FanNation - The Republic of Sport

Another week down and we are a little closer to clearing up the SEC and the BCS picture. While the SEC title game is now locked, the BCS picture still has a way to go before it is totally clear.

What is clear is that I have my mojo back.  This week I went 7-2  for a total to 50-18. However, as good as that sounds, I was smoked by a 12 year old. The Wadester was a perfect 9 of 9 - including hitting the Wyoming - Tennessee game dead on the head. I am taking the kid to Vegas...

Now lets look at what happened this week...

GEORGIA over KENTUCKY: Georgia managed to bounce back from their thrashing at the hands of the Gators, and get the win at Kentucky. But they sure didn't do it easily. Kentucky QB Randall Cobb carved up the Dawgs defense and very nearly pulled off the upset. This is two weeks in a row that the Georgia defense has not looked very good as UK gouged them for 226-yards on the ground.  They did manage to come up with the key play when they picked off Cobb in the final seconds of the game after UK had reached the Dawgs 13-yard line. This week also saw Stafford, Moreno, Massaquoi, and Green get the offense clicking, piling up 520 yards of offense. However, in spite of the late INT,  Cobb proved that he is going to be a force to reckon with in the SEC as he finished with 82 rushing yards and was 12-20 for 105 yards in the air. He and his UK teammates are going to cause some headaches for the SEC East defenses this year and next.

SOUTH CAROLINA over ARKANSAS: Only Steve Spurrier could come up with a win while alternating QBs every other play. The Old Ball Coach rode this mix and match system to put 34 points on the board. The rest was up to the stifling SC defense that produced six sacks and held the Hawgs to just 54-yards rushing. The tough season continues for the Razorbacks.

This week will see Spurrier square-off against his old team the Gators. I think that is going to be a very interesting game. I am anxious to see who will win the battle between the tough Gamecock's defense and the powerful Gator offense.

WYOMING over TENNESSEE:  It is a very sad day for the Vols when a 3-6 MWC team can come into their house and get a win. Tennessee QB Nick Stephens was the best offensive player the Cowboys had, chunking one INT that set up a 4-yard TD drive and then another that went for a clean pick-six.  Tennessee only had one real drive in the game that netted them their lone touchdown. Even the Vols defense looked bad in giving up 167-yards rushing to the 111th ranked offense.

This is a Tennessee team that has just quit. It looks like they will be mailing it in the next few weeks with games remaining against Vandy and Kentucky. I don't see a win in either one of those for the Vols.

AUBURN over UT-MARTIN:  It wasn't very pretty, but Auburn did right the ship righted somewhat in picking up the win. However, as late as midway through the 3rd quarter, UT-M had the game tied at 20. It wasn't unitl two Kodi Burns runs in the 4th quarter - one for 31 the other for 58-yards - that the Tigers finally sealed the deal. Burns had what might have been his best game of the season as he ended the game with 158 rushing yards and 12-20 for 130-yards in passing.  But what has been a steadily declining Auburn defense yielded 323-yards of offense to the FCS Skyhawks.  And it is not going to get any easier for the Tigers as Georgia comes to visit this week and they end the season two weeks later in Tuscaloosa.

There has been much discussion in print and over the airwaves about the status of Tuberville at seasons end. I can't help but wonder how much this has affected and will affect the Tigers in their remaining games. I know that from what I have read, heard, and learned from talking with Auburn fans there is a lot of dissatisfaction in the Tiger-nation. I guess we will have to wait and see how that turns out, and whether a couple of big, late-season wins could change the landscape.

ALABAMA  over LSU: This was a game that both sides had been anticipating all season. After Bama's early successes, it seemed that this matchup might be the big battle in the SEC.  And even though LSU's two losses took some of the tarnish off the game, it still turned into an old fashioned SEC slugfest. For both teams, turnovers became the deciding measure. Bama had an uncharacteristic 3 turnovers in the first half, with one leading to an LSU TD and the other costing the Tide a scoring opportunity. However, it was the LSU turnovers that turned out to be the costliest as Lee was picked 4 times - one returned for six and another killer in OT.

