Official SEC Football 2009

[symple19]

Let the debate begin!!!

West
1.LSU
2.Ole Miss
3.Auburn
4.Arkansas
5.Bama
6.Miss St.

East
1.Fla
2.UGA
3.USC
4.Kentucky
5.Tenn
6.Vandy

A lot of wishful thinking went into these predictions.:toast

Realistically, Auburn will be lower and Bama will be higher in the west. I will stand by my predictions on the top of each division however.

SEC Championship Game
LSU/Fla

SEC Champion
Fla

[Texas Chili Dog]

GO DAWGS! :clap

http://ugadog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/uga-vii.jpg

[redraiderinfiji]

bama aint gonna be dat low!!!! Keep dreamin'

[Brutalis]

And because I can I am using this thread for SEC predictions

SEC West-
Alabama
LSU
Arkansas
Ole Miss
Auburn
MSU

SEC East-
Florida
Tennessee
Georgia
South Carolina
Vanderbilt
Kentucky

..from the other thread.

Will Ole Miss live up to the hype?
Will Florida repeat?
Will Spurrier call it quits this season?
Will Georgia retool or reload?
Will Auburn survive the SEC West?

... dun dun dunnnnnn!!!

[Brutalis]

Florida over Bama once again in Hotlanta!

[gaKNOW!blee]

Just because you're an Auburn fan doesn't mean you have to be that much of a Bama hater

[symple19]

Did anyone read where I said, "realistically Auburn will be lower and Bama will be higher"? Or where I said, "a lot of wishful thinking"?

And yes, I do have to hate bama that much, you wouldn't understand


Will Ole Miss live up to the hype?--not as much as people think
Will Florida repeat?--yes
Will Spurrier call it quits this season?--depends on USC record
Will Georgia retool or reload?--reload
Will Auburn survive the SEC West?--who knows? Will probably come down to the depth situation. The starting 22 are good, but there will be a lot of freshman behind those guys. AU wil also start a freshman at safety. I have high hopes for the Malzahn offense, but how long will the up-tempo offense cause the defense to be on the field? More questions than answers, for now.

[Texas Chili Dog]

And yes, I do have to hate bama that much, you wouldn't understand


Well believe me when I say that I do understand. :lol

I hate Florida and Tennessee that much also, and I'm sure you understand that. :lol

[Brutalis]

I heard Auburn put Kodi Burns at WR? Why? Know how that's playing out??

Auburn with Tubby recruited well out of Arkansas on a consistent basis. Tommy being from Arkansas granted him that advantage. He said the other day here in Arkansas on the radio that he left Auburn and had the option of staying for another few seasons if he wanted to. Said he will be at ESPN and being a father to his kids for a change.

Makes me wonder what if Ole Miss had landed him out of that situation? If they had the option which do you think they would have chosen?

Arkansas needs to lay the smack down on Georgia on the 19th I think it is. Even though Georgia is my fav SEC school other than Arkansas, it is a statement game and one for the books we need as we hit to road to Bama, Florida, and Ole Miss.

[Texas Chili Dog]

I heard Auburn put Kodi Burns at WR? Why? Know how that's playing out??

Auburn with Tubby recruited well out of Arkansas on a consistent basis. Tommy being from Arkansas granted him that advantage. He said the other day here in Arkansas on the radio that he left Auburn and had the option of staying for another few seasons if he wanted to. Said he will be at ESPN and being a father to his kids for a change.

Makes me wonder what if Ole Miss had landed him out of that situation? If they had the option which do you think they would have chosen?

Arkansas needs to lay the smack down on Georgia on the 19th I think it is. Even though Georgia is my fav SEC school other than Arkansas, it is a statement game and one for the books we need as we hit to road to Bama, Florida, and Ole Miss.

lol I'm the opposite. Arkansas is by far my favorite SEC school other than UGA. I'm pretty sure I've mentioned that before. My parents are from Arkansas and I've grown up cheering for the Hogs my whole life.

[symple19]

I heard Auburn put Kodi Burns at WR? Why? Know how that's playing out??

Auburn with Tubby recruited well out of Arkansas on a consistent basis. Tommy being from Arkansas granted him that advantage. He said the other day here in Arkansas on the radio that he left Auburn and had the option of staying for another few seasons if he wanted to. Said he will be at ESPN and being a father to his kids for a change.

Makes me wonder what if Ole Miss had landed him out of that situation? If they had the option which do you think they would have chosen?

Arkansas needs to lay the smack down on Georgia on the 19th I think it is. Even though Georgia is my fav SEC school other than Arkansas, it is a statement game and one for the books we need as we hit to road to Bama, Florida, and Ole Miss.
First off Brutalis, AU continues to recruit your state well. Go take a look at rivals or scout or ESPN and you'll see they're still going in there hard. Michael Dyer, the number#1 RB recruit(from Little Rock) in the nation has AU at the top of his list. Matter of fact, the Tigers are at or near the top of the list for the top 3 RBs in the nation. They're also in the hunt for Anterio Sloan(CB) and Byran Jones(DT), both high end 3 star recruits from Arkansas. With Malzahns knowledge of the high schools there, I don't see any reason why AU won't be in the conversation with kids up there for the foreseeable future.

There's a lot of bad blood left over from his (Tubs) departure from old piss. No way would he have gone back there.

As for Kodi, look for him to be a big part of the offense. You'll see him all over according to Malzahn. With AUs depth problems at WR, they decided to put him out where his size can make an impact. He did continue to take reps in practice at QB, just a lot less than the other three guys. I'm sure there's a wildcat formation or 2 with his name written all over it. He's a well spoken, smart guy who very easily could have transferred and the Tigers are very lucky he didn't.

[symple19]

Well believe me when I say that I do understand. :lol

I hate Florida and Tennessee that much also, and I'm sure you understand that. :lol

I know you understand man, but how could a Penn St. fan understand??? Not so much Florida, but my hatred for Tennessee (although nothing close to a UGA fans) runs very deep. AU/Tenn is an excellent rivalry that unfortunately doesn't get played every year. Ask a Bama fan however, and they'll tell ya that UT is a close second to their hatred to Auburn. Only time I can find it in me to pull for Tenn is when they play Bama or (sometimes) in a bowl game

[Texas Chili Dog]

I know you understand man, but how could a Penn St. fan understand??? Not so much Florida, but my hatred for Tennessee (although nothing close to a UGA fans) runs very deep. AU/Tenn is an excellent rivalry that unfortunately doesn't get played every year. Ask a Bama fan however, and they'll tell ya that UT is a close second to their hatred to Auburn. Only time I can find it in me to pull for Tenn is when they play Bama or (sometimes) in a bowl game

I think the SEC is like the NFC East. Just about every two teams (at least every historical football school) have a good rivalry, just some bigger than others.

SEC!! :hat

[symple19]

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/247288-how-similar-are-the-georgia-bulldogs-to-the-ohio-state-team-of-2002?utm_source=newsletter

for you chili dog

[Texas Chili Dog]

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/247288-how-similar-are-the-georgia-bulldogs-to-the-ohio-state-team-of-2002?utm_source=newsletter

for you chili dog

hmm interesting, thanks for linking that. The funny thing about the first paragraph is that I'm one of those people who thinks OSU will win this game. But if UGA can pull it off, it could really set them up for a good run. The saying gets used to death, but the first game could set the tone for the rest of the season. I know that Georgia has some really good individual defensive players, but I'm still scared that OSU will kill that D like Florida did last year. I'll cross my fingers though.

[symple19]

My summation of the Auburn game for you guys.

AU-37 La Tech-13

The Chizik era has begun. Auburn racks up 556 total yards in the up-tempo and balanced Malzahn offense. 301 on the ground and 255 through the air marked by the longest pass play in Auburn history, checking in at 93 breathtaking yards. Onterio McCalebb runs for 148 yds, the first freshman to run for over 100yds since Bo Jackson in 1982. Ben Tate also ran for over 100yds, mostly in-between the tackles.

The defense started slowly with mental lapses, racking up 60 penalty yards against in La Techs first drive, leading to the only Bulldog touchdown. From there it was bend but don't break against a veteran unit that beat Miss St.(finishing 8-5) in last years bowl game.

Auburn was only up 13-10 going into the locker room with Tech getting the ball to start the second half. The defense was able to make adjustments and keep the Dogs sputtering for the remainder of the game, while the offense kicked into overdrive, scoring 24 points over the remaining two quarters. I'm happy with the coaching staff's ability to motivate the Tigers and identify what needed to be done to pull away. This is indicative of a staff that knows it's players and also knows it's opponent.

Overall I'm happy, but here are some cons:

The secondary looked suspect at times, and there wasn't nearly enough pressure on the QB for my liking. They must close out the middle of the field better.

Ben Tate had another fumble, which could have swayed the game in La Techs favor early-on. This is an on-going thing with him that needs to end fast, before SEC defenses start keying on this weakness.

Chris Todd, despite the numbers, still feels off to me. His progression reads and decision making ability must improve. I just don't know yet if he has the intangibles to be an above-average SEC QB.

Special teams kick coverage must improve, or AU will see some returned for TDs.

Overall sloppiness and lack of discipline on defense. As I mentioned, the Tigers gave up 60(!) yds on dumbass penalties leading to the first(and only) Bulldog touchdown, consisting of one interference, and two facemask penalties.

Where was Antonio Coleman? His name was not called nearly enough. I expect much more

Now, the pros:

Offensive line. The nameless bunch did what they should. La Tech's coveted DE prospect says, "I have to give them credit. It's one of the best offensive lines I have played against in my career."

Running game was fantastic. Onterio McCalebb (only 5'10", 165) is electric. Showed flashes of brilliance, and doesn't run like a little guy. Tate was as solid as ever between the tackles.

Big play ability.Malzahns offense seems built for this. Multiple formations and dizzying motion kept the D guessing. You can barely catch your breath from the last play before the next one is being run. Lots of confusion from the La Tech linebackers led to nice gains.

Kodi Burns got involved with wildcat formations that didn't appear to me as though they broke the offensive rhythm. His size/strength allowed him to be effective in short yardage and goal line situations.

Run defense was mostly stout, albeit against a below-average rushing attack.

Mario Fannin was used well. His ability to catch the ball and make people miss adds a dimension that will be hard to defend for future opponents.

Wes Byrum was outstanding. 4/4 XP and 3/3 FG (Long of 49)

Nick Fairley stood out on the D-line, making a number of important plays.

Kept La Tech standout P. Livas in-check

Some numbers:

Offense: AU-556 LT-245
Passing: AU-255 LT-149
Rushing: AU-301 LT-96

3rd Down Eff: AU-8/13 LT-5/14

TOP: AU-28:37 LT-31:23

Penalties: AU-8/87 LT-3/30

Passing:AUB)C. Todd: 17/26 255 2TD 0 INT

(LT)R. Jenkins:18/33 149 1TD 1 INT

Rushing:AUB)O. McCalebb 22CAR/148YDS 6.7AVG 1TD

(AUB)B. Tate 20CAR/117YDS 5.9AVG

(AUB)K. Burns 8CAR/23YDS 2.9AVG 1TD

(LT)D. Porter 17CAR/56YDS 3.3AVG

(LT)R. Jenkins 10CAR/36YDS 3.6AVG

Receiving:AUB)T. Zachery 3REC/98YDS 32.7AVG 1TD

(AUB)M. Fannin 8REC/82YDS 10.3AVG

(AUB)D. Adams 4REC/65YDS 16.3AVG 1TD

(LT)P. Livas 5REC/43YDS 8.6AVG

(LT)D.Morris 2REC/30YDS 15AVG 1TD

Thanks for reading everyone. This is a bit of a dry run for a post to the bleacher report, as I have aspirations to do some amateur blogging. Constructive criticism is appreciated.

Doesn't Football feel good?

[Brutalis]

Arkansas 48 Missouri State 10
Dennis Johnson returned the opening kick for a TD as 21 in the first qtr allowed us to get all of our players in the game.

Ryan Mallett went 17-22 for 309 and 1 TD. Our backup Tyler Wilson who has had a great camp went for 13-19 for 138 with 2 TDs and an INT in his first college football game.

Petrino has got Mallett into nice form. He looked like a pro QB with that 6-7 frame. Even though the competition was not the best he showed he can throw a deep ball with great accuracy. This offense showed big things as we all expected. And our crop of backs were impressive as well with ALL SEC Michael Smith heading that front.

591 yards of offense was very Petrino like finally. He has some of his own players in the mix now (like Mallett) and things are changing drastically. It's a bye week for Arkansas, then Georgia in Fayetteville. That bye week sucks for a lot of football reasons.

Bama took care of V Tech. A little ugly though.

[Brutalis]

Arkansas 48 Missouri State 10
Dennis Johnson returned the opening kick for a TD as 21 in the first qtr allowed us to get all of our players in the game.

Ryan Mallett went 17-22 for 309 and 1 TD. Our backup Tyler Wilson who has had a great camp went for 13-19 for 138 with 2 TDs and an INT in his first college football game.

Petrino has got Mallett into nice form. He looked like a pro QB with that 6-7 frame. Even though the competition was not the best he showed he can throw a deep ball with great accuracy. This offense showed big things as we all expected. And our crop of backs were impressive as well with ALL SEC Michael Smith heading that front.

591 yards of offense was very Petrino like finally. He has some of his own players in the mix now (like Mallett) and things are changing drastically. It's a bye week for Arkansas, then Georgia in Fayetteville. That bye week sucks for a lot of football reasons.

Bama took care of V Tech. A little ugly though.

[Brutalis]

First off Brutalis, AU continues to recruit your state well. Go take a look at rivals or scout or ESPN and you'll see they're still going in there hard. Michael Dyer, the number#1 RB recruit(from Little Rock) in the nation has AU at the top of his list. Matter of fact, the Tigers are at or near the top of the list for the top 3 RBs in the nation. They're also in the hunt for Anterio Sloan(CB) and Byran Jones(DT), both high end 3 star recruits from Arkansas. With Malzahns knowledge of the high schools there, I don't see any reason why AU won't be in the conversation with kids up there for the foreseeable future.

There's a lot of bad blood left over from his (Tubs) departure from old piss. No way would he have gone back there.

As for Kodi, look for him to be a big part of the offense. You'll see him all over according to Malzahn. With AUs depth problems at WR, they decided to put him out where his size can make an impact. He did continue to take reps in practice at QB, just a lot less than the other three guys. I'm sure there's a wildcat formation or 2 with his name written all over it. He's a well spoken, smart guy who very easily could have transferred and the Tigers are very lucky he didn't.

Michael Dyer is a 5-7 mini-train that I heard was the 8th best back coming out of High School. The other night after his game at War Memorial he claimed no school had the lead. However his coach who was on daytime sports talk radio hinted that Arkansas hasn't shown much interest in their games.

However your thinking you have to realize Dyer claiming Auburn as his front runner a few months back was and probably still is because Petrino, Tim Horton and staff have not recruited him much if at all still.

There is no "why?" to that likely factual opinion due to Dyer coming on at the worst time for Arkansas. We have two freshmen backs that are twice the player he is, one being Ronnie Wingo who had a nice Saturday. And he is 6' tall. Smith is 5-8 and a senior, and also an ALL SEC back that was a Nuttboy recruit from a few years ago. So he produces well, size is not an issue really. But Petrino doesn't want/need small backs. In the SEC we see where that gets you. Smith was ALL SEC last season but what where the Hogs? Exactly.

McFadden became the SEC's 3rd All-Time back through Arkansas, but he was 6-1 215lbs. Power back that had freaky speed and jukes like a smaller guy.

So if Auburn in fact lands Dyer because Arkansas does not choose to recruit him to his disarray.. then hooray for Aubbie. A few Hog fans may be upset but it's no big loss. Petrino has already proven he can recruit top athletes and our backfield is already 5 deep, 4 deep in 2010.

PS- Auburn nabbed a sweet lineman from Nuttboy and the Hogs a couple years ago with Kodi I think. That hurt Arkansas bad and was one of the falling rocks of Hog fans outing Nuttfag.

Then Nutt HAD to recruit any talent from the state as he had zero national scale. Petrino is the exact opposite.

[Brutalis]

http://www.secdigitalnetwork.com/

[dirk4mvp]

Snead has been pretty below average in the first half.

[dirk4mvp]

Ole Miss has been pounding ass since they stopped Memphis on the 4th and 1.

[Brutalis]

Like you care.

Ole Miss looked overrated today. It took Memphis caving and 28 points in the fourth to make it look like a blowout.

[dirk4mvp]

:cry

[Brutalis]

SEC Week 1 Roundup and QB Stats
Charleston Southern 3
#1 Florida 62

#5 Alabama 34
#7 Virginia Tech 24

#13 Georgia 10
#9 OK State 24

#8 Ole Miss 45
Memphis 14

#11 LSU 31
Washington 23

Arkansas 45
Missouri State 10

Western Kentucky 7
Tennessee 63

Jackson State 7
Mississippi State 45

Louisiana Tech 13
Auburn 37

Western Carolina 0
Vanderbilt 45

Kentucky 42
Miami (OH) 0

South Carolina 7
NC State 3



Alabama-
G. McElroy 15-30 230 1-1

Arkansas-
R. Mallett 17/22 309 1 0
T. Wilson 13/19 138 2-0

Auburn-
C. Todd 17/26 255 2-0

Florida-
T. Tebow 10-15 188 1-0
J. Brantley 8-12 67 2-0

Georgia-
J. Cox 15-30 162 1-1

Kentucky-
M. Hartline 18-27 222 2-0
W. Fidler 2/3 21 0-0

LSU-
J. Jefferson 11-19 172 3-0

MSU-
T. Lee 9/14 97 0-0
C. Relf 7/10 75 3-0

Ole Miss-
J. Snead 12-22 175 2-2

South Carolina-
S. Garcia 13-22 148 0-1

Tennessee-
J. Crompton 21-28 233 5-2
N. Stephens 4/4 44 0-0

Vanderbilt-
L. Smith 10-18 153 1-0
M. Adams 3/7 34 0-0

[symple19]

Petrino will have that pass attack humming all year, no doubt. What about the defense Brutalis?I know it was only Mo st, but how did they look to you?

Michael Dyer is #1(overall and position) according to ESPN, and #3(position) according to both Rivals and Scout. Not sure where you heard the #8 stuff. Makes sense that Arkansas wouldn't go after him though if they're already loaded up at the position. Auburn just picked up another (4 star) commitment at OLB, Ladarius Owens, a 6-2 225lb (with a 4.49 40 time) out of the Birmingham area. AU needs linebacker help badly, with depth there being the lowest it's been in years. Bama was after him hard as well, so this is a nice in state victory for Chizik.

As for size when evaluating running backs, it just depends on the offense. In a spread, you like those speedy guys who can get on the outside and make things happen. AU RB Tate, who ran for over 100 yards last Saturday, is the between the tackles guy and checks in at 5-11 220. The speed guy for Auburn, McCalebb, is 5-10 165, and rushed for 148 on Saturday. La Tech actually had a fairly high rated run defense last year nationally, and they got shredded by the little guy. Will need to wait and see what he can do against the SEC before I get too excited though.

[Brutalis]

Petrino will have that pass attack humming all year, no doubt. What about the defense Brutalis?I know it was only Mo st, but how did they look to you?

Mo. State only in the last couple years left 1-AA to become a 1-A school. Although this is irrelevant, Univ. of Central Arkansas better known as UCA will be 1-A in a couple years too. Which by then UA will hopefully be in the process to start scheduling Arkansas State. A State is at Nebraska this Saturday. Last season they took out A&M in a down period and the year before gave Texas a good show and their moneys worth for sure.

Sorry for the ramble. Our defense looked pretty good overall. B+ or A- range. The talent they played in that game was far worse than the red jerseys they have been hitting in practice though. But in front of a crowd on a stage with the most expectations Arkansas has had in my lifetime they really just did their job.

RC McCombs (spelling?) was either the AD or coach at A&M for a long time and was on the morning, mid-day and evening sports shows here in Arkansas last week recalling several games against us and how they lost because of our defense. Made me realize since the collapse against the Citadel in 92 the defense has never been the same. So anything good is great to a Hogs fan right now. That guy is speaking tonight at the Razorback Touchdown Club in Little Rock tonight. Wish I had tickets, that's food, awesome speaker and good beer.

Arkansas has a bye week now. Fucking sucks that week two is a bye week. But after watching Georgia after that game taking into consideration their youth and the team they faced anyone could give the Hogs D a chance against Georgia in week 3. That's youth on youth right there with injuries on both sides I believe. However they face South Carolina between the hedges and if that offense puts up big numbers and cruises the story will change. If not it will remain the same.


Michael Dyer is #1(overall and position) according to ESPN, and #3(position) according to both Rivals and Scout. Not sure where you heard the #8 stuff. Makes sense that Arkansas wouldn't go after him though if they're already loaded up at the position. Auburn just picked up another (4 star) commitment at OLB, Ladarius Owens, a 6-2 225lb (with a 4.49 40 time) out of the Birmingham area. AU needs linebacker help badly, with depth there being the lowest it's been in years. Bama was after him hard as well, so this is a nice in state victory for Chizik.

I spoke to some friends that told me that yesterday too, about Dyer and his rank. My number came from many moons ago from memory, wasn't updated. But yeah we are stocked at tailback but I'm told Arkansas is in fact recruiting him now. I know they weren't before though, and I don't know how much help he would even be until he was a junior maybe, or impressed big time in the spring and fall and earned that playing time.

