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September 2007
Georgia Tech will beat Clemson
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
We were 8-2 last week because Georgia Tech lost to Virginia and Penn State lost to Michigan. But we did pick Georgia and Kentucky to win on the road. That makes the record for the season 29-11.
Here, once again, is the Fearless Friday Forecast.
1. Clemson at Georgia Tech: RB Tashard Choice returns to action and that makes Georgia Tech a much better football team. A year ago Clemson just steam rolled the Yellow Jackets 31-7 But after a tough loss at Virginia last week, Georgia Tech’s backs are to the wall. How will they respond? Tech slows down the running game and scores a late touchdown to win. Georgia Tech 28, Clemson 24:
2. Ole Miss at Georgia: What Georgia can’t do is sag after a big emotional win at Alabama last week. Ole Miss doesn’t have a lot of weapons, but they do play hard under Ed Orgeron. Georgia also can’t be looking ahead to next week’s game at Tennessee. The Bulldogs need to start fast and put the Rebels away early. Georgia 31, Ole Miss 14.
3. Florida State vs. Alabama in Jacksonville: Florida State has had a week off while Alabama is coming off a very tough loss in overtime to Georgia. Here is the difference in these two teams. Florida State is still trying to figure out who it is and what it can do. Alabama knows exactly what it can do and this team will not quit. This will be a 60-minute and therefore the edge goes to the Crimson Tide. Alabama 20, Florida State 17.
4. Auburn at Florida: The Gators scored 59 on the last SEC team (Tennessee) to come to The Swamp. But Auburn has a legitimate SEC defense and usually finds a way to make these kind of games competitive. Here is a fun fact: Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville has won eight of his last nine games against teams ranked in the Top 10. Won’t happen today. Florida 24, Auburn 17.
5. Mississippi State at South Carolina: Coach Steve Spurrier will start redshirt freshman Chris Smelley at quarterback in place of Blake Mitchell. But Smelley had better keep an eye out of DE Titus Brown, who is a legitimate All-SEC player. South Carolina needs to be careful with this game, especially with Kentucky coming to Williams-Brice Stadium next Thursday. If this stays an ugly, low-scoring game, Mississippi State can win. Give the edge to the Head Ball Coach. South Carolina 27, Mississippi State 17.
6. North Carolina at Virginia Tech: This will be the third straight start for Virginia Tech freshman quarterback Tyrod Taylor and will serve as his last tune-up for next week’s trip to Clemson. He has completed 24 of 44 passes in two games. North Carolina quarterback T.J. Yates (Pope) needs to bounce back from a four-interception performance last week against South Florida. Unfortunately for Yates, the Virginia Tech defense is better. Virginia Tech 31, North Carolina 10.
7. California at Oregon: This is the best game on the board on Saturday. Should be a shootout and the winner gets to chase Southern Cal in the Pac-10. Oregon’s Autzen Stadium is a tough place to play and quarterback Dennis Dixon is a tough guy to stop. I like the Ducks in a mild upset. Oregon 35, California 31.
8. Penn State at Illinois: The Nittany Lions will come out a little flat after a disappointing loss to Michigan last week. Illinois coach Ron Zook has been building toward this game since the got to Champaign. Illinois quarterback Juice Williams is due for a breakout game and he’ll get it against Penn State in an upset. Illinois 24, Penn State 23.
9. Notre Dame at Purdue: Purdue has suffered a lot of pain at the hands of their state rivals over the years. Now the Boilermakers are 4-0 and the Fighting Irish are 0-4. If Joe Tiller and the gang get a chance, they are going to put up a pretty big number against Notre Dame. Let’s try Purdue 42, Notre Dame 21.
10. Baylor at Texas A&M: The Aggies got embarrassed last week at Miami and should bounce back. But there is some bad blood between Baylor coach Guy Morris and Texas A&M coach Dennis Franchione. This will be a battle but I give the edge to the Aggies at home. Texas A&M 24, Baylor 17.
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Will Georgia be ready for Ole Miss?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Five burning questions as we head for the last weekend in September.
1. Will Georgia take care of business against Ole Miss? Yesterday some of you chastised me for writing about Georgia-Tennessee when the Bulldogs have a game with Ole Miss on Saturday. That’s a fair criticism. So let’s talk about it. IMO, the Bulldogs and their fans read way too much into their Sept. 1 win over Oklahoma State and weren’t ready to answer the bell against South Carolina. Will last week’s emotional win over Alabama cause Georgia to come out flat against the Rebels? Georgia is a better team than Ole Miss and they are playing at home. They need to post a solid win and start building momentum for Tennessee.
2. Why are some Alabama fans jumping on John Parker Wilson? Let’s see. Wilson was the quarterback who threw the last-second touchdown pass to beat Arkansas. He brought Alabama back from a 10-point deficit not once but twice against Georgia. He scored the touchdown that tied the game and sent it into overtime. And all I’m reading and hearing about is what he DIDN’T do? The kid has played four games in a brand new offense. Please.
3. Can Kentucky handle success? The Wildcats are 4-0 and the whole world is singing their praises. That’s okay. They’ve earned it. But this is the highest Kentucky has been ranked (No. 14) in 30 years. Florida Atlantic, (3-1) who comes to Lexington on Saturday, is no pushover. Then the Wildcats have a short week before going to South Carolina next Thursday. I’m just anxious to see if Kentucky comes out ready to play on Saturday.
4. How good is Clemson? The three Division I-A teams Clemson has beaten-Florida State, Louisiana-Monroe, and N.C. State—are a combined 3-8. I think the Tigers are pretty good after watching them roll up 608 yards against N.C. State. But if Tommy Bowden’s bunch can win at Georgia Tech on Saturday, fans may start thinking ACC championship. Of course they did that after waxing Tech (31-7) last season and Clemson proceeded to lose four of the next five.
5. Which is the real Florida? The one that beat Tennessee 59-20 or the one that escaped Ole Miss 30-24? The answer, of course, is probably somewhere in the middle. Auburn has top-shelf SEC defense, the first the Gators will see this season. I’m anxious to see how Florida attacks that defense and finds a way to keep Tim Tebow from carrying the ball too many times. He needs to be fresh for next week’s trip to LSU.
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Georgia-Tennessee will be huge
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Just one man’s opinion:
1. Georgia-Tennessee will be huge: Next week’s game in Knoxville could define the season for both teams. The winner will still be in the SEC race with only one conference loss. The loser will be out with two losses. Based on some conversations I’ve had with folks in Knoxville, a third loss on Oct. 6 will not be good for Phillip Fulmer’s quality of life. This will not be a popular opinion in some parts of the Big Orange Nation, but I still believe that regardless of how this season goes (barring a 4-8 or 5-7 disaster), Fulmer will be back in 2008. But if things don’t get better on defense there could be some significant changes to that side of the staff.
