The Starting Five: Michigan

Five stats, facts and people you need to know while watching 'Bama against the Wolverines.

Alabama vs. Michigan

The Milk House, Orlando, FL

4pm CT

TV: ESPNU

1. Preventing fouls a must for Alabama. Just as I mentioned before the Florida State game that JaMychal Green had been great about staying out of foul trouble, he only managed to play 30 seconds in the final 10 minutes against the 'Noles because he was racking up the fouls instead of points. Sure, the officials seemed against him from the get go, including Doug Shows knowing Green had four when he called the final one on him with 4:45 remaining in the game. Alabama doesn't have the depth available to get in foul trouble on a nightly basis as they have so far in the Old Spice Classic. The same goes for tonight's game against Michigan, who has four guys of 6-10 or taller.
2. Ben Eblen looks to be a project. After being used early on as a second option at point guard, it seems as if Eblen will have to be molded for most of this season and see little time in tense and tight moments. In the past three games, Eblen has seen a total of 12 minutes in the past three games against Providence, Baylor, and FSU. The minutes seem to be going to Anthony Brock and Andrew Steele, most of them to Brock. Eblen showed he could get the ball up the floor quickly, but still doesn't have a grasp on the game yet. This may all change by the time the SEC schedule rolls around with only two of Alabama's next eight games coming against high major teams. There should be plenty of time for Eblen to learn in the next month, but will it be enough to help out this season?
3. Rebounding needs to be a priority. Alabama hasn't exactly struggled this season on the boards, but there should be a concerted effort to focus on rebounds Sunday. This does go hand-in-hand with keeping out of foul trouble, but it also means the perimeter players need to crash the lane. Alabama are going too many possessions with one shot chance, and in order to compete this season, that number will need to decrease. On the season, Alabama has been out-rebounded on the offensive boards. This may not be the Anthony Grant style (to crash the boards), but that would mean Alabama needs to make more shots fall.
4. Don't let Manny be Manny. To put it plainly, Manny Harris is a beast of a player. The 6-5 junior from Detroit already has a triple-double to his name this season and was just one rebound away on Friday from posting his second one. Harris has averaged 21 points, 9.5 rebounds and seven assists on the season. He has been a one man wrecking crew during the Old Spice Classic and there is no reason to believe that will change tonight. He has been lethal from outside and inside, driving and dishing. He will no doubt be the target of Senario Hillman, but the Tide must stay home and rotate quickly in their defense if they want to keep the game close against a ranked opponent. Laval Lucas-Perry, shooting near 50% from downtown this season, will have the Tide's attention all game long as well.
   
5. Alabama needs to play their game. Against Baylor, the Tide got the Bears to play their game. Against FSU, Alabama was the team adapting their style. In a game against Michigan, the Crimson Tide will need to play their way for 40 minutes even when Michigan goes on a run. The Wolverines have gone down early in both games so far and streaked back with a fierce rally both times. If Alabama gets ahead early, they will need to keep working to put UM away. If Michigan scores quickly, come down and set up the offense for a great shot. Even though Grant's offense aims to run the floor, a track meet with a top 15 team would not end well for the Crimson Tide. If Alabama rebounds well and continues their great defensive effort, they should find themselves in this game late with a chance to come away with the win.

The Starting Five: Florida State

Five stats, facts and people you need to know for when you briefly change the channel from the Iron Bowl to watch the Tide take on the Seminoles.

Alabama vs. Florida State

The Milk House, Orlando, FL

4pm CT

TV: ESPN2

1. JaMychal Green having the season he needs. At the beginning of the season, Alabama's success was built on the if of whether JaMychal Green could have an All-SEC type season. So far, Green has delivered for the Tide. Through the first four games, Green has played up to his potential under head coach Anthony Grant. Green has two double-doubles on the year and is averaging 18 points and 8 rebounds per game. His 19 points in the first half against Baylor was important considering the size of the Bears. The biggest accomplishment for JaMychal this year, though, has been his ability to stay out of foul trouble. Thursday night, Green didn't have a foul the entire first half. Green must continue to stay out of foul trouble today against a Florida State team looking to advance.
2. Tony Mitchell's status in the air. With about seven minutes left in the game, Tony Mitchell took an elbow to the bridge of the nose and ended up on the media sideline after stumbling away from the play, bleeding profusely. Mitchell would return to the bench with what is believed to be 20 stitches between his eyes and a bandage over the cut, but never returned to the game. After the game, Mitchell was fine, and coach Grant joked with him about wearing a mask over his face until he is completely healed. Despite that little quip from Grant, it is still unknown if Mitchell will play this afternoon against Florida State. Alabama needs all the depth they can get, so don't expect if Grant does all he can to get Mitchell on the floor today.
3. Turnovers staying at a minimum. After compiling 45 turnovers in two exhibition games, the Crimson Tide only have 41 turnovers through four games, averaging to just over ten per game. Anthony Brock and Tony Mitchell have not turned the ball over this season so far.
4. Seminoles have some height as well. The Crimson Tide have already faced some tall competition this season, and this afternoon will be no different. Florida State boasts two sophomore sensations in 6-11 Xavier Gibson and 7-1 Solomon Alabi. Both of these guys are a presence in the lane on the defensive end, but they lack something that both Baylor and Cornell didn't have: strength. The Bears and Big Red were both stocky down low, but Florida State is all height and no size. The Crimson Tide should be able to push Alabi and Gibson around down low and potentially get them into foul trouble. Alabama must also keep a hand in the face of FSU's Delividas Dulkys. The sophomore hit back-to-back threes against Iona last night in what was a very ugly game and Bama has traditionally struggled with perimeter defense, but that issue seems to be dwindling.
5. Crimson Tide's resume could get a real boost. With two straight wins over the Big East and Big XII, Alabama could get their third straight victory over a BCS/high major conference if they can take down Florida State of the ACC. The season may only be in November, but these early season tournaments are prime time to build a tournament resume for March. With a win, Alabama would then have a chance for a second win against the Big East or knocking out another conference in the Big Ten depending on the Marquette/Michigan result. For a team who hasn't tasted the post-season in any aspect the past two years, the Crimson Tide could be looking at a situation where an 8-8 conference season would mean a tournament trip by the end of this week.

The Starting Five: Baylor

Five stats, facts or people you need to know before the Tide tips on Turkey Day against the Bears.

Alabama vs. Baylor

The Milk House, Orlando, FL

5:30 CT

TV: ESPN 2

1. Brock back on the squad. After serving a two-game suspension for a violation of team rules, Anthony Brock is now back in good standing in the eyes of coach Anthony Grant. There are two thoughts about Brock coming back at this time: either what Brock did was not too detrimental to the team, or Grant needs all the depth he can find for the games in Orlando this week. It is easy to believe it could be a little bit of both, but to believe Brock will not be needed against some tough competition in the Old Spice Classic is thinking this team is much better than they actually are.
2. Eblen, Mitchell take a seat in crunch time. Despite having great games against Jackson State, Ben Eblen and Tony Mitchell, Alabama's two freshmen, only posted 17 minutes between them in the game against Providence. Mitchell exploded for 23 points against the Tigers, and Eblen dished out three assists in his time on the floor. Against the Friars, however, Eblen had his first turnovers of the season, and Mitchell only managed four points in ten minutes on the floor. Most people can agree Mitchell can help this season, but as much as I like Eblen, the jury is still out on him. These next three games will give a good indication about their playing time this season from this point forward.
3. Torrance accepting the senior role. With Anthony Brock not in the game, Mikhail Torrance was the only senior on the floor with Alabama battling Providence for a victory last Friday. Torrance took over at the end of the game, tallying six of Alabama's final eight points, including a steal and 3-4 from the free throw line. The Tide finished the game against the Friars on a 10-2 run, and obviously Mikhail was the main man behind this finish. In his final season, Torrance is averaging 50% from the field in 30 minutes of play for an average of 18.3 points per game this season. No doubt if he keeps this up, he will find himself on the All-SEC roster come March.
4. LaceDarius Dunn could doom the Tide. The Baylor Bears are in the midst of rebuilding their program after the scandal that rocked college basketball when player Patrick Dennehy was murdered by teammate Carlton Dotson in 2003. The Bears are on the rise under head coach Soctt Drew, who has managed to increase Baylor's win total from four in 2005 -06 to 24 last season and a trip to New York for the NIT Final. The Bears lost to Penn State in that game, but are looking for their second NCAA bid in three years this year. The Bears have two centers who top off at seven feet tall and are led by junior guard LaceDarius Dunn. So far this season, Dunn has averaged 25 points per game and shot 46% from behind the three-point line. He will most likely be the assignment of Senario Hillman for the Tide this evening.
5. Old Spice Classic a great test for Bama. With teams such as Michigan, Florida State and Xavier in this tournament, as well as opening with a Baylor squad who should make noise in the Big XII this year, the Crimson Tide are going to learn a lot about their team in the next four days. With a win tonight, Alabama would more than likely face Florida State on Friday, a team who has already lost to Florida this week. Both Baylor and FSU have players of seven feet, something that gave the Tide trouble against Cornell in the first game of the year. Rebounding and defense will be the key tonight against the Bears for Alabama, and as always, around the perimeter is key.

The Starting Five: Providence

Five stats, facts and people you need to know before Alabama's game against the Friars.

