Woe is Georgia, South Carolina

   Florida was the sole league winner in the three SEC vs. ACC instate rivalry games.

   Georgia, ranked No. 1 nationally to start the season, did not even wind up No. 1 in its state. Georgia Tech beat the Dawgs 45-42 on Saturday with only one complete pass.

   Its option offense befuddled the Bulldogs, who had two weeks to prepare but looked as if they'd spent two minutes learning the intricacies. Because Georgia's defense seemed helpless during all three losses this season, coach Mark Richt must think long and hard about replacing defensive coordinator Willie Martinez.

   Should Martinez be fired?

   How would you sum up Georgia's 9-3 season?

   South Carolina, with Hall of Fame coach Steve Spurrier, couldn't outfox Clemson interim Dabo Swinney, whose chances of full-time status was uncertain . . . until the Tigers' 31-14 trouncing Saturday.

   The Gamecocks' offensive master went through 12 games, five of them setbacks, without developing a quarterback. The loss in the finale gives Clemson a leg up on statewide recruiting battles.

   Has Spurrier lost his touch?

    

Rain May Make Saturday Predictions All Wet

   Predicted rain across the Southeast on the final Saturday of the regular season could impact games to different degrees.

   --For No. 1, Alabama, its power running game should not be thrown off against Auburn. The Tigers' only winning scenario is a 17-14 type of game, but they would have trouble hitting that total under sunny skies. Weather edge to Alabama.

   Worried, Crimson Tide fans?

   --For Tennessee, showers could put a damper on Philip Fulmer Appreciation Day and help Kentucky, which can get off the bowl fence with a victory.

   Now, for the three intrastate rival games:

   --Georgia Tech, which hardly ever passes, could benefit the most. The Yellow Jackets, who employ a post-modern wishbone offense, would welcome a slippery field against Georgia, which throws the 'skin extremely well.

   --Multi-faceted Florida is unlikely to be affected by any inclement weather, short of a blizzard. That won't happen in Tallahassee against Florida State.

  --With South Carolina, who knows? Steve Spurrier will X-and-O to the death to beat Clemson, but the Tigers have greater incentive assuming they want to remove the interim tag from coach Dabo Swinney.

    Which of the three SEC teams is most likely to stumble against their stately neighbors?

   Then there is the SEC-ACC brain bowl, Vanderbilt vs. Wake Forest. These are smart people, right? So they'll figure out how to cope with rainy conditions.

   One more thing: Can Florida climb higher than No. 2 with a butt-whipping of the Seminoles?

    

    

Take a (Short) Breath This Weekend

   The SEC schedule is absent a blockbuster, can't-miss (unless you have a hot date) game. But one is alluring and three others significant.

   --South Carolina's Steve Spurrier returns to the Swamp with a decent bunch whose sole loss in the last six games was to LSU. He will combat Florida's raucous crowds by alternating quarterbacks, allowing the ol' ball coach to convey the play on the sidelines.

   Some staggering statistics speak to Florida's dominance in its past five outings. Here's one you may not have heard: In the first quarters, it's the Gators 80, opponents zero.

   On the subject of stats, the Gamecocks boast the league's primo defense. For Florida, that will be a red cape being waved in front of a bull.

   Do the 'Cocks have a chance?

   --Surprise: Alabama has been whupped two straight by Miss'ippi State. In their past three encounters, the Crimson Tide is without an offensive touchdown. Bama has locked up the SEC West title, but a defeat would shatter its national title aspirations.

   Is there any way Bama can lose?

   --Georgia can push Auburn to the brink of getting shut out from the bowls. The Tigers would dip to 5-6, with Bama left on the schedule. Now that Phil Fulmer is toast Tommy Tuberville is the only SEC coach whose job hands in jeopardy. 

   Should Tuberville be replaced if the Tigers go 5-7, or even 6-6?

   --The prize to the Kentucky-Vanderbilt winner is bowl eligibility, though the loser will get another chance. Each plays Tennessee later.

   Meantime, the Volunteers are idle -- officially. It only seems that they have been the past several weeks.

   Excited about a no-loss Saturday, Vol fans?

