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If you ask college football fans where to find the best high school talent in the country, many would tell you California, Texas, and Florida.
They wouldn't be wrong, but few are aware of a high school in the town of Stone Mountain, Georgia that has produced 19 Division I football players since 2001. That includes two guys, Anthony Cannon of the Detroit Lions and DeMario Minter of the Cleveland Browns, who were drafted in April. This football program has only been around for 10 years, yet it continues to generate college stars.
SEC coaches are certainly well aware of Stephenson High School and its head coach, Ron Gartrell.
"We've got our share out there in the SEC," Gartrell said. "Each week we're kind of straddling the fence in terms of who we're gonna cheer for, but we're just glad they're all out there."
Here's a quick list of some of current SEC players that Gartrell coached.
LSU LBs Kelvin Sheppard and Perry Riley
Georgia RB Kregg Lumpkin and SE T.J. Gartrell (the coach's son)
Vanderbilt WR Alex Washington
Alabama DB Lionel Mitchell
Then there's junior free safety Michael Grant, who originally signed with Georgia but ended up with the Arkansas Razorbacks. Grant had 39 tackles and three interceptions in nine games. He will miss Saturday's game because of an injury.
"Michael Grant, during the time he was in high school, was one of the fastest kids in the country," Gartrell said.
The coach told us that Grant, who played safety and occasionally offense while also running track in high school, was heavily recruited by numerous teams. He eventually chose the Razorbacks, and that gives Coach Gartrell an easy decision to make on Saturday.
He'll root for Arkansas.
Actually, not so fast.
I forgot to tell you about Florida's freshman defensive end Jermaine Cunningham, another Stephenson High School superstar.
"Tremendous football player," Gartrell said. "One of the best defensive players we've ever had. One of the best high school defensive players that anybody's ever had."
Cunningham has seen limited action this year as a backup on a very deep defensive line. In high school, he set a Stephenson single season record with 25 sacks and a career record with more than 50 sacks.
"Jermaine was the hardest hitter," Stephenson fullback Jeffrey Tarver said.
Stephenson is actually the only high school with a player on both Arkansas and Florida. So who will the coach be rooting for this weekend?
"We don't have any preference in terms of who wins and who loses," he said. "We'll let them guys do the bragging about that. We just want to see our kids do well."
Gartrell's kids have done very well. Stephenson High School also provided Georgia Tech with its quarterback - Reggie Ball. And while Arkansas and Florida are playing in the Georgia Dome this week, one more win for the Stephenson Jaguars puts them in the semifinals of the playoffs. That game will be held in downtown Atlanta, at the Georgia Dome.
Friday's quarterfinal game will be huge for the Jaguars, but the following day, the focus will shift to the guys who are playing at the next level and representing their high school.
"I'm gonna cheer for them both," Tarver said, "but I think Florida's gonna pull it out, though."
Another teammate, running back Louis Manning, shared his memories of playing with both Grant and Cunningham.
"I just know you had to be on your P's and Q's when they're out on the field practicing, because they come hard every play."
Both Tarver and Manning are inspired by the success of their former teammates. They hope to follow in their footsteps soon. Many of these Stephenson stars come back to their high school and give advice to the current players. They tell them to stay focused and keep their heads up.
If they get a chance to watch the SEC Championship on Saturday, it will be a special moment for the Jaguars players and coaches who shared a locker room with Grant and Cunningham. It's special any time they flip through the channels on a Saturday and see Stephenson High School being represented all over the country.
"It means a lot to us," Manning said. "They're putting us out on the map."
Unfortunately, it can make watching television difficult.
"Sometimes," Gartrell said, "just sit there on Saturdays. Just flick through the TV because you've got so many that's playing."
That's a good problem to have.
For now, let's assume the rumors are true. Maybe it's all false and the Tigers aren't going to be invited to the Rose Bowl, but let's just act like what we've been reading is accurate.
LSU is headed to Pasadena.
The SEC is headed to the Rose Bowl for the first time since 1946.
Nice.
College football fans deserve an LSU-Michigan or an LSU-USC battle. Without question, either of those two games would be the best BCS Bowl Game on paper, aside from the National Championship.
Personally, I'd love to see LSU play the Trojans of Southern California. East needs to meet West more often. It would be a great opportunity for LSU to show that the SEC can dominate West Coast football teams. It would be a way to confirm what a lot of people in Eastern Standard Time already believe - that USC has benefited over the last few years from a weak schedule.
An LSU victory would be a serious statement for those who believe in strength of schedule and the strength of the Southeastern Conference.
All the Florida fans that are talking about strength of schedule right now would love to see LSU beat the Pac 10 champs in a bowl game.
Actually, they would love to see the Gators beat the Pac 10 or Big 10 champs in a bowl game.
The only problem with LSU being invited to the Rose Bowl is this: What about Florida?
If UF loses to Arkansas on Saturday, are they really not going to be the at-large SEC bid? Didn't they beat LSU? Doesn't it seem premature to be sending the Tigers to the Rose Bowl? I'm sure Gators fans would say that UF deserves a BCS Bowl bid over a team that they beat.
The SEC deserves two BCS teams. The winner of Saturday's game will be one of them. If that team is Florida, send LSU to Pasadena. If that team is Arkansas, send UF.
But regardless of which team goes, it would be great to have an SEC team in the Rose Bowl. I love tradition. I respect the Big 10 - Pac 10 history of the Rose Bowl. However, I'm ready to see East Coast football meet West Coast football.
If it ends up being an SEC team against Michigan, we've still got a heck of a game to watch. It won't be two teams from opposite sides of the nation, but it will be two teams with great history.
Part of the appeal of Bowl Games is the opportunity to have teams that don't usually get to play each other go head to head.
I hope the rumors are true.
I figured the UF students would be much more irate about Florida's current chances of playing for the title. I took a small sample of the UF population that included some current students and some recent alumni. Here is what they had to say about UF, USC, Michigan, and the BCS:
(Note: All were operating under the assumption that UF beats Arkansas)
"I absolutely, whole-heartedly think that Florida should play for a National Championship if USC loses. I'm one of the few that thinks USC should be ranked ahead." - Jared Ross, alum
"I think we should be ahead of USC because we have played a tougher schedule, and USC lost to a pretty bad team." - Seth Gilson, senior. Seth also added: "I really think Michigan had their chance. I don't want to see the same two teams play twice."
"I think based on the way we played, we don't really deserve to be ranked one or two, but I think there should be a playoff system. I don't think Florida has proven themselves to be better than USC or Michigan." - Tracy Ulrich, alum
"Any team that plays the schedule that UF does will come out with one loss. It's hard to say that they don't deserve to play for a National Championship. All three teams are so close, but with Auburn getting left out a few years ago, enough is enough." - Benjamin Brauser, alum
"I would think that if UF wins against Arkansas, they should get a chance to play for the National Championship. I know all the games haven't been pretty, but it doesn't make sense that in all other sports defense wins championships, but in college football, it doesn't." - Ian Fisher, an alum who is also a correspondent for the St. Petersburg Times. Ian added: "The fact that they would go 12-1 through the SEC means they should at least go to the National Championship."
I was expecting more frustration with the current rankings, but UF fans are realistic. Generally speaking, the ones I spoke to realize that UF hasn't blown teams out, and that does matter. However, many of them respect the strength of the SEC, and think that going through the schedule with one loss is enough to get a team to the big game, regardless of the scores.
Then, I asked my friend John about this topic. I won't release his last name for safety issues. John is a high school friend of mine who attends UF, but refuses to give up his Miami Hurricanes roots. This is what he said:
"I don't think UF should be playing for a National Championship. I think the SEC wasn't as good as people thought. There are a lot of good teams, but not a great team. Also, I don't think UF beat teams convincingly enough."
John, be careful. Don't say that too loudly.
You can hear it already.
Inevitably, something big will happen for the Gators on offense during Saturday's game. When it does, UF's historic band, the Pride of the Sunshine, will play UF's historic song, "Go Gators."
If you have ever been to, or seen on TV, a Florida football game, you know what I'm talking about. It starts off with two notes, played several times, picking up the intensity each time.
The fans do the Gator Chomp with their hands to correspond with the music.
Then, the crescendo!
The band plays those memorable notes, and the whole crowd yells, "Go, Gators!"
"I get to initiate that," Drum Major Michaela Churilla said. "And to hear everybody cheer in response is just a thrill beyond belief."
At the University of Florida, the football players work hard. It's a year-long process, with practices during the spring, the summer, and throughout the week leading up to games on Saturday.
But the football experience wouldn't be the same without the Pride of the Sunshine. And for as hard as the players work, the band members deserve some credit for putting in the hours as well.
"Well, it's very hectic most of the time," Churilla said. "We practice Tuesdays and Thursdays. Fridays. Usually Saturday mornings. Practices generally range (from) about two to two and a half hours. If we need to cram, probably three or four on Saturdays."
To be fair, band practices seem a lot more fun, and probably much easier, than football practices. Last night, we sat on UF's Norman Field and watched the band prepare for the SEC Championship.
I was rocking out. It's not often that I get to hear a college marching band play Welcome to the Jungle, Smoke on the Water, and I Want to Rock and Roll All Night.
The Pride of the Sunshine isn't just a bunch of musicians. Practicing off in the background were the baton twirlers (a.k.a. "The Gatorettes"). Part of their job is to learn choreography, know their spots on the field, and figure out how to interact with the other band members during their routines.
"It's a lot of hard work," Elise Kashmiry said, "and a lot of everyone being focused."
Kashmiry is a grad student who has been a UF baton twirler for four years. She is the two-time reigning "Gatorette of the Year." She loves being out on the field, warming up the crowd, getting all the Gators fans ready for game time.
"It's definitely a rush," she said. "I mean, being on the field in front of 90,000 people, screaming and yelling, singing the fight song."
The two girls we spoke to today talked about the tradition at UF. They love hearing "Go Gators." They love playing "We are the Boys From Old Florida" at the end of third quarter. And being able to attend every game isn't a bad perk either.
They told us about some superstitions among the band members. For example, Churilla has the same game day routine each week.
"The other Drum Major and I, we don't feel like we're gonna win a game unless we're wearing every single thing we wore in the last game," she said with a smile. "I'm just gonna leave it at that."
But what they seemed to love most was the excitement of representing their university.
"Coming out of the tunnel for pregame is - I can't even describe to you the feeling," Churilla said. "... It's just such a rush because you know that all eyes are on you at that moment."
Going to a Gators game wouldn't be the same without that extremely loud, extremely proud marching band. You'll be hearing them throughout Saturday's game.
You can hear them already.
Most of the talk surrounding UF these days involves the BCS. Urban Meyer has called for its implosion if Michigan and Ohio State get their rematch. The Gators feel like a win is a win. Style points shouldn't matter.
The voters don't seem to agree.
And there are some people who think Florida has no chance to jump Michigan anyway. Perhaps the National Championship is already out of the question.
Well, none of that is on the Gators' minds this week. It's all about Saturday. It's all about Arkansas and Darren McFadden and winning the conference.
What is the freshman Tim Tebow thinking about?
"Arkansas, and that's it right now," he said. "That's all we're worried about. Trying to go in the SEC Championship and take care of business."
That won't be easy against an Arkansas team with a great running game, a very good receiver (Marcus Monk), and an underrated defense. Certainly the Gators watched the Arkansas-LSU game and saw how the Razorbacks put up points against the Tigers.
Even though Tebow won't have to worry about McFadden, he knows his defense will.
"They're gonna have to bring it," Tebow said. "(McFadden) runs really hard, and it takes more than one person to bring him down most of the time."
Of course, Arkansas has a lot to be concerned about as well. The Gators are the fourth-ranked team in the country for a reason. They have a stingy defense, a great pass rush, Chris Leak, Tebow, Percy Harvin, Dallas Baker. The offense sounds like something from the Spurrier Era. UF's offensive speed will be a lot for the Arkansas defense to handle.
But Florida might be at a disadvantage on special teams. We've seen what McFadden and Felix Jones are capable of doing on kickoff returns.
The Gators will be prepared.
"We got a litlte something for them," special teams standout Wondy Pierre-Louis said, with a big grin on his face. "I aint gonna say nothing, but we're gonna see what happens."
Pierre-Louis reiterated what Tebow had already told us.
"We're just focusing on Arkansas," he said. "We're trying to win the game."
Saturday's game is setting up to be a good one. There is a lot of talent on both sides of the ball. There is a guy named McFadden who will be up for the Heisman this year. There are two guys on Florida named Tebow and Harvin who might have a chance to win that award in the upcoming seasons.
And there are the National Championship implications, but the Gators will worry about that after they try to take care of business against the Hogs.
"Winning the SEC is one of our goals, and it's what we've been working for," Tebow said. "That's all we're worried about. After that game, I think maybe then there will be time to look at some other stuff. But for now, it's not even something we can control. So why worry about it?"
The last time the Arkansas Razorbacks lost, they ran off 10 straight wins.
A 50-14 destruction by USC on Arkansas' home field created negativity and a lot of doubt among the fans and media.
But it was a much different story inside the locker room. After that loss, a seniors-only meeting was held to regroup the Razorbacks and save the season.
And it worked.
So if you think Arkansas will limp into the SEC Championship Game on Saturday, think again.
Last week, I asked senior defensive tackle Keith Jackson about his team. How did the Razorbacks rebound after that season-opening loss?
"A group of togetherness, brotherhood, seniors," he said. "A great group of seniors."
The togetherness has been there all year for the Razorbacks. It starts with the head coach, Houston Nutt, who will likely win SEC Coach of the Year. It extends to the senior class and the rest of the Razorbacks players. They have battled adversity before, and I believe they will put the LSU loss behind them quickly.
Just look at how they responded in Friday's game. Trailing 24-12 with 10:52 remaining in the game, the Razorbacks turned to Darren McFadden. On the first play of the drive, he exploded for an 80 yard touchdown. Arkansas was back in the game.
Just as quickly, they were out of it again. Trindon Holliday returned the ensuing kickoff 92 yards for a touchdown. LSU led 31-19.
So what did the Razorbacks do? Felix Jones took a kickoff 62 yards to the LSU 37, and then he ran in a touchdown from five yards out to make it a five point game again.
Arkansas has shown its character throughout the season. I expect to see it again against the Gators.
If you stop to think about it, Friday's 31-26 defeat didn't do that much damage. Arkansas had no chance to play for a National Championship, as long as USC kept winning. Even with the loss, the Razorbacks can accomplish the one goal they had before the season began.
"We control our own destiny to get to the SEC Championship Game," senior offensive lineman Stephen Parker said to me last Monday. "That was our goal throughout the summer."
Every team wants to win the National Championship, but I think Arkansas entered the year with more realistic expectations. They wanted to win the SEC West, and they wanted to win the SEC.
The Razorbacks can still do that. They face a Florida team that allowed FSU running back Lorenzo Booker to average 6.1 yards per carry on Saturday. McFadden and Jones sliced up LSU's defense, which is as good as it gets. After meeting and talking to McFadden, I just can't imagine that he won't give everything he's got against the Gators.
Some teams become demoralized after losses. Some teams don't show up for the following game. I can't predict the future, but after hearing the Razorbacks players talk about the leadership and toughness of their team, I don't see Arkansas giving anything less than 100% against UF.
"It's gonna mean a lot to us," Jackson said about winning the conference, "and the seniors, and the whole team."
So.. What's the buzz in Oxford, MS?
Well.. Coach Orgeron and his distinctive vocal stylings have created quite the musical sensation...
Check Out the Music Video for 'The Coach O Song'
You want to know how important the Iron Bowl is in the state of Alabama?
It might have cost Mike Shula his job.
When we went to the Iron Bowl a few weeks ago, I asked a number of people who either cover or watch Alabama regularly about Shula's job security. Most people said his status was uncertain. He might come back. He might get fired. I would say that the general feeling was, if people had to pick one outcome, Shula would be let go.
But I think he might have sealed his fate with some questionable coaching decisions that made him the first Crimson Tide coach ever to lose four consecutive games to Auburn.
On two instances, Alabama took too long to get the field goal unit out and had to burn timeouts. Then, Shula decided to go for it on fourth and 15 in the fourth quarter. It was a one-possession game at the time, and Alabama was in field goal range. Not everyone disagreed with that decision, but it backfired, as an incomplete pass gave Auburn the ball back. Auburn won by seven.
I can remember thinking at the time that the move would give more ammunition to the people calling for Shula's head.
Here's the bottom line. Coaching Alabama is one of the most difficult jobs in the country. The expectations are incredibly high. The legend of Bear Bryant is a lot to compete against. Shula put together a terrific 2005 season, but that isn't enough. At Alabama, you're expected to win every year.
I recall speaking to some Alabama fans about that. They talked about the demand for a winning program, not just a few winning teams here and there. They agreed that they've been spoiled by past success, but that doesn't seem to change their yearly expectations.
When you coach a program with a winning tradition, you have an advantage over other schools. Some recruits will be attracted to the program just because of the name alone. But you're at a disadvantage as well. You must win now. You must win next year, and the year after that.
And you must beat your in-state rival. Shula couldn't do that in his time at Alabama. I'm not saying that's the only reason he was fired, but I think it played a significant role in the decision.
These players stepped up during Saturday's Egg Bowl:
Ole Miss receiver Mico McSwain: McSwain finished the day with modest numbers (two carries for 15 yards and three catches for 29 yards), but I was impressed with his toughness. He bailed out quarterback Brent Schaeffer several times. Early in the second quarter, Schaeffer fired high in traffic, McSwain hauled in the pass by making a good adjustment. He then turned upfield, juked a defender, and gained 11 yards. McSwain made another nice catch with defenders around him in the third quarter for a gain of seven. Both of those catches came on drives that ended in Ole Miss field goals. Those points would not have been on the board without McSwain's grabs.
Ole Miss linebacker Patrick Willis: I finally got a chance to see one of the best defensive players in the country. Willis didn't have his best ball game. He finished with 13 tackles, but I honestly thought some of those were handed out generously by the stat crew. Still, Willis impressed with his ability to be everywhere on the field. He also played defensive end on numerous third downs, and he crushed quarterback Omarr Conner on a vicious sack that made MSU settle for a field goal instead of a touchdown.
Mississippi State defensive end Michael Herd: Herd finished the game with only three tackles, but his effort combined with the rest of the MSU defensive line made BenJarvus Green-Ellis' day miserable. On the opening Ole Miss drive, Herd stuffed Green-Ellis just in front of the line of scrimmage. On the next drive, he forced a false start on Michael Oher and then stopped Bruce Hall for no gain on the next play. Herd didn't do quite as much in the second half.
Mississippi State linebacker Gabe O'Neal: O'Neal was outstanding near the endzone. Ole Miss had the ball, leading 7-3, first and goal at the three yard line. O'Neal tackled Green-Ellis on first down for a two yard loss. On third and goal, O'Neal had the coverage to force an incompletion in the back of the endzone. The Rebels settled for a field goal. Then, in the third quarter, O'Neal made a great tackle on Schaeffer's quarterback keeper on second and goal to save a touchdown. Again, the drive ended in a field goal.
Ole Miss special teams: This was where the game was decided. Marshay Green ran back a punt 47 yards for a touchdown to give the Rebels a 10 point lead. Punter Rob Park had a strong day. He pinned the Bulldogs inside their 20 three times. Here are the starting points for the Bulldogs drives in the second half: Own 20; Own six; Own 28; Own 48; Own 16; Own 8; Own 27. Then, their last possession began at their own 48 after stopping Ole Miss on fourth and inches. Park's punts and Green's returns helped the Rebels win the field position battle.
In LSU's 31-26 victory over Arkansas, these are some of the players who stood out.
LSU receiver Dwayne Bowe: He went up against stiff competition. Arkansas cornerback Chris Houston is a good player, but he was no match for Bowe (five catches, 68 yards). He ran the slant pattern to perfection and the wide receiver screen was one of LSU's most successful plays thanks to Bowe. It wasn't just his pass catching. Bowe's blocking ability was great early, helping set up a 29 yard touchdown in the first quarter.
LSU safety LaRon Landry: Landry is fun to watch. He covers so much of the field, and his tackling ability is great for a defensive back. He broke up a critical third down pass on the final Arkansas drive. He intercepted a ball in the third quarter and returned it to the Arkansas nine yard line. I can't even imagine how many yards Felix Jones and Darren McFadden would have had if not for Landry (nine tackles, seven solo). Cornerback Chevis Jackson and safety Jesse Daniels are also very good players, but Landry was the best player in the secondary on Friday.
Arkansas running backs Darren McFadden and Felix Jones: It doesn't take a rocket scientist to tell you how good these guys are. Jones had a spectacular kickoff return in the fourth quarter, knocking people down and gaining 62 yards to set up a touchdown when the team needed it the most. He gets around the edges extremely quickly on handoffs. The defense has no chance. McFadden is a standout in every game he plays. I have seen, in person, players such as Willis McGahee, Andre Johnson, Frank Gore, Clinton Portis, Santana Moss, Michael Vick, Peter Warrick, Chris Weinke, and many others. McFadden is far and away the best I've ever seen. I never saw Reggie Bush play in person, but McFadden can't be too far behind. Not many guys can take a handoff straight up the middle and go 80 yards for a touchdown against a speedy LSU defense. Many tailbacks get chased down by defensive backs. Not McFadden. You have to see him in person to understand how good he is. He also made a great throw on the first possession of the game.
LSU defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey: Dorsey (six tackles) was able to get in the backfield and break up some running plays before they got started. Overall, I thought the Arkansas offensive line did a good job, but Dorsey still found ways to make plays. I wouldn't say the way he played was the difference in the game, but he still performed nicely.
LSU quarterback JaMarcus Russell: You don't always have to make the beautiful passes to win games. Sometimes, you just have to manage the game and be efficient. JaMarcus Russell's numbers weren't incredible, but he only threw eight incompletions and no interceptions, although one sure INT was dropped by an Arkansas defender. Russell threw a perfect fade to Early Doucet for a seven yard touchdown. On the opening drive of the second half, his shovel pass on third and nine after avoiding a sack kept the drive going and led to a field goal. Russell also prolonged the final LSU drive with a 16 yard pass to Bowe on third down. It allowed LSU to take time off the clock and eventually win the game. When it mattered, Russell did the little things that gave LSU the Golden Boot.
My final memory of our final regular season game will be the diehard Ole Miss fans standing and singing in their endzone seats. They were watching the Mississippi players carry the Golden Egg off Hollingsworth Field just a few yards away from where the final field goal missed.
Everyone wearing red and blue seemed to forget that the Rebels just finished a 4-8 season. There will be no Bowl Game this year. It doesn't matter. The Egg Bowl is all these people cared about today.
And isn't that what this journey has really been about? Sure, we've paid attention to the football players and coaches, but really, we've been impressed with the thousands of fans who attend every game, regardless of their favorite team's record.
What a way to end our regular season. A classic rivalry, one of the oldest in college football. Fourteen points in the final 3:29. A fourth and inches stop by Mississippi State trailing by three points. A desperation Bulldogs drive that began at the Ole Miss 48 yard line with 42 second remaining. A 51 yard field goal attempt with hopes of forcing overtime that fell wide to the left. A three-point win for the home team, the Rebels of Ole Miss, 20-17.
"It was a very physical football game," Ole Miss Head Coach Ed Orgeron said, with his shiny gold trophy sitting over his right shoulder.
He's right. It wasn't pretty. There were few spectacular plays or players. If anyone deserves the headlines, it's punt returner Marshay Green. His 47 yard touchdown return late in the fourth quarter put Ole Miss up 20-10. A Mississippi win seemed like a foregone conclusion, but Sylvester Croom's Bulldogs had a lot of fight left in them.
