College Sports Weekly

Basketball Season Has Returned

2005-12-06T08:39:00.000-08:00

Well, it's December, and that means several things, but perhaps most importantly, it means that college basketball is in full swing. The preseason tournaments have ended and we have some idea of who is the real deal (Connecticut) and who is not (Stanford). Now, teams are gearing up for the grueling conference season usually by playing a mix of cupcakes and tough games. Fans are once again loathing the color commentary of Dick Vitale and Billy Packer, yet they do not seem to stop watching. Why? There is something special about college basketball. College basketball is the sport where differences in natural ability can most be eliminated by smart, tough play. College basketball is where tradition remains more important than anywhere else, where living in the past isn't criticized. It is Allen Fieldhouse, The Palestra, Assembly Hall, Pauley Pavilion, and Cameron Indoor Stadium. This is what college basketball is all about. How can you not be excited?

Note, teams will take a week off generally for final exams in the next couple of weeks. This being the case, I will be discussing games for the next two weeks in this week's edition.

Kyle will return in a couple of weeks with his much anticipated college football bowl selections. However, for now, take a look at predictions for these big-time matchups in college basketball.

Alabama 72, Notre Dame 64. How Tide and Irish fans long for this matchup to be a reality every year? Well, I guess they're thinking football, but this will have to do for now. The Irish are a middle-of-the-road team in the stacked Big East. They are coming of a tough home loss to Michigan on Saturday and hungry to get back in the win column. However, they face a tall test, literally and figuratively, in Alabama at Coleman Coliseum on Wednesday. Jermareo Davidson and Chuck Davis have been tearing it up thus far for the Tide on the inside, with Davidson averaging a double-double, and Richard Hendrix seems to be learning more and more to use his extraordinary athleticism to his advantage. Meanwhile, Ronald Steele has been playing with a sore back which has obviously affected his game, and the Tide is still trying to find other reliable perimeter options. Look for Evan Brock to return to the starting lineup on Wednesday, as Jean Felix only logged four minutes in the Tide's victory over Winthrop and suffered a twisted ankle in Monday's practice. As for the Irish, offense has been hard to come by thus far. Chris Quinn has been very impressive, averaging 17 points and five assists per game, but Notre Dame must find another scoring option, a position Mike Brey hopes will be filled by big man Torin Francis or wing Colin Falls. However, it is too much to ask against Alabama, and the Tide will prevail in the second half due to superior depth on the interior.

Alabama 68, Temple 65. Will John Cheney ever retire? That is the question that comes to everyone's mind when they think about Temple Owls basketball. The man is a living legend and one of the great men in basketball, but he has also drawn criticism for some of his more outrageous moments. Most recently, he sent in a "goon" to take out a player late in last year's St. Joseph's game to prove a point, and a player ended up with a broken arm. That was the lowpoint of the last four years, in which Temple has failed to make the NCAA Tournament once. Well, this is a new year, and Cheney's Owls look to be on the upswing. All five starters return from last year's NIT team, and swingman Mardy Collins might be the best player in the Atlantic 10. The Owls took Alabama to the wire last year in Tuscaloosa, but came up just short. Don't think the Owls don't remember that one. However, Alabama has a decent memory as well, and hopefully last year's experience will prepare the Tide to face the tough matchup zone again. Turnovers have been an issue for Alabama, but the Tide is improving with each game. This will be a tough, defensive battle, with Alabama winning in the final minutes with sound post play from Chuck Davis.

Alabama 84, Georgia State 63. Another monster game for Jermareo Davidson as the Tide comes back from exam week.

Boston College 75, Michigan State 70. This is the biggest game of the midweek, and why not play it as the Jimmy V Classic game. I love this game every year because I get to see the "Don't give up" speech from the Espy's again. And I can't think of two other teams that exemplify that toughness than BC and Michigan State. The Eagles have arguably the top frontcourt in the nation with beasts Jared Dudley and Craig Smith and swingman Sean Marshall all returning from outstanding seasons. The Spartans will always be known for their rebounding prowess, but this year, they have a more guard-oriented team built around wings Maurice Ager and Shannon Brown, two of the best athletes in the college game. Tom Izzo would love to go inside more with big man Paul Davis, but he has been known to disappear in some games while being great in others. If Davis reaches his potential, this could be a special year for the Spartans. However, the combination of Dudley and Smith for BC will prove too difficult for Michigan State to stop on Tuesday night.

Texas 78, Duke 71. Who could ask for a better matchup in December than #1 vs. #2 in Madison Square Garden? These two teams are the consensus picks as the best teams in America right now. However, only one will emerge as #1 in the nation on Saturday. Duke has shown flashes of brilliance at times this year, as in the preseason NIT, where they defeated a much more athletically gifted Memphis team. However, they have had some issues as well, as in Sunday night's near collapse at home against Virginia Tech. J.J. Redick is as good as everyone expected, and Shelden Williams is staying out of foul trouble. However, for the Devils to live up to their preseason billing, another scorer must step up and take some of the load off the two seniors. Frosh Josh McRoberts appears to be the prime candidate, but he is still learning the speed of the college game. Lee Melchionni must start making his 3s as well. Meanwhile, Texas has been rolling thus far with the only hiccup being a close victory over West Virginia. Lamarcus Aldridge is the best true center in major college basketball, and he has a running mate inside in Brad Buckman who is a load to handle as well. Swingman P.J. Tucker has been scoring in bunches, and sophomore point guard Daniel Gibson is playing more like a senior right now. Currently, the Longhorns are better than Duke, but in March when the games really matter, I believe Duke would win a rematch.

Indiana 77, Kentucky 68. Speaking of great early season matchups, it is sure to be a war when these two traditional college basketball powerhouses meet. The pressure is on Tubby Smith, as he has not led the Cats back to the Final Four since his inaugural season as coach eight years ago. That ties the longest drought in UK history. He isn't in danger of being fired, but he isn't exactly on the fans' good side. It isn't good enough just to win the SEC in Lexington. Rajon Rondo has improved offensively this year, but he hasn't looked like a leader thus far. Sparks is still too inconsistent from the perimeter. Kentucky must find an inside player who wants the ball. Bobby Perry just won't cut it. On the other hand, the Hoosiers have been fairly impressive thus far, although most Indiana boosters would still buy out Mike Davis' contract if given the opportunity (and who can blame them--it is ridiculous for Indiana to ever not make the NCAA tournament). Marco Killingsworth could be the best transfer in recent memory (obligatory "Sorry, Auburn" aside). He has been savoring his shot on the national stage for a year, and he is making the most of it. When D.J. White gets back from his broken foot, the Hoosiers might be the team to beat in the Big Ten. There will be a raucous crowd in beautiful Conseco Fieldhouse, and the Hoosiers will roll behind Killingsworth.

Boston College 75, Maryland 69. In one of the ACC's strange December conference games, we find BC playing its first ever ACC game at one of the tougher venues in college basketball. Too bad the Terps' talent doesn't match its fans' enthusiasm. I am not convinced D.J. Strawberry is ready to lead this team, and Nik Caner-Medley is one of the most overrated players in college basketball. Maryland has a chance to prove me wrong, but I once again think that Dudley and Smith will lead the Eagles to victory.

Louisville 82, Kentucky 70. As much as I despise him, it is good to have Rick Pitino back in the college game up to his old tricks. No team in America gets away with more blatant fouls than a Pitino-coached team, making it all the more frustrating for Wildcat fans to see him on a rival's sideline. Even though he lost leading scorers Larry O'Bannon and Francisco Garcia, Pitino fields an outstanding team again this year, led by Taquan Dean, one of the best perimeter scorers in the game. Meanwhile, Kansas transfer David Padgett has picked up where he left off in Lawrence, showing great range and touch for a 6'11" center. If guard Brandon Jenkins and forward Juan Palacios continue to improve, this years version of the Cardinals could find themselves playing in late March again. This was one of the more entertaining games of last year, with the Wildcats prevailing on Patrick Sparks free throws in the waning seconds. Kentucky still hasn't found a replacement for Chuck Hayes, and that will spell doom against the high-flying Cards.

Going for Gold

2005-12-01T18:41:00.000-08:00

It all comes down to this. There's just one more weekend of games to be played before the bowls start. And while it may seem that the 2005 season has come and gone faster than Phil Fulmer's last Big Mac, after attending 14 games in 13 weeks I surprisingly find myself somewhat welcoming the upcoming respite from the wearisome and stressful practice of giving my all for my team each Saturday in stadiums across the Southeast. In other words, to quote Forrest Gump, "I'm tired." But since I don't have a multibillion dollar shrimp company to start, I'm not throwing in the towel just yet. I'll go ahead and finish the year by divvying out the College Football Weekly 2005 Medals. Even though it may seem as if this season is a carbon copy of 2004 with USC facing the Big 12 champ for the national title (presumptious perhaps), a Trojan winning the Heisman (again presumably), Auburn being snubbed by the BCS, Alabama finishing on a losing streak, Mississippi teams losing more times than not, Notre Dame causing everyone else to hate them, etc... this go-around was entirely different, and thus deserves to be commemorated in its own right. Therefore, the Gold, Silver, and Bronze Medals will be handed out in various categories. And to see if I can get my 50th win on the year, which would get me in the postseason in the NBA, I'll throw some picks in at the end as well. So, start up the Star Spangled Banner, and get ready to congratulate these fine Americans...

(Note: I was going to do a Top 5 like I did earlier in the season, but I decided to go 3-and-out since that seems to be the standard M.O. around Tuscaloosa these days.)

Best Coaching Jobs

Gold: Les Miles. Most people would agree that just about anyone could win with the type of talent that Miles inherited when he took the job in Baton Rouge this season. But not everybody could put together 10 wins and a championship season under the circumstances that the Bayou Bengals encountered in '05. Even if you think the "Katrina factor" is blown out of proportion, Miles still deserves the gold based on the fact that his team won 5 games settled by 4 points or less, 3 of which were on the road. With the talent pool in Louisiana as deep as it is, SEC coaches will have to worry about Miles for a while to come.

Silver: George O'Leary. After being fired from Notre Dame before coaching a single game, it appeared that the situation couldn't get any worse for the former Georgia Tech head man. But assuming the reins at a program in utter despair and turmoil didn't seem to help too terribly much. During his 1st season with Central Florida, O'Leary went 0-11. This season, after starting 0-2 and expanding the losing streak to 17 games, the forecast in Orlando was looking even more disastrous, and not because of the hurricanes. However, not only did O'Leary end the Golden Knights' skid, but he won 8 of the last 9 games on the schedule and guided his new team to this weekend's C-USA championship in only their 1st season in the conference...A great story of redemption for someone who had taken the ultimate fall from grace in college football.

Bronze: Joe Paterno. Who said you can't teach an old dog new tricks? They obviously didn't tell JoePa. Over the last 5 seasons, Penn St. had averaged a mere 5 wins per year. Hopefully, though, by doubling his average this season and claiming the Big 11 title, Papa Joe will decide to go out on a winning note and save everyone the "When's he gonna retire?" discussions in 2006.

Worst Coaching Jobs

Gold: Phillip Fulmer. Is there really even a need to explain this one?

Silver: Dennis Franchione. For every A&M fan that was disappointed with the way the season turned out in College Station, there were 2 Bama fans who couldn't contain their excitement. With all the pieces in place to have a break-out season, Fran was supposed to finally make the Aggies a contender in the Big 12 South. However, not only did they have to play 2nd-fiddle to the Longhorns again, but they also were embarrased by Texas Tech. Fran should just be happy he didn't have to play that other team in the Lonestar State from Fort Worth, or he may have even been shown up by his former team. At least no one dropped 77 on them this year.

Bronze: Ed Orgeron. This week, Tulane coach Chris Scelfo went on the record and called Coach O "lower than dirt." To anyone who knows anything about the "Wild Man" in Oxford, though, this should come as no surprise. However, what is surprising is the fact that Orgeron didn't beat his face in. Even though there's still a remnant of hopeful Rebel fans who believe "The Coach" will win once he gets his own players and not Cutcliffe leftovers, even Coach Cut was able to win 4 games with 'em.

Best Players

Gold: Reggie Bush. Even if The President didn't have a Heisman Quarterback and another 1000 yard rushing tailback in his corner, he'd still be the most talented athlete to ever put on a college jersey. The Heisman ballots aren't due for another few days, but they could've all been sent to New York on November 20, the day after Bush single-handedly won the Fresno St. game by putting on the best offensive attack since D-Day. If the Trojans win a 3rd consecutive National Championship, some may actually begin to believe that this Bush really is the president since he'll have been to the White House more times in 3 years than the afore mentioned Gump.

Silver: DeAngelo Williams. Although his Heisman campaign was over after Labor Day, DeAngelo Williams' season wasn't. In fact, this Memphis tailback went on to rush for 1726 yards (6.2 per carry), becoming the NCAA's 4th best rusher of all-time. And in a few weeks, when the Tigers make their record 3rd consecutive bowl game, he'll have a chance to break Tony Dorsett's mark for career 100 yard games. Most impressively, Williams accomplished all of this while playing on a team that started 4 different quarterbacks and passed for -3 yards in its final game.

