Pregame Music? I got ya pregame music right here.

It's official. After reading this, I'm ready for football. Kudos to Big Daddy Drew at Kissing Suzy Kolber for compiling the list. For an added treat, follow the "DFF link" as well. Great stuff.

Cougar Week: Classic Edition

Here at W.W.B.S., we respect the classics. You know, 1940s Notre Dame football, Marvin Gaye, The Godfather, John Wayne, the 1980s Edmonton Oilers, and Jerry Reed. With that in mind, we present the Eve of Cougars.....Mrs. Robinson.

Here's to you Mrs. Robinson, you started it all.

It's Whiskey Season!!!!!

As far as I'm concerned, they just happen to play football in the middle of it.

Cougar Week at Auburn - Clubbing Edition

Like Washingston State's offense a little young, but still plenty of fun

POWER POLL - Week #1

First a little explanation…..

This poll reflects my thoughts on who is playing the best in the conference, RIGHT NOW (which means little since the season hasn't started, but you get the point). This is not a list of who will be playing in the SEC Championship, but I will try to keep some perspective. I was not a big fan of the “Auburn is probably the best team in the SEC” commentary at the end of last season. Hey Auburn lost to LSU on the field. Last time I checked, that counted for something. Prior to the SEC championship game, I probably would have put LSU first, Auburn second, and Georgia third. After the SEC Championship game…..wow, tough one. Well, let’s just see how this all works out, okay?


Power Poll – Week 1

1. Florida (0-0, 0-0) – Great talent, solid defense, good coaching. Can Leak step up? Last Game: None, Up Next: Southen Miss

2. LSU (0-0, 0-0) - Can JaMarcus Russell hit the broadside of a barn this year? Last Game: None, Up Next: UL-Lafayette

3. Auburn (0-0, 0-0) - How long before the defense gets steamrolled for 250 on the ground? Last Game: None, Up Next: Washington State

4. Tennessee (0-0, 0-0) - You better show me something against California Big Orange. Last Game: None, Up Next: California

5. Georgia (0-0, 0-0) - The Dawgs are hear because I respect Mark Richt a lot. Last Game: None, Up Next: Western Kentucky

6. Arkansas (0-0, 0-0) - Just one request, keep it a little closer this year, okay? Last Game: None, Up Next: Southern Cal

7. South Carolina (0-0, 0-0) - How about one win in Starkville Spurrier, just one? Last Game: None, Up Next: Mississippi State

8. Alabama (0-0, 0-0) - Will this guy show up to cheer the Rainbow Warriors? Last Game: None, Up Next: Hawaii

9. Ole Miss (0-0, 0-0) - Over/Under on the number of quarterback draws from Ole Miss? 15. Last Game: None, Up Next: Memphis

10. Kentucky (0-0, 0-0) - Louisville scores getting off the bus. Definitely not step #1 in the Save Rich Brooks' Job Manual. Last Game: None, Up Next: Louisville

11. Mississippi State (0-0, 0-0) - Florida in 2004. South Carolina in 2006? Last Game: None, Up Next: South Carolina.

12. Vanderbilt (0-0, 0-0) - Man Jay Cutler looked great the other night didn't he? Of course it was the Texans defense. Well, similar to Tennessee's defense last year. Last Game: None, Up Next: Michigan.

THE COUGS ARE COMING, THE COUGS ARE COMING!!!!!

That title could really be taken the wrong way......

Are these Cougs coming to Auburn?

And the Nominees Are.....

Okay, so the previews are done. What does it all mean? How about some freakin’ predictions?

Well first I should probably list my criteria for what I think it takes to win the SEC.

Solid Quarterback Play: Alabama and Vandy last year, Auburn in 2004, Ole Miss in 2003, LSU in 2001, all these teams shared a common theme, senior quarterbacks. Not all of them reached the SEC title game, but all had significant years in their own contexts. If you look at the 14 championship games that have been played, eight times the winner had a senior quarterback (I’m including LSU in 2001 because of Rohan Davey). Of the 28 teams that have made it to Atlanta, 12 have had senior quarterbacks.

Only Florida has an experienced senior at quarterback this year. Auburn, Arkansas (unless they are batshit crazy and start Mustain), LSU, Ole Miss, Tennessee, South Carolina, and Kentucky all have experienced juniors or sophmores.

Stout Defense: This may be my recent memory biasing actual history (it wouldn’t be the first time), but in a league that has always been defensively oriented, a stout defense is a necessity if you expect to win much. Last year both LSU and Georgia were in the Top 5 in defense in the SEC and Auburn (2004) and LSU (2003) led the conference in defense as well.

It is difficult to determine who will have a good defense at the beginning of the year. I think for now I have to go with history and returning players. In the future, I’ll examine points given up per game, rushing defense, and opponents third down percentage.

Given their histories, Alabama, Auburn, LSU, and Tennessee should have strong defenses. Due to the talent level on defense, I’ll add Florida, Georgia, and Arkansas.

Good Offensive Line Play: A good line doesn’t mean the line with the most guys who will play in the NFL. Good offensive lines are cohesive units that work together and must compensate for each individual’s deficiencies. Solid line play reveals itself in rushing yardage per game and third down conversions. Good rushing teams create shorter second and third down situations allowing the offensive coordinator to dictate to the defense. Also, solid rushing teams eat up clock and limit the offensive chances of their opponents. Ahhh, yes, poetry in motion.

Similar to strong defensive play, you have to go with history and returning talent on this one. My guess on who will have the strong offensive lines this year would have to include the usual suspects, Auburn, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, as well as Arkansas and LSU

Talent: My perception is that there is very little difference in the talent at each of the top six programs in the SEC (Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, LSU, and Tennessee). However, each year the starters that a particular school has will be better than others. Take Auburn in 2004, Tennessee when Peyton was there, or LSU in 2003. Those schools had plenty of talent on both sides of the ball, guys that now play in the NFL. And make no mistake special talents like Peyton, Shaun Alexander, David Pollack, and Cadillac Williams make the difference between getting to and winning in Atlanta.

Who has the best talent this year? This is probably the toughest item to predict because again there is little difference in the top 6 teams. I would argue that Tennessee and LSU have the most talent in their two deep. However, the other four are not far behind, and let’s not forget that Arkansas has Darren McFadden who will probably be selected in the first round in April.

