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:
We would give the award to someone from Troy, were it not outside the bounds of both decency and structure. Instead, we could give it to three-time consecutive runner-up Tim Tebow, for yet another stellar performance (2 TDs passing, 1 rushing) in unceremoniously dispatching with the OLD ball coach, 56-6. And we were very tempted to give it to his cohort in humiliation Percy Harvin, who racked up a career record 167 yards rushing on just six carries - Heavens! But is there really any doubt: Vandy’s QB Chris Nickson returned to his rightful role as starter, and in leading the ‘Dores to their first bowl game since Reagan’s first term, he did so with a performance for the ages! Against a good Kentucky defense, in Lexington, Nickson went 15/27 for 155 yards, with 3 TDs and zero INTs. As if that weren’t enough, he added to that measure 118 yards on 20 carries - nearly 6 /ypc. Or 273 total yards. (We note again that Vandy remains undefeated with Nickson as its starting signal caller.)
Brian Harbach:
First I want to give a shout out to my boy Russ Mitchell, who made one of the gutsiest picks of the year going with Vanderbilt over Kentucky last week. From talking to him he wasn’t just going upset for the sake of picking an upset; he knew one was coming, and I just didn’t believe him. That was a pretty impressive performance. Keeping with the Vandy/Kentucky theme, the best "on the field" performance this weekend had to be Vanderbilt’s Chris Nickson
There are always teams and players that deserve the attention of the nation, and a little extra love. And a senior quarterback taking Vanderbilt to a bowl game is a story that needs to be told every day of the week and twice on Sunday. Nickson rushed for 118 yards, he threw for three touchdowns, and he led a team that needed a win to get to their first bowl game since 1982. He was benched early in the season, but still came back and won a game that no one (except Russ) thought they were going to win. Everyone felt the Tennessee game was the Commodores best shot at win number six, and now it looks like win number seven. Congrats to a true warrior and special player in Chris Nickson. He has represented his university well during his time, and now he is rewarded with a bowl game.
(ii) "Who was the biggest underachiever in the SEC this year?"
Mitchell:
It’s too easy to go Tennessee. And we almost went with Florida’s overhyped RB Emmanuel Moody – he’s fourth fiddle with only 238 yards, but at least he’s averaging 7 /ypc. Instead, we’re going way outside the box here with not only a tie, but neither of them is an SEC ‘player’. This first underachiever in the SEC this year is Jacksonville State QB Ryan Perrilloux. The former phenom not only left the LSU Tigers (players, coaches and fans) in dire straits with his selfishness and immaturity, but he deprived SEC fans of what promised to be some truly amazing contests. It’s clear the departure of Defensive Coordinator Bo “Really, I’m just high strung” Pelini has hurt more than expected... However, we can’t help but wonder if games against Georgia and Alabama would have been epic contests had the Bayou Bengals benefited from a QB with three years experience (plus a conference championship MVP) at the helm of its offense.
Our second most ‘U’nder’A’chiever in the SEC isn’t even a player, but a team. And more to the point, a coaching staff. The entire Auburn University football program has grossly disappointed this year. Remember, (i) other than a flop to West Virginia up north, this defense hasn’t been half bad, (ii) most of the coaching staff returned, and (iii) it was picked on Media Day to win the SEC West. Now Auburn won’t even make it to a bowl game. The SEC will likely field nine of its 12 teams for one post-season-glorified-scrimmage or another; but the team picked to win the West will be watching from the Plains. An abject failure by any measure. Not unlike the Tennessee campaign of 2005 (5-6). Auburn, don’t wait as Tennessee did for the inevitable death march – Tuberville and his coven of asst. coaches are almost completely responsible for this debacle, and should be replaced at season’s end.
