Gators Own The Night

You know what the say. "Vanderbilt always plays us tough." Still, you would expect the Gators to have put on a little better of a show under the lights vs. the Dores. Tebow may have played one of his worst games in the Orange and Blue, despite what the stats say. Superman just looked a little lost out there last night. The running game was stagnant out there for most of the game. the Gators dd finally do a good job of limiting Chris Rainey's carries for once.

If anything, the game provided a good tune up for the home stretch for the Gators. The offense was a little vanilla, but that may be because Urb doesn't really feel the need to expand the playbook. Despite the lack of offensive ingenuity, the Gators did rack up just under 400 total yards.

The defense was stellar once again. Ryan Stamper and Dustin Doe filled in for Brandon Spikes quite nicely. The secondary was as dominant as it has been all season long. Janoris Jenkins and Joe Haden absolutely shut down Vandy's passing "attack." If I have one complaint about the defense, it was the lack of penetration in the backfield. Florida was held sackless, and they gave up quite a few long runs to Warren Norman.

In honor of the annoying ass Vanderbilt fan that sat behind me at the game. Here are the stats:

Passing

Tim Tebow 15-20 208 yds 1 td
John Brantley 3-3 19 yds

Rushing

Jeff Demps 7 rushes 57 yds 1 td
Emanuel Moody 8 rushes 34 yds
Tim Tebow 16 rushes 27 yds 1 td
Brandon James 2 rushes 18 yds
Chris Rainey 4 rushes 12 yds

Receiving

Aaron Hernandez 7 recs 120 yds
Brandon James 4 recs 44 yds
David Nelson 3 recs 28 yds 1 td
Deonte Thompson 1 rec 16 yds

Field Goals

Caleb Sturgis 2/2 long - 45 yds

Tackles

Dustin Doe 11 tckls
Ryan Stamper 6 tckls
Carlos Dunlap 5 tckls
Ahmad Black 5 tckls
Jon Bostic 5 tckls

Interceptions

Ryan Stamper 1 int


Player of The Game

Ryan Stamper - Linebacker, Interception Machine

Is there any linebacker in the nation that's better at finding the ball in the air and picking it off? Well, yeah. But Brandon Spikes sat this game out, and A.J. Jones didn't register an int. So the honor is Stamper's for now. Stamper was also one of the few players, along with Dustin Doe, to get consistent pressure on the Vanderbilt offense. It was nice to see Stamper really step up in the absence of Spikes. The linebacker unit will be back at full strength next week. That's bad news for Stephen Garcia.

Florida-Vanderbilt Preview

It's time for the annual grudge match between two hated rivals. Vandy's coming to town!!! The past few years, the Dores have managed to make it to the Florida game with a decent shot at making a bowl. That's not the case this year. Bobby Johnson's bunch have stumbled and fumbled their way to a 2-7 mark.

I really don't have much to say about this game. I hope the Gators are more fired up and ready to play than I am to watch it. I've already begun the countdown to South Carolina.


5 Keys to the Game

1. Play With Emotion - The Gators certainly need to play with more emotion than I have for doing this preview. If Florida comes out flat, they will struggle against yet another inferior SEC opponent. This shouldn't happen. Florida can see the finish line and they should be willing to do all that they can to reach that line undefeated.

2. Score Touchdowns in the Red Zone - Getting a little success in the red zone during this game could go a long way in determining how the Gators will finish the season. I like Caleb Sturgis and all, but I only want to see him on the field to kick extra points and kick-offs after touchdowns.

3. Pad Tebow's Stats - Tebow is still in the race for this year's Heisman. I'm never one to call for an individual to pad his stats. However, securing his second Heisman Trophy would pretty much seal Tebow's fate as one of the greatest college football players of all time. What better chance to pad your Heisman stats than against a Vandy team that just gave up 50+ points to Georgia Tech?

4. Don't Give Rainey The Ball - For one, he's coming off an injury. No need to risk further damaging it before the South Carolina game. For two, Rainey seems to always stall the offense when he's in the game. Florida will be driving down field, ripping off 5 yards a play. Then the ball would go to Rainey. Stuffed at the line. Happens all the freakin' time.

5. No Eye Gouging - This shouldn't be a problem as Brandon Spikes has now officially taken himself out of the entire game this week.


5 Players That Need To Step Up

1. Brandon Hicks - Hicks will probably get the starting nod on Saturday with Spikes out of the line-up. Believe it or not, there shouldn't be too much of a drop in production. Hicks could easily be the best linebacker on every other team in the conference. He's that damn good.

