By
Brian Harbach
By
Russ Mitchell
3 SEC QUESTIONS THAT NAG MORE THAN YOUR EX
(i) What was the best performance from this past weekend?
Russ Mitchell:
It could go to KnoMo, who ran for 149 yards and two TDs on just 23 carries. But the Arizona State defense is a pretender – it was ranked #62 in the nation against the run before getting carved up by Moreno. (The most talented rushing defense Moreno has faced on enemy turf remains Vandy from last season.) It could go to the Florida special teams or the entire Vanderbilt team for a great road win. Or perhaps LSU RsFr QB Jarrett Lee, who went 11 of 17 with two TDs in the 2H. But is there really any doubt – the best performance of last weekend was Charles Scott, RB, LSU. Against what was then the nation’s ninth best rushing defense, in their stadium, Scott trucked for 132 yards on only 21 carries (6.3 ypc). Running behind a dominating LSU Offensive Line, Scott looked most impressive in the fourth quarter – darting between the tackles almost at will, in becoming the first LSU RB to pass the century mark in Jordan-Hare Stadium. Scott is the SEC’s leading rusher, and should be receiving serious Heisman consideration, but isn't.
Brian Harbach:
LSU’s Offensive Line play against Auburn was the most impressive event I have witnessed in this young season. Everyone knew they were big and had a lot of talent, but they absolutely manhandled a good Auburn defensive front and paved the way for the SEC’s offensive player of the week, Charles Scott, to rush for over 130 yards. This really should be no surprise since that offensive line goes up against the best defensive line in the country every week in practice, so Auburn wasn’t better than what they face in practice every day. If the offensive line continues to play well, it is hard to see any defense putting them in a position where they can’t rush the ball effectively.
(ii) With one third of the season over, what has been the biggest surprise?
Mitchell:
It’s certainly not Alabama, so stop emailing me. The Tide has played Clemson - the ASU of the East, Tulane - who didn’t even know if they had a campus at kickoff, WKU and a woeful Arkansas team. While we’re on it, that performance Saturday by the Hogs might be the most pitiful home performance we’ve seen since (no, not ULM)… UT that very same day! In fact, the Vols sorry performance this year could be the surprise. Kentucky being undefeated is a pleasant surprise, but given Louisville’s spotty performance, the schedule is set for a 4-0 start. No, the biggest surprise this year is undoubtedly the Vanderbilt Commodores. Currently ranked #21 at 4-0, and sitting atop the SEC East with two conference wins, the mighty ‘Dores are the talk of southern football. Or should be. Vandy now has a week off to heal QB Chris Nickson; the team leader has a sore shoulder. And with some good pace, the schedule works out as favorably as possible. Vandy gets Auburn at home, then @ MSU, @ UGA will be tough, but then home against Duke… The ‘Dores should be at least 2-2 there, and sitting on six wins – Bowl Eligible! Win just one of those last four, and the good (and patient) folks of Vanderbilt are guaranteed a bowl trip for the first time since 1982. However, Vandy has managed to create all this excitement while being ranked dead last in the conference in Total Offense AND Defense. Oh my. For the sake of those fans, we hope the clock doesn’t strike midnight until the ‘Dores grab that sixth win.
Harbach:
I am going to give two answers to this question because the first answer is obvious: Vanderbilt. If Vanderbilt gets to a bowl game this season Bobby Johnson should be the SEC and National Coach of the Year. In a challenging SEC, the Commodores are two wins away from Bowl eligibility and are ranked in both polls for the first time in 24 years. I don’t care what else happens with the other SEC teams and conferences, Vandy going to a bowl game would be the greatest coaching job in this decade and Bobby Johnson deserves every award possible.
The second surprise from the first four games of the season is how terrible Auburn’s new spread offense has played. The Auburn team is scoring a little over 21 points a game, but if you take out the points scored by defense and special teams it drops to 16 points a game. That true scoring average of 16 points would rank Auburn in 11th in the SEC, just ahead of MSU who is averaging 14.2 points a game. Since Tony Franklin’s first game as the Auburn OC, the Auburn offense has had decreasing total yards in nearly each additional game. Against Clemson in the Peach Bowl last season, Auburn gained 423 total yards. In the season opener with LA Monroe it was 406, which dropped to 380 against Southern Miss, and dropped again to 315 against Mississippi State. And against LSU, Auburn gained only 320 yards. The trends are not pretty, but they are surprising.
(iii) What every SEC fan should be talking about after Week 4, but isn’t?
