Monday Morning Look Back

So we are down to the final week of the regular season. My oh my, did this season ever fly by. On to my recap of the past week and weekend in college football:

• LSU notched its 2nd consecutive huge SEC road win. Definitely not the dominating performance that we had seen in the past from the Bengal Tigers.
• I actually hated to see the Razorbacks loose - I think they were the SEC's only hope to have a team play for the national title. Casey Dick was absolutely horrible and I don't understand why Nutt didn't insert Mitch Mustain at some point.
• Even in the loss, Darren McFadden and Felix Jones were both electrifying. The Wildcat formation is extremely fun to watch.
• I'm still dumbfounded as to why the Hogs on 4th down and short twice attempted to throw the football. I just don't think the LSU D stops McFadden on a 4th and short situation.
• Florida and Florida State was an extremely boring game to watch. I'm amazed at how awful FSU's offense has become.
• After watching the Florida State game and reflecting on Tim Tebow's year, I'm not convinced that he is going to be a superstar that I initially though he could be.
• I find it amazing that Florida finished the year 11-1 with the amazingly tough schedule it played.
  
• Apparently, the Egg Bowl was a barn burner, but I don't think anyone outside of the 50,000+ in attendance got to see this one. In all honesty, I don't think too many folks were very concerned with the game.
• Kentucky gave Tennessee one hell of a game. Outside of Arkansas, Kentucky just might have been the SEC's biggest surprise.
• If it is not Kentucky, then surely Georgia was the SEC's second biggest surprise as the Bulldogs struggled much more than people expected this year.
• Credit to Mark Richt and the Bulldogs though for righting the ship and defeating their two biggest rivals in their last two games.
• Reggie Ball has to be the most overrated quarterback to make it through the college ranks in a long time. I find it hard to believe that he managed to start for 4 years at Georgia Tech. He owes Calvin Johnson immensely.
• Huge win for Steve Spurrier and the Gamecocks as they knocked off in-sate rival Clemson. If SEC only gets one team in the BCS (I know, it's not likely to happen), then Bama just might not go bowling this year.
• Syvelle Newton at South Carolina must be one hell of an athlete. He starts the year at wide receiver, then plays quarterback for 4 games, only to move back to wide receiver and also receive a fair amount of action as a defensive back. He is the epitome of a utility player on the football field.
• Remember how high Clemson was riding after they knocked off Georgia Tech on ESPN with the Gameday crew in attendance? My how their season took a dive for the worst.
  
• Congrats to Wake Forest for closing another chapter on the feel good story for the year. They clearly have a shoot to defeat GA Tech in the ACC Championship game.
  
• Anyone else see the BYU - Utah game on CSTV? Had to be the most exciting game of the day with BYU scoring a touchdown with no time left.
• I'm curious if the Mormons are excited about BYU's bowl trip to Las Vegas. I just don't see the Mormons having a good time in Sin City.
• I have to agree with the match-up in the BCS Title game if USC beats UCLA this upcoming weekend. In my humble opinion, USC clearly is deserving of the #2 spot.
• I think that the fact Notre Dame will more than likely play in a BCS bowl is a disgrace to college football. They beat one ranked team this year (if Tech looses to Wake, make it zero ranked teams) and got completely hammered against two of the top three in the country. Notre Dame's body of work is the least impressive of any of the one or two loss teams outside of West Virginia, Louisville, and Rutgers.
• Let the coaching carousel begin - UNC has already fired and hired a new head man. These schools are now officially in the mix for a new head man - Michigan State, Miami, Iowa Sate, Arizona State, and North Carolina State. Possibilities to join in the mix include Alabama, Florida State, and as a longshot - UCLA. Top candidates for these jobs this year will be Greg Schiano (Rutgers HC), Bobby Petrino (Louisville HC), Rich Rodriguez (West Virginia HC), Jim Grobe (Wake Forest HC), Brian Kelley (Central Michigan HC), Mike D'Anotnio (Cinci HC), Jimbo Fisher (LSU OC), Bo Pelini (LSU DC), Randy Shannon (Miami DC).
  

