By
Brian Harbach
By
Russ Mitchell
3 SEC QUESTIONS THAT NAG MORE THAN YOUR EX
(i) What was the best performance from last weekend?
Russ Mitchell:
Well, it isn't going to be LSU’s Jarrett Lee (though there’s more than enough blame to go around with that story). It could go once again to the Tiger’s Charles Scott, who ran for 92 yards and 2 TDs on 24 carries, against what was then the nation’s #2 rushing defense. Or it could go to Florida’s Tim Tebow, who for the second consecutive week accounted for five TDs (3 passing, 2 rushing). Instead, we’re going to give it to Alabama’s safety Rashad Johnson for his three INTs, one returned for a TD. However, there is a doubt this week… Can’t help but feel like Rashad beat up on the little kid with glasses (Lee). Still, it is football – and three INTs in one game is exemplary regardless of the opponent.
Brian Harbach:
The most impressive performance of the weekend was the Alabama Crimson Tide defense’s play, in a very hostile Baton Rouge environment. The Tide picked off four Jarrett Lee passes, returned one of them for a touchdown, and Rashad Johnson sealed the victory with a great interception in the first possession of overtime. Johnson’s pick was amazing - even though the ball should never have been thrown by Jarrett Lee, Johnson's catch was more wide receiver than safety.
This was a game that recent Alabama teams would have lost; particularly after the emotional letdown of a blocked field goal as time expired, with all the momentum going in LSU’s favor. It looked like all the Tiger mistakes were still not going to be enough for Alabama to end the streak over LSU. While they only played three defensive plays in overtime after the kick, it was obvious they did not quit, and wanted to win badly. It is amazing to see a complete turn around with this team in less than a year. Their November last season was less than memorable, and to be able to have the November they are shaping up for in 2008 is very impressive. The defense has led the Crimson Tide all season long and it saved them in Baton Rouge.
(ii) Who has been this season’s most underrated player in the SEC?
Mitchell:
Mike Wallace. Who? Exactly. The senior wide out for Ole Miss plays second fiddle to nearly everyone, including his own teammate, Dexter McCluster. However, only Arkansas’s Mike Smith and Georgia’s Knowshon Moreno have more all purpose running yards than Wallace. The rest of that top 10? A veritable CBS pregame highlight reel: LSU’s Charles Scott, ‘bama’s Glen Coffee, Florida’s Percy Harvin and Brandon James, the Rebel’s McCluster, MSU’s Derek Pegues, and UGA’s A.J. Green.
A lot of those are return yards, you say? Well, not that it matters, but with 24 catches for nearly 400 yards, only a handful of players in the conference have a greater /ypc average than Wallace (16.2). With more than 20 catches, that’s better than nearly everyone except guys like Green (17.5), Louis Murphy (16.6), Jared Cook (16.4), Mohammed Massaquoi (16.3), and his own teammate, Shay Hodge (17.6).
Remember, the question isn’t “Who’s the greatest player in the SEC” - it’s the most underrated. And the speedy, shifty Wallace wins this title.
Harbach:
The man has got a lot more publicity this season than he has in the past, but Alabama’s Glen Coffee has been the most underrated player in the SEC this season. Heading into 2008, the guy was an absolute afterthought; as a senior he had never stood out in any season, and was the likely third string RB going into the Spring behind Roy Upchurch and Terry Grant. Coffee has played like a man possessed and has been the starting running back all year - fighting off a number of talented youngsters like true freshmen Mark Ingram, to go along with Upchurch and Grant.
Coffee has rushed for 1020 yards in ten games, averaging about 6.3 yards a carry for the best rushing offense in the SEC. He has gained more yards this season than in his first three seasons combined, and has doubled his touchdowns as well (rushing for 8 this season compared to the four he had before this season started). He may not be the flashiest running back in the league, but he may be the smartest - he hits the holes quickly, carrying the ball very similar to Tiki Barber, high and tight. It is good to see seniors go out strong, and he and John Parker Wilson may be two seniors who get to lead the Tide to another SEC Championship. No one saw this coming from Coffee, as he was beyond underrated going into this season.
(iii) What should everyone be talking about, but isn’t after week 7?
