Bleacher Report - Articles by Cody Dockens

Georgia-Florida: Will the Dogs Roll Over and Play Dead for the Gators?

Cody Dockens — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 21:22:40 -0400

This weekend, the Georgia Bulldogs and the defending national champion Florida Gators are set to meet in Jacksonville. The World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party is one of the greatest rivalries in all of college football. Few games have had as numerous title implications as this rivalry, which dates back to 1915.

This season, the defending national champs are coming off two back-to-back nailbiters against Arkansas and Miss St. Despite these two letdown games, the Gators have been fierce this season, silencing any and all critics.

Thus far this season, the Gators and Gator nation have experienced a rollercoaster of emotions. They bested Tennessee both in a war of words and on the field. They travelled to Death Valley and beat LSU. However, their hopes to repeat were dealt a crushing blow when Tim Tebow suffered a concussion against Kentucky. Fortunately for the Gators, Tim made a speedy recovery.

On the other hand, we have Georgia, the favorite to win not only the SEC, but the national title last season. Their chances to face Bama in the SEC Championship Game were obliterated in this very game by a vengeful Florida Gators team.

Midway through this season, there is little doubt the Dogs are missing not just Matt Stafford, but also Knowshon Moreno. The dogs are 4-3 and 0-2 vs. ranked teams.

Interestingly enough, Tebow matched legendary Georgia RB Herschel Walker for the most rushing touchdowns by a single player in SEC history. The last thing Georgia wants to do is allow him to score the tiebreaking TD.

This season, the Gators have plenty to boast about. They sport the eighth-best offense in the nation, spearheaded by Tebow and the sixth-rated rushing attack. Along with their power offense, they have the nation's eighth-ranked defense, which is 12th against the run and an amazing second against the pass.

In order for Georgia to win this game, they have to find some way to stifle the Gator offense—which is averaging 35 points a game—or else they will have to beat Florida in a shootout, which is next to impossible against this defense.

Georgia's offense is lead by sophomore wide-out AJ green. He is perhaps the sole bright spot in an otherwise pedestrian 49th-ranked passing offense. Joe Cox is no Matt Stafford, that's plain enough to see, but the fifth-year senior has tossed 13 scores, despite throwing nine picks.

As challenging as this matchup appears for the Dogs' passing attack, it is a hundredfold tougher for their running game. Georgia has an abysmal ground game, accumulating just over 100 yards per game.

As bleak as the outlook may seem, Georgia fans have reason for hope. This is a rivalry that has produced more than its fair share of last-minute heroics. Notables include Lindsay Scott's 92-yard sprint for a touchdown to save the Dogs' 1980 season, 1995's Gators Half a Hundred Between the Hedges—scoring 52 points between the hedges, a record that still stands today—and perhaps most notably the Gator Stomp of 2007, when Mark Richt encouraged the Dogs to draw a celebration penalty, an image forever burned into the memory of many a Gator fan.

While this matchup may clearly favor the Gators, I'd like to remind fans of both teams not to underestimate a Georgia team that shares more in common with their mascot than most credit them with. Historically, the bulldog would latch on to an opponent’s throat and keep its jowls locked in until their opponent suffocated or bled out. And that is precisely the way these Bulldogs will play if they hope to have a chance of success this weekend.

After Three Straight Losses, Auburn Has a Long Road Ahead

Cody Dockens — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 23:14:46 -0400

For Auburn fans, these last three weeks may have seemed like torture. After starting 5-0, the Tigers have dropped three straight, all of which came in conference.

However, the 2-3 conference record isn’t the worst part of it. Two of the Tigers’ losses came to inferior teams.

Well, the Arkansas game is debatable, but as a Bama fan I know Auburn fans won’t tolerate losing to teams like Kentucky.

As a Bama fan I was hoping this would be a copy of last season’s Auburn and Miss St. game, but instead I witnessed a clinic on how to defeat Auburn: Run the ball and run it often. As hard as it was to stomach, I watched LSU beat Auburn’s eyes out for three-and-a-half quarters. Auburn looked helpless when it came to defending the pass.

The Tigers rank 35th in yards per game but have allowed 10 touchdowns through the air, and seven of them have come in conference games. Combine that with their 89th, yes, 89th-ranked rushing defense, and you have a recipe for disaster.

Following these three abysmal weekends, Auburn fans are hoping to see things turn around. Sorry to disappoint you, but that isn’t going to happen anytime soon.

This weekend Auburn faces No. 25 Mississippi. Ole Miss has looked overrated for much of the season, mainly due in part to the inconsistency of Jevan Snead. The strong point of the Rebels attack is the dual threat wide receiver, playmaker, and game changer Dexter McCluster.

If Snead can just avoid the rush long enough, McCluster is bound to find a hole in the defense. If Snead can’t produce through the air, the Wild Rebel shall prove fatal to the Tigers, as McCluster will execute it to a “T.”

After the shellacking the Tigers receive at the hands of the Rebels, they have a chance to compose themselves in a squash match against Furman before playing Georgia.

This year the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry will feature a Georgia team that is still trying to find themselves and a 6-4 Auburn squad that desperately needs a victory to boost their moral before they face the Tide.

At the beginning of the season I would have said Georgia would win this game by 13. However, Auburn is 35th against the pass, and while that isn’t great, that should be sufficient to hold Joe Cox to a two TD and one INT game (about his average).

Things start to get dicey when you compare the Bulldogs' rushing attack and the Tigers' lackluster run D. Luckily for the Tigers, Georgia’s 103rd-ranked rush offense couldn’t run through a paper bag.

This game will probably resemble the Auburn-Arkansas game, but with the score reversed. Auburn has a stellar rushing attack and a great group of backs that will give Georgia fits. Auburn wins this by three scores.

Auburn will limp into the Iron bowl, sporting a 7-4 record and coming off their best game of the season, their thorough dismemberment of the Georgia Bulldogs. However, this performance was but a façade, one the Tide will all too quickly tear down. Mark Ingram will slash, gash, and tear the Tigers defense into ribbons.

Bama’s defense will have their hands full with Auburn’s three-headed rushing attack, but without a passing threat the Tide can focus on shutting the Tigers down. The game will be closer than last season’s. The Tigers will likely trail by 10 at the half, but the Tide will slam the door shut before the third quarter is over. In the end the Tigers will fall. Look for a score of about 37-13.

The Tigers will finish the season 7-5, 3-5 in conference.

ESPN's Gratuitous Love Affair with Matt Barkley

Cody Dockens — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 01:36:51 -0400

When watching ESPN one can’t help but notice their unapologetic, unabashed macho love for USC quarterback, Matt Barkley. The praise Matt Barkley receives rivals that of Tim Tebow and Tom Brady the other two poster boys of ESPN (contrary to Barkley the other two have earned the praise). I can barely watch ESPN on Saturday due to their overt prejudice for Barkley.

My first thought when watching the Matt Barkley lovefest, is how a non college football savvy person would interpret this hero worship of Matt Barkley.

They would probably think Barkley was an overlooked high-school player who went to some small college and tuned out to be a real diamond, and is leading his “little team that could” to face, and slay the giants of the college football world. When in reality it is one-hundred eighty degrees different.

Barkley was the most touted, most recruited player coming out of high school last year. His commitment to USC came as no surprise to the vast majority of the public. He, a true freshman, was selected as the starter for the Trojans prior to the start of this season.

Since his being named starter the good people at ESPN have fawned over him. They act as though the “Great” Matt Barkley is the savior of college football. In his first game Barkley face the “powerhouse” known as San Jose State and completed 15-19 passes for 233 yards and 1 touchdown.

Okay I understand that this is his very first college game…spare me the hearth warming stories people! Barkley plays for USC, who in my opinion is gratuitously overrated every year, as they always start top 10 and get “upset” by some middle school team or equivalent, but that is another story.

However, they are a legitimate top 25 program. I fail to see how the most touted recruit in the nation leading a perennial top 25 team past a team whose only win is came against Cal Poly.

The second week of the season the Barkley lead Trojans travelled to Ohio State. This game was supposed to be the first real test for USC and their “phenom” qb Matt Barkley. What a joke! This “first real test” had survived Navy the week before, and has a quarterback who is so inconsistent it is comparable for him having split personalities.

One minute you have Tyrelle Pryor who tossed three TDs against 3-1 Indiana, who has beaten such strong programs as Akron and Eastern Kentucky. The next minute Pryor commits four turnovers out of the teams five, in an embarrassing loss to Purdue.

In hindsight the win here isn’t so impressive. However ESPN told the world how Barkley lead his team to a tough well earned victory over a mighty OSU team. If by lead they mean tossed an interception and no scores, and putting it all on the shoulders of your stellar running backs, Joe McKnight and Stafon Johnson.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t find him chocking, and needing the RBs to do the heavy lifting, to be leading them over OSU.

USC lost their next game to Washington and boy, did ESPN reiterate that “USC lost a close one with a back up quarterback.” They made sure we knew it wasn’t Barkley’s fault. After reiterating it was Corp who was at fault, ESPN would then tell us that if Matt was healthy USC would have won.

Sorry ESPN, but I don’t think a QB who has one score and one pick is a polarizing leader who could inspire your team, full of blue chip recruits to beat a team who was WINLESS the year before. As a matter of fact the back up of most teams should be able to lead USC over Washington, if USC is as good as ESPN and the rest of the media seem to think; which clearly they aren’t if they fell to Washington without their “stellar” freshman qb.

After the “upset” at Washington, USC lead by their messiah Matt Barkley would face Washington State. In this game Barkley would throw for 2 touchdowns and 247 yards. These good, but not great stats were enough to have ESPN analysts raving over this phenomenal young man.

What they don’t tell you is Washington State ranks in the bottom three teams in the nation against the pass.

Funny how ESPN forgets to mention how poor Washington State is against the pass when it is Barkley and USC playing them, you can bet had it been Penn St., Florida, Alabama, etc they would have reminded the viewers that Washington State isn’t known for their defensive prowess. USC managed 247 pass yards against a team who allowed over 400 pass yards to SMU and Hawaii.

Following his “breakout” game vs Washington state Barkley managed to throw an interception and zero, zilch, nada, no touchdowns against the nation's eighth worst pass defense. At this point Barkley has thrown three TDs and two interceptions, and yet ESPN continued to talk up this mediocre play from the nation’s top freshman prospect.

Barkley managed to throw two touchdowns and just one int against the Irish, and threw two picks and two scores against Oregon State. For the season Barkley has seven touchdowns and five interceptions. These are hardly acceptable numbers for a starting quarterback at many mid level teams, but abysmal for a quarterback of a top 25 team, and such a highly touted recruit.

Now, I will admit Barkley is a true freshman and for a player in his position he is doing good, not great but good. I think he will become a dependable quarterback for the Trojans, however I don’t understand these man crushed many ESPN analysts seem to have with him.

He does have a higher amount of pass yards per game, but has two less touchdowns and the same number of picks as Tate Forcier, a true freshman QB from Michigan, and Forcier played only two snaps in one game, so it isn’t as though he has more games to inflate his touchdown number.

Granted, Barkley has more yards, Forcier’s stats come against two top teams and a few mediocre defenses, while the opponents of Barkley have been vastly inferior.

Alabama-Tennessee: Nail Biter Revives Intensity of the Third Saturday in October

Cody Dockens — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 23:29:27 -0400

During a time when traditional rivalries are becoming less and less important, Bama and Tennessee gave us a game for the ages.

An already intense rivalry, the “Third Saturday in October” as it is known despite know being on the fourth, gained even more importance when it was revealed Tennessee coach Phillip Fulmer was a witness against Alabama, in what resulted in a probationary period for the Tide.

Fulmer’s testimony, his well-known dislike for the Tide, the fact that Tennessee was riding high from a 1998 national championship, and a seven straight loses to the Vols added fuel to the fire, and the Vols soon replaced Auburn as the Bama’s top rival for many fans and players.

In the nine meetings between these two teams since Tennessee has won five and Bama four (three due to NCAA penalties the 2005 game isn’t counted). The most notable game of these being the 2005 when Tide safety Roman Harper caused a Tennessee player to fumble the ball through the end zone. At the time of the play Bama was leading 6-3 and the score would have given the Vols a 10-6 lead with little time left in the fourth quarter.

In 2008 the Tide crushed the Vols in Neyland stadium, making this season’s match-up all the more important to the Vols and new head coach Lane Kiffin.

The past few years this rivalry however intense has been overlooked due to lack of title implications. Last season the meeting had significance to Bama but it was somewhat less important to the Vols who were amidst inner turmoil that would ultimately lead to the firing of Fulmer.

This season new Vols coach Kiffin was prepared to make a statement with a signature win, and massive upset of the much hated Crimson Tide, and as all SEC fans know you can throw out statistic in a rivalry game.

I’m not saying that the mystique would have vanished from this rivalry had Bama blown out Tennessee, but if that would have happened I do believe a large portion of Bama fans would conceive Tenn. To be much of an issue in the present. In order to re-ignite this rivalry Tennessee would either have to upset the Tide or keep the game close.