Alabama and Nick Saban

In today's Birmingham News, Kevin Scarbinsky writes that folks associated with the Alabama program contacted Nick Saban about his interest in the job. I believe that Kevin is a highly credible source and fully believe that Saban was approached or his agent, Jimmy Sexton, actually contacted Alabama. Acting as a fiduciary as his agent, Mr. Sexton would be crazy to not see what opportunities were available for his clients or entertain individuals seeking the services of his clients that include Saban, Tommy Tuberville, Jimbo Fisher, and Bill Parcells among others. Kevin goes on to write that if Shula is the coach of Alabama next year, then it can be inferred that Saban was not interested in the job. Interestingly, he wraps up his column wondering if Shula survives will he be able to produce the magical year that Tuberville did following the Jetgate scandal.

Sorry that I don't have more to offer today. The bride and I are cooking Thanksgiving dinner for 14 tomorrow and have been in the kitchen all day. I had to call my mother and thanks her for all the Thanksgiving meals she prepared - I have learned today and will continue to learn tomorrow that it is a bear of a task and she pulled it off all by her self.

In case I don't post tomorrow, Happy Thanksgiving to all my readers. I'm definitely not going to retire off this little endeavor, so it is your comments and eyes that keep me pounding away on this blog and I am grateful to all.

The Alabama Creed

Kudos to the unknown author (if anyone knows the author, please let me know so they can get the credit that they deserve) for this gem.....

The Alabama Creed

"We believe that this is a delusional world and that we can talk only about what Bear did. Therefore, we believe in the past, the distant past. We believe in education, and though we did not technically attend the University of Alabama, we know a guy that did. We believe in honesty and truthfulness, because when the punishment for marijuana possession is ice cream, there is really no need to lie. We believe in a sound mind, in a sound body and a spirit that is not afraid. Well, maybe a little afraid of the thumb. We believe in obedience to law, except for the ones concerning money laundering, because they hinder recruiting. We believe in the human touch, even if we have to pay for it at seedy Pensacola strip clubs. We believe in our Country, because it is a land of freedom, and where else on Earth could a man wearing a gold chain earn two million dollars a year losing football games? And because Alabama men and women believe in these things, We believe in Alabama (football) and love it, when we are winning. And when we don't, we throw water bottles at opposing players."

Monday Morning (Evening) Look Back

A great weekend for the heart, but not so hot for the wallet. On to my recap:

• War Damn Q. Groves - his 2 sacks and caused fumbles were clearly the difference between an Auburn win and an Auburn loss.
  
• Auburn's offense is downright pathetic this year.
• It's truly amazing that this Auburn team finished the year with a 10-2 record.
  
• As an Auburn fan, I hope Shula stays, but is there any question that he is way in over his head?
• John Parker Wilson has the potential to be one heck of a quarterback.
• Congrats to Houston Nutt and the Piggies for officially wrapping up the West. After their beat down of Auburn on the Plains, very few thought Arkansas would hang on to win the West.
• If McFadden doesn't get it down running behind his o-line, apparently he can pull his magic on kick-off returns.
• To be a year removed from the high school ranks, Gus Malzahn deserves a ton of praise for his creativity for getting the ball in the hands of his playmakers.
• Just an early prediction, but I think Arkansas crushes Florida in the Dome.
• What happened to LSU? Obviously, they looked well past Ole Miss to their date with Arkansas this upcoming Friday.
  
• I'm still shocked that the Rebels could hang with LSU. Hopefully, the game bought Coach O a few more years at the helm in Oxford. I must admit that I wouldn't mind having Shula and O around the West for many more years to come.
• What a difference Eric Ainge makes in the Tennessee offense. Granted it was Vandy, but they looked very impressive.
• Though Chris Nickson had an off day against Tennessee, he just might be the best young quarterback in the SEC. Remember that he has little to no talent around him.
• I'll admit that due to the Iron Bowl, I watched a grand total of maybe 10 minutes of the Michigan-Ohio State game. Check out the M Zone if you want to read a lot of good information (obviously Michigan biased) on the game.
• People who think the two teams should rematch for the BCS Title are crazy. I guess those people are not in favor of a play-off. If there was ever a play-off scenario for a game, was that game not a semi-final game for the title?
• Congrats to Kentucky for notching its 7th win of the season, albeit a nail-bitter to UL-M.
• If South Carolina can upset Clemson on Saturday, then there is the possibility that Bama does not go bowling. Go Gamecocks!
• How about the weekend for Chuck Amato and Larry Coker? Yikes!
  

Another pretty good card on tap for this week. Just curious, but do you think ESPN is just a tad disappointed that its big Thanksgiving evening match-up is Boston College at Miami. They use to carry Ole Miss and Mississippi State, but dropped that game several years ago because of its irrelevance in the college football world. I'm afraid that ESPN missed the boat again this year.

