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SEC Notebook: South's Oldest Rivalry

Jim Henry — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi State, South Carolina, SEC

Georgia vs. Auburn.

It doesn't get any better, or older, than this for these two schools. Known as the Deep South's Oldest Rivalry, the series began in 1892 and is the seventh-most played in the country. The mutual disdain has been passed down through the generations, and the 113th meeting Saturday isn't expected to be any different.

"Everybody has their team," Georgia coach Mark Richt said.

"When I go to the Bulldog Clubs, they will say, 'Coach no matter what happens, you have to get this one.' You would think it's just one or two teams, but it's about five of them that they all feel like you've just got to have. It is a big deal and I think our fans will get jacked up for it."

Georgia (5-4) better be jacked up as well, or it may get Uga-ly in Athens, Ga.

The Tigers (7-3) rank 10th in the nation in rushing offense (230 yards per game) and are tied for 11th in scoring offense (35 points per game). Auburn is on pace to set a school record for total offense. The Tigers have had 24 scoring drives this season that have taken less than two minutes, and 21 of those ended with touchdowns.

"You have to get a good, strong plan and get the guys as many reps as you can because they are into creating chaos for you," Richt said. "That's what they want to do; they want to create confusion and bloody your nose in the meantime."

Recent history is on the Bulldogs' side.

Georgia has won three straight in the series for the first time since 1982. The last time the Bulldogs won four in a row was in 1948.Georgia is hoping to exploit the Tigers' defense, which ranks last in the SEC in scoring defense (26.6 points per game).

The Bulldogs gained some needed confidence in their 38-0 win over Tennessee Tech last Saturday. They limited Tech to just 55 yards of offense and posted their first shutout since 2006.

Senior Joe Cox connected on his first 10 passes and finished with 140 yards passing with two touchdowns. Sophomore wide receiver A.J. Green leads the SEC in receptions per game (5.5) and receiving yards per game (91.5).

"He will be a huge challenge for our secondary, which should be fun for them," Auburn coach Gene Chizik said. "He is not the only one, but he is one of those receivers that are going to make you go to work all night."

BIG PLAY ALERT

It might be nit-picky, but top-ranked Florida continues to search for big plays.

In seven SEC games this season, the Gators have produced only two plays of 50 yards or longer -- a 77-yard touchdown pass from Tim Tebow to receiver Deonte Thompson against Arkansas, and a 64-yard pass from Tebow to tight end Aaron Hernandez late in the game against Vanderbilt. UF's three other 50-plus yard plays came against out-manned Charleston Southern.

Last season, the Gators had 10 plays of 50 yards or longer, five coming against SEC opponents.

UF offensive coordinator Steve Addazio defended his unit following practice earlier this week.

"We define big plays as 20 or more yards," he said.

"There are a lot of big plays happening. The same number at this point in time, we're about right where we were, there is really negligible difference, but you're feeling is like we're not having as many big plays.

"Here's what we're doing a good job of, this is what it is: We're moving the ball much more consistently than we ever did. The appearance was we had more big-play strikes a year ago. A big play is defined as 20 yards or more, that's considered explosive, we have the same amount of explosives as we did a year ago at this point in time."

Running to Daylight

Saturday's Alabama-Mississippi State game features the SEC's two most productive running backs.

Alabama's Mark Ingram, right, considered by many as the leading contender for the Heisman Trophy, leads the league in rushing at 127.6 yards per game; Mississippi State's Anthony Dixon is second at 125.1 ypg.

It might be the one chance for Dixon and the Bulldogs to grab the attention away from Ingram and the Crimson Tide (9-0, 6-0), winners of the SEC West.

"It's going to be fun," Dixon said.

"I guess this is what we dreamed about when we were kids. He's in the Heisman race and all props to him. I'm pretty sure he's been over there working hard. I've been over here working hard. Both of us are making the dream come true, and it's just going to be a showcase Saturday. We'll show again what we can do. I'm just excited, pumped up and ready to go."

Mississippi State has won two of the last three against Alabama, which is coming off an emotional home victory over LSU.

Ever-philosophical Tide coach Nick Saban isn't worried about a letdown from his players.

"I think what I talk about all the time is what you try and emphasize to the players," Saban said.

"Take care of your business and your business will take care of you. Focus on what you do and it's about what you do and prepare yourself in practice and the way you need to be the best player that you can be. Do your job for your team and that's going to give us the best chance to be successful."

Spurrier in Charge

South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier is moving back into the lead role again of calling plays. Just in time for top-ranked Florida, where the Ol' Ball Coach crafted his reputation as the best play caller in the business.

Business needs to get better in a hurry for the Gamecocks.

The only scoring from South Carolina (6-4) against an Arkansas defense last week that was allowing 27 points per game came on a 23-yard field goal on the first drive of the game, and a Stephen Garcia 1-yard rushing touchdown in the second quarterback and an 80-yard scoring pass from Garcia to receiver Alshon Jeffery to start the third quarter.

UF's defense, directed by former Gamecock defensive coordinator Charlie Strong, is ranked first in scoring defense at 10.1 points per game and second nationally behind Texas in total defense at 232.4 yards per game.

"I call most of the plays and I may be the principle play caller now with suggestions from the other coaches," said Spurrier, who also indicated earlier this week he intends to return to South Carolina next season.

"That's about how we've been doing it."

SEC Notebook: South's Oldest Rivalry originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SEC Notebook: Polls Not Tide's Concern

Jim Henry — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 13:15:00 EST

Filed under: Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, LSU, Mississippi, Mississippi State, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, SEC

When it comes to debating rankings, Alabama head coach Nick Saban is a fuddy-duddy.

So there's no need to waste your time, even if the Crimson Tide leapfrogged SEC rival Florida into the top spot of this week's Associated Press poll. Of course, Alabama is also ranked second behind the Gators in the initial installment of the weekly BCS poll that will determine national title invites by early December.

Saban doesn't mean to be a killjoy -- or does he? -- but his game-at-a-time mantra is focused on Saturday's showdown against visiting Tennessee.

"If anybody asks me any questions about where we're ranked or what the poll is, what matters?" Saban asked. "Why does it matter? What's changed from this week to this Monday to last Monday? What's changed? We've got another game. This is the most important game of the year."

OK, agreed.

The Crimson Tide (7-0) is determined to finish October with a flourish. Off next Saturday, Alabama closes out a three-game homestand with a visit from LSU on November 7 before it positions itself for the regular-season's final stretch.

Of course, Alabama could have its hands full with the Vols (3-3) if not careful. But if the Crimson Tide is need of a hero, a shining star has risen from the Crimson Tide's backfield, and his name is Mark Ingram.

The sophomore has rushed for 905 yards and eight touchdowns for 129.29 yards per game average to rank fourth nationally and first in the SEC. Ingram's flashy -- he leads the nation with 30 rushes of 10 or more yards and also has chipped in eight receptions for 10 or more yards. And Ingram's tough -- he has gained 580 yards after first contact.

Best yet, Ingram is coming off his best performance of the season, rushing for 246 yards against South Carolina last week.

"He's a great competitor and a driven guy," Saban said.

"He works hard in practice every week. He plays fast all the time. He has a great competitive spirit and certainly will stay focused on the things that are going to help him continue to satisfy his goals."

Don't look for Alabama to change its goals, or its approach, according to the philosophical Saban.

"I'm very hopeful that we can stay on the positive side of it and be positive about our approach to what we are trying to accomplish and what we're trying to do and not get risk-aversive and start playing to keep from getting beat and a lot of negative motivation about what's going to happen if this happens and all that kind of stuff," Saban said.

"Not to avoid but to gain, is the way we'd like to approach it."

FINALLY, A STRONG FINISH?

South Carolina has been down this road before.

The Gamecocks are 5-2 and positioned nicely to make this coach Steve Spurrier's most successful season at South Carolina. The Gamecocks can continue their surge with a home victory over Vanderbilt on Saturday, a win that would give Spurrier 105 conference wins and tie him with Vince Dooley for third-most in SEC history.

Spurrier isn't one to relax, even if Vanderbilt has lost five straight conference games. Let's not forget the Commodores have beaten the Gamecocks the past two years.

"We're not a real dominant team," Spurrier said. "I think we're a real good team. We can play with almost anybody. We have to play a lot harder. We have to play with courage, effort and smarts."

That approach could help the Gamecocks avoid an unsettling trend of poor finishes. They lost their final three games last season, their final five in 2007 and, for the record, are 10-15 from the midway point of October under Spurrier.

"The pressure is on us to play the best we can every week," Spurrier said.

"We don't get too much in what happened last year or the year before. They outplayed us the last two years. They were better than we were. Give them credit. We'll try to play better this year and coach better, and see if we can come out on top against Vanderbilt."

ROAD TRIP

Save the postcards.

Florida hasn't enjoyed its past visits to Starkville, Miss.

The Gators travel to Mississippi State on Saturday seeking their first win at Davis Wade Stadium since 1985. They have dropped their last four games there, losing to the Bulldogs in 1986, 1992, 2000 and 2004. Second-ranked UF entered three of the games ranked, and two of the games are among the 12 conference defeats that Spurrier suffered as Florida's coach.

The showdown is also a reunion for Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen, a former assistant coach under UF's Urban Meyer since their days at Utah. Mullen last served as the Gators' offensive coordinator, helping quarterback Tim Tebow win the Heisman Trophy and UF a pair of national titles.

"We're coming in, planning to win the football game," Mullen said.

"You never go to play a game that you think you can't win. Our guys are focusing on winning the game this Saturday, and focusing on doing the things you have to do to win the football game. There's nothing quite like winning a football game. It isn't anything crazy we need to do to win, we just have to focus on the game plan at hand in order to come out victorious."

OFFENSIVE OUTBURST

LSU and Auburn tangle in a game where both teams need their offense to set the tone.

LSU, which was off last week, is 5-1 overall and 3-1 in the SEC. The Tigers are one of two SEC West teams -- the other is Alabama -- to control its own destiny in the division race.

They will need solid performances from quarterback Jordan Jefferson and running back Charles Scott. Jefferson has been inconsistent as a passer and Scott is in search of a breakout game. LSU figures to rely heavily on the run because Auburn is allowing 181.4 yards per game, 11th in the SEC and 99th nationally.

Auburn, meanwhile, is coming off its worst offensive performance of the season, managing just 315 yards in its 21-14 loss to Kentucky.

Auburn (5-2, 2-2), which opened the season with five consecutive wins, has scored a combined 37 points in its past two games; it scored at least 37 in each of its first four. The passing attack is struggling, too. Quarterback Chris Todd threw 11 touchdown passes in the first four games but just one in the past three.

"You can't pinpoint our struggles on one thing. I don't believe in that," Auburn coach Gene Chizik said.

"There are a lot of things that can go wrong. I still feel that we can fix some of the mistakes and get back on track. There's a lot of issues in there, and we really feel very strongly that we're going to get that rectified. But it has been off the last two weeks."

SEC Notebook: Polls Not Tide's Concern originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 13:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SEC Notebook: Rolling With Tide

Jim Henry — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 19:25:00 EST

Filed under: Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, South Carolina, SEC

Alabama coach Nick Saban certainly likes the Crimson Tide's offensive efficiency.

Alabama has stepped it up through the first five games this year, compared to the first give games in 2008. Alabama is averaging three points more points per game more and 86 more total yards per game above last season. The passing offense is where the major improvement has been, with the Tide throwing for 1,173 yards and nine touchdowns compared to 808 yards and six scores last season.

That's not all. For the first time since 1979, and just the third time in school history, No. 3 Alabama has opened the season with five straight games of 30 points or more. The Tide looks to extend that streak to six games on Saturday at No. 20 Mississippi.

"I think we've had good balance offensively," Saban said.

"I think we have been efficient in throwing the ball, which is important. We have been effective enough running it and I think the balance that we've created has probably been the key to our success and think it's going to be a key to future success that we continue to do that. If we can do both things equally well it will keep people off-balance and we have a multiple number of guys that are contributing to do that and making plays."

While Alabama still has an outstanding ground game, the passing game behind new quarterback Greg McElroy and a more seasoned group of receivers, tight ends and running backs has given the Tide more offensive punch. Alabama is averaging 228.2 rushing yards (10th nationally) and 234.6 passing yards (48th nationally) Overall, the Tide has completed 40 passes to receivers, 28 to backs and 19 to tight ends.

"We have good guys and that's just another opportunity to get them the ball in space," Saban said.

"I think the tight end is probably the best mismatched player on the field. I've always said that, in terms of who is covering him, where he lines up and how he gets defended. All these things are positives in my opinion. The quarterback makes good decisions and gets the ball in the right places and he's got the patience to do it and that's one of the reasons we have not turned it over a lot is we're not putting the ball where it shouldn't be going."

And, in case anyone is counting, McElroy has now won his last 21 starts at quarterback, going 16-0 as a high school senior in 2005 and 5-0 for the Tide in 2009.

Alabama also has beaten Ole' Miss five consecutive games, including the last two played in Oxford, Miss. But both of those games were decided on the final play.

"When you watch Alabama you don't see many weaknesses - offense, defense and special teams - they are playing excellent football right now," Ole' Miss coach Houston Nutt said. "They have excellent athletes and they don't make mistakes. They feed off of their opponent's mistakes. They are very physical and their guys can run."

Rise and Shine

The SEC has deals with CBS and ESPN, and every team in the league will be on television this weekend. Of course, that means some teams wills start earlier than others.

Better keep the pancakes and eggs warm for the Arkansas-Auburn showdown. It's slated for an 11AM CT kickoff.

"We'll get them off the field a little quicker on Thursday, so we try to get their legs back," Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino said.

"We'll get out of our meetings a little bit earlier on Friday night, get them in bed a little earlier, and then obviously they have to get up early and get going. I've always enjoyed early games and I think our players do too -- where you don't have to wait around and sit around in the hotel all day."

Auburn coach Gene Chizik admits the early kickoff alters the Tigers' routine -- at least he thinks it will.

"This is uncharted territory for us," he said.

"All of our games have been night games so far and it will be interesting. For early games we get up, eat, then play, but it shouldn't really affect us. This does create a new series of things that we will encounter, especially with such a young team."

Repeat Performance?

Last season, Arkansas beat No. 20 Auburn 25-22 in Alabama. Running back Michael Smith carried the ball 35 times for 176 yards and one touchdown.

