Saturday, December 11, 2010
Preview of the Saints vs. the St. Louis Rams
This sunday in New Orleans, the Saints will take on the Rams with the Who Dat nation hoping to keep pace with the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC South. The good thing for New Orleans is that they are ranked 3rd in the league in passing and 3rd in the league against the pass. Common sense would tell you that if the Saints have the air game working the other team will have to throw if trailing late in the game which plays into the strength of the defense. The bad new is this, the Saints defense is 15th in the league against the run and have allowed 240 yards and five touchdowns on the ground over the last two weeks. Oh by the way, St. Louis has Steven Jackson toting the rock, who is just 15 yards shy of having his sixth consecutive 1,000 yard season. The New Orleans defense has to be able to finish these games. Drew Brees and the offense seem to have found their groove but if the defense can't protect these leads then it is going to come down to who has the ball in their hands with 2:00 left on the clock. If the Rams are still hanging around in the fourth quarter with time on their side, this could get ugly for the Saints. Sam Bradford does not look like a rookie quarterback. Yes, he has 10 interceptions to his 17 touchdowns but when they need him most he has been able to step up. I think the biggest stat that will play into this game is that the Rams are allowing opponents to convert 31.8 percent on third downs, the second best in the NFL, and will take on a Saints team that has the second-highest third-down conversion rate at 47.7 percent. The major reason that the Saints have such a high third down conversion percentage is because they have so many weapons for Drew Brees to get the ball to. It should be interesting but I think the Saints will be able to pull this one off but it'll be closer than most think but the home filed advantage pulls the Saints through. Saints 31-Rams 28.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
2 new authors coming to the Scubajack Sports Blog!
Just wanted to get it out there that we will soon have a couple of more authors for the blog. We are still getting things setup right now so I'll wait until they are ready to roll before I actually introduce them to you guys but I will say this, the addition of one of these guys will have my wife busting his chops as often as possible (cause they are like that). These two guys helping out should give us better coverage of probably, University of Florida sports (and a differing opinion on SEC Football), some possible insight on SEC basketball and some good looks at the Atlanta Thrashers. We are still trying to figure out how we are gonna do this thing but I'm looking forward to us getting it rolling. Stay tuned!
Urban Meyer stepping down at Florida....AGAIN!
Well SEC fans, it looks like Urban Meyer has decided to call it quits at Florida...again. This time though, he says it's for real. Once again he is citing part of the the reason for his departure as wanting to spend more time with the family. That's great and all but do we really believe it this time? He is scheduled for a press conference this afternoon at 6:00pm EST. I'm sure we won't find out anymore than what we know already about why he is leaving or what his plans are but let's not forget that the Denver Broncos are looking for a coach and he could reunite with his old pal Tim Tebow and the love affair could continue! Just saying.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
The SEC Championship Game
Well ladies and Gents, we are in the last weekend of the SEC Football season and it all comes down to the Auburn Tigers and the South Carolina Gamecocks this weekend in Atlanta. Judging from the increase in traffic in Atlanta last night and seeing alot of South Carolina and Alabama tags running around like they are lost, I'm assuming that both sides will be there in force.
The week started out with the Cam Newton suspension...no what a minute he's not....oh yes he is....NO he's not! Whatever, I'm so sick of hearing about that crap. I guess the final statement from the NCAA is that Cam is eligible for the SEC Championship game even though there is evidence that his father did shop him around for cash incentives. It seems that while Mississippi State could not afford REV Newton's demands, Cam went to Auburn for free. HUH? Is everybody as confused as I am? That's why I hate following this thing. According to the NCAA, as of now (key use of words) there is no evidence that links Cam Newton or Auburn to these allegations of wrongdoing. All I know is this, it will not be the last time that we hear about this story. The FBI doesn't just send agents in to investigate if they don't have probable cause and there are more "men in black" prancing around the plains right now than you can shake a stick at. Before all you Auburn fans start getting ticked off at me and telling me how much Cam and Daddy Newton are innocent and that there are no investigations going on in Auburn right now, I'm actually getting my info from an Auburn grad so please...have a hot cup of shut the heck up! Although I think we all wish this would just go away....it's not and unfortunately, Cam Newton at the end of this year will probably sign a multi-million dollar contract with some pro team, the investigation will commence and any wrong doing will come right back on Auburn with absolutely no punishment for the people that actually committed the wrongdoing (if there was any).
Now, on to the game. Arguably the two teams are coming into the Georgia dome on emotional highs but with South Carolina playing a more balanced game than that of Auburn. Auburn's defense was caught sleeping several times in the first half of the Iron Bowl. South Carolina didn't show those lapses in their final regular season meeting with Clemson. I think the Auburn coaching staff would have a few less butterflies if they had put together a complete game against Bama and had actually been consistent throughout the game. Another thing that would scare me about this game is the fact that these two are playing each other for the second time this season with Auburn winning the first meeting. If you follow stats and believe you can make predictions off of them, try this one for size. The SEC Championship game has featured a rematch of a regular season game a total of six times (1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2010). The team who won the regular season game is 4-1 in the rematches, the lone exception being in 2001 when LSU defeated Tennessee. That would seem to point to advantage Auburn but, how many of those teams had to come from a 20-7 deficit to win in the fourth quarter and need stupid penalties by the opposition to help them win? One thing that would concern me if I were an Auburn fan is this. Auburn seems to have a knack for getting behind early in some of it's biggest games. 20-7 against South Carolina, 21-7 against UGA and 24-0 to Alabama. The only one of those games that was not at home is the Bama game. When is Auburn's luck going to run out? It's impressive that this Auburn squad has so much faith in their abilities that they don't get rattled easily and are able to mount these comebacks but what happens when a team actually stops the comeback and regains the early momentum? Will Auburn be able to respond again?
I think that in this game, Auburn will see pretty much a clone of the defensive strategies used by Bama and Ole Miss which limited Cam Newton when it comes to his rushing yards(45 yards on 11 attempts against Ole Miss and 22 rushes for 39 yards against Bama). The Old Ball Coach has to figure that in order for them to win this game, his offense has to play mistake free and they HAVE TO make Cam Newton one dimensional. If they can do that, they can make him predictable and if they make him predictable they can make some key turnovers happen to sway the game and momentum in their favor. It it were not for big plays against Bama, Auburn could not have comeback. South Carolina cannot allow those big plays. Their defensive secondary has to play with the field in front of them and not get beat deep. Make Auburn earn every point, nothing cheap and nothing for highlight reels. As for South Carolina's offense, you know that they are going to throw the ball cause, who is the coach again? Yep, that's right. Steve Spurrier and let's face it, a visor ain't the only thing the Old Ball Coach likes to sling. He will put it in the air every time he gets the chance. They passed for 30 attempts against Clemson but they could run some on Clemson (they ran for 36 attempts). Marcus Lattimore, the sensational freshman, will be well rested for this one and I look for Garcia and Spurrier to open up with some gun slinging hoping to get that early lead and then giving the rock to the freshman to run some clock and try and seal the game for them. If South Carolina does get the lead, their defense will actually have to get more disciplined as the game goes along. I'm sorry USC fans...but has that happened yet this season? I'm thinking not. If Auburn can play their game on offense and keep the pressure off Newton, they will control the game. South Carolina does not have defensive lineman that can keep Newton contained, like we saw against Bama which forced him to throw. South Carolina will more than likely have to put a spy on him (that's usually a linebacker that pretty much shadows him) to try and contain him to force him to pass. The only thing about having to use a spy all the time, it is going to open up some of those short middle routes for the tight ends for Auburn. If South Carolina has to use a spy more than 50% of the time...they will lose this game. Auburn will just put Cam in the shotgun and have him roll to the left or right in the pocket, identify the spy and pick apart his zone. As I said with the South Carolina, the Auburn secondary must play disciplined ball for four quarters. They have yet to do that. Mistakes like, oh...leaving Julio Jones uncovered in the Iron Bowl, can't happen against South Carolina cause Alshon Jeffery will make you pay too. USC will need at least 80 yards out of Lattimore and Garcia will need around 250 yards passing with no interceptions to pull this off.
Alright..for my prediction. Honestly, I have my head telling me one thing and my heart telling me something else. My head tells me that the Old Ball Coach has learned enough from playing Auburn once already, and watching Ole Miss and Bama contain Cam Newton to make him one dimensional to be able to formulate a game plan to pull the upset. My heart, since I want Auburn to win, is telling me that it doesn't matter if they go down big or what, they will find a way to pull it off. This week, I think I'm gonna have to go with my heart. I'm going to take Auburn and see them heading to the National Championship against Oregon.
The week started out with the Cam Newton suspension...no what a minute he's not....oh yes he is....NO he's not! Whatever, I'm so sick of hearing about that crap. I guess the final statement from the NCAA is that Cam is eligible for the SEC Championship game even though there is evidence that his father did shop him around for cash incentives. It seems that while Mississippi State could not afford REV Newton's demands, Cam went to Auburn for free. HUH? Is everybody as confused as I am? That's why I hate following this thing. According to the NCAA, as of now (key use of words) there is no evidence that links Cam Newton or Auburn to these allegations of wrongdoing. All I know is this, it will not be the last time that we hear about this story. The FBI doesn't just send agents in to investigate if they don't have probable cause and there are more "men in black" prancing around the plains right now than you can shake a stick at. Before all you Auburn fans start getting ticked off at me and telling me how much Cam and Daddy Newton are innocent and that there are no investigations going on in Auburn right now, I'm actually getting my info from an Auburn grad so please...have a hot cup of shut the heck up! Although I think we all wish this would just go away....it's not and unfortunately, Cam Newton at the end of this year will probably sign a multi-million dollar contract with some pro team, the investigation will commence and any wrong doing will come right back on Auburn with absolutely no punishment for the people that actually committed the wrongdoing (if there was any).
Now, on to the game. Arguably the two teams are coming into the Georgia dome on emotional highs but with South Carolina playing a more balanced game than that of Auburn. Auburn's defense was caught sleeping several times in the first half of the Iron Bowl. South Carolina didn't show those lapses in their final regular season meeting with Clemson. I think the Auburn coaching staff would have a few less butterflies if they had put together a complete game against Bama and had actually been consistent throughout the game. Another thing that would scare me about this game is the fact that these two are playing each other for the second time this season with Auburn winning the first meeting. If you follow stats and believe you can make predictions off of them, try this one for size. The SEC Championship game has featured a rematch of a regular season game a total of six times (1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2010). The team who won the regular season game is 4-1 in the rematches, the lone exception being in 2001 when LSU defeated Tennessee. That would seem to point to advantage Auburn but, how many of those teams had to come from a 20-7 deficit to win in the fourth quarter and need stupid penalties by the opposition to help them win? One thing that would concern me if I were an Auburn fan is this. Auburn seems to have a knack for getting behind early in some of it's biggest games. 20-7 against South Carolina, 21-7 against UGA and 24-0 to Alabama. The only one of those games that was not at home is the Bama game. When is Auburn's luck going to run out? It's impressive that this Auburn squad has so much faith in their abilities that they don't get rattled easily and are able to mount these comebacks but what happens when a team actually stops the comeback and regains the early momentum? Will Auburn be able to respond again?
I think that in this game, Auburn will see pretty much a clone of the defensive strategies used by Bama and Ole Miss which limited Cam Newton when it comes to his rushing yards(45 yards on 11 attempts against Ole Miss and 22 rushes for 39 yards against Bama). The Old Ball Coach has to figure that in order for them to win this game, his offense has to play mistake free and they HAVE TO make Cam Newton one dimensional. If they can do that, they can make him predictable and if they make him predictable they can make some key turnovers happen to sway the game and momentum in their favor. It it were not for big plays against Bama, Auburn could not have comeback. South Carolina cannot allow those big plays. Their defensive secondary has to play with the field in front of them and not get beat deep. Make Auburn earn every point, nothing cheap and nothing for highlight reels. As for South Carolina's offense, you know that they are going to throw the ball cause, who is the coach again? Yep, that's right. Steve Spurrier and let's face it, a visor ain't the only thing the Old Ball Coach likes to sling. He will put it in the air every time he gets the chance. They passed for 30 attempts against Clemson but they could run some on Clemson (they ran for 36 attempts). Marcus Lattimore, the sensational freshman, will be well rested for this one and I look for Garcia and Spurrier to open up with some gun slinging hoping to get that early lead and then giving the rock to the freshman to run some clock and try and seal the game for them. If South Carolina does get the lead, their defense will actually have to get more disciplined as the game goes along. I'm sorry USC fans...but has that happened yet this season? I'm thinking not. If Auburn can play their game on offense and keep the pressure off Newton, they will control the game. South Carolina does not have defensive lineman that can keep Newton contained, like we saw against Bama which forced him to throw. South Carolina will more than likely have to put a spy on him (that's usually a linebacker that pretty much shadows him) to try and contain him to force him to pass. The only thing about having to use a spy all the time, it is going to open up some of those short middle routes for the tight ends for Auburn. If South Carolina has to use a spy more than 50% of the time...they will lose this game. Auburn will just put Cam in the shotgun and have him roll to the left or right in the pocket, identify the spy and pick apart his zone. As I said with the South Carolina, the Auburn secondary must play disciplined ball for four quarters. They have yet to do that. Mistakes like, oh...leaving Julio Jones uncovered in the Iron Bowl, can't happen against South Carolina cause Alshon Jeffery will make you pay too. USC will need at least 80 yards out of Lattimore and Garcia will need around 250 yards passing with no interceptions to pull this off.
Alright..for my prediction. Honestly, I have my head telling me one thing and my heart telling me something else. My head tells me that the Old Ball Coach has learned enough from playing Auburn once already, and watching Ole Miss and Bama contain Cam Newton to make him one dimensional to be able to formulate a game plan to pull the upset. My heart, since I want Auburn to win, is telling me that it doesn't matter if they go down big or what, they will find a way to pull it off. This week, I think I'm gonna have to go with my heart. I'm going to take Auburn and see them heading to the National Championship against Oregon.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Review of Week 13 in the SEC (and the Iron Bowl)
Well folks, I must start by saying that I am still in mourning after seeing my beloved Bama blow a 24 point lead that no other team in the history of Alabama football has managed to do. Of my picks last week, I of course missed the Bama-Burn result and also didn't give enough credit to Tennessee and the powerhouse (cough, cough) of Wake Forest. The other picks played out as I thought they would. For the rest of my blog I want to focus on the Iron Bowl.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
SEC Week 13- Rivalry Weekend
Well ladies and gents here we are in Week 13 of another great SEC football season and I'm finally back! Sorry for my absence in the last few weeks but the moving, new job and school has kept me pretty busy. Anyway, here we go!
