college_sports

TUSCALOOSA, Ala.—Tennessee could have sat atop first place by itself in the SEC East Division as of tonight.
Instead, every other team in the division now has two losses and Florida is again in control of its destiny after another wild Saturday in the SEC.
The Volunteers’ 41-17 loss at Alabama was pretty much what they deserved, considering how the Crimson Tide controlled most of the last three quarters.
UT’s defense may have reached a new low today. While Alabama is good offensively, it also played without two starters on its line and a solid running back (Glen Coffee) due to violating school policy.
Yet the Vols couldn’t mount any kind of consistent pass rush or stop the running game, resulting in 510 total yards and 27 first downs for the Tide.
“It definitely wasn’t the game we expected,” linebacker Jerod Mayo said. “Today we came out expecting to play as good as any game in the past. The defense takes this loss on our shoulders.”
While that unit should take the biggest chunk of the blame, save some for the offense, too, which pitched a second half shutout against a defense which entered the day a mediocre ninth in the SEC.
That only heats up coach Phillip Fulmer’s seat, which had cooled down for a short time. Next week’s home game with South Carolina might determine the rest of the season’s course, as well as Fulmer’s future.
Athletic director Mike Hamilton’s frown in the post-game interview room told quite a story. It was the look of a man who knows he might be one more loss away from making a decision he’d just as soon not make.
Extra Points
1. Who had the worst Saturday, Fulmer or Steve Spurrier? Losing at home to Vandy and scoring just six points isn’t quite what the South Carolina “ball coach” had in mind. Bet Spurrier perks up after looking at UT’s pass defense today, though.
2. Where were the adjustments on Alabama receiver D.J. Hall? He caught at least four passes when he would motion across the formation and get a clean break off the scrimmage line. It was almost as if the Vols didn’t believe he could keep making plays.
3. You have to wonder about the condition of Lucas Taylor’s toe. He grabbed a season-low two passes and didn’t play in the fourth quarter. If he’s out for any length of time, UT’s passing game is a whole lot worse.
4. So much for the improvement of the defensive line. Not only were they pushed around all game, they also made some horrid penalties which helped lead to Alabama points. I’m not a big grade guy but I’d say a D or F is in order for this unit.
5. While the Vols didn’t have a lot of plays from scrimmage, it’s clear Arian Foster is this team’s top tailback. That’s why he should have had more than five carries after the first quarter. Foster never touched the ball one time in the second quarter. Inexcusable. 

Posted by The Continuous News Desk
College Sports

Check Sunday’s BHC for the official write-up. Here’s some quick notes:

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Tough loss for the Wasps on Saturday afternoon at Fullerton Field. The definition of a heartbreaker in the sports world.

Down 14-0 with 12 minutes, 19 seconds left in the fourth quarter, the Wasps looked done for.

Their defense had been run ragged by Bridgewater’s slow-rolling offensive train. E&H quarterback Daniel Booher was having his roughest game of the season. And Fullerton Field was buzzing with disappointment and frustration.

Then, suddenly, everything changed. Booher found a groove as the Wasps returnded to the spread offense that had been so successful in their win over Hampden-Sydney. And two Booher-Jonathan Hawkins touchdown connections made it 14-14 with 1:59 left in the final period.

But as soon as you could say “comeback,” it was over.

Bridgewater running back Phillip Carter (27 carries, 160 yards, one touchdown) cranked out a 56-yard sprint down the right sideline. And the Eagles walked out of Emory with a huge win when Kyle Beach’s 24-yard field goal from the middle of the field edged its way through the uprights.

The Eagles went berserk. The Wasps were stunned.

“You can’t win a game with the way we played the first three quarters,” said E&H coach Don Montgomery, red-faced and seething. “But they got nothing on us. The only thing they have on us is what we have on us. We made too many mistakes to play in a game of this magnitude.”