They never gave up. Down by 10 with 3:16 to play at their own 27, the Bulldogs went 73 yards in only 8 plays. Quarterback Omarr Conner needed just 56 seconds to direct the touchdown drive. Conner, might I remind you, is supposed to be catching passes, not throwing them. But he filled in for the injured Michael Henig and did an effective job.
In the end, his effort was not enough. Ole Miss held on. It's something for the Rebels to build on heading into 2007.
"I'm happy for our team," Orgeron said. "We finally found a way to win a game at the end. We've been close. And I know our guys wanted to beat Mississippi State. It's a big rivalry for Ole Miss, and I'm just happy that we could get that done."
The two teams entered the locker room at halftime tied at 10. MSU running back Anthony Dixon had sliced and diced his way through the Rebels defense. Sixteen carries, 97 yards and a touchdown in just two quarters. But things changed in the second half.
"We just got a little tougher," Orgeron said.
Dixon carried nine times in the second half. He gained just 28 yards. Ole Miss stepped it up defensively, and that was the difference in the game.
That and Ole Miss' domination on special teams.
Both teams have a lot to look forward to. MSU has proven over the last few weeks that it can stop the run. The Bulldogs will have to replace some departing seniors, but there is defensive talent that will return next season.
Ole Miss showed that if a Rebels quarterback can play consistently, there will be a productive offense in Oxford next year. All you have to do is look at the last few box scores for Ole Miss and Mississippi State to realize that these two teams are on the rise.
Next year's Egg Bowl might have a lot more at stake.
This year's Egg Bowl was sloppy at times. There were five three-and-outs and one four-and-out in the fourth quarter alone. Punts were shanked and field goals were missed. I feel bad for the guy cutting highlights for this game (Glenn).
That's really not what matters though. Two teams with three wins and no hope to play postseason football played hard for 60 minutes. It came down to the last play of the game. What a great way to end our regular season.
Now we're off to the SEC Championship. What a great way to end the mission.
It keeps getting better and better each week.
Last Saturday, I was blown away by The Quad at Alabama. Today, it was The Grove at Ole Miss that topped all tailgates I've seen thus far.
We left Little Rock last night after the LSU-Arkansas game and drove to Oxford, arriving at The Grove at 11:00 PM. It was a Ghost Town last night, eerily void of people put populated by blue and white tents and lawn chairs. Tailgaters had gotten there several hours earlier to claim their spots, much like at The Quad a week ago.
Here's what separated The Grove from The Quad: The scenery. First of all, it was a beautiful fall morning today. Perfect weather with just a slight chill in the air. The leaves that hadn't abandoned their trees yet had turned bright orange and casually drifted through the air and onto the ground. The sun was shining, and there was a carefree feeling on an unusually subdued Saturday.
Rebels fans have been tailgating at The Grove for more than 30 years, but things have changed over time. Long ago, fans would drive their cars and trucks to The Grove and do some drive-in tailgating. The Grove has become more and more populated and crazier throughout the years. It has become as important to Ole Miss football as the Manning family.
Thanksgiving break eliminated much of the student population, so the atmosphere today was quieter and calmer than typical gamedays. But the fans showed up early and brought food, drinks, and friends to their tents. The Grove, much like Alabama's Quad, was full of people. Yet, it did not feel crowded at all. It's a rather large area with gorgeous buildings of the Ole Miss campus surrounding it.
Dean of Students Sparky Reardon gave us the tour today. He is a popular guy. Sparky couldn't walk for five minutes without seeing someone he knew. He introduced us to his friends, who instantly became our friends. I'll say this about tailgating: A tailgate is only as good as the people that create it. It doesn't matter what food you eat or who you root for. The memories we have from touring SEC tailgates are mostly of the great and welcoming people we've met. There were so many of those people at Ole Miss today.
As we've traveled through the Southeast and told strangers in hotels and restaurants about our job, so many of those strangers have asked us, "Have you been to The Grove yet?" Everyone promised it would be something special. Everyone was right.
At 11:05 AM, the crowd lined the Walk of Champions and waited for Coach Orgeron to lead his Rebels through the fans and into the stadium. Usually, the coaches walk past the crowd with a determined look on their faces, and with little to no interaction with the screaming fan base. Orgeron went nuts in comparison to the other SEC coaches. He raised his arms up and urged the crowd to make more noise. It's all part of the experience at The Grove.
The leaves fell. The band played. The fans greeted us with exceptional hospitality. We walked for over an hour and took in all there was to see at The Grove. It's the calm before the storm. It's where all the Ole Miss fans gather to eat, socialize, and relax before becoming a 12th man as kickoff approaches. With my apologies to all other SEC tailgates that I've seen, nothing compares to The Grove.
The Egg Bowl will pit the two worst offensive teams in the SEC against each other. Ole Miss (3-8 overall, 1-6 SEC) hosts Mississippi State (3-8, 1-6) for nothing more than pride. It's an opportunity for both of these teams to end the season on a high note and carry momentum into 2007. While we are not looking at great teams, we are looking at a great, historic rivalry, and we'll see some great players in this year's Egg Bowl.
MSU OFFENSE VS. OLE MISS DEFENSE:
It's tough to get a feel for a game when you don't know who the starting quarterbacks will be. For MSU, it is expected to be Omarr Conner. Conner played quarterback last year, and he filled in admirably for the injured Michael Henig last week. Mississippi State is an improving team, but in some games the turnovers have been costly. If the MSU quarterbacks can avoid turning it over, they can rely on six foot four inch receiver Tony Burks. Burks is emerging as a solid playmaker. Ole Miss has the worst pass defense in the conference.
It's not Burks that Mississippi Coach Ed Orgeron is worried about. His concern is MSU running back Anthony Dixon. Dixon seems to be improving as the year goes on. He had a 65 yard rushing touchdown against Arkansas. He is the key for MSU's offense. Statistically, MSU has the worst rush offense in the SEC, but as Dixon improves, those stats become more and more deceiving. Here's one reason Dixon might struggle on Saturday: Linebacker Patrick Willis. Willis is not just good, he is perhaps the best defensive player in the country. Despite Willis' skills, Ole Miss allows 159.5 rushing yards per game, 11th in the SEC.
Neither team has a particularly strong line. Offensively, MSU has allowed a whopping 28 sacks. Ole Miss has sacked the quarterback just 13 times this season. Willis has two sacks, while Greg Hardy leads the team with three.
MSU is without its starting quarterback. Therefore, the Bulldogs must run the football well. You can expect some productivity at the QB position, but also some mistakes. The Rebels' porous pass defense is aided by the absence of Henig. Ole Miss hasn't been able to stop teams all year, though the Rebels did a nice job against LSU last week. Both teams are getting better, and overall, I'd have to give the edge to the Ole Miss defense when Mississippi State has the ball.
OLE MISS OFFENSE VS. MSU DEFENSE:
At Monday's press conference, we heard Orgeron say Brent Schaeffer would be the starter. Then, there was uncertainty. Now, Schaeffer has been confirmed again as the starting quarterback. The Rebels disappointing season has a lot to do with the struggles of Schaeffer. He has thrown 10 interceptions and only eight touchdowns. He averages 119.2 yards per game. The other option is Seth Adams. Adams has a better passer rating, but much less experience than Schaeffer. This is the worst pass offense in the conference, according to the stats. The receivers are young, and Orgeron said on Monday that freshman Dexter McCluster is unlikely to play. Mike Wallace is the leading receiver with 372 yards.
The Ole Miss offensive line must be aware of defensive end Michael Heard and his 6.5 sacks. Defensive tackles Andrew Powell and Deljuan Robinson have played well also. The Bulldogs will face a line that has given up 27 sacks. However, it is a unit that keeps getting better thanks to offensive line genius Art Kehoe. The lack of a passing game gives the MSU pass defense an edge over the Ole Miss pass offense.
That means the Rebels will have to win the game on the ground. These two offenses are similar in that respect. Running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis is the most productive player on the offense. He is approaching a 1,000 yards, averaging 4.4 yards per carry along the way. The Rebels offense will go as far as he goes. Mississippi State needs to key in on stopping the run and forcing the SEC's worst passing game to make plays. The Bulldogs feature a physical front seven that slowed down Darren McFadden last week. Also, the defensive backs can tackle well. Jeramie Johnson has forced five fumbles.
This game has the makings of a defensive struggle. One thing Ole Miss usually does well is avoid penalties. Also, the Rebels like using trick plays such as onside kicks and fake punts, so MSU must stay aware. A key for Ole Miss will be avoiding third and long. Ole Miss is the worst third down offense in the SEC. It could be ugly, but the team that runs the ball better will have a huge edge. MSU is good against the run and bad against the pass, but they match up perfectly against the Ole Miss offense. Advantage: Bulldogs.
SPECIAL TEAMS:
Coach Croom will make some minor adjustments in the Mississippi State kickoff coverage unit, which was shredded by Arkansas last week. Punter Blake McAdams is above average, but kicker Adam Carlson is just 5 for 9 this season. The Bulldogs are good on punt returns.
Ole Miss return units have provided very few big plays and no touchdowns. Punter Rob Park has had one punt blocked, but he averages a respectable 38.8 yards per attempt. The stat sheet indicates he is good at placing the ball inside the 20. Placekicker Joshua Shene is 12 of 15 this year with a long of 52 yards.
The edge here goes to Ole Miss.
PREDICTION:
Considering the shaky quarterback situations, I don't see either team scoring a lot of points. It will be one of those games in which the team that makes the least amount of mistakes will win. Ole Miss has won the last three Egg Bowls in Oxford. I will take the home team, just because I don't see any other advantage here.
Mississippi State: 10
Ole Miss: 16
The LSU Tigers were looking for respect. They got it.
The boys from Baton Rouge believed before this game that they were the best in the SEC. Even with today's win, fans in Gainesville will point out UF's victory over LSU in The Swamp as proof to the contrary. But the Tigers put on quite a performance in Little Rock this afternoon which will surely allow them to jump the Razorbacks in the polls.
Now picture this: If Florida loses to Florida State tomorrow or to Arkansas next week, LSU could easily become the highest ranked SEC team in country. That would mean it is possible for the best team in the conference, according to the rankings, to not have played in the conference championship game and perhaps not even go to a BCS Bowl Game. Although I would say LSU will probably get there after this win.
If any conference deserves an at-large bid to a BCS Bowl, it's the SEC. If any team in the SEC deserves it, it's LSU. Why? Four road games against top 10 teams, and a 2-2 record in those games.
If Arkansas beats Florida and earns the automatic bid to the Sugar Bowl, should LSU get the at-large over UF? That would be a topic of conversation for next week.
For now, let's look at LSU's performance against this great Arkansas team in this loud War Memorial Stadium.
No, the Tigers did not stop Darren McFadden. McFadden and Felix Jones combined for 319 rushing yards, averaging 8.7 and 8.6 yards per carry, respectively. But, yes, the Tigers did shut down receiver Marcus Monk. Monk caught one pass all day. It was a 21 yard touchdown pass that required a nifty catch and a great effort to reach the endzone, but Arkansas needed more from Monk and didn't get it. You can thank cornerback Chevis Jackson for that, and don't forget about safety LaRon Landry. Landry was one of the best defensive players out there today.
LSU hangs it hat on its defense, but the defense was far from great today. LSU allowed 360 total yards and forced just one turnover. They were clearly not prepared for McFadden's "Wildcat" formation in which he plays quarterback out of the shotgun. But when a great team's great defense is struggling, the offense and special teams need to step up.
JaMarcus Russell quarterbacked his team to this five-point win with an efficient 14 for 22 day, including 210 yards and two touchdowns. Facing third down and 10 at his own 26 - fourth quarter, about three minutes remaining - Russell completed a 16 yard pass to Dwayne Bowe to extend the drive. Speaking of Bowe, he abused Arkansas' best cornerback, Chris Houston, in ways that other elite receivers could not. Receiver Craig Davis hauled in a 47 yard touchdown early in the second quarter. Keiland Williams gained 68 yards on just 13 carries, and Jacob Hester exploited the interior of the Arkansas defense consistently in the second half.
Let's not forget the 92-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Trindon Holliday immediately following McFadden's 80-yard touchdown dash.
I don't think LSU expected to give up 26 points, but despite the unusually weak defensive effort, the Tigers pulled through. That's what great teams do.
And in the end, LSU's defense showed up when it had to. This long game that featured 57 total points, 688 combined yards, 10 penalties, three turnovers, and several game-changing plays came down to one possession with 2:04 to play.
Arkansas trailed by five with the ball on its own 27 yard line. This was the undefeated run through the SEC, the National Championship hopes, and the Golden Boot all on the line with this one possession.
First down. A deep ball to McFadden. Knocked away by Jonathan Zenon.
Second down. A pass to Monk. There's Zenon again knocking it away.
Third down. Another pass to Monk. Here comes Landry to break the pass up.
Fourth down. Another long ball, up the left sideline this time. Looking for London Crawford. Chevis Jackson with the blanket coverage and the pass breakup. The crowd wanted pass interference. It looked close. It could have gone either way. It went LSU's way.
The Tigers came into Little Rock hoping to prove to a national television audience that they are the best in the conference. I'm sure a lot of people agree with that now.
We couldn't ask for a better game this week. I believe that when Arkansas hosts LSU Friday afternoon, we will be seeing the two best teams in the SEC. LSU strong safety Jesse Daniels says his team is the best in the conference. Now the Tigers have to prove it.
LSU OFFENSE VS. ARKANSAS DEFENSE:
Statistically, LSU boasts the best offense in the SEC. I'm sure by now you've heard of quarterback JaMarcus Russell. The guy looks more like Big Baby Davis than a typical quarterback, but he's got a great arm and great legs, and he might be a candidate for early entry into the NFL Draft. The LSU passing game is so good because Russell has a great trio of wide receivers. Dwayne Bowe is his main target, but Early Doucet and Craig Davis are no slouches. Also, watch out for running back Jacob Hester, who is a very good receiver out of the backfield. Arkansas sports a defense that has not gotten its credit because of the Razorbacks' offensive prowess. The defense has allowed only eight touchdowns in the last 26 quarters. Cornerback Chris Houston was last week's SEC Defensive Player of the Week. He had two interceptions and ran one back for a touchdown. Overall, LSU holds an advantage over the Arkansas pass defense, but that is a reflection of LSU, not Arkansas.
The Razorbacks allow just 117.2 rushing yards per game. That's pretty good for an SEC team. They'll have their hands full with LSU's stable of running backs. LSU gains 162.9 yards on the ground per game. Wow. Hester is the leading rusher, but Keiland Williams and Charles Scott, among others, provide great talent and depth. The player to watch on defense for Arkansas is linebacker Sam Olajubutu. This guy is for real. His 89 tackles lead the Hogs. Great matchup here, but again, LSU probably holds an edge.
Arkansas can take away the statistical advantages that LSU holds by pressuring Russell and winning the battle at the line of scrimmage. You may not be aware of it, but Arkansas' defensive line is quite good. Ends Jamaal Anderson (10 sacks) and Antwain Robinson (6.5) and defensive tackle Keith Jackson Jr. need to beat an LSU offensive line that has allowed just 15 sacks all season. When LSU has the ball, that will be the most important thing to watch.
The Razorbacks must keep JaMarcus Russell in the pocket. If Russell gets off and running, it will be a good day for the LSU offense. LSU typically dominates the first quarter, outscoring opponents 122-14. That will be important in a loud War Memorial Stadium. LSU's offense is better than almost every opponent's defense. Arkansas needs to win at the line of scrimmage and make Russell a thrower. Plus, Dwayne Bowe is great in the red zone. Take that option away.
ARKANSAS OFFENSE VS. LSU DEFENSE:
Okay, so LSU has the best offense in the SEC. Well, LSU has the best defense in the SEC too. Luckily, Arkansas has the best player in the SEC - running back Darren McFadden. McFadden is coming off an unusually unproductive game carrying the ball, but he did run a kickoff back against Mississippi State. Most of the offense will involve him. He will line up at quarterback out of the shotgun in the "Wildcat" formation. He will catch passes. He will carry and carry and carry.
LSU's rush defense allows a remarkable 74.6 yards per game. Defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey is one of the best in the conference, maybe the country. Defensive end Tyson Jackson is a good one too. It's a loaded defensive line that will compete against a terrific Arkansas offensive line. Sounds a lot like when LSU has the ball against the Razorbacks defensive front. Again, this will be the key battle. Arkansas has opened up holes for McFadden and RB Felix Jones so well this year. This will be the stiffest test. Hard to say which side has the advantage. Once the ball is past the defensive line, keep your eyes on LB Ali Highsmith, who is second on the team with 57 tackles. The LSU secondary can tackle well also. Safety LaRon Landry leads the team.
Quarterback Casey Dick took the starting job from Mitch Mustain and ran with it. Well, really he threw with it, and the offense has improved since he took over against South Carolina. Dick loves receiver Marcus Monk, a six foot six inch playmaker. Teams like to focus on stopping McFadden. I think they should focus more on stopping Monk. Monk gets little help from other receivers. LSU should put shutdown cornerback Chevis Jackson on Monk with a little safety help over the top. McFadden will likely get his yards. The key will be making things difficult on the quarterback. LSU has the players capable of shutting down the Arkansas passing game, and I think the Tigers will do a pretty good job in their attempt to do that.
Eventually, the game will be about McFadden and Jones. This is probably the best running back duo in the country. When you analyze the Arkansas offense, you realize that it isn't a methodical one that likes a 12-play drive. This is an offense that loves the big play. LSU must eliminate that. Arkansas also likes to throw in some trick plays here and there. LSU can't let that stuff work. I can't wait to see this Razorbacks offense vs. this Tigers defense. It may not be a great, well-balanced offensive unit, but somehow Houston Nutt finds a way to make it work every game.
SPECIAL TEAMS:
LSU kicker Colt David is just 5 for 9 this year and 3 for 6 from 40 or more yards. Punter and kickoff specialist Chris Jackson is a lot better. He has helped LSU win the field position battle with his 20 touchbacks this season. Kickoff and punt returns have been nothing special.
Arkansas has the best kickoff return average in the conference, and the Razorbacks have run two kickoffs back for touchdowns. Placekicker Jeremy Davis is good from short distances, but only 1 for 5 from 40 or more yards. Punter Jacob Skinner is exceptional at placing the ball inside the 20.
Arkansas holds a rather large edge on special teams, although I will say that I never think it's a good idea to have your best player returning kicks. That's what McFadden does for Arkansas.
PREDICTION:
Most people expect nothing short of a great game. LSU will play its fourth road game against a top 10 team this year. So far, the Tigers are 1-2 in those games. Maybe if this game were in Baton Rouge, the Tigers would prove how good they are. But it isn't.
LSU 17
Arkansas 23
It's 5:25 PM as I write this story on Thanksgiving Day.
Usually right now I'm making my way back to the kitchen counter in Coral Springs, Florida for my second helping of ham (I'm not a turkey guy) and sweet potatoes. Then I'll sit my lazy and incredibly sleepy body on the family-room couch and watch the end of the Cowboys game. Then I'll get angry because the Cowboys are winning, and forget about it by heading over to a buddy's house.
And usually I wonder what the professional and college athletes are doing on Thanksgiving. Well, today I found out.
Glenn, Emily, and I woke up late and had our big Thanksgiving meal. What better place to have it than Waffle House? Who cares if it was the only place open? It's still great.
No, we didn't have any turkey, but chocolate chip waffles and some toast did the trick.
At 2:00 PM we made our way to the Embassy Suites Hotel and watched the Arkansas Razorbacks eat a big Thanksgiving meal with their families. They sat in a massive dining room and dressed up for the occasion. Coach Houston Nutt's mother said a prayer, then it was eatin' time.
These are just some of the items on the menu:
Bourbon ham; roast beef; traditional turkey and dressing; sweet potato casserole; fire roasted corn; mixed vegetables; mashed potatoes; pumpkin and pecan pie.
Yeah, I wanted to be a Razorback for Thanksgiving too. Or at least related to one.
"I'm thankful for these players, their parents, how they raised them," Nutt said. "Very thankful for the university, our fans. And there's been so much to be thankful for."
After salivating over other people's food, we moved on to check in on LSU. We went back to War Memorial Stadium and saw the Tigers pull in at 4:55 PM in three buses. About 25 fans were there to greet them.
The players and coaches were dressed in suits, taking a walking tour of the field that they will leave their blood, sweat, and tears on tomorrow.
Fans across the country will root religiously for their favorite teams, and often times, we forget about the commitment these guys make. LSU players don't have the privilege of being home with their families this Thanksgiving. Nevertheless, I'm sure they're thankful for their opportunity to be a Tiger.
Here are some of the things missionsecfootball.com is thankful for:
Emily: I'm thankful for my wonderful family, who have taken in the road trip crew a few times and actually injured Adam in the family football game (which is something I've been trying to do for two months). For my good friends, two of whom I've made on this journey through the SEC. For 80's Rock, the best road trip music ever. And for the Thumb, Auburn's fifth win in a row over Alabama.
Glenn: I'm thankful for Adam's CD collection. This guy knows how to rock. For Emily's organizational skills. "Emily, where are we going today?" For my family back in New York that did not laugh at me when I left grad school and said, "I want to be a freelance sports documentarian." And for the opportunity to bring the passion and pride of SEC football to our viewers.
Adam: I'm thankful for my job, which allows me to see the best of the best in college football every week. For my family... they're pretty cool, trust me. And for a pair of Knicks tickets that await me when I arrive in New York after the SEC Championship.
And now to prove just how southern I have become...
Happy Thanksgiving, y'all.
'The Mission' has brought us and our readers closer to 'the inside story' of the SEC than I ever thought possible.
Over the past few months we've sat with legendary coaches like Spurrier and Dooley; legendary players like Wuerffel, Rogers and Sullivan; legendary fans like The Big Dawg and Jim Brown and even legendary mascots like Aubie and Uga. While these moments of great access have helped us in telling the stories of passion and pride in the SEC-- it is the off-cuff moments and the surprise sound-bites that have had the most impact on me...
On September 23rd Alabama and Arkansas battled it out into double overtime. When the victory finally fell into the hands of the Razorbacks, I made the mad-dash to midfield to document the profound hysteria of the day. On my way to the 50-yard line I saw Arkansas Coach Houston Nutt embracing one of his daughters-- not that many media had gotten to him yet and as I closed-in, I heard him say: 'We needed that one.'
College Football coaches have a tough job. Tremendous demands coupled with a uniquely calculable gauge of job performance create a profession that is defined by its instability. In this game, one man can carry the pride of an entire state on his shoulders. That is a lot to ask of anyone ...
Hours before kickoff at that very same Alabama - Arkansas game I walked around the tailgating areas that encircle Razorback Stadium gathering footage for CSTV's Sultan of Saturday. The question that day: 'What coach is on the Hot Seat?' Very few Hog-fans hesitated to say: Houston Nutt.
Last night I again found myself on the field at Razorback Stadium--
With the home season over (this weekend Arkansas will be playing LSU at their alternate 'home' stadium in Little Rock) Coach Nutt decided to move practice to the stadium field. As practice ended, the media engulfed Coach Nutt, in every way possible this is a different man than he was less than two months ago...
Under the lights last night Houston Nutt seemed confident but humble. While his squad may have had some luck against Alabama and Vanderbilt, he seems to know that he was the architect behind the convincing victories over Auburn and Tennessee. In the hysteria following the Alabama victory, Coach Nutt ascended a ladder to conduct the Arkansas band-- there doesn't seem to be a need for that now. The Hogs have climbed further and higher than any team in the country, with the notable exception of the State Univ. of NJ. Houston Nutt has arrived.
While few teams have exceeded expectations more than Arkansas, a very tough road remains. No team in the country would want to end the season having to face LSU and Florida.