Mitchell:
That leaves out Fulmer’s job, anything to do with ‘bama, or LSU’s play in the trenches… (i) Don’t look now, and given their opponent’s relative performance it wasn’t really necessary, but Tebow and Alabama’s John Parker Wilson hardly shined on Saturday… Tebow’s line: 8/15 for 96 yards (6.4 ypa) and 2 TDs, and JPW: 6/14 for 74 yards (5.3 ypa) and 1 TD, (ii) While we’re on it, the entire Florida offense looked rather anemic - in addition to Tebow’s pedestrian effort, the Gator rushing “attack” averaged just 3.8 yards (with RB Emmanuel Moody leading the way at 55 yards on nine carries), and the passing game netted the afore mentioned 96, (iii) Good News: UGA’s struggling O-line gave up only one sack on Sat. Bad News: ASU entered the game ranked just 75th in the nation in sacks, (iv) Arkansas’ QB Casey Dick is still #1 in the conference in # of completions per game – of course, we believe he’s also ranked #1 for pick sixs in a game, (v) UGA Matt Stafford is #1 in the SEC for passing efficiency, but that’s just good enough for 22nd nationally, (vi) Six of the Tide’s top nine tacklers are DBs… Did you read that, Stafford? Note to Stafford: stretch ‘em out, boy, (vii) Florida’s best defensive lineman, Jermaine Cunningham (DE), is limping badly on an injured left leg, and is questionable for the Ole Miss game, (viii) Vandy’s D.J. Moore is the nation’s best punt returner, averaging 29 yards per, and (ix) the SEC finally has a team ranked in the top 20 in Scoring Offense – Florida! At #20. However, we’re still shooting a big donut on Total Offense; UGA holds the conference torch at #22.
Harbach:
I have seen a couple columns this week about Larry Munson’s retirement, but not nearly enough has been mentioned about the loss of the legendary voice of the Georgia Bulldogs. There are so many great personalities in college football, but growing up in Atlanta there may not have been a bigger one than Munson. My father in law always imitates Munson as we watched UGA games together; Munson was as much a part of the team as any coach, player or trainer. No stadium I have ever been in had as many fans wearing headsets than in Sanford Stadium and that is a testimony to how great Munson’s calling a game was. It is never fun to follow a legend so whoever takes over for Munson will have his work cut out for him (Buck Belue). This retirement is not just the University of Georgia’s loss; it is the SEC’s loss. He will be missed in the booth, but I don’t think Larry Munson will ever miss watching a Bulldog game.
IN FOCUS: Which Coach / Player is in the Spotlight this week?
Mitchell:
Matt Stafford, QB (Jr.), Georgia. Finally. We’ll get to see how good KnoMo is against a top 20 rushing D, even if it is on home turf. However, ‘bama’s #8 ranking against the rush is a bit overrated; the Tide Secondary has been cheating up to support the run. Don’t believe me? As mentioned above, six of the Tide’s top nine tacklers are DBs, including two of its top three (Rashad Johnson and Kareem Jackson are #2 and #3, respectively). ‘bama’s Pass Defense is ranked just #47. If Stafford and Coach Mark Richt can figure out a way to keep those DBs from crowding up and supporting the run, and force them to play the pass, this game will be a blowout. That will mean handling the blitz, and the UGA line has been a bit spotty in that department. But if Stafford and Richt are as good as many experts claim, they should figure out a way to get this done.
Harbach:
John Parker Wilson, QB (Sr.), Alabama. In two games this year John Parker Wilson has completed seven or fewer passes in a Crimson Tide win. I have never had much faith in JPW’s abilities as a quarterback, but this weekend he has an opportunity to prove a lot of people in the media wrong. If JPW can limit turnovers, manage the offense and make good throws on third down, Alabama has a chance to win. This is his chance at a signature win; it will be interesting to see how he plays against an aggressive Bulldog defense.
