Rebels Are The Right Team For Cotton Bowl

   Even though Ole Miss roughed up LSU a week ago, you had to wonder if the SEC was sending its most qualified available team to the Cotton Bowl. Even in decline, the Tigers seemed more Dallas-ready than the Rebels.

   Never mind. With Ole Miss mauling Mississippi State on Friday, followed by the Tigers' collapse at Arkansas, it's clear that the Rebels are headed to the proper post-season destination. And LSU should be headed to a bottom-feeder bowl.

   LSU lost its last four league games. The only wins during that stretch were against Tulane and Troy, the latter a comeback from a 31-3 deficit.

   Quarterback problems haunted LSU all season, but this one falls on the defense. The Razorbacks' QB brotherhood of Nathan and Casey Dick rang up 31 points on the Tigers' defense.

   Anybody for Houston Nutt as coach of the year?

   What does that make Les Miles -- bust of the year?

Take A Breath, SEC Fans -- But Not A Deep One

   It's SEC lite this weekend, with only four games, none of any magnitude. But the three conference matchups carry fetching subplots and all, if the betting public knows its stuff, are anticipated to be close.

   --Vanderbilt, which has beaten Tennessee once in the last quarter-century, ranks as a three-point favorite. In between game-planning, Phil Fulmer has placed calls to colleagues for advice on his next coaching move. Here's some advice: Beat the Commodores and salvage a speck of football dignity from the season.

   Is this Vandy's year to start balancing out this one-sided rivalry?

  --LSU, not long ago in the national title discussion, is a mere three-point fave at home against resurgent Ole Miss. The Tigers' resurrection from near-death against Troy was impressive but it verified that LSU, with spotty QB play and an inconsistent defense, is second tier this year.

   Inconceivable at the start of the season, can the Rebels give LSU a run for the money?

   --Arkansas picked itself up after a dreadful start and is somehow a road favorite in the SEC, if only against Mississippi State (and by one point). Bobby Petrino has steered this young team into position for to contend next year in the SEC West. Well, for third place, maybe.

   Who wins this one?

Comeback of the Millenium

   How'd they do it? In arrears by 28 points with 16 1/2 minutes left, only to win by . . . nine?

   In a make-up game postponed for two months by the remnants of Hurricane Gustav, LSU had lost its focus at the tail end of the SEC season. Was this the Alabama school Troy, or the men of Troy -- as in Southern Cal?

   Of course, the Tigers had to rev up their offense to amass so many points as QB Jarrett Lee overcame his astonishing seventh pick-six of the year.

   But it was LSU's defense that should take the biggest bow. Troy averaged 1.5 yards on its last 30 snaps. The Tigers withstood 72 passes by the visitors.

   Where does this game rank among LSU's many achievements?

   Bu the way, much of Tiger Stadium was empty during the comeback. The LSU following has a rep for being faithful, but it is no more devoted than other crowds.

   Who do you consider the most loyal SEC fans?

   

Alabama-Florida: Start The Drumroll

   Let me be the first (or maybe the second or third) to say Florida will flummox Alabama in the SEC title game at the Georgia Dome.

   A standing O to the Crimson Tide for an amazing win at LSU under immense pressure. (Didn't Nick Saban have more state troopers protecting him from the LSU loonies than the quarterbacks had linemen surrounding them?) Credit to the stout Tide defense and to resourceful quarterback John Parker Wilson.

   Still, Bama won in large part because of an LSU hole at quarterback. Freshman Jared Lee ain't ready for SEC prime time, yet the Tide still had to go into OT for the win.

   In Nashville, Florida led Vandy 35-0 after 18 minutes. The Gators have beaten their last four SEC foes by 30-points-plus each. Tim Tebow is playing like the Heisman Trophy winner he was last season.

   Nick Saban has a young squad that has exceeded expectations by a country mile. Urban Meyer has a championship-ready team that is ripping through the SEC like a tornado.