Honestly I don't give a shit about recruiting right now. Season is finally here, I will let the coaches and analysts worry about it until late December. But that's just me. But honestly that's when the classes really take shape, and into January obviously. But for a random rumor I hear Petrino is only recruiting 6 foot players and above. And a random fact is Arkansas is and will be spending more on recruiting than ever before.


As for size when evaluating running backs, it just depends on the offense. In a spread, you like those speedy guys who can get on the outside and make things happen. AU RB Tate, who ran for over 100 yards last Saturday, is the between the tackles guy and checks in at 5-11 220. The speed guy for Auburn, McCalebb, is 5-10 165, and rushed for 148 on Saturday. La Tech actually had a fairly high rated run defense last year nationally, and they got shredded by the little guy. Will need to wait and see what he can do against the SEC before I get too excited though.

This year is so interesting for me personally. Do or die type deals all around with new coaches and such. Nutt will come back down to earth I believe, and LSU is not doing very well with Les Miles. I mean they are doing fine on paper but I have an LSU friend who is disgruntled and more fans are heading that way he says. I truly believe Auburn and Arkansas will decide who competes with Bama into the next decade as Petrino covers Les Miles tracks.

Georgia is on the brink. His team being unproven and young at this stage is terrible from the outside looking in. Right now they should be dominating and taking advantage of Nutt over-achieving, Spurrier under-achieving, Hogs-Auburn-Tenn rebuilding stages. In my mind either they produce a nice crop of talent and put Ws on the board and win a BCS game in the next 2 years or coach could be on the hot seat there too. Especially if they lose a lot of games. MSU is shit, Vandy is recruiting better, Florida continues to get better after hitting the the top again, LSU is flickering badly. Kentucky is just there.

[symple19]

Our defense looked pretty good overall. B+ or A- range. The talent they played in that game was far worse than the red jerseys they have been hitting in practice though. But in front of a crowd on a stage with the most expectations Arkansas has had in my lifetime they really just did their job.

Interesting to hear that expectations are that high in Fayettville. It makes sense, considering what Petrino has done in the past. What kind of defense is run by the Hogs? 3-4,4-3 etc.?



Honestly I don't give a shit about recruiting right now. Season is finally here, I will let the coaches and analysts worry about it until late December. But that's just me. But honestly that's when the classes really take shape, and into January obviously. But for a random rumor I hear Petrino is only recruiting 6 foot players and above. And a random fact is Arkansas is and will be spending more on recruiting than ever before.

I'm one of those wackos who follows recruiting year round. This being Chiziks first full recruiting year, it's interesting for me to see how he does, especially against Bama in-state. He is already showing that he's not afraid to go up against the big-boys nationally, something that's going to be important if AU is going to challenge for a national championship. I do realize that recruiting services, and the hype surrounding recruiting in general, can be and often is wayyy off base. Take Utah last year for example. Their classes weren't anywhere near top ranked. Getting top-notch kids is important, but coaching them up is even more crucial. Larry Coker at Miami is a perfect case of a guy who can recruit like crazy but could never turn those guys into a cohesive, championship winning team.

While normally true that classes don't start taking real shape until late-season, this year is a bit different and may indicate the beginning of a new trend. Schools like
Bama,LSU,Texas,Florida,OU, and UGA are already close to 20 commits. This means that a majority of their classes are already in stone. Meanwhile, teams like USC and Ohio St. are around 12, much like where Auburn is right now. I even read that Auburn has offered a high-school junior. Perhaps kids are just committing earlier in the year, much sooner than the normal time after the end of their high school football season.

[symple19]

Hey chili-dog, what's the fall-out been in the aftermath of the Dawgs loss to Okie St.? What are your expectations for the Gamecocks coming into town?

[Texas Chili Dog]

Hey chili-dog, what's the fall-out been in the aftermath of the Dawgs loss to Okie St.? What are your expectations for the Gamecocks coming into town?

I don't think there has been a fallout that I can tell. But then again I'm not in UGA territory. I'm in Dallas and I'm the only UGA football fan I know. None of my friends or family are fans. If I lived in Athens or Atlanta maybe I'd get a sense of what other UGA fans/students are saying about it.

But that said, there is no reason for any negative thoughts or a fallout of any kind, IMO. Georgia lost to a better team as a road underdog. Had it been a loss to a weak team, then there would be reason to panic. I don't have any reason to believe there will be a let down going into the South Carolina game. It's the home opener, the team and fans will be pumped and ready to go. I do expect Georgia to win that game. If they don't, that's when I will start to get worried.

[romad_20]

I don't think there has been a fallout that I can tell. But then again I'm not in UGA territory. I'm in Dallas and I'm the only UGA football fan I know. None of my friends or family are fans. If I lived in Athens or Atlanta maybe I'd get a sense of what other UGA fans/students are saying about it.

But that said, there is no reason for any negative thoughts or a fallout of any kind, IMO. Georgia lost to a better team as a road underdog. Had it been a loss to a weak team, then there would be reason to panic. I don't have any reason to believe there will be a let down going into the South Carolina game. It's the home opener, the team and fans will be pumped and ready to go. I do expect Georgia to win that game. If they don't, that's when I will start to get worried.


Chilidog, I live down in Austin but still follow all of the hometown papers and there is actually quite a bit of fallout, mostly at the feet of Mike Bobo for going away from the run when it obviously worked on the first drive, Joe Cox for holding onto the ball all day and not being physically ready (it also came out that Joe's shoulder is not up to par, thus the inability to throw the ball more that 10 yard with any accuracy) and at special teams. Coach Fabris literally said that he likes the challenge of directional kickoffs vs. kicking it out of the endzone. The Cowboys last three scoring drives had a combined total of 51 offensive yards. 17 points, 51 yards?! That doesn't fly in Athens when it is thought that at least one of those TD could have been avoided by kicking it deep.

I think unless you see Mark Richt make some coaching changes, like Bobo and especially Fabris who is the special teams and defensive ends coach (another area of disappointment the last two years) the heat is going to go up. Personally I don't know how you can't be better prepared for a team you've had so much time to prepared for.


He's a taste of what's going on.






Kickoffs remain a ‘challenge’ for Dogs

10:07 am September 9, 2009, by Bill King




I was driving home from Athens Saturday night, listening to the “Fifth Quarter Show” on WNGC, and the subject of the Dogs’ terrible kickoff coverage came up.

The frequently asked question since last year has been why Georgia can’t get a kicker to put the ball deep into the end zone for a touchback like so many other teams do. At the end of last season, after too many of Blair Walsh’s directional kicks had sailed out of bounds, Mark Richt indicated he wanted a kicker who could “boom” it and famously said he’d go as far as Poland to find one.

Instead, he looked to California and signed junior college player Brandon Bogotay to a scholarship, ostensibly because of his strong leg. But in preseason competition, it was decided that Walsh should keep the kickoff job as well as handling PATs and field goals. And the Dogs stuck to special teams coach Jon Fabris’ policy of preferring high, shorter kicks directed into the corner.

If you’re wondering what happened, former Georgia players A.J. Bryant and Kelin Johnson, now regulars on the “Fifth Quarter Show,” put it all into perspective. Both of them played on special teams for Fabris, and they said that it wouldn’t matter whether the Dogs had a kicker who could put it in the end zone or not; Fabris likes “the challenge” of directional kicks. That’s just Coach Fab, they said, get used to it.

Let that sink in for a moment.

Fabris would rather his coverage team face “the challenge” of containing a return than get a touchback and have the other team at their own 20.

Of course, the argument that Richt continues to make in favor of directional kicks is that they have more hang time and allow the coverage team to get downfield and prevent a long return. Theoretically, that is. As the Dogs have shown time and time again, including in Saturday’s Oklahoma State game, that frequently isn’t the case.

Meeting with reporters Tuesday, Richt said of the OSU game, “The fans want the long kick, but the longest kick had the longest return. The kicks that were a little shorter had the better hang times and ball placement. We covered those better.”

It’s worth pointing out, of course, that it’s not just “the fans” who would like to see Georgia kick it into the end zone. Some folks who know a thing or two about kickoffs, including former Bulldog greats Kevin Butler and Rex Robinson, have come out against the directional kicking approach. Why Richt sticks with Fabris’ philosophy, even when it obviously has greater risk than kicking it deep, is a real mystery.

But let’s put aside for now the argument over deep kicks vs. directional kicks, since apparently Fabris is going to go with the latter, no matter what, and Richt shows no sign of doing anything about it.

The bigger problem for several seasons now is that Georgia’s kick coverage is just plain lousy. The first players to reach the kick returner are usually pretty easily eluded — frankly, they fall down a lot — and once a returner gets past the first wave, there’s frequently a wide-open seam running through Georgia’s coverage that produces results like Saturday’s 74-yard return by the Cowboys’ Perrish Cox.

Richt himself conceded that on the long return by Oklahoma State, “I wouldn’t say that because we kicked it deeper that was the cause. We had a young man who should have contained and forced [Cox] inside to where our coverage teams were. We didn’t do a good job of that. Our second wave didn’t get in position to corral him. There was some great hustle at the end to keep him from going the distance. The guys that were designed to be safeties did their job, so it didn’t become a touchdown at that point. Ultimately that ensuing drive was a touchdown on a short field. We just can’t have it.”

Indeed.

Richt talked during the preseason about bolstering the coverage by using some of the Dogs’ much-lauded freshman talent, though Fabris apparently wasn’t so enthusiastic about that idea. But that’s not really the problem. The Dogs could load up the coverage team with first-teamers and it wouldn’t matter if they’re not properly coached and if Georgia doesn’t devote the needed time to improving its special teams play.

Bad coaching, or not enough coaching, seems to be the problem.

Here’s another example: On the other side of the kickoff game, the Dogs had a true freshman, Branden Smith, receive a kick deep in the end zone Saturday and, against all common sense, he tried to return it and got stopped inside his own 10-yard line. OK, chalk that up to a stupid freshman mistake. Surely, he’d get coached up on the sidelines, right?

Nope, next time he tried the same thing again.

All of which makes it seem that Richt and company don’t take special teams play seriously enough.

Until they do, it’s likely that Georgia is going to continue to lose the field-position battle. And games.




The Junkyard Blawg ajc.com
Cox shouldn’t answer critics

3:55 pm September 9, 2009, by Bill King


Despite being a fifth-year senior, Joe Cox is new to this big-time starting quarterback business, and it showed in his response this week to criticism by fans and the sports media of his play against Oklahoma State.

A veteran probably would just have made the self-effacing “I’ve got to get better” comments, which Cox did, and then left it at that.

But Cox got combative. As quoted in the Athens Banner-Herald, he said: “Half the people who have stuff to say after games have never played a down of football before in their entire life. I wouldn’t criticize somebody for something I’ve never played before or never done before, but some people feel it’s their place to say how somebody is doing when they’ve never done it before. That’s just something I’ve never understood. Stuff like that doesn’t bother me. You’ve got to look at the source, and if it’s somebody who’s never played football, I could care less what you say.”

OK, obviously, stuff like that does bother him. And that’s understandable. A lot of athletes, chefs, singers and such have the same idea: that you shouldn’t criticize unless you can do it yourself. Which misses the point that a performance, whether it’s athletic or artistic, is aimed at an audience, the consumer, if you will. And the consumer has a perfect right to say, “I didn’t think that performance was very good.” The criticism may not be that well informed if the critic doesn’t have an intimate understanding of what the performer is doing, but it’s still fair.

More than that, though, lashing out at your fan base, especially when you’re coming off a sucky performance (even if you were sick), is never a good idea.

Just as Cox will learn not to hold on to the ball so long and how to read defenses quicker, I imagine that as the season progresses he’ll also learn how to handle the PR aspects of being the starting QB at an SEC school. Assuming he holds on to that job.

[MajorMike]

I understand from a UGA perspective that their kickoff team was poor, but on the flip side OSU's special teams in general and especially returns is one of the best in the nation. In fact from OUR side, Dez is getting crap for not fielding punts and letting them bounce.

Look at it objectively... the kick returner is out there to make a play. Every single one of our kickoffs was in or thru the end zone. Kid fields it in the end zone late in the 3rd or in the 4th, you are down at least 10, he wants to make a play. He is in there because he has earned the right as the 'best' the team can put out there. Of course he thinks he can make a difference and tries to make a play. Unfortunately he didn't. Just the nature of the game. Just by looking at your kicks, it didn't look like you kicker had the ability to kick into the end zone.

Additionally, your stat of 51 yards is wholey misleading; a fumble on the 32 and a 15 yard penalty (17 yards to a TD), 74 yard return to the 24 (24 yards to TD), fumble on the 11 and UGA penalized 5 (just a FG). Was turnovers that gave us good field position more than kickoff issues.

Again, I get that you may have issues of your own their but they look a little magnified in what many believe is the best in the B12 and one of the elite special teams units in the nation at OSU. CFN ranked them 11 mainly because we lost the best punter in the nation, but as you saw the freshman replacing him is pretty dern good.

[romad_20]

I understand from a UGA perspective that their kickoff team was poor, but on the flip side OSU's special teams in general and especially returns is one of the best in the nation. In fact from OUR side, Dez is getting crap for not fielding punts and letting them bounce.

Look at it objectively... the kick returner is out there to make a play. Every single one of our kickoffs was in or thru the end zone. Kid fields it in the end zone late in the 3rd or in the 4th, you are down at least 10, he wants to make a play. He is in there because he has earned the right as the 'best' the team can put out there. Of course he thinks he can make a difference and tries to make a play. Unfortunately he didn't. Just the nature of the game. Just by looking at your kicks, it didn't look like you kicker had the ability to kick into the end zone.

Additionally, your stat of 51 yards is wholey misleading; a fumble on the 32 and a 15 yard penalty (17 yards to a TD), 74 yard return to the 24 (24 yards to TD), fumble on the 11 and UGA penalized 5 (just a FG). Was turnovers that gave us good field position more than kickoff issues.

Again, I get that you may have issues of your own their but they look a little magnified in what many believe is the best in the B12 and one of the elite special teams units in the nation at OSU. CFN ranked them 11 mainly because we lost the best punter in the nation, but as you saw the freshman replacing him is pretty dern good.

Did you read the article? Did you read what they said about directional kickers and how Blair Walsh routinely kicks the ball out of the endzone? We have 3 kickers on scolarship and none can kick it out of the endzone? Kevin Butler has brought up the same points and I think he knows something about the Georgia kicking game.

My post was not a shot at OK St. They deserved to win, these issues didn't just come up last week with UGA. The kickoff problem is a couple of years old and the offensive palycalling is going back to last season as well (bobo didn't even know his receiver rotation during the game?!?!) Kentucky last year, Vandy, all kinds of lesser teams have had a lot of success against UGA in the special teams department in recent years. Not only kicking but trying to return not one, but two kickoffs 7 yards deep and not downing that one punt on the 1. Those were all avoidable on special teams.

And of course the turnovers gave Ok St the field position, that was my point. The offense was horrible. If that's the plan you came up with after a whole offseason to prepare, it was pretty piss poor. UGA simply went away from the run. We ran it 8 times on the first drive, and 22 time over the course of the rest of the game (even f-ing Matt Millen was saying this during the game). We weren't down enough to abandon the run. Ok St didn't even break the game open until the 4th.

Once again this isn't about OkSt, this is about UGA. No offense, but the Ok St defense was good, but not nearly the best we're going to face this year, in fact, SC this weekend probably has a better one. Its going to be tough sledding for UGA this year and coaching is a big part of it.

[MajorMike]

What I'm sayin is getting on the coaches for some stuff that they players say he says and because of armchair quarterback analysis is completely self destructive. Citing "Some folks who know a thing or two about kickoffs" as a reference? All in all the article is some dude who is writing from a slant to show he is cool and what he thinks should be is right. I never said it was about OSU, I'm saying when a fanbase starts believing everything written in an article as fact then you got problems.

Personnal I think you don't kick it in the endzone because your guy can't.

[romad_20]

What I'm sayin is getting on the coaches for some stuff that they players say he says and because of armchair quarterback analysis is completely self destructive. Citing "Some folks who know a thing or two about kickoffs" as a reference? All in all the article is some dude who is writing from a slant to show he is cool and what he thinks should be is right. I never said it was about OSU, I'm saying when a fanbase starts believing everything written in an article as fact then you got problems.

Personnal I think you don't kick it in the endzone because your guy can't.


That some person, Kevin Butler, is only the best kicker in UGA history(his son is now the punter as well) and played 12 seasons in the NFL and is the leading all time scorer for Chicago Bears. He is the only kicker in the College Football hall of fame. He was also on UGA championship team, so I think he knows what he's talking about. You love OK St, we get that, but you have no idea about UGA football program and SEC football.

New news, speaking of people who don't know what their talking about, Coach Richt talked about how Cox was ready to play Saturday when multiple individuals invovled with the program had said Cox has had a shoulder issue and a dead arm for 3 weeks, well.......


Source: Gray to fill in for injured CoxComment Email Print Share By Joe Schad
ESPN
Archive
Georgia is likely to start sophomore quarterback Logan Gray against South Carolina on Saturday, a person familiar with the situation said Thursday.


SEC blog
ESPN.com's Chris Low writes about all things SEC in his conference blog.

• Blog network:
College Football Nation


Senior quarterback Joe Cox has an arm issue, the source said. Cox struggled in the first week, but that was in part due to his battle with the flu.

Gray, 6-feet-2, 192 pounds, is a versatile athlete who has even been used as a punt returner. Georgia also has two freshman quarterbacks on its roster.

Gray was an All-State football and basketball player at Rock Bridge High School in Columbia, Mo., and had a chance to play Division I basketball at schools like Creighton and Drake.

Joe Schad is a college football reporter for ESPN.



http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=4462154

[MajorMike]

That some person, Kevin Butler, is only the best kicker in UGA history(his son is now the punter as well) and played 12 seasons in the NFL and is the leading all time scorer for Chicago Bears. He is the only kicker in the College Football hall of fame. He was also on UGA championship team, so I think he knows what he's talking about. You love OK St, we get that, but you have no idea about UGA football program and SEC football.

New news, speaking of people who don't know what their talking about, Coach Richt talked about how Cox was ready to play Saturday when multiple individuals invovled with the program had said Cox has had a shoulder issue and a dead arm for 3 weeks, well.......



http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=4462154


So Thurman Thomas and Barry Sanders are the best people to comment on why the OSU coaches under today's offensive scheme with today's compliment of players pick which running plays when they haven't played college ball for 20 years and both played in I-Back offenses, correct?

By the way, if Cox returned a kick 74 yards to the 24, where was the kick fielded?

And yes, I do know who Butler is, longtime kicker with the Bears, and I do remember watching him doink that 70-some yarder in a bowl game years ago.

[romad_20]

So Thurman Thomas and Barry Sanders are the best people to comment on why the OSU coaches under today's offensive scheme with today's compliment of players pick which running plays when they haven't played college ball for 20 years and both played in I-Back offenses, correct?

By the way, if Cox returned a kick 74 yards to the 24, where was the kick fielded?

And yes, I do know who Butler is, longtime kicker with the Bears, and I do remember watching him doink that 70-some yarder in a bowl game years ago.

OMG, just let it go. He does a weekly radio show on UGA football, his kid plays on the team and he's been involved with the program for 30 years so he obviously would have more insight than just "some guy" and can comment on what he has seen with his own two eyes at multiple practices throughout the years and this offseason. I'm sure he takes special interest on the current state of special teams.

How many Georgia games have you watched or been to? How long did you live in Georgia? How would you have any idea what sources that cover UGA football are or are not realible? You making an observations on what people are saying in GA about the program and telling UGA fans what they should believe is laughable. Stick to Okalahoma A&M.


Separate note, anyone think that this weekend's USC UGA game with have a combined score of over 20 points?


Arkansas also has a week to prepare for UGA and has been preparing for them during the offseason (take note Bobo) I think unless Grey turns out to be a world beater would could be looking at 1-2 or 0-3 going into the Az St game.

A good article about Ark looking at the UGA game.


FAYETTEVILLE — Last year Bobby Petrino wouldn’t have dared say he prepared for Arkansas’ seasonopener practicing beyond it.

As the Razorbacks’ first-year coach last year, Petrino had two supposed nonconference cupcakes before the first SEC game.

Those cupcakes nearly cooked the Hogs. Arkansas was lucky to escape Western Illinois, 28-24 in Fayetteville and Louisiana-Monroe, 28-27 in Little Rock.

Petrino has started his second season at the Hog helm with a better team, nearly 100 percent more familiar with him and he with them than in 2008. So, yes, he said, even with this bye-week upcoming, the Razorbacks had done some advance preseason prepping for their Sept. 19 SEC opener with Georgia in Fayetteville while simultaneously prepping for last Saturday night’s 48-10 season-opening rout of the lower division Missouri State University Bears.

“I was happy with the maturityour team showed,” Petrino said in Saturday’s postgame at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock. “Because we practiced a lot in camp for Georgia and knew we had to come down here and take care of business.”

It ought to be an interesting situational contrast when the Georgia Bulldogs come to Reynolds Razorback Stadium for the Sept. 19 ESPN televised 6:45 p.m. SEC clash.

Georgia will have played two tough games. Last Saturday, the Bulldogs lost 24-10 to ninthranked Oklahoma State in Stillwater, Okla.

