The Retrospective, Week 9

Week 9 Record
Straight Up: 10-4
Against the Spread: 6-4

#10 Clemson (-3.5) at Virginia Tech
My Prediction: CU - 24, VT - 20
Actual Result: VT - 24, CU - 7

Coming off an emotional victory over Georgia Tech, Clemson had to turn around and play a Thursday night game on the road against hungry Virginia Tech squad. The Tigers are probably still the better team, and I think the scheduling quirk really cost them.

Louisiana-Monroe (+35.5) at #13 Arkansas
MP: UA - 48, ULM - 7
AR: UA - 44, ULM - 10

Arkansas takes care of business against another overmatched opponent. But things start to get a little hairy with South Carolina, Tennessee, and LSU still remaining on the schedule.

Vanderbilt (-10.5) at Duke
MP: VU - 24, DU - 13
AR: VU - 45, DU - 28

Chris Nickson has exactly 400 yards of total offense as Vandy absolutely crushes Duke. Three fourth quarter touchdowns helped the Blue Devils make it look somewhat respectable.

Kentucky (+1.5) at Mississippi State
MP: UK - 31, MSU - 24
AR: UK - 34, MSU - 31

By holding on against Mississippi State, the Wildcats just made this week’s Georgia game the most important one played at Commonwealth Stadium in quite some time. And with Vandy and Louisiana-Monroe in coming weeks, bowl eligibility is looking like a distinct possibility.

Florida International (OFF) at Alabama
MP: UA - 38, FIU - 3
AR: UA - 38, FIU - 3

Great. Just great. The one college game that doesn’t count toward my ATS record this week, and I peg the score exactly.

#7 Auburn (-17) at Mississippi
MP: AU - 27, UM - 7
AR: AU - 23, UM - 17

How good does this make Arkansas look, at least at first glance? But with this game coming between Tulane and Arkansas State, how does Auburn look so uninspired? There’s still plenty of time to get up for Georgia and Alabama, though, and sneak into the SEC Championship Game.

#8 Tennessee (-5) at South Carolina
MP: UT - 38, USC - 21
AR: UT - 31, USC - 24

The blackout formula never fails. By my count, South Carolina is 0-3 in ESPN-televised, 7:45 games where they “black out” the stadium. Do they go for number four this week when Arkansas comes to town?

#11 Notre Dame (-14) at Navy
MP: ND - 42, USNA - 17
AR: ND - 38, USNA - 14

Not much to say here. The Irish have little trouble with a Navy team that is playing without its starting quarterback. But hey, at least they’re one-third of the way to the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy.

#19 Oklahoma (+2.5) at #23 Missouri
MP: UM - 24, OU - 17
AR: OU - 26, UM - 10

Missouri just isn’t ready to play with the big boys yet. Oklahoma is down, but they still provided the Tigers with a name opponent they could make a major statement against. At home. Instead, they went ahead and put up three points in the first half.

Miami (+6) at #21 Georgia Tech
MP: GT - 17, UM - 10
AR: GT - 30, UM - 23

The Hurricanes finally manage to score more than one touchdown against a decent opponent, but unfortunately, they managed just one on offense (with two minutes left, down by two scores). Miami is done.

#7 Mays at #5 St. Pius X
MP: SPX - 21, MHS - 17
AR: MHS - 21, SPX - 13

Much like Clemson, St. Pius was forced to play a huge game just one week after a resounding win against a ranked opponent. And I hate to keep bringing this up, but I think I’d rather lose to the #7 team in AAAA by a touchdown than beat Richmond Hill in overtime any day.

#9 Warner Robins at #5 Tift County
MP: WRHS - 24, TCHS - 23
AR: TCHS - 17, WRHS - 10

Tift forces a three-way tie atop the Region 1 standings. This week’s game against Lowndes may clear up the region picture a little bit. The key word here is “may”.

Effingham County at #3 Statesboro
MP: SHS - 17, ECHS - 7
AR: SHS - 10, ECHS - 0

Even though they got shut out, the Rebels may have proven that they will be a force to be reckoned with come playoff time. Are we sure Statesboro didn’t just have two, 24-minute scoring drives? They’re pretty good at that time of possession stuff.

Georgia (+14) at #9 Florida
MP: UF - 31, UGA - 20
AR: UF - 21, UGA - 14

Georgia showed a lot of guts in a game marred by mistakes from both sides. And the mistakes the Bulldogs made in getting down by three touchdowns just proved more costly than the ones the Gators made that let the game get interesting again.

Week 10 Picks (ATTN: Thursday Game included)

LOUISVILLE (-1.5) vs. West Virginia
Lsu (-2) vs. TENNESSEE
Boston College (-4) vs. WAKE FOREST
Arkansas (-2) vs. SOUTH CAROLINA
Oklahoma (-2.5) vs. TEXAS A&M

Carrollton vs. Cartersville
Marist vs. Mays
Jenkins vs. Groves

Week 9 Results

Notre Dame , Oklahoma , Ole Miss , Tech , Tennessee ; Mays , Tift , Statesboro

Pat H. : 6-2 (40-32)

Patrick M. : 5-3 (41-31)
Will : 5-3 (39-33)
Donnie : 5-3 (36-36)
Shane : 5-3 (35-37)

Jack : 4-4 (38-34)
Rick : 4-4 (38-34)
Larry : 4-4 (35-37)

Bryan : 2-6 (11-61)

Weekly Predictions: Cocktail Party Edition

#10 Clemson (-3.5) at Virginia Tech

The only thing standing between Clemson and another key conference victory is the short turnaround between their emotional win over Georgia Tech and this important showdown in Blacksburg. This game will be closer than many people think, as the Tigers are probably a little overvalued right now and the Hokie defense is still capable of keeping them in every game.
Clemson - 24, Virginia Tech - 20

Louisiana-Monroe (+35.5) at #13 Arkansas

The Razorbacks get a nice break in the SEC schedule before a stretch in the final month where they travel to South Carolina and host Tennessee and LSU in three of their final four games. The Hogs have covered versus vastly inferior opponents the last two weeks, so why not against the 1-6 War Hawks as well?
Arkansas - 48, Louisiana-Monroe - 7

Vanderbilt (-10.5) at Duke

The Commodores’ bowl hopes took a major hit after last week’s loss to South Carolina. Their only shot at avoiding a losing record will be to take care of business against Duke and Kentucky, and try to shock either Florida or Tennessee at home. While Bobby Johnson’s club will be at home come bowl season, they’ll keep their slim hopes alive for at least another week.
Vanderbilt - 24, Duke - 13


Cocktail parties are nothing out of the ordinary for diehard Vandy and Duke fans.

Kentucky (+1.5) at Mississippi State

Kentucky has bowl aspirations of their own at 3-4, with winnable games against the Bulldogs, Vandy, Louisiana-Monroe, and even Georgia remaining. The Wildcat offense comes alive again after getting shut down completely by LSU two weeks ago.
Kentucky - 31, Mississippi State - 24

Florida International (OFF) at Alabama

At least there’s no spread to trip me up in this game.
Alabama - 38, Florida International - 3

#7 Auburn (-17) at Mississippi

Both of these teams got pasted by Arkansas (who would’ve ever thought you’d see that sentence this year?), but only one of them remains a national title contender, thanks to a questionable BCS ranking. The Rebels were able to hang with their mediocre conference opponents, but then they met up with Arkansas. Auburn is closer to Arkansas than they are to Alabama and Vanderbilt, so they manage to get back on track with a road cover.
Auburn - 27, Mississippi - 7

#8 Tennessee (-5) at South Carolina

Gamecock fans are supposedly “blacking out” Williams-Brice Stadium Saturday night. So, since we know things like matchups, trends, and angles don’t win, we’ll be using a “blackout formula” to determine the winner of this game. Georgia only ended up blacking out half or so of Sanford Stadium for the Tennessee game, and they played well for a half and horrible for a half. But since USC are pros at this blackout thing, you can expect the whole place to look like Halloween (thanks to UT’s festive school colors). Judging by past history, a full blackout usually = a full badly played game. And the Volunteer offense is a lot closer to that of 2001 Florida than it is to 2004 Georgia. Uh-oh.
Tennessee - 38, South Carolina - 21

#11 Notre Dame (-14) at Navy

After apparently dislocating his knee and tearing his ACL, Navy quarterback Brian Hampton’s season has ended prematurely. Without Hampton, the Midshipman offense was completely shut down by Rutgers, which is bad news with the top ten Irish next on the schedule. Paul Johnson has had an extra week to get his new QB ready, but it won’t be enough for a Navy team that isn’t quite as strong as it has been the past few seasons.
Notre Dame - 42, Navy - 17


The Irish, now they know how to party.