   --    

Rank Observations: Difference of Opinion

   Musings about the latest ratings, out Sunday:  

 --The humans think more of Alabama than the computers. The Tide is rated first before flesh-and-blood voters, second in computer rankings behind Texas Tech.

   Agree with mankind or machine?

  --Florida is third, one spot above Texas, in the Associated Press, while in reverse order in the BCS poll. No matter who's ahead now, we could do a lot worse than see them 1-2, either way, after the season. What a scrumptious title game that would be. (But after my eyeballs popped out at the sight of Texas Tech's offense Saturday night, give me the Red Raiders in the BCS showdown.)

   Who would you put third?

    --Georgia remains much higher in the BCS (10th) than AP (13th) because computers factor in strength of schedule more than humans.

   Which is on the money with Georgia?

   --LSU remains in the top 20 in both despite three losses, which speaks to the SEC's strength.  

Dawgs-Cats: A Tasty Appetizer

   Rarely has SEC fandom soaked in two thrillas like Saturday's. The prelude to Alabama-LSU almost upstaged the main event, Georgia outgasping Kentucky 42-38. Some subplots:

   --Mohamed Massaquoi, Georgia's superb receiver, might have needed to be called off a ledge after two fumbles in the fourth quarter. But Matthew Stafford went right back at him for a 78-yarder that turned momentum the Dawgs' way. Nice to see Massaquoi redeem himself and Stafford to keep the faith.

  --Randall Cobb came to Kentucky with the promise that he'd compete for a quarterback role, a vow he could not extract from other schools. Primarily a receiver, he drew his second start behind center and played brilliantly until his last play . . . 

  --Defensive end DeMarcus Dobbs seemed to drop from the sky to intercept Cobb's screen pass and end the drama. Here's the amazing part: Dobbs was wearing casts on both arms.

   Six lead changes. A fourth-and-two incompletion by Cobb near the end that was negated by a Georgia face-mask penalty, just before the Dobbs' pick. Stafford throwing the game-winner to a receiver, A.J. Green, who was surrounded by four defenders.

   A classic, surely not forgotten even after Bama-LSU.

   Did you watch the fantastic finish, or switch over the the Tide-Tigers game?

   

    

High(est) Tide: Bama Rules

   The team that SEC media predicted would finish third in the SEC West? Today, it lords over America as the top-rated team in the BCS.

   Alabama has all but assured itself a gig in the national championship game if it can win out. The two other noted unbeatens, No. 2 Texas Tech and No. 3 Penn State, are unlikely to nose out the Tide if all three attain regular season perfection.

   In a year of dazzling offenses, concentrated in the Big 12, Bama is not wowing anyone. But its defense is lights-out and should only be tested twice more, Saturday at LSU and in the SEC title game, likely against Florida.

   The Gators' spanking of Georgia lifted them to No. 5, behind Texas, in the BCS. (The AP poll reverses that order.) Both teams are solidly in the BCS picture, especially with the Red Raiders' next three foes only slightly less scary than the Longhorns team they beat Saturday.

  Do you have any beef with the rankings?

   No. 14 Georgia and No. 15 LSU are hanging on by a fingernail for a BCS bowl appearance. The Tigers have the better chance because a win over Bama would hoist them in the poll.

   The guess here is that even a No. 1-rated Alabama would be an underdog against the Gators in Atlanta.

   What's your take on that potentially juicy matchup?  

Take Me Out To The Brawl-Game?

   So the schools in the Athens (Ga.) area shut down Friday in deference to the Georgia-Florida game.

   The next day.

   In another state.

   This is big, and we're not just talking school administrators' overreaction to a few absentees. Can you remember the last time an SEC game not involving an unbeaten team has generated such a build-up?

   Both have potent offenses, with the league's premier quarterbacks -- Tim Tebow and Matthew Stafford -- at the helm. (Which one would you prefer on your team?)

   Florida's defense is rated tops in the SEC despite starting no seniors, Georgia's not far behind.

   If that's not enough, there's the carryover from last year's controversial end zone dance by the Bulldogs after a touchdown. (Coach Mark Richt says he green-lighted it, but only for the 11 players on the field, not the entire roster.) Florida has not forgotten.

   By the way, these are the heaviest penalized teams in the league. Given the emotions, expect flags to fly about all day in Jacksonville.

