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October 24, 2005

Weekend Recap: Around the SEC

From looking at the box scores, things exited the weekend looking the same as they did when we entered for everyone except Auburn. But the box scores tell only a portion of the story. In no particular order...

Georgia - Obviously, with Shockley out until Auburn with an MCL sprain no game is a gimmie. I didn't see the Dawgs realistically going undefeated before. I still don't. I think we split with Auburn and Florida, but as bad as Florida's offense has looked and as bad as Auburn is on special teams it could go either way in either game. All Dawgs should pray for Joe T. He'll need it this week barring DJ pulling a Willis Reed on Saturday.

[Photo: Shock and AweCrap he's hurt! Photo from Georgiadogs.com]

Alabama - I can't see this Bama team going undefeated until they find a way to score points post-Prothro. Luckily for them, they get Utah State and Mississippi State as get well games before facing LSU (home) and Auburn (road) in back to back weeks. The outcome of the Auburn vs. LSU game really didn't impact Alabama all that much. They still have to play both teams, and ultimately they still need to beat both teams to control their own destiny. I think Bama splits with AU and LSU. I'm leaning towards Bama losing to Auburn, but making the SECC game anyway after UGA eliminates Auburn from the Western race the week before the Iron Bowl.

[Photo: Shula beat the Vols and later made sweet love to Condoleezza Rice.]

Neither here nor there, but Warren St. John wrote a great piece on Croyle for the NY Times. In his book "Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer" a Tide fan says to Warren something like "You mean you get PAID to watch Bama games!" That discussion in the book was all I could think about reading this article.

LSU -- I feel for the Cajuns. On the one hand, they won an epic SEC struggle to beat Auburn. That's the good news. On the other hand, nothing that Les Miles does inspires the feeling that he's driving the bus with a clear destination in mind as much as he is just a passenger waiting to see what the tour guide shows him next on his happy aimless journey around the SEC. Did the Tigers win this game or did Auburn flat out give it away?

[Photo: Les Miles seen here holding his Master Plan for extending on Saban's foundation of excellence.]

Auburn -- If I were Tuberville, I would've made the kicker walk back to Auburn. In the SEC, you should never, ever, never, ever lose a game in which your running back goes for 200+ yards. By the way, have I mentioned how wrong I was about Kenny Irons yet? (although, I was right about Tre Smith). Unless, these guys can find a way to beat Georgia *and* Alabama, this team has Peach Bowl written all over it.

Tennessee -- This isn't the time or place to mention it, but UT really does a nice job of running the RB and FB screens out of the shotgun. It takes Georgia FOREVER to get that play going. Obviously, the fullback fumble to lose the game isn't in the diagram.

Arkansas -- I've always felt that if Houtson Nutt could just find a consistent QB, he would be fine. But after watching the Georgia game, I think the problem isn't his QBs. It's his coaching. When you've got a 6'6" WR being covered by a 5'8" CB with no apparent safety help, why not call an audible and just TRY a fade route. If the QB is so grossly incompetent that he can't make that throw, then why have him in there? It isn't like Arkansas ran the option against Georgia? The QB only handed the ball off and made basic 7-10 yard throws to the backs or TEs on play action. The best thing that Nutt did was pound Georgia's exhausted DL with that amazing freshman back. But even then, when you've got Georgia totally exhausted why not keep running it up the gut on 3rd and inches or 4th and inches? Arkansas should aspire to more than letting Nutt run the program right back down the tube in which he found it.

[Photo: McFadden is a BEAST. The 70 yard run is the longest play against UGA since the '03 SEC title game as far as I can remember. Click to enlarge.]

Good News for the ACC -- With Mississippi State losing to Houston and Vandy losing to South Carolina, the SEC has virtually no chance of filling its bowl allotment. Some quasi-lucky ACC school will likely get to dodge a Boise snow capped bullet with a trip to Shreveport in December.

The Orgeron Combustion Countdown -- Ole Miss beat Kentucky. I keep waiting on The Orgeron to meltdown in a public and violent manner. Sadly, that has not happened yet and annoying wins like the one over the Mildcats only postpone the inevitable. By the way, what is UK waiting on? Fire Brooks already.



[Photo: Mohamed Massaquoi in action]
 
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