Harbach:
This might be the easiest question we have ever been asked: the Auburn Tigers have been the biggest underachievers this season in the SEC. They may be the biggest disappointment since the 2000 Alabama team. I apologize for ranting, but here I go again... Auburn was picked to win the SEC West in the SEC meetings in July, they were a preseason top 10 team, and up until the middle of September they were expected to compete for a BCS bowl spot - even if they didn't win the SEC outright. Tommy Tuberville said this was one of the best teams he had ever had. OC Tony Franklin said he had two quarterbacks that were interchangeable. And now they must beat the number one team in the country just to go to a bowl game.
Underachievement may be too soft a word for the Auburn Tigers this season. They fired their offensive coordinator after a loss to Vanderbilt, the two quarterbacks that both knew the spread offense so well really didn’t know it at all, and the coaching staff does not have one person capable of coming up with an offensive game plan. If defensive and special teams’ points did not count, Auburn would have the worst scoring offense in the SEC to go along with the worst red zone offense in the country. Tommy Tuberville underachieved in 2003 and it nearly got him fired. In 2008, he has committed high treason, and that should come with a very severe penalty.
(iii) What should every SEC fan be talking about after Week 12, but isn’t?
Mitchell:
Well, that leaves out any commentary about just how badly the Gators are going to whip the Tide, whether a Muschamp “no” really means “no”, or “maybe”, or “Hey!, guess the Georgia Bulldogs really were overrated”. (i) Don’t look now LSU, but Ole Miss (and All-SEC) DE Greg Hardy appears to be back in fighting shape. Just how good is Hardy?! After missing the first three games of the season recovering from a stress fracture in his foot, Hardy returned to dominate Tim Tebow and the Gators in the Rebels’ one point upset in Gainesville. However, he quickly reinjured the foot, and has been playing at half speed… However, word out of Oxford says he’s as close to 100% as he’s been all season, (ii) Yes, yes… you know that Nickson, of THE bowl-bound Vanderbilt Commodores, is undefeated as a starter; but did you know that he’s a game away from being the all-time QB rushing leader in Vandy history? With a mere 79 yards, he gets that honor, (iii) With the 37 point come-from-behind victory against Troy, HC Les Miles remains undefeated against non-conference opponents since arriving in BR. Quick! Name the only other SEC coach – active or otherwise – who can make that claim? Trick question – there isn’t one, (iv) Just how badly is Florida beating up on teams since the loss to Ole Miss? In the following six straight SEC games, the Gators have outscored their opponents 299-63, in the first quarter by 101-0, and with an average margin of victory of nearly 40 points per game! Up next: The Citadel!, (v) Staying with Florida, Harvin leads the nation in yards per carry, with nearly 10. Yes, 10. Lol, (vi) Tennessee – land of Volunteer Pride – with three straight losses by a combined score of 69-22, including a home loss to the Wyoming Cowboys, (vii) LSU ranks second in the conference in Scoring Offense. No lie. Now, just imagine, what if… (viii) The conference has just one team in the Top 20 in Scoring Offense (Florida, #5), and none in Total Offense, (ix) However, we have five teams in the Top 20 in Total Defense (‘bama, Florida, Tennessee, USC and MSU).
Harbach:
Everyone should be talking about Will Muschamp this week and what his decision means to the rest of the SEC. Former LSU and Auburn defensive coordinator Muschamp signed on to be the University of Texas "head coach in waiting" this week, instead of what could have been an offer from Tennessee or possibly Auburn at the end of the season. It is surprising that he would take a salary of $900,000 instead of the likely $2+ million payday he would have received from any SEC school trying to hire him; but this says a lot about how coaches are viewing the SEC, and how tough a job being an SEC coach has become.
I believe this is going to become a trend that makes it harder and harder for SEC teams to find big time coaches. The league is so competitive it's almost too difficult to compete. There is only so much room for the Saban’s or Meyer’s or Petrino’s in this league, and the idea of competing against all those coaches is too much for some coaches right now. If you look at the conference, Auburn fans want Tommy Tuberville run off after one terrible season, National Championship winning coach Phil Fulmer stepped down, LSU fans are not happy with Les Miles less than a year after he won a BCS Championship... Why would any coach want to come here?