The Vols held the Tide to four field goals, and despite struggling early Vols QB Jonathon Crompton managed to come through for his team in the final minutes of the game when he tossed a much needed touchdown. After Tenn recovered the onside kick they rapidly moved into field goal position and trailing 10-12 put the game into the hands of their kicker.

Bama had already blocked one field-goal attempt by the Vols and another had fallen short. As time expired fans of both teams held their breath, and witnessed 350+ lbs nose tackle Terrence Cody block his second kick of the competition.

The game couldn’t have ended more perfect for the rivalry…It seems to have re-ignited the spirits of both teams, and put the “Third Saturday in October” back into the spotlight of the seasons of the two teams.

Performance Enhancing Drugs Not The Only Alarm In Latest Report

Cody Dockens — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 20:33:19 -0400

David "Big Papi" Ortiz and Manny Ramirez are the two names on the list of players who failed the MLB's random, anonymous drug test in 2003. Just as when it was announced A-Rod failed the test, I was appalled, not shocked but appalled.

Despite the muscle definition and growth they experienced I always maintained the idea of "innocent until proven guilty." With these positive tests they, along with everyone else who tested positive in 2003, are going to be bombarded by the media and ridiculed by the fans.

I am completely opposed to the idea of players using steroids. I feel like they aren't just cheating an opposing team, but they are cheating themselves, the fans, and the game of baseball itself. I also believe that the use of performance-enhancing drugs jeopardizes the integrity of professional baseball.

However, that being said, I have one problem that is bigger than the one I have with these athletes testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs. I'm upset that these tests, which were conducted at random in 2003, were supposed to be anonymous. These tests were supposed to be used by the MLB to determine if random drug testing was necessary. The results were supposed to remain anonymous.

While I believe that people who used performance-enhancing drugs should be punished, you can't punish them for doing something that, at the time, wasn't against the rules.

Furthermore, I know that, thus far, the players who failed that set of drug tests haven't faced formal punishment by Major League Baseball. However, their names have been released to the public and now their records and names are tarnished. It doesn't matter if they, like Alex Rodriguez supposedly, only took steroids for a short period of time, they will forever be labeled cheaters.

Since then, the MLB saw reason to implement drug testing and punishments for failed tests beginning in 2004. I may be naive, but I fully believe that if a player failed the anonymous test, they were probably "randomly" selected to be tested in the years immediately following the 2003 season.

The players who failed the tests were, in all probability, subjected to more frequent tests afterward. Being that there was a penalty, I would assume most players would have ceased using steroids. If a player won an award or a team won a championship, there is a good chance that that player, or members of that team were "randomly" selected to take a drug test some time in the near future.

All of this being said, I believe that if A-Rod or Big Papi passed all drug tests post-2003, there is absolutely no reason for them to come under public scrutiny. Now Manny Ramirez is a different story altogether. Manny was suspended this season for 50 games for failing a drug test, and this suspension even seemed a bit lenient. However, this releasing of names from 2003 is unnecessary.

The bottomline is that these tests were anonymous, and releasing any of these names is a violation of trust and could perhaps be called defamation of character. Players who failed this test are being unjustly targeted by whoever is releasing the names.

The past is the past. If they failed that test and cleaned up their act, then fine. Nobody will ever know they took performance-enhancing drugs, except the players who ignored the rules. However, those who continued to use PEDs will be found out, and will be punished.

Just ask Manny.

I Present to You, Your 2009-2010 AL MVP: Alex Rodriguez

Cody Dockens — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 17:34:28 -0400

We are not quite mid-way through the season and Alex Rodiguez is less than two months removed from his time on the disabled list, and nowhere near removed from the media's flaming maw.

If A-Rod hopes to ever cement a place in Cooperstown for himself than he better prove to fans that he can perform at or above the same level as he has in the past, before he admitted to failing a drug test, for banned substance, in 2003, even though those tests were supposed to remain a secret. What better way to help bring the controversy to an end, than A-Rod winning another MVP, his first since 2007.

Now, the idea of Alex Rodriguez winning the AL MVP this season after the steroid usage becoming public knowledge is slim at best, but before you count A-Rod out, and deny him a chance for the award perhaps thre are a few thins to be considered.

The first reason many people will give for discounting A-Rod from the MVP discussion this season is the fact he misses 28 games with a hip injury, which should lower his stats, making them not as impressive as somebody like teammate Mark Texeira.

While that is true, his stats more than likely will not be as impressive, you have to account for the 28 games missed by A-Rod, and then reconfigure the stats, based on the games since his return. If we subtract the home runs and RBI totals in the games Texeira played before A-Rod's return, he has 14 HRs, 44 RBI, and has scored 34 runs.

A-Rod has hit 12 home runs, has 39 RBI and scored 24 runs. While Texiera still leads in all three catagories, the numbers are a lot closer than they were before.

After the statistical breakdown above one could argue that Big Tex has performed better since the return of A-Rod. This may sound like it damages the arguement, but it in fact strengthens the arguement for A-Rod's MVP candidacy. Without the slugger in the lineup, the Yankees offense seemed to struggle.

In fact the Yankees seemed to struggle defensively too, and finished the 28 game stretch a miserable 13-15. They have flipped things around with the arrival of A-Rod.

Alex's presence take a lot of pressure of players like Texeira, Jeter, Swisher and others who had to step up at the plate and attempt to cover the explosiveness missing in the lineup. Not to mention A-Rod's absence sent the defensive alignment into a tail-spin.

If you have watched the Yankees this season, you have witnessed how they have played with a different tempo since A-Rod's return. They seem more like the Yankees we remember (and hate, if you're a Red Sox fan like me).

The idea of a player being named the MVP is that he is most valuable to his team, and while A-Rod may not appear to be the most valuable on paper, we must remind ourselves that games aren't played on paper.

Without his intimidating presence in the lineup pitchers can pick apart the Yanks. Players are forced into taking on other roles when your slugger is out of the order.

And for New York, A-Rod isn't just a bat in the lineup. He is a personality. As much as Yankee fans claim he isn't a true Yank like Jeter, A-Rod is what makes this team. He is the superstar who takes the spotlight off the rest of the team so they can perform at their best. Love him or hate him A-Rods prescence makes the New York Yankees the New York Yankees.

Altanta Braves Shortstop Yunel Escobar May Be On The Trading Block

Cody Dockens — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 12:00:22 -0400

Reports have began to surface that the Braves may once again be trying to trade short stop Yunel Escobar. Back in November the internet was buzzing with stories of the Braves attempting to trade Escobar, usually to St.Louis, and then pursuing former Braves short stop Rafael Furcal.

This time, it isn't clear who the Braves would like to acquire, or even why Escobar is being shopped. He is batting .281, has 39 RBI (good enough for fourth among short stops), seven HR (top ten at SS), and has crossed the plate 39 times. The only offensive category Yunel may lag in when compared to other MLB shortstops is stolen bases of which he only has three.

It appeared with the acqusition of Nate McClouth the Braves were headed in the right direction, back to their 1990's form, however this baffling move leaves one to wonder if this is the same Braves we have had the displeasure of watching the last four years.

Leading NL & AL MVP Candidates

Cody Dockens — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:58:41 -0400

We are not quite at the half way point of the 2009 MLB season. As th All-Star break creeps ever nearer, one can't help but begin to wonder come October, who will be named the MVP of each league. As this picture suggests, last season's NL MVP is amongst our candidates for this seaons, that being said, let us begin with the National League.

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2009 SEC Preview and Predictions: Gators Are This Years Favorite.

Cody Dockens — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 01:51:22 -0400

Last season was a surprising one to say the least, few people expected Bama to win the west,Auburn and Tennessee replacing two of the best coaches in their respective programs, Georgia coming up short on three occasions, and Ole Miss performing so well under the new leadership of Houston Nutt.

These events sure make this season one of the most anticipated seasons in the SEC in quite some time, we have five teams in the preseason top 25, and top 15 in most polls, three new coaches, and a match up of two SEC greats, Steve Spurrier, and Nick Saban.

The preview will be broken down in order of which teams will finish with the best overall record in coference play.

1. Florida Gators (8-0)

Face it, Superman, Tim Tebow, is returning, as well as all eleven of their defensive starters. The only starters missing will be speedsters Percy Harvin, and Louis Murphy, and two o-linemen, Phil Trautwein, and Jason Watkins.

There is more than enough talent at skill positions to take the heat off Tebow even without Harvin and Murphy, and with the Pouncey twins returning their formidable o-line looks no less impenetrable.

They do play all 8 conference games in a row, with a break between Kentucky and LSU. They have two games that may worry fans, those being Georgia and LSU. Lets be honest Georgia couldn't beat Florida with Stafford and Marino so there is no way they beat the Gators without them.

LSU is coming off a disappointing season, and will be breaking in a relatively new qb, however they will be playing Florida just one week after a trip to Athens to play the dawgs between the hedges yet even more of an advantage for the Gators.

With Tebow at the helm the Gators should be right on target for ye another SEC championship berth and in all probability a BCS championship.

2. Ole Miss Rebels (7-1)

The SEC west is Houston Nutt's to lose. I believe he avoids the sophomore jinx as a coach and leads the rebels to an SEC championship berth. However to do so he must navigate the waters, between Alabama and LSU both of whom have their eyes on the championship berth. Whom better to steer a ship clear of Bama and LSU than junior qb Jevan Sneed.

Despite a slow start last season, Sneed finished the last 6 games looking like an all-American. The Rebel defense is back, and after proving themselves against Texas Tech, Greg Hardy and the gang appear to be ready to disrupt the status quot in the SEC west.

There really isn't a conference game the rebs should lose, but with Bama and the Bayou Bengals to contend with a 7-1 record will do just fine.

3. Alabama Crimsontide (7-1)

Bama shouldn't face too many conference challenges, the only two games that should trouble the Tide are LSU and Mississippi. The way I see it Bama beats LSU, LSU beats Mississippi, and Mississippi beats Bama.

However LSU falls to Florida and maybe Georgia leaving Bama and Ole Miss in a tie with Ole Miss having the tie breaking victory in a head to head match. Considering Bama record last year this may come as a shocker but when you replace three starting o-linemen (2 pro-calibre) and are breaking in a new qb (despite the fact that I think McElroy will be better than JPW in the long run) you have to give them time to establish the chemistry needed for a n SEC championship run.

That being said Bama only loses two defensive players, and with Mt. Cody and the one man wrecking crew Rolando McClain returning the Tide is just one or two big defensive plays from 8-0.

4. LSU (7-2)

Les miles continues to show consistency in Baton Rouge. The number 1 recruiting class in the nation give the Tiger's an edge in some of their closer match ups. LSU face Bama, Florida, Mississippi, and Georgia, and three of those are on the road. Miles and the Tigers will need all the luck they can get if they hope to run that gauntlet.

Jordan Jefferson appears to be the answer to the Tigers qb problems, however he has thrown just 73 passes. The loss of Tyson Jackson will be felt on the defensive side of the ball, and replacing a game changer like that is never easy.

Despite some long-shot odds I believe LSU pulls out wins in two of the four top 25 match-ups, beating Ole Miss and Georgia. They have more than just a shot against Bama, but with the Tide's o-line having ample time to jell and with the return of Julio Jones and Mark Ingram the tigers may really miss Tyson Jackson's presence.

Bottom line, Bama in a close one and LSU finishes 7-2 after a close game at Bama and a two score victory over the Dogs.

5. Georgia (7-2)

Despite losing Stafford and Marino, the Dogs have an easier confernce schedule than last season, however non confernce games like Oklahoma State, and Arizona State are bound to wear and tear on the Dogs.

I suspect they will fall to the Gators, and to LSU, however the ability of the dogs pass rush to disrupt Jordan Jefferson's rythem could greatly change the outcome of what I see being a 9 point loss.

Besides those two, there aren't many other conference games they should lose but keep an eye out for the South Carolina game, if Stephen Garcia has matured enough we could have a fight on our hands, but in all probability Georgia goes 7-2.

6. South Carolina (4-4)

Excluding the top 5 the SEC will be a craps shoot this season with three new teams breaking in new head coaches, and Arkansas drawing the hardest schedule, playing all 5 top 25 ranked sec teams, this leaves Vandy, Kentucky and South Carolina vying for the fifth spot.

I don't think UK can turn things around drastically enough to improve from 2-6 to 4-4 much less 5-3. South Carolina will have phenom Steven Garcia under center this season, and despite throwing 6tds and 8 ints last season there is a lot of expectations for this young man.

If Moe Brown and Jared Cook can provide him with a couple of steady targets I see little reason why the Game Cocks should compile at least a .500 record considering they play Bama, Florida, Mississippi, ad UGA the gamecocks have little room for error if they hope to finish at least 4-4.

Put their game against UGA on upset watch and don't count the Ol' Ball coach out against Florida, despite the beating the Gator's have given South Carolina, the Ol' Ball coach may still have a trick or two left up his sleeves, and with nothing to lose nobody can guess to what lengths he may go.