This Saturday for its SEC opener, Georgia hosts South Carolina, a 7-3 nonconference winner last Thursday at North Carolina State.

It’s conceivable the Bulldogs, ranked 19th by the AP to start the season, could be 0-2 upon Fayetteville arrival.

Even should that 0-2 prove true, they will arrive thoroughly tested and in game rhythm.

The Hogs won’t. Arkansas would be better served if its bye-week was later to repair and refresh well into the 12-game grind.

But the Hogs do have some advantages with an extra week to work off their first-game plusses and minuses going into perhaps this season’s most pivotal game.

It’s not only the Hogs’ SEC opener, but given a rugged road SEC slate of at Alabama, at Florida, at Ole Miss and at LSU, seems a near must-win for Arkansas to achieve a winning SEC campaign.

“Whatever cards you’re dealt,” Arkansas offensive coordinator/ receivers coach Paul Petrino said post-Missouri State, “that’s what you deal with. It gives us twoweeks to get ready for Georgia, so that’s what we’re going to do.”

They will start the SEC season feeling SEC worthy.

A feeling they acknowledge now was hard to feel last year knowing they could have lost to Western Illinois and Western Illinois.

“That,” Arkansas senior defensive tackle team captain Malcolm Sheppard said after the 48-10 beating of the Bears, “is what an SEC team is supposed to do to a team like that. We weren’t an SEC team last year. That shows definite improvement on our part.”

Arkansas went 5-7 overall and 2-6 in the SEC last year and never really felt good about itself postgame until upsetting LSU, 31-30 in the season finale.

Now the defense feels better holding an opponent to a record low 10 points for the Petrino era. The offense set an Arkansas single game passing record 447 yards. And the special teamskick-started especially well with a fatal blow to the Bears’ bread basket. Arkansas sophomore Dennis Johnson returned the opening kickoff for a 91-yard touchdown.

Though outclassed stepping up in class against Arkansas, the Bears have a big-time tight end, NFL-scouted Clay Harbor, a good quarterback, Cody Kirby of Rogers, and a geared to stop the run defense that could have given Missouri State a hang around with a fourth-quarter underdog’s chance if the Hogs slopped around early.

Johnson returned the underdogs’ chance to no chance.

“That kickoff return was demoralizing,” Terry Allen, the Missouri State coach and former Kansas coach, said. “It really deflates you. College football is all about momentum, and we started without momentum.”

Arkansas started 2009 with somuch momentum that Bobby Petrino believed the Hogs could sustain through Missouri State while working on Georgia.

Now he must keep up the good work while Georgia plays.

[MajorMike]

You are the one that obviously can't let it go. Maybe you should get Hershel to tell everyone why the coaches abandon the running game? After all, he is the expert.

By all means, keep up your doom and gloom; I was trying to talk you down down off it. You are right, I know nothing about UGA football and you are destined to win zero games because your coaches make terrible decisions. Please fire them now and install Kevin Butler as your coach. It is solely their fault OSU beat UGA, it had nothing to do with talent on the field or the chance of plays. The fumbles are their fault too, why aren't they teaching those kids not to cough it up? Kevin Butler wouldn't do that.

[Texas Chili Dog]

Chilidog, I live down in Austin but still follow all of the hometown papers and there is actually quite a bit of fallout, mostly at the feet of Mike Bobo for going away from the run when it obviously worked on the first drive, Joe Cox for holding onto the ball all day and not being physically ready (it also came out that Joe's shoulder is not up to par, thus the inability to throw the ball more that 10 yard with any accuracy) and at special teams. Coach Fabris literally said that he likes the challenge of directional kickoffs vs. kicking it out of the endzone. The Cowboys last three scoring drives had a combined total of 51 offensive yards. 17 points, 51 yards?! That doesn't fly in Athens when it is thought that at least one of those TD could have been avoided by kicking it deep.

I think unless you see Mark Richt make some coaching changes, like Bobo and especially Fabris who is the special teams and defensive ends coach (another area of disappointment the last two years) the heat is going to go up. Personally I don't know how you can't be better prepared for a team you've had so much time to prepared for.


He's a taste of what's going on.

Another UGA fan!!! I'm not the only one! :clap

thanks for posting that stuff romad, I appreciate it. Yeah, I am a big supporter of kicking it deep. I HATE directional kicking and think too many people think it benefits the special teams when it really doesn't. I'll take the opponent automatically starting at the 20 over a spot that could be anywhere...every single time.

[Brutalis]

Interesting to hear that expectations are that high in Fayettville. It makes sense, considering what Petrino has done in the past. What kind of defense is run by the Hogs? 3-4,4-3 etc.?

Will Robinson runs four down with three back traditionally. For whatever reason he is under slight scrutiny from fans because of last year losing a combined 4 games by a couple touchdowns or something and all. I think it will go away because our offense is doing so well it appears and they are expecting way too much from a young defense this season. Or some how to be as good as the offense.

What those people should know is that defense faces both DJ's, Mallett, and that entire first team offense every week and have been since Spring. Hell even Tyler Wilson our backup QB who could start for several SEC schools it's been said also. It's only week one of course but he is #35 rated QB after one week. Ryan is 5th.

My point is that offense is really young but really explosive. Our D has suffered some injuries but they have been facing a good offense for a while. Hopefully that experience can transition over onto game day.



I'm one of those wackos who follows recruiting year round. This being Chiziks first full recruiting year, it's interesting for me to see how he does, especially against Bama in-state. He is already showing that he's not afraid to go up against the big-boys nationally, something that's going to be important if AU is going to challenge for a national championship. I do realize that recruiting services, and the hype surrounding recruiting in general, can be and often is wayyy off base. Take Utah last year for example. Their classes weren't anywhere near top ranked. Getting top-notch kids is important, but coaching them up is even more crucial. Larry Coker at Miami is a perfect case of a guy who can recruit like crazy but could never turn those guys into a cohesive, championship winning team.

While normally true that classes don't start taking real shape until late-season, this year is a bit different and may indicate the beginning of a new trend. Schools like
Bama,LSU,Texas,Florida,OU, and UGA are already close to 20 commits. This means that a majority of their classes are already in stone. Meanwhile, teams like USC and Ohio St. are around 12, much like where Auburn is right now. I even read that Auburn has offered a high-school junior. Perhaps kids are just committing earlier in the year, much sooner than the normal time after the end of their high school football season.

Petrino got a top 15 class last year I think. Not bad in year one. But he doesn't go after big names. He goes after the best guys that he thinks fits his style, or could. I think we have signed around 10. But like I said you won't see our class take form for another several months I think.

I'm not sold on your coach though. What did he do at ISU (was it?)?

[Brutalis]

OMG, just let it go. He does a weekly radio show on UGA football, his kid plays on the team and he's been involved with the program for 30 years so he obviously would have more insight than just "some guy" and can comment on what he has seen with his own two eyes at multiple practices throughout the years and this offseason. I'm sure he takes special interest on the current state of special teams.

How many Georgia games have you watched or been to? How long did you live in Georgia? How would you have any idea what sources that cover UGA football are or are not realible? You making an observations on what people are saying in GA about the program and telling UGA fans what they should believe is laughable. Stick to Okalahoma A&M.


Separate note, anyone think that this weekend's USC UGA game with have a combined score of over 20 points?


Arkansas also has a week to prepare for UGA and has been preparing for them during the offseason (take note Bobo) I think unless Grey turns out to be a world beater would could be looking at 1-2 or 0-3 going into the Az St game.

A good article about Ark looking at the UGA game.

That was a pretty solid article. What it fails to explain as a whole is last year Bobby Petrino took over Houston's players. Typically they were undersized and taught one major skill at their position. Well BP changes the offense, staff, and actually teaches players several skills then all the little details around the team like jersey, field, and so forth. Arkansas was as confused as pee-wee kids accidentally running the wrong way for a safety. Not quite but still, ask Bama or Texas. After we squeaked out wins and got killed, we lost a list of close games. We got better.

Every major school prepares early. Arkansas preparing for Georgia for several months is nothing new.

[symple19]

You are the one that obviously can't let it go. Maybe you should get Hershel to tell everyone why the coaches abandon the running game? After all, he is the expert.

By all means, keep up your doom and gloom; I was trying to talk you down down off it. You are right, I know nothing about UGA football and you are destined to win zero games because your coaches make terrible decisions. Please fire them now and install Kevin Butler as your coach. It is solely their fault OSU beat UGA, it had nothing to do with talent on the field or the chance of plays. The fumbles are their fault too, why aren't they teaching those kids not to cough it up? Kevin Butler wouldn't do that.

Unfortunately Capt Mike, you just don't understand the microscope that most SEC programs are put under. You do make some good points, but Romad is simply pointing out the things that many around that storied program think may be wrong at present. This same scenario takes place after every loss by Bama, Auburn, Florida, LSU, Tennessee.

One of the points in the article Romad posted was that UGA got away from the run. That was also my biggest criticism during that game. I thought if the Dawgs had continued to pound away at the thin Okie St. D-line(which played pretty darn well BTW) then things certainly could have been different.

I definitely think you'll see more than 20 points scored in the USC/UGA game. Not from Carolina though. For some reason the ole' ball coach just can't get any kind of consistent offense going. That team has to run it and grind clock to have any chance.

[symple19]

I'm not sold on your coach though. What did he do at ISU (was it?)?

I'm not either, and that's why I'm on every little thing he does. His teams at Iowa St sucked balls. But so many ingredients go into a well coached team besides the head guy it's not really fair to just go off of what they did at their prior gigs. Norv Turner is a good example of that, albeit in the pros. Chizik coached undefeated defenses at both Auburn and Texas, so it's not like he hasn't been in the brightest lights under the biggest pressures. The staff he's brought in seems thus far to be very good together. Malzahn you know, but guys like Trooper Taylor(WR coach, and the main recruiter) and Ted Roof, who is the defensive coordinator and a bit of a comeback story himself. He coached Duke for 5 years(yikes, rough job). A head coach often times is more of an administrator(at least in college), and this seems to be the role Chizik has mostly played, being a guy who lets his coaches coach. That's fine with me, until he starts losing a whole bunch.LOL.

My main questions are these, in no particular order:

Can he recruit? - So far so good
Can he manage clock? - Unknown
Can he manage Auburn Boosters? - Unknown
Late game decision making(in close games) - Unknown
Can he keep his program clean? - Unknown
Can he keep Malzahn balanced? - Unknown
Can he keep the defense stout? - Unknown
CAN HE BEAT BAMA? - Unknown

He is certainly a fiery guy, which I like. Very animated on the sidelines and seemingly very involved as the game goes on. It's during the week that he seems a bit detached at times, and I'm not sure yet what that means. We'll see. But one thing is for sure, and that is you have to win, and win NOW.

[romad_20]

Alright Symple, Chili and Brut,

My games this week that I'm interested in:

UGA v USC

I think the Dawgs will win, ok, I hope they will win :lol. Cox will indeed start but I think Grey will play a few series. I also think Caleb King comes back this week to help in the running game. Look for this one to come down to a defensive play, which has been the case in the last few years. Hopefully improvement on the o-line and special teams. 14-7 UGA

UCLA v Tenn.

Very interesting game. We get a look at what the Kiffins will do against real competition. Will Crompton actually look as good as last week? Will the Vols be looking ahead to the UF game and lose concentration? I don't think they will. I think Tenn will actually put up good numbers again and win comfortably and get ready for Florida. 30-10 Tenn

Miss St v Auburn

Chizik is back in the SEC and ready to go. I admit I did not get to see either of these teams last week but both look like they started slow and then closed out their respective teams pretty well. Both teams are breaking in new coaching staffs and Miss St gets Dixon back this week. With a win Auburn could be looking at 4-0 and a great start, with a loss Miss St could be looking at 1-3. I think Auburn's defense shuts down Miss St in a low scoring game 17-7 Auburn.

Vandy v LSU

Vandy has improved its doormat standing over the last under Bobby Johnson and is no longer just a checkmark win. This will be a big test for them at Death Valley. Les Miles looks like he could have just rode the coattails of Saban's talent to a national title, because that D-fense has dropped leaps and bounds in the last two years. Washington put up way too many yards against them last week. I would love to call an upset here but I think the fact the game is in Death Valley tips the scales and LSU pulls away late. 34-20 LSU.

Any thoughts? I wish I had more time to do more research but I'm really just f-ing off at work :lol


Go DAWGS!!!!!

[romad_20]

I don't think anyone should judge him on Iowa St. They aren't even the biggest program in Iowa. He had no chance there simply because of talent. I really have no idea why he ever took that job, except for the experience.




My main questions are these, in no particular order:

Can he recruit? - So far so good (Maybe, its hard with Saban and Richt competing for same players, but there's plenty to go around)

Can he manage clock? - Unknown (We will probably find out this weekend)

Can he manage Auburn Boosters? - Unknown (No, probably not. They are pretty cut-throat there)

Late game decision making(in close games) - Unknown

Can he keep his program clean? - Unknown (hmmmm, who knows? If he doesn't win right off it could lead to him sweeting the pot for recruits.)

Can he keep Malzahn balanced? - Unknown (Probably. He's a strong personality and I think he'll keep his coaches in line and correct them when they stray.)

Can he keep the defense stout? - Unknown (Yes. I don't think anyone in the SEC or Big 12 thinks otherwise)


CAN HE BEAT BAMA? - Unknown (That's the biggest question, isn't it?)

[MajorMike]

Unfortunately Capt Mike, you just don't understand the microscope that most SEC programs are put under.

lol I love the fact that SEC people think they are the only world that exists. I grew up in Oklahoma during Switzer's heyday, downfall and all the subsequent coaches that were decent but not up to standard, and you are going to tell ME I don't understand programs being under a microscope. Or at OSU basketball when little Sutton has a winning record but gets fired for not being up to standard and his daddy is drunk running over pedestrians. Nice.

Unfortunately, you SEC peeps are so cavalier that you don't realize life exists outside of dixie.

[Texas Chili Dog]

Alright Symple, Chili and Brut,

My games this week that I'm interested in:

UGA v USC

I think the Dawgs will win, ok, I hope they will win :lol. Cox will indeed start but I think Grey will play a few series. I also think Caleb King comes back this week to help in the running game. Look for this one to come down to a defensive play, which has been the case in the last few years. Hopefully improvement on the o-line and special teams. 14-7 UGA


Go DAWGS!!!!!

Wasn't 14-7 the score last year? Damn that game was nerve-wracking as all hell. :lol

SIC EM!! :clap

[romad_20]

Wasn't 14-7 the score last year? Damn that game was nerve-wracking as all hell. :lol

SIC EM!! :clap

Yeah, we needed some help on 4th down late to seal that one.

The best in recent memory was when David Pollock sacked, intercepted and fell in the enzone for a TD for the win. Awesome game.

[romad_20]

lol I love the fact that SEC people think they are the only world that exists. you are going to tell ME I don't understand programs being under a microscope

Well, the title of the thread is SEC football 2009 and the only reason you're in here is because your team is starting to build some sort of football program and beat an SEC team. Talk about caviler, you're the one that comes off as a cocky know-it-all.

You know you don't have to come into this thread since it has zero to do with your team.:wow

[Brutalis]

I don't think anyone should judge him on Iowa St. They aren't even the biggest program in Iowa. He had no chance there simply because of talent. I really have no idea why he ever took that job, except for the experience.

A popular news/radio sports guy is from Iowa and went to ISU and thinks he is a terrible coach. I don't think he knows why he took that job truly.

As far as your comments about Vandy not being a doormat anymore, I completely agree. When they beat Arkansas a few seasons ago in Fay., they caught Houston looking ahead and beat the one trick pony. That's when things turned around. Cutler had a lot to do with this. He got them several decent recruits.

[MajorMike]

Well, the title of the thread is SEC football 2009 and the only reason you're in here is because your team is starting to build some sort of football program and beat an SEC team. Talk about caviler, you're the one that comes off as a cocky know-it-all.

You know you don't have to come into this thread since it has zero to do with your team.:wow

That's odd; I wasn't the first one to mention my team in this thread.

I guess you should stick to it, tho, as it shows you nothing about football outside of dixie.

[symple19]

Unfortunately, you SEC peeps are so cavalier that you don't realize life exists outside of dixie.
Well, I know this. When I lived at Ft. Sill while in the Army, I came to realize that OSU just doesn't matter in your state. Maybe that's what you're always upset about, that football doesn't exist outside of Norman.

[symple19]

Alright Symple, Chili and Brut,

My games this week that I'm interested in:

UGA v USC

I think the Dawgs will win, ok, I hope they will win :lol. Cox will indeed start but I think Grey will play a few series. I also think Caleb King comes back this week to help in the running game. Look for this one to come down to a defensive play, which has been the case in the last few years. Hopefully improvement on the o-line and special teams. 14-7 UGA

UCLA v Tenn.

Very interesting game. We get a look at what the Kiffins will do against real competition. Will Crompton actually look as good as last week? Will the Vols be looking ahead to the UF game and lose concentration? I don't think they will. I think Tenn will actually put up good numbers again and win comfortably and get ready for Florida. 30-10 Tenn

Miss St v Auburn

Chizik is back in the SEC and ready to go. I admit I did not get to see either of these teams last week but both look like they started slow and then closed out their respective teams pretty well. Both teams are breaking in new coaching staffs and Miss St gets Dixon back this week. With a win Auburn could be looking at 4-0 and a great start, with a loss Miss St could be looking at 1-3. I think Auburn's defense shuts down Miss St in a low scoring game 17-7 Auburn.

Vandy v LSU

Vandy has improved its doormat standing over the last under Bobby Johnson and is no longer just a checkmark win. This will be a big test for them at Death Valley. Les Miles looks like he could have just rode the coattails of Saban's talent to a national title, because that D-fense has dropped leaps and bounds in the last two years. Washington put up way too many yards against them last week. I would love to call an upset here but I think the fact the game is in Death Valley tips the scales and LSU pulls away late. 34-20 LSU.

Any thoughts? I wish I had more time to do more research but I'm really just f-ing off at work :lol

Go DAWGS!!!!!

UGA v USC
I like Georgia in this one, 21-10. The USC defense is quite good, but is doomed to spend most of every game on the field until Spurrier can remember how to coach up the offense again. Dawgs ride emotion and a renewed emphasis on the run to a victory.
UCLA v Tenn
Don't know much about UCLA other than they beat SDSU by 19 last weekend. I did see some of the Tenn game and they looked better than I was expecting. Since this is at Neyland I'll go with the Vols by 10, 30-20. I'd like to add that Lane Kiffin makes me want to throw up every time I see him... What a douchebag.(Although I respect his father a lot, which begs the question: What happened to Lane?)

Miss St v Auburn
For obvious reasons, this game makes me nervous. Miss St. finally has a coach who knows what offense is. Dan Mullen was the offensive mind behind Urban Meyers undefeated teams. His team lacks the talent Auburn has, but AU will see a much better offensive scheme than they have in the past from the Bulldogs. This one will be a bit more of a score-fest than last years 3-2 affair. I'll go Auburn 28-14.

Vandy v LSU
Vandy is improving, I agree, but not enough to win in Baton Rouge. As for LSU and their performance last week, I tend to give a little more credit to Washington under Sarkisian than others have, meaning I think they're far better than advertised. Add in a long trip and a weird place to play for a bunch of southern kids and that's why that game was what it was. This is a night game and I think LSU will be ready. Vandy has a sophomore QB and won't be able to run it like last week. I'll go 23-7 Tigers.

Have a good weekend! WDE :toast

[romad_20]

That's odd; I wasn't the first one to mention my team in this thread.


What does that even mean? Of course they were mentioned (in passing I might add) because they played an SEC team last weekend.

Football outside of Dixie?! Its not like UGA wasn't playing football 15 years before that dusty, flat craphole you call a state was even in the union. Got anymore nuggets of football knowledge we should know, all-knowing football guy? Are you done? :toast


When I lived at Ft. Sill while in the Army

:lol Old Ft Sill. I used to go control air up there at that range. I remember it being cold as hell and nothing to do except go to a place called the "Dragon West". Real classy establishment :lol

[romad_20]

Looks like the rumor is actually reality


Cox has injured throwing shoulder
Comment Email Print Share
By Joe Schad ESPN Archive

Georgia quarterback Joe Cox said Friday that he is attempting to play through an injured throwing shoulder.
SEC blog

Low ESPN.com's Chris Low writes about all things SEC in his conference blog.

• Blog network:
College Football Nation

"It's nerve problems caused by a muscle that protects my rotator cuff," Cox said. "One of the muscles that protects the rotator cuff has wasted away and that puts pressure on the rotator cuff."

Cox said he first felt pain this spring and that his lifting and throwing schedules have been altered.

Cox plans to start against South Carolina on Saturday. Sophomore Logan Gray is ready to play if called upon.

"Most of my pain is away from football," Cox said. "At night when I sleep. Picking up a bookbag. Driving with my right hand."

Cox said he does not believe that the injury has affected his velocity. Doctors have told Cox it's unlikely he'll need surgery.

"It might not get better," Cox said. "I might have it forever. I might just have to manage it."

Cox is also recovering from the flu, which affected him last week. Cox said he has lost nine pounds and only regained his appetite on Wednesday.

"I got the IV before the last game," Cox said. "I wasn't breathing well. I was weak. But I'm feeling better now."

Georgia coaches are saying they believe that right now, Cox gives the team the best chance to win.