The SEC is changing and it takes a very special coach so compete in this league, even more so in those SEC states that have more than one school. Tommy Tuberville and Nick Saban are polar opposites, and Saban is running Tuberville ragged on the recruiting trails and outworking him in every way. That is just their personalities. Urban Meyer is killing his in-state rivals, FSU and Miami, because he is outworking them like a madman on the recruiting trail and on the field. It is becoming apparent that the SEC is becoming a tougher league, and a tougher coaching job; it isn’t what it used to be, and coaches are thinking long and hard about the risk/reward. It isn’t for everyone, and Will Muschamp - even with all of his SEC ties - showed us that a change is coming in how coaches view the SEC.
IN FOCUS: Which Coach / Player is in the Spotlight this week?
Mitchell:
Greg Hardy, DE, Ole Miss. Much has been written about the talented, but troubled, Mr. Hardy. But all the gossip and praise aside, when this young man is healthy – AND focused – he is a terror on the football field. Healthy and focused, and Greg Hardy is the best DE in the SEC, if not the nation. And now he appears to be as healthy as at any point this season, and word out of Oxford is he has a particular jones for the boys in P&G. The Tigers have a stout Offensive Line; but if Hardy can be as disruptive a force in Baton Rouge as he was in Gainesville, then all bets are off. LSU hasn’t exactly shown itself as a beacon of stability on offense – and past Hardy, the rest of the Ole Miss D-line is itself quite disruptive. With some talented (if unpredictable) skill players on offense, including the impressive QB Jevan Snead, and a porous and slow – yes, SLOW – Tiger LB/Secondary corps, could we see the upset in Death Valley that the Rebs have been threatening for much of this decade? If it’s going to happen, it all comes back to Mr. Hardy and his health. And… what was that again? Oh right: focus.
Harbach:
Jevan Snead, QB, Ole Miss. In games that Ole Miss has looked good, Jevan Snead has played well. In games they have lost, he has turned the ball over a ton. This game will come down to turnovers. Yes, even Jarrett Lee's mother knows he's going to throw an INT, and there's a good chance he'll toss a pick six. Can Snead limit his mistakes and allow the Rebel defense to play without their backs against the wall? LSU can come back from turnovers; I am not sure Ole Miss can. If the Rebels have a shot at this upset, and they do have a good shot at it, they cannot throw interceptions and they cannot throw the ball out of the Wild Rebel formation. Snead is the key to the game in Baton Rouge - he will make or break the game for Houston Nutt.
SEC POWER RANKINGS
Mitchell
1 Florida – 100 to zero this weekend?
2 Alabama – Saban, we hope you’re already game planning for Florida
3 Georgia – OOOOO-VER-RAAAA-TED
That’s it. After the way LSU played against Troy (and we use the word “played” loosely), we can no longer in good conscious put any more SEC teams on a list with the heading “Power” in it. This is the weakest we’ve seen the SEC in at least 20 years, if ever. Perhaps it’s the ‘growing pains’ in this shift to the spread offense. Perhaps a dearth of QBs as field generals. Whatever. Sadly, we’re still the second best conference in college football. What this says about college football – about parity – deserves some thoughtful reflection. We’ll get right on that.
