I just had an argument with an Ohio State fan over strength of schedule. I know, let's all enjoy the laugh. Good thing I didn't look at this week's sleight of games.
The Dog Days on the SEC season have arrived, and boy are there a pack of mange-heads.
Fortunately, our conference again offers the best game in the country. Let's take the high road and start there. Drum roll, please . . .
Michael Gordon:
LSU at Alabama: One play on either side of the ball will decide this one-day war. Two questions: Can LSU run it? Can Alabama throw it? The answer to the first: maybe. The answer to the second: just enough. Tide, 20-13.
South Carolina at Arkansas: The only other big-boy matchup of the day comes down to a battle of the offensive geniuses. The difference: Petrino and Arkansas won't act bored. Hogs, 31-17.
Vandy at Florida: Given this mismatch, Brandon Spikes' self-imposed exile hardly qualifies as Mother Teresa material. Gators, 45-10.
(From this point forward, proceed with caution, and hold your nose.)
Tennessee Tech at Georgia: Don't laugh, Georgia needs this one. OK, you can laugh. Dogs, 44-7.
Eastern Ky at Kentucky: The Bluegrass Mothership prevails, sort of. Cats, 31-17.
Furman at Auburn: Michael Dyer's commitment this week qualifies as bigger news. Tigs, 51-24.
Memphis at Tennessee: No SEC school has so easy a second half schedule every year as UT; meanwhile, the end draws near for Tommy West. Vols, 31-10.
Northern Ariz. at Ole Miss: Even the Arizona Cardinals would have problems traveling this far and this far back in time. Rebs, 45-17.
Friday, November 6, 2009
Who ya got? Week 10 . . .
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6 comments:
I think the Ohio State Fan has a point. I also think Ohio State will lose two more games before the season is over. Ohio State has played #3 USC, and will face #11 Penn State tomorrow and #4 Iowa the following Saturday. They do have a tough schedule. The SEC is a little weaker this season but still a tougher conference than the Big Ten. My point being this, Ohio State does have a tough schedule but they really can't say much unless they win some of those tough games.
My friend was speaking specifically about why in the world Alabama is playing Division II startup Georgia State next year. I have no idea, and there's no defending it.
But this I do know: Alabama plays Penn St., road games at Arkansas, LSU and Tennessee, Auburn and Ole Miss at home AND perhaps TWO games with Florida.
The SEC is down, but so is the Big 10, which means the gap between the two leagues may have grown.
Thanks for your post
mg
My picks:
Tennessee Tech at Georgia – Why aren’t these cupcake games over with by October 1? Big Ol’ Hairy Dawgs 41, TTU 3
Vanderbilt at Florida – Remember back when SMU got the death penalty and then came back and lost a few 77-3 games? This one may look eerily similar. Urban will bring out his “men” mantra again, and combine it with his perception that everyone is out to get his team, which would have more credibility if his team hadn’t received so many breaks from the zebras most of the year. MEN 63, Vandy 14
E. Kentucky at Kentucky – This game serves as Kentucky’s Heimlich to help them recover from the gagging last week. Mildcats 42, EKU 21
Memphis at Tennessee – A month ago I’d have picked Memphis. Now I won’t. But I will predict that Lane still manages to find something to bawl about. Lane & Monty 34, Memphis 3
Northern Arizona at Misipi – See Tennessee Tech at Georgia above. Misipi 34, N Arizona 6
S. Carolina at Ar-Kansas – For their sake, it’s good that SC has ended their normal tradition of “Orange Crush” scheduling – playing Tennessee, Florida and Clempson all in a row. Not that this format will help them any. Ar-Kansas 24, Fightin’ Chickens 13
LSU at ‘Bama – My head says ‘Bama’s defense is too good for LSU to win. My heart wants LSU to win, then lose to Ar-Kansas again so a 1-loss ‘Bama team goes to Atlanta, and then ‘Bama beats Florida, leaving the BCS in complete disarray. This is the holiday season, when dreaming is aceptable. LSU 13, The Evil Empire 10
Furman at Auburn – See Northern Arizona at Misipi above.
I’m going to call these 3 games the Charity Bowls – Invite a bad FCS team to your place, beat their brains in, and cut them a check that will fund their entire athletic department for the rest of the school year. As long as the NCAA is allowing this crap, at least invite a good FCS team (App St, Richmond, etc.) next time. Furman will score all their points in the 4th quarter after Auburn puts the 8th-string kids in. WAR EAGLE 47, Furman 17
Regarding the schedule debate... I guess 'Bama is giving Ga. St. a charitable contribution - the check GSU will get probably funds their entire atheltic department for a while. They're probably playing at least 3 top-tier teams, all for that same reason. My brother was attending UAB when they started their program, and that's what they did to fund it - 2 or 3 games every year against Oklahoma, Nebraska (they were still really good back then), Tennesee and such. It worked out fairly well, up to the point when Roddy White and Josh Cribbs graduated; it's been rough since then for them.
As for Ohio St, we now know that USC and Penn St aren't top 5 teams, though still very good. I don't care where they were ranked at the time.
The only thing that is down about the SEC in my eyes is the scheduling (such as my team playing FURMAN). Unless something really goofy happens, the SEC will have 3 teams in the top 10 at year's end ('Bama, Florida, LSU) and 5 teams in BCS or 1/1 bowls (top 3 plus Auburn and Tennessee). Misipi should get a halfway decent bowl, and Kentucky and SC should get a bowl game somewhere. The SEC has only one truly awful team (Vandy). I think the conference is just fine.
Hey Michael, it's bad enough we've all been assuming since preseason that the SEC championship game this year will be between your Tide and the Gators. But now you're already talking about playing Florida in the SEC championship AGAIN NEXT YEAR ! If your team is as overconfident next year as you Tide fans seem to be you, won't have to worry about playing two games against the Gators in 2010.
Big Dawg: The key word is 'PERHAPS.' Of course, perhaps we'll play them twice this year, too. :)
Seriously, I think you'd agree we'll be one of the favorites for the West next year, but there are no guarantees -- other than the slobber from your mascot.
Thanks for writing.
mg
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