VCS 2010 Week 9

Tennessee @ SOUTH CAROLINA -17.5
Ugh. What to say about the Vols at this point? I took them last week - with more points - on the theory that they’d be so up for the game that they’d keep it close at home, and I was right...for about 2.5 quarters. It’s become clear they don’t have anything - talent, inspiration, discipline - needed to offer a competitive game against a quality opponent. I really dislike taking underdogs I believe have no real chance of winning the game. Points alone, do not a successful gambler make. I can’t see any way the Vols remain in this one, so I’m giving a ton of points to an inconsistent Gamecocks team and praying the Vols have totally surrendered. It’s as good a plan as any.

Florida vs. GEORGIA -3
Man, I really don’t like any of this week’s games. How can it be week 9 and we still know next to nothing about two of the premier programs of the league? Can Florida finally make the changes to their offensive strategy to successfully exploit their talent? Is Florida’s talent as great as everyone has made it out to be or are they a team of workout warriors with little actual football acumen? Is their defense really this bad against the run or are they just so demoralized by their offense’s impotence that they’re unable to summon the required will? Has Georgia’s defense actually improved from the train wreck they were last season or are they simply untested? Have they finally found a rushing attack to supplement freshman QB Aaron Murray’s very impressive performance thus far?

If you can answer any of those questions with a modicum of confidence, you are way ahead of me. So, like Gordon Gekko, I’m taking the dog with the least fleas, quite fittingly. The biggest reason? In my experience as a college football fan (and especially as an Auburn fan), I’ve come to believe that it is nearly impossible for teams to successfully make a dramatic switch in offensive philosophy mid-season. There’s just far too much prep work needed to install an offense. You can’t just scrap your spread-option, play-action attack and start running a vertical, pass-first system overnight. For starters, no one is trained for it - not the QB, not the WRs, not the OL, not the position coaches, no one. Secondly, offensive coordinators are not universally competent to run all types of offenses (NOTE: Florida fans would tell you that Addazio is not competent to run any type of offense, but that’s another discussion). Even if the Florida staff had the will to reverse course on their offensive scheme (which I very seriously doubt), I don’t think they’d have the ability to do so.

Being stuck in an ill-fitting offensive scheme is a problem that just does not go away (look at the 2003 and 2008 Auburn Tigers if you want proof). It limits your success on the field and demoralizes your team and your fans. It’s miserable and it usually takes at least a year to resolve. Georgia’s problems are real, but not as insufferable. My guess is that will carry the day for the them.

AUBURN -7 @ Ole Miss
Don’t expect any disspationate or rational analysis here. We’re way past that when it comes to my Auburn Tigers. Frankly, I’m dreading this picks. Though it’s stuck in the middle of this column, I am writing this segment last. Dead last and only after a week of agony. I hate this game. I hate games where my team has everything to lose and nothing to gain. I hate games against talented, but underacheiving, teams. I hate SEC road games. I hate games against Houston Nutt in any scenario. I’ve actually even considered not even watching this one. Think that’s crazy and/or blasphemous? You may be right, but I can’t see how any Auburn fan can watch this game and expect to feel anything other than mild relief (best case scenario) or abject agony. Why put myself through that? There’s no joy to be had here.

Still, I’m trying to fight this mindset. Auburn deserves to be #1. There’s simply no doubt about that. Auburn deserves to be favored in this game, too. In fact, the only reason this spread is as low as it is and the only reason so many national analysts are picking the upset, is because of the widespread belief that the burden of expectations will be too much for Auburn, just as it has been too much for several other teams this year and just has it has been too much for Auburn teams of the past. It’s a convenient and solid thought process. Me, I think this is a new day for Auburn. This staff (a staff once, um, doubted by the Auburn faithful) has spent their two years on The Plains proving every doubt about them wrong. Gus Malzahn’s offense could not be successful in the SEC? Wrong. Chris Todd could never been an effective starting quarterback? Wrong. Auburn could never compete with the likes of Alabama and LSU in the recruiting wars? Wrong. Auburn could not expect to win with a new starting QB and new RBs? Double wrong. I’ve reached the point where I don’t think history is much of a guide anymore when trying to predict the future of this team. Really, when you look at the accomplishments this group has already acheived, beating an inferior Ole Miss team on the road with a lot at stake doesn’t seem like that tall of an order. I’m guessing this version of the Auburn Tigers fill it.

KENTUCKY +6 @ Mississippi State
I refuse to get locked into another battle of wills with the University of Kentucky. I pick them week after week only to watch them self-sabotage themselves just to spite me. I’m not giving them the pleasure of watching me squirm.

Here (again), the Wildcats take on a team with no noticeable superiority over them. Kentucky quadruples the number of offensive playmakers that the Bulldogs employ. True, their defense has been wretched, but if there’s ever a week when that won’t hurt them, it’s this one. In fact, I’m not sure I’d ever take this Bulldog team when their giving more than 3 points. Let’s remember, with Florida’s swoon and Georgia’s early season woes, this will be the first explosive offense the Bulldogs have faced since the Auburn game in week 2. They did well to slow down that attack, but were unable to score enough to make their defense’s effort worthwhile. I see a similar game unfolding here. Look for this one to be a one-score game heading into the final minutes. I’m not sure who’ll finish on top, but I’d be more comfortable with 6 points on my side.

Vanderbilt @ ARKANSAS -20.5
Here’s another one where, if you take the underdog, you are just clinging to the points in the hope that the favorite will be disorganized/bored/injured enough to keep the game much closer than it deserves to be. No one can seriously give Vanderbilt a chance here, especially after their total no-show last week. Arkansas knows they have to run the table to have any chance to win the West, so I don’t think motivation will be a problem. Mallett showed no ill-effects of whatever concussion he suffered two weeks ago, so I see no reason to expect injuries to play a major part. Could the Hogs come out flat and disorganized? Sure. I always worry that a heavy favorite might fail to be sharp - especially early and especially when the favorite is a heavy-passing team - but I just have ZERO confidence in Vandy at this point and I can’t see how anyone can think differently. I get the feeling that everyone involved with the program - players, administration, fans - view this season as nothing more than a lame duck...something to endure until they learn where the program is really headed. I’ll discuss my thoughts on that later, but for now, I’m not backing this Dore team against much of anyone.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL'S PUBLIC ENEMIES

Excuse me while I take a coffee break from Cam Newton. I can’t get enough of him on Saturdays, but I can’t take any more talk about him in between. There is absolutely NOTHING more that can be said about him. NOTHING.

