Around College Football 2010: Stock Up/Stock Down

Only the bowls remain for this season, so I thought it fitting to take a look around college football and see the players, coaches, and trends that are either rising or falling as the season nears its end. Things that are classifies as stock up are items you will hear more about in the coming year, while those that are stock down I feel will take a step back in the national spotlight.

Stock Up - Recruiting and Payment Scandals

I think we have just seen the tip of the iceberg in terms of scandals involving players, schools, and agents. It began with the Reggie Bush scandal, continued with the part in Miami, AJ Green's jersey, and eventually we got Cam Gate. People like to run their mouths and I have a feeling the NCAA is out for blood.

Stock Down - The BCS Doesn't Work Argument

While a playoff is still needed, the BCS worked out about as perfect as it could this year. The National Championship will match two perfect record teams from major conferences. The other BCS bowls are getting pretty good match ups (with the exception of the Fiesta getting stuck with unranked UConn).

Stock Up - Dan Mullen

In just his second year as a head coach, Dan Mullen led his Mississippi State Bulldogs to an 8-4 record that included victories over Georgia and Florida. They also came within a dropped pass of a game winning field goal against Auburn. With the retirement of Urban Meyer at Florida, Mullen is leading candidate to take over in Gainesville. Mullen was already mentioned as a leading candidate for the open job at Miami. If he stays in Starkville or heads back to the sunshine, Dan Mullen is about to get a huge pay raise.

Stock Down - Traditional Powers

Some of the winningest programs in college football history really struggled this season. Texas, coming off an appearance in the national title game, went 5-7 and will be home for the holidays. Miami fired Coach Randy Shannon after losing its final game of the season to South Florida. Michigan has continued to struggle under Rich Rodriguez. South Carolina was the only team in the SEC East to win more than 7 games (Florida 7-5, Georgia 6-6, Tennessee 6-6, Kentucky 6-6). Because of the Reggie Bush scandal, USC was ineligible for a bowl, but only managed a 7-5 regular season.

Stock Up - 1AA Upsets

Appalachian State beating Michigan in 2007 was the gold standard for 1AA upsets and it was just the beginning of what is becoming a trend. During the first 2 weeks of the 2010 season, we saw Kansas lose to North Dakota State, Ole Miss fall to Jacksonville State, and eventually ACC Champ Virginia Tech fall to James Madison. While 1AA schools will never have the depth to match most D1 schools, big programs can no longer completely overlook games against these much smaller schools.

Stock Down - UNC's Defense

When Marvin Austin announced he was partying in Miami with agents, it marked the beginning of the end for what was expected to be one of the best defenses in the country. Many of the players missed most or all of the season, and despite a valiant effort on opening night against LSU, the Tar Heels never lived up to their preseason expectations.

Stock Up - Running Backs

There are two big time running backs that I expect to have big seasons next fall. The first is South Carolina freshman Marcus Lattimore. We all saw what he could do when he dragged gusy all over the field against the Dawgs in September. He rushed for nearly 1200 yards and 17 scores this year, numbers similar to those put up by Knowshon in 2007. He will be the key for South Carolina next fall, the team that will most likely be the favorite in the SEC East. The second is Illinois running back Mikel Leshoure. He is a junior, but if he returns next fall, could be a Heisman candidate. He rushed for over 1500 yards on 6 yards a carry and scored 14 touchdowns. He put up the most impressive single game performance of the season, rushing for 330 yards in the victory over Northwestern at Wrigley Field.

Stock Down - Baseball Playing Quarterbacks

Jake Locker, the Washington quarterback walked away from guaranteed money in minor league baseball and from being a potential top 10 pick to return for his senior season. The Huskies managed to finished 6-6 and get bowl eligibile, but Locker struggled throughout the season. His skill set will still make him a first round pick, but he has clearly been passed by Andrew Luck and Cam Newton. Kyle Parker held off beginning his baseball career with the Rockies to to return under center for Clemson. An up and down season that saw Parker get battered on numerous occassions left many Tiger fans wondering if it was just time to move on. Parker is gone after their bowl game.

Stock Up - Stanford

With sophomore quarterback Andrew Luck, Jim Harbaugh's team was expected to be good. But an 11-1 record and an appearance in the Rose Bowl went way above expectations. Especially when you consider they lost Heisman runner up Toby Gerhart. Their only loss of the season was to undefeated Oregon and Harbaugh is now the hot new coaching name for both college and NFL positions.

Stock Down - Alabama

Everyon'e preaseason #1 was expected to be a shoe-in to retunr to the National Championship game. But an early season loss to South Carolina followed by a late game loss to LSU ended their repeat hopes. But they still had a shot to end rival Auburn's perfect season in the Iron Bowl, quickly jumping out to a 24-0 lead. But the Tigers came back for 28-27 victory, costing the Tide a chance to head back to a BCS bowl game. Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram seemed to disappear at times this year and the young Alabama defense was just that - young. Auburn's rise along with great years from Arkansas and LSU means Bama's time as the dominating program in the SEC West may be coming to end.

Stock Up - TCU

TCU put together a second consecutive undefeated regular season and will face Wisconsin in the Bowl. Their decision to leave the Mountain West and join the Big East will give them a chance to play in a BCS conference and increase their reputation nationally. I expect Texas Christian to be a major player in the NCAA for years to come.

Stock Down - Boise State

They came into this year with all the hype. They were the great hope for the little guys, the team that could finally make it to the BCS title. They started their season off great with a win over Virginia Tech and remained undefeated through 10 games. But two missed field goals against Nevada ended their perfect season and cost the Broncos a BCS bowl game. Boise State also made the decision to move conferences, leaving the WAC for the Mountain West. At first, this looked great with quality schools like TCU, Utah, and BYU in the conference. But all three of those schools left (TCU - Big East, Utah - Pac12, BYU - Independent) and now they are no better off than they were. They will open the 2011 season against our Dawgs in the dome. If Georgia shows up and sends Biose back to Idaho with another loss, the days of Boise State as a media darling may be coming to an end.

Stock Up/Stock Down - Auburn

Auburn's rise to the #1 ranking was unexpected and controversial. Cam Newton is clearly the best player in football this year, but the controversy around his father and pay for play can't be ignored. Nick Fairley is also an amazing football player, but his cheapshots and showboating made opposoing fans hate him and referees target him. Never has there been a polarizing team quite like this Auburn team. While people marvel at Newton's ability, they hate the controversy and the NCAA's decision to let him continue to play. Auburn fans took an "us against the world attitude" and it has not painted them in the best light. For all the fans they may have gained this year, they have made new enemies (particulary out of Georgia fans). Most agree that the Cam Newton situation is not over. Only time will tell if Auburn gets to keep all those victories they have accumulated.

This is just a sample of some of the trends I saw this year. Let me know if you agree with my assessments and what you thought were the biggest stock up and stock down topics of the 2010 season.

Mustain: The Once and Future Starting QB?

Even though conference expansion/implosion is the topic du jour, USC’s sanctions any other week of the year would be the main focus of media and college football blogs alike. As has been widely reported elsewhere, USC Trojan underclassmen are beginning to resemble rats on a sinking ship, looking to flee a crippling 2 year bowl postseason ban handed down by the NCAA. While UGA is in the running to land former AJC Super 11 Jarvis Jones and Florida/Alabama are purportedly committing recruiting infractions in pursuit of USC RB Dillon Baxter, we have yet to hear any rumblings on transfers from any of the upperclassmen of Troy.

NCAA bylaws directly allow players who would otherwise be barred from postseason bowls for the rest of their collegiate career to transfer without sitting out a year. One particular Trojan who squarely falls in this group and is well-known by SEC fans happens to be Mitch Mustain, formerly of Springdale, Arkansas and the one-time Razorback starting quarterback.