SEC POWER RANKINGS
Mitchell
1 Florida – Hopefully not looking passed Ole Miss to Arkansas
2 Georgia – Establish the pass, establish the pass, establish the pass
3 LSU – 15-1 in last 16 years v. MSU; 7-0 this decade by an avg. score of 42-6
4 Alabama – Will the real ‘bama please stand up
5 Vandy – (up from 6) SEC’s worst Total Offense & Defense, this can’t last…
6 Auburn – (down from 5) To win, you can’t coach not to lose, Tommy
7 Kentucky – (up from 8) Should be sitting at 4-0 when conference play finally begins
8 Ole Miss – (down from 7) Someone explain to Jevan more INTs than TDs - Bad
9 USC – 3 winnable games, even if Ole Miss and ‘Cats are on the road
10 Tennessee – Would drop further, but how can one drop below MSU and Arky?
11 MSU – Pitiful
12 Arkansas – Pitiful, Jr.
Harbach
1 Georgia – How many more highlights can Knowshon give us? UGA looks Atlanta bound
2 Florida – Sleepwalking through September, Rebel visit should be more of the same
3 LSU – Tempted to put them 2nd, they may be the most talented team in the league
4 Alabama – Offense a work in progress; JPW can’t complete 6 passes this week
5 Auburn – The spread woke up a little against LSU, but the special teams slept in
6 Vanderbilt – (Up from 7) Two weeks to prepare for a home game with Auburn
7 Ole Miss – (Down From 6) Turnovers killed the Rebels last weekend
8 Tennessee – No positive momentum heading into a tough game against Auburn
9 South Carolina – Turnovers continue to kill this team
10 Kentucky – Still TBD until October
11 MSU – At least they got to play a game in Atlanta one time
12 Arkansas – Game two of a nasty 4 game stretch will be in Austin
THREE GAMES TO DVR
Mitchell:
1) No. 8 Alabama (4-0) v. No. 3 Georgia (4-0), September 27th. The Funeral Game. (Google: Scott Cochran Alabama. Smells a lot like Clemson's "Escalade" comment earlier this season.) For a second straight week, the SEC has the nation’s spotlight game (which is a good things, as the rest of the slate is slim pickins'). As already mentioned, this game will come down to a single thing – can Stafford force the Tide Secondary to play pass first, and run support second? No other team has been able to do that this year. However, UGA is no “other team” – particularly compared to ‘bama’s competition to date. Recall the Tide started 3-0 last year, before a last minute loss to the ‘Dawgs started the bleeding. The Tide defense won’t be enough to beat UGA between the hedges… For ‘bama to have a chance, JPW must conjure up the QB who played light’s out in the Peach State earlier this season. Either the Tide’s defense or special teams will score a TD, and Georgia’s offensive production has dropped precipitously since it began playing real teams. But the ‘Dawgs will score enough...
Georgia 24, Alabama 17
Final: Alabama 41, Georgia 30
2) Tennessee (1-2) v. No. 15 Auburn (3-1), September 27th. Past a morbid curiosity somewhat akin to rubbernecking at a train wreck, the only reason this game is interesting is to see how AU handles its last minute loss to LSU. Will this spread offense work? Will QB Kodi Burns get some reps? AU WR Robert Dunn is questionable with a pinched nerve in his hand, but it won’t matter. Look for Tommy to use every opportunity to run up the score on Fulmer and the Vols – he’ll want to show everyone his offense is healthy, to further stop UT from cherry-picking Alabama H.S. talent, and to get the taste of the Mad Hatter out of his mouth. On a positive note, Fulmer won’t have to testify…
Auburn 24, Tennessee 13
Final: Auburn 14, Tennessee 12
3) Mississippi St (1-3) v. No. 5 LSU (3-0), September 27th. Could have gone with Florida beating Ole Miss, but we’re more interested in seeing how Jarrett Lee plays now that the has the job. However, as previously noted, don’t expect a close contest… Four MSU starters are banged up after the Ga. Tech game, including three on defense (safety D. Pegues (ankle), linebacker D. Douglas (knee) and safety K. Fitzhugh (concussion)). Moreover, the Tigers are 15-1 in the last 16 games against the Bulldogs, and 7-0 this decade by an average score of 42-6…
LSU 42, Mississippi State 6
Final: LSU 34, MSU 24
Season Record: 10-2
Harbach:
1) Alabama (4-0) v. Georgia (4-0), September 27th. This was probably my second favorite game from 2007, both teams were undefeated just like this year, but there seems to be more on the line in 2008. UGA needs to win to continue its march to Atlanta, Alabama needs to win to get a credible win in the bank, both teams should play well. This game comes down to the quarterbacks, I have seen Matthew Stafford play big in big games, I haven’t seen that from John Parker Wilson.
Georgia 27, Alabama 13
Final: Alabama 41, Georgia 30
2) Tennessee (1-2) v. Auburn (3-1), September 27th. Phil Fulmer has lost his last 3 games against Tommy Tuberville and none of them were pretty. Tennessee needs this win badly, especially with a trip to Athens two weeks away and an increasingly apathetic fan base taking over in Knoxville. Auburn’s spread made some improvement last weekend, while the rest of the team stepped back. The home crowd will be the difference in this one for the Tigers.
Auburn 21, Tennessee 17
Final: Auburn 14, Tennessee 12
3) Ole Miss (2-2) v. Florida (3-0), September 27th. Is any team planning on testing the Gators this month or are we going to have to wait until Florida plays LSU to see how good the Gators really are? Both losses for the Rebels this year were self inflicted after numerous turnovers and penalties, neither of those two things help you win a game in the swamp. Florida wins another uninspiring game and we get to see a backup QB for the Gators in this one.
Florida 38, Ole Miss 16
Final: Ole Miss 31, Florida 30
Bonus) Arkansas (2-1) v. Texas (3-0), September 27th. Russ was nice enough to let me out of a pretty stupid bet I was walking into by thinking Arkansas could hang within 2 touchdowns of Texas a couple weeks ago. (RM note: You’re welcome, Brian.) Lucky for me this game was postponed so I could realize the Casey Dick Kool-aid I was drinking may have been spiked. Since Russ has turned me over to the dark-side on Arkansas, this one won’t be close. The Arkansas rebuilding process began last week and continues against the Longhorns Saturday.
Texas 52, Arkansas 6
Final: Texas 52, Arkansas 10
Season Record: 7-4
Yell at Brian: Brian Harbach
Yell at Russ: Russ Mitchell
Y’all Play Nice Week 4 September 18, 2008
Y’all Play Nice Week 3, September 11, 2008
Y’all Play Nice Week 2, September 4, 2008
Y’all Play Nice Week 1, August 27, 2008
Y’all Play Nice Preseason, August 21, 2008
|