So instead of talking about the greatest piece of 2010 college football, I’m here to play Debbie Downer. The following are the greatest culprits to college football today.

#1 - BCS

I won’t spend too much time on this one, because it’s obvious. Both the BCS and the direct influence of the human polls (#3 on this list) are so out of line that there are NO legitimate arguments out there for it over a playoff. The excuse of players playing too many games has been debunked by the BCS supporters themselves (school/conference big-wigs) when they brought in a 12^th regular season game and conference championship games.

#2 - BOISE ST

They are in a unique spot, because not only are they #2 on this list, but they could also be what saves us from #1.

First let me go over the reasons for sticking them at #2. Until there’s a playoff, all college football conversations will revolve around hypotheticals (as has always been the case). Until the teams can face each other on the field, we really have no basis for truly determining the best teams. I’ll say this though. Comparing a three-point Auburn victory over Kentucky with a 10-point Ohio St victory over Penn St is a lot easier than comparing said-Auburn victory with a 49-point Boise St win over (insert WAC “rival” here). Nobody knows how good Boise St really is because there are too many factors to consider when the team isn’t playing legitimate competition. 50-point wins every week tell me one thing—those Boise St players aren’t getting banged up every week. Their sauna has to be the least-used one in the entire country. So not only do they face ridiculously poor competition, but they get to stay Week One Fresh every week of the season.

Now let me explain how they could also save us from the BCS. PUT THEM IN THE BCS CHAMPIONSHIP. Watch the mess unfold. Watch the ratings plummet. Watch merchandise sales drop. Watch ticket prices actually become reasonable. After Boise gets through with the BCS title game (win or lose), those in charge will be clamoring for a change.

I have no doubt that Boise could compete against any team in the nation in January after six weeks off. They have talent. They have incredible coaching. There is no team in the country that would be more than a four-point favorite over Boise St. But none of that changes the fact that a WAC conference schedule should automatically disqualify a team from competing for a National Championship. It may have to happen for the greater good though.

#3 - THE HUMAN POLLS

The fact that there are three of them should make it blatantly obvious of the inherent flaws of the process. And despite the Harris Poll making the "bold" decision to hold off on starting their poll until a few weeks into the season, all three polls have the top six teams the same. No matter how good our intentions are, there is unavoidable prejudice. Even if all polls didn’t start until week five of the season, you’d still have the ESPNs and other sportswriters making it known which teams were the best even before the season began, and thus influencing the polls, no matter when they were released.

I realize that polls will never go away, even with a playoff scenario. It’s in our nature to rank, but that doesn’t mean that it still isn’t hurting the game we love. A “necessary evil” I guess. Still no excuse for Auburn, who has the best resume by far, only getting three first-place votes.

#4 - TEXAS

Texas’ control over their conference hurts this game, and we saw the results of it this past offseason.

I don’t necessarily agree with the attempts by the Pac 10 and others to create mega-size power conferences, but once Nebraska and Colorado bolted, Texas’ influence to keep the Big 12 from breaking up hurt the entire game of college football. With those defections, an already-lopsided conference (both talent-wise and financially) became even more uneven. Yet there was Texas, exerting their power, not for the good of the conference, but for the good of their team. They managed to both maintain their giant piece of the financial pie AND keep their schedule soft enough to succeed in the nation’s eyes. Their efforts to keep the Big 12 brotherhood together helped no one but themselves (and perhaps the lowest tier of Big 12 teams who otherwise would have been sucked up by mid-level conferences, which, HELLO, tells us the talent level of at least half the conference!).

Texas is getting what they deserve this season.

#5 – KIRK HERBSTREIT

Outside of his obvious OSU bias, no one person should have so much influence, especially when his statements are so often hypocritical. Back in 2004, Herbie went on and on late in the season about how Auburn’s weak schedule made it an easy decision to leave them out of the National Championship (this example is also applicable to #3 above). Yet here we are a few years later, and he fails to acknowledge the same logic in his current Boise St campaign. The fact that he is going to week-in-and-week-out tell the nation that Boise St is a top two team despite their schedule goes directly against what he has said in the past. And that’s the problem. His influence is not only damaging the nation’s ear, but it’s hurting college football. The need for ESPN and its employees to make up talking points just for ratings really is disappointing. I love the ESPN/SEC deal and the amount of college football it brings us every week. Now that ESPN has the BCS bowls though, I worry about agendas. I will say that I like that Fowler is still vehemently against the BCS, but I am convinced that both the network and its top college football “expert” take it upon themselves to put their own agendas in place no matter the hypocrisy.

VCS 2010 - Week 8

I’m back! The Good Doctor and I had a fantastic time on our trip to Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia (plenty of pics here!), though the experience of missing two weeks of college football was so positively traumatic that I have already informed her that we will NEVER undertake such a ridiculous adventure again. From now on, I’m planning all of the important non-sports events of my life so that they fall between mid-April (after March Madness) and early August (before the start of fall camp). As much as I love baseball and my Mets, if there’s any season you can easily miss two weeks of without too much pain, it’s baseball. Knowing that there was college football being played while I was away absolutely added a level of stress to the trip that I could have done without. Plus, the constant need to check in on the sport of my heart kept me from full immersing in the travel experience, as my mind was always at least 10% focused on regular life back home. Never again. I’ve learned my lesson.

I’d also like to send a special shout-out to my cousin, Michael Lyons, who fell all kinds of scary ill about 3 weeks ago and required emergency hospitalization while I was gone. It might amaze you to hear this, but almost losing my cousin was even more stressful that missing two weeks of college football. I’m so happy you’re doing better, Michael. Make sure to take it easy and remember to thank your sister Jennifer on a daily basis. Her touching emails absolutely sustained me and countless others as we awaited news of your condition. It’s great to have you back amongst the conscious and healthy, dude.

Lsu @ AUBURN -6
It sure is nice for the rest of the world to have finally caught up with the VCL in recognizing that Les Miles is the luckiest human being in America. The litany of his of inconceivable, ass-backward successes would make Cozmo Kramer jealous. It’s made LSU the most baffling team to watch for years and the most destructive team to gamble on in all of sports. I’ve had a “NO LUCKY LES” gambling rule in place for the last 2 years and it has saved me untolds amount of suffering, not to mention financial loses. Add to that my semi-permanent ban on gambling on Auburn games and you’d think I wouldn’t be going anywhere near this one. You’d be wrong. No true gambler can possibly resist the allure of picking against Miles at some point this season. Even for him, this year has been a hilarious parade of undeserved success. The bottom has to drop at some point. It just HAS to. Why not on the road against the only undefeated team left on their schedule? Why not against the first decent offense their #1 ranked defense has faced all year? That’s right folks, I’m diving in on this one. It’s always such an exhilarating experience to gamble against Les Miles. I couldn’t possibly resist for this entire season.