7. Auburn Tigers (3-5)

Despite being a Bama fan I like to see Auburn win, mainly because if they win it looks better when we beat them, or if we lose it wouldn't look as bad. However, Auburn is bringing in a new coach and in the SEC any most all conferences a new coach may mean a down season.

The major problem for Auburn is that their recruiting has been for Tuberville's War Eagle offense, and not for Chizik's spread. Also it seems as though Tubby who usually kept plenty of skill position player on the roster may have slipped a bit before "stepping down".

This means Chizik and Malzahn will run a spread with many non-spread players and a depleted receiving core. Auburn has four weaker SEC teams on their schedule and they should eat three of them Miss State, Kentucky, and Tennessee.

The remaining team, Arkansas usually would be no problem, and depending on if Auburn can find a full time solution at qb they may not be an issue but for the time being Arkansas has th edge.

8. Vandy (3-5)

Vandy really overachieved last year, according to most, but I predicted them to have a winning record. Vandy is a team that greatly intrigues me, as they could dominate in a weaker conference, but year in and year out they scrape together some wins in the toughest conference in college football.

This being said I think Vandy finally beats Tennessee, after failing to last season, and they beat UK, giving them two wins, they also play Miss St. which should make for an easy win three.

I really dont see Vandy going much further in conference wins, they have a shot at South Carolina, but I believe that last year's Cinderella season may be to far gone in the rear view mirror for the Commodores.

9. Arkansas Razorbacks (3-5)

Their record is indicative of their opponents. The Razorbacks play LSU, Bama, Georgia, Mississippi, and Florida, not to mention South Carolina. That leaves the razorbacks with what appears to be just two winnable games Auburn and Miss State.

Petrino will have to find a replacement for former qb Casey Dick, perhaps Ryan Mallett could step up and fill the void. Whichever qb they chose to go with Arkansas has a long way to go to get to the top.

10. Tennessee Volunteers (1-7)

It isn't that Tennessee is that bad,they did go 3-5 in conference last season, ad that would appear to be the ceiling for them this season.

In order for the Vols to get three conference wins they would need to beat Kentucky, who I have them beating, and then the easiest two opponents left on their schedule is Auburn and Vandy, both of those games should be close however Vandy holds a slight edge for once, since they still have their coach Bobby Johnson.

No to mention their momentum from last season. While Tennessee is projected to finish 1-7 they could just as easily finish 3-5. However Lane Kiffen isn't making friends in the SEC and they may now have a rivalry game with South Carolina, meaning a schedule with 4 rivalry games, which will take a lot out of Vols players.

11. Kentucky (1-7)

They had 2 conference wins last season and should do the same at best it isn't unreasonable to have them with no confernce wins either. So taking the middle road and giving them a win over Miss St. Despite Tenn. having a new coach there is just too broad of a talent gap for the wild cats to make it up, the same goes forSouth Carolina too. The only other game UK might when is Vandy.

12. Miss State Bulldogs (0-8)

In short they couldn't beat Auburn who they held to 3 points last season. Miss St. has had an alrite defense, but no offense to help out or give the defense any rest, and until they can ecruit some players they will contenue to have lackluster seasons.

Utah Proves They Belong In Better Than a Mid-Major Conference

Cody Dockens — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 16:29:24 -0500

Allow me to start this article, by referencing a past article, in which I proclaimed that Utah leaped to far into the polls. This was well before they defeated TCU and BYU to which I said would give them a shred of credibility.

Utah did go undefeated in the regular season, and capped it all off with a 31-17 thrashing of my Alabama Crimson Tide. In doing so Utah accomplished the needed feat to earn my respect.

During the debates with various Ute faithful I stated that if Utah beat an Oklahoma, a Florida, a Penn State, or an Alabama, they would have my respect, now I understand that the Ute Nation hasn't been holding their breath waiting for my acceptance of them, but as I sit at my hotel room, after attending the Sugar Bowl I feel that I owe this to the Utes, their team, their school, and their fans.

So without further adue...

There are 1,001 reasons... er excuses, we Bama fans can give for our embarrassing loss to Utah. We could whine and cry about the loss of starting left tackle Andre Smith, we could blame the disheartening loss to Florida, Urban Meyer's phone calls to Coach Whittingham, or the fact that we had about 17 freshman starters.

The argument that we lost because we were without Andre Smith is perhaps the worst of the list. Any Alabama fan who uses that excuse, admits that in their feeble mind, one single player controlled the destiny of our team, that we were not a team, but rather Andre's back up crew. However I understand that his absence left people playing foreign positions, created frustration, and left us with little time for preparation.

The excuse that the loss to Florida killed our momentum is just as weak as the before mentioned excuse. A fan using this said excuse believes that his teams whole season is the result of the previous game, this reasoning would stand to reason that if you win your first game, you should win them all, or if you lose game one you lose them all, or else the whole season is simply a by product of lucky breaks. This would mean our team was one mistake away from a 5 game slide, and a bad record, or that if we lose one game we can't rebound.

I won't waste time addressing the final two rumors, they are equally boorish, and uncouth, and reflect ill upon the fans using them, and the team.

If you were to ask me why we lost, I would say that all of those excuses are the answer, and yet none of them are. All of these excuses may have played a part, yet none of them should. A great team finds a way to win, despite the odds.

A truly great team doesn't worry about past losses, a great team doesn't fall apart without one player, a great team doesn't need 4 years experience at every position. Maybe... just maybe Alabama wasn't great, they were good, damn good, but not great. And if in fact those excuses did play a part than the team, has nobody to blame for themselves.

Bottom line, Utah wanted the win more, they played harder, they ran faster, jumped higher and hit harder. To have been such an underdog, Utah clearly looked to be the better team. To them I say congrats... we may have been better on paper, in just about every stat except the win loss column, but yall were better where it counted, on the field.

You deserved to win. Congratulations, your fans were polite, and pleasant, I personally would love to see Utah on Bama's schedule more often than in just a bowl game. I think the games would be good close games, hopefully closer than this one.

Roll Tide Roll! We will egt 'em next year Bama, keep your spirits up and your heads held high, and Utah, heck of a game, best of luck in the future, maybe someday soon we could meet yall in the championship game, I would like that.

2008 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Candidates

Cody Dockens — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 01:52:10 -0500

The 2008 NFL draft contained many touted prospects, on both sides of the ball. While talent was abundant on both defense and offense, it was the offense that stole the show.

Typically the first three rounds are where you get your upcoming starters. However, first-round picks are projected to start within the first half of the season, if not immediately. This draft class, like many before it has been a gold mine, with countless diamonds in the rough.

Many will choose the rookie of the year based on the gaudiness of his stats, but the most important measurement of the candidate is the direct impact he had on his teams performance.

Lets start with my personal pick.

1. Matt Ryan QB, Atlanta

Thus far into his rookie of the year campaign Matt Ryan has been faced with issues that would challenge a veteran player, and seem all but impossible for a rookie.

The first-round selection of Matt Ryan was a statement, not only of Arthur Blank and the Falcon's administration's faith in the ability of Matt Ryan, but it also signified the end of the Mike Vick era in Atlanta. The team wanted a new face, and a fresh start.

Anybody who has remotely followed pro football knows of the troubles that the Falcon's organization has faced. In the course of one year, they went through two coaches, and had their starting quarterback incarcerated. Many fans believed that upon his release from prison, Vick would return, but the Falcon's organization had other plans.

Enter Matt Ryan, a hotshot quarterback from Boston College, who would inherit a troubled team and fanbase. While compiling 2,900+ yards, and throwing for 14 TDs with a 62.0 percent completion rating, Ryan began to rebuild not only a team, but a city and its fanbase.

Thus far into the season, the Falcons are standing at 8-5, a jump from last season's 4-12, 2006's 7-9, and be the first Falcon's team since 2004 to finish above .500.

Granted, the Falcons did add running back Micheal Turner, but his production would be marginalized without the passing attack of Matt Ryan. Matt Ryan is not only the right quarterback for the Falcons, but the best choice for the face of the franchise for years to come.

2. Joe Flacco, QB, Baltimore

With their first-round pick in the 2008 NFL draft, the Ravens selected University of Delaware quarterback Joe Flacco, a shocking pick in the first round, despite his uncanny ability to thrown the long ball.

The Ravens ousted Head Coach Brian Billick, and with the end of the Billick era came the end of the Kyle Boller experiment. The Ravens made a gamble, and invested the future of their organization in Flacco.

Joe Flacco, like many rookie quarterbacks, got off to a rough start and was baptized by fire. Flacco's performance in his first eight games was somewhat less than expected, as Flacco threw only three TDs, opposed to seven INTs.

It seems that Flacco finally got over the proverbial hump and turned the corner. Thus far into the second half of the season, Flacco has thrown 10 TDs and just three INTs, totalling 13 tds, 10 ints, and nearly 2,500 yards passing.

3. Matt Forte, RB, Chicago

Last season, the Bears' running back, Cedric Benson, ran for just four scores and 674 yards, earning him 25th ranking in yards per carry, 32nd in total rushing yards, and 27th in TDs.

It became obvious for the Bears that they needed to find a spark plug for their spluttering running game. In the second round of the 2008 draft, the Bears selected Forte, the former running back at Tulane University.

Forte, at 6'2" 215lbs, runs a 4.44 40-yard dash but prefers running over opponents to running around them. After the release of Cedric Benson, Forte became the starter in Chicago and has not disappointed, running for 1080 yards so far this season and accumulating six rushing touchdowns.

He also is second amongst rookies with 53 receptions, for nearly 400 yards and four touchdowns.

4. Steve Slaton, RB, Houston

Steve Slaton enjoyed a fantastic career at WVU, setting and breaking many records. Despite his promising performances in college, Slaton was drafted in the third round, probably due to his size, at 5'9" 201 lbs, he appeared to be too small to take punishing hits from opposing defenses.

Being picked in the third round seemed only to inspire Steve Slaton. Slaton got his chance to start after after his promising relief performance in the opening game of the season.

After Matt Schaub went down with an injury and backup QB Sage Rosenfels took over the position, Slaton carried much of the weight on his shoulders, and carried the weight well, rushing for over 400 yards and three scores while Schaub was out.

Slatons season best performance came against Jacksonville when he rushed for 130 yards and twos cores. Slaton has totalled 1,024 yards and eight TDs

5. Chris Johnson, RB, Tennessee

Johnson saw his stock rise sharply after running a 4.24 40-yard dash time, the fastest ever recorded since the use of an electronic clock began. The Tennessee Titans drafted him in the first round, looking to add to their already explosive backfield.

Johnson, would no be lined up in the same backfield as Vince Young, and LenDale White. After experiencing and injury, and personal problems, Vince Young was benched in favor of veteran QB Kerry Collins. Collins like many veteran QBs was selected as the starter for his game managing abilities, not his big-play performances.

With a manager at QB, the job of playmaker fell into the hands of the Titans ' running backs, White, and Johnson. Chris Johnson and LenDale White resurrected the "Thunder and Lightning" nickname White had earned while playing alongside Reggie Bush at USC.

Lightning, was indeed an appropriate name to Chris Johnson, as he used blazing speed to run around the outside or his lightning fast reflexes to juke, cut and spin from would be tacklers when he ran up the middle.

Johnson recorded his first score against Minnesota in Week Four in a game where he torched the defense for 61 yards and two touchdowns. Johnson has rushed for 1094 yards and eight touchdowns so far this season.

All-Time Greatest Snubs: The Best Players Not in the NFL Hall of Fame

Cody Dockens — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 01:37:45 -0500

It seems that the first article I wrote on this subject has fared well. I noticed it garnered a lot of comments and started quite a few conversations and debates on who should or shouldn't be in the HOF. So, before I release my next five, I am going to provide a list of candidates by position, and ask you to vote for your top five candidates.

When I publish my next installment, I will include the player as voted on by the Bleacher Report.

Thank you,

Cody Dockens

QB: Ken Anderson, Randell Cunningham, Rich Gannon, Roman Gabriel

RB: Dan Towler, Larry Brown, Roger Craig, Ricky Watters

DE: Harvey Matrtin, Richard Dent

LB: Randy Gradishar, Chuck Howley, Chris Hanburger

Kicker/Punter: Mark Mosley, Ray Guy

KR/PR/Sp teams: Steve tasker

The NFL's Greatest Players Not in the Hall of Fame: Part One

Cody Dockens — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 02:00:44 -0500

Few men have ever received the honor of being admitted into one of the most prestigious "club" in sports. The Pro Football Hall of Fame is home to men of mythical talent and abilities.

The men who have been awarded the honor of having a plaque inside these fabled walls are considered to be the best of the best, the elite few.

However there are many more players who are deserving of being inducted into the hall, some players have been left out because of off th field issues, some have been left out simply because they fell into the cracks, maybe it was the era they played in.

Below, in no particular order, are some of the greatest player not in the hall of fame.

1. Lee Roy Jordan

Jordan was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys, with the sixth pick of the first round of the 1963 NFL draft. Legend has it that that in the 1963 NFL Champions vs. the college all stars, Lee Roy held Packers running back Jim Taylor to zero yards, thus raising his draft stock in the eyes of many. Jordan played middle linebacker for the Cowboys under Tom Landry.