Coming out of high school, Mustain was named the 2005 Parade All-American Player of the Year, 2005-06 Gatorade National Player of the Year and the 2005 USA Today National Player of the Year.After following his high school coach, Gus Malzahn, to Arkansas, he transferred to USC after being benched mid-season (with an 8-0 record) and followed out of Fayetteville high school teammate Damian Williams and Malzahn in pursuit of a more pass-oriented offense.

Mustain is currently buried on the USC depth chart, having made only 16 passing attempts in his 2 seasons as backup QB, is stuck behind returning sophomore Matt Barkley and could also potentially fall behind the newest incoming prep QB All-American, Jesse Scroggins. Mustain might mentally be planning on following USC alum Matt Cassel‘s roadmap from perennial benchwarmer to NFL starting QB, but that road is haphazard and much less attractive without Pete Carroll donning the headset in the Coliseum this fall.

While Mustain’s official position thus far in the sanctions upheaval is that he has no plans to leave, there are several teams who desperately could use a QB. For obvious reasons (see Nutt, Houston), Ole Miss has to immediately be dismissed as a candidate, as well as any Pac 1X members, given the inter-conference transfer restriction rules, sanctions or not.

UNC, Tennessee and a darkhorse Auburn are among several viable destinations should Mustain decide on pursuing a transfer for his final year of eligibility. UNC is projected in the top 25 in multiple preseason magazines but is held back mainly by their offense (Phil Steele even predicts that QB TJ Yates, a 3 year starter, could lose his starting roll to a redshirt freshman); up in Knoxville, beyond the joy that UT fans would get from the coup of stealing a player from the Kiffster, the cupboards are relatively bare, with recent JUCO transfer Matt Sims the only serious candidate for playing time at QB behind a patchwork O-Line. Auburn could be attractive for Mustain, given the familiarity of HS Coach Gus Malzahn’s offense, and Mustain could be only one stolen laptop away from serious playing time.

While USC is currently appealing the sanctions, it may be a bit of an uphill battle to get the sanctions overturned. It is possible that USC upperclassmen being in play to transfer this year could be a moot point, as the waters are still murky as to whether the NCAA will allow a USC upperclassman to transfer out during the ongoing appeals process. A comparable sanction/appeal timeline should approximate Alabama’s recent appeals process, which ran roughly 9 months. I would imagine that the NCAA would ultimately come down on the side of the student-athlete in this instance, allowing players to transfer during any ongoing appeals, given the institutional actions that led to this transfer window opening in the first place.

While the conference musical chair game will continue to garner the most press attention, expect to see a slow trickle of transfers and decommitments throughout the summer, as USC prepares to lose 10 scholarships a year for 3 years. Hopefully UGA will be able to bring Jarvis Jones back home to Georgia, as well as plucking a few extra recruits away from USC’s top 5 2011 recruiting class.

The SEC Goes for 4 in a Row

If Alabama can knock off Texas in the National Championship Game tomorrow night, it will mark the 4th consecutive BCS Championship for the Southeastern Conference. While the media likes to talk about the resurgence of the Big 10 this bowl season, the best football remains in the South. I personally think Bama is simply too complete of a team to lose this game. Much like Florida, the Texas offense relies too heavily on the quarterback to make plays. The absence of a running game and constant pressure from the Bama front will force McCoy to make a couple of bad decisions. The 'Horns will put up a good fight, but in the end, I think Bama will take home its seventh national championship.

Prediction: Alabama 24, Texas 17

Hey Auburn, Fear the Thumb!

A few years ago, Auburn was in the middle of a 6 year run of dominance over their in state rival Alabama. In 2006, the Tigers were going for their fifth straight over the Crimson Tide and came up with a slogan to ridicule Bama fans with. "Fear the Thumb" was born and was found on everything from banners to t-shirts.

With the Georgia victory over Auburn last night, the 2010 match up of the Deep South's Oldest Rivalry will see Georgia attempting to win it's fifth in a row in the series. So now I only have one question for Auburn fans:

DO YOU FEAR THE THUMB?

GO DAWGS!!!

Where's The Hardware? '94 Crimson Tide

Disclaimer: This list and subsequent blog posts were formed to create conversation between SEC fans about teams that were very close to having championship seasons. Looking at the teams listed and thinking about the teams that were left off further proves the depth of the SEC and the focus needed to win week in and week out. Teams were chosen and ranked based on significant wins/losses, star power and old school opinion (because we're opinionated SEC fans).

BNE's Top 10 List so far...
#10 - 2001 Florida
#9 - 1997 Florida
#8 - 2006 LSU
#7 - 2007 Georgia
#6 - 2001 Tennessee
#5 - 1998 Florida
#4 - 2008 Alabama

BNE's best teams to not win the SEC title (post-1992): #3
1994 Alabama Crimson Tide

AP Preseason #12

Final AP Ranking: #5
Final Coaches Ranking: #4

Record: 12-1 (8-0)

Losses:
SEC Championship Game: #6 Florida 24-23 (Bama ranked #3)
- first SECCG to be played at Georgia Dome

Wins vs. Ranked Opponents:
@ #20 Miss. State 29-25
#6 Auburn 21-14 (Birmingham)
Citrus Bowl: #13 Ohio State 24-17

Star Power: QB Jay Barker, RB Sherman Williams, RB Tarrant Lynch, WR Toderick Malone, DT Shannon Brown, S Sam Shade, S Eric Turner, K Michael Proctor

Jay Barker, Jay Barker, Jay Barker, Jay Barker....We probably left off some names, but the important thing to remember is that Jay Barker was a winner. Proved he could do it without that '92 defense.

Why Ahead of '08 Alabama?
Lost one game by one point to the SEC Champion and preseason #1 Florida. Had the same undefeated regular season of 2008 Alabama without laying an egg in its bowl game. Like several teams on our list, would have had the hardware before 1992 division split.

Bubba says: 1994 Alabama didn't have a lot of flash, they just won a lot of football games. QB Jay Barker was one of the greatest compeditors that the SEC has seen over the last 25 years and I remember him making it rain in the comeback victory over the Dawgs, where Eric Zier became the all time leading passer (at that time) in SEC History. You always knew the Tide defense would be solid under Gene Stallings and while this team ultimately had no chance to win the national championship, one loss SEC teams are usually conference champions.


Gene Stallings' reaction to the dog running onto the field says it all about Stallings' personality. A throwback coach in a conference that's had many of them.

Earl says: This Alabama was like so many Alabama teams under Gene Stallings, they just won. With OC Homer Smith at the controls of the offense led by a senior Jay Barker, this '94 squad might've been a little better on that side of the ball than other Alabama teams of the early '90s. Jay Barker led comebacks against Georgia and Miss. State to preserve the Tide's undefeated SEC regular season before it was beaten on a late touchdown pass by Florida in the SEC Championship Game. Its most surprising victory came against Auburn in the Iron Bowl. It wasn't surprising that the Tide won. It was surprising that the Tide was leading 21-0 in the first half against an Auburn program that hadn't lost in 21 games.

Unfortunately, even if Alabama would've defeated Florida in the Dome, it still would've had a difficult time winning the national championship with an undefeated Nebraska and an undefeated Penn State ahead of Alabama in the polls. After the disappointing loss to Florida, Stallings got his crew to bounce back and take care of Ohio State in the Citrus Bowl on New Year's Day.

What's that? An SEC team defeats Ohio State? That's never happened before...

Next installment: #2 - 1995 Tennessee Volunteers

Where's The Hardware? '08 Crimson Tide

Disclaimer: This list and subsequent blog posts were formed to create conversation between SEC fans about teams that were very close to having championship seasons. Looking at the teams listed and thinking about the teams that were left off further proves the depth of the SEC and the focus needed to win week in and week out. Teams were chosen and ranked based on significant wins/losses, star power and old school opinion (because we're opinionated SEC fans).