Bronze: Tyrone Prothro. Had Prothro not suffered a Joe Theisman-like injury on the 1st day of October, he might be receiving an invitation to the Downtown Athletic Club in New York next weekend. While Brodie Croyle may have received all of the credit for the Tide's fast start, it became apparent real quickly who was the real reason Sports Illustrated announced that Bama was Back.

Best Games

Gold: USC 34, Notre Dame 31. Trailing by 3, 4th and 9 from their own 18 with less than a minute left. This is what USC faced in South Bend as their 27-game winning streak appeared all but over. Then Matt Leinart and Dwayne Jarret connected on possibly the biggest play of the season for the Trojans as they not only gained the 1st down but moved the ball in scoring position. The rest is history...Watching the game in the Grove after Bama had escaped an upset by Ole Miss and Penn St. had lost to Michigan on the last play, I just knew that if the Irish could come through also that it would be the Tide's year. Well, neither one happened.

Silver: Alabama 6, Tennessee 3. This year's version of the battle which occurs on "the 3rd Saturday in October" epitomized the style of play in the SEC in 2005 as stingy defenses made points hard to come by. Case & Point: What appeared to be a sure touchdown for the Vols late in the 4th quarter instead resulted in one of the most legendary defensive plays in the storied history of Alabama football as Roman Harper forced Cory Anderson to fumble the ball through the end zone and give Alabama new life and ultimately another win to improve to 7-0. While the Florida game may have been the most enjoyable and electrifying game of the season for Alabama fans, no win was more fulfilling.

Bronze: LSU 20, Auburn17 (OT). I list this simply because this was the loss that kept the Tigers from winning the West. I'm sure, though, that they'll figure out a way to claim this championship. Maybe Golf Digest will award this one to them too. After John Vaughn missed his 5th field goal of the night to seal the deal, it was rumored that he tried to commit suicide by hanging himself. Fortunately, though, he couldn't kick the chair out from underneath him.

And in the spirit of the season, I'd like to make 3 Christmas wishes to wrap things up...

1. An Alabama win over Auburn.

2. For Notre Dame to earn a BCS bid.

3. For Fulmer, Fran, and Orgeron to be fired instead of making their coordinators take the fall.

Well, fans. That'll do it for this season. It's been a fun ride, and I appreciate everyone's willingness to humor me by taking just a few minutes out of each week to read this. Don't get too down, though, I'm sure some type of bowl preview will appear sometime. But in the meantime, I'd like to announce that due to just a couple of requests and to the fact that I want this to keep on going, I've enlisted a true college hoops insider, Jacob Batson (Vice President of Mark's Madness & uber-genius) to carry on the prediction practice for the basketball season. Starting next week with the Alabama-Notre Dame game, collegepicks.blogspot.com will no longer be limited to just football, but college basketball picks will also be featured. So, be sure and visit on Wednesday to see the test run. Thanks again, and ROLL TIDE!...

O yea, there were supposed to be some picks this week.

USC 41, UCLA 35.

Texas 45, Colorado 14.

Va Tech 31, FSU 13.

LSU 22, Georgia 21.

Army 28, Navy 24.

Rivalry Week(s)

2005-11-17T14:43:00.000-08:00

Cain vs Able...North vs South...Democrats vs Republicans...Coyote vs Roadrunner...Rocky vs the Russian...Great Taste vs Less Filling...the list goes on. Why can't we all just get along? It seems that this question has been asked ever since Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit. So, it should come as no surprise that in every aspect of society, we see rivalries form. What is surprising, though, is that the rivalries between old foes seems to be most intense in the college football arena. You don't believe me? When was the last time you turned off your phone after your side lost an election? Better still, when was the last time that you hugged a random stranger because Saddam Hussein was removed from power? As illogical and bizarre as it may seem, it's true: we care more about how our favorite team performs on Saturday than about something that might actually have a real effect on the world. But, for the true fan, there is nothing that has a greater effect on "your world." Therefore, when someone who just doesn't get it tries to tell you that "it's just a game" when your team meets its arch nemesis these next 2 weeks, don't let them make you begin to question your state of mind. Instead, pity them because they'll never know the full satisfaction that comes with aligning with the better team for the next 365 days. So now, let's see which side will spend the next year boasting and which one will spend it roasting when the annual grudge match is said and done...

(Note: In an effort to relax during my holiday next week as much as the next guy, I had originally decided to take a break from making picks. However, when I noticed that there were 2 great opportunities to rip on a couple of coaches for whom no Bama fan has any fond feelings (Fran and Croom), I decided that I should compromise. For this reason, I will still pick 5 games for each week, but I will only write up half of the 10 total: 3 this week and 2 early next week, which will be alluded to at the end, thereby explaining the optional plural ending to "Week" in the title. So, if this doesn't mess up any of the OCD types out there too much, I'll proceed as such.)

Alabama 22, The Other School 13. Not even 24 hours after Alabama suffered its 1st loss of the season, people across the nation who had hopped on the Bama bandwagon were jumping ship so fast that they made Jonah look like he was scared of water. But the Tide faithful, along with the actual team, still believe that a BCS birth and a fitting end to this dream season is not out of the picture. There's just one minor detail that needs to be taken care of: BEAT AU*#$N. Heading into the most anticipated Iron Bowl in over a decade (1994 was the last time the 2 teams' combined record was better), the field has never seemed more level. In fact, if the Tide was to look at the Tigers, or vice versa, they might swear that they were looking in the mirror. Both teams have a defense that rivals the Third Reich. Both teams' starting running backs have the same 1st name. Both teams' quarterbacks have the same initials. And both have only 1 loss in conference, which, not surprisingly, was a 3-point one dealt by LSU in OT. But, there is a difference: the other school has lost twice while the Tide has only been outscored once. And in both losses for the other school, 5 seemed to be the unlucky number. In the Georgia Tech game, Brandon Cox committed 5 turnovers (4 INT's and 1 fumble), and John Vaughn missed 5 field goals down in Baton Rouge. So, this weekend, maybe Kenny Irons will have 5 fumbles or 5 yards rushing or maybe their offensive line will have all 5 starters to go down with injuries. Or maybe none of this will happen, and Bama will just prove that it's a better team straight up. In any case, the Tide will Roll and begin to work on its wishlist of new toys to buy when it collects its BCS payout.

Ohio St. 30, Michigan 24. The Maize and Blue vs the Scarlet and Gray. When the Buckeyes travel up to the Big House this weekend to kick it off for the 102nd time against the Wolverines, it'll be the same ol' story as once again, as a share of the Big 11 title is at stake. Although Michigan holds a 19 game lead in the overall series, the last 54 games have been split right down the middle with each team having 26 wins (2 games ended in a tie). And it appears that the 2 teams are equal again this season. While neither squad has quite lived up to preseason expectations of competing in the Rose Bowl, either one of these 2 perennial powers would put up a valiant fight against the Trojans or Longhorns now that they've found their groove. After suffering some early losses to quality teams, Ohio St. enters this weekend with a 5-game winning streak, and Michigan has won its last 4. So, which team will break the 26-26 tie over the last half century and carry a winning streak into the bowl season? You gotta go with the Buckeyes and not just because they have the best-dressed coach in football. No, expect Jim Tressl's team to pull out the victory because the veterans A.J. Hawk & Troy Smith won't be shown up by a couple of young guys (Chad Henne & Mike Hart) suffering through a sophomore slump.

Harvard: Checkmate. For the 5th year in a row, the Crimson outwits the Bulldogs by cornering the Blue King with their Queen and Rook, forcing him into an immovable position whilst lying in check...Oops, wrong game...Even though the 2 most prestigious universities in the world aren't usually heralded as any type of athletic juggernaut, the contest between them to end each football season is a rivalry that is unparalleled in all of sports. "The Game," as it is simply known, may not showcase the most athletic talent, but it does offer spectators the opportunity to see their future bosses, world leaders, etc...at their best in the heat of battle. And a battle it will be. Despite the Ivy League's refusal to allow its members to participate in the postseason in football, a victory in this rivalry is much more fulfilling than any NCAA championship could ever be. At stake for the 2 teams this year is a possible "Ancient 8" championship. If Columbia falls to Brown this Saturday, there could be a rare 3-way tie atop this STUDENT-athlete league between Columbia, Princeton, and the winner. However, this is highly unlikely (I'm sure you could hit up one of the players to find an exact probability), so this year's version of The Game will be all about pride. And like I said above, the Crimson will win for the 5th consecutive time. Score: Harvard (3+7*4), Yale (5 ^2 - 2^2), or 31-21 for those of you who, unlike these guys, took college algebra at community college in the summer.

In other action:

LSU 24, Ole Miss 10.

Vanderbilt 24, Tennessee 23.

Well, that'll do it for the 1st edition of rivalry weeks. When watching the Iron Bowl this weekend, just remember that no matter how bad the Tigers are getting beat, Tommy Tuberville's wife still thinks he looks good in those glasses. Be sure to look below for next week's games...

Round 2:

Texas 45, Texas A&M 16. When Dennis Franchione pulled the "Bear Reversal" 3 years ago by leaving the Tide for the Aggies, everyone just knew that College Station would be the home of championship ball teams early and often. And after last season's run to the Cotton Bowl, those assumptions were seemingly on their way to being fulfilled. Well, we all know what they say happens when you assume. Despite Fran's ability to quickly earn 10-win seasons at both of his former stops (TCU & Alabama), the only thing he's been able to do quickly while leading the Corps of Cadets is end 2 more seasons in 3 years with a losing record than his predecessor R.C. Slocum did in his entire 14. Even more, both the Horned Frogs and the Crimson Tide are proving that maybe he wasn't the reason for their success as they're both back to their winning ways. While this game should be all about Vince Young and the Longhorns ending the regular season in position to make it to Pasadena, it's more fun to view it as the Aggies' ending the regular season out of position to go bowling.

Ole Miss 31, Mississippi St. 7. Another intrastate rivlary featuring a coach with Alabama ties will be taking place this weekend a couple of states east of the Lone Star State. However, this one has no postseason implications whatsoever. In fact, with the direction the Rebels and Bulldogs are headed, the Egg Bowl may not have postseason repercussions for years on down the line, which may explain why this "highly" respected rivalry is not even televised any longer. But television or not, the show will go on. Only the 20,000 fans on hand will be able to see it, though. However, don't think that these pitiful souls won't be getting their money's worth because they'll get to witness a coach earn his 1st victory in this annual struggle for the Golden Egg. It's just not going to be the one who's giving it his 2nd try. I'm sorry State fans, but the man who was supposed to return the Bullies to their once glorious middle-of-the-West status has only been able to return them to their dominance over 1AA and hurricane-ravaged opponents. (For all of those who really wanted to see all of the O's capitalized, it's just not worth the effort anymore. By now, I think everyone has gotten the point that Rebel fans made way too much of a fuss over Orgeron.)

And Finally:

Florida 24, Florida St. 20.

Georgia 31, Georgia Tech 21.

As the SEC exhibits its superiority to the ACC.

Notre Dame 42, Stanford 17.

And that's really it this time. Enjoy the break, and don't forget that as hard as it may be to make small talk with your relatives this Thursday, you could be having to listen to Bob Davie dramatically over enunciate every word that comes from his mouth...Until next time, Happy Thanksgiving.

How the SEC Was Won: Showdown Saturday

2005-11-10T14:21:00.000-08:00

Sleep deprivation...loss of appetite...increased anxiety...mood swings...irritable bowels (oops, was that outloud?). All of these symptoms signal that a significant event in a person's life is looming on the horizon. While for most people the momentous occurences that cause such indicators to arise tend to be incidents in which they are directly involved, there are a pathetic few (myself included) that experience these warning signs for reasons that really just aren't plausible. Exhibit A: This weekend's slate of football games in the Southeastern Conference. November 12, 2005, could end up being one of the most memorable days of football ever played below the Mason Dixon Line. And for that reason, Chris, Lee, and Kirk have decided that they should actually come down and pay a visit despite their (and the rest of the nation's) recent disrespect for football played in the South. With the divisional races still wide open with less than 3 weeks left, no weekend is more important as both the East and the West could actually be clinched by Sunday morning, or the suspense could grow even more. In case you still haven't figured out the implications of this upcoming weekend, let me offer some assistance by breaking down each contender's outlook heading into Saturday. First, the East...If Georgia beats Auburn and Kentucky, then they go to Atlanta. However, if they lose either one of these games, and Florida beats South Carolina, then the Gators go because they win the head-to-head tie-breaker. But if Florida loses to South Carolina, Georgia could lose both of their games and still make it because there would be a 3-way tie at the top between these 3 teams with the tie-breaker favoring the Bulldogs because their 2-1 record against the West would be better than either of the other 2's record of 1-2. Now, we go West...If Alabama beats both LSU and Auburn, then they get to play the extra game. If LSU loses to Alabama, then they're out. But, if Alabama loses to LSU, and LSU proceeds to defeat Ole Miss and Arkansas, then they go. If LSU loses one of these final 2 games, though, Alabama can still make it with a win over Auburn. If Alabama beats LSU, and Auburn loses to Georgia, the Iron Bowl won't even be a factor in determining who goes. But, if Alabama beats LSU, and Auburn beats Georgia, then the winner of the Iron Bowl will go. Finally, if LSU beats Alabama, and Auburn beats both Georgia and Alabama, then LSU has to win both of its remaining games to keep Auburn from going to Atlanta. But if Auburn loses to Georgia and beats Alabama (given that LSU beats Bama as well), then LSU only has to win one of its remaining 2 games because they'll have the head-to-head tie-breaker against Auburn...So now, since that's as clear as mud, just look at the predictions below, and you'll be happy to see that none of these scenarios will ever have to be analyzed again because the race will end this weekend when the 2 leaders (Georgia and Alabama) take care of business and clinch their divisions...

