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!!!

Week 8: Impressions and Ramblings

Week 8 of the college football season has come and gone. Another Dawg victory, a massacre in the Lone Star state, and a scare for 'Bama are among this week's highlights. Here are my thoughts:

Georgia 24, Vanderbilt 14

- Without Blair Walsh's two missed field goals, my prediction of a 34 - 13 victory for the Dawgs would have been pretty close. Like the UT game last week, this was a game that was close on the scoreboard but not really that close on the field. Georgia once again dominated in yards (425 to 245) and one of Vanderbilt's touchdowns was the result of an interception deep in our own territory. While Georgia failed to put the pesky Commodores away, I had little doubt who would end up with the victory.

- Stafford really loves throwing the ball to AJ Green. Stafford only had 13 completions for the day and 7 of them went to Green. The second half was a struggle for Stafford, which is cause for some concern. There were a couple of occasions where he completely overlooked our tight ends who were wide open. Also, if Stafford would have taken the time to plant his feet, the interception by DJ Moore would have been a touchdown to Massaquoi instead.

You're looking at the SEC Freshman of the year.

- What was the most encouraging thing on Saturday? The play of the Georgia defense. A great defensive game overall kept Vanderbilt from making any big plays (they had 0 plays of more than 20 yards). Game balls go to Darius Dewberry (who had his best game as a Bulldog), Daryl Gamble (who is becoming a very good linebacker), and Asher Allen for the huge hit he laid to make Vandy turn the ball over on downs late in the fourth quarter. The only bad thing I saw out of the Dawgs on Saturday was the regression of Bryan Evans. Teams have continued to pick on him this season, and it seems like he is backing away from the challenge. I hope Vance Cuff can step in at the outside corner when we are in the nickel package, because Bryan just isn't getting it done.

- Every week Knowshon Moreno amazes me with his heart and play on the field. It is my opinion that there is no player in the SEC more valuable to his team right now than #24. Over 170 yards on 23 carries, another touchdown, just another day at the office. It will be a real shame if he isn't at the Downtown Athletic Club in New York in December.

This is the definition of walking in untouched.

Alabama 24, Ole Miss 20
- Alabama stopped Ole Miss from converting a 4th down late in the 4th quarter and ended the Rebels' hopes of upsetting another top 5 team. Alabama is starting to show signs that they can be beaten, especially with the injury to Terrence Cody. I've seen conflicting reports about what the injury is, but they all seem to think he will only be out a few weeks. I doubt it. When a man that size either badly sprains or tears a muscle in his knee, I don't see how he will be back at full strength in a few weeks. Mount, it's up to you to prove me wrong.

When Cody hit the ground with a knee injury, a 6.5 was measured on the Richter scale.

Texas 82721320, Missouri 1122993
- Missouri looked worse in the first half against Texas than we did in the first half against Alabama. Has the Big XII just decided to completely ignore defense? I know Texas, Oklahoma, Texas Tech, and others have good skill players, but when both teams are putting up over 500 yards of offense, it is a little ridiculous.

Why do the 'Horns score so many points? Ask Roger Clemens.

Ohio State kills Michigan State

- I thought MSU had a good chance to win. Javon Ringer has looked great this year, and I finally thought the Spartans may be for real...Never mind. Now we have to hear about Ohio State (along with USC who beat poor Washington State with their 4th string QB 69-0) as being a contender for the National Title.

ACC = Parity
- Your top team in the ACC this year- Georgia Tech. What year is this, 1990? Maryland knocks off Wake Forest, Virgina has suddenly won 4 in a row and knocked off UNC, and preseason top 10 Clemson is now under .500. With Duke actually looking better this year (they were leading Miami into the 3rd quarter on Saturday), there is very little difference from those teams at the bottom and those on top.


Overall, another good weekend for the Dawgs. We're 6-1 and headed to a showdown in Baton Rouge with the Bayou Bengals. The game has been chosen as the CBS game and will kickoff at 3:30 PM EST. Thank God. Most of the Bubba 'N Earl crew will be there this week as we celebrate my bachelor party. It should be one hell of a match up.

GO DAWGS!!!