   Go (to the national title game), Gators.

   Who's your pick?

   

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.  

Alabama-LSU: Tighter Than A . . .

I want to pick LSU over Alabama. I really do. Sometimes, you can just smell an upset coming. Let's see if my nostrils are deceiving me.
1. Tigers fans, notoriously intimidating under normal circumstances, will unleash flat-out hatred for Bama coach Nick Saban. )Which I don't get. The guy delivered a national title to Bayou country.) The Crimson Tide are unbeaten on the road. (Not to mention at home.)
2. LSU has the No. 1 rusher in the SEC, based on yards per carry: Charles Scott (6.7). The Crimson Tide has the next best: Glen Coffee (6.6).
3. LSU ranks third in the SEC in rushing defense. Bama's offensive line averages 308 pounds per man and creates holes that an elephant could burst through.
4. LSU has allowed 50 points in two of its games. No. 1-ranked teams are 2-2 the past four weeks.
5. Tigers premier linebacker Darry Beckwith is back from injury. The Tide's ferocious nose tackle, Terrance Cody, is expected back from injury.
For each point, there is a counter-point. I think the difference will be (a.) Bama's cool quarterback, John Parker Wilson, and LSU redshirt freshman Jarrett Lee, who has thrown five picks returned for touchdowns, and (b.) Nick Saban somehow outfoxing the estimable Les Miles with a team relying on only nine scholarship seniors.
Bama by a touchdown.

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?  

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?

 

   

Wil-BRRR: Danger Wearing Striped Shirt

   In his day, Kentucky linebacker Wilbur Hackett was a ferocious tackler. Hackett garnered such respect from his coaches and teammates that he was named captain, the first black player so honored in the SEC.

   Twenty-eight years after his last college game, Hackett showed he can still level a quarterback. He was officiating the South Carolina-LSU game Saturday when the Gamecocks'  Stephen Garcia began scrambling toward the goal line. Hackett, the umpire moved into Garcia's path and drove his right shoulder and forearm into the unsuspecting quarterback. An LSU player easily finished off the tackle.

   The SEC office judged that Hackett merely was protecting himself. Maybe so, but as one of the million-plus viewers of the 12-second clip on YouTube, I would swear this was no accident.

   I'm sure Hackett panicked momentarily and let instincts take over. No striped shirt in his right mind would interfere with the play.

   But you couldn't tell from the video, which makes Hackett appear as the aggressor.

   The Wildcats could sure his him Saturday against Florida. 

   Take a look. What do you think?

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?

    

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?  

Kids Say The Darndest Things

Rumors floating that Florida quarterback Tim Tebow is playing hurt apparently made their way to Baton Rouge.
LSU defensive tackle Ricky Jean-Francois was quoted as saying, "If we get a good shot on [Tebow], we're going to try our best to take him out of the game,. With his size and his heart, it's hard to get a clean shot. I think every lineman wants to get a good hit on a Heisman Trophy winner."
The comments surely made their way straight to the bulletin board in the Gators' locker room. Just a little extra spice for a game that hardly needs it, Florida and LSU being the past two national champs.
Usually, college players popping off have no ramification. Still, let's see if a Gator slips in a chop block Saturday on an unsuspecting Jean-Francois. Whatever happens, Ricky, c'est la vie!

What We Learned, No. 4: Something Amiss In The Swamp

   Yes, Florida gutted Arkansas 38-7, but the Gators figured to put the Razor-hacks away sooner than the fourth quarter after their debacle a week earlier against Ole Miss.

   Tim Tebow, suffering from Heisman hangover, was so subdued late in the game that coach Urban Meyer coaxed him into a mid-air chest bump. Amazing to say that a quarterback guilty of one pick all season has declined, but it's true for Tebow.

   Do you see the same thing I'm seeing with Florida?

   Next up: LSU, which kicked back over the weekend and watched things unfold in its favor (a s0-so Florida, a so-so Alabama, a so-long to Auburn). I don't the Reptiles' chances against the Tigers.

