Week 3 Results

Is it Friday already? Wow! I haven't had a chance to breathe this week! I went 5-3 last week leaving me with an overall record of 20-8.

East

UF 59 - UT 20
Wow, I guess I gave UT's defense a little too much credit. I've said all along that Tebow is the real deal. Is anyone still doubting this after Saturday's performance? I'm still surprised that we haven't seen more of Tebow's backup. Is Meyer just trying to pad is stats? If Tebow goes down, they're in trouble.

USC 38 - SCS 3
Boring!

UK 40 - UL 34
Speaking of "the real deal", Andre' Woodson be thy name! I honestly don't know why this was considered an upset, and why more people weren't picking Kentucky. Middle Tennessee State put 34 points on them!

UGA 45 - WCU 16
How much money is Western Carolina making from the SEC this year?

Vandy 31 - OM 17
Maybe Auburn isn't the worst team in the West after all. Ole Miss averaged 1.7 yards per rush...against Vanderbilt! I know they returned most of their defense, but it's still Vanderbilt.

West

LSU 44 - MTSU 0
Miles opted to play Perrilloux instead of Flynn this game. Well, at least Matt is used to being a backup. Even still, this is just another boring patsy game.

Bama 41 - Ark 38
This was the most exciting game I've seen this year. Bama looked good on offense at times. JPW still makes bad decisions when he's under pressure. He did throw the ball inside the 10, though. I the past, he's been too run-happy in that area. Bama's defense has some holes. So does Arkansas. Man to man coverage on the last drive? Someone needs to be shot for that.

MSU 19 - AU 14
I was never sold on Muschamp. I can't stand the bend but don't break defense. The opposing team has scored on the opening drive against Auburn in all three games this year. There, so no one will ever accuse me of putting all of the blame on Cox. Speaking of which, just bench him. He isn't performing well. Burns is young and doesn't quite know the offense, but he moves the ball. He also gets his team fired up. Cox looks and plays like he's on Ambien. He needs to snap out of it. If not, he needs to call plays into Burns.

SEC Picks - Week 3

I've been way to busy this week (again) to get this blog rolling. Eventually, I'll find my voice and be able post regularly. For now, it's just for my entertainment. Here are my thoughts on the two instate teams, and my picks for the rest of the SEC.

On Auburn and MSU: I posted this comment on Best of the SEC Blogs, "Their defense matches up well against Auburn. Holmes and Brown are both NFL-caliber players. You can bet that Croom is going to line them up on the same side as Auburn's frosh linemen. They were able to pressure Flynn the entire LSU game. Cox doesn't have the supporting cast that Flynn does, and has been making piss-poor decisions even when NOT under pressure. Groves et al will be too much for Hennig. Auburn will win, but it won't be a blowout."

On Bama and Arkansas: This is a very tough game to call. Arkansas only returns one starter on their OL. They will match up well against Bama's weak front seven. McFadden and Jones should put up 100 a piece. I think Bama should be able to move the ball on offense as well, but this will be the first semi-good defense that they've faced this year. Bottom line, McFadden and Jones will win it for the Hogs.

East

UT - 28
UF - 31

South Carolina State - 6
USC - 42

Louisville - 31
UK - 42

Western Carolina - 0
UGA - 52

Ole Miss - 21
Vandy - 17

West

Middle Tennessee - 0
LSU - 56

Arkansas - 28
Alabama - 24

MSU - 3
Auburn - 17

A whole lot of talk, but from where?

I listen to the Opening Drive in the mornings, and Finebaum in the afternoons. I've heard numerous Bama fans call both shows and talk about all of the "aubies" calling for Tuberville's head. I've also heard Finebaum, and Tony Kurre mention this several times. I find it strange that I haven't heard a single caller doing this. I also haven't spoken with a single Auburn fan who feels this way about Tuberville. What's the deal? Am I listening at the wrong time? Are the hosts and Bama callers full of it? Either way, I'm not hearing it!

There has also been discussion over whether or not blame should be placed on Brandon Cox for the loss against USF. My take on this? Partially.

Cox had this to say about his performance:

"It's decisions, mainly, and trying to make things happen to much," Cox said. "I've just got to take what they give me and not try to force things. If it's not there, don't try to make something happen."

As a professional armchair quarterback, I have to disagree. Cox is not trying to do too much. He is not playing to win. He is playing to not get injured. Here's why I feel this way:

1. The offensive line performed well against USF. Cox didn't have defenders in his face all night long like he did against KSU, but he sure did play like it. He was throwing the ball early off of his back foot into double and triple coverage the entire game.
2. The few times that he was pressured or actually decided to scramble down the field, he went completely limp before getting hit. I noticed this in the KSU game as well. Before he gets hit, his head and shoulders drop.

This leads me to ask if there is something going on that the public doesn't know about. How many concussions has Cox suffered from over his career? It's pretty evident that he suffered one during the KSU game. The "How many concussions are too many?" argument is a whole separate can of worms, but if Cox has had several already, I'm not sure if he should still be playing. I would rather take my chances with a backup quarterback than having someone permanently injured.

