Nebraska hires Pelini

In a move that should come to a surprise to no one, Nebraska has hired LSU Defensive Coordinator Bo Pelini as their new head coach. This, for all intents and purposes, leavesthe Tigers with no head coach and no defensive coordinator heading into their bowl game, as current head coach Les Miles is set to meet with Michigan next week.

It's unfair to the LSU players that, while they're pouring their heart and soul into the games each week, the coaches are not giving the same effort. I understand it's a business and there's nothing really to do about it, but it's an unfortunate situation that follows many successful programs.

As for Auburn head man Tommy Tuberville, he's yet to issue a "pine box" promise, at least for now, and denies interest in the Arkansas head coaching job. Why he would want to leave Auburn to go the on-going soap opera that is Fayetteville is beyond me. I know he's from the Natural State, but the fan base just ran off a coach that has won 3 Division titles in 10 years, including 2 trips to Atlanta.

SEC Championship Game

LSU and Tennessee head to Atlanta this weekend for the 2007 edition of the SEC Championship game. LSU watched its national title hopes go out the window last week, while the Vols continued their winning ways with yet another gutty victory, this time over Kentucky.

SEC Championship Game
(#14, #15) Tennessee(9-3, 6-2) vs (#5, #7) LSU(10-2, 6-2)
3:00 PM, CBS
Thursday’s Line: LSU -7.5

This game will be all about LSU’s focus, as in whether or not they have any. At all. After sleepwalking through the Ole Miss game, the Tigers tried that same tactic against a fired up Arkansas team, and watched as Darren McFadden and Peyton Hillis ran out of Tiger Stadium with their national title aspirations. This LSU team has been something of an enigma since the 5th week of the season when they played Tulane. They struggled mightily in the first half against the Green Wave and then never played like they did in the first 4 weeks that saw them outscore opponents 165-23, including wins over 2 Top-10 opponents. They teetered on the brink of disaster in the Florida, Auburn, and Alabama games but because of superior talent (and a little bit of luck) were able to pull those games out. Les Miles’ Magic 8 Ball ran out of luck against Kentucky and the Tigers were just flat-out outplayed and outcoached by Arkansas.

For Tennessee, 4 games into the season, many Vol fans were ready to run Fulmer out of town. UT had been embarrassed on national TV by both Florida and California, and their defense struggled to stop lightweights in Southern Mississippi and Arkansas State. Since that week, UT is 7-1, with the one a loss a big egg laid in Tuscaloosa. The Vols’ 3 losses have been by a combined 67 points, and all 3 have been away from Neyland Stadium.

Even if the LSU coaching staff isn’t entirely focused on this game, the seniors will be. Guys like Matt Flynn, Glenn Dorsey, and Early Doucet will get the rest of the team up and ready for it. Tennessee has certainly been the better team the last 8 weeks of the season, but LSU has the talent advantage at nearly every position on the field. Look for Miles’ Magic 8 Ball to come up Aces this weekend, as the Tigers wrap up a Sugar Bowl berth.

Now they’ll just need to figure out who’s going to coach them in the Bowl…

LSU 34
UT 27

Straight Up Winner: LSU
Against the Spread: Tennessee

Bobby Knight did NOT shoot your house

This is a little off topic since it's technically Big 12 basketball related, but it's still pretty funny. It's hard to imagine that such an affable fellow as Robert Montgomery Knight would have a run-in with a neighbor, but apparently it's true. And his neighbor filmed the whole thing. I also had no idea that Bobby Knight was so offended by yelling and cussing. It seems his neighbor is lucky Bobby Knight didn't mistake him for Neil Reed.

*And, no, it's not lost on me that basketball season has started. We'll delve more into basketball as conference season draws closer.

Bowl Projections: Week 14

It's the last round of projections before the actual selections are announced next week. Barring any major upsets this weekend, most teams have at least a good feel for where they'll be headed.

It would be interesting to see how the bowl matchups would shake up if Tennessee pulled the minor upset this weekend and knocked off LSU. The Vols would obviously wind up in the Sugar Bowl, but would the Cotton take LSU over Arkansas even thought the Hogs just beat LSU straight up in Baton Rouge? If not, would LSU fall from a likely berth in the BCS Championship Game all the way down to a spot in the Chick-Fil-A Bowl?

Final Scoring Differential Numbers

With the regular season over, just like Florida HC Urban Meyer predicted preseason, the Gators offense was much better this season, improving scoring wise by a league-leading 31%. The Gator defense on the other hand... not so much. As a whole, the league was up significantly from last season (23.59%) despite 3 teams - Vandy, South Carolina, and Auburn - all scoring less than they did last season.

That it was those 3 teams who actually took a step back in scoring is a mystery to me. All 3 returned their starting QBs from last season, and for both the Gamecocks and Tigers, that was in the form of a 5th year senior. For the Commodores, this was supposed to be their year to turn the corner and get bowl-eligible, but their only win of note - at South Carolina on October 20th - hardly looks like an upset anymore as it marked the beginning of the Gamecock's current 6-game losing streak.


BOLD (or maybe not so much) prediction for next year... Ole Miss increases by the largest percentage, Kentucky and Arkansas decrease by the largest percentage. Not really going out on a limb those, but I wanted to be on record as the first to say it.

Most Cost Efficient Coaches

Just for fun, I figured I’d take a look at the most cost-efficient coaches based on annual salary* divided by the number of wins.

Former Arkansas/current Ole Miss HC Houston Nutt tops the list, barely skimming in under Mississippi State’s Sylvester Croom and Kentucky’s Rich Brooks. While it’s certainly not an exact science, it’s an interesting look at things. The three highest paid coaches – UF’s Meyer, UAT’s Saban, and AU’s Tuberville – rank 10-12 in conference, as they'd need nearly perfect seasons to rank closer to the top. Surprisingly (or not), former Ole Miss HC Orgeron ranked 9th in conference in cost efficiency despite being the 2nd lowest paid coach in the conference.


*I got this idea (and all salary data) from CoachesHotSeat.com, a great reference site that - in a lot of cases - actually has a scanned copy of a coach’s contract available for viewing.

Houston Nutt to Ole Miss

Just 3 years after striking out tremendously by hiring a nut as their head coach, the Ole Miss brass seems to have reversed their fortunes with the hiring of Houston Nutt. Nutt took a $.5M paycut to get out of Fayetteville, where he was the 2nd winningest head coach in Arkanasas history and had won 3 SEC West titles in 10 years, 2 of which earned the Razorbacks trips to Atlanta.

