AJC > Sports > Blog > Archives > 2007 > August > 27 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USFive final questions about the SEC
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Game week is finally here, but there are still so many things we don’t know. Here are five burning questions I still have about the SEC as we head into this weekend’s opening games.
1. Will Tennessee’s no-huddle offense work? When the no huddle is working well (think Peyton Manning), it dictates the pace of the game and limits the number of defensive substitutions. When it’s not working well it is a pretty ugly thing to watch. California returns only five starters from a defense that finished eighth in the Pac-10 last season (366.2 ypg). For Tennessee, this is all about getting the no-huddle in shape in time for a Sept. 15 trip to Florida.
2. How will South Carolina’s quarterbacks play?After his appeal was turned down on Monday, we know now that Blake Mitchell of LaGrange won’t play against Louisiana-Lafayette because he skipped too many classes in summer school. If Mitchell is not available redshirt freshman Chris Smelley will start but sophomore Tommy Beecher will also see some action. If they play well, does Mitchell start against Georgia? Probably, but you can bet Coach Steve Spurrier will make Mitchell sweat.
3. Can Georgia hold Oklahoma State to under 28? The Cowboys were second in the Big 12 and seventh nationally in scoring last season (35.2 ppg). In conference games they averaged 33 points. Eight starters are back including WR Adarius Bowman, who was first in the league in yards per catch (19.7 avg.). Folks, this offense is very, very good.
4. What will be Tim Tebow’s completion percentage? The sophomore left hander has to prove that he is more than brute force and a strong arm. He needs to show that he can throw touch passes and manage the offense. Against Western Kentucky Tebow should complete between 55 and 60 percent. Let’s see what the final number is.
5. When will the RVs start showing up in Tuscaloosa? Alabama fans showed how they feel about the future under Nick Saban when 92,138 showed up at the spring game in April. The Crimson Tide Nation is looking forward to a successful opening night against Western Carolina. My bet is that the first arrivals to the RV lot will be Tuesday night.
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Comments
By biggest patsy of the year
August 27, 2007 8:56 AM | Link to this
Mighty SEC (AL and GA) playing Western Carolina. You guys do not need to ever wonder why you are not considered the baddest!
By Bama Fan
August 27, 2007 8:59 AM | Link to this
I am sitting here in my RV in Tuscaloosa… There seem to be some students parked in my spot though! I’m calling Mal!!
By 2N4YEARS
August 27, 2007 9:50 AM | Link to this
1) The TENN no-huddle will work ok, but the key to TENN having a good game against CAL and a good season is pretecting the QB. 2) SC QB’s will play ok. Hey, it’s not like Blake is really a great QB. Spurrier will mix it up enough not to put all of the pressure on the QB. 3) UGA will probably out score OSU. 4) Tebow will go through the same type of growing pains that Stafford did last year. Wew, glad we got that out of the way. 5) The question isn’t ‘when will the RV’s atart showing up’ but rather ‘will the RV’s be leaving early’.
By Roswell Ed
August 27, 2007 9:54 AM | Link to this
Tony,
It will be one crimson neck party.
I tell you what.
Let’s rank the SEC fans on being RedNecks.
Never mind. Once I got past Vandy it was impossible. Let’s just skip to number one. With apologies to LSU and Ark the #1 redneck fans in the SEC goes to:
The Alabama relationship equivalent of a tough out of conference schedule is dating someone who’s not your 1st cousin. The further they are out on the family limb the more your family will disapprove. They like to keep their blood lines pure.
If I had a $$$ for every Bamer fan that never attended a class(not just a class at Bamer but any class) I’d be Gates rich.
Why did OJ move to Tuscaloosa?
Everyone has the same DNA.
By George Gaston
August 27, 2007 10:32 AM | Link to this
OSU did average 34 points a game against the SEC last season, but that was against Bama with a lame duck coach. No way they score 4 TDs against UGA.
By Eric
August 27, 2007 11:10 AM | Link to this
Is Auburn still in the league?
By joe
August 27, 2007 11:11 AM | Link to this
Cowboys will put up 28, so key is will UGA avoid turnovers so they can score more than that. I’ve said all summer UGA starts 0-2 cause o-line will not keep Cowboy/Gamecock d-lines off Stafford.
