEC officials. The call was so bad that the league office admitted the botched call a few days later. Not that the admission reversed a call that it could be argued cost Georgia the game by giving the Tigers 15 fewer yards to cover in the final minutes of the game.
Regardless, another event that took place after the game kicked off a conversation that at first seemed like something out of a conspiracy novel. When college football commentator Tim Brando suggested that there was more to the situation than just a bad call, a topic that otherwise would have been relegated to fan blogs and message boards suddenly entered the mainstream.
In case you missed it, here is what Brando said on the CBS's college football post game show: "There are more of these calls in the Southeastern Conference than any other league in America, and I am going to that because it is up to the discretion and judgment of the official that I think now that the politics of the community and of the area are going to be called into question. You don't want this to happen, because if we take this conversation where we could, it is not going to bode well for the Southeastern Conference." At the time, many believed Brando was alluding to some kind of racial issue involving the dynamics of the relationship between referees, who are largely older white guys, and players, who are largely young black guys, when he included the phrase "politics of the community and of the area". Considering the history of racial issues in the American South, the assumption that Brando was talking about race did not seem that farfetched, especially when other explanations are offered. Chief among them is this quote from Brando: "Rogers Redding, who is in charge of the SEC officials, had better tell his officials you 'had better cease and desist on calling them so quickly."
"So quickly"? What does that mean? Was Brando insinuating that the penalty was pre-ordained but executed in a manner that would raise suspicion? Whatever he meant by all of that, Redding quickly put out the fire by saying two days later that video evidence did not support calling the penalty and that it was a bad call. Case closed. Fire extinguished. Nothing to see here folks; move along. But while "so quickly" resonated in the minds of college football observers, another event occurred two weeks after the Georgia-LSU game that brought bad calls back to center stage.
With the No. 1 team in the country on the ropes in their own house, second year head coach Bobby Petrino was about to provide the "signature win" that would usher him in as an SEC coach, but then things began to go wrong. The two biggies were first a pass interference call that gave Florida a first down at the Arkansas 21 yard line, and then on the following play a personal foul was called on the Razorbacks that put the Gators at first and goal from the ten. While bad calls are one thing, and it is not like the problem is exclusive to the SEC, a penalty flag thrown by a referee who later admits he did not even see the play and only caught it out of the corner of his eye is quite another. Florida scored on the next play to tie the game at 20. They later added a field goal to win the game. Another chapter for the conspiracy theorists was in the books. Petrino was livid and blasted the officials publicly after the game. The SEC responded by saying "there was no evidence on the video to support the personal foul penalty" and suspended the officiating crew, which was the same crew that had botched the call against Green in the Georgia-LSU game, and then served Petrino a reprimand for violating league policies that prohibit "coaches, players and support personnel" from publicly criticizing referees.
What Petrino said to warrant the reprimand had another effect, and that was to provide even more fodder for the canons of conspiracy, and that was the notion that SEC was protecting its cash cows. After sharing his thoughts on how one of the plays should have been called, Petrino said: "Unfortunately, in Florida, they don't call it that way." What does that mean? Is he saying that the level of enforcement of rules varies by virtue of where the game is played or who is playing? Who knows? As was the case with Redding's admission of the bad call in the UGA-LSU game that did away with Brando comments, the SEC's successfully muzzled Petrino from elaborating. But there is more. Last Saturday, in games featuring Florida and Alabama, there were questionable calls late that benefitted the two unbeaten teams that sat atop both major polls in the number one and number two spots. After their game with the Gators, Mississippi State head coach Dan Mullen said that officials had blown a call midway through the fourth quarter and called for disciplinary action against the crew by the league office. The play in question was a Florida interception that was returned for a touchdown in which the Gator defender appeared to lose control of the ball before crossing the goal line. While the play was reviewed, the replay official did not see any evidence to overturn the play. "He definitely lost control of the ball before the goal line," said Adam Gorney of GatorBait.net. Coach Mullen agreed and fired off this salvo at league officials after the game: "That's twice now that they've blown calls on the replay with our games, resulting in big plays, and I think that's inexcusable for that official. I hope he's severely punished if he ever works another SEC game again, because I think it's completely unacceptable." He received a nastygram from the league office shortly thereafter. Lucky for Mullen, he did not spout off after the famous goal line stand of undefeated LSU when they held Mississippi State out of the endzone in the final minute of their contest. My sources in Starkeville say that Mullen believes running back Anthony Dixon scored a touchdown on their second down play from the LSU one yard line. The good news is that if Mullen indeed has a problem with that call, he realized that anything he said publicly would not change the record books, which is pretty much the path Mark Richt took following the celebration call on Green. Meanwhile, in Tuscaloosa, the Alabama Crimson Tide was doing all they could to stay undefeated while Tennessee first year head coach Lane Kiffin was taking no chances. With the ball in Alabama territory and trailing 12-10 with 35 seconds remaining on the game, Kiffin opted to run the clock down to four seconds before attempting a field goal. What was odd is that he had his team attempt the kick on third down. Why didn't he try to move the ball closer for an easier field goal attempt? "I wasn't going to let the refs lose the game for us there and some magical flag appear," Kiffin said afterwards. What? Really? Did a Southeastern Conference head football coach just say that the course of action he choose was determined not only by down and distance, game clock, and the scoreboard, but also the likelihood of a bad call? With four seconds remaining in the game, Tennessee's kick was blocked by Alabama. Terrance Cody, the Crimson Tide player who blocked the kick, removed his helmet and ran down the field. Whether or not Cody should have been called for unsportsmanlike conduct is irrelevant, but it did generate a lot of "preferential treatment" talk on Internet message boards. When Kiffin said he ran out the clock for fear of bad calls from the refs, he ensured the game would be dragged into this conversation. He was later reprimanded by the league for his comments.
While the SEC is quick to reprimand coaches for their comments, it is not just the coaches who are saying things that make the league look bad. Why did the SEC choose to remind fans of the rules regarding noise making devises last week when they have not done so in quite some time? I may be wrong on how long it's been, but I don't remember the last time, and perception is everything. Mississippi State is the only school in the SEC with any kind added noise history beyond booster lungs. The cowbells of Starkeville are the only example of such a thing, and while the No. 1 team in the nation prepared to travel to the Magnolia State, the league office decided it was time to remind everyone to hush and be still.
Are conspiracies any easier to come up with? Did I mention that every one of these events involved something that benefited an undefeated team?
Can we add in here now the one about how the SEC is trying to ensure that its undefeated teams remain so on their way to the BCS jackpot? Designer championship anyone? At the very least, how about a No. 1 vs. No. 2 SEC Championship game? I do not believe in those types of things, but the actions of the past few weeks have left the SEC with some explaining to do. They are sitting ducks for the type of conspiracy theories mentioned here, and who knows what else someone is dreaming up out there in the wide world of sports. Perhaps it is time that the 12 head coaches call a "coaches only" meeting and demand more accountability on officiating. Perhaps start with giving teeth to College Football Officiating for more oversight on league employees officials. After all, unless these bad calls were by design, which is something any sane person scoffs at, a bad call could be on the way for any team at any time. The SEC needs to repair the public's perception of these issues. Zebrus should be satisfied by now; after all, this Saturday marks the two year anniversary of the celebration, which apparently, was excessive.
Post Script: Since this column ran, the AP has reported that Tennessee head coach Lane Kiffin, whose reprimand mentioned above was his second this year, is pouting.
"I'm not gonna get into it . . ., " the AP reports he said Tuesday. "As hard as it is for me to do, I'm not gonna do that. I'd love to."
Call the coaches only meeting guys-don't fight this battle in the press.