He’s stepping into a good situation in Oxford. While Orgeron couldn't coach his way out of a wet paper sack (PUNT THE BALL!), his tireless recruiting efforts restocked the barren cupboard left by former HC David Cutcliffe. Nutt is a proven winner and will come in with a chip on his shoulder and relishing the underdog role that Arkansas so often had. He’s shown an ability to win the big game (see last weekend), which is something the Rebels have lacked so desperately under Orgeron. Many times in this brief tenure, the Rebels played a superior talent close before Orgeron began to think… Once that happened, it was normally a bad thing for the Rebels.

As for the Hogs, not sure why so much of their fan base is celebrating Nutt’s departure. Sure he could have handled the Springdale situation better and he never won the SEC Championship Game anymore, but this isn’t the Southwest Conference anymore Hog fans… this is the SEC. The toughest conference in the country. You’re not going to win the conference every year and every team is going to have a down year.

Nutt was a consistent winner and rarely – if ever – had the most talented team. The Hogs won 8 games this year with nothing that even resembled a passing game with star WR Monk missing the majority of the season. His players would run through a wall for him and he would do the same. You could tell that with his interaction with McFadden after they beat the #1 team in the country on the road last weekend.

The Hogs are going to get much of the same reaction nationwide as Ole Miss got when they fired Cutcliffe 3 years ago. The difference being Cutcliffe left after a 4-7 season with no light at the end of the tunnel. Other than Patrick Willis, he left no SEC talent for his successor to work with. Meanwhile, Arkansas has won 18 games the last 2 seasons and is poised for another January bowl this year.

While the Hogs won’t turn to someone as unqualified as Orgeron, they may soon be wishing they never drove out Houston Nutt.

Random Randomness

*Not surprisingly, the recent firing of Ole Miss HC Ed Orgeron has sent waves of sadness through the other 11 schools in conference. Not only will there be no more Hummer commercials, but the Rebels are all but guaranteed to hire a more qualified candidate.

My guess is that this is the first of many tribute videos that pops up, though I doubt any will have a better soundtrack.


*MSNBC has a surprisingly in-depth breakdown of 7 of the top Heisman candidates.

*Many of you have probably already seen this elsewhere, but in case you haven't, listen to ACC referee Don Cherry's call from the Maryland/NCState game Saturday...


And if sounds vaguely familiar to anyone...

YawYawYawYaw YawYaw YawYaw Fired

If you're an Ole Miss fan, I imagine that today was a happy day for you. Three years after OM brass toured the country interviewing qualified candidates and ended up hiring the most untalented candidate (possibly ever in conference), they've realized the error of their ways and parted ways with Ed Orgeron.

While Orgeron certainly improved the talent level since the Rebs (justifiably) axed David Cutcliffe, O's in-game decision making was... well... bad. If you saw any of the Egg Bowl yesterday, you saw a Rebel team dominate an MSU team for 51 minutes before O decided to go for it on 4th down from midfield.

To mark the occasion, and just for old times' sake, let's all sing along...

Unemployment Line

Already, there have been 3 high-profile jobs open up this week with Lloyd Carr stepping down from Michigan, Dennis Franchione resigning from Texas A&M, and Bill Callahan being relieved of his Nebraska coaching duties after giving 60+ points yet again. Both the Michigan and A&M jobs have SEC West coaches as the leading candidates to replace the departed with Miles and Tuberville respectively.

For Miles, I can see the decision to leave making sense, particularly in the light of another silly loss yesterday. "Two-Loss" Les played at Michigan and has done less with more than any other coach in the conference this season and his magic 8-ball let him down yesterday. The Tiger fan base is becoming more and more divided on his credentials and any number of top coaches would jump at the opportunity to not only coach in the SEC, but also at a school with the tradition, resources, recruiting hotbed that LSU has.

For Tuberville though, I'm trying to figure out why he would leave Auburn for Texas A&M? Have you been to College Station? How could that move be anything but lateral at best? He not only survived "Petrino-gate" a few years back but he has thrived since and would seem to have the administration wrapped around his fingers. I can't imagine that the A&M job - where you'll always be the 2nd or 3rd school in the state - is more appealing than coaching in a great college town like Auburn and owning your arch rival.

Week 13 Official Scorecard

For those of you playing along at home...

20 Most Valuable College Football Programs

In case you need yet another reason that the SEC is the greatest conference in all the land, check out this article in Forbes which ranks the 20 Most Valuable College Football Teams in the country. Their rankings are based what the football programs contribute to four important beneficiaries:

* Their university (the value of contributions from football to the institution for academic purposes, including scholarship payments for football players)
* Their athletic department (the net profit generated by the football program ultimately retained by the department)
* Their conference (the distribution of bowl game revenue)
* Their local communities with a vested interest in the team (incremental spending in the county during home-game weekends)

Not surprisingly, the SEC has 8 of the top 20 teams, including:
#3 Georgia ($90M)
#5 Florida ($85M)
#6 LSU ($76M)
#7 Tennessee ($74M)
#8 Auburn ($73M)
#9 Alabama ($72M)
#12 South Carolina ($69M)
#15 Arkansas ($53M)

Somehow, Fat Charlie the Fraud and his pathetic Irish top this list. The Big 10+1 is 2nd behind the SEC with 5, the Big 12 has 4, and the Pac-10 places 2.

(Not quite as)High Flyin' SEC (cont.)

With just one week left in the regular season, scoring is still up significantly from last season, just not nearly the rate it was early in the season when it was first pointed out in this article from the Birmingham News.

Week 13 Predictions

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. Picks are a day late this week, but it's been hard to find the time with all the hustle and bustle of the Holiday. Anyway, 3 conference games this weekend with Egg Bowl and Iron Bowl taking place, and LSU/Arkansas tangling for the rights to the Golden Boot. 4 teams venture out to the JV league known as the ACC for intrastate rivalries.

Here's how the weekend will shake out...

Friday
Ole Miss (3-8, 0-7) at Mississippi State (6-5, 3-4)
11:30 CST, LFS
Wednesday’s Line: Mississippi State -6.5

Ole Miss owns this series all time 59-38-6, including last year’s 20-17 win Oxford. The Rebels have won 4 of the last 5, but lost 35-14 in Starkville in 2005.

