Whew

I can't recall how many times I thought about the Ole Miss game from last season during yesterday's tilt vs. the Razorbacks. It was a lot though. I thought about that game every single time the Gators fumbled, were forced to settle for 3 and when Arkansas' Greg Childs crossed the goal line late in the fourth.

I actually thought about my game review. I thought about how I would describe this game as being exactly like the Ole Miss game, ending with a loss. However, the Gators' D got a stop when they needed to, Tim Tebow drove the ball down the field when he needed to and Caleb Sturgis nailed the game winning field goal when he was called upon.

You know what they like to say: "A win is a win is a win. Especially in the SEC." I tend to agree with that. I never underestimated the Arkansas team, despite my score prediction. I actually had Arkansas ranked in my top 25. I do think, however, that the Gators underestimated the Arkansas Razorbacks. Meyer said after the game that the team was extremely confident heading into Saturday. He made sure to comment that it was not overconfidence, but just plain old "swagger." I have to disagree with Urb. The Gators did not play with any fire during the entire first half and nearly woke up too late to pull out the victory.

All of the signs pointed to an Arkansas upset. The two starting DT's for Florida did not suit up. Brandon Spikes was injured on the first defensive drive of the game. Riley Cooper was battling a hip pointer for a little over a half. The Gators coughed up the ball every time they reached the red zone. Despite this, the Gators were still able to pull out the victory. We can all breathe a little easier this morning.

Time for some stats!

Passing

Tim Tebow 17-26 255 yards 1 td

Rushing

Tim Tebow 27 rushes 69 yards
Jeff Demps 9 rushes 54 yards 1 td
Emmanuel Moody 3 rushes 7 yards
Chris Rainey 6 rushes 6 yards


Receiving

Aaron Hernandez 7 recs 97 yards
Riley Cooper 6 recs 58 yards
Deonte Thompson 1 rec 77 yards 1 td

Tackles

Joe Haden 6
Jermaine Cunningham 6
Ahmad Black 6
Will Hill 6
Omar Hunter 6


Sacks

Jermaine Cunningham 2
Joe Haden 1
A.J. Jones 1

Field Goals

Caleb Sturgis 3/4 Long-51


Player of The Game

Caleb Sturgis - The Garbage Picking, Field Goal Kicking Florida Gator


Maybe I should make a weekly trip to Gainesville to kick a slumping player in the balls. After my trip last week to give Sturgis' nads a swift, Shawn Michaelsesque superkick, all he did was go out and kick the game winner straight through the uprights. That's not why I'm giving Caleb player of the game honors, though. His 51 yarder earlier in the game was a bit more impressive for me. I knew he had the leg for it, but he has never shown great accuracy. Until now. Also, the way he quited the entire Gators sideline after his game winning boot was phenomenal (you must use your Jim Rome voice to read that last sentence.) Congrats Sturgis, and ice those nuts!

Florida v. Arkansas Preview

The immovable object v. The unstoppable force.

That would be the great debate heading into this game between Florida's elite D and Arkansas' new-found prolific offense. However, we have already seen what happens to Arkansas' offense when they run into a solid defense. Just pop in a video tape of their game vs Alabama from a few weeks ago. Just a warning: Hide the kids, because it gets ugly.

So Florida's D is a huge key to victory this week. It's not all about the defense though. It is imperative for the Gators to have a strong showing on offense simply for the fact that it will help build confidence on that side of the ball heading into the home stretch.

The atmosphere in Gainesville will be amazing this week. This is the last homecoming of Tim Tebow and Brandon Spikes' playing career. Perhaps the best offensive and defensive players to ever wear the Orange and Blue will put on a show.

5 Keys to the game

1. Put pressure on Ryan Mallett - The Gators finally place some major pressure on an opposing QB last week. That could have been a product of what may be one of the worse offensive lines in the SEC. This week, the Gators need to prove that they can apply that same kind of pressure against a good offensive line. Mallett is huge, and getting pressure on him may be the best way to force some errant throws.


2. Don't give Arkansas a short field - Ryan Mallett and RB Michael Smith make this Arkansas team very dangerous offensively. They're the main reasons why the Hogs have snuck into my top 25. Giving the Razorbacks a short field via either a turnover (highly unlikely) or a great return (even more unlikely) is almost guaranteed points, even against the best of defenses.

3. Establish a deep threat - This isn't as importamt to this game as much as it is to the rest of the season. Deonte Thompson should be completely healthy for the first time since the Troy game. Frankie Hammond and Justin Williams need to be ready to play, especially now that we know Carl Moore won't be back this season. Yeah getting the ball to Riley Cooper and Aaron Hernandez is nice, but I wanna see some bombs!

4. Give John Brantley some playing time - We still have not seen Brantley in a ball game that was still in doubt as promised by the coaching staff during the Spring. This is one of those tweener games that would be perfect to get Brantley some early reps. We should never be in danger of losing to Arkansas, but we can still get away with calling it a tough conference game against a very formidable opponent.

5. I gotta have more Moody - The latest out of Gainesville this week is that Moody is finally to take some reps away from Jeff Demps and Chris Rainey. I've had no problem with Demps getting the bulk of the carries. He's a bonafide superstar. However, Rainey really hasn't shown the progress that I would have liked to seen out of him this year. On the flip side, despite some early fumbles, Moody has been straight blowing people up and breaking off huge runs on a consistent basis. Time for Moody to seriously tote the rock.


5 Players that need to step up

1. Deonte Thompson - As I mentioned earlier, Thompson is finally completely healthy. This is critical to the Florida passing game this week. Thompson provides a second deep threat to go along with Riley Cooper, and hopefully this will force David Nelson to the bench a little bit more.