Joe Schad is a college football reporter for ESPN.
"Its Saturday in Athens"!!



http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=4465447

[Texas Chili Dog]

They should bring back Stafford to play for UGA on Saturdays. He could travel back to Detroit or where ever after the game and be ready for his NFL games on Sunday. :D

[EricB]

Bama looked good :)

Pretty boring couple weeks until I think the big meet up with Ole Miss...

[dirk4mvp]

Bama looked good :)

Pretty boring couple weeks until I think the big meet up with Ole Miss...

That game's in Oxford but I think Alabama pulls that one out. Bama looks too good and imo the best team in the sec.

[EricB]

That game's in Oxford but I think Alabama pulls that one out. Bama looks too good and imo the best team in the sec.


I hope your right, I'd love to roady it to the Championship game.

[tlongII]

UCLA is tied with Tennessee 10-10 in the 2nd quarter. Pac-10 > SEC

[symple19]

:lol Old Ft Sill. I used to go control air up there at that range. I remember it being cold as hell and nothing to do except go to a place called the "Dragon West". Real classy establishment :lol

Dragons! I drank many a beer and stared at many a saggy boob in that hellhole. Most of the time it was filled with Marines(of course).

[symple19]

UCLA is tied with Tennessee 10-10 in the 2nd quarter. Pac-10 > SEC

Really? E Washington is tied with Cal 7-7 in the first quarter. Big Sky > Pac-10

[Spursfan092120]

UCLA is tied with Tennessee 10-10 in the 2nd quarter. Pac-10 > SEC
lol every team in the Pac-10 except USC and Cal

[EricB]

UCLA is tied with Tennessee 10-10 in the 2nd quarter. Pac-10 > SEC

Oregon got the shit beat out of them by Boise State

MW>>>>> PAC 10

[Spursfan092120]

lol TLong going into a Texas forum and an SEC forum and acting like the Pac-10 is better than either the SEC or Big 12

[tlongII]

lol anyone disagreeing with me.

[EricB]

lol fan white men with asian fetishes


Shouldn't lol at yourself sunshine.

[Spursfan092120]

So I guess by TLong's dumb ass logic, the MAC is better than the Big 10, considering Central Michigan beat Michigan State.

[Texas Chili Dog]

lol Tennessee. Good win UCLA! :tu

[Brutalis]

Glad to see Kiffin lose as well.

Georgia is looking like a very likely win for Arkansas if they keep playing like this.

[Brutalis]

Garcia is awwwwful. That was a fun game to watch.

Auburn fans have to like what Gus is doing with the offense.

[Texas Chili Dog]

I think I had a heart attack during the UGA game. It looked eerily similar to last year's game against SC, except with a lot more scoring.

[symple19]

Auburn looked very, very good with the exception of a 10 minute stretch from the end of the first into the second quarter. Over 2 games the Tigers have rolled up over 1100 yards, most of which has come on the ground. Tate and McCalebb both rushed for over 100 yards again, the first time in Auburn history where two backs have rushed for over a hundred in back to back games. Impressive considering the great backs that have been on "The Plains". The defense played well except for the previously mentioned 10 minute stretch.

The offensive line is shaping up to be a dominant one. This could still end quickly with an injury, due to a lack of depth.

Special teams continues to be a problem, with the Bulldogs blocking and then running back a punt for a TD.

Chris Todd was unimpressive yet again (as far as I'm concerned) throwing the ball. 10/23 will not get it done against top notch opponents.

Kodi Burns scores 4 TDs (3 running, 1 passing) out of the wildcat offense.

Emergence of Darvin Adams at WR is encouraging. 5 catches for 116 yards, most on balls that were poorly thrown.

Antonio Coleman scores on a pick six. That's what the Tigers need from their defensive leader.

No turnovers on offense.

I continue to be cautiously optimistic about this team. TOP hasn't been a problem like I thought. Big play ability always seems just around the corner. Coaching staff seems dialed in concerning adjustments/playcalling.

However, special teams coverage/blocking MUST improve. Defense will have to get better. Pass coverage improved from last week, but the rush defense regressed. D is also still showing an aptitude for making a dumb penalty at the worst time. Chris Todd also took a step back concerning throwing the ball. Under 50% completion, and many that were completed were inaccurate or under-thrown.

All in all a good game that still leaves room for improvement. WVA will provide a better test, and one that will let me know a lot more about what this team is capable of. War Damn Eagle! :toast

[symple19]

Couple more thoughts.

Tennessee looks to me like one of those teams with a jekyll/hyde persona. Might be good one week and then piss-poor the next. Props to UCLA and their defense however. Neuheisel knows what he's doing.

USC/UGA game must have caused palpitations for some of you guys(Romad/chili dog). Every time I looked over from the Auburn game the score was changing. Helluva offensive turnaround for both teams, but what does this say about the Georgia D? Looking forward to your comments.

LSU got it done. Glancing at the box score it seems the LSU defense decided it was indeed from the SEC. Offense looks to be a bigger problem for them going forward. They did have a nice day on the ground though, but through the air it was a different story. LSU had 148 passing to Vandy's 88. Yuck. Commodore D is stout, and since I didn't see any of it I really don't know why those numbers were so low.

Enjoy the NFL guys, and I look forward to your comments!

[Texas Chili Dog]

USC/UGA game must have caused palpitations for some of you guys(Romad/chili dog). Every time I looked over from the Auburn game the score was changing. Helluva offensive turnaround for both teams, but what does this say about the Georgia D? Looking forward to your comments.


It did give me chest pains, for sure. :lol

I'll have some comments soon, but it can't be til at least tomorrow. I'm about to go pregame for the Cowboys, and then I'm heading to Arkansas for a funeral right after the game. I'll be back in Dallas tomorrow evening and I'll leave some comments about it. Go Dawgs!

[romad_20]

It did give me chest pains, for sure. :lol

I'll have some comments soon, but it can't be til at least tomorrow. I'm about to go pregame for the Cowboys, and then I'm heading to Arkansas for a funeral right after the game. I'll be back in Dallas tomorrow evening and I'll leave some comments about it. Go Dawgs!

I was actually pretty calm during the game, considering the craziness that had been going on the first part of the day, I just figured this one would follow the same pattern.

I got a bunch of homework today and I'm picking up a new truck tomorrow in Friendswood? so I probably won't get to gather my thoughts on such a crazy night in the SEC until late tomorrow. Really just a bizarro day in college football. I'll take the win!


Go Dawgs!

[Brutalis]

Been a tough bye week as a fan watching everyone else play. But I'm sure most of us watched that Georgia game.

Happy to see that Georgia defense bend to a poor Carolina offense in my opinion. Petrino and the offense ran a basic scheme against Mo. State last weekend and as everyone knows they have been preparing since Spring. They hope to open up the offense next Saturday, something they haven't done since BP has been here. Haven't had the cohesive bond and time to learn as a team until now hopefully.

From the sound of it if Georgia follows any game tape of Arkansas beating up on Mo. State they should not take it too seriously. I think the Hogs have been working on some things for this game as it is in no doubt the game of the year for us.

5-7 last year could have easily been 8-4

Squeaking out a win vs Auburn 25-22 started the turn around last year for the Hogs. The following weekend it was a kicker missing twice to lose to Kentucky 20-21, and a phantom PI call, then a phantom no PI call decided the 21-23 loss to http://www.hogdb.com/db/logos/sml/60.gif. Later lost to MSU 28-31 in a heart breaker.

7-38 loss to Florida was close until late in the game the depth showed and the Gators piled on some points in the end. Beating LSU to finish it off was the best thing for recruiting that could have happened.

Well when Georgia comes to The Hill next weekend they will be facing a team that is ready and fired up for this game. I'm not going to get homer and call for a 28 point win but I would not be surprised if it came out 42-21 or 45-17 like in favor of the Hogs.

However the anticipation might be whats breaks the Razorbacks. Georgia will either beat the Hogs who are backed into a corner it seems, or be mauled by them. Also hope that there is no looming mental collapse because Arkansas has had the most shit luck against Georgia for whatever reasons. I say Nutt but got damn they always have had our number. Recently and even back when we were the powerhouse.

Anyways there will be twice as much emotion and tension during an SEC game than normal. Which was already pretty high. I don't believe this young Georgia squad will have the legs to keep up with Arkansas. Hope I am right.

Gus is doing wonders with Auburn. Props to them. LSU got it done against Vandy but I am still not sold on them. I just don't think they have the level of talent over there they have had in recent years. Arkansas has slammed the door in their face two years in a row.

What is the deal with Florida? Someone told me they play another cupcake next week, if that's true then wtf? I hope they get their ass handed to them this season by more than a fluke Ole Miss game.

NEXT WEEKEND is going to be THE SHIT!

Tenn @ Florida
Georgia @ Arkansas
Bama @ Piss

my watchers.

Hey any of you living in SEC states? The hell is up with this espn/sec deal? I only get one game on ESPNU, a game on ESPN and that's that. Two weeks in a row. Thought ALL the games were on?

[Texas Chili Dog]

It pains me to watch UGA play Arkansas because I love both teams. I'm still holding out hope I'll get up to Fayetteville for this one. Here's to a good one Brutalis. :toast

[symple19]

Auburn running game hot, Crompton not (http://espn.go.com/blog/ncfnation/post/_/id/7088/auburn-running-game-hot-crompton-not)
September 14, 2009 10:19 PM

Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low

Who’s hot and who’s not in the SEC? It’s that time again to find out:

En Fuego

Auburn’s running game: Running the football at a high level is as much a part of the Auburn football program as the flight of the eagle prior to kickoff at Jordan-Hare Stadium. The Tigers have done it with the I-formation. They’ve done it with Bo Jackson, Joe Cribbs, James Brooks, Stephen Davis, Carnell Williams and Ronnie Brown. Now they’re doing it with Gus Malzahn’s version of the spread offense, which proves yet again that running the spread doesn’t necessarily mean you’re slinging the ball all over the ballpark. The Tigers have rushed for 300 yards in both of their games, with Ben Tate and Onterio McCalebb each topping 100 yards. It’s the first time in Auburn history that two players have rushed for 100 yards in back-to-back games. Running Back U. is alive and well.

Hot

Florida quarterback Tim Tebow: The Man of Steel is now up to 45 career rushing touchdowns, tying him for third place all-time in the SEC with Carnell Williams, and is just four away from tying Herschel Walker for the SEC career record.

Not

Mississippi State’s defense: Not only did the Bulldogs give up 589 yards of total offense in their 49-24 loss to Auburn, but they also didn’t make many adjustments to stop the bleeding. And that comes straight from their head coach.

Hot

Tennessee’s recruiting: The Vols got some sweet consolation from their disappointing loss to UCLA on Saturday when three ESPNU 150 prospects committed the next day – defensive line teammates Corey Miller and Brandon Willis of Duncan, S.C., and receiver/athlete DeMarco Cobbs of Tulsa, Okla.

Not

South Carolina’s special teams: For the second straight week, the Gamecocks had their issues on special teams, giving up a kickoff return for a touchdown and having an extra point blocked against Georgia. It’s the reason they’re 1-1 right now and not 2-0.

Hot

The Gator Nation: They don’t want to just beat Lane Kiffin and the Vols. They want to punish them and make that punishment last over four long, steamy quarters. How many points will be enough? That’s hard to say, but something tells me the Gators aren’t practicing their kneel-down plays this week.

Not

Alabama receiver Julio Jones: He wasn’t a big factor in the opener against Virginia Tech and now has a bruised knee after getting hurt on the opening drive against Florida International. Jones has just five catches, and his longest reception has gone for 16 yards.

Hot

Georgia linebacker Rennie Curran: The guy is a tackling machine. He tied a career high with 15 tackles against South Carolina and saved the game for the Bulldogs in the final seconds by tipping away Stephen Garcia’s fourth-down pass at the goal line.

Not

Alabama’s kickoff coverage: At this rate, the Crimson Tide are going to give up more touchdowns on special teams than they do on defense. Two kickoff returns for touchdowns in two weeks? Man, I wouldn’t want to be on those units in practice this week.

Ice, Ice Baby

Tennessee quarterback Jonathan Crompton: The Vols’ fifth-year senior quarterback has certainly been here before. After throwing five touchdown passes in the opener, Crompton reverted to his error-prone ways of a year ago in the 19-15 loss to UCLA. He made some inexplicable throws against the Bruins into coverage on plays where he had other guys running wide open. Against bona-fide defenses in game situations, Crompton simply hasn’t proven he can get it done. But he had help in stinking it up last week. The Vols didn’t do a whole lot up front offensively, and Lane Kiffin’s play-calling in the final minutes down near the goal line was about as unimaginative as it gets. Here’s the really scary part for the Vols: They will play against at least six defenses the rest of the way that are as good, if not better, than UCLA’s.

[symple19]

Doesn't the term, "Gator Nation", make you throw up a little bit in your mouth like it does me? Anything before the word nation in reference to sports is played out. Come up with something new...Please.

[Allan Rowe vs Wade]

^yes

but yankee and red sox nation are on a different level of repulsiveness

[symple19]

http://poonsec.blogspot.com/

Found this site and felt obligated to share --- Enjoy!

[symple19]

http://rivals.yahoo.com/arkansas/football/recruiting/player-Kiehl-Frazier-79416 Here ya go Brutalis, regarding AU recruiting in your state. This kid is a junior (QB) and has already been offered. Auburn has offered another junior QB named Jeff Driskel. http://rivals.yahoo.com/floridastate/football/recruiting/player-Jeff-Driskel-95229 Very interesting that AU is going after kids this early. Is this something that your guys schools are doing?

[symple19]

<object width="580" height="360"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/v/CvHUCOefowk&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/v/CvHUCOefowk&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="580" height="360"></embed></object>

Check the Auburn locker room. Big time! Love how they did the Heisman displays. WDE!

[Brutalis]

http://rivals.yahoo.com/arkansas/football/recruiting/player-Kiehl-Frazier-79416 Here ya go Brutalis, regarding AU recruiting in your state. This kid is a junior (QB) and has already been offered. Auburn has offered another junior QB named Jeff Driskel. http://rivals.yahoo.com/floridastate/football/recruiting/player-Jeff-Driskel-95229 Very interesting that AU is going after kids this early. Is this something that your guys schools are doing?

Yeah there's rumors BP is checking out younger players. I have no info about it though. That video was interesting, BP did the same here. He got the latest and greatest turf for our new field. Georgia will be the first ever game on it. Lot's of new stuff. BP wants to show off to these kids having the facilities to back it up I suppose. I don't care if it's putting a pink hog on the butt of our pants on our uni's,- if it lands recruits it's worth it. (lol)


It pains me to watch UGA play Arkansas because I love both teams. I'm still holding out hope I'll get up to Fayetteville for this one. Here's to a good one Brutalis. :toast

Man I am thrilled. I have never been so up on a football game in my life. Only 24 but still..

You guys will be the first to play on the new turf in Fayetteville. This game is also ESPN's showcase game Saturday night! High five biotch! The SEC is pwning national tv. As if we didn't already have the best players.

44-27 Arkansas. I will be here within 24 hours of the game regardless if we happen to get our ass handed to us.

There is more meaning to this game for Arkansas since they joined the SEC and began their reign of bad coaches and average teams. The players are excited as hell in interviews and seem like they have had the game plan set this week and are confident.

Georgia's OLine is weak and our defense needs to step up from last years experience. Offensively for the Hogs we have to do what we know we can do and that's fucking score. Tired of hearing about it, it's time to see it. If Georgia puts 7-8 in the box they are getting blown out. If they blitz the middle and don't get to Mallett it will be a 30 yard pass every time.

So my questions entering this game are..

Will Mallett prove why he is on all the awards watch list?
Can our guys block and let us open up the field with the pass and run?
Defense under 20 points?

Yes yes yes = big blow out. Georgia is hurting and from what I have read, heard, and seen they are all in a questioning stage wondering who is going to step up and have been hit hard with injuries. (as several of us have)

BP has been preaching confidence and expecting the best out of your teammate beside you. In week one when these guys did the tradition walk to the stadium from the bus they were clean and focused. Nothing like the shits and giggles from Nuttboy. These guys compete daily to out-do each other BP has done a great job getting talent and forming chemistry thus far.

Huge expectations. ESPN knows that. Hopefully they get a win on the big stage.

[Brutalis]

Where you people at?

Hear UGA got their running back healthy and ready to go Saturday night. He was like 4th rated recruit in the nation a couple years ago and has the spotlight now KM is gone. That should help the run game. As they will probably use it a lot to try and hit play action to that awesome receiver they got.

Mark was on Bo Mattingly's show yesterday and said everything right. He is one of those guys that you listen to when he talks and by the time it was over I knew why Georgia had been so good under his command.

He spoke a little about how Petrino has done a great job so far and he expects a tough game. Gave us praise for our young talented receiving core and hinted that Petrino has some and can get talent. Bo told him how he is the dean of the SEC now being the longest tenured coach so far. Not much else.. the middle of the week before a game what could we expect?

Did BP talk to Georgia? I doubt it.. but I still wondered.

[Brutalis]

Well Arkansas is prepared. I'm looking forward to that Vandy/MSU matchup. NOT.

[symple19]

Brut, are ya ready? LOL, I can tell you're hyped. Unfortunately, the AU game is on at the same time, but I'll be on here discussing developments as the games wear on. Will definitely be flipping over during commercials to check out your game.

Here are some thoughts on SEC matchups

Auburn-WVU --- Weather could be rainy and that will probably work in Auburns favor. WVU is a balanced team that throws the ball much better this year than in years past. They have a young O-line and big receivers. Auburn should be able to win the battle in the trenches and that's why I like the Tigers to win. 40-28

Louisville-Kentucky --- Haven't seen these two teams at all. I picked the Cards but after looking at the numbers, I'm thinking I should have picked the Cats. Oh well. UL 28 UK 21

Tenn-Fla --- After all the Kiffin smack, the only question is how many will Florida win by? A lot. UT 10 UF 45

Vandy-Miss St --- Miss St is improving, but I think the Vols are a bit better. Vandy can run it, and Auburn gave them a blueprint. Vandy 24 Miss St 17

Arky-UGA --- I picked Arkansas based on what I've seen from Georgia the past few weeks. Not too sure why, just a hunch. UA 30 UGA 24

[Texas Chili Dog]

I love Arkie, but I have to choose a side... GO JAWJA! :clap

[Brutalis]

Brut, are ya ready? LOL, I can tell you're hyped. Unfortunately, the AU game is on at the same time, but I'll be on here discussing developments as the games wear on. Will definitely be flipping over during commercials to check out your game.

Here are some thoughts on SEC matchups

Auburn-WVU --- Weather could be rainy and that will probably work in Auburns favor. WVU is a balanced team that throws the ball much better this year than in years past. They have a young O-line and big receivers. Auburn should be able to win the battle in the trenches and that's why I like the Tigers to win. 40-28

Louisville-Kentucky --- Haven't seen these two teams at all. I picked the Cards but after looking at the numbers, I'm thinking I should have picked the Cats. Oh well. UL 28 UK 21

Tenn-Fla --- After all the Kiffin smack, the only question is how many will Florida win by? A lot. UT 10 UF 45

Vandy-Miss St --- Miss St is improving, but I think the Vols are a bit better. Vandy can run it, and Auburn gave them a blueprint. Vandy 24 Miss St 17

Arky-UGA --- I picked Arkansas based on what I've seen from Georgia the past few weeks. Not too sure why, just a hunch. UA 30 UGA 24


Picking games and predicting games are two different things to me. So I'll give mine..

UF 58 UT 16 - yeah I said fifty fucking eight if not more. (i hope) a lot of hog fans hate tenn cause of the fumble in 98 but i respected them till kiffin came along.

UK 28 UL 13 - UL has went back to the basement. kentucky has always fed off of leftover recruits. i really don't know/care who would win this game.

Vandy 34 MSU 21 - i forgot his name already but the vandy coach is doing a lot with a little. lsu took over in the fourth last week but vandy played them good.

UA 38 UGA 24 - i keep changing it as the game gets closer. have no idea what to expect. i have heard georgia fans say the same weary of what good the hogs offense is. guess we'll see.

AU 34 WV 24 - gus will put points on the board and it's up to the mountain hicks to keep up.


I love Arkie, but I have to choose a side... GO JAWJA! :clap

Whatever happens here's to a good game :toast and not being typical asshole fans.

[Brutalis]

Arky-UGA

Man don't call us Arky. I am a sissy little girl about it. Makes me think of Les Miles running his mouth again and again. And you know what LSU/UA think of each other. Lol.

[Texas Chili Dog]

Whatever happens here's to a good game :toast and not being typical asshole fans.

absolutely! I'm glad it's on ESPN so I've had the chance to watch all three UGA games this season on TV even though I'm in Dallas. Hope it keeps going!


Man don't call us Arky. I am a sissy little girl about it. Makes me think of Les Miles running his mouth again and again. And you know what LSU/UA think of each other. Lol.

I notice you didn't say anything to me about saying that. Is it because I used "ie" rather than "y"? :hat


woo pig sooie :)

[symple19]

I notice you didn't say anything to me about saying that. Is it because I used "ie" rather than "y"? :hat

I was wondering that also...lol, no biggee

[Brutalis]

absolutely! I'm glad it's on ESPN so I've had the chance to watch all three UGA games this season on TV even though I'm in Dallas. Hope it keeps going!