   What's your take on the game? 

3rd Weekend Lesson: Repeat After Me . . .

    LSU's aspirations of repeating as BCS championships were upgraded Saturday despite a desultory 34-24 win over Mississippi State. The Tigers emerged in the latest polls at No. 3 in AP and No. 2 in USA Today's. As I indicated earlier, Alabama has a better body of work, so I would put LSU at No. 3.

   What do you think: second or third for LSU?

   Just as the Tigers are moving up, so is their running back, Charles Scott, in the Heisman Trophy race. Especially with the candidacies of Florida's Tim Tebow and Georgia's Knowshon Moreno set back by their team's losses, Scott supporters can point to four 100-yard-plus rushing games while anchoring an offense with an undeveloped quarterback.

   How great is Scott? Where do you rank him in the Heisman hierarchy?

    

LSU to Media: Keep Out!

   Les Miles closed LSU practices to reporters this week, surely to conceal the physical condition of concussed quarterback Andrew Hatch. Not that any subterfuge should be needed against Mississippi State, but the Tigers have juggled Hatch and Jarrett Lee at the position and they'd like to keep the Bulldogs guessing on which one.

   Look for Lee, who rallied LSU over Auburn, to start, with Hatch in relief if the cobwebs have cleared.

   Bayou Bengal fans: Should Miles stick with a two-QB system, or choose one for full-time duty? 

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?

  

Now It's A Fearsome Foursome

   Let's fantasize for a moment and create a four-team tournament: Georgia, Florida, LSU and Alabama. Doesn't matter who plays whom. Draw names out of a helmet, for all I care. Semifinals today, finals tomorrow. (Hey, it's a fantasy.)

   The quintessential quartet was masterful on Saturday -- Georgia, Florida and 'Bama winning overwhelmingly, LSU passing a gut-check at Auburn. The SEC was rewarded Sunday when all four crowded into the AP poll's top eight.

   The No. 3 Bulldogs flew nearly 2,000 miles to the desert and had Arizona State for dessert. Coack Mark Richt had the players' hotel room clocks reset to Eastern time, part of a mind game to keep them from thinking they were far from home. The heat -- 99 degrees at kickoff, 96 at game's end -- was less taxing than more humid Columbia, S.C., a week earlier. The result: 27-10.

   The No. 4 Gators obliterated Tennessee 30-6 with its offense a pale comparison to previous years. Tim Tebow keeps slipping in the Heisman race, at least based on his numbers (eight completions, 26 rushing yards). Like he cares. Florida's fabulous defense and special teams are drawing the spotlight.

   The No. 5 Tigers shrugged off an injury to quarterback Andrew Hatch. Thank you, backup Jarrett Lee, who tossed a game-winning TD with a minute left agin' Auburn for a 26-21 win. That's six straight wins for LSU over teams ranked in the top 10. Auburn dipped to No. 15.

   And the No. 9 Crimson Tide, the party-crasher in the foursome after much more modest preseason expectations, pounded Arkansas 49-14. Imagine how 'Bama will fare if they curtail mental mistakes, which perfectionist Coach Nick Saban said reached an unpleasant peak versus the Razorbacks.

   Half of our fantasy comes true next Saturday when Bama invades Georgia (7:45 p.m., ESPN). Florida and LSU have league games against the two Mississippis at home, so the ranks of the unbeatens should dwindle only by one.

   OK, who do you like in our Fantasy Four? Dawgs? Gators? Bayou Bengals? Roll Tide? Let's see your bracket.

   

Auburn Statement a Boo-Boo

   Auburn is 3-0, ranked in the nation's Top 10, with a dynamite defense that has been dented for only two touchdowns.

   Still, their 3-2 sleepwalk past Mississippi State has solicited criticism from Tigers fandom this week. So, in a pre-emptive strike before the LSU game (7:45 p.m., ESPN), dean of students Johnny Green pleaded to students in a mass e-mail, "Remember, the team isn't trying to lose the game . . . "

   Thanks for clearing that up, Johnny. We thought maybe the Tigers wanna lose.