Laying the law down

The SEC has spoken and reprimanded Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin on Monday for comments he made criticizing the officials following Alabama’s 12-10 victory over the Vols. Kiffin was upset with the discrepancy in the number of penalties called in the game. The Vols had eight and the Crimson Tide just one. He also said Alabama’s Terrence Cody should have been penalized for taking his helmet off on the field after blocking Daniel Lincoln’s field goal, which Kiffin said would have moved the Vols closer and given them another shot at a field goal. In the SEC’s statement, it was pointed out that this was Kiffin’s second reprimand in this calendar year. He was also reprimanded back in February for comments he made about Florida’s Urban Meyer. “Coach Kiffin is on notice that for any further violations of SEC policies will subject him to additional penalties, including suspension,” SEC commissioner Mike Slive warned in his statement. Again, though, there’s a bigger issue at stake here. Coaches are starting to speak out more than ever before about the officiating, which only fans the flames out there of the nonsensical conspiracy theory that the SEC is trying to rig it where Alabama and Florida both meet unbeaten in the SEC championship game. Did you catch’s Kiffin’s jab on Sunday after practice? “I'm sure we'll get one of those letters that mean nothing, that Bobby [Petrino] got last week, but Florida and Alabama live on,” Kiffin said. Is he saying that Alabama and Florida play by a different set of rules? It sure sounds like it. If you’ve got a coach in the league suggesting as much publicly, then you’ve got a problem. A big problem. And it’s one that doesn’t seem to be getting any better. It’s to the point now where coaches are almost thumbing their noses at Slive and the league office as if to say, “Go ahead … reprimand me, fine me, do whatever. I don’t care.” The only reason the SEC announced last week that it had suspended the officiating crew from the LSU-Georgia and Florida-Arkansas games was because it was getting so much heat nationally. But the embers are glowing from within the conference, too. Just ask Kiffin or Petrino or Dan Mullen, who’s likely next on Slive’s hit list for some of his biting comments coming out of the Florida game.

SEC Rewind Week 8

Two close games for the top teams in the land and more heat on SEC Refs..

Just to recap the Vols and Tide...Vol fans are thinking Bama is lucky after Cody blocked a game winning field goal. Please, you would think that all the money spent on the vols"all star coaching staff" to have someone go over special teams. Plus Kiffin didn't show any confidence in Crompton to at least get them in better position to make the kick. However, Bama did get away with what I felt should have been a dead ball personal foul when Cody took off his helmet.

Gators escaped another nail bitter when the had what should have been a touchback on a fumble by defensive end Dustin Doe as he high stepped in the endzone(where was the excessive celebration flag?) The SEC needs to start cracking down on garbage calls and officiating. Start visiting whats "excessive" and whats not. This is only going to get worse!

SEC Preview and Predictions Week 8

Here are my picks for Week 8 in the SEC:

Kentucky 34, Louisiana-Monroe 14: Even with the injuries, Kentucky looks good to go for the stretch drive. Derrick Locke is banged up, but he’s been outstanding. And what can you say about Randall Cobb that hasn’t already been said? This is a team that persevered through the toughest part of its schedule and has a chance to take off from here.