Coaching: Whether the coach is a CEO type or an X’s and O’s type, great coaches make a lot of the other things on this list irrelevant. And one has to include the assistant coaches in this as well. The best case recently was Auburn in 2004. The year before with essentially the same players, Auburn’s offense was atrocious. One year later with a new offensive coordinator, they looked like the second coming of Coryell’s San Diego teams. Coaches develop schemes and call plays and alignments. Coaches get players ready to play.

So who has the best coaches in the SEC? If you went with head coaches, you have to put Spurrier at the top of the list, followed by a close group of Fulmer, Tuberville, and Richt. It is a little early to say how Miles and Meyer will stack up.

If you go with coaching staffs, I think Auburn and Georgia are perhaps the strongest, followed closely by Tennessee, and Alabama. Again, it’s too early to tell on Florida and LSU.

Schedule: Away games in the SEC are a precarious proposition. Even playing a clearly inferior opponent in their home stadium can be dangerous at times. Too many tough away games can ruin an otherwise promising season. LSU last year had most of their toughest games at home, Tennessee, Auburn, Florida, and Arkansas. Likewise Georgia played a very nice home schedule with South Carolina, Arkansas, and Auburn making visits to Athens.

This year, the favorable schedules belong to Auburn (LSU, Arkansas, Florida, and Georgia), Arkansas (Alabama, Tennessee, and LSU), and Tennessee (Florida, Alabama, and LSU). Florida and Georgia are a mixed bag. Georgia splits its tough games between being home and away. Florida has three tough games at home or at a neutral site (LSU, Alabama, and Georgia), but plays Alabama, LSU, Auburn, and Georgia during a five week stretch.

Luck: Who can forget Clint Stoener’s fumble against Tennessee in 1998? Alabama’s screen pass in the closing seconds of the 1997 Iron Bowl that put Auburn into the Championship game? Or how about LSU and Auburn trading kicking luck last year and in 2004? LSU committing a penalty to give Auburn another try at an extra point in 2004 and Auburn missing four (or was it five, I hate kickers) field goals last year.

A little luck makes the difference. Of course, in each case the team who received the lucky bounce had to make something out of it to win the game. So luck is great, but great teams make the most of their chances.

Who will get the big breaks this year?


PREDICTIONS!!!!! OOOHHHHH…….AAHHHH!!!!! SHINY!

Championship Game Contenders: Auburn, LSU, Florida, and Tennessee
Close to Atlanta, but Just Shy: Arkansas, Georgia, and South Carolina
Bowl Game: Alabama, Kentucky, and Ole Miss
At Home for the Holidays: Mississippi State and Vanderbilt

First power poll up tomorrow, stay tuned...

SEC PREVIEW: Alabama

What an Alabama Fan Thinks: “BAMA’S BACK BABY…..BAMA’S BACK. We win the National Title this year. 12-0. Hell Yeah!!!! Roll Tide!!!!!!”

What an Auburn Fan Thinks: “Fear the Thumb. Too bad Brodie can’t come back so we can sack his candy ass again. In all honesty, they will be middle of the road. Well, that is assuming they can repair that lovely little offensive line of theirs. Sure the defense will be fine, but come on all someone has to do is put up 21 points and they will lose.”

What Do I Think?: After rolling off nine straight wins last year, the Tide lost at home to LSU and in Auburn to end the regular season. This season looks to be a rough patch for Alabama as they have lost Brodie Croyle and several defensive starters including DeMeco Ryans (MLB) and Freddie Roach (MLB). Plus, the top playmaker and speedster, Tryron Prothro, will likely not play the entire season (or at least a majority of it) as he recovers from the devastating broken ankle in the Florida game last year.

The loss of Croyle will hurt significantly. The offense was relatively punchless after Prothro went down and what little aerial fireworks there were came because of Croyle. Plus, a senior quarterback is naturally a leader on the field and Croyle certainly filled that role perfectly last year. Replacing him will be John Parker Wilson. Wilson is obviously a step down from Croyle. In fact his play is so poor that Tim Tebow would have started had he chose to attend Alabama. However, Wilson will simply have to hand the ball off and not make mistakes. Ken Darby returns and is probably the second best tailback in the SEC being McFadden (well okay, it’s a tie between he and Irons). Darby will have to run well because the offensive line will struggle much of the year again.

Defense is always the calling card of Alabama football teams. Expect this year to be no different. Yes, the linebackers and secondary face huge gaps in inexperience, but there is talent there and Joe Kines will orchestrate another miracle on the field and somehow make the defense respectable. He honestly is the only thing allowing Mike Shula to keep his job.

This Alabama team will be the least talented and experienced of the Shula’s three previous teams. The only thing that will help is the schedule which features five very winnable games. I am probably understating the challenge that Hawaii will pose to that young defense, but I think the Tide will prevail. I put Arkansas and Auburn as coin tosses because Alabama gets both teams at home. To be honest, there is a lot of motivation there to beat Auburn and it could happen. In the end, though I’ll say that the Tide will win the games they are supposed to win and lose the games they are supposed to lose. A very pedestrian seven wins.

Easily Win: Louisiana-Monore, Duke, Vanderbilt, Florida International, and Mississippi State
Should Win: Hawaii and Ole Miss
Coin Toss: Arkansas and Auburn
Might Lose: Florida, Tennessee, and LSU
Will Lose: None

Alabama Factoid You May Not Have Known: Obviously, Bear Bryant is the most significant coach in Alabama’s history. He is one of the greatest coaches in the history of college football. He accounts for 30% of Alabama’s 774 victories (not counting bowl games). The next closest coach is Frank Thomas with 15%. How big has the dropoff been since Bryant left the head job? There have been 23 seasons (280 games) of Tide football since Bryant’s last game. While Bryant coached in 25 seasons, he coached in a total of 287 games (not counting bowl games) and had a winning percentage of 0.808. Since then, the seven head coaches have compiled a 0.646 winning percentage. Consider this, if Bryant had remained coaching at Alabama up through last year (I will give you that he would be 93, but this is just fantasy anyway) and kept that winning percentage, Alabama would have 45.3 more victories. Rounding down to 45 more means they would sit at number two, behind Michigan, with 819 total program victories. Plus, they wouldn’t have lost four straight to Auburn (cheap shot, I know).