Alabama 21, LSU 10. When 5th year seniors Brodie Croyle, Roman Harper, Freddie Roach, etc...dressed out for the 1st time under the Bryant-Denny Lights for the UCLA game during their Redshirt Freshman year, the Gameday Crew made its 1st trip to Tuscaloosa to witness an underdog team (the Bruins) pull out a win. Almost 5 football seasons and no championships later, ESPN's celebrated college football personalities will be on hand again to see these seniors off as they suit up for the last time at the Capstone. And again, the underdog (LSU is a 3 point favorite) will prevail. In spite of Bama's 9-0 record, unparalleled defensive dominance, and knack for winning big games this season, the Tide still doesn't have the respect of others. Therefore, a statement game is strongly needed against a top 5 team this weekend, and the Tigers' 2 turnovers & 9 penalties per game average along with just a 37% 3rd down conversion rate should allow such a statement to be made. Look for seniors to lead Alabama in its most complete game (offense, defense, & special teams) of the season as they end their playing days in Byrant-Denny on their highest note.

Georgia 19, Auburn 16. If only DJ Shockley wouldn't have missed the Florida game, the Bulldogs would have already clinched the SEC East and would still be undefeated. But, injuries are part of the game. Luckily for Mark Richt, though, his QB's injury wasn't season-ending. On the other hand, Tommy Tuberville probably isn't as excited to see Tereshinski III back performing his normal duties as longsnapper because, up to this point, the Plainsmen have beaten only 1 IA team (South Carolina) with a winning record. And that win came when the Gamecocks starting QB Blake Mitchell was out with an injury. So, when Auburn is forced to actually beat a legitimate team that has its 1st string signal caller, look for the Tigers to do as well as they did against Georgia Tech and LSU. Let's just hope the 3 point margin of defeat isn't John Vaughn's fault again...for his sake.

Florida 27, South Carolina 14. The conference home opener against Alabama was supposed to be fun. Returning to Knoxville to pick up where he left off was nice. But the game that the Ol' Ball Coach has really been looking forward to is this one. When Steve Spurrier's Gators (yes, I'd say he still has more influence in Gainesville than anyone else) come to visit his Gamecocks this Saturday, many more eyes than usual will be on what usually is a ho-hum contest between Eastern Division foes. When Spurrier was at Florida, he created a monster that destroyed just about anything in its sight. While the Gators are no longer such a dominant force, the monster does reappear on occasion. This week would be a pretty opportunistic time for the monster to make such an appearance when Urban Meyer's ballclub faces a team that has won 4 straight. As explained earlier, the Gators' championship hopes would be ended with a loss this weekend. But even if they win, they still might not go to Atlanta despite beating every other team in their division--a feat that has only occured one other time in SEC history (if you don't count the 93 Auburn team on probation). Ironically, the other instance also involved a Gator team led by a 1st year coach in 2002 when Ron Zook beat every team in the East, but, you guessed it, Georgia represented the East because it had the better overall conference record. Funny how history has a way of repeating itself. Even though Spurrier has already accomplished his 1st season goal of going to a bowl game by becoming bowl-eligible last week, he hasn't quite achieved his more lofty aspiration of making the Gamecocks one of the SEC elite, so don't expect them to attain that status by knocking off another of the Big 3 this weekend.

Ole Miss 20, Arkansas 14. (I know you've missed this!) Never befOre have 2 teams drOpped as drastically as the Rebels and RazOrbacks simply by lOsing their multi-year starting quarterback. Ever since Eli left OxfOrd, Ole Miss has been 4-9 in cOnference play; and Arkansas hasn't wOn a single game in the SEC since Matt JOnes left. SO, it shOuld cOme as nO surprise that these 2 teams that depeneded sO heavily On their quarterbacks are still desparately trying tO find the recipe tO replace them. Last week, HOustOn Nutt wasted 7 weeks (and anOther year dOwn the rOad) Of quarterbacking by giving (what was suppOsed tO have been redshirt) true freshman Casey Dick nOt Only his 1st start but alsO his 1st game-time experience at all. Needless tO say, the HOgs still lOst. This week, COach O is jOining in On the fun by sitting Micheal SpurlOck and starting Ethan Flatt. Since Dick will be experiencing anOther 1st this weekend (playing On the rOad), Ethan Flatt's bOys shOuld have the "edge"--term used extremely lOOsely. Since bOth Of these teams eliminated themselves frOm cOntentiOn in the Western DivisiOn race sOmetime during the preseasOn, this game may appear to be insignificant. But with a win Over Arkansas On Saturday, Ole Miss will clinch the 4th place spOt in the West, which, using the Rebels' standards, is bannerwOrthy.

Tennessee 27, Memphis 10. There's no need to adjust your monitor. That really is a 27 next to Tennessee. Despite their offensive struggles this season, last week's 21 point production was a sign that the Vols might actually have solved a couple of problems. The improvement should continue this week since Fulmer's team is playing a defense coached by "highly acclaimed" Joe Lee Dunn. How Dunn ever became such a sought-after and respected coordinator might be a greater mystery than the collapse of the Volunteer program during the 2005 season. Memphis has given up over 20 points in 6 of 8 games this season, and the Tigers have surrendered 0ver 30 3 times. This Tiger High generosity is due largely in part to the "innovative" schemes of Dunn such as playing 2 down linemen against a UAB team that continued to run it down their throats. While U cheaT may no longer have an offensive coordinator, any body with an IQ over 100 could figure out a way to score on the Tigers. So, expect the Vols to keep their bowl hopes alive by avoiding their 5th straight loss. Fortunately for Memphis, it won't exactly be time to panic because they still have 2 very winnable games left to make them bowl eligible.

Well, there you have it folks. In closing, I'd like to point everyone's attention to the fact that Notre Dame has actually dropped in my Top 15. I know this is impossible for some of you to believe, but I am finally growing weary of the love shown to the Irish this year despite their loss to an unranked team and only beating one ranked team. That should never warrant a BCS at-large bid. Anyways, hope you enjoyed the All-SEC version this week, and enjoy the weekend....O yea, 1 more thing. I was actually told this week that, in essence, it was George W. Bush's fault that Southern Miss lost to Alabama earlier in the season b/c the Eagles would've won the game had it not been for Hurricane Katrina...and we all know who caused Katrina don't we???

November Rain

2005-11-03T15:06:00.000-08:00

When it rains, it pours. While April is usually designated as the month that brings us showers, for college football fans, it seems that November is the time of year that it most feels like the sky is falling in regardless of whether your team is winning or losing. For those teams that are performing less successfully than anticipated, it is during this home stretch of the schedule that they appear to catch fewer and fewer breaks as their respective programs eventually collapse into a complete state of disarray. This disintegration is usually followed (or sometimes preceded) by the proverbial hot seat that opportunistically settles in behind the desks in coaches' offices all across the country in College Town, USA. And as the seat warms up, more times than not, the quality of play cools down. On the other hand, teams that are winning (specifically undefeated ones) have to confront some storms as well. However, unlike the storms that have already touched down in the backyards of their futile counterparts, these gales have not quite made landfall but instead are still in the warning stages. What type of storms are these? They are the ones of the possible postseason snub. Just like clockwork, as the calendar turns to the last few weeks of the football season, the nation realizes yet again that the method with which a champion is chosen in IA college football is both archaic and arbitrary. The "system"--if it may even be called that--is no more complex than the manner in which teams are chosen on the playground in grammar school. We all remember the guy who was the 1st pick. No matter whether he was truly deserving of his top pick status or not, he was always given the benefit of the doubt simply because he was chosen before anyone else. Similarly, the teams that are ranked high before the season ever starts are allowed their position of supremacy over others throughout the year merely because they were put there first. That definitely sounds like a logical reason to me. Does it not to you? Furthermore, when the creators and supporters of this absurd scheme argue that "it will all work out in the end," and "you just have to be patient," they sound more like the addicted gambler who can't leave the Blackjack table: despite continuing to lose, he knows his "system" is going to work if he just waits a little longer for the right cards. But we all know that Las Vegas wasn't built by people with the best interest of others at heart. Likewise, we also are aware that college football's best interest is not being served by the architects behind the current postseason format. However, in spite of these annual dilemmas brought on by our autumn passion, we continue to feed our craving for college football in hopes that one day the rain that comes at the end of each and every season will eventually become showers of blessing.

Now, to the picks...

Alabama 24, Mississippi State 3. All across the Magnolia State this week, writers and dreamers alike have been reminding football fans of that fateful day in early November of 1980 when a highly overmatched Bulldog team took down an undefeated and top ranked team from Alabama in possibly the biggest upset in the "storied" history of Mississippi State football. In an effort to recreate the magic of that Saturday 25 years ago, Slyvester Croom has employed more than his share of motivational tactics to prepare his team for the arrival of the SEC's best this weekend. Encouraging all fans to wear the same color, designating every player from Alabama on the State roster as a game captain, and starting a new quarterback in an effort to revive a breathless offense are just some of the ploys utilized by the 2nd year head coach in preparation for Saturday's contest. But, even if David Copperfield himself dressed out in a maroon jersey this weekend, the Bulldogs still wouldn't be able to garner enough magic to pull off this upset. However, his presence would explain the inevitable disappearance of an opposing team to the Tide as it may look like, at times, that Mike Shula's team is on the field all by itself this weekend. While the game may be closer than expected (Alabama has had to come from behind in both games this year against MS teams), there's no way an offense that put up 7 points against a wretched Kentucky team will suddenly be able to score on the nation's 3rd ranked defense, even if they do now have a 175 pound Freshman QB. So, when it's all said and done at Scott Field on Saturday, the Tide will be 9-0 and ready for its 2 final exams against its real SEC West opponents to close out the year.

Notre Dame 17, Tennessee 14 (OT). One coach got a 10 year extension, and the other gave his 10 week notice (maybe less if the Vols don't make a bowl). This pretty much sums up the state of the 2 programs that will be on display in South Bend this weekend. The combination of amazing success at Notre Dame, unanticipated failure at Tennessee, and the Irish having 2 weeks to prepare for the Vols have caused many experts to write this game off as another win over a top football school for Charlie Weis in his inaugural season. But, in the words of Lee Corso, "Not so fast!" The Golden Domers may have one of the most productive offenses in the nation, but that is a result of playing poor defenses. When the Irish face a real defense this weekend (as they did when they played in Ann Arbor), don't expect the points to come as easily as viewers from across the nation finally begin to understand why the point production has been so low in the SEC this season. However, the Vols, who have been "suffering from a severe case of offensive constipation," (as eloquently articulated by ESPN Sr. Writer Ivan Maisel) probably won't be able to reach the end zone enough to pull out the victory as losing their offensive coordinator during game week preparations will prove to not be the most effective laxative. Expect this game, like 2 previous ones played at Notre Dame Stadium this year, to come down to the last play. But this time, the Irish will be on the winning end for a change.

Virginia Tech 20, Miami 17. For the 2nd week in a row, the eyes of the nation are focused on Blacksburg, VA, as the Hokies face another former Big East comrade in a game whose ramifications will not only be felt throughout the ACC but also the rest of the nation. With a victory over the Hurricanes this weekend, Frank Beamer's team will pretty much be guaranteed an undefeated regular season as Virginia (4-3) and North Carolina (3-4) are all that await the Hokies before the inaugural ACC championship game. And a Miami win gives the Canes the tiebreaker needed if both teams finish with just one loss. Even though Marcus Vick steals most of the Hokie spotlight and Miami is more accustomed to producing Bernie Kosar's, Gino Torreta's, and Ken Dorsey's than Warren Sapp's, the defenses will be the dominant forces in this matchup featuring 2 quarterbacks with only 15 career starts between them. And if we've learned anything this year, it's that voters would rather see a good offense than a great defense any day--regardless of what ridiculous uniforms Nike makes for these teams this week. Therefore, despite a late-season win over a top 5 opponent, Virginia Tech will still be on the outside looking in at a chance to play for the national championship.