I notice you didn't say anything to me about saying that. Is it because I used "ie" rather than "y"? :hat


woo pig sooie :)

I didn't notice. :lol

[Allan Rowe vs Wade]

jon crompton sucks

[Ghazi]

Very nice gameplan for Tennessee just not enough offensive firepower at the end of the day.

Florida looks mortal though, @ LSU upset?!

[symple19]

Very nice gameplan for Tennessee just not enough offensive firepower at the end of the day.

Florida looks mortal though, @ LSU upset?!

Very mortal. UT showed up. Gives hope to everyone that plays Florida. Either that or they were just flat after playing those scrubs to open the season

[Stump]

Ouch. Very bad start to the Auburn game.

[symple19]

Ouch. Very bad start to the Auburn game.

Yeah it was. I was almost ready to jump out the window. Todd makes me nervous as hell. Hopefully the AU offense can run a little clock in the second half to give the D a break. WVU is very good in the skill positions and I find myself holding my breath every time Devine touches the Ball. Gonna be a close game I think. Need to run the ball better too

[Texas Chili Dog]

ok now I'm settling in to the Auburn game. I'm worn out after watching UGA.

[symple19]

War Damn Eagle!!!! 40-31 WVU would've won if they hadn't turned it over. Good team

[symple19]

AUBURN -- Gene Chizik was awash in numbers Sunday. http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/gcicommonfiles/sr/graphics/common/adlabel_horz.gif


Some of them were good. The Auburn coach watched his team earn a 41-30 win against West Virginia on Saturday night. Quarterback Chris Todd threw four touchdown passes. Defenders intercepted five passes and recovered a fumble. The Tigers outscored the visitors 31-9 during the final three quarters.
Still, another number caused Chizik plenty of concern.
Yards allowed: 509.
"We've got a lot of work to do on defense. A lot of the yardage (Saturday) was just simply missed tackles," Chizik said. "We're still having a bit of a problems right now getting off the field on third down. We've got to revisit a lot of that -- and go back and look at some of that."
Third down wasn't a problem during the Tigers' first two games of the season. Both Louisiana Tech and Mississippi State converted 38 percent of their third-down conversions, which Chizik considered an acceptable number.
West Virginia converted 10-of-15 on Saturday.
Quarterback Jarrett Brown was a primary reason for that success. The senior escaped pressure with ease, rarely losing his cool even as large defenders approached.
Brown converted five of those third-down situations by scrambling away from failing pass plays. The Tigers frequently moved to within tackling distance of the 245-pound quarterback.
He didn't drop easily.
Tailback Noel Devine exhibited similar behavior. The diminutive junior gained 128 yards on 15 carries, often breaking away from the first tackler early in the game.
"Our kids didn't let that get to them," defensive coordinator Ted Roof said. "After what had happened, I think our kids showed a lot of heart and belief and we're going to build on that and we're going to go back to work and get the mistakes corrected. We've got to accomplish our goals."
The offense felt a sense of accomplishment Sunday.
West Virginia wasn't shy about dispatching eight defenders near the line of scrimmage Saturday. Auburn, through two games, was the nation's No. 2 rushing offense and the Mountaineers were determined to avoid becoming another statistic.
That goal was accomplished. Auburn rushed for only 100 yards.
That wasn't enough to slow the Tigers' advances. Todd and Adams collaborated for three touchdowns. Junior Mario Fannin took a simple third-quarter screen pass and took it 82 yards for a score.
Auburn's passing game yielded 300 yards.
Todd said the experience provided valuable insight. If opponents continue their anti-run ways, the Tigers now feel confident their air attack can thrive on its own.
"With them bringing those guys, it allowed us to free up some receivers. It kinda balances itself out," Todd said. "Whatever way we're successful, whatever way we get into the end zone, I'm happy. I think the entire team is."http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/gcicommonfiles/sr/graphics/common/adlabel_horz.gif

[symple19]

SEC POWER RANKINGS

http://espn.go.com/blog/sec/post/_/id/3478/sec-power-rankings-3

for some reason I uldn't get the article to post...

1.FLA
2.Bama
3.Ole Miss
4.LSU
5.UGA
6.Auburn
7.Tenn
8.South Car
9.Arkansas
10.UK
11.Miss St
12.Vandy

[mookie2001]

LSU is going to ruin 2 of 3 teams ahead of thems seasons

[symple19]

LSU is going to ruin 2 of 3 teams ahead of thems seasons

Perhaps. Many in the SEC are saying they're overrated. I don't think so. I picked them to win the west. If they can get their offense going they could be scary

[symple19]

Where is everybody?? Brutalis! Pick your head up brah! Where you Dawgs fans at?? I'm tired of talking to myself!

[symple19]

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/story/12237102

Includes Dodd's Power Poll and a nice piece on Southern-Cal

he's got AU #18 and UGA #19...Thoughts?

[Texas Chili Dog]

Where is everybody?? Brutalis! Pick your head up brah! Where you Dawgs fans at?? I'm tired of talking to myself!

I'm here. It's just that UGA doesn't have a SEC game this week. So it's kinda boring from our front (at least to me).


http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/story/12237102

Includes Dodd's Power Poll and a nice piece on Southern-Cal

he's got AU #18 and UGA #19...Thoughts?

Washington at #22, hmm? While it figured that they would move up after beating USC, I don't think they are going anywhere. USC seems to lose to a sub par team every year. I honestly think this will be UW's only week being ranked.

[symple19]

I agree on Washington. Actually watched some of the game they played against LSU, and although much improved, definitely not top 25 material.

As for Dodd having Auburn ahead of UGA I actually disagree with that. Georgia has played a MUCH more difficult schedule thus far, and won 2 tough games against conference foes. I would switch the two around. I still need to see more from AU against SEC foes. Got UT in 2 saturdays and I can't wait for that one.

We'll find out a lot more about Ole Piss this weekend against USC. I'm looking forward to that one as well as the Bama/Ark game. Should be another good weekend.

[mookie2001]

its already wednesday and brutalis hasnt scored the contest and put up week four

i give an original poster the permission to do it for this week, make it so.

[symple19]

A few SEC surprises, yea and nay (http://espn.go.com/blog/sec/post/_/id/3553/a-few-sec-surprises-yea-and-nay)
September 23, 2009 11:01 AM

Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low

I routinely get asked what’s surprised me or who’s surprised me. Well, a quarter of the way through the SEC season, here goes:

Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy (http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/player/profile?playerId=191494): I knew he was smart and knew he had all the intangibles. I didn’t know he would throw the football this confidently and this well after not playing any meaningful snaps his first three seasons on campus.

South Carolina quarterback Stephen Garcia (http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/player/profile?playerId=243503): The Head Ball Coach wasn’t heaping praise on Garcia back in August, so I was unsure. Looks like to me, though, that he’s growing up and becoming the quarterback South Carolina fans hoped he would be.

Auburn quarterback Chris Todd (http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/player/profile?playerId=378238): In keeping with the quarterback theme, Todd looks like a different player now that his shoulder is healthy. He has six touchdown passes and one interception through his first three games.

Tennessee running back Montario Hardesty (http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/player/profile?playerId=175660): He’s never been able to stay healthy throughout his career, but I’m not sure I’ve seen anybody in the league run harder or with more purpose than Hardesty through these first three weeks.

Alabama receiver Julio Jones (http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/player/profile?playerId=379062): He’s been slowed by a bruised kneecap, but there’s no way I expected Jones to have just five catches for 55 yards and no touchdowns through three games. Something tells me he’s ready to break out.

Auburn offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn: Did anybody see the Tigers being this effective this early with the new offense? I’d say it’s about time that Malzahn got his due as one of the best offensive minds in college football.

Georgia’s defense: The Bulldogs’ best defensive performance came in their only loss, the 24-10 setback to Oklahoma State to open the season. In their last two games, they’ve given up 78 points and 912 yards of total offense. It’s hard to call that improved.

Florida’s receivers: There’s still time, but that group as a whole has looked pretty pedestrian without Percy Harvin and Louis Murphy. The Gators need Deonte Thompson (http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/player/profile?playerId=235224) to come on and be more of a consistent threat.

LSU’s running game: No way did I expect the Tigers to be 10th in the league in rushing offense at this point. They just haven’t gotten it going on the ground like we’re accustomed to under Les Miles and haven’t been a lot better in the passing game. I’m sure the two go together.

Kentucky receiver Randall Cobb (http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/player/profile?playerId=382886): I know what kind of athlete the guy is, so I shouldn’t be surprised by anything he does. But the former quarterback looks like he’s been playing receiver his entire life and saved the Wildcats in their 31-27 win over Louisville last week.

[symple19]

its already wednesday and brutalis hasnt scored the contest and put up week four

i give an original poster the permission to do it for this week, make it so.
I'm on it

[Brutalis]

I'm here and fine! Just really busy this week. I'll add my thoughts soon.

[symple19]

Joke I happened across. Not bad.



HOW MANY SEC STUDENTS DOES IT TAKE TO CHANGE A LIGHT BULB?

At VANDERBILT: It takes two, one to change the bulb and one more to explain how they did it every bit as good as the bulbs changed at Harvard.

At GEORGIA : It takes two, one to change the bulb and one to phone an engineer at Georgia Tech for instructions.

At FLORIDA : It takes four, one to screw in the bulb and three to figure out how to get stoned off the old one.

At ALABAMA : It takes five, one to change it, three to reminisce about how 'The Bear' would have done it, and one to throw the old bulb at an NCAA investigator.

At OLE MISS: It takes six, one to change it, two to mix the drinks and three to find the perfect J. Crew outfit to wear for the occasion.

At LSU: It takes seven, and each one gets credit for five Semester hours.

At KENTUCKY: It takes eight, one to screw it in and seven to discuss how much brighter it seems to shine during basketball season.

At TENNESSEE: It takes ten, two to figure out how to screw it in, two to buy an orange lampshade, and six to phone a radio call-in show and talk about how much they hate Alabama.

At MISSISSIPPI STATE : It takes fifteen, one to screw in the bulb, two to buy the Skoal, and twelve to yell, "GO TO HELL, OLE MISS".

At AUBURN: It takes one hundred, one to change it, forty-nine to talk about how they did it better than at Bama, and fifty to get drunk and roll Toomer's Corner when finished.

At SOUTH CAROLINA : It takes 80,000, one to screw it in and 79,999 to discuss how this finally will be the year that they have a decent football team.

At ARKANSAS : None. There is no electricity in Arkansas .

[Texas Chili Dog]

:lol

[romad_20]

LOL, so true on all of those.

Well, as far as the Georgia game goes, this is a must win. I don't feel like they'll have too much trouble with the Sun devils. If they do, they're in for a super long year. I was pretty close on that Ark-UGA score due to our "outstanding" defense. The big talk this week is about Richt saying the defense and penalties just aren't cutting it. Ya' think???

Ark-Bama and tonight's game are the only two worth talking about. I curious to see Arkansas's offense vs Bama's D. That should give give me a good idea about the Dawgs potential this year. I'm actually pulling for SC tonight. I don't really think Ole Miss is going to be in the top 15 at the end of the year and tonight's their first test.

[symple19]

LOL, so true on all of those.

Well, as far as the Georgia game goes, this is a must win. I don't feel like they'll have too much trouble with the Sun devils. If they do, they're in for a super long year. I was pretty close on that Ark-UGA score due to our "outstanding" defense. The big talk this week is about Richt saying the defense and penalties just aren't cutting it. Ya' think???

Ark-Bama and tonight's game are the only two worth talking about. I curious to see Arkansas's offense vs Bama's D. That should give give me a good idea about the Dawgs potential this year. I'm actually pulling for SC tonight. I don't really think Ole Miss is going to be in the top 15 at the end of the year and tonight's their first test.
you sir, are spot on concerning Ole Piss. They just got exposed. Snead is overrated. So much for the Heisman.

I think Arkansas scores 20 or so on Bama, but their defense won't be able to stop the run. Bama will chew clock to win that one....Unfortunately. I am going to be a HUGE Razorback fan on Saturday. Woo Pig Sooie!

:toast

[symple19]

Found this and thought it was funny.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_MbxK92cuoJk/R4ZBATr8ikI/AAAAAAAAAD4/zzmSpK8k1fw/s400/Block0&9.bmp

[symple19]

Alabama looks dominant on defense. I don't think Arkansas has a chance in this one. Hope I'm wrong

[Texas Chili Dog]

Well I'm glad UGA won, but man...they keep making close games out of what should be a good size win. Also, AJ Green is a man beast and got screwed out of a TD late. He got a foot in.

[Brutalis]

Arkansas' defense is bullshit and brings down the whole team. It starts and ends with the defense and it doesn't matter how good that offense is when your d looks like the cabbage patch kids.

Willy Robinson needs to find a new job and Petrino needs to seriously understand all the talent he has brought in means shit when your DC cannot motivate kids to do anything right.

[symple19]

Giving up 30 points to Ball State?? The Auburn defense must improve.
Chris Todd is trying to make a believer out of me. He threw off his front foot for a change and didn't have as many 'happy feet' episodes as he usually does, albeit against a crappy secondary.


AUBURN, Ala. -- Chris Todd passed for 287 yards and tied a school record with five touchdown passes to lead Auburn to a 54-30 victory over winless Ball State on Saturday night another rain-delayed game for the Tigers.

Auburn (4-0) trailed 7-0 early, but rallied with an impressive offensive showing, gaining 487 yards.

Todd's aerial show included touchdowns of 46 yards and 65 yards to Terrell Zachery in the second quarter. Zachery had five catches for 122 yards.

Onterio McCalebb rushed eight times for 86 yards for Auburn.

Kelly Page passed for 101 yards and one touchdown and ran for another to lead the Cardinals (0-4).

Auburn continued its impressive early season offensive showing. The Tigers have scored 181 points so far this season, the most ever for Auburn in its first four games.

Kickoff was delayed for 30 minutes because of heavy rain and lightning. It was the second week in a row that storms had delayed the start of an Auburn game. Last week's game against West Virginia was delayed for more than an hour by rain and lightning.

Todd's five touchdown passes tied the Auburn record set by Daniel Cobb in an overtime game against Louisiana Tech in 2001.

In addition to the two long scoring passes to Zachery, Todd had scoring passes of 26 yards to Darvin Adams, 36 yards to Mario Fannin and 6 yards to Tommy Trott.

Ball State refused to give up, scoring 20 points in the second half, mostly against Auburn substitutes.

Auburn backup quarterback Neil Caudle got into the game in the second half and scored on 52-yard run up the middle.

Ball State put an early scare into the heavily favored Tigers, jumping out to a 7-0 lead less than three minutes into the game. The score came after Auburn's Anthony Gulley fumbled a Ball State punt and Kyle Hoke recovered at the Auburn 18. The Cardinals scored four plays later on a 2-yard run by Miquale Lewis.

Auburn got its offense going late in the first quarter after Josh Bynes recovered a fumble by Cardinals quarterback Kelly Page. The Tigers then drove 29 yards in five plays, scoring on a 6-yard pass over the middle from Todd to Tommy Trott. It was Trott's third career touchdown catch and first since 2006.

Auburn quickly turned the game into a blowout after that, scoring 23 points in the first 7 minutes of the second quarter. The offensive burst included the two touchdown bombs to Zachery and an impressive 65-yard run by McCalebb to the Auburn one-yard-line. McCalebb scored on a 1-yard run a play later.

Ball State's only other score in the first half came on Ian McGarvey's 33-yard field goal.

Auburn's Wes Byrum kicked a 33-yard field goal at the end of the first half. It was his sixth field goal in six attempts this season. The six consecutive field goals is a career best for Byrum.

[symple19]

SEC power rankings: Week 5
September 28, 2009 9:05 AM

Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low

There's been a shakeup at the top this week in the SEC power rankings.

Alabama and Florida have swapped positions. The Gators really didn't do a lot to lose the No. 1 spot. It was more the Crimson Tide doing enough to earn the No. 1 spot.

Nick Saban's club has been the most consistent, the most physical and the most impressive team in the league through the first month of the season and also has a win over a top-10 team on a neutral field to its credit.

Until further notice, Alabama sits atop the SEC throne:

1. Alabama: The Crimson Tide (4-0, 1-0) didn't have any problem in their SEC opener, a 35-7 spanking of Arkansas that could have been worse had Saban not stepped off the gas in the fourth quarter. Even without sophomore linebacker Dont'a Hightower, who will undergo surgery to repair ligament damage in his knee, this is still one of the nastiest defenses in the country.

2. Florida: We'll have to wait and see what Tim Tebow's status is and how long it takes before he's cleared again for contact. Concussions are all different. The good news for the Gators (4-0, 2-0) is that they're off this weekend and don't play again until they travel to LSU on Oct. 10. Other than the brutal hit on Tebow, they had little trouble with Kentucky in a 41-7 blowout on the road.

3. LSU: This is where it gets tough. We could have some serious debate about who's the third best team in the SEC at this point. The Tigers (4-0, 1-0) get the nod based on process of elimination. They really haven't played all that great and have done just enough to get by most of the time. But there's no debating their talent or some of the plays they've made. See Chad Jones' punt return last Saturday.

4. Georgia: The Bulldogs (3-1, 2-0) have sure made things interesting. They escaped this past weekend against Arizona State thanks to a Blair Walsh 37-yard field goal as time expired. The best thing the Bulldogs have going for them is their resolve. They could easily be 1-3 right now, but they've overcome their own mistakes to remain unbeaten in the league heading into Saturday's home showdown with LSU.

5. Auburn: The concern with the Tigers (4-0, 1-0) has been their defense. They've been super explosive on offense, but are 10th in the league in scoring defense and total defense. In each of their last three games, they've given up at least 24 points. The equalizer has been their ability to force turnovers. They lead the league with 10 turnovers gained in the first four games. They hit the road for the first time this Saturday against Tennessee.

6. South Carolina: What was a successful month of September for South Carolina (3-1, 1-1) could have been a perfect month had the Gamecocks made one more play against Georgia. They're that close to being unbeaten despite playing a tough schedule. The win over Ole Miss last Thursday puts them in great shape to be 5-1 heading to Alabama on Oct. 17. Any South Carolina fan would have taken that back in August.

7. Ole Miss: The Rebels (2-1, 0-1) take the biggest tumble after checking in at No. 3 in the SEC power rankings last week. They still have the talent to contend in the West and played well on defense in the 16-10 loss to South Carolina. But they look disjointed on offense right now, and Jevan Snead isn't playing like a franchise quarterback. He just doesn't look to be in sync, and his struggles have worn off on the rest of the offense. The Rebels are capable of catching fire. They better hurry, though. Alabama comes to town in two weeks.

8. Tennessee: The most impressive thing the Vols (2-2, 0-1) have done to this point is play Florida close at the Swamp. It continues to be a struggle for senior quarterback Jonathan Crompton, and the Vols are starting to see the injuries pile up across the board. They lost middle linebacker Nick Reveiz for the season in last Saturday's 34-23 victory over Ohio. If they can stay away from any more injuries, the defense is good enough to carry this team. What kind of season the Vols have hinges on these next two home games against Auburn and Georgia.

9. Arkansas: The Hogs (1-2, 0-2) have been the most disappointing team in the league through the first month of the season. They're plenty explosive on offense, and Ryan Mallett will pile up the passing yards against a lot of teams. But coach Bobby Petrino provided the greatest indictment against his team when he said afterward that the Hogs didn't believe they could win. That's not a good omen for a team that has given up 87 points in two SEC games.

10. Kentucky: A lot of teams are going to look bad against Florida this season, but it only gets more daunting for the Wildcats (2-1, 0-1) with Alabama rolling into the Bluegrass this week. Kentucky looked awful on offense to open the game against Florida and was down 31-0 at the end of the first quarter. If the Wildcats continue to make those kinds of mistakes and look that sloppy on offense, they can forget about making it to a bowl game for the third straight season. The silver lining is that they played respectably following that nightmarish first quarter.

11. Mississippi State: What a tough loss to swallow for the Bulldogs, who needed a foot at home to knock off LSU and couldn't get the ball into the end zone. Mississippi State (2-2, 1-2) showed a lot of heart in its 30-26 loss to the nationally ranked Tigers, and defensive coordinator Carl Torbush has that defense playing a lot better after the Auburn debacle the second week of the season. It doesn't get any easier for the Bulldogs these next two weeks with nationally ranked nonconference games against Georgia Tech and Houston.

12. Vanderbilt: It remains to be seen if the Commodores (2-2, 0-2) are truly the worst team in the league. They bounced back from their home loss to Mississippi State with a much-needed 36-17 win over Rice that included several big plays on offense that the Commodores had been lacking. Vanderbilt has the defense to get back to a bowl game, but there's still a long way to go on offense.

[symple19]

Okay people. Huge weekend in the SEC.

Alabama/Kentucky - Could be a trap game for Bama.

Auburn/Tennessee - Is Auburn for real? First road game for AU will be a huge test

Georgia/LSU - UGA is the most tested team in the nation. LSU still looks a bit overrated to me.

Ole Miss/Vandy - How will Ole Miss play after getting smacked by the Gamecocks? Is Vandy really improved?

Georgia Tech/Miss St - Measuring stick game for State. Would be a huge OOC win for the SEC

Arkansas/Texas A&M - Arkansas has had a rough few weeks. A&M might be just what the doctor ordered.


You guys have any thoughts on these games? SEC can improve it's OOC record. Also will find out whether the East or West division is stronger. I can't freakin' wait!!!!!

[Texas Chili Dog]

I am nervous about the LSU-UGA game, obviously. I don't even know what to expect there.