#19 Oklahoma (+2.5) at #23 Missouri

While this is nowhere near the Oklahoma team the BCS rankings have come to know and love, they still hold enough clout to give Missouri the statement win they’ve been looking to get in order to legitimize themselves to the pollsters. But as talented as the OU defense is, they won’t be able to shut the Tigers down completely, which they’ll probably have to do if they want to give their now-pedestrian offense a chance to win this game.
Missouri - 24, Oklahoma - 17

Miami (+6) at #21 Georgia Tech

Just about everything is set up for Miami to silence many of their critics this week. The Yellow Jackets may have been exposed as another mediocre ACC team last week, and the Hurricanes, despite all their problems, still remember that embarrassing (their words, not mine) loss to Tech last year at the Orange Bowl. Unfortunately, the Jackets are no pushovers, and even worse, their defense has a chip on its shoulder as well. After no catches last week, Calvin Johnson comes back with a big game and the Tech defense completely baffles Kyle Wright.
Georgia Tech - 17, Miami - 10

#7 Mays at #5 St. Pius X

This brutal late season stretch just continues for St. Pius. After beating then-No. 5 Southwest DeKalb last week, No. 7 Mays awaits tomorrow. It doesn’t end there, though, because rival Marist comes two weeks later. But Paul Standard is able to get his troops up one more time, as he continues to be thankful that he’s not coaching against Richmond Hill this week.
St.Pius - 21, Mays - 17

#9 Warner Robins at #5 Tift County

The hundredth “biggest game of the year” in Region 1-AAAAA has huge region title implications. The Demons are in first place at 3-0, but Tift can take over with a win at home tomorrow night. Warner Robins is able to distance themselves a little bit with a win, but with Lowndes awaiting both teams, they still have little room to breathe.
Warner Robins - 24, Tift - 23

Effingham County at #3 Statesboro

This matchup takes me back to the good old days of the 1990s, when BC, Statesboro, and Effingham were contending for titles in Region 3 every year. Fast forward about a decade, and we all know where Benedictine is, but the Rebels are resurgent in AAAA under a certain new offensive coordinator. Oh yeah, the Blue Devils are pretty good now, too.
Statesboro - 17, Effingham - 7

Georgia (+14) at #9 Florida

This game reminds me of the good old days as well. Well, they weren’t so much the good old days as they were the old days. Georgia goes down to Jacksonville when no one, and I mean no one, is giving them a snowball’s chance in hell to win this game. Actually, it’s tough to find anyone picking them to cover the two touchdowns. Florida’s coming off a bye week. Georgia’s beat up. Florida’s really good. Georgia’s not. The Bulldogs will come out sky high, nothing to lose, and all that stuff, and they’ll keep it interesting for a while. But those playmakers in the secondary will make Stafford’s day miserable as the Gators pull away in the third.
Florida - 31, Georgia - 20

My Take

Georgia leads the series against Florida 46-36-2. The only thing this shows is how much Georgia dominated this matchup prior to The Ole Ball Coach taking over in Gainesville. He lost once in Jacksonville. For a majority of the 90's the Gators were just that much better, kind of like this year. But for a series to be that lopsided for more than 15 years is pretty mind boggling. Florida has ended two undefeated seaons during the Richt era in a stretch where Coach Richt has run his record to 1-4 in Jacksonville. Keep in mind this has been a 4 year stretch of dominance for the Dawgs and only one win has resulted on the St. Johns. They even spotted us Zook for 2 seasons. Eventhough it is arguably the greatest spectacle in College Football and ranked as one of the best rivalry games, I cannot look at this game as a true rivalry. That would be like saying Kentucky-Tennessee is a rivalry, the records are quite similar. Georgia seems to admire Florida as a program while accepting the loss in St. Simon's on Thursday every year. This year most gator fans marked this as their 5th biggest game. I have come up with a couple of points for why Georgia seems to struggle:
-Travel. Georgia takes a plane to the game. They must travel over an hour to get to the Atlanta airport prior to boarding the plane. Florida travels to Jacksonville on gameday on a bus ride that is similar in length to the one Georgia takes to Atlanta.
-The off week. Steve Spurrier did 2 things when he took over at Florida. Ripped up the Astroturf and put Natural Grass in the Swamp, and made the 3rd weekend in October his annual in-season golf outing. In Georgia's 2004 victory, we were off the week prior and Florida was not. That is no coincidence.
-Fall break. Football players are on Fall Break as well. This one is a little bit of a stretch but athletes like structure and routine. After playing 8 straight weeks going through 5 normal days of preperation, the sleeping patterns, daily habits, eating, and practice times are all changed. -For a while Florida has looked at this as just another game. Georgia looks at it as season defining. The pressure and anxiety the dawgs play with has shown in the opening quarter for many of the losses.

Whether these reasons contribute to the losses or not, they surely don't help. The Gators are a lot better once again this year and we defiantly missed our chance the past 4 years. But I think Georgia's program is in the best state it has been in for a long time. In the next decade the overall success of these two programs will make this rivaly equal or bigger than "The Red River Shootout." Don't count on it starting this year though.


*Georgia baseball completed its Fall session this week: There will probaly be 3 Freshman penciled in the Opening day starting lineup. Left field, Third, and Second. The starting pitching returns a solid corps with Leaver, Moreau, and Holder. If Sebastian can be half of what they expected out of him coming out of Columbus, the rotation could be very strong. The relievers will be made up of primarily Freshman and Sophs but will have one of the premier pitchers in the country closing games. The best bats will come from Wyatt(CF) and Olson(RF) with Beckham(SS) being the most productive. The 2007 team will be completely different from the 2006 squad. The strength will be pitching and defense and the offense will have to scrap together runs instead of relying on the long ball. My fall prediction sees this young team fighting for a spot in Hoover as a 6,7, or 8 seed at best. It would be a very successful year if the Diamond Dawgs locked up a 2-seed in the NCAA tournament.

*There is a very good chance that Parkview and Valdosta will miss the State playoffs this year. Windsor and Groves are in line to make it with Jenkins haveing an outside shot.

*Theres as good a chance of people not calling it "The World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party" as it is for me to see Damon in Sr. Mary's class after church on Sunday, as he talks about his accident while looking directly at her cankles.

*BC's Freshman play Sav. Christian's JV on Thursday. As far as Freshman games go, this might be one of the biggest in BC history.

*The Georgia/Kentucky game not being televised will leave me in a position that I don't think I've been in for almost 10 years.

*The ACC is struggleing a bit.

* Just to let you know, there will be no parade this week. Shirts are only $12 and you can wear them on Friday.

This is a great week to be alive. Its one of those times that you will look back on in a couple of years and wish you could have these 4 days to do over. Georgia hangs around but the defense is just not very good as Stafford puts forth his best effort of the year. F-34 G-20. Hillards here I come.

Go Dawgs, Cadets, and 142 days

More On the Booing

I know this has been discussed at length on the message boards, the blogs, the newspapers, and the radio, and this is going to be long, but I've decided to go ahead throw my two cents in anyway. The booing of Mohamed Massaquoi and the cheering that ensued when he was taken out of the game was beyond embarrassing. It was inexcusable, and it makes me ashamed call myself a student at this university, let alone a fan of the Georgia football team.

Jack went into great depth last week concerning the often pitiful Georgia fanbase, that includes wealthy contributers, sidewalk alumni, and students alike, but I don't think any of us ever expected to see a display even close to the one we witnessed in the second half on Saturday.

Personally, I'm not a proponent of booing your own team under any circumstances, but I can understand when, in the heat of the moment, one finds themselves upset when, say, the coaches opt to punt on a fourth and short or something. I don't like it, mind you, but at least I can understand it.



But booing your own players, especially a guy like Mohamed Massaquoi, absolutely blows my mind. I know you're frustrated, but what good do you really think you're doing out there? Do you think Massaquoi isn't giving 100% every time he's on the field? You think he isn't angry enough at himself that he isn't playing as well as he has in the past? I'm sure if he hears a couple thousand people railing on him at once, he'll finally decide, 'Hey, now I'm going to start trying'. And did he not catch a big touchdown pass in that very same game?

I always hear the argument, 'These players are on scholarship...They're going to get booed in the NFL...Now's as good a time as any to learn how it's going to be, etc.'

This isn't the NFL. It's big money, high stakes, and all of that, but it's still not the NFL. Terrence Edwards didn't make the NFL, and that didn't stop people from sending him death threats for not catching an overthrown ball in Jacksonville in 2002. Do you think Joe Tereshinski is going to the NFL? Probably not, but people have had no problem booing him all season long. Same deal with Fred Gibson.

Mohamed may play pro football someday, but for the time being, he's a 19 year old receiver (the best one Georgia's got, mind you) who's still adjusting to big time football. Now, I don't think he's going to let the cat calls of a few drunk rednecks get to him, but is this really the kind of environment you would want to play in for four years?



If you were an 18 year old recruit coming out of high school, would you want to know that, whenever you screw up and are frustrated enough with yourself, you're going to have to hear about it from some morons in the stands for the rest of the game? Or would you rather play somewhere where the fans are ready to encourage you to step it up and redeem yourself?

I realize what expectations are like at a program of this caliber, but I think there's a difference between maintaining a culture of winning and fostering one of utter delusion among the fanbase. It's good to expect big things out of talented players, but it's another to demand them and jump all over a kid when they aren't met.

It's been a tough year for the team, too. I know you're upset when you pay all this money and devote all this time, only to see the team fail to meet expectations. But you better believe that it's killing these guys, who devote all of their time and effort to their team, and who signed on at the University to play for championships, that they aren't playing well.

The last thing these players need is another guy jumping down their throats on Saturday. What they could use is one more person rallying around them as they try to get this thing turned around.