   Do you anticipate "extracurricular activity," as the announcers say?

   It's tough to confidently pick a winner. (The gamblers are clear, supporting Florida as a 6 1/2-point favorite, which seems a bit high.)

   From our perspective, too close to call. Who's your winner?

   

    

    

Rating Non-League Schedules: And The Toughest Goes To ...

   With blather about BCS rankings soon to reach a crescendo, much of the debate deals with teams' schedules outside of their league. The degree of difficulty can be a make-or-break for school vying for big bowls.

   Though the season is far from over, many SEC schools have concluded their non-league agenda. So, let's rate each member's outside-the-family games, from easiest to hardest.

   12.) Kentucky: Louisville (good), Middle Tennessee (OK), Western Kentucky (just out of Division 1, formerly known as 1-AA), AA), Norfolk State (Division I). Too many creampuffs.

   11.) LSU: Troy (decent), Tulane (not), North Texas (maybe the weakest on the top level), Appalachian State (Div. 1, but a good one). Not a single stiff test in the bunch.

  10.) Alabama: Clemson (overrated at start of season), Tulane and Western Kentucky (see above), Arkansas State (weak). Sure miss the Bama-Southern Cal classics.

   9.) Ole Miss: Wake Forest (underachiever), Memphis (OK), Louisiana-Monroe (weak), Samford (Div. 1). The Deacons turned out not to be Demons.

   8.) Mississippi State: Georgia Tech (very good), Middle Tennessee (see above), Lousiana Tech (weak), Southeast Louisiana (Div. 1). Big drop-off after the Yellow Jackets.

   7.) Tennessee: UCLA (relative softie in BCS), Northern Illinois (OK), UAB and Wyoming (both pushovers). If not for these, Phil Fulmer might be gone already.

   6.) South Carolina: Clemson (disappointing), North Carolina State (ACC punching bag), UAB (weak), Wofford (Div. 1). Credit to Gamecocks for its par of ACC foes.

   5.) Auburn: West Virginia (very good), Southern Miss (weak), Louisiana-Monroe (weak), Tennessee-Martin (Div. 1). Big drop-off after the Mountaineers.

  4.) Georgia: Georgia Tech (very good), Arizona State (disappointing), Central Michigan (decent), Georgia Southern (Div. 1). When season kicked off, Bulldogs might have been No. 1.

   3.) Vanderbilt: Duke (ascending), Wake Forest (see above), Miami Ohio (weak), Rice (weaker). Credit to Commodores for two ACC schools, though one (Duke) unexpectedly tough.

   2.) Florida: Florida State and Miami (getting better), Hawaii (rebuilding), The Citadel (Div. 1). Two in-state rivalries always puts the Gators near the front.

   1.) Arkansas: Texas (doesn't get harder than this), unbeaten Tulsa (surprise!), Louisiana-Monroe (see above), Western Illinois (Div. 1). Splitting your non-league games is not good.

   Thoughts on the list? Have we overrated anyone? Underrated?

   Overall, it seems as if the SEC has gone soft. Hard to blame schools, given that the league schedule is such a gauntlet. Still, challenging non-conference matchups are few and far between.

   Agree? Or should SEC teams go the easy route?

 

   

And Then There Were Three (We Think)

   What do Alabama and Obama have in common, besides their similarity in name?

   Both are close enough to the prize to taste it.

   The Crimson Tide can clinch the West with a victory in its next league game. Won't be easy -- at LSU Nov. 8 -- but the Tigers are struggling ay quarterback and have allowed a 50-spot to Florida and Georgia.

   Is it in the bag for Bama?

   Even with a loss to LSU, the Tide should walk over Mississippi State and slap around fading Auburn, which would put them in the league championship game against . . .

   Florida? Georgia? We should find out Saturday in a monster match-up between the league's most explosive offenses and inventive coaches.

   Urban Meyer placed a gag order Sunday on the Gators, which speaks loud and clear on the importance he places on the game. Don't expect Mark Richt to follow suit -- he doesn't want to be seen as an imitator -- but he surely will warn the Dawgs to watch their words.

   The main pollsters and the BCS people differ on the worth of the teams. AP (writers) and USA Tuday (coaches) view the Gators better -- by three slots, in AP's case. The BCS prefers Georgia, in front of Florida by two spots.