Coach Nutt looks confident. He looks proud. His team looks ready and his job seems quite secure...
So I guess you can say that he 'doesn't need this one' when it comes to the game this Friday afternoon in Little Rock.
But wouldn't it be great to celebrate again like we did on September 23rd?
"Every time he touches it, it seems like it's magic. We expect him to go all the way."
These are the words of Steve Sullivan, a sports anchor and reporter at KATV in Little Rock. You probably needed me to tell you that.
Sullivan is referring to Razorbacks running back Darren McFadden. You probably didn't need me to tell you that one.
Glenn, Emily, and I stood on the field at an empty War Memorial Stadium. This is Arkansas' "other" home field. On Friday afternoon, the fans that don't usually get to make it to home games in Fayetteville will pack this smaller, more old-school edifice and do their best to intimidate the LSU Tigers.
They'll be cheering on a hometown hero, McFadden, as well.
Joining us at War Memorial were Sullivan and two former Arkansas standouts - Bruce James (All American defensive end in 1969 and 1970) and David Bazzel (a linebacker in the early 80s). The three have spent this season marveling at McFadden's feats, but unlike the national media members, these guys had a chance to see the running back dominate before he was a Razorback.
At Pulaski Oak Grove High School, Darren McFadden carried the football. He also played linebacker. And safety. And a little quarterback too. Count Sullivan, James, and Bazzel as three guys who are not shocked to see McFadden's success at the next level.
"No surprise at all," Bazzel said. "I mean, we saw him in high school, and you knew that he was special."
"He's graceful as a thoroughbred," James said, "but he's as strong as a Clydesdale. And he's got that linebacker mentality with that stiff arm. And if you ever notice, when he gets hit, he always falls forward. That's always what, when I played, great backs always fell forward."
James should know a thing or two about great backs. In addition to McFadden, he has witnessed the high school days of Walter Payton, Emmitt Smith, and Marcus Dupree - an Oklahoma stud who suffered an injury and never lived up to his potential.
"They play football, (the) running back position the same," James said. "They're brutal ... they punish people."
That's more or less what McFadden and his teammates hinted at when we spoke to them on Tuesday.
"Basically," McFadden said, "I'm trying to tackle the person who's trying to tackle me."
Bazzel has never had to tackle Darren McFadden. I'm sure that's one thing he'll be saying he's thankful for on Thursday. But back in his day, Bazzel played against some big time players, like Eric Dickerson and Bo Jackson.
"(McFadden) runs a little bit like Eric Dickerson," he said. "Long legs. Long stride. But, he's definitely got the combination of size and strength that are unique. And speed."
When I met McFadden yesterday, it was easy for me to pick up on his humbleness. I asked him who he thought should win the Heisman. He said Troy Smith.
"He's been doing a great job all year," McFadden said. "He's got his team (12-0)."
Sullivan, James, and Bazzel aren't necessarily disagreeing with that, but there is no running back in the country they'd rather have on their favorite team.
"If you had to start a team," Bazzel said, "the combination, I mean, he's thrown for touchdown passes. He's run kickoffs back. He's caught touchdown passes. He's done everything."
Reggie Bush, anyone?
"And he's done it all with ease," Sullivan added.
So when did these guys realize that McFadden was going to be a superstar?
Bazzel recalls watching a high school game on the field. McFadden was playing safety at the time. There was a pass out to the flat.
"I'm standing on the sideline and the guy is coming at me with the ball all of a sudden like a heat-seeking missile," Bazzel said, as he slammed his hands together." McFadden comes out and just blows the guy up on the sidelines, and you realized just how talented he is."
"First time he touched the ball his senior season against Robinson," Sullivan recounted, "bang! Eighty yards for a touchdown."
Believe it or not, McFadden was not heavily recruited. He knew all along where he wanted to go to school, and he is starring there in 2006.
"There was no recruiting at all," James said. "He was just born to be a Razorback."
One more weekend of SEC football games to go. I took advantage of easy games last week to go 6-1. Anyone could have done that. Here's a real test. It's Rivalry Week!
Predictions for LSU at Arkansas and Mississippi State at Ole Miss are coming later.
Florida at Florida State:
Be careful, UF. Major upsets are abundant in this series' history. The Gators are much better than Florida State. Wake Forest shut out FSU in Tallahassee just a few weeks ago, but the Seminoles almost always bring their best for the Gators.
Key to the game for Florida: Control the time of possession. FSU has a banged up defense, and it has forced the 'Noles to play young guys for too many snaps. The Seminoles have been tiring at the end of games.
Key to the game for Florida State: Run it up the middle. The best way to attack the UF defense is straight up the gut, where Marcus Thomas used to be clogging up holes. FSU must run the ball to take pressure off of its two terrible quarterbacks.
Prediction: Florida by 10. It may not be convincing enough for the voters.
South Carolina at Clemson:
There won't be any hand shaking this year, but there will be plenty of hard hitting. Not too much on the line other than bragging rights and bowl placement.
Key to the game for South Carolina: USC's offensive line must be better than Clemson's pass rush. Clemson has one of the best defensive ends in the country, Gaines Adams. South Carolina has protected Blake Mitchell very well since he took over again as the starting quarterback.
Key to the game for Clemson: Allow a typically strong running game to set up big pass plays. USC has been prone to allowing large gains through the air. Clemson is a running team, but quarterback Will Proctor can hurt you as well.
Prediction: South Carolina gets its signature win of the season. It will be a one-possession game. Will it be Spurrier's last regular season game at USC?
Kentucky at Tennessee:
Tennessee has been a consistent team this year as long as Erik Ainge is playing, and Kentucky can look very good or very bad each week. Last week, it was very bad.
Key to the game for Kentucky: Force turnovers. The defense is just too bad to win without winning the turnover battle. You know yards will be given up, but can the Wildcats keep points off the board with interceptions and forced fumbles?
Key to the game for Tennessee: Kentucky is now capable of running the football well, as the backfield is healthier. Also, Tennessee linebacker Jerod Mayo is expected to miss this game. The key is for the defensive line to have a big game and stop the running game, because the linebacker unit is taking a big hit with the loss of Mayo.
Prediction: Tennessee wins easily.
Georgia Tech at Georgia:
A one-sided rivalry as of late. It's been all Bulldogs, but Georgia Tech is probably a better team this year. Maybe the Bulldogs turned a corner with that win in Auburn. It worked for Arkansas.
Key to the game for Georgia Tech: Pressure Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford. Auburn recorded no sacks two weeks ago in the loss. Georgia's offensive line has been good this year, but if the Yellow Jackets can get to Stafford, they can force him to make mistakes. Stafford's mistakes have been the main reason behind several Georgia losses.
Key to the game for Georgia: Coach Richt called Calvin Johnson the best wide receiver in the country. The question is: Do you double team this guy? Remember, Tech has a good running game and another good receiver (with the same last name) that lines up opposite Calvin Johnson. In these situations, I like when opponents double team the star player in the red zone. Take away Johnson when the Yellow Jackets are close to scoring. Make quarterback Reggie Ball find a different man.
Prediction: While Georgia matches up well against Georgia Tech because the Bulldogs can run the ball and have a good secondary, I'm going to ignore all of that and go with my gut on this game. I'll take Georgia Tech in a close one.
At the beginning of the year, I don't think anyone could have predicted the questions that would be asked today at Arkansas football practice.
Questions about the SEC Championship Game, the National Championship Game, and the Heisman Trophy would have seemed a little far-fetched in August. But that is reality for the Razorbacks as they begin preparations for a Friday showdown with LSU.
As we pulled into the parking lot behind Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium, the lights had descended on the Arkansas football team. Here is a team with an embattled coach, fighting for respect and his job just months ago. Here is a team that suffered a season-opening blowout to Southern California. Here is a team that few expected anything from. And here is a flock of media members rushing to interview that same embattled coach and overachieving team just moments after practice concluded.
Coach Houston Nutt looked at the writers and cameras and said his team had a good practice. He gave injury updates. He talked about LSU. He has gone from perhaps getting fired to probably winning SEC Coach of the Year.
At the forefront of this 10-game winning streak is running back Darren McFadden. Just off in the background is starting quarterback Casey Dick, who took over for a slumping freshman named Mitch Mustain. Against LSU, those guys will be the two most important cogs for the Hogs' offense. They'll rely on the blocking abilities of the offensive line, which will have hurting guard Stephen Parker available for Friday's game.
Parker wore a brace on his leg and an intimidating, menacing look on his face. As the 6 foot 4 inch senior towered over me during our interview, he insisted that the Razorbacks are in no way looking ahead to Florida in the SEC Championship next Saturday.
"No, not at all," Parker said. "I mean, this is ... the best defense (LSU) we face, the best defensive pressure. So as an offense, you definitely, you want to meet that challenge."
It's just remarkable to think how far along this underappreciated and still very young team has come. I like to look at the double overtime win against Alabama as a special and lasting moment of this season. Parker likes to look at another big win.
"I think probably the thing that stands out, was kind of the turning point, probably Auburn. Going down there and beating them on the road," Parker said. "That really kind of put our team over the hump and got everyone's confidence going."
We are 11 weeks into this crazy 2006 college football season, and the Razorbacks find themselves in unfamiliar territory. They, along with the Florida Gators, are the talk of the SEC fans. They, along with a few other teams, are the talk of the nation! Arkansas, just like LSU in 2003, has a chance to represent the Southeastern Conference in the BCS Championship. Arkansas, just like Auburn in 2004, has a chance to be that team that everyone uses as an example of the BCS's shortcomings.
"All we can control is getting to a BCS Bowl Game," Parker said.
That's much more than anyone expected from Arkansas 11 games into 2006.
The recent buzz surrounding the latest BCS release is that USC is in the driver's seat. That's obviously true, yet that's unfortunate, because the Trojans lost to an unranked Oregon State team while the Gators lost to Auburn. Nobody is going to question which team has played tougher competition.
Why, then, are the Trojans in a better position than the Gators? You'd have to think it has something to do with Florida's unconvincing wins over teams like South Carolina, Vanderbilt, and Georgia.
But let's take a closer look. USC beat Washington State by six, Washington by six, and Arizona State by seven. Two of those three games were home games. Really, it must be about USC playing well in the last three weeks (outscoring opponents 100-19) while the Gators have struggled against their I-A opponents over that stretch.
I don't have a problem with USC being ahead of Florida right now. However, Florida hasn't won the SEC yet. If the Gators do win the SEC, they should finish in front of USC, even if the Trojans beat Notre Dame and UCLA. There is an "if" involved in this scenario. "If" UF continues to barely beat its opponents (FSU and a great Arkansas team) and USC dominates Notre Dame and UCLA, then I might change my opinion. It's time for the Gators to stop making excuses and start playing like champions.
Those are my thoughts on USC. Now moving on to Michigan...
Urban Meyer says if Michigan plays Ohio State in the National Championship game, the university presidents need to immediately get together and put a playoff system into place. How about this: the university presidents need to immediately get together and put a playoff in system into place REGARDLESS of which team is playing Ohio State.
I think Michigan has a perfectly legitimate argument for a rematch. So often, coaches, players, writers, and fans want to take a side on a topic worth debating. If UF finishes with one loss, should the Gators jump Michigan in the BCS? Here's my answer: I don't know!
I don't know which team is better. They don't play each other. They don't play the same competition. They both have impressive resumes. This is my problem with the BCS. There is no right answer. There is no way to find out the right answer.
I like Michigan. I think the Wolverines are great. I don't feel the same way about USC. You might have a different opinion, and it's a shame that championships in arguably America's best sport are decided on just that - opinions - of coaches and other voters. Sure, USC just beat Cal, but so did Tennessee. Don't forget that Florida and Arkansas beat Tennessee. They would probably beat Cal too.
And as far as Arkansas is concerned, the general consensus is that Arkansas has very little chance to make the BCS title game. I don't really agree with that. The Razorbacks have considerable ground to make up, currently in sixth place in the BCS. But Arkansas has the best remaining schedule of all the contenders because it is the toughest. If Arkansas beats LSU and Florida, that would be better than anything USC, Notre Dame, or UF could accomplish. Obviously, the Razorbacks aren't going to Arizona unless USC loses, but if that happens, don't count Arkansas out yet.
And now for my final complaint...
I don't understand how anyone can think Notre Dame is better than Arkansas. People need to give up their obsession with that school with the catchy fight song and start paying attention to the Hogs.
Two weeks remain on our adventure through the Southeast and the heart of college football.
We've crossed every SEC campus off of our list, except for one. And this morning we packed up the truck and headed to the only school we had not seen yet - the University of Mississippi.
Last week we had Iron. This week we get Eggs.
The Egg Bowl - Ole Miss and Mississippi State's annual showdown - means as much to the state of Mississippi as the Iron Bowl does to Alabama.
"I know in the state of Mississippi it's awfully important," Coach Ed Orgeron said. "And it's the game."
"It means almost everything," tight end Robert Hough said. "It's bragging rights for an entire year between the two schools."
Hough is a native of Mississippi whose two brothers attended Ole Miss before him. One played football. The other ran track. On Saturday, it will be the guys on the other team that make an Egg Bowl victory critical for Hough.
"It's very important to me," he said. "I have high school teammates that are on the other side of the field...I just want to give them a little friendly tap on the shoulder or something."
The Rebels seemed to be in good spirits following a crushing loss at LSU that could have defined their season if it turned out differently. Orgeron saw encouraging signs when reviewing the film, and he said the Rebels had their best team meeting of the year earlier in the day. Dwelling on the LSU loss is over now. It's time to focus on Mississippi State.
"The Egg Bowl," senior defensive back Bryan Brown said, "that's the main thing for us. Well, one of the main things. Being able to have bragging rights like Hough said. Beating your in-state rival, having that Egg Bowl, having the actual trophy here. That's where it belongs. You know, that means a whole lot to this school."
It means just as much to every Ole Miss fan that will be cheering for the Rebels on Senior Day this weekend.
"The crowd is just unbelievable," Brown said. "Especially here at home, or even there, it's just wild."
It's been only two days since we saw Alabama and Auburn fans show us what college football is really all about. Now I feel like it's all starting up again with two new teams this week.
Brown compared the Iron Bowl and the Egg Bowl.
"It's just the same. We have one of the longest rivalries in the history of college football. So I believe that it's basically about the same."
Defensive back Charles Clark is an Ole Miss senior that came to Mississippi from the Sunshine State. For Clark, Mississippi-Mississippi State draws comparisons to another classic college football rivalry.
"I'm from Florida," Clark said. "So it's kind of like the Florida-Florida State rivalry."
I know that one is just about as heated as it gets, so I can't wait for Saturday to roll around.
Both teams will enter the final game of the season as improving squads that are playing better than they were a few weeks ago. The records might not indicate that, but Mississippi State just beat Alabama and stayed with Arkansas. Ole Miss took LSU to overtime.
I doubt anyone in the state will care about the teams' wins and losses when kickoff arrives.
Perhaps Orgeron said it best when he was talking about getting ready for Mississippi State.
"One thing I learned last year (is) that they're gonna come prepared to play," the second-year Ole Miss coach said.
Sounds a lot like Alabama-Auburn. I'm sure it will be just as much fun.
I am an SEC writer who graduated from the University of Miami in May. So you can imagine how many phone calls I received this morning when CSTV's Brian Curtis broke the big story on cstv.com.
In case you missed it, here it is: Spurrier Still Likely Headed to Miami
Spurrier is denying it right now. So is Miami.
I spoke to Jorge Milian, a UM beat writer from the Palm Beach Post this evening, and he told me that he spoke with UM Athletic Director Paul Dee. Dee said that Miami had not contacted Spurrier. According to Dee, UM has promised to wait until after the season to decide Larry Coker's fate, and it will stick to its word.
So who do we believe?
This wouldn't be the first time a writer has broken a story, everyone has denied it, and it turned out to be true. If Spurrier is headed for UM, of course he's going to deny it right now.
The only insight I can provide is that Spurrier will receive a mixed reception if he does take the Miami job. Canes fans are not exactly in love with the man. We don't like the Seminoles. We don't like the Gators. And we don't like anyone associated with either university.
But we do like winning. One thing I've learned is that winning cures everything. All Spurrier would have to do is win at UM and he'll be loved. I may not know everything, but I do know this: If you can win at Duke, you can win at Miami.
On the flip side is a South Carolina program that definitely needs this coach to stay. The program doesn't have the credibility that Florida, Tennessee, Georgia, Auburn, and LSU have. Spurrier has done a fantastic job in his two seasons as a Gamecock. Selfishly, I'd like to see him at UM because somehow the Hurricanes are 5-6 and that needs to change. But as I've witnessed the passion of SEC fans on this job, I've started to appreciate the programs in this conference more than ever.
The Gamecocks fans are so loyal and deserve so badly a winning program. They deserve Steve Spurrier.
I guess if you're a Gamecocks fan and you're looking for reasons to believe this report is untrue, I'll tell you a few things.
Miami is a private university with an athletic department that has occasionally operated in the red. A few years ago, UM had to buy out Perry Clark's contract to hire Frank Haith to coach men's basketball. Three years ago, Miami had to pay a hefty exit fee to the Big East to enter the ACC (not to mention the money UM spent defending itself in the lawsuit filed by Big East teams). Larry Coker still has three years and approximately six million dollars left on his contract. This whole thing seems costly for the Canes.
I have no idea what will happen. I've met Brian Curtis several times and he's definitely someone who I trust. Spurrier to Miami would have seemed unthinkable years ago, but nothing in sports surprises me anymore.
The only thing matters is winning, and I hope Spurrier gets the chance to do that at South Carolina.
The formula for victory was a familiar one for the Auburn Tigers. Run the ball, run the ball, play some defense, and run the ball. Or in other words, a steady dose of Irons, both Kenny and David.
In the end, it was a good game and a great experience. The Tigers jumped out to a 14-3 lead with just under ten minutes left in the second quarter. It was basically Quentin Groves 14 - Alabama 3, as the Auburn defensive end blew past Alabama's right tackle, Chris Capps, and forced a fumble from quarterback John Parker Wilson on two consecutive possessions to set up the Auburn offense. First, Brad Lester ran it in to make it 10-3. Then after the second fumble recovery, Kenny Irons scampered in from eight yards out.
Play some defense. Run the ball.
Alabama could have put their heads down (Bobby Knight was nowhere in sight to "gently" raise them) and quit right there. But Mike Shula didn't let that happen. The Crimson Tide fans didn't let that happen. This is the Iron Bowl. It aint over 'til it's over. There was no quit in 'Bama today.
The Tide crept to within five (14-9) at halftime. What started out as a battle of defenses in the first half turned into a battle of quarterbacks in the final 30 minutes. Auburn's Brandon Cox was scarily bad in the first half. He went 2-9 with just 40 yards. Then in the third quarter, something clicked. Cox went 4-5 and threw for 97 yards, including a 22 yard touchdown pass to Prechae Rodriguez. That was after John Parker Wilson led a brilliant Alabama scoring drive to start the second half. Beginning from his own 20, Wilson methodically rolled the Tide down the field, converting three third downs successfully before firing a 13 yard touchdown pass to Travis McCall.
It was as if Cox said, "You just hit me with your best shot. Now it's my turn."
At the end of the third quarter, Auburn led 22-15. That would be the final score. Cox did just enough to put his team ahead. Then the ball was in Brad Lester and Kenny Irons' hands for much of the rest of the way. There were some questionable coaching decisions along the way, but the game wasn't over until Auburn cornerback David Irons intercepted Wilson's pass on what was supposed to be the Alabama quarterback's glorious, overtime-forcing touchdown drive.
Here's what I loved about the game:
At some points, the Auburn and Alabama fans drowned each other out with simultaneous chants of "War Eagle" and "Roll Tide."
At many points, the Auburn and Alabama bands drowned each other out, trying to one-up each other at every chance.
During the opening kickoff, fans of each team were on their feet in anticipation.
During the entire game, fans were on the edge of their seats for what was a one-possession contest for the majority of the time.
The interceptions, fumbles, poor use of timeouts, and penalties made this Iron Bowl forgettable at times.
But the fans in crimson and white that rocked out to "Sweet Home Alabama" and the fans in orange and blue that made enough noise to convince you the game was in Auburn gave this Iron Bowl a place in history, just like every other Auburn-Alabama game before it.
It didn't feel like a meaningless regular season game today.
It felt like a Bowl Game.
It was a good game, and a great Iron Bowl.
I'll gave Alabama credit. These fans know how to tailgate.
I've done the tailgate thing at South Carolina, LSU, Auburn, Vanderbilt, Kentucky, Florida, Georgia, and now Alabama. I'd have to say that if there were a Most Valuable Tailgater award, it'd go to the Crimson Tide fans.
The partying is much more spread out at other campuses, but here in Tuscaloosa, just about everyone gathers on The Quad. There are hundreds of red and white tents set up, one right after the other. You can't take ten steps without being in some family's tailgate, yet somehow, you don't feel crowded. To give you an idea of how important and competitive setting up at The Quad is, the university doesn't allow people to put up tents until 3 PM on Friday. Who knows how early they would start if not for that rule?
Today there were bounce houses and rock climbing walls for the younger fans. There was a talk radio show set up for the die hards. The usually green Quad was completely consumed by crimson. I heard very little cursing or fighting words today, just a lot of "Roll Tide.". Great atmosphere. Great mood. Great tailgate. The best thus far in my experience on the mission.
This week's Auburn-Alabama game reminds me of Georgia-Florida - a rivalry game in which one team is regarded as being much better than the other. Just last week, Auburn (9-2 overall, 5-2 SEC) was a one-loss team still in contention for the BCS Championship game. But the Tigers will limp into Bryant-Denny Stadium after a crushing loss to face Alabama (6-5, 2-5). The Tide lost last week too, but showed encouraging signs of improvement against LSU. Usually in the Iron Bowl, the better team wins. Is Auburn really that much better than Alabama? I would say no.
AUBURN OFFENSE VS. ALABAMA DEFENSE:
Auburn QB Brandon Cox threw four interceptions in last week's lousy performance against Georgia. Cox is hobbled with injuries to his ankle and both knees. Alabama will try its hardest to make it a long day for Cox. Getting to the quarterback becomes even more important when the quarterback is injured. If the Tide can harass Cox, they might be able to force more turnovers - something Alabama's defense is great at. Cox is protected by an experienced, yet underachieving offensive line that has allowed 28 sacks this year. 'Bama has sacked the quarterback only ten times. This is a matchup of bad pass protection and a bad pass rush. Not sure where the advantage is there.
Of course Cox won't have to do everything by himself. He'll hand it off to Kenny Irons ... and Brad Lester ... and Ben Tate. Irons will be the most important player in the game when Auburn has the ball. Alabama is decent against the run, yielding 117.2 yards per game. 'Bama is much better against the pass, so the Tide will have to hope to limit the Auburn ground attack and put the game in Cox's hands. Therefore, Auburn needs to establish the run early and often. If the Tigers can't find success on the ground, Alabama should win. The Alabama defensive line is average, and the Tide have played nine different linebackers this year. Juwan Simpson leads the way with 70 tackles. He is a playmaker. Simpson has forced two fumbles and has an interception.
The Auburn passing game relies heavily on the production of wide receiver Courtney Taylor. What a talented player he is. Taylor has caught 48 passes for 634 yards. Rodgeriqus Smith is a big-play threat as well. One thing that makes Auburn's passing game dangerous is the ability of the running backs to catch balls out of the backfield. Watch out for the talented trio to catch do that tomorrow. The problem is that it's tough to throw on Alabama. The Crimson Tide allows only 172.8 passing yards per contest. That's remarkable for a team with just ten sacks. The secondary is good, but dealing with some injury problems. That's a big edge for the Tigers. Watch out for cornerback Simeon Castille. The junior is a turnover magnet. He has snagged five interceptions so far this season. With the uncertain health of Cox, I give the advantage to Alabama's pass defense.