2. South Carolina is better than you think: The fact that the Gamecocks kept playing Saturday and made the game at LSU respectable (28-16) tells me that South Carolina has some big wins left in them. They still need to find some guys who can make plays under pressure and that’s why Chris Smelley will start at quarterback instead of Blake Mitchell against Mississippi State. The Nov. 10 game with Florida could be very interesting, especially if the Gators beat LSU next week. Losing LB Jasper Brinkley for the rest of the season really hurts.
3. Alabama impressed me: Early on in last Saturday’s game it was clear that Georgia had more athletes and was the better team. But the Crimson Tide, like they had done the week before against Arkansas, was determined to play a 60-minute game. Down 10 in the fourth quarter, Alabama came back to tie the game and sent it into overtime. The Crimson Tide lost on a great play by Matt Stafford and Mikey Henderson. But it was a loss that Nick Saban can build on.
4. Auburn will play Florida tough: There is absolutely no common sense in that statement. Auburn’s offense has really been overmatched in every game but one. Running back Brad Lester (academics) will not get back on the field until Oct. 6. But Tommy Tuberville has a way of getting his teams ready to play this kind of game. Florida is going to win, but it will be closer than the experts think.
5. Georgia Tech needs to play ugly to win: The Yellow Jackets have to play small ball to beat Clemson on Saturday. By that I mean run the ball, play great-not good, great-defense and limit the number of possessions that they give to a Clemson offense that posted 608 total yards against N.C. State. Georgia Tech needs a 14-10 game. If the game gets into the high 20s, the Yellow Jackets won’t win.
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Breaking down the national championship race
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The first BCS standings are now only a few weeks away (Oct. 14) and some teams are starting to separate themselves from the field.
1. LSU (4-0): South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier found out early in his game last Saturday that the Tigers are simply unblockable. There is no use trying to run on these guys. On offense, any team that can bring Ryan Perrilloux off the bench to play quarterback is ridiculously deep. In fact, this could be the deepest team that LSU has ever had.
2. Southern Cal (3-0): The Trojans have looked invincible the past two weeks against Nebraska (49-31) and Washington State (47-14). But the road schedule could catch up with them as USC goes to Washington (Saturday), Oregon (Oct. 27), California (Nov. 10), and Arizona State (Nov. 22).
3. Oklahoma (4-0): Oklahoma’s 51-13 win over Miami now looks a little more impressive. And if Texas doesn’t beat the Sooners on Oct. 6, who will? Oklahoma has scored at least 50 points in every game.
4. Florida (4-0): The Gators drop a spot because last Saturday (30-24 win over Ole Miss) we were reminded that they are a talented, but young, team. The defense gave up too many big plays. QB Tim Tebow had to carry the ball too much. Still, if they find a way to win next week at LSU, Florida be in position to make another run at the national title.
5. West Virginia (4-0): The Mountaineers could be the first contender to get knocked out of the box when they go to South Florida on Friday.
Possible breakthroughs:
California (4-0): The Bears are at Oregon this Saturday and that won’t be easy.
Clemson (4-0)/Boston College (4-0): Two long shots at best, but they meet on Nov. 17 in Clemson. If one is still undefeated after that game, it could be in the mix.
Ohio State (4-0): With Penn State losing to Michigan, the Buckeyes and Wisconsin are the Big Ten’s only hopes.
Texas (4-0): We won’t know about the Longhorns until Oct. 6 in Dallas against OU.
Wisconsin (4-0): The Badgers had to fight like crazy to beat Iowa (17-13). They still have to play at Penn State and at Ohio Sate.
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Stafford had “his moment” in T-Town
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Five things we learned over the weekend:
1. Matt Stafford had “his moment” T-Town: The true sign of a maturing quarterback is leading this team from behind on the road. David Greene had his first moment like that in Knoxville in 2001. We’ll look back on Georgia’s overtime win at Tuscaloosa as when we knew for sure that Matthew Stafford would be an elite quarterback. The Georgia sophomore took his team down the field in the final minutes against Alabama and put them in a position to win with a field goal. When that was missed, Stafford came right back in overtime and made a big-time throw to win the game. Stafford’s not fully developed as a quarterback yet, but he is getting there quickly.
2. Houston, you have a problem: It’s one thing to lose to Alabama at the buzzer on the road. It’s another thing to lose to Kentucky at home and not be able to slow the Wildcats down. You know the political climate in Arkansas since the Mitch Mustain saga. I was in Little Rock a week ago and a bunch of people I talked to weren’t happy then. They must be quite ill to be 0-2 in the league. Houston Nutt is a good football coach in a bad situation. On a side note: Running back Darren McFadden is the best offensive player in the country but his Heisman hopes have taken a big hit.
3. Tim Tebow can’t keep this up: The Florida quarterback is a special athlete. But he had to run the ball 27 times against Ole Miss to win what turned out to be a tough football game (30-24). I understand that. But I also understand that Tebow’s body can’t get pounded by SEC defenses week after week without taking its toll. The Gators get Auburn this Saturday and then have the game of the year on Oct. 6 at LSU. Coach Urban Meyer has to find another way. He knows that.
4. Andre Woodson must be to your Heisman list: The Kentucky quarterback throws a late touchdown bomb to beat Louisville on Sept. 15. Down 29-21 in the fourth quarter, Woodson directs Kentucky to 21 unanswered points and a stunning 42-29 victory at Arkansas. On the season Woodson has completed 86 of 134 passing attempts (64.2 percent) for 1,008 yards and 11 touchdowns. He has thrown NO interceptions. In fact, he has thrown 296 straight passes without an interception, a new NCAA record.
5. The Big Ten’s worst nightmare: Michigan, which knocked off Penn State on Saturday, wins the rest of its games and becomes the first team to go to the Rose Bowl after losing to Appalachian State.
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The Fearless Friday Forecast
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Thanks to big wins by Kentucky and Alabama, we were 8-2 in last week’s Fearless Friday Forecast, That’s 21-8 on the season. Let’s give it another shot.
1. Georgia at Alabama: Bama posted the first big win of the Nick Saban era last week by scoring late to beat Arkansas. The best news for Georgia is that its biggest weakness, a young offensive line, will be matched with Alabama’s biggest weakness, an undersized defensive front. The edge goes to Georgia because Alabama’s game last week was so draining. Georgia 31, Alabama 27.
