In the Words of the great sage Paula Abdul...

*I take two steps forward...*
- Tennessee, a 2.5 point underdog, went into #24 Xavier yesterday afternoon and knocked off the Musketeers by 7, despite sharpshooter Chris Lofton's continuing struggles from the field. Arizona transfer JP Prince exploded for 23 points in just 20 minutes of action.

- Ole Miss, a 2.5 point underdog, knocked off #15 Clemson yesterday in the de facto championship game of the San Juan Classic. The Rebels got 19 points from senior F Dwayne Curtis and freshman PG Chris Warren and matched the best start in school history at 11-0.

*... I take two steps back*
- If the Florida State game earlier in the season didn't convince you that these Gators are a long way removed from the 2-time defending national champs, this game had to. They couldn't score 50 points against a rebuilding Ohio State squad. They shot 33.3% from the floor and 53.8% from the foul line. Worst of all, Ohio State should never beat the SEC in anything.

- What the Pel? The Razorbacks dropped a home game (well, in Little Rock) to Appalachian State? The Mountaineers were hot, hot, hot, knocking down 66.7% of their shots, while the Hogs shot just 41.7%, including 27.3% on 3s. Not much was expected from the Gators this season, but the Hogs were the preseason pick to win the West. With the way Ole Miss has played this season and the way Mississippi State has played in their last two games, the Hogs may have their work cut out for them.

Overall, the SEC was 9-2 yesterday, and 10-2 for the weekend as MSU won Friday night, so it wasn't a bad day for the conference, but the Gator and Hog losses are a little disturbing. The Gators looked discombobulated from the word go. It seems as though they've played enough games together to be a little farther along than that. As for Arkansas, that's inexcusable no matter how you slice it. The majority of their team from last year returned and expectations were higher than this under new coach Pelphrey.