   Who do you like?

   Those anticipating the SEC championship can start gearing up for the winner versus Nick Saban's crew. Maybe President Obama will toss the coin.

     

     

BCS Buzz: No Love for Florida, LSU?

   Jumping off the page with the first BCS rankings released Sunday is Florida, fifth in the new Associated Press poll, at No. 10. LSU also was treated less kindly by the BCS (13th) than by AP (11th).

   Outraged, Gators and Tigers fans?

   Strength of schedule partly explains it. A panel of college football watchers with CBS Sportsline regards Florida's schedule as the nation's 39th toughest and LSU's the 75th most difficult. Georgia, which is higher in the BCS (seventh) than AP (ninth), has the fifth most challenging schedule, in Sportsline's eyes.

   Also, the Bulldogs can claim six wins, one more than the Gators and Tigers. (All have one loss.)

   So, how does that explain Alabama at No. 2 with the 53rd-ranked schedule by Sportsline?

   Well, the Crimson Tide have won seven games without fail. And they get credit for a neutral-field victory over then-No. 9 Clemson, severely overrated in retrospect.

   And, let's face it, the Alabama name carries cachet with old-timey pollsters.

   Of the Tide's remaining schedule, only LSU looks scary. So, as shaky as Bama has been lately (see next item), its No. 2 BCS recognition is understandable. 

   One thing is clear: Nobody but Texas belongs at No. 1.

   Agreed?

    

Survive and Advance: What It's All About

   With the Florida Gators sunning themselves all weekend, the league's other three title aspirants won. Two of the trio staged muted celebrations, having cast doubts as to whether they have gotten off-track entering the season's second half.

   Nick Saban, a natural worry wart, is justifiably concerned that Alabama cannot finish off opponents on life support. Ole Miss, down 24-3, was a long completion from beating the Crimson Tide.

   Should Alabama be smiling coming out of this game?

   Georgia hits the road for a month with little momentum from a 10-point win over Vanderbilt. The Bulldogs have come a long way -- in the wrong direction -- from their preseason No. 1 ranking.

   Is too much expected of Georgia because of its lofty rating before the first kickoff?

   LSU will take a win at South Carolina any way it can. Steve Spurrier, who exhibits signs of  Tourette's Syndrome when asked anything about his quarterbacks, says he may have placed too much responsibility on first-time starter Stephen Garcia. If so, the Tigers thank him for that.

   Georgia vs. LSU on Saturday could, but not necessarily would, reduce the championship contenders to three. So, last weekend's hopefuls are happy for the W, no matter how it came about. 

   Who do you like in this possible elimination game?

An Upset Special (Maybe)

   I don't look for an upsetting Saturday in the SEC. But no weekend ever fully plays to form, so let's look for a potential you-gotta-be-kidding-me outcome.

   In four of the five games, the home team is favored by at least a touchdown.

   Ole Miss over Alabama (favored by 12)? Nah. The Crimson Tide healed from a bye week, and the Rebels won't catch anyone by surprise again after ambushing Florida.

   Vanderbilt over Georgia (favored by 10 1/2)? The Commodores might feel insulted at being Georgia's homecoming foe for the 21st time, but that alone won't wake up a dormant offense. 

    Mississippi State over Tennessee (favored by 7 1/2)? Could be. But I sense the Volunteers rallying 'round the round-ish Philip Fulmer and winning one that they should.

   Arkansas over Kentucky (favored by 12 1/2)? Now we're talking. The young Razorbacks grew up at Auburn, and you know how kids can be affected by growth spurts. The Wildcats often fade this time of year when injuries compromise their depth, and they've suffered some biggies of late.

   Which game do you feel an upset coming?

   As for LSU-South Carolina, the visiting Tigers are 2 1/2-point favorites. I see them rebounding from the shameful game at Florida. The Gamecocks, who have won four straight but not in wow fashion.

   How do you call this one?  

Teams Left Knee-Dy By Injuries

   We don't usually spend much space talking about injuries because they curse all teams, but two busted knees on Saturday could have a devastating impact.