Extra quotes from Montgomery:

On Booher’s success in the fourth quarter:

We got spread out and Daniel got some confidence to throw the ball down the field. Daniel understood that the protection was holding up for him. As he matures and gets better as a quarterback, and gets more confidence in the people around him, we’re going to get pretty good. But until he gets that feeling, and our receivers run the right route and catch the ball when they’re supposed to catch it …

On Eagles running back Phillip Carter and Carter’s big 56-yard run in the final two minutes which set up Beach’s game-winning field goal:

Give him credit. He’s one of the top backs in the country, and he broke a big run at the end of the game to put them in a position to win it. Other than that, we’re in overtime.

On being disappointed:

Yes. What do you think? Of course I am.

Posted by Brian T. Smith
College Sports

BIRMINGHAM, Ala.—Really, there’s something to be said for a six-hour drive through two big-time traffic jams, one much-needed rain storm and lots of Alabama-Tennessee talk.
Life on the road usually agrees with me, even on trips like today’s. Maybe it’s because the payoff—covering my first game in one of the SEC’s storied venues --should be worth the long journey into western Alabama.
Covering the Atlantic Coast Conference the last three seasons, I’ve seen plenty of beautiful stadiums, such as Georgia Tech’s Grant Field and Duke’s Wallace Wade Stadium.
(I kid you not. Duke’s football program may be lousy, but its stadium really is nice. As John Feinstein once said, it’s a beautiful place to watch bad football.)
Anyway, Alabama coach Nick Saban and I have one thing in common today—and it’s not the salary, trust me. It will be “our” first Alabama-Tennessee game.
Bryant-Denny Stadium holds 92,138 seats and is the seventh biggest on-campus facility in major college football. That just happened in the last decade, though, which is why Alabama used to play these games at Legion Field—a long punt from where I’m putting my head on the pillow.
I asked UT coach Phillip Fulmer Tuesday what the difference is between Birmingham and Tuscaloosa.
“We had a number of great games in Birmingham,” Fulmer said. “But Tuscaloosa is a better college environment. It will be louder.”
It will be interesting to hear just how loud. Having worked the Virginia Tech and UT beats for our paper, it’s hard to think of two louder stadiums on a consistent basis than Lane Stadium or Neyland Stadium.
Of course, the crowd noise will depend in large part on what happens below them. That will depend on how the Alabama defense can perform against one of the SEC’s best offenses.
If Tennessee runs the ball as it has lately, it will be hard for the Tide to win this game. Give Erik Ainge a play-action game off which to work and he’ll thrive—and then some.
That can quiet a crowd down in a hurry.
Quick Kicks
1. I found no less than five different prep games in a 70-mile span between Fort Payne and Birmingham. Any doubt that high school football is king here on Friday night?
2. On at least two of those broadcasts, I heard announcers refer to the teams they cover every Friday as “we.” Can anyone say objectivity? I knew you could ...
3. Is there any doubt that Arkansas’ Houston Nutt is gone at season’s end unless his team wins out, including a bowl game? And what are the chances of that happening with a schedule which still includes trips to Tennessee and LSU?
4. It’s always fun to watch games like the Louisville-Connecticut clash Friday night, which was played in a driving rain. Let me amend that: it’s always fun to watch those games on TV.
5. Non-football observation: after ESPN’s saturation coverage of Joe Torre’s decision not to manage the Yankees next year, is there any question now that you can refer to the network as YES North? 