Roswell Ed, you need to be on stage somewhere. Do you write your own material?? Do the RV’s outside Bama’s stadium unload their “loads” right there in the parking lot? Bet that smells bad after 5 days in the sun…
By Anonymous
August 27, 2007 1:11 PM | Link to this
Why does anyone continue to refer to the 92,000 fans who attended Bama’s final scrimmage? If they had charged $5 to enter, as most SEC teams do, they would have drawn half that many, or fewer. I guess it shows how desperate their fanbase is to see anything that feeds their fantasy!
By bamammv
August 27, 2007 1:48 PM | Link to this
i agree with joe about roswell ed. he does need to be on stage, that way my cross hairs can get a perfect bead and no one else will get hurt.
By Chris
August 27, 2007 2:09 PM | Link to this
Nice to see Tennessee adopting the no-huddle. When UGA tried to run athe no-huddle several years back it was Fulmer and Tennessee that were complaining about it. What a joke that guy is, also nice to see him reinstate Coker just in time for the Cal game. Nice to see some things never change.
By Chris
August 27, 2007 2:10 PM | Link to this
Nice to see Tennessee adopting the no-huddle. When UGA tried to run athe no-huddle several years back it was Fulmer and Tennessee that were complaining about it. What a joke that guy is, also nice to see him reinstate Coker just in time for the Cal game. Nice to see some things never change.
By Chris
August 27, 2007 2:19 PM | Link to this
Nice to see Tennessee adopting the no-huddle. When UGA tried to run athe no-huddle several years back it was Fulmer and Tennessee that were complaining about it. What a joke that guy is, also nice to see him reinstate Coker just in time for the Cal game. Nice to see some things never change.
By Chris
August 27, 2007 2:19 PM | Link to this
Nice to see Tennessee adopting the no-huddle. When UGA tried to run athe no-huddle several years back it was Fulmer and Tennessee that were complaining about it. What a joke that guy is, also nice to see him reinstate Coker just in time for the Cal game. Nice to see some things never change.
By Roswell Ed
August 27, 2007 2:34 PM | Link to this
bamammv:
I am sure it would also give you a clear shot to spit backy juice all over me through your tooth.
I can see you planning the hit.
Here’s your todo list:
Take engine off tree chain out back.
Take truck off blocks
Take battery out of shed
Load hunt’n dog into cab
Put rifle in gun rack right below my fish’n pole
Put on my “cowboy butts drive me nuts” hat. The one with the fish hook attached to it.
Kiss sister goodbye
Take the dirt road from my trailer to the paved road.
Pass the fireworks stand
Arrive at the location to hunt down the ellusive ROSWELL ED!
Roswell Ed proceeds to take my rifle from me and then rips off my wallet chain and beat me unmercifully with it.
Thanks Joe for your comments. I write my own material.
By Mike
August 27, 2007 2:59 PM | Link to this
Hey Chris, TN’s no huddle is nothing new…they ran it when Cut was there and in 2004 with Ainge as frosh. Well, Fulmer figured if Richt “could not give up” on Odell, then he would follow the example and allow Coker back. Except he is not eligible for one of the biggest games…not just Western Kentucky. I don’t think many fans these days can cast stones without looking (realistically is the key here) at their own team.
By KR
August 27, 2007 3:01 PM | Link to this
Eric asks, “Is Auburn still in the league?”
Going by Tony’s coverage of AU this preseason, it’s easy to understand your question. I assume he thinks there is nothing in the SEC West other than LSU, Nick Saban and D-Mac.
By JB
August 27, 2007 3:08 PM | Link to this
I’m really tired of hearing about how OSU will roll into Athens, Rape and pillage All and leave with a big win. These aren’t Ray Goff’s dawgs ! These new starters are all blue blood players that ALL SEC teams wanted. These guys didn’t turn down Valdosta State or Western Carolina to play at UGA. ASK OSU after the game about these Dawgs ! GEEZ, they’ve won 3 road games in TWO years, in front of 25,000 people. We’ll see !
By shane
August 27, 2007 5:58 PM | Link to this
eric and kr,i don’t why this guy ignores auburn,as i think au will win the west if they beat lsu. speaking as a long time dog fan i know that you never write off auburn. the columbus ledger-enquirer has a great auburn blog,and david ching does a fantastic job of covering uga.