Thanks to loyal reader R. Johnson for this updated picture of Bryant Denny Stadium (a.k.a. Jordan-Hare West):

2006 Iron Bowl Week - Friday Edition

Today I have decided to take a stroll down memory lane and look back at my greatest memories of this storied rivalry.

• 1985 - My 1st Auburn-Alabama game to attend in person. Truth be told, I remember very little about the back and forth battle of this game, but Van Tiffin's kick seems like it was yesterday.
  
• 1986 - I will always remember watching the "Tillman reverse" at my grandmother's house in Anniston on the day after Thanksgiving or that Saturday after Thanksgiving. I ran around like the crazy child I was after that play. While Bo Jackson was my hero growing up, I can look back to that game as the game that truly made me an Auburn person for life.
• 1993 - The greatest team nobody ever saw. Dad and I were listening to this game on the radio in the den of my parent's house. I remember my father getting up to go to the bathroom when Stan White went down on a 3rd down thinking the Tigers were just going to punt. He came running back into the den as I was jumping up and down screaming as Patrick Nix forever etched his name in the hearts of Auburn fans. Watching the highlights, Tony Richardson, to this day, might have the hardest hit ever recorded in the Iron Bowl after popping James Bostic in the endzone after Bostic sealed the deal with his 70 yard touchdown run late in the 4th quarter. "11-0, 11-0, 11-0" - great call Jim Fyffe.
• 1994 - Back in Legion Field for only my 2nd Iron Bowl in person. This game would begin a streak of 7 straight for me - I never witnessed Auburn win in Legion Field. I was so tired for this game because I had played in a high school play-off game the night before in Nashville. I made it back to Memphis around 1AM and we got up to leave for the Ham at 5Am. I also remember as we were leaving the stadium some drunk Bama student kept shouting Roll Tide in both my face and my father's. That's as close as I have ever seen my father come to hitting another person after trying to actually reason with guy.
  
• 1997 - Thank you, Mike Dubose and Ed Scissum. I was working for the athletic department as a Tiger Host at the time and I will always remember S. Locklar shaking and crying because she was so excited. I have never come across a lady who loves the University more than Sue and I was so excited to get to watch the finish of that game with her.
• 1999 - My last game as a student and Auburn, and unfortunately, Bama ended up cruising to a 4th quarter victory over Auburn behind the wheels of Shaun Alexander. It was Bama's 1st win ever at Auburn and my last game sitting in the student section.

While the 21st Century has also already left its fair share of memories in my mind, I'll save those for another time and place. Give'em hell tomorrow Tigers.

Passing Of A Legend

My thoughts and sympathies go out to the Schembechler family. Before I write about my greatest Iron Bowl memories, I found it fitting to honor Bo. For whatever reason, my fondest memories as a kid growing up in Memphis during the 80's and developing my passion for college football revolve around watching Coach Schembechler and his Wolverines on ABC, Keith Jackson calling games, and the USC-UCLA game on ABC. It's truly bizarre to me that I can remember these activities so vividly. Outside of Auburn, here's a heartfelt thanks to Bo Schembechler for perhaps cementing my passion for college football.

2006 Iron Bowl Week - Thursday Edition

A busier day than I initially realized that I would have. All I have to bring you today is another piece on the lack of national attention this year's Iron Bowl is drawing. I can't believe I am hearing more about Cal-USC than the Iron Bowl, but I guess that's the trade-off for sandy beaches and sunny, 70 degree days in November. Anyhow, Troy Johnson with the Ledger-Enquirer out of Columbus, GA writes "this one doesn't have the sizzle" in today's edition. As I have written about this topic for several days, I have come to kind of appreciate the fact that this game isn't drawing the national attention. Those they have not experienced this game just don't get it, so alums and fans of both institutions should just revel in the fact that they truly get to be a a part of something so special that so many folks across the country take for granted or as I said, just don't get it. So War Eagle and Roll Tide, let's tee it up in under 48 hours.

