Pass or Fail, Week of Nov. 19

With a good portion of the SEC off between last Saturday and this Saturday, the weekly Pass or Fail segment will expand a little this week to not only more major college football, but also a peek into basketball.

Head of the Class: Vanderbilt Commodores

For the first time since 1982, the Vanderbilt Commodores will be visiting the postseason.

With a 31-24 victory at Kentucky, the 'Dores are now 6-4 on the season and 4-3 in the SEC. With a win over Tennessee Saturday, Vanderbilt will have five conference wins for the first time since 1935. Vandy gets Tennessee in Nashville and will be looking at a much better bowl with seven victories on the season.

Pass: Alabama's Javier Arenas

Every week it seems there is an Alabama player in the pass column.

Well, for starters, this is a blog by an Alabama student who gets to watch their games in entirety each week, but Alabama is also undefeated.

This week's honor falls on the SEC Special Teams Player of the Week Javier Arenas who set a school record with 153 punt return yards against Mississippi State. Arenas also set the career school mark for punts returned for touchdowns with his fifth career return against the Bulldogs.

Fail: The Deep South's Oldest Rivarly

Not only did this game kick at 11:30 on regional television, being overlooked for Alabama-Mississippi State, but it wasn't suppose to be that great of a game. It wasn't that great of a game, but for other reasons.

Auburn has struggled all season, sure, but Georgia looked absolutely pathetic after their first field goal attempt was blocked by the Tigers. The game then turned into an absolute battle of ineptitude that the Bulldogs eventually won 17-13. Tuberville could have won the game had he kicked a field goal on previous drives in the fourth quarter, but opted for fourth down offensive attempts which failed.

Pass: Tennessee Basketball

If anyone was wondering who would win the SEC this season, look no further than Knoxville.

The Vols are simply too strong in a conference full of horribly underachieving teams and Florida. The Gators will provide the biggest competition to the Vols, but everything else should be easy sailing this season.

Bruce Pearl not only has some great returning players from last season, they also have Diaper Dandy Scotty Hopson, who will be posterizing an All-SEC player near you in the coming months.

Fail: SEC Basketball

I have been on this topic as late as yesterday, but last night didn't make any matters better.

Between Georgia's dominant one-point win over Eastern Michigan and Kentucky's 28-turnover beauty against North Carolina on national television. These games have UK at 0-2 and Georgia is 1-1 with a points differential on the season of -20.

SEC fans can at least hold on to the last few breaths of football season, and the jump straight into baseball.

Pass: ACC Football

They may not be the best or have any powerhouse team this season, but the ACC has been the most fun conference to watch this year.

Why you may ask?

Parity. Each week, a new team in the ACC joins the Top 25 just to go on the road and lose, fall out of the Top 25, win at home, and start the process over.

Each team has at least two losses right now. The only two teams who have yet to dropped a third game are Miami, who travels to Georgia Tech and North Carolina State to finish the season, and Maryland, who hosts Florida State and visits Boston College.

I'm going to make a quick prediction that each team in the ACC will finish with three losses, but anyone else who wants to take time out of their lives to sort out the tie breakers for these situations, knock yourself out.

Fail: Rich Rodriguez

It is bad enough to be the first man in Michigan history, the winningest program in college football history, to take the team to they historic low of eight losses in one season.

Things don't get better when you take time out of your schedule of coaching said program to respond to media members who are roasting you like chestnuts over an open fire.

Too bad that Rich Rod has already done that this week (Ohio State week for those of you who didn't know since ESPN is shoving that game down our throats for once) by telling media members to "Get a life" after multiple outlets have questioned his first season in Ann Arbor.

Rich, some quick advice, you are no longer the native son, so you might need to grow a spine...and fast.

Epic Fail: The Apple Cup

There are no two teams in FBS college football right now who are worse than Washington and Washington State.

The Huskies are currently 0-10 on the season. Ty Willingham has been fired already and are losing by the average score of 40-14.

The Cougars have benefitted from being able to look across the state and see Washington at 0-10 because WAZU is 1-10 themselves.

The only win for the Cougars came against FCS Portland State, who is currently 3-7 themselves. They have been shut out three out of their past four games and are limping to the finish line against Washington.