South Carolina 24, Vanderbilt 9: The mere sight of black and gold causes South Carolina fans to cringe. The Commodores are riding a two-game winning streak over the Gamecocks, which hasn’t gone over well in Columbia. But South Carolina is too good on defense this season and Vanderbilt is too bad on offense for that streak to continue. The Commodores haven’t scored more than 10 points in an SEC game.

LSU 31, Auburn 21: Given the way Auburn has struggled on defense the past few weeks, Gene Chizik’s club just might be what the doctor ordered for LSU’s struggling offense. This is one of those games you don’t want to miss in the SEC. There’s always some type of thrilling finish, controversial play or memorable performance. It won’t be very memorable for Auburn, which will see its losing streak extend to three games.

Ole Miss 28, Arkansas 24: Both teams really need this game, and the winner has a chance to go on and have a big season. The Hogs look like they’re starting to settle into a groove. The Rebels have yet to prove much of anything this season. Ole Miss quarterback Jevan Snead is due, though, and gets it done Hotty Toddy style on Saturday.

Florida 34, Mississippi State 17: The Urban Meyer vs. Dan Mullen matchup will get a lot of the billing, but the No. 1 Gators can’t get caught up in anything other than playing their game. The Mississippi State community is jacked for this game, and the environment should be electric. The Gators don’t need a history lesson about the last time they visited Starkville. They lost 38-31 in 2004, and Ron Zook was fired two days later.

Alabama 24, Tennessee 13: The Third Saturday in October is taking place on the fourth Saturday in October this year. This is one of the classic rivalries in college football and filled with so much history. Even in those years when one team is clearly better and has more to play for, it’s usually a fourth-quarter game. With the way these two defenses have played this season, Saturday’s game shouldn’t be any different. But Mark Ingram and the Crimson Tide will wear down the Vols and pull away for their third straight win in the series.

Ref who cried wolf

SEC official Marc Curles tells ESPN.com's Mike Fish that he knows he made a mistake and has beaten up on himself for the 15-yard personal foul penalty called against Arkansas' Malcolm Sheppard last weekend. Curles and his crew have been suspended by the SEC from working another game until Nov. 14. His crew was also the one that worked the Georgia-LSU game where A.J. Green was wrongly called for an excessive celebration penalty.

SEC Midseason review

We’re right back where we ended the season a year ago in the SEC. Midway through, Florida and Alabama appear poised to square off in the SEC championship game for the right to play for what would be the league’s fourth straight national championship and fifth in the last seven years. Both the Gators and Crimson Tide are unbeaten, and they’re Nos. 1 and 2, respectively, in the first BCS standings that were released on Sunday. Even though the Gators are unbeaten, they’ve had a few bumps in the road getting here. The offense is completely reliant on Tim Tebow, who suffered a concussion in the Kentucky game, but hasn’t missed any game action. Tebow has been the heart and soul of the running game, and the downfield passing game hasn’t been very consistent.