Jordan was small for a MLB, and though many sites list Jordan as 6'1", 215lbs., he told me himself that he never weighed over 205.

While in Dallas, Jordan accumulated 743 solo tackles, the leader for the Dallas Cowboys until he was passed by Darren Woodson. Perhaps Jordan's most memorable performance came against the Bengals in 1973 when Jordan intercepted three passes from Bengals quarterback Ken Anderson in just five minutes, and returned one for a touchdown.

Jordan's 32 interceptions ties him third all-time amongst linebacker. Jordan was a five-time Pro Bowler.

2. "Bullet" Bob Hayes

Bob Hayes was one of the fastest men in the worlds and a sprinter turned wide receiver. Hayes was drafted by the Cowboys in the seventh round of the 1964 draft. Legend has it that the speed of "Bullet" Bob led to the creation of Zone Defenses since no single man could cover him.

Hayes was not just a wideout but a return man, and lead the NFL in average distance on punt returns in 1968. Hayes was the first receiver in Cowboys history to amass 1,000 receiving yards in a season, and finished his career with 371 receptions for 7,414 yards and 71 touchdowns. Hayes was named to the Pro Bowl three times and name an All Pro four times.

3. Ken Stabler

Stabler was drafted in the second round of the 1968 NFL draft, by the Oakland Raiders. Stabler was blessed to have a great receiving corp, consisting of Fred Biletnikoff and Dave Casper.

During hist 12-year stint in Oakland, Stabler became the fracnchise's all-time leading passer, was a four time Pro-Bowler, a three-time All Pro, and was the NFL MVP in 1974.

Stabler is the only quarterback on the ALL 1970s roster not in the Hall of Fame, mostly due to his off-field issues.

4. Jim Marshall

Marshall was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the fourth round of the 1960 NFL draft. Marshall played just his rookie season with the Browns, and the rest of his career with the Vikings.

Marshall's most memorable game, is also one of the most embarrassing moments in the history of pro football.

During a midseason game against the 49ers, Marshall recovered a fumble and returned it 66 yards in the wrong direction. Without ever realising his mistake, Marshall began his celebration and threw the ball out of the end zone, resulting in a safety.

Despite his slip up in that game, Marshall had a magnificent career. Marshall held the record for most consecutive games without missing a start, a 282, but it was broken by Jeff Feagles. When he retired, in 1979 Marshall had accumulated 127 sacks and recovered 29 fumbles. Marshall was a two time Pro Bowler, and his No.70 is retired by the Vikings.

5. Cris Carter

Carter's career got off to a shaky start, and he was released in 1989 from the Eagles who had drafted him in the 1987 Supplemental draft.

Once he became a part of the Vikings, Carter turned not only his career, but life around. In 1990, the Vikings claimed Cris Carter, in the deal of the century, the move cost the Vikings just $100.

In his second year with the Vikings, Carter led the team in receptions with 72 for 962 yards and five touchdowns.

In 1995, Carter set the NFL single season receiving record with 122 receptions, that record is now held by Marvin Harrison. When he retired Carter was a three time Pro- Bowler and played in eight straight Pro Bowls.

Alabama-Florida: Why Bama Will Win the SEC Championship

Cody Dockens — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 17:00:50 -0500

This Saturday, the two best teams the SEC has to offer will face off in a battle not only for pride, but for a trip to the BCS National Championship game. The stories behind the two teams couldn't be more different.

On one hand, you have a rising tide that is Alabama, rising from the ashes like a phoenix with a perfect record.They are ready to reclaim their spot as the rulers of the SEC Western division and restore themselves to national prominence, a spot that once was thought to be a birth right for the Crimson Nation.

On the other hand you have the Florida Gators. They are fierce, lightning fast, and appear to be unstoppable. Since their loss earlier this season to Ole Miss they have beat every opponent by at least 30 points, and punished Georgia, LSU and South Carolina, beating them by a combined total of 119 points. Florida looks to remind people that while they didn't win the SEC East last year they are still the reigning power.

The stories couldn't be more different, and no surprise neither could the philosophies of the two teams.

Alabama is has been through the Nick Saban school of discipline. They Tide has an air of seriousness to them that hasn't been felt since the Bear. They take each game one at a time, and break their opponents will.

Bama uses the old SEC stand bye for success a smash-mouth running game combined with a stout, opportunistic defense. Their offensive game-plan is simple enough, we are going to match our big guys with yours, and impose our will upon you by running the ball down your throat.Their defensive philosophy, is even simpler if they can't score on you then they can't beat you. The Tide has allowed just 138 points in 12 games, or about 11.5 points per game.

While the Tide is a blue collar team, who relies on pounding the ball, Florida is flashy. The Gators steam roll their opponents with blazing speed and impenetrable defense. The Gators are in the top ten in both scoring offense and defense. The Gators thrive off emotion, a big sack, long return, or partially blocked punt is all the Gators need to get the momentum rolling, and once they are started the Gators can't be stopped. The slightest change in moment will open the flood gates. The Gators seem to score at will, ripping big gains both in the air or on the ground from their spread offense.

Both Bama and Florida have tremendous play makers. The Tide is lead defensively by tackling machine Rolando McClain, and the one man wrecking crew of Rashad Johnson. Johnson has picked off 5 passes this season and returned two for touchdowns. Johnson doesn't just pick off passes, he terrorizes opposing receivers and even running backs as he patrols the entire field. McClain is a force in the middle of the field for Alabama, and leads the team in tackles.

Offensively Bama's o-line is anchored by gargantuan left tackle Andre Smith and Senior Center Antoine Caldwell. The big guys up front for the Tide provide immense holes, allowing for Bama's dynamic duo of Coffee and Ingram to runn all over and around opposing defenses.

The Gator's are lead by the defending Heisman trophy winner, and dual threat quarterback Tim Tebow. Tebow's massive physique makes him difficult to bring down, not to mention he can throw the ball a country mile. Tebow's favorite target is Percy Harvin or the Flash. Harvin can line up at wide out or running back and cause headaches for the opposing team.

Defensively the Gators are lead by Junior Brandon Spikes. Spikes has taken Gator nation by storm, and has left lasting impressions not only on fans and team-mates but opposing players as well. In the game against Georgia it didn't take Spikes too long to become "acquainted" with Georgia's star running back Knowshon Moreno, as Spikes decleated him on the second play from scrimmage for the Dogs.

So how can this blue collar Bama team beat the flashy Florida Gators?

The Tide need not change from the formula they have used all season, pound the ball on the ground, control the clock and make stops on defense.

On top of everything I have said in order to be successful in the SEC you have to be lucky. I don't mean you need big plays o last second heroics, but you need to be injury free,and Bama has accomplished that. On top of minimizing injuries you need to have the little breaks go your way, and that's another thing Bama has had, the 3rd and shorts, or the 4th down conversion attempts, and here to Alabama is solid as well. So maybe the Tide is destiny's team.

You might say that this match up between the Tide and the Gators pits the SEC's traditional game plan and power house against the new age high powered team of the future. The Tide is winning by an out dated formula, a long forgotten recipe for victory throughout much of the nation, one that still lives in the SEC, but is rapidly fading. The game is a chance rebirth for hard nosed football, or at least a last hurrah.

The No. 1 Tide will enter this game as the underdogs, and that is what gives them the edge. The media has put so much hype into this game, I believe Florida will take the field in Atlanta looking for a coronation, but what they will get is a fist fight, one Bama is ready for.

Phillip Fulmer's Last Season Could Be the Worst in Volunteer History

Cody Dockens — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 17:45:45 -0500

Last Saturday's loss to Wyoming may have been the most embarrassing loss in the history of the UT football program.

On Monday, Nov. 3, Tennessee head coach Phillip Fulmer announced he was being forced to resign as the head coach.

At the time of Fulmer's announcement, the Volunteers were 3-6, and would have to win all three of their remaining games to be bowl eligible.

The three teams on the schedule for the Vols were Wyoming, Kentucky, and Vanderbilt. Now if you were asked to pick which one of the three remaining games Tennessee would be most likely to lose, most people would say Kentucky, and then Vanderbilt, or maybe Vandy then Kentucky.

Almost no one would have said Wyoming.

The Wildcats were 6-3 Monday, and two of their losses were by less than seven points. With the way the Wildcats have been playing defense, there is little doubt they can stop the sorry excuse for offense Tennessee has shown.

Vanderbilt was 5-3 on the day Fulmer made his announcement, and many Tennessee fans knew all the Vols had to look forward to the rest of this year was a chance to ruin the eason for their instate rival, who will likely come into the last game of the season 5-5 needing to beat a struggling Tennessee program to go to a bowl game, or else Vandy will go into the Wake Forest game in a must-win situation.

The chance to hand Vanderbilt a season-ending, heart-breaking loss has been the one ray of sunshine for Tennessee students, fans, players, and even coaches.

However, after the way the Vols played this weekend, I don't think they have a shot at Vandy, and not a prayer against Kentucky.

The Vols lost to Wyoming, 13-7, marking only the second time in history the Vols have had seven losses in a season.

While Tennessee was embarrassing themselves, Kentucky was fighting an uphill battle against Georgia that they would lose late in the game, and Vanderbilt was futilely trying to reach the six-win plateau by upsetting Florida.

Even though Tennessee's two remaining opponents lost too this past weekend, they looked more impressive than the Vols.

Offensive ineptitude was rampant for Tennessee, as they turned the ball over twice in key situations. All 13 of Wyoming's points came off turnovers. The Vols barely broke 200 total yards on a team that allows on average 330 ypg.

The Vol's defense also failed to show up, allowing Wyoming to outgain the Vols, but really is out gaining the Vols all that impressive, I think not.

The bottom line is Tennessee lost to a bottom feeding team from a vastly inferior conference. The Vols lost to a team that is 1-5 in the MWC, a team that won its three other games against North Dakota State, Ohio, and San Diego State.

The other three teams Wyoming has beaten have a combined record of 8-21, a large portion of those wins being against D-2 teams. To put the loss into perspective, Wyoming has scored more than seven points in just five games this season. Tennessee scored less against Wyoming than any team has this season.

Judging by the pitiful performance against Wyoming, it is a safe bet that the Vols will lose to Kentucky, dropping to 3-8, the first time ever Tennessee will have lost eight game in a season.

If Tennessee loses to Kentucky, any morale that was left over from their loss to Wyoming will surely be gone, and there is no reason to expect the Vols to upset Vanderbilt.

Yes, the Vols-Dores game is a rivalry, but the way Tennessee is playing, they only team they can beat is themselves, and even that is a stretch.

Tennessee will be demoralized, and worn down physically and emotionally, and while there would be nothing sweeter left for the Vols than to ruin Vandy's season, there simply isn't enough left in the tank in Knoxville.

With Tennessee on the fast track to an all-time worst nine-loss season, I have one piece of advice for Vols fans.

Fans, it is time to say goodbye, not just to this season, but to a decent football program in Knoxville. With the departure of Fulmer, goes the departure of a respectable program. Well, that is already gone, but you get my drift.

Unless Tennessee brings in a big-time coach, or Cutcliffe returns, the Vols are most likely in for a long, tough, next five to 10 years.

Lets face it, the Tennessee job isn't exactly a dream job. There is a reason that UT has the highest recruiting budget, it is because they have to compete with Mississippi, Auburn, Alabama, Georgia, and Kentucky for recruits.

The state of Tennessee is pillaged by other teams, and the talent often winds up at schools other than the University of Tennessee.

The next coach better secure in-state recruiting, but the state of Tennessee as a whole doesn't yield enough talent, and the next coach will have to branch out and attempt to steal recruits from other teams' backyards, and it won't be easy, given Tennessee's current records.

What's going to attract recruits? Tennessee won't have a lot to offer. A new coach, an unstable coaching staff, and a chance at conference mediocrity isn't exactly what every recruit is looking for.

To Tennessee fans, I say good luck. It isn't going to be fun, nor will it be easy. Speaking as a Bama fan, I know what 10 years of mediocrity is like.

We have had three decent years in the last 10, and this season will be the fourth. We are just finally rising out of the mid-pack of the SEC West. In seven to 12 years, you will too.

Hang in there. It will be tough, but better days will come.

Alabama-LSU: A Homecoming For Nick Saban

Cody Dockens — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 05:04:36 -0500

Nick Saban is quickly cementing a place for himself in SEC lore.

As the head coach at LSU, Saban led the Bayou Bengals to victories in both the SEC and National Championship games.

After a brief stint in the professional ranks as the head coach of the Miami Dolphins, Saban returned to the world of college football, and to the SEC. Saban is the current head coach of the University of Alabama Crimson Tide, and is on the verge of leading his second SEC team to a conference championship and perhaps a National Championship.

However, if Saban is going to accomplish this most magnificent feat, he must first defeat his former team and current SEC rival LSU in Death Valley.

This much anticipated match-up between the undefeated No. 1 Crimson Tide and the N.. 16 (6-2) LSU Tigers will no doubt be one of the most prolific between the two, and it will no doubt surpass the expectations set by last year's thriller in Tuscaloosa. To fully appreciate the animosity between these two rivals, you must first understand the history between these two storied teams.