2. Brandon James - I'm still waiting on Brandon James to do something in the return game. We haven't seen anything that exciting since the Charleston Southern game. He should get some opportunity against this Vandy squad. I also think James should get more touches coming out of the backfield. We've completely gone away from that this season.

3. David Nelson - In order for Tebow to pad his passing stats, he's gonna need someone other than Riley Cooper and Aaron Hernandez to step up. I'm tired of talking about Deonte Thompson, so I'm gonna turn my attention to Mr. Nelson. He should have a big day against a very weak Vanderbilt secondary.

4. Emmanuel Moody - With Rainey dinged up and Manny running better and better each week, there's really no reason why he shouldn't get the bulk of the carries this week. Moody had himself a good day last year against a much better Vandy defense. I expect him to break the 100 yard mark for the first time this season.

5. Duke Lemmens - Duke has really been stepping his game up these past few weeks. If he continues to play this well, he will just be another dangerous weapon in Florida's front 7 defensively. Cunningham, Trattou, Dunlap and Marsh should get some rest this week, so expect Lemmens to come up big.

Here's some highlights from last year's Gators victory over the Dores.




Here's some Vandy fan's take on Meyer calling out the refs for the no-call on the late hit to Tebow last week.

I know, it's hard to believer for me too. There actually is such a thing as Vanderbilt fans.



My Prediction:

Florida - 55

Vanderbilt - 12

The Clincher!

The Gators clinched the SEC with their 42-14 victory over the Vanderbilt Commodores last night. The game was over at the half with the Gators leading 35-0. Also of importance, Penn St. lost to Iowa before the Gators even hit the field. This ensures that an overrated Big Eleven team will not make the title game for the third straight season. Now, if the Gators take care of business for the rest of the season, they should earn a trip to the BCS National Championship.

Tebow also climbed back into the thick of the Heisman race last night. His 5 touchdown performance was the latest in a string of dominant efforts put together by the QB since his guarantee after the Ole Miss game.

Here's some highlights from Gator Gameday:






Player Stats

Passing
Tim Tebow 12-17 171 yards 3 tds
John Brantley 3-4 20 yards 1 int


Rushing
Tim Tebow 11 88 yards 2 tds
Percy Harvin 9 60 yards 1 td
Emmanuel Moody 7 48 yards
Chris Rainey 5 27 yards
Jeff Demps 4 19 yards


Receiving
Carl Moore 4 recs 31 yards
Louis Murphy 3 recs 39 yards 1 td
Percy Harvin 3 recs 32 yards
Aaron Hernandez 2 recs 23 yards
David Nelson 1 rec 41 yards 1 td
Deonte Thompson 1 rec 14 yards
Riley Cooper 1 rec 11 yards 1 td


Interceptions
Ahmad Black 1 int 0 yards


Tackles
Brandon Spikes 7
Ryan Stamper 7
Joe Haden 6
Major Wright 6
Will Hill 5



Player of the Game


Tim Tebow - QB, Bulldozer, Heisman Candidate

Timmy accounted for five Gator touchdowns against the Dores. His two touchdown runs were probably two of the better runs of his career. His 26 yards scamper in the first quarter was the play of the game. Timmy helped to put this game away by halftime. I was extremely impressed with the Gifted One's pocket presence as well. Vandy has been known to provide a lot of pressure on opposing QB's. I thought Tebow handled the pressure well to deliver another great game.

Florida-Vandy Preview

For some strange reason, I have never really done a preview for a Gators game. Last week, I mentioned a few players that needed to step up in the WLOCP, and as usual I was absolutely correct.

So I figure, why not do a preview from here on out? Here's this week's look to the historic Gators v. Vandy match-up.

Enjoy!

5 keys to a Gator Victory:

1. Show up.

I know the Dores are playing better than usual this season, but it's still freakin' Vanderbilt. Somehow, Vandy always seems to manage a way to give the Gators all kinds of problems. With the exception of last year's blow-out, this series has had a string of way too close games. With no real threat at the QB position, I think it will be pretty hard for Vandy to muster that kind of game once again. Then again, some strange things have happened in Nashville this season.

2. Avoid D.J. Moore

This guy is easily the best player on Vanderbilt's squad. He only has 3 picks this season, but that's mostly due to the fact that no QB in their right mind would throw the ball his way. He is the true definition of playmaker that should take away one side of the field on Saturday. Moore is also dangerous in the kick return game, so that's something else the Gators should be wary of.