On a side note, does anyone now what happened to the Pickens County Herald? That paper's sports editor, Kevin Strickland, wrote an awesome column entitled "From the Sidelines." I no longer can find a link to the paper's website though. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

2006 Iron Bowl Week - Wednesday Edition

Mike Szvetitz with the Opelika - Auburn News captures the essence of the Auburn - Alabama rivalry in the paper's Wednesday edition - Iron Bowl always "biggest" game. It would be very interesting to look at the television ratings between the Ohio State - Michigan game and the Iron Bowl and see the difference between the state of Alabama ratings versus the rest of the nation. I imagine that I will be one of possibly 10 people in the LA area tuned into the Iron Bowl this week.

In today's Birmingham News, Kevin Scarbinsky writes about where Alabama players are finding motivation for this year's Iron Bowl - pictures of Tommy Tuberville holding up four fingers. Not that players from either side need much motivation to get up for this game, Le'Ron McClain offers Auburn players a little motivation by stating, "I guarantee it's not going to be five (wins in a row)."

I thought a few quotes from Alabama players in Tim Gayle's article in today's Montgomery Advertiser were quite entertaining. First, Kyle Tatum calls out Auburn fans that wear "fear the thumb" shirts as classless. Ken Darby is quoted saying "Every year, we always come close to beating them." Not sure if I have been watching the same games that Darby has played in over the past three years, but Auburn has basically spanked Bama every game over the past three years. Finally, our buddy Le'Ron McClain emerges in this article as well to spit out perhaps his most profound words yet, "I feel like we're better than every team we've lost to, but our record doesn't show it."

More stories to follow as the week unfolds along with my own "personal" greatest memories from the Iron Bowl.

2006 Iron Bowl Week - Tuesday Edition

So, I'm going to focus only on the Auburn-Alabama game this week, although it is far from the most important game on the national scene. To the folks associated with the two schools, there is no game of greater importance that will be played this weekend, or, as a matter of fact, any other weekend.

To my readers that are interested in the Michigan - Ohio State game (and I can't blame you), check out the guys at the M Zone who are focusing their week on the game. They do a great job covering the Michigan football program and already have some good stuff up for this week's game.

Paul Finebaum hit the nail on the head in his column this past Saturday. Paul discusses that the Iron Bowl is irrelevant nationally. While Paul is dead on with his analysis, I think that is what makes this game so special. While others around the country are taking in the UM-OSU game, the state of Alabama will come to a halt as Auburn and Alabama collide. The game is more about state and local pride to folks in Alabama than what others on a national scale think. It's great to have the national eyes watching your game, but is the importance of the game really diminished by not meaning much on a national scale. I think not, because this game is all about state pride.

Just one other piece for today.....Kevin Scarbinsky in yesterday's Birmingham News wrote that Tuberville owes his popularity to beating Bama. I have no doubt that Tommy Tuberville is widely popular with the Auburn fan base not only for his stellar record against Alabama, but also because he is able to get under the skin of the opposing fans. Looking back at the widely popular coaches in the series, Bear was loved clearly because of his amazing record while at Alabama, but referring to Auburn as "that cow college" only endeared him even more in the hearts of Alabama fans. Pat Dye will always be remembered not for winning 4 SEC titles during his tenure, but putting Auburn on equal ground with Alabama and bringing the Iron Bowl to Auburn's campus. Tommy's record is impressive, but Auburn fans got so much pleasure watching Tommy T running around Pat Dye field holding four fingers in the air. Even Coach Fran knew how to win the Bama fans over as he always referred to Auburn as "that school down the road." With all the "fear the thumb" talk coming from the Auburn fans, this year's game is hugely important to show that once and for all, Auburn is no longer on equal ground with Alabama, but that Tuberville has clearly moved the Tigers beyond the Tide's shadow and is now casting their own shadow on the Tide.

Monday Morning Look Back

So, it has been a while since I last posted. Since last Wednesday afternoon, I have traveled to New Jersey and back (unfortunately, not for the Louisville - Rutgers game), logged a long run on Saturday morning (currently I'm training for the Austin Marathon), watched my Tigers get humiliated, only to end the weekend with an awful stomach virus. Anyhow, on to my thoughts....

• I knew Auburn had some issues, but I never would have expected the ass pounding that the Tigers received from UGA.
  