Speaking of turnovers, that might ultimately decide this game. Auburn's loss last week was highlighted by Cox's four interceptions. This week, he'll face an Alabama team that is second in the SEC and 10th in the nation in turnover margin per game (+1). Alabama has forced 24 turnovers in 11 games thus far. If Auburn is going to have success on the Alabama defense, running the ball will be important, and holding onto the ball will be more important. One interesting thing to note: Alabama's defense has gotten off to miserable starts in the past two games (both losses). Nobody can seem to figure it out. The good news is Auburn is a good second half team and a typically slow-starting team. Auburn might have to make a statement on the first few possessions. There's a lot of talent on the Auburn offense, but this is a unit that scores 25.7 points per game. Not great. Not terrible. That's the type of performance I expect offensively from Auburn against the Tide.
ALABAMA OFFENSE VS. AUBURN DEFENSE:
I love watching the Auburn defense. They are fast and fun. The 'Bama fans seem encouraged by the progress of quarterback John Parker Wilson. Wilson needs just 213 yards to break Brodie Croyle's single-season record. Wilson has done his job without WR Tyrone Prothro, who was back at practice this week but isn't expected to play. Don't worry, DJ Hall has picked up the slack with seven games of 100 yards or more. He leads the team with 999 yards and forms a nice one-two punch with receiver Keith Brown. However, Brown is hurt. His status is in question. Wilson and Alabama need him in the lineup against an Auburn defense that allows just 164.4 yards per game in the air. This Auburn defense isn't the type that relies on turnovers. It just doesn't allow the opponent yards or points. Auburn is third in the SEC in scoring defense. CB David Irons is known mostly as the brother of Kenny Irons, but he is a solid cornerback too.
The success of the Auburn defense starts up front with DE Quentin Groves. Groves is third in the SEC with 7.5 sacks. The interior of the defensive line is deep and talented too. So the Alabama offensive line will have a challenge in this year's Iron Bowl. Alabama has allowed 24 sacks, ninth most in the conference. LSU sacked Wilson four times last week. This is where Auburn must seize control the game. There is no excuse for failing to pressure Wilson. Auburn has more talent and much more experience up front than Alabama.
Alabama's offense is based on running the ball and controlling the clock. The Crimson Tide is the best in the conference and the eighth best team in the nation in time of possession. RB Kenneth Darby has carried 184 time this year. His yards per carry is an unspectacular 4.2, but still, he is a solid contributor. The fans I spoke with this week seem to love the backup, Jimmy Johns. His yards per carry is better than Darby's. Both will contribute tomorrow. Also, keep an eye on 'Bama's talented fullback, Le'Ron McClain. Auburn has a deep unit of linebackers that includes the freshman Tray Blackmon and the experienced guys, Will Herring and Karibi Dede. This is what Dede was quoted as saying in The Huntsville Times: "The main thing for us is to contain Darby. He's one of those guys that, for some reason or another, is hard to tackle."
I think the health of Keith Brown is a major story. If he plays, how effective can he be? If Brown is not in the lineup, then Auburn should consider double and triple-teaming DJ Hall. It will be interesting to see what Wilson will do if his two favorite targets are being taken out of the game. Luckily, Darby is a great option to catch passes as well. Alabama's best bet against Auburn will be to play a power game. I remember Auburn Coach Tommy Tuberville explaining why Arkansas RB Darren McFadden had his way with the Tigers defense. He said McFadden and Arkansas were just too physical for Auburn. Auburn's defense is better when it is using its speed. The best bet for Alabama is to avoid the sidelines and edges and focus on dominating the middle of the field. Clearly, Auburn's defense is better than Alabama's offense, but the Tigers are prone to lazy stretches and mental lapses during which they give up big plays. Take away the big plays, and Auburn should be able to limit the scoring of the Tide.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Great contrast of styles here. Auburn features a solid and disciplined special teams unit. The Tigers boast the second best kickoff return unit in the country, mostly because their kicker boots balls out of the endzone regularly. Punter Kody Bliss is very good, and field goal kicker John Vaughn is among the nation's elite.
Alabama is not going to wow you with consistency, but it will make big plays from time to time. Alabama has blocked three punts so far this year and scored one special teams touchdown. A lot of that production has come against weaker opponents. The return games are average. Placekicker Jaime Christensen was 0-2 last weekend, but he was 11-13 before that. Punter P.J. Fitzgerald averages just 37.9 yards per punt.
Auburn is much more impressive on special teams, but Alabama can surprise you with a big play here or there.
PREDICTION:
A few things make this game an upset waiting to happen. First of all, Brandon Cox is not 100%. Also, Alabama is 6-1 at home this season. Now consider that Auburn has not blown out one good team this year. That means the score should be close. And finally, it's the Iron Bowl. The rest of the season doesn't matter.
To summarize, Alabama needs to stop the run and make this game about Brandon Cox. This question then becomes: Which unit is worse ... Auburn's offensive line or Alabama's defensive line? The answer to that question (and the turnover battle) could determine our winner.
I like Alabama in this game to make a few big plays on defense and win a sloppy, low-scoring game. Fear the Thumb all you want, but the Tide is turning.
Auburn 13
Alabama 14
These Auburn and Alabama fans don't like each other.
They love each other.
Tonight we dined with a dozen "mixed couples" in the lovely Birmingham home of Joy and Price Kloess. Joy (Auburn '79) and Price (Alabama '79) hosted this party for husbands and wives that attended the rival universities that will do battle tomorrow in Tuscaloosa. The only rules are: these couples must be comprised of an Auburn grad and an Alabama grad, and they must bring food and sport attire from their alma maters.
Not only was the food delicious, it was creative and competitive. You haven't had dessert until you've had a "Bundt 'Bama Bundt" cake. But you can only eat that after your main course of Tiger Taters, or perhaps you'd prefer Tuberville's Thumbs Up Potato Pie. Fear the Thumb ... Not the Pie.
The meals were presented on a table cloth that was half blue and half red. There was a plate of string beans laid out to look like a football field. Just to the right of that was a clever invention - dinner rolls stuffed into a Tide box. Roll Tide anyone?
Most of the meals were either red and white or blue and orange, and while the majority of the dishes were creative and fun, some were just straight up cruel. Take, for example, the National Championship Cake. This was a cake with twelve red flags stuck into it to note each UA title. Next to the cake was a sign that read, "Sorry, due to lack of recognized National Championships, Auburn has no cake. Note: Self-proclaimed titles absolutely do not count."
Joy and Price Kloess met on a blind date in 1977, and while they spend every day of their lives together, they stay apart for three hours one Saturday each year.
"We have to swap tickets with other couples or we just have to go to other houses," Joy said.
Joy used to present Pat Dye to audiences when the legendary Auburn coach would speak. One day, she asked Dye to autograph a photo for her 'Bama husband. He autographed it, with a special message.
"To Price," it reads, "You are just like all Alabama graduates, have to come to Auburn to find your women. War Eagle - Pat Dye."
Maury Gaston and his wife Nancy have been attending the event for about seven years now. Maury, who is on the Alumni Engineering Council at Auburn, was set up with his wife through mutual friends.
I thought friends don't let friends marry people from a rival university.
"We were both 38 at the time and had never been married," Maury said, "so they were just glad we found somebody."
Then there was Jett and Alison Hawk, a couple that wouldn't miss the Iron Bowl for anything .... including their Honeymoon. Jett and Alison got married one week before an Iron Bowl, Honeymooned until Friday, and went to the game the following day. That's dedication.
By the time the night was over, we met so many great couples and ate so much great food, and we really didn't want to leave. I doubt the Auburn and Alabama fans will interact this well tomorrow. The only conflict occurred when the guests took a group photo and the blue and orange section started chanting "War Eagle." Not to be outdone, Price rallied his Alabama troops to holler "Roll Tide." I felt like the ball was about to be kicked off.
So in this heated, hatred-filled rivalry, I guess in the end we really can all get along.
Just don't ask these couples where their kids are going to college. That might stir up some controversy.
War Tide!
If I didn't know better I'd say that the city of Tuscaloosa was bracing for the storm of the century. . .
Legions of people are carting food, supplies and tents on every street around the imposing edifice that is Bryant-Denny Stadium. A drive that took us only 5 minutes yesterday today requires at least an hour. The University Police Department patrols the streets with an eerily calm efficiency -- they've been here before, they know what to expect.
I dare not call this 'the calm' before the storm -- there is nothing calm about the passion that drives the Auburn/ Alabama rivalry... this is a 365 day a year hatred... this is for all the pride... this is for all the glory...
Frankly speaking, it is all kind of exhausting--
So... your Mission Crew set out for some genuine Alabama nourishment.
and what could be more Alabama... what could be more Tuscaloosa... than the original Dreamland Barbeque.
The understated outside opened up into a dimly-lit and crowded room -- the slightly wobbly tables complemented the walls crowded with posters, paraphenalia and 'stuff' accumulated from the legions that have passed through these doors. This is the look and feel that is imitated by every chain 'bar & grill' in America-- but here it is real, every artifact has a story.
Between hollers of 'Roll Tide Roll' from the waiters, we dined on some of the most tender and perfectly prepared BBQ ribs that I've ever tasted... the legendary sauce is served warm and had a consistency and texture that made it feel more like a gourmet soup.
But the clientele was certainly not limited to Tide fans -- Mike and Linda came inside wearing their Auburn gear and were greeted with more than a few 'War Eagles'. They tell me that when the Iron Bowl takes them Tuscaloosa - that a visit to Dreamland is a MUST.
According to Janette, the proprietor and daughter of Dreamland's founder -- 'There is no rivalry inside these doors, in here it's all about Barbeque and having a good time... but once you get out there, it's a different story.'
There is a lot of talk this week about rivalries -- about the supposed hatreds that drive and define a people... Dreamland BBQ is everything that is good and right about college football... after all is said and done-- it is all about getting together with people, eating the food, drinking the beer, watching the game and sharing the experience... Although I think it is safe to say that 'most' of the patrons of Dreamland will be dreaming for the sweet taste of Alabama victory.
Don't forget to be there tomorrow at 11:30 on the Quad.
When we say "Ultimate" we mean "Ultimate."
Our tailgate is going to be that epic.
The Ultimate Tailgate presented by Sonic. Come swing by and meet the Road Crew. We're really fun, I promise.
Also, the real incentive is to win some free stuff, like SlingBoxes and CSTV gear. Maybe even some free food if you get there early enough.
In the words of The Comic Book Guy...
"Best Tailgate Ever!"
I hope you're a Simpsons fan or that made no sense.
Usually, if you ask Auburn fans if they prefer to see Alabama's starting kicker or backup kicker in the game, it would be an easy choice.
I'm not so sure that's the case this weekend.
That's because Alabama's backup kicker is Leigh Tiffin, the son of a man who authored one of the most famous kicks 'Bama history. Van Tiffin's 52 yard field goal as time expired lifted the Crimson Tide to a 25-23 win in the 1985 Iron Bowl.
"I think every kicker kind of dreams about getting a chance to kick a field goal like that," Leigh Tiffin said.
Tiffin is a freshman walk-on for the Tide, and he has done a solid job this season when given the chance. Tiffin is 8-13 in his freshman campaign. He isn't likely to see action this week against Auburn.
But if a game-winning kick is about to be attempted, there has to be some Auburn fans who would prefer he stay on the bench.
Tiffin remembers the first time he saw the highlight of his father's famous boot.
"I was a little kid, probably seven or eight years old," he said. "First time I saw it I watched it at my grandmother's house on a home video."
And what was going through his head?
"I just remember getting kind of nervous watching it. Got nervous for him," Tiffin said, "but he makes it every time."
Auburn fans must cringe every time they see that field goal sail through the uprights.
The younger Tiffin was polite and honest. He said his father hardly ever talks about "The Kick." Pops is proud of it, but doesn't like to brag. There were no interesting stories of growing up as the son of Van Tiffin. The Tiffins lived in a small town and were just another family. Coming to Alabama was a no-brainer for Leigh.
"I guess my whole life I've been a huge 'Bama fan," he said. "It's the only place I wanted to go."
The father and son remain close, talking to each other every day. Van taught Leigh how to kick, but I don't know if you can teach someone how to devastate an opponent with a game-winning 52 yard kick.
We asked Leigh if he'd rather Alabama blow Auburn out by 30 or if he'd prefer that same situation his father was in 21 years ago.
"I guess I'd rather be in a tight situation, make the game-winning kick."
This might be one backup kicker the Auburn fans would prefer to stay away from the field.
Surrounded by the sports facilities on the University of Alabama campus sits a building that approximately 40,000 people will visit each year.
Something that popular must involve Bear Bryant.
This building is the Paul W. Bryant Museum. It showcases the many memories of Alabama football from the very beginning through today, with a special emphasis on Coach Bryant.
As you walk through the doors, you enter a circular room that, moving counterclockwise, starts in the late 1800s and ends with a tribute to current head coach Mike Shula. But staring you right in the eye immediately is "The Hall of Honor." This wall remembers every team Bear Bryant coached, starting in 1945 at Maryland and ending with his 1980 Alabama team. The original idea for the museum was Bryant's. That idea is captured in the "The Hall of Honor."
"He wanted all of his former players and coaches that helped him as he was approaching the 323 victory mark, which at the time would be the most victories by a head coach, he wanted all of his players and coaches to be honored in one place," the museum's Executive Director, Ken Gaddy, told us.
At this exhibit, there is a large bust of Bryant, without his famous houndstooth hat on. More on that later.
We walked to the left and saw a picture of the beginning of Alabama football - the 1892 team, known as the Cadets.
"The biggest player was 200 pounds on that team," Gaddy said.
The name "Crimson Tide" did not come until much later. In fact, it's not known exactly when the nickname came about.
"I don't know if there's any one particular answer," Gaddy said,"but they were playing a muddy-field game at Georgia Tech and an Atlanta sports writer coined the phrase 'The Crimson Tide' because of the rain and the mud."
A few feet to the right of the Cadets' team photo was a football from 1894. The old ball was in bad shape, torn up and no longer resembling anything usable. But it's in the museum because it is the football from the first ever Alabama-Auburn game.
Alabama won.
"We wouldn't have it out here if we didn't win."
Moving on, we saw photos that captured the glorious era of Head Coach Wallace Wade. Included in this exhibit are memories of Alabama's first National Championship and a poster that says "Alabama Shatters Myth of Western Football Supremacy" after a 1926 Rose Bowl victory over Washington. That victory gave Southeastern football relevance and respect.
Before Bryant coached at Alabama, he played under Frank Thomas. The museum showcases a great 1934 photo of Bryant and superstar receiver Don Hutson. Written above the two teammates is "Bama's Pass Snaggers."
"Coach Bryant liked to describe himself as 'The Other End,'" Gaddy told us. "He was a starter, a quality player, but Don Hutson ... was perhaps the star of that time."
In the back of the room was my personal favorite item - a nearly exact replica of Bryant's office. There was his original chair and desk. Next to the desk was a coat and hat hung up, as if they were waiting for the Bear to take them down. And on the right side of the office was a long, comfortable-looking couch.
"You can talk to any former player of Coach Bryant's," Gaddy said. "They always come to that couch. And they say that when they sat down, they sunk way down. They felt like their head was almost at the level of the desk."
Legend has it that Bryant, a big and imposing figure himself, would sit players on that couch. They would sink down into it and as Bryant would talk to them, he would appear as a towering, intimidating force. Anything to get an edge.
"I've had several of them that want to look and see if the legs were actually sawed off that couch."
They were not.
As Gaddy continued our tour, we came up to the Holy Grail of the Bryant Museum. There was the famous houndstooth hat. This one was probably a little pricier than the one Bryant wore. It was a waterford crystal replica, spinning around slowly so you could see it from all angles.
A thing of beauty.
You can't walk or drive around Tuscaloosa without hearing or seeing the legendary name every five minutes or so. Today we had the privilege of learning how special Bear Bryant was, is, and always will be to the Alabama community.
"I think Coach Bryant means a lot to Alabamians because (his success) was at a time when there was not a lot of positives in the state," Gaddy said.
This might not be the most inspiring season of Alabama football, but any time the local fans want something to hang their houndstooth hat on, there will always be Bear Bryant.
You can't take that away from the proud Crimson Tide fans.
You ready to party with CSTV?
In case you couldn't tell from our videos just how cool we all are, you get a chance to hang out with us in person if you'll be at the Iron Bowl this Saturday.
Stop by our tailgate.
Not just a tailgate...The Ultimate Tailgate, which is presented by Sonic.
The party starts at 11:30. All you've got to do is head to the Quad on campus, east of Denny Chimes. I know you like free stuff. Everyone does.
We'll be giving away CSTV gear, and you'll have a chance to win some SlingBoxes. Seriously, a SlingBox is perhaps the coolest invention of all time. You can look at our video to see why I love it so much. A few weeks ago I was sitting in the back seat of the car while Emily was driving on the highway, and I was watching the Giants-Texans game live on a cell phone. Glenn was watching the NY Marathon on his laptop. Pretty cool stuff. If you come by our tailgate, you can win yourself a nifty little SlingBox.
The only thing people like more than free products is free food. If you show up early enough, you might be able to get yourself some of that too.
Oh it's gonna be fun.
Yeah, I'm pumped for the Iron Bowl, but it's not The Ultimate Iron Bowl. This is The Ultimate Tailgate. It won't get any better than this.
See ya there.
I needed a good week to get my confidence back after a 3-4 performance picking games two weeks ago. I rebounded by going 4-1 last week. I underestimated Georgia.
So here are this week's predictions, excluding the Iron Bowl.
Tennessee at Vanderbilt:
"They're a better team when Erik Ainge is running the show. He gives them that passing game that sets up their running game." - Vanderbilt Head Coach Bobby Johnson.
Ainge is probable for Saturday's game. Vanderbilt is no longer bowl eligible, so the Commodores will treat this game as their Bowl Game.
Key to the game for Tennessee: LaMarcus Coker needs another solid outing and he needs more carries. He is likely to be the starting RB this game, and it's tough to predict how well Ainge will play. So Coker needs to take pressure off of his quarterback.
Key to the game for Vanderbilt: Put pressure on the Tennessee offensive line. The O-line admitted to being dominated by Arkansas last week. The unit allowed four sacks.
Prediction: Vanderbilt is better than its 4-7 record. In a close game, Tennessee pulls it out by a touchdown.
Western Carolina at Florida:
"I don't worry about that. I haven't listened to many discussions. It's hard to imagine that Florida won't be in that game." - UF Head Coach Urban Meyer on the BCS Championship game.
It seemed hard to imagine that until Sunday's BCS standings came out. No matter how badly UF beats up on Western Carolina, it won't help the Gators climb the rankings unless USC loses.
Key to the game for Western Carolina: Don't be afraid to kick field goals. Florida DE Jarvis Moss will sit this game out for discipline problems. He blocked two kicks last week. Western Carolina's kicker just exhaled.
Key to the game for Florida: Get out of this game without more injuries. LBs Brandon Siler and Earl Everett are hurting. They are two of the most important players on the team. Urban Meyer will have decisions to make on when to play the backups and when to stop running up the score.
Prediction: Uh, Florida.
Middle Tennessee at South Carolina:
"I think they're one game away from winning their conference championship. It'll be a difficult game for us, but I'm looking forward to seeing if we can get a victory for the guys at home." - South Carolina Head Coach Steve Spurrier
The Blue Raiders have actually done very well against the weaker competition (6-0 in the Sun Belt Conference), but Louisville, Oklahoma, and Maryland have had their way with Middle Tennessee. South Carolina's offense isn't good enough to blow most teams out.
Key to the game for Middle Tennessee: Stop the passing game. USC has only the eighth best rushing attack in the SEC, and while the Gamecocks might get dependable production out of the backfield, most of the big plays occur in the passing game. Let USC run, because it's Rice and McKinley that will kill you.
Key to the game for South Carolina: Protect the quarterback. Last week USC allowed no sacks and had a great offensive day. This week they go against a team that has recorded 28 sacks.
Prediction: South Carolina by 16.
Louisiana-Monroe at Kentucky:
"It's nice to finally be in the mix in the upper echelon in the SEC east. We're currently second. It's nice to get Kentucky into that position." - Kentucky Head Coach Rich Brooks
Kentucky seems to be headed for its seventh win of the year. Nicely done, Coach Brooks. Louisiana-Monroe enters the game just 2-7 this season.
Key to the game for Louisiana-Monroe: Don't turn it over. Kentucky's defense allows more yards than almost any other team in the country. Teams can move the ball all day on the Wildcats, but Kentucky has a knack for creating turnovers. Kentucky has the fourth best turnover margin in the country.
Key to the game for Kentucky: The Little man. Rafael Little is back carrying the ball, and the Kentucky offensive line is improving. Though quarterback Andre' Woodson was the story last week, the running game is on the rise.
Prediction: Kentucky wins. I doubt they'll be tearing down the goalpost after this one.
Arkansas at Mississippi State:
"We're expecting Arkansas to play their best game. I'm expecting us to play our best game too. They embarrassed us last year. I'm sure they're looking forward to this game. They probably have their ring polished out and ready to go. They're gonna have to earn it. It's our last home game here and our kids are ready to play." - MSU Head Coach Sylvester Croom
It seems like you can write the recap of an Arkansas game before it happens now. What will Darren McFadden do to amaze us this week? I like what Croom said, though. I expect a gutsy performance from the Bulldogs.
Key to the game for Arkansas: Mix it up a little. Arkansas did a lot of things right against Tennessee last week, but one Volunteer defender said the Razorbacks basically ran about five plays. With one of the nation's best defenses (LSU) coming up next week, the Razorbacks might have to start becoming more creative.
Key to the game for Mississippi State: A good start. Who knows? Maybe Arkansas will be too cocky heading into Starkville. The Bulldogs' best chance is getting some points early and keeping the crowd in the game.
Prediction: The Razorbacks know they need to win impressively every week to keep gaining respect. Arkansas wins by 14.
Ole Miss at LSU:
"Ole Miss is much improved than they were at the beginning of the year. They play Alabama and Auburn, with the exception of Arkansas. Everybody's tough on their schedule. They're a very talented three win team." - LSU Head Coach Les Miles.
LSU has been awesome at home. Its only losses have been narrow defeats on the road. I do agree that Ole Miss is much more talented than most teams with three wins.
Key to the game for Ole Miss: Be patient on offense. It will be tough to get big plays out of the passing game against a great LSU secondary. Factor in Ole Miss being last in the SEC in passing, and the formula for victory is a controlled ground game that tries to keep the LSU offense off the field.
Key to the game for LSU: A big game against Arkansas next week cannot be on LSU's mind. Take care of business. If Arkansas wins earlier in the day, then the SEC West will be decided, so maybe that problem will take care of itself. Last week against Alabama, some LSU players said they had trouble getting emotionally into the game. That cannot happen again.
Prediction: LSU easily over Ole Miss.
Bad idea: Being an Auburn fan and living in Tuscaloosa.
Worse idea: Being a former Auburn player and living in Tuscaloosa.
Still, an even worse idea: Being not only a former Auburn player, but an Auburn legend, and living in Tuscaloosa.
David Langner is brave enough to do just that.
Nowadays, Langner works as a Finance Manager at Townsend Nissan. He sells cars regularly to Alabama fans. But 34 years ago, he was breaking those same fans' hearts.
An unwritten rule in Tuscaloosa is to never utter the words, "Punt, 'Bama, Punt." It was the 1972 Iron Bowl. The Tide, really the better team in the game, held a 16-3 edge before two punts were blocked by Bill Newton. Both were run back for touchdowns by Langner. Auburn won the game 17-16.