Week 9 Picks

Notre Dame (-14) vs. Navy
MISSOURI (-2.5) vs. Oklahoma
Auburn (-17) vs. OLE MISS
GEORGIA TECH (-6) vs. Miami-FL
Tennessee (-5) vs. SOUTH CAROLINA

Mays vs. St. Pius
Warner Robins vs. Tift Co.
Effingham vs. Statesboro

*Just for fun: Dawgs (+14) vs. UF

The Retrospective, Week 8

Week 8 Record
Straight Up: 13-0
Against the Spread: 1-9

A completely ridiculous weekend for me, in a good way and a bad way. 13-0 picking winners and a laughable 1-9 against the spread. Had I ever considered betting before Saturday, I think it’s completely out of the question at this point.

Tulane (+32) at #8 Auburn
My Prediction: AU - 45, TU - 10
Actual Result: AU - 38, TU - 13

No surprises here. Auburn rolls over a clearly overmatched opponent, but misses the cover by about a touchdown. Freshman tailback Ben Tate goes for 156 yards as the feature back. Where do they find these guys?

Fresno State (+31.5) at #14 Louisiana State
MP: LSU - 38, FSU - 14
AR: LSU - 38, FSU - 6

Same as above. The Tigers continue to blow just about everybody out…and lose to every team with comparable talent.

South Carolina (-3) at Vanderbilt
MP: USC - 24, VU - 17
AR: USC - 31, VU - 13

Syvelle Newton continues to improve at quarterback, and the Gamecocks get a much needed conference victory. With that tough stretch coming up, they’ll need every win they can get to reach bowl eligibility.

Ole Miss (+16.5) at #15 Arkansas
MP: UA - 24, UM - 10
AR: UA - 38, UM - 3

This win could actually go a long way in the Razorbacks’ quest to prove that they are for real. They’re the first team to really dominate the woeful Rebels in conference play so far.

Alabama (+11) at #7 Tennessee
MP: UT - 27, UA - 7
AR: UT - 16, UA - 13

The Vols gut out a tough rivalry game, even if they were much less impressive than expected. I think they are going to need to start running the football effectively if they want to stay in the SEC/BCS races, though.

North Carolina (+6) at Virginia
MP: UVA - 13, UNC - 10
AR: UVA - 23, UNC - 0

So the Tar Heels are much, much worse than the lowly Cavaliers. Can you believe Virginia has managed to pitch two shutouts this year, and still have a losing record?

#5 Texas (-6.5) at #17 Nebraska
MP: UT - 21, NU - 13
AR: UT - 22, NU - 20

Zac Taylor really surprised me in lighting up a struggling Longhorn secondary to the tune of 302 yards and a couple of touchdowns. The Huskers pulled out all the stops in this one, but proved they’re not quite there yet.

#22 Boston College (+6.5) at Florida State
MP: BC - 17, FSU - 13
AR: BC - 24, FSU - 19

The outcome of this game was no surprise. While Drew Weatherford continues to put up numbers, the Seminoles’ rushing attack is still nowhere to be found.

#13 Georgia Tech (+7.5) at #12 Clemson
MP: CU - 27, GT - 24
AR: CU - 31, GT - 7

Clemson is better than we all thought, while the Jackets’ win at Virginia Tech and performance against Notre Dame continue to look less and less impressive. The Tigers ran for over 300 yards and shut Georgia Tech out for over three quarters.

St. Pius X at Southwest DeKalb
MP: SPX - 20, SWD - 17
AR: SPX - 21, SWD - 7

The Golden Lions are for real. They stake their claim as a top five team and a legitimate contender for a state title this year.

Lowndes at Valdosta
MP: LHS - 10, VHS - 7
AR: LHS - 23, VHS - 19

The season just continues to spiral out of control for the Wildcats, who lose yet another close game. Lowndes is able to stay in the discussion in the deepest region in the state.

Spartanburg at Dorman
MP: DHS - 31, SHS - 24
AR: DHS - 24, SHS - 17

The Cavaliers win this latest edition of one of the state of South Carolina’s greatest rivalries in an overtime thriller. Surely, “Flash 48” Steve Davis wouldn’t have fumbled at the goal line.

Mississippi State (+16.5) at Georgia
MP: UGA - 27, MUS - 10
AR: UGA - 27, MSU - 24

This game was huge as far as bowl eligibility goes for Georgia. The way this team has played for most of the year, and the way the schedule sets up, has them playing the unfamiliar spoiler’s role in most of their remaining games.

Week 8 Results

Nebraska , Arkansas , Boston College , Alabama , Clemson ; St. Pius , Lowndes , Dorman

Pat H.: 6-2 (34-30)

Shane: 5-3 (30-34)

Patrick M.: 4-4 (36-28)
Rick: 4-4 (34-30)
Will: 4-4 (34-30)
Donnie: 4-4 (31-33)
Larry: 4-4 (31-33)

Jack: 3-5 (34-30)

Bryan: 0-8 (9-55)

BC (2-4) vs. South Effingham (3-3)

The Cadets have come apon their biggest game of the year. Many of the state's biggest rivalries are being played this weekend and recently the Mustangs have become the Cadets number 1 rival. I don't think there has ever been as many intriguing story lines for a contest that involves two teams that are at or below.500. The fans from both schools have really adopted this game the last few years. Not only football, but many of the region championships in other sports have come down to these two schools. The importance of this game in the region standings is huge. With both teams winning last week, each enter 1-0 in sub-region play. The winner of this contest will be technically 2 games ahead of the other by owning the tiebreaker. But the story that trumps them all is the return of Mr. Herndon. He is credited with buliding their program from ground up. However, some of the Mustang supporters were not happy with the coach for leaving Guyton for a sub-region competitor. Even if it was for his alma mater. Either way, emotions will be running high as South tries to avenge an upset loss at the Corral from a year ago.

Via BC newsletter:

First year coach Greg Manior takes over the reigns of the Mustangs after Coach Bob Herndon returned to Benedictine to coach his alma mater. South Effingham, a team which had never been to the playoffs, has developed into a playoff caliber team. Under Herndon’s leadership, the Mustangs saw the postseason in each of his four years with a record of 30-14 (.681). The ties between the two schools remain strong, with Sean Coburn, a 1992 Benedictine graduate, joining the Mustangs coaching staff this season. South Effingham is loaded with talent with 10 college prospects, 13 returning starters and 21 seniors on the roster. The Mustangs offense has changed from a traditional wishbone attack to a more spread Wing T approach. South Effingham has relied on the steady play of junior quarterback Justin Hamilton to manage the Mustang offense, which is averaging 16.3 points per game. On the ground, the bulk of the carries are going to senior halfback Andre Warner and junior fullback Gage Marks. On defense, the Mustangs will line up in a 4-4. They return 7 starters from last year’s squad led by a group of senior defensive backs: Greg Baker, Willie Thompson, TJ Washington and Keifer Youmans. The defensive line is anchored by another college prospect in Asa Wright who takes up a lot of space in the middle.

Players to Watch: South Effingham Mustangs
#9 TJ Washington DB (6-0, 180, 4.6) Sr
#10 Dan Martin WR (6-1, 175, 4.6) Sr
#12 Jeff Hamilton QB (5-10, 160, 4.9) Jr
#18 Nick Gulizia TE (6-2, 185, 4.8) Sr
#21 Michael Claxton LB (5-10, 180, 4.6) Sr
#22 Willie Thompson DB (5-9, 170 4.6) Sr
#33 Andre Warner RB (5-10, 175, 4.5) Sr
#35 Gage Marks RB (6-0, 215, 4.8) Jr
#71 Sean Smith OT (6-4, 275, 5.1) Sr
#77 Asa Wright DT (6-2, 265, 5.0) Sr


The BC defense is coming off their most impressive performance of the year led by a good night from Junior Cole Rossiter. However, South Efiingham is not Hephzibah and brings a Wing-T attack that is capable of moving the ball very effectively. BC has been quite vulnerable to teams that are committed to the run. Just like every week, the Cadet defense has to limit the big plays and force the Mustangs to the drive the length of the field. Last year the Cadets put forth their best effort of the year on defense and will need to do the same this year. On offense everybody in the county of Effingham will know what is coming. With Herndon coming back and Coach Mainor knowing his tendencies, there will be a game within the game when the Cadets have the ball. T.J. Telfair will need to continue his hard running behind the O-Line which will hopefully create more opportunities for Collins in the open field. I don't expect to see one play decide the game as it did last year, but setting up the big plays will be a factor. Special teams cost the Mustangs last year in this matchup and will no doubt be key once again. Winning two straight years at the Corral is a difficult task. Coach Herndon won't say it, but you have to think he wants this one more than any other. It should be a good atmosphere and hopefully the Cadet faithful will show up in strong number. (Guyton isn't far!). The Cadets find some of that same magic from last year and do it in OT. Benedictine- 21 South Effingham-20