Alabama vs. Providence
Tuscaloosa, AL, Coleman Coliseum
Tip Time: 7:00 pm CT

1. The Anthony Brock suspension. It was an unpleasant surprise on Tuesday night when word began making it around Coleman Coliseum that another Crimson Tide player would be unavailable, this time by suspension. As many people know by now, Anthony Brock has been suspended indefinitely for a violation of team rules and been told he can not participate in any basketball related activities. The loss of Brock now puts Alabama down to ten players, nine which have played so far this season. It also cuts down on the number of scoring options outside of 20 feet from the basket. The most disheartening part of Brock's suspension is the indefinite part. No one knows what he has done, and more importantly, with the Old Spice Classic next week and Purdue looming, Brock's presence or lack there of could be the difference for Alabama in some games.
2. Scoring off the bench. This season, it won't be a surprise to see Alabama's starting lineup fluctuate game to game, which means the scoring off of the bench this season could set a Crimson Tide record in that category. Through two games, Alabama has scored 75 points off of the bench, thus averaging 37.5 points from guys getting secondary minutes. With the Brock suspension, the starters have all been players who were at Alabama under Gottfried, means that...
3. Fresh faces making an impact. Anthony Grant's use of last year's recruiting class has been a huge difference so far this season. His rotation of Charvez Davis, Chris Hines, Tony Mitchell and Ben Eblen, Grant's first recruit, has allowed Alabama to succeed offensively so far this season. Davis hit 5 three's against Jackson State on Tuesday night, a good sign with Anthony Brock suspended. Tony Mitchell led the Tide with 23 points Tuesday plus two electric dunks. Hines has put up valuable minutes to give JaMychal Green and Justin Knox time to rest. Eblen has been a steady defender, ball handler, and gets the ball up the court quicker than any of the Tide guards, allowing more time for Alabama to run the offense. Eblen has also gone three games, one exhibition and two regular season, without a turnover, something that has definitely made Anthony Grant happy.
4. Providence a question mark. Under second year head coach Keno Davis, Providence graduated 67% of their scoring and rebounding from last year's team. Sharaud Curry is the leading returning scorer with 11.7 points per game and hit a team high 57 shots from beyond the arc last season. As for this year's team, the Friar's are being led in points by Marshon Brooks with 17 points per game and shooting 50% on the season. In the post, Sophomore Jamine Peterson is averaging 12 points and 11 rebounds so far. The returners are doing well carrying this team in some lackluster home games leading to this point, so how the Providence freshmen adapt to a road environment will be the biggest key for a Friar victory.
5. Pivotal game for Alabama on many fronts. Not only does the Crimson Tide need this win to move above .500 heading into a tough early season tournament next week, but the support and recognition of Alabama this season hinges on this game. For starters, defeating a Big East school, no matter where they may finish in conference, would be a feat to draw attention to the program. The Big East is currently 35-0 on the season, and Alabama would be known as "that team" to give the best conference in college basketball their first loss on the season. Also, support for this team would grow from its own fan base after most still don't recognize how good of a team Cornell will be this season. On top of all of this, Alabama would get the first win of a resume they could put forth to making any postseason tournament this season. The NCAAs may be a stretch, but for a team that has gone no where in two years, the NIT is a success.

The Starting Five: Jackson State

Five stats, facts and people you need to know about the Tide's matchup with the Tigers.

1. Where was Mikhail Torrance? After starting both the exhibition games and being the new face, it seemed, of the Anthony Grant system this year, Torrance was not one of the starters against Cornell. Torrance still tallied 24 minutes in the game against the Big Red, but wasn't quickly taken out in the first half with two fouls. He played the entire second half without fouling, and the Crimson Tide's offensive production definitely improved. There is no doubt that Torrance will stay on the floor for most of the game, but the biggest puzzle is trying to figure out why he was not a starter.
2. From one conference favorite to another. After Cornell came in as the two-time defending Ivy League champ, and the favorite for a three-peat, Alabama welcomes in Jackson State, the preseason favorites in the SWAC. The Tigers finished just one game behind last year's conference winner Alabama State and are expected to have this season's player of the year in the SWAC on their team. Grant Maxey returns for his senior season after averaging 17 points and seven rebounds last year. The Tigers, just like Cornell, return the best rookie in the SWAC from last year in guard Rod Melvin. The SWAC is not on the same level as the Ivy League, and the experience is not as high as it was for the Big Red, so the chemistry will not be as prominent with Jackson State.
3. Perimeter defense is once again at a minimum for Alabama. After struggling all season last year against the three, Alabama once again struggled against a well-shooting squad in defending downtown. Cornell finished with a 55% clip from beyond the arc, including three straight to open up the second half. It was nothing new to see another team start off on a huge run to begin the second half, either. Both of these are cultural changes that Anthony Grant seems to still be up against and may not be able to change until late this year if at all. Grant will surely put a focus tonight on coming out strong out of the half as well as defending the outside as the Crimson Tide are still looking to find their groove from that range.
4. Turnovers worth the watch again. Alabama managed to only turn the ball over 13 times against Cornell, a huge improvement from the exhibition games, but tonight is worth watching to know if the first game was an aberration or if Alabama is getting better on that front. Conversely, the Crimson Tide scored 17 points off of the 14 turnovers they caused, including seven steals. Anthony Grant has already stated he wants to play 94 feet, and if the Crimson Tide can play in the press against an experienced team like Cornell, things bode well for Alabama down the road. Alabama changed it up between a man and a zone press, finding most success with the zone trap and hands up.
5. Another beatdown coming for the Tigers. The Crimson Tide and these set of Tigers have only played once before, a 2005 beating to the tune of 101-66. Alabama will probably not reach a hundred tonight, or this season, but a significant difference in the final scores should be expected. Alabama needs to have a strong defensive effort as they showed in the exhibition games in order to achieve this beatdown tonight. Giving up 45 points in the second half to Cornell was not a great accomplishment for this team, and it will not be something Alabama can afford to do this season after having a horrific track record these past three seasons in games in which they give up 40 points in one half. It will almost certainly spell doom if it comes in the first half, but the second half is still no better. Nonetheless, 40-point halves should not be an issue tonight for the Crimson Tide in what looks to be Anthony Grant's first victory as Tide coach.

The SEC's Image Problem is Worse Than Expected

While attending the Alabama-Mississippi State game in Starkville on Saturday, there were two things I learned.

The first was clear to anyone in that stadium: Alabama played their most complete game of the season in a 31-3 rout of the Bulldogs.

The second couldn't be realized from the press box. Those on the field wouldn't discover it, either. You had to be sitting in the stands to figure this out.

The second thing I learned was that the image of the SEC is in worse trouble than it could have ever imagined.

Sure, there are irrational fans in every stadium and in every section of said stadium.

However, both calls on Saturday that were fifty-fifty went the way of Alabama.

Chad Bumphis stepped out of bounds. Mark Barron did catch that interception.

To those in the stands, of course, these did not stand well with the crowd, and that's understood, but the excuses were laughable.

"Of course he caught it. Its the conspiracy in action."

"The SEC is already airing commercials for undefeated vs. undefeated. They are protecting those teams."

One guy even went as far to blame me because I had "Alabama" across my chest, and told me and my girlfriend, "You're gonna get it when you play Florida. Oh yea, its coming."

Let it also be known that State has a huge inferiority complex to Alabama, but that's just a small dose of why their fans feel this way.

The majority of it is because of the actions of those who are on the field and the resulting articles from those in the press box.

The scrutiny on officials this year has been at an all-time high, due in part to their mistakes.

It also hasn't helped that the questionable calls have gone in favor of the top two teams, Alabama and Florida.

It is unfair to believe that these calls are being made on purpose in the age of replay, which makes any conspiracy theory or theory on a theory ridiculous.

At the same time, though, these calls need to be right. Having a lack of HD televisions in the booth is not the problem. Its the fact this keeps happening week after week.

As for those in the press box, they actually shoulder more of the blame for this.

Instead of choosing to write about great performances, spectacular plays and the implications of game results, they decide to harp on a missed call which, at times, doesn't affect the games outcome.

Best example is the column that Andy Staples wrote after the Alabama-Tennessee game. Even though this article denounces the idea of a conspiracy, it also fuels the concept by saying a flag should have been thrown when it wasn't.

Instead of talking about Terrance Cody's impressive blocks of Daniel Lincoln field goals, Staples spends most of the column talking about how the flag that should have been thrown but wasn't meant nothing but everything. Seems pointless, right?

None of the national media dared to take the stance to stand up for the officials. How dare humans make mistakes. No one took their side until Nick Saban went on a patented rant about what I just summarized in the first line of this paragraph.

Dan Mullen, Bobby Petrino, Lane Kiffin and Urban Meyer all managed to be reprimanded for their negative talk, even to the point that Mike Slive had to implement fines as metaphorical muzzles for his most prolific coaches.

Of course, Slive is the one to blame for all of this ultimately, according to Jim Dunaway. When I interviewed him a few weeks ago, he pointed to Slive making public apologies for his officials, essentially selling them out. This loaded the gun that has been going off every other week.

In other words, there is a long road for this issue being resolved, even if this is fixable.

Some people have been calling for NCAA officials, releasing conference ties, and hiding any chance of conspiracy theories even beginning.

As a commissioner who has been at the forefront of may movements in the past decade, Slive may need to head this one up as well just to save the image of his conference.

The Starting Five: Cornell

Five Stats, Facts, or People you need to know heading into the game against the Big Red.

1. The Anthony Grant Era begins. After much anticipation, speculation, and deliberation, Coach Grant will finally put a product on the hardwood when it really means something on Saturday. It has been seven and a half months since Grant first landed in Tuscaloosa to a large crowd (by basketball standards) at the Tuscaloosa Airport. He has mentioned he wants an up-tempo style of play and a defense that covers 94 feet of the floor. The jury is a long ways out on the offense, but the defense seems to be working quite well so far. In two exhibition games against Montevallo and D-II power Augusta State, the Tide gave up an average of 54 points per game. Say what you want about the competition, but holding a team in Augusta State who shot 50% from the field last year to 55 points was a feat in itself.
2. Turnovers are going to haunt the Tide early. As I said, the jury is still out on the offense after two exhibition games. The points weren't too hard to come by in game one, but game two saw a struggle from the Crimson Tide on offense. Alabama has turned the ball over 45 times in two exhibition games while trying to learn the new offense. The Tide have thrown many errant passes as well as some that are ill advised in trying to play at a much faster pace. Mikhail Torrance said in the pre-season that the goal is to score 100 every time out. Right now that is not feasible, and the sooner the Crimson Tide figures this out, the better off they will be sooner.
3. JaMychal Green needs to show up in the first half. I have said numerous times in the pre-season that in order for Alabama to sniff any post season tournament, JaMychal Green must play at an All-SEC level this season. The second half of games, Green can be considered All-American at this point, but he doesn't show up on the stat sheet until the second frame of twenty. Green scored 30 points between the two exhibition games and 28 of those points came in the second half. He only missed one free throw in the exhibition games, going 10-11 from the charity stripe. Producing in the first half will be huge for Green and the Tide, but he must stay on the floor and out of foul trouble. Green sat early against Augusta State because of fouls, and he knows to do his best to avoid foul trouble since the Tide is not deep in the post this year.
4. Cornell is not your basic lower tier school. Many schools want to believe they are beginning the year off with an easy win, just something to set a foundation. The truth is, not every team can play Alcorn State to begin the year. There are going to be those teams, like Rider and Niagra, who will give you a run for your money. Cornell is beyond those squads. The Big Red are the two-time defending Ivy League champions. They are the first school other than Penn or Princeton to ever win back-to-back league titles. When breaking down their team, the question arises of where to start. You can start at senior guard Louis Dale, who has been the Ivy League Player of the Year for two years now. Or maybe last season's Rookie of the Year in Chris Wroblewski. How bout Cornell's most prolific three point shooter in school history Ryan Wittman. The list goes on and on for a team who returns eight of their top nine scorers from a year ago.
5. Don't be shocked by a Big Red victory. With everything that was mentioned about the Tide's woes and the Big Red's strengths, do not be surprised if the Crimson Tide drop their season opener for the second straight year. Cornell is going with a smaller lineup to try and combat the Crimson Tide's fast paced offense, but Alabama still plays a good half-court set when they choose to pass the ball inside. The Crimson Tide will not only force turnovers, but will give the ball away themselves. This game will come down to who can shoot the ball the best, and Cornell seems to be that team. It also doesn't hurt that the Big Red have a lineup laden with seniors who are full of experience in their current system.