Penn St. 35, Wisconsin 21. In the Big 11 this year, 2 coaches nearing the end of the road are out to prove that you can teach an old dog new tricks. By opening up the playbook more and finally using a quarterback who's not purely a pocket passer, Joe Paterno has led the Nittany Lions back near the top of the national polls. On the other sideline, Barry Alvarez has forsaken his predilection of the stocky, powerful backs of Ron Dayne and Anthony Davis and has turned to the finesse of Brian Calhoun, a Colorado transfer who was placed at wide receiver in Boulder. So, when these 2 football stalwarts face off this weekend in Beaver Stadium, it may seem more like a game played out West than in the North as the scoreboard will be lit up all day long. But the boys from University Park, PA, should burn more of the bulbs as the Badger defense ranks near the bottom in the nation in points allowed while Penn St. has All-American LB Paul Posluszny to keep Calhoun in check.

South Carolina 27, Arkansas 13. One week after Steve Spurrier officially marked his return to the SEC by throwing some more blows at his old punching bag in Knoxville, he takes his South Carolina team on the road again in search of win number 6, which would make the Gamecocks bowl-eligible. In Spurrier's 3 previous encounters with the Razorbacks, he's dominated the Hogs by an average score of 44-6, so a trip to the Nutt-House at D.W. Reynolds stadium shouldn't cause too much concern for a team that just conquered Neyland Stadium. All season long Houston Nutt's ball club has been looking for that elusive 1st conference win. In an effort to increase his chances this week, Nutt's wasting a year of eligibility for Freshman QB Casey Dick by naming him the starter for Saturday's matchup by pulling off his red shirt. But this won't solve the problem either. Instead, it'll only increase the Gamecock's chance of accomplishing the ol' ball coach's goal of playing in the postseason in his 1st year back in the SEC.

Well, that'll do it for another week. I hope you liked the picks, but if you didn't, I apologize. I've been suffering from a severe case of prediction constipation...Have a good weekend and come back next week to see who will make it to the SEC championship in Atlanta.

Bullseye!

2005-10-27T14:08:00.000-07:00

Being undefeated is not all that it's cracked up to be. Just ask Tommy Tuberville. Don't get me wrong. There is no player, coach, or fan in America who wishes to lose at any point (that is unless you want to see your coach fired). But when a football team prevails each and every time it steps on the gridiron, it begins to arouse jealousy in its opponents, which carries a curse that could be greater than the blessing. This covetousness is not merely limited to an envying of the other team's record, but it also extends to the yearning for the selfish pleasure of being the first team to knock off the seemingly "untouchables." This is why games against a rather weak adversary aren't so easy. What is just another game against an inferior challenger to the one is a season defining game to the other. So, each week an undefeated team's contests become tougher and tougher as the stakes for its opponent are raised higher and higher . With the perfect team now set squarely in the middle of the cross hairs of not only each of its impending rivals but also the rest of the nation, every weekend the bow is arched and aimed at the target on the back of its jersey, forcing the invincible team to try and dodge yet another bullet. So, with no further ado, let's see which of the unscathed crews' enemies will hit the bullseye this Saturday. (Here's a hint: it's probably going to be one of the ones closer to the center of the target above.)...

Alabama 35, Utah State 6. The Tide dodged perhaps its largest bullet of the last 20 years last weekend when Roman Harper caused a fumble inside the 5 yard line, keeping Tennessee from taking the lead with under 5 minutes left in the game. And this occurred just one week after a close call in Oxford. The combination of these 2 games has caused many outsiders to be skeptical of the Tide in the post-Prothro portion of the season and has even caused some to say that Bama is no longer a good team but a lucky one instead. What is most shocking is that much of the "lucky" labeling has come from Alabama's 2 biggest rivals. No, it's not shocking that they would be the last to give Bama some credit. It's surprising that they would ever be agitated over a team supposedly winnig on mere luck in the first place. Does Tennessee not remember Arkansas QB Clint Stoerner's gift in 1998? Or does Auburn not remember the Referee's gift of a 2nd extra point chance against LSU last season? At least it hasn't been someone not wearing a crimson jersey giving new life to the Tide this season when it has needed it most. Call Alabama lucky if you want to, but I'd rather say they just know how to win. However, Mike Shula's team won't have to catch some breaks this Homecoming weekend since their opponent has given up an average of 33 points a game this season en route to a 2-4 record. Expect Brodie Croyle and the offense to get back on track and score early in the 1st half, allowing them the opportunity to watch most of the game from the sidelines after the queen has been crowned as Bama cruises to 8-0.

Virginia Tech 27, Boston College 24. (Note: This pick was made before kickoff, which will be blatantly obvious to Friday readers if BC wins.) It looks like the Big East Bullies are back stealing all of the ACC headlines again. This time, though, they're stealing all of the national headlines as well as they are the only game on the television in what should actually be a decent Thursday night game for a change. With the Eagles having an extra week to prepare for the Hokies, many believe that this will be the week that Frank Beamer's team falls from the ranks of the undefeated. However, that extra week hasn't been so beneficial to the underdogs in games featuring teams with perfect records as of late. Notre Dame came up just short to USC after a bye week, and Tennessee did the same against Bama following their week off. In both games, though, the outcome wasn't settled until the last moments. Expect another close one until the final horn again this time, but Quinton Porter's ineptitude in conference play (4 Td passes against 6 interceptions) might be too much for the Eagles to overcome even if their defense does allow only 14 points a game.

Florida 20, Georgia 13. In the 2nd game of the weekend featuring an unbeaten Top 5 team against an opponent coming off a bye, the trend of "close, but no cigar" might actually be reversed. Why is that? The Georgia Bulldogs no longer have D.J. Shockley under center. But does losing a quarterback really matter that much if you still have a potent running attack and a solid defense? If you really think that is a legitimate question, go talk to some Alabama fans. Or better yet, just read what backup QB Joe Tereshinski III said to reporters this week: "I don't want to do anything to make this team lose." With that kind of confidence, who wouldn't pick the Bulldogs to win this weekend? Playing not to lose is no way for the Bulldogs signal caller to earn his team an SEC Eastern Division clinching win. Look for the Gators to score just enough and keep themselves in the hunt for the SEC championship for a little longer. Don't feel too sorry for the Georgia fans, though, as they'll certainly be able to find a way to drown their sorrows at the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party.

Tennessee 24, South Carolina 7. It appears that each week just gets worse for Phil Fulmer. First it was a loss to Florida team with a first-year coach. Then it was a crazy LSU weekend where travel arrangements might as well not have been arranged. Then Georgia and Alabama hand him losses and injured senior starters in consecutive games. Now, it's a reunion with his old nemesis: Steve Spurrier. While this time around, it might not be as glamorous as previous meetings, this outing will be similar to old times as both of these coaches' teams enter this game tied in the SEC East. It's just a minor detail that this tie is for 3rd, not 1st. Despite earning a much-needed win over Vandy last weekend and keeping its bowl hopes alive, the ol' ballcoach's team lost its best player in do-everything WR Syvelle Newton after he tore his achilles tendon running for a touchdown. Throw in the fact that starting QB Blake Mitchell has missed some time due to injury this season as well, and Spurrier may have more visor throws than points in this one. So, with Notre Dame--and another possible loss--on tap for Fulmer's boys next week, expect the Vols to sharpen their offense as they avoid their 1st 3 game losing streak since 1992, a streak in which, coincidentally, the Gamecocks were the 3rd loss.

Memphis 31, UAB 28. After opening the season with a close loss in Knoxville, the Blazers regrouped and won their next 3 games. However, since then they've dropped 3 in a row, which isn't all that surprising considering their victories came over teams with a combined record of 8-18. Memphis, on the other hand, also suffered a narrow defeat at the hands of another SEC school to open the year, but they have since found a way to win 4 of their last 6 despite playing their 4th quarterback and having virtually no passing game. This shouldn't come as much of a surprise either though because superstar tailback DeAngelo Williams has rushed for 187 yards a game and 12 touchdowns. While this game won't have much of a bearing on who wins the C-USA, it still should at least be extremely entertaining as the 2 best athletes in the conference (Williams and UAB's Hackney) will compete on the same field for the final time of their stellar careers. This time, though, Williams will finally get the win as the Tigers avoid a 6th consecutive loss to their city school counterpart from Alabama.

Well, that's partially it for this week. Make sure to come back Monday to see this week's Pimp/Wimp, an updated Top 15, and the pick in the Memphis vs U Ain't Bama game. Have a good weekend, and if you didn't like the picks, I'm sorry but ESPN's power is overwhelming me as well.

Fighting for "W's"

2005-10-20T15:27:00.000-07:00

We've all heard it said that "a win is a win." Sometimes, though, a win feels like a loss and vice versa. But at the end of the day, all that matters is what's written on the scoreboard. Take, for instance, 2 games from just last weekend that almost caused spectators to have a Dick Cheney size heart attack. Heading into its game against Ole Miss, Alabama was ranked 6th in the nation and a 14 point favorite. So, it would've been safe to assume that the Tide would roll to a comfortable victory. In South Bend, the top ranked Trojans were also double digit favorites and on a winning streak spanning more than 2 full seasons. However, both teams needed every second of the 60 minutes to earn the victory and keep their record unblemished. While Rebel fans were happy to keep it close, Charlie Weis emphatically declared that he will never deem any defeat as a "good loss." It appears that the man who holds possibly the most revered parachurch position in the Catholic faith understands one simple but profound truth: if you fall short, it doesn't matter by how little. So, in this era of undefeated teams being left out of championship games and nonsensical methods of determining a champion, don't succumb to the mindset of our friends from Oxford because no matter how satisfying it is, a moral victory will always register as an "L." Instead, realize that in order to have a chance for a title, take a "W" anyway you can...With that said, let's see who will earn the "W's" this week.

Alabama 20, Tennessee 13. While it's not the 3rd Saturday in October, it is the 3rd Saturday this October that Alabama and Tennessee are teeing it up when the 2 teams meet in Tuscaloosa this weekend. Even though this year's battle will not be waged on its traditional date, the heated rivalry may be more intense than ever as Bama Nation has been waiting for the Secret Witness to return to Bryant-Denny for quite a while. Due to the fact that Fulmer avoided the entire state of Alabama last year for safety concerns by skipping SEC Media Days and that the world's most powerful Alabama fan (Condoleezza Rice) will be in attendance, security will be at an all-time high for this year's matchup. However, there won't be any security to protect the Vols from Alabama's actual team unless, of course, Fat Phil gets the officials to work for him like he usually does. But even that might not be enough to protect UT from THEMSELVES. By continuing to feed the 2-headed QB monster, the Tennessee offense will fail to produce yet again. Add in the loss of Jason Allen in the Volunteer Secondary, and Bama won't need Prothro to make big plays--they'll just happen. Expect the Tide to answer the call again as it earns its 3rd impressive win in as many tries on CBS primetime.

LSU 24, Auburn 21. After playing their 1st 5 games at home, the Auburn Tigers have hit the road the last 2 weeks traveling from the Nutt House last Saturday to the Valley of Death (aka Death Valley) this weekend. This is the logical progression, though, of anybody who has come face-to-face with the realization that their best just isn't good enough as was the case with the Tigers a year ago. New season, same story. Despite boasting just 1 loss and an undefeated conference record, the Barners still have the respect of no one outside of Lee County, Alabama. And after LSU exposes them this weekend in a game featuring the previous 2 SEC champions (sorry Ole Miss, but you didn't win the West in 2003 no matter what your stadium banner says), Tuberville's boys will still have not turned any heads. Don't worry, though. They'll surely be able to find someone who will make up a nice consolation title for them.

Georgia 28, Arkansas 13. Between the hedges in Athens, Mark Richt is putting together another certain 10 win season for the 4th straight time since he's been the Top Dawg. While it remains to be seen if the quietest top 5 team in the nation can make this a championship season, having a relaxed Satuday afternoon barbeque this weekend against the Hogs will help DJ Shockley and the rest of the guys get ready for their Cocktail Party with the Gators next Saturday. While this game would appear to be a blowout waiting to happen, Arkansas has a little experience playing a team on the road in that JP slot the week before a showdown with Florida. Houston Nutt's team more than held their own against a flat Alabama team in the same scenario at the end of September. But in the end, Arkansas was Arkansas and found a way to lose. Don't expect things to be too much different this Saturday as the Bulldogs stay perfect and begin to make plans for a trip to Atlanta the 1st weekend of December.