Allow me to set the stage for you.

In 2000, Saban replaced recently fired LSU head coach Gerry DiNardo. Under DiNardo LSU's football program experienced its first success since 1986. DiNardo led the Tigers to several winning seasons, but his career in Baton Rouge was cut short when his Tigers went on a skid following a loss to Florida and lost 13 of their last 17 games under DiNardo. Under DiNardo LSU was 3-2 against Alabama.

Before the hiring of DiNardo, the LSU Tigers struggled, posting six consecutive losing seasons including records of 4-7, 5-6, and an abysmal 2-9 in the three years preceding DiNardo's arrival.

When LSU hired Nick Saban to be their third head coach in just 10 years fans were probably a bit apprehensive, but Saban quickly answered any questions fans may have had about him. In his first season at the helm, Saban led the Tigers to a Peach Bowl victory, continuing his winning ways from Michigan State. In 2003, just his fourth season in Baton Rouge, Saban led the Tigers to a National championship.

After his fifth year, 2004 Saban jumped ship for the NFL, leaving a bad taste in the mouth of LSU fans, players, and alumni.

After a short career as an NFL coach, Saban accepted an eight-year $32 million-dollar deal from the University of Alabama, a bitter SEC West rival of LSU, who Saban had beat four out of five years while at LSU. The Tide's only victory against Saban came in 2002 in the form of a 31-0 embarrassing home loss for LSU; a loss that the LSU faithful may have never gotten over.

Since taking the helm at Alabama, Saban has posted a 16-6 record. In his first season in Tuscaloosa, the Tide started the season 3-0 and at one point were 6-2. After losing at home to LSU, however, the Tide began a skid, finishing the regular season 6-6. Despite the sudden dive, the Tide finished the season on a positive note with a win over Colorado in the Independence Bowl.

This season the Crimson Tide will be taking the field in Baton Rouge to defend not only their perfect season and their consensus No. 1 ranking in the polls, but their honor. A win on Saturday would mark Alabama's first win over LSU since the 2002 rout of Saban's Tigers.

This road game may be the toughest emotional test for the youthful Tide. After last year's heart and momentum breaking home loss to LSU, the Tide will attempt to get coach Saban his first win in Death Valley against LSU.

All signs point to this year's Saban Bowl surpassing the intensity of last year's, for this year Saban will be "welcomed" back to Baton Rouge in a homecoming of sorts. The savior of Baton Rouge will return to Death Valley for the first time since 2004 and attempt to defeat the school and team he restored to national prominence.

Coming into this Saturday's game, the Tide boasts the No. 2 rush defense in the nation, something that looks to be put to the test by LSU's Charles Scott. Scott is averaging over six yards per carry, and will be facing an Alabama defense with the likes of Mount Terrence Cody and Rolando McClain that has allowed scarcely more than a 2.5 ypc average.

It appears that the Tide is not the only team that will be getting defensive in this classic SEC clash. LSU is ranked 21st in total defense and 17th against the run. Alabama ranks 32nd against the pass, and LSU is 39th. Both teams rank in the top 20 in total defense, with the Tigers 17th and the Tide fourth.

The similarities between the two teams' stats continued on the offensive side of the ball. Bama has the 19th-ranked rush offense and LSU has the 29th.

LSU has been less than spectacular passing the ball though. The Tigers rank 58th in pass offense, with 15 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. It would seem that Alabama has struggled to move the ball through the air, fielding the 102nd-ranked passing attack, but the Tide only throws the ball an average of 25 times per game compared to their 41 rushing attempts per game.

The stats that sticks out the most is combined rushing as Bama and LSU run the ball almost 80 times a game. The smash-mouth run game combined with the stout defenses possessed by both teams leads one to believe this will be a nail bitter decided by the will power of the men in the trenches.

Texas-Texas Tech: Big 12 Clash of the Titans

Cody Dockens — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 06:46:41 -0400

Both the Texas Longhorns and the Texas Tech Red Raiders enter this Saturday's game undefeated. Both teams are ranked in the top 10 in the BCS, AP, and USA Today polls.

Texas, who enters this game No. 1, will try to preserve its Big 12 and national title hopes. Texas Tech is trying for its first victory over the Longhorns since 2002 and to pole vault from its No. 7 ranking into the top five.

Saturday's matchup is the most highly anticipated game between the two teams since they met in Austin in 2005, the last time both teams entered the game undefeated. Texas won that game 52-17 in a blowout.

The Red Raiders, the underdog for this matchup, is leading the fan vote on ESPN's College GameDay, 35 percent to 65 percent. So far it seems the fans' confidence that lies with Graham Harrell and Michael Crabtree remains unperturbed by the ever-daunting task awaiting them Saturday—the Texas Longhorns.

Graham Harrell has been the motor for Texas Tech thus far this season, and there is no reason he should stop now. Harrell has thrown for 28 touchdowns in eight games this season and has only thrown five interceptions. Harrell averages a touchdown pass every nine completions.

Harrell throws the ball roughly 45 times a game, and at a 71 percent completion rate, that would result in about 31 completions and at least three touchdown passes a game. Harrell should be able to keep this up, seeing how Texas is ranked 110th against the pass out of 119 teams.

Harrell lit up the Nebraska secondary, throwing for two touchdowns and almost 300 yards, and Nebraska is ranked 78th against the pass, more than 30 spots better than the struggling Texas pass defense.

The success of Graham Harrell is interwound with fellow Red Raider Michael Crabtree. Crabtree is Harrell's favorite target, accounting for 60 of his 256 completions and 14 of his 28 touchdowns. Harrell and Crabtree may be one of the greatest QB-WR duos of all time.

The Red Raider run game, has been used sparingly, but remains effective. The Red Raiders run the ball an average of 25 times a game, over 8 games that is 200 carries, and on 200 carries Texas Tech has ran for 23 touchdowns, averaging a td every 9 carries.

Together, Harrell and Crabtree will attempt to provide Texas Tech with a force that will be impossible to stop for the Longhorn pass defense.

The Red Raider pass defense is less than impressive, but it is a bit better than the Longhorns' pass defense and ranks 98th. Fortunately for the Red Raiders, their run defense is 14th in the nation and will provide the Longhorns' ground game with a challenge.

Colt McCoy is the undisputed leader of the Longhorns. McCoy has only 44 incompletions in 242 pass attempts, meaning he has a completion percentage of 81.8 and a QB rating of 186.46. McCoy's phenomenal stats do not end there—he has 24 touchdowns and just four interceptions.

The Longhorn running game ranks 32nd, which is solid, but on artificial turf, which they will be playing on in Lubbock, the Longhorns rank 80th in the nation, averaging 122 yards. The Red Raider defense allows just 112 rushing ypg on artificial turf, a stat that doesn't bode well for the Longhorns. Despite the lackluster performance on artificial turf, Texas' run game has been a force to reckoned with. They run the ball an average of 40 times a game, and average about 3 rush tds a game.

It is no secret that the Texas pass defense is struggling, but this Saturday they will face the nation's top passing offense. The Longhorn defense that allows 265 ypg through the air will face an offense who passes on average for over 400 ypg.

What the Longhorns lack in pass defense they more than compensate for against the run. The Texas run defense allows just over 2.5 ypc on average, and has only allowed 3 rushing tds all season.

There are many indications that this Saturday's game between the two Texas titans will be a high-scoring affair, one that will keep fans on the edge of their seats, watching these two stellar offenses shred the opponent's defense, in a game that may not be decided in regulation.

This Weekend Fans Will Go "Nutt"s in Arkansas

Cody Dockens — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 10:04:38 -0400

This weekend, the Ole Miss Rebels led by Houston Nutt travel to Little Rock Arkansas to take on Nutt's old team, the Razorbacks. Both the Rebels and the razorbacks are 3-4 (1-3) in the SEC. Both teams have pulled off upsets, Ole Miss' last minute upset of the Gators in the Swamp, and the Razorbacks, holding off a charging Auburn Tiger late in the game at Jordan Hare Stadium.

Coming into this game the Rebels are looking to make up for a heart breaking loss to Alabama, coming up just short of their upset bid.

The Razorbacks enter this game after losing to the Kentucky Wildcats by a point, and having their chance at an upset spoiled. These two teams clearly have many similarities, and look to be pretty even, especially in w-l record, but win loss records can be the most deceiving aspect of college football.

The Rebels are lead by wide receiver Shea Hodge. Hodge tallied six touchdowns and close to 600 yards last year as a sophomore This year, Hodge eclipsed the 400 yard mark on just 21 receptions, averaging 20.8 ypc. Not only is Hodge a big play and deep threat, that is sure to keep any defense on their toes, he has a nose for the end zone, having scored five touchdowns already.

Hodge along with fellow jr receiver Dexter McCluster provide sophomore QB Jevan Snead with reliable targets. The duo accounts for 49 of Sneads 101 completions.

Jevan Snead has been forced to learn under fire. Snead has thrown 10 touchdowns and 10 ints this year. Four of Snead's 10 picks came against an opportunistic Vanderbilt defense. Excluding the Vanderbilt game, Snead has an average QB rating of 136.2, that is outstanding considering his experience, and would put him in the top 40 quarterbacks with a 36 ranking.

Perhaps the best thing the Rebels have going is their "Wild Rebel" formation, a spin-off of Nutt's Wild Hog formation from when he was HC at Arkansas. Both formations are versions of what was once known as the Single Wing.

At Arkansas the Wild Hog called for two time Heisman runner-up Darren McFadden to take the direct snap, at Ole Miss, it is undersized receiver Dexter McCluster taking direct snaps.

Nutt and the Rebels use McCluster's short stature (five foot eight inches) to allow McCluster to hide behind the towering offensive line and squirt through the smallest gaps for huge gains. Other times, McCluster simply tosses the ball to Jevan Snead who is lined up at receiver. The wild Rebel is a major reason why the Rebels rank 4th in total offense in the SEC, but are 53 in the nation.

The Mississippi defense has been inconsistent to say the least. Allowing 30 or more points in three games, but holding the smashmouth offense of Alabama to 24 points, their third lowest total of the season.

Mississippi's defense is ranked 52 in the nation and 11 in the SEC. The darkest spot for the Rebels comes in the form of pass defense where they rank 83 in the nation, providing a soft spot for the Razorbacks to tear into.

Arkansas has struggled moving the ball, and are ranked accordingly. The Razorbacks are ranked as the 69 offense in the nation, sixth in the SEC.

Since the departure of McFadden and Jones, the Razorbacks rushing offense has fallen to 71st in the nation and eighth in the SEC. The rushing ineptitude that Arkansas has displayed comes partly due to new HC Petrino's dedication to passing the ball, where they are slightly better, ranking 49th in the nation.

As for the Razorback defense there is not much to speak of. Ole Miss may have ranked 11 in the SEC in defense, but Arkansas has the worst defense in the SEC ranking 12. The Razorbacks have the 86 ranked run defense, and it just so happens Mississippi runs the ball more effectively than they pass the ball most likely because the Wild Rebel Formation.

Neither team shows a strong defense or a smash mouth offense, but when it come right down to it, the Rebels are better than the Razorbacks in several key ares. The main area being defense, with both of these teams struggling on both sides of the ball, it will come down to who can shut down their opponent's offense. Arkansas average just 19 points a game, and Ole Miss will look to take advantage of that.

Emotions will fuel players and coaches on both sides of the field, but in the end Nutt will use the same techniques to lead the Rebels to a victory as he used in years past to lead Arkansas to victory.

Oklahoma Shouldn't Be Ranked As the No. 4 Team in the Nation

Cody Dockens — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 17:01:37 -0400

The Texas Longhorns are the consensus No. 1 pick in the nation, this coming after beating the Oklahoma Sooners, who were ranked No. 1 almost two weeks ago, in the Red River Shootout.

The first BCS standings were released earlier this week, and the Sooners were No. 4. To some people that seems a little generous. Even in the polls before the BCS standings were released, Oklahoma only fell three spots, four at the most.

Oklahoma lost to Texas and gave up 45 points—yet fell three spots. There is a problem with that.

A few weeks before losing to Texas, Oklahoma beat No. 24 TCU. After the loss Oklahoma went on to soundly defeat No. 16 Kansas.

Now you probably find yourself wondering why I have a problem with Oklahoma being No. 4.

My problem is Oklahoma should be No. 2. Yes, No. 2.

The Sooners played Texas a heck of a game. They led the Longhorns by a point at the half in a game that was clearly even.

In the first half, both offenses were firing on all cylinders. The only sputter was when Sam Bradford's pass was intercepted by Texas safety Earl Thomas. With the stout rushing defense of the Longhorns holding the Sooners to just 48 rushing yards, Sam Bradford was forced to carry the offense on his play alone.

Bradford did great under the pressure. Sure, he threw two interceptions, but one was meaningless at the end of the game, a last-ditch effort. The other interception was caused by the stellar defensive play calling of Will Muschamp.