Will Smith have another big game?

At the moment, Smith just wants to contribute.

Smith, who finished with 1,072 yards and eight touchdowns last season, has only 32 carries for 180 yards and one touchdown through the first four games this season. That's a dramatic decline from this time a year ago when, despite being suspended for the season opener, he had 54 carries for 295 yards and two touchdowns through the first four games of the season.

He's on pace to finish the regular season with 540 rushing yards.

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Middle Tennessee State quarterback Dwight Dasher (9) avoids the tackle of Troy's Bear Woods (48) in the first half of an NCAA college football game in Troy, Ala., Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2009. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

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In this photo taken on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2009, TCU defensive end Jerry Hughes watches from the sidelines during the final minutes of an NCAA college football game against Texas State in Fort Worth, Texas. The transformation of Jerry Hughes from prep running back to All-American defensive end was never more evident than the picture of a skinny kid somebody taped to his locker. Now nearly 50 pounds heavier and a senior for No. 11 TCU, Hughes now looks more like a potential first-round NFL draft pick. (AP Photo/Donna McWilliam)

In this photo taken on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2009, TCU defensive end Jerry Hughes runs off the field during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Texas State in Fort Worth, Texas.The transformation of Jerry Hughes from prep running back to All-American defensive end was never more evident than the picture of a skinny kid somebody taped to his locker. Now nearly 50 pounds heavier and a senior for No. 11 TCU, Hughes now looks more like a potential first-round NFL draft pick. (AP Photo/Donna McWilliam)

NEW YORK - OCTOBER 06: Matt Moore, a former college football player at Texas Christian attends The 24th Annual Great Sports Legends Dinner benefiting The Buoniconti Fund to Cure Paralysis (national fundraising arm of The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis) at The Waldorf=Astoria on October 6, 2009 in New York, New York. (Photo by Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images for The Miami Project) *** Local Caption *** Matt Moore *** Local Caption *** Matt Moore *** Local Caption *** Matt Moore

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Troy receiver Chip Reeves (8) celebrates with teammate Sergio Perez, rear, after scoring on a 52-yard pass reception in the first half of an NCAA college football game against Middle Tennessee in Troy, Ala., Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2009. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

Troy linebacker Boris Lee (2) breaks up a pass intended for Middle Tennessee State receiver Malcolm Beyah (4) in the first half of an NCAA college football game in Troy, Ala., Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2009. At left is Troy defender Tebiarus Gill. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

Troy running back Shawn Southward (20) reacts after scoring in the first quarter during an NCAA college football game against Middle Tennessee State in Troy, Ala., Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2009. Middle Tennessee States's Emmanuel Perez (91) and Jeremy Kellem (20) walk away. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

Troy receiver Chip Reeves (8) is pursued by Middle Tennessee State's Marcus Udell (3) on a 52-yard touchdown reception in the first half of an NCAA college football game in Troy, Ala., Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2009. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

"I need to run better," said Smith, who led the team in receptions with five for 65 yards and a touchdown in last week's victory over Texas A&M. "If I begin to run better, then the amount of touches won't matter because I'll be gaining more yards with each game."

Praising Garcia

South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier is slow to praise his quarterbacks, particularly Stephen Garcia. But in his first full season as a starter, Garcia is playing well. The Gamecocks are third in the SEC and 14th nationally in total defense (264.4 yards per game).

"He's doing some better things," Spurrier said.

"We certainly hope and believe that he can continue advancing and throwing the ball more accurately here and there, but he did throw some good balls in the second half last week [in the win over South Carolina State]. That was encouraging. We need to throw some perfect passes.

"Receivers are running some decent routes, but that can get better. Pass protection can get better certainly ... fortunately we have a really good defense and we don't have to score every time we touch it. We've had one turnover per game -- five turnovers. Heck we had four in the first half of a game last year so we've come a long way."

SEC Notebook: Rolling With Tide originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Thu, 08 Oct 2009 19:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SEC Notebook: LSU a Tale of 2 Tigers

Jim Henry — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 12:30:00 EST

Filed under: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, LSU, South Carolina, SEC

Will the real LSU please stand up?

Fourth-ranked LSU is between the hedges Saturday at No. 18 Georgia in a pivotal SEC showdown. Not only are the Tigers looking for their first victory in Athens, Ga., since 1986, they are facing their first ranked opponent of the season. Both challenges expect to test a LSU team still in search of its identity a month into the season.

"We're fortunate to be 4-0; we'd like to be 5-0, and only the next opponent stands between us and that goal," said LSU coach Les Miles, who will be making his first trip to Athens.

"I've never been to Athens, and I've never played between the hedges. I talked to (defensive coordinator) John Chavis about it, and he said it's a great environment. It's very much like any of the great SEC venues. It's loud and fun, and you'll really enjoy it. I really can't wait."

Georgia has won three straight and six of the last eight against the Tigers, tabbed a three-point underdog.

LSU's offense has played well this season behind quarterback Jordan Jefferson, who has passed for 708 yards and seven touchdowns. Although the Tigers have a talented group of running backs, paced by Keiland Williams and Charles Scott, who have combined for 363 rushing yards, LSU's ground game has been hit and miss. Mississippi State stacked the box and held the Tigers to just 35 rushing yards last week.

"I still want to run the football. It's too fundamental to me not to be important, and I want that," Miles said.

"I want it for Charles Scott and that offensive line and Keiland Williams, and I want to be able to come off the football. But again, the defense can choose to play everybody inside, and that makes it a much more difficult position to run the football."

LSU, which has upcoming home games against top-ranked Florida and Auburn, is also looking to avoid becoming the country's fourth consecutive team in the Top 5 to lose. But there is good news, too.

For the second consecutive week the SEC has three of the top four teams in the country -- No. 1 Florida , No. 3 Alabama and the Tigers. The last conference to have three of the top four in the AP poll was the Big Eight in 1971, when Nebraska, Oklahoma and Colorado were Nos. 1, 2 and 3.

Georgia, meanwhile, is determined to take better care of the rock.

The Bulldogs have a total of 12 fumbles and interceptions through their first four games, but they've managed to win three times. Only five teams in the NCAA's top division have a worst turnover ratio than Georgia, which has recovered one fumble and made two interceptions for a whopping minus-9. The Tigers have the country's fifth-best turnover ratio (plus-7).

"Every time you throw, you're taking a chance. Every time you run it, you're risking a fumble," Georgia head coach Mark Richt said. "We've just got to play ball and work on the fundamentals, things like ball security and making good decisions. The better we block, the better chance we'll have of not having turnovers. It all works together."

The defense isn't doing its part, either. Georgia has forced fewer turnovers than any team in the SEC.

Three in a Row?

LSU has recorded a goal-line stand in back-to-back games.

Last week against Mississippi State, the Tiger defense turned back the Bulldogs at the goal line with just over a minute left in the game to preserve the victory. The Bulldogs had four shots at the Tigers, three coming at the 1-yard line, but LSU turned them away each time.

The big plays came on third down when LSU safety Chad Jones tipped away a pass and then on fourth down when Jones stopped Mississippi State quarterback Tyson Lee shy of the end zone. A week earlier, UL-Lafayette was turned back after three tries from the 1-yard line. UL-Lafayette's last attempt from the 1-yard line resulted in a fumble, which was recovered by Perry Riley.

Not First Rodeo

If Florida quarterback Tim Tebow is cleared medically to play against LSU Oct. 10, following last week's concussion suffered against Kentucky, look for the Gators to take extra steps to protect their quarterback in the pocket.

Even so, head coach Urban Meyer admits that's a challenge because Tebow is "not your typical quarterback."

"Typical quarterbacks, when they get in the open field, they run out of bounds or slide," Meyer said.

"A lot of the runs are not designed runs. If something is not there a lot of quarterbacks throw it away. You don't see Tim do that very often. He's going to try to get positive yards. It's not like this is our first rodeo. We're very well aware of the pounding he takes. We're going to be very conscious of it for the right reasons. We always have been. He is a little more than he ever has been, conscious of it."

Blocked Correctly

UF offensive coordinator Steve Addazio has accepted blame for the play call and blocking scheme that saw Tebow get tattooed by Kentucky defensive end Taylor Wyndham.

While it's still unclear whether that's just coach-speak or left tackle Matt Patchan missed an assignment -- Wyndham came off the edge unblocked -- UF lineman Mike Pouncey says the blocking was correct.

"We blocked it right," Pouncey said.

"It was a no-deep call so we run blocked to the right and the backside end comes free and Tebow has to get the ball out fast and he didn't get the ball out fast. He knew he was coming. Tebow takes those hits all the time. I don't think it was the hit hat really knocked him out. His head hit someone (Florida lineman Marcus Gilbert's knee).

Nope, Addazio said. It's his responsibility to get players in correct positions.

"Ultimately on that play right there, where everything didn't exactly go to plan, it should go on one guy's shoulders - mine," Addazio said.

"That's it. No one else's. There's a fine line in there. To say this guy didn't do that, it's not an accurate statement at all. It goes on me. It's not on any player. I have to be in a better scheme."

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In this Sept. 26, 2009 photo, Virginia Tech tailback Ryan Williams, carries a flag on to the field prior to the start of the Miami-Virginia Tech NCAA college football game at Lane Stadium in Blacksburg, Va. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)

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In this Sept. 19, 2009 photo, Virginia Tech tail back Ryan Williams powers forward for extra yardage during the first half of the Nebraska Virginia Tech NCAA college football game at Lane Stadium in Blacksburg, Va. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)

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New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, center, speaks, as New York Yankees' managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner left, and Yankees' president Randy Levine, right, listen during a news conference, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2009 at Yankee Stadium in New York. The Big East and Big 12 NCAA college football conferences and the Yankees announced on Wednesday that they have agreed to a four-year deal to play the first bowl in the Bronx since 1962.(AP Photo/Stephen Chernin)

New York Yankees' managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner, right, receives a football and helmet from Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe, second from left, as Big East commissioner John Marinatto, second from right, and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, left, look on, during a news conference, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2009 at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx borough of New York. The NCAA college football conferences and the New York Yankees announced on Wednesday that they have agreed to a four-year deal to play the first bowl in the Bronx since 1962. (AP Photo/Stephen Chernin)

A poster depicting how the football field will be situated stands on an easel during a press conference, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2009 at Yankee Stadium in New York. The Big East and Big 12 NCAA college football conferences and the New York Yankees announced on Wednesday that they have agreed to a four-year deal to play the first bowl in the Bronx since 1962.(AP Photo/Stephen Chernin)

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In Hand

When is the game in hand?

That question has been debated often this week following Tebow's injury. Tebow was TKO'd late in the third quarter with the Gators leading the Wildcats by 24 points.

"That's always a tough question because the issue is you want to finish the game in a sound, solid fashion (as) how you started it," LSU coach Les Miles said. "It's something where the coach weighs the responsibility of getting your starters out before they get hurt."

Alabama coach Nick Saban didn't think the UF-Kentucky game as out of reach.

"I think it's the game, I think it's team you're playing," Saban said. "We didn't take our starters out until we were ahead of Arkansas 35-7 halfway through the fourth quarter."

No Love

South Carolina failed to crack the national rankings this week following last Thursday's victory over then-No. 4 Ole Miss.

Don't look for Gamecocks head coach Steve Spurrier, one of 59 coaches to vote in the USA Today poll, to fling his visor in disgust.

"I haven't paid a lot of attention to that, and I don't think it's a big deal," Spurrier said.

SEC Notebook: LSU a Tale of 2 Tigers originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Thu, 01 Oct 2009 12:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Game South Carolina Silences Ole Miss

Ray Holloman — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 01:06:00 EST

Filed under: Mississippi, South Carolina, SEC

This is where Steve Spurrier would've stopped to take a team photo, or cracked a one-liner with the same brutal intent as Eric Norwood hunting Jevan Snead Thursday night, assuming the coach wasn't busy writing his name in the sky, challenging the opposing mascot to a duel, or something else larger than life but not larger than the Ol' Ball Coach.

In previous years, this is where Spurrier's head would've swollen so big it would've popped the visor right off his skull like a broken rubber band.

But, on Saturday night, in the wake of his biggest win at South Carolina, a 16-10 upset of No. 4 Ole Miss, there was as little trace of that Spurrier churlishness as there was Snead's Heisman hype.

In fact, he was darn near magnanimous.

"It was a wonderful victory for our team, our university and all Gamecocks," Spurrier said, a statement so polite you'd almost expect a bow tacked on the end.

Perhaps it was because he knows the weight of expectations that so gloomily sat on Houston Nutt's shoulders, or maybe the coach has developed a genteel streak in his golden years.

Or maybe he realized he hadn't done that much after all.

Sure, he'd beaten Ole Miss Thursday night. But beaten the No. 4 team? Maybe No. 4 in the SEC West.

"Who knows how good everybody is?" Spurrier asked. "The isn't the No. 1 or No. 2 team from last year. Ole Miss is a good team, but it's early in the year."

The Rebels were a case study in the sometimes frictionless rise through college football's rankings. They had beaten Florida last year -- in fact, Thursdays loss came just three days short of the one-year anniversary -- and beaten Texas Tech in the Cotton Bowl in January. That Texas Tech played with the sort of enthusiasm you'd expect to see in a dentist's office, or that the big win over Florida was immediately parlayed into a loss against these same Gamecocks last season didn't much matter.

They had a quarterback with Heisman hype, a win last year that was so good Tim Tebow had to give a plaque-worthy speech and a character of a coach that could turn a church service into a pep rally. And so they had a No. 7 ranking to start the season.

Then they had to go and pick on someone almost their own size.

The Rebels lost the battle of the trenches both ways Thursday night, and were more docile than dominant on the lines. They missed their city block of a left tackle Michael Oher, not to mention the experience of Maurice Miller and Darryl Harris, who started 20 games between them at the guard spots last season. On the defensive line, you didn't need a program to know first-round draft pick Jeria Perry was no longer in these parts.

But no one seemed more out of place than Snead, who didn't just lose his Heisman buzz but, if the vote were held today, would have a hard time getting a place anywhere on the all-SEC squads.