[symple19]

I am nervous about the LSU-UGA game, obviously. I don't even know what to expect there.

I know more about you guys than I do LSU. The Tigers just barely beat a team Auburn annihilated a few weeks ago. I really have no idea who to pick either, but I'm leaning toward you guys at home. I'll definitely be rooting for the Dawgs because it will help Auburn out a lot if you guys win.

[Brutalis]

I think Georgia wins at home as LSU does not have the talent they have had in the recent past. Auburn/Tenn is a toss up but the Vols have to be the favorites in my mind. And I think the Hogs will handle A&M.

[symple19]

Arkansas providing an SEC beatdown, I love it!

[symple19]

Auburn looks good so far. 13-6. UT offense is terrible, but their D is well coached and keeping them in it. AU needs to control clock and wear down the Vols. Eventually the dam will burst

[BRHornet45]

I think Georgia wins at home as LSU does not have the talent they have had in the recent past.

fail

[Texas Chili Dog]

I got the LSU-UGA pick right unfortunately. So far my preseason predictions are 5-for-5 in UGA's games.

[symple19]

War Damn Eagle!!! 26-22. And it wasn't as close as the score would say

[symple19]

fail
I missed that pick too. Good win for LSU.

[BRHornet45]

I missed that pick too. Good win for LSU.

son Auburn had a nice win tonight too ... anyone who beats up on that douchebag Lane Kiffin's team is my friend for the week.

[Stump]

War Damn Eagle!!! 26-22. And it wasn't as close as the score would say
Yeah, it made me laugh to see UT score a pointless last-second touchdown and set off the fireworks.

Apparently it isn't Lane Kiffin's goal to win games. He just wants to make sure he loses close.

[symple19]

Yeah, it made me laugh to see UT score a pointless last-second touchdown and set off the fireworks.

Apparently it isn't Lane Kiffin's goal to win games. He just wants to make sure he loses close.

Another "moral" victory for Lame Kitten

[BRHornet45]

Kiffin was a failure in the NFL and will fail at Tennessee ... the dude is a spoiled, little rich brat who is where he is now because of his father. the only reason he is half ass relevant is because of his own trash talk against a team and a coach who have won two national titles in the last last 3 years. Kiffin, you're coaching in the SEC now ... its time to win, or shut the fuck up. your 15 minutes of "ESPN fame" is running short.

[Texas Chili Dog]

Tennessee will beat Georgia next week.

[symple19]

Tennessee will beat Georgia next week.

Sheesh Chili Dog. Your cynicism is dripping. No way UGA loses to them. Of course, I've been wrong picking UGA games 3 time now

[Texas Chili Dog]

Sheesh Chili Dog. Your cynicism is dripping. No way UGA loses to them. Of course, I've been wrong picking UGA games 3 time now

Georgia just isn't that good. Besides, I'm seeing if I can keep my preseason picks correct. :lol

This is from the end of June:


@ Oklahoma State L
South Carolina W
@ Arkansas W
Arizona State W
LSU L
@ Tennessee L
@ Vanderbilt W
vs Florida L
Tennessee Tech W
Auburn W
Kentucky W
@ Georgia Tech W

Outback Bowl Bowl vs Wisconsin W

So far I'm lookin good. :king

[symple19]

Georgia just isn't that good. Besides, I'm seeing if I can keep my preseason picks correct. :lol

This is from the end of June:



So far I'm lookin good. :king

Well, the loss to OSU was a bit suspect, but losing to LSU is nothing to be ashamed of. Some bad calls in that game. But it looks like your D got a bit better. Tenn has a good defense but their offense is offensive. Crompton is very bad, so really all you have to worry about is the running game. AU really dominated them tonight despite what the score says. I'll still pick the Dawgs when you play.

[Texas Chili Dog]

Well, the loss to OSU was a bit suspect, but losing to LSU is nothing to be ashamed of. Some bad calls in that game. But it looks like your D got a bit better. Tenn has a good defense but their offense is offensive. Crompton is very bad, so really all you have to worry about is the running game. AU really dominated them tonight despite what the score says. I'll still pick the Dawgs when you play.

I probably will too, at least in our weekly picks (although I had originally picked UGA today, but switched it because I wanted to keep my preseason pick). But it wouldn't surprise me to see Tennessee win. It seems the offense plays bad if the defense is good, and the defense sucks when the offense is rolling. They can't play a complete game and that might ruin them.

[Brutalis]

War Damn Eagle!!! 26-22. And it wasn't as close as the score would say

I strongly disagree.

They held Auburn to 4 FGs in redzone defense.

They dropped about 8 big pass plays, and their receivers ran free all game long. Imagine a better QB and receiving core.. I am not sure Auburn won.

And Auburn has worse depth than I thought. Still better than Arkansas' depth as we continue to build with BP.

Auburn pulled it out though so props to them. There's my scouting report on the Auburn @ Arkansas match up sort of.

It will be a shootout. Auburn has the better defense and are more balanced on offense. But Auburn has given up a lot of points in prior games they shouldn't have but maybe it was in garbage time I don't know.

I think Arkansas will def score 40+ on them though. They are fast, and have some tackling issues.

Auburn is surprising everyone though so who knows. I think Arkansas will pull it out though in a shoot out.

Last year we beat Auburn but they were imploding and not really focused so whatever. Should be a good game.

My internet is terrible, I am at my uncle's. My laptop barely picks up my router anymore so I am online less and less.

[symple19]

I'm more worried about Arkansas then I was Tennessee. Auburn tends to play like ass in early morning games for some reason, at least they did under Tubbs.

Auburn will need to play better up front in order to get some pressure against Mallet, cuz he sure ain't no Crompton. The AU secondary is actually the stronger part of the defense, but will still get picked apart if there is no penetration by the D-line.

I really don't think it will be as high scoring as everyone thinks. I expect Malzahn to feed the Hogs a never-ending diet of Tate, McCalebb, Fannin, and Smith. The Tigers have been much better at controlling clock than I could have imagined,and I think that will be key to keeping Arkansas from scoring so much.

As for the Tennessee game, that defense was ranked 8th in the Nation when AU rolled in. Monte's defense is pretty darn good, and did a good job of stiffening with their back to the wall. Thing is, it was still 23-6 at the start of the 4th quarter and the Auburn D played a soft, almost prevent zone the whole final period. That's why you saw all the scoring by UT late and it took a bomb as time expired to bring UT to their final score of 22. It definitely wasn't as close as the score indicated.

Arkansas will probably be as prepared as anyone for the Malzahn offense, the Hogs beat Tulsa last year with Malzahn as the OC. Obviously he also coached at Ark as well so I expect the UA D to be better than most would think. Depth will be an issue for both teams, and I just think the Arkansas D will be on the field too long and will fade late. I'll call the score 35-24 for Auburn. But I really won't be surprised if the Hogs win, again, due to AUs tendency to lay eggs in early morning road games.

[symple19]

From CBS sports Auburn@Arkansas


Auburn's hiring of Gene Chizik in December was a surprise move given his lack of success as a head coach, but he's quickly winning over the Tiger faithful.

Chizik and No. 17 Auburn look for the school's first 6-0 start in five years when they visit SEC rival Arkansas on Saturday.

The Tigers (5-0, 2-0) went 5-7 last year, capping off the disappointing season under Tommy Tuberville with a 36-0 loss to conference foe - and top-ranked - Alabama. It was the school's first losing season since 1999 and ultimately led to Tuberville stepping down just four years after he led the team to a perfect season.

To replace Tuberville, who went 85-40 in 10 seasons, Auburn hired Chizik, who was the Tigers' defensive coordinator in 2004.

Chizik, who also was a coordinator at Texas, was coming off a 2-10 season in 2008 and a 3-9 campaign in 2007 with Iowa State, though.

So far, doubts regarding Chizik's qualifications have been quieted with an impressive start, although it's the offense that has keyed Auburn's fast start. A 26-22 win at Tennessee last Saturday propelled the Tigers into the top 25 for the first time since halfway through last season.

"I guess it's a good thing but it really doesn't matter to be ranked," cornerback Walt McFadden said. "It'll put a smile to our face but we can't let that get to our heads."

After five games, the Tigers rank fifth in the nation in yards per game at 521.3 and are second in points scored with 207 - one shy of their total from all last season.

Ben Tate has been a major contributor to that success. He's the SEC's No. 2 rusher with 108.0 yards per game, and had 128 yards and one touchdown on 25 carries against the Volunteers.

Quarterback Chris Todd has been equally effective. Coming off offseason shoulder surgery, Todd appeared in seven games in 2008, throwing for 903 yards and five touchdowns with six interceptions. The senior was 19 of 32 for 218 yards and one score against Tennessee, giving him 12 touchdowns and one interception this year. His 1,230 passing yards lead the SEC.

Tennessee came into last weekend ranked eighth in the Football Subdivision in yards allowed with 233.0, but the Vols gave up 459 yards to Auburn, which had the ball for almost 10 minutes longer than Tennessee.

"That just lets everyone know that we're for real," Tate said. "It kind of gives us confidence in ourselves too. They are one of the best defenses in the country with one of the best defensive coordinators in the country. That just shows us that our hard work is paying off."

The Razorbacks (2-2, 0-2) are coming off a 47-19 victory over Texas A&M last Saturday. After back-to-back losses to ranked SEC foes Georgia and Alabama, Arkansas scored 23 second-quarter points against the Aggies and cruised through the second half. Ryan Mallett finished 17 of 27 for 271 yards with four touchdowns and one interception.

Mallett, a transfer from Michigan, has thrown 11 touchdowns this season. Arkansas begins the week ranked seventh in the FBS in passing yards per game with 329.0.

"He's an extremely good quarterback," Chizik said. "He is what makes their passing game go. They also have some great receivers for him to throw too. ... We have to work on our open-field tackling."

Arkansas is trying to avoid losing its first three SEC games since 2007. The Razorbacks have given up 87 points and 955 yards of offense in their two conference losses, allowing eight passing touchdowns.

"(Auburn is) undefeated and we are going to be on national television," Arkansas offensive coordinator Paul Petrino said. "It's a big game and we're going to do everything in our power."

The Tigers have won three straight at Fayetteville.

[symple19]

from CBS sports Florida @ LSU


Florida didn't need Tim Tebow to perform like a world beater in its first four games, but a scary injury could mean the 2007 Heisman Trophy winner won't be at full strength heading into the team's biggest road test of the season.

The Gators may not even have him at all.

Tebow's recovery from a concussion could keep him out of top-ranked Florida's Southeastern Conference showdown in Baton Rouge on Saturday night, when No. 4 LSU will try to end the defending national champions' 14-game winning streak.

Tebow is third in the nation in passer rating through four games (170.3), has thrown six touchdown passes and run for five others while averaging a modest 160.5 yards per game through the air, but fans in Gainesville are hardly concerned with their senior quarterback's numbers as he tries to join Ohio State's Archie Griffin as college football's only two-time Heisman winners.

With the Gators (4-0, 2-0) leading 31-7 in the third quarter Sept. 26 at Kentucky, Tebow was knocked out with a vicious shot to the head, sending him to the hospital overnight with a concussion. Florida went on to win 41-7, and had a bye week to rest and recover for a trip to Death Valley - the site of Tebow's only loss in an opposing SEC stadium.

The winner of this game has gone on to capture the last three BCS championships, and LSU (5-0, 3-0) picked up its highest-profile win of its 2007 championship season against the defending national champion Gators. Tebow led Florida to a 10-point fourth-quarter lead before the then top-ranked Tigers stormed back for a 28-24 win.

"It was a tough night," coach Urban Meyer said. "We needed to make a stop on defense, not allow a score or not turn the ball over. It haunts us."

Now, the Gators are facing the prospect of making their return visit to Tiger Stadium - where LSU has won 32 consecutive Saturday night games - without their two-time All-American quarterback. Tebow practiced Tuesday for the first time since suffering his concussion, but still hasn't been cleared to play Saturday.

Meyer, though, certainly hasn't ruled Tebow out.

"He looked like Tim out there (Tuesday)," Meyer said. "Obviously practice is a lot different from what's going to happen Saturday night. We're still doing an evaluation."

Tebow took about half the snaps Tuesday - backup John Brantley got the other half - and competed in about 80 percent of the workout. He was held out of 11-on-11 drills.

Brantley has looked good in his brief time on the field as a sophomore, completing 73.3 percent of his passes and throwing four touchdowns without an interception.

While Tebow's potential absence - and Brantley's first collegiate start - would figure to give the Tigers a major edge, coach Les Miles lamented Tebow's injury during his weekly news conference, saying it "saddened" him.

"It's the worst thing about college football. You don't want injury. You don't want it for your opponent. You don't want it for yourself," Miles said. "I want them to do whatever they need to do for them. Tim Tebow is great for football. He's great for Florida. If he's healthy and capable, we'd love to compete against him."

The Gators earned a measure of revenge for their 2007 loss in Baton Rouge with a 51-21 rout in Gainesville last season, as Tebow and current Minnesota Vikings receiver Percy Harvin helped Florida rack up 475 yards of offense against a Tigers defense that came in among the nation's best.

Currently 16th in the nation yielding 14.8 points per game, LSU's defense has carried an offense that ranks 99th in total yards (321.6) behind sophomore quarterback Jordan Jefferson.

However, when the Tigers allowed 13 fourth-quarter points last Saturday at Georgia, Miles' much-maligned rushing attack - averaging 3.7 yards per carry - came through. All-SEC tailback Charles Scott hadn't scored a touchdown or gained more than 63 yards until the trip to Athens, where he ran for 95 yards and a pair of touchdowns - including the game-winner with 46 seconds left - in LSU's wild 20-13 win.

"Our offense has confidence in Charles Scott," Miles said. "Our offense has confidence in the ability to run the football. We just needed to do it and put it together."

Scott certainly has something to prove against the Gators. He's carried the ball a total of 16 times for 44 yards in LSU's last two meetings with Florida.

The Gators rank 17th in the nation against the run (92.8 ypg), but the ground game on offense has made Meyer's team deserving of its No. 1 ranking. Led by Tebow and sophomore tailbacks Jeffery Demps and Chris Rainey, Florida is averaging a Football Bowl Subdivision-high 307.5 rushing yards.

The Gators have averaged 5.8 yards per carry against LSU the last two years, but Meyer knows his team is in for a stiff test.

"I think their defensive front is a typical LSU," said Meyer, who is 6-1 at Florida against top-five opponents. "... This will be as good a defense as there is in college football."

LSU is 2-8-1 all-time against No. 1 teams, with its lone regular-season victory coming 28-21 over Florida in prime time Oct. 11, 1997, at Tiger Stadium.

[symple19]

from CBS sports Bama @ Ole Miss


Despite its preseason hype, Mississippi wasn't able to turn Saturday's anticipated matchup with Alabama into a battle of unbeatens.

Whatever respect the 20th-ranked Rebels lost following their early stumble, however, they could quickly regain by beating the Crimson Tide this weekend in Oxford.

No. 3 Alabama, meanwhile, will look to extend a dominating start and a five-game winning streak against Ole Miss as its defense tries to bounce back from arguably its worst performance of the season.

This game was circled on both teams' calendars after each was ranked in the top 10 before the season, and the Rebels jumped as high as No. 4 before their major slip-up.

Quarterback Jevan Snead was 7 of 21 for 107 yards in a 16-10 loss at South Carolina on Sept. 24, and while Mississippi bounced back with a 23-7 win at Vanderbilt last Saturday, Snead's problems continued as he threw three interceptions along with his three touchdowns.

"I think he would be the first to tell you that we can't have some of those mistakes that he made in the second half," Ole Miss coach Houston Nutt said. "We were executing the offense very well to start, then we started forcing things and he needs to either drop it off to the back or throw it away."

The Rebels (3-1, 1-1 SEC) still have high hopes in the crowded SEC West, but any chances of reaching the conference title game would almost certainly require a win over Alabama.

That hasn't looked like an easy task based on the Tide's first five games. Alabama's 38-20 win at Kentucky on Saturday was perhaps the team's least impressive victory even though it had a 25-point lead through three quarters on the road.

"Even though it's a win and we'll take the win, we're not really satisfied with it," star linebacker Rolando McClain said. "We know we could have played a lot better."

McClain was the national defensive player of the week after he had 12 tackles, an interception and a forced fumble, but the unit as a whole allowed 133 rushing yards - more than double its previous season high.

Overall, Alabama (5-0, 2-0) still ranks second to top-ranked Florida nationally in total defense, allowing 222.2 yards per game.

The Tide's offense averages more than that on the ground alone (228.2), led by running back Mark Ingram. The sophomore has 290 rushing yards and four total touchdowns in Alabama's two road games.

"A lot of teams come out and play on emotion," Ingram said. "The more we hit them in the mouth, it wears them down."

The team may look heavily to the ground game again as highly touted wide receiver Julio Jones continues to struggle. Jones nearly racked up 1,000 receiving yards as a freshman last season, but he has 133 in four games this fall, including just two catches for 13 yards against Kentucky.

Alabama has still managed a productive passing attack with junior Greg McElroy in his first season as starting quarterback. McElroy has thrown 89 passes without an interception in the last four games, with eight touchdown passes mixed in over that span.

McElroy may have to be sharp against Mississippi's defense, a strong unit led by standout defensive end Greg Hardy. The Rebels have allowed a total of 43 points in the team's four games - the sixth-best scoring defense in the nation.

"(Mississippi) is probably the best team we have played to this point, all the way around," said Alabama coach Nick Saban, whose team has already beaten then-No. 7 Virginia Tech.

"Their defensive team is very highly ranked," Saban added. "They've got a very good front, a couple of dominant up front guys and couple of good pass rushers and play well in the secondary."

They also have a growing track record of challenging top teams under Nutt. In the coach's first season in Oxford last year, Mississippi went 1-1 against top-five opponents, beating eventual national champion Florida 31-30 before losing to then-No. 2 Alabama 24-20 on Oct. 18, with both games coming on the road.

"I think it is about preparation, your attitude and how you approach it," said Nutt, who also had two wins over top-five teams in his last two years at Arkansas in 2006-07. "It has always been a kind of winning formula - the way you approach things. You get your guys to believe."

The Tide led Ole Miss 24-3 at halftime during last year's meeting, but the Rebels launched a furious rally before falling short. Mississippi still hasn't beaten Alabama since 2003, when Eli Manning threw for three touchdowns in a 43-28 win.

Nutt, however, already has experience beating Saban. Nutt's Arkansas teams won two of five meetings with LSU while Saban was in Baton Rouge from 2000-04.

[symple19]

from the bleacher report Georgia @ Tennessee


This just in... The SEC has picked up the flag, and the excessive celebration penalty has been waved off. Only, symbolically of course.

So Georgia must now move on. They must move on from one of the toughest emotional defeats they have faced in quite some time.

Can they do it? Can they travel to Knoxville, take on the Vols in front of 100,00 people, and put last weekend's tough loss behind them?

If they want to win this coming Saturday in Neyland Stadium, they certainly better.

To put it mildly, the Dawgs have been very inconsistent this season.

A Jekyll and Hyde defense, and an offense that lacks a running game can make for a very long season. However, all is not lost.

Much of the inconsistency comes from the youth that we see at many of the positions we are struggling at. Experience gained this year will be big next season. The Dawgs still have much to play for. A win this week and a win next week at Vanderbilt sets up a showdown in Jacksonville against the Gators.

Stranger things have happened, so don't laugh.

But, first things first.

Can we go to Knoxville and win? Here are three things I believe the Dawgs must focus on if they are to be successful on Saturday.



1) We must find our running game

Richard Samuel, Carlton Thomas, and Caleb King have all had enough playing time to prove themselves. Samuel is young and seems tentative at times. Thomas, while fast, does not seem to possess the power needed to consistently succeed in the SEC. King has been injured, and now we find that he cracked his lower jaw in the game against LSU.

While I still believe Samuel can be productive, it appears that King may spend his career at Georgia injured.

That leaves us with one choice.

Washaun Ealey ran with purpose against LSU. He hit the hole hard and continued to drive his legs until he hit the turf. He looked strong and fast. He seems to have great vision on the field.

So is he the answer?

As a kid, I can remember listening to Larry Munson call a game one Saturday night in Knoxville. He told us of a freshman that was "running over people." It only seems fitting that Ealey have a break out game against the Vols in Knoxville.

Of course, I'm not saying that Ealey is the next Herschel Walker. But after looking at our rushing stats from the past two weeks, I see no reason to not give him a chance.

So I say, do it. Give Ealey a chance, and do it now.



2) Michael Moore and Tavarres King need to be more involved

With Eric Berry lurking over AJ Green's shoulder, it will be extremely important that Joe Cox look for, and find, other targets.

Orson Charles should be one of them. But I want to see Michael Moore involved in the offense, again. He has basically vanished for the past two weeks.

AJ Green is without a doubt one of the greatest receivers to ever play at the University of Georgia, and he is just a sophomore. The Vols will focus on AJ and try to limit his catches. They may succeed, but we all know that with AJ that can be easier said than done.

So, Bobo and Cox will need to find a way to get Moore and yes, Tavarres King back into the mix. If Cox continues to throw into double and triple coverage, trying to get the ball to AJ, someone will make us pay.

With Eric Berry on the field, the Vols could very well be that team.