• Has a quarterback ever had a worse SEC game than Brandon Cox strung together against UGA? Brandon Cox made Brent Schaeffer look like Heisman material.
• I'm dumbfounded as to what's wrong with Auburn's offense - Is it the o-line? They struggle mightily to pass block. Is it the quarterback? Defenses just don't respect the Auburn passing game. Cox also looks very gimpy. Is it the receivers? Auburn has a non-existent downfield passing attack. Is it the running game? Auburn has too much talent for the running game to be problematic. Clearly, I think it's a mixture of the o-line, quarterback, and receiver play, just not sure as to which is the biggest Achilles hill.
• While Auburn's offense was horrendous, the defense wasn't any better. I understand that the offense did not leave the defense in the best of situations, but they still should not have been torched like they were.
• Enough bashing of Auburn, UGA played an excellent game. Matthew Stafford finally stepped up and showed what kind of qb he is capable of being. Kregg Lumpkin found UGA's running game which had been struggling as well over the past month.
• What's with Tommy Tuberville's Auburn teams struggling to win 10 games? 9 wins is his teams' magic number.
• So do I look like an idiot with my preseason prediction on Arkansas's season?
• Arkansas just might be the nation's best team right now. I know they would love a chance for redemption with the USC Trojans.
• Arkansas will be a preseason top 5 team entering next year with all of their offensive weapons returning.
• Darren McFadden is easily the nation's top running back.
• Marcus Monk is every bit as good as Mario Manningham and Calvin Johnson.
• I'm just not sold on Florida as a top-5 team. I realize that they have an impressive 9-1 record, but they just don't look that good.
• South Carolina just doesn't have the talent to beat the big boys.
• Nobody is talking about this game, but I can't wait until the LSU-Arkansas game. LSU is clearly one of the nation's best teams and Arkansas is the hottest team in the country right now.
• Credit to Mike Shula this week for opening up the Alabama playbook. Although they lost to an extremely good LSU team on the road, I think Bama played its best ball of the year this past Saturday.
• Did anyone know that Dwayne Bowe had lasik surgery in the off-season? I'm amazed at how announcers latch onto a topic at the beginning of the year and just never let it go.
• Congrats to Kentucky for becoming bowl eligible for the first time since 1999 - the Hal Mumme days.
• Amazingly, Vanderbilt blew another 4th quarter lead.
• Even more amazing, Texas A&M suffered another 1 point loss.
• If Louisville was national title material, then I believe Rutgers should be in line to play the Ohio State - Michigan winner.
  
• Was anyone else pulling for San Jose State to knock off Boise State? I really don't want to see Boise in a BCS game.

Looking ahead, I'm not happy about the Iron Bowl and the Michigan-Ohio State game being on at the same time. It's sad that absolutely nobody outside of the state of Alabama has any interest in the Iron Bowl this year. As an Auburn fan, I'm torn between which game to have on the big screen and which game should be relegated to the 21 incher. Again, sorry for missing a few days and for the late post from today, but I have been feeling like death recently. Look for a heavy emphasis on the Iron Bowl as far as material this week, though nobody on a national scale cares about the game. It's still really important to me and clearly the SEC's biggest game this week.

West Virgina Football & Academics

I've been meaning to get this post out ever since last Friday....

In light of this summer's allegations by the New York Times that Auburn football players received preferential treatment by the Sociology department through independent study courses, I thought it was fitting that when the school released its final report on independent studies late last week, clearing the athletic department of any wrongdoing, no media outlets covered the story. Auburn and the supposed academic scandal was a hot item just prior to the kick-off of the 2006 college football season. People across the country were laughing at Auburn and its players either with a sociology degree or in the program.

Well, watching the West Virginia - Louisville match-up, I found it rather amusing that a majority of the players' profiles from West Virginia shown during the telecast stated the player's major as Athletic Coaching Education. I totally agree that Sociology is not one of the more challenging majors available to Auburn students, but Athletic Coaching Education, come on. Check out the curriculum required to earn a degree in this major. I'm curious as to why the national media doesn't drop its current love affair with the Big East and take a look at West Virginia's academics. Maybe the school gets a pass from the NCAA with academics since a majority of individuals from the state are unable to read? You think many non-athletes are majoring in Athletic Coaching Education? If anyone wants to look at preferential treatment of athletes and academics, I say look no further than Morgantown.

A Few Good Reads For Your Tuesday Afternoon/Evening

As a Tuesday tradition, I've included several columns from writers around the south. So take a break from watching election returns, and read a few of these.

With Mississippi State and Sylvester Croom getting the SEC-winless monkey off its back, I figured they would be a good place to start. In Sunday's Jackson Clarion-Ledger, columnist Rick Cleveland writes a wonderful perspective piece on the Bulldogs' win - Call it a miracle, if not for Bulldogs, surely for Croom. Cleveland also wonders whether or not the Bulldogs will be able to build upon this win.

