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?

   

    

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?

   

    

    

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?