Texas 41, Texas Tech 31. The winner of this Saturday's game in Royal-Memorial Stadium on the campus of the University of Texas might as well be crowned this year's Big 12 Champion since the competition and legitimacy of the rest of the teams in this once proud South Division is at an all-time low. How else could anyone explain the sudden rise of the Red Raiders as one of the elite teams of what used to be the one of the toughest conferences in all of college football. While Cody Hodges may be an outstanding quarterback and Tech's offensive system might be one of the most efficient and finely tuned in the nation, no one would've put up 59 against Kansas State or 34 against Nebraska (much less score in the last minute) a few years ago. Therefore, when Mike Leach takes his ball club to play a team this weekend that not only used to be good but actually is good now, don't expect the same results. Mack Brown not only has a team that can keep up with Texas Tech's scoring, but he has one that can stop their scoring as well. While this one could turn into a shootout, the Longhorns have the larger guns.

USC 38, Washington 7. After last week's game against Notre Dame, we know 2 things for sure: 1) USC is beatable & 2) God isn't Catholic. While we may have known the latter, the former won't be corroborated any further this weekend. During his 3 seasons as the head coach of the nation's premiere college football program, Ty Willingham lost by 31 points a game to Pete Carroll's sqaud each time, adding to the long list of reasons to oust him from South Bend. But, like they say, "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em." I'm pretty sure, though, that this adage suggests joining the team, not the conference. All Willingham has accomplished by taking over the Huskies is assure his streak of losing to Southern Cal every year by 31 points will continue. So, this week in Seattle, USC won't need the 2nd half heroic comeback that has characterized most of their games on this year's march to another championship.

And so goes another weekend of college football. It could be a fun one, but there's probably no way it'll be as dramatic or exciting as last week unless the UT players don't pass the security background check necessary to be so close to a member of the Bush Administration...Anyways, enjoy the games, and if anyone has any suggestions for an alternate route from Birmingham to Tuscaloosa about 2 hours before game time this weekend, PLEASE let me know--long story...

The Hunt for Mr. October

2005-10-13T15:14:00.000-07:00

In the 1977 and 1978 World Series, Reggie Jackson indelibly stamped his signature on this imprecisely named 10th month of the calendar year. In 2005, another Reggie (Sanders) is doing his best to leave his mark on baseball's postseason by producing 2 homeruns and 12 RBI's in the Cardinals' 1st 4 playoff games. While October may not provide college football athletes with such an opportunity to make memorable championship moments, the lineup of games with championship-type hype in this month does offer the occasion for these athletic anomalies to accomplish unforgettable feats. So, will the NCAA's Mr. October be another Reggie (Bush) or a Brodie? A Vince or a Vick? There's no way to be certain quite yet which one of these stars will lead their team into the season's final month with a chance of playing for it all, so I guess we'll just have to watch the games and see.

Alabama 28, Ole Miss 6. (Note: Since I tend to view this as an Alabama game and not an Ole Miss game, the "O's" will not be capitalized througout so as to not disrespect the pride of the SEC.) A statement win over a Top 5 team is all the Tide needed to get back into the national championship conversations again. But after the dust has settled and "Rammer Jammer" has ended, Bama fans may be wondering if all of this chatter may be a little presumptious. Well, Sports Illustrated certainly doesn't believe so. After making Bama's win over Florida last week's cover story, the premiere sports periodical has singled out the Tide as 1 of 3 teams with a viable chance of knocking off USC in the Rose Bowl in this week's issue. So, will Mike Shula's team continue to climb the ladder, or do they now just have further to fall? With games against Tennessee, LSU, and Auburn all still on the schedule, much remains to be seen. However, this Saturday's contest against a team that produced 3 1st half points and 2 offensive touchdowns over a 1AA team a week ago in their starting QB's "breakout" game shouldn't be much to worry about. (By the way, the 6 by Ole Miss is my prediction for number of 1st downs, not points.)

Penn St. 24, Michigan 14. Before the season kicked off, if someone would've said that Joe Paterno's team would be undefeated and Lloyd Carr's team would have a losing record after this game, he probably would've been about as believable as umpire Doug Edding's claim that he was purely going through his normal 3rd strike mechanic in Wednesday's bizarre "not 3rd out" call in the ALCS. But, if the Nittany Lions take care of business in Ann Arbor on Saturday, that will be the case. Even though it was the Wolverines who spoiled Penn State's season the last time they started 6-0 or better back in 1997, history will not repeat itself this time around for one primary reason: in 2005, losing streaks stop at 5. Over the last 2 weeks, 2 major 5-game losing streaks have ended. It was Alabama's streak against Top 5 teams in Tuscaloosa that ended October 1, and it was Mack Brown's 5 game sputter against Bob Stoops becoming old news last week. So, when Penn State heads to the Big House this weekend, their 5-game skid against Michigan will come to a halt as well. Don't hesitate, though, if you need to borrow Joe Pa's glasses to believe what you're seeing.

Texas 28, Colorado 27. After the past few tumultuous years, the Colorado football program has for the 1st time this season been able to actually focus on football for a change. The result has been a 4-1 record and a top spot in the Big 12 North. On tap for the Buffaloes this week, though, is a team from the Lone Star State for the 2nd week in a row. But, unfortunately for Gary Barnett, this one isn't against a Dennis Franchione coached team. While the Bufs might have originally planned on sneaking up on the Longhorns after they finally earned a big win over OU, beating a team that starts 12 freshmen isn't a big win. Just don't tell Mack Brown that. It might take a while for UT to get back in stride for this game after the Red River hangover, but they should come through in the end as Vince Young takes Texas to 6-0 for the 1st time since 1983, a year in which they went 11-0. But Buffalo fans shouldn't despair as they'll probably get another chance in the conference championship.

Notre Dame 35, USC 24. USC is #1 in total offense, #2 in scoring offense, undefeated, and the reigning national champs. Notre Dame is one option pitch away from being undefeated, has won more games away from home than any other team in America, and has the "Weisest" coach in NCAA history. But for some reason, there seems to be more people questioning the legitimacy of the Trojans and the Irish than Senators who are questioning the legitimacy of Harriet Miers. This Saturday, though, the truth will out: Notre Dame is legit, and USC is...well, not legit. Look for the Irish to mix up the pace by running both ball-control and hurry-up offenses to keep the vulnerable USC defense off balance as the Golden Domers end another school's era of dominance yet again.

LSU 27, Florida 17. It's highly doubtful that over the past few days Urban Meyer has been singing Willie Nelson's famed lyric of "I just can't wait to get on that road again." But on the road is where the Florida coach will find himself again this weekend. After the Gators displayed thorough incompetence to run their offense amidst crowd noise 2 weeks ago in Bryant-Denny, it might be a success if they can just get the snap off in a stadium whose noise once caused a minor earthquake. But maybe they have finally figured out the whole nonverbal communication thing and can actually use signals this game. If they have, the LSU secondary should allow Chad Jackson and the other Gator receivers to break open some big plays. However, the Gator defense has been known to give up a big play or 2 themselves. So, even with the inspired presence of a banged up Chris Leak on the field, Verne Lundquist may need to travel to Baton Rouge just so he can tell Urban Meyer once again that "this ain't Kentucky."

Well, that's all she wrote for this week. It's good to be back following the Tide after a week off...Be sure to check out the updated Top 15 on the sidebar...Have a good weekend, and try and stay away from boats with Minnesota Vikings on them...

Reflection Time

2005-10-06T13:18:00.000-07:00

At different points in life, it's a good idea to just stop and catch your breath. The arrival of the Alabama bye week and the nearing of the halfway point of the 2005 college football season signals that this might be that time for me. So, this week's blog will be a little different. In this edition, I take a break from the verbose, unbiased, and accurate practice of predicting games. Instead, I invite you to reflect upon a few moments that have made the 1st half of the 2005 season so memorable and peek into a few others that could make this year's 2nd half even better. Also, since preseason polls are merely unfounded opinions with more negative than positive effects, it is my belief that rankings should not be released until at least October. So after over a month of silence, the collegepicks.blogspot.com Top 15 poll will make its debut this week, and I'm sure none of you will have any objections to how these rankings place the nation's teams...Without any further ado, let's get right to it.

Top 5 Choke Jobs

5. Ed Orgeron. This Cajun ex-con fits the historic, picturesque home of the Grove in Oxford, Mississippi, about as well as OJ's glove fit the acquitted killer. The only problem: Johnny Cochran isn't around to help him win.
4. Big 10 Title Contenders. With all of the pundits ready to crown the "Big 11" as the toughest conference in the nation because of the big 3 at the top, Ohio St., Michigan, and Iowa all fell on the same day just 2 weeks into the season.
3. Oklahoma. It's not like it's the 1st time Bob Stoops' club hasn't come through. Do the 2004 Sugar Bowl and 2005 Orange Bowl mean anything to you? So, we should've seen this one coming. However, it's usually after an undefeated regular season that the Sooners need the Heimlich Maneuver performed on them.
2. Les Miles 2nd half against the Vols . After serving and giving so generously of his time and resources to Hurricane Katrina refugees during the weeks leading up to this matchup, maybe he just mistook UT for other victims and decided to start giving to them as well.
1. Fran not going for 2 in Week 1. You don't have to be a math major to know that it doesn't help too terribly much to kick the extra point to go up 2 late in the 4th quarter after scoring the go-ahead touchdown. However, you must have to have a semblance of a backbone--something Coach "Hold the Rope" lost a long time ago-- to go for 2. By allowing Clemson the opportunity to win the game with a field goal, Fran gave A&M its 2nd consecutive 0-1 start.

Top 5 Moments

5. Tim Frisby's reception. Quite possibly, the only thing that Coach Superior will be able to take away from this season is that he provided "The Greatest Generation" with another glorious moment by having one of its own--a man known as "Pops"--make a catch in an actual game.
4. Dion Byrum's performance against Pitt. This cornerback for Ohio singlehandedly won the game for Frank Solich's team against Pittsburgh under the Friday Night Lights on September 9th by producing the only 2 touchdowns of the game (both interception returns) for the Bobcats--the 2nd coming in OT--as Ohio knocked off a ranked opponent for the 1st time in over 30 years.
3. Trev Alberts' firing . The only way this could've made me happier is if The Donald, himself, would've dismissed Alberts in his boardroom on national TV. Now, if we could just get rid of Stuart Scott and Screamin' A. Smith.
2. The Catch. You know which one I'm talking about. Since Tyrone Protho's miraculous play, the Tide has outscored its opponents 118-30 and has turned the corner on what could be a dream season. It's just too bad "Pro" won't be around to contribute in any more games.
1. LSU's comeback victory over Arizona St. The resilience displayed by the Bayou Bengals in the 4th quarter showed the rest of America that no matter how adverse its circumstances, Louisiana will make a comeback.

Top 5 Games So Far

5. Boston College 16, Clemson 13 (OT). For the 2nd consecutive week, Tommy Bowden found his Tigers facing overtime against a former Big East heavyweight. And for the 2nd consecutive week, he found his team losing. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to invite these guys to the ACC after all.
4. USC 38, Arizona St. 28. This was supposed to be the day the Trojans fell. Gameday was on site just in case. But in the end, all Chris, Lee, and Kirk got was another heroic performance by the USC backfield in a dramatic late come-from-behind victory. Coupling this with the LSU debacle might lead more coaches to urge their team to be losing at Sun Devil Stadium in the 4th quarter.
3. Michigan St. 44, Notre Dame 41 (OT). After starting with 2 wins over ranked teams on the road, the return of the Irish to South Bend to face a middle-of-the-road Big 10 team was supposed to be an easy win. The Spartans, however, had other plans. After digging a 21 point hole late in the 2nd half, Charlie Weis' men found a way to get back in it. But in extended play, it wasn't Drew Stanton's arm that won the game for Michigan St in overtime. It was Jason Teague's legs.
2. Texas 25, Ohio St. 22. The game that was hyped for 8 months completely lived up to its billing as 2 of the nation's elite fought for the entire 60 minutes. In the end though, it was the leadership and poise of Vince Young that led the Longhorns to victory and kept them on the road to Pasadena.
1. Tennessee 30, LSU 27 (OT). After waiting for almost 3 extra weeks to have a home-opener, Tiger fans were growing more impatient than the 40-year old virgin. But when the emotions died, there were still 2 quarters to play. Credit Phil Fulmer for not making the mistake of Mack Brown with Simms and Applewhite by replacing a talented QB with a winning one.

Top 5 Games to Come

5. Ole Miss @ Mississippi St, Nov. 26. While this game doesn't even register on anyone's calendar outside of the Magnolia State, it could be these 2 teams first chance to earn a conference win.
4. Miami @ Virginia Tech, Nov. 5. So this is how the ACC solves the problem of the Big East Bullies--by placing them in the same division so they have to play every year.
3. Oklahoma vs Texas @ Dallas, Oct. 8. Will this be the year that Mack Brown finally gets the OU monkey off of his back? It should be, but you just never know how things will turn out at the Texas State Fair.
2. USC @ Notre Dame, Oct. 15. Charlie Weis has 2 weeks to prepare for this one. The last time he had 2 weeks to prepare for a game: Patriots 24, Eagles 21. Go ahead and quote me on this one...Notre Dame by at least a touchdown.
1. Tennessee @ Alabama, Oct. 22. Last summer, Phil Fulmer was too scared to come to the State of Alabama for SEC Media Days. This year, it's probably an appointment with Demeco Ryans and friends that's making him a little hesitant. After the Tide rolls in this one, the Great Pumpkin will be wishing he was getting subpoenaed.