Whether the above scenario is true or not remains to be seen. Maybe Cox isn't keeping his head on straight during the week. I don't know, but the fact remains that he is not mentally there during the games. Sure, he doesn't have the supporting cast that he's had during the past two years, but some of the mistakes he's making are just too questionable for a fifth year senior with two years starting under his belt.

Week 2 results

Well, I went 6-3 for week two. I should have gone with my initial feelings about UGA and USC. I'll organize this by my rankings.

East

UF - Easy win for them over Troy. I don't understand why Meyer isn't working in a backup for Tebow more during these patsy games. Tebow's the man, but no one is immune to injuries.

USC - "South Carolina is going to surprise some people this year." That was my preseason assessment of SC. Never underestimate Spurrier. Richt has always been inconsistent.

UT - I was too busy watching the Auburn train wreck to even notice this game. It looks like UT started out fairly slow. Ainge put up some good numbers.

UGA - After looking like the most prepared team in the SEC, they looked flat against USC. They have Western Carolina this week, who got blasted by a team that lost to UK 40 points. Maybe they'll use this time to work out the kinks.

UK - Another creampuff week. They went into halftime tied. Was it halftime adjustments or a lack of substitutes for Kent State that turned this into a blowout. Who cares? It's Kentucky.

Vandy - A questionable call resulted in momentum for Bama early in this game. Vandy would have lost anyway. Nickson looked pretty bad. Adams fared a little better. The defense was able to pressure JPW a good bit.

West

LSU - I knew Tech was nothing but an overrated media doll. Just because the school went through a major tragedy doesn't mean that the football team will be any good. LSU's offense is coming together. Their defense isn't just the best in the SEC, but the best in the nation.

Arkansas - McFadden and Jones had a combined 400 yards against the bye. They should have a field day against Bama's weak front this week.

Alabama - Their defense gives up some big plays, but they're usually called back. JPW doesn't perform well under pressure, but has a good supporting cast. Their first real challenge will be this weekend.

Ole Miss - No one will ever call me a homer after this...well, maybe. Ole Miss has no defense, but they have shown some brilliance on offense. It doesn't take much of a defense to stop the next team on the list.

Auburn - The team did come out and played with some intensity this game...just on one side of the ball. The defense is spot-on (aside from the blown coverage in overtime). On offense, Auburn is 5-28 on third down conversions, has allowed 6 sacks, and has turned the ball over 7 times in two games against mid-tier teams!

Mississippi State - Henig would have some great numbers if MSU played in Conference USA. Unfortunately for him, the SEC is known for their defense.

SEC Picks - Week 2

It always happens when I start something to entertain myself...life gets busy. So yeah, this blog has been pretty thin in content. Oh well, here are my picks for this week.

SEC East

Florida vs. Troy - Arkansas was able to run all over Troy's defense last week. Florida should be able to put up some big numbers on the ground and in the air this week. Like against Arkansas, Troy will be able to put a few on the board, but it still won't be close.
Tebow 42 - Condoms 21

UGA vs. USC - I thought USC was going to be hot this year, and UGA was going to be rebuilding. If last week was any indication of how these teams will do this year, I was completely wrong. If UGA is as prepared as they were last week, this one will be ugly.
Dawgs 28 - Cocks 10

UT vs. Southern Miss - Southern Miss has a back that could play anywhere in the SEC. Unfortunately for him, I can't say the same about the OL. Fulmer will have his boys ready to play after losing to Cal. The kinks in the offense should be ironed out this week.
Viles 34 - Eagles 14

Kentucky vs. Kent State - Kentucky's offense is going to have another great day. What's the over/under on them getting 500 yards?
Shats 48 - Flamers 12

Vandy vs. Bama - No one pisses in Bama's cornflakes quite like the Commies do...by losing. Bama usually has a hard time blowing them out. They squeaked by last year, and this year? The Commies brought most of their starters back, and the game is in Nashville. However, this one won't be the super close game that a lot of people seem to be predicting. It'll be an ugly win, though.
Tampons 21 - Commies 7

SEC West

LSU vs. Virginia Tech - Virginia Tech played East Carolina, minus their QB, last weekend. The line was 27.5. They won by 10 only putting 17 on the board. Running game? Nonexistent. This game will be played in the dreaded "Death Valley".
Corndogs 28 - Pokies 10

Auburn vs. South Florida - South Florida comes into Auburn a week after struggling with 1-AA Elon. Auburn played horribly last week. If history repeats itself tomorrow, Auburn will come out explosively. Tuberville seems to always redeem himself after a poor performance.
Tigers 24 - Cows 10

Arkansas - off

Ole Miss vs. Missouri - This one doesn't really excite me at all. Missouri should win this one even without a running game.
Tigers 24 - Hotty-Toddlers 14

Mississippi State at Tulane - What is it about these Mississippi teams that bore the hell out of me? Tulane is in a conference where MSU could be competitive. Maybe that's why they play two out of their three out of conference games against Conference USA teams. Out of sheer boredom, Tulane wins.
Wave 28 - Croomdogs 27

Grading Auburn - Sort Of

I apologize to my two or three readers for the delay, but the wife, dogs, and house come first!