BNE's Top 10 List so far...
#10 - 2001 Florida
#9 - 1997 Florida
#8 - 2006 LSU
#7 - 2007 Georgia
#6 - 2001 Tennessee
#5 - 1998 Florida

BNE's best teams to not win the SEC title (post-1992): #4
2008 Alabama Crimson Tide

AP Preseason #24

Final AP Ranking: #6
Final Coaches Ranking: #6

Record: 12-2 (8-0)

Losses:
SEC Championship Game: #4 Florida 31-20 (Bama ranked #1)
Sugar Bowl: #7 Utah 31-17 (Bama ranked #4)

Wins vs. Ranked Opponents:
#9 Clemson 34-10 (Georgia Dome)
@ #3 Georgia 41-30
@ #15 LSU 27-21 (OT)

Star Power: QB John Parker Wilson, RB Glenn Coffee, RB Mark Ingram, WR Julio Jones, TE Nick Walker, OT Andre Smith, C Antoine Caldwell, DE Bobby Greenwood, DE Brandon Deaderick, DT Terrence Cody, LB Rolando McClain, LB Donta Hightower, LB Brandon Fanney, S Rashad Johnson, PR/KR/CB Javier Arenas

Why Ahead of '98 Florida?
Undefeated SEC regular season - the first on this list. Ranked #1 in the nation for 5 weeks. Controlled its destiny going into SEC Championship Game.

Bubba says: This is another team on our list that really exemplified the team concept. Nick Saban took advantage of a great defense and offensive line to control the clock and grind down teams that might have had superior depth. Glen Coffee was very impressive in his breakout/final season and Mark Ingram proved that he was able to handle the pressures of the SEC as a freshman backup. You have to give credit to a team that went undefeated during the regular season in the SEC and you can never count out teams that grind out tough victories like this one did down the stretch. The knock on this team will always be the humiliating loss to Utah in the Sugar Bowl (Utah wasn’t too shabby themselves). Let’s face it though, the Tide more than proved themselves during the course of the season by not only creating breaks for themselves, but taking advantage of them in the biggest situations. Senior leadership with the right mix of hungry, young talent will always be a dangerous combination and 2008 Alabama had the right people in the right place to make this surprising run.


"Busch Lite, which you can get at Winn-Dixie." Thank you Lord for providing us with fans like these...

Earl says: This Bama team set the tone early for its season as it laid the smackdown to an overrated Clemson team in August at the Georgia Dome. As much I enjoyed watching that one, I was still very confident that the Georgia Bulldogs would handle the Tide in late September. But, this Tide team did what you want to do as a football team - it got better every week. That is a sign of good coaching. The Tide used a formula of a strong rushing attack behind a strong offensive line and good defense to jump on opponents early. It had to hold off some teams like Ole Miss and Kentucky, but business was handled week in, week out. Nick Saban instilling his approach in Year 2 and the added threat of Julio Jones made this a different Alabama team from the previous year.

You can't argue against a team that was ranked #1 in the nation for an extended period of time during the season. Under the pre-1992 SEC rules, this Alabama team would've been crowned SEC Champions (like '01 Tennessee would've been), and Florida would've never won the national championship. But in the end, this Alabama team ran into a better football team in the SEC Championship Game because of the leadership of Tim Tebow (ugh).

This '08 version of the Tide would be ranked higher if not for the dismantling Utah handed it. That game really showed the value of Alabama's offensive line in 2008 as the Utes dominated Alabama's patchwork offensive line all night.

Next installment: #3 - 1994 Alabama Crimson Tide

Recruiting 2010: Competing with Florida and Bama

It is July and news is slow right now, what better a time to talk recruiting. With the commitment of Brandon Burrows yesterday, the Georgia recruiting class for 2010 is starting to look really impressive. Georgia has already picked up 7 commitments in state and another 6 in the state of Florida. What is most impressive about this class is how well Georgia has fared going head-to-head with Florida, Alabama, and other southeastern schools. Here's a look at the commitments the Dawgs have so far and other offers each player had from schools in the southeast:

Brandon Burrows - Florida, Alabama, Tennessee
Ken Malcome - Florida, Alabama, Clemson
Alec Ogletree - Alabama, Auburn, LSU
Deon Rogers - Florida International
Demetre Baker - Miami, South Carolina, East Carolina
Michael Bennett - Southern Miss
Brent Benedict - Florida, Alabama, Clemson
Da'Rick Rogers - Florida, Alabama, LSU
Kolton Houston - Auburn, Tennessee, South Carolina
Marc Deas - Kentucky, Ole Miss, UCF
Jalen Fields - Florida, Alabama, Tennessee
Derek Owens - Florida, South Carolina

While Alec Ogletree is no doubt the prize of the class so far, I really think that the combination of Da'Rick Rogers, Marlon Brown, and AJ Green will be a lot of fun to watch in the Georgia passing game in 2010.

GO DAWGS!!!

Bowling with the Atlanta Falcons

Tonight, I had the pleasure of attending a charity bowling event put on by United Health Care and the Atlanta Falcons Rookie Club. The event, dubbed FootBowl, pitted teams of 5 paired with one Atlanta Falcons rookie. While there are no former Georgia players who are rookies with the Falcons this season, I knew there were a few guys from the SEC. When we arrived, I found out we were paired up with former Auburn long snapper Robert Shiver. Also sharing the lane with use was former Alabama quarterback, John Parker Wilson.

Robert Shiver played in 38 games during his career at Auburn. He is competing for the starting snapper job with the Falcons.

Robert Shiver, originally from Thomasville, GA, is looking to catch on with the Falcons as the long snapper. He said his entire family is Georgia fans and he said it really sucked being on the losing end of the Blackout game in 2007. I asked him what the major differences he has noticed between football in the SEC and in the NFL. He said the biggest thing is the complexity of the game, not just in how plays are called but how a minor mistake in execution can cause a major problem. We talked some about Tubberville being fired at Auburn, and he agreed that it was not a good move. Chizik was an assist with Auburn his freshman year, and he said he was not sure if he is the right man for the job. Only time will tell.

While I talked openly about the 2007 blackout with Shiver, I did not bring the game up with JPW.

John Parker Wilson, with his Alabama bangs, was another great guy to talk to. We talked a bit about playing in the SEC and I asked how it was having Nick Saban as a coach. He said off the field, he is a great guy and fun to be around. But on the field, he said is super intense and not really that much fun to be around. I also talked to him about his brother, Ross, who appeared on the MTV Show "Two-A-Days". He said that if it would have been him being filmed, he probably would have gotten into trouble and never have gotten into college. He said it sucked for his brother and he really didn't want to do the second season but kind of had to because he was the only returning guy and the quarterback.

L to R: Robert Shiver, Melissa(my wife), Me, John Parker Wilson

Overall, it was a great night of bowling and talking football. Robert Shiver and John Parker Wilson were both great guys to talk to and helped make this event a lot of fun. I wish them the best as they attempt to make the Atlanta Falcons for the 2009 season.

MacBear

I really can't add much to what Dr. Saturday has already said about the Alabama Shakespeare Festival's (ASF) play about Bear Bryant. I'm just as surprised as you are reading Shakespeare and Bear Bryant referenced in the same sentence.

Maybe ASF can get Gary Oldman and Tim Roth to play two bit players from Alabama's 1968 football team who have no control over their destiny but are just told to make the guy in front of them eat dirt over and over again...


Sorry, this was just an excuse to play my favorite scene from R&G Are Dead...who's serve?

Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead...and so is the Bear.

Is this ASF play Much Ado Nothing or is it A Midsummer Night's Dream for Alabama fans awaiting the autumn months?