   "Please join me by agreeing to demonstrate your support for, and not criticism of, our football team," the statement said. "That means no booing."

   Was this really necessary? Imagine if Auburn were 1-2 or, gosh forbid, 0-3. Would the students be asked to wear happy faces?

   Nice try, Mr. Green, but here's one word for your misguided effort: Boo.

SEC QBs: After The Big Two, Then Who?

   For as high and mighty a league as the SEC, its quarterbacks, top to bottom, comprise an unimpressive lot.

   Yeah, you've got Tim Tebow (Florida) and Matthew Stafford (Georgia), a pair of sure-fire pros. But after them . . . 

   WHO DO YA LOVE?: Kentucky and South Carolina have yet to throw their support behind one man. The Wildcats are doubling up with Mike Hartline and Randall Cobb; the Gamecocks have a threesome in Chris Smelley, Tommy Beecher and Stephen Garcia. Auburn chose Chris Todd over just last week, but Todd cannot feel too secure after the Tigers scored but three points.

   AND YOU ARE . . . ?: Andrew Hatch (LSU), Jevan Snead (Ole Miss) and Jonathan Crompton (Tennessee) are first-time starters still feeling their way around. None has yet to show any Tebow-ish or Stafford-ish skills.

   WINNER BY DEFAULT?: Chris Nickson (Vanderbilt) was demoted last season before resurfacing this year. Wesley Carroll (Mississippi State) started all but four games in '07 and leads a tepid MSU offense.

   BEST OF THE REST?: Casey Dick (Arkansas) has rung up decent numbers against two softies but is about to run smack-dab into a four-game stretch of frightening defenses. John Parker Wilson (Alabama) has shows a steady hand at Alabama, but that hand usually gives the ball to running backs.

   Tebow and Stafford and 10 (or more) take-'em-or-leave-'ems. That's how I see it.

   Who would you take, the Gator or the Bulldog. Beyond those two, who'd be your next pick?

   

     

Starting The Real SEC Season

    "Whoa, Nellie," as announcer and Georgia native Keith Jackson might exclaim. The temperature will be turned up in the SEC on Saturday with a delicious doubleheader that launches the division races.

   In the East, it's Florida at Tennessee (3:30 p.m., CBS). The fourth-ranked Gators had a week off to tune up for the Volunteers, spent mainly on cranking up the offense after an uninspiring performance against Miami. Coach Urban Meyer is 3-0 against UT.

   Tennessee, for its part, rebounded against UAB after handing over a gift-wrapped win to UCLA. Some Vols players bitched about Florida running up the score last year in a 59-20 rout, a charge renewed recently after his game by UM coach Randy Shannon. But UT coach Phil Fulmer dismissed any ill intent by the Gators. He is more concerned about his quarterback, Jonathan Crompton, still less than comfortable behind center.

   On the West side, it's LSU at Auburn (7:45 p.m., ESPN). The No. 6 Tigers from the bayou must cope without standout linebacker Darry Beckwith, declared out with a sore knee. In their favor, the spread offense by No. 7 Tigers from the plains won't be unfamiliar, seeing as how the Tigers have faced a similar attack in their two prior games.

   Auburn's offense coordinator, the refreshing Tony Franklin, is the willing target of criticism after three shaky outings, the latest which produced only a field goal against Mississippi State. "The first finger that needs to be pointed is at me," said the coach, who presumably meant an index finger and not the one next to it.

   Franklin says he will shrink the playbook and call plays based on more instinct rather than with a confining script. Meantime, his boss, Tommy Tuberville -- a former defensive coordinator --  is one of few who found beauty in the Tigers' 3-2 victory.

   Who do you like in these games? Florida or Tennessee? LSU or Auburn?

   Let the games begin.