Bama's defense came through when it had to. They managed to hold Scott to 92-yards rushing and made the big play in overtime.  On offense, JP Wilson ended up 215-yard on 15 of 31.  Glenn Coffee had 126-yards rushing and Julio Jones led all receivers with 128-yards on 7 catches. None of which was bigger than the last one - a 24-yard reception that gave the Tide a first and goal in overtime that led to the winning QB sneak by Wilson. This was the first real test of adversity for Bama and I thought that they showed some character in coming from behind.

This was a tough game for both teams, and certainly LSU gave Alabama all that they had. This rivalry is only going to continue heating up as both teams struggle for dominance in the SEC West. I was very pleased to see that both teams conducted themselves with class and sportsmanship throughout the hard-hitting and much hyped game.

FLORIDA over VANDERBILT: The red-hot Gators jumped all over the Dores early and never looked back.  This game was in the bag before the first quarter was over. Florida just flat out whipped Vandy on both sides of the ball. I will give Meyer some credit though - he could have named his score in this game, but pulled most of the starters early in the third quarter.

Florida's next big test will be South Carolina and we will see if the Gator offense can chew up one of the top ranked defenses in the nation. To be totally honest, right now Florida continues to look like the most complete team in the nation.

Now for the Next Best Three...

USC over CALIFORNIA:  USC's offense had another week of struggles but with their defense playing shut-down football, the Trojans didn't need a ton of points to win this game.  All night, the Trojan defense harassed both Cal QBs relentlessly and thoroughly stuffed the Cal rushing attack - they finished with only 27 net yards. And even the Trojan's struggling offense managed to post 411 total net yards.

I have read a lot of comments on the message boards and blogs about the weakness of the PAC 10 and USC being overrated.  I don't think most of those posters have seen this team play (other than the loss to Oregon State). If they had, and if they knew anything about football, they would realize that this is one of the best defenses playing college football today.  Any team that can hold a FCS team like Cal to 165-yards of total net offense and only 3 points is playing damn skippy-good defense. By way of contrast, even the great Florida defense allowed Vandy 264 total net yardage and 14 points.  The Trojans lead the nation in 4 of 5 defensive categories and are number 3 in rushing defense.  Any team that has a defense playing this well will be competitive against anyone.

UTAH over TCU:  The Horned Frogs had every opportunity to win this game and can blame only themselves for letting it slip away. After outplaying Utah for all but the last minutes of the game, they allowed the Utes to drive 80 yards to the winning score with just 48 seconds left on the clock. TCU lead this game in every category except the one that counts - the score.

A rant and an observation. Why in the hell do defensive coordinators abandon the schemes that have kept them in the game to go to the so-called prevent defense? In my mind, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. TCU had slammed the door on Utah all night only to allow them to go 80-yards playing a loose, no-pressure defense. For the life of me, I just don't understand it.

IMO this Utah team is not a BCS contender. I don't care what their record is, I just don't see this team as being able to really compete with any of the undefeated or 1-loss top 10 teams. They were slammed by a TCU defense that, though highly ranked, was gutted by Oklahoma (436 net yards). After having watched them play a whole game for the first time, I am not impressed.

TEXAS TECH over OKLAHOMA STATE: Wow. What an offense. 629-yards of total offense. 78% on third downs. Harrell goes an insane 45 of 55, 456-yards and 6 TDs. And they weren't even really trying in the 4th quarter. Like them or not, this is an offensive machine. The defense did better than I expected in holding OSU to a Big 12 respectable 368 total yards. But their best defense IS their offense and so far this year no one has found a way to do much more than slow them just a little. Unfortunately, this offense won't face a top-notch defense until bowl season and it may be then before we see what they are really made of - and if their defense can win a game for them. Till then, I don't know if anyone in the Big 12 can stop them.

That is the wrap. I will try to have the next pick em posted by sometime Wednesday. Another big slate of games awaits us this weekend as we grow closer to determining the final matchups. Be sure to let me know as soon as you can about the Next Best 3 games. I'd like to thank everyone for their input over the weeks - it has made it challenging.