It's not like they had a lot of big wins to vacate

The Alabama Crimson Tide are going to be forced to vacate wins for its football program from 2005-2007. This includes the first season under current head coach Nick Saban. The allegations include football players getting free text books for other students. Included in the list of players were former Alabama stars Antoine Cladwell and Glen Coffee. While being forced to vacate victories from the Mike Shula era is no big deal, I'm sure Saban is furious about losing victories from the 2007 season.

Saban's first squad dropped their final 4 games of the regular season before winning their bowl game to finish with a record of 7-6. That included an embarrassing loss to Louisiana-Monroe.

As Bubba says, this picture never gets old.

With the forfeits, Saban will now have a losing record during his first season at Alabama. As if they did not already want to remove the ULM from their records, now they will want to remove the entire season.

Oh yeah, there is one other game from that 2007 that the outcome will not be changed:

Round the bowl and down the hole, Roll Tide Roll!

Streit's Bowl Picks: SEC Edition

The bowl season is almost halfway over and now the real bowls can begin. The SEC has sent 8 teams to bowls for the 2008-2009 season (the only guys missing out are Mississippi State, Auburn, Arkansas, and Tennessee). Below are my picks for all of the SEC games, including Georgia's match up with Michigan State, leading up to the BCS Championship. I will preview that game in a later post.

Music City Bowl - Boston College vs. Vanderbilt

Vandy finally qualified for a bowl game for the first time in 26 years and they get to travel to... Nashville. That's right, they get to stay home and play Boston College in their home town. Vanderbilt was everyones early season darling, jumping out to a 5-0 start and a top 15 ranking. But, the Commodores soon returned to Earth and lost 6 of their final 7 games (including an embarrassing loss to Duke). Boston College was not expected to compete for the ACC Championship in their first year PMR (Post Matt Ryan). The Eagles ended the regular season strong, winning their final 4 games before falling to Virginia Tech in the ACC Championship. Boston College improved during the season while Vandy seemed to get worse.

Boston College 37, Vanderbilt 13

Chick-Fil-A Bowl - LSU vs. Georgia Tech

As much as the Georgia defense was a disappointment this season, LSU's defense was worse. LSU allowed 31 points in each of its final 3 games to the likes of Troy, Ole Miss, and Arkansas. Lesticles does not have a solid option at QB with Jarrett Lee continuing to throw touchdowns to the wrong team and Jordan Jefferson still a year away from being ready to take the reins. Receiver Brandon LeFell and RB Charles Scott are big time players, but the lack of a QB hurts the Bayou Bengals. Georgia Tech has become a media darling this season with Paul Johnson's triple option attack working better than most thought it would. ACC player of the year Jonathan Dwyer, Roddy Jones, and Josh Nesbitt will be a tough task for the LSU defense. most people are picking Tech to win this one, but I think there will be an upset.

LSU 31, Georgia Tech 27

Outback Bowl - South Carolina vs. Iowa

Steve Spurrier's Palmetto State chickens finished an up and down 2008 season with a loss to rival Clemson and a 7-5 record. Outside of WR Kenny McKinley (who missed part of the season with injury) Carolina never found a true identity on offense. The strength of the SC team is their defense led by linebackers Eric Noorwood and Jasper Brinkley. The 'Cocks will be without leading tackler Emanuel Cook, who has been suspended by Coach Steve Spurrier. The Carolina defense ranked 11th in the nation, one spot ahead of the Iowa Hawkeyes. For Iowa, the game plan is all about defense and running back Shonn Greene. Greene beat out Knowshon Moreno and Javon Ringer for the Doak Walker Award by putting up big time numbers for the 8-4 Hawkeyes. The edge in this game goes to Iowa because of their ability to pull a major upset (of then #2 Penn State).

Iowa 20, South Carolina 14

Cotton Bowl - Ole Miss vs. Texas Tech

Houston Nutt surprised a lot of people in his first season in Oxford by winning eight games. I was not one of those people. With Texas transfer Jevan Snead under center and a new attitude on the sideline, I expected the Ole Miss program to have a strong 2008. Jevan Snead and WR/HB Dexter McCluster lead an explosive Mississippi offense. The question is, will they be able to keep up with Mike Leach's Red Raiders? Graham Harrel and Michael Crabtree lead the Texas Tech offense that scored 535 points this season. This team reached as high as #2 in the rankings and also gave one of the most memorable moments of 2008:

Texas Tech 45, Ole Miss 38

Liberty Bowl - Kentucky vs. East Carolina

Kentucky gave Georgia a scare this season when it finally found its QB of the future in Randall Cobb. The 'Cats were riddled with injuries this year, and after a 4-0 start lost 6 of their last 8 games. East Carolina also started the the season with some big wins, dropping Virginia Tech and West Virginia in consecutive weeks. But, disappointing losses to NC State, Houston, and Virginia derailed their BCS dreams. The Pirates recovered and won the Conference USA Championship by beating Tulsa. Even with ECU's impressive wins, I think Kentucky has a chance to pull the upset.

Kentucky 27, East Carolina 21

Sugar Bowl - Utah vs. Alabama

Another non-BCS school gets to take on the SEC in the Sugar Bowl. This sucks and I expect to see a similar story to play out as the one that happened last year. Nick Saban will have the Crimson Tide ready for the Utes and I expect the defense to have a field day. The Tide offense, while not explosive, will do enough between the running of Glenn Coffee, the passing of JPW, and the receiving of Julio Jones to put up 40 points. Without consensus All-America OL Andre Smith, suspended for violation of team rules, Alabama will need to get the ball out of the backfield a little quicker than usual. Don't look for that to cause Saban too many headaches in the game planning. Utah still runs a variation of the offense left by Urban Meyer, so look for them to use a similar scheme to that which was used by Florida in the SEC Championship. This game won't be as ugly as Georgia's destruction of Hawaii was, but another easy win for 'Bama none the less.

Alabama 45, Utah 24

Capital One Bowl - Georgia vs. Michigan State

At this point, we all know the big story line of this game is the match up between Knowshon Moreno and Javon Ringer. Both backs had great seasons and were finalists for the Doak Walker Award. The Dawgs were a preseason #1 team that underachieved and lost big games while the Spartans were a middle of the pack Big 10 team who is hoping to get to 10 wins for the first time since Nick Saban left for LSU. Rather than carry on about statistics, I'm just going to give my opinion on this game: Georgia should win rather easily. Georgia's offense boasts several top-tier college players: in addition to Knowshon Moreno, consider the fact that Matt Stafford and the combination of AJ Green and Mohammed Massaquoi have become one of the best QB/WR combos in the country. While Georgia may have struggled on D over the last few games, the offense has not. We are the better team and we should win. Ringer is a good back, but he averages only 4.2 yards a carry vs. 5.9 for Knowshon. If we step up and make tackles (yes, that is a big IF), we should stop Ringer in his tracks. And despite our struggles on D, we still ranked 28th in the country on total defense while Michigan State was 61st. I'm picking the Dawgs to pick up their 10th win of the season.

Georgia's 2009 New Year's Resolution: TACKLE BETTER!

Georgia 45, Michigan State 28

I'm headed to Orlando in the morning to cheer on the Dawgs. I'll be back next week with my National Championship Game preview as well as a season wrap up for Georgia.


GO DAWGS!!!

BNE's SEC Title Game Predictions

Number 1 vs. Number 2, at least the AP Poll says so. You can't get any better than that for the SEC Championship Game. Alabama vs. Florida for the SEC Championship for the first time since 1999. It's the 6th time these two teams have met for the title, the most of any matchup. It's Alabama's 6th trip to the SEC Championship Game (2-3), while it's Florida's 9th trip (6-2), the most of any SEC school.

As much as it pains the BNE crew to pick this SEC Championship Game, we will do it for the good of the blog.

BFR: Florida 37, Alabama 17. Gross, disgusting. I f***ing hate them [Gators].

