Gators Finally Win in Starkville

It wasn't pretty, but the Gators left Starkville, Mississippi Saturday night with a 29-19 victory over the pesky Mississippi St. Bulldogs. With the win, this Gators squad becomes the first UF team to make it through the SEC West schedule unblemished in 11 years.

Once again the Gators offense was nothing to write home about. In fact, Florida's offense accounted for as many Mississippi St. touchdowns (2) as Florida touchdowns. True Freshman safety Johnthan Banks picked off Tebow two times and ran both picks back for touchdowns. The first pick 6 was a memorable 100 yard interception return for a TD. Also, the Gators once again managed to screw up nearly every red zone opportunity against the Bulldogs. They'll need to correct that problem in a hurry if they want to get the win in the WLOCP next weekend.

The good things to take from the game; Florida played much better defense than last week. The Gators' D stymied the Bulldogs all night long, only giving up 2 field goals and returning an int for a touchdown themselves. The Gators held on to the ball. Their might have been two interceptions, but there were no fumbles. That's definitely an improvement from last week.

Here's the stats:


Passing

Tim Tebow 12-22 127 yards 2 ints


Rushing

Chris Rainey 12 rushes 90 yards 1 td
Tim Tebow 22 rushes 88 yards 1 td
Emmanuel Moody 5 rushes 32 yards
Brandon James 2 rushes 28 yards
Jeff Demps 5 rushes 13 yards


Receiving

Riley Cooper 4 recs 63 yards
Aaron Hernandez 5 recs 32 yards
Deonte Thompson 1 rec 19 yards

Field Goals

Caleb Sturgis 3/4 Long- 27


Tackles

Ryan Stamper 13 tckls
Joe Haden 7 tckls
Dustin Doe 6 tckls
Carlos Dunlap 5 tckls


Interceptions

Dustin Doe 1 int
A.J. Jones 1 int
Major Wright 1 int


Sacks

Carlos Dunlap 3 sacks
Jermaine Cunningham 1 sack


Player of the Game

Carlos Dunlap - Defensive End, Sack Master

I could have easily selected Chris Rainey as the player of the game after his stellar performance on the ground. However, on a night when the defense once again played superb, it's only fitting that the player of the game is a defensive player. Carlos Dunlap and the defensive line made life miserable for Tyson Lee and Anthony Dixon. Dunlap recorded 3 of Florida's 4 sacks on the evening. His unstoppable rush also played a huge role in the Gators' ability to stuff Anthony Dixon all night long. Dixon came into the game as MSU's all-time leading rusher.He left as the latest victim of a Charlie Strong defense. The most impressive thing about Dunlap's and the defense's performance is the fact that they did it without Brandon Spikes and 3 defensive linemen.

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.

Weekly Picks

Last Week - 36-18

Overall - 321-72

Man, what a horrible performance last week. I feel like I should apologize for how shitty I was at prognosticating the games. If I were the head coach at Clemson, I would have been fired by now. Then again, if I were the head coach at Tennessee, I might have gotten a raise.

I would also like to point out that I was 0-4 on my upset picks last week. I would just like to say, Fuck Cinderella! What a bitch.....

Here's my guaranteed awesome picks:



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


Upset Alert:

Rutgers over Connecticut - I still think Rutgers has the potential to be a decent football team. With a big win over the Huskies, Rutgers could get it's season back on track.

Georgia Tech over Clemson - This is only an upset in the talent department. The Tigers are falling apart as a football team, which means Georgia Tech should win this one.

Navy over Pittsburgh - The Midshipmen are a solid football team that I think Pitt will overlook. Plus, Dave Wannstedt is still the head coach at Pittsburgh.

Mississippi St. over Tennessee - The Bulldogs just upset the best team in the state of Tennessee. Now they get a chance to do the same against the worst team in the state of Tennessee.

Missouri over Texas - I originally picked Texas in this one. After going back and forth I finally settled on Mizzou to take the upset. This is probably the upset pick that I am the least sure about.

Saturday's Stories

The first Saturday of the college football season is in the books. There were a bevy of nauseatingly boring games with which to choose from. As week 1 draws nearer to it's close, I would like to take a look at the top stories from Saturday.


Injured RB's.









A few teams had their opening season victories dampened by injuries to their top tailbacks. Ohio St. throttled Youngstown St. In a game that should have been headlined by Terrelle Pryor's first touchdown, Beanie Well's injury stole the show. Well's went down with a foot injury in the third quarter while attempting to score on the vaunted Penguin defense.

Georgia's Knowshon Moreno was also hit with the injury bug. Moreno left the game after grabbing his hamstring during a touchdown run against Georgia Southern. Moreno's injury does not seem to be very serious and he should be back in the lineup by next week.

Ohio St. will most likely sit Wells out of next week's historic match up vs. in state rival Ohio. This should give Beanie enough time to recoup before the USC game.



Upsets










While there were no monumental upsets like Appalachian St. over Michigan this week. There were a few games that turned some heads and caused a general "huh?" reaction from fans.

East Carolina pulled off probably the biggest upset of the week by knocking off 17th ranked Virginia Tech in Charlotte. ECU scored the go ahead touchdown by, ironically enough, blocking a Va Tech punt and returning it for a touchdown. I think Skip Holtz just bought himself a better job this off season.

Bowling Green also drank from the upset kool-aid Saturday. The Falcons defeated Dave Wannstedt's Pittsburgh team. The Panthers seem to be battling with Clemson for the title of most overly hyped underperfoming team in America. After Clemson's loss to Alabama, it's a toss up.

Most people didn't see the Texas A&M loss to Arkansas St. late Saturday night. The Red Wolves spoiled TAMU's new head coach Mike Sherman's debut. I don't care how big a rebuilding year this is for the Aggies, there's no way they should ever lose to Arkansas. St.

Mississippi St. became the first SEC team of the season to lose. Louisiana Tech won the battle of the Bulldogs Saturday night. The win was the first one for La Tech over a BCS opponent in Ruston ever. I hope this doesn't start a trend for Sly Croom's bunch.

I would include Utah over Michigan, but I don't consider that an upset. The Utes proved they were a superior team with superior players in Ann Arbor. RichRod has a lot of work to do with his bunch. On the bright side, I think the Wolverines have found their starting QB in Steven Threet.


Coaching Debuts














I've already talked about the losing debuts of Mike Sherman at Texas A&M and Rich Rodriguez at Michigan, respectively. A few other coaches made their debut with their teams on Saturday. Here's how they fared:

Greg McMackin, Hawaii - Got stomped by the Gators 56-10.

Bill Stewart, West Virginia - Defeated Villanova with the best passing performance of Pat White's career.


Paul Wulff, Wasshington St. - Lost to Oklahoma St. in Seattle. Wazzou fans are already booing the new regime.

Ken Niumatalolo, Navy - His Midshipmen throttled Towson in Annapolis.

Bobby Petrino, Arkansas - Barely won against 1-aa Western Illinois. I was hoping for the upset all the way through. If Arkansas continues that level of play, they will be horrendous this season.

Jerry Kill, Northern Illinois - Almost pulled off the mild upset against the worst BCS team in the nation, Minnesota.

Houston Nutt, Ole Miss - The Rebels manhandled rival Memphis in a game that I thought would be a lot closer.

David Cutcliffe, Duke - Defeated James Madison. Hey, at Duke, a win's a win.

Bo Pelini, Nebraska - Destroyed Western Michigan at home.

Kevin Sumlin, Houston - Won big against Southern. His Cougars are looking very sharp.

Larry Fedora, Southern Miss - Defeated Louisiana-Lafayette. Real test comes next week.

"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

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.