2. Georgia Tech at Virginia: Last Saturday Georgia Tech faced the best quarterback it is going to see all year in Matt Ryan of Boston College. Virginia is having some quarterback issues as Jameel Sewell may be benched in favor of true freshman Peter Lalich. RB Tashard Choice is a little dinged up but looks like he’ll go. Won’t matter. Georgia Tech has not won in Charlottesville since 1990. Won’t matter. Georgia Tech 24, Virginia 14.
3. Kentucky at Arkansas: Kentucky just posted one of the biggest wins in school history by beating No. 9 Louisville. Arkansas got beat at the buzzer at Alabama in a game that had fans second guessing coaches and officials. Kentucky coach Rich Brooks is making his first ever trip to Fayetteville, Ark. All the signs point to the Hogs but I’ve got a feeling about this Kentucky team. Kentucky 34, Arkansas 30.
4. South Carolina at LSU: South Carolina’s Head Ball Coach knows exactly how he wants to play this game. He wants his defense to play lights out and hold the score down. Then he’ll figure out a way to get a late field goal to steal the game. There is one problem. The LSU defense is not going to cooperate. It will be a long night for South Carolina QB Blake Mitchell. LSU 35, South Carolina 7.
5. Clemson at N.C. State: The only question here is whether or not Clemson QB Cullen Harper of Alpharetta can keep the hot hand. In three games Harper has completed 72.5 of his passes for 10 TD and no interceptions. But Harper has yet to make a start on the road. He’ll do fine. Clemson goes to 4-0 and gets ready for next week’s trip to Georgia Tech. Clemson 28, N.C. State 17.
6. Florida at Ole Miss: You gotta wonder if the Gators were as good as Tennessee made them look last week. If they are, then expect Florida to roll up the style points in Oxford, even with the early start (11:30 a.m., local time). Florida 45, Ole Miss 10.
7. New Mexico State at Auburn: Auburn really can’t afford to look past anybody right now. The Tigers need for something positive to happen before next week’s trip to Florida. Coach Tommy Tuberville will use two quarterbacks, hoping to find one who can take care of the football. Auburn has 10 turnovers in its last two games. Auburn 28, New Mexico State 10.
8. Maryland at Wake Forest: Quarterback Riley Skinner returns for the Deacons after sitting out the last two games with a bad shoulder. Wake Forest, the defending ACC champions, needs this one to avoid an 0-2 start in the conference. They will get it. Wake Forest 21, Maryland 17.
9. Michigan State at Notre Dame: Coach Charlie Weis said his Irish (0-3) were going back to training camp this week. What he found when camp restarted was something he knew in August: Notre Dame doesn’t have any playmakers. Michigan State has won five straight games at South Bend. Today the Spartans will make it six. Michigan State 24, Notre Dame 10.
10. Penn State at Michigan: Michigan (1-2) finally got in the win column last week against Notre Dame but the problems on the defensive side of the ball are still there. Penn State’s three opponents to date (Florida International, Notre Dame, Buffalo) are a combined 1-8. Still the Nittany Lions look like a team that can win the Big Ten. Penn State 17, Michigan 14.
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How much does Alabama have in the tank?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Five burning questions as we head into the weekend:
1. How much will be in Alabama’s energy tank when Georgia gets to Tuscaloosa? Folks I talk to in Tuscaloosa tell me that the Alabama team came out of the Arkansas game pretty beat up. Emotionally, the Crimson Tide laid it all on the line to beat the Hogs while Georgia was fooling around with Western Carolina. Nick Saban will do everything he can to recharge those batteries between now and Saturday night at 7:45. But sometimes the spirit is willing but the flesh has a tough time answering the bell. Can Alabama play at that level for two straight weeks? We’ll find out.
2. What do we really know about Miami? The two teams the Hurricanes have beaten, Marshall and Florida International, are a combined 0-6. They lost to Oklahoma (51-13), which looks like one of the best three teams in the country. So the answer is we really have no idea about the ‘Canes. If Texas A&M (3-0) comes to the Orange Bowl tonight and wins easily, that means Miami is in trouble.
3. Will Tennessee be ready to play? Yeah, it’s Arkansas State. But the Sun Belt team played Texas tough before losing (21-13) and then just walloped SMU (45-28). But Tennessee, which is still hurting from being embarrassed by Florida, could be looking ahead to the open date and the Oct. 6 home game with Georgia. Phillip Fulmer needs a convincing win to calm things down on Rocky Top.
4. How will Cullen Harper play on the road? The Clemson quarterback from Alpharetta has completed 72.5 percent of his passes for 10 touchdowns and no interceptions. But all of that happened in three home games in the friendly confines of Death Valley. How will Harper perform in front of a hostile crowd?
5. Will Auburn struggle with New Mexico State? Given the state of Auburn’s offense, which is not very good, Auburn can’t afford to look past anyone. If the Tigers are going to get this season out of the ditch, they are going to have to do it with Brandon Cox at quarterback. Freshman Kodi Burns can run around a little bit, but defenses will catch up to that after a series or two. Tommy Tuberville and OC Al Borges have to coach up Cox, give him some confidence, and find somebody on the offensive line who can block.
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It’s time to challenge Georgia’s manhood again
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Just one man’s opinion:
1. It’s time to challenge Georgia’s manhood again: In 2002, the last time Georgia went to Alabama, former Auburn coach Pat Dye (a UGA grad) wondered aloud if Georgia “was man enough” to win at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Georgia met the challenge, won in Tuscaloosa and it launched the Bulldogs to an SEC championship. In Alabama, Georgia is going to meet a team that, under new coach Nick Saban, will play with a lot of energy and intensity. If Georgia can’t-or won’t—match that intensity, the Bulldogs are going to get beat. I agree with Mike Bobo, Georgia’s offensive coordinator. It’s time for this football team to grow up. It’s time for some leaders on this team to step up. SEC road games are played at an entirely different level. In short, this ain’t Oklahoma State.
2. Of course Florida ran up the score. So what? Yes, Florida tacked on a couple of touchdowns for style points last week in a 59-20 beat down of Tennessee last Saturday. It was done for two reasons. 1) Before last Saturday, folks were talking about LSU, Oklahoma, and Southern Cal as the three best teams in the country. Now they are talking about the Gators; 2) Florida wanted to make a statement about where it’s program is headed. If Tennessee’s players and coaches didn’t like getting beat badly it is, quite frankly, up to them to do something about it.
3. Georgia Tech will still win the ACC Coastal: It would be a mistake to read too much into the loss to Boston College. BC is much better than I thought and should win the Atlantic Division. The Yellow Jackets will get another shot at the Eagles in Jacksonville on Dec. 1.