Uab @ Mississippi State -20
Two schools of thought on this one:

(1) We have a good SEC team at home against a C-USA team that is 0-3 on the road, losing by an average of 20 points to much lesser competition than they face this week (SMU, UCF and, um, UT). State is coming off their biggest win in years and should be brimming with confidence and enthusiasm. Plus, they should know that if they want to make it into the upper echelon of the SEC, they absolutely must start blowing out teams like UAB at home. That’s what the top teams do - get an early lead, extend it by halftime and then spend the rest of the game working on your weak spots and resting your starters. That’s how you stay healthy and build depth - two keys to surviving the SEC gauntlet.

(2) State is coming off their biggest win in years, all right, but they did so with a wretched offense and a good defense - hardly a solid plan for covering a 3 TD spread. You’ve also got to consider the very real possibility of a major letdown game for the Bulldogs here. Plus, the last time the Blazers played at an SEC school, they almost pulled off the upset against the Vols.

Me? I’m gambling on the former scenario. I expect UAB to be fully prepared to lay down as soon as the going gets rough - something they did not do against UT - since they’re now over halfway into what will probably be another losing season. Also, it was just a few weeks ago that State covered a 20 point spread against what most people consider a superior C-USA team, Houston. I think they’ll do it again.

NYC Spot of the Week
I’m changing the name of this segment to allow me to discuss spots in the city that I love that may not qualify as restaurants, per se. This week’s entry, for example, is not so much a restaurant as it is a Japanese grocery store that serves fantastic noodle soups, katsu don and other Japanese lunch fare for about an hour and a half every weekday. It’s called Yagura Japanese Market (http://www.yelp.com/biz/yagura-japanese-market-new-york) and it’s right by the main NY Public Library at 24 E. 41st St. I used to work at a truly terrible job just a few blocks from there and many were the days that I found comfort in a bowl of chicken udon that I would hover over protectively on my lunch break, trying to restore at least a bit of my soul (which, between my awful job and the fact that the Sex and the City movie was being filmed right next to my office for what seemed like 18 months, was being crushed with regularity at that time). So, if your in midtown Manhattan someday and your looking for an affordable, healthy and quality lunch option (no easy task), make sure to hit this spot.

Alabama @ Tennessee +16.5
My least favorite game of the day. Bama’s offense seems to be mired in a major funk lately. Somehow, it’s taken over a season and a half for teams to learn that the only real plan of attack against the Tide is to absolutely sell out to stop the rushing attack and just pray McElroy has an off-day. From a talent perspective, I think it’s pretty plain to see that, under regular circumstances, the Vols wouldn’t have the horses to succeed against the Tide, even using the plan outlined above. Why take them, then? It’s all about mindset and motivation. I’m betting that Tennessee is at a point where they realize they’re not very good and that they don’t have much chance at anything other than a .500 finish. That sounds demoralizing, but it can also be quite liberating - accept the facts and try to make the best of a bad situation. In short, the Vols could play as a team with nothing to lose. This game against the Tide in Knoxville has now become their Super Bowl. I think that will be enough to keep it close.

SOUTH CAROLINA -13 @ Vanderbilt
This is one of those rare lines that sends me scurrying to my SEC news sources to see what I am missing. Good thing too, because I had no idea that Marcus Lattimore is not expected to play this week. Still, that’s reason to drive this spread down from 28 to 20, not all the way down to 13. I know reading too much into the most recent results is a classic gambler’s mistake, but, come on, Vandy was CRUSHED by a 3-3 Georgia team just last weekend! How does even a Lattimore-less Gamecock team get less credit than Georgia? If they played in a vacuum, Carolina would have to be a 20-point favorite. This game will not be played in a vacuum (though Vanderbilt Stadium is a awfully close alternative). This game has the added potential for SC to be angry and bent on avenging last week’s crushing loss to Kentucky. I cannot think of a single rationale for taking the Dores in this one. This is easily my favorite line of the week.

Georgia @ KENTUCKY +4
Quick, give me one reason Georgia is better than Kentucky. Seriously, fill in the blank: Kentucky has shown some promise this year, but I doubt they can overcome Georgia’s overwhelming advantage in/at _______________________. Got nothing? Me either. Exactly how Georgia finds themselves as a road favorite here has to be a mystery even to them. My only guess is that Vegas believes in the “Big Win Hangover” effect much more than I ever suspected, which would explain this and the Mississippi State lines. It makes more sense to me in the State game. They just enjoyed a huge win on the road and are returning home to face an opponent they could not possibly care less about. Plus, they have to cover a 3 TD spread. Here, you have a talented Kentucky team GETTING points at home after a big win, but their opponent is infinitely more interesting than UAB. It’s Georgia - one of the SEC East bullies who has been dominating Kentucky for decades and who is showing real signs of weakness. I’m going to gamble that last week’s win only stirred up with UK team. I’m going to gamble that Randall Cobb’s controversial public relations gambit turns this game’s crowd into the best Lexington has seen in years. I’m taking the home dog with a chip on its shoulder. All sins of the past are forgiven, UK. I’m backing you all the way in this one.

ARKANSAS DOCTOR OFFERING LASER SURGERY TO REFS

In reaction to Arkansas' understandable whining over the officiating (though the ignore the ball spot on the 4th down run and the phantom holding call to kill AU's drive in the 1st qtr), an Arkansas eye clinic is offering free lasik surgery to all referees.

I'm pretty sure a simpler solution would be for Arkansas to ask their players not to get in the way of the cameras. Or for their defense not to give up those other 51 points.

SEC Picks-Week 7

In the words of Teddy KGB, "Hanging around, hanging around, kid's got alligator blood, can't get rid of him!" And that's exactly what I've been doing over the past two weeks, just hanging in there with a 6-4 record.  Certainly not going to break the bank at this pace, but if slow and steady means having a winning record come season's end, so be it. 

Vandy/Dawgs:  UGA certainly showed signs of being able to turn things around last week, and even though Aaron Murray and AJ Green are playing really well, I'm not quite sold on the rest of the team's stock just yet.  The Dawgs need to prove to me that they can play consistent football on a weekly basis before I even consider wagering on them again.  UGA had another running back get arrested this week, so this means they are down to Washaun Ealey (who was benched earlier in the year for fumbling) and true freshman Kendrun Malcome.  Looks like UGA might have to rely on a fun-and-gun type offense for this game against the Dores'.