Top 5 Wish List

5. Joe Paterno's Retiring. The art of being a good guest is knowing when to leave. The art of being remembered as a good coach is knowing when to quit. Even with the Nittany Lions fast start, Joe Pa could still very easily split his team's 6 remaining games and finish 8-3 as Michigan, Ohio State, Michigan State, Purdue, Iowa, and Wisconsin are all left on the schedule. However, a winning season will probably just make him hungrier for some more.
4. Vince Young winning the Heisman. It doesn't necessarily have to be Young. I'm not that picky. Anybody not from USC will suffice.
3. Coach "O" vs Coach Amato compete in a bodybuilding contest. Have there ever been 2 coaches with broader chests in NCAA history? These guys must be on the juice. They even have the weird voices to prove it.
2. USC Losing. Besides the fact that we'll never have to hear the annoying "3-Pete" Carroll nickname again, would it really be good for college football if a team from a lousy conference was able to do something that no other team had ever done by winning 3 in a row?
1. Protho back in time for the Rose Bowl. Hey, T.O. came back for the Super Bowl. And this is a "wish" list. Isn't it???

Now, what you've all been waiting for...

Top 15 Poll

1. USC (4-0)
2. Texas (4-0)
3. Virginia Tech (5-0)
4. Florida State (4-0)
5. Alabama (5-0)
6. Notre Dame (4-1)
7. Ohio St. (3-1)
8. Miami (3-1)
9. Georgia (4-0)
10. Tennessee (3-1)
11. Cal (5-0)
12. LSU (2-1)
13. Texas Tech (4-0)
14. Penn St. (5-0)
15. Florida (4-1)

Well, there you have it. Let me hear some of your Top 5's...I hope that this didn't mess up your routine too bad. Don't worry, I'll throw in a few picks on the way out for you to ponder. See you next week, and look for me on ABC at the Red River Shootout. Boomer Sooner!

Texas 28, Oklahoma 20.
Tennessee 20, Georgia 16.
Florida 45, Mississippi St. 9.
LSU 31, Vanderbilt 17.
Penn St. 35, Ohio St. 21.

We Believe!

2005-09-29T16:06:00.000-07:00

Expecting to win. While some may say doing so hinders a person from ever coming to grips with the reality that his team is not quite as untouchable as the optimistic fan would care to confess, it is this hope that sustains him during his team's times of struggle and despair. But this is how many fans of all sports across the world view each game. How else could you explain the loyalty of Cubs fans or Clippers fans or even Ole Miss fans? There can be no other way. In fact, to be a true fan, one must not just merely root for his team to win, but he must trust that it will actually be so. Thus, this explains the origin of the "wait 'til next year" assertion that supporters of losing teams cry at the end of each season as they fully believe that when the next season arrives, all of their team's incompetencies will be resolved and their losing ways will be no more. But what is it that gives such hapless romantics the perseverance to continue in their blind allegiance against the voice of reason? It is the example of others who have overcome. Just look at last year's Boston Red Sox or this year's Vanderbilt Commodores. It is teams like them that give fans everywhere the affirmation that "it could happen for me, too." So, as another weekend of college football approaches, many underdogs (Alabama, Arizona State, Missouri, etc...) find themselves hanging onto hope in the face of insurmountable odds as they believe that this is their turn for them to pull off the upset. So, whether you're from the era of Kirk Gibson or Curt Schilling, George Michael or Limp Bizkit, the same truth applies to you--"You gotta have faith." With that said, let's see whose faith is going to be rewarded this weekend...

Alabama 24, Florida 20. The anxious anticipation and uncertainty around the state of Alabama caused by the arrival of a 5th ranked Florida Gator football team can be compared only to that of a young boy making his first trip to Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch: he is highly excited, but in the back of his mind he knows something might go wrong. Throughout the 90's, these 2 teams were the stalwarts of the SEC, meeting each other in 5 of the 1st 8 SEC Championships. Six years and a combined 5 coaches later, not much has changed as the Tide and Gators are back on top of their respective divisions. This time, though, it's Shula vs Meyer. Ever since Urban Meyer took the reins in Gainesville during the offseason, there have been many questions concerning how effective his innovative spread option offense can be in the SEC. While his Gators are off to a 4-0 start, including 2 wins against conference opponents, this question still may have not been answered because even though they put up 49 in the 1st half last week against Kentucky, it was against Kentucky. For a better idea of how successfully this scheme works, it might be helpful to recall Florida's game against Tennessee 2 weeks ago in which the Gators only produced 1 touchdown and 3 field goals. In Meyer's 2nd game against a ranked opponent this season, don't expect Joe Kines' defense (7th in the Nation) to be much more generous, especially since star receiver Andre Caldwell is now out for the season with a broken leg. Therefore, when the Tide hosts a Top 5 opponent in Bryant-Denny for just the 6th time in history, look for 2 major streaks to be ended: 1) Bama's 0-5 record in games against teams ranked 5th or better in T-town, and 2) Urban Meyer's 20 game win streak as Mike Shula exposes the Gator coach to be merely an urban myth and Bama pulls off another upset over the Gators, taking an unblemished record into its bye week.

Auburn 31, South Carolina 13. For the 3rd consecutive week, the Gamecocks kick it off against a team from the state of Alabama. While they were embarrassed by the Tide 2 weeks ago, Steve Spurrier's ball club regained its composure last week by scoring 45 against Troy. But this week, it's back to the SEC. After a shaky opener against Georgia Tech, Auburn has had 3 exhibition games against Mississippi St., Ball St, and Western Kentucky to figure out how to move past their dream season of a year ago. And it seems like the old addage "practice makes perfect" has shown true again as Tommy Tuberville's team has outscored its opponents in these games by 111 points in spite of Brandon Cox's "sickness" last week. This week, though, it's Auburn's opponent whose #1 QB will be sitting it out. Last Saturday, Blake Mitchell (3rd in the SEC in Passing Efficiency) sprained his ankle and will not be in the lineup for Saturday's game, so backup Antonio Heffner will be calling the shots. Since Heffner is a run-1st QB, don't expect Spurrier's "cock-n-fire" offense to be on display under the Tiger Eyes in Jordan-Hare as Spurrier's return to the Heart of Dixie will fare no better than his former team's, leaving the Tigers unbeaten in SEC action.

USC 59, Arizona St. 47. Where did that score come from? It's the average score of both teams this season, which should tell you all you need to know about how much fans tuning into this one will be wanting to see defense. Another Pac-10 opponent for the Trojans should translate into another victory for Pete Carroll's team since they're 23-2 in conference games dating back to the 2002 season. So, is this game even worth covering? ESPN's College Gameday sure thinks so since it picked it over the Bama-Florida showdown as this week's venue. And Sam Keller (1443 yds passing, 16 td, 2 int) and Derek Hagan (26 rec, 431 yds, 5 td) are going to do everything they can to corroborate that choice. While it definitely should be exciting, in order to beat a team like USC, you have to be able to control the ball. But this is not exactly the Sun Devils' strength since they like to score as early and often as possible. So, don't expect Dirk Koetter's team to be the one to knock off the #1 team in the land this year since they have about as much of a chance of outscoring Bush and Leinart as Kate Moss does of kicking her cocaine habit.

Notre Dame 38, Purdue 34. After looking at Notre Dame's schedule before the season began, there were few, if any, people outside of South Bend who thought that Charlie Weis' football team had a chance of being 4-1 after the first 5 games, especially since 4 out of these 5 games were scheduled away from Notre Dame Stadium. However, coming into this week's matchup against Purdue, that is exactly where the Irish stand. While its 3 wins are not as impressive as they could've been since preseason Top 25 teams Pittsburgh and Michigan have fallen faster than Phil Fulmer in a parachute, all 3 did come on the road, and the Golden Domers are still ranked 13th in the nation. On the other side of the ball, Joe Tiller's Boilermakers are also listed among the nation's best 25 teams thanks to a balanced attack led by QB Brandon Kirsch and RB's Jerod Void and Kory Sheets that eerily resembles the balance displayed by ND. Another similarity also exists between these 2 teams because both of their losses have come in overtime. Therefore, both squads have been battle-tested and fought for more than the usual 60 minutes. So, when they meet head-to-head in West Lafayette this weekend, expect it to be close until the bitter end as the Irish squeak out a win and avenge last year's loss to the Boilermakers that spoiled a 3-1 start to the 2004 season, giving the Fighting Irish its 50th win over their fellow footballers from Indiana and 4th win away from home this season.

Delta St. 27, Valdosta St. 21. For the 2nd week in a row, a Top 10 team from Georgia is traveling to play an underdog team from Mississippi. However, this matchup is in the GSC, not the SEC. This Saturday, the heated rivalry between Statesmen and Blazers returns to Travis Parker Field in Cleveland, MS, for the 25th meeting between these 2 Division II heavyweights. In the last 5 years, both DSU and VSU have won the Gulf South Conference Championship en route to becoming national champions (DSU in 2000 and VSU in 2004) proving that taking care of business in this conference is of paramount importance. But this season, both teams have already stumbled in conference play, so there is no more room for error. While Chris Hatcher's squad has been playing smothering defense by allowing just over 12 points per game, Rick Rhoades' Fighting Okra have been scoring over 30 a game led by veteran QB Scott Eyster (league leading 11 TD passes). Therefore, when these 2 foes square off Saturday night in the heart of the Mississippi Delta, expect another 5th ranked team in the nation to fall as the 24th ranked Statesmen stay alive in the conference hunt.

There you have it. So much for my critics' accusing me of not stepping out on a limb. Let me know what games you expect to see upsets in this weekend. Hopefully, your team will. But just remember, a true fan would never tear down the goal posts after an "upset" win b/c he expected them to win all along...Don't forget to nominate your pimp/wimp--since no one ever does, and be ready for a special edition next week as I celebrate the Alabama off week.

A Saturday 5K...Sort of

2005-09-22T15:50:00.000-07:00

Running enthusiasts have often claimed that the 5K race is the perfect distance to test any runner. For the runner who prefers sprint races, it's just enough of an endurance test to make him uncomfortable. And for the runner who prefers distance races, it's just enough of a sprint to raise his heart rate. Thus, to be a good 5K racer, one has to not only have rapid leg turnover, but he must also be able to mimick the little bunny and "keep going and going." So, how does this relate to college football in any way you may ask? Well, if you look closely at the breakdown of a 5K, the similarities readily appear. For those of you who are metrically handicapped, 5 kilometers is equal to 3 miles....plus a little more. Comparably, the college football season is equal to 3 months...plus a little more. During a 5K, the runners use the 1st mile to position themselves for the rest of the race. Throughout the 2nd mile, the runners hope to not lose any ground but instead, to maintain their good standing. And in the 3rd mile and last few yards, for however many are still in the lead pack, it's pretty much an all-out sprint and fight to see who's going to cross the line first. Similarly, September is used by college football teams as a tune-up month to get ready for the rest of the season, while October is where things become a little more difficult as the pressure builds. In November and the 1st week of December, as the pack of true contenders has thinned out, teams pull out all of the stops to either be a champion or to keep their opponents from becoming one...So, the next time you feel intimidated at the gym by all of those fit people talking about their PR's (personal record time), tell them that you prefer to run a 5K the easy way by watching college football all season long. Don't worry if they don't get it. Ralph Friedgen, Phil Fulmer, and Mark Mangino will all have your back because there's no way they're running a real one either...Anyways, with that said, let's see who's still got a shot at winning after the first mile is passed this weekend.

Alabama 30, Arkansas 15. What a difference a knee makes. Last season, without Brodie Croyle in the lineup against the other USC, the Crimson Tide offense was shutout of the endzone as Spencer Pennington completed more passes to the Gamecocks than his own receivers en route to a 20-3 embarrassment, resulting in thousands of fans leaving the game early and entering into a mild state of depression. This season, with Croyle back in the saddle, the Tide found the end zone 4 times and added 3 more field goals against the Gamecocks on its way to its best offensive performance and biggest win in the Mike Shula era thus far, resulting in thousands of Bama fans beginning to plan trips to Atlanta in December. But slow down BamaNation. While Steve Spurrier may have been on the other sideline, it was his unranked team with a losing record on the field. However Tide Fans, don't let your bubble be burst just yet because another unranked team with a losing record is on the docket for this week. So, even with the much anticipated matchup against the top 5 Florida Gators on tap for next weekend, don't expect the Razorbacks to catch the Tide looking ahead because Mike Shula's 0-6 record against teams from the West not from the state of Mississippi proves he still has some work to do in his own division before he starts looking to the East. So expect Alabama to control the game but to keep it low scoring by playing conservative against a demoralized Arkansas team with a coach who's approval rating has dropped below W's--if that's even possible.