By alabamadawg
August 27, 2007 6:40 PM | Link to this
They had 92000 fans show up because they just wanted to see bama beat somebody !!! anybody !!!
By DaddyDawg
August 27, 2007 11:20 PM | Link to this
Tony, I expect Tebow to complete at least 2/3s of his passes against Western KY in that “Dink and Dunk” offense FL runs. With the speed and quickness FL has at WR, it will take those 5 yard passes and turn them into big gainers against the likes of Western KY. Tebow will look like a world beater against Western KY, but he gets his first big lesson as a starter at QB in the SEC when he meets John Chavis’ defense in the UT game. No way that Chavis will sit back in a soft zone defense and let Tebow dink the ball down the field all night like Ohio State did with Chris Leak in the BCS National Championship game against FL, or like the Bears did against Peyton Manning in the Super Bowl. Chavis will force Tebow to make decisions and throws under great, unrelenting pressure, and if successful, this will turn out to be the deciding factor in UT’s game against FL this year.
By TruDawg
August 27, 2007 11:43 PM | Link to this
DaddyDawg is very correct. Tenn. is going to kick the crud out of T-Boner and the rest of those fools. Meyer needs to prove HIS guys can get it done. so far only Pete C. from SC can claim that. Tebow just seems like the russian dude from Rocky to me. “Drop the needle man”!
By ga dog
August 28, 2007 4:40 AM | Link to this
uh mike,odell had a suspended liscense,failed to pay insurance,driving daddys car, your coker is more of a criminal for a student, dogs are gonna crush all the boys wearing orange this year ok st,tn,gators go dawgs
By DoggieStyle
August 28, 2007 6:23 AM | Link to this
Roswell Ed, I’m a UGA grad, but brother, you are funny! Isn’t college football great?
By DaddyGator
August 28, 2007 7:23 AM | Link to this
DaddyDawg: why do you find it necessary to comment on #4? have you an answer for #3? that should be of more interest to a dawg rather than commenting on a gator question.
By MissUT
August 28, 2007 7:28 AM | Link to this
Chris, sorry to disappoint you, but Coker is not traveling with the Tennessee team to California. Check it out!
By Mike
August 28, 2007 7:41 AM | Link to this
Uh, GA Dog, not sure you can talk about players behaviors after all the GA players being arrested this past off season? And yes, Odell was arrested numerous times. Don’t try to justify “criminal” behavior if we are talking about arrests. Nice logic regarding the TN-GA game….
By SECisFootball
August 28, 2007 7:53 AM | Link to this
I think I have seen the 1st sign of the apocolypse. An Auburn fan calling Alabama fans rednecks. Roswell Ed, I hope your wife/cousin have fun at the game on Saturday.
ROLL TIDE!!!
By War Eagle
August 28, 2007 4:23 PM | Link to this
5..after the Bama-UGA game their will be plenty of parking anf RV space, Bama will be 1-3, NOT acceptable…. then FSU, where is Dubose when you need him?By JStett33GT
August 29, 2007 12:14 AM | Link to this
have fun uga defense against osu! dont f*** with osu’s offense
By DaddyDawg
August 29, 2007 1:40 AM | Link to this
DaddyGator:
Didn’t realize that I had to respond to anything other than what I choose to respond to on this blog. Gators don’t set the agenda here. I also find it interesting that you offered NO response to my earlier post in ANY way…. I guess your silence is an admission that I was right.
As for GA giving up 28 points or more to Oklahoma State, I don’t think that will happen, but it doesn’t matter because GA will outscore OSU regardless of the score. Our offense and defense are loaded with athletes, and in the one bad matchup, OSU’s defense cannot stay on the field with our offense. It will be a good matchup to see OSU’s offense against our defense… the kind of tuneup which will pay dividends for us down the road in the SEC…… Note that our defense has held Urban Meyer’s vaunted offense and athletes to 14 points each of the last 2 years (FL’s defense scored early in the second half of last year’s game on a fumble returned for a TD). Do you think that OSU’s offense is better than that of the Urban Legend?!! :^)
By WDE
August 29, 2007 11:14 AM | Link to this
In Alabama it’s a common quote that: “Not every Bama fan is a redneck, but every redneck is a Bama fan.”