4. Spurrier’s not sandbagging this week: Two weeks ago before South Carolina played Georgia, Steve Spurrier was wondering if his team could compete with the Bulldogs. He was setting everybody up for what turned out to be a 16-12 win for the Gamecocks. This week he is really worried that his offensive line will not be able to compete against LSU. He is right to worry. Spurrier’s hoping his defense can make it a low-scoring game that he can steal in the fourth quarter with a field goal. I don’t see it. I see an ugly game that makes CBS wish it had taken Georgia-Alabama.
5. If Alabama beats Georgia, it will have a huge season: This summer I saw Alabama with 7-8 wins at best. But if the Crimson Tide wins in Tuscaloosa on Saturday, they are capable of beating every remaining team on their schedule with the possible exception of LSU. And that game (on Nov. 3) is in Tuscaloosa. Florida State and Auburn can’t score. Tennessee can’t stop anybody. Alabama has more athletes than Houston, Ole Miss, Mississippi State and Louisiana Monroe.
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Who says we don’t have a playoff?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Who says we don’t have a playoff in Division I-A football? I’m not a poll voter any more but here is my Top 10 and the playoff/elimination games they must win to have a chance to play for the national championship.
1. LSU (3-0): Oct. 6 vs. Florida; Nov. 3 at Alabama. The Tigers would probably have to beat Florida again in the SEC championship game.
2. Southern Cal (2-0): Nov. 10 at California; Nov. 22 at Arizona State.
3. Florida (3-0): Oct. 6 at LSU; Nov. 10 at South Carolina; The Gators would probably have to beat LSU again in the SEC championship game.
4. Oklahoma (3-0): Oct. 6 vs. Texas in Dallas; Big 12 championship game.
5. West Virginia (3-0): Sept. 28 at South Florida; Oct. 27 at Rutgers: Nov. 8 vs. Louisville.
6. California (3-0): Nov. 10 vs. Southern Cal; Nov. 17 at Washington.
7. Texas (3-0): Oct. 6 vs. Oklahoma in Dallas: Nov. 23 at Texas A&M.
8. Ohio State (3-0): Oct. 27 at Penn State; Nov. 17 at Michigan.
9. Penn State (3-0): Saturday at Michigan; Oct. 27 vs. Ohio State.
10. Boston College: Oct. 25 at Virginia Tech; Nov. 17 at Clemson.
Florida could be scary good
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Five things we learned over the weekend:
1. Florida could be scary good. Last week I said in this space that LSU was the No. 1 team in the country. After watching Florida beat Tennessee 59-20 I’m not sure the Tigers are No. 1 in the SEC. This was supposed to be the year that teams could get Florida because the Gators were re-loading with good young players. But there aren’t many teams that have three dynamic offensive stars like Tim Tebow, Percy Harvin, and Brandon James—all sophomores, by the way. If that defense grows up a little more between now and Oct. 6, the Gators will give LSU all they can handle when they meet in Baton Rouge.
2. Alabama passed a big test: When I met with Nick Saban just before Alabama’s first game, he was worried about one thing more than any other. He wondered how his team would react when it finally faced some real adversity. When Arkansas rallied to take a late 38-31 lead, I thought Alabama was done because under Mike Shula, the Crimson Tide just didn’t come back late in the game. Winning the game in that fashion says a lot about how far the program has come in just three games under Saban. Having said that, I believe Georgia can win Saturday in Tuscaloosa.
3. Kentucky is going to record a major upset in the SEC: After knocking off No. 9 Louisville Saturday night in Lexington, the Wildcats have now won eight of their last nine games dating back to last season. The only loss in that stretch was to Tennessee (17-12) in a game Kentucky had several chances to win. Kentucky has SEC home games with LSU, Florida, Mississippi State, and Tennessee. The Wildcats will win at least two of those.
4. Sylvester Croom should be secure: The Mississippi State coach has now beaten Florida, Alabama, and Auburn since he got into the league. He won at Auburn with his No. 3 quarterback. Here is a team that could have doubted itself and packed it in after losing 45-0 to LSU in the opener. Now the Bulldogs are 2-1 with Jacksonville State coming to Starkville. That’s good coaching. Speculation about Croom’s future should stop now.
5. Boston College will be 7-0 when it goes to Virginia Tech: School officials weren’t really wild about the idea of starting the season with three straight ACC games. But after taking care of Georgia Tech Saturday night, the Eagles (3-0) now play Army, UMass, Bowling Green and Notre Dame before going to Blacksburg to face the Hokies on Oct. 25. I had my doubts about BC before the season but not any more. That is a good football team, folks. In case you’re wondering, Boston College goes to Clemson on Nov. 17.
The Fearless Friday Forecast
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
We were 7-3 in last week’s Fearless Friday Forecast thanks to less than inspiring performances by Georgia, Auburn, and, of course, Michigan. That gives us a 13-7 record over the first two weeks. Let’s see if we can get to eight wins this week.
1. Boston College at Georgia Tech: Okay. The preliminaries are over and it’s time for these two teams to play some big boy football. This will be the first road game for new BC coach Jeff Jagodzinski and his staff. Georgia Tech QB Taylor Bennett is going to have to make a couple of plays against a defense that is stacked against the run. He will. Georgia Tech 24, Boston College 21.
2. Western Carolina at Georgia: The weaknesses on this Georgia team-and there are several-were exploited last week by South Carolina’s Evil Genius. But today’s game is about working on those things that will be necessary to win at Alabama one week hence. And that is running the football to set up the play action pass. Look for Matthew Stafford to make some big plays in order to give Alabama something to think about. Georgia 45, Western Carolina 7.
3. Tennessee at Florida: Tennessee has played a tougher early schedule (at California, Southern Miss) and that should help the Vols as they go to the Swamp. Florida has a lot of speed and a lot of weapons but has yet to see a good defense. If Tennessee can run the football, Phillip Fulmer and the boys have a chance. I just get the sense that Urban Meyer’s been holding back on his true Tim Tebow package of plays. Florida 28, Tennessee 17.
4. Arkansas at Alabama: Logically, Arkansas should win this game. The Hogs have two of the nation’s best running backs (Darren McFadden, Felix Jones) and Alabama’s weakness is up front on defense. But Alabama fans have been pointing to this game since Nick Saban became head coach in January. The Crimson Tide is going to be pumped up and is going to find a way to confuse Arkansas QB Casey Dick. Alabama 17, Arkansas 16:
5. Louisville at Kentucky: There will be two great quarterbacks in this game in Brian Brohm of Louisville and Andre Woodson of Kentucky. Both defenses have been known to struggle. There will be a bunch of big plays in this game and Kentucky is due for an upset. Kentucky 35, Louisville 31.