When you throw the ball 39 times in a game, you are bound to make at least one mistake, and when your rushing game is shut down and your offense is one-dimensional, you are almost certain to make several mistakes. Bradford threw for well over 300 yards and five touchdowns and did a great job carrying the offense.

The game was can be pretty well summarized by three plays: Texas' successful fake punt, OU's fake punt that was stopped just inches short of a first down, and a dropped INT by the Sooners in the end zone.

What the game came down to was who caught the breaks. Fake punts are hit and miss, and the Sooners barely missed, while the Longhorns were successful.

Now don't get me wrong—I'm not taking anything away from Texas. I simply mean the teams are that close in skill, talent, and most every aspect.

When you have two of the best quarterbacks in the NCAA on the same field, it is almost guaranteed to be a shootout, so it is difficult to criticize either team's defense.

All that being said, it wasn't how Oklahoma played Texas that opened my eyes to just how good they really were. It was the way they went home the next weekend and took care of business against a talented Kansas team. The Sooners never trailed against Kansas, and Bradford played remarkably well.

Oklahoma and Texas both have defenses ranking in the top 40, far better than any other team in the Big 12. If Oklahoma can put up the kind of numbers they did on Texas, they should have no problem dominating other opponents.

The same goes for Texas. OU has the best defense in the Big 12. If you can score 45 against the best, you should have no problem against the rest.

OU's offense ranks fourth in the nation and Texas' offense ranks 10th. Neither of these teams struggles to put points on the board. Maybe instead of saying Texas or Oklahoma allowed the other to score 35 or 45 points, we should be saying they held each other to 35 or 45 points.

Not only has OU proven they can rack up points on the nation's 39th-best defense, they also showed they could rack up 436 yards and five touchdowns against TCU. TCU boasts the nation's No. 1 defense, allowing just 210 ypg on average, and has only allowed 12 touchdowns all season. OU accounts for five of TCU's 12 touchdowns allowed—that is impressive.

The Sooners have forced 11 turnovers this season while only turning it over six times themselves, all of which were INTs. Five of the six interceptions were Bradford's. Sam Bradford has thrown for 26 touchdowns and just five interceptions on 238 attempts. That is phenomenal.

Another amazing stat is that besides Texas and TCU, who both held the Sooners to 35 points, no other team has held them to fewer than 45.

While the Sooners only average about 165 ypg on the ground, they have accumulated 19 rushing touchdowns and are tied for the 10th-most rushing touchdowns. The Sooners average 46.9 ppg, third behind Tulsa and Texas, who average 56 and 48 respectively.

Not only did OU play Texas a close ball game, but they are also either close behind or better than Texas in most statistical categories.

Both teams rank third in first downs per game at 27.1.

Texas has 47 penalties on the year and Oklahoma has 50.

OU ranks second in passing ypg, while Texas is 13th.

Looking at both the game and the stats, both teams appear to be even, and if Texas is number one, then Oklahoma's rightful place is No. 2.

The current No. 2 team in the polls is the Alabama Crimson Tide. Bama is 7-0 and has dominated opponents 95-3 in the first quarter. Equally remarkable is the Tide has only trailed for one minute and 25 seconds this year.

However, in the past three games, the youthful Crimson Tide has been lackadaisical in the second half, getting outscored 61-13.

It seems that the team has the attitude that if you are winning by 21 points, then you don't have to score and still allow 20 points and come away with the win. They seem to hive the high school mindset of a win is a win, no matter the score.

Furthermore, Bama has played one ranked opponent that deserved to be ranked in the top 10, Georgia. The Tide came out and destroyed the Bulldogs 31-0 in the first half. The second half, a different Alabama team took the field and was outscored 30-10. The Tide was up by 31 and then allowed 30, while scoring a few points to keep a slim lead.

The Tide was in a position to go into a bend don't break style of play, but they allowed the Bulldogs to climb back into the game and make it appear on the scoreboard to be a close game.

To the Tide's credit, they routed Clemson, who was ranked No. 9 at the time but has since fallen to a 3-4 record.

The Tide took the opportunity to prove themselves against Arkansas, a team who looked good in the first few weeks of the season but hasn't looked the same since the blowout by Bama.

The last two weeks saw domination by the Tide in the first quarter and then a team playing on cruise control in the second half. In the SEC and many conferences in the NCAA, you can't win on the play of just one half. Sometime down the road Bama is destined to learn that the hard way.

Penn State, the No. 3 team, has looked great this season. The problem is the teams they have beaten have a combined record of 23-35. The Nittany Lions have only played one team that is ranked in the top 25, and only two teams with a winning record.

Penn State's No. 3 ranking can't be validated until they have beaten multiple ranked opponents and have played more than a few schools with winning records.

Oklahoma beat the best defense in the nation and one of the best offenses in the nation. They have played consistently and they have played opponents with credible win-loss records.

Oklahoma has outplayed the No. 2 and No. 3 teams and deserves to be ranked accordingly.

Alabama-Tennessee: Is Tide Headed for an Upset in Knoxville?

Cody Dockens — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 02:57:58 -0400

The Third Saturday in October (actually it is the fourth Saturday this year), two teams who despise each other will face off in front of over 100,000 fans, and the winner gets to commit an NCAA violation.

7-0 Alabama travels to Knoxville this weekend to face a slumping Tennessee program. Fulmer's Volunteers are a disappointing 3-4 and a shocking 1-3 in the SEC East. Many Volunteer faithful have gone into panic mode, and the rest see this weekend's game as a last chance for Phillip Fulmer to save the season—and maybe his job.

The Volunteers have struggled on offense, to say the least. Their main trouble has been at the quarterback position, but sophomore Nick Stephens appears to be the long-term answer. However, in the short term he is still adjusting.

Stephens has started out fairly well. He has completed about 51 percent of his passes in his three starts. Stephens has thrown three touchdowns and no interceptions and has a 2-1 record as a starter.

The Vols' rushing attack has been led by Arian Foster, who has amassed close to 400 yards on 79 carries, averaging 4.8 yards per carry. While Foster piles up the yardage, Montario Hardesty appears to be the touchdown vulture. Hardesty has five touchdowns on just over 50 carries, scoring about every 10th time he touches the ball.

Lennon Creer, who is built similarly to Hardesty, also seems to possess a nose for the end zone. With just 32 carries, Creer has found pay dirt three times this season, while keeping intact a 5.8 YPC average.

Tennessee's defense has been stout, to say the least. The Vols' defense is ranked 11th in total defense. They lead the NCAA in interceptions with 14 and rank in the top 20 with both passing and rushing defense. The only shortcoming is that through seven games the Vols' defense is yet to recover a fumble.

Tennessee's 14 interceptions are almost negated by their six lost fumbles and four thrown interceptions, giving the Vols just a .57 turnover ratio.

Despite the offensive struggles, the Vols have a strong defense and will be a threat to any opponent, especially now that they have a more consistent quarterback who has yet to throw an INT.

The Tide rolls into this game, riding on the momentum of seven straight wins. Bama has dominated the first half of their games, outscoring opponents 95-3 in the first quarter. The first half is where Alabama stops though. After halftime, Alabama has been outscored 71-55 this season, and 61-13 in their past three games.

Last weekend, the Tide lost a huge part of their defense. Nose tackle Terrence Cody a mountain of a man, went down in the third quarter with what turned out to be a sprained MCL. Cody's backup Josh Chapman might not be 360+ lbs, but he is the strongest man on the team.

Mt. Cody will be replaced by the man some are already calling the "incredible hulk," or in some cases, the "incredible bulk." Bama's defense is currently ranked fourth against the run, and DE Brandon Deadrich said Cody's injury would make the Bama "D" more determined.

The Tide's rushing offense has been nothing short of incredible. The Tide's rushing attack is ranked 19th in the nation and is led by junior tailback Glen Coffee. Coffee has tallied 760 yards and averages seven yards per carry.

Coffee isn't just a between the twenties back: He has five touchdowns to his credit. Coffee's one shortcoming is his butterfingers—four fumbles in the past three games.

Behind Coffee, the Tide has freshman phenom Mark Ingram. Ingram leads the team in touchdowns with six, one score every 13 carries. Ingram is an open field threat too—he has 419 yards with a YPC average of 5.4.

In addition to a great tandem of tailbacks, Bama boasts Julio Jones. Jones was one of the top recruits coming out of High School last year. Jones is one of the best, if not the best, receivers the Tide has seen.

If Jones continues at this blistering pace, fans will soon forget about the star receiver of the last three years, D.J. Hall. Jones has four touchdowns as a freshman, a record in Tuscaloosa.

It is no secret that the Tide has struggled to finish games as of late. Coach Saban has addressed the problem, and a Bama fan can only hope he can fix it. The way Alabama has continued to play lackadaisically in the second half, a loss appears imminent before the young Crimson Tide realize you can't just cruise to a "W" as they have been doing.

Tennessee is rapidly becoming irrelevant in the nation, the SEC, and even in their division. Fulmer has already lost four games, with Bama, South Carolina, Vandy, and Kentucky still on the schedule. The Vols may finish 5-7 unless Fulmer turns them around and quick.

Fans in Knoxville are already calling for Fulmer's head, and dropping to 3-5 won't ease tensions, but beating undefeated rival Alabama would. If Tennessee is to save their season, it has to begin here, now.

The Tide is the most vulnerable they are likely to be all season. They are missing star D-lineman Terrence Cody, tailback Glen Coffee is experiencing fumble-itis, and the young Tide can't seem to close the door on their opponents.

Tennessee may have nothing left to play for if they lose to Bama, so the Vols will have their backs up against the wall. They will go for broke and fight like they have never fought before.

This Saturday's game will tell us a lot about both teams, as both Alabama and Tennessee's determination will be tested this weekend.

There are few certainties in the world of football, but nothing is more certain than it is not enough to want to win—you must come into every game like you need to win.

A Solution to the BCS: A Division One College Football Playoff

Cody Dockens — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 13:18:37 -0400

How often after the National Championship game do we college football fans find ourselves left wondering if the best team really won? How often do we wonder if the best team or teams even got to play?

If you are like me then that happens to you more often than not, both before and after the installation of the BCS.

Let us start with the most current BCS travesty: Boise State. The Broncos went 12-0 undefeated, but played conference games in the WAC, a mid-major conference. Subsequently, Boise State played 11-2 Oklahoma instead of Ohio State—the only other undefeated team.

Ohio State was embarrassed by Florida and Boise State upset Oklahoma in what may be one of the greatest games of all time. Those events left Boise State as the only undefeated team in the nation, without a national championship, without even a shared National Championship like USC enjoyed after being passed over in 2003.

Just two years before the Boise State affair, the Auburn Tigers went undefeated in the SEC, beating the last year's National Champions the LSU Tigers. However, Auburn was left out of the National Championship game along with fellow undefeated team Utah.

In the National Championship game USC obliterated Oklahoma, leaving many fans wondering if Auburn should have played for the National Championship instead of Oklahoma.

The year before, Auburn was overlooked and USC was one of the one-loss teams. LSU and Oklahoma—the other two—were selected to play in the National Championship game. LSU beat Oklahoma and USC beat Michigan, leaving two one-loss teams.

Despite playing in and winning the National Championship game, LSU and USC were declared co-champions.

There are several apparent issues with the BCS system. The first and most noticeable is the fact that there is no solution for multiple undefeated teams, or multiple one-loss teams. The second is the inconsistency of the rulings for multiple undefeated or one-loss teams. USC was declared a co-champion but Auburn and Boise State were not.

One issue that poses a challenge towards a playoff is that there are 34 Bowl games slated for 2008. That is roughly 30 different cities (because some cities have multiple bowls) and 68 colleges and universities that would lose revenue generated by bowl games.

The most efficient way to solve the problem is to make bowl stadiums the sights for playoffs. There are 34 sites and if you take the top 32 teams that is 16 games in the first round, eight in the second, four in the third, two in the semifinals, and one in the championship. That is 31 games, since the national championship and one BCS bowl are held at the same site. Only two cities would lose a bowl game.

The less prestigious bowl games, like the GMAC Bowl, New Orleans Bowl, etc., would be the sites for the first round. As the playoffs progressed the games would move to more prestigious bowl sites.

The quarterfinal might be the Cotton Bowl, Chick Fil-A, Orange Bowl, and Outback Bowl, while the semifinals might be the Sugar and Rose Bowls and the championship game might be the Fiesta Bowl.

Much like the BCS National Championship Game, the playoff game would be held at one of the four BCS Bowl sites, and would change from year to year.

The playoff format would include the top two teams from each of the 11 conferences and ten at-large spots for the highest ranked teams that don't finish in the top two in their conference.

The seeding could be done in a variety of ways, but separating teams from the same conferences until the second or third round would be my method of choice. That could be done a variety of ways.

I believe that this format would be fair to both the teams, the schools, and the cities.

The last element would be the teams' regular season schedule. The schedule could be cut from 12 to 10 games with eight conference and two non-conference for the teams who have that type of schedule. This way if a team goes all the way to the National Championship game they only play 15 games—just one more than teams who play a 12-game season, a conference championship, and a bowl game.