Streit: Florida 38, Alabama 23. I think it will be a close game until the 2nd half, and Florida will tack on a score or two in the 4th quarter to put it out of reach. If Percy Harvin is limited or doesn't play, Alabama has more of a chance.

Earl: Florida 27, Alabama 23. The Gators win, but don't cover the spread. Alabama has been hearing about how good the Gators are for an entire month now. That's great motivation for Saban and Co. If Florida had a lesser coach, I would take Alabama to the bank. But Urban's excellent too. And Florida's talent puts them over the top as Tebow wills it at the end.

BulldawgJosh: Alabama 34, Florida 28. I hate both of these teams...I-hate-them-so-much...I can't encompass in written words how much I hate both of them, and I have to do it at the same time. These two groups combined means an arrogant and delusional apocalypse is upon us this weekend.

The Tide will not roll over, except to roll over on Teblowme. Rammer Jammer Yellow Bananer.

Bubba: Alabama 28, Florida 27. Logic would say pick Florida because Alabama isn't going to score over 30 points. It is going to take a strong defensive gameplan from Saban and Co. to deny the Gators. Look for Bama to make a couple of strong Red Zone stands and force a turnover or two. Florida may not be ready to take a couple of blows in the face, and the Tide should come out motivated and swinging.

Sarah Jessica Parker Wilson is terrible in the Jon England/Mike Usry mold. Hopefully, JPW can look forward to a career as a landlord as well.

Note: I've picked against Florida twice this season and they've made me look pretty bad by blowing out both Tennessee and LSU.

In Conclusion: Florida 3, Alabama 2 with an average score of
Florida 31, Alabama 25.

Spurrier Beaten Twice

Writer's Note: I would've included the 1993, 1994 and 1996 SEC Championship Games, but it seems that YouTube Florida fans post more victories over Florida State in the 1990s than anything else, and that was a great rivalry back then. Wish the Seminoles could bring it back.

1999 SEC Championship Game: Alabama 34, Florida 7. Alabama claimed its first SEC title since 1992 and defeated the favored Florida Gators for the second time that year, beating them earlier in the Swamp.



Obviously, the signature play of this game was Freddie Milons run at about 0:58 in which he lined up at QB in the shotgun. It was the play that gave Alabama the confidence to win this game. That, and they were playing against The Bachelor Jesse Palmer.

Will Alabama have such a play on Saturday? Or will they ride Glen Coffee and Mark Ingram like Shaun Alexander?

Hey, anybody who beat Steve Spurrier twice in one year is okay by me.

Alabama went on to lose the Orange Bowl to Michigan 35-34 in OT on a missed extra point. And Florida went to lose the Citrus Bowl (Capital One) to Michigan State and Plaxico Burress. Better times for Plaxico indeed.

By the way, Bobby Williams was the interim head coach of that Michigan State team as Nick Saban had already accepted the head coaching position at LSU for the 2000 season.

Looks like it all connects...

Alabama – Florida: The Similarities

As the 2008 SEC Championship Game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and Florida Gators nears, many in the media are quick to point out their clashing styles. Alabama is a strong defensive team with an offense built around its strong rushing attack. Florida is a high powered offense that relies on turnovers and special teams to set up quick scoring strikes. As their differences may be glaring, you may be surprised to see how similar these teams are in the numbers they have put up during the 2008 season.

SEC Statistical Rankings

As expected, Florida and Alabama dominate as the statistical leaders in the SEC. Of the 31 major categories which are tracked on the SEC’s statistics web site, either Florida or Alabama ranks first in 21 of those categories. In the following categories, the teams hold the first and second spot:

Scoring Offense – Florida 1, Alabama 2 (tied with Georgia)
Scoring Defense – Alabama 1, Florida 2
Rushing Offense – Florida 1, Alabama 2
3rd Down Conversion % - Florida 1, Alabama 2
Turnover Margin – Florida 1, Alabama 2
Pass Efficiency Defense – Florida 1, Alabama 2
Opponents’ First Downs – Alabama 1, Florida 2
Fourth Down Conversions – Alabama 1, Florida 2

Other categories where the two teams were also ranked closely to each other were:

Total Defense: Alabama 1, Florida 3
Rushing Defense: Alabama 1, Florida 3
Pass Defense: Florida 3, Alabama 5
Punt Return Average: Florida 2, Alabama 3
Kickoff Coverage: Florida 6, Alabama 7
Sacks Allowed: Florida 3, Alabama 4

Adding Demps to an offense that already had Tebow and Harvin meant a lot of points on the score board for the Gators in 2008.

Common Opponents:

Alabama and Florida shared 6 common opponents during the 2008 season. Here’s a look at each of those games, how each divisional champion fared, and which team’s victory was more impressive.

Georgia
- Alabama : Win, 41-30
- Florida : Win, 49-10

Both of these games were blowouts, with the Alabama and Florida each clearly dominating one half of the respective football game. The Crimson Tide opened a huge 31-0 lead on the Dawgs in the first half and cruised to victory (despite some late garbage time touchdowns for Georgia ). Florida turned a close game at half into a complete destruction and without a late touchdown pass from Joe Cox would have landed an almost 50 point victory.

The Georgia Blackout failed miserably against the Crimson Tide.

Advantage: Push


Ole Miss
- Alabama : Win, 24-20
- Florida : Loss, 31-30

Both teams struggled with Houston Nutt’s surprising Rebels team. Alabama jumped out to a 24-3 lead at half and was able to hold off 17 unanswered points from Ole Miss to win 24-20. Florida struggled to find a rhythm with its offense and a missed extra point ended up being the difference as the Gators fell 31-30.

Ole Miss stopped Tebow on a fourth and 1 and the celebration was on.

Advantage: Alabama


LSU
- Alabama : Win, 27-21(OT)
- Florida : Win, 51-21

Florida destroyed the Tigers, building a huge first half lead and never looking back (and getting some revenge for the loss in Death Valley last year). Nick Saban’s first trip back to the Bayou was ugly, as the emotion was almost enough to push the Tigers to victory. But a costly mistake by Jarrett Lee in OT led to the winning TD for the Tide.

Advantage: Florida

Arkansas
- Alabama : Win 49-14
- Florida : Win, 38-7

Alabama jumped out to a huge 35-7 lead at the half and cruised to a big victory over the Hogs. Florida struggled in the first half, but poured it on in the second half (scoring 21 points in the fourth after some careless Arkansas interceptions).

Advantage: Alabama

Tennessee
- Alabama : Win, 29-9
- Florida : Win, 30-6

Alabama kept the rival Vols from putting points on the board while earning a workman like 29-9 victory on the Third Saturday in October (that was actually the fourth Saturday in October). Florida scored 17 points in the first, but if not for two UT turnovers inside the Gators’ 5, the game might have been a different story.

Advantage: Push


Kentucky
- Alabama : Win, 17-14
- Florida : Win, 63-5

Alabama looked sluggish coming off the big win over Georgia and barely held on to defeat the Wildcats in Tuscaloosa. The Gators used multiple blocked kicks to set up touchdowns in a complete destruction of Kentucky in the Swamp.

Advantage: Florida

Final Tally: Alabama 2, Florida 2, Push 2


Final Thoughts

On paper, these teams look to be very similar. No team holds a distinct advantage either statistically or in common opponent victories. This game will most likely come down to which team forces the other team to make mistakes. I look for a close game at half, but the Gators’ offense to be too strong in the second half.

...but that won't stop the Gators from winning this game.

Prediction: Florida 38, Alabama 23

"Just Too Much Speed"

As we all have disgustingly known for an entire month, Alabama and Florida will play for the SEC Championship on Saturday. As a fan of the SEC, I would like revisit some of the SEC Championship Games that Alabama and Florida played each other in from the 1990s.

The first being the inaugural SEC Championship Game in 1992. It was played at Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama. You know, the stadium in which Alabama used to play half their home games, and call it neutral when Auburn used to play them there every year. This neutral stadium for the SEC Championship Game had a statue of Bear Bryant just outside the front gates.