Alabama’s Mark Ingram leads the SEC with 905 yards rushing and 11 touchdowns.The Crimson Tide had been much more diverse offensively until the last two games when quarterback Greg McElroy didn’t throw the ball nearly as consistently as he did in their first five games. The constant with both teams (and the league in general) has been defense. Big surprise there, huh? Alabama and Florida are ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in total defense nationally. Tennessee (13th), South Carolina (19th), Ole Miss (23rd), Vanderbilt (24th) and LSU (35th) give the SEC seven of the top 35 defenses in the country. Auburn was the big story the first month of the season. The Tigers started out 5-0 under first-year coach Gene Chizik, but have lost their last two games and look like they might be running on empty with a defense that is hurting for numbers. After Alabama and Florida, it’s difficult to sort the teams out from there. They’re all pretty close. In other words, the third best team in this league isn’t appreciably better than the ninth best team. All but three teams already have two conference losses. The team that stands the best chance to break up what’s shaping up to be an Alabama-Florida rematch in the SEC championship game is LSU, which lost 13-3 at home to the Gators two weeks ago. But that was the Tigers’ only loss, and they still get a shot at the Crimson Tide in November. There are sure to be some other twists and turns along the way. There always are in the SEC. Just last week, both Alabama and Florida had to fight like crazy to survive at home. And even then, the Gators got a little help from the officials. So don’t write anything in ink just yet. Offensive MVP: Alabama RB Mark Ingram With Alabama’s passing game taking a turn for the worse the last two weeks, the Crimson Tide have really jumped on Ingram’s back. He obviously has wide shoulders even if he is built pretty low to the ground. The 5-foot-10, 212-pound sophomore has been a tackle-breaking machine and leads the SEC with 905 yards rushing and 11 touchdowns, eight rushing and three receiving. He’s doing it all for the Tide -- running, catching and blocking -- and has also delivered several big plays. Defensive MVP: Alabama LB Rolando McClain Midway through, it’s one big Alabama party. McClain gets the nod over South Carolina outside linebacker Eric Norwood and Tennessee safety Eric Berry based on how versatile he’s been and his overall impact on the Alabama defense. Nick Saban says McClain is one of the smartest players he’s ever coached. He calls all the signals and makes sure everybody is where they’re supposed to be. He’s also plenty productive from his middle linebacker spot. He leads Alabama with 49 total tackles, including 6.5 for loss. Go back and look at how many game-changing plays he’s been involved in, whether it’s deflecting a pass that leads to an interception, forcing a fumble that leads to a touchdown or intercepting a pass himself. He’s the most complete middle linebacker in the country. Biggest surprise: South Carolina The Gamecocks (5-2, 2-2) are in position to have their best season under Steve Spurrier. There were a bunch of question marks entering the season, but quarterback Stephen Garcia has matured. The defense has overcome injuries and youth to be one of the better units in the SEC under Ellis Johnson and his staff, and even in their two losses, the Gamecocks have been right there. They played Alabama as well as anybody has this season. Now let’s see if they can finish the season, which has been a problem in Columbia. Biggest disappointment: Ole Miss There’s still time to make something of this season, but the Rebels’ hopes of playing in their first-ever SEC title game pretty much went down the drain before the month of September was over. They were awful offensively in their two biggest games to date, losing 16-10 to South Carolina and 22-3 to Alabama. It’s been a rough first half of the season for quarterback Jevan Snead, although he played better last week in the win over UAB. The best thing the Rebels have going for them is Tyrone Nix’s defense. They’ve been terrific on that side of the ball. Best game: LSU at Georgia, Oct. 3 In all honesty, the game wasn’t that great until the final few minutes. But the finish was thrilling and made up for everything else. The two teams combined for three touchdowns in the final 2:53, with Charles Scott breaking loose on a 33-yard touchdown run to win it for the Tigers with 33 seconds to play. Only seconds earlier, A.J. Green had put the Bulldogs ahead 13-12 after going up and over an LSU defender to wrestle away a spectacular 16-yard touchdown catch. As fate would have it, Green was hit with a bogus 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for celebrating, a penalty the SEC later said should have never been called, and LSU’s Trindon Holliday took advantage by taking the ensuing kickoff back 40 yards to the Georgia 38 -- setting up Scott’s run. Honorable mention would go to Georgia’s 41-37 win over South Carolina on Sept. 12, Georgia’s 52-41 win over Arkansas on Sept. 19 and Florida’s 23-20 win over Arkansas on Oct. 17. Best coach: Alabama’s Nick Saban Chizik looked like a runaway winner here until the last two weeks. He’s still done a nice job with an Auburn team that’s really hurting for depth. Spurrier deserves a few votes, too. But Saban gets the midseason award based on the fact that nobody saw the Crimson Tide being this dominant with everything they lost last year -- two All-American offensive linemen, a three-year starter at quarterback and their captain and best safety on defense. The Tide have just reloaded, though, and are trying to become the first Alabama team since 1973 and 1974 to go unbeaten in back-to-back regular seasons. Seems like old times at the Capstone.

Recruting tactics

UT’s Kiffin just latest to use helicopters in recruiting


Tennessee coaches arrive at M.L. King-Stephenson game in a rented helicopter this past Friday. (AJC photo by Curtis Compton)Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin is neither the only coach nor the first coach to employ a helicopter in recruiting. In fact, lots of the schools are doing it these days, according to a recent article in The New York Times.Pete Thamel and Thayer Evans reported on Oct. 16 that swooping into high school games on a chopper is just the latest emerging trend in major college football recruiting. Cincinnati, Missouri, UCLA and Maryland are among those that have apparently been doing it for awhile. In fact, the Terrapins apparently were one of the first to employ the strategy but no longer do it due to budget constraints, the newspaper reported.But such grandiose tactics hadn’t been seen in these parts until Kiffin and assistant coach Ed Orgeron arrived at the nationally-televised M.L. King-Stephenson game this past Friday at Hallford Stadium in Clarkston in a small, rented helicopter. It was a carefully orchestrated ploy in which the pilot made sure that he landed at the adjoining soccer field precisely as the “Star Spangled Banner” was playing over the stadium loudspeakers and the 7,000-person crowd was standing at attention. Every player on both teams — there were as many as 20 Football Bowl Division prospects participating — turned and watched as the red chopper hovered longer than needed about 30 feet above the ground.All eyes now on them, Kiffin and Oregeron entered the stadium from a back gate and hobnobbed with coaches and administrators on the sidelines as the teams went through their final pregame paces, then watched the first half of the game. At halftime, they piled back into the tiny whirlybird, took off and headed north to Suwanee where they arrived during the first few minutes of the North Gwinnett-Northview game.The players seemed to appreciate the show.“That really felt good to me,” said Mike Thornton, a star defensive tackle at Stephenson and one of the Vols’ primary targets. “[Kiffin] told me he was going to come in and show off a little bit and, sure ‘nough, he did his thing.”It’s a two-fold strategy. One, it obviously has the potential to make a big impression on impressionable young recruits. Two, it’s a fast and nimble mode of transportation that can help coaches can avoid traffic and make multiple stops in one night.UCLA actually has its own helicopter, “Air Bruin,” which was donated by Larry Welk, the grandson of the late entertainer Lawrence Welk. Coach Rick Neuheisel told The Times it is invaluable for navigating over the infamously awful L.A. traffic and allows them to attend mutiple games in one night.Helicopters can also be rented (costs range from $1,000 an hour up). Judging from the size of the helicopter Kiffin and Orgeron were squeezing into, the Vols went the low-budget route.
Georgia Tech is of course located in downtown Atlanta and is surrounded by some of the worst traffic in the nation. But recruiting coordinator Giff Smith said he doesn’t see the Yellow Jackets resorting to such tactics.“We’ve never used it with Coach [Paul] Johnson and I don’t see us ever doing that, to be honest,” he said. “The head coach only gets one ‘drop-in’ and we think it’s important for him to sit down in the home with the parents and explain how he’s going to mentor their kid and help him achieve his goals academically and in football. I don’t know you can do that flying into a football game.”