2. Carlos Dunlap - I know Carlos Dunlap wants to lead this team in sacks very badly. He needs to step up if he wants to fend off Brandon Spikes for that distinction. Dunlap is a key to Florida's pass rush. Also, he will have to find the difficult balance of providing enough pressure on Ryan Mallett while continuing to stay at home to help hem in Michael Smith.


3. Jaye Howard - Howard is another pivotal figure in Florida's pass defense. More importantly is his role in the run defense. Howard can help clog up the middle to free up Florida's tenacious linebacker corps.

4. Tim Tebow - I'm a little too lazy to do my own research, but I'm pretty sure this is the first time I've mentioned the G.O.A.T. in this category. I am definitely not calling out Tebow here. I would just like to see a little more passing mixed in with our offense. Maybe even see Tebow notch 20+ completions?

5. Dustin Doe - Before Dustin Doe decided to get arrested for nearly anything and everything this off season he was slated as the starting linebacker opposite Brandon Spikes and A.J. Jones. Since he's been relegated to the bench, he's now fallen behind Spikes, Jones, Brandon Hicks and Lorenzo Edwards. I've even seen Major Wright make more plays from the linebacker position this season than Doe. This is a perfect game for Doe to get back on the field and make some plays, so if anybody finds the Dustin Doe from last season's Georgia game, please show him the way to the Swamp on Saturday.


Here's some highlights from last season's win over Arkansas. As you may remember, this was the first game of the Gators' current winning streak.



Here's what the Hog faithful are saying about the game. Somebody actually has the Hogs scoring 45 on the Gators! There's a difference between believing in your team and just being plan crazy.


My Prediction:

Florida - 38

Arkansas - 13

Weekly Picks

There's an extra early game this week, so I gotta get my picks in now. Just in case you didn't know, the early game is a titanic Sun Belt showdown between Middle Tennessee and Troy tonight.

Here's the picks...

Middle Tennessee @ Troy
Nebraska @ Missouri
Louisiana Tech @ Nevada
Boston College @ Virginia Tech
Eastern Illinois @ Penn St.
Auburn @ Arkansas
Miami(OH) @ Northwestern
Purdue @ Minnesota
West Virginia @ Syracuse
Vanderbilt @ Army
Michigan St. @ Illinois
Eastern Michigan @ Central Michigan
Georgia @ Tennessee
Oklahoma St. @ Texas A&M
Iowa St. @ Kansas
Kentucky @ South Carolina
Houston @ Mississippi St.
Ball St. @ Temple
New Mexico @ Wyoming
Alabama @ Ole Miss
Wisconsin @ Ohio St.
Oregon @ UCLA
Baylor @ Oklahoma
Georgia Southern @ North Carolina
Texas Southern @ Rutgers
Connecticut @ Pittsburgh
Navy @ Rice
Indiana @ Virginia
Gardner-Webb @ Buffalo
Bowling Green @ Kent St.
Marshall @ Tulane
Duke @ NC State
Arizona St. @ Washington St.
Utah @ Colorado St.
Ohio @ Akron
Maryland @ Wake Forest
Florida A&M @ Miami(FL)
Florida International @ Western Kentucky
Stanford @ Oregon St.
North Texas @ UL-Lafayette
Kansas St. @ Texas Tech
Western Michigan @ Toledo
Colorado @ Texas
TCU @ Air Force
Southern Miss @ Louisville
Florida @ LSU
Georgia Tech @ Florida St.
Idaho @ San Jose St.
Utah St. @ New Mexico St.
UTEP @ Memphis
East Carolina @ SMU
Michigan @ Iowa
BYU @ UNLV
Arizona @ Washington
Fresno St. @ Hawaii


Upset Picks:

Nebraska over Missouri - Missouri is undefeated and at home, but I like Nebraska's defense to harass Blaine Gabbert all day Thursday. I am perfect on Thursday night games, in case you're keeping score at home.


Arkansas over Auburn - Two of the better offenses in the SEC will be on display at high noon on Saturday. I like Arkansas to win at home behind a big day from Ryan Mallett.

Mississippi St. over Houston - We all remember what happened to East Carolina last season once their Cinderella slipper was shattered. This Houston team is better than that Pirate team, but I think Dan Mullen will pull out all the stops in Starkville.

Washington over Arizona - The Huskies just may be the best one win team in the country. I like their chances of knocking off the Wildcats Saturday night.

The Most Frustrating 31 Point Win Ever.

The Gators stumbled their way to a 38-7 victory over Arkansas on Saturday. The first half was almost unbearable to watch. There was a period when the Gators were flagged on 6 straight plays. Florida is used to being a heavy penalized team, but yesterday was just ridiculous. If not for a Michael Smith muffed punt return, the game could have easily been tied at the half. Even with that fumble, the Gators needed a Jeff Demps 36 yard touchdown run on first and 30 after two more Gator penalties.

Tim Tebow had a solid showing, despite his first interception in 204 pass attempts. Timmy distributed the ball better than he has all year. On the drive following his interception, Tebow put together the best drive of this short season, going 7 for 7 and hitting Harvin for a touchdown.

The major bright spot of the day was the Florida running game. Speedster Jeff Demps ran for two scores, while Rainey had his first 100 yard rushing game as a Gator. Rainey pulled off the best touchdown run of the year late in the third quarter. It was nice to have a running game outside of Harvin with the absence of Emmanuel Moody.