3. Cuss like a sailor.

Bobby Johnson really hates curse words. Maybe if Louis Murphy dropped an F-bomb while running a go route along the sideline, he could seriously infuriate CBJ. Unless, of course, he thought Murphy was simply sending a shout-out to Vandy's TE. This could possibly lead to a Vandy coach/UF player throwdown, the likes of which we've never seen.

Well, almost never......

4. Give Moody the damn ball!

Supposedly, Manny is ready to go all out this week after coming off of an injury. Georgia fans know how healthy Moody is right now. He ran the ball 7 times for 73 yards against the Dawgs last week in his first game back from an ankle injury. I have been the biggest proponent all season long of Moody carrying the rock. Demps and Rainey should get good yardage due to their speed, but we need to start using Manny as a change of pace back more frequently.

5. Don't look ahead.

The OBC brings his Fighting Cocks to the Swamp next week. Looking ahead to that match up is probably the biggest challenge the Gators will face this week. Fortunately for us, we have Timothy the Great taking snaps, and I don't see him allowing this team to look ahead. We just need to gt to Nashville and take care of some business. Also, with a berth in the SEC title game on the line, I doubt Meyer and the rest of the coaching staff will really have any difficulty getting this team pumped up.

5 Gator players that need to step up:

1. Brandon James - The Gators D has played so good recently, that James hasn't been able to return that many kicks. BJ needs to make the most of his opportunities this week both in the kicking and running game.

2. Emmanuel Moody - I've already stressed the importance of Manny this week.

3. Markihe Anderson - The Gators are a CB short this week. Granted Jacques Rickerson didn't see the field all that much. Nonetheless, his departure means the rest of the secondary needs to put in a little extra work.

4. Louis Murphy - Aside from enticing a riot with his profanities, Murphy needs to play an important role in the passing game. His play becomes all the more important if the Dores play D.J. Moore on Percy Harvin all game long.

5. The Pouncey Boys - Vandy is very solid up front defensively. The Florida O-line, anchored by the Pounceys, will have to continue their run of great games to keep Tebow out of pressure.

Here's some Vandy fans perspective on the game.

My Prediction:

Florida 35

Vandy 13

Week 6 Preview

Last week finally brought the major upsets that we've been waiting for. USC lost to Oregon St. to open the week. That was then followed up by Florida, Wisconsin, East Carolina and Clemson all losing to unranked teams.

This week, there are a few games that could offer more upsets. Here are a few dandies:


Oregon St. vs. Utah

The Beavers are riding high after their victory over USC last Thursday. They are looking to knock off their second straight top 25 team. The Utes most likely will not overlook OSU, since the Beavers are a "bigger" program. However, it will be interesting how Utah plans on defending scatterback Jacquizz Rodgers. If Utah does win, then that will just continue the tradition of the Mountain West handing the PAC-10's it's own ass.


Kansas vs. Iowa St.

For some strange, ungodly reason, I like this Cyclone football team. For some even stranger and ungodlier reason, I really don't like this Jayhawk team. Kansas should roll in this one, but I wouldn't be surprised if ISU stayed in it until the end. If I'm right, we all know anything can happen at the end of a Big XII game.


Kentucky vs. Alabama

The Tide are America's sweethearts right now. ESPN has withdrew USC's cock from it's mouth long enough to start a slobber job on Nick Saban's bunch. Will this fellatio pleasure go straight to the Alabama players' heads? Probably not. But Kentucky is a solid team, and they will be fired up to knock off the Elephants.


Texas Tech vs. Kansas St.

The Red Raiders have faced nothing but JV high school teams to date this season. While the Wildcats don't present that much of a stiffer challenge, it's still conference play. The game is in Manhattan, where Kansas St. always seems to play much better. It will be up to Tech's defense to stop the Wildcats enough to allow Graham Harrell and Co. to outscore them.


Auburn vs. Vanderbilt

Statistically speaking, if the Commodores win, this wouldn't be an Earth altering upset. However, if the 'Dores pull out a win against Auburn, the entire college football universe will be turned on it's head. This is the only upset that I've actually picked to happen, so I think it's more than possible for the Tigers to leave Nashville with a loss.


Connecticut vs. North Carolina

I know I am seriously hating on Connecticut, but they can't keep winning. They've already proved me wrong by starting off white hot. However, once again, I'll be picking against them this week. Even with a dinged up QB, I like the Tar Heels to knock the Huskies out of the top 25.