My Take

Georgia fans are bad. And by bad I do not mean that they are obnoxious, rude, and disrespectful to other fans. Outside of Vanderbilt almost all SEC fan bases do not roll out a red carpet for visitors from out of town. Sure some might be a little worse but I've met both nice and mean fans from every school. I'm talking about the stupidity and lack of passion that exudeds from the dawg "faithful." This past week I have heard more coments such as "fire Mark Richt," and "I hope he goes to Miami," as well as "I'm selling my Miss St. and Tech tickets." Does anyone remember when Hines Ward and Robert Edwards took us to the Outback bowl and it was almost like winning a National Championship. Or how about 15 years ago when we were on our way to a 4-7 mark. I do not believe that Mark Richt has been a good play caller during his time at Georgia and Van Gorder contributed a lot to the success. But the numbers don't lie. Four straight 10 win seasons. Along with Texas and USC, the only team to finish in the top-10 the past 4 years. 3 SEC Championship appearances with two titles and 2 Sugar Bowl births. However, I should not find myself shocked with our fans because I sit amongst these people each week, and no its not just students. Georgia fans are world renowned for showing up halfway through the 1st quarter. After visiting fans leave Sanford Statium, they are stunned to realize that 92,000 people can make that little noise. And compared to the Big 6 in the SEC and throw in Carolina and Arkansas, Georgia fans don't travel worth a crap. Bowls pass up Georgia like Rick does Church because they want an excited and numerous fan base showing up at their game. To many "faithful" dawg fans who have season tickets, wear red and black all weekend, own a Bulldog, and go to Jacksonville on Tuesday, they are full of it. They know as much about the program, players, and football as a 3rd grade school girl. They just do it to come to Athens 6 days a year, drink their alcohol beverage of choice, flaunt their money, visit old stomping grounds at the (insert fraternity of choice) house, and be able to tell everybody just how big a Dawg fan they are when they are at the CNN center after the SEC championship. Well the true colors of much of the Bulldog Nation shined bright this week and made us as a school and football program look absolutely rediculous." I have made my comments about players and coaches who have not performed up to their capabilities, but I will never react as so many others have this past week no matter how many games we lose in a row or how embarrassing losing to Vandy is. Nobody goes undefeated every year and we are extremely fortunate to have the success we have had in the recent past. So for those who don't show up this Saturday and sit at home pissing and moaning about Coach Richt and how the season is over, go ahead. Im going to go and cheer for the same players I did 2 weeks ago, listen to the band, go to the next to last Dawgwalk, be thankful that I'm not a Mississippi State fan, enjoy being the spoiler the rest of the year, and take advantage of the privledge it is to be a part of College football and support Georgia. Thats what I think a fan should do. The bad parts of the ride only make the good parts that much better.

*Auburn could run the table and end up finishing #2 in the BCS standings without even stopping in Atlanta.

*The Miami-FIU brawl was just another small step towards greater success for the University of Florida.

* Who would have thunk that BC would have been the only one of "our" teams to win this past weekend.

*I don't like girls a whole lot but some can make you a little happier.

*When "Flash 48" is in the house, don't bet against the Vikings!

*The Big East is officially better than the ACC.

*Cal will run the table but will not deserve a birth in the National title game over an undefeated West Virginia, Louisville, or Rutgers.

* Bobby Johnson has done an incredible job at Vanderbilt. Wins in Knoxville and Athens as well as losses by a field goal in Tuscaloosa and against the west leading Razorbacks prove that the Commodores are no longer typical Vandy. Even without Cutler.

*Everybody looked at the Colorado and Vandy games like we are currently looking at Miss State. Just a Thought.

Go Dawgs, Cadets, and 149 Days

Beat the Anglin Book, Week 8

Hopefully things go a little better this week. We start with the SEC games:

Tulane (+32) at #8 Auburn
I’m not going to take the time to look it up, but I’m going to go ahead and guess that Tulane is the sacrificial lamb for this year’s homecoming in the Loveliest Village. I would take a jab at the Tigers for such lame OOC scheduling, but I guess I’ve no room to talk when Georgia’s festivities were spoiled by a member of the SEC’s supposed “underclass.” This should get ugly quick.
Auburn - 45, Tulane - 10

Fresno State (+31.5) at #14 Louisiana State
Boy did this ever look like a possible Gameday destination early in the year. Now, not so much. Pat Hill’s Bulldogs have lost 9 of their last 10 ballgames, and though they’ve recently hung with the likes of USC and Oregon, they’ve also fallen to Utah State and Hawaii in consecutive weeks. And LSU likes to cover, usually.
LSU - 38, Fresno State - 14

South Carolina (-3) at Vanderbilt
The Commodores finally break through against a ranked conference opponent, and then they have to turn right back around and face a South Carolina team coming off a bye week. The Gamecocks desperately need this one as far as bowl eligibility goes, as they still have yet to face Florida, Tennessee, Arkansas, or Clemson. A small hangover for the ‘Dores, combined with an extra week of rest, gets USC over .500 in the SEC.
South Carolina - 24, Vanderbilt - 17



Ole Miss (+16.5) at #15 Arkansas
The Razorbacks have probably shaken off any remnants of a hangover from the Auburn win after blasting Southeast Missouri State by 56 over the weekend. The Rebels, meanwhile, hung tough against a member of the SEC’s “big six” for the second time in three weeks, but again came up just a little short. If the conference has a “big eight” this year, Arkansas is in it, and they take care of the Rebels, no problem.
Arkansas - 24, Ole Miss 10

Alabama (+11) at #7 Tennessee
The Vols enjoyed a well-deserved week off after hanging half a hundred on Georgia, while the Crimson Tide struggled to get past Ole Miss. Needless to say, this Tennessee team is a bit different from the one who managed only a field goal in Tuscaloosa a year ago. Bama can move the chains a little better with Hoover’s own John Parker Wilson under center, but they simply won’t be able to keep up. As Lee Corso said a couple weeks ago, “Tennessee. Huge.”
Tennessee - 27, Alabama - 7

North Carolina (+6) at Virginia
I don’t think this is what the ACC and ESPN had in mind when they scheduled this week’s Thursday night game. The Tar Heels’ lone win came against Furman, in a game where they gave up 42 points to the pride of the Southern Conference. Virginia has lost to Western Michigan and East Carolina, but at least they shut out Duke, so I guess the Cavaliers win one of the least interesting Thursday games in recent memory.
Virginia - 13, North Carolina - 10



#5 Texas (-6.5) at #17 Nebraska
Bill Callahan looks for the first signature win of his so far less than spectacular tenure in Lincoln, while the Longhorns hope to continue clinging to any hope they have of climbing back into the national championship race. Texas’ biggest weakness on defense is in the secondary, so the Huskers’ best chance is to hope Zac Taylor gets lucky on a few deep balls. But Southern Cal had no trouble shutting down this Nebraska offense earlier in the year, so neither should Texas here.
Texas - 21, Nebraska - 13

#22 Boston College (+6.5) at Florida State
The most exciting thing about this game will probably be the stunned faces throughout the crowd when the Noles take the field in what, by all indications, will surely be putrid black uniforms. I hope the unis alone are enough to honor the local Seminole tribe, because the performance by this offense will do nothing of the sort.
Boston College - 17, Florida State - 13

#13 Georgia Tech (+7.5) at #12 Clemson
In this bizarre season of Atlantic Coast Conference football, maybe it’s fitting that these two programs will meet in the league’s game of the year in Death Valley. The traditionally strong programs (FSU, Miami, Virginia Tech) appear to be down this year, while the schools in the league’s bottom half who are known to make a run every so often (UNC, Maryland, etc.) are especially bad, who better than Georgia Tech and Clemson, two teams who have lately turned being mediocre into a science, to take advantage of a conference that has become the definition of mediocrity? These teams are better than average, though, and if history is any indication, this will be a barnburner.
Clemson - 27, Georgia Tech - 24



St. Pius X at Southwest DeKalb
You think Paul Standard is happy with his choice to stay in Atlanta yet? While BC is celebrating moral victories over top five teams in AAA, Standard’s Golden Lions can move into the AJC’s AAAA top five with a win at Southwest DeKalb. But that’s easier said than done, as the Panthers are unbeaten and ranked No. 5 in the state. I’ll take St. Pius on the road, because Southwest DeKalb has flirted with disaster for consecutive weeks against Tucker and Washington.
St.Pius - 20, Southwest DeKalb - 17

Lowndes at Valdosta
It’s been a strange year in Winnersville, as the Vikings and Wildcats have racked up a cumulative 5-8 record. At 1-1 in the region, Lowndes still has a lot to play for, while the 1-6 (0-3) Wildcats are left to play the unfamiliar role of spoiler versus their arch-rivals. In most places, knocking off a team like Lowndes when you’re struggling is enough to quiet some of your critics. Unfortunately for Rick Tomberlin, Valdosta is not most places.
Lowndes - 10, Valdosta - 7

Spartanburg at Dorman
With Gaffney and Byrnes, one of the best teams in the country, dominating the region this year, these two storied rivals likely don’t find themselves playing for a region title this year. That shouldn’t deter the people of Spartanburg, who will shut down the town come 7:30 on Friday night, with “Closed“ signs on the doors at Wade’s, the Beacon, and Church’s Chicken . The Rams have a bye this week, so former Spartanburg star Stephen Davis may make an appearance. I’ll take Dorman, who seem to have the better scoring defense.
Dorman - 31, Spartanburg - 24



Mississippi State (+16.5) at Georgia
Though there are obviously no gimme games for Georgia right now, there probably isn’t a much better team to right your ship against than Mississippi State, a team that has been shut out twice and lost to Tulane at home. They also managed to lose their only viable option at quarterback two weeks ago when Omarr Connor went down. The defense is pretty good, though, and they’ll hold Georgia down for a little while. But let’s be honest. If Georgia doesn’t win this one going away, you should be even more worried than you were immediately after Vandy kicked that field goal.
Georgia - 27, Mississippi State - 10

Week 8 Picks

Texas (-6.5) vs. NEBRASKA
ARKANSAS (-16.5) vs. Ole Miss
FLORIDA ST. (-6.5) vs. Boston College
TENNESSEE (-11) vs. Alabama
CLEMSON (-7.5) vs. Georgia Tech

St. Pius vs. Southwest Dekalb
Lowndes vs. Valdosta
Spartanburg vs. Dorman

Don't Come Into 'Da U, Talkin' 'Dat Crash

I know you've all seen this more times than you can count, but I'm not sure if Lamar Thomas' "commentary" for CSS had made the rounds yet.