   Georgia offensive tackle Vince Vance went down on his 21st birthday (which probably spoiled his first night with a legal drink). He was the third Bulldogs left tackle to be so inflicted, and they could go against Vanderbilt with three freshman starters up front. That is no recipe for a national title push.

   How do you see this affecting Georgia and the protection for Matthew Stafford?

   And the heart of Kentucky, spunky wide receiver Dicky Lyons Jr., is done, probably forever. It wasn't so much that he carried the limited passing attack, but his fearlessness and spirit cannot be replaced. I see bad things for Kentucky the rest of the way.

   Can Lyons be adequately replaced in the lineup and the locker room?

What We Learned, No. 2: Two Big QBs Give Teams Big Edge

   In a league with a dearth of quarterbacks (see No. 5), Tim Tebow and Matthew Stafford stand out. Not because of their prodigious height, but their high football IQs.

   Tebow, who was so geeked up before the LSU game that he seemed to need a tranquilizer, helmed a masterful team effort by Florida in a 51-21 win. The Gators doused growing skepticism about their worth with a performance that returns them to the national title discussion.

  And when Percy Harvin's ankle heals, they might have to outlaw Florida's fleet receiver. Nobody will be able to cover him.

   How do you rate the Gators' chances to reach the BCS Championship game?

   Stafford, whose statistics rarely reflect his achievements, enjoyed his first 300-yard passing game in a worse-than-it-looks 26-14 win over Tennessee. The Bulldogs had red-zone problems' otherwise, they looked golden.

   Tebow or Stafford: Who's your favorite?

   Florida vs. Georgia is around the corner. Who do you like?

   

Curses On The Dawgs

   What could Georgia have done to tick off the football gods? Not only did the Bulldogs get humbled by Alabama, but they exited the game with injuries to at least four players, including Heisman Trophy hopefuls Knowshon Moreno and Matthew Stafford.

  A few theories:

  --Beloved radio announcer Larry Munson retired last week after 43 years in the booth. It was voluntary on his part, for health reasons, but maybe some higher power was pissed at the last of the legendary SEC radio voices going silent.

  --A group of Georgia alums opened burial plots for ex-Bulldogs players and coaches at a cemetery within marching-band-music distance of the football stadium. Could this be sacred ground, intended for non-jocks?

  --Wearing all black, as Georgia did against Bama, is a fashion faux pas nowadays. Bright is in.

   What's your theory? Can Georgia, blessed with a week off, rebound from this whipping?  

1st Weekend Lesson: The Tide Keeps On Rising

   Prior to the season's first kickoff, Alabama was an afterthought in the discussion of potential SEC champions. Maybe, the thinking went, but not likely.

   Before September is out, the Crimson Tide have been the most impressive SEC team, pounding Clemson by 34 points, Arkansas by 35 and Georgia in a less-closer-than-it-looks 11.

   Nick Saban stunned the Dawgs by assigning underappreciated quarterback John Parker Wilson to use the pass to set up the run, a reversal of the Tide's usual approach. On the second play, Bama came out in a five-receiver set, which surely had Georgia coaches futilely scrambling through their game plan for a solution.

   Georgia's multiple momentum advantages -- all-black uniforms, ESPN "GameDay" presence, chance to return to No. 1 -- collapsed in a heap early. Halftime: 31-0. You could have turned out the lights then. But with all the Dawg fans dressed in black, they could not have found their way out of the stadium.

   Any explanation for what happened to UGA?

   Good for AP poll voters to award Bama a No. 2 ranking, thanks to the top spot on 21 of 65 ballots. Curses to the USA Today voters who lifted the Tide only to No. 4, with a lone first-place ballot. Me, I would not hesitate placing the Tide No. 1.

   Anybody wanna talk me out of it?

5th Weekend Lesson: Mainstream Media Don't Know Diddly

   It never fails. Each year, a half-dozen teams open the season 3-0 or 4-0, and sports TV "experts" and sportswriters start fretting about an unbeaten getting shut out of the BCS title game. Or they start carving into stone that so-and-so will be 11-0 entering its last game, automatically assuming the games until then are stone-cold locks.

   Of course, those teams (USC, Florida, Georgia) proceed to lose, week by week, and the media expresses shock at these unfathomable upsets. I prefer another description of them, borrowed from Led Zeppelin: dazed and confused. Folks, in a conference game, there ain't no gimmes anymore. In the big leagues, you cannot expect a squad to maintain a high level of excellence week after week.