SEC PREVIEW: Arkansas

What an Arkansas Fan Thinks: “Let’s just say that Phil Steele likes us. I don’t know we might be okay. We are taking a wait and see approach. Let’s just worry about beating Southern Cal, we have a little payback for that raping we got last year. If I have to put something done, I’ll say nine wins.”

What a LSU Fan Thinks: “Come on the Piggies aren’t going to do squat. They have a high school coach running their offense and a Nutt coaching them. I don’t care what Phil Steele says, they win eight, no more.”

What Do I Think?: When a guy like Phil Steele touts you as the one of his surprise teams, you tend to poke your head above the murky water that is the ocean of the SEC. Consider me a skeptic. Ask yourself this question, other than the most returning starters in the conference (from a team that went 4-7 last year, no less) what has anyone leaning towards Arkansas other than Phil Steele’s prediction? Could they be good? Sure. Houston Nutt is known for getting a lot out of his players, but a look at the history makes one wonder a little bit. Prior to Matt Jones’ arrival at Arkansas, Nutt’s teams (three years) had a winning percentage of 0.638. With Matt Jones’ at quarterback, the winning percentage was 0.789. Jones’ was a special talent and continually caused problems for teams when they played Arkansas. In fact, Texas reminded me of a much more talented Arkansas team last year. Both teams featured an offensive attack with a dynamic quarterback that caused defenses to really focus on him and thus allowed a lot of open space for the tailbacks.

This year seems to be a little different. Don’t get me wrong, Arkansas will be incredible on the line and with McFadden, the running game will be dynamite. I just have some questions about the ability of a high school coach to make a big jump straight to college. I will allow that Malzahn is new and different offensive ideas tend to produce results in the SEC (see Spurrier and, to a much lesser degree, Borges), a conference heavily weighted towards the defensive side of the ball.

Speaking of defense, I like what the Razorbacks have. They really should be pretty solid upfront with mammoth tackles Harrison and Jackson. The advantage of the entire defense is experience. There is only one sophomore projected to start. The rest are juniors and seniors and nine are returning starters.

Overall, I’m in a holding pattern on Arkansas. I like what they have on paper, but I have questions on their ability to jump to the level of an Auburn or LSU. They really are a mystery and if it wasn’t for Mr. Steele’s prediction, then the Razorbacks might truly be a surprise team. I’ll say nine wins with a caveat that I want to see them play for a few weeks.

Easily Win: Southeast Missouri State and Louisiana-Monore
Should Win: Utah State, Vanderbilt, Alabama, Ole Miss, and Mississippi State
Coin Toss: Southern California, Tennessee, LSU
Might Lose: Auburn and South Carolina
Will Lose: None

Arkansas Factoid You May Not Have Known: The most widely implemented automated mail sorting equipment in the world - the Wide Area Bar Code Reader - was developed by researchers in the University of Arkansas College of Engineering. A $50,000 grant from the U.S. Postal Service to Professors Dwight F. Mix and J.E. Bass in 1989 began the research and development effort. By 1999, more than 15,000 University of Arkansas bar code readers were located in every major USPS facility, increasing the efficiency of processing 20 billion pieces of mail a year at a savings of $200 million. This R&D effort has spawned four additional electronic systems to help the USPS "read the mail."

IT'S COUGAR WEEK!!!!!!

If she plays will Kenny and David be distracted?

SEC PREVIEW: Auburn

What an Auburn Fan Thinks: “They can’t deny us this year. We will be partying in Phoenix. That’s right I said it, we are the best, #1, we will the national title this year. 12-0.”

What an Alabama Fan Thinks: “Good God, I hate that damn cow college. The barners’ll be lucky to win six games. Oh, I got your thumb right here too. ROLLLLLLLLLLLLL TIDE!!!!!!”

What Do I Think?: What to make of this team? I would say that Auburn is strong at running back, quarterback, and defensive back. Not as weak as some would have you think at offensive line. Weaker than probably is healthy at defensive line and linebacker. And very mysterious at receiver. Wow. Put that all together and what do you get?

I know that Auburn has to replace two offensive tackles, but they seem to plug new guys in and just keep going. This is probably due to the fact that they have one of the better offensive line coaches in the country. Hugh Nall was not a capable offensive coordinator, but he is worth every bit of money that he earns due to what he accomplishes with the offensive line. I really don’t have much indigestion about the offensive line.

The defensive line is another issue altogether. Actually, the entire front seven is an issue to me. There is talent abound at the defensive line and linebacker positions. Although a number of the starters this year lack experience, they were in the rotation last year. No, my concern comes down to something that is structural with Tuberville’s defenses. Auburn’s defense prizes speed and speed is great, but it means that you lack size where you need it the most. It is difficult to see any of the defensive lineman and linebackers that will start at Auburn making it at those positions in the NFL because they are too small. This size issue comes to the forefront in games where Auburn is matched up with a team that makes a determined effort to run straight at the defense and use the size of the offensive line to overpower the weaker defensive line. Of course Tuberville and Will Muschamp know this and they counter by using a variety of stunts to confuse the offense. However, what is not being give enough attention is the role Auburn’s offense plays in the entire equation. The defense's success is highly dependent on how many points the offense is able to generate. I'll admit I'm drawing conclusions from circumstantial evidence.

What is that evidence you ask? Well, Auburn’s speedy defense doesn’t have to stop the run if the offense is likely to be up 14 or 21 by halftime. In 2004, Auburn trailed only 5 quarters the entire year. Often Auburn was up 14 before the end of the first quarter. LSU was able to stop Auburn and was clearly the best team the Tigers faced that year. However, Alabama and Tennessee (in the SEC Championship) got close by employing a solid defense and a strong running game. As I pointed out here, the Wisconsin game was what convinced me of this theory last year. Brandon Cox had a horrible football game and the offense stalled creating an opportunity for Wisconsin to play to a strength, power running game. By no means is this a closed case on the defensive philosophy of speed and neither is it particularly revolutionary. How will it play out this season? Well, if I knew that, I wouldn’t be writing this blog. There will be more on this topic as the year goes along.