The Rebels will undoubtedly come out fired up for this one. Their season has been in the tank since the Doyle Jackson Alabama game last month, but this is their chance to send their cross-state rival into a bowl game with a 2-game losing streak. After that emotion wears off though, and MSU continues to pound the ball with RB Dixon, the better team will win out in this game. The Rebels will start QB Schaefer, who anchored the Rebel offense that moved the ball very well against #1 LSU last weekend. Whether HC Orgeron will mysteriously sub him out in key situations remains to be seen. Look for MSU QB Carroll to bounce back from his 4-INT game against Arkansas last week with a solid game against a weak Rebel secondary.

Straight Up Winner: Mississippi State
Against the Spread: Mississippi State

Arkansas (7-4, 3-4) at (#1, #1)LSU (10-1, 6-1)
1:30 CST, CBS
Wednesday’s Line: LSU -12.5

LSU owns this series all time 33-17-2, including last year’s 31-26 victory. The Tigers have won 5 of 6 and 10 of 15 since Arkansas joined the SEC. The Hogs haven’t beaten a #1 team since 1981.

The Tigers looked like they just went through the motions last week in their victory over Ole Miss. They weren’t particularly sharp, but the talent differential was enough to cover for them. That won’t be the case this week. Both RBs McFadden and Jones racked up 100+ yds last year against the Tigers. The Hogs would like nothing more than to play spoiler and knock the Tigers off their #1 perch. If you believe the rumors, this is McFadden and Jones’ regular season finale as Razorbacks, so they’ll be jacked up and ready to go. The Razorbacks have the talent to bother LSU, but not to beat them. The game will be close, but the Tigers will pull it out in the end.

Straight Up Winner: LSU
Against the Spread: Arkansas

Saturday
Wake Forest (7-4) at Vanderbilt (5-6, 2-6)
Wednesday’s Line: Wake Forest -1.5

Vanderbilt leads this series all time 7-3, including a 24-20 victory in 2005. The Commodores have won 5 in a row in this series. The Demon Deacons are just 31-61-2 vs current SEC teams.

Wake snapped a 2-game losing streak last week with a 20 point win over NC State on Senior Day. They’ve got a bowl bid locked up, but their bid could certainly be bolstered by a quality road win such as this one. Meanwhile, the ‘Dores will be looking to shake off the funk after somehow letting a 15 point 4th quarter lead evaporate last week against Tennessee. This could well be WR Bennett’s last game in the Black and Gold, so he’ll be looking to make big plays against a solid WFU secondary. These are the types of games that good teams find ways to win. Vanderbilt has had chances this season – particularly last week and Georgia – to prove they are a good team and worthy of a bowl, but have let those game slip away. It doesn’t look like they know how to win the close games, which this one seems destined to be. While it should be a fun, exciting game to watch, it will end with heartache and no bowl bid for Vandy.

Straight Up Winner: Wake Forest
Against the Spread: Wake Forest

(#19, #19)Tennessee (8-3, 5-2) at Kentucky (7-4, 3-4)
1:30 CDT, CBS
Wednesday’s Line: Kentucky -3

Tennessee has dominated this series all-time 70-23-9, including last year’s 17-12 win. The Vols have won 22 straight in this series. UT is 33-3-1 when ranked in this game.

The Vols need to win this game to wrap up the SEC East. Like Arkansas, the ‘Cats have an opportunity to play spoiler. If they’re ever going to snap the streak, this is the year to do it… a home game, senior-laden offense on senior day, a slight favorite in the oddsmakers’ eyes. This promises to be a high scoring game as two of the most efficient offenses in conference go against two of the weakest defenses. The Vols will be focused after narrowly escaping Vanderbilt last week, while the ‘Cats will be looking to rebound from a game in which they surrendered an early 10-0 lead to Georgia. All of Tennessee’s losses this year have come on the road, and this is their first road game since being hammered 41-17 by Alabama. If it were in Knoxville, the Vols would be an easy pick. But on the road against a hungry UK team, Andre’ Woodson and the ‘Cats will be too much for the Vols in the end.

Straight Up Winner: Kentucky
Against the Spread: Kentucky

(#6, #7) Georgia (9-2, 5-2) at Georgia Tech (7-4)
2:30 CDT, ABC
Wednesday’s Line: Georgia -3.5

Georgia owns this series all-time 58-36-5, including last year’s 15-12 victory. The
Dawgs have won 6 straight in the series, though the last 3 have come by 16 points combined.

With their hand cast in the SEC, the ‘Dawgs venture out of conference to do a little scoreboard-watching on the Kentucky/Tennessee game. A ‘Cats win would put UGA in the SEC Championship Game with LSU. All the while, they’ll be taking on a Georgia Tech team that has been up and down all season, but is coming off back-to-back blowout of perennial basketball powers and football patsies Duke and North Carolina. While the Tech defense has been very good at times, they’ve not seen the speed and power of a RB like UGA’s Moreno. UGA QB Stafford will need to continue his recent steady play of handing the ball off to Moreno and making enough plays downfield so the defense can’t stack 8 or 9 in the box to stuff the run. As long as the ‘Dawgs can keep their eyes off the scoreboard long enough to handle the task at hand, they’ll continue their dominance of their lesser cross-state rivals.

Straight Up Winner: Georgia
Against the Spread: Georgia

Florida State (7-4) at (#12, #14)Florida (8-3, 5-3)
4:00 CDT, CBS
Wednesday’s Line: Florida -13.5

Florida leads this series all-time 30-19-2, including last year’s 31-14 win. The Gators have won 3 in a row in this series.

With no national title implications in this game (4 titles between these 2 since 1992), this one is all about pride. UF HC Meyer is 2-0 against FSU so far in his career. Both teams will look to pound the ball early, as the team who has rushed for more yards is 16-2-1 in the last 19 seasons. That gives the advantage to the steadily improving Gator front 7, who have been consistent against the run all season. While the FSU passing attack has improved somewhat throughout the season, they don’t have the weapons to fully exploit the Gator secondary that has been picked apart all season. This will be a tight game as usual, but the Gators have too many offensive weapons to lose to an offensively challenged team like the Seminoles.

Straight Up Winner: Florida
Against the Spread: Florida State

(#21, #22)Clemson (8-3) at South Carolina (6-5, 3-5)
6:00 CDT, ESPN2
Wednesday’s Line: Clemson-3

Clemson owns this series all time 63-37-4, but the Gamecocks pulled the upset last year 31-28. The Tigers are 8-2 over the last 10 seasons against USC.