Here's the stats from the game:

FLORIDA PASSING
Tim Tebow 17-26 217 yards 2 tds 1 int
John Brantley II 2-3 19 yards

FLORIDA RUSHING
Chris Rainey 10 103 yards 1 td
Jeff Demps 7 103 yards 2 tds
Percy Harvin 6 37 yards
Tim Tebow 12 32 yards
Brandon James 2 4 yards

FLORIDA RECEIVING
Louis Murphy 5 70 yards
Carl Moore 2 39 yards
Percy Harvin 3 37 yards 1 td
Deonte Thompson 2 29 yards
Brandon James 3 24 yards 1 td
Aaron Hernandez 2 15 yards
Riley Cooper 1 15 yards
Jeff Demps 1 7 yards

FLORIDA INTERCEPTIONS
Joe Haden 1 24 yards

FLORIDA KICK RETURNS
Brandon James 2 48 yards

FLORIDA PUNT RETURNS
Brandon James 2 25 yards

FLORIDA KICKING
Jonathan Phillips 1/1

FLORIDA PUNTING
Chas Henry 3 46.o avg

Player of the Game

Chris Rainey - Running Back

Even though Jeff Demps had the same amount of rushing yards and 2 touchdowns compared to Rainey's one, I gotta go with Chris on this one. His touchdown run is probably the most electrifying play of the year for the Gators this season. Also, Demps' second touchdown run came in the closing minutes anyway. Hopefully this is the first of many 100 yard rushing games for the former Lakeland Dreadnaught.








The Gators are going to have to play 6079679 times better to beat LSU next week. The Tigers are too good of a football team for Florida to overcome so many penalties and miscues .

Fumbles and a blocked extra point doom the Gators

I know it's kind of late to be doing a post game from yesterday's game. But I'm just now getting over my depression from the loss. What a good and bad game. Our offense finally seemed like it was starting to click. Moody ran well until he was injured, Harvin finally worked his way back into the offense, and Tebow finally got his rushing touchdown.

Yet it was 5 fumbles, 3 lost fumbles, and a blocked extra point that ruined the Gators' shit. I guess you could call it karma. Two years ago, we broke South Carolina's heart by blocking an extra point and two field goals to win it 17-16. How often do you see a blocked extra point? I have always said, if a team really tries they could probably block every single one of them.

One good thing to take from this game is Tebow's press conference afterwords. Tebow swore the Gators would be back with a vengence. He also nearly broke down in tears while he apologized to us Gator faithful. I would really hate to be an Arkansas Razorback right about now.

Here are the UF stats from the game.



Florida Passing
Tim Tebow 24-38 319 yards 1 td


Florida Rushing
Percy Harvin 10 82 yards 1 td
Emmanuel Moody 3 16 yards
Chris Rainey 3 9 yards
Brandon James 1 9 yards
Tim Tebow 15 7 yards 2 tds
Kestahn Moore 1 2 yards


Florida Receiving
Percy Harvin 13 186 yards 1 td
Aaron Hernandez 4 52 yards
Louis Murphy 4 41 yards
Riley Cooper 2 28 yards
Kestahn Moore 1 12 yards


Florida Interceptions
Major Wright 1 5 yards

Florida Kick Returns
Brandon James 4 116 yards


Florida Punt Returns
Brandon James 3 26 yards


Florida Kicking
Jonathan Phillips 1/1


Florida Punting
Chas Henry 4 138 yards


Player of the game

Percy Harvin - Wide Receiver, Running Back, Man 'O Fumbles

Yes Harvin had another classic day in a Florida uniform. Yes Harvin flirted with a 200 yard receiving day. And yes Percy nearly accomplished 100 yards rushing AND receiving once again. However, Percy fumbled, and fumbled and fumbled the damn ball! His stats alone make him the player of the game, but some people could make him the goat of the game as well. Percy has never had a problem protecting the ball before. I hope this isn't the start of a new, horrible trend.








Good thing for Florida, Arkansas may be the worst team in the SEC. They looked like shit once again yesterday against Texas. If we don't play very impressive against the Hogs we might as well make travel arrangements to Tampa or Orlando for our bowl game now.

Week 3 is in the books

Week 3 finally provided some of the upsets that we've been waiting for. New Mexico beat Arizona, Maryland took down California, UNLV knocked off Arizona St. and Charlie Weis didn't break both legs.

Here are a few of the stories that stood out to me from week 3.


Defense wins championships


There were a few undefeated teams that got it done on the defensive side of the ball this week. As we all know, offense is fun to watch, but it's the defense that wins championships. If these teams can keep up that level of play on the defensive side of the ball, they could be looking at the NC in January.

• Georgia- The Bulldogs won a traditional SEC game by knocking off the Gamecocks on the road 14-7. Georgia's defense held South Carolina's rushing attack to just 58 yards on 16 attempts. That's an average of 1.1 yards per rush! The Dawgs also forced two late turnovers to seal the victory, a Mike Davis fumble at the goal line, and a last second interception by Reshad Jones.
• BYU- The Cougars absolutely dismantled UCLA 59-0 at home. While BYU's offense is being lauded across the nation today, I would like to recognize their defensive efforts. The Cougars shut down Norm Chow's offense. The Bruins only converted on 20 percent of their third down attempts. UCLA only manged 9 rushing yards in the contest and turned the ball over 4 times. This was a drastic improvement for BYU's D compared to last week's escape vs. Washington.
• Auburn- The Tigers defeated Mississippi St. in a baseball-type score of 3-2. Auburn only gave up 162 total yards to the Bulldogs (78 passing and 38 rushing). Auburn's Walter McFadden came through with a huge pick in the final minutes to seal the game for the Tigers. With the way Auburn's offense has been struggling, the D will have to continue to carry this team.
• Oklahoma- The Sooners made Ty Willingham's seat a little warmer by defeating his Huskies 55-14. The Sooners are on an absolute roll both offensively and defensively. OU allowed only 87 rushing yards to Washington on Saturday. The Huskies were only able to average 2.6 yards per rush. Oklahoma also forced 3 fumbles in the contest.
• LSU- When the Tigers actually play this season, it's their defense that looks exceptional. LSU knocked off North Texas 41-3 this week. The Bayou Bengals held the Mean Green to 155 passing yards and 44 rushing yards. LSU also picked off North Texas once.
• USC- Everyone and their mom saw USC dismantle Ohio St. 35-3. USC's offense wasn't overly impressive to me. Their D, on the other hand, was amazing. The Buckeyes only mustered 136 passing yards and 71 rushing yards vs. the Trojans. USC also forced 1 fumble and they got a pick 6 against Todd Boeckman before the half. Rey Maualuga was EVERYWHERE last night.
• Wisconsin- The Badgers capped off Saturday night by putting up a solid defensive effort in their 13-10 win over Fresno St. The Badgers only allowed 15 first downs to Tom Brandstater and the Bulldog offense. Brett Bielema's bunch also forced 1 fumble and 1 interception.