But I digress, this year’s Auburn squad will rely on power running (what else is new?) and mistake free play from the quarterback. Combine that with a defense that should be solid but needs to improve its ability to capitalize on mistakes (see more turnovers) and you have a solid year. Is Auburn free of all question marks, nope, but neither is anyone else in the SEC. Tuberville’s teams have shown a propensity to play one WTF? game each year. The WTF? game is on that they have no business losing and seem lethargic in doing so. While they avoiding that malaise in 2004, in 2002 it was Arkansas, in 2003 it was Georgia Tech and Ole Miss, and last year it was Georgia Tech again. This year it is likely going to be Washington State or Alabama. Given that historical gem, I think Auburn will go 10-2 and make the championship game if they beat LSU in September.

Wow, I got through that without mentioning Will F'ing Herring. Now that is amazing.

Easily Win: Buffalo, Tulane, and Arkansas State
Should Win: Mississippi State and Ole Miss
Coin Toss: Washington State, South Carolina, Arkansas, and Alabama
Might Lose: LSU, Florida, and Georgia
Will Lose: None

Auburn Factoid You May Not Have Known: In the last three years, Auburn is 26-0 when scoring first and 5-8 when scoring second. You have to go back to 2001 to find a game where Auburn scored first and lost. It happened twice that year in losses to Arkansas and Syracuse.

SEC PREVIEW: Florida

What a Florida Fan Thinks: “Best team in the East. No problems this year. Tennessee can’t beat us, Georgia is too young and we always beat them. LSU and Auburn? Well, we probably split those. I’m think 11-1.”

What a Georgia Fan Thinks: “Keep talking. We will see what the little pansy that you have a quarterback does when Quentin Moses is breathing down his damn neck. I told you that Meyer’s spread wouldn’t work last year and it work this year either. If only D.J. had played in the Cocktail party, we would have steamrolled the Gaytors. I think they win 9, that schedule is miserable.”

What Do I Think?: Let’s look at why the Gators are highly thought of in the preseason. Urban Meyer, Chris Leak, entire receiving corps returns, Urban Meyer’s record in year two, and the defense. Okay, now, why are the Gators not picked higher? Chris Leak, spread offense, and a terrible offensive line.

First, I’m starting to really sour on Urban Meyer. It isn’t because I think the spread will never work in the SEC. I honestly think he is very innovative with his offensive play calling and has learned that the true spread is not an effective offense against the speedy defenses that abound in the SEC. My main problem with Meyer is he comes off as more cheerleader than coach. I know that is interesting commentary coming from a guy whose alma mater employs a head coach that treats Xs and Os like Superman treats kryptonite, but I’m saying it nonetheless. Meyer is beginning to remind me of Terry Bowden with the public displays of affection for his team. Can you really command respect and attention when you are showing motivational, feelgood movies about “champions?” Okay, maybe if you are Pete Carroll, but that stuff only works when you are winning and winning big. A couple of 8 win seasons and that type of crap starts to ring a little hollow. Then Coach Meyer will have to coach and what happens then. The only thing that keeps me from going totally over the fence is that the record speaks for itself, 48 wins and 11 losses. He keeps the alumni happy by winning at home a lot (27-2). That is a good way to keep your job. The guy has been untouchable, but he hasn’t been anywhere longer than two years. We shall see.

Of course, none of that has anything to do with this season. Honestly, the Gators will go as far as the offensive line takes them. With a solid defense, the offense will only need to put up 24 points per game and they will win 10 easy. However, putting up 24 a game is going to be tough if you can’t run the ball and every time your quarterback drops back he is getting snowed under.

As for Leak, I have given my thoughts about him previously. Others have chimed in with there thoughts (here and here). I have to agree with both Orson and Pat Forde, Leak has been a lot of hype and little payoff. However, I remember another guy who took big steps their last year when maybe the pressure of living up to the hype wasn’t as important as going out on top. Will that happen for Leak this year? That is up to him, but never underestimate a senior quarterback who has a lot of experience to fall back on. My only worry is that unlike Campbell, who took his big step due to the confidence boost provided by one Al Borges, Leak should have made that step last year with Meyer. I just wonder if a slight retooling of the offense won’t be just the thing to give Leak that push.

Finally, with regard to the schedule, is it tough? Sure, ridiculously tough. It is the reason Florida will have one or two more losses than they should this year. But I have a hard time saying a good team will fail because it plays a tough schedule. If they can make it to the Vanderbilt game with two losses, they will win the East. I think they do it, I’m saying 10-2.

Easily Win: Western Carolina and Kentucky
Should Win: Southern Miss, UCF, Vanderbilt
Coin Toss: Alabama, South Carolina, and Florida State
Might Lose: Tennessee, LSU, Auburn, Georgia
Will Lose: None

Florida Factoid You May Not Have Known: Florida is 0-5-1 against the spread in their last six games with Alabama.

SEC PREVIEW: Georgia

What a Georgia Fan Thinks: “We have the best coach, the best stadium, the best women. Honestly, it’s going to be tough. Whether Tereshinski or Stafford is starting, it will be a little rough. But we should win the East. I mean no one thought Shockley was going to do well and look what Richt did with him.”

What a Florida Fan Thinks: “Damn rednecks. Bark like a dog. Bark like a dog. Idiots. They don’t have a quarterback and offensive line, sure the defense will be okay, but there’s no way they beat us and Tennessee. No way.”

What Do I Think?: There are a lot of question marks on the offensive and defensive lines as Georgia will have to replace four offensive linemen and three defensive lineman. The Dawgs also have to replace three NFL caliber defensive backs. Oh and there is that little problem of replacing the Co-First Team All-SEC quarterback.

I certainly don’t think that Tereshinski is as terrible as he looked against Florida last year, but he is nowhere near as good as Shockley and Stafford is a project. As I said earlier, I think Tereshinski is the guy.

The one good thing for Georgia is that the road schedule is pretty light. Other than South Carolina and Auburn, there are no tough games on the road. Obviously, the World’s Largest Cocktail Party (screw you Michael Adams) is at a neutral site.

