A COMEBACK THAT WAS NOT A COMEBACK

31-10 going into the 4th

The SEC is down this year. With only two good teams (Bama and UF) there is much to be desired. Though I can’t brag, I root for the most parity filled conference in the world, where 9 of the 12 teams are still mathematically in it.

And potential bowl pairings look disastrous at this point.

Florida or Bama will hold their own in the BCS/Sugar, but from the Citrus Bowl on down, the SEC should be a dog. Unless Georgia goes massive fail vs North Avenue in two weeks. Then Georgia will rape whatever Big 10 weakling gets to Tampa. Orlando, though, might be sorta un-fun for the Dawgs.

Lee looks at least 34 in that pic. I see golf and insurance in his future.

Preachin’ to the choir, Orson, and Stoopnagle is exactly right as well: The SEC has two teams elite enough to be able to name their score in a bowl game regardless of opponent. Everyone else should start praying now to the higher power of their choice. Even Western Kentucky never spotted Troy a four-TD lead.

1st tier: Bama/FLA. The Death Stars.

2nd tier: UGA/LSU. Respectable, legit top 25, nothing spectacular.

3rd tier: A bunch of skells. Ole Miss, South Carolina, Kentucky, and a Vandy team that has beaten all of them.

If you need proof that the SEC is down, here is it: if Bama and FLA both get into the BCS, odds are that Vandy – assuming they win out – will play on January 1.

Revelations 14:7, people. Revelations 14:7.

I kinda hope LSU decides to turn down a bowl this year.
Good chance we’ll play Texas, Missouri, or Oklahoma State in Cotton. I don’t want to witness that massacre.

From my perch here in North Fulton County, Florida is the only elite team in the SEC. I believe that Alabama is having a tOSU 2002-like year, where all of the pieces are falling into place. But UF is standing in the way. I think they will be beaten so badly that the exposure will be felt in a lackluster bowl performance. If they get the non-BCS game of Boise St or Utah, then they will survive. If they get Southern Cal, they better bring their shineboxes, because they will get waxed.

As for UGA, this is a great time for tOSU to be 1-9 vs. SEC in bowls. They would be a favorable matchup for the Bucks.

Doug at 5:

“The SEC has two teams elite enough to be able to name their score in a bowl game regardless of opponent.” . . . Would that include Alabama naming 3 and 4 point victories over Kentucky and Mississippi?

Based upon Alabama having no wins over a current top 10 (and perhaps top 15, depending upon where Georgia is ranked) team, I think Texas and Oklahoma — and perhaps Texas Tech and USC — could roll over ’bama.

At the least, it is striking that Troy could humilate for 45 minutes a team that took Alabama to overtime.

Crabby, You got that right. I’d love to see Oregon State in the Rose so the RB can continue to be irrelevant, but I think I’m going to have to gulp root for tOSU to get to the BCS. That way we can beat up on Michigan State. Not real interested in seeing the version of Georgia “defense” go up against Terell Pryor.

What inspires the most confidence in me for UF’s chances the rest of the way is that even though the SEC is down overall this season, the Gators have been throttling those “down” programs all season long with double-digit wins, even before the Ole Miss loss / turnaround. The digits have just gotten higher since Ole Miss.

No one could convince me that Bama fans aren’t looking at ATL without some nerves regarding the outcome – and the same goes for UF fans. I just hope both teams keep on winning because a victory over them ranked as #1 puts UF in the title game for sure.

So wait, you’re saying OSU might stand a chance of beating an SEC team in a bowl game?

No?

God fucking damn it.

Orson, glad I could be your man on the street at half time. Thanks for the, at the time, remarkably out of place optimism/opinion that LSU was going to win.

Alabama has gotten steadily less impressive since the Georgia game. They have yet to face a team with a good offense AND a good defense. Florida will be a very, very rude awakening.

A Florida-Texas Tech MNC would be an incredible game. I hope it happens.