In other words, something has to give.

I would look for Washington State to come out on top for two reasons: They have the game at home and, sadly, they at least know how to win.

So, now with that out of the way, it is now time for the customary Auburn "love" that will be gracing this blog over the next week and a half.

For tonight, we are gonna hit the way back machine and go all the way back to...January of 2007. Basically, it was when Tubbs started shaking in his boots and was out to continue the downward spiral that is Auburn Football as we know it today.

SEC Pass or Fail, Week Ten...and Links!!!

So, another week, and another installment of SEC Pass or Fail here at ITNOT.

This week in the SEC saw another big match up turn into a big blow out, some stellar defensive efforts, and some just horrid individual and team play. Out of all of that, here is what stood out.

Head of the Class: Alabama's Defense

Sure, Alabama was playing Arkansas State this week, but this was a team who has a win against a BCS team this season and scored 83 points in a game. All Alabama did was shut them out and hold them to 158 total yards.

In their last four games, the Crimson Tide defense has only allowed four offensive touchdowns and has yet to allow a 100-yard rusher so far this season. On top of this, the defense has four touchdowns of their own this season and will face their last tough road challenge of the regular season this weekend against Charles Scott and the LSU Tigers.

Pass: Florida's Tim Tebow

After the Gators lost to Ole Miss at home, many people were wondering what happened to Heisman winner Tim Tebow. Four games later, it's safe to say "Superman" has found his stride once again.

Since the Ole Miss game, Tebow is 52/75 with eight passing touchdowns to just two interceptions. He has also ran for six touchdowns in those games. He has led the Gators to three straight games of 40 points or more for the first time since the Spurrier era, and managed to set the school record for career rushing touchdowns (39), surpassing Emmitt Smith in the process.

Fail: Georgia

The Bulldogs were the pre-season number one team in the country, the national title pick by Lindy's pre-season magazine, and were suppose to have two Heisman candidates in Knowshon Moreno and Matthew Stafford. Instead, the Bulldogs have fallen flat in their two biggest games this season.

Between games against Alabama and Florida, the Bulldogs have given up 90 points to those two teams in two losses. Both losses have managed to propel the opposing team into the national spotlight, while Georgia falls further away from where most people saw them at the beginning of the season. The Bulldogs are now playing for a spot in a New Year's Day Bowl instead of any sort of championship.

Pass: South Carolina's Defense

The Gamecocks started the season at 1-2 and were looking at an entire season like the way last year ended. Instead, the Gamecocks are now bowl eligible and it is due in large part to their defense.

South Carolina is only giving up an average of 15 points per game and have the best, and most underrated, defense in the SEC this season. USC has managed to do this while also having the worst turnover differential in the conference at -7. I thought Lou Holtz was crazy when he called the Gamecocks the best defense in the SEC earlier this season during halftime of a game they would lose, but they have made Lou look like a he knew what he was talking about for once.

Fail: Mississippi State

The Bulldogs had a great season last year and were looking to build on that success this season. Turns out that Mississippi State is Mississippi State once again.

Wesley Carroll was all about winning an SEC championship this season at SEC Media Days, but that focus has now shifted to just winning an SEC game. The Bulldogs have won one conference game all season and have blown chances against Auburn and Kentucky this season. State must win their final three games to even be considered for a bowl, but they must go on the road to Tuscaloosa and Oxford for two of those final three games. The only problem is State is win-less this season on the road.

Pass: Ole Miss

Ole Miss won three SEC games during the three year career of Ed Orgeron and won three games each season under Coach O. The Rebels have three SEC wins this season alone after last weekend's win over Auburn.

The Rebels are one win away from their first bowl since Eli Manning and company took down Oklahoma State 31-28 in the 2003 Cotton Bowl, and they have two very good chances to get that sixth win. The Rebels finish with two of their final three at home against Louisiana-Monroe and then the Egg Bowl against Mississippi State on the Friday after Thanksgiving. Houston Nutt has things going in the right direction in Oxford and has the players to be making some noise soon.