This weekend we will have 8 games featuring SEC teams and this is the week of the year that everybody that is an SEC football fan lives for....RIVALRY Weekend! The SEC Championship game has already been decided with Auburn representing the west and South Carolina representing the east. While most of the games this weekend will just help to solidify the bowl picture, there is one that has National Title implications....yep, that right....Bama vs. Burn!
This weekend we will have 8 games featuring SEC teams and this is the week of the year that everybody that is an SEC football fan lives for....RIVALRY Weekend! The SEC Championship game has already been decided with Auburn representing the west and South Carolina representing the east. While most of the games this weekend will just help to solidify the bowl picture, there is one that has National Title implications....yep, that right....Bama vs. Burn!
Sunday, October 31, 2010
My apologies
Sorry that I didn't post my review from last week or my preview for this weekend. I've been a touch busy this week with my move from Kansas back to Alabama. I'll do my best to get everything up to date this week. It's been a pretty interesting couple of weeks in college football and I'm looking forward to talking about it. Would really appreciate some comments on my "hypothetical situation" blog. It seems like alot of what I mentioned in that blog has already come to pass and it might not be so hypothetical after all. Thanks for your patience and I hope that you guys haven't kicked me to the curb quite yet. Be sure to check back tomorrow for my first post of the week!
Thursday, October 21, 2010
The BCS rankings and a hypothetical situation
Alright college football fans, I've got a hypothetical situation for you. As we look at this week's BCS standings we have #1 Oklahoma, #2 Oregon, #3 Boise State, #4 Auburn, #5 TCU, #6 LSU, #7 Michigan State, #8 Alabama, #9 Utah and #10 Ohio State.
We all know that either Auburn or LSU is going to get their first loss this weekend and each one of them has to play Bama still. Oregon plays a UCLA team tonight that has already proved they can pull an upset in hostile territory when they beat Texas. Oklahoma has to play Missou this weekend and Michigan State has Iowa next week.
Here is my "what if?". What if, after the SEC and Big 12 Championship games we have a one loss SEC Champ and a one loss Big 12 Champ. To factor into that, Oregon finishes with one loss and Michigan State is out of the picture with two losses and we have Boise State and TCU that are undefeated. I'm thinking that the BCS rankings would look something like this #1 Boise State, #2 probably SEC Champ, #3 TCU and #4 Big 12 Champ. Who do you say needs to be in the Title Game and why?
I appreciate any comments I get (Facebook or otherwise) but I would appreciate it if you could actually post your comments for this one to the blog so that we can get some spirited debate going and everyone can see what you think. Looking forward to some good comments!
We all know that either Auburn or LSU is going to get their first loss this weekend and each one of them has to play Bama still. Oregon plays a UCLA team tonight that has already proved they can pull an upset in hostile territory when they beat Texas. Oklahoma has to play Missou this weekend and Michigan State has Iowa next week.
Here is my "what if?". What if, after the SEC and Big 12 Championship games we have a one loss SEC Champ and a one loss Big 12 Champ. To factor into that, Oregon finishes with one loss and Michigan State is out of the picture with two losses and we have Boise State and TCU that are undefeated. I'm thinking that the BCS rankings would look something like this #1 Boise State, #2 probably SEC Champ, #3 TCU and #4 Big 12 Champ. Who do you say needs to be in the Title Game and why?
I appreciate any comments I get (Facebook or otherwise) but I would appreciate it if you could actually post your comments for this one to the blog so that we can get some spirited debate going and everyone can see what you think. Looking forward to some good comments!
Preview of Week 8 in the SEC
Alrighty folks...here we go with week 8 in the SEC. Regardless of the outcomes of the games this weekend either one of two things is going to happen this weekend in the SEC West. It's either going to get even tighter or there is one team that's going to come out in the driver's seat. If Bama were to lose to Tennessee, the winner of the LSU-Auburn game is in the driver's seat. If Bama pulls it out in Knoxville, it's going to be even tighter in the West with Bama still having LSU and Auburn on the schedule. Enought of that, let's get to the picks! Here are the games in order of kickoff time on Saturday.
Ole Miss at (21)Arkansas 12:21pm ET
(6)LSU at (5)Auburn 3:30pm ET
(19)South Carolina at Vandy 7:00pm ET
(7)Alabama at Tennessee 7:00pm ET
UAB at (24)Miss. State 7:00pm ET
Georgia at Kentucky 7:30pm ET
First up, Ole Miss at Arkansas...even though I think Bobby Petrino is a punk for the way he left the Atlanta Falcons in the middle of the season to bolt to Arkansas and to say that it's not a game that's going to pull at some heart strings with Houston Nutt coming back to Arkansas for this one would be an understatement. Ole Miss has just not stepped up this year with the addition of their transfer quarterback Jeremiah Masoli. I like the Razorbacks in this one, big.
LSU at Auburn. This one is gonna be a good old fashioned street fight here. LSU is not above playing a little dirty but Auburn ain't above giving it back. There is no love lost between these two and I think that Auburn is just looking too good right now with Can Newton putting up Heisman numbers. I like Auburn in this one cause I think it'll be close and come down to game and time management and let's face it, Les Miles is a little challenged in that area.
South Carolina at Vandy. South Carolina in this one...no contest. Next!
Alabama at Tennessee. If you know anything about SEC Football there are certain games that everyone knows are slobber knockers. UGA-Auburn, Florida-UGA, Bama-Burn, Bama-LSU and this one. I've said all year that Tennessee was good enough that they could knock off one of the top teams in the SEC. Guess what folks, Tennessee only has two ranked SEC opponents left, Bama and South Carolina. I'm praying that my early prediction will be left for South Carolina. Bama's offense hasn't been what it started out looking like the first few weeks of the season. Having that been said, I holding on to hope that Coach Dooley's wife (a Bama grad) has done her best this week to sabotage the Coach's game plan. I'm taking Bama in a close one in Knoxville.
UAB at Miss. State. The Dawgs are coming into this one at 5-2 overall and 3-1 in the SEC. Mullen and his coaching staff are doing a remarkable job there in Starkville this year with players that aren't the most athletically gifted in the SEC. UAB has made improvement over the last few years but there is just going to be TOO MUCH COWBELL is Starkvegas this weekend. I've got the Dawgs...BIG.
Georgia at Kentucky. Mark Richt seems to have righted the ship somewhat in Athens and seems to have the Bulldogs focused finally. Kentucky is coming off that huge win over South Carolina. UGA is only one game under .500 overall and only one game out of the lead in the SEC East. They are mathematically still in the running for the East with games remaining against Florida and Auburn. Even though I think the Dawgs will take this one, I have to stick to my promise that I won't pick UGA for another win this season. Taking Kentucky ;)
There we have it for week 8 in the SEC folks. It should be a good weekend with a couple of key conference matchups so get your grub together for the games, tuck yourself into your comfy chair and enjoy a good weekend of SEC football. If you need some ideas for what grub to have for the games this weekend, visit my buddy Shane's blog at http://www.alabamatailgate.com/ for some recipe ideas cause this boy can cook! Oh, and congratulations Gator fans, ya'll can't lose this week! RTR!
Ole Miss at (21)Arkansas 12:21pm ET
(6)LSU at (5)Auburn 3:30pm ET
(19)South Carolina at Vandy 7:00pm ET
(7)Alabama at Tennessee 7:00pm ET
UAB at (24)Miss. State 7:00pm ET
Georgia at Kentucky 7:30pm ET
First up, Ole Miss at Arkansas...even though I think Bobby Petrino is a punk for the way he left the Atlanta Falcons in the middle of the season to bolt to Arkansas and to say that it's not a game that's going to pull at some heart strings with Houston Nutt coming back to Arkansas for this one would be an understatement. Ole Miss has just not stepped up this year with the addition of their transfer quarterback Jeremiah Masoli. I like the Razorbacks in this one, big.
LSU at Auburn. This one is gonna be a good old fashioned street fight here. LSU is not above playing a little dirty but Auburn ain't above giving it back. There is no love lost between these two and I think that Auburn is just looking too good right now with Can Newton putting up Heisman numbers. I like Auburn in this one cause I think it'll be close and come down to game and time management and let's face it, Les Miles is a little challenged in that area.
South Carolina at Vandy. South Carolina in this one...no contest. Next!
Alabama at Tennessee. If you know anything about SEC Football there are certain games that everyone knows are slobber knockers. UGA-Auburn, Florida-UGA, Bama-Burn, Bama-LSU and this one. I've said all year that Tennessee was good enough that they could knock off one of the top teams in the SEC. Guess what folks, Tennessee only has two ranked SEC opponents left, Bama and South Carolina. I'm praying that my early prediction will be left for South Carolina. Bama's offense hasn't been what it started out looking like the first few weeks of the season. Having that been said, I holding on to hope that Coach Dooley's wife (a Bama grad) has done her best this week to sabotage the Coach's game plan. I'm taking Bama in a close one in Knoxville.
UAB at Miss. State. The Dawgs are coming into this one at 5-2 overall and 3-1 in the SEC. Mullen and his coaching staff are doing a remarkable job there in Starkville this year with players that aren't the most athletically gifted in the SEC. UAB has made improvement over the last few years but there is just going to be TOO MUCH COWBELL is Starkvegas this weekend. I've got the Dawgs...BIG.
Georgia at Kentucky. Mark Richt seems to have righted the ship somewhat in Athens and seems to have the Bulldogs focused finally. Kentucky is coming off that huge win over South Carolina. UGA is only one game under .500 overall and only one game out of the lead in the SEC East. They are mathematically still in the running for the East with games remaining against Florida and Auburn. Even though I think the Dawgs will take this one, I have to stick to my promise that I won't pick UGA for another win this season. Taking Kentucky ;)
There we have it for week 8 in the SEC folks. It should be a good weekend with a couple of key conference matchups so get your grub together for the games, tuck yourself into your comfy chair and enjoy a good weekend of SEC football. If you need some ideas for what grub to have for the games this weekend, visit my buddy Shane's blog at http://www.alabamatailgate.com/ for some recipe ideas cause this boy can cook! Oh, and congratulations Gator fans, ya'll can't lose this week! RTR!
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Review of Week 7 in the SEC
Well SEC fans, another crazy week in the SEC (and college football overall for that matter)! Let's jump straight into the games.
Vandy at Georgia. Absolute domination by the dawgs! I'll have to give it to you UGA fans but I'm sticking to my guns and not picking UGA to win a game the rest of the season. Don't be mad though. You guys haven't lost a game since I started picking against you so if it holds out, you won't lose another game the rest of the season and maybe Mark Richt keeps his job!
Arkansas at Auburn. Was this a freaking WAC game? What the heck happened to the defense folks? I've seen Auburn in all but one of their games and have now watched Arkansas in four games. Arkansas I can see having a defensive lapse but Auburn? Good win by Auburn but they better do something on the defensive side or their National Championship hopes will take a slide if they allow LSU to score like that on them.
South Carolina at Kentucky. As I said in the preview, I thought that USC would probably allow Kentucky to score too much and make it tight because of the hangover from the victory over Alabama. What I didn't lend enough weight to was how much the two weeks to prepare for Bama aided South Carolina in that victory and then switching back to a week prep for a very able SEC team. Great win for the Wildcats!
McNeese State at LSU. This one was alot closer that one would have expected at the half with LSU clinging to a 6 point lead but they came out in the second half and shut down McNeese State and put up 16 more points to close it out 32-10. LSU continues to hang on by skin of their teeth. They seem to play to their opponent, whether that is up or down. With a huge one coming up with Auburn this weekend, we'll see how that works out for them.
Mississippi State at Florida. Well, as I said in my preview, if this one would have been in Starkville I would have picked the Dawgs to pull it out. I thought for sure that Florida would pull this one out in the Swamp. I thought wrong. I guess the Gator Nation is in as much shock as most of the rest of us in the SEC and that has kind of taken the threat of the home crowd out of the game. Huge win for Mullen and the Bulldogs on the road, 10-7.
Ole Miss at Alabama. Well, the Black Rebel Bears (or whatever they call themselves these days) came in to Bryant-Denny to hope and pile on a reeling Bama squad. Didn't quite work out for them. Having that been said, the Bama team that we saw for the first few games of the season is not showing up now. Bama's defense played well but the offense is still not clicking right now. I thought early on, from what we were seeing on the field, that Bama was by far the best team in the league. I can honestly say now, with the current play, that they aren't even the best team in the SEC West. I think that lies with the other team from the state in the Auburn Tigers.
To briefly recap....I had Vandy, Auburn, South Carolina, LSU, Florida and Bama this week and went 3-3 for the week that brings me to a pitiful 12-8 since I started running my picks. Most of my previews have been dead on but I have given too much weight to the home teams or traditional powers being able to pull it out based simply on heart and experience. Maybe I'll put more thought into it this week.
With the upsets that we have seen in the last two weeks in the SEC, some things are starting to work themselves out. I saw some write-ups yesterday that said, for instance that Bama was done and they would finish third in the SEC West. I think it's a little early for that. The SEC East, I think, is pretty much safe to call. If South Carolina doesn't absolutely implode over the next few weeks, I still believe that they will be playing in Atlanta in December. As far as the West, I'm still hanging in there with Bama. Auburn, LSU and Bama still have to play one another. Those head to head matchups will help to sort all this out and it starts this weekend with LSU travelling to the plains to take on the Tigers. I will say this, I do not see the SEC West champ coming through SEC play without a loss. Bama already has one and since every team they play from here on out from the SEC has a week off prior to playing them, it's going to be tough. They lose one more and they are out of the SEC Championship picture. Auburn still has LSU, Ole Miss, UGA and Bama. LSU has Auburn, Bama, Ole Miss and Arkansas and Bama has Tennessee, LSU, Miss. State and Auburn. Just looking at these schedules it seems to me that Bama might have the easiest road and this is why. Yes, they have to go to Neyland Stadium and play a Tennessee team that has been close a couple of times to pulling a huge upset and they are due but I think Bama will get it done. Then, after a week off, they have LSU in Baton Rouge. Most folks would look at this and say, Oh goodness...LSU in Death Valley! Here's the thing though, there is a reason that LSU stopped wearing the VooDoo Blue at home when playing Bama and that is because they couldn't win there and I guess they thought that changing jerseys would help. Bama has a 23-8-2 record in Baton Rouge. Then they have Miss. State at home and after playing Ga. State on a Thursday night, play Auburn the following week at home. After Auburn has LSU at home they have to go to Ole Miss, gets a upset minded UGA at home and then to Bama. I'll say it right now, there is NO way that LSU beats Auburn, Arkansas and Bama. NO WAY! And that's why I say Bama has the easiest road to the SEC Championship even though there is no EASY road to the SEC Championship through the SEC West. Do you agree? If so let me know...if not, let me know what you do think with a comment and let's get the debate started!