Week 7 Results

Rutgers , Ole Miss , Michigan , Auburn ; Northside , Coffee , Liberty

Patrick M. : 7-1 (32-24)
Donnie : 7-1 (27-29)

Jack : 6-2 (31-25)

Will : 5-3 (30-26)

Rick : 4-4 (30-26)
Pat H. : 4-4 (28-28)
Larry : 4-4 (27-29)
Shane : 4-4 (25-31)

Bryan: 0-8 (9-47)

The Retrospective, Week 7

Week 7 Record
Straight Up: 2-4
Against the Spread: 3-3

I should have quit somewhere around Week 2, when it looked like I had some kind of an idea what I was doing. But since it’s also reflected in the picks contest (where the high school games aren’t exactly helping me, either), I guess it doesn’t really matter. Let’s try and figure out what went wrong:

#22 Virginia Tech (-3) at Boston College
My Prediction: VT - 17, BC - 13
Actual Result: BC - 22, VT - 3

Let’s just say that Georgia Tech is looking a whole lot less impressive. Fortunately, it won’t take long to find out just how good the Jackets are, as they travel to Clemson this Saturday. As for the Hokies, they just aren’t a very good football team this year. For all the praise Branden Ore appears to get from the media, he hasn’t shown me anything this year. Frank Beamer has been forced to abandon the run in his team’s two losses, in which Sean Glennon had a total of more than 80 pass attempts. That’s not Virginia Tech football.

#24 Rutgers (+2) at Navy
MP: USNA - 27, RU - 24
AR: RU - 34, USNA - 0

Though I wasn’t able to see any of this game, I understand that Navy quarterback Brian Hampton’s dislocated knee was the biggest reason for the lopsided score. Paul Johnson used two other quarterbacks, but his offense managed only 113 yards on the ground. The defense held the Scarlet Knights to just 124 yards rushing, but allowed Rutgers’ Mike Teel to show that he can, if needed, throw the football a little bit. Maybe Rutgers isn’t quite as one-dimensional as I first thought.

Mississippi (+14.5) at Alabama
MP: UA - 14, UM - 10
AR: UA - 26, UM - 23

Looking at the statistics, you would think that Alabama completely dominated this game, but thanks to a couple of big plays (and some key Alabama miscues), Ole Miss was able to hang around and force overtime. This was about what I expected, though, save the late-game dramatics.

#4 Michigan (-6.5) at Penn State
MP: UM - 28, PSU - 17
AR: UM - 17, PSU - 10

The Michigan defense once again showed why it’s one of the best in the nation, holding Penn State to BC-Groves 2000-like numbers on the ground. This was a semi-trap game for the Wolverines, at night on the road, with a then-ranked Iowa team next on the ledger. But Adrian Arrington and Steve Breaston filled in nicely for an injured Mario Manningham to push their team’s record to 7-0.

#2 Florida (+1.5) at #11 Auburn
MP: UF - 21, AU - 17
AR: AU - 27, UF - 17

This game shows you just how unlikely it is for an SEC team to run the table in this day and age. Florida gave it a great shot, able to leave it all on the field with a bye week coming up, but couldn’t overcome an emotional crowd and Auburn team on the Plains. The Tigers made those huge plays on defense (fumble in the red zone) and special teams (blocked put for a touchdown) you absolutely have to make to beat a team as great as this Florida team has been.

Vanderbilt (+14.5) at #16 Georgia
MP: UGA - 23, VU - 10
AR: VU - 24, UGA - 22

I don’t know if there’s anything else to say about this game after the multiple hash-out sessions that went on last night, but I’ll give it a shot. Vanderbilt was the better team on Saturday, and they just might be the better team when it’s all said and done this year. Georgia didn’t hand them anything. In fact, the Commodores had to overcome a few crippling mistakes of their own to give themselves a chance to win this game.

And now, for the obligatory mentions of the quarterback/tailback situations. I think it’s clear that it’s time to give the reigns over to Matthew Stafford. If you think you’ve still got a shot to win now, he gives you just as good a chance to move the ball as Tereshinski does. If you want to accept the fact that Florida, Auburn, and Georgia Tech are much better than you are, it doesn’t make any sense to lose with a senior quarterback.

Obviously, it’s terrible what has likely happened to Thomas Brown, but at least it will force the coaching staff’s collective hand as far as the tailback rotation goes. Lumpkin has been your best option this year, and Danny Ware didn’t play in the Tennessee game. Lumpkin should get the vast majority of the carries, if not all of them, from here on out.

As for the defense, I’m not one necessarily to advocate coaching changes, especially at the halfway point in the season. But Willie Martinez, over the last twelve games or so, just seems to be in way over his head. People say he needs to make halftime adjustments, and I’m sure he‘s making them. The problem is, he’s still getting out coached by superior offensive minds. In my (albeit uneducated) view, he has simply been promoted beyond his capabilities.

BC (1-4) vs. Hephzibah (1-4)

Both teams enter this contest win one win having that win come against the Butler Bulldogs. The atmosphere of this 6:00pm, Saturday evening kickoff will make The St. James vs. Calvary matchup earlier in the day look like Death Valley. High school football on Saturday just isn't right but thats what happens when your at the mercy of the City of Savannah. After a visit from mighty Thomson last week, the Rebels bring in a lackluster program that has experienced little success. They have gone 3-10 since the Cadets defeated them last year by the score of 39-25. Hephzibah and BC have played two common opponents so far. The Rebels beat Butler by 4 and the Cadets won by 35. The Rebels fell to Thomson by 29 and the Cadets lost by 34, with both teams giving up 41 points.-- Hephzibah brings a wide open attach thats is rarely seen, especially in this area. The Rebels wing the ball all over the field showing little patience with the run game. Chris White has shown the capability to be a viable throwing QB but does not have the cast around him to be consistent. The O-line struggles much of the time and there has not been a player that has shown he can step up. The D-line for the Rebels has been extremely vulnerable to the run and therefore has not even been challanged through the air. The special teams is average at best.-- On paper this game looks to be a shootout. BC struggles to defend the pass, which Hephzibah does best. The Rebels have not stopped the run and thats all Herndon knows. Whichever defense is able to adjust the most will have the best chance to win. Hephzibah will put anywhere from 8-10 in the box and try to force BC to throw. I expect Stroud to bring the Blitz the entire game, much like he did against Butler when they were taking to the air in an effort to catch up. Cole Rossiter and company will need to play big in the secondary and T.J Telfair needs to keep running hard. BC has got to find a way to cut out the big play and make a team drive the length of the field. If they can do this for the first time this year, I think the Rebels lend themselves to making mistakes. BC has better coaching and that might be the difference. The second must win of the year goes the Cadets way and establishes a little momentum for Herdon going back to the Corral. BENEDICTINE- 31 Hephzibah- 25

'Dawgs vs. 'Dores

Vanderbilt (+14.5) at #16 Georgia

The Bulldogs will try to right the ship the next two weeks before a season-defining trip to Jacksonville at the end of October. Unfortunately for Georgia, the first of those two opponents, the Commodores of Vanderbilt, are anything but a pushover. After this game, I think there will still be a lot of questions about this Georgia offense, and we still won’t know who the starting quarterback for the rest of the season will be. That’s because the Vandy defense is pretty darn good, having given up no more than 27 points in a game this year (and that was at #4 Michigan).



The good news for the Bulldogs is that the Commodores have struggled to put points on the board. They have yet to score 20 against an opponent who wasn’t god-awful (Tennessee State and Temple come to mind here). And having to face a Georgia defense trying to prove its legitimacy after getting torched by Tennessee last week will not help matters. If Georgia doesn’t allow Chris Nickson’s mobility to get the best of them, they should have no problem shutting the Vanderbilt offense down completely.

The offense does their usual 12:30 kickoff sleepwalk, but they come alive in the second half behind a defense with a chip on its shoulder.