Cecil Hurt, Alabama beat writer for the Tuscaloosa News, writes 2006 season summed up in 60 minutes of disappointment. Cecil is very down on Mike Shula these days and appears quite frustrated in Alabama's lack of improvement throughout the year. He hits the nail on the head when he writes "The solutions, if there are to be any, haven’t changed. It starts with the head coach looking into the mirror, then extending the same scrutiny to every other member of his staff. The problems still seem to be primarily on the offensive side of the ball, which is not to exempt the defense from its fair share of the ample Saturday blame. But (and this is the only statistic I will cite in this column, since it essentially says it all) – Alabama has not scored an offensive touchdown against Mississippi State in over two years, in more than 125 minutes of football."

Sticking with the Turds, Randy Kennedy, columnist for the Mobile Press-Register, writes that the Crimson Tide is among SEC's worst teams. I think Mr. Kennedy is right on with his assessment of the Turds - The difference between Alabama, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Vanderbilt and Kentucky is basically non-existent on any given Saturday. All of those teams are capable of playing an occasional close game against one of the SEC big boys, but they're seldom able to close the deal." He goes on to write that major changes need to occur to Alabama's offensive staff.

Nate Allen, writer for the Northwest Arkansas Times gives his readers a different side of Arkansas's Darren McFadden that many people did not know about. Seems to be a good guy on top of one hell of a running back.

Mark Bradley, Atlanta Journal Constitution columnist, writes about Georgia's fall from grace. As they say, hindsight is 20-20, but Mr. Bradley does a good job of taking a look at the writing on the wall from the previous years to a struggling season this year.

Glenn Guilbeau with Gannett News Services writes about LSU's plane flight home from Knoxville. In my opinion, this article solidifies the fact that Les Miles is a freaking dork and apparently it's rubbing off on his team now. I'm not quite sure why, but I can totally picture Les saying "OK guys, you can wear your sweats home."

Chris Low, a staff writer for The Tennessean, writes about the suspensions of the Tennessee trio involved in a fight at GoodFellas, which according to Coach Fulmer, is now off-limits to his team. I find the suspensions rather amusing in that the only starter out of the three is suspended just for a half while the other two players are suspended for a game and 2 games. Fulmer's strict disciplinarian-self comes out again. Not quite sure who is more lenient, Fulmer or Shula?

Rick Scoppe with The Greenville News writes about Steve Spurrier's frustrations and on his comments about returning to face his former team in The Swamp. I think Spurrier's response about returning to The Swamp is classic. He can be so blunt and come across as such a jerk, so opposing fans can hate him, but if he is your coach, you have to love the man.

Finally, Henry Matuszak with the Commercial Dispatch out of Columbus, MS (Still trying to figure out how I guy with that last name ends up in Columbus), writes that the Rebels set goal to win out this season. I hate to break it to Shrek and the Ole Miss staff, but they should set some more realistic goals.

Monday Morning Look Back

So, it's rather upsetting to think that the end of the college football season is in sight. It seems like just yesterday that I was rushing home from the office to watch the South Carolina - Mississippi State Thursday night debacle. Anyhow, on to my weekend review:

• Auburn's red zone offense continues to suck as bad as a whore having a seizure. The offense puts up over 400 yards of offense again, yet only produces 3 touchdowns.
• With the Arkansas State game behind Auburn, it's a great time for Auburn fans with what Pat Dye use to refer to as "Amen Corner" left on the team's plate.
• I have finally come to realize that I don't see any way Auburn gets to play in the BCS Title Game - for one, I don't think Auburn even wins the West.
• Arkansas's running game is absolutely dominant. Their unbalanced line formation is old-school and Darren McFadden, in my humble opinion, is the nation's best running back.
• Even more amazing, Arkansas is 5-0 in the SEC and 8-1 overall, yet they are still struggling to find a quarterback.
• If McFadden is injured seriously (reports are a bit sketchy right now) and unable to play against the Vols or LSU Tigers, the Piggies might be in trouble (see the Southern Cal game).
  