*Pictures courtesy of the AJC, ESPN, and texassports.com

Mark Richt on ESPN First Take

This morning on ESPN First Take, I happened to catch Michael Kim’s interview with Mark Richt.

Here’s a synopsis of the questions and answers (both are paraphrased), as well as my reactions in parentheses:

Kim: What is different about Vandy this year, as opposed their previous teams?

Richt: Their team speed and physicality have improved and even dominated in their games this year. Part of it is also the past misconceptions about Vandy being weak and unable to compete in the SEC.

(No one, except on occasion Florida, ever clobbers Vandy. This year they just happen to be living up to some of their usual potential. However, Vandy reverted to their typical nature by losing to Miss St.)


Kim: What are your thoughts on Mackenzie Adams starting at QB?

Richt: He is a QB with great confidence, passing ability, and a great ability to run and move quickly down the field. Typically, with a QB like him it allows our coverages to become simpler because of his tendancy towards running, but his additional great passing ability will make this a challenge for us.

(Please say hello to my friend, Rennie Curran.)


Kim: How much are you concerned about injuries and depth at your different positions?

R: If we keep losing left tackles, we won’t make it through the season (laughs). We’re on our fourth left tackle, we’ve lost Sturdivant and Vance, and Clint Boling will be there this week. As long as we stay healthy, we’ve got a chance.

(FYI, we have open tryouts to fill out the depth chart at left tackle.)


Kim: Stafford and Moreno rarely get big stats because of the multiple threats of your offense. What would you say to Heisman voters to sway them to vote for one of them?

Richt: Richt essentially said we have a balanced offense between Stafford, Moreno, Green, Massaquoi, and how they each allow for the other to make big plays.

(You could tell Richt wanted to say, “Because they’re awesome. Period. What is this bullshit you’re insinuating about them?!” But, Richt is much more level headed and is not, well…me.)


Kim: Earlier this season you called out ESPN for not showing Knowshon’s hurdle. Since then, we haven’t stopped playing it. Where do you rank it out of all the plays you’ve seen?

Richt: It’s probably tied for first with another time he did it in practice. (Richt then described how Knowshon once did the same thing in practice, but it sounded even more impressive than the hurdle in the Central Michigan game).

(You morons better not stop playing that hurdle, either.)


Kim; Does Knowshon going airborne ever make your heart stop?

Richt: No, it is really more of a wow sensation.

(Damn right.)


After the commercial break, Dennis Franchione all but said Vandy will upset us. (I don’t even know how to say it…who cares what Franchione thinks?!)

Dana Jacobson said she’d like to see the upset, just so Skip Bayless will be a little happier. (Well, isn’t that convenient. How about you stop talking about every sports team in the State of Michigan, because they all blow right now.)

Homecoming 2008: "Vanderbilt is a fine academic institution..."

"... but they f***ing suck at football." - Bubba, while standing on the Vanderbilt car that we painted and hit with a sledgehammer during Homecoming 2004.

Who are these guys?

Vanderbilt has long been known as the whipping boy of the SEC but during the 2008 season, this academic school from Nashville has tried to make its own mark on the college football world. ESPN College Gameday even came to Nashville two weeks ago and what followed was a Vanderbilt upset of then ranked Auburn. Unfortunately, the real Commodores came to play the next week as they got "Croomed" by Mississippi State in one of the most offensively challenged games of 2008 (Funny how Mississippi State has been in a couple of those so far).

Vanderbilt comes to Athens ranked #22 in the country touting a 5-1 record. Could this be the worst ranked team in the country? The statistics would say yes:

Vanderbilt's defense is ranked 10th in the SEC (ahead of only Arkansas and Ole Miss) and Vandy’s biggest strength on defense is their ability to get turnovers. Vanderbilt has 11 interceptions on the season and that includes all four starting members of their secondary having at least 2. They are also very good in Red Zone defense.