Week 7: Preview and Predicitons

Here are my picks for week 7:

Mississippi State @ Middle Tennessee What is Mississippi State doing playing at Middle Tennessee? Talk about a game where you have everything to lose and nothing to win. The Bulldogs are coming off three tough losses in a row, so they’re not going to be picky about the particulars. They need any win. It won’t be easy in Murfreesboro, Tenn., but Anthony Dixon and Co. will find a way to grind it out.

Ole Miss @ UAB The worse Ole Miss plays, the worse its schedule looks. This schedule wasn’t very flattering when you broke it down back in August. It really looks like a dud now. So far, the Rebels have beaten Memphis, Southeastern Louisiana and Vanderbilt. They get a chance to add UAB to that list on Saturday, which isn’t going to win the Rebels much love nationally. But more than anything, they just need a game where they play well on offense and get everybody going in the same direction.

Georgia @ Vanderbilt -Go back and check the recent history of this series. Vanderbilt always seems to play Georgia tough, and it beat the Bulldogs in Athens in 2006. Vanderbilt has really targeted the state of Georgia in its recruiting, too, so winning this game would give the Commodores even more legitimacy when they start knocking on doors in that state. Look for another second-half game, but Vanderbilt simply doesn’t have enough offense to pull off the upset.

Kentucky @ Auburn -The schedule has really worked out pretty nicely for Auburn to this point. The Tigers get to come back home after their first loss of the season and face an injury-riddled Kentucky team that will be playing without its starting quarterback and best defensive player. The Wildcats played valiantly last week at South Carolina, but you wonder if they’re about to hit that wall.

Arkansas @ Florida- This is the fourth straight week that Arkansas has faced an unbeaten team. The Hogs also get the pleasure of being the second team this season (joining Kentucky) to have faced both Alabama and Florida, the top two teams in the country. The Hogs have a better idea of what they’re getting into for this game than they did at Alabama and have improved on defense. This game will be closer than most people expect, but the Gators are too dialed in to stumble now.

South Carolina @ Alabama- Any time you get Steve Spurrier on one sideline and Nick Saban on the other sideline, it ought to be fun. Now, if Spurrier were still coaching some of those Florida teams from the 1990s, this would be one everybody would want to see. But he’s not. Anyway (as the Head Ball coach would say), the Gamecocks have been one of surprises in the SEC in the first half of the season and have hung in there despite some costly injuries on defense. Quarterback Stephen Garcia is getting better, and this could be one of Spurrier’s best teams at South Carolina. But that’s still a far cry from having a team that’s ready to go to Tuscaloosa and beat an Alabama team that might be the best in the country.

Trying to bounce back after last week. Peace and Go Dawgs!

Defenseless?

Chip Towers of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution has done some research on where the Georgia defensive starters ranked in some of the recruiting services coming out of high school, and the results are pretty telling. And not real pretty for the Bulldogs. As Towers notes, talent shouldn't be the problem right now for the Georgia defense, which has given up 37 or more points eight times in the last 15 games dating back to least season. According to Towers, the Georgia defensive starters had a higher average rating coming out of high school than even Alabama's defensive starters. Eight of Georgia's 11 defensive starters averaged at least 4 stars (out of 5) coming out of high school. hmmmm...so where does that blame fall?

Collison course

While none of these beauitful girls have nothing to do with the actual football part of these school, we thought we would go ahead and give them apprication anyways.......Thanks ladies..cheers to you.

You can see it from a mile away. We’re not even to the midway point for some teams in the SEC, but you can see it coming. Alabama and Florida are on a collision course to meet again in the SEC Championship Game. And after the most anticipated Saturday of the season in the SEC, it’s hard to discern at this point who has the better team. They both made convincing arguments. Florida, playing with a Tim Tebow who wasn’t quite Tim Tebow, ruined what has become a national holiday in these parts, Saturday night in Tiger Stadium. The No. 1-ranked Gators rolled to a 13-3 victory over the No. 4-ranked Tigers to stay unbeaten and now have their toughest road game of the season out of the way. Nick Saban and Alabama are on course for another showdown with Florida.Do they stay No. 1? Does it really matter? Florida senior linebacker Ryan Stamper doesn’t feel the need to lobby, but he doesn’t think there’s a better overall team out there. “With our offense, defense and special teams clicking as one, I think we deserve that No. 1 spot right now,” Stamper said. The Gators (5-0, 3-0) have won 15 in a row dating back to last season, the nation’s longest winning streak. And while two of their three SEC wins this season were still close in the second half -- unlike their blitzkrieg through the SEC in October and November a year ago -- nobody seems too concerned about style points. “We don’t even talk about (being No. 1), really,” Florida tight end Aaron Hernandez said. “We just go out there every game like we’re the worst team in the country and come out and fight. “We try to grind every game. Every game is the same to us, come out with a victory.” Stamper admitted that he tuned in to part of Alabama’s 22-3 bludgeoning of Ole Miss on Saturday afternoon while hanging out at the team hotel. “The SEC championship will get here when it gets here,” Stamper said. “We’ve got to play every week.” Perhaps so, but the rest of us can start anticipating a rematch now. After all, the game last season in Atlanta was a classic. “Yeah, that would be a good rematch for the SEC championship,” Hill said. “But right now, we’re not looking that far down the road. We’re looking at Arkansas. We’ll take it one step at a time.” That’s certainly been Alabama’s mantra this season. Of course, it better be if you're going to play for Nick Saban. The No. 3-ranked Crimson Tide (6-0, 3-0) haven’t had a close game in the second half since the season-opening win over Virginia Tech. They didn’t just beat the Rebels on Saturday. They beat them up. Between them, the Florida and Alabama defenses gave up just one third-down conversion Saturday. LSU was 1-of-9 against Florida, and Ole Miss was 0-of-9 against Alabama. And to this point, the Crimson Tide have been even more diverse offensively than the Gators. They’ve run it when they’ve needed to (See Mark Ingram’s career-high 172 rushing yards against the Rebels), and they’ve thrown it when they’ve needed to (See what Greg McElroy has done all season without throwing an interception since the opener). Granted, there’s still a lot of football left to be played. But a second straight No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup in the SEC Championship Game doesn’t seem that far away.