Mitchell:
Well, that leaves out the anything to do with Pick Sixes and LSU, who will win the ‘bama/Florida championship game, and whether Tommy will have a job after the Iron Bowl… (i) For those of you still bitching to us about Phil Fulmer, and yes it was time, just a little note we read this week about Notre Dame’s Charlie Weis (he of the 10 year, $30 mm contract)… The Chicago Sun-Times reporting that with the 17-0 loss to BC, Coach Weiss has now won just one of his last 16 games against teams over .500. That's 1-15, for those of us not from Vandy. Speaking of smart schools... That one win: a seven point victory over Stanford this year, at home. And the Cardinal could very easily end up under .500 by season’s end. Feeling a wee bit bitter about our run with Coach Phil, (ii) Staying with Tennessee for a moment – just a putrid performance against Wyoming. Show some pride, for the good Lord’s sake, (iii) LSU’s true freshman QB Jordan Jefferson will get some snaps this weekend, but given Troy is fielding a good team, don’t expect to see many, (iv) Vandy’s senior QB Chris Nickson came off the bench for the ‘Dores first possession of the 2H, and led a sustained drive for their first points of the game – unfortunately, by then the score was already 42-7, Florida. Nickson gives the ‘Dores their best chance for that elusive sixth W, (v) Tennessee’s S Eric Berry leads the conference in INTs (6), and is ready to play on Sundays. Too bad he’s only a true sophomore. Good news for SEC fans. Bad news for SEC QBs, (vi) Once again, UGA is making changes to the Offensive Line after starting tackle Justin Anderson went down with a foot injury in the win against Kentucky, (vii) Once again, the musical chairs continue at QB for South Carolina, (viii) Speaking of the Gamecocks, they’re second best in the conference in both rushing and passing defense, (ix) Once again, the conference has just one team in the Top 20 in Scoring Offense (Florida, #7), and none in Total Offense, (x) But we do have five teams in the Top 20 in Total Defense (USC, ‘bama, UT, Florida & MSU).
Harbach:
As I was writing my Monday SEC Bachstory something interesting popped into my head that I would love to discuss in this space. In talking about the miraculous turn around by John Parker Wilson, I started thinking about the last four SEC Championship quarterbacks. Besides Ryan Perrilloux subbing for senior Matt Flynn last season, Jason Campbell, DJ Shockley, and Chris Leak all had one thing in common: every one of them was a senior. Will John Parker Wilson be able to continue the trend of senior quarterbacks leading their team to the SEC Championship?
Most people have assumed that Florida is the team to beat in the SEC and while they have so much speed and a Heisman winning quarterback, I am not ready to completely count out Alabama. Nick Saban is just as much an evil genius as Meyer is and Florida has historically struggled against physical defenses under Meyer. Even in Florida’s national championship year they were roughed up by a physical South Carolina defense, they were beaten by a tough Auburn defense and LSU played them extremely tough in the swamp. I believe that Florida can be shaken with a ball control offense, a strong defense and a smart quarterback. Alabama has all those things and with JPW being a fifth year senior it is not out of the question that he continues the winning trend for seniors under center.
IN FOCUS: Which Coach / Player is in the Spotlight this week?
Mitchell:
Kodi Burns, QB, Auburn. Does Bo know Kodi? There's no way that Auburn can beat Georgia, conventional wisdom says. Look at how the two teams have played this season… Look at all the talent UGA has on offense... Look at how Kodi Burns ran for 164 yards on 13 carries (12.6 /ypc) and two TDs. Wait - what was that? 'Course the AU defense gave up 20 points and 323 yards to UT Martin, and the score was tied 20-20 halfway through the third quarter. For Auburn to win, they have to keep Stafford, Green and Moreno off the field. No better way to do this than to eat up clock. Unfortunately for the Tigers, UGA is third best in the conference against the run (13th in the nation), allowing barely 100 yards a game (103). Auburn’s rushing attack is ranked a middling 61st in the nation. Kodi Burns will need Bo Jackson-like legs to win this game for AU.
Harbach:
Kodi Burns, QB, Auburn. Watching Georgia struggle with Kentucky last week had to cause some light bulbs to go on in the heads of the Auburn coaching staff. True Freshmen Randall Cobb ran all over the Bulldogs for big yards and big plays. Kodi Burns is the exact same quarterback, he is should be able to break contain and get around the Georgia defense with his feet. Burns ran for 158 yards last weekend against lower level Tennessee-Martin so take those stats with a grain of salt, but he is the type of QB that the Bulldogs seem to struggle with. Auburn will need a game from Burns that they have not seen so far to stay in this game, but it will be his feet that will be the difference for Auburn to have a chance at a win.