Georgia's biggest problem will be the same thing that plagues most young, inexperienced teams, consistency. They will play like world beaters one week and terrible the next. This means they will beat someone they aren’t supposed to beat (are you listening Florida and Auburn?) and lose to someone they have no business losing to like Colorado or Georgia Tech. However, Mark Richt is an outstanding coach and Georgia will make progress throughout the year. I think they can win 8 to 9 games. If they win 10 or 11, Mark Richt has sold his soul to the devil.

Easily Win: Western Kentucky, UAB, Vanderbilt, and Mississippi State
Should Win: Ole Miss and Kentucky,
Coin Toss: Colorado, Tennessee, and Georgia Tech
Might Lose: South Carolina, Florida, and Auburn
Will Lose: None

Georgia Factoid You May Not Have Known: The University of Georgia has the longest list of factoids or “Points of Pride” (as they call them) of any SEC school that I searched. Can you say Napoleonic complex?

I never saw this coming......

So the old scoreboard on the north endzone has been changed. We now have the following:

Funny, I always thought The Birmingham News sponsored Alabama football.

Just Remember, Terry Bowden is an Idiot

" My daddy said...."

SEC PREVIEW: Kentucky

What a Kentucky Fan Thinks: “When does basketball season start? Seriously, when? We play football?”

What a Louisville Fan Thinks: “Are you really asking me this question? I have no idea and I don’t care. Maybe 2 wins. Now, basketball season is a different story. Kentucky can actually stay in the gym with us, but football? Not really close.”

What Do I Think?: Wow, what can really be said. If they make it to a bowl game, I would be somewhat shocked. The biggest question is can Rich Brooks keep his job.

The Wildcats have decent talent at quarterback and running back. Andre Woodson had a pretty good season last year, given the talent surrounding him, and Rafael Little has excellent speed in the backfield. Last year, Kentucky lost a number of offensive linemen and had to play three true freshmen that were redshirting. So, one would think Kentucky will see some improvement on the line, which will help the offense.

A common sight for Rafael Little

Defensively, they will return five of their top six linebackers from last year, but none of the defensive line starters. The line might be more talented than last year, but definitely less experienced. They will need to reduce their 34.1 points per game average this year if they want to make it to a bowl game.

Kentucky has a tough road schedule with trips to Tennessee, LSU, and Florida. The home schedule features manageable games against Texas State, ULM, Central Michigan, Ole Miss, and Vanderbilt. This may be the only thing that saves Rich Brooks’ job this year. I’lll go ahead and say they win 5 games. I might be stretching it, but I’m feeling generous.

Easily Win: Texas State
Should Win: University of Louisiana – Monroe
Coin Toss: Central Michigan, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, and Vanderbilt
Might Lose: None
Will Lose: Louisville, Florida, South Carolina, LSU, Georgia, and Tennessee

Kentucky Factoid You May Not Have Known: Although known throughout the world for its thoughbred horses, the state of Kentucky does not have a school of veterinary medicine.

SEC PREVIEW: Louisiana State University

What an LSU Fan Thinks: “We gonna win de *&#@*$# SEC championship dis year, brah. De got all dem great players, cher. I tell ya, brah, de are going to do it dis year, jus like ’03. LSU – National Champs. If not, we firin’ da coach, brah. 14 and 0. Geaux Tigers!!!!!!”

What an Auburn Fan Thinks: “LSWho? Freaking corn-dog smelling coon-asses. Look, there is no way they make it through Auburn, Florida, Tennesse, and Arkansas with less than 2 losses. You throw in a stinker at home, because they always lose at least one embarrassing game at home, and you are looking at 9 wins. LSWho Sux.”

I hate kickers!!!!!!!!

What Do I Think?: First off, I think the supposed quarterback controversy is bunk. There is no controversy, JaMarcus Russell will be the starter and Matt Flynn will be the backup. The best players play and Russell has the most talent. That isn’t a knock on Flynn, he is talented as well and would start at just about any other school. Russell’s problem is that he makes a lot of mental errors, but this will be his third year starting, so you would expect his decision making to improve. If it doesn’t then there could be an issue because Flynn has shown that he is more than capable of leading the team.

There is an abundance of talent on the field. Offensively, the running back position will be improved with the return of Alley Broussard. Additionally, the receivers should be strong with guys like Craig Davis, Dwayne Bowe, and Early Doucet on the field. I love LSU’s linebacking corps and defensive secondary even though the linebackers are a little inexperienced. The problem comes on both lines. LSU has to replace three offensive line starters and the entire defensive line. I contend that line play is the most important facet of football, so LSU has a tough task, one made tougher by the fact that the most important game of the season is the third game of the year.

Speaking of the third game, a lot is being made of LSU’s schedule, particularly the four tough away games (Auburn, Arkansas, Florida, and Tennessee), but the rest of the schedule is winnable. It is very likely that LSU will go 2-2 on those four road games, but the key for their season will be who the wins are against and who the losses are against. Wins over Auburn and Arkansas will get LSU to the championship in Atlanta. In fact, a win over Auburn will probably get them there. But losses to either one or both will really hinder LSU’s ability to make it to Atlanta. As I pointed out earlier, I think the Auburn game is the most important game on LSU’s schedule and quite honestly, the game could go either way. The home team has won 6 in a row, so I guess Auburn has the leg up, but that doesn’t mean that a win by LSU would be a huge surprise. Given that, I will give LSU 10 wins this year.

Easily Win: Louisiana-Lafayette, Tulane, Kentucky, and Mississippi State
Should Win: Arizona, Alabama, Fresno State, and Ole Miss
Coin Toss: Tennessee and Arkansas
Might Lose: Auburn and Florida
Will Lose: None

LSU Factoid You May Not Have Known: Baton Rouge was the site of the only battle fought outside of the 13 original colonies during the American revolution. On September 21, 1779, forces friendly to the American side captured Baton Rouge from the British.

Can we just start playing, please?

Kudos to ESPN (did I just write those words?), for putting some ideas out there for people to debate. The question, which is better College Football or the NFL?

First Ivan Maisel, gives 20 reasons why college is better the pro. I can’t say I disagree with any of his points. Tradition and passion make college football great. The quality of play and lack of a true champion are the most irritating things about college football. Let’s face it, when you tune into a college game, you are likely to end up watching a blowout. With an NFL game, you are going to get a good quality game that isn’t decided until the fourth quarter.