I'll be coming out with my picks for Week 8 later this week. Be sure to check back and let me know what you think. Also, don't forget to check out my friend Shane's blog at http://www.alabamatailgate.com/ and check out some recipe ideas for your tailgate.
Vandy at Georgia. Absolute domination by the dawgs! I'll have to give it to you UGA fans but I'm sticking to my guns and not picking UGA to win a game the rest of the season. Don't be mad though. You guys haven't lost a game since I started picking against you so if it holds out, you won't lose another game the rest of the season and maybe Mark Richt keeps his job!
Arkansas at Auburn. Was this a freaking WAC game? What the heck happened to the defense folks? I've seen Auburn in all but one of their games and have now watched Arkansas in four games. Arkansas I can see having a defensive lapse but Auburn? Good win by Auburn but they better do something on the defensive side or their National Championship hopes will take a slide if they allow LSU to score like that on them.
South Carolina at Kentucky. As I said in the preview, I thought that USC would probably allow Kentucky to score too much and make it tight because of the hangover from the victory over Alabama. What I didn't lend enough weight to was how much the two weeks to prepare for Bama aided South Carolina in that victory and then switching back to a week prep for a very able SEC team. Great win for the Wildcats!
McNeese State at LSU. This one was alot closer that one would have expected at the half with LSU clinging to a 6 point lead but they came out in the second half and shut down McNeese State and put up 16 more points to close it out 32-10. LSU continues to hang on by skin of their teeth. They seem to play to their opponent, whether that is up or down. With a huge one coming up with Auburn this weekend, we'll see how that works out for them.
Mississippi State at Florida. Well, as I said in my preview, if this one would have been in Starkville I would have picked the Dawgs to pull it out. I thought for sure that Florida would pull this one out in the Swamp. I thought wrong. I guess the Gator Nation is in as much shock as most of the rest of us in the SEC and that has kind of taken the threat of the home crowd out of the game. Huge win for Mullen and the Bulldogs on the road, 10-7.
Ole Miss at Alabama. Well, the Black Rebel Bears (or whatever they call themselves these days) came in to Bryant-Denny to hope and pile on a reeling Bama squad. Didn't quite work out for them. Having that been said, the Bama team that we saw for the first few games of the season is not showing up now. Bama's defense played well but the offense is still not clicking right now. I thought early on, from what we were seeing on the field, that Bama was by far the best team in the league. I can honestly say now, with the current play, that they aren't even the best team in the SEC West. I think that lies with the other team from the state in the Auburn Tigers.
To briefly recap....I had Vandy, Auburn, South Carolina, LSU, Florida and Bama this week and went 3-3 for the week that brings me to a pitiful 12-8 since I started running my picks. Most of my previews have been dead on but I have given too much weight to the home teams or traditional powers being able to pull it out based simply on heart and experience. Maybe I'll put more thought into it this week.
With the upsets that we have seen in the last two weeks in the SEC, some things are starting to work themselves out. I saw some write-ups yesterday that said, for instance that Bama was done and they would finish third in the SEC West. I think it's a little early for that. The SEC East, I think, is pretty much safe to call. If South Carolina doesn't absolutely implode over the next few weeks, I still believe that they will be playing in Atlanta in December. As far as the West, I'm still hanging in there with Bama. Auburn, LSU and Bama still have to play one another. Those head to head matchups will help to sort all this out and it starts this weekend with LSU travelling to the plains to take on the Tigers. I will say this, I do not see the SEC West champ coming through SEC play without a loss. Bama already has one and since every team they play from here on out from the SEC has a week off prior to playing them, it's going to be tough. They lose one more and they are out of the SEC Championship picture. Auburn still has LSU, Ole Miss, UGA and Bama. LSU has Auburn, Bama, Ole Miss and Arkansas and Bama has Tennessee, LSU, Miss. State and Auburn. Just looking at these schedules it seems to me that Bama might have the easiest road and this is why. Yes, they have to go to Neyland Stadium and play a Tennessee team that has been close a couple of times to pulling a huge upset and they are due but I think Bama will get it done. Then, after a week off, they have LSU in Baton Rouge. Most folks would look at this and say, Oh goodness...LSU in Death Valley! Here's the thing though, there is a reason that LSU stopped wearing the VooDoo Blue at home when playing Bama and that is because they couldn't win there and I guess they thought that changing jerseys would help. Bama has a 23-8-2 record in Baton Rouge. Then they have Miss. State at home and after playing Ga. State on a Thursday night, play Auburn the following week at home. After Auburn has LSU at home they have to go to Ole Miss, gets a upset minded UGA at home and then to Bama. I'll say it right now, there is NO way that LSU beats Auburn, Arkansas and Bama. NO WAY! And that's why I say Bama has the easiest road to the SEC Championship even though there is no EASY road to the SEC Championship through the SEC West. Do you agree? If so let me know...if not, let me know what you do think with a comment and let's get the debate started!
I'll be coming out with my picks for Week 8 later this week. Be sure to check back and let me know what you think. Also, don't forget to check out my friend Shane's blog at http://www.alabamatailgate.com/ and check out some recipe ideas for your tailgate.
Friday, October 15, 2010
Preview of Week 7 in the SEC
Alright SEC fans, here are this weeks games in the order of their scheduled kick off times with my predictions on each game:
Vandy at Georgia 12:21pm ET
(12) Arkansas at (7) Auburn 3:30pm ET
(10) South Carolina at Kentucky 6:00pm ET
McNeese State at (9) LSU 7:00pm ET
Miss. State at (22) Florida 7:00pm ET
Ole Miss at (8) Alabama 9:00pm ET
Ok, here we go....
Vandy at Georgia. Honestly, like I said last week, Vandy is even worse than normal but because of my promise not to pick UGA anymore for the rest of the season regardless of who they play, I'm taking Vandy even though the Dawgs will win.
Arkansas at Auburn. This one should be a dandy. The play of Cam Newton (AUB QB) and Ryan Mallett (ARK QB) is going to be huge. I think this is going to be a close one but I think Auburn pulls it off.
South Carolina at Kentucky. Let's be honest, the only chance that Kentucky has here is the fact that on two weeks of prep that USC was able to knock off Alabama. South Carolina is not used to winning those big games and if they let the high of knocking off the #1 team in the nation get to them, Kentucky has a chance. This game should be a blowout but I see it being alot closer than most would think because of the hangover from the win over Bama. I'm taking USC.
McNeese St. at LSU. LSU seems to be able to schedule their season to suit them (i.e. cream puffs after big games, two weeks off before Bama, etc.) but even with a let down here off the high of the Florida win, LSU is still 20 points better. I'm taking LSU.
Miss. State at Florida. This game is going to be a good one I think. Dan Mullen coming back down to the Swamp with a team that is actually starting to come together a bit. If this game was in Starkville, I'd be taking the Dawgs but because it's in the Swamp, I've gotta go with the Gators.
Ole Miss at Alabama. I don't have to tell you that the practices in Tuscaloosa this week haven't been the easiest in the world. Definitely not your normal Homecoming week. For the second week in a row, Bama faces an SEC opponent that has had two weeks to prepare for them. While I think that will narrow the margin of victory, I don't think it will be enough. Bama take this one for Homecoming.
To briefly recap....I have Vandy, Auburn, South Carolina, LSU, Florida and Bama. Good luck to your teams this week and let me know what you think about your team's game. Oh yeah, don't forget to check out my buddy Shane's blog at http://www.alabamatailgate.com/ this week. He actually can't make the Bama game this week and is putting up some recipe ideas that you can cook early and then heat up at your tailgate! Check it out and try some of his recipes!
For all of you that have visited "Connor's Corner" website and either donating money or just sending best wishes for us, thank you very much. I still have the link posted on the top right of my blog so if you haven't stopped by, do. Kate, Connor and I will be doing the Atlanta Buddy Walk on Sunday. Maybe I'll see you out there.
Vandy at Georgia 12:21pm ET
(12) Arkansas at (7) Auburn 3:30pm ET
(10) South Carolina at Kentucky 6:00pm ET
McNeese State at (9) LSU 7:00pm ET
Miss. State at (22) Florida 7:00pm ET
Ole Miss at (8) Alabama 9:00pm ET
Ok, here we go....
Vandy at Georgia. Honestly, like I said last week, Vandy is even worse than normal but because of my promise not to pick UGA anymore for the rest of the season regardless of who they play, I'm taking Vandy even though the Dawgs will win.
Arkansas at Auburn. This one should be a dandy. The play of Cam Newton (AUB QB) and Ryan Mallett (ARK QB) is going to be huge. I think this is going to be a close one but I think Auburn pulls it off.
South Carolina at Kentucky. Let's be honest, the only chance that Kentucky has here is the fact that on two weeks of prep that USC was able to knock off Alabama. South Carolina is not used to winning those big games and if they let the high of knocking off the #1 team in the nation get to them, Kentucky has a chance. This game should be a blowout but I see it being alot closer than most would think because of the hangover from the win over Bama. I'm taking USC.
McNeese St. at LSU. LSU seems to be able to schedule their season to suit them (i.e. cream puffs after big games, two weeks off before Bama, etc.) but even with a let down here off the high of the Florida win, LSU is still 20 points better. I'm taking LSU.
Miss. State at Florida. This game is going to be a good one I think. Dan Mullen coming back down to the Swamp with a team that is actually starting to come together a bit. If this game was in Starkville, I'd be taking the Dawgs but because it's in the Swamp, I've gotta go with the Gators.
Ole Miss at Alabama. I don't have to tell you that the practices in Tuscaloosa this week haven't been the easiest in the world. Definitely not your normal Homecoming week. For the second week in a row, Bama faces an SEC opponent that has had two weeks to prepare for them. While I think that will narrow the margin of victory, I don't think it will be enough. Bama take this one for Homecoming.
To briefly recap....I have Vandy, Auburn, South Carolina, LSU, Florida and Bama. Good luck to your teams this week and let me know what you think about your team's game. Oh yeah, don't forget to check out my buddy Shane's blog at http://www.alabamatailgate.com/ this week. He actually can't make the Bama game this week and is putting up some recipe ideas that you can cook early and then heat up at your tailgate! Check it out and try some of his recipes!
For all of you that have visited "Connor's Corner" website and either donating money or just sending best wishes for us, thank you very much. I still have the link posted on the top right of my blog so if you haven't stopped by, do. Kate, Connor and I will be doing the Atlanta Buddy Walk on Sunday. Maybe I'll see you out there.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
SEC Review for Week 6
Alright Ladies and Gents, I know several of you are thinking that the reason that I haven't written yet is because of the huge loss that Bama had against South Carolina this weekend. Well, while I admit, I was upset in their showing...it isn't what kept me from writing. Fortunately, I have been in Atlanta all weekend with Kate and Connor and getting to enjoy some time with the fam and hitting the Braves games this weekend. Needless to say, the blog was the last thing on my mind while I was getting to spend time with them. However, I'm back up and here goes for my review of week 6 in the SEC. This is what I had for picks last week:
Tennessee over UGA
Arkansas over Texas A&M
Bama bests USC
Vandy over Eastern Michigan
Auburn blasts Kentucky
Florida over LSU in the Swamp
Miss. State on the road at Houston
and this is what happened....
UGA over Tennessee 41-14
Arkansas over Texas A&M 24-17
USC over Bama 35-21
Vandy over Eastern Michigan 52-6
Auburn over Kentucky 37-34
LSU over Florida 33-29
Miss. State over Houston 47-24
So, with my picks for last week I went 4-3. Not a good week. So, overall that puts me at 9-5 which wouldn't do too good in Vegas Ladies and Gents. Sorry for keeping this post short but been a heck of a busy week. I'll try and get my week 7 predictions up tomorrow and add some color commentary. Have a good weekend!
Tennessee over UGA
Arkansas over Texas A&M
Bama bests USC
Vandy over Eastern Michigan
Auburn blasts Kentucky
Florida over LSU in the Swamp
Miss. State on the road at Houston
and this is what happened....
UGA over Tennessee 41-14
Arkansas over Texas A&M 24-17
USC over Bama 35-21
Vandy over Eastern Michigan 52-6
Auburn over Kentucky 37-34
LSU over Florida 33-29
Miss. State over Houston 47-24
So, with my picks for last week I went 4-3. Not a good week. So, overall that puts me at 9-5 which wouldn't do too good in Vegas Ladies and Gents. Sorry for keeping this post short but been a heck of a busy week. I'll try and get my week 7 predictions up tomorrow and add some color commentary. Have a good weekend!
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Bloggin' the Braves- Game 2- NLDS
Well Ladies and Gents....where are all those folks who had given up on the Braves after game one now? I said early on that I liked our chances in a five game series because we could possibly pull the game one starter a little early and then get him to go again in game 4 if need be on short rest. That game 1 starter turned out to be Lowe and Bobby has the ability to do just that. Last night it wasn't so much our starter in Hanson that stood up and took notice but our bullpen. I tell you what folks, if you can"t watch the Braves and get excited about the future then you don't have a pulse if you are a Braves fan. We have some young studs on this team right now...both in the field and in the bullpen and I look forward to these guys growing up together and seeing how they gel as a team. Anyway, back to the present. Two big things to take away from the game last night....monster blast by Rick Ankiel and injury to Billy Wagner. What a great story for Ankiel. The last time he was in the playoffs he was pitching for the Cardinals against the Braves and had some massive control issues and actually started a tailspin that would take him back to Triple A and then finally making it back to the majors as an outfielder, coming to the Braves and then hitting a MONSTER shot last night to win it for the Braves in extra innings. Great story. Now, for Billy Wagner. Looks like he's got a problem with the old oblique and may be replaced by either Jurrjens or Saito. Before we start jumping off bridges onto the connector in Atlanta, don't forget that we have some very good, young arms in that bullpen in Kimbrel and Venters. If we could in fact get JJ back for some mid-relief and he can be "vintage JJ" for maybe two or three innings, we could be ok.
I'm not ready to circle the wagons yet. I think we still have a very good shot at winning this round against the Giants, it's the next round that worries me. The Phils are playing like they are on crack. Their offense is peaking at just the right time and don't even get me started on their pitching! If the Braves can make it to the NLCS and then win it...this would by far be the best managing performance ever by Bobby Cox and perhaps any manager. Just remember what I said though Braves fans...as the series get longer, it's going to get harder for us with the lack of starters that we have. Who knows though...these Braves don't give up! Look forward to seeing you at Turner Field tomorrow night to root the Bravos on to another home victory!