SEC Preview and Predictions Week 6

MONSTER weekend of SEC games this week. I'm just going to sit my little tush on the couch and just watch away....we live for games like these...LETS GO!

Vandy @ Army- This is the first of two option offenses the Commodores will see this month. Of course, defense hasn’t been the problem for the Commodores this season. They simply haven’t been able to score, totaling 19 points in their three SEC losses. Look for them to match that total at West Point, which should be enough to even their overall record at 3-3. Vandy wins

Auburn @ Arkansas- Gene Chizik has done a terrific job with the Tigers, who at 5-0 are the surprise team of the league. They’re extremely balanced on offense and playing with a purpose. The chinks have come on defense, which has given up more points and yards than anybody on the Plains would like. That will finally catch up with them in Fayetteville, where the Hogs will find themselves on the right end of a shootout this time. UPSET of the week, Hogs win a wild one.

UGA @ Tennessee- The Vols have been close enough to be dangerous in their two SEC losses. Their defense has given them a chance against both Florida and Auburn. Now, if only the offense would cooperate. The Bulldogs haven’t been able to run it the past two weeks, which doesn’t bode well for them against Monte Kiffin’s defense. Meanwhile, the Vols’ running game seems to be hitting its stride. However, rain may play a factor in this one and UGA will get that pass game going. Dawgs rebound and win.

Kentucky @ South Carolina- Too bad South Carolina can’t play Kentucky every week. The Gamecocks haven’t had many teams’ number in the SEC, but they’ve pretty much owned the Wildcats. South Carolina has won nine straight and 11 of the last 13 games in the series. History’s not the only thing working against the Wildcats, either. Both of their starting cornerbacks, including All-American Trevard Lindley, are out for this game. Cocks win big.

Houston @ Miss. St- The Bulldogs go from a run-happy offense last week to a pass-happy offense in Houston this week. The Cougars can score points with the best of them. They just can’t stop anybody. UTEP’s Donald Buckram ran for 262 yards and four touchdowns last week against a Houston defense that’s allowed 121 points in its last three games. Think Anthony Dixon is licking his chops? Dogs win.

Alabama @ Ole Miss- These teams always seem to play close games, and Alabama always seems to win. The Crimson Tide have won five straight and six of the last seven in the series. If the Rebels (and Jevan Snead) were playing better, it would be tempting to pick them at home. But Alabama’s defense is just too good, and the guy playing quarterback for the Crimson Tide hasn’t been what you’d call shabby. Bama wins.

Florida @ LSU- Will he, or won’t he? Picking this game without knowing the playing status of Florida quarterback Tim Tebow is like trying to hear the signals in Tiger Stadium on a Saturday night. The place will be rocking for sure, and LSU’s defense will be ready for whatever quarterback Florida trots out there. Ultimately, though, the difference will be the Gators’ defense, which has only given up two touchdowns all season. The Tigers have had a hard time scoring touchdowns in the red zone, and you’re not going to beat Florida kicking field goals. Gators win.

Final thoughts- Well I have run my record to 26-3 in predicting these things. Hopefully my trend continues. Y'all be safe out there, peace and Go Dawgs!

Talent reigns

Florida and LSU are two of the most talented teams in the country. That talent will be on display Saturday night in Tiger Stadium in the form of 27 draft-eligible players who have a chance to either be drafted or sign as free agents, according to Scouts Inc. analyst Todd McShay. McShay has Florida defensive end Carlos Dunlap rated as the No. 1 overall prospect in college football right now. Florida cornerback Joe Haden and LSU receiver Brandon LaFell are also rated highly by McShay.

Bring the Ruckus
Death Valley is a wild place. LSU has a 32 night game win streak there and from every opposing player they say the ground shakes and Mike the Tiger greets you as soon as you get off the

bus just eating away at a piece of meat. The area will be set ablaze this weekend and it just gives you goosebumps thinking about it.