Hurricane Ike


Hurricane Ike was barreling down on Texas this weekend. Several games were moved or cancelled to accommodate this bitch. Here were a few games that were effected by Isaac.

• Baylor vs. Washington St. - This game was moved to Friday. I'm sure that news didn't even register to fans of the two schools. If anyone at all watched this game, they would know that the move didn't effect Baylor at all. The much improved Bears ran all over the horrible Cougar D en route to an impressive victory.
• Arkanas @ Texas - This game was postponed all together. If I were Bobby Petrino, I would be a total douchebag. Also, I would just forfeit the game and keep my bye week. Their schedule is going to be brutal.
• Air Force @ Houston- Dallas was the site of this monumental throwdown. Air Force defeated the Cougars rather handedly. I must say, I am more and more impressed each week with this Falcons football team.
• Louisiana-Monroe vs. Alabama A&M - This was another game that was moved to Friday night. It was also another game that was viewed by a total of 12 people. The Warhawks registered their first win of the season.
• TCU vs. Stanford - This game was moved to 10 am local time to accommodate the storm. The early start time definitely didn't help the Cardinal. They were throttled by an impressive TCU team. No one is talking about TCU in the Mountain West. BYU and Utah better watch out.

The seat gets hotter



After week 3, here are a few coaches that should be updating their profile on careerbuilder.com as we speak.

• Jeff Genyk- Eastern Michigan. The Eagles lost to a bad Toledo team on Saturday. Genyk's squad looked very bad in the process. If EMU cared dick about their program (which they don't) Genyk would already be long gone.
• Greg Robinson- Syracuse. There are a few mysteries in life that can never be explained. The Bermuda Triangle, the Sphinx nose, why Mark May hasn't been bitch slapped by Lou Holtz yet, and how in the hell is Greg Robinson still employed by Syracuse.
• Tommy West- Memphis. The Tigers were expected to be much improved this season. Instead they are total garbage. Their loss to Marshall on Saturday was disastrous for West and Memphis.
• Tyrone Willingham- Washington. Unfortunately, Coach Ty has not been able to get his ass of the hot seat. I know I've said t before, but I feel really bad for this guy.
• Chuck Long- San Diego St. No matter what the Aztecs do the rest of this season, Long will probably be out of a job in December.
• Mike Stoops- Arizona. Just when it seemed like Stoops was coming off the hot seat, his team goes out and loses to previous winless New Mexico. Arizona is the Clemson of the West.
  

All Suspended/Dismissed team

If you're a college athlete these days, it seems to be all the rage to go out and make a complete jackass out of yourself. Unfortunately for these morons, a suspension, or in severe cases, a dismissal from the team is a result.

These instances of tomfoolery seem to be more prevalent this year than in the past.

In honor of these grade A dumbasses, I've decided to make a team compiled completely of players that have been suspended or dismissed from their respective teams this upcoming season.


Offense

QB - Ryan Perrilloux - LSU - Dismissed
HB - Lance Smith - Wisconsin - Dismissed
HB - Leon Patton - Kansas St. - Susp. Indefinitely
WR - Josh Jarboe - Oklahoma - Dismissed
WR - JaJaun Spillman - Louisville - Dismissed
WR - Jeremy Childs - Boise St. - Susp. 1 Game
WR - Marques Wade - Arkansas - Susp. 2 Games
OL- Clint Boling - Georgia Tech - Susp. 1 Game
OL - Andy Christensen - Nebraska - Susp. Indefinitely
OL- Tyler Gray - UCLA - Susp. 4 Games
OL - Brandon Davis - Florida St. - Susp. 3 Games


Defense

DL - Brady Smith - Boston College - Dismissed
DL - John Gill - Northwestern - Susp. 1 Game
DL - Kevin Dixon - Nebraska - Dismissed
DL - Phillip Taylor- Penn St. -Dismissed
LB - Darius Dewberry - Georgia - Susp. 2 Games
LB - Jimmy Johns - Alabama - Dismissed
LB - Daniel Brooks - Tennessee - Dismissed
LB - Freddy Burton - Arkansas - Susp. 2 Games
DB - Jamar Hornsby - Florida - Dismissed
DB - Donovan Baldwin - Georgia - Susp. 1 Game
DB - Antonio Wardlow - Tennessee - Dismissed

Special Teams

P - Britton Colquitt - Tennessee - Susp. 5 Games
K - John Barker - Syracuse - Susp. Indefinitely
RS - Preston Parker - Florida St. - Susp. 2 Games

If you give me the guys on the list I guarantee you I will win some games. Of course, my program will be in the shits for letting a bunch of douche bags run wild, but isn't that what football's all about anyway?

"Dream" non-conference match-ups for the the SEC

So I saw something similar to this being done on ESPN for the Big XII. I thought since it worked for that ass fest of a conference it surely will work for the all powerful SEC.

Here is a dream non-conference match-up for each and every SEC team. I even included Vanderbilt, and they're never included. Some of these match-ups are just so awesome that just their mere presence on your TV screen would cause instantaneous retardation.

That's why some of them will never happen......