Things get really ugly for Vanderbilt on the offensive side of the ball as they are ranked 118th out of 119 Division I teams in total offense, featuring a passing offense that averages only 90 yards a game. The running game is not that much better; Jared Hawkins leads the team in rushing with 333 yards on the year and their second leading rusher is on again/off again starter Chris Nickson. Auburn game hero Mackenzi Adams will get the start in place of Nickson and Dawg fans will remember Adams as the guy who led Vanderbilt down the field in 2007, nearly upsetting UGA before a Daryl Gamble forced fumble saved the day. However, Vandy does an excellent job converting turnovers into points and is very efficient in the Red Zone.

"Your name is Mackenzi? You would go to Vanderbilt, wouldn't ya?"

What are the Dawgs going to do?

Hopefully, the UGA Homecoming crowd will get a healthy dose of Knowshon left, Knowshon right, and Knowshon up the middle. Vanderbilt's strength is their secondary and their leader is standout two way player D.J. Moore. Coming out and establishing the run will be huge and there is no reason to think that Knowshon Moreno can’t have another 100 yard game or get closer to 150 yards, as he did against the Commodores last year. These yards should be easier to come by than the 100 yards he had against Tennessee last week. However, Vanderbilt tackles very well and is disciplined on defense, making strong offensive line play pivotal. Expect Mike Bobo to continue to call screen and swing passes to AJ Green early in the game. Getting Vanderbilt's D to bite on these established plays should open up passes over the middle later in the game.

Knowshon for Homecoming King, '08

On defense, having Adams in the game may present some problems for Georgia. The pass defense is statistically the worst in the league, giving up 222 yards a game, and Adams is a better drop back passer than Nickson. DC Willie Martinez should try to confuse Adams early, sending blitzes to hit the Vandy play caller in an effort to force mistakes and turnovers. If Georgia jumps out to an early lead, look for the linebackers to drop back into pass coverage and attempt to contain short passes and the option game.

What's going to happen?

Historically, Georgia is a slow starter in these 12:30 games. Rarely do the Dawgs come out and put away a team they should beat early in the first half. Georgia dominated Tennessee last week but failed to put the Vols away with a couple of costly turnovers. This week, history shouldn’t repeat itself and expect the ever changing O-Line to leave gaping holes for Moreno. After failing to score for the first time last week, expect at least 2 touchdowns for the kid from New Jersey. Vandy's offense will struggle against UGA’s physical defensive line and look for Georgia to get a couple of turnovers that lead to quick scores. The Dawgs need to stay focused with two huge games looming and a solid, dominating win would create great momentum.

Georgia 34, Vanderbilt 13

GO DAWGS!!!

BulldawgJosh and Bubba's 80's Video of the Week

As we all know, UGA takes on traditional nemesis and Eastern Division foe Vanderbilt University Saturday. With this in mind, we found it only appropriate to bring you a classic 80's jam from the legendary Commodores. While the majority of their classic hits were from the 1970's and Lionel Richie left the band in 1981, Lionel and the band were able to leave us with the smooth sound of 1981's "Lady (You Bring Me Up)".

The song states in its opening line, "Lady - you bring me up when I'm down, Maybe you're gonna change my life around." This was often the role of the Vanderbilt Commodores football team. No matter how poor a team was playing, they could get back on track and get a solid win against Vandy. Much of this has changed with the recent arrival of Bobby Johnson and the 'Dores will be a true test with their 5-1 record. However, just as the 80's video of the week is a flashback to another time, let's hope the Georgia Football team can track back to their memories of 1981 where the Dawgs beat the Commodores 53-21.

Without any further waste of time, Lionel Richie and the Commodores:

COMMODORES - LADY YOU BRING ME UP (1981)

Oh, I bet the dancing soccer referee in the video knows more about football than Penn Wagers.

Georgia vs. Vanderbilt Memories - Greg Blue

During his time at Georgia, we saw Greg Blue de-cleat a number of opposing players. I think his best hit came at Vanderbilt in 2005.



He learned this move watching WWF as a child.

