By
Brian Harbach
By
Russ Mitchell
3 SEC QUESTIONS THAT NAG MORE THAN YOUR EX
(i) Who is the most overrated / underrated player in the SEC?
Russ Mitchell:
Ricky Jean-Francois overrated? Very brave, Brian... Jean-Francois was a backup his RsFr year and still made Freshman All-American. Last year he played in only two games (SECC and NC), and was the defensive MVP in both – and one game didn’t even have a defensive MVP. The most overrated player in the SEC today – that’s easy: Matt Stafford. Don’t want to hear about how all his INTs were as a freshman. Don’t want to hear about his ‘poor’ (senior) wide receiving corps last year. Don’t want to hear how good he was in High School. UGA was ranked 83rd in passing last year, with Stafford only completing about half of his attempts (56%). And he’s a Heisman candidate? He may turn out to be great, but today, the bar is set far higher than the box score; which is a polite way of saying he’s overrated.
Underrated – on pure talent alone, Anthony Dixon. Barring injury, he’ll play for seven to eight years in the NFL. A virtual publicity castaway in Starkville, Dixon toils behind an O-line that just begs a DC to stack the box. He broke nearly every MSU true freshman rushing record, and followed it up last year with 1,000+ yards. Anthony Dixon on Florida or Georgia is a Heisman candidate.
Brian Harbach:
Let’s start with the underrated player so folks will read at least one paragraph before writing their two page email... The most underrated player in the SEC is Arian Foster. This is not the first time we have touted Arian, and he deserves every positive mention he gets. Last year he had more than 1,500 yards rushing and receiving, showed up in big games and is a very physical runner. Expect another big year for Foster on the Vol offense - he should be fun to watch.
Ok, get those emails ready LSU fans: the most overrated player in the SEC is Ricky Jean-Francois. All summer long we have heard amazing things about this kid, and while by the time he leaves LSU he will be one of the most dominating defensive tackles in the SEC, the fact remains he hasn’t done it yet. He played in 2 games in 2007, and while he looked great in the championship game, he hasn’t done it week in and week out like a Glenn Dorsey. Jean-Francois has all the talent in the world, let’s just wait and see him do it for a full 13 games before making him an All-American.
(ii) Which is the most overrated / underrated team in the SEC?
Mitchell:
Overrated – Alabama. In 2007, the Tide went 6-6 in the regular season, virtually punted the last three games, then lost a ton of players to attrition and the law, are terribly thin at every spot on defense, and are counting on a gaggle of kids who have never taken a CFB snap. What’s not to love? And some ‘experts’ are picking them to win the West, if not the conference. ‘Course, they’ve got the most powerful coach in all of sport.
Underrated - Tennessee. Auburn is flying a little under the radar, but another year, another third place ranking in nearly every SEC East preseason poll for the Vols. Didn’t seem to hurt them last season, as they advanced to Atlanta. The boys in Orange were thrown a bit by TE Jeff Cottom’s recent back surgery, but they return 15 starters, with talent and depth at RB, O-line, WR, and DB.
Harbach:
It is always fun to judge a team before they play a down, but that's the question and here's the answer: the most overrated team in the SEC is Alabama and it all starts with the Head Coach. Nick Saban brings such huge expectations to any team he coaches and his second Alabama team will not compare to his second LSU team. Alabama has way too many holes on defense, a quarterback that is mistake prone and a lot of young players. The young players may be talented, but the youth will show throughout the season, and 'Bama will likely be only a seven win team. This is not a top 25 team right now; maybe during the season it will be, but to rank them there now is premature.
Tennessee is the most underrated team in the SEC without question; it is partly their fault because outside of a couple trips to Atlanta the last 10 years they really haven’t done anything in the SEC. Georgia has replaced Tennessee as the team feuding with Florida and the Cocktail Party has become what the Gator/Vol game used to be. Tennessee is flying under the radar this year even as 2007 SEC Eastern Division champions, they will have something to say about the SEC East and it wouldn’t shock anyone to see them pull an upset or two this year.
(iii) What’s this season’s best out of conference matchup?
Mitchell:
Last year was easy: Va. Tech vs. LSU - though it turned into a disappointing blowout for everyone not wearing Purple and Gold. This year? Clemson vs. Alabama. That Thursday night Auburn game in Morgantown might be a classic – and let’s hope WVU’s three game SEC winning streak (UGA, MSU, MSU) dies a slow and miserable death. But there’s no “might” about it – in many ways, each team’s season is already riding on the ‘bama/Clemson kickoff contest. Clemson is trying to shake the burden of years of failed expectations, and with a top ten ranking, a loss to the Tide right out of the gate would be devastating. Lose this game, and with it goes the benefit of the doubt for the remainder of the year. Despite the many question marks, Alabama has been saddled with some lofty preseason expectations (some would say embraced) – and in case anyone’s keeping track, they haven’t handled Tigers of any breed very well of late. An upset win in Hotlanta could be a huge confidence boost for a very young team.