It was about as neutral as Jacksonville, Florida. (Now, I know you Georgia fans will jump all over me for that.)

Alabama would defeat Florida 28-21 in 1992 and go on to win the National Championship in the Sugar Bowl (remember when the SEC Champion went to the Sugar Bowl every year...good times) over Miami.

Alabama's 1992 defense was unlike any defense seen in the past 25 years. Dominating DE's Eric Curry and John Copeland took over games. And Antonio Langham was a stud DB as proven at the end of this clip from the 1992 SEC Championship Game.

Ironically, ABC's Bob Griese, at about 1:25, says that Alabama has "just too much speed" for Florida. And that's what analysts are saying in 2008, just vice versa.



Alabama would go on to forfeit all of its games from the 1992 season due to agent involvement with some of its players, particularly Antonio Langham.

Week 5: Impressions and Ramblings

Ouch. That hurt.

Week 5 of the college football season has passed. Here are my thoughts:

Georgia - Alabama
- The tailgating was awesome, the fans were fired up, and the field looked great. And then the game happened. The worst half of football I have ever seen in my life unfolded before my eyes. Penalties, a fumble, a shanked punt, a non-exist rushing attack (how do we only run the ball 9 times - didn't we learn anything from Clemson???), constant pressure on the quarterback, the list goes on and on.

- To their credit, Bama is good. Real good. they were dominant on the lines of scrimmage, Wilson did exactly what he needed to do, they didn't make penalties or turnovers, and looked like a top 5 team.

- For all the things that looked right coming into the season, injuries have seem taken the biggest toll on the Dawgs. After Sturdivant and Owens, it now looks like we are going to be without Ellerbe and Durham for a few games. Stafford suffered a head injury and Knowshon hurt his elbow as well, but thankfully they will be alright.

- The bye week couldn't come at a better time. We've got to lick our wounds and get ready for Tennessee, who played a close game with Auburn this weekend. We're 4 -1, there's a long season ahead of us. Let's put this one in the rear view and move on.

Florida Upset by Ole Miss
- I've said it before and I'll say it again, when you're only running threat is your quarterback, eventually it will bite you. Down 1 at the Ole Miss 31 on a 4th and 1, Meyer sends Tebow back on the field. The entire Ole Miss team knew what was going to follow and they stacked Tebow up. The loss by the Gators, coupled with the Georgia loss, leaves Vanderbilt alone atop the SEC East standings. My god, Vandy is in first place...alone.

Wake loses to Navy
- If they couldn't stop Paul Johnson's old team, I wonder what will happen when they play his new one with better athletes. I really liked how Wake was playing this year and this one really surprised me.

Shake Up in the Top 5
- When the polls come out later, here's how I expect they will shake out:
1. Oklahoma - No questions. They should be #1 after thumping TCU.
2. LSU - Solid win over Mississippi State. They've got some big tests coming up.
3. Alabama - They can claim two wins vs. top ten teams and they were solid.
4. Missouri - The stats are impressive.
5. Texas - Colt McCoy has regained the magic he had as a freshman.

Final Thought
- This will be the last mention I make of the Alabama game. In the end, this is the one game on our SEC schedule we could afford to lose. If we take care of business in the East, we will be in the SEC championship. There is a lot football left to be played. Dawgs, get some rest, get healthy, and get ready to take it to UT in two weeks.

GO DAWGS!!!

Aint's No Mountain High Enough: The Alabama Preview

This Saturday's Blackout game vs. Alabama could be more appropriately be called "The Back to Reality Bowl". In 2007, Alabama came in riding high with their new savior, Nick Saban, a perfect record, and a load of confidence. Georgia dominated much of the game only to see Alabama come back and tie it in the waning seconds. But in overtime, Mikey Henderson hauled in a touchdown that sent Alabama on a downward spiral, including a loss to Louisiana-Monroe and a disappointed 6 loss season.

Mikey Henderson's first career touchdown couldn't have come at a better time.

So we find our selves in a similar situation in 2008, with Bama riding an opening weekend win over Clemson to a 4-0 record and a number 8 national ranking. Georgia, while undefeated and rated number 3, finds themselves once again on the defensive after failing to impress voters and falling from their preseason #1 ranking. As in 2008, Richt and the boys have chosen to blackout the visiting school from our Western border state and it should be an electric environment. Hell, even the hated World Wide Leader has decided to bring its show to Athens for the first time in 10 years. This should be one hell of fight.

Who are these guys?
In it's second year under "S the Coach", the Red Elephants have established themselves as a power running team with solid defense capable of scoring points. The offense is directed by 11th year senior John "Pah-kuh" Wilson, who is Alabama's single season record holder for yards passing. Wilson has proven to be a solid game manager, however I wouldn't exactly call him scary. He does however have the services of the best freshman receiver in the country not named AJ Green, one Julio Jones. Jones has all the tools but has yet to have a break out performance. The Dawgs must not let them be the first to be burned by Julio.

Alabama's offensive strength lies in their running game, where Nick Saban has a stable of capable rushers in Glen Coffee, Mark Ingram, Roy Upchurch, and Terry Grant. The bunch is carrying the offense, averaging nearly 250 yards on the ground per game (while averaging 150 yards passing each game). Making holes for this bunch is Alabama's mammoth offensive line, considered by many to be the best in the country.

Defensively, the Crimson Tide bring a defense that is allowing only 9 points a game. Backed by a solid secondary, the Alabama defensive line has wreaked havoc on opposing teams runners and quarterbacks all season. Led the by the huge Terence "Mount" Cody in the middle (look him up on YouTube, it's funny), the d-line shut down Clemson's prized tandem of James Davis and CJ Spiller to open the season and haven't looked back since.

Who does Terance Cody think he is? Only proven fat guys get cool nicknames like "The Fridge"

What is Georgia Going to Do?

Breakout those black jerseys!!! The Dawgs and their fans are going to bring everything they've got to push back the second coming of the Bear. Some people have complained that the Blackout has become cliche', but look at how excited everyone gets. It works and in the end that is all that matters.

Knowshon and Stafford like playing at night!

On offense, I expect Georgia to try and break Knowshon to the outside as much as possible. Cody creates a huge gap to block in the middle, but the quickness of the Georgia line should allow us to cut around the corners and rack up yards in space. If there is a weak point in the Bama D, it is their linebacking crew. As opposed to last week where we threw the ball down towards AJ Green, I look for Bobo to call more screen and quick hitters and let the receivers create yards. The second Bama starts to shut down the outsides for Knowshon, we'll hit passes over the middle or roll out our tight ends.

On defense, we need to continue to bring blitzes when necessary (like we did against ASU, not against SC) and focus on cutting down Bama's ground attack. Make Wilson beat us through the air, not rolling out where he seems to be at his best. If we can control the running game and keep Wilson in the pocket, we should be able to force some bad throws and keep points off the board.

What is Going to Happen?

Like the blackout against Auburn, Georgia will come out full of emotion. Unlike last year, I think Saban may try to use that emotion against us. I look for both teams to try and establish their running games early, but the size and strength of Bama's line will hold us in check early. Bama will most likely take an early lead but by the second quarter Knowshon and Stafford will start picking them apart.

Look for the crowd to get really crazy in the third quarter and help to "Turn the Tide". Georgia will finish strong and win in a close but convincing fashion.

Gameplan: At the end, be celebrating like this.

Georgia 27, Alabama 17





UPDATE!

In honor of Tourette's Guy:





Tonight on Unsolved Mysteries, we try to figure out why Georgia lost it's number 1 ranking to USC....

UPDATE...

USC just got their asses handed to them by Oregon State. A big win this weekend could mean regaining of the top spot in the polls. GATA. GO DAWGS!!!