The Good, The Bad & The Fugly of the Vandebilt Commodores

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Georgia vs. Vanderbilt Memories - 2004

On October 16, 2004, Vanderbilt once again came to Athens as the homecoming opponent for the Dawgs. Georgia came in at 5-1 and ranked number 8 in the country, while the only thing Vanderbilt really had to show was quarterback Jay Cutler. This game went the way that many past Georgia-Vandy games had gone, as the Dawgs crushed the Commodores, 33-3. David Greene passed for two touchdowns and both Georgia runningbacks Thomas Brown and Danny Ware went for over 100 yards. They became the first Georgia duo to rush for 100 yards in the same game since Garrison Hearst and Mack Strong did it in 1992.

Leonard Pope had 3 catches for 41 yards and a touchdown. This game was a warm up for his 2 touchdown performance against the Gators two weeks later.

Georgia vs. Vanderbilt - Memories - 2002

David Greene fakes out the Vanderbilt D, the cameraman, and about everyone else on this TD pass to Terrence Edwards in 2002.



GO DAWGS!!!

Week 7: Impressions and Ramblings

Week 7 of the college football season has come and passed. Here are my thoughts:


Georgia 26, Tennessee 14

- Now that's more like it. I know the media has downplayed our victory over Tennessee and I agree the score was not indicative of the game. However, after the crushing loss to 'Bama and two straight crushing losses to UT in '06 and '07, we needed this one bad.

- The two interceptions in the Red Zone were discouraging, however I was proud of the way our offense played. We had players hit the "Big Game" milestones at all three positions (Stafford with 300 yards passing, MoMass with 100 yards receiving, and Knowshon over 100 rushing).

- Blair Walsh is a beast. Only a kicker who drills the ball like he does is able to get a kick that was blocked squarely to still go through the uprights. He is a future All-SEC kicker.

- I love the 1-2 punch of Massaquoi and Green. We finally have a set of receivers that make Stafford look like the good QB that he is (we'll look the other way on AJ's touchdown drop. He is still a freshman).

This is how to resond to a cheap shot - by scoring a TD just a few plays later.

- Willie dialed up a great defensive plan. We held UT to 1 yard on the ground. Considering what Fulmer has done to us in the past, this number is amazing.

- Eric Berry may be the best defensive player in the SEC. He is the reason Knowshon had trouble breaking off any big runs. If only he would have stayed in the state.

"Berry throws a left hook and down goes Moreno."

- And lastly, the 17-play, almost 11-minute drive in the 4th may have been one of the best drives I have ever seen. We basically took Tennessee entirely out of the game by not letting them have the ball. It was awesome.

The Red River Shootout

- Like expected, neither team played much defense in this game. Texas is a solid team and Colt McCoy looks like the Heisman front runner. I wonder what the final score would have been if that INT in the end zone had not been overturned.

Massacre in the Swamp

- The Gators put a whipping on the Bayou Bengals like they did to Tennessee last year. The media is gushing over Tebow again and Florida is back in the top 5. I'm not sure where Les Miles's vaunted defense was, but they sure didn't come ready to play this week.

Vanderbilt - Back to Reality

- Vandy, you got Croomed. See ya at 12:30 next Saturday.

Missouri Falls to Okie State

- Oklahoma State is much better this year than the team we saw last year in Athens. Mike Gundy has got his team firing on all cylinders and Chase Daniel looked human.

Bad SEC Teams

- Coming into this season would anyone have belived that at the midway point the three worst teams in the SEC would be Auburn, Tennessee and Kentucky ?

This season is turning out almost as crazy as last year. We get Vandy for Homecoming this week and then the real season starts in Baton Rouge on the 25th.

Go Dawgs!!!

On The Road - Illinois

I'm on the road in Illinois for training. 9 hours sittin' in a classroom with a bunch Europeans everyday isn't exactly my idea of fun. At least there has been plenty of news on the college football front to keep my interest. Here's what I'll be watching for this weekend:

1. Can Vandy avoid the hangover from the big win and beat Miss. State? If not, is it fair to say Vandy got Croomed?

2. Texas and Oklahoma - Do you think both teams should quit playing defense and just see who can score most? That would a lot fun to watch (like playing hockey on the Xbox without a goalie.)

3. Is Notre Dame good or is Carolina for real?

4. Can LSU make Tim Tebow cry?

5. Can Georgia get it together and steal Fulmer's donuts?

This just makes me laugh. Gotta love Photoshop.