Snead's connected on just 7-of-21 passes while spending more time with the Gamecock defensive line than most of the South Carolina coaching staff. Even Spurrier must've wondered who voted that guy first team All-SEC (It was Spurrier, of course. Until he pinned it on a member of his staff then petitioned to have the vote changed). Dexter McCluster, the Rebels all-purpose offensive weapon, who's at least partly made of a Superball, barely touched the ball until the fourth quarter, and when he did seemed to end up with his helmet where he spikes should've been.

No, the Rebels weren't No. 4 Thursday night, but then again they haven't even played Game No. 4.

"I'm glad it's gone so we can get back to working and win some ball games," Ole Miss left tackle Bradley Sowell said of the team's lofty ranking. "You can't really pay attention to that, anyway."

But you couldn't avoid paying attention to the statement South Carolina made, that elusive signature win of the Spurrier era that arrived as hard and fast as Norwood did on Snead's backside again and again.

On one play, South Carolina's star linebacker set the school's sack record with his 27th career tally, a rush on third-and-20 on Ole Miss' opening drive that brought down Snead for a five-yard loss. On the rest of the plays, he simply made the argument that he's the best defensive player in the SEC, with no apologies given to that ball vacuum in Tennessee's defensive backfield.

"That's a real man coming up that edge," Nutt said of Norwood, who finished with 10 tackles, two sacks and another two quarterback hurries. "You have to account for him. We knew that, but he still made it awfully tough on us. ... He's relentless."

Offensively Stephen Garcia again proved there's more to him than off-field troubles and getting shuffled in and out of games last season by Spurrier, a man who flips through his quarterbacks like most people flip through their iPod. Thursday night, he looked every bit the rock of a quarterback who could lead a just-good-enough offensive attack to pair with South Carolina's defense. When the Ole Miss rush found Garcia, he evaded it. When he needed to throw the ball away, he tossed it on the sidelines. When his team needed to keep the clock rolling on third down late in the third quarter, he lowered his head and went in against a pair of Gamecocks instead of taking the easy way out across the nearby sideline.

And Garcia took enough hits to pass for filet mignon in any Columbia chop house. But he kept playing.

Even the Ole Ball Coach appeared to rekindle a competitive fire that seemed to have dissipated into smoke signals foretelling his retirement. In the biggest win in his school's history dating back nearly three decades, the coach found something his team needed to work on

"We couldn't get a first down in the fourth quarter," he complained to ESPN's Erin Andrews after his offense floundered on three final quarter possessions.

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COLUMBIA, SC - SEPTEMBER 24: Quarterback Stephen Garcia #5 of the South Carolina Gamecocks celebrates after throwing a touchdown pass in the third quarter of their game against the Mississippi Rebels at Williams-Brice Stadium on September 24, 2009 in Columbia, South Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Stephen Garcia

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COLUMBIA, SC - SEPTEMBER 24: Kicker Spencer Lanning #34 of the South Carolina Gamecocks tackles Marshay Green #8 of the Mississippi Rebels saving a touchdown during their game at Williams-Brice Stadium on September 24, 2009 in Columbia, South Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Marshay Green;Spencer Lanning

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COLUMBIA, SC - SEPTEMBER 24: Running back Brandon Bolden #34 of the Mississippi Rebels rushes against the South Carolina Gamecocks in the second quarter of their game at Williams-Brice Stadium on September 24, 2009 in Columbia, South Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Brandon Bolden

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COLUMBIA, SC - SEPTEMBER 24: Defensive end Cliff Matthews #83 of the South Carolina Gamecocks sacks quarterback Jevan Snead #4 of the Mississippi Rebels during their game at Williams-Brice Stadium on September 24, 2009 in Columbia, South Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Jevan Snead;Cliff Matthews

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Mississippi running back Cordera Eason (25) meets South Carolina South Carolina free safety Chris Culliver during the first quarter at Williams Brice Stadium in Columbia, South Carolina, Thursday, September 24, 2009. (Erik Campos/The State/MCT)

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Mississippi running back Cordera Eason(25) is upended by South Carolina strong safety Darian Stewart (24) in the first quarter at Williams Brice Stadium in Columbia, South Carolina, Thursday, September 24, 2009. (Erik Campos/The State/MCT)

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South Carolina linebacker Eric Norwood (40) sacks Mississippi quarterback Jevan Snead (4) during the first quarter at Williams Brice Stadium in Columbia, South Carolina, Thursday, September 24, 2009. (Erik Campos/The State/MCT)

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South Carolina's Akeem Auguste (3) defends as Mississippi's Shay Hodges can't catch a pass in the end zone during the first half of an NCAA college football game Thursday, Sept. 24, 2009, at Williams Brice Stadium in Columbia, S.C. (AP Photo/Mary Ann Chastain)

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South Carolina quarterback Stephen Garcia (5) runs for a first down as Mississippi's Jerrell Powe (57) closes in during the first half of an NCAA college football game Thursday, Sept. 24, 2009, in Columbia, S.C. (AP Photo/Mary Ann Chastain)

South Carolina's Tori Gurley (81) makes a catch for a first down as Mississippi's Marshay Green (8) tries to stop him during the first half of an NCAA college football game Thursday, Sept. 24, 2009, at Williams Brice Stadium in Columbia, S.C. (AP Photo/Mary Ann Chastain)

Everything else had gone right. Punter Spencer Lanning made what turned out to be a game-saving tackle on a return by Marshay Green in the second quarter. A fake field goal attempt to Ole Miss ended with a tumble, not a touchdown. Ole Miss didn't find the end zone for three quarters.

And South Carolina had the biggest win of the Spurrier era, televised live on ESPN.

And yet, the coach played the role of gracious victor. Maybe that was his biggest mistake. On a night like this, a little crowing was in order.

Game South Carolina Silences Ole Miss originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Fri, 25 Sep 2009 01:06:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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South Carolina Upsets No. 4 Ole Miss

Brian Grummell — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 23:44:00 EST

Filed under: Mississippi, South Carolina, SEC

South Carolina had the honors of getting college football's fourth week off in high fashion, toppling preseason darling Mississippi 16-10 Thursday. Coming on the heels of Miami topping Georgia Tech last week, Thursday is fast becoming college football's version of Halloween, where underdogs dress up like contenders and make weird and wild things happen.

The win didn't come easy for South Carolina, however. Gamecock coach Steve Spurrier was the picture of agonized helplessness in the game's final period, alternating between shrugs, uncomfortable grins and palms-to-the-face while nursing a 16-3 lead. Relief finally came after his defense repelled Ole Miss' final charge at the Gamecocks' 41 yard line.

(Not to brag, but we told you so. Sort of. Ole Miss was ripe for an upset, with our only error being the assumption that they'd get through a few more weeks of play before reality set in. Apologies for that.)

Thursday's tumble falls very much at the feet of much-hyped quarterback Jevan Snead, whose Heisman Trophy chances are shot after this performance. Snead completed just 7 of 21 passes for 107 yards. He looked lost and nearly threw a handful of interceptions in a fashion eerily similar to USC's Aaron Corp against Washington last Saturday.

Snead spent the better part of the night simply surveying rather than executing, finding little and accomplishing less. He was rarely hurried, apparently finding time to sink the offense rather than make plays with his arm. Only the efforts of running back/wide receiver Dexter McCluster rescued the Rebels' offense from a potential shutout. McCluster rushed for 85 yards on 15 carries, perking up the slumping offense several times in the fourth quarter to little avail.

How one should interpret Ole Miss after this depends on what one thought of them before the season. The more skeptical among us received some confirmation, while those grooming Colonel Rebs' spectacular moustache must be confused. The reality is they weren't what popular perception said they were. The defense might have lived up to its reputation so far -- even with a hobbled Greg Hardy -- but the offense is flawed.

Snead's arm and pocket mobility is tremendous, but his receivers are undistinguished. Meanwhile, there's no bell cow in the backfield, forcing an over-reliance on the explosive but small McCluster, who is a superstar as a complementary player but merely above average as the centerpiece.

The signs were there last season, as the Rebels were mostly dominated in their stunning upset over Florida, with 86 of their 325 yards coming on a single broken-play touchdown pass in the fourth quarter. Snead was just 9 of 20 that afternoon, as the Rebels pounced on three Gator turnovers.

From there they clearly took off, but a hot team one season can't necessarily expect a carryover into the next. And so it is with the boys from Oxford, who lost to a team that was thought to be inferior. But the Rebels wound up showing they aren't necessarily all that superior themselves.

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Mississippi coach Houston Nutt leaves the field No. 4 Mississippi's 16-10 loss to South Carolina in an NCAA college football game Thursday, Sept. 24, 2009, in Columbia, S.C. (AP Photo/Mary Ann Chastain)

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South Carolina's Moe Brown (9) celebrates with fans after South Carolina's 16-10 win over No. 4 Mississippi in an NCAA college football game Thursday, Sept. 24, 2009, in Columbia, S.C. (AP Photo/Mary Ann Chastain)

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COLUMBIA, SC - SEPTEMBER 24: Jevan Snead #4 of the Ole Miss Rebels walks off the field against the South Carolina Gamecocks during their game at Williams-Brice Stadium on September 24, 2009 in Columbia, South Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Jevan Snead

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COLUMBIA, SC - SEPTEMBER 24: Fans of the South Carolina Gamecocks celebrate after a 16-10 victory over the Ole Miss Rebels after their game at Williams-Brice Stadium on September 24, 2009 in Columbia, South Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

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COLUMBIA, SC - SEPTEMBER 24: Stephen Garcia #5 of the South Carolina Gamecocks celebrates with teammate Darian Stewart #24 after a 16-10 vicotry over the Ole Miss Rebels during their game at Williams-Brice Stadium on September 24, 2009 in Columbia, South Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Stephen Garcia;Darian Stewart

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COLUMBIA, SC - SEPTEMBER 24: Stephen Garcia #5 of the South Carolina Gamecocks celebrates with fans after a 16-10 vicotry over the Ole Miss Rebels after their game at Williams-Brice Stadium on September 24, 2009 in Columbia, South Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Stephen Garcia

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COLUMBIA, SC - SEPTEMBER 24: Moe Brown #9 of the South Carolina Gamecocks celebrates with fans after a 16-10 victory over the Ole Miss Rebels after their game at Williams-Brice Stadium on September 24, 2009 in Columbia, South Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Moe Brown

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COLUMBIA, SC - SEPTEMBER 24: Chris Culliver #17 of the South Carolina Gamecocks celebrates with fans after a 16-10 victory over the Ole Miss Rebels after their game at Williams-Brice Stadium on September 24, 2009 in Columbia, South Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Chris Culliver

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Mississippi's Brandon Bolden (34) runs for an apparent touchdown, but the play was called back because of a holding penalty during the first quarter of an NCAA college football game against South Carolina on Thursday, Sept. 24, 2009, at Williams Brice Stadium in Columbia, S.C. (AP Photo/Mary Ann Chastain)

South Carolina Upsets No. 4 Ole Miss originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Thu, 24 Sep 2009 23:44:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gosh Almighty, Is Ole Miss Really No. 4?

Clay Travis — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Mississippi, South Carolina

The biggest, best, and most intriguing game of the college football weekend is tonight -- Ole Miss at South Carolina. There are storylines aplenty, and we'll dive in to them all in a moment, but first, let's consider just how big of a game this is for Houston Nutt's Ole Miss, the stealthy No. 4 team in the country.

Let me repeat that, Ole Miss is now the No. 4 team in the country! You're shocked, right?

That's because the Rebels have only played twice, an opener on Sunday -- followed by the always frustrating second week bye -- and then last week against Southeast Louisiana. Chances are you didn't notice either game. So this game represents Ole Miss's debut on the national stage. Will it wilt or will it prove that Ole Miss can be known for something more than women in sundresses and the civil rights movement?

Meanwhile, on the other sideline, Steve Spurrier's Gamecocks have played three games, two of them incredibly difficult road games. They won against North Carolina State by four and lost against Georgia by four. Win this game, and at 3-1, the Gamecocks' season can still be a bright and shining success. Lose? Well, lose, and the Liberty Bowl looms. Memphis is lovely in early January. Or not. Yep, the stakes are high, my friends. And we wouldn't have it any other way.

South Carolina fans have been waiting for this game. Like their long-dead hero, the Swamp Fox Francis Marion, South Carolinians have been laying in wait in the misty swamps of the Palmetto State. They've ironed the blue flag with the palmetto tree, they've washed the white visors so they'll sparkle in the bright lights of Williams-Brice Stadium, been sending double-entendre laden e-mails about the Cocks all day, hauled the oysters to the back porch and left them there to be picked up in a mad dash to the fairground. Hell, many of them are already drinking in Five Points to prepare for this game, this exact moment in the season. The oysters all boil down to this.

Game-

Cocks.

Meanwhile, nervous Rebel fans are staring at the clock. Believe it or not, this is one of the two toughest road games they'll face all year -- the other is at Auburn -- and all season long they've been terrified of this Thursday night spectacle, the game when their team finally gets introduced to the nation. I've already written about the preseason trepidation, but now they're shutting down the Magnolia State, battening the proverbial hatches, opening the lower drawer of the desk and mixing the whiskey in early with the coke. This isn't a game to be enjoyed in the Grove; those will come later. This is a game to survive, a game to make the hatefest at home against Alabama in two weeks the most magical Saturday in Oxford since any day William Faulkner strolled into town.

Hotty

Toddy

We've been critical of them in the past, but thanks a ton to ESPN for Thursday night football. Even more importantly, thank God that decent games are set to be played on Thursday night. Now let's dive into some storylines worth paying attention to tonight.

1. If this is Steve Spurrier's final year, which I thought it was before the season began, this is his last chance for a truly seismic victory in his career?

OK, OK, he gets Florida in Columbia in November, but if you really think he's winning that game your visor is on too tight. This is it, the game when Spurrier can prove he's still got that magic. That at least for a night his 29-23 overall record at South Carolina, and 15-18 mark in conference, doesn't matter.

Is Steve Spurrier a legend slinking off the football stage, or can he, football's own prince of the forward pass, stage one last stirring victory in the age of spread formation-football?

At the end of the night, will Columbia party like it's 1999?

2. Is Ole Miss's Jevan Snead up to the hype?

Last year at this time Snead was most famous for being Colt McCoy's back-up. Now he's projected as a top-10 NFL draft pick by many scouts. Against Memphis he played an awful first half, but since that time he's improved. Of course, the competition has worsened as well.