• Blake Mitchell's third quarter performance for the Gamecocks was amazing. Steve Spurrier has an unbelievable knack for the quarterback position.
• Glad to see JaMarcus finally live up to expectations and win a big game on the road. He single handedly carried the LSU offense on Saturday night.
• I'm wondering if the Vols are going to mail in their season after the loss to LSU. For some reason, I see this team laying down now.
• Even with the loss, things appear to be back to normal in Knoxville with Arian Foster, Antonio Wardlow, and David Holbert getting arrested early Sunday morning.
• It's crazy how Auburn players were supposedly banged up for weeks post LSU game, yet Tennessee players apparently still had a bit of fight left in them.
• Remember me discussing Mike Shula's situation several weeks ago? Contrary to his contract and what the Bama administration is saying, I think he is now in serious trouble of not surviving this year. I am predicting that LSU will stomp Alabama as Shula will be solely focused on the Auburn game which has become must-win for him. I'll have plenty of Shula material this upcoming week.
• On the flip-side, congrats are in order for Sylvester Croom. I have been riding him fairly hard and have to admit that his team looked much improved this past weekend. I'm pulling for the Bullies to finish the year strong with three straight SEC wins. Arkansas is a big stretch, but Ole Miss is clearly beatable.
• Things are downright ugly in Athens, GA. A 6-4 record is tough to bear, but with SEC losses to Vanderbilt and Kentucky, the record just got uglier.
• How bad are things in Athens? So bad that the Auburn-UGA game is being broadcast regionally as the JP (I know, it's now the Lincoln Financial, but as far as I am concerned, I will always refer to the 11:30 central game as the "JP Game")Game of the Week with the Daves on the call.
• Anyone in their right mind predict Kentucky would be bowling this year. It likely will happen with them needing one win out of their last 3 games that include Vanderbilt, LA-Monroe, and Tennessee.
  
• I'm convinced Vanderbilt is the exact opposite of Notre Dame. Vanderbilt outgained Florida this past weekend, yet came up on the short end of the score. Vanderbilt is notorious for coming up short in games that they have a chance to win, while the Irish seem to pull several games a year out of their ass.
• Remember when some folks were mentioning Chris Leak's name with the Heisman? Seems like ages ago as he has struggled the past several weeks.
• Since it is looking like both Boise and Louisville will be in a BCS bowl, I'm thinking the two should play again to rematch the Liberty Bowl from '04. Besides, does anyone want to see Louisville in the BCS Title game besides the folks hanging out in the Papa?
• So Missouri danced with the big boys in the Top 25 for multiple weeks, but have no quickly assumed their position outside the Top 25.
• Likewise, thank you for stopping by Clemson.
• Joe Pa is a warrior. The 80 year-old man gets the shits, sprints off the sideline to relieve himself only to return to the sidelines. Now, he gets cracked by a Wisconsin defender, breaks a leg and injures some knee ligaments, yet he pops up and doesn't want to sit down on the bench and he isn't happy about getting carted off the field. Get well soon, Joe Pa.
• I said it last week and I will say it again, Colt McCoy is going to be an absolute superstar before his time is up at Texas.
• Can Texas A&M play its games any closer? In its 6 conference games this year, A&M is 4-2, winning its 4 games by a combined 20 points and loosing its 2 games by a combined 5 points. I think Franchione has earned himself another year, although he still has yet to beat Oklahoma, Nebraska, or Texas. He still can do something about the last 2 this year.
• Nothing new on the Amato or Coker front - thanks for stopping by, gentlemen.
• Finally, looking at bowl projections, I have seen some folks have predicted Auburn will meet Georgia Tech in the Orange Bowl. No one can be pulling for that game than Reggie Ball. He has had two career days against Auburn, so I am sure he would love to end his 10-year Tech career playing the team that he terrorizes.

Look for some columns from around the South to be posted by some point tomorrow....

Recap of West Virginia - Louisville

Last night's game cemented in my mind that an undefeated Big East school is less deserving of the BCS National Title game than a one loss team from the Big 10, SEC, PAC 10, Big 12, or ACC. First, I will give credit to West Virginia's two offensive studs, Pat White and Steve Slaton are exciting players to watch. West Virginia's offense is so gimmicky though. I actually thought I was watching a Pop Warner game for awhile when West Virginia would snap the ball to White in the shotgun and he would just run around left or right end. Though Slaton put up some big time numbers, the fact of the matter was that he put the ball on the turk twice and then attempted to milk an injury. Sorry, that's not Heisman caliber.

Louisville's offense is legit. Bobby Petrino is a hell of an offensive mind. Louisville's defense is nothing to write home about.