At one point this season, the Gamecocks were ranked in the top 10, controlled their destiny in the SEC East, and had one of the toughest defenses in the conference, as well as the country. Then the injuries came along with inconsistent play from the QB and RB positions, and the ‘Cocks find themselves mired in a 4-game losing streak. Clemson, denied an ACC Division title last weekend with a loss to BC, will look to take out their frustrations on the battered Gamecocks. Their offense has been explosive led by QB Harper. Even with a much-needed extra week of rest, the Gamecocks don’t seem to have the weapons to score enough points to win this game. Unless the Ole Ball Coach can pull some magic out of his visor, the Tigers will continue their dominance in this series.

Straight Up Winner: Clemson
Against the Spread: Clemson

Alabama (6-5, 4-3) at (#25, #25)Auburn (7-4, 4-3)
7:00 CDT, ESPN
Wednesday’s Line: Auburn -6

Alabama leads this series all time 38-32-1 but Auburn has won 5 straight in the series. HC Tuberville is 4-0 against the Tide in Auburn.

These two teams have swapped roles since the beginning of the season when Auburn was plagued by inconsistency and the Tide started 2-0 in conference against Vandy and Arkansas. Now Auburn has righted the ship (except the UGA game two weeks ago) and Alabama is coming off a loss to Louisiana-Monroe that HC Saban likened to the bombing of Pearl Harbor and 9/11. The key to this game will be how the Tide come out of the gate. Last week’s loss was an embarrassment for everyone associated with the program and players’ efforts were being openly questioned. For the Tigers, they’ll be looking to shake the funk of getting blown out by UGA after taking a 3rd quarter lead. With more at stake for the Tigers, look for a hard-fought, close battle early on. As the game wears on though, the AU RBs will start to wear down the Tide and send Bama to a 6th straight loss in the series. The most Bama fans can hope for is Saban not comparing it to the recent cyclone or tsunamis that have claimed so many lives in Asia in recent months.

Straight Up Winner: Auburn
Against the Spread: Aubrun

Bowl Projections: Week 13

More and more consistency arising in the bowl projections. LSU and Georgia seem locked into BCS berths, while Kentucky is apparently heading to Atlanta. It will interesting to see what happens if Vanderbilt can pull the mild upset this weekend and knock off Wake Forest. That would mean 11 bowl-eligible teams from the SEC and only 9 tie-ins.

Week 12 Official Scorecard

For those of you playing along at home...


The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game

Week 12 Predictions

Florida Atlantic (5-4) @ (#14, #14)Florida (7-3, 5-3)
11:00 CST, PPV
Wednesday's Line: Florida -34

Though this is the first meeting between these two programs, FAU HC Schnellenberger has a winning career record against the Gators, having gone 3-2 in the early 80s while HC at Thug U Miami. Florida is 19-1 in their last 20 games prior to FSU and is 9-0 against current Sun Belt members.

This will be a good game for the Gators to rest up some dinged up players including QB Tebow. With the annual grudge match looming next week against the Seminoles, don’t look for anything to spectacular from Florida. They’ll win, easily and comfortably, but the Owls aerial attack and UF’s weak secondary will keep the margin within 5 TDs.

Straight Up Winner: Florida
Against the Spread: Florida Atlantic

(#22, #20)Kentucky (7-3, 3-3) @ (#8, #9)Georgia (8-2, 5-2)
11:30 CST, LFS
Wednesday's Line: Georgia -7.5

Georgia owns this series all-time 47-11-2, though the ‘Cats beat the ‘Dawgs last year 24-20 in Lexington. UGA though, has won 14 straight in Athens dating back to 1977.

Apparently the inconsistency that plagued Georgia the first several weeks of the season is a thing of the past. They’ve scored 40+ points the last 3 weeks and RB Moreno has SEC Freshman of the Year wrapped up. He should have another huge game Saturday as UK’s run defense gives up nearly 200 ypg. UGA will need to put points on the board as the ‘Cats have the firepower to match them. QB Woodson has cooled off of late, but has stil thrown for 2653 yds and 29 TDs this year. UGA’s pass D has surrendered just 9 TDS this season, fewest in the conference, so it will be interesting to watch that battle.

Georgia can clinch a share of the SEC East with a win Saturday against UK, though they’ll need Tennessee to slip up against Vandy this weekend or Kentucky next weekend. Moreno should find plenty of running room against UK and the ‘Dawgs will control the clock and the flow of the game. This will be a high-scoring affair, but in the end, the ‘Dawgs get revenge for last year’s loss.

Straight Up Winner: Georgia
Against the Spread: Georgia

Mississippi State (6-4, 3-3) @ Arkansas (6-4, 2-4)
1:00 CST, No TV
Wednesday's Line: Arkansas -11

Arkansas leads this series all-time 11-5-1, including last year’s 28-14 win in Starkville. MSU has never won in the state of Arkansas, posting an 0-6-1 record. The Hogs have won 8 straight matchups and 12 of the last 13.

The Bulldogs have already had their best season since 2000, regardless of what happens the rest of the way. They come to Arkansas on the heels of a dramatic, emotional win against Alabama. Their rush D (149.8 ypg, 8th in SEC) will be tested as they take on the NFL-caliber backfield of Darren McFadden and (possibly) Felix Jones. FR QB Carroll threw his first INT of the season last week, and now faces a tough Arkansas Pass D that allows just a 44% completion ratio and has 15 INTs on the season. The Hogs were – surprisingly – bottled up by a typically porous Tennessee run defense last week, collecting only 127 yds on the ground. Whether the Bulldogs can emulate the Vols’ schemes remains to be seen.

Both of these teams are headed to bowl games, but the loser of this game is most like relegated to Shreveport, which should be plenty of motivation to win. This is – for all intents and purposes – Senior Day for McFadden and Jones. Jones sat out practice again on Tuesday, so he may not play. McFadden and crew will have their work cut out for them against a good Bulldog D, but should make enough plays down the stretch to pull out a win. It won’t be easy, but the Hogs extend their dominance of MSU.

Straight Up Winner: Arkansas
Against the Spread: Mississippi State

Louisiana-Monroe (4-6) @ Alabama (6-4, 4-3)
1:30 CST, No TV
Wednesday's Line: Alabama -25

This is only the 2nd meeting between these two schools, as the Tide rolled to a 41-7 win last season. Alabama is 15-0 against current Sun Belt Members. ULM is 2-27-1 against current SEC members having beaten UK in 1994 and MSU in 1995.

A game like this couldn’t come soon enough for the Tide. They were held (for a 3rd straight season) without an offensive TD against MSU last weekend, just one week after losing a 4th quarter lead to LSU. The offense should have its way with a Warhawk D that surrenders more than 30 ppg. The Tide D will be tested some, as ULM averages about 405 ypg, but not enough to pull the upset. With the Iron Bowl looming next week, the focus may not be there, so 3.5 TDs may be asking too much.