Posted by The Continuous News Desk
College Sports

Before we get into our second try at picking the SEC games (last week: 5-1, missing only the LSU-Kentucky epic), let’s rant for a minute.
Actually, I’m going to rant for a lot longer than a minute when it comes to the Harris Poll, which would be better off if it were useless and not an ingredient in determining who plays for a national championship.
Too many of the 114 voters on that poll are former coaches who don’t keep up with the sport’s latest trends and have their heads stuck so far in the sand it’s a wonder they can find the oxygen to cobble together a top 25 every week.
Case in point: Former Colorado coach Eddie Crowder, who was quoted this week as saying he couldn’t name one player on South Florida’s team, which as of tonight is ranked No. 2 in the first Bowl Championship Series poll.
Crowder compounded that staggering admission with another which shows why he should never be allowed to cast another vote. He said if it came down to voting between one-loss LSU or unbeaten South Florida, he would vote for LSU, based on the fact its program had been around a lot longer.
You can make the case (and I would accept it) that LSU is better based on the fact it plays a tougher schedule in a tougher league. You could make the case (and again, I would accept it) that LSU has more talent.
But to simply vote based on who’s been around longer? It’s no wonder the deck is stacked against any upstart in these polls with idiocy like Crowder’s possibly determining who plays for a national title. And clowns like this are determining in part who gets that $17 million BCS windfall for playing in the national championship game.
Look, I’m all for human insight as much as the next guy. But to take this thing a step further, when you base the season’s first half on raw logic, you have to wonder why South Florida isn’t ranked No. 1 across the board ahead of Ohio State.
The Bulls have won at Auburn, beaten West Virginia (at home) and drubbed a Central Florida team which nearly beat Texas 64-12. Ohio State, meanwhile, has played an embarrassing schedule consisting of Akron, Youngstown State and Kent State.
What’s more, the Buckeyes play in the grossly mediocre Big Ten Conference, a amalgam of teams recognized as relevant only by ESPN. Does anyone really think Ohio State would be unbeaten if it played an SEC, Pac 10 or Big East schedule?
The computers have it right, ranking South Florida No. 1 almost across the board. But the human element is setting the sport up for another December train wreck—no matter how things shake out.
OK, my rant is done. Now on to this week’s SEC picks:
Tennessee at Alabama—One thing I can say with confidence is that last year’s 16-13 score between these teams may be a halftime score. Both teams have good offenses and marginal defenses, so it’s going to take 30 for someone to win it. I like the way the Volunteers have played the last two weeks, especially to start games, which shows they’re ready to play. My guess is Tennessee’s best is a little better than the Crimson Tide’s, even accounting for homefield advantage. Tennessee 30, Alabama 24.
Vanderbilt at South Carolina—The only chance the Commodores have here is that the Gamecocks are looking ahead to next week’s East Division showdown with the Vols in Knoxville. Vanderbilt suffered the kind of come-from-ahead loss which can snuff out a season last week against Georgia and now has quarterback issues. Not what you need going to Columbia to face South Carolina’s tough defense. South Carolina 24, Vanderbilt 10.
Mississippi State at West Virginia—The timing couldn’t be worse for the Bulldogs. After investing a lot of energy and playing pretty well in their loss against Tennessee, they make the long trip to Morgantown to face a top 10 team which has had two weeks to rest. Mississippi State’s power running game had better play a lot of keepaway to keep the likes of Pat White and Steve Slaton off the field. Even then, it probably won’t matter. West Virginia 35, Mississippi State 17.
Florida at Kentucky—Give the Wildcats’ defense their due. I didn’t think they could stand up to LSU’s physical running game and they did. Of course, Les Miles’ strangely conservative playcalling didn’t hurt. And where was Ryan Perrilloux during the second half and OT? But it was a great win for Kentucky and well worth the $50,000 in fines they had to pay the SEC for its fans storming the field. That won’t be a problem this week. It’s hard to see the Wildcats being at that same emotional pitch again, especially against a team which had last week off. Florida 35, Kentucky 28.
Arkansas at Mississippi—Toughest game of the week to call in the SEC. Who knows what the Razorbacks’ mood will be after that 9-7 loss last week to Auburn? Will they still play hard at 0-3 in the SEC or will they tank, knowing the best they can do is a second-tier bowl for their lame-duck coach? Mississippi is still playing hard, as witnessed by their effort against Alabama. I’d love to pick the Rebels, but man, I just can’t get past the thought of their horrid defense vs. Darren McFadden. Arkansas 31, Mississippi 28.
Auburn at LSU—At least Miles shouldered the blame for the loss at Kentucky. That partially makes up for him blowing off the post-game handshake with Kentucky’s Rich Brooks. I’m guessing he won’t blow off this week’s handshake with Auburn’s Tommy Tuberville. This should be an old-style SEC slugfest, full of three-yard runs, fierce collisions and earthquake-type noise in Death Valley. I don’t like the Tigers’ run-first, pass-only-when-necessary offense in that environment. LSU 20, Auburn 7. 