Vandy, on the other hand, has looked surprisingly good (by Vandy standards) during SEC play so far.  They gave up 14 points to a potent Ole Miss team on the road, but by the same token, were only able to muster up 3 points at home against LSU.  And so is the case with Vanderbilt, they always seem to keep games close by relying on their strong defense, but ultimately find ways to lose games with their offense.  I see Vandy's offense stalling a lot during this game, and hopefully their defense can hold UGA to under 35 points.  Under 48

Hogs/Aubs:  Auburn will no doubt be rockin' Saturday afternoon as the Tigers welcome the "Legend that is Ryan Mallett" to Jordan-Hare Stadium, and to be honest, as much as Mel Kiper is in love with Ryan Mallett's "draftability," the same can't be said for myself.  There's no doubt that Mallett has the physical tools to succeed at the next level, but I've seen him make so many careless and errant throws this year that I simply cannot trust him in this spot.  I know Auburn's defense isn't anything to write home about, but I get the feeling that Mallett has one boneheaded throw in him, and as soon as Auburn gets that turnover, it will be just enough of a cushion to allow Cam Newton to stay ahead.  Tigers -3.5

Cocks/Randall Cobb:  I started eyeballing this game as soon as South Carolina finished knocking off the Crimson Tide.  This matchup has all the signs of being a classic "trap" game: South Carolina is coming off an emotional win, they are traveling to Lexington to play a mediocre Kentucky team, they are gearing up for Arkansas and Kentucky in a few weeks, yada yada yada.  I get it, but the closer I looked at this game, I started to realize that Kentucky's success has all come against finesse teams (Auburn, Ole Miss).  In the one game where they faced a physical tough defense, Florida ran them out of the stadium.  South Carolina will dominate the line of scrimmage, and with Derrick Locke sitting out with a shoulder injury, I can't see Randall Cobb being able to find the space necessary to keep this game close.  South Carolina will put five guys on Randall Cobb and force somebody else to make plays.  Is there anybody else on Kentucky that can make plays?  That's what I thought.  Cocks -5 

Miss St/Gators:  Dan Mullen makes his return to Gainesville Saturday night where he will surely be reunited with his long lost lover Urban Meyer.  These two spent the better part of six years coaching together in Utah and Florida, and Mullen won two National Championships during his tenure as Offensive Coordinator for the Gators.  Having spent that much time together, there is no doubt in my mind that Meyer and Mullen know each other's philosophies inside and out, there will be no surprises here on offense.    Florida is still longing to find the offensive chemistry they had in year's past, and while Miss St is making strides, they don't quite have the speed to consistently score of Florida's defense yet.  Low scoring battle in this one, I don't care who wins.  Under 47

Bama/Black Bears:  The question on everyone's mind has to be how Bama will respond after getting their jocks handed to them last week.  I'm willing to bet that Saban lit a fire under quite a few asses this week, and you can guarantee that similar mistakes will not be made again.  Alabama has been a different team at home this year, and I'm certain they will get back to playing smash-mouth football once again.  Ole Miss is currently ranked last in the SEC in scoring defense by giving up a whopping 33 points per game!  They surrendered close to 50 points each against the juggernauts that are Jacksonville St, Fresno State, and Kentucky.  I'm banking on the fact that Bama will be able to put up at least 40 points, and hopefully the Right Reverend will have enough talent on offense to cover the difference.  Over 55

ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS SURROUNDING THE NEW SEC WILDLIFE

While new CRUSH blogger Mitch already touched on Ole Miss' new mascot, I just have two questions:

1. Can we get a back view? I'm curious as to whether Black Bear's grove attire includes sunglasses + Croakies hanging on the back of his neck.

2. This might just be wishful thinking, but what are the odds that frat guys look at Black Bear in his grove attire and recognize the terrible southeastern fad that is coat & tie gameday attire?

A NEW VOICE

SEC CRUSH has a new writer. We like to pick our talent before they're even ripe. Mitch started his blog Best Damn Conference in the Land just a few weeks ago, and he's now bringing his SEC thoughts and insight to the CRUSH. Mitch is an Alabama fan, but we still like him!

Mitch has already transferred some of his writings to our blog. Check them out below!

Lions, Tigers, and Rebel Black Bears...Oh My?

Colonel Reb Is Cryin!  It's official, Colonel Reb has been laid to rest.  Earlier this morning, Ole Miss faculty, students, and alumni voted in "Rebel Black Bear" as the newest mascot of the University of Mississippi.  Now I don't know about you, but the few times I've been to Oxford I came across so many bears native to Mississippi that the Grove was virtually a minefield of Yogi droppings.  Clearly I'm being sarcastic, but honestly when I saw the news break on ESPN this morning, my first thought was, "This can't be serious, it has to be some sort of Kenny Mayne skit, the 'Rebel Black Bear,' you've got to be kidding me?"  Nope.

I was watching PTI earlier today when Wilbon and Kornheiser were discussing the ramifications of the mascot change and Kornheiser made a great point.  He said, "What, you change the mascot, and the Bear's name is going to be Rebel?  Are you kidding me?  The Colonel wasn't the offending part, the name Rebel is the offending part.  Why not call the bear Doc or something."  He's exactly right.  Over the last few years, Ole Miss has gradually tried to distance itself from its racial past by phasing out Colonel Reb, restricting its band from playing Dixie, and banning Confederate flags, yet the school not only continues to call itself the Ole Miss Rebels, but actually has the audacity to name its new mascot "Rebel."  What gives, was the point of this whole fiasco not to get rid of all the racial undertones in the first place?  Whoever came up with this mascot idea was clearly the same person who thought it would be a good idea to try and market Jordan-Hare Stadium as "The Jungle."  Yeah we all know how that decision turned out, this is going to end badly!

On a lighter note, I would now like to invite the mascot runner-up into the studio in order to get his thoughts on the recent decision.  He's fun loving, he's entertaining, he's non-controversial, and he was my personal favorite candidate, ladies and gentlemen please welcome...Admiral Ackbar, It's A Trap!

Me:  "Admiral, welcome to the studio, thanks for joining me today."
Ackbar:  "SHUT YOUR YAP!"

Me:  "Hmmm, well let's get right to the point then, what do you think about Ole Miss choosing the Rebel Black Bear as their new mascot?"
Ackbar:  "I THINK IT"S CRAP!"