Straight Up Winner: Alabama
Against the Spread: Lousiana-Monroe

Vanderbilt (5-5, 2-5) @ (#19, #19)Tennessee (7-3, 4-2)
1:00 CST, PPV
Wednesday's Line: Tennessee -11.5

Tennessee owns this series all-time 68-27-5, including last year’s 39-10 win in Nashville. The ‘Dore snapped a 22-game losing streak to UT 2 years ago in Knoxville, which is UT HC Fulmer’s only career loss to VU (13-1).

The Vols are wrapping up a 4-game homestand that’s seen them outscore opponents 120-44 through 3 games. They’re unbeaten this season at Neyland. While they rank 11th in conference in total D (400.1 ypg), the ‘Dores offense ranks 11th as well, mustering just 330 ypg. The Commodores will need a huge game from WR Bennett against a soft Vols secondary (236.5 ypg) for the chance at an upset and bowl-eligibility. As for the Vols, expect much of the same… a consistent diet of pounding the ball on the ground and a quick, controlled passing game from QB Ainge.

The Vols need to only beat Vandy and Kentucky – 2 teams they have historically dominated – to clinch an unlikely SEC East title. They’ll take the first step towards that Saturday, cruising to an easy victory over the Commodores.

Straight Up Winner: Tennessee
Against the Spread: Tennessee

(#1, #1) LSU (9-1, 5-1) @ Ole Miss (3-7, 0-6)
1:00 CST, PPV
Wednesday's Line: LSU -19.5

LSU leads this series all-time 54-37-4, including last year’s 23-20 OT win in Baton Rouge. LSU has won 5 in a row, though 4 of the 5 have been by a FG or less. The other was a 40-7 romp 2 years ago in Oxford.

The Tigers roll into this game the newly anointed #1 team in the country after Illinois knocked off tOSU last weekend. They basically went through the motions last week in routing Louisiana Tech. They’ll have the talent advantage in nearly every position on the field Saturday, but will need to be focused for a Rebel team that will undoubtedly be fired up to play. The Rebels have had many a close SEC loss under HC Orgeron, and they’re convinced this weekend is when they take the next step. It will be interesting to see if they can move the ball at all against a Tiger D that ranks 1st in the conference in scoring D, rush D, Total D, Pass Efficiency D, Opponents 1st Downs, and Sacks by. It also ranks 2nd in Pass D and Opponent 4th Down Conversions. Did I mention Ole Miss ranks last in nearly very offensive (and defensive for that matter) category?

CBS must have picked this game specifically to showcase LSU’s dominance to national voters who may not be sure of it yet. There’s no other that this game should be on TV. It’s certainly not more appealing than Arkansas/MSU with two teams fighting to improve bowl positions or Georgia/Kentucky, with two teams that have both been in the top 10 this season. Regardless, they’ll get their wish. Things have been ugly in Oxford this season, and Saturday will be no different.

Straight Up Winner: LSU
Against the Spread: LSU

Maturity Test

This is a highly scientific litmus test, specifically designed to test the maturity of football blog readers. The format is simple, as it consists of merely 1 yes/no question.

Pencils ready... and... go!

1) Does this picture make you laugh?



Tabulated results show that an overwhelming number of participants not only fail, but fail miserably.

Bowl Projections: Week 12

Putting these out a couple of days earlier than normal, since bowl talk seems to be the hot topic these days.

Most notable in this whole equation is, of the 3 pundits listed so far, none has South Carolina reaching a bowl with an SEC tie in. They're predicted to end up in the Texas Bowl or Armed Forces Bowls, only because the PAC-10 and Conference WhoAreThey USA won't have enough bowl eligible members. This is a Gamecock team that was #6 in the country at one point and some people... ahem... actually thought they'd win the East. Now they're relegated to the leftover scraps of bowl games.

*UPDATE (11/14)*: I added in the Fox Sports predictions, though I'm now confused. Last week, Fox Sports had Georgia slated for a Sugar Bowl appearance. This week, despite the 'Dawgs smacking around one of the hottest teams in the country in Auburn, UGA is demoted (in their eyes) to a Cotton Bowl appearance. Not winning the East is the best thing possible for the 'Dawgs' bowl chances. As well as they've played lately, they're a lock for the Sugar Bowl unless they lose. They close with Kentucky and Georgia Tech, 2 teams they should handle, which would leave them 10-2 and a Top 10 team. As long as LSU beats Ole Miss, Arkansas, and Tennessee, no way UGA heads west to Dallas.


Bowls, Polls, and Tattered Souls: Tackling the Chaos and Controversy that Reign Over College Football

Week 11 Players of the Week Announced

Congratulations to:

Offensive: Florida QB Tim Tebow
Defensive: Mississippi State DB Anthony Johnson
Special Teams: Alabama K Leigh Tiffin
Offensive Lineman: Georgia C Fernando Velasco
Defensive Lineman: Kentucky DE Jeremy Jarmon
Freshman: Tennessee DB Eric Berry

Click HERE for more information from the SEC's official site.

Random Stuff

-Seeing Verne Lundquist and Gary Danielson dancing – together – in the booth of Saturday’s Auburn/Georgia game was… well… strange. I really can’t phrase it any better than that. Between their impromptu boogie and Danielson’s jacket being stolen – then rescued – at the September 22nd game between South Carolina and LSU, it’s been a strange year in the broadcast booth for those two.



At least we can be happy Verne didn’t try to emulate Joakim Noah and his dance after the Gators defeated Ohio State in the National Title Game earlier this year.



-Wyoming head coach Joe Glenn has quietly built up a fairly decent football program out there in the land of square states, but he took a big step in demolishing his respectability this weekend. After guaranteeing a victory over Utah, Glenn took umbrage with Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham attempting an onside kick with a 43-0 lead in the 3rd quarter. To express his discontent, Glenn pointed at an as-of-yet undetermined object in the sky.



-Just when Hawai'i QB Colt Brennan thought his day was going well - 396 more yards and tying Ty Detmer's career record with 121 TD passes - he forgot to slide...


-And hey, let’s face it, the economy sucks, gas prices are high, and the Christmas shopping season is rapidly approaching. Money’s tight these days. But seriously, before committing armed robbery, may I offer some advice?

* Don’t wear anything with your school colors on them. It's just not the type of publicity they want


* Secondly - and I thought this one would go without saying, but apparently not - Leave. Your. Toddler. At. Home. While they'll most likely discover a life of crime in due time, trying to force it on them at an early age is probably too much for their young minds...