Georgia - 23, Vanderbilt - 10

My Take

As I reflected Sunday about the weekend that was and began to look at the week ahead, I realized how disappointed I really was. I didn't have that empty feeling I normally experience right after a Georgia loss. Maybe it was because I realized we got beat by a lot better team or maybe because we could just as easily be 3-3 instead of 5-1. Either way Sunday made me think of the bigger picture. We are not going to Glendale. We are more than halfway through our home schedule, Florida might be the best team in the country, Georgia Tech is ranked ahead of us and BC is terrible. Football season is glorious and as much as I know it is going to fly by, it just seems to go faster and faster each year. Nothing will ever ruin football season, but this years script is not to my likeing so far.
-- There was a little disappointment on another front this past Saturday. I love listening to Munson. I listen to my walkman at games not so much to get updates and hear things we might not see, but just to hear the voice of the Mighty Munson. Growing up I never watched a game without listening to him and am trying to take advantage of the little time Larry has left. I put him as the #1 icon of the Bulldog Nation. However, I would have rather not listened to him this past Saturday. For the first time in a long time I was not able to hear Skip, Joe, Pete, and Don during the Dawgs and Vols. As much as I got sick of the Braves puking on themselves the last couple of years, there seems to be a void in my year for the 1st time in my life.It is hard to find a lot of things that rival meaningful baseball, and the Braves didn't play any this year. At the end of the regular season I didn't mind the fact the Braves were done. It would end a week later anyway. But as I experience virtually my first post-season without John Smoltz,I sure as hell hope I can listen to Skip and Joe when I'm in Knoxville next year with "Hail To Georgia" in the background instead of "Rocky Top".
* What makes me feel better is that October is by far and away the best sports month of the year. College and High school football are in the meat of their schedule, Post-season baseball is on almost every night, The PGA tour plays its Championship in October for the final time, and basketball begins practicing which adds another tradition to my gameday schedule. I have always believed that March was the best month of the year, but seeing what October brings to the table I think there could be an argument made for both. Nicer weather in October but only getting colder. Getting warmer in March but more rain. Fall break in October, Spring break in March. CBS covering SEC football vs. CBS covering March Madness. The Fall Classic rather than Spring Training. Tour Championship instead of the Florida Swing. Red Coats and The BC band. All these comparisons come out as a wash and the deciding factor comes down to the biggest events of the two months. The Georgia-Florida game is not like anything else and is one of the greatest spectacles in all of sports. But no matter who or what you are, the combination of Emmet, Kevin, Pinkie, Bing, SVA, Joe Welch, his bagpiper, and green grits, fountains and sport coats cannot be overcome. Still, October is special and don't let the Dawgs or Braves take that away.

* That Wainwright for J.D. Drew transaction is working out pretty well.

* Valdosta is now 1-5. Playing in the best region in the country, Valdosta could finish anywhere between 5-5 and 1-9. If 5-5, Valdosta would go to the playoffs and wouldn't be surprised to see them make a run at the dome.

* Who would have ever thought I would be pissed that I can't watch Navy vs. Rutgers.

* Saturday's Tailgate lived up to expectations in my opinion. It also proved that Georgia-Auburn 2005 will never be topped.

*The ACC is still really bad.

*#1 Northside visits #3 Baldwin this Friday. This is probaly the biggest game in Georgia this year. I know yall care.

* I don't think anyone realizes that the DETROIT TIGERS could be in the World Series this time next week. I can't imagine seeing Golden State in the NBA finals or the Cardinals in the Super Bowl.

* Remember that there are only 7 days out of the year when you can do what we can this Saturday. We only have 3 of those 7 left. Take advantage.

GO Dawgs, Cadets, and 156 days

Beat the Anglin Book, Week 7

#24 Rutgers (+2) at Navy

This game should be very similar to last week’s service academy tilt between Navy and Air Force, as these two teams have combined to average just under 280 rushing yards per game. It will be hard-hitting, smash mouth football (and a very short game because of it). But because of the way the Midshipman have been able to impose their will on and dominate two run-oriented teams in Connecticut and Air Force the last couple of weeks, I think Navy is able to knock the Scarlet Knights of Piscataway out of the rankings.

Navy - 27, Rutgers - 24


CPJ is no BVG. DGE!

Mississippi (+14.5) at Alabama

This game has JP/LFS written all over it. I’m sure Verne Lundquist and Gary Danielson are none too happy with the Worldwide Leader for using their wildcard on that Florida-Auburn game. But Home Depot is probably content, because at least one of the college football entities they sponsor (Gameday) gets the only marquee game of the week. Anyway, Alabama will probably sleepwalk through this game, all the way to an Ole Miss cover.

Alabama - 14, Ole Miss - 10


I hope those ad dollars don't come out of these guys' paychecks.

#4 Michigan (-6.5) at Penn State

I’m not really sure about this one. We all know how good Michigan has been, and Penn State has beaten the teams they should beat and lost to the teams they should lose to. And they should lose to Michigan. But the Nitanny Lions will be playing a home night game with revenge on their minds. They were able to beat Ohio State in prime time a year ago, and they feel like they got screwed in Ann Arbor a year ago. The Wolverines are also playing without star receiver Mario Manningham. But Michigan is a much, much better team, and that will show on Saturday night.

Michigan - 28, Penn State - 17


This is why the Lions are not happy with Michigan right now.

#2 Florida (+1.5) at #11 Auburn

It seems like everybody is jumping all over Auburn in this game, and for good reason. The Gators are facing their fourth big-time SEC opponent in five weeks, and this one is coming off an embarrassing home loss a week ago. Auburn isn’t as bad as they looked against Arkansas last week, and Florida isn’t as good as the LSU score would indicate. But though I can’t explain it, something about this Gator team just feels like it's tough enough to outlast yet another brutal conference game. The Tigers will come out sky-high and strike first, but Florida weathers the storm and shows why they might be the best team in the nation.


Please take Auburn, Corso.

Thursday Night Spotlight, Week 7

#22 Virginia Tech (-3) at Boston College

Virginia Tech has had an extra week to think about that 38-27 beatdown they suffered at the hands of Georgia Tech in Blacksburg. The Hokies are out to prove that they really are contenders in the ACC’s Coastal Division, where they’re essentially trailing the Yellow Jackets by two games right now. So there’s little to no room for error, as Georgia Tech isn’t exactly facing a murderer’s row in their remaining conference slate (though they do have Clemson and Miami back-to-back).

At 1-1, Boston College isn’t exactly out of the conference race either, though they are also a couple of games out of the outright lead in the Atlantic, courtesy of a desperation touchdown pass allowed at NC State. But aside from a wild one-point overtime win over #12 Clemson, the Eagles haven’t been particularly impressive in their other wins over Central Michigan, Brigham Young, and Sylvester Croom’s arch-nemeses, the Maine Black Bears.



The Hokies haven’t really been able to get their running game going against any opponents of note, as tailback Branden Ore was held to 59 yards by the Yellow Jackets, though the team did find itself playing catch-up almost immediately. Boston College appears fairly vulnerable against the pass, however, and Sean Glennon has been pretty good directing the offense so far, though nothing spectacular.

The Eagle offense has steadily improved as the season has progressed, but they’ll be hard pressed to light up the scoreboard against the Virginia Tech defense. Take away the disastrous first half versus Calvin Johnson, and this unit has been pretty close to the vaunted Tech defenses of recent memory.



Despite what happened in their last game, Virginia Tech is probably still a pretty good football team, one that should at least stay in the conference race for the rest of the season. I can’t see a Frank Beamer-coached team go out and lose two straight conference games, especially with an extra week to prepare.

Virginia Tech - 17, Boston College - 13

My Problem With the Defense

Ok I know everyone just wants to forget about last Saturday and move on to the next one, but I can't just yet. I'm STILL fuming over how our defense played and you want to know why? Let me just throw this name out at you...Tra "I like to talk alot of shit" Battle. This guy just doesn't get it. How many times is he going to blow coverage? How many times is he going to knock the ball out of Paul Oliver's hands when he has a for sure interception? And how many damn times is he going to talk shit to the other team regardless of if we are winning or not? I'm sorry, but I can't take this crap any longer with this kid. It's time for C.J. Byrd to step up and take over. I know he doesn't quite have the experience yet, but this kid can hit, he's bigger, and he probably covers a helluva lot better than Battle can. Now you are probably wondering if I'm putting all the blame on Battle for our loss. No, I wish I could but I can't because the defense overall played terrible. Whether it was CWM's fault or the team just didn't play well I don't know. But come Saturday against Vandy, I want to see a whole different team on the field that wants to get after it instead of the one where it seemed everyone went through the motions and ultimately lost us the game. That new team includes C.J. Byrd making the start over Battle.

Week 7 Picks

Slim pickins this week.

NAVY (-2) vs. Rutgers
ALABAMA (-14.5) vs. Ole Miss
Michigan (-6.5) vs. PENN ST.
AUBURN (-1.5) vs. Florida

Northside-Warner Robins vs. Baldwin
Coffee vs. Tift Co.
Burke Co. vs. Liberty Co.

Mark Beasley Special: Calvary vs. St. James @ "Historic McBride Field"

"There are two types of men in this world, Charger men-- and the Irish, Sharks, and Apostles who wish they were."

For the Betterment of Benedictine

As many have already done, I would like to congratulate Cadet Col. William Fleming on his new position at Benedictine Military School. As an alumnus and friend I am proud of Will as well as BC for finding the right man for the job. Will has been given the opportunity to better BC and we all know he will do a tremendous job. From the entire "Pure Football Baby" family, Good Luck and dat-a-bape! HUT 1, HUT2!

Posted by Will on BMBS:

Effective Monday, October 23, 2006, I will assume the role of Director of Admissions at Benedictine Military School. I will be charged with the responsibility of boosting enrollment and getting kids excited about being a Cadet. I am blessed to have this opportunity and look foward to the challenge.

"The race has really just begun..."