Ohio St. 23, Iowa 14. Two weeks after the Big 11 was exposed as an illegitimate selection for the nation's toughest conference, its overrated members will finally play each other. And none of the first round of Big 11 games is more important than this one. Along with Michigan, Ohio State and Iowa were both picked to be in Pasadena on January 4th by different analysts. Now, if anyone of these three stumbles again, that prediction is history. Thanks to overtime now eliminating the possibility of any game ending in a tie, this 2nd loss is inevitable for one of the 2 teams playing in Columbus Saturday afternoon. Although the Buckeyes have some of the most explosive playmakers in the country with Santonio Holmes and Ted Ginn Jr and the Hawkeyes have put up at least 45 points twice this season, this game will be all about the defenses as 4 of the starting linebackers on these teams should be selected within the 1st 2 rounds in next Spring's draft. So, which team's defense is tougher? Last week, after giving up an 80 yard touchdown on the first play from scrimmage, Jim Tressel's team allowed only 99 more yards the entire game, including just 13 yards rushing. Also, Ohio State has given up more than 2 touchdowns only once--to the #2 team in the nation. On the other hand, Iowa let Division IAA Northern Iowa score 21 a week after losing to Iowa State 23-3. Therefore, Kirk Ferentz's ball club has about as much chance of giving the Scarlet and Gray their second loss in the Shoe as Senate Democrats do of blocking the John Roberts confirmation.

Virginia Tech 28, Georgia Tech 17. The former pride of the Big East and the current pride of the "Anybody Care?" Conference, Virginia Tech welcomes Georgia Tech to Blacksburg this weekend for its first home game against a conference opponent. While the Yellow Jackets have already proved they can win big games on the road by knocking off the other school in Alabama in week 1, they did so with a healthy quarterback and against an inexperienced quarterback. Make no mistake, though. Chan Gailey's passing attack featuring NFL prototype receivers Calvin Johnson and Demarius Bilbo (26 catches and 3 TD's between them) is just as good as anybody's if Reggie Ball is running on all cylinders. But he's not. A case of viral meningitis that forced Ball to miss last week's game against powerhouse UConn (they play football?) in a rematch of the 2003 NCAA basketball championship left Taylor Bennet under center resulting in all of 142 yards through the air. With Ball just being released from the hospital on Monday of this week, don't expect him to "be like Mike" during His Airness' game with flu-like symptoms. Instead, look for that guy named Vick to steal the show by continuing to play like a veteran and not a 1st year starter as the Hokies claim their 10th victory in 11 games in their new conference.

USC 45, Oregon 28. The Men of Troy (sorry ladies, but we're not talking about Brad Pitt) head north this weekend to play the "Oregon Ducks brought to you by Nike." While many people are pointing to this game as the possible end of the USC dominance because of the hostile environment of Autzen Stadium in which Pete Carroll's team will have to play, it'll take more than a 41,000 seat stadium to slow down Matt Leinart and friends. After just 2 games, the Trojans are averaging 66.5 points per game while giving up just 17. Furthermore, Leinart has already thrown for over 700 yards and 7 touchdowns. In fact, in the 16 series that the first team offense has been on the field, they have produced 13 touchdowns and 1 field goal. Better still, they haven't punted yet. Therefore, the only thing that might be able to help Mike Bellotti's team is if they can pursuade Nike CEO and Oregon alum Phil Knight to force all of his shoe company's athletes to suit up and play for his alma mater (but please not in those "highlight yellow" uniforms). There's probably some eligibility issues here somewhere, though. So, since that isn't going to happen, here's what is. Southern Cal will "Fight On" and retain its #1 spot in the polls for a record breaking 23rd consecutive time. The Ducks will be the first team to hold USC below 60, though--if that's any consolation.

LSU 27, Tennessee 20. After all of the preseason hype sorrounding the Vols this summer, Phil Fulmer's team is staring straight down the barrell of a 1-2 record coming into this weekend. So to say that Saturday's contest against the Bayou Bengals is a must win is like saying the Olsen twins need to eat a little more--a slight understatement. Therefore, Fulmer finally woke up and realized he needed to name a starting QB and stick with him, so Erik Ainge will finally get his chance to play without looking over his shoulder between series to see if his buddy Rick Clausen is warming up. While this might not result in an offensive explosion by the Vols, it will enable them to score more than their 12 point average and cover more than 19 yards on a play from scrimmage for the 1st time this year. On the other side, LSU didn't look so impressive in their only other game against Arizona St. for the first 3 quarters. But a 28 point 4th quarter against a Top 20 team on the road including a last minute touchdown reassured everyone that this team will answer the call in the clutch this season as Les Miles' players are now playing for more than just their university--they're playing for the entire state. So, with the opportunity of actually getting to play inside the Louisiana borders for the 1st time this year, expect the emotional night crowd at Tiger Stadium to be too much for the Vols as they are eliminated from a Rose Bowl possibility.

And so goes the last weekend of the first month of the 2005 season. Time flies doesn't it? In closing, I'd like to say how much I've really enjoyed all of the feedback--about 40 comments last week, but please, don't waste everyone's time by arguing about the 2nd tier SEC teams or a Division 2 team that loses by 5 touchdowns...Also, I'd like to make it known that I'm going for the rare double header this weekend by going to the Bama game at 11:30 and the Mississippi State game at 8:00. However, as of right now, I still need tickets for the night cap, so if anybody knows of anything, you know where to find me. Thanks, and let me know what games you want to see next week besides the Bama (& probably Notre Dame) game of course...

Start Your Engines...

2005-09-15T14:40:00.000-07:00

The conference championship races are about to begin and with many supposed contenders' national title hopes presumably squandered in just the first 2 weeks of the season (Oklahoma, Miami, all of the "Big 11"), winning the conference crown and securing an automatic BCS bid in one of the "also ran" bowls is all they can hope for--except of course for the Sooners who seem to always get a shot, regardless. But, accomplishing such a feat is not all that bad of a consolation prize for these teams with high preseason hopes; still, for others it would be just as rewarding as winning it all. So, the next 2 weeks of this 2005 season can be anticipated even more than the first 2 weeks since by the time October rolls around every team will have played at least one opponent from its own conference. While there will always be heated debate over which of the major conferences is indeed the toughest to not only play in but also to win (SEC hands-down), watching these races unfold is just as exciting regardless of the region of the country in which they're being run. Therefore, let's take a look and see who will be this year's frontrunners...

Alabama 24, South Carolina 20. If you read the top of the page, you might think that my only justification for picking the the Tide in this one is because I'm somewhat biased. However, there is some legitmate reasoning why it's a safe bet to pick Bama to win even after a seemingly less-than-impressive 2-0 start. Last Saturday night, Mike Shula's team did what Crimson Tide fans never thought possible: overcome a double digit deficit. Even though the offensive line and kicking game may have reached an all-time low, the Bama defense did its job once again by not letting the game get out of reach, and the offense finally appeared to have found a groove in the passing game as career numbers were put up by Brodie Croyle, Tyrone Protho, and DJ Hall. However, Steve Spurrier's Gamecocks accomplished another near impossible feat by playing Georgia to a close game "between the hedges." But we're not playing horseshoes, and we're definitely not throwing hand grenades. Therefore, even in spite of a valiant effort by SEC passing leader Blake Mitchell, the best South Carolina could do was bring home a moral victory. So, when the Tide kicks it off against Steve Spurrier on Saturday for the first time since beating him twice in 1999, maybe Darth Visor can pull out another moral victory to start off 2-0 in SEC play.

Vanderbilt 17, Ole Miss 14. BOb Dylan's famOus lyric, "the times, they are a changing," might be the best way tO summarize what's been happening in the Vanderbilt fOOtball prOgram this seasOn. Usually, a hOme date against Vandy is a certain "W," but sOmehOw, BObby JOhnsOn's team has changed its lOsing ways as Vanderbilt has nOt Only wOn its first 2 games, which were bOth On the rOad, but the Commodores have alsO dOne sO in dramatic cOmeback fashiOn. Behind the leadership Of 10th year seniOr Jay Cutler (SEC leader in tOtal Offense), the COmmOdOre passing attack has becOme One Of the best in the SEC averaging 276.5 yds per game. TherefOre, this will be a stark cOntrast tO what the Rebels saw in their Opener against a Memphis team playing withOut its starting QB and leading wide receiver, sO Michael SpurlOck and CO. better prOduce mOre than their 262 yards and One TD drive of less than 20 yards that they had against the Tigers in Order tO beat Vandy this year. But with the OppOrtunity Of having its first 3 game winning streak since 1999 and first 3-0 start since 1984, dOn't expect Vanderbilt tO blOw anOther clOse One with Ole Miss. Therefore, when the Rebels leave Nashville this weekend, "COach O" will mean "COach O-1 in the SEC" as Vanderbilt gets clOser and clOser tO bOwl eligibility.(Note: If the capitalized "O's" threw you for a loop, refer back to week 1's picks.)

Notre Dame 30, Michigan State 21. There may not be a conference title for the Fighting Irish to chase. But after the last couple of weeks many fans have started talking about a national title. Let's not put the cart before the horse, though, as Charlie Weis' team still has games against Purdue, USC, and Tennessee on the schedule. And this week Notre Dame is pitted against the ever feisty nemesis of Michigan State, a team that abruptly ended Wisconsin's run for a title last November. This season the Spartans have outscored their opponents 105-31, but this lopsided margin was posted in home games against the 102nd and 103rd ranked teams in the nation. On the other hand, the Irish have gone on the road into 2 hostile environments and knocked off what were at the time a Top 25 team and a Top 5 team, respectively. Therefore, when Notre Dame plays its first game under the watchful eye of Touchdown Jesus on Saturday, it'll be Michigan State who's sending up the prayers.

Boston College 26, Florida State 17. The Eagles of Boston College are lucky enough to get to play their first ever ACC contest against Florida State, a team that didn't suffer its first ACC loss until its 4th season in the conference. And the Seminoles haven't lost many since, either, which is exactly why the "Almost Champions Conference" went out and stole reputable football programs from the Big East 2 summers ago. This move by the conference to gain more respect on the gridiron paid off in its first season a year ago as Virginia Tech took home the conference trophy in its first tour. Now, BC arrives looking to do the same. In order to keep that dream alive, though, Tom O'Brien's squad must first beat Bobby Bowden's. This, however, shouldn't be as tough as it might've been in years past, primarily because there's no Charlie Ward, Warrick Dunn, Peter Warrick, et. al. to run Papa Bowden's offense. Instead, there's a Drew Weatherford who, in his only other game of the season against a Division IA team, threw for all of 67 yards on 7-24 passing. And last week against an explosive Citadel team, Weatherford was able to lead his team to an impressive first half score of 13-10. Therefore, it might be harder for a fan to get a ticket to get in minute Alumni Stadium (capacity 44,500) than for BC to take down Free Shoes University.

Florida 31, Tennessee 21. After having the week off (funny how the Vols always have the week off before the Florida and Alabama games) to correct the mistakes that almost cost them the game against UAB a couple of weeks ago, Tennessee begins its 2-week road trip to Top 10 powerhouses Florida and LSU. This time around though, when Phil Fulmer goes to the swamp, he won't be facing a Gator team coached by a man that inspired the first ever "fire(insert coach's name here).com." Instead, he'll be facing a team coached by the Urban Legend, himself. But does a coach really matter that much? Or is it really the players that win games? Well, if you ask the pollsters, they would definitely say the former. Just look at the difference between the final 2004 rankings and the 2005 preseason rankings. At the end of last season, Urban Meyer's Utah squad was ranked 4th in the nation while Florida was not ranked. However, in the opening polls of this season, the Utes were nowhere to be found in the Top 25, but the Gators had miraculously moved up to number 10. Since that time, Florida has done nothing but affirm the media's partiality to Meyer by winning its first 2 games by an average of 30 points, thereby moving up to the 6th spot in the AP poll. While the Gators won't be playing a juco team this week, the Vols may have spells where they resemble one if Erik Ainge gets his time under center. Since Fulmer has already said that Ainge will get to share some of the snaps, the 2 quarterback system will gain another victim as Florida, led by just one quarterback who happens to be a Heisman candidate, will roll to victory and give Urban Meyer his 19th straight win and 1st in the SEC. Good news for UT fans though, when drowning in the swamp, Phillip Fulmer may be used as a floatation device.

Well, that's what I have for this week. As you read this, I'll have started my weekend early as I am embarking on Road Trip #1 of the 2005 season to Columbia. So, feel free to leave your comments, but I might not be able to see them for a couple of days. I'm sure that someone else will disagree with you though if you have a bone to pick. Anyways, some possible games for next week are Alabama vs Arkansas, Georgia vs Mississippi St, Tennessee vs LSU, Iowa vs Ohio State, and Notre Dame vs Purdue. Let me know what games you'd like to see. The votes really do matter as evidenced by the Vandy-Ole Miss game making this weeks docket. Also, be sure and nominate your pimp/wimp. Until next time...