Ohio St. vs. Wisconsin

I really don't think it would be an upset if the Badgers defeated Ohio St. in Madison this week. However, everyone else in America just about is picking the Buckeyes to win this one. So by popular opinion, I guess it would be an upset. I picked the Badgers in this one.

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Possible Lane Kiffin CFB destinations

Tennessee - The Vols are finally fed up with Fulmer. Kiffin would bring a Bruce Pearl type energy to the football program.


Washington - Let's face it, Willingham is done in Seattle. Jim Mora Jr. is no longer available, so Kiffin would be a good choice.


Syracuse - There's SC connections here. Also, the Orange have grabbed from the NFL before.


East Carolina - Somebody's gotta replace Skip Holtz after he takes the Clemson job.


Florida St. - The 'Nole re-nig on their offer to Jimbo Fisher after another god-awful offensive season.

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1-AA teams that would be competitive in 1-A RIGHT NOW.

Appalachian St.
James Madison
McNeese St.
Richmond
Wofford
The Citadel
Delaware

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What the hell's going on with:

Tim Tebow

Tebow has not performed like last year. Blame it on less plays, more of a running attack, or defensive schemes against him. Tebow has not been Tebow-like. He badly overthrew receivers last week, including a wide open Louis Murphy on the final drive. Also, when was the last time you saw Tebow denied on a fourth and short? Never.

What has gotten into:

Colt McCoy

Unlike Tebow, Colt McCoy is playing very Tebow-like. He is getting it done through the air and on the ground. McCoy has his Longhorns looking very good. If they continue to play like this, they should head into Dallas undefeated for their epic clash against the Sooners.

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5 Games to Watch

1. Auburn @ Vanderbilt
2. Ohio St. @ Wisconsin
3. Oregon @ USC
4. Rice @ Tulsa
5. Florida St. @ Miami(FL)

5 Stories to Follow

1. How will Ole Miss, Oregon St., Michigan & Maryland respond after huge wins?
2. Will Tim Tebow live up to his promise of being bad-ass?
3. Will Mark May be able to juggle both USC and Alabama's cock?
4. Will USC lose to Oregon AND remain in the top 10?
5. Will Randy Shannon drown in a pool of his own tears because he refuses to stop crying?
   

Weekly Picks

Last Week - 36-17

Overall - 243-61


Much like my beloved Florida Gators, I had an off week. The 17 losses were easily the most I've suffered through all season.

This week, my picks come early due to the Florida Atlantic vs. Middle Tennessee showdown tonight on ESPN2.

Hopefully, I have better results this week.

Florida Atlantic @ Middle Tennessee
Louisiana Tech @ Boise St.
Pittsburgh @ South Florida
Memphis @ UAB
Oregon St. @ Utah
BYU @ Utah St.
Cincinnati @ Marshall
Penn St. @ Purdue
Duke @ Georgia Tech
Iowa @ Michigan St.
Indiana @ Minnesota
Boston College @ North Carolina St.
Rutgers @ West Virginia
Akron @ Kent St.
Oklahoma @ Baylor
Florida @ Arkansas
Kansas @ Iowa St.
Western Kentucky @ Virginia Tech
Alcorn St. @ New Mexico St.
UNLV @ Colorado St.
Ohio @ Western Michigan
Stanford @ Notre Dame
Army @ Tulane
Kentucky @ Alabama
Texas Tech @ Kansas St.
Arizona St. @ California
Illinois @ Michigan
South Carolina @ Ole Miss
Temple @ Miami(OH)
SMU @ UCF
Florida St. @ Miami(FL)
Eastern Michigan @ Bowling Green
Navy @ Air Force
Nevada @ Idaho
Auburn @ Vanderbilt
San Diego St. @ TCU
Texas A&M @ Oklahoma St.
Connecticut @ North Carolina
Florida International @ North Texas
Maryland @ Virginia
UL-Lafayette @ UL-Monroe
UTEP @ Southern Miss
Northern Illinois @ Tennessee
Ball St. @ Toledo
Washington @ Arizona
Texas @ Colorado
Oregon @ USC
Ohio St.@ Wisconsin
Rice @ Tulsa
Missouri @ Nebraska
Wyoming @ New Mexico
Hawaii @ Fresno St.
Washington St. @ UCLA

Upset Alert - I already picked Vandy over Auburn , so of course that's my upset pick of the week. Also, I really wanted to pick Colorado over Texas. However, the Buffs performance last week against Florida St. really forced me to go with the 'Horns. We'll see....

