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Thursday, August 23, 2007
Five moments that will define the SEC
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Just about every school has a defining moment in their season. It is a game, a group of games or a moment within a game that tips the balance of the season towards great, good, mediocre or bad.
Last season I thought that moment for Florida came at home on the last play against South Carolina. Florida blocked a field goal, won the game 17-16, and then went on to put itself in position to win the national championship.
Here are five such potential moments for teams in the SEC.
1. Georgia: The first two games with Oklahoma State (Sept. 1) and South Carolina (Sept. 8) will set the tone for the entire season. Win them both and I think the Dawgs will be 5-0 when they go to Knoxville on Oct. 6. Confidence is going to be a huge factor with this team because there are so many young players.
2. Alabama: Starting on Sept. 8, the Crimson Tide plays these games on four consecutive Saturdays: at Vanderbilt, Arkansas and Georgia in Tuscaloosa and then Florida State in Jacksonville. If Alabama goes 2-2 in those games, it will have a good season. If it goes 1-3, Bama will struggle to make a bowl. If it goes 3-1, watch out.
3. Tennessee: Some are picking the Vols to have a pretty good year if they can survive the first three weeks which includes trips to No. 12 California (Sept. 1) and No. 6 Florida (Sept. 15) that sandwich a dangerous home game with Southern Mississippi (Sept. 8), the favorite to win Conference USA. If Tennessee doesn’t get too beat up in those three games, the Vols could run the table after that with Georgia, South Carolina, Arkansas, and Vanderbilt all in Knoxville.
4. Arkansas: Houston Nutt’s quality of life would really improve if the Hogs beat Troy in the opener, take a week off to heal, and then find a way to win at Alabama on Sept. 15. There is a portion of the Arkansas fan base that is still unhappy with the way the Mitch Mustain situation was handled. They are looking for a reason to criticize and turn up the heat. If Arkansas loses to Bama, they’ll have their reason.
5. South Carolina: When South Carolina beats Georgia, it usually means the Gamecocks are going to have a good season. Since 1984 the Gamecocks have beaten the Bulldogs seven times and only once (1993) did they fail to produce a winning record. Four of the best seasons in school history-1984 (10-2, Gator Bowl), 1988 (8-4, Liberty Bowl), 2000 (8-4, Outback Bowl), and 2001 (9-3, Outback Bowl)-were all set up by a September win over Georgia. South Carolina plays at Georgia on Sept. 8.