It may not be perfect, but it is my solution. If you have a better one, feel free to tell me.

TCU's Win Over BYU Is Not an Upset

Cody Dockens — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 02:45:20 -0400

Thursday-night, Texas Christian played host to potential BCS buster BYU. BYU carried a 16 game win streak, and an 18 game conference win streak, into last nights game. BYU was ranked ninth in the nation by polls, but many fans of other conferences said they were overrated. If BYU had a definitive game on their schedule to prove themselves, it was TCU.

TCU has finished in the top 25, four times in the past seven years since Gary Patterson took over the program. Under Patterson the Horned Frogs have compiled a 69-25 record, and a 42-17 conference record.

Bronco Mendenhall has worked wonders with a struggling BYU program.He replaced Gary Crowton in 2005.In the three years before Mendenhall became head coach, BYU had a losing record in all three seasons. Since Mendenhall became head coach the Cougars are 34-10(23-3 MWC).

Under Lavell Edwards, BYU was a powerhouse in the WAC, and BYU won the conference championship in the MWCs inaugural season, since then, BYU has struggled, at least until Mendenhall's arrival.

Clearly these two programs are on equal footing. The polls may show BYU to be head and shoulders above TCU, but past records and performances show different.

BYU, who was heavily favored, entering Thursday's game, but some one must have forgot to tell TCU they were supposed to roll over and play dead. BYU's defense, hasn't been rock solid, allowing on average over 300 yards per game, was even more porous, allowing TCU to rack up over 410 yards.

TCU seemed to relish being the underdog. They not only beat BYU, but hammered them 32-7.

Both BYU and TCU still have much of the season ahead of them, and BYU will face undefeated instate opponent Utah to end the season. Nothing now, will mean more to BYU than beating Utah and silencing their in-state rival who are sure to have celebrated at BYU's fall Thursday night.

The massacre, courtesy of TCU, will have polls wondering what to do with BYU. The Cougars do not play another credible opponent this season unless Utah is still undefeated, or has just one loss going into the final game. BYU has played great football this season with the exception on the TCU game.

It is a shame that BYU didn't play any respectable teams before TCU, and don't play any respectable teams again until they play Utah who still has not earned the respect of the college football world.

Excluding fans of Utah and MWC fans, the vast majority of fans, coaches and teams still discount Utah. Even if Utah does go undefeated until the BYU game, and BYU beats them, BYU will still been out of contention for a BCS bid.

TCU, is still in control of their own destiny in the MWC. Their only loss is to Oklahoma, who was undefeated until last week when they lost to Texas. TCU could win out, but they still won't go to a BCS bowl. Mainly because they aren't ranked currently and they don't have enough time to climb high enough in the polls, and because no one loss team from a non BCS conference will go to a BCS bowl if their is any way to keep them out.

More than anything, BYU's loss to TCU proves that when you are a mid-major program, there is no room for error.

Why USC Is Contentiously the Most Overrated Team in College Football

Cody Dockens — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 13:33:24 -0400

Currently USC is the sixth-ranked team in the AP Poll and the fourth-ranked team in the USA Today Coaches' Poll.

Fourth and sixth—that is impressive. For a team to be ranked that highly at this point in the season, they must be undefeated or have lost to another team in the top 10, right?

At the very least, after starting the season in the top 10 due to a great season last year, they could have lost to an unranked team and then defeated a top team to regain their spot.

Wrong!

USC is 4-1, and their one loss wasn't to any powerhouse or even to an above average team. USC lost to Oregon State, who has managed a 3-3 record.

The only reputable opponent USC has played was Ohio State, and they are untested.

In short, USC's only tough matchup was against another team who is overrated.

USC has also defeated Oregon, who was ranked to begin the season but quickly showed they couldn't live up to the expectations.

The Pac-10 is a conference comprised of overrated teams that are the "sweethearts" of West Coast sportswriters. No matter how weak the schedule, no matter how ugly the game, these teams will always get the benefit of the doubt.

Last year, USC began the season ranked number one. They were able to stay in the top spot for five weeks before losing to Stanford—STANFORD, a team that went 4-8 last year. Then the mighty Trojans lost another game to Oregon. The Trojans finished last season 11-2 with a Rose Bowl win.

USC is in the Pac-10, which means they play nine conference games—and we all know that besides USC and Cal there are no legitimate contenders.

Almost every season USC is "upset" by some lesser team. If these upsets occur every year, then maybe they are not upsets. When your schedule includes one or two out-of-conference games and only one of those teams is any good, that shows just how weak your schedule is.

USC's opponents currently have a combined record of 42-38. That is just four games above .500.

Consider the fact that Georgia also has just one loss but is ranked 11th. Their opponents' combined W-L record is 49-24. That is slightly higher than a .666 winning percentage. Georgia lost to a top 10 team and has fallen out of the top 10. USC lost to an unranked team and stayed in the top 10.

You can't say USC has a tougher schedule, and you can't say they lost to a tougher opponent, so what is a logical reason they are still rated so high? The media loves them, and no matter what happens, if USC still has a decent record, they will be ranked.

I am beginning to think that Southern Cal could go 0-12 and still be rated in the top 25.

Frankly, I am fed up with them being rated so highly when they play teams who aren't that good. The proof is there: Their schedule isn't as strong as a lot of other teams, and they lose to vastly inferior opponents according to the rankings.

I'm not a rocket scientist, but if you continue to lose to opponents that you are supposed to be better than, then maybe, just maybe, they are the better team.

But don't tell this to the media. I don't think they could handle it—they are clearly in denial.

Bottom line, I am sick and tired of hearing, "USC was upset by (insert high school name here) this weekend." From now on, until USC plays multiple real teams in one season, they will not get upset—they just lose like everyone else.

South Carolina-LSU: Can Upset-Minded Gamecocks End Tigers' SEC Title Hopes?

Cody Dockens — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 02:52:04 -0400

Steve Spurrier's Gamecocks are riding a four-game win streak, one that may have very well salvaged their season. At one point the Gamecocks were 1-2 (0-2 SEC), but after two games against inferior opponents, USC was ready to begin their streak of six straight conference games.

The first two games were against Ole Miss and Kentucky. In the Mississippi game the Gamecocks realized that their backs were against the wall: Win or lose relevance in the SEC. Quarterback Chris Smelley took the fate of the program upon his shoulders and carried them to a huge win.

Spurrier knew that last weekend's game against Kentucky would test his team's mettle. The Wildcats had fallen just short in their bid to upset the Tide. Kentucky wanted to prove just how good they were, and bouncing back to beat South Carolina after losing to Bama would do just that.

However, the Ole Ball Coach had his team ready to go. They came into Lexington fresh off a huge victory at Oxford and rode their momentum to victory.

This weekend the Gamecocks return home to defend Williams-Brice Stadium against Les Miles and the LSU Tigers.

The demoralizing 51-21 loss in the Swamp has the Tigers out for blood, but LSU appears to be both mentally and physically weak after the pummeling they suffered at the hands of Florida.

The Tigers are not game-planning for Smelley's erratic play, but instead for the athletic Stephen Garcia. However, LSU needs to worry about their own problems first.

LSU is without a proven quarterback. Jarrett Lee has done a better job leading the offense than many had expected. However, the sophomore’s lack of experience has led to many critical mistakes, mainly interceptions.

Hatch, the transfer from Harvard, has shown that he is a threat to run the ball, but he is not a proven passer. The biggest flaw with either is his inability to manage the game.

Last week, Florida exposed a defense that LSU had kept hidden from the nation. Florida shredded a defense that has consistently ranked at the top the last couple of years. Not that there weren't a few questions—they did give up 21 points to Auburn.

The bottom line is LSU's talent is not as deep as it has been in years past. If you look at the players drafted by the NFL, you will undoubtedly witness LSU has become a pipeline to the NFL.

With two first round draft picks in the last two drafts, it is clear why the Tigers may struggle against tougher opponents: They have lost most of their starters from the previous two years.

The defense is bound to be softer after the losses of Landry, Dorsey, Steltz, and the like. The offense has lost two quarterbacks in two years, a pair of steady receivers, and a workhorse at running back.

The big question is, is this a rebuilding year for LSU, or is this where Saban's recruits and players leave LSU and Miles with insufficient talent?

If there is a likely time for LSU to lose to an opponent they should soundly beat, it is this weekend. South Carolina should come into this game with a chip on their shoulders from being counted out of this ballgame already. LSU comes into this game weak from last week and with several question marks.

If Spurrier is going to pull off a major upset, the time and conditions are just right.

Holy Toledo! The Big House Loses its Reverence.

Cody Dockens — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 02:16:08 -0400

After an embarrassing 25 point loss to the Illini at home, many Michigan fans wanted to crawl into a hole and disappear, others were hoping this season was just a dream, and other wanted nothing more than an inferior team, at home to "whip up on" and restore moral. Wolverine faithful searched their schedules feverishly, and the game they found was the following weeks home match-up against a 1-4 Toledo.

Many Michigan fans thought this was going to be embarrassing, and an ugly game for "poor" Toledo. They couldn't have been further from the truth, it was an ugly and embarrassing game, but it sure wan't ugly or embarrassing for Toledo.

The 13-10 home loss to Toledo, is Michigan's 3rd home loss this season. Michigan is 2-3 at home, and two of those loses are to teams that before this year would have been weak in the knees at the mere thought of playing at the Big House. However that no longer seems to be the case.

Once, opponents feared the Big House. Playing at a historic place, filled with 107,000 screaming blue and maize clad fans caused countless miscues, and turn overs for opposing teams. This year it is Michigan who looks afraid to play in the Big House, it is Michigan who continuously turns the ball over, (13 times at home) , this year it has been Michigan who struggles to find the end-zone (averaging, just 16.6 points at home).

To be fair, both Michigan's wins came at home, a pitiful 16-6 win over Miami Ohio, and a 27-25 thriller over Wisconsin which has been the lone bright spot this year. In those two wins, Michigan has accumulated just 549 yards, or about 275 yards per game and that is with the fans support. If this is how the Wolverines play at home, how can they be expected to win on the road.

Opponents in the Big House have faired quite nicely, only turning the ball over a combined nine times. They have averaged 361 yards per game, and 22 points per game. To some of the teams lucky enough to face Michigan in Ann Arbor, it is like another home game, to other, like Toledo, it is better than a home game, as they haven't yet won at home.

Their is still a tough row to how for the Wolverines, as they have three ranked opponents left on their schedule. Providing that the Wolverines continue to play with as little intensity as they have, they can go on and hang it up now the season is over in Ann Arbor, and no one, not a single solitary soul, is afraid of the Big House.

Why Utah Doesn't Deserve Its High Ranking in the Polls

Cody Dockens — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 05:40:25 -0400

The Utah Utes are 6-0 and ranked 14th in the AP poll. Let's get one thing straight: Utah is a good Mountain West team. In fact, they are a great Mountain West team. But that is as far as it goes.

Utah is a strong team in their conference, but they are unproven outside the Mountain West. The Mountain West is a conference comprised of perennial homecoming opponents for teams from the SEC, ACC, Big 12, and Big Ten, the toughest conferences in football.

In case you are wondering if I forgot to include the Pac-10, the answer is no. Besides USC the Pac-10 is fairly equivalent to the Mountain West.

So far this year, the Utes have defeated powerhouse programs like Weber State, UNLV, Air Force, Utah State, and Oregon State. To their credit, Utah did beat Michigan at the Big House, but Michigan's program is going to suffer under Rich Rodriguez. Two years from now, beating Michigan in Ann Arbor will be nothing to write home about.

In fact, if you look at Michigan's horrid performance, then Utah's victory in Ann Arbor is not all that surprising.

This year's Utes are led by a stellar defense, one that allowed 21 points to Weber State. The argument in favor of Utah is that two of the touchdowns were garbage time stats.

Garbage time stats? It is Weber State, for crying out loud. Garbage time stats are a field goal, or maybe a touchdown, not two. The other TD by Weber State was scored late in the first quarter, tying the game at 7-7.

This very same powerhouse Utah program trailed by seven at the half against a tough Air Force team. In fact, Utah didn't lead the whole second half until Darrell Mack scored a touchdown to put Utah up by seven with less than a minute remaining in the game.

Last weekend Utah bested a tough Oregon State team, in a battle of the titans of college football. Yes, the same Oregon State who lost to Stanford and then beat USC. The win against USC failed to surprise me, and we are all aware that year in and year out USC is grotesquely overrated.

However, Oregon State's embarrassing loss to bottom-feeding Stanford further proves that Utah's last-minute victory over them isn't that amazing. Utah blew a halftime lead and failed to score the entire second half until they caught a lucky break with 1:29 to go in the fourth quarter.

This weekend Utah travels to Laramie, Wyoming to face the feared Wyoming Cowboys.

Honestly, Utah plays nobody. Absolutely no one. The one team with a shred of credibility they play is BYU.

BYU, much like Utah, is overrated. They achieve high rankings playing against cake schools. BYU's 59-0 rout of UCLA was impressive, but UCLA has managed just two wins this season.