Picks, Previews and Prognostications-Week 10

After taking a week off along with the Crimson Tide last week, its back to the picks along with a new Gameday out by the Crimson White sports staff.

Speaking of Gameday, I am now 28-28 for the season, back at .500 yet again, in the CW picks for the year.

For as bad as I have been this year, I am content with where I am, but compared to the rest of the staff, someone is getting their ass whipped, and that someone is me.

Overall, I am 70-42 on the season, which is 62.5% on the year. Meh.

So today starts a new campaign: The Strive for 70. Week 10 is the first chance to head in that direction, and after what looks like an easy slate to pick this week, hopefully I will be there in just one week.

To the picks!

Navy @ Notre Dame-Fighting Irish

Virginia @ Miami-The U

*Florida State @ Clemson-Tigers (and blame FSU's ugly uniforms)

Oregon @ Stanford-Ducks

Northwestern @ Iowa-Hawkeyes survive again

*Duke @ North Carolina-Duke

*Oklahoma @ Nebraska-Boomer! Sooner!

*Oregon State @ Cal-Jahvid Best didn't get worse

*South Carolina @ Arkansas-Whoooo, Pig Suey!

*Ohio State @ Penn State-Joe Pa hands The Vest #3

*LSU @ Alabama-Yea, let's go to tha Georgia Dome!

Bama Basketball Ignorance at its Finest

Waking up this morning at 7am to register for classes as a final semester Senior was bad enough, but thanks to Daylight Savings Time, it still felt like 8am, so all was well with the world.

That is, until I was alerted to an opinion column in today's Crimson White concerning basketball. You can read it here.

Considering my stature and overall over-the-top support of Alabama Basketball, I was excited to read said column.

I soon regretted having such aspirations for this column by Wesley Vaughn.

You see, many students who are avid basketball fans often feel slighted by the Crimson White's coverage of the team. I have had many students tell me that the CW revels in the team losing and can't write a decent article in support of the team.

Vaughn's slaughtering of anything and all basketball did not help.

For starters, his Facebook box says, "Sarcasm is my defense for not knowing anything." This actually explains everything.

(For those wondering how I know this? From his Facebook. Don't act like you haven't looked me up once in a while after some things I write. You are going straight to hell if you say you have never Facebook investigated a writer, football player, or potential blind date to your roommate's girlfriend's sorority formal.)

Now, before I destroy said column, I must point out the places that I agree with Mr. Vaughn.

• I agree that "the basketball team has underwhelmed the past few years."

That's all.

For starters, the attempt at humor in this article is beyond poor. Having to explain jokes in parentheses takes away from said joke and in Vaughn's case, makes the joke worse than it actually was to begin with.

Wondering "why we put our faith in a man with two first names" before calling out John Kerry and calling Florida "soon-to-be-named the University of Tim Tebow" shows that you do, in fact, know nothing about Alabama Basketball.

Going further to say he (Grant) "should implement" an up-tempo style, that under Gottfried "the team lacked any style or scheme," and that this team "still lacks a center" just supports the fact I stated at the end of the last paragraph about you. (By the way, while I'm on it, note how parentheses are supposed to be used, Mr. Vaughn. Our coaches name is not meant to induce humor in that situation through clarification. Its JUST clarification.)

First off, if Vaughn did any research before his column, he would know that Grant has already stated this up-tempo style will be coming to Tuscaloosa. Second, Gottfried did have a scheme and it was called the UCLA high post. The reason it didn't work is because Richard Hendrix is not Bill Walton and Andy Katz told the entire country our offense during the Mani Invitational last season. Ok, who am I kidding, if the nine year-olds to my right at basketball games know what we are running, even John Brady could figure it out.

Ok, no he didn't. It was known by everyone already because the second play in Gottfried's playbook was to inbounds the ball over half court to [insert whichever former Alabama point guard who left Alabama early to get away from Gottfried].

Third, Vaughn obviously has no clue that a center in basketball is going the way of media on the floor in Coleman Coliseum. Very few teams still play with a true center anymore, and I am willing to be that Vaughn had no earthly idea that JaMychal Green was a five-star recruit who plays as Alabama's center. He certainly doesn't know that Green has gotten bigger since his freshman season last year since, well, he hasn't heard from Grant's first presser that he will in fact be using an up-tempo style.

Pressing forward beyond what most people I have talked to could stomach, Vaughn second-guesses the naming of the group openly.

Its obvious this self-proclaimed "sports fanatic" isn't enough of one to be on the UA Athletic email list to receive the instructions about how the name would be selected. Going with Crimson Chaos would be a permanent name. And relate more with basketball? Wouldn't a sports fanatic realize that the upgrades to Coleman are lipstick on a pig in a half-buried beer keg?

There is nothing to support what it should be called, Wesley. Your opinion is obviously far-fetched to begin with.

After all this shady, opinionated garbage, Vaughn takes the cake in his final claim. bviously, I have already sipped the Anthony Grant Kool-Aid (sugar-intense strawberry flavored, if you were wondering [Actually, Wesley, I didn't give a $#^t.]) Can you blame me though?He can only improve our over-shadowed and historically non-competitive program."

Are you kidding me?!?!?! Alabama has arguably the second-best history in the SEC when it comes to Basketball.

The Crimson Tide own the second-most SEC titles to Kentucky. Sure, Alabama hasn't made a final four while teams such as LSU, Florida, and Mississippi State have, but that's not all that matters.

Alabama has put plenty of players into the NBA over the past two decades, most coming before 2005.

According to Jeff Sagarin, who's computer poll is one of six in the BCS, has Alabama has the No. 43 All-Time program in college basketball, behind Kentucky, Arkansas and Tennessee (somehow), and ahead of Vanderbilt, Florida, Mississippi State, and UAB.

Alabama is a respectable basketball program, but many people, such as Wesley, have their heads too far up their rears to realize this.

I am glad that Mr. Vaughn is already sipping the Kool-Aid of coach Grant. Maybe he can learn what a jump shot is when he visits Coleman on Wednesday.

Top 25, Heisman favorites, and links: Week 9

Ding dong, the golden boys are gone. If there is anyone reading this blog who didn't want USC to lose, thank you for searching me out through the interweb from what ever non-Southeastern city you may live in.

Oregon's detonation of USC's season, which took way to look to happen for how bad USC was this year, has finally brought what is right back into view: USC is not a one-loss team that can make the title game. The computers knew this, but it took another loss for the coaches and AP voters to realize this.

Besides that, both Texas and Iowa remained unbeaten after officials blew calls that would have changed the momentum in both of their games.

Iowa is lucky their endzones are painted black on their AstroPlay turf. Terrance Turner of Indiana had the ball in his grasp and dragged in his foot for a touchdown, but the black beads that pop out of AstroPlay turf could not be seen to confirm this against the black painted endzones, and Iowa then got a missed field goal to keep momentum after returning a fluke interception for an 86-yard touchdown.

Texas was just as lucky as Iowa. The Longhorns had the ball up 17-7 with just under two minutes until halftime. Texas was at their own 20, and on second down, Colt McCoy completed a pass to James Kirkendoll for four yards before he was stripped by Oklahoma State. Officials would not review the play themselves, so Coach Gundy took a timeout, in which he was told forward progress was awarded to Texas, thus they kept the ball. The 'Horns would then score before halftime, score a FG right after halftime, and then intercept Zac Robinson for six. In seven minutes, a game that could have been 17-14 at half, was 34-7 five minutes into the third. Huge game-changing missed call by the Big XII.

Enough of me going on about things I will repeat numerous times this week and on to the Top 25.

Top 25

1. Florida
2. Alabama
3. Texas
4. Cincinnati
5. TCU
6. Boise State
7. Oregon
8. LSU
9. Iowa
10. Penn State
11. Georgia Tech
12. Houston
13. Pittsburgh
14. Miami
15. Utah
16. USC
17. Ohio State
18. Oklahoma
19. Notre Dame
20. Arizona
21. Oklahoma State
22. Virginia Tech
23. South Florida
24. Wisconsin
25. BYU

Heisman Favorites

• Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama
• Tim Tebow, QB, Florida
• Colt McCoy, QB, Texas
• Jeremiah Masoli, QB, Oregon
• Golden Tate, WR, Notre Dame

Links

• College GameDay Final
• College Football Overtime
• Dennis Dodd explores whether or no Chip Kelly should bring back LeGarrett Blount.

Top 25, Heisman favorites, and links: Week 8

It was a frightening weekend for many Top 25 teams, some for longer times than others, but many have moved on to fight another day unscathed. That is, except for Miami.

The Hurricanes lost their chance at a national championship after their great start, and are almost certainly out of the ACC Coastal race, after losing in OT to Clemson.

Meanwhile, Alabama and Iowa used last-second plays to keep their undefeated seasons alive as well as their chase for a place in Pasadena.

At the bottom of the poll, the revolving door of teams continue to jump in and out as more win and others lose.

For a look at this week's poll, take a gander below.