Florida vs. USC


I've already discussed how exciting of a game I think this will be. Both teams are VERY fast, and both have excellent offenses. I have to admit that USC's defense is in a whole other class when compared to Florida. The Gators secondary scares me against this passing game, but I think the Florida front 7 would be able to handle the Trojans' rushing attack. I think it would be poetic justice if Emmanuel Moody went for a buck and a few touchdowns against his former team. I would probably lose my mind if Tebow went up against Brian Cushing in the open-field. Who else would you think I'd pick in this one? Of course I'm going with the Gators.









Georgia vs. Oklahoma


Both of these teams are popular picks to make the title game this season. Both teams also have Heisman Trophy candidates in Knowshon Moreno of Georgia and Sam Bradford of Oklahoma. Another story I find interesting between these two teams is that Oklahoma is led by former Florida assistant Bob Stoops, while Georgia is led by former Florida St. assistant Mark Richt. It's kind of like a dumbed down version of Florida vs. Florida St. This year this game could almost be considered a toss up. Both teams have a lot of talent on offense, and both have extremely tough defenses. I would give the ultimate edge to the Bulldogs. Especially if this were a bowl game.









LSU vs. Texas


These two top-tier teams continuously battle for high school talent in Louisiana and Texas. This game would enable the two to move this off season battle to the field. Both teams have also won recent BCS championships. Mack Brown and Les Miles are two of the more recognizable coaches in the nation, and both will have their teams ready to play in the one. Almost any other year, I would have favored the Tigers in this one. However, LSU is still searching for a quarterback to distribute the ball to it's talented play-makers. Texas on the other hand, has Colt McCoy back, and he will have the benefit of an experienced line in front of him. I give the Longhorns the nod in this one.








Alabama vs. Notre Dame


This game could be hyped as the delusional bowl. Every year the fan bases for these two teams proclaim how they will once again repeat for a national title and bring their program back to glory. Every year, these same delusional fans are knocked back down to reality after their team struggles through another season. These two programs have both spent time at the top of college football. Recent recruiting classes suggests they might be able to get there once again. However, that year is not this year. Alabama will be more competitive than last year, but I still think the Irish are a year away from making it back to a bowl game. I give this one to the Tide. Tuscaloosa will fall under martial law as their ravenous fans litter the streets because there is absolutely nothing else to do but celebrate a meaningless win.







Tennessee vs. Michigan


This would be an interesting match-up between two proud programs that have fallen on tough times recently. Tennessee is sticking with Phil Fulmer despite growing unrest around the program. Michigan is still suffering embarrassment from last season's loss to Appalachian St. The Wolverines will most likely struggle this season. Their defense is not very good, and they lost nearly their entire offensive production to the NFL. Tennessee has a better defense than Michigan, but they too face a difficult challenge of finding new play-makers on offense. I give the edge to the Vols in this one. Arian Foster should find no difficulty in finding holes in the Wolverine defense. Tennessee's defense will also be tough to move the ball against for Michigan.








Auburn vs. Purdue


I picked these two schools for one particular reason. Both of these schools are better football teams than their more well admired in-state institutions. Auburn has been better than Alabama for a while now. Purdue is undoubtedly better than Notre Dame at this current moment. Yet, both Alabama and Notre Dame still get most of the pub. This game would be pretty exciting to watch. The Boilermakers have a ton of firepower on offense with QB Curtis Painter and RB Kory Sheets. Auburn will be installing the spread under Tony Franklin this season. Overall, I would give this match up to the Tigers. Their defense would eventually be able to stop Purdue's offense and take the victory.

South Carolina vs. Florida St.


It would be awesome to see Steve Spurrier and Bobby Bowden on the same field once again. With Bowden's career winding down, this year would probably be their last opportunity to do so. Of course, being a Gator fan, Spurrier is one of my favorite coaches. Even though I hate Florida St., I actually like Bobby Bowden too. I've said it before, CFB needs Bobby to stay around the game. One last chance to see some visor tosses and hear some daggumits would be a special treat for any college football fan. I actually might have to give the edge to the Noles in this game. It all would depend on which Gamecock team would show up.








Arkansas vs. Louisville


This is a dream match-up for obvious reasons. Bobby Petrino gets a shot at the team he left in the dust. Of course, no matter what happens in this game, there will be one unchanged truth: Bobby Petrino is a straight up douche nozzle. Petrino's bunch will struggle on offense because this team is not currently designed to run his offense. Steve Kragthorpe, on the other hand, will have the Cardinals fired up and ready. I would expect Louisville to win the Petrino bowl.

Kentucky vs. Kansas

Of course both of these schools are better known for their highly respected basketball programs. Both teams have also recently become a lot more competitive on the football field as well. Kansas is returning a ton of offensive firepower, while Kentucky lost a lot of it's weapons. I would expect this game to be very high scoring, even resembling some of their basketball contests. In the end, I would give the advantage to the Jayhawks.

Ole Miss vs. UCLA

I look at Ole Miss and UCLA as pretty much being the same team. Both squads have tons of talent, yet neither team ever produces like they should. Also, both teams are in the first season of a controversial coaching hire. The Rebels welcome in Arkansas outcast Houston Nutt, while the Bruins tagged NCAA bad boy Rick Neuheisel to lead the way for them. Like I said, both teams are loaded with talent, it's just a matter of which coach can get the most out of his team. I give the edge to Houston Nutt and the Rebels. Also, how good would the talent be in the stands at this game. The co-eds at Ole Miss and UCLA are both top-notch. That alone makes this a dream match-up.

Mississippi St. vs. Pittsburgh

This game may not seem like such a good match-p. Neither team is a national powerhouse that attracts a ton of attention. However, this game would feature two of my favorite running backs in Anthony Dixon of Mississippi St. and Pittsburgh's Le Sean McCoy. I would love to see these two go at it, as well as see how each defense stops them. Last year's bowl game between the Bulldogs and UCF was seen by many as being boring. I actually thought the game was extremely intense and fun to watch. I expect this one to be in that same mold. The Panthers might just have too much offensive firepower for Miss. St. to overcome.