I'm not ready to circle the wagons yet. I think we still have a very good shot at winning this round against the Giants, it's the next round that worries me. The Phils are playing like they are on crack. Their offense is peaking at just the right time and don't even get me started on their pitching! If the Braves can make it to the NLCS and then win it...this would by far be the best managing performance ever by Bobby Cox and perhaps any manager. Just remember what I said though Braves fans...as the series get longer, it's going to get harder for us with the lack of starters that we have. Who knows though...these Braves don't give up! Look forward to seeing you at Turner Field tomorrow night to root the Bravos on to another home victory!
Bloggin' the Braves- Game 1- NLDS
Hello there Baseball fans! I haven't forgot about you. Well, just like you, I've been watching the matchup between the Braves and the Giants. The first game was....well, it was "the Freak". What else can you say? I was hopeful in the first inning when Lincecum looked like he was going to be a little higher in the strike zone than normal but boy did he straighten that out. By the eighth inning he had Jason Heyward swinging at pitches that were bouncing in front of the plate! I think everyone knew that this was going to be a pitching dominated series. Heck, Bobby was playing the infield in as early as the fourth inning. The big play of the night though came in the fourth when a throw by Brian McCann on a stealing Buster Posey (SF Catcher) was ruled as Posey being safe when it was clear that Brooks Conrad applied the tag when Posey's foot was probably 6 to 8 inches from the bag. From the position the umpire was in, he couldn't have accurately called that play. He was strictly going off where the tag was placed. It was placed high on Posey so therefore he was called safe. Next batter, single...run in and turned out to be the winning run of the game. Now there are some Braves fans out there today screaming bloody murder that we were robbed. OK folks, there isn't anyone out there thats a bigger Braves fans than I am but if we are going to jump on that play, then let's fast forward to the bottom of the 8th after Aubrey Huff singled and then was caught stealing a few pitches later. If you look at that, it was a terribly sloppy tag by Conrad and Huff was safe. Again, a missed call. Yes, Buster Posey then struck out, but who knows how it would have changed the how the Braves pitched Posey if Huff would have been at 2nd and we all know that Bobby would have pulled the infield in to guard against that run so a smoked ball would've easily got through the infield.
Here's my point, if you are whining about that call at second, you don't watch enough baseball. Get over it! There are so many close calls in every baseball game that if the managers were given the right to challenge plays and send them to a replay, we'd have to have a season full of "businessman's specials" (that's games that start during the day in the middle of the week in case you didn't know) in order to get the dang things done before midnight. There'd be more guys sleeping in the clubhouse than Junior Griffey, I grant you that! Look, that's the wonderful thing about baseball...it is what it is. It is the same game played in a sandlot in Slapout, Alabama as it is at Turner Field in Atlanta. That's what makes it special! The biggest thing that I think we are missing in all this is the reaction of the Braves players and coaches. Go read some of the comments of these guys after the game. Derek Lowe, who was the pitcher at the time of the play in the fourth inning, had a pretty good look at the play and admitted that from what he saw, he was definitely out but what did he do? Did he bag on the umps? Did he fly off the handle on the field? Absolutely not. He said this, "It doesn't matter if a guy is out or safe at second base. It's part of the game. They got a big hit when they needed to. I was trying to throw the 2-0 sinker off the plate, because worst-case scenario, I've got the pitcher coming up. I got too much plate, and we lost. It doesn't matter what goes on behind you. We're a good enough pitching staff to overcome anything that happens behind us. It was a mistake pitch that I wasn't trying to throw for a strike, and he hit it. It cost us the game." Wow! A professional player taking ownership? SWEET! I could also quote Brooks Conrad, the Braves 2nd baseman, but he more or less said the same thing...that he thought they got him but the call went the other way...shut up and play ball. The refreshing thing here is seeing Major League players who actually respect the game and don't whine like a bunch of freaking babies, like, oh...let me see...the Yankees. I'll give the Yanks their props, they are a dang good team and probably the most historic franchise of any sport anywhere in the world but there was an awful lot of whining going on up there in the Bronx this year from the manager down. It's just refreshing to see this type of reaction on a bad call from players and manager alike.
Don't get me wrong folks, arguing calls is sometimes necessary for a manager to do but when a call is made however, it's made...it's history....get over it and PLAY BALL! Oh, and if you think that we need instant replay as part of baseball and you think I'm the only one opposed to it, I'll close it with Bobby Cox's comments on instant replay in baseball after last night's loss..."I'd just leave it as it is," Cox said. "It's fine the way it is. We would be arguing and throwing red flags 10 times a night." Couldn't have said it better myself Bobby. Go Braves!
Here's my point, if you are whining about that call at second, you don't watch enough baseball. Get over it! There are so many close calls in every baseball game that if the managers were given the right to challenge plays and send them to a replay, we'd have to have a season full of "businessman's specials" (that's games that start during the day in the middle of the week in case you didn't know) in order to get the dang things done before midnight. There'd be more guys sleeping in the clubhouse than Junior Griffey, I grant you that! Look, that's the wonderful thing about baseball...it is what it is. It is the same game played in a sandlot in Slapout, Alabama as it is at Turner Field in Atlanta. That's what makes it special! The biggest thing that I think we are missing in all this is the reaction of the Braves players and coaches. Go read some of the comments of these guys after the game. Derek Lowe, who was the pitcher at the time of the play in the fourth inning, had a pretty good look at the play and admitted that from what he saw, he was definitely out but what did he do? Did he bag on the umps? Did he fly off the handle on the field? Absolutely not. He said this, "It doesn't matter if a guy is out or safe at second base. It's part of the game. They got a big hit when they needed to. I was trying to throw the 2-0 sinker off the plate, because worst-case scenario, I've got the pitcher coming up. I got too much plate, and we lost. It doesn't matter what goes on behind you. We're a good enough pitching staff to overcome anything that happens behind us. It was a mistake pitch that I wasn't trying to throw for a strike, and he hit it. It cost us the game." Wow! A professional player taking ownership? SWEET! I could also quote Brooks Conrad, the Braves 2nd baseman, but he more or less said the same thing...that he thought they got him but the call went the other way...shut up and play ball. The refreshing thing here is seeing Major League players who actually respect the game and don't whine like a bunch of freaking babies, like, oh...let me see...the Yankees. I'll give the Yanks their props, they are a dang good team and probably the most historic franchise of any sport anywhere in the world but there was an awful lot of whining going on up there in the Bronx this year from the manager down. It's just refreshing to see this type of reaction on a bad call from players and manager alike.
Don't get me wrong folks, arguing calls is sometimes necessary for a manager to do but when a call is made however, it's made...it's history....get over it and PLAY BALL! Oh, and if you think that we need instant replay as part of baseball and you think I'm the only one opposed to it, I'll close it with Bobby Cox's comments on instant replay in baseball after last night's loss..."I'd just leave it as it is," Cox said. "It's fine the way it is. We would be arguing and throwing red flags 10 times a night." Couldn't have said it better myself Bobby. Go Braves!
Friday, October 8, 2010
Week 6 SEC Preview and Picks
Alrighty SEC fans, here we go with week six. Here are the games we are looking at in the conference this weekend in order of their scheduled kickoff times:
Tennessee at Georgia
(11) Arkansas at Texas A&M
(1) Alabama at (19) South Carolina
Eastern Michigan at Vanderbilt
(8) Auburn at Kentucky
(12) LSU at (14) Florida
Mississippi St. at Houston
The opener for the weekend pits two of the most troubled teams in the SEC, the Vols and the Dawgs. Tennessee only had a victory snatched from them in Baton Rouge because of bonehead moves by their coaching staff in the final seconds. UGA has forgotten what victory tastes like and in keeping with my statement from my week 5 review...I will not pick UGA again, for the rest of the season! Tennessee wins this one, in Athens.
Next, Bama vs. the Gamecocks in Columbia. As I've stated several times so far this year, South Carolina is my pick to win the SEC East and if anyone is going to give Bama trouble for the next few games, it's going to be the Gamecocks. However, even though "the old ball coach" has had two weeks to prepare for Bama, I don't think they get it done this week even with Spurrier reaching deep into his bag of tricks. I've got Bama again this week.
Eastern Michigan at Vandy. If anyone is worse than Vandy, it's Eastern Michigan and with Vandy being at home...I'll take Vandy in a close one.
Auburn at Kentucky. With the ball that Auburn is playing right now, I don't think there are but a couple of teams in the SEC that can hang with the Tigers....and Kentucky ain't one of them. In the battle of the cats, I've got Auburn, BIG.
LSU at Florida. Well, luck was on the side of the Bayou Bengals last weekend with a gift from Tennessee in Baton Rouge. NEWSFLASH Les Miles...your luck is running out and it starts in the SWAMP! Florida over LSU in Gainesville.
Mississippi State at Houston. Well, the Cougars have proved they can score some points (68 against Texas State, 54 against UTEP and 42 against Tulane) but when faced with even a mediocre defense, as seen with UCLA, they have trouble....only 13 points. I'm taking the Bulldogs in Houston. Bring the cowbell!
To recap my picks: Tennessee over UGA, Bama bests USC, Vandy over Eastern Michigan, Auburn blasts Kentucky, Florida over LSU in the Swamp and State on the road at Houston.
Let me know what you think. Click on the comment button below and let me know if you see it differently. Don't forget to visit my friend Shane Hill's blog at http://www.alabamatailgate.com/ to see his review of the Bama-Florida tailgate and to share some recipes he picked up from a past road trip to Columbia!
Tennessee at Georgia
(11) Arkansas at Texas A&M
(1) Alabama at (19) South Carolina
Eastern Michigan at Vanderbilt
(8) Auburn at Kentucky
(12) LSU at (14) Florida
Mississippi St. at Houston
The opener for the weekend pits two of the most troubled teams in the SEC, the Vols and the Dawgs. Tennessee only had a victory snatched from them in Baton Rouge because of bonehead moves by their coaching staff in the final seconds. UGA has forgotten what victory tastes like and in keeping with my statement from my week 5 review...I will not pick UGA again, for the rest of the season! Tennessee wins this one, in Athens.
Next, Bama vs. the Gamecocks in Columbia. As I've stated several times so far this year, South Carolina is my pick to win the SEC East and if anyone is going to give Bama trouble for the next few games, it's going to be the Gamecocks. However, even though "the old ball coach" has had two weeks to prepare for Bama, I don't think they get it done this week even with Spurrier reaching deep into his bag of tricks. I've got Bama again this week.
Eastern Michigan at Vandy. If anyone is worse than Vandy, it's Eastern Michigan and with Vandy being at home...I'll take Vandy in a close one.
Auburn at Kentucky. With the ball that Auburn is playing right now, I don't think there are but a couple of teams in the SEC that can hang with the Tigers....and Kentucky ain't one of them. In the battle of the cats, I've got Auburn, BIG.
LSU at Florida. Well, luck was on the side of the Bayou Bengals last weekend with a gift from Tennessee in Baton Rouge. NEWSFLASH Les Miles...your luck is running out and it starts in the SWAMP! Florida over LSU in Gainesville.
Mississippi State at Houston. Well, the Cougars have proved they can score some points (68 against Texas State, 54 against UTEP and 42 against Tulane) but when faced with even a mediocre defense, as seen with UCLA, they have trouble....only 13 points. I'm taking the Bulldogs in Houston. Bring the cowbell!
To recap my picks: Tennessee over UGA, Bama bests USC, Vandy over Eastern Michigan, Auburn blasts Kentucky, Florida over LSU in the Swamp and State on the road at Houston.
Let me know what you think. Click on the comment button below and let me know if you see it differently. Don't forget to visit my friend Shane Hill's blog at http://www.alabamatailgate.com/ to see his review of the Bama-Florida tailgate and to share some recipes he picked up from a past road trip to Columbia!
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Bama- Florida Review and Impact
Well Ladies and gents, I promised in my Week 5 review that I was going to take a harder look at this one this week. When you stand back and look at this game and it's results you would have to say it's effect on the SEC is alot less than if it would have been a Bama loss. If that would have happened you would have Auburn and a mediocre LSU team tied for first in the West and each one of them holding an upper hand on Bama when it comes to scheduling (each SEC team from now til the end of the season getting a week off prior to playing Bama). Fortunately for Bama, they dominated Florida and won't have to taste defeat just yet. Even with a Florida loss, the SEC east is still anyone's to take. Like I said earlier this season, I think it's a two-horse race, Florida and South Carolina.
Get a load of these stats though folks. If I would have told you last Friday before the game that Greg McElroy would have 84 yards passing, Mark Ingram 47 yards rushing and Trent Richardson 63 yards rushing for the game...90% of you would have been betting your money in Vegas that Bama was going to take it's first loss in their last 29 regular season games....but as Lee Corso likes to say, NOT SO FAST MY FRIEND! I think the two key stats about the game is this, Florida was 1-4 (that being a field goal) in the Red Zone with Bama being a 4-4 (3 TDs and a field goal). The other, 4 turnovers for Florida...1 fumble...3 interceptions, one being for a touchdown. Immediately after watching the game, I pointed solely to the turnovers as the difference but when I went back and watched it again and looked at the stats, it was more of a dominating win for the Tide than I gave them credit. During the game it seemed to feel like it would be a drive by Florida, mistake by Florida, short drive by Bama and score. I wasn't surprised to see that Bama was dominated in time of possession with 27:10 to Florida's 32:50. That doesn't tell the story though. Bama worked from a short field for a good bit of the game and even on the longer drives, the offense wasn't slowed until the second half. Even with Florida dominating time of possession and having several long drives, they only finished the day with 281 total yards on offense. A measly 8 yards better than Bama's 273. Florida was held to 79 yards rushing for the day with Bama tallying 170 yards rushing for the day. The one weakness that you can point to with Bama's defense is with the pass. Florida had 202 yards passing for the day averaging 6.3 yards per attempt and 12.6 yards per completion. The problem is, it took Florida 32 attempts to get 16 completions.