Len Pasquarelli’s defense of the NFL is open to more attack. Yes, the playoffs are much better than college football bowl games. However, does Len really think that mascots are better in the NFL? And his attack on the fact that no college announcers have signature catch phrases is just an embarrassment to journalism. Hey Len, ever heard “It’s football time in Tennessee” or “Toooooouchdoownnnn Auburn!!!!” or “Give him six.” Plus, does anyone even listen to NFL games on the radio?

Pat Forde does a nice job summarizing the arguments and presenting a scorecard. I have to agree with most of his points. In the end, I enjoy watching the pro game on television more than watching college. However, nothing compares to being at a college football game in person. The atmosphere, the passion of the crowd, the sweet smell of whiskey and coke…..ahhh, heaven.

SEC PREVIEW: Ole Miss

What an Ole Miss Fan Thinks: “Well, the Grove is the greatest college tailgating experience of all-time, the women are drop-dead gorgeous, and we got freakin’ John Grisham livin’ in this damn town. How much better can it be? Oh, that’s right, we have The Orgeron and now we have Brent Schaffer. Defense? Two words: Patrick Willis…..Professional Badass. Okay that is four, but that guy is a monster. With some tough games scattered between home and away, we might have a decent shot at 8 or 9 wins.”

What a Mississippi State Fan Thinks: “Damn uppity bastards. Who cares if they win 10 games or 4 games as long as they lose on November 25th. I say they win 5 games.”

What Do I Think?: There is no doubt that Orgeron has recruited a lot of talent into this program and Schaffer is a great catch as he is an immediate upgrade on offense. I just wonder how quickly he will be able to grasp the system that Dan Werner is installing. Of course, if the line and running backs are on the same page, Schaffer may not have to worry about much except handing the ball of and not making mistakes. I do think Schaffer’s ability to use his feet will help make the offense a little more diverse than it was last year. However, look for a struggle early on from the offense because of Schaffer’s late arrival and 3 new starters on the offensive line. The defense will be lead by Willis who is deserving of all the hype he gets and more. The guy is a beast who flies to the football and has the ability to shed blockers with aplomb. If he played for a top 5 team, he would win the Lombardi award and he will be a 1st rounder in the spring. I’m not 100% sold on the secondary or the defensive lines due to youth, but the linebacking corps will be solid and should allow Orgeron to take chances up front and in the defensive backfield. All in all, they will pull an upset or two. I give the Rebels a good shot at 7 wins and a bowl game.

Easily Win: Northwestern State
Should Win: Vanderbilt, Kentucky, and Mississippi State
Coin Toss: Memphis, Missouri, and Wake Forest
Might Lose: Auburn and Georgia
Will Lose: Alabama, Arkansas, and LSU

Ole Miss Factoid You May Not Have Known: Blues lovers take note, Ole Miss is home to the country’s largest blues archive. Had I known that I might have transferred.

The NCAA Hypocritical? Never.

News broke yesterday that Dwayne Jarrett will be reinstated for this season after an investigation into the “living arrangement” that he had with former teammate Matt Leinart. You remember the particulars, Jarrett and Leinart lived in a $4000 a month apartment and only paid $600 a month with Leinart’s dad making up the difference for the two of them.

Well, the NCAA is fine with this whole thing because, you know, Jarrett didn’t really know that it was a problem and had he known, he would have moved.

"Mr. Jarrett made a mistake, and we believe that had he known he was required to pay his full share of the rent for the apartment, he would not have chosen to live there," Jennifer Strawley, CAA director of membership services and student-athlete reinstatement, said in a statement.

Uhhh, yeah right. How is this not a defense for just about any violation? Take Rhett Bomar’s situation. He didn’t work, but let’s say he did. He could easily have worked 5 hours a week, made $18,000 and then when the NCAA came calling said, “I wasn’t aware that there was a rule against obscene wages per hour. Had I known that, I wouldn’t have taken the job.”

Like always, a freaking cop-out by the NCAA. Oh, and irony upon irony, what was the total amount of benefit that the NCAA determined Jarrett received due to his “arrangement?” $18,001.

SEC PREVIEW: Mississippi State

Continuing on our tour of the SEC (in reverse alphabetical order, mind you), we focus today on the school that gives cow colleges a bad name, Mississippi State.

And they call Auburn "Cow College"

What an Ole Miss Fan Thinks: “Did you know that Brent Schaffer is eligible? Those damn rednecks in Starkville have nothin’ on us. We are Ole Miss, our shit doesn’t stink. Croom might get them to 3 wins this year, but they don’t win the Egg Bowl. Hoddy Toddy…”

What a Mississippi State Fan Thinks: “Could we please get to 0.500 this year? Just something respectable. Something we can hang our hats on. We aren’t asking for much, just a few wins. Oh and to beat Ole Sis. Maybe 6 wins? Please.”

What Do I Think: I really don’t see much improvement for this team. They have to replace Jerious Norwood on offense and Willie Evans on defense. They do return quite a few starters and should be respectable on defense, including at linebacker where Quinton Culberson and Gabe O’Neal are two studs. I just don’t know that they will have enough offense to keep up with some of the powerhouses. And the schedule doesn't favor them in their toss up games. However, they play very disciplined and should not be taken lightly. I give Croom and his troops 4 wins and that is being a little nice.

Easily Win: None
Should Win: Tulane and Jacksonville State
Coin Toss: UAB and Kentucky
Might Lose: Alabama (I’m stretching) and Mississippi
Will Lose: South Carolina, Auburn, LSU, West Virginia, Georgia, and Arkansas

Mississippi State Factoid You May Not Have Known: Johnny Cash was arrested for public drunkenness in Starkville, which was the inspiration for his song “Starkville City Jail.” Getting drunk in Starkville. Who would have thought that? I guess he couldn’t get a ticket to any of numerous cultural attractions in Starkvegas.

Myles Brand: "They will rue the day......."

In a landmark decision by collegiate sports' governing body, the NCAA has decided to ban automobile dealerships within 100 miles of any college campus in America. "Given the situation that developed at Oklahoma with Rhett Bomar, the member institutions can no longer tolerate the kind of renegade behavior that occurs at these so-called places of business," said Myles Brand, President of the NCAA, in a statement this afternoon.