Week 4 Preview

Conference play will begin for most teams around the nation this week. No conference has better match ups than the SEC. Here are a few of the showdowns that will be taking place on Saturday.

Florida travels to Knoxville to listen to 3 and a half hours of god awful Rocky Top. The only thing worse than having to sit through that travesty of a "song" is to listen to 100,000 dumb ass hillbillies sing it off key. I swear I wanna vomit every time I hear that piece of shit.

As a side bar to the raping of our eardrums by the UT band, the Gators and Volunteers will actually be playing a game in front of the aforementioned hillbillies. I'm sorry to inform Cletus and Maude that their Vols have no chance in this game. Sure, some Gator players have given the UT players a LOT of bulletin board material, and yeah, the Vols have revenge on their mind after getting destroyed in the Swamp last year. None of that matters, the Gators will win this one comfortably. I hope Kenny Chesney is ready to wear a Gator helmet at his next concert.

Two top ten teams will be meeting in the SEC West when LSU travels to Auburn. I hope Tony Franklin and his bunch can put up more than 3 points against the Bayou Bengals. If not, this game could get ugly early.

I admit I was a little down on LSU due to their QB situation, but with the way they run the ball and play defense, they might not need a QB. Speaking of not having a QB, Chris Todd and Kodi Burns have not been overly impressive thus far for Auburn. I was expecting Burns to thrive under Frankiln's spread offense. I guess I was wrong.

Both of these games pale in comparison to the monumental throwdown between Ole Miss and Vanderbilt. Ole Miss is very close to making this game a battle of unbeatens. I am thoroughly impressed with the way Jevan Snead has performed. I knew Snead was good, but not this good. Marshay Green and Mike Wallace are both top-flight receivers for the Rebels. It's a shame Vandy doesn't have 2 D.J. Moore's to cover them. I like Ole Miss to hand the Commodores their first defeat of the season.
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In my opinion the Auburn-LSU game is the game of the week. However, everyone is talking about Georgia vs. Arizona St. Perhaps the fact that these two teams have never met makes this game a little more intriguing than the battle of the Tigers.

Granted, this game lost a little luster after the Sun Devils went quietly into the night vs. UNLV, but I still think this game will be very entertaining. Dennis Erickson will have his bunch ready to play. Rudy Carpenter is an NFL quality QB and the Sun Devil offense can explode quickly. However, the Dawgs have just a little too much depth for ASU. I like UGA to prevail in this one.
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The game between Idaho and Utah St. this weekend is a crime against humanity. Both teams should be locked up for cruel and unusual punishment. The Vandals and the Aggies are consistently among the worst teams in the nation. Idaho actually comes into this game with a win! Albeit against a 1-aa team.

I think ESPN should broadcast this game for the hell of it. Why not? Maybe they can put in on one of the ESPN+ affiliates. I don't think there has been a game between two worse programs ever. I know they meet every year, but both teams are exceptionally bad this year. If you're a fan of one of these schools, first off, what the hell are you thinking? Secondly, I'm sorry if I have offended you.

Not really.....
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Players moving up:

Here's some guys that are performing better than expected this season.

Drew Willy - Buffalo QB
Chase Clement - Rice QB
Donald Brown - Connecticut RB
Patrick Pinckney - East Carolina QB
Ahmad Black - Florida S
Sean Spence - Miami(FL) LB
David Johnson - Tulsa QB
Damien Williams - USC WR
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Players going down:

Here's some good for nothing shit bags that don't deserve to call themselves football players.

Kodi Burns - Auburn QB
Entire Syracuse Team
Mike Teel - Rutgers QB
Virginia's Offense
South Carolina QB's
Gary Rogers - Washington St. QB
The ACC
Cortez Gent - Florida Atlantic WR
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What the hell's going on with:

Teams from Arizona.

Both the Wildcats and the Sun Devils suffered defeats at the hands of some pretty mediocre Mountain West teams. Arizona lost to New Mexico, again. The same Lobo team that was thumped by TCU earlier in the season. ASU lost to UNLV, which some people, including me, picked to be one of the worst teams in the nation. I do think 'Zona will be able to rebound this week against UCLA. Unfortunately for the Sun Devils, they will play Georgia.

What has gotten into:

The Mountain West Conference.