6. Miss. State at Auburn: Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville was preaching patience after the Tigers lost to South Florida last week. Auburn is pretty good on defense but the offense is hurting because of a young offensive line and the fact that RB Brad Lester (academics) can’t get on the field. A word of advice to the Auburn offense: make sure you block Mississippi State DE Titus Brown. Auburn 27, Miss. State 10.
7. Florida State at Colorado: Colorado is not very good but the Seminoles have not been world beaters in the first two weeks of this season. RB Antone Smith suffered a concussion last week against UAB and his ability to be effective in this game is anything but certain. I’ve just got a feeling that Florida State is ready to take a step towards being a good football team again. We’ll see. I could be wrong. Florida State 27, Colorado 17.
8. Southern Cal at Nebraska: Southern Cal has not been to Nebraska since 1969 and the Trojans arrive in Lincoln needing some style points. Why? Because last week while USC was off, LSU and Oklahoma made a strong case for being ranked in the top two. The Trojans need to remind the voters why they are No. 1. Southern Cal 31, Nebraska 17.
9. Ohio State at Washington: With Michigan taking the gas, Ohio State might just actually be good enough to win the Big Ten again. After two average performances against Youngstown State and Akron, the Buckeyes will learn a lot about their team by going to Husky Stadium, where Tryone Willingham is looking like a better coach than the guy who replaced him at Notre Dame. Ohio State 21, Washington 17.
10. Notre Dame at Michigan: I don’t know why we care about a pair of 0-2 teams but we do. Michigan proved you can lose to the same team (Appalachian State) twice as the hangover was still there when Oregon embarrassed the Wolverines in the Big House. Notre Dame, however, does not have the athletes on offense that Appalachian State and Oregon possess (hard to believe I just wrote that.) Michigan 24, Notre Dame 20.
How badly does Fulmer need to beat Florida?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Five burning questions as we head towards Saturday:
1. How badly does Phillip Fulmer need a big road win? Fulmer has won 80 percent of his games at Tennessee but the Vols haven’t had a huge upset road win in a while. The only way to calm down the critics is to go on the road and win a game that most folks think you’re not going to win. I’m talking about a signature win like 2001 at Florida or 2003 at Miami. Fulmer could use one of those. If Tennessee loses in The Swamp the stat you’ll see the most next week: Tennessee will be 15-12 in its last 27 games.
2. Will Les Miles EVER talk about it? Every day between now and the end of the season somebody, somewhere is going to speculate that Miles will leave LSU and become the next coach at Michigan should a change be made in Ann Arbor. He’s smart by saying “I’m not going to talk about it.” Nick Saban got tired of hearing questions about Alabama and so he talked about it. He still regrets it. I don’t think it’s a done deal that Michigan will call Miles. But if the alma mater calls, he’ll listen. And he’ll be in a good position to negotiate if the Tigers play for the BCS championship.
3. What will be the over and under for Kentucky-Louisville? Louisville gives up 42 to Middle Tennessee State. Kentucky gives up 324 yards rushing to Kent State. Great quarterbacks on both teams. Can you say the first team to 50 wins? It may take five hours to play this game.
4. Is the ACC going to get a meaningful non-conference win? Miami gets ripped by Oklahoma. Virginia Tech gets hammered at LSU. Wake Forest plays valiantly at home and loses by three to Nebraska. Virginia loses at Wyoming. North Carolina loses to East Carolina. N.C. State loses to UCF. Georgia Tech beats Notre Dame but this season a LOT of people are going to beat Notre Dame. There are two opportunities coming up. West Virginia is at Maryland tonight. That’s a long shot for the Terps. Florida State goes to Colorado on Saturday. Colorado’s not very good but league needs to win one of these intersectional games. People are starting to challenge the ACC’s manhood as a football conference.
5. If Arkansas wins Saturday, will Houston Nutt’s critics finally shut up? There has never been a coach who wanted to start playing games this season more than Nutt. He’s 1-0 going to Alabama on Saturday and the only way to answer the critics is to keep winning. If Arkansas wins in Tuscaloosa, will that put an end to the Mitch Mustain affair? If the Hogs are 5-0 when they host Auburn on Oct. 13, will THAT do it? If he’s 8-0 when South Carolina comes to Fayetteville on Nov. 3, will that do it? I’m just wondering how long this fan base is going to be divided over one kid.
Tuberville second guessing is silly
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Just one man’s opinion:
1. The Tuberville second-guessing is silly: Who has won more close games and games he wasn’t supposed to win than Auburn’s Tommy Tuberville? Fans were second-guessing his decision to run out the clock and go to overtime against South Florida, rather than go for the win with less than a minute left. But football is about playing the percentages. When your offense has turned the ball over five times and your quarterback is not having a good night, the percentages say play for the overtime at home. It didn’t work out because South Florida made the play to win the game. Good for them. But Tuberville played the percentages.
2. Georgia Tech should win the Coastal: Not only have the Jackets looked very impressive in their first two games, but the rest of the ACC’s Coastal Division seems to be in trouble. Virginia Tech switched to a true freshman quarterback after getting blasted (48-7) by LSU. Miami got pummeled (51-13) by Oklahoma. Virginia lost at Wyoming and the Cavs are contemplating QB change. North Carolina lost at East Carolina. Duke has lost 22 straight.
3. College football STILL has the best regular season: If you doubt it, consider this. The season is only two weeks old and already people are painting doomsday scenarios for the BCS. With LSU, Oklahoma and Southern Cal at the top of the polls, the speculation has begun on which team could be the odd man out, like Auburn was in 2004. That’s because in college football every game matters, whether you’re playing Louisiana State or Appalachian State.
4. If Alabama wins, the state will go nuts: Since Nick Saban took the Alabama job fans have been pointing to Saturday’s game with Arkansas as the first real test of his ability to transform the Crimson Tide football program. Just a warning. If Alabama wins Saturday, that place is going to be up for grabs when Georgia goes over there next week. And if Alabama beats Arkansas, they will match up very well with Georgia and Florida State. In fact, if Alabama beats Arkansas, the Tide is capable of beating every team on its schedule except LSU.
5. FIU-Miami should not play: After last year’s ugly brawl, the aftermath of which was mishandled by the Miami administration, a rematch of this game never should have been played. Miami could certainly use an easy win but the risk of another incident is just too great. The good news is that Miami should be a little more disciplined under Randy Shannon.