Back to the Drawing Board

2005-09-06T21:34:00.000-07:00

The opening weekend of college football has come and gone--even if it did last for a full 5 days--and has brought exposure to many teams that usually fly below the radar, while other supposed powerhouses were just exposed. Therefore, while most of us were spending our Labor Day at the lake or cooking out, many coaches across the country spent theirs trying to figure out how to avoid failing to live up to preseason expectations. It seems that after a full off-season of wandering what the 2005 season would bring, the answers that we were sure would come with Week 1 were instead replaced by still more questions. Are half of the Top 25 teams that overrated? Have more starting quarterbacks ever looked so rusty? Is the Big 12 South no longer the toughest division? Has the ACC truly become the best football conference? Will USC now have to actually prepare for the Notre Dame game? Is it possible that Phillip Fulmer is getting fatter?...But be patient. The answers will come as there's much more football to be played. So if your team spent much of this week back at square one, don't count them out just yet b/c they still might actually make a run once they get things figured out. However, if they don't show much promise this week, you might want to start to panic. With that said, let's see what will happen...

Alabama 31, Southern Miss 10. In his 3rd attempt, Mike Shula finally got his first win over a Tennessee team. It's just to0 bad that they weren't from Knoxville. While Tide fans were happy to get the victory, the return of Brodie Croyle and Ken Darby did not exactly lead to the offensive fireworks that were anticipated. However, ESPN commentator Rece Davis wouldn't put all of the blame on the shoulders of the backfield because he thinks Shula is "so conservative (on offense) that some people think he could be the love child of Rush Limbaugh and Ann Coulter." While that might be a couple many of us could do without, if they produced championship children, it just might be worth it. Anyways, this week Jeff Bower will bring his Southern Mississippi team to Tuscaloosa for what has now become their season opener after their game with Tulane had to be postponed. This means that Sr. QB Dustin Almond will be making his first start against the Tide instead of the Green Wave. Don't think that he hasn't ever played, though. Last year, he threw for over 1800 yards and 12 touchdowns. On the other end of most of his passes will be a seasoned veteran in Antwon Courington who had close to 50 catches last year as a junior. However, Southern's TB Larry Thomas is also making his first start after rushing for only 350 yards last season. Therefore, look for the inexperienced running game to keep the Golden Eagle offense from ever really getting in gear and for the Tide offense to run a little more smoothly than last week resulting in Alabama winning the last scheduled game in this annual series.

Auburn 28, Mississippi State 20. There's an old saying in football that teams will show their most improvement between the 1st and 2nd games. For Auburn fans, that means that this game could be the most important one on the schedule. Tre Smith's measely 53 yards on 12 carries definitely reminded Tiger fans what they miss from a year ago, but Brandon Cox's 342 passing yards (even if they were overshadowed by 4 INT's) did offer a glimmer of hope. In Starkville, the Bulldogs have some newfound hope as well as they scored over 35 points for just the 4th time since 2000. And the emergence of WR Keon Humphries (TD catches of 34 and 49 yds) has also given State supporters reason to cheer. So what did we learn about these 2 teams last week? Auburn will not blow out anybody this year, and Mississippi St. will not be blown out by anybody this year. Therefore, this should be a close one. Since only 2 defending SEC champs have lost their conference opener since 1990 (bonus points if you can name who and when), one has to think Auburn will pull it out. However if they don't, everyone keep a close eye on the Chancellor's private jet.

Michigan 35, Notre Dame 24. After the Golden Domer's opener, Irish fans are wondering why Charlie Weis wasn't voted to be the Pope a year ago instead of Benedict. However, Tyrone Willingham also got off to a fast start in 2002. He even beat Michigan. BUT that game was played in South Bend, and this one is in Ann Arbor where Notre Dame hasn't won since 1993 . While Weis might be one of the best offensive minds ever, Lloyd Carr knows a little something about defense. And with Chad Henne and Mike Hart balancing the offense, the Wolverines will protect their Big House. Don't count Notre Dame out yet, though, because they will probably win their next 3.

Georgia 35, South Carolina 14. When Steve Spurrier announced in the offseason that he would be coming back to the SEC, fans of Florida, Georgia, and especially Tennessee tried to wake themselves up becuse they thought they were caught in the worst nightmare of their lives. Actually it was Spurrier who was in the nightmare as the "ol' Ballcoach" soon learned he didn't have his "ol Ballplayers." While Blake Mitchell did put up some good numbers in the Gamecocks opener against a team on a 16 game losing streak, it was nothing compared to the assualt displayed by Georgia's DJ Shock-and-Awe-ley. After last weekend, it's pretty clear that Georgia is no longer a dark horse in the East and also that South Carolina is not quite yet a contender. That's why the Bulldogs should roll in their conference opener, and the Gamecocks will have to try again next week to get their first SEC win.

Texas 30, Ohio St 28. Ever since January 1, everyone has been wanting to see if Vince Young could do to the Buckeyes what he did to their archrivals in the Rose Bowl. In what was one of the greatest performances ever displayed by a college quarterback, Young propelled the Longhorns onto many experts' short list of national title contenders even if Mack Brown is still the coach at Texas. But for the UT faithful to have their California dreams come true, they first have to beat Ohio State in a game that former Buckeye Kirk Herbstreit has said is bigger than the Michigan game if that is even possible. While Texas no longer has Cedric Benson to keep defenses honest, a tailback committe led by Selvin Young seems to work just as well. On the other hand, Ohio State has somewhat of a QB controversy as Justin Zwick has shined during Tony Smith's suspension. Therefore, Ohio State might have some difficulty in its offensive scheme, leaving Ted Ginn Jr. (OSU's counter to Vince Young) unable to make the big plays he's known for unless he can find a way to make them on special teams (an area Texas struggled in last week). Add in the fact that Jim Tressel's team must also overcome the SI cover jinx this week, and it could be a cold walk back to the locker room after this one's over. It's a good thing Tressel will have his sweater vest to keep him warm.

Well, that's it for this week. In closing, I'd like to point out the new addition of Pimp/Wimp of the Week. Be sure and come back Sunday or Monday and give your nomination for next week's winners to be awarded on Tuesday. Also, some games on the list for next week are Alabama-South Carolina, Tennessee-Florida, Arkansas-USC, and Notre Dame-Michigan State. Let me know what the 5th game should be. I'll be taking suggestions until Tuesday, and every vote does count...

A New Beginning

2005-09-01T09:18:00.000-07:00

A new beginning...sure, at different points in our lives, we've all wanted one...A fresh start...A clean slate...Anything to help us forget our past, so that we can proceed into the future more successfully and victoriously. Well, it seems that college football programs are no different, except that they can actually make their wishes come true by simply ousting one coach for another that will "get their program going in the right direction." In fact, this seems to be the modus operandi for many of today's major programs. Look in the SEC alone, 7 of the 12 head coaches have been at their respective schools for less than 3 years while only 3 (Fulmer, Nutt, and Tuberville) have been in their current positions for over 5 years. But if simply erasing the past and starting anew was the recipe for winning, then the seemingly revolving door that coaches walk through these days would not exist. For those of us whose team did not employ this logic this season (even though we may have wanted them to) we get a new beginning as well this Labor Day Weekend as all 119 Division 1A teams are still undefeated and "theoretically" still have a chance at the national title--if only for a few more hours. So with a newfound hope and excitement for this year's season, let's see what the opening weekend holds in store for your team...

Alabama 42, MTSU 10. Crimson Tide fans have been waiting for their new season ever since that infamous evening of September 18, 2004 when all of their hopes were lost with one faulty step by Quarterback Brodie Croyle that resulted in a season-ending ACL injury. The time has now come. When the Blue Raiders of Middle Tennessee St. come to Tuscaloosa Saturday night, the Tide will finally be back at 100% for what seems to the be the 1st time in years. Altough MTSU QB Clint Marks completed an astounding 70% of his passes a year ago for over 2700 yards, he did have 14 interceptions AND he was playing in the Sun Belt Conference. With 9 of 11 starters from the #2 defense in the nation returning for Bama, Marks should get a quick jump on surpassing last year's total of 14 INT's. However, the lack of experience from the offensive line and relatively young back-ups at key offensive skill positions for Alabama could cause one to be anxious about the Tide's scoring productivity in their season opener. Not to worry, though Coach Andy McCollum's team surrendered almost 300 points last season against teams not even worthy of the distinction of being called a "mid-major." Therefore, expect Croyle to revive Mike Shula's offense and Demeco Ryans to the lead the Bama defense in a blowout win.

Tennessee 38, UAB 13. A program that definitely doesn't have a revolving door in it's coaching office is the Tennessee Volunteers...That's because theirs is in the county jail as they've had 20 players arrested in the last 18 months. Anyways, that's for another day...Phillip Fulmer enters his 13th season as the Vols head man boasting a more than impressive record of 11-1 in season openers even if he did do it the All-SEC way of scheduling cupcakes to start off with. This year's opener could be tough, though, simply because of the day on which it is being played. In the storied history of Tennessee Football, the Vols have never won a game played on September 3 (They're 0 for 4). Luckily, Fulmer had the wherewithall to put "U Ain't Bama" in 2005's opening slot. While Watson Brown's club is the pick of many people to win the C-USA, it's only because Louisville moved to the Big East. Expect the Vols to make a big statement this Saturday as they begin their journey that many experts believe could end in Pasadena, no matter who's playing quarterback.

Mississippi St. 9, Murray St. 7. Does that score look familiar? Here's a hint: it was the final score of the game the last time the Bulldogs played a IAA team, except the numbers were reversed. It's a good thing that "Maroon is all that matters" in Starkville because if winning actually mattered, then Sylvester Croom would not be enjoying the 2nd year of his perpetual grace period at Mississippi State. It's hard to remember any coach who has been given the benefit of the doubt as much as ol' Sly just because he kicks off all of his players. Anyways, the Bulldogs will be a much improved team this season, and this will be evident right from the start as they avenge their loss to Maine vicariously through their IAA counterpart. Look for All-SEC tailback Jerious Norwood and quarterback Omar Conner to really thrive in the backfield and Tee Millons to finally have a break-through season in his final year as the MSU offense begins to turn the corner this season. Auburn 24, Georgia Tech 17. For the Auburn Tigers, this season begins just as last year's ended, with Tommy Tuberville's squad looking to make some believers of the rest of the nation. The disrespect shown towards the other school in Alabama last season could be somewhat tied to the Yellow Jackets for 2 reasons. 1) Until last season, Georgia Tech had just as many SEC championships (5) as Auburn even though they left the conference over 40 years ago & 2) it was Georgia Tech who beat Auburn 17-3 during week 2 of the 2003 season in which the Tigers entered with a Top 5 preseason ranking. While the defense remains largely intact ,this task of proving the skeptics wrong yet again is compounded even more as Auburn must replace a 2004 offensive backfield with 3 first round draft picks. However, if anyone has the potential to make Tiger fans forget about Jason Campbell and Co., it's former Mr. Alabama QB Brandon Cox. While Cox has experienced extensive soreness throughout fall camp, don't expect the pain to bother him Saturday night in what could be the weekend's most entertaining game. Expect DE's Quentin Groves and Stanley McClover to slow down Reggie Ball's highly touted offense in this intense season opener as the Tigers earn their 16th consecutive victory.

Ole Miss 27, Memphis 24. (NOte: Due tO the University Of Mississippi's ObnOxiOus referring tO their new cOach simply as "COach O," every time the Rebels are previewed this seasOn every "O" in the paragraph will be capitalized tO stress hOw ridiculuOus this is.)...The past 2 seasOns the Memphis Tigers have made a ritual Of embarrassing the Rebels early in the seasOn. This has been largely a result Of the exceptiOnal play Of the mOst hyped athlete in Memphis since Penny Hardaway: Heisman hOpeful DeAngelO Williams. While Ole Miss was able tO recOver and gO On to experience a "magical seasOn" in 2003, David Cutcliffe's team never did quite find it's step last seasOn. Enter Ed OrgerOn. The self-prOclaimed wild man has brOught a new spark tO the fOlks in Mississippi this seasOn, even if it dOes invOlve instructing grandmOthers tO gO thrOugh drills in summer bOOster meetings (true stOry). While "O's" style may be questiOnable, the fervOr Rebel fans and players alike have fOr their new man, fOr whatever reasOn, isn't. TherefOre, Ole Miss shOuld be expected tO play this year's Opener w/ an unprecedented zeal. With a questiOnable passing attack tO suppOrt Williams' Overwhelming running game, the Rebels suspect secOndary wOn't suffer tOO much and the JOe Lee Dunn defense Of Memphis shOuld be mOre than generOus tO either RObert Lane Or Michael SpurlOck.

Well folks, that's all I have for this week...Hope I didn't miss any "o's" in that last one...Be sure and post your comments. Some other games to consider are Notre Dame vs Pitt and FSU vs Miami. Both should be excellent. I'll take the latter in both cases. Let me know what you think...