"For us to win in the last four minutes of the game, being behind, just mesmerized the crowd," Langner said.
It is perhaps the most famous moment in Auburn-Alabama history, at least for Auburn fans. In those days, the Crimson Tide dominated the Tigers. After that particular Iron Bowl, Alabama ran off nine straight wins against Auburn. But the Tigers will always have "Punt, 'Bama, Punt."
The hero of that game has lived in a city dominated by Alabama fans for ten years now. He calls it, "a wonderful place to live." Usually, Langner has no trouble selling cars to the Tide fans, but on occasion, a real diehard will seek help from a different employee. Just last week, Langner was wearing something that had the Auburn logo on it. It led to some trouble as Langner approached a customer.
"I kind of was getting involved in the deal, and the guy let me know that he was an Alabama fan and he wasn't interested in buying a car from me," Langner said. "So I have to be careful about that."
But most fans, no matter which team they root for, respect Langner and love meeting anyone who was involved in one of the greatest rivalries in sports. Langner loves the interaction too.
"To be remembered for something is something you can't buy or, you know, you don't realize how important that is to me to be remembered 33 years after a football game," he said. "That's huge. Can't anybody tell you what I did in those other 45 football games, but I can tell you they remember what I did in that Alabama-Auburn game."
They sure do. And they remember where they were when it happened and what they were doing when Auburn came back to win.
"I think I can say that there was thousands of people that have come up to me over the years and talked about it," he said. "They really have, and I wish I had made a book, or wrote down a notebook or something of all the people that came up and said what they were doing when it happened."
That book would probably be a best-seller by now. One guy told Langner he was hunting in a field during that game, and as he celebrated, he threw his gun (not so smart). The gun hit his car, fired, and shattered his windshield.
But that story doesn't compare to what a young woman told Langner a few years ago when he was in New Orleans.
"She came up to me and said, 'You know what?'" he began. "And I was with my friends. There was like four or five of us. We were down there for a convention. And she said, 'You know, you're the reason I'm here.' And I go, 'Here we go.' She says, 'My mom and dad were at that game that day, and I was conceived that day.'"
Who knew running back a couple of blocked punts could lead to something like that?
This car dealership we were in today is owned by, as Langner describes him, "the biggest Alabama fan that's ever walked."
That would be Charles Townsend. This guy bleeds crimson as much as anyone around. Townsend better hope his Tide pull it out this weekend, so he can have bragging rights on his Finance Manager.
"If Auburn wins," Langner said, "he's gonna walk past that door right there, he comes in every morning at nine o'clock, and he's gonna walk past that door and say, 'War Eagle!'"
There was a great vibe inside the dealership as the Iron Bowl gets closer and closer. Most of the employees, like Brandon Wates, are 'Bama fans. So naturally, there is some trash talk between Langner and his friends.
"Usually about three times a year I make him cry," Langner said about Wates.
At least some people at the dealership are guaranteed to be happy after Saturday's game. That's refreshing, considering both Alabama and Auburn lost last weekend.
"The bad part about that is: now alabama thinks they're gonna beat us," Langner said.
"I think we've got a good chance," Wates chimed in.
"Did you think that two weeks ago?" Langner asked.
"No I didn't," Wates responded. "But now I do."
"Do you want to take the three points and bet on the game?"
Wates put a stop to that: "Oh no!"
David Langner may not be playing much of role in Saturday's outcome, but his role in the Iron Bowl has a place in history. Very few games can make people heros, but the Iron Bowl is one of those games.
"If you block two punts in the Mississippi State game and score two touchdowns," Langner said, "you'll have to remind people."
Nobody in this state needs to be reminded of the 1972 Iron Bowl.
One state, two cities, two campuses, and three hours of driving have reinforced the theme of the week:
Auburn hates Alabama, and Alabama hates Auburn.
Today the crew packed into the Highlander and set out for the glorious state of Alabama, starting on campus at Auburn University and finishing in Tuscaloosa at the University of Alabama. Emily, an Auburn graduate, obviously represented her Tigers, so I felt the need to be a Crimson Tide supporter. It got pretty heated.
Glenn began the trip by, either wisely or foolishly (I'm still not sure), putting an Alabama flag and an Auburn flag on our car.
Nobody broke into it yet. So far, so good.
We set foot on Auburn's campus bright and early, about 9:30 AM, on a beautiful, breezy afternoon to talk to students about Alabama.
"Yeah, it's beautiful here," Kacy Hairell said, "but if you were to go to Tuscaloosa, I mean, it would just be like - you'd be like this," she said as she held her nostrils shut with her fingers.
She insisted that I'd better bring nose plugs to UA's campus.
"Seriously, the town smells," Hairell said. "Like, sewage smells. Not just like their football team smells, but like sewer smells."
Oh this was going to be a fun day.
Alley Jackson looked like the sweetest girl on campus, so we asked her for an interview. She stopped being sweet once the Tide was brought up.
"I hate Alabama because they still worship someone who's dead," she immediately said.
Then we saw a studious young man sitting on a bench who turned out to be a Tuscaloosa native attending Auburn. As a child, it took Ralph Wood some time to figure out who the good guys were, but he now knows they wear blue and orange.
So I asked Ralph, someone who obviously grew up on this rivalry, what I can expect on Saturday.
"Since it's in Tuscaloosa this year," he told me, "you can expect a lot of crazy folks."
What does he hate about Alabama?
"They're so focused on the past. The number 12 (the amount of Alabama National Championships) is magical to them, for some reason. All them fans wearing them Bear Bryant hats aggravate me."
Emily, always looking to make friends, walked through campus yelling "Go to hell Alabama!"
She got a, "Damn straight!" She heard a few, "War Eagles!"
That's when I decided to take a risk. Here I am at Auburn, and I had to be that guy. I looked at a few strangers and said, "Go Alabama!"
No joke ... someone flipped me the bird (and it sure was not a War Eagle). It was time to leave.
Back to the car. After lunch, several more hours of driving, and a quick check-in at the hotel, we entered UA and attended the last few minutes of Alabama football practice.
My boys are lookin' good.
Hunger had set in, so we dined with the students at a local restaurant and told them we had just heard some Auburn trash talk. Let's see what you Alabama folk are made of.
"They're pretty arrogant," Michael Waller said of Auburn. "They think they've got a dynasty going on. Their coach is about the most arrogant person I know."
Then, he got personal.
"Most of their fans are - they call themselves 'diehards' - but, you know, when they lose, you don't see them around."
He kept going.
"The reason why they don't want to talk about tradition is they have none."
We were slightly concerned about bringing Emily into the restaurant, or the city for that matter, but the Alabama fans behaved very nicely. Emily talked to Nicholas Beckham about his feelings for Auburn.
"Well," he said, "I have a lot of friends that go to Auburn. So, I mean, I don't want to say I outright hate them or anything. I mean some of them are kind of discourteous. Some of them are not real intelligent."
We asked these two what the Iron Bowl will be like.
"A lot of noise," Beckham said. "A lot of booing."
Waller has already been to one Iron Bowl. It's an experience he'll never forget.
"It's insane. I was here in 2004 when Auburn was ranked very high, and we played them. I have never heard a stadium or a group of people so loud in my life. It was just deafening, and it was true college sports."
Whether you're an Auburn fan or an Alabama fan, it's easy to agree with Beckham on that one. This rivalry is what college sports is all about.
Several weeks ago, I gave my pick for the SEC's Most Valuable Offensive Player. I chose Arkansas running back Darren McFadden, and now I think that McFadden should not only be recognized as the best player in the conference, he should be considered one of the best in the country.
I'd love to see McFadden get invited to New York for the Heisman Trophy presentation. Find me a player in NCAA football that means more to his team's success than this Razorbacks workhorse.
Darren McFadden is the nation's seventh leading rusher (1,219 yards). He averages 6.2 yards per carry and 121.9 yards per game. He has run for 12 touchdowns, caught one more, and thrown two as well. I wish Arkansas kept a stat for the amount of play action passes that have produced big plays in the passing game.
The game that Arkansas went from a decent team to a legit one was the double overtime win over Alabama. In that game, he carried 25 times for 112 yards and a touchdown .
In the Razorbacks' win at Auburn, McFadden had 28 carries, 145 yards, and a touchdown.
At South Carolina, he had 25 carries, 219 yards (8.8 ypc), and two touchdowns.
Last week vs. Tennessee, McFadden rushed 30 times. He gained 181 yards and scored twice.
Now let's look at his quarterbacks' numbers in those games.
Alabama: (Mustain) 7-22, 97 yards, TD, three INTs
Auburn: (Mustain) 7-10, 87 yards, TD
South Carolina: (Mustain) 0-1, INT; (Dick) 11-19, 228 yards, TD, INT
Tennessee: (Dick) 10-15, 154 yards, TD
It's not just the impressive numbers. McFadden saves his best for the biggest games. He leads his team to victory even when his quarterback underperforms. Arkansas has been one-dimensional most of the year, but teams still cannot stop him. Steve Spurrier said that South Carolina had to limit McFadden to beat Arkansas. He rushed for 219 yards.
He cannot be stopped!
We better see him in New York. McFadden for Heisman!
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Since the first time Emily and I talked about football, she has been describing the hatred that Auburn and Alabama fans have for each other.
I had always thought the Iron Bowl would be a great rivalry, but nothing too different than Florida-Florida State, Michigan-Ohio State, or the one I grew up on - Florida State-Miami. But Emily continues to insist that there is something different about Auburn-Alabama. She says no other rivalry compares.
After tonight's interview with former Auburn quarterback Patrick Nix, I am starting to become a believer.
At one point, Nix said, "I'm not afraid to hide it. I never have been, that I don't have a whole lot of love for them."
No kidding. Nix of course was talking about the Crimson Tide.
Nix, now the offensive coordinator at Georgia Tech, is best-known for his work in the 1993 Iron Bowl. The Alabama native came off the bench to replace an injured Stan White and led the Tigers to a stirring comeback victory over their hated rivals.
"Dream come true," he said. "I mean, it was something that as a kid, you do that in the backyard."
Nix is from Alabama, and he grew up rooting for Auburn. He remembers, even as a youngster, getting into fights on the playground with Alabama fans. In some states, residents root for teams from all over the country, but in Alabama, there are only two options.
"You pick a team and that's who you cheer for your whole life," Nix said. "So for 365 days a year, every day of the year, every day of your life, you're either an Auburn or Alabama fan, and that's all that matters to you."
The odd part is Nix actually considered (not seriously, he insists) playing quarterback for the Tide, who recruited him out of high school. He attended some Alabama football games and thought about it, but eventually decided to stay true to his roots.
"I was able to call Gene Stallings and tell him I was going to Auburn. So that was another good, good moment for me."
So what is the reason for this deep-rooted hatred that defines the Iron Bowl? Where does it come from?
I think I found out when I asked Nix what his least favorite thing about Alabama is.
"Probably that forever they thought they were better than Auburn... They actually thought that they were a better, higher class, or whatever, than Auburn, and that Auburn was a lesser place than they were. I think that - I think that's the root of the rivalry. I think that that sums everything up."
Nix explained that years ago, Alabama called Auburn a "Cow College," and the state didn't give funding to Auburn so Alabama could have everything it needed. He also said Alabama's refusal to travel to Auburn until the 80s showed that the state school thought itself to be better than lowly Auburn.
"That's sort of the difference between Auburn and Alabama," Nix said. "Alabama never felt like they had to come to Auburn to play. They always felt like they were better."
This year's game has nothing at stake except for bragging rights. There have been more meaningful Iron Bowls in the past. None of that will matter on Saturday. Whether both teams are undefeated or both teams are out of the National Championship picture, an entire state will look at this one game as the season's most important. The passion will be on display, and so will the pure hatred.
"As far as I'm concerned," Nix said, "they could do away with football (at Alabama) and I'd be just fine. It wouldn't bother me at all... I'm one of those that grew up, I would have cheered for the Communists before I would have cheered for Alabama."
Wow. I guess this rivalry might just be the most intense of them all. Can't wait to find out this weekend.
And for you Tide fans, I know this blog entry might have been a little one-sided. But don't worry. We'll be meeting plenty of Alabama fans who can tell us what they hate about Auburn.
Iron Bowl week has begun!
I asked CSTV's Florida Campus Representative Harrison Markey to describe the mood of UF students.
"Infuriated," he said.
I would be too if I were a Gators fan. I thought yesterday's one point win would drop the Gators behind Texas in the BCS Standings, until Texas lost. Seeing the Gators behind Southern California is just perplexing.
I'm not a BCS expert, so I'm not going to try to become one. I suggest reading Jerry Palm's story on cstv.com later tonight for a comprehensive and thorough breakdown.
It's obvious to me that USC was helped by two things.
First: Losses by Louisville, Texas, and Auburn allowed USC to gain ground in the polls.
And second: UF's inability to outplay South Carolina put the Trojans ahead of the Gators in the Harris poll.
UF is third in the Coaches and fourth in the Harris Poll, while USC is fourth in the Coaches and third in the Harris Poll.
The BCS standings just don't seem right. I think most people around the campus were taken by surprise when they saw USC third and Florida fourth. The good news is these aren't the final standings, and by winning the conference championship, UF could easily climb over USC. The bad news is UF now needs Arkansas to keep impressing the voters (and not lose to LSU) so the Gators can have a more impressive matchup in the SEC Championship, but any Arkansas success makes USC look better too. Remember, the Trojans destroyed Arkansas in the season opener.
The best case scenario is USC losing to Cal and beating Notre Dame.
Unfortunately, the Gators may not control their own destiny, and I thought after Texas lost that wouldn't be an issue.
Aside from Jarvis Moss, here are some players who caught my eye in yesterday's UF-USC game:
UF defensive end Ray McDonald: He and Moss are both great downfield tacklers. It's not as if a running back or wide receiver needs to get past the line of scrimmage and then no longer has to worry about UF's defensive linemen. These guys hustle until the whistle blows. UF had no sacks yesterday, but McDonald hit QB Blake Mitchell as he threw to halt the opening drive. He later blocked a field goal on the same drive that he batted a screen pass down at the line of scrimmage. Great games from McDonald and Moss, stepping up in the absence of Marcus Thomas.
USC quarterback Blake Mitchell: This was the best I've seen Mitchell look all year. He went 24-33 for 275 yards and did not turn the ball over once. One reason UF had no sacks was Mitchell's ability to get rid of the football quickly. He had great chemistry with his receivers, and I loved his improvisation when the pocket collapsed. On USC's first possession of the second half, Mitchell was in trouble, but he rolled out and waited and waited before hitting TE Andy Boyd for a 48 yard gain. He also drove his team down the field and set up his kicker for the win. South Carolina's loss had nothing to do with Mitchell.
USC receiver Sidney Rice: There is no other way to put this. Rice absolutely abused Ryan Smith. At one point, Smith stopped covering Rice, but then the UF cornerback went back to his original assignment and continued to get toasted. Rice did a nice job making the most out of WR screen passes. He finished with seven catches and 72 yards, but it seemed like a lot more because many of his catches were so timely.
UF receiver Percy Harvin: It's tough to call him a receiver, because he is so much more - a playmaker. One of UF's favorite plays was to drag Harvin over the middle and throw it to him about five yards downfield. He'd then turn it into a big play because he blew by everyone in his path. Six catches, 91 yards receiving and an average of five yards per carry show his versatility.
When I wrote my game recap of UF's 17-16 victory and talked about how the Gators might be in trouble in the BCS, I was counting on Texas winning. I wasn't counting on the Longhorns' starting quarterback getting injured and Kansas State getting the victory.
A possible scenario would have been Texas, already ahead of UF in both the Coaches and the Harris polls, moving up in the Harris Poll while UF stayed put and perhaps Notre Dame, USC, or even Arkansas or Rutgers jumped the Gators.
That could have put Texas in front of the Gators in the BCS and kept UF at fourth.
I guess there's much less cause for concern now. UF will be just fine this week. It'd be shocking to see UF lower than three in the BCS.
Now the only concern could be the aforementioned teams jumping or gaining ground on UF in the polls and the BCS.
Texas losing to Kansas State makes UF's narrow victory seem a lot less worrisome.
By the way, I'm going to sleep before the end of the USC game, so if the Trojans lose, forget what I said about them possibly jumping Florida.
The Gamecocks might be just 5-5 this season, but that in no way tells the story of the job Steve Spurrier has done. I have seen the Gamecocks three times in person, and probably four other times on television. They are much better than a .500 team.
Look at the scores in some of their losses.
24-17 vs. Auburn
31-24 vs. Tennessee
26-20 vs. Arkansas
17-16 at Florida
I've the seen the fourth quarter struggles in each of these games. They have nothing to do with coaching. I think Spurrier is doing a great job with a team that does not have as much talent as many of its SEC opponents. Watching today's game reminded me of the unstoppable Florida offenses that Spurrier once coached. Blake Mitchell to Sidney Rice was like Danny Wuerffel to Ike Hilliard. But the big difference is the amount of talented players on those Florida offenses compared to what Spurrier is working with at USC.
Think about the 1996 National Championship team. Wuerffel, Hilliard, Reidel Anthony, Jacquez Green, Fred Taylor. Unbelievable.
South Carolina is arguably the best team in the country that is not eligible for a bowl game yet. The Gamecocks are improving. Today's game at UF could have been a signature win. It was heartbreaking to fall short like this, but USC fans must be optimistic.
The Gamecocks are not there yet, but they are close.
Spurrier is on his way to doing something great at South Carolina.
Nearly every time an extra point is blocked, a television announcer will say something to the effect of, "That could be costly later in the game!"
I wasn't listening to CBS today, but I'm sure something like that was said. And of course, the blocked extra point was the difference in the game as UF survived a scare from the Gamecocks, 17-16.
South Carolina threatened to leave The Swamp with a victory with eight seconds left. Ryan Succop set up from the middle of the field for a 48 yard field goal. UF Coach Urban Meyer called timeout to ice him.
"I was gonna burn another one," Meyer said, "but I couldn't stand it."
The snap was good. The hold was good. The kick was up. And then it was down. Blocked by Jarvis Moss - his second blocked kick off the game. It was Moss who blocked Succop's extra point with just over eight minutes to play, keeping UF within six points.
"Wow," Meyer said. "Freak. He's a freak."
It was a freak occurrence. A game-winning blocked field goal, which was the second blocked field goal of the game, that won it for the Gators and put them one step closer to the National Championship.
Or did it?
The fans lost it when the final field goal hit the ground, but I wonder how many of those fans are thinking this win was not convincing enough. With so many one-loss teams, UF can't really afford to struggle, even in victory. That's especially true with I-AA Western Carolina coming up on the schedule. That might hurt the Gators in the BCS, and so might this narrow victory over USC. Many people will say the Gamecocks outplayed the Gators. Many will say that a team entitled to play in the championship game should not struggle this much on its home field. Texas Longhorns fans would have preferred a UF loss, but they'll take this too.
You know what else didn't help?
Georgia going into Auburn and thrashing the Tigers. Auburn is the only team that has beaten UF this season. Now that loss looks even worse for the Gators, especially when you consider that Texas lost to only Ohio State and Notre Dame's only loss was to Michigan.
The Gators had to make a statement today. They did make one, but I'm not sure it was the statement they were intending to make. The Gators proved that their defense will bend and bend and bend, but hardly ever break. UF showed a lot of character today, coming behind to win a game against a quarterback, Blake Mitchell, who was on fire.
Dallas Baker, Percy Harvin, Andre Caldwell, and DeShawn Wynn showed up on offense. Meyer said this was one of the best offensive performances from his team, excluding some mistakes made in the red zone. He said Chris Leak played his best game as a Gator. I would have to disagree considering he threw a costly interception and should have thrown at least one, probably two, more.
With Tim Tebow's success carrying the ball, the Gators once again proved that there may not be an offense as talented as UF's. Talent doesn't always translate into points, but it does translate into controlling the clock and momentum. I think the Gators used short, over-the-middle routes to perfection today. Few teams in the country can turn short yardage into big yardage the way Florida can. UF has the capability to play with anyone and beat anyone.
But will they have that opportunity?
You can look at almost every Gators game and find areas that need improvement. It doesn't matter. The Gators keep winning. Usually they intercept key passes. Today, they blocked three kicks. That makes five blocked kicks (two of them are punts) in the last two weeks.
UF's pass rush wasn't great today. The coverage was pitiful against Sidney Rice and Kenny McKinley. That doesn't matter. UF won.
However, in the eyes of the coaches and the Harris Poll voters, this may not have been enough.
The old expression is: "A win is a win."
That's no longer true now in the days of the BCS.
Urban Meyer knows the BCS window opened with Rutgers beating Louisville.
"It's time to start talking about that," he said.
UF needed to make a statement today. We'll find out tomorrow if they made the right one.
A win isn't always a win.
Two hours before the game, fans clad in blue and orange line the pathway to the stadium as Coach Urban Meyer guides his team into Ben Hill Griffin.
The players, wearing shirts and ties, walk slowly up the street, surrounded on each side by screaming Gators fans. Some slap hands with the spectators, others acknowledge with waves. Most just walk by with their game face on.
It's called the Gator Walk, and it's become a tradition that UF shares with several other SEC schools.
The band plays and the crowd screams, "Go Gators," to give a preview of how pumped up they will be when the ball is kicked off.
Of all the Gators, Tim Tebow receieved the best reception. He interacted with the crowd more than any other player. He is already a hero (poor Chris Leak).
If the fans are that worked up two hours prior to the game, I can't wait to hear The Swamp at 3:30.
The 27th meeting between South Carolina (5-4, 3-4 SEC) and Florida (8-1, 6-1) will be perhaps the most interesting one yet. Steve Spurrier made the Swamp what it is today. Urban Meyer has restored the home field advantage since his arrival, going 11-0 at home to start his UF coaching career. The door to the BCS National Championship game is open for the Gators. Will the Gamecocks spoil their hopes?
SOUTH CAROLINA OFFENSE VS. FLORIDA DEFENSE:
Syvelle Newton did an admirable job as quarterback for the Gamecocks before losing his starting spot to Blake Mitchell. Mitchell opened the season as the starting quarterback, battled off-the-field issues, and now he is back after a strong performance against Arkansas. I like the decision, but I am a little surprised by it, mostly because Mitchell just hasn't been that good this year. He has thrown 76 passes, two touchdowns, two interceptions, and averages 107 yards per game. Newton has a better QB efficiency and more experience running this offense. Spurrier says both quarterbacks will play, but Mitchell likely will be the man for the majority of the game. Newton is a dual threat, while Mitchell is the typical drop back passer. With Florida's incredible pass rush that is led by defensive end Derrick Harvey, the SEC's leader in sacks, Newton might be better off taking snaps because of his mobility. If the Gators continue to get to Mitchell, don't be surprised to see an early switch.
The intriguing matchup is the SC receivers vs. the UF defensive backs. Having seen most of the receivers in the conference, I believe Sidney Rice is the best one. He is finally back to his old self, averaging 76.2 yards per game, and he has seven touchdowns. Kenny McKinley (60.6 yards per game, three touchdowns) is a good deep threat and a very solid second option for Mitchell/Newton. But the UF secondary is good. It gives up a lot of yards, but comes up with timely turnovers. Cornerback Ryan Smith and safety Reggie Nelson have combined for ten interceptions this year. Vanderbilt WR Earl Bennett did dominate last weekend against UF, so it can be done. Not much of an advantage for either side here, but the USC passing game could be slowed down by the dominant defensive line of UF.