Earlier this week it was revealed that Rhett Bomar, the probable starting quarterback for the University of Oklahoma Sooners, was paid $18,000 for working at Big Red Sports and Imports. Bomar and J.D. Quinn, an offensive lineman for the Sooners who also was employed by the dealership, were found to have only worked 5 hours per week while being paid for 40 hours. Both Bomar and Quinn were dismissed from the team.*

The ruling will likely end the practice of summer jobs for football players at car dealerships. When asked about the possible consequences for a school not complying with the ruling, Mr. Brand responded, "Two words, Death Penalty. I'm not afraid to come down hard on Southwestern Oklahoma State University or Northeastern Oklahoma A&M University. This is a serious ruling. Schools should be aware that we will have no mercy."

The ties between car dealerships and big time university athletics are legendary. Several universities have come under scrutiny for the numbers of athletes that are employed by car dealerships. Typically, the jobs these athletes have involve washing cars, running paperwork, or hanging out in the parts department smoking weed.

John David Wallings, a quarterback for East Texas Technical University, puts the jobs into perspective. "The job is pretty tough. I mean it's not easy putting in a solid ten hours every week. They only pay me $85 an hour. That's nothing. That doesn't even cover one night of partying during the summer."

Only one coach would comment on the record for this story. "As long as they don't rule against athletes driving cars, I don't have a problem with it [the ruling]," said Jim Tressel, head coach at Ohio State University.

-Contributing to this report were James Rittenburg in Indianapolis, Molly Williams in Norman, and Norm Clunky in Columbus. Pete Thamel was busy investigating whether the Wal-Mart in Auburn, Alabama is giving extra ham to Auburn football players when they get cut lunchmeat at the deli counter.

*The only true paragraph of this post.

Tri-Nations Update

Australia and South Africa face off tomorrow in Sydney (technically I guess today in Sydney) in a rematch of the manhood-robbing 49-0 smackdown of the Springboks by Australia roughly 3 weeks ago. With New Zealand looking like they are going to run away with the Tri-Nations, the only real drama left is whether the Springboks will get a point in the standings. Plant Rugby has a preview. If you want to watch, you need to set the TIVO, the match comes on at 5:30 am Eastern.

SEC PREVIEW: South Carolina

What a South Carolina Fan Thinks: “We got the Ol Ball Coach, we got Mitchell, we got Rice, we’re going to Atlanta. Our defense? We got Tyron Nix. Whatever, who cares about defense. You don’t need defense when you got Spurrier. We’re looking at 9 wins easy.”

What a Clemson Fan Thinks: “13-9….13-9. That’s all I got to say, baby. Nine points is all the Evil One could put up on us last year and we’re better this year. Just remember, nine points. Man, the Little Cocks go 6-6 this year. Maybe 7-5.”

What Do I Think: Any team that has Steve Spurrier as its coach is dangerous. Another year with The Visored One can only help Blake Mitchell. Plus, Sidney Rice is sick. I do have serious concerns about how South Carolina improves its defense. When the Gamecocks come up against a team that can rush the ball and control the clock they have serious issues. Primarily because the offense, their best weapon, isn’t on the field. Honestly, the only thing that keeps them above 0.500 is that they play no one on the road. Their SEC road games consist of Mississippi State, Kentucky, Vanderbilt, and Florida. Other than Florida there are three definite wins there. They have Georgia, Auburn, Tennessee, and Arkansas coming to Colombia. One of those four will get surprised and the Gamecocks finish with 7 to 8 wins.

Easily Win: Florida Atlantic, Mississippi State, Middle Tennessee, Vanderbilt, and Wofford
Should Win: Kentucky
Coin Toss: Clemson
Might Lose: Arkansas, Auburn, Georgia, and Tennessee
Will Lose: Florida

South Carolina Factoid You May Not Have Known: The credentials on Spurrier are obscene, a 0.765 winning percentage in college, an overall winning record with every team he has coached except for the Redskins, and the only current SEC coach to hold a winning record against every SEC school. However, Spurrier is 6-7 in bowl games.

SEC PREVIEW: Tennessee

What a Tennessee Fan Thinks: “I wonder if she is legal. Anyhow, the Vols? The Vols will win the SEC. We will be 11-1 with our one loss coming against……Georgia. Dang I hate those bastards. But we just ain’t got the sperience to hang with ‘em on the road. GO VOLS!!!!!!!”

What an Alabama Fan Thinks: “When will that fat piece of crap get fired? Look, they are going to be good, okay. Yeah, I said it. They will be decent. Not as great as if they were coached by the Bear, but decent. I give ‘em four losses to Florida, Georgia, LSU, and Alabama. ROLL TIDE!!!!”

What Do I Think: Tennessee’s #1 problem has been selfish, undisciplined play. Well, okay add to that mind numbingly poor play calling from Randy Sanders. The addition of David Cutcliffe should make a huge difference for Erik Ainge. Will it solve all of Ainge’s problems, not likely, but I think he will show significant improvement. Plus, I think Fulmer trusts Cutcliffe more than he trusted Sanders and will let the leash out a little bit. The way the team plays is where the difference will be made for this season. Tennessee has to get away from the offsides penalties and other stupid mistakes that plague them if they are to make significant improvement over last year. The defense should be strong again as John Chavous just knows all the right buttons to push. I’m thinking 9 to 10 wins, but beware if they are still racking up tons of penalties early in the season.

Easily Win: Air Force, Kentucky, Marshall, and Vanderbilt
Should Win: Alabama and Memphis
Coin Toss: Arkansas, California, and South Carolina
Might Lose: Florida and Georgia
Will Lose: LSU

Tennessee Factoid You May Not Have Known: The annual average temperature in Knoxville is 60 degrees Fahrenheit.

College Football Schedule

No, not the annoying one in Excel with the helmets that everyone forwards around on email. This one shows what games will be on TV each week. Enjoy the perusing. (HT: Deadspin)

SEC PREVIEW: Vanderbilt

Unlike most previews, I'm not going in order of expected finish or alphabetically. Nope, I'm going crazy on your ass, reverse alphabetically. First up, Vanderbilt.

What a Vandy Fan Thinks: “How many Tennessee fans will I fire when I’m the CEO of this company?” No, seriously. “Well, we have to replace Jay, but we return 40 lettermen and 12 starters. We could be decent, maybe 6-6.”