Speaking of the Mountain West, how good is this conference? BYU and Utah are both ranked in the top 25. Both the Cougars and the Utes are favored to be BCS busters this season. TCU may be the most impressive team to me so far this season. UNLV and New Mexico both upset the Arizona schools last week. Air Force has looked really good running the ball. Wyoming is ok. San Diego St. and Colorado St. are the only two absolute garbage teams in the conference. Not bad for a Non-BCS league. Plus, they have James Bates as an analyst for their network.
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5 Games to watch

1. LSU@ Auburn
2. Georgia @ Arizona St.
3. Florida @ Tennessee
4. Wake Forest @ Florida St.
5. Virginia Tech @ North Carolina

5 Stories to follow

1. Will Tim Tebow make Rico McCoy his Biotch?
2. Will Mark May gets USC's cock out of his mouth long enough to analyze games?
3. How will Charlie Weis' good leg hold up?
4. How many touchdowns will Jeremy Maclin account for?
5. Will Randy Shannon ever stop crying?

Why Its great to be a Gator

• A winning all-around sports program
  
• Great Academics
  
• Beautiful Campus


• Feeling of superiority to all other people that are not Florida Gators.

These are a few reasons why the chant, It's great to be a Florida Gator is so true today. Now, we can add one more reason to that list:

Her name is Kelly Carrington and she is a journalism major at the University of Florida. She also happens to be the playmate of the month. Not bad for a school that is considered to have some of the ugliest girls in the SEC (not including Vanderbilt.) Of course saying you have the ugliest girls in the SEC is like saying you're the poorest person at a party for billionaires. It's still better than any other school has to offer.

It is funny to me that a Gator would be the playmate of the month and grace the cover of Playboy the same month they do their Girls of the Big Ten issue. Once again, the SEC trumps the Big Ten! It doesn't matter what it's in; sports, women, weather, overall college experience, etc., the SEC shits on everyone.

"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

What if? SEC/Big Ten challenge.

Over the past few years there has been constant bickering among the SEC and Big Eleven fans over whose conference is better. Personally, I don't see how in the hell Big Eleven fans can even compare their J.V. Douche league to the almighty SEC.



Many of you know that college basketball has a competition between conferences at the beginning of every year. Most notably are the Big Ten/ACC challenge and the Big East/SEC challenge. Well I decided to take a look at what a SEC/Big Ten challenge might look like in football.



Since the Big Eleven is too pussy to add a 12th team, the SEC will have to remove one of theirs. Obviously this would be the bottom feeder team of the league, Vanderbilt. Now that gives both conferences 11 teams. I use the word "teams" loosely because there are certain "teams" in the Big Eleven that are rather dubious.

Here is my rank of the eleven teams from each conference. (This rank is sort of like an average, not how the teams are now.)

SEC

1. LSU
2.Georgia
3.Florida
4.Auburn
5.Tennessee
6.Arkansas
7.South Carolina
8.Alabama
9.Kentucky
10. Mississippi St.
11. Ole Miss

Big Eleven

1.Ohio St.
2.Wisconsin
3.Michigan
4.Penn St.
5.Purdue
6.Iowa
7.Illinois
8.Michigan St.
9.Indiana
10.Northwestern
11.Minnesota

Now it wouldn't be fair to play at one teams home sight. I don't see any Big Eleven team beating Florida, Georgia, LSU or Tennessee at home. Likewise for Ohio St. at home.

So we'll make them all neutral site games.

Here's the matchups we would get.

LSU vs Ohio St.
Winner- LSU. I think this already happened in real life.

Georgia vs Wisconsin
Winner- Wisconsin. The Badgers just have a knack for beating SEC teams.

Florida vs Michigan
Winner- Florida. RR just doesn't have the athletes to run his system yet.

Auburn vs. Penn St.
Winner- Auburn. The Tigers D is just too much for the Lions.

Tennessee vs. Purdue
Winner-Purdue. Tennessee never shows up for big games.

Arkansas vs. Iowa
Winner- Arkansas. Talk to me when Iowa can beat Iowa St.

South Carolina vs. Illinois
Winner-South Carolina. The Zooker will shit his pants when he has to stare down the 'Ol Ball Coach on the opposite sideline.

Alabama vs. Michigan St.
Winner- Alabama. The Spartans will turn the ball over 12 times. By halftime.

Kentucky vs. Indiana
Winner- Kentucky. The Wildcats have too much on Offense for the Hoosiers to handle.