The Citrus and Outback bowls will be interesting. I have a hunch OSU and PSU will be in the BCS, leaving Michigan State to play Georgia in what could be a very good game. The Outback will probably be Iowa against LSU or South Carolina, which will also be a very good game. Hard to pick either of those, but I would anticipate a 1-1 split between the Big 10 and SEC.

nobody is giving UA a chance verse the gators- and I think this is more than fine with saban

I was there, stayed the whole game.

What I saw was the worst LSU has played in 6 years for 2.5 quarters, followed by the best 17min I’ve ever seen them play. They got a couple of lucky breaks, and Troy basically imploded.

What I never understood is why Troy never took advantage of LSU’s bump & run adjustment to throw deeper passes. Their 27-year-old OC called a great game until that point.

Matt, nobody is giving them a chance? They’re ranked number one. How much more of a chance would you like? I don’t think you can be ranked zeroth.

I’m not giving Bama a chance vs Florida because I’ve witness what Florida can do. Florida is taking some good teams and making them look like they’ve never fielded a team before.

DrB,

That first half was the worst football I have ever seen LSU play, especially in person.

serious question – Does anyone know the stat for most pick-sixes in a season? personal note – My wife shook me awake in the middle of the Saturday night darkness because I was yelling “REBUILDING YEAR! REBUILDING YEAR!” in my sleep. even the dog was howling.

Both Alabama and Florida will be playing in the BCS, but Vanderbilt is not going to be playing on NYD or after.

Georgia – Citrus
LSU – Cotton
SCar – Outback, just b/c you beat them does not mean Tampa would take Vandy over SCar. They would be crazy to do as such. Also, SCar should have as good or better of a record

The SEC sends Ole Miss to the Peach Bowl, and Kentucky and Vandy divvy up the Music City (Vanderbilt) and Independence Bowls (Ky). Hometown Vandy > Ky in a 3rd straight appearance

And I believe that would cover the SEC for bowls, this season, unless Auburn is able to continue the streak.

Coop: methinks that if UK gets to 7 wins, they might make Tampa. They’ve made that jump before and that would send the Cocks to ATL.

That would suck for Vandy if they get bowl eligible and then go to the Music City Bowl. At least give them Liberty.

LSU would probably be a pretty damn good team if they didn’t have a Quarterback situation that would make Brandon Cox blush.

SCar will have a better or equal record, SCar beat Kentucky, AND, and this is the most important fator in the equation…

SCar travels in much larger numbers than Kentucky.

Also, the Ky you speak of had Hal Mumme and Tim Couch and played a much more exciting brand of football. Ole Miss is a better option for the Outback Bowl than Kentucky. SCar went to Tampa two years in a row and the Outback was very pleased to have had them, if you will recall. Ohio State fans do.

As much as I would love to see SCar in the Peach Bowl to face an ACC team like Carolina or FSU, I do not forsee it happening.

An inordinate amount of blame has been placed on Jarrett Lee. While his play has been overly shitty, our defense has been equally shittastic for several games this season.
I think expectations were a little too high at the beginning of the season due to a weak SEC West. This is a rebuilding year (although the QB problem will still be present next year).

Coop

I’m sure the Chick-fil-a folks would love to get a Spurrier vs. Bowden match-up to hype. In fact, if I were in charge of a non-BCS bowl game, I would love to land the quote machine that is SOS.

Well, I am confident that the Peach Bowl people would love to get their hands on the Florida/Alabama loser, too, but that is not going to happen, either.

Outback is higher on the totem pole, thus they will snatch up SCar, first.

I am failing to see the relevancy of the Peach’s desire, as legitimate as it would be, to land SCar given that the Outback would also be interested in Spurrier, but more so SCar’s fansbase.

Bowls like schools that buy tickets. SCar will buy more tickets than either Ole Miss or Kentucky. This is not up for debate.

The Outback will do everything they can to guarantee they do not get stuck with an Iowa/Kentucky or Iowa/Ole Miss contest. They need SCar to carry ticket sales, interest (Spurrier), etc.

Of course, when you invite FSU to your bowl game, you should expect at least 5 of their starters (and even more of their back-ups) to miss the game due to suspension/incarceration.