What a Tennessee Fan Thinks: “Please don’t ask me how we lost to Vandy. Please don’t ask me how we lost to Vandy. Oh, they will be shitty again. They lost the best quarterback they have ever had. I’m thinking 2-10.”

What Do I Think: Let’s face it they won’t come close to 0.500. There is no way. They lost the best offensive talent they have had in the modern history of the school. Look at how much Ole Miss dropped off when they lost Eli and they had decent SEC caliber talent on their team. Plus, they have only won 9 SEC games in the last 10 years and only have one winning SEC record in 45 years. I’m thinking 3 to 4 wins.

Easily Win: None, its Vandy.
Should Win: Tennessee State, Temple, and Duke
Could Win: Kentucky
Might Lose: Ole Miss
Will Lose: Michigan, Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, South Carolina, Florida, and Tennessee

Vanderbilt Factoid You May Not Have Known: Robert Penn Warren, author of All The Kings Men and the first US Poet Laurete, is a Vanderbilt alumnus.

Nick Saban is Deranged

I can accept not eating with the President, but not playing Augusta because of football practice? That is just lunacy.

The State Fishwrapper

This is why I loath journalists and newspapers. They put out birdcage lining material like this crap. I mean football season is about to start. This isn't June, there are real stories out there. But, the good folks at The State (Colombia's daily newspaper) decided to trash our minds with this garbage.

My thoughts, because I know you want to know.

1. Can the Gamecocks win the SEC East? Sure they will certainly improve on last year's record. The schedule is favorable. They return quite a few starters including Blake Mitchell and Sidney Rice. Oh and they have the best coach in the league.
2. I love this storyline. People, put down the Ole Miss Kool-Aid Who cares if Brent Schaffer shows up at Ole Miss or not. IT'S FREAKIN' OLE MISS!!!!!!!!! They will improve. Heck, they might even beat someone they shouldn't and get to a bowl game. However, Brent Schaffer is about as important to the overall SEC Championship race as he is to the Middle East conflict. Uh oh, I just made The Orgeron mad, postings will be light for a few days while I relocate to a mud hut in Tanzania.
3. Another storyline that no one will remember come October. Well except for Alabama fans, who are now convinced that Auburn will be on probation next year. Granted, I have a bias, but is there another coach in America that is as good at being a politician than Tommy Tuberville? This is a non-story and The Teflon Coach will make it disappear by the third game of the season.
4. I can’t agree more. Phil Fulmer will not be fired this season. Well, unless he loses every single SEC game. And that will not happen. The most important thing for The Big Pumpkin is that his team is undisciplined and that falls directly on the coach. He needs to correct that to get the program back to a high level. Auburn fans see the Tennessee situation and breathe a huge sigh of relief because they know that this is what Auburn would have been under The Munchkin.
5. Okay, finally a question that actually relates to football. A very interesting question at that. Russell is going to be the starter. He is more talented than both Flynn and Perrilloux (damn Cajun names). And contrary to most fans’ opinions, the most talented guys play. Even at quarterback. Yes, it takes some brains to play quarterback, but this still isn’t Nuclear Physics. This will be the central question for Les Miles, how does he remain steadfastly behind Russell when he starts struggling and the LSU fans start voicing their opinion (calmly and rational, no doubt) that Flynn or Perrilloux starts or sees significant playing time. This is where a coach has to be confident in his and his assistant’s decisions. That is a scary thought for LSU fans because Miles has appeared anything but confident so far.
6. Again another interesting quarterback discussion, but one that is a little clearer. Stafford is the guy for the future. So, do you insert him early and let him struggle behind an entirely new offensive line? Or do you let Tereshinski get his playing time this year, with limited duty being given to Stafford? Hmm, what to do Mark Richt? Oh yeah, you have handled this before with David Greene and D.J. Shockley. Georgia fans, don’t sweat this. The most important thing is for the offensive line to play well and the defense to step up. Those two factors are more important to UGA’s success this year than who plays quarterback.
7. Unfortunately, this could be a real bummer for Alabama fans and really everyone in the SEC. This guy is a play maker and the fact that he may not play this year is a disappointment because the league needs playmakers like him. You hate to see a guy get injured and it would be even worse he comes back too early and gets hurt again. Tyrone Protho, do you want my opinion? Stay out the entire year until the Iron Bowl. Then try to beat Auburn and end that nasty little four game losing streak. If you do that, you don’t have to worry about walking ever again. You could live in Alabama and be carried around the entire time.
8. Let’s see, Arkansas has Darren McFadden who could make Adrian Peterson look like a wanna-be and people want to know if they will throw the football all over the place? Oh that’s right they have a Dick at quarterback and his backup is a true freshman. Come on, Houston Nutt is crazy, but not that crazy. I mean yeah he handed over the offensive reigns to a high-school football coach, but … well wait a minute. Actually, this is a good question, Coach Nutt are you crazy enough to believe a high-school football coach can design a passing scheme that will work against the conference with the best defensive talent and coaching in the country? That is a good question.
9. Another smokescreen from Florida backers. Let me explain this to you people in the easiest terms possible. Senior quarterbacks who have started for one or two years are a precious commodity. Tossing them aside is like throwing away good quality scotch because that new quince flavored vodka is all the rage. Is Leak a perfect fit for The Pope’s version of da Spread? No. Does he perform well under pressure or when he gets knocked down? Like most quarterbacks, nope. Does he have a solid arm and the experience of playing in the SEC? Yep. Case Closed.
10. Of all the absurd questions on this list, this is perhaps the most absurd. I can’t tell you who will win the SEC. I can’t tell you if the sun will rise tomorrow. But I can tell you that Vanderbilt will not have a better record this year than they did last year. Again, they had a senior quarterback last year. A guy who very well might be STARTING FOR THE BRONCOS THIS YEAR. No, not Boise State, the Denver Broncos. They play professional football in this thing called the NFL. Anyhow, look at what happens to solid programs when they lose a senior quarterback. Do you really think Vandy is going to be better than they were last year?

Well, there you have it, a breakdown of everything that is important to the SEC race this fall. Uhh, yeah. Stay tuned, team-by-team previews should be posted over the next few days.