Top 25

1. Florida
2. Alabama
3. Texas
4. Cincinnati
5. Iowa
6. TCU
7. USC
8. Boise State
9. LSU
10. Penn State
11. Georgia Tech
12. Oklahoma State
13. Oregon
14. Virginia Tech
15. Houston
16. Pittsburgh
17. Miami
18. Ohio State
19. Utah
20. South Carolina
21. West Virginia
22. Oklahoma
23. Ole Miss
24. Arizona
25. Notre Dame

Heisman Favorites

• Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama
• Colt McCoy, QB, Texas
• Tim Tebow, QB, Florida
• Golden Tate, WR, Notre Dame
• Ndamakong Suh, DT, Nebraska

Links

• Tony Barnhart on CBSSports.com makes a good point that it doesn't matter how you when, it just matters if you win.
• Stewart Mandel with the weekly College Football Overtime and already looking forward to USC visiting Oregon.
• Gene Menez on SI.com still has Mark Ingram on top of his list, and I am glad he uses the support that he did. Great minds think alike.
• Sports Illustrated has a College Football survey up on their site, and they want your input, so why not give it to them.
• Pat Forde has a little column up on Terrance Cody after attending his first Bama-UT game on Saturday.
• ESPN's College Gameday Final
• On the Mark by Mark Schlabach
• ESPN College Football Power Rankings
• Bruce Feldman wraps up the week that was from last Saturday with a huge focus on Alabama's game against Tennessee (ESPN insiders only).

Picks, Previews and Prognostications-Week 8

It has been a few weeks since time was available for not only a full picks, previews, and prognostications post, but its been two weeks since I even posted score predictions!

Who's a slacker? This guy is.

Nonetheless, I kept up with the CW picks at least, and I can say that it has been extremely ugly. Since the last post of PPnP, I've gone 7-14 in those games, so I am now 23-26 in CW picks. Ouch.

Overall, I am 61-38 on the year, at least finding some success in the games I pick on Rock n Jock each Wednesday night on 90.7 FM from 10-Midnight. Yes, that was a shameless plug.

So with time on my hands for the (4th) Saturday in October, here's what will hopefully happen this week and get me back in the the swing of things.

Clemson @ Miami

The Tigers seem no better or worse this season under Dabo Swinney, but the talent level is not what it was last season. CJ Spiller is still on campus, but the defense doesn't seem as up to snuff as it was last season. Meanwhile, Miami is right in the think of the ACC Coastal race with Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech after all three teams went 1-1 against each other. None of those teams have faced Virginia yet, the team who leads the division at 2-0, but let's be real here. Virginia WILL go 0-3 vs. all those teams. The Hurricanes know what is at stake, and only having one loss, they feel they have a chance for more than just the ACC title. Miami 35, Clemson 17

*Penn State @ Michigan

It has been over 10 years since Joe Pa beat Michigan in the Big House, and the Nittany Lions have only won one of the past four games against the Big Blue. Both teams will be running a version of the spread offense, so there should be no surprises on offense by either team for the opposing defense. The difference in the game should be Daryll Clark, the Penn State quarterback. He has not let Penn State have a letdown so far this season in games they shouldn't have (Iowa is starting to look like the better team), and I don't expect this week to be any different. Tate Forcier has been consistent for Michigan, but he needs to go above and beyond that to keep the streak alive in Ann Arbor. Not happening. Penn State 24, Michigan 20

Iowa @ Michigan State

Iowa has just continued to get behind just to give their fans panic attacks as the game continues. In back to back weeks, the Hawkeyes have come back from 10-point deficits, not to mention a 9-point comeback in Happy Valley. Sparty almost had a huge letdown against Michigan, but won out in overtime. Iowa seems to be a much better team than Michigan so far, especially on defense, but one of these days, getting behind is going to bite them. Michigan State is too good for Iowa to look over them. Road team wins for the first time in ten meetings. Iowa 23, Michigan State 17

Oregon @ Washington

The Ducks have been on a tear since their opening night loss, going 5-0 over those games. They now travel to face Jake Locker and the sea of purple in Seattle where one Pac-10 power has already fallen this season. Coach Sark has turned the Huskies around in less than a year, but Jeremiah Masoli, even at half strength, will give the guys in purple fits. Oregon won't overlook Washington in preparation for a huge showdown with USC, potentially for the Pac-10 title, next week in Eugene. Oregon 27, Washington 14

*South Florida @ Pittsburgh

The Bulls gave Cincinnati a scare last Thursday, but the Bearcats took care of business despite Tony Pike coming out of the game. Now, South Florida is travelling up to Pittsburgh to play the Panthers in a pivotal Big East showdown for both teams. Pitt has yet to lose in conference this season and won't play Cincinnati until December 5th. South Florida is playing for bowl position in this game since they lost to Cinci. Winner of this game will be in great shape for a New Years Day bowl. Congrats, Pitt. Pittsburgh 21, USF 15

Texas @ Missouri

Missouri is on a two-game skid after choking away a lead against Nebraska in the matter of five minutes and then losing to Oklahoma State in Stillwater. There is still confidence in Missouri's offense to move the ball, but the past two games would not support that. Meanwhile, Texas is still rolling along despite no running game and a defense that has been doing well to keep opponent's to roughly 15 points a game, but the Big XII isn't what it used to be on offense this season. Anyway, Texas has a much better passing game than Nebraska, and the 'Huskers tore up the Mizzou secondary once things dried up in Columbia. Clear skies expected today in Tiger country. Texas 35, Missouri 14

*Oklahoma @ Kansas

The Sooners travel to Lawrence with Sam Bradford out yet again with a shoulder injury. Sure, Landry Jones has done well for OU, but the best QB in the game this afternoon will be Todd Reesing. The Sooners have only played a Robert Griffin-less in conference so far, so the Jayhawks are obviously a lot better than the Bears without their star. Oklahoma's season is already down the drain, and they will be unranked for the first time since 2005 after this week. Kansas 31, Oklahoma 27

Boston College @ Notre Dame

The Fighting Irish this season are still looking for their first win over a team with a winning record at the time they played. Boston College, being from the ACC, is as bi-polar as they come in college football. I talked about both of these teams earlier this week, and there is no clue how either of them will respond this Saturday. Jimmy Clausen is still looking for a high caliber win for his Heisman campaign. This game is far from it, and there is no game on their schedule until the final weekend against Stanford that could really act as a high profile game. Today, this game will come down to how Boston College plays, because Notre Dame has been consistent most of the season, playing each game within seven points outside of Nevada. That streak won't end today, but the inability to beat a team with a winning record will. Notre Dame 27, Boston College 24

*TCU @ BYU

The battle in Provo between the Cougars and Horned Frogs means a lot more in the Mountain West than it does nationally. If BYU wins, no matter what their fans think, voters will not forget the fact that the Cougars lost to a hapless Florida State team. TCU needs this win if they want to have a chance of passing Boise State in the BCS standings to gain that guaranteed automatic bid. Both of these teams should coast after this game, so winning today is even more important. TCU is known for strong defense, and BYU QB Max Hall will need to have a great day to lead the Cougs to victory. Too bad TCU will win this game and put themselves in position to pass the Broncos. TCU 24, BYU 14

Florida @ Mississippi State

The key stat of the week is obvious: Florida hasn't won in Starkville since 1986. Sure, its only been four times in that span of 23 years, but the fact still remains there seems to be a hex in Davis Wade Stadium. The Gators are 2-4 all-time there, and will be facing off against their former offensive coordinator Dan Mullen. Mullen has been with Meyer since the Bowling Green days, and Tebow has struggled without him this season. Florida is also without three defensive starters today on a defense that returned everyone on the two-deep depth chart but hasn't shown the same tenacity this season. No on knows Tebow better than Mullen, and sticking with my Rock n Jock pick, it will show up on Saturday. Mississippi State 28, Florida 27

*Arkansas @ Ole Miss

The Hogs have played well the past few weeks against Florida and Auburn, and should have won both of those games. Ole Miss has a great defense, and this is the game for Jevan Snead to get back on track for the Hogs. The problem with this may be that Arkansas' defense has become a strong point these past few weeks as well. Ryan Mallett should also have a field day IF Michael Smith can get things going on the ground for the boys from Fayetteville. The Rebels' season will continue downward as Arkansas will take a huge step in fulfilling my prediction of finishing in the top half of the SEC West this season. Arkansas 35, Ole Miss 24

*Auburn @ LSU

The battle of the Tigers in Baton Rouge is going to come down to when LSU is on offense and Auburn is on defense. Auburn's strong point used to be defense, but now those Tigers are 11th in the SEC this season. LSU is dead last in the SEC on offense and 112th in the nation with the football. Auburn is still hoping that Eltoro Freeman can get back on the field this week and need Antonio Coleman to get in the LSU backfield. The Bayou Bengals need Jordan Jefferson to step up in this game and hit his talented receivers to make plays against a suspect secondary. Once it is all said and done, LSU will begin their new streak of night games won at Tiger Stadium. LSU 24, Auburn 21

*Tennessee @ Alabama

In a battle of defenses, either team is going to need their respective team to score on that side of the ball. Mark Ingram should still have a big day, even against a very good Tennessee defense. Monte Kiffin should have plenty of surprises ready for Greg McElroy and continue his struggles. Special teams will be big for both teams as well, as neither team is over the hundred line in kickoff coverage, and talking to UT beat writer Wes Rucker earlier this week, he predicts an Alabama special teams touchdown. Paul Finebaum told me that Jonathan Crompton will spend more time on his back than a porn star (and he has the 'stache to match), and Alabama's defense should be the difference in this game. Alabama 24, Tennessee 6

Who is Tennessee, Anyways?

The Volunteers come in to Tuscaloosa on a bit of a high note after destroying Tennessee in Knoxville two weeks ago, 45-19. Quarterback Jonathan Crompton, the perennial doormat of the SEC quarterback fraternity, threw for four touchdowns against what has been a suspect Georgia defense this season.

After an off week, the Vols confidence is still high knowing that Alabama is next on the schedule and anything can happen in a rivalry game.

The offense is totally centered around their running game, with senior Montario Hardesty and freshman Bryce Brown leading the offensive charge. Hardesty has the bulk of the carries, taking 125 balls for 672 yards and six touchdowns. The Vols use end-arounds with wide receivers Nu'Keese Richardson and Tauren Poole, who are averaging double-digits on their runs this season. Through the air, Crompton has thrown thirteen touchdowns, five of which came against Western Kentucky. In UT's other five games, Crompton has thrown for eight touchdowns to seven interceptions. He has also thrown for 1210 yards this year, and only one receiver has more than 200 yards this year.