Vanderbilt vs. Tulane

This could have easily been a conference match-up. These two schools almost became charter members for the Magnolia Conference. This was supposed to be the Ivy League of the South. Both teams eventually backed out at the last minute. Tulane has seen limited success in the C-USA. However, Vanderbilt has consistently gotten pissed on by the big boys of the SEC. The Dores are the only SEC team that hasn't grown ultra competitive within the conference. I think Vandy would be able to get the win over Tulane. Partly because Bob Toledo has no business coaching college football

Pre-season All SEC team

The coaches around the SEC gathered up this weekend to decide who has the best potential to be great this season.

Here is what they came up with:

The 2008 Pre-season All SEC team

Offense

QB Tim Tebow Florida
RB Knowshon Moreno Georgia
RB Arian Foster Tennessee
WR Percy Harvin Florida
WR Kenny McKinley South Carolina
TE Cornelius Ingram Florida
OL Andre Smith Alabama
OL Michael Oher Ole Miss
OL Anthony Parker Tennessee
OL Herman Johnson LSU
C Jonathan Luigs Arkansas

Defense
DL Greg Hardy Ole Miss
DL Sen'Derrick Marks Auburn
DL Tyson Jackson LSU
LB Brandon Spikes Florida
LB Rico McCoy Tennessee
LB Darry Beckwith LSU
LB Dannell Ellerbe Georgia
DB Eric Berry Tennessee
DB Derek Pegues Mississippi St.
DB Rashad Johnson Alabama
DB Captain Munnerlyn South Carolina
DB D.J. Moore Vanderbilt

Special Teams

PK Colt David LSU
P Ryan Shoemaker Auburn
RS Brandon James Florida

Countdown: 61 Days!

61 Days

Arkansas will be going through a transition year this season. I hesitate to call it a rebuilding year because there is a ton of talent in Fayetteville. Still, with the spawn of Satan taking the helm of the Razorbacks, they will be completely revamping their offense. Gone are the monster running stats that Arkansas experienced under old coach Houston Nutt. The Devil's urinal cake, aka Bobby Petrino will look to spread out the offense and give QB Casey Dick more opportunities to make plays. Uh oh.

SEC non-conference S.O.S.

Sporting News has been breaking down the BCS teams non-conference schedule. They are ranking each team's non-conference opponents. I found their breakdown of the SEC's teams quite interesting.

Here's how they have them ranked:

1. Florida: Hawaii, Miami, Citadel, at Florida State
2. Tennessee: at UCLA, UAB, Northern Illinois, Wyoming
3. Georgia: Georgia Southern, Central Michigan, at Arizona State, Georgia Tech
4. South Carolina: North Carolina State, Wofford, UAB, at Clemson
5. Auburn: Louisiana-Monroe, Southern Miss, at West Virginia, Tennessee-Martin
6. Ole Miss: Memphis, at Wake Forest, Samford, Louisiana-Monroe
7. Arkansas: Western Illinois, Louisiana-Monroe, at Texas, Tulsa
8. Alabama: vs. Clemson, Tulane, Western Kentucky, Arkansas State
9. Mississippi State: at Louisiana Tech, Southeastern Louisiana, at Georgia Tech, Middle Tennessee.
10. Vanderbilt: at Miami (OH), Rice, Duke, at Wake Forest
11. LSU: Appalachian State, Troy, North Texas, Tulane
12. Kentucky: at Louisville, Norfolk State, Middle Tennessee, Western Kentucky

Some of my thoughts:

• Florida finally plays two non-conference BCS teams. I think Miami should be an annual game for the Gators. Let's bring back the Seminole War Canoe!
• I don't know how they can rank Tennessee ahead of Georgia. Tennessee's top game is against UCLA, which is an underachieving team with a new coach. Georgia plays Arizona St., Central Michigan and Georgia Tech. All of which are just as good if not better than UCLA.
• South Carolina plays a NC State team that is on the upswing and a top 10 power n Clemson.
• Auburn plays possibly the toughest non-conference game at West Virginia.
• Arkansas at Texas is a great old-time match up. Unless Arkansas can get things together the Longhorns should roll.
• If Louisville is as bad as last year, Kentucky may have the easiest non-conference schedule in the nation.

One less life for Bobby Petrino to ruin

Bobby Petrino (a.k.a. The Devil's Urinal Cake) has cost the Arkansas Razorback program another top recruit. I don't feel bad at all for the Hogs because they put themselves in this position by hiring Bobby D (as in douchebag).

Top WR recruit Cruz Williams has de-committed from Arkansas to go to national power Louisiana Tech. Williams signed with the Razorbacks when Houston Nutt was still the coach, and he has removed his commitment after the takeover of Captain Ass Clown.

Williams caught 105 passes for 1,306 yards and 18 touchdowns as a senior at Pulaski Academy in Little Rock, Arkansas.

I commend this kid for realizing that he wants to play for a coach that actually has a set of morals and values. However, Louisiana Tech??? I like the Bulldogs, but there had to have been better schools out there.

I'm glad the Razorbacks are on the schedule rotation for the Gators these next couple of years. I wouldn't be too surprised if Nutt gets more wins at Ole Miss this year than Petrino gets at Arkansas.

Pack it in now boys.

I already let you in on who I though were going to be the most improved teams from every conference. Now, I'll turn a little more negative and let you in on the teams that should just skip this season altogether and get ready for 2009.

Once again it will be conference by conference

ACC

Boston College-This should be a familiar sight to Eagle fans once the season is over.

Big XII

Kansas- Count me in as one of the people who thinks Kansas was a total fluke last season. Just like the fact that Mangino came up empty on this mining expedition.