To everyone who says that teams like Utah and BYU are for real, all I ask you to do is prove it. Show me where they established themselves—and a 58-10 win over Utah State is not proving yourself.

If Utah wants to be the next Boise State, a small team who has proved themselves, than Utah needs to play a team with the respect of Oklahoma instead of scheduling an opponent like Weber State.

Michigan Faces Hard Times in Ann Arbor

Cody Dockens — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 16:27:28 -0400

How the Mighty have fallen in Ann Arbor. Michigan is off to an abysmal 2-3 start to the season. They have lost to Utah, Notre Dame, and Illinois—and not one of those teams should have beaten Michigan.

Yes, I know that they lost their starting offensive tackle, starting quarterback, running back, and star receiver, but these three teams haven't played well enough to deserve to win against a team like Michigan—or a team like Michigan used to be.

I am also aware that last year Michigan lost to Appalachian State, but that was the first game of the season, and those games are far more likely to be upsets than any other games during the year.

Maybe, with both teams' rosters completely healthy, Appalachian State was better. They had their top talent on the field, and bottom line, they wanted to win more.

This year, the Wolverines find themselves wit ha whole new barrel of monkeys. The first monkey would be Utah.

The fly in the ointment and BCS buster are just a couple of the names Utah was called to start the season. Utah was predicted to shake up the rankings, but who really thought they would go into the Big House and beat Michigan?

Utah is not a strong program. I don't care that they are 6-0. It doesn't matter that last year they went 9-4. Who have they played? So far this year they beat a struggling Michigan program and a couple of high schools. They have played nobody and do not deserve a 14th place ranking in the polls.

It is downright pitiful when a team with the talent, history, and tradition Michigan has allows a team like Utah to beat them. Let's not forget, Utah whipped Michigan for three quarters. The Wolverines had to score 13 points in the fourth quarter to pull within three points.

Basically Michigan was playing against a team whose second string was in the game, and that second string could not even get the starting position of tackling dummy at most schools.

Next is Notre Dame, who is a respectable 4-1. However, we all know that the call in the Notre Dame-San Diego State game was a blown call. San Diego scored a touchdown, but horrible officiating gave Notre Dame the ball game.

This San Diego State team that I believe beat Notre Dame is 1-4. They lost to Cal Poly, and if you are wondering who in the heck Cal Poly is, then join the crowd. I didn't think they had a football team.

None of this matters though. All that is wrong will be righted when Notre Dame gets beaten by Butch Davis and his Tar Heels.

Michigan's third and final loss came to the Illini. Last year, Michigan beat Illinois by 10. At the very worst Michigan should have lost by 13. Instead they lose yet again at home, but this time it is by 25 points.

The Illini beat Michigan by more points than Michigan even scored. That is unacceptable—no, it is worse than unacceptable. That is downright horrible.

After Rodriguez left WVU for Michigan, people talked about how Pat White was a product of Rich Rod's system. I disagree: Rich Rod was a product of Pat White. Rodriguez may do better in Ann Arbor in the future, but not this year. If I was a Michigan fan, I would be praying for a 7-5 season.

I don't see how you can expect a team who lost to Utah and got slaughtered at home by Illinois to lose just two more games. Michigan has yet to play Minnesota, Michigan State, Penn State, Purdue, and Ohio State, along with a few other cake teams.

Out of the teams I mentioned by name, I feel all of them are playing well enough to beat Michigan. Frankly, there is no way Michigan will beat Penn State and Ohio State. It is unfathomable that they escape the other three games without at least one more loss, maybe even two more.

You Michigan fans may have been upset when Lloyd Carr lost to Appalachian State, but he did rebound and finish 9-4 with a Citrus Bowl win. Hey, at least you won't have to worry about winning a bowl game this year, because you aren't going to go 7-5. If you have more luck than any one team is entitled to, you might go 6-6. I predict 5-7.

To you Michigan fans who enjoyed 13 straight bowl games under Carr, a coach y'all were all to happy to get rid of, this won't be your first or even your last year under Rich Rod without a bowl game.

You better get used to mediocrity, or you better do something fast.

The Tide Takes the Offensive

Cody Dockens — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 06:57:32 -0400

It is mid-season and the Crimson Tide is (6-0) and ranked #2 in the Associated Press poll. So far this season we Bama fans have witnessed, some of the best football we have seen in the last 15 years.

The Tide is on the way to the top, there is no doubt about that, but we are not there yet. Here are some observations, both bad and good, of Dixie's football pride's offense.

Where better to start our observations, than with senior quarterback John Parker Wilson. So far this season we have mostly seen a much improved JP Wilson. The game that opened my eyes to just how much progress JP has made, was the Tulane game.

The usually solid Bama offensive line, was missing two of its starters who were out with injuries. Without tackle Andre Smith, and guard Marlon Davis, Bama struggled to run tosses and sweeps.

The inability to run the ball forced the Tide to become one dimensional. Once Tulane had taken away Bama's rushing attack, their defensive backs were able to key on our receivers.

With our receivers covered, and the Tide unable to effectively move the ball on the ground, Tulane was able to pin our ears back and rush John Parker Wilson.

For much of that game Wilson was flushed from the pocket and forced to buy time with his feet. More often than not, Wilson threw the ball away, but sometimes he was forced to take a sack.

This was a far different John Parker Wilson than we witnessed all of last year. Instead of being, finicky, nervous, and forcing ill-advised passes, he was calm, and his presence was almost like having a coach on the field.

Unfortunately Wilson failed to show the same prowess when the Kentucky game was put squarely on his shoulders. When the team relied on Wilson to carry them, he failed, luckily Coffee ran for 218 yards to salvage a victory.

The next improvement I noticed was the ofensive line. The O-line is more experienced then it has been in the recent past, a huge improvement over last years, and Andre Smith is the best lineman to come through Alabama since Chris Samuels.

Andre Smith, Marlon Davis, Andre Caldwell, Drew Davis and Mike Johnson have dominated opposing defensive lines. These five blue collar players are the reasons that Coffee, Upchurch, Ingram, and Grant can terrorize defenses like they have.

The only game the o-line was lacking, was Tulane, there were a lot of missed blocks, and they failed to pick up several blitzes, but lets hope we can chalk that up to injuries.

The Tide also has a stable of running backs that can rival USC. During the Clemson game, Kirk Herbstreet said that Clemson had the best duo of tailbacks in the nation, well if that is the case then 'Bama has the best stable.

Glen Coffee has 95 carries for 708 yards, and 5 touchdowns , that is a 7.5 yards per carry average. Freshman phenom Mark Ingram has carried the ball just 62 times for 341 yards.

However Ingram has 5 touchdowns and just 62 carries. That means once in every twelve time Mark Ingram touches the ball he scores.

Lastly what team in the nation can boast a third string tailback who averages 5.9 yards per game with 2 touchdowns, averaging a score every 15 carries? The Tide can. Roy Upchurch has rushed for 237 yards on just 37 carries. Even fourth string Bama tailback Terry Grant has found the endzone.

The Tide is blessed to have a group of tight ends and receivers who can not only make spectacular catches in double coverage, but have enough pure speed that leave opposing defenses gassed.

Freshman wideout Julio Jones was one of the most coveted players in the nation coming out of high school and now we know why. Just five games into his freshman season the former prep star broke the freshman receiving records at Alabama, racking up 4 touchdowns.

Tight end Nick Walker has had more receptions this year than he had both years he played under Mike Shula, and almost as many receptions he had last year, Saban's first year. Walker has been a security blanket underneath for Wilson and has two touchdowns so far this season.

SEC Beatdowns and Breakdowns: Week Seven

Cody Dockens — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 02:39:49 -0400

Back by popular demand is my weekly breakdown of the beatdowns that will be occurring in the SEC. Last week I was 4-0. My scores were a little off in three games and a lot off in one game. However, the winners and losers were all correct.

****winners will be in bold

1. Tennessee 2-3 (0-2 SEC) @ Georgia 4-1 (1-1 SEC)

It is no secret the Vols have struggled this year. The fans in Knoxville are already calling for Fulmer's head. If there is anything Phil can do to take himself off the hot seat, it would be to beat Georgia.

Mark Richt and his Bulldogs are coming off a bye week after an embarrassing home loss to Alabama. Now they have Tennessee between the hedges, and they can't lose two big games in a row at home.

The bottom line is Tennessee is out-manned and out-coached, and they don't have the defense to stop all the weapons on Georgia's offense.

Georgia 38, Tennessee 13

2. Arkansas 2-3 (0-2 SEC) @ Auburn 4-2 (2-2 SEC)

Arkansas was shut down by the Gators' defense last weekend but allowed just 17 points to the Gators in the first three quarters. Arkansas showed they could play a defensive ball game against a high powered offense like Florida's until late in the game. Simply put, Florida just wore down the Razorbacks, using their deeper depth charts to keep fresh legs in the game.

Auburn is coming off a historic loss at Vandy and can't afford another conference loss. If Auburn loses here, then Ol' Tommy T. will be in the same boat as Phil Fulmer.

Arkansas will experience much the same thing this weekend as they did last weekend. However, I don't think Auburn will score as much as Florida.

Auburn 20, Arkansas 7

3. South Carolina 4-2 (1-2 SEC) @ Kentucky 4-1 (0-1 SEC)

Kentucky lost a close one at Alabama last weekend, a game that was closer than many, including myself, predicted. The Wildcats appear to be legitimate and will look to further prove themselves against the Ol' Ball Coach and the Gamecocks.

South Carolina bested Ole Miss last week thanks to a stellar performance by quarterback Chris Smelley, who they hope will continue to play like he did last week. South Carolina needs a big win here to remain relevant in the East.

Surely the Wildcats won't let South Carolina beat them in Lexington, will they? Kentucky wins this in a close one thanks to their defense.

Kentucky 17, South Carolina 14

4. Vanderbilt 5-0 (3-0 SEC) @ Miss State 1-4 (0-2 SEC)

This will be Vanderbilt's first game where they will not have to come from behind to pull off a victory. The Bulldogs are struggling, and if it weren't for Arkansas, they would be a lock for the worst team in the SEC West.

Vandy won't do anything amazing here, and they really won't have to—they just need to execute. Vanderbilt has two solid quarterbacks, a playmaking receiver, and a fireplug of a running back. In other words, they win easily compared to their other games this year.

Vanderbilt 24, Miss State 10

5. LSU 4-0 (2-0 SEC) @ Florida 4-1 (2-1 SEC)

LSU travels to the Swamp following a bye week. LSU is thus far undefeated and looks to remain so. Their one close game was against Auburn, who has a stellar defense, much better than the one they will be facing at the Swamp.

The Gators are looking to defend their house. They have already lost to Mississippi at home and will do whatever it takes to beat LSU and bring an end to LSU's perfect season.

This game will be LSU's first true test. This year's game will be another close one—like last year's matchup, it won't be decided until the final seconds, and it may not be decided until overtime.

LSU 38, Florida 35

South Carolina-Ole Miss: The Sweet "Smelley" of Success

Cody Dockens — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 13:17:43 -0400

On Thursday, coach Steve Spurrier announced that current starting quarterback Chris Smelley would remain the starter for the game against Mississippi, giving him the edge over backup Stephen Garcia.

Smelley's play so far this season has, well, stunk. Through the first five games of the season, Smelley has thrown six touchdowns and six interceptions. In less than half of this season, Smelley was one interception shy of throwing as many as he did all of last year.

It became clear that the Ol' Ball Coach wasn't going to let this subpar play at quarterback continue, and no one knew this better than Chris Smelley.

Chris Smelley is arguably the most important player on the Gamecock offense. He had thrown the ball more than 30 times in three of the first five games, and two of those were losses. In the other two games Smelley threw only 14 pass attempts but completed two for touchdowns.

In the two losses Smelley threw the ball 39 times and completed 23 passes in each game: 23 for 39 is a 59 percent completion percentage. Smelley also threw for three touchdowns and three interceptions.

In games where the Gamecocks have to rely on Smelley to carry them, he has struggled.

When he took the field at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, Chris Smelley knew his back was up against the wall. South Carolina needed to win this game to have any chance of being relevant in the SEC East come the final week of the season. The Gamecocks were 3-2, 0-2 in the SEC, and couldn't afford to start the season with three straight conference losses.

On their first drive Smelley engineered a 38-yard scoring drive, ending with a field goal. On their next possession, Smelley capped off a 71-yard drive with a 20-yard touchdown pass to Jason Barnes. Thanks to a fumble recovery for a touchdown, the Gamecocks would go into the half trailing by just three points.

The Gamecocks had the opening drive of the second half but were unable to capitalize on it. The third quarter remained scoreless until there were under two minutes left, when Chris Smelley tossed another touchdown, this time from six yards, to Jason Barnes.

With a 20-14 lead and the clock winding down to about the eight-minute mark, Chris Smelley made an attempt to put the game out of reach. The result was a four-yard touchdown pass to Joe Hills. Ole Miss would kick a field goal later in hope of getting the ball back but failed.

Chris Smelley would finish the game 23 of 32 with 327 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception. The final score was South Carolina 27, Ole Miss 20.