The Gamecocks rushed for only 51 yards last week at home against the Razorbacks, but they were without the services of leading rusher Cory Boyd. Boyd feels better and he'll need to have a big day. That is a lot more likely to happen now without two key players on the UF defense. DT Marcus Thomas has been kicked off the team, and MLB Brandon Siler sprained his MCL and is not likely to play. His replacement will be a freshman, Brandon Spikes. Having a freshman playing middle linebacker in a game this big must scare Urban Meyer, although he says Spikes can handle the challenge. The Gators allow SEC opponents an average of 2.6 yards per carry. Their run defense has been phenomenal, but without Siler and Thomas, it will not be as good. Meyer said UF might have to put an extra man in the box. Carolina averages 132.2 rush yards per game. I think 110 yards rushing is more realistic on Saturday.
South Carolina is going to have to figure out a way to neutralize Harvey, Ray McDonald, Jarvis Moss, and the rest of the Gators defensive line. The loss of the two defensive players makes the Gators much more vulnerable up the middle. It could be a completely different defense without them. Still, USC's offense is 10th in the SEC, nothing like what you would expect on a Spurrier-coached team. Overall, the Gators have a defensive edge. For USC to be successful, Sidney Rice must have a huge day. There just aren't enough playmakers on offense for South Carolina, so he must carry the load.
FLORIDA OFFENSE VS. SOUTH CAROLINA DEFENSE:
With two good quarterbacks and four good receivers, it's tough to figure out why the Gators score only 23 points per game. I think one reason is the lack of a consistent running game. The other is turnovers. Chris Leak has eight interceptions and the team has lost seven fumbles. The offensive line has been above average, allowing 15 sacks this year.
UF's leading rusher is DeShawn Wynn. The Gators have the tendency to forget about Wynn, instead handing the ball off to receivers like Percy Harvin and Andre Caldwell. Watching the tape of Arkansas RB Darren McFadden dissecting the South Carolina defense must have the UF offense salivating. This might not be the game for Wynn to be a workhorse. South Carolina has struggled with speedy RBs like McFadden and Auburn's Kenny Irons, so putting the ball in the hands of the blazing fast Harvin, who is finally close to being 100% healthy, will benefit the Gators. South Carolina enters the game allowing 151.7 rushing yards per contest, so the Gators should have a field day. USC will have to rely on DT Casper Brinkley and his brother Jasper, a linebacker, to slow down the Gators. They are the best players in the front seven.
USC's secondary should be playing much better than it is. Last week, WR Marcus Monk had his way with the Gamecocks' zone coverage. Spurrier said at his press conference that his team played too much zone. He has shaken up the secondary, starting Captain Munnerlyn in place of the struggling Carlos Thomas. However, Thomas will have to play well too because the Gators have a very deep unit of receivers. On some plays, the Gators will line up with two receivers. On others, they'll have five on the field. So the defensive backs will be in for a long day. CB Fred Bennett is the star of the South Carolina defense. Hopefully he'll be matched up with Dallas Baker, and the fans can see two of the best at their positions go head to head. I think the Gamecocks have a slight edge on defense over the UF passing game.
The Gators must commit to the run early and often against South Carolina. Maybe that means Tim Tebow should play a big role in tomorrow's game. Something noteworthy is UF's ability to score on its opening drive. Florida has done that five times in nine games. The Swamp is definitely one of the loudest stadiums in college football, and if the Gators can score first and get the crowd involved, that could be a huge problem for South Carolina. If you look back at the Georgia-Florida game, UF scored on the opening drive and did practically nothing the rest of the way, but it was enough to earn a victory. USC must keep points off the board early.
SPECIAL TEAMS:
I've previewed Florida games twice before. Each time I mentioned that UF is always at a special teams disadvantage because kicker Chris Hetland has been so brutally bad. He has connected on two field goals in eight attempts. The good news is UF blocked two punts last week at Vanderbilt, and the threat of a block will help the punt return game as well. Watch out for Smith and Nelson, the defensive backs, on punt blocks. UF has the eighth best punt return defense in the country thanks to punter Eric Wilbur.
South Carolina is solid on special teams. Kicker/punter Ryan Succop has made 12 of 13 field goals and averages 44.2 yards per punt. Carlos Thomas, the leading kick returner, probably won't be running back kicks this week so he can save his energy for defense. The return game is not very good. There have been no kickoffs or punts run back for touchdowns.
Advantage Gamecocks. South Carolina would love for the game to come down to field goals. UF would not.
PREDICTION:
South Carolina has never won at Florida. The Gators have beaten the Gamecocks 13 out of the last 14 times, but Spurrier beat UF last year in Columbia. Some Gators fans I spoke with are nervous about this game, and they should be.
A typical Gamecocks game involves South Carolina making some big plays and hanging around against the elite teams of the SEC. They are in every game they play, but have no ability to finish. I expect a similar effort Saturday. The Gators will run all over USC and take advantage of opportunities against a secondary that has trouble catching balls and makes mental mistakes.
UF 23
USC 20
At UF, a great tradition for students is to pile into The Swamp on Saturdays.
And they do it on Fridays too. But not that Swamp. The one across the street.
The day before the game, UF students will gather at the local bar, which happens to have the same name as the stadium across from it, to eat and drink with their buddies.
We arrived at 4:15 to check out the atmosphere, and the place was already packed. It will stay like that for the remainder of the night.
There was live music and lively chatter about tomorrow's game. Not to mention the pure joy that has spilled over from last night's Rutgers victory.
"The excitement here is really for Spurrier, but yea, it's definitely a big deal now that Rutgers won," CSTV's UF Student Representative Harrison Markey said. "The ball's in our court, finally."
"I'm more excited about every game now that Rutgers won," Matthew Montag said.
"It puts UF that much closer to being in the championship game," Scott Rosa said.
If Florida wins out, do the Gators deserve a spot in that game?
"They do, honestly," Rosa said, "because if you look at the schedules, nobody plays a schedule like the SEC does."
The UF fans can't wait for tomorrow, now that much more is at stake. But they haven't forgotten about the Ol' Ball Coach, who might not get as good of a reception as he expects.
"He built the program so I'm kind of torn because I hate pretty much everybody that comes to play against us in The Swamp," Montag said. "I'm not going to boo him, but I'm definitely not going to cheer him."
Markey seemed less torn.
"I'm going to boo the heck out of him."
Big night for the Gators, and they weren't even playing.
Louisville is out of the picture now.
That means there is a good chance that UF can win out and play for the National Championship.
There will be several one-loss teams at the end of the season, but if UF does run the table, I think they will have the strongest case for playing in the BCS title game.
It's because of strength of schedule. Strength of schedule is not an actual component of the BCS anymore, but it is factored into the computer rankings and it is factored into the voting of the coaches and the representatives of the Harris Poll. So you would think people would give the edge to the one-loss SEC team, rather than an independent, a Pac-10 team, a Big 12 team, a Big 10 team, and so on.
Let's look at the main competitors under the assumption that each team wins its remaining games and ends the regular season with one loss.
Texas lost to Ohio State, handled Oklahoma, and barely got by Nebraska. Texas is good, but they lost at home, whereas UF lost on the road. UF is a stronger candidate. The Gators have played tougher competition.
Louisville and West Virginia play in the Big East. That's enough for me to say UF is a stronger candidate.
Cal and USC play in the Pac 10. That's enough for me to say UF is a stronger candidate. However, if USC does beat Cal and Notre Dame, then they have a case. Especially since they dominated Arkansas on the road. UF should root against USC.
Wake Forest and Wisconsin are too far back in the BCS standings to play for a championship, and UF is better than both of those teams.
Notre Dame is interesting. With Michigan State and Penn State having down years, the wins are less impressive. Notre Dame lost to Michigan, but they have played well this year and they deserve to be considered. If they beat USC, I would have a tough time arguing against Notre Dame as the best one-loss team in the country. I might not agree, but I would have to respect that claim.
Boise State is not in a strong enough conference.
Then there is Rutgers. Interesting... What if the Scarlet Knights finish undefeated? I believe they should have the right to play the Michigan/Ohio State winner in the National Championship. If Rutgers loses, forget it. UF is a stronger candidate.
A few more teams to consider.
The Michigan/Ohio State loser. Neither team has played a schedule as difficult as UF's, but the Big 10 is not bad, and those two teams are excellent. Michigan beat Notre Dame. Ohio State beat Texas. I think I would have to see how close of a game that one is before I make a judgment.
I won't get into Auburn and Arkansas, because under this particular scenario, UF will win out and win the SEC.
UF has the strongest case. Gainesville is already going crazy. The scene downtown tonight will be fun. The Gators fans are smart. They know all UF has to do is win the rest of the way. They'll have a pretty good shot of playing for a championship.
By the way... Rutgers? Really? Good for them.
Good for the Gators.
If you're a Gators fan, I'm sure you have a lot to say about this year's football team.
I bet you wish you had your own radio show.
Well tonight we met three students who do.
We sat in on "Cheap Seats", a half hour sports talk show on the University of Florida student radio station, and listened to some banter about UF athletics.
The topic was obvious. In two days, it's Spurrier in The Swamp in a critical game for the Gators. The three hosts, Sarah Gilrie, Dave Behr, and Ryan Hanson broke down the game and the BCS picture in anticipation of Saturday's contest and the Louisville-Rutgers game tonight, which is of great importance to Gators fans.
Gilrie anchored the show, and Behr and Hanson followed her lead and fed off of each other's comments.
These students are taking advantage of a great opportunity provided to them at UF.
"I think it's a really great school for Communications because we have two radio stations," Gilrie said. "We have a TV station. It's all right here in Weimer (Hall). So you can start volunteering when you start going to school here, and we just get a lot of experience."
Being in the student media is unique because it gives you access that other reporters don't have. These three live amongst the most passionate fans - the students - and they are much closer to the athletes than the paid professionals are.
"I get to see them on a daily basis," Behr said. "It's always in the student papers. I'm always in the middle of what's going on."
Sometimes, though, getting too close to players can be dangerous. It's tough to criticize someone you might be friendly with.
"It gets awkward, but, I mean, the players are usually good about it," Behr, who wants to eventually become a play by play broadcaster, said.
"We know some of the players, so it is kind of tough," Gilrie, an aspiring Monday Night Football sideline reporter, said. "But at the same time, they know that if they mess up, that's what the media is going to talk about."
These students have the benefit of being taught about radio performance, including writing and speaking tips. They then learn about television performance as well.
Hanson is particularly interested in television, hoping to be a news and sports producer in the future. On the air, he is an outspoken, well-prepared, argumentative (in a good way) guy. He and Behr discussed the merits of the BCS. Then, Hanson pointed out that UF's upcoming game with Western Carolina will hurt them, no matter how badly the Gators beat up on the inferior opponent. He asked his two co-hosts if UF had to blow West Carolina out.
"Of course," Gilrie said, before going to commercial.
The three of them may still be in college, but I'd listen to their opinions about UF sports just as soon as I'd listen to any other reporter. Their knowledge was evident and on display during "Cheap Seats."
If all student media members are as ambitious and knowledgeable as the three we met tonight, then the future of sports journalism is in good hands.
In 1906, the Buckman Act in the Sunshine State took the University of Florida and moved it from Lake City to Gainesville.
The rest is history.
One hundred years have passed, and the UF football program has produced countless memories and NFL players, Heisman Trophy winners, a National Championship, and a legendary coach named Steve Spurrier who will return on Saturday wearing different colors.
This afternoon we met UF's Historian, Norm Carlson, in his Ben Hill Griffin Stadium office. In August, Carlson finished working on a book that chronicles a century of Florida football. With the help of several editors from the Gainesville Sun, Carlson shows the evolution of a football program that experienced its ups and downs, but eventually became a national powerhouse.
"We've had some super periods, some very famous people that were involved with our program," Carlson said. "And then we had a down period in the Thirties and Forties when the state of Florida had some real problems financially... and in the Fifties, they brought Bob Woodruff in as the athletic director here and he got a stadium addition and got a lot of good things going. And that's what we call the modern era of Florida football."
Carlson was full of stories today about UF football. He ought to know more than just about anyone. After graduating from Florida in 1956, he worked as a reporter, then a Sports Information Director at Auburn, before returning to his alma mater in 1963 (the same year Spurrier arrived). Carlson served as SID for UF football from 1963 until 2002.
"The thing I enjoyed about it was dealing with athletes. I think it's one reason I stayed in college athletics is I think you're on a college campus, and you're dealing with young people that are full of energy, enthusiasm, and I think it keeps you energized."
I asked him to name players that he especially enjoyed working with. He narrowed it down from a large list, and then told me about Chris Collinsworth, a high school, college, and NFL star that now is an NFL television analyst.
"Chris Collinsworth was a great one," Carlson said. "He, as he's proven in his career, he's able to talk and he certainly likes to talk."
Collinsworth was always willing to deal with the media during a horrendous 0-10-1 season in 1979.
"Until the last member would ask his last question," Carlson said, "Chris would sit there in front of his locker and never lose his composure."
Carlson's office was, as you might expect, covered with UF memorabilia. He had a blue and orange clock in the shape of a Gator that celebrated Florida's 1984 SEC Championship. Emily was sitting in a rocking chair that was given to Carlson for 35 years of service at the university. There was a Billy Donovan bobblehead doll, and several framed posters and pictures that remembered the 1996 National Championship team.
I don't have to tell you who coached that squad.
As we flipped through the new book of Florida football, we saw a picture of Fleming Field, which preceded The Swamp.
We saw Dale Van Sickel, UF's first All-American. Van Sickel became one of Hollywood's most famous stunt men. In fact, he eventually performed stunts for Clark Gable.
Eventually we kept flipping and Carlson showed us a picture of Steve Spurrier kicking a field goal in 1966 to beat Auburn. It was that field goal that made Spurrier a lock for the Heisman.
"Spurrier, as a player, was a very confident guy that was a team leader that made big plays, particularly under pressure," Carlson said. "Great pressure player."
UF football had its share of memorable moments before Spurrier came back to coach. But on December 31, 1989, everything changed. When Spurrier agreed to take over the program, UF achieved greatness it had never achieved before.
"He followed the Gators the whole time he was gone from the University of Florida, so he knew the terrain here," Carlson said. "He knew what it took to win, and he was able to take all these great resources and use them. He put a mindset in our team that there's no reason to have excuses for losing."
As he arrived, the Gators just could not beat Georgia. The same way Georgia can't beat the Gators now. Spurrier started pointing out that, while Florida had a brief drive to Jacksonville, the Bulldogs had to get on a plane. They had to come down to UF's state and play in a stadium called The Gator Bowl. He gave his team a psychological advantage when playing Georgia, and he beat them 11 out of 12 times.
Carlson told us about a play Spurrier ran every day at the end of practice in the early Nineties. The coach called it, "Emory and Henry" after the college that he saw run this play while growing up in Johnson City, Tennessee.
"He kept working on it, and everybody would say, 'Are you ever going to run that play?' And he'd say, 'At the right time. At the right time.'"
Then, in the 1994 SEC Championship game, Alabama intercepted a pass and returned it for a touchdown to take a 23-17 lead with just a few minutes left. The Gators got the ball back and completed a pass close to midfield.
"And here comes 'Emory and Henry,'" Carlson said.
The play involved lining up a receiver out wide with two offensive linemen in front of him. The Gators ran it once, and Reidel Anthony gained 11 yards.
"Alabama didn't know how to line up defensively," Carlson said. "So we get in a hurry and line it up again the same way. Only this time, it's Chris Doering, a receiver out there who could throw the ball."
Doering completed a pass that moved the Gators down to the two yard line. Soon after, UF scored and won by a point.
"Finally," Carlson said, "the proper time had come, and he had picked it out. All those years, he had picked it out. That time. That moment was the right moment."
What will it be like for Carlson to see his old friend enter The Swamp without blue and orange on?
"It will be surreal to see him come out of the visiting tunnel."
Carlson looks back fondly at the UF accomplishments over the last century. He talked about a 1969 upset of highly ranked Houston, during which UF quarterback John Reaves threw a 70 yard touchdown pass to Carlos Alvarez on the opening possession. He talked about UF President John J. Tigert, who raised his own money to build the stadium that is now known as The Swamp.
And he talked about The Swamp, too.
"It is an extremely loud stadium and noise stays in the stadium."
He told us the building is so loud because, among other reasons, 32 rows are beneath ground level. Also, the stadium was designed so the fans would be remarkably close to the field. The design worked perfectly, producing one of the noisiest places to play in all of college football.
Eventually, the conversation found its way back to the Ol' Ball Coach. Carlson used to introduce Spurrier when the coach would speak to Gators fans.
"After I would introduce him, he would say, 'Well, you know the Buckman Act... brought the University of Florida to Gainesville from Lake City in 1906. And when the wagons were loaded with professors and equipment to bring everything down to Gainesville, Norm was driving the lead wagon.'"
Well, not quite. But there is no better source for UF football knowledge than Norm Carlson.
Carlson has witnessed the growth of a powerhouse, and now he has put together a collection of stories and images that tell the tale of a state school that has moved from old Fleming Field to Ben HIll Griffin Stadium, showcased legends like Jack Youngblood and Danny Wuerffel, invented Gatorade, and captivates the city of Gainesville every Saturday during the fall.
If you're a Georgia or Tennessee fan, you might not think too highly of the University of Florida, but you've got to respect the Gators. The SEC wouldn't be the same without the tradition-rich program that has achieved monumental success on and off the field over the last 100 years.
Okay, so after last week's terrible performance, three wins and four losses, I am back to pick this week's SEC action. Only five games are on the schedule, and I'll be predicting the South Carolina-Florida game on Friday.
Here we go.
Georgia at Auburn:
"That's what makes our league so tough. All the teams are good, and they can beat anyone. Each week you go and you know there could be an upset." - Auburn Head Coach Tommy Tuberville.
Yes, Georgia lost to Kentucky, but it's still an Auburn-Georgia game. Auburn better take the Bulldogs seriously.
Key to the game for Georgia: Enough with the mistakes. Interceptions by the quarterback, missed tackles on defense, dropped balls by receivers. They exist in every game now for Georgia. That's why the Bulldogs keep losing.
Key to the game for Auburn: A heavy dose of the running game. Even if Kenny Irons isn't 100%, the Tigers have enough depth there to continue to hand the ball off. You don't want to start throwing a lot against the Bulldogs, because the secondary is athletic and can force turnovers.
Prediction: A Tuberville-coached team won't overlook any opponent, especially Georgia. Auburn by 10.
Vanderbilt at Kentucky:
"A win over Vanderbilt would be great. It's a huge game for us, and we're playing a really good team. For us, we would be able to get our fourth SEC win and climb up the SEC standings, which I think would be even better for our program than going to a bowl game." - Kentucky Head Coach Rich Brooks
These two teams are evenly matched and I expect a solid game. Both teams are good at forcing turnovers, so watch out for that battle.
Key to the game for Vanderbilt: It seems lately when the Commodores play well, Earl Bennett plays well. The WR is the most talented player on the team, and he needs to be involved.
Key to the game for Kentucky: Figure out some way to get to the quarterback. The blitzes have not worked well this year. Something must change on defense in order to put pressure on Chris Nickson.
Prediction: Kentucky is going bowling this year. The Wildcats win by seven.
Tennessee at Arkansas:
"We've started out with great preparations against Tennessee. They're a great football team, and they're probably one of the most athletic football teams we've played all year. We're looking forward to playing them." - Arkansas Head Coach Houston Nutt
It's the Backup Quarterback Bowl in Fayetteville. Casey Dick takes over for Mitch Mustain, and it looks like Jonathan Crompton will start for an injured Erik Ainge.
Key to the game for Tennessee: Dick looked for WR Marcus Monk last week time and time again. Monk had 192 yards receiving. Arkansas as a team had 228 receiving yards. Even Coach Spurrier admitted that USC probably should have focused on stopping Monk more on Saturday. So that's what Tennessee must do. Make Dick find other options this week.
Key to the game for Arkansas: The redshirt freshman Jonathan Crompton must be rattled. He played well last week, but that was at home. Force Crompton into mistakes. Typically, a freshman quarterback struggles in his first major road game.
Prediction: Arkansas gets closer to an SEC West title. Hogs by 10.
Alabama at LSU:
"We don't put much stock in the fact that this is a team that has lost a couple of games they shouldn't have lost. We understand that Alabama is a good football team, and has a very tradition-rich past." - LSU Head Coach Les Miles.
LSU should not have much trouble with Alabama, but we've seen throughout the season that every game in the SEC is a challenge.
Key to the game for Alabama: Third down will be the key. LSU is the best third down team in the SEC on offense and on defense. The Tigers convert 53.5% of third down tries. Alabama must keep the LSU offense off the field by stopping them on third down.
Key to the game for LSU: Throw all day. Alabama has the fewest sacks in the SEC. Combine that with the fact that LSU's offensive line is playing well, and JaMarcus Russell could have another big performance.
Prediction: LSU wins easily.
Wow, that was terrifying.
Today I looked danger directly in the eye and lived to tell about it.
Glenn, Emily, and I were literally inches away from a 13-foot alligator this afternoon at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm.
I can't speak for them, but I was frightened. Fine, I will speak for them. They were frightened too.
People say it's intimidating to go into The Swamp as a visitor and play the Gators.
Trust me, it's much more alarming to go into "The Lagoon", as it is referred to, in St. Augustine and interact with the real deal.
So we showed up at the Alligator Farm at 11:30 AM and met the Assistant Curator of Reptiles, Jim Darlington.
We walked through the lobby, out the doors, and onto a wooden path to see the animals. On the left, there was a Golden Lion Tamrin, which I think was a monkey. It definitely wasn't a lion. On the right were two albino alligators, which I never knew existed.
Then we walked down the steps and saw "The Lagoon." Over 40 American alligators lounged around either in the water at the center of The Lagoon or on the dirt surrounding it.
It was quite a scene, and it usually draws some interesting reactions from the visitors.
"The ones I really do notice," Darlington said, "kind of like your all's reactions when you walked down those steps and you see through that glass and you look in this enclosure. It's like, 'Wow!'"
Before he fed the gators, Darlington talked with us for about 15 minutes and told us some facts about these intriguing creatures. They have the same life expectancy as humans. These particular alligators feed off manufactured pelleted food, with an occasional side dish of quail or chicken (not gamecock).
The alligators were just lying around lazily, hardly moving. A gator can sit in one spot for almost the entire day, soaking up the sun's energy so it can move later when it's necessary.
I asked Darlington, "What would happen if I jumped in there right now?"
"He'd nail 'ya."
Okay, I guess I won't be doing that then.
So how dangerous are these animals?
"Generally speaking," Darlington said, "the only time alligators are dangerous, in their natural habitat, is when people have sort of habituated them to accept food from us. Most of the time they're really afraid of people, even big (alligators). But when we start feeding them all the time, just like any other animal, they start hanging out, and that creates a dangerous situation."
Feeding the alligators makes the more dangerous. Well then, it only seemed appropriate for the three of us to enter The Lagoon immediately following the feeding. This just kept getting scarier and scarier.
Let's just say Darlington is a much braver man than I am.
The crowd gathered as he took a bucket of quail and approached the alligators. As he neared them, the gators moved slowly towards the food, fully aware that a snack was on the way.
He came with about a dozen quail. Not all of the alligators ate this afternoon. He threw one to his left, one to his right, then fed the alligators who were halfway out of the water in anticipation of their meal.
These gators are incredibly docile until food enters the equation. Then they are as aggressive as you would expect.
So the feeding ended and it was time for us to enter the forbidden territory of the alligators. We actually had to sign a waiver. This was setting up to be a huge mistake.
We walked in with Jim. He brought some food to keep the animals calm, and he warned us that if anything alarming did happen, we shouldn't panic. Just say, "Uh... Jim. Little help." That would work better.