QB – C+
Cox is slower than frozen molasses on Christmas Eve. His interceptions weren’t really bad passes, but good execution on the defense’s part. Several of his incompletions were dropped balls. He gets the + for not completely losing his head.

RB – I
This could have been an A, but do to "unresolved academic issues", Lester had to sit out. The rumor fairies have been working overtime on this situation, but no one really knows what’s going on. KSU was stacked the box against a young offensive line, and Tate still managed to pick up 82 yards. Stewart is 6’2, but looks like he’s 6’5 when he runs down the field. He’s been at Auburn for what seems to be ten years. He should know by now that he needs to get low to bust through tackles.

WR – B
There were too many dropped balls. And I’m not talking about dropped balls after acrobatic leaps. There is no excuse for dropping a perfectly thrown ball. The tight ends looked great, and are the only reason this is a B and not a C.

OL – C
KSU brought the house. Ziemba had a few mental mistakes. Dunlap apparently had the worst game. I put 3 of the 5 sacks on Cox.

Offense – C+
I would like to think that the vanilla offense was by design. You know, a “don’t tip you hand before SEC play” kind of deal. That’s merely wishful thinking, but when they REALLY needed points, the playbook expanded a little. Overall, they just looked lackadaisical.

LB – B
Blackmon and Evans both had interceptions. Other than that, I didn’t even realize there were LBs on the field. KSU only had 16 rushing attempts, though.

DL – A
Quinton Groves is an animal. Sims, Coleman and Marks did there parts as well by putting pressure on the quarterback.

DB – B
Overall, they looked good. There were several dropped interceptions, but most DBs aren’t known for their hands.

Defense – B+
Other than the first drive, I don’t see any major complaints about their performance. They did what they needed to.

Special teams – B
The kicking game looked good. Dunn seemed to have borrowed his gloves from Tre Smith. Catch the ball before you start moving!

Week 1 Results

I went 9-2 in my predictions. I would brag, but most of the games were no contests.

Florida vs. Western Kentucky – “Tebow won't be tested and I'm sure he won't play a down in the second half.”
UF 49-3: I was pretty close on this one. Had the thunderstorm not rolled in, It could have ended 56 – 3. Tebow proved that he is the real deal…against a crappy team. He won’t really be tested until their third game against UT.

South Carolina vs. Louisiana Laffayette – “I have a hunch that Smelley will do fine.”
USC 28-14: By the numbers, it looks like he did alright. However, Beecher did better. USC allowed over 300 yards on the ground…not good.

Tennessee at California – “Wearing panties is more accepted in LA, so Ainge will feel more relaxed.”
Cal 35-14: I never thought Cal could drag UT into a PAC-10 shootout. Ainge did seem to be more relaxed than in the past connecting 32 out of 47 passes.

Kentucky vs. E. Kentucky - Shats 34 - Sanders' Brigade 0
UK 50-10: Woodson had some good numbers, but it was against a high school team.

Georgia vs. Oklahoma State – “UGA will fall this weekend.”
UGA 35-14: This is my biggest blunder of the weekend. UGA looked like one of the best prepared teams in the SEC this weekend. However, Georgia fans need to worry about their run defense. Take away the sacks, and OSU’s YPR goes up a good bit.

Vanderbilt vs. Richmond – “…a very rare occurrence will take place Saturday...Vandy will be undefeated!”
Vandy 41-17: It won’t last long. Richmond put up 306 yards on offense, and they’re no Bama.

LSU at MSU – “This is almost as bad as scheduling a 1-AA patsy for the first game.”
LSU 45-0: Appalachian State would have scored at least 50 on MSU. LSU looked sloppy. Their offensive line needs to start gelling or they could be in trouble.

Auburn vs. Kansas State – “The fact that this is a night game, which is very key, at Jordan-Hare will be the difference.”
AU 23-13: Crowd noise really got to KSU’s young offensive line. Auburn looked like a solid 7-5 team. I’ll go into this game in more detail later.

Arkansas vs. Troy – “…the Jones / McFadden combo is too much…”
Arkansas 46-26: McFadden had 6.3 yards per carry, and threw a TD pass. Jones had 10.8 yards a carry, and ran a kickoff return back for a TD. Them’s good players!

Alabama vs. Western Carolina – “Saban beats an extremely underrated 1-AA team and solidifies himself as the second coming of the Bear.”
UA 52-6: Yep, Saban is bulletproof after this win. Just for giggles, Shula’s team beat Western Carolina 52-0. Bama was cruising in the third quarter with a decent lead, and JPW was still in the game. Shula was billed an idiot after doing that with Croyle.

Ole Miss at Memphis - Hotty-Toddlers 14 - Basketball 13
OM 23-21: Ole Miss was up 20-0 at half. What happened? I don’t know, but Memphis made it a game while piling on some yardage.