Tonight, Rebel fans get their first look at the quarterback they hope will lead them to their first SEC Championship game since divisional play began and their first SEC title since 1963. Or to put that in a historical context, their first title since the year John F. Kennedy was assassinated.

Yeah, it's been a long time.

3. Remember that South Carolina won at Oxford last year.

Many incorrectly believe that after last season's victory over Florida, Ole Miss did not lose again. Wrong. The next week the Gamecocks rolled into town, withstood an early 14-3 deficit, and went on to win 31-24. For Rebels fans this was the first sign that Ole Miss couldn't withstand the hype -- the Rebels had been featured on Sports Illustrated after their Swamp victory.

So don't buy into the fact that these teams are impressed by rankings at all. South Carolina knows it can play with the Rebels; the Gamecocks proved it last year.

4. Ole Miss is only favored by three points.

If you ever needed a sign of how rugged and crazy Thursday night football can be, look no further than the line. If South Carolina wins, this game will be trumpeted as a huge upset. But it won't actually be one. These are two teams that are virtually even. The individual result might not suggest it, but if these two teams played 100 times, South Carolina would win at least 45 times.

South Carolina has won and lost by less than a touchdown already this season. I have a feeling that's going to happen again.

5. Stephen Garcia is still only a redshirt sophomore.

I know for every fan, especially South Carolina fans, it seems like he's been in school much longer. Partly that's because of the arrests, partly that's because Garcia's recruitment was such a public contest, but now that he's here, what is really capable of?

I don't think anyone knows, not even Steve Spurrier.

So far this season, Garcia's completion percentage is up about 10 points. Is he going to continue on this trajectory and make a vast leap forward or is he going to remain inconsistent? Tonight will go a long way towards answering this question.

6. Is Houston Nutt a top-tier coach in the SEC?

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In this photo taken on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2009, Texas defensive end Sergio Kindle, left, looks back at Texas Tech quarterback Taylor Potts, right, after sacking him for a 9-yard loss and a fumble during the fourth quarter of an NCAA college football game in Austin, Texas. The sack caused a fumble that set up Texas' last touchdown. Texas won 34-24. (AP Photo/Harry Cabluck)

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In this photo taken on Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2009, Nebraska kicker Alex Henery smiles during a news conference in Lincoln, Neb. Henery is a reliable kicker on the field and a reluctant celebrity off it. He kicked five field goals last week to account for all of Nebraska's scoring in the 16-15 loss at Virginia Tech, and holds a school-record 57-yarder in the game against Colorado last year.(AP Photo/Nati Harnik)

In this photo taken on Sept. 12, 2009, Nebraska kicker Alex Henery (90) kicks a field goal against Arkansas State, in an NCAA college football game in Lincoln, Neb. Henery is a reliable kicker on the field and a reluctant celebrity off it. He kicked five field goals last week to account for all of Nebraska's scoring in the 16-15 loss at Virginia Tech, and holds a school-record 57-yarder in the game against Colorado last year.(AP Photo/Nati Harnik)

In this photo taken on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2009, Texas wide receiver John Chiles is shown on the sideline during the fourth quarter of their 34-24 win in an NCAA college football game against Texas Tech in Austin, Texas. The plays designed last season to use quarterback Colt McCoy and then-backup John Chiles on the same play never really worked and they were scrapped. The No. 2 Longhorns have dusted off that "Q Package," renaming it the "Wild Horn," and used it with some success in their latest victory. Four plays averaged 11 yards, including a 34-yard run by Chiles in the first quarter against Texas Tech. (AP Photo/Harry Cabluck)

In this photo taken on Sept. 5, 2009, Mississippi State wide receiver Brandon McRae (6) breaks a tackle from Jackson State defensive back Jeremy Keys (8) during an NCAA college football game in Starkville, Miss. McRae, a senior, is considered the wily veteran in a receivers corps of mostly underclassmen, including a large number of freshmen players. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

In this photo taken on Saturday, Sept. 5, 2009, Notre Dame wide receiver Michael Floyd, heads upfield after making a catch during NCAA college football game against Nevada in South Bend, Ind.. Floyd is out for the season after breaking his collarbone in a game against Michigan State last weekend. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

In this photo taken on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2009, Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen pulls off his chin strap after he injured his ankle during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Michigan State in South Bend, Ind. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

In this photo taken on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2009, Virginia Tech head defensive coach, Bud Foster, right, and defensive line coach Charley Wiles, left, appeal to the officials during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Nebraska at Lane Stadium in Blacksburg, Va. The numbers only lie a little bit, so when Virginia Tech defensive coordinator sees that his team is ranked 107th in the nation against the run, he's not inclined to mince words. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)

University of Texas-San Antonio football coach Larry Coker poses with a team helmet in San Antonio, Texas, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2009. The 61-year-old who led the Miami Hurricanes to their last national title in 2001 is building a program from scratch at Texas-San Antonio, a long way from the spotlight Coker spent decades trying to reach before an infamous on-field brawl in 2006 helped cost him his job. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

In this photo taken on Saturday, Sept. 5, 2009, Louisville wide receiver Scott Long is unable to catch up to a pass from quarterback Justin Burke as Indiana State cornerback Donye McCleskey (2) tracks him during the first half of an NCAA college football game in Louisville, Ky Indiana State, the school best-known for producing NBA Hall of Famer Larry Bird, is back in the headlines with the longest losing streak in Division I football at 30 games (AP Photo/Ed Reinke)

In 10 years at Arkansas, Nutt went 42-38 in the SEC. In his first season at Ole Miss, he racked up five wins and three losses. So after 11 seasons of SEC football, Houston Dale Nutt is now 47-41 all-time.

This is not the record of an elite SEC coach. Putting that record somewhat into context against a coaching peer, in just 8 full seasons and a few games, Mark Richt already has 48 career SEC wins against just 18 losses.

If Nutt is going to establish himself as a legitimate force in the SEC, he has to win this game. Has to. Nutt also has to answer the criticism that he can only coach when people expect lesser results for his team. In the past his best years have all been unexpected. That has to change.

Now.

7. Will either of these teams contend in the SEC?

It's probably too early to call this a must-win game for Ole Miss. Certainly, if the Rebels lose this game they'll drop off the national stage and have to deal with being called overrated. But they can still bounce back in two weeks and beat Alabama in Oxford. Since the Rebels also get LSU at home, if they win both of those games, there's a very good chance they'll win the SEC West. That's no matter what they do tonight.

But if South Carolina loses this game to fall to 2-2 on the season, it will be eliminated from SEC East contention after only two games. Still worse, in one four-game stretch the Gamecocks have to travel to Alabama, to Tennessee, and to Arkansas. When they finish that run, they still have Florida and Clemson left to play in Columbia.

Bottom line, crack open the oysters and pour some sweet tea vodka, it's game time.

Gosh Almighty, Is Ole Miss Really No. 4? originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Thu, 24 Sep 2009 11:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SEC Notebook: Ole Miss Is Ready for the Ol' Ball Coach

Jim Henry — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 09:09:00 EST

Filed under: Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, LSU, Mississippi, Mississippi State, South Carolina, SEC

Many are skeptical of Mississippi's No. 4 ranking in the AP Top-25 poll because its wins so far have been against Memphis and Southeastern Louisiana. For trivia buffs, however, the Rebels last reached No. 4 in the rankings on Oct. 12, 1970.

Of course, the country will get a better idea about Ole Miss on Thursday night when it visits the Ol' Ball Coach and South Carolina in its SEC opener on national television.

The Gamecocks and Alabama were the last two teams to beat the Rebels, who are riding their longest win streak in nearly 37 years at eight straight games. (They also have the prestige of being the last team to have beaten defending national champion Florida).

Ole Miss has been counting down the days to this game against the Gamecocks.

"No question about it. You are ready to play a game like this," Rebels head coach Houston Nutt said. "It is going to be a great atmosphere. Our guys are looking forward to it. I know as coaches, we are. I think our players are even more so."

After struggling to a 3-4 start in 2008, Nutt's first year at Ole Miss, the Rebels finally got accustomed to each other and to Nutt's system. After losing to South Carolina 31-24 and Alabama 24-20, they reeled off six straight wins to finish the year, including an impressive Cotton Bowl victory over Texas Tech that got the buzz started about 2009.

The buzz has only increased.

Not only are the Rebels, who breezed through their first two games by a combined score of 97-20, shooting for a 3-0 start for the first time since 1989, they are seeking to snap a five-game skid in SEC openers.

"There is nothing like winning," Nutt said.

"The next game is always the biggest game of the year," Nutt added. "This is the biggest game of the year -- it is the next game and the first conference game. We've got to improve, and our guys know that. Our guys know that we are in for a real battle and everybody has to improve -- special teams, defense and offense. Any set of 11 that we send on the field have to be at their best -- starting with this game here."

For the Gamecocks, this is another chance for coach Steve Spurrier to record that breakthrough win that has been so elusive for him in Columbia, S.C. South Carolina is 1-31 all-time against Top-5 teams.

The Gamecocks' only win came in 1981 at No. 3 North Carolina, they have never beaten a Top-5 team at Williams-Brice Stadium, and, under Spurrier in five seasons, they are just 1-7 against Top-10 opponents and 5-13 against Top-25 foes.

"We're looking to try and pull it together on offense, defense and special teams," Spurrier said. "We haven't done it yet this season, and we hope to Thursday night."

OFFENSIVE IMPROVEMENTS
LSU coach Les Miles is searching for more production from its offense in Saturday's game against Mississippi State.

LSU is 12th out of 12 teams in the SEC and 90th nationally with 325.7 yards a game in total offense. The running game is also 10th in the SEC and 48th nationally with 163.7 yards a game. The Tigers did not get more than 100 yards rushing in a 31-3 win over Louisiana-Lafayette last Saturday until deep into the second half.

"I think we're looking for the best recipe in whatever we do, and I don't think we've hit it just yet," Miles said. "I can tell you that I think we are on things and making strides, but I don't know if we've hit our pace just yet, and we're working at it. I think we have good players, and it will be the offensive staff's task to get the ball in the hands of the play makers. I think we're doing that. We're doing it with a little difficulty, but we're doing it.

"The pace quickens as we go to Mississippi State. We have to get better on offense."

TAKING EVERY PRECAUTION
Florida head coach Urban Meyer has voiced his concerns this week about the flu bug hitting the Gators' football team.

All possible precautions are being taken. Florida spokesperson Steve McClain told reporters Sunday that players received a nasal spray vaccine over the weekend, not flu shots. Hand sanitizers are everywhere -- from meeting rooms to the cafeteria and one was even seen sitting on top of a cabinet during Monday's news conference.

Wide receiver David Nelson told the media there are hand-sanitizer bottles in everyone's locker, that players are constantly being told to wash their hands, take showers and drink fluids.

"We knew it was a problem," Nelson said. "There are Purell bottles probably in everybody's locker, everywhere you turn they're telling you to wash your hands, take a shower. We knew there was something going on and a few players were getting sick but we didn't know the extent of it."

ANOTHER OPINION ON TEBOW
Veteran Kentucky coach Rich Brooks has seen his share of great players. If you are wondering what he thinks about Florida quarterback Tim Tebow, well, here it is:

"Well, to me, he's just one of the all-time great college football players," Brooks said. "I think at quarterback, he's a hybrid. He's a single-wing, tailback quarterback. And there aren't many guys like that playing anymore, and that's why he's so unique right now. I mean, you just don't find that combination.

"Let's face it, he carried the ball what, 25 times last week against Tennessee? How many quarterbacks are doing that in the country? And he can throw it; he can kill you with his arm, he can kill you with his legs. He is extremely unique. There used to be players like that. I played with one, by the name of Terry Baker. He did not weigh 235 or 240 pounds, but he ran the ball and he threw the ball. He won the Heisman Trophy. Those kinds of players in today's football are very unique at that position."

ENOUGH -- AGAIN
For the second time in five months, SEC commissioner Mike Slive has ordered head coaches Urban Meyer of UF and Lane Kiffin of Tennessee to stop bickering at each other.

Slive admonished the coaches at the SEC Spring Meetings in May after Kiffin falsely accused Meyer of cheating in recruiting and numerous coaches needled each other on various recruiting topics. The pair has been at it again following last Saturday's UF-UT matchup in The Swamp.

Meyer said Sunday he didn't think Tennessee was "going after the win" and had "no urgency" in a 23-13 loss. Kiffin pointed out Monday that Meyer "feels he doesn't need to follow" Slive's warning before taking a jab at Meyer mentioning sick players after the game.

RAIN NOT A CONCERN
Storms have pounded Atlanta and surrounding areas, dropping 15 to 20 inches of rain over three days, causing nine deaths and an estimated $250 million in damage. But fans looking forward to Saturday's games won't have to worry about weather being an issue.

Athens, Ga., home of the University of Georgia Bulldogs, has not been damaged by the storms. The Bulldogs are set to host Arizona State Saturday.

STAYING IN JACKSONVILLE
The University of Georgia's Athletic Association Board of Directors voted to negotiate a six-year extension to keep the annual Florida-Georgia game in Jacksonville until 2016, the school announced Wednesday.

The current contract expires in 2010 and Georgia fans had pushed for the game to alternate between Jacksonville and Atlanta.

"An extraordinary amount of study has been done on the various options available and a great deal of input has been gathered," Georgia Athletic Director Damon Evans said in a release. "After all the fact-gathering and evaluation of those factors, I'm convinced that moving forward with discussions on extending the contract in Jacksonville is the appropriate way to go. I'm delighted the Board feels the same way."

SEC Notebook: Ole Miss Is Ready for the Ol' Ball Coach originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Thu, 24 Sep 2009 09:09:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SEC Notebook: Joe Cox's Many Maladies

Jim Henry — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, LSU, Mississippi, Mississippi State, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, SEC

Week 1 was the flu. Week 2 was shoulder soreness. OK, what's going on in Week 3?

The health of Georgia quarterback Joe Cox has been discussed, dissected and debated so much this young season that he could be a regular on General Hospital. Despite a jammed finger on his left non-throwing hand this week, Cox is in one piece -- and in good spirits. The rumors were so rampant last week that some believed Cox wouldn't start against South Carolina.

"It's definitely been interesting to see how crazy it can get just based off of what somebody says, but it hasn't been something that has been a distraction," said Cox, who injured his finger on an attempted tackle following an interception in the Bulldogs' win over South Carolina last Saturday.