Mississippi St. vs Northwestern
Winner- Northwestern. I'll take an upset here. NU would be able to spread the ball and confuse Sylvester Croom's squad.

Ole Miss vs. Minnesota
Winner- Ole Miss. The Golden Gophers are the worse BCS conference school. FACT!

SO here's the final tally.

SEC- 8 Big Eleven- 3

Just for fun here are all 23 teams in the way I feel they should be ranked coming into THIS season.

1. Georgia
2. Florida
3. Ohio St.
4. Illinois
5. Wisconsin
6. Auburn
7. LSU
8. Michigan St.
9. Alabama
10. South Carolina
11. Tennessee
12. Purdue
13. Penn St.
14. Mississippi St.
15. Michigan
16. Kentucky
17. Indiana
18. Ole Miss
19. Arkansas
20. Vanderbilt
21. Iowa
22. Northwestern
23. Minnesota

I think the best conference by far is the SEC. The Big Eleven is the 4th best behind the SEC, Big XII and PAC-10.

Spring Conference Breakdowns - SEC East

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 East, and explore their strengths and weaknesses. I have them listed below in the order I expect them to finish the 2008 season.

1. Florida Gators

2007 Recap: 9-4 (5-3) Lost to Michigan 41-35 in the Capital One Bowl.



2008 Preview: The Gators return a bevvy of starters on both sides of the ball. Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow returns at QB. WR's Percy Harvin and Louis Murphy will provide able targets
along with TE Cornelius Ingram for Tebow. On defense the Gators return nearly every starter from
a defense that was often disappointing. Hard hitting S Major Wright will be joined in the secondary
by CB Joe Haden, who proved to be quite a pleasant surprise in his first year on defense.

Florida challenged itself a little more this year with it's non-conference schedule. Replacing the likes

of Western Kentucky and Troy with Hawaii and Miami(FL). The SEC schedule will once again be
difficult to navigate through. Along, with the annual showdown with Georgia, the Gators host LSU
and Ole Miss, as well as travel to Tennessee.

Difference Maker - Percy Harvin. Tebow may get the accolades, but this offense does not go without Harvin.

Biggest Game - Nov. 1 vs. Georgia at Jacksonville. The cocktail party could have national title implications once again.

Intangible - Brandon James and the UF return game has been phenomenal the past two seasons.
Look for James to break open more than one game this year with one of his game-changing run backs.









2. Georgia Bulldogs

2007 Recap - 11-2(6-2) Defeated Hawaii 41-10 in the Sugar Bowl.

2008 Preview: The 'Dawgs are returning a very potent offense for 2008. Matthew Stafford returns at QB and early Heisman favorite Knowshon Moreno makes Georgia on of the more dangerous teams on the ground. Mohammed Massaquoi returns at WR, and as usual UGA will have one of the top O-lines in the SEC. Defensively, Georgia will be solid up front once again with Roderick Battle and Jeremy Lomax at the bookending Jeff Owens and Geno Atkins up the middle. Asher Allen also returns to solidify the secondary.

After two easy Non-conference games against Georgia Southern and Central Michigan, the Bulldogs schedule becomes incredibly difficult. Starting September 13, Georgia plays at South Carolina, at Arizona St., Alabama, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, at LSU, Florida, at Kentucky, at Auburn, Georgia Tech. That's a pretty tough schedule.

Difference Maker- Knowshon Moreno RB.

Biggest Game- Nov. 1 vs. Florida at Jacksonville. Can Knowshon repeat his performance from last year.

Intangible - Last year Mark Richt suddenly became the master motivator. Can he continue to keep his team fired up or will they tire of his act?

3.South Carolina Gamecocks


2007 Recap- 6-6(3-5)


2008 Preview: Needless to say, the Gamecocks were very disappointed in the way in which their 2007 season ended. 4 straight losses and missing a bowl game was not how Steve Spurrier envisioned his season going. A QB controversy is brewing in Columbia heading into Spring. Last year's part-time starter, Chris Smelley is looking to fend off redshirt freshman Stephen Garcia at the position. Whoever wins the job will have a couple of weapons behind him. Mike Davis returns at RB and Kenny McKinley is back at WR. The Gamecocks defense will be their strongest asset in the upcoming season. Jasper Brinkley is back at LB, while Captain Munnerlyn and Carlos Thomas are back in the secondary.

Carolina's schedule is not as tough as last year's. Their toughest non-conference game against NC State is at home, as is most of their SEC contests. The toughest part of the schedule are the last two games when South Carolina travels to both Gainesville and Clemson.