Me:  "And rightfully so, I thought you were head and shoulders above the rest of the candidates.  Now that the decision has been made, what do you plan on doing next?"
Ackbar:  "I'M GOING TO TAKE A NAP!"

Me:  "Well I like naps, that certainly sounds like a good plan to me.  Now as you know, Ole Miss is certainly known for having beautiful coeds, while you were on campus interviewing for the mascot position what were your impressions of the student body?"
Ackbar:  "I'D LIKE TO TAP!"

Me:  "Ohhhhoho Admiral, you sand baggin' son of a bitch you!  I sure hope your balls aren't itchy?"
Ackbar:  "IT'S THE CLAP!"

Me:  "I'm no doctor, but you probably need to get that checked out.  I hear you're a big football fan, what's your opinion on the game between Ole Miss and Bama coming up this weekend, you think the Rebels can cover the 21 point spread?"
Ackbar:  "NO, IT'S A TRAP, IT'S A TRAP, IT'S A TRAP!"

Me:  "Well Admiral, I want to thank you for stopping by and spending a few minutes with me today, I hope you'll come back and visit soon."
Ackbar:  'THAT'S A WRAP!"

The Hat Is Truly Mightier Than The Sword

After watching the Tide get owned on Saturday I took a few days to gather my thoughts about what transpired last weekend.  Fortunately in the meantime I bagged another 3-2 record against the bookies to help wash the taste of gamecock out of my mouth, but all in all, it was still only a small consolation. 

Tide/Cocks:  When a team has national championship aspirations, every weekend becomes like a game seven in the playoffs, and for the first time I can recall in the Saban era, I saw a Bama team get absolutely manhandled on both sides of the ball.  I haven't seen a Bama team get dominated at the line of scrimmage this badly since Shula decided to implement the jumbo package!  Now with respect to the offensive line, about half of those sacks fell on McElroy's shoulders, and there are conflicting reports as to whether or not the defensive backs even got off the bus, but the bottom line is that Bama got out muscled both physically and mentally, and ultimately South Carolina beat Bama at their own game.

I've been saying all year long that Bama's secondary is suspect.  I was worried about the mistakes they made during the Arkansas game, and despite easily winning the Florida game, the Gators were able to move the ball and get inside the 5 yard line three different times.  Looking back at my predictions from last weekend, the Gamecocks +7 should have been the easiest pick on the board.  I stated after the Auburn game that Alshon Jeffrey is an absolute monster, and outside of Julio Jones, there is nobody on Bama's roster that can match up with him.  Bama's secondary made Stephen Garcia look like a young Steve Taneyhill, and when you mix in a large dose of Lattimore you have the recipe for a successful upset.  Right now, Bama's defense is simply not good enough to overcome mediocre performances, and until these youngsters can gain the experience and mental toughness necessary to run Saban's schemes, I could very easily see bama losing two more games this season.

A lot has been said about McElwain's play calling recently, and frankly most of the criticism is well deserved.  The two games Bama has struggled in this season ironically happen to be the same games where they implemented this pass happy philosophy.  Luckily during halftime of the Arkansas game, Bama decided to come out and pound the rock for the second half and what do you know....they dominated, weird how that works?  For whatever reason, Bama did not make the same adjustments for the South Carolina game and it ended up costing them a win. You never want to see a player get injured, especially when it's a player the caliber of Julio Jones, but I feel like his injury might be a blessing in disguise.  By not having him in the lineup, it will force Bama to get back to what it does best.  When Bama is running the football, there is not a team in the country that can match their physicality.

In year's past, South Carolina has been notorious for finding ways to lose close games.  They could never quite pull off the big upset, and by the end of the year, they would finish as an average fooball team in a mediocre bowl game (no disrespect to the PapaJohns.com bowl, but Legion Field ain't exactly Pasadena).  There was a point right after the Hanks TD catch where I got the feeling that South Carolina was about to implode.  They had just given up a safety and a long TD pass, and I remember saying to myself, "Here it comes, South Carolina is about to pull a South Carolina."  A few weeks earlier, Arkansas was in the exact same position and they did not have the fortitude to seal the deal, South Carolina deserves all the credit in the world for going out and taking that game by the balls!  After this victory, I feel like South Carolina finally turned the corner that its been looking around for the past five years.  The Cocks are clearly playing the best football in the East, and I guarantee you will see this team playing in Atlanta.

Corndogs/Gators:  First things first, in order to clear up the 4th down play I consulted the NCAA rulebook and did a little investigative work.  In the rulebook it clearly states that on 4th down a "fumble" cannot be advanced by anyone other than the player that originally fumbled the ball, but here's the catch, the fake field goal was technically not a "fumble."  In the NCAA rulebook, dropping the football can be classified as either "fumbles" or "muffs" (giggle giggle).  "Muffs" are essentially fumbles but with one small difference, they occur during the execution of a "backward pass" and can be advanced by any player that recovers the ball.  Interestingly the word lateral is not found anywhere in the NCAA rulebook, instead they are simply referred to as "backward pass" and classified as '"muffs."  Therefore, examples of "muffs" could be a QB shotgun snap, punt snap, toss sweep to a RB, or in this case a fake field goal toss.  So from my understanding of the rules, the refs made the correct call and LSU rightfully won the game.

Now that that is out of the way, can we all agree on the fact that Les Miles is crazy?  He's not crazy like, "my girlfriend just broke up with me so I might occasionally check her email or show up at the mall to see who she's dating" crazy.  He's just legitimately crazy, he doesn't process reasonable thoughts like a normal human being.  After all the criticism he has received, you would think he would try and do something normal for a change.  But when it's 4th and 4 and you line up for a field goal to tie the game, then waste your final timeout, only to come right back out and fake said field goal, you are crazy!!!  I distinctly remember the announcers saying, "Florida has got to watch out for the fake in this situation," and if you're Urban Meyer you have to realize that Miles is so crazy that he just might be crazy enough to run a fake field goal.  I will give him credit for this though, after Toliver caught the pass and took it down to the goal line, Miles did not panic and he managed the situation perfectly.  Jefferson spiked the ball, and with no timeouts, you certainly cannot run the ball (although I had convinced myself he was about to send Ridley up the middle).  LSU had no other option but to run the fade pass, you cannot role out and risk getting a sack, your QB has to get rid of the ball as soon as possible. 