LSU, Oklahoma the best two teams in the country
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I’m not a handicapper. I don’t even play one on TV. But based on what I’ve seen the first two weeks, here is just one man’s guess on who will play for the BCS championship on Jan. 7 in New Orleans:
1. LSU, 2-1: I have not seen a more dominant team in years than the Tigers were against Virginia Tech Saturday night. LSU didn’t just win 48-7, they dominated in every phase of the game. LSU didn’t have a three and out all night and when QB Matt Flynn got dinged up, Ryan Perrilloux came in and didn’t miss a beat. Florida comes to Baton Rouge on Oct. 6 and the toughest road game is at Alabama on Nov. 3.
2. Oklahoma, 2-1: Bob Stoops has won four Big 12 championships with four different quarterbacks. It looks like Sam Bradford will be the fifth. The Sooners have scored 130 points in their first two games and 51 were against a very good Miami defense. Oklahoma gets Texas in Dallas on Oct. 6 and the toughest road game is at Texas Tech on Nov. 17.
3. Southern Cal, 3-1: The Trojans were taking last Saturday off while LSU and Oklahoma were winning impressively. Suddenly the schedule looks a little different. Southern Cal has to go to Washington (Sept. 29) and that now looks like a much better game. They have to go to Oregon (Oct. 27) which is doing some nice things with the spread offense. They have to go to California (Nov. 10) which has enough athletes to beat anybody. They have to go to Arizona State (Nov. 22) where Dennis Erickson is quickly building a team.
4. West Virginia, 3-1: In the preseason, the Mountaineers appeared to have a schedule built for 12-0. But now I’m not so sure. They get Louisville at home (Nov. 8) but they have to go on the road to play Rutgers (Oct. 27) and South Florida (Sept. 28).
5. Penn State, 5-1: If any team in the Big Ten is going to go undefeated, my pick is the Fighting Joe Paternos. The Nittany Lions get Wisconsin (Oct. 13) and Ohio State (Oct. 27) at home. They go to Michigan on Sept. 22, but I don’t believe anybody is scared to play in the Big House any more.
The rest:
Florida, 7-1: The Gators’ youth on defense will eventually catch up to them. They have to go to LSU on Oct. 6.
Texas, 8-1: Don’t think the Longhorns have enough firepower to beat Oklahoma.
Wisconsin, 9-1: Badgers will stumble either at Penn State (Oct. 13) or at Ohio State (Nov. 3)
California, 10-1: Good team, but the road schedule will catch up to them. The Bears play at Oregon (Sept. 29), at UCLA (Oct. 20), at Arizona State (Oct. 27), and at Washington (Nov. 17).
Georgia Tech, 15-1: A long shot to be sure. But let’s see how Techsters do against their first quality opponent in Boston College.
Georgia’s loss was no surprise
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Five things we learned from the second weekend of the college football season.
1. Georgia’s loss was no surprise: We were all guilty of reading too much into the opening win over Oklahoma State. The fact is, the problems we thought Georgia would have this season are still there. The offensive line is young and if Matt Stafford spends a lot of time throwing off his back foot, the Bulldogs are simply not going to be that effective. The defensive front seven still has a lot of work to do. Steve Spurrier’s game plan had them off balance all night and in the fourth quarter the Georgia defense was gassed and Spurrier was able to burn some clock by running it up the gut. Georgia has a nice team, but they have to play really smart if they are going to win. They didn’t play smart on Saturday.
2. LSU is No. 1: When this season started, I was skeptical about LSU as a national championship contender. With the loss of four first-round draft choices, including the No. 1 overall pick in QB JaMarcus Russell, I didn’t believe LSU could navigate an SEC schedule that includes Florida, Auburn, Arkansas, and Virginia Tech. After watching LSU beat Virginia Tech 48-7, I now believe the Tigers are the best team in the country. If an undefeated LSU plays an undefeated Southern Cal for the national championship in New Orleans, it could be a game for the ages.
3. Lloyd Carr is done: I hate it when people throw a coach under the bus in September. But facts are facts. A coach knows he’s at the end of trail when his players fail to respond to him. And after Michigan’s players got their manhood challenged by Appalachian State on Sept. 1, they responded by laying an equally big egg against Oregon. Carr has to take the responsibility for this because his name is on the door where it says “Head Coach.” But it’s not all his fault. If I’m a player at Michigan, I’m having a hard time looking in the mirror this morning. Playing for Michigan is supposed to mean something. If Bo Schembechler were still here, he would be lighting a fire under some Wolverine butts this morning.
4. Auburn’s offense is just not very good: You keep thinking that sooner or later Auburn will finally figure out some things on offense. But apparently we just have to conclude that the Auburn attack is just not very good. It was bad enough when Auburn couldn’t score any points, but at least they protected the ball. Now they are turning the ball over. QB Brandon Cox is playing like a rookie instead of a fifth-year senior and that’s probably because he’s gun shy after getting beat up for two years. Auburn was lucky to get to overtime against South Florida. You just can’t turn the ball over five times and expect to win. Offensive coordinator Al Borges got a lot of credit when Cadillac Williams and Ronnie Brown were running all over the place in 2004 and deservedly so. But Borges needs to come up with some answers or make some changes in a hurry. The Tigers go to Florida on Sept. 29.
5. Clemson has a chance: In the final five games of last season Clemson’s opponents put eight in the box on defense because they believed quarterback Will Proctor could not throw the ball well enough to hurt them. They were right. Redshirt junior Cullen Harper showed things might be different this season as he threw five touchdown passes against Louisiana-Monroe. Yes, the competition wasn’t very good but it does show that Harper has some promise. And if Clemson just has an okay passing game, they will be in the ACC Atlantic race until the very end.
The Fearless Friday Forecast
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It was a tough opening week for the Fearless Friday Forecast. Tennessee flew all the way out to the West Coast to get its butt kicked. Wake Forest was burned by a hot quarterback (BC’s Matt Ryan). N.C. State waited an entire half before starting to play (against UCF). And Duke was, well, Duke.
That’s 6-4 out of the gate. We’ll try to do better this time:
1. South Carolina at Georgia: To hear Steve Spurrier tell it, South Carolina has just quit giving scholarships and has reduced football to a club sport. His praise for Georgia has been effusive. His concern about the Gamecocks has been substantial. If you’re a Bulldog, you should be very, very concerned because the Head Ball Coach is up to something. I’m going to go with Georgia but I’m telling you, I have a very funny feeling about this game. Georgia 28, South Carolina 27.