Harbach:
The SEC has really bulked up its schedule this year with the addition of the twelfth regular season game, and there are a lot of big name programs that SEC teams will be playing. Teams like Texas, Arizona State, Miami, Wake Forest, UCLA and Clemson… But the best out of conference game of the year will be played in Morganton, West Virginia. Auburn travels to play West Virginia on a Thursday night game in October, in what could be a battle of top 10 teams. The atmosphere should be great – it’ll be the only game on national TV, and a great matchup between two teams that lost to South Florida in 2007. Paul Rhoads, Auburn’s new defensive coordinator, will be very familiar to WVU fans: he had the same job at Pitt last season. Remember? LSU fans do. In a stacked list of out of conference games, Auburn at West Virginia is the SEC’s best.
IN FOCUS: Which Coach / Player is in the Spotlight this week?
Mitchell:
We considered QB John Parker Wilson, Alabama, since the offense will have to carry the Tide this weekend. But as that story’s played out, and to point out something seemingly missed by many, our spotlight pick: Verge Ausberry, LSU. Ausberry is the Senior Associate AD, with responsibility for the LSU schedule. The defending NC are the only SEC team not to schedule at least one BCS conference opponent for its non-conference slate, beefing up instead on Appalachian State (don’t believe the ESPN hype – Appy St. lost to Wofford last year), North Texas, Troy and Tulane. Ausberry’s excuse? “No one wants to play in Baton Rouge.” Really? Tiger Stadium is a tough place to play, but last time we checked, Auburn, Gainesville, Knoxville, Athens, etal. weren’t exactly rent-a-wins, and every other team managed to schedule tough non-conference BCS foes for home-and-homes. Weak.
Harbach:
Emmanuel Moody/Chris Rainey for the University of Florida are two players that could make the Gators National Champions this season if they can take those fourth quarter carries away from Tim Tebow. If these two running backs can be relied upon to carry the ball late in games, Tebow will take less of a beating, and perhaps not be as worn down in November as he was last season. Tebow will still be used a lot in the run game for the Gators, but Florida must win behind his arm and the legs of Rainey/Moody this year if those in Gainesville want to win the SEC East and complete even bigger goals.
THREE GAMES TO DVR
Mitchell:
1) Alabama vs. Clemson. In Atlanta. We’re tired of writing about this game – let’s drop the gloves, get in our Escalades and whup ourselves up some Clemson. We’ll be pulling for conference, and hope we’re wrong, but youth kills…
Clemson 28, Alabama 24
Final: Alabama 34, Clemson 10
2) Tennessee at UCLA . Tennessee got rung up the last time it played in the PST (think Golden Bears), but Neuheisel and UCLA barely have a QB. We’re not talking about Kentucky or LSU not having a QB – we mean literally, they don’t have a QB. JC Transfer Kevin Craft is not the answer - he tossed a couple INTs in practice Tuesday, and many coaches called it his best of the preseason. The O-line is suspect, and RB Kahlil Bell is rumored to still be nursing a bum knee that cut short his 2007 season. We’re not prophets, but…
Tennessee 28, UCLA 9
Final: UCLA 27, Tennessee 24, OT
3) Appalachian State at LSU. A last minute replacement by the Tigers, don’t buy into the ABC/ESPN “made for TV”, “first time in history” hype. Even with Angelina Jolie under center, the talented Tigers should dismantle the Mountaineers. After practicing indoors this week due to rain, ASU's takes the field at 4 PM local time – on the very sunny side (thanks ESPN). The temperature is expected to be 92 at kickoff, with ~65% humidity; which should feel like 150 on the field. Depth, anyone? We'd say 50+ points, but LSU plays all three QBs. And Angelina. “Welcome” to Death Valley, indeed...
LSU 41, ASU 13
Final: LSU 41, ASU 13
Harbach:
1) Alabama vs Clemson. The best game of the weekend, hands down. Neutral site games with the stadium split 50/50 have such a great atmosphere, and the Georgia Dome is a fantastic place for a big game. It is impossible to pick Clemson in a big game and they are favored to win. So even though I am not sold on the Tide yet, they pull the upset.
Alabama 28, Clemson 27
Final: Alabama 34, Clemson 10
2) Tennessee at UCLA . Tennessee on the road in California for their season opener, for the second year in a row. It's a pretty nice trip for the players, even though last year it was a long flight back. This year they will enjoy it. Tennessee starts the season off strong with a win over home team UCLA.
Tennessee 31, UCLA 14
Final: UCLA 27, Clemson 24, OT
3) Appalachian State at LSU. A year ago this game would have been meaningless, but after the Appalachian upset over Michigan to start the 2007 season, this game is now a little more intriguing. ASU is fun to watch, but LSU has a dominating defense, which is something Michigan did not have to start the season last year. ASU also has LSU’s attention. Can't see the Tigers having too much trouble with this one.
LSU 41, ASU 21
Final: LSU 41, ASU 13
Sound off to Brian? E-mail Brian Harbach
Sound off to Russ? E-mail Russ Mitchell
Y’all Play Nice, August 21, 2008
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