The SEC road trip has taken us all over the Southeast. Just a few days ago, we were in the northernmost point of the conference, shivering in the cold weather of Lexington. Today, the mission brought us to the swamplands of the South. I was shivering, but it was because of fright this time.
I slowly took some steps towards the massive alligator. Jim told us to get right up to the tail of the gator. We followed instructions. In the end, I reflected on the afternoon and realized what an amazing experience that was. To be that close to a deadly animal and be able to smile with Glenn and Emily and take a picture (which will most definitely be in a Clog) was something I never thought I'd be able to do.
It's all part of the SEC experience. The Gator is the state reptile here in Florida, and it's something that UF fans take a lot of pride in.
"The University of Florida comments in regards to gators happens a lot every day here," Darlington said.
"One of my favorite things one time," he told us, "is I took a toy stuffed bulldog years and years and years ago down in here with me. And I let an alligator grab it and pull on it on a day that we had a bunch of Georgia fans here. They're all booing and hissing. It was all in good fun, for me anyway."
The lesson to be learned today is: Don't trespass on a gator's territory, whether that's The Swamp or The Lagoon. It's a scary proposition, believe me.
According to CBS News at 1045PM on Election Night
Heath Shuler the former NFL & University of Tennessee QB is the projected winner of a seat in Congress representing Western North Carolina in the 11th District of that state.
With 144 of 282 precints reporting, Mr Shuler has 53% of the vote. His opponent, the Republican incumbent Charles Taylor has earned 47% of the vote.
I'd like to thank Congressman-elect Shuler and his entire staff for welcoming us into their offices and for the opportunity to experience the excitement of competition in the Southeast in a distinct way from the plays we see on the field.
It took three questions to bring up the subject of Steve Spurrier's return to The Swamp during the coach's press conference this afternoon in South Carolina.
Spurrier sat down at a table in front of about 35 media members and gave his opening comments. He talked about Saturday's loss to Arkansas briefly, then he said he was, "looking forward to going to The Swamp, playing the Gators."
First he was asked if UF is the best team USC will play.
Then someone asked Spurrier how the loss of Marcus Thomas will affect the Gators.
At that point I thought to myself, "Maybe they won't ask him about going back to UF. Maybe I missed out on all that on Saturday or Sunday."
And the next thing I knew, Spurrier spent the next 10 minutes or so addressing questions about his return and his time spent in Gainesville.
What will the reception from the fans be like?
"I don't know exactly what the reception (will be)," Spurrier said. "I think it will be fine, though, because it was fine the other two times I was down there."
Spurrier was referring to his induction into the Ring of Honor at UF and his return to pay tribute to the 1996 National Championship team.
"For 12 years, I had a wonderful relationship with the Gators fans."
Now the Gator faithful will swarm into The Swamp to root against the Ol' Ball Coach. Well, at least they'll be rooting against his team. It will be hard to carry any ill will towards a Gainesville hero like Spurrier.
Speaking of he Swamp, Spurrier actually helped give the stadium its nickname. He didn't come up with "The Swamp," but the nickname was not catching on until Spurrier started using it.
"One of our marketing guys there, I never will forget," Spurrier said. "He said, 'That will never work. That will never catch on.' He's not working there anymore."
Spurrier even seemed surprisingly jovial and light-hearted while being interrogated about his return.
"'Swamp' is a word, if you think about it, it's a word that's fun to say. There's some words that are fun to say. If you've ever met a guy named Bubba, you'll say, when you're talking to him, 'Hey Bubba!' You'll use the word 'Bubba' over and over again."
So clearly, the coach was in a good mood. He wasn't tired of talking about the subject. And while I was concerned all the talk would be a distraction for Spurrier and his team, I left the press conference with a completely different impression.
"It sort of adds some motivation," running back Cory Boyd said. Boyd added that the team wants to, "give Coach his first win there, back at The Swamp."
"They're not getting distracted," defensive lineman Casper Brinkley said of his teammates. "I mean, we're getting motivated more or less... We're trying to motivate each other."
Spurrier insists he won't even hear the crowd once the game starts because he'll have his headphones on. He'll settle in and just start calling plays and watching the defense.
"It's our team against their team," he said.
Try telling that to the media this week.
This week, it's Spurrier vs. their team.
The coach is preparing his team for that media hype.
"I told them where my name was on the walls around there and where the championship things are and so forth," he said. "We'll get there a couple of hours before the game and players can go out and walk around."
It was good to see that South Carolina has only UF on its mind. Still, the buzz surrounding Spurrier's highly anticipated return is very real and won't go away until Saturday night.
If South Carolina pulls out an upset, then the Spurrier talk will linger for much longer than that.
Our second week on the road we visited former UT & NFL QB Heath Shuler at his congressional campaign office in Asheville, NC. The office was a simple space above a row of shops well outside downtown Asheville. In the weeks since our visit, this small city, that small office and this one candidate have drawn the attention of much of the national media. Today is election day and the toughest drive to the goal line in Heath Shuler's life has begun.
The office space was small, cluttered and confusing but profoundly 'real.' Within a few moments of arriving, I felt like we had been invited into something very special, as if we we had become part of the Shuler family-- between campaign stickers and posters were doggie-beds and black lab puppies. Heath's arrival wasn't trumpeted by a lot of pomp and circumstance, but rather a simple hand shake and a 'Hello, please call me Heath.'
At 34 years of age, Heath has certainly accomplished a lot-- playing in front of 100,000+ people in Neyland Stadium as the starting QB for UT Football in the early 1990's, being chosen third overall in the 1994 NFL Draft and playing for three NFL franchises before starting a real estate company that is a dominant brand in Eastern Tennessee. Now, Heath Shuler has the halls of congress in his sights... and today's election results could very well be the start of a long and storied political career.
By all standards-- Heath is not your typical Democrat, it is for this reason that the national media has focused so much attention on him and his race against Republican Incumbent Charles Taylor. Heath has lived a life that has kept him in the spotlight since he was 16 years old when he played QB at Swain County High School. The route that we see all too often is that of the great and gifted athelte 'gone wrong', this in most certainly not the case with Heath Shuler. He is accomplished but humble, he is kind but firm in conviction and, as far as I can tell, genuine...
He values the things he learned from football-- teamwork, compassion and dedication, to name a few... but he strongly insists that football was 'just entertainment' and it is this next phase of his life that is his opportunity to have a positive impact on the way the men and women in the western regions of North Carolina and across America live their lives. Regardless of one's individual political ideologies and affiliations -- you can't help but feel that win or lose, Heath Shuler was born to lead and inspire, whether on the football field or on the house floor.
Shuler's race looks to be a close one -- we will keep an eye on exit polls and ballot counting as the day progresses... the clock is winding down in the Fourth Quarter in NC's eleventh district and Heath Shuler is on the move...
Let's be honest.
There will only be one major storyline this weekend when South Carolina heads to The Swamp to face the Florida Gators.
All the talk will be about a quarterback. But it won't be about Chris Leak or Tim Tebow or Syvelle Newton or Blake Mitchell. People will talk about a former UF quarterback who won a Heisman Trophy and a National Championship as a Gator.
Let Steve Spurrier Week officially begin.
The Ol' Ball Coach returns to Gainesville as Head Coach of the South Carolina Gamecocks. Spurrier's name is still, and will always be linked with UF football, but before he was a Gator, he was a young, talented quarterback in Johnson City, Tennessee.
We decided this week would be a good time to look at Spurrier's roots.
Where did it all start?
"I heard about him from other kids, and I'd go over and watch him when he was in grade school and played football," Spurrier's high school coach, Kermit Tipton, said. "I knew that he was definitely going to be a good athlete."
Tipton coached at Science Hill High School from 1956-1966. Along the way, he saw some great players pass through. None were better than the quarterback/punter/placekicker, Steve Spurrier.
"He was the best I ever coached and one of the best in the South ever, even in high school," Tipton said. "Because he could do everything. He could run it, kick it, throw it, and his teammates responded to him."
We sat in Tipton's Johnson City house and listened to him tell stories about a passionate young quarterback. While we all know Spurrier as a visor-throwing, don't-make-me-mad kind of coach, Tipton insists Spurrier wasn't a fiery guy in high school.
"He never exploded, so to speak. He was always calm and collected."
After the last game of Spurrier's junior year, his coach realized he had something special at the quarterback position.
"We came from two touchdowns behind in the second half to win our last game of the season, and it kind of all came out and showed then. I was pretty well convinced I had a tremendous bunch of talent on my hands."
Tipton was the guy who took that raw talent and turned it into a polished, poised standout passer. By the time he was finished at Science Hill, Spurrier was being recruited by just about everyone. He chose Florida, and went on to win the most prestigious award in sports - the Heisman Trophy.
What did Tipton teach Spurrier that helped him along the way?
"I taught him how to get in uniform, and that's about it," he joked.
He then added: "I taught him to control himself a little bit more, but I didn't improve his technique on punting the football or throwing the football."
The two remain close even to this day. When Spurrier comes back to his old hometown in the summers, he always makes sure to visit Coach Tipton and his wife. While they don't exchange letters throughout the year, Tipton makes sure to keep an eye on Spurrier's team. He has high expectations for this weekend.
"I think it's going to be a great ball game, and I won't be a bit surprised if Steve wins even though he doesn't really have the material to do it, but he'll have something up his sleeve."
And the fans?
"They'll probably give him a big booing."
Really?
"Because they're afraid. So that's the best way to show their anger at him."
My favorite story Tipton told us was about a high school Bowl Game Spurrier played in.
"We were playing a high school that was not a big name high school. Didn't play in a conference like we do, but they had a fine football team and had an excellent coach. I knew that they were just about as good as we were, but I also knew that they didn't have a Spurrier."
The Ol' Ball Coach was somehow able to win an ACC Championship with Duke. He took over at Florida and defeated rival Florida State to win the 1996 National Championship. He also coached his quarterback, Danny Wuerffel, to a Heisman Trophy. Now at South Carolina, the Gamecocks are showing steady improvement. They've proven that they can compete with the best in the SEC.
Somehow, Steve Spurrier always knows which buttons to push to get the most out of his players.
The man who coached him when he was just a hometown hero realizes that's what makes Spurrier so unique.
"He has a knack of being able to get close to his players, and of course when you do that, they believe in you," Tipton said. "I think that's his most outstanding quality."
What did we learn on Saturday by watching SEC football games?
First of all, don't ever listen to my predictions. After going 3-4 this weekend with my picks, I'm going to have to step it up this week to gain your trust and my confidence back.
After I got over how poorly my picks turned out, I realized that Saturday was an incredible day of SEC football.
Our game (Georgia-Kentucky) was phenomenal, even if it was a little sloppy. Being up close to witness fans tearing down goalposts is something I'll never forget.
The game that was being billed as the weekend's best lived up to the hype. LSU-Tennessee provided us with some memorable plays (like Robert Meachem's touchdown grab), controversy (did JaMarcus Russell fumble?) and a finish that will be talked about for several years to come.
It certainly looked like Russell fumbled to me. But since I can't do anything about that, let me complain about something else.
How does Russell get named SEC Offensive Player of the Week? I know he led the Tigers on a gutsy 15-play, 80-yard drive to win in Knoxville, but did anyone even watch the South Carolina-Arkansas game? That guy Darren McFadden (219 yards and two TDs rushing) did it again, and again, and again against the Gamecocks in another big SEC road victory for Arkansas. Plus, Russell threw three interceptions on Saturday. He played well, but McFadden was better.
Speaking of the Arkansas-South Carolina game, who knew two quarterbacks would lose their jobs? Arkansas' Mitch Mustain threw an interception on his first pass, and now he's benched for Casey Dick, who played well Saturday. This is an interesting decision by Arkansas Coach Houston Nutt, considering Mustain has yet to lose as a starter. But you'd have to think his mistakes would eventually lead to a loss, especially with Tennessee and LSU still left on the schedule. I like the move by the Razorbacks.
It's a good move by Steve Spurrier as well, who said Blake Mitchell played well enough to start this week at Florida. The Gamecocks can afford to experiment with something new at this point in the year, and you might as well see what Mitchell has got since Syvelle Newton will be gone next year.
Mississippi State really went into Alabama and won? Sylvester Croom's seat just cooled off. Mike Shula's, on the other hand, that's another story. It's shocking to hear people talk about Shula's job in jeopardy when I think about how great the Tide was last season.
The Gators have clinched the SEC East, but they need to start playing better. It was another average offensive effort, and even though Vanderbilt is good, I think UF has enough talent to beat the Commodores by more than six points. The big news is the dismissal of DT Marcus Thomas from the team. He is a difference maker, and UF will suffer without him.
It's fun to go into the final weeks of the season with three teams still alive in the SEC West to go to the Conference Championship. Arkansas has a one game lead over Auburn and the tie breaker. The Hogs are in good shape, but they have a tough schedule. LSU is also still in the picture. The Tigers have a date with the Razorbacks in Arkansas on November 24th.
It should be an exciting finish.
I think there are two things we can learn from this weekend's action. First of all, the parity in the SEC is remarkable. UF nearly lost to Vanderbilt, which would have been unfathomable years ago. Kentucky beat Georgia. People are still scratching their heads over that one, but they shouldn't be. The Wildcats have talent and Georgia is obviously in a down year.
Bottom line, there are no certain wins in this conference.
The other thing I learned is that there is still no right answer to this question: Which team is the best in the SEC?
Florida? UF lost to Auburn.
Auburn? Auburn lost to Arkansas.
Arkansas? Arkansas was blown out by Southern Cal.
Tennessee? They've lost twice.
Ditto for LSU.
Ohio State, Michigan, and Louisville should go to sleep every night thankful they don't belong to the Southeastern Conference.
The SEC's best chance of being represented in the BCS title game is clearly Florida. How realistic are UF's chances?
This actually wasn't a bad week for the Gators, even though a narrow victory over Vanderbilt will hurt them in the polls. But in the BCS standings, they are in fourth place behind Ohio State, Michigan, and Louisville in that order.
That's the way it should be, considering the three teams ahead of the Gators are undefeated. However, Ohio State and Michigan both struggled with easy opponents this weekend. OSU beat Illinois, a 2-8 team, 17-10. Michigan beat Ball State, a 3-7 team, 34-26. Louisville is the hot team right now after a 44-34 win over previously unbeaten West Virginia.
The Gators were hurt by South Carolina, this upcoming Saturday's opponent, losing to Arkansas. UF needs South Carolina and Florida State to win as often as possible as this season winds down.
So we know that Ohio State and Michigan play each other. That's obviously great news for UF. Louisville plays at Rutgers this Thursday. If Louisville wins that, you'd have to think the Cardinals will win out and have a good chance of playing for the National Championship.
The Michigan-Ohio State winner is almost certainly guaranteed a spot in the title game.
So what does UF need?
First of all, Louisville must lose on Thursday. If that doesn't happen, maybe Pittsburgh or South Florida can knock off the Cardinals. But don't bet on that. If Louisville loses to Rutgers, then all of a sudden the Scarlet Knights are still undefeated and they will have knocked off the third best team in the country, but they might be too far back in the BCS Standings to make a difference now (13th). And that's not fair for Rutgers, but that's the way it goes. Don't forget Rutgers still has West Virginia on the schedule in addition to Louisville. If Rutgers wins both games, then they may be in the picture.
UF could also use a different opponent than Arkansas in the SEC Championship game. Currently, Auburn would be a much better opponent to beat. Arkansas is 11th in the BCS, 11th in the Harris Poll, and 11th in the Coaches Poll. Clearly, Arkansas deserves better, but again, that's the way it goes. Auburn, currently second in the SEC West, is sixth in the BCS, and fifth in both the Harris and Coaches polls. So if Auburn can sneak into the SEC title game, that could be better for Florida. It would give the Gators a chance to beat the only team they lost to. Even if it is Arkansas representing the West, that wouldn't be so bad. Arkansas still plays Tennessee and LSU. If the Hogs win both of those games, then they will be much higher in the polls and the BCS when they play UF. Still, Auburn would be better.
The WORST case scenario for Florida would be Arkansas losing one more game and still going to the SEC Championship because of the tie breaker with Auburn.
If Auburn gets into the title game and beats Florida, then the Tigers might get a chance to play for a National Championship. Auburn is already ahead of UF in all three polls, but not the BCS.
Finally, UF needs to win out. But you didn't need me to tell you that.
Strength of schedule will help UF if the Gators can manage to win the SEC. The Gators have had a great year, but at this point, they cannot afford to squeak by a team that they should blow out. The Gators might have to start running up the score whenever possible. The Harris Poll and Coaches Poll make up 2/3 of the BCS standings, so UF (ranked sixth in each) needs to start making up ground.
With all the talk about a playoff being necessary, the SEC still has a chance to make it to the big game. It will be either Ohio State or Michigan, that's practically a certainty. The favorites for the other spot are: an undefeated Louisville; a one-loss SEC school that is NOT Arkansas; Texas, provided the Longhorns win out; and the loser of Michigan-Ohio State.
I can't decide if this is fun or stressful.
Excluding Myron Pryor and Tony Taylor, who I mentioned in yesterday's game recap, here are some of the players who caught my eye in Kentucky's 24-20 win over Georgia.
Kentucky WR Keenan Burton: Burton averaged 20.8 yards on kickoff returns, but it was his receiving in this game that made the difference. Georgia CB Paul Oliver, among others, could not cover this guy. On the drive that led to his first of two touchdowns, he caught a 12 yard pass on third and four to keep it going, then finished it off by getting open in the back of the endzone. Burton also made a great leaping catch later in the game for a 30 yard gain, and he escaped coverage in the endzone in the fourth quarter to catch his second touchdown and give the Wildcats a 17-14 lead. Burton finished with seven catches and 73 yards.
Georgia TE Martrez Milner: I know he dropped another pass. I know it would have been first and goal at about the three if he had held on. But his talent is undeniable. If this guy ever holds onto the ball consistently he'll dominate games. Milner was benched to start this game, but got plenty of playing time and finished with four catches for 70 yards. What I love about Milner is that every catch he makes seems to end in a big gain.
Georgia DB Tra Battle: Obviously, Battle shined on Saturday because of his second quarter interception of Andre Woodson that led to a Georgia touchdown. He also made his presence felt with his tackling skills. It's never a good thing to see a safety make so many tackles, but that's the way it's been for Georgia this year. The Bulldogs defense does not tackle well, but some guys, like Battle, are exceptions. Without his six tackles yesterday, it would have been much uglier for Georgia.
Yesterday I watched nearly the entire game inside the warm confines of the Kentucky press box. The usual routine for reporters is to stay up there until late in the fourth quarter, then head down to the field for the final minutes of the game. This is so you can make sure you get to the press conference on time.
So after Matthew Stafford threw the interception that basically made Kentucky's win official, I went into the elevator and made my way to the field.
The last thing I saw was Kentucky's faithful screaming and celebrating, but they were doing that in their seats.
By the time I reached the ground floor, walked out of the elevator and down to the field, it had been taken over by a sea of blue. It didn't occur to me that there would be a party at Commonwealth Stadium following the game. But there were the Big Blue fans, hugging each other in celebration and mauling the players who gave them one of the most memorable football experiences in years.
Homecoming turned into Field Storming.
The same goal post that Georgia kicker Andy Bailey couldn't reach on his last extra point was ripped down by temporarily insane fans and players. It took a lot longer than expected, probably 15 minutes or so, but when that thing finally came down, the crowd responded as if Tony Dixon had just scored another game-winning touchdown.
"I was standing back watching from a safe distance," DE Jeremy Jarmon said. "It was a great feeling watching them take the goalposts down."
When I was in college, the Hurricanes basketball team hosted the mighty UConn Huskies. We were in the midst of a disappointing season, and down by four points with five seconds to play. I remember thinking how tough of a loss it was going to be. Then I remember Armando Surratt hitting a layup, and I remember Darius Rice stealing an inbounds pass, stepping back for a three pointer, and burying it from the baseline to win the game.
I looked over to my friends inquisitively, as if to say, "Are we about to run onto the court right now?"
And then we did.
Even though the Canes weren't so great that year, it didn't matter on that night. Every loss the rest of the way was eased by the memory of that incredible night.
So for Kentucky, this game will always be remembered, no matter what happens in the future.
And the lasting image will be the fans taking the field and ripping down the goalpost.
Is this the start of something special for Kentucky football?
That will be up to the Wildcats to decide in the upcoming games and seasons, but if in fact this program achieves some unusual success in the near future, people will look back at the day when the Big Blue fans stormed the field at Commonwealth Stadium after a 24-20 Kentucky win over Georgia.
True, the Bulldogs are not having a typical year. This was hardly an upset, actually. But a win over Georgia is still a win over Georgia.
Perhaps the story of the game was Tony Dixon, the UK running back who had taken no handoffs until the fourth quarter and finished with eight carries, 47 yards, and the game winning touchdown.
Or maybe it was Georgia QB Matthew Stafford. What an arm. What great mobility. But those interceptions, they are killing him. He threw three today. The last one ended the game and gave the Bulldogs their fourth loss of 2006.
You can read about those guys in other columns.
I saw a battle between two determined defensive standouts who consistently made plays for their teams. One, Kentucky DT Myron Pryor, came away with the victory. The other, Georgia LB Tony Taylor, fell short.
"I felt like I had a pretty good game," Pryor said. "I felt like I got great pressure on the quarterback. I made a few tackles, and made a big hit, and I think that all of the things that I did today made our outcome."
I agree.
Kentucky trailed 14-10 early in the fourth quarter. Georgia had the ball, first and 10 at their own 38 yard line. Stafford to pass, incomplete. The ball was batted down by Pryor at the line of scrimmage. Now it's second down and 10. Stafford to throw again. This time a wide receiver screen.
"They've been doing a lot of screens lately," Pryor said. "And we just were able to pick up on the screen."
The receiver, Mario Raley, came back towards the middle of the field and was leveled by Pryor. The ball came loose. Kentucky recovered. It was maybe the biggest play of the game, but it was probably bittersweet for Pryor. His hit caused Raley to lay motionless on the field for several minutes. Raley had to be removed on a stretcher, and he received an ovation from the crowd as he was taken away.
The game resumed and nine plays later, Kentucky went 41 yards and scored on Keenan Burton's second touchdown catch of the game. They led 17-14. It was all set up by Pryor's forced fumble.
Let's rewind.
About halfway through the third quarter, Georgia had the ball in Kentucky territory, leading 14-10. On second down and 18 at the UK 38, Pryor applied pressure on Stafford, who had no choice but to scramble for one yard. It set up third down and 17. The drive ended on a missed field goal.
How about Pryor's play on fourth and one in the second quarter. He and Jeremy Jarmon teamed up to stop FB Brannon Southerland on fourth and one, forcing a turnover.
Pryor actually started his domination on the game's opening possession with Georgia driving deep into UK territory. On first down from the 25, Pryor blew by the left guard and stuffed Danny Ware for no gain, putting a stop to Georgia's momentum. The drive seemed certain to end in seven points, but it ended in a field goal attempt, which was missed.
Nearly every time Kentucky needed a big play on defense, number 98 was there.
Then there was Georgia's stud linebacker. Taylor did just about everything he could do to keep his Dawgs in the game.
A Stafford interception gave the Wildcats the ball at the UGA 2 yard line as the first half winded down. The threat was ended when Taylor picked off Kentucky QB Andre Woodson.
In the third quarter, Kentucky drove to Georgia's 26 trailing by four points. On second down and 10, Taylor came in on a blitz, sacked Woodson, and took the Wildcats out of field goal range. The Wildcats punted.
On the next UK possession, Taylor recovered a fumble by kicker Lones Seiber on a fake field goal.