Coop: I was going on the old UK grad is decider at Outback and on bowl committee angle. Given how Big Blue has started the hoops year, the Kensucky fans might make the effort. And really, who DOESN’T want to get out of Iowa for awhile in Jan?

I am an SEC apologist for sure, but which conference isn’t down this year?

Texas, Ou, OSU and Texas Tech haven’t exactly played difficult OOC schedules. The only thing we do know about the Big 12 is their teams score an awful lot of points. Not a whole lot of defense, at least against each other.

The Big Ten is just as bad. Offensively, OSU is not very good. The most complete team may be PSU, and they played terribly on offense against both OSU and Iowa. Their best win might be against Oregon St. NW, Iowa, and Michigan St. are good teams, but they aren’t any stronger than UGA, LSU, USC, etc.

The PAC 10, outside of USC and Oregon St. (see PSU beatdown of beavers), is pathetic.

The ACC is a damn near nightmare. Either everyone sucks or everyone is good.

I have nothing for the Big East. Cincinnati, WVU, PITT, are all the same team. Nothing really sets any of them apart from each other.

So, maybe all of college football is down? Which means that the SEC, as of THIS YEAR, is still, at a minimum, the 2nd best conference in the land.

If TT, T, OKST, & OK were in the SEC this year, they’d take up, in all probability, 4 of the top 6 spots.

Unfortunately my team (LSU) will end up playing one of them in the Cotton, or something.

Mike @ 31:

A vengeful diety will surely strike me dead for defending Oklahoma, but their OOC included Cincinnatti and TCU, both of which OU kicked hell out of.

Let’s compare the OOC’s of the top 4 SEC schools:

Bama: Clemson, Tulane, Arky State, and WKU.
Florida: Hawaii (post June Jones), Miami, the Citadel, and FSU.
Georgia: Ga. Southern, CMU, ASU, and BEEEES.
LSU: Appalachian State, Troy, North Texas, and Tulane.

Nonconference BCS games: 4.
Non-annual BCS schools: 2.
I-AA or Transitional I-AA schools: 4.

Tech: E Washington, Nevada, SMU, UMass. Yeah, that’s embarassing.
OU: Chattanooga, Cincy, Washington, TCU.
Ok State: WSU, Houston, Missouri State, Troy.
Texas: Florida Atlantic, UTEP, RIce, Arkansas.

Nonconference BCS schools: 4.
Non-annual BCS schools: 4.
I-AA or transitional I-AA schools: 4

It’s also tough to blame Oklahoma and OSU for the entire state of Washington’s state of football amnesia.

Do me a favor. If you are sooo confident that Bama will lose to Florida by more than 21 points, bet $10,000.00 on it. Go ahead. Do it. Should be easy money.
If you havent noticed, Bama isnt gonna spot Florida 14 points off of bonehead Pick 6’s and punt blocks and kickoff fumbles for scores. And we have a evil coach named Saban who likes for his defenses to hit people. Hard. Repeatedly. Bama finds some way to squeak by Florida , especially in the SEC Champ Game , when Bama is supposed to get blown out.
Evidence:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFvRBEsOkn4
We arent tOSU, we actually show up for big games.
Oh BTW, another team that wasnt supposed to stay on the field with Florida:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7Fg7-ILPHQ
And we know how that turned out…..

Here is a stat for you people:

LSU QB Jarrett Lee has given up FORTY NINE points to opposing teams! HOLY FUCKING SHIT Think about that. Not 49 points in turnovers, FORTY NINE points of throwing a touchdown to the wrong side of the field.

Take away the pick sixes and LSU beats Bama, keeps it close with UGA (maybe wins) but still gets skull drug against FLA. They also beat Troy by an extra TD.

Not saying he is the only problem, but things would be alot easier with a proven QB. And I can’t sit here and blame JL, he is a freshman and all. He certainly was not ready yet and was thrown into the position because of RP’s off field behavioral issues. But damn, 49 points.