My guess is that these two clowns have ever stepped foot in Starkville or Knoxville respectively. They may have just picked up their new threads from the clearance rack at Wal-Mart. Hell, maybe they stole ‘em from Wally World… who knows?

Happy Veterans Day

Happy Veterans Day from the Dead Guy.

Thank Goodness

I, like any non Big 10 homer, would like to thank Illinois for fulfilling their civic duties today by knocking off #1 Ohio State, in the Horseshoe no less. The Buckeyes had to be the weakest team in recent memory to be ranked #1 this late in the season. The Big 10 is a joke this year and had they sent a participant into the BCS Championship game, it would have been a sham equivalent to Oklahoma reaching the Sugar Bowl after getting rolled by Kansas State in 2003. Besides, no one wearing a sweater vest should be allowed to attend a football game, let alone coach one.

This puts LSU in the driver's seat as the clear #1 team in the country, with Oregon, Kansas, West Virginia, and Oklahoma left to battle it out for the role of sacrificial lamb to Les Miles and his magic 8-ball. It looked - for a while - like an Ohio State/Boston College matchup in the championship game, which actually may have ended the BCS format. No way the real power conferences like the SEC and PAC-10 would stand by idly while two average teams which won mediocre conferences dueled for the National Title.

Week 11 Official Scorecard

For those of you playing along at home...

Bowl Predictions: Week 11

There's really starting to be some balance, at least across the top, as ESPN, CBS, and Fox are all projecting LSU in the BCS Championship game and Georgia in the Sugar Bowl. If Auburn knocks off the 'Dawgs this weekend though, all that will be thrown out the window. Bubble teams like Mississippi State are hoping that the SEC manages to get two teams into BCS bowls, thus opening up another bowl spot in the regular bowl rotation.

My biggest problem with these projections is Ivan Maisel putting Mississippi State in the Independence Bowl and leaving South Carolina at home for the holidays. South Carolina will finish with a better overall record - 7-5 to 6-6 - and, more importantly, will have a head-to-head victory this season. That may all change by Saturday night though as there are five conference games this weekend.

Week 11 Predictions

We've officially turned the corner and are headed down the home stretch of the season. While the SEC West is all but wrapped up, the SEC East is anything but. There's even a feasible scenario with a 6-way tie at 4-4. (See Balance of Power on righthand side) As for this weekend's games, we've got five conference games and the road team is favored in 3 of them and another is a Pick ‘Em game. Welcome to SEC Football at its finest.

Saturday
(#21, #23)Alabama (7-3, 4-2) @ Mississippi St. (5-4, 2-3)
11:30 CST, LFS
Wednesday's Line: Alabama -5.5

Alabama owns this series all-time, holding a 71-17-3 lead in the series, and is the longest running series for the Crimson Tide. MSU HC Croom played and coached at Alabama before ending up in Starkville. Though the Bulldogs have 2 road conference wins this year, their 24-16 win in Tuscaloosa snapped a 23-game road conference game losing streak. It also – for all intents and purposes – marked the end of HC Shula’s Tide career.

Imperative for the Tide in this game is to actually score an offensive TD. The Bulldog D has held the Alabama without and offensive TD the last 2 seasons. Alabama is scoring 31.8 ppg this season, while the Bulldogs are surrendering 25.2 ppg, so that streak will come to an end this year. They’ll need a better game from QB Wilson, who last year threw for just 187 yds and 2 INTs. If he can get the ball to WR Hall, he should be alright. Hall leads the league in ypg (93.3) and is tied for 3rd in TDs (6). Wilson’s performance will need to resemble his game against UT (32-36, 363 yds, 3 TDs) than his game last week against LSU (14-40, 234 yds, 3 TDs, 1 INT). They’ll need improved efforts from their RBs as well (23 carries for 54 yds).

Much of this game will come down to how FR QB Carroll handles the pressure of the game, as well as a Tide pass D with 17 sacks and 15 interceptions. He played very well in the upset of Kentucky a couple of weeks ago and MSU will need a similar effort this weekend. RB Dixon will need to find some holes in a strong Tide run D (3.6 ypc) to but Carroll some more time in the pocket. Dixon is tied with Arkansas RB McFadden for second in the SEC with 12 rushing TDs. He’ll definitely need to add to that total for the Bullies to spring the upset.

This is the first sellout since MSU expanded their stadium to its current capacity in 2001. The Tide will be looking for revenge after last year’s embarrassing loss, while the Bulldogs will be looking to clinch bowl eligibility for the first time since 2000. While the atmosphere will be as raucous as it’s been in years in Starkville, the Tide players are used to rowdy crowds. While MSU is improved, they don’t have the talent to overcome the number of penalties likely to be called on them. The Tide will make a few more plays down the stretch and pull out a tough road win.

Straight Up Winner: Alabama
Against the Spread: Alabama

Arkansas (6-3, 2-3) @ (#22, #24)Tennessee (6-3, 3-2)
11:30 CST, LFS
Wednesday's Line: Pick ‘Em

Tennessee has dominated this series all time, holding a 12-3 record, including 5-1 in Knoxville. Arkansas won last year 31-14 in Fayetteville, though UT QB Ainge sat the game out with a bum ankle. The last time Arkansas trekked to Knoxville, it took 6 OTs to determine that UT was 3 points better.

If QB Dick is ever going to have a breakout game, this would be the time to have it. The Vols pass defense ranks last in conference, allowing nearly 245 ypg. The Hogs basically eschewed the passing game last week against South Carolina, as they rushed the ball58 times for 542 yds, 487 yds by RBs McFadden and Jones. Dick did play well, completing 8/10 passes for 86 yds with 2 TDs and 0 INTs. The defense allowed 489 yds, but was on the field for more than 37 minutes of the game, so those numbers are skewed.

Tennessee continued its improved play at home with a thumping of hapless ULaLa last week. Ainge was his usual consistent self – 69.6% completions, 125 yds, and 1 TD. The Vols will need more this weekend to keep up with the Hogs. Ainge isn’t asked to throw downfield much, but the Hogs defense is strong enough to make a few plays and disrupt dink-and-dunk drives. With McFadden and Jones able to break a long TD run any time they touch the ball, look for the playbook to open up a bit. RB Foster will need step up to the challenge of having the best 2 RBs in conference invading his home stadium.