The difference in the game was how Woodson took advantage of Pryor's prowess while Stafford couldn't do much with the opportunities afforded to him by Taylor. While Pryor's forced fumble led to a touchdown, Taylor's interception (which he ran back for 52 yards) only led to another Stafford interception. When Taylor recovered the fumble, Stafford took his team into field goal range, but saw Andy Bailey miss a 47 yard kick.
Three of the last four drives of the game culminated with touchdowns. But prior to that, or should I say Pryor to that, the game was dominated by those two defensive beasts.
In the end, it was Pryor's team who came away with a season-defining victory. It was his fans that ripped down the goalposts. And it was his team that did what it does best - force turnovers - while Taylor's team continued to give the ball, and the game, away.
"We're not used to winning a game like this," Kentucky Head Coach Rich Brooks said.
But when he looks at the SEC standings in the newspaper tomorrow, he'll see Kentucky ahead of the mighty Georgia Bulldogs.
"That's a wonderful thing," Brooks said.
And it's been a wonderful day in Lexington, Kentucky.
Now bring on Vanderbilt.
Kentucky must get off to a good start. The numbers are very revealing.
UK is 3-0 when scoring first and 1-4 when the opponent scores first. Three times this year, the Wildcats have allowed an opponent to score on its opening possession. They lost all three games.
Also, Kentucky is 3-0 when leading at halftime, 1-0 when tied at halftime, and 0-4 when trailing at the half.
Georgia has been a terrible second half team lately. Five times this season, the Bulldogs have turned the ball over on their first drive of the second half. It looks like a battle of two bad second half teams, so the team leading at halftime holds a big advantage.
While walking around the Kentucky campus yesterday, I tried to learn about the excitement level surrounding UK football, especially in relation to UK basketball. Nearly everyone I spoke to made it clear that Kentucky is not a football school.
Here's a sample of what I found out yesterday from students:
- "I think people like football only for tailgating to tell you the truth." - student Alex Ebelhar.
I asked Alex what it would take to get more people pumped for football games. "Win a bowl game," he said.
- "It's fun going to the (football) games. Tailgating is more fun though." - student Barclay Pierce.
I asked Barclay to compare football games to basketball games. She said, "The crowd is just a lot more calm at a football game."
- "In general, I like football better than basketball, but I like UK basketball better than UK football. - Summer Brown
- "I'd say I enjoy watching basketball more." - Robert Oakley.
I asked him why the students like basketball more than football. He said, "The team is better. It's a lot more fun to watch your team win than lose."
I also spoke to Carol Behr, a diehard Kentucky fan who goes to every football game she is in town for. She owns "Kennedy's Bookstore" across the street from campus. She said, "Overall I like football a lot, but when you live in Kentucky you grow to like basketball more."
I asked her to compare a football game to a basketball game.
"A Kentucky football game is a social, party kind of thing with your friends," she said. "Kentucky basketball is about watching some excellent athletes win."
Basically, I came away with two impressions yesterday. First of all, many of the students and fans of Kentucky either were born or grew up in this state, so they were brought up on basketball and that's a big reason they prefer hoops. The other reason is the success of the two programs. Several people I spoke with seemed to think Kentucky football would be just as popular as Kentucky basketball if the Wildcats won more games on the football field.
Beating Georgia today could be a nice start.
The Georgia Bulldogs (6-3, 3-3 SEC) come to Kentucky (4-4, 2-3) for the Wildcats' Homecoming game. The Cats are coming off a 34-31 win at Mississippi State, while the Bulldogs lost last week to Florida 21-14. It's unusual for Georgia to have three losses at this point, and the Wildcats are confident it will be four. Georgia-Kentucky will be a better game than history suggests, as the Bulldogs lead the series 47-10, with 2 ties.
GEORGIA OFFENSE VS. KENTUCKY DEFENSE:
This game has the makings of a coming out party for Bulldogs QB Matthew Stafford. Stafford is 3-1 as a starter, but he took a step back last week against the Gators. Turnovers have hurt him badly. Stafford has thrown three touchdowns and nine interceptions. UF cornerback Ryan Smith said he picked up on Stafford's signals, knew which route was coming, and intercepted one of his passes. But the Kentucky defense is not a good one. The Wildcats allow an average of 269.8 yards per game in the air (and a staggering 185.9 yards on the ground). Stafford's main target, Mohamed Massaquoi is hobbling but he will play. The big news is the benching of TE Martrez Milner following his butterfingers display against the Gators. Tripp Chandler will start in his place. Georgia should try to isolate freshman CB Paul Warford, who was beaten for a 75 yard touchdown last weekend.
At the line of scrimmage, Georgia has done a great job protecting the quarterback this year. The line has allowed only 13 sacks, but it performed poorly against UF. When it comes to pressuring the quarterback, Kentucky is not UF. Not even close. One of the reasons the pass defense has struggled is the lack of pressure put on opposing quarterbacks. There is no reason to think that Stafford won't have his opportunities to have a big game.
Kentucky is bad against the run, but the Bulldogs have lacked explosiveness out of the backfield since Thomas Brown was lost for the year with an injury. Kregg Lumpkin and Danny Ware carry the ball now for the Dawgs. While they lack greatness, the advantage still goes to the Bulldogs until Kentucky proves it can stop the running game. UK linebacker Wesley Woodyard leads the way defensively with 71 tackles. The one thing that the Wildcats do well is force turnovers. They are second in the SEC and 14th in the nation with a +8 turnover margin. Free safety Marcus McClinton and defensive lineman Myron Pryor have been great at forcing fumbles. This should concern the Bulldogs considering the frequent fumbles and interceptions that plagued them against UF.
Kentucky's best chance defensively is to take away the big play and force Stafford into mistakes. This is not unrealistic. Georgia's offensive a methodical one, not a quick-strike one. You can expect the Bulldogs to gain a lot of yards, but can the Wildcats stop drives by getting the key interception or fumble recovery?
KENTUCKY OFFENSE VS. GEORGIA DEFENSE:
You may not know it, but the Wildcats have a solid passing game thanks to the production of junior QB Andre Woodson, the SEC's leader in touchdowns. Woodson threw for 284 yards last weekend at MSU, and he averages 240 yards per game. More importantly, he has thrown 18 TDs and only 5 INTs. The Georgia secondary, led by CB Tra Battle, is better than the numbers would indicate. Defensive struggles on this team are often the result of the Bulldogs offense failing to stay on the field. For Kentucky, WR Dicky Lyons Jr. proclaimed that Kentucky is better than Georgia and UK should win this game. Lyons and Keenan Burton are both good receivers, and they are big play threats. Watch out for Lyons in the red zone.
The injury bug has destroyed the Kentucky offensive line. Seven linemen are out for this game, and five are gone for the season. That's great news for Georgia DE Quentin Moses. At this point, I can't say that Moses is a threat. He is a guy who entered the season as one of the best at his position, but has barely made any noise in 2006. Against Florida, Moses did practically nothing. The other defensive end, Charles Johnson, is a lot more likely to create problems for Kentucky. Overall, the Bulldogs hold an advantage at the line of scrimmage because of the injuries to the Kentucky O-line. It should be noted that the Wildcats did not allow any sacks last week, but I would be surprised to see that happen again.
On the ground, the talented freshman Alfonso Smith is likely to start due to injuries at the position. Star tailback Rafael Little is still recovering from arthroscopic surgery. Smith has averaged 4.1 yards per carry, but he'll be in for a challenge against the Bulldogs. The Georgia linebackers are an impressive group. Tony Taylor and Jarvis Jackson are the stars, but Brandon Miller can play too. Jackson is all over the field, and Taylor is a big hitter. Somehow, every member of the secondary is among the top six in tackles on the team. That means that running backs are getting past the linemen and linebackers. The Bulldogs seems too talented to be allowing 104 rushing yards per game, but they are.
Kentucky takes care of the ball and knows how to pass. They'll stick to what they do best and let Woodson try to win this game for them. The key, as always, will be protecting the quarterback. But Kentucky offensively will have one major thing going for them. That's confidence. The Wildcats believe they can beat Georgia and they believe they can move the ball on the Bulldogs defense.
SPECIAL TEAMS:
For Georgia, Thomas Brown was terrific on kickoff returns, but his injury has slowed down the attack. Kickoff returns are not Georgia's specialty, but punt returns are usually pretty good. PR Mikey Henderson is always a threat to go the distance. He has taken two back this year. The kicking game took a hit when kicker Brandon Coutu was lost for the year. Andy Bailey has done a nice job in his place, going 5-6 in FG attempts with a long of 34 yards. Punter Gordon Ely-Kelso averages 41.1 yards per attempt.
Kentucky is second in the SEC in kickoff returns, averaging 25.3 yards per return. The Cats also have the best punt return average in the SEC at 17.4 yards. Keep your eyes on Keenan Burton. He gains 27.3 yards per kickoff return. The placekicker, Lones Seiber, is accurate under 40 yards (3-4), but only 2-4 in kicks 40 yards or longer. The punter is Tim Masthay, and he averages 39.3 yards per punt, with one punt blocked this year.
There is no obvoius advantage on special teams in this game.
PREDICTION:
I don't blame the Wildcats for being confident. This is obviously not last year's Georgia Bulldogs. Kentucky is steadily improving under Coach Rich Brooks, and this is Homecoming, so that never hurts. But I think Georgia wins this game on a big performance from Stafford. Defensively, Kentucky just isn't there yet. It will be close, but the Bulldogs come through.
Georgia 30
Kentucky 20
The 1944 season stands out in Kentucky football history.
There was no National Championship. In fact, the Wildcats were a putrid 3-6. They went 1-5 in the SEC and finished in ninth place in the conference under Head Coach A.D. Kirwan.
Bear Bryant hadn't even come to rescue Kentucky yet.
So how could this year be worth noting?
Because lifelong UK fan Jim Brown didn't attend a single game.
It's quite possible that Brown is the most dedicated fan of any team in any sport in the SEC.
"I started coming to University of Kentucky football games in 1938," Brown said.
He hasn't missed a home game since, with the exception of 1944, his third year of service in World War II.
"The first year I was in service, I was stationed in Dayton, Ohio, and of course, you could not buy gasoline during the war. But I caught the train down from Dayton to Cincinnati, changed trains and (went) down to Lexington, and saw, that was the '42 season," Brown said. "And in '43, UK, along with most of the schools in the country, did not play football because of World War II. And then in '44 they started playing again, and I was over in India and Burma, and that's halfway around the world so I couldn't come."
Brown, a UK graduate, was part of a unit known as the Burma Bridge Busters. The soldiers were responsible for destroying bridges that the Japanese could use to get supplies to their troops. Brown went on 72 missions during the war, serving with Steven Spielberg's father, and he recently got to meet Spielberg at a reunion that Brown and his wife set up for his fighter squadron. The reunion, obviously, did not conflict with a Kentucky football game.
Brown's military story has been documented on the History Channel. It involved a perilous flight on a plane experiencing engine failure.
"That day when we were flying back on one engine, I had a little talk with the Lord," Brown said. "I said, 'Lord, if you help me get back to Kentucky, I'll be smart enough not to ever leave there again."
On a wing and a prayer, Brown returned home safely. True to his word, he's been in Kentucky ever since, and he's seen everything that's happened at home Kentucky football games. This includes a National Championship season in 1950 under the legendary Bear Bryant, sealed with a Sugar Bowl victory over national powerhouse Oklahoma.
"The 1950 team was probably the best team we ever had... That Sugar Bowl Game is probably the biggest game we ever won."
Ironically, the man who never misses a game didn't attend that Sugar Bowl. Kentucky was enjoying phenomenal success under Bryant, and Brown had been to UK Bowl Games in previous years, so he decided to take a year off.
"I thought, 'We're gonna be going to Bowl Games all the time,'" he said.
The crazy part about Brown's story is that Kentucky has been, well, quite unsuccessful historically.
"Sometimes people question my sanity," Brown told us.
Well they don't question his passion. Brown was there when Charlie Bradshaw's squad in the 1960s knocked off Ole Miss in a big upset that featured a touchdown on a fake punt. He was there for Head Coach Blanton Collier, who succeeded Bryant.
"Bear produced some very outstanding teams, and then he was followed by Blanton Collier, who was probably as smart a coach as we've ever had," Brown remembers. "Then they fired him. He goes to Cleveland and wins an NFL Championship. But Blanton Collier probably had, in my opinion, as good a staff as any coach has ever had in college."
Then the 87 year old man started listing off his assistants like they were coaching the Wildcats last week.
It was a staggering staff that included Howard Schnellenberger, Bill Arnsparger, and Don Shula.
Brown also remembers a groundbreaking moment in SEC history. Kentucky was the first school in the conference with an African American player, Nat Northington.
"I think most people just felt like if they were good enough athletes, play. If they pass their grades and behave themselves and everything," Brown said. "That's what we fought World War II for."
You've got to figure that over a 68 year period, Brown would have had some type of commitment, maybe a wedding or a birthday party, that fell on a Saturday afternoon in the fall. But miraculously, he has never had to miss out on a Kentucky home football game since he was 19 years old.
"The Lord's given me good health, so I've never had to miss any because of that," he said. "I've sat out here in rain, and snow, and cold weather when I should have more sense not to."
When Brown was a working man, he was lucky enough to have a boss who loved football as much as he did.
"I was in the lumber business for a long time, and I would go to national lumber conventions that were at maybe Seattle or Toronto... Our executive officer was a pretty good football fan too. But those conventions, somehow we worked them out to where we didn't have to miss any Kentucky football games. And it worked out great."
Brown has seen superstars like Bob Gain, George Blanda, and Tim Couch. He has seen some good times, and he has seen a lot of bad times. He has witnessed games at old Stoll Field and games at Commonwealth Stadium. He's been in crowds of 10,000 people and crowds of 67,000. He remembers his first game, which he attended with his fraternity brothers.
"The opponent was probably Maryville or Oglethorpe. We used to open the season with somebody like that."
And he'll be there this weekend when the Georgia Bulldogs come to town.
Anything can happen on any given Saturday. Nobody can tell for sure what will occur when the Wildcats take the field. The only guarantee is that Jim Brown, with his wife, will be there in Section 129, row 41.
Whatever happens in Kentucky football just wouldn't be the same without the eyes of Jim Brown looking on.
I could have sworn Kentucky was hosting Indiana tonight with the way Rupp Arena looked and sounded.
The Wildcats hosted Lindsey Wilson (Who? Exactly...) tonight and won easily, 94-54.
This was my first experience at a Kentucky basketball home game, and I left impressed. The box score says 17,135 people attended this game. Almost all of them wore blue, blending in nicely with the blue seats of Rupp Arena. Getting 17 thousand people to show up for an exhibition game against a school that I heard two Kentucky fans next to me saying they had never heard of is quite impressive.
I doubt many, if any, NBA exhibition games draw that many people. Perhaps in paid attendance, but not in actual bodies in the buildings.
As for the game, Kentucky looked like a very polished, disciplined team. I was particularly impressed with their passing. Nearly every possession I saw (I stayed for the first half) ended with a good shot.
Randolph Morris established himself immediately, scoring 12 of the team's first 21 points. Seeing someone Morris' size step back and hit an 18 foot jumper with ease must be exciting for the UK fans. Bobby Perry stood out as well. The long-armed forward, who reminds me a little of Tayshaun Prince, showed his passing, scoring, and running skills. The most impressive play of the half was a Kentucky fast break that started with point guard Ramel Bradley taking it to the hoop and dropping a beautiful pass between his legs to a trailing Perry, who then laid it in easily.
Kentucky dominated tonight, but the people in the seats were the real story. Last night, cheerleading adviser T. Lynn Williamson told me that donating one million dollars to Kentucky will not get you basketball tickets. Seeing the turnout for an exhibition game tonight, I am not surprised.
It was just another typical Wednesday night at the University of Kentucky.
Twenty guys and girls were flying across the room, doing back flips, tumbling around, standing on each other's shoulders, and screaming, "Go Big Blue!"
Wednesday nights are quite eventful when you're a Kentucky Wildcats cheerleader. Or should I say a National Champion Kentucky Wildcats cheerleader.
"It's an amazing experience," senior Tara Allen said. "We get to meet so many people, represent the university. It's a great opportunity to have."
Kentucky sports is filled with tradition, particularly on the basketball court. Whether it's been under Adolph Rupp, or more recently Rick Pitino or Tubby Smith, the Wildcats have put out a great product and are constantly competing for an NCAA title.
But UK hoops has nothing on UK Cheerleading.
There have been memorable dunks, three pointers, and the cutting down of nets.
But there's been even more roundoffs, back handsprings, full twists, and standing backtucks.
Not that I know what any of those things are.
Inside a blue and white, sparsely decorated practice room, we watched the Blue Squad, which is comprised of the experienced Kentucky cheerleaders (the White Squad is for freshmen), complete a practice that lasted nearly two hours. First, they did some stretching. Then it was on to gymnastics, stunts, pyramids, and game routines.
The cheerleaders, like any other athletes, have it rough. A typical week consists of three practices, each one two and a half hours long. It's all in preparation for Nationals. The preparation really heats up over Christmas break. During that time, the squad will practice for two and a half hours twice a day, seven days a week, for a little more than two weeks.
"It's a lot of hard work and a lot of time and dedication," senior Danielle Hering said. "And if you have it, you're going to stick it through, and that's why we're the best."
The proof is on the walls surrounding the practice facility. There wasn't much to look at in this room, but the championship banners stood out like a Louisville fan in Rupp Arena. Very noticeable...only in a good way in this case.
National Champions in 1985, '87, '88, '92, '95, '96, '97, '98, '99, '00, '01, '02, '04, '05, and '06.
Yeah but Kentucky didn't do anything before 1985.
That's because the Universal Cheerers Association didn't start having championships until 1983.
It's a sport that has been thoroughly dominated by the Wildcats, and that's why the best of the best come to Kentucky. They come from all over the country. Tonight's squad alone had cheerleaders from Nashville, Alabama, San Diego, Chicago, Indiana, Atlanta, etc... but if in high school you haven't been on an All-Star team, Kentucky won't be considering you for the squad.
In Rupp Arena, thousands of screaming fans will drop hundreds of dollars to see the Kentucky basketball team. But they get much more than just hoops.
"People pay money to come to the games and be entertained," explained the cheerleading squad's adviser, T. Lynn Williamson.
They get what they pay for at Kentucky. When the cheerleaders form the Wildcat Pyramid, all of Rupp Arena will get up and make noise as if a game-winning shot is being made.
"It's amazing cheering at Rupp Arena," Hering said.
It's also amazing to be champions of your sport, something Hering is no stranger to.
"As soon as you step off that floor and you know you just nailed that routine, it's the best feeling."
If you're a sports fan, you know how grueling fall practice can be. You read about players running suicide sprints and doing up-downs. But the people cheering on the sidelines deal with just as rigorous a schedule as the athletes they cheer for, and at Kentucky, it all leads to one outcome almost every time.
"At the end," Hering said, "we get a National Championship. So it's all worth it."
Here are my SEC predictions for this weekend, excluding the Georgia-Kentucky game which I will predict on Friday.
Last week I went 5-2.
Mississippi State at Alabama:
"Alabama is a typical Alabama team. They've lost some close games, but they've won some close games as well. The names and the faces may change, but the jerseys are the same." - MSU Head Coach Sylvester Croom
Key to the game for Mississippi State: Make big plays on defense and special teams. The Bulldogs are probably the most injured team in the conference. QB Michael Henig has missed practices, but should play. There are so many injuries on offense that it's hard to see MSU scoring a lot of points conventionally.
Key to the game for Alabama: Air it out. MSU has the second worst pass defense in the SEC, behind only Kentucky.
Prediction: Alabama wins easily.
Florida at Vanderbilt:
"As a coaching staff, we've had more turnovers this season than I've ever had. We place a premium on this issue." - Florida Head Coach Urban Meyer
Vanderbilt beat Georgia. Georgia played Florida tough. Does that mean Vanderbilt can hang in there against the Gators?
Key to the game for Florida: Last week I said the key to the game for Duke against Vandy would be stopping the run and making QB Chris Nickson beat them. Nickson responded by earning SEC Player of the Week honors. Still, that was Duke. This is Florida. UF's pass defense is good enough for me to say that the key is, once again, making Vanderbilt one-dimensional and stopping the running game.
Key to the game for Vanderbilt: Red zone defense. It's okay to let UF drive, but keep them out of the endzone. Make PK Chris Hetland, or whoever takes his place, kick a lot.
Prediction: In a closer game than most would expect, UF pulls it out on the road.
Northwestern State at Ole Miss:
"Obviously being a I-AA team, they don't have a lot of good athletes, but they have some athletes who will be NFL players. We have to come out ready to play and work on the things we need to do to get better." - Mississippi Head Coach Ed Orgeron
I don't know much about Northwestern State, but the I-AA school has been destroyed by Kansas and Baylor.
Key to the game for Northwestern State: Use some trick plays. I don't know, I guess that could work.
Key to the game for Ole Miss: Get TE Robert Lane involved. And don't overlook this week's opponent as LSU is next on the schedule.
Prediction: Ole Miss snaps a three-game losing streak.
Arkansas State at Auburn:
"We're in pretty good shape physically. We've had one good practice yesterday and we're looking forward to having another one today. We're starting to get some guys back who have been out three to six weeks." - Auburn Head Coach Tommy Tuberville
The Auburn Tigers get all their tough games at home this year. They also get Arkansas State at home. The Indians beat Memphis 26-3, but lost to Florida Atlantic 29-0.
Key to the game for Arkansas State: Get after the quarterback. Auburn has allowed an alarming 24 sacks, behind only Mississippi State's 26 sacks.
Key to the game for Auburn: Let QB Brandon Cox go wild. We all know Auburn can run the ball, so in a game like this, let the quarterback put up big numbers and get some confidence going into the tougher games.
Prediction: Auburn
LSU at Tennessee:
"I think it will be very difficult versus their defense to score a lot of points. If you look at the defense and special teams in this game, there is a chance for both teams to make a big play and have a chance to be a difference in the game." - UT Head Coach Phillip Fulmer
The game of the week. The SEC's best passing offense (Tennessee) vs. the SEC's best passing defense (LSU). Volunteers QB Erik Ainge says he will play.
Key to the game for LSU: Coach Les Miles said it himself: "There's no question about it, we've got to establish the run when we get there." (quote from New Orleans Times-Picayune) In a tough road environment against a good team, you have to be able to gain yards on the ground. Failure to do that was a problem at Auburn.
Key to the game for Tennessee: It's all about protecting Erik Ainge. If the Vols offensive line can do that, he'll do his part. LSU leads the SEC in sacks. Tennessee leads the SEC with the fewest sacks allowed. That battle could be the most important aspect of the game.
Prediction: Another great game, and maybe another great fourth quarter performance from the Volunteers. I see Tennessee winning this one. LSU will then be the best three-loss team in the country.
Arkansas at South Carolina:
"Last year McFadden gained 184 yards against us... We need to slow him down some this year." - South Carolina Head Coach Steve Spurrier
USC has great fans. They show up no matter what and they are loud. But for some reason, the Gamecocks are 2-3 at home and 3-0 on the road. The fact is, the road games have been much easier than the home games, but it would be nice to see South Carolina give their fans something to cheer about.
Key to the game for Arkansas: Keep Syvelle Newton in the pocket. We were at Tennessee's press conference yesterday, and the Vols raved about Newton's speed. The Razorbacks must make him throw the ball.
Key to the game for South Carolina: It's incredibly obvious. Arkansas runs better than any other SEC team. Only Ole Miss has a worse passing game. Teams have tried to stop the run before, and they have failed. When Auburn lost to Arkansas, Tigers Coach Tommy Tuberville said his players overran their assignments. So USC's defense must stay disciplined and be ready for a physical game.
Prediction: The SEC West will get a lot more interesting after Arkansas loses at South Carolina.
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