Big East

Connecticut- See, even the pennants know which was Connecticut's season will be heading.

Big Ten

Michigan- All the fans need now are brown paper bags.

C-USA

Houston- The Cougars should still be in the mix in C-USA play, but they will miss Art Briles a lot.

MAC

Miami (OH)- The Redhawks will be dropped on their head a lot this season.

Mountain West

New Mexico- The Lobos will be dressing their cheerleaders this season in an effort to bolster the skill positions. We'll have to wait and see for the results.

PAC-10

Oregon- The product on the field might just be as ugly as these uniforms.

SEC

Arkansas- Their head coach is a douche. All you need to know.

Sun Belt

Troy- I was googling pictures for Troy football when I cam across this. It has nothing to do with the Trojans, but Troy Aikman Football is one of the greatest games ever!

WAC

Hawaii- The Rainbow Warriors will sorely miss Colt Brennan, June Jones and Davone Bress this season.

S.O.S. = SEC is Officially the Shit.

I came across a recent ranking of the ten most difficult schedules this coming season. The rankings were determined by the opponent's winning percentage.

Here were the results:

1.Georgia
2.Florida
3.Arkansas
4.UCLA
5.Alabama
6.Auburn
7.Ohio St.
8.Kentucky
9.Colorado
10.Baylor

Is is any surprise that 6 of the top 10 teams with the toughest schedule reside in the SEC. I hate when people say the SEC gets off by playing weak out of conference teams at home. My response: So what? We deserve the break from the rigorous in-conference schedule.

If SEC teams were in the Big Eleven, where we would have the luxury of playing Northwestern, Minnesota, Michigan St. or Iowa on any given week, then we would go out and find tougher out of conference teams to schedule. Instead we're stuck with the likes of LSU, Georgia, Florida, Auburn, Tennessee or Alabama on any given week.

The SEC is the toughest conference by far. I couldn't care less if they just played their 8 conference games and said to hell with the rest of the schedule.

Spring Conference Breakdowns - SEC West

Over the past few years the SEC has reigned supreme over the college football landscape. Sure there have been a few uprisings from teams like USC, Ohio St, Oklahoma or Texas, but the SEC has remained steadfast as the top conference. There are no off weeks in SEC play. This has never been more true than this year. The two bottom teams from last year; Ole Miss and Vanderbilt, are poised this year to make a run at a bowl.


I will be breaking down every team in the SEC West, and explore their strenghts and weaknesses. I have them listed below in the order I expect them to finish the 2008 season.






1. LSU Tigers

2007 Recap - 12-2(6-2) Defeated Ohio St. 38-24 in the BCS National Championship Game.

2008 Preview - The Tigers seemed to have all the weapons needed to defend their natioanl title. All that changed, however when Les Miles suspended Ryan Perilloux indefinitely. It still remains to be seen if Perilloux will sit out the season. If so, LSU is stuck with Andrew Hatch, Jarrett Lee and Jordan Jefferson as possible replacements. Whoever will be slinging it, he will have the most talented corps of receivers in the SEC to throw to. Brandon LaFell, Terrance Tolliver, Chris Mitchell, Demetrius Byrd and Tindon Holliday all return at WR. Defensively, the Tigers were tasked with replacing All-American Glenn Dorsey on the defensive line. Marlon Favorite and Ricky Jean-Francois will pick up the slack up the middle while ends Kirsten Pittman and Tyson Jackson round out the line.

The Tigers will be playing 8 home games this year. Look for Death Valley to be a tremendous advantage for this LSU team. The 4 away games are extremely tough, however. LSU travels to Auburn, Florida, South Carolina and Arkansas.

Difference Maker - Keiland Williams RB. Williams provides a running threat to balance out with the passing game.

Biggest Game - Nov. 8 vs. Alabama. Nick Saban's Tide will be playing tough to try to de-throne the Tigers as the SEC West champs.

Intangible - Trindon Holliday's speed provides numerous mismatches on both offense and special teams. Look for the Tigers to run plays similar to Percy Harvin at Florida.




2. Auburn Tigers



2007 Recap - 9-4(5-3) Defeated Clemson 23-20 in the Peach Bowl.

2008 Preview - Aubrun is looking to replace long-time started Brandon Cox at QB. Kodi Burns and Chris Todd are the leading candidates heading into Spring. Kodi Burns is a big dual threat QB like Tim Tebow at Florida. We all know what happened when Tebow replaced long-time starter Chris Leak. This will be the first time in recent memory that Auburn does not have an established running back returning to carry the rock. The key to Auburn's offense this year may very well be TE Tommy Trott. Like Dicky Lyons of Kentucky, Trott just seems to always make plays when needed.

The Tigers play a tough Non-conference away game at West Virginia before opening up SEC play. Other key contests include home games vs. LSU, Tennessee, and Georgia as well as an away game against hated rival Alabama.

Difference Maker - Sen'Derrick Marks DT. The Auburn defense will be key to the team's succcess this year. Marks is the anchor of a tough D-Line.

Biggest Game - Sept. 20 vs. LSU. Early contest against defending champs could set the tone for the rest of the season.

Intangible - Tony Franklin turned Omar Haugabrook and Troy into an explosive spread offense. If Franklin is able to covert the Tigers from their traditional power sets, look for Kodi Burns to have a big year.





3. Alabama Crimson Tide


2007 Recap - 7-6(4-4) Defeated Colorado 30-24 in the Independence Bowl.

2008 Preview - Nick Saban's Tide will be all about the running game this year. Alabama returns both Terry Grant and Glen Coffee to the backfield. Both players would be could full-time backs, and they will help to compliment each other nicely this season. John Parker Wilson returns at QB. Look for his trouble to continue this year as 'Bama does not have a solid receiving corps, even with the addition of Julio Jones. Alabama might have a drop-off defensively from last year's squad, which was nothing to brag about in of itself.