"It's honestly something that we've all kind of laughed about."

While Georgia coach Mark Richt joked that Cox needed to wear an eye patch to meet with the media on Tuesday -- let's start another rumor -- Cox and the Bulldogs have been all business in their preparation for Saturday's SEC game at Arkansas. The Bulldogs have won the last five meetings against the Razorbacks, including all three in Fayetteville, Ark., and are on a five-game road SEC winning streak.

After losing its season-opener to Oklahoma State, Georgia rebounded with a dramatic 41-37 win at home over the Gamecocks. Arkansas was idle last week.

"It's like that old song," Richt said.

"You have to accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative, latch on to the affirmative and don't mess with mister in between. That's what we are trying to do. We are trying to really look at the positive things and build off of them, eliminate the negative things and we'll be OK. We'll keep getting better if that happens."

One positive has been Georgia's production in the red zone. The Bulldogs are a perfect 6-for-6 inside their opponent's 20-yard line, scoring four touchdowns (one rushing, three passing) and connecting on a pair of field goals. Another has been the play from junior linebacker Rennie Curran, who leads the SEC with 23 tackles in two games.

And let's not forget Cox, who was slowed by a flu virus in the opening week -- he lost 10 pounds -- and last week Georgia revealed that nerve damage in Cox's right shoulder prevents him from throwing one day each week in practice. While the throwing schedule gives backup Logan Gray valuable time with the first-team offense, Cox finished with a career-high 201 yards passing and two touchdowns in the win over South Carolina.

"Everybody kind of understands that's the way it is," Richt said of Cox's throwing schedule.

"Nobody really gets too bent out of shape. It's always nice to get your second team guy a lot of work. A lot of coaches won't do that, but we've always done a pretty good job of letting our second team and our third team getting a little work, but it's even more so this year because of that situation. It's definitely helping Logan (Gray)."

Bluegrass Fever

Kentucky has held the upper hand in the state, beating rival Louisville the past two years for the Governor's Cup and winning three consecutive bowl games. Kentucky looks to make it three straight over the Cardinals on Saturday.

The Wildcats enter the home game on a streak of 15 consecutive non-conference wins. It's the second-longest non-conference win streak in the nation and the longest for UK since a 17-game non-conference win stretch from 1954-60. Since mid-season 2006, the Wildcats have won 21 of their last 33 games overall.

Kentucky coach Rich Brooks is well aware how a victory over Louisville makes life so much easier.

"Well, you have to live in a vacuum to not hear about it all year long in this state," Brooks said.

"Any football fan, you hear it on the talk radio, you see it on the message boards, just everywhere and you hear it when you're out in public. You get constantly reminded of what side of that equation you're on but like the last two years we've been fortunate enough to win the game - that really doesn't count - what counts is what happens this year. This Saturday is what is really going to count."

A Familiar Face

Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy will face off against his old high school Saturday in North Texas' Tom Dodge, who coached McElroy at Southlake Carroll High just outside Dallas.North Texas starting quarterback Riley Dodge -- the son of coach Tom Dodge and McElroy's backup in high school -- will miss the game with a separated shoulder, however. Dodge was injured in the third quarter of Saturday's double-overtime loss to Ohio.

"That is disappointing," McElroy said.

"Riley has had a little run of bad luck. I wish I could be playing against him, but they've got to do what's best for them and their season. If holding them out against us will allow them to be more successful down the road this year, then I totally understand why they're doing it."

A Popular Dude

Branden Smith, a freshman cornerback at Georgia, played every position while at Washington-Atlanta and committed to Georgia to play cornerback. Smith also ran the fifth-fastest 100 meters (10.64 seconds) in Georgia high school history. Naturally, his speed and athleticism made Smith an easy candidate to see time on offense.

The first time Smith touched the ball against South Carolina, on a kickoff return in the first quarter, Smith fumbled. The second time, he was gone -- untouched for a touchdown on a 61-yard reverse on offense. Smith was stunned to discover he was an instant hero on campus.

"It has been hard walking around campus and people asking for autographs and everything," Smith said. "But right now I am just trying to stay focused on schoolwork. It has been a little weird that no one before asked me for my autographs, but I had a good game Saturday and now they ask me for autographs. It felt a little good."

Quick Impressions

Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen wasn't a happy camper following his team's 49-24 defeat to Auburn. The Bulldogs allowed 598 yards of total offense, including 390 on the ground. Mississippi State travels to Vanderbilt on Saturday.

"Not winning is not acceptable. I don't like using the 'L-word,'" Mullen said. "That is not acceptable for us and, when you don't come out on top, that is extremely disappointing."

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Latest College Football Photos

Penn State head football coach Joe Paterno answers a question during his weekly news conference on Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2009 in State College, Pa. Penn State plays Temple at home on Saturday. (AP Photo/Pat Little)

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Latest College Football Images

Penn State head football coach Joe Paterno gestures as he answers a question during his weekly news conference on Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2009 in State College, Pa. Penn State plays Temple at home on Saturday. (AP Photo/Pat Little)

Oklahoma State football coach Mike Gundy speaks during a news conference in Stillwater, Okla., Monday, Sept. 14, 2009. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Wisconsin head football coach Bret Bielema screams during the second half of an NCAA football game Saturday, Sept. 12, 2009, in Madison, Wis. It took two overtimes for a flu-ravaged Wisconsin team to defeat Fresno State. As the Badgers look toward Wofford this week, Bielema gives an update on how his team is handling the flu outbreak that affected 40 players last week. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

In this Saturday, Sept. 12, 2009, photo, Northwestern's Stefan Demos celebrates after kicking the game-winning 49-yard field goal against Eastern Michigan in the fourth quarter of an NCAA college football game in Evanston, Ill. Northwestern won 27-24. (AP Photo/David Banks)

In this Saturday, Sept. 12, 2009, photo Penn State linebacker Sean Lee, left, walks away after sacking Syracuse quarterback Greg Paulus, right, during the second half of their NCAA college football game in State College, Pa. Lee was so active against Syracuse, it seemed like the Penn State linebacker spent all day leveling opponents behind the line of scrimmage. Any lingering doubts about the health of his surgically-repaired right knee were erased in a dominating performance against the Orange. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

In this Saturday, Sept. 12, 2009, photo, Penn State linebacker Sean Lee (45) stands with assistant coach Tom Bradley on the sideline during the second half of their college football game against Syracuse in State College, Pa. Lee was so active against Syracuse, it seemed like the Penn State linebacker spent all day leveling opponents behind the line of scrimmage. Any lingering doubts about the health of his surgically-repaired right knee were erased in a dominating performance against the Orange. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Oregon State's Jacquizz Rodgers rushes for a key fourth quarter gain on the wiining drive of the Beavers 23-21 win over UNLV in an NCAA college football game on Saturday Sept. 12, 2009 in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Daniel Gluskoter)

COLUMBUS, OH - SEPTEMBER 12: Running back Stafon Johnson #13 of the USC Trojans celebrates in the end zone with teammate Jarvis Jones #10 after scoring a two yard touchdown in the fourth quarter over the Ohio State Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium on September 12, 2009 in Columbus, Ohio. USC won the game 18-15. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Stafon Johnson; Jarvis Jones

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COLUMBUS, OH - SEPTEMBER 12: Running back Stafon Johnson #13 of the USC Trojans celebrates in the end zone after scoring a two yard touchdown in the fourth quarter over the Ohio State Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium on September 12, 2009 in Columbus, Ohio. USC won the game 18-15. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Stafon Johnson

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Improvement must come quickly. Mississippi State is in the middle of a tough stretch. After Saturday's game in Nashville, the Bulldogs come home to host LSU, Georgia Tech and Houston, which just knocked off Oklahoma State.

"Last week, I was disappointed in our coaching staff as far as not putting our players in better positions to make plays," Mullen said. "There were a couple times we did do a good job and we made some plays and missed some plays, but we still have to be in better position to make plays when it comes to game time. We have a lot of things to still improve on."

Ol' Bully

Steve Spurrier, the Ol' Ball Coach, hasn't been able to elevate South Carolina's program to where he wants it -- yet. The Gamecocks lost an SEC heart-breaker at Georgia last Saturday, and they will be looking to rebound in their home-opener on Saturday against Florida Atlantic.

It shouldn't be a problem.

Spurrier is 36-0 against teams outside the six major BCS conferences. The Owls visited Columbia, S.C., in 2006, losing 45-6. The 39-point margin is the second biggest win for the Gamecocks under Spurrier.

Spurrier, the gracious host, pointed out that the Owls have been to bowl games the past two years, beating Memphis in 2007 and Central Michigan in 2008. But he didn't mention that Florida Atlantic opened its season with a 49-3 loss to Nebraska. And, case if you are wondering, Spurrier wasn't in the mood to talk about the Georgia game either.

"That game is history," he said.

"A lot of guys played well; a lot did not play very well. We're trying to get it behind us, that's all we can do now. We lost as a team. We were a play short. Wherever it was, it didn't work out. We're trying to correct a lot of mistakes we had in that game. We had a lot of mistakes in the first game. I still believe we have a pretty good team here. We're trying to put it all together."

By the Numbers ... Trent Richardson ran for 118 yards and two scores, leading the Crimson Tide to an easy 40-14 win over Florida International last Saturday. McElroy threw for 241 yards and a touchdown on 18-of-24 completions. ...Tim Tebow threw for 237 yards and tied a career high with four touchdown passes against Troy. The Gators also tied a school record with its 12th straight win. ... Georgia's kickoff return team set a record with 252 return yards. Brandon Boykin had four returns for 187 yards and a score. ... LSU outgained Vandy, 326-210, in total offense in its victory ... Anthony Dixon paced Mississippi State with 92 rushing yards and a touchdown on 20 carries, but he wasn't able to keep pace with the Auburn backs in defeat. ... Stephen Garcia went 31-for-53 with 313 yards, two scores and an interception and added 42 yards on 10 carries in South Carolina's defeat against Georgia.. ... Vanderbilt scored on a safety for the first time since 2004 in its game against LSU.

SEC Notebook: Joe Cox's Many Maladies originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 16 Sep 2009 11:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Georgia State Troopers Celebrate as Steve Spurrier Loses

Michael David Smith — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 09:30:00 EST

Filed under: Georgia, South Carolina

As is the case at college football games across the country, state troopers were on the sidelines when South Carolina played at Georgia Saturday night. But the officers from the Georgia Department of Public Safety who were on hand to get South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier off the field safely didn't just stand by to keep the peace: They also celebrated on the South Carolina sideline when Georgia clinched its 41-37 victory.

As South Carolina's final offensive play fell short, the Georgia officers clapped -- and then as Spurrier turned around, so disgusted he couldn't look at the field,the two officers immediately behind him did a fist bump. Spurrier did not react.

So what to make of this? Maybe I should just laugh it off and not be such a stick in the mud, but I think that's incredibly unprofessional of the troopers in question. Yes, I realize that most Georgia state troopers are going to be big Bulldogs fans, and it's going to be hard for them to restrain themselves when the Bulldogs win. But they need to. The players and coaches at South Carolina shouldn't have to deal with people on their sidelines celebrating when they lose. In the future, Georgia needs to find officers who can provide security and conduct themselves like professionals. Maybe Georgia Tech fans.

Georgia State Troopers Celebrate as Steve Spurrier Loses originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 14 Sep 2009 09:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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South Carolina Grinds Out 7-3 Victory Over North Carolina State

Brian Grummell — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 22:13:00 EST

Filed under: NC State, South Carolina, ACC, SEC

The dead ball era came to college football, at least for a night as South Carolina played ball control just a little bit better than North Carolina State. Both contributed woeful offensive performances, South Carolina finishing with 255 yards and North Carolina State just 133 in an ugly, sleepy affair.

A first half touchdown several plays after recovering a Toney Baker fumble deep in Wolfpack territory was all South Carolina needed. They actually missed a field goal and mishandled the snap on another but were never made to pay for their mistakes. North Carolina State receivers dropped endless passes, providing little help to quarterback Russel Wilson.

This was the second straight snoozefest game between the programs who hopefully get to take a national TV break for a few weeks. Fortunately for college football fans the much-anticipated Boise State and Oregon game is played later Thursday night.

South Carolina Grinds Out 7-3 Victory Over North Carolina State originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Thu, 03 Sep 2009 22:13:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Thursday Night FanHouse College Football Chat and Experts' Twitter Feed

Brian Grummell — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 18:47:00 EST

Filed under: Boise State, NC State, Oregon, South Carolina, Utah

College football is B - A - C - K so grab a seat, pop on ESPN or some other network if you're watching one of the undercard games (Coastal Carolina at Kent State, perhaps?), and lets talk college football's opening night starting at 7 PM Eastern.

A team of FanHouse writers will be your hosts and we'll have updated Twitter feeds from various sources related to the involved teams updating within the chat software. See it all ... after the jump!

Live Scoreboard | South Carolina Grinds Out Win
David Whitley: Erin Andrews Watch

&amp;amp;amp;lt;a href=&amp;amp;amp;quot;http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php?option=com_mobile&amp;amp;amp;amp;task=viewaltcast&amp;amp;amp;amp;altcast_code=90c1c933fa&amp;amp;amp;quot; &amp;amp;amp;gt;Thursday College Football Twitter Feed&amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;gt;

Thursday Night FanHouse College Football Chat and Experts' Twitter Feed originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Thu, 03 Sep 2009 18:47:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Erin Andrews Watch, the Live Blog

David Whitley — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 18:04:00 EST

Filed under: South Carolina, Media Watch

RALEIGH, N.C. -- If your money was on a burqa, you lose.

Erin Andrews showed up Thursday night in black tights, sleeveless cream-colored vest over a patterned shirt. Thus was answered the hottest question going into the college football season:

What would ESPN's sideline siren wear in her first public appearance since her last public appearance?

Almost everybody with a computer and a curiosity knows what Andrews was wearing in that one. The NC State-South Carolina is her first assignment since the peephole video propelled Andrews into Internet voyeurism history.

How will that affect college football's favorite sideshow? At the risk of sounding like a peephole pervert, we'll be tracking her every move to find out.

Read David Whitley's liveblog about Erin Andrews after the jump.