3) Get to Crompton early and often

Driving home from Athens on Saturday night, I listened to the Vols play Auburn on my XM radio. With each errant throw, with each dropped pass, the tension in the voice of those "homer" announcers became more pronounced.

Vol bulletin boards and talk shows have been ringing for weeks with the talk of Crompton becoming Land Kiffen's scape goat for this season.

Most chuckle at such talk, but the fact of the matter is, Crompton may be the worst quarterback in the SEC this season.

Georgia at times has made bad quarterbacks look really, really good.

If Georgia is to win Saturday, they must make life miserable for Crompton. He needs to get hit every time he throws the ball. He needs to get planted into the Neyland Stadium turf five or six times.

We need to make him cry.

The Vols have weapons and they are very capable of winning this game. Their defense will keep it close, but they win or lose on what Georgia allows Jonathon Crompton to do.



So the stage is set. Both teams come into this one unranked. That has not been the case in this series since the 1930's.

Relegated to the SEC network and a 12:30 kickoff, the Dawgs and Vols will renew what has become a great southern rivalry.

I hope my ride home from Knoxville is more enjoyable than last week's ride home from Athens.

[symple19]

Can't wait for this HUGE weekend in the SEC. Auburn/Ark - Bama/Ole Miss - Fla/LSU all nationally televised and back to back to back. Freakin awesome. We'll know a lot more once Saturday is done.

[Brutalis]

I'm more worried about Arkansas then I was Tennessee. Auburn tends to play like ass in early morning games for some reason, at least they did under Tubbs.

Auburn will need to play better up front in order to get some pressure against Mallet, cuz he sure ain't no Crompton. The AU secondary is actually the stronger part of the defense, but will still get picked apart if there is no penetration by the D-line.

I really don't think it will be as high scoring as everyone thinks. I expect Malzahn to feed the Hogs a never-ending diet of Tate, McCalebb, Fannin, and Smith. The Tigers have been much better at controlling clock than I could have imagined,and I think that will be key to keeping Arkansas from scoring so much.

As for the Tennessee game, that defense was ranked 8th in the Nation when AU rolled in. Monte's defense is pretty darn good, and did a good job of stiffening with their back to the wall. Thing is, it was still 23-6 at the start of the 4th quarter and the Auburn D played a soft, almost prevent zone the whole final period. That's why you saw all the scoring by UT late and it took a bomb as time expired to bring UT to their final score of 22. It definitely wasn't as close as the score indicated.

Arkansas will probably be as prepared as anyone for the Malzahn offense, the Hogs beat Tulsa last year with Malzahn as the OC. Obviously he also coached at Ark as well so I expect the UA D to be better than most would think. Depth will be an issue for both teams, and I just think the Arkansas D will be on the field too long and will fade late. I'll call the score 35-24 for Auburn. But I really won't be surprised if the Hogs win, again, due to AUs tendency to lay eggs in early morning road games.

I generally agree. This game could go either way really. If we can do what we do and put points on the board and make Auburn play keep up we win.

Tubby was on the radio here in Arkansas today. He gave the advantage to Auburn because it was an 11am game and he knows their talent well. He said he was in the box with Jerry Jones and posse during the Arkansas/A&M game too. I'll pick Auburn in the contest but will say Arkansas 38-24.

[symple19]

I generally agree. This game could go either way really. If we can do what we do and put points on the board and make Auburn play keep up we win.

Tubby was on the radio here in Arkansas today. He gave the advantage to Auburn because it was an 11am game and he knows their talent well. He said he was in the box with Jerry Jones and posse during the Arkansas/A&M game too. I'll pick Auburn in the contest but will say Arkansas 38-24.

I heard Tubbs liked AU by 3 touches. Doubt it'll be that much

[Texas Chili Dog]

I think I might be more interested in watching three other SEC games than I am in watching Tennessee beat Georgia.

[symple19]

Good post from Ivan Maisel on big games in SEC this weekend


It is the kind of week that makes the Big Ten seethe, the Big 12 grit its teeth and the Big East wish that basketball season would hurry. It is a week in which the two best games of the week, and two of the best games of any week, will be played in the Southeastern Conference.


No. 3 Alabama plays at No. 20 Ole Miss at 3:30 p.m ET on Saturday. No. 1 Florida plays at No. 4 LSU at 8 p.m. ET. How big is the game between the Gators and the Tigers? CBS has the contractual right to televise one SEC game in prime time this season. It chose Florida at LSU.

With or without concussed Gator quarterback Tim Tebow, the game represents the first time that the winners of the last three national championships have played against each other since 1990, when Notre Dame beat Miami 29-20.

The traditions that surround these two SEC games have more to do with the home teams than the rivalries themselves. Both Oxford and Baton Rouge are known for their tailgating. Oxford is known for treating its guests well. The reaction of visiting fans coming into Baton Rouge is respect bordering on wariness.

LSU fans manage to yell "Tiger Bait!" at the invaders while inviting them to share in a slice of cochon de lait, the roast suckling pig slowly turning at the tailgate. The only thing more intimidating than a stroll past the lair of Mike the Tiger outside the stadium is the noise of the well-lubricated Tigers fans inside Death Valley after a daylong pregame.

As football goes, the LSU-Florida rivalry is long on importance and short on tradition. The Tigers of the SEC West and the Gators of the SEC East play each other every year. Every SEC team has one annual opponent in the opposite division; the other five teams in the opposite division rotate onto the schedule.

"We started down the list," retired SEC commissioner Roy Kramer said Monday. "Arkansas and South Carolina came into the league together. That would be a permanent game. Tennessee-Alabama and Georgia-Auburn went together. Florida and LSU were sort of left on the table. As it has turned out, it's a very significant game."

Southern Specials
The SEC is the place to be in Week 6. From No. 3 Alabama at No. 20 Ole Miss to No. 1 Florida at No. 4 LSU, Chris Low's keeping up with it all. SEC blog

• Crimson Tide-Rebels | Gators-Tigers
Not until 2006 did both teams come into the game ranked in the top 10. Before that time, LSU and Florida had pressed few memories in the SEC family bible. They didn't begin playing regularly until the 1950s. In fact, Florida played at Harvard and at UCLA before it ever played at LSU (1937).

"A lot of the bigger state schools would not play us before the stadium was built," Florida athletic historian Norm Carlson said. "Alabama, Tennessee, LSU and Georgia ... were big-time football programs and we weren't."

The Crimson Tide and the Rebels have longer histories of success, perhaps in part because they did a thorough job of avoiding each other. Legends Bear Bryant of Alabama and John Vaught of Ole Miss, coaching only 180 miles apart for 15 seasons, played only six times in the regular season. Bryant won four.

Though they professed to be friends, Vaught railed against Bryant's knack for exploiting loopholes in the rules of the game. Twice in the 1960s, the Crimson Tide scored on a tackle-eligible pass to narrowly defeat the Rebels.

Vaught joined the NCAA football rules committee in 1966. As the committee's 1968 meeting drew to a close, wrote Dave Nelson, the editor of the rulebook at the time, "John left the table, went to the door, put a chair under the door knob, and said, "We are not leaving this meeting until we do something about that damn tackle-eligible pass."

The committee tossed the tackle-eligible pass out of the rule book. That fall, Ole Miss defeated Alabama 10-8.

Crimson Tide fans don't take kindly to losing to the Rebels, which has happened rarely (Bama leads 45-9-2). In 1988, after Ole Miss ruined Alabama's homecoming with a 22-12 victory, someone threw a brick through the office window of Tide head coach Bill Curry.


Since that season, Alabama is 16-2 against Ole Miss. Even in 2000, when Alabama began the season in the top five and finished 3-8, the Crimson Tide beat the Rebels 45-7.

Football in Oxford has never based its appeal on the success of the Rebels. The appeal lies in the experience that begins at 6 p.m. Friday night, when the Grove is opened for fans to stake out their tailgating space. The Grove is to tailgating what Augusta National is to golf, or St. Patrick's Cathedral to Catholics. The most beloved 10 acres on the Ole Miss campus are a shrine still in use.

"We don't tailgate. We picnic," said Tim Walsh, head of the alumni association and unofficial Grove master. Walsh said that because cars are not allowed on the Grove. How it became such a pregame festival dates to a run of bad weather in 1990. A torrential downpour left the Grove so sodden that the university closed it to cars.

"It's ironic," Walsh said. "People complained. Change comes slowly to people in the South. From then on, it actually blossomed. Take the cars out and you can get a whole lot of people in."

Some 30,000 by one estimate. Oxford on a football Saturday is a unique place. The city of 16,000 known for its love of good books and good food makes room for at least four times that many on game day. John Currence, the owner/chef of City Grocery and three other restaurants in Oxford, estimates he will serve 4,500 meals this weekend.

They'll be good, too. Currence won a 2009 James Beard Foundation Award as the Best Chef in the South.

"It's nothing short of amazing," Currence said. "Being from New Orleans, I sort of compare it to Mardi Gras. We start cooking on Thursday and don't stop until the last person goes on Sunday. It's going to be exhilarating. That's just the way that it is."

Alabama has won the past four games between the schools by a total of 13 points. These days, the football is as entertaining as the tailgate.

[symple19]

Damn Chili Dog, I didn't know you went to this game! :lol

http://www.break.com/index/georgia-football-body-painter-is-insane.html?matchid=

[symple19]

Okay. I'll confine this to the SEC thread. Watch the Alabama football one first, and the "oh snap" one second. Another example of a douchebag Bama fan. LOL.

First: U7Jqlcupfdw

Second:HU1c2sh4rz8

[symple19]

Sorta SEC relevant. A Tim Tebow sighting anyway. At least we know how he spent his down time...

http://i.tsn.com/i/photos/20091006/125933.gif

[Texas Chili Dog]

Damn Chili Dog, I didn't know you went to this game! :lol

http://www.break.com/index/georgia-football-body-painter-is-insane.html?matchid=

oh
my
god

:rollin

Notice how one even wants to get near that freak. :lol

"We're gonna see Coach Richt and the Dawgs come out here and they're gonna rip Spurrier's...they're gonna rip Spurrier's...*some sort of growling noise*...his, his visor...his visor's gonna come straight off. Straight off during the kickoff, that's what I'm sayin!"

"Straight off? All the way off?"

"I'm tellin you, the visor is comin off!"

:rollin

[Texas Chili Dog]

UGA down 21-12 at the half. Unfortunately, I am very good at judging how Georgia will do each game. I guess it's from years of following them. But I expected a loss to Tennessee. At this point a win would just be pleasantly unexpected.

[Texas Chili Dog]

Tennessee will beat Georgia next week.


Sheesh Chili Dog. Your cynicism is dripping. No way UGA loses to them. Of course, I've been wrong picking UGA games 3 time now


Georgia just isn't that good. Besides, I'm seeing if I can keep my preseason picks correct. :lol

This is from the end of June:


@ Oklahoma State L
South Carolina W
@ Arkansas W
Arizona State W
LSU L
@ Tennessee L
@ Vanderbilt W
vs Florida L
Tennessee Tech W
Auburn W
Kentucky W
@ Georgia Tech W

Outback Bowl Bowl vs Wisconsin W

So far I'm lookin good. :king

I can read UGA like a book. Unfortunately I'm now not so sure about the later games now. But I think they'll still beat Vandy. From now on, everyone should wait to make their UGA pick until after I tell you they will win or lose. :hat

[dirk4mvp]

I was at the game today. Fun times except for ole miss getting beat to a shit pie. The o line is dog shit.

[dirk4mvp]

ole miss d and skill offensive players looked good

jevon snead SUCKSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

I'm pretty sure Snead does have down syndrome, but it doesn't help when Hodge and Bolden give away 2 picks.


You just can't do things like det.

[symple19]

I'm pretty sure Snead does have down syndrome, but it doesn't help when Hodge and Bolden give away 2 picks.


You just can't do things like det.

Bet the Grove was off the hook. Hopefully Dirk you spit on some Bama fans or something to that effect.

[dirk4mvp]

Bet the Grove was off the hook. Hopefully Dirk you spit on some Bama fans or something to that effect.

:lol

yeah it was. I'm hoping to transfer there in a year or so. For the most part the Bama fans I talked to were cool. Some kinda have a sense of douchiness about them tho.

[symple19]

Here's the damage. From ESPN. Where ya at Brutalis?! Good win for your Hogs

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. -- Chris Todd flipped a short screen pass to Mario Fannin, and Arkansas' Jerico Nelson was ready. He hit Fannin immediately for a 4-yard loss.

The 17th-ranked Tigers -- and their fast-paced, powerful offense -- had been stopped in their tracks.

Fast Facts

• Arkansas capitalized on three Auburn fumbles and improved to 3-2.

• Forty four points is the most Arkansas has scored against Auburn, surpassing a previous record of 42 set in 2001. The win also ended a three-game home losing streak to the Tigers.

• Auburn lost the turnover battle 3 to 1; the Tigers had been plus-8 in turnover margin this season.

• Auburn's loss ended a 20-game win streak for Gene Chizik at Auburn. In addition to starting 5-0 this season, Chizik had won 15 straight games as Auburn's defensive coordinator from 2003-04.

-- ESPN Stats & Information

Michael Smith rushed for 145 yards and a touchdown, and the Razorbacks held off a late Auburn rally to hand the Tigers their first loss of the season, 44-23 Saturday. Arkansas -- which gave up 52 points on this field less than a month ago -- shut down Auburn for most of the game.

"We weren't going to play soft with these guys," Arkansas defensive coordinator Willy Robinson said.

The Tigers scored three touchdowns during a quick flurry toward the end of the third quarter, but by then the Razorbacks had built a commanding lead.

"They were an undefeated team, getting a lot of hype. They were ranked," Arkansas defensive lineman Jake Bequette said. "Any time a team like that comes into our house, we have to respond."

Arkansas (3-2, 1-2 Southeastern Conference) started the game by holding the Tigers to their first scoreless quarter of the season. The Razorbacks led 6-0 after one, then broke the game open in the second.

Nelson's big hit came in the second quarter. When he tackled Fannin, their facemasks appeared to become tangled, and Fannin ended up losing his helmet.

Smith gave Arkansas a 13-0 lead with a 25-yard scoring run. Fannin then fumbled away the kickoff, and Ryan Mallett threw a 16-yard pass to Greg Childs for Arkansas' second touchdown in 47 seconds.

At halftime it was 27-3, a surprising score since Auburn (5-1, 2-1) came in averaging 41 points a game.

"You can't play like we did today and win in the SEC," said Gene Chizik, who lost for the first time as Auburn's coach.

Auburn offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn was a successful high school coach in northwest Arkansas, and he was the Razorbacks' offensive coordinator in 2006. After leaving the Hogs, he spent two years on the Tulsa staff before heading to Auburn.

Malzahn lost to his former school for the second straight year. Last season, his offense at Tulsa scored in every quarter before coming up empty in the fourth period of a November loss in Fayetteville.

"With Gus, it's like rolling the dice," Robinson said. "For the first eight plays, we didn't see anything he had done in the previous five games. Not a thing."

Whether they were surprised or not, the Razorbacks looked prepared, and their defense has come a long way since a 52-41 home loss to Georgia on Sept. 19. Meanwhile, Arkansas' offense continues to click for coach Bobby Petrino. Smith played his best game of the season before hurting his right leg in the third quarter. Mallett went 24 of 37 for 274 yards and two touchdowns with an interception.

Mallett's 4-yard touchdown run made it 34-3 in the third quarter before Auburn scored three touchdowns in just over five minutes. Ben Tate scored on a 1-yard run, and after an Arkansas punt, he broke free around the right side for a 60-yard touchdown. The Tigers then held on fourth down and took over at their own 34. Terrell Zachery immediately went 60 yards on a reverse, and Onterio McCalebb scored on a 3-yard run a short while later.

Suddenly, it was 34-23, and Auburn had rushed for 207 yards in the third quarter alone.

Dennis Johnson helped the Razorbacks regain momentum with a 70-yard kickoff return, and Broderick Green's 3-yard touchdown run made it 41-23 with 11:22 remaining.

Johnson also returned a kickoff 50 yards in the first half.

"Any time it looked like it was going to be close, Dennis changed the field position," Petrino said.

Tate ran for 184 yards and two touchdowns, but Auburn's Chris Todd was only 15 of 28 for 133 yards.

"We had no movement during the first half. It took us some time to warm up today," Todd said. "Today was an eye opener."

Arkansas was without wide receiver Joe Adams, who Petrino said had a mild stroke earlier in the week. Adams was held out of the game, although he did wear his jersey. His status going forward is unclear.

[symple19]

I can read UGA like a book. Unfortunately I'm now not so sure about the later games now. But I think they'll still beat Vandy. From now on, everyone should wait to make their UGA pick until after I tell you they will win or lose. :hat

Scary good dude. You'll miss one though. And I always go with my gut, which has been wrong all to often this year.

[romad_20]

I can read UGA like a book. Unfortunately I'm now not so sure about the later games now. But I think they'll still beat Vandy. From now on, everyone should wait to make their UGA pick until after I tell you they will win or lose. :hat

I wonder if Capt OSU will believe me now when I say we have a coaching problem at UGA.:depressed:lol Willie Martinez has to go with John Fabris, otherwise you can expect the same results next year.


I originally thought 8-4 myself this year, but you have no business losing to a team like Tenn. like that. Its embarrassing to the program, which is currently 9-6 over its last 15 games. Over that same period of time, our once vaulted defense has given up games of 37, 41, 45, 45, 38, 49, 38, and 41. During Brian Van Gorder's time (the 4 years prior to Martinez) the Dawgs never lost a game where they score more than 17 points and never gave up more than 28 points! Its not a recruiting problem since UGA is typically in the top 5 in the country.

Any thoughts Chili?

PS I still think Bama is the cream of the crop this year. Defense is so strong. The Bama-FL SEC championship game is going to be fun this year.

[Texas Chili Dog]

Scary good dude. You'll miss one though. And I always go with my gut, which has been wrong all to often this year.

yeah if UGA played Auburn now, we'd probably lose. But things could easily change by the time that game comes around. When I made those picks in June, I honestly didn't see UGA looking as bad as they did in their losses, especially to Tennessee. So it makes me wonder about the rest of the year.


I wonder if Capt OSU will believe me now when I say we have a coaching problem at UGA.:depressed:lol Willie Martinez has to go with John Fabris, otherwise you can expect the same results next year.


I originally thought 8-4 myself this year, but you have no business losing to a team like Tenn. like that. Its embarrassing to the program, which is currently 9-6 over its last 15 games. Over that same period of time, our once vaulted defense has given up games of 37, 41, 45, 45, 38, 49, 38, and 41. During Brian Van Gorder's time (the 4 years prior to Martinez) the Dawgs never lost a game where they score more than 17 points and never gave up more than 28 points! Its not a recruiting problem since UGA is typically in the top 5 in the country.

Any thoughts Chili?

PS I still think Bama is the cream of the crop this year. Defense is so strong. The Bama-FL SEC championship game is going to be fun this year.

yeah I remember when UGA was one of those tough hard-nosed SEC defenses that Alabama has. It's kinda sad how many points this team has given up the last two seasons. Last year's Florida game is one example. But honestly, I can understand that because Florida could score on anyone. It was the GA Tech game in 2008 that made me cringe. UGA definitely needs to make some changes.

[Brutalis]

I heard Tubbs liked AU by 3 touches. Doubt it'll be that much

He actually went on both stations that day and said two different things but in the end did declare an AU victory both ways.

_ _

Pretty happy about the win against the real Tigers but expected a helluva better showing from them. Kind of reminded me when they were ranked 2nd a few years ago and when ran them off the field. Arkansas has exposed Auburn this season, and have also shown their offense can be brilliant under Petrino.

The only complaint I have is a common one for us and that was depth. Auburn scored 20 unanswered in the third exposing our depth chart on defense. None the less the Hogs finished the game strong.

Hogs look ahead now to the swamp and nobody here is dumb enough to think Florida is overlooking us. Hell they got Misstake next anyhow.

Arkansas got punched in the mouth against the Bama defense. Petrino stated the team was unprepared and nervous in not believing they could win and it ended in a swift kick in the ass. (not a quote) However it was a turning point for the defense really, for the first half of the game they played well.

So in my mind the Hogs are dangerous. They could very well go into Florida and win because of their offense. And if the defense can play at a slightly above average level they have the last 2 weeks that would be nice. Mainly because that Gator offense does not impress me. It's that defense that could shut us down like in the Bama game.

UF has a 24 point line on the Hogs. As a fan I disagree with that but I have no idea what to expect. If we can get our run game working we'll likely score a lot of points because of our passing game.

I was really shocked to see Georgia get handled. UT is not that damn good. Arkansas let UGA look like a full team of All Americans. UGA is probably the most talented team in the SEC that you have no idea what to expect from. Even more so than LSew.

Ole Miss got bitch slapped again. Imagine what that score would have been in Bama. Snead is terrible and seriously where are the people that said he was so fucking great and would do wonders? AKA everyone in the media? ...just wow. Houston Nutt does not develop good passing quarterbacks.

[symple19]

Auburn looks bad right now. UF continues to get it done. Bama defense is ridiculous. SEC power rankings from ESPN:

1. Alabama: The Crimson Tide (7-0, 4-0) have gone eight straight quarters without allowing a touchdown and have turned Mark Ingram loose on offense. The sophomore running back rushed for 246 yards in the 20-6 win over South Carolina, the most yards ever in Bryant-Denny Stadium. The Crimson Tide haven’t been perfect, but they have been the most complete team in the league.