Alabama opens the season against Clemson in Atlanta. Hopefully, this year's neutral sight contest vs. an ACC team will turn out better than last year's trip to Jacksonville to face Florida St. This year's in-conference schedule is extremely difficult for Alabama. The Tide travel to Arkansas, Georgia, Tennessee and LSU. This year's Iron Bowl vs. Auburn is in Tuscaloosa.

Difference Maker - Terry Grant. With the absence of a true passing game, Grant will be the go-to guy on the ground.

Biggest Game - Sept. 27 at Georgia. Early contest vs. SEC power that could set the tone for the rest of the season.

Intangible- Javier Arenas in the return game could break a few games open this season for the Tide. Also, Arenas went to my high school alma mater so he's pretty much the man.





4. Mississippi St. Bulldogs


2007 Recap - 8-5(4-4) Defeated UCF 10-3 in the Liberty Bowl.

2008 Preview - Mississippi St. was easily the surpirse of the SEC last season. Sylvester Croom's hard work has finally paid off for this program. Wesley Carroll was dubbed the QB of the future for the Bulldogs when he signed with the team. After taking over for oft-injured Chad Henig last year, Carroll is poised to be the full-time starter in his sophomore season. Carroll's main task this year will be handing the ball off to Anthony Dixon. The bruising runner may very well be the early candidate for top RB in the SEC. Hopefully, some wide receivers can emerge this Spring to add a little balance to the offense. The Bulldogs were extremely tough on D last season, as evident by their containing of Kevin Smith in the bowl game. All-SEC caliber Derek Pegues returns to lead the defensive backfield, as Cortez McCraney is back to anchor the line.

The Bulldogs travel to Atlanta to test out Paul Johnson's new offense at Georgia Tech early in the season. Within the conference, Mississippi St. travels to LSU, Alabama and Ole Miss, and host Auburn.

Difference Maker - Anthony Dixon. Even if Dixon garners all the attention form opposing defenses, look for him to have another solid year running the ball.

Biggest Game - Nov. 15 @ Alabama. The Tide were a suprise in the SEC for different reasons than MSU. If the Bulldogs could win in Tuscaloosa, it could mean a changing of the guard int the SEC West.

Intangible - Mississippi St.'s secondary play last year was incredible. Interceptions and pass break-ups were a common occurence in Starkville. If that play continues, the Bulldogs will once again be a force defensively.




5. Ole Miss Rebels


2007 Recap - 3-9(0-8)

2008 Preview - The Rebels look to be a drastically improved tea this year from last. The hiring of Houston Nutt was a serious upgrade at head coach. Nutt will be at the helm for the ushering in of the Jevan Snead era in Oxford. Snead, a former Texas Longhorn, adds an element to this Ole Miss team that has been missing since Eli Manning. A capable leader at the QB position. Snead will find plenty of lanes to throw through will All-SEC linemean Michael Oher up front to black for him. This will give Snead the time to find his talented receivers, Marshay Green and Mike Wallace. Ole Miss was very sound on defense last year. That trend should continue this year with All-SEC candidate Greg Hardy retuning to shore up the line. Dustin Monzon is back to lead a talented group in the secondary.


The Rebels non-conference slate is highlighted by a home game vs. Memphis and a road contest against Wake Forest. The SEC slate is pretty balanced for Ole Miss. They travel to Florida, Alabama and LSU, while they host both Auburn and South Carolina.

Difference Maker- Greg Hardy is a beast on the defensive line. The SEC is one of the lone conference where a d-lineman can change the outcome of an entire game. Hardy has the type of ability to do just that.


Biggest Game - Nov. 28 @ Mississippi St. The annual Egg Bowl match-up will provide the chance for Ole Miss to curb some of the momentum gained by their in-state rivals last season.


Intangible- Ed Orgeron was a tremendous recruiter who has left this program in good shape. Unfortunately Orgeron could not turn his off the field successes into on the field success. Houston Nutt brings the experience and coaching ability needed to field a competitive SEC football team. While fe people expect major results in year 1, look for the Rebels to have a say in who comes out of the West.








6. Arkansas Razorbacks




2007 Recap - 8-5(4-4) Lost to Missouri 38-7 in the Cotton Bowl


2008 Preview - Arkansas has taken severe criticism this off-season with their hiring of Bobby Petrino as head coach. Despite what would appear to be a total lack of character or morals on Petrino's behalf, the man can flat-out coach. The only problem for Petrino and the Razorbacks is that there is no one left to coach. Casey Dick returns as the starting QB. This is certainly not an up-lifting thought for Arkansas fans.Dick's main targets would be the un-proven Reggie Fish at WR and TE Ben Cleveland. There also is a major void in the backfield as Michael Smith attempts to replace Run-DMC and Felix Jones.The Razorbacks do return some talent on defense. Antwan Robinson is back to anchor the D-line. The secondary should be one of the best in the conference with Rashad Johnson and Shedrick Johnson.


The highlight of Arkansas' non-conference schedule is an away game against Texas. The Racorbacks also play former OC Gus Malzahn and Tulsa before kicking off SEC play. Arkansas will host Alabamas, Florida and LSU and travel to Auburn and South Carolina during conference play.


Difference Maker - Antwan Robinson DE. In a season where the Hogs don't have too much going for them offensively, Robinson and the D will need to step up in a huge way.


Biggest Game - Sept. 13 @ Texas. With no one expecting the Razorbacks to win, a victory would kick off the Bobby Petrino era in Fayetteville quite nicely.


Intangible - With so many questions on this team and somewhat low expectations, one of the few thing Arkansas has going for them is their schedule. With the exception of the Austin trip, Arkansas avoids any potentially disasterous road games.