Fail: Three Interception Quarterbacks

Interceptions are never the way to win a football game for your team. Multiple interceptions is just an easy way to spell "loss," and that's exactly what Georgia and Auburn did when their quarterbacks threw three interceptions each.

Kodi Burns and Matthew Stafford managed to complete three passes to teams in the wrong color jersey this past Saturday. Burns' interceptions all came in the second half and directly led to Ole Miss' final touchdown in a 17-7 Rebel victory. Auburn finished the game on Ole Miss' 25-yard line which would have been prime for a game-tying field goal. Stafford's blunders (which also included a fumble) also all came in the second half and led to two Florida touchdowns on the very next play after the interception as the Gators embarrassed the Bulldogs 49-10. It's pretty safe to say that three interceptions are not the way to win a ball game.

Epic Fail: Tennessee

The daisy orange and white have looked horrid this season, and it all came to a culmination after two straight losses to familiar foes.

Tennessee is currently sitting at 3-6 after back-to-back losses to Alabama and Steve Spurrier's South Carolina Gamecocks. The Vols have only managed 15 points in their last two games and had finally had enough to let Phil Fulmer go on Monday. The Vols will have a new general on the sideline next season for the first time in 17 years in hopes that they can once again return to greatness in the SEC. As it stands right now, it might take a lot more than a head coach to fix the mess on Rocky Top.

This week, even though they aren't in the SEC, an extra special Epic Fail goes out to the Michigan Wolverines, who will not be going to a bowl in Rich Rodriguez' first season in Ann Arbor. The losing season snaps a 33-year bowl streak for the Maize and Blue, which was easily the longest in the nation. The pain is only made worse as Ohio State, Michigan State, and Notre Dame are all having successful seasons once again.

So what is up concerning college football today?

• The Forde-Yard Dash on ESPN.com by Pat Forde takes a look at a potential eight team playoff and asks the question of where has George Teague gone.
• Ivan Maisel of ESPN.com looks into the BCS puzzle as well as Miami's second season under Randy Shannon.
• Chris Low of ESPN.com looks inside the SEC for his internal affairs and is sold on Alabama's three headed rushing attack.
• Steward Mandel of SI.com talks about the biggest storyline of this weekend in his weekly mailbag. Of course, its Nick Saban vs. Les Miles.
• Gentry Estes of the Mobile Press-Register takes a look at things Nick Saban has come to realize in his year and a half at Alabama.
• In today's Birmingham News, Ian Rapaport (my favorite blogger to read, btw) tells the story of how John Parker Wilson is among the Alabama elite quarterbacks, but he still needs some signature wins, starting with Saturday at LSU.

That's all for tonight. Tomorrow, we will take a look at LSU and all the threats they posses for this Alabama team.

SEC Pass or Fail, Week Nine......and links!

As will soon be a staple here on "In the Nic of Time," I take a look back at the week that was in the SEC with a weekly "Pass or Fail" segment.

More or less, its basically just a look at the good and the bad of the past week in the Southeastern Conference. Enjoy!

Head of the Class: Georgia's Darryl Gamble

It's one thing to have your first career interception go all the way back for a touchdown. It's another when you intercept two Pick-six balls in the same game.

Gamble did just that against LSU this past Saturday, taking back Jarrett Lee passes 40 and 53 yards, respectively. The two interceptions for touchdowns went a long way in helping the Bulldogs put 52 points on LSU en route to a huge win in Baton Rouge.

Pass: Florida's Special Teams

The Gators blocked a total of three kicks against the Wildcats of Kentucky Saturday, including Kentucky's first two punt attempts of the afternoon. The third block came on a Kentucky field goal attempt in the second quarter. The Gators used a total of five plays to score three touchdowns off of the blocks produced by their special teams.

Florida jumped out to a 28-0 lead by the end of the first quarter and finished off the Wildcats with a 63-5 woodshed beating.

Fail: Vanderbilt

Normally this would seem like a spot where most Vanderbilt teams would fit, except for this year's team. That seems to have changed.

After charging out to a 5-0 record with wins over a tough Ole Miss team and Auburn, the 'Dores have lost three straight, the last a homecoming loss to Duke. Vanderbilt quarterbacks have thrown seven interceptions all season, all but one of them coming in the past three games. Most people saw this season as the Commodores first chance at a bowl since 1984, but those hopes seem to be dwindling with remaining games against Florida, Kentucky, Tennessee and Wake Forest.