Harbach
1 Alabama – Unbeaten and still ranked number one, Gators are closing fast though
2 Florida – This team looks better and better each week, FSU will be tougher than they think
3 Georgia – Sleepwalking in Jordan Hare last weekend, stop with the penalties
4 LSU – QB inconsistencies continue to plague the Tigers
5 South Carolina – Terrible decision on the fake punt, gave was over before quarter 2
6 Ole Miss – Welcome back to the postseason, great job by Houston Nutt in year 1
7 Vanderbilt – (up from 7) great win on the road in Lexington
8 Kentucky – (down from 8) Seven wins still possible with the Vols in two weeks
9 Arkansas – Can they win two games to get to six and a guaranteed SEC bowl spot?
10 Auburn – Two weeks to discuss if Tommy Tuberville will return in 2009
11 Tennessee – If the Vols want to make a smart hire they get Brian Kelly on campus now
12 MSU – Game against the Hogs is a good litmus test for the Bulldog program
THREE GAMES TO DVR
Mitchell:
1) Ole Miss (6-4) v. No. 18 LSU (7-3), November 22. Everybody set your clocks back one second – it’s going to be t-h-a-t close. Even though LSU’s confidence must be shaky, and even though Houson Nutt knows how to win in Baton Rouge, we’ll go with the Tigers for the sole reason that this program has fewer quitters than any we’ve had the pleasure to follow. You reading that, Knoxsvegas???...
LSU 24, Ole Miss 23
2) Arkansas (4-6) v. Mississippi State (4-6), November 22. Arkansas is playing better football at the end of the season. It’s also playing better football against its tough opponents – MSU's best play has come against weaker teams. Arkansas is less disappointed with 4-6 than MSU. Finally, MSU is banged up after the Alabama game…
Arkansas 28, Mississippi State 14
3) Tennessee (3-7) v. Vanderbilt (6-4), November 22. Hm… A week to prepare, but prepare for what? And by whom? Three straight losses by a combined score of 69-22. Ugly. This program is just hemorrhaging things: pride, confidence, recruits, tradition... Like deck chairs on the Titanic. If we picked Vandy on the road, against a better Kentucky team, how could we not take them at home against the disgrace that is Tennessee? Yes, we know it’s a rivalry game – and normally that means throw the records out the window. But that factors in teams playing for PRIDE, and the Vols have all but punted here. In a season where, in the state of Tennessee, everything football has been turned on its head, Vandy going bowling and the Vols staying home to watch replays of its home loss to Wyoming, we’ll be Bizarro Superman and saddle up with the Brains for the win… AND to cover…
Vanderbilt 27, Tennessee 13
** EXTRA, NOT-FOR-CREDIT **
Citadel (4-7) v. No. 4 Florida (9-1), November 22. :) Funny. Seriously, think about it for a moment. It could happen.
Florida 100, The Citadel 0
Season Record: 27-9
Harbach:
1) Ole Miss (6-4) v. LSU (7-3), November 22. This was a tough one to pick, I really thought long and hard about taking Ole Miss in the upset, but I have a feeling LSU is going to raise up and play their best game in weeks on Saturday. Jevan Snead will be the key to the game as mentioned above, but he is going to be forced into mistakes by a great LSU defense and LSU wins a close game in the fourth quarter.
LSU 28, Ole Miss 27
2) Arkansas (4-6) v. Mississippi State (4-6) November 22. This is a big game for Sylvester Croom, win this one and he can show that the team is moving in the right direction and they have a shot a bowl. A loss is going to hurt badly because this season has been a number of large backwards steps after a very successful 2007 season. Even though Arkansas is not sure who they will start this weekend, they still have a better QB situation than MSU and one of the Dick brothers will hand the ball off to Michael Smith just enough to win the game.
Arkansas 16, Mississippi State 13
3) Tennessee (3-7) v. Vanderbilt (6-4), November 22. Well this game kind of turned into a little bit of a letdown, this was supposed to be the game that Vandy won to get them into the postseason. Now it has become the game that gets the Commodores into a better bowl game. Trust, seven wins means a lot to this team and they would love to play outside of the state of Tennessee for the Holidays. For that to happen they have to beat Tennessee and they have to win on the road at Wake Forest. Vandy gets the first of two needed wins this weekend over the rival Vols.
Vanderbilt 24, Tennessee 18
Season Record: 24-12
email Brian: Brian Harbach
email Russ: Russ Mitchell
Y’all Play Nice - Week Twelve, November 13, 2008
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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