After this game I got to thinking about the coaching responsibilities I talked about last week, and as Herm Edwards so eloquently put it, "You play to win the game!"  Looking back, I can't believe I missed this point, it is clearly the most important of all.  Sure there are a lot of things about Les Miles that are annoying, like the way he claps with his fingers stretched out and his palms up, the gay Madonna-esque headset he embraced during the 2008 season, or the way that damn hat always seems to be strategically perched atop his head, but whether or not Les Miles is crazy is irrelevant, bottom line is the man wins football games.  Right now he is 6-0 and despite his obscure methods, he has won every game he's coached this year.  Do I agree with his decisions-No.  Do I think his recklessness will eventually cost him games and ultimately his job-Yes.  But until that happens, we are just going to have to live with his insanity. 

I equate this situation to a hot streak at a craps or blackjack table, your aggressiveness might win you a nice stack of chips, but eventually you are going to press your luck one too many times and bust.  Just imagine if the holder's toss is one inch forward or if the ball doesn't bounce straight up to the kicker, LSU loses this game and all of Baton Rouge is burning down Miles' house right now!  I think Miles knows his antics will never be fully accepted by the LSU fans, otherwise why would one person so willingly subject themselves to so much scrutiny?  Miles is an action junkie, and he lives for the rush of rolling the dice.  Right now he is playing with house money and he is hell bent on riding this streak all the way to the end.  He clearly has gone past the point of no return, and he obviously doesn't care what anyone thinks about him, so why not continue to hit on 12 every weekend?  To steal one from the Chiz playbook, Les Miles is "All-In!"  On a side note, were the closeups of Urban Meyer's face during LSU's final drive not priceless?  For anybody that reads Bill Simmons' columns, it looks like Meyer spent time perfecting the "Manning Face" during his extended offseason.

Has any team in recent history missed a player more than Florida has missed Tebow?  I have to admit that I didn't see this coming at the beginning of the season.  I knew there would be a transition period, but I figured Florida had enough athletes to bridge the period of uncertainty.  Fact of the matter is that Florida looks lost on offense.  They have no continuity or chemistry, Brantley is not a threat to run the option, and right now no one has stepped up to the plate and proved they can lead this offense.  If Florida is going to stick with Brantley, they have to commit to being a passing team; if not, have Burton (or someone like him) be your full time QB and do the Tebow thing.  I have a feeling Spurrier is going to enjoy his trip to Gainesville this season.

Vols/Dawgs:  My gut was right about this game, I knew there was something odd about this line  The spread was just way too fishy not to take the Dawgs.  I have been impressed with Aaron Murray though.  Playing in the SEC is always difficult, but playing in the SEC as a true freshman and on a team that has zero running game is even more difficult.  I bet you would never guess, but currently Aaron Murray is ranked third in the SEC in passing yards, that stat is pretty impressive given the fact that he played the majority of the season without AJ Green.  It looks like things are finally starting to come together between the hedges, and if Richt could recruit a running back that didn't end up in jail, they might be able to turn this season around.

While there wasn't much to like about the Vols performance last weekend, Justin Hunter did stand out by making some nice catches.  Hunter looked like a poor man's version of AJ Green out there, even down to the same long lean body type and control.  Hunter is only a freshman, but mark my words, he will be a game changing receiver before his time is up in Knoxvegas.

Cam Newton/Randall Cobb:  With all the points that were being put up in this game, are we sure this wasn't a Big XII or Pac 10 matchup?  I am not entirely convinced that Oregon and Stanford didn't steal jerseys and play in this game. What can be said about Cam Newton that hasn't already been stated?  I cannot remember a single player having this much of an impact through the first six games of their career.  Newton is an absolute weapon and he is a threat to take it the distance on any play by beating you on the ground or through the air.  No brainer, he's got to be leading the Heisman race through the first six weeks of the season, bar-none!  When this guy drops back to pass I hold my breath, because even though I don't know what is about to happen, I know it's going to be electric!  I can only imagine this feeling had to be similar to what fans experienced while watching Bo and Herschel run during the 80's. 

The same can be said for Randall Cobb.  Wow, what an athlete!  Just imagine if Cobb had been playing at USC or Texas for the past four years, nobody talks about this guy and I would argue there is not another player in the country that is more important to their team than Cobb is for Kentucky.  Some team in the NFL is going to snag one heck of a player, and it certainly wouldn't surprise me to see Belichick draft him with one of the numerous first round picks he's stockplied over the past few years. 

Auburn has the horses on offense to compete with anybody in the country, but for the life of me, I can't figure out why this team is not better on defense?  Gene Chizik is one of the best defensive minds in the country, this is the same man that orchestrated an undefeated season in 2004 and won the national championship in 2005, so as head coach of the Auburn Tigers why is Chizik not placing more of an emphasis on defense?  They have the talent to run the table, but I just can't see them doing it by giving up 40 points a game.  The SEC West will be decided during the Iron Bowl, and although Bama's defense has its fair share of issues, I've seen a lot more potential coming from Saban's defense than I have from Chizik's this season. 

With the impact that Newton has had on the SEC, I think it's about time we brand him with a well deserved nickname.  Seeing as how he rides a scooter around campus, I've heard "Scootin' Cam Newton" being thrown around a lot.  Personally I like "Smash and Dash" it seems to fit the bill given his recent history of tossing laptops out of windows and fleeing the scene (thank you, thank you, I'll be here all night, be sure to tip your waitress).  Another good weekend of SEC football coming up this weekend, I'm officially putting the Gamecocks on spread upset alert.  Coming off an emotional high, having to travel to Lexington and play against a Kentucky team that can score a boatload of points, could be a possible letdown spot.  I'll have my picks up by tomorrow night.  Hmmm, is that crimson I spy on Cam's rims?  You better watch out Aubs, this is how rumors get started on Finebaum!

SEC Picks-Week 6

No time for long writeups, so I'll give you the quick and dirty!  3-2 last week, not a bad outing.  I'll take a winning week any day of the year.  As my stats professor used to say, "let's keep pluggin' and chuggin"

Rule #1: Never bet against Vandy basketball at home.
Rule #2: Never bet on a team if you can't name one player on the roster or name their mascot.

Over the years, I've learned rule #1 the hard way, and I don't intend on learning rule #2 this weekend, so that rules out a couple of SEC matchups for this weekend.

Vandy/Eastern Michigan, what????  I can't name one player on the squad including the mascot.  In fact, I'm not even sure where the school is located other than being somewhere in Eastern Michigan...We'll scratch this one.