These were CMR's words after the game referring to the SEC East race and he's absolutely right. However with JT3 we will be left in the dust. I realize I have already posted something like this before but this is different. I'm not knocking Joe any more. I think he played a hell of a game and did the best HE could. He's not the reason (although the INT's certainly didn't help matters any) we lost the game. I'm not sure if it was JT3 or just the atmosphere in general that made our receivers play like Jerry Rice but let's be honest; if they put forth that knd of effort the past couple of games, JT3 doesn't even play against Tennessee because Stafford would have the starting job locked up for the next 3 1/2 years. Does JT3 deserve to lose his starting job after Saturday's performance? Hell no. But if we are to stay in the race and beat Florida, Auburn, and hell even Vanderbilt to make it to the Dome we need a quarterback whose going to do more than simply keep us in the game. We need a quarterback that's going to go out there and win the game and that my friends is not JT3- it's the Magnificent #7. Yes he's been less than spectacular. Even I'll admit that but he's still at the very least no worse than JT3. What he lacks in playbook knowledge he more than makes up for in physical ability. If the WR's play like they did Saturday with Stafford at the helm we can win shootouts and high scoring games even if CWM refuses to make adjustments and pretty much lets the other team score. This way we are really killing two birds with one stone. We are giving ourselves the best chance to win now, in the 2006 season, as well as getting ourselves ready for the next couple of years. We won't have to go into 2007 wondering what to expect and the team chemistry will already be there. We also won't have to worry about another QB controversy with Stafford and Cox and then waste the first couple of games in 2007 screwing around with that. You can say what you want but Houston Nutt took a gamble (even though his job was on the line and he really had nothing to lose) and it seems to be working out pretty well for him with Mitch Mustain. They just beat previously undefeated and #2 ranked Auburn at Jordan-Hare Stadium which is a lot more than I can say for us at this point if JT3 is still starting the first week in November. Plus with MS at QB we can put JT3 where we really need him. No, not on the bench. 3 blocked punts in the 2 games tells me we need Joe back on punt team so he can protect fellow bash brother Ely-Kelso. The season is not at all lost but it is all up-hill from here. We do probably need to win out which is going to be extremely difficult if not damn near impossible. Tennessee hosts Alabama and LSU and still must go to South Carolina, Arkansas (seems like a tougher game now), and Vanderbilt (not a pushover anymore). The chances of them losing one of these games is good. It can be done but CMR needs to step up and be a leader himself. That includes growing some balls and doing what is right for the team. Don't worry about hurt feelings, worry about winning. If CMR doesn't get his priorities straight we could be spending late December in the cold and snowy climates of Shreveport (Independence Bowl) or Memphis (Liberty Bowl- which is where CollegeFootballNews.com has projected us to go to play Conference USA champion Tulsa as the SEC's #6 seed and this is definitely a step in the wrong direction). Now we get to find out what kind of coach CMR really is, seeing as how every other big decision he's had to make pretty much made itself to a certain extent. I hope he chooses wisely and quickly because even though Vandy is going to be a very tough game (a game that we could easily lose and I wouldn't even be that shocked given the circumstances), we have 2 weeks and 2 games to get ready for the Mighty Gators who seem to be hitting their stride just in time for the meat of their schedule. And judging by the recent history in that series, we are going to need the best QB we have under center that late October afternoon on the banks of the St. John's River in Alltel Stadium and if you didn't already figure it out by now, that QB is the one and only Matthew Stafford or "Mag' 7" as he's commonly referred to by some of his fans.



P.S. On an unrelated side note, if Cutcliffe can go back to Tennessee, I don't see any reason why BVG can't come back to Georgia, no matter what the cost. FIRE CWM!

Tennessee 51, Georgia 33

As the clock was winding down at Sanford Stadium and I stood in the fast-emptying end zone bleachers, watching Tennessee players and fans celebrating their wild, resounding victory between the hedges Saturday night, I realized that we had been left with even more questions surrounding this Georgia team than we had in Oxford, Mississippi less than a week before.

And as I walked up Baxter Street toward my apartment, I also realized that maybe that’s not such a bad thing after all.

So while I don’t really intend for this post to be an all-is-well rationalization of all the things that went wrong against the Volunteers, I will do my best to leave most of the Sunday morning quarterbacking, second guessing, and out and out venting to radio show callers, Dawg venters, and various other bloggers.


Did you ever think you would see this?

Georgia gave up 51 points Saturday night. Fifty. One. Points. Obviously, you can’t allow 51 points and expect to win a football game or say that something didn’t go horribly wrong on defense. I’ll admit it surprised me when Georgia didn’t seem to make much of an adjustment to stop the Vols’ passing game after halftime.

But, though I’m certainly no expert, I wonder what Coach Martinez could have done to totally shut down the Tennessee O. The Vols have three legitimate threats to take it all the way at wideout. Georgia, conversely, is playing a bevy of freshmen and sophomores in the secondary. By consistently bringing the blitz, Ainge would’ve had Meachem, Swain, and Smith facing man coverage most of the night. Advantage: Tennessee. The lack of pass rush is troubling, though, but maybe UT’s line really is that good. I don’t know.

Also, here are the lengths of Tennessee’s second half scoring drives: 19 yards, 36 yards, 55 yards, 44 yards, zero yards (blocked punts). Not exactly a great position to put your defense in. There were also four second half turnovers. The defense got absolutely carved up, no question, but there’s no need to start calling for Martinez’s head just yet.



I don’t know what the difference was offensively in the early going, but it showed us that this unit does indeed have the capability to move the football and (gasp!) stick it in the end zone. Again, Tereshinski didn’t do anything spectacular, but I don’t think there’s any way you can put the blame for this loss on his shoulders.

Both interceptions he threw were flat out good plays by the Tennessee defense. I doubt there’s a quarterback in America who wouldn’t have made those throws and had them picked off (though Michael Vick probably would’ve thrown the second one right into the dirt). Georgia even ran the ball well, particularly out of the I. Lumpkin ran extremely hard, and even Thomas Brown seemed to get back on track a little bit.

And finally, maybe the Bulldogs do have a playmaker or two after all. Mohamed Massaquoi made some nice catches and A.J. Bryant had a beautiful grab to set up a score in the first half. Brown and Mikey Henderson continue to make big plays in the kicking game.

In the end, Tennessee is just a much better team right now. Georgia’s inexperience and immaturity showed up in a lot of places last night, but so did their abundance of talent and resilience. It’s going to take a lot of luck and a lot of growing up, but there’s no reason to write 2006 off as a rebuilding year. Not just yet.

*Attention*

It has been decided by a majority of this blogs members that the Bowl Party should not be hosted by the winner of this years picks. The winner will just be excused from party expenses. Therefore, I would appreciate your suggestions on this topic. Being that the party will take place in December during the holiday season, I would also like to have your opinion on a preferred date for the party and ideal # of guests.-- Picks will run through December 2. Thank You.

Week 6 Results

Arkansas , West Virginia , Navy , Texas , Florida , California ; Groves , Baldwin.

Donnie: 7-1 (20-28)

Shane: 6-2 (21-27)

Patrick M.: 5-3 (25-23)

Rick: 4-4 (26-22)
Jack: 4-4 (25-23)
Will: 4-4 (25-23)

Larry: 3-5 (23-25)

Pat H.: 2-6 (24-24)

Bryan: 0-8 (9-39)

The Retrospective, Week 6

Week 6 Record
Straight Up: 4-4
Against the Spread: 4-4

Not a good week for me, by any stretch of the imagination. But there’s no time to feel sorry for yourself. On to the recap, even though I only saw one game from start to finish on Saturday:

#13 Tennessee (-2) at #10 Georgia
My Prediction: UGA - 21, UT - 20
Actual Result: UT - 51, UGA - 33

More on this later.

#17 Florida State (-10.5) at North Carolina State
MP: FSU - 14, NCSU - 13
AR: NCSU - 24, FSU - 20

While it’s certainly no secret that Florida State has fallen off considerably over the last couple of seasons, it’s still somewhat surprising to read that the Seminoles have now run up a 4-6 record over their last 10 contests. And if the team’s performance Thursday night is any indication, fans can no longer focus every ounce of their ire on the greatest example of nepotism in college football today, offensive coordinator Jeff Bowden.

True, his offense managed only 20 points against a Wolfpack defense that surrendered 37 at Southern Miss a couple of weeks ago, but don’t forget that Mickey Andrews’ unit allowed Daniel Evans to throw for three touchdown passes on the evening. This is a situation (night game, facing a quarterback making his second career start) the Noles used to live for. Their inability to rattle the young QB may point to problems much larger than the guy calling plays.

#9 Louisiana State (-2.5) at #5 Florida
MP: UF - 24, LSU - 21
AR: UF - 23, LSU - 10

The Gators have emerged halfway through their four-game SEC schedule armageddon unscathed, which has them cemented as arguably the second best team in the nation. I say ‘arguably’ because, while it was an impressive victory, LSU did gradually hand the game over, starting at the end of the first half.

Five turnovers and three Tim Tebow touchdowns later, the apparently unbeatable (though somehow already once-beaten) Fighting Tigers had turned a close game into a rout. But don’t get me wrong. Florida is for real, whether or not they’re able to pull out what should be a ridiculously difficult task next week, because…

Arkansas (+15.5) at #2 Auburn
MP: AU - 31, UA - 14
AR: UA - 27, AU - 10

…Auburn will be seething come this Saturday night. Arkansas quarterback Mitch Mustain threw for just 87 yards on the Plains, but he only had to pass 10 times as Darren McFadden and Felix Jones combined for 249 yards and 2 touchdowns against an Auburn defense that had allowed 100 total yards on the ground just twice this season.