2. Florida: Tim Tebow and a couple of generous penalties saved the Gators (6-0, 4-0) in their 23-20 escape at home against Arkansas. There are some warning signs on offense, and Tebow was sacked six times. But given the chance to win the game in the fourth quarter, Tebow got it done … again.

3. LSU: Everybody’s sort of forgotten about the Tigers (5-1, 3-1) after their home loss to Florida two weeks ago. But coming off an open date, they still control their own destiny in the Western Division. If they win out, they will play in the SEC championship game. That quest starts Saturday at home against a reeling Auburn team.

4. South Carolina: The Gamecocks (5-2, 2-2) and Stephen Garcia would love to have that pass in the first 62 seconds of the game back, the one Mark Barron took back for a touchdown. Otherwise, South Carolina played Alabama straight up, although the Gamecocks’ tackling could stand to be a little crisper. Now they have to prove they can finish a season.

5. Ole Miss: Jevan Snead responded with the big game everybody had been waiting for in the 48-13 win over UAB. Snead and the Rebels (4-2, 1-2) are still searching for their first quality win, though, and face an improving Arkansas team on Saturday in Oxford. It’s a game Ole Miss has to win if it wants to have any chance of making this season a successful one after a disappointing start.

6. Arkansas: The Hogs (3-3, 1-3) don’t have a glistening record, but two of their losses were to the top two-ranked teams in the country, most recently Florida. Arkansas’ defense has made tremendous improvement, which makes this a dangerous club the rest of the way. The Hogs probably deserved better at the Swamp and were the victim of a couple of bad calls.

7. Tennessee: When last heard from, the Vols (3-3, 1-2) were in the process of destroying Georgia. They were off last week and should be pretty healthy going to Alabama on Saturday. Monte Kiffin has been watching a ton of film on the Crimson Tide. The Vols will need a memorable day from the defense to have a chance in this game.

8. Georgia: After two straight losses, the Bulldogs (4-3, 3-2) can breathe a little easier this week after pulling away from Vanderbilt for a 34-10 win. But there’s still plenty to prove. They get a week off before squaring off with Florida Oct. 31. One way or another, that game will dictate how this season is remembered in Dawg Land.

9. Kentucky: The Wildcats (3-3, 1-3) aren’t dead after all. They reached down deep despite missing starting quarterback Mike Hartline and starting cornerback Trevard Lindley and snapped a three-game losing streak with a 21-14 win at Auburn. In doing so, Kentucky kept alive its hopes of getting to a bowl for a fourth straight year.

10. Auburn: How different does this Auburn team look now as compared to three weeks ago? The Tigers (5-2, 2-2) have lost two in a row, including the 21-14 setback to Kentucky at home last week. Defense has been the major stumbling block. The Tigers can’t stop anybody, but their offense also let them down in the loss to the Wildcats.

11. Mississippi State: After coming so close to breaking through in the previous three weeks, the Bulldogs (3-4, 1-2) went on the road to Middle Tennessee and won 27-6 behind another strong rushing performance from Anthony Dixon. This is a team that’s improved probably more than its record says. Dan Mullen goes up against his mentor, Urban Meyer, this Saturday.

12. Vanderbilt: It’s hard to imagine it getting much worse for the Commodores (2-5, 0-3) on offense. They’ve lost five of their last six games and haven’t scored more than 13 points in any of those five losses. Any chances of going to a second straight bowl game are quickly disappearing. They get South Carolina this Saturday and have won the last two against the Gamecocks.

[symple19]

Hey BRHornet, you ready to see your offense have a big day? With the crappy AU defense coming to Baton Rouge you guys should roll up around 10,000 yards of offense, in the first half. Worst Auburn defense in a long, long time. This game tends to be wacky though so hopefully it'll be fun to watch.

Some interesting notes on the series:


CLOSE ENCOUNTERS
Twelve of the 21 meetings in the Auburn-LSU series since 1988 have been decided by less than a touchdown. And like all good Southern football series, many of those games have earned memorable titles. Examples:

1988: LSU scored with 1:41 remaining to down fourth-ranked Auburn, 7-6. The noise from the Tiger Stadium crowd registered on a campus seismograph, thus earning the contest the title of "Earthquake Game."

1994: Auburn returned three of its five fourth-quarter interceptions for touchdowns to rally from a two-touchdown deficit and win 30-26. Auburn and LSU fans alike still recall the "Interception Game."

1995: Wearing the traditional white jerseys at home for the first time in 13 years, LSU stunned fifth-ranked Auburn, 12-6, when Troy Twillie intercepted Patrick Nix's 11-yard pass into the end zone with no time remaining. The 1997 LSU media guide referred to this game under the heading "Bring Back The Magic."

1996: "The Night The Barn Burned" will long be remembered on the Plains. As the old Auburn Sports Arena burned just outside Jordan-Hare Stadium, LSU defeated Auburn 19-15. After missing three field goals and an extra point, Auburn cut LSU's lead to 17-15 with :38 remaining, but Jon Cooley's two-point pass attempt was picked off by Raion Hill, who returned it the other way for two points.

1997: Dameyune Craig led Auburn on an 80-yard, 10-play drive in the game's final three minutes to deliver a 31-28 upset of 10th-ranked LSU in "The Comeback." Rusty Williams capped the drive on a 1-yard touchdown plunge with :30 remaining. LSU attempted a 65-yard FG on the game's final play, but Quinton Reese blocked it to seal the Auburn win.

2004: With the threat of Hurricane Ivan looming, members of the Auburn football team spent Wednesday though Friday nights in hotels as the Auburn University campus was closed, but the game went on as scheduled. The seemingly automatic extra point proved to be a challenge for both teams, but a second chance for Auburn allowed the Tigers to emerge with a 10-9 win in "The Extra Point Game." LSU missed the PAT after its first-quarter touchdown, but still led 9-3 late in the game. After Courtney Taylor hauled in a 16-yard score with just 1:14 left to tie the score, Auburn missed its extra point. An LSU personal foul gave John Vaughn a second chance, and he delivered the winning point.

2005: The first overtime game between the two teams was won by LSU, 20-17, when John Vaughn's 39-yard field goal attempt bounced off the left upright. A 30-yard field goal by LSU's Chris Jackson to start the overtime turned out to be the winning points. Jackson forced overtime with a 44-yard field goal with just 1:40 left, moments after Auburn had taken a 17-14 lead on a 5-yard pass from Brandon Cox to Anthony Mix on fourth down with 4:52 left.

2006: In a battle between two top-10 teams, Brandon Cox's 1-yard quarterback sneak in the third quarter was the only touchdown in a 7-3 Auburn victory. No. 3 Auburn held off two late scoring chances for No. 6 LSU, as Eric Brock ended one drive by tipping away a fourth-down pass, then tackled Craig Davis on the 4-yard line on the game's final play to preserve the victory.

2007: Matt Flynn hit Demetrius Byrd with a 22-yard scoring pass with just one second left to lift No. 5 LSU to a 30-24 victory over No. 18 Auburn. Brandon Cox had connected with Rodgeriqus Smith on a 3-yard scoring pass with just 3:21 left to give Auburn a 24-23 lead before Flynn's pass capped a 58-yard game-winning drive.

2008: Jarrett Lee's 18-yard touchdown pass to Brandon LaFell with 1:03 left gave No. 6 LSU a come-from-behind 26-21 win over No. 10 Auburn in Jordan-Hare Stadium. Auburn had taken a 21-20 lead with just 6:40 left when Chris Todd found Robert Dunn for a 15-yard score, before Lee led LSU on the game-winning drive.

In all, 21 of the 43 games played between the two schools have been decided by a touchdown or less, with LSU owning an 11-9-1 edge in those games.

[Brutalis]

Well it feel good to say and see that Arkansas under BP is finally improving. And not just dominating one thing like Dale Nutt did. (run game.) This team is believing in their coaches and it's showing on the field.

We did get screwed on the calls, it happens though. We have got the better hand in some games in the past. But this game felt oddly similar to last years game against Ole Piss. Phantom calls and no-calls that leave announcers speechless for 15 seconds and fans going ?wtf??

But in the end Arkansas sacked T-Boy 6 times and held Florida to 3 yards per carry. The Hogs have a shit fuck Nuttboy kicker and this isn't the first game he has blown for us, just the first one this season. They do one thing ya know.. it never fails to amaze me. .. but twice? Hello Arkansas/Alabama game a couple years ago the Tiffin? Wasn't that his name Bama fans?

Not to mention not doing shit with the ball once we forced a turnover. This game was a true defensive game and both teams had one long ass nice fucking play to be frank for scores.

In the end Arkansas failed to score what "could have been" 33 points. They ended up getting slapped in the face by the refs and shot themselves in the leg anyways. Florida did too however, as this was a physical game. They turned it over 4 times and won, that's pretty rare. Florida is damn fucking good and I think people underestimate them.

At least it shows our improvement. Screw moral victories but damn, sucks to fucking lose.

As if it wasn't already clear that Ole Miss.. well, fucking sucks.. I am expecting a blowout next weekend in Oxford.

[symple19]

The officiating in the SEC this year has been terrible, I agree with ya Brutalis. Arkansas has improved a lot, especially that defense. Should be an interesting game against OM next weekend.

[dirk4mvp]

As if it wasn't already clear that Ole Miss.. well, fucking sucks.. I am expecting a blowout next weekend in Oxford.

:lmao :lmao :lmao :lmao

Good call, you sister fucking inbred.

I wonder if the pigges likes the taste of McCluster's ass.

[Whisky Dog]

Ole miss doesn't suck, but they've got middle of the pack pretender status.

I like bama, they're a good team very disciplined defense though they've looked a bit weak against the slants and quick hit routes so far today

[Cant_Be_Faded]

this incredibly boring SEC game is what makes the SEC so great

alabama sure is good at kicking field goals though
that's how a number 1 should look

[dirk4mvp]

Yeah the most prolific offense of all time getting chode bloaded i said in the nat'l title game by an sec team is what makes it so great.

[symple19]

Bamas problems are at QB right now. I hate pulling for Lame Kitten, but I am.

For intense rivalries like this, you can often throw out rankings and what the teams have done before. This is an example of that. 2 very good defenses cancelling each other out

[Cant_Be_Faded]

Yeah the most overrated ou team of all time getting chode bloaded i said in the nat'l title game by an sec team is what makes it so great.


fify

0-5 in bcs games last five years, that goes above and beyond sec breh


but look at this amazing exhiliarating performance by alabama. This is the definition of nfl level defense and nfl pace and amazement.

Number 1!

[dirk4mvp]

stooooops

[Cant_Be_Faded]

Look at alabama getting their first 1st down of the second half with 8 mins to go in the fourth.

Now that's high quality SEC football right there. No matter that Tennessee sucks taint, and is hovering 0.500
it's SEC baby!

Nice 49 yarder. Like i said, that Alabama sure is good at their field goals. You really can't take that one away from them.

[symple19]

Normally I would engage you on this CBF, but since you're talking about Bama I'll just sit back and enjoy

[symple19]

BTW, the Ingram for heisman stuff is hilarious

[Cant_Be_Faded]

Normally I would engage you on this CBF, but since you're talking about Bama I'll just sit back and enjoy

Dude last year their offense was a total abortion and anyone who thought they had a chance against Florida was retarded to the maximum.

This year they have an amazing running back and good line play but their QB is total jackass, and their receivers show me nothing.

[symple19]

Dude last year their offense was a total abortion and anyone who thought they had a chance against Florida was retarded to the maximum.

This year they have an amazing running back and good line play but their QB is total jackass, and their receivers show me nothing.

Agree on all points. I just don't think Ingram should be in the heisman talk. Bama reminds me a lot of their 92' national championship team, relying on defense and running.

[symple19]

their receivers show me nothing.

Julio Jones is severely overrated

[symple19]

ROFL - Lame Kitten looks like he needs a hug

Get this. Auburn rolled up almost 500 yards of total offense on the Vols in Knoxville.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

Agree on all points. I just don't think Ingram should be in the heisman talk. Bama reminds me a lot of their 92' national championship team, relying on defense and running.

I think the heisman has no real frontrunner whatsoever, and I think the only ones being consistently mentioned are those that had the hype in the preseason (which I fucking hate).

Ingram is getting some good yardage in what appear to be close games on the number 2 team. If he's up there, I'm not complaining.

LOL i think he just lost a fumble.

[symple19]

Again, good points. Hopefully Tennessee can get it done. That would make my fuckin day, regardless of whether AU wins (which I doubt) C'mon Vols!

[mookie2001]

bama is going down. i saiddddd

[symple19]

OHHH yeah, go Vols~!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! close to FG range!

[symple19]

Omfg - come on vols - pleasssssseeee make this kick

[symple19]

Satan is going to use all three timeouts

[Cant_Be_Faded]

shit i started watching the notre dame game

how the fuck did they score and get in fg position in 2 minutes

[symple19]

Dammit. Shitty damn special teams. (*&*&#$*&@$#@&$(*@#&$(@*

[mookie2001]

these guys suck

[Cant_Be_Faded]

lame

that is fucking pathetic

[symple19]

shit i started watching the notre dame game

how the fuck did they score and get in fg position in 2 minutes

fumble by Bama - TD Vols - got the ball back on an onside kick

[mookie2001]

onside kick and medium passes

[symple19]

booooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo o

[dirk4mvp]

Cody is a fucking animal.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

that kicker must have bad form

no fucking way a normal fat giant black lineman armblocks two kicks like that

[symple19]

UGH - Well, I'm off to get beer for the AU game

[symple19]

Cody is a fucking animal.

literally

[Cant_Be_Faded]

if this guy is some sort of special player and he blocked the shit out of one before by just reaching his giant arm upwards, why wouldn't they have paid attention to that while on the sidelines during the timeout

that kicker just kicks with a fucked up angle

[dirk4mvp]

that kicker must have bad form

no fucking way a normal fat giant black lineman armblocks two kicks like that

That's not a normal fat giant black lineman. He's like good and stuff.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

rofl at sec officials

that's two weeks in a row on national television the SEC-CBS paid announcers notice something blatant that they didnt, which just happened to favor the media-darling high rankers

SEC has the shittiest officials in the nation

if they had legit officials their dominance would be unfadeable

[Cant_Be_Faded]

rofl

the ball was live for four seconds and that dude's helmet was off

i guess these rules only apply to everyone except florida and alabama

[symple19]

mmmm, imperial stout.

SEC officials gargle man-sauce

[symple19]

Watching ESPN2s studio show before the AU game. Am I the only one that thinks Wendy Nix is smokin' hot?

[Bukefal]

Watching ESPN2s studio show before the AU game. Am I the only one that thinks Wendy Nix is smokin' hot?

:lol . She isnt so bad, but seriously, when having Erin Andrews as a reporter, all the others do not really grab my attention anymore.

[symple19]

:lol . She isnt so bad, but seriously, when having Erin Andrews as a reporter, all the others do not really grab my attention anymore.

Very true my friend. I definitely get off on the librarian glasses and the pony tail she usually rocks. Erin is in a class all her own indeed.

Bukefal, I always look forward to your hottie posts bro. :toast

[Bukefal]

Very true my friend. I definitely get off on the librarian glasses and the pony tail she usually rocks. Erin is in a class all her own indeed.

Bukefal, I always look forward to your hottie posts bro. :toast

:toast I cant find the thread anymore mate, maybe Kori deleted it? :depressed

[symple19]

C'mon Auburn!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[symple19]

:toast I cant find the thread anymore mate, maybe Kori deleted it? :depressed

you should hit up the "rate her" thread in the troll forum. Perfect playground for a man such as yourself

[Bukefal]

you should hit up the "rate her" thread in the troll forum. Perfect playground for a man such as yourself

Hehe, I dont like the rate her thread and those females. Just, college girls and girls in jerseys :)

[symple19]

dammit Auburn. Stupid pass interference penalty.

AU got robbed on a bad false start call that should have been offsides on LSU. Fuckin officials

[dallaskd]

If the vols had a decent kicker they win that game. Bama sucks.

[symple19]

Hehe, I dont like the rate her thread and those females. Just, college girls and girls in jerseys :)

gotcha. Start a new thread then, I'll contribute as well if ya do

[symple19]

If the vols had a decent kicker they win that game. Bama sucks.

indeed. Wouldn't say Bama sucks. I would say their offense sucks though

[symple19]

probably gonna be another long night for AU. GD penalties. Refs have already made two bad calls in LSUs favor.

[dallaskd]

indeed. Wouldn't say Bama sucks. I would say their offense sucks though

Well they dont suck but ya know..

And i know its early, but Miss St. is up on Florida. I just dont think the SEC is as good as the media makes them out to be.

[symple19]

Well they dont suck but ya know..

And i know its early, but Miss St. is up on Florida. I just dont think the SEC is as good as the media makes them out to be.

lot of backstory in that Miss St/fla game. Miss st head coach was Urban Meyers OC last year, so he knows them as well as anybody. MSU is much improved.

There also really aren't any off weeks in the SEC unless you're playing Vandy. That's the difference between the SEC and other conferences

[symple19]

God. I could keep complaining about the shitty reffing, but LSU is the better team. This may get ugly

[dallaskd]

one of my homeboys brandon mcrae plays WR for miss st so im pulling for them a little more tonight.

[symple19]

one of my homeboys brandon mcrae plays WR for miss st so im pulling for them a little more tonight.

Nice! I'd love to see them win as well. Best of luck to your friend.

[Fpoonsie]

Um. Woah.

[symple19]

Um. Woah.

?

[symple19]

ohhhhh, the return By Miss St. Gotcha, just saw it on highlights cuz I'm watchin the AU beatdown

[Fpoonsie]

The pick-6 for Miss St. And then the skirmish. :lol

Awesome.

[symple19]

The pick-6 for Miss St. And then the skirmish. :lol

Awesome.

Would be great to see Miss St get it done

[symple19]

Concerning Auburn. I'm rapidly approaching meltdown mode. AU has 43 total yards in the half. I'm going to jump out of my window soon, methinks. This coaching staff, coupled with the abysmal officiating, is going to drive me insane. They better show some fucking life and at least make it interesting in the second half. fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck

Hey Ghazi, LSU is doing well. Taking advantage of opportunities and getting the job done. Your team finds a way, that's for damn sure

[Texas Chili Dog]

Jawja didn't lose today. :)

[symple19]

Fuck you chili dog (j/k) Auburn is really fucking terrible. I'm in the process of drinking myself into oblivion due to their performance. UGA will fucking murder AU at this point. You guys will roll up 1000 yards of offense if shit keeps going this way...yikes

[symple19]

Auburn is regressing and it's depressing. FUCK! 31-3

[BRHornet45]

sons where was this LSU team last week? ... yea Florida only beat us 13-3, but still.

[symple19]

sons where was this LSU team last week? ... yea Florida only beat us 13-3, but still.

Auburn is atrocious. The AU D makes teams look a million times better than they really are. Don't take too much from this dude

[symple19]

Worst Auburn defense in recent memory. And by 'recent memory', I mean ever!

[Cant_Be_Faded]

sons where was this LSU team last week? ... yea Florida only beat us 13-3, but still.

wtf is up with your sig dude

did stacy keibler get surgery or what
doesn't look like her at all except the awesome tall legs

[symple19]

My fave homey from the army was from (Laugh)fayette LA. He always said son as well. I love that shit. You remind me of it all the time BRHornet. Please don't stop!

[dallaskd]

Nice! I'd love to see them win as well. Best of luck to your friend.

he had 2 catches today i think.

[symple19]

Fuckin Auburn - ruined my whole weekend. Chizik is going to start Chris Todd in a couple weeks against Ole Miss, which is ridiculous. The guy has no confidence left. Malzahn has to figure out how to get the offense going again, and the defense is the worst in Auburn in a long time. Barftastic football down on the plains. And recruiting is probably going to be hurting going forward.AAAArgh

Nice win LSU. Hope you guys can beat Bama.

[symple19]

It's a miracle! Auburn is winning at half time!

Pigs are flying and satan is serving snow cones in hell!!!!!

[symple19]

Holy cajones batman! Auburn 24-7

Jevan Snead pick 6!! Ole Miss is suckin it up

[symple19]

This Auburn Ole Miss game is wacky

[symple19]

Think AU is gonna pull it out. WDE!

Crazy game - On to the cocktail party

[symple19]

Speaking of cocktails, you havin one chili dog?

[Texas Chili Dog]

Speaking of cocktails, you havin one chili dog?

Absolutely. I always mix a bunch of drinks on Jawja-Florida weekend. I hate that they are trying to phase out the nickname of "The World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party." But we know what's up. :toast

Unfortunately UGA is just gettin my hopes up by keepin it close.

[DMX7]

No way Tim Tebow makes a good pro. No one calls him out for it, but he really does have a sissy throw. He's not even that fast, he just runs over people which won't happen on the next level.

[Texas Chili Dog]

No way Tim Tebow makes a good pro. No one calls him out for it, but he really does have a sissy throw. He's not even that fast, he just runs over people which won't happen on the next level.

He is really a TE.

[Texas Chili Dog]

41-17 loss is exactly what I expected. I consider myself pretty good at getting a feel of how UGA is going to do each week. I'm now 8-for-8 in picking their games, but I notice the "predict how many wins your team gets" thread is now gone. Did someone want to hide their predictions? :lol

eh, mine are here: http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/showpost.php?p=3722089&postcount=140