Miss St/Houston: This matchup would qualify except all world QB Case Keenum is hurt and not playing, sadly he's the only guy I've heard of on the team.

Vols/Dawgs: Not sure what the Dawgs have done this season to warrant being an 11 point favorite.  My head tells me the Vols keep this close, but this line reeks so bad of rotten fish that I have to take the Dawgs.  UGA -11

Hogs/Aggies: Jerrod Johnson is an athletic QB and the Aggies can put up points in a hurry.  We all know what Arkansas is capable of doing, Hogs in a shootout.  Over 62

Bama/Cocks: After the Arkansas game, there's no way Saban lets Bama come out flat for the third game of this brutal stretch.  I see this game being low scoring and Carolina will keep it close for a good portion of the game, but when it comes down to it, Bama will pound the rock and South Carolina will prove to be South Carolina.  Cock fans, have fun finishing 8-4, I'll see ya in the Peach Bowl.  Tide -6.5

Aubie/Kentuck: Cats have some serious weapons of their own, but Auburn's got too much Cam, I got the Tigers in a high scoring affair.  Over 58

LSU/Gators: After the aforementioned rant, I can't believe I'm supporting this goofball, but LSU can play defense and pound the rock (This recipe sound familiar, sure seemed to work last week).  Florida is banged up, and until UF stops running the spread option with Brantley and lets him drop back and throw it, they will continue to struggle.  LSU +7

It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Hatter World

I know the Miles topic has been beat to death so I won't elaborate too much.  Instead I'll provide a refresher course so you can look back at some of the Hatters' all time clock management blunders. 

In my eyes, during the course of the game, coaches only have a few responsibilities:  Get the right players on the field, provide motivation, make in game calls/corrections, and manage the clock.  Now if any of us consistently failed to execute half of our job responsibilities on a routine basis, our ass would be on the street so fast!. 

Miles has proved that he has no concept of game management, and if I was LSU's AD, I would personally sit Miles down and make him play NCAA on the playstation until his thumbs bled so he could learn how to manage his timeouts.  I don't know why LSU fans and administration continue to have patience with this guy.  Fool me once, shame on you...fool me 5-6 times, well you get the point.  This guy continues to win despite his idiocy, and honestly the longer he continues to win, the worse it's going to be for LSU.  There is no doubt in my mind that Miles can recruit, but over the past 3 years I have seen this program continually decline.  As long as Miles stays at the helm, I eventually see him turning LSU into a middle tier SEC program.  "Have a Grrrrrrrrrreat Day!"

1. LSU-Ole Miss, LSU-Ole Miss Presser
Classic Mad Hatter, clearly calling for the spike and then throwing Jefferson under the bus during the post game presser.

2. LSU-Tenn
I can't get enough of this one, check out the assistant coach trying to grab Miles when he tries to call a timeout after an interception.

3. LSU-Tenn Crazy Finish
This play should all still be fresh in our minds.

4. LSU-Auburn, The Catch
The best part about this play is that LSU still has one timeout left and this is the best call they could come up with, I'll let Blackledge take it from here?

5. LSU-Florida, Fake Field Goal
I had to update the blog and add the most recent episode of the ongoing Mad Hatter Saga.  As soon as this season is over I'm taking Miles to Vegas, because he has to be the gutsiest and most lucky human being on the face of the earth.  Clearly not a decision you are going to find in Coaching 101 but nonetheless it got the job done.  The look on Urban Meyer's face as LSU scores is priceless!

SEC Picks-Week 5

5-Hat Lock Of The Week:  Alabama is clearly the number one team in the land, but lets get real here.  Over the past seven years UF is 7-for-7 as a road dog, with two of those wins coming under Urban Meyer (who was also 3-0 as a road dog while at Utah). I don't like Urban, in fact there is not much that I like about the Gators in general, but damn he can coach, his players can run, and they simply get it done in the SEC. 

Over the last four years UF is 15-2 ats on the road and have only been beaten once by more than 4 pts.  We all know what happened last year in the SEC Championship game, but I believe these Gators have revenge on the brain, and I fear that the Arkansas game might have taken lot out of the Bama guys.  If you think about it, in actuality this game really isn't all that important anyway.  I would argue that last week's game against Arkansas was much more meaningful simply because it was a division game.  The loser of this game is by no means out of it, they will probably just turn around and play each other again in the SEC Championship where it will really count.

Four weeks into the season and already people are writing UF off simply because they haven't looked sharp on offense. Well guess what people, what do you think was going to happen after you lose the greatest college football player in history, a first round offensive lineman, a tight end who is now starting for the Patriots, and your best wideout receiver?  Last week Mallet passed for 360 yds, while the Gators put up 300 yards in the air vs a previously undefeated Kentucky team.  I believe this UF team started to click on offense last week, and Urban finally figured out who he can trust on offense and who has the ability to make plays (see box score for Trey Burton).  Also this team is rested, and UF's D has speed speed speed that Bama hasn't seen yet.  I think Bama will win because of their physicality, but by no means is this going to be a blow out.  I see a low scoring game, with UF having the extra motivation to keep things close: Gators +8

Additional leans (2.5 Hats): UT +16.5, Vandy +7.5, Ole Miss -3, Colorado +5 (I don't care if AJ Green is back, Dawgs are done this year, and the Rocky Mountain altitude isn't going to provide them any favors)

Fits My Life, Oh So Right...My Dixieland Delight

I've been wanting to start a blog for sometime now but in the past I have never really found the time to get all my thoughts down in one place.  Now that I am working part time at the house and raising our 6 month old son, I am going to try and fill my time by bringing you a weekly analysis of all things SEC. "The Best Damn Conferene In The Land," is proud to join forces with "SEC Crush" and bring you a mixture of previews, reviews, projections, wagering predictions, random thoughts, and everyting in between.  So without further adieu, let's take a look back at week 4 in the SEC.

Bama/Hogs: "He's cut, the Russian is Cut!!!"  These are the words that popped into my head immediately after Arkansas took two plays to score their first touchdown.  Fortunately for Bama, they had Saban as their coach instead of a butch haired Serbian woman, it certainly wasn't pretty, but I'm sure Bama will take an ugly road win against a top 10 SEC team any day of the week.

This was the first time I can recall seeing McElroy struggle personally, and it was nice to see him find the resolve to shrug things off and finish strong.  This mentality was obviously the difference in the game, Arkansas was clearly praying for the game to end, they did not have the confidence and belief to go out and make the plays necessary to put this game on ice.  I will say this though, Bama's young secondary looked suspect at times and if they come across an opponent who decides not to self implode, I could very easily see this team getting their first loss.  Luckily for Bama, they will not have to worry about facing a passing attack like Mallett's unless they meet the Smurf-ville Southpaw in Glendale. 