   The media is irresponsible to look at, say, a 4-0 team now and say, "They'll be 10-0 heading into the game against . . . " But it happens all the time, without any ifs, ands or buts.

   Well, they look like butts to me when constantly proven wrong.

   Can you see any team that is sure to get through the season unbeaten? 

   

     

Bulldogs: Bullish Again In The Polls?

   Nobody benefited more from Southern Cal's earth-shattering loss Thursday than Georgia. With its brutal schedule, the Bulldogs figure to lose once. But because of its degree of difficulty, that should keep them ahead of USC in the rankings even if the Trojans win out.

   A convincing victory over Alabama could vault Georgia over Oklahoma and back to No. 1, where it began the season. Not that it matters; the object is to finish in the top 2, which puts you in the BCS Championship game. But, nobody wears a giant foam hand with two fingers raised, so you know what the fans want.

   Bama might need flashlights to find their way around Sanford Stadium. It'll be dark, what with the Bulldogs (and most of their fans) clad in black. Mark Richt brought the rarely used uniforms out of mothballs to enliven a game already at fever pitch.

   Word of warning to Tide followers driving through Atlanta to the game: Fill up the tank before leaving. Fuel is scarce in the metro area.

More, more on the Big Four

   I am not a playoff proponent -- are you? -- but I can't blame the SEC hierarchy for endorsing an expanded postseason, such as the so-called Plus-One game that would essentially be akin to the NCAA basketball's Final Four.

   The league is so strong, so deep that any team getting through unscathed is unlikely. Because poll voters are dazzled by a zero on the right side of a team's record, they are inclined to reward on their ballots the unbeaten teams, thus making it difficult for others to reach the BCS Championship Game. (Last year's appearance by two-loss LSU was an aberration.)

   Thus, a Final Four format would benefit the SEC. Its champion almost certainly would qualify. At that point, it's may the best team win -- and there's a good chance that team would be carrying the SEC banner.

   The football powers have turned thumbs-down to any deviation from the current bowl format. If you were the czar, would you change it?

   Meanwhile, here's my ranking of the Big Four's schedule, easiest to hardest, with games remaining:

   --Florida -- Ole Miss, at Arkansas, LSU, Kentucky, Georgia (Jacksonville), at Vanderbilt, South Carolina, The Citadel, at Florida State.

  --LSU: Mississippi State, at Florida, at South Carolina, Georgia (Jacksonville), Tulane, Alabama, Ole Miss, at Arkansas.

   --Alabama -- at Georgia, Kentucky, Ole Miss, at Tennessee, Arkansas State, at LSU, Mississippi State, Auburn.

  --Georgia -- Alabama, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, at LSU, Florida (Jacksonville), at Kentucky, at Auburn, Georgia Tech.

   How do you rank 'em?

  

Georgia's Munson Pulls The Plug

    Larry Munson, the legendary radio voice of Georgia football who turned in his mic Monday because of failing health, was a wordsmith with a dramatic delivery. He was captivating, a joy to listen to . . . 

   If you did not mind occasionally being unaware of what was transpiring on the field.

   And if you weren't offended by each week's games pitting We vs. They.

   Regarding my first gripe, as compelling as Munson's descriptions were, I expect my radio guy to give me on EVERY play what player has the ball, how he got it, who tackles him and where. Like some other acclaimed voices, Munson sometimes left out at least one of those tidbits. As a result, I enjoyed him more while watching the Bulldogs on my muted TV so I could answer those questions on my own.

   What's your take on a play-caller who does not always fully call the plays? Is that alright?

   As to the homer aspect, I realize that Dawg fans embraced Munson because substituting the team name periodically with "We" conveyed the belief that he was on their side, suffering amid them. I understand that appeal, but believe in an appearance of objectivity. The approach also ignores the fact that fans of "They" are tuning in, too.

   How do your ears feel about We vs. They? Do you prefer it?

   While Munson is rightfully acclaimed among cherished radio voices, to me there is -- or never was -- a peer to the late, great Cawood Ledford of Kentucky.

   Who's your all-time favorite?