On call

Two years after blowing up Tim Tebow’s cell phone with voice mails and text messages, the LSU students are at it again.This time, they’ve gotten hold of the cell phone numbers of No. 2 quarterback John Brantley and starting wide receiver Riley Cooper, and they’re wearing out their thumbs sending text messages to the two Florida players.“They’ve left a bunch of them,” Brantley said Monday. “There haven’t been any death threats or anything. I just ignore them.”Brantley said he also thinks the LSU students have Urban Meyer’s cell phone number.“Supposedly so,” Brantley said.Starting cornerback Joe Haden said Cooper also has been getting texted by some LSU students.“He was like, ‘They got it (Cooper’s cell number),’” Haden said.Haden said he hasn’t received any messages on his phone from Baton Rouge.Two years ago, Tebow received hundreds of messages on his cell phone the week leading up to the UF-LSU game. There even were some death threats.I don’t know where they’re getting the numbers from,” Haden said. By the way Tigers, ask Knowshon how he feels about having his phone blow up last year.....http://video.google.com/videosearch?hl=en&source=hp&q=knowshon%20moreno&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wv#q=knowshon+moreno+vs+lsu&hl=en&emb=0

State of the Dawgs

If you a die hard fan of the Dawgs like me, Saturday was probably the worst loss you have ever had to take. Sure, you can blame it on the worst penalty call in football history,which the SEC has apologized for, but Georgia still had plenty of chances to win the game. I have waited a couple days to pass before I made any comment on the game. The defense played very good, collecting 6 sacks and an interception. Made a huge stop on a 4th and 1 to prevent LSU from possibly going up 13-0 before halftime. They played like a unit that we have been looking for since 2007. Yet, again the offense was dreadful. They had no running attack and no blocking from the o-line to create holes. Alone from Washaun Ealey's runs, nothing was made from Richard Samuel and Caleb King. Cox looked tentative and missed receivers on what could have been big plays for the offense. Point is this program is way to talented not to put itself in contention to win these type of games. You look at this roster and it cries talent. Good enough to compete with anyone is this league. So , if its not talent then it has to be coaching. Don't get me wrong, Mark Richt is a very good coach but what prevents him from being a great one is who he has surrounded himself with. I'm a firm believer in that assistant coaches help define a head coach. The quick successes of Urban Meyer and Nick Saban is not due to them just walking in the locker room and demanding wins or just relying on good recruiting. Those two have surrounded themselves with experienced, fundamentally sound assistants. Guys who have come in with experience in there backround. Some in the NFL and some at other big programs in college. Which leads me to call out a few coaches in the UGA staff.

• Mike Bobo- We all know his play calling has just been down right dreadful. Too many inconsistencies in the ability to either put games away or trying to make a comeback. Bobo was a great QB coach, where he lead David Greene, DJ Shockley, and Matthew Stafford. He became the OC back in the fall of 2006. The game totally changes when you have been put in position to make a choice on what your offense should do. With no experience at the helm, Bobo has struggled. In part of Georgia not being able to win big games lately is because the offense has sputtered. Big games against Florida, Alabama, and LSU the past two seasons have lead to critical losses.
• Willie Martinez- He has received a lot of criticism throughout the fan base for having opponents run up and down on the defense far from Richt days of early. He has had experience but Central Florida, Grand Valley State(real school, don't ask me where) and Central Michigan are no where near the talent he sees in the SEC. He is a good recruiter for the team but again, game planning? not so much.
• Jon Fabris- No problem with him as far as defensive ends but his ability in special teams is very puzzling. Saturday, he decided to kick to the fastest man in college football and tried a new kickoff formation that only gave LSU 5 more yards to the long run they had. Don't even get me started on kickoffs, it never fails that we at least kick a ball two or three times out of bounds a game. We need someone to coach special teams full time. Just ask Urban Meyer how important they are.

I'm not saying this is the end of Georgia football but I'm coming to a realization that if we continue with these same trends, were not gonna get anywhere. Mark Richt seriously needs to reevaluate what he is doing assistant wise before its too late. Get this team some emotion also, every big game we have played we look lethargic and play scared. Go out there with no fear of anyone or any team. Please change the mindset before its too late.To me, you demote Willie and Mike back to there old positions. Make Rodney Gardner the job he has wanted as defensive coordinator, hire a special teams coach full time and let Coach Richt go back to play calling. After all, he did win two national championships at FSU for that job. Just my honest opinion of things...but I will always be loyal to the Dawgs no matter what. GO DAWGS!

SEC Rewind Week 5

It was a rough weekend, so were just gonna have a quick wrap up of the weekends game.

SC State @ SC- No Surpise here as the Gamecocks win 38-14. Next up, a home game vs Kentucky.

College located in Atlanta @ Miss St- Bulldogs turnover the ball to which the opponent capitalizes on. Dogs lose again. Next up a tough one vs Houston.

Arkansas @ Texas A&M- Razorback roll, Aggies never came close. Arkansas gets Auburn next

Alabama @ Kentucky- Bama sleepwalks through this one but was able to pull away. Bama heads to Ole Miss next.

Ole Miss @ Vandy- Rebels struggle again but picked up a win. Vandy heads to Army.

Auburn @ Tennessee- Tigers roll in this one. Vols could be in for another long season. Vols get set to host UGA next week.

LSU @ UGA- Tigers score late second touchdown to win in Athens. They host Florida in what could be the game of the year next week.

Later on I will be addressing my thoughts and concerns about the UGA football program. After two days of thinking about it, I still feel strong about it.