So, after reviewing the game, I don't think there is any doubt that Bama is for real. They have physically dominated every team that they have played to include the Florida Gators. Do they have weaknesses? Absolutely, but as each week comes and each game passes those weaknesses begin to be less and less and those holes become smaller. If we can predict the outcome of this season by Bama's play so far, I feel confident in saying this...if someone doesn't get Bama soon, it is going to be extremely hard to pull one on them at all. They are playing disciplined ball right now and when they don't Saban and Smart are dead in their tails and get it corrected on the spot. Can Bama lose? Absolutely, but they are not making those game breaking mistakes and if they do make a mistake they pick up for each other (offense for the defense and the defense for the offense). If this play continues...with disciplined play and very few turnovers...they will not lose, period. Yep, that's right...I said it. This team looks better and more well balanced than any team that I can remember even back to my childhood (that would be the 70's in case you were wondering). It's all starting to point to that matchup in the Iron Bowl at the end of the year cause I believe the two top teams in the SEC are in the west...Bama and Auburn. Auburn is down right explosive but they do make mistakes and Bama has proven that they can make the most of those mistakes. That game is going to be a slobber knocker folks so I don't care if you are an SEC fan or not, make your plans now for the 26th of November around 1:30pm central. I don't think you'll be disappointed!
Get a load of these stats though folks. If I would have told you last Friday before the game that Greg McElroy would have 84 yards passing, Mark Ingram 47 yards rushing and Trent Richardson 63 yards rushing for the game...90% of you would have been betting your money in Vegas that Bama was going to take it's first loss in their last 29 regular season games....but as Lee Corso likes to say, NOT SO FAST MY FRIEND! I think the two key stats about the game is this, Florida was 1-4 (that being a field goal) in the Red Zone with Bama being a 4-4 (3 TDs and a field goal). The other, 4 turnovers for Florida...1 fumble...3 interceptions, one being for a touchdown. Immediately after watching the game, I pointed solely to the turnovers as the difference but when I went back and watched it again and looked at the stats, it was more of a dominating win for the Tide than I gave them credit. During the game it seemed to feel like it would be a drive by Florida, mistake by Florida, short drive by Bama and score. I wasn't surprised to see that Bama was dominated in time of possession with 27:10 to Florida's 32:50. That doesn't tell the story though. Bama worked from a short field for a good bit of the game and even on the longer drives, the offense wasn't slowed until the second half. Even with Florida dominating time of possession and having several long drives, they only finished the day with 281 total yards on offense. A measly 8 yards better than Bama's 273. Florida was held to 79 yards rushing for the day with Bama tallying 170 yards rushing for the day. The one weakness that you can point to with Bama's defense is with the pass. Florida had 202 yards passing for the day averaging 6.3 yards per attempt and 12.6 yards per completion. The problem is, it took Florida 32 attempts to get 16 completions.
So, after reviewing the game, I don't think there is any doubt that Bama is for real. They have physically dominated every team that they have played to include the Florida Gators. Do they have weaknesses? Absolutely, but as each week comes and each game passes those weaknesses begin to be less and less and those holes become smaller. If we can predict the outcome of this season by Bama's play so far, I feel confident in saying this...if someone doesn't get Bama soon, it is going to be extremely hard to pull one on them at all. They are playing disciplined ball right now and when they don't Saban and Smart are dead in their tails and get it corrected on the spot. Can Bama lose? Absolutely, but they are not making those game breaking mistakes and if they do make a mistake they pick up for each other (offense for the defense and the defense for the offense). If this play continues...with disciplined play and very few turnovers...they will not lose, period. Yep, that's right...I said it. This team looks better and more well balanced than any team that I can remember even back to my childhood (that would be the 70's in case you were wondering). It's all starting to point to that matchup in the Iron Bowl at the end of the year cause I believe the two top teams in the SEC are in the west...Bama and Auburn. Auburn is down right explosive but they do make mistakes and Bama has proven that they can make the most of those mistakes. That game is going to be a slobber knocker folks so I don't care if you are an SEC fan or not, make your plans now for the 26th of November around 1:30pm central. I don't think you'll be disappointed!
Sunday, October 3, 2010
SEC Review for Week 5
Well Ladies and Gents, here we are with the Week 5 review of the SEC.
We'll start with the review of my picks for this week. I had:
UCONN over Vandy
Miss. State over Alcorn State (barely)
Auburn over LA Monroe
Kentucky over Ole Miss
LSU over Tenn (no way Tenn beats LSU in Baton Rouge)
Georgia shows they could play in the PAC-10 with a win over Colorado (yes, I know CU is still a Big 12 team til next year)
Bama over Florida (home field advantage)
Vandy-UCONN game. I actually tried to watch this game and after about 30 minutes...I just couldn't take anymore. Vandy is TERRIBLE! Even worse than usual but SEC fans, we need 'em to raise our overall GPA! UCONN 40- Vandy 21
Auburn vs. Louisiana-Monroe: This one was over at the coin toss. Auburn had a chance to fine tune what they already have working for them on offense and concentrate on the basics on defense. They didn't have to get sexy and some young players got some valuable playing time that could play huge dividends later in the year for them. As a Bama grad, this Auburn team is starting to worry me a bit. Auburn 52- ULM 3
LSU vs. Tennessee: All I have to say here, is you have to be kidding me? If you did not see this game or the highlights, you have to find them on the internet. The last few seconds out there it was like the keystone cops! Terrible coaching calls from both sidelines....but it ultimately gave LSU another shot to win and they did. Unbelievable! I think I said something in my preview about "no way Tennessee wins in Baton Rouge"...well, I stand corrected and confess my sins. The Tennessee players won this game but the coaches lost it for them in the last few seconds! Derek Dooley, quit your freakin' whining. You had too many players on the field in the first place, regardless of the goat screw that was going on on the LSU side line and "the referees not giving the ample opportunity to substitute". Buy some class...maybe you should get some from your dad. Can't believe I was trying to cheer up my Tennessee friends when you were hired. To all my Tennessee friends who I tried to tell "it's not that bad"...it is that bad. You have another whiner as a head coach. LSU 16- Tenn 14
Georgia vs. Colorado: I gave UGA too much credit when I thought they could beat CU. Congratulations to the Buffs. They CU Student section also gets the award this year for the "Biggest Celebration for a Meaningless Win". CU 29- UGA 27
Kentucky vs. Ole Miss: Wow! Where did this Ole Miss team come from? Maybe they should have come around when they played Jax State. They have proven that the cellar in the SEC will be left for Georgia, Kentucky and Vandy! Ole Miss 42- Kentucky 35
Miss. State vs. Alcorn State: I called this one but didn't give the Dawgs credit enough. I thought it'd be about a 7-10 point spread. I guess Alcorn State just couldn't get past the Cowbell! Miss State 49- Alcorn State 16
Bama vs. Florida: Honestly, I thought that this game wasn't as bad as the score would indicate. The Gators were inside the red zone 5 times and only came up with 2 field goals. I know that turn-overs are a part of the game but Florida showed that they can move the ball on Bama. Not easily, but they can move the ball. Should make that matchup with Florida and South Carolina pretty interesting in a couple of weeks. I'll be writing another blog later this week to talk about the impact of this game on the SEC. ROLL TIDE!
So after all that being said...I went 5-2 this week with only UGA and Kentucky throwing a monkey wrench in my perfect record. I'll say it right now...I will not pick UGA to win a game the rest of the year. I don't care if they are playing Parkview High School, I ain't pickin' 'em! Mark Richt better be packing his bags cause the natives are getting restless. The Gators are already licking their chops.
I'll be posting my look at Week 6 and my predictions in a couple of days. Hit me up with your comments and don't forget to check out my friend Shane's blog at http://www.alabamatailgate.com/ where he'll be reviewing the Bama-Florida tailgate this weekend. If any of my other readers have any reviews of their tailgates, I'll be more than happy to include you also if you let me know.
We'll start with the review of my picks for this week. I had:
UCONN over Vandy
Miss. State over Alcorn State (barely)
Auburn over LA Monroe
Kentucky over Ole Miss
LSU over Tenn (no way Tenn beats LSU in Baton Rouge)
Georgia shows they could play in the PAC-10 with a win over Colorado (yes, I know CU is still a Big 12 team til next year)
Bama over Florida (home field advantage)
Vandy-UCONN game. I actually tried to watch this game and after about 30 minutes...I just couldn't take anymore. Vandy is TERRIBLE! Even worse than usual but SEC fans, we need 'em to raise our overall GPA! UCONN 40- Vandy 21
Auburn vs. Louisiana-Monroe: This one was over at the coin toss. Auburn had a chance to fine tune what they already have working for them on offense and concentrate on the basics on defense. They didn't have to get sexy and some young players got some valuable playing time that could play huge dividends later in the year for them. As a Bama grad, this Auburn team is starting to worry me a bit. Auburn 52- ULM 3
LSU vs. Tennessee: All I have to say here, is you have to be kidding me? If you did not see this game or the highlights, you have to find them on the internet. The last few seconds out there it was like the keystone cops! Terrible coaching calls from both sidelines....but it ultimately gave LSU another shot to win and they did. Unbelievable! I think I said something in my preview about "no way Tennessee wins in Baton Rouge"...well, I stand corrected and confess my sins. The Tennessee players won this game but the coaches lost it for them in the last few seconds! Derek Dooley, quit your freakin' whining. You had too many players on the field in the first place, regardless of the goat screw that was going on on the LSU side line and "the referees not giving the ample opportunity to substitute". Buy some class...maybe you should get some from your dad. Can't believe I was trying to cheer up my Tennessee friends when you were hired. To all my Tennessee friends who I tried to tell "it's not that bad"...it is that bad. You have another whiner as a head coach. LSU 16- Tenn 14
Georgia vs. Colorado: I gave UGA too much credit when I thought they could beat CU. Congratulations to the Buffs. They CU Student section also gets the award this year for the "Biggest Celebration for a Meaningless Win". CU 29- UGA 27
Kentucky vs. Ole Miss: Wow! Where did this Ole Miss team come from? Maybe they should have come around when they played Jax State. They have proven that the cellar in the SEC will be left for Georgia, Kentucky and Vandy! Ole Miss 42- Kentucky 35
Miss. State vs. Alcorn State: I called this one but didn't give the Dawgs credit enough. I thought it'd be about a 7-10 point spread. I guess Alcorn State just couldn't get past the Cowbell! Miss State 49- Alcorn State 16
Bama vs. Florida: Honestly, I thought that this game wasn't as bad as the score would indicate. The Gators were inside the red zone 5 times and only came up with 2 field goals. I know that turn-overs are a part of the game but Florida showed that they can move the ball on Bama. Not easily, but they can move the ball. Should make that matchup with Florida and South Carolina pretty interesting in a couple of weeks. I'll be writing another blog later this week to talk about the impact of this game on the SEC. ROLL TIDE!
So after all that being said...I went 5-2 this week with only UGA and Kentucky throwing a monkey wrench in my perfect record. I'll say it right now...I will not pick UGA to win a game the rest of the year. I don't care if they are playing Parkview High School, I ain't pickin' 'em! Mark Richt better be packing his bags cause the natives are getting restless. The Gators are already licking their chops.
I'll be posting my look at Week 6 and my predictions in a couple of days. Hit me up with your comments and don't forget to check out my friend Shane's blog at http://www.alabamatailgate.com/ where he'll be reviewing the Bama-Florida tailgate this weekend. If any of my other readers have any reviews of their tailgates, I'll be more than happy to include you also if you let me know.
Friday, October 1, 2010
Braves Playoff Scenario
Well, HELLO BASEBALL FANS! It's been a long season and a roller coaster ride for the Braves with the late season loses of Chipper Jones, Kris Medlen and Martin Prado but if nothing else, the Bravos are scrappy. Here is where we sit right now:
• The Braves clinch a playoff berth with two wins, or a win and Padres loss, or two Padres losses.
• The Braves clinch a Tuesday tiebreaker in Atlanta vs. the Monday Giants-Padres loser with one win and a Padres sweep.
• The Braves clinch a Monday tiebreaker in Atlanta vs. the Padres with no wins and one Padres loss.
• The Braves are eliminated if swept and Padres sweep.
So folks, with the cliff notes version, the Braves stand a pretty good shot. They control their own destiny and assure that they will at least get a one game playoff, in Atlanta, with one win in the next three with against the Phillies. With the electricity that will be flying around the clubhouse this weekend with it being Bobby's last home series, I'm thinking that they will be seeing the postseason. If the Braves secure the wild card, they would start the NLDS in San Francisco against the Giants since they could not open up against a team in their same division (i.e. the Phillies). It should be a fun weekend and if the Braves win tonight, it'll be a late night for this guy cause I'll be glued to the Padres-Giants game and be the biggest Giants fan around! I'm still hoping for that Braves-Phillies matchup in the NLCS so that we have a chance at redemption after that last poor showing in Philly. LET'S GO BRAVES!
• The Braves clinch a playoff berth with two wins, or a win and Padres loss, or two Padres losses.
• The Braves clinch a Tuesday tiebreaker in Atlanta vs. the Monday Giants-Padres loser with one win and a Padres sweep.
• The Braves clinch a Monday tiebreaker in Atlanta vs. the Padres with no wins and one Padres loss.
• The Braves are eliminated if swept and Padres sweep.
So folks, with the cliff notes version, the Braves stand a pretty good shot. They control their own destiny and assure that they will at least get a one game playoff, in Atlanta, with one win in the next three with against the Phillies. With the electricity that will be flying around the clubhouse this weekend with it being Bobby's last home series, I'm thinking that they will be seeing the postseason. If the Braves secure the wild card, they would start the NLDS in San Francisco against the Giants since they could not open up against a team in their same division (i.e. the Phillies). It should be a fun weekend and if the Braves win tonight, it'll be a late night for this guy cause I'll be glued to the Padres-Giants game and be the biggest Giants fan around! I'm still hoping for that Braves-Phillies matchup in the NLCS so that we have a chance at redemption after that last poor showing in Philly. LET'S GO BRAVES!
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Tailgatin' the SEC (Part 2)
Since the corner where we had tailgated for years after graduation had been deemed "off limits" by some unknown and unnamed official at the University, my friend Shane Hill and some of his fellow tailgaters went into action. Now I have known Shane since the Fall of 1989. We had a freshman english class together back then. I joined the Army in 1990 and came back four years later, joined the Army ROTC there at Bama and who do I run into but Shane. I think he was still a Sophomore at that point but I digress. Fortunately for me, I got to spend the next 2 years keeping "The Strip" in business with him and since we have both graduated we continue to see each other every year during football season at the tailgates. It's not just Shane that we get to see it's all sorts of guys and gals that we went to school with, their parents and some grandparents that are still with us, and all our kids now. It seems like our huddle just keeps getting bigger and it's like a family reunion everytime we are all together.