The fact of the matter between these two schools is that if they played a Big 10, SEC, etc schedule, I just don't think they could hang week end and week out. Slaton gets banged up and the announcers are declaring it over for West Virginia. Has there been a starting running back in the SEC make it through this year without getting banged up? West Virginia just doesn't have the size, talent, or depth to compete on a national scale every week. Yes, they can play with a Georgia for one game, but they couldn't compete against Georgia, Florida, and Tennessee throughout a season.

Louisville is a bit of a different beast than West Virginia. I really think that their program is on the rise and they have the potential to play with the big boys, but unfortunately have chosen not to. If you look at Louisville's recruiting under Petrino, he has been able to go into states like Alabama and Florida and steal away some top-notch prospects. Couple that with the fact that he basically owns the state of Kentucky which produces its fair share of talent (its not Florida, but the cupboard is far from bare in the state), and Louisville is a program that has the potential to compete on the national stage, even though their stadium is named after a pizza joint.

Finally, I mentioned yesterday that I wish both teams could loose, just as I wish before the Miami and Florida State game every year. I think these two teams just might be becoming the new Florida State and Miami. The game was extremely sloppy with at least 8 fumbles, 4 turnovers, and 7 personal foul penalties. I was actually hoping for a brawl to seal the deal.

On to this weekend:
So a decent, but far from great, card for the weekend. I will be tuning into the Penn State - Wisconsin game bright and early out here on the Left Coast with a Fat Tire and breakfast burrito at Busby's. Then, it's back home to catch the LSU-Tennessee and Arkansas-South Carolina games. It seems that everyone is riding South Carolina this week, but I think that they might be emotionally spent after last week's UT game. While I am obviously hoping for the Carolina win, I think Arkansas takes care of business on the road. Speaking of taking care of business on the road, LSU has yet been able to do so, so I am leaning towards the Vols in that game. On paper, I like LSU given Tennessee's issues in its secondary - JaMarcus should light them up if Jimbo allows him to do so.

Have a happy & safe weekend wherever you may be.....

Thursday Night Football

Seeing that it's 3 0' clock on the Left Coast, most of my readers probably will not read this post until after tonight's game....oh well. I'm kind of viewing this game in a similar fashion as the Florida State - Miami game, meaning that if there was a way for both teams to loose, that is what I would want to happen. Bobby Petrino is a schmuck of a coach and neither team is deserving of its records (or to state it another way, if every school played West Virginia's schedule, there would currently be at least 25 teams undefeated). Besides the state flower of West Virginia is the satellite dish.

Well apparently, Papa John's Stadium is going to be "blacked out" tonight and the Cardinals are going to be decked out in all black uniforms from helmet to toe. Apparently, they did not receive the memo from Florida State that black unis do not equal a "W." I am curious to see what kind of home field advantage the 'Ville has tonight. Louisville just isn't a college football town, so I'm not quite sure how much of an advantage that gives the team, although the Cards will definitely be better off than if the game was in Morgantown. Anyhow, I am looking forward to the game, but may neither team win.

How about the barn burners ESPN has given us the last two nights? I am a college football junkie, but as I age, I have to admit that watching UAB-SMU and Freson State-Boise State is getting tough. I really feel like ESPN might be doing college football a dis-favor by airing these games. Just think, if you are on the fence about college football and these are the games you get to watch. I just think these games would turn people away from the sport rather than attracting new fans. I shouldn't be complaining though, because come February, I will be cringing for any college football that I can possibly get my hands on.

Going back to Boise State - I know some people are thinking, wait a minute, now they are a top tier team. WRONG, as I have stated before, Boise State is bush league, their field is bush league, and their conference is bush league. Actually, I think the NCAA should mandate to keep I-A status, you must play on a green grass colored surface. I'm still shocked that Mark May and Lou Holtz (I shouldn't be shocked by anything that comes out of these two clowns' mouths) had the gall to state that Ian Johnson should be invited to the Heisman Ceremony. Can you imagine the stats of an Adrian Peterson, Marshawn Lynch, or Darren McFadden if their respective teams played Boise's schedule. If Boise makes it to a BCS game, then I will have major problems with the system (not really fair, because I already do), regardless who plays for the national title.

No Surprise in East Lansing

Non-SEC related, but John L. Smith is finished in East Lansing. Hopefully, I will get a chance to bring you all a little better material as an unbelievable day on the Left Coast unfolds.