After less-than-stellar beginnings for these two teams, it’s hard to believe this game is as significant as it is. Tennessee has been dominant at home lately and Arkansas has been on fire lately, averaging 50 ppg the last 3 weeks. You could argue that the Hogs are the 3rd best team in conference right now behind LSU and Auburn. Tennessee has had trouble stopping teams this season and has had to outscore people. That won’t happen this weekend. McFadden and Jones will both have an easy time with a porous UT run D giving up 4.5 ypc and 167.7 ypg. In what should be another high-scoring affair, the Hogs will run to a road win in Knoxville.

Straight Up Winner: Arkansas
Against the Spread: Arkansas

(#24, #22)Kentucky (6-3, 2-3) @ Vanderbilt (5-4, 2-4)
11:30 CST, LFS
Wednesday's Line: Kentucky -3.5

Kentucky leads this all-time series 38-37-4, including last year’s 38-26 win in Lexington. In addition to nearly an identical win-loss record, the games in this series have been close, with 32 (41%) of the games decided by a TD or less. The teams are 14-14-4 in those games.

It was a stellar game for both QBs last season, as UK’s Woodson threw for a career high 450 yds (4 TDs/0 INTs) and VU’s Nickson nearly matched him with 446 yds of his own. Each team’s marquee receiver played well, with UK’s Burton tallying 171 yds and 2 TDs and VU’s Bennett added a then-career-high 220 yds. Don’t look for either team to approach those numbers this year.

UK’s high-powered attack, all but grounded by MSU a couple of weeks ago, will look to return to its early season form against an up and down Vandy defense. After playing well for 3 weeks, the ‘Dores D allowed nearly 500 yds to Florida and dug itself a 35-7 hole by halftime. With a senior-laden ‘Cats team playing their last few games together, they’ll be rearing to go and will put some points on the board early. When Kentucky scores though, the fun may just be beginning. If it’s windy enough to keep the ball out of the end zone, VU KR Moore averages nearly 30ypr and seems more and more due to break one for a TD with each passing week.

The loser of this game is normally relegated to the cellar of the SEC East (which would still be 3rd in the Big 10, but I digress). That may not be the case this year as no team has more than 4 wins or fewer than 2 losses. It will be Vandy to tests out the theory though. Kentucky played too poorly at home 2 weekends ago to not bounce back with a solid performance this weekend in Nashville. The game will most likely be close – as they – all seem to be, but Woodson and crew have too much firepower for the ‘Dores.

Straight Up Winner: Kentucky
Against the Spread: Kentucky

(#18, #17)Auburn (7-3, 4-2) @ (#10, #10)Georgia (7-2, 4-2)
2:30 CST, CBS
Wednesday's Line: Georgia -2

Auburn leads this series 53-49-8, but Georgia blew out the Tigers 36-15 last year in Auburn. The Tigers actually lead the series 18-9 in Athens, and have won 10 of the last 12 there.

Auburn is playing some of the best football in the country right now, having won 6 of 7, with the lone loss a heartbreaker to LSU. Their success is tied directly to the fact that QB Cox has thrown just 1 INT in those 7 games. He won’t beat you with his arm – only 6 TDs in those same games – but he doesn’t have to. He’ll look to move the ball against a UGA pass D that leads the league in pass TDs allowed (8) but is last in interceptions (4). RB Lester rested against TTU last weekend, but he and fellow RBs Tate and Fannin will be called upon to attack a Dawg rush D that has given up 14 TDs, tied for 2nd worst in the league.

As for the ‘Dawg O… little has gone wrong the last two weeks, having rolled up 878 yds and 86 points in wins over Florida and Troy. Their job will be a little tougher Saturday against an AU defense that has allowed fewer TDs than any other team in conference ranks 2nd in total defense behind LSU. RB Moreno – a virtual lock for SEC Freshman of the Year – spearheads a ‘Dawg running attack ranked 5th in conference with 173.7 ypg. He’ll need QB Stafford to continue his recent hot streak – 434 yds, 5 TDs last 2 games – trying to stretch out the stout Tiger D. Without the threat of a vertical passing attack, the running lanes with be few and far between.

AU HC Tuberville ranks as one of the best big game coaches in the country. His Tigers are 9-2 in their last 11 games against Top 10 opponents, including their victory over Florida earlier in the season. While the “good” UGA offense has been out the last 2 games, AU’s D will bring out the ‘Dawgs that struggled against South Carolina, Tennessee, and Vanderbilt. As usual in this series, the hometown fans will go away unhappy.

Straight Up Winner: Auburn
Against the Spread: Auburn

(#17, #18)Florida (6-3, 4-3) @ South Carolina (6-4, 3-4)
6:45 CST, ESPN
Wednesday's Line: Florida -6.5

Florida has dominated this series through the years, holding a 20-4-3 advantage in the series, including last year’s 17-16 squeaker in Gainesville. The Gators are 14-1 against the Gamecocks since they joined the SEC in 1992, though that 1 loss was 2 years ago in Columbia.

Just 7 days after being run over by McFadden and Arkansas, the Gamecocks must somehow regroup and play a desperation game against a bitter divisional rival. One bright spot from last week’s game was the play of QB Mitchell who threw for 364 yds and 2 TDs with his team in catchup mode all night. He’ll have a chance to exploit a young, banged up UF secondary allowing a 60% completion rate. They’ll need some kind of production from RB Boyd though. He’s rolled up 254 yds the last 2 weeks, but the Gators are allowing only 105.6 ypg and 3.1 ypc.

As for the Gators, they really made a statement last week against an improved Vanderbilt team scoring 5 TDs in the first half. QB Tebow continues to play well despite a dinged up shoulder. His pass game will be tested this weekend by a strong USC secondary allowing only a 51.9% completion rate and 149.2 ypg. BMF Harvin and RB Moore should be able to find success against a USC defense probably not sleeping well from dreams of the Razorback dynamic duo.

I picked the Gamecocks to surprise and win the SEC East this year, but key defensive injuries, lack of a running game, and inconsistent QB play have all but ended those chances. While the East is muddled enough to where just about anything is possible, the Gamecock chances will officially be nil after another gut-wrenching loss Saturday. The defense will rebound from being embarrassed last weekend, but the offense just doesn’t have the guns to run with the Gators for 60 minutes. A close game, but too much Tebow/Harvin at the end of the day.

Straight Up Winner: Florida
Against the Spread: South Carolina

Louisiana Tech (4-5) @ (#2, #2) LSU (8-1, 5-1)
7:00 CST, PPV
Wednesday's Line: LSU -36.5

LSU owns a 16-1 record all-time against Louisiana Tech, including a 49-10 win in 2003 the last time they played. LaTech has managed just 32 points in the 17 games and has been shutout 12 times. LSU is 16-0 against WAC members, but HC Miles is just 1-1 against LaTech (from his OKSt days).