Well, about 4 years ago when the University made their changes to the way things were done when it came to tailgating, one of the gentlemen who tailgated the same corner as we did, Mr. Jarmon, took the matter into his own hands. He went to looking at real estate near the University and after much research found an older house about three blocks southwest of the stadium. He purchased it, refurbished it and turned it into the ultimate tailgating crash shack. Since then, this has become the rally point for everyone that used to call the old corner home. This brings me back to my friend Shane. Back in college, this was a guy that couldn't boil water but in the years after graduating...Shane has become quite the cook. Shane develops all his own recipes and he and his sidekick Pat are always cooking it up at Mr. Jarmon's place every home game and I'm here to tell you folks, this ain't hamburgers and hot dogs we are talking about. Like I've said before, I've been fortunate to have been all over the world and sampled all sorts of food. The food that you get at one of these tailgates makes some "sit down restaurants" jealous! Take the menu for this weekend's Bama-Florida game for example:
Swamp Juice
Caramelized Corn Grits topped with Shrimp Rockefeller
Fried Gator Bites (seasoned gator meat lightly fried)
Hot Sauce Marinated Onion Straws
Cuban Sandwiches
Ropa Vieja (see recipe)
Cumin Scented Rice
See what I mean! These boys are serious!
Shane and Pat usually tailor their menu around whoever we are playing. For instance, if we are playing LSU then you can plan on some gumbo or something cajun. For Arkansas a couple of years ago, they cooked a whole hog and as you can see for this coming weekend, you gonna be eatin' some gator! Folks, this is food that makes your tongue want to beat your brains out! If it's a night game, they'll usually have brunch and then a late lunch. For an afternoon start, lunch and something after the game. We always have plenty to drink....plenty and a couple of big screens out back to catch all the other major games that weekend. Regardless of when we are playing, you can guarantee that you will have some good grub to get you ready for the big game. They have even started compiling their recipes for a book that they want to publish! If you want to see more and actually see some of their recipes check out their site at http://alabamatailgate.com/ and let 'em know what you think. If you are planning on being in Tuscaloosa for a game, stop by their tailgate and tell 'em I sent you. Don't forget to donate some cash to the cause though...cause Gator ain't free!
Well, about 4 years ago when the University made their changes to the way things were done when it came to tailgating, one of the gentlemen who tailgated the same corner as we did, Mr. Jarmon, took the matter into his own hands. He went to looking at real estate near the University and after much research found an older house about three blocks southwest of the stadium. He purchased it, refurbished it and turned it into the ultimate tailgating crash shack. Since then, this has become the rally point for everyone that used to call the old corner home. This brings me back to my friend Shane. Back in college, this was a guy that couldn't boil water but in the years after graduating...Shane has become quite the cook. Shane develops all his own recipes and he and his sidekick Pat are always cooking it up at Mr. Jarmon's place every home game and I'm here to tell you folks, this ain't hamburgers and hot dogs we are talking about. Like I've said before, I've been fortunate to have been all over the world and sampled all sorts of food. The food that you get at one of these tailgates makes some "sit down restaurants" jealous! Take the menu for this weekend's Bama-Florida game for example:
See what I mean! These boys are serious!
Shane and Pat usually tailor their menu around whoever we are playing. For instance, if we are playing LSU then you can plan on some gumbo or something cajun. For Arkansas a couple of years ago, they cooked a whole hog and as you can see for this coming weekend, you gonna be eatin' some gator! Folks, this is food that makes your tongue want to beat your brains out! If it's a night game, they'll usually have brunch and then a late lunch. For an afternoon start, lunch and something after the game. We always have plenty to drink....plenty and a couple of big screens out back to catch all the other major games that weekend. Regardless of when we are playing, you can guarantee that you will have some good grub to get you ready for the big game. They have even started compiling their recipes for a book that they want to publish! If you want to see more and actually see some of their recipes check out their site at http://alabamatailgate.com/ and let 'em know what you think. If you are planning on being in Tuscaloosa for a game, stop by their tailgate and tell 'em I sent you. Don't forget to donate some cash to the cause though...cause Gator ain't free!
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Tailgatin' the SEC (Part 1)
I've been wanting to write something about this for a few weeks now and just never got around to it. I started writing this and concluded that I was going to have to split this into a two or three parts series to tell the whole story, so here goes Part 1.
Throughout the years, with being in the Army, I have the chance to travel all over the world and more importantly, all over the United States. I have been able to observe and participate in tailgates in the PAC-10, BIG 12, WAC, Mountain West, ACC, Big 10 and the Big East in addition to my home in the SEC throughout those years. I'm here to tell you folks, no one does it quite like we do in the SEC. Having that been said, I have been pretty impressed with an elite few from other conferences. For example, when Bama played Iowa State a few years ago in the Independence Bowl down in Shreveport, they had several groups of fans that drove down in converted school buses. They had taken these "yella dogs" as we like to call 'em back home and converted these things into tailgating machines. One even had astro turf and goal posts on the top of it with tornado sirens (they are the Cyclones), and a built in grill and kegerators in the back. These guys were definitely dedicated but like I said, they were the few. One day, I'd like to be able to get to some places like Ann Arbor, MI or Columbus, OH or South Bend, IN to see how they do it on campus there but until I do, I'll have to base what I know on what I have seen on how well these teams travel and I can say this....no one travels like we do in the SEC. To kickoff the season in 2000, Bama played UCLA in Rose Bowl stadium. When we showed up for the game, the Bama fans actually outnumbered the UCLA fans and it was their home game! When football starts in the SEC, it is almost like mass movements of towns. The weekly movement of RVs and campers from campus to campus, state to state is just amazing to see and if you happen to catch these convoys moving down the interstate it's something to behold. I remember growing up and going to Bama games (and yes, even Auburn games with my childhood best friend and his family) and throughout the years, as your memory starts to fade, you might remember the final score or some keys plays from the games but you never forget the times that you had at the tailgates and the people you met in the process.
It's awesome to look back on some of these experiences and the people you meet. I've been fortunate to interact with fans from some of the more traditional football powers in the country like Oklahoma, Texas, Penn State, UCLA, etc. and one thing that they always seem to compliment us on is how nice they are received when they come to our place and how nice it is to be able to interact with people who genuinely have a love and a knowledge of the game. I think that is what sets the SEC apart. For the most part, our fans are very knowledgeable about the game and can actually sit together and have a educated conversation about the teams that we love. It's that love and understanding of this game that gives us not only a pride in our team but also a pride in our conference. That's why at the end of the season when we are at bowl games competing against teams from other conferences, it's not our school cheers that are the first things out of our mouth when we have clinched a victory. It's SEC-SEC-SEC! It's that pride in our conference that makes everything special. We don't just show up for the social aspect of tailgating. For us, it's almost like foreplay...for lack of a better term. It's the precursor to the main event but if you are gonna do...do it right!
With that said some Universities have made things a little harder on the hardcore tailgaters and have turned it into a business opportunity, to include my beloved Alma Mater the University of Alabama. When I was in college at Bama, I remember walking to class during football season and if there was a home game that weekend, those mass movements of RVs and campers began moving in on Wednesday to some of the lots just off campus. Back then, it was first come, first served....no rental fees required. Every Thursday and Friday morning, I would vary my walking route just a bit just so I could walk through the small village that popped up over night because I was assured that I would be offered breakfast by some family that was out cooking it up. It never missed and this poor college kid never went hungry during football season and didn't have to resort to ramen noodles. These days, many Universities in the SEC actually charge the RVers a season fee for them to be able to park their RV in an approved lot for the season. The sad thing is, that most of these lots have moved to the outskirts of campus and the current students, at Bama at least, don't get that same experience that I did when I was a student there and aren't able to build those friendships and bonds with some of the older alumni and fans before the hectic hours leading up to the game. The University of Alabama has even regulated tailgating on campus, putting certain areas off limits and actually making you pay to set up your spot in certain areas of campus like the Quad. When this happened a few years ago, some friends of mine, and fellow classmates at the University resorted to drastic measures. Come back for Part 2 tomorrow to see what those drastic measures were.
Throughout the years, with being in the Army, I have the chance to travel all over the world and more importantly, all over the United States. I have been able to observe and participate in tailgates in the PAC-10, BIG 12, WAC, Mountain West, ACC, Big 10 and the Big East in addition to my home in the SEC throughout those years. I'm here to tell you folks, no one does it quite like we do in the SEC. Having that been said, I have been pretty impressed with an elite few from other conferences. For example, when Bama played Iowa State a few years ago in the Independence Bowl down in Shreveport, they had several groups of fans that drove down in converted school buses. They had taken these "yella dogs" as we like to call 'em back home and converted these things into tailgating machines. One even had astro turf and goal posts on the top of it with tornado sirens (they are the Cyclones), and a built in grill and kegerators in the back. These guys were definitely dedicated but like I said, they were the few. One day, I'd like to be able to get to some places like Ann Arbor, MI or Columbus, OH or South Bend, IN to see how they do it on campus there but until I do, I'll have to base what I know on what I have seen on how well these teams travel and I can say this....no one travels like we do in the SEC. To kickoff the season in 2000, Bama played UCLA in Rose Bowl stadium. When we showed up for the game, the Bama fans actually outnumbered the UCLA fans and it was their home game! When football starts in the SEC, it is almost like mass movements of towns. The weekly movement of RVs and campers from campus to campus, state to state is just amazing to see and if you happen to catch these convoys moving down the interstate it's something to behold. I remember growing up and going to Bama games (and yes, even Auburn games with my childhood best friend and his family) and throughout the years, as your memory starts to fade, you might remember the final score or some keys plays from the games but you never forget the times that you had at the tailgates and the people you met in the process.
It's awesome to look back on some of these experiences and the people you meet. I've been fortunate to interact with fans from some of the more traditional football powers in the country like Oklahoma, Texas, Penn State, UCLA, etc. and one thing that they always seem to compliment us on is how nice they are received when they come to our place and how nice it is to be able to interact with people who genuinely have a love and a knowledge of the game. I think that is what sets the SEC apart. For the most part, our fans are very knowledgeable about the game and can actually sit together and have a educated conversation about the teams that we love. It's that love and understanding of this game that gives us not only a pride in our team but also a pride in our conference. That's why at the end of the season when we are at bowl games competing against teams from other conferences, it's not our school cheers that are the first things out of our mouth when we have clinched a victory. It's SEC-SEC-SEC! It's that pride in our conference that makes everything special. We don't just show up for the social aspect of tailgating. For us, it's almost like foreplay...for lack of a better term. It's the precursor to the main event but if you are gonna do...do it right!
With that said some Universities have made things a little harder on the hardcore tailgaters and have turned it into a business opportunity, to include my beloved Alma Mater the University of Alabama. When I was in college at Bama, I remember walking to class during football season and if there was a home game that weekend, those mass movements of RVs and campers began moving in on Wednesday to some of the lots just off campus. Back then, it was first come, first served....no rental fees required. Every Thursday and Friday morning, I would vary my walking route just a bit just so I could walk through the small village that popped up over night because I was assured that I would be offered breakfast by some family that was out cooking it up. It never missed and this poor college kid never went hungry during football season and didn't have to resort to ramen noodles. These days, many Universities in the SEC actually charge the RVers a season fee for them to be able to park their RV in an approved lot for the season. The sad thing is, that most of these lots have moved to the outskirts of campus and the current students, at Bama at least, don't get that same experience that I did when I was a student there and aren't able to build those friendships and bonds with some of the older alumni and fans before the hectic hours leading up to the game. The University of Alabama has even regulated tailgating on campus, putting certain areas off limits and actually making you pay to set up your spot in certain areas of campus like the Quad. When this happened a few years ago, some friends of mine, and fellow classmates at the University resorted to drastic measures. Come back for Part 2 tomorrow to see what those drastic measures were.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
SEC Review for Week 4
Well folks....I've noticed from the responses (or lack thereof) for my NFL Previews that not really getting any interest in what the heck is happening in the NFL from those of you that are reading the blog. So, what I'm going to do is mostly focus on college football. Also, from the comments of some of the folks reading (that don't neccessarily follow football as close as some of us when it comes to stats, etc.) I'm going to try and keep it as simple and as real as I can so that hopefully the casual fan to the absolute fanatic will enjoy it. I love to hear your comments. If you don't read any other part of this blog, please read the last two paragraphs.
The last couple of weekends have taught us several things within the SEC. South Carolina, Auburn and Arkansas look to be for real, Florida and UGA have some issues, Tennessee and Ole Miss have even more and without being biased, Bama is looking pretty good.
Some folks when they read the above comment will say, "well what about LSU?". Well, what about 'em? After seeing them in the opener against a injury and suspension ridden North Carolina squad and seeing them barely eke out a win...I chalked it up as first game jitters. Then we had the Vandy and Miss. State games, which were both SEC wins, but aren't exactly a good barometer of where your program is on the National level. Then, this past weekend we see them barely get a win against West Virginia who had two blowout wins against Maryland and Coastal Carolina with a close one against Marshall that they won in overtime. After being able to watch Bama and Auburn all four weeks now, Arkansas and LSU each a couple of games I really think that just judging off the way they are playing right now, LSU is the fourth best team in the West. Bama and Auburn have established themselves so far as the front runners for the West and LSU still hasn't played a game that is going to test them. This weekend against Tennessee and next week against Florida should definitely tell us more about them than the Vandy and Miss. State games but the real tests start on October 23rd with Auburn and then November 6th against Bama (after an bye week). Bottom line with the SEC West, I see it as a two horse race with Bama and Burn duking it out in the Iron Bowl for the rights to go to Atlanta (as if the Iron Bowl needs anymore hype, it might be for a shot at the National Championship also).
If we look at the SEC East, it is not the powerhouse of the past. In the first four weeks, we have seen pretty consistant play from only one team in the East and that is South Carolina. The only thing consistant about Florida is that they have been inconsistant. The first three weeks, they struggled at even some of the most fundamental things as completing a snap. This weekend against Kentucky, you saw flashes of what they could be like but they still have yet to put together consistant performances. South Carolina has looked pretty doggone good. They are definitely the best looking South Carolina team that I remember seeing since they entered the SEC. The improved play of senior quarterback Stephen Garcia and the running of freshman running back Marcus Lattimore have been key to the play of the South Carolina offense. This past weekend against Auburn however, the South Carolina defense allowed over 250 yards rushing to Cameron Newton (AUB QB) and Michael Dyer (AUB RB), 280 to be exact, and 341 total rushing yards. Having that been said, the only other team that South Carolina will play that will have that kind of rushing attack will be Bama and with Bama, Ingram and Richardson are usually not on the field at the same time unless in some sort of Wildcat formation. The attack that Auburn can throw at you right now is what makes them so good. The ability to have the likes of Newton and Dyer on the field at the same time, with the threat of either one of them breaking out for a 80+ yard run and at the same time having to worry about the arm of Newton is going to frustrate every SEC opponent (yep, that means Bama too). The SEC East is also a two horse race as I see it and that comes down to the Gators and the Gamecocks and right now, I'm liking the Gamecocks to show up in Atlanta come December but we'll get a good luck at Florida this week against Bama and how they can handle the hostile 100,000 plus hat are going to be there on Saturday. Even with a loss by Florida this weekend, the SEC East is all going to come down to that November 13th matchup with South Carolina in the Swamp and we all know how hard it can be to play down there.