The 'Dores will have a good chance against Kentucky and Tennessee, but it will come down to whether or not they can move the ball on those tough two defenses.

Pass: Alabama's 2nd Half

After three recent second half debacles, Alabama put together their most complete second half to date and won the second half for the first time since Arkansas. Alabama had four drives in the second half. They ended Field Goal, Touchdown, Touchdown, Game.

On Defense, Alabama held Tennessee to 76 total yards in the second half and a touchdown on a drive which was aided by three pass interference calls. Short of the defensive short comings, Alabama played a fantastic second half.

Fail: LSU's Defense

What has happened to the LSU defense that we have seen over the last few years? In their last eight SEC games, dating back to last October 20th against Auburn, the Tigers have allowed an average of 33 points per game in the SEC. Allowing a total of 103 to SEC East leaders Georgia and Florida did not help this cause, but that still puts this highly regarded defense at giving up an average of 28 points per game, and that's still high.

Maybe its the absence of Bo Pelini, or maybe its just the quality of players LSU lost after last season. Whatever it is, the Tigers must fix it soon if they want a chance to be playing on New Year's Day.

Pass: Houston Nutt

The past two seasons, Houston Nutt had to deal with angry fans, questionable hires, and an Athletic Director off of his rocker. Even with all of this around him, Nutt still managed to compile an 18-6 regular season record in 2006-07, but every man has his boiling point, and Nutt met his after the 2007 season.

Nutt made a change to Ole Miss in the off-season and has taken the Rebels to a 4-4 record and 2-3 in the SEC, already surpassing Ed Orgeron's win total in each of his three seasons in Oxford and showing a 200% increase in SEC victories over last season. His last hurdle in year one may be to break the Rebels streak of home SEC losses, and he will have a good chance to do so with Auburn and Mississippi State still to visit Oxford.

Fail: Kentucky's tailspin

Sure, the Wildcats were off to their second straight hot start, getting to 4-0 and beating Louisville for the second straight season. However, it has been all down hill from there.

They have now lost three of their last four games since entering conference season, but those have not been their biggest losses. The injuries of Dicky Lyons, Jr. and Derrick Locke for the season have made the outlook to get to a bowl bleak for the 'Cats. Things may not look good right now, but the Big Blue travel to Starkville this weekend and still have games with Vandy at home and finish in Knoxville and are in need of only one more win to get bowl eligible.

Epic Fail: Auburn's Run Defense

Entering their game against Arkansas, Auburn was a respectable 14th in the nation in run defense. It had been the Tigers saving grace so far this year, and was the only bright spot seemingly left on this team after the firing of Tony Franklin and a loss to Vanderbilt.

Now, after Arkansas' Michael Smith put 176 yards on the Tigers followed by a 207 yard performance by West Virginia's Noel Devine, Auburn now stands at No.51 nationally and 8th in the SEC. The Tigers are now allowing an average of 128 yards on the ground per game in a league where running backs rule the day. The Tigers three remaining SEC games, Ole Miss, Georgia, and Alabama, are against teams that have feature running backs (Enrique Davis, Knowshon Moreno, Glen Coffee) and teams that average over 150 yards on the ground per game.


Now, time for everyone's favorite part of the blog...at least mine anyways...amusing links to other stories.

• With the anticipation of hosting Alabama in next weekend starting to pick up, a local business is already announcing their plans for the weekend on a local billboard in Baton Rouge.
• Speaking of LSU, here is a guy to avoid for those of you making the trek to Tiger country.
• Sure, he may not be the most popular guy in the state, but Paul Finebaum's latest article takes a look at how expectations for this season have gone two different directions for Alabama's top two schools.
• On a more national scale, Ivan Maisel of ESPN.com breaks down this weekend's Texas-Texas Tech match-up and takes a look at Florida State's season to date in his weekly I-Formation.
• Just as he does every week, Stewart Mandel of SI.com answers questions about the college football season. This week, he tackles the question of how Penn State fits into the BCS given any number of scenarios.