2. Samford at Georgia Tech: The objective today on The Flats is to get as many people as possible into the game without getting anybody hurt. The Yellow Jackets showed what they could do last week in South Bend. Now it’s time to get ready for the ACC schedule, which starts next week with Boston College. This will be a good day to let Taylor Bennett work on the passing game. Georgia Tech 42, Samford 7.
3. Virginia Tech at LSU: You shouldn’t read too much into Virginia Tech’s close win over East Carolina last Saturday. That was an emotionally draining day for Frank Beamer’s team and they played like it. The Hokies are bound to play better on offense tonight in Baton Rouge. It won’t matter. LSU’s defense belongs in another league and tonight we find out if the Tigers are really national championship contenders. It will be a low scoring game with hitting that is not for the faint heart. LSU 14, Virginia Tech 10.
4. Miami at Oklahoma: I know it was North Texas, but anytime you beat somebody 79-10, it’s time to pay attention. Oklahoma has a rookie quarterback in Sam Bradford who looks like he has a chance to be somebody. He’ll have his hands full with a gentleman named Calais Campbell, who is the best defensive end in the country. But Miami’s offense will struggle on the road and Randy Shannon will suffer his first loss as a head coach. Oklahoma 21, Miami 10.
5. Alabama at Vanderbilt: Last week’s 52-6 win over Western Carolina was a scrimmage for Alabama and new coach Nick Saban. Now we find out how Saban’s act will play on the road. Vanderbilt is a solid team that will not beat itself. Alabama will have to put up some points because its defense is going to struggle all season. Vanderbilt will play it close but Alabama will hold on and find a way to win. Alabama 24, Vanderbilt 13.
6. Southern Miss at Tennessee: It’s not often that Tennessee gets beat because the other team has better athletes but that’s what happened at California last Saturday. Tennessee missed 22 tackles on defense and that is simply unacceptable. This is a dangerous game for Tennessee with a trip to Florida coming up next week. It won’t be easy, but the Vols will figure out a way to win. Tennessee 24, Southern Miss 17.
7. South Florida at Auburn: The Tigers were very fortunate to beat Kansas State in the opener. South Florida is better. QB Matt Grothe and freshman RB Mike Ford (who originally committed to Alabama) give the Bulls a pretty potent one-two punch on offense. Auburn’s offensive line has to get better, period. QB Brandon Cox can’t take the beating he got last week. Auburn 27, South Florida 24.
8. TCU at Texas: Texas did not look like the Big 12 favorite last week against Arkansas State. I have to believe that the Longhorns were looking ahead to what is a very important non-conference game for both teams. TCU believes, and deservedly so, that it can run the table if it can get past Texas. And a 12-0 record that includes a victory in Austin makes the Horned Frogs a lock for the BCS. Still, Texas has more talent and talent will carry the day. Texas 31, TCU 20.
9. Notre Dame at Penn State: Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis is still trying to recover from a truck named Tashard Choice that ran over his defense last week. In what appears to be a mild act of desperation, Weis will throw true freshman quarterback Jimmy Clausen to Joe Paterno’s Nittany Lions, giving Clausen his first college start. I just didn’t see a whole lot to build on last week against Georgia Tech. We’ll see. Penn State 27, Notre Dame 14.
10. Oregon at Michigan: This was not a good week to be Lloyd Carr and the only way to change the subject is to win on Saturday against the Ducks. Easier said than done. Oregon quarterback Dennis Dixon runs an offense that is very similar to that of Appalachian State and Michigan hasn’t figured that one out yet. Needless to say there is a sense of urgency in Ann Arbor. Michigan 28, Oregon 21.
Will Spurrier play it close to the vest?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Five burning questions as we head for Saturday.
1. Will Steve Spurrier keep it close to the vest? When he was at Florida, the Head Ball Coach could be pretty stubborn when it came scoring as many points as he could. Now that he’s at South Carolina, Spurrier has learned the virtue of defense and is willing to win 17-10 if that’s what it takes. Does he stay on the conservative side with his play calling and try to keep the game close going into the fourth quarter? Or does he go for a couple of home runs early in an effort to take the Sanford Stadium crowd out of the game?
2. Will Alabama pass the test? One of the raps of the Mike Shula regime at Alabama was that the Crimson Tide could get up for the big games with Florida and Tennessee, but would then put up a pedestrian performance and struggle against the perceived lesser teams in the conference. Nick Saban will have none of that. He is demanding that Alabama play at a certain level, regardless of the opponent. When Alabama goes to Vanderbilt on Saturday, we’ll find out if Saban has gotten his point across. Old habits are hard to break.
3. Does Clemson come out flat? Like Alabama, the book on Clemson under Tommy Bowden is that they can get up for the big game when the bright lights are on, like they were Monday night against Florida State. But then they come short for a noon game when not as many people are watching. The Tigers will certainly beat Louisiana-Monroe despite the short week. But will they look sloppy doing it? Fortunately for Clemson, the Tigers have Louisiana-Monroe this week and Furman next week before going on the road to N.C. State.
4. Will Brandon Cox stay upright? Unfortunately for Auburn, the word is out that the best way to beat the Tigers is to get really physical with the quarterback. There were times last week when Cox was woozy and that’s not good. Hugh Nall’s offensive line has three more weeks to grow up before they go to Florida on Sept. 29. Florida’s defense is young but they are fast and nasty. Let’s see how many times Cox gets hit by South Florida.
5. How would you like to be Fred Goldsmith?: He is the former head coach at Rice and Duke and the current head coach at Lenoir-Rhyne. His team, which plays in Division II, has the assignment of going to Appalachian State on Saturday. After upsetting Michigan last Saturday, Appalachian State officials are expecting over 30,000 to try and shoehorn their way into a 16,000 seat Stadium for the celebration. Lenoir-Rhyne, which can give only 36 scholarships, lost its opener to Virginia Union 28-13. Goldsmith said if his team won Saturday, it would be a “bigger upset” than Appalachian beating Michigan.
It’s okay to hate Spurrier, but…..
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Just one man’s opinion:
1. It’s okay to hate Steve Spurrier: But when you do that, you’re playing right into his hands. Ever notice that before a big game Spurrier almost always does something that gets people writing and talking about him? That is his way of deflecting pressure from his team and putting it on him. That is one reason why his teams tend to be more relaxed and play well in the big games. And Saturday’s trip to Athens is a big game.