Tennessee's defense is light years ahead of where their offense is currently. Monte Kiffin is now the mastermind behind the defense this season after John Chavis left for LSU in the off season. The Vols lost linebacker Nick Reviez for the season to injury, but he has still been a huge motivational tool from the sideline. The Tennessee secondary is stacked with freshman Janzen Jackson living up to potential and, of course, Eric Berry, who IS Tennessee football right now. Berry is only a junior, but is surely expected to go pro after this season. He only has one interception on the season, but many teams are well aware of where he is on the field at all time. Berry has been making an impact in other places, tallying 50 tackles so far.

On special teams, the Vols are also struggling on kickoff coverage, allowing two return touchdowns already this year as well, and rank 118th in FBS in kickoff coverage. It could be a very safe bet to believe one team will have a special teams touchdown on Saturday.

There is no question who is the coach of the Vols, none other than the Village Idiot, Lane Kiffin. After pronouncing that he was sorry at SEC Media Days for all the crap he caused when he was hired, Kiffin has not held back during the season. He makes his first trip to play "the best coached team in the league" on Saturday and can only hope that daddy can help out his offense when crunch time hits.

Pass or Fail-Week 7

As the midpoint of the season has now passed, the best and the worst performers have been well documented each week.

Now that 2009 is on the back slope, the top performers are now due praise for their first-half impressions just as much as the goats are worthy of their ridicule.

Here are the mid-point winners and losers in what has been an unpredictable 2009.

Head of the Class-Mark Ingram wasn't a five-star? Explain yourself, Rivals. What Alabama running back Mark Ingram has done in the first half of the season has been nothing short of remarkable. In a backfield that came into the season by committee, Ingram has taken over roughly 75% of the carries for the Crimson Tide offense. Aside from setting his single game career high in rushing three separate times this season, Ingram has rushed for 905 yards, averaging 6.7 yards per carry, 11 total touchdowns, 30 runs of at least ten yards, and ten runs of at least twenty yards. Alabama plays a tough defense the next two weeks in Tennessee and LSU, and if Ingram can maintain a decent pace through those two games, he could coast his way to forcing voters to wait until the last minute after the SEC Championship Game before they cast their Heisman ballots.

Pass-There is football outside Boise in Potato country? The biggest story out of Idaho may no longer be the Broncos and the Smurf Turf, but possibly the Vandals out of Moscow (Moscow?) Idaho. The boys in brown and gold art sitting atop the WAC standings at 3-0 with cross-state rivals Boise State. Robb Akey is no doubt the leader for Coach of the Year, but after darlings Washington, Michigan and Miami have captured the country and fallen flat, the hopes of Vandals fans is that the same fate does not wait for them now that the rest of the country has caught on to their dirty little secret.

Fail-I hate to say I told you so, Florida fans, but I did. There was a reason I had Oklahoma as my pre-season #1 team over the Florida Gators, and it is starting to show. The explosion of the Gator attack has all but disappeared with Percy Harvin and Louis Murphy. Teams now focus on Aaron Hernandez and Riley Cooper during Tebow's passing attack, while the offense under Steve Addazio is leaning heavily upon the running game of Tebow, Demps and Moody. Under Dan Mullen last season, UF's offense was flying high. Now, the Gators struggle to put more than 23 points on the board against the SEC. There are six more games for Florida to regain their composure, or their season could get pretty long, pretty fast.

Pass-Remember when I hated the ACC? You know, like last week? Yea, about that....The ACC has quickly turned from one of the worst conferences in America in the first two weeks (they lost to two FCS teams in week one) to becoming the most competitive conference, internally, in college football. Virginia has gone from door mat to leading the Coastal Division all by themselves. Meanwhile, Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech and Miami are all now in a dead-lock with each other in second place in the same division, and North Carolina, who was supposed to take a step forward this season, is sitting behind Duke. Let's not forget the Atlantic Division that has every team with at least two losses already and the demise of Florida State. It may not get the amount of press as the top teams will for the rest of the year, but it is definitely the league to watch as it seems every other conference has one team head and shoulders above the rest.

Fail-Sam Bradford has destroyed Oklahoma's season single-handedly. It all started with BYU in week 1 when the reigning Heisman winner made me look like an idiot. Now, Oklahoma is sitting at 3-3, barely hanging on to a ranking at number 25, and Bradford is 1-2 this season as a start, getting injured twice. Oklahoma should have sent in for a redshirt after the loss to Miami despite the potential to win the Big XII. Now, Bradford seems to be out for the season, his announcement is coming shortly after post time, and his chance at an extra year is questionable. Now, Bob Stoops is looking at his worst season since his first year in Norman, and the weapons around Landry Jones seem to be dwindling come next year.

Pass-Would the person who had Iowa in the mid-season Big Ten undefeated team poll, please come claim your giant jackpot. The Hawkeyes beating Penn State was not exactly surprising, having beaten the Nittany Lions six of seven times this decade, but the continued success by coming back from double digit deficits in two straight games against Wisconsin and Michigan have Iowa in the top 10. The Hawkeyes have two road games left, this week against Michigan State and November 14th at Ohio State, standing in their way of an undefeated season. It may be a long shot, but the idea of winning the Big Ten and going to the Rose Bowl is certainly in their own hands.

Fail-Jeer, jeer to ol' Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish were expected to do great things this season, mostly because of their weak schedule. Well, they have taken advantage of the poor schedule, but have struggled to beat some of those weaker teams. Notre Dame four wins come against teams with a combined record of 12-15 and the two losses come against teams, Michigan and USC, who are 10-3. There is nothing special about Notre Dame any more, and the fact their schedule only has one remaining ranked team on it (Pittsburgh), the Irish could back their way into the BCS yet again, just to get their ass handed to them, yet again.

Epic Fail-Forget the NBA. The SEC are the ones who need replacement officials. In an unprecedented move today, the SEC suspended the officiating crew that has had an impact on both the Georgia/LSU and Arkansas/Florida games. The crew is out of work until the weekend of November 14 and may not get a bowl assignment. Sure, it may just be one crew, but the fact still remains that these men are doing this for a living, and they are having an impact on the games that make Gary Danielson salivate in joy, which is never a good thing. Mike Slive can only hope the office doesn't have to hand down another apology to another team in his league this season, or there could be some real issues to discuss come Destin next spring.

Top 25, Heisman favorites, and links: Week 7

While many of the top teams struggled this weekend, all but one escaped unharmed.

The lone ranger to fall this week was Virginia Tech, whose second loss has now dropped them out of the national title race.

Also, Oklahoma seems to have now lost all redeeming qualities in their season, so the question rises once again as to whether or not Sam Bradford should hang it up and seek a redshirt. I think if he sits now and opts for surgery, he can get that year of eligibility back, but if he takes the field again, all hope will be lost.

Enough talk, now on to this week's rankings.

Top 25

1. Florida
2. Alabama
3. Texas
4. Cincinnati
5. Boise State
6. USC
7. Iowa
8. Penn State
9. LSU
10. TCU
11. Miami
12. Oklahoma State
13. Georgia Tech
14. Virginia Tech
15. Oregon
16. BYU
17. Ohio State
18. Missouri
19. Houston
20. Pittsburgh
21. Utah
22. South Carolina
23. West Virginia
24. Kansas
25. Texas Tech

Heisman Favorites

• Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama
• Tim Tebow, QB, Florida
• Colt McCoy, QB, Texas
• Tony Pike, QB, Cincinnati
• Ndamakong Suh, DT, Nebraska

Links

• The Mark Ingram for Heisman train is gaining a lot of steam. Just take a look at these people who have "Deuce-Deuce" atop their lists: Gene Menez and Stewart Mandel of SI.com, Bruce Feldman of ESPN.com, and the Orlando Sentinel.
• Not only does Stewart Mandel have Ingram at the top of his Heisman list, he was just as underwhelmed by the performances from Florida and Texas as everyone else. Also on that list, Mark Schlabach.
• The ESPN Power Rankings mirrored this week's AP poll and vaulted Alabama into the top spot.
• Also from Schlabach, his weekly Monday treat of On the Mark from ESPN.
• Tennessee attempted to wear their orange jerseys against Alabama, which I had predicted earlier in the season, just to have Mal Moore say no. Just another reason added to the list.

Top 25 and Heisman favorites, and links: Week 6

If it seemed like there was a lack in updates last week........well, the blog took Fall Break as well.

Nonetheless, with Homecoming Week this week, the blog will come roaring back and into form just in time for the Gamecocks as well as basketball practice to begin this weekend!!!

Now, on to the changes to see in the Top 25 this week, and the SEC is starting to look like those other conferences it used to be head and shoulders above. With Georgia, Auburn, and Ole Miss all losing, the SEC now boasts only four top 25 teams, three of which are in the top ten.

Also, this time next week, the first BCS standings will be out, and there is a good preview below in the links section this week.

Top 25

1. Florida
2. Alabama
3. Texas
4. Virginia Tech
5. Boise State
6. USC
7. Cincinnati
8. Penn State
9. Ohio State
10. LSU
11. TCU
12. Miami
13. Oklahoma State
14. Nebraska
15. Oregon
16. Iowa
17. BYU
18. Kansas
19. Oklahoma
20. South Florida
21. South Carolina
22. Georgia Tech
23. Notre Dame
24. Missouri
25. Pittsburgh

Heisman Favorites (remember, in no particular order)

• Tim Tebow, QB, Florida
• Colt McCoy, QB, Texas
• Tony Pike, QB, Cincinnati
• Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama
• Ndamakong Suh, DT, Nebraska

Links

• On the Mark by Mark Schlabach (ESPN)
• College Football Overtime by Stewart Mandel (Sports Illustrated)
• Heisman Watch by Gene Menez aka Jon Gosselin (Sports Illustrated)
• College Football Power Rankings (ESPN)
• BCS Standings preview by Brad Edwards (ESPN)
• College Gameday Final (ESPN)
• Alabama vs. Florida seems a foregone conclusion to Chris Low (ESPN)

The Ultimate College Football/SEC Twitter Follow Friday

For as much time as I spend tweeting, I also spend just as much time following all the newest information available nationally and especially in the SEC.