5:25 p.m.: Andrews enters Carter-Finley Stadium from the south end zone tunnel. As NC State's receivers run routes and catch passes on the field, she prepares to tape her pregame standup. None of the Wolfpack seem to notice her. Or maybe they don't recognize her with clothes on.

5:39 p.m.: Andrews finishes the taping. She appears comfortable with a microphone despite the six-week layoff.

6:57 p.m.: The press box announcer says the heat index is 77 degrees. It would be much higher if they'd show the peephole video on the scoreboard TV screen, but that would be blatant exploitation. And the NCAA only permits blatant exploitation of student-athletes, not its sideline announcers.

7:13 p.m.: On NC State a 's first offensive play, Toney Baker fumbles at the Wolfpack's 14-yard line. The fumble was caused by South Carolina defensive end Devin Taylor. "Good strip," the guy next to me said. I refuse to turn that into a reference to Erin Andrews.

7:24 p.m.: Taylor, apparently inspired by Andrews' return, blocks an NC State punt. Anp drews is standing at the 25-yard line on the other end of the field. She jots something down on a yellow legal pad. I can't be sure from my press box vantage point, but I think it says "Pick up more shampoo after game."

7:32 p.m.: Andrews walks from the north side of the field to the south in order to get a better view of the action. The route takes her behind the NC State bench and near the first row of fans. She is followed by a guy in a beige suit and one uniformed policeman. I'm not sure of the other security details, but I'm pretty sure I see a sniper team on the roof of the nearby NC State athletic complex.

7:56 p.m.: Andrews makes her third walk behind the NC State bench. She stops halfway and has a brief conversation with a Wolfpack trainer. Again, it's hard to read lips from a press box on top of the stadium, but I'm pretty sure she asked him if the black tights make her look fat.

8:05 p.m.: South Carolina blows another scoring chance with a bad snap on a field goal attempt. Andrews writes something on her legal pad, then she flips through about a dozen pages of notes. She takes great pride in her pre-game preparation, so I presume she's checking the section on "How to ask Steve Spurrier why his team is gagging without having him slap me with his visor."

8:19 p.m.: The first half ends. Andrews and a producer type walk onto the field to corral Spurrier as he walks toward the locker room. Spurrier grimaces, apparently unaware that he's the lucky winner of historic EA Lotto - First coach to be interviewed AV (After Video). But he knows he has to stop and chat since ESPN runs college football. Andrews gets out two questions about the line play or something like that. Spurrier gives the perfunctory answers and trots off without slapping her with his visor. Andrews then walks to the mini-compound ESPN has set up in the northwest corner of the field. It's impossible to tell who else is down there, but I swear I see Dr. Phil on the TV doing a halftime report. Please tell me he's talking about his Britney Spears intervention and how Andrews can learn from it.

8:43 p.m.: NC State coach Tom O'Brien apparently does not do halftime interviews. His team takes the field and Andrews doesn't even try to interview him before the second-half kickoff. Instead she does a quick standup. I'm not sure what she said since it lasted about 4.8 seconds and I was getting some popcorn. All I know is O'Brien may be the only male in America who has passed up a chance to saddle up next to Andrews.

8:58 p.m.: South Carolina misses an easy field goal, making approximately 14 blown scoring chances so far. I would bet my miniature-lens video camera that Andrews is jotting down "That will come back to haunt them" on her legal pad.

9:16 p..m.: NC State finally scores on 43-yard field goal. I'd like to give you Andrews' reaction but she's either been hiding behind a Gatorade cooler for the past 15 minutes or has left her sideline post. My hope is that she's gone to the ESPN trailer and is changing into a nun suit, just to make light of the peephole controversy and accusations that she dresses to impress frat boys.

9:22 p.m.: There she is! Andrews has moved to South Carolina's sideline. Alas, she did not change into the nun suit. Neither has the cop who's been tailing her for the past three hours.

9:35 p.m.: NC State is driving for the inevitable go-ahead touchdown, so Andrews has moved toward that end zone. From across the field it's easier to see exactly who is in her entourage. There's the cop, the guy in the beige suit, two cameramen and another guy carrying some sort of electronic device. If she'd had this much company in the hotel room we'd never had a scandal.

9:45 p.m.: NC State ended up punting. This game is a bad football comedy. At least the South Carolina bench is on the side of the field where NC State students sit, so there's a chance we'll see some drunken Sig Ep pledge hop over the wall and try to kiss Andrews. I can't think of any other reason to keep watching.

Erin Andrews Watch, the Live Blog originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Thu, 03 Sep 2009 18:04:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Prepare the Visor Toss, South Carolina Might Not Survive September

Clay Travis — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Boise State, NC State, Oregon, South Carolina, SEC

Did the air smell crisper to you last night? This morning did you beat your chest and bellow as loud as you could while staring at the heavens? I did. College football is back. Thank the Lord. But for some of us, such as South Carolina fans, the season is not getting off to a nice, easy start. Nope, they're traveling north and taking on N.C. State in a game that they're expected to lose. That's despite the 34-0 walloping they put on N.C. State on a Thursday night to start last season. In fact, of the four teams playing tonight on ESPN, South Carolina has more at stake than any of them. Yep, more than Boise State, Oregon, or the Woflpack.

Why?

Because South Carolina has to survive September or their season is going to implode in a hurry. Let's dive in to the college football bonanza and I'll tell you why Gamecock fans are covering their eyes with their visor lids. And it has nothing to do with the debut of the Wild Cock formation. Seriously, am I the only person who can't wait to here Verne Lundquist/Benjamin Franklin talk about the Wild Cock?
I love South Carolina fans and the football experience in Columbia. I like the oysters in the pregame, the dangerous medley that arrives when the South Carolina state fair coincides with a football game, the middle school enthusiasm that their male fan base has to scream out "Cocks" as loudly as they can in the midst of the Gamecocks cheer. I like the Cockabooses and the mildly creepy, yet at the same time awesome, way the camera guy zooms in on really hot coeds during the Carolina Girl song. I like Charleston and Hilton Head and Pat Conroy and the South Carolina state flag and the way that no matter how many hall-of-fame coaches whose career they run into the ground, South Carolina fans keep believing in their team.

Having said that, I don't like South Carolina's opening schedule.

Not at all.

In three of their first four games, including tonight at N.C. State, the Gamecocks will be the underdog. They'll be expected to lose at Georgia -- in a game that will doubtless end with a score of 12-10 and not be decided until the final play -- and at home on Thursday night against Ole Miss. Blessedly, in the third game of their schedule, they have a home win against Florida Atlantic penciled in. But right now, there's a strong likelihood that South Carolina comes out of September sitting at 1-3.

This is ominous, even aside from the disappointment of a 1-3 record.

South Carolina only has one game on their schedule after September that is a guaranteed win -- South Carolina State. Tremendous odds will be on the Gamecocks losing to Florida and at Alabama. If you finish September with three losses, you can chalk up five guaranteed losses with those two teams. Toss in games at Arkansas and at Tennessee, where they'll likely be underdogs, and games like Vanderbilt (who have beaten the Gamecocks twice in a row), Clemson, who the Gamecocks have only beaten three times since 1996 and Kentucky, and you're talking about a team that will struggle to get bowl eligible if they start poorly.

So if you're wondering which school has the most at stake in tonight's games, South Carolina is the answer. Because if they end September 1-3, as they're predicted to do, they aren't going to a bowl game and Steve Spurrier will be finished at the school.

Book it.

Yep, if South Carolina doesn't come out of September sitting at 2-2 at the worst, the season goes off the Cockaboose rails in a hurry. And N.C. State is an easier opponent than either Ole Miss or Georgia. So for the Gamecocks more so than any other team, they must win tonight. Their season depends on it. Hell, their coaches fate might depend on it.

I hope the oysters are in season.

Happy college football season, y'all.

Here are my first week picks against the spread. Starting next week, and this is the complete truth, I'm going to be picking against my family's French exchange student, Audrey. She knows nothing about college football. Which means she'll probably beat me for the season. But for now, it's just me against the world.

South Carolina at N.C. State -5.

I think the Gamecocks will lose. But I think it will be an agonizingly close loss. Say by three points on an N.C. State touchdown with less than two minutes to play.

Oregon at Boise State -3

How many times will blue turf be mentioned in tonight's game? Blue turf, blue turf, blue turf. How many times will it start a sentence? Better question, how many Oregon students will think they took the wrong mushrooms when this game opens?

Georgia at Oklahoma State -4.5

Mark Richt is 30-4 in road games with the Bulldogs. Of course, conveniently, that doesn't count neutral games at Florida. Suggestion for Oklahoma State fans: Gator Chomp all night long.

La. Tech at Auburn -12.5

True story, Auburn's Tri-Delts replaced Chris Todd at quarterback with a girl name Laci Reynolds because Chris Todd's arm wasn't strong enough. Todd responded by winning the starting quarterback job at Auburn.

Alabama -6.5 vs. Virginia Tech

Alabama fans are talking trash about how much of the Georgia Dome will be wearing crimson. Seriously, Virginia Tech, y'all can't travel down the road 7 hours for a game this big? For shame, Hokies, for shame.

LSU -17.5 at Washington

True story, Les Miles spent all offseason thinking Washington was in Washington, D.C. He's going to be shocked when the plane lands and he can't see the Washington Monument from his hotel room.
...
Clay Travis is the author of three books. His latest, On Rocky Top: A Front Row Seat to The End of an Era chronicles the 2008 Tennessee football season, is on sale now.

Prepare the Visor Toss, South Carolina Might Not Survive September originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Thu, 03 Sep 2009 17:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Erin Andrews to Discuss Peeping Tom Incident on Oprah

Brian Grummell — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 00:45:00 EST

Filed under: NC State, South Carolina, Media Watch, General CFB Insanity

Erin, Oprah. Oprah, Erin. Yes that Letterman skit was years ago but more timely is ESPN sideline reporter Erin Andrews' appearance on Oprah. She'll break her silence in an interview on the Oprah Winfrey Show the morning of September 11th.

Sports Illustrated broke the news Monday, offering few other details besides time and date. If you're an American male you know the details but for everyone else late to the story, video of a naked Andrews shot through what appeared to be a peep hole surfaced several weeks ago. Its release prompted swift action by her attorneys and ESPN to suppress the video and seek action against whoever perpetrated the invasion of privacy crime against her.

Since then Andrews has apparently not been on ESPN broadcasts as part of a planned vacation but is set to return Thursday night as part of the network's broadcast of college football's first official game of 2009 between South Carolina and North Carolina State. That'll be interesting, hm?

Few segments of society are more respectful and controlled when it comes to respecting women than college men -- cough -- and now she's entering a stadium filled with thousands of them. I'd be shocked if ESPN wasn't pressing security hard to confiscate any and all questionable signs in advance of the broadcast.

Whatever, tune in on the 11th to see the damage done to Andrews and how she's gotten along since then.

Erin Andrews to Discuss Peeping Tom Incident on Oprah originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Tue, 01 Sep 2009 00:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Thursday Is the New ... Something for College Football

Brian Grummell — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 13:30:00 EST

Filed under: Boise State, NC State, Oregon, South Carolina

Fill in the blank of that now-cliche setup. The new Monday Night Football. The new black. The new upset machine. The new everything. Thursday has long been a quiet part of the college football landscape but with ESPN's growing presence as a business partner, it is now kind of a big deal.

In a sport where Saturday is king, Thursday night is grabbing an increasing share of the starring role as the home to nine season-opening games including two that will be nationally televised. For several years now at FanHouse we've been live blogging Thursday night games and it's apparent they've gained a certain cult status for the football-mad folks who can't quite wait a week until their next fix -- this after waiting through a torturous eight month offseason.

So, what gives?

Methinks it has something to do with the big stage. Crazy things are always around the corner in college football but the inmates seem to take over the asylum on Thursday nights. Last year saw something like five or six straight Thursday night upsets including Oregon State's jaw dropper over USC, providing some of the best video and narrative of the entire season.

College football is very much a game of emotion and for a non-traditional setting Thursday seems to bring out packed stadiums and energized teams. Perhaps part of the growing appeal is also its jump out of the traditional SEC and ACC sandbox and expanding into Pac-10 play, Big East play, and everyone else. Its truly a rotating national event that brings together fans around the country for what is still very much a regional game.

And once again this year, Thursday plays host to the season opener. The matchups aren't always sexy -- see last year's South Carolina 34 to nothing romp over North Carolina State -- but they provide sustenance and banter. Folks won't soon forget being witness to Tommy Beecher's four interception night that still saw the Gamecocks win big. Its like that every Thursday, some new talking point or narrative cropping up, ripe for the water cooler and reminiscing.

Coincidentally, South Carolina and North Carolina State will once again kick off the 2009 college football season as the game gets top billing (7 PM Eastern) from ESPN, but the matchup everyone wants to see is Oregon traveling to the noisy and mind-warping blue turf that is home to the Boise State Broncos. They're nearly unbeatable at home but Oregon and particularly quarterback Jeremiah Masoli, wants revenge for last year's upset loss. Masoli was taken out of the game after what he claims was a cheap shot from a Boise State player and he's been talking all offseason about it.

Adding to the intrigue is a coaches' association request for schools to shake hands before games on opening week, something Masoli's publicly scoffed at as he wants no part of the pleasantries.

Be sure to also keep an eye out for Sun Belt favorite Troy against MAC power Bowling Green (7PM ET) and Utah hosting perennial Western Athletic Conference whipping boy Utah State.

Thursday Is the New ... Something for College Football originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 31 Aug 2009 13:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Long Odds? A Dozen SEC Predictions That Might Come True

Clay Travis — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 10:30:00 EST

Filed under: South Carolina, SEC, General CFB Insanity

I spent the weekend in Las Vegas, city of sin, sun, boobs and boobs who gamble on sports. And I did what I do every time I go to Las Vegas, step up to the window and place a $100 wager on a team that I follow to win the championship. Every one of these bets has been a loser, and, to be honest, most of the time I lose my ticket anyway. This year I laid down money on the Tennessee Titans. Inevitably they'll fall short of the Super Bowl, just like your team will, but at least I'll have the opportunity to talk about my bet all season long.

And that's exactly what I'm going to do if my wild and wacky SEC predictions turn out to be true as well.

Let's be honest, being right is its own reward, but being a risk-taker can make you a billionaire. And, by God, I'm a risk-taker. So let's roll into the scrum, toss up the homoerotic pom-poms, and whistle Dixie right into the face of a charging tiger. It's almost football time beneath the Mason-Dixon and it's time for y'all to know what to expect.