Difference Maker - Jasper Brinkley LB. It's weird to have a defensive team MVP on a Steve Spurrier squad, but that's the case for 2008.

Biggest Game - Sept. 13 v. Georgia. South Carolina needs to start quick this season to erase the memories of the end of last year. Spurrier owns UGA, so this seems to be an early-season must-win.

Intangible - Williams Brice Stadium. I've always thought Columbia doesn't get the credit for being a tough place to play. South Carolina always plays tough at home, and the crowd can get fierce. This year the Gamecocks play NC State, Georgia, LSU, Tennessee and Arkansas at home.




4. Tennessee Volunteers

2007 Recap - 10-4(6-2) Defeated Wisconsin 21-17 in the Outback Bowl.

2008 Preview: The Volunteers head into Spring with an all-out QB controversy. The departure of Erik Ainge leaves Jonathan Crompton, Nick Stephens and B.J. Coleman as the candidates to lead Phil Fulmer's offense. For the first time since I can remember the Vols actually return a solid receiving corps. Austin Rogers and Josh Briscoe both return as targets for whoever becomes QB. There's not much on defense to get excited about with this year's Vols. Eric Berry is back at SS. Other than that, there is much to be desired.

Tennessee has a tough non-conference match-up at UCLA. Hopefully this trip to PAC-10 country than last year's Cal game. Florida comes to Knoxville this year, but Tennessee has to travel to Auburn, Georgia and South Carolina.

Difference Maker - Eric Berry will have to play like an All-American to help out the yet to be proven defense.

Biggest Game - Nov. 1 at South Carolina. If Tennessee gets good play out of it's QB position and from the defense, this game could have serious implications on the SEC East race.

Intangible - Daniel Lincoln. In a conference in which every point counts, having a solid place kicker could mean the difference in a bowl year and Phil Fulmer ending up on the hot seat once again.






5. Vanderbilt Commodores


2007 Recap - 5-7(2-6)

2008 Preview - Chris Nickson is back at QB. Nickson may very well be the most underrated quarterback in the SEC. I've seen Nickson in person and the he has definitely got the talent to take the 'Dores bowling. Also, in case Nickson goes down, Vanderbilt has a solid backup in Mackenzi Adams. The Commodores have always been solid defensively under Bobby Johnson. If the offense is able to improve, Vanderbilt could be considered one of the better turnaround teams of '08.

Vanderbilt has a relatively soft non-conference schedule, which includes a trip to Miami(OH) and visits from Rice and Duke.Vanderbilt also lucks out as LSU and Alabama are not on their schedule this year.

Difference Maker - Chris Nickson. If a play breaks down, he has the ability to make things happen.

Biggest Game - Nov. 22 vs. Tennessee. How do these rivals not close out the season against one another?

Intangible - Jermaine Doster RB. I really don't know if Doster will make any kind of impact this year, but he went to my High School Alma Mater, so I wanted to mention him. His older brother was Kwane Doster, who now has his number 1 painted on the field after his untimely death.




6. Kentucky Wildcats


2007 Recap - 8-5(3-5) Defeated Florida St. 35-28 in the Music City Bowl.

2008 Preview: The Wildcats will have a tough time replacing Andre Woodson and Kennan Burton on offense. Dual threat QB's Curtis Pulley and Mike Hartline will be battling to see who can take over Woodson's spot. Pulley seems to be the early favorite. Dicky Lyons, Jr. is back at the WR position. Lyons always seemed to make the big plays when they were needed most. Look for coach-in-waiting Joker Phillips to establish a more open offense to compete with the rest of the SEC. Kentucky also has to replace All-Everything TE Jacob Tamme from last year's squad.

The Wildcats have an incredibly easy non-conference slate. Kentucky travels to re-building Louisville for their annual match-up, and then welcomes Norfolk St., Middle Tennessee, and Western Kentucky. You'd think Kentucky was a Big-12 team with that schedule. The SEC schedule gets much tougher for the Cats as they travel to Alabama, Florida and Tennessee.

Difference Maker - Dicky Lyons, Jr. His knack for making plays when necessary is something special.

Biggest Game - Oct. 4 at Alabama. The Wildcats will need to open SEC play if they want any kind of chance at a postseason berth.

Intangible- Joker Phillips. The soon-to-be coach is a great play caller. How he will adjust to the departure of Woodson will be key to the Wildcats success.