So who are all these people that I follow? Well, below is a good overview of who they are, broken down by national, Southeastern Conference, and then teams in the SEC.

Of course, I am constantly looking for people to follow, so if you have any good additions, let me know @ng11787. Until then, take a look at the list complied below.

College Football
@PeteThamelNYT-college sports reporter for the New York Times
@ESPN_BigEast-Brian Bennett, ESPN's Big East Blogger
@ESPN_Others-Graham Watson, ESPN's blogger for FBS Independent teams
@ESPN_Pac10-Ted Miller, ESPN's Pac-10 Blogger
@ESPN_BigTen- Adam Rittenberg, ESPN's Big Ten Blogger
@ESPN_ACC- Heather Dinich, ESPN's ACC Blogger
@ESPN_Big12-Tim Griffin, ESPN's Big XII Blogger
@AP_Top25-AP Top 25 poll, providing big news and the new poll each week.
@CBSSports-official twitter page of CBSSports.com
@SI_CoryMC-Sports Illustrated columnist/writer Cory McCartney
@chickfilabowl- Chick-fil-a Bowl and Chick-fil-a Kickoff Game
@GamedayFootball-official twitter page of the College Gameday crew
@ESPN_Now-official twitter page of ESPN press releases
@OregonFootball-official twitter page of the Oregon Ducks
@TimBrando- Sporting New Radio and CBS host Tim Brando
@DrSaturday-college football blogger who is always worth a read
@BCSFootball-official twitter page of BCS team news
@ESPN_CollegeFB-twitter page for all ESPN College Football bloggers
@BFeldmanESPN-ESPN national college football blogger Bruce Feldman
@Mark_Schlabach-ESPN national college football writer Mark Schlabach
@Andy_Staples-Sports Illustrated college football columnist Andy Staples
@edsbs-twitter page of college football blog Every Day Should Be Saturday
@philsteele042-official twitter page of preview mag extrodinaire Phil Steele
@ESPNU-official twitter page of ESPNU
@NCAAFootballMan-Orlando Sentinel's Matt Humphrey covers the country
@MusicCityBowl-official twitter page of the Music City Bowl
@UM_CoachRod-Michigan head football coach Rich Rodriguez
@schadjoe-ESPN analyst/ESPN Radio sideline reporter joe Schad
@PeteCarroll-twitter page of Southern Cal head football coach Pete Carroll
@Ivan_Maisel-ESPN national college football writer Ivan Maisel
@NDHFC-twitter page of Notre Dame head football coach Charlie Weis
@ESPNCFBLive-twitter page of ESPN's College Football Live television show
@collegehof-twitter page of the College Football Hall of Fame
@PapaJohns_Bowl-twitter page of the Papa John.com Bowl
@bcsbowl-twitter page of the Bowl Championship Series
@ATTCottonBowl-twitter page of the Cotton Bowl
@FiestaBowl-twitter page of the Fiesta Bowl
@SIMandel-Sports Illustarted college football columnist Stewart Mandel
@espn4d-ESPN college football and basketball columnist Pat Forde
@SI_24Seven-twitter feed of SI.com and Sports Illustrated
@MrCFB-Atlanta Journal-Constition columnist Tony Barnhart
@espn-twitter feed of all ESPN articles and stories

Southeastern Conference
@ESPN_SEC-twitter page of Chris Low, ESPN's SEC Blogger
@SEConESPN-all news concerning the SEC and ESPN deal
@SECSportsMan-news on all 12 institutions
@SECNetwork-0fficial twitter page of the SEC Network
@JOXRecruiting-covering all recruiting in the Southeast
@SECQuoteBox-Quotes from SEC coaches and players
@MoreSEConds-extra info and quotes around the SEC
@SECSportsUpdate-twitter page of the SEC offices
@dandbradio-Dunaway and Brown radio show out of Birmingham, AL
@finebaum-Paul Finebaum radio show out of Birmingham, AL

Alabama
@MTorrance2-Basketball guard Mikhail Torrance's twitter page
@wendellhudson-head women's basketball coach Wendell Hudson
@jhknox40-Basketball forward Justin Knox's twitter page
@jzenor-AP writer for the state of Alabama
@CStewartSports-twitter page of basketball/baseball announcer Chris Stewart
@UACoachMurphy-official twitter page of head softball coach Patrick Murphy
@AlabamaVB-twitter page of Alabama Volleyball/head coach Judy Green
@BOLWalsh-twitter page of BamaOnLine writer/reporter Christopher Walsh
@AlabamaHoops-official twitter page of Alabama Basketball
@ChaseGoodbread-Tuscaloosa News writer Chase Goodbread
@DrewSteele25-Basketball guard Andrew Steele's twitter page
@travisreier-twitter page of BamaOnLine writer Travis Reier
@Tide_Source-Birmingham News beat writer Don Kausler, Jr.
@AlabamaSoccer-official twitter page of Alabama Soccer
@Star2Tide-Football quarterback Star Jackson's twitter page
@BamaBeat-Mobile Press-Register beat writer Gentry Estes
@GVMcElroy-Football quarterback Greg McElroy's twitter page
@UA_Athletics-official twitter page of the Alabama Athletic Department
@shaneyoungblood-twitter page of BamaOnLine writer Shane Youngblood
@rollwiththetide-twitter page of the Alabama football coaching staff
@tommydeas-Tuscaloosa News reporter Tommy Deas
@InsideTheTide-instant news from all Alabama sites on all sports
@UACrimsonTide-instant news from all Alabama sites on all sports

Arkansas
@ArkRazorbacks-official twitter page of ArkansasRazorbacks.com
@johnpelphrey-official twitter page of head basketball coach John Pelphrey
@bmoore504-basketball forward Brandon Moore's twitter page
@Cfortson4-basketball forward Courtney Fortson's twitter page
@AR_Razorbacks-all news about Hogs sports
@NWARobbie-Northwest Arkansas sports writer Robbie Neiswanger
@NWAOnlineHogs-all news/stories from the Northwest Arkansas sports staff
@wholehogsports-news from staff at NWA Times and Arkansas Democrat Gazette

Auburn
@ausports-Follow all news about Auburn Athletics from multiple sites
@AUTigers-instant news from all Auburn sites on all sports.
@auburnbeat-Mobile Press-Register beat writer Evan Woodberry
@HABOTN-Montgomery Advertiser beat writer Jay Tate
@AUGoldMine-Birmingham News beat writer Charles Goldberg

Florida
@GatorZoneNews-Official twitter page for GatorZone.com
@osgators-Gator news from the Orlando Sentinel sports staff
@Florida_Gators-instant news from all Florida sites on all sports
@UFCoachBillyD-official twitter page of head basketball coach Billy Donovan
@CoachUrbanMeyer-official twitter page of head football coach Urban Meyer
@twstephens-Orlando Sentinel sports editor Tim Stephens

Georgia
@UGABulldogs-instant news from all Georgia sites on all sports
@DawgWire-constant updates on all UGA athletic teams
@abhsports-articles and news from the Athens Banner Herald sports staff
@redandblack-official twitter page of the student newspaper in Athens
@jeffowens95-Football Defensive Lineman Jeff Owens' twitter page
@GeorgiaDogs-official twitter page of the Georgia Athletic Department
@MarkRicht-official twitter page of head football coach Mark Richt

Kentucky
@UKAAWildcats-Official twitter page of the Kentucky Athletics Department
@wildcats-Louisville Courier-Journal beat writer Brett Dawson
@johnclayiv-Lexington Herald-Leader beat writer John Clay
@WildcatWire-instant news from all Kentucky sites for all sports
@UKCoachBrooks-official twitter page of head football coach Rich Brooks
@UKCoachCalipari-official twitter page of head basketball coach John Calipari

LSU
@LSUSportsNews-Twitter page of LSUSports.net
@LSUSports-twitter page of the official website of LSU Athletics
@LSUBeatTweet-Lafayette Daily Advertiser beat writer Glenn Guilbeau
@LSUCoachMiles-official twitter page of head football coach Les Miles

Mississippi State
@bradlocke-Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal beat writer Brad Locke
@mstateathletics-Official twitter page of mstateathletics.com
@RicksRowdiesMSU-twitter page of the Bulldogs basketball student section
@msuhoopsgregg-basketball media relations director Gregg Ellis
@CoachDanMullen-official twitter page of head football coach Dan Mullen
@kyleveazey-Jackson Clarion-Ledger beat writer Kyle Veazey

Ole Miss
@RebelCoachNutt-official twitter page of head football coach Houston Nutt
@davidbrandt-Jackson Clarion-Ledger beat writer
@OleMiss_Sports-staying up to date on all things Rebels Athletics
@UM_Rebels-instant news from all Ole Miss sites on all sports
@parrishalford-Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal beat writer Parrish Alford
@CoachAK-official twitter page of head basketball coach Andy Kennedy

South Carolina
@sethemerson-The State beat writer as well as gogamecocks.com
@Gamecocks-instant news from all South Carolina sites on all sports
@gamecocksblog-Charleston Post and Courier beat writer Travis Haney

Tennessee
@Tyler_Smith_1-Tyler Smith's twitter page
@Vols_Beat-Knoxville News Sentinel beat writer Austin Ward
@TennesseeVols-instand news from all Tennessee sites on all sports
@UTAthletics-official twitter page of the Tennessee Athletic Department
@mgrif32-GoVolsXtra reporter Mike Griffith
@johnadamskns-Knoxville News Sentinel columnist John Adams
@knsdavehooker-Knoxville News Sentinel reporter Dave Hooker
@wesrucker-Chattanooga Times Free Press beat writer Wes Rucker
@GoVolsXtra-coverage of Tennessee from the Knoxville News Sentinel
@Swiperboy-basketball guard Renaldo Woolridge's twitter page
@UTbasketVOLS-official twitter page of Tennessee basketball team
@berry14-football safety Eric Berry's twitter page
@CoachBrucePearl-official twitter page of head basketball coach Bruce Pearl
@LaneKiffinUT-official twitter page of head football coach Lane Kiffin

Vanderbilt
@vucommodores-Official tweets from Vanderbilt Athletics Department
@commodoresports-instant news from all Vanderbilt sites on all sports
@VandyMBB-twitter page of the Vanderbilt Basketball team

Pass or Fail-Week 5

Almost halfway into the season, things are finally starting to take shape.