1. Georgia officials and irate fans will demand that Mark Richt fire defensive coordinator Willie Martinez. Instead Richt will issue an ultimatum, "I coach with my guys or I take over the football program at Miami and win two national championships in the next decade."

Georgia fans?

The proverbial ball is in your court. This is the year when Richt stumbles. And this is the year when it becomes more apparent than ever before that Martinez is to Richt what Randy Sanders was to Phillip Fulmer, the first chink in the armor.

If you'd seen Joe Cox at SEC Media Days, you'd be more nervous. Somebody elbowed me, "Travis," he said, "you look like a better quarterback than Cox."

Chances are, if you're reading this, so do you.

Looks can be deceiving, but the problem for Georgia is that Cox needs to be as good as Stafford. Immediately. Last year Georgia's defense gave up 40 touchdowns. The offense behind Matthew Stafford and Knowshon Moreno helped cover up those lapses. This year there isn't that luxury.

Glory, glory to old ... we gave up another first down!

Get used to it Bulldogs. And to think, LSU managed to snag John Chavis from Tennessee while y'all sat panting on a bag of ice in the doghouse.

2. If Lane Kiffin and Tennessee don't beat UCLA in Week 2, Kiffin will be fired at the end of the 2010 season.

On the flip side, if Kiffin and Tennessee beat UCLA in the second week of the season, they win a minimum of eight games on the season. The Vols have eight home games and will be favored in seven of them.

Why is this game so significant? Because the next week is Florida. And Tennessee isn't winning in Gainesville. Starting the season 1-2 would bring unbearable heat to Kiffin. As if that weren't enough, write it down, Tennessee needs to win in 2009 because they are going to be worse in 2010.

3. Tim Tebow loses his virginity to Miley Cyrus on their wedding night.

This one is just to make Tim Brando mad. Evidently, he spent all day Thursday ripping me for being all that is wrong with sports on his radio show. I didn't hear it. Since, along with most of you, I had no idea Tim Brando had a radio show. Nevertheless, I'm going to do what gentlemen of the South have done for generations.

Challenge Brando to a duel and select my weapon.

I choose ping pong paddles at 10 feet. Your move, Brando. Just don't move so quick that your combover falls out of place.

4. The dawn of the Bobby Petrino era comes Sept. 19 when Georgia rolls into Fayetteville and Martinez's defense is disemboweled by Arkansas' Ryan Mallett.

Houston Dale Nutt, who?

Seriously, mark this game on your BlackBerry calendar. It's going to be amazing. And no one is talking about it because Georgia has to play at Oklahoma State and at home against South Carolina before this game.

The Hawgtron scoreboard at Arkansas just might explode. Even faster than the fans will after eating the pulled pork nachos.

5. South Carolina loses to Ole Miss on Thursday, Sept. 24 and limps home, eventually going 4-8 on the season. Steve Spurrier hangs up the visor.

Stephen Garcia celebrates Spurrier's retirement by being arrested for the fourth time since arriving on campus. This time for drunken biking while wearing a South Carolina cheerleading uniform and a soap bucket on top of his head.

How ironic is it that Spurrier has gone from Danny Wuerffel to Garcia?

About as ironic as you can get.

6. Vanderbilt's Bobby Johnson accepts the South Carolina job after leading the Commodores to their second consecutive bowl victory.

In explaining his departure from the 'Dores, Johnson is succinct, "Momma always said, if hell freezes over twice, put on your ice skates and get your ass out of hell."

7. Auburn loses to Ole Miss, and Gene Chizik resigns citing "exhaustion."

And by exhaustion, he means, Auburn athletic director Jay Jacobs just realized he hasn't been dreaming for the past six months. Nope, he really replaced Tommy Tuberville with Gene Chizik.

8. Buoyed by the surprise turnaround of the LSU defense, but angry with the continued failure of the LSU offense, boosters start to ponder: Would John Chavis be a better head coach than Les Miles?

An angry Miles confronts a gathering of the boosters. "I heard you been pondering," Miles says, "I thought we had a talk about you using words that have something to do with men sleeping together."

When informed that pondering does not, in fact, have anything to do with men sleeping together, Miles removes his white LSU hat and said, "Let's go for it on fourth down."

9. Hotty Toddy, gosh al ... oh no. Just one game away from their first trip to Atlanta, Ole Miss rolls into Starkville, Mississippi and loses to a heretofore winless-in-the-SEC Mississippi State.

Mississippi State fans celebrate by burning the entire city of Starkville to the ground. One block later, the city is in ruins.

But no one notices for another year.

10. Alabama fans watch the Tide win the SEC West title from their doublewide barcaloungers having beaten Auburn on the Friday after Thanksgiving.

In celebration, Nick Saban is named Pope, Governor, Lord Regent, and Supreme Authority of the state of Alabama. Joyous fans begin raising money to bury Saban next to Bear Bryant. The planned tomb will be visible from space.

Saban demurs, "Y'all aren't good enough fans to have a dead coach visible from space."

Feeling they have not loved their coach enough, Alabama fans commit ritual suicide, drinking red kool-aid and singing Rammer Jammer as they march, arms interlocked, into the Black Warrior River. When all is over, it's the biggest loss of life in Alabama since the Civil Rights movement.

11. Kentucky's Rich Brooks shows up at a campus Halloween party dressed as himself. "I love your costume," says a drunk Kentucky fan. Brooks beams. "Hey, look," the fan says, "somebody dressed up as John Calipari in 30 years. It's Old John."

Later Brooks drinks his signature bottle of Maker's Mark and stares ruminatively at Commonwealth Stadium, "Why me?" he asks.

12. Alabama and Florida's SEC Championship game is delayed when Tebow ascends to Heaven through the Georgia Dome roof.

Urban Meyer resists all calls for the game to be postponed so the media can report on Tebow's ascension. A grim-faced Meyer growls, "Why do you think we recruited Brantley?"

Florida wins by three touchdowns.

Long Odds? A Dozen SEC Predictions That Might Come True originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 24 Aug 2009 10:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SEC Predictions 2009: Florida's Dance of The Inevitable, Ole Miss' Stumble

Brian Grummell — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, LSU, Mississippi, Mississippi State, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, SEC

We don't need to tell you what's coming, you saw it plenty with USC in 2005. Worse, we're not here to necessarily tell you to complain about it. Florida's awesome, deal with it. Enjoy it, even, at least as a college football fan. Everyone seemingly gets revved up for the David's of the sporting world but few things should leave us in more awe than a Goliath at peak brilliance.

Whether Florida can repeat the roll it went on to end last season is debatable, but our early guess is their performance in 2009 will be nearly insurmountable. As for the rest of the SEC, they're not too shabby, either, although we've got some brontosaurus femur sized bones to pick with some elements of the early consensus around programs like Ole Miss.

Our standings preview and records predictions after the jump.

SEC East

1) Florida (13-0 overall, 9-0 in the SEC) The Gators are obviously the most championship-ready team since the 2005 USC train that went undefeated through the regular season before falling to Texas in the Rose Bowl. Little else needs to be said. The schedule is manageable and the Gators can probably count on another trip to the SEC Championship Game and a victory over ... well, look below to see who rises atop the SEC West.

2) Georgia (9-3 overall, 5-3) We've got the Bulldogs losing to powerhouses LSU and Florida, but also a surprise road stumble at pesky Arkansas. With Matt Stafford and Knowshow Moreno the pressure's off and Georgia just seems to perform better in these scenarios. Every other word out of players' and coaches' mouths this year has been "team." We should be able to count on 2009 being a more focused, below-the-radar effort.

3) Kentucky (7-5 overall, 3-5) Somebody had to come out on top of the messy lower half of the SEC East and the Wildcats are it. They'll have the obvious losses to Florida, Alabama, Auburn and Georgia, plus drop one to South Carolina but get rescued by a surprise final-game victory at home against Tennessee.

4)Tennessee (7-5 overall, 3-5) Yeah, that loss to Kentucky will cost the Vols a solid third place SEC East showing for first-year coach Lane Kiffin. It should be an up and down season full of inconsistency and sometimes brilliance for a still-powerful program taking a new direction. The upshot is we have them beating UCLA in a national-interest game as well as upsetting preseason darling Mississippi. The receiver situation is scary and quarterback Jonathan Crompton has failed to impress in his four years but the lines will play fierce and there's that Eric Berry, the finest offensive player on defense in college football.

5) South Carolina (5-7 overall, 2-6) Well, at least they beat Kentucky and Vanderbilt. We like Stephen Garcia. A lot. But the last time he played he looked about as bad as a Steve Spurrier quarterback has played in wilting before Iowa in the Outback Bowl. He's had a long offseason to simmer about that performance and should return a new man but the rest of the offense is in shambles and the defense steps down a notch from solid units the last few years. Do the math.

6) Vanderbilt (4-8 overall, 1-7) In his seven seasons in Nashville coach Bobby Johnson has gone 0-8, 1-7, 1-7, 3-5, 1-7, 2-6 and 4-4 in conference play. This year is going to be another of those 1-7 efforts with a new quarterback taking over last year's 7-6 team. They should hustle for four wins in the first half of the season beating Western Carolina, Mississippi State, Rice and Army, but that final six is ugly with Georgia, South Carolina, Georgia Tech, Florida, Kentucky and Tennessee all lining up for battle.

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Louisville's Lincoln Carr, front, puts down a board to get ammo across without touching the yellow parts of the course during an Army leadership development exercise Sunday, Aug. 16, 2009, at Fort Knox, Ky. (AP Photo/Patti Longmire)

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Latest College Football Images

Louisville's Lincoln Carr, front, puts down a board to get ammo across without touching the yellow parts of the course during an Army leadership development exercise for the Louisville football team Sunday, Aug. 16, 2009, at Fort Knox, Ky. (AP Photo/Patti Longmire)

Louisville football players Victor Anderson, back, and Anthony Conner try to get the dummy across the obstacle during a leadership development course at Fort Knox, Ky., Sunday, Aug. 16, 2009. (AP Photo/Patti Longmire)

Louisville football players Daniel Brown, front, and Andrew Robinson try to get a dummy across an obstacle course called "Cate's Culvert" during a leadership development course Sunday, Aug. 16, 2009, at Fort Knox, Ky. (AP Photo/Patti Longmire)

Staff Sgt. Dennis Kovalchick, center, gives instructions to the Louisville football team before a relay race course Sunday, Aug. 16, 2009, at Fort Knox army base in Kentucky. Members of the Louisville football team took part in an Army leadership development course. (AP Photo/Patti Longmire)

Staff Sgt. Dennis Kovalchick, center, gives instructions to the Louisville football team before a relay race course Sunday, Aug. 16, 2009, at Ft. Knox Army Base in Kentucky. Members of the Louisville football team took part in an Army leadership development course. (AP Photo/Patti Longmire)

Staff Sgt. Dennis Kovalchick, center, gives instructions to the Louisville football team before a relay race course Sunday, Aug. 16, 2009, at Ft. Knox Army Base in Kentucky. (AP Photo/Patti Longmire)

Boston College quarterback David Shinskie, center, takes part in practice during NCAA college football media day, Friday, Aug. 14, 2009, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

In this Oct. 25, 2008 photo provided by the University of Miami, Miami Hurricanes football player Chris Hayes (49) hugs his mother Kathie after Miami's win over Wake Forest. Hayes, a walk-on college football player gets word that his father, without warning, has taken his own life. He leaves the team to be at his mother's side for the funeral, is summoned back for game day so he can suit up for the first time, gets lost on the way to the stadium, is sent onto the field for the final play and is carried off atop his teammates' shoulders. (AP Photo/University of Miami, JC Ridley)

Photo provided by University of Miami, shows Miami football player Chris Hayes (49) is carried off the field after the Hurricanes defeated Wake Forest Oct. 25, 2008 in Coral Gables, Fla. The low point in Hayes' life came on the previous Monday, when he got the phone call that his dad had committed suicide. The high point of this Miami walk-on's life came five days later when his team carried off the field. (AP Photo/University of Miami, JC Ridley)

SEC West

1) LSU (11-2 overall, 7-2 conference) The Tigers are back! They won't be as fierce as recent outfits as the defensive line takes it down a notch, but the Tigers will win more behind steady Jordan Jefferson. Two major fixes came about this offseason, with Mr. Pick Six Jarrett Lee losing out to Jefferson in the quarterback battle and coach Les Miles replacing the idiotic two-headed defensive coordinator setup of 2008 with the proven John Chavis who has run excellent SEC defenses at Tennessee for years. That won't be enough to beat Florida in the regular season or in the SEC championship game rematch, but its enough to fend off Alabama and other division foes.

2) Alabama (10-2 overall, 6-2 conference) The Crimson Tide will take a tiny step back this year as they break in a new quarterback. In time, he'll be more effective than the departed John Parker Wilson but the offense will grind until a rebuilt offensive line gets together and the 'Tide figure out who replaces Glen Coffee. The defense will be fierce, but so will Florida's, LSU's and Georgia's. We have Alabama losing to LSU and then dropping to rival Auburn in a final week shocker.

3) Auburn (8-4 overall, 5-3 conference) Where . Is . Ole . Miss ? Well, we'll get to them in a moment, or two. We're talking Auburn right now, patience please. Its not that we necessarily like the Gene Chizik hire but it came with a great offensive coordinator and a schedule in which the Tigers are constantly in a position to ruin others' seasons, something they're adept at. They'll be involved in a pair of SEC shockers this year, losing to woeful Mississippi State in week two but also felling powerful rival Alabama in the final week of the regular season. Oh they'll lose to West Virginia, LSU and Georgia as expected but the rest of the SEC slate is winnable including games against Tennessee, Arkansas, Kentucky and upstart Ole Miss.

4) Arkansas (8-4 overall, 4-4 conference) OK now we've gone and done it. Again, no Ole Miss. Hey don't blame us, blame the scheduling Gods. Like Auburn, the Razorbacks will play tremendous spoilers all year in the second effort with coach Bobby Petrino and dangerous, dangerous offense loaded with great backs and man-mountain quarterback Ryan Mallett. There won't be much defense here but the schedule sets up nicely. They'll drop the obvious games to Alabama, Auburn, Florida and LSU, but also pick off mighty Georgia at home in week two as well as Ole Miss in late October.