SEC POWER RANKINGS
Mitchell
1 Florida – Ah, the OLD ball coach
2 Alabama – What are the odds Tebow throws four INTs?
3 Georgia – Another OL goes down… No, that’s not a reprint
4 LSU – Don’t blame Lee by himself
5 USC – 6-1 since the loss to UGA… Upset brewing?
6 Ole Miss – Any win against AU is a good one
7 Kentucky – Randall Cobb. Better get used to that name
8 Arkansas – Chance for .500 with last two games
9 MSU – (up from 10) Can Croom make it three straight?!
10 Vandy – (down from 9) Perhaps the Adams’ experiment is finally over
11 Auburn – (up from 12) Sigh
12 Tennessee – (down from 11) Wyoming?
Harbach
1 Alabama – Even after averting disaster, the Tide walks away winners
2 Florida – The Gator offense is humming right now, they don’t have a weakness
3 Georgia – It wasn’t pretty in Lexington, but the long road trip is almost over
4 LSU – Lee seems to have regressed each week; tough to watch against Bama
5 South Carolina – Steve, just keep Garcia in the game
6 Ole Miss – (up from 7) Houston Nutt has the Rebels back in the bowl picture
7 Kentucky – (up from 8) The Cats are the most fun team to watch in the SEC
8 Vanderbilt – (down from 6) I haven’t given up on their bowl dreams yet
9 Arkansas – This team is Jeckyl and Hyde, very inconsistent
10 Auburn – Homecoming scare from UT-Martin with Amen Corner up next
11 Tennessee – Sad to see them quit on Fulmer like that
12 MSU – Can the Bulldogs get some momentum for 2009?
THREE GAMES TO DVR
Mitchell:
1) No. 25 South Carolina (7-3) v. No. 4 Florida (8-1), November 15. Packing our bags and heading down south to Gainesville. The ol’ ball coach, take two. USC is 2nd best in the conference against the run and the pass. Bet you didn’t know that. The Gamecocks are also 6-1 in their last seven, with the only loss coming by a TD to LSU. Can you spell U-P-S-E-T? Not a chance.
Florida 45, South Carolina 13
2) No. 10 Georgia (8-2) v. Auburn (5-5) November 15. Wow. Auburn’s not going to a bowl. Shocking.
Georgia 31, Auburn 17
3) Vanderbilt (5-4) v. Kentucky (6-4), November 15. This is the “Bowl Birth” battle. Kentucky is quietly putting together a decent season. If they make a bowl game, it’ll be three straight for the first time since the Bear was roaming the Bluegrass. Vandy desperately needs this one. On the road… against a good Kentucky team… a 4.5 point dog... after losing four straight… Ok Harbach, here’s your chance to get back in this – I’m calling U-P-S-E-T!
Vanderbilt 24, Kentucky 21
Season Record: 24-9
Harbach:
1) South Carolina (7-3) v. Florida (8-1), November 15. Steve Spurrier’s second game in Gainesville as the coach of South Carolina is going to be fun to watch, but this one is going to get out of hand quickly. The South Carolina offensive line has not improved much this season and the running game has been non-existent in big games. The defense is going to be fine in this one, but with Chris Smelley likely to get half the snaps again it is hard to see the Gamecocks not turning the ball over a lot. Tebow solidified his Heisman against South Carolina last year, this weekend he gives the voters something else to think about for 2008.
Florida 42, South Carolina 17
2) Georgia (8-2) v. Auburn (5-5) November 15. As I mentioned earlier Kodi Burns is going to be huge in this game, he has thrown a lot of picks, but he has made some plays recently with his feet. It really won’t matter either way because Auburn will be out of this game by halftime. The last two years have been embarrassing losses for Auburn at the hands of Georgia so you might expect a good effort, but the Tigers will quit at the first sign of trouble. A missed field goal, turnover or big Matthew Stafford TD pass will take all the wind out of Auburn’s sails. Two weeks to get ready for Alabama, Georgia closes its road trip 3-1.
Georgia 45, Auburn 13
3) Vanderbilt (5-4) v. Kentucky (6-4), November 15 Watch this game Saturday night, I am begging you to watch this game because it is going to be a blast for SEC football fans. I have been talking for weeks about the games that are played in Lexington and they have all been barn-burners, this weekend will be no different. Kentucky is looking for a better bowl position and Vandy is looking for win number six. This is going to be a battle, Vandy will get their sixth win, but not this weekend. Kentucky is playing better football right now and they are at home. The Cardiac Cats win this game with a last second field goal.
Kentucky 24, Vanderbilt 21
Season Record: 22-11
Yell at Brian: Brian Harbach
Yell at Russ: Russ Mitchell
Y’all Play Nice - Week Eleven, November 6, 2008
Y’all Play Nice - Week Ten, October 30, 2008
Y’all Play Nice - Week Nine, October 23, 2008
Y’all Play Nice - Week Eight, October 16, 2008
Y’all Play Nice - Week Seven, October 9, 2008
Y’all Play Nice Week Six, October 2, 2008
Y’all Play Nice Week Five, September 25, 2008
Y’all Play Nice Week Four, September 18, 2008
Y’all Play Nice Week Three, September 11, 2008
Y’all Play Nice Week Two, September 4, 2008
Y’all Play Nice Week One, August 27, 2008
Y’all Play Nice Preseason, August 21, 2008
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