The best teams and players are now starting to hit their stride while all the pretenders are now falling by the wayside, and nothing was more evident this weekend than this separation taking place.

Head of the Class: Alabama missing a linebacker? Really? When Dont'a Hightower went down for Alabama, many fans were left wondering how how the Crimson Tide would cope without him. Enter Rolando McClain, who was the only 'Bama player who didn't switch positions after the injury, and managed to step up when Alabama needed him most. McClain helped quell an Alabama defense that gave up 133 rushing yards by coming up with 12 tackles and an interception against Kentucky. The Crimson Tide seem to be rotating around the linebackers for the rest of the season and will get Jerrell Harris back next week.

Pass: A.J. Green is a man among boys. With so many people discussing who is the better receiver between Green and Julio Jones, Green has separated himself as possibly the best receiver in the country now. After being a part of the destruction of the Arkansas secondary as well as the key figure in the Bulldogs win over Arizona State, Green once again rose to the occasion against LSU, hauling in five balls for 99 yards and a touchdown. In his past three games, Green has 20 catches for 389 yards and four touchdowns...plus a blocked kick. It is safe to say that Green will continue to be a force for Georgia no matter who is at quarterback.

Fail: No one can compete with the Almost Competitive Conference...because its just that bad. It was bad enough for the ACC to start the season, losing to two FCS teams and another high profile game. This weekend, it just got worse. For starters, Virginia Tech, fresh off of a mauling of Miami, couldn't put away a Duke team. Then, a North Carolina team who was looking to finally take a step forward this season, lost to Virginia, much to the ire of Cavalier fans who might now be stuck with Al Groh for yet another year. Finally, Florida State decided that enough is enough and had the trustees chairman publicly ask for the removal of Bobby Bowden at the end of the season. The ACC is slowly and quickly being passed up as the season progress, and if the rumors of Tuberville to Louisville do come true, the ACC may find themselves at number six in the BCS power rankings.

Pass: Nevada was 0-3 before Saturday? Nothing a trip to Vegas can't fix. When the Wolfpack travelled out to Las Vegas to take on UNLV, they had lost their first three games, two to BCS teams, and had no direction to their season. Enter the Rebels, who not only got doubled up on the scoreboard 63-28, but also on the stat sheet, as Nevada racked up 773 total yards, 559 of them on the ground, all the while having four turnovers in the game. UNLV managed only 70 yards on the ground themselves, but they did beat out the Wolfpack on one stat: the Rebs at least converted a fourth down.

Epic Fail: Celebrate good times (with 15 yard penalties). C'mon! For too long, there has been an uproar each time an officiating crew calls an excessive celebration penalty in the fourth quarter of a game. It happened to Vanderbilt in 2005, Washington in 2008, and now Georgia this year, resulting directly, or at least affecting, a losing outcome for all the teams previously mentioned. The subjectivity of this rule is what draws the most ire from pundits and public alike, and if the definition was changed to taunting, it would not be such a hindrance to most people. Jumping up and down and acting like a college kid during a touchdown is no big deal, and the sooner officials realize this, as well as Mike Slive, this will no longer be an issue. That is, unless a double-standard is upheld (Tim Tebow and Knowshon Moreno vs. John Parker Wilson).

Top 25 and Heisman favorites: Week 5

Not much to shake out at the top, but there were plenty of Top 25 match ups this past weekend to cause a shake-up.

So, who falls where and who moves up in preparation of a big weekend ahead?

1. Florida
2. Texas
3. Alabama
4. Virginia Tech
5. Boise State
6. USC
7. LSU
8. Cincinnati
9. Ohio State
10. Penn State
11. TCU
12. Miami
13. Oklahoma State
14. Mississippi
15. BYU
16. Oregon
17. Iowa
18. Kansas
19. Missouri
20. Nebraska
21. Wisconsin
22. Oklahoma
23. Auburn
24. South Florida
25. South Carolina

Heisman Favorites

• Tim Tebow, QB, Florida
• Colt McCoy, QB, Texas
• AJ Green, WR, Georgia
• Tony Pike, QB, Cincinnati
• Greg McElroy, QB, Alabama

Picks, Preview, and Prognostications-Week 5

Hello week five with plenty of picks to salivate over and spend all afternoon enjoying on the couch as the Crimson Tide are on the road.

Last week, I continued on the road of domination, going 5-2 once again, putting me at 10-4 the past two weeks. On the season, I am now 16-12 in Crimson White picks and worked my way into being tied for third.

Overall, the record sits at 46-20 on the season, putting me at 70% on the season.

Of course, that needs to continue if I want to brag some more, so here is what will (hopefully) happen this weekend:

@Minnesota 28, Wisconsin 21

Penn State 35, @Illinois 20

*Washington 28, @Notre Dame 24

@Stanford 35, UCLA 30

*Michigan 30, @Michigan State 28

Arkansas 48, Texas A&M 45 (in Arlington, TX)

Ole Miss 24, @Vanderbilt 17

@Boston College 30, Florida State 20

Georgia Tech 35, Mississippi State 21

* @Tennessee 17, Auburn 14

* @Georgia 27, LSU 24

* @Cal 24, USC 23

*Oklahoma 28, Miami 24

*Alabama 38, @Kentucky 7

Who is Kentucky Anyway?

The Wildcats are once again preparing for a top five team after playing the Florida Gators last week.

Kentucky coach Rich Brooks has already said that playing Alabama "will test our manhood" in front of the Big Blue Nation. Of course, Brooks just needs to wish that at least someone camping out in front of Memorial Coliseum for Big Blue Madness tickets shows up for the game.

On offense, Kentucky still has Mike Hartline at QB and no longer has to worry about Randall Cobb taking his job over as Cobb is now a full time wide out. The Wildcats are struggling to get things going on the offensive side of the ball to the point Rich Brooks has tweeted about it. The bad news for the Kentucky offense will be the missing link on the offensive line as RT Justin Jefferies will be out of the game. The trick for UK is going to be controlling the line and allow Hartline any time to make a play against the Crimson Tide.

On defense, Kentucky has been average for most of the season and took an absolute thrashing from Florida. Sure, Wyndham may have gotten a good hit on Tebow, but other than that, the Wildcats did nothing. Kentucky will also be in trouble in the secondary as Paul Warford will be out for the game, but Trevard Lindley is one of the better corners in the SEC. The only problem for Kentucky is that Alabama is no longer a one-trick pony on the outside. With so many options, the pressure will be on Kentucky to make all of the plays to even have a chance.

On special teams, Kentucky is replacing former kick returner Dicky Lyons, who was one of the good guys in the SEC. Also, Alabama has a history of long returns in Lexington, and Javier Arenas is itching to break one this season.

The keys for Kentucky in this game is starting fast and just pray for the best. The Wildcats have never played back-to-back teams ranked this high, and Coach Brooks has been very impressed in preparing for Alabama. He will get his chance to view the Tide in person Saturday morning while he fans continue to wait for basketball practice tickets.

Pass or Fail-Week 4

When four top ten teams, lose, there are plenty of fails to hit on during the week. The passes are what become difficult.

Sure, it may be easy to look at the underdogs in those games, but that would just be a boring post.

Anyway, here is this week's Pass or Fail.

Head of the Class: Run, Brandon, Run!!! This was way under the radar, but very much worth recognition. Kansas State kick return man Brandon Banks went off on Tennessee Tech on Saturday to make many team's fans feel better about their kickoff coverage. Banks had two kickoff returns on the afternoon, one after the Golden Eagles tying touchdown in the first quarter and another after halftime, both of which resulted in touchdowns. Banks went 91 yards on the first one, and tacked on an extra three feet for the second one, finishing with 183 kickoff return yards in the game. Banks is only the 12th man in NCAA history to return two kickoffs to the house in a single game.

Pass: Alabama's Defense is ferocious. While I sat watching Alabama in a 0-0 tie with Arkansas halfway through the second quarter almost, it finally donned on me that I should be happy it was still that way. Once Alabama got ahead, it was all but over because of the Crimson Tide's crushing defense. The Crimson Tide are second nationally in overall defense and rushing defense and eighth in passing defense. There have been few teams who have perennially had a stellar defense, but Alabama always seems to be in the top ten nationally in defense year in and year out. Of course, Alabama's swarming defense meant that...

Fail: Arkansas' air traffic controller took a week off. Ryan Mallett was looking like one of the best quarterbacks in the SEC before his trip to Tuscaloosa, which resulting in a 12-35 afternoon, full of miscommunication, drops, and overthrows. The Razorbacks were held to their lowest offensive output of the season by far. Mallett will be a great QB this year, no doubt, and few defenses will be able to attack him like Alabama did, but Saturday was the worst he will look all season.

Pass: Iowa does it again. It would be one thing to say that Iowa just has Penn State's number, which finishing this decade 7-1 against the Nittany Lions would suggest such a thing, but this weekend was different. This was barely even a game as Iowa managed to dominate the game once things settled down. The Hawkeyes put up 21 unanswered points in Happy Valley in front of a very excited and hyped crowd who was all clad in white. Which leads me to believe...

Fail: White outs only erase any home team hope. Besides Penn State's debacle on national television and in front of the Gameday crew (and resulting in Iowa's ridiculous vaulting into the 13th spot in the AP), but Florida State continued the bi-polar world tour by laying an egg at home during a white out against South Florida....excuse me, a Matt Grothe-less South Florida team. Sure, both victors in these situations are still undefeated, but to lose in the fashion that both Florida State and Penn State bit the dust is really no excuse for ranked teams at full strength.

Pass: Oregon decides to punch back. (Ok, I promise, last LeGarrette Blount-Oregon-punch reference of the season[maybe]) After their dismal display to begin the season, the Oregon Ducks are now 3-1 after their Saturday thrashing of the Cal Bears, who were a little to zealous looking ahead to their match against USC this Saturday. Jahvid Best, who had been in my Heisman top five since the pre-season, fell flat on his face against what was perceived to only be a mediocre Oregon defense. Instead, the Ducks are starting to look better and better (as Boise State score more and more) and the noise of Autzen Stadium got to the Golden Bears.