While Tommy Tuberville campaigned for BCS positioning and saw his team look a little more vulnerable week after week, Houston Nutt has watched his team improve markedly each week following a 50-14 thumping at the hands of USC in the season opener. These two teams on slightly differing paths met in the Jungle on Saturday, and the result wasn’t pretty for the Tigers. Auburn is going to have to get a little less one-dimensional on offense (and hope for a little luck) if they want to attain the goals they set out for themselves in the preseason.

#4 West Virginia (-25.5) at Mississippi State
MP: WVU - 34, MSU - 10
AR: WVU - 42, MSU - 14

West Virginia didn’t need to hold off a furious second half rally or use any special teams trickery to defeat their second Southeastern Conference opponent in as many tries in Starkville on Saturday. They did have to overcome some sloppy play, however, and couldn’t put Mississippi State away for good until Pat White reeled off a 46-yard touchdown run with 8 minutes to go.

They also got some help when Omarr Connor was knocked out in the third quarter and the beleaguered Michael Henig killed two drives with red zone interceptions. It wasn’t pretty, but the Mountaineers went into a hostile SEC environment (no matter how dismal the opponent), and came away with what might be their biggest win of the year.

#7 Texas (-5) vs. #14 Oklahoma
MP: UT - 27, OU - 21
AR: UT - 28, OU - 10

The shoe was on the other foot once again in Dallas, as Texas rode some solid quarterback play by Colt McCoy and watched Oklahoma turn the ball over five times in an eighteen-point victory. Those turnovers negated a 100 yard advantage the Sooners held in the passing game.

Paul Thompson threw for twice as many yards, but McCoy threw two touchdowns and no interceptions, while Thompson did just the opposite. The Longhorns flat out dominated the second half, though, so it’s not like Oklahoma just rolled over for them.

#11 Oregon (+5.5) at #16 California
MP: UO - 38, UCB - 35
AR: UCB - 45, UO - 24

So that’s what I get for picking against one of my national championship game selections. As soon as I start counting the Golden Bears out, they go ahead and hammer their fifth straight opponent. I don’t care who you’re playing, scoring 40 or more in five straight ball games (winning them all by at least three touchdowns) is very impressive.

Nate Longshore was solid, but it was that vaunted Cal running attack that really took it to the Ducks, even without an injured Marshawn Lynch for much of the ballgame. Justin Forsett picked up 163 yards and a touchdown as the feature back in coach Jeff Tedford’s offense. Even more impressive, the defense held Oregon to just 70 yards on the ground.

Navy (+3) at Air Force
MP: USNA - 27, USAA - 24
AR: USNA - 24, USAA - 17

The Midshipman dominated this game for three and a half quarters, but it looks like, lately, games in this series always seem to go down to the wire. Navy led 24-7 into the fourth quarter before allowing Air Force back in it by allowing a pair of scores and failing to recover an onside kick. But the defense held, and the Midshipman appear to be well on their way to securing a fourth consecutive Commander-in-Chief Trophy.

The offense rolled up over 300 yards rushing, and quarterback Brian Hampton only attempted 5 passes for 8 yards. This, my friends, is dominance. If they can beat Rutgers at home next week, Navy will have a legitimate shot at a 10 win regular season.

Serenity Now! Serenity Now!

I'll try to calm my nerves, and yours, this afternoon with a few video selections, courtesy of YouTube.

BC(1-3) vs. #4 Thomson(4-0)

Thomson alum's Casper, Jasper, and Danny

The Cadets face off against the 4th ranked Bulldogs who will be the best team to play under the lights at Memorial Stadium this year. Thomson has a long rich football tradition and is an absolute top-notch program. They have won 5 state championships with the most recent coming in 2002. There alumni list includes 100+ college players with a good number of them playing at SEC or ACC schools. The most famous football alum is Ray Guy who punted in college and the NFL and who the Collegiate Punter of the Year award is named after. Thompson head coach Luther Welsh eclipsed the 300 career win mark earlier this year. He ranks 6th in all-time wins in the state of Georgia and is currently 2nd on the active list. The Bulldogs have looked very good in convincing wins over Salem, Jefferson Co., and Washington-Wilkes; all very solid teams. The JV team played the entire 2nd Half in last weeks win over Hephzibah after being up 35-0 at the Half. The Bulldogs are a run first team but are very capable of throwing the ball with success. LaBrandon Hudson is a Senior Fullback and the # 1 weapon on offense. After rushing for 1,185 yards last year, he is averageing 8.0 yards per carry this year. Senior Anthony "Pooh" Erwwin is more of a running QB who ran for more than 900 yards last year and with Hudson form a lethal combination. The defense is stout and the 1st teamers have only given up 10 points all year. The special teams are extremely solid.-- The Cadets are going to struggle early and often on both sideds of the ball. I expect to see a number of big plays from Thomson's offense. BC will have a hard time keeping up with the speed and do not see us stopping Thomson's 1st team from scoring by any method other than turnovers. T.J. Telfair will be relied on heavily to go at Thomson straight ahead instead of sideline to sideline. Caleb Collins will probaly see some chances to make plays in the passing game. BC will try to control the clock as much as possible to keep it close, but getting 1st downs will be rare. I will be shocked if we are within 3 touchdows at the half. BC just needs to get better and playing a far superior team can only help in the coming weeks. The Cadets will most likely put up a couple of scores in the 2nd half and make it more respectable than it should be. Thompson-42 Benedictine-13

* Along with the BCgottum updates, you can listen to the game live on Thomson's website: http://www.thomsonfootball.com/

Coutu Out

I thought I would never see another "topped" kick again. This is probably one of the worst things that could have happened this season. The fact that Andy Bailey is going to get another shot at hitting field goals and extra points disgusts me. I hope this is only a slight injury to Coutu that would only hold him out a week or so because special teams are going to be huge on Saturday. Just another thing we are going to have to deal with I guess.

Midweek Numbers and Thoughts

Just some numbers on the Georgia-Tennessee series:
- Phil Fulmer is 9-5 agaist Georgia as a head coach. 4 of those loses have come to Georgia teams coached by Mark Richt.
- Coach Richt is yet to lose in Knoxville and is 4-1 overall against the Vols with the lone loss coming in 2004.
-Prior to 2000, Georgia had lost 9 straight to the Vols.
-Under Coach Richt Georgia has lost only 2 games on an opponents campus(LSU 2003, Auburn 2004). 4 loses have come at home.
- Georgia is 2-2 in Home night games in the Richt era with both victories coming in the 2002 SEC Championship season. On the Road Georgia is 5-1 in night games with the only loss coming in Jacksonville in 2002. 1-0 at Night vs. the Vols.

Key Players:
Tennessee:
Erik Ainge #10 QB- Leading passer in the SEC
Arron Sears #76 OT- Banged up recently but considered one of the premier O-Lineman in the country.
Meachem/Swain #3/1 WR's- Duo leads country in combined receiving yards.
Marvin Mitchell #40 LB- Leads SEC in tackles per game.
Britton Colquitt #47 P- Averaging 47. 1 yards per kick.
Georgia:
Kregg Lumpkin #6 TB- Georgia's leading rusher.
Quinton Moses#94 DE- Pre-season All-American who projects high for the 2007 draft.
Jarvis Jackson #45 LB- Significant run stopper in the middle.
Paul Oliver #8 CB- Best cover corner with solid tackleing ablility.
Brandon Coutu #96 PK- All-American candidate who is 7-8 on the year.

If Georgia is to Win:

Defense: Georgia has got to stop the run first. Georgia was gutted pretty bad by a struggleing Ole Miss running game. If the Volunteer offense is able to run the ball than that will be all she wrote. They are going to make their plays in the passing game but it is crucial to make them as one dementional as possible. The interior Defensive Lineman have got to play better. Getting Jarvis Jackson back will help but it will be interesting to see how he holds up with his injured foot. If the inside can do their job then the outside can do more of what they do best and thats rush the passer. Georgia has to stop the run to give our outstanding DE's a chance to be game changers and free up our safetys to help with pass defense.(Players needed to step up= Owens, Weston, Gant)

Offense: Georgia will have to be able to pound the ball straight ahead. Most of our success last week came from tough running football. With the Qb and Receiver situation questionable at best, the Vols are likely to put 8 in the box. Still, Georgia MUST establish the run game and when they take to the air need to go big. The screen package will no doubt be a huge part of the game plan and is important to make some plays in the open field. The O-line is key no matter what approach we take and Mr. Lumpkin needs to have the game of his life.(Players needed to step up= Inman,Velasco, Adams, Shackleford.)

Special Teams: Have to be perfect. Field position will be key in a game where Georgia is expected to struggle with the ball. Coutu has not made a Field Goal since UAB but must score on every opportunity. Kickoff coverage has been up and down since Coutu reliquished the job. And the punt team showed tremendous vulnerability in Oxford and I expect to see Tennessee take a few shots.(Player needed to step up= Ely-Kelso)

* If Georgia is to win I firmly believe that either the Defense, Special Teams, or both will need to score in some fashion. If the Dawgs get behind significantly I wouldn't be surprised to see more of Stafford than expected. Joe T is yet to prove himself but can lead us to a win if he can manage the offense and make a couple of big throws when called apon. Georgia is the lesser team right now but have been in almost every single game since Richt's arival. I expect the Dawgs to play sky high and will need to put forth their best effort of the year to have a chance.