5) Ole Miss (7-5 overall, 3-5 conference) Here's how it will go down: The Rebels will open up 4-0 against the doughy soft slate of Memphis, Southeast Louisiana, South Carolina and Vanderbilt, but then cold hard reality will give way to disappointment. They'll lose at home to Alabama, rebound against UAB at homecoming the next week then stumble at home against sneaky-good Arkansas. That will have effectively ended their season given all the hype and they'll drop the Halloween road game to Auburn. They'll beat up on Northern Arizona the next week and then still crying in their Hotty Toddy's flop against surging Tennessee and powerhouse LSU before a get well road win against hapless Mississippi State. College football is such a psychological game and those two losses to Alabama and Arkansas will be more than enough to engineer a tailspin at a program not used to such great expectations.

6) Mississippi State (3-9 overall, 1-7 conference) Hey, they'll have beaten Auburn on the road so that's good right? Right?

SEC Predictions 2009: Florida's Dance of The Inevitable, Ole Miss' Stumble originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Tue, 18 Aug 2009 17:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Garcia May Not Be Face of Program, But May Be Key to Gamecocks' Season

Jim Henry — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 14:19:00 EST

Filed under: South Carolina, SEC

Steve Spurrier has called heralded linebacker Eric Norwood the face of South Carolina's football program. Spurrier is hoping another player in time will develop into that role as well. But, at the moment, sophomore quarterback Stephen Garcia is not that guy.

Spurrier interrupted his own post-practice media session Monday night to ask The State of Columbia (S.C.) newspaper to change its daily advertisement about the approaching season. The Ol' Ball Coach doesn't have a problem with the ad, just who's pictured in it.

Instead of Garcia, Spurrier said he'd rather see captains Norwood or defensive end Cliff Matthews pictured.

"I am requesting that (change)," Spurrier said to reporters.

"He's not the face of our program yet. I hope he is someday."

Garcia's development this season is pivotal to the Gamecocks' success. His off-the-field issues behind him, Garcia appears to be a changed man. That's a good thing, too, since USC, always seemingly on the verge of something great under Spurrier, is looking to finally meet its national expectations.

The Gamecocks, coming off a 100-play scrimmage Sunday, continue preparations for their opener Thursday, Sept. 3, at North Carolina State. When asked how he felt about his team, Spurrier hemmed and hawed as he normally does but he also sounded somewhat encouraged.

"These kids have talent," he said.

"This could be a dang good offense. But we are still careless, [we] just don't do all the little things right most of the time. So, we will keep practicing and hammering into our players that we have to cut out the careless mistakes. We feel OK, we feel OK. [The scrimmage] was somewhat encouraging."

An immediate concern, however, is the status of the program's face, Norwood, who injured his right wrist (sprain) in Sunday's scrimmage. The two-time, All-SEC selection is expected to be ready for the season opener, but he could be held out of contact drills until next week.

While the program has been good, but not great, under Spurrier -- his record is 28-21 with a season-high eight wins in 2006 -- Norwood believes this can be the turnaround year that fans have been waiting so long for. Noted for his devastating burst to the quarterback and consistency against the run, Norwood will also use his mouth when needed. He entered preseason drills determined to take a leadership role.

"Expectations haven't dimmed down and neither has the talent," said Norwood, four sacks off the school record.

"The talent is up there with every other team in the SEC. We are really looking forward to winning, and winning big. I embrace the title of leader. But I share it with the seven other seniors. We have a lot of young guys on the team, so there's an opportunity there to step in and leave an impression that will impact football years from now. Our job is to lead the team, but we're all different leaders."

After losing its final three games last year to Florida, Clemson and Iowa in the Outback Bowl -- the Gamecocks were outscored 118-30 -- Spurrier may have tossed his visor but he certainly didn't sit on his hands. He has five new assistant coaches and a new strength and conditioning coach this year.

"We didn't finish very well last year. We lost our last three games. Actually got clobbered pretty good last three games," Spurrier said. "We weren't as competitive as we were early in the year. It was time to do some things differently."

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T. Boone Pickens, left, waits as Oklahoma State strength coach Rob Glass, right, adds more weight to a machine in the new weight room at Oklahoma State, Monday, Aug. 17, 2009, in Stillwater, Okla. Through a series of donations, Pickens provided the bulk of the funding for a $286 million stadium overhaul. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

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Oklahoma State football coach Mike Gundy, right, points out some of the features of the new locker room to T. Boone Pickens, left, while standing in front of a locker reserved for Pickens, Monday, Aug. 17, 2009, in Stillwater, Okla. Through a series of donations, Pickens provided the bulk of the funding for a $286 million stadium overhaul. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

T. Boone Pickens, center, answers a question during a news conference Monday, Aug. 17, 2009, in Stillwater, Okla., after touring the new stadium renovations at Oklahoma State. At left is athletic director Mike Holder. At right is Oklahoma State president Burns Hargis. Through a series of donations, Pickens provided the bulk of the funding for a $286 million stadium overhaul. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

T. Boone Pickens tries out a machine in the new weight room at Oklahoma State, Monday, Aug. 17, 2009, in Stillwater, Okla. Through a series of donations, Pickens provided the bulk of the funding for a $286 million stadium overhaul. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Oklahoma State head football coach Mike Gundy, right, points out some of the features of the new locker room to T. Boone Pickens, left, while standing in front of a locker reserved for Pickens, Monday, Aug. 17, 2009, in Stillwater, Okla. Through a series of donations, Pickens provided the bulk of the funding for a $286 million stadium overhaul. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Another hot start this season would be nice - USC was 7-3 after 10 games last year -- but that could be a problem with opening road games at N.C. State and Georgia. Four consecutive home games that follow should prove beneficial, but, of course, there's never an easy afternoon in the SEC. A difficult stretch of three road games in four weeks follow against Alabama, Tennessee, and Arkansas, wrapped around a date with Vandy.

Senior receiver Moe Brown, who has the speed and experience to help make the USC offense more dangerous, believes consistency over four quarters will be the key to hurdle the team's seven-win average the past four years.

"In the SEC, there's always tight games," Brown said. "Every game you play in this conference, you have a chance to win. Finishing the game is how we will get there past seven wins."

The Gamecocks were plagued by turnovers and sacks, sacks and turnovers, last season. Their 27 interceptions led the nation while their 38 turnovers tied Washington State for the worst. The offensive line, for good measure, surrendered 39 sacks for a loss of 232 yards. USC also ranked last in the SEC and 112th nationally in rushing offense (94.1 yards per game).

While the Gamecocks have advanced to three consecutive bowl games and have never had a losing season under Spurrier, they are still searching for a breakout year. While Garcia, who has the talent to be one of the SEC's top all-around playmakers, could be the future face of the program, it's no secret that Spurrier has to show that his team can improve as the year closes out.

"What was the most encouraging part of all this is that after the Bowl game, we did not lose any committed players," Spurrier said.

"They all came. They all stuck with us. We actually picked up a few more. So it was a sign, the high school players, some of the top athletes, still believe that South Carolina can win, and win big. We've averaged seven wins a year, 28 in four years. Certainly we hope to get up to the nine, 10 wins a year level.

"We're not there yet."

Garcia May Not Be Face of Program, But May Be Key to Gamecocks' Season originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Tue, 18 Aug 2009 14:19:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Time to Hang the Visor Up?

Clay Travis — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: South Carolina, SEC

Remember when a youthful Steve Spurrier made news for running up the score and drumming up controversy with his rivals via witty and debilitating quips? And how he always seemed to have receivers running in the open field? With every nervous and jittery tic of his body as he called a play, you expected a touchdown to ensue. On every snap you held your breath, shook with fear, and hoped that your pregame beer wasn't about to trickle down your leg. As the ball was snapped, you had but one thought: what horrible doom was impending for your team?

It got to the point in the '90s when you were happy if Spurrier's team only completed a pass for 20 yards. Even if the Gators were your rivals, you respected Spurrier's puckish wit, the way his eyes, nestled up under a visor, lit up when he saw a play that appealed to him on his play card. Love him or hate him, Spurrier left no doubt that he adored what he was doing.

All that's changed.

Now, Spurrier seems weary, At long last, the fun in the fun-and-gun offense, is gone. Now all that's left is a gun. And sometimes, you get the feeling Spurrier would rather be hunting in the woods with that gun than standing on the sideline in Columbia, S.C.

There was a time when every fan in the SEC wanted Steve Spurrier to be their coach. After a scorching defeat at the hands of the Gators, fans would crack open cold beers and stare off into the distance. "That Spurrier," they'd whisper, "I wish he was ours."

It wasn't just that Spurrier dominated, it was that he was a genius-- l'enfant terrible--Van Gogh in a visor. The football field was his canvas. Where other coaches in the SEC fought tooth and nail to gain three yards, Spurrier tossed 30-yard passes to receivers who would appear, as if by magic, all alone on the field. Millions of times fans threw their hands up in the air, "How," we'd all curse, "is it possible for one receiver to be that wide open."

And the visor, my God the visor. Spurrier coached football like he was out for a leisurely game of golf. Football equations that baffled the rest of us his competitors, he figured out while waging war against par at Augusta. Remember John Nash in "A Beautiful Mind"? Spurrier was like that, the X's and the O's swam around his head and spoke to him in a football language no one else could translate. Football was easy.

In 12 seasons at Florida, Spurrier went 122-27-1, including 87-14 in the SEC. The game couldn't catch up to him, so he left.

The rest of us were all secretly a little glad when Spurrier left for the NFL's Washington Redskins. "Let the NFL deal with him," we thought.

Only the NFL did.

And Stephen Orr Spurrier returned chastened, the genius who realized he wasn't as much of a genius as he thought. Spurrier went 12-20 with the Redskins and returned to the SEC after a year spent in coaching sabbatical. South Carolina fans welcomed him with open arms, ready to forget the NFL failure. "God smiled on the 'Cocks," said fans, as they raced to the store to buy Spurrier-inspired Carolina visors.

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Latest College Football Photos

South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier talks to his players during practice Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2009, in Columbia, S.C. South Carolina opens its NCAA college football season Sept. 3 at North Carolina State. (AP Photo/Mary Ann Chastain)

Latest College Football Images

Florida quarterback Tim tebow (15) and coach Urban Meyer, left, talk during the teams first practice in Gainesville, Fla., Thursday, Aug. 6, 2009, (AP Photo/Phil Sandlin)

Florida cornerbacks Markihe Anderson (14) and Joe Haden (5) run a pattern during the teams first practice in Gainesville, Fla., Thursday, Aug. 6, 2009. Anderson deflected the ball intended for Haden during the pre-sunrise practice. (AP Photo/Phil Sandlin)

Florida Sssistant Defensive Coordinator Chuck Heater, right, works with safety Dorian Munroe (20), before sunrise, as the team goes through its first practice in Gainesville, Fla., Thursday, Aug. 6, 2009, (AP Photo/Phil Sandlin)

Florida wide receiver Riley Cooper talks with reporters at the teams first practice in Gainesville, Fla., Thursday Aug. 6, 2009. Cooper, who has agreed to play baseball for the Texas Rangers, is returning for his senior season. (AP Photo/Phil Sandlin)

Florida quarterback Tim Tebow rubs his newly grown beard after completing the teams first practice in Gainesville, Fla., Thursday, Aug. 6, 2009, (AP Photo/Phil Sandlin)

Florida cornerback Janoris Jenkins pulls in a pass during Florida's first workout, Thursday Aug. 6, 2009, in Gainesville, Fla. (AP Photo/Phil Sandlin)

Florida cornerback Deonte Thompson (6) does a spin and is helped by cornerback Markihe Anderson (14) after catching a pass during the teams first practice in Gainesville, Fla., Thursday, Aug., 6, 2009, (AP Photo/Phil Sandlin)

Florida quarterback Tim Tebow laughs when questioned by the media about his beard following the teams first practice in Gainesville, Fla., Thursday, Aug., 6, 2009, (AP Photo/Phil Sandlin)

Auburn coach Gene Chizik watches during their NCAA college football practice at Auburn University in Auburn, Ala., Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2009. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

Only God hasn't actually smiled on the 'Cocks.

In four years at South Carolina Spurrier has gone 28-22, just five fewer losses than he had in 12 years at Florida. Worst of all, he's just 15-17 in the SEC. Yep, Spurrier, lord of the SEC manor, has already lost more games at South Carolina in four years than he lost in his entire tenure at Florida. Steve Spurrier, the man who brought offensive pyrotechnics to to the Southland, was suddenly behind the curve.

He's never done better than 8-5 on a season at South Carolina. Worse, he's won a single bowl game, the Liberty Bowl in 2006. Hardly the stuff of South Carolina fans' dreams. If things go perfectly for Spurrier, the defense can make them the champions of Memphis.

Watch Spurrier now, he's come to South Carolina, the place where coaches go to give up the ghost, and he seems like a beaten man. The joie de vivre, the zest for football, it seems to have leaked out of him slowly. Now Spurrier is the embittered old coach standing with his arms crossed and his jaw agape. Self-doubt seems to stalk every play call. Stephen Garcia is his quarterback now, Garcia who is the yin to Danny Wuerffel's yang, kicking dirt into the face of the man who was once the ultimate dirt-kicker.

Once the king of the comedic quip, Spurrier only makes news for his mistatements off the field. Urban Meyer to Notre Dame? It's not an insult, it comes off as a fevered Spurrier dream, the hoped for departure of his heir, the man who has made Gators forget who named The Swamp. There was a time when Spurrier walked into SEC media days and the adoring throngs swarmed. Now? Now, they grill him about errors on his first-team ballot, force him to utter mea culpa after mea culpa. It used to be that Spurrier made quips about his rivals that made the rivals wish he'd never been born. Now the rivals just wish he would be quiet so he doesn't embarrass himself.

In the end, Spurrier, the man who was once loved or hated like no one in the history of the SEC, the man that every single fan had an opinion about, isn't even worthy of an opinion any more. And he knows it, look at him, the football thrill is gone.

He's Bobby Fischer and South Carolina is his Iceland.

Anger over losses is never the cruelest fate for a football coach, indifference is. And right now every SEC fan is indifferent to Steve Spurrier.

Time to Hang the Visor Up? originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Thu, 06 Aug 2009 17:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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