SEC Preview and Predictions Week 5

Man o man, this is the type of weeks we live for. Got some good games on the dock and I'm looking to continue my streak. I hold a 20 and 3 record but the games are starting to be harder to predict starting this week. So here we go.....

South Carolina St. @ South Carolina : The Head Ball Coach has spent all week talking about how good South Carolina State is, even though he doesn’t know any of the players’ names. “We’re not a team that tries to learn all the names of the players we play against,” he explained. He just knows the FCS Bulldogs look good on tape. That may be, but the Gamecocks have come too far to lose one like this. They have a great chance to be 5-1 going into that Alabama game on Oct. 17. The only way I could see them losing is by having a Ole Miss "hangover". Gamecocks win.

College located in Atlanta @ Miss St- I will not refer to the school that the Bulldogs are playing Saturday night. You may say "There are alot of schools located there" but you know which one I speak of. Anyways, The No. 25-ranked "team" is coming off their most complete performance of the season in a 24-7 win over North Carolina, while the Bulldogs are trying to put a bitter 30-26 loss to No. 4-ranked LSU behind them. This is an improved Mississippi State football team under Dan Mullen, but taking on a second straight nationally ranked foe is too tall a task for the Bulldogs, especially going up against the "teams"triple-option offense. As bad I wanna say no, I think the college in Atlanta wins.....ugh....

Arkansas @ Texas A&M- Now that I have picked the worst game ever, we move to this one. I think the Hogs are in almost in a free fall after losing back to back games. A third one would definitely make a total free fall happen. I think they will bounce back and this maybe a game where whoever has the ball last wins. Hogs win it.

Alabama @ Kentucky- Even though Kentucky played Alabama within a field goal a year ago in Tuscaloosa, the Wildcats simply haven’t proven that they’re good enough on offense or disciplined enough across the board to beat a team the caliber of Alabama this season. Turnovers and mistakes have haunted the Wildcats. They turned the ball over on three straight possessions in the win over Louisville and then got off to a horrid start last week in the loss to Florida. Playing like that against the Crimson Tide is a recipe for a two- or three-touchdown loss. Tide rolls.

Ole Miss @ Vandy- The Rebels still have nightmares of the six turnovers they lost last season in the 23-17 home loss to the Commodores. If Ole Miss is for real, this is a game Houston Nutt’s club will find a way to win after last week’s disappointing loss at South Carolina. Nothing is ever easy against Vanderbilt, though, and the Commodores will certainly come after Jevan Snead. They just haven’t shown they can score enough points to pull out the win. Ole Miss wins a squeaker.

Auburn @ Tennessee- The Vols have been a difficult team to read this season. They looked average at best in the UCLA loss and lackluster win over Ohio last week, but played Florida straight up in a hard-fought loss in the Swamp. Going on the road for the first time won’t be easy for Auburn, which has played a pretty soft schedule to this point. But the Vols are so banged up in key spots, namely at middle linebacker and on the offensive line, that the Tigers should be able to capitalize and go to 5-0 on the season. Based on what we’ve seen so far, Tennessee is going to have a hard time scoring 20-plus points against anybody in the SEC. Tigers win

LSU @ UGA- This is the big daddy game of the week. These two teams combined for 90 points last season, and remember that two of Georgia’s touchdowns came on interception returns. Neither defense has played great this season. Both have had some key plays and some key stops, but the talent on both defenses is better than what they’ve shown to this point. LSU needs to find a way to revive its running game after being stopped in its tracks last week. But, then, Georgia hasn’t exactly stopped anybody’s passing game this season. The difference will be A.J. Green, who’s red hot. The Bulldogs are finding ways to get him the ball, and he’s delivering. Going up against Chad Jones will be Green's first big test this year as far as going up against an individual. Look for the X-factors of both squads. LSU has true frosh phenom QB Russell Shepard, while Les has used him sparingly through the year, he could be on showcase this week. For UGA, I think the TE's Aron White and Orson Charles will be key. Look for their numbers to be called especially since AJ will see the double and possibly triple team coverage. Should be another good one Between the Hedges. Dawgs win a close one.

Well there it is, tough games to chose on and I'm still trying to feel confident in all of them. Will see how it goes. Have a great weekend and Go Dawgs!

Top of the Tide

Greg McElroy for Heisman? Barely a month into his career as a starter, No. 3 Alabama's quarterback is putting up strong enough numbers that Heisman Trophy talk is starting up. At least at his own Sunday night cookouts with buddies."They were giving me a hard time about it, saying 'Oh yeah, New York' and all that stuff," McElroy said.Playing for a national title contender helps any player's chances of getting to New York for the presentation.McElroy's numbers have been impressive if not dazzling, too. His 175.2 rating is third nationally in passing efficiency. Since a rough opening half in his first career start against Virginia Tech, McElroy has thrown for 844 yards and seven touchdowns with no interceptions while completing 76 percent of his passes.While he is flattered by the Heisman buzz, McElroy says that's not his focus."It's nice to get recognition for an award like that, but we're here to win championships not individual awards," McElroy said. "I think the only way that your name can get mentioned for a thing like that is having your team play well around you. ... It's not something I'm going to be thinking about or consciously worrying about." Such is life for the man they call "big bird", sure the heisman hype is probably out of control but if Alabama keeps rolling, he could be picking up a national championship trophy instead.