My predictions for this week....
UCONN over Vandy
Miss. State over Alcorn State (barely)
Auburn over LA Monroe
Kentucky over Ole Miss
LSU over Tenn (no way Tenn beats LSU in Baton Rouge)
Georgia shows they could play in the PAC-10 with a win over Colorado (yes, I know CU is still a Big 12 team til next year)
Bama over Florida (home field advantage)
To close this week, I have to say that this weekend was a very special one for my wife Kate and I. Connor, our son, turned 1 on Monday and we had all the party, presents and cake action for him this weekend. Some of you know what we had gone through with Kate's pregnancy and the diagnosis of Down Syndrome and some of the crap that we were told by some pretty idiotic folks holding the title of "MD". Despite what some had warned us would happen, Connor is doing great. If you want to know pure, unaldulterated and unconditional love....get to know someone with Down Syndrome and you'll see it first hand. What else could win the hearts of young teenage boys and enable something like what's shown in this video clip to happen (see it at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jb_4f5nXZdA&feature=player_embedded). My hats' off to the coaches and players of both teams for making young Ike Ditzenberger's dream come true. The video is also viewable at the bottom of this page.
We have learned so much about Down Syndrome in the past few years and the more we study, the more we still learn. Kate, Connor and I are walking in the 2010 Atlanta Buddy Walk to show our support for the more than 350,000 individuals with Down syndrome in the United States. We want to do our part to make sure that each individual is given every opportunity to reach their full potential and they can't do it without us in their corner to help provide funds if needed and moreso to provide a voice for them in the education systems, workplaces, etc. Please visit Connor's Corner if you'd like to donate or to just post an encouraging word (http://buddywalk.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=430553&lis=1&kntae430553=A5C74B95201148F08EC4D7795B294CAC&supId=273977974). Connor's Corner can also be accessed by a link on the top right of my Blog page. Thanks.
The last couple of weekends have taught us several things within the SEC. South Carolina, Auburn and Arkansas look to be for real, Florida and UGA have some issues, Tennessee and Ole Miss have even more and without being biased, Bama is looking pretty good.
Some folks when they read the above comment will say, "well what about LSU?". Well, what about 'em? After seeing them in the opener against a injury and suspension ridden North Carolina squad and seeing them barely eke out a win...I chalked it up as first game jitters. Then we had the Vandy and Miss. State games, which were both SEC wins, but aren't exactly a good barometer of where your program is on the National level. Then, this past weekend we see them barely get a win against West Virginia who had two blowout wins against Maryland and Coastal Carolina with a close one against Marshall that they won in overtime. After being able to watch Bama and Auburn all four weeks now, Arkansas and LSU each a couple of games I really think that just judging off the way they are playing right now, LSU is the fourth best team in the West. Bama and Auburn have established themselves so far as the front runners for the West and LSU still hasn't played a game that is going to test them. This weekend against Tennessee and next week against Florida should definitely tell us more about them than the Vandy and Miss. State games but the real tests start on October 23rd with Auburn and then November 6th against Bama (after an bye week). Bottom line with the SEC West, I see it as a two horse race with Bama and Burn duking it out in the Iron Bowl for the rights to go to Atlanta (as if the Iron Bowl needs anymore hype, it might be for a shot at the National Championship also).
If we look at the SEC East, it is not the powerhouse of the past. In the first four weeks, we have seen pretty consistant play from only one team in the East and that is South Carolina. The only thing consistant about Florida is that they have been inconsistant. The first three weeks, they struggled at even some of the most fundamental things as completing a snap. This weekend against Kentucky, you saw flashes of what they could be like but they still have yet to put together consistant performances. South Carolina has looked pretty doggone good. They are definitely the best looking South Carolina team that I remember seeing since they entered the SEC. The improved play of senior quarterback Stephen Garcia and the running of freshman running back Marcus Lattimore have been key to the play of the South Carolina offense. This past weekend against Auburn however, the South Carolina defense allowed over 250 yards rushing to Cameron Newton (AUB QB) and Michael Dyer (AUB RB), 280 to be exact, and 341 total rushing yards. Having that been said, the only other team that South Carolina will play that will have that kind of rushing attack will be Bama and with Bama, Ingram and Richardson are usually not on the field at the same time unless in some sort of Wildcat formation. The attack that Auburn can throw at you right now is what makes them so good. The ability to have the likes of Newton and Dyer on the field at the same time, with the threat of either one of them breaking out for a 80+ yard run and at the same time having to worry about the arm of Newton is going to frustrate every SEC opponent (yep, that means Bama too). The SEC East is also a two horse race as I see it and that comes down to the Gators and the Gamecocks and right now, I'm liking the Gamecocks to show up in Atlanta come December but we'll get a good luck at Florida this week against Bama and how they can handle the hostile 100,000 plus hat are going to be there on Saturday. Even with a loss by Florida this weekend, the SEC East is all going to come down to that November 13th matchup with South Carolina in the Swamp and we all know how hard it can be to play down there.
My predictions for this week....
UCONN over Vandy
Miss. State over Alcorn State (barely)
Auburn over LA Monroe
Kentucky over Ole Miss
LSU over Tenn (no way Tenn beats LSU in Baton Rouge)
Georgia shows they could play in the PAC-10 with a win over Colorado (yes, I know CU is still a Big 12 team til next year)
Bama over Florida (home field advantage)
To close this week, I have to say that this weekend was a very special one for my wife Kate and I. Connor, our son, turned 1 on Monday and we had all the party, presents and cake action for him this weekend. Some of you know what we had gone through with Kate's pregnancy and the diagnosis of Down Syndrome and some of the crap that we were told by some pretty idiotic folks holding the title of "MD". Despite what some had warned us would happen, Connor is doing great. If you want to know pure, unaldulterated and unconditional love....get to know someone with Down Syndrome and you'll see it first hand. What else could win the hearts of young teenage boys and enable something like what's shown in this video clip to happen (see it at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jb_4f5nXZdA&feature=player_embedded). My hats' off to the coaches and players of both teams for making young Ike Ditzenberger's dream come true. The video is also viewable at the bottom of this page.
We have learned so much about Down Syndrome in the past few years and the more we study, the more we still learn. Kate, Connor and I are walking in the 2010 Atlanta Buddy Walk to show our support for the more than 350,000 individuals with Down syndrome in the United States. We want to do our part to make sure that each individual is given every opportunity to reach their full potential and they can't do it without us in their corner to help provide funds if needed and moreso to provide a voice for them in the education systems, workplaces, etc. Please visit Connor's Corner if you'd like to donate or to just post an encouraging word (http://buddywalk.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=430553&lis=1&kntae430553=A5C74B95201148F08EC4D7795B294CAC&supId=273977974). Connor's Corner can also be accessed by a link on the top right of my Blog page. Thanks.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Pre-season look at the NFC South- New Orleans Saints
Well, after taking much crap from my own "Who Dat" nation (my dear wife, Kate) for not giving the Who Dat rundown first, here it is.
Unless you have been living under a rock for the last few months, you know that the Saints brought home the first Lombardi Trophy in franchise history last season finishing the regular season 13-3 with each of those 3 losses coming in the last 3 regular season games, one of which superstar quarterback Drew Brees didn't even play.
Looking at this season's schedule, I don't see any reason why we shouldn't be mentioning the Saints and playoffs in the same breath come late December. Their division rivals, the Atlanta Falcons, did little to improve their team in the off-season and the Panthers and Bucs had so far to go that what improvements they did make, in my opinion, won't be enough to catch the Saints. Having that been said, I do see the Saints splitting the home and home series with the Falcons which forces us to look outside the division. The key match-ups as I see it will be the opener tonight with the Vikings, the 31 October matchup with the Steelers, the 25 November matchup with Dallas and then the 19 December matchup with a dangerous Baltimore team. Fortunately, the Saints won't have to play the Packers in the regular season and because of that, I think that will be enough to give the Saints in the division (with their overall record) and another ticket to the playoffs come January 2011.
One last deep thought by old JJ before I give you some things to watch for this season with the Saints. Last year the Saint's defense actually was rated as the eighth worst in the league even though they were second in the league for takeaways (with 39) and tied for first in points off turnovers (with 141). They actually allowed 122.2 yards a game last year also, which is pretty bad when we are talking the NFL. How could this happen? I'll tell you how it happens. You have an offense that can routinely score points in the matter of seconds which increases the amount of plays that the opponents offense gets per game and the Saints defense. The Saints defense was not as bad last year as the good 'ol stats seem to show but if the Saints defense suffers any key injuries this season, the alarm should start going off in Coach Payton's and Drew Brees' heads. They will have to change their offensive gameplan somewhat to a more ball control offense to help rest their defense and still control the game. Can the Saints play ball control? Remains to be seen but we shall see.
Some things to watch for this season....
1. The effect of having FS Darren Sharper on the "physically unable to perform list" early in the season and how it impact the pass defense against the Vikings and the Falcons early in the season.
2. The loss of OT Jammal Brown and the impact it has on the pass protection for Drew Brees. To me, this was the biggest loss for the Saints in the off season cause this dude was a hoss.
3. Can RB Pierre Thomas and the defense stay healthy (see above).
4. Will rookie CB Patrick Robinson be ready to help out some this year in some 3rd down situations? He could really help spell some of his compadres in the secondary if he can.
After it's all said and done, I like the Saints to take the NFC South title again this year and two play Green Bay for the NFC Championship. If the defense can stay healthy, I look for them to be playing in the Super Bowl in 2011 and going for the Lombardi trophy once again. WHO DAT?
Unless you have been living under a rock for the last few months, you know that the Saints brought home the first Lombardi Trophy in franchise history last season finishing the regular season 13-3 with each of those 3 losses coming in the last 3 regular season games, one of which superstar quarterback Drew Brees didn't even play.
Looking at this season's schedule, I don't see any reason why we shouldn't be mentioning the Saints and playoffs in the same breath come late December. Their division rivals, the Atlanta Falcons, did little to improve their team in the off-season and the Panthers and Bucs had so far to go that what improvements they did make, in my opinion, won't be enough to catch the Saints. Having that been said, I do see the Saints splitting the home and home series with the Falcons which forces us to look outside the division. The key match-ups as I see it will be the opener tonight with the Vikings, the 31 October matchup with the Steelers, the 25 November matchup with Dallas and then the 19 December matchup with a dangerous Baltimore team. Fortunately, the Saints won't have to play the Packers in the regular season and because of that, I think that will be enough to give the Saints in the division (with their overall record) and another ticket to the playoffs come January 2011.
One last deep thought by old JJ before I give you some things to watch for this season with the Saints. Last year the Saint's defense actually was rated as the eighth worst in the league even though they were second in the league for takeaways (with 39) and tied for first in points off turnovers (with 141). They actually allowed 122.2 yards a game last year also, which is pretty bad when we are talking the NFL. How could this happen? I'll tell you how it happens. You have an offense that can routinely score points in the matter of seconds which increases the amount of plays that the opponents offense gets per game and the Saints defense. The Saints defense was not as bad last year as the good 'ol stats seem to show but if the Saints defense suffers any key injuries this season, the alarm should start going off in Coach Payton's and Drew Brees' heads. They will have to change their offensive gameplan somewhat to a more ball control offense to help rest their defense and still control the game. Can the Saints play ball control? Remains to be seen but we shall see.
Some things to watch for this season....
1. The effect of having FS Darren Sharper on the "physically unable to perform list" early in the season and how it impact the pass defense against the Vikings and the Falcons early in the season.
2. The loss of OT Jammal Brown and the impact it has on the pass protection for Drew Brees. To me, this was the biggest loss for the Saints in the off season cause this dude was a hoss.
3. Can RB Pierre Thomas and the defense stay healthy (see above).
4. Will rookie CB Patrick Robinson be ready to help out some this year in some 3rd down situations? He could really help spell some of his compadres in the secondary if he can.
After it's all said and done, I like the Saints to take the NFC South title again this year and two play Green Bay for the NFC Championship. If the defense can stay healthy, I look for them to be playing in the Super Bowl in 2011 and going for the Lombardi trophy once again. WHO DAT?
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Pre-season look at the NFC South- Atlanta Falcons
With tomorrow night's kickoff to the NFL season rapidly approaching, I decided that I would take a look at my two favorite divisions in the NFL, the NFC South and the AFC East for my next few blogs. I'll start with the NFC South since that is the home to the 2009 World Champs, the New Orleans Saints. We'll take it team by team and start with the Atlanta Falcons.
Just to recap, let's look at the final regular season records for all the teams in the division from 2009. The Atlanta Falcons finished with a 9-7 record, the Carolina Panthers finished with a 8-8 record, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers finished with a 3-13 record and of course, the New Orleans Saints finished the season with a record of 13-3 and then going on to win the title. Now, on to the Falcons.
Much of the problem with the Atlanta Falcons finishing at 9-7 last year, was some minor growing pains from their starting quarterback, Matt Ryan and some nagging injuries from starting running back Michael Turner seemed to bog down the Falcons who at the first of the year, I was looking at giving the Saints a run for their money in the NFC South. Overall for the off season, the Falcons didn't do very well at improving the team except for the addition of CB Dunta Robinson. Robinson should have a major impact on the improvement of the pass defense, which last year, ranked 28th in the league. However, the Falcons did lose S Charlie Peprah, CB Tye Hill and CB Chris Houston but overall the pass defense should improve somewhat this year. The addition of rookie LB Sean Weatherspoon will also help out the second tier to the defense. He is expected to make an immediate impact with his playing time. The problem is that the Falcons didn't add anything to strengthen their front on offense nor defense. If they cannot pressure the opposing quarterback without having to depend on the blitz to do it...it may be a long year. The Falcons have to face their division rival Saints twice (as with all divisional games), Pittsburgh and Green Bay. With Rothlisberger being suspended for that game, it should help the Falcons not have to worry as much about that air attack however they really need to worry about the other two teams....the Saints and the Packers and what most folks believe are two of the top if not the top two quarterbacks in the league in Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers. You can quote me on this...if the Falcons can have their new secondary gel before the first game with New Orleans on September 26th and keep Turner and Ryan healthy they are going to make it interesting in the NFC South and will more than likely challenge the Saints for the division. Those three are what I see as the key to their season. Sure, they don't have the strongest defensive line but they can still slow down the run and slow the game. With the quick strike capabilities that they have with Ryan, WR Roddy White, TE Tony Gonzalez and WR Michael Jenkins, the Falcons are never out it.
