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Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Nov. 1 still huge for Dawgs, Gators
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Nobody asked me but:
1. Nov. 1 could still mean everything for Dawgs, Gators: In the fallout from Georgia’s loss to Alabama and Florida’s loss to Ole Miss, I got a few e-mails from folks who said that some of the shine had between taken off the Nov. 1 game between the Bulldogs and Gators in Jacksonville.
Silly. Here’s why:
First of all, it’s Georgia-Florida in Jacksonville so by definition it’s a huge game.
Secondly, after what happened last year (Georgia rushing the end zone) I don’t believe either team or either fan base will come out flat.
Thirdly, and this is the most important thing. Everything could still be on the line when the two teams get to Jacksonville. Both have an SEC loss now but it is in the Western Division. So unless Tennessee magically gets better, first place in the SEC East will be at stake. A win probably won’t guarantee a spot in Atlanta but it sure will be the No. 1 tiebreaker. There is a tendency to put too much stock into one win or one loss at this point of the season. Remember that in 2006 Florida lost on the road to Auburn and came back to win the national championship. Remember that last season LSU lost on the day after Thanksgiving and ended up winning it all.
Bottom line: If you have tickets for Nov. 1 in Jacksonville, you had best keep them. Or send them to me.
2. I miss the old Florida State-Miami rivalry: I used to look forward to this game every year. It was must-see football. When you went to Florida State-Miami you knew that you were going to see two teams that left everything they had on that field. There was so much pride on those great teams. The play was always at an incredibly high level because nobody wanted to let their teammates down. And you never saw guys talking smack in this game. The players told me it was because the game was played so fast you didn’t have time to talk—only to react. We were lucky to see the Florida State-Miami game at its very best. I wonder if it will ever be like that again.
3. Alabama had better take the Kentucky game seriously: If Ole Miss can beat Florida in The Swamp, then Kentucky can beat Alabama at Bryant-Denny Stadium. The last time Alabama heard universal praise for a week, the Crimson Tide slopped their way to a 20-6 win over Tulane. Kentucky has been struggling a little on offense but the Wildcats are pretty good on defense leading the nation in allowing only 5.5 points per game. All it would take is a couple of Alabama mistakes on offense to give Kentucky some cheap points and a big dose of confidence. Last season, when the Wildcats beat No. 1 LSU at home, and took Florida and Tennessee to the limit, the program under Rich Brooks changed. Just consider this an early warning, Tide fans.
4. Frank Beamer deserves a lot of credit: I was among those who questioned the judgment of the Virginia Tech coach when he decided to redshirt quarterback Tyrod Taylor before the season. The Hokies needed both Taylor and Sean Glennon to win the ACC championship last year with a really good defense. The 2008 defense had to replace seven starters so I felt Virginia Tech was going to need every point it could get. To Beamer’s credit he changed his mind after a season-opening loss to East Carolina. He took the redshirt off Taylor and now the Hokies are 4-1 after winning at Nebraska (35-30) and have already beaten Georgia Tech and North Carolina in the ACC Coastal. Beamer deserves credit for changing his mind and acting. A lot of coaches refuse to change because they don’t want to admit they were wrong. Taylor, by the way, is 8-0 as a starting quarterback.
5. Vanderbilt can beat Auburn: The Commodores weren’t given much of a shot this season because they lost eight starters on the offense, including the entire offensive line. But, as always, Bobby Johnson’s teams are fundamentally sound. In four games this season (Miami of Ohio, South Carolina, Rice, Ole Miss) Vanderbilt has outscored its opponents 51-10 in the second half. Vanderbilt is last in the SEC in both total offense (282.8 ypg) and total defense (364.2 ypg) but makes up for it in other areas of the game. Vanderbilt is No. 1 in the SEC and in the nation in turnover margin (plus-9) as they have forced 14 and committed only five. They lead the conference and are third nationally in punt returns (22.5 avg.). Vanderbilt is second in the SEC with 11 quarterback sacks (Auburn has 12) for minus-74 yards. Vanderbilt has only 11 penalties in four games, the fewest in the conference. Georgia, by contrast, has 53 penalties in five games. Vanderbilt has made all seven of its field goal attempts this season and has scored on 16 out of 17 trips to the red zone (11 touchdowns). That is why Johnson’s teams are so hard to beat.
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