Posted by The Continuous News Desk
College Sports

We’re going to see just who’s paying attention in blog land tonight and pick Saturday’s SEC winners.
Tennessee at Mississippi State: On paper, this seems like a perfect letdown spot for the Volunteers, which played their first good game of the season last week in stomping Georgia. And the Bulldogs are 4-2 and playing in Starkville, so the chance of an upset exists. But Tennessee has more talent, more diversity on offense and motivation, thanks to MSU coach Sylvester Croom’s claims that the Vols “had better put nine men in the box” to stop the Bulldogs’ power running game. I’m willing to bet UT isn’t resting on its laurels of one week. Tennessee 24, Mississippi State 13.
Alabama at Mississippi: If the first three weeks were a honeymoon for Crimson Tide fans and new coach Nick Saban, the last three have been a dose of reality. Alabama snapped its two-game losing streak last week but had to stop a last-play pass into the end zone to hold off Houston. If the Tide have to go down to the last play this week against the Rebels, something’s up. Its shutout win against Louisiana Tech aside, Ole Miss simply isn’t very good, aside from NFL-ready left tackle Michael Oher. Alabama 27, Mississippi 14.
South Carolina at North Carolina: The best thing to happen for the Gamecocks might have been the Tar Heels’ upset of Miami last week. If nothing else, it serves as a warning shot—be ready to play or you’ll lose in Chapel Hill, too. South Carolina’s offense may have turned a corner with freshman quarterback Chris Smelley, who’s played well and avoided killing mistakes in wins against Mississippi State and Kentucky. UNC is improving rapidly under coach Butch Davis but doesn’t quite have enough talent to win this one. South Carolina 31, North Carolina 20.
LSU at Kentucky: There’s no doubt the Tigers are the nation’s best team, but it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them lose a game, primarily because this league is so tough that they could come out without their “A” game and lose to someone playing at their best. If the Wildcats were a little more stout defensively, this might be that week. But Kentucky’s inability to consistently stop the opposition means LSU should piece together enough points to hold off Andre Woodson and Co. LSU 34, Kentucky 24.
Georgia at Vanderbilt: Two embarrassed teams are getting together in Nashville, with the loser’s East Division title hopes officially headed down the rabbit hole. It was stunning to see the Bulldogs offer little resistance last week in Knoxville, given their recent history of road success. It wasn’t quite as stunning to see the Commodores tank in their first road game at Auburn, although their defense played surprisingly badly against a pedestrian offense. If Vandy didn’t have QB issues, I’d seriously consider picking it. Georgia 20, Vanderbilt 14.
Auburn at Arkansas: In the non-LSU division of the SEC, Auburn currently looks like the best team. The Tigers now have tailback depth which can only be rivaled by LSU and Tennessee, as well as a mean defense which is playing with swagger. Last year’s 27-10 drumming against the Razorbacks in Auburn should only serve as an extra motivator. Arkansas has perhaps the nation’s best player in TB Darren McFadden but also can’t stop anyone who’s good, which is why it’s looking at an 0-3 start in the SEC. Auburn 28, Arkansas 20.
Remember, these picks are for entertainment only, not for wagering purposes ... so if you drop a bill or two on these games and lose, don’t blame your friendly neighborhood blogger! 

Posted by The Continuous News Desk
College Sports