Fail: Finders Keepers is the law in Texas, apparently. I know smaller schools enjoy rushing the field, even if they are the ranked team and beating a team that the polls say they should. However, you rush the field and take the goal posts (potentially) only. That is, unless you go to Houston. The Cougars are still looking for three helmets after Saturday's late win over Texas Tech incited a riot on the field. The program is not going to press charges as long as the helmets are returned, but it seems like someone enjoys their souvenirs a little too much.

Epic Fail: Remember when Ole Miss wasn't Ole Miss? Oh you're 60? Eh, still doesn't make a difference. There is something to be said about the only team in the SEC West who has still yet to make a trip to Atlanta, and once again, this year doesn't look to be the year. The Rebels lost their 6th straight SEC opener Thursday against South Carolina after being universally ranked too high based on one win last year. Ole Miss fell a ridiculous 17 spots in the polls after the loss and now look like a team bound for a return to mediocrity. The Rebs have not put a single half of consistent football together, much less beaten anyone worth writing home about. Sure, you can make the excuse for the boys from Oxford that they only played one Saturday game in September, but that doesn't excuse them from not showing up in the first half against Memphis or SE Louisiana. Who cares, they are gonna go 12-0 in the tailgate this season anyway.

Top 25, Heisman favorites, and links: Week 4

Another week in, another FOUR top ten teams take a tumble. (Go ahead, say five times fast before you move on)

The continued losing of the "best teams" is making putting together a top 25 harder and harder, especially with nine teams who are still unbeaten sitting outside the rankings done by the big boys.

So, after week four, who are the top 25 teams in the land by my standards?

1. Florida
2. Texas
3. Alabama
4. Virginia Tech
5. Boise State
6. Oklahoma
7. LSU
8. USC
9. Cincinnati
10. Ohio State
11. Penn State
12. TCU
13. Houston
14. Penn State
15. Oklahoma State
16. Mississippi
17. BYU
18. North Carolina
19. Miami
20. Cal
21. Georgia
22. Missouri
23. Michigan
24. Iowa
25. Kansas

Heisman Favorites

First off, and I am doing this out of spite and hilarity, but take a look at who Jon Goesslin from SI.com has as the number two player in America. You will laugh.

• Tim Tebow, QB, Florida
• Colt McCoy, QB, Texas
• Greg McElroy, QB, Alabama
• Dez Bryant, WR, Oklahoma State
• AJ Green, WR, Georgia

Links

• You want Power Rankings, I'll give you Power Rankings. Here is Andy Staples from SI, who was in Tuscaloosa on Saturday, and the whole ESPN crew.
• Since this week got started a little late, here is the Forde-Yard Dash, one of my favorite reads each week.
• Mark Schlabach of ESPN.com's weekly column, On the Mark, with a look at who to bet on and bet against for the next two months.
• Stewart Mandel of SI.com looks at this season long and hard as a possible repeat of 2007.

Picks, Previews and Prognostications: Week 4

Here is yet another weeks worth of picks, but not much prognostications again this week with a heavy load of school work to precede Saturday.



Last week, I managed to get above .500 at 11-10 after a 5-2 weekend last Saturday. I am still dead last against the CW staff, but I am at least tied for that honor this week.


Overall, I am now 35-17 after three weeks, which is not a bad after a quarter of the season is over. Now its time for this weeks picks.

@ Penn State 34, Iowa 20

@Wisconsin 30, Michigan State 27

Notre Dame 31, Purdue 14

*Cal 35, @Oregon 31

*TCU 24, @Clemson 20

Pitt 20, @NC State 10

*North Carolina 24, @Georgia Tech 10

@Georgia 35, Arizona State 24

* @Stanford 28, Washington 27

* @Houston 45, Texas Tech 42

Florida 45, @Kentucky 21

LSU 35, @Mississippi State 17

* @Virginia Tech 20, Miami 17

* @Alabama 35, Arkansas 17

Who is Arkansas, anyway?

To say that Arkansas has a legitimate offense would be a huge understatement for Alabama's first SEC opponent.

The Hogs have really opened things up through the air since the arrival of Bobby Petrino last year. This season, the Hogs have the number one air attack with Ryan Mallett flinging the ball around the field.

Arkansas has plenty of targets this year despite the injuries to London Crawford and Lucas Miller. Sophomore receivers Joe Adams, Jarius Wright, and Greg Childs have all stepped up this year, not to mention returning leading receiver DJ Williams, the tight end.

With so many options, Mallett could have a field day in the pocket if the offensive line holds with three juniors. The OL must also get holes against Alabama's tough front seven to give Michael Smith room to run if he does enter the game enough. The expectations out of Fayetteville are that Ronnie Wingo and Knile Davis will get their share of carries against the Crimson Tide on Saturday.

On Defense, Arkansas is once again less than stellar. Sure, this team can put up the points, but the defense can give them up just as quickly. The early loss of Isaac Madison in the secondary has hurt, but the fact still remains he may not make much difference. Georgia went over the top time after time against the Hogs, so the return of Julio Jones and the arm of Greg McElroy spreading it out to over ten receivers so far this season may feast on Arkansas.

On Special Teams, Alabama is the key no matter how you look at it. The Hogs don't have a legit kickoff or punt return specialist, but the Bama coverage will dictate how many yards and points the Hogs have in the game from the specialist.

The coaches are both the "experts" in their own realm, Saban and defense and Petrino and offense. Saban got the best of him last season, and there is a good chance Saban will get him again and force Mallett to throw underneath in this game. Alabama will just find the open receiver in this game, and if they can do that well, the Crimson Tide will be fine.

Wright, Adams, Childs

Pass or Fail-Week 3

Every week, there are those performances that make us all stand in awe at the television, and then there are those that cause the spinach dip to fly off the coffee table.

Every week, each of those performances are complied here on the blog, offering a chance to relive those great moments and those not so great moments when you were cleaning the dip off the dog.

Week three saw a lot out of quarterbacks, and then a few coaches ready to make excuses.

Head of the Class: Jacory Harris is on fiah!!! The Hurricanes have blown through two ranked opponents this season with two still to go, but most of the credit in these games can be attributed to Miami quarterback Jacory Harris who was 20/25 for 270 yards and three touchdowns against the Yellow Jackets last Thursday night. On the year, Harris is 31/59 with five touchdowns and has paced the Miami offense with consistent play. He will face a tough test this week in Blacksburg against Virginia Tech, and the results will reflect largely on him, his team, and his Heisman hopes.

Pass: The one Rich Rod let slip away. The heading isn't a shot at Michigan, especially with Tate Forcier playing as well as he is right now, but it is more so that Ryan Mallett is that damn good. The Razorbacks quarterback has shown why he was such a highly recruited signal caller against Georgia, duplicating his fall scrimmage number of five passing touchdowns and 408 yards through the air. Mallett has yet to throw an interception this season, but will face an Alabama defense this week that is looking to add to their minuscule total of one on the season....that is, if his bullet of a ball can be caught by a defensive back without breaking their hand.

Fail: Oregon apparently has some green besides what they wear. For as much as the extremist fan talks about doing such a thing as this, Oregon fan Tony Seminary actually followed through with the threat of asking for his money back and got a $439 check signed by head coach Chip Kelly after Seminary complained about the Ducks performance in Boise on opening night. I personally don't believe Kelly should have paid the man half a G because his team got outplayed by a better team. If anything, Seminary should be charged more money for staying past the undercard to watch LeGarrette Blount go MMA on a Bronco.

Pass: Speaking of pass, that's all Landry Jones did. Who needs Sam Bradford when the moustache-wearing, gun-slinging Jones is out there throwing for a school record six touchdowns in Oklahoma's lopsided 45-0 win over Tulsa on Saturday. At a school that has plenty of history and a great run of recent quarterbacks (Jason White before Bradford), none of them could take advantage of a weaker team as much as Jones did. Jones may have one more game to shine before Bradford takes back over as the reigning Heisman winner began throwing once again earlier this week. All Sooner fans can take a deep breath knowing that not all is lost once Sam bolts for the money at the end of the year.

Fail: Blue Raider Football is for real! It was not so much a surprise to see Middle Tennessee State beat up on Memphis last week, but the fact the boys from Murfreesboro went up to College Park, Maryland and toppled the turtles is saying something....about Maryland and the ACC. The league is slowly fading into the dark depths of the BCS as an obscure league with no nationally prominent team. Sure, Virginia Tech and Miami are still up in the rankings, but both of those teams will surely end up with two loses at least once again this season. I know, I praised Miami not forty lines ago, but Virginia Tech and Oklahoma loom in the distance.

Pass: The legend of Greg McElroy continues to grow. It was impressive enough to watch Greg McElroy and the historic Crimson No. 12 grow up in the second half against Virginia Tech. Then he went all Ron Steele on us and broke a school record in only his second game as a starter. Saturday, G-Mac broke yet another record while going 13-15 in his half against North Texas. Starting with the second half against Virginia Tech, McElroy has completed 40 of 51 passes to 12 different receivers. McElroy has completed 66% of his passes this season, and if that trend continues, McElroy may emerge as Alabama's most legitimate Heisman contender in the school's history. Sure, it is early, but McElroy has it going right now.

Fail: USC's Christmas comes early this year...again. Watching the Trojans lose a game they shouldn't year after year has become commonplace in college football, but this is the second straight year Troy has been razed in the third week of the season. This season's loss came at the hands of the Washington Huskies, who, after losing every game last season, now have a winning streak after taking down the Trojans. There was a reason why I placed USC at No. 10 in the pre-season, and this game proved it all. New quarterback coming in (Matt Barkeley missing is no excuse), no go-to receiver, and replacing a lot on defense, including their entire linebacking core. Every now and then, teams like USC still have to rebuild, and this year is a rebuilding year...maybe. For all we know, the dynasty could be over.

Epic Fail: Urban Cryer is alive and kicking!!! There is only one thing that could beat USC falling on their face, and that would be Florida head coach Urban Meyer making an excuse a day about how Tennessee kept things close against the Gators on Saturday. Saturday night into Sunday, the first excuse emerged that UF was without three receivers. Sunday, apparently everyone in Gainesville came down with the flu. Monday, it became Florida's game plan to match the Vols idea to play conservative cause Lane Kiffin had chose not to win the game. All in all, Urban is finally realizing that Florida isn't the same team they were last year. Just as I mentioned about USC, Florida faces the issue of not having a go-to receiver this season, and it showed against the boys from Knoxville. The eye test is being applied, and it is now widely known that Florida is very vulnerable.