One fact sums up this matchup… This Bulldog team couldn’t score against Ole Miss. That’s all you need to know. This game won’t come down to Les Miles’ magic 8-ball of questionable coaching moves. No one cares if QB Perrilloux plays or not. This will just be an ugly, massacre of the most talented team in the country running over its ugly, red-headed stepchild on a chilly night on the Bayou.

Straight Up Winner: LSU
Against the Spread: LTU

High Flyin' SEC (cont.)

Sorry for the late posting today. Sometimes life gets in the way of blogging though...

Anyway, scoring numbers were up pretty high this past weekend with 9 conference teams scoring 34 or more points, including two losing teams (Alabama and South Carolina). As a whole, the conference scoring average is up more than 32% from last year, which is quite the jump. As usual, for those new to the site, the scoring jump in conference was first pointed out in this article from the Birmingham News


ESPN Guide to Psycho Fan Behavior

Random Thoughts from Week 10 Games

Florida rebounded nicely from its loss last week to demolish Vanderbilt on Saturday. QB Tebow set the SEC record for most rushing TDs by a QB with 14, and the Gators are still at least mathematically able to defend their SEC East crown. BMF Percy Harvin had his best all-around game of the season, rushing for 113 yds and catching 9 passes for 110 yds. The dynamic duo will have another opportunity to shine on the ground this weekend as they take on South Carolina and their beleaguered run defense. Tebow seemed to show improvement from last week in coping with a dinged up right shoulder.

As for the Commodores, their defense could hold the Gators early. By half, they’d surrendered 350+ yds, 19 FDs, and TDs on 5 of UF’s first 6 drives. Most discouraging though, should be their inability to get WR Bennett the ball against a Gator pass D that ranks last in the conference. Bennett did catch 5 balls, but totaled only 31 yds receiving. VU QBS combined to go just 18/35 for 162 yds and 2 INTs. Vandy needs only 1 win for bowl eligibility, but with remaining games against Kentucky, Tennessee, and Wake Forest, that 6th win is not a gimme. They’ll need Bennett to step up and make a play at some point to win any of those games.

Predictably, Georgia wasn’t able to match its intensity from the big win over Florida. The ‘Dawgs held a tenuous 7-pt lead early in the 4th after another Troy TD, but, as usual, they rode RB Moreno down the stretch to victory. Moreno joined the great Hercshel Walker as the only UGA freshmen to rush for 1,000 yds in a season. With a major drought affecting much of the southeast, the Georgia Athletic Department has adopted something of a Bernie Focker policy about toilet flushage.

Congratulations to the Ole Miss Rebels, who managed to score 30 points for the first time under HC Orgeron. Forget the fact it was against a 1-AA team, and the Rebel D surrendered 31 points and nearly 500 yds of offense themselves against Northwestern State, Orgeron’s alma mater. How disinterested is the Rebel Nation right now? An announced attendance of 23, 283? Wow. RB Green-Ellis, who somehow had only 2 rushing TDS going into Saturday’s game rushed 17 times for 120 yds and 3 TDs. I wonder if he wishes he would have stayed at Indiana, they wrapped up a bowl bid with a win over Testicle Tech Ball State Saturday afternoon…

Every week that goes by, LSU HC Miles decision making process gets more and more… um… interesting. A gimmick play on 4th and inches when you’ve got Jacob Hester in the backfield? Really? That’s what you deem the appropriate call to be? It’s a damn good thing for the Tiger Nation that their talent is superior to everyone else’s. Otherwise, LSU could legitimately have 2 other losses. ESPN’s Ivan Maisel brings up that point in his latest column. But kudos to QB Matt Flynn for shaking off one of the worst quarters in SEC history to finish that game like he did. Who knows if Perrilloux can stay out of trouble long enough to see the field again this season? The pressure is all on Flynn.

As for Alabama, they played admirably against a superior opponent, but without Doyle Jackson in the replay booth, came up a little short against the Tigers. You’d be hard pressed to convince anyone with a functioning brain cell that Nick Saban isn’t a better coach than Les Miles, but his post-game comment to Miles about “having a great team” was another one of those moments that make the Saban-haters ruffle. With the soapbox he’s climbed on this year regarding fan behavior and academics at opposing schools, his bitter in defeat act is falling on deaf ears. Something tells me Magic Man wasn’t dancing after this one.

It was merely 3 weeks ago that South Carolina was #6 in the country and the BCS poll and in control of the SEC East. But an injury-depleted defense and an inconsistent offense have led to 3 straight losses, including Saturday night’s loss to Arkansas in which they gave up 652 yds, including 541 yds rushing. It’s tough to compile those stats on PS or Xbox. HC Spurrier has turned the offense back over to SR QB Mitchell, as FR QB Smelley had been ineffective his last few starts.

While the Gamecocks have been stumbling as of late, the Hogs have been rolling. They’re averaging 50 ppg the last 3 weeks and the rumblings about HC Nutt have at least quieted somewhat. RB McFadden rushed for 323 yards Saturday night, then managed to lose 2 yds Sunday after film was reviewed and he was credited with on of RB Jones’ 3 yd carries, and was shorted a yd on one of his own runs. If there were any lingering questions about who the best offensive player in the country, they were certainly answered in front of a national audience Saturday night.

Week 10 Players of the Week Announced

Congratulations to:

Offensive:Arkansas RB Darren McFadden
Defensive: LSU DT Glenn Dorsey
Special Teams: Alabama PR Javier Arenas
Offensive Lineman: Arkansas G Mitch Petrus
Defensive Lineman: Florida DE Jermain Cunnignham
Freshman: Georgia RB Knowshon Moreno

Click HERE for more information from the SEC's official site.

Week 10 Official Scorecard

For those of you playing along at home...

The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game

Bowl Predictions: Week 10

We're headed for a very muddled mess when it comes to end of the year bowl selections. There is a good chance that 11 teams will be bowl-eligible when the regular season concludes in less than a month. Teams like Arkansas, Mississippi State, and Vanderbilt may all be jockeying for one remaining bowl spot in Shreveport.

As for the rest of the league, as you can see, no one is really sure where they'll end up. Every team has at least 2 options projected, while Tennessee and Kentucky have a different projection from each "expert".


SEC 75 Years White Long Sleeve T-shirt