Terrible, terrible, terrible play calling in the first half!  Thank the lord Bama's coaching staff is smart enough to realize they could dominate the line of scrimmage in the second half and keep Mallett on the sideline at the same time.  When your defense is young and clearly not as good as last year's, why would you be in such a hurry to get them back on the field as soon as possible?  Richardson is a great back, but come on, have you watched Ingram the last two games?  Ingram clearly has a cutting ability and vision that sets him apart from Richardson, I pity the fool that has to play against these two guys.

Vols/Blazers: In the words of Tone the Bone, "Go Blazers, Go Blazers, Win for UAB!"  It's a shame UAB can't recruit a kicker that can do better than 2/7 on his attempts....Who am I kidding, they are lucky to have a kicker that can make 2 kicks at all.  In all seriousness though, UAB played hard and I was impressed with their QB, RB, and TE, but UT ought to be ashamed of themselves celebrating like they just won the superbowl.  They carried Denarius Moore off the field Rudy style because he beat UAB in overtime, I don't care how hard they played, this is still UAB people!

I've heard good things about Dooley, and in time, I believe he will get UT turned around, but not this season.  I was surprisingly impressed with Sims' arm strength, guy has got a cannon to go along with a veteren receiving core, but I'm not sure how many wins that will translate into this season.  It's looking like the UT-UGA matchup will decide the winner of the East this year......Psyyyyyyyyyyyych!!!!

UGA/Cowbells:  I'm ashamed to say it, but I have to admit I watched the majority of this game on ESPN 3 solely because I have Vick Ballard on my SEC fantasy football team.  I have to agree with the consensus that Richt is treading on some seriously thin ice.  I know UGA is playing a freshman QB, but that is no excuse, UGA is playing like a team that knows their coach is done, no passion, no desire, no will to win.  Herschel himself couldn't save this team, let alone AJ Green coming off suspension.  This surprises me, because in year's past, you could always count on UGA to be a tough out, no matter what the circumstances, you knew you were going to face a well prepared team, but you get the feeling that something is just missing this season.  The word that comes to mind is "stale", I think this is the same situation Auburn had with Tubs, when a coach has been in the same place for such a long time, I think administration, fans, players, and coaches simply get bored with one another. 

On the other hand, I like what I'm seeing from MSU.  Mullins has this team playing hard, and their offense makes just enough plays to keep them competitive.  MSU plays tough defense and the spread is a fun style to watch!  If Mullins can get some decent athletes into his system, I could see Starkville becoming a tough place to play in future years. 

LSU/Couch Burners: Since Miles managed to win a national championship with Saban's players in 2007, I have seen this program gradually decline over the past three years.  The guy can recruit incredible talent and play stiff defense, but LSU's offense is the most predictable and vanilla I have ever seen.  During the week I imagine this is probably how a LSU coaching meeting would go...'Hey let's try running up the middle a couple of times, then run the rollout option with Jefferson to the short side of the field, then on third and long try throwing one down field for a change and see how that works?"  Miles and Gottfried need to team up and start a consulting firm to teach people how to get the least amount of production from their talents.  Moving on.

Ole Miss/Fresno: Gimmick, Gimmick, Gimmick!  All Ole Miss does is run gimmick plays.  I don't know why Nutt insists on taking Masoli off the field to run the wildcat when Masoli IS the wildcat.  Note to self, McCluster is gone, you might want to keep your best player on the field as much as possible.  Given that, their offense has looked explosive, they can put up some points, but most of their receivers are freshmen, so give them time. 

Defense is terrible, anytime you give up 40 to Jax State, 40 to fresno, and 28 to Vandy, I'd say that is a bit of a defensive lapse.  Until Ole Miss starts putting some sort of emphasis on defense I have no use for this team.  Have fun yelling Hotty Toddy in Shreveport this December!

Gators/Kentucky: I think this is the game where things started to click for the Gators.  Up to this point, they have looked woefully inept on offense, and Meyer finally decided to wise up and realize that Brantley is not Tebow and he better start getting the ball to one of the thirty guys on the roster that can run a 4.2 forty.  Cobb and Locke are two of the most talented guys in the SEC and they couldn't put a dent in UF's defense, so I don't think UF will get blown out next week, but I don't think they will win either.  This team is starting to gel on offense and their defense is good as usual, but luckily for Bama, UF hasn't figured out how to throw the ball down field yet.  Bama wins it in the trenches!

Barn/Cocks: Both of these teams have been a nice surprise so far this season.  Up to this point, USC has looked like the best team in the East, and Auburn has looked very dangerous on offense.  I get the feeling Auburn can't keep relying on Cam Newton night in and night out, as goes Cam so do the Tigers.  Some team is going to face the Tigers and be hell bent on stopping him from running the ball and force him to throw.  Easier said than done, but if it happens, I don't believe the Auburn defense can keep up.  So far Auburn has navigated an extremely tough portion of their schedule and I can't see LSU beating them, so as it stands Auburn and Bama might be fishing the Flemish Cap and heading towards the perfect storm.  Would the state of Alabama implode if these two teams met in the Iron Bowl undefeated?

Dyer is a good back, he runs hard and should clearly be getting the majority of the carries for Auburn.  For all the things that Dyer brings to the table, Fannin is clearly the opposite.  How many chances does one player get in order to prove to everyone that he is a sissy.  Ok ok, we get it, Fannin likes to fumble and avoid contact whenever possible.  Enough of this experiment already!

Why Spurrier decided to go with a freshman for the final drive of the game I will never know?  Garcia managed the game extremely well for three qtrs, and proved that he could move the ball and put up points.  I find it hard to believe that after a few mistakes in the 4th qtr, you are better served putting the game in the hands of a freshman, rather than going with an experienced junior QB, but what do I know, I don't throw visors. 

On a side note, is there a better receiver in the SEC than Alshon Jeffrey, dude is gonna be a beast in the league, can you say Terrell Owens with hands?  Lattimore didn't have a particularly good game statistically, but this guy is the real deal, so far this season he is one of the best freshmen I have ever seen!  Florida and Carolina are clearly the class of the East.

I'll get some thoughts together for the upcoming slate of week 5 games, including the highly anticipated #1 Crimson Tide Vs. #7 Gators, which really doesn't mean that much seeing as how they'll just meet again in the SEC Championship game.