Bottomline, I see the Falcons splitting their games with the Saints and losing their one game to the Packers and their game with the Ravens. That will make the difference in the division. I see the Saints taking the division but the Falcons will be good enough to pull off a Wild Card spot and make things interesting in the playoffs.
Just to recap, let's look at the final regular season records for all the teams in the division from 2009. The Atlanta Falcons finished with a 9-7 record, the Carolina Panthers finished with a 8-8 record, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers finished with a 3-13 record and of course, the New Orleans Saints finished the season with a record of 13-3 and then going on to win the title. Now, on to the Falcons.
Much of the problem with the Atlanta Falcons finishing at 9-7 last year, was some minor growing pains from their starting quarterback, Matt Ryan and some nagging injuries from starting running back Michael Turner seemed to bog down the Falcons who at the first of the year, I was looking at giving the Saints a run for their money in the NFC South. Overall for the off season, the Falcons didn't do very well at improving the team except for the addition of CB Dunta Robinson. Robinson should have a major impact on the improvement of the pass defense, which last year, ranked 28th in the league. However, the Falcons did lose S Charlie Peprah, CB Tye Hill and CB Chris Houston but overall the pass defense should improve somewhat this year. The addition of rookie LB Sean Weatherspoon will also help out the second tier to the defense. He is expected to make an immediate impact with his playing time. The problem is that the Falcons didn't add anything to strengthen their front on offense nor defense. If they cannot pressure the opposing quarterback without having to depend on the blitz to do it...it may be a long year. The Falcons have to face their division rival Saints twice (as with all divisional games), Pittsburgh and Green Bay. With Rothlisberger being suspended for that game, it should help the Falcons not have to worry as much about that air attack however they really need to worry about the other two teams....the Saints and the Packers and what most folks believe are two of the top if not the top two quarterbacks in the league in Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers. You can quote me on this...if the Falcons can have their new secondary gel before the first game with New Orleans on September 26th and keep Turner and Ryan healthy they are going to make it interesting in the NFC South and will more than likely challenge the Saints for the division. Those three are what I see as the key to their season. Sure, they don't have the strongest defensive line but they can still slow down the run and slow the game. With the quick strike capabilities that they have with Ryan, WR Roddy White, TE Tony Gonzalez and WR Michael Jenkins, the Falcons are never out it.
Bottomline, I see the Falcons splitting their games with the Saints and losing their one game to the Packers and their game with the Ravens. That will make the difference in the division. I see the Saints taking the division but the Falcons will be good enough to pull off a Wild Card spot and make things interesting in the playoffs.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Boise State- 2010 NCAA Football Champs- What?
So last night, I got the opportunity to see the much vaunted Boise State powerhouse take on Virginia Tech. The big thing that jumped out at me initially is how that "Beamer Ball" usually has a solid special team game but last night, it cost them dearly. Because of special teams failures, Boise was actually able to jump out to an early 17-0 lead. Once Va. Tech got their heads screwed on straight, they actually came back and took the lead only to lose the lead late in the fourth quarter which in turn cost them the game. I will have to say this, the game was extremely entertaining to watch if you like a good bit of offense. After watching though, I called it what I thought it was...a good win for a good team and a good start to the season. What suprised me was the way that the sports media is covering the thing today. They have already stamped Boise State's ticket to the National Championship game this coming January in Arizona! You have to be kidding me. Last year when Bama beat Virginia Tech in the opening game of the season noone gave them a one way ticket to hoist the crystal football. In fact, the doubters were a plenty. Even if they had gave Bama that one way ticket, why the heck does it mean so much to beat Virginia Tech? When was the last time that Virginia Tech won anything of any importance. Well, let me throw this one at you. Since 1948, vs. teams ranked in the top 5, Virginia Tech is a terrible 1-27! That's right folks, I said 1 win in 28 tries! So then, why is Boise State getting their ticket to the National Championship stamped so early this season by some in our national sports media? Well, let's look at Boise State's schedule. We have Wyoming, Oregon State, New Mexico State, Toledo, San Jose State, La. Tech, Hawaii, Idaho, Fresno State, Nevada and Utah State. How many of those teams are ranked? Oh, that would be a big, fat ZERO. Now, I totally agree that early season rankings are nothing but beauty contests but can we honestly say that Boise State is one of the top two teams in the nation after the first week and go ahead and chalk up wins for them in each of their next 11 match ups? I think not. I agree that even a sluggish Boise State squad should be able to handle most of their season relatively easy but don't glaze over the matchups with Oregon State and Fresno State. Oregon State played great this weekend against TCU and Fresno State beat Cincy 28-14. I have to pull a page from old Lee Corso's book and give a great big "NOT SO FAST" for all the college football no-it-alls that already have crowned Boise State as BCS champs cause let's face it, if they do make it all the way....they won't be playing the likes of Wyoming or Nevada or heck even the likes of Virginia Tech or Oregon State when they get there! Nothing against Boise State, but let's step out of the opium tent and clear our heads for a minute. It's the first week of the season ladies and gents and every victory is what it is...one step closer to that elusive undefeated season. If we are still talking about Boise State and the National Championship in December, then it should lead to some spirited debate on the subject of a playoff system for our FBS (aka Division 1) football.
Some other little Boise State tidbits to munch on:
9 bowl appearances for a record of 5-4 in those bowl games.
Boise State’s all-time record vs. BCS schools is a woeful 6-17
The only four years they attempted to play two BCS teams during the regular season, they went 0-2 each year. (1997: lost to Wisconsin and Washington State, 2000: lost to Arkansas and Washington St., 2001: lost to Washington State and South Carolina, 2005: lost to Georgia and Oregon State).
Top 10 Toughest-Schedule
Leaders for 2002-09 (just a hunch....Boise State is nowhere to be found)
2002
Team Record Pct.
1. Southern California..............................107-58 .649
2. Iowa St.......................................................107-62 .633
3. Texas Tech................................................108-66 .621
4. Arkansas....................................................104-64 .619
5. Florida.......................................................... 97-60 .618
6. Stanford...................................................... 87-54 .617
7. Florida St...................................................112-70 .615
8. Miami (FL).................................................. 91-57 .615
9. Wisconsin.................................................108-68 .614
10. Alabama...................................................... 98-62 .613
2003
Team Record Pct.
1. Alabama...................................................... 98-50 .662
2. Florida.......................................................... 89-48 .650
3. Notre Dame............................................... 89-49 .645
4. Texas A&M.................................................. 82-53 .607
5. Arizona........................................................ 84-55 .604
6. Iowa St......................................................... 76-50 .603
7. Bowling Green......................................... 77-51 .602
8. Kansas St..................................................... 86-59 .593
9. Ohio St......................................................... 87-60 .592
10. South Carolina......................................... 80-56 .588
2004
Team Record Pct.
1. Texas A&M.................................................. 86-42 .672
2. North Carolina.......................................... 74-39 .655
3. Arizona........................................................ 69-39 .639
4. Arizona St. ................................................. 79-48 .622
5. Auburn........................................................ 76-47 .618
6. Baylor........................................................... 66-41 .617
7. Notre Dame............................................... 78-49 .614
8. Arkansas...................................................... 68-43 .613
9. Georgia........................................................ 71-45 .612
10. Iowa.............................................................. 76-49 .608
2005
Team Record Pct.
1. Oklahoma................................................... 84-38 .689
2. Stanford...................................................... 66-37 .641
3. Michigan..................................................... 80-46 .635
4. Ohio St. ....................................................... 80-47 .630
5. North Carolina.......................................... 74-45 .622
6. Northwestern........................................... 78-49 .614
7. Texas............................................................. 81-51 .614
8. Arkansas...................................................... 63-40 .612
9. Southern California................................ 81-52 .609
10. Texas Tech.................................................. 60-39 .606
2006
Team Record Pct.
1. Florida .......................................................100-49 .671
2. Michigan..................................................... 91-53 .632
3. Cincinnati................................................... 83-50 .624
4. Kentucky .................................................... 83-52 .615
5. South Carolina......................................... 83-52 .615
6. Connecticut............................................... 73-47 .608
7. Southern California ............................... 90-58 .608
8. Arizona ....................................................... 76-50 .603
9. Arkansas...................................................... 86-59 .593
10. Tennessee................................................... 85-59 .590
2007
Team Record Pct.
1. Texas A&M ................................................ 85-50 .630
2. Virginia Tech ............................................. 91-55 .623
3. Florida ......................................................... 87-53 .621
4. Oklahoma St. ........................................... 83-51 .619
5. Mississippi ................................................. 75-48 .610
6. Illinois .......................................................... 81-53 .605
7. Georgia ....................................................... 79-52 .603
8. Nebraska .................................................... 82-54 .603
9. South Carolina ........................................ 74-49 .602
10. Kentucky .................................................... 81-54 .600
2008
Team Record Pct.
1. Oklahoma ................................................. 95-50 .655
2. Florida ......................................................... 93-53 .637
3. Texas ............................................................ 89-54 .622
4. Georgia ....................................................... 83-51 .619
5. Arkansas .................................................... 76-47 .618
6. Ohio St. ....................................................... 80-52 .606
7. Kansas ......................................................... 79-53 .598
8. Florida St. ................................................... 73-49 .598
9. Syracuse ..................................................... 73-50 .593
10. Virginia ....................................................... 73-50 .593
2009
Team Record Pct.
1. Mississippi St. ........................................... 84-41 .672
2. Alabama ..................................................... 93-54 .633
3. Oklahoma ................................................. 82-52 .612
4. Arkansas .................................................... 83-53 .610
5. Oregon ....................................................... 90-58 .608
6. Florida ......................................................... 88-57 .607
7. Arizona ....................................................... 83-55 .601
8. Florida St. ................................................... 78-52 .600
9. Iowa ............................................................. 78-53 .595
10. Miami (FL) ................................................. 76-53 .589
Some other little Boise State tidbits to munch on:
9 bowl appearances for a record of 5-4 in those bowl games.
Boise State’s all-time record vs. BCS schools is a woeful 6-17
The only four years they attempted to play two BCS teams during the regular season, they went 0-2 each year. (1997: lost to Wisconsin and Washington State, 2000: lost to Arkansas and Washington St., 2001: lost to Washington State and South Carolina, 2005: lost to Georgia and Oregon State).
Top 10 Toughest-Schedule
Leaders for 2002-09 (just a hunch....Boise State is nowhere to be found)
2002
Team Record Pct.
1. Southern California..............................107-58 .649
2. Iowa St.......................................................107-62 .633
3. Texas Tech................................................108-66 .621
4. Arkansas....................................................104-64 .619
5. Florida.......................................................... 97-60 .618
6. Stanford...................................................... 87-54 .617
7. Florida St...................................................112-70 .615
8. Miami (FL).................................................. 91-57 .615
9. Wisconsin.................................................108-68 .614
10. Alabama...................................................... 98-62 .613
2003
Team Record Pct.
1. Alabama...................................................... 98-50 .662
2. Florida.......................................................... 89-48 .650
3. Notre Dame............................................... 89-49 .645
4. Texas A&M.................................................. 82-53 .607
5. Arizona........................................................ 84-55 .604
6. Iowa St......................................................... 76-50 .603
7. Bowling Green......................................... 77-51 .602
8. Kansas St..................................................... 86-59 .593
9. Ohio St......................................................... 87-60 .592
10. South Carolina......................................... 80-56 .588
2004
Team Record Pct.
1. Texas A&M.................................................. 86-42 .672
2. North Carolina.......................................... 74-39 .655
3. Arizona........................................................ 69-39 .639
4. Arizona St. ................................................. 79-48 .622
5. Auburn........................................................ 76-47 .618
6. Baylor........................................................... 66-41 .617
7. Notre Dame............................................... 78-49 .614
8. Arkansas...................................................... 68-43 .613
9. Georgia........................................................ 71-45 .612
10. Iowa.............................................................. 76-49 .608
2005
Team Record Pct.
1. Oklahoma................................................... 84-38 .689
2. Stanford...................................................... 66-37 .641
3. Michigan..................................................... 80-46 .635
4. Ohio St. ....................................................... 80-47 .630
5. North Carolina.......................................... 74-45 .622
6. Northwestern........................................... 78-49 .614
7. Texas............................................................. 81-51 .614
8. Arkansas...................................................... 63-40 .612
9. Southern California................................ 81-52 .609
10. Texas Tech.................................................. 60-39 .606
2006
Team Record Pct.
1. Florida .......................................................100-49 .671
2. Michigan..................................................... 91-53 .632
3. Cincinnati................................................... 83-50 .624
4. Kentucky .................................................... 83-52 .615
5. South Carolina......................................... 83-52 .615
6. Connecticut............................................... 73-47 .608
7. Southern California ............................... 90-58 .608
8. Arizona ....................................................... 76-50 .603
9. Arkansas...................................................... 86-59 .593
10. Tennessee................................................... 85-59 .590
2007
Team Record Pct.
1. Texas A&M ................................................ 85-50 .630
2. Virginia Tech ............................................. 91-55 .623
3. Florida ......................................................... 87-53 .621
4. Oklahoma St. ........................................... 83-51 .619
5. Mississippi ................................................. 75-48 .610
6. Illinois .......................................................... 81-53 .605
7. Georgia ....................................................... 79-52 .603
8. Nebraska .................................................... 82-54 .603
9. South Carolina ........................................ 74-49 .602
10. Kentucky .................................................... 81-54 .600
2008
Team Record Pct.
1. Oklahoma ................................................. 95-50 .655
2. Florida ......................................................... 93-53 .637
3. Texas ............................................................ 89-54 .622
4. Georgia ....................................................... 83-51 .619
5. Arkansas .................................................... 76-47 .618
6. Ohio St. ....................................................... 80-52 .606
7. Kansas ......................................................... 79-53 .598
8. Florida St. ................................................... 73-49 .598
9. Syracuse ..................................................... 73-50 .593
10. Virginia ....................................................... 73-50 .593
2009
Team Record Pct.
1. Mississippi St. ........................................... 84-41 .672
2. Alabama ..................................................... 93-54 .633
3. Oklahoma ................................................. 82-52 .612
4. Arkansas .................................................... 83-53 .610
5. Oregon ....................................................... 90-58 .608
6. Florida ......................................................... 88-57 .607
7. Arizona ....................................................... 83-55 .601
8. Florida St. ................................................... 78-52 .600
9. Iowa ............................................................. 78-53 .595
10. Miami (FL) ................................................. 76-53 .589
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