2. Lloyd Carr didn’t forget how to coach: There is no getting around the fact that Michigan should not lose to Appalachian State at home. I get that. But now people are talking about Carr like he is some doofus who couldn’t coach Pop Warner football. Remember that if Michigan makes one more play and doesn’t lose to Ohio State (42-39), the Wolverines would have been in Glendale, Ariz., playing for the national championship last season. Carr and his staff did a lousy job getting their team ready for Appalachian State. There is no getting around that. But understand this: Michigan will not fire Lloyd Carr.
3. The next few weeks are important to Bobby Bowden: After investing hundreds of thousands of dollars into new coaches, his team came out and laid an egg in the first half against Clemson. Couldn’t tackle on defense. Couldn’t block anybody on offense. It was a team that looked dazed and confused until the second half. Maybe that was an aberration. But for the money that has been invested, the Seminoles need to show their fans something Saturday against UAB.
4. Notre Dame will be lucky to win six. In preseason Notre Dame looked like an 8-4 or 7-5 team. Based on what we saw Saturday against Georgia Tech, 6-6 is starting to look pretty good right now. At $3 million per year for coach Charlie Weis, it doesn’t seem like Notre Dame should be this short on talent. But this looks like the gap in Tyrone Willingham’s recruiting. The spin out of South Bend is that starting next year, when QB Jimmy Clausen will be a sophomore, Weis’s recruiting classes will start to kick in. With road trips to Penn State and Michigan coming up, 0-3 looks really possible. The fact that Weis is going to start a true freshman quarterback (Clausen) at Penn State this week is telling.
5. Alabama fans should be cautious: Don’t read too much into the 52-6 win over Western Carolina. The Crimson Tide played with a lot of energy and that was to be expected. But that defensive front seven is thin and the backups are even thinner. Alabama’s defense is going to struggle to stop some of the better teams in this league. Will they be good enough to hold down Vanderbilt on the road this Saturday? Stay tuned
What we learned at FSU-Clemson
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Sorry I’m running a little late today. After the Mother of all traffic jams in Clemson last night, your humble scribe did not get back to Atlanta until 4 a.m. But here are some things that are worth noting coming out of Clemson’s 24-18 victory over Florida State.
1. The FSU offense will be a work in progress: Jimbo Fisher, Florida State’s new offensive coordinator, was dumbfounded by what happened in the first half when the Seminoles were held to just 62 total yards and one first down-and that one came on a 22-yard scramble by QB Drew Weatherford on the first play of the game. “I don’t know that I’ve ever had a team respond that way in a first game,” Fisher said. “If I could have fixed it, I would.” Things were better in the second half as Florida State had 196 yards and a couple of touchdowns.
2. The FSU O-line will get better: New offensive line coach Rick Trickett, one of the best in the business, has made the Seminole offensive line leaner and quicker. It didn’t work in the first half, as Clemson’s defensive front manhandled them. But in the second half that conditioning paid off and the Seminoles were able to start opening some creases for running back Antone Smith. “Our guys have a lot to learn but nobody has outworked them,” Trickett said after the game. “We’ll be okay.”
3. Clemson has some serious weapons: Running backs James Davis and C.J. Spiller you know. But throw in speedster Jacoby Ford and wide receiver Aaron Kelly and Clemson can attack in a lot of different ways. I know it’s early but Clemson looks like the fastest team in the ACC.
4. When will Davis throw the ball? Running back James Davis of Atlanta lined up in the shotgun formation on Clemson’s first possession. He ran nine yards. “The quarterback is not in my way and C.J. (Spiller) is in motion so the defense has to respect him,” Davis said. “There is usually going to be a lane.” Davis, like all backs, hopes he eventually gets a chance to throw the ball out of that formation, a la Darren McFadden of Arkansas. “Oh, I’m already talking to coach (Bowden) about that,” Davis said. He had 102 yards rushing on 18 carries.
5. Harper is the man: Clemson’s coaches have to be encouraged with the play of junior quarterback Cullen Harper of Alpharetta (Sequoyah). Harper managed the team, completing 14 of 24 passes for 160 yards and no interceptions. Highly touted freshman Willy Korn did not get on the field. Harper made one really tough throw for an 11-yard touchdown and Aaron Kelly turned a short completion into a 41-yard score. Unlike a year ago, when Clemson had a very inconsistent passing threat, Harper appears good enough to keep opposing defenses honest.
The debate is over: College Football rules
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Five things we learned during the first weekend of the season.
1. The debate is over: In the preseason, every newspaper and website debated which was better: College or pro football? Please. There is no need to ever have that discussion again. Why? Because Appalachian State went to Michigan and won. The NFL, for all of its great players, marketing and money, doesn’t have that and it never will. There is nothing in pro football that can match the raw emotion of what those kids from Boone did in the Big House.
2. Tennessee can’t tackle: Not counting the 13 tackles Tennessee missed on DeSean Jackson’s punt return (OK, that is a SLIGHT exaggeration), the Vols missed 22 tackles on defense in a 45-31 loss to California. Part of that was the talent of Cal because they are pretty darn good and the game with Southern Cal on Nov. 10 looks a little different now. But with always-tough Southern Miss coming to Knoxville on Saturday, and with a trip to Florida next week, there had better be a sense of urgency among the Tennessee players. Florida, you should know, has just as much skill as Cal.
3. Spurrier is sandbagging: South Carolina’s Ball Coach was not happy on Sunday after watching his team beat Louisiana-Lafayette 28-14. They needed a couple of defensive stops inside the 10-yard line to do it. Why do I get the sense that part of South Carolina’s problems, aside from not having QB Blake Mitchell, is that some of last week’s practice was spent getting ready for Georgia? Why do I get the sense that Spurrier is going to have a pretty good game plan when the Gamecocks get to Athens Saturday night? I could be wrong, but I doubt it.
4. Tech’s offense IS better: I caught some flak in preseason when I said Georgia Tech’s offense could be better this season despite the loss of Calvin Johnson. A lot of people didn’t think that was possible. But it is possible, and probably likely, and it’s not just based on Saturday’s 33-3 win at Notre Dame. Under new OC John Bond, a lot of different people are going to touch the ball. And with RB Tashard Choice taking some direct snaps, it’s just a matter of time before he fakes the run and throws it. Just the mere possibility of that will create some opportunities. And QB Taylor Bennett is only going to get better.
5. Tuberville did it again: Nobody plays poker in tight games better than Auburn’s head coach. The Tigers had no business winning that game against Kansas State Saturday night but Tuberville stayed patient and knew his team would have a chance to win late if they didn’t panic and just kept playing. He did it last year against LSU, a team with considerably more athletes. Tuberville knows that it is a 60-minute game. A lot of coaches get desperate if they are trailing inside the final six minutes. This guy doesn’t.
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