5 Questions with UncleDawg & CousinTide

5 Questions is a new series to Bubba 'N Earl. And there's no better way to begin the series than with a top 10 matchup between the Dawgs and Alabama in Athens. In a Father vs. Son format, UncleDawg and CousinTide have answered the 5 questions presented by Earl from a Georgia and Alabama perspective, respectively.

And since we show Southern hospitality at Bubba 'N Earl, we'll let our guest answer first...to the questions...

1. Mark Richt announced that the Georgia seniors came to him on the airplane back from Tempe about wearing black jerseys for the Alabama game due to it being a night game as well as having GameDay in attendance. Georgia will do this only once per season and in the bowl game if Georgia is the home team. What were your impressions of the "blackout" of Auburn last year and this upcoming "blackout"? And there is a rumor on the message boards that Alabama fans attending the game will be wearing white. What's your impression of that?

CousinTide: The Blackout against Auburn was the greatest thing to ever happen in college football. Georgia is the most innovative and original team in the country. Since Georgia and their fans are wearing black, Alabama and their fans shouldn't even show up. For those fans that do show up, they will most likely be hitting the exits by the 2nd quarter. Hell, I may not even watch the game errr I mean, the end of Alabama Football as we know it. Wait, that has already happened post-Bear Bryant. We are the worst team in D-1A.

Blacking out one state at a time in the SEC...

UncleDawg: While the black jerseys are a special moral booster for the Dawgs, I also think it is a complement to the other team that the UGA players would think the game and opponent is important enough to wear their black jerseys. It’s a rare event. Personally, I’ve always thought of the black jerseys as a type of funeral attire for the other team’s season because they’re going to lose.

Who cares what Bama wears.

2. The Dawgs continue to juggle their offensive line. With the presence of Mt. Cody in the middle for Alabama, what kind of impact will he have on the game? And what will Loran Smith's impressions of Mt. Cody be when he comes out for pre-game warmups? And if Larry were calling the game, how would he describe Mt. Cody?

CousinTide: I'll just put it this way....Freshman Ben Jones will have at least 10 pancake blocks on Cody, especially since he'll be donning a black jersey. Cody won't make an impact at all. In fact, Alabama will get dominated up front which will allow Stafford to throw at least 5 TD passes; Moreno will run for another 4 TDs. We have the worst defense in D-1A. However, if Bear Bryant alone lined up against that Georgia O-line, it'd be a totally different story. And there's no telling what Loran Smith will say. You might as well have asked, "What is the meaning of life?" or "How long is a rainbow?" As far as Larry Munson is concerned, he'd be much better served in telling a Bear Bryant story.

How would Loran interview a hippo?

UncleDawg: The Dawgs O-line will handle him [Mt. Cody] and his only impact will be to gum up the middle from time to time. Maybe Knowshon will jump him just to prove a point.

I think Loran would say something like...
"I'm on the side line and I just walked past number 62, the Alabama linemen they call Mount Cody. He weighs in at about 400 pounds and I'm telling you he's really a big one; his Mama fed him good. He makes Uga VII look like one of those Chihuahua dogs. Back to you Scott.....”

I just hope Loran won’t ask him if he likes peanuts.

3. Julio Jones and AJ Green were the top two ranked WRs coming into college football this year as freshmen. Jones leads the Tide with 132 receiving yards. Green leads the entire SEC with 300 receiving yards. So far, both are as good as advertised. Which #8 will have a bigger impact on the game? Why?

CousinTide: Seriously, have the SAT/ACT scores dropped that low at Georgia? One has a future 1st round draft pick as a QB, the other has a Sex in the City star. Can I get a degree from Georgia now?

Alabama's QB?

UncleDawg: A.J. will obviously have the best game for the following obvious reasons:
· He has already demonstrated on the field he is the best…just look at the stats
· Moreno, King and Samuel are the better running backs and the Dawgs running game will help take some of the coverage pressure off of A.J.
· Massaquoi will also pull coverage away from A.J.
· Really, who would you rather have throwing to your receivers? Matthew Stafford or Sarah Jessica Parker? (or whatever his name is…)

4. Explain the differences/similarities between the Classic City and T-Town. Which one is better and which one is "2nd rate"? Why? (CousinTide's term for Athens in 2003)

CousinTide:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7mhs2AJmLs

UncleDawg: The list is long but I’ll try to be brief because it’s so obvious T-Town is inferior to Athens Town.

Athens is better because:

UGA has better looking women.
The night life is by far much better.
Athens is one of the great live music centers of the South (see B-52s, R.E.M., Widespread Panic, Indigo Girls, etc, etc, etc…)
The co-eds are prettier.
You don’t have to go through Birmingham to get to Athens.
UGA’s athletic facilities are world class and much better.
The co-ed’s Mothers are better looking.
Athens has (the new) Allen’s and the Varsity.
Athens has a double barrel canon and a tree that owns itself.
UGA doesn’t have Phyllis from Mulga.

The only similarity I can think of between the two towns:
They are both beer drinking towns with a football problem, but Athens is still much better than T-Town in both categories.

5. Our blog, Bubba 'N Earl, has poked a little fun at Alabama all year long, including a picture of the ULM billboard in each and every "SEC Games of Interest", even though Alabama isn't one of Georgia's biggest rivals year in and year out. Why do you think that is? Is it just that easy or is the conference thinking about Alabama again as one of the elite?

CousinTide: Alabama was only an elite team under Bear Bryant. Alabama should go to the ACC and keep trying to figure out how to bring the Bear back.

Gosh I miss the Bear Bryant.

Here it is again!

UncleDawg: Because Bama fans think they are ordained to win the SEC every year and most of them have never been to Tuscaloosa, much less attended school there. Everyone wants to beat a team with an inflated ego who claims more National Championships than they really have.

If the Oconee River should part Saturday and Bama finds a way to win, Nick Saban will be the football God who delivered the Tide to victory. If they lose, it will be Phil Fulmer’s fault.

Week 4: Impressions and Ramblings

AJ Green is scary good, enough said.

Week 4 of the 2008 college football season has passed and for once Georgia didn't lose votes in the polls. Here are my thoughts from this weekend.

Destruction in the Desert

- Now that is the Georgia Bulldogs team that was preseason #1. The defense was dominant and the offense was clicking. We made Erickson and the boys in gold look pretty bad. I was disappointed in the clear Pac-10 preference that was afforded by the referees, my god they were trying to Give ASU every break while calling nothing in our favor (they missed at least 3 blatant holds). In my Friday preview, I was pretty close on a couple of things: Margin of victory (I predicted 15 points (38-23), at least 6 catches for AJ, and big rushing numbers for Knowshon, especially in the second half). Overall, a great game.

- AJ Green is out of his mind good. There's so much I could say, but Dr. Saturday says it best.

- Knowshon continues to make amazing plays every week. Right now, I don't see any way he is not in New York at the Downtown Athletic Club in December. Another solid day from Stafford as well, as he continues to show the maturity of a third year starter.

Knowshon doing his best Touchdown Jesus pose.

- The defense is better than a lot of people think. When you only allow 4 rushing yards, you're doing something right. It took Rudy Carpenter almost 40 throws to get over 200 yards, so even the much maligned pass defense played well. Willie did a good job of utilizing the blitz this game and it really worked.

Didn't mention last week that Rennie Curran is a beast.

- Alabama is coming to Athens next week for a prime time show down on the World Wide Leader. They have announced College Game Day will finally make its return to Athens (after nearly 10 years). If Nick Saban had his game plan to shut down Knowshon and stop our offense, the emergence of AJ Green this week has totally blown those plans out of the water. John Parker Wilson only had about 100 yards passing in their win over Arkansas, but there is not way they knock off the Dawgs with a non-existent passing game. It's gonna be one hell of a match up between the hedges!

Colorado

- I said after week 1 that I was impressed the Buffaloes and after they knocked off West Virginia, I see them as a dark horse contender for the Big XII North title. Missouri watch out, the balanced attack of Cody Hawkins and Rodney Stewart are coming to crush your perfect season.

Alabama and Georgia Tech Win Big

- Are Bama and the North avenue Trade School really that good, or are Arkansas and Mississippi State really that bad?

If Mississippi State can pull a Knowshon on you, are you really that good?

Florida/ Tennessee

- Tennesse is a train wreck. The failure to score multiple times from inside the 5 with their veteran offensive line is pathetic. How many Georgia fans had memories of the 2003 game in Knoxville come to mind when Crompton fumbled at the 2?

- Once again, Urban Liar has Tebow in the game with minutes left of a blow out. On a third down. Tebow rolled right and got drilled by a Vol linebacker. One of these days Urban, you're gonna get your boy hurt and you'll have no one to blame but yourself.

Wake Forest and Vandy

- Wake Forest is the best team in the ACC and Vanderbilt is ranked. What bizarro world am I in?

Since when do smart kids know how to play football?

Notre Dame

- So I was wrong. They suck.

In conclusion...

It was a great week for the Dogs and college football. There's gonna be a hell of a fight at Sanford next Saturday. Get your tickets and I'll see ya there! Go Dawgs!

Bama-Clemsa-Dragon Con

Each year the first weekend of college football brings giant crowds of people to small towns and urban metropolises all across the country. Students have spent the summer miserable at home adhering to high-school-age appropriate curfews, partying and experimenting (ahem…studying) abroad, or fetching coffee and donuts for a mid-level manager-in-training at some company offering internship credit in lieu of an actual academic class. For college town locals, their return to campus is like the first eruption of the alarm clock on the Friday morning following a rough Thirsty Thursday out with the guys from the office. Townies in the sleepy college towns have enjoyed a summer of reduced traffic and unimpeded access to the good bars but are now groggily interrupted from that mid-summer’s night dream. Like the second, or third, or fourth god-awful buzzing of the alarm clock after the snooze button has been hastily punched: fall has arrived, students have arrived, and soon football fans will arrive.

Now, you’ll have to forgive my simile comparing perhaps the most anxiously-awaited weekend of the year to a dreadful annoyance which every slumbering sub-conscious hopes will never come. I love college football and I always wait for the first weekend of the season with bated breath. This year has a particularly appealing beginning as the Dawgs sit atop the preseason polls. However, my preceding comparison gains brevity when you think about the nightmare that will haunt Atlanta when the college football season arrives in 2008.

Atlanta’s size and diversity provide some insulation from the startling buzz of autumn’s alarm clock which rouses football towns all over the country from their metaphorical summer hibernation, but the ATL is still somewhat of a college town. The North Avenue Trade School, Georgia State, Morehouse, Clark-Atlanta, DeVry…with that many “institutions of higher learning” in one city I can’t deny the collegiate presence in Atlanta…not to mention the volume of Georgia grads who make up probably two-thirds of Atlanta’s tax base. On Labor Day weekend the culture clash that takes place here will be intensified beyond the annual struggle of townies to maintain their strangle-hold on traffic patterns and watering holes in other college towns despite the return of students like swallows to Capistrano; this weekend is Bama-Clemsa-Dragon Con.

Coming to a convention center near you this SUNDAY, SUNDAY, SUNDAY! Dragon Con!! The only place men this geeky can get close to women this skanky.

This weekend the Chik-Fil-A Kickoff will provide one more weekend of reprieve from the influx of football fanatics to Tuscaloosa, AL and Clemson, SC; the equivalent of the nine-minute interval afforded by the alarm’s snooze button. But for T-townies and Clemson natives to enjoy a quiet Labor Day without RVs, tailgaters, and ticket scalpers they ostracize their legions of pigskin provocateurs to Atlanta to join forces with an entire army of 11-year olds trapped in the bodies of 34-year old IT programmers. While the game on the field should be an interesting contest, it’s the match up of the misshapen retinas that will expand beyond the gridiron.

The Near-sighted vs. the Far-sighted: Dragon Con attendees are idiosyncratically four-eyed. Whether it’s the hours spent in front of a computer screen playing games involving wizards and manna potions or whether it’s the extremely elaborate costume of the Level 17 boss in Final Fantasy XCVIII who actually has four eyes, the attendees of the Dragon Con can be collectively classified as the near-sighted.

Keep in mind that these clowns are actually adults!

Contrasting the cronies’ ocular deficiencies will be the far-sighted football fans from Alabama and Clemson. Achieving far-reaching visual acuity in opposite directions, the far-sighted football fans can see so far that their vision actually penetrates the time-space continuum. Tide Pride prevents those from Tuscaloosa from actually perceiving the present. As the vision of a T-Rex was thought to be based on motion, the vision of a Tide fan has been thought for years to only work when looking back in time. Alabama football was completely unable to see past the Bear Bryant era for decades. Alabama’s only sight has been hindsight.

Clemson fans and the rest of the ACC are far-sighted toward the future. ACC schools, for the most part, have decent reputations as respectable academic institutions (North Ave. Trade School, UNC, UVA, VT, BC…not necessarily Clemson) and it is the academic strength that I credit with an ACC school’s ability to defray football pressures by looking toward the future and claiming that “next year will be the year.” This happens to Clemson every single year. Pre-season hype about a possible run to Jacksonville, Tampa Bay, or Charlotte in December inevitably turns into some occurrence of Bowden’s Bengals tripping clumsily over Howard’s Rock. And yet somehow the fans, prognosticators, and athletic association of Auburn by the lake find it appropriate to renew Coach Bowden III’s contract. I swear, if Clemson ever finishes second in the ACC they’re going to erect a statue of Tommy Bowden somewhere next to the lake shore, posing with his hand over his brow shielding his eyes from the brightness of the future he will forever stare into, out over the water.

Maybe Bowden's statue could be forever embronzed with this expression?

Fast forward to 2007 and Tuscaloosa’s attempt to secede from the United States to form the sovereign Sabanation. Now Tide fans have evolved to gain the power to look forward into the future and create unachievable and unfounded high expectations, just like Clemson. There should be some interesting conversations overheard at Dragon Con when an orange and purple Liger asks a hounds tooth Storm Trooper how to over-inflate the legend of Danny Ford to match the posthumous stature of a previous Bama coach who shall remain nameless. How long do you think it will take group of Bama fans to corner a wizard with a chemistry set and threaten to hog-tie him if he can’t concoct some magical spell to reanimate the Bear?

Tasteless, I know...but it makes two strong points. Don't mess with nerds yielding Merlin costumes and chemistry sets...and don't reanimate angry, deceased football coaches.

If Dorothy ever found herself stuck in the middle of the mess that will befall Atlanta this weekend, what with Tigers and Tide fans and Dragons—oh my!—she would click together the heels of her red shoes and think to herself “There’s no place like home, there’s no place like home…” until she was whisked away in a funnel cloud back to Kansas. My response to the invasion of Atlanta will be to put on my red pants, click together the rim of my glass and the mouth of a Jim Beam bottle, and remind myself why “There’s no place like Athens…There’s no place like Athens…”

Go Dawgs!

By the way: My prediction for the game is that Alabama will win, stealing the hype and praise from an undeserving Clemson squad and placing it squarely upon their unworthy shoulders for four weeks until their visit to the Classic City. The opportunity for Bama to beat a school like Auburn without having to risk their consecutive-games-lost-to-Auburn streak will motivate the Tide.

Addendum: I wrote the comment about Clemson fans bronzing the likeness of Tommy Bowden in total jest; a sarcastic hyperbole intended to point out the tendency of their athletic association to bask in the glory of early season expectations and somehow stave off